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Chapter Text

Maelstrum Magazine

I’m sitting in the studio of Upside Down Records. The notoriously private Eddie Munson is sitting on a sofa across from me. His leg bounces and there has not been a moment where he doesn’t have a cigarette hanging from his lips. First impressions are, he’s nothing like his stage persona. The tattooed wild haired singer is quiet, almost nervous as we prepare for his first in depth interview.

“So we should start with your upcoming album. Your third studio album. It’s very different to say the least.”

Munson smirks “Uh… yeah I guess it is.”

If you’re a fan of Corroded Coffin’s thrashing guitars and thumping drums then their new album “Heirs & Heretics” might come as a shock. It still has their gritty, underground style but it’s a beautifully melancholy memoir. A slight lifting of the veil to Munson’s tragic and traumatic past.

“It was just something I had to do, I guess. I had been carrying this shit for ten years. I wrote a lot of the lyrics when I was in my early twenties. I never planned on releasing it. But I think we all have regrets in life and I just had to kind of put it out there, like if I just confronted it maybe I could move on. The band was pretty receptive to it and kinda allowed me to have that space.”

"Obviously you're all from the small town of Hawkins and this album is centred around that period in your life. Any avid fan who's done a little digging can find the newspaper articles. What was it like for you at that time?"

Munson takes a moment, his tongue slips out ever so slightly as he ponders his answer. "It was fucking insane… I’d always been seen as a freak but this [Wrongfully accused of the Hawkins Slayings in 1986] was just… another level. I think anyone who’s grown up in a small town and is different will know what I’m talking about but I had good people around me which made the whole thing - not easier - but I wasn’t alone at least. I think what's most important is not to forget the victims y'know? Like I became the story when really those poor kids should be the ones that are remembered, their families. Not me."

The victims were Christine "Chrissy" Cunningham aged 17, Fred Benson aged 16 and Patrick McKinney aged 18.

"There's a lot of religious imagery. One of the songs, Have Mercy On Me, has a lot of overarching themes of sin and forgiveness. Is that in response to the accusations of satanism that were leveled at you?”

“No.” Munson is quick to set the record straight. “I guess it’s something we’ve always played with in our songs. None of us [Corroded Coffin] are particularly religious, I’m certainly not. The song is about hypocrisy. Look, I am by no means a saint but I find it interesting that the people in society that judge others or seem pretty intolerant are often the ones preaching about loving their neighbor and ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone’. I guess it was my way of calling them out on their bullshit” Munson looks up with his signature cheshire cat grin.

Corroded Coffin are no strangers to controversy. They aren’t afraid to push boundaries or talk about political issues, their song, Did the Devil Make the World (While God was Sleeping) from their second album resulted in a number of states banning the song from the airwaves and sales of the album. It seems Munson, while hoping to find some closure with this new album, is not quite ready to back down.

“I take it even though this new album is somewhat different that we should expect to see a return to the usual abrasive and acerbic style fans have come to love and expect? You don’t think the experience of this album has mellowed you in any way, or for lack of a better word, more palatable to the industry?”

“Blame my uncle!” Munson laughs “He raised me this way, send any pending lawsuits to him!” Munson stretches back on the couch and takes a few long drags of his cigarette. “No I wouldn’t say I’ve mellowed. I always wanted our band to be a sort of outlet for young people. A lot of our fans have been mistreated for not fitting the mold that society wants to put them in. Corroded Coffin will always champion them, give them a space to just be themselves while sticking up a finger to bullshit forced conformity.”

“Interesting, you were raised by your uncle?”

“Yeah. I didn’t have the best childhood. It was a pretty abusive household. My uncle got me out of that situation but y’know taking on an angry, frightened preteen as a single parent can be a lot to deal with and I certainly didn’t help. Our local chief of police was like a secondary caregiver” Munson chuckles “But my uncle did his best and I’ll always be grateful to him. Even if his advice most of the time was ‘if someone hits you, you hit 'em back harder’ which tended to land me in more trouble”

There’s a hint of a southern accent when Munson talks of his family, having been born originally in Kentucky before growing up in Indiana.

“But yeah, he was a bit of a trouble maker as well. He taught me a lot. Especially not to let anyone tell you who or what you should be and he always had my back. Heaven help you if you pissed him off”

“Seems like a family trait. How does he feel about your success?”

“He’s probably just glad that he doesn’t need to sit and listen to me for hours trying out new lyrics or riffs or whatever but I owe it all to him. He always played music when I was growing up, we lived in a trailer park so when I was younger he would put on these old records to drown out the noise of the crazy neighbors. Granted it was all whiskey soaked country shit - which I suppose is my guilty pleasure - but he bought me my first guitar. It was a secondhand scuffed up thing but I still have it to this day.” Munson grins.

As we come to the end of our interview we return to talking about the new album.

Woven through sad distorted recollections of a young boy from a broken home, attacked and persecuted for being different, the lasting scars of that experience both physically and metaphorically that led him down a dark path of drug use there seems to be the ghost of his biggest regret - as he puts it- that follows him through every experience.

A constant melody plays lightly in the background, barely distinguishable if you’re not listening for it. It comes together rather poignantly on the last track “Quiet Evenings” where the melody can be heard in all its glory on an echoey bar room piano, played by the very man himself. Munson’s signature raspy voice adds a wonderfully unpolished tone.

It hasn't been overproduced, mixed or changed to add fancy flair or artificial impact. It's a raw, brutally honest recording. It's vulnerable. He sings as if he were a man older than his years, calling out to a long lost love. He lays his heart bare and beautifully underplays the fact that he is still in love with them.

It’s almost annoyingly vague, written in a way that only the person for whom the song has been intended can decipher. Lyrics like “I guess that our being together, Was never meant to be” leaves you despairing over why this pair could not be with each other, desperately hoping for the possibility of their reunion - maybe that is the point. Maybe Munson himself is hoping for a reunion.

The song ends with “And I remember quiet evenings, trembling close to you” as the piano trails off. Which is quite possibly the saddest part of the song. The lyrics themselves can be overlooked on first hearing. A couple trembling together in the evenings could have a myriad of meanings. But given where Munson was in his life at the time I think this is more than an interesting way to end a song. It has depth, an unspoken secret between them.

Munson is not afraid of double meanings or playing with words as we've seen in his previous work but it's not until you listen to the album as a whole that you find this person has been with him throughout. And that is why it is so heartbreaking. After everything they went through together, they still drifted apart.

When I ask him the inspiration behind this heart wrenching song that is so unexpected of the charismatic presence he usually exudes on stage. He gets a far off distant look in his eyes, the knee that has been bouncing throughout this entire interview suddenly stills and it’s a while before he can bring himself to answer.

“Fuck, yeah uh… it’s definitely a letter, or an ode I suppose, to someone. Someone special. Someone that saved me. Uh… yeah I guess…that’s all I want to say about that.”

I feel as if I’ve stumbled through a door and seen something so precious and fragile that it now makes sense why it was locked behind giant rusted unyielding chains for many years. The atmosphere in the room has changed from one of jovial politeness to an oppressive sorrow. In my haste to leave this interview on a light note I moronically blurt “I hope you get a response from her.”

And that is when Eddie Munson drops what might be the most interesting, intriguing and quite frankly unexpected insight into what’s behind the veil. “Him.” he says as he shakes my hand and walks me to the door.

Corroded Coffin's new album Heirs & Heretics will be available from March 27 1996.

Chapter Text

“But our love was nothing but the rotten tomato forgotten at the back of the fridge…”

Steve rolled his eyes and looked at Robin who had hidden behind the cakes display. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably and she was pinching her nose, her face bright red and tears pooled at the corner of her eyes as she did her best to stifle her laughter.

“If I had tomatoes I’d be throwing them at him. No wonder she broke up with him” He snickered into Robin’s ear.

She buckled over, grasping onto the counter to stop herself falling entirely to the floor. “You need to stop! At least you can turn off your hearing aid!” she whimpered.

“He needs to stop! Big dull butthead!” Steve whispered and it finally broke Robin. She collapsed onto the floor, clutching at her ribs as she wheezed.

“Uh, could I have a latte?” A voice came from behind the counter. Steve whipped around to see an artsy looking girl. Dressed in mismatched patterns and streaks of pink in her hair. “Yeah sure. Coming up” he stepped over Robin’s form on the floor and made his way over to the coffee machine.

They were lucky they worked in a coffee shop or the poetry nights they hosted every Thursday would turn into a mass slumber party. He handed the girl the coffee and a lemon muffin for some extra energy and the wannabe troubled poet that had hijacked the mic for an hour now lowered his head. Marking the end of the torture. The few people that had gathered round to listen clapped or clicked their fingers.

Soon a steady stream of customers started making their way up to the counter, ordering coffee and crullers to go by the dozen. By the time the last customer left and they flipped over the sign on the door they were already thirty minutes past closing. “Nance is so going to kill me” Robin sighed as she wiped down the tables and sat the chairs on top. Steve was tackling the milk steamer.

“At least you have someone to kill you” Steve shrugged as he picked at a particularly crusty splat of dried milk.

“I thought you had a date tomorrow” Robin came over to start throwing the remaining cakes and pastries into a box to take home with them.

“I do but I don’t know, the guy is a bit bland” he sighed. He hadn’t been so lucky in that department recently or if he were truly honest, a long while. He never seemed to find someone that made his knees go weak or his stomach swoop. When he went on dates he found himself more often than not hatching a plan to have Robin call him away on some nondescript emergency. She’d done it a couple of times for him recently.

“Can I give you some advice?” Robin threw her jacket on and followed after him towards the door.

“Depends what it is” he smirked and stepped out on the street, turning back to lock up the shop behind them.

“Sometimes - okay” she started to say but took a moment to choose her words carefully. “Maybe give this guy a chance. Just get to know him a little before you call it quits okay?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He whipped around to face her.

“Nothing. Nothing I just mean - It seems sometimes that you have like, a preconceived notion - a standard, I don’t know, like they are already starting on the back foot and you’re pretty quick to dump them if they don’t meet your expectations” Robin was quick to defend.

“Are you saying I’m shallow?” Steve placed his hands on his hips.

“No. No. That’s not what I’m saying. I just mean y’know… try it” she held her hands up in a surrendering gesture as they started to walk home. Their apartment was only a few blocks away.

“I do try! It’s not that easy y’know, it’s just been so long since I’ve -”

“Had sex?” Robin cut him off.

Steve glared at her. “Yes sex. But I meant I want something real. I want a relationship, I’m tired of being single.” They dodged and wove their way back home. There was still a cold nip in the air, the weather only just burgeoning on spring time.

“Yeah I know but maybe take a different approach this time. Don’t just end it because they’re too preppy, too normal, they have the wrong eyes or they drink weird..” Robin tilted her head towards him.

“Hey! We all went out for drinks with Cheryl and both you and Nance agreed that it was gross!” He’d dated her for about three weeks before he had to put an end to it. Cheryl would stick her whole tongue into the glass, dipping it into the liquid while she sipped. It was utterly bizarre and as attractive as she may have been, he couldn't overlook the sheer horror of it and the bewildered stares from other diners when they were out together.

“Okay I’ll give you that one but I still stand by my other points.” Robin pulled the main door open to their apartment building and they started to trudge up the stairs. All six flights of them.

It was an older building so it didn’t have an elevator, not that Steve or Robin would use it if it did. Both terrified and traumatized by them. Their apartment was old too. It hadn’t been renovated in a while. It had two bedrooms, a sorry excuse for a bathroom and an open plan living and kitchen area. The hardwood floors creaked and were scratched over years of people treading back and forth on them. The walls were a little uneven but Robin had painted them a darkish green to hide some of the imperfections and they were covered in posters, prints and photographs.

It was old and kind of shitty but Steve loved it. It was so different to the house he grew up in. The apartment had its own rhythm, little things like jiggling the keys in the lock a certain way to open the door. The window that led out onto a fire escape/ what they used as a balcony tended to get stuck if you didn’t open it, then close it just a little and then give it an almighty push to not get it jammed on a build up of sticky high gloss paint. It was a home with a soul. It was theirs and it was welcoming and warm.

Steve unlocked the door and kicked his shoes off. Nancy was already there, curled up on the couch in her pajamas and one of Robin’s sweatshirts. She had an apartment of her own but she spent most of her time here since she and Robin got together almost a year ago. They had stayed friends over the years, writing and calling each other when Nancy went off to college and Robin and Steve moved to Indianapolis. When Nancy found herself in the big city for a writing job they soon found themselves drawn to each other once again.

“Hey babe” Robin leaned over the couch to give Nancy a quick kiss on the top of her hair. “When did you get here?” she shrugged out of her jacket.

“About an hour ago” Nancy yawned and stretched, sitting up on the couch.

“How did it go then?” Robin grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to Nancy before sitting on the coffee table in front of her. Steve grabbed his own and slumped down on the arm chair on the opposite side.

“I hate him!” Nancy grumbled as she picked on the label on the bottle. “He’s such a rich kid frat boy… butthead!” She’d been having a few problems at work. A guy she had the misfortune of having to work with was your typical rich privileged kid. He barely showed up on time, he was always leaving early or having long “work” lunches with his buddies and she was always working overtime trying to finish the articles and running around the city daft looking for him.

He was the son of the bosses friend and had been given the position as a last resort from his exasperated parents. He was meant to be shadowing her but he was a ghost most of the time. It was a relatively small newspaper and they didn’t have the time or resources to babysit him all day.

“Well what did Al say?” Robin patted her knee.

“The same thing. He’ll deal with it but he’s at a loose end given the amount of money frat butt’s father has invested” Nancy threw her head back with a long sigh “Did you bring home any doughnuts?” she pouted up at Robin. Robin smirked and pulled the box of cakes out of her bag.

“You staying tonight?” Steve climbed off the chair to change into comfier clothes.

“Yeah if that’s okay” Nancy spat doughnut crumbs on to her chest.

“I don’t know why you don’t just move in. You’re here most of the time and we’d all save some cash.” He smirked.

“Yeah but I don’t want to have to explain to my parents why I live with my highschool ex and share a bed with my best friend.” Nancy huffed.

“Hmm” Steve hummed. Remembering the fallout when his parents discovered his inclination towards men. They’d thrown him out of the house and they didn’t speak to each other anymore. At all. Even when he lived there and they were away most of the time he still got the obligatory phone call on Christmas. They forgot his birthday but phoning at Christmas apparently would absolve them of their shitty parenting. Now there was nothing and he didn’t think about it too much. “They seem pretty open minded,” Steve shrugged.

My mom yeah” Nancy nodded “My dad probably wouldn’t even notice. I think they would be cool with it but I’m not ready to find out if I’m wrong. In my head they're cool and I’m perfectly happy living in ignorant bliss.”

“You could say it’s to save money” Robin called over from ordering pizza in the kitchen.

“Yeah but then they would just send me money.” Nancy shrugged.

“Those jackasses” Steve grinned.

“It would be a lie Steve. I’d feel guilty!”

“Alright, alright but the offer still stands” Steve still grinning as he closed the door to his bedroom to get changed.

He liked it when Nancy would stay. He liked it when they would hang out in the apartment together, it reminded him of old times and made him less homesick for Hawkins. He did like the big city, liked that nobody knew him and he could start fresh here but there was still a little part of him that missed the small town. He missed that there was less traffic on the road, missed the wide open spaces, the feel of grass under his feet. Lying in the wildflowers or paddling in the quarry on a hot summer day. He missed - it didn’t matter now. It had been ten years.

He quickly changed into gray sweatpants and his old Hawkins High swim captain t-shirt and stepped back out into the living room. Nancy and Robin were cuddled together on the couch. Laughing hysterically as Robin recounted the story of the awful poetry they had endured at work. It was nice seeing them together like that. Effortlessly making the other laugh to the point of falling over or losing control of their body movements.

He desperately wanted something like that. Someone to come home to. Someone who on his worst days would be there to wrap his arms around and rest his head on their chest. Someone who would, without having to say a word, bring a box of cakes home just to make him feel better.

He had that once. Not quite the same but he had someone who understood him better than anyone. Who had him wheezing and gasping for air at how funny they were. Someone who when the panic attacks started and he would fall too deep inside his own head would pull him out of it and make him smile just for a little while.

And he had done the same. Read to them when they were in the hospital recovering. Was always there defending them or being a shoulder to cry on when the hate and vitriol that was directed towards them became too much. Listening to songs and getting high on the trailer roof. He had that with Eddie. Before he left. Before he left and broke Steve’s heart. He never said it, never told him but his heart was broken all the same.

Chapter Text

“Argh!” there was another angry groan and the sound of coathangers flying around the room. Robin winced and flinched as they bounced off the walls, knocking over bottles, trinkets and CDs before eventually falling to the floor. “Everything I own looks like shit! I should just burn it all!”

Robin rolled her eyes “I’m telling you dude!” she shouted through to Steve’s bedroom from where she had taken up residence on the couch with a bag of chips “The black pants, white tank with the black short sleeved shirt over it is a winning combo!”

They’d gone over this so many times, for almost forty minutes. Every five minutes Steve would appear in his door frame with a new outfit before tearing the thing off and starting again. The outfit he had on now was the one she told him to wear from the very beginning.

“You don’t think it’s too casual?” He appeared in the door again. Spinning round a little and checking it over in the mirror in his room. “No I don’t. It looks great. You guys are just going for drinks right?” She crunched down on another handful of chips.

“Yeah. The 13th Note. You heard of it?” Steve sighed and came through to slump down in the chair beside her and shove his boots on. “Yeah” Robin nodded. Steve was going to hate it. The 13th Note was an artsy kind of bar where people talked about philosophy while nodding their heads pretending to enjoy the light jazz from the live bands that played there most nights.

She’d only been once. On a spectacularly failed date and vowed never to go again. It was so pretentious. The people in it were pretentious and the food that they served always seemed to include the word mungbean. Thank god for Nancy.

Nancy who was content to stuff her face with cheese pizza and raw cookie dough and listen to Bowie while throwing back a few beers on their beat up old couch. If they went out for date night they would usually do the classic of dinner and a movie. Which they usually critiqued the whole way through much to the other viewers' annoyance. Thank god with Nancy it was easy. They already knew everything about each other and there was none of that awkward small talk or trying to make a good first impression. Thank god she wasn’t in the dating world anymore. It was exhausting and more often than not miserable.

“Why do you have a face?” Steve put his hands on his hips in the same way he did if Dustin had made a smartass comment.

“Because I’m human and humans have faces?” Robin furrowed her brows at him.

“No. You have the face you make when you're trying to hide something. Like when you’ve broken something or set fire to the apartment.”

“I didn’t set fire to the apartment dingus! I was making popcorn and it burned. Stop being so dramatic.” Robin sighed.

“There’s still scorch marks on the ceiling, Rob!” Steve pointed upwards.

“Hey! I didn’t know they could pop that high! And neither did you!” Robin pointed a finger back at him.

Steve shook his head “I look ridiculous don’t I? Is it the boots? The coat? Is it my hair!” he started to pace.

“No you idiot. You look fine - great even!” She quickly added when Steve opened his mouth, no doubt to say something along the lines of “Fine but not good? Good but not great?” He’d been like this all day.

He’d dropped and smashed about three mugs at work. Scalded himself on the milk steamer and dropped a large tray of muffins in the back. “Why are you so nervous? I thought you said he was a nice guy?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“He is. I think. I don’t know” Steve huffed and flopped back onto the chair, palms and face raised to the sky like an old southern lady falling onto a fainting chair.

“Steve, it's just drinks. Get to know him.” Robin leaned over to shake his leg a little. “There's only two ways this can go. The guy is a dud and you’ve wasted an evening or he’s not and you might actually enjoy yourself.”

She might have pushed the two together a little. The guy had come into the coffee shop nearly every morning and spent most of the time ogling Steve. She didn’t force the guy to ask him out but she in a not so subtle way might have let on that Steve was single. She just wanted him to be happy. It had been almost a year since his last relationship. If you could call having on and off again mindless sex with someone who by all indications irritated him in every other aspect, for three months a relationship.

“Fine” Steve huffed and checked his watch “Shit!” he jumped up from the chair and threw on his jacket. “I’m going to be late!” He ran back to his room to fish his keys and wallet out of the jeans he was wearing earlier and give himself a final spritz of cologne.

“Hey dingus!” Robin caught him just as he was running out of the door “It’ll be fun. You’re a total catch” she gave him the thumbs up. Steve rubbed his eyes, gave her small thumbs up back then slammed the door closed, his hurried footsteps echoing around the stairwell.

Robin chuckled to herself and clicked on the TV. Flicking through the channels that were either depressing news stations or badly acted soap operas or telenovelas. After a while of not really paying attention she slid off the couch to rifle through the fridge and cupboards for anything that resembled dinner. Nancy was working late again so Robin was fending for herself. She’d been at the Governor's press conference which ran over late and was now having to get everything ready for the morning's issue. Robin found the leftovers from the pizza last night and stood in front of the fridge eating it cold while finding herself getting caught up in a plot on the TV. The rich husband had been caught cheating with the maid and was now precariously close to being pushed out of a window.

The phone rang and she jumped a little “Jesus Christ” she sighed. If this was Steve phoning her with some half baked emergency plan to get out of the date he was out of luck. He needed to get over whatever it was that was holding him back and she wasn’t going to enable him anymore. Dating sucked. They all had to go through it. It was an inevitable part of life. There weren’t many Nancy Wheeler’s in the world.

“Hello” She huffed then did a double take when Nancy’s frantic voice came through the line. "Babe! Are you alone?!”

Robin grinned, toying with the phone cord in her fingers “Aww have you missed me that much” She heard the sigh and felt the eye roll Nancy was giving her right now.

“No.. well yes, but it’s not that. I really need to talk to you!”

