Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Never once growing up did Eddie Munson think he would ever have kids.

His old man made sure he didn’t die, sure, but never gave Eddie the fatherly attention he saw other kids have. His dad was a screw-up, his uncle was better, and he never knew his mom. All of those factors and more made Munson think that he was not destined to be a father. Too worried about passing down the corrupt genes and fucking everything up.

Then, he met Steve Harrington. 

Steve always knew he wanted to have kids. His parents raised him well, put him in extracurriculars early so he could gain social skills, and overall, made Steve a better person. Sure, Steve had those high school years where he thought he was on top of the world and people beneath him suffered for it.

Nancy Wheeler beat that out of him pretty quickly in their relationship. The one girl he couldn’t easily date. The one he had to earn affection from. Nancy ended up leaving Steve for Jonathan and it tore him apart. When he pictured his future, Nancy was always by his side. Them and their five to six little nuggets. Living the American, suburban dream. Steve put that dream on the back burner for many years.

Then, he met Eddie Munson. 

Eddie and Steve did not happen naturally. Steve fought his feelings for a long time after Vecna was defeated. Eddie was not about to embarrass himself by going after the golden boy of Hawkins.

Over time, they grew rather close. Hangouts turned to sleepovers. Going out to parties turned to nights-in on Steve’s couch. Steve was so confused because Eddie didn’t feel like the friends he had growing up. Something was different and it made Steve a little jittery.

Eddie watched over months and months as the cogs turned in Steve’s brain every time their hands would brush or they would wake up cuddled next to each other, or either one would get a little touchy when they were drunk. It was hard for both of them.

It wasn’t every day that someone came out in Hawkins. The only gay person they mutually knew was Robin and even she was incredibly discreet about it. Both of them spent nights hitting their pillows in frustration or even crying over the confused pining. Neither of them would mention it to the other. 

Finally, on a walk home one night from the movies, Steve yanked Eddie into an alleyway. 

Eddie stared at him with wide eyes when he pressed their bodies up against the brick wall. Steve held Eddie’s neck and searched his eyes for many seconds. 

“Can I…try something?” Steve asked so faintly that Eddie hardly heard the words. 

“Uh. Sure,” Eddie whispered. 

Steve bounced on his heels a little bit, his face turning from nervous to determined, as he leaned forward and kissed Eddie. Eddie was stunned for a few seconds before enthusiastically kissing back. Steve heard a thousand alarms going off in his head while Eddie’s brain turned to absolute static.

Steve grabbed the collar of Eddie’s leather jacket and dragged his body in closer. Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist. They didn’t stop kissing until their lungs burned a little from the lack of air. Eddie detached first and raised his eyebrow at Steve. 

Steve exhaled heavily. “So?”

“So…” Eddie trailed off. 

Steve rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Um. How was that for you?”

Eddie laughed through an exhale. “You’re a skilled kisser, Harrington.”

Steve’s eyes lit up. “So you’re not mad at me?”

Eddie shook his head quickly. “God, no. I’ve wanted you to do that for months.”

Steve can’t help but blush. “Really?”

Eddie unwraps an arm to hold Steve’s cheek. He strokes his cheekbone and gives him a small smile. “Really.”

“We’re still friends?” Steve asked. 

“Still friends, Harrington.”

“Okay,” Steve sighed. “Good.”

“We can…keep kissing though. If you want.”

Steve glanced down at Eddie’s soft lips for a moment before nodding excitedly. “Yeah, yeah let’s do that.”

It wasn’t long before their friendly kissing turned into friendly hand jobs and blow jobs and finally, totally platonic , totally casual sex. Eddie had done, well, research via the smallest section of the adult video store. It wasn’t perfect the first time or even the second time but by the third time they fucked, they both were hooked on the feeling. Everything felt right. Everything felt damn good. Everything also felt absolutely terrifying. 

During a casual kickback with Eddie’s bandmates, Robin, and Vickie, the both of them got a little too drunk and a little too obvious. Everyone watched with confused looks as they cuddled on the couch, fed each other snacks, and the real kicker…shotgunned smoke into each other’s mouths from the bowl they passed around. When Steve got up to pee, Robin promptly followed him. 

She cornered him the second he left the bathroom. “What the hell is going on?” She demanded. 

“Uh…I had to pee, Robin,” Steve giggled. 

She shoved his shoulder and narrowed her eyes. “Between you and Munson.”

Steve’s face dropped. “What do you mean?”

Robin leaned back and raised her eyebrow. “Is something happening between you two?”

Steve’s heart rate picked up. “Why would you say that? We’re best friends, Robin.”

Robin’s lips lifted into a sarcastic smirk. “Right. Because you would totally blow smoke into my mouth if I asked you to right now.”

Steve’s eyes grow wide. “Robin! Eddie is right there!”

Robin’s jaw dropped and she pointed an accusatory finger, “You didn’t even say Vickie, my girlfriend! You said Eddie! You would be worried about Eddie seeing!”

Steve shushed her and pulled her further down the hallway. “You’re so fucking loud,” He seethed. 

Robin shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Harrington. You’re upgrading from gay ally to full-on‒”

“Shut UP!” Steve whispered loudly. “That’s not what this is!”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s…” Steve trailed off and furrowed his brow. “It’s…” He was too crossfaded to try and come up with an actual answer that would remedy this situation. He rubbed the palms of his hands into his eyes and groaned quietly. 

Robin put a hand on Steve’s arm and shushed him right back. “Steve. It’s okay. I won’t say anything.”

Steve kept his face covered as he mumbled, “Is it that obvious?”

Robin let out a small laugh before clearing her throat. “Maybe just to me. It’s not wrong , Steve.”

Steve groaned quietly again. “I know it’s not. It’s just…It’s just!”

“He’s your friend. You’re worried about it. I understand.”

Steve dropped his hands and looked at Robin with such desperate sadness that Robin wanted to wrap him in a blanket. But she settled for a hug and he squeezed her back tightly. Steve didn’t bother to ask if she would promise to not say anything. He knew she'd been in this boat before. It seemed to work out well for her and that left a small pang in his heart. They returned to the group and Steve didn’t even shy away from Eddie’s continued, crossfaded affection. “ Let them look ,” Steve thought. “ I like Eddie’s attention.”

