@eddiemonth Day 23: Mixtape, Earnest
Word Count: 706
Rating: T | cw: Steve has a migraine
Eddie frowns as Steve's brows knit together as he stands behind the counter at Family Video, presiding over the very dead Thursday afternoon shift. Admittedly, he is waving a mixtape in Steve's face - or at least as close as he can get on the mere peasant's side of the counter.
He dares not get any closer because Keith is lingering somewhere in the store, ready to pop out and threaten him with reinstating a years-past ban.
He jumps as Steve snatches away the cassette tape, likely annoyed enough now to steadfastly put a stop to his taunting, and flips it over to examine the paper insert.
"It's blank," he says, holding it up as if Eddie doesn't know that and somehow, his frown deepens.
"I know," Eddie can't help but beam, puffing his chest out proudly.
"But... the tape isn't blank?" Steve continues, eyes darting about as he gets lost in thought.
"Nope!" he smiles and rocks on his heels, "Just keep it safe for when you need it."
Steve's eyes widen as he slowly places it in his vest pocket.
"Wait," he pauses and leans forward, elbows on the dusty counter as he lowers his voice, "It isn't a sex thing, is it?"
Eddie mirrors his stance – any closer and he'd be kissing his boyfriend in full view of sweaty mouth-breather Keith.
"You want a sex thing?" he stage-whispers, smirking, "On tape?"
"No!" Steve defends, voice small as he bolts upright.
Before he can retreat any further, Eddie takes a swipe, only just managing to reach and playfully pat Steve on the chest, right over his breast pocket.
It isn't even a week later when Eddie arrives at Steve's house to find him curled up on the couch with the tell-tale signs he is recovering from a migraine. He has a blanket pulled up to his neck, his bare feet sticking out the bottom. His clothes are scattered about, Family Video vest haphazardly tossed on the sprawling coffee table.
But, judging by the lack of snoring that typically reaches a chainsaw level of decibels, Steve isn't asleep despite his closed eyes and furrowed brow.
As Eddie creeps closer, stepping as lightly as possible in his work boots (that he probably should have shucked off at the door to save Mrs Harrington's pristine tiles), he spots Steve's headphones nestled in amongst a mop of messy hair.
He lowers onto the edge of the couch as best he can, taking a chance and simply estimating wherever the hell Steve's legs might be (or, hopefully not) under his blanket cocoon.
Steve's frown wavers, his eyes fluttering open as he lets out a small gasp.
"Hey!" he croaks, a little too loud for the quiet solitude of the house.
He fumbles around to slide one of the earpieces off, tangling it further into his hair. He grumbles and vaguely wiggles his fingers in a halfhearted hand wave.
"You made a mixtape of classical music," he smiles, eyes closing again as his head sinks impossibly further into the bed pillow he permanently keeps in the living room for such occasions, "S'nice."
"Nice and calm," Eddie adds, no longer able to resist the urge to reach forward and push back the front of Steve's hair.
"Dustin laughed at me when I said I liked Amadeus."
Steve squirms around, freeing the hand that's gripping his cassette player for dear life from the confines of the blanket. He holds it to his chest and sighs.
"Yes, I remember," Eddie replies, momentarily glaring at the nearest cushion, envisioning that smartass little dweeb's face within its swirling mixture of geometric shapes and brown blobs.
He settles for resting his hand on Steve's, foregoing his wish that the non-Dustin blob cushion would spontaneously combust.
"Want us to listen to it on the stereo while we make dinner," Steve hums, lacing their fingers together.
Yeah sure, Eddie made the mixtape partly to make up for the roaring laughter that came with Steve admitting he'd enjoyed the film about an envious Salieri despite being dragged to see it years back with Nancy.
But he was also determined to help Steve in earnest with his ever-frequent migraines – even if he still does owe him some sort of sex-based cassette.
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