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italiansteebie · 1 year

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Find The Silver Lining

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Somethings wrong with Steve Harrington.

He’s been looking at Eddie. And not in the snooty “I’m better than you” way, but more of a longing way.

That’s not really an issue, but the fact that Eddie is looking back at him in the same way, is. Look, Gareth knows his best friend is gay, Eddie wasn’t exactly secretive when it comes to people he’s comfortable with, but Steve Harrington? That’s where Gareth takes issue.

He knows something big happened over spring break, something that landed Eddie in the hospital big. But he doesn’t know how Steve of all people fits into the whole thing. In fact, Gareth was more than shocked to see Steve sitting by Eddie’s hospital bed, rather than Wayne, or even Dustin. Gareth thinks about that day sometimes, thinks about the bags under Steve’s eyes and the blood stained shirt he was wearing. Did he even go home? Gareth doesn’t think so, because other than his appearance, he was flinching at every noise, and pretty insistent that he had to stay with Eddie and make sure he was safe. Safe from what, Gareth doesn’t know.

If he had to guess, Steve was there when whatever happened, happened, and he didn’t make it out unscathed either, he could see the matching scars peering out from under Harrington’s shirt when it lifted. The guy seemed to be pretty self conscious about them too, because whenever he noticed his shirt riding up, he pulled it down in a flash.

Gareth, personally, finds this interesting, because he’s heard Steve reassuring Eddie about his own scars, to the point where Eddie practically flaunts them now. He’s beginning to wonder where Steve’s support is in all of this.

He’s been hanging around a lot more recently, even offered up his house for their DnD sessions, and he hovers around the twerps all the time. They don’t even seem to mind, and maybe it’s because they were involved in whatever went down over spring break. Gareth highly doubts that it was just an earthquake. Ash doesn’t just rain from the sky, okay? He knows something bigger is going on, he just doesn’t know what, but it seems that Eddie and Steve and their gaggle of children do.

Long story short, the longing looks aren’t slowing down anytime soon, and Gareth needs Steve to know that he can’t hurt his best friend, he won’t let it happen.

So over the course of a few weeks, Gareth really gets to know Steve, what are his motives? Why does he always seem to be there? He knows finding out what really happened is a long shot, he’d overheard Steve and the Buckley girl whispering about NDA’s in the hospital, but he wants to know why Steve seems to be hanging on to Eddie’s every word.

So they get close, and Gareth finds that, Steve? He’s not such a bad guy, in fact, he’s really cool. He follows the twerps around like he’s their brother, driving them and acting all exasperated and annoyed whenever they ask for a favor, but does it anyways with a smile on his face. And the guy can cook. He’s made them food a few times for their campaigns and, holy shit. That was something he was NOT expecting from Harrington. When he worked up the nerve to ask Steve about it, he got a pitiful sigh and a “Well, parents wouldn’t feed me, so I had to feed myself. I want it to taste good, y’know?” And no, Gareth does not know. In fact, he thinks his mother would have a heart attack if she saw him cooking by himself in the kitchen, but he smiles and nods anyways, giving Steve a gentle pat on the back.

Him and Steve become established friends and that’s when he realizes that he hasn’t talked to Eddie about any of this. Of course they’ve talked, just. Not about Steve. It’s mostly about the campaign or when they can get back to rehearsing for their gigs at the Hideout. In his efforts to be Steve’s friend, he’d found that Steve really does like Eddie. Pure infatuation, almost, and now Gareth is kind of worried that he needs to talk to Eddie about hurting Steve instead of the other way around. He knows how his friend can be, he’s a flirt, he likes to make people comfortable with flattery. Gareth wants to make sure Eddie isn’t leading Steve on. He loves his friend, but he can be a bit manipulative, kind words, and gentle smiles can go a long way, and well… They needed a new place to host Hell Fire.

Gareth doesn’t think Eddie’d do that, but. The guy’s a good actor.

So before their next campaign, Gareth talks to Eddie while Steve is up stairs, fussing about in the kitchen. “So… Steve.” Eddie eyes him, “Yeahhhh? What about him?”

“Well, he’s… I dunno. Kinda cute, right?”

Eddie’s eyes widen in a way that’s almost comical, “Oh My God, Gareth Bareth, do you have a crush on Steve? I thought you were straight. Steve is a good first gay crush though, I mean, the hair, his eyes, his smile, the way that one pair of jeans just… Hugs his ass, damn. But anyways. Gary!” And that was all Gareth needed.