Nancy wasn’t a dramatic person. She was usually pretty level headed and things didn’t rattle her easily but she sounded panicked. The last time Robin had heard her like that had been very bad indeed. “Is everything okay?! What’s going on?” Robin was panicking now too. Her eyes drifted towards her bedroom. Nancy had stashed a gun in a shoe box at the bottom of her closet. Robin had no intention of ever using it and it probably was coated in a thick layer of dust by now but it made Nancy feel better knowing that Robin was safe when she wasn’t there.

“Our lives aren’t in danger or anything” Robin let out a sigh of relief at Nancy’s words “But I just really need to talk to you. I’m leaving now. I’ll be there in… twenty minutes”

Robin scoffed “How are you going to get across town in twenty-” but Nancy had already hung up.

If anyone could do it Nancy could, she supposed. Not just because she had found all the shortcuts of back alleys from chasing the frat butthead around town but through sheer force of will and the ability to bend time and space that only Nancy Wheeler seemed to possess.

Robin set the phone down and returned to the couch. Picking at her nails and drumming her foot against the floor, nervously anticipating whatever Nancy was going to tell her. She tried to think. Nancy had been at work, at the Governor thingy. If it was a political scandal then Nancy wouldn’t have called like that. Sure she’d tell her, she told her everything but that was more of a wine and “Oh my god, listen to this” kind of affair. Just as she had annoyingly picked at a hangnail that was now stinging and nearly exactly twenty minutes Nancy came barrelling through the door.

Her cheeks were bright red and she was clutching at her chest, panting and gasping for air. Her bangs had stuck to her forehead and the meticulously styled and professional looking bun that she had done her hair up in early that morning had fallen out. Wild wisps of hair spilling over her shoulders.

“Jesus, are you okay?” Robin shot up from the couch.

“Water! Water!” Nancy croaked close to clawing at her throat. Robin scurried to the fridge and threw a bottle of water towards her. In return Nancy threw something onto the kitchen table that landed with a loud slapping noise.

Robin looked down. There, as bold as brass, was a glossy magazine with none other than Eddie Munson on the cover. His big brown eyes staring right at her. “From hated heathen to rock hero. An in depth interview with the elusive Eddie Munson” Robin read aloud while Nancy chugged back the water like she had been lost in the desert her entire life. “Oh cool! Does he mention us?” she sat down at the table and pulled the magazine towards her, flipping through the pages to find the interview.

“You might say that” Nancy gasped and burped a little, thumping on her chest as she began to calm down.

“Ha! I didn’t know they got banned. Wonder what he said” Robin looked up at Nancy with a smirk.

“Keep reading” Nancy collapsed into the chair opposite her still trying to catch her breath. She shifted and sighed a little, she could hardly stand Robin’s agonizingly slow reading pace having been used to quickly scanning and proofreading articles day in and day out.

“Eddie’s gay?!” Robin whipped her head up.

Nancy nodded “Yes but what are we going to do!”

Robin scoffed “That’s a bit rich coming from you” and leaned over to playfully boop Nancy on the nose.

“Not that!” Nancy batted her hand away “About the album! The song Robbie! The song!” her eyes were wide, staring at the magazine like it was a big neon sign flashing ‘danger’ at her.

Robin tried to scan through the quotes again “It’s sad?” she hunched her shoulders a little. Guessing from Nancy’s reaction that wasn’t the answer.

“It’s -” Nancy checked back over her shoulder to make sure they were definitely alone in the apartment “It’s about Steve!” she pointed accusingly at the magazine.

“Nooo!” Robin pushed her chair back and her jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Yes!” Nancy slammed the bottle down on the table, catching herself by surprise as well as Robin.

“But… but it can’t - how - when - what?!” Robin brought her hands up to her hair close to pulling it straight out of the root.

Nancy grabbed at the magazine and spun it so it lay between them and they could both read it. “This whole album is about eighty six right?” She pointed to a paragraph and Robin nodded. “And look here” Nancy pointed to another section “This song they're talking about he says ‘someone who saved me’ who dragged Eddie back through the gate?”

“Oh my god Steve did” Robin pulled the magazine towards her to scan through Eddie’s quotes.

“Yes! Yes!” Nancy started to nod frantically “and look, the album title Heirs & Heretics. Eddie is known for word play, he likes things to have double meanings. It’s not just a cool album title. Heretic being Eddie you know, the whole satanic cult leader murder fiasco but if you remember when we were in the hospital, Steve was reading to him. He pronounced ‘heir’ as ‘hair’ and we all kind of laughed about it.” Robin nodded. “So heir meaning Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington but that’s not all” Nancy looked at her, straight in the eye. “Who has an heir?”

“Holy shit King Steve!” Robin shot up from the table. This was impossible! It was insane! It couldn't be true. This must be what it feels like to have an aneurysm. She couldn't think straight. Eddie had been in love with Steve for ten years! Ten years! "This is going to blow his tiny little mind!" Robin sank back into the chair.

"Exactly! What are we going to do about it?!!" Nancy leaned over the table going into strategy mode.

"I just- I just need to think. This is huge! Bigger than huge. All big and huge! It's buge!" Robin started to massage her temples. She couldn’t comprehend it. This was life changing.

How on earth were they going to tell Steve? If they even should tell him. Maybe they shouldn't but then again how could they not. She needed to think about this. It had to be approached the right way. “So?” Nancy shuffled on the spot a little.

“I- I- don’t know. How do you tell someone something like that?!” Robin thumped her head on the table.

They heard a key jiggling in the lock and started to scramble. "Hide it! Hide it!" Robin chucked the magazine at Nancy. Not a second before Steve walked in the door Nancy shoved the magazine into her bag and launched it clear across the apartment into Robin's bedroom like the thing was on fire.

Chapter Text

Steve pushed through the doors of the bar. The whole walk over here he’d considered just turning back around and going home. It had taken every ounce of his will power and mentally convincing himself to keep his feet moving forward.

The bar was rammed, filled with lots of alternative looking people but not his idea of ‘alternative’. Most of them looked like they would be extras in a Grateful Dead inspired movie. The air was thick. A cloud of smoke hung over the bar and soft ambient twanging guitar tones drifted over from the small stage where what looked like a bunch of students were playing. People talked in hushed tones around him and he scanned the bar and tables looking for Nick, his date.

A guy waved and smiled at him and beckoned him over to a table near the back. The guy was kind of cute. Not breathtaking but certainly not unattractive. He had a nice smile, not the kind of grin that made him weak at the knees but nice enough. “Hi” Nick leaned over the table to greet him. “I uhm would have bought you a drink but I wasn’t sure what you liked” he smiled.

“Oh no worries” Steve shrugged his jacket off and flagged down a waitress to order a beer. Normally he’d get a rum and coke but he didn’t fancy getting drunk tonight and do or say the wrong thing.

“So uhm” Steve fidgeted with a loose thread on his pants. “How uh, how was your day?” he smiled and whispered a thanks to the waitress when she came back with his beer.

“Good. I was in the studio most of the day” Nick chuckled.

“Oh really? So uh what - what do you do-” He had barely gotten the words out before the guy cut him off

“I’m an artist.” He smiled, a little smugly but Steve could have been reading too much into it.

Oh wow so what do you paint?” Steve picked at the label on the bottle.

“Right now I’m working on a piece about my anger and frustration with modern society. Rothko really speaks to me at the moment. His work is just so…” Steve had no idea what he was talking about.

Nick droned on about his work and art for a while. He tried to follow along but his mind kept wandering. Tedious rambling aside, the guy was cute. His slightly longer blonde hair framed his face and his eyes were a grayish blue shade. Steve didn’t find himself getting lost in them or anything but they had a bit of a shine to them. He was wearing a white t-shirt that seemed to have some sort of band on it and an oversized flannel shirt that he only realized just now had paint stains on it. He looked good. Casual but presentable.

Not the type he’d usually go for. His skin was a little more tanned than he would have liked and he didn’t have that rough and rugged edge to him but he seemed nice enough. A little bland and as of yet, he hadn’t said anything particularly funny but it was still early. Robin’s voice kept echoing around in his head “Give them a chance”. Maybe he was too critical on dates, maybe he did focus too much on the negatives but was it so wrong to know what he liked. He tried to focus on the positives.

From the little interaction they had had he didn’t seem crazy. He’d been quite charming when he asked Steve out a week ago. He was capable of drinking from a glass which was a bonus. He had a nice smile. Not winning or charming but nice enough. He seemed quite stylish. Smart or smart enough at least.

“So what about you?” Nick tilted his head, snapping Steve out of his train of thought.

“Hmm?” He took a sip of beer that had gone a little bit flat and slightly warm.

“I was just asking what artists you liked. But maybe you were distracted a little.” Nick chuckled and pushed his hair back, as if to suggest Steve was checking him out the whole time.

“Oh uh yeah uhm” He shifted in his seat a little. The guy was a bit cocky, he couldn't help thinking. “I like uhm who painted the skeleton smoking a cigarette?” It was the first piece that came to his mind, he knew why but he didn't want to think about that right now. Robin had loads of art adorned on their walls but he drew a total blank.

“Van Gogh?” Nick leaned over.

“Yeah sure. That guy” Steve let out a self deprecating laugh but Nick didn’t seem to find it endearing or even a little humorous. God this was awkward. Steve dropped his head, thinking of something to say. Anything to fill the uncomfortable silence. He tapped his fingers on the table and immediately regretted it. There was a sticky, cloudy coating on the varnish that made his skin crawl and his toes curl. Nick was drinking from his glass and staring behind his shoulder, either genuinely interested in what was going on elsewhere in the bar or pretending to be in an attempt to save face.

“So uhm this place is interesting” Steve wrapped his knuckles softly on the table. “Do you come here often?” What the hell was he saying! This was awful.

“Yeah I bartend here a few nights a week” Nick nodded.

“Oh okay that’s uh that’s pretty cool. I guess you know where I work” Steve gave a tight lipped smile.

“I’m really glad you said yes by the way. I was worried for my health” Nick smiled “I was so hopped on caffeine for weeks. I got more work done than I had in like, a year!” Nick grinned. Okay points in his favor, he could be quite funny.

But the truth was Steve hadn’t given him a second glance. Robin had mentioned him, pointing out the cute guy looking at him but Steve hadn’t been particularly interested. Robin kept mentioning him every time he came in and had eventually worn him down. It had been so long since he’d been romantically involved with anyone. He’d been on dates and had a few chaste kisses but nothing to write home about. When Nick eventually asked him out, he agreed but he wasn’t so sure it was for the right reasons.

They got through the obligatory small talk. Things like where did you grow up, where did you go to high school, what did you major in at college. Nick had pulled a peculiar face when Steve mentioned he didn’t go to college. They talked about Nick’s parents and siblings. Steve didn’t have much to say in that respect. He had no siblings and was disowned by his parents. He might have come across as vague since Nick kept asking him probing questions but he couldn’t very well talk about the Upside Down, Vecna and demogorgons. He did talk about his kids though. Particularly Dustin and Max.

“Wow you guys seem so different.” Nick chuckled. “But I suppose growing up in a small town you don’t have many options.” He ordered another couple of drinks for them. Even though Steve was beginning to feel a little tipsy he swigged back the beer. Talking of Hawkins was bittersweet. It brought up too many memories. It had been some of the best and worst moments of his life. Nick had grown up in the city. They were from completely different worlds. Nick talked as though being from the city made him more interesting. It didn’t. He was quite vanilla actually.

“So do you like the band?” Nick pointed to the group of students behind him still plucking at their guitars.

It wasn’t really his sort of thing. More like an MTV Unplugged session but not terrible just not something he would actively choose to listen to. “Yeah they seem alright” he smirked.

“Yeah, trying too hard in my opinion” Nick laughed, turning his head to watch them with a slight smirk.

Steve was a little relieved he’d considered feigning feeling a draft so he could switch sides on the table and turn his deaf ear towards the band but if Nick wasn’t too keen on them either maybe they could laugh about it. “So uhm what music do you like?”

“Oh a bit of everything,” Nick smiled. “Hootie and the Blowfish, Spin Doctors that kind of thing” Strike one, Steve thought. He knew there had to be something wrong with this guy and it turned out his music taste sucked.

“What about you?” Nick leaned towards him to which Steve pushed back.

“Oh I’m the same. A bit of everything. I’m kind of still stuck in my youth” He chuckled. “Tears for Fears, Kate Bush, Bowie, Ozzy, Metallica-”

“Metallica? Really?” Nick interrupted him. “I never would have had you down as a metal guy.”

“Yeah I guess. I’m not like a super fan or anything but some of their stuff is really good.” Steve awkwardly ran a hand through his hair.

“Hmm I always thought it was just a bunch of noise. They don’t really have much to say, if you can even understand them. They’re too concerned with being edgy and provocative. I find it quite tiring” Nick smiled smugly again.

Strike two. This coming from a guy who paints a red square on a canvas and waffles on about it representing his anger and frustration at the world. “Actually they have a lot to say” Steve tried not to be too defensive. “And they’re very talented musicians. Someone I knew once said if Metallica was played by an orchestra the snobby rich folks would eat it up thinking it was Baroque” He huffed out a laugh but the concept was lost on Nick. It was lost on him too at first but now he got it. Also the rapid fire monologue that followed the original joke, that was basically a condensed history of music helped.

“Hmm well that’s quite an eclectic mix” Nick simply shrugged and the conversation ground to a halt once again. Nick seemed to only surround himself with people who liked exactly the same thing. Maybe he was right about growing up in a small town and not having a lot of options. Having a merry band of misfits as his nearest and dearest, then again they could all be bonded together by their shared trauma.

Max and Dustin had made him mix tapes since they got fed up with his apparently limited selection during his personal chauffeur days, Robin obviously had a few of her tapes in the car for them to belt out on long drives when they couldn’t sleep - Bowie, Ultravox and Dolly Parton unsurprisingly. And there was Eddie of course, Metallica and Dio obviously, Motorhead, Slayer, Black Sabbath. He’d aggressively thrown one of Mike’s Mötley Crüe tapes out of the window when he found it thinking it was Steve’s. He’d since “accidently” left a selection of cassette tapes in the car. Before he left.

“So have you got any exhibitions coming up?” Steve tried to rescue the conversation and drag the date back from the brink.

“Yeah, me and my friends are working on something at our studio if you’re interested?” Nick could talk for hours about his art. The conversation ran smoothly for the rest of the date and was emergency free. Soon Steve found himself tugging his jacket back on as Nick walked him to the door. Stepping out onto the street now spilling and crawling with drunk people letting off steam after a hard day's work.

The date was fine, not remarkable but good enough. Nick was nice enough, a little boring but nice. He did have seriously questionable taste in music and talked about himself and his life as a struggling artist a lot, boasting and coming across a little full of himself but maybe Steve just didn’t get it. Art was pretty much lost on him. He wasn’t sure how to end the date, Robin had said he was too quick to judge, too quick to call it off, maybe giving this guy a chance wouldn’t be so bad. Certainly not the end of the world.

“So this was nice” Nick shuffled his feet on the pavement.

“Yeah it was” Steve smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets, slightly flapping his jacket.

“So uhm maybe I could take you out for dinner?” Nick raised his eyebrows expectantly. Here it was. The make it or break it moment, Steve took a moment to think. He was tired of being single, tired of always ending up alone at the end of the night, of always being the third wheel and the obligatory invite because he had no one else.

“Yeah that would be great” He smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes which didn’t seem to deter Nick.

“Oh great! Let me get your number and we’ll set something up” he started to jot his down on a napkin that he had in his pocket.

They exchanged numbers and were left lingering on the street. “So uh I’ll see you later then?” Nick nodded.

“Sure. Looking forward to it.” Steve nodded his head and started to kick the heel of his foot against the wall behind him. Nick leaned in and he panicked a little. Nick placed a soft kiss on his lips, just a quick peck nothing too fancy, and then said goodnight and started walking in the other direction.

Steve immediately turned and started to head home. The kiss had caught him off guard. It wasn’t unpleasant by any means but something felt off about it. His stomach didn’t swoop and his knees didn’t go weak. He didn’t have that nervous giddy excitement that made him want to run home and tell Robin. He didn’t feel that tension in his stomach or yearn for more. It was fine, sweet even but something about it didn’t feel quite right.

He swung the apartment door open and chucked his keys into the little dish that sat on the side table near the door. Robin had that face again, Nancy had it too. “Heeey” Robin greeted him in a strange sing-songy voice and quickly added a “Dingus” to the end after Nancy pinched her.

“Are you two okay?” he furrowed his brows. Maybe he had walked in on them at an inopportune moment.

“Yup everything is fine! How uh… how was your date?” Robin was wringing her hands together and seemed a little nervous.

“Yeah it was good. Nick seems like a nice guy. His taste in music sucks and the kiss was a little weird” Steve shrugged and grabbed a box of cookies down from the cupboard.

“Oh you uhm… you kissed him?” Nancy’s voice wavered a little.

“Yeah and I thought about what you said and I’m going on a second date next week.” He said over a mouth of crumbling cookie.

“What you said?” Nancy’s head spun to Robin.

“Yeah uhm about Steve and dating and like not giving up so soon and getting to know a person first uh… it was before y’know… before!” Robin seemed like she was trying to communicate telepathically with Nancy. He’d seen them try it once before, on a night when they had all gotten a little high. It didn’t work then but it seemed to be working now.

“Oh” Nancy turned back to him with wide eyes.

They were behaving strangely to say the least but he was exhausted, all the pent up nervous energy and adrenaline of the date had gotten to him. “Okay. Well uh I think I’m just going to go to bed” he started to walk to his room.

“Yup, see you in the morning! Good - uh good night!” Robin called after him and he did a double take over his shoulder to see them whispering and conspiring amongst themselves. Something wasn’t quite right.

Chapter Text

Eddie knocked back another ridiculously expensive bottle of beer and took another long drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke up to the gathering cloud that hung over the bar. It was noisy and busy. People yelled over the thumping music and crashed into one another as they stumbled through the tables. The bar surface was coated in something sticky and it clung to his leather jacket making his toes curl.

The rest of the band were leaning against it beside him, charming the gaggle of girls that had surrounded them. Their colorful dyed hair and vivid makeup made it look like something out of National Geographic. Birds of paradise going through the motions of a mating ritual.

One of the girls slid into the stool next to him. “You’re the lead singer right?” she smiled coyly. As if Eddie hadn’t seen her fangirling with her friends the moment the band walked into the bar. “Yup” Eddie nodded and ordered another beer. “You guys are amazing” she swung her bleach blonde hair back from over her shoulder in an attempt to show off more skin but Eddie kept his eyes straight ahead. “Thanks”

The girl leaned closer to him and slid a hand up his inner thigh, “What else are you amazing at” he pushed her hand away “Yeah not happening sweetheart.” He lit another cigarette, shifting away from her but she was undeterred. She leaned in, her glossy lips whispering in his ear “Oh come on, I’ll let you do anything. Just tell me what it is you like”

Eddie rolled his eyes, clearly this chick hadn’t been anywhere near a newspaper and magazine stand today. She leaned in a little more, sliding her foot up his shin. Obviously the softly softly approach wasn’t going to work with her. He should have guessed given her first instinct was to borderline sexually harass him. Eddie took another swig of beer and began to chuckle.

He put on his best lusty expression and a soft raspy voice and leaned in “Men” he whispered in her ear. “Those pretty, soft boys drive me fuckin’ wild” The girl reared back from him. Shock, embarrassment and just a hint of disgust clearly written on her face. He started to cackle when she threw herself off the stool and darted to what he presumed were her friends. Their eyes already wide and desperately trying to comfort her, wondering what the hell happened between them.

His laughter quickly died down and he returned to peeling the label off the bottle. His leg bounced and he felt a weight in his chest. Only one person actually. Only one pretty, kind and wonderful guy drove him absolutely crazy.

“Might never happen man” Gareth clapped a hand on his shoulder and thumped down on the empty stool. “What?” Eddie furrowed his brows at him.

“Dude. The album’s released, the article’s out. We’re supposed to be celebrating and you’re sitting there with the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Gareth pointed at him with the neck of a beer bottle.

“Yeah, I know. It’s good” Eddie sighed. “It’s just. It’s out there now. I’m out there now. I don’t know, I thought I’d feel better y’know?” Gareth nodded sympathetically. He was the first person Eddie had ever told that he was gay. Well except for Wayne but with Wayne it was more a case of confirming rather than telling and he’d never told anyone about Steve. Never. Not even to this day. He kept that close to his heart where it was safe.

“It was a brave thing you did man” Gareth nudged him with his shoulder “and you should be proud. Some of those songs are our best yet! You know I actually saw a bunch of kids lining up at the music store waiting for it to open! We did that dude!” Gareth beamed at him. His big grin that crinkled his nose and his eyes and reminded Eddie of the young kid he found eating lunch alone in a bathroom stall at highschool.

Gareth was right. The album was ten years in the making he should be celebrating. The guys never pushed him on it when he brought the idea up to them. They all collaborated on it and worked hard, spending more time on this album than any previously but it was still his. Still his moment. He’d put everything he had into it and it seemed to have paid off, in a way.

“Yeah you're right!” Eddie grinned and clinked their bottles together.

“Of course I’m right! Just remember this moment when we’re touring and Nelson is shoving his stinky feet in your face. It could save lives!” Gareth chuckled. Eddie grinned thinking back to their last tour. They had ground to standstill on the bus in Minnesota when a snow storm swept in. After what felt like days but was probably only a few hours Eddie had finally lost it with Nelson and his unholy cheese feet.

He’d made Nelson stand out on the highway, knee deep in snow while he doused him in shampoo and sprayed him with water. He was lucky that he didn’t catch hypothermia but he changed his socks every morning and especially after a show for the rest of the tour. Eddie, as a way of apology for his rash behavior, bought him a nice pair of slippers to wear on the tour bus.

“Yeah well this time you're taking the bottom bunk. I don’t wanna know what you were doing but that bed was seriously close to breaking and crushing me” Eddie grinned at Gareth.

