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Everyone’s soulmate mark was different. Whether it be their first words to you, names, or matching symbols. Hell, Steve would have taken anything other than what he had. A large black handprint, bent and spread across his collarbone and over his right shoulder, like someone had gripped or pushed him backward, and Steve really hoped his first meeting with his soulmate wasn’t him ending up on the wrong side of yet another fight. But hey, at least he knew one thing about his soulmate. Whoever they were, they were left-handed. Or at least when they went to fight someone they certainly preferred their left hand. At least it was something. If he knew a name or some words, he could have any indication of their gender, their personality, or any piece of info that could help him feel less lonely.
He stood in front of the same mirror he saw every morning, brushing his teeth the same way, fixing his hair the same way, staring at the same mark on his body like it personally did him wrong. His days had gotten monotonous. Wake up, go for a run, get ready for work, pick up Robin, try not to be bored to death behind the counter of the Family Video for eight hours, drop Robin off at home, sip a beer in the kitchen with the TV on in the living room to dull the ache of silence in his big empty house. Sometimes his routine would change, the kids would ask for a ride someplace, he’d host them over for various game nights and movie nights, and sometimes Robin would stay for a sleepover, but they were getting older and could nearly drive themselves, so most nights he’d sit. Alone. Trying hard not to think about the aching hole of loneliness in his chest that never seemed to go away, no matter how many times he tried to tape it up or bandage it shut, it would claw at the inside of his ribcage until he felt like it would burst out.
And there was where he sat when the phone began to ring. He took one last swig from the bottle, set it down a little too hard on the counter, and walked over. He picked up the phone off the hook, leaning his head against the wall as he answered “Harrington residence, Steve speaking.”
“Surely you can afford that fancy caller ID shit so you stop answering my calls like a secretary.”
“Hey, Rob.”
“Hey. Are you busy right now?”
She had some sort of tone in her voice that Steve couldn’t exactly pick up over the phone, and it made him worried. He pushed himself away from the wall and paced a few steps to look out the window. “I can be where you need me, what’s going on?”
She huffed. “It’s not monster stuff, stop staring out the window you mother hen, everybody’s okay.”
“Hey-” he started, a little offended over apparently being predictable, before she cut him off.
“There’s a band playing at the Hideout tonight, apparently one of Chrissy’s friends is playing and she really wants to go, but she doesn’t have a ride and I want to go because she wants to go and I was wondering if-”
“Yeah Rob, I’ll pick up Chrissy first and charm her parents into letting her out.” he cut her off before she could get too deep into her spiral. She and Chrissy had become friends over their shared senior year nearly 2 years ago now since Robin seems to collect jocks fallen from grace like garbage pail kids cards. “Be at yours in,” he glanced at the clock, “20 minutes? I gotta change and then I’ll be on my way.”
She sighed over the phone. “You’re the best Steve. Love you! See you in 20.” She sounded further away as she moved to hang up, but Steve could still hear her yell, “No, Mom, still not dating!” Before the click and the dial tone.
He hung up the phone, chuckling to himself over Robin’s ever-watching parents. They were nice enough to him, but as they currently assumed he was trying to bang their daughter they understandably kept him at arm"s length. Which was fine. Hell, it was still closer than Steve’s parents held him.
Robin’s parents were soulmates, a matching pair of birds on their forearms. Had a healthy relationship, cared about their kid. So what was the difference for his parents? They loved each other, sure, but what about him? Did he do something wrong to keep them from loving him? From caring about him?
He shook his head like he could knock his thoughts loose. He trekked upstairs to his room, throwing open his closet. He was still in a plain polo and jeans from his shift, and while he wasn’t sure of the vibe he was supposed to bring to the show he knew for sure it wasn’t suitable for the Hideout. He wasn’t sure he owned anything black, but a nice, navy blue crewneck sweater and a pair of black denim Levi’s from the very back of his drawer felt dark enough to at least try to blend in. he pushed up the sleeves to his elbows, pulled on a pair of plain white tennis shoes, and grabbed his keys on the way out the door.
He stood on Chrissy’s porch, just a 2-minute drive from his own in another offshoot of Loch Nora. the doorbell was loud, seeming to echo off the walls inside. He heard Chrissy’s mother say something to her family before she opened the door. “Oh! Steve, good to see you dear, I wasn’t expecting you.” She smiled a tight-lipped smile that told him he was interrupting something.
“Hi, Mrs. Cunningham,” he put on his best ‘boy-next-door’ smile, “I was wondering if Chrissy would be available to join me for the night? It"s been a while since we’ve had a chance to spend time together, and there’s a movie playing at the Hawk that I’d like to see. I can make sure that she’s home by midnight if that’s alright with you?” He hoped to god his Harrington charm was still intact, not too atrophied from lack of use. He really needed to get in more practice charming the older ladies at the grocery store just to prove to himself he still could.
She worried the inside of her cheek as she glanced behind her into the living room just out of Steve’s eyeline. He could picture Chrissy’s pleading face easily enough, they had gotten relatively close over the past few years thanks to their mutual, well, Robin. She sighed. “Well alright, but midnight on the dot, alright Steve?”
“Yes ma’am, will do.” he smiled again as she invited him to step inside, and Chrissy’s face broke into a huge grin.
