written for the @steddiemicrofic prompt: slick, 501 words | rating: g | no cw | tags: pre-relationship, steve has a crush, set between s4 and s5, in a world where eddie lives
“Roads are too slick to drive to the woods,” Murray explains as he shoves another crate in Jonathan’s arms. “One of you, children, will need to use the tunnels to get these to Hop.”
“I’ll go,” Steve volunteers. Four pairs of eyes narrow at him. “What? Someone’s gotta bring El her battery.”
“But you hate the tunnels,” Nancy says, matter-of-fact.
“Who doesn’t?” Steve throws back. He doesn’t like the look she’s giving him, like she’s trying to figure him out.
Then there’s Robin, who’s had him figured out for months, and Jonathan, who couldn’t be more clueless. He still thinks Steve’s trying to impress Nancy for Christ’s sake! If riling him up wasn’t so fun, Steve would’ve already confessed he’s interested in someone else now.
When that’s settled, they bring everything inside, Steve and Jonathan pack up stuff while Nancy and Robin send a message to Hopper. Thirty minutes later, Steve is making his way through the tunnels.
It’s hardly his first time– after everything happened, they were too nervous to use the truck and give away Hopper’s safe house so they’d take the tunnels. Now, eight months into their new reality, they rarely need to use them.
It’s why Steve jumped at the opportunity. It’s the only way he gets to see–
“Harrington!” Eddie cheers when Steve comes into view. Grinning, he offers him a dramatic curtsy. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, especially down here.”
Steve scoffs. “That’s hardly a compliment, man. It’s either me, the army or a Demogorgon.”
“You forget Murray. I much prefer your pretty face over his ugly mug,” Eddie says, pinching Steve’s cheek, making his stomach flip. “I was delighted to hear you’d be doing the delivery.”
“Why? You missed me, Munson?” Steve asks smugly but the thought thrills him.
Eddie grins. “‘Course I did, sweetheart. Hiding with Hop and Supergirl gets really boring. And Joyce is cool, but she doesn’t like me much.”
“Must be all the murder charges.”
“False accusations! All of ‘em!” Eddie loudly protests. “Besides, who in our little rag tag group isn’t a criminal?”
“I’m not.”
“Stevie,” Eddie deadpans, “you’re literally smuggling supplies right now.”
Steve raises an eyebrow. “Oh so you want me to take the Boppers back?”
The threat makes Eddie’s eyes widen. “No!” He drops to his knees, clutching Steve’s hand. “Forgive me, sir! You’re a model citizen!”
He presses kisses all over Steve’s hand, making blood rush to his face and butterflies to erupt in his stomach. “You’re so annoying,” he says unconvincingly.
Jumping to his feet, Eddie gets all up in Steve’s space. “But you keep coming back so I must be doing something right, big boy.”
Steve’s response is to shove him away. It’s either that or kissing him. “Whatever. Help me bring this up or I’ll send Jonathan next time.”
“As His Majesty commands!” Eddie salutes, grabbing a bag.
He throws a wink over his shoulder and starts walking. Steve follows closely, thinking that maybe the tunnels aren’t so bad after all.
buck/eddie | 3,1k | post 9x11 “going once, going twice”
“Hello, table for Buckley,” Eddie tells the waitress five minutes later. After a quick glance at her tablet, she leads him inside.
It really is a nice place but Eddie was right about it being too romantic. He sees mostly couples having dinner as they make their way through the tables. The waiter probably thinks Eddie and Maddie are one of them. If only she knew Eddie is actually in love with her brother–
“Here’s your table, sir,” the waitress says as Eddie stops to let a waiter carrying a tray of drinks pass. “I’ll come back shortly to take your order.”
“Thank you–”
“Eddie?”
The voice sounds familiar, but it’s not the one he expects to hear. Confused, Eddie’s eyes snap to the table that he was shown to and finds Buck sitting there instead of Maddie.
“Buck?”
or after the bachelor auction Maddie tricks Eddie into going out on a date with a different Buckley
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson
Summary:
Eddie opens his mouth to enthusiastically say yes to Steve’s invitation when he remembers that he does have plans this Saturday.