“Me?” Gareth scoffed “You were the one who broke the bathroom door a week in! We thought you were killing that guy in there!”

A wave of heat broke over Eddie’s cheeks as he blushed with embarrassment. He thumped his head onto the bar “I was kinda hoping you had blocked that out” his voice came out muffled.

“Would that I could, my friend. Would that I could” Gareth chuckled and patted his head.

Despite all their antics, Eddie liked touring. He liked the busyness of it, being shuffled from pillar to post with very little turnaround. He liked the quick pace of setting up a show, being surrounded by people and not having the time to dwell in his own head for too long. They always finished the tour in Indianapolis. A welcome home show. Even though he had an apartment and the studio was in New York it never really felt like home to him. For the city that never sleeps the apartment was too empty, too lonely and too quiet.

Wayne still lived in Indiana though. About fifty miles outside of the city. In a big old farmhouse out in the sticks with his dog, Biscuit. Who, Eddie was pretty sure Wayne loved more than him. Eddie had bought the house for him when he started making decent money, a thank you for putting up and standing by him all these years.

He sometimes drove down there to stay for a couple of weeks. It was surrounded by fields and pine forest. Wayne had set up the spare room for Eddie, full of his old things and a piano in the far corner that looked out onto the lush foliage and ever changing landscape. It’s there that he had written and recorded the last track on the album.

The bar started to get crowded as fans flocked to it now that word had gotten out that Corroded Coffin were drinking in Inferno. The beers he had been drinking turned to whiskey as a steady stream of fans bought them drinks. Asked them for photographs and to sign their albums, t-shirts, some had even brought their guitars. Others wanted parts of their body signed so they could get it tattooed. It was crazy but it was fun.

“See man! Didn’t I tell you! Wasn’t this worth it!” Gareth staggered over from taking another picture with a fan. His eyes were starry and dazed from the multiple camera flashes.

“Fuck yeah!” Eddie grinned and stumbled backwards, his back hitting the bar almost knocking over a round of shots that had just been set down.

“Shall we?” Eddie grinned and held a glass up to Gareth. “I think we shall!” Gareth took the glass and Eddie grabbed another “To small town bigoted fucks!” he yelled as they both knocked back the shot, slamming them back down onto the bar.

They continued drinking and chatting with fans. At one point Jeff and Nelson had slipped off somewhere with multiple girls hanging off their arms and their every word. Eddie chuckled watching them go, basking in the attention and adoration.

A few guys had subtly tried to flirt with him but he wasn’t interested, not that he would be able to do much in his current state anyway. He was completely disorientated between the liquor and piercing white flashes of disposable cameras he could barely see straight, barely walk straight let alone think or string a coherent sentence together.

When closing time came around the bar staff had to throw them out. He couldn’t blame them for being a little blunt with them. What they probably thought was going to be a somewhat busy regular Friday night had turned into an impromptu meet and greet.

Eddie grunted when his back hit the cold pavement. The tall buildings loomed and spun around him. Trembling and unsteady like a newborn deer he managed to pull himself up using a lamp post and a trash can. Staring upwards as the sky warped and moved.

The ground beneath his feet moved out from under him. The whole world seemed to be spinning on its axis. Turning upside down.

Suddenly the fear and the dread kicked in. His scars pulsed under his skin. He tried to run, staggering and stumbling up the street, his breathing labored and his ribs felt like they would crack from the cold air.

“Woah home is this way, big guy” Eddie ran into a dull thud which turned out to be Gareth's hand blocking his way.

“Where am I?” Eddie whirled round. His eyes darted from the ground to the sky, praying that a swarm wasn’t gathering in the clouds.

“Are we in the Upside Down?!” He grabbed onto Gareth’s collar.

“What no! The studio is closed. We’re in New York. We’re going back to yours-” Gareth was cut off by Eddie releasing him

“Steve! Steve!” he shouted as loud as he could into the night. “Dude” Gareth laid a hand on his shoulder but he batted him away.

“Am I dead?! Where is Steve!” He spat, hands trembling in fists at his side.

“What?! Who?! No! Eddie, have you taken something?” Gareth clicked his fingers in Eddie’s face, trying to pull his focus long enough so he could inspect his eyes.

“Steve! My Steve! Is he safe?!” Eddie tried to run again, looking for Steve but Gareth latched onto him and hauled him back. Running a tight arm onto his shoulders.

He motioned to Jeff and Nelson to usher the remaining fans away “I think he’s taken something.” he mouthed at them. “Come on buddy” he lowered his voice “Everyone is safe I promise, you’ve had a little too much to drink and we’re going home now yeah?” He pulled Eddie away, holding onto him tightly as he caught up with the rest of the guys and started walking the few blocks to Eddie’s apartment.

It would take longer to try and hail a cab since it was Friday night and every pub and bar was closing their doors along this strip. The streets crawled with people just as drunk as him. Shouting and whooping when they passed. “That’s Eddie Munson! Dude is fucked up!” a few people laughed but Gareth just steered clear of them.

The next morning Eddie was rudely awoken by the war hammer mashing his brain. He cracked his eyes open and immediately regretted it as the morning light streaming in through the window pierced right through his eyes and went straight to the back of his skull.

He had collapsed on to his bed still wearing his clothes from the night before. He’d somehow managed to take his shoes off at least or one of the guys had done it for him.

He took deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. Willing himself not to throw up. A cold sweat slicked his skin and his stomach felt like it would slop onto the floor at any given moment. He started to shake, breathing deeper and trying to abate the churn in his stomach. It was a losing battle.

He lurched up from the bed. Stumbling and smacking his hip against the door frame as he clambered over the guys that had passed out in his living room and launched himself at the toilet just in time to retch his guts up.

When he felt thoroughly hollowed out he slumped to the floor, sprawling across the cold tile trembling a little. The lemony scent of the floor cleaner reminded him of home. Of all the mornings he had been in this exact position.

Wayne would nudge him with his boot to check if he was still alive then leave a glass of water, a mug of coffee and a cigarette by his head before heading to bed to catch a few hours sleep after his shift.

It also reminded Eddie of the night he lay drunk, crying on Steve’s bathroom floor. His last night in Hawkins. The smell of Steve’s hair products and his cologne. Steve had hauled him up and helped him get into bed.

Eddie had wrapped an arm around Steve and pulled him close to his chest. Steve had locked their hands together, tracing Eddie’s rings with the tips of his fingers with the other. Committing their details to memory. Trembling together as their tears absorbed into the pillows. Neither one said a word. It was too painful to say goodbye.

“Lovely morning ain’t it” Jeff leaned on the doorframe of the bathroom. “Kill me now” Eddie groaned as he tried to rise to his feet. “No can do. Now get out of the way. My bladder is going to burst” Jeff lightly kicked him. Eddie grimaced and peeled himself up from the floor.

He stepped out of the bathroom, heading straight for the kitchen. The other guys were stirring under a pile of jackets and blankets, no doubt being woken up by his mad dash to the bathroom. He lit a cigarette, flicked on the coffee pot and popped open a bottle of tylenol. Washing the pills back with a carton of milk pulled straight from the fridge.

“God my head is killing me” Nelson slumped down at the counter. “Serves you right” Gareth patted him on the back but looked equally hungover. “Hey that fire hydrant walked into me man!” Nelson pointed at Gareth who was smirking. “Plus it was Eddie’s fault anyway!”

“The fuck did I do?” Eddie placed cups of coffee in front of them and tapped the ash from his cigarette into the sink. “You got away from Gareth and decided the ground was lava or something. Couldn’t step on certain bits. You were out of control. Yelling and jumping over shit.” Nelson sipped on his coffee.

“Steve! Steve!” Jeff returned from the bathroom and mimicked his behavior from last night crashing into the couch pretending it was a bush. The guys laughed but Eddie froze. Steve? He was shouting for Steve? Holy shit. Holy shit. “I uh.. I” his eyes darted around the guys, trying to play it off cool but inside he was screaming.

“Shit man. You were so far gone you weren’t really making any sense” Gareth quickly jumped in and the other guys nodded, the whole ordeal forgotten already. Eddie smiled and Gareth gave him a quick nod.

He wasn’t sure if Gareth was covering for him or if he genuinely had just chalked it up to Eddie being wasted but either way he wasn’t going to push it. Gareth wouldn’t push it either, at least not in front of the guys.

He couldn’t think about that right now. Wouldn’t. He had a tour to get ready for. Plenty to keep him busy in the meantime. He couldn’t dwell on the constant affliction of loving and losing Steve.

Chapter Text

Steve wiped down the table and collected the dirty mugs on a tray. It was only an hour until closing and Robin had left early to go and help Nancy with something. Which he wasn’t too fussed about since they had been acting bizarre, frankly, for the last couple of days and he needed a break from it all to clear his head. Ever since his first date with Nick something was off. An unspoken entity or presence in the apartment seemed to loom over them.

When he tried to bring it up with Robin she either changed the subject or descended into a rambling incoherent monologue about anything and everything. Last night he had spent a good twenty minutes listening to her ponder where all the muffin bottoms went if some places only sold muffin tops. In fairness, it was a valid question but not what he was looking for when he needed some advice or a different perspective when it came to his fledgling potential relationship with Nick.

They’d gone on another casual date on Monday. Steve had gone to the studio to see some of his artwork and he kept coming into the shop every morning for coffee which he thought was a bit needy, but then again Robin had said he was too harsh on people and maybe that was normal or at the very least, not something to be concerned about. He really needed to talk it through with her.

Nancy hadn’t been that much help either. When he asked her about it she kept asking him vague open ended questions in the way a journalist would. It was as if she was trying to pry information from him or suss out an answer she already knew. The whole thing just left him even more confused.

Maybe they didn’t like Nick, not that they had actually met him in that capacity and when he was just a regular customer that happened to check him out when he came in, Robin had been the one to point it out and encourage Steve to go out with him.

Or maybe they had taken him up on the offer for Nancy to move in. Only maybe, they planned on moving in together in a different apartment without him and hadn’t told him yet. Either way he felt as though he had been stuck in limbo land. He couldn’t focus or sleep. Just kept mulling it over and over again in his head.

“...I don’t care man. What he does in his bedroom is his business. He’s still metal as fuck…” The group of grungy students who had taken over three tables all afternoon, and the days prior, pouring over textbooks and studying materials and ordering endless cups of coffee had started to pack up their stuff.

Steve didn’t mind them as such, they had kept their heads down most of the afternoon and Nancy had told him in great detail how difficult it was to study in a college dorm. He was just glad they were leaving now and he wouldn’t have to boot them out or stay open longer. He was exhausted and wanted to go home. Have a nice long bath and think things over in the warm water.

When they finally left he walked over to flip the sign on the door and made his way over to clear the last tables. Something caught his eye. One of the students had left a magazine behind. It had fallen under the chair. He slid the chair out, bent down and swiped it up from the floor.

His heart stopped. Then plummeted into his stomach that was perilously close to making its escape through his throat. Eddie. Eddie was on the front cover. Staring at him with his beautiful big brown eyes. Steve's hands trembled, the pages beat frantically in the air, his palms were clammy, sticking to the paper from sweat. Eddie looked amazing. A little older and he’d acquired more tattoos but still his rugged handsome self. Wild curls and chunky rings included. Eddie. His Eddie.

Steve couldn’t believe it. He felt like he was imploding, blood coursed through his veins making him dizzy. A shiver roared through his skin making his hair stand on end. This couldn’t be happening. He hadn’t seen Eddie in years. He had thought about him. Dreamt about him but now here he was. Staring at him.

Steve’s knees started to go weak and his heart hammered in his chest. His throat went dry. After all these years. It hit him like a freight train. He grabbed the keys from his pocket and rushed to the door. Locking up the shop as fast as he could, running - sprinting back home.

He dodged and ducked through the street, he almost went flying into a man in a sharp suit shouting loudly into a cell phone, who had a few choice words for him. Steve didn’t care, he just had to get home, he needed to get home. He needed to be somewhere safe to deal with this, he needed Robin.

Steve sat on the couch. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Through blurred eyes he read through the article again but even after the fifth time it never changed. Him. Eddie had said “him”. His fingers traced over the letters. It was there in black and white and yet he couldn’t comprehend it. His heart ached and his stomach twisted knots. His whole body shook. Eddie had said “him”.

All the things Steve left unsaid. All the nights he'd cried himself to sleep wishing things had been different. All the prayers whispered in the dark that Eddie would come back to him, never knowing if there was a chance or if the feelings were reciprocated, all of it came crashing down around him. All because of that word. "Him"

He heard the key jiggling in the lock and quickly wiped his already stinging eyes. The skin around them was soft and sensitive, feeling almost bruised from the abrasiveness of his sleeve.

“Hey dingus” Robin called as she and Nancy hung up their jackets and dumped some grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. “Look uhm. We have to talk to you about something -” she halted when Steve turned to her and she saw him in floods of tears.

“Oh my god! What happened? Are you okay?” she rushed over to him but once again stopped dead in her tracks when he held the magazine up. “Shit.” she whispered and started wringing her hands together.

“You knew!” Steve rose to his feet slamming the magazine down on the coffee table. “No! Yes. Well uh- uh” Robin started to stutter, her gaze darting to Nancy for help.

“How long have you known?!” Steve couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Robin knew. Robin knew and didn’t tell him. How could she do that to him.

“Friday. I swear, I wanted to tell you, we-” She started to plead with him.

“But you didn’t! You’ve known for a week and didn’t tell me?! What did - did you think it would go away?! That I wouldn’t find out!” Steve raised his voice.

“We wanted to but we didn’t know how. It was a delicate subject that had to be app-” Nancy started to interject.

“You knew too!” Steve whipped around towards Nancy. “What in the! Jesus Christ! I can’t believe you two! You’re walking around rambling on about muffins and shit and the whole time you both knew!” He’d never shouted at them before and he hated the way they both looked at him but he didn’t know how to feel. He couldn’t believe they kept this from him.

“Hey!” Nancy quickly jumped to Robin’s defense. “Robin has been worried sick about this for days! She nearly picked the skin on her fingers clean off! This came as just as much of a shock to us as it did to you! We wanted to tell you but we didn’t know how you would react. Evidently not goo-”

“Don’t turn this around on me! Steve spat and began pacing. “You should have told me! You had loads of time to tell me! Is this what all that bullshit was about? Giving people a chance. Saying I dump people too quickly! Were you hoping I’d be too distracted and you could keep this a secret from me!” He pointed, then threw his hands on to his hips and started pacing again. His feet thumping down on the floor running even more tracks into the wood.

“No I swear. I didn’t know then. I promise. I wasn’t keeping it from you. I just- it was huge and I mean how do you tell someone something like that?!” Robin took a step forward.

“Put it in a fucking magazine apparently!” Steve stopped for a moment to stare at the floor and brought his hands up to his hair. “Sorry, it’s just - how could he do something like this! He had no right to do this to me!” His anger, confusion and frustration now being directed at Eddie.

Robin and Nancy took a moment to recalibrate now that the heat seemed to be off of them. Steve’s mind was going a mile a minute, conflicting thoughts whizzing around at rapid fire. His emotions and feelings flip flopping from anger, to hurt, to sadness to something he didn't even know.

“Okay. Okay” Robin held her hands up, motioning to calm things down “Let’s just talk about this okay? Without shouting or blaming each other.”

“I don’t want to talk about this!” Steve whirled around and started pacing again. “I mean what did he expect? What? Does he think I’m just going to go running to him? Run into his arms after all this time! After he - he- after he broke my fucking heart!”

The tears were back. Falling uncontrollably. He dropped onto the couch, spluttering and sobbing. Aggressively rubbing his eyes and wiping snot from his nose with his sleeve. After all this time. It could have been so different. If he had just had the courage, if Eddie had been brave enough. It could have been so wonderfully different.

Robin came to sit on the coffee table in front of him. She handed him a tissue and wrapped her arms around him. Nancy came to the back of the couch and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into his back with the other.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to-” Robin hushed, running her hand softly through his hair.

“He left me, Rob! He abandoned me! After everything we- he never-” Steve interrupted her and broke down crying again.

“He didn’t want to leave, Steve.” Nancy’s voice was soft, “Their life was hell. Wayne lost his job, they couldn’t afford the medical bills. Even after the cops said they got it wrong the town still treated him like an animal. He couldn’t stay.” She perched up on the couch, resting her cheek on the top of his head and wrapped her arms around him.

“I could have helped him! I would have looked after him!” Steve sobbed, the tissue Robin had given him now disintegrated in his hands.

“Eddie didn’t want that. He wouldn’t have wanted to be a burden on you. People were already treating you differently for sticking by him. He didn’t want that for you” Robin ran her hands up and down his arms trying to comfort him but he was inconsolable.

“Well what does he want now?!” Steve could feel himself turning back towards anger. Why was Eddie doing this, why couldn’t he have done this years ago. Why now? Why did that wild, vivacious metalhead have to taunt and torture him every day of his life. It was too much, everything was too much.

Steve shot up from the couch, sending Nancy and Robin flying backwards almost flinching at the quick switch up in mood. He started to pace again. “What the hell does he want!” He started to rant.

“After all this time! How dare he do this to me! All these years he’s been running around on tour with his little buddies having the time of his life! He’s probably fucked every guy in every city and state he’s ever been in and what am I doing?! Making myself miserable! And then out of nowhere he drops this on me!”

“I don’t think he’s having the time of his life Steve. He’s clearly been holding on to this for a long time” Robin tried to reason with him but he wouldn’t accept it.

“Don’t you see Rob! You were right! He’s ruined my life. He has ruined my life!” Steve flung his arms out but Robin just looked bewildered and whiplashed. “I was right about what?”

“The thing! The standard!” Steve sat down again, no longer ranting and raving, his voice hoarse and broken. Robin and Nancy looked exhausted and would probably have a crick in their necks from trying to keep track of him.

“You said I’m looking for something that isn’t there and you’re right. I’ve been comparing them to Eddie! They don’t make me laugh like he did, they don’t like things he liked, they don’t look like him, have his pale skin, or his hair or his-”

“They have the wrong eyes” Robin nodded in understanding. It had been the reason for his last break up. At the time they thought he was crazy, he thought it was crazy but he’d always known. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d always known. No one could ever compare to Eddie.

“I’m insane! I’m absolutely insane!” Steve dropped his head into his hands. Rocking back and forth slightly on the couch. “You’re not insane, Steve. You’re just-” Robin patted his leg.

“A fucking idiot!” Steve shot up again. This night was just a rollercoaster of emotions with no ending or destination in sight. “I’ve spent all this time criticizing and judging people like Nick and for what?! Some guy!”

Eddie wasn’t some guy. He’d always known he had feelings for Eddie but nothing ever came of it. In the times when he found himself longing for him he’d tried to get over it. Really tried but he couldn’t. He just had to bury it. Hope that one day he would move on and put an end to it, however impossible that may have seemed.

“And that’s another thing! What the hell am I going to tell Nick!” He didn’t know what to do. Nothing made any sense. It wasn’t fair. Eddie couldn’t do this to him. He did nothing to deserve this but this is what Eddie did. He wound people up. Delighted in causing chaos.

He blew through life like a hurricane leaving everyone else to deal with the carnage he left behind. Steve had had enough. He couldn’t deal with this anymore “No! No, he doesn’t get to do this to me. I can’t- I’m done okay? Fuck him! I’m fucking done!”

Steve flopped down on the couch. Lying across it with a cushion held tightly to his chest staring up at the ceiling. He had nothing left to say. No tears left to cry and no emotions to express. He was so tired, he felt numb and hollow. An oppressive weight ground into his chest.

His throat felt scratchy and his arms and legs felt heavy. He was exhausted. He stared up at the ceiling taking deep ragged breaths. Silence descended on the apartment.

Robin hadn't moved. Still hunched over on the coffee table, slowly rubbing her hand up and down his arm. Nancy still perched on the couch, gazing out of the window. Both of them staring into the distance, trying to understand what the hell just happened.

No one had dared speak a word for hours. Not that there was much left to say. They were all burnt out. Drained of energy and still trying to process what had occurred. When the sun had well and truly set, Steve closed his eyes, dry and swollen from tears.

He heard a rustling in the background and the weight of a blanket being draped across him. He couldn’t bring himself to move or show he was still awake.

“Well that was an absolute shitshow” Robin whispered to Nancy as they tiptoed through to the bedroom. “He still loves him” Nancy whispered back. The bedroom door clicked shut and Steve opened his eyes.

He curled round the cushion, clutching it tightly to his chest. Nancy was right. He was still in love with Eddie. All these years Eddie had loved him too. They had suffered in silence. Spent years in agony at being apart. Never moving on. Never finding happiness because they couldn’t. Not while the other still walked the earth. It was the worst pain imaginable.

Chapter Text

Steve lay in bed, the covers pulled tightly around him. He watched specks of dust swirl in the air and glitter gold from the warm sunlight drifting through the window.

He’d managed to crawl to his bedroom in the small hours of the morning. Collapsing into bed with an almighty thump. He’d heard Robin and Nancy shuffling about this morning, getting ready for work and whispering to each other.

He couldn’t bring himself to get up, to leave the sanctuary of his bed. Robin didn’t come in to wake him and he presumed she was covering for him at work. He couldn’t go about serving coffee with a smile on his face and pretend that everything was okay. Nothing about this was okay.

He shuddered and winced at his behavior last night. He should never have spoken to Robin and Nancy like that. They didn’t deserve that, they were just trying to protect him. Spare him from the pain and distress that it would likely cause and absolutely did.

What was Eddie thinking by doing it this way. What did he want? He had said he wanted closure, to move on. Was this the final farewell that was left unsaid or as the article suggested did he want a reunion? Steve had gone over it again and again. He was no better off than the start. Wallowing wasn’t going to help. He needed to do something, needed a distraction. Anything.

