He should have seen this coming. God, he should have known better than to open his big mouth in front of the kid, but this was ridiculous. 11 PM at night, standing underneath a ball of mistletoe that's appeared out of nowhere, the whole room is frozen and he's losing his mind. You are most likely wondering how it has come to this. Steve Harrington was honestly wondering this question too, given he's the main subject of all of this. He hadn't imagined that things could get so out of hand so quickly.
The morning had started so simply. He was alone, as per usual given his parents literally stayed out of town as often as possible and the house was empty, both of Christmas and of food given his cursory look around the cabinets failed to produce anything worthy of breakfast or even possibly any other meal. That meant he was headed to the local supermarket.
That's where he approximated the trouble started. Because he ran into Dustin and his mom.
He thought he did a good job, hiding the whole 'lonely Christmas once again' line underneath the general pleasant conversation he'd had with both of them, fobbing off Mrs Henderson's concerns and just saying his parents were flying in and then out on the blessed day and blah, blah, blah, but he didn't count on Dustin seeing right through it. He most likely should have known better than to pull a fast one past that kid by now.
He'd only just put the brown paper bags in the recycling (just because his parents were neglectful didn't mean he was) and was about to kick up his feet on the sofa and tune into Hawkin's Christmas movie broadcast (they had one every year, same films, same boring black and white and sometimes coloured weirdness) when the doorbell sounded. Groaning, Steve muttered a string of curses to himself and shivered as the wind and snow gave him a little reminder it was December as he opened the door, but that soon fell away to confusion as there was a pack of kids standing on his front steps. Along with Dustin. "Dude, let us in, it's fucking freezing out here!"
"What in the hell even /is/ this, Henderson?" Steve, of course, moved out of the way for the current conga line of people suddenly entering his parent's home, but he suddenly felt quite anxious and very unprepared. When he was younger and his parents actually gave a shit about people and him and you know, life, the whole house used to be decorated head to toe in garlands and lights and wreaths and stuff. Mostly for the neighbours and of course, the massive parties they used to host when Steve couldn't reach many of the tables and was usually moved out of the way like a vacuum put in a cleaning cupboard, but he digresses.
"You looked sad today, dude." Dustin's unzipping his coat and even though he can see that the sea of faces around him is familiar - Will, Max, Mike, Lucas, Eleven, Erica, he's still very confused as Dustin keeps talking. "While my mom was fooled, I wasn't. After all we've been through, you really think you can just go at it alone for Christmas?"
"I've done Christmas alone long before you came along, Henderson." Steve actually complained, about to close the door and bring heat into the room once again as he'd already accepted long ago arguing with these assholes was useless, when it was barged open again to let another person in and while it may have backhanded Steve in the face a little, he was prepared for the next part of that interaction.
Rubbing his nose, he went to go chaise whoever the hell decided to invite all these teenagers into his space (Dustin, clearly) when he forgot to function. Eddie Munson was standing in front of him, black hair tied up in a bun with several strands framing his face and in a jean jacket instea dof a jean vest, rock and roll swagger still clearly in effect despite the seasons and grinning, arms laden with bags. He barely noticed Robin swiftly entering behind him and smacking into his shoulder, dumbfounded as Eddie placed everything in the kitchen before turning to face him, his grin setting Steve's heart racing. "Aren't you gonna close the door, big boy?"
Right, the door. Steve swiftly shut the offending item as soon as he could shake himself into gear, wincing as he looked at the slush that was brought in already melting into the rather expensive runner carpets that lined the entry. Hopefully, if his parents did show, they wouldn't notice the footprints or the wet stains that would dry by March more than later on tonight. Everyone had already settled into their own little worlds, however, by the time Steve turned around again. Mike and Eleven were in a corner, grocery bags of popcorn and cranberries in tow and making strings of them to decorate with, El obviously getting a crash tutorial in how to go about it and why it was so important and whatnot.
Lucas, Mike and Erica were in another corner, dragging several chairs and cushions and other things from Steve's parents' formal dining room and linen closet that he's pretty sure no one's ever used, setting up an almost lair-like circle around the coffee table that Steve was told if he even scratched, he would suffer something greatly. Before he can protest, Dustin is joining them and after hovering over them for a moment, suddenly pulls his bag out of nowhere. His bag also has bags, but they are much smaller than shopping bags and he can recognize the game pieces that they are pulling out from a mile away as Dungeons and Dragons, books following to take up the space.