“I can’t,” he says with a pout. Steve’s face twists with disappointment, and it only makes Eddie pout harder. “Don’t get me wrong, I would love to, Stevie, but I- uh- I have plans.”
Steve frowns. “With your band? The kids?”
Eddie shakes his head. “My uncle. Wayne and I are grabbing dinner at Enzo’s.”
“You’re eating at Enzo’s?” Steve asks with a surprised tone.
“What? Can’t trailer trash like us have a decent meal on a special occasion?” Eddie jokes.
“Hey, don’t call yourself that,” Steve says with a serious expression, squeezing Eddie’s arm where it rests on the couch next to Steve. His hand lingers there, thumb brushing over Eddie’s arm, making goosebumps raise on his skin. Then his finger jerks to a stop as he realizes something. “Wait, special occasion? What special occasion?”
or Eddie doesn’t tell anyone that his birthday is coming up. When Steve finds out, he ends up giving Eddie the best gift that he could possibly ask for.
“So we’re kissing each other on stage now?” Ashton asks while they sit around eating their dinner after the show.
Luke chokes audibly on his California Spring roll, forcing Michael to give him a few thumps on his back. With watery eyes, he glances at Calum, sitting across from him and finds him grinning back smugly. Neither of them says anything. It’s Michael who says, “yeah, what was that about?” looking directly at Calum who shrugs nonchalantly.
“Dunno, I just felt like doing it,” he says, leaning back on his palms, still looking at Luke. “Luke doesn’t mind, do you, Luke?”
The truth is Luke does mind. He minds a lot. Not because he doesn’t like it, but because it messes with his head— leaves him feeling a little floaty and distracted.
***
Or 3 times the boys kiss Luke on stage + 1 time Luke kisses them all off stage
a/n: hey hey! It's @5sos-fic-exchange time and this is my fic for the lovely Alison @bandsanitizer, I really hope you and anyone else who reads this enjoys the fic! Also thank you Hazel @allsassnoclass for organizing this once again!
written for the @steddiebingo round one main card | prompt: jim hopper | rated: t | wc: 1 k | tags: hopper pov, hopper/byers wedding, getting caught, humor
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Hopper makes it halfway through his wedding reception before he sneaks away to have a cigarette.
On his way out, he catches Joyce’s– his wife’s eye. She’s talking to Karen Wheeler but pauses to shoot him a radiant smile and wave at him, her ring sparkling, making Hopper smile back before he exits the tarp they set up in their new backyard for the occasion.
He doesn’t have any cigarettes on him so he walks over to his truck to retrieve one. He sticks it between his lips, and leaning back against the passenger door, he lights it up.
He relaxes, blowing the smoke onto the night air. After a couple more puffs, something catches his attention.
A few cars down, he sees Eddie Munson’s van, its light on. Hopper assumes he left it like that by accident until he sees the van rocking a little, suggesting that there’s someone inside.
Hopper doesn’t remember seeing the kid inside, not since he dragged Max and El to the dancefloor, twirling them both around at the same time while Max groaned and El giggled. Like Hopper, Eddie might've snuck out of the wedding to smoke– or God forbid, Hopper thinks, to deal.
He runs a hand down his face. Over the years, he has let Munson off the hook a few times, sending him off with only a warning, but dealing at the Chief of Police’s wedding is a new level of stupid and Hopper thinks it warrants a scolding at least.
After putting his cigarette out, Hopper makes his way to the van. He grabs the handle and starts talking at the same time he yanks the backdoor open.
“Munson, you better not be dealing in there, or so help me God, I will arrest you–”
His words cut off abruptly when he gets a look inside the van.
Because the kid isn’t dealing, he isn’t even smoking.
He’s straddling someone.
“Jesus H. Christ, Hopper!” Munson shrieks, somewhere between flustered and pissed off. “Ever heard of knocking?”
He’s frantically trying to fix his clothes, careful to hide whoever’s underneath him from view so Hopper can’t see them.
Him.
Because that’s definitely not a girl under Munson if the pants and the dress shoes that Hopper can see are anything to go by.
Hopper doesn’t have anything against that, of course not, but he knows that others do and if they had been the ones to catch these two like this then things could’ve gone badly, making this more stupid than selling weed at a wedding where half of the police department is in attendance.