With a deep sigh he threw the covers back, climbing out of bed with aching bones. He stumbled to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Gazing into the mirror until the water ran hot.

His eyes were bloodshot with purplish gray bags swelling underneath. His hair was a mess and his skin looked pale and tired. His lips were cracked and chapped. He didn’t look like himself anymore. He stared into the mirror until his form blurred from the steam spreading across the glass.

The water was warm when he stepped into the shower. Cascading down his back, washing away the dread and terrible ache in his chest. He took a moment, watching the water swirl endlessly down the drain before eventually giving himself a shake and started lathering up his hair.

Slowly he began to feel more human. Focusing all his attention on the smell of his shampoo, meticulously massaging the soap into his skin. Going about his routine with added concentration and care. By the time he shut the water off and wrapped a soft towel around him, he felt like himself again. The decision was made.

He quickly dried off and changed back into his sweats when he heard the apartment door open. He emerged from the steamy bathroom and Robin and Nancy immediately turned to him, sympathetic and cautious smiles on their faces.

“Look, I’m really sorry about last night” He breathed while running the towel through his hair.

“You don’t need to apologize to us. We get it.” Robin smiled. She then set a brown paper bag laden with groceries on the table “We went to the store,” she started pulling things out of the bag.

“We’ve got chocolate, candy, Red vines of course, chips, oh tequila!” She pulled the bottle from the bag and held it up proudly.

“And” Nancy held up another bag. “Fast times, The Lost Boys, Pretty in Pink, Mystic Pizza!” She held up the video tapes.

“We’ll get into our pajamas, order Chinese food and have a classic Harrington movie night. The full works!” Robin chuckled. Just like they used to back in Hawkins, sprawled on his living room floor, gorging on snacks and watching endless movies when they couldn’t sleep.

“We could even build a pillow fort!” Nancy bounced on the spot.

“Can’t” Steve shrugged. “I have a date with Nick tonight” he threw the towel down on one of the dining chairs and squeezed past them to get to the fridge. “What the hell is in that water?” He heard Robin whispering behind him.

“Uh, Steve” Nancy launched forward “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Robin quickly hurried round the table “Yeah, don’t you want to talk about it at least? Figure out what you’re going to do…”

Steve plucked a soda from the fridge and kicked the door shut. Spinning towards them “I have. I said it last night. I’m done. I want to move on with my life” he cracked open the can and started heading back to his room.

Robin and Nancy chased after him. “I really think you should think about this first before you jump into any rash decisions” Robin tried to reason with him but he shook his head. Nancy continued for her “This is a lot to handle Steve. It’s okay if you need time”

“I don’t need time. I’m over it” He pulled open the closet and started inspecting the shirts. Pulling them off the hangers and holding them up to his body in the mirror. In the reflection he could see Robin and Nancy staring at him like he’d just grown two heads.

“Which one?” He held up two shirts. Switching them out against himself as he waited for their reply.

“Uh I’m sorry” Robin closed her eyes, shaking her head and holding her hands up “What is going on?!”

“You’re right. The black and white striped one is better” Steve muttered to himself and put the yellow one away.

“No!” Robin put her hands on her hips. “No! Nope! No! Okay everyone just take a second!” she flustered, turning to Nancy to intervene.

“Pants?” Steve carried on as normal. Living in ignorant bliss to what was really going on. He couldn’t think about it now. Wouldn’t think about it now.

“Yes!” Robin flung open Steve’s drawer and hauled out a pair of clean sweatpants “Sweatpants!” holding them up and patting them as if to entice him into changing his mind.

“It’s a fancy restaurant Rob.” Steve smirked and turned to Nancy “Which ones? Red or black?”

Nancy’s eyes darted between Steve and Robin. Steve was holding up two pairs of pants and Robin was glaring at her. Tilting her head with furrowed brows and shaking the sweatpants at her. Nancy’s shoulders dropped “Are you sure this is what you want to do Steve?” she sighed.

“Yup” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Okay” she shook her head. “Wear the black” she waved her hand at the black pants in his hand.

“How do I look?” Steve stepped out of his bedroom, spinning round a little to have his outfit choice inspected. He had gone with the slightly oversized white shirt that had thick vertical black stripes on it tucked into a pair of black tailored pants that accentuated his slim waist and a pair of black polished boots. With a small silver chain around his neck.

“Uh great yeah. Fine” Robin shrugged. “Cool.” Steve stalked up the mirror by the coat stand to double check his hair. His hand started to shake and his stomach sank as soon as he caught a glimpse of himself. He tried to hide it, play it off cool but he could already feel himself sweating.

“If you don’t want to go you can still cancel” Robin called across to him from the couch. She must have noticed him getting a little frustrated with a particularly rogue flick of his hair.

“Why would I do that? I’m fine. I want to go. I need to get out of the house and have fun” he smiled, Robin didn’t seem at all convinced but she dropped it anyway. “I better get going or I’ll be late. See you later” He waved as he stepped out the door.

“Call me if you want to come home!” Robin shouted in a last ditch attempt to stop him doing this but he’d already closed the door.

Steve got to the restaurant a little earlier than planned. Not only was getting ready too easy but the cab hit every green light on the way here and there seemed to be very little traffic on the road. That or it went by quickly because of the dread he started to feel as soon as he left the apartment.

He was tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, sipping on a glass of ice cold water and checking his watch every few seconds. Feeling more gangly and nervous with every second that passed, wondering if he should just blow it off and go home to hide in his room for a little while.

He watched plate after plate of delicious Italian food leave the kitchen but he’d lost his appetite. Every time the door to the restaurant opened he almost jumped out of his chair. He grabbed a breadstick from the dish in the middle of the table and started crumbling it in his hands. Still debating whether to tell Nick about… him or just forget all about it.

Any plans of fleeing were foiled when Nick came in. He leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before sliding into the seat opposite. “Sorry I’m late. Took a lot longer to get the paint out from under my nails” he grinned up at Steve.

“Oh no problem. You look uh, you look good” Steve blushed a little. Nick must have put more effort into his appearance since they were going to a nice restaurant. His hair was slicked back and Steve could smell his spicy cologne. His usual flannel shirts had been replaced with a crisp white one, thankfully paint free and deep emerald high waist slacks with a belt that had a simple silver buckle.

He didn’t know why he said it, it wasn’t a lie exactly, Nick did look good but as soon as the words left Steve’s mouth there was a tingly surge in his stomach. Not quite arousal but something else. Something noticeable.

“You look good too” Nick lay his hand over Steve’s, again the tingly feeling was back. They ordered a bottle of wine for the table and began easily chatting. Not small talk this time but filling each other in on their week and what they had been doing. Steve didn’t mention the article.

The talking turned into subtle flirting, quick touches of hands, lingering looks and lightly brushing their legs under the table. Steve found himself laughing a lot more than last time. The waiter stopped by their table and Steve caught a whiff of cigarette smoke.

He looked up and the waiter had shoulder length dark hair that he tied into a neat ponytail at the back. Steve felt the air leave his lungs and his stomach plummeted again. He’d managed to forget about it, forget about him, for all of half an hour.

When their food arrived, he’d lost his appetite completely. He pushed his risotto around on his plate. The look and texture of the mushrooms made him want to gag. Nick was happily tucking into his pasta, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil going on in Steve’s head. Steve picked up his wine glass with a trembling hand and up-ended it. Gulping it down before reaching for the bottle to pour himself another.

“Is your food okay? We can send it back if you don’t like it?” Nick gestured with his head towards Steve’s untouched food.

“Oh no it’s not that. I uh - I guess I’m just not that hungry” He tried to sound convincing but it must not have worked because Nick put his cutlery down and brought his hands up to his chin, clasping them together in front of his lips.

“Listen Steve, I really like you and I’m having a great time. I thought you were too but I got the impression something was off when I first came in. If your having second thoughts you should just tell-”

“Oh no.” Steve quickly cut him off “I am having a nice time and I like you too.” Did he? He supposed so, he didn’t dislike Nick. Did Steve lie awake at night thinking about him? No. Did he look for any excuse to be near him and hear his voice? No, but it was still new. It wasn’t fair to keep comparing him to - “I just…” Steve reached for the wine glass and began to fidget with it.

Spinning the glass lazily on the white tablecloth watching the liquid slosh around the sides, contemplating how best to approach this. “Someone I haven’t spoken to in a while, sort of came back into my life recently and I’m still trying to process it.” To put it mildly.

“It’s not an ex boyfriend is it?” Nick chuckled but his smile dropped rather quickly when Steve didn’t immediately answer or chuckle along with him. “Oh” he tapped his fingers on his chin and started to shift in his seat.

“No” Steve quickly tried to reassure him “It wasn’t like that. He never - we were just friends”

“Just friends like you and Robin are friends or friends like we’re both single and horny friends?” Nick was quick to question, obviously still not comfortable or reassured by Steve.

“Just friends. Nothing else.” No matter how desperately Steve had wished it were different. He pushed that thought out of his mind and tried to shrug it off. “It’s just there is a lot of history there and not all of it good. It kinda caught me off guard.”

“Well” Nick leaned back to think about it for a moment “If you haven’t spoken to him in a while…” “Years” Steve answered his unasked question.

“Years. Wow okay. Then I think it’s totally reasonable to tell this guy that you don’t want to be friends now. Unless you’re considering getting friendly with him again?” Jealous much.

“Hey come on, I’m here with you aren’t I?” Steve avoided the question all together. Now was not the time and he didn’t really want to get into it in public with someone that could never understand the bond that he and Eddie had. That they all had from what they had been through together.

“Yeah. I guess” Nick nodded but there was still a light tension between them. Steve took another sip of wine and made a point of stuffing a large forkful of risotto into his mouth doing his best to chew and not spit it into his napkin.

When he finally managed to swallow he took another sip of wine. “So uhm you were telling me about wormholes?”

“Warhol” Nick smirked. “That’s the soup guy right?” Steve smiled. “Yeah, but he didn’t just paint soup” Nick started to chuckle and soon the awkward atmosphere lifted.

Steve listened intently as Nick talked about art, the different kinds of modern art and the painters that inspired him. Even though the conversation was flowing and the date was going smoothly, a voice kept creeping into his head “Listen to this guy! What a pretentious asshole!” Steve ignored it, focusing all his attention on the guy in front of him. Nick. Nice Nick. A little boring but nice and cute Nick. That same surge appeared once more in his stomach. An exhilarating almost electric feeling.

They shared a creamy boozy tiramisu for dessert. Leaning over to feed each other small bites and ordered a second bottle of wine. Sitting in the restaurant for an hour or so longer than Steve expected but it was nice.

They grazed their hands or lightly brushed their legs secretly under the table. All dreamy stares and sweet smiles. He’d pushed all thoughts of Eddie aside and just enjoyed the moment. Nick was growing on him. He couldn’t quite place his finger on why but there was something going on and Nick seemed as equally interested in him.

They split the bill and shrugged on their jackets, walking together out into the street. They paused for a moment, each one pretending to be looking for a cab or particularly interested in people watching or observing the city around them.

“I had a really nice time tonight” Steve smiled, shoving his hands into his pocket to fidget with the loose change in there. “Yeah me too” Nick nodded, looking bashfully at his shoes.

In a moment of boldness or liquid courage from the wine Steve pulled Nick in for a kiss. Their mouths crashing together. It was heated. Arms snaking round each other as they pressed their bodies together. And there it was. That electric surge coursing through his body, only this time more intense and he now understood why. Call it payback, revenge, sheer pettiness but it felt good.

It was impossible, highly improbable, down right madness but in his mind Steve thought that Eddie somehow, someway, would know. That he would be able to tell or feel it wherever he was. That a week after the revelation, the confession, the declaration, whatever Eddie wanted to call it had been put out there, Steve was kissing another guy, Steve was hooking up with another guy.

“Do you want to come back to my place?” Steve panted as he broke away from Nick to come up for some air. It was reckless, impulsive and maybe in a way cruel to use Nick as a pawn to hurt Eddie but this was Steve’s bombshell. This was his revelation. His payback for a broken heart.

“Sure” Nick grinned as he pulled Steve in for another kiss. Steve linked their hands together and waved down a cab. Throwing them both inside and slamming the door shut.

He pushed Nick through the door to the apartment. Tugging his jacket off as he went. It had taken a little longer than usual to reach his floor since they kept stopping to make out against the walls. Grappling at each other and crashing their mouths together, the moans and groans growing the further up they got.

“Hey ding- oh” Robin called from the couch, Nancy’s head poked up from where she’d been dozing on Robin’s chest, her mouth popped open and she quickly turned her head back to Robin, doing that telepathy thing again but Steve ignored them, he stormed to his bedroom, dragging Nick by the hand behind him.

He pushed him up against the bedroom door once he’d kicked it closed. “Uhm Steve” Nick’s voice was breathy “How do you wanna uhm… how do you wanna do this?” he asked between kisses. They both stumbled and fell onto the bed. “Just fuck me” Steve hastily started unzipping his trousers.

-

“Grab my hair!” Steve moaned and grabbed Nick’s hand to bring it up to his hair “Yeah, like that, harder!” he groaned again when Nick only lightly tugged on it. Nick was a bit too gentle and a bit too tentative. The sex wasn’t bad but he wanted more. Wanted it rough and steamy. Nick seemed a bit hesitant to really get into it. A bit too fumbling and a bit too nice at times. Steve wanted more.

Steve couldn’t help it, his mind wandered to Eddie. Imagining what it would be like to be pinned down by him. How his teeth would feel sinking into Steve’s neck. Strong ringed hands pulling his hair. Steve’s stomach tightened and his toes curled, teetering ever closer to climax. Eddie holding him down as he thrust into him relentlessly. Their skin covered in sweat and sliding against each other. Eddie’s guttural groans in his ear.

“I’m- I’m” Steve moaned. His eyes screwed shut, imagining it was Eddie above him “I’m gonna cum! Oh god! Aw fuck! Ed-” he bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself shouting Eddie’s name. Nick had found his release not too long after. Steve hoped he was too caught up in it to realize that he had almost screamed another guy’s name. Nick climbed off of him and collapsed into the bed beside him. Steve turned over and stared up at the ceiling, panting trying to catch his breath.

His stomach churned and there was a lump in his throat. He shouldn’t have done it this way. It wasn’t right and Nick didn’t deserve it. Steve couldn’t keep doing this. He wasn’t going to think about Eddie Munson anymore.

Chapter Text

“Consumption! Struck down by the vapors! Wandering womb!” Robin frantically dug through the closet. “Wandering what?” Nancy leaned in front of the mirror, applying a deep purplish red lipstick.

“Wandering womb” Robin threw on a t-shirt that was nearly two sizes too small and looked more like a crop top on her. She huffed and then wrestled herself back out of it. “It means hysteria” her voice was muffled through the fabric.

“Oh yeah, go with that one then” Nancy popped the lid of the lipstick back on with a smirk.

“It’s not funny!” Robin huffed “and where the hell are all my clothes!” She began tearing through the closet, launching sweaters, t-shirts and shoes behind her.

Nancy had taken the leap and moved in. She had gone home to her own apartment one night and found her roommate and frat boy butthead in a rather scandalous position on the couch and decided she had been scarred for life enough times already and packed her stuff up the very next day. However, it now meant that their clothes kept getting mixed up. It was fine for Nancy, she could get away with wearing Robin’s clothes. Which she tended to do regardless but Nancy's clothes were too small for Robin.

Robin found the t-shirt she was looking for and threw it over her head. “I’m tired of it. It’s weird and it’s creep- It’s weird and- It’s- It’s- Nancy help!” In her haste she had managed to get her head caught in the sleeve. Not only was she thoroughly annoyed, she was now trapped and scared that she was going to be strangled to death by her own clothing.

“I don’t like it either” Nancy came over to untangle her. “But we both agreed we wouldn’t get involved. It didn't exactly go swimmingly last time” Robin finally managed to poke her head through the right hole and Nancy smoothed down her top at the sides, looking up at her sympathetically. Robin sighed “I’m going to go insane”

“I think you’re already there babe” Nancy chuckled and hopped up on her tiptoes to kiss her. Robin smiled for a second but her face returned to a scowl.

“I just don’t understand why we have to go. It’s their anniversary thingy” she flounced over to the mirror to restyle her hair.

“Because we were invited” Nancy trailed after her and reached up to help her fix the back.

“We were ambushed.” Robin grumbled and made sure her eyeliner was smudged to just the right amount. Nancy shrugged behind her “So was Steve apparently”.

Robin couldn’t help chuckling, as much as she was vehemently against this whole thing and was determined to find any excuse not to go, Steve’s face had been quite the picture. “What a dingus!” she wheezed, “Did you see the look on his face” she turned back to Nancy.

“Paler than milk” Nancy clutched at her stomach, almost doubling over remembering Steve’s panicked and flustered expression.

The abomination that was Steve and Nick had been going on for three months now. The longest three months of her life. She had tried to be happy for him, tried to be supportive about Steve’s new relationship but she had a terrible feeling that Steve was playing with fire and one day this would all blow up in his face.

There was an embargo on all things concerning Eddie. After the night Nancy had dubbed “The Freak-out” she was far too witty for her own good, they didn't talk about it. Ever. Steve carried on like nothing had happened and pretended he was over it but she knew better than that.

She’d heard him that night. The first night he and Nick slept together, she'd heard him almost shout Eddie's name. She saw the way he would look into Nick’s eyes and the flash of disappointment in his that they were the wrong color and didn’t have the right sparkle.

The forced chuckles and nods when Nick droned on for honestly, if he was left to his own devices, could be hours or weeks. The guy didn’t shut up.

Looking back on it now, it was so obvious. She was amazed she didn’t see the signs. Steve would be buckled over, clutching his ribs and gulping for air at Eddie’s jokes. The way he would listen intently, a sweet smile on his face when Eddie would ramble on about god knows what, gazing at him with pure unfiltered adoration.

It wasn’t like that now. She didn’t believe that Nick made him as happy as that or as happy as Nancy made her. She didn’t understand why Steve continued to date him. He could barely bring himself to call him his boyfriend. Anyone else would have been dumped weeks ago.

Whatever game Steve was playing, or if Nancy's theory was right, whatever denial he was in, didn't bode well and somebody was going to get hurt and all bets were on it being Steve.

She wished she'd never gotten involved. Wished she had never encouraged either of them to ask the other out. It wasn't just the Eddie situation. Over the months Robin had gotten to know Nick, she didn't like him very much. He seemed to be one of those people that had the uncanny knack of irritating everybody in the room.

He wasn’t a particularly unpleasant person, there was just something about him. For one, he liked anchovies on pizza. Their once wonderful routine of a movie and pizza on a Friday night had been ruined. Sure, she could pick them off, but the pizza was still defiled by fish essence. It was a hate crime to anyone with taste buds. It was disgusting and unnecessary and nobody liked it. Steve included. Nick was one of those people that described things as an "acquired taste" rather than just admitting it was gross.

Not to mention, he would pick up a slice, start to say something then take an excruciatingly long time to wipe each finger individually with his napkin before continuing with whatever dull conversation piece he was about to recite. The whole time Robin would be clawing back the urge to scream at him.

Every item of clothing he wore had paint on it as if to say "I'm an artist darling, didn't you know" She’d seen some of his work, it was okay but he seemed more concerned with the status and social image of being an artist rather than a passion or love for the work itself.

After he yawned he did that lip smacking thing she’d only ever seen cartoon characters do. He used words like "esoteric" unironically and not in the right context. He was an insufferable know-it-all.

He called Nancy "short stack" once which had made him public enemy number one in her eyes. It also didn’t escape her notice that as soon as he said it, Nancy’s eyes drifted to the bottom of their now shared closet.

The one thing that riled her above all else was his music. Steve was right from the beginning, Nick’s music taste did suck. Nancy had taken to “misplacing” the CDs he left around the apartment after Robin had threatened to stick knitting needles in her ears after one Phish song too many. She was pretty sure Nancy was lobbing the CDs off the fire escape everytime she went out to water the few potted plants they kept out there.

Robin didn’t dare bring it up or ask about it, to protect their scheming for her own sanity. Steve didn’t question it either. He would just shrug whenever Nick asked where all of his CDs had gone but she caught the smile Steve would direct to the floor and the slight relaxation in his shoulders afterwards and would quickly set up one of his own CDs or cassette tapes.

All that is to say, Robin and Nancy had been roped into going out with Steve and Nick tonight for their three month anniversary and she was not looking forward to it.

There was a knock on the door “Are you guys ready?” Steve called through. Robin slumped forward.

“Time to face the music.” Nancy squeezed on her shoulders, gently massaging them. “And no mention of sudden strange illness. We’re going and that’s that.” she smiled.

“Fine, but just so you know, I shan't be happy about it” Robin shrugged on her jacket.

“Really? Because you were hiding it so well” Nancy chuckled and pushed her through the door. Steve was pacing the living room on the other side. His head whipped up when he heard them come in.

“What took you guys so long?” Steve was nervous, his hand shook when he dramatically swept out to the side and he seemed to have difficulty breathing.

“Sorry” Robin shrugged. “Your boyfriend was a bit vague on the details.” It was pretty hard to decide on an outfit when she had no idea where she was going. All Nick had said was they were going out for the night and he had a surprise planned.

“Pictures!” Nancy ran back into the bedroom to grab the camera. “We don’t have time, we’re already late” Steve sighed, aggressively rubbing his face until his skin turned pink.

“Oh come on, we almost never go out or get all dressed up” Nancy pulled Steve in for a photo. They did all look effortlessly cool.

Robin was wearing high waist blue jeans, a faded band t-shirt, brown boots and her old jacket with the patches on it. It had acquired a few more over the years. Nancy was wearing a black dress, with a white a t-shirt underneath and white socks poking out from her doc marten boots, she’d also borrowed one of Steve’s denim jackets to throw on later if she got cold.

