Chapter 1
Summary:
With that confirmation of trust, Steve felt something burn in his chest. It wasn’t a bad burn, more like a deep warmth radiating from the core of it. Carefully, he led Eddie a little further in until he was chest-deep too.
“There, how's that?” He asked, feeling relaxed because of the water. “Too far?”
“No..” Steve watched Eddie’s throat bob before he spoke again. “This is good. Thank you.”
The smile that splayed on Steve’s face went from sweet to mischievous. “Good because I’ve been waiting to do this…”
Lightly, Steve splashed water at Eddie, soaking his face and the short dark hair near his temples. “Whoops.”
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Steve
Steve Harrington wasn’t surprised when his parents told him they were shipping him off to summer camp. They didn’t even bother dropping him off themselves; they had their driver do it. There wasn’t much of a reason his parents needed to avoid spending time with him, and honestly? He wasn’t too keen on spending time with them either. His father took every opportunity to criticize him– tell him that he needed to do better, be better. Nothing Steve did seemed to be enough in the eyes of his father. Not that he needed the constant reminder that he was a disappointment, but still, he never heard the end of it.
His mother wasn’t much better. She was good at ignoring the problems between father and son. Her priorities were on the lavish life his father provided her, so she quickly turned her head to his father’s shortcomings.
That just meant that Steve was good at being alone. Even when he was with his friends, he didn’t seem to quite fit in. It was more of an obligation due to his parent's friendships than his own free will. Tommy was the prime example. It was easier to comply rather than to fight. How could he possibly go against his father? It seemed pointless with the power his father held over so many aspects of his life.
Steve couldn’t wait to get away from him. Both of his parents.
He tugged his duffle bag onto his shoulder as he took a look around. Cabins were surrounded by woods but cleared enough to see a decent-sized lake off to the north. The air was fresh and warm, perfect for a swim but he wasn’t sure exactly what he was allowed to do– especially since he had just arrived.
An older teenager, maybe 18/19, passed by with a lanyard around his neck and his eyes fixated on a clipboard. His blond, shaggy hair was pushed back with dark sunglasses not blocking the green of his eyes.
“Excuse me,” Steve called, raising his left hand to get the guy’s attention. “I just got here, and this is my first time at camp.”
The toothy smile he was met with spread over the guy’s thin face, “Ah! Welcome. I’m Jonah, one of the counselors here. What’s your name? I’ll see what cabin you’re staying in.”
“Steve,” he started. “Steve Harrington.”
Jonah nodded, his eyes scanning the list before tapping the paper. “Ah ha! You’re in cabin seven! That’s one of mine.” He motioned to the left before adding, “Come on. I’ll show you the way.”
“Thanks,” Steve said, letting out a sigh of relief as he trailed behind the older guy.
On the way, Jonah explained meal times, activities, and what the basic set of rules. It was pretty self-explanatory. “Stay out of trouble. Got it.”
The cabin he was led to was almost like a four-sectioned dorm. Two beds per space. So he would have a roommate. He closed his eyes and silently prayed to the universe that his roommate wasn’t annoying. Or a jerk. It was nice to get away from Tommy and the other toxic members of his friend group. He could only hope he could avoid it here. And maybe even make some real friends during his time there.
“Your roommate is Eddie Munson. He got here a little before you,” Jonah explained, standing in the door as Steve set his duffle bag on the small twin-sized bed. Steve could feel the older man watching him take everything in so he turned to look at him.
“Thanks for helping me. I appreciate it.” Steve nodded at Jonah, who offered him a nod back.
“I’ll leave you to get acclimated. If you need anything, I’m in the counselor room B.” And with that, Jonah shut the door and left Steve alone in the too-quiet room.
Steve got some of his stuff situated in the doorless closet that was positioned at the end of his bed. The cabin was mostly dark green with a darker brown accenting the windows and makeshift closet and storage spaces. The bedframe matched the dark wood he noticed as he maneuvered over to his bed. He took his time utilizing the boxed shelf next to his bed before deciding to go explore the outside world. Maybe even meet some people while he was out there. Being fourteen, he shouldn’t feel as comfortable being alone as he was. This summer, though, he was preparing to step a little outside of his comfort zone. Expand his social life a little. Quality over quantity, he thought. Hopefully, this summer would bring just that.
His blue Nikes pushed him out of his cabin and onto the crunchy grass of the campsite. There already seemed to be small cliques of people forming. People that knew each other, he was sure. If there was anyone he knew there, he wasn’t aware of it. And truthfully, he was hoping to get away from his Harrington last name for a bit.
A few girls waved to him, clearly giving him the eye and giggling but he tried not to fixate on it. There would be plenty of time for that, too, he was certain.
As he passed people, he wondered if any of them were Eddie Munson– his roommate. Then he worried, would they get along? What would happen if they didn’t?
His legs had carried him toward the water without thought as he fought the urge to jump in with all of his clothes on and wash away the pain and anger that was residual from his home life. Instead, he stopped when he heard a soft melody coming from the right of him.
On the dock, he saw a guy sitting at the edge. Their feet were bare and their black denim-clad legs hung over the side with a black guitar in their lap. The dark brown of their overgrown buzz cut showed the softness around their high cheekbones and full lips. Their skin was paler than his, only showing from the short sleeves of their dark tee shirt, but their arms were lean. It wasn’t the first time Steve had thought another male was attractive, but it was okay to appreciate beauty no matter the gender he had convinced himself. That’s all it was– appreciation.
He hadn’t realized that his feet had pulled him closer until the sounds of his own footsteps on the wooden surface of the dock snapped him out of his thoughts.
The guy stopped strumming, turning a little to look over his shoulder. Now that Steve was closer, he could see how big his eyes were. The color of his irises was chocolate brown and very expressive. The musician didn’t say anything right away, but Steve noted he had to be close to his age so he wasn’t a counselor.
“Hey, uh, what were you playing?” Steve began, feeling out of his element approaching a random guy to start a conversation. “It sounded really cool.”
Internally, Steve wanted to slap himself.
“It’s just something I’m working on,” the stranger’s voice was smooth as he looked up at Steve through his dark eyelashes. There was something comforting in the tone he used, even if he knew the stranger was unsure of him. “You thought it sounded cool?”
Steve nodded, tucking a hand in his pocket and running the other through the length of his hair. “Yeah, you wrote that? I’ve never met anyone who wrote their own music before. That’s… impressive.” He lifted his eyebrow, shaking his head. “I’m Steve, by the way.” The hand that trailed through his hair offered a small, awkward wave.
Eddie
When Eddie’s uncle told him that he would be spending the summer with kids his age, Eddie gagged. Wayne had to pick up extra hours this summer due to some layoffs, and he didn’t want Eddie getting into trouble without the distraction of school. Eddie didn’t really understand the concern. If there wasn’t school, he was trying to play the guitar Wayne bought him for his fifteenth birthday. It had been like six months since then, and he was really starting to get the hang of it.
Finally.
This was his first summer with Wayne as his caregiver, and he didn’t want to feel abandoned by the drop-off. Maybe he did, though. He dragged his feet over the dried-out grass between his quiet cabin and the sparkling blue water stretching out past the campsite and small wooden deck. Other kids passed by him, but he didn’t care to look up and acknowledge them. Why would the kids here be any different than the ones he went to school with?
Before lowering to the edge of the wooden planks, he stepped out of the slides protecting his feet, and sat his guitar down. The water was reflecting the sun a little harshly. And it was warm. He was grumbling under his breath as he pulled the guitar into his lap and began strumming the song he had been working on before he was dropped off in hell.
He didn’t want to sit around and wait for his roommate to show up. He hadn’t asked the counselor his name, and it wasn’t provided at the time. A surprise for him to go back to. How did these things work?
He was an only child in both of the lives he’s lived so far: before Wayne and now. He didn’t know how to share a room or live with someone who wasn’t a parental figure. That’s another reason Eddie was out here, playing music for no one but the birds and fish. He was nervous to mess this up much like everything else.
Footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. Someone was approaching him, but their vibe didn’t seem threatening. However, Eddie didn’t think the person intended to get caught sneaking up on him. Then the stranger complimented his guitar playing and introduced himself. The small wave he offered made Eddie’s lip twitch, his body turning to face him.
The first thing he noticed about Steve was the small beauty marks peppered in various places on his neck and face. His skin was much tanner but in a natural way. Like he was just out and about playing sports while Eddie remained a gremlin cooped up in his small, messy room.
“I’m Eddie. Eddie Munson.” He tried not to cringe when he said his last name. Steve wouldn’t know his last name or the connection it had to the trash of his town. His town was small, and he would have known this kid. Would have remembered him. “Nice to meet you,” Eddie added, offering him a small smile. The compliment he received should be reciprocated, right? He frantically searched the boy and settled on the watch on his wrist. “I like your watch.” He meant it. It stood out to him with its blue face and brown band. It added to the non-threatening demeanor of the obviously popular boy.
Maybe camp wouldn’t be so bad if he made a friend out of it.
He was getting ahead of himself.
Steve’s hair was standing up on its own, probably with the help of some gnarly products. It was pulled to the side slightly after he combed his fingers through the brown strands. Brown eyes were locked on Eddie. It was like a spotlight he wasn’t used to having on him. People didn’t stare at him unless they were pushing him around, calling him names. He was a loner mostly. He hated people and didn’t have any friends because of it.
“You play any instruments?” Eddie asked.
“Piano,” he said. Confidently. He pointed to the spot next to him, pulling a nod in response. They both faced the water again once Steve sat, giving Eddie a moment to comment on the piano answer. “Did you say, Eddie Munson?”
Eddie froze for a moment. Maybe Steve did know who he was. There was no way, right?
“Because I’m pretty sure you’re my roommate.”
“Ah,” Eddie said. “Sorry to hear it.”
Looking over, he caught Steve’s eyebrows pinned together in an attempt to hide from the sun. The light showed off the lighter portions of his irises. They were almost honey-colored brown. Eddie’s lips were curved into a smile, something so unfamiliar to him prior to this interaction. Well, unless the other person was Wayne, a fictional story, or music. Would Steve know he was teasing him?
“Why’s that? Because I’m a prep?” Steve laughed, meeting his eyes for a quick moment before looking down at the water.
A prep. The polo was definitely a giveaway of his “prep” status, but Eddie hadn’t noticed. He wasn’t the type to judge someone for their clothing. “Nah,” Eddie laughed too, his eyebrows lifting. “Because I’m a freak.”
Steve lifted his eyebrows, looking him over. “Self-proclaimed?”
Eddie scrunched his nose, shaking his head. “Not exactly.” The music carried out as he strummed a few times, his eyes moving back and forth between the water and Steve’s curious eyes. “It’s whatever.”
The silence between them let the sounds carry from the other children: playing, laughing, being loud. “How about we forget the labels and use this summer to just be… Steve and Eddie? Roommates?” The smile on Steve’s lips was… charming. He had bright, white, straight teeth. He looked up through his eyelashes at Eddie, and it did something to his insides. He didn’t quite know what or why, his eyes searching Steve’s expression. “Maybe even friends…”
“Maybe..” Eddie agreed, trailing off with a strum of his guitar, his eyes still studying honey brown. Friends. He didn’t know what having friends felt like. What if he was no good at it? What would he want a friend to say or do now? “Maybe I could teach you a song?” He lifted his guitar up to show him what he meant.
There was still a smile on his roommate’s face. Eddie’s gaze dropped to the now tapping fingers on his jeans, his knee to be specific. “I’d like that.”
Maybe camp wasn’t going to be as bad as he thought.
Steve
Eddie had been showing Steve chords on the guitar when the dinner bell rang out through the campgrounds. It was almost 6pm now, the sun painting the sky with pinks and oranges as it bid its farewell to the day.
He walked with Eddie back to their cabin so his roommate could put his guitar away– reluctantly, Steve noticed. Eddie was very attached to his instrument. Not that he blamed him. Being surrounded by strangers was unsettling, to say the least.
The cafeteria wasn’t too far from their cabin and it was a decent-sized space. It looked a lot like the middle school cafeteria back home in Hawkins. It even had the same utensil holders– the grey-lined ones with the white holder. Strangely enough, the familiarity provided a small sense of comfort in the unfamiliar space.
“So,” Steve started, grabbing the red tray and sitting it on the metal in front of them as they stood in line. “Was it your choice to come to camp, or did your parents force you?”
“Forced,” Eddie mumbled, sitting his own tray down next to Steve’s as they shifted to the right. “What about you?”
Steve shrugged before requesting a slice of pizza. The older lady set a plate with a slice of pepperoni on the glass and he took it. He offered her a thank you before looking at Eddie. “Honestly, my parents shipped me off here so they could have the child-free existence that they’ve always wanted,” he scoffed, looking back down as he slid his food down a little further to give Eddie space to choose his dinner. “Not that they act like any different the rest of the time, really.”
Telling Eddie that made his face burn with slight embarrassment. He could feel the other boy staring at him. Was that an overshare? They were practically strangers. He cleared his throat as he watched Eddie decide on pizza too.
“My parents too,” Eddie finally said, his voice low with something Steve couldn’t place. Eddie thanked the woman at the pizza station before continuing on. “I live with my uncle now,” he shared. “He has to work and can’t exactly be around this summer.”
Steve watched his new friend’s chest deflate at the admission, his own matching. His heart was thumping heavily at the acknowledgment that they had something in common, albeit painful.
There was a big part of Steve that wanted to unload on Eddie about his asshole parents. How they seemed to care more about money and status than they did their own son. But he decided against it.
“Well, at least we have each other, right?” Steve said quietly, offering Eddie a smile.
Eddie paused, his eyes fixed on Steve as they moved to grab drinks before sitting down at the end of the emptiest table. “Right,” he finally said, mirroring Steve’s smile.
Steve couldn’t help but notice that the smile given to him showed off dimples on Eddie's cheeks as his roommate’s lips stretched out over his face. His lips pulled up a little, becoming a little less full with how big his smile had gotten. Steve’s stomach jumped, fluttering in a way he hadn’t really experienced before. He tried to ignore it and looked down at his food before tearing the crust from the good stuff.
“So, roomie…” Steve started, pulling a pepperoni off and putting it into his mouth. He chewed it for a moment before swallowing. “Where are you from?”
Eddie was chewing on his own bite, the pizza grease shining from the corner of his lips. His tongue swiped over it before his throat bobbed. “Kokomo. Unfortunately.” Eddie’s laugh was attractive, Steve thought. It was bright and made Steve smile. “What about you?”
“Kokomo… like the Beach Boys song,” Steve commented, setting his pizza down. “I’m from Hawkins.” He tried to think if he knew where that was in comparison to Hawkins or Indy. He wasn’t sure he even knew there was a city named Kokomo in Indiana. But he was certain that Eddie probably wouldn’t know where Hawkins was either. “How far are you from Indy?”
“About an hour—hour and a half. I think. What about Hawkins? I’ve never heard of that,” Eddie took another bite of his food, his big brown eyes staying locked on Steve’s. His gaze was intense, but even so, Steve felt comfortable around Eddie. Which surprised him, especially since they barely knew each other.
“It’s about eighty miles north of Indy, so whatever that is. I think like an hour or two.” Steve realized that even though he had been to Indianapolis, he wasn’t as well-traveled as his globe-trotting parents. They never took him with them. He tried not to let that thought burn into his head.
“I think we live close to each other,” Eddie replied, and Steve could see him trying to figure it out in his head. “I’ve never been to Indy, but my uncle travels there a lot for work.”
If they didn’t live too far from each other, maybe they could stay friends after this. But he was getting a little ahead of himself. How could he even be sure Eddie would want to stay friends after this or be his friend at all?
His thoughts were broken when Eddie’s warm voice got his attention.
“The Beach Boys?” he asked, his eyebrows lifting once Steve’s eyes lifted to meet his. “Who’s that?”
After dinner and the welcome ceremony, the boys made their way to meet Jonah at their cabin. The other counselor for their cabin was a guy named Nick. He was shorter and stockier and had dark hair and dark eyes. He couldn’t have been much taller than either Steve or Eddie, but he seemed a little less friendly than Jonah. It made Steve feel relieved to know that Jonah was the counselor that they had to report daily.
“Did you guys decide on your activity blocks yet?” Jonah asked as the boys– mainly Eddie– got the rest of their stuff situated. “Steve, you’re athletic, yeah? Did you see how many sports we have to offer here?” The older guy sat on the foot of Steve’s bed, leaning back slightly. “There’s soccer and basketball…”
Steve turned to look at Eddie, catching his eyes as he spoke. “I’m not sure. Eddie, what are you picking?”
“I was thinking music, archery, art...” Eddie trailed off, stopping mid-motion to continue thinking. “Maybe pottery? How many do we choose again?”
Jonah sat up, his elbows on his knees. “Three required, then you have two more additional activities you can choose.”
“Archery sounds fun,” Steve agreed, smiling at Eddie before looking back to Jonah. “I’m not surprised about Eddie here choosing music. He’s already really good.”
The way Eddie’s eyes almost burned into Steve was unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. He glanced at Eddie right as he turned away, the pink spreading from his cheeks to his neck made Steve’s lips twitch.
“I think I might do basketball and... Uh.” He closed his eyes, trying to decide on what sounded fun. Yoga could be fun, but did he want to commit to it? Same with strength and conditioning. He did a lot of that back home. Between being co-captain of his school’s swim team and the captain of the JV basketball team, he wasn’t sure he wanted to spend his summer doing exactly what he spent all year doing. “Art could be fun. It would definitely be a challenge for me.”
That meant he would have two activities with Eddie. That didn’t seem too desperate, right?
Eddie
Steve had chosen two out of three of Eddie’s activities. He couldn’t explain how it made him feel to know his roommate wasn’t shying away from the ones he agreed to. While archery could be considered an athletic activity, he didn’t know if that was what Jonah had in mind for Steve when he brought the subject up.
Jonah was nodding in response to Steve’s choices. “And your two additional?” he asked, his eyes moving between both of them.
He wasn’t sure he was up for so many activities with all these kids. If Steve was committing to the friend motion, Eddie would be spending most, if not all, of his time with his new roommate. He wasn’t social to begin with and would enjoy getting to know Steve better. It was only five weeks, and then he would be going back to his boring life with no friends.
“Pottery,” Eddie decided out loud. “And… yoga maybe?”
He looked at Steve, studying his expression. His eyes were set in a soft gaze, their direction on Eddie. For some reason, he warmed up at the attention. He wasn’t used to people looking at him, caring about him, including him, or any other pathetically normal interaction most people had several times a day.
“Yoga could be fun,” Steve said, bringing a small smile to Eddie’s lips. They were obviously in this together, as much of it as they could be. “I’d like to get some exercising in, and I’ve always been curious.” Steve pulled his lips together as he thought about it, his fingers combing through his hair. “I’m not sure. Do we have to tell you tonight?”
“Take your time!” Jonah encouraged, standing up from the edge of Steve’s twin mattress. “We’ll be starting the day at seven-thirty. Lights out by ten.”
Eddie had finished unpacking his things before Jonah exited their room and moved to the next one. The sheets were pulled back, ready for him to climb in. “I’m going to go change,” Eddie announced, carrying the small pile of bunched-up clothing in the bend of his arm and his toothbrush.
A worn-out Metallica shirt and even more worn-out pajama pants hung loosely from his thin frame. He pulled at them as he stared in the mirror, not understanding why he wished it was nicer. Steve looked so… nice. He sighed. Why did he think Steve would care? He didn’t seem to care about his even frumpier daytime clothing upon meeting.
His toothbrush was still wet as he carried it back to their shared room, his eyes finding Steve pulling on a new shirt. He had already changed his pants too. There were so many beauty marks on his back.
“Need me to come back?” Eddie asked, his eyes burning into the tan skin slowly disappearing. He couldn’t look away, but he should.
“Nah, it’s okay,” Steve said, his lips tugging downward. “Sorry, I should’ve waited for the bathroom. But I was ready to get out of that polo.”
Eddie was shaking his head, willing his eyes to the floor before Steve met his gaze. The jump in his chest and the feeling of being caught made it all twist. He felt like he was going to throw up. And then it was gone, a chill moving through him. “Totally cool, man. No big deal.”
A lump the size of a baseball settled in his throat as he disposed of his used clothing, his breath expelling a little heavily. Sleepovers weren’t something he was used to, but he needed to get used to it. It had nothing to do with the weird way he had watched Steve get dressed. So weird.
“I can’t sleep without a TV on,” Eddie blurted suddenly. “Is the light from my laptop going to bother you?”
Steve climbed into his bed as Eddie settled beneath the covers. “No, not at all. I usually need white noise or something too. Where’s a fan when you need it?” He laughed and Eddie offered him a small smile. He decided he liked his laugh.
“Seriously though,” Eddie agreed. “I could set up my laptop on our dresser over there if you want. So we can both hear it?”
His laptop case was dusty and almost grey now. It was Wayne’s old computer. It didn’t have much on it, but it ran Netflix and YouTube, and that was all Eddie cared about. The other kids were chatting, their voices seeping through the crack under the door or the thin walls. Eddie looked from his loading laptop to Steve who had his fingers in his hair. Like they often were, it seemed.
“Yeah? That’d be really cool. Thanks, Eddie.”
The big bright smile Steve offered lit up the entire room. He didn’t know infectious energy like what Steve offered in the short amount of time he knew him. He pulled himself from the bed and placed his open laptop on the wooden dresser. After plugging it in and shutting off the lights, he scrolled through his Netflix downloads. “Is there anything you don’t like or don’t want to watch?” Eddie asked.
“I may come off like a wuss, but I’d prefer nothing too scary,” Steve admitted, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
“No worries,” Eddie reassured him, clicking Avatar: The Last Airbender. “Avatar it is.”
Eddie crawled back into bed, propping himself up slightly to see the show. He wasn’t too tired, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to pass out immediately upon getting settled. He usually did despite his exhaustion level. “Good night, Steve,” Eddie said, pulling the covers up to his chin and peeking over at his new friend.
Steve was shifting onto his stomach, his face still angled toward Eddie’s bed. There was that smile again, shining in the darkness. Eddie didn’t know why, but he felt like this was the beginning of something big in his life. Whether it be Steve or camp–his life was going to change. Hopefully for the better.
“Night, Eddie.”
Steve
A cannon rang through the sky and startled Steve awake. “What the…?” he mumbled, falling back down onto his side, the somewhat hard mattress not adjusting to his body. He groaned as his eyes blinked to focus.
Across from him, Eddie was stirring too, the day before coming back to him in a rush. A small smile found its way onto Steve’s lips as his new friend yawned.
“Good morning, Eddie,” Steve said softly, admiring the soft edges of his roommate's face as he stretched awake.
“Morning,” Eddie replied, his smile matching Steve’s. “Sleep well?”
“Until that damn cannon went off,” Steve responded with a soft laugh. “How did you sleep?”
“Same,” Eddie’s laugh pulled Steve’s smile even further. “I am not a morning person.”
Steve sighed, “I’m conditioned for mornings, unfortunately. If it were up to me, I’d be a night person.”
There was so much Steve could feel brewing in his chest. How he wanted to rant about how his parents were, his father specifically. How his friends didn’t get him. But it was much too soon, and he was enjoying the fact that Eddie didn’t know the weight of Harrington. Steve could only hope that no matter what, it wouldn’t change anything if he did.
Eddie cocked his head, “Why is that?”
The muscle in his jaw tightened, and he buried his face to try to hide it. “Ah, sports.”
“Oh,” Eddie nodded, rubbing his eyes. “That makes sense.”
Steve wasn’t sure if Eddie was athletic. He didn’t want to assume that he wasn’t. But given the freak comment when they first met, he would assume that his roommate wasn’t necessarily athletically inclined.
Slowly, Steve sat up and stretched. “Breakfast is soon. Ready for our first round of activities?”
He pulled himself out of the bed and moved to the closet space before picking out his slate gray and orange striped polo and khaki shorts after a moment of hesitation.
“Sure,” Eddie said, following suit and sitting up. “I wonder how we choose what’s first. Do you think they only do each subject once a day?”
Steve shrugged, his lips pursing as he looked back at Eddie. “I think it’s like breakfast, then two chosen activities, then like free time. Or whatever, before lunch?”
He watched his roommate pull out his clothes. The boy had only grabbed dark blue jeans, and Steve presumed he was going to keep wearing the faded Metallica shirt he already had on. Brown eyes lifted to Steve’s, catching the way Steve was following his every move. Heat rose to Steve’s cheeks as Eddie spoke.
“I’ll follow your lead,” Eddie laughed, this time a little less reserved. It was a nice sound, Steve thought. All of Eddie’s laughs had been nice. “Until you have to leave me.”
Hugging his clothes to his chest, Steve offered his roommate a smile. The idea of having a friend who wanted to stick with him did something to his fragile psyche. Eddie had absolutely no obligation to him whatsoever, yet he still seemed willing to spend time with Steve.
That feeling was already mutual, something that was so unfamiliar to Steve that he had to process it for a second. “You’re welcome to join me in any activity I chose, Eddie.”
“Thanks,” Eddie sighed, relief pulling his lips into a big smile. Dimples appeared on his cheeks as the top row of his teeth showed a little. Steve couldn’t help but note how pretty Eddie was, especially when he smiled. He watched his roommate look down at his feet, the pink rising to his cheeks told Steve that he was embarrassed by his next admission. “I appreciate that. I’m not very… Social to begin with.”
Steve reached out, touching his new friend’s shoulder tenderly. He wanted to tell Eddie that he never felt like he had a real friend– not one of his own making. Only the ones that were designated to him because of family requirements. Friends that didn’t really seem like friends when they did awful stuff to other people, or would shamelessly bully Steve when he didn’t align with them.
“Come on, we’re going to go have a little fun.” Steve lifted his eyebrows when Eddie looked back up at him, the smile still evident on his roommate’s expression.
They took turns using the bathroom to prepare for their day, and just like the night before, they walked to the cafeteria together. They got their food and sat in the same spots they had for dinner. Steve enjoyed the routine of it. It was comfortable being with Eddie in this loop they had created so far. Would it stay that way? Would they make more friends? Or would they stay in their own little bubble?
The thought of spending time with Eddie, getting to know him and his interests sounded more appealing than making a ton of friends. He looked around the cafeteria and saw so many people that looked like he did. Guys that were wearing nicer clothes and girls who were making eyes at them– at him, when he looked up at the right time.
He turned his attention to Eddie, smiling as his friend took a bite of his french toast. “Archery first? Or do you want to go to art?” He asked, watching the syrup linger in the corner of Eddie’s mouth. A pink tongue smoothed it away as Eddie swallowed the bite.
“Archery sounds fun. Less sun right now too,” He watched his friend’s lips pull to the side as he thought about it. “What do you think?”
Steve nodded, agreeing that it would be nice to get archery done when it wasn’t peak daylight. He took a bite of his bagel and tapped the table. “I think you’re right about archery. Doing that while it's not crazy hot. You’re smart.”
“Hah.” The laugh Eddie gave Steve wasn’t like his other ones. It was more of a scoff than an actual laugh. Steve paused, watching his new friend as he looked up from his food. “Thank you. When do you plan on doing basketball?”
Licking his lips, Steve wondered if he needed a change of clothes or if they were given those reversible jerseys to wear. “Maybe after archery? I’m not sure it's something I want to do after lunch.” With a slight pause, he sat the small piece of bagel down and brushed the crumbs off his shirt. “What will you do? Do you want to go to art after lunch? I’m open to whatever.”
“Hmm..” He saw Eddie considering it. His fingers twisted the fork in his fingers, and the shine of a silver band on his right pointer finger made Steve realize he hadn’t noticed it yesterday. “I can do music, and then we could do art after lunch?”
“On one condition,” Steve countered, pushing his tray aside and leaning on his folded arms on the table. “You play a little for me later? Maybe at the dock? After dinner?”
Eddie paused as the fork touched his lips, staring at Steve for a moment that felt like it went on forever but not long enough. “You want me.. to play for you?”
He straightened his back, feeling a little silly now for the request. “If you don’t want to, maybe we could just… star gaze or something? I think we’ll have some time before curfew. Err, bedtime. Whatever.”
“I’m just surprised.. that’s all. No one has ever listened to me play. And like, that be it.” Eddie reached back, scratching his neck as his big brown eyes met Steve’s.
He had taken a sip of his chocolate milk, setting his container down as surprise overcame his features. “That…. shocks me? You’re really good?” Steve shook his head, trying to not linger on it. “Well, if you’re down… for any of that…”
“I’m totally down. For any of it.”
Steve wrapped his lips around the straw sticking out from the carton of milk still sitting on the table in front of him. “What about for all of it?”
“All of it?” Eddie's eyebrows pulled up, and a slight pull of the corner of his lips caught Steve’s attention. “You sure you wanna be around me that much.”
Steve couldn’t tell if he was teasing or serious, but it felt like it could be both.
“I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t…. But, I’ll understand if you don’t want to be around me that much…” Steve trailed off, starting to worry that maybe he was being a little too…. Much already?
“Steve, no.” His roommate pushed the tray aside and leaned forward a little. “I was just playing.”
He took a second to recover, his eyes drifting over Eddie’s expression. He seemed concerned with how Steve had taken his words. It was easier to be wounded than he expected, but he shook his head.
“Okay,” Steve finally said, sitting back a little and picking up his milk carton again. “But, if you want to do something else, with someone else, just tell me to... I don’t know, buzz off? I’ll understand.”
Steve watched as Eddie muttered something that sounded like, “Don’t hold your breath.” But he couldn’t be certain. He wasn’t sure how to take it but opted against asking Eddie for clarification. They were still getting to know each other and he was sure they would eventually talk about things the more time they spent together.
They finished their food and filed out of the cafeteria along with a good majority of the kids. It was almost like they were being funneled out to their first activity, but Eddie and Steve stayed close together. Archery was a lot of fun. Steve struggled a little at first, but Eddie picked it up fairly quickly.
“Dang, Eddie,” Steve huffed playfully, watching Eddie hit the second ring from the bullseye. “You’re pretty good. Have you done this before?”
Eddie shook his head. “Never,” he said with a laugh. “I’m a natural, I guess.” He was beginning to let his guard down more with Steve, and Steve was eating it up. “Have you?”
Pursing his lips, Steve sighed. “No. Isn’t that obvious?” Regardless of his self-aimed frustration, he still smiled back at his roommate. Eddie didn’t need to know how deeply Steve’s issues ran yet.
Once Steve got the hang of it, he started doing pretty well himself. The thought made him proud. He liked being good at things. Whether it was his need for validation or the sense of perfectionism that was drilled into him by his father, he wasn’t entirely sure. But right now? He was having a good time learning something new with his friend.
The time flew by. Before they knew it, it was time for the second activity block.
“I guess this is where we separate.” Steve’s lips pulled tight as they walked toward the buildings together. Eddie’s next activity was on the other end of the campsite from the gym. “See you after?”
The full bottom lip was tucked between his teeth as Eddie looked around before his eyes fell back onto Steve’s. He seemed a little nervous. It made Steve want to comfort him. Would Eddie be okay with that? He wasn’t quite sure how his roommate would react, so he resisted. “Yeah. After. See you then.”
“Want to meet at the cabin? We can spend our optional activity doing whatever you want?” Steve’s suggestion fell from his lips before he could stop it. “That way we can have lunch and then go to art together.”
Eddie’s lips pulled into a grin. Obviously, Steve had said something right with the way his roommate’s face lit up. “Sounds perfect.”
“Cool.” Steve mirrored his grin before tucking his hands into his pockets. He turned, walking backward in the direction of the gym as Eddie watched him. “Have fun showing everyone how talented you are.”
“Steve.” There was a huff that was quickly followed by a laugh and pink rising to Eddie’s cheeks. The dimples returned with the smile he gave Steve. It made Steve smile even bigger. “Whatever. I am not.”
“Don’t downplay it, Eddie. Remember, I’ve heard you play…”
There was resistance to accepting the compliment. That was obvious by the way Eddie’s head and hands were shaking. “I’m nothing special.”
“You’re wrong,” Steve called out, his smile not faltering. “See you in an hour, roomie.”
And with that, Steve turned to walk normally in the direction of his destination. But he couldn’t help but steal a glance back at Eddie, who had turned to walk the opposite way.
Eddie
The rest of the day went by quickly. Eddie was feeling pretty overstimulated by the time they made it to dinner. He was looking forward to spending some quiet time on the dock with Steve. His roomie had mentioned stargazing and Eddie’s guitar. All of the above seemed like a way to chill out for the night, to recover from all the socializing.
Steve didn’t seem to drain him, but everyone else did. The sun did too. He grabbed his trusty guitar and followed Steve out the way they had come in. The grass was so crunchy as they followed the moonlit path to the lake. “Enjoy your first real day of camp?” Eddie asked, finding Steve’s eyes in the darkness as they fell into step together.
It wasn’t much farther. A small group of kids were by the fairly large campfire. It was far enough away that he couldn’t see the specifics of their faces, but he could hear their laughter. Other than those kids, there wasn’t anyone roaming around. Especially over where they were.
“Sure, it was fine. A lot to adjust to, though,” Steve admitted, his eyes lifting from the water to Eddie. Not too much farther now. “What about you?”
“I am easily overwhelmed by people, especially if there’s too much talking around me all at once. Other than that, I enjoyed the stuff we did.”
Their steps echoed over the wooden planks as they stepped onto the deck. Setting his guitar down, he was able to slip his shoes off and lower all the way down. Laying back and stretching his legs out, his eyes lifted to the clear sky and abundance of stars. So many of them. “Wow!” Eddie gasped, patting the spot beside him.
Steve laid down next to Eddie, their shoulders not too far apart. There was heat radiating in the small amount of space between their bodies, but it was welcomed in the subtle chill wafting through the air. It was summer, but the nights always seemed colder. Maybe Eddie was just naturally a little on the chilly side. The kid who could wear a hoodie in July.
“Ever stargaze before?” Steve asked, and Eddie turned to look at him. He was greeted with a smile and the stance of someone who was relaxed and happy to be there. His fingers were intertwined and his arms lying on his stomach.
“No. I’m pretty boring…” Eddie started, turning to face the sky again. “My life is complicated.”
A quiet sigh released into the air between them, up toward the sparkling adornments in the sky. Steve’s release. Was it something Eddie had said? Was he already annoying him? “I don’t think you’re boring.”
“Thanks, Steve,” he breathed out, his head falling to watch his new friend again. “Do you often stargaze?”
“Sometimes.” There was a pause, a moment to absorb his words in the mostly still silence of the night. Now that they weren’t walking, Eddie could hear frogs and cicadas singing, their volume increasing that they were closer to the water. “When my parents are being shitty, I’ll lock myself in my room and crawl out the window and onto the roof.”
“Does it help?” Eddie asked, not wanting to push Steve too much to open up about a personal subject. He knew how hard it was to talk about shitty parents.
“It reminds me of how I’m better off alone.”
Goosebumps spread out over Eddie’s skin at the realness of the sentence. He, too, felt like he was better off alone. He didn’t spend time with people, especially like he was spending time with Steve. It hadn’t been long enough for him to announce that Steve was different for him, not to Steve directly, but he was.
“Even right now?” Eddie asked, a little breathlessly. He wanted to say it, but he didn’t want to scare Steve with the question. It was valid, no? Was Steve better off alone while they lay on the dock and watched the stars? While Eddie played him guitar? Did Steve want him there?
“I think this is the first time I’ve not wanted to be alone,” Steve said, turning his head to look at Eddie, returning the questioning gaze he was most likely giving off. “This… this is nice.”
Eddie’s stomach performed a flip as Steve’s gaze locked with his, the moon creating shadows over one side of his face. His nose was sharp and his lips pouty as his expression relaxed along with his arms. “It is nice,” Eddie whispered. A wave of nervousness washed over him for a reason undetermined. “Want to do this until we leave?”
“Yeah, I do,” Steve whispered back. “End every day like this? Sounds amazing, honestly.”
The soft rippling of the lake echoed in his head as they looked into each other’s eyes, the far-off laughter setting music for what felt like a pivotal moment in his life. The moonlight was sparkling in Steve’s dark eyes, hooded by his eyelids and long eyelashes. Eddie swallowed hard, a tightness in his chest showing up for him in a way he had never experienced before.
No one had spent time with Eddie like Steve had in the twenty-six hours they had known each other, and he was feeling some type of way about it.
“Best summer ever,” Eddie breathed.
Someone ran past them nearby, startling Eddie and breaking their intense eye contact. What was that about? Was it normal to just stare at someone? Steve probably thought he was a freak, like everyone else.
He sat up and reached for his guitar, strumming lazily as Steve looked at him from his place on the wood planks. He looked so comfortable there, his eyes burning into his hands as they strummed, the other hand picking chords. It was so easy being there with him, playing a song he knew by heart. His favorite song: “Be My Mistake” by The 1975.
While he usually sang when he played, it wasn’t the time for that. He already liked Steve a lot, and he trusted him. He wasn’t ready to completely lay out his insides to be punched and run over like trash on the highway because he wasn’t sure his ego could take Steve cringing or criticizing him. It was a common occurrence before his fast friendship with his roommate, but he knew it would be different because of the weird attachment he already felt.
Was it normal to feel so attached to someone he only knew for a day?
A sigh fell from his lips as he finished up the song. The silence felt stronger as his strings stilled and they returned to only hearing campfire girls and rippling water. There must have been a fish swimming or something, disturbing the peace.
“Do you know that song?” Eddie asked him finally, not being able to handle the thoughts creeping in to tell him how poorly he played. Surely, Steve didn’t know what to say because it was so bad, and he had overestimated Eddie’s talent. Why did a preppy jock want to hang out with him anyway? He wasn’t anything special.
What if it was a bet? Eddie wanted to outwardly groan, his stomach churning.
The day had been better than he ever imagined when Wayne told him he was being shipped off. Why did the doubts surface during a special moment they were sharing? A real friend. Finally.
Music was one of the few things Eddie was passionate about, and he was eager to learn about Steve’s interest in it. Was he a pop guy? A country guy? Maybe he liked rock too, despite his cleaner appearance.
“I’ve got the marshmallows!” A kid screamed on our left, hauling ass toward the flame dancing in the darkness. Steve had just parted his lips to speak when they interrupted him. His stomach growled despite eating plenty for the day. Did Steve hear it?
“Wish we had some marshmallows,” Eddie mumbled, mostly to himself. He strummed the strings on his beaten-up black acoustic. When he realized Steve was sitting up, he looked over at his friend. Still so relaxed. “Do you like s’mores?” Eddie asked, letting the earlier question follow the sugar-welding camper. It wasn’t important. Eddie was just curious.
“I do,” Steve nodded, his gaze shifting to the commotion. “Want me to get you one? I’m sure I could charm those counselors out of a few.” He laughed and motioned with his head to the older girls handing out items.
Eddie squinted his eyes, trying to figure out who they were. They looked like they could be counselors. ”Charm them?” Eddie asked, his head tilting slightly as he pulled his guitar into him, holding it to his stomach.
“Yeah,” Steve said, pushing his fingers through his hair. His smile was sheepish. Ashamed? “Ya know, flirt with them a little. Charm them.”
Eyebrows lifted, Eddie looked between the blazing fire and Steve’s face. Charming girls? Flirting? Eddie wasn’t familiar with the activities, but he was curious. Did Steve often charm girls out of things? “Show me?”
Eddie was in disbelief as they walked toward their cabin with sticky fingers and chocolate running down Eddie’s chin. He didn’t really understand what Steve did. The girls were laughing and blushing, he thought. It was difficult to see if the flush was a reflection of the fire or Steve’s doing. Either way, it was impressive and he had given Eddie the best gift of the night: dessert in bed.
For once, Eddie was excited to face the next day.
Steve
Camp was going way better than Steve had expected. Every day, he and Eddie grew closer. It had been a little over a week and they were way more comfortable with each other now. It wasn’t hard to believe since they spent most of their time together. Jonah had called them inseparable, and Steve was perfectly content with that. Eddie had quickly become his best friend, and he wasn’t sure where Eddie stood, but he hoped that was mutual. They certainly acted like it.
Weekends were basically free time for all campers and Steve had suggested they go swimming. Then maybe enjoy the rope swings hanging from the trees in a more secluded area of the wooded lake.
“Do you have sunscreen?” he asked his friend, glancing over his shoulder as he dug through his toiletries. The yellow bottle was tucked under products that he most frequently used.
The yellow swim trunks he had brought were a little brighter than he preferred. But they would have to do.
“I..” Eddie paused a moment before shaking his head. “No. I don’t.”
Steve smiled, turning around and presenting the tube. “No worries, I have plenty. I don’t use a high SPF, but it’ll help. Do you burn easily?”
Eddie pursed his lips before they curled downward. “I don’t think so?” He let out a small laugh. “I’m not in the sun enough to know.”
“Is that why you’re practically porcelain?” Steve teased, his stomach flipping at the comment. He was very aware of how attractive Eddie was. How smooth his skin was, soft where he had gotten to touch. Their growing connection was to blame for his acute awareness of all the things he thought were cute about Eddie, he was certain. The way his roommate’s lips disappeared when he smiled enough to reveal dimples. The light dust of freckles over the bridge of his nose. The way his big brown eyes were so expressive, especially when he was complimented.
“Hah,” Eddie laughed, rubbing his hand on the nape of his neck. “I guess so. Sorry for blinding you.”
Steve put his towel over his shoulder and smirked at his friend. “Stop apologizing, Eds. You’re perfect. But to be safe, I will be forcing you to lather up in this shit. Sunburns are the worst.”
“Forcing me, huh?” Eddie raised his hands. “No force necessary, my jock friend.”
“You know what I mean.” Steve handed off another towel in Eddie’s direction. “You’re not going to get hurt. Not on my watch.”
Then there was a look that Eddie usually gave him that was fleeting. Almost as if they weren’t meant to be noticed, but Steve noticed them. His friend’s chocolate brown eyes sparkled in a way Steve was unfamiliar with. “You’re sweet, Steve…”
The way Steve’s smile stretched over his face was involuntary, his heart swelling with a deep sensation that he hadn’t felt until recently. The closeness with Eddie brought his attention to it. He wasn’t used to being so connected to someone. So effortlessly.
They made their way to the spot where they had agreed would be best to avoid overcrowdedness, and it was a pleasant surprise that it was basically empty aside from a few people on the opposite side of the water swimming and splashing.
Steve grabbed their towels and sat them on a boulder that looked like it could be used to sit on before pulling his shirt over his head. With that lying next to their towels, he slipped his flip-flops off and toed at the water.
“Feels pretty good,” he said, looking at Eddie.
“Cold?” Eddie asked, fidgeting a little before pushing his shoes off next to Steve’s. His shirt was still on even as Steve popped open the sunscreen.
Steve shook his head and clicked his tongue before squeezing some of the white substance out into his hand. “Sunscreen first, remember?”
“Oh!” Eddie’s eyes got wide, flickering down to Steve’s hands. “Are you—uh.. putting it on me?”
Steve shrugged, feeling a slight pang of something sharp in his chest. “I don’t have to if you don’t want. I know it's just difficult to get your own back. I was, uh, going to have you get mine too.”
There was a silence in the air, the pink tint to Eddie’s cheek obvious. Was Steve’s face pink or was he just warm from the sun? He didn’t want to question it too much further.
“No, it’s okay.” Reluctantly, he pulled his shirt off and put it over Steve’s. “I don’t need my porcelain to be uneven.”
The smirk Eddie gave was playful, but Steve felt stuck as his eyes took in Eddie’s bare skin. He had seen a lot of guys shirtless– came with the territory of playing sports. But, the way his stomach vaulted in response was definitely not something he had experienced before. Eddie was lean and skinny but he looked good.
Steve’s face was red now, for sure.
“I’ll get you first.” Steve cleared his throat before Eddie turned around. He shook his head and let his fingers meet Eddie’s shoulders, his palms smoothing over his back as he sucked in a quiet breath. He forced himself to ignore it. After sufficiently slathering the thick liquid onto the places he knew Eddie couldn’t reach, he offered him the tube of sunscreen. “For your front.”
The excess Steve had from covering Eddie made a thin layer over his chest and arms.
“Oh, here, let me get your face,” Steve said, turning to take a little more onto his fingertips before smoothing it over the soft features of his friend’s face. They were close now, but he was used to that.
He found himself drawn to Eddie– from the very beginning, always gravitating toward each other.
“There,” Steve said softly, finishing the length of Eddie’s nose. “Porcelain complexion protected.”
Eddie smiled as he finished rubbing his arms and chest. “Your turn?” He asked, holding up the tube.
Steve just nodded, turning to give his friend access to his back. He thought he heard Eddie’s breath hitch as his hands met Steve’s skin. He chewed his lips as Eddie’s shaky hands smoothed over his back and the back of his arms.
He knew his roommate was probably uncomfortable or that he probably hadn’t had to do anything like this before for someone, so he tried not to think too hard about it.
The touch fell from his back and Steve offered a smile over his shoulder. “Thanks, Eddie.”
The bottle of sunscreen got tossed aside and Steve walked the short distance toward the water again. He waded into the shallowest part, not wanting to tread too far in regardless of how good of a swimmer he was. Eddie was still standing at the edge of the bank, watching Steve as he floated upright,
“Going to join me?” Steve asked, waving his hand with a small splash. “The water is nice.”
It wasn’t rare for Eddie to look shy, especially with his arms crossed over his bare torso and his cheeks pink. “I’m not the best swimmer,” he finally announced nervously, and Steve offered him a smile.
“You’re in luck because I’m on the JV swim team back home. I can teach you, and I will keep you safe. I promise,” he said tenderly. “We can stay where we can still touch our feet too.”
“Yeah?” Eddie’s brown eyes were wide, but he finally agreed. “Okay, sure.”
Steve waited as his friend tiptoed into the water. Wading toward him, Steve let the water stay even with his ribs as Eddie slowly came closer.
“See? Not too bad.” Steve reassured him.
“You’re kind,” Eddie said, his eyes studying Steve’s face.
Drifting backward, Steve motioned to his friend to try to follow him a little further in. He reached out, offering his hands as the water covered him up to his chest. “Do you trust me?”
It was one brave question considering they had only known each other a week. Steve knew there was so much Eddie didn’t know about him and he was certain there were still things Steve didn’t know about him.
Pausing a second, Eddie took small movements toward him before taking Steve’s hands and nodding. “I do.”
With that confirmation of trust, Steve felt something burn in his chest. It wasn’t a bad burn, more like a deep warmth radiating from the core of it. Carefully, he led Eddie a little further in until he was chest-deep too.
“There, how's that?” He asked, feeling relaxed because of the water. “Too far?”
“No..” Steve watched Eddie’s throat bob before he spoke again. “This is good. Thank you.”
The smile that splayed on Steve’s face went from sweet to mischievous. “Good because I’ve been waiting to do this…”
Lightly, Steve splashed water at Eddie, soaking his face and the short dark hair near his temples. “Whoops.”
Eddie’s lips spread out into a big smile, his eyebrows lowering playfully. “Not cool, Steve,” he stated before splashing Steve back.
Laughing, the wave he sent toward Eddie in retaliation was much bigger than the first. Now, Eddie was wet everywhere. “Whatcha going to do, Eds?” Steve teased, cocking his eyebrows at his friend.
The short laugh that fell from Eddie was followed quickly by his long arms moving to press down on Steve’s shoulders, trying to dunk him. The laughs continued as Steve grabbed his friend's arms and pulled them both under a second before they reappeared on the surface of the water.
Eddie’s buzzed hair was starting to grow out a little, but the weight did nothing compared to what it did to Steve’s hair. “I foiled your plan!” Steve pretended to laugh heartily, his grip on Eddie’s arms moving to his wrists.
It wasn’t until that moment did he realize he was holding onto Eddie still. He hoped Eddie didn’t notice the shaky inhale of breath he took before he let go.
All of a sudden, Eddie pointed past Steve’s shoulder, his eyebrows pulled down. “Oh my god, what’s that?!”
Steve felt panic wash over him as he turned to figure out what Eddie was talking about. Was something wrong?
And that’s when he felt it. Eddie’s hands pushed down on his shoulders, clinging to his back in another attempt to try to dunk him. Steve let it happen, both of them underwater again for a moment before Steve pushed them back up into the sun. He grabbed Eddie’s arms, keeping them wrapped around him. Eddie’s stomach to Steve’s back.
“That was sneaky,” Steve said breathily, wiping his face with his right hand really quickly before moving it back to Eddie’s arm. “Ready to swing a little?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Eddie breathed, still smiling. “Sounds fun.”
Eddie's arms wrapped tighter around Steve as he grabbed Eddie’s legs and carried him out of the water. Giving Eddie a piggyback was easy because it felt like he weighed close to nothing. Carefully, he sat his friend down and reached for their towels. When he turned, he wrapped the dark gray towel around Eddie’s slender frame and smiled. “Thanks for going swimming with me.”
Eddie
Eddie’s body was high off whatever was pumping through him. The excitement of having a friend? The comfort of being in the company of another person? He didn’t really care what it was. Intrusive flashes of life beyond camp crept into his head periodically, reminding him of the shitty bedroom he would hide in when he returned, only his guitar and his uncle to keep him company.
Steve was wrapping a towel around him, his smile too pretty. How was it possible he was charming without trying? Maybe he was trying? “Thanks for being there so I didn’t drown,” Eddie laughed. “It was fun.”