Stupid kids, Hopper thinks with a sigh. They could benefit from their own Don’t Be Stupid set of rules. Really there would only be one, easy enough to remember: Don’t get caught making out with your– boyfriend? Is that what these two are?
“If ya wanted privacy, kid, you should’ve locked the door,” Hopper says gruffly.
There’s a snort from the other boy and Eddie frantically shushes him before rolling his eyes at Hopper. “We didn’t think anyone would come looking for us.”
“I didn’t,” Hopper says, shrugging. “Saw the light on and thought you were selling drugs.”
Now it’s Munson’s turn to snort. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, Chief, I don’t do that,” he says, shooting Hopper what’s supposed to be an innocent grin. “And if I did and that’s a big ‘if’, Hop, I’m a model citizen, it offends me that you think I’d be stupid enough to do it here,” he adds with that dramatic flair of his.
“You’re so full of shit, Eddie,” an amused voice says.
A voice Hopper recognizes right away.
Eddie’s eyes go wide when he hears it, and he puts a finger over his lips and lets out a frantic shhhh!
Only it’s too late– Hopper recognizes not only the voice but the fancy dress pants and the shiny shoes that Steve Harrington showed up wearing to his wedding.
Munson and Harrington, huh? Hopper can’t say he saw that coming.
Identity revealed, Steve sits up and Eddie has no choice but to slide off of his lap. His head whips back and forth between Steve and Hopper’s faces, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
Harrington, on the other hand, is looking real smug. “Hey, Hop.”
“Harrington,” Hopper says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Would’ve expected you to be smarter than to get caught like that.”
Brushing a hand through his messed up hair, Steve gives a shrug. “Got a little distracted. It won’t happen again.”
At that, Eddie's head snaps in his direction. “It won’t?” He asks in disappointment.
Steve’s expression turns soft. “I meant getting caught, Eds. The kissing on the other hand–” He winks and Munson’s cheeks go bright red.
“Oh,” he says with a pleased smile.
Hopper can’t help but feel like he’s intruding. He wants to go back inside, but he knows that as soon as he does, these two will probably start sucking face again, not a care in the world about who might catch them.
He sighs. They’re stupid kids, sure, but he cares about them, damn it.
“Listen, you– if you boys need a place with a lock and some privacy, the cabin is empty. There’s a key under a faulty board on the porch,” he says, smoothing his moustache down with his fingers, his other hand resting on his hip.. “Just– don’t use it to sell drugs. Hear that, Munson?”
“Chief, I’m outraged that you’d think–” Eddie starts while dramatically clutching his chest but it’s Harrington’s turn to shush him, covering his mouth with his hand.
“No drugs. Got it, Hop, thanks,” he says, flashing him a charming grin.
“Yeah, yeah,” Hopper muses.
Harrington wiggles his fingers at him and Munson offers a dorky soldier salute. With a rueful shake of his head, Hopper starts walking back to his wedding reception to find his wife. She will be proud of how he handled that, so much better than when he caught El and the Wheeler kid kissing for the first time–
Hopper’s face twists into a frown.
Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't seen his daughter or Mike for a while either.
“God damnit,” he mutters under his breath and goes looking for them.
written for the @steddiebingo kissing booth mini event prompt: bear | rated: t | wc: ~1 k | tags: season 3, alternate first meeting, first date, ft steve’s nail bat
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After a long stretch of bad dates, Steve begins to think he’ll never have a good one again. It’s why tonight comes as such a surprise– especially because the person who helps him get out of this bad date rut is none other than Eddie Munson.
Steve asked him out after several days in a row of Eddie showing up at Scoops to bother him. He’d mock Steve’s uniform or ask for ice cream sample after ice cream sample only to end up not buying anything but when Steve– who had been dealing with Henderson’s shithead friends all summer– only got mildly annoyed at this, Eddie decided to up his game by flirting shamelessly, hoping it would make Steve either angry or uncomfortable.
Steve was neither. He was into it.
So by the end of the week, when Eddie showed up again, Steve interrupted his rant about how it was criminal that Scoops was out of rainbow sprinkles to ask him out on a movie date.
Said movie had finished over an hour ago, but their date was still going.