Cripping anxiety he'd hidden since he was a kid creeping up on him quite fast, he tries to leave for literally a moment out the back door to get control of himself, but Eddie stops him in his tracks once again, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and nursing a beer in a red solo cup that right now makes Steve want to throw up. "Hey, sweetheart, where you goin'?"
"I just…I need…" Steve's struggling for words and he can already see Robin, the only person who knows even remotely about his inner demons, heading for them, but it's Eddie who acts first, placing the beer down almost immediately and steering Steve towards the back door almost on autopilot. It's cold and the snow is gross and the pool's frozen green because he hasn't cleaned it in so long and he's sure his father will scold him for that when he gets in at some point, but all of that is obsolete as the world's spinning and if it wasn't for Eddie's hands on his shoulders grounding him, he's sure he'd be straight on his ass. Honestly, he's not sure which situation, wet jeans or not wet jeans, he prefers.
He can vaguely hear Robin talking in the background to someone inside (most likely one or more of the kids), but his reality only shakes back into focus when Eddie speaks to him, tone worried despite the swagger he'd shown earlier in front of him. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah." Steve gasped out, eyes closing as he attempted to regulate himself, arms wrapping automatically around his waist despite the grip Eddie has on him. He's not had a panic attack in a while, despite all the shit he'd been through in the last few years. It's a different kind of pain than the wounds he's gotten from fighting demodogs and freaky shit like those vines, more throbbing and lingering instead of sharp and stinging. "I'm fine. I'm fine."
"Bullshit, Harrington." Eddie's voice is hard, but there's no malice behind it, something Steve is grateful for as it doesn't remind him of his father who would definitely sound the opposite to that as Steve's problems out in the open were very inconveniencing for him. His words, not Steve's.
Eddie's also not left like his father does whenever he's in one of his "states" as they used to refer to them as to their high-class friends when they whisper about him and he acts like he doesn't hear them through the walls. He stays as Steve pulls it together like he always does, congratulating himself internally for not crying this time. When he finally recoils, Eddie's arm slides to be back around his shoulders like nothing really happened, though he can tell that something's changed. Eddie's quiet, quieter than he's ever seen him and Steve's worries pick up right where he'd tied them away. "Eddie?"
"Back with us, darling?" Eddie's tease doesn't fail to send him into a red blush the same tone similar to Robin's hair, but he can hear the concern underneath it. It's eerily reminiscent of the way he'd tried to hide his own emotions that morning around Dustin and it makes him feel so guilty, but he tries not to let Eddie see that. Who knows how that situation might go?
Instead, he puts on a brave face and a small smile, shaking his head vigorously. "Yeah man, I told you I was fine. Just needed some air." He's quiet himself for a minute before he murmurs. "Thanks for…you know. All that."
"You're welcome, Harrington." His voice doesn't sound the same coming from Eddie's lips for once. Instead of sultry and cheeky, it comes out light and breathy. Steve…doesn't know what to make of that. Not yet anyway.
Which cleverly, leads straight into now. This moment.
After their brief encounter outside, Eddie and he swiftly take it upon themselves to never talk about it again in the span of time they're spending with eachother. Sure, sometimes they catch each other's eyes across the room or really, the table mostly (Dustin's somehow managed to come up with a whole Christmas-themed DND campaign in only a few short hours which is impressive considering the circumstance), but other than that, they barely interact with the other, Eddie choosing to stay by Dustin's side while Robin's with him.
Of course, nothing ever goes right in Hawkins, Indiana and the same could be said now, as someone (more than likely Mike given he's the one who brought his girlfriend and out of everybody besides Will understandably, is the most sexually repressed 15-year-old ever) has hung mistletoe over Steve's staircase balcony, the offending plant hilariously apparent and only made comment of by the others when he and Eddie find themselves under it. It's late by any standard, 11 PM and Steve's just going to get a cup of water from the kitchen to wash the beer taste out of his mouth. Eddie on the other hand is coming back through the archway after pouring himself his 4th beer of the night, still barely on the edge of drunk.
They were just supposed to pass eachother, maybe they would look, but looking was awkward, so the passing was more likely. Instead, when both of them synchronously stepped foot in the archway, young Erica spotted the opportunity and ran with it.
