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depressed-freak13 · 5 days ago

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Pick Up Duty

Also on AO3 [here] Steve's peaceful, quiet night in is interrupted by six drunk teens in need of Steve's babysitting services. Chauffeuring them around in the early hours of the morning brings Steve to some long overdue realisations about himself and his very close friendship with Eddie Munson.

Steve regrets adopting so many children the moment they turn 18 and start going to parties.

They don’t really need him in a hands-on way that often anymore, which is something he sometimes feels sad about, but they still regularly call on him for advice so it’s not like he doesn’t get to see or talk to them. Also, after everything they’ve been through, Steve already feels like an old man in his early twenties, so maybe it’s for the best that he doesn’t need to go chasing around town after all six of them anymore.

Eddie sometimes calls Steve ‘Gramps’ just to be a dick. He knows he should probably start reminding himself he’s still young and still has a world of opportunities in front of him, but he’s been in a bit of a slump over the past few years, he just feels so tired all the time. There are no monsters to fight anymore and no more traumatic hell dimension related shenanigans, but he still feels like he’s waiting for something bad to happen every day, like there’s something stopping him from being able to feel entirely safe.

Sometimes he feels like he’s living on the run, which is ridiculous because he’s never had a more stable home than the slightly cramped but affordable apartment he now shares with Robin and Eddie. There’s just something though, something just beyond Steve’s grasp that means whenever he’s anywhere outside of their humble living quarters, he feels unsettled and like he doesn’t quite fit in the way he used to. It’s like he’s a square peg trying to fit in a round hole or some other weird metaphor along those lines.

Steve simply feels lost, like he’s drifting listless through life and has no idea who he is or what he wants anymore. It sits heavy on his shoulders, dragging him down. Carrying that feeling with him everywhere he goes is exhausting.

Okay, so maybe it’s a lot of a slump.

He’s relaxing in their living room, his feet kicked up on the coffee table in a fashion that would give his parents an aneurism if they could see him, especially since he has the aforementioned ‘Devil worshiper’ of Hawkins’ head in his lap. His fingers brush though Eddie’s hair lazily. A movie’s playing on the TV, but neither of them are watching it. Eddie has his eyes closed and this gentle, content look on his face that has Steve mesmerized.

Moments like this are the only time he feels like himself.

Eddie’s hair has been so soft since Steve started giving him haircare tips, and it always smells nice because they share hair products now. Steve’s thankful that their friendship has evolved to one where casual touches and clinginess are no big deal because it’s just so soothing to run his fingers over Eddie’s scalp and through the lengths.

Sometimes he can’t believe Eddie lets his guard down enough to let him to do this. If he’d told younger Eddie they were going to be this close one day, he would have been laughed out of town like he’d deserved at the time. Then again, Steve’s younger self would probably have some choice words if someone told him he was going to risk his life to save Eddie one day. He wouldn’t have believed in a million years that Eddie would become one of the people Steve first thinks of as a shelter in the storm when he needs comfort or someone to talk to.

Although it now shames him to admit it, he probably would have punched someone if they had told him that one day he would look at Eddie Munson, the guy who gave speeches on the cafeteria tables and sold drugs out of a lunch box, and wish it was just a normal, acceptable thing to kiss your friends on the mouth. Sometimes Steve thinks that life would be so much easier if they were both gay or something because then they could date each other instead of being hopelessly single. It’s a thought that catches him by surprise every single time.

Right now though, sitting on the couch with Eddie’s head on his lap, Steve feels like he’s finally coming up for air after being trapped under water. Steve’s not at all bothered about finding a woman to share his life with during moments like these. If a close, affectionate friendship with Eddie is all Steve ever has in the way of companionship, that’s more than enough.

The phone rings, bursting their little bubble of peace.

Eddie’s face draws into a frown, and he lets out a small, discontented groan, turning his head to the side and pressing his ear into Steve’s thigh like he’s trying to make the noise go away. Steve sighs, instantly frustrated that someone has decided to ruin their rare moment of peace. He hates that Eddie’s no longer comfortable and relaxed, his fingers itch to smooth out the creases where his eyebrows have drawn together.

“It’s 1am,” Eddie mumbles, annoyed. “Who the fuck is calling this late?”

“I don’t know,” Steve replies, he brushes a lock of hair behind Eddie’s ear. “Let’s just ignore it. They’ll give up eventually.”

Eddie tries to relax his muscles again. “Hmmm, good idea,” he agrees sleepily. “Don’t wanna move, too comfy.” The corner of his mouth ticks upward in a smile. “Your thigh’s so soft and warm. It’s like a pillow, Steve.”

Steve feels his face burn and his stomach swoop like he’s leaning over the precipice of the world’s tallest skyscraper, but he doesn’t comment. Instead, he focuses on trying his best to block out the piercing ring of their house phone and ease Eddie back into his previous state of tranquility.

The phone rings for what feels like hours but eventually falls silent. They both let out a sigh of relief.

It starts up again less than a minute later.

Eddie’s fully unsettled now. “Ugh! Really?” he exclaims dramatically, slapping a hand to his face hard enough to make Steve concerned about the possibility of his multitude of rings taking an eye out. Steve likes Eddie’s eyes, it would be a damn shame if anything happened to them.

“Shhhhh,” Steve soothes Eddie, knowing he’s had a stressful day at work and had complained about a headache earlier. “It’s ok, I’ll go,” he whispers.

“Nooo, that’s what I was afraid of,” Eddie whines dramatically. “Don’t go. I don’t want you to move.”

