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1.
The first time Eddie remembers seeing it he thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him because of morphine and blood loss.
After being dragged back from the Upside Down bloodied and half dead, they brought him to a hospital. It took a lot of arguing and some help from the government to keep the cops away from Eddie, but they managed. Now he was laying there, machines attached to his body as he kept slipping in and out of consciousness.
It was one of the better days, where he kinda felt like he wasn’t completely on fire. As he slowly opened his eyes the first thing he saw was the sleepy figure in the chair next to his bed. Steve Harrington. What a sight to behold, even if he himself looked like shit. Dark circles under his eyes, neck and arms covered in bandages, hair looking like a birds nest. Eddie still found him beautiful, which was truly infuriating. But then he noticed how the man was really focused on something in his hands, hence why he didn’t see that the metalhead woke up.
He needed to blink away the dark spots from his eyes, but there was no doubt. Steve Harrington was holding one of his rings, his coffin one to be exact between his fingers just twirling around and playing with it kind of absentmindedly. It seemed like something that calmed his nerves. The realization hit Eddie in the chest, heart making backflips in his rib cage.
Steve whipped his head up as he heard the beeping of the heart monitor picking up its pace, his big brown eyes staring at Eddie shocked and surprised. His fingers still gripping the ring, eyes bloodshot like he haven’t slept since days and considering Eddie kept seeing him here in his delirious awakenings, that probably was the case.
“Eddie…” Steve’s voice was hoarse, but soft and full of emotions. It made Eddie wanna cry, because he really is here, he’s alive and Steve is just by his hospital bedside being the absolute fucking sweetheart he is.
“Hey, pretty boy! Missed me?”
2.
It was a lazy Saturday, summer nearing meant the weather started to become more and more unbearable, especially in the trailer. Eddie was used to it, but it still sucked, especially with his still healing wounds.
Steve was laying on his bed, his head casually resting on Eddie’s lap who was sitting with his back propped up against the wall. They have been smoking a little and now decided to just lay around, do nothing. Well at least Eddie was doing nothing. Steve tho had the metalhead’s fingers in his hands, examining his clunky rings, moving them around. He sometimes pulled off one, looked at it closer and put it back.
Eddie didn’t know how long he can endure this before having a heart attack. Looks like surviving the end of the world together after almost dying is a perfect time to also develop a burning crush on the most heterosexual man in Hawkins. Well at least heterosexual by theory, but does your straight friend call you pretty after sleeping in your bed, haunted by nightmares while you make coffee and breakfast the following morning? It was confusing as hell.
“It’s so warm in here” Steve groaned after a good 30 minutes of comfortable silence, hands still fiddling with Eddie’s rings.
“Yeah, well, at least you ain’t have a twenty year old jock with thick hair laying in your lap.” He quipped back sarcastically. “You’re like a furnace, Stevie.”
“Oh, shut up, Munson. It’s not my fault that your lap is comfortable.” Steve said not taking his eyes off of Eddie’s hand. The metalhead felt his heart clench, wishing that this meant as much to Steve as it did to him. But that would’ve been ridiculous… right? Yeah, of course. Steve was just stoned out of his mind, nothing special.
“How sweet” he managed to say after collecting himself, putting up a confident front. “You’re such a good boy when you’re high, sweetheart.” He said softly and with his free hand he started to pet Steve’s fluffy hair, which earned him a pleased groan from the boy. Eddie decided to store this knowledge away for future uses, if he ever gets the chance.
“Mhm…Keep doing that” Steve practically moaned those words. Eddie had to take a deep breath, trying to think of anything -, old ladies, grimy alternate dimensions, anything really - to calm his hormone filled, teenage body down. It would be really awkward to pop a boner right into Steve’s face. How would he explain that? It also didn’t help that the other boy still kept playing around with his rings, holding his hand gently while smoothing his thumb over the skull ring.
“Who would’ve thought King Steve loves when someone is playing with his hair.” Eddie murmured with all the confidence he could muster in this situation, fingers still cradling through the brown locks in his lap.
