3 Times Eddie has a Secret + 1 Time Steve Does
I.
Erica Sinclair wants to throw a Valentine's Day party, and woe betide anyone coming between Erica and an idea. Eddie's happy to show up, spend some time with the kids, Robin, and Steve (though he's with the latter pair all the time), and mostly doesn't think much about it. That is until, two weeks out, Max shows up at his trailer with that look on her face, and he knows he's in for it, though he's not sure why.
He gives her a little bow. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Max?"
"You're going to Erica's party, Munson." Her hands go to her hips and her brow pinches. It's such a Steve Harrington pose it knocks something loose in Eddie's chest. "And you aren't going to say one word about conformists and sheep."
He rolls his eyes, sighs hard. "I'm surprised at you, Mayfield. Didn't have you pegged as a candy hearts type of gal."
"It's for Erica." The tip of her sneaker scuffs at the earth. "And Lucas likes it."
Eddie bites his lip to stifle his smile. They're so fucking cute.
"I suppose I can put in an appearance."
"And be on your best behavior?"
"Scout's Honor."
"You weren't a scout," she grumbles.
"Nope. But still. I'll do it for Little Sinclair."
It shouldn't bother him, the assumption that he'd be a shit about Valentine's Day. He's worked really hard to cultivate an image and it doesn't exactly scream "Be Mine." And yes, yeah, sure, the Munson Doctrine doesn't go in for the holiday, and his cynical heart blah-blah-blah. It's just that. Well, he sort of enjoys the love part.
And later that night, in the safety of his dark bedroom, he acknowledges that he wouldn't mind having a date on Valentine's Day. It would be--well, it would be nice to have someone buy him flowers or chocolates, or even--ugh--a gross, sappy, sentimental card. He wants to have reservations at Enzo's, wants to go see a terrible romcom after, wants to go home and fall into bed with the person he loves. And it isn't metal, or even very cool, but he wants to be showered with affection, celebrated, fucking loved.
He wants so much his entire body aches with it.
II.
Eddie's at Family Video, rifling through the candy that he knows Steve just reorganized.
"What are you looking for, Munson?" Robin asks. She's half-engrossed in the paperwork in front of her.
Eddie's half listening, watching Steve re-shelve New Releases. He's focused on the VHSs in his arms, so Eddie has ample opportunity to admire the bunch and stretch of his shoulder muscles as he reaches to the top of the wall.
"I don't know," he nibbles on his lip. "Something that's not so," he wiggles his hand through the air.
"Romantic?" She guesses.
"No," he shakes his head. "I mean--"
"You mean?" She's focused on him now, must have caught him watching Steve, and he hopes she doesn't make it a big deal.
"Something," he says. "Um. Just something different."
And what he means is a movie for a guy like him where love doesn't have to be a distant dream. Where he can have feelings for someone and it isn't potentially dangerous.
So, he smiles and shrugs. Grabs the tape closest to his hand. "Guess I'll just take this."
"Well, this is definitely different, Eddie," she says. She narrows her eyes at him, like he's a new language she's learning, but he scampers out before she can say anything.
The movie he grabbed without looking is Cocoon and he can't even pretend interest, so he's not exactly disappointed when someone knocks at his door a few hours later. He's expecting Max, maybe Steve, but startles a little at Robin. She pushes past him and into the trailer.
"Good to see you too, Buckley."
She ignores him. "I have something to tell you. You and Steve are the only people who know."
"Okay?" His eyes are so wide it kind of hurts.
She takes a deep breath. "I'm gay."
"What?" He shrieks, doesn't know why. He's always kind of known.
Robin responds by swatting at him, and they bat at one another with the tips of their fingers.
"Nancy?" He asks once they calm down.
"Shut-up," Robin flushes a dark red.
"It's the guns right?"
It's her turn to shriek, and she gets a solid punch in on his shoulder. They wrestle around, until Eddie pulls away, pushing his hair off his sweaty forehead.
"I'm--" he's never said the words to another person. Uncle Wayne just sort of knew and you don't really have to talk at any of the bars he goes to in Indy. "I'm gay too," he tells Robin.
She beams at him. "Cool."
"Cool." He fiddles with his rings. "Harrington knows about you?"
"He was the first person I told."
"You aren't going to tell him about me?"
She leans her head on his shoulder. "Of course not. But he'd be okay, if you wanted to tell him."
He can't help but scoff. "It's different for lesbians, Buckley. Straight guys can be into that."
She scoffs right back. "Steve isn't like that and you know it."
She's right. He does. But the fear runs deep. Especially especially because it's Steve. And Eddie couldn't handle any of things that might happen if Robin is wrong.
"Thanks, Bucks," he says. He leans his head against hers, hugs her close.
III.