He took over holding the cotton to his skin, drying himself lazily as his eyes followed the large smile his friend wore to the sparkle in his brown eyes. Honey brown. Also too pretty. Was it normal to think boys were pretty?
“Not a problem,” he said, beaming now as he worked his own towel against his dripping skin.
What was Steve like away from here? Away from the sun that made his skin even tanner in the week’s time since they arrived? His beauty marks covered most of the skin Eddie could see, and he found himself having a hard time looking away again. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down, pushing the towel a little harder against his stomach and legs. He stepped into his shoes and grabbed his shirt.
“Race you to the swings?” Eddie asked suddenly.
“What?” Steve asked, obviously not hearing him the first time.
“I’m going to beat you!” Eddie was smiling, his towel whipping his bare back as he ran as fast as he could. The pain was worth it
Steve was fast. Like really fast. Eddie was pushing himself as much as he could, catching his friend out of the corner of his eye. Steve was so close to him, and Eddie was out of breath already.
“Gotcha!” Steve said, triumphantly, wrapping his arms around Eddie and spinning him around.
Eddie’s laugh was so loud and joyful. His heart was swelling, beating so hard as Steve placed him back down and released him from his strong grasp. “Not fair.” There was more laughing as he turned around, poking his chest. “You’re too athletic to be fourteen.”
“That’s what happens when you’re constantly told you’re not good enough and crave validation from absent parents,” Steve huffed even though he was smiling. He was a constant light. “You’re pretty fast though. I barely caught you.”
“Thanks.” The swings were steps away. He dropped his things and sat down on the further swing, leaving the closest available for Steve.
Holding the rope in his palms, he stared down at his still-dripping black trunks. There were only three and a half weeks left of unjudged friendship and too much sunshine. He didn’t want to think about losing Steve already, the only person who didn’t bleed him dry or abuse him outside of the safety of his uncle’s home.
“Woah!” Eddie exclaimed, his body swinging forward without any effort of his own.
Steve laughed behind him, the deep chuckle sending a sudden shiver down his spine. He held on to the rope, letting his legs assist Steve’s movements. There were a few pushes before his contact disappeared and Steve took the empty swing and quickly caught up to the momentum of Eddie.
“So, uh..” Eddie started, stealing a glance at his always-smiling roommate. His hair was getting longer by the day, it seemed, giving him more to tug on in the moments he did. He didn’t look away. “Do you like high school? I bet you’re popular.”
“What makes you think that?” Steve asked, his eyes studying Eddie’s.
“If I hadn’t seen the way you made those older girls melt, I wouldn’t assume you were,” Eddie admitted, face flushed. “But we had those s’mores in our hands so fast. I could see the hearts in their eyes.”
Steve shrugged, laughing a little less freely. “Yeah, well, that just means I’m good with girls.”
With eyebrows lifted, Eddie replied, “Good with girls equals popular at my school. Does it not mean the same where you’re from?”
“It’s part of it.” Steve pursed his lips, both of them slowing slightly as they spoke. The air blew past his face over and over again. “It’s all bullshit.”
“Bullshit?” Eddie questioned. Was he not as popular as he wanted to be? He was only a freshman; it would only get better from there. Eddie was sure of it. Steve had it all. “Well, yeah. I agree. I am the opposite of popular and often food for that crowd. If you are popular, I’m glad you’re not like them.”
“It’s hard to explain.” Eddie watched as Steve clenched and unclenched his jaw. Questions brewed in his head, competing for the most important one to be asked. Steve continued, “I’m sorry they treat you badly. You don’t deserve that.”
They all fell to the side as Steve apologized. No one had ever apologized or recognized what Eddie went through. He was different. “Thanks, Steve,” Eddie said quietly. “That means a lot.”
Steve broke their eye contact, looking down at his feet as they kept a steady pace on their swings. “Have you ever felt like you had no control over your life? Like, you had all this pressure to be something you don’t even want to be?”
Eddie felt a pang in his chest, the emotions a weight over his hunched body. Suddenly all the smiles and light were parting ways for Steve’s vulnerability. He had let Eddie in on some of the struggles with his parents, and this must be the foundation of those struggles. Pressure to be what exactly?
“I understand the control part. My life isn’t really expected to amount to anything, though.” He cleared his throat, looking down too. “What do they want you to be?”
“Who says you’re not expected to amount to anything? Your parents? Your uncle?” Steve’s eyebrows were furrowed when their eyes met again.
Steve hadn’t answered Eddie’s question, but maybe he wasn’t comfortable sharing more than he already did. “My parents. To them, I’m a freeloading piece of shit. Their words.”
“They sound…” Steve trailed off, leaving silence between them. When had they stopped swinging? The summer air was dry on his pale skin. He was thankful for the sunscreen. Sporting a sunburn sounded like no fun with the constant activities. Eddie searched Steve’s expression, seeing him deeply lost in thought before he finally finished his sentence. “Well, they’re wrong. And kind of fucking terrible?”
“Kind of fucking terrible is right.” Eddie laughed, offering his friend a smile. “They’ve already forgotten they have a son, so it’s all good. Fuck them.”
“They’re missing out on an incredible human.” Steve mirrored the curve of Eddie’s lips. He was glad to see him smiling again. It replaced the weight on his chest with warmth. “Incredible no thanks to them.”
“You’re incredible, too,” Eddie said, complimenting him right back. “I’m so glad I met you.”
“Thanks, Eddie.” Steve beamed. The light was back and in full force, washing over Eddie like a refreshing shower after one particularly sweaty camp day. “I’m glad I met you too.”
The warmth was coming from every direction: the sun, the temperature, and the bond they had formed since becoming roommates. Eddie was drying quickly, his legs stretching and folding to swing again. They moved until they knew who could swing the highest, and then who could jump the farthest. Steve, of course, won. Eddie would let Steve win every day, just to feel him radiate that sunshine.
Steve
“On your left,” Steve heard one of his teammates say as he dribbled toward the three-point line. With a quick pass, the blond kid, Kyle, took the shot once the ball was in his hands. It bounced around the rim, giving Steve enough time to break through the middle and recover it. With a small jump, Steve laid the ball into the corner of the backboard, scoring the winning point of the day’s scrimmage.
The blue team– Steve’s team– was cheering. The red team, on the other hand, was sulking. Steve high-fived his teammates as he glanced over to Eddie, who had been showing up to the scrimmages after his second activity. His heart was pounding so heavily in his chest, and he offered a smile and wave to his dark-haired friend on the small set of bleachers.
“Of course, Harrington’s the strong point on the team,” One of his opponents spat. “I’ve played him during the season. He’s the Tiger’s point guard. All-star captain. Pft.”
Steve’s attention was caught by the poisonous, jealous words but he paid it no mind. Instead, he jogged over to Eddie and grabbed the bottle of water his friend already had extended to him.
“Hey, you came.” Steve didn’t want to sound surprised, but knowing sports weren’t really Eddie’s thing, he couldn’t help it.
“Of course I did.” The smile Steve was greeted with made his heart swell, like always. “I like watching you play.” Eddie’s face went flush as he looked around awkwardly. A small laugh pulled through his full lips. “That sounded weird, huh?”
“Weird?” Steve cocked his head to the side. “I don’t think it sounded weird. I like that you like watching me play.” He took a small swig of the water, feeling the cool rush hydrate his body.
All of a sudden, Steve felt a small shove to his back, the water splashing all over the front of him. He heard the “oohhssss” from the rest of the boys before he clenched his jaw and slowly turned around. “Got a problem?” he said calmly, assessing the aggravation in the face staring back at him. Johnny didn’t seem too happy with the outcome of the game. Yet another reason Steve hated people like him. Always so aggressive. So much to prove.
“Harrington, from Hawkins.” The kid mocked him, as he tightened the cap on the bottle. He made sure his body was between Johnny and Eddie because if he knew guys like Johnny— and he did more than he liked to admit— he knew Eddie would be an easy target. “All-Star hanging out with a freak at camp. Slumming it, Prince Steve?”
Steve stepped forward as the anger bubbled inside of him at the degradation of his friend. “You better watch your mouth, Atkins.” He threatened, not wanting to bring any more attention to Eddie than possible. He felt like he was about to snap.
“Aww, did I strike a nerve?” More mocking. Steve knew this kid was going to push and push until it broke him.
Steve stared at him for a few lingering moments before looking back to Eddie. “Come on, Eds. Let’s go.”
“Yeah, you better walk away!” Johnny spat at his back, but Steve didn’t appease him with a response.
Eddie walked silently beside Steve, and he could tell his friend had so many questions. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
Steve looked up at Eddie’s big brown eyes and let out a frustrated noise before taking a breath. “I’m sorry if you got hurt because of me.” It was the first, and most important, thing Steve could manage.
Eddie was already shaking his head. “Being called a freak happens far too often to affect me anymore,” he admitted, which just made Steve all the more angry. “Remember I said it about myself when we first met.”
Gently, Steve grabbed Eddie’s wrist to stop them both. “I do remember, and it’s not true. You know that right?”
His roommate’s full lips pursed, his eyes moving between Steve’s. “I don’t know, Steve.”
“Hey, just because you’re not like them…” Steve paused, sighing. “Like me… That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. I’d much rather be friends with you than any of those guys. Because you’re real and authentic. Not just some carbon copy jock that laughs at bullies to avoid being beaten up by one.”
“They knew you well,” Eddie said after a couple of silent moments. “Why do they call you Prince Steve?”
Another sigh fell from his lips and he looked down, breaking their eye contact. “We play against each other during the seasons. He goes to a rival school.” How did Steve tell his friend— best friend— that his parents were powerful in the small town of Hawkins, and that power spread out somewhat? That people knew him before he had even met them more often than not. There was so much pressure on him to be perfect, to not ruin or tarnish his parents' reputation, that he wished he could stay at camp or run away rather than go back.
“And you’re obviously very good at sports.. you’re the best, huh? So they crowned you?”
Steve just blinked at Eddie. He was so sweet. Too good for those people. Too good for even him. He nodded. “I guess so, yeah.”
“Well, they have a shitty way of treating you despite that,” Eddie scoffed. “Thanks for sticking up for me. No one’s ever done that before.”
“Listen, Eds, I’m not… friends with the best people back home,” Steve admitted so freely before he ever processed he said a word. When they were out, he felt like throwing up. “People who know me back home… they think I’m an asshole.”
Eddie cocked his head, processing. “How could you ever be called an asshole?”
“Because I am an asshole.” His head fell, almost wishing he could take it back. “I don’t want to be.”
“I don’t understand…”
Steve pushed his sweaty hair back, feeling panic wash over him at the way Eddie was looking at him. Like his friend couldn’t figure it out. The pieces didn’t fit.
With a clear of his throat, he shook his head. “I’m trying to break away from that, but I can’t. My parents…” He growled with frustration. “It’s so complicated, but it shouldn’t be.”
Eddie lifted his hand and placed it on Steve’s shoulder, waiting for him to meet dark brown eyes. “It’s okay.” Eddie offered him a smile. “You’re incredible, remember?”
It felt like forever that Steve stared at Eddie, his heart swelling double the size at his friend’s kind words from over a week ago. Under the sun, not bright enough to stifle Eddie’s big sweet smile, he told Steve he thought he was incredible too. He had to fight the urge to cry, but he didn’t fight the urge to pull Eddie into a hug.
His arms wrapped around Eddie, and he felt the older boy’s arms wrap tightly around him, pulling him close. “It’s okay, Stevie.”
The comfort that hug brought Steve was like a spa day for his soul. He felt every bad thought and simmer of anger dissipate as he stood there in Eddie’s arms. He wanted to stay like this. Stay with Eddie, keep being his Stevie. But time was cruel, the days slipping by faster and faster in the heat of the summer.
They finally separated and Steve tried to ignore the sadness filling his chest as space filled between their bodies.
Before anything else could be spoken, he felt Eddie tap his nose. Steve smiled as his friend’s expression scrunched up in his direction. “Ready to go draw?”
“Yeah,” Steve said quietly, trying to silence the thoughts thundering in his head. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Eddie
After picking up their lunches, they talked outside while they waited for their drawing activity to begin. It was a free-drawing day for them, which Eddie was ecstatic about. He had his nearly full sketchbook out, sketching out a three-headed dragon. It was nice for him not to use a normal pencil. He had the special art pencils at his disposal, and he was learning every day how to use them better. He had the butt of the pencil against his cheek as he dazed out, trying to plan the heads he would make of this fantastic beast.
“Is that a dragon?” Steve asked from beside him, breaking him of his imagery.
“It will be,” Eddie said, grinning as he turned his head. He looked down at Steve’s drawing paper, a tree taking up the majority of the page. Some random cat faces were decorated all over the canvas. “Is this a declaration for cats?” he asked, motioning toward his work of art.
Steve groaned, his hand covering his work even though he had already seen it. “I’m not that good at drawing so I just drew what felt easy.” His lips turned downward.
“Hey,” Eddie said, trying to sound comforting. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. That would be like me trying to go out on the court and sink a goal or whatever it is you do.”
“Throw balls into laundry baskets, essentially?” Steve teased, then shrugged. “I honestly stuck with this activity to watch you draw,” he admitted, his lips pulling into a slight purse. “You’re really talented. Guitar, drawing.. you read a lot. You’re so smart, Eddie. Way smarter than me.” He scoffed and pushed the drawing away.
Eddie was stuck again, looking all over his friend’s face, admiring the things he had familiarized himself with and seeing how they looked so sad in the moment they were sharing. “You’re talented in ways I could never be, Steve,” Eddie said, covering Steve’s hand with his own. “I could never be a star athlete. Besides, you’re picking up the guitar so quickly. It’s pretty fucking awesome.”
“Thanks,” Steve responded with a smile, something he hoped for. If Steve wasn’t smiling, things weren’t good. “We’re good at different things, that’s okay, right? We can be different and still be friends.”
“I think so,” he said, pushing his bottom lip out as he thought for a moment. His eyes moved down to Steve’s hand, realizing he was still holding it, hostage. He lifted it off gently and picked his pencil up, giving Steve his full attention again. “I really don’t have anything to base it on, but I think we’re doing just fine as friends. Don’t you?”
“Yeah… honestly, I mean.. you’re my best friend,” Steve said quietly, his eyes intense as they locked with Eddie’s. It caused that stomach flip feeling to occur.
“You’re..” Eddie swallowed, fighting the smile trying to give off how good it felt to be called someone’s best friend. “You’re my best friend, too.”
Their moment was interrupted by the instructor announcing they had about thirty minutes left until they would be released. The announcement brought a larger curl to his already painful smile. When he was done with his favorite activity of the day, they would be thirty minutes closer to being on their dock, stargazing. It was Eddie’s favorite part of the day.
He finished his dragon up, giving each head a slightly different shade of blue, all transitioning to the body’s dark cobalt color with grey undertones. He was signing the bottom with the instructor announcing their time was up. Steve was standing, gathering his stuff. For whatever reason, he scribbled on the top:
for Steve,
be brave
He kept it in his sketchbook and stood up, following Steve out the door and into the sun again. The dreaded sun. It would be disappearing soon, hiding behind and beneath the array of pinks, purples, and oranges that painted across the Indiana sky in a way that reminded him of watercolor. He couldn’t wait for the first sign of sunset, to signal the release of sparkling stars.
“I want to shower before dinner. Do you mind waiting for me?” Eddie asked Steve as they made their typical journey back to their cabin. The grass was a little softer and less crunchy beneath his beat-up tennis shoes. They had some free time before dinner started, but he wasn’t too hungry yet.
Honestly, he wasn’t used to eating so much.
“Yeah, of course, I’ll wait,” Steve said, holding the door open for Eddie and leading him through the hallway to their room.
The shower was much needed. Eddie put on some fresh clothes, brushed his teeth, applied his cheap-ass deodorant, and re-entered their shared room. Steve was fixing his hair in the small mirror hanging on their wall. It was difficult to stifle the smirk pulling at his lips. “Don’t worry, Prince Steve. You look good. Pretty enough to charm.”
Eddie dropped his things on his bed as Steve whined, “Ugh, don’t call me that.”
“How about Stevie?” Eddie asked him. “Do you like that?”
“I actually do,” Steve said, facing Eddie before closing the distance between them. “Only from you though. No one else better try to call me that.”
“That’s how I feel about Eds,” Eddie confessed with a smile. “That’s all yours.”
“All mine. I like the sound of that.”
Eddie liked the sound of his voice and the way it lowered when he admitted something exposing, his face equally giving. “Me too. I don’t know what I’m going to do when my uncle picks me up from this place.” He sighed, shaking his head. “That makes me pathetic.”
“Not pathetic.” Steve shook his head, and Eddie knew he meant it. “We’ve just got to promise each other that we’ll stay in touch.. I’ll need my best friend to get through high school.”
Steve would never know how much Eddie felt about that statement. His freshman year had been pretty miserable, and he wasn’t looking forward to the next three years. If he had a choice, he would skip it all to begin the miserable life he had ahead of him. One where he was lonely, poor, malnourished, and wasting away. So fucking fun.
“I’ll need you too.” Eddie reached for his sketch diary and pulled his dragon drawing out, handing it to his roommate. Steve’s name was very obvious at the top, pulling heat up to Eddie’s cheeks. “I want you to have this. Maybe it will help when I’m not there.”
“Eds…” Those honey-brown eyes inspected his work, noticeably seeing the personalization Eddie added to it. He hadn’t planned to give it to him yet, but there it was already between them in his best friend’s hands. “I love this. I’ll keep it forever.”
Eddie hoped he did. He didn’t feel permanent to anyone but with Steve... He wanted to feel like there was nothing that could keep them apart.
Steve
It was July 1st, Parents Day at the camp and the day before his 15th birthday. Steve was more than a little nervous. He wanted Eddie to meet his mom and dad, but what if they said something mean? Or weren’t kind to him? Steve wasn’t sure he could handle that, but he had to try. He wanted to keep Eddie a part of his life and that meant the colliding of his worlds. Home and camp. Parents and Eddie.
Eddie had gotten confirmation from his uncle that he would be there, and Steve just stared at his phone as the text he had sent his mom sat there, read but not responded to. When he was younger, he would make excuses for them. Convincing himself that they were busy and trying to get as much done to get home to him. But the business trips became longer, and so did the bouts of being alone. When he got old enough, they even stopped paying for a housekeeper who seconded as a nanny. The loneliness was loud before he left for camp. Then Eddie happened.
It was so easy to be around Eddie. His roommate. His best friend. Who would’ve thought they would’ve gotten so close?
“Eds, you excited to see your Uncle?” Steve asked, still sitting cross-legged on his bed as his friend did the same thing next to him.
Eddie nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. “Totally. I miss him and his grumpiness.” Eddie tapped on his legs, the firm bed lying beneath them. “What about you?” he asked cautiously.
“Oh, yeah, I mean… sure.” Steve pulled his lips into a line, worried that Eddie could see right through him. “I should be stoked to see them.”
“You don’t have to be,” Eddie assured Steve, rubbing his back with his hand. “You can hang out with me and my uncle. Hopefully, he doesn’t embarrass me.”
Steve smiled at Eddie, admiring how easy it was for Eddie to be kind. Open and there, ready to pick Steve up when he needed it. He hadn’t ever had a friendship like this. Mutual compassion and kindness.
“I don’t want to take away your time with your uncle,” Steve said, sighing softly. He knew Eddie heard him, but it didn’t stop him from leaning his head on his best friend’s shoulder.
Eddie leaned his head against Steve’s. “It’s okay. Really.” Eddie’s hand continued to rub his back, the motion soothing to Steve’s soul in ways he never had before. “Wayne would love you.”
Every point of contact with Eddie was comforting to Steve. As the days went by, they seemed to find reasons to touch more. To be less afraid of being in the other’s space. The all-familiar warmth would fill Steve every time, making him feel invincible in ways he never knew he could.
“Yeah?” Steve asked quietly, relishing the way it felt to be sitting here with Eddie like this. His best friend. His rock.
“Definitely,” Eddie whispered, lowering his voice to match Steve’s volume. “He’s so kind. Like you.”
Steve tilted his chin up to look at Eddie, heat rising to his cheeks at the close proximity. Eddie’s eyelashes were long and dark, framing his chocolate-brown eyes. His top lip was just a little fuller than his bottom. He was… pretty. Smooth-skinned and so… pleasing to the eye. He cleared his throat a little.
“You’re the kind one.” Steve’s tone was quiet as he relaxed his head again. “You must take after him, huh?”
“Y—yeah.” Eddie swallowed hard, his eyes bouncing between Steve’s. “I definitely didn’t belong with the people who birthed me.” The chuckle he let out was breathy, almost. It was something he did often, Steve recognized.
Steve reached over and grabbed his hand, his heart beating wildly in his chest. “You belong here.” He paused, his lips curling a little. “With me.”
The look in his best friend's eyes could only be described as a twinkle. Steve was mesmerized by the way Eddie always looked at him, but nothing could top how he was looking at Steve right now.
A long moment transpired between them before a knock on the cabin door made them both jump apart slightly. Steve’s face still flushed from the way his heart was reacting.
Jonah peaked in, smiling at them as he opened the door. “Ready for Parents Day?” He was always too excited for his own good. Like he had just drank six espresso shots and had more energy than the younger kids. At eighteen, he was the happiest guy Steve had ever met.
“Yeah,” both boys responded, barely out of unison.
Jonah closed the door then clapped his hands together. “This is one of my favorite days at summer camp! Getting to meet y’all's folks, bragging about how awesome you guys are.”
Steve laughed a little, nudging Eddie who finally smiled up at the counselor.
“Do they spend all day with us?” Eddie asked. “And what do they do?”
Eddie always had questions. Lots of questions. It was cute how he needed information all the time. He was so smart and didn’t even realize it. Steve was smiling at Eddie when Jonah replied.
“They can spend as little or as much of the day as they want! We do connect with them either when they arrive or when they leave. Usually to let them know how you have acclimated.” Jonah explained. “I also tend to recommend to parents who I think could possibly be great counselors later on. Which, I think you two should consider. You would both be great at it!”
Eddie cocked his head curiously. “What makes you think that?”
Jonah smiled. “You both participate. You’re supportive of each other. And it's rare that roommates get on so quickly, but you two became friends quickly. Kids need as much influence when it comes to kindness, and I see that in both of you.”
“Thank you, Jonah. That means a lot,” Steve finally said, his eyes lifting from his gaze on Eddie to look at his counselor. “Maybe we will.”
After a little bit more prepping for the day, Steve shifted a little to turn to face Eddie better. “So, the counselor thing…”
“You want to do it?” Eddie asked eyebrows lifted excitedly. “After we graduate?”
“I will if you will,” Steve was serious, his eyes keeping locked on Eddie’s. It excited him to know that he would have Eddie after graduation. That Eddie would even want him to stick around that long. That they both had plans to stay in each other’s lives.
Eddie’s lips curled upward slowly, and Steve couldn’t help but compare it to a curtain being pulled to reveal the main attraction. Dimples decorated Eddie’s cheeks. “I can’t wait.”
“Let’s promise each other,” Steve said, holding his hands out with his palms up. “We’ll both be here the summer after graduation.”
Eddie didn’t even hesitate, his hands falling to Steve’s. They were warm and smaller than Steve’s large ones. “I promise to be here the summer after graduation.”
“I promise to be here, too.” Steve smiled, squeezing his best friend's hands. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than here with you.”
“Steveeee.” Eddie’s pale cheeks showed pink really well, and right now, they were bright pink. He ducked his chin, the smile he wore was one that Steve had seen before.
Steve squeezed Eddie’s hands once more, their eyes meeting again. Spending time with Eddie made him forget about the disappointment he held in his chest for his parents. As long as he had Eddie there, he refused to let the poison of his parents' indifference get to him. He had what he needed right in front of him.
Eddie
Parent’s day had just begun, but Eddie was feeling good. He hoped Steve heard him when he offered to share his time and his uncle Wayne for the day. Eddie didn’t have a phone, so he didn’t know when Wayne would be there. Both boys were out of the bedroom, full from breakfast, and wandering around outside before their archery activity. Eddie eyed their dock and thought about asking Steve to join him over there.
They only had two weeks left of camp. Only two weeks left to soak up whatever it was they were experiencing. Right now, after the moment they had in the bedroom before Jonah interrupted, Eddie was sure this was more than just friendship. For him, at least.
“Edward?”
The gruff familiar sound of his uncle’s voice made him turn, already smiling. “Wayne!” He took the few steps between them quickly, wrapping his arms around him. How had he found them? “I want you to meet someone.” After releasing his uncle, Eddie led him over to Steve, grinning between the two of them. “Steve, this is Wayne, Wayne.. Steve.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Steve said, offering his hand to his uncle. Eddie couldn’t help but notice that Steve’s fingers were trembling before they connected.
“Please, call me Wayne,” he insisted, his accent much more country than the rest of the campers.
Before Steve could respond or Eddie could say anything else, Jonah was there again, his arms wrapping around their shoulders, looking right at Eddie’s guardian. He started talking about how incredible Eddie had been, all the amazing things he had done, and how quickly he had gotten along with his roommate. It all started to become a buzz in his head, but he could see the smile directed at him.
Wayne looked older than he was. He had done a lot of manual labor in his life. His skin was a tan that showed off how little he had used sunscreen. The hair on top of his head was receding, some of it still dark but mostly grey. The facial hair around his lips and over his chin was thick and light grey. The wrinkles on his face were mostly between his eyebrows from all the furrowing he did–mostly at Eddie.
Eddie chuckled to himself, imagining all the times Wayne had pinched them in his direction, questioning his odd behavior. In a loving way.
“Something funny, boy?” Wayne said, his face doing the thing.
Eddie pursed his lips, fighting the smile that had already formed. “No, sir,” he said, a little more of a chuckle slipping out.
Wayne shook his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Steve’s parents here?” he asked, first at Eddie, then Steve, then Jonah.
Eddie looked to Steve, too. He was shifting a little as Jonah’s touch left their shoulders. “Uh, they’re running late,” he said.
His friend was radiating a sort of anxiety, and he had an audience that prevented him from asking about it. Was he okay? Was he nervous about his parents coming?
With Jonah off of them, Eddie could wrap his arm around Steve’s shoulders and pull him closer. He did, offering his roomie a smile. “You can hang with us until they get here. No problem.”
“Aren’t these two the best?” Jonah asked rhetorically. “Have fun!”
Eddie had to think about his natural instinct to be close to Steve, to touch him, and to only speak to him. Wayne followed them through their normal day, only losing Steve during his music class. Steve continued to make excuses for his parents' whereabouts, but Eddie caught on by lunch.
They weren’t coming.
The sadness was evident in his eyes. Eddie wanted to comfort him, the realization of the morning a constant popup in his brain throughout the day. Eddie liked Steve. His first crush.
It wasn’t until dinner that Wayne said something shocking. Jonah came by to ask if Mr. & Mrs. Harrington had reached out to their only son. Our counselor was shocked to see they hadn’t arrived yet.
“Wait a minute. Did you say, Harrington?”
Jonah was nodding in Wayne’s direction, and Eddie just stared at them with curious eyes. “Yes, sir,” Jonah said. “The Harrington’s bought this room in full. Because they did, we were able to offer Eddie the scholarship you received.”
Eddie dropped his fork, his face growing hot. He was on a scholarship? Was he the only one? Did that happen often? He never did belong anywhere. Why would this be any different?
“Sorry,” Eddie mumbled, picking up his fork and putting some food on it.
The embarrassment kept him from looking at Steve. What would Steve think knowing his parents paid for Eddie to be there? That his family couldn’t afford something Steve’s family could afford double.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t know my nephew would be hanging ‘round Hawkins royalty all summer.”
An uncomfortable laugh ripped through Steve’s lungs, prompting Eddie’s eyes to lift in his direction. He was red, too. Like a tomato. “I’m definitely not royalty.”
A well-established family, known by adults and children alike. Eddie wanted to ask Wayne how he knew about Steve’s family, but not in front of Steve. Not when he knew and could sense that Steve was uncomfortable. Without thinking, Eddie reached out and placed his hand on Steve’s knee, squeezing it with the intention of comforting him.
Jonah and Wayne started talking again, but he let it buzz in the background. His eyes danced all over Steve’s face, waiting for the honey-brown to look his way.
There they were… those eyes. Eddie swallowed as Steve forced a small, weak smile to his thin but full lips. Eddie’s mouth pulled downward moments before Steve covered the hand comforting him.
The stomach flips he had become so familiar with made his breath hitch. The sensation he may have to re-categorize to be a symptom or repercussion of the crush he didn’t know he was harboring for his roommate. A roommate he hoped to see beyond the grass, lake, and trees. Was that in the cards for them? To continue their friendship beyond the summer?
Steve had a phone, but Eddie didn’t. His laptop wasn’t too reliable. His uncle had one subscription service, and it was what he used as a TV in his room. They could talk through the Internet or computer, right? Was that a thing? He didn’t have friends, so he really didn’t know.
“Hey, kiddo,” Eddie heard, breaking his and Steve’s locked gaze. Wayne was touching his shoulder, leaning in close. “I gotta head to work, but you boys have fun now.”
Jonah was gone too. After Eddie said goodbye to his uncle, standing to hug him, he told him he couldn’t wait to see him in a few weeks. He missed him. Eddie snagged a large fruit cup and two chocolate milks on their way out. “Wanna skip the dock and watch a movie before lights out?”
“Skip the dock? Depends on the movie,” Steve teased him, leaning in close. So close.
Eddie flashed a smile, reciprocating the lean offered to him, nudging his roommate’s shoulder. “I was thinking we could watch your favorite. Maybe share a snack?” His eyebrows lifted playfully as he showed off what he had for them.
“Hm, my favorite?” The smile on his lips disappeared slightly as he thought about Eddie’s proposal. “Have you ever seen Kingsman?”
“Kingsman, mmm…” It didn’t ring any bells. “I don’t think so. I would love to watch it, though. If you’re up for it.”
Step after step, they took the path that should be worn down from their feet every single night. Instead of making their pit stop and continuing on, Eddie was leading them to their room with the intention of… what exactly?
“It’s a little brutal in places. Is that okay?” Steve asked.
Eddie was looking down as his tennis shoes disappeared in the blades of grass, his eyes lifting to meet Steve’s gaze. “I think I can handle it,” he joked. “If not, I’ll just have to bury my face against you, okay?”
“That’s fine.”
Steve’s bright smiles would be missed most, he was sure. Eddie loved seeing every variation of it. Right now, he was slowly revealing one of his prettiest ones.
After slipping past the other campers in their cabin and Jonah, they closed themselves in their room. Eddie grabbed his laptop and charger, propping it up on the nightstand closest to Steve’s bed. “Yours tonight?” Eddie asked, slipping his shoes and socks off.
They alternated hang-out spaces, so this was a normal question between them. Steve took his shoes and tucked them into the closet, a cubby spot. Eddie felt bad for just kicking them to the side of his bed. They were different, and that was okay.
Each of them took their time changing into their pajamas, brushing their teeth, etc. Steve insisted Eddie go first, so while Steve was getting ready, Eddie got it loaded up with help from Steve’s hotspot. He downloaded it and then disconnected from Steve’s hotspot. He didn’t want to drain his battery or data. He started it but paused it immediately, grabbed a blanket from his bed, and the pints of milk and fruit from the small cooler he had stashed beneath his bed, next to his shoes.
There were a few minutes of internal battle. Should he crawl onto Steve’s bed now or wait for him? It seemed like forever before he crawled his way into the corner, giving Steve the closest spot to the computer. He opened up one of the cartons and drank the sweet beverage. Steve walked in mid-drink. Eddie offered him a wave as he swallowed. “I hope you don’t mind that I— that I got on your bed.”
“Nah, of course, I don’t mind.” Steve waved his hand once before climbing in next to Eddie. “What’s mine is yours.”
Eddie tried not to go down a rabbit hole of thoughts around how kind Steve was. How incredible he was. How much he enjoys being around him all the damn time. He was annoying himself. They got comfortable on his bed, both facing the laptop. After Steve pressed play, Eddie offered him his milk, laid the blanket over both of their legs and put the fruit cup between them.
It was going to be the perfect way to end their night.
“This is already the best birthday,” Steve whispered.
Eddie snapped his head in Steve’s direction. “Today’s your birthday?!”
“Well, technically it’s tomorrow,” His gaze was still on his roomie as he explained, eyes bulging out of his head. “It’s not a big deal. I kind of hate my birthday.”
“We have to do something special. You deserve something,” Eddie huffed, wishing he could have prepared a surprise for him. Something tasty. A present. Anything.
“Hey.” Steve’s eyebrows pulled together. His eyes were so expressive. His entire face, actually. “This is going to be the first birthday in a while that I’m not alone, and that really is all I could want.”
Eddie meant it when he said, “You’ll never spend another birthday alone. Not with me around.”
It was hard to focus on the movie when he knew his best friend hadn’t experienced the joy he deserved for his birthday. Not that… Not that Eddie had anything to base it on. He knew how he would like one of his birthdays to go. Next year, he would make it up to him.
Something in his gut told him he would have plenty of birthdays to change how he saw his birthday. It was something to celebrate.
Steve
Sunday was Steve’s favorite day of the week while he had been at camp. It was the day that seemed to be the quietest and most easygoing for everyone. But most importantly, it was the day that Steve and Eddie usually played a game or binge-watched a show or a movie. They only had one more full week before they said goodbye to camp. One more Sunday that wouldn’t completely destroy the bubble of security that Steve had created with Eddie.
For the past couple of Sundays, Eddie had been teaching Steve about Dungeons and Dragons. Listening to Eddie talk was one of Steve’s favorite ways to pass the time. His voice was soothing to Steve. And he would get so animated and passionate about how you could create any kind of world with an array of characters and monsters. It was baffling to Steve just how smart Eddie was, but not in a boastful way. It was almost like he kept it hidden away. Or worse, he didn’t realize it himself.
“You’re the most creative person I know,” Steve said randomly, his head resting in his hand as he admired his best friend. “You’re so smart and so passionate. I’ve never been this passionate about, well, anything.”
It took Eddie a moment to process what Steve had said to him. His eyebrows were pulled and his lips parted for the seconds that passed. “Really? Not even sports?”
Steve lifted his head to shake it, pulling his lips together. “I feel a lot of pressure with sports. Even when I’m having a good game, I still feel like I could do better. I don’t believe that can be considered passionate. It’s more of a seeking validation kind of thing.”
He watched Eddie shift, moving his D&D stuff to the side so he could focus on Steve. He was humming before he finally asked. “They are pretty absent, huh? Your parents?”
“You picked up on that, huh?” Steve asked, scratching his neck before sighing. “They’re not bad people. They just expect a lot out of me when they are around. They’ve worked hard to get to where they are. Successful. Powerful. I’m just…. Not sure I was a part of the plan, really. Maybe the American dream plan, but then it came to actually being parents, and well, it didn’t really line up for the rest of it?”
Even as hard as it was to talk about, Steve found comfort in Eddie’s gaze. His kindness. The undeniable fact that Eddie would never judge him for that admission or any other admission that could ever follow or precede it.
“That sucks, Steve.” Eddie’s tone was low and breathy. “I’m sorry. My parents weren’t meant to be parents either.”
“Some people aren’t, right? But hey, you are incredible even without them. And you have Wayne, who seems really cool honestly. He’s so nice, and funny.” Steve offered a smile, genuine and big. “He really loves you, I can tell by the way he looks at you. So proud.”
Eddie looked down, smiling. “Thanks. I love him too.” The chocolate brown of his irises gazed up at Steve through his dark eyelashes. “I’m really lucky to have him. I hope you find that too.”
Steve’s eyes fell, looking at the thin sheets they were sitting on. He didn’t know what to say to that. The urge to cry teetered on his resolve, but he reached up and pinched his nose before looking back up at Eddie. “There’s only one more week of camp left. Can you believe it?”
It was almost as if Eddie knew what Steve was going to say, his head shaking no. “I don’t want to go back,” He admitted quietly, chewing on his full bottom lip.
Steve could tell Eddie was aware of how he was feeling, but he tried to cover it up. He didn’t want to spend his last normal Sunday with Eddie being sad. “It’s going to suck not seeing each other every day, but we’re going to make it work.”
The promise lingered between them as Steve reached out to rest his hand on Eddie’s. His thumb caressed his friend’s knuckles lightly as he tried to reassure them both with the touch.
There had been so many moments where the touch between them had been intense, and Steve didn’t know what to do with that. His head and his heart were screaming at him because he knew how he was feeling was deeper than the emotions he had felt before. But he didn’t want to ruin their friendship. He was so good at being selfish in his day-to-day life, but with Eddie… it wasn’t about that anymore.
The shaky exhale that fell from Eddie’s lips made Steve’s heart backflip in his chest. “We’re definitely going to make it work. I don’t want to live life without you now.. as pathetic as that sounds.” A small laugh followed, and Steve pulled his lips together.
“That doesn’t sound pathetic at all.” Steve’s eyebrows lowered. “Why would it?”
“I don’t know.” His roommate's fingers curled into his tighter, their fingers threading. “I’ve never felt like this before.” Eddie cleared his throat a moment. “Never had a best friend.”
With his free hand, Steve reached out and let his fingertips dance softly over Eddie’s cheek a moment before it fell. He wanted to tell the older boy that he hadn’t either. That none of his friendships had ever been quite so intense. That being away from him was the hardest part of every day and he didn’t know how he was going to stand it being so far when camp ended.
Instead, he opted for something simpler. “I’ve never felt like this either.”
“Yeah?” The softness in his friend’s voice did something crazy to his insides. His stomach exploded with nerves and he could barely ignore it.
Steve nodded. “Yeah.”
“Cool.” Eddie’s cheeks were red. Like, bright red. Steve could tell he was embarrassed but wasn’t exactly sure why. “I mean, I’m glad we both feel the same way.”
Steve felt nervous, but not in the same way he would if he was scared or anxious about something. More of a good nervous, but he couldn’t really pinpoint how being nervous could possibly be a good thing.
He began to wonder if Eddie had anyone back home that he liked. If Eddie had a crush or someone he was interested in. It was running circles in his head thinking about the type of girl that his best friend would like, and the idea of Eddie being with someone made him feel a weird type of anger he hadn’t really had before.
With a slight burst of courage, Steve’s lips parted to ask Eddie about that. About his interests back home. But a knock on the door interrupted his thought.
A groan vibrated in his throat as he pursed his lips. He looked at Eddie before clamoring off the full-sized bed to answer the door.
It was Emily, a petite blond girl whom Steve had met one of the few times he had Eddie weren’t connected at the hip. She had approached him, introducing herself and gushing over how well Steve played basketball. It was never said directly, but he was certain she knew him from a neighboring town. It was always strange to think people knew who he was when he didn’t know them.
“Hey, Emily,” Steve greeted, offering a small smile. She walked in without invitation, but Steve tried to look past it. She was nice enough. Harmless, really. “Have you met Eddie?”
His best friend lifted a hand as a greeting and she let out a soft “hey,” before squaring her shoulders at Steve.
“I baked these with Ashley today,” She started, looking down at an aluminum foil-covered paper plate. “They’re chocolate chip cookies. I thought you might like them.”
Steve knew Ashley was one of the counselors and tried to offer a smile. “Oh, that was nice. Thanks.” He tried not to seem cold because he was trying to be better than that. But the interest for the perky girl wasn’t there for him. Letting girls down easy wasn’t necessarily his strong suit, but his pickiness when it came to liking people was something he was comfortable with.
Not that he hadn’t charmed his way into getting what he wanted or needed at the moment. But he felt… different, now. It didn’t entertain him in the least to be getting this attention.
Eddie
Watching Steve and Emily stand so close to each other, her smile flirty and showing her motivations for coming to their room on a free day created a sensation in Eddie’s chest he wasn’t familiar with. He looked down at the cookies between them, hoping his face wasn’t twisting the way it wanted to. Was he jealous? Was that what this was?
Emily was a cute athletic girl. Steve would be dumb not to be interested in her, but the idea of a summer romance brewing between them made Eddie ache miserably. They were friends. Best friends. Steve wouldn’t be interested in a loser like him, though. Not for more than a companion at a summer camp. Why was he even thinking about it now? There was no chance. No way.
“Would you maybe want to watch a movie in my room? My roommate is hanging out at another cabin…”
Eddie’s heart sank into his stomach, acid wrapping everything up in a blazing fire. He couldn’t take his eyes off of them, the blue-eyed girl staring up at Steve with innocent-looking eyes. Steve lifted his hand up and ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on it as he shifted his weight between his feet.
“Oh, uh…” Steve sunk his hands into the pocket of his jeans, tucking them away as he offered her a small smile. It looked… forced. “I’m actually hanging out with Eddie right now.” His heart recovered, lifting into his throat and fluttering about. “Thanks for the invite though.”
Steve was choosing Eddie over this very pretty girl? Why?
Emily looked over at Eddie with an “oh.” The confusion in her eyes was probably matched by Eddie’s. Same, girl. Same. “Maybe soon, then?” she asked, turning back to Steve.
He had his hands out of his pockets, and he was reaching for the cookies now. “Maybe,” he said, softly. Sweetly.
Eddie pretty much blacked out until Steve was on the bed again, bouncing him slightly. He already had the foil pulled back and a cookie in his mouth. Eddie looked between where they had been standing and the way he devoured the cookie. “Was that a s’mores situation?” Eddie asked, so damn confused.
Steve laughed, and Eddie was sure his entire body lit up at the sound. “Oh, kinda I guess?” He shrugged as Eddie shook his head, smiling slowly. The honey-brown eyes staring back at him glinted slightly as he took another cookie and started working on it.
“You, my friend, should play as a Glamour Bard. You’d destroy.”
“Yeah?” Steve perked up, his eyes brighter and spine straighter. He was searching Eddie’s face as he spoke, excitement coming off of him now. “Why’s that? Is that cool?”
“So cool,” Eddie cooed. “Glamour Bards are the most seductive of the fey. Charming and captivating. They’re performers.”
Steve’s face was instantly red, and for some reason, Eddie was flattered by that. Something told him he should be. “Oh,” Steve breathed. There was a pause of silence. Just a second. “You think I’m charming and captivating, Eds?” he teased a smile and glance to match his tone.
“Uh– I,” Eddie stumbled over his words, his own face warm. “The charm is a skill, something to use to obtain what you want.” He swallowed hard. “In the instances I have witnessed, it has been very effective for obtaining food from love-sick girls. The captivation..” He wet his lips, his eyes bouncing between Steve’s. “That’s all you. The charm stems from that.”
What the fuck was he rambling on about? He wanted to cover his face and groan. He might as well should have said: “I’m obsessed with you.”
Steve was quiet. Too quiet. Had he upset him? “They don’t really know me, ya know?” Steve said softly. Eddie’s chest was tight. “The girls… they only know of me. What I allow them to see. I’m not sure I would get anything if I was real with them.”
“What do you want from them?” Eddie whispered. Had Steve even heard him?
“You know, the normal stuff? Making out and all of that…” Steve sighed, pulling apart a third cookie, and feeding himself small pieces of it. “Feeling wanted? I don’t even know.”
Wanted. The lack of people in his life who cared enough to show that they wanted him around made him insecure it seemed. His parents maybe?
“I’d still give you things..” Eddie cleared his throat, looking down at Steve’s hands. He let the motions of his tearing give him the confidence to finish. “Without the extra stuff.”
“That’s because you’re you,” Steve responded just as quietly. “You’re the sweetest person I’ve ever known.”
The combination of his words and the delivery squeezed Eddie’s lungs tight. He parted his lips to take shallower breaths, his eyes lifting without his chin tilting up. Steve was gorgeous. Tan skin with beauty marks splattered over every inch. Light brown eyes outlined by long eyelashes. Lips that made Eddie curious as to what kissing was like.
Maybe he should kiss him.
“What?” Steve asked cautiously, kindly.
Both of them were frozen, Eddie’s heart was racing a mile a minute, and he wasn’t sure he knew what to say. Did he confess what he had been feeling to make sure Steve could pull away now? Eddie would prefer he pull away before they make plans to have a life outside of camp. Did he kiss him and risk Steve not wanting to spend the rest of camp with him?
“N-N--Nothing.” Eddie shook his head a little, trying to let those tempting thoughts out of his head. “I mean... Thank you. Thank you for the compliment.”
Movement occurred near Steve’s lap and suddenly there was a cookie between them. He was offering Eddie a cookie. His smile had returned and it was taking up most of his face. Shining brightly. “Just being honest, Eds.”
Eddie smiled too, but there was still the annoying nagging trying to eat away at him and his little confidence. He thanked Steve for the cookie and made it disappear in three large bites. It was delicious. Sweet and creamy. Was he thinking about her as he ate them? What he could get from her?
A sigh fell from Eddie’s lips before he could stop it. Steve’s eyes were on him instantly, his eyebrows pinching. “That was a good cookie,” he said in an attempt to keep him from worrying. He was very observant. Too observant sometimes.
They finished the plate of cookies watching a movie on Steve’s bed. Their brushing shoulders drove Eddie mad. They were good friends. They could touch. He didn’t have to think about kissing him all the damn time. Oh, but he did.
“What’s it like to make out with someone?” Eddie asked before he could take it back or regret it.
Eddie could feel Steve staring at him now, and boy, that made the regret wash over him. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
A laugh fell from his lips, his hand moving to scratch the back of his neck. “That wasn’t obvious?”
“I mean… I find it hard to believe, is all.” He was serious. One hundred percent serious.
“Really?” Eddie questioned, not really believing Steve despite wanting to see himself the way Steve does. “I’m a total nerd.”
“Okay?” Steve pulled his eyebrows together. He did it often, but it wasn’t usually directed at Eddie as often as it was tonight. “You’re still attractive?”
“I’m not, but thanks for saying that.” Eddie chewed on his bottom lip, his eyelashes fluttering in response to his overwhelmed mind. “What is it like?” he asked again.
Steve was shaking his head, something hot on his tongue. Eddie could tell. He had gotten to know his roommate really well. “Making out is like… it makes you feel good but only superficially?”
“Superficially?” Eddie asked, having a difficult time imagining it or the appeal. The natural urge he had to do it with Steve specifically.
“Yeah…. Like physically? To know someone likes you enough to kiss you or touch you.”
Eddie nodded, even though he didn’t know what that was like. He barely understood when people liked him enough to converse. Steve was the first. Maybe he would get better at it through high school. As of his high school career thus far, the only people who touched him were bullies who shoved him into lockers and Steve.
“Sure, yeah. That makes sense.”
“You’ve never liked someone enough to want to kiss them?” Steve asked curiosity all over his face.
Was the movie still playing? It was background noise they often had anyway, so he didn’t notice they had stopped watching because of his question. And now, Steve’s question.
“Never,” he lied. Not until now, would be the truth.
Did Steve’s face fall? It was barely noticeable. It was probably a figment of Eddie’s imagination.
“Everyone I know back home, it’s all they can think about. Like, who likes who? Who’s getting laid?” Steve said with a sigh.
“Wait…” Eddie said, his thoughts caught in a sudden whirlwind. “Are you not a virgin?”
The air between them was thicker. No, thinner? Eddie didn’t know much about sex. He had a little knowledge, but it wasn’t something he was interested in anytime soon. To think Steve, being a tad bit younger than he was, was possibly having sex was incredibly confusing to him. He was so young. Did he like someone that much?
“I am…” Steve admitted, and Eddie released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “The people I hang with back home… they put a lot of pressure on me to just do it. Stop being a wimp. I just… I don’t feel ready, ya know?”
“That’s awful.” Eddie reached out and covered Steve’s hand, stroking his knuckles with his thumb. “I’m sorry they pressure you. That’s not cool.”
“This is going to sound lame, maybe,” Steve said as he flipped his hand, playing with Eddie’s fingers the way he often did. “I want to be in love before I go… all the way.” He huffed at his own words, looking down at their hands. “Maybe I should just get over myself.”
“No,” Eddie disagreed. “I think you should do whatever feels right to you. I’ve never even thought about it before, and we’re the same age. Doesn’t seem important now. We’re still so young.”
Having sex sounded scary. Why Steve was even thinking about it now baffled Eddie.
“You don’t even think about it?” Steve asked, shocked and still. His eyes were bulging, and that was hard since he already had pretty large eyes.
Eddie was shaking his head when he realized that meant Steve was. He stopped and stared, reading his roommate's expression. “You do?”
“Come on, you’re not the least bit curious?” Steve asked, their eyes locked.
Eddie didn’t want to admit that Steve testing his curiosity on the subject made him think about the subject. If he didn’t know what kissing felt like, how could he imagine sex? It wasn’t something he had a lot of exposure to. He didn’t know what it entailed, but he knew people liked to do it. A lot. Media had taught him that.
Eddie shrugged, his cheeks on fire. “Sure,” Eddie said through a suddenly dry mouth. He tried to joke it off, take the attention off of his embarrassment, but nothing came to mind. He was frozen again, unsure of how to proceed.
“It’s okay if you’re not…” Steve trailed off, his fingertips brushing his palm. Eddie forgot they were touching, and his breath hitched in his throat. “I’m not trying to pressure you or make you feel like you have to be curious…”
“I’m thinking about it now,” Eddie laughed. “Because we’re talking about it.”
