Somehow, Eddie had survived the upside-down. He hadn't planned on it, knowing there was nothing to come back to but a prison cell. Yet, he was still alive, not because of some divine plan or anything but because of Steve Harrington, who had broken several of Eddie's ribs in his attempt to bring him back to life.
Now, Eddie could barely move for fear of ripping open wounds or the sharp pains in his ribs. Not that he blamed Steve; he'd been most apologetic when Eddie woke up and barely left his side. Pain was pain, and Eddie hated it. Even months after defeating Vecna, he was still healing. At least he could play DnD.
It was after one particularly long session when all Eddie wanted to do was sleep that he found Steve waiting almost awkwardly in the doorway. "Did you forget something?"
"Uh, no. I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out?"
"Sure?" Eddie made it to the couch using his best friend Ozzy - a cane he now needed whenever he wanted to walk - and collapsed back with a groan. "Something on your mind, Harrington?"
Steve sat next to him and scoffed. "Dude, we survived hell together; you can call me Steve."
"Fine, Steve, what's on your mind?" Eddie watched Steve curiously, waiting for his answer.
They weren't exactly friends, or did this make them friends? They hung out plenty but always in the company of others. This was the first time alone together because Wayne had never left Eddie's side, even in the hospital. Hell, Wayne had only recently relaxed enough to pick up night shifts at the plant again, convinced Eddie could survive the night alone.
Well, Wayne didn't have to worry because Eddie wasn't alone tonight. He had the company of Steve Harrington, great conversationalist. "Hey, Steve." Eddie snapped his fingers in Steve's face, jolting him out of his thoughts. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"
Steve rolled his eyes and batted Eddie's hand away. "Very funny. I was just thinking…"
"…yeah?"
"That it sucks to be alone. The kids have each other, Nance has Jonathan, and hell, Robin's about to go off to college with Vickie. I want that too, someone who understands, someone I don't have to lie to. Don't you?"
"I guess?" Eddie wasn't sure what Steve was asking for, but having a friend he didn't have to pretend to be okay with sounded pretty nice. "So, what, you wanna do that with me?"
"Only if you want me to."
"That's not an answer."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
Eddie laughed, then winced, hand flying to his side as he hissed in pain, causing Steve to lean forward in concern. Waving him off, Eddie leaned back against the cushions and exhaled slowly. "Sure, Steve, let's do it."
After that, Steve barely left his side. If it weren't for his work, Eddie was sure he would never leave. It was strange, and getting used to having another person around constantly took a while. Despite living with Wayne for years now, they had almost led separate lives, with him working night shifts and Eddie juggling school, work, Hellfire, and Corroded Coffin. Now he realized how much time he had missed out on with Wayne, and how close he had come to losing it all.
So when he wasn't with Steve, he was with Wayne—helping with the new garden, hanging the mug collection, deciding on wallpapers, and filling their new home with thrifted goods since almost everything had been destroyed by the gates.
He hadn't told Wayne the truth, but his uncle knew enough not to ask questions. "I'm just glad you're safe," was all he said after Eddie had woken up.
Eddie was glad, too. He'd been cleared of all charges and even moved into a new house on the government's dime. He was glad to have friends, old and new. And he was glad to have Steve, who cooked like a god, helped Eddie stretch on bad days, and watched sci-fi movies despite not being his thing. And- yeah, do you need him to say more?
Eddie had a crush. An embarrassing, all-encompassing crush on his best friend who slept in his bed almost every night - because it was easier to sleep with someone there. He groaned, banging his head on the table.
"Something wrong?"
"Nope. Only questioning my entire existence." He turned his head to watch Steve walk over, dropping a bag on the counter. "What's that?"
"Your favorite." And he pulled out strudels, tossing the pack to Eddie.
"Oh my god, I love you." Before he could panic about his slip-up, Steve laughed and pulled out his own snack, a cannoli.
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too, now eat before it goes stale."
Platonic, right? Eddie tried to convince himself so.
Until he woke up one morning, his face smushed in Steve's chest, and he clung to him like a koala. It was warm, comfortable, and smelled like Steve. He couldn't help sighing out, "Mmm, Steve, I love you."
"Yeah?" He stiffened, about to pull away, but Steve's hold tightened around him and, incredibly, dropped a kiss on his forehead. "Can I kiss you now?"
Eddie could only nod, his stomach fluttering when Steve cradled his face as if he were made of something breakable, something precious, and then Steve kissed him. It was the best kiss ever, warm and soft, and it made butterflies explode in Eddie's stomach. Then he finally heard Steve's words and pulled back to ask, "Now?"
"Mhmm, been wanting to for ages. Always too much, too fast. Wanted to let you set the pace."
Eddie was finding it hard to think, with Steve's lips brushing over his cheek, and the smile was evident in his voice. "P-pace? Steve, did you think we were dating?"
This time, Steve stiffened and pulled back in confusion. "Well, yeah. I asked you, remember?"
Oh. Eddie felt like an idiot. He could have been kissing Steve all this time. He laughed, yanking Steve back in before he could get out of the bed like he was threatening to. Eddie was not going to ruin this. "Yeah, sorry, I'm an idiot. I love you. Kiss me again?"
"Okay, okay," Steve laughed, obliging him.
"Forever?"
"Forever."
