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for wonafight

( The rest of the summer, fall, and winter of 1985 saw with it a blossoming friendship with Steve Harrington. It had been one of the more unexpected things to crop up in Eddie's life, but not an unwelcome one. It certainly did nothing to help with the incessant crush he had been harboring, practically since Steve was a freshman, but that's not really Eddie's concern.

When Eddie took the munchkins under his wing and heard even more tales of Steve Harrington, Eddie was well and properly done for. Though Steve's visits to the trailer park had slowed down a bit, mainly due to the weather growing colder by the day, Eddie still felt something building in his chest, an affection he swore he wouldn't let himself feel, knowing fully well it would never be anything but one-sided. And yet, every time Steve shows up with that damn dopey smile of his, Eddie finds himself just too weak to say no.

So, this continues on, but always with Steve joining him at Eddie's trailer, never Eddie showing up on Steve's doorstep. Because he knows how this goes, knows that it's still a transactional friendship based on smoking weed. They don't hang out without smoking, after all.

That, of course, doesn't mean Eddie doesn't know where Steve's house is. Who in Hawkins doesn't know where that mansion is? Back when parties were a frequent occurrence, Eddie has set up shop in the Harringtons' basement to facilitate some sales, all without Steve likely even knowing. Who knew this knowledge would one day come in handy?

Spring Break was supposed to be Eddie's excuse to kick back and not look at his school notes for a week. Instead, the night of the Championship game happened and Eddie found himself face to face with one of the most terrifying nightmares he will ever have the unfortunate luck in experiencing. As he runs away from the trailer park, stashing his van not far from Loch Nora, he runs the rest of the way to the Harrington residence, praying to whatever god would even listen that Steve's parents aren't home. He doesn't check which car is in the driveway as he bangs on the door and hopes it's Steve that answers. )

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( Eddie's breath catches in his throat, his mind consumed by a daring idea. The impulse to ask Steve to join him in California, not just for a visit, but to stay, is almost overwhelming. But they're not that kind of friends, are they? They share a good time getting high but is that all there is to it...

Eddie still puts on a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes as he knocks his knee back against Steve's. ) Of course, I'm cool with it, man. You'd be welcome to come anytime.

[ Steve smiles, ducking his head almost shyly before he sets down the blunt on an ashtray on a nearby side table. He takes a deep breath and leans forward over his knees. ] Hawkins is definitely not going to be the same without you.

[ It's probably more than a little tragic that he only has two friends his own age and with Eddie leaving that will narrow it down to one. The only silver lining is that knowing that Eddie's out there in the world somewhere - in California - means that he has somewhere to go when everyone else eventually leaves Hawkins. He refuses to be a townie for the rest of his life. Former Basketball Captain and has been. He wants more than that. ] We'll lie low until we can get you to Indianapolis and fly you to San Francisco. Do you want me to let your uncle know? If this is upside down shit, then it's only a matter of time before the government's involved. They bug everything, so you probably shouldn't call or see him yourself. But I can give him a message for you.

( This is all happening so fast -- much faster than Eddie would have expected. Even though he knows he still has a little more time, his mind is racing, skipping ahead to being dropped unceremoniously off in San Francisco with nowhere to go, with no one he knows, with everyone back here thinking he's a murderer...

He draws in a shaky breath before trying his damnedest to focus on Steve's question instead of spiraling out of control. He's not out of Hawkins yet; he still has time. )

Please. Please let Wayne know somehow. He...he's done so much for me, I can't let him think...he needs to know the truth, or as much of it as you can tell him.

( He turns to face Steve, his eyes frantic and full of fear. ) Shit, I'm gonna miss you, Stevie. I'm gonna miss your house calls and these talks of ours.

[ Steve's mouth dips into a frown as he reads Eddie's expression in the dim lights thrown up by the pool. He looks scared out of his mind. And the worst part is that he has every right to be. Not only are the nightmares from the upside down after him, but also the law for a murder he didn't commit.]

Hey. [He reaches out across the pool chairs to wrap a hand around Eddie's wrist and squeeze it. ] We're going to figure this out, Eddie. I promise. You're not going down for Chrissy and you'll see your uncle again. And we can pick up where we left off, yeah?

[ He gives Eddie a small smile, hoping it comes across more believable than it feels. That's a big promise to make. One that he's only hoping they can come through on. Steve has a sudden urge to volunteer to go with Eddie to San Francisco. It's not like his parents would notice. He'd have to give up his job, but he thinks he could talk Robin into going somewhere else with him. Plus, what does any of that matter when Eddie really needs someone right now?

He bites his lip, his fingers tightening around Eddie's wrist slightly before he asks. ]Do you... would you want me to come with you? [ He swallows down the sudden dryness in his throat.] Just to help get you set up down there. I don't think anyone knows about us being friends, so it wouldn't look strange.

[ But even as he says it, he knows he's made a mistake. If he's gone, who is going to look out for Dustin and the others? With Hopper and Joyce gone, that's leaving everything in Nancy's hands. And while she's the smartest person he knows, he'd never be able to put that on her shoulders.] As soon as we figure out what's going on and how to stop it, I can be there in a few days.

( Whatever Eddie would have said in response to Steve's comment about picking up where they left off dies on his tongue at Steve's incredibly generous offer to come with him. The sheer magnitude of Steve's offer, even if it is just to help Eddie get settled, is touching on a level Eddie doesn't even think he can describe, leaving him in a state of disbelief at the depth of their bond.