Steve was dressed in all black, black jeans, black t-shirt, black boots and a delicate silver chain around his neck. He was also wearing Robin’s black and red checked dickies coat. Another thing she had noticed, since Eddie had dropped the bomb, Steve tended to wear darker colors. Nancy snapped a few photos and soon enough Steve was shoving them out the door.

“So you really have no idea what we’re doing tonight?” Robin started to walk backwards down the hall while Steve hurried them along, his neurotic mother tendencies at full throttle.

“Nope” he spun her back around at the top of the stairs and nudged her forward. Thumping down the stairs behind them at a comically fast pace. When they reached the bottom he breezed past them and swung open the door and stepped out into the street.

It was warm outside. The city was cast in a golden hue from the sun just starting to set. Music blasted from stereos perched on open window sills or balconies. Businesses left their doors open, letting cool air in and she could smell freshly baked bread from the bakery down the road. The street was bustling with people enjoying a warm evening with friends.

“Shit” Steve muttered under his breath as he slipped his sleeve down past his watch and raised his arm in an attempt to hail a ride but the cars and cabs kept blowing past them. “We needed to be downtown like, ten minutes ago” he huffed.

“Are you okay? You’re a little…” Robin widened her eyes and waved her hands in his general direction.

“Yeah I’m fine. I think. It’s just the whole anniversary thing. It’s weird right?” he turned to her.

“Depends, some people like that sort of thing” Robin shrugged.

“Yeah but like for actual anniversaries. Three months is a bit short to be throwing that kind of word around” Steve sighed and raised his arm again but once again the cab flew past them.

“Is that what you’re worried about? That it’s moving too fast?” Robin’s intrigue had piqued and she felt Nancy pinch her leg. A signal to say tread carefully.

“Yeah, I guess. I don’t know. Why does it have to be secret and why did he insist you two come along. Not that I don't want you guys there but- he knows I don’t speak to my parents. I don’t know, what if he’s planning some sweeping gesture” Steve worried his bottom lip.

“No way” Robin snorted “He wouldn’t do that. It’s way too soon to be worrying about that” For the love of god, she hoped she was right.

“He’s probably taking us to an art show and unveiling one of his pieces or something” Nancy jumped in with her usually smart and logical conclusions.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m overthinking it” Steve scuffed his boot against the pavement. “That's probably what it is…” he muttered again, trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

The silence that stretched between them was deafening. Each one pondering the possibility that Steve might not be so far off track. He did make a few good points. Nick did have the tendency to be quite needy, he was a bit intense in his affections towards Steve. Robin and Nancy were Steve's family now. It wasn't outside the realms of possibility.

They waited a few more minutes before finally catching a cab. The ride downtown took longer than they expected. Each of them squishing into the back and leaning over the other, looking out the windows, trying to figure out where they were going.

They turned onto the avenue Nick told them to meet him at. It was busier tonight than usual. Lots of different types of people appeared to all be heading in the same direction. Swarms of cars and taxis were dropping people off. The passengers darted across traffic jammed roads and gathered around packed bars or met up with larger groups of friends.

Amongst the hoard they found Nick, who looked a little out of place, standing outside a small independent art collective studio. There was a barely audible collective sigh of relief. He waved over to them with a large grin on his face when he saw them clamber out of the car. “Wow you all look great” He leaned in to give Steve a kiss on the cheek.

“So do you” Steve’s smile was weak “So uh… what’s going on?” he started to fidget with the hem of his coat. “All will be revealed soon” Nick had a conspiratorial grin.

“Uh, will there be bathrooms at the super secret place?” Robin slid in beside Steve. “Some of us didn’t get a chance before we left.”

Nick chuckled, but she was being serious. “Follow me” he started to lead them in the same direction other people were going, away from the studio. Steve doubled back as Nick dragged him away and caught her eye, silently screaming at her “Where are we going?!”

The sea of people began to swell as they walked further down the avenue. The air smelled of sweat and cheap beer. Clouds of cigarette smoke and the distinct smell of weed drifting upwards from the waiting crowd. Nick abruptly came to a stop and turned towards a large building on the left, where the crowd was at its thickest “Surprise!”

Oh god, it was far worse than any of them could have imagined. A hasty and ill advised deceleration of love or sweeping romantic gesture was the least of their worries. Nancy loudly gasped beside her. Robin, just as stunned, gripped onto Nancy’s shoulder lest she float away from the out of body experience she was currently having. Her eyes immediately flicked to Steve.

Steve looked like he had straight up died. The rigor mortis already set in from how he barely moved, frozen in place like a statue. The only indication that he still had a pulse was the flaming red on the tips of his ears that was slowly working its way down onto his cheeks and the back of his neck.

His eyes fixed on the huge glowing sign on the music venue in front of them. The giant bold black letters of CORRODED COFFIN looming over him.

Yup. Steve was playing with fire and a bomb was going to go off and Nick had inadvertently lit the fuse.

Chapter Text

This couldn't be happening. Steve was rooted to the spot. His chest heaved and he felt like he was going to throw up. His heart hammered against his rib cage. It felt like all the blood had drained out of him. He was too hot and too cold simultaneously. This was a complete and utter disaster.

"So I take it you're surprised" Nick gripped onto his shoulders with a wide grin. Fucking shell shocked more like.

"How did you - when did you…" Steve couldn't speak. This couldn't be happening. He looked to Nancy and Robin, desperately pleading with his eyes for help but they looked just as dumbfounded as he felt.

"Well I found a whole bunch of their t-shirts stashed in the back of your closet" Nick smiled "I thought it was kind of cute that you had made a bunch of them yourself" Steve definitely had not made them himself and he was definitely not the original owner.

"Anyway, I found out they were playing and managed to get us tickets" Nick dug into the pocket of his jacket and produced four tickets. Waving them in his face. It was probably supposed to be playful but it felt like he was being taunted.

"But- but don't they sell out like, weeks in advance" Steve stuttered, it's all he could think to say. He could barely hear his own thoughts above the blood rushing in his ears.

"Yeah they do and I almost gave up" Steve wished he had. "But then Zach, who works at 13th?" Nick continued, even though Steve was having trouble remembering his own name let alone who Nick's coworkers were. "Anyway, he bought tickets for his girlfriend and her friends and to cut a long story short they broke up and he didn't want to go, so he sold them to me" Nick grinned and handed each of them a ticket.

"I- uh- I can't accept this" Steve stared down at the ticket in his hand. He traced his thumb over the letters 'Corroded Coffin. 9pm' they didn't disappear or burst into a puff of smoke. This was real. This was happening.

"Sure you can" Nick shrugged "You seem to really love their music and Zach waaay over charged me but honestly your face right now was totally worth it. Plus, now you can get one of their real t-shirts" Nick beamed at him. Steve’s face probably was surprised and shocked but not in the way Nick intended.

"But, but uh- you don't like metal" Steve was clutching at straws now. A last hail Mary attempt to somehow get out of this without looking like an utter fool and turning on his heel and running away.

"Ah ha" Nick held his finger up and dug into his pocket again. He produced two foam ear plugs and chuckled "For emergencies. In case it's really bad" he grinned and pushed Steve lightly on the shoulder "I'm kidding! How bad could it be?"

Very bad. This could be very bad indeed. Nick pushed Steve towards the venue. Robin and Nancy trailed after them in a daze, still staring at the sign above the door.

People of all styles and age ranges were steadily making their way inside the venue. Some had made their own band t-shirts. Others wore battle vests like Eddie had all those years ago and some looked like parents begrudgingly chaperoning their kids to a metal concert. Steve could sympathize with that.

Maybe he was dreaming or maybe he just never thought these two worlds would collide but somehow he felt like there was a giant screaming beacon on him. That somehow everybody knew that he was the guy. He was the “him” from the article. Everyone except for Nick, who had no idea about the nightmare he had just unleashed.

When they made it to the front they handed over the tickets and they each got their hands stamped. Steve looked down at the red skull pattern bleeding into his skin. It felt like it burned, emblazoned and branded on his skin, a marked man. Nick started to lead them into the hall when Robin seized Steve's shoulders.

“Hey uh we should go to the bathroom first” She looked at him, her expression conveying that she wasn’t at all worried about his bodily functions or potentially missing the start of the show due to an untimely dash to the bathroom. “Oh-okay” Steve responded timidly.

“You guys don’t want to miss the first song” Nick checked his watch.

“The support band is still playing - uh why don’t you get us a round of drinks and we’ll meet you at the bar” Nancy started to haul both he and Robin away with a fake saccharine sweet smile.

“Okay” Nick shrugged and turned in the other direction.

Robin threw Steve into the bathroom. Nancy ran along the side ducking to check all the stalls were empty. “Holy shit!” They both crowded him. “I know” Steve started to hyperventilate.

“Holy shit! Holy shit! What if Eddie sees you!” Robin started to pace, her voice echoing around the tiled walls.

“Oh my god” Steve dropped his head into his hands. He had been so worried about seeing Eddie it never occurred to him that Eddie might see him! His chest was heaving and he felt like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Fucking shit.” he started pacing along side Robin, bumping into her shoulder since he couldn’t face looking anywhere but his shoes.

“It might not be so bad” Nancy unhelpfully shrugged. Not bad! Not bad! He’d rather be staring down a demogorgon right now. “This is a catastrophe, Nance!” Steve tried to keep his voice down but he was one second away from screaming and never stopping.

He’d messed up. Big time. He didn’t know what he was doing. He shouldn’t have let it get to this point. At the time he was just confused and scared and his whole world, everything he thought he’d ever known had erupted and he didn’t know how to deal with it

“Okay we uh-” He couldn’t think straight. “We stick to the back. As soon as the show is over we get out of there. We do not mention a word about him or anything else to Nick okay?” He looked frantically between Nancy and Robin who didn’t look at all on board with the idea. “Please” he whimpered.

“Steve” Robin sighed, she shuffled back and forth on the spot. “No!” He held his hand up. He didn’t want to hear it, he just had to get through the next two hours and then everything would be fine. Two hours. He could manage two hours but Robin wasn’t willing to let go of it so easily.

“You never really dealt with your feelings about-” She started to say but Steve shook his head and started to pace, hoping the movement would drown her out. “I don’t want to talk about it” he cut her off. He couldn’t talk about it right now. He just had to get through this and work out what he was going to do later.

“Well I’m sorry but that's not really an option anymore.” Robin tried to grab hold of him but he shrugged her off. “It’s none of your business” he was getting defensive.

“It is my business! You’re my best friend! It’s crushing me seeing you like this.” Robin raised her voice, not shouting but being firm. “You can’t avoid it now. Does Nick make you happy? Is he who you really want? Or are you still in love with Eddie?” she asked him point blank.

She’d never outright asked him like that. He’d been living in a constant state of denial since it happened. Hoping that it would all just go away but she was right, he couldn’t avoid it anymore. He couldn’t skirt around it and act like nothing had happened. He was teetering on the precipice, one gentle breeze away from falling.

Steve stopped pacing. He looked at Robin and Nancy, who both had their eyebrows raised in anticipation. Arms folded across their chests. “I- uh -” he stuttered, feeling the tears well in his eyes.

The bathroom door flew open and a group of hyper, already drunk girls came stumbling in. Crashing around them and adorned in Corroded Coffin merchandise, giggling and fixing their hair and make up, excited for the concert about to start any minute.
_

The hall was jam packed. The support band that were playing seemed to have a couple of fans there as well but Steve had no idea who they were. “Hey” Steve found Nick waiting at the bar. “Hey” he handed each of them a plastic cup of cheap watered down beer.

They moved into the crowd a few paces, keeping to the side out the way of the main stage, where it was a bit darker. Nancy and Robin kept close to him. Even in the dark he could see the sympathetic and nervous glint in their eyes. They way they looked at each other over their drinks. Two hours. Just keep it together for two hours.

"Don't you want to get closer?" Nick raised his voice in Steve's ear so he could hear him over the music. "Nah, we're fine here. Don't want to get too close to the pit" He shouted back.

They were pretty far back but Steve didn't want to run the risk of Eddie spotting him in the crowd. The support band. The Screaming Witches? Screaming Bitches? He wasn't sure, finished the last song in their set to a wailing out distorted chord and mic feedback. "Thank you!" They walked off stage and the lights dipped. Plunging the stage in darkness. Steve could just about make out silhouettes of people flitting about the stage, setting up for the main act. Corroded Coffin. Eddie.

The crowd jostled and undulated. Cups of beer went flying over their heads. They kept stumbling backwards and forwards from the electric current stirring and rippling through the crowd. The air charged from the build up of energy and excited tension growing the closer it got to the main act.

"You okay?" He felt Robin’s hand slide up his back and her hair tickled his ear. “Hmhm” Steve nodded and she gave him a small smile, ready to jump in for moral support if needed.

Then Steve saw him. The stage was still in darkness but Steve would recognise that flash of wild hair anywhere. Backlit by a few lights coming from the wings. There was a thunderous sound coming from the speakers that made him jump and a crack of lightning. Fans were already screaming and whooping. Before all the lights in the venue dipped entirely and flashed back on as the first distorted chord was struck.

There he was. Unmistakable. Eddie’s pale skin, littered in tattoos and scars, looked ethereal in contrast to the black backdrop. They had a simple Corroded Coffin sign above them and black vines snaking around the stage with red lights creeping in at the corners. Eddie was hunched slightly. Legs spread wide and slightly bent at the knees. His hair over his face while the band headbanged in unison to the opening riff.

Eddie's head whipped back and he came up to the mic. Singing the lyrics in his signature raspy tone. He was incredible. He was amazing. The angular features of his beautiful face cast in harsh shadows. He was wearing black slim jeans, a bullet belt slung over his hips, high top sneakers that might have once been white, with gray duct tape holding one together and a black shirt that he had cut the sleeves off and left unbuttoned exposing his sculpted stomach. His white V shaped guitar, covered in peeling and faded stickers perfectly complemented and contrasted with his outfit.

He commanded the stage with such ease. His ringed fingers effortlessly glided along the fretboard, causing the muscles in his arms to flex and the black ink of his tattoos dance. His wild curly hair caught the light every time he threw his head back.

"Hey" Nick leaned in "His scars kind of match yours" his eyes tracked Eddie from the stage. Steve pretended he hadn't really heard him, pointing to his hearing aid with a shrug, since he had turned it down when they first came in, and returned his attention back to the front "What a cowinkydink" Robin piped up from beside him.

The first song finished and Eddie looked out into the crowd. Holding his arms out to hype them up. The crowd screamed and cheered as loud as they could. Getting louder and louder as Eddie kept bringing his hand up to his ear. "That's the welcome home we were looking for!" He cackled into the mic. "How y'all doing tonight, you good?" His eyes scanned the crowd as they cheered. "Alright!” he grinned when the crowd continued cheering and whistling “Uh what time is it?" He asked with a large grin.

Some of the crowd answered with the actual time. Some of them, who had probably been to one of their gigs before, started to shout out a song title. Eddie leaned forward, listening to the people at the front "nine fifteen" he chuckled to Jeff.

"Time. To. Die! Time. To. Die!" The crowd started to chant. Eddie egged them on a little before he wailed out a chord that sounded awfully familiar to a clock chime. Sending a shiver down Steve's spine.

Steve couldn’t take his eyes off him. Eddie thrashed around the stage, effortlessly hammering through the songs as they seamlessly finished and started up. Sweat poured down Eddie’s chest and shook from his hair. Steve was completely enraptured by him.

Nick didn’t seem impressed at all but he occasionally smiled and nodded and responded with a “Not my kind of thing” when Nancy or Robin, who seemed to be having the most fun, turned around to try and drag them into dancing which was just a lot of jumping around really.

About an hour or so in, if he were completely honest he’d lost all track of time, too mesmerized by Eddie throwing himself around on stage. Robin had been teetering on the edge of the pit trying to convince Nancy to give it a shot. They had all had more than a few beers by this point and it did look appealing for some reason.

“Come on, you can take em!” Robin was shouting trying to persuade her but Nancy kept shaking her head with a giggle. “It’s totally safe, see!” She pointed into the middle “They pick you up if you fall, you're not going to get trampled!”

Nancy shook her head again “You go in if you’re so sure!” she pushed Robin forward a little.

“Only if you come with me!” Robin had that flash in her eye when she had too much to drink and was falling from tipsy into full blown drunk. Which usually resulted in her having much more confidence coupled with bad decision making skills.

Steve scrambled forward but he was too late. Robin grabbed Nancy’s hand and threw both of them into the pit. Steve stopped short at the surrounding circle, he zoned in on a particularly bright patch on Robin’s jacket so he could keep track of them.

They seemed to be having a great time. Scream laughing as they pushed and shoved their way through. Robin did take a tumble at one point but true to her word a couple of big burly bearded guys immediately picked her up and made sure she was okay and hadn’t been hurt.

They made it to the other side and retreated back into the edge to take a breather. Waving and laughing at him trying to convince him to do the same. He shook his head but they kept going.

He started to edge his way round the perimeter towards them when he was swept up in it. At first he panicked, feeling a little overwhelmed but soon he was enjoying himself. Bashing and pushing his way through. Honestly, it was so cathartic. He lost himself in the friendly therapeutic aggression. Laughing and grinning as threw himself about. By the time Nancy and Robin grabbed onto him to pull him out he was beaming. “Holy shit that’s fun!” he latched onto Robin’s shoulders. “I know!” Robin bounced on the spot with him.

“Are you okay?” Nick appeared at his side. It took the wind out of Steve’s sails and irritated him a little “Yeah I’m fine” it came out a little blunter than he expected but he was having trouble controlling his tone with the amount he had had to drink.

“It's totally fun, you should try it!” Nancy shouted over to Nick but he shrugged and shook his head “Not my kind of thing!”

Nothing is your kind of thing, you big dull irritating- Steve shook his head and turned back to face the stage, closer now that they had battled their way through the pit when his stomach swooped. His knees went weak. His heart hammered in his chest and it wasn’t because of the loud thumping rhythm of the drums. Eddie was staring right at him. His chest heaved as he came up to the mic. Keeping his eyes on Steve as he belted out the words.

A wide grin spread across his lips as he sang. He stumbled over a word or two and there seemed to be the sound of a hysterical giggle when he pulled away from the mic. Every nerve in Steve’s body tingled. His stomach tightened and he had trouble catching his breath. He had an insatiable urge to run, a cacophony of conflicting thoughts whether to run towards Eddie or run away. It wouldn’t have mattered either way, since he was rooted to the spot. His feet were unwilling to move. All he could do was stare back.

The band hammered through the rest of the show. Throughout it all Eddie's eyes kept finding him. His breathing became more erratic and his energy seemed to be waning. He was probably just worn out having just put on the most energetic show Steve had ever experienced but his chest always seemed to hitch just as his eyes returned to Steve in the crowd. Steve couldn’t tear his eyes away. He didn’t know whether to smile, laugh or cry.

The band finished the set and the encore. Eddie’s eyes were still locked on his as he left the stage for the final time and the lights dipped to mark the end. The house lights came on and the fans started to filter out of the hall, but Steve couldn’t move. He let them wash past him in a haze. Robin and Nancy were standing beside him, both looking like deer caught in headlights.

“So uhm, he saw you right?” Robin whispered in his ringing ears. “Oh yeah, he saw me.” he nodded. Nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Someone doesn’t look too happy” Nancy leaned into both of them and nodded her head towards Nick who was waiting for them with his hands shoved in his pockets, edging further into the line of people waiting to leave. Just as they started to re-group and head towards the exit, a woman with a clipboard came up to him “Steve? Steve Harrington?”

“Yeah?” Steve turned around. “Here, these are for you. Backstage passes” she shoved some laminated cards into his hand. “Seriously?!” Nick jogged towards them and grabbed one from his hand. Steve looked at Robin and Nancy who were staring back at him. Their eyes flicked to the remaining passes in his hands. Shit.

Chapter Text

Jesus Christ! Holy shit! Eddie bounced off the stage, wiping the sweat from his face with his shirt. Gareth charged at him “Best Show Ever!” He nearly hopped up on Eddie, frantically shaking his shoulders, Eddie had so much adrenaline and excitement shooting through him that he couldn’t do much else but scream in response.

It wasn’t just the rush of playing an incredible show, ending a long tour on a high. Steve was here. Steve had come to his show. Steve who stormed the pit and couldn’t take his eyes off him. His Steve!

Jeff and Nelson joined them, all of them amping each other up with claps on the back and jumping from the buzz of an amazing show “Holy shit man, that was incredible!” Jeff grinned at Eddie. “Those vocals were monstrous… how the fuck did you do that?”

Eddie shook his head “I have no idea you guys were fucking shredding it and it just happened!” he started to laugh hysterically.

Nelson held his hands out, shaking erratically from all the hopped up energy. “I need a drink man or I’m gonna like, take off to the moon or some shit!”

“Yeah” Eddie grinned “uhm I’ll meet you guys there. Just one sec” The rest of the band started making their way to the greenroom, laughing and cackling with each other. Gareth shouted back over his shoulder at Eddie to not take too long or they’d start the celebrations without him.

Eddie nodded and gave him the thumbs up waiting for him to turn back around before he seized a busy looking member of the venue staff. “Shit sorry” He immediately apologized for his inability to control his arms, jangling with nervous energy when the woman whirled round with a startled expression. “Uhm, there’s a guy out there. Steve. Steve Harrington”

The woman smiled and immediately jotted down the name on her clipboard “He’s uhm like, wearing all black with a red checked shirt or something. Uh, hair” Eddie unhelpfully waved his hands around his head but describing it as the perfect hair he wanted to run his hands through all day everyday probably wasn’t better either. “He’s with some friends. A tall, kinda gangly girl, patches all over her jacket and the other, smaller, curly hair uhmm” Eddie did his best to describe them “Could you give them some backstage passes?”

“Of course” The woman nodded and quickly shuffled out of the way. Eddie did a little jig before running back to the greenroom, hopping and skipping his way there with a wild grin much to the staff's amusement.