It eventually felt so comfortable to them that they showed affection just about anywhere. Holding hands, walking with their arms wrapped around the other’s shoulders, whispering things into the other’s ear to make them laugh. It got them plenty of stares, sure, but it didn’t matter so much after a while. The kids also started calling them “Mom and Dad” and that felt nice too, even if Steve was the one referred to as “Mom”.

Steve looked over at Eddie during these moments and pictured his future rewritten. A future where instead of Nancy Wheeler or some other nice girl sitting passenger in their RV, Eddie Munson would be there. Eddie would be tucking kids into bed and reading them stories. Eddie would be making road-trip trail mix and packing a cooler with water bottles and juice boxes. Eddie as his life partner, the constant variable throughout anything. It no longer felt so scary to think about it. The fact that it wasn’t scary to think about in and of itself was scary but Steve has handled scary before. 

After about a year of this friendly affection, Steve and Eddie were making out at Skull Rock, a favorite pastime of theirs, when Steve stopped them. Eddie’s face was a little concerned but he just assumed that Steve was probably hungry and wanted to go grab some food. But as he watched Steve have the same face he had the first time they kissed, Eddie’s heart dropped. 

“Steve?” He asked timidly. 

Steve bit his bottom lip and stared at his hands. He picked some fuzz off his denim jeans and stayed silent for a long time. “Eddie…”

“You’re freaking me out a bit dude,” Eddie said.

Steve reached over and held Eddie’s hand. Eddie immediately intertwined their fingers and rubbed his thumb over Steve’s. Steve sighed. “What are we doing?” 

Eddie tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Steve rubbed his sneaker into the dirt beneath them. “Us. What is this?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie answered honestly. 

Steve gazed up at Eddie’s beautiful brown eyes. His eyes were always so kind and soft. Even when he was scared or mad, his eyes would still be a comforting feature of his face. “I don’t know either,” Steve admitted. 

Eddie looked down at their hands, looked around the forest, and finally back at Steve. “I kind of thought that was the point. That we didn’t know. But we were going to do it anyway,” Eddie shrugged. 

The words didn’t sit well with Steve even though they were probably his words too at some point. “I feel like this has been going on too long for us to not know,” Steve said. 

Eddie tilted his head from side to side like he was considering his options before he finally nodded. “You’re probably right. But who cares? I mean, the gang knows, and they’re what’s important. Everyone else can fuck off.” 

Steve nodded but then his eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah but…Eddie, I’m not seeing anyone else.”

Eddie let out a small laugh. “And you think I am? When I’m not fixing cars at work, my tongue is down your throat.”

Steve’s face scrunched up at the crude expression. “So if I’m not seeing anyone and you’re not seeing anyone…” Steve started.

“Just spit it out, Steve,” Eddie’s voice had a little tremor in it. 

“Shouldn’t we just be dating?” Steve exclaims and jumps a little at the volume of his own voice bouncing off the trees. 

Eddie was taken aback. He honestly thought he was seconds away from being dumped. Well, dumped in the most liberal of terms because they weren’t together . But now…now they could be. And the words were said by Steve, no less! Eddie blinked at Steve and his contemplative silence only made Steve freak out more. 

“I mean‒we don’t‒fuck, Eddie. You’re my best friend. If this is not what you want, we can go back to being friends‒like actual friends who don’t kiss each other. It won’t be weird‒” Steve’s rambling is cut off by a chaste kiss on his lips. 

“Steve. Do you want to be my boyfriend?” Eddie asked.

Steve sighed happily. “Yes.”

“Then it’s settled,” Eddie smiled. 

And that’s how things were with Eddie. Easy, easy, easy. Like a Sunday morning. Steve showed up at Eddie’s trailer a week later and handed him a wrapped rectangle. A mixtape. The title of the mixtape was “Do you want to be my boyfriend?” which Eddie laughed at. 

“Steve, you’re already my boyfriend,” Eddie pointed out. 

“Well, technically , I never asked you. So I’m asking now,” Steve grinned. 

Eddie kissed Steve’s cheek. “Yes, you sap. I’ll be your boyfriend.”

That’s how they spent their early twenties: together and easily. Once they had enough money from their respective jobs, Steve and Eddie moved into a townhouse near downtown. Steve’s parents helped with the move and quickly realized it only had one bedroom. Steve knew it wasn’t the most gentle way of explaining himself and it took a lot of conversations with his parents to get them to understand. Eddie would listen in from the other room as Steve explained their relationship. 

“What about that Wheeler girl?” His father said.

Steve shook his head with a small laugh. “Been dating Jonathan Byers for like three years, Dad. We’re just friends.”

His mom wrung her hands in her lap. “Stevie…the outside world…they’re not kind to folks like you and Eddie.”

Steve sighed. “I know they aren’t. But we’re grownups now, we can handle it.”

Eddie giggled to himself from the other room at the mention of the pairing being grownups .

“Well. I trust you know what you’re doing and what kind of image you’re putting out there,” His dad said. It was a typical, seemingly emotionless, Randall Harrington response. Steve took that as a good sign. 

His mom still looked nervous so Steve made room between her and his father to pull her into a hug. “You don’t have to worry about anything,” Steve said. “Eddie’s a nice boy.”

Eddie giggled at that too. Steve heard it this time and cracked a smile. 

His mom nodded. “He did change my oil last week for free.”

“See!” Steve responded. “I’m good here. Safe. Happy.”

It wasn’t the first conversation and it wouldn’t be the last but eventually, the Harringtons came around and accepted Eddie as one of their own. They even went to a Corroded Coffin concert.

Just one. Exactly one. The gesture was sweet, though. 

The townhouse is where they held the kids’ graduation party a few years later. Steve didn’t stop blubbering the entire day. Eddie bought boxes of Kleenex the week before and replaced them periodically throughout the day. Steve and Eddie tried their hand at cooking a boxed cake. After accidentally forgetting the eggs and ruining their one and only pan, they bought a large sheet cake instead.

The kids’ parents carefully watched Eddie and Steve along with Robin and Vickie interact and the only person that didn’t connect the dots was probably Mr. Wheeler but no one really expected him to anyway. Still, everyone behaved nicely about it and that’s all you can ask for sometimes. 

Mrs. Henderson was cleaning dishes with Eddie later on while everyone else played a rather loud and competitive game of Twister in the living room. Eddie scrubbed off some chocolate cake from a plate when Mrs. Henderson put a hand on his shoulder. Eddie looked up at her. She gave him a kind smile. 

