Congratulations on 3k! Really enjoy your drabbles and fics :)
"Who cares if it was meant to be or not?"
Thank you so much!
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
The band took the stage a few minutes late. Eddie had gone missing shortly before their final warning, and they can’t exactly perform without their lead guitarist.
When he was found, he’d been crying, but he brushed it off like it was nothing, said he was good to go.
He wasn’t. He had one of the worst shows of his life. Not a great look for a band trying to get a headlining tour.
No one said anything after; Eddie was already upset enough. With himself, with someone else, maybe both.
Eventually, Jeff couldn’t take the moping.
“Alright, man. You wanna tell us what’s going on? We just had a pretty shitty show and you look like you’re ready to have a breakdown,” he said as he sat next to Eddie on the couch of their tour bus.
“Sorry. Um. Sorry guys. Just. Had it out with Steve earlier.”
“Is-“ Gareth started to ask. “Are you guys okay now? Did you call him after?”
“No. No, I don’t think he wants me to.”
Everyone stared at Eddie in disbelief. Sure, they teased him all the time for falling for the jock stereotype, but they were perfect for each other. Everyone who knew them knew that.
“Why not?”
“Some things just aren’t meant to be, Gare.”
“No! Fuck that! Who cares if it was meant to be or not?” Gareth paced the floor. “You guys are so good together. You’re like a damn romance novel or something. Like those stupid chick flicks.”
“Gareth.” Jeff’s tone got his attention, but Eddie didn’t look up. “It’s not our business.”
“Like hell it isn’t. He just played like shit! We deserve to know why.”
Eddie stood up and walked to his bunk.
“Good job, idiot,” Grant rolled his eyes and followed.
“I’m calling Steve,” Gareth said. “Something’s gotta be done.”
“Dude, just leave it. They’ll either work it out or they won’t.”
“And if they don’t, Eddie’s gonna be like this forever.” Gareth pulled his cell phone from his pocket and opened his text thread with Steve. “If it’s so bad, Steve will ignore me.”
Hey call me
Not now
Please Eddie’s a fuckin mess
Gareth’s phone started ringing. He smirked up at Jeff, who walked away with his hands crossed over his chest.
“Steve.”
“Is Eddie okay?”
“No. What happened? We just had the shittiest show-“
“But is he okay?”
“No! What happened before the show?”
He could hear Steve sniffle.
“I just. It’s hard. It’s hard being here and he’s never here. And I know that’s what we agreed was best for this tour, but it’s hard. And he keeps saying he misses me and it hurts because what am I supposed to do?” Steve was crying now, Gareth was fighting his own tears. “So I told him to do something about it earlier and he told me he couldn’t and it turned into us arguing about his priorities and I didn’t even mean that I thought the band was more important than me, it just sucks. It’s hard.”
“Steve, I get it man. I mean, I don’t. But I know it’s hard. For both of you. Did you-“ Gareth bit his lip. “Did you break up?”
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Can you unbreak up?”
“Maybe. But-“
“Gareth, who is that?” Eddie’s voice asked from the curtain to the bunk beds. His eyes were red, tear tracks not even dry on his cheeks. “Is that Steve?”
“Yeah.”
Eddie came over and sat next to Gareth, grabbing the phone from him.
“Steve?” He sounded broken. “Are you okay?”
Gareth got up and went back to the bunks.
“The fuck did you do?” Jeff asked.
“Fixed it. You’re both welcome,” Gareth got in bed and smiled as he heard Eddie laugh.
♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
The next night was better.
The night after that, Steve was standing backstage, wearing Eddie’s vest and singing along to the songs.
And every night after that, and on their first headlining tour, and their next one, and their next one, Steve was there for most nights.
Eddie gave his everything because he had his everything.
