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“You’re brave, Eddie.” Steve’s voice is quiet, which Eddie is grateful for considering the others are sleeping on the other side of the Wheeler’s basement, he’s also not sure why Steve is saying this now. Still, he rolls over on the blow-up mattress to find Steve watching him from the mattress next to his.
“Huh?”
“In the woods, you said you weren’t brave, you said you were a coward, it’s not true, you are brave.”
Eddie laughs under his breath. “What makes you say that, then?”
“You’ve always been the bravest person at that stupid high school.”
“What in god’s name are you on about, Harrington? Did we live the same events?”
“Ok, so you were scared, that’s a pretty reasonable response to those circumstances, you think I wasn’t fucking terrified and useless the first time something like this happened? You think Nancy wasn’t?”
Eddie can’t imagine Steve and Nancy being useless, that was, like, an oxymoron.
“Okay?” Eddie says, still not getting Steve’s point.
“What I’m trying to say is: just because you weren’t the most heroic today doesn’t mean you’re a coward. You’re unapologetically you, y’know, your DnD, your theatrics, all through high school, two extra years of it, in the face of assholes treating you like shit, you never let it stop you.” Steve pauses, and then his voice softens even more. “You protected Dustin.”
Eddie shrugs awkwardly. “It wasn’t that big of a thing.”
Steve reaches out and pokes Eddie’s shoulder. “It is. Don’t undermine yourself dude, you were braver than I ever could have been, I was a coward, all through high school. So just… don’t call yourself a coward, man, 'cause you’re anything but.”
Eddie doesn’t know what to say, Steve’s hand has dropped to rest on Eddie’s mattress in front of his chest, so he pats it awkwardly. “Thanks, man.”
Steve flips his hand over and catches Eddie’s fingers between his own. “‘S the truth.” He murmurs, pressing his face further into his pillow and beginning to snore.
Eddie doesn’t know what to do. He’s holding Steve Harrington’s hand. Steve Harrington has fallen asleep holding his hand. What the fuck. He halfheartedly attempts to let go but Steve’s grip is strong. He’s wide awake now, thanks to Steve, and hyperaware of the fingers wrapped around his own. They’re warm, slightly calloused, his hands are about the same size as Eddie’s, his fingers slightly thicker and lacking rings. Eddie idly wonders if Steve might want to wear some of his rings sometime, but quickly banishes that thought as soon as it arises, the mental image a little too much for him. It’s too late though, his mind is already on a warpath, imagining Steve’s hands toying with his hair, sliding down his chest, holding his waist- see this is why Eddie’s mind is banned from thoughts after 11pm, especially if he is sleeping a foot away from The Steve Harrington and holding his very warm hand. Fuck , Eddie has got to go to sleep.
In Steve’s defence, he wasn’t really awake when he grabbed Eddie’s hand, and he tends to subconsciously grab people’s hands even when he is awake. Still, he isn’t really complaining when he wakes up with Eddie’s hand still in his, some part of him warms at the fact that Eddie didn’t let go, in fact, he’s holding on as tight as Steve. Steve remembers when he thought he would hate Eddie if he ever met him, thought the guy would be obnoxious and insane, mean maybe, annoying definitely. He is all of those things, for sure, but he’s also oddly kind and gentle, he’s funny, quick witted and dramatic, and he’s brave, no matter what he says about himself and Steve is beyond grateful to him for being the person to take Dustin under his wing. Steve is beginning to really admire Eddie, god help him, maybe he isn’t Steve-style high school cool, but he’s cool in a devil-may-care kind of way that stokes the jealousy Steve hasn’t quite gotten over. Steve feels lame next to him, he still dresses like he did in high school, still looks like the guy who’s greatest achievement is being captain of the school swim team and having a crowd of friends who would drop him in a heartbeat if they knew anything real about him. At least Eddie was cool on his own merit, he would be no less cool once he graduated.