“Thank you for taking care of my boy. You and Steve are great role models for him. I just know he’s going to miss you both when he’s off at school this fall,” Mrs. Henderson’s face got a little sad mentioning Dustin going to college. Eddie wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and pulled Mrs. Henderson in for a deep hug. 

“Hey thank you for raising such a good kid. I think he’s more of a role model to us than we are to him, but I’ll take it,” Eddie said. 

“A fair warning: I’m sure Dustin is going to crash on that couch of yours right up until the end of the summer,” Mrs. Henderson said. 

Eddie laughed and rubbed her back. “We figured as much. There are already 3-Musketeers bars in the freezer.” 

Mrs. Henderson pulled back and let out a tearful laugh. “You know he refers to Steve as ‘mom’ more than he does me sometimes?”

“Nothing about that sentence shocks me,” Eddie grinned. “Steve would be thrilled. He’s always wanted kids.”

Mrs. Henderson dropped her arms and pursed her lips in thought. “Well… I’m not really sure how it works but…maybe you two can find a surrogate one day.” 

Eddie’s eyes bulged out of his head and he sputtered a shocked laugh before clearing his throat. “We’re definitely not there, Mrs. Henderson. But I’ll keep it in mind.” 

Mrs. Henderson nodded and went back to drying. Eddie ran the idea through his head for the rest of the night. 

Steve blew up an air mattress and laid out sleeping bags for the kids who can’t fit onto it or the couch. It’s a set-up he’s used to making, seeing as the kids seem to forget that their real parents have nice cozy beds for them to be in at night. The newly graduated seniors spread themselves out and pass out the leftover snacks between them. Steve leaned against the banister of the stairs and just watched them lovingly for a few minutes before Max called him weird. He sighed, bid them their goodnights, and went upstairs to the bedroom. He pretended not to hear drinks being poured and cans opening. Ignorance is bliss and all that. 

Steve changed into a t-shirt and boxers before dramatically flopping onto the bed next to Eddie. Eddie laughed and put down the magazine he was reading. “Long day, honey?” 

“How do I end up parenting kids whose parents are literally standing in the same room?” Steve asked. 

“Because you have “need to help with everything” disease and it’s incurable,” Eddie answered plainly. Steve playfully hit his stomach before getting himself comfortable under the covers. Eddie pulled him closer so he was the big spoon. Eddie tapped indistinguishable rhythms into Steve’s stomach while Steve rested his hands on top. 

“Speaking of kids…” Eddie started. 

“You’re expecting?” Steve gasped. “But we used protection!”

“Shut up!” Eddie laughed. “I was talking to Mrs. Henderson during Twister and I thought about how you’ve said before that you’ve always wanted a little gang of small Harringtons running around.”

Steve lifted Eddie’s arms off him before turning around to face him. His brows furrowed, silently telling Eddie to continue. Eddie sighed. “I just…I don’t know how to feel about kids. The rugrats are fine, I love them to bits, but I can’t imagine having kids of my own.”

Steve nodded, mulling over the words. “Are you worried this will change how I feel about you?”

Eddie’s expression was enough of an answer. Steve scooted closer so their legs were intertwined and started running his hands through Eddie’s hair.

“Is it because of your dad?” Steve asked. Eddie nodded.

“Do you want to know what I think? I think that your dad did what he could but that was still the bare minimum. I can see how that would deter you from having kids of your own but I don’t see your father. Or your uncle. I see you, Eddie. Caring, loving, Edward James Munson.”

Eddie’s face scrunched up at the mention of his full name but he didn’t say anything so Steve continued. “I don’t need kids tomorrow. Hell, I don’t even know how I’ll get them. But if you’re worried that your hesitation will make me feel any less love for you, you are sorely mistaken.” 

“Mrs. Henderson recommended a surrogate,” Eddie said. 

Steve’s eyes bulged out of his head. Eddie pointed at him. “That’s exactly the face I made!” 

Steve shook the expression off his face and cupped Eddie’s jaw. “I don’t know what our future holds. I just know that you’re in mine and hopefully, I’m in yours.”

“Oh um…I was kind of hoping for Harrison Ford but you’ll do,” Eddie grinned. 

Steve pinched his cheek and Eddie yelped. “As I was saying , we don’t need answers right now. I like our life as it is and I love you so let’s just start there.”

Eddie grabbed his face and kissed him, hard. “Thank you for saying all of that. I love you too, sweetheart.” 

“You know some people say I look like Harrison Ford,” Steve raised his eyebrows.

Eddie bit down a laugh and said, “Uh huh, yeah. I see it.”

Steve frowned. “You don’t see it.”

Eddie kissed him again and that remedied the problem for now. 

Corroded Coffin maybe wasn’t the sound for Hawkins but they played a show in Chicago by pulling some strings with somebody’s friend of a friend and the crowd loved them. Steve watched as an important-looking man came up to the band after the show and said something to them that made them bounce and cheer. Eddie rushed over and pulled Steve into such a blinding kiss that Steve’s legs got a little weak. 

“He wants to sign us! Stevie, someone wants to sign us and have us play gigs around the city!” Eddie nearly screeched. 

Steve jumped with him. “That’s amazing! See! I told you Hawkins was too close-minded.”

Eddie and Steve spent the night celebrating with the other bandmates and getting entirely too drunk but it was worth it. Anything Eddie wanted the rest of the weekend, he got. Including some very attentive, very mind-blowing sex courtesy of his doting boyfriend. 

“Just one more, rockstar, I know you’ve got it in you,” Steve said, lowering his mouth back onto Eddie’s cock. And well, how could Eddie say no to that?

The real aftermath of the weekend in Chicago was on the drive back. Steve was peacefully driving through Indiana highways, through the wheat and cornfields that stretched for miles, when it hit him. He looked over at Eddie who was zonked out and snoring a little loud.

He thought about how Corroded Coffin will probably just get more popular. He thought about how Eddie would have to move to Chicago. He thought about going to bed every night by himself and calling Eddie on the phone instead of being near him. His heart twisted in a way that made him want to rip it out. Steve tried to just focus on the highway in front of him and not cry.

Eddie stirred awake when Steve stopped for gas a couple of hours out from Hawkins. He made faces at him through the window until he noticed and rolled his eyes. Eddie stretched, got out of the car, and shook out his limbs. He thought about wrapping his arms around Steve while he pumped gas but seeing as they were in the middle of nowhere Indiana, it was probably not the greatest idea. He decided to get them slushies instead. 