“We can stop,” Steve offered.
Eddie’s body was alive and receptive to Steve’s words. He may not want to talk about sex, but kissing. He wanted to talk about that. “Do you like kissing?” Eddie asked, feeling his body tremble slightly in anticipation. Eddie wanted to kiss Steve so badly.
“I do,” Steve admitted. “Being close to someone like that, it’s nice. There’s a level of trust that’s given with anything physical, ya know?”
Eddie’s fingers curled into Steve’s slightly. “I don’t, but I will someday.”
“When you get out there, you’re going to be a heartbreaker. I just know it,” Steve teased softly before chewing on his lip. Lips. Kissing. They had to stop before Eddie just did it.
“Especially when I’m a rockstar,” Eddie teased him right back, grinning.
“You’re going to have people throwing themselves at you.” Steve was smiling too, but not as big.
“Don’t know if I want that,” Eddie laughed, scrunching his nose in disgust. “But thanks, roomie.” He grasped Steve’s hand with his and held it a little tighter. “Thanks for making me feel good about myself.”
“Anytime, Eds. I will always be your hype man.” Steve was looking at Eddie, but there was distance in his eyes. He was thinking about something. His smile was distracted now.
Instead of asking him about it, he tried to comfort him, leaning back into his shoulder and playing with his hand. It was a weird thing they did, but it always made Eddie feel better. He rested his head on Steve’s, taking in a deep, calming breath as his eyes found the movie again.
Eddie wanted to stay like that forever.
Steve
The next week flew by, and Steve could feel the impending weight of real life seeping into his pores with every second that ticked away. It was weird, this feeling of desperation he had. It was unfamiliar to want to cling to something, someone so tightly. Eddie could sense the dread in Steve, but he never said anything about it. Instead, he would comfort Steve more. Touch him, lean against him, play with his hand when he had noticed Steve’s mind really got away from them.
As much as Steve appreciated his best friend, those moments almost just made it harder. Eddie had an effect on him that he couldn’t comprehend, but he knew it was more than he originally clocked it. The confusion had started to clear and the way he felt about his best friend had escalated to such a degree that it scared him. The friendship had to mean more to him than anything else in his life. Complicating that by listening to his overactive heart would devastate him.
Why did Steve’s trauma feel the need to ruin everything good in his life?
It was the Saturday night before they left and the boys were star gazing on their dock. The crickets were singing and the night air held a slight breeze which had cooled the summer air down enough to be comfortable.
Steve turned his head, his eyes drifting over Eddie’s profile as his friend gazed up at the stars. In the weeks since they had first met, Steve had noticed Eddie’s dark hair had grown out and was starting to curl. He couldn’t help but wonder if Eddie had planned to buzz it back off or if he would grow it out. It wasn’t the first time Steve let his mind imagine how Eddie would look in a few years. What changes time would make?
“Eds?” Steve finally said. It was quiet but with the calmness of the space around them, it was easy enough to hear.
“Hmm?” Eddie asked, turning his head to meet Steve’s eyes.
“Did you mean it when you said you want to stay in touch with me after camp?” There it was. The fuel of that nasty dread that had been anchoring his heart into his stomach.
Eddie’s eyes were searching Steve’s. “Yes, I meant it. Did you?”
“I did,” Steve started, nodding his head. Hair fell over his forehead as he shifted onto his side to face Eddie. “Maybe we should set something up now? I’ve been feeling real…” He tried to figure out how to tell his best friend the abridged version of his feelings. “Sad about not seeing you every day. If you want, maybe it could give us something to look forward to?”
“You really want to stay friends?” he asked, his eyebrows pulling upward.
Steve blinked at him, feeling surprised at Eddie’s question. “Well… yeah. I mean, you’re my best friend, Eddie. You’re like, my favorite person. Why would I not want to stay friends?”
“I don’t know,” Eddie mumbled. “It’s stupid.”
“It’s not stupid if it’s how you feel. Talk to me?” he said softly, reaching over to touch Eddie’s arm that was resting on his stomach.
Eddie’s breath staggered as he shook his head slightly. “I’m just worried when you get back to your real life, you’ll wonder why you wasted five weeks with a loser.”
The weight in his chest sank into his stomach. He would never be able to get away from that persona, the one he ran from constantly. The hope that Eddie would see past it shattered as the comment left his best friend’s full lips. Steve sat up, feeling a little nauseous as the words ran circles in his head.
“Do you really think I’m capable of that?” He said weakly, not able to look at Eddie now. “Just, turning back into a douche when I get to Hawkins? Forgetting about the only person in my life that knows who I really am?”
“No.. No…” Eddie repeated weakly. “I’m just scared, okay?”
Steve took a second, wrapping his arms around his knees as he bent them into his chest. “Scared of… me?”
“No, of course not!” Eddie said, turning and grabbing Steve’s arms gently. “Scared of going back to my life.”
Steve finally turned to look at his friend, his eyes expressing how true his words were. “I’m afraid of that, too,” he managed, almost squeaking it out into the night. “I feel different though, in the best way. Thanks to you.”
“Steve…” Eddie whispered, not exactly knowing why. “Me too.”
A smile finally curled the corners of his lips. “Maybe I could take the bus, come see you for the weekend.”
“Or maybe I could come to you.” Eddie smiled too, his eyes dancing over Steve’s expression.
“Which would you prefer?” Steve asked, sighing in relief at Eddie’s smile.
“I wanna come to see you. Would your parents be okay with that?”
Steve laughed lightly. “They’re never home, but either way, I’m sure they wouldn’t care. There’s a great arcade I could take you to. I think you’d love it.”
“I love arcades!” Eddie’s words were excited, and it made Steve’s heart do a somersault in his chest.
Steve watched the way Eddie’s face lit up and it made happiness surge inside of him. “I figured you did.” Their eyes met again. His heart swelled as they connected. “So what do you think? Want to hang with me outside of this place?” The words were delivered with a softness that Steve didn’t even realize he was capable of until this summer.
Eddie nodded, squeezing Steve’s arms a little tighter. “Definitely. When do we want it to happen? How long?”
“You can stay as long as you like,” Steve felt cut open with the way he was feeling. Like Eddie could stay and never leave and he would be perfectly fine with that. “And whenever you want. I’ll be free.”
“I can’t fucking wait,” Eddie whispered.
Steve smiled at him, slow and wide. “Me neither.” Steve moved to smooth his hands over Eddie’s arms to pull him into a hug. His best friend was wrapped tightly in his arms, the warmth of being close settling deep in Steve’s chest. He felt Eddie take in a deep breath, his face burying into Steve’s shoulder.
It felt like forever before they released each other and Steve tried to push past the impending sadness and the inevitable goodbyes that would come tomorrow. At least they had something to look forward to.
Eddie
It was the last day of camp. The morning started off like the rest of their weeks. They awoke too early, took turns changing, and ate breakfast. It was a free day, and many of the campers were being picked up from early morning until about four in the afternoon. Eddie knew he would be one of the last ones there. Wayne always worked Saturday nights, and they had agreed he would sleep before picking Eddie up during a phone call check-in.
They went back to their cabin to finish packing up their things before sneaking in one last movie.
After lunch, Eddie carried his guitar with him as they approached their dock. There weren’t many people around, and he was so grateful. These were the final moments they would have before they went back to their normal lives. Eddie’s boring and stupid life.
The water was sparkling around them, the sun beating down pretty hard as they sat down in their usual spot. Eddie pulled his guitar into his lap and began strumming and strumming until he was playing Steve’s favorite song, “Angela” by the Lumineers. For the first time during camp, Eddie wet his lips and began to sing the lyrics softly, his eyes closed.
He didn’t realize how well he knew the song until he was singing it, his eyes eventually opening to meet the honey brown bulging out at him. Steve’s lips were parted with what appeared to be shock. Eddie offered him a small smile as he continued.
Strangers in this town
They raise you up just to cut you down
Oh Angela it's a long time coming in
Oh Angela spent your whole life running away
Home at last
Home at last
Eddie’s eyes followed the curve of Steve’s nose and the bow shape of his lips. His gaze painted over every inch of his roommate's face until he was singing the final note and slowing his strumming. The nature sounds became louder as he stopped singing, his guitar clunking beside him as he sat it down. The black finish was worn already. Another knick wouldn’t make a difference.
The silence didn’t feel comfortable today. It was filled with a tension that could only be explained by their sadness. It went on for a few moments before Steve broke it.
“Eds?” Steve said, and Eddie perked up, looking straight into his lovely gaze. So safe. So warm. “I want you to have this,” he said, already unfastening his watch. The brown leather looked expensive. The deep blue watch face so shiny and bright. Eddie couldn’t take his watch.
“Stevie,” Eddie started. “I can’t..”
“I know how much you miss having a watch, and I know you like this one…” Steve reached over and gently grabbed Eddie’s hand. It was shocking, quite literally, when they connected. “It’ll be a piece of me to have between hangouts. I want you to have it.”
He couldn’t argue with Steve, not when he was fastening it to his wrist while giving him the softest eyes. “I’ll cherish it forever. Thank you,” Eddie said, not wanting to fight him on it. Steve could make his own decisions, and it was a very nice watch. It was Steve’s; that made it the best watch he could possibly obtain.
“It looks good on you,” Steve said, his voice low. Eddie’s stomach flipped in response.
“Yeah?” he asked, softly and barely above a whisper. His eyes slipped down to the new jewelry on his wrist. A piece of Steve with him forever.
“Yeah.” Steve nodded with a smile. That beautiful smile. “Not surprising though, everything does.”
“Steve..” Eddie breathed again, the air escaping him with each emotional twist of his stomach. It made him feel a certain kind of way when Steve complimented him. He pushed himself up and hugged his best friend, tightly. “I don’t want to go home,” he confessed with a whisper.
Steve’s hands covered his back, reciprocating the pressure in their exchange. A sigh fell from Steve’s lips before he said, “I don’t either. I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you too,” Eddie breathed.
They pulled apart, looking into each other’s eyes. Eddie’s were wet, tears threatening to fall. He had never felt so emotional. He had never been attached to anyone the way he was attached to Steve. Eddie tried to memorize all the details of Steve’s face as his fingers tightened into his roommate’s sides. Well, former roommate.
Steve’s face was getting closer to his, and before he realized what was happening, a pair of soft lips were pressed to his. His brown eyes bulged for a second, the shock an actual lightning bolt through his body. A good kind of electricity.
Steve was kissing him! Why? Was he still sleeping? Still dreaming the night before their last day?
Eddie’s eyes slipped closed as his heart skipped around. He had never been kissed before, and he tried to rely on his instinct as he pushed his lips against Steve’s. There had been many daydreams involving Steve kissing him, and that’s why he knew this wasn’t real. Oh, but it felt real and so good. So exciting.
Most of all, it felt right.
Eddie’s heart was reaching for Steve as he pulled back, breaking the kiss. He kept his eyes closed and waited for the dream to end. His lips remained parted with shallow breaths, his heart drumming against his ribcage. His fingertips were still digging into Steve’s shirt, tugging him back subconsciously.
“Steve?!” The sound of Jonah’s voice made his eyes shoot open and his hands fall. He found them after a few gut-wrenching seconds, Eddie’s eyes on the wooden planks beneath them. How could he face Steve? Their goodbye was a kiss, and they couldn’t talk about it. Why did he do it? Did he know Eddie liked him? “Your ride’s here.”
“Dammit,” Steve cursed barely above a whisper. Eddie’s body reacted pathetically to that. “Okay. I’m… one second.”
Fingertips brushed Eddie’s face, and he lifted it to Steve’s large, expressive eyes. What was going on in that gorgeous head of his?
“Two weeks, yeah?” he asked.
Eddie was nodding. “Yeah.” He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat not disappearing with the action. “Two weeks.”
Steve studied his face, leaning to rest his head against Eddie’s forehead. This was real and different than what they had shared over the last five weeks. This was what Eddie had craved, dreamed, and imagined. Eddie let his eyes slip closed for the time Steve granted him, humming so quietly to himself. He didn’t want Steve to go. Two weeks was too long.
And then he was pulling away, standing up, and walking away. “Bye, Stevie,” Eddie said, standing with his guitar in his grasp, tears on his waterline ready to slip down his cheeks.
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, something Eddie had seen a few times. Always when he was emotional. “Bye, Eds.”
Just like that, they were separated. Steve was escorted up to their room to grab his things and then he would be shown to his ride. His parents? A driver? Eddie fell back to the dock, scooting over to the edge and swinging his legs. The tears were falling freely as he tried to process what had happened. Steve had kissed him. Like.. kissed him.
What would happen when he visited? Only two more weeks…
Steve
The days went by so slowly as Steve waited for Eddie to visit. His mind was preoccupied with the surge of bravery that had pushed him to kiss Eddie on their dock. The softness of his lips on Steve’s, the grip of Eddie’s fingers in his shirt. It felt so good to kiss his best friend. To be kissed back by his best friend. There was some regret that they didn’t get to talk to about it. So that Steve could tell him that he felt so strongly for him. Even when they were together, Steve thought about him all the time. This time apart had only made him miss Eddie more. He wasn’t sure he would be able to articulate it well enough, but he wanted to try. And he would.
He could only hope he didn’t completely mess up their friendship. It wasn’t unlike Steve to let his heart go rogue and read their moments wrong. But it felt right. It felt like he was meant to kiss Eddie. That Eddie wanted to kiss him just as much as Steve wanted to kiss him.
He couldn’t wait to figure it out. To clear the air. To be on even ground with the most important person in his life.
What if Eddie liked him back just as much? Eddie was naturally sweet and soft. His best friend was so kind that it made Steve ache. There was no one like Eddie. After spending the summer with him and then running into Tommy a few days after returning home, it only made it more apparent how real his friendship with Eddie was. Not that he needed confirmation of that, because Steve knew how he felt to be around Eddie.
How real everything was with Eddie.
His parents had left a day earlier than they had originally told him, but that was fine. They knew he had his friend from camp spending some time there and they made sure to give him some money and his mom took him to stock up the kitchen. There wasn’t much of anything that they would need after that. He tucked the money into his wallet, smiling at the picture Eddie drew for him as it gazed up at him in the ID window where he had made sure to see it whenever he opened it.
Steve spent a good chunk of the day cleaning up his room. It was already mostly tidy, but he did have some clothes on the floor that could be put into his hamper. He made sure he looked his best too, running his fingers through the longer parts of his hair and putting on his favorite dark blue polo.
When he got to the bus station, he checked the schedule for the buses that Eddie could be on. He wasn’t exactly sure which bus Eddie would arrive on, but he didn’t mind staying as long as it took. Fidgeting, he wished he would’ve brought something with him. Were flowers appropriate in this situation? He wasn’t sure, so he didn’t bring any. After the first bus came and left, he felt like he was going to pace a ditch into the pavement as he waited. His eyes glanced at the clock as it ticked away.
The sun had gone down, bringing the darkness of the evening as he tried to keep himself distracted with his phone. His foot tapped quickly, panic washing through him in many forms as the night grew later.
Was Eddie okay? What if something happened? His heart was thudding with anxiety. What if Eddie needed him and he wasn’t there?
It was all he could think about as he checked on the last bus. Eddie could’ve taken that one since his uncle did work nights. Steve tried to keep that for comfort. He would know when it got there, and it was expected in twenty minutes. It made the most sense for Eddie to be on that one, Steve told himself. He had to be.
The bus arrived and Steve stood, feeling his nerves mix with a deep ache as people climbed off of the bus. One by one, it emptied and there was still no sign of Eddie.
Eddie
Suitcase in hand, Eddie stood at the bus’ open doors, staring at the stairs and driver as he sighed impatiently in Eddie’s direction. He already felt like an inconvenience; he didn’t need this random man to hold his head underwater any longer. His foot tapped, the sole of his shoe flapping with the motion. Just another reminder of all the reasons why he shouldn’t be going to Steve’s place.
When Eddie returned home from camp, Wayne went on and on about the Harrington’s and how he couldn’t believe Eddie had befriended the richest and most powerful family in Hawkins. The internet at their place was cut off after a late notice, so he couldn’t try to contact him on social media. Not that he was involved in any of those sites.
He was thankful he had downloaded some things to his computer with the help of Steve’s hotspot. He needed the sound even more after having Steve in the room with him while he dreamed. He felt so damn lonely.
So why couldn’t he get on the bus? Steve didn’t care about all the stuff Eddie was worried about. His home life wasn't a reflection of his personality. For either of them. And the kiss! What did he say about the kiss? “I loved it. Let’s do it again.”
Eddie groaned, kicking his suitcase before looking down at the watch on his wrist. The bus would be leaving in a couple of minutes. He had to make a choice. “Come on, kid. You comin’ or not?”
It was the last bus of the night. He had already been there all damn day. Steve would be so upset, or maybe he wouldn’t care. Maybe when he made it back to Hawkins, he realized how much he missed his life. Maybe he realized being “real” wasn’t really him. How could they be friends so far apart? They were on entirely different ends of the spectrum; Wayne made that clear.
Eddie waved the guy along as he stuffed his ticket in his pocket, turning back toward the spot Wayne had dropped him off at. Wayne was on his way to work and Eddie would have to walk back to his trailer in the dark. Cool.
As soon as he started his journey, watching the bus take off down the road away from him, he knew he made a mistake. A huge mistake. He should be going to see Steve. Even if Steve was just caught up in the moment and didn’t mean to kiss him, they could still be best friends? What if Steve wanted more? He couldn’t, right? There was no way.
His stomach was grumbling loudly as he let himself into the too-warm metal pit of despair, but the churning made it impossible for him to find any food appetizing. The wheels of his suitcase grated on his nerves as he pulled it behind him to his room, slammed the door shut, and threw himself into the bed. He screamed into the mattress, hating himself more and more with each passing second.
Why was he so fucking scared? It was just Steve. Steve who quickly became his best friend–his only friend. Steve–the boy he had a crush on. Steve who had kissed him. Steve… the boy he stood up after an amazing five weeks.
Notes:
Enjoy this gorgeous art by @goingsteddi3 on Twitter / @goingsteddi3 on Tumblr!
Come back next Friday for part two!
Also, thanks to @pinklunamoth for their beautiful banner!
Chapter 2: Three Years Later
Summary:
Eddie wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking when he refocused his eyes on the lake in front of him. The flip-flop of his stomach was a shock as he stared at the water he came to know very well. He allowed his eyes to drift to the spot that would cause a rollercoaster of sensations in his body. When he found it, he had to do a double take.
It couldn’t be.
The man hanging his feet off the deck was definitely the older version of his camp best friend. His hair was much longer down the nape of his neck, brushing his upper shoulders as he leaned his head back and faced the sky with closed eyes. The front seemed to be pushed up and to the side of his face, still long but not as long as the back. The same sharp angles of his face seemed sharper, fuller. It was hard to tell from this far away. He was gorgeous.. So damn gorgeous… and in their spot.
Notes:
Here it is! Part two of Lost in Me, Lost in You!
I can't believe we finally get to share this complete work with all of you. <3
Shoutouts to my talented team!
My writing partner-in-crime: tsmkeelerx on Twitter
Incredible artists: @pinklunamoth and @goingsteddi3 on Twitter (and @goingsteddi3 on Tumblr).
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Steve
“Hey dingus, ready to go?” Robin shouted over the hood of Steve’s maroon sedan. With a huff, Steve offered his best friend a roll of his eyes before dignifying her insult with a response.
“You know,” he started, his hands pushing the trunk closed with a thud. “For someone who I had to beg to come with me, you sure are in a rush all of a sudden.”
Robin tilted her head side to side in a way that told Steve she had something she had kept from him. “Well, I may’ve found out that Vicki is going to be a counselor there this summer…”
“I knew it.” Steve shook his head, moving to the driver’s side door. They both climbed in before Steve continued. “You folded too easily the second time I asked. I knew there had to be something else.”
“C’mon, Steve.” Robin clasped her seatbelt and then turned to him. “She’s so hot…”
Steve sighed, watching her give the biggest apologetic smile with all of her teeth when he glanced at her. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Just… we’re better than withholding shit from each other. You should’ve just told me.”
“I didn’t want you to be mad.” She pulled her lips together. “I promise to be more forthcoming about my weaknesses.”
He had to laugh a little at that. Robin was weak to girls with soft features and pretty eyes. He understood. “Girls are your kryptonite,” Steve stated, offering her a smile that told her she was forgiven– of course.
They had gotten on the road, stopping for coffee and food before merging onto the highway. It was only about fifteen minutes in before Robin started talking. Honestly, it must’ve been a world record because Robin rambled more often than she didn’t.
“So,” she started, taking a sip of her iced latte. “Do you think the boy will show up? I mean, you guys promised each other after all.”
Eddie. She was talking about Eddie. Steve’s best friend from summer camp three years ago. The one that never showed up when it mattered. He felt his grip tighten on the wheel.
“Doubtful.” Steve shrugged, trying not to let the creases show up on his forehead– Robin would most definitely make a comment about that. “He’s not good at keeping promises.” Clearing his throat, he added, “Not that I want to see him anyway.”
It was only half true. Steve missed Eddie every single day. The anger that he had directed at himself for so long had mostly landed on Eddie, though, and it was stuck there.
Not that he let himself off easy. He blamed himself for Eddie not showing up that day. The kiss. The kiss he shouldn’t have instigated. It clearly did exactly what Steve didn’t want it to; it ruined their friendship. After a while of beating himself up, he decided that being mad at Eddie was easier than missing him and that’s where his resolve stayed.
He had tried to move on by throwing himself into a situation where he lost his virginity– because good riddance, right? Instead, it made things worse. Steve hadn’t been ready for it, but it was gone. Lost to someone who he couldn’t even remember, months after he had lost his first real best friend.
He had “fallen from grace” shortly after that, going from being the “king” of Hawkins to the “fallen”. Not that he cared when his former friends shunned him for defending the less popular kids, especially when it brought Robin into his life– a band nerd from the grade under him. They had become friends fast, both sharing their secret of being interested in the same sex. Robin was the first person who knew Steve was bisexual, and he was the first person she had come out to. It was a friendship built on mutual respect and no blurred lines. They were “platonic, with a capital p” as Robin would explain.
It was a year later when Steve began finally dating someone. Nancy Wheeler. A sophomore when he was a junior. Everything was great until it wasn’t. They weren’t a match and she ended up falling for one of Steve’s friends, Jonathan. And while it hurt to get over her, seeing her and Jonathan made Steve realize that Jonathan was her person. It was best to stay friends with Nancy, so that’s where they were now. Better off.
It wasn’t until his senior year did he found himself interested in another guy. Short dark hair and big dark eyes. Skinny. It was a quick fling, and it didn’t last. Steve couldn’t stop seeing Eddie in so many of his features. After they had fooled around, he realized that it was always Eddie he was looking for. The dark hair, big expressive eyes. Nancy fit that too. So did the girl he lost his virginity to. He broke it off and decided to focus on himself. To try to heal and move on with Robin’s encouragement.
It took a while but he went on a few dates, but nothing ever came of those other than experience and realizing what it was he wanted. He wanted to fall in love.
Outside of his love life, Steve had begun working at a local Hawkins bookstore along with Robin. It didn’t pay the best and he didn’t get a ton of hours, but the calm was nice. He had been saving for college, but when he didn’t get accepted, he decided to use it to move out of his parents' household after the summer. Finally.
His father had been less than impressed with him the past few years and he had made it known. When his parents were home, he spent more time at Robin’s and even Jonathan’s on occasion. Jonathan’s mother was the sweetest lady he had ever been around. Very caring. Steve didn’t know what to do with it but welcomed the warmth when he got it.
When he came out to his parents, it went exactly as he had expected. Hate-filled words and angry threats. Luckily, Steve had already established two places where he was welcomed. But he swore to get his own place as soon as he could.
It was the spring before graduation when Steve signed up to be a counselor for the camp. It was barely before the deadline did he convince Robin to agree to join him. There was a big part of him that signed up because of that promise. The promise he made with Eddie so long ago. His hands held the older boy’s smaller hands in his own, squeezing with the pact to come back to this place where their bond was forged. The pink of Eddie’s cheeks made Steve’s heart do a backflip– even now, the mere memory made his stomach rattle with nerves and the what if.
“Are you sure you’re not the least bit curious about what he’s been up to? I mean, after all….” Robin seemed skeptical about Steve’s indifference. She did know him better than anyone, only to be rivaled by Eddie. At least, to some degree.
The campgrounds weren’t too far now, and Steve was grateful. He knew that there would be more moments over the summer when Eddie was brought up. But right now, it didn’t help his already overactive mind.
“I think you already know the answer to that, so I refuse to confirm,” Steve finally said, appeasing his best friend as they followed the tree-lined road to the site where he spent one of the best summers of his life so far.
He felt Robin touch his shoulder lightly. “It’s okay if you are, ya know? To think about the one who got away. It only makes sense.”
Robin’s touch fell and he sighed, trying to find comfort in her reassurance. Offering her a small smile, he hoped that it would be the end of it.
And it was. For now.
When they got there, Steve stood in the opened door of his car and took it in. Not much had changed. The same cabins stretched the length of the grounds, the bonfire sites were set up and ready for lighting. There were people his age scattered around the place, and he finally let himself acknowledge all of the places that brought back memories. The cafeteria, the cabin they shared, their small private swimming place beyond the cluster of trees. And of course, their dock. The dock where they met. The dock where Eddie played guitar for him, where they stargazed most nights. It was also the dock where he kissed his best friend with so much warmth in his chest– so sure it was going to turn out differently than it did. The sun was reflected in the water, his mind replaying the last few moments of their time together before Robin’s voice broke him free of it.
“Earth to Steve?” She said, teasingly smiling at him. “You going to help me or are you just going to fall into the trap of nostalgia?”
His eyes glanced back to the dock one last time before he turned his attention to the bags Robin was trying to handle by herself. He knew he would have plenty of time for self-pity and falling into some of his most cherished memories.
“Sorry, it’s…” He took in a deep breath as he closed the door and moved to the back of his car. “It’s bringing a lot back being here.” His hair fell into his eyes, the length in the front was flipped over by the usual drag of his fingers.
Robin nodded, her hand finding his shoulder again. She didn’t say anything and Steve was grateful for it. Maybe the hurt he had tried to bury was more evident now that they were in the place where it all happened.
Steve pulled his backpack on and tugged his duffle bag onto his left shoulder before grabbing Robin’s stuff with his free hand.
“It says to head to the main cabin to report for duty,” Robin said jokingly, saluting in the direction of the biggest section of the buildings. It was attached to the cafeteria, and he saw teenagers his age walking in and out as they made their way there.
As they got closer, Steve could see one of the counselors speaking with someone a little older. Probably one of the head counselors. Their back was to him and Steve couldn’t help but lift his eyebrows at the stretch of their legs in the tight pair of black skinny jeans painting their skin. He felt Robin nudge him as he continued to stare at the stranger. He could see a tattoo on their ribs peeking from the baggy sleeveless black shirt they were wearing. Their curly dark hair was tied into a messy bun at the back of their head, tendrils falling out from the rest.
“Damn,” Steve whispered loud enough for Robin to hear. He heard her chuckle as Steve stood a little taller with confidence the closer they got.
He could see black nail polish and jewelry hanging from their wrists and a watch that didn’t seem to match the rest of their aesthetic. The band was brown and…..
“Wait…” Steve breathed out loud, stopping abruptly. It caused Robin to halt, her eyebrows pulled as he tried to gather himself. When the guy turned, he could see the familiar shape of their nose that held a silver hoop. The full set of lips were curved as they smiled. But it was the eyes that got him. Big, expressive brown eyes and the faint sound of his deep voice. “Shit.”
Steve felt himself scramble a bit, losing all confidence in the single acknowledgment that Eddie had shown up. And looking insanely hot no less. Without explanation, Robin turned to follow Steve as he tried to discreetly veer out of Eddie’s line of sight.
“Steve?” she asked, her voice quiet even as they slipped into the mostly empty cafeteria. “Was that…?”
He leaned against the wall as both bags plopped up onto the hard floor. The backpack he was wearing made it difficult to actually lean against it, but he felt like he couldn’t catch his breath. His fragile heart hammered against his rib cage as he kept seeing all of Eddie’s newness in his hectic mind.
Finally, he nodded. “Yeah. Eddie.”
Eddie
Eddie didn’t know if the grass crunching beneath his feet was refreshing or annoying. The morning sun was beating down on him in an unpleasant way as he carried his stuff to the gathering crowd of people of similar age to him shuffling into the main cabin. It appeared there were head councilors sitting behind the tables, giving direction to the crowd one by one once inside. His black backpack weighed heavily on his shoulder, his large black suitcase dragging behind him, and his guitar strapped to his back beneath it all. He waited in line like the rest of them, pulling his phone out to check it for any notifications.
The shitty screen took a few tries to wake up, clicking the right side repeatedly. A text from his best friend was waiting for him.
Gareth: Is he there??
Eddie laughed, shaking his head. He typed out a quick: leave me alone, loser.
Steve. The boy he never stopped thinking about. The boy he stood up three years ago. He went through high school wondering what Steve was doing, who he was hanging out with, and if he was thinking about Eddie too. Did he hate Eddie for not showing?
Eddie would never be good enough for Steve Harrington. Wayne made that pretty clear all those years ago. As Eddie’s high school career continued, more and more bullies pushed him into lockers, shoved his face into toilets, and flipped food on him in the cafeteria. Each day made him more self-conscious about the differences in their lives. Every time someone laid a finger on him or made fun of him for being a nerd, Eddie found himself agreeing with the world. He and Steve would have never worked out, even if Steve meant to kiss him.
Even so, he couldn’t not follow through with their promise to assist at the camp the summer after graduation. There was something telling him he needed to follow through. Maybe that something was actually someone–his best friend Gareth. Gareth was like he was: weird, outcasted, and bullied. Eddie inserted himself into Gareth’s life when he saw a group of normal jocks going after him in the cafeteria at lunchtime during Eddie’s sophomore year. Gareth was a freshman, alone and eating by himself.
People could pick on Eddie, but watching others get picked on made Eddie’s hair stand on end. He put himself between them, channeling Steve’s courage to stand up for him after Eddie watched the basketball game in the heat of the mid-afternoon.
It was the same heat that was encasing him now. The same sticky air that inspired him to wear his hair up on the very first day of camp. He was ready to get into his room and unpack. The kids would be arriving the next day, and he knew there would be lots for them to do in preparation. At least that’s what he assumed.
A sigh pushed past his lips, his eyes on the ground beneath his white reeboks. It was weird to be in the place that changed his life in so many ways. Becoming friends with Steve… Having a crush on Steve… it all made him into a better person. He was a protector of the nerds in high school. Now that he was free of that hellhole, he didn’t know what the fuck to do with his life. Where would he possibly belong?
“Your name?” someone said, their hand ushering him closer. Eddie barely registered it. “Sir. What’s your name?”
Once the person was in focus, Eddie nodded as he stepped forward. “Apologies.” His right hand held onto the backpack pulling on his shoulder. “Edward Munson. I go by Eddie.”
“Ah, yes. Jonah was excited to have you this year!” He was shuffling through his papers, pulling out a couple rather quickly. He was shoving them into a manilla folder that sat atop an empty stack of them.
Jonah was still here? No way.
“You’ll be in cabin three. You’ll be overseeing the private rooms with a co-counselor.” The beige folder was handed off to him. “In this folder, you’ll find the schedule for you and the rest of the camp. The cabin rules that need to be followed and enforced, as well as any emergency information you may need.”
Eddie nodded. He wasn’t worried about chaperoning kids all summer. He was more worried about how he may handle Steve standing in front of him. Saying hi to him. Kissing him.
Not like that would happen.
There was a small amount of chatter between them before Eddie was finding his room in the empty cabin. It was the same cabin he had been placed in three years ago. Wayne offered to send him every year until he graduated, but instead, Eddie offered to bring in some extra money. He wasn’t ready to face Steve yet.
Honestly even now, as he passed his former room, he was positive he wasn’t ready yet. It had been three long years. The only thing he was holding onto was the high possibility that Steve wouldn’t show. If it weren’t for Gareth, he wouldn’t even be risking the small possibility of seeing his first crush in person again. A crush that was too strong for his age.
He dropped his stuff on the small twin bed, expelling the air from his lungs as it bounced. There was a dresser, an alarm clock, and a door that most likely led to his bathroom. He stepped in, noticing a door on the other side. Maybe for the co-counselor's room?
After putting his toothbrush, deodorant, and hair products down on the counter, he sat on the open space of his bed and opened up his folder. There was a schedule with his name on the top. He was assigned to art before lunch and music after lunch. He saw archery and he groaned a little. While he had been good, he didn’t really want to stand in the sun, not any more than he did the first time he was here.
He was practically a vampire, and that was proven by the paleness of his skin.
The rules were pretty self-explanatory. Self-explanatory and currently being broken by his truly. A secret stash of his social fuel was hidden in the front pocket of his backpack. He tapped it tenderly with his polished fingertips and finished reading the important stuff. He put it on his nightstand and plugged in his laptop. It was unfortunately the same shitty one he had at camp the last time, but it would have to do. He still couldn’t sleep without the TV on.
He exited the room, closing the door behind him, and sauntered off to find some food. The nerves had convinced him to skip breakfast and lay his lead foot on the pedal of his old piece of shit van, but he knew he needed to eat something. Thankfully they had some food prepared for the counselors that was more grab-and-go. A fruit cup and chocolate milk later and he was wandering around in the already hot mid-morning air. Summer... Ugh.
The guy who checked him in waved as Eddie was passing, stopping him with his quick, “How did you like your room?”
“It’s great. Thanks,” he said with a smile.
“As a former camper, it is definitely an upgrade from my former cabin. Twelve of us fighting for what little cold air we could get.” He looked Eddie dead in the eyes and said, “It felt like The Hunger Games some nights.”
His laugh was genuine as he imagined it. It got so hot, and he couldn’t imagine sharing space with that many people, especially the bratty kids he experienced his first go around. “It is very nice. I didn’t know what to expect, but I’ve never been disappointed here.” Mostly true.
“Same, dude,” he said with a smile. “I’m Brent, by the way. If you need anything, I’ll be staying over there.” He pointed to the smaller cabins just beyond the overcrowded ones.
“Eddie,” he said and then winced. “You already knew that.” Idiot.
“See you around, Eddie!”
The embarrassment of the interaction had his cheeks warm. Maybe he hadn’t evolved enough to be a counselor. He was still easily intimidated by social interactions outside of his small social circle and the people he stood up to. The warmth was too much between the outside world and his shame. He fanned himself a little and sauntered back into the cafeteria, searching for water and a little quiet time in the corner with his phone.
Sip after sip, he felt himself cooling down a little. Gareth had texted him a few more times, all pestering him about Steve. It was bad before… This was worse. No sign of my preppy fantasy, he texted Gareth.
Eddie looked around the room, seeing people already intermingling. He was alone. As always. He sighed out loud as his phone vibrated against the table. Too bad. I really thought he would show.
Steve was more of the type to keep his promise than Eddie was. That was obvious in their previous interactions. Steve was trustworthy–special. Eddie was a chicken, especially when it came to follow-through. A straight-up chicken. He was thinking about what a dumbass he was for not going to Steve’s after the kiss they shared.
Had he believed all the status shit when he was younger? Yes. It really got to him thinking he wouldn’t be good enough, that he wasn’t possibly Steve Harrington’s type. But now that he had some experience with other people, kissing and making out, he knew what he and Steve shared was incredibly special. The hollowness of his chest was warming up at the memory of their spark.
He wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking when he refocused his eyes on the lake in front of him. The flip-flop of his stomach was a shock as he stared at the water he came to know very well. He allowed his eyes to drift to the spot that would cause a rollercoaster of sensations in his body. When he found it, he had to do a double take.
It couldn’t be.
The man hanging his feet off the deck was definitely the older version of his camp best friend. His hair was much longer down the nape of his neck, brushing his upper shoulders as he leaned his head back and faced the sky with closed eyes. The front seemed to be pushed up and to the side of his face, still long but not as long as the back. The same sharp angles of his face seemed sharper, fuller. It was hard to tell from this far away. He was gorgeous... So damn gorgeous… and in their spot.
Maybe Eddie hadn’t completely blown it. Maybe he should approach him. Why had he doubted it before? Of course, Steve had felt the spark between them. It was unforgiving. His feet pulled him slowly toward the dock, his smile sneaking up around the corners of his lips. He looked down at his feet for a second, taking in a deep breath. He could do this.
When he looked up, a petite girl was leaning over him from behind, her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands dangerously close to his chest. The blue polo he was wearing was just so him, the white stripe singular and wrapped around his upper torso. Her chin-length blonde hair swooped forward and brushed his neck and face. Eddie froze in place. Of course, he had a girlfriend. Brought one with him. He was smiling so big at her, the dig pure punishment for being a worthless human at this point.
How could he get caught up in the small sliver of hope he was holding onto? Why would someone like Steve wait for someone like Eddie?
That was enough outside time for the day. He gathered some food in a rush back to his room, where he plopped his ass on his bed and turned on his comfort show: Demon Slayer. Season one, episode one. He would be there a while, mindlessly eating and regretting every decision he ever made for the last three years. Including going to camp in the first place.
He didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he woke up, he had to blink away the slumber a few times to remember where he was. What time was it? No light leaked in from his window and his Netflix was asking him if he was still watching. He yawned and stretched, his jeans digging into his hip a little from his weight falling to one side. Something hit the floor loudly, making him jump up in surprise.
It was his phone, of course. Stupid piece of shit. The phone and him. He groaned as he stood, phone wrapped in his large hand as he dragged himself toward the bathroom. He had to pee so badly. With unsteady feet, he turned the doorknob, thankful for the already-lit bathroom.
The sight of a bare male torso stopped him dead in his tracks, dark hair decorating the entirety of his pecks and down the center of his stomach. Lean but broad. The tan skin disappeared beyond his blue plaid sleeping pants. Eddie swallowed hard as he shivered. “Sorry!” he exclaimed.
He finally lifted his gaze as the man in front of him did the same. Steve... It was Steve. His face was bright red. “Shit,” Eddie hissed. Of course, it was Steve.
There was silence and Eddie couldn’t pull away, look away, or turn around. Steve looked at him with pursed lips and his heart fell a little harder into the pit of acid known as his stomach. He had to stop himself from admiring the man in front of him with wandering eyes. Since he couldn’t, and wouldn’t, he admired the way his jaw had stretched out further, so wide. His eyes the sweet honey brown he remembered. He still had beauty marks on his neck and face, but his skin was much darker.
Steve took his time, but finally, he said, “You can have it.”
There was no way Eddie looked like he hadn’t been sleeping, his messy bun was probably way worse than before he entered his room. Steve was going to see him like this for the first time. Really?
Steve’s eyes on him were hard, like he didn’t care either way that Eddie was there, in front of him after 3 long years. Anger boiled up from inside without solid reason. He was so easily forgotten, so easily pushed aside, so easily… exiled.
“Absolutely not,” Eddie breathed, shaking his head. “You can have it.”
He fumbled with the doorknob and his eyes cast downward. He caught the sight of Steve’s bare feet as he stumbled backward and slammed the door a little too loudly. Steve was connected to his room, and that meant he was his co-counselor.
Fuck. Maybe he should just give up and go home, forget this ever happened. What the hell was he thinking? Gareth was far from correct about their fate, and Eddie wanted to scream into his pillow until he passed out again.
Maybe he did just that.
Steve
Steve laid in bed with his mind going crazy. Not only was Eddie there, but he was his co-counselor. And dammit, he looked even better than Steve had remembered. His features had matured, which only made his eyes and lips bigger, it seemed. He looked even better up close than he had when Steve first saw him earlier in the day. He looked so good, in fact, that it physically hurt. His old roommate was always attractive, but the years had been good to him. Very good.
He had tried to clear his head at the dock and get himself prepared for the inevitable run-in. But he had never expected to run into his old best friend late into the evening in the bathroom they would have to share the next five and a half weeks.
Based off of Eddie’s reaction in the bathroom, he wasn’t thrilled to see Steve. It only reiterated that he hadn’t wanted to continue anything with Steve, and it made the hurt radiate through his core. A small part of him hoped that maybe, just maybe, it was a misunderstanding. But “shit” isn’t exactly what someone wants to hear after not seeing the person they were crazy about for three long years.
Avoiding Eddie would be even more challenging now. A part of him– a decent-sized part– didn’t want to stay away. But the rest of him, the hurt and angry part, didn’t want to hear the reasons he didn’t show up all those years ago. Reject first, before he’s rejected again.
Robin had comforted him via text since he shared such close space with his ex-best friend. He would have to wait until the morning to meet up with her. Until then, he stared up at the ceiling with his phone resting against his chest only drifting off for a few hours before his alarm began blaring– the alarm that he had set for earlier than before to try to avoid another awkward encounter in the bathroom.
Steve blinked the sleep away, rolling onto his back from his stomach. He willed himself to sit up and throw his legs over the side of the bed. He rubbed his face with both hands, groaning as he stood up. There was a nervous rumble in his stomach as he turned the knob to check for a lock. It came open and he slowly checked the space. Empty.
Relieved, he slipped in and locked both doors. He tried to do his morning routine as quickly as possible, but it still took him longer than he liked. He could hear shuffling around on the other side of the door as he finished up and made sure to unlock the opposite side. Quietly, he closed the door behind him and tried not to think of Eddie. It was difficult though, to not wonder what had gone on through his old friend’s head when he saw him. Did he like the changes he saw in Steve? Did seeing him make Eddie regret not showing up three years ago?
He was spiraling, so he knew it would be best to make his way to Robin’s cabin before he got lost in these thoughts.
“I can’t wait to see this guy up close,” Robin said, applying chapstick to her lips before rubbing them together. “He has you in a tizzy.”
Steve huffed out a breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “He doesn’t have me in a tizzy. I’m fine. Perfectly… fine.” Even he didn’t believe himself.
Robin looked at him skeptically, pushing the tube of chapstick back into her pocket. “C’mon, Steve. This is me. I can see through you without trying.”
It was true. She could read him like a book. It should’ve been comforting.
“I’m just…” Steve raked his fingers through his hair. “I just want to get through this summer without getting hurt. Again.”
Robin pulled her lips together, “You know I’m the last person that wants to see you hurt. I would kick that boy’s ass myself.” She stood up. “But first, let’s get breakfast. The campers start arriving today, and we’re going to need our strength to wrangle them up.”
Steve nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. Eddie was his co-counselor, meaning that they had to cooperate when it came to their cabin. He wasn’t quite sure how to make it work, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. His stomach grumbled with hunger, forcing him to take his best friend’s advice and walk the distance to the all-familiar cafeteria.
It was mostly how he remembered it. There were small updates and different food options, but it still felt the same. His eyes drifted to the table where he and Eddie always sat.
Eddie.
Then his eyes scanned the space for the boy he had fallen for summers ago. He wasn’t there yet and Steve felt himself release a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. As he followed Robin, he felt like he was going through the motions of the best summer he had ever had. It felt surreal but almost like a lifetime ago. Even though he knew that wasn’t true. That summer with Eddie had changed him to be better. To grow beyond status and stereotypes. It made him someone who could look in the mirror and like what they saw. Even through the pain of rejection, he knew he was better for it.
“Steve?” Robin asked as their trays hit the smooth top of a table. He shook his head, realizing just how lost he had been in his thoughts. “You still with me?”
It made him aware enough to sit down without tripping over himself and he sighed. “Yeah, it’s just wild being here. That’s all.”
Robin nodded, offering him a smile. He was thankful for her, and he wasn’t sure he told her that enough. As much as he had changed, he still didn’t say vulnerable things when he felt them. Not as much as he should.
They ate and Robin did most of the talking. Which wasn’t necessarily new or anything, but his mind drifting off and his senses on alert for Eddie made it difficult to focus.
After breakfast, Steve and Robin made their way to the main cabin for the morning check-in. They were to get their list of campers that they were responsible for and any other information that would be useful over the course of the session of camp.
When they got there, Steve immediately found Eddie. His dark curly hair had gotten long, and he was wearing it down now, falling slightly past his shoulders. His attire was all black with his familiar pale skin showing through the baggier parts of his handmade sleeveless shirt. Steve couldn’t help but wonder how the rest of his maturity looked on his lean body. He imagined the dip of hip bones leading beneath the waistband of Eddie’s tight jeans. The tightness of his flat stomach. The soft hair that trailed beneath the button of his jeans.
Steve shook his head, feeling his face heat up as his thoughts ran wild. The anger settled in his stomach as something different, more familiar. The pain seeped in as he got control over his wandering mind. His attraction to Eddie was something he would have to get over. It was clear that Eddie wasn’t interested in him, and even if it was hard to take, he had to accept it.
The kick-off meeting was full of energy that Steve wasn’t expecting. It wasn’t a surprise to see Jonah leading the next generation of counselors and it made sense how he got paired with Eddie. It wasn’t a coincidence. Jonah loved their friendship. He was always speaking highly of them together. Their pairing was deliberate.
That was confirmed when Jonah came up and greeted him with a high-five and shoulder squeeze.
“Steve! I’m so glad that you made it! But when I saw Eddie, I knew you wouldn’t be far behind,” The throaty voice of his old counselor had barely changed, but the maturity in his features had made sharper edges on his face. His dirty blond hair was much shorter than he had it when they met the first time. But the warmth in his voice and in his energy was the same.
Steve nodded. “I said I’d be back, and here I am.” He lifted his arms a little awkwardly before letting them fall to the side. “Oh, Jonah this is my best friend Robin. Robin, this is Jonah. He was my counselor that summer I was here.”
Robin offered Jonah her hand, the introductions causing a bit of small talk before Jonah excused himself to catch up to another counselor he needed to touch base with.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding. You and Eddie are a packaged deal, huh?” Robin teased, nudging Steve as they turned to walk out of the building.
“I told you,” he started. “We were inseparable.”
Like a magnet, he lifted his gaze to see Eddie walking slightly ahead of them with his hands in his pockets. Keeping his eyes down just like he used to. It prompted a sigh to fall from Steve’s lips as Robin’s arm hooked through his.
“Come on, dingus,” She leaned in to get his attention. “Let’s have some fun before the kiddos get here.”
Eddie
The incessant rapping of a hand on his door caused Eddie to groan. The heaviness in his head was causing him to wobble slightly as he walked across the room to face the person responsible. His hair felt like it was lopsided and hanging from its bun messily and his face felt swollen from being pressed into his pillow. His hand curled around the doorknob, the hallway light leaking in.
The unexpected stood in front of him, completely ready for the day as far as he could see through the initial blur of his eyes. A yawn stretched his lips thin. He needed water. And to brush his teeth. Steve Harrington was standing at his door, sighing at him. “Steve,” Eddie squeaked.”Wha–” He cleared his throat, trying to lean against the door frame in a cute way, only to stumble a little. “What are you doing here?”
“I think we need to talk,” Steve said, glancing over his shoulder at the kids shuffling out of the room. Eddie turned his wrist to look at the time, his eyes bulging out at the sight. He had overslept on the first real day of camp. “About this co-counseling situation.”
“Right,” Eddie said without thinking. “Sure.” His heart was racing. Steve didn’t seem phased by him, and Eddie was making a fool of himself already. He knew he should have run away the night before. “Talk away.”
“I’ll make this quick.” Steve’s eyes were locked on Eddie’s, causing him to become more flustered and possibly a little red in the cheeks. “We’re going to have to deal with each other as co-counselors but outside of that, I don’t expect anything.”
Ouch.
“I see…” Eddie said, lowering his voice to sound “cooler” and more like Steve. He pushed himself up a little, feeling the heaviness of sleep completely vanish at the threat before him. “Well, we know which one of us is going to be Nick,” Eddie half-teased half-stabbed.
Steve’s eyebrows pulled down before he huffed and shook his head. “Whatever makes you feel better. This was a mistake.” He turned and walked away, leaving Eddie to stare after him like an idiot. The way he looked in his jeans was sinful, truly, and it kept him there longer than it should have. He dug his palm into his thigh over and over again until he realized just how late he was going to be if he didn’t get his ass ready.
He didn’t think the day could get much worse, waking up the way he did. He grabbed whatever was left of the breakfast rush and jogged to his first activity: archery. There was a girl handing out bows and quivers to the kids gathered around her. He placed his water, coffee, and breakfast trash down, rushing over to her.
“Hey,” Eddie said, picking up a stack of quivers and handing them out to the kids who were missing. “I’m Eddie.”
“Sasha,” she said back, offering a nice smile. It was pleasant and kind, and not what he deserved after being late to his assignment and leaving someone to fend for themselves. “I’m a head counselor. There was a mix up with your co-counselor assignment.. I’m going to help you pass these out, but they’ll be here soon!”
They worked together to give every student their supplies, asking them to take a spot on the range and prepare for instructions. Sasha had to go, but promised again that he wouldn’t be alone for long. “Alright, everyone!” Eddie bellowed, grabbing an arrow from his own quiver. “The objective is to get the arrow as close to the center as you possibly can. Hit too low, aim a little higher, and vice versa. Please don’t point your weapons at your fellow campers or you will be escorted away immediately. Heard?”
“Heard!” The kids rang, nearly in unison. Eddie was impressed.
“Perfect. Let me show you an example, and then you’re free to try for yourselves.”
