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temptingfatetakingnames · 10 months ago

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The Last Steve Harrington Part 22

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 21

Family Video was slow.

It should have been a relaxing day, but Steve was tense and on edge. All his thoughts focused on the kiss that he and Eddie had shared. He brushed his fingers lightly over his bottom lip, remembering the feeling – the desperation and the hunger – the wild look in Eddie’s eyes. It was…unlike anything he had ever experienced before. So different from how Eds had always kissed him –

His breath hitched at the thought.

Eds had always been so, so gentle. His touch had burned through Steve slowly, like simmering coals under his skin. Soft. Sweet.

But Eddie…

Eddie’s touch was lit gasoline setting him on fire. Fierce and all consuming.

He knew they were different, but it was something else entirely to feel it.

And oh – how he had felt it.

He was probably blushing right now, just thinking about it.

They had sat together for a while afterwards, silently holding hands. Eddie had probably been waiting for him to say something; to talk about Tommy or the kiss or… something! But Steve had stayed quiet and then Robin had come running to find him and the opportunity to say something had passed.

That was two days ago, and he still hadn’t talked to him yet. Which, yes – he knew was bad. But Eddie hadn’t called him either! Which was probably why with every passing minute more doubt crept into his mind.

What the hell had he been thinking, kissing Eddie?

It felt like they had just started to be…really good friends – and this, whatever this was, could go sideways so fast. Was it worth it? He didn’t know what he would do if Eddie didn’t want to be his friend anymore.

One kiss didn’t have to mean anything. One kiss could be explained away.

One kiss could be forgotten.

Couldn’t it?

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

He didn’t even know what he wanted – most days he was still a depressed mess just going through the motions. It wasn’t exactly the best situation to start a relationship in. But he also couldn’t deny that Eddie made him feel…

Good. Understood and seen in a way that even Eds –

“Steve?” Robin questioned softly from his side.

He jumped a little, not expecting her to be right beside him.

“Robs!” he spluttered, caught off guard. “What’s up?”

“You’ve been staring out the window with a weird look on your face for like twenty minutes.”

“Oh,” Steve said and blinked a few times. “Just a lot on my mind, I guess.”

She hopped up on the counter beside him and nudged him with her foot. “Like what?”

He almost always still deflected when anyone asked about his thoughts. He usually just…didn’t want to share them. They were often dark and angry, and he felt like voicing them would make them more real. He also didn’t want them to know how fucked up he still was.

Not Robin though. He didn’t hide from her like he did with the others. She was his best friend, and he trusted her with the broken pieces of himself. She pushed him when he needed pushing – and knew when to back off when he didn’t.

“They kiss differently,” he said without preamble.

“Who does?”

“Eds…and Eddie.”

“What!?” She screamed and jumped off the counter, invading his space entirely. She grabbed his shoulders and turned him so he was facing her more directly, her eyes comically wide with shock. “How do you know that!?”

“I kissed Eddie at the bonfire the other night.”

She blinked up at him, hands still on his shoulders. “Okay,” she said with an eerily calm voice. “You kissed at the party, and you’re all stuck in your head because Eddie kisses differently than Eds did?”

He nodded.

“How different?”

Steve didn’t know how to put it into words. He could tell her about the chaotic, wet mess of Eddie’s kiss compared to the gentle exploring of Eds. But the difference wasn’t only in the physical – in the way their lips had moved against his – it was also in how they made him feel.

Eds had been light, effortless, as easy as breathing.

Eddie was…Possessive, grounding, a tether holding him tight.

“Completely,” he answered and furrowed his brow in contemplation. “Eds was always really careful with me –” He stopped and barked out a quick laugh. “I don’t think he bit me once the entire time I knew him and Eddie did it on the first go!”

Robin laughed a little, too. “He would be a feral kisser. How did this happen, anyway? I had no idea you liked him like that.”

“Um,” he stalled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Carol and Tommy showed up tryin’ to start shit and after we scared ‘em off, we were joking around after and Eddie tripped, you know how clumsy he is?” She smiled and nodded at him to continue. “And I caught him and it just…kinda happened? I don’t even remember who went for it first, or if we both moved at the same time…”

“We’re gunna loop back to Tommy and Carol in a sec, but… was it a good kiss?”

He smiled suddenly, bright and cheeky. Good didn’t even begin to cover it. Exhilarating. Intense. But also…peaceful? Steve knew that describing something as both exhilarating and peaceful didn’t make much sense, but… he didn’t have any other words for it.

His heart had pounded fast in his chest and his hands had shook from the wanting of it all, but inside – his mind and thoughts had been… calm. More at peace than he could remember feeling in a long, long time.

“Yeah,” Steve said around the emotion welling in his throat. “It was a good kiss.”

“I can definitely see how it might be weird, but you’ve always been adamant that Eds and Eddie are very different from each other. So, what about this is really tying you up in knots?”

The question snagged him, he should have known that she wouldn’t be satisfied with the answer he had given her. She always knew when he was hiding. The truth of it though…

The truth of it was so much harder to say.

“I loved Eds,” Steve said, forcing the words out. “I loved him so fucking much. But he died and I kept going without him and I – I’m not the person he loved anymore. Some days I don’t think he would even recognize me. But the worst thing is that even if he was standing in front of me right now, I don’t think he would be who I need and I don’t know what to do with that. What do I do with that, Robin?”

Her eyes softened. “Oh, Steve… People change and grow apart all the time. It doesn’t lessen the feelings you had for Eds to realize that you need something or someone different now, and it doesn’t make you any less deserving of a new love.”

He shook his head, helplessly. Eds had been everything to him. How could he possibly move on? How could he possibly move on with Eddie? How could he even think in the private spaces of his own mind – that Eddie was better for him than Eds.

Even if –

Even if it was the truth.

The fucking truth.

Robin was looking at him closely, reading the conflicting emotions in his eyes. “I will say this,” she began slowly, “when you and Eddie are together, you both look happier. After Vecna, Eddie…closed himself off. He was there, he still showed up – especially for the kids, but he lost something of himself that I didn’t think he would ever get back. But lately…Well, lately he’s been smiling and joking more, and I think it’s because of you.”

Wayne had said the same thing – that Eddie laughed more with him around.

All Steve knew for sure was that he liked him.

He liked his clumsy friend who so deeply understood him, who saw him and what he needed and gave it to him so generously. Who had seen his anger and darkness and instead of trying to soothe it away, had instead given him an outlet to release it. His friend, who held his hand and held him close when he was hurt and grieving. And again, instead of trying to soothe it away – had shared his own grief and given him something to hope for. Had given him something to build with his own hands – and a goal to see completed. His friend, who made him laugh and feel…playful again.

And if Steve…gave some of that back to Eddie like Robin and Wayne thought, wasn’t that…good?

But what if they ruined it, what if Steve ruined it, by trying for something more?

“I like him,” Steve said decisively, “I do. But we’re friends and I already depend on him too much and if it all goes bad…Robin, everything goes bad for me, and I’m scared. I should – I should stay away from him, right? I should be, I should just be –”

His words were cut off suddenly when Robin reached out and took his face between her hands.

“Steve,” she said gently, “what if it all goes right?”

He blinked back at her, caught by the warmth in her eyes.

“That’s a big what if,” he replied just as gently.

“It’s all a big what if, isn’t it?” she said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “That’s life.”

That’s life.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready for it.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready for the risk of it all. The what ifs of it all. Hiding was easier. Staying away was easier. You couldn’t get hurt and you couldn’t hurt anyone else if you just…stayed where you are.

But she was right, of course – that wasn’t life. That wasn’t living.

He swallowed and fidgeted. “What if he thinks I’m trying to replace Eds? And that’s why he hasn’t called?”

“Are you?” she asked seriously, holding his eyes.

“No,” he refuted quickly. “No. Eddie understands me. He makes me…feel again. I’ve been a ghost for a long time Robs, but when we kissed…” he trailed off and looked away from her probing stare. “I felt alive,” he whispered.

Another truth, this one slipping out of him so much easier.

“Well, that’s what you should tell him.”

He laughed; he couldn’t help it. She made it sound so simple. So easy. She smiled back, the moment between them easing into something more lighthearted.