As they sipped their drinks back on the highway, Eddie noticed that Steve was quieter than usual. When Steve put his drink down, Eddie grabbed his hand over the center console. Steve glanced down and grabbed Eddie’s back, but didn’t say anything else. 

“Do you want me to drive? I know I’ve been kinda lazy this trip but I can knock out the last few hours if you want.” Eddie tried.

Steve shook his head. “No, I need to focus on something. This helps.”

Eddie eyed him suspiciously. “I’ve never known Steve Harrington ‘needing to focus’ on anything ever.”

Not even a smile. Not even a sarcastic quip about how Eddie graduated high school at 20. Just more silence. Eddie raised their hands to his mouth and kissed each one of Steve’s knuckles. 

“What’s going on? Why are you being so mopey?” 

Steve shrugged. “Lot to think about, I guess.”

“Do these thoughts involve me?” Eddie asked. 

“Yes.”

“Are they happy thoughts?” 

“Depends.”

“Depends?”

Steve leaned back in his seat and looked over at Eddie who grew increasingly more worried. Steve thought for a moment before saying “You know I support you and your band, right?”

“Yes. You’re our favorite groupie.” Steve was their only groupie. 

“You know I’m stoked about your record deal and your new gigs, right?”
“Steve. You're killing me, dude. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know if I can stay away from you that long,” He blurted out. “Which is selfish and stupid‒”

“Woah,” Eddie interrupted. “Who said anything about us being apart?”

“Well…you’d be there and I’d be stuck in boring little Hawkins. That’s pretty far apart if you ask me.”

“You wouldn’t come with me?” Eddie asked. His voice was faint.

Steve blinked. “Come with you?”

“Yeah. I figured you’d want to. We could get a place up there if it ends up being permanent.”

Steve wanted to punch himself. He never even considered the possibility that he could join Eddie on this journey. “We’d have to end the townhouse lease early.”

“That’s fine.”

“We’d have to say goodbye to everyone.”

“Not forever. There are still holidays.”

“I’d have to quit Family Video.”

“You should have years ago.”

Steve finally relaxed a bit. He squeezed Eddie’s hand and his lips perked up. “Wow. You and me. In the big city.”

Eddie grinned. “That’s the spirit! I can’t believe you thought I’d leave you behind!”

“I didn’t think‒ well, that’s not true. I did think that. Who wants boring ol’ Family Video Steve when you can have fame and fortune?”

Eddie blew a raspberry with his mouth. “Who cares about all that? It would all suck if you weren’t backstage with me every step of the way. Of course, you can have your own life but‒”

“Let’s be honest here, Munson, what fucking life?” Steve laughed. 

Eddie laughed too and paused. “The kids are in college, we don’t live with our family, we’re young and we’re hot. We might as well go dick around in Chicago.”

“Poetic,” Steve deadpanned. 

“I only speak from the heart,” Eddie sat a little straighter and dramatically looked out the window. Steve looked at him and rolled his eyes fondly. 

Not every moment was easy. The place they get in Chicago off of the very limited savings between the two of them is not…fantastic. Steve put on a brave face but Eddie still heard him (and he would deny this if Eddie ever said anything) shriek every time he saw a cockroach.

Steve spent his days sitting outside the recording studio or backstage at gigs circling every job ad in the newspaper that could even remotely pertain to him. He made calls, he went down to these places to hand in his resume and shake the manager’s hands, but still, no one wanted to hire him. Eddie tried to be optimistic, as he normally is, but the exhaustion of his new lifestyle weighed on him too. It was a lot of long nights, a lot of drinking and weed after shows, and not very much sleep. 

Eddie came back drunk from a show while Steve was screaming expletives at the sink whose pipe burst and was spraying the entire kitchen. He’s doing everything he can with the towels and tools at his disposal but it’s a big, big mess. Eddie stumbled into the kitchen and laughed. Full belly laughed. Steve started seeing red. 

“Opening a water park, are we sweetheart?” Eddie joked, kicking his foot through a puddle and splashing Steve’s face. Steve’s jaw locked. Eddie giggled. “Oops!”

“Eddie, if you’re not going to be helpful right now, I’m really gonna need you to find another place to be,” Steve said with as much patience as he could muster. 

Eddie pouted and kept splashing water. “You sound like your dad.”

Steve whipped his head around and threw up his hands. “Well, when I have to take care of a child , it just pops out.”

Eddie blinked and tried to stand straighter. “What did you say?”

Steve pursed his lips and muttered, “Nothing.”

“No, what did you say?”

“It’s nothing, Eddie. Just let me take care of this.”

Eddie leaned up against the fridge and crossed his arms. “Why are you mad at me right now?”

“I’m not‒” Steve stuttered. “Just. Leave me alone, please.”

“Fine. Sorry to try and turn things around. Not every moment has to be so serious‒”

“Well, not every moment has to be a fucking bit either!” Steve shouted. Eddie flinched and Steve sank lower to the floor. The silence in the room was deafening. Steve grunted and tried to move around a sopping wet towel to soak up more even though he knew it wasn’t helpful.

Eddie stared at him, the room was spinning a bit, but he could feel himself sobering up fast. He stumbled over to the sink, knelt in front, and adjusted a wrench. With a few tugs, the water spray stopped. Steve sighed. Eddie got up and walked out of the room.

Steve put the wet towels in the basin and tried to dry the floor with an old mop. Steve heard the shower going, which he knew was not the brightest move seeing as all of their towels are currently in use, but he let Eddie cool off anyway. Steve grabbed an old, ratty blanket from the closet and quietly put it on the bathroom counter. 

Steve changed into dry clothes and crawled into bed. He pretended to be asleep when Eddie came out of the bathroom but he did peek an eye open to see if he used the blanket. It was wrapped around him.

With that knowledge, he closed his eyes again and tried to steady his breathing. He heard Eddie putz around the room, grabbing whatever comfortable clothes he could find first, and gently, oh so gently , crawled into bed next to Steve. 

“My uncle said it’s not good to go to bed angry,” Eddie whispered. 

Okay, so Steve’s acting was not as good as he thought it was. He turned over and stared at Eddie leaning up against the headboard. Eddie’s arms are still crossed and he’s not acknowledging Steve. Steve groaned, flipped the bedside table lamp on, and sat up with Eddie. 

“I’m sorry I shouted. It was not cool of me,” Steve said. 

“You were stressed,” Eddie muttered. 