“Hmm… maybe I just like you playing with it.” Steve retorted, pulling off Eddie’s ring and held it in his right hand, examining it like some sort of treasure. His left hand still gripping Eddie’s wrist gently. “I think this is my favorite ring.” He concluded with a dumb smile on that handsome face of his, then he put it back on Eddie’s finger, placing a soft kiss on the knuckle above it once it was placed on perfectly.
Eddie felt his heart skipping a beat, his face heating up. He quickly pulled his hand back and covered his face with it while he looked up at the ceiling.
“Shit… Sweetheart, warn a guy before you do such things.” He mumbled into his hand, closing his eyes. All he got in response was a sweet laugh, which resonated through his whole body.
3.
It was a blazing hot Friday afternoon during early July. Every single Party member went to Steve’s place for a spontaneous pool party, the kids jumping into water as soon as they arrived. Half of them have been chauffeured there by Nancy, the other half came in Eddie’s van. All of them wearing swimsuits or swim trunks, towels in their hands and backpacks stuffed with snacks, because Steve told them he will only provide drinks, if they wanted to munch, that was on them. Eddie had no swim shorts, or any plans on getting into water, so he just wore his dark blue jeans that he transformed into shorts and a Metallica tank top that had the sides cut off low letting a lot of skin show. He thought about wearing a crop top, but ever since Spring Break he was painfully aware of the huge scars on his torso left behind those lovely demon bats.
As he watched Dustin, Max and Lucas barrel into the pool after yelling a quick “Hey Steve!”, he just shook his head. Nancy was yet to arrive with Robin, Will, Mike and Eleven, so he just put the six pack he brought with him down on the kitchen counter and walked outside into the backyard. His eyes scanned the place before falling on the host of this party. Steve was lounging on a pool chair under an umbrella, expensive sunglasses on his nose, wearing nothing but a bright red swim trunk. His hairy, tanned chest was glistening with sweat, all of his scars full on display. “Look, we match.” He said to Eddie once after he woke up from a terrible nightmare during one of their sleepovers, but it’s not entirely true. His scars were not as bad, blending in well with his skin, not making him look like a used dog toy. It made him look badass.
“Hey, Eds!” Steve smiled when he noticed him, waving for him to walk over. Eddie braced himself and joined him on the chair on his right, leaning back with a groan. “I’m glad you came.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Eddie turned his face to the side, glancing at Steve with slightly hooded eyes.
“Dunno, sometimes it feels like you don’t like being around me.” Steve shrugged like it was no big deal, but the other could see the slight hurt in his eyes. He let out a sigh.
“It’s not that, Stevie. I am just a bit overwhelmed with this new job, I really wanna keep it, so I’m working hard.” He explained softly.
“Yeah, I know.” Steve mumbled under his breath. “I just miss you, ya know…”
Eddie didn’t respond to that, just reached out his hand, grabbing Steve’s and giving him a slight squeeze.
A couple hours, a few bears and some pizza later the kids were quietly floating away in the pool being too exhausted to play anything, while the adults sat around the garden on the chairs, Jonathan and Argyle spread out on the grass, stoned out of their mind. Nancy and Robin were chatting away quietly, wine glasses in their hands.
Eddie and Steve were sitting just inches apart on their own chairs, passing a joint between the two of them. Normally Steve wouldn’t have done this in front of the kids, but it was a long day and he was tipsy enough not to care.
As Eddie passed the blunt over to Steve, he snatched it from him, but before he could pull his hand back, the boy grabbed his wrist, joint hanging between his lips. The metalhead took a sharp breath, he already knew where this was going.
“You have different rings on.” Steve mumbled, taking the last hit from the blunt and putting it out on the ground. His other hand now touching Eddie’s fingers and the big rings adoring them. “I haven’t seen this one before.” He ran his thumb over the skeletal hand ring Eddie purchased a couple days ago from his first salary he received from the Car Repair Shop where he got a job after graduation.
