Chapter Text
November 19th, 1983
It’s awkward at first. There’s something about discussing having sex beforehand that makes it awkward to get into it. They reach for each other at different angles which makes them clash when they try to kiss, Eddie giggles at this which eases the tension slightly but even when they successfully manage a kiss they can’t help hold themselves stiffly and move stiffly.
“Okay,” Eddie whispers when they part. “Let's just lay down and talk, yeah? Let things come naturally.”
Steve nods, “that’s a good idea.”
They lay side by side on their backs, staring up at the nicotine stained ceiling. The silence that envelops them isn’t awkward as Steve expected, instead he just feels warm and content. Eddie turns his hand over where it lays between them, just under Steve’s own, and laces their finger together. Steve can smell Eddie cologne and shampoo underneath the bold aroma of weed, nicotine, and beer. The odd combination has become comforting to him now. He finds himself turning his head so his nose pressed into Eddie’s hair that was splayed over the pillow.
“How’s that busted lip feeling, princess?”
“Kind of numb, doesn’t feel like it’s gonna split open every time I talk anymore.”
“That's good. Byers really knows how to throw a punch.”
“God, you don’t even know! He put a lot of weight behind it. Dude could probably do pretty good in, like, boxing or something.”
“He’d just have to think about how much your pretty face annoys and he could take down anyone in his way.”
“Honestly, yeah, I think so.”
“Impressive.” Eddie comments, squeezing Steve’s hand. “You don’t sound upset…sounds like you might even like Byers a little.”
“Yeah, I guess. I definitely respect the hell out of him.”
“Wow, look at you getting all this character development.”
“Character development?” Steve chuckles, turning his head so he can look at Eddie, raising his eyebrows in question.
“Oh, I haven’t gone on one of my media analysis rants have I?” Eddie pushed himself up on his elbow, leaning over Steve, his hair falling around his face like a curtain. “I’ll turn you into a fanatic in no time, Harrington.”
“Not on your life, nerd.” Steve set his hand on Eddie’s face and pushed him away which only served to make him laugh.
“Oh, I know what we need.” Eddie climbs over Steve to stumble out of bed and over to his elaborate record player and stereo set up.
“Oh god, what the hell are you about to play?” Steve groaned, turning his face into the pillow.
“Shush, I know what I’m doing!” He insists, waving him off. “Eddie - moodmaker - Munson, they call me.”
“Ew. And no one calls you that.”
“Well you’re about to!”
“In your outlandish dreams, Munson.”
Steve watches Eddie from where he has his face pressed into the scratchy cloth of the pillow case, watching the way he crouches down to pull out a milk crate he’d shoved next to the nightstand, he wished he was closer as he watched Eddie delicately run his fingertips across the tops of his vinyls, only stopping when he landed on the one he wanted. He rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, they way he’d sounded lately - in his own head mind you - when he waxed poetic about the way Eddie’s hips swayed as he moved or how Nancy’s eyes shined whenever she smiled, even if it was under the dull lights in the school hallway.
Flashes of flickering Christmas lights, the frantic look in Nancy’s eyes, the feeling of Jonathan grabbing Steve’s hand and pulling forcefully as an unearthly creature falls from the Byers’ ceiling and into their world.
Steve shakes his head to rid him of the images and the grim reality they held. He didn’t want to be ruled by the horror of whatever the fuck the government had opened Hawkins up to. It was over. He’d signed his NDA on the dotted line. It didn’t matter anymore. He was with Eddie…Nancy was with Jonathan.
When Steve looks back at Eddie again he’s standing, back to him, his ass looked good in the pants he was wearing. Admittedly Eddie didn’t have much of an ass and his usual jeans didn’t do much to help with that but now he was wearing a pair of old sweatpants that looked like they were just a little bit too tight and hugged his little ass nicely. He’s only pulled from these thoughts when, instead of playing some much too loud metal song that was more likely to give him a headache then turn him, the gentle beat of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac began playing.
Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “You listen to Fleetwood Mac?”
Eddie begins swaying his hips as he turns back to Steve, grinning, tapping a beat out on his thigh. “Of course I do, I’m not an idiot and I’m not deaf. Their music is revolutionary. Especially the ‘Rumors' album. Plus, ” He climbs back on the bed but this time, instead of settling in next to Steve, he frames him between his arms on either side of Steve’s head, throwing one leg on the other side of Steve’s hips. “Stevie Nicks is only my second favorite Stevie.”
For some reason Steve feels his ears heat and a smile tug at his lips. “You’re so cheesy and embarrassing.”
“And you love it.”
Steve couldn’t answer because Eddie’s warm chapped lips were pressing into his and taking his thoughts away with them. He didn’t even think about trying to take the lead and let Eddie guide their kiss without complaint, it was easy-going, relaxed in a way that none of their kisses had been before. Steve would have sworn before that moment that he and Eddie had kissed in every way two people could kiss but, of course, Eddie managed to prove him wrong. Eddie was kissing him like he wasn’t afraid it would be the last time and it was only then he realized that was how he’d been kissing Steve the whole time. Steve’s hands came up to brush Eddie’s long hair back behind his shoulder, gently cupping the back of his neck as he tried to return to the leisure, comfortable, pace that had been set.