Steve fiddles with the rings pressed between his fingers, twisting them on Eddie’s fingers, they’re chunky and have a nice weight to them, he should ask Eddie where he gets them. His eyes drift up Eddie’s arm, studying the tattoos he can see, they’re various grotesque monsters, a flock of bats, the irony is not lost on Steve. His gaze reaches Eddie’s shoulder, dropping momentarily to the glimpse of a tattoo he can see under the collar of his Hellfire Club t-shirt. Something in him sparks with curiosity, the desire to see what other tattoos Eddie is hiding, but he shoves the feeling aside and tears his gaze away. Eddie’s hair is a mess, splayed across his shoulders and the pillow, Steve has no doubt it’s tangled to all hell. He wonders momentarily if Eddie would let him brush it, the image of him sitting behind Eddie, his legs on either side of him, gently working a comb through his hair, flickers in his mind.
“See something you like?” Eddie’s rough voice interrupts his thoughts.
Steve flushes, forcing himself to meet Eddie’s teasing gaze, caught red handed.
“No!” He answers, probably too quickly to be convincing, and the way Eddie’s smile immediately widens tells Steve he doesn’t believe it for a second.
“Sure.” Eddie stretches, cracking his back, but he doesn’t let go of Steve’s hand. “You were on the verge of delirious last night, huh?”
Steve frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Eddie, you’re brave.” Eddie mimics, “All that shit.”
Steve feels his frown deepen, but Eddie is looking around the room, presumably for the others.
“They left us alone down here to starve then?”
“I dunno, but Eddie, I was serious, I meant it.”
Eddie looks at him incredulously, and Steve feels even more angry, not at Eddie - or, mostly not at Eddie - but at whoever made him think it was so absurd someone might compliment him.
“Ok, probably time for me to hand you off to Nancy, get some food into you or whatever.”
Steve tugs on Eddie’s hand, not letting him get up, deciding then and there that he’s going to put a stop to this.
“You and Robin have got to stop with that, I’m not interested in Nancy, and she isn’t interested in me. That ship has well and truly sailed and that’s okay! We like other people now! And you, Eddie Munson, are brave! Take the stupid compliment!”
Eddie stares at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. “Is it Robin?”
“ What ?”
“The uh, the person you like, is it Robin?”
Steve thinks he might hate Eddie after all, he didn’t even notice the slip when he was speaking, he doesn’t think he even really realised he did like someone until this moment. He remembers how he felt about Jonathan though, and Billy on some level, and it becomes suddenly very clear to him exactly why he is still jealous of Eddie. It also becomes incredibly apparent that this is not a conversation he wants to have.
“No! Was that seriously all you got from that? Christ, Eddie.” He drops Eddie’s hand and stands up, wincing as the bandages the hospital wrapped his torso in yesterday tug on the wounds that definitely needed redressing several hours ago.
Eddie is up in an instant, steadying him and inspecting the bandages.
“Shit, Steve, these are crusty as fuck, do you want me to get Nancy or Robin to help you change them?”
Steve rolls his eyes. “I think we can manage."
Eddie looks sceptical, and slightly terrified, which amuses Steve a little.
“You faint at the sight of blood suddenly?” Steve presses, admittedly a little cruelly. Eddie looks like a deer in headlights, his deep brown eyes even bigger than they normally are.
“No I just…” Eddie takes a deep breath, like he’s bracing himself, “Normally guys… Like you don’t like me being near them while they’re shirtless, let alone touching them.”
Something in Steve’s chest clenches with guilt, knowing he was that kind of guy, as much as he isn’t anymore.
“We aren’t as different as you think.” Steve says, hoping his voice conveys his meaning. It must, because Eddie’s expression brightens with a flicker of hope.
“Oh.”
Steve smiles at him, and bumps his shoulder against Eddie’s. “Help me redress my battle wounds?”
And this time Eddie nods and follows him up the stairs to the bathroom.
In all his wildest dreams, Eddie has never imagined himself crouching in front of Steve Harrington, holding his skin taut as he cleans his wounds. The knowledge that Steve also likes boys sits at the forefront of his mind. He knows it doesn’t automatically mean Steve likes him, but if the person Steve likes isn’t Robin or Nancy, it really narrows the options. Of course, it could be one of the girls Robin mentioned, but the grimace Eddie remembers Steve making at the thought of his escapades makes him inclined to believe it isn’t. There’s also the fact that Steve fell asleep holding his hand last night. But Eddie has lived too many disappointments to get his hopes up, so he takes that evidence off the table, which leaves him with very little to suggest Steve likes him. Aside from the look Steve is giving him right now. Which is so intense Eddie feels like he might faint after all.