He was pulling the arrow back, focusing on the target before him when he heard Steve say, “Sorry I’m late. They gave me the wrong assignment.”
As Eddie was letting go of the arrow, he turned, facing the man who was borderline haunting him at this point. The crowd of kids gasped, and Eddie pulled his gaze from Steve’s wide eyes to the arrow sticking out of the ground too close to his co-counselor's foot and back to his face again. It was tinted pink and his eyebrows were nearly disappearing behind his hair.
“Perfect example of what not to do, everyone,” Steve said, swallowing hard at the sight of it. He tore the arrow from the ground and extended it to Eddie once he was close enough. “I know you’re a better shot than that.”
It was Eddie’s turn to swallow hard as he placed his arrow back into the small pouch. “How about we let Steve show us a proper shot?” Eddie asked everyone. “He can’t do any worse than I did, am I right?” Eddie faked a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck a few times.
“The first rule is to stay focused when you have an arrow readied.” Even though Steve never looked his way, he continued to watch his demonstration. He was a natural leader, and that was part of his title: King Steve. “As Eddie demonstrated, it can be very dangerous.” He pulled his own arrow back and repeated what Eddie said about too high and too low, adding, “Take wind into account too. It will affect your shot.”
Steve took the shot, and he landed in the bullseye. Eddie shook his head, wanting to call him a show-off. At the beginning of their time together, Steve hadn’t been great at his shots. By the time they were going their separate ways, Steve had outperformed him in the sport. He was a natural athlete, unlike Eddie. It was something that spread warmth in his chest before their years apart. Now? It produced a hollowing ache that Eddie wasn’t sure would ever repair itself. It had been there so long already.
The kids cheered for Steve, and Eddie could see the pride in his stance as he smiled their way. A twist of Eddie’s stomach left him breathless for a moment, his lungs struggling as he clapped his hands together. “Alright! Your turn!” he said to the lot of them, watching them all grab for their arrows.
They spent some time walking behind them, making sure they were executing safely and correctly, Eddie tried to offer pointers to the ones that were doing well but could be shooting better. Once they had the hang of it, Eddie felt it was safe to grab his coffee and chug it. The bitterness nipped at his tongue, the liquid a tad too cool for his liking. He desperately needed the fuel if we wanted to get through the first day. Only four weeks and six days to go…
Music couldn’t come fast enough. Steve didn’t follow Eddie’s path, so he figured it was safe to assume Steve wasn’t in music with him. He was almost smiling as he walked into the familiar sanctuary, the instruments stretching out across the room. Music was still a huge part of his life. Much to his disappointment, his art was a bigger part of his life now. Not that he didn’t enjoy his art–he just always saw himself pursuing his love for his guitar.
“Eddie, right?” He turned at the sound of his name, his smile falling. There she was, standing before him with chin-length blonde hair balanced with her messy bangs, all of it bouncing like she had just finished running up to him.
“Depends who’s asking,” Eddie joked, lifting his eyebrows. Why was Steve’s girlfriend running up to him during his moment of bliss? Why now? Why was he being punished?
“I’m Robin. Your assigned co-counselor reporting for duty.” She saluted him, her lips quirked up to one side. It was cute, and he couldn’t stop the spread of his own smile.
“Robin.” He stood straighter and saluted her back. “Thanks for being prompt. How might we keep these children in line?”
“Well, I prefer to go about things in an organized chaotic way so…” she trailed off. He didn’t want to like her, but she was the perfect amount of quirk and was not at all who he expected when imagining a girlfriend of Steve’s. She was wearing straight-leg jeans with the cuffs rolled up a few times, a baggy t-shirt tucked in, and a purple plaid shirt left open on top. Her black Converse were dirty and worn. And his gaydar was SCREAMING. It was usually never wrong, but maybe she was bi or pan. “Positive reinforcement good with you?” she asked him.
He gave a solid thumbs up before shaking his hair out and stuffing his hair tie in his back pocket. The kids had finished filing in, all of them a little more talkative compared to his previous group. “I heard someone in here likes music…”
The kids clapped and cheered, their side conversations stopping once he stood before them, displaying Robin and the instruments. “I’m Eddie and this is Robin. Who’s ready to learn how to shred?!”
The first activity of the day: torture. The second activity of the day: torture. Eddie could only hope he was completely alone in drawing. He was already tired of it. If someone asked him now, he would say he would rather be paired with Robin. That was sad considering he knew the relationship she and Steve shared. It was still better than facing him and dealing with his attitude all day long.
He definitely thought he was better than Eddie now. What happened to Eddie’s Steve? Where was he?
Steve
Steve was picking at the salad in front of him as Robin rambled on about being paired with Vicki for drama. He was often more present in his conversations with Robin, but his head and heart had been fighting since he had seen Eddie. He knew his preoccupation with his old crush wasn’t fair to his current best friend, but he was truly lost on how to handle it. He knew how to be cold; to seem indifferent. He was a pro when he was younger. But now, even through the pain, it was difficult to treat Eddie in such a way. It was easier to acknowledge with the feelings flooding back that Eddie was definitely the only person Steve had ever felt this strongly for. Pair that with the ease of vulnerability, and Steve was internally a wreck. He found himself remembering the way they seemed to fit together. Two different people but it worked so well.
Until Eddie hurt him. It was like his heart was hiding from his former best friend, no matter how much he missed him. And boy, did he miss him.
It felt like Steve was carrying around a weight in a chest, that only got heavier when Eddie was around. It was the weight that he bore every single day but was easier to ignore before he saw his old best friend.
“And she laughed, Steve! Her laugh is the most angelic fucking sound, and ughhh….” Robin held her fists to her chest to emphasize her words, bringing Steve back to the present. “She’s so talented, Steve. She’s so good at everything. It’s driving me mad. Absolutely mad.”
Steve laughed a little, shaking his head as he finally speared some lettuce onto his fork. “What are you waiting for? Ask her out. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Robs. It’s mutual.” He shoved the bite into his mouth and chewed as Robin’s eyes grew large in his direction.
“What if she said no? How awkward would the rest of camp be?” she said, waving her hands a moment. “The awkwardness levels are already high enough with you and Eddie.”
The clang of his fork when hitting the surface of the plate was loud, emphasizing the seriousness in his expression as he tilted his head to the side. Before he could respond, Robin leaned forward onto her arms and closer to the center of the table.
“Speaking of Eddie, we’re partners in music.” Robin pressed her lips together, her big blue eyes studying Steve’s expression. It must’ve shifted because a smile pulled at the curves of her lips. “And he’s actually pretty cool. I get why you’re obsessed with him.”
“I’m not obsessed with him,” Steve huffed, dropping his fork and sitting up straight with a sigh.
Robin clicked her tongue, settling back onto her seat. “Maybe… maybe you should try to get answers about what happened. Or I mean, I could try… if you want?”
Steve’s eyes shot up to his best friend. “No! Don’t you dare talk to him about me, Robin. Please.”
He felt the color drain from his face. What if Robin got close to Eddie? How would that work? They were a lot alike. He could see how they could be really good friends. What if she chose Eddie in all of this?
Steve was making himself sick thinking about it, his stomach churning as his mind raced.
“Alright, but if you change your mind,” she said, her hands moving to grab her half-eaten sandwich. “The offer stands. Anything for you, Steve.”
He watched her take a huge bite and chew as he felt the words absorb into his psyche.
After dinner, Robin decided to check on a camper she had been worried about so Steve made his way back to his side of the grounds. The sky was shifting to purples and blues, the smell of burning wood wafting through the air. He could hear crickets and the faint sound of an acoustic guitar getting louder with every step that he took.
The campfire was already lit and a few people were sitting on the long stones circling it. And there, hiding behind long dark hair was Eddie, leaning over his guitar. His fingers expertly moving over the neck of the instrument, strumming to a beautifully melodic tune.
Steve stopped in his tracks. Not close, but close enough to relish the way Eddie looked against the flicker of the flames. There was no doubt in Steve’s mind– Eddie was beautiful. Heartbreakingly so. He was three years ago. He still was now.
Standing there, Steve wondered how Eddie would feel if he were to catch Steve watching him. But pulling his eyes away would be no easy feat.
He couldn’t place the song Eddie was playing, but the familiarity of the whole scenario was enough to make his chest ache. Memories of all the times Eddie played for him flitted through his mind.
“I don’t know how I feel about that one,” Eddie said softly, strumming his guitar just as quietly as his big brown eyes lifted from his hands to Steve’s eyes.
A big, reassuring smile spread evenly over Steve’s lips as he leaned over to rest his hand on Eddie’s back. His eyes danced over the features of his best friend, admiring him even as they all pulled downward.
“Eds, you’re too hard on yourself. It sounds great. And I’m sure with more time, it’ll sound even better.”
“You’re just saying that,” Eddie whispered, his eyes moving between Steve’s.
Their knees brushed as Steve turned to face him better. “I would never lie to you, Eds.” His thumb caressed Eddie’s shoulder, a quiet moment moving between them.
Eddie’s eyes fell from Steve’s eyes to his mouth and back up again, lingering. Processing his words. “Never?” Eddie squeaked.
Steve shook his head. “Never.”
He covered Eddie’s hand, squeezing gently to provide more comfort. His heart was swelling, overflowing with a feeling he was still trying to navigate. It filled every catacomb and made him feel invincible in a way he hadn’t ever felt before Eddie.
Clapping snapped Steve back into the present moment, his eyes focusing on the scene in front of him. It was like Eddie felt Steve’s eyes because they lifted and met almost instantaneously.
The throb of his heart was staggering and he felt his lips part in emotional overload. Their eye contact felt just as intense as it did three years ago, even from across a decent amount of space.
With a big sigh, Steve broke the contact and made his feet press on. Moving past the few campers enjoying Eddie’s playing, he walked quickly to his cabin. He convinced himself that he needed to check on the kids he was responsible for and wondered if any of the campers around Eddie were ones that were in his group.
Eddie was running circles in his mind even as Steve put distance between them. The sound of the music made his ex-best friend’s presence louder and more prominent with every strum of his talented fingers.
Eddie
In his past adventures at camp, Eddie loved his free days. It was his time to watch movies, play guitar, and hang out with Steve without being separated. On his first Saturday back at camp, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had texted Gareth a few times, but his reception wasn’t great and it was annoying waiting for the texts to go back and forth. With a sigh, he grabbed his sketch journal and forced himself into the bright ass sunlight.
After taking a detour to the cafeteria, grabbing himself a coffee and some fruit, he found himself on a picnic table in the shade. He put his LOTR soundtrack playlist on softly and placed his phone down. It made it feel like he was part of the world, part of the adventure he found himself fond of.
He was late to the Lord of the Rings fad thanks to his lack of exposure to the real world and his lack of companionship, but thankfully he had given it a shot his sophomore year. “What DND nerd doesn’t like LOTR?” were Gareth’s exact words.
Although he had stopped taking commissions for the summer, he still wanted to keep drawing outside of teaching the kids. What if he lost all the skills he had gained in five weeks?
His favorite things to draw were still dragons and mythical creatures in fantasy lands. He also enjoyed drawing romantic fantasy, particularly of the m/m variety. He had quite the Twitter following despite his inconsistent posting and interactions. He was a mystery to the internet world, but he delivered what was paid for and what was requested.
He had found internet stardom after he drew two of the most popular male characters together in an alternate universe scenario and posted it, tagging them with hashtags. He didn’t know the couple was so popular; he just knew how much the idea of them becoming one made him hopeful for a future of his own. Apparently, they were a huge thing on some fanfiction site, so of course… he read that now too.
It made him full of hope and fluff, and also... A little horny.
“Faggot,” he heard the word spat, his mind clear in a matter of seconds as he looked up at the fool who dare say something like that near him.
He met a piercing pair of blue eyes, blonde hair falling near one eye just barely grazing his eyebrow. Eddie’s eyebrows lifted accusingly. There was no way this adult male just had the balls to call him a faggot. He was most definitely a counselor–a mentor to these impressionable kids.
“Move along,” Eddie urged, using his hand to shoo him away.
He didn’t stop staring down the stranger until he was out of sight, scoffing as he turned. “Whatever.”
“Come on, Steve! Not fair!”
Eddie turned slightly, seeing the basketball court like he was seeing it for the first time since his return. There were a bunch of kids surrounding Steve as he laughed, his eyes bright. He hadn’t seen him like that outside of the interaction with Robin. Eddie felt his skin blaze as he skimmed over the nothingness that covered Steve’s chest. Just as gorgeous as he remembered it being during their run-in on the first night.
He thought he had imagined how gorgeous he looked in his slumberous daze.
Eddie didn’t know how basketball worked really, but they were taking turns throwing the ball into the basket. They didn’t seem to be playing a normal game of the sport, but again… what did he know? There were shots made, groans and cheers, and Eddie couldn’t tell who had made it and who hadn’t. His eyes were trained on his former best friend’s gorgeous frame. The end of his pencil was between his teeth, his body betraying him. Had it not been aware of their many interactions since camp started? Did it not know the pain his heart and ego endured?
As if his future punishment wouldn’t be enough, he lifted his gaze from the waistband of Steve’s jeans and the trail of dark hair that led beyond it to find Steve’s eyes on him. He was feeling some type of way, his heart and groin throbbing together as Steve lifted his eyebrows.
When Steve wet his lips slowly, Eddie was sure of two things: Steve was the hottest man he had ever seen and Eddie was still far too attracted to him. And was that a smile Steve was wearing as he turned away? A small one?
Ugh.
His fantasy was further interrupted by the girlfriend, her short hair lifting with the gentle breeze. She was waving at Eddie. Caught again. Eddie sighed as he gave her a short wave back, his eyes moving between Steve glaring at her and her gleaming eyes.
The moment was interrupted by Steve wrapping his arms around her shoulders and squeezing her. “Ew. Gross, Steve. For the love of god, puhlease put on a shirt.”
Eddie cocked his head to the side as he considered what that meant, her voice carrying all the way to him despite the distance. Of course, he would overthink it–he is getting a glimpse of what he had missed out on. He still hadn’t decided if it was his fault or Steve’s for the obvious distance and tension between them.
She was attempting to push his sweaty body away from hers, and if Eddie was being honest, all he could think about was having Steve’s sweaty body against his. He blew out all the air in his lungs and slammed his sketchbook closed as he mentally fought the full-body tingling.
“Eddie!” He tried to ignore the familiar voice of his music co-captain, but her slender fingers curled around his shoulder and turned him in record time. How did she catch up to him so quickly?
“Birdie,” Eddie said, his voice unrecognizable to himself. He watched her smile become wider at the nickname he had appointed her around day three of camp. Seeing her delight didn’t chase the trembling away from his fingers or the arousal churning in his stomach. He knew he was frowning at her. “I’m not really feeling social today,” he admitted.
“I understand the being alone thing,” she said, not leaving him alone as he hoped. “I spent lots of time alone before Steve and I became friends.”
“And when did you become more?” Eddie asked, not meeting her eyes as he allowed the conversation about Steve to continue. He hadn’t assumed he had the courage to ask about their relationship, but there they were.
“More? Me and Steve?” Eddie looked at her finally, seeing her light blue eyes bulging from her head. Huge and shocked. She laughed suddenly. “Oh no, we are just friends. He is not my type.”
He felt silly for a moment, assuming that they were together. There was silence between them as Eddie processed what that meant. Steve hadn’t brought his girlfriend; he had brought a friend with him. A friend.
“So…” Eddie started. He lifted his eyebrows curiously, wanting her to answer his non-verbal question.
“So… I like girls,” she said, giving him a teasing little smile. He knew it. His gaydar had not failed him. “I have my eye on a pretty little redhead that we went to high school with.” With a small clear of the throat, she added. “And Steve, he’s single.”
“Why would I care if he’s single?” Eddie spat a little too quickly.
“Eddie, come on,” she said, almost like he was dumb for asking. “Not only did I see how you were looking at him, but I know…. Ya know.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Eddie groaned, rubbing his eye with his freehand. “Of course, he told you.” He stilled, standing up straight as a thought struck him. “Wait, what did he tell you?” Eddie’s arms were suddenly waving, and he dropped everything he brought with him. “Forget I asked. I don’t care.”
“Alright, sorry. He would kill me if I said more, anyway.” His sketch journal was in her hands, his other items being held up to him. He took them all, cradling them against his chest as he studied her face. There was a glint in her eyes he hadn’t seen before, and it felt like trouble. “Have a good one, Eddie.”
“See you later, Birdie,” he called, peeking at her path to see Steve waiting for her by the court. Still shirtless and still so hot.
Eddie needed to forget about her words, but his tranquilizing idea may backfire. He patted the foil in his front pocket and disappeared between the trees far away from the campers to take a few hits, draw a little more, and try very desperately to forget about Steve being… Steve.
Steve
Robin insisted that she was just saying hi to Eddie. Steve wasn’t sure he believed her as he watched Eddie drop everything he had in his arms. She must’ve said something to him to provoke such a reaction. He tried not to think about what Robin could’ve said. He tried to figure out why he cared so much. It was easier not to.
The next day, Robin decided to get up the courage to hang out with Vicki. Steve was proud because he knew how hard it was to be brave and go after what you wanted. All too well. Although, his bravery had gotten him nowhere. Double-edged sword.
It was a little after noon and Steve decided to spend some time outside. Specifically at the dock– or at least, at the water. The dock was still a challenge when it came to his emotions and he needed to figure it out before he went back.
He decided to go for a swim to try to clear his mind. The soothing coolness of the water made his used muscles feel heavy and relaxed as he pushed himself as far out as he felt comfortable before swimming back. The amount of time he used to spend in the water was long forgotten until he submerged himself in it. He loved the sensation of feeling weightless like nothing could bring him down. Unlike the anchor of pain in his chest as he tried to navigate through his daily life.
When he pulled himself out, he felt the heaviness from the water clinging to him, almost urging him to fall back in. The blue and green towel he had brought was draped over a nearby rock, and he tried not to think about the times he had gone swimming with Eddie. How unsure Eddie had been until Steve comforted him. The push and pull between them was still there even through the pain, distance, and time.
He dried himself, focusing on that so his mind didn’t slip again. It was constantly slipping in Eddie’s direction, and Steve was getting frustrated at the loss of control over his own thoughts. After heading back into his room and putting on new clothes, he towel-dried his hair and tried to tame it the best he could before returning to the campgrounds. It wasn’t exactly his normal perfection, but he decided it would be good enough post-swim.
The sky was changing from blue to yellows and oranges, blending into the deepening of the blue as the sun began to set. He knew he needed to eat, and his stomach reminded him with a rumble as his feet carried him to the cafeteria.
He grabbed a salad and an apple as he took in his surroundings. Kids weren’t on a strict schedule on the weekends– something he still enjoyed as a counselor– so they were able to come and go as they pleased. After gathering up his trash, he headed outside and into the slightly darker sky. The stars were beginning to appear above the great wide open, lightning bugs shimmering for seconds in various spaces. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air of nature before his calm was broken by the sound of a commotion. Instinctively, he turned to it and noticed a blond counselor crowding someone. Steve’s stomach sank and he knew it was Eddie before he could even see him. Dark hair was tied up messily and the tone of the blond counselor– Jason– was threatening, and Steve’s jaw clenched. Steve knew Jason from high school.
As Steve was closing in, he watched Eddie’s head snap back slightly as Jason shoved him. Heat rose to Steve’s face as he grabbed the aggressor by his bicep.
Jason’s eyes were crazy when they fixated on Steve. “Stay out of this, Harrington,” he snarled, and Steve stood his ground.
He had witnessed Jason’s harsh nature before at high school, bullying people who weren’t on the basketball team or popular. They had a run-in before when Jason taunted Steve for his shift in priorities because of Robin, but Steve walked away.
Walking away wasn’t an option this time.
“Carver, back off,” Steve said, pulling him back and away from Eddie. “You’re a role model here, act like it or…”
“Or what, King Steve?” His perfect white teeth showed as he huffed in Steve’s face. He was mocking him in front of everyone– in front of Eddie. “Or should I say, former King?”
Steve fought the urge to look at his ex-best friend. He felt his fingers form a fist. “Are you really that insecure that you have to bully people, even here? How pathetic, Jason. I wonder what Chrissy would think if she knew how you were behaving.”
Jason’s eyes slowly widened, his jaw becoming slack. “Leave Chrissy out of this.”
“Then leave Eddie alone,” Steve countered, not backing down.
With a sigh, Jason looked back at Eddie before looking at Steve again. With a defeated groan, he walked past Steve, hitting his shoulder hard with his as he passed.
Once he was far enough away, Steve felt his body unclench as he lifted his eyes to look at Eddie. Everything in him wanted to rush over, check on him. His heart pulled him in Eddie’s direction. His reaction confirmed what he had known all along. No matter the time or the pain, Steve was still crazy about Eddie. Nothing would change that.
Even now, with Eddie’s expression still pulled into anger and the flushed pink spreading over his cheeks, he still looked so damn beautiful to Steve. Those big brown eyes were glassy and fixed on him as his head and heart went to battle.
Go to him.
No. Run.
As heat coated his skin, he turned to walk away before he did– or said– something stupid. Even though he had moments where he was brave, this wasn’t one of those times.
His mind was racing as he pushed the door to his room open, feeling resistance as he tried to close it.
“Wha–” He turned and Eddie was there with his hand on the door before Steve could shut it. He was so close but not close enough. Seething, it seemed. Was he mad? At Steve?
“How could you?” Those chocolate irises were barely shown with how narrowed his eyes were in Steve’s direction. He stepped closer to Steve and the door finally shut.
Steve felt his features pull downward, confused at Eddie’s choice of words. “How could I, what? Check that asshole for being a dick?” he huffed, turning to kick his shoes off at the foot of his bed. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
It felt all wrong to have Eddie’s anger directed at him. It felt even more wrong to pretend that Steve wasn’t concerned with the frustration aimed at him. His jaw was set as he turned back toward Eddie, watching the features he had fallen for contorting into something… hotter. Eddie was so hot when he was mad. Steve could feel his arousal build in his pelvis as Eddie’s voice filled the small amount of distance between them.
“How could you practically ignore me all week and then pull some hero shit? I don’t need your help anymore.”
Another huff fell through Steve’s parted lips. “Oh, yeah, you had that under control. Sure.”
The laugh that Eddie gave him felt more unhinged than the one that Steve used to be familiar with. He had really struck a nerve. “I survived all of high school without your help, Steven. I don’t need another jock proving he’s better than I am because I’m not athletic.”
“Better than you? What the fuck, Eddie?” Steve spat, feeling his own anger boil now. “It’s not my fault I wasn’t there, was it? So get out of here with that shit.”
The past wound was more present than Steve wanted to admit, and now, it was gaping open. Exposed to the air and contaminating the emotions between them.
Eddie was closer now. So close that Steve could see the freckles dusting over the bridge of his bulb-shaped nose. The length of his dark eyelashes. The curve of his full lips. “Or what?”
“Or… nothing.” Steve took a deep breath before his voice shook. “I’m not the one that did this, Eddie. I’m not the one that put the unwanted distance between us.”
There it was. Out there. Steve’s admission.
“You didn’t really want to be friends with the freak. I did you a fucking favor.” Eddie’s words were sharp. The pain of them radiated in Steve’s chest. Is that what he believed Steve to be? After the time they had spent together, did Eddie really believe Steve to be capable of turning his back on him? Haven’t they had this conversation before?
Steve felt his shoulders fall, his features matching. “Did you? Is that what all this pain has been? A favor? Because I’ve been under the impression that losing you was the last thing that I wanted.” He raked his fingers through his hair, pulling at the ends as he fought back the watering of his eyes. “Thanks for nothing.”
Eddie’s eyes were wild when Steve turned away from him. He couldn’t let Eddie see the effect he had on his heart. How was it so easy for Eddie to get to him? To cause this kind of reaction? The idea that Eddie thought so lowly of him was everything he feared all those years ago. The aching in his chest was deep as he felt a hand on his shoulder turn him so their eyes could meet again. But only for a second.
The distance between them disappeared as Eddie pushed his lips against Steve’s. It didn’t take more than a second for Steve to cling to him, pulling him close as their lips pressed together. His heart was thudding heavily in his chest as he felt Eddie’s hand rest against the side of his neck, his own fingers curling into the thin material of the black shirt hanging from his former best friend’s frame.
It was familiar, the softness of Eddie’s full lips. But the desperation behind the kiss was new. The way Eddie was holding onto him was better than all the fantasies he had about them together again.
Kissing like they needed each other to breathe.
Steve gasped against Eddie’s lips, his heart wild as his lungs constricted painfully in his chest. He could taste Eddie as their lips parted, like sweet fruit mixed with weed. It should’ve been unpleasant, but instead, it made Steve strain beneath the tight blue jeans he was wearing. The way they were kissing felt like they were making up for the loss of time. That it had all culminated in this moment.
“Eddie,” he whimpered between kisses, his fingers slipping into the hair at the nape of Eddie’s neck. His grip was pulling the length of dark hair loose from its holder, but neither of them seemed to care. They were lost in desperation. Hands grabbing and lips parting. If he wasn’t careful, he would believe he was imagining this. That Eddie had instigated this, kissing and bodies pressing together to minimize space between them. His head was spinning with clarity, the only thing decipherable was Eddie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.
Kissing Eddie three years ago was magical. Kissing Eddie now was pure fucking bliss, and he never wanted to stop.
Eddie
The anger he had when he stormed into Steve’s room behind him was pooling between his thighs, fueling the parting of his lips as they connected over and over again. Eddie could feel his hair falling out of the bun he had prepped in the morning, Steve’s greedy fingers feeling like something he had been craving unknowingly. What really twisted his insides and left him groaning against Steve’s too-soft, plump lips: the whimper of his name.
“Fuck, Steve,” Eddie breathed, his entire body trembling. None of the stories he had read could have prepared him for how quickly he was turned on by so little. It was Steve who had the ability to completely undo him in every way imaginable. The pull he had to his ex-best friend was even stronger than he remembered, their connection providing flames to lick around his lower abdomen seductively. His hands slid around Steve’s torso, grasping his lower back and pulling him closer and closer.
Just like when they were kids, Steve smelled like he had just gotten out of the shower. One of Eddie’s hands rode the curves of Steve’s back muscles until his fingers tangled into the gorgeous hair he had grown out, tugging slightly as Steve let out a moan. It was the sexiest thing he had ever heard.
Eddie gasped, Steve’s hand cupping the skin of Eddie’s neck he was already holding. He leaned forward, kissing and nipping at the skin on the other side. Goosebumps spread out across his extremities, creating a lengthy shiver through his body as he fell into the hard density of the man in front of him. “Oh..” Eddie moaned, his eyelashes fluttering. The hitch in his throat was directly related to the tongue pressing into the pulse of his neck, the suckling of his skin between the talented lips of the man he had been obsessed with for so long.
Out of control was the best way to describe how he felt as Steve urged him backward, bending his back and causing them both to fall into the tiny excuse of a bed in Steve’s room. There were no laughs as Steve’s body collided with his. Eddie’s heart was reaching for him, clawing its way through his chest. He knew that his feelings for Steve were strong before, but this… this was ridiculous. He had never felt this good making out with anyone he had tried to connect with. Nothing felt like it was heading somewhere, and this did...
Eddie’s knees fell apart as Steve settled between his thighs. The evidence of Eddie’s arousal was currently grazing Steve’s surprisingly hard bulge. He swallowed audibly to his embarrassment.
Eddie wanted to know what he was thinking as their eyes stayed locked intensely. Steve’s fingers lifted from the mattress, tucking a stray strand of hair away from Eddie’s eyes behind his ear, a smile pulling softly at his swollen lips. There was a backflip and some thudding in his chest, and Eddie willed himself to be cool. Steve was searching his gaze; he could feel it.
A hot trail burned beneath the hem of his baggy t-shirt, his eyes falling to catch Steve’s fingertips grazing the bare skin there. Short breaths pushed past his lips as he looked back up, the man towering him making him forget why he was mad in the first place. They seemed to both move at the same time, instigating hot open-mouthed kisses that left Eddie breathless. There was tongue, and he didn’t know how to handle it or what to do, his own brushing Steve’s as it explored just past Eddie’s lips.
How did he know how to kiss so well? Could he tell how inexperienced Eddie was? Based on the urgency in his movements, he didn’t seem to care too much how bad it was. Eddie cupped Steve’s ass in his hands, loving the way it felt so full against his palm. Both hands trailed over the waistband of his jeans and beneath his shirt, his warm skin connecting with Eddie’s needy touch like electricity. Steve’s hips curled forward suddenly, providing friction to Eddie’s throbbing arousal. The kiss broke as Eddie’s head fell back, moaning Steve’s name probably a little too loudly for the situation. Nothing, and he meant nothing, felt as good as Steve moving their bodies together to create pleasure well beyond that of his own hand. And he didn’t stop, his hips curling slowly at first against Eddie’s with precision.
This wasn’t good. Eddie was losing what was left of himself the more Steve rubbed their pelvises together expertly. Fully clothed with Steve’s fingers pushing up on his shirt as his lips brushed Eddie’s face, jaw, and neck. Eddie gasped. “Oh. Fuck.” Steve urged Eddie’s legs up a little higher, wrapping them around his waist as he dug his weight down into the movement, dragging and dragging.
Eddie held Steve against him as he buried his face in Steve’s neck. He was chasing his orgasm pretty quickly now, worried he was going to embarrass himself more by completely letting go so quickly. Had it been long enough? He didn’t think his body cared if it had been or not, because his noises were becoming more consistent, his muscles tensing. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his body to slow down.
“Steve,” he managed, lungs squeezed tight.
There was a hum, and then Steve was brushing their noses together. Eddie was watching Steve as he finally focused his eyes on him, wetting his lips between heavy pants. “If you don’t stop, I’m gonna cum.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Steve asked, slowing his movements much to Eddie’s dismay.
“No, god. Please don’t stop,” he gasped, lifting his hips up into Steve’s to further prove his point with the same rhythm and curl given to him. “Just a warning.”
Steve ground down into him again, his body catching fire as their thrusts met perfectly. “It’s okay,” Steve said leaning in, his breath dancing over Eddie’s lips. “Wanna make you feel good.”
They were moving faster, their hips meeting harder. Steve was groaning into Eddie’s mouth, moaning too. Eddie was barely hanging on to reality as the bed shifted beneath them a little noisily. “Steve..” Eddie moaned, clinging to him like he was scared of the moment ending. He was. He growled, “You feel so fucking good.”
“Eds…”
His orgasm was blinding, his erection damn near raw from all the grinding in his jeans. Any future pain felt worth it as he dug his nails into the tan skin he had burned into his brain, heaving and gasping when Steve hit his own peak right before his eyes. It was fucking beautiful. His parted lips were still swollen, his eyes completely blown out and disappearing behind the fluttering of his eyelids. Face flushed and jaw tense.
Eddie was heavy and relaxed beneath Steve’s warm, perfect body. His former best friend was stroking his face and pushing back his hair as he caught his breath against the skin of his neck. He didn’t know when, but shortly after they began to wind down, Eddie passed out. He awoke sometime in the middle of the night, wondering if all the bliss was an incredible dream he still needed to clean himself up after. Steve groaned in his sleep, pulling him back to the bed, his restrictive clothing, and the reality of what they had done.
The way his body reacted to the sight was downright pathetic. Steve’s fingers danced over Eddie’s stomach, dragging his shirt slightly as he shifted beside him. Eddie took a deep breath and pulled himself from the comfort he had craved for the last three years of his life. He could have had Steve all this time, but he didn’t show up. He chickened out because of all the pressure that came along with Steve’s status.
Now, he was looking at the same boy–his first crush, completely spent from a very heated night. Eddie hadn’t let anyone do anything like that to him before, and if Steve had asked or tried, he would have lost his virginity. He would have done anything Steve asked in those intoxicating moments.
It was difficult to leave Steve, but he knew he needed to shower off the mess they made. If they woke up together, who knew what would happen? Would Steve regret giving in so easily to Eddie’s mouth? Were they so caught up in the anger that they couldn’t think clearly about what they were doing? Was it closure or the beginning of something more?
Eddie didn’t want to get his heart broken first thing in the morning, so he pulled himself from Steve’s bed and started up a hot shower. He didn’t need the extra time to think about all the ways this could go wrong; instead, he tried to focus on everything that felt good with Steve hours ago. His lips on Eddie’s mouth, neck, and jaw. His fingertips played near his waistband, in his hair, cupped around his neck.
With a sigh, he massaged his shampoo into his hair, his fingers combing through it as he imagined it was Steve’s hands.
Steve
Reaching out, his hand stretched out to feel nothing but the mattress beneath his touch. His eyes opened slowly, his focus blurred as he sat up in his clothes from the day before. It wasn’t completely dark out but the sun hadn’t come up yet.
Eddie had left for his own room sometime in the middle of the night, and waking up alone made acid burn in the back of his throat. He had left after sharing that with Steve. Did he regret it? Was it just a caught-in-the-moment scenario? Eddie had kissed him, after all. Was it just a way to get closure? Or did Eddie feel like it was a mistake?
Seeing Eddie in such an intimate way was something Steve was positive he would never experience. But now that he had, he wanted more. But what if Eddie didn’t?
They had neglected to check in with their campers before the passionate buildup that was three years coming. With fingers in his hair, he blew out a breath and tried not to fixate on the details from last night. Like how Eddie smelled of campfire and patchouli. Or how his voice had gotten deeper and soothed him the same as it had years ago. And the taste of him, like a drug that Steve could easily become addicted to.
Did his former best friend not feel what Steve felt between them? It felt like they just fit– it always had. His feelings for Eddie were flooding through, new ones blending with the deep-seated ones from his past making it difficult to ignore.
Gathering his outfit for the day, he knocked lightly on the door of the bathroom before slipping inside. Eddie must’ve showered when he left because he could still smell the peppery scent of his soap lingering in the small, barely ventilated room. His eyes scanned the toiletries left behind. A toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, a brush, a couple of hair ties, and the towel he had used to wash away the mess they had made together.
With a sigh, Steve cranked the water on to do the same. Even if he wanted to savor the feeling of Eddie all over him. Hopefully, he would get another opportunity to be close to Eddie. To kiss him. God, he loved kissing him. The innocent one they shared over three years ago, the heated session they shared hours ago… didn’t matter.
He sighed as he stripped down and climbed under the steaming water, trying to figure out how to take on the day. Even with as much that had changed about both of them, he still saw the delicate side of his old roommate when they were tangled up together. The softness that he adored about Eddie was still very evident once the anger had transitioned to something more intense.
Once he was done getting himself together, he knew it would be time to meet Robin at the cafeteria. He wasn’t sure how to tell her that something had happened between him and Eddie, because he knew they shared an activity and he wasn’t entirely sure she wouldn’t slip and say something to him. She did seem fond of Eddie, and that was before anything had happened between the two of them.
“Hey Robin,” he greeted as she waved, and they fell into step together. “How did things go with Vicki?”
Robin cocked an eyebrow at him. “I texted you and you never replied. But it went great. We listened to some murder mystery podcasts and talked most of the night.” He could tell by the way she was side-eyeing him that she was trying to figure out what he was hiding. “What did you end up doing last night?”
Steve felt his lips twitch a little, even through the ache in his heart.
“Wait a minute, were you with someone last night?” Robin squealed, her voice tapering off with the last couple of words. “Was it Eddie?!”
Steve lifted his hand to his forehead, rubbing as she tugged his arm. “Robin, it wasn’t like that….” He hesitated, letting his hand fall. “Okay well... It didn’t start off like that, but–”
“Oh my god, Steve. Spill… Right. Now.”
He sighed in defeat, bartering with her to elaborate once they were seated with their food. She accepted this compromise, but the slight skip in her step confirmed the happiness she had for him. After he explained, though, he wondered if it would still be there.
As she ate (and Steve pushed his food around), he quietly told her about Jason and then the subsequent fight. And how Eddie had kissed him in the heat of the moment, but left in the middle of the night.
Her hand covered his, trying to comfort him. She must’ve noticed something in his voice as he explained to her the morning after. “I think you should talk to him, Steve. Maybe not at archery, but you two seem to have stuff to hash out.”
Robin was right. She usually was.
Archery was right after breakfast and Steve couldn’t help but acknowledge the slight hint of nerves rattling through him. It was Eddie.
Eddie.
The boy he fell for three years ago.
But also… it was the Eddie he hadn’t been around in almost three years.
That’s where the nerves were coming from.
“Good luck,” Robin said with a pat on his shoulder before they went their separate ways. He took a deep breath and crossed the vast yard to his destination.
Eddie was already there getting things set up and Steve couldn’t help the smile pulling at his lips. His usual dark attire covered his slender body, the black denim painting Eddie’s legs. The long curls Steve had tangled his fingers in last night were repositioned into another messy bun. It was unfair to Steve how effortlessly attractive Eddie was.
“Hey,” Steve said quietly, walking up to Eddie and reaching for more of the quivers to help him set up. Steve tried to fight the urge to look at him, letting his side glance be enough. He watched a small smile pull on those full lips before he turned more to catch Eddie’s eyes.
“Morning,” Eddie said, his dimples starting to appear as his lips pulled into more of a smile.
Steve lifted several of the packs of arrows before clearing his throat. “How did you sleep?” It was small talk– Steve sucked at small talk. But he wanted to work through the inevitable awkwardness that would follow. Neither of them knew where the other stood and it wasn’t like they could go into depth with that right now.
Standing next to Eddie felt like a dream. One that Steve didn’t want to wake up from.
“Heh.” The small laugh Eddie gave him made Steve’s heart do a backflip. All he could think about was making him laugh again. Smile more. Steve noticed the color deepen on the porcelain skin he was admiring. “Before I showered, really well.” He cleared his throat, glancing at Steve as they turned to set up each spot. “What about you?”
Small glances were being thrown his way as he set the equipment down in the first spot. “Never better,” he admitted, fighting with himself a little before adding. “Wanna talk later?” He looked up into chocolate brown, feeling a little vulnerable. Could Eddie tell he was nervous?
Eddie chewed on his lip, simply reminding Steve of how badly he wanted to kiss him. It took a second for him to respond. “Yeah. Let’s talk later.”
“Okay.” Steve nodded, a small unsure smile curling at the corners of his lips. “Great. After dinner?”
“The dock?” Eddie asked cautiously, his eyes shifting between Steve’s eyes.
Steve let a moment pass before he nodded. “The dock.”
The look in Eddie’s eyes was indecipherable as he nodded too.
Kids were starting to assume their positions causing them both to refocus on the world around them.
“Until then,” Steve said, reaching out to pull a loose curl by Eddie’s face. “I like this, by the way. It looks good on you.”
“My hair?” Eddie looked at him with wide eyes as his voice came out soft. Like when he was Steve’s Eddie. Before the hurt and distance. He felt the old sensation of warmth spreading from his center.
“Yeah, you look good. Like you always do.” Steve smiled at the familiarity, his heart skipping around in his chest. He turned as one of the kids shouted his name, but his heart was still reacting to the moment they were having.
Steve clapped his hands together, facing the watchful eyes of the campers. “Alright guys and gals, I hope you had a great weekend. I can’t wait to see some bullseyes happening today.”
Eddie
“I don’t believe you,” Gareth said into Eddie’s ear during dinner. “No way you actually kissed him. I don’t believe you.”
The strawberry between his lips was sucked into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it with a smile on his face. He couldn’t stop thinking about the night before–it was constantly replaying in his head. Even then, as he sat in the cafeteria alone. He could see Robin and Steve sitting together on the opposite side of the room, Eddie’s eyes all over him as he hummed.
“Don’t believe me, man,” he said, feeling like an entirely different person. “I know what we did.”
Steve had definitely shared some of the details with Robin because she had been eyeing Eddie in a certain kind of way through all of music. He just blushed and avoided her eye contact. Apparently, all he did today was blush and avoid eye contact, especially after his hair was complimented. It was a big change from what Steve remembered. It was nearly a buzzcut back then, and now it was a curly fucking mess constantly tied up.
“Did I lose you?” Eddie heard, his eyes refocusing only to realize Steve’s honey-brown eyes were locked with his. He swallowed hard and offered a sheepish smile to the gorgeous man invading his every thought.
Steve smiled back, his top teeth showing through the subtle lift of one side of his lips. “Nah,” Eddie said. “But I do have to let you go. I’m meeting up with Steve.”
Robin pushed Steve, and Eddie stifled a laugh with his teeth on his bottom lip. “I want a picture of the man who has you acting like a princess. Who are you?”
Click.
After dinner, he checked on his half of the kids. One of them was a real talker, and he got stuck a little longer than he wanted to. In their bathroom, he looked for evidence that Steve had been in there doing the same thing he was doing: fixing his hair and patting water on his face.
He was pathetic.
The walk to the dock was one that left him dealing with a dizzying amount of nostalgia. He let the moon be his distraction during the entire minute it took to get back to their spot. He could make out Steve’s profile, and suddenly he was an anxious mess. Steve was flirting with him earlier. What did that mean?
That’s why they were going to talk about it, right?
“Hey,” Eddie said when he was close enough. “Mind if I sit here?” he asked, pointing to the empty spot beside him and wishing he never spoke at all.
“Please,” Steve said, smiling up at him.
He blew out the breath he didn’t know he was holding onto and crawled down, his eyes looking out at the calm water. Which of them would talk first? What should they say?
“I like the nose ring,” Steve complimented softly. “And the tattoos. It all fits you.”
Warmth spread out from the center of his chest. No one had ever complimented him as Steve did. No one had ever appreciated Eddie before or after Steve, and the reminder of all of that had him lost in the sensations of that kid–15-year-old Eddie. “Yeah? You think so?”
“Yeah. You look really good, Eds.” He continued to make him feel like a mushy mess instead of the shy mess he was earlier. “Different, but it suits you.”
“Did you ever imagine me looking like this?” Eddie asked, the different comment making him curious about how Steve imagined him.
“You look better than I could’ve ever imagined if I’m being honest.” A sigh moved between them, Steve offering him the cutest smile.
“Same,” Eddie breathed. “You’re so…” Swallowing hard, he finished his thought with just a laugh.
“I’m so… what?” His eyebrows lifted slightly.
Should he admit how attracted he was to him? Humping each other was probably already an indicator of that.
“Hot.” It was a whisper. “And sweet.”
Steve’s smile grew. He hadn’t fucked it up, thankfully. He wasn’t as quiet as he used to be, but he still didn’t handle social situations very well. “I missed you, Eddie.” There was a pause, Eddie’s heart in his throat during the silence. “I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on.”
“I’m sorry, Steve..” The words just came out, like vomit. What was he apologizing for? Being angry and taking it out on him? Kissing him? Leaving him in the middle of the night? “For not showing up.”
The man beside him was staring at him with a look he was unfamiliar with. Eddie’s throat was tightening and tightening. “I…” Steve’s swallow was loud enough for Eddie to hear. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”
“I told myself I was in the right for three damn years,” he said, looking down at his feet as they swung back and forth. “That all the things people said justified the fear I felt that day. I was scared, but that didn’t make it okay.” He was blabbing now. All of it coming to the surface. “How could the most attractive guy at camp actually want to kiss me? The freak? What are the chances the cutest kid at camp is also into the same sex?” He huffed, rubbing his palms into his eyeballs.
“Eddie,” Steve grabbed Eddie’s hands, pulling them away from his eyes. “You’ve never been the freak to me. You’ve only ever been Eddie— my best friend. I’ve been crazy about you for so long…” His eyebrows were pulled together when Eddie’s vision came back to him clearly.
“Crazy about me?” he squeaked.
“Yeah… why else would I have kissed you?” Steve asked, and Eddie didn’t have a thought to combat that logic. “I thought that’s why you didn’t show up.”
“No,” Eddie started, his voice low. He realized his hands were still in Steve’s, his fingers trembling, and he curled them into his palm a little deeper. “Well, yes? Not really.” He huffed, his eyes dancing over every inch of Steve’s face. He was listening to Eddie. Truly listening. “My uncle wasn’t trying to, but he kept talking about your family and how surprising it was that we were friends. I was worried that I would get even more attached only to lose you... And besides, I was crushing on you hard. My first crush.”
“I can understand the fear of the bullshit that comes along with me,” Steve said, his hips shifting until they were even closer. “Why do you think I kept myself separated from it that summer? That’s not who I am. Not anymore.”
“Birdie told me,” he said, smirking weakly.
“Birdie?” Steve’s eyebrows lowered a moment, and then his lips formed an “ohhh”.. “Robin.” He shook his head.
“She’s a good friend.” Eddie took in a shaky breath. He nudged Steve’s shoulder with his own, laughing. “I thought she was your very good girlfriend.”
“Robin?” Steve pffted with his lips. “She’s great, but she’s not really my type nor am I hers.” The sound of Steve’s laugh made Eddie’s insides knot up. “Apparently my type is curly dark hair and big brown eyes.”
“Damn… that sucks. I have neither of those qualities.”
There was that laugh again. Eddie couldn’t help the grin on his lips as Steve pushed their foreheads together. It was such a simple thing, but it felt comforting. It was more than he felt in the empty space between his first summer at camp and this one. “Thank you for coming back to camp,” Steve said.
“You too.”
After seeing Robin and Steve on the dock, every time he passed it, he didn’t associate the wood platform with anything endearing. He didn’t think of those beautiful nights with his guitar and stargazing; he thought about Steve having a girlfriend in their spot.
This intimate moment between them was erasing that temporary film over the only good memories he held.
“Can we… hang out? Get to know each other again?” Steve asked, almost cautiously. “Build on what we started three years ago. See where it goes?”
“Please,” Eddie sighed, unable to open his eyes. The weight of his emotions was providing an entirely different kind of trembling in his fingertips. He leaned his head even harder into Steve’s, nuzzling their noses together. “This has been torture.”
Steve's inhale was shaky, and Eddie felt it deep in his chest. “It has. You were the first thing I saw when I got here… and damn… you didn’t make it easy to stay mad.”
Eddie laughed breathily, sitting back slightly to look him in the eyes. He reached up and grazed Steve’s jaw, his smile stretching across his face. “And why was that?”
Steve leaned into his fingertips, his eyes sparkling as they looked into Eddie’s. “Come on, Eds. You have to know how good you look.”
How good he looked? He didn’t understand Steve’s attraction to him. “Stevie…” He couldn’t form the words. Couldn’t tell him that he didn’t believe he could ever be so attracted to him.
“God, I’ve missed hearing you call me that,” Steve nearly whined, and the sound had a direct line to his arousal. His voice was deeper, his touch rougher, his curves edgier.
Eddie was so obsessed with him, and as they sat there together, nearly tangled in the most innocent of ways, he was sure he never stopped feeling this way. He was suppressing any and all emotions that were positive. Even though it was all rushing back, he knew it wouldn’t be an instant remedy for the pain and distance.
But they were going to try.
Steve
Steve fell asleep that night after laying in bed for hours and thinking about his feelings for Eddie. He knew it went deeper than attraction for him. But for Eddie?
He worried that if it ever got serious Eddie would run. Steve was and always would be a Harrington, and that would follow him forever. He wanted to assume the best in the guy he couldn’t stop thinking about, but he wanted to protect his heart too. Eddie had been able to easily wreck his young, fragile heart. Now, he could possibly ruin him for good.
When he checked in with Robin, she told him that his cynicism was showing. She also told him to enjoy the process of getting to know Eddie again.
Truth was, Steve didn’t want to learn that Eddie was too different from the Eddie he fell for. What if eighteen-year-old Eddie wasn’t as keen on Steve as fifteen-year-old Eddie? And while he knew that thought made him feel selfish, he also knew it would devastate him if the object of his affection turned out to not be into him.
There was another realization that he made after talking to Robin; he needed to be prepared that the changes the past three years brought could do one of three things: they would end up together, realize that they’re better off as friends, or realize they don’t like each other nearly as much as they did three years ago.
He knew that deep down he was a hopeless romantic, that he wore his heart on his sleeve— big and proud, unwavering and strong. He believed Eddie could handle that when they were younger. Now…. He wasn’t as sure as before.
But then again, he wanted to try. Because as much as his head was telling him to be cautious, his heart was screaming to go forward full steam ahead. A compromise was internally made, and he hoped it was the right decision.
After all, in four weeks they would go their separate ways again. It was best if he didn’t acknowledge that part of his rationale yet, though. It would build steel walls around his already eager heart.
The next day, Steve’s plan was simple. Get ready for the day and invite Eddie to have breakfast with him and Robin. He felt it was the best place to start.
His fingers combed through his hair, flipping it over until it looked exactly like he wanted it to. He opted to wear a gray polo with dark blue shorts and his blue Nikes. As he stared at his reflection, he gave himself the biggest pep talk. You’ve got this. This is Eddie. Eddie, who you’ve missed for three years. Subconsciously, he pulled his wallet out and stared at the tattered drawing that rested in the ID viewer– and it had taken up that same spot in every wallet he had owned since he was fifteen. A dragon with Eddie’s handwritten reminder to be brave.
A smile pulled at his lips as simultaneously he felt his heart swell, his thumb tracing over it as the courage to go to Eddie surged inside of him. Slipping his wallet into his back pocket, he closed up his room and made his way to the door on the other side of the cabin directly across from him.