The walls of the small lounge area were covered in posters and signatures of all the bands that had played there before. He clocked his own signature scrawled across the wall at the back from their first ever tour. It had two beat up leather couches on either side and a coffee table in the middle with years worth of cocaine embedded in the wood grain. Tables with every kind of liquor imaginable lined the walls and there was a small fridge filled with sodas and snacks.

Eddie grabbed his leather jacket after internally debating with himself what would look better. Jacket on or jacket off, he eventually decided to slip it on to hide the goosebumps crawling up his arms. He flopped down on the couch and started drumming his hands on his thigh. His other leg was bouncing erratically. “Jesus dude” Gareth smirked while handing him a glass of whiskey “Did you snort the table or something, your shaking the whole couch”

Eddie downed the whiskey “Shit man… sorry. It’s just- That fucking crowd! The gig!” He grinned, leg still bouncing like a jackhammer. Time seemed to go so painfully slow and incredibly fast. He couldn’t keep still, looking every which way for that unmistakable hair. He reached over and plucked a packet of cigarettes off the table and lit one in the hopes of calming himself down but all he achieved was climbing up onto the back of the couch to get a better view of the corridor outside and the room that was now filling up with staff, roadies and those lucky enough to get backstage.

“...I mean the whole thing was ridiculous, him a vessel for satan? Please, he can barely put matching socks on let alone summon a creepy otherworldly entity…” Eddie heard Robin’s signature rambling from the hall. He lept of the couch, spilling Gareth’s drink all down his front as he did so.

He started towards the door when Nancy suddenly appeared inside the frame. “Nancy fuckin’ Wheeler! How’s that shithead brother of yours?” Eddie grinned and scooped her up into a hug. “Still a shithead” Nancy’s giggle muffled in his hair.

“You watch those hands Munson!” Robin sarcastically smirked from behind them. Eddie plopped Nancy back down on the floor “Buckley!” He grinned again and pulled her in for a tight hug.

“Ew gross. You’re all sweaty” She laughed, but latched onto him all the same. “The show was incredible” she smiled as she pulled away, linking hands with Nancy who nuzzled into her side.

“You two idiots finally got together huh?” Eddie chuckled at both of them. Nancy blushed and Robin beamed, she started to tell the tale but her voice soon filtered out. Eddie’s eyes found Steve lingering behind her and everything else melted away. Robin must have noticed because she and Nancy shuffled away so there was nothing between them.

“Hey” Eddie smiled. Steve was beautiful. A little older but still wonderfully handsome. Golden tanned skin and his hair still perfectly styled even after a metal concert and fighting through a mosh pit.

“Hey” Steve smiled back, his cheeks turning a stunning shade of pink. Eddie took a tentative step forward, his arms twitched, wanting nothing more to wrap them around Steve and never let go. Steve took a small step forward as well, his chest heavily rising and falling as he kept his eyes on Eddie. They were so close, Eddie started to raise his arms when a hand shot out.

“I’m Nick” The guy behind Steve, spoke up suddenly. His hand blocking Eddie’s path. Eddie did a double take, a little confused and caught off guard. He quickly grasped onto the guy's hand and shook it just as the words “Steve’s boyfriend” were uttered.

The world crumbled out from under him. He couldn’t even rip his hand away, it fell limp and weighted, landing with a dull thump back to his side. The air left his lungs in a terrible punch and his heart thunked into his stomach. This couldn’t be happening. His eyes flicked to Steve who had tensed up at the word but didn’t correct what the guy had said.

“Your- your uhm, your boyfriend?” Eddie’s voice shook. Steve’s eyes dropped to the floor and Nancy and Robin shuffled awkwardly in his periphery but Steve wasn’t saying anything. Eddie glared at him, begging him to say it wasn’t true, that it was a mistake. The guy had made a mistake. He’d got it mixed up. Anything. Fucking say anything!

“Yeah” Nick carried on with a smugness that felt like a direct insult to Eddie. “I didn’t know you guys knew each other. Would have made getting the tickets a lot easier” he chuckled.

“You got the tickets?!” Eddie blurted without thinking. What the fuck. What in the actual fuck was going on. Steve still hadn’t said anything but he winced again when Eddie spoke. Robin was hacking at her nail polish, picking at it loudly beside him and Nancy looked extremely uncomfortable and placing her hand over Robin’s in an attempt to stop her tearing away her skin.

“It was a surprise, for our three month anniversary” Nick smiled and wrapped his arms around Steve, pulling him back into his chest with a kiss on the top of his hair and started to gently sway them.

Eddie stood there speechless, his hands clenched into fists and trembled at his side. Three months! Three fucking months! Three months ago the album was released. Three months ago the article came out. Surely Steve must have known. He had to have known it was all for him. If this was Steve rejecting him it was a pretty heartless and shitty way to do it.

“Could you uhm… uh.. Excuse me” Eddie pushed past them, racing out the door before the tears that were stinging his eyes could fall. He stormed down the hall and threw himself into the bathroom. “Fuck!” He slammed his hands down on the sink. The loud clatter from his rings hitting porcelain reverberated around the grimey bathroom. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he slammed his hands down again, thrashing against the sink maniacally.

“Eddie?! Eddie! Stop, stop, stop!” Gareth’s hand suddenly clamped onto his to stop him doing any more damage. One of Eddie’s rings had pierced his fingers from the force but he hadn’t felt it, just stared as the warm blood trickled down his hand and dropped onto the gleaming white sink.

“Talk to me, man” Gareth’s face was pale, his eyes wide and full of concern. He’d seen Eddie at his worst, he and Wayne had been the one to lock Eddie in a room while he screamed and shook from detoxing. Calling them every name under the sun and begging for one last hit. He had that same look about him now.

Eddie slumped backwards and slid down the wall. The cold brick scratching his skin. He dropped his head into his hands, grinding his palms into his eyes until he saw stars.

“It’s him isn’t it?” Gareth lowered his voice and crouched down beside him “Steve. He’s the guy you wrote the song for. Steve Harrington. He’s your Steve.”

“He’s someone else's Steve now” Eddie sighed and lulled his head back against the wall. Gareth reached up and grabbed a paper towel and handed it to Eddie. He wrapped it around his finger and squeezed tightly to stop the blood flow.

“That mungbean looking guy?” Gareth smirked but Eddie was in no mood to be laughing. He reached into his pockets for his cigarettes.

“They got together three months ago” Eddie lit one, breathing in long drags before fully exhaling the last “Sends a pretty clear message”

Eddie didn’t really know what he expected by finally putting it out there. Finally confessing that after all this time Steve was the love of his life. He just couldn’t carry it around anymore, he’d been tortured by it for years. Wishing he had said something, praying that Steve felt the same. Calling out to him in the dark when the nightmares were at their worst. Wishing he’d find his way back to him. Now it was too late.

“Shit man. That’s rough” Gareth puffed air through his mouth. He brought his hand up to Eddie’s shoulder. “But you know, we just put on the best show of our careers! Those people out there love you! Your Eddie Munson dude! You’re a fucking rockstar!”

Eddie huffed a laugh and Gareth smiled “And you know what rockstars don’t do?” He nudged his shoulder into Eddie’s “They don’t hide in a disgusting ass bathroom because of some guy. That guy’s got nothing on you! Fuck him!”

“I’d rather not. He probably does it with all the lights off and his socks on” Eddie laughed, a pitiful sound that soon turned into a strangled broken cackle. He wasn’t sure if it was because Gareth had made him feel the slightest bit better or from delirium at the entire situation.

“See! That’s our Eddie. Don’t let him get to you man” Gareth chuckled back. Eddie rose to his feet with Gareth’s help and mustered as much courage and devil may care attitude as he could before stepping out of the bathroom.

Robin and Nancy were squished together on one of the couches, overlapping arms and legs. Steve perched awkwardly in the middle, hunched in on himself while that Nick guy sat back with a possessive arm over him. It was laughable really, how they had all squeezed onto one couch when the one he was about to sit down on was completely free.

Eddie plucked a bottle of whiskey from one of the tables and flopped down on the couch opposite, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table and taking a long swig. “Sorry about that” he tried to smile “Had to deal with something”

“Oh yeah” Robin nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm, she probably knew exactly what was going on “Must be busy… all this...” she waved her hand about the room. “Lots going on… great show though… really” She took another sip of her drink and Nancy subtly patted her leg.

“Thanks” Eddie smirked over a nod, he turned his attention towards Nick and Steve. Steve was picking at the label on his bottle of beer, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. “So Nicholas” Nicholass. “Did you enjoy the show?” Eddie flicked the ash from his cigarette.

“It’s just Nick actually” Nick shifted on the couch. Nick the Dick, Eddie smirked to himself but stopped short of saying it out loud. “Yeah I guess it was alright. I’m not a big metal fan, not really into the whole screaming and shouting stuff”

What the fuck was wrong with this guy! Why not just come in here and spit in Eddie’s face. It would be less cruel and more direct at this point. Was this all a big joke to them? Did Steve find it funny to sit there and rip his heart apart like this? Going to his show for their three month anniversary - which made no fucking sense since anniversaries were measured in years not months - so they could insult him. Belittle the career it had taken him years to build. To dismiss the literal blood, sweat and tears that had been poured into their music. What a fucking asshole!

“I thought it was great! I went in the pit! It was so fun” Nancy suddenly jumped in. Both she and Robin side eyeing Nick. Steve still hadn’t said anything, but his brows were scrunched together and he was picking at the label more aggressively now.

Eddie leaned back on the couch. “I’d expect no less from you Wheeler” he grinned. A thought entered his head. He shouldn’t do it but he never did quite get a handle on that little spark in him that could never leave a snarky comment unsaid or intrusive thought not win.

“Stevie had a good time in the pit. Didn’t ya big boy” Eddie winked at him as Steve’s eye trailed up to him. Steve blushed a bright red and brought a shaking hand up to sip on his beer. Nick tightened his possessive grip around him.

“So you didn’t go into the pit Nick?” Eddie nonchalantly turned back towards him, peering at him from over the bottle he had just taken another swig from. “No.” Nick curtly replied. “Oh” Eddie nodded.

"Like I said I’m not as much of a metal fan. Am I Steve?" Nick forcibly pulled Steve a little closer into his side. Eyeing Eddie up as if punches were about to start being thrown. Steve didn’t respond to him, just darted his eyes from Robin and Nancy to Eddie and back to the floor.

Eddie narrowed his eyes back. He stuck his tongue out, licking along his top lip smugly "Well he wasn't either when we first met. So I’ll take some credit for that. Spent many long nights in my bedroom back home teaching him everything he knows. Y’know the really intense, vigorous, pounding stuff." Eddie balled up his fist and slapped it against his hand a few times.

He really was just describing the music but he knew how it sounded and that was the point. Even if all that ever happened was they got high together and listened to music while demolishing everything remotely edible in the kitchen. He liked that he was getting under this guy's skin.

"You never told me that" Nick turned to Steve. His brow furrowed and he dropped his grip on him. Moving back from him so Steve would have to look directly into his eyes.

"Oh he didn't?" Eddie took a long drag of his cigarette then spread his arms out across the back of the couch. Loving the fact he had rattled this guy and the way Steve’s eyes roamed his exposed torso. "It was a long time ago. What was it nine, ten years ago now?"

Eddie nudged Steve's knee across the table with the sole of his beat up sneakers and left his foot leaning against him. Making the point that he had known Steve for years. Not months. Years.

"Ten" Steve nodded, his eyes flicked to Eddie’s shoe and his face looked so red Eddie feared he might burst into flames. He could have gotten lost in making Steve blush if it weren’t for the irritating doldrum tones coming from Nick.

"Oh makes sense. See, I don't know about that since Steve never talks about you" Nick’s tone was bordering on acidic. Eddie tried to ignore the stab in his gut and pierce through his heart. Nick smiled at him. A shit eating grin. All feigned innocence and pearly teeth. If there weren't so many people in the room and his recent spate of good press for the band, Eddie would have knocked those teeth out by now. But Eddie wasn't going to let him win that easily.

"Ah so I guess you haven't heard the new album yet? The one that came out three months ago?" Eddie stubbed out his cigarette and immediately lit another. He took another long swig of whiskey, feeling it burn down his throat and settle in his stomach, tiptoeing the line of tipsy and drunk.

Steve looked panicked. Nancy and Robin tensed, their drinks stopping halfway to their lips. "No I haven't." Nick smirked but it wasn't the victory he thought it was. Eddie had him. Hook, line and sinker.

“Uh… we uhm.. I..” Steve started to fluster. Robin was staring at him wide eyed minutely shaking her head, Eddie knew that look. The look she gave when words were very dangerous right now. Eddie smirked and slightly brushed his foot against Steve’s knee.

“Not to worry" Eddie smiled sweetly, masked in innocence "I think we have a few copies lying around here somewhere. I think you'd like the last track in particular, it's not all that heavy guitar those pesky kids like nowadays" His eyes immediately burned into Steve’s.

"Really?" Nick bluntly replied. His head swiveled to Steve. Glaring at him, obviously aware that something was going on and that Steve was hiding something. Steve looked paler than Eddie. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he looked one second away from having a complete meltdown.

"Yeah" Eddie pressed on, his words ever so slightly slurred. "It's interesting actually because I wrote it for-"

"Don't" Steve suddenly shot up from the couch. He was trembling and his eyes were damp as if he was about to burst into tears.

"Don't what, Steve?" Eddie crossed his arms, glaring at him. What did he think was going to happen? That he could just show up here and mess with Eddie's head like this? Bring his dickhead boyfriend to humiliate him and then start acting all coy and blushing when he felt like it.

"Please Eddie" Steve's bottom lip trembled. Pleading with his eyes. Begging him to not say it. He hunched his shoulders and wrapped his jacket around himself like a safety blanket.

"Is there something you would like to tell me, Steve?" Nick rose to his feet. Shooting daggers at both of them. He squared his shoulders back and then looked at Nancy and Robin, who timidly shrugged and averted their eyes.

Eddie stood. Swaying and staggering, trying to ignore how the room spun not realizing how much he'd actually had to drink. "The song is about-"

"Stop" Steve breathed, wiping aggressively at his eyes. Before Eddie could say another word Steve took off “I need to get out of here” scrambling over Robin and Nancy, pushing his way through the other people in the room and disappeared into the corridor.

"Steve! Wait!" Robin ripped up from the couch to run after him, Nancy already tearing ahead in front of her. Robin looked back over her shoulder at Eddie. A mixture of disappointment, sadness and frustration flashed across her face.

"You're a dick" Nick snarled at him while he stormed passed, following in the direction the others were heading.

“Whatever. Fuck off man” Eddie smirked, pretending that the terrible ache that was spreading across his chest and bleeding into his stomach wasn’t there.

Eddie stood for a moment. His shoulders were shaking and he glared at the floor, fidgeting with his cigarette in his fingers. "Shit" he spread his thumb and fingers across his forehead, massaging the tension that had started to bloom. "Shit" he muttered again. Him and his goddamn mouth.

He didn't set out to hurt Steve but sometimes he couldn't help himself. It was ingrained into him, he'd lash out at any perceived threat. Hurt them before they can hurt you. "Fuck" he kicked at the floor. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He’d fucked it all up. Eddie kicked at the floor once again, rattling the discarded bottles and glasses on the table and fled the room…

Chapter Text

Steve pushed his way through the crowd, storming down an elaborate labyrinth of corridors looking for any way out. He couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think straight. He had to get out of here, he needed air, he needed - he just needed to get out of here.

“Steve!” Robin hurried behind him trying to catch up “Steve! Don’t do this, don’t leave it like this!” She called after him, knocking and tripping over bewildered people watching the bizarre scene in front of them. Steve ignored her, he had to get out of here. He threw open doors that lead to dead ends and empty rooms.

He turned down another hall and a large door loomed at the end. He hurried towards it, pushing on the metal bar with such force a gush of air hit him back. It led to a mostly deserted parking lot. He stepped out onto the tarmac, the night air humid and muggy. Robin’s feet stamping behind him, echoing around the space. Steve took another few paces and brought his hands up to his hair and let out an almighty scream. Screaming into the void of the night sky.

What a fool he’d been. A misguided stab at protecting himself had decimated any chance of ever finding happiness. He had been so terrified that it would all go wrong. How many times in his life had people told him they loved him and ended up leaving him broken and distraught. He couldn’t stand for it to happen again. Not with Eddie.

His memories of Eddie were precious. He’d tried to keep them safe, close to his heart where they couldn’t be tainted over time. What if after all this time Eddie was different, what if he wasn’t Steve’s Eddie anymore. That his last memory of Eddie would be him leaving all over again and Steve left in misery trying to put the pieces back together.

But Eddie was exactly the same. Fame hadn’t changed him or got to his head. He was still the vibrating ball of energy that couldn’t sit still, his sharp tongue and quick wit that was a force to be reckoned with. He still used cheap three in one shampoo that both disgusted and delighted Steve. After all this time, he was still his Eddie. The same wicked grin that made Steve blush and devastatingly beautiful eyes that bore into his very soul.

Robin padded up beside him “Steve?” she whispered, smoothing a hand up his back. Steve dropped his head onto her shoulder. Clutching at her, his tears bleeding into the fabric of her jacket. “I fucked up, Rob” he spluttered.

“No, no” She wound her arms around him “It’s going to be okay. It’s okay” The door was pushed open again and he could feel Robin signaling something to Nancy who had just clambered through. “It will be okay” she hummed softly to him. The door was pushed open again and in the distance he could hear Nancy telling someone that it wasn’t a good idea and they should just leave.

Steve brought his head up when he heard footsteps rushing towards him. “That guy is an asshole!” Nick shouted, pointing back at the venue. Nancy was hurrying after him, determination burning on her face.

“No he isn't!” Steve spat and turned, storming away from him. He just wanted to get away. Away from Nick, away from all of it. He dipped into an alley, hoping it would lead out onto the street but it was just a storage area for the garbage. He had to get away from here as fast as he could. He backed out and turned, heading in a different direction. He’d walk the whole damn way home if he had too.

“Are you seriously defending him?!” Nick chased after him. Robin and Nancy were trying to keep up with Steve, trying to put as much distance between him and Nick. Pushing Steve along, holding onto him defensively.

“Why did you do this?! Why did you bring us here! You shouldn’t have brought us here if you don't like the music!” Steve snapped back over his shoulder. Continuing to walk towards the street on the other side, too angry to care about the people that were out for the night overhearing him.

“Oh no. I just did it for you, I’m a real jerk aren’t I, Steve?” Nick shouted sarcastically. The thumps of his boots hitting the ground quickly catching up with them.

“Hey!” Steve rounded on him “I didn’t ask for this! You insulted him right to his face! What did you think was going to happen?!” Nancy and Robin tried to dodge out of the way after Steve quickly turned, sending them off kilter, almost colliding with Nick but crashed into a parked car instead.

“And you lied right to mine!” Nick countered, stopping right in front of Steve.

“What?!” Steve scoffed “I didn’t lie to you!” When the backstage passes landed in his hand he had to tell Nick something. He didn’t outright lie but he did omit a few certain facts. He explained that Eddie was an old friend from back home.

He however did not bring up the fact that Eddie may have written a love song for him and that the feelings weren’t exactly unreciprocated. That was a conversation for another time, preferably tomorrow like he had planned.

“Yes you did. You lied then and you’re lying now!” Nick was seething. “I asked you, Steve. I asked if it was an ex boyfriend. Oh wait, a fucking famous ex boyfriend!”

Why the hell was Nick bringing that up now. That was months ago. He wasn’t lying then and he wasn’t lying now. Nothing ever happened between them. “I didn’t lie! He’s not my ex!” Steve threw his hands out, raising his voice.

“Clearly! Since he was fucking you with his eyes all night!” Nick shouted back. Grabbing the attention of passers-by on the street ahead of them who either gasped and whipped their heads around or stopped entirely to watch the soap opera levels of drama play out in public.

Steve tried to ignore the deep heat pooling in his stomach and the quite obvious glowing blush that swept across his face. “Don’t twist my words!” He tried to walk away again.

“He practically described all the sex you were having!” Nick shouted, trailing after him. There was another shocked gasp from the spectators and from Robin, who had apparently got caught up in the spectacle unfolding.

“He was describing the music!” Steve screamed and brought his hands up to his hair, raking his fingers through it in an attempt to calm down.

“Didn’t sound like that to me!” Nick retorted, matching his volume.

“Yeah?! Well maybe if you didn’t have your head shoved so far up your own ass you would be able to hear!” The words came out before Steve could stop himself. He was so tired and his mind kept flashing back to the way Eddie had looked at him when Nick introduced himself, how devastated he had been. It was killing him. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“My heads up my ass?!” Nick laughed. “You’re head's so far up his ass! I saw you Steve! Blushing like some love struck teenager! Looking at him like he’s some God because he can hammer out a few shitty chords! It’s pathetic!”

“Oh my god!” Steve almost laughed at the absurdity “I’m pathetic? This is pathetic! Your jealousy is pathetic! You’re pathetic!” It was pathetic, this farce of a relationship he’d concocted was pathetic. A woefully pathetic attempt at burying his head in the sand. He should have ended it months ago, even before all of this happened because in truth, Nick was fucking annoying.

“Jealous? Of him? A talentless sell out junkie. He’s a joke” Nick scoffed, smirking almost sinisterly at Steve. Steve had had enough. Nick took it too far. He was no better than those ignorant, small minded assholes back home. Nancy was already opening her mouth to speak, no doubt some blood chilling condemnation but Steve beat her to it.

“Don’t ever call him that again! You know nothing about him!” Steve shouted “You have no right to judge anyone! At least he doesn’t pretend to be someone else! You’re a pretentious prick! You think and act like you're better than everyone else but guess what, you're not! You’re not even half the person he is!”