“I was. But that’s no reason to act like a dick.”

Eddie looked at him then and his eyes were puffy like he had been crying. Steve immediately pulled Eddie into his embrace and Eddie slowly snuggled his face into Steve’s neck. Steve ran his fingers through Eddie’s damp curls and that seemed to calm Eddie down. 

“Are you happy here?” Eddie asked. 

Steve hesitated. “Here with you? Yes. Here in Chicago? I don’t know.”

Eddie sniffled so Steve went from combing to holding Eddie closer. “I’m sorry. I know I drink and party too much after shows. I know I come home in a state of mess every day. I know I’m too tired to do much around here. I’m fucking everything up.”

“Hey, hey Woah. You’re not fucking anything up. You’re adjusting.” Steve said. 

“Poorly,” Eddie added. 

“Well. I am too,” Steve muttered. 

“What would make Steve happy?” Eddie asked. 

“I wish I knew,” Steve replied. 

“When you figure it out, let me know,” Eddie whispered, his voice tired. 

“You don’t make me unhappy, baby.”

“Okay,” Eddie’s tone was not convincing. 

“I’m serious,” Steve muttered against his temple, pressing soft kisses onto his bangs. “Let me figure things out. I’ll adjust here and you will adjust here and we’ll make it work.”

Eddie nodded and shifted his body to silently tell Steve to lay down. Steve stared at the ceiling all night while Eddie snored on his chest. 

Make it work. Make it work. Make it work. Steve’s brain repeated incessantly. 

Eventually, Steve got a job as a basketball coach at a local high school. He was scared shitless, not having played basketball on a team in nearly a decade, but it came more naturally than he thought. It was nice to put passion into something and the teenagers welcomed him with open arms.

Eddie saw how happy Steve suddenly became and it made his heart soar. Corroded Coffin had just released their first album and they were going on a small U.S. tour. Eddie approached Steve with this news cautiously but Steve was elated for him. 

“Are you sure?” Eddie asked after Steve finally put him down from his spinning hug. 

“Am I sure? Baby, I’m so excited for you!” Steve exclaimed. 

“Will you be okay here, by yourself?” Eddie studied his eyes to see any moments of hesitation but he found none.

“I’ll be okay. It’s only a few weeks, right?” 

Eddie nodded and Steve kissed him tenderly. Eddie left the next week but before he walked out the front door, he took his guitar pick necklace off his neck and placed it over Steve’s head. Tears welled up in Steve’s eyes and Eddie hushed him. 

“Don’t you start sweetheart or I’m gonna cry too,” Eddie’s voice broke against his own wishes. 

“Get outta here. I love you. I’ll miss you,” Steve kissed his forehead again and gave him a playful smack on his ass. Eddie squeaked and returned the favor. 

“I love you too. I’ll call you when we get to the hotel.”

Tour was amazing for Corroded Coffin. They played at small clubs and bars throughout the northeast and even some of the rugrats came to shows. The crowds were sizable and he loved meeting fans by the tour bus every night. Eddie finally met the alleged “Suzie” that Dustin hadn’t stopped talking about for years. 

“I thought you made her up,” Eddie whispered only for Dustin to hear. 

Dustin hit his chest and pouted. “What a long fucking lie to hold up, Munson.”

Eddie grinned ear to ear and wrapped his arm around Dustin’s shoulders. “I’m happy for ya, man.”

“I’m going to ask her to marry me,” Dustin blurted out, frantically looking around to see if Suzie was in earshot. She wasn’t but Dustin still spoke faintly. Well, as faintly as someone like Dustin Henderson can speak. 

“No way dude!” Eddie shook Dustin’s shoulders and jumped on his heels. “That’s amazing! Did you buy the rock already?”

“Shhh. Keep it down, Munson. Yes, I have the ring. I’m going to wait until the spring when it’s all flowery outside.” Dustin couldn’t compress his grin. 

“Mad romantic, dude,” Eddie sing-songs. 

“What are you two smiling about?” Suzie walked up with her tonic water and raised a suspicious eyebrow. 

“Dungeons and Dragons.” Eddie blurted out. “Lord of the Rings.” Dustin blurted out. 

“Lord of the Rings.” Dustin blurted out. “Dungeons and Dragons.” Eddie blurted out. 

Suzie looked unamused. When she said “Yes” in the spring, Steve didn’t stop crying for three days. Eddie knew then and there that he was not getting the title of “best man” but he did look forward to seeing Steve in a suit. 

“Mmm, Eddie,” Steve panted into the phone. His hand was down his boxers, wrapped around his incredibly hard cock. 

“Just like that, sweetheart. God, I can’t wait to be buried inside you again,” Eddie moaned. “Can you do something for me?”

Steve could hardly think but he said a strained “Yes” anyway. 

“Put three fingers in your mouth and pretend you’re sucking me off,” Eddie commanded. Steve whined and followed his instructions. He made sure the way he sucked on his fingers was audible enough for Eddie to hear.

And by the noises Eddie was making, he knew he was passing with flying colors. 

“Christ,” Eddie moaned. “You’re a natural-born cocksucker, you know that? Always look so pretty for me‒”

Steve whimpered so loud that Eddie broke off his sentence with a surprised chuckle. “Yeah, do you like it when I call you pretty, sweetheart? I miss your pretty little noises, your pretty eyes, your pretty lips, your pretty cock, your pretty ass ‒”

Steve moaned around his fingers. Eddie ground his hips into the hotel mattress with his hand also wrapped around his cock, trying to imagine Steve beneath him. “Okay, take your fingers out,” Eddie grunted. “Now, stick them between your legs and start opening yourself up for me.”

He heard Steve’s fingers come out of his mouth with a “pop” before Steve said, “Fuck, Eddie.”

“Go ahead, do as you’re told,” Eddie’s voice was playfully assertive and god, Steve loved when Eddie was like this. He put the phone between his shoulder and his ear and began to open himself up.

It was still a little dry so he poured some lube onto his hand and Eddie groaned at the familiar noise. Steve started slowly, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, while his sweaty chest heaved. His noises were whiny, desperate, and absolute fuel to Eddie’s fire. 

“That’s it, pretty boy, just how I do it.”

“Eddie‒”

“Take your hand off your cock.”

Steve’s eyes shoot open. “What?”

“Off. Come on your fingers alone.”

Steve moaned, high-pitched and breathy but did as he was told. He repositioned his legs to really dig deeper and curled into his prostate with a long groan. 