With a deep breath, he let his knuckles rap on the door and he let his hand fall as he waited patiently. Eddie opened the door with his toothbrush in his mouth and a smile on his lips. The length of his curly hair was more evident as it stuck out in several places. He looked so adorable and silly that Steve couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, good morning,” Eddie mumbled around the plastic in his mouth. “Come on in.”
“Good morning,” He stepped aside to let Steve in. After the door was closed, he watched Eddie move into the bathroom really quick to finish up. “I wanted to see if you were interested in having breakfast with me and Robin this morning?” Steve leaned over so he could see Eddie gliding around in the bathroom, rinsing his mouth out.
His eyebrows lifted as he pulled his hair into its usual updo. “Birdie’s cool with me invading?”
Steve nodded as he let his eyes take in all of Eddie’s belongings around the small room. The laptop was familiar– it was the same one he had when they were roommates. Black clothing lay strewn about, which was also familiar. His guitar was resting in the only available space on the wall, which was also familiar. The only thing that he wasn’t used to? The smell of patchouli wafted through the space. Steve tried not to be obvious as he took in a hefty inhale. “Are you kidding? She wanted to invite you days ago.”
He offered a smile as he spoke. He watched random curls fall from the work Eddie had done to try to tame them. Eddie smiled back, genuine and soft. Steve felt butterflies swarm in his stomach. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Steve nodded, the corner of his lip lifting. “She’s glad we’re talking.” He paused, turning to face him completely. “I’m also glad that we’re talking.” Internally, he cringed. Outwardly, he kept smiling to try to hide his embarrassment.
Eddie turned off the bathroom light and walked up to Steve. Confidence kept Eddie closing in, and Steve swore that Eddie might touch him. God, he wanted Eddie to touch him. “That makes three of us.”
The way his breath hitched in his throat at Eddie’s close proximity to him was surprising even to him. It made him feel pathetic as the reaction swept through him. His eyes flickered over Eddie’s face, admiring the dimples that were appearing on his cheeks and the flutter of his eyelashes. He could feel his body pulling to get closer to the dark-eyed man in front of him, so he gave in. Who was he to deny himself such a feeling? Taking a small step, Steve reached out and grabbed Eddie’s left hand to play with the chunky silver rings adorning his slender fingers.
He wanted to tell Eddie that he drove him crazy in the best way. That he wanted to kiss him. Explore him, inside and out. To never leave the room, if he had any say in it. But that would be too much so soon, right?
“Is this okay?” he opted for instead, letting his eyes lift to connect with the big brown irises fixated on him.
The way Eddie’s eyelids lowered over his eyes, heavily covering the darkening of his eyes. “No,” he breathed. “It’s better than okay.”
It was difficult not to kiss him, especially since Steve knew how it felt to. Steve craved more but he tried to slow it down. He licked his lips. “I know we should be smart about this. Get to know each other, see if we still like each other as people.” His thoughts weren’t the most coherent as his heart slammed around in his chest. “But dammit, all I can think about is kissing you…”
Eddie looked him over, his lips parting with shaky breaths. He squeezed Steve’s fingers as he lifted his eyes, connecting their gaze. “Kiss me, Stevie…”
Steve’s eyelids were lowering with the weight of arousal, his pulse moving to rest between his hipbones. With Eddie’s fingers tangled in his, he stepped into him and took in a deep breath to relish the patchouli filling his senses. His free hand moved to cup Eddie’s face, his skin smooth beneath Steve’s touch. His thumb rested along Eddie’s jawline as he leaned forward and slowly captured the full lips that haunted his fantasies. The cool sensation of Eddie’s silver hoop brushed his warm skin as he parted his lips. He hummed as every cell in his body ignited, coming to life at the contact. Eddie leaned into the kiss, his free hand moving to Steve’s hip and urging him closer. Their bodies were almost flush now, and Steve knew if they got any closer that Eddie would be able to feel how frantic Steve’s heart was as it tried to get to him.
When the kiss broke, Steve didn’t pull back far and their lips continued to brush as they caught their breath. “You’re really good at that.” It was a passing thought that came out of Steve’s mouth before he could catch it. He felt drunk off of Eddie after one kiss– one amazing kiss. With everyone he had kissed, he never felt this affected by it this easily. It wasn’t bad before, per se, it just wasn’t like this.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Eddie laughed, low and quiet.
The words were warm against Steve’s lips causing goosebumps to rise on his arms. His eyelashes fluttered as he let his fingertips move gently over Eddie’s cheek. “I disagree. You’re a natural,” Steve mused.
Eddie hummed, squeezing Steve’s hip where his hand rested. “Thank you, sweetheart. You’re truly the natural here, though.”
“Did you–” Steve wasn’t sure he wanted to ask Eddie how many there had been between their first kiss and now. The memory of how uninterested Eddie seemed in it all replayed in his head, but time had passed. They were older. Eddie wasn’t quite as shy as he was the last time they had spent time together. “Was there anyone else you…?” The words weren’t coming out right, but he hoped Eddie could piece it together for him. He knew he had no right to be jealous, but he felt the twinge of his striking through his chest. Deep inside, it felt like Eddie had always been his, but he knew that wasn’t reality. Still, his heart held onto it tightly.
“I kissed?” Eddie asked, his head tilting a bit.
“Kissed…” Steve swallowed, his eyes squeezing shut a moment as his jaw tightened. “Anything?”
“I’ve kissed a few guys,” Eddie admitted, the tone of his voice was still soft. Familiar.
Steve nodded, squeezing their entwined hand. “Lucky bastards.” He laughed out a breath.
“You’re kissing me now,” Eddie suggested. “In my bedroom.. no one’s ever been in my bedroom.”
His eyebrows lifted, his curiosity getting the best of him. As his lips parted to speak, his phone began to vibrate. It was Robin, he didn’t even have to look to know that it was.
Lifting their connected fingers up, Steve kissed the top of Eddie’s hand and smiled at his old watch snug around Eddie’s wrist. “Can we finish this later? We should probably grab food before the day starts.”
“Later it is,” Eddie smiled as he stepped around Steve and pulled him toward the door.
“Nice watch, by the way,” Steve teased as they walked out of Eddie’s room together. Their hands were still connected. Steve had no desire to disconnect, but slowly, their hands fell apart. He knew they would have to maintain a certain level of discrepancy while around the campers, but Steve didn’t want to hide it any more than was necessary. Despite that though, he would do whatever was most comfortable for Eddie.
“Thanks.” The playful look that Eddie gave him was so fucking sexy that Steve almost began to pant audibly. “This really cute guy gave it to me like three years ago. I haven’t stopped wearing it since.”
Steve felt like his chest was glowing with adoration for the guy next to him, fighting the urge to grab his hand again. “Yeah? So, you must like him then?”
“He’s alright,” Eddie teased, winking at him.
Steve smiled and looked up just in time to see Robin waving wildly at them. He let a small laugh out before they reached her.
“Hey, you two.” She drew out her words, giving them a big smile as they got closer. Wedging her way between them, she threw her arms around them as they entered the cafeteria. “Nice to see everyone getting along.”
Eddie let out a soft laugh, his eyes looking past Robin and fixed on Steve. Selfishly, Steve fucking loved the way Eddie looked at him. He always had. Now, he loved it even more. It twisted his insides in the most pleasant way.
With Eddie joining them for breakfast, things felt like they were finally shifting into place.
Eddie
Shooting up from the length of his stiff mattress, Eddie gasped, his hand on his bare chest. Another fucking nightmare. His eyes were blinking, but the room was still pitch black. His heart continued to pound as he pawed his way around the room, searching for his computer. Groggy and clumsy, he found the hunk of plastic and pressed his finger into the power button. Once. Twice. Three times.
“Ugh,” Eddie groaned, reaching to see if his power cord fell out. The smooth black cord slid between his fingers, exactly where he left it. His eyes were starting to adjust. He grabbed his phone, trying to wake it up. Nothing. “Fucking seriously?” he exclaimed aloud. Of course, he hadn’t plugged it in.
In his defense, he was thoroughly distracted with having companionship most of the day. The morning’s kiss had been the only physical thing they shared all day. It was odd, not knowing if Steve was just enjoying the physical acts with him or wanting something real. The kiss they shared in his room before breakfast was craved–desired. It was everything he had wanted after their dock talk.
He spent the day with Steve and Robin, together and separately. After dinner, they parted ways to check in with their kids and Eddie went to sleep shortly after. The small clock on his nightstand displayed a deep red 1:00 AM.
With a huff, he threw himself back into the bed and squeezed his eyes shut. Surely, he could sleep without the light and sound. He had only been doing it his entire life. One day wouldn’t hurt. He shot up again and plugged his phone in next to his useless laptop, pacing his dark room a few moments before he took the loss and flipped the light switch.
A hiss escaped his lips before he pulled his hair tie and shook his hair out. He played with the elastic as he thought about his options. He was growing more awake by the second, and he would hate his life in the morning if he didn’t get more sleep. He grabbed the black blanket he brought from home and draped it over his shoulders before walking out of his room and making the short journey to Steve’s door. He looked around the barely lit hallway, noting the silence echoed in the cabin.
He wasn’t sure if it was peaceful or anxiety-inducing. He hated silence. If he tried hard enough, he could make out the crickets and frogs singing in the night. Exhaling slowly, he lifted his hand and rapped on the door as softly as he could manage. Guilt settled like a brick. He was ruining Steve’s sleep to save his own. He just needed to see if Steve had a device he could borrow, and then he would be out of his hair.
It felt like forever before Steve appeared, a faint light shining behind him. His face was a little puffy with sleep like it had that morning Eddie left him. His heart jumped around at the reminder. Except now, he was shirtless again, something he hadn’t dealt with that night. He had to take deep breaths to calm the erratic beat once Steve gave him the cutest sleepy smile. “Eds, hey. You okay?”
“Sorry to wake you,” Eddie started, his fingers fidgeting together. “My computer shit out and my phone is dead. Do you have something I could borrow?”
Steve nodded. “Still can’t sleep without something playing, huh?” He remembered. Eddie was too tired and wasn’t prepared for him to start sweet-talking his way into his heart with nostalgia. How was it he had the superpower of making Eddie feel like he might melt? “You could borrow my laptop, or…” He paused like he was contemplating something he wasn’t sure about. “Or stay here.”
Eddie’s eyebrows quirked up his forehead as he considered the latter. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You’re not an imposition, Eddie.” Steve tilted his head, stepping aside for Eddie to enter his room.
The last time he was in here… He had to let the thoughts drift through his head without lingering too long. He couldn’t get caught up in it. He was going to sleep. That was all. “Thanks, Stevie. Do you prefer being against the wall?”
The laugh Steve released was short. It was dark, but he thought he noticed a pink tint on his cheeks. He didn’t understand, not at all. “That’s fine.”
Eddie crawled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged and facing the iPad Steve had propped up. Eddie didn’t recognize what was on his screen, but he was excited not to face the darkness. They hadn’t slept together purposely since they were kids, and he missed knowing Steve was in the room while he slept back then. Would it feel the same now?
He peeled the blanket from his shoulders and draped it off the foot of the bed. The comforter that was pushed back would be big enough for both of them. Unless Steve didn’t want to be that close to him. Skin to skin.
Eddie clenched his jaw, fighting the sensations sweeping over him the best he could. It had only been a couple of days since the anger forced them together. And now? His body was acting like it was deprived. Deprived of that gorgeous tan skin against his own.
Who was he?
He didn’t know if Steve would be able to tell what he was battling mentally, so he forced himself to lay down on his back and pull the comforter up to his waistband. Steve had always been good at reading him. Did the time change that?
The shifting of the mattress didn’t last long. He felt Steve’s body warmth radiating toward him as the comforter shifted over his hips. After a few moments, Eddie pushed himself onto his right shoulder, fighting his position and cringing as he made Steve wobble around. He was facing Steve’s back and gorgeous hair and trying not to think about how close they were. And yet, it was all he could think about. “Side sleeper. Sorry,” he breathed.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize, Eddie,” he said.
Did he hear the stupid hard swallow he forced down? How was Steve so cool all the time?
He let his eyes drift down the toned muscles in his shoulders and back, finding slight definition and small dimples just above the waistband of his dark blue pajama pants. All the dark beauty marks were visible, even in the darkness. He wanted to trace them.
A humming noise came from the man in front of him, bringing attention to Eddie’s roaming finger on Steve’s skin. His fingertip was dragging between each mark, and he hadn’t noticed he started. The deep tone of the sound had a direct line to the cord connecting his heart and his groin. He pulled his hand back, cursing himself.
There was a shaky exhale released from Steve, and Eddie wanted to touch him again.
He flattened his palm and pressed it against the warm skin near Steve’s ribcage, swiping it down and around his hip. Slowly. He was trying to listen to Steve’s breaths, his sounds, but he couldn’t hear them over his own overactive panting. His fingertips grazed Steve’s belly button and the thick hair he admired that first night in the bathroom and again on the basketball court.
“This was a bad idea,” Eddie admitted, his voice sounding so unlike himself. It was deep, hoarse.
“What was a bad idea?” Steve asked so quietly. Eddie almost missed it.
“Crawling into bed with you…” Eddie whispered, his hand running up the sternum between Steve’s pecks. He shifted closer to Steve, pressing his chest against his back. He gasped. Every inch of him flushed with Steve. “I want to touch you everywhere.”
The confession was out before Eddie even acknowledged it. It was like his brain was off and he was speaking from his body, nothing else.
“It’s okay to want to touch me, Eddie,” Steve reassured, his voice shakier than he had ever heard it. “To want to. I want it too.”
His heart was thumping, fear and excitement fueling the jump and twist of his insides. Was he outwardly shaking or just internally? His brain flickered on for a moment, only to release an embarrassing, “I’ve never touched anyone how I want to touch you.”
The weight of Steve’s hand covered Eddie’s as it stilled over the heartbeat reaching for his palm. “Yeah?” The panting he was producing was less erratic than Eddie’s. More controlled. Not any less hot than the rushed sounds of their connecting a couple of nights ago.
Eddie kissed Steve’s shoulder once, listening to the hitch in Steve’s breathing as it lingered. He pressed another kiss on the curve leading to his arm, continuing until his mouth was on Steve’s neck and his lips were more parted and sloppy, sucking and mouthing at the skin. Mimicking the way Steve had done to unravel him.
Steve moaned quietly, his hand squeezing Eddie’s. Quickly, Steve would know just how easy it was for him to grow for him. He would be rock-hard before long. He wanted to know if the effect went both ways, his mouth continuing to explore and push its boundaries as his hand drifted slowly down Steve’s torso. His heart felt like it was in his throat as he thought about pushing this a step further.
“Steve,” Eddie moaned against the wet skin brushing his lips, his hips curling in need of friction.
Steve reached back and grabbed Eddie’s hip, squeezing hard. His body turned slightly, looking back at Eddie the best he could. The honey brown was barely visible under his heavy eyelids. “God…” Steve groaned, everything inside of him pulling tight.
“Fuck.” Eddie cupped Steve’s erection in his hand, finding him so fucking hard. Eddie’s eyes rolled back so far it hurt. He used the hand to give attention to his length and pull him back into the roll of Eddie’s hips at the same time. “Oh fuck.” It felt so good. Eddie was losing it.
Steve turned in Eddie’s grasp, pushing their bodies together with a low growl. It was so fucking hot. His hand tangled its way into Eddie’s hair as he captured his lips passionately–urgently. Eddie felt frantic as his hands moved to cover every inch of Steve they could reach, reciprocating the pressure and pleasure he was receiving.
Eddie wanted him so badly. Wanted Steve to use him any way he pleased. He didn’t know how to tell him that, and instead, rolled onto his back and pulled Steve on top of him, his fingers digging into the muscle beneath it as the weight of his former best friend settled heavily between his thighs, erections grazing.
Steve broke the kiss, gasping as he studied Eddie’s obviously flushed face. He leaned forward and pressed his lips over Eddie’s cheek and jaw, drifting to his ear. Hearing Steve’s breaths against his ear had him squirming, his tongue playing with the earrings decorating his earlobe. Eddie groaned, his body almost arching up into Steve’s.
The lack of clothing made it easy for Steve to roam once he was finished with the sensitive skin making him nearly flail. Those perfect lips pressed into Eddie’s neck, along his collarbones, and between his pecs. Down his stomach and between his hips. Eddie had Steve’s hair in his grasp now, his gasps and mews all involuntarily pulled from him. It was all so overwhelming. In a good way.
Steve’s warm breaths rolled over the cool skin just above his waistband. Their eyes met; Steve was looking for something. He must have found it because he was hooking his fingers into what little clothing remained on his body. The nerves found him. The trembling of his lower half made him feel like he was freezing. Scared but ready for whatever he had in mind. He hoped his mind agreed when it was awake in the morning–that his hormones and body didn’t talk him into something he would regret.
Steve got rid of his pants and boxer briefs at the same time, never breaking eye contact with Eddie. Even when his erection was free and waving. Eddie’s pursed lips parted, his breathing ragged–haphazard. He wanted to tell him there was no pressure to do anything to him. Eddie had instigated this. Did Steve feel obligated because of their history?
Nothing came out of his mouth but a squeak.
Steve’s eyes were busy looking over all of him, drinking him in. The tattoo on his side, the dip between his hipbones. Eddie followed every move of his blown-out eyes, the trembling of his body worsening as Steve wet his lips. His hands were so large, covering most of the surface of his chest and smoothing down to his very naked hips. Steve’s lips brushed over the hair protecting the valley between his belly button to the organ swaying against Steve’s neck.
Eddie threw his head back for a moment, groaning as Steve teased him with each gentle drag of his lips. The contact disappeared, even though only slight, Eddie lifted his head, his eyes finding Steve’s. His chin was tilted higher, to better see Eddie it seemed. He could hear the iPad again in the stilled movements. What was Steve thinking?
“We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for, Eddie.” His voice was soft and gentle. Eddie had never felt more ready than he did with Steve. He wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to, but he knew that Steve was about to do things to him he had only read about.
“I’m ready,” Eddie breathed down at him. “I want you.”
Steve didn’t say anything and didn’t break eye contact. He lowered, sinking further down his bed so he could press soft kisses into Eddie’s thighs, nipping gently before making a trail down to his knee before circling back the opposite side. He gauged Eddie’s reaction with hooded eyes, making Eddie swallow the instant lump that formed in his throat.
As he neared Eddie’s throbbing cock, he let his nose caress up the length’s underside, his tongue peeking out to lap at the precum leaking from his aching head. Eddie was blinded by the shocking pleasure, and he didn’t have time to adjust. Steve teased the tip of his erection, before taking it into his mouth and swirling his tongue around. Eddie didn’t know if it always felt this good, but he didn’t care. He was moaning and cursing intermittently. The fingers in Steve’s hair tightened and tugged. “Steve, oh. Fuck.”
Would it be embarrassing for him to blow already? He was sure of it.
Steve moaned around him, moving to slide his lips further, taking more of Eddie into his mouth. He bobbed and worked more of Eddie down his throat, swallowing and sputtering out a slight gag. His throat tightened around the tip of his aching length as he backed off slightly, making Eddie gasp and groan. It didn’t stop him from bobbing over him again and again and again.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Steve. His swollen lips were as beautiful as the rest of him. Eddie was being buried further and further, Steve’s eyes rolling back for Eddie’s viewing. The way Steve’s tongue would vibrate with his moans drove Eddie crazy.
“I’m–I’m gonna cum,” Eddie promised, feeling the rush building up from his toes.
Steve moved faster, his fingers wrapping around Eddie’s hip and digging in. The noises of his sucking got sloppier, messier, and even hotter. How was that even possible? “Ungh,” Eddie groaned. His hips lifted to meet Steve’s movements, the tightening of his throat pulling the strings of warm cum. Eddie used one of his hands to stifle the moans growing in volume past his lips.
Steve’s lips didn’t leave him until every last drop was milked out of him and Eddie’s head fell back to hit the pillow. He was heaving and fighting for air, his fingers tenderly rubbing where he was yanking on Steve’s head. Lifting up on his elbows, he watched Steve swallow him down. “Jesus, Steve.”
Steve smiled up at him, it was large and lopsided. Gorgeous. He was gorgeous. He was grabbing Eddie’s clothes, redressing him sweetly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He kissed up Eddie’s stomach, chest, and neck before settling gently against his entirely relaxed frame, his face buried into the sensitive skin of his neck.
“Definitely a compliment,” Eddie told him, his eyelashes fluttering. “You’re very good..” Gulp. “With your mouth.”
He could feel the smile against his overheating skin, a hum coming before the words, “I’m glad you approve.”
Steve left Eddie in his bed as he moved to clean up and take care of himself. Eddie felt like he was glowing as he laid there, still slightly out of breath. When Steve came back, he looked much more relieved. Satisfied. Eddie allowed Steve the space to get back in bed, where he quickly draped his arm over the tan god beside him. His hair was disheveled and his eyes sparkled as they faced each other. “Thanks for letting me come over,” Eddie whispered, fingers stroking the warm skin beneath it.
“I like it when you’re here,” Steve said, taking in a deep breath.
Steve
It had been nearly a week since they rekindled, and Steve had fallen asleep with Eddie every night since they had taken a step further into their relationship… friendship? Situationship? Steve wasn’t sure. Every time they were alone together, all Steve could do was think about kissing him. There had been a lot of kissing and touching, but nothing as far as the first night Steve invited Eddie to stay over.
Friday ended up being a hectic day and the only time they got to spend together, besides archery, was meals. It felt good that Eddie effortlessly integrated with Robin. There was something heartwarming about watching Eddie and Robin joke and talk and play around. It was a different vibe between her and Eddie like it was the difference in personality that she needed that Steve lacked. It felt more balanced in their small group now. Which brought a level of comfort to Steve that he didn’t know he needed.
After they had checked on their campers, Steve got ready for bed and then knocked on the open door to Eddie’s bedroom through their connected bathroom. It was easier to move between their rooms that way without bringing too much attention to them. They had decided to keep the doors open for easy access to each other, only closing the door to use the restroom or to shower. Eddie appeared in front of Steve, his long hair falling around his shoulders and a smile on his face. Steve tangled their fingers and motioned to the open door leading into his room. There was an unspoken agreement between them and Eddie ended up in Steve’s room to spend time together. It had made Steve wonder what it would be like to fall asleep in Eddie’s temporary bed, surrounded by his scent and things. But he never wanted to push.
They were wrapped up together, both tired from the day. Steve’s chest pressed into the smooth plane of Eddie’s bare back, slowly breathing in the faint patchouli as he laid so close to him.
“So, I was thinking,” Steve started, clearing his throat from the impending sleep. “That we could do a picnic tomorrow. After we handle all our responsibilities. Maybe instead of lunch?” He felt himself getting more and more tired by the second, his arm draped over Eddie’s side and his fingers tracing the smooth skin decorated with the dragon tattoo that Steve loved.
“A picnic sounds great,” Eddie said softly as he expelled a breath.
“Awesome,” Steve mumbled before kissing Eddie’s bare shoulder. “It’s a date.”
A small shiver vibrating through Eddie’s frame was obvious before Steve heard him respond. “A date?”
“Yeah…” Steve was cautious with his words as he nuzzled into Eddie’s shoulder. “Is that okay?”
“Yeah,” Eddie cleared his throat. “Of course it’s okay.”
“Okay.” Steve smiled, his hand pulling Eddie closer. “Can’t wait.”
The next day, Eddie left for his room with a soft kiss on Steve’s lips that made his chest catch fire in ways he couldn’t comprehend. And even though they were only separating long enough to get dressed for the day, Steve still missed him the moment he disappeared into his room. In regards to Eddie, Steve felt a little pathetic. It’s not like he couldn’t be away from Eddie– it was just that he didn’t want to. They had spent plenty of time apart the past three years, and in a few weeks, they would go their separate ways again.
Just like the last handful of days, Steve and Eddie walked together to the cafeteria where they met Robin. They took up the same place in the eatery as they did every day. As the days slipped by, Steve let his thoughts drift to what it would be like after camp. Would Eddie want to be with him after it was all over, or is this the only place Eddie felt safe being with Steve? Where the Harrington piece of him doesn’t mean as much?
Robin did her best to encourage Steve to not let the past affect their budding relationship now. To trust Eddie, because three years was a long time. And he was actively trying to take that advice.
“Okay boys, enjoy your…. picnic,” Robin teased, pushing both of their shoulders lightly. “Vicki and I are going swimming then plan on binging a show on Netflix if you need me.”
Steve laughed lightly before catching her hand and squeezing a moment. “Have fun. Remember the sunscreen.”
She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand away. “I’m sure Vicki has her own, but thank you. I’ll remember to bring mine.”
“You need to wear it too!” Steve said as she turned away from them. He huffed in frustration. “Trying to look out for her is exhausting sometimes.”
“She’s a spitfire,” Eddie said with a small chuckle. “You sure you want to be responsible for two troublemakers?”
“Two?” Steve asked, tilting his head to the side.
Eyebrows were wiggled playfully as Eddie’s thumbs pointed back at himself.
Steve turned, grabbing one of Eddie’s hands as it fell. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life,” he said quietly, his thumb tracing the knuckles of Eddie’s hand before letting it fall. “You’re going to have to expand on the troublemaker thing, though. That’s new.”
The pink tint that rose to Eddie’s cheeks made Steve’s smile spread. It was the vulnerability that Steve was used to shining through.
“Oh, yes. It started after camp, actually.” Eddie’s slow, small smile activated the dimples Steve loved so much. “I became the nerd defender at school. Wayne had to come pick me up after a few too many fights.” There was a pause before he finished the story. Steve felt his stomach flip knowing that Eddie was fighting. Eddie. Sweet, non-confrontational Eddie. “They always hit me first, but it was easier to punish the freak.”
Steve sighed, wanting to touch him again. “I’m sorry you were put in a position to have to do that, but I’m proud of you for standing up to people who maybe couldn’t, or wouldn’t, stand up for themselves. It pisses me off knowing you got hurt, though. And I wish you would stop calling yourself a freak with a negative connotation. You’re different, but it’s a good different. It’s always been a good different.”
“Steve..” Eddie whispered after a moment, his features softening as he gazed at him. “I did get into some recreational activities that have gotten me busted a few times. Just so you know what you’re getting into being a companion of mine again.”
“Recreational activities?” Steve felt lost. Between being called a companion and the recreational comment, he wasn’t sure how it could go. That couldn’t possibly mean sexual… stuff? “Like, drugs?”
Eddie nodded with a short hum. “Mostly weed. Nothing scary.”
“Mostly?” Steve felt relieved by that answer.
“Yeah…” He could see the caution flicker through Eddie’s big brown eyes. “I’ve tried a few other things, but it wasn’t for me.”
They turned to start walking, Steve’s eyes still fixed on the gorgeous man falling into step with him. “You don’t have to tell me,” Steve assured, but curiosity was getting the best of him. There wasn’t a single thing Steve didn’t want to know about Eddie, especially in their years apart.
The stretch of Eddie’s lips warmed Steve up all over. “Ecstasy was fun, but I could easily see how someone could get swept up in it. Lost in wanting it all the time.”
“I’ve tried ecstasy before, and I agree with that. Coke, tried that too. Drank and smoked weed. I was a little… lost there for a minute,” Steve admitted, wanting to share something vulnerable with him that not a lot of people knew.
“Lost?” Eddie questioned, his voice much softer than before.
“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck and laughed almost self-deprecatingly. “I wasn’t sure who I was anymore. After I… cut ties with all the shitty people in my life, I was trying to figure my shit out. Luckily, I met Robin and I started doing some big brother type mentoring with this kid named Dustin… which essentially meant I inherited his five best friends too, but it’s never a dull moment.”
“Sounds.. productive,” Eddie said lightheartedly. “Was it worth it? Changing your surroundings?”
Steve let his eyes dance over Eddie’s face, for the millionth time. He had it memorized at this point, but he still wanted to admire how beautiful the object of his desire was. His smile unfurled slowly and he nodded. “Yeah. Absolutely.”
They stopped at Eddie’s door first, Steve letting him know he had to gather all the things he wanted to have for their lunch date before it was time. That meant time apart, but it was for a good cause.
“Be ready by 12?” Steve asked, letting his fingertips graze Eddie’s hip. He chewed his bottom lip to fight the urge to really touch him. His eyes had fallen to Eddie’s full lips he knew, but he lifted back up to stare at chocolate brown.
“I’ll be ready,” Eddie promised, giving Steve a sexy smile.
Steve leaned on the door as Eddie moved inside, mirroring the smile that was given to him. “I’ll see you then.”
He pushed himself off the frame and closed it quietly before resting his forehead against the hardwood surface. He took a deep breath before pulling himself together and venturing off to gather what he needed for their date.
Did he need to change before their picnic? No. Did he change anyway? Yes. And showered. And went all out on his getting ready routine so that he would be at his optimal level of attractiveness when they were out together. On a date. As much of a date as they could have since they were restricted to the campground. He wanted to take Eddie out, for real. But this would have to suffice for now.
He was going on a date with Eddie Munson.
Looking himself over, he smoothed his light sage-colored polo that fit tighter than most of his other tops. His khaki pants were the best option for a date, so he opted for those. With his white Nikes on, he flipped the length of his brown hair over and started to gather what he needed to leave.
With the tapestry blanket draped over his arm, a small styrofoam cooler in his left hand, and a few small wildflowers he picked, he took a deep breath in front of Eddie’s door. It was noon on the dot as he set the cooler and blanket down to knock on the door.
Even with the time he had spent with Eddie, the intimate moments they had shared– sexual or otherwise– Steve still felt nervous. He chalked it up to caring too much. This was a small step in the direction that he wanted their relationship to go. But did Eddie want the same things?
The door pulled open and Steve felt his breath hitch in his throat. Eddie’s hair was up, like usual. His outfit was all black, except his black jeans were tight with no rips or tears. And the shirt he had on was buttoned up until his sternum. There was a new coat of black paint covering his nails, and all of his accessories were in place. Even the chain hanging from his pants.
“You… you look,” Steve felt like he could swallow his tongue. “So damn hot.” His face had to have been bright red before he added, “Damn.” He shook his head until he realized he was still holding the small bundle of flowers in his hand. “These are for you.”
Pull yourself together, Harrington. You’ve seen him naked, for fuck’s sake.
“Thank you,” Eddie cooed, taking the flowers and sniffing them. It made Steve feel good when Eddie’s eyes trailed up over every inch of his body, the flowers still held close to his nose. “Where did you get these?”
Steve fought the urge to rub the back of his head, shaking his hand slightly instead. “I picked them…” He admitted. “From the spot we used to swim at.”
“Oh, Steve,” Eddie sighed. “That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
Steve smiled at him, his fingers pulling at the chain at Eddie’s hips. “Oh, that’s only the beginning.” He winked.
Eddie stepped forward, kissing Steve slowly for a moment that didn’t feel long enough. He pulled back just enough to whisper, “I can’t wait.”
The self-control that Steve had to implement was next level. He tangled their fingers together and grabbed the picnic stuff from the ground and smiled. “I hope you like the spot I chose. I wanted us to have as much privacy as possible.”
“I have no doubts you chose the best place,” Eddie said, and Steve could see out of the corner of his eye that Eddie’s cheeks were a little pink.
He led them a little past their swimming spot, to a small natural clearing of trees that still had enough shade that they wouldn’t overheat. The soft sounds of people swimming were heard as Steve stopped them.
Letting go of Eddie’s hand, he set the cooler down so he could spread the blanket out. It wasn’t huge, by any means, but would be sufficient for this purpose. They got situated on the blanket and Steve pulled the cooler close to them before opening it.
“So, I was obviously limited,” he started, pulling his lips in a line as he grabbed out two bottles of water and two fruit cups. “But, I think my choices are good ones.” He tilted the cooler open to show Eddie the rest of its contents. Chocolate milk, two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a veggie tray to share. “What do you think?” He grinned proudly, putting the lid back onto the cooler. “I know you love chocolate milk, so I figured that would be the best dessert.”
Steve did use his past memories of Eddie’s preferences to bring the best options. Hopefully, he still liked those things.
“You remembered..” Eddie adjusted onto his hip, his leg stretched out over the length of the blanket. He looked up at Steve. “Cute and thoughtful.” Then there was a wink.
Steve felt his heart skip a beat but he tried to ignore it. To be cool. “Tell me something I wouldn’t know?” He opened both fruit cups and handed one to Eddie. “A fact for a fact.”
“Hmm..” Eddie paused, popping a strawberry into his mouth as he thought of what to share. “I am a full-time artist now.”
“Yeah?” Steve watched the fruit disappear between Eddie’s lips and tried to control his hormones. “I’m not surprised, you were talented three years ago. I’d love to see what you can do now.”
“I’ll show you my sketchbook when we get back,” Eddie promised. “You are the reason I started posting my stuff.”
Steve deadpanned, his hand falling from the grape he was about to push into his lips. “I am?”
“Yeah..” He wrinkled his nose, his eyes lifting from the fruit to Steve without moving his head. “You made me feel like I was worth something. That I was talented.”
Without thinking, Steve reached out and touched Eddie’s face. “You’re good at everything you do. I still have the drawing you gave me in my wallet and the kids that I hang with can’t believe how good it is.”
“You don’t still have that,” Eddie said in disbelief. “There’s no way.”
Steve lifted slightly to pull out his wallet and opened it. “It’s been moved between a couple of wallets, but I love it. It reminds me to be brave.” He swallowed hard, their eyes meeting before he continued. “It reminded me of you.”
Eddie took the wallet from Steve, rubbing his fingers against the art. “I can’t believe you kept it.”
“You kept this,” Steve said, his hand grabbing Eddie’s wrist and caressing the watch band with his thumb. “Why wouldn’t I keep it? Aside from the memories, it’s all I had left of you.”
Eddie’s tone was quiet, his deep voice shifting into something much softer. “I’m sorry that’s all you had of me.”
“We have each other now.” Steve dipped his chin to catch Eddie’s eyes.
Eddie fidgeted, his eyes avoiding Steve’s for a moment. “You really don’t hate me for standing you up?”
Steve shifted, moving to get closer to Eddie. He was on his knees now, a hand on either side of his shoulders. He was hovering over the dark-haired man he was falling for again, admiring the way Eddie looked underneath him. “I could never hate you. I think that’s the whole thing, Eds. It hurt because you meant so much to me. You still do.”
Looking up at Steve, Eddie gulped. “You mean so much to me too.” He dropped the wallet to reach up and grab onto Steve’s biceps.
Steve sighed as Eddie’s fingers clung to him. “Did you miss me?” The weight in his chest was obvious, his heart screaming at him to lift the floodgates and let go. It was like the emotions were staggering inside his ribcage, begging to be let free.
“Every single day.” The shake of Eddie’s voice was evident as he caressed Steve’s arms. “I was going to school wishing you would be there.”
“I thought about going to Kokomo when I got my car, but I wasn’t sure you would want me there,” Steve admitted, feeling his hair fall from its place but he didn’t make any move to fix it. It didn’t matter right now.
“Why wouldn’t I want you there? I was scared to show up in your world.”
With a shake of his head, he felt his features pull downward. “I didn’t know why you didn’t show up. I thought maybe I had messed things up by kissing you. That maybe you weren’t interested in me like that…”
Eddie whispered, “I kissed you back because I liked you too.”
Steve leaned forward nuzzling their noses together, his eyes closing at their proximity. The warmth. The delicious way that Eddie smelled. He was getting caught up in the moment, his head struggling to catch up to his heart. Instead, he absorbed the words and the moment between them.
After a few long moments, he finally spoke. “I should’ve just told you how I felt, but I was afraid that you didn’t like me like that. So, I’m sorry too.”
“How could you not see how crazy I was about you?”
Steve took in a deep breath, feeling the words warm his lips. They were so close. “The same reason you couldn’t see how strongly I felt for you?”
“We were silly,” Eddie said, sighing.
With a soft laugh, Steve pressed his lips to Eddie’s. Lingering, sweet.
When Steve pulled away, he shifted to rest on his back next to Eddie. “Oh, by the way… I play D&D with my little brother and his party. Thanks to you, I didn’t totally embarrass myself. One of the kids, Mike, actually thinks I’m sorta cool now.”
“Could you get any hotter?” Eddie questioned. Their heads both turned, and Eddie’s eyebrows pulled up.
Steve lifted their hands between them, palm to palm, fingers stretched against each other. “Do you still play?” As he admired the way their hands fit, even with Eddie’s being a little smaller than his, they looked perfect together. “I also love your hands. I’m not sure I’ve ever told you that.”
“Thank you, Stevie,” Eddie said softly, flushed and warm. “I do still play. I run a campaign with my friends.” Eddie tangled their fingers together and then squeezed as an idea popped up. “You could join!”
“I’d love to, if you’ll have me.” The tone was low, their eyes meeting. “I bet you’re an incredible dungeon master. You have such a way with words.”
“Is it compliment Eddie day?” Eddie teased, chewing his lip.
“It’s me making up for lost time,” Steve admitted.
“Oh?” Eddie asked. “What if I want to tell you how good you look playing basketball or how much I thought and talked about you after camp?”
“You can talk to me non-stop, and I’d love it.” Steve smiled. “I’ve always adored your voice, and to hear nice things about me? Bonus.”
“Steve…” Eddie mumbled. His eyes were wide and receptive.
He smirked, looking Eddie over. “I’m just being honest. But I can reign it in.”
“Please don’t,” Eddie started and Steve felt the slight squeeze of his fingers again. “I... I like it. I just don’t know how to handle it.”
“So that hasn’t changed,” Steve mused, turning onto his side so he could play with the stray pieces of Eddie’s hair.
Eddie’s laugh was short. “Definitely not.” He leaned closer to Steve, his breath dancing over his lips. “I could get used to it, though.”
Eddie was close, so close. Steve’s eyes admired the length of his eyelashes and the dusting of freckles over the bridge of his nose. The lighter specks of brown that lined his pupils, making the sparkle in his eyes more obvious. “You know how I asked you if you missed me?” His voice was quiet, his eyes burning Eddie’s features into his memory, again. He would take every opportunity to familiarize himself with the image beneath him.
“Yeah?” Curiosity was evident in Eddie’s voice now.
“I wanted to see if it was mutual,” Steve started, his fingertips resting on Eddie’s cheek. “Because I missed you so much. Every single day.”
“I’m nothing special,” Eddie whispered, the look on his face broke Steve’s heart. That couldn’t be further from the truth. How did Eddie not see what he saw? Eddie had always been that way, being hard on himself and undervaluing his talents. It might take forever, but Steve would be there to remind him how incredible he was every day if Eddie would let him.
“You’re special to me,” Steve said softly, his eyes moving between the big brown ones staring up at him.
Eddie’s eyes lingered on his for the longest moment until he let them fall to Steve’s lips. He lifted up and Steve met him halfway to capture his lips. This kiss was one that Steve felt deep in his chest, pulling and swelling to the point of no return. He knew at that moment that he had fallen in love with Eddie Munson. Like truly in love with him. And if Eddie would have him, Steve would be perfectly content kissing him for the rest of their lives.
Eddie
Things with Steve felt good–great even. It had been two weeks since they stood in front of each other in their shared bathroom, and now, they were sneaking through the doors to be with each other every night. Steve would come to get Eddie as soon as he was settled. It was a little routine they had going, and Eddie was enjoying it too much.
While Eddie was getting his room ready for a surprise movie night, Gareth was telling him he was getting sucked in too fast. He was going to get hurt. “Nah, man. You don’t know Steve like I do.”
He made an argument that sounded like Steve was too good for him. Was it the picture he sent of Steve looking so damn good in his olive green polo and khakis on their date? He was radiating like the sun, eating fruit under the trees. It had only been a couple of hours since then. He was checking in with his kids and doing an extra task for Jonah. Eddie thought it was the perfect time to sneak into his room to set it all up.
“Aren’t you the one that convinced me to come here?” Eddie snapped a little. How could his best friend push him over and over again to come to camp to see the guy who got away just to tell him the guy was out of his league?
Silence. It lasted a little longer than a minute. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine. Thanks,” Eddie said shortly, hanging up the phone.
He threw his phone down on the ground, admiring the bouncing it did with satisfaction. No wonder his shit didn’t like to work. He finished his sloppy bed tent and sat Steve’s laptop on his dresser. They were having an 80’s movie night, starting with The Breakfast Club.
He laid his black blanket on the pillows lining the wall before making sure he had some cold waters and sodas. He sweet-talked his favorite cafeteria person into giving him popcorn to pop and some m&ms. It was freshly popped and waiting.
The sound of his neighbor’s door closing caused him to perk up, his body all fidgety. He walked through the bathroom and peeked in, knocking a few times. “Hey, sweetheart. Can I borrow you for a moment?”
“Of course,” Steve said immediately, offering Eddie a smile from the dresser he was leaning against as he plugged his phone in. “What’s up?”
Eddie lifted his hand, waiting for the weight of Steve’s hand in his before he turned back toward his room. His body was curled slightly, grinning as he took the last steps before Steve would see the setup for the night.
That gorgeous head of hair was sweeping over his head and to the side, his eyebrows lifting behind the curtain of it. “Wow…” His fingers squeezed Eddie’s as they entered the space. “You did this for me?”
“I thought we could have a movie night. Like old times,” he said, admiring the general excitement Steve wore on his face. It was exactly what he hoped to see. Their date earlier had been perfect. He wanted to try his own hand at it.
Steve’s eyes lingered on him, his face softening. All he could think about was kissing him, his perfect lips parted as he took it in. “Eds, I’d love that.”
”I thought you might,” he said, squeezing Steve’s hand back. “Care to join me for an 80’s night, my prince?” The stupid little bow he did won him a stunning smile from his crush. He was pretty sure this was more than a crush at this point, but he didn’t know what else to call it.
“How did you know I love the 80’s?” Steve asked.
Eddie smiled right back, leading Steve to the bed. “It was just a feeling I had,” he teased. “We have popcorn and snacks. Coke. We can cuddle up and start it up when you’re ready.”
He watched as Steve kicked off his shoes and scooted them out of the way toward the foot of the bed. “I’m ready when you are,” he said as their fingers fell apart.
“Sorry it’s not fancier. I couldn’t find any twinkly lights at the cafeteria.” Eddie laughed, following Steve onto the creaky bed.
“No, babe.” Babe. “It’s wonderful. Thank you.”
“Babe?” Eddie questioned, leaning into him once they were settled against the pillows.
Steve lifted an eyebrow, Eddie catching it as he turned to look up at him. “Okay, I’m sorry if that was weird. It just kind of slipped out.”
The cock of Eddie’s head a little dramatic as he studied Steve’s expression. “I like babe.” Could Steve hear his pulse as it took off in his chest? Admitting anything real still made him a little queasy. Maybe that was normal–it had only been a week, for fuck’s sake.
Those honey-brown eyes were all over him before he said, “Noted.”
Noted. The man who was often pouring his heart out gave Eddie a one-word answer that left him wondering what the hell that meant. Maybe he hadn’t meant to use it. Maybe this was a summer romance that was always destined to be just that. Where would they be after they left the campgrounds?
Oh, god. He was in his younger self’s mind again. Panicking even though they still have three weeks left. Why was he like this?
“Shit. Forgot to hit play.”
Eddie pulled himself up and tapped the space bar on Steve’s fancy laptop, the movie beginning immediately. Before returning to his bed, he grabbed the snacks and drinks and offered them to Steve. “Want anything?”
“Yeah…” Steve’s eyelids sunk a little, impeding the view Eddie had of the gorgeous brown. “You.”
The flip of his stomach was pretty similar to the jump of his arousal. Fuck, that was hot. As he hummed in approval, he sat everything to the side and crawled up Steve’s relaxed frame, sitting in his lap with a leg over either side of him and losing his fingers in his soft hair. “Have I ever told you how much I love your hair like this?” Eddie asked him, feeling quickly intoxicated by the close proximity and the sudden shift of tension between them.
Steve’s hands smoothed around Eddie’s hips, resting on his lower back lazily, his chin tilting to stare up at Eddie. The sigh Steve released erased all the previous thoughts from his top of mind. The sigh was telling a story of pleasure. “You haven’t.” His voice was breathy and even sexier than Eddie knew it to be on a regular basis. He watched Steve's eyelashes flutter with each run of his hands, obviously enjoying himself.
“Does it count as a movie night if I’m on top of you the entire time?” Eddie mused.
“I’m not sure,” Steve nearly whispered, digging his fingers into Eddie’s back to keep him there it felt like. “But I like this view much better anyway…” he admitted, leaving Eddie to practically swoon. “I like this a lot.”
The distance between their faces disappeared as Eddie leaned forward, brushing their noses together and dragging his lips across Steve’s. “I like you a lot,” Eddie whispered before emphasizing his point with the press of his lips. His heart lived in his throat when he was with Steve, feeling it pulse uncomfortably as he deepened the kiss pressing a little hard, urging Steve to let him have a taste between those perfect lips.
Steve lifted his left hand and threaded it into Eddie’s hair, pulling him closer as he parted his lips. Steve moaned into the kiss, his tongue sweeping into Eddie’s mouth. A shiver moved through his spine as he settled further into the man beneath him, their warmth combining and further igniting the flames licking his lower abdomen.
“Ungh,” Eddie moaned as their hips met coincidentally, feeling himself spiraling out of control quickly.
Steve’s free hand spread out on Eddie’s lower back, still holding on tight. A moan came from him low in his throat or still in his chest, deep. Eddie tugged at the strands in his hands as his tongue moved to play with Steve’s. They kissed and kissed until Eddie was gasping for air, his lips sliding to the sharp jaw that haunted his best dreams.
“You taste so good,” Eddie murmured against his skin. “Wanna taste more of you.”
“Fuck, Eddie,” Steve gasped out, stretching his neck to give Eddie room to explore. Oh, he took advantage of that. He pressed his mouth into every inch, kissing and suckling on all the beautiful tan skin. There was a non-stop hum in his chest as he ventured lower.
“Steve…” Mouthing and moaning. “I love when you say my name like that.”
The sounds coming from Steve weren’t complete, but they were hot all the while. The arousal was overwhelming him, his teeth sinking in when it became too much.
A soft hiss came from the recipient, but it was the sound of his voice that broke his drunken haze. “Eddie..?”
“Shit,” Eddie mumbled, pulling back and checking Steve’s expression. “Did I hurt you?”
“No, no babe. Not at all.” Steve was certainly out of breath. Those large hands of his moved from Eddie’s back to his face, holding him in the perfect position to continue looking into those blown-out eyes. “I wanted to tell you, that I really like you too.”
If there was a sentence he wanted to keep in his head to replay whenever he needed it, that would have been the sentence. Eddie smiled softly, the parts of him that were warm getting hot. “Yeah?” he asked stupidly.
“Yeah,” Steve said, his smile cute and small. The blotches crept up his neck and over his face. “So much.”
Eddie captured his lips with his, transferring his throbbing heart to Steve through the movement. A couple of weeks ago, Eddie was an entirely different person, dreaming of the possibility of seeing Steve and who he had grown into but never imagined having the chance to do so. Now? He was trying not to think about how deep his feelings were rooted in who he was and had become over the last three years.
He was trying not to think about how easily Steve could rip him to shreds.
With Steve’s words still bouncing around in his brain, he found the courage to do something he had never done before. Something he could never imagine himself doing with anyone else. It had always been Steve for him. Always.
His roaming hands continued to push and pull on the man beneath him, his lips moving from Steve’s lips to his jaw, neck, and throat. His greedy fingertips slid beneath the shirt hugging his perfect waist, pushing the offensive material up and over his head. When it was gone, Eddie admired the sloppy flop of Steve’s hair and how much hotter it made him look to be a mess for him.
He continued his lips’ assault, trailing his kissing down his sternum and through the forest of hair between his toned pecks. Eddie didn’t want to admit to Steve how often he thought about those perfect tits of his. How he imagined burying himself in the hair taken valley between them. Oh, but they were perfect.
He got lost between them for a few moments, inhaling the clean scent coming off of him. Eddie tried to identify it now. It was almost minty and herbally at the same time. Like lavender and mint? Maybe a little sage-ish. It was hard to focus with his nose and mouth exploring every inch of the space between his collarbones and ribcage.
Steve’s grasp on Eddie was strong, his shirt riding up his back and lower stomach as the fingers squeezed tighter the lower Eddie moved. The noises were a sweet symphony that Eddie could have never made up. It was a delicious melody made just for him of moans and groans.
He tried his hand at playfully tugging on the taut nipple erect for him, lapping at it sensually a few times before moving to the next one. Steve was hissing at the attention, and Eddie didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. He leaned into the other one, suckling a little more. An erotic moan filled the space of their tent, and Eddie couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.
Maybe he could be good at this. At sex.
Eddie fell to his knees, not so gracefully. The wood flooring squeaked beneath his weight. His fingers yanked at the button on Steve’s jeans as he stared up at Steve through his eyelashes and bangs. “You’re so fucking sexy,” Eddie purred.
The room in Eddie’s jeans was non-existent as he imagined having his mouth on Steve the way Steve had his mouth on Eddie a handful of days ago.
“Fuck,” Steve groaned. Eddie admired his blown-out pupils as he forced out a breathy, “So are you, babe.”
