#i think eddie started dming very fast

[orionchildofhades]

steddie swapping soulmate au part 6

part 1 |[...]| part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | Ao3

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Walking the halls of highschool for the first time ever is more than a little intimidating.

Steve remembered the way his father had announced all and every single of his expectation before leaving.

the name Harrington means something around here and Steve has to remind everyone of it.

but those thoughts were easily out of the window by the idea of his soulmate.

just thinking of it was enough to make his heart beat fast, faster than any of the cars his father had shown him during the trips this summer.

and he might meet him just today

him

he remembered waking up, fifteen for barely a couple of day, in a new bed. in his soulmate's. in Eddie's.

relief, to find the proof of it, of him being meant for someone else, had soon left room for a frantic panic has he realised how he had turned into panic.

he was in a boy's body, and even though he did not mean to peek, his soulmate had gone to sleep in a lack of close that left almost nothing to the imagination.

except from a pair of boxer hiding the worst, he could see everything from shoulder length hair to very flat chest to a single pierced nipple that Steve had hurried to cover in the first shirt he found on the floor.

said floor had been covered in a frenzy of notebooks and clothes and a couple of papers crumbled and thrown in the vague direction of a trash can.

horror upon the view had taken hold of Steve's chest, hearing from here the screech his mother would let out of she ever found his own room in such a state before a startled laugh burst out of his lips.

it was so fucked up.

his father would kill him if he learnt his soulmate was another man.

but after a second, or a minute, of careful breath, Steve had stood up and went around the room, something reverent burning softly in his chest. his hands had followed the wood of the shelves, the spines of well loved books, caressed the glossy red of a stunning electric guitar.

it was scary.

it was exalting.

the idea of soulmate had always been a far away dream. no tangible reality to cling to. his parents relationship could be described as rocky at best and they always told everyone they were soulmates, the perfect couple written in the stars, god sent and blessed by the heavens.

(wait a couple of days of seeing him around before talking)

but they weren't exactly perfect.

they were screams and silences, evenings spent without a word, sharing a meal without warmth. they were wine bottles and glass full of bourbon. they were blank eyes upon harsh words. orders and expectation. they were not there.

the idea of a soulmate had always been a far away nightmare. something he wished so badly was different, would not happen to him, something binding him and someone else who would offer him nothing but quiet and loneliness.

but this room... it had been full of life. so unlike all his family had ever shown him.

it was like what his grandparents had tried to show little Steve once before they died and their memories faded in the past of a life that was not his anymore.

it was life and personality and a slight ordeal of chaos and, while Steve roamed the room, he slowly learned that, maybe, just a small and quiet maybe, this soulmate might not be so bad.

and he had learned about him, about Eddie. About this boy a year older than him, who lived with his uncle in a trailer park, who cooked and burned eggs when he was too preoccupied by his music but who, apparently, could make killer pancakes when he wanted. about the way he grew up, vaguely, hints here and there from Patricia, another soulmate, just as sweet as the smell of the cookies they had cooked, and much nicer than his own parents. once more.

maybe this all soulmate business is not as terrible as i thought, maybe the only terrible soulmates are my parents.

the voice was quickly shut down.

nonetheless, Steve had had the time of his life for a couple hours, using all the time he had to bath in the warmth of it all.

and the best part ? his soulmate lived in Hawkins.

So Steve walks down the halls of this new school, apprehention burning beneath his skin and the shimmer of excitment making everything glow a little bit brighter.

After all, not many soulmate can meet each other so soon. Wouldn't it be fantastic to actually learn from him, instead of through him?

Steve spends a few days trying to get a hold of the situation, understand the dynamics of the school and get a look at his soulmate.

He signs up in a few clubs, excited to see all the sports team he can join. He hangs around a couple of friends he had since childhood, the daughter of one of his dad's co-worker and the son of his mom's favorite neighbour.

Carol and Tommy. Carol was nice, a bit loud when she wanted attention and excited like never before to storm the world. Tommy had always been quieter, sticking to his friends and waiting for things to unfold. The three of them were close, years spent at each other's house, playing and fighting like children do, growing into gossiping and sharing secrets.

He did not yet told them about Eddie though.

Simply because Eddie is his to keep and his to know.

Soon, he thinks, i'll meet him soon.