"Oh yeah he sounds like a great guy. I mean, I'm only your boyfriend! Have you forgotten that?!" Nick spat. Steve grimaced at the word which was not lost on Nick "So that's really what you're doing huh? Throwing everything away for him? Someone who doesn't give two shits about you!"

Steve tried to walk away, pushing past Nick, retreating back the way he came, he couldn't listen to this anymore. He was done. He was exhausted. He wanted to go home. Hide away forever. Robin laced her hand into his and started to pull him away. "He's not worth it. Just walk away" she tried to whisper encouragingly but Nick kept pushing forward. Kept goading him.

"Don't walk away from me! Don't be a coward! Answer me!" Nick kept shouting "Tell me why you're hell bent on destroying us for some guy who doesn't even care about you! He left you Steve! He used you and he left you!"

Something inside Steve snapped. He whipped around. Stopping dead in his tracks and glared at Nick. He couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t live the lie. Couldn’t deny it, couldn’t run from it, couldn’t hide any longer.

“Because I love him!” He screamed, his voice echoing around the godforsaken parking lot. “Every hour of every day for ten years! Because he is everything to me! Because I love him!” he panted. Chest heaving and his whole body felt like it was on fire, his blood burning through him.

Nick’s face twisted, morphing from hurt to anger. He brought his hands up to clasp over the back of his head and stumbled a few steps backwards. Shaking his head and seething. Practically pulsating with fury. All of sudden Nick started towards him, a burning scornful look in his eyes. Steve flinched.

“Hey back off!” Robin jumped between them. Nancy at her side, near growling like an attack dog. If Nick wanted to punch him in the face Steve didn’t really care. It would be nothing to the visceral pain he felt tearing through him.

Any relief he might have felt having finally said out loud that he was still in love with Eddie had quickly been replaced with utter despair. Eddie probably hated him now. He’d made such a mess of everything. In a few hours Eddie would be boarding a bus or a plane leaving him for the second time heartbroken and Steve only had himself to blame.

He’d never see those beautiful deep eyes again. Never feel the warmth of leather clad arms wrapping around him. Never hear Eddie’s deep grumbling laugh or listen to him talk for hours on end about anything and everything. Never feel that soft hair tickling his skin or the rough pattern of Eddie’s rings.

“Fuck you!” Nick spat and spun around, storming away and muttering under his breath. It was over. It was finally over. Three months too late but it was over now.

Steve’s ears were ringing and he was having difficulty breathing. He stared at the ground. He’d ruined it. He’d ruined everything. He’d lost Eddie all over again. He couldn't catch his breath. Couldn't move. He felt sick and dizzy. Staring at the ground until he lost all comprehension of time, of reality.

There was a creak of leather and the jangle of metal. Steve flicked his eyes up. Eddie was there. Standing a few feet in front of him. He panted through his lips trying to catch his breath, his skin glistened with sweat under his jacket. He'd followed them. He’d seen it all. Witnessed the screaming match. He’d heard everything.

The air left Steve’s lungs in one fell swoop. He began to shake, tears rolling down his cheeks. Looking into Eddie's gorgeous eyes, twinkling from the stars reflected in them “Because I love you” Steve spluttered over a ragged breath.

Eddie crossed the distance, pushing through Robin and Nancy’s protective barrier, stopping mere inches in front of him. His hands snaked up Steve’s jaw, brushing their noses together while his fingers splayed in Steve’s hair “I'm so sorry Stevie" he pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry too Eds" Steve surged forward. Kissing Eddie's plush and unbelievably soft lips. It was salty and wet from his tears but Steve didn't care. Eddie had come back to him. Eddie was kissing him back, hints of smoke and whiskey.

Steve fell deeper and deeper when Eddie's thumb brushed over his cheekbone, angling his head to deepen the kiss. Changing from sweet and soft to an insatiable desire. Steve's knees buckled and his stomach swooped. He hooked his fingers into the epaulets of Eddie's leather jacket. Pulling him closer, steadying and supporting himself against Eddie's body.

One of Eddie's hands ran down his back, stretching across the expanse until his fingers dug into Steve's hips, wrenching him forward even though there wasn't a breath of space between them.

Eddie kissed him like he was the very air he breathed. No one had ever kissed Steve like that. Never parting for long, their lips pushing and pulling in perfect unison. The passion between them growing, ten years of longing, of whispered prayers and secret desires coming to a crescendo.

Steve lightly swiped his tongue along Eddie's lips and almost fainted when Eddie didn't hesitate in reciprocation. Their tongues gently brushed and swirled together, hands grappling at each other for more, every part of them had to be touching the other. Never wanting to be parted again, as if they would die without the other.

Hands pushed through hair and glided across skin. Steve's hand slid from Eddie's shoulder and ran across his barely concealed front. Brushing his knuckles down Eddie's sternum before smoothing along to rest over Eddie's heart.

Eddie’s heart beat frantically under his skin. Warm to the touch. Steve could feel every bump and groove of mottled skin. Perfect. Wonderfully Eddie. Undeniably him.

Eddie groaned lowly before starting to rapidly peck at Steve's lips before he broke the kiss. Still not moving away too far. Sucking in the warm night air through parted kiss stained lips. His porcelain skin glowed under the starlight. He grinned and brought his hands back up to Steve's face, his cheeks silken from tears "I love you, Steve Harrington" he whispered "I'll always love you"

That was enough for Steve. He felt the tears well in his eyes again but this time it wasn't because he was sad. Eddie knew him better than anyone. Connected in a way where they would know what the other was thinking without having to give voice to it. Steve believed him. Eddie loved him, Eddie would always love him and he meant it.

"Stay with me?" Steve whispered, finally saying the unspoken secret between them. It was never the final farewell that was left unsaid. It was always a confession of love in the simplest form of asking the other to stay.

Eddie grinned, his breath taking smile "I'll never leave you again" he swiped his thumb over Steve’s cheek then locked their fingers together.

“Let’s go home” Steve whispered, tugging Eddie by the hand.

Chapter Text

Steve clicked the bedroom door shut. Taking a moment to observe Eddie, sitting on the end of his bed smoothing his hand over Steve’s old yellow sweater. “You kept it?” his eyes drifted up to Steve.

“Yeah” Steve nodded “Lots of memories,” he smiled, shifting awkwardly on his feet as a blush crept over his cheeks, heat radiating out.

“I always loved you in this color” Eddie grinned, rubbing the soft fibers between his fingers before setting the sweater to the side. Eddie was wearing a pair of Steve’s sweatpants and nothing else. His skin glowed in the light of the few lamps scattered around the room. Highlighting his silvery pink scars contrasted with the deep dark ink of his tattoos.

A silence lingered between them. Not uncomfortable or awkward, it was a contented silence. A quiet reverie of both of them being here. Together.

“Hey” Eddie smiled. “Hey” Steve smiled back and draped the towel over the back of the chair. The ends of his hair still slightly damp from the quick shower he’d had.

“You tired?” Eddie titled his head. It was well into the small hours and this night had been quite eventful but Steve wasn’t tired. A nervous exhilaration shot through him, it intensified when he looked around the bedroom.

Eddie’s sneakers neatly tucked away in the corner. His leather jacket hanging off the door handle of the closet. A hair tie, rings, wallet, cigarettes and a lighter littered Steve’s bedside table and Eddie, sitting on his bed, wearing his clothes, looking at him like he was the only person in the world.

“No” his voice came out barely above a whisper and he shook his head. He padded gently over to the bed, stopping when his knees bumped into Eddie’s.

“Steve?” Eddie gasped, his voice dripping with desire, looking up at him with such sweet doe eyes.

Steve leaned forward, placing his hands on Eddie’s shoulders and climbed on top of him, straddling his legs. He lowered himself down achingly slow. Eddie’s arms wrapped around his lower back, pulling him closer as he caught him in a kiss. Their mouths crashed together, messy and heated. Lips and tongues sliding over one another, while hands grabbed at hair, clothes and grazed across skin.

“God I missed you Eds” Steve’s head lulled back, his hands raking through Eddie’s hair while Eddie’s mouth worked down his neck, nipping at his pulse and peppering soft kisses across inflamed skin.

“I missed you too sweetheart” Steve could feel Eddie smile against his throat. His hands sliding down Steve’s side and toying with the hem of his old swim captain shirt. “Did you think about me?” Eddie’s voice suddenly changed, a burning mixture of desire and dominance.

“All the time” Steve breathed, hooking his arms around Eddie’s shoulders trying to get as close to him as humanly possible. Trying to bury himself in Eddie’s skin. “It was always you”

Eddie grabbed at his hips. Forcing Steve to rock. Steve clung to him, breathing short sharp breathy moans at the feeling of Eddie’s hard cock under him. "I thought about you too" Eddie groaned, nipping and sucking at Steve's neck, his fingers digging into Steve's hips "Every fucking day" he rasped in Steve's ear over a shaky breath.

His hands slid from Steve's hips, gliding down his thighs and hooked his fingers into the bend of Steve's knees and tugged. Pulling Steve's legs wider, forcing him to grind deeper and harder. "Shit Eds" Steve moaned when his stomach tightened at the feeling. Rocking his hips faster and harder. The air punched from his lungs with every graze.

Eddie's hips started to buck in time with his own. Leaning back on his hands, looking up at Steve. His eyes almost black with lust and his cheeks dusted in a deep pink. "Fuck Stevie, you look so pretty like that"

Steve moaned and forced Eddie back onto the mattress, looming over him. His arms shook as he balled his hands up in the sheets. His cock throbbed from the friction, desperate to be touched. "Eds" Steve huffed between moans "Eds I need you" he whimpered as another shot of arousal ripped through him. It wasn't enough. He needed more.

In one smooth motion Eddie's arms wrapped around him, flipping him onto his back and further up the bed. Nestling himself between Steve's spread legs and began rolling his hips. Eddie's hands slid down his sides, while he kissed him. Hot and passionate, Steve's head sunk further into the mattress with every push of Eddie's lips. Eddie gripped onto the hem of Steve's t-shirt and tugged it gently.

Steve rose up slightly from the bed, breaking apart from Eddie for all of a second as he ripped his shirt off and threw it unceremoniously to the floor. Eddie ran a smooth hand down Steve's bare chest. He groaned when Eddie's hand skimmed his toned stomach and his fingers dipped below the waistband of his sweatpants. "These too baby"

Steve stared into Eddie's eyes while he slipped them off, boxers included, kicking them to the end of the bed. Chest pitching on short sharp bursts. His heart thumping against his ribcage. When he settled back down, Eddie's eyes raked over him, taking in every inch of bare skin. Steve had to gently bite his lower lip. The intensity of Eddie's gaze sending a deep heat flourishing through him. Ravaging each and every nerve into an insatiable tingling.

“You’re beautiful” Eddie’s voice wavered. His hands hooked under Steve’s arms and he pushed him upwards while lowering himself back down until Steve’s head rested against the pillows. Eddie ran his hand through the damp roots of Steve’s hair, lowering his head to catch him in another biting kiss. Quickly becoming erratic through shared breathy moans and soft whimpers.

Eddie started to move lower, leaving Steve gasping into the charged air of the room. He nipped and sucked his way down, lavishing his tongue and lips over Steve’s scars. “Eddie” Steve whimpered, his back arching up from the bed when rough, calloused hands caressed over his aching cock.

"Tell me what you want Stevie" Eddie's voice was hoarse and muffled from lavishing over Steve's skin.

"You" Steve panted "I want you" with that Eddie's hand wrapped around him. Steve threw his head back and balled the sheets up in his fists, while Eddie's expertly worked him. He bucked into Eddie’s hand. “Shit. Eddie. Fuck-”

His words were cut short by Eddie sinking teeth into his skin. Salty and slicked with sweat. Soft lips and sharp teeth delving at the juncture of his shoulder and neck. He tried to move, tried to slide Eddie’s sweatpants down with his leg but Eddie grabbed on to it “Not yet” his voice straining with lust “This is for you Stevie”

Steve writhed on the bed while Eddie moved lower, kissing and biting raw, sensitive skin. He tensed with pleasure when Eddie's warm breath ghosted over him and nearly screamed when Eddie's wet hot mouth replaced his hand. Sucking and lavishing the tip with his tongue.

Eddie sunk lower, excruciatingly slow until Steve’s head hit the back of his throat. Steve bucked his hips, his hands sliding to grip in Eddie’s hair. Rigoring and babbling incoherently. He felt it everywhere, all over him and all at once. A desperate need washing over him. "Eds, baby, please. Please!"

Eddie hooked Steve’s legs over his shoulders. Smoothing his hands up his thighs to anchor on to his muscles. His tongue rolled and swiped over the tip. Licking and swirling down Steve’s length as he sucked. Taking him impossibly deeper.

Eddie growled over him, the vibrations of his throat, setting Steve's skin on fire. He closed his eyes, incapable of doing anything other than gasping Eddie's name and pleading for more. Muffled when Eddie brought his hand up and slid two fingers into his mouth, Steve raked over Eddie's fingers with his tongue. Too soon, far too soon Eddie’s fingers slipped out, leaving a trail of glistening spit down Steve’s chin and his hand kept moving lower.

Steve contorted when he felt the keen sting of Eddie’s fingers burying inside him, back arching, arms thrown against the bed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck" he yelled, while Eddie’s fingers pushed and pulled, curling round and spreading outwards.

Eddie’s mouth popped off him. "That’s it baby. Scream for me" he inserted a third finger, not waiting for him to fully adjust to the first two. The sting caused Steve's eyes to fly open. Eddie was staring at him, eyes aflame while he watched Steve squirm and yelp. Biting on his lower lip when he pushed his fingers deeper, curling round and sending an unstoppable heat and thrill through Steve’s entire body.

“Eds” Steve screamed. Twisting and trembling, head thrown back, feeling the wave beginning to swell. “I can’t- I need- you’re gonna make me…” His words trailed off when Eddie’s fingers hit his prostate again.

“Fuck Stevie, your so fucking beautiful” Eddie hastily pushed his sweatpants and boxers down. Throwing them into a haphazard ball behind him. His hand palmed at his cock, pulsing and twitching with every gasp or moan from Steve's mouth. "So fuckin' pretty" Eddie growled, his chest heaving, the muscles in his neck straining. His pulse trying to burst through his skin “Where do you keep-”

“Bed-side. Tab-le” Steve struggled to get the words out. His body beaded with sweat, skin tingling and his stomach twisting and plunging with each sensation of Eddie’s fingers. Eddie lurched forward, his fingers leaving Steve all too quickly, air ripped from his lungs and he shuddered at the sudden loss. Eddie wrenched the drawer open so hard, the clutter on top of the table fell to the floor, the lamp shade knocked askew and Eddie almost teetered off the bed, letting out a self deprecating chuckle at his own desperate need.

He grabbed the lube, warming it in his hand before gently slicking Steve up. He started to tear open a condom with his teeth when Steve’s hand shot out.

"No" Steve stilled his movements with a gentle hand on his arm. "I want you. I want all of you" As soon as the words were said Eddie's chest sunk, breathing a deep shaking breath. Resting on his arms at either side of Steve's head.

"You sure?" Eddie’s voice turned serious, it was important but the arousal still broke through "Are you uhm… have you been testing?"

Steve nodded "Yeah… you?" Eddie nodded “Yeah…”

Steve brought his hands up to Eddie's face, pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss. Eddie adjusted his position over him, spreading his legs wide and slicking up his cock. He took another deep breath and lined himself up. Before sinking into Steve with an unholy barely tempered groan.

"Fuck your so tight" the air shot from his lungs. Steve moaned when Eddie kept slowly pushing into the hilt. He panted through the slight sting. Air flaring through his nose and gritted teeth. Grappling onto Eddie, trying to ground himself in the moment. Wanting to feel every inch of him.

Eddie hovered above him, his stomach taut and his arms trembling at either side. Tensed as beads of sweat gathered on his forehead resting against his Steve's, the heat between them dampened his already sweat soaked bangs. Eddie was painfully holding back. Waiting for Steve to adjust. Waiting for him to give him the nod.

"Eds" Steve whispered, barely able to suppress his gasping moans. "Eds, move."

A wicked grin slid across Eddie's cheeks "Beg" he growled. His voice harsh and commanding. "If you want me to move. Beg for it" he teasingly rolled his hips before going completely still again. Steve squirmed under him, trying to rock his hips but Eddie grabbed at his knees, pushing him further and deeper back, holding him in position.

"Please" Steve whimpered "Please! I need you. I need you to fuck me. Please" he yelped. His legs violently shaking under Eddie's grip. Eddie grinned again and dropped his head to kiss him, biting on his bottom lip while he pulled out and thrust back in. Low, slow thrusts.

"Harder" Steve's head pulled back, sinking into the pillow as Eddie panted in his ear, slowly building up speed and pace. "Harder!"

Eddie dug his knees into the mattress scrambling for purchase. He lifted Steve's hips up. Hitching him up the bed until he was bent over double, changing the angle while Eddie relentlessly fucked into him.

Steve mewled and whimpered. Sweat cascading down his sternum and spine. Mingling with Eddie's between their bodies. "Fuck your so fucking good sweetheart" Eddie grunted, emphasizing each word with every thrust.

Steve gasped, his dick twitching between their stomachs. He threw his arms back, fingers scraping and scratching at the headboard.

"You like that baby?" Eddie rumbled between breaths. Bearing his teeth while he fucked Steve hard and fast. Steve nodded and a hand snaked round his throat "Tell me" Eddie gave a light squeeze. "Yes" Steve gulped, his mouth and throat dry.

Eddie pinned him again, raising his hips further to hit his prostate over and over. He growled and grunted, pounding into him. Their bodies sliding against one another with sweat. "You’re so good for me, aren't you" Eddie panted. "So. Fucking. Good"

Eddie was thrusting into him punishingly. His hand gripped onto the headboard, smacking loudly against the wall. The whole bed moved, the wooden slats creaking and splintering under them. Steve gripped onto his sides, feeling Eddie’s muscles flex and throb under his skin. A thrill shot through Steve, tightening his stomach and making his toes curl. Eddie was grunting and groaning above him animalistically. Throwing Steve back with every snap of his hips. His sharp angular hip bones pierced Steve’s trembling thighs.

Eddie’s movement became erratic. His chest sunk deep with every shaking broken breath. His stomach taut like a bowstring. He pushed into Steve deeper, scrambling to pin him. Trying to bury himself more and more inside. His voice was utterly hoarse, and thoroughly fucked “Fuckin’ hell Stevie. Fuck. You feel so good”

Steve’s walls clenched. "Eds I'm… Eds I'm going to cum! Aw fuck!" Steve scratched down Eddie's back. Overwhelmed and desperately clinging on to Eddie. His skin slicked from sweat and flushed red. Steve could feel the pressure building, the relentless contortion as heat pooled deep in his stomach. He gasped for air.

"Look at me" Eddie's voice broke with every clench. He gripped a hand into the roots of Steve’s hair, pulling him back from the crook of his neck. “I wanna see you cum for me” Eddie's hand moved down and wrapped around Steve’s cock and jerked in time with the rapid, erratic thrusts.

"Eds- Ed- fuck- Eddie!" Steve screamed, his whole body vibrating and humming when he finally felt his release, shooting white hot ropes across their chests. He trembled and babbled through the climax. Mind numb. Blinded to all but pure pleasure and Eddie's primal and guttural groans, still thrusting manically into him.

"Oh shit. Oh shit. Stevie! Fuck!" Eddie roared. His hips snapping back and forth in short, pulsating bursts, burying himself so deep inside as he came, Steve's eyes rolled back at the feeling of being utterly filled. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck…" Eddie panted on trembling arms, languidly fucking him, squeezing out every last inch of sheer pleasure before he collapsed entirely.

Eddie’s chest and shoulders heaved and he shivered slightly with each exhale. Their ribs knocked together as they struggled to catch their breath. Only the sound of ragged breathing filled the air. Each one recovering from the intense satisfaction of climax. Steve felt as light as air, serenely floating in calm waters. He ran his fingers across Eddie's shoulders, up his neck and into his hair. Massaging his scalp in smooth circular motions and deeply breathing in humid, sex charged air. Reveling in the come down.

They lay there for a moment, their warm bodies pressed together, listening to the slowing heartbeats of the other. Eddie's breathing slowed and deepened. The weight of his body pressed heavier on top of Steve. “Eds?” Steve giggled “Eds? Are you okay?”

"Just give me a second." Eddie lazily waved his hand up from the bed, face still buried in Steve’s chest, his wild hair strewn across and sticking to their skin."Been dreamin’ about that for ten years.." the southern twang he usually tried to hide coming through thick in his voice, he chuckled his deep rumbling laugh that reverberated around the room. He took another few minutes before he rose up and placed a soft kiss on Steve’s lips.

He flopped back down and took another few minutes to fully catch his breath before he slid off the bed with a grunt and heavy limbs. Pulling the sweatpants back on, hanging low on his hips. He pulled open the bedroom door and poked his head out making sure the coast was clear before zipping across the apartment to the bathroom.

Steve couldn’t help laughing a little as he watched Eddie jog back through a few minutes later with his usual cheeky grin. Like they were teenagers, sneaking around and trying not to be caught. “I love you” Steve smiled when Eddie tried to quietly close the door again.

“I love you too” Eddie grinned as he climbed back up on the bed with a cool wash cloth and started to gently clean Steve up. Steve slipped his own sweatpants back on and Eddie threw the wash cloth onto Steve’s damp towel from earlier and crawled into bed beside him, lighting a cigarette and cracking open the window.

Steve rested his head on Eddie’s chest, wrapping his arms around his waist. The scent of Eddie's skin. The feel of his strong arm wrapped around him, his hand slowly brushing up and down Steve’s spine and the gentle rise and fall of his chest from smoking a cigarette. It was utterly perfect. Better than he could have ever dreamed.

