somebody somewhere shared my fic I've got this burning desire to set you on fire recently and the kudos on it jumped so fast!! so I wrote part two as a treat!! thanks to whoever that was lmao
this can be read as a standalone or as a companion ficlet to the original fic linked above!
Steve’s students sit with rapt attention under the dimmed lights and Eddie’s theatrical storytelling. While Eddie sits in Steve’s desk chair, his arms gesticulate wildly with a flair like no other. Steve props against the arm of his chair and drags his hand softly up and down Eddie’s back while he lets himself fall into the memory.
Corroded Coffin’s show at The Venue at Fourth and West is the biggest they’ve played yet.
Seven thousand people and Steve and Robin, as always, take their rightful place on the front and center barricade.
Eddie’s on stage, adrenaline pumping and energy high as they play through their last song before the encore.
From his vantage point he’s got a perfect view of Steve singing his heart out and dancing with Robin, wearing a smile so bright it puts the spotlights to shame.
If Eddie’s heart wasn’t already pounding at the sight it would be as he holds out the last chord of the final song on their set.
As the noise in the room swells with the crowd’s cheers and applause, the lights dim and Eddie sees the other three guys slip off stage.
Steeling himself with a deep breath, Eddie meets the stagehand to his left and switches his Warlock for an acoustic.
Where he stood centerstage previously, there now sits a stool and a mic stand. He makes himself comfortable, sat far back with one foot anchored to the ground and the other braced on the stool’s cross-rod.
A single spotlight beams down directly on him as he leans over to speak into his mic.
“Alright, alright. I’ve got one last song for you today and it’s pretty special. Now I’m saying this once and I don’t want to hear shit about it again, got it? I do not care if you do not like this song because it's not for any of you motherfuckers!”
Laughter ripples through the crowd and a few people in the audience yell back.
Eddie scans his eyes across the crowd and they land on his boy once more. He can only imagine his smile mirrors the one he sees on Steve’s face.
“Hey baby,” he starts and lets out a breathy laugh when Steve rolls his eyes and hides his face in his hands. “Don’t hide sunshine, I’ve got a song for you.” He snaps and waves at the security guards and waves them Steve’s way. “Come on up Stevie, you know the drill.”
Know the drill he does. While Steve hops the barricade and is led to the stage, Eddie addresses the crowd once more.
“Like I said, this song is not for any of you so I do not want to hear shit from any of you, okay?” He sets to loosening the strap on his guitar when Steve makes it to center stage with him.
Just out of earshot of the mic Steve props his hands on his hips and grins. Asks, “Okay, what’re we doing this time?”
Eddie smirks and holds his guitar out to his right and pats the front of the stool for Steve to sit.
Steve snorts as he makes his way over. “If you think my ass is going to fit there you’ve got another thing coming.”
Eddie barks out a laugh and shifts further onto his stool as Steve sits, his back pressed tight to Eddie’s chest. He smacks a kiss to Steve’s cheek and waggles his eyebrows.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time!”
He swings his guitar back over his own shoulder and across Steve’s chest, hooks his chin over his shoulder and adjusts his grip.
Steve giggles down at the action and his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.
“How many times did you make Gareth practice this with you?” He laughs.
“Too fucking many!” Gareth yells from his place in the wings.
Eddie shushes them both and kicks his mic stand a little closer as he starts to strum. He leans in close to Steve’s ear and whispers “Love you Stevie,” before he starts humming into the mic.
Realistically he knows he has approximately seven seconds before Steve catches on. He savors the brief moments where Steve just smiles and sways along.
At second six the recognition flutters across his features and he snaps his head towards Eddie.
“Is this fucking Taylor Swift?”
Eddie laughs and says “Eddie’s Version.”.
Steve laughs and rubs a hand down his face. Eddie hears a muffled “Oh my god” just before he begins to sing.
Hey Stephen, I know looks can be deceiving
But I know I saw a light in you
And as we walked we would talk
And I didn't say half the things I wanted to
Robin, god love her, Eddie sees has taken her role in this whole shenanigan very seriously. Having rounded up every photographer and videographer right up in front of center stage. Her own smile is barely contained where she covers her mouth with her hands.
Of all the guys tossing rocks at your window
I'll be the one waiting there even when it's cold
Hey Stephen, boy, you might have me believing
I don't always have to be alone
Just before he makes it to the chorus Steve’s laughter has calmed down and he’s left with a pleased smile as he sways to the music braced against Eddie’s chest.