She hopped off the couch, her blonde ponytail swinging. “I’ll go change!” she rushed down the hall, and came back quickly wearing a black skirt over a pair of tights which were tucked into a pair of ankle-high lace-up boots he was pretty sure were Rob’s, and she had topped off the look with an oversized t-shirt with a band name he didn’t recognize front and center. “Ready?”
He smiled at her, noticing she had also put on a thin line of eyeliner underneath her big green eyes. “All set.” If he didn’t know that she and Robin were soulmates, Chrissy was the type of girl who would have been easy to fall in love with. Soulmates or not. She looped her arm in his, and they said goodbye to her mother as they closed the door behind them. Chrissy climbed into the passenger seat, taking a deep breath out. She pulled the hair tie out of her hair, letting it fall loose around her face as she adjusted it in the mirror. Steve looked over at her as he buckled, smiling again as he saw the words on her forearm, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry.’ the chicken scratch of the perfect first words for a person like Robbie.
“Thanks for the save, Steve, was beginning to go stir crazy in there.” she had just kicked off her summer break and would be back home for the next 3 months. Robin had talked about following her out to Indy but decided to do online school instead to keep close to Steve. She’d never admit that was why she stayed, but there was a certain kind of bond between them that made it hard to be too far apart.
“Anytime Chris, Rob called me and mentioned something about a music show?” he turned around, putting his arm on the back of her seat as he reversed out of the drive.
She smiled, her cheeks reddening the same way they always did when Robin was brought up. “Yeah! One of my friends I met in Indy said he was playing a show back home over break, turns out we grew up just a few miles from each other. Crazy right?”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Did he go to Hawkins?”
“No, no. Eddie and his uncle left for Indianapolis before high school started. So I guess you and him would have just missed each other.”
Steve remembers the end of 8th grade, begging his parents not to send him to another four years of private school. He had tried to frame it like it was about the sports program, seeing more college scouts, but in reality, it was because Tommy’s parents were struggling to afford the steep tuition and decided it was time for him to start public school instead. Steve’s feelings for Tommy were never fully platonic, but he knew for a fact that Tommy wanted to save his first kiss for his soulmate, a one-word mark on his bicep that read ‘Carol’, so there wasn’t any chance for Steve. It didn’t stop him from hoping.
They spent most of the short drive quiet, Chrissy digging in his glove box and selecting an ABBA tape for the deck. “Is this the type of music your friend makes?”
She snorted. “Eddie? He’d give a whole rant on how wrong you were if he ever heard you say that. Eddie and his band play metal music, mostly covers, but he’s been working on some original stuff recently too I think.”
They pulled into Robin’s driveway exactly 20 minutes after their call, and she was rushing down the stairs of her front porch before they even parked. She had thrown on a pair of dyed red baggy denim pants Steve thought looked familiar enough that they might have come from his own closet before the dye. She also had a similar t-shirt to Chrissy’s but hers was cut like a muscle tee and she had turned a pair of fishnet leggings into a top to go underneath the shirt. She threw open the back door, dumping her body in with little concern for Steve’s paint job. “Dingus! You did it.” She gave him a wet smacking kiss on the cheek, followed by a much less wet one to Chrissy’s cheek. “Hi, hun.” she leaned back, buckling herself in. Her forearm, obscured slightly by the fishnets, read ‘It’s my fault really, can’t help but get distracted by someone as pretty as you.’ Chrissy’s curvy handwriting making its way nearly from wrist to elbow. He wiped the spit off his cheek as the girls dove into a conversation about their excitement for the show, and he started driving to just outside of town where the Hideout sat. they pulled into a surprisingly full parking lot.
“Just how popular are these guys?” Steve muttered mostly to himself, looking up and down the rows of the lot for a space.
Robin turned towards him. “Steve, have you not been listening to anything we’ve said?”
He shrugged sheepishly.
“They’re a hit up in Indy, a pretty decent following. If it weren’t for the connection that Eddie and the drummer Garrett have to here they’d never play a venue in Hawkins unless it was like- life or death or something.”
“Oh.” And Steve can’t help but feel bad at this point because he doesn’t know anything about them, and it seems like everyone walking up to the entrance is dressed like they fit in here perfectly. Great, even his attempts to blend in make him stick out like a sore time. At least he can get a drink.
Steve parked and grabbed his earplugs out of the glove box. They were fitted enough so that he could still hear the music as it played, but wouldn’t risk any more damage to his hearing. Robin had got them for him before the last concert they had gone to when they drove up to Indy to meet Chrissy for a Tears for Fears concert last November. Robin and Chrissy excitedly climbed out of the car, Steve close behind watching their clasped hands swing with a subtle sort of envy. They got in line, making it up to the bouncer quickly.
“IDs please, out and ready- oh my god Chrissy!” The bouncer’s face lit up as he noticed who it was in front of him.
“Hi, Devon!” she dropped Robin’s hand long enough to wrap her arms around the college-aged bouncer. “Devon, this is my girlfriend Robin and my friend Steve, Robbie, Steve, this is Devon! He was the RA in my freshman co-ed dorm, he’s the only reason I passed my first communications course.”
