#but Eddie just assumed they used Steve's key since they're always together

[fairy-princette]

Eddie rolls over in the morning and goes to pull Steve closer to him, except Steve suddenly has a lot more boob than he did the night before. He opens his eyes and is confronted with the back of Robin's head, who had definitely not been in the bed when they fell asleep.

Robin: Not that I don't appreciate a morning grope but you're really not my type Munson Steve: Yeah, get your own platonic soulmate Eddie: This is my bed?

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

E like enigma

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles August warm-up round. Prompt: college AU.

Rated: G

CW: none

Tags: Secret admirer, not actually unrequited love, no UD AU

"Oooh," Robin croons and hands him a book from the stack of returns. "You've got another!"

"Oh yeah?" 

Steve's stomach does a funny little flip, but he tries to keep his tone casual. He fails. Knows it. Knows that she knows he tried, and knows he failed. Robin wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. 

"C'mon, have a look! What does it say?" 

Steve steals a glance at the part of the college library that's visible from their desk. As is to be expected on a Friday night, there aren't many people around. Just some students frantically studying for exams or pouring over last-minute papers.  

Robin nudges him impatiently. He sighs and flips the book open.

The name scrawled at the bottom of the lending card in narrow, scratchy handwriting is the same as always. 

E. Munson 

As always, there's a sheet of cheap notebook paper tucked next to it, folded in half. 

The first time this happened, Steve didn’t put much meaning to it. Students will use all kinds of things as bookmarks. Candy wrappers, restaurant bills, hell, even a condom wrapper on one particularly noteworthy occasion. (Robin gagged so hard at that one she had to excuse herself to the staff room for a solid ten minutes.) 

So, the first time he emptied the returns box and found a note in one of the books, he assumed E. Munson had simply forgotten to take it out.

There was a little heart doodled on it, and the words You’re really cute underneath. It had to be from E.'s girlfriend or boyfriend, surely. Steve wondered if they'd miss it.

Ever since, the notes have gotten more specific and, lately, more and more frequent. Some will compliment his hair or his clothes or his smile. Those make him preen a little, even though he denies it to Robin’s grinning face. Others are soft and thoughtful, telling him to drink enough water when it's hot outside, or asking if he's resting enough when he's stressing over exams. Those make him feel a different kind of happy - all warm and fuzzy and light. 

The books with the notes only ever show up on Steve’s shifts, and only ever in the returns box. Whoever E. Munson is, they're pretty damn sneaky. 

They're also driving Steve low-key insane. Because the notes are lovely, don't get him wrong. He kind of already has his eyes on someone else, though. Even if it's silly, even if he's sure nothing will come of it …

Robin is looking like she's about to explode with anticipation, so he sighs and folds the note open. 

Wanna take you out for drinks after your shift. Meet me at the back entrance? 

*

The back entrance is illuminated only by one dim streetlight and he is a little sorry he turned down Robin's offer of standing guard around the corner. There's a lonely figure standing just outside the keg of light, smoking a cigarette and- 

"Oh. Hi, Eddie." 

Eddie looks up at him and his face breaks into a delighted, dimpled smile. And maybe it's the lamplight or the foggy air of the early fall afternoon, but his face looks uncharacteristically soft. 

"Steve, hey. Hoped you'd show up."

"Y-yeah?" Steve stutters, stomach swooping with something that's half joy and half horror. 

See, the thing is, he likes Eddie. They're majoring in different subjects, so they've only had two or three classes together. Hell, he doesn’t even know the guy's last name. 

They've talked a few times, though. Maybe even flirted a bit. 

But he has no delusions about this turning into anything more. The flirting and the furtive glances over the tops of textbooks are one thing, but there's no way that Eddie - with his rings and his leather and his chains and his unruly mop of dark curls that Steve itches to bury his hands in - would actually be into preppy ex-jocks in pastel colored polos.

Still, Steve can't help but feel drawn in by Eddie’s quick wit and smart mouth, that bold bark of a laugh. Not to mention his smile. How the corners of his eyes crinkle with it. How it makes a gentleness poke through that intimidating facade that Steve would like to learn more about. 

He's smiling like that now, and Steve feels his heartbeat quicken and has to bite back a curse. Just his luck that Eddie would show up now, of all times. Now that the mysterious note writer is actually making their move and Steve has decided to try and give them a chance. 

"Erm, listen man …" he starts to say. The collar of his sweater is suddenly too scratchy and too warm on his skin, so he reaches up to tug at it. 

Eddie hums and the smoke of his cigarette mingles with the fog. 

"Yellow suits you, y’know? You should wear it more." 

And shit, if that isn't exactly what one of the notes said, only last week. Steve screws his eyes shut and heaves an aggravated sigh. 

"Yeah, thanks. Listen, I'm sorry Eddie, I really am, but this is kind of a bad time? I'm meeting someone here and-" 

"Ah, the elusive E., right?"

Steve nods. "Right. They'll probably show up any-" 

And wait. 

Wait. 

Hold on a goddamn, motherfucking second. 

He never told Eddie about the notes. 

When he opens his eyes to gawk at Eddie, that smile has turned about one-hundred-and-twenty-three percent more smug. 

"How do you …?" he starts to say. 

One of Eddie’s eyebrows disappears under his fringe. 

"Steve?" 

"Yeah?" 

There's a beat of silence. Something slots into place, and- 

"Oh." 

They both snort matching laughs as Eddie swoops into a bow and offers his hand. 

"Eddie Munson, at your service. Now, are you still game for those drinks?" 

Steve is. 

The next time Eddie slips a note into his returns, he drops the books off in person.