After leaving the Hawk, Steve drove them to Lover’s Lake. When he turned the engine off, Eddie was in the middle of another rant– something about Steve’s terrible taste in music– which he also interrupted by pressing a kiss to Eddie’s lips this time. One kiss quickly turned into two, then three, and then, Steve lost count. He could only think about Eddie’s tongue in his mouth and his hands in his hair, and how this might be the best date he ever went on even if it wasn’t even over yet. In Steve’s opinion, there wasn’t anything that could ruin it.
That is, until he hears a growl.
Steve’s stomach flips at the sound, and not because Eddie bites his bottom lip. “What was that?” He asks without breaking the kiss, their lips brushing.
“Mm– w– what?” Eddie mumbles, pulling back as his eyes flutter open. He looks absolutely kiss–drunk, and Steve takes a second to appreciate his puffy lips and red cheeks before glancing out the window.
“That growl–” He trails off, squinting at the trees, half expecting to see a demodog jumping out of the shadows.
Memories of last Halloween flash behind his eyes and fear starts bubbling up inside him. He’s ready to protect Eddie even if he’s terrified, but there’s little he can do against one of those things, especially without a weapon. “Wait here,” he says, grabbing the car keys.
Eddie frowns as Steve opens the door. “Where are you–”
But the rest of his question gets cut off by Steve slamming the door closed behind him. With his eyes darting around, Steve heads to the trunk. He hears the passenger door open and Eddie as he stumbles out.
“Stay in the car, Eddie,” he says, opening the trunk and moving stuff around.
“After you looked like you saw a ghost and scrambled out of there?” Eddie scoffs. “No, sir. Fuck that.”
Leaves crunch under his boots as he walks over to Steve. He comes into view just as he grabs his nail bat and gives it a twirl.
Eddie stumbles back a few steps. “Jesus H. Christ, man! What the fuck is that?”
Steve hesitates and Eddie starts rambling, a nervous edge to his voice. “You brought me here to murder me, didn’t you? Oh shit, I should’ve known this was too good to be true, someone as pretty as you would never–”
“Eddie!” Steve interrupts, lowering the bat but keeping a tight grip on it. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I’m trying to protect you, he thinks.
“Then what’s that for?” Eddie remarks, eyeing the nail bat warily.
Monsters. “Uh,” Steve falters, trying to think fast. The best he comes up with is– “Bears?”
Eddie blinks. “Bears,” he repeats flatly.
“Yeah.”
“Are you gonna go pick a fight with a bear or something?” Eddie asks, now confused rather than afraid.
Steve shakes his head and lowers his voice a little, even if by now, they probably alerted every creature in the vicinity that they’re here. “I heard growling.”
At that Eddie lets out a loud cackle, the sound reverberating in the otherwise silent woods. So much for being quiet, he thinks.
“Steve, you beautiful idiot,” he laughs, “that wasn’t a bear you hear. It was me.”
It’s Steve’s turn to stand there and blink. “What?”
“The growling? Just my stomach, tough guy,” Eddie explains, chuckling amusedly. “I was so nervous to go on a date with the Steve Harrington that I didn’t eat all day.”
Steve’s grip on the bat loosens. “Oh,” he replies dumbly.
“Yup, so you can put that– thing away now. Unless you were planning to murder me–”
Steve huffs out a laugh. “No, I– I can’t buy you dinner if I murder you.”
“That’s a good point,” Eddie says, stifling a smile. “We should probably go though, before my stomach wakes up every bear around here– wait, are there even bears in Hawkins?”
Steve doesn’t know the answer but fortunately it doesn’t matter because Eddie doesn’t wait for one and climbs into the car.
Tossing the nailbat back into the trunk, Steve does the same. He starts backing the Beemer away from the lake–
Only to hit the brakes after a few feet.
Eddie yelps in his seat. “Damn, you’re jumpy tonight, sweetheart,” he teases, his mouth quirking up in a smirk. “What did ya hear this time?”
“Nothing. Just remembered something,” Steve says. It’s his turn to smirk. “Were you really so nervous about our date that you forgot to eat all day?”