Steve let’s out an amused huff, easing Eddie up gently so he can slide out from under him without disturbing him too much.

“I’ll be right back,” he says.

“Promise,” Eddie mutters, using his doe eyes and pout to his full advantage.

Steve almost says fuck answering the phone, but whoever it was seemed insistent. He tried not to let his mind wander to the idea that one of their friends might be in danger. No, it was best if he answered.

“I promise, drama queen,” Steve replies with a cheeky smile, ruffling Eddie’s hair before he walks away.

The second Steve picks up the receiver, he already knows who’s calling. The giggles and shushing are a dead giveaway.

“Hello?” He says, in spite of his better judgement telling him to hang up before it’s too late.

“HEEEEEEEYYY STEEEEVE,” Dustin's voice drawls. The sheer volume and slight slur to his speech immediately expose that he is fully trashed.

“Hey, Henderson,” Steve sighs, a hand automatically going to his hip as he feels his dormant, but eternal babysitter instincts kick in. “How much have you had to drink man?”

Steve sees Eddie sit up and lean over the back of the couch in his peripheral vision.

“GUYS! IT’S STEVE,” Dustin shouts to get the attention of someone on the other end of the call. His voice is so loud Steve wrenches the receiver away from his ear with a wince. “I TOLD YOU HE WOULD ANSWER. HE’S THE BEST.”

“Volume, Henderson,” Steve chastises.

“Oh, sorry Steeve,” Dustin replies, sounding guilty. “Sooo watcha been up to? Do ya miss us? Oh! Guess what, I finally beat Mike in a drinking contest. Almost threw up but it was wooorth iiiit,” he singsongs.

“Is there a reason why you’re calling me drunk off your ass at one in the morning?” Steve asks. “Or did you just phone to ask if I miss you?”

Dustin takes a breath to answer but seems to get distracted by a suspicious noise in the background. “Oh shit! Mike is actually throwing up in a trash can now. Oh, but it’s ok because Will’s holding his hair and rubbing his back. That man is a saint.” Then, because these kids just cannot give Steve a break, he adds, “Also, Lucas lost a shoe, we have no idea where it went, but this was his most expensive pair apparently. His mom’s gonna be so piiiiiissed.”

There go another two years from Steve’s life span.

“Dustin could you please just put someone who’s a little more sober on the phone?” Steve requests, his blood pressure rising.

“Fine.” Steve can almost hear Dustin’s eyes rolling. There’s some shuffling on the other side of the phone.

A hand catches Steve’s wrist and wraps around it. Steve looks down to meet Eddie’s curious gaze. ‘Everything okay?’ Eddie mouths, his thumb lightly stroking Steve’s skin.

‘Yeah,’ Steve responds, offering a reassuring smile.

“Hi Steve, I am not as drunk as the others,” Eleven’s voice says cheerfully.

“We did an experiment to see if anything happens to El’s powers when she drinks alcohol and it turns out El can drink like a machine,” Dustin says proudly, his voice further away. “It’s like it barely even phases her. She drank us all under the table.”

“Yes bitch! That’s my best friend!” Max pipes up proudly in the background, the clap of a high five following.

Steve finds himself fighting off a smile despite his frustration. They’re hopelessly endearing. He loves them very much, even if they do still test his patience and his nerves on an almost daily basis.

“That’s great, El, really cool,” he says. “Do you know what Dustin wanted by any chance?”

“Oh, yes,” El replies helpfully. “He was going to ask if you could pick us up and drive us home.”

“We walked as far as Family Video, but then Lucas started complaining like a baby that his foot was hurting because he lost his shoe,” Max chimes in, most likely leaning on Eleven’s shoulder judging by how close her voice sounds.

“Hey! You try walking barefoot on the cold ground when it’s too dark to see any stones lying around,” Lucas protests.

“You aren’t barefoot, idiot. You’re wearing a sock.”

“It has holes in it so it’s basically the same thing.”

“Whatever.”

Steve’s about to stop them, but Lucas says something that makes Steve’s blood run cold.

“What about you? Your leg is still bleeding from where you tripped on the curb and fell into the road and I’m pretty sure your ankle’s twisted the way you’re limping.”

“Wait, what does he mean you fell into the road, Max? Are you hurt?” Steve asks, his grip tightening on the phone.

He feels Eddie squeeze his wrist. It grounds him just enough for his thoughts not to spiral.

“Relax, mom,” Max huffs. “I’m fine. Lucas is overexaggerating. I’ve had worse injuries falling off my skateboard.”

“Okay, I need all of you to stay put and not get yourselves into any more trouble.” Steve instructs. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Thank you, Steve,” El responds politely.

“You’re welcome, El. Tell Dustin he owes me. Big time.” Steve slams the phone back on the receiver and exhales a heavy sigh.

Eddie’s still holding onto his wrist, gently. “Want me to come with you?” he offers. “Keep them in line?”

“No, it’s ok,” Steve responds, offering him a grateful smile. “I got this. Go get some rest.”

Eddie looks like he’s about to argue but seems to back down at the last second, letting go of Steve so he can move off the couch.

“Yeah, okay. Wake me if you need anything when you get back.” He stands and stretches. The worn band t-shirt he’s wearing lifts slightly to reveal a sliver of skin and the edge of a familiar scar. Steve physically forces himself to look away. Before Eddie retires to his bedroom, he slides am arm around Steve’s waist in a light hug, leans in close and says, “Drive safely. Okay, Big Boy?”