"Hey, look, Steve and the knucklehead are under the mistletoe!"
All eyes turned on them in seconds and if Steve had felt like he'd been sweating before in the aftermath of the panic attack Eddie had to bear witness to, he'd just created his own cyclonic downpour. His whole entire being felt like it was being swallowed up and travelling through the floor to the Upside Down as he stared, blanched and rooted to the spot, the plant's green tendrils almost reaching out like fingers towards him, mocking him.
Ha, ha dumbass. You paid the price of slipping, so now you suffer.
He's so out of it that he doesn't notice Eddie snag an arm around his waist and pull him close, only coming back out of his disassociation when his chin is pulled down by some rather callused fingers, the return to reality slow and terrifying. Eddie also seems nervous, not moving his hand, but also seemingly not wanting to cause Steve any more distress. Honestly, if they weren't really here and Steve's mental health wasn't so shit, they would most likely have gotten here themselves.
(Did Steve mention that ever since Dustin introduced him to Eddie that he'd quickly fallen for him for the months and basically shoved it all down? No? Really? Shit.)
Steve's got several choices here, he knows it. He can play into it. He can pretend he's fine, jokingly kiss the guy and move on. He can run away and hide in the bathroom for a while and pray they'll be gone when he comes out. He can end the party on the account of being tried, he's pretty sure he looks it so it would more than likely work. Or he could just do nothing, like right now, stare limply into space without a clue.
Seems that last option is not really helping anyone, more or less himself. So…looking at all of it, first option it is. He's already deep enough, what's another layer? He practically smashes his entire face into Eddie's with a jerky movement that even startles him, if it weren't for Eddie's lips capturing his and his teeth holding on for dear life. They gently pull him back after he recoils from shock and Steve loses himself in the feeling of Eddie's breath against his tongue, warm and tasting of beer and gum and a little weed and tobacco, exactly as his mind had wondered once (or even twice) what Eddie would taste like.
He doesn't know how long they stand there, his eyes being closed giving him the treasured sensation of losing time, but he finally pulls back when a fake retching sound comes out of nowhere and he turns to glare heavily at Dustin, whose grin is all too "merry and bright" as he comments from his seat on the sofa. "That was so gross."
"Shut up, you little shit." Steve bites back, but it's not said with venom. It's more soft confusion and exhaustion. He pushes Eddie from him quickly in order to preserve any amount of dignity that he has left and crosses his arms, making the kids laugh thankfully, but he knows Robin can see right through him.
It's only at the final end of the party, when the kids are all leaving out the door one by one an hour later that cements that as she's grabbing her coat that she touches his arm and grabs his attention. "You okay, dingus?"
"I will be." Steve breathes again and sighs, head dropping. "I know I shouldn't be mad at the kid, but…"
"You're allowed to be mad at him, Steve." Robin affirms, shaking her head at whatever he was about to say. "Don't act so humble when you don't need to, okay? Call Henderson an asshole next time you catch up with him. I mean, I'm going to, so."
Steve actually laughs quite surprisingly at the statement, a genuine smile fluttering across his features. "Thanks, Robin. What would I do without you?"
"Suffer at work? Not be my personal driver? Miss out on the drama you don't hear?" Both of them chuckled to each other before Robin and his attention shifted hearing the sounds of cans being picked up in the barely lit kitchen. "...You should talk to him, you know."
"Talk to who?" He's playing dumb, but of course, Robin knows he's just deflecting as she rolls her eyes. "You know who asshole. The totally hot guy that is in your kitchen. That I know you like, but because society is a construct you wish to aside by, you won't admit to."
"Christ, do you have to say it so fucking loud?" Steve hisses through his teeth, peeking over his tall shoulder to see if Eddie heard them before turning back. "Besides, Eddie's…look, I'm sure a dude like him is not interested in a guy like me. Girls love him, like a lot."
"Girls love your bi ass too, Harrington. Don't act so high and mighty." Robin teased and Steve poked his tongue out at him in retaliation as she kept speaking. "Besides, I know what a real kiss looks like and that shit you pulled under the mistletoe those little gremlins put up, either you're a really good actor Harrington, or you wanted that to be real."