“I can’t believe you waited two whole days to tell me you kissed Eddie!” she exclaimed and slapped him on the shoulder. “And you didn’t tell me you liked him in the first place! You have broken the best friend bro code, Steve! And what the hell happened with Tommy and Carol?”

He told her the short version of how Tommy and Carol showed up at the park. Of how Tommy pushed Eddie and seemed to be looking for a fight and how he convinced them to take off. She agreed that it probably wouldn’t be the last they saw of him.

“Just be careful, yeah?”

“Don’t worry, Rob,” he said and snickered. “I’m not scared of Tommy Hagan.”

The jingle of the bell broke them from their conversation as they looked up at the door at the same time. Steve couldn’t help the brief burst of hope in his chest that it might be Eddie coming to see him. He had to quickly compose his face when Lucas and Max walked in the door.

“Shouldn’t you two be in school?” he asked.

“It’s done for the day, Steve,” Max said, hands on her hips. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

He was about to retort, but the words died on his tongue when Eddie walked in behind them. He must have picked them up from school and driven them over.

“Hi,” Eddie said, raising a hand in greeting and walking over.

“Hey,” Steve replied with a little wave of his own.

They stood there, staring, eyes roving over each other’s faces. Steve knew what he was looking for – something to show him that Eddie had been thinking of him these last few days, too. He didn’t know what Eddie was looking for, but he was staring back at him with an intensity that shot warmth all throughout Steve’s body.

“What brings you in, Munson?” Robin asked from Steve’s side.

Yes, what brings you in, Munson?

Max and Lucas had wandered over to the other side of the store and were conversing in hushed whispers. Eddie jerked his thumb over his shoulder at them, breaking eye contact with Steve for the first time since he walked in the door. “Gremlins wanted to stop in on the way home.”

Ouch.

Not here to see him then.

“And I wanted to see Steve,” Eddie continued, turning back to him with a dimpled half smile.

A sudden burst of joy, shocking in its unfamiliarity.

“Just ask him, you ninny!” He heard Max whisper shout. He couldn’t make out what Lucas hissed back at her.

“Oh?” Robin asked, a shit-eating grin spreading across her face. “What did you want to see Steve about?”

“I wanted to see if he was free this Saturday.”

He should probably jump into the conversation they were having about him but before he could reply Max and Lucas walked over. Or more accurately, Max dragged Lucas over.

“Um,” Lucas said and rubbed at the back of his neck.

Max rolled her eyes and shoved him forward none too gently.

“I was wondering if you’d want to play basketball with me sometime?” Lucas said the words so fast they all collided together.

Steve remembered when his Lucas had asked him to play with him, to help him practice. He had been shy, unsure if Steve would agree. He hadn’t expected Steve’s exuberant response. Because of course, he had wanted to play with Lucas. Of course, he had wanted to help. They bonded over sports very quickly after that, sometimes playing together very late into the night.

He wondered briefly why it had taken him so long to ask him to play and then remembered what he had looked like when they had first found him. He also would have said no even just a little while ago – convinced that Lucas would only be asking because of what he had shared with Other Steve…

He could imagine that Lucas had missed it – missed having someone who understood this part of him that seemed so alien to the rest of his friends. And even though it was something he had shared with Other Steve, and something that Steve had shared with his Lucas – that didn’t mean it meant less for the two of them to share it with each other now. And…It would be good to play again.

“Yeah Sinclair,” Steve said with a smile. “I’d love to play sometime.”

Lucas couldn’t quite hide the surprise on his face, but he covered it quickly with a large grin.

“Cool!” Lucas shouted and turned towards the door. “See ya later!”

Max rolled her eyes, shot Steve a small smile and a nod, and followed him out.

He waited until the door closed behind them before turning back to Eddie, who was leaning back on his heels with his hands in his pockets.

“I’m gunna go do some work!” Robin exclaimed suddenly, eyes darting back in forth between them. “In the back! Where there is work… for me to do!”

She made a quick escape, the door to the back room slamming shut behind her.

“So,” Eddie drawled out. “Saturday?”

“Saturday,” Steve repeated with a nod.

Eddie’s eyes sparkled. “Are you free?”

“Yes!” Steve said too loudly.

“Then it’s a date,” Eddie said and knocked his knuckles on the counter between them.

His rings glinted in the light and Steve glanced down at them and –

Everything went still.

Yellow.

Eddie was wearing yellow nail polish. Not just a single splash of color amidst the black.

Every. Single. Finger.

Yellow.

---

@bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @mx-jinxous @a-gae-af-racoon

@novelnovella @meela86 @steddieinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries

@espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect

@viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina

@whole-moods @queenie-ofthe-void @nailbatanddungeon

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie munson #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the last steve harrington #robin buckley

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temptingfatetakingnames · 10 months ago

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Okay but here’s the thing… in fanfic you can say whatever you want but in canon in the show why does he throw his shirt at Eddie though??

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temptingfatetakingnames · 10 months ago

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soft first time steddie 🫣💕

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temptingfatetakingnames · 11 months ago

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The Last Steve Harrington Part 21

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 20

The fire had smoldered down to the coals, giving off a weak light and a weaker warmth. Steve was standing over it, lost in memories. For a long time, fire had been a tool – a way to fight the creatures of The Upside Down. Molotov cocktails and fireworks, torches and grenades, steam and heat. It had helped them win – the first few times. Then their luck had run out and they had become desperate. He remembered the small of Hawkins burning. Diesel fumes and ash, sharp in his nose.

Then after, in the silence and the dark –

He flinched slightly when he felt an arm across his back.

“Sorry,” Robin said quickly. “You were staring pretty intently there; I was worried you were going to fall in.”

He relaxed into her touch. Physical affection was starting to get easier, the kids still mostly hung off his fingers but Robin had always been much touchier. It was like she was doing that thing where you expose a person to the thing they hate or are scared of as much as possible so they get used to it. Conversion therapy? No, that was something bad.

“I thought about it,” he said, tilting his head at her. “But it would ruin my hair, so I decided against it.”

She blew a raspberry against his cheek and he smiled.

“So…?” Steve elongated the word and then trailed off. When she quirked her eyebrow at him in question, he jerked his head in Liz’s direction. She blushed and ducked her head back into his shoulder.

“So what?” she asked, voice muffled.

“Well, I’m not going to ask if you like her because that’s obvious –” She cut him off with a disgruntled noise of disagreement that made him bark out a quick laugh. “– but are you going to ask her out?” he finished.

She shook her head. “This is Hawkins, Steve.”

“That doesn’t mean she can’t be a lesbian. Rob. Hate to break it to you, but you are a lesbian and you’re in Hawkins.”

“Yeah, the only one!”

“Not the only one,” he said and winked.

She rolled her eyes. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re not a lesbian.”

He gasped in fake surprise. “I’m not?”

Laughing, she pushed him away from her, but he grabbed her hand and yanked her back under his arm.

“Seriously, Rob,” he said more gently. “You should ask her.”

She sighed deeply and shuffled so she was facing the fire. He let her think for a minute, not wanting to push her to talk about something she didn’t want to. He hadn’t been the most talkative about his own experience being queer in Hawkins – too afraid to bring up Eds’ ghost – but he knew he had been luckier than most.

“We were just hanging out when Eds said he liked me,” Steve began and Robin whipped her head up to stare at him, wide eyed. “He was so afraid… but I–” Steve stopped and cleared his throat. This was harder than he thought it would be.

“Steve–”

“I told him I liked him, too. And I know that that doesn’t always happen, but…it could. It happened for me and Eds which means it could happen for you, too. In Hawkins even.”

“Maybe it could,” Robin said as she looked through the fire to where Liz was sitting.

He bumped her shoulder with his. “She seems cool.”

She nodded slowly. “She is.”

Just then Liz looked up and caught Robin’s eye. She smiled softly and Steve could feel Robin practically melting into a puddle beside him.

“Go on,” he said and nudged her a little.

He watched her cross to the other side of the fire and sit down. Immediately Liz’s body and attention angled towards Robin, like she was a gravitational force that couldn’t be resisted. It didn’t seem like they would be leaving anytime soon so Steve figured he should probably try and find some more wood for the fire. They had gone through the pile that had been sitting beside the pit fairly quickly and he didn’t know if there was any more laying around. Eddie had left to find more beer (which probably meant he was stealing it out of Wayne’s fridge), so he couldn’t ask him.