Devon smiled shyly, clearly not used to the praise. He was a handsome guy, just slightly taller than Steve, with a shaggy blond mullet accentuated by several ear piercings on each ear. “Nice to meet you guys,” He gave a toothy grin, then turned his attention back to Chrissy, “Chris, if I knew you would be here I would have arranged for like- backstage passes or something! Once this line dwindles down I’ll sneak in and let Ed know you were able to make it, I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see you.”
“Thanks, Dev!” The trio handed him their IDs to check, and both Robin and Chrissy got black Xs on their hands since they were both barely 20. Steve had to put in his earplugs pretty much as soon as they walked in the door, the chatter of the people already milling around already a lot for him to handle.
He turned to the girls, who were once again holding hands. “You guys find a table or something, I’m gonna get a drink. Do you want anything?” Robin asked him to grab a sprite for each of them, and they disappeared into the crowd. Steve fought his way through the group of people surrounding the bar, finally making it to the bartender. “Two sprites and a whiskey sour, please.” He set down a 20, got his change and the drinks quickly, and carefully maneuvered his way over to the table. He set the drinks in front of the girls and took a sip of his own, and before he could even start a new conversation the lights were dimming everywhere but the stage.
The band walked out, and the crowd started to cheer. Steve was especially grateful for the earplugs when Chrissy let out an ear-splitting whistle. The spotlight hit the lead singer as he made it to the front microphone, and Steve was instantly captivated. He had long, dark hair that Steve could tell would curl gorgeously with the proper care. He wore a t-shirt cut similarly to Robin’s, the sleeve holes so low he could catch a glimpse of the band of his boxers. His sides and arms were covered in tattoos, and Steve found himself wishing they were closer to the stage so that he could study them. His big brown doe eyes were surrounded by a grungy sort of eyeliner, making the whites of his eyes almost illuminated with the way they reflected the stage lights. His jeans were sinfully tight, with enough holes to let Steve know there were tattoos on his legs too. He wondered absentmindedly if any parts of his body weren’t covered in ink. He had a chain clipped to one of his front belt buckles, and it hooked around his body to latch onto his back pocket. His bicep flexed slightly as he reached up to grab the microphone, pulling the stand towards him and adjusting it to his height. “Hello, Hawkins!” he spoke into the mic, and the crowd responded with cheers once again. “We are Corroded Coffin, but based on the many, many pieces of merch in the crowd I’m going to take a guess and say that most of you knew that already.” he chuckled a little, and it sent a shiver straight down Steve’s spine. Everything about him felt like a magnet, begging Steve to come closer, look, listen, feel, taste, and devour this man. “Thank you all so much for coming out, and I hope you enjoy the show!” And with that, the music kicked up. The crowd soaked in the energy that he was pouring out into his every movement, and they were giving it right back. Steve didn’t recognize the song, but he’d listen to it every day if it meant he could keep seeing the man performing it. He was like a bolt of lightning, zipping back and forth across the stage.
Steve couldn’t take his eyes off of him. Before he was ready for it to be, the song was over. “How are we doing tonight?” He practically shouted into the mic, his question answered only with cheers. “Thank you again to everybody for coming out. If you haven’t seen us before, my name is Eddie. This here,” he walked over to where the female bass player was playing a subtle baseline, “is my pal, Ronnie, on the bass."He walked across the stage to the guitar player, and every eye on the venue was glued to him. “Over here,” he put his hand on the guitar player’s shoulder, and he began to play another melody Steve didn’t recognize, “is my good friend Jeff.”
Chrissy shouts out into the mild roar, “I know him!” which is met with laughter from the band and crowd alike.
Eddie’s laugh rang above them all, as he still held the microphone in his hand. “And this,” he made it to the back of the stage, putting his hand on the drummer’s shoulder, who began a simple drumbeat, “is Gareth.” The band was playing fully now, the music a little slower and quieter than the last song as Eddie made his way to the front of the stage once again. “And I,” he paused, sliding an electric guitar strap over his head, “am Eddie fucking Munson, baby.” He strummed loud and clear on the gorgeous guitar, and the entire band launched into another high-energy song.
Now Steve had a name for the face that would surely haunt his dreams. Specifically, the hottest of his dreams.
The band eventually wished everyone a good night after two full encores, heading off the stage once again. As soon as they were out of sight Steve felt like he was waking up from a trance. Watching Eddie bounce around on that stage, his fingers deftly playing the guitar, his voice somehow sweet and rich despite the strain the style of music was sure to put on his vocal cords. Steve blinked a few times, noticing people starting to either file out or settle in to mingle for the rest of the night. Before he even noticed he was nearby, Devon was at their table. “Hey guys!” Steve took out his earplugs, the volume in the Hideout significantly lower now that the crowd was pretty much cut in half. “Chris, I talked to Eddie. They’re packing up the equipment into his van but then they’ll be free to hang! The greenroom is open now though if you want to wait for them there.”
Chrissy nodded excitedly, and the three of them followed Devon through a side door Steve hadn’t noticed, which led to a hallway with several offshoots, whether they were dressing rooms, bathrooms, or the exit, Steve wasn’t sure. He was still caught up in the presentation of the show, replaying every moment Eddie looked even vaguely in his direction. Devon opened one of the doors to a room with a few somewhat old-looking couches, a chair tucked off to the side, a mini fridge, and a bar top currently covered in music pages and empty glasses.
“They’ll just be a sec, I’m going to go help with load up but I’ll be right back.” He shot a friendly wink at Robin and Chrissy and disappeared.