Steve’s still thinking about that, the soft pat on his hip as Eddie walked away and the fond, teasing tone of Eddie’s voice when he said it even as his car speeds along the dark, empty streets.

He’s so deep in thought that he completely misses the turn in for Family Video at first, but it’s just as well that he does because he spots a small, dark shape in the grass at the edge of the road when he stops to turn. He already has a hunch, but when he sees that it appears to be a men’s shoe, he quickly stops to scoop it up with a sigh and tosses it onto the back seat. Lucas can thank him later for rescuing him from the wrath of a mother scorned.

He hears his problem children before he sees them. They’re gathered in a group in the parking lot of Family Video and the boys are chatting animatedly. El and Max seem to be huddling together for warmth, using the boys' jackets to shield them from the bitter wind. Mike is sitting on the rain-soaked tarmac, grinning like he hasn’t thrown up recently, a stain on the front of his shirt. Will’s crouching next to him and watching him carefully, his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Dustin is standing with one arm over Lucas’ shoulder and the other gesturing wildly as he no doubt talks the other’s ears off about something or other.

The sight warms Steve’s heart as much as he would hate to admit it after being dragged from the comfort of his home and out into the cold to collect them. Even after all these years it’s still great to see them getting to just be young and experience normal young people things like drinking a little too much and getting stranded on a night out.

As soon as they spot Steve’s headlights, they make a beeline for the car. Dustin climbs into the passenger seat with a wide grin while the others chaotically push and shove each other as they approach the back door.

Lucas flings it open, unceremoniously. “Oh shit! My shoe! You came back to me!” He laughs. “Steve you’re a legend for this!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re welcome, Cinderella,” Steve says. “Now get in before you let in the cold.”

Chaos ensues as the remaining five teens try to squeeze themselves into three seats. Complaints such as ‘ouch, Mike, get your big boney elbow out of my side’, ‘watch where you’re putting your foot, asshole’ and ‘I can’t move any further this way, you need to back up’ ring out for a good minute or two as they get situated, but then the car falls quiet apart from Eddie’s mixtape playing out of the speakers. Steve makes sure they’re all settled, and the doors are firmly shut and then they’re on their way.

“God, can we at least change the music?” Max complains. “All this noise is gonna give me a migraine.”

“My car my music,” Steve replies with a shrug, but he does turn the stereo down a little to spare Max a headache. He’s not a complete monster.

“You spend way too much time with Eddie,” Lucas points out. “You used to have good taste before the two of you became practically attached at the hip. You can’t tell me you actually like this.”

“I like it,” Mike argues. “I think Eddie’s had a good influence on Steve’s taste in music. Shame he hasn’t done the same for his fashion sense.” The others all snicker at the jab.

Steve shoots both boys a pointed look in the rearview mirror, briefly noticing that despite the insult he just served up, there’s something cautious in Mike’s expression as he watches Steve’s reaction closely.

“I think people who are too drunk to notice their shoe falling off their own foot and people who have drying vomit on their shirt don’t get to judge anyone,” he glares, “especially the one who’s willing to come rescue them from the cold and drive them home at ass o’clock in the morning.”

“He sure told you,” Max snorts.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Max.” Steve replies. “You better get some ice on that ankle before you go to bed because you’re going to regret the fuck out of that in the morning. I’m not having you hobbling around my workplace tomorrow, whining to me about it if you don’t listen. I mean it, Max.”

Max rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest. “Yes mother,” she replies sassily.

“I will stay over and make sure she does it,” Eleven assures him.

“Thank you, El,” Steve says gratefully. Then, because he’s feeling particularly evil after having his peaceful evening with Eddie ruined, he adds, “This is why you and Will are my favourites.”

He grins amid the drama and carnage that erupts as the others fight over him, only calling a stop to it when Dustin tries to launch himself over his seat to throttle Mike and Max purposely stamps on Lucas’ foot with her one non-swollen one. El and Will grin at each other deviously over the other’s heads.

Soon enough, the number of drunk teens in Steve’s car begins to dwindle. They thank him for the ride as they leave and Steve shouts after them to drink some water before they go to sleep. He’s so ready to get home and collapse in his bed. As Will climbs out, he glances at the clock and laments the fact he has work tomorrow.

His mind is elsewhere as he drives to and pulls up outside Mike’s place - the last of his kids to drop off. He’s so lost in thought that he doesn’t think much of the fact that Mike is making no move to get out of the car until he hears a loud sniffle from the back seat.

Steve stills for a moment at the heartbreaking sound, then immediately switches off the ignition, killing the music in the process, and whips around to face the younger man.

Mike’s face is buried in his hands, his shoulders trembling with sobs. Panic creeps up Steve’s spine and his heart lodges itself in his throat at the sight because Mike’s never like this around him, he’s never seen Mike breakdown this badly before, even through all the terrifying shit they’ve been through.

“Wheeler, hey,” he says softly. It feels weird to be using the careful voice he reserves for approaching vulnerable moments with the others on Mike when they’ve always interacted through a series of thorny, sarcastic digs at each other. But Mike is one of Steve’s kids, and Steve will be there for him however he is needed. “It’s okay, a lot of people get sick at parties. The stain will come out of your t-shirt.”

“It’s not about the vomit,” Mike says quietly, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he digs his fingers into his hair and tightens them.

Steve watches him in silence for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best course of action. “Okay, get in the front and talk to me, Wheeler,” he instructs. Instead of arguing Mike just nods with a sniff, a few tears streaming down his cheeks, and does as he’s told.