That wasn’t too much of a problem though, the park was surrounded by woods. He would go take a quick look and see what he could find. The night got colder the further he walked away from the fire. He tucked his hands deeper into his pockets and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night and the moon and stars shone brightly above him. Raised voices caught his attention just as he was about to reach the tree line. He was behind one of the trailers, and the voices were coming from around the front. A chill wind worked its way under his collar, sending a shiver of warning down his back.

“We know he’s here, Freak. We want to talk to him,” a familiar voice he couldn’t quite place said.

“And I told you, he ain’t here. So why don’t you both get lost?”

That was Eddie.

A loud thud caused Steve to jerk. It sounded like someone had been pushed into the trailer. He started running quickly, hoping that it hadn’t been Eddie. When he rounded the trailer, he saw Carol leaning against the side of a car, watching as Tommy and Eddie grappled with each other. Adrenaline rushed through him, his heart beating wildly as his ey es laser focused on the threat.

“Hey!” he yelled as he ran over and tried to put himself between them. Tommy’s one hand had a hard grip on Eddie’s jacket and the other was winding up to hit him. Steve grabbed the raised arm and twisted. Tommy yelped and released Eddie, causing him to fall back onto the ground. Steve bent him forward with a hand between his shoulders, turned him around and pushed him away.

Eddie scrambled up and came to stand at his side. Steve wanted to turn and see if he was okay but didn’t dare take his eyes off Tommy, even for a moment. Carol ran over from where she had been leaning against the car and grabbed his arm.

“What the fuck, Steve?” Tommy asked as he pushed Carol away and stepped forward. “You hangin’ with trailer trash now?”

Steve’s eyes narrowed at his aggressive posture. He could tell from his eyes and the way that he swayed that he had been drinking. Which meant he would be unpredictable. Dangerous. Steve stepped forward, putting himself just a bit in front of Eddie.

“Eddie told you to leave.”

“Oh!” Tommy said and laughed, sharp and loud. “Eddie told us to leave? Well, if Eddie told us to leave; we better just skedaddle right away, shouldn’t we?” Tommy asked, directing the question at Carol.

She laughed, too. “Oh yeah, we’ll just run right along.”

They both looked at him, waiting, as if they were including him in their joke. He continued to stare at them hard and unblinking until the smiles slowly fell off their faces.

“Aw, c’mon man,” Tommy slurred, “we just wanted to come hang out, see how you’ve been doing. Not our fault the freak isn’t friendly.”

“I was as friendly as you two douchebags deserve,” Eddie spit from his side.

Tommy’s attention refocused on Eddie and a sneer curled his lips. “You can’t keep us from seeing our friend.”

“I’m not your friend,” Steve said quickly and was surprised to see a hurt expression dart across Tommy’s face.

Carol laughed, loud and high as she slapped him on the back. “Well, there you have it. Now can we go to a real party, please?”

Tommy shrugged her hand off again and closed the distance between them, putting his face inches away from Steve’s. This close, he could smell the alcohol on his breath. His eyes were bloodshot but intently staring back at him in a way that he hadn’t been a moment ago. Steve couldn’t help but bristle at being examined so closely. Tommy’s eyes darted across his face, his brows furrowing as confusion replaced his anger. Steve didn’t relax from his tense posture, but he stood still and let him look.

He hoped he would see.

“Your eyes, man…” Tommy began slowly, almost carefully, “they don’t look right.”

Steve released a small, relieved breath that he hadn’t known he had been holding. Because Tommy saw something that no one outside of those who already knew about him saw.

His eyes were different, but not in a way that was easily discernable.

It wasn’t the Steve Harrington that Tommy grew up with looking back at him. And Tommy knew it. His mind probably didn’t know what to do with the information it was trying to process, but it was telling him that something was off. Something was unfamiliar, unrecognizable – in a face that should have been both of those things. And it felt validating in a way that Steve didn’t know he had been craving.

“You really are drunk, Tommy. What the hell do you mean his eyes aren’t right?” Carol questioned, coming to stand at his side. She was staring at him too, trying to figure out what Tommy was talking about.

Tommy’s eyes flicked over to her briefly before settling back on Steve’s face. He blinked a few times, like he was trying to clear his vision or the haze of alcohol from his mind. But no amount of blinking or soberness would change what he was seeing.

“What happened to you?” he asked softly, almost to himself, but with obvious concern… and that was not what Steve had been expecting.

So much, he wanted to answer. Too much. Oh god, too much. But the words wouldn’t come, and Tommy wouldn’t understand them anyway.

He wondered why he had come looking for him now. Steve had been here for months, and yeah – he had hidden inside for a good while, but he had been getting out more lately. Working at Family Video, driving the kids around, hanging out with Robin and Eddie. There were other opportunities Tommy could have taken to talk with him, if he had wanted to.

They had been friends, Steve remembered. The best of friends… once.

And he didn’t know.

Tommy didn’t know that Steve Harrington, his Steve Harrington, was dead. Gone. That if he ever wanted to apologize or try to make things right – he couldn’t. It was too late, and he would never know. Steve laughed because he didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t want to emphasize with Tommy Fucking Hagan.

“We’re not friends,” Steve reiterated after he stopped laughing. “So, why are you here? Other than to push my actual friends around?”

He didn’t know what to do with Tommy’s concern, he needed the anger back – he knew what to do with anger.

“I still don’t know what the fuck happened to us, man. We we’re good, then you started dating that bitch and it’s like you turned into a completely different person.”

Nancy. He was talking about Nancy. He wracked his brain, trying to remember what Robin had told him about what happened between Steve and his old friends.

“It had nothing to do with her,” he said and shrugged. “I just realized you were both miserable assholes and I didn’t want anything to do with you anymore. Oh…and maybe I grew up a little. You should try it sometime.”

Tommy’s eyes narrowed and his lips pursed. There it was. Anger. His face was so expressive, every emotion he was feeling written on it clearly. Steve took a small step back, anchoring himself better in case Tommy tried to take a swing or grab at him.

“You’re a real piece of shit, Harrington, you know that? You always thought you were better than us but look at you now – you’re nothing!”

“Fuck you!” Eddie shouted and moved forward to grab Tommy, but Steve held his arm out, holding him back. He didn’t want the night to end in a fight. Him and Eddie could take Tommy down easily, but he wasn’t worth the trouble he would probably bring back on them later.

“Yeah,” Steve sneered. “I am nothing to you.”

Tommy looked between him and Eddie, nostrils flared and breath heavy. He wanted to fight. It was the reason he had come here tonight. He wanted the resolution it might bring. The finality of it. But Steve knew there would be no resolution. There couldn’t be. Tommy’s fists clenched and he rocked back on his heels, getting ready to swing.

“I wouldn’t try it,” Steve said, letting the humanity slip from his gaze. Letting go of the façade he put in place so Robin, and Eddie, and the kids, and Joyce and Hopper wouldn’t be afraid by the nothingness in his eyes. He was more dangerous than Tommy could possibly realize. More dangerous than even Eddie imagined he could be, knowing where he came from.

“I beat you once,” Tommy spit out. “I can do it again.”

“I know your brain isn’t working too well, but it’s two against one. I don’t think Carol is going to be much help in a fight.”

“Fuck no,” she said, throwing up her hands.

“The Steve you knew is dead,” Steve stated with finality. “So, fuck off.”

From his periphery, Steve saw Eddie flinch at the words, but he didn’t look away from Tommy. He was still breathing heavily, but he seemed to realize the situation he was in, and he took a few steps back.

“Let’s go,” Tommy said and grabbed Carol’s arm. “We have better places to be than this shit hole.”

This wasn’t going to be the end of it, Steve knew. Tommy was likely going to seek him out again. Steve kept watching their retreating backs, making sure they were actually heading out of the park.

He took a breath and built his walls back up before he turned to Eddie. He looked fine, a little disheveled from where Tommy had been grabbing him.

“You good?” he asked.

Eddie ran his hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, all good. Dickhead just caught me off guard when he pushed me. The real tragedy is that my buzz is totally gone.”

Steve snorted. “Easily fixed, come on.”