It's becoming increasingly clear to Eddie that Steve is more than just a customer. Their shared smoking sessions have woven a bond that, as Steve's readiness to travel across the country for Eddie's sake shows, is not easily broken. This realization sets Eddie's heart ablaze, awakening emotions he never knew he had. )

You'd really do that for me, Stevie? ( Eddie's voice is a mere whisper, laden with the weight of his emotions. It's a testament to the profound gratitude he feels and the unbreakable bond they share. )

I wanna help. Before I leave, if there is anything I can do. ( Besides, Eddie knows fully well that he wouldn't be able to leave Dustin or Steve behind, knowing their lives are in danger. He doesn't fault them for wanting to protect this town, even if this town probably couldn't care less about any of them. Besides, he's seen and read enough adventures about evil forces to know that running away from danger risks letting that danger spread beyond the town's borders. He wouldn't ask Steve to abandon his friends, especially now that they have a shared interest in seeing this town safe with Eddie's new additions to his flock. This realization of his duty to protect his friends and the town's safety stirs a newfound sense of responsibility within Eddie. )

Yeah. In a heartbeat. [ Steve gives him a small smile, trying to ease some of the feeling behind the softness in Eddie's voice. Part of him recognizes the surprise he hears in it. He knows what it's like to feel like there's no one in the world willing to go to bat for you. He also knows Eddie's the kind of person the world should be fighting for.]

[ Steve knows the longer Eddie stays the harder it is going to be for him to get out, but a selfish part of him feels relief at the fact that maybe they don't have to say goodbye tonight or even tomorrow. ] Just lie low here until we figure out what the next step is. Once we figure out how to fight this thing and we end it once and for all, we can figure out how to get to San Francisco. My parents... [ He pauses, shaking his head.] I've got the money they saved for college. Might as well put it towards something useful.

Edited 2024-06-27 01:35 (UTC)

( The fact that Steve is offering Eddie the money his parents had saved so that Steve can go off to college stuns Eddie. It's one thing to help him physically get to San Francisco, but that? If it were anyone else, Eddie would have scoffed and insisted he's not a charity case and would make his own way somehow. But now that Eddie is close to Steve, he knows the deeper meaning there, the strings that had been attached to that money, and how this would be a fuck you to them just as much as it would be helping Eddie out. )

Shit, Stevie. I know you're not going to let me repay you, but if you do this...you know I'm gonna find a way. Even if it's just free weed for life. ( He smiles wryly as he hesitates for a moment before launching himself at Steve, throwing his arms around the other man and squeezing him tightly. ) Thank you. Just...I don't know what I'd have done without you.

[ Steve smiles, laughing at the thought of weed for life. It's not a bad deal, especially if it means he gets to keep Eddie in his life because of it. Still, he's not expecting Eddie's quick movement and their combined body weight sets the deck chair back flat. Steve suddenly finds himself being hugged tightly with Eddie's warm body on top of him, his face just inches from his own.

He has a sudden urge to kiss him, one that twists his stomach into knots and butterflies and makes his face turn red. He feels hypnotized by those warm brown eyes, pinned by his weight and it's too much to resist.

Steve licks his lips, before closing his eyes and lifting his mouth to meet Eddie's. ]

( When Eddie launches himself at Steve, he doesn't really think it through too much. He figures Steve will catch him, they'll laugh about it, and move on. Instead, he lets out a soft yelp followed by a laugh when the chair tips back, taking a moment to gather himself before he even dares climb off of Steve.

Steve looks into his eyes before he can pull himself up, but Eddie doesn't dare move. His eyes widen momentarily when Steve moves in, his lips reaching for Eddie's. He almost forgets to kiss back before his brain kicks back into gear, and Eddie meets him the rest of the way, lips pressing back firmly. God, he's wanted this for so long, it feels like. It's just his luck that their first kiss isn't until Eddie's almost as good as gone from this town. )

[ Steve's heart forgets to beat for a moment, then two, and then Eddie presses his mouth back against his and Steve relaxes underneath him, his hand coming up to bury itself in Eddie's hair.

He should be shocked, but he isn't, really. He's known - however vaguely - that his feelings for Eddie are different than they are for everyone else. He's known, in a way that he hasn't let himself think too hard about, that he's thought about the shape of his face, the curve of his lips, the way a smile sends a little jolt of electricity through him for too many lonely nights to count.

When he finally does break the kiss, he forces himself to swallow down the need to immediately resume it.] Was— was that okay?

[ He's pretty sure Eddie wouldn't have kissed him back if it wasn't, but there's still a rock in the pit of his stomach that needs to hear it directly. ]

( Eddie can understand the concern. Hawkins is a small town. Although Eddie kissed back, that doesn't necessarily mean anything. They've been through a lot since that first night Steve showed up at his door. Steve couldn't possibly know just how much Eddie had been yearning for him since even that first night.

And Eddie keeps his feelings under wraps for a very good reason. If he admits his feelings for the wrong person, it could get him beaten. Not that Eddie thinks Steve would do that. But if he has such strong concerns, then surely Steve must be just as worried that he could have fucked this up.

Eddie smiles, brushing a strand of hand behind Steve's ear. )

That was more than okay, Steve. You know I've wanted to do that for, uh, an embarrassingly long time.

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