“Mmm,” Eddie hummed, his eyes admiring the bare skin in front of him. The courage was in his fingers, hooking into the material of his jeans and pulling them down. Slowly. He studied every inch of new skin displayed for him until Steve’s length bounced free. The head of his erection was angry and already leaking with precum.
He didn’t need any experience to know what Steve needed. “Wow..” Eddie whispered. The size of the length swaying in front of his face was impressive. Intimidating.
Eddie looked up to meet Steve’s gaze again, catching a very flushed face. Was he blushing or overheating? Eddie wet his lips as a hand reached toward him, cupping his face gently. “It’s okay to change your mind,” he reassured Eddie.
“Oh. No.” Eddie said, lips curling upward. “I told you.. I want to taste you everywhere.”
Steve’s lips parted again, panting heavily. His eyebrows inched up his forehead, and it made Eddie feel triumph. A small knot formed in his throat as his eyes flickered down to the organ begging for his attention. The anxiety wouldn’t stop him. He just had to lean into the discomfort of imagining underperforming.
He wrapped his lips around Steve, his tongue smoothing against the hot skin, feeling it pulse. As he sucked Steve into his mouth, feeling sloppy as he slobbered, he was reminded of the hungry grasp that was on his back and face prior to this moment. Steve’s hands clenched and unclenched in his long locks. He tried to remember what was done to him, but he couldn’t think of anything with Steve moaning his name. Groaning. Grunting. Eddie tried to take more of him, imagining the pace he should be keeping up.
Eddie pushed his hands into Steve’s thighs, his neck and head bobbing along a little more with each stroke of his lips and tongue. He did taste so fucking good. The moan he released was muffled by the throbbing flesh reaching for the back of his throat.
“Eddie… fu-“ He wasn’t thinking about how he was doing when Steve sputtered. He just wanted to hear him continue to fall apart. Wanted to feel him unravel against him.
He was so big, though.
In an attempt to take more of him, Eddie gagged. He pulled off some until the tickle eased, and then he went for it again. It only took a few more gags before his nose was buried in the brown hair covered in his sweet, clean scent. With rising confidence, he moved up and down. Up and down. His head was hazy and there was a sting in his scalp where Steve was yanking and pushing. He never wanted any of it to stop.
Eddie blinked through the tears in his eyes, watching Steve’s beautiful eyes disappear. He was clenching them closed and cussing, gasping and writhing. “Eddie..”
His name sounded so good this way, in a fit of ecstasy. He burned it into his brain in case he never got to hear it again. That’s when he felt the slide of large fingers intertwining with his. The warmth was spreading out from his chest as Steve obviously approached his inevitable peak. Eddie reciprocated the pressure of Steve’s grasp as he lost control of his precise head and neck movements, vibrating Steve with his moans.
If Eddie thought Steve tasted good before, he wasn’t prepared for the warm evidence on his tongue and down his throat. The sensations and sounds had Eddie throbbing against the zipper of his jeans so painfully. It was fucking worth it to pull every ounce of his reward from him, swallowing it down as Steve blinked away the heaviness of his eyelids.
There was some adjustment of clothing and a kiss to each of Steve’s hands before Eddie was crawling up him again, sitting his ass down right beside him. Giving to Steve felt too good, and he could already tell it was going to be addicting. He wet his sore lips before leaning forward and stealing a kiss. “I’ve thought about that so many times.”
“Yeah?” Steve breathed, kissing Eddie again softly. “Me too. I’ve thought about us a lot… together in so many ways.” So many ways. And then those perfect lips were on Eddie’s jawline, lingering as he whispered, “You drive me crazy, Eds.”
“That feeling is mutual, sweetheart,” Eddie admitted lowly. All the like and arousal was swarming around inside of him. He had words on his tongue he wasn’t ready for, and he definitely wasn’t ready for whatever this was with Steve to end. “Now,” Eddie spoke softly. “How much of the movie do you think we missed?”
“Half, at least,” Steve said with a smile, shifting close to Eddie and lifting his arm to welcome him to cuddle into him. “Worth it.”
Eddie sunk into Steve’s shirtless side, closing his eyes as he let the warmth engulf him. He tried to focus on the screen, but it was difficult at first. He had to will himself out of the aroused state he was in. He leaned his head into Steve’s chest, relishing in what they shared together. Another first of Eddie’s. Another first of many, he hoped. “My thoughts exactly.”
Steve
Steve’s head was still buzzing from the orgasm, his mind on Eddie tucked so tightly against him. For a good ten minutes, he tried to focus on the movie, he really did. Until he couldn’t. He reached up, turning Eddie’s face to his and covering his lips again. It became intense quickly, almost picking up where they had left off. Steve’s hand moved down, stretching over his neck and holding him there as his tongue explored Eddie’s mouth. He moaned against the kiss, his heart still elevated from Eddie’s lips on him. His hand smoothed down Eddie’s chest, their kiss breaking with a gasp.
The trail of his hand traced the length of Eddie’s torso, popping the buttons on his shirt as he moved down.
“I know we’re supposed to be watching the movie, but I can’t get enough of you…” Steve purred as Eddie’s shirt fell open.
“Steve,” he gasped, his big brown eyes wide as he grabbed Steve’s arm again. He was panting as Steve turned them, urging Eddie backward onto the small bed. He sat back and ran his hands to the button of Eddie’s tight jeans and pulled them open with ease. Eddie’s full lips were swollen, his face flushed and his eyes attentive. Sparkling with affection and softness that threatened to pull Steve apart.
“You’re beautiful, Eds,” Steve’s voice was low, husky. He lowered his torso to rest against Eddie’s, a relieved sigh pushing past his lips. His hands trailed along Eddie’s forearms, causing his friend to break the grasp he had on the sheets. Their hands met and Steve tangled their fingers together.
“Not as beautiful as you,” Eddie said back, his heavy breathing warming Steve’s lips.
Steve smiled, feeling his heart do crazy things in his chest.
Closing the distance, Steve pressed his lips to the corner of Eddie’s mouth where they curved. Making his way to the dimples that Steve loved so much. Over to his cheeks and across the bridge of his nose where the freckles decorated Eddie’s smooth, soft, porcelain skin. He could feel Eddie’s long eyelashes fluttering as he made his way down the other side of his face and to his ear. Steve was certain he could spend hours kissing Eddie anywhere and everywhere and it still wouldn’t be long enough.
With his lips at Eddie’s ear, he whispered, “We’re just going to have to agree to disagree, I guess.”
The noise Steve was rewarded with was a strangled groan, encouraging him to use his teeth on Eddie’s jeweled earlobe. He felt a shiver beneath him, Eddie’s fingers squeezing tight in his grasp. Steve could see Eddie’s curls spilling from the updo as he squirmed, looking more and more like a fucked angel with every kiss from Steve’s lips and every nip of his teeth.
Slowly, Steve found the muscle of Eddie’s neck and nipped again, a whimper mixed with heavy panting only fueled him to keep going. “Like that?” Steve asked against warm skin, his eyes staying closed as he moved to the curve of Eddie’s neck and shoulder.
“God, yes,” Eddie barely managed before Steve wrapped his lips around the skin there, intoxicated by the way Eddie smelled and the way it felt to be with him.
Steve felt a moan vibrating his throat as he began to suck on Eddie’s skin with the intention of marking him. Claiming him, in one way of many. He could hear Eddie gasping and groaning, wiggling beneath him as his name moved through those swollen, full lips. Steve didn’t need to see it to know how blown his pupils were, stealing away the beautiful brown of his eyes. Giving away his desire for Steve as his eyes went dark.
When he pulled off, Steve tenderly kissed the skin he tortured, only to move down to his collarbone and start again. Repeating his path of marking down Eddie’s chest as his hands caressed down Eddie’s arms and caught up to his mouth. He heard a hiss from Eddie as his teeth sank into his ribs, Eddie’s long, slender fingers curling into his back until he moved even lower.
Using his right hand, Steve kept his lips busy marking and claiming as his fingertips slipped into the part of his jeans and gripped Eddie’s length through the thin material of his boxers.
“Damn, baby,” Steve moaned against Eddie’s hipbone, his teeth softly grazing the sensitive skin there. “You’re aching, aren’t you? Need some relief…”
“Fuck,” Eddie gasped. “Please. Please.”
It was like a chant. A beautiful plea that rang in Steve’s ears over and over as he tugged the dark denim from Eddie’s hips. He sat up on his legs again, pulling the restrictive, tight clothing off one leg at a time.
He could feel his own dick coming alive again, half hard and pressed into the zipper as he disrobed the guy he could never get over. When his eyes reached Eddie’s, he watched Eddie take him in. Drinking in his bare torso. It made him feel desired in a way he craved. No one looked at him like Eddie, and that extended far past the sexual aspect.
Without another thought, Steve undid his pants and maneuvered them off as Eddie’s fingers combed through his chest hair. He kicked off his own clothes, naked and vulnerable for balance. He climbed up Eddie’s body between his legs, feeling every inch of skin against his.
He took in a shaky breath before kissing Eddie again, intense and deep. His hands gripped Eddie’s bare hips with pressure before rolling and switching their position. His hands pushed the open shirt from Eddie’s shoulders and tossed it to the floor.
Eddie’s hair had mostly fallen from the hair tie, hanging around their faces to provide an intimate privacy that made Steve shiver. His hand lifted between them, the precum leaking was smoothed over the length of their dicks before he held them together and Steve’s head fell back with a moan.
“God damn,” He felt his jaw clench as he pulled Eddie’s hip with his other hand.
Steve watched as Eddie’s parted lips fell further open as he began grinding into him. His exhales were deep, warming Steve’s face as he moved. Steve looked between them, watching the flex of Eddie’s stomach muscles as he dragged his hips against Steve’s.
Being with Eddie like this was unlike any feeling he ever felt. It wasn’t just about the finish line, it was about the time spent, the intimacy, the proof of feelings with every kiss, every bite, every thrust. This alone was enough to ruin Steve for anyone else.
The thrusts of Eddie’s hips were getting erratic, his sounds matching the effort of his movements. The tingling pressure was building rapidly but he wanted for Eddie to cum first. The sensations of their erections rubbing together was overwhelming in the best way.
“Fuck, baby, yeah,” Steve muttered between heaving breaths. “Just like that.”
“Jesus Christ, Steve,” Eddie’s heavy hooded eyes moved over Steve’s face. The flush on his skin was so pretty, it made Steve ache. “Feels so fucking good.”
Steve leaned up, kissing him but their lips fell apart and continued to brush as their bodies shifted. “That’s it, Eddie,” A strangled moan cut off his thought. “Cum for me, baby. I need you all over me.”
“Oh f—“ The groan that Steve was met with was followed by parted lips and quivering muscles. And warmth all over Steve’s stomach.
The moan that left Steve was loud, his hand pulling Eddie against him with more force. Eddie’s face was determined, his gasps from being overly sensitive met Steve’s small moans. It didn’t take much until Steve followed Eddie, succumbing to the clench and release of his own body.
Once Steve’s body gave way, Eddie’s movements slowed and he collapsed against Steve. The sticky warmth between them didn’t matter, as Steve’s hand smoothed down the length of Eddie’s back, feeling the divots of his spine beneath his touch. With a kiss on the forehead, Steve smiled as they caught their breath together.
After a few long moments of them just laying there, Steve’s throat was dry when he finally spoke, “How about I get us cleaned up and we can restart the movie?” he asked, kissing Eddie’s forehead again before the bridge of his nose.
Eddie cleared his throat with a nod against Steve’s chest. “That sounds perfect.”
After they shifted, Eddie’s back rested against the length of the bed as Steve moved into their shared bathroom. He grabbed the hand towel and wet it, moving back into the room and smiling at the way Eddie’s bare skin glowed from the light of the laptop screen.
He walked to the bed, smiling down at Eddie with the wet rag in his hand. With care, he wiped away all of the evidence of their sex that was clinging to the soft hair beneath Eddie’s belly button. Once Eddie was all cleaned, Steve wiped himself off and tossed the rag into the bathroom to be dealt with later.
Bending down, he grabbed Eddie’s boxers from the floor and gave them a shake. “Want new ones?”
“Maybe just pajama pants,” Eddie shifted like he was going to get up to help.
“I’ve got it,” Steve said, offering a small smile. He pointed to the dresser. “Where…?”
“Second drawer. Thank you,” Eddie’s lips curved up to mirror Steve’s. “You can borrow a pair too. If you want.”
Steve turned from the dark furniture as he pulled out a plaid pair. “Think I could fit?” He asked with a smirk. He moved the pants to his waist and pulled the elastic.
“You are packing a lot..” The clear of Eddie’s throat turned into a playful smirk. He hitched an eyebrow. “And not just in the back.”
With a shake of his head, he walked over to the bed and helped Eddie pull on the pants. “Is that right?” Steve laughed, bending down to kiss Eddie sweetly. “Maybe I could just… stay like this?” He teased.
Eddie’s hands moved to Steve’s neck and pulled him in for another kiss. “Mmm,” Eddie hummed. “I wouldn’t complain.”
“That settles it,” He said, brushing long pieces of hair behind Eddie’s ear. “Need anything while I’m up? I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda hungry now.” He laughed, pinching Eddie’s chin for a moment. “I know there's cold ass popcorn waiting.”
“Cold ass popcorn with m&ms,” Eddie grinned, looking so fucking adorable as he pulled the hair tie from his hair and tossed it onto a nearby table.
Steve shook his head, restarting the movie before mixing the two foods together. “That is a very you thing to want.” Steve looked over his shoulder as he grabbed the cokes before climbing back into bed with Eddie. After handing over the salty and sweet snack, he opened the can of soda and took a big swig before offering it to the gorgeous man next to him.
Eddie watched Steve, taking the drink with a look in his eyes that Steve couldn’t quite place. “Thanks for coming over,” he finally said as he sat the can down on the table near the unopened one.
“Eds, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Steve admitted, leaning over to kiss him again. “I mean that. You don’t have to thank me for being here. I want to be here.”
Eddie sighed happily. “I feel the same way, Steve.”
The smile on Steve’s face spread further before he dug into the popcorn and candy and took a handful. His heart was so happy that all the fear and doubt was nowhere to be found. Right now, he wanted to enjoy being close to Eddie. To relish in the second chance he was getting to do things right this time.
He leaned to rest his head against Eddie’s shoulder as he pulled the blanket up his to hips. Sweetly, he tangled their fingers together as Eddie’s head rested against his. Familiar but new.
Steve
“What do you say?” Steve said, holding both of Eddie’s hands as they stood in the bathroom. “Could be fun…” He trailed off, lifting his eyebrows.
It had been an exceptionally hot day and they had both agreed to take a shower. That’s when Steve proposed the idea to save time and shower together.
“Fun..” Eddie trailed off, his lips lifting as his smile got bigger. The dimples were on display and Steve felt the all-familiar pull between his hipbones. “You have my attention.”
Steve grabbed Eddie’s hips, sliding to his lower back and pulling him close. “I could mark you all up again, kiss you everywhere…” he purred, their noses brushing as he spoke. “Run my hands along your entire body as I wash you…”
“And we could save water,” Eddie’s full lips shrank as his smile pulled to its fullest, most beautiful point.
“Yes, exactly. See, environmentally conscious.” He wondered if he would ever be able to be around Eddie and not want to touch him. Kiss him.
“I will admit, I am most concerned with the environment.” Eddie’s hands had moved to rest over Steve’s shoulders, his head tilting as he played up the concern. “Let’s definitely get in there and lather each other up.”
Steve pushed at the hem of Eddie’s oversized shirt, his palms caressing Eddie’s skin in the process. “Only because we’re being smart about it,” he teased, his voice getting huskier by the second. With a fluid motion, Steve discarded Eddie’s shirt onto the cool tiles under their feet. His hands met at the button of his jeans, and pulled those open before pushing.
“Totally,” Eddie agreed with a low tone, his eyes watching Steve intensely as his jeans disappeared. He stepped out of them before leaning in and kissing Steve while his hands pushed at Steve’s clothes.
Steve’s left hand cupped Eddie’s face after he helped Eddie pull his clothes off, his right reaching into the shower clumsily and finding the handle. The water came on and their kiss broke to help each other under the water.
They stayed close as the water rinsed over Eddie, weighing down his long hair as it clung to his shoulders and chest. With hungry eyes, Steve watched Eddie push back his wet locks and wipe the water out of his face before a smile greeted Steve.
Wordlessly, Eddie held on to Steve and turned him until he was under the stream. The length of his hair did the same, pulling down until it was in his eyes. His eyes watched as Eddie pushed it away, and Steve felt his heart do somersaults at the gesture.
The time that has passed showed on the definition of Eddie’s features, making him even more attractive to Steve now, however that was possible. It had been almost a week since their date, and things had only gotten better. There was less fear between them now, less hesitation. It felt so good, so right.
Steve lifted his hand, using his finger to motion for Eddie to turn around to which he obliged. Taking a step, Steve pressed his torso into Eddie’s back, his hands wrapping around to move along his stomach sensually. He led Eddie forward until he was against the cool tile wall, his arms retracting to rest on his shoulders.
“Do you trust me?” Steve asked softly as the water ricocheted off of his body onto Eddie’s.
His response was quiet. So quiet, Steve almost didn’t hear him. “Of course I do.”
“Just relax, baby. I’ve got you,” Steve whispered, before he pressed his lips to Eddie’s shoulder, moving over the length just to bite onto his shoulder. “You like it when I bite, don’t you?” Steve asked, moving to bite the curve of his neck.
“No,” Eddie breathed out. “I love it when you bite.”
A pleased hum rattled in Steve’s throat as he let his hands caress the smooth plane of his back. They circled around his front, as his lips connected with Eddie’s neck. “Do you like it when I mark you?” Steve asked as his lips painted over sensitive skin.
“God, yes.” Eddie's words staggered. “Mark me everywhere. I want people to see it.”
Smiling against wet skin, Steve nuzzled his nose against the spot beneath Eddie’s ear and neck that he knew drove Eddie crazy. “You want people to know you’re mine?”
“Ungh.” The moan staggered from his throat. “Yes.“
Mine. The thought ran wild in Steve’s head. Eddie brought out a side of Steve that he didn’t know existed inside of him. His lips pulled in Eddie’s sensitive skin, sucking and licking as his hands slipped down the front of Eddie’s body. He was hard already, just as Steve was. And he was sure Eddie could feel his arousal pressed against him, so close and so intimately. Steve wrapped his fingers around Eddie, slowly pumping and watching Eddie’s hands clench at the tile wall as his legs shook.
Pulling his lips off with a slight smack, his free hand reached lower to cradle Eddie’s balls. Eddie laid his head back against Steve’s shoulder, moaning as Steve took care of him. Eddie pressed his body closer, gasping as Steve massaged his balls and pumped his hand over Eddie in unison.
Steve’s mind was clouded with words he couldn’t say yet. Feelings he couldn’t share, because they would be considered too soon. He didn’t want to scare Eddie off, but he was feeling so much that he felt like he could combust.
Turning his head, he pressed soft kisses to Eddie’s temple and cheeks, his hand picking up pace.
“Steve.. oh.” Eddie’s eyes fluttered closed, completely lost in what he was feeling. “God, Steve.”
Eddie had a way of saying Steve’s name, repeating it over and over like praise when they were intimate. No different than he was right now. Steve wished he could record it for times when he was alone, which thankfully, wasn’t as often right now.
“That’s a good boy, baby,” Steve breathed into his cheek. “I like how fucked you are for me.”
“Jesus, Stevie…” Eddie rasped out. “Just for you.”
It was only a moment before Steve could feel the tell-tale signs of Eddie’s body giving in to him. He could feel the pulse against his palm and the parting of Eddie’s full lips as he let out a deep moan. Steve watched Eddie come undone, painting the wall with the evidence of his pleasure. Eddie’s body melted into his.
Steve’s hands carefully left the tender areas, traveling up to hold Eddie against him. He kissed his jaw again before whispering. “So much for saving water, hm?”
A soft laugh pushed through Eddie’s lips. “We both know I was in it for you.”
Steve turned Eddie in his arms, greeting him with a smile as they faced each other nose to nose. “I’m in it for you too, always.” His hands held Eddie’s face as his eyes danced between chocolate brown. The dangerous set of three words was hanging on his tongue, daring to show themselves. This wasn’t the moment. It was too soon for Steve’s chest to split open in front of the guy he was in love with.
“Always,” Eddie repeated softly. With a tilt of his chin, he instigated a passionate kiss. One that lit Steve on fire from the inside. Eddie’s hands held onto him so tightly, pulling their bodies flush together as they kissed under the cooling water.
As their kiss broke, Steve leaned his forehead against Eddie’s for a second before speaking. “How about we wash up? Water’s getting cold.”
“Then I can devour you?” His tone was sexy, striking the chord to Steve’s already aching arousal.
Steve enjoyed the push and pull between them. The give and take. Like neither could stand the thought of not pleasing the other, regardless of reciprocation or expectation.
Steve nodded, pulling Eddie under the stream again to rewet his damp hair. They smiled as they hurried to wash each other, the water getting colder before they were done. Laughing, Eddie turned off the shower as Steve grabbed a towel to wrap around Eddie.
He reached for his own towel, ruffling his hair dry as Eddie stepped out and rubbed his face. Steve followed behind, wrapping his towel around both of them before kissing the tip of Eddie’s nose. The tender moments between them were just as addicting as the sexual things. The softness was equal to the filthiness.
It was the first time that Steve felt complete. Full and happy, like three years ago but on another level. It was different, but a good different. One that Steve could get used to, and hoped that Eddie could to.
Eddie
“You’re not fooling anyone, Munson. Everyone on the planet knows that’s Steve’s clothing.”
Robin was eyeing Eddie suspiciously, those attentive blues trying to study him. What was she looking for? What was she trying to confirm? Didn’t she know everything? “...And, Birdie?”
“And, you two are spending an awful lot of time together,” she said matter of fact.
Eddie turned a little more, to give her the same intense stare. Her eyes fell to his neck and she gasped. “Did you get in a fight with a vacuum? Jeez-us.”
She was pulling at the collar of his gray Hawkins t-shirt as he flushed bright red. “Maybe,” he retorted. He reached up and pulled the hair tie from his hair, shaking it out to cover up the evidence of their constant intimacy, emotional and physical. “Steve doesn’t kiss and tell, huh?”
Looking amused, Robin shrugs, her hands to herself again. “Not specifics, no.”
“Mm,” Eddie hummed, considering how surprised he was. But also, he wasn’t. The children started filing in for music. They were having a free class, and Eddie brought his sketchbook. He wanted to work on the dragon he had started. “You couldn’t handle that.” Eddie was surprised by the low tone of his voice. “That’s for sure.”
“Ohhh, are you a specifics kind of person?” Robin teased, her smile was kind of evil. “I can handle more than you think. Not that I want specifics because gross.” She was waving her hand and Eddie scoffed, his eyes taking a moment to assess the level of attendance. “I love that you two are… spending time together though.”
“Spending time together?” Eddie laughed from his stomach. “If it weren’t for our responsibilities, I’m not sure I would ever want to leave him.”
The admission came with a low pull in his stomach. It was the most he had admitted out loud outside of their small bubble. It was the most he had admitted to anyone but Steve.
“So… it’s getting pretty serious?” Robin was definitely curious. He could see the sparkle in her eyes.
“Serious…” Eddie trailed off. He thought about her question and let it turn over and over in his head. He couldn’t admit to Steve’s best friend that he thought it was very serious. What if Steve wasn’t ready for that? What if Eddie scared him when she shared it with Steve?
The kids were all seated and chatting, and Eddie clapped his hands together. “Alright! I want everyone to grab an instrument of their choice, whatever will make you most creative and productive and compose whatever is in your heart.” The smiles and glee shining up at him made him feel warm inside. “And, go!”
He offered Robin a small smile before finding his spot at the front of the class, his sketchbook in hand. He pulled his pencils out and started working on the dragon. It was easier not to think when he was creating art. He was enjoying the quiet in his mind when a hand fell on his shoulder, causing him to jump. “There’s only a little over one more week,” Robin said quietly. “Maybe you two should talk about it.”
They only had a week. One fucking week. He didn’t realize how much time had passed.
“Wait.” Wait? Robin was in his line of sight, examining his drawing as she bent down. “You’re the one that drew the dragon that Steve keeps in his wallet?” She shook her head. “How did I not realize it was yours?”
“Whose did you think it was?” Eddie asked her, looking up as she backed off, their eyes meeting. He had an eyebrow lifted curiously. Was there someone else in his life who could have given him something like that? Another guy?
She kneeled down, putting herself face to face with him. “I never asked or really thought about it. Steve had told me about you, but he kept a lot of his feelings about it close to his chest.”
Steve seemed like he would be private. Probably much more private than Eddie was with his best friend. Not that he had shared any of what they were doing with Gareth, but he was a little more forthcoming than Steve was–if he were judging himself. Would Steve be okay with him talking to his best friend about them?
She was encouraging him to talk to Steve about it. He should, and he knew that.
“I still can’t believe he kept it,” Eddie whispered, tapping his pencil against his work in progress.
“I went with him to get that new wallet. He made sure they had a space that would fit that picture in it. It was the main factor in how he chose that stupid thing. Took us over an hour to decide on a wallet. A god da— dang wallet.” She caught herself, pulling her lips until it showed her teeth.
She moved into the seat next to him, getting his attention on her fully. He placed the pencil between his teeth, letting her story ignite something inside of him. Steve was truly the romantic he had claimed to be when he was younger. He seemed sentimental.
“I may not know exactly what’s happening, but I can tell you’re both scared of the end of next week.”
Eddie swallowed the instant lump in his throat. It was terrifying thinking about the end of camp–going our separate ways again. Everything worked at camp. Last time, leaving camp didn’t work out for them. It was Eddie’s fault, sure. But what if it was Steve this time? What if he wasn’t ready for something real with Eddie? What if…?
Lunch came too quickly. Steve met them in the cafeteria, all smiles and totally gorgeous. As always. They had only been apart for a couple of hours max. Why did he feel the immediate relief that washed over him after such a small amount of time? How could they handle being towns apart again?
He grabbed his food and moved with the group to a table, his eyes on the plate in front of him and the fork he pushed through it repeatedly.
“Hey, Eds…” He saw Steve’s fingers before he felt them, surrounding the hand he had on the table. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, man,” Eddie nodded, offering Steve the best smile he could muster. “All good.”
Steve tilted his head and lifted his eyebrows amused. “Okay, man. I totally buy it.”
Eddie suffocated his bottom lip with his teeth, his smile curving without his permission. He nudged Steve with his shoulder, eyes all over the tanned-skin lover he had completely fallen for. Thanks to Robin, it hit him like a ton of bricks. This was certainly serious and definitely love. He hadn’t been sure about much in his life. This was different.
“Music was torture,” Eddie emphasized. “No worries.”
“Robin finally driving you crazy?” he asked playfully. He had a pickle in his fingers, lifting it to his mouth for a bite.
He peered slightly to the right, watching her enthusiastically talk to Vicki, before he faced Steve again. “Something like that,” he admitted.
“Ready for parents to infiltrate tomorrow?” Eddie appreciated that Steve didn’t push, but he hated the subject change.
Shuffling his fingers around the table, he pushed his tray out of the way. “Not really,” Eddie said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Parents’ day was the worst day of camp last time.”
“Oh?” Steve said, ignoring his own food to lean closer to Eddie.
Eddie released a sigh, leaning forward on his elbows. “It was the day Wayne started mentioning your family and how he couldn’t believe we were friends.”
Steve lifted his head, his lips parting for a second before muttering a quiet, “Oh.” He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. You know that right?”
Eddie was shaking his head too. “Steve, that’s what started the fears. He only continued to mention it, and that’s what scared me out of going to you. I was so weak.”
“Things are different this time,” Steve said, grabbing Eddie’s hand in both of his. It felt so good–right. It made him question why he was panicking in the first place. “First off, it’s not our parents coming or… not showing up, in my case.” Steve’s small laugh hurt Eddie. He deserved better than what his parents put him through. “Things were so uncertain when we were younger, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Eddie agreed. He was looking between Steve’s brown eyes, trying to find the courage that had been pulsing through him. “You.. uh.” He swallowed hard, his face growing hot. “You feel more certain now?”
“Yes,” Steve said.
Was he trembling? He felt unsteady. “About what?”
“Us?” Eddie watched as Steve’s eyebrows lowered and his adam’s apple jumped with his audible swallow. Same, Steve. Same. “Things are different. Yeah?” Steve asked.
They were both panicking now. Eddie could see it on Steve’s face. He had to take it away from Steve and put it back on himself.
“Yeah,” Eddie said quickly. He rubbed his fingertips into Steve’s palm. “Of course.”
Steve’s eyes settled on their hands as he forced a smile in Eddie’s direction. “Tomorrow will be better than last time. Promise. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I would never doubt you,” Eddie said, meaning it with all his heart. “I’m sorry. I’m just feeling off today.”
“That’s okay, you’re allowed to feel off.”
Their eyes were connected again. Eddie exhaled a little dramatically. He looked at the girls beside him and then around the cafeteria before leaning in, whispering against Steve’s ear, “Can I take you to my secret spot during dinner?”
Steve’s eyebrows lifted once again, looking confused. “Secret spot?” It was like a quiet breath. Did he understand what Eddie was implying? “Yeah… yeah, I’d like that.”
“It’s a date,” Eddie said, smiling. Maybe things didn’t have to be tense. Maybe Eddie was being overdramatic. He just needed his last class to get his head on straight. They weren’t those kids anymore. Everything felt incredible with Steve. Why was he letting a little anxiety make him doubt all the incredible moments they had over the last few weeks?
“It’s a date,” Steve repeated, lifting Eddie’s hand to his lips to kiss his knuckles. In the cafeteria, where anyone could see him. It felt like his eyes were vibrating with emotion. Did he really not care who knew? Was he proud of them? Of him?
They needed to talk. Robin was right.
With a couple of joints in his pocket, he snuck off with Steve toward his secret spot. His guitar was strapped to him on his back, bouncing off his ass. Their cabin’s kids were all accounted for and doing well, so Eddie felt comfortable running off with his neighbor. They walked through the trees and disappeared behind a particular line of shrubs.
Eddie had Steve’s fingertips in his as they cleared through some heavy greenery and settled into a small circle of grass.
The grass had less of an imprint, unbothered for a couple of weeks. He sat down, waiting for Steve to do the same as he pulled out a joint and his lighter. “No pressure,” Eddie said. “You don’t have to partake because I am.”
Steve sat down, watching Eddie’s every move. “I might take a hit.” Steve shrugged. “Do you smoke often?”
The joint was unlit between his lips, his eyes on Steve’s expression. “Unfortunately. Well, until lately.”
“Why, unfortunately?” Steve’s eyes fell to the joint in Eddie’s mouth, spreading out warmth from his chest. “You haven’t been smoking lately?”
“I’ve been a little busy,” Eddie said, lighting the tip and inhaling. With the smoke held in, he offered it to Steve. Their fingers brushed as it was taken and placed between Steve’s lips.
The smoke slipped from his lips as Steve took a pretty big hit. “There’s this cute guy who has kept me very preoccupied,” Eddie teased, smirking at the man looking so hot in front of him.
“Ah.” Steve smiled, letting the smoke roll from his lips. Those perfect lips. Eddie was in so deep. “Lucky guy.”
“Trust,” Eddie said, leaning back on his palms. “I’m the lucky one.”
“I don’t know…” Steve was offering it back, their teasing making all the anxiety from earlier melt out of his extremities. He was certainly overreacting. The herbal remedy was between his lips again, the smoke filling his lungs rapidly. Steve’s eyes were burning as they trailed over his torso and hips. “From where I’m sitting, seems like the other way around.”
The warmth was a blazing heat. Maybe intoxication wasn’t the best way to handle his doubts. Now, he just wanted to crawl on top of Steve and seek reassurance in an entirely different way…
“By the way, while I prefer your usual look,” Steve winked, his eyes on the light grey Hawkins shirt and light blue jeans he had chosen from Steve’s dresser. “You do look awfully good in my clothes.”
That didn’t help any of the thoughts he was having about crawling on top of him.
“I like wearing your clothes,” Eddie admitted. “There’s something about it…” he trailed off, feeling his face flush as he took another long hit.
“I like it when you do too.”
And then he was coughing. Maybe he should slow down. It had been a little while since he smoked consistently. His mouth was becoming dry. He offered it back to Steve. “Want any more?”
“I’m good,” Steve said. “I’m pretty high.”
Eddie chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck slowly. “Same.” It was beginning to hit him. Slightly dizzy and all grins. “Wanna listen to me play?” He was pulling guitar his guitar off of his back and unzipping it. “Like old times?”
Peeking up, he caught sight of Steve beaming. “I’ve been waiting to hear you play. I mean, except for that first night at the bonfire.”
Ah, yes. When he was playing for the campers around the fire. The sinking feeling he felt when they locked eyes that night repeated now. It was painful, truly. A time when he considered they could never mend the damage done.
Eddie was strumming now, just a random tune. He knew it was probably a song he knew, but he wasn’t really paying attention to what his muscle memory was processing. “Steve?” he asked.
“Yeah?” Steve looked.. enamored. By Eddie? Honestly, Eddie felt so out of his league. He wasn’t sure how he got lucky enough to win over the attention of Steve Harrington.
“Why do you like me?” Eddie asked, feeling like his 15-year-old self all over again. In his room, overthinking and overanalyzing.
Steve blinked those glassy eyes a few times before Eddie watched him take in a deep breath. “Did you bring me out here to get me high and spill my guts?” he asked, almost half joking. There was a soft laugh moving between them as he ran his fingers through that gorgeous hair. “Because you’re you, Eddie. The guy who humored me when I approached you on the dock that day. You welcomed me in no matter how uncomfortable you were. You care more than anyone I’ve ever met. You’re funny and quirky, but without even trying. Oh.. You have the biggest heart. And you’re so fucking talented but so humble. Almost too humble might I add.” Steve was just going and going, but now, he deflated some. “And to me, you are the most beautiful person. Inside and out. I can’t get over how it feels to be around you. How you look at me like I’m more than just a god damn Harrington… you’re just.. You.”
The high was lingering so heavily in his blood, making him smoothly handle the confession of feelings much better than he would have if he were sober. It was there, swirling around in his head as he thought about the heaviness behind his admission.
Eddie plucked the strings on his guitar without looking away from the man spilling his guts out for him. “You never second-guessed this? Us?”
“Only when you didn’t show up,” Steve admitted. “Even then, I never doubted how I felt about you.”
Steve… the one who accepted Eddie for who he was; who never made him feel bad for being shy, boring, or nerdy; who was authentically himself throughout their entire friendship. Eddie never deserved him—even now.
His heart was afoot in his chest, banging against his ribs haphazardly. Was it the high or the emotions? “I know I’ve already said it, but I’m sorry I didn’t show. I’m sorry I wasn’t brave.”
“Eddie,” Steve’s voice was tender. “Please stop apologizing for doing what you felt was in your best interest.”
The strumming stopped, the silence of the woods echoing. “Best interest?” Eddie scoffed. “I was an idiot.”
His friend’s face was instantly red, but not in the way Eddie was used to. “Stop being mean to yourself, Eds, alright?” His voice was stern, and it made Eddie sit up sharply, eyes widening.
He was often mean to himself, but there was a lot of reasoning for that. A lot of evidence to support his accusations of himself. “I don’t deserve you,” Eddie said, shaking his head as all the bad thoughts swarmed in on the small core of happiness. Maybe smoking wasn’t his best decision. He couldn’t block the bad thoughts as well, especially when he was this gone.
Steve’s brow lowered before Eddie looked down at his hands. His guitar was beneath his fingertips. “You don’t deserve me? What do you even mean by that?”
What did he mean by that? His mouth was spitting out words before he could even process what he was saying to Steve. It had to be true, right? If the words came out without a second thought?
There he was, thinking about seeing Steve in two weeks. He’s imagining his shitty trailer and the lack of cool things he owned when they were talking about who would go where. He chose Steve’s place because he was embarrassed. If Steve saw that, surely he wouldn’t stay. Who in their right mind would?
None of his friends had been over to his place. It wasn’t a dig at his uncle. Wayne tried hard to provide for them, and he did a damn good job with what he had. It just.. wasn’t what everyone else had.
“Forget it,” Eddie hissed, his fingers tapping on the base of the guitar.
“How can I forget that, Eddie? It’s scaring the living shit out of me that you’re acting spooked around me all of a sudden? Like you’re just gonna fucking bail on me again.”
Eddie’s head snapped up. Steve had his mouth clamped shut and his eyes wide. He obviously hadn’t meant to say what he said.
“We only have one fucking week, Steve. I’m scared. How can we make this work? Whatever this is?”
“You don’t think I’m not?” It fell out of his inebriated lips. “What do you want out of this, Eddie? What do you want this to be?”
If Eddie’s heart was haphazard before, he should be concerned now. Steve’s voice was rising, and he was outwardly upset at the stupid things he was saying, to someone who just couldn’t keep his mouth shut and play cool. Eddie was frantically looking between Steve’s eyes. “I–” he started, feeling the words stuck in his throat. Unmovable. “I—”
After waiting for a moment, Steve dropped his head into his hands, his face filling his palms. “What are we doing?” he breathed, muffled.
“Apparently, we’re fighting,” Eddie mumbled.
Steve’s shoulders fell, catching Eddie’s eye. He raked his hair back with his fingers and pulled. “I guess it’s easier to fight now than figure our shit out, huh? Destined to just be a fucking memory to each other.” Steve was standing, staring down at him. “If you need space, Munson, just fucking say that.”
The look in his eyes and the way he was looking down at Eddie–boy oh boy. It made him feel small. It scared him into thinking they may not recover from this, and that would fucking suck. He just realized he loved Steve. That’s what he should be telling him. Not whatever the fuck this is.
“Your turn to leave me hanging. It’s the revenge I’m sure you’ve always wanted,” he whispered, blinking away the wetness forming at his waterlines. His heart was shattering.
Steve’s jaw tightened before Eddie’s eyes, the fire in his glare actually terrifying. “You’re the one who couldn’t tell me what you want, Eddie. Don’t pin this shit on me.” As he turned away, leaving Eddie in the woods, he swore he saw tears falling from his eyes.
Is that how Steve felt when Eddie never showed? The hollowness opened up and consumed his entire chest. He placed his hand there against his sternum, pushing in and wishing the pain would just stop. Of course, he fucked it up again. Why wouldn’t he?
Steve
Steve laid in bed, his eyes burning and head throbbing from the crying he had done. He was certain the harshness of the ache in his head was due to the comedown from the high he had.
He didn’t hear Eddie come back, probably because he had closed both bathroom doors in his fit of anger upon returning to their cabin.
It felt like there was an anchor resting on his chest from how quickly their conversation had turned into a fight. Eddie had been acting strange all day, and instead of comforting him, Steve let his own past hurt provoke him.
His biggest fear was losing Eddie, so why would he walk away? After tossing and turning for what felt like forever, Steve threw his legs off his bed and crossed the small space of floor to the bathroom door. When it opened, Eddie’s side was still closed. Which meant that Eddie had closed it upon finishing up his nightly routine.
Steve stood there, staring at the closed door and willing it to open. For Eddie to feel the need to see if the other side was still closed too. He stood there for what felt like so long, reminiscent of waiting at the bus stop for so long without Eddie stepping off of that bus.
The pain was still there.
Would Eddie ever be brave enough to be with him? He never did answer Steve’s question about what he wanted from this. His fingers curled around the cool doorknob of Eddie’s bathroom door, unaware of when he walked the length of the shared bathroom but glad that his heart was sucking down his pride. Eddie meant more to him than his stupid fucking pride.
Eddie was scared; He had been scared before. Was he trying to push Steve away?
Carefully, he lifted his other hand and knocked softly, leaning his head against the door in case he got a response.
A quiet ‘yeah’ gave him permission to turn the knob and cautiously walk into the room he had been spending so much time in lately. The glow of Steve’s laptop was playing causing an ache in his chest at the recognition of how much of their lives had intertwined again over the past few weeks. Like magnets. Like the push and pull of not being able to stay away from one another.
Eddie was still wearing Steve’s shirt, his arm draped over his eyes as he laid on his back. His hair was pulled up but a mess, and as Steve neared the bed he could see how swollen and puffy his eyes were too.
When he approached the bed, Eddie turned onto his side facing the wall. Taking that as an invitation, Steve climbed in behind him, tucking himself under the sheet around Eddie’s legs and scooting close to him. He wrapped his arm around Eddie’s stomach and felt calloused fingertips weave through his and squeeze.
Maybe things would be okay.
Steve exhaled shakily before burying his face in Eddie’s hair. They laid like that for a while before Steve finally spoke.
“I know you’re scared, Eds; and you’re trying to push me away,” he whispered. “But you can’t get rid of me that easily.”
He felt Eddie’s frame shake with a sniffle, and he pulled him tight against him.
“I know there’s stuff we need to work out, but, can we do it in the morning?” Steve nuzzled into Eddie’s neck as Eddie’s grip tightened on him. He could feel and hear the sobs coming from the guy he loved, and he just held him closer.
Steve didn’t know when he fell asleep but the way his head ached when he woke up made him feel like he had spent all night drinking. Fighting with Eddie was worse than any hangover he had ever experienced, and he almost expected Eddie to be gone when he woke up.
Instead, Eddie was draped over him and breathing loudly, almost snoring from the exhaustion their argument brought.
“Eds?” Steve said softly, shaking him gently. “I think we need to get up. The parents will all start arriving soon.”
With a groan, Eddie snuggled in closer to Steve prompting him to place a kiss on the top of his messy brown curls.
Steve laughed once, feeling warmth consume his chest plate before wrapping his arms tighter around the thin frame pressed against him. “Five more minutes then.”
A breathy, muffled ‘thank you’ warmed his chest and he let his fingers caress Eddie’s arms as they lay there.
They finally forced themselves out of bed, moving between both rooms as they got ready like always but they were so quiet. Not touching, no playful smiles or flirting.
Steve felt like his heart threatening to shatter as he stood in front of his side of the mirror to brush his teeth. Eddie joined him, keeping his eyes down the entire time.
When they were done, Eddie finally looked at him and Steve took the chance to burn every one of his favorite features into memory again just in case.
“So, I’ll, uh,” Eddie managed, his features still pulling downward. “I’ll see you out there.”
His voice didn’t sound right. Steve had heard Eddie sad before, but this was different. As he turned to walk out of the bathroom, Steve grabbed his wrist.
Their eyes met and Steve felt his emotions rising quickly. “Hey, we’re okay, right?”
Eddie’s gaze danced all over Steve’s face. “Yeah…We’re okay.”
Steve felt desperate almost, scared that Eddie was humoring him. Did it make him pathetic? His touch moved to Eddie’s hand. “Promise?”
Deep brown eyes fell to their hands before tangling them together and squeezing. “Promise.”
“Okay.” Steve let out the breath he was holding, fear still weighing in his chest. “See you later then?”
With a nod, Eddie lifted Steve’s hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Later.”
When their connection broke, Steve watched Eddie’s dark attire sway with each step, the cling of his chains disappearing with the sound of the closed door.
He wasn’t sure how he was going to get through the day. How he was expected to smile and fake it through each meeting with parents? He had let his heart get away from him and now he would have to go about his day wondering what was going on in Eddie’s head. Punishment for not keeping himself together, he supposed.
With a sigh, he turned and put on a brave face for the day.
The day seemed to drag on. He would catch glimpses of Eddie as he met and toured with the parents of his campers. He looked so beautiful that it made the ache in Steve’s chest radiate. Robin had reminded Steve through text about the showcase for the campers participating in music. It wasn’t just Eddie and Robin’s group, but they did have the most turnout.
Of course I’ll be there. Steve typed out, tucking his phone back into his pocket.
It was in the afternoon when he saw Jason Carver and his girlfriend Chrissy Cunningham coming out of the cafeteria together. She turned and saw him, waving with her arm stretched high so he could see her. Out of everyone in the old group, Chrissy was the only one that he could still talk to. She was the voice of reason, even though most of the time, it was only Jason she could reason with. It was better than nothing. She had distanced herself as much as she could but dating Jason and being a cheerleader made it impossible to remove yourself completely.
“Hey, Chris,” Steve greeted, walking over even though Jason was glaring. “What brings you out to our neck of the woods?” he joked as they hugged quickly.
When they pulled back, her big, bright smile beamed up at him. “Oh, my little brother is here this year and my parents couldn’t make it. He’s actually performing in the music showcase!”
Jason cleared his throat and she rolled her eyes with a tilt of her head. “And of course, to see Jason. That should be a given, babe.” she said, looking up at the blond jock.
“Well, it’s good to see you. Why didn’t you come out and play counselor?” Steve asked, but Jason answered for her.
With his arm wrapped around her, he smirked,.“Don’t you have to get back to your boyfriend, Harrington?”
Steve glared at him, but only because of how disrespectful he was to Chrissy.
“Jason,” Chrissy warned her hand barely bumping his stomach.
With a shrug, Steve didn’t back down. “Yeah, I do.” He stood taller before smiling at Chrissy again. “It was good to see you, Chris, take care.”
“Bye, Steve! Maybe I’ll get to meet your boyfriend sometime!” She called out and Steve just smiled as he walked away.
Eddie
Eddie had practically sulked through the entire day, only lightening up enough to speak to the parents who walked into archery and music. Steve was there somewhere, in archery, but he couldn’t say or do much, not with so many adult eyes on them. Eddie missed lunch when one parent kept him over to talk to him about how he was dressed and if that truly meant he should be role modeling for his child. Of course, it would happen in the music room. Robin must have bailed before he was cornered. He didn’t know what to do–he just took it.
Needless to say, Eddie was hungry and missing Steve as the afternoon sun blazed down on all of them.
As he walked his way to the cafeteria for a snack, he caught sight of Steve. It was the most alive he had felt all day, wanting to wrap his arms around his torso and bury his face into Steve’s chest. Just imagining breathing him in made the tension between his shoulder blades release just a little bit.
They still needed to talk about what they were doing. About last night.
He was approaching the man who held him all night long–who came to him even when he didn’t deserve it. Steve was offering his smile to someone. A petite blonde girl. Eddie stopped in his tracks, moving off to the side, his eyes glued to the interaction in front of him. Who was she? An ex? A friend?
Eddie’s chest felt like it was ripped in two. Steve didn’t owe Eddie anything. They weren’t together. If that was true, why did it hurt so fucking bad? Why did he feel so empty at the possibility that this girl was a former fling?
He had long turned away, finding a different path to the cafeteria before he ducked into the art room and waited for the last of the parents and campers to entertain before the showcase. With a little food in him, maybe he could handle the sick turn of his stomach that matched the cyclone of thoughts in his head. He laughed with the parents who made stupid jokes and showed off the pieces each camper was most proud of.
It wasn’t long before everyone was in the music room, tuning and preparing their instruments. Everyone had agreed on a black t-shirt and blue jeans. Robin and Eddie had decided to wear black on black, letting them be a separate entity from the musical talent of the kids they had both coached. As they got in place at the side stage, he tried not to be visibly nervous, fidgeting with his pick and guitar unnecessarily.
Eddie gave Robin the signal as they were announcing them, and he walked on stage with his worn acoustic guitar, by himself. It took him a total of two seconds to see Steve looking up at him from the crowd of parents, campers, and other counselors.
Everyone’s eyes on him made a cold sweat break out from his pores. He did a sweep of the crowd, making eye contact with as many people as he could before he looked to Steve for strength. Before he prepared himself to take in the reaction of the boy he fell in love with and let’s face it, had always been in love with since that damn summer three years ago.
“I’m Eddie Munson, a counselor and music mentor. My group put a lot of work into this piece. We hope you love it.”
He cleared his throat and began to strum. The song was distinct, and he knew his favorite set of honey-brown eyes would react immediately. He didn’t disappoint. His wide stare was fixated on him, sparkling. What was incredible about “Angela” was that the instruments came in slowly and intentionally. Eddie would start out, just him and the guitar, and then slowly, the students would join him, walking up behind him just before they started their part.
They had practiced it so many damn times. He knew it was near perfect now.
When you left this town, with your windows down
And the wilderness inside
Let the exits pass, all the tar and glass
'Til the road and sky align
The strangers in this town
They raise you up just to cut you down
Oh Angela it's a long time coming
Drums. Keyboards. They had the mobile versions of both: a rolling keyboard and a drum set on a rolling cart, the camper already plastered on the throne and being pushed by Robin and another student before slinking away. He didn’t have to see them to know. He had watched it happen so many times, but facing the kids instead of the audience.
It was his first time performing for a group of people outside of casual strumming and entertaining. The adrenaline in his veins was pumping hard and fast to every part of his body. Each student came in on time. He couldn’t wait to celebrate with them. After everyone was in, contributing with their cello, bass guitar, drum, keyboard, mandolin, and tambourine, Robin ran up to Eddie as they had planned, her hands wrapping around his bicep while she leaned into the mic, singing with him. Harmonizing. Goosebumps spread out as their voices echoed around them, blending.
Home at last!
Home at last!
He peeled his eyes away from the crowd, from Steve’s watery gaze, meeting Robin’s as he smiled. No–Grinned.
Vacancy, hotel room, lost in me, lost in you
Angela, on my knees, I belong, I believe
Home at last!
Home at last!
