Tag, You’re It
For the dailydrabble prompt 'Tag, You're It' by @strangerthingswritersguild
Ao3 Link
“No-no-no Sheepies. Eddie doesn’t do sports,” Eddie drawled lying back on the grassy hillside and pulling his sunglasses over his eyes.
There was a collective groan from the kids.
“It’s not even sports,” Dustin complained, “It’s more like...uh...like capturing a castle.”
“Capturing a castle?” Eddie scoffed, peering over the top of his sunglasses. “Aren’t you all a little old to be chasing one another around in a field, defending a tree stump?” He was aware of how hypocritical this was, only a few weekends ago he had been charging around a forest defending a tree stump of his own, albeit in character.
A frustrated blush rose to Mike’s face, “It’s not like that. It’s timed and-and there's a prize. Well two. And if you capture the stump you add a rule.”
“A prize?” Eddie yawned and leaned back on his hands on the grass.
“You’re not selling this,” Lucas huffed at Mike.
“Sinclair’s right you’re not. Be Gone!” Eddie sighed wearily and waved them away.
“Come on Eddie it’s embarrassing out there, the girls have Steve on their team,” Dustin whined.
“He’s only playing to spite me,” Mike grumbled folding his arms.
“He asked if we wanted some help, and genius Mike here laughed and said he had too much hairspray in to be on the boy’s team,” Lucas griped, “Now he’s kicking our ass, especially with his stupid rules.”
“Stupid rules?” Eddie asked with a deeper sigh. He was not interested in the game itself but he figured they weren’t moving, so he might as well get the gossip.
“Every time he gets the stump he makes up a rule so none of us can tag him,” Mike scowled.
“Huh? You can make up a rule that you can’t be tagged? Sounds like a glaring pit fall in the rules system here,” Eddie chuckled.
“No. He’ll say we can only tag him if we compliment him, or tell him he’s the best, or sing, or something,” Lucas added.
“Sounds pretty easy to me?” Eddie said looking between the three high-schoolers pausing for them, but its clear all the running had put their brains out to lunch, “Just say the thing.”
“NO WAY!” They yelled in unison.
“If you wanna win, sometimes you gotta swallow your pride guys. Now if you could stop casting your shadows so I can catch some rays, and take your putrid aromas with you, that would be splendid. Thanks.”
The three of them huddled up. Eddie could hear them muttering.
“What if we got you some beers?” Dustin asked, “Or a new D&D module?”
“Where are you pipsqueaks gonna get alcohol from?” Eddie laughed.
“The Christmas stash my mom has, she won’t notice anything is missing, Nancy, has taken a whole vodka bottle from it before,” Mike replied.
Eddie sat up, “I’m listening. Why do you wanna win so badly anyway?”
“At first it was for a bag of candy and who gets to choose the next film at the movies, but now we just really wanna beat Steve, he’s mocking us out there.”
Eddie peeked around the trio and true enough Steve Harrington looked pretty damn pleased with himself, and pretty damn cute. He was wearing very fitted athletic shorts and a snug white tank top that clung to his broad shoulders, as anyone in their right mind would being doing that close to Steve, sweat patches making it almost translucent in places, with his chest hair poking out the top. If that wasn't bad enough he was celebrating by flexing his muscles to mock the boys. Eddie took a deep inhale of breath, because he didn't realise he had been holding it.
“Alright, I’ll win it for you, but I don’t wanna hear a peep out you three begging me for shit the rest of the summer. Got it?”
They nodded in unison as Eddie got up, dusted off his denim cutoffs and tank top and pushed his sunglasses into his hair.
“Let’s take down a King,” Eddie grinned with malevolence.
Steve frowned as they approached the field again, “Munson? You joining us?”
“Yeah, thought I’d even the teams out. I heard the numbers were uneven?”
“And you’re the one to bring balance to the game?” Steve asked raising his eyebrows.
“Yeah,” Eddie said confidently, with his hands on his hips.
A laugh bubbled out of Steve getting louder until he was doubled over.
Eddie’s lip twitched, but he keeps his cool, “Well are we playing or what?”
The teams spaced out, and Eddie flexed his fingers, and bolted for the stump as soon as Robin blew the whistle.
His team mates flanked him but each of them fell, tackled by Max, El, and Erica.
Just as Eddie was about to leap for the stump Harrington beats him to it.
“Freeze!” Robin shouted and Eddie sneered at being stuck in place, “Go ahead, Steve.”
Harrington tapped his chin thoughtfully, “You can only tag me if you recite me a poem.”
There was a collective groan, but Eddie grinned.
“Ok unfreeze,” Robin called out, and Eddie hopped up on the stump crowding Steve.
“Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet,” he said smoothly before looking over Steve, “But not as sweet as you big boy.”
Steve didn’t budge, looked confused at Eddie.
“Stump is Eddie’s,” Robin officiated.
“No that’s didn’t even rhyme properly!” Steve complained at Robin.
“Poetry doesn’t have to rhyme,” Eddie smirked.
“Yeah it does!” Steve frowned.
“Steve I made my ruling. Eddie gets the stump, and the longer you stand there whining the more time you waste. You’ve got less than five minutes left.”
Steve huffed down his nose and stomped back to his starting position on the field.
“Eddie, your rule?”
“Uh that’s easy you have to tell me I’m real pretty.” He smiled wide and batted his eyelashes, as the girls rolled their eyes.