“So Steve, what’d you think?” Robin looked at him with a knowing glint in her eye, like she could tell exactly how much he’d enjoyed it.
He cleared his throat. “It was, uh, it was good. Music’s a bit loud for my taste, but it was good.” He knew he was deflecting, but thankfully it seemed like she would let it go.
“Well well, just good, huh? Well, we wouldn’t want to hurt a pretty boy’s ears now, would we?” That silky rich voice, now a little hoarse from the show, was right behind Steve. He hadn’t even heard the door open, but when he turned around there he was. Somehow Eddie was even more captivating in person, his big brown eyes much more intense when they were focused on Steve. Chrissy rushed past him, practically jumping into Eddie’s arms for a hug. He stumbled back half a step to balance, but then there was that laugh again. “Oof- good to see you too Chris.”
She took a step back, beaming at him. “Eddie,” she took another step back, grabbing Robin’s hand, “this is my girlfriend Robin. Robin, Eddie.”
He smiled again, and the little glimpse of sharp canines made Steve shiver as he imagined them digging into his skin. “You must be Birdie, I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All bad things, I hope.” Robin quipped back, reaching out to shake his hand. He took it and used it to pull her into a hug.
“Anyone who can make my Chrissy as happy as you do is family to me.” Robin blushed hard, turning red down her neck as she patted him on the back awkwardly. He took a step back and turned towards Steve. “And this is…” he trailed off, looking at him expectantly.
Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly having lost the power of speech. He could feel his face heating up the longer Eddie’s intense stare was on him. “Steve. I’ve told you about Steve, haven’t I?” Chrissy says for him, giving him an escape.
“Steve.” Eddie rolled the name around on his tongue, and the way he said it made it feel like no one else would ever be able to say his name in a way that came anywhere close to this. His voice felt like a caress down Steve’s body.
He put his hand on Steve’s shoulder then. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Steve.” But by then Steve couldn’t say anything at all. He was looking towards where Eddie’s hand was. Eddie’s left hand. The jolt of electricity when he touched him wasn’t just because of how attracted to Eddie he was. Because this insanely attractive, talented, tattooed man was his soulmate. Like the meant-to-be kind of soulmate.
He finally found his words and looked back up at Eddie’s face. “Nice to meet you too, finally.”
Eddie’s smile widened impossibly more, and before he was ready for it Eddie’s hand wasn’t touching him anymore. “Aww, Chris, you talk about me to your friends?”
Eddie wasn’t looking at him anymore, and Steve felt like he could breathe again. But Robin, Robin was looking at him. “Steve and I are going to let you two catch up, I need to find a bathroom and Steve needs some water.”
She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room before Eddie could even point out that there was water just a few feet away in the mini-fridge. Chris, the angel she was, started talking immediately to distract Eddie as they moved. He didn’t know how the two of them could communicate so seamlessly without words. Who knows, maybe it’s a soulmate thing. He had one of those now, a soulmate. Well, he’d always had one, but now he knew who it was. Robin was snapping in his face. What was she saying?
“Dingus. You alright? Bring yourself down to Earth yet?” They had ended up in what seemed to be another dressing room, but it lacked any personal touches to look like anything other than a room with a long mirror on one of the walls.
“Rob.”
“Yes?”
“Robin.”
“... Steve, are you alright?”
“He’s him. He’s-” he yanked the collar of his crew neck to the side, showing just the thumb of the handprint to Robin, but she had seen it plenty of times before. “He’s him, Rob.”
“Oh Steve,” a laugh bubbled out of her, clearly letting go of a stress he felt bad for causing. Then she gasped. “OH! Steve! Oh, this is so exciting. Did your hand hit his mark too?”
And then Steve paused. Because he hadn’t touched Eddie. Sure, Eddie’s hand had been on his shoulder, but did he feel it? That electric zing between them? That clicking of what’s right and good and true finally clicking into place?
But the doubt had already begun to set in. Maybe he had. Maybe he felt it, but he could see on his face how broken, lonely, and useless Steve really was. Maybe he…. Maybe he didn’t want Steve to be his soulmate. And what a fucking trip that would be. First his parents, then Tommy, now his soulmate? Sure, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern. Three times where the people he needed to love him turned him away before he even got the chance. Three times where it was proven that he was unlovable. Three times where Steve… where maybe Steve wasn’t worth loving. “I… I think I’m going to be sick.” Robin had a confused look on her face, clearly noticing that something was wrong with Steve, but nothing she could place. Because of course there was something wrong with Steve. There had to be.