“Yeah, I bought that on Wednesday.” He explained. “Went out to Indianapolis to buy some records and I saw it in a storefront.”
“I like it.” Steve said with a soft smile, pulling Eddie’s hand closer to his face. “I like your rings a lot.” He added, kind of like he was thinking out loud.
“Yeah, I kinda noticed that.” Eddie chuckled, wiggling his fingers in Steve’s hand. “You do this quite a lot.”
“Oh…” Steve’s face turned to a light shade of pink as he realized what he was doing, looking at Eddie shyly. “I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize, Princess.” Eddie said with a gentle smile, even if he hated to admit it, Steve’s little habit of playing with his rings and fingers felt really relaxing and grounding at the same time. “I don’t mind you doing that.” He added and the smile that he got from Steve was worth every minute of heartache and suffering he needed to endure with these soft touches.
4.
It was a mild day during mid July, Eddie had a few days off from his work, so he decided the best thing he could do to pass time is to saunter into Family Video and bother his favorite duo. As he busted the big doors open Steve raised his head from the counter where he had it resting on his palm, clearly bored out of his mind. Robin was probably there somewhere in the aisles placing tapes on the shelves.
Steve was about to say the usual company greeting with a plastered fake smile on his face, but as he recognized Eddie his face lit up, causing the metalhead’s stomach erupting in a swarm of butterflies.
“Eddie!”
“Hey there, pretty boy!” He said with a flirtatious tone, walking to the counter and placing his forearms on it. “Missed me?”
“It’s so boring today I can use the company.” He shrugged and Eddie raised an eyebrow.
“Robin is not here?” He asked surprised, looking towards the aisles.
“She’s coming in an hour, for now it’s just me.” He sighed and leaned his hip at the side of the counter, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “It’s boring as hell in here.”
“My poor princess, you want me, Eddie The Banished to save you from the dreaded boredom?” He asked with a wide smirk, enjoying the effect his words had on the younger boy. Steve shook his head, regaining his composure and reached his hand over the counter.
“Hand.” Is all he needed to say for Eddie’s heart to skip a beat. He felt his face heat up, but he placed his hand in Steve’s, a shiver running through his body at the sensation of skin touching skin. The other boy smiled at him, wrapping his fingers around his hand and slowly rubbing circles into his palm before moving to his rings, twisting them around gently.
“So, you’ve been here alone all day?” Eddie asked, already used to ignoring the fact that Steve is touching his hand all over like it’s a toy.
“Yeah, but I’ve had like…” he pulled down Eddie’s skull ring and slipped it back on with the same movement. “Five customers since opening this damn store.”
“I would’ve come sooner, but Wayne needed some help with his truck.” Eddie explained to which Steve looked up from his hands, eyes filled with pure adoration. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Can I stay at yours tonight?” He asked suddenly without answering the question and honestly Eddie was too weak and too whipped for the boy to say no.
“Yeah, sure thing, sweetheart.”
5.
Eddie woke up next morning with Steve Harrington wrapped around him like an octopus. It’s not like this was unusual, they had plenty of sleepovers before, sharing a bed every time, but it still felt kind of unreal. Eddie Munson from 6 months ago would think you are insane if you told him this could happen. But here he was, Steve sweetly snoring into the crook of his neck while holding him close like a treasured teddy bear.
He yawned, trying to free his limbs from the younger boy’s strong grip with little success. His squirming and attempts at getting up earned him a groan from his friend. Steve slowly opened his eyes, looking at Eddie with a sleepy, but also disapproving expression.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked, voice still groggy from sleep.
“You know, Princess, I need to use the bathroom.” He explained to which Steve cuddled into him further, poking into his neck with his nose.