They turned and started heading back in the direction of the fire, gravel crunching under their feet. His blood still felt like it was running hot, and his hands flexed at his side. He was flooded with energy and adrenaline with no outlet to relieve it. He almost wished that he had let Tommy hit him. He would have if Eddie wasn’t there.

“I can hear you thinking,” Eddie said from his side.

“No, you can’t,” Steve replied, smiling at their familiar joke.

Eddie shot him a smile back, but it fell off his face quickly.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

No. He really didn’t. He wanted to hit something. Or break something.

“Not really.”

Eddie nodded and they kept walking.

“I should have punched that asshole for pushing you,” Steve said, too keyed up to stay quiet.

It made Eddie laugh again, and he jogged ahead to put himself in front of Steve before turning and walking backwards. “My hero,” he said and batted his eyelashes, making Steve laugh.

“What do I get for saving you?” he teased back, voice soft and smile flirtatious. It was a smile that Steve had weaponized in the past, using his good looks and charm to get himself out of things… and into things.

Eddie stumbled.

He fell into Steve with a little, “oomph,” and he grabbed onto his jacket to catch himself. Steve’s own arms wrapped around him instinctually before he even had a chance to think about it. Eddie was warm and heavy in his arms, smelling of campfire smoke and beer. Gripping him tighter, Steve felt his craving for a fight transform into a very different desire.

Eddie collected himself for a moment before turning his eyes up, a laugh on his breath that abruptly punched out of him when he saw the look on Steve’s face. He tried to reign himself in, tried to let go of Eddie so he could step back but his fingers weren’t listening. They gripped him harder instead, brought him even closer.

The night was quiet, the fire and their friends still far away. A lone lamppost tried to offer a dim light, but it only seemed to cast them in more shadows. Eddie’s dark eyes roamed across his face, and there was no way he could mistake what he was seeing.

Want.

Need.

Desire.

“Steve…” he whispered, so close that Steve felt his breath on his lips. He couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down his spine at the sensation.

Eddie’s back muscles tensed under his hands, and Steve froze.

He let his hands fall back to his side and closed his eyes, jaw clenched, waiting for Eddie to back away. Waiting for him to say no. Waiting for him to say sorry. His heart clenched tightly, and he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Jesus Christ. Why hadn’t Eddie moved back yet?

Cold fingers gently cupped his cheeks and the back of his neck, and he opened his eyes in surprise. Eddie stared back at him boldly, eyes burning with a matching desire.

“Eddie, I –” Steve began but paused as Eddie’s eyes sharpened. He didn’t know what he wanted to say anyway. All thought had disappeared. The air was heavy and tense between them. His heart beat with wild anticipation, wanting to press forward, wanting to close the distance between them. Wanting, wanting, wanting.

Eddie’s lashes fluttered closed as his hands pulled Steve’s face closer, and it was all the signal he needed. Desperately, he surged forward and pressed their lips together. Eddie welcomed him instantly, opening his mouth and meeting his tongue. Steve was all sensation as he sank into the kiss, his body relaxing into Eddie’s embrace. His own arms came back up slowly, wandering across Eddie’s back before he clutched him tightly.

Eddie kissed with ferocious hunger, wet and messy; a typhoon in his arms that could barely be contained. He licked and nipped at his bottom lip before suddenly sucking it into his mouth and biting down hard. Steve groaned, deep in his throat as Eddie soothed the sting with his tongue. Fingers slipped into his hair, tightening and pulled at the roots. Eddie took control and Steve could do nothing but surrender.

It was over in an instant and it went on forever.

When they eventually broke apart, they were breathing heavily, but neither moved to put more space between them. Steve licked his aching lips and Eddie smiled at him; mischievous dimples just visible enough to make out in the near darkness. Steve smiled back with only a slight hesitation. He felt dizzy and light-headed. Whether it was from the kiss or the adrenaline crash, Steve didn’t know. He also didn’t care, but Eddie looked concerned as Steve swayed a little.

“I’m fine,” he reassured and smiled. “Just a little dizzy.”

“You sure?” Eddie asked and moved to back away, his open expression slowly shutting down.

That wouldn’t do. That wouldn’t do at all.

Steve let him back away, wanting him to have the space if he needed it. Before he got too far though, he reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing tight.

“Just a bit of an adrenaline crash, I’ll be good in a minute.”

“Oh,” Eddie said and let out a little laugh before squeezing his hand back. He looked around the park, trying to find something. “You should sit down then.”

He spotted a few lawn chairs and started walking over to them, pulling Steve along behind him. When they were in front of them, Eddie let go of his hand and pushed him down gently. Steve huffed a little at the treatment but let himself be pushed until he was sitting, and Eddie took the other chair.

“I’ll kiss you more gently next time, so you don’t crash and need to sit down.”

Steve laughed and swatted his shoulder and Eddie snickered.

They sat quietly after their laughter had faded. Next time, echoing happily around his mind.

And Steve only freaked out a little when Eddie reached over and took his hand again.

Part 22

---

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#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie munson #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the last steve harrington

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temptingfatetakingnames · 1 year ago

Text

The Last Steve Harrington Part 20

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 19

Eddie watched as Steve drove away, tucking his hands in his pockets and frowning in concentration. Something had just happened. When Steve had stumbled forward and he caught him – there had been something in his eyes that Eddie had never seen in them before. Something heated. Something weighted. Something he was terrified to even consider naming because what if he was wrong? What if he had misread or misunderstood it?

They were friends. Good friends, Eddie was shocked to admit. He was honestly surprised at how easily they had fallen into it. Was it because they had known each other in another life? Had loved each other in another universe…? Eddie shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He didn’t believe in fate. Just because Steve had been with Eds didn’t mean that they shared some kind of cosmic connection. The world didn’t work like that. Not for Eddie Munson anyway. Not for this Eddie Munson anyway.

But the more he got to know Steve, the more he liked him. He was still quiet and haunted by his grief sometimes – but there were more and more days now where he laughed and joked and smiled. Especially when the kids were around. He was just so good with them. Eddie understood, a little… he had heard all the stories, had even witnessed a few himself, and he knew who their Steve had been. But for this Steve to be so good with the kids, to fit so perfectly into the gaping wound in all their hearts –

It meant that some things did carry over.

Didn’t it?

Eddie shook his head again, exasperated at how often his thoughts strayed to Steve Goddamn Harrington.

It’s just that… he was also surprised at how committed Steve was in helping him fix up the trailer – spending his time and his money on it a few days every week. He worked hard, and even managed to keep Eddie focused and on task, which was no small thing! And Jesus Christ, every time he climbed up that ladder…There were a few times he thought Steve had caught him checking him out but he never reacted. Had never returned even a hint of interest.

Until today.

Eddie didn’t really know what to do with that information. He just knew that he liked spending time with him. That every time Steve opened up – it felt like a gift. Realistically, Eddie knew that he didn’t have a chance. That whatever fleeting moment of lust or desire that he had seen in Steve’s eyes was because….

Well…because he looked like fucking Eds.

And wasn’t that just Eddie’s goddamn luck?

---

Robin was still trying to convince him to go to Eddie’s party, pacing around the room and glaring in his direction. Steve was sitting on her bed, trying to hold back his smile because he had already decided to go. It was just too fun to get her riled up.

“It’ll be fun, Steve! You never go out! You need to let off steam…and meet new people! Let’s go to the party. Please? Please? Please?” Robin asked and turned pleading eyes in his direction.

He was only a little nervous about going. He didn’t know how to interact with people anymore, didn’t know how to forge new connections. He didn’t count Robin because she had bludgeoned her way past his walls faster than he could build them. He also didn’t count Joyce or Hopper because they were his pseudo-adoptive parents, not his friends. The kids… well, they were his kids – he had no hope of ever keeping them at arm’s length. Eddie didn’t count because – because he didn’t count!

How was he supposed to meet people and make friends when he didn’t really belong here? When all his memories were from a place that no longer existed? How he could be himself when he was still trying to figure out where he ended and Other Steve began? It felt like every new beginning would be tinged with lies, with deception. How much did he tell them, how much did he hold back?

He sighed loudly and Robin turned away with a groan before collapsing onto the ground. He crawled the length of the bed and peaked his head over the side. Her hair was a wild cloud around her head and she had an arm over her eyes. Jesus, she was as dramatic as Eddie. How had he ended up surrounded by the most dramatic people on the planet?