“Jesus‒fuck. I’m going to bury myself in you for days , sweetheart. You won’t be able to walk. The second I get home, you’re mine and mine alone. Understood?” Eddie’s voice was dark and breathy. His hand had a relentless rhythm on his cock now but he was not about to come until Steve did. 

“Yes. Please, yes. Eddie‒”

“You wanna let go?”

Steve made a hopeless noise and Eddie grinned. “Let go for me, sweetheart.”

He did. With a long groan of Eddie’s name. Eddie followed right behind, groaning into and then biting his pillow. He cleaned off his hand and settled breathlessly onto the mattress. No one spoke for a while, just listened to each other’s hard breathing. 

“These six weeks are starting to feel like six years,” Eddie finally said. 

“I miss you,” Steve said.

“I miss you too. This empty bed…it sucks.”

“You’re telling me,” Steve yawned. 

“I have a random question. Do you still have my vest from high school? I know it’s been years but‒”

Steve chuckled softly. Eddie furrowed his brow. “What’s so funny?”

“Eddie, baby, I wear your vest to bed every night. I even spray your cologne on it every once in a while.”

Eddie’s heart squeezed tightly against his ribcage. “That’s…shit, that’s fucking cute,” He said. Then, after a minute, “Did you just jerk off while wearing my vest?”

Steve clicked his tongue. Eddie let out a long groan into his pillow which made Steve blush. “Fucking hell that’s hot. You’re so hot. I’m dying out here.”

Steve sighed in agreement, taking a small whiff of the collar. “Eight days. We gotta get through eight more days.”

But it wasn’t eight more days. Steve had been saving money to buy a plane ticket to Eddie’s last tour stop as a surprise. He wore the vest, of course, and stood amongst the crowd with nervous energy and a beer in his hand. It’s the longest he had been apart from Eddie since before they were even friends and the anticipation to see his man again was swallowing him whole.

The band came out on stage and the crowd went wild. 

“Well, hello Indianapolis! We’re Corroded Coffin. Are you ready to fucking rock?” Gareth screamed into the mic but Steve didn’t hear it. He was looking at Eddie. 

It wasn’t until their second song that Eddie even made it to the part of the stage Steve was standing in front of. Eddie shredded his solo, looked up at the crowd, and his eyes went wide.

Steve wooed as Eddie’s mouth dropped. He missed a note or two and muttered “Fuck” to himself before getting back on track. He had a dopey grin on his face for the rest of the set. He didn’t take his eyes off Steve and used every moment he could to get closer to him. The rest of his bandmates noticed and playfully rolled their eyes. 

In their last song of the night, Eddie took over the mic and said, “This one's for all the looooovebirds out there. Sweetheart, I fucking love you!” Eddie winked. The crowd looked around and cheered while Steve’s face grew bright red. The beginning notes of Kiss’s song “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” played and Eddie took over being the lead singer.

Not that Eddie didn’t sing around Steve but this is the first time Steve witnessed genuine vocal talent from him and he was blown away. Steve jumped, cheered, and sang at the top of his lungs while Eddie took control of the entire concert.

He made his way to the center of the crowd, right up against the barricades, and Eddie leaned his body forward until it was looming over Steve. The mic stand was inches away from Steve’s face. It took everything in Steve to not press up onto his toes and kiss him. 

“I can’t get enough of you, baby, can you get enough of me?” Eddie sang. “I was made for lovin' you, baby. You were made for lovin' me. And I can give it all to you, baby. Can you give it all to me ?” Eddie smirked before leaning back. Steve’s never been so turned on in his goddamn life. 

They closed out their set, the crowd dispersed, and Steve wandered around the bar frantically looking for a backstage door. When he finally found it, Steve was met with a burly bodyguard and a small hoard of women. “Uh, hi,” Steve said. “I’m with Eddie Munson.”

The guy looked Steve up and down and said, “Uh huh. You and all of them.” He gestured to the women behind him who were bouncing on their heels. 

“Oh my god! It’s the guy Eddie sang to!” One of them shouted.

“Please tell me Eddie is not a queer!” One of them whined. 

“Can you get us in with them?” One of them asked. 

Steve peered over the crowd confused and impressed at their persistence. He chuckled nervously and said, “I guess I can’t.”

The women pouted and stood around, jumping every time the door behind security would open. Steve jumped a little too but did indeed separate himself from the women. He went back up to the man and said, in a very soft voice, “I’m actually Eddie Munson’s boyfriend. Can I please go back there?”

The guy laughed. “Just because you’re a dude doesn’t mean the “I’m dating him” card is going to work.”

“I’m serious!” Steve pleaded. 

“I applaud your efforts but you’re going to have to wait like the rest of them.”

Steve huffed and leaned up against the wall. All of this, a night of watching his sexy boyfriend play an incredible show, and he has to wait with the groupies to even see him. Finally, the door opened and Corroded Coffin came out. The women screamed and clamored to get close to them, pushing Steve out of the way. 

“Hey!” Steve shouted. 

Eddie laughed and made his way carefully through the crowd. These women were grabbing onto him like he was a tree to be climbed and Steve was scared for a moment that he would get dragged down into the crowd. 

“Ladies, ladies!” Eddie shouted. “I’m glad you liked the show and there are three very straight men behind me who would love to show you a good time. But right now, my boyfriend’s here and I’m going to show him a good time.” 

Steve put a hand over his mouth to laugh behind when the women whined and eventually let go of him. Eddie beelined to Steve, pulled his hand off his face, and kissed him so sensually up against the wall of this dirty bar. Steve leaned into it, only a little nervous that someone would beat them up for this, but the feeling of Eddie’s lips on his again was enough to calm those nerves. Some of the women huffed and some of them awed but none of them mattered anymore. Steve pulled back, holding Eddie’s face in his hands, and whispered “Is that eyeliner?”

Eddie chuckled. “Yeah.”

Steve let out a deep exhale through his teeth and responded, “Yeah. Okay. We’re leaving.” Steve pulled Eddie’s hand through the bar and they ran down the block to Steve’s hotel, stopping at a couple of points to make out because they couldn’t fucking resist. 

“Steve, I needed you in a bed like yesterday,” Eddie panted up against his lips.

“Right. Right. Let’s go.”

