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Eddie simply could not understand how Steve does not find himself beautiful. He’s Steve “The Hair” Harrington. Practically every girl (and if Eddie’s gaydar is as good as he thinks it is, a fair number of boys) at Hawkins High wanted to find themselves in his bed.
The guys who didn’t want him envied him for his charisma or athletic ability. Everybody knew that Steve Harrington was basically a walking god. A walking god who somehow just didn’t believe he was beautiful.
Eddie was determined to fix that. He started small, dropping little compliments like “I think your freckles are cute” or “I like the shape of your nose” in hopes of boosting his confidence. Then he discovered Steve has a praise kink, and he's been exploiting that one ever since. It’s one of his favorite parts of sex with Steve now, getting to tell him how incredible he is and watch him fall apart under the affection.
Lately, he’s been making Steve repeat his praise and compliments like a horny set of daily affirmations, and this is how he realized Steve genuinely doesn’t believe he’s beautiful.
See, one thing about Steve is he doesn’t like to lie. He’ll do it of course; there are legal binding contracts in place that specifically tell their whole group what truths they’re allowed to share, and the “corrected” versions of truths they aren’t, and Steve has never had an issue lying to authority figures. But with people who matter, people he cares about, he hates lying. That’s why Eddie is certain Steve doesn’t believe him. Because every time he tells him that he is, and asks him to repeat it, Steve won’t do it. It must feel too close to a lie.
Now, Eddie had a plan that he hoped would finally convince Steve to see himself like Eddie does. A plan that included Steve pretty literally seeing himself like Eddie does.
*****
Eddie broke away from their kiss and sat up. “I need you to do something for me baby.”
“Yeah?” Steve asked, a little out of breath from their make out session.
“Mhm.” Eddie said, moving down to sit near the foot of the bed, facing the closet door. “I need you to take off the rest of your clothes and sit in front of me.” Eddie instructed.
“Okay…” Steve took off his pants and boxers (his shirt was tossed across the room a long time ago) then positioned himself in between Eddie’s legs. “Why?”
“Because now we can see the new mirror.” Eddie grinned, nodding to the mirror that he had hung on the closet door the day before.
“Why do we need to see the-”
Steve cut himself off with a small moan as Eddie reached his hands around Steve’s torso and started to gently brush across his nipples. Eddie watched in the mirror as Steve’s eyes drifted closed for a moment. When he opened them again, they made eye contact in the mirror, and Steve’s face flushed red.
“I know you don’t believe me when I tell you you’re beautiful. So I want you to see it for yourself.”
“But I-”
“Just watch, Stevie. Eyes on the mirror.”
Steve looked back at the mirror, clearly embarassed and unsure about the whole thing.
“Good.” Eddie praised. He kept tracing his hands along Steve’s skin, watching over Steve’s shoulder how his eyes followed the movement.
“I love your body.” Eddie said.
He ran his hands down Steve’s arms. “Your arms are so strong and so good at holding me.”
He moved to touch Steve’s stomach. “And your tummy is just so good. Big fan of your tummy.”
Eddie grinned at Steve in the mirror. “And you know I love these.” He said as he pinches Steve’s nipples.
“Mhm.” Steve moaned, eyes fluttering closed again.
“Eyes open baby. I need you to see what you look like when I have you like this.”
Steve’s face flushed an even deeper red as he returned his gaze to their reflection. Eddie continued his slow exploration of Steve’s body by trailing his fingers up Steve’s thighs.
“Your thighs are perfect.” Eddie told him. “And I love how sensitive they are.” He added with a smirk when his touch made Steve shiver.
Steve shifted in front of Eddie. It wouldn’t have been subtle normally, but in front of a mirror, Steve couldn’t hide anything. Not the way the blush on his face is was spreading down his neck. Not the way he had to fight to keep his eyes open. Definitely not the way he was getting hard from Eddie’s touch and praise.
“Do you want me to touch you?” Eddie asked, glancing at the reflection of his boyfriend’s cock.
“Yes please.” Steve answered, still squirming under Eddie’s hands.
“Anything for you, pretty boy.” Eddie wraped one hand around Steve’s dick, and started to stroke.
Steve laid his head back against Eddie’s shoulder and closed his eyes again. Eddie couldn’t have that.
He used his free hand to push Steve’s head back up. “Watch the mirror, or I’m stopping.” He threatened.
“Yes sir.” Steve nodded, and he focused back on their reflection.
Eddie continued moving his hand up and down Steve’s cock, gathering precum from the tip to ease the glide. He used his other hand to play with Steve’s chest, or just absentmindedly run it along his body.
“God I love having you like this. You’re so perfect Stevie. You’re so hot, and the sounds you make are so fucking good. I’ll never get enough of this.”
Eddie was having an amazing time. He was jerking off his boyfriend and showering him with praise, and really, really enjoying the way Steve was so entranced by watching the mirror. It took a few reminders, but he was doing a pretty good job at maintaining focus on the glass. He seemed to be pretty into the show too if the way he was moaning and squirming and blushing were any indicators.