Eddie’s eyes go wide while his cheeks turn pink. He tries to hide behind his hair, tugging it across his face, but it’s too late. “Shut up and drive, Harrington.”
steddie | rated: t | wc: 1,8 k | tags: post st4 vol. 2, but eddie lives, and steve braids his hair, pre-relationship, flirting, hospitals
a/n: this is a continuation to this fic but it can be read on its own too
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Flipping out when you’re hooked to a bunch of machines and tubes, as well as confined to a hospital bed, is pretty much impossible.
Eddie can’t storm out of the room or slam the door shut, all he can do is roll over in his bed– mindful of all the cables and IV lines– and glare at the wall until Uncle Wayne takes the hint and leaves the room.
It takes a while but eventually he does.
Before the door closes behind him though, Eddie hears footsteps approaching, followed by a familiar voice. “Hi, Mr. Munson, uh– sorry, Wayne.”
Eddie doesn't need to roll over to know who it is, he immediately recognizes Steve’s voice and his stomach flutters due to it.
Then he grimaces, because he doesn’t want Steve to see him acting like a child.
Not that he’s acting like a child, thank you very much, Wayne.
“‘llo, kid,” Wayne says gruffly.
“Is Eddie asleep?”
“He ain’t. Just throwing a fit, s’all,” he explains and Eddie glares at the wall even harder. Damn his uncle. “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you, boy.”
Eddie hears Steve hum in consideration but instead of hightailing it out of there, he asks, “Do you think pie could change his mood?”
“It just might,” Wayne snorts. “If you’re the one to give it to him.”
Eddie splutters and thinks about rolling over just so he can throw a pillow at his uncle. If he did, he’d probably see Steve’s bashful smile, the one where he doesn’t quite believe someone else’s compliment and brushes it off as a joke.
Only it isn’t a joke– it’s nearly impossible for Eddie to be in a bad mood around Steve. Blame his big fat crush on him.
“Well, good luck, son,” Eddie hears Wayne say before he hears his retreating footsteps.
Then–
“Hey, Eds.”
Eddie doesn’t respond. He doesn’t move. Maybe he can pretend he’s asleep. Of course he wants Steve’s company and pie, but he doesn’t want to dump his pissy mood on him and–
“I know you’re not asleep, dude,” Steve says, matter-of-fact.
Well, there goes his plan.
Sighing, he rolls over, his face still pulled into a frown.
One that quickly dissolves when Steve lifts a paper bag labeled Kitty’s Dinner. “I brought you something,” he says with a little smile. “Unless you’re in too much of a shitty mood for blueberry pie.”
Eddie rolls his eyes at the teasing remark. “‘M not in a bad mood,” he grumbles.
Steve snorts. “Right,” he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Just– Gimme that, Harrington,” Eddie huffs, making grabby hands at the bag. Steve obliges with an amused little smile, falling back on the chair next to the bed. Meanwhile Eddie starts stuffing his face with pie. “Thanks,” he grumbles after a few bites because he has manners– and because it makes Steve wink at him.
“You’re welcome,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Wanna tell me why your uncle warned me to stay away?”
“Because he sucks,” Eddie says through a mouthful of pie. Steve doesn’t even bat an eye, he just stares expectantly at Eddie until he sighs and says, “The nurses want to chop it off.”
Steve’s eyes go wide. “What? Your leg?” He asks, his voice thick with alarm as he glances at Eddie’s heavily bandaged leg. “But I thought they said it was healing well and–”
Eddie waves him off. “My hair,” he clarifies and Steve relaxes against the chair. “They say it keeps getting in the way, getting tangled with the cables and the IV lines and shit so they want to cut my hair short.”
“Is that why Wayne said you were throwing a tantrum?”
“It’s not a tantrum!” Eddie growls in frustration. “Or maybe it is but– fuck, man. I already have scars all over my fucking body, I lost a fucking nipple and like, a big chunk of flesh. I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror as it is–” he trails off when his voice starts to shake. “I know it’s just hair,” he mumbles after clearing his throat a few times. “And I know it grows back and that I’m being stupid–”
“Hey,” Steve cuts in and Eddie looks up to find him much closer than before, sitting on the edge of the bed instead. “It’s not stupid. You’re talking to The Hair of Hawkins, man. If anyone’s gonna understand the importance of hair, it’s me.”
A small smile teases at Eddie’s lips. “Well, Wayne says it’s stupid.”
“Dude, your uncle is bald, what does he know?”