Cause I can't help it if you look like an angel
Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so
Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you
Can't help it if there's no one else
He swings his guitar up and over Steve’s head and tugs him back onto the stool as he steps off. Steve looks at him with a confused smile but he doesn't go too far. He props a foot up on the cross-rod and leans in close when he starts again.
Hey Stephen, I've been holding back this feeling
So I've got some things to say to you
I've seen it all, so I thought
But I never seen nobody shine the way you do
He spins around with a flourish and props on Steve’s other side and flutters his eyelashes to make Steve laugh again.
The way you walk, way you talk, way you say my name
It's beautiful, wonderful, don't you ever change
Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving?
I think you and I should stay the same
Before the second chorus he breaks out of his Steve induced trance and looks back to the crowd and laughs when he’s met with a sea of flashlight beams swaying back and forth. When he looks back at his boy he finds him giggling with a look of awe on his face.
'Cause I can't help it if you look like an angel
Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so
Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you
Can't help it if there's no one else
He leans in close and says “Alright we’re gonna switch it up here Stevie, you ready?”
Steve smiles as bright as the sun. “For anything.”
Eddie takes his guitar off and hands it off to someone, he doesn’t know who to be honest. Doesn’t really care.
Gareth and Jeff take up playing the song while Eddie takes the mic off its stand.
They're dimming the stage lights
Why aren't you here tonight?
The boys keep playing as Eddie’s heart threatens to beat out of his chest. He looks at Steve one more time, sees him smiling and happy.
He reaches a hand into his back pocket and feels the box he’d snuck in when he switched guitars.
Takes a deep breath and drops down to one knee.
If he could hear over the blood in his ears he’d hear the crowd go crazy and the incessant sound of camera shutters.
But as it is he swears he can hear Steve’s sharp intake of breath when he realizes what’s happening.
Hey Stephen, I could give you fifty reasons
Why I should be the one you choose
All those other girls, well, they're beautiful
But would they sing this song for you?
Steve’s got his hand covering his mouth and tears in his eyes and he’s nodding. He’s nodding even though Eddie hasn’t asked yet and he loves Steve so much.
I can't help it if you look like an angel
Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain, so
Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you
Can't help it if there's no one else
He doesn’t even get to finish the rest of the lyrics because Steve is up and off the stool and has both hands pressed to his cheeks dragging him into a fierce kiss before he can even think.
Eddie’s smiling and laughing so much that it's all teeth. But he’s so happy it's all teeth, it's all love, it's all Steve.
His arms are around Steve’s waist and the mic is somewhere, he doesn’t know or care.
“Stevie, baby. Baby I haven’t asked,” he laughs onto Steve’s lips.
Steve wraps his arms around his neck and buries his face in his shoulder.
“Yes. A hundred times yes. Don’t care. Yes!”
Eddie pulls Steve to face him with two hands on either side of his face, one still holding the box.
“Stevie, will you marry me?”
Steve's laugh resembles a sob but he’s smiling and nodding again and Eddie’s never been happier.
“You proposed with a Taylor Swift song?!” The curly-headed kid in the front row screeches.
Eddie uses his context clues to assume this is Dustin.
Steve pipes up from his spot beside him. “He used to sing me that song when we were dating and it always made me laugh. I especially liked it when he would sing it in a Metallica shirt.”
Several of the other kids snort.
The door swings open in a flourish and Robin comes barreling in.
“Dude, are you holding your kids hostage? What’s goin– Oh hey Eds!” She waves.
Steve looks at his watch and swears under his breath. “Alright guys, who’s going to Miss Buckley’s class next? Get out of here. I’ll sort the rest of you out.”
Eddie waves him off. “Don’t worry about it Stevie. I told Ms. Loretta in the office to let Nance and Jon know they’d be late to next period.”
Steve scoffs in shock. “Loretta likes you too much. I don’t know how you got in her good graces. Why would you do that though?”
“Well I thought your kiddos,” he gives the students a pointed glance,” would have figured me out by now and I wanted to bug them about their super cool, hot teacher.”
Steve claps his hands together in exasperation. “Okay, that’s enough. Everybody out!”
Students zip up their bags and filter out of the room and Robin knocks them on the back of the head as they walk out the door.
Steve shoves at Eddie’s shoulders. “You too! Go talk to Ms. Loretta, I have assignments to grade!”
Eddie laughs and ambles towards the door. He stops in the door frame and looks back at Steve who has his hands on his hips behind his desk. He wolf whistles and smiles back at him.
“See you at home big boy,” he winks.
