New Year's Eve, 1988

Robin hands Steve a polaroid of him and Eddie standing in front of the mess of balloons taped to her wall. "You guys unofficially make a cute couple," she says with a wink, before sauntering off to take more photos.

Steve stares at the photo in his hands and smiles. Maybe they don't make a conventional couple, with Steve's artfully crafted heartthrob hair and Eddie wearing an oversized ring on every single finger, but they do make a good couple. Eddie's finally on track to graduate in the Spring. '89 will be his year. Steve's been promoted to the manager of Scoops, and now he's making enough cash that he and Eddie are set to buy the condo next to his Uncle's unit. It'll be a huge upgrade for both of them, and Steve can't wait to have room for them to sprawl out. They've been unofficially living in Steve's apartment together since November, and as much as he loves having Eddie around 24/7, there's just not enough room for his endless record collection. It's only gotten worse since Eddie got a raise and a promotion at Stanley's Records. Now he has more income to blow on whatever albums his little heart desires.

Eddie snags two solo cups of beer and hands one to Steve, "Who do you think's hotter, me or Uncle Jesse?"

"Is that even a question?" Steve smirks, "Aunt Becky's got good taste in men."

"You asshole," Eddie thwacks Steve's shoulder, "But, John Stamos does have better hair than you, so…"

This time Steve smacks Eddie's arm. "Low blow," he scowls teasingly, "Now come on and let's go make our rounds and say hi to everyone."

Most of the people at Robin's party are friends from Hawkins that Steve and Eddie know well, but some are new faces that Robin and Vickie have met over the last nearly three years. While Wayne, Robin, and Vickie remain the only ones that actually know Steve and Eddie are "unofficially" an item, Steve is pretty certain the rest of their crew knows as well. Max will make kissy noises behind their back, and Dustin's been humming the wedding march in the shower for the whole week he's been crashing at their place. El just smirks every time she catches them holding hands, which seems to be every single time they do.

Robin is spinning a pop mix that's surely making Eddie sick, containing songs off of Prince's new album, a little Elton John, some Madonna, and a sprinkling of Blondie. If Eddie's annoyed by the music though, he's not showing it. Instead, he's bopping to the rhythm, twirling Max around so her hair swings out around her like a fiery cape, and using a hairbrush he'd snagged from somewhere as a microphone to belt out the words he knows.

Steve loves seeing him like this. Carefree and happy. Eddie spent so long being labeled "The Freak", and then being accused of murder, almost dying… For most people, it would have been too much. Not that Eddie didn't sometimes wake up screaming from a nightmare, or fling things across the room when his fingers wouldn't grasp around whatever item he was trying to pick up. It was just that through it all Eddie was Eddie. And now Steve got to see the bed-headed, fresh out of the shower, and yes, the sobbing at 3 AM version of him. He doesn't know how Eddie can still find moments of joy in it all, but he does, and he's teaching Steve how to find them too.

As if on cue he breaks Steve from his trance by yanking his wrist toward the middle of the living room rug, "Come on, dance with me Stevie!"

Eddie draws Steve in against his chest, and his Beastie Boys tee is so soft and against his cheek that Steve doesn't want to separate from his landing spot. But Eddie flashes him a glittering smile and interlaces their fingers, as Love Shack begins blasting over the speakers. Steve spins around, swaying gently to the music, while Eddie two steps around him and sends him twirling this way and that.

"The whole shack shimmies, when everyone's movin' around and around and around…"

Their moment is interrupted by Robin exclaiming, "The ball's about to drop everyone!"

Hurriedly she bumps the volume up on the TV so they can hear John Stamos and Heather Locklear on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Everyone pairs off in preparation for a midnight kiss, and Eddie scoops Steve up into a big hug, whispering in his ear, "Hey Stevie, can I ask you something?"

"'Course you can."

"You know Elton John came out this year, right?"

"Yes?" Steve replied quizzically, studying Eddie's face to see where this was going.

"Well I've been thinking, if Elton John can be out… then maybe we can too?"

Eddie bites his lip nervously, and his eyes rove over Steve's face searching for an answer.

Steve reaches up and laces his fingers behind Eddie's neck, "If you're ready, I am."

Eddie has one hand pressed into the small of Steve's back, and the other is playing with his hair, "I don't think there'll ever be a "right time"," he sighs, "But I want to be with you, like really be with you. I have since that first time I saw you in your stupid Scoops Troop uniform. Well, and maybe a few times before that..."

"You loved my uniform, you even complained when I told you I didn't have to wear it anymore."

"Because you never wore it for me," Eddie breathes into Steve's ear, and a warmth spreads through Steve's whole body.

"I could still take one home," Steve whispers, "If you wanted me to."

Eddie nods enthusiastically.

"…10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!"

Even though there's enough noise in the room to warrant a police raid, it feels like Steve and Eddie are in their own little bubble. The rest of the room melts away, and all Steve can hear is the thrum of Eddie's heartbeat. His lips taste like beer and pigs n' a blanket, and Steve resists the urge to bite down on them. If they were truly alone he would, he knows Eddie likes that, but Steve also knows Eddie will moan if he does so.

"Fuck Elton John," Eddie says, caressing Steve's cheek with his thumb, "Glittery fuck's got nothin' on us."

Steve can't help but laugh, when Eddie gets a little tipsy he gets a little overconfident.

"I love you, Stevie," their lips collide again.

"I love you, Eddie," Steve murmurs. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Robin give him a little nod in approval, and Steve nods back.

1986 may not have been any of them's year, but 1989 is shaping up to be their best year yet.