Steve
How had the whole production been kept from him? Not just by Eddie, but by Robin. He watched as Eddie, Robin, and their group got applauded, his own hands slamming together in praise.
It was his favorite song from years ago. One that he hadn’t been able to listen to without provoking an odd mixture of pain and warmth in his chest. It had been the moment when Steve decided to be brave. To act on his feelings for Eddie, the confirmation that they were real. That Eddie could possibly feel the same.
After last night, Steve let his heart return to the dark place it had hidden after Eddie never showed. That Eddie didn’t want Steve, not wholly. Maybe they were just enjoying the new side of their adult relationship, now that they were both old enough to act on their hormones.
But it had been much more for Steve. It always had, even before the sexual stuff had happened. And even though Eddie never said it, he believed that there was no way Eddie didn’t feel the same– regardless what his head was trying to convince him of.
Steve didn’t have to work very hard to get over to his friends, instantly accepting Robin in a hug as he approached.
“How did you like it?” she asked, squeezing him tight before releasing him. “Were you surprised? Everyone did such a good job!”
Steve nodded, Eddie moving around with the kids behind Robin. He tried to focus. “Yeah, I was very surprised. How long have you guys been planning this?”
“A while. It was Eddie’s idea,” She lifted her eyebrows at him. “He did great, right?”
With a nod, Steve pushed back his hair with his fingers. It was Eddie’s idea. Of course, it was. Only Eddie knew how much he loved that song. And the emotional connection he had to it. It was what gave Steve the courage to kiss him. “Yeah, he sounded really good. Everyone was excellent. Such a talented bunch.”
Robin glanced around Steve, a huge smile pulling her lips. He didn’t need to turn to know it had to be Vickie. “I have to run. Now, go talk to your man,” she teased quietly, giving him another quick hug before slipping away and being greeted cheerfully by a patiently waiting Vickie.
Without Robin in front of him, he could allow himself to focus on the gorgeous person still preoccupying himself with helping get everything cleared with the kids. The next performance was already underway and the equipment was put away. He was smiling and laughing with his students, looking so fucking beautiful that it made Steve ache.
The kids moved away and Steve took that as an opportunity to approach Eddie.
“Hey,” he said, getting Eddie’s attention. He wanted to touch him. He always wanted to touch him. “Can we talk?”
“Hey..” Eddie trailed off, studying Steve’s face and eyes. “Yeah.”
Steve let out a sigh and reached out, tangling their fingers together. “That was….” He swallowed hard, his eyes focused down as he stepped into Eddie. “You sounded so…” He couldn’t form the words with the emotions rising in his chest.
Eddie lifted his hand to hold Steve’s jaw. “Yeah?” Those big eyes of his were receptive and focused on him.
“Yeah…” Steve breathed out, leaning into Eddie’s touch. Even after last night, Eddie was soothing him without even trying. “I’m sorry for yesterday. For losing my shit instead of working through it with you. I know it's scary to feel like this for someone because I’m so scared too.”
“No, Steve,” Eddie whispered. “I’m sorry for not… I’m sorry for not being able to..” He huffed, stroking Steve’s face. “I like you, a lot. I don’t want this to end here.”
Steve felt like his chest was glowing, his free hand moving to grip Eddie’s hip. “I don’t want it to either. Eddie, I…” He swallowed hard, his eyes meeting the chocolate color he loved so much. “I…” The words were stuck, just like Eddie’s had been the night before. Eddie’s eyes were shifting between his, watching intently as Steve tried to get the words out. Being patient. His touch was grounding Steve in a way he hadn’t ever felt before. He loved Eddie, more than he had loved anyone. He thought of all the reasons, his mind racing with memories of them– of Eddie. Be brave… the drawing that had been kept so preciously in his wallet came to mind. Given to him in a moment of vulnerability to help him through moments that scared him. Like this moment. The best kind of rawness radiating in his chest. “Eddie, I love you,” he managed, his eyes wide as the words were processed between them.
“You..” Eddie choked as he repeated the words. “You love me?”
“I do,” Steve said, stepping closer to Eddie where minimal space remained. “So much.”
Then he was kissing him, right there under the twilight sky. He tried to keep himself from losing control where anyone could see, but his self-control was wavering. The kiss broke and Steve kept his lips close.
“I love you, too,” Eddie gasped, his hands keeping Steve against him by clinging to his back.
Steve’s gaze moved over Eddie’s features, studying his eyes for a moment. His smile pulled wide as his heart took off in his chest. Hearing those words, words he never thought he’d hear from anyone, let alone Eddie, made him feel light in a way he wasn’t familiar with. His body was giving in to the building arousal and emotion of the moment.
With their fingers tangled, Steve turned and led Eddie toward the cabin. They passed Robin who silently registered Steve’s gaze and she gave him a thumbs up. He knew she would cover for them– not that it mattered at that moment anyway.
He could hear Eddie’s chain hitting his thigh as they walked quickly to their haven, Eddie staying close to him as Steve pushed the door open.
When they entered the room, Steve turned and pushed him into the door with a soft grunt. Their lips met and Steve’s hands met the wood surface, pining Eddie’s body against it. He could feel the slender fingers twisting in his shirt, clinging onto him as Steve pressed his weight into the smooth plane of Eddie’s frame.
There were so many words buzzing in his head. Things he wanted to say. Those three words on repeat in his head, sounding even better in Eddie’s gorgeous voice. It was a direct line to the pressure building in his pelvis. The desire he always had for Eddie was amplified, burning so hot that he wondered if it was radiating off of him.
His lips parted, urging Eddie to let him have a taste. A moan was his reward, swallowing it down and letting it bury itself in his arousal. Eddie’s lips fell apart and Steve licked into his mouth eliciting his own moan to vibrate in his throat.
The desperation that was building left Steve’s chest wide open. He accepted feeling all of it. The good and the bad– because Eddie loved him back. That was enough for him to let go of everything else in his life that had prevented him from admitting it sooner. It was everything he needed. Eddie was everything that he needed.
The sensation of Eddie’s fingers in his hair caused a groan to break their kiss, their mutual panting warm between them. Steve’s fingertips moved to Eddie’s face as he admired the blown-out pupils and the swollen set of full lips that he couldn’t stop thinking about.
“I love the way you look at me,” Steve purred out, nuzzling their noses together. “I love your dimples and your freckles… “ His mind was firing off, admitting thoughts freely before kissing him again.
Eddie moaned and Steve swallowed it down, their hands grasping and pulling as they pushed away from the door. Steve turned them and backed Eddie up until they were falling on Steve’s bed together. The bounce of their bodies broke the kiss and Steve couldn’t help but marvel at the flush on Eddie’s cheeks and the way his thick eyelashes framed his doe eyes as he surrendered himself to Steve, over and over again.
Between breaths, Eddie grabbed the front of Steve’s shirt to keep him close. “Don’t get me started on your beauty marks.”
Steve settled between Eddie’s legs, feeling the hard line of Eddie’s arousal against his pelvis. He gazed down at the love of his life, smoothing his hands up the denim-clad thighs and beneath the hem of his button-up shirt.
“I want you so bad,” Steve breathed as his lips moved over Eddie’s jaw. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
“Fuck, sweetheart.” The smooth voice he adored so much replied breathily. “I want you, too.”
Steve let a growl build in his throat as he moved his hands to start pulling the shirt buttons free. His greedy hands pushed the loose material off Eddie’s shoulders, and they lifted just enough to discard it. The faint marks on Eddie’s torso made him smile as he worked his mouth over Eddie’s collarbone and chest, down his stomach until they met his hands at the button of Eddie’s jeans.
“I’m all yours, Eddie. I always have been,” Steve said huskily up the stretch of bare skin between their eyes, his lips brushing the soft brown hair trailing beneath the elastic of Eddie’s boxers.
“Steve..” The way Eddie’s chest heaved between them was so sexy. Steve’s hands pulled the button of his jeans open. “You—you…” Eddie swallowed hard, his full lips parted. “I’ve been obsessed with you since I was 15 years old.”
That’s when it hits him. How Eddie is choosing Steve, not anyone else, to give this part of himself to. The words sink into Steve’s core, admiration and love spreading out at an unstoppable pace.
Steve sat back on his legs, smiling at Eddie as he grabbed his own shirt by the back of the collar and pulled it over his head. “That is very mutual, baby. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you…” He reached over and pulled Eddie’s shoes off his feet one by one, his socks following. “About what it would be like if I got a second chance… if you would have me… I waited so long..”
“God, do you always know exactly what to say?” Eddie’s tone was low as he gazed at Steve, his body shifted with the tug of Steve’s hands on his jeans.
With Eddie’s jeans discarded, Steve bit his lip and admired every inch of Eddie’s skin again. He would never tire of it. “I’m speaking from the heart, baby. I want you to know how I feel. How badly I missed you, how much I crave you…” He leaned forward to crawl up Eddie’s naked body. “How much I love you…”
Eddie
Eddie was speechless as Steve crawled on top of him, his biceps tensing and his stomach flexing right before his eyes. They had spent a lot of time together, naked and exploring over the last four weeks, but it never got old experiencing the way Steve took him in. He relished the hunger behind those quickly blown-out pupils and the way his tongue peeked out between his lips when he was concentrating on making something happen between them, like discarding Eddie’s useless clothing.
“Steve,” Eddie managed, the air feeling ungraspable. His hands were working on Steve’s jeans, loosening them with a flick of his wrist and the pressure of his fingers. He worked at the zipper as he lifted up just enough to capture Steve’s lips with his. Passionately. Feverishly.
They worked together to rid Steve of his jeans and boxer briefs, their lips parting desperately–sloppily. When all the clothing was gone between them, Steve settled the entirety of his naked form against Eddie, and it was almost too much. No, it was definitely too much. Eddie broke the kiss, moaning as his balls tightened uncomfortably. His hands snaked around and dug into the skin of Steve’s back, their bodies sliding together as they both shifted for any sort of friction.
He buried his face into Steve’s neck and groaned out, “Steve, please.” The knots that formed between his belly button were bursting into flames as he imagined finally giving Steve what he held onto. “I need you.”
Steve lifted his head to look at Eddie’s face, studying for a second before instigating another kiss— this one was slower but still deep. He could feel Steve moving slightly away from him, the kiss breaking after he moved too far. Eddie followed Steve’s reach, a clear bottle in his hand as he repositioned on top of him. Embarrassingly, there wasn’t anything to muffle the loud sound of Eddie’s swallow.
Steve shifted them and lathered his hand up. With parted lips and wide eyes, Eddie watched as he stroked himself slowly. Fuck, it was hot. Steve’s large hand was on his equally large cock, lubricating every inch. Eddie’s arousal reacted enthusiastically, swaying between their torsos.
He closed his eyes and laid his head back, trying to calm himself with intentionally deep breaths. What he hadn’t expected were Steve’s fingers to press against him, cool and slippery as he circled the puckered rim. Eddie didn’t open his eyes, only focused on the sensations. His lips fell apart as Steve applied force, sinking inside of him unhurriedly.
Pressure spread out from the intrusion with only the tiniest amount of pain. It wasn’t like the pleasure he knew from their previous encounters: a hand or mouth around his throbbing length. It felt good, and the pleasure felt like it was everywhere. His head ripped up from Steve’s mattress, eyes bulging out of his head the fuller he got. Steve’s jaw was tense, but his eyes–those were soft and sparkling. Just for Eddie.
Their eye contact was strong as Steve pumped his finger in and out of Eddie, and just when it was getting too comfortable, it disappeared. Eddie whimpered at the loss.
Steve was getting closer, grasping Eddie’s hips and sliding his hands beneath his thighs, hoisting him up and closer to him. He could see his legs trembling on either side of Steve’s hips as the head of Steve’s erection pressed against him. There was no looking away now. This was it–their moment. As soon as he dipped inside, Eddie started hissing.
This pain was different. Steve’s erection was much larger than his fucking fingers. Oh, but the pain didn’t last long. He took the journey with patience. If Eddie’s hands weren’t getting lost in Steve’s hair or clawing at his perfect ass, he would be applauding the willpower it took to sink every inch. The moans he released didn’t sound like his own, and if Steve was producing any noise, it was lost.
Dizzying pleasure consumed Eddie as Steve’s hips met his ass. Finally. He was grasping the man on top of him, heaving. “Jesus Christ,” he wheezed.
This was unlike anything he could have imagined. While everything they did before this was special, this connection was different. Eddie didn’t know where he ended and Steve began. There was no room between their bodies, still and adjusting.
Steve
Steve groaned as he buried his face in Eddie’s neck, smoothing his hands over any inch of Eddie he could reach until he found Eddie’s thighs again. He was gasping for breath now as he pulled his hips back and began to move.
Lifting his head up to look at Eddie’s expression, he watched for pleasure or pain as he reached his left-hand move to rest against Eddie’s cheek and his right to hold onto his thigh. It gave Steve the room to move, the soft sound of skin on skin pulling at the strings of his arousal.
It wasn’t the first time Steve had admired every detail of Eddie’s features that he loved, but being connected to him like this felt elevated in ways he couldn’t comprehend. The light freckles painted the bridge of his nose and cheeks. The curve of his nose, and the full set of lips that displayed dimples if curled just right. The strong length of his chin was offset by the softness of his cheeks. And those eyes of his, half hidden away and the brown blown out to black as their bodies shifted together.
“You’re doing so good, baby,” Steve murmured as the pleasure and love was irrepressible with every thrust of his hips. “Fuck, you feel so good.” His lips pressed distractedly to any place it could reach– his cheeks, his nose, the corner of his lips.
Eddie’s eyes rolled back, gasps and moans– short and strangled– were coming out from his parted lips. The grasp he had on Steve was so tight, like if he were to let go Steve would disappear. “Steve..” he moaned, his blunt nails digging into bare skin. “Shit.”
The sounds that Steve was making mixed with Eddie’s in such an erotic medley, his heart throbbing as their movements got messier. He could feel the pulsing of Eddie’s erection between their hips, the quivering of Eddie’s legs as the friction built.
With greedy eyes, Steve watched Eddie’s features contort with pleasure. He looked so fucked for him right now. But Steve was sure he looked just as fucked for Eddie. With a moan, Steve tangled his fingers with Eddie’s, still grasping desperately at the flesh of Eddie’s thighs as his body started to tingle.
Their eyes met, and Steve wondered if Eddie could see what making love to him was doing to Steve’s soul.
"Eddie," He managed through heavy pants. "I love you."
Eddie
Steve dragging his body against Eddie’s, over and over again, felt like some euphoric dream he didn’t want to wake up from. His muscles were wound so tight, the pleasure overwhelming. Steve was panting so loudly, and it only added to the chilling arousal creeping over every inch of his skin. And then the words. Oh, the fucking words. Who knew Eddie Munson would love the sound of someone declaring their love for him?
Eddie only liked the sound of love declaration from Steve Harrington and Steve Harrington only. It was his voice, the hoarse sound and labored breaths masking the everyday sound Eddie was graced with. It was still Steve–his Steve.
“I love you,” Eddie gasped back, wondering how it was even possible for him to think let alone speak. “So fucking much.”
Steve tried to kiss him, but the thrusts were delivered haphazardly, and their lips couldn’t stay connected. Steve’s fingers grasped Eddie’s thigh and pulled his leg around his hip. His lips brushed against Steve’s cheek and jaw as he pulled him closer, Steve’s hand roaming over the bare skin of Eddie’s side that he could reach. His pelvis was cramping up, their hips meeting harder, faster. Their skin slapped together as they expelled hot air with enough force to fill the room.
The swaying erection between their stomachs was painfully pulsing–throbbing with need. Their bare skin was massaging the neglected organ with every roll of Steve’s hips. Every arch of Eddie’s body when Steve hit that perfect spot inside of him buried so deep.
“Please..” Eddie chanted. “I’m so damn close.” He felt like he was growling out the words. It was a promise. Their lovemaking was pushing him over the edge quickly, Steve’s cock an accommodation worth adjusting for... “So big. So full of you..”
Steve moaned Eddie’s name, his blunt nails digging into his hips and letting Eddie’s words encourage deeper, harsher thrusts. Eddie was unraveling, his ears ringing as his orgasm tore through him. “Unghhhh. Fuck. Yes.” The aftershocks went on forever, but thankfully, he caught the end of Steve’s peak, his parted lips and closed eyes the most beautiful sight of the night. Steve was the most beautiful person in the world.
Steve collapsed on Eddie, both heaving and fighting for oxygen. Eddie’s fingertips ran down the length of Steve’s back, following every curve and dip along the way, gently and slowly. He was savoring their moment, relishing the next step they took in their relationship–situationship. They were in love with each other, but nothing was official yet, was it? It didn’t matter. Everything was already perfect. Just like Steve.
Steve
It felt like forever that Steve laid on Eddie trying to regain his composure. Every cell in his body was singing with a happiness he hadn’t experienced before. It felt like a cliche, but a welcomed one. That was the best sex he had ever had.
Lifting his head, he licked his lips and looked at Eddie. “How are you feeling, babe?” His words were so quiet that he almost wasn’t sure Eddie heard him.
“I feel.. invincible.” Eddie smiled big and happy– it was the most vulnerable smile he had ever shared. His body was still shaking with aftershocks of his orgasm, his fingers drawing circles on Steve’s back. “How are you feeling?”
Steve pushed Eddie’s hair off of his face, his giddiness difficult to contain. “Never better,” He said, his eyes dancing over Eddie’s features. “I didn’t hurt you, right?”
“Not at all,” Eddie breathed out as his eyelashes fluttered and his lips stayed parted.
“Good,” Steve leaned forward, kissing him long and sweet. “I’m going to pull out, okay?”
Eddie swallowed hard and nodded, his jaw clenching. “Okay. Sure.”
Carefully, Steve pulled his hips back and fell out of Eddie. A small gasp fell from his lips, his eyes catching a grimace on Eddie’s face.
“I’m going to grab something to clean us up, but I’ll be right back.” Steve kissed his cheek. “Need anything while I’m up?”
“No.” Eddie’s eyes were drinking in Steve’s bareness, admiring him as he stood tall. “Thank you, though.”
Feeling Eddie’s eyes on him inflated his ego in a way he didn’t know he needed. Moving into the bathroom, he got rid of the condom and then washed his hands. He grabbed the nearest towel and wet it, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.
His face flushed and his hair a mess. But most importantly? He looked happy. Glowing with it.
He cleaned himself off then he walked back into the room. Eddie was still laying there, but had shifted onto his side. Just waiting. He looked angelic post-lovemaking. Flushed too, his long hair mostly fell from the hair tie, his lips curved into an unfaltering smile. He was always beautiful, but this was Steve's favorite version of Eddie yet.
“Baby…” Steve said softly, getting Eddie’s attention. “Let me clean you up real quick.”
He wiped Eddie off then discarded the towel— it would be tomorrow's problem. Right now, all he wanted was to climb back onto the bed next to Eddie. After powering his iPad on, he resumed what they had been watching nights before then crawling in next to the gorgeous boy waiting for him.
Once he was settled with his arms wrapped around Eddie, he heard a quiet, “Steve? Wow..” Steve could feel Eddie curling closer to him, making a sigh fall from his lips.
“Yeah?” Steve murmured into the messy brown hair resting near his shoulder. His fingertips were tracing the bat tattoos on Eddie’s forearm mindlessly caressing his skin. “Did you ever think about us… being sexual?”
The curiosity swirled around Eddie’s thoughts of them. Eddie had been more reserved when it came to physical acts when they were younger, so he couldn’t help but wonder how far those thoughts had extended in their time apart.
“Mm,” Eddie hummed. “Not until I was a little older. What about you?”
“You were always more reserved than I was,” Steve laughed softly. “So, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t admit how often.”
The blush Steve was rewarded with was something that had stayed consistent over the pass of time. “If anyone was going to break me out of my shell, it would be you.”
“Oh? So I’m a bad influence, huh?” Steve teased. “If I remember correctly, you’ve instigated a lot in the past few weeks.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The wicked look in Eddie’s eyes matched the evil grin he was wearing.
“Mhm.” Steve tickled at his sides, but only for a second to hear him laugh. “It’s okay though. I’m glad you kissed me that night.”
“I’m glad I kissed you too,” Eddie said softly.
“Have you gotten braver in the last three years…” Steve trailed off, feeling his face heat up.
Eddie’s chin lifted, giving Steve a playful look. “What exactly are you asking, Harrington?”
“I’m asking,” He took a deep breath. “If you kissed those other guys… or if they initiated… you know…” Steve felt out of his element at the moment. Jealousy was searing at his skin.
“Are you jealous, Steve?” Eddie teased, obviously enjoying this way too much. Before Steve could respond, Eddie shrugged. “I was too intoxicated to tell you.”
“I have no room or right to be.” Steve’s eyes fell to Eddie’s shrug. “Intoxicated? Drunk?”
“Drunk. High. I couldn’t embrace that braveness without it back then.” The chocolate browns were gazing into Steve’s. “Now, with you, I feel braver than ever.”
Steve offered him a smile with the intention to comfort. “I chased you in everyone I dated. Dark hair, big brown eyes. I didn’t realize it for the longest time.”
Eddie sighed. “I messed up big time.”
“Maybe the timing just wasn’t right,” Steve offered. “Maybe we were meant to go through it to realize what we really wanted?”
After a second, Eddie nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Either way, I’m grateful that I’m even getting a second chance. To know you feel like I do…” Steve tilted his head until it was resting against Eddie’s. His heart was slow and intentional with every beat, relishing how it felt for those words to be true.
“I always have. I hate that you doubted that.”
“I hate that you doubted it too,” Steve’s hand cupped Eddie’s face until he was looking up at him.
Eddie’s hand covered Steve’s, letting out a soft sight. “You’re incredible. Amazing. Perfect.”
Kissing into Eddie’s messy brown hair, Steve spoke against the soft curls. “You know, I ran into a friend from back home… she said she wants to meet my boyfriend sometime,” Steve breathed out shakily, his nerves getting to him. “If you’re ever interested in that… meeting her or being my…”
“Boyfriend?” The sound of the hard swallow followed Eddie’s soft question.
“Yeah… I mean, no pressure. I am content with… what we’re doing now…” Steve felt his face catch fire. He tried not to feel scared of the other side of that question. No matter what, they would figure their stuff out. There was no rush.
“I’m not,” Eddie said, lifting his head and waiting until Steve’s lips parted to speak before adding, “I want to be your boyfriend, Steve.”
“Yeah?” Steve asked, his heart galloping in his chest.
“Oh, yeah.” Eddie grinned, letting his dimples free as his lips lifted. “I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life.”
Steve smiled, his heart still reacting to the emotions of the night. He dipped down as he lifted Eddie’s chin so their lips could meet, kissing Eddie with all that he had.
Eddie was his boyfriend. And their feelings were mutual. Steve wasn’t used to the influx of happiness moving through his body, but he could get used to the way this felt.
And for the first time since he rekindled with Eddie, he wasn’t worried about camp ending.
Steve
Showering together after waking up to Eddie’s face was one of Steve’s new favorite things. They washed and rinsed each other, slow and lazy. Kissing the same as they bathed. There wasn’t an instigation of anything further, but it did cross Steve’s mind. It ran circles in there, especially now that he had experienced it.
Once they were out, Steve wrapped a towel around his waist before pulling one around Eddie’s back and rubbing his arms. “Is there anything you want to do today?” He asked, continuing to dry Eddie off.
The way he tilted his head to think, a smirk toying with his lips. “Hmm…” Suddenly, his eyes widened and his smile got bigger in an instant. “Wanna go swimming?”
“Swimming?” Steve felt amusement boil inside of him. “Sure, you know I love to swim.” He thought about how nervous Eddie had been the first time they went swimming years ago. How he made sure that Eddie felt good in the water and how many tender moments they shared. “At our spot?”
“Our spot sounds perfect,” Eddie mused. “I hope you’re okay being blinded. You haven’t seen this chest in the sunlight.” He leaned in close. “So pale.”
“I have…” Steve corrected, kissing the tip of Eddie’s nose softly. “It’s just been a while. You’ve always been so porcelain.”
Eddie blushed, shying away and in the process, reminded Steve of Eddie when they first met. “And you’re so tan.” Eddie’s hand roamed over Steve’s arm from wrist to shoulder. “Beautifully sun-kissed.”
“I like your complexion,” Steve countered. “I always have.” He stepped closer and leaned in to nuzzle at Eddie’s neck, breathing in the way he smelled before adding, “I love decorating it so everyone knows you’re mine.”
Eddie shivered against him, a quiet moan of Steve’s name fell from his lips.
Steve kissed the stretch of neck muscle gently before pulling back. “Okay, if we don’t get ready now….” He trailed off, moving to wrap the towel around Eddie’s waist.
“Don’t want me to hold you hostage in bed all day?” The tone Eddie used was low and felt like it was streamlined straight to Steve’s arousal.
As his eyebrows lifted, Steve pinched Eddie’s chin between his pointer finger and thumb. “I’ll stay here all day, don’t tempt me, Eds.”
Eddie flashed his best, dimple-bearing smile. “And miss out on our vitamin D for the day?” He stopped, pretending to think a moment. “Oh. I guess that could work both ways.”
“Have I created a monster?” Steve teased, feeling the all-familiar pull to Eddie intensifying.
“Mmm…” Eddie hummed. “Maybe.”
Steve watched his eyebrow twitch. “How are you feeling today? Ya know, about everything?”
“I can still feel every inch of you inside of me,” Eddie whispered, leaning in close to Steve.
Licking his lips, he felt himself throb at the detailed admission. “Are you sore?”
With a nod, Eddie answered, “Pleasantly so.”
Steve hummed, his fingers mindlessly playing with the length of Eddie’s damp hair. “As long as it doesn’t hurt too bad.”
“I like the reminder.”
“I’m yours,” Steve started. “I’ll remind you of that as much as you need.”
“Steve..” The exhale Eddie released was shaky as his eyelids lowered over chocolate brown. “I—“ He reached up, wrapping his arms around Steve’s bare shoulders with his fingers dancing on the back of his neck. They were close. So close. “You drive me crazy.”
It was easy to succumb to the feelings between them, getting caught up in their intensity was effortless. Steve’s hands circled Eddie’s body, his hand pulling Eddie tight against him. “That’s a mutual feeling, baby.” His tone was hushed as his gaze flickered to Eddie’s lips.
“Fuck, I love it when you call me baby…” The raspiness of Eddie’s voice was hushed as his fingers moved into Steve’s hair, threading and causing goosebumps to cover the surface of Steve’s skin.
And then they were kissing, caught up in the moment. The taste of Eddie filling his mouth and he moaned, feeling so good with fingers combing through his hair and Eddie’s tongue licking into his mouth.
Steve could feel Eddie growing hard against him, his own dick coming to life as his tongue roamed Eddie’s mouth.
When they broke apart to breathe, Steve let his hand fall between them, the towel dropping at their ankles. His palm caressing the underside of Eddie’s erection. “I can’t get enough of you…”
“Jesus Christ,” Eddie expelled, probably crumbling as he touched him. “That is also mutual, sweetheart.”
“Tell me what you need, baby.” Steve moved to his ear, nipping gently.
“You.” He sputtered out. “Always you.”
Steve traced his lips over the curve of his jaw. “What do you need from me?”
“I need you to fuck me, Steve.” The words came out like a whine, and Steve tugged the towel to fall onto the floor with Eddie’s. His hands curled around Eddie’s hips, the bones fitting perfect in his palms. He turned them until they were close enough to the sink that he urged Eddie to face it.
Steve’s body curled into Eddie’s backside, his hands smoothing over his boyfriend's torso as Eddie’s fingers curled against the white porcelain.
He reached toward the counter, grabbing the lube as his left hand smoothed down the length of Eddie’s stomach. “I’m going to give you what you need, baby. I’m going to take such good care of you.”
Eddie stared at Steve in the mirror, his eyes admiring their bodies pressed together. “You always do,” he panted, their eyes meeting in the reflection.
“I’m going to need you to spread your legs for me,” Steve directed, his left hand resting against Eddie’s lower back to urge him to bend over a little more. He squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his length, watching as Eddie shifted his stance. He drizzled more between the spread cheeks, his right hand ensuring there was an adequate amount.
Their eyes met again, Eddie’s eyes watching Steve as he prepped them both. The curtain of dark hair was beginning to curl and dry as Steve pushed a finger inside, meeting no resistance as he pumped in and out to replace it with two.
“How’s that feel?” He watched Eddie’s lips fall open, his jaw locked. It was so hot.
“So fucking good…” Eddie groaned, never pulling his eyes away from Steve. With a shift of his hips, he backed into Steve’s touch, trying to take more.
Steve growled, licking his lips as he let his left hand still Eddie’s hip before removing his finger. “Are you ready for more?” Steve grabbed his throbbing dick in his hand, smoothing it over the slippery crease of Eddie’s ass. He was teasing him, prompting a whine to tumble carelessly from Eddie.
“Ungh.” Eddie was losing his composure as he stared in the mirror. “Baby, please..” Eddie begged. “I need to feel you”
Steve moved his hand to the sink next to Eddie’s as his right guided him inside of Eddie.
A huff of air left Steve’s lips as Eddie took all of him, soft curses and moans being directed at Steve in the mirror as he filled him.
Steve watched Eddie’s expression as his hips met the soft curve of Eddie’s ass. “Fuck,” Steve sputtered, the sensations of being inside of Eddie and how fucked his boyfriend looked for him in the reflection were pulling at the arousal built in his pelvis.
Gently, Steve began to move. His hips bounced against Eddie, his right hand moving to the needy organ that jumped as Steve fucked into his boyfriend. His lubricated hand pumped over him in time with his thrusts, his left hand holding on to Eddie’s hip so tight.
Being able to see himself as he fucked Eddie was so erotic. The way the flush of his cheeks extended onto his neck and chest, the sway of his long hair as they moved. He leaned forward to press kisses onto Eddie’s neck and shoulder, wherever he could reach, but he was losing his composure. Coming undone as they watched themselves make love in the mirror, Steve’s hand slid over Eddie faster as his hips became more relentless.
Eddie’s movements against him made him groan so loudly, forcing him to bite onto Eddie’s shoulder to stifle his volume. He was hitting that spot in Eddie, he could tell by the shake of Eddie’s legs as his thrusts went deeper.
His left hand left Eddie’s hip and smoothed up the length of his torso to his neck, holding with light force as their bodies bounced together.
“Like?” Steve managed, his tanned skin tinted pink.
The swallow Steve felt against his palm was hard, Eddie’s eyes hungry and dark. “Fuck. Yes.” He was out of breath, his legs shaking.
The way Eddie was clenching, Steve knew he was nearing his release. The hand on Eddie’s neck moved to tangle at the base of his skull, tightening his fist in the thick, long dark hair. “How about this, baby?” He breathed into the back of Eddie’s ear.
Eddie’s knuckles were white as they held the counter, his eyes rolling back. Grunting with each of Steve’s thrusts. “You’re too good…” He moaned, his head falling back. “I love you.”
It was like the last thread snapped, his own orgasm sweeping through him as his thrusts staggered against Eddie. His hand missed a beat, distractedly sliding again as he kept rolling his hips against Eddie.
“I love you,” Steve gasped, feeling the warmth of Eddie's orgasm covering his fingers and the clench of the muscles surrounding Steve’s oversensitive dick. His fingers let go of Eddie’s hair, his arm wrapping around Eddie’s waist.
Every inch of Steve was tingling as they regained their composure, holding each other close as Steve stayed buried inside of Eddie for as long as he could.
“Want to rinse off then grab breakfast?” Steve whispered when he calmed down enough, his eyes on Eddie in the mirror. “After that, we can go swimming, if you still want to?”
“Yes, yes,” Eddie took in a deep breath, his arms covering Steve’s. “And yes.”
They climbed into the shower and rinsed off, joking once they were out about behaving. Steve slapped Eddie’s bare ass as he dried, a sexy little laugh greeted Steve in return.
Eddie was dangerous. Addictive. The way Steve felt with him like he wanted to be tangled in him every second of every day was insane. He felt consumed in the best way possible.
Steve had helped pull Eddie’s hair up into his usual hairdo, kissing the back of his neck once he was done. They wore their trunks to breakfast, Eddie borrowing a pair of Steve’s flip-flops.
Robin looked through them as they joined her with their food at the usual spot, but they ignored her as she eyed them.
“Birdie, it’s rude to stare,” Eddie finally said after a couple of minutes, his smile sitting lopsided on his face.
Steve let his hand fall onto Eddie’s thigh under the table.
“Listen, keep the details. But I covered for you and I have your precious guitar, Munson,” Robin said, tossing a grape in their direction.
“We had a lot to talk about,” Steve answered, before looking at Eddie with a smile.
Robin lifted her hands, “Okay, and?”
“And…” Steve squeezed Eddie under the table, watching him take a bite of a waffle. “Things are good. Really good.”
Could she see how smitten Steve was? How crazy in love he was with the boy next to him? How they had made love twice since she last saw them?
She picked up her bagel, spreading cream cheese onto it. “So does this mean we’ll have another roommate in our apartment?” It fell from her hands and she laughed. “Well, our apartment when I’m home from college? I guess it’s technically yours.”
“You have your own place?” Eddie asked Steve, perking up as their eyes met.
“Yeah, I applied right before camp since I had to wait until I was 18 and I got approved. I can start moving in right after we get back,” Steve nodded, his eyes catching the sparkle in Eddie’s.
Robin swallowed the bite of her food. “Which means I can help him before I leave for school.”
They seemed to lose Eddie for a moment as he processed the information. “That’s awesome,” Eddie said, smiling as he looked between both of them. “It’s almost as if you’re an adult or something.”
“He’s been saving for the longest time,” Robin said. “Not that the bookstore pays that much, but I’m proud of him! Earning his own keep.”
“Bookstore?” Eddie questioned, his head tilting as he gazed at him. Steve couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. “That’s fucking great.”
“I think you’d like it. It’s kinda small, but they’ve got a good selection.” Steve finally said, trying to swallow the insecurities down. “It’s kinda been one of my safe havens after I came out to my parents.”
“I can’t wait to check it out,” Eddie breathed out, his eyes staying locked on Steve. The look in his eyes gave away his admiration, which made Steve’s smile give way.
“I can’t wait for you to either,” Steve said softly, letting a smile pull at the corners of his lips. “There’s a cute little coffee shop attached to it. Maybe I could take you some time.”
Eddie’s hand found Steve’s, tracing over his knuckles subtly. “I would love that.”
After breakfast, Steve and Eddie gathered up their stuff and headed to their swimming spot. Their hands brushed as they walked, and Steve couldn’t resist hooking his pinky with Eddie’s. The walk was mostly silent, and it made Steve wonder what was going on in Eddie’s head. For the most part, Steve could read Eddie. There were still a few mysteries that he couldn’t pinpoint, like right now.
“Hey, look, I’m sorry if you felt bombarded by all of that information at breakfast,” Steve said, helping Eddie step down from a small incline. They fell into step almost closer than before.
“I’m not feeling overwhelmed, Steve…” His head shook, the loose hair bouncing with the movement. “Why didn’t you share any of it with me?”
Steve tangled their fingers together as they got more secluded, feeling the ache of not being wrapped up in Eddie in some way. “Truthfully, I didn’t want to think about life outside of camp. Not until yesterday.”
The nod he gave Steve was one of understanding. “Yeah.. same.”
“So how does all of it make you feel?” Steve started as they came to their destination. “Honestly?”
Robin knew vulnerability was difficult for him, but she probably didn’t realize that Steve hadn’t shared some of that information yet. With the argument and making up, he hadn’t really had time. Hell, he was pretty sure Eddie had an idea that vulnerability wasn’t his strong suit these days, at least to some extent. Eddie got more of his openness than anyone else, even Robin. But Steve was trying. Now, with Eddie back in his life, he wondered if those walls would get knocked down again. If he could be better at it. To be real. To be brave.
“I’m so impressed by your ability to,” He paused for a moment, his eyes lifting from where they were walking to glance at Steve. “Grow up. And I can’t wait to see your new place.”
Their hands fell apart as they kicked off the flip-flops. Shirts were pulled off, and Steve immediately moved to spread sunscreen over Eddie’s smooth skin. This time, he started on his chest. “Did you doubt that before?” He teased, smoothing every bit of skin that was exposed. He moved to Eddie’s arms.
Eddie laughed. “Of course not. I just didn’t know... well, anything.”
“You’re always welcome at my new place,” Steve started, their eyes meeting again as he smoothed some of the sunscreen on Eddie’s face.
Eddie’s eyebrows lifted. “You’re ready for me to invade your life—your real life?”
Steve nodded before moving around to cover Eddie’s back. “We seem to handle living in the same space pretty well.”
“Living?” It was hushed, almost a breath, really. If they weren’t alone, Steve wondered if he would’ve heard it at all.
“I mean,” Steve’s hands stilled, feeling the hitch of breath against his touch. “Yeah. When we’re ready to discuss that…. You’re welcome to come and go as often as you feel comfortable doing.” The involuntary sigh fell from his lips and he moved to stand in front of Eddie again. “The truth is, I don’t want to lose you again. Long distance can work, and I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done to keep you this time. There’s no pressure because I know we’ll figure it out together.”
“I don’t want to lose you either,” Eddie’s eyes sparkled. “But you’re right, we’ll figure it out.”
Steve smiled, handing off the sunscreen. For the first time, he felt good about the future. Regardless of the obstacles, he knew what they had was strong. And he also knew he would fight for what they had with everything he was. He kept that inside though, just letting out a soft, “Me next please?” Fall from his lips.
“My pleasure,” Eddie said, taking it from Steve’s hands. As he massaged the substance into Steve’s skin, he kept giving Steve the flirtiest smiles. His eyes drinking Steve in, just like Steve loved.
Once they were both sufficiently covered, Steve started toward the water only looking back to motion for Eddie to join him.
Eddie
The cool water lapped at Eddie’s warm skin, his gaze burning into whatever beauty-marked piece of flesh he could get his eyes on. Steve was disappearing beneath the deep blue water slowly. They exchanged smiles in the comfortable silence of the midday. The kids could be heard out and about, enjoying their free day, but Eddie quickly transformed any sound that wasn’t Steve wading out away from the shore into a quiet hum.
Steve. Steve. Steve.
It was a constant loop in his mind today. The future. Now. Long distance. Those perfect lips. That gorgeous body. It was enough to drive him wild.
He pushed through the water as his feet sank into the mud, pushing waves in his boyfriend’s direction. Boyfriend. The sun was up high, streaming light behind him. The rays danced over his tan skin–his hair’s natural highlights illuminated. A smile took over his face, sore at the corners as it stretched from ear to ear, closing the distance between them.
He did a quick peek. All clear.
“How is it possible you’re the most attractive person in the world?” Eddie asked, draping his arms over Steve’s shoulders once they were close enough.
Steve was quick to counter, his hands grasping Eddie’s lower back. “I’m pretty sure that title is reserved for you, Munson.”
“Hah!” Eddie laughed. “You’re cute, Harrington. Thinking you could turn it around on me.” He moved to run his fingers through the luscious brown hair. “We both know you’re the stunner between us. How I landed a guy like you, I will never understand.”
With fluttering eyelashes, Steve tilted his head back slowly, his throat vibrating in pleasure. It caused Eddie’s stomach to twist, and images of sharing the shower reignited. That broad jaw displayed all the sensitive skin he wanted to claim all over again. He even caught sight of a mostly healed bruise where his shoulder met his neck.
“One of these days, I’m going to get you to believe how incredible you are. I’ll tell you every day if I have to.”
“Steve,” Eddie laughed with a heavy dose of self-depreciation. “That will never happen, but thank you.”
A “Whatever” rolled past his lips. Steve backed away to start swimming, his movements enviously graceful. He held a hand out between them, their fingers hooking together.
It was easy to play around with Steve: chasing each other in the water, Eddie hooking his legs around Steve’s hips as he swam and bounced, trying not to drown them both while choking on their laughter and embracing the roaming of their hands.
Steve caught Eddie’s biceps as he fought to tickle him, this particular laugh leaving the aggressor out of breath. “Do you think your friends are going to like me?” Steve asked, forcing Eddie’s gaze to him. He stopped his attack, his eyes blinking a few times as he processed the words.
“My friends?” Eddie said aloud. He didn’t have many friends. He had Gareth and Jeff. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Yeah? Then I guess I’ll have to thank them,” Steve said quietly. “For encouraging you to come back to me.”
“They’re dicks, but they’re okay, I guess.” Eddie joked. He couldn’t take his eyes off the prize of a man between his legs. Those honey-brown eyes were shining, his smile never faulting. “Gareth didn’t believe I kissed you first.”
“If I get to meet them, I’ll set the record straight,” Steve assured him, the quirk of his lips playful. “Don’t you worry.”
“When you get to meet them,” Eddie corrected, lowering his eyebrow.
“When,” Steve nodded, splashing the attitude right off Eddie’s face. “When I meet them.”
“No fair!” Eddie shouted, splashing Steve back. Much harder than was delivered to him.
Steve circled his arms around Eddie’s waist, dipping them both underwater with a laugh. He could still hear it as the gurgling of water filled his ears. A gasp escaped his lips as he opened his mouth to breathe once they surfaced, one of Steve’s large hands moving to push away his clinging strands of hair.
“You just think you’re so cute, don’t you?” Eddie asked, feeling so goddamn smitten.
The fear that had settled deep in his chest about leaving this place was replaced with impatience. He was ready to experience this, their relationship, outside of the camp. There were different responsibilities, sure. But they could be whoever the hell they wanted to be and not worry if someone was watching them from the bank.
“Maybe a little.” Oh, the smile he flashed Eddie. It was probably the best in his arsenal. “My boyfriend tells me how attractive I am a lot, so it must be somewhat true, yeah?”
The goddamn fluttering his heart and stomach accomplished knocked the breath out of him a little. Boyfriend. He had never been someone’s boyfriend, but he for sure always wanted to be Steve’s. Since he was too young to understand what it came with. All he knew back then was he wanted to lay around and watch movies, teach him to play DND, and play him his music every single day.
“Stevie,” Eddie breathed, cupping the strong jaw of the man he loved softly. “I’m proud to be your boyfriend.”
Steve sighed, “I’m proud to be your boyfriend, too.”
The happiness felt infinite as they finished out their time in the sun and transitioned to their adjoining rooms with food, drinks, and the intention of spending the night in bed with Steve’s laptop playing.
“I don’t think I can walk anymore,” Eddie groaned. The water was heavy on his skin and the pain residing in his seat was a constant low annoyance. It wasn’t actually bad. Not at all.
“Oh?” Steve asked, his feet stopping to look over him. Checking on him. Butterflies knocked around the stomach lining, and he tried to force back the sincere smile fighting his to show on his lips.
“So sore,” Eddie grumbled. “All your fault.”
“Oh, only my fault?” Steve laughed, causing Eddie to blush. “I guess I’ll just have to carry you, then.”
“What?” Eddie said, cut off as he turned toward Steve. The small bag of their items nearly fell from Eddie’s shoulder as Steve backed into him and reached back, hoisting him up. Eddie flung his arms around Steve’s chest, hugging his neck.
“You’re choking me,” Steve laughed, one of his hands pulling on Eddie’s forearm.
“I thought maybe you liked that.”
“Maybe in a different scenario,” Steve quipped, still laughing. Short chuckles and quiet giggles. All love.
They made their rounds, checking on the kids who were back in their cabins before settling onto the squeaky bed Eddie would surely miss when he was back to his own.
Steve was leaning back against the wall, one hand behind his head and the other on Eddie’s back, rubbing circles into his vintage black Metallica shirt. His eyes were lazily hooded, his shirtless frame looking so damn sexy. His gaze was fixed on the screen. They were rewatching Avatar, well mostly listening to it.
“You look like you could fall asleep right now,” Eddie observed, reaching for his black bottle of nail polish. His Sunday routine.
“I am very relaxed,” he admitted, the even lazier smile a direct connection to the twitch of his arousal.
Eddie was shaking his head side to side subtly, entirely rooted in disbelief that this was his life now. His childhood had been riddled with pain and loneliness. His high school years were better, as better as they could be with those past circumstances following him–haunting him. This, his time with Steve, was a fever dream he never wanted to part from.
“Good,” Eddie breathed, twisting open the liquid darkness he was coating on and beginning to paint over each chipped nail. It was relaxing for him, filling in the spots worn from the week, from his playing with Steve, his adventures.
“Can I help?” Steve asked when Eddie finished up his second finger.
“You want to paint my nails?” Eddie asked, looking over to see Steve’s body coming closer, the bed shifting between them.
Steve shrugged, “Yeah? Why not?”
The bottle was handed off, Eddie turning to face his boyfriend better. Of course, Steve was good at it, naturally. Each finger was expertly painted, Eddie’s eyes on the work of those large, masculine hands. It was so easy to imagine them on him now, holding his hip, grasping his throat, spreading open his thighs. Fuck. They had connected fully less than a day ago, fully satisfied again only eight hours ago, and here he was, imagining Steve all over him.
He peeked up through his eyelashes, watching the look of concentration shift with each finger he held daintily. His thin bony fingers looked so small in comparison, paler with the black shining wetly. “Are you bad at anything?” Eddie asked, repeating himself for the millionth time.
Steve glanced up a moment, their eye contact laced with tension and only the good kind. “I’m not the best in school. Kinda dumb.” The laugh he let out pained Eddie. There’s no way he was dumb. “But what I lack in smarts, I try to make up for in other ways.”
“You’re not dumb, Steve,” Eddie whispered just loud enough for him to hear, the squeeze in his lungs harsh. Is that how Steve felt when Eddie talked about not being good enough for him?
“It’s okay, Eds,” he sighed, obviously trying to stay focused on painting. “Some people are good at school, I’m just not. I couldn’t get into college or anything. I’m not really the academic type, and I’ve made peace with that.” After finishing his pinky, he offered a small smile to Eddie. “I tend to like intelligent people, though. Like you. Smart, talented, gorgeous…”
The compliment warmed him, but he didn’t give in to the redirection. “Being good at school doesn’t mean you’re smart, and having difficulty with school doesn't mean you’re dumb. Being resourceful, good with your hands, quick on your feet, and athletic all show off how intelligent you are, Steve. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.”
Steve closed the nail polish and stared at Eddie for a solid minute without saying a word. He thought maybe he got to him, reassured him of his intelligence that was blatantly obvious. And then Steve delivered a “Good with my hands, huh?”
His chin tilted, their gazes still locked through Steve’s long eyelashes. That twist of his stomach returned as he carefully picked up Eddie’s hands and blew on his drying nails for a few long moments before setting them down carefully.
“Me next?” Steve asked, wiggling his fingers in Eddie’s direction.
With a playful smirk, Eddie snatched the polish and one of Steve’s hands. He unscrewed the top and began to outline his thumbnail, filling it in.
“You’re something else,” Eddie said, his heart full. “I wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.”
Steve
Robin squealed when Steve told her about his new relationship status. He wasn’t surprised, really, and was expecting the huge hug she wrapped him in. Robin noticed his fingernails and teased him ruthlessly as he took it was ease. It was their typical dynamic– all love and jokes.
“I kinda like it,” Steve countered, shrugging in her direction.
Robin’s hand pat his shoulder, a big toothy smile flashing in his direction. “All that matters is you're happy, Steve. You know that, right?”
“I am,” The slow pull of Steve’s smile pulled the corners of his lips. “Really happy.”
Like he was being summoned, Eddie walked into the cafeteria and into view. Steve’s smile pulled further, encapsulating the admission of happiness as Eddie smiled too. He could feel Robin’s eyes on him, his sudden shift of energy further proof of how deeply he felt for Eddie but he didn’t care. He wanted to scream it from the rooftops if it wouldn’t cause issues for them in their last days here.
“Hey babe,” Steve stood up as Eddie approached, greeting him with his whole heart on his sleeve. Resisting the urge to kiss him wasn’t the easiest thing Steve had ever had to do. But knowing in a handful of days, Steve could kiss Eddie, unbridled and without restraint whenever he wanted to was helping to keep his resolve from breaking. “We waited for you.”
As if on cue, Robin stood and motioned toward the food. It was her way of telling them without verbal snarkiness that she was past hungry now.
“Waited for little ole me?” Eddie teased, leaning in maybe a little too close but not close enough. His top lip lifted, pulling his lips up in the way he did. It was breathtaking, honestly. Steve felt his heart do a backflip. “How sweet of you.”
“I’d wait forever,” Steve’s voice was quiet, almost lost to the noise of the cafeteria. His fingers drifted to lightly feather over Eddie’s hips to keep him close, pull him closer if he could.
“Can’t wait to leave this place,” Eddie said, his voice full of promise. Of need. To have Steve without eyes on them.
“Not much longer now…” Steve trailed off, his hands twitching as he fought the desire to wrap his arms around his boyfriend.
“Alright love birds, can we eat now?” Robin groaned, trying not to smile.
“Someone’s grumpy..” Eddie whispered, loud enough for her to hear.
“I heard that Munson,” She playfully scolded, flashing him a look.
Steve’s eyes widened a bit. “Let’s feed her before she kills us with her eyes.”
“I’m not scared of little birdie over there,” Eddie said, smirking and flashing her a look before obeying.
Steve laughed as they fell into step together. He wasn’t sure deserved the elation bubbling in his chest, but he would relish it while it was there for however long it was meant to last.