Okay, now Steve is really starting to worry. When has Mike, or any of the kids for that matter, ever listened to him without complaint the first time he asked them to do something?

Mike takes a seat next to Steve, closes the door and hunches his shoulders self-consciously, taking a deep shaking breath. “I thought if I got drunk enough then I could forget about it and just be normal,” he confesses, “but it didn’t make anything any better.”

“Forget about what, Mike?” Steve asks tentatively. Mike visibly hesitates, twirling his fingers in his lap. It doesn’t feel right seeing him make himself so small. “Hey, this is a no judgement zone, okay? You can tell me anything, absolutely anything and I promise it will not make me think badly of you. I know we have always bickered a lot, and I’ll probably deny this if you tell anyone I said it, but I care about you just as much as the others and I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“Thanks, Steve,” Mike mumbles with a weak smile. His breathing seems to have settled a little, but he still looks completely devastated. “I’m just freaking out because there’s something going on with me. I think it’s something... wrong... with me. Like, I’m broken, and I can’t fix it and I’ll never be normal,” he answers, his breaths stuttering as he cries.

Steve places a gentle hand on his shoulder and hands him the pack of emergency tissues he keeps in the glove compartment. He can’t stand seeing the boy like this, it makes him want to cry too.

“Well, first of all, none of us are normal. So, you have no reason to worry about that because you’re in good company,” Steve tells him with a reassuring smile. Then, just because he has to cover all bases, he asks, “But what do you mean, Mike? Is this related to Upside Down stuff?”

Mike flinches at the mention, but firmly shakes his head, and Steve feels relief wash over him. As much as it upsets him to see his kids struggle, he’s much more equipped to handle regular life stuff than the possibility of them being hurt or in danger at the hands of yet another supernatural entity.

“It’s not the Upside Down, it’s just me, I’m...” Mike sighs. “I’m having feelings for a guy. But I’ve liked girls all my life so I thought that can’t be right, but then I heard someone talking about bisexuality where you can like both. At first it helped me make sense of a lot and I felt kind of relieved because I know why I was feeling so torn for so long, but now I don’t have to choose. So that makes things a lot easier to accept.”

He pauses to take a deep, shaky breath. Steve trains his expression to one that he hopes shows he’s listening open mindedly because wow, this is a huge bombshell for Mike to have dropped on his lap at almost two in the morning on a Saturday. Part of him wishes that Robin was here and not over her girlfriend’s house for the night. She would know exactly what to say.

He’s not even sure why Mike decided he was the perfect person out of their group to go to with this. However, he wants to try his best not to destroy the trust Mike has put in him, so he stays quiet and keeps a supportive hand on his shoulder for now while his mind races to find a way to let him know he’s proud of him and this is completely okay.

“Then there was this story on the news about it becoming more of a thing and my dad started saying some really, really shitty things about it. He said it’s not natural and it’s dirty and ‘those people’ must be broken in the head to do something so disgusting. And I don’t know what to do if I’m broken in the head because I don’t think I can fix it, Steve. I look at this guy that I like and it feels like I’m home. He laughs at every one of my stupid jokes and smiles at me like he might feel the same and I feel like I’m going crazy. I think about wanting to hold his hand and kiss him all the time. I’ve tried and tried to ignore it and stop it and get drunk enough that I don’t care about any of this anymore, but I just... can’t.”

Steve feels like he’s been stabbed in the chest thinking about how long Mike must have been dealing with this on his own, thinking that he was wrong for having feelings for someone. He must have gotten to a point where he felt desperate for someone to understand if he was willing to come to Steve about it and let his guard down like this.

The kids may all be adults now, but they’re still Steve’s kids, he would still willingly throw himself in front of danger if it meant he could protect them. The idea of any of them feeling like they have to carry something this huge all by themselves kills Steve.

“Oh sweetie,” Steve whispers, a tear sliding down his cheek. He gathers Mike up in a tight hug and suddenly the right words just come to him. “It’s okay, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, nothing that you need to try to change or ‘fix’. You’re just fine exactly as you are. I’m so proud of you for being brave enough to talk to me about this.”

Mike buries his head in Steve’s shoulder, his tears soaking into Steve’s shirt as he cries.

“Really?” he says, his voice slightly muffled. “You really think there’s nothing wrong with it? It’s alright if I like both? It doesn’t make me disgusting or wrong?”

Steve wants to murder Mike’s dad.

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with it,” he responds. He leans back to look Mike in the eyes. “Listen to me, your dad is full of shit, don’t listen to him because he’s wrong. There are a lot of people who say fucked up shit about anything different or anything they don’t understand. They’re cruel and spiteful and most of them are just trying to hurt people because they’re sad with their own lives. You love whoever you want to love, Mike. Don’t let anyone stop you from being happy.”

“Sometimes I feel so alone because everyone else is just getting on with their lives and having normal relationships and I’m here struggling with this shit.” Mike’s lower lip wobbles. He really is going to set Steve off again if he keeps this up.

“You are not alone, Mike.” Steve informs him. “We all love you and care about you a lot, I don’t think anything could ever change that. And you can always come and talk to me about anything, okay?”

Mike nods but still seems to have arguments left in him. “I know, but nobody in the group feels the way I do about both boys and girls. It’s just hard thinking I’m the only one,” he shrugs.

“You’re not, I do,” Steve blurts out without thinking about it. His brain short-circuits and then reboots itself.