He refocuses on his task, trying desperately to steady his shaking hands as he reapplies the ointment the hospital gave Steve. Steve hisses above him.
“Sorry.” He murmurs.
“‘S okay.” Steve replies, reaching down and holding onto his shoulder.
Eddie finishes dressing the wounds and instructs Steve to lift his arms so he can wrap a fresh bandage around his stomach. Eddie didn’t anticipate how close he has to get to Steve for this step, and a part of him wants to back out now and go get Robin or Nancy. But he pushes the voice that says he’s perverted and taking advantage - the one that sounds remarkably like his father - aside and gets Steve to hold one end of the bandage against his stomach as Eddie leans into him to pass the bandage around his back. Steve doesn’t recoil or flinch at their proximity, instead he leans closer and rests his forehead on Eddie’s shoulder. Steve makes no move to sit up once the bandage is fastened, so Eddie tentatively reaches up to rest a hand on the back of his head.
“All done.” Eddie says quietly, not wanting to break the moment.
“You make a good pillow.” Steve mumbles into his shoulder, which makes Eddie laugh in surprise.
“Why, thank you, always an honour to serve.”
Steve chuckles into his shoulder then mumbles something Eddie can’t quite hear. “What was that?”
Steve huffs but he repeats himself anyway. “It’s you, by the way.”
“It’s me what?”
“Who I like, I think I’ve made it pretty obvious but in case you didn’t get it.”
Eddie freezes, he wonders if this is some horrible, cruel joke, but Steve stays warm against him and no one laughs.
Eventually, Steve lifts his head, and Eddie wonders if now the other shoe will drop.
“I’d ask for you to kiss me better, but given the lack of response, I’m not sure you’re interested.” Steve’s tone is cocky as ever but Eddie can see the nerves in his expression.
Eddie doesn’t need any more prompting than that, he threads the fingers still resting on Steve’s head into his hair and tugs him forward into a bruising kiss. Eddie has overheard hundreds of girls gossip about Steve Harrington’s kissing, how he swept them away, made them feel like they were burning from the inside out, but he never thought he would experience it himself. And now he can say for certain, they undersold it. Kissing Steve Harrington feels like being pulled into the orbit of a glowing sun, held close and warm, lead in a perfect dance. Eddie doesn’t write songs often, but he thinks he could write a hundred songs on the spot about this. When they part for air, Steve chases his lips and Eddie thinks he’s never felt more desired.
“Yeah, I think that’s the cure I needed.” Steve says, pressing kisses along Eddie’s jawline, like he can’t get enough of Eddie.
“Well, good thing there’s plenty more where that came from.” Eddie winks, filling with pride at the blush that heats Steve’s cheeks.
Steve avoids Nancy and Robin’s stares when he and Eddie finally make their way back down to the kitchen to get food. The kids pay them no mind, too busy arguing about something that goes completely over Steve’s head, but Robin elbows him in the arm when he sits down next to her and Nancy kicks his shin.
“Ow!” He hisses, glaring at them both, “Christ, there’s no need to cause me bodily harm, just ask.”
They exchange a look then Robin asks: “Did you two fuck??”
Steve chokes on the mouthful he just took and glares at Eddie who is unhelpfully snickering.
“Not how I would’ve asked, but I’ll take that as a yes.” Nancy says, then a little softer, “Congratulations.”
Steve meets her gaze once Eddie stops laughing at him and pats his back to stop him choking. He finds her watching them with a small smile, her eyes filled with pride.
“Thanks, Nance.”
“I would also offer my congratulations,” Robin interjects, “If I wasn’t so miffed you somehow got a boyfriend before I got a girlfriend.”
Steve sees Nancy’s eyes move to Robin, and the shift in her expression at that statement. He might be clueless, but he isn’t that clueless.
“I have no doubt your perfect girl is closer than you think.” He says, and then winces as Nancy kicks his shin again.
Eddie thankfully takes the signal to steer the conversation away from topics that might get Steve kicked again. Glad to be off the hook and able to eat and listen to the conversation around him without contributing, Steve leans into Eddie’s side, craving the solid warmth of him, and has to contain a contented sigh when Eddie immediately slips an arm around his waist. Nothing about this moment would have seemed at all possible to him a few years ago, and Steve thinks maybe that’s what makes a happy ending, the fact that his old self couldn’t have even imagined this scenario.