Steve got lost in slowly tracing over the dark lines of Eddie’s tattoos. His eyes started to feel heavy and he sunk further down into Eddie’s chest. The covers a tangled mess in their overlapping legs. The cigarette now burning low in a makeshift ashtray on the windowsill. Eddie had his eyes closed and he was breathing deep breaths while humming softly to himself.

“Hey Eds?” Steve shifted, his voice croaky and hoarse from exertion. He peered up at Eddie “Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” Eddie hummed, half falling asleep.

“It’s been bugging me for years…” Steve continued to trace the lines of Eddie’s tattoos “What were those stains on your mattress?”

Eddie barked a laugh and flipped Steve over, smiling above him “I’ll show you” he leaned down to place a lazily languid kiss on Steve’s lips.

“Oh” Steve involuntarily moaned.

Chapter Text

Eddie stirred awake. At first he panicked not recognizing where he was but he soon felt soft breaths ghosting over his neck, tight arms encircling his waist and the familiar scent of Steve's laundry detergent wafting from the perfectly soft pillows.

Eddie turned, trying not to wake Steve. He took a moment to just look at him, serenely sleeping, his hair mussed and beautiful small bruises bloomed over his tanned, freckled skin. The sunlight drifting in through the window illuminated him in a soft glowing haze. Eddie reached over to tuck a stray flick of hair behind Steve's ear, completely entranced by how utterly breathtaking he was.

A small breathy murmur escaped from Steve’s lips but he was still lost in a deep sleep. Nestling further down into the pillows and leaning more heavily against Eddie’s body. Eddie could stare at him for hours, completely enraptured by him. Eddie was home. He’d finally found his way back.

He gently slipped out of Steve's grasp, climbing slowly from the bed trying not to wake him and tiptoed across the floor, the soft fibers of the carpet tickling his feet. Quietly as he could he opened the bedroom door and slipped out into the living room, closing the door as softly as possible, trying not to rouse anyone.

He turned and jumped a little when he found Robin and Nancy in the kitchen. Robin was sitting at the kitchen table, cradling a mug of coffee in her hands, the remnants of her eyeliner still slightly smudged under her eyes and her hair a tangled mess, flicking out at jaunty angles.

Nancy stood behind her, her hair tied up in a messy bun and looking a bit more awake and lively than Robin did, dusting flour from her hands. Both of them were staring at him, heads tilted to the side and with wide toothy grins.

"Uh… morning" Eddie croaked, his voice still raspy from sleep, he brought his hand up to rub awkwardly at his neck and tucked the label of Steve's sweater back in.

"I think you mean afternoon" Robin snickered and brought her coffee up to sip, eyebrows raised over the rim in a knowing look.

"Sleep well?" Nancy smiled, her voice light and playful. She continued pouring a bag of chocolate chips into a vat of pancake mix.

"Uh yeah" Eddie chuckled and started to pad towards them "and you.. did you guys- uhm sleep well?"

“Oh eventually” Robin snickered, bringing her foot up onto the chair and resting her chin on her knee. She seemed to be watching him. “There’s fresh coffee” she waved her hand in Nancy’s direction.

"Thanks" Eddie squeezed past the table, but stopped when he suddenly noticed his touring duffle bag and guitar case leaning up against the coat stand.

Robin's eyes tracked his and she smirked "Gareth dropped it off this morning. He assumed you wouldn't be heading back to New York anytime soon" her voice pitched slightly higher at the end as if she were asking a question.

"Oh uh yeah, I think I'll be hanging around for a while yet" Eddie grinned. He planned on sticking around for quite a while.

Nancy bounced on the spot a little "Oh!" she brought her hands up to clasp under her chin "Oh this is so exciting!" She squealed at Robin while still trying to keep her voice down.

Eddie might have been insulted that there was any doubt on their end but given the circumstances he understood where they were coming from. A warning from both of them not to mess this up or break any hearts.

They were Steve’s only family. They’d been the ones to hold everything together, looked after and kept Steve safe when Eddie couldn’t and he’d always be grateful to them for that and he knew better than to have Nancy Wheeler as an enemy.

"Cool. I'll uh…" he pointed to the coffee pot and scooted past Nancy, grabbing two mugs down from the shelf above. He poured a black coffee for himself and one for Steve, lots of cream and lots of sugar. Easily finding his way around the kitchen as if it were second nature to him and he'd been here for years.

"I'm gonna go wake him" Eddie walked backwards, holding the mugs with a huge grin.

"Tell him pancakes will be ready soon" Nancy smiled over her shoulder and poured the first lot of batter into a sizzling pan.

Eddie nudged the bedroom door shut with his foot. Steve stirred, his hand immediately glided over to Eddie's side of the bed. His side of the bed! Eddie had a side! Steve’s head immediately shot up when he found it empty.

"Right here sweetheart" He chuckled when Steve, bleary-eyed turned to him, his expression changing from slightly panicked to soft.

"You can't scare me like that!" He huffed, sitting up and fluffing the pillows to lean back on.

"I brought you coffee" Eddie held the mug up and padded over to the bed. He climbed up to sit cross legged in front of Steve.

"Lots of cream, lots of sugar?" Steve asked when he took the mug from Eddie, not waiting for a reply before he sipped it and nestled back with a contented sigh.

He then furrowed his brows and patted the space beside him. "What you doing all the way over there?"

"Just looking" Eddie smiled before clambering up the bed to join him. Steve immediately nuzzled into his side, the spot where he rested his coffee warming Eddie's chest.

"What should we do today?" Steve hummed, stretching his legs out with a slight yawn.

"To be honest I'm exhausted" Eddie yawned in return "Kinda want to stay in bed all day"

"Yeah we could do that" Steve brought his head up to graze his lips over Eddie's jaw. Lightly peppering him with soft kisses.

"Stevie" Eddie groaned "Your gonna kill me" he huffed a laugh but didn't pull away, his head flopped onto Steve's, resting his cheek on the top of his hair.

"Mhmm" Steve shook his head, setting the mugs on the bedside table and climbed up to lie on top of him, placing a gentle, sweet kiss on his lips.

"Nancy says pancakes will be ready soon" Eddie breathed when Steve started to kiss down his throat, lightly nibbling his skin.

"Well we'll have to be quick then won't we" Steve chuckled. A heat blossomed between them, Eddie slid his hands up Steve's bare sides while he continued his ministrations on his neck.

Steve grabbed the hem of his sweater, which was now Eddie’s sweater and slipped it off of him, letting it fall to the floor. He kissed along Eddie’s collarbone, his hand gliding across his skin. Eddie’s breath hitched.

Steve moved lower, palming Eddie who was already hard through his sweatpants. He nipped and licked across Eddie’s scars, his chin grazing down the light dusting of dark hair on his stomach. “Stevie” Eddie whined, throwing his head back on the pillows, his stomach tightening and heart thrumming.

Steve hooked his fingers under Eddie’s waistband, tracing over his hip bones. He had just started to pull when Robin came barging in. They immediately froze.

"Oh my god. Not again" She huffed with a roll of her eyes "Nance says pancakes are ready, if you two can keep your hands off each other for five minutes"

"I told you to knock!" Nancy tutted, calling through from the kitchen.

"I didn’t think they could possibly have the energy!" Robin turned back to her, her body language that of a grossed out, petulant teenager.

"Leave them alone! They’re in love!" Nancy tisked over the clamor of plates and cutlery being set out.

"They’re sickening is what they are!" Robin flounced back through to the kitchen but she looked back at them with a grin before she left.

Eddie turned his attention back to Steve “Where were we again? Oh right” he ran his hand through Steve’s hair, gently gripping and pulling him up to kiss him.

Steve only gave him a quick peck and chuckled when Eddie knocked him forward with his knees, fully intending to finish what they started.

“I am kinda hungry” Steve laughed under his breath when Eddie whined at him wanting more.

“I can tell” He tried to rise up and catch Steve’s lips again but Steve coyly dodged out of the way.

“Pancakes do sound pretty good” Steve bit shyly on his bottom lip.

"You're a tease, Stevie" Eddie pouted "A cruel temptress. A wanton fiend!"

"I'll make it up to you" Steve leaned down to give him a peck on the cheek before climbing off of him.

"You better" Eddie grinned and scooped Steve's t-shirt up from the floor to throw at him but made no motion to move from the bed.

“Aren’t you coming?” Steve threw the t-shirt over his head and chucked the yellow sweater back at him.

“I wanted to!” Eddie smirked and melted all over again when Steve’s cheeks blushed that stunning shade of pink. “Just give me a few minutes, yeah?” he gestured to his waist, puffing air out of his lungs as he stared up the ceiling desperately trying to calm down.

Steve slipped out of the door and Eddie waited until he was respectably decent again before following him into the kitchen. Robin had her hands on Steve’s shoulder “Don’t tell him that though. It will go to his head and I’ll never hear the end of it” she smiled.

“Tell me what?” Eddie slumped down at the table, slapping pancakes onto his plate.

“Nothing” Robin climbed into the seat opposite him and screwed her face up cheekily at him.

“Oh she was just rambling about how much she missed you and how glad she is that you’re back and how great it is that you two are together and how happy she is that Steve’s finally happy” Nancy leaned over to place a long kiss on her cheek and popped some pancakes onto her plate.

“I did not! You’re talking nonsense! It's the sleep deprivation! You’ve all gone mad!” Robin protested.

Eddie cackled and piled a mountain of whipped cream onto his pancakes that were already swimming in chocolate sauce. “I missed you guys too” he grinned and kept a hand on Steve’s lower back when he plopped into the seat next to him.

“Aren’t you going to have any fruit?” Steve grimaced at Eddie’s plate.

“We’ve been together less than twenty four hours and you’re already nagging me” Eddie grinned, Steve could nag him. Steve could nag him for the rest of his life and he certainly wouldn’t mind.

“Babe, you can’t survive on sugar and cigarettes! I know what you’re like, you need to eat properly!” Steve started spooning berries onto the last vestige of space left on his plate.

They chatted over pancakes, near choking on them at certain points as they reminisced the last ten years. Telling the stories of Nancy going to college, moving to Indianapolis, Robin and Nancy finally getting together. Eddie told stories of all the antics of their tours. Steve was buckled over, red cheeked and wheezing at his tale of Nelson and his cheese feet.

It was like no time had passed at all. Like just yesterday they were sitting at the top of Weathertop, listening to music and just being happy that they were alive and well to enjoy this moment. Still gazing at each other with dreamy stares and finding any excuse for surreptitious touches.

Later in the afternoon they moved to the living room, sprawled under blankets and a makeshift pillow fort on the floor. Dozing off while a movie hummed in the background. Their stomachs groaning from stuffing their faces on all manner of snacks and candy.

Eddie had his head burrowed in Steve’s chest, their legs tangled together and arms tightly wound around each other. Eddie felt the tell tale twitch under his stomach. He brought his head up and grinned at Steve, feeling the heat radiating from his face and a sweep of pink across his cheeks “I do believe you have some making up to do” Eddie whispered in his ear.

Steve’s eye fluttered open and he gasped when Eddie dropped his head, kissing him with an intense heat. Steve’s hips involuntarily bucked and Eddie mischievously stuck his tongue out when they broke apart, raising his eyebrows in suggestion. Steve kicked him off of him, grabbing him by the hand and almost comically, like a cartoon, tried to sneakily step over Robin and Nancy snoozing on the floor.

He grabbed onto Eddie again when they were in the clear, kissing him with a desperation as he pushed him backwards towards the bedroom. Giggling under their breath when they accidentally knocked into the furniture on the way.

They had just crossed the threshold, about to close the door. Grappling at each other, hands snaking around necks and waists. Lips grazing across heated skin when

“I’d like to remind you that the song was called Quiet Evenings!” Robin’s tired and weary voice shouted through.

Chapter Text

“...Was I nothing to you but the discarded cup left on a park bench…” Steve squeaked, pinching his nose so hard he feared he might break it. Robin’s bright red face blurred in his vision as the tears pooled in the corners of his eyes. She swiped at him “Stop! Stop! I’m going to pee my pants!” she crossed her legs, squeezing them so tightly she almost keeled over.

The sight alone ended him. Steve buckled over, squawking a laugh so loud the poet stopped mid-sentence. The audience turned in their chairs to look at him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” Steve cackled, waving his hands frantically in the air. “It’s uh… nevermind. I’m sorry” One guy, sitting near the back, was eyeing him up and down, looking at him in a certain way.

The poet shuffled on the spot and cleared his throat, returning to dramatically reciting his poem. Steve tried to compose himself but everytime he looked at Robin, he wheezed, clutching at his ribs. “Rob please, I can’t breathe!”

“What the hell was that?!” She wheezed back “You’ve never made that noise before!” she dropped to a squat behind the counter, bracing herself against the floor while her body shook with laughter. The more they tried to stifle their laughs the worse it got. By the time the poetry session ended they had become puddles on the floor, desperately trying to catch their breath and nudging each other. Descending into giggles at the stupidest of noises.

“Excuse me?” A customer peered over the counter at them. Steve dabbed at his eyes and crawled up from the floor “Sorry, yes uhm” he cleared his throat “What can I get for you?” The usual last minute flurry of orders came in. Robin and Steve were whizzing past one another, throwing muffins in bags and hastily filling up to-go cups with coffee.

The queue began to dwindle and the guy that had been checking him out earlier, who had been lingering at the back came up to the counter. He had a flirtatious smirk and eyed Steve up and down. “Americano please. Cool t-shirt by the way, do you like the band?” he smiled, his words so obviously rehearsed.

Steve looked down at the Corroded Coffin logo emblazoned across his chest. “Oh uhm yeah, it’s my boyfriend’s” he flicked at the hem of the t-shirt with a smile and started to fill up another cup with black coffee.

“The band he means” Robin suddenly appeared at his side. Glaring at the unfortunate customer “It’s his boyfriend’s band” she plucked the cup that Steve was trying to hand over and shoved it towards the guy. The smile immediately dropped from the guy’s face and he shuffled away rather awkwardly with drooped shoulders.

“Jesus Christ Rob” Steve snorted and started to box up the remaining cakes and pastries. Adding more than enough chocolate ones for good measure.

“Well I didn’t like how he was looking at you!” She threw her hands up as she walked over to flip the sign on the door.

“Yeah I didn’t either but you don’t have to name drop him every time someone tries to flirt with me” he grinned.

“I didn’t even say his name this time!” Robin hurried through wiping down the tables and sweeping up the floor. They were both eager to get home tonight. “I’m sorry but you're so happy now… I don’t want anything or anyone ruining it for you”

“I appreciate it but you don’t have to worry about that. I can handle it.” Steve started to push her towards the door. “Plus one word to Eddie and he’ll be down here screeching on the tables. Heaven help whoever tries to get in his way” he chuckled, fishing the keys out of his back pocket.

He locked up the shop and they started to amble their way home. The air was warm, the sun had just started to set and the city was bustling with people.

Robin pulled open the apartment building door and they both raced up the stairs. Steve swung open the door, dropping his set of keys into the little dish. Framed album artwork and photographs of all four of them hung on the walls. Steve pushed through the remaining cardboard boxes Eddie still hadn’t unpacked.

His eyes immediately went to the balcony. Eddie was perched up on the short wall, smoking a joint and silhouetted against the orange and pink sky. The sun cast his curls in a warm glow that haloed around his face.

Nancy was sitting on one of the old rickety lawn chairs, sipping on a cold beer and looked thoroughly relaxed. The pair of them giggling amongst themselves. “What’s going on out here then?” Steve and Robin clambered through the window to join them. Instinctively Eddie’s arm shot out towards him and Steve immediately went over to him and nestled into his warm side.

“We’re celebrating!” Nancy held up the half empty bottle beaming at them both.

“Oh yeah?” Robin flopped down in the chair next to her, kicking her shoes off to scrunch her feet in the little contained garden Nancy had painstakingly grown on the fire escape.

“Yup” Nancy smiled, her words slightly slurred “Because I” she pointed to her chest proudly “Got to fire the frat boy butthead today!” she squealed excitedly.

“Aww babe that’s great” Robin smiled, cracking open a few bottles of beer for her and Steve. They clinked their bottles together and Nancy leaned back on the chair giggling.

“And what about you?” Steve smiled up at Eddie, even though he knew exactly what Eddie was going to say.

“Yup” Eddie smiled back “All taken care of, the studio is ours” his voice wasn’t as elated as Nancy’s and he didn’t have his usual hyper energy when he was excited about something.

Eddie had had his eye on a new studio space in the city, he had sold his apartment in New York and the money meant that they could have a better and bigger space here. The rest of the band were fine with it, the recording studio being in Indianapolis made the most sense for everyone. A lot of the band members' families still lived in Hawkins or the surrounding area and it felt right to stick to their roots and give younger local bands, who were often overlooked and treated as outcasts, the opportunity for their first big break.

“You don’t seem all that excited” Steve smoothed his hand down Eddie’s side, noticing the burnt out end of another joint in the ashtray.

“I am” Eddie took another long drag of his joint “but all that paperwork bureaucratic shit makes my head hurt” Eddie let out a self deprecating laugh and blew another plume of smoke into the air.

“Uh huh” Steve smiled and reached behind him to reveal the box of leftover cakes he’d hidden as a surprise. Eddie’s eyes lit up and he jumped down from the wall.

“Are there chocolate ones?” He ripped open the box. More excited about doughnuts than his recent successful business dealings.

“Of course” Steve smirked. Eddie didn’t hesitate, he grabbed a chocolate doughnut and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth.

Eddie groaned at the taste “Did I ever tell you I love you” He smiled with a dollop of chocolate topping on the tip of his nose and doing the little jig he did when he was exceedingly happy.

“Yeah, you did” Steve reached over to swipe the chocolate from his nose and licked it off his finger with a smile. He’d never tire of hearing it and he’d never tire of saying it back to Eddie.

“We could go out for dinner to celebrate?” Robin looked around at the group, all of them furrowing their brows at her “Okay so I’m guessing I’m ordering the pizza then” she huffed and started to get up from the chair.

“Oh I already did” Eddie’s cheeks were almost bursting with the sheer amount of cake he’d shoveled into his mouth. “I got extra anchovies, hope that’s okay”

“Absolutely not!” Robin shrieked “What the hell is wrong with you Munson! Why would you do that! Why?! It’s gross! It’s disgusting! It's- It’s-”

Nancy let out a hysterical laugh from behind her and Eddie spat half the doughnut out, almost choking from the chuckle erupting from him. “I’m messing with you Buckley” he grinned and winked at Nancy.

“You two are the work of the devil” Robin whirled around eyeing both of them but her face soon broke out in a smile.

“Oh that reminds me” Nancy shifted up on the chair “My mom is having a sort of reunion thingy, she’s invited you guys. It’s totally casual, just the old gang back together. Wayne is more than welcome too”

“Back in Hawkins?” Eddie questioned, wringing his hands together. Obviously feeling uneasy about returning to the town that hunted him down and chased him out.

“Yeah, uhm it’s totally understandable if you don’t want to but she wanted to make sure I asked. You know she’s cool with everything right?” Nancy tried to reassure him.

“Everyone’s really desperate to see you, Dustin especially… and I can vouch for Mrs. Wheeler, she’s totally fine with everything” Robin nodded her head towards Steve and Eddie.

“Okay Robbie, you have got to start calling her Karen or your honorary daughter in law privileges will be rescinded” Nancy chuckled, climbing off the chair to retrieve the pizza that had just been delivered, pulling Robin back through the window with her.

Steve made sure they were out of ear shot before he turned to Eddie, wrapping his arms around him and giving him a quick kiss on the nose “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” Steve wanted to go, to see the kids, Hop and Joyce again. He tried not to let it show on his face because he knew Eddie would do it just for him and he didn’t want to put him in that position if the idea made him uncomfortable.

Eddie held him tighter, humming and hawing, pondering his answer “Okay, yeah. We should go. It would be nice to see everyone and show the town they didn’t beat me. The notorious Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson rocking up with King Steve on his arm would be pretty funny” he grinned “But one snarky comment from that little butthead and I’m dunking him in the lake”

“He’s not so little anymore but I’ll help you. One cocky comment and his ass is grass.” Steve brought his hands up to Eddie’s face to pull him in for a long kiss “We’ll take your van and pick up Wayne and Biscuit on the way”

“So?” Nancy clambered back through the window holding the pizza boxes while Robin grabbed some ice to refill the thawing drinks cooler outside.

“Yeah” Steve smiled “Let your mom know we’ll be there” he softly patted Eddie’s chest.

“Oh good! It will be so fun! I’ve got five bucks on Mike having an aneurysm when he finds out his hero is dating lame-o Steve Harrington.” Nancy beamed.

They ate pizza and drank beers, laughing and chatting amongst themselves until the sun dipped behind the buildings and darkened the sky. Eddie was sitting up on the wall again, shoving a slice of pizza into his mouth when his brows furrowed.

“Hey, did you guys know there’s a bunch of CDs on the roof of the building opposite?” He turned and hopped down to melt into Steve’s chest who was lounging back on a blanket on the ground.

“Huh weird” Nancy looked shifty and a mischievous smile spread across her cheeks. The chair she and Robin were sitting on began to shake as the two of them descended into giggles, their legs kicking into the fabric of the other they had perched their feet on. Steve couldn’t help laughing either, the three of them bursting into hysterical laughs and making noises only people in the know would find funny or understand.

“What? What’s so funny?” Eddie brought his head up. His eyes darted between them and his expression became more annoyed that he didn’t understand what was going on.

“Nothing, baby” Steve smoothed Eddie’s bangs back from his forehead and snorted another laugh when he caught Robin’s eye. Eddie grumbled something about forgetting how annoying they could be and slumped his head back into his chest.

This was how it was supposed to be. Just the four of them, back together again, laughing, happy and content in each other's company, enjoying a warm summer evening like they used to back in Hawkins. For the first time in ten years Steve wasn’t homesick. Eddie had come home. If he closed his eyes he could almost feel the grass under him and the scent of the wildflowers.