Now that the words have left Steve’s mouth, the fact that they’re true hits him like a freight train. He sees flashes of moments in his past that suddenly make so much more sense. Steve had never questioned his interest in women, but there had always been this strange draw towards other men. Then there were lingering looks in changing rooms, banter that went a bit too far into flirting territory, and those times Steve found himself thinking a guy’s lips looked soft and nice, that their hands looked strong and smooth or that their chests looked broad and comfortable. The puzzle pieces were suddenly slotting together in Steve’s mind.

Oh.

So, Steve was now simultaneously supporting Mike through his sexuality crisis while speedrunning an epiphany about his own sexuality. That was fine, that was completely fine.

“You do?” Mike asks.

“Yeah,” Steve confirms, wide eyed. “I like boys and girls too. Do you think I’m wrong or disgusting or broken?”

“No! Of course not,” Mike argues, vehemently shaking his head. “I still think you’re cool. I mean you’re annoying most of the time, but that’s completely unrelated.”

“Well, there you go,” Steve says, as if his stomach is not currently flipping like he’s on a roller coaster. “Now you know one more person who’s like you, and if there’s nothing wrong with me being bisexual then there’s nothing wrong with you either. Feeling a bit better about it now?”

“Yeah,” Mike nods, watching Steve with something that looks like awe. “Yeah. Thank you, Steve. I really appreciate it.”

“Okay, good,” Steve smiles. “Now go hydrate, brush your teeth,” he says pointedly, nodding towards the shirt, “and get some sleep. We can talk about this more tomorrow at a reasonable time if that’s something you would want.”

Mike starts to climb out of the car but turns to fix Steve with a searching look.

“What? Is there something on my face?” Steve asks with a laugh.

“No, it’s just, I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner,” Mike observes. “It makes a lot of sense now, the way you and Eddie look at each other.”

"The way me and Eddie look at each other?” Steve puzzles.

“Yeah, you know like you’re hopelessly in love, will go to the ends of the Earth for each other and you barely notice anyone else when the two of you are in a room together. It’s kind of gross actually.” Mike’s eyes widen in panic. “Not because you’re both guys, just because you’re both so mushy it’s sickening.”

“Right,” Steve replies, at a complete loss for words.

Mike shuts the passenger door and stumbles off toward his home with a, “Talk to you later, Steve,” like he didn’t just leave him feeling like his whole world view was crumbling and being rebuilt around him.

Thinking about it now, Steve realises Mike’s assessment of how he looks at Eddie is probably not that far from the truth, he definitely catches himself staring far too often for it to be casual. Had Eddie noticed? Did Eddie ever look at him like that? He should probably be a bit more concerned about the fact that he kind of hoped Eddie did.

In fact, as Steve started the car and pulled off, he registered that he didn’t feel as shocked about the whole revelation that he liked men as he would have thought he’d be. Instead, it just felt like things finally made sense, like he’s finally solved a riddle that’s been plaguing him for years.

“I’m bisexual,” he says aloud in the privacy of his car. There’s no anxiety, fear or panic. It just feels right. “Huh.”

Steve couldn’t wait to talk to Robin about this, she was going to flip.

He briefly wonders if he should tell Eddie, but it feels like a no brainer. It isn’t even a question really; Steve tells Eddie everything and this is no different. He already knows Eddie would be so sweet and understanding about it too. Eddie had always had this soft way of speaking to Steve, the same softness that Steve felt whenever Eddie reached out to him for physical contact. It was like he saw Steve as something extremely precious and important that deserved to be handled with care. No one had ever made Steve feel like that before.

Steve ponders over his relationship with Eddie in the wake of Mike’s leaving statement about their apparent undying love for each other. At first, it’s an amusing thought, but then he remembers the way Eddie had looked in his lap earlier, like he belonged there and there was nowhere he’d rather be. He thinks about how soft Eddie’s hair felt under his careful fingertips; how soft and full his lips had looked in the dim glow of the TV. Something shakes loose in Steve’s chest as he wonders how those lips would have felt pressed against his own.

I’m attracted to Eddie. Holy shit. The thought comes to him as easily as breathing.

So, he wanted to kiss Eddie, but what about feelings? Would he like to date him?

Picturing it in his head is an easy task because it’s not that hard to imagine how Eddie would be with someone he cares about. Steve immediately thinks of the supporting touch Eddie had pressed to his wrist earlier. When Steve had felt like he wanted to fly off the handle because his kids were out late in the cold, dark streets of Hawkins and highly intoxicated, Eddie had grounded him and checked that he was okay. Eddie always made Steve feel safe, calm and supported, like an anchor in a storm.

When Steve thinks about his future, the only thing he’s certain about is that Robin, Eddie and the kids will be in it. He wouldn’t want to imagine any other future for himself. There was a clear difference though. When he pictures his future with Robin, he pictures a future where he can one day walk her down the aisle and cry proud tears as she marries the girl of her dreams. When he pictures his future with the kids he pictures him celebrating all of their important milestones with them and supporting them through anything that troubles them.

When he pictures his future with Eddie, he pictures them moving into a house together, lying on the floor in a tangle of limbs and breathing in each other’s presence, boxes they’re too tired to unpack just yet stacked around them. He pictures them bickering over paint colours at the DIY store and laughing like idiots as they try to dodge each other’s paint attacks, getting more strokes of paint on each other than the wall but feeling so light and carefree. He pictures them lying next to each other and pouring their hearts out to each other under the cover of moonlight that spills into their shared room and paints Eddie’s features in a stunning, silver glow.

He pictures Eddie kissing him goodnight and whispering, ‘I love you’.

Steve’s heart soars at the thought of it, and his foot automatically presses down harder on the gas pedal, his urgency to get home growing.