“Cant you just stay a bit longer?” He mumbled into his skin, which was a sensation Eddie didn’t really needed so early in the morning. “Please…”
“You’re really driving me insane here, Stevie.” Eddie groaned, way too sleepy to be able to filter out his thoughts before they flew out of his mouth. “It’s too early for me to deal with your cute, touchy mood…”
“You think I’m cute?” Steve asked suddenly, leaning back to look at the metalhead with his big, brown eyes. Eddie sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. It was really too early for this.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I am going to lose my control.” He mumbled into his hand, looking at the other through half lidded eyes. “I really wanna kiss you right now.”
“So what is holding you back?” Steve asked with a cocky smile, clearly more awake now and that was all Eddie needed.
He surged forward, his hand sliding at the back of Steve’s head to pull him into a gentle, but hungry kiss. Their lips slotting together perfectly like they were made for each other. It wasn’t the best kiss they’ve ever had, cause morning breath and all, but Eddie will treasure this memory forever. It’s not every day that the town freak gets to kiss the former King of Hawkins High.
As they pulled back, they both had a dumb smile stuck on their face, blissed out by the fact that their feelings for each other were mutual. Steve leaned back in for another kiss, which led to a long make out session with tangled limbs and pleased noises.
Half an hour later they finally left the bed, Eddie taking a quick shower while Steve went to the kitchen to make coffee and some simple breakfast. Eddie came out of the bathroom with only a towel draped around his waist and instead of going to the bedroom he sauntered into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist, hugging him from behind.
“Hey there handsome.” He murmured into the boy’s ears which sent a shiver through Steve.
“Go dress up, I’m almost done with breakfast.” He said with his usual strict mom voice. Eddie chuckled and pressed his chest even closer to the other’s back, his crotch slightly touching Steve’s clothed ass.
“You should ask me to take off the clothes, not the other way around.” He quipped playfully, fingers rubbing small circles into Steve’s stomach. “Since we’re boyfriends now and all that.”
“Dress up and have breakfast with me, then you can call me your boyfriend.” Steve bit back with no real venom in his voice, turning his head to the side where Eddie’s chin was propped up on his shoulder. The metalhead sighed and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, but before he let him go, he caught sight of Steve’s hand and the big, shiny skull ring on his ring finger.
“Are you seriously wearing my ring?” He asked playfully, nuzzling into the boy’s neck. It made him way too giddy to see Steve “The Hair” Harrington in his kitchen, making him breakfast after spending the night with him in his bed and also wearing his favorite ring. It was so goddamn domestic.
“Your rings are my rings now, we’re boyfriends.” Steve replied with a shit eating grin plastered on that handsome face of his. Before Eddie could say anything, his boyfriend leaned in to place a quick peck on his lips, then turning back to the stove. “Now go dress up or I’ll eat all of this myself and you can starve.”
Eddie let out a displeased groan, but he stepped away from him and walked towards his bedroom to throw on some clothes, the silly, lovesick grin not leaving his lips that morning.
+1
“I’m telling you, it makes sense! It’s a trap!” Dustin screeched with his usual attitude, which started an approximately ten minutes long debate between the kids.
Steve let out an exhausted groan, not really in the mood to listen to a bunch of 15 year olds arguing over some dumb fantasy game. He only agreed to let them have their Hellfire session at his place - which technically wasn’t really Hellfire since Eddie graduated and Will never joined, but whatever -, because his boyfriend, that annoying and pretty boy sitting in the big chair like he owns the place had asked him in the middle of making out. And honestly who was he to deny anything from a man who was sucking on his face?
But that didn’t mean he had to be stuck in the same room as them, especially not with his pounding headache that had been in the back of his head since morning. He walked to the kitchen to make some sandwiches for the little gremlins. While doing so, he stole quick glances towards the living room where they finally finished yelling at each other and let Eddie continue his narration. It was so fascinating to watch him be in his element, playing out a story with his whole body, creating voices for characters. Steve really loved that in him.