Maybe Eddie is a little vain, because he really liked seeing how he looked right now too. He couldn’t care less if it makes him conceited though. Who wouldn’t want to see how they looked wrapped around Steve Harrington and methodically taking him apart? Exactly. And Eddie is the only person who gets to actually have that, so sue him for wanting to appreciate it a little extra today.
Before long, Steve was panting and grabbing at Eddie’s legs in a way that let him know Steve was close. Now it was time for the main part of Eddie’s plan.
“Tell me you’re beautiful.” Eddie instructed.
Steve whined a little through his breathy moans, but didn’t repeat the phrase. Eddie took his hand off of Steve’s dick.
“No, Eddie, wait!” Steve protested. “I was so close.”
“Were you?” Eddie asked in a tone of mocked surprise.
“Yeah Eddie, what the fuck, why’d you stop?”
“You didn’t do what I told you to. You don’t get rewarded for ignoring me.”
“I never repeat you when you tell me I’m beautiful. You don’t edge me about it.” Steve complained.
“This time I am.” Eddie shrugged.
“Are you serious?”
“As a bat attack. Are you ready to try again?”
“Fine.” Steve huffed.
“One more time without the attitude Harrington.” Eddie said with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, Eddie, I’m ready to try again.”
“Good.”
Eddie curled his hand around Steve’s cock, and started to stroke again. He went a little faster this time, paid a little more attention to the tip, and started to suck bruises into the skin on Steve’s neck and shoulders.
It only took a few minutes before Steve was nearing orgasm again.
“Eddie please, god, I’m so close, please let me cum.” He begged.
“Tell me that you’re beautiful.”
“Eds, I can’t.”
“Then I’ll have to stop.” Eddie says bluntly as he took his hand away again.
“Fuck!” Steve cursed. “Eddie that isn’t fair.”
“Tell me that you’re beautiful if you want to cum so badly. It’s not hard. I just need to hear you say two words.”
“But I don’t believe them.”
“Then you’ll have to keep watching until you do. Eyes on the mirror.”
Steve huffed and looked at the mirror with a frustrated expression. Eddie knew Steve was annoyed that he wasn’t getting what he wanted, but he didn’t intend to go easy on him today. If Steve really had a problem with this, he’d safeword out. Until then, he could whine and huff and complain all he wanted, and Eddie wouldn’t budge a bit. He worked Steve right up to the edge again.
“Tell me that you’re beautiful” He instructed.
“You think that I’m beautiful.” Steve said.
“That’s not what I told you to say.” Eddie took his hand away before Steve could cum. “Try again.”
Steve got more and more frustrated as time went on, but Eddie was objectively more stubborn than Steve. He could spend the entire day in front of this mirror if he needed to.
By the time they were on round six of edging, Steve was a wreck. Hair was sticking to his forehead, his eyes were wet with tears, and his breaths were ragid. He looked gorgeous.
“Eddie, please.” He panted. “I can’t keep doing this, I need to cum.”
“Look at me baby.” Eddie said.
Steve met his eyes in the mirror. Eddie used his free hand to brush through Steve’s hair. “Just watch my face for a minute okay? Try to understand what I see, what I feel, when I look at you.”
Eddie knew that Steve would see love, and lust, and admiration, and devotion in his eyes. He hoped that it would be enough this time to make him really believe the things Eddie had spent the last year telling him.
It must have worked.
“Oh.” Steve said softly, and he got a curious sort of look on his face. “You really mean it.”
“I mean every word I say to you baby. I always have.” Eddie promised, still moving his hand up and down Steve’s cock. “You’re perfect for me. You’re sweet, and smart, and the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met. You care so much about everybody but yourself, and I just want you to see yourself the way I do. You deserve to know how important and special you are.”
Steve was close. Tears were falling from his eyes faster, and he was leaning his weight back against Eddie. His legs were shaking a little and his chest was heaving with rapid breaths.
“Tell me that you’re beautiful Stevie. You know that it’s true.”
“I’m beautiful.” Steve said. It was hesitant and unsure, but it must have felt a little bit true. He must have believed it, at least to some small degree. Eddie could work with that.
Eddie tightened his hand around Steve’s cock and stroked him faster, paying special attention to the tip of his dick.
“Cum for me, beautiful boy.” Eddie whispered in Steve’s ear.
And Steve did. “Oh fuck, Eddie! Oh my god!” He cried out as the orgasm he’d been denied six times already finally hit him.
Steve leaned his head back on Eddie’s shoulder, and this time Eddie let him keep it there. He was content to watch by himself as Steve came in thick ribbons that coated his stomach and chest as well as Eddie’s hands.
“There you go baby.” Eddie said, as he worked Steve through his orgasm. “You did so good for me. Let yourself feel good.”
Once the aftershocks faded, Steve sighed heavily and turned to face Eddie. “That is maybe the meanest thing you have ever done to me.” He said. A moment later he smiled and added “Thank you.”
“I love you.” Eddie told Steve. He kissed him sweetly. “I want you to see in yourself all of the amazing things that I do.”
“I love you too.” Steve said with twinkling eyes. “And I think that I’ll see it eventually. You make me feel like all of it is true.”
“I can work with eventually.” Eddie grinned. “We have the rest of our lives to get there.”