He rushed past her, back into the hallway. He found the first door with a little cartoon person on it and entered quickly. The motion-activated lights turned on as soon as he made it in, and he locked the door behind him, sliding to the floor. He hugged his knees to his chest, breath coming in quick, short bursts, never enough to fill his lungs. He’d had panic attacks before, plenty of times. But this one felt different. That aching loneliness deep in his chest was clawing at his ribcage more violently this time, claws scraping against bone and tearing into flesh. What kind of monster would sprout from him if he gave in to the pit? If he accepted his fate. Sacrificed himself one too many times and got killed for it. Would it feel worse than he does right now? Or would it be a release? Finally letting go of that sickness that had burrowed into his bones the first time he was left home alone. It kept growing and growing. Where did the sickness end, and where did Steve start? Were they the same now? Was there any difference between him and the beast inside, lashing out when all it wants is another broken, lonely monster to curl up next to? Did he deserve that? Would he ever? Steve wasn’t sure how long he sat there hyperventilating. Eventually, his breathing started to slow, he was able to gasp in big, heaving breaths. He stood on shaky legs, moving over to the sink. He looked pale. His eye bags were a little deeper than he remembered them being. He splashed some water on his face, rubbing it dry a little too rough and pulling away the paper towel to his cheeks rosy and raw. He closed his eyes, gripping the edges of the sink as he tried to remember any of the breathing exercises the government-provided therapist had taught him. When he finally felt human again, he checked his watch. Nearly 11. He had to leave somewhat soon if he was meant to drop off Robin and Chrissy before their respective curfews. He took one last glance at his face, one more deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.
Robin and Chrissy stood in the hallway, whispering back and forth to each other. The rest of the band was nowhere to be seen. Chrissy spotted him first. “Steve.” She grabbed his face, feeling his forehead with the back of her hand, and twisting his head like she was looking for something. “Are you feeling any better?”
He plastered on a smile he knew wasn’t convincing, but it was the best he could do. “Yeah, my stomach must have just disagreed with something. It’s getting late, are you ready to go?”
Chrissy and Robin shared worried looks, but he turned and started walking before they could ask him any other questions.
“Steve-” he turned his head to look at her but kept walking forward.
“Look, Rob-” The hand he was using to accentuate whatever point he was about to make collided with something solid. Something warm. He turned forward again, noting that his hand had landed right smack dab in the middle of Eddie’s chest. He glanced back and forth from the hand to Eddie’s face, which looked just as shocked as Steve was sure he looked. “Sorry, I-”
“Are you-” Eddie started saying at the same time.
Steve pulled back his hand, which was still resting right above Eddie’s rapidly beating heart. “I- I’ll be in the car.” he moved around Eddie, cursing the cowardly way he couldn’t turn back. Couldn’t see the look of disappointment that was sure to be on Eddie’s face.
Steve sat in the idling car, forehead against the steering wheel while he waited for the girls to exit the Hideout. There was no music playing, and the silence surrounding him was deafening. The opening of the doors was a welcome change to the choking absence of noise. Robin and Chrissy entered the car, very deliberately NOT talking about it. Hell, Robin was commenting on the weather.
He put the car into reverse and pulled out of the spot he had parked in just a few hours ago. Had it been that short of a time? His whole life changed in just a few hours. His loneliness weighed much heavier on his body than it had that morning.
He drove without much thought, at this point having memorized pretty much every route back to Robin’s house. He could feel the two of them shooting him worried glances, but he refused to acknowledge the suffocating air in the car. Robin got out of the car when Steve parked in her driveway, and he blinked like he didn’t realize where he was. She wished them goodnight and told Steve to call her to let her know he was home safe. He nodded. The door closed behind her and he was off to his next destination.
“Steve, could you pull over here for a second?”
He looked around. They were only a ways down the block from Chrissy’s house, but he pulled over anyway. He put the car in park, and she unbuckled her seatbelt so she could fully turn towards him.
“What’s up with you? You’ve barely said anything all night, you completely disappeared after I introduced you to Eddie, and you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Are you alright? And I don’t mean the type of alright you’ve been pretending to be the past few weeks.”
He looked at her then, shocked that she had noticed. “Chris-”
“I’m not done.” She cut him off, clearly angry. “Birdie and I have been worried about you, y’know. You’ve been quiet. Turning down most hangouts, spending all your time either at home or at work. You haven’t gone on any dates in months Steve. Have you even talked to anyone outside of us and the kids in the last few weeks?”
He blinked, thinking over the past few weeks. He came to the unfortunate realization that she was right. This was the first time in a while he had agreed to go out with them, and he had messed it up for them.
“I can see you thinking badly about yourself.”
He scoffed. Robin had known him longer, and of course, they were as close to soulmates as you could get without the real deal seal of approval, but sometimes only Chrissy could see straight through his facade and practically read his mind. “I talk to the ladies at the grocery store at least once a week.”
Chrissy rolled her eyes. “They don’t count, Steve. A friendly conversation with a near stranger is different. You know what I mean. What…” She sucked in a breath. “What happened back there?”
Steve looked away from her then. He could feel the beast in his chest starting to wake up, the beginnings of another panic attack just on the horizon. But then Chris put her hand on his arm, and the beast curled back up. “What… What did it feel like for you when you met your soulmate? Met Robin?”
Her gaze softened, cheeks tingeing pink the way they always did. “She spoke those words, the ones I knew by heart, and I felt this zing, a sort of electric, knowing feeling that sank straight into my bones. And I said the first thing that came to mind to say when I saw her face. ‘It’s my fault really, can’t help but get distracted by someone as pretty as you.’ I’d never been that forward in my life. But I could see that she felt it too. Her whole face changed, and she helped me pick up my books. It’s been 2 years now, and I still can’t forget the feeling.”
He digested what she said, wondering how many times they had traced over their own handwriting on each other"s forearms. But one part of it caught his attention. “Wait, so she didn’t feel it at the same time you did? It- you had to say it back first?”