They stumbled into the hotel room and Steve had Eddie up against the door in seconds. He was hurriedly taking off Eddie’s jackets and shirt while Eddie just gripped his hips and stared at him with those big brown eyes. Once the top layers were gone, Steve put his knee in between Eddie’s legs and kissed down his throat.

Eddie exhaled, happy and content. Steve’s hands roamed his chest while he sucked bruises into Eddie’s taut skin. 

“Mad at how clean your skin is,” Steve mumbled. 

“Clean?” Eddie shook his head. He was sweaty and disgusting from the show. His boyfriend was delusional. 

“No marks to be seen anywhere. No wonder those girls thought you were single,” Steve huffed, sucking a deep hickey into Eddie’s collarbone. 

Eddie let out a nervous laugh. “They did not like me kissing you in that hallway.”

Steve pulled back with a smirk on his face. “Oh no, are you gonna lose a few fans tonight?” His tone was full of fake pity. 

Eddie narrowed his eyes. “I think someone’s jealous.”

Steve dove back in, his kisses trailing down to one of Eddie’s nipples. Pierced, of course, a few years back. Steve kissed the little metal bar before wrapping his mouth around it and making Eddie choke on his breath. His ringed hand went straight to Steve’s hair, tugged, and Steve moaned into Eddie’s skin. Steve’s tongue made lazy circles before his teeth, very carefully, pulled on the bar. Eddie’s head hit the door with an audible smack and a loud groan. Steve chuckled a little before continuing his path to Eddie’s other nipple. The other one was not forgotten though. Steve’s fingers twiddled with the bar and Eddie seeped into pure sensation.

Eddie remembered when he told Steve he was going to get his nipples pierced.  

Steve’s eyes went wide and his mouth dropped. “You can do that?”

“Of course, you can,” Eddie said flatly. 

Steve’s eyes wandered to Eddie’s chest and even though he was wearing a shirt that covered them, he still gulped a little too loud. Eddie clicked his tongue and smirked. 

“Do you like the idea of that, sweetheart?” Eddie said, stepping into Steve’s space. 

Steve’s eyes flashed back up to Eddie. He gave a small nod. “I’m not sure how it’ll look but something tells me you can pull it off,” Steve said. He reached his hand out and played with the diamond earring on Eddie’s earlobe to prove his point. 

“Steve, sweetheart, please ,” Eddie begged. His stomach trembled under Steve’s lips as they dragged open kisses and licks throughout. Steve trailed over faded scars from Vecna and gave those a little nip. Eddie groaned through his teeth, jaw set, scared of biting through his tongue. Steve went to unbuckle Eddie’s belt but Eddie squirmed under him. 

“No way I’m getting completely undressed before you even take off your shoes,” Eddie panted. Steve laughed, bringing his face back up to Eddie’s, and kissing him languid against the door. Eddie used the grip on Steve’s hair to back them up to the edge of the bed, knocking them over when Steve’s knees hit the mattress. Eddie straddled Steve’s lap and pulled Steve up by the collar of his denim vest. 

“Fuck, you look so good in this vest. I can’t believe I haven’t seen this on you in ages,” Eddie groans, relishing in the sight below him. 

Steve chuckled, kissing Eddie’s chest again. “Don’t say ages , you make us sound so old.”

Eddie chuckled back, slowly removing the vest and Steve’s shirt, to see his guitar pick still hanging off his neck. He traced the chain with his finger before wrapping it around and pulling Steve even closer. Steve’s head tilted back obediently, looking up at Eddie with absolute desperation and lust. Eddie let out a low whistle under his breath. 

“Oh, you’re just perfect. Always so perfect,” Eddie muttered huskily. “We have six weeks to make up for, are you ready?”

Steve pulled Eddie’s hips down, rubbing their clothed boners together, making Eddie gasp. “Does that answer your question?” Steve whispered. 

Things move pretty fast after that. Their shoes, jeans, and underwear are in a bundle on the floor. Their hard cocks bounced against their stomachs as they jumbled around.

Steve ended up on top and went back to the original path he was working on at the door, sucking marks down Eddie’s chest and rubbing his hands down his inner thighs. Eddie’s sputtering breaths and Steve’s mouth are the only noises in the room.

J ust as Eddie thought Steve would take him in his mouth, Steve’s kisses trail even lower. He wrapped his arms around Eddie’s thighs and dove right in. 

“FUCK,” Eddie shouted, covering his face with his hands. Steve’s tongue was relentless, licking long and hard strokes, circling his hole, covering him in spit. Steve licked up, wrapping his lips around one of Eddie’s testicles which has Eddie moaning behind his hands. He made his way to the other one. When his tongue traveled back to his hole, he started to lick inside, shallowly fucking Eddie with his tongue. Eddie’s hands dropped into Steve’s hair, tugging him up from down under, and was met with a dazed man. Pupils blown, slow breaths, chin covered in spit. 

“Yeah, darling?” Steve drawled in a low voice. 

Eddie shook his head and said, “As much as I would love you down there, I need to touch you.” 

Steve crawled back up, nuzzling his head into Eddie’s neck. One of Eddie’s hands reached down and started stroking Steve’s cock leisurely. Steve choked on a moan and his breath against Eddie’s skin sent a shiver down his spine. 

“Was that your way of telling me you want to top?” Eddie whispered. 

“Actually. I know you said you wanted to be buried in me‒”

“I’m listening,” Eddie teased. 

Steve pulled his head back up and looked at his boyfriend. “Can you ride me?”

Eddie’s hand squeezed Steve’s cock reactively and Steve let out a long groan. “Fucking Christ, sweetheart. Yeah. Yes, I can ride you, absolutely I can.”

“Really? You don’t sound enthusiastic enough for me,” Steve quipped with a sarcastic, puzzled look. Eddie rolled his eyes.

Eddie’s hand pulled off of Steve and he pushed Steve into the mattress so he was laying on his back. Steve’s eyes widened at the fast movement and clutched to Eddie’s hips. 

“Lube?” Eddie breathed. 

“Already in the drawer.”

Eddie scoffed, astonished and amazed that this was happening tonight and that Steve prepared for it. As he grabbed the lube and a condom from the hotel bedside table, he thought about how he expected to get super crossfaded with his bandmates and pass out face down on his bed, alone and yearning. 

But instead, he’s pouring lube on his fingers and sticking them inside himself (easier than usual due to the help from Steve’s mouth). He looked down at his loving boyfriend whose eyes were glued to his hand, going in and out of himself, lips parted.