Fuck getting plenty of rest before his shift, he needs to talk to Eddie. He has to tell him.

Somehow, Steve finds himself back in his apartment and standing outside Eddie’s bedroom door, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths like he just ran a marathon. Parking and bounding up the stairs of their apartment complex two at a time because their shitty elevator is on the brink again, had both been a blur. But now he was here, and his hands were shaking with adrenaline, and he feel more awake and alive than he has in years.

For the first time since he started thinking about all of this, Steve hesitates. Eddie could be sleeping, maybe Steve would be better off talking to him in the morning. But then Eddie had told Steve to wake him if he needed anything, and Steve needs to know if Eddie feels the way he does, he can’t sleep without knowing. So, because Steve has always been willing to throw himself into the face of uncertainty for the sake of those he loves, he pushes onward, gently rapping his knuckles against the door.

“Come on in, Steve,” Eddie’s muffled voice answers, like he’d already known Steve was there debating whether to knock.

Steve swings the door open, and his breath catches in his throat. Eddie looks so soft and pretty, bathed in the light of his bedside lamp. He’s wearing pajama bottoms, but his torso is exposed, battle scars that match Steve’s on full display. There’s a book on his nightstand, one that he’d just put down to give Steve his undivided attention judging by the fact that it’s open and resting page down. His long hair spills down over his bare shoulders and his big, brown eyes are sleepy, but so happy, looking at Steve like he’s over the moon to see him in his doorway.

Oh. How could Steve have not seen this sooner?

He feels his eyes water dangerously at the earth shattering yet completely inevitable revelation that he is so utterly gone for this man.

Eddie sits up slightly, concern clouding his features. “Steve? What’s wrong?” he asks. “Are the kids all okay?”

The question sounds so domestic and is such a giveaway of how well Eddie understands how much the brats mean to Steve, that he can’t help the few tears that spill over his cheeks. “They’re fine, nothing’s wrong, I promise,” Steve answers, but even though only a few tears have slipped from his eyes, his voice still comes out choked up. “Sorry if I interrupted or anything, it’s just, you said I could come and wake you when I got back if I needed anything. And I really need to talk to you right now.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m glad you took my offer. Come sit with me, sweetheart,” Eddie requests, his hand patting the spot next to him. Steve’s chest flutters at the term of endearment.

Steve shuts the door gently behind him and slowly approaches Eddie, crawling up over the bed to sit next to him. He ignores the images his mind supplies, of him crawling over the sheets towards a topless Eddie under very different circumstances, because this moment is something real and important. When he reaches the pillows, he adjusts himself to sit so that his body is completely turned towards Eddie. Eddie does the same so that they can properly face each other as they talk.

Eddie reaches out a hand to rest against Steve’s cheekbone, his thumb ever so gently rubbing the skin under Steve’s eye. It’s something he’s done before, when Steve has woken up shaken by nightmares where he wasn’t able to save people. The intimacy of the action now strikes him in a way that threatens to steal his breath away.

“Why were you crying, pretty boy?” Eddie asks tentatively.

“They weren’t bad tears, just... overwhelmed tears I guess?” Steve assures him. “I realised a few things tonight and it’s a lot to feel all this at once.”

“Then share it with me,” Eddie offers, like taking on Steve’s emotional burdens as his own is a simple task for him. The hand Eddie had placed on Steve’s cheek slides down to rest on his hand.

“Okay, well,” Steve takes a deep breath, starting with the least shocking thing first. “I realised that Mike Wheeler’s dad is an absolute piece of shit, for one.”

“That he is, Steve,” Eddie agrees. “That he is.”

The next one was a little more nerve wracking to announce, but he knew he could trust Eddie with it. “Then, after talking to one of the kids about sexualities,” he purposely leave’s their identity out, not wanting to out anyone by accident if they weren’t ready to be out, “I came to the realisation that I’m attracted to men as well as women, that I’m bisexual.”

“Steve,” Eddie gasps, his gorgeous brown eyes alight with awe and his fingers tightening around Steve’s. “I’m so glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me that, really. You have no idea how much it means to me that you trust me with this. And you one hundred percent, absolutely do not have to tell anyone, but I think it’s really brave that you did and I’m so proud of you.”

Despite his praise, Eddie seems conflicted for a second or two. He bites his lower lip and worries the skin between his teeth. Steve’s helpless to stop himself from zeroing in on it. If Eddie notices, he doesn’t point it out, but something determined settles over his features.

“Actually, I should probably tell you, I’m gay,” Eddie confesses. “So, you’re not alone in your attraction to men.”

Steve thinks this must be what winning the lottery feels like.

“That’s perfect,” he sighs in relief.

“It is?”

“Yeah, because I also realised that I’m completely in love with you and I have been for years now,” Steve admits.

The room falls silent.

Eddie looks stricken, like it’s him who’s about to cry now, and suddenly Steve’s heart plummets.

What if that had been the wrong thing to say? What if Steve had misinterpreted everything? What if Eddie didn’t want anything romantic with him? What if Steve had made him feel awkward, put him in a position where he now has to find a way to break Steve’s heart gently? Would they still stand a chance at being close after this or had Steve ruined it with his usual bullshit?

“I’m so s-”

“I have loved you from the moment I called you big boy while I was hotwiring that stupid van and you looked at me all confused and intrigued like you were trying to figure out how you felt about it,” Eddie confesses, his eyes fierce. “So, don’t you dare apologise for what you just said.”

