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steve sighed as he put his car into park in front of his boyfriend’s trailer. why was he so nervous? it’s just eddie. he asked himself as he got out, checking his hair in the side view mirror before walking up the steps and knocking on the door.
“steve, y’know you can just come in without knocking,” eddie rolled his eyes and tugged the younger man into the living room.
“feels wrong,” steve mumbled, letting eddie pull him to sit on the couch, basically on his lap.
“what movie we watchin’ tonight, pretty boy?”
steve scooted closer to eddie. “can we just cuddle and talk tonight? ‘m tired of movies,” eddie ran a hand through his hair, carefully separating any tangles. steve leaned into the touch, letting his eyes close slightly.
“‘course, what’s up?” eddie shifts them so they can lay down, steve half on top of him. the couch was really way too small for this, eddie briefly considered, but he wouldn’t trade this moment for anything else.
“i… had a rough day at work,” steve buried his face into eddie’s neck, letting his eyes droop as he slung his arm over eddie. “keith was being a dick, and we were super busy. robin had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment, so i was stuck by myself up front while keith restocked shelves ,” eddie could practically hear the eye roll.
eddie nodded, “i’m sorry, baby,” he could tell that wasn’t all, but he didn’t want to push his boyfriend. steve had the tendency to shut down in situations like this if not handled carefully. “anything i can do?”
“just hold me,” steve breathed in, the scent of weed and sweat filling his nose, exhaling with a heavy sigh. they laid there for a moment, like that, steve taking deep breaths as if to commit eddie’s smell into his memory.
eddie was almost sure steve had fallen asleep, the way he went almost slack into eddie’s touch. he was still moving a hand through steve’s hair, lightly scratching his scalp in the way he knew steve adored. for all the fuss he made about his hair, he loved when eddie played with it, but eddie could tell he held some tension in his shoulders, even as he relaxed into eddie’s touch.
“tell me about your day?” steve whispered, moving his right arm to lightly run his fingers down eddie’s ribs over his band tee. eddie jumped a little, earning a mumbled apology.
“well, you know i’ve been applying and interviewing for jobs, right? i finally got one. there’s a new record store opening up, ‘n the owner’s a real nice hippie lady. uhh, katherine? i think is her name,” eddie smiled, “i’m excited to be able to save some money. to move out.”
steve stills for a moment, moving to look up at eddie. “out of this trailer, or?” he let his sentence hang there. his boyfriend took the hand not playing with steve’s hair and brushed a finger over steve’s cheekbone. “or… out of hawkins?”
eddie sucked in a breath, “whatever you want to do, stevie,” eddie smiled a bit, “as long as i’m with you.”
steve felt tears well up in his eyes, kissing the metalhead softly on the palm of the hand near steve’s face. “i thought…” he broke off, shaking his head.
“you thought i’d leave you? baby, i’d never leave you. you’re my boyfriend, my roadie, my ride or die, babe,” steve laughed and rolled his eyes. “there’s that smile.”
“eddie,” he started, leaning up on his elbow to get a good look at eddie. eddie moved his hand to grab steve’s, the other coming to rest on his hip. “i have to…”
steve paused, wiping his unshed tears away with his free hand. eddie gave him an encouraging nod. take your time. i’m here for you.
“i have to tell you something. robin… robin and i have been talking, y’know ‘cause she’s way more knowledgeable on the gay shit. i know you know i’m bisexual, um, but,” eddie cut him off with a small smile.
“steve,” he said softly, “i know.”
steve laughed a little, “she said that, well, pronouns, like i know will uses he and they,” he was starting to ramble again. “pronouns don’t have to be… i could… use different pronouns than he.”
eddie tilted his head, “yeah, steve, ‘course you can.”
“b-but i know that you’re gay, and so, like, would it bother you if i… used he and she pronouns?” steve sat up a bit more now, searching eddie’s face for a sign of… well, steve wasn’t sure, exactly. “and you could… call me your girlfriend sometimes, and like, pretty girl and stuff..”
eddie shook his head quickly, “steve, if those pronouns make you most comfortable, of course it won’t bother me. you’re my…” he paused, and steve’s breath caught in his throat a little uncomfortably. “you’re my girlfriend and i love you.”
steve let out a broken laugh as he let herself cry, pulling himself closer to eddie, like he was trying to crawl into his skin. “god, eds, i love you too.”
eddie gave him a soft kiss on the head. “is that what you were so stressed about? baby, i thought i told you could tell me anything.”
“y-you did, i just… i dunno. this was different.”
“i understand. hey,” steve looked up at him, letting eddie wipe her tears away. “i love you, pretty girl.”
they laid still for a while after that, listening to each other breathe and enjoying each other’s company. steve had finally seem to let out the breath she’d been holding since he got here, fully relaxed and practically purring as eddie’s hand returned to her hair.
“so… where are we moving to?”
steve laughed again, loudly this time, unguarded. eddie decided it may just be his favorite sound.