The boyfriend who came to his final show, wore his vest, and cheered the entire night. The boyfriend who could have given up on him the second he moved them away from their hometown or when things got hard or when it felt like the world was against them. 

Steve was there, with Eddie, as he’s been for the last seven years. Naked except for Eddie’s guitar pick hanging from his neck. Eddie felt his chest tightening and it wasn’t from the penetration. Steve rolled the condom on himself, dribbled some more lube, and waited with bated breath for Eddie to be ready. Eddie rose to his knees, positioned himself, and ever so slowly lowered himself. 

The men both moaned deep from within their throats. Eddie took Steve inch by inch as Steve’s nails dug into the skin on his hips. Eddie leaned forward as he bottomed out and kissed Steve with all the passion he had. Steve moaned into his mouth and Eddie made sure to stick his tongue inside those parted lips.

Eddie kept kissing Steve with such energy and heat until he felt his body becoming adjusted. Eddie disconnected from Steve’s mouth and Steve’s head immediately tried to follow him.

Eddie giggled, flattered at Steve’s enthusiasm to keep kissing while Steve pouted. Eddie kissed his nose and grabbed both of his arms to put beside his head. He intertwined their fingers but when his hair fell all over Steve’s face, he groaned and fished his wrist for a hair tie. 

“Wait, let me,” Steve breathed. He leaned his torso up, taking the hair tie from Eddie, and gathering his hair in both of his hands. His fingers stroked through some tangles which had Eddie’s breath hitching. “Calm down, baby, I almost got it,” Steve muttered as he tied off the curls behind Eddie’s neck.

His hands traveled down Eddie’s back, leaving dull scratches in their wake. Eddie inhaled deeply and bit his lip. Steve gazed happily. It was silent as they took each other in. 

“I’m gonna ride you now, sweetheart,” Eddie said. 

“Please,” Steve begged. 

Eddie shifted around until he felt his knees were ready to help move his body up and down. It’s been a moment since he had been on top like this but the view from below was too good to back out now. Eddie moved at a slow pace, making Steve’s thrusts shallow.

He took Steve’s hands and intertwined them again next to his head. He hovered over Steve and their eye contact was intense yet endearing. 

“God, I’ve missed you,” Steve exhaled. 

Eddie nodded in agreement, his face contorting a bit as he took Steve deeper with each thrust. “I’m taking you on tour next time. I’ll give you my paycheck for all I care.”

Steve laughed then moaned when he bottomed out again within Eddie. Eddie focused on creating a good rhythm, hence the musician in him, while Steve did what he could to keep up. Eddie’s pace picked up and the loud noises came back. Grunts, moans, whines, all lyrical sonnets in this mattress in this random hotel in Indianapolis. 

“Baby‒fuck. Fuck,” Steve moaned. 

“Mhm,” was all Eddie could say. 

“You feel so good, so…tight. It’s criminal, really,” Steve huffed. 

“Criminal?” Eddie smiled. 

“Unmarked and tight. You basically become the Virgin Mary on this tour,” Steve said. 

Eddie barked out a laugh and pressed Steve’s hands harder into the pillows. Steve could feel the metal of Eddie’s rings pinching his skin and it felt good . “Thank God I have someone like you to steer me in the right direction,” Eddie said. 

Steve bucked his hips up with a grunt. Eddie cursed, biting the inside of his cheek as he felt his cock rub up against Steve’s stomach. His pre-cum ran down Steve’s naval and it was beautifully filthy. Eddie’s eyes closed shut, moving his head to whine into Steve’s mouth. Steve met him in the middle with a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss that felt right in that moment. 

“Sweetheart, I’m close,” Eddie groaned. 

“Me too.”

“I love you,” Eddie choked out. 

“I love you more.” 

Eddie started fucking with earnest. He could feel the burn in his thigh muscles as he dropped his body up and down Steve’s cock. His prostate rang alarms in his body. Every nerve felt like it was reaching under Eddie’s skin to get closer to Steve. 

Eddie clenched Steve with a pathetic moan, coming all over Steve’s chest. Steve gave a few more uncoordinated thrusts before he came too. Eddie lathered Steve’s face with kisses as they came down from their highs.

Eddie removed himself with a wince and settled into Steve’s side. Steve tied off the condom and tossed it into the trash can before pulling his boyfriend into his arms. They couldn’t be bothered with the mess on their skin right now. It was proof that they were together, sensually and passionately, even after all this time. 

Steve kissed Eddie’s sweaty forehead and sighed. Eddie made lazy figure eights into Steve’s bicep, his lips pressing faintly into his collarbone. Eddie’s eyes blinked into reality and he thought about Steve.

He thought about their years together. He thought about how six weeks apart after seven years shouldn’t be a huge deal but it was. It was because they were Steve and Eddie and the universe meant for them to be near each other. 

Eddie sniffled and Steve’s body tensed. “Baby?” Steve muttered. “What’s wrong?”

Eddie laughed softly into Steve’s chest. There were tears on his cheeks. “I don’t know. I’m just overflowing with…emotion right now.”

Steve let out an “Aww” before squeezing Eddie harder. Eddie continued to sniffle and laugh into Steve’s neck so much that it made Steve tear up a bit.

“Sweetheart?” Eddie said weakly. 

“Yes?”

“We can’t, legally, I know but…” Eddie stuttered. He groaned with frustration at himself. 

“Baby…” Steve trailed off. 

“I can’t do this here,” Eddie giggled painfully. “Can we go shower?”

Steve was incredibly lost but he gently lifted them off the mattress and they both made their way to the shower. They stepped inside the hot spray, arms wrapped around each other, foreheads pressed together. 

“What’s got you so far gone?” Steve whispered, his thumbs rubbing into the vertebrates of Eddie’s back. Eddie looked up into Steve’s eyes and sighed again when more tears came out of his own. 

“I want to marry you so fucking bad,” Eddie spit out with a hurried breath. 

“W‒what?” Steve whispered, lightly pushing them up against the shower tile so the water only sprayed below their heads. 

“Steve Harrington, I want to marry you. It’s not legal, it’ll only really mean something to us, but I want to.” 

Steve’s eyes welled with tears and he kissed Eddie so devotedly that it made Eddie’s heart thud loud against his chest. 

“Let’s get married, Eddie,” He whispered against his lips.

They spent the rest of the shower overwhelmed with love and making sure the other person knew it in every kiss, every touch, every word.

It was so easy. Easy, easy, easy.