“No, dummy, not for me. I am straight. But for YOU!”

Eddie blushes, “Nah, man. Steve's straight and even if he wasn’t… He wouldn’t be into me.” Now Gareth knows the dangers of outing people, but it’s his best friend, his GAY best friend, so… He gives a few hints to move the process along. “We’ve actually gotten pretty close, and… Let's just say I wouldn’t count him out.” Now, Gareth doesn’t know if it's shock, or love, or what, but Eddie just kind of… Freezes. And he stays that way until Steve comes down stairs. “Hey guys- Eddie?” Steve turns to Gareth, “What happened?” There’s a worried glint in his eyes. “I don't really know, we were talking, and he just kind of… Froze.”

Steve begins pacing, “Okay, okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Calm down, we’ve done it before we can do it again, it’s okay.” Steve’s practically hyperventilating at this point and if Gareth didn’t know any better, he’d say it was a panic attack. “Steve? Buddy? Why don’t you sit down?”

Steve’s hands are shaking as he runs them through his hair, Gareth can see tears forming, “Steve?”

“I- I need, uhm. His favorite song, what’s. Eddie’s-”

And Eddie chooses that moment to snap out of whatever trance he was in, “Stevie?”

Steve’s head whips around, “Eddie! I thought, you- You were just standing there and I got scared and- I- I can’t do it again, I can't. I can't, I can’t, I can’t,” Gareth is worried, if Steve doesn’t take a breath he’s for sure going to pass out.

“Is there anything I can do?” He asks unsurely, Eddie shakes his head, “We’ve just gotta ride it out, oh. Um, help me get him to the couch actually,”

They maneuvered themselves over to the couch, lowering Steve down slowly, Eddie sinking down beside him. “Try to match my breathing, okay, Stevie?” Gareth watches, slightly in awe as Eddie grabs Steve’s hand, placing it over his own chest. “I’m here, right here. I’m not going anywhere, it’s over. Okay? We got out, you saved me, Stevie. I’m not leavin’” And soon enough, Steve’s breathing returns to normal, save for a few sobs and sniffles. “Sorry,” He whispered, voice coming out cracked and raw. Gareth scoffs, “I know you did not just apologize for having a panic attack. C’mon Steve, remember what we talked about? Our feelings are our feelings.” Gareth reassured, Eddie nodding in agreement.

Steve laughed and wiped his eyes, “Thanks guys, Thank you, Eds.”

“You’re welcome, baby. You’ve done this so many times for me, the least I can do is help you too.” Eddie places a soft kiss on Steve’s lips, and Gareth just about shits his pants. He completely ruins the tender moment between them. “What the fuck?”

Eddie smiles sheepishly, “Sorry Garebear. We wanted to tell you sooner, we were actually going to tell you tonight after the campaign but I realized you were trying to set us up and just froze and started thinking that we were being too obvious. Neither of us are really ready to come out to everyone, just. You and Robin, really.” Steve nodded, “Wait, that’s why you froze? Eddie. I almost had a heart attack. We’ve talked about this, if you’re going to think, you need to move so I know you’re alive.”

Now, that doesn’t make ANY sense to Gareth, but the longing looks, and lingering touches really do. And maybe it should’ve clicked sooner, because Eddie never leaves at the same time they do after campaigns always stays to “help clean up.” Oh my god. Gareth is an idiot. “I’m an idiot.”

“What? No you’re not.”

“I should've seen it sooner! Look, to everyone, you guys aren’t obvious but I know you, Eddie.”

Eddie smiles, “It’s alright. You weren’t supposed to catch it Gare, that was the whole point. If you had, we weren't being careful enough.” Gareth ponders this, he’s right, he tends to be, anyways. “Well. Either way, I’m… I’m happy for you guys, I didn’t give you enough credit to get yourselves together, but, it’s better that you did.”

And since the night was going in the direction of secrets, after the campaign, Gareth stayed behind with Eddie, and learned about the events of spring break. He can see why it had brought them all together the way it did, and he can see why Steve had panicked earlier that night. He doesn't know if he likes being in the know or not, he almost liked the mystery more, but, now… Now he has the chance to help. Maybe he can help save one of them too, the way they save each other.

Despite the tragic happenings, Gareth can’t but be grateful for the outcome, a tight knit family, and a new friend. Maybe that’s what everyone means by finding the silver lining.

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