As he was cutting up tomatoes, he looked down at his right hand where he was wearing Eddie’s skeletal hand ring. It became a thing for him to just snatch a jewelry from his beloved boyfriend to put it on his own finger. It made him feel safe and made everything feel real. He was always grateful that Eddie never got weirded out at him playing around with his rings. It all started back in the hospital when he watched the older boy fight for his life, scary beeping machines connected to his pale body trying to keep him alive. Eddie’s rings were heavy and cold, helped to calm his nerves down as he played around with them. And that habit stayed even after those rings were back on the metalhead’s fingers.
When the sandwiches were done, Steve walked back to the living room eyes locking with his boyfriend’s. They shared a soft smile before Eddie clapped his hands together.
“Alright, little sheep! Looks like your mother made us some food, so I call for a break.” He announced with his usual theatrics, winking at his boyfriend playfully. Steve rolled his eyes.
The kids didn’t pay any kind to this, instead they left their stuff on the table to gather in the kitchen where the table was filled with a tray full of tasty looking sandwiches and various flavors of soda for them to drink.
“You want a beer?” Steve asked softly as Eddie got up from his throne, walking towards him.
“One beer can’t hurt I guess.” He replied with a soft smile and stopped to look at him. “I love when you wear my clothes.” He whispered while tugging at the hem of the white Iron Maiden shirt Steve grabbed from Eddie’s closet that morning before leaving for work. Steve just smirked and walked into the kitchen to make sure the kids aren’t trashing over his place and to grab two beers from the fridge.
“Isn’t that Eddie’s shirt you’re wearing?” Dustin suddenly asked, mouth full of bread. His question got all the other boys turn their heads towards him as he stood there, beer in his hands.
“You’re right!” Mike yelled after swallowing a bite. “That is totally Eddie’s shirt, there’s no way you have anything like that.” He continued, pointing at Steve’s chest.
“Wait, really?” Will perked up with a surprised expression on his face. Steve sighed.
“You have excellent vision, my lost sheep.” Eddie walked in with a wide grin on his face, slotting himself next to Steve at the counter while he grabbed one of the beer bottles from his hand. “That is most definitely a piece of clothing from my humble collection of outfits.”
“Yeah, but why is Steve wearing your shirt? Doesn’t he have like a bunch of those ugly polo shirts?” Lucas asked with his eyebrows raised, earning a giggle from Eddie and a not-so-happy glare from Steve himself.
“That’s a good question, Sinclair.” Eddie chirped and looked at his boyfriend. “Why are you wearing my shirt, Sir Harrington?” He asked in a singsong voice, leaning in just a bit closer to the boy next to him. Steve let out an exasperated groan, rubbing his hand over his face, which was apparently a bad idea as he heard Dustin screech again.
“You’re wearing Eddie’s ring! That’s definitely his ring! I remember him showing it to me after he bought it!” He yelled, looked slightly frantic at the sudden revelation. Eddie let out a small chuckle. They both knew this moment will come sooner or later, since they didn’t do much to hide their relationship. The adults of their friend group already knew about it, they catch on pretty quickly when Steve kept wearing rings that definitely didn’t belong him and having hickeys that his shirts couldn’t cover completely. It was just different with the kids, cause they were important to both of them and it’s not like having two men in a relationship is something everyone is accepting of.
“Wait…” the voice of Will pulled Steve out of his train of thoughts. “Are you two dating?” He asked, his cheeks tinted a slight shade of pink, eyes fixed on a point between the two adults. The other three gasped, looking at them expectantly.
“Great observation, Will the Wise, if I can say so myself.” Eddie said with a gentle smile, wrapping his beer free hand around Steve’s waist to pull him closer to his side. The younger basically melted into his arms, relaxing at the feeling of his boyfriend’s hand on his hip. “This wonderful man here is indeed my lovely boyfriend.” He announced proudly and squeezed Steve’s side reassuringly.
The kids stared at them with wide eyes before the broke out in a million questions, yelling at each other that they “definitely knew it”. Steve just stood there with a beer in his hand, smiling softly while his boyfriend answered to the kids. He couldn’t ask for a better family.