“Alright,” he said, drawing out the word as if she had convinced him. “Let’s go to the party.”

She jumped up and screamed, “yes!” before launching herself at him. They fell back on to the bed, laughing.

“It’ll be great,” Robin said as she beamed up at him.

“Been to a lot of Eddie’s park parties, have you?”

“Sure, a few!”

“Well, what can I expect?”

“It’s a party, Steve. You can expect a party.”

“Very helpful. Thank you, Rob,” Steve said sarcastically.

“You’re welcome, now what are you going to wear?”

He hadn’t really thought about it, but he was wearing the same thing he had worn all day. The same thing he had worn when he and Eddie had hung out earlier. He should definitely change…but he didn’t have anything that was much different from what he wore every day. Steve found that he wanted to dress up a little, he wanted to look good. He tried very hard not to think about why. A finger appeared in front of his face and softly pressed into the space between his eyebrows.

“You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep thinking that hard.”

He turned to Robin and she let her hand drop.

“I don’t think I have anything to wear, other than changing this shirt into an equally plain but different colored shirt.”

Robin hummed as she looked over him critically.

“The jeans are fine, but we do need to change the shirt – you have a yellow one, right?”

Steve nodded.

“You look good in yellow…” Robin trailed off as she got off the bed and went to her closet. She flung it open and inspected it quietly, biting the tip of one of her nails. She moved coat hangers from one side to the other. Then she moved them back. Then back again. Steve doubted she had anything that would look good on him. Robin had a unique style that worked for her, but it definitely wouldn’t work for him.

“Rob, it’s fine –”

She pulled his blue Harrington jacket out of the back of her closet. She looked at it for a moment, gaze soft before bringing it over to him.

“I don’t know if this is something you wore, too.”

“It is, but…”

“You should wear it tonight, if you want to. It always looked great on Steve, so it’ll look great on you too of course, and the blue will go nicely with the yellow and you said you didn’t have anything and we don’t have time to go shopping somewhere with better options than Hawkins, so…”

She was rambling. Nervous. Looking at the jacket in her hands and not at him. Probably afraid that he would freak out on her. A few months ago, he would have. He recognized his old clothes on the kids every now and then – jackets, vests, polos and t-shirts. They must have raided Other Steve’s closet before his parents tossed it all out. None of it had ever been offered to him, which he was glad for because he would have refused to take any of it. Odd enough wearing Other Steve’s life, he didn’t need to wear his clothes too. But he knew that Robin wasn’t giving him this jacket, it clearly meant a lot to her. She was letting him borrow it because he had been worried about what he was going to wear. Nothing more.

“Thanks Rob, I’d love to borrow it for the night.”

She smiled and held it out to him, spinning back to her closet after he took it.

“Now for me…” she said slowly.

He stared down at the jacket, remembering simpler times and simpler worries. A different life.

Fingering the material, he smiled.

He did look great in it.

---

The night was cool as they drove up to the trailer park. Summer was truly gone and the coming winter could be felt in the air. They had stopped at his place so he could grab the Edge of Silence tape and change into a yellow shirt. His coat had felt odd when he put it on, like a skin he had previously shed and then tried to sliver back into. Despite the weight he had lost it was tight around his shoulders. Robin gushed about how good he looked until he started blushing and he rushed her out of the house.

His nerves worsened the closer they got to the park.

“People from high school are going to be there, aren’t they?” he asked a little desperately. Why did he think this was a good idea? “People who knew him?”

“Probably,” Robin said as she nodded seriously. “But they’re all going to be people that he didn’t hang out with much…or at all if I think about it. Like Eddie’s band. Most people left after graduation and…everything, so there won’t be many of them.”

“Steve might not have hung out with Corroded Coffin but I did, Rob. They were my friends.”

Her eyes widened in understanding.

“Oh…”

Yeah. Oh.

The tires crunched on gravel as he turned the car into the trailer park and his heart started to jack-rabbit around his rib cage. A frightened thing trying to escape.

“Well, this could be a great way to get reacquainted? High school was a while ago, you’re different, they’re different. A new start!”

Steve wondered when he would stop needing ‘new starts,’ but he did appreciate Robin’s endless optimism.

“We didn’t really come up with a story for why I was gone for so long.”

“I imagine Eddie would have warned them off of asking you about it, but we can come up with something now if you want to.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah. Something simple, but plausible? Just in case.”

“You went on a journey of self-discovery!” Robin said as she spread her arms out in front of her.

“Is that supposed to be code for rehab?”

“No! But…rehab could work…”

He quickly shot her a disgruntled look before turning back to the road and parking the car in front of the Munson trailer.

“Okay, no rehab,” Robin said as she unclicked her seatbelt. “Let me think for a sec.”

Simple. Plausible. He turned in his seat so he was facing her and said, “I just needed to get out of Hawkins. Same as all the other people that left.”

“That’ll do. It leaves you open for questions though. Why didn’t you tell anyone you were leaving? Where did you go? Why did you finally come back?”

“Guess we’ll see,” he said and slipped out of the car. “Hopefully people won’t be that nosy. I don’t owe anyone an explanation anyway.”

“You really don’t,” she agreed easily.

She came around to his side of the car, linked their arms together and they set off. There was a roaring bonfire in a large pit blazing away from the trailers, flames and smoke curling up into the night sky. It was encircled by picnic tables and lawn chairs that had been dragged over from peoples’ homes. It wasn’t too late in the night so music was playing on a large boom box. He made out Wayne sitting close to the fire, beer in hand, chatting with some of the older folks from the park. Eddie and the boys from Corroded Coffin were at all one of the picnic tables with a few other people Steve recognized from high school.

“Holy shit,” a shocked voice said as he and Robin walked up. “It’s actually Steve Harrington. I thought you were fucking with us, Eddie.”

Eddie whipped his head in their direction and his eyes widened as he took them in. He looked at Steve like he was seeing a ghost in the flickering firelight. Eddie’s overalls from earlier in the day were gone and he was wearing his usual black ripped jeans, chains hanging from his studded belt. His hellfire shirt was covered by a denim vest and a leather jacket, pins and patches covering them both. A battered pair of headphones around his neck completed the outfit.

He blinked a few times before a grin spread across his face and he came over to them with arms spread wide. “Steve! Robin!” he shouted, pulling them into a tight embrace. “Glad you could make it, come sit!”

Eddie turned, Robin under one arm and Steve under the other, and led them over to the table. There was some grumbling and shuffling around so they could all fit. Robin squeezed herself into the middle of one side, sitting beside a girl with short hair and a nose ring. Steve sat himself on the edge of the seat, legs stretched out long beside the table. After he got settled, he looked up to see the entire table staring at him.

“Uh, hi,” he said.

Wide eyed stares greeted him but before it got too uncomfortable, Eddie stepped in.

“Everyone this is Steve, Steve this is: Gareth, Sam, Jeff, you know Robin – beside her is Liz, and Grant,” Eddie said as he pointed to each person.

“Hey,” Steve tried again, with a little wave this time for good measure.

He wasn’t sure if it was his wave or Eddie’s glare but everyone chirped in with little hellos and awkward waves of their own. Conversations began again, but everyone’s eyes still trailed over to him every few minutes.

“So… Steve, where the hell have you been?” Grant asked suddenly.

Eddie, standing at the head of the table because there wasn’t room for him to sit anymore, spat out his beer. Steve was almost relieved that the question had popped out so early in the night because now he could stop worrying about it. He shrugged; if he acted like it didn’t matter, like it wasn’t a big deal, maybe they wouldn’t think it was either.

“Around,” he said vaguely. “With everything that happened last year, I thought it was best to get out of Hawkins for a bit.”

“There was a search party for you, man,” Jeff said incredulously.

Steve couldn’t help but scoff. “How long did that last before my parents called it off? One day? Two?”

No one answered as he looked from one face to another.

“Two,” Robin answered quietly, holding his eyes.

They hadn’t told him there had been a search party. He was surprised his parents had put up with it for two whole days. There must be some law that required it before they could officially file him away as missing. The bare minimum sounded about right for the Harrington’s. It didn’t matter, Steve decided…but he couldn’t help imagining Robin in the woods, keeping up appearances and searching for a body or a clue that she knew they would never find. He hoped she didn’t do it. He hoped none of them did.