At lunch this day, Steve sits between Carol and Tommy, a couple of older students across from them with smiles on their faces. The eldest Haggans, Richard, is senior and smile devishly at his brother when he annonces he joined the basketball team, laughing at his brother's expense when he explained he might try to get a scholarship this way. They all run in the same circles, even came several time at the Harrington's household when they organised parties for work.

In the corner of his eyes, he spies Eddie comming in the cafeteria alongside his friends. In the last week, he gleaned as many information about him as possible. He intends to see if he can talk to him after class during his club activities, perhaps even join it if he manages to find a way to hide it from his father.

He doesn't really understand the whole role playing business. Patricia had tried to tell him what she knew of it, which was not a lot. Things about magic and dragons and maths? somehow. Still, Steve became curious and couldn't wait to discover more about his soulmate.

Eddie's eyes slid on him across the room, before snorting at a joke from his friend. A bit of bread is thrown across the table, hitting one of the people on his cheek before they started bickering in midly wild gesture. He didn't glance at him a second time.

That is another strange thing about this situation.

Eddie had not come to him at all.

Steve has an excuse, except for his slight nervousness obviously. he barely knows the way to his classroom. Eddie on the other end, had all the time in the world to look for him.

But it was fine.

Steve remembers the way his head pounded when he came back to his room after swapping, to his body. Ideas and names might not be the clearest thing to remember.

All of it would certainly come back when, this afternoon, Steve would go to him.

It is with a sliht tremor in his hands and sweat dripping down his back that he makes his way toward the room in which the Hellfire club holds session. But the hope is stronger than the fear, the idea of someone taking care of him and being loved by him so important his heart swells and he steps forward, hand ready to knock.

the doors open by themselves, or rather by Eddie, who stands being them, arms wide open, towering over him with a hint of darkness behind his eyes.

"Well, would you look at that. A lost sheep." He announces with a booming voice, a sly grin on his lips. Steve can't tell whether it is directed at him or at his expense.

Nervousness creeps back, clinging at his shoulders and his cheeks tint lightly.

Behind Eddie, the rest of the club observes the scene with keen eyes, not saying anything. The table in the middle of the room is filled with papers, dice and small dolls? more like the things in the monopoly, thown across the board. They probably represent the characters, Steve realises.

"I, hum, I came to talk to you?" That sounded wrong. More like a question than an actual answer.

Shaking his head, Steve tries to stand a bit taller, straightning his back and looks at Eddie in the eyes. Big eyes, full of all the life he found in his room last time.

He shouldn't be scared. This is his soulmate. No use being nervous.

"And what would a Harrington want with little old me?"

Surprise hits Steve in the chest.

So he does know who I am?

Doubt starts to creep it's way into his brain.

"I wanted to join your club," he says, he glances behind his soulmate once more to look at who he thinks is the head of the club, trying to send a smile her way.

"And what club would that be?"

With a frown, Steve drags out his answer, "Hellfire," he reads of Eddie's shirt even if he knows it, showing the design with a finger and grin, hopping to take the strange tension in the air own a notch, "the dragons and dungeons club?"

Someone snorts in the room and Eddie's eyes darken slightly.

"Listen, we don't accept jocks here, everyone heard the loud statements you and your little friends are making by joining every sport club okay, and we don't accept the kind of people who hangs out with Richard fucking Haggan. This was a funny encounter, now move along."

His throat swells with telltale feeling of tears. Confusion and a strange pain course through his body. He takes a step back, frowning, trying to come up with something to understand why his soulmate, who clearly told him he recognised him, rejects him like that.

Did Steve do something?

"But, I wanted to-"

"Not interested," Eddie finishes.

The doors clap back right in his face, leaving him alone in the empty corridor, alone with the turmoil of feelings hacking at his heart and brain.

he swallows up tears before nodding vaguely.

well, that was just humiliating.

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i love angst :)

remember, both Eddie and Steve are years younger than what we see in the show. We meet Eddie when he is 20/21 yo in s4, and Steve is 17/18 in s1 and 19/20 in s4. Here they are -barely turned-15 for Steve and 16 for Eddie. I decided to change a few things about how they act compared to later.

hope you liked Steve POV

this chapter is longer than my usal!

(i started this fic during my holidays and i only had my phone to type on, this is on a computer, therefore, longer. And with probably with more typos)