Chrissy’s eyes narrowed, gears turning. And then her face lit up with the realization that she just came to. “Oh my god. Eddie’s your soulmate.”
Everyone always made cheerleaders out to be dumb and brainless, but he didn’t know anyone else who was as smart as Chrissy was. “And I ran out on him.”
“Oh, Steve,” she scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned over, resting his head on top of hers, and they sat like that for a minute before she shot up again. “OH! Oh my god, that’s why- Steve. You need to go back there right now.”
“What?”
“EDDIE. He didn’t feel it when he grabbed your shoulder, but he sure as hell did when you were leaving! Oh my- no wonder he had that look on his face when you left.”
Steve bristled, waiting for the punchline. “What look?”
She smirked. “Like he wanted to chase you out and eat you alive. Before he got pulled away by his bandmates, that is.” Her eyes went wide. “Steve. Take me home, and then head straight back there and talk to your soulmate. Make sure he knows.”
“Knows what?”
“Knows that you didn’t know. Knows that you know now. Knows that you’re, y’know…”
He furrowed his eyebrows.
“DTF.”
“Chris.”
“Hurry now loverboy! Let’s go!”
He put the car back into drive, trying to protect the little flame of hope from the tornado the beast in his chest was throwing at him. He dropped Chrissy off with a kiss on the cheek that was all for show, as her Mother was watching them through the front window. Then he was backing out of the driveway, driving a little recklessly down the mostly empty streets of Hawkins. And if he ran a few stoplights, who was going to arrest him? Hopper?
He whipped his car into the Hideout’s parking lot for the second time that night, parking much worse than the first time. He jumped out of his car, nearly leaving it running before he remembered to grab the keys. Devon was back by the door, smoking a cigarette. He waved at him, and Steve was struck with the image of a golden retriever for a second before he waved back, rushing into the bar. And then there he was. His lanky body stretched out on a bar stool, arm on the bar, looking like he owned the place while he sipped his drink. The flame of hope grew a little inside him, and the beast snarled, throwing everything it had at Steve. He felt like he was fighting through a hurricane just to stand in front of Eddie, who was currently watching him walk over, eyes wandering all over Steve’s body.
“Well, she said you’d be back pretty boy but I gotta be honest, part of me didn’t believe it.” He smiled then, a grin that showed off those deliciously sharp canines again.
“I think you’ll find I’m full of surprises.”
His grin widened then, and he patted the bar stool next to him. Steve sat down, and he waved down the bartender. “Another vodka soda for me, and…” he looked at Steve expectantly.
He turned to the bartender. “I’ll take a whiskey sour, please.”
Eddie nodded like he approved of Steve’s go-to drink. “So.”
“So.”
The drinks hit the bar in front of them, and Eddie leaned closer to Steve, he swore he could feel the heat coming off his body. “Tell me you felt it, loverboy.”
His face flushed, warmth spreading from his cheeks down his neck as Eddie put a hand on Steve’s knee. “I’ll be honest, part of me expected to find my soulmate right before they beat another concussion into me.”
“A-another?”
“I’m not good at fighting.”
Eddie barked out a laugh, covering his mouth quickly like he hadn’t expected that sound to come out of him. His other hand was still on Steve’s knee, the heat of their proximity burning a hole through Steve’s jeans. “I mean,” he said, taking his hand off his mouth, “thanks for one of the sickest tats I have that I didn’t have to sit in a chair for hours to get.”
Steve thought back, the earlier part of the night a little blurry. “In the middle of your chest? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you-”
“I’m glad you did.” Steve flushed again. “I only wish-” he waited for Eddie to collect his thoughts, “I only wish that I could have put yours in a better spot. So you didn’t spend your life thus far waiting for a punch that was never going to come.” He said it with such sincerity, and Steve had to break the eye contact that felt too much all of a sudden.
Steve cleared his throat. “Well then, soulmate,” the word felt foreign on his tongue. “Any chance I can interest you in a milkshake?”
Eddie laughed again, that sweet sound like music to his ears. “I swear Stevie, you really are something.” He was smiling again when Steve looked back towards his face. “I’d love one.”
Steve drove them up the road to the 24-hour diner, as Eddie had sent his bandmates back to the hotel with his van. Eddie looked so at home in Steve’s passenger seat, digging through his tapes and poking fun at Steve’s choice of music. He made a deal with himself then, he’d swear Chrissy to secrecy over what he had said earlier, just so that Steve could tell him that he had compared Eddie to ABBA. if it only meant he could listen to Eddie talk. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of the sound. They shared their life stories over milkshakes and fries, Eddie’s strawberry, and Steve’s plain vanilla. They laughed about their near miss, how they almost met so much sooner. Eddie’s friendship with Chrissy, and Steve’s friendship with them both. They talked for hours until neither of them could get through a sentence without yawning.
“You looked great up there tonight, by the way.”
Eddie blushed, the pink in his cheeks contrasting so starkly against his pale skin and his dark features, that he reminded Steve vaguely of a porcelain doll. “Well, Stevie, you look great right now.” His foot hooked Steve’s ankle under the table, and he leaned into Steve’s space. “Wanna maybe… get out of here?”