That manages to get a real cackle out of Eddie and Steve smiles smugly, pleased with himself.
After that, they sit in silence until Eddie finishes the pie. When Eddie is done, he tosses the empty bag across the room and the movement makes a strand of hair fall over his eyes. When he brushes it back, he notices Steve looking at him, his head cocked to one side.
“What?”
“Will you let me try something again?” He asks, gesturing at Eddie’s hair.
“What?” Eddie asks warily.
Steve rolls his eyes. “Can’t you just trust me? I was right last time, wasn’t I?” When Eddie only narrows his eyes further, he lets out a long suffering sigh. “I’m not gonna cut your hair, okay? I already told you I like it this way.”
Eddie has to bite down on a giddy squeal, his chest fluttering the same way it did that day on the field. The difference is that now he’s hooked to a heart rate monitor and its beeping grows more frantic after Steve’s admission.
After he nods, Steve moves to sit behind him, squeezing between him and the wall. His hands immediately find Eddie’s hair, and while he does whatever it is that he wanted to do, Eddie attempts to telepathically slow his heartbeat down. He really doesn’t want a nurse to barge in because she thinks Eddie is having a heart attack only to realize he’s just really fucking gay.
At first, Eddie thinks Steve is just tying his hair back but when he pats the back of his head, he feels something else. “Is that– is that a braid?”
“Mhm,” Steve confirms and slaps Eddie’s hand away.
“How did Steve Harrington learn to braid hair?” He asks, flipping Steve off. “Did some chick teach you?” He teases with just a hint of jealousy in his voice.
“Actually, yeah,” Steve says amusedly. “Rob did.”
“Oh.” No reason to feel jealous, then, he thinks.
Not that he has any right to be jealous to begin with but– whatever.
“Yeah, slow hours at Family Video can get pretty boring,” Steve explains, his fingers still working on threading Eddie’s hair. “Your hair is longer than hers and the curls are a little harder to work on but–”
Eddie snorts. “You got something against curls?” He accuses and even if he can’t see him, he knows Steve just rolled his eyes at him.
“No,” he says with a soft tug to Eddie’s hair that makes him shudder. Then as if that wasn’t enough, he leans forward and speaks right into Eddie’s ear. “I have a thing for them actually.”
The words, the tone and the proximity make Eddie feel warm all over, and he falls silent just as his heart monitor starts beeping a little faster. Eddie wants to smash the god-damned thing but he doubts Nurse Barbara will appreciate that.
At least Steve is nice enough not to mention it as he keeps working. Meanwhile Eddie can’t help but sigh at the way Steve’s fingers gently card through his hair, braiding it carefully; or at the way his fingertips brush against his scalp and how his breath occasionally hits the back of Eddie’s neck.
“Got a hair tie, Munson?” Steve asks, breaking the silence.
Eddie does– he keeps it on his wrist and it’s what he’s been using to tie his hair but it never lasts long. Also, the hair tie always ends up tangled in his curls or digs uncomfortably into the back of his head when he tries to sleep.
But a braid? It might just do the trick.
He offers it to Steve and he uses it to secure the braid. “Done,” he says, squeezing his shoulder.
Careful not to undo Steve’s work, Eddie touches the back of his neck where every strand of hair is perfectly woven in place.
“Buckley taught you well,” Eddie praises.
Steve chooses that moment to stand up and sit in front of Eddie on the bed so he gets to see the pretty little blush that creeps to his cheeks at the compliment.
He gives a little shrug. “She probably could’ve done a neater job but what matters is that it’ll keep your hair out of the way and safe from any nurse who wants to cut it off. Besides,” he pauses as he reaches out to tuck a baby hair– too short to be braided– behind Eddie’s ear. “You look pretty.”
Eddie's stomach flips aggressively and fills with what feels like a thousand fluttering butterflies. He’s thankful that that’s not something one of the many monitors he’s connected to can show.
His cheeks burning like they’re on fire, Eddie lets out a slightly hysterical chuckle. “Pretty, huh?” He says in a strained voice. “Not hot?” He teases, but he sounds too nervous for the words to land as a joke.
Or Steve just chooses not to take it as one. He’s genuine when he says, “You’re always hot, Eddie.”