The atmosphere felt tense and Steve didn’t know what to say. Robin was right, he should have told them he was in rehab. Eddie probably would have found that hilarious. He reminded himself that he didn’t owe them any more of an explanation than he had already given.

“Has Will finished writing your campaign?” Eddie asked as he came around to Steve’s side and perched himself on the table in front of him, leaning down into his space.

“Not yet,” Steve replied. “He’s been working on it a lot though; he’s really excited to DM. You’re gunna play with us, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Eddie said and winked. “Oh! Let me get you and Robin a beer.”

Eddie jumped off the table, landed badly and pitched forward but luckily caught himself before he faceplanted into the grass. Steve watched his back as he walked over to where Wayne was sitting, a cooler beside his seat. They spoke for a bit, Eddie standing with his back to the fire and Wayne looking up at him. He looked good against the firelight, smiling so big at his uncle that his dimples showed. Steve turned back to the others before he got caught staring.

Liz was talking to Robin, their heads tilted close, Gareth and Jeff were arguing about something beside him and across from him, Grant was eyeing him warily.

“You’re playing D&D?” he asked skeptically.

“The kids have been trying to get me to play for years, it was only a matter of time before I cracked,” Steve replied with a smile, deciding to stick to a version of the truth.

“What class are you choosing?” Gareth asked from his side – a test – a challenge.

Steve had given it some thought but he was stuck between choosing a wizard or a thief. He had been tempted to pick another fighting class because it was what he knew how to do but had decided against it. He wanted something completely different as a way to keep the games separate in his mind.

“Haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking either a wizard or a thief.”

Gareth made a shocked splutter at his answer as Eddie returned to the table, plunking a can of beer down in front of him and Robin. Steve nodded his thanks and cracked the tab before taking a long drink. The beer was cheap and mostly tasteless but it was cool and refreshing.

“What are we discussing?” Eddie asked after taking a sip of his own beer.

“The merits between a wizard and a thief,” Jeff supplied, leaning forward so he could be seen.

“Oh.” Eddie brightened. “Don’t get me started on that, I could go on for ages!”

He did, in fact, go on for ages… but by the end of it, Steve had decided he was going to be a thief.

It sounded like fun.

---

Later in the night, after the younger and older folks had gone off to bed and the music was turned down, they had all settled around the fire. Robin was sitting across from him, talking to Liz and Jeff. She glanced over at him a few times, checking his position, making sure he was okay, which was sweet but unnecessary. He had stopped drinking after only a few beers so he could drive them both home later and he was content to sit and enjoy the fire.

Eddie’s friends didn’t seem to know what to do with him. Which was fair because he didn’t know what to do with them either. Things still felt a bit tense when he talked to the Corroded Coffin boys but they loosened up as time went on. Eddie had been smart to bring up D&D because it really broke the ice. Pretending he knew less than he did was hard, but they seemed to really appreciate his interest. Liz was friendly and he could tell why Robin had a crush on her. He would have to talk to her about that later.

He was quietly staring at the fire, enjoying the sounds around him even if he wasn’t currently apart of them, when Eddie slipped into the empty seat beside him.

“Did you bring it?”

“Bring what?”

“Steve,” Eddie whined and pouted at him, causing Steve to crack a smile.

He reached into his pocket, took out the cassette tape and waved it in Eddie’s face.

“Is this what you want?”

Eddie screamed and grabbed it out of his hands before Steve could even attempt to play keep away. He pulled a Walkman out of his back pocket and popped the tape in.

“I’m so excited,” Eddie said, smiling wide and bouncing his legs. He settled his headphones over his ears and pushed play. Steve could faintly hear the music and he watched Eddie’s face closely for any sign of pleasure or displeasure. The man had a surprisingly good poker face when he wanted to.

Time slowed as Steve watched him listen to music that no other living creature in this universe had ever listened to before. Eddie’s eyes widened as the first song continued, but he gave nothing else away. Steve had no idea if he loved it or hated it. After what felt like an eternity, his thumb hit the pause button and he slowly put his headphones back around his neck.

“Shit. Steve, I –” he cut himself off, running his fingers through his hair. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Speechless. Eddie was speechless!

Steve waited impatiently for him to get his thoughts together but he just kept staring into the distance as he ran his thumb over the buttons on the Walkman.

“What did you think?” Steve finally asked. “You should listen to more; the third song is my favourite. Eds liked the last one best.”

It felt good to be able to share something from his home. To share this small piece of his history that he had managed to save. Steve remembered when Eds had first played Edge of Silence for him: He had been so nervous, so afraid that Steve wouldn’t like them. It was the first time that they had really connected over music because their tastes had always been so different. A lot of metal music just sounded like noise to Steve and he could never listen to it loud enough to fully appreciate it. Edge of Silence was still metal as hell, but they had a beat that Steve could tap along to and lyrics that made him feel understood.

He wanted Eddie to hear it, he wanted to share it with him. Reaching out, Steve moved the headphones back to Eddie’s ears and pushed play. This time, Steve watched as emotion danced across his face, his stoic act over. He listened closely, intently, taking in the instrumentals and vocals. When the third song started, Eddie captured Steve’s eyes and held them.

The world disappeared around them, nothing but the flickering firelight and the hints of the song escaping through Eddie’s headphones.

No one’s looking for

A lost boy all grown

But still, I want to be found

No one cares for a

A lost boy all grown

But still, I want to be held

Steve was suddenly afraid that he was revealing too much of himself as Eddie continued to hold his eyes. It was too intimate, too much. His heart begged him to run but Eddie reached out and took his hand, stilling his nervous fidgeting. They were sitting close, bodies angled towards each other instinctually as they shared the music. The fire crackled and the song continued and Eddie made small circles on the back of his hand with his thumb and Steve wished they were alone. Wished everyone else would disappear.

Eddie took a deep breath and paused the tape when the song faded, using one hand to push his headphones back around his neck.

“They’re amazing, Steve. I don’t even know what to say.”

“Speechless, huh?” Steve asked with a smile. “That must be new for you.”

“I want to listen to more, but I’m afraid if I keep going right now, I won’t stop. They’re great musicians but the drummer and lead vocalist are something else. I feel like I could spend hours taking apart every little detail.”

“Borrow it for a bit. Make yourself a copy.”

“Are you sure?” Eddie asked, looking at Steve intently.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.” He didn’t want to have the only copy in existence, and maybe Eddie would learn some of their songs and play them for him.

“Now you know how I feel about Madonna.”

Eddie threw his head back and laughed so hard that the others looked over to see what was going on and Steve smiled so wide his face started to hurt. When they calmed down, they both leaned back in their chairs and Steve tried very hard not to freak out over the fact that Eddie hadn’t let go of his hand yet.

Part 21

---

-Hopefully the tags are working the way they are supposed to! I've been having trouble so some of you may have missed a few chapters, I do apologize if that happened! -As always, thank you so much for your patience and support <3

@bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @mx-jinxous @a-gae-af-racoon

@novelnovella @meela86 @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries

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#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the last steve harrington

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temptingfatetakingnames · 1 year ago

Text

The Last Steve Harrington Part 19

AO3 / Part 1 / Part 18

Steve awoke to the sound of rain plinking on the roof of the trailer. Shivering at the chill in the air, he felt around himself for the blanket but his fingers came up empty. He let out a little sigh into the darkness…Eds had rolled himself into the blankets… again. He was curled up on his side, facing away, wrapped up so tightly that Steve had no hope of getting them back without waking him up.

“Eds,” he whispered and curled up against his back.

Steve could just make out his outline from the moonlight shining in the window, his hair a dark liquid mass against the pillow and his face soft, mouth open slightly. He was lovely in rest. He was always lovely, but Steve knew how special it was – to see him like this. Quiet. Peaceful. Still.

“Eds,” he whispered as his fingers brushed against his cheeks.