He hated that she was always so fucking right. He had wanted it to be real. Deep down. Just like the feelings, it was all a deep, dark hole he was attempting to swim in right now and he really was not getting anywhere good. In fact, he was just drowning in it. It sucked. Robin could see he was spiralling, of course she could and while he knows she wanted to push him more, as that's the Robin thing to do, she just sighed and pulled on her coat, kissing his cheek. "I'll see you at work Tuesday morning?"
"Sure will." He replies, throat dry at the perspective thought of being left alone with Eddie Munson of all people, but returning the kiss wholeheartedly and escorting her out with a wave as he closed the door and pressed his back against it for a moment before getting up and moving the few feet from the living room to the hallway to the kitchen nervously.
Eddie has seemingly cleaned every surface that once contained soda pop cans and beer bottles and is seemingly attempting to create some type of abstract can Christmas tree from the remains and it's all too easy for Steve to clear his throat at the worst possible time and make Eddie's current artistic piece fall to pieces when he jumps, Steve unable to stop the quite unforced laugh that appears from his mouth as Eddie sourly eyes him off. "Thanks a lot, sweetheart. That was a masterpiece and it's ruined now."
"I'm so sorry that I have to, you know, breathe, Munson." Steve smirked, but it fell away to reveal a nervousness that was almost similar to his panic earlier, neither man moving from their current spot as the silence stretched between them. Eventually, Steve attempted to fill it, breathing in slightly as he started to speak. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier when those little shits baited us to kiss. I should have known that Dustin's antics would get out of hand."
"Hey, man, it's totally fine. Henderson's real convincing when he wants to be, no harm done whatsoever." Eddie seemed…almost disappointed with that answer and Steve frowned as the other man started to put away the cans and bottles and such that now littered the floor from the collapse of his tower. "Just one of those things that happen."
"Yeah. Sure." Steve murmured awkwardly, the cracking and soft clinking sounds taking up the space, the air around them seemingly changing on a dime as Eddie unceremoniously dumps the trash bags by the front door before grabbing his jacket. Somehow, most of his hair has survived the night still in tie, wispy stray black curls popping out here and there and framing his face as he slips the denim on with practised ease. "Night', Harrington."
Steve watches him open the door, watches him step outside, but suddenly, he's across the room and in his face like a dog begging for attention and before Eddie's rather confused face can utter a sentence, Steve's kissing him like it's the last time they'll see another again and between them and the door, neither can feel the rather cold late night air blowing over them.
Steve's hands have sild under Eddie's jacket to hold onto him while Eddie's have tangled themselves in Steve's clothing and hair, the door the only sturdy thing holding them up as they continue their actions, the only pulling away happening just for Eddie to shut the fucking wooden piece of shit his parents had repainted over the years closed again so he can pin Steve against it with all its bad memories and screw them all over so Steve forgets them for a moment.
Steve's brain turned to mush about halfway through the first round of kisses, so it's a bit of a blur as to just how they make it upstairs and end up naked within his bedroom with him waking up to the sun in his face and the little spoon in a hug that makes him have long arms around his waist, their clothing trail stretching from the living room to the hallway, but he doesn't care. For the first time in like, 10 years, his mind is at ease, with Eddie nearby. It's like a switch has been flipped, for lack of metaphorical wording and his whole body has released all the shit that he's been building up like a bad dump pile for the last year or more.
Fuck, he might just have to thank Henderson, not wish to kill him. Hell, he might actually have to chip in to buy the kid something nice. There goes his bank account money.
Doesn't matter though, as come Christmas morning when he'd usually be alone for another year, Steve's instead in an armchair in front of a space heater on a wooden porch of a well fit out trailer in the trailer park as Eddie dances around a small campfire like he's in a mosh pit wearing a Santa hat to some rock band he's never heard of while his Uncle and himself shelter as best they can from the cold afternoon air, both of them looking at each other and shaking their heads at the sight, smiling and rolling their eyes before turning back.
Sure, there's a lot still to be said and a lot more to be done. Steve's mental health is still shot to pieces and he highly doubts Eddie's is in any real condition to pick through it as well, but as Henderson said, they'd been through a lot together. They weren't alone. It made Steve feel actually warm inside for once and he let it settle over him as Eddie smiled his way like a kid on Christmas and he grinned back.
Yeah. Steve wouldn't have this any other way.