Chapter Text
“The air shifts — heavy, burning, electric. Your boots crackle on blackened stone. The sky above… bleeds red. From the ashes of the ruined fortress, you hear it.” Eddie pauses, tapping the table once before continuing. “Wings. Massive. Beating like thunder. Dust whirls. The wind screams. You look up… and there it is. A shadow with teeth. With fire. With eyes like molten gold staring straight through your soul. The Dragon of Karsithrax has awoken — and he. is. hungry.”
Eddie smiles, leaning back in his chair, the leather of his jacket crunching with the movement. “And he sees you. Three party members wounded, only one barely able to fight.” Eddie looks straight at Steve. “What will you do, Sir Steven?””
The entire group groans, well, almost the entire group. Gareth’s dropped his head to the table, Jeff, Grant and Will turning to each other and talking strategy that Steve’s barely able to hear, Lucas writing in his notebook all the while Dustin and Mike whine and complain at Eddie who laughs, tossing his head back, his pulled up hair falling just a bit further out of the ponytail he’d put in at the start of the game.
But Steve doesn’t react. Considering this is a one-time thing and he’s struggled through most of the game up to this point, relying heavily on Lucas, the gravity is a bit lost on him.
He’s not going to knock the game. Most of his friends love playing it and it started out pretty fun. Eddie’s a magnificent storyteller, Steve unable to tear his eyes from the other man while he weaves his intricate story. And if Steve finds himself a bit more attracted to Eddie every time he tried explaining a move or a term that Steve hadn’t heard before, well that’s no one’s business but his own.
Eddie stands abruptly, his chair scratching along the wood floors of the Harrington dining room floor. Steve watches as Mike and Dustin continue trying to get their point across. As Eddie pulls cigarettes out from his pants pocket and shakes them in their faces.
“Time for a smoke break, teenage hooligans,” Eddie announces though much louder than his necessary, “And if you even think of following me outside, I will find a way to maim you so intensely, you will never recover.”
Dustin mumbles angrily under his breath and Mike flops back in his chair but neither follow Eddie.
Steve tries not to stare as Eddie walks by, pressing a warm hand on his shoulder. Their eyes meet and Eddie offers a wink continuing down the hall and out the door. Steve feels his heart budmp loudly in his chest.
He’s known about his attraction to men since middle school when he and Tommy experimented. Tommy said it was to make sure they could be the best kissers their girlfriends had ever had. And in the beginning, it was just that, until it wasn’t. Until Steve realized that maybe his feelings towards his friend were more than friendship. Tommy wasn’t a total asshole about it; he’d let Steve down pretty easily and helped him to be better with girls. In turn, leading him to Nancy, who wasn’t as gentle with his heart.
Steve likes to think Eddie wouldn’t be like Nancy. That if he could work up the courage to ask him out, they’d have a good relationship. The only problem is Steve’s not willing to lose Eddie as a friend. Since Vecna, Eddie’s grown on him like a vine. Started out slowly, just seeing each other around, before getting together weekly, then every other day. Steve’s told Eddie things he’d only ever been brave enough to share with Robin and in turn, Eddie’s shared right back. Too many nights have been spent at each other’s houses, talking about the future, their goals, their fears, until they fell asleep. Now, it’s abnormal for them to not be in the other’s pocket. Wayne even making a point to set out three cups in the morning for coffee when he returns home.
“If I oogled Max as hard as you’re oogling Eddie, I think she’d cut my eyes out,” Lucas teases softly. Steve feels his cheeks tinge red and rolls his eyes.
“I wasn’t oogling,” he defends earning a laugh from Lucas.
“Hmmm, so eye fucking then?”
Steve glares at Lucas making him laugh even harder.
“Y’know, he’d probably say yes if you just asked him out,” Lucas says crossing his arms in front of him, “I mean we’ve been watching him use D&D to flirt with you for like an hour.”
“That’s not what he’s doing and you know that,” Steve retorts shaking his head, “He’s just trying to help me keep my head above water. Your nerd game involves way more math and shit then I ever did in school.”
“He’s doing more than just keeping you above water, Steve,” Dustin says from Steve’s other side. He sounds exasperated, though Steve hopes it’s more because of whatever cliffhanger Eddie just left them on then Steve’s actual game play ability. “He’s explained more to you than I’ve ever seen him explain anything to anyone…ever.”
“No shit, shithead, but you’re the one that wanted me to play,” Steve sasses back.
“If I would’ve known how you were practically illiterate and can’t seem to do basic mathematics that a 3rd grader could do, I would’ve asked for something else,” Dustin grumbles, glaring slightly.
Steve hears the other conversations around them come to a slow stop, the feeling of their eyes all on him. He knew his math abilities would be a problem, academics sucked but he’s way past needing them. Working his way up through Family Video had it’s perks, no extra schooling being the biggest one. He’s pretty sure he can be pretty successful without having to do equations for a game that he barely understands. Listening to Dustin call it out in front of everyone else, well, that feels worse than Steve thought it would though.
“Whiny as ever, Henderson.”
Eddie’s voice arrives before he does, a slight click from the closing front door accompanying it. Steve’s slightly embarrassed not knowing what Eddie’s heard. He can take Dustin’s barbs, they’ve done it their entire friendship, but this is more pointed. More revealing of weaknesses he would rather keep hidden from Eddie.
Dustin rolls his eyes and stands, Eddie arriving in the room. “No way, it’s my birthday one-shot. He can’t just improvise a whole plan in the middle of a fight! He’s not smart enough! It’ll get us all killed.”
Steve sighs. He’s not going to let Eddie see Dustin have the upper hand. Steve likes to think he’s not the asshole he was but he’s also not a total pushover. He might not be able to defend himself academically, but sarcasm will certainly distract and frustrate Dustin.
“Come off it,” Steve says, staying seated. He calmly fixes his hair, tucks a longer piece back to where it goes. Despite Dustin’s words hurting, he’s not going to show it. He casually looks around the table then at Dustin, who is pouting. “The whole thing is made up. But you’re right, next time I’ll discuss my strategy with the dragon first.”
Lucas laughs as Dustin lets out a wounded sound before launching into all the ways Steve’s not playing right. Steve crosses his arms in front of his chest, pulling a bored expression into place and glancing over at Eddie.
Eddie’s back at the head of the table, leaning in the chair like it’s some sort of throne. He meets Steve’s glance with a gleam in his eyes and a small smirk. He clears his throat and the game restarts, Steve surprisingly getting the party away from the dragon, only for Dustin to die mysteriously a couple turns later.