Instead of waking up, the other man snuggled down further into the blankets grumbling incoherently. Steve smiled against his back, then rolled back over onto his side. He got out of the bed slowly, quietly, and made his way through the dark trailer. There was a comfortable blanket on the couch that had his name on it. He would have to guard it well though, because as soon as he was asleep Eds would try to steal it too…

Steve drifted into consciousness as the noises of a house waking up in the morning reached his ears. Footsteps outside his door, the shower turning on, pans banging in the kitchen. It felt strange, some days – to wake up peacefully. To be able to exist peacefully. There was a part of him that still expected to have to run. To wake up, not slowly, but all at once and ready to fight. On those days, with his heart pounding loudly in his ears, he had to tell himself over and over that he was safe. That he didn’t have anything to fight. Deep sleep was something he would always struggle to get, he thought. His body was too conditioned to wake up to any little noise or disturbance. But today, he woke up slowly and rested. No nightmares – just a dream like memory that tasted bittersweet on his waking tongue.

He tugged his necklace out of his shirt, rubbing his thumb along the pointed bottom like a worry stone. When he thought of the kids, his grief was a sharp knife in his heart but with Eds it was a deeper ache. Felt in the marrow of his bones, the empty spaces of his ribcage and the place between his fingers where a hand used to fit. He wished he could feel it in one spot, so that when it came, he could grasp it and hold it tight. Instead, it had come over him like a wave. A great tsunami that wiped away everything he was and left him cold and shivering and alone.

It was gentler today, the wave. The water calm and warm, even if it still left him feeling desolate and alone. He never thought he would miss the violence of the tsunami; never thought he would crave the sharpness of the knife. It felt like another loss – the gentling of his grief. He wanted to rage against it – this new loss – and grasp onto his grief with desperate clenching fingers and pour it back into his heart. But when he tried; when he reached for the anger that had sustained him and kept him warm for so long – he couldn’t find it.

A new warmth had taken its place. One that he couldn’t name yet, even in the quiet of his own mind.

He breathed slowly and looked around his room. It was fuller now, more lived in, his own messy personality starting to show. There were more books on his bedside table – many from Dustin and one recently borrowed from Eddie. He and Dustin had finally talked about The Princess Bride. Dustin said it was one of his favourites because he felt like the whole book read like a D&D campaign. Steve thought it was his favourite because he was a hopeless romantic but he didn’t want to argue about it and he didn’t think Dustin would admit it so he let it go. He liked it because it made him laugh… and because…despite everything, he was also a hopeless romantic at heart.

There were more of Will’s drawings on the walls, and his windowsill was covered in shiny rocks gifted to him by Eleven. His dresser was filled with clothes that Joyce and Hopper had picked out and bought for him. As much as he felt like he was still trying to slot himself into Other Steve’s life – working his old job and surrounded by his memory – he had still managed to carve a piece that was his own. The Hopper-Byers’ were his family, not Other Steve’s. This was his place, his home – it had never belonged to anyone else.

Mine, Steve thought as he looked around his room.

His backpack and bat were still under the bed. It was stocked up with new canned food, water, and batteries. Hopper had never given back his machete or gun but a large hunting knife was one of the first things he bought when his paycheck came in. He had also bought a few packs of cheap socks and underwear. Rationally, he knew that he probably wouldn’t need any of it… but he just couldn’t let it go. Being prepared made him feel safe. That he could just grab his bag and go whenever he wanted… Even though he didn’t really want to leave, not anymore.

He got dressed quickly, he was meeting Eddie at the shop he worked at so they could tune up the beamer and he didn’t want to be late. In the bathroom, he spent some time on his hair – getting it to fall perfectly haphazard. When he walked downstairs, Will and Eleven were just heading out the door. They yelled a quick good-bye and he waved them off. It was still warm enough for them to take their bikes to school but that would change soon. He should tell Joyce that he wouldn’t mind driving them when the weather turned. He didn’t sleep in and he never worked in the mornings so it wouldn’t be a bother for him at all. Joyce and Hopper were both sitting at the table when he walked into the kitchen.

“Good morning, Steve,” Joyce said and smiled up at him tiredly.

“Morning,” he mumbled back.

“Steve.”

“Hop.”

The coffee pot was full and fresh and he poured himself a cup before he sat down across from them. He took his first sip and sighed in bliss.

“What are you up to today?” Joyce asked.

“Getting the beamer tuned up and then hanging out with Robin when she gets done work. What about you guys?”

“Work,” they said at the same time and with the same annoyed inflection. They laughed and then smiled softly at each other. Joyce reached out and took Hopper’s hand and they both seemed to forget that he was there. He didn’t mind.

After a moment, Joyce shook herself a little and turned back to Steve. “Do you need breakfast? I can whip something up for you.”

“I’m alright, thanks. I’m just gunna grab something quick, don’t want to be late.”

She nodded and they all sipped their coffee in comfortable silence. After a moment, Steve got up and grabbed himself a banana. He ate it quickly and then finished his coffee in a large gulp, burning the roof of his mouth in his impatience.

“You are in a hurry,” Joyce teased.

Steve smiled and shot her a little shrug before turning towards the sink. He gave his mug a quick rinse and set it on the drying rack.

“See ya later,” he said as he walked past the table.

“Bye,” they chorused behind him.

Steve headed for the door but couldn’t help a backwards glance. They weren’t looking at each other, but Hopper’s thumb was making small circles on Joyce’s hand and they were still smiling softly. Contentedly.

---

Steve pulled up to the garage that Eddie worked at and parked in the small front lot. There was a gate that led into the back, but it was closed. He opened the door and a bell jangled but no one made an appearance. There was a desk and a computer but no receptionist. Based on the dust covering the surface, there hadn’t been one for a while. The door to the back room was open and Steve could hear men talking and yelling.

“Hello!” he called out.

A loud crash echoed and a he heard a few mumbled curses before Eddie appeared in the doorway wearing navy blue overalls. As he walked over, he unzipped the top and took his arms out of the sleeves and tied them off around his waist. He was wearing a black tank top underneath that showed off his tattoos and his arms and Steve wasn’t sure he was breathing. He had no business looking that good in overalls. No business at all.

“Steve! Hey!” Eddie said and threw him a megawatt smile, dimples flashing.

“H – hey,” he garbled out and waved.

“I’ll open the gate, bring your car ‘round back.”

He disappeared through the door before Steve could respond. He stood for a moment, blinking at the space that Eddie had just occupied before he shook his head and went back outside, the door jingling happily behind him. He hopped into the beamer and drove over to the gate and waited for Eddie to come out, tapping his hands against the steering wheel to Limelight. Of course, the song changed to Like a Virgin the moment that Eddie appeared on the other side of the gate. He must have been able to hear the music because he burst into laughter and Steve felt his face flush red.

He stuck his head out the window and yelled, “it’s for you! Because it’s your favourite!”

Eddie kept laughing as he made a sweeping bow with his hands before standing and pushing the gate open. Steve drove through slowly, pulling up to the open garage door on the other side. He turned the car off and stepped out.

“So, what are we doing to this lovely girl today?” Eddie asked as he tapped his ringless fingers on the roof of the beamer. It weirded Steve out a little, if he was being honest, to see them so naked. But he supposed wearing rings and working as a mechanic was a good way to get them ripped off.

“Oil change for sure and the brake pads probably need replacing. Then anything you think might be a good idea for a car that’s been in storage for so long.”

Eddie nodded and pursed his lips. “Yeah, we can do that. There are a few other things I’ll check to make sure they’re running well. Pop the hood and let’s take a look.”

Steve did as asked and they got to work. He was glad that Eddie was letting him help. He may not know as much about cars as he did but he knew enough not to be completely useless and a second pair of hands couldn’t hurt. They had already proven they worked well together and this was no different. Steve always felt better on the days when he was busy, when he had something to do. The guys Eddie worked with came over to see what they were doing but quickly lost interest when they saw them changing the oil. Steve really didn’t know what would count as exciting for a bunch of full-time mechanics.

As the morning went on, Steve found himself more and more distracted by Eddie’s hands. They were covered in scratches and burns, dirt embedded under the nails. He had a little coffin tattooed on his right middle finger that Steve hadn’t noticed before. He wondered why Eddie would get a tattoo that spent the majority of time being covered up by one of his rings, but then weren’t most of his tattoos always covered up? His fingers were long and graceful, nothing delicate about them. Strong. Beautiful. A voice in the back of his mind whispered, this is how it started last time.