Now it was Steve’s turn to go red. He tossed some money on the table, enough to cover the bill and a hefty tip, and Eddie all but dragged him out to the car. Steve grabbed the handle, but Eddie’s hand was on top of his before he could open the door. Steve turned around, back against the car, and Eddie’s other arm boxed him in against the car. “That blush looks so pretty on your handsome face, sweetheart.” His eyes glanced down at Steve’s lips, and he licked them out of a combination of habit and nerves. He could hear Eddie’s breath hitch, and then he was leaning in.
The kiss was even more electric than that first touch, Eddie’s lips soft against his own, the slight scratch of stubble against his face as they moved in tandem. Steve moved his hands to rest on Eddie’s waist, and he gasped. It was just enough of an opening for Steve to deepen the kiss, licking Eddie’s lip tentatively. Eddie moaned into his mouth, and if that wasn’t just the most delicious sound Steve had ever heard. He squeezed Eddie"s waist then, pulling him impossibly closer so that they were touching shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, and all Steve could think about was how he wanted more. They broke apart then, both breathing heavily.
“...Wow.” Eddie laughed and gave Steve another peck on his kiss-sore lips. “Tell me if this is too forward, but-”
“Your place or mine?” Steve surprised himself with how forward he was being. He remembered what Chrissy had said. Maybe everything was more intense with your soulmate. Eddie gave him a wicked grin. “Lead the way, big boy.” he stepped away long enough to move to the other side of the car, and Steve already missed the warmth and pressure of having another person pressed against him. But as soon as he was in the car and it was started, Eddie was back on him, kissing everywhere he could reach while Steve tried to focus on driving. He couldn’t stop the groan from coming out when Eddie started kissing just below his ear, mouthing along his jaw. Eddie picked up on that because of course, he did. He moved back to that spot, dragging his teeth gently over the sensitive skin. When Steve gasped, he could feel the smirk against his skin as Eddie filed away that information.
He had never driven faster through Hawkins, pulling into his driveway 8 minutes later when it typically took almost 15. They barely made it inside the house before Eddie was pressing him up against the door, kissing down his neck, pausing to suck a small bruise where his neck met his collarbone. Steve couldn’t hold back the loud moan he let out then, and he pulled Eddie ever closer to him, their dicks rubbing against each other through too many layers. They both moaned at the friction, and Steve ground into him again, wanting to draw out more heavenly sounds from Eddie’s gorgeous, plush mouth. They moved through the house and up the stairs clumsily, neither willing to let the other get far enough to stop kissing each other’s exposed skin. They made it to Steve’s room and he closed the door behind them, once again being pushed up against it. He slotted a thigh between Eddie’s, causing the other man to let out another deep groan. He sunk his teeth into Steve’s neck, kissing and licking over the sharp pain. Steve pushed his hands up under Eddie’s shirt, quickly pulling it up over his head so that their lips could find each other without much pause. He walked Eddie backward until his legs hit the bed, kissing down his neck as they moved.
Eddie fell back onto the bed, arms over his head. Steve took a moment to stand above him, admiring all of the tattoos adorning his skin. Eddie started to sit up to pull Steve into another kiss, but Steve placed his hand right over the dark handprint on Eddie’s chest and pushed him back down. Steve whipped off his crewneck, and Eddie quickly helped him with the tank top he’d had on underneath. Their lips crashed together again, and Steve explored Eddie’s mouth with his tongue, moaning into his mouth as Eddie ran his hands up and down Steve’s now exposed torso. Steve began sucking and kissing down Eddie’s neck again, leaving a trail of pale purple marks in his wake. His mouth reached one of Eddie’s nipples and licked the flat of his tongue over the bud. Eddie’s back arched as he gasped, and Steve took that as an open invitation. He sucked the bud into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive skin before switching to the other one. He ran one of his hands down Eddie’s body, rubbing his dick through his jeans. Eddie’s hand flew to Steve’s hair, giving an unintentionally sharp pull. Steve let out a porn-star-level moan, turning bright red. Eddie’s grin turned wicked once again, and he gripped the base of Steve’s perfect hair, pulling him back down.
Steve fumbled with Eddie’s belt buckle while he sucked on his nipple, the sounds he was making causing Steve to be painfully hard. He finally got his pants undone, yanking the jeans and boxers down in one go. Eddie’s cock sprang to attention, hard and easily eight inches. Steve licked his lips. Eddie caught the look on his face. “You wanna suck my dick baby?” Steve bit his lip and nodded as best he could with Eddie’s hand still in his hair. “Words please, big boy.”
“If either of us is the big boy here…” Steve trailed off, Eddie letting out another glorious laugh. “... can I?”
“God Stevie, you’re a fucking dream.” He loosened his grasp on Steve, sitting up slightly to lean on his forearms as he sank to his knees in front of him. Steve gripped the base of Eddie’s cock, feeling its comforting weight in his hand. He licked a long strip up the length of it, drawing out another deep moan from Eddie. He pulled the head into his mouth, giving a gentle suck and drawing yet another deep groan out of him. “Fuck Steve, you look so pretty with those big soft lips of yours around my dick, love seeing it disappear into your gorgeous fucking mouth.”
Steve pulled off his cock with a filthy-sounding pop. “could you… could you pull my hair again?” He asked sheepishly, avoiding eye contact.
Eddie’s hand snaked its way into his hair in response, giving a gentle pull to force Steve to look at him. “Anything you want.”