Steve stares at him, stunned, the cogs in his head turning slowly, trying to sort through everything he’s just heard.

“Wait, that’s such a long time,” he points out unhelpfully. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

Eddie shrugs. He looks down at their still joined hands. “I figured you were probably straight and never going to feel that way about me. Thought we were probably going to lose touch after the whole Vecna nightmare was over, and I would only ever see you again in passing. But then you were coming to visit me and spending more and more time with me, and you started being clingy and touchy with me and I thought to myself, I was willing to wait forever to find out if there was even a small chance you felt the same. I thought, if the closeness and the friendly touches is all it ever is, then that’s enough for me.”

“Eddie,” Steve whispers. He can’t believe this man was willing to spend a lifetime by Steve’s side, not knowing if Steve would ever reciprocate his feelings. An ache sits deep within his body at the thought of Eddie feeling like this the entire time. “I’m sorry it took me so long,” it doesn’t feel like enough.

“That’s okay, baby,” Eddie replies, smiling at the blush that settles on Steve’s cheeks. “The wait was worth it.”

Steve finds his gaze snared by Eddie’s mouth, the pretty lips and the hypnotising way they move as he speaks. He can’t look away. He needs to show Eddie what all of this is doing to him, just how much he feels for him. He almost can’t contain it.

“Can I kiss you?” he asks.

“Yes, please,” Eddie nods. Steve will explore the way that makes his stomach swoop later. Now he has more pressing matters.

Steve’s hands come up to slide into Eddie’s beautiful hair and Eddie’s hands settle on Steves hips. They lean into each other slowly drawn to each other like opposite poles on a magnet but taking the time to drink in the sight of each other and tell themselves that yes, this is actually happening.

Their lips collide softly, and it feels like Steve’s found something he didn’t even realise he’d been missing. This, this is the feeling he’d been searching for his whole adult life. It felt like here with Eddie was the place he belonged. He deepened the kiss, softly moving his lips against Eddie’s and desperately trying to pour everything he felt for him, the meaning behind every single stollen glance over the past few years, into this one kiss. Eddie gasped against him and started to move with him. It felt like heaven to no longer have to wonder if Eddie’s lips were as soft and nice as they looked, Steve knew now that they were.

It was more than that though, Steve loved the feeling of having another body against his, alive, warm and real. Eddie was like that, but more. His hands mapped out the skin of Steve’s torso under his shirt like he was trying to commit each scar to memory. Steve shuddered at the sensation of those strong, expressive hands leaving a trail of fire under his skin wherever they touched. Before he knew it, he was on his back with Eddie leaning over him, their kiss never breaking but their tongues suddenly sliding against each other in a way that sent a bolt of lightning shooting up Steve’s spine and forced a sound out of him that he didn’t even know he could make.

“Holy shit, Steve,” Eddie pants, breaking away from Steve’s eager mouth, but planting small kisses and bites against his neck in a way that made his head spin and more involuntary sounds of pleasure escape him. “You need to stop making those noises,” Eddie warns. “You sound fucking incredible, but we both have work later this morning, and we are both way too tired to take this any further right now.”

“Noo Eddie, don’t be the voice of reason now,” Steve whines. “It was getting really, really good.”

“The universe is testing me, that has to be it,” Eddie grumbles to himself before facing Steve. “Come on, Stevie. If it helps you can stay here, and I’ll hold you while we sleep. That should be enough until we’re both more awake and have more free time.”

“You want to do this some more?” Steve questions hopefully.

Eddie plants one more firm kiss against Steve’s lips and several more over his neck and shoulders, drawing a small, carefree laugh out of his throat. They both climb under the covers and Eddie switches the lamp off, blanketing them both in darkness. Eddie presses his nose and lips against the nape of Steve’s neck and breathes in the scent of him with a satisfied hum. Gently, he slides his arm around Steve’s waist, tugging him back against his broad chest and holding him tightly like he refuses to let go now that they have each other.

“I want to do this and so much more, sweetheart” Eddie confirms. “For the rest of our lives if you’ll let me.”

Steve’s heart swells, he entwines his fingers with those on his waist and lifts Eddie’s hand to his lips to place tender kisses on his knuckles. “I love you so much,” he whispers.

“I love you too, beautiful,” Eddie replies. “So, so, much.”

When Steve finally drifts off to sleep, it’s with a heart that’s bursting with affection for the man behind him who’s all too easy to love and the band of teens he’d follow to the ends of the Earth and back again.

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depressed-freak13 · 10 days ago

Text

Wedding Ink

For the Mini Pride Bingo hosted by @genderthings.

[AO3]

Prompt: Tattoo | Rating: Gen | WC: 1230 | Relationships : Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Summary:

Steve wants to marry Eddie and wear a wedding ring to show the whole world they belong to each other, homophobic laws be damned. But Steve is a nurse, and hospital rules are hospital rules.

It’s not that Steve dislikes jewelry. Honestly, it’s kind of the opposite.

Take Eddie’s rings, for example.

His boyfriend has a few of them, all bulky and impossible to ignore, and he barely takes them off to shower. They are always on his hands, even when he plays guitar, even when he sleeps. And he is so full of life, his man, always waving his hands around, rings catching the light with each movement, gleaming.

The way he touches him is no better, warm hands and soft metal sliding across his skin, gripping, grabbing. Loving.

Steve likes rings. Especially Eddie's.

He’s just not allowed to wear jewelry at the hospital.