Erica's party is happening at Steve's and Eddie shows up at the appointed time, with the appointed cupcakes (baked from a box, frosted from a can).
The kids are shouting in the living room, but his eyes automatically find Steve in the kitchen. He has a a towel draped over his shoulder, hair disheveled, and is mixing Tropical Punch and Sprite into a serving bowl.
"How'd you end up hosting?" Eddie asks.
Steve smiles, a bashful little thing. "Erica called me this morning and yelled until I agreed."
"Pushover," Eddie teases.
"Oh, and you just made those cupcakes for fun, Munson?"
"Shut-up, Harrington." Eddie knocks their shoulders together. "They're ugly as shit. Didn't know there was an art to frosting cupcakes."
"I think I can help. You mind?"
Steve grabs some plastic spatula looking thing, gets to work with a focused determination that has him biting at his lip. Heat kicks in Eddie's blood, makes it so he can't watch. Instead, he slides a finger into the icing.
"Hey! What--? Munson!" Steve yells, as Eddie brushes the pink frosting onto Steve's cheekbone.
"Got ya!" He dances out of reach.
They bob and weave and dodge through the kitchen, laughing and yelling, until Steve has Eddie pressed against the cabinets, no escape. They're close, breathing hard and pink-faced. He can't help glancing down at the plush softness of Steve's mouth, can't help noticing Steve's eyes track the movement. Time pauses, stutters, and the distance between them closes.
"Steve!" Dustin shouts. "What's taking so long?"
The tension breaks and Eddie escapes into the living room, desperate to convince himself it wasn't a moment, that Steve isn't interested. Wishes his heart was a little more cynical, after all.
The party is fun. There are games and snacks and crafts. He gets roped into playing Mystery Date and tries and fails to not notice Steve bent over, playing Twister, left hand on red, right hand on green.
When they start doing crafts, Steve is hard at work on a Valentine.
"What you making, Stevie?" Eddie asks. He cranes his neck to see.
"Back off, Munson."
"Got someone you've been admiring, big boy?"
Steve goes pink and Eddie can't tell if it's the nickname or his question.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
And since Eddie really, really would, he jumps towards Steve, trying to sneak a peek. Steve laughs, hard and kind of surprised, before hunching over the card.
"None of your business, Eddie." But Steve is flushed and smiling.
Eddie pouts. "You know how much I love knowing things."
Steve looks at him. Like, looks at him, and Eddie goes warm all over.
"Maybe if you're a good boy today, you'll get to know later, yeah?"
Good boy does things. It makes Eddie's heart stop, his breathing slow, re-routes all the blood in his body south. He can only gasp and nod, sure his eyes are weirdly glazed.
Good boy. He's not sure if he hears another word spoken to him for the rest of the day.
IV.
The party draws to a close. For once in their lives, the actual parents are driving their kids around and Robin hitches a ride with the Hopper-Byers, leaving Eddie and Steve on clean-up.
"Wanna stick around, Munson? Watch a movie? Think I have a joint leftover from last week."
"Course, Stevie, how could I say no to such a generous offer."
"I think you're making fun of me, but I don't understand why."
Eddie laughs. "Totally genuine, sweetheart. Cross my heart." Steve smiles at that, his eyes turning the color of honey.
Eddie is so, so fucked.
They get situated on the couch and Steve says, "Have you been good today?"
"Huh?" Eddie can't breathe.
"I said you could see what I was making if you were good today. Were you?"
Eddie can't speak, can't think, can't move. His brain is throbbing. This has to be a dream. No way Steve is actually asking that.
But Steve is looking at him and somehow he has the presence of mind to fucking nod, and then Steve is handing him a red construction paper heart and a rose with petals so purple they're almost black.
He's hallucinating. That's what this is. He got some laced weed and now his wildest fantasy is playing out in his head.
The Valentine has a white lace doily thing glued to it and it says, in glitter:
"Roses are red,
Violets are Blue;
Eddie Munson,
I really like you"
His eyes fall on Steve. He perceives him, the way a pink flush sits high on his cheekbones, the shine in his eyes, the tremble in his hands.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Eddie isn't hallucinating. He's not dreaming. He's--
"Steve," he sounds a wreck.
"It's--Eddie, it's okay if you don't like me back. I just--I've liked you for a while and Robin thought I should tell you, and--"
"Steve," he says again, stands this time. "Can I kiss you?" It's a miracle he gets the words out.
"God, yes, please," Steve nearly whines.
Eddie pulls him in close, slotting their mouths together. Steve tastes like Tropical Punch and frosting and he makes a little noise as Eddie nips at his lip.
And that's it, that's all it takes. Eddie is gone, ruined, Valentine's celebrator until the end of time, lost forever to Steve-goddamn-Harrington.
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