This is the beginning.

He tried to silence it but it echoed persistently.

Beginning. Beginning. Beginning.

“So, what are you up to later?” Eddie asked as he wiped those beautiful hands on a rag, drawing Steve out of his thoughts.

“Me and Robin are hanging out.”

“I’m having a party at the park tonight,” Eddie said slowly. “You guys should come.”

Steve hesitated. Being social wasn’t something that came easy to him anymore. A few people had freaked out on him at Family Video – asking him where the hell he had been for the past year. Luckily, Robin had been around and she shooed them out of the store as quickly as possible. He hadn’t encountered anyone that had really known Steve – no family or old friends who would actually question where he had gone or what had happened to him. But he did know it was only a matter of time, he couldn’t keep living in the small bubble he had surrounded himself with forever. The trailer park was safe though, no one from Other Steve’s life hung out there.

“I’ll see what Robin thinks,” Steve decided.

“Cool,” Eddie said with a smile. “Ready for a break? I’m starving.”

They had finished the oil change and brake pads and Eddie had checked a few things while Steve was busy, so he figured they were about to be done for the day.

“Is there much more to do? We can finish up now so I can get out of your hair.”

“She’s done, you can head out now if you have stuff you need to do. There’s a diner across the street that I usually get lunch at though if you wanted to come.”

“I’m not busy, lunch would be great.”

“Great!”

Eddie left to wash up and tell the guys he was leaving for lunch and Steve leaned against the beamer to wait. He was glad the work on the car was done, it was something that had been nagging at the back of his mind since he got it. He also saved a lot of money because Eddie refused to be paid for his time, so he only owed the shop for the parts used. All the money that he had been saving for a car formed a nice little nest egg. He used some to help with the trailer but most of his money just sat there. He had no bills, no responsibilities, Joyce wouldn’t even let him help buy groceries for Christ sakes.

“Steve?”

He shook himself at Eddie’s voice beside him. He had his overalls tied around his waist again and his hair was swept up in a messy bun.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

Steve nodded and they took off. The diner across the street, named Our Place, was one that Steve had never eaten at before. From the outside it didn’t look like much – dated and worn. But inside it was loud, bustling, warm… and smelled absolutely delicious. Eddie waltzed in like a king, greeting a waitress in a blue dress and smiling at the tables full of blue-collar workers as he led Steve further into the room. He slid into the only empty booth at the back and Steve sat across from him. He barely had a minute to glance at the menu before a waitress was standing at their table. She was middle aged, pretty, with laugh lines around her brown eyes. She seemed genuinely happy to see Eddie, smiling widely at him.

“Eddie, my love, the regular for you today?”

“Connie, my darling!” Eddie exclaimed. “The regular sounds delightful.”

Connie nodded and turned to Steve. “And for you, sweetie?”

Steve blinked at her before glancing at Eddie, whose smile turned into a smirk.

“Oh, my regular for him too.”

“Coming right up!” she said as she turned and left.

“What’s your regular?”

“You’ll see,” Eddie sing-songed at him.

Steve laughed and shook his head. The diner was loud and chaotic and he couldn’t help but look around. There was a full line of people sitting at the counter, rough hands wrapped around plain white coffee mugs. Some ate slowly, enjoying the food and conversation, whereas others ate as fast as possible, slapping bills down and hustling out. Two waitresses made rounds with coffee pots and smiles. Old world charm, it might be said. Steve loved it.

When he turned to Eddie, he was looking back at him with a small smile lingering on his face.

“You like it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Wait till you get the food.”

It didn’t take long for it to arrive. Eddie’s regular turned out to be Reuban sandwich that was the single greatest thing Steve had ever had in his mouth. The bread was made from scratch, toasted to perfection, and covered in some kind of garlic butter. The meat was tender and the dipping sauce was salty and savory in the best way.

“Oh my God,” Steve mumbled, mouth full.

Eddie chuckled around his own sandwich, chipmunk cheeks bulging with a smile as he nodded at him. They ate silently – or as near silent as you can be when trying to devour a delicious but incredibly messy sandwich. Steve tried his best not to be a complete disaster but Eddie had no such reservations – going at that sandwich like it was his last meal on Earth. After a moment, Steve did the same.

“Hey, why didn’t you put any Edge of Silence songs on the mix tape?” Steve asked when they were both done. “I was really expecting at least one.”

“Who?”

Steve blinked at him.

“Edge of Silence? One of the most influential metal bands of all time, according to Eds anyway.”

Now it was Eddie’s turn to blink at him, then he scoffed loudly.

“If they were one of the most influential metal bands of all time, I would have heard of them.”

He tried to recall what Eds had said Edge of Silene did for metal music…but he couldn’t remember. Eds had their posters all over his walls, had every one of their albums and had covered them a bunch of times with Corroded Coffin. It didn’t make sense that Eddie didn’t know them –

“Madonna,” Steve said suddenly and Eddie’s eyes widened in realization.

“You think they don’t exist here?” he asked excitedly.

“It makes sense. They weren’t mainstream but they were huge for a metal band, one of Eds’ favourites actually.”

“Shit…metal from another dimension…” Eddie trailed off and looked away from Steve, seeming lost in thought. He turned back to him suddenly and grabbed his hand. “You gotta sing some of their stuff for me, Steve. Or play! Can you play an instrument? Wow…one of Eds’ favourites and I don’t know them at all! You can’t leave me hanging here with no way of hearing any of it! What do they sound like? Or tell me some of the lyrics!”

Steve shook his head aggressively. “I can’t sing or play anything!”

Eddie’s entire being deflated and he let go of Steve, putting his head in his hands. Steve wouldn’t be surprised if he started wailing. Always so dramatic.

“I have one of their tapes though…”

Eddie immediately perked back up.

“Do you have it in your car?” he asked and pulled an old leather wallet out of his pocket. “Let’s go listen to it right now!” He slapped some bills on the table and started sliding out of the booth.

Steve laughed. “It’s not in the car, sorry! I’ll bring it the next time we hang out though, I promise. What do I owe you for lunch?”

“You’ll bring it to the party tonight? If you and Robin decide to come?” Eddie asked instead, ignoring his question.

“If we come, yes. Lunch?” Steve asked again, waving his own wallet at Eddie as he also slid out of the booth.

He brushed Steve off. “Don’t worry about it, they love me here. I even get a discount.”

Steve wasn’t sure how to feel about letting Eddie pay for his meal. It felt more intimate than all the times they had split on pizza or takeout. He was stubborn though, and Steve knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere if he tried to argue now. Another time, Steve would pay to make up for it. He should have said it was payment for all the free labour Eddie had already given him today! Dammit.

Connie and the other waitress waved at them as they made their way out. They crossed the street and walked back into the yard where Steve’s car waited. He looked down and pulled his keys out of his pocket. It was time to go but he hesitated.

When he looked up, Eddie was standing close. The wind, which had been quiet for most of the day, picked up suddenly. Steve could feel it pushing against his back, causing him to tumble forward. He caught himself just as Eddie’s hand came up and grabbed onto his elbow in a steadying grip. Eddie’s eyes were intent as they studied him, and he couldn’t believe it when they briefly flicked down to his mouth. Steve licked his lips, testing, and watched as Eddie’s eyes sharpened at the movement. Steve couldn’t help it as his own eyes looked at Eddie’s lips and he felt something building up inside him that he hadn’t felt in a long time –

Desire.

His stomach flipped and butterflies soared as long buried feelings awakened with frightening hunger. Sudden and intense. His heart beat loudly in his chest and he could feel a flush rising on his cheeks, heating him up.

Steve stepped back and watched Eddie’s hand as it dropped, flexing slowly before settling at his side.

That echo from earlier came screaming through his mind once again.

This is the beginning.

Beginning. Beginning. Beginning.

Part 20

---

Alright, the tag list really doesn't seem to want to work for me here. I apologize if you have been on the tag list but haven't received notifications. Honestly, I don't know what to do to make it work.

@bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @mx-jinxous @a-gae-af-racoon

@novelnovella @meela86 @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries

@espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect

@viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues @newtstabber @tinytalkingtina

@whole-moods @queenie-ofthe-void @nailbatanddungeon

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #steve x eddie #eddie munson #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the last steve harrington

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