A few days after their first official date, Steve disappears.
Eddie is a little confused, to say the least. They had parted on Sunday night on very good terms; Eddie had taken Steve home like the gentleman he was (And he was a gentleman, okay? No matter what Jeff said.), Steve had kissed him goodbye and said he would be waiting for Eddie’s call that week, so they could talk about a second date.
But when Eddie calls him on Tuesday, Steve doesn’t pick up.
Fine, that isn’t so concerning. Eddie knows that between his job, his babysitting gig and all the volunteering he did, Steve has a very busy schedule, so not finding him at home isn’t uncommon.
But then Eddie tries again on Wednesday morning, then afternoon, then night and no one picks up.
He tries again on Thursday, on Friday. He always gets the same answer, which is none. No one picks up no matter what time Eddie calls and that’s when Eddie starts getting anxious.
He starts questioning himself. Did he do something that pissed Steve off? Did Steve lie to him about that second date and now his silence was his way of showing Eddie he was actually not interested? Eddie has so many questions.
When Saturday comes and he still doesn’t hear from Steve, Eddie decides to take action.
He hops into his van and drives all the way to the café where Steve works.
A quick glance around the place is enough to tell Eddie that Steve is not working today, but Robin, Steve’s best friend, is. He waves at her from the door and, after a couple of minutes, Robin approaches him.
“Is everything alright with Steve?” Eddie blurts out before Robin can even open her mouth to greet him. “I’ve been trying to call him all week but he’s been ignoring my calls. Did I do something wrong? I thought our first date had gone well.”
Robin regards him with a mix of amusement and compassion. “Steve is fine, he’s just… unavailable at the moment.”
Eddie’s heart clenches. “He’s seeing someone else?”
“Oh my God, no! It’s not like that at all.” His confusion must be evident, because Robin huffs out a breath then continues. “You know what, why don’t you pay Steve a visit? You’ll understand what I mean when you see him for yourself.”
“But he isn’t even answering my calls, I don’t think he’s gonna open the door for me.”
“If he doesn’t, then you can use this to let yourself in,” Robin says, dropping a keyring on Eddie’s hand. “But if I were you, I’d at least let Steve know it’s you before you use the key. He’s been feeling a little sensitive these past days, so the surprise might distress him and with his migraines distress is something he should really avoid.”
“Are you sure I should just show up like this? I don’t want to force myself into him if Steve doesn’t want to see m—”
“Oh, shut up, of course Steve wants to see you. He’s been yapping about you for months, believe me when I say that he really wants to go on that second date with you. And probably ten more after that. He’s probably not picking up your calls out of embarrassment, but he will talk to you if you go there.”
“Embarrassment? Embarrassment for what?”
“Again, you’ll understand once you see him. Now stop thinking stupid things and go.”
Not one to argue when Robin is using that tone, Eddie thanks her. He’s opening the door when Robin calls him again.
“Hey, just one question before you go. Did you get chickenpox when you were a kid?”
The question is so not what Eddie had been expecting that it takes him a few seconds to realize Robin is actually serious. “I—yes? When I was nine. Why?”
Robin grins. “Then you’re good. Good luck!”
Half an hour later, Eddie finds himself putting lotion on Steve’s bumpy skin as he whines and whines about how much it all itches, and how stupid it is for someone to catch chickenpox at almost twenty.
It is stupid, he guesses. Stupid and unexpected. But, hey, at least now Eddie knows why Steve wasn’t picking up the phone.
(“I didn’t want to lie to you, but I didn’t want to tell you I had chickenpox either. This is absurd, I’m nineteen. Who catches this shit at nineteen?”
“You, apparently.”)