***
The week was tumbling by so fast– if this was a week ago, Steve would have felt nothing but panic and fear. And while there’s still some residual worry lingering, the excitement to properly date Eddie was outweighing it. There wasn’t much time when he was alone, but when the rare moment presented itself, he thought about the commitment it would take for a long-distance relationship. It was something he was willing to do with Eddie from the start, even if Steve’s feelings for him had elevated into something entirely new. It was like his crush amplified by a hundred. The way he felt was growing stronger every day like it was on its way to becoming bigger than his body and he wouldn’t be able to contain it much longer.
It was Saturday night before their last day and Steve had made plans. Nostalgia was thick as camp began to dwindle to a close, and there wasn’t anything else he wanted to do then take Eddie to their place. The dock.
“Want to go for a walk with me?” Steve asked Eddie after dinner, Robin gave them a salute to find Vicki. Her summer fling. The one that would stay at camp since they were going different ways for school. At least, he thought, they went into their relationship knowing it was set to end. He only hoped, for the sake of Robin’s heart, it was enough to keep her safe and as pain-free as possible.
Eddie’s voice brought him back to the present, their knuckles brushing as they walked together. “I’d follow you anywhere.” The mumble seemed to escape his lips without a thought and his expression shifted to a slight shock. “Did I say that aloud?”
“You sure did. Anywhere, huh?” Steve leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Eddie’s temple, the loose strands tickling Steve’s cheek.
The short, bashful laugh was followed by a rub to the back of his neck and bright red cheeks.
With a reach of his hand, Steve let his fingertips graze Eddie’s knuckles. “I’d follow you anywhere, too, ya know?”
“Yeah?” Those big brown eyes were at peak puppy-dog effect, staring at Steve in the way he did when didn’t expect the words between them.
Threading his fingers between Eddie’s, Steve lifted their hands to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on Eddie’s skin. “Does that really surprise you, baby?”
“It’ll take me a while to feel like I’m worthy of you,” He began. “I’ve never been worthy of anything.”
Steve sighed as their feet pushed them closer to their dock, empty and waiting for them. “What makes you think you’re not worthy of me? I’m nothing special. I’m just Steve. A guy who is crazy in love with you.”
“I’m Eddie, the town trash and fuckup. I even fucked this up.”
“We both made some missteps, Eds,” Steve countered, his eyebrows lifting as his expression softened. “Neither of us communicated how we were feeling, so that’s a bold claim to take all the responsibility for us both being… well, unsure of how to process what we were feeling.” Steve stopped them as the wood creaked beneath their feet. “And the trash comment, I won’t even dignify that with a response,” He huffed, studying Eddie’s face.
“You’re cute when you’re frustrated with me,” He said with a weak smile, leaning in close to get Steve’s reaction.
Steve sighed, moving to sit down and tugging lightly on Eddie’s arm to join him. His legs hung over the side. “I see you, trying to change the subject. Fine. But I want to make it known, I fully disagree with all the horrible things you say and think about yourself.”
“Noted,” Eddie said, sitting beside him. “Can we talk about how incredible you are instead?”
Steve shifted and lowered his head to Eddie’s shoulder, his eyes staring out at the moon’s reflection in the water. “Counter offer,” Steve started. “How about we talk about how incredible it is to be here together right now?”
Eddie sighed as Steve squeezed on their ever-tangling fingers. “It is incredible, isn’t it?”
With a small nod, Steve swung his legs back and forth. “I can’t wait to take you on a real date though. Go on road trips together. Cook for you…”
“You can cook?” The curiosity was thick in Eddie’s question.
“I can,” Steve smiled. “I’m not a gourmet cook or anything, but Dustin’s mom has taught me a few things. I can follow a recipe pretty well.” He felt proud to admit that. “It’s much better than the frozen meals and the takeout I used to live on.” His eyes lifted to look at Eddie’s face the best they could from his angle. “What’s your favorite meal? I’ll learn it if I don’t already know it.”
He could feel Eddie’s eyes on him but knew that he was trying to think of how to answer. “Probably biscuits and gravy.”
“I’ll make it for you then,” Steve said quietly, lifting to give Eddie a peck on the lips. “I’ll make you anything you want.”
Then Steve felt Eddie’s lips press against his with more pressure than they normally kiss when they’re outside. He could tell by the touch on his thigh that he had said something right– something that made Eddie happy and this was the only way he had to respond.
When they parted, Steve rested their foreheads together. “Is there anything you want to do when we’re out of here?”
Being on the dock under the stars with Eddie brought back memories of when they were younger, making plans and promises that they wouldn’t end up keeping. And even if that’s what they were doing now, even if Eddie got scared again… Steve kept it close to his heart that at least he got this…
“Specifically?” Eddie asked, and Steve gave him a nod. “I want to take you to meet my uncle properly, as my boyfriend. I want to see where you work, where you went to school, and do all the things we talked about before.”
Opening his eyes, Steve lifted his head and let his eyes dance between Eddie’s. “You know that's what I want too… I want all of that.” His hand found Eddie’s cheek, holding him gently. “It’s all I’ve wanted for so long.” He breathed out, and if it wasn’t so quiet, he wouldn’t have been sure Eddie would’ve heard him.
“Me too, Stevie,” Eddie breathed, tucking hair behind Steve’s ear.
They spent the following hours stargazing and enjoying each other’s space. Over the last week, it had become more and more difficult to keep their touches on the subtle side. Steve was certain that Jonah knew now that they were a thing, but he never commented on it. Maybe they were both more obvious than they had realized.
When they got back to the cabin, they spent a short amount of time accounting for their campers before finding each other again. With it being their last night, they played rock, paper, scissors to determine whose bed they slept in. If Eddie won, it was Steve’s. If Steve won, it was Eddie’s. After the best two out of three, Steve won.
“It’s probably better that way,” Steve said, cupping Eddie’s face and kissing away the pout on his lips. “I’m mostly packed up. It doesn’t feel like my room much anymore.”
“Some things never change,” Eddie said with a laugh.
They climbed into bed as the laptop played something random, but no attention was on the glow of the screen. Needy hands and desperate kisses had ignited between them, falling into each other until they collapsed in exhaustion from the limits they pushed their bodies to.
The morning sun woke them, and Steve was grateful since he had forgotten to set an alarm. Not that his mind wasn’t elsewhere. It was a requirement for counselors to be up by a certain time to check out with their campers and make sure that they were picked up and that they have everything. It would be a nice way to say goodbye, Steve thought. He had grown fond of his kids after spending five weeks being their mentor. But it did make him even more ready to get home to his little brother and his friend group. They, too, were off at a science camp and had gotten back to Hawkins a week before, that’s when the texts had started. He couldn’t wait to spend time with them, but even more so, he couldn’t wait for them to meet Eddie. They would love him, he had no doubts.
“Eds?” Steve whispered, his hands smoothing down Eddie’s arms. He groaned and Steve couldn’t help but smile. “We’ve got to get up. Lots of little sheepies to tend to before we head out.”
“Five more minutes,” A mumble came from the confines of the pillow they were sharing. “Please?”
Gently, Steve began placing light kisses on Eddie’s shoulder blade and over the back of his arm. “Five more minutes, then we’ve got to get up, okay?” He said against the warmth of Eddie’s skin.
The shiver that moved through Eddie caused a quake of goosebumps to pop up over his skin where Steve’s lips and breath were decorating it. The gentle attack of kisses moved to the back of his neck as Steve let his fingers move Eddie’s hair out of the way to continue.
“You’re evil, Harrington,” Eddie murmured, starting to stir and stretch his long neck out to give Steve more room.
A smile tugged at Steve’s lips as he closed in on Eddie’s ear, nipping the soft skin of the pierced lobe with intention. “You like it, don’t you?”
“Fucking love it, and you know it,” Eddie let out a small growl, the vibration rattling against Steve’s lips.
“Mhm…” Steve nosed at the hinge of his jaw before scraping his teeth there. “I might have an idea.”
The small humming came from Eddie as he squirmed and Steve had gotten acquainted enough with his boyfriend’s body that he knew his attempt of getting Eddie worked up was successful.
“You know what I’m excited about?” Steve asked as he rolled his hips against Eddie’s ass, the light material of boxers the only thing separating them. “Making love to you and being as loud as we want…” He purred against flushed skin, his own break staggering in his chest.
“Fuck, Steve..” Eddie’s voice was shaking, radiating with need. “Please.” A small gasp tumbled into the air. “I want it so bad.” The shift of Eddie’s body provided more friction as Steve’s hips ground into him.
A pinched moan carelessly escaped Steve and he felt his grip on Eddie tighten. “I can’t wait to take my time with you, devour you properly…”
“This hasn’t been properly?” Eddie gasped. “I don’t know— I don’t think I can handle it.”
Steve moved his hand to the front of Eddie’s boxers, squeezing the bulge that greeted his fingertips. “I think you’ll do just fine, baby. I’ve got you. Always.”
Eddie threw his head back, moaning something guttural as Steve’s words combined with his touch. “God, how will I survive without your touch every single fucking day?”
“You can have me as often as you’re comfortable,” Steve groaned into his ear as his hand shifted and dipped beneath the waistband of Eddie’s underwear. “If you want me, I’ll be waiting. You will always have a place with me, Eddie…” His fingers wrapped around Eddie’s dick, his thumb dragging the leaking pre-cum to lubricate his length.
He could feel Eddie’s body reacting to his touch, already unraveling before he pumped his hand fully over every aching inch. He wished he could see Eddie’s beautiful face as those full lips parted with the heavy breaths, his soft moans directing Steve’s touch.
“That’s it, my beautiful boy,” Steve breathed out as he rolled his hips harder against his boyfriend. “So hot…”
“Jesus Christ, Steve,” Eddie was writhing against him, his hips shifting to fuck into Steve’s moving hand and rub against Steve in time. “I fucking love it when you talk to me like that.”
Steve moaned into Eddie’s shoulder, biting down to stifle the volume of it all. He felt the tensing of Eddie’s muscles against him. He was beginning to unravel at the contact, Eddie’s hand reaching back to grasp Steve anywhere they could as his body gave in to Steve’s touch.
The moan was muffled as Eddie lifted the pillow against his face, his hand on Steve tightening as he came undone. His cum coated Steve’s fingers as he slowed, his thumb caressing the tip a few times to see his boyfriend jerk with sensitivity.
“So good for me, baby,” Steve cooed, nosing at his shoulder. “I hope you feel good.”
“Shit..” Eddie exhaled as Steve’s hand carefully removed itself from his boxers.“You always make me feel good.” The laugh that came from Eddie was one of soft disbelief. “Like… all the damn time.”
“Mm, that’s mutual.” Steve ignored the aching in his pelvis as Eddie turned to face him. Steve lifted his fingers to his own mouth and sucked them clean of the salty reward. “Fuck, you taste good.”
Eddie’s eyes sparkled, the pupils still blown wide pushing the beautiful brown out almost entirely. Steve watched the flex of Eddie’s jaw clenching. “You think I can hold you hostage a little longer?”
“You said five minutes…” Steve reminded, teasing him as he pulled him close.
The smile Eddie flashed was something wicked. Steve’s breath hitched as Eddie’s hand snuck between them with the limited space to palm at him through his damp boxers. “But you need me.”
Then Eddie was nosing and mouthing at Steve’s neck, his hand squeezing Steve’s throbbing dick in his hand. A moan flew from his lips as Eddie worked at him at several different points. “I always need you,” Steve breathed. “Wanted to make you feel good. Gonna miss you so much.”
And Eddie kissed him like he may never get a chance to again. Steve’s heart refused to break at the urgency, just held on tight and kissed him back with just as much passion and desperation at he was met with.
When they parted for air, Eddie let out a gasp, “Gonna miss you too. So fucking much.”
Steve watched as Eddie’s hand came between their faces long enough for him to wet his palm with his tongue before returning to its place around Steve.
“Eddie,” Steve groaned from deep in his chest, his boyfriend wasting no time smoothing over every inch of him. He was so close from touching and rubbing against Eddie that he felt his body screaming as it clenched tight. He was wound so tightly that Eddie’s hand working over him would easily cause him to snap. With urgency, Steve pushed his lips to Eddie’s, trying to kiss him. Instead, his parted lips, stayed against the full set he loved so much as he edged closer and closer. “I’m going to-”
And he unraveled, shooting up over Eddie’s fingers and over their stomachs as he came. Eddie’s hand worked him through his orgasm, his hand not leaving until Steve’s eyes fluttered open to look at him.
He felt like his chest was cracking open, exposing every piece of him as he stared into Eddie’s eyes in the post-orgasm glow. Both were breathless, but the sparkling Steve found in Eddie’s eyes— especially when they looked at him— felt like it could tear him two.
“I’m so in love with you,” Steve’s voice was rough from being dry, but he pushed on. “I will always love you, Eddie, no matter what happens. I need you to know that.”
Eddie’s eyes were all over his face, searching before he finally spoke. “Steve Harrington..” He trailed off, his eyes bouncing between Steve’s. “I will always love you too.”
***
It wasn’t easy breaking away from Eddie to get ready to take on the day, but their responsibilities would come knocking regardless if they were ready or not. Just like the end of the day when the unknown would take them to their own homes. The distance would separate them just like years before, only this time, Steve felt he had much more to lose.
They ate breakfast, all three of them, dealing with their own inevitable pain in some way. Even if they didn’t outright say it, Steve could feel it.
“Hey Rob,” Steve reached out and grabbed her hand. “If you want to spend time with Vicki, I understand.”
Her blue eyes were wide and misty as they stared at him. “You sure?”
Steve nodded. “Yeah. I get it.”
“Thanks, Steve,” She hugged him quickly before picking up her food and making her way to Vicki’s table.
“I’m glad Vicki lives in Hawkins,” Eddie said, shoveling food into his mouth.
“Yeah…” Steve trailed off, picking at his own food. His stomach was in knots. “They’re going to different universities, but at least they’ll have holidays if they decide to see each other after this.”
“If?” Eddie questioned quickly, his eyebrows pulling downward.
“Yeah.. they were keeping it causal because of the distance…” Steve cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. “Something about not being tied down in college?”
Eddie’s wide eyes stared down at his food with, pursed lips. “They seem… crazy about each other, though.”
“Yeah…” Steve offered a small smile. “I don’t know.”
But he did. Because sometimes it was scary to trust another person wholly. To put yourself out there and believe the other person wouldn’t hurt you. That was also the beautiful part, in Steve’s opinion. To love regardless of the pain. In spite of it. The pain was inevitable. He wanted to go back and tell his younger self that it was worth the pain to love Eddie like he did. It was what was getting him through today.
Eddie reached over beneath the table, squeezing Steve’s knee. Steve let his smile take up more of his face, pulling his lips until his cheeks hurt. His fingers found Eddie’s, squeezing back. He lifted the ringed hand to his lips to kiss gently.
“After you round up your littles, want to meet me at the dock? You know, to properly say goodbye to this place?”
“I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” Eddie smiled so pretty at him.
“Then maybe I could help you to your car,” Steve leaned closer, the distance minimizing with the movement. “Give you a goodbye kiss for the road?”
Eddie leaned in too, unable to combat the pull they had between them. His eyelids were hanging heavily already as he glanced to Steve’s lips. “I’m not sure I could go home without one.”
“I wouldn’t let you, don’t worry. I couldn’t make it without one either,” Steve admitted, his heart scrambling in his chest as he admired his boyfriend's face as long as he could. He would burn his favorite features into memory for when they were apart, and just in case…
“I can’t believe this is it,” Eddie said weakly, their eyes meeting.
Steve leaned his forehead to Eddie’s, surviving on the soft breaths falling from Eddie’s parted lips. His hand cupped Eddie’s face lightly as he tried to fight back the tears threatening to fall. He didn’t know what to say that he hadn’t already. Or which words could prevent overthinking or panic. Steve wasn’t sure what to do other than be there. So that’s what he did.
“We’ll figure it out,” Eddie whispered. “Remember?”
Steve nodded, “Yeah. I know we will.”
The rest of the day was filled with kids and parents, and most of all, goodbyes. Jonah even made it a point to connect with Steve personally.
“I’m glad to see you and Eddie are still together,” He said in passing before saying goodbye. It stuck with Steve for the rest of the day. So he did know? Did he think they were from the beginning?
When the last kid was gone from the collective group, Steve carried Robin's things to his car while she said her goodbyes to Vicki. Eddie helped him with his own bags before they walked hand in hand back to their dock.
The sun was low as they dropped to sit, Eddie curling into Steve as the water soothed their aches as much as it could.
“I think about our first kiss a lot,” Steve confessed, his eyes staying on the water.
“What about it do you think about?” Eddie was quiet when he asked, as if not to disturb the moment.
“I had battled with myself over whether or not to confess my feelings for you. I had known for a bit that it went deeper than friendship, but I was afraid to ruin what we had. You were like rain on a sweltering day. You made my life so much better by simply coming into it,” Steve let his chest open, the words falling freely with his confession. “But when you sang Angela to me and told me you’d miss me... I thought maybe… maybe you felt the same. Kissing you was the best decision I could’ve made. It helped me understand what kissing was really meant for… and now, I understand the rest.”
Eddie’s eyes were on him now. “I know it wasn’t like that for me with other people, but you—you feel the same?”
“You have always been what I’ve chased in everyone, and no one could give me the same spark that you did, and you didn’t even try. It was just there between us. It’s still there, burning brighter, getting stronger every day. I probably sound crazy…”
“You don’t sound crazy, Steve. You’re—you’re taking words from my lungs. I mean that.” Eddie’s voice held a slight desperation that was tender in contrast.
Steve grabbed Eddie’s hands, his heart slowly throbbing with so much love. “Thank you for saving me, in so many ways. You have no idea.”
Tears had pooled in those beautiful chocolate brown eyes, slipping over and onto Eddie’s cheeks. His bottom lip was quivering and Steve lifted a hand to curl around the back of Eddie’s neck as he pushed their foreheads together.
“Baby, please don’t cry… it’s going to be okay, remember?” Steve whispered, letting his own tears fall. He let out a soft sob. “How is it you look pretty, even when you’re crying? Not fair, Munson.”
Eddie let out a choked laugh, playfully pushing Steve a little. “Whatever, Harrington.”
Steve grabbed Eddie’s face, both hands holding his cheeks and letting his thumbs wipe the tears away. He tilted his chin, letting his lips brush Eddie’s. “I love you, Eddie Munson.”
“I love you, Steve Harrington,” Eddie pushed his lips to Steve’s, closing the distance as they kissed through the stain of tears and the pain of the inevitable distance.
They stayed there for as long as they could; until the sun began to set and the darkening blues and purples started to take the sky.
Walking hand in hand, they stopped by Eddie’s room and gathered his things before heading to where the counselors were parked.
“This you?” Steve motioned to the two-toned panel van. It was a stupid question, and he knew it. The only other vehicle there besides his was the van and what was Vicki’s car pulling out of the graveled lot.
“This is me,” Eddie smiled, reaching forward to play with Steve’s shirt. It was obvious he wanted to linger, just like Steve did. “I—I’ll see you soon?”
Steve leaned against the van with Eddie’s guitar and bag at his feet. “Yeah, soon.” He smiled back, his heart screaming inside his ribcage. “Take care of that phone, alright? You’re going to need it because I expect to know when you make it home.”
“Yes, sir,” Eddie saluted, playfully. “Thanks for the number.” He winked.
Pulling himself off the van, he leaned into Eddie and kissed him again with parted lips and a hint of tongue. “You better use it,” Steve said, his fingers pinching Eddie’s chin gently as the kiss broke.
“Use it? You’re going to wish I didn’t have it,” Eddie teased, taking in a deep, shaky inhale.
“Not a chance…” Steve teased back, bumping Eddie’s nose with his. “Drive safe, beautiful.”
“You too,” Eddie whispered, leaning in and kissing Steve again. He was grateful for another moment to savor the way his boyfriend tasted, hoping it would be enough to last him a while even though he knew it wouldn’t.
The kiss broke, and Eddie reluctantly moved to slide open the back door and push his stuff inside. After it was closed, he turned back to Steve, their hands connecting on the handle of the front door. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, babe,” Steve said. “More than you know.”
Eddie
The drive back to his uncle’s trailer went too quickly, the reality of their last five weeks out of his grasp much quicker than he wanted or expected. The white lines blurred past him as the tree-lined roads became more familiar with each passing second. He shifted slightly in his seat, the reminder of their love-making still a promise in the air between them. He tried to hold on to that, even the quicker, unconnected moments as they shared in the morning, as he drummed his fingers on the peeling leather of his ancient steering wheel.
He was home, but it didn’t feel right. Just as it had three years ago when his uncle drove him back, his forehead pressed into the glass the entire ride. A sigh pushed past his lips as he removed himself from the clunky vehicle and grabbed his stuff, not caring how loud the echo of his car door was. Wayne was at work, so it was only the neighbors he could piss off.
Once inside, he locked himself in the dusty smell of old smoke and cigarettes. The trailer was so dark, but he didn’t mind. He flicked on an old lamp and crossed the entire length to drop his belongings in his messy room. The vibration of his phone got his attention as he leaned his guitar case against his closet door.
Steve: Make it home yet?
Eddie smiled, tapping away and retyping after some mistakes. He sent off his words of despair: Unfortunately. This place doesn't feel like it did a couple of months ago. He dropped on the bed and leaned against the pillows and his headboard, sending a picture of his legs outstretched and the disarray of his room beyond those white reeboks. Miss you, he added.
The texts didn’t stop. If anything, they increased as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Steve was busy with work and moving Robin into her dorm. Eddie wasn’t really busy at all, but he didn’t want to intrude on the life Steve was living. It didn’t feel right.
As he sketched at his desk, Spotify playing his On Repeat playlist, he thought about what it would be like to do this very task beside Steve. His commissions took a lot of time, but it was rewarding. He did what he loved for money. Even if Steve was working, Eddie would be there when he got home. Like a neglected puppy wagging his tail and looking up at him with the largest eyes: “Play with me!”
He scoffed aloud. He was pathetic. His apple pencil shifted as his phone vibrated obnoxiously next to his elbow, screwing up the line he was working on. “Shit.” He dropped his utensil and answered the call, not looking at who was calling. “‘Ello?”
“I didn’t take you as the answering your phone type,” he heard and smiled immediately.
“Birdie!” Eddie exclaimed. “How are you?”
“I’ll be better if you go visit my dingus of a best friend. He’s so fucking mopey and moody.” Her “Please, Eddie, for my sake,” sounded more like “Puh-leez, Eddie, for my sake.”
“How would you even know? You’re not there,” Eddie said, still smiling as he picked up his pencil and began drawing again.
“I can just tell,” she quipped. “Don’t you miss him too?”
The question burned, even though he knew it wasn’t intended to be as harsh as it was taken. “Of course I do,” he breathed. He parted his lips to explain all the things he was constantly thinking over, considering, and talking himself out of. “He’s busy, Rob. I know he has a lot going on.”
“He’s trying not to pressure you,” Robin said, and that hurt worse. “He doesn’t want you to be inconvenienced with the distance so he’s just trying to handle it. And maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I think he’s waiting for the ball to drop a little bit.”
Eddie sat up straight, the phone slipping slightly from between his shoulder and ear. He pushed it back into place. “What do you mean?” he asked, desperation in his voice.
“Listen, he would kill me for telling you this.” He could hear the dramatic inhale she took in before she finished her thought. “But it’s not easy for him to be vulnerable. And as much as I know he’s trying not to freak out, I know those abandonment issues of his run real deep.”
Why hadn’t Eddie thought of Steve’s abandonment issues, especially as it pertained to him and them? Not even considering his parents.
“What’s his address?” Eddie breathed.
“Wait,” Robin said, not answering Eddie’s question. “I don’t mean to guilt you into this. It’s important to him that you’re happy too, and satisfied in this relationship… I just.” There was hesitation, and Eddie leaned in. Waiting for her to get it out. “It’s been a while, so I guess I don’t understand why you’re not there. I don’t want him to get hurt again. Even if he would say it’s worth it.”
“I would never hurt him…” Eddie said. “Again.” The pain came out, his chest tight. “Please, just.. give me his address.”
“I will Eddie, but I need you to tell me… be honest…” There was a sigh, and it made his stomach lurch in anticipation. “Are you in love with him? Do you want to be with him?”
“What the fuck kind of question is that, Robin?” Did he sound as irritated as he felt? How could she come at him like that? Wasn’t it obvious he loved Steve and wanted to be with him? He was just nervous about intruding on his life and ruining his reputation at home. There was something about the possibility that Eddie’s status could turn Steve off. All of those stupid teenage fears came out from the subconscious to fill his busy mind.
“He’s my best friend, Eddie. He has a huge heart that he hides because he’s been told his entire life that it’s a weakness,” Robin responded with a similar tone he felt he was giving off. Eddie clenched his teeth. “I don’t want him to think he’s not lovable. So I want to hear it from you.”
“I love him,” Eddie spat out. “And I want to be with him.”
With his heartbeat sounding off in his ears, he looked down at the space he had put between him and his art. How could she question his devotion to her best friend?
“Then stop being so damn afraid of messing up, and love him, dammit.”
“What. Is. His. Fucking. Address?” Eddie asked again, sternly but he hoped a little calmer than before. He just wanted her to give him the address, so he could go make it right. Prove to him that he loved him and didn’t want to have the distance between them any longer.
Silence. Did she hang up on him?
An exasperated sigh loudly echoed in his ear before he heard, “There ya go.”
“Sorry,” Eddie whispered. “I didn’t mean–”
“Forget about it, Eddie,” she said, much softer too.
“Don’t tell him I’m coming,” Eddie said right before he ended the call and gathered the items he couldn’t live without.
The van came to life with the flick of his wrist and he pressed his foot to the floor, racing to get from his small town to Steve’s: Hawkins, IN. The map gave him an estimated time, and he was determined to beat it. He had to make a stop before he planned to knock on the front door of the man he was obsessed with. The man he never stopped thinking about, even as a boy.
The minutes went by like hours, the music around him actually grating on his nerves as he clenched his wheel with enough force to snap it off. Steve was texting him, and he was trying to be cool, responding when he could safely do so without giving away his plans. Nerves shaking him inside and out, his stomach churning. By the time he arrived at the grocery store, he was panting and running around, trying to find exactly what he was picturing in his head.
It all had to be perfect.
He pulled up to what looked like townhome apartments, the red brick buildings with light grey accents all quaint and cute. The black doors were almost all glossy and personalized. Steve’s wasn’t decorated. He backed up a little and hid in front of one that appeared to be empty, at least for now. He dropped out of the front seat before gathering his guitar, his backpack stuffed to the brim with his clothing and some of their favorite snacks, and the blue and yellow bouquet he found with white accents. He walked as quietly as he could to Steve’s front door, knocking as he tried to calm his breath.
He was actually there, at Steve’s door. At least he hoped it was Steve’s door.
His boyfriend revealed himself, his eyes bulging behind a pair of metal frame glasses. They were so fucking cute on him, complimenting his skin tone and making him look like a sexy teacher. Fuck. He shook away the newly developed sinful thought and tried to redirect himself to the flowers he was holding up a little higher.
“Eddie, wha-?”
“Stevie,” Eddie interrupted, his lips curling upward slowly. His face was on fire, and he was trying very hard not to melt there on his front porch. “I missed you.”
Tears were welling along the waterline of those honey-brown eyes, breaking Eddie’s heart in two. “I missed you too,” Steve said, his voice thicker. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Eddie’s body. It was hard to save the flowers with the force, Eddie holding out the bouquet after a near-miss destruction. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Steve said into Eddie’s neck, where he buried his face.
“I’m here for as long as you want me to be,” Eddie said, using his other hand to rub his palm along the length of Steve’s spine. His own eyes were stinging, threatening to leave him a blubbering mess. “I’m all yours.”
“Please.. never leave me again.”
It would be as easy as breathing, living out forever and day with Steve by his side. In Hawkins. Always.
EPILOGUE
Steve
It only took six months of living together before Steve bought a ring. A beautiful black tungsten ring with a red inlay. When he saw it, he knew it was perfect. He had been saving for it, putting back a little with each check to make sure he could do it. They did well for themselves between Eddie’s commissions and Steve being promoted to assistant manager of the bookshop, so it was easy to build up separate savings aside from their vacation fund and their emergency fund that they tried to deposit into when they could.
In typical Steve fashion, he had this big proposal planned. He would just have to wait.
Tonight, though, was one of those nights where they had music on in the background and were working on separate things. They were sitting in front of the coffee table, but Eddie’s paints and glue were scattered all over it. Steve couldn’t concentrate on the grocery list he was jotting down, instead, his eyes were contently watching his boyfriend. The heavy guitar coming from the speakers of their smart tv had Eddie’s head bouncing slightly as his tongue drifted between those full lips. His curly dark hair had only gotten longer and right now, he had it pulled back halfway in a bun with the length dangling over his shoulders. He was working on a scene for this next campaign. It was a battleground, with a stone archway that led to a dangerous trek through the mountains. He had made most of it by hand, expanding onto a scene they had bought at a hobby and game store just a couple of days prior. It was insane to Steve how creative Eddie was. How he could take something plain and make it absolutely gorgeous. Not only in his world-building and the way he had with words when he told stories with passion but the way his hands could create these beautiful pieces of art– whether that be drawing commissions or the dragons– like the one Steve still had in his wallet. He was blown away by Eddie, captivated and mesmerized by his entirety and that only grew more and more each day that passed.
Steve had the thought before– that he could watch Eddie create for the rest of his life. He didn’t need to do anything but watch. Watch him play guitar, watch him build, watch him draw– whatever it was, Steve was enthralled by his boyfriend.
He slipped out of the living room and moved into their shared bedroom, specifically the closet. The black velvet box was tucked away in his sock drawer– one of the only pieces of Steve’s clothing that Eddie didn’t typically take to wear. As he slipped it into his pocket, he blew out a breath and made his way back to find his boyfriend exactly where he was left.
“Hey Eds,” Steve finally said, keeping his tone soft as he slid down to the floor next to him. “It’s looking really cool.”
“Yeah?” Eddie’s grin lit up the room and it made Steve smile back at him. “You think the kids will like it?”
Steve nodded, reaching out to let his thumb brush a small amount of grey paint that was on Eddie’s cheek. “They’re going to love it. How could they not?”
Eddie’s hand rested against Steve’s as he leaned into the touch on his cheek. “You’re too good to me.”
“Eddie, seriously,” Steve turned and looked over all the intricate work Eddie had done just on this piece. “You’re amazing. The things you create… baby, you blow me away.”
He watched those big brown eyes sparkle. “Steeeeve,” He whined as pink consumed his cheeks. “Stop it.”
“Never,” Steve whispered, leaning forward to press his lips sweetly to Eddie’s for a long moment. He breathed in his boyfriend, the subtle aroma of peppery patchouli and smoke clung to his skin. It was a smell that caused a flurry of arousal to build between his hips. “I could watch you create for the rest of our lives if you’d let me.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Eddie whispered, looking at Steve like he always did. Like he couldn’t get enough, that he was lost in everything that Steve was. It only made him more confident with the heavy weighing ring in his pocket.
Steve’s heart was battering his sternum, threatening to give him away. He wasn’t opposed to spontaneity, but it wasn’t something he did often. But it felt right. So right.
“Being with you is the best thing to ever happen to me, Eds,” Steve managed as their eyes met. He cleared his throat as he broke their connection, letting his hand fall to his pocket to fumble with the small box. He kept it in his palm, his fingers tightening around as he spoke. “I can’t imagine my life without you. And I don’t want to.” Finally, he lifted his hand up and revealed the box. “I’ve loved you for the better part of four years, and I know I will love you for the rest of my life.” Carefully, he opened the box to reveal the ring he had hidden, tucked away for the perfect moment. “Eddie Munson, will you marry me?”
“Jesus Christ, Steve,” He gasped, his eyes lifting from the ring back to Steve’s. His head began nodding like he couldn’t stop it. It was so fucking adorable. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
Steve felt his smile spread as he pulled the ring from the box, his eyes starting to water as he pushed the ring over Eddie’s finger. Once it was in place, Steve lifted Eddie’s hands so he could kiss the knuckle above the ring before cupping his fiancé’s face.
“I’ve had this ring for a while, baby. There’s been a thousand different ideas I’ve had on how to propose, for it to be perfect. But, I couldn’t wait anymore. This right now… us, it feels perfect. I’m so in love with you, Eddie.”
It wasn’t quite a second before Eddie was pressed against him, the kiss escalating until their lips parted to give access for exploring tongues. “Fuck, I love you so much,” Eddie gasped breathlessly between kisses. “Gonna be a great husband for you.”
“Oh baby,” Steve’s voice was husky as he pulled Eddie into his lap, his knees falling on either side of Steve’s hips. “I have no doubts.”
Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck and leaned in so close. Steve could see the dimples on either side of his smile– big and bright and so happy. So beautiful. The warmth in Steve’s chest spread and settled deep in the pit of his stomach, streamlining his arousal. “Never thought I’d marry anyone, but I’m so glad it’s going to be you.”
“Looks like you’re stuck with me now, Eddie.” Steve’s hands rubbed down the length of Eddie’s back, his t-shirt shifting beneath Steve’s touch.
“I’m not stuck if I’m willing..” Eddie tapped Steve’s nose, causing it to wrinkle. Slender, calloused fingers pinched Steve’s chin.
Having Eddie around him was comforting and warm, his head was fuzzy with want as he pushed closer. With their lips brushing, Steve let his nose nuzzle the silver hoop adoring Eddie’s nostril. “I guess you’re right, fiancé.”
“I’m going to devour you,” Steve could feel the vibration of the growl in Eddie’s throat as he ground down on Steve’s hips. “Fiancé.”
With his hands holding onto Eddie’s back, Steve lifted his hips to meet the curl of Eddie’s. “Yeah? Devour me, hm? Tell me what you have in mind, dungeon master…”
“Hmm..” Eddie hummed as he dipped his chin to trail kisses over Steve's neck. “I’m going to start with my mouth where you like it most,” He promised, sealing it with a long swipe of his tongue.
The breath Steve let out was more of a huff, staggering as Eddie’s lips worked over his sensitive skin. “I do love your mouth…” Steve moaned, his fingers digging into the thin material between his grasp and Eddie’s skin.
“How much do you love it?” Eddie’s confidence with Steve had only grown stronger every day they spent together. He loved how comfortable Eddie was with him, how mutually respectful they were of each other’s needs and wants. Every day reinforced how lucky Steve was and now? He would have that every single day. His head was spinning from the emotional overload, from Eddie’s words, and the way Eddie was touching him. “How much do you want it?”
“God, Eddie,” Steve panted, turning so he could nuzzle into any piece of Eddie’s skin he could reach. “I love it so much. I love every part of you. And I want all of you, always.”
Eddie’s blown-out pupils stared down at him, their bodies separating enough that Steve could glance at the expanse of Eddie’s torso. The way his jeans sat low on his hips, making Steve’s imagination run wild.
“Fuck you’re so hot,” Steve murmured, his own composure melting away quickly. Eddie’s smile was evil, the one Steve often got before sex or when Eddie had plans to get Steve all worked up. It was one of his favorites.
“And all yours,” Eddie tilted his head, reaching up to take Steve’s glasses off gently and set them to the side to keep them safe. Normally, they were tossed around or accidentally crushed. When they were lost in the moment, his glasses didn’t matter. But now, watching the tenderness even in the intensity that was building made Steve’s heart flutter. Once the glasses were secured, those calloused fingertips he loved slid down, dipping underneath the hem of Steve’s shirt. It felt so good to have Eddie’s skin on his and as his shirt was being discarded, he could feel the prickle of his flesh anxious to feel Eddie bare against him. It was like Eddie could read his mind as he pulled the thin material off his own body and tossed it carelessly to the side.
Steve’s eyes drank him again, for the hundredth time, but it would never be enough. His hands fell to Eddie’s thighs, squeezing as he admired the flex in his stomach and the dip between his hip bones. Wetting his lips with his tongue, Eddie shifted to kiss his neck again. Long creative fingers were in his hair, pulling as he sucked against Steve’s neck, his shoulder, his collarbone. Lower and lower, Eddie’s nose nuzzled into his chest, breathing in his chest hair as his hands held onto Steve’s sides.
There was no holding back with his sounds of pleasure since Eddie moved in, unlike camp where he had to reign himself in. His groans and moans were falling carelessly from his lips, encouraging Eddie to continue as he tangled his own fingers in the thickness of Eddie’s hair. Lips and teeth and tongue were traveling over the plane of Steve’s stomach, Eddie’s hands smoothing all over the space where his lips hadn’t been. The edge of the couch was pushing into Steve’s back as gravity pulled him backward, offering more room for Eddie to explore.
Steve was so caught up in Eddie that he didn’t realize his pants were open until he felt the restriction lessen. He looked up, meeting dilated pupils and a proud smile as Eddie let his lips brush the elastic of his underwear, deliberately ignoring how hard Steve was.
With a moan, Steve’s grip flexed in Eddie’s hair and he bit back his lip to try to be patient. It was difficult with Eddie’s mouth so close to him. Slipping down, Eddie let his lips tease Steve through his boxer briefs. Steve’s lips parted with heavy breaths, his head falling back as Eddie worked him through the damp material.
When Eddie’s fingers pulled at the last remaining article of clothing from Steve, he lifted to let his fiancé discard those too. Steve’s dick was so hard and weeping, but he refused to look away from Eddie who was pulling off his own jeans now.
“You’re so beautiful, Eds,” Steve breathed, his hands aching to touch Eddie when he stood up to strip himself completely. Steve’s eyes drank in the dragon adorning his side and the soft trail of hair leading to his gorgeous cock.
When Eddie sank back down to his knees in front of Steve, Steve immediately touched him wherever he could reach. “Steve,” Eddie’s voice was soft as he bent forward to kiss Steve once. “I love you.”
“I love you,” Steve moved forward, following the kiss for more, but Eddie had different plans. He lowered again, resuming his previous position between Steve’s legs. There was no hesitation as Eddie’s lips pressed to the underside of Steve’s shaft, causing him to gasp at the relief from the contact. Painting his lips over the sensitive skin, Eddie moved his mouth to the tip, taking it in and teasing with his tongue.
As Eddie took more of him, Steve couldn’t control the noise tumbling from his lips. He could feel the vibrations at the back of Eddie’s throat as he moaned around him. The slight gag ignited the desire inside of him to blaze– hot and uncontrollable.
Eddie drew Steve close, bobbing several times before sliding off of him. When he fell from Eddie’s lips, Steve gasped at the loss. But as Eddie lifted up, positioning himself back on Steve’s lap, Steve’s hand fell onto Eddie’s hips as they aligned.
The head of his erection caught the rim of Eddie’s hole and Steve hissed quietly at the sensation. Then the push as Eddie lowered, going slow as he stretched. Steve watched Eddie's swollen, wet lips part and he enjoyed the way his fiancé looked as he filled himself with Steve. Connecting fully after a few long, agonizing moments. It didn’t matter though, Steve would be patient. When he was finally seated, Steve relished the way it felt to be a part of something like this. To find the missing piece in the boy he had fallen for so long ago..
“Feel so good, baby,” Steve basically purred, his eyelids minimizing his view. He brushed Eddie’s hair out of his face before welcoming a kiss that fell distractedly against his lips as Eddie began to move.
Eddie whimpered as he ground down against Steve, slowly fucking himself on Steve’s dick. “So fucking full,” He mumbled against Steve’s mouth, his parted lips staying close as he moved. They were breathing each other’s oxygen, thoroughly connecting them in their intimacy.
Reaching between them with his right hand, he smoothed over the tip of Eddie to spread his cum down over every inch and pump in time with the curl of Eddie’s hips. He watched as Eddie’s eyelashes fluttered, a soft gasp shook through him as Steve pleased him in his own way.
Steve knew Eddie’s body well. He knew when his muscles began to quiver that he was close to his orgasm. He knew that Eddie would chase his climax, but he also knew that Eddie would enthusiastically coax Steve more. It was a balance of the two now, Eddie movements were erratic but still delicious as Steve’s left hand helped slam his hips down over and over until he felt the clench of muscles surround him, and the dick in his hand jerk with an orgasm. Eddie’s eyes were shut tight, his mouth open as he staggered a little and he fell apart for Steve, so beautiful as he came unraveled. The warmth covered Steve’s hand, but Eddie didn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop until Steve was claiming him from the inside.
With his toes curling, Steve followed as he came undone, loudly calling out Eddie’s name as he melted into the surfaces he was against and welcomed his future husband to do the same against him. His clean fingers smoothed over the ridges of Eddie’s spine as they caught their breath. Eddie’s face was buried in his neck, Steve still buried inside of his warmth. The way Eddie’s body reacted with aftershocks for the first few minutes made Steve smile. He pressed a soft kiss to Eddie’s temple, holding him close as the night caught up to them.
“Didn’t mean to distract you, but….” Steve’s whisper cracked from the dryness of his throat.
“Worth it,” The volume that Eddie responded with matched his and he could feel Eddie’s cheeks lift with a smile.
The stickiness clung to both of them, but Steve didn’t mind. Having Eddie close, still encasing him was ethereal.
Steve hummed, his own smile taking over his lips. “I’m glad we agree.”
He felt Eddie lift up to look into his eyes, the slender fingers of the love of his life holding his face as they nuzzled into one another. It was a comfortable silence, just basking in the love they shared.
“I’m going to clean us up and then I can help you finish building your scene if you want?”
Eddie tilted his head, his smile causing his lips to lift. “You want to help me?”
Steve nodded, kissing the tip of Eddie’s nose softly once. “Yeah, you’ll just have to tell me what to do. Is that okay?”
“It’d be my pleasure,” Eddie smoothed his hands through Steve’s hair once, causing goosebumps to spread over his skin. “Fiancé.”
They kissed again, easily wrapped up in the way they felt and the possibilities of their future together. Eddie was his and he was Eddie’s. The way it had always been, the way it was meant to be.
Eddie
Life hadn’t been better than it was now, his ring finger heavy with the permanence of a ring that left its indent. Their apartment was worn with two years of steps and adventures, all the sounds of a family that accepted Eddie with open arms. What they created wasn’t perfect, but it was the closest Eddie would ever imagine getting to perfection. It was lazy, sleepy kisses before Steve left him in the bed to make coffee and breakfast, holding hands as they walked through the small downtown square Steve’s job was located in looking over the quirky shops and getting bites at the local eats.
Being in Hawkins meant all eyes were on him, and for the first time, it wasn’t because of his style, music taste, or his lack of trying to find a better word to use than fuck in every other sentence–it was because he was walking with town royalty. Steve Harrington was a big deal here, and he was proudly parading around the trash of Kokomo. Steve hated when he called himself that, so he only did it internally nowadays.
Currently, they were shopping for the night’s campaign. Even though Steve didn’t play with them all the time, he was a huge part of the planning and hosting process. Eddie was pretty sure Steve lived for being a host in their home. He would grab something and announce who was going to love it before putting it in the cart. They got it all home, put tavern music on for the social scene Eddie had planned for the night’s journey, and set up all the food and drinks before the kids piled in. It was always the same. Steve would lean over Eddie’s shoulder, watching him, until he pulled himself away to do something for himself. It was never long before he was back, getting Eddie another drink or sharing a snack with him.
Tonight, all the kids were sleeping over at their place. They set up the living room to be a huge bed with layers of their blankets and all the pillows they owned besides the two they slept with. The movie was barely heard over the chatter between Dustin and Mike. They were definitely the loudest of the boys.
Eddie was cleaning up the table with Steve’s help, saving his DM stuff for last. As he folded his screen and grabbed a handful of dice, Steve leaned in close, smiling. “How about a kiss?” he asked. Those solid, strong fingers of his played with Eddie’s, sending the settled butterflies lining his stomach to disperse erratically. Those honey-brown eyes and that charming smile had him gasping for air in an instant. Would it ever not affect him?
“Mmm,” Eddie hummed, offering his best smile with a challenge. “How about you roll for it?”
His palm was lifted and opened to display the dice in his hand to his husband, the only man he had ever loved and would ever love. Steve was giving him a smirk that had his heart wild against his ribs.
“Roll the crazy dice?” Steve asked, not looking confused in the least as he pointed directly at the D20.
“Yep,” Eddie said, studying Steve’s face, so bright and playful. It lit up the entire fucking room. “The crazy dice. I’ll decide if you get a kiss and where you get it.”
Steve turned around and glanced behind him, through the small opening that led to the living space. Then he was greeting Eddie again, one eyebrow lifted. “If and where, hm?” Holding his palm open, he wiggled his fingers over his deep red dice set. “Hand it over.”
A chuckle fell from Eddie’s lips as Steve shook the D20 in his hand and rolled it on the folding table still upright. Both of them watched as it rolled over itself until finally landing. Seventeen.
“Wow. Beginner's luck.”
“It’s not my first time rolling these dice, Eddie,” Steve countered, teasing Eddie with his tone and the way he leaned his shoulder into his husband’s chest. “You taught me our first summer at camp. Then I’ve played with these rascals.”
“Touché,” Eddie whispered. His palm smoothed around his husband’s waist as he dropped the rest of the dice in his hand. Both hands met at the small of Steve’s back, Eddie stepping flush against the warmth radiating in his direction. “Think a seventeen is good enough for some tongue?”
“Isn’t twenty the highest I could’ve gotten?” Steve asked, faking concern and dissatisfaction. “Seventeen should be good enough for maybe even some light petting, I would think.”
“Oh, you thought your options were that good?” Eddie leaned in to whisper in Steve’s ear, “That twenty would win you the honor of burying yourself inside of me?”
“I mean…” Steve tilted his head as Eddie pulled back to admire his adorable expression and lowered his eyebrows, playfully pouting. “It only makes sense.”
“Maybe seventeen means I get the honor of having your mouth on me. What do you think about that?” Eddie asked, his hands smoothing over the curve of his husband’s gorgeous, plump ass.
“If you ask nicely, I would happily swallow you down…” Steve’s voice grew quiet. “If you’re good, of course..”
In an instant, Eddie was quiet and fully aware of how loud his breaths were. How was it that fucking easy to make him weak? He had gained confidence with Steve, but deep down, he was still putty. “Fuck, Steve,” Eddie whispered. “I’m always good.”
“Always, hm?” When had Steve’s face gotten so close to his, their lips brushing? How did Steve manage to turn this around? Eddie was not in control anymore. “My sweet boy…”
Eddie whimpered, nodding pathetically. He was Steve’s sweet boy. “Want you so bad, baby,” he whined.
Steve’s hands slipped into Eddie’s back pockets, pulling until his hips were against him. “Want you too…” He was nosing at Eddie’s jaw, his warm breath a hefty sigh as he did so. “But we have guests. Nosy ones, at that.”
Eddie made a sound that could only be described as a hmph. “Damn kids.” Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s back, finally giving his ass some space. He held him tightly against him, inhaling slowly. “I love you, Stevie,” he breathed.
“I love you, Eds.” Steve instigated the kiss Eddie owed him, open-mouthed and so fucking hot. It broke too soon. Steve was spinning his lean frame around and smacking his ass. “Better make sure they’re not getting into trouble.”
This was every single day of their lives: love, laughter, and lust. They were happier than Eddie ever imagined they could be when they drove their separate ways two and a half years ago. With fingers intertwined, they joined the kids on the couch, Eddie’s head on Steve’s shoulder, and the soft chatter of their party around them. Absolute bliss.
Notes:
Part Two's stunning artwork is by @pinklunamoth on Twitter!
Let them know how awesome they are! Follow for support!
strangerthingsfan (Guest) on Chapter 1 Fri 13 Oct 2023 10:17PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 1 Fri 13 Oct 2023 11:08PM UTC
Comment Actions
CultOfAdoration on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Oct 2023 05:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 1 Tue 24 Oct 2023 10:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
owhe on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Oct 2023 04:05PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 1 Tue 24 Oct 2023 10:59PM UTC
Comment Actions
skjachuk on Chapter 1 Sat 14 Oct 2023 04:59PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 1 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:02PM UTC
Comment Actions
AnneQQ on Chapter 1 Fri 29 Mar 2024 11:27PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pidgeaf on Chapter 2 Fri 20 Oct 2023 10:41PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:05PM UTC
Comment Actions
seabond on Chapter 2 Sat 21 Oct 2023 08:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:06PM UTC
Comment Actions
StarryMire on Chapter 2 Sun 22 Oct 2023 02:07PM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:07PM UTC
Comment Actions
JennyDangerously23 on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 12:12AM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:07PM UTC
Comment Actions
readyxsteddie on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 01:33AM UTC
Comment Actions
clinicofart on Chapter 2 Tue 24 Oct 2023 11:09PM UTC
Comment Actions
Becca6833 on Chapter 2 Tue 31 Oct 2023 12:48AM UTC
Comment Actions
SteveLovesEddie on Chapter 2 Fri 08 Dec 2023 03:19AM UTC
Comment Actions
AnneQQ on Chapter 2 Sat 30 Mar 2024 07:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
hullomoon on Chapter 2 Thu 16 May 2024 12:00PM UTC
Comment Actions
Lunamothh on Chapter 2 Sun 27 Jul 2025 04:36AM UTC
Comment Actions