⇽⇿⇾
Eddie felt like every other stupid teenager in every stupid rom-com he's ever had the displeasure to see as he lays there kissing Steve Harrington with Stevie Nicks’ voice drifting through the background. His stomach is full of that fluttery butterfly feeling, his chest is tight from breathlessness, it’s stupid how much he’s fallen for Steve. Steve’s hand moves down until it's pressed to Eddie’s chest but he’s pushing Eddie back instead of pulling him closer.
“You good?”
“Yeah, um, just…” Steve takes in a shaky breath, Eddie’s eyebrows pull together. “Could you change the music?” … “It's throwing the mood off, for me.”
“‘Course I can. I just don’t have anything else you’re likely to like.”
“I will allow some of your clangy screechy shit if it isn’t at ear-bleeding volume.”
Eddie giggles. “Judas Priest, then, they have some romantic stuff.” He leans down once more, pecking Steve before rolling off him. Eddie pops the cassette out, turns the volume down, pops the new tape in, and turns back. “Better?” He asks, eyebrows raised, making his way back to Steve.
“It’s fine, good,” Steve waves his hand in a flippant gesture. “Just get back here.”
Eddie giggles as he climbs back onto the bed and over Steve. “Eager, big boy?”
“Shut up.” Steve says but it comes out too sweet and just makes Eddie give in to the overwhelming urge to kiss Steve again. Eddie lets out a pleased little huff against Steve’s mouth as he slides his hands up from Eddie’s neck and into his hair.
They kiss and they kiss and they kiss. Eddie gets dizzy as he forgets how to breathe, too focused on the way Steve’s mouth moves, the way he uses his tongue and the heat of their bodies pressed together. The way their hips subtly move against one another, barely there, teasing at the idea of more. Eddie knows his kisses are sloppy and off center when he pulls away from Steve’s mouth to kiss down his jaw to his neck. Hearing Steve’s heavy breathing so close to his ear is more intoxicating than any drug Eddie ever tried. He grabs a handful of Steve’s shirt while he sucks a bruise neck to his Adam's apple, he tugs at the fabric impatiently.
“Want this off.”
Steve lets out a little whimper that goes straight to Eddie’s dick. “You’d have to move away a bit.” He pants as he speaks which also goes south.
Eddie whined against Steve’s skin. “That sounds agonizing.”
“You’re so dramatic.” He laughs softly as he speaks and it’s like a choir of angels to Eddie. The way he’s panting and giggling and rolling his hips against Eddie’s, he’s pretty sure he’s died and gone to heaven. Or, like, nirvana. Paradise! He was in paradise.
“Fine, fine.” Eddie pulls back, sitting up on his knees to help Steve remove his shirt, throwing the offending fabric as far off as he can. He sets a hand low on Steve’s abdomen, enjoying the view. Steve was in ridiculous shape being a stupid jock and all that. A bit of hair starting to come in, he wonders if Steve shaves his chest. He wished he didn’t. “Fuck. You’re real pretty, Harrington.”
His cheeks color, Eddie thinks he might embarrass himself and swoon, a hand comes to wrap around Eddie’s wrist. “Shut up, Munson .” He mocks lightly but the blush gives him away.
“Not when you look so pretty. Makes me wanna lick you all over.”
“Forgot what a talker you are.”
“That a problem?”
“No. Just…” The way Steve pauses makes Eddie’s stomach flutter in a nervous way, worried what Steve might say even if, maybe, he shouldn’t be. “Most girls aren’t forward the way you are. I’m not used to it.”
Eddie can’t help but grin, he pulls a piece of hair over his mouth, shy despite himself. “It’s okay though right?” He drags his hand down a little longer.
“It’s good.” Steve breathes. “I like you the way you are.”
“Shut up.” He parrots Steve’s own words back at him, his cheeks probably just as red as his were.
Steve is the one smiling now. “So, are you all talk, no action? You did mention something about..licking?”
⇽⇿⇾
Steve should be asleep. He was exhausted, his eyes stinging with sleep, his body aching in a not entirely bad way, but his brain wouldn’t turn off. He could tell Eddie was asleep, arms looped around Steve’s waist, his breath hot on the back of his neck, little unintelligible mumbles coming from him every few minutes or little snores filling the otherwise silent trailer. He never had this problem with the girls he’s been with before. Usually he was fighting to stay awake after sex and it had felt that way at first but they’d cleaned up, settled in to actually sleep, and Steve’s brain wouldn’t let him. He’d only truly become worried about why he couldn’t sleep when he realized it wasn’t because of the upside down, it wasn’t because he thought he’d saw his lamp light flicker, he wasn’t plagued with the feeling of that damned bat gripped between his sweat nervous hands, or the sound of that fucking thing screaming and spitting all over them, he wasn’t dwelling on the fact that if Jonathan hadn’t grabbed his arm he may just stood there frozen in fear as that thing came at him - did whatever it did exactly to him , if he hadn’t heard Johnthan tell him to jump and actually reacted he could have ended up in that bear trap as a tasty fucking snack for the fucker. None of those things were haunting him for once. His plan had worked, being with Eddie made him feel grounded but he still couldn’t sleep.
