The first time Eddie sees Steve he's 14 years old. He's sporting a buzzcut and hasn't gotten his growth spurt yet. He's covered in acne and his voice is always creaking like it's not sure if it's supposed to go up or down.
Steve has headgear and an awkward haircut. He's skinny, clothes hanging off his frame like he'd gotten them from an older relative. He's wearing a clanky, big, golden watch that keeps sliding over his hand.
And Eddie sees him in the cafeteria. Steve looks so awkward and out of place, and he smiles at something his friend says and Eddie doesn't care at all that Steve's teeth are kind of crooked or his hair flops over his eyes.
Eddie promptly falls for him. First physically, dropping his lunch tray and slamming his face into a nearby table (the first time he's broken his nose, but definitely not the last).
And when Steve rushes over and shoves a handful of napkins under his nose, a desperate attempt at keeping the bleeding under control, Eddie looks up at him and falls for him.
For the prince that came before the king. Awkward with the way he holds himself. A kid standing in his father's shoes and trying desperately to fill them.
And Eddie thinks he's starting to believe in the thing that bullcrap romance movies call love at first sight.