Becoming a nurse had not been easy, but after the whole mess that happened with the Upside-Down, after breaking Eddie’s ribs, each snap resonating like thunder in his arms when he was trying to breathe life back to Eddie’s lungs, after everything the nurses at Hawkins Memorial had down for them, strong and caring when the whole town had wanted to crucify Eddie… Steve had known.

He loves his job. He has finally found his place in the world, one where he can help people in need. No day is really easy, but the rewards are worth the long shifts and the random hours. Being a nurse makes him feel useful in a way he had been craving for years.

He just wishes he could wear a ring.

Some of his coworkers are married, and they either keep their wedding band on a chain around their neck or take it off before their shift and store it in their locker.

He could do the locker thing, realistically.

But he can’t get out of his head the absolute panic in his coworker Mary’s eyes, the high pitch of her voice, her harsh breathing and her shaking hands when they had ended their shift at the same time and her ring wasn’t in her locker.

She had found it, eventually, because, of course, she had left it at home and had forgotten all about it in the frenzy of hospital life, but the fear had lingered. She had stopped wearing her ring, keeping it in a jewelry box on her bedside table. Just in case.

And the thing is. Steve and Eddie can’t get married. Not legally at last. They have been talks of backyard wedding, one day, maybe, but the ring… The ring is a problem.

It eats at Steve. Days and nights.

He can’t imagine getting married and only having a ring to prove his devotion to his husband. Not when he can’t wear it all the time and could lose it at any given moment. All his wedding dreams end with his ring disappearing and Eddie looking at him through tears, asking if he doesn’t love him anymore.

When he finally opens up to Robin, she’s kind about his fears. Understanding in a way that speaks about years and years of feeling out of the norm. Different. Kept from enjoying so many things that other people take from granted.

“It’s okay to feel like that, Steve. It’s scary to realize your love is not something people are going to accept, especially when another typical married couple thing is out of your reach.” She squeezes his arm. “You have coworkers who wear their wedding ring around their neck, right? Maybe you should do that when you finally take that step with Eddie.”

Steve swallows, his throat tight, fighting through the burn in his eyes.

“Northwestern Memorial has a very strict policy about jewelry. The only pieces nurses are allowed to wear are wedding bands on necklaces. And you have to provide a wedding certificate for that.”

“So, they wouldn’t…”

Steve loses the fight against tears.

“No, they would never let me wear any ring given by Eddie.”

“Oh, babe…” Robin arms wrap around him as he sobs.

“Say, Stevie…” Her voice is wavering. She seems so unsure of herself, in a way that differs from her usual anxiety-fueled ramblings. “I could maybe marry you? Legally, I mean. Then you would marry Eddie, and you’ll be able to wear your wedding band around your neck.”

Steve’s burrow deeper into Robin’s embrace. He can’t deal with not being held right now.

“Thank you, Rob. But it wouldn’t be the same.”

They hug for a while, before Robin manages to make him laugh with a crazy anecdote about her least favorite coworker. They end up playing a drinking game in front of Star Wars, and Eddie is woken up at 2 a.m. by his very drunk boyfriend sliding in his bed.

“Hey, Eddie, Eddie?”

“Wot?”

“You know I love you, right?”

“Mmmrrr.”

“I love you a lot, Eddie, like… like an insane amount. Scientists cannot quantify how much I love you, and…”

He is stopped by a kiss.

“Love you too, sweetheart,” Eddie tiredly wraps himself all around his boyfriend, octopus-style. “But please, go to sleep.”

_______________________

They’re celebrating Nancy’s promotion in a gay bar when Steve has a revelation.

The girls want more drinks, and Steve grumbles but leave the warmth of Eddie’s arms to bring them cocktails.

“And a beer for your humble servant, please, my liege!”

And a beer for Eddie, apparently.

The bartender is only vaguely familiar, and he is pretty sure the guy wasn’t there two months ago. Steve flags the man down, and watches with a smile as he shakes Nancy’s elaborate cocktail. He is putting on a show, but Steve can tell it’s not really meant for him, not with the wedding band glistening on his left hand and the wink he throws at the new waiter.

The wave of jealousy hits him unexpectedly. It must be nice to wear proof of your marriage in front of everyone like that, and to be able to flirt with your husband at your own place of work without having to watch your back. Maybe he should hang up his scrubs and go into bartending.

Steve shakes his head. He loves his job. He is being ridicul…

He frowns.

What’s that just underneath the guy’s wedding band?

The bartender winks at him this time, playing with the ring.

“Had this one for almost two years now.” He points at the waiter. “It goes with that one.”

“What’s that?”

“Hum?” The bartender blink, then smiles again. “Oh! Look.”

He leans over the bar and shows Steve his hand, palm up. He pushes the ring out of the way, and just underneath, the initials S.W. are written in black ink.

“Scott Williams. That’s my man.”

“It’s a tattoo.” Steve says numbly.

“It sure is, darling.”

“I can get a tattoo.” Steve cannot breathe. He can have that. He can etch Eddie’s name into his skin, keep him there forever.

“Hey, don’t forget your drinks!”

Steve turns back to the bar, disoriented, and grab the tray the bartender is nice enough to give him.

“You okay, man?” He asks, visibly worried.

“Never been better.”

He walks past the crowd without seeing it and reach their group. Robin’s head shot up at his arrival.

“You’re alright, Dingus?” She frowns. “You look a bit shell shocked over there.”

She yelps when Steve put down the tray heavily on the table, drinks splashing.

“Hey, what are you…”

Steve climbs on his boyfriend’s lap.

“Eddie,” he cradles his face with both hands, reverent. “Will you marry me?”

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