Robin shook her head but blew the whistle anyway. The others charged towards the stump. Harrington was way too fast for anyone to get there before him, and he slapped Eddie’s leg with his hand.
“Tag, stump’s mine,” Steve said.
Eddie looked down on him with glee, “Uh-uh you gotta say it.”
Steve’s face was a picture, contorting with effort as he looked up at Eddie, “YOUREREALPRETTY” he said quickly and weirdly loudly.
Eddie tossed his hair with his hand, “I didn’t know you cared Harrington.” Steve blushed hard. He smiled toothily and hopped down from the stump sauntering back to his starting position with no complaint, he knew the clock was ticking.
“What are you doing?” Dustin said through gritted teeth, “You said you’d win.”
“Oh but I am,” Eddie smirked and gestured to a confused looking Steve and Robin tapping her watch at him.
“Ok! Ok. It’s hard to think of one. Alright! Geez! You have to say...uh...you have to say I’m the smartest man in the universe.” Steve said and gathered up the girls for a huddle and pointed at Eddie.
Robin blew the whistle, and Eddie nimbly dodged the flying tackles from the girls. They were fast, but Eddie had that feral energy coursing through him now. He got to the foot of the stump and spanked Steve’s backside. “Tag,” he said slyly and grabbed onto Steve’s hips to hoist himself up onto the stump.
He looked right into Steve’s eyes, “It’s my stump, smartest man in the universe,” punctuating his words with a wink.
Steve didn’t say anything, just stared, dropped off the stump, and went back to the starting position. Eddie knew he’d rattled him and the next thing Steve wouldn’t do. No way.
“Eddie! Rule?” Robin said a little exasperated
“A kiss,” Eddie said.
“No way there are kids here!” Robin said.
“I didn’t say they had to kiss me directly, they can blow me a kiss”
Robin turned to the kids. They were all yelling at her about the time and didn’t seem to care.
“Alright, but for the record, I’m against this” she reluctantly blew the whistle, and just like Eddie predicted Steve was thrown, he was tackling the boys hoping one of the girls would head for the stump but they wouldn’t go for it.
Eddie looked smug, striking a mock-heroic pose as he flexed his much smaller, toned muscles with theatrical pride, fully aware of the irony. He grinned to himself, already picturing how he was going to be sipping cocktails on the porch tonight. His thoughts were broken by an angry Erica screaming, “Just do it sailor man! Go over there and blow that long haired freak a kiss!”
“We’ve only got ten seconds left!” Max complained shoving Mike to the floor.
“Yes Steve I don’t want to watch the same movie all summer,” El said.
The boys understood the assignment and made kissy noises at Steve to mock him.
Eddie rocked on his heels with a huge smile as he watched the last few seconds tick down.
Until he felt a slap on his hand and he was confronted with a furious Steve
Eddie raised his eyebrows with confidence, “Well Howdy there Big b-“
And before he knew what was happening, he heard a collective gasp and “Steve’s stump! That’s time, come on nerds,” Robin added.
Eddie felt pressure on his lips, heat on the sides of his face. Steve was kissing him and was grabbing his face. He was rendered speechless. Steve smiled. Eddie suddenly felt hands on his shoulders as he was pushed off the stump and landed on his ass with a thud, almost as hard as his heart was hammering in his chest.
He could hear the boys complaining and the girls cheering. He shrugged at them in apology, heart pounding and face burning, trying to suppress the chaos spiralling in his chest from that kiss. He pulled down his sunglasses and quickly tried to walk back to his van, before he had a public crisis.
He was nearly at his sanctuary when he heard the rapid footsteps on the gravel path behind him, “Hey! Wait up!”
Eddie’s stomach dropped to the depths of the abyss, twisting with something hot and familiar. Dread, maybe, or anticipation. He couldn't tell. He could run, but that would look worse. He stopped and turned on his heel.
“You didn’t shake my hand,” Steve frowned a little out of breath.
“What?” was all Eddie could manage.
“We beat you, we're supposed to shake hands after. No hard feelings. Sportspersonship stuff.” Steve tried again, extending his hand towards Eddie.
“Oh, yeah. No hard feelings here. It was literally just tag, man. You’re good.” Eddie laughed it off, eager to get away.
“You won’t shake my hand? Is it because of what I did?” Steve asked and Eddie could hear the shame in his voice, and he couldn’t have that. Not with those sad puppy dog eyes looking so wounded at him.
“Look. I set the rule. You just wanted the win real bad,” Eddie said, trying to sound breezy, though his voice wavered just enough to betray the heat still lingering on his cheeks. "It’s not a problem,” Eddie said and extended his hand.
Steve's smile brightened as they shook on it but as Eddie tried to let go, he found Steve gripping his hand tightly.
“You okay, Steve?” he asked and found himself pulled flush with Steve’s chest, their faces an inch apart. As they collided he was met with the full Harrington experience. The beauty marks, the crooked smile, the flecks of gold in his eyes, the soft swoop of his hair, the heat from his body, and that scent of sun lotion, cologne and sweat. It's enough for him to forcefully replant his feet, so he didn't collapse with how overwhelmed he felt.
“I would have done it sooner without a crowd,” Steve said gently.
“Shook my hand?” Eddie asked nervously, confused but he knew what Steve was getting at.
“If you ever want one again just give me a call,” Steve smirked, leaving a frazzled Eddie standing slack-jawed as he jogged back to the others.