Eddie looked around the school cafeteria, wondering how the hell he was supposed to believe his soulmate was here.
Hawkins didnāt exactly have a surplus of queer men, at least not any who would be willing to actually kiss Eddie on the mouth.
When he turned 18, two freckles appeared on his neck. Everyone heād known that got their soul mark already had gotten much more obvious marks in places they could hide. But of course Eddie got something that didnāt make any fucking sense.
Heād known he was gay for years, and heād honestly thought he wouldnāt have a soulmate because of that.
Fate must not be as homophobic as he thought.
Heād been so focused on scanning the cafeteria that he didnāt notice when someone sat down next to him. Someone different.
When he looked down to take a bite of his sandwich, he was shocked to find Steve Harrington sitting to his left.
āI need to talk to you.ā
Eddie just stared at him, then gestured for him to continue.
Steve seemed stressed. Maybe he just wanted to buy drugs.
Eddie didnāt usually deal during school hours, but for The King, he could probably make an exception.
āListen, uh. I canāt sell during lunch, too many eyes. But meet up with me during the next classā¦ā
āNo! No. Not. Itās not that.ā
Eddie was beyond confused.
Not only was Steve talking to him in front of other people, it wasnāt about buying drugs?
Maybe he was high. That had to be it.
Eddie shook himself out of the weird comatose situation he was mentally in and nodded.
Steve stood and nodded his head outside. Eddie immediately knew where he was going to want to talk.
There was a spot under the bleachers that had become known as the soulmate spot. Ironically, only two pairs of soulmates had ever managed to make it there. It was a make out spot, and occasionally, Eddieās place of business. How it came to be known as the soulmate spot was beyond him.
Even knowing thatās where they were going didnāt deter Eddie from following Steve wordlessly out of the cafeteria. Itās not like Steve was going to murder him, and he had it on good authority he could probably take him in a fight if necessary.
They walked in silence to the bleachers, going behind them and finding the small cutout that allowed access to the soulmate spot. It was the worst kept secret at Hawkins High, but Eddie had never actually seen anyone else there when he needed it.
As they settled into the small area, Eddie couldnāt help noticing that Steve was wearing a jacket. It was an unusually warm February day, so warm in fact, Eddie had gone without his usual winter leather jacket.
Eddie had never heard Steve speak so softly, and it was more than concerning.
Steve was playing with his hands in his lap when Eddie glanced down and noticed it. The start of a scar on the back of his right hand. The same as Eddieās.
Eddie had broken his arm in seven places when he was seven years old. Suffice to say seven was not his lucky number. Heād needed surgery to repair a part of his wrist and the scar ended up being nearly four inches long for reasons his parents hadnāt bothered to clarify with the surgeon.
Eddie looked at Steveās neck.
āSo. Donāt panic, okay? But I noticed that you have a scar on your right hand and my birthday was last week. So. I got a new scar in the same place.ā
Eddie gawked. There was no other word for the way he was staring at Steve.
āI just wanted to compare them and see.ā
āIf weāre soulmates.ā
Eddie laughed in disbelief. Steve flinched at how loud he was, but he couldnāt hold back if he tried.
āThere is no possible fucking way Iām your soulmate.ā
Eddie could see the two freckles on Steveās neck that matched his own, but he was still in denial that Steve was anything other than straight and would possibly feel anything for Eddie beyond general tolerance.
Steveās brows furrowed.
āMaybe someone else has a scar there. Did you check all the cheerleaders?ā
Maybe that was harsh. Steve flinched like heād thrown a physical punch, leaving Eddie feeling a bit guilty.
āJust. For my sake, could I check your arm? Please? If it doesnāt match, Iāll leave you alone.ā
āThen Iāll ask you what mark has been hiding on you for a year.ā
Eddie slowly started rolling the sleeve of his plaid button down, ignoring the way Steve was staring between his face and hands intently.
When he shoved his arm toward Steve for him to inspect, he closed his eyes.
Steve would be disgusted that heās his soulmate. Steve wasnāt gay, probably hadnāt even thought that it was a possibility. Even if he were, thereās no way heād be interested in Eddie.
He felt fingers tracing up the scar line, just ghosting over his skin. He shivered and looked up to see Steve staring in awe.
āUm. My neck. Freckles.ā
āWow. You get freckles and I get a whole scar. That doesnāt seem fair.ā
āOf all the things going on here, thatās what doesnāt seem fair?ā
Eddie finally made eye contact with him, biting his lip when he realized Steve was already staring at him.
āI guess itās also not fair that weāre stuck in Hawkins instead of, like, San Francisco or New York.ā
Eddie wasnāt sure what was happening anymore. He was more lost than heād ever been, and he had little to no hope of catching up.
āThose are the places where itās a bit safer right?ā
āFor us to be together.ā
Thatās it, Eddie was done. He was throwing in the towel.
Steve rolled his eyes, but squeezed Eddieās hand where he was still holding it.
āIf weāre soulmates, Iād assume thatās the next step?ā
āHarrington, I hate to break this to you, but youāre not gay.ā
āExactly! So, this whole conversation isā¦ā
āYeah. Guys and girls. Both.ā
And then Eddie did the riskiest thing heād ever done in his life.
He kissed Steve Harrington. Tongue and all.
And they sometimes say that soulmates have an instant connection, one so powerful you canāt question fate anymore. But Eddie had never really believed it; heād had no reason to or any examples of it.
But now, with the way Steve was climbing into his lap, metaphorical sparks flying around them, he knew they had it.
And when Steve kissed his freckles before leaving, and when Eddie traced along the fake scar of his hand, they both knew this was the best thing they never could have expected.