Jesus H. Christ, someone better call Nurse Barbara because Eddie’s about to have a fucking heart attack–
As if reading his mind, the door opens and Nurse Barbara herself steps into the room, a hospital chart in her hands. “Time to check your vitals, Mr. Munson,” she says, aiming an arched eyebrow at Steve.
“I was just leaving,” he says, standing up. “My shift starts soon anyway.”
His hand brushes Eddie’s where it rests on the bed and Eddie’s heart jumps. Barbara glances at the monitor and then at Eddie with knowing eyes. He resolutely ignores her. “Say hi to Buckley for me.”
Steve nods. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Can’t get enough, can you, Harrington?” Eddie jokes, also ignoring the giddy feeling he gets from Steve’s promise.
“Gotta make sure you don’t mess up my work, Munson.”
Eddie hums. “That sounds like an excuse to get your hands in my hair again.”
With a grin, Steve says, “I told you. I have a thing for–” he pauses, his eyes twinkling as he looks Eddie up and down, “–curls,” he finishes, and it might just be wishful thinking but Eddie thinks he actually meant to say you.
Before he can think of what to say, Steve leaves, and when the door closes behind him Eddie falls back on the bed, his lips stretching into a dopey smile.
“You hear that, Barbara?” He says, wagging his finger at the nurse. “You better keep those perfectly manicured hands away from my wonderful curls.”
With a rueful shake of her head, Barbara starts checking Eddie’s vitals, for once not complaining about his hair getting in the way– thanks, Steve– and if Eddie’s heart rate is a little too fast, even after Steve leaves, she’s kind enough not to bring it up.
written for the @steddiemicrofic prompt: race, 413 words | rating: g | no cw | tags: modern setting, corporate team building, pre-relationship, flirting, chrissy & eddie friendship
Eddie glares at his coworkers tossing eggs back and forth. “I hate this team-building bullshit.”
“It’s not so bad.” Chrissy takes a sip from her smoothie, trying to cool down after the sack race she just won. “It’s fun! I met this cute girl, Robin-”
“Chriss, I like our little IT bubble as it is. I don’t wanna meet people.”
“Not even Steve?”
Eddie sighs longingly. Steve Harrington- company’s golden boy and the sweetest, hottest guy Eddie knows. If talking on the phone counts as knowing someone.
Eddie’s seen him around of course but they’ve never spoken in person. Steve probably doesn’t know how he looks.
“I’d rather not embarrass myself the first time we meet.”
“There’s gotta be at least one game you’re okay at! Let’s try tug of war!”
“And risk losing my fingers? No way.”
Chrissy sticks her tongue out at Eddie then ditches him. In revenge, he finishes her smoothie.
He throws the empty cup at a nearby trashcan-
And misses.
Someone sniggers behind him. “Maybe you should skip ring tossing.”
The voice sounds familiar and Eddie realizes why when he turns and sees Steve.
“Hey. Eddie, right? I’m Steve. The guy who’s always calling about his stupid printer.”
Eddie knows of course. He doesn't know why Steve is talking to him right now. “Uh, is your printer acting up again?”
Steve laughs, brushing his hair back. He must’ve been participating in some game- he’s all flushed and sweaty.
He's also wearing scandalously tiny shorts. Jesus Christ.
“No but I could use your help. I need someone for the three-legged race. Your friend said I should ask you.”
Chrissy. “You really don’t want me, man.”
“She also told me not to take no for an answer.”
Eddie tsks. “According to HR, that’s harassment, buddy.”
Steve’s mouth twitches. “According to HR every employee must participate in at least one game and you’ve been sitting here all day.”
“Are you keeping tabs on everyone?”
“Nope.” Steve smirks. “Just on this hot guy from IT.”
Eddie squeaks, his stomach fluttering.
“So,” Steve continues when Eddie fails to reply. “Wanna be my partner? I'll buy you a pretzel after.”
“Even when we lose?”
Steve snorts. “Sure.”
“Okay, but I’m warning you, golden boy, I’ll probably suck.”
Steve waves him off. “I’m sure you won’t.”
But oh boy Eddie sure does. They fall down twice and inevitably lose. But Eddie gets his pretzel and a date and that’s better than winning any stupid game.