Steve put Eddie’s cock back into his mouth, the salty taste of precum coating his tongue. He bobbed his head a few times, flattening his tongue along the bottom of his dick. “Fuck baby, god you’re so good, so pretty, just like that my pretty boy.” Eddie was rambling as Steve opened his throat, taking in as much of Eddie as he could at once. “God you take it like such a fucking good boy.” Steve moaned around his dick with that particular pet name, and Eddie jerked his hips up with a moan. “Oh I see, you like being told what a good job you’re doing sweetheart? Like hearing exactly how much I like seeing your mouth wrapped around me, pretty eyes so blissed out? God baby, you’re going to kill me with how good you are.” Steve, spurned on by the unfamiliar praise, sucked Eddie down far enough to nose his pubes, feeling the thick cock pulse in his throat. Eddie gripped his hair again, and Steve moaned as loudly as he could around his dick, throat squeezing around it as he pulled up until only the head was left in his mouth, and he swirled his tongue around it. “Fuck baby, I’m close.” Steve pulled off his cock entirely with another sinful pop and was rewarded with a groan from Eddie.
“There’s no way you’re cumming until I get this monster inside me.” Steve glared up from where he was on the ground, strings of saliva connecting him to Eddie’s hot member, clearly in no position of power but calling the shots anyway.
“Fucking hell, you’re perfect.” Eddie pulled Steve up into another kiss, messy and open-mouthed as Eddie worked to get Steve’s jeans off with one hand. With Steve’s help, they were soon both naked. Eddie flipped them over so that Steve was high up on the bed, and Eddie could get down between his legs, throwing them over his shoulders. The first tentative lick at Steve’s asshole caused a jolt to run through him, his dick jumping in excitement. He gripped the sheets as Eddie’s tongue slowly slipped past the tight ring of muscle, his nose pressed up against Steve’s balls. Steve whined loudly when Eddie pulled his tongue out, but it was quickly replaced by one of his long fingers curling up into Steve. It wasn’t long before he was begging for more. “So impatient.” Eddie huffed with a laugh but added a second finger shortly after. He spit on Steve’s hole, scissoring him open. Steve couldn’t help but rock back on Eddie’s fingers, but soon a strong hand was on his stomach holding him still.
“Please, Eddie. I need you inside me. I don’t care if it hurts, I want you.” Eddie turned his head and bit one of Steve’s thighs, causing him to clench around his fingers.
“God baby, you’re gonna be the death of me. Do you have a condom? Lube at least?”
Steve pointed at the bedside table. “Top drawer.”
Eddie pulled his fingers out of Steve, and he felt empty. He whined as he watched Eddie roll the condom on, spreading lube over his stiff and aching cock. He positioned himself at Steve’s entrance, making eye contact with him as he pushed slowly in. The stretch was painful, and Steve gasped. Eddie paused, concern on his face. “Please,” Steve begged, “keep going.”
Eddie let his head fall, his mouth finding the mark of his own hand on Steve’s shoulder, biting it hard as he pushed himself in so achingly slowly. He reached the base, breathing hard from the effort of restraint. He paused when he was all the way in, letting Steve adjust to the size. Steve gasped, nearly struggling to breathe with how full he felt. Eddie groaned around where he had Steve’s shoulder between his teeth, breathing hard. “Mmnh- please… you can- you can move.” Steve panted, and Eddie started pulling back out inch by inch, then slowly fucking back in. Steve moaned as the head of Eddie’s dick rubbed against his prostate, and Eddie jerked inside him at the sound. His movements started rhythmic, fucking into Steve carefully while he begged for faster, harder, more. He quickly became erratic, switching from fucking him for Steve’s pleasure to fucking him for his own release. Steve’s dick protested, angry and neglected, and still so fucking close to cumming. “E-Eddie- fuck, I’m gonna- I’m-” and then Eddie hit his prostate again and Steve’s vision whited out as he painted his chest with cum. It only took Eddie a few more pumps before he was spilling his load deep inside Steve, the condom the only thing keeping Steve from being able to keep Eddie’s cum inside him. They both breathed heavily, Eddie’s arms shaking as he held himself up over Steve. His chest heaved as he slowly pulled himself out, undid the condom, and tied it off. He tossed it into the trash can a few feet away and fell back on the bed. “Holy shit.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you there Stevie baby.” Steve turned to look at Eddie, bringing one hand up to caress his cheek. Eddie leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose. He then noticed the mess on Steve’s chest, quickly getting cold and sticky. “Let"s get you cleaned up sweetheart.” He disappeared into the ensuite and came out quickly with a warm, wet rag. He gently wiped down Steve’s chest, careful to make sure he got all the cum out of his chest hair. Steve could only stare at him with what was surely a dopey look on his face, already obsessed with the other man. “You keep looking at me like that and round two might be coming pretty quick Stevie.”
He chuckled, face feeling warm. Eddie tossed the rag somewhere near the hamper and looked down at Steve. “Stay?” Steve asked, not caring how needy he sounded. The beast in his chest was quiet for the first time in his life as they crawled under the covers, Eddie’s arms wrapped around him from behind.
“Forever, if you’ll have me,” Eddie whispered into his hair.
Steve smiled contentedly, then glanced at his alarm clock. It was nearly 4 am. “Oh shit.”
“What?”
“I never called Robin.”