Why?
⇽⇿⇾
They spent the next several days together. School being called off in light Will Byers being brought back to life and the ongoing disappearance of Barbra Holland send little Hawkins into a tailspin makes the school board spring for an early thanksgiving break. Steve hides in Eddie’s room whenever his uncle is around, he can tell Eddie feels something about it but he doesn’t push it with Steve which he’s thankful for. Other than that they spend late mornings drinking coffee and playing footsie at the kitchen table. Or leaned back on Eddie’s bed as he tells Steve all about the history of metal music with stars in his eyes and Steve tries and fails to follow what he’s saying. He wears a pair of Eddie’s boxers and one of his ridiculous band tees he’s cut the arms off of and doesn’t even feel weird about not changing his clothes. One night Steve teaches Eddie how to be good at flip cup and another they get high and touchy before passing out by 9pm. It’s three days of the most fun Steve has ever had in his entire life. And four nights he stays awake in Eddie’s arm, staring into the darkness of his room and feeling off for every second of those long nights.
⇽⇿⇾
When Steve wakes up he feels swathed in warmth and comfort, he isn’t entirely sure why at first. He knows something is different, in that sixth sense sort of awareness you have before you're completely awake, he’s used to sleeping alone after all. The feeling of Eddie’s chest moving beneath his head and his hand brings him to full consciousness. Slowly he turns his head to look up at the other boy, still asleep, lips parted to let out small puffs of air. His hair was more chaotic than ever, in a flurry all around them, falling in his face, and across his neck in tangles, some had even made its way to stick onto Steve’s own cheeks from where sweat and droll had made them sticky. It should be gross but he finds something kind of endearing about peeling the curly strands away from his skin. The feeling drops from his chest down into his stomach when he realizes what he has to do now that the sun is up.
Steve carefully turns away, eyes searching for Eddie’s alarm clock, it’s still early. Steve extracts himself from Eddie’s hold as gently as he can. Sliding to the floor to search for his clothes which is made a little harder by all of the Eddie’s clothes scattered around but luckily their wardrobes had quite different color schemes. He smiles at the thought of the chaos in Eddie’s mind spilling out into all he does. It fades as he finds his clothes, careful as he pulls them on to not make any noise. He stands by the dresser for longer than he should, debating on leaving a note. He doesn’t. He just tiptoes from the room with his shoes in his hands, closes the door as softly as he can, sits at the table to pull on his shoes, despairs over who he is and how he makes his life choices. Then he goes to find where Eddie had parked his car for him on that first night and to distract himself on the drive home he goes over what he’s gonna say to Nancy to get her back.
December 1st, 1983
Eddie doesn’t see Steve until school starts again. Every time he even thinks about the stupid bastard his chest aches. One incredibly stupid emotional illogical part of his brain would sometimes try and find an excuse for why he’d left without saying anything. Maybe he knew his parents would be coming back and he had to rush home. A sudden medical emergency happened over night and he hadn’t wanted to bother Eddie. Something, anything , to explain why he would do this to Eddie. Of course he gets his answer in the lunch room that Monday morning. He’s shuffling behind Jeff, Gareth, and Grant are speaking amongst themselves but he can tell they’re worried about him. His eyes immediately lock onto the table Steve used to sit at with Tommy, Carol, and all the other Hawkins elite usually bum around and act better than everyone else. Steve isn’t there. Eddie figures he shouldn’t be all that surprised by that, Steve had told him about his falling out with Tommy - it had given him even more hope that Steve might really be ready to choose him, how stupid he’d been. He searches for the jackass anyway. He’s sitting at a table alone with Nancy, they’re sitting close, they both look a little down like they’re talking about something serious but still they’re wrapped up in each other all the same. And Eddie’s already battered bloodied heart took that one last blow to shatter and fall to a million pieces in his chest.
Eddie hates even admitting to himself how much he let stupid-jock-pretty-boy Steve fucking Harrington under his skin and he wanted to rant to his friends, call Steve every name in the book, write a killer song, make an npc modeled after him and then kill him off brutally without mercy but he hadn’t even told his friends he was hooking up with someone how was he supposed to explain being heartbroken?
He slinks away from his friends who get in line for their daily Hawkins High sludge. He continues to eye Steve and Nancy even though Steve won’t so much as glance in his direction. But Eddie can’t keep his eyes off him no matter how hard he tries. He attempts to keep his focus on pulling out his food, going over his notes for the campaign, but still he can’t keep his eyes from being pulled back to the two sitting at the other end of the lunch room, in their own world together. He can tell Steve is teasing Nancy about something, trying to get her to cheer up, he’s brushing hair out of her eyes and showing her that dazzling smile. She starts to break, a smile peaking through. Finally his focus is pulled away when his friends block his view and the sound of their lunch trays hitting the table jar him enough to to truly pull his thoughts away from Steve, he looks over as they settle in, him and Gareth locking eyes.
“Eddie…man..” He starts with that serious voice and concern filling his gaze in a way that makes Eddie’s stomach turn. He knows what's coming. “We know somethings up…we’re worried about you.”