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Chapter Text

1976  

On August 9th, 1958, Wayne Munson married his childhood sweetheart, Patsy Gates, in a small ceremony at Hawkins Presbyterian Church. They lived a modest life in Hawkins where Wayne worked at the plant and Patsy worked at the public library. Patsy’s dream in life was to have a baby, a little boy that she would call Wayne Jr. But luck was not on their side. They visited fertility doctor after fertility doctor looking for a solution, but one never came. Eventually, Wayne brought up the idea of adoption. If they couldn’t have a baby of their own, there were plenty of them out there looking for a good family to raise them. 

In the spring of 1968, Wayne and Patsy visited with an adoption agency in Indianapolis. They were told their application looked promising, and the caseworker that was assigned to them thought they had a really good chance of adopting a baby. But fortune still refused to smile on them. When they returned home from that visit with their caseworker, Wayne found his ‘Notice to Report for Induction’ in the mailbox. He had been drafted. Before he left for Vietnam, Wayne promised Patsy that they would try again when he got home. 

Wayne came home in the summer of 1975. Patsy was just so happy to have him back after seven years that she didn’t even bring up trying again to adopt a child. Those had been the longest seven years of her life, alone, the man she’d loved her whole life on the other side of the world, fighting an illegal war against an enemy that wasn’t theirs. And he seemed so tired, so worn, so much older than when he’d left. He was only thirty-eight years old, but the things he’d seen had taken their toll on him. 

On January 1, 1976, Wayne sat Patsy down and told her that he wanted to start the new year with a fresh start. He wanted to try again. He wanted a son. So, they went back to the adoption agency. They met with caseworkers, single pregnant women wanting to put their babies up for adoption, and so many other people that their heads were spinning. There were so many children available. Patsy would have adopted them all if they could afford it. 

In February, at the agency’s office, Patsy was talking to an unwed, pregnant girl in private with their caseworker, so Wayne had stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. When he came back in, he took a seat on a bench in the hallway to wait for his wife. As he waited, two police officers came in with a small boy in tow. The boy had a mop of unruly dark curls and the biggest brown eyes Wayne had ever seen. He peeked at Wayne from behind one of the cops and when Wayne smiled, the boy ducked back behind the officer’s leg. 

“Sit down, boy,” the older cop barked at the little boy. “And don’t you move a damned muscle, or I’ll lock you up just like your daddy.” The little boy cowered and shook, but he obeyed the officer and sat on the opposite end of the bench from Wayne. “I’m going to talk to your caseworker. Stay put, you hear me?” He nodded and the younger officer put a raggedy suitcase on the floor next to him. “Officer Purcell is going to be right here watching you. I don’t want any more trouble out of you.” 

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” The older cop disappeared through a door and Officer Purcell glared at the little boy. “I’m going to the end of the hall to smoke a cigarette,” he told him. “I can see you through the glass in the door. If you get off that bench or try to start any trouble, I’ll cuff you to the wall.” 

Wayne watched the cop leave and step out the same door where he himself had gone to smoke. He knew for a fact that you couldn’t see the bench they were on through that door. He watched the little boy for a moment. He looked terrified, and also like he’d been crying. But if he was in the charge of Purcell and that older cop, the mean old snakes, he knew they probably weren’t showing him any kindness whatsoever. The little boy peeked up at him, his eyes innocent and scared, and Wayne’s heart melted. 

“Hey, kid,” he said softly, not wanting to scare him. “What’s your name?” 

“Eddie,” he whispered so low that Wayne barely heard it. 

“Eddie?” He nodded once. “I’m Wayne. It’s nice to meet you.” Wayne stuck his hand out to shake Eddie’s and Eddie flew back against the arm of the bench, his legs came up and his arms went over his head as he huddled as far from Wayne as he could get. “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Wayne put his hands up in surrender. “It’s okay, kid. I’m not gonna hurt ya.” Eddie just huddled, trembling in the corner of the bench. “It’s okay, Eddie. I wasn’t going to hit you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” Eddie lifted one arm and peeked out at him. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” Wayne remembered that he had a roll of Life Savers in his pocket, and he took them out, held them slowly out to Eddie. “You want a piece of candy?” Eddie nodded as he lowered his arms but stayed huddled against the end of the bench. Wayne unwrapped one of the candies and held it out to Eddie, a red Life Saver. Eddie acted like he was going to reach for it but stopped, his eyes big and scared. Wayne laid the candy on the bench between them and pushed it closer. “Go on, kid. Take it.” 

Wayne put the roll of Life Savers back in his pocket and watched Eddie out of the corner of his eye as he timidly reached for the candy, picked it up, and hurriedly shoved it in his mouth like he thought someone was going to take it from him. Wayne turned and smiled at him. He was about to ask him his age when the older officer came out of the office and looked around then glared down at Eddie. 

“Where’s Purcell?” Eddie’s eyes flitted towards the door at the end of the hall, but he didn’t say anything. “What’s that in your mouth, kid? Are you eating something? Where’d you get that? Spit that out right now!” Eddie cowered away from him, pulling his legs up more and hiding behind them. “Did you see what this delinquent put in his mouth,” he asked, turning to face Wayne. 

“Yeah,” Wayne answered as he stood up and squared his shoulders defiantly. “A red Life Saver. I gave it to him. Is that a problem?” Wayne stood nearly a foot taller than the officer and he seemed intimidated by Wayne. “What’s your name, officer?” 

“Wiley,” he said, his voice cracking in the face of someone he couldn’t bully and push around. “Forgive me. But this kid is a heathen, has no manners or respect. Wouldn’t surprise me if he picked up some piece of used gum of the floor and put it in his mouth. No decency, this one.” 

“Maybe if you’d stop yelling at him like that,” Wayne said. “Can’t you see the poor kid’s scared to death?” 

“Little shit needs to be scared of the police,” Officer Wiley answered. “He’s gonna grow up to be just like his piece of shit parents anyway. Might as well get him used to being scared of us now.” He sneered at Eddie and tears started streaming down Eddie’s face. “That’s right, cry, you little monster.” He screwed up his face in a mockery of Eddie’s crying. “Wah! Wah! Wah!” He rolled his eyes. “Little crybaby.” 

“That’s enough!” Wayne stepped between Officer Wiley and Eddie, pulling himself up to his full height, his hands in fists at his side. “Leave him alone.” 

“Is there a problem out here?” The office door where Officer Wiley had been opened, and a kind looking older lady stepped into the hallway. “Eddie? Are you okay?” Eddie didn’t answer her. He scooted across the bench and hid behind Wayne, peeking out at the other adults from behind his legs. “What’s going on,” she asked again, her suspicious eyes falling on Wayne. 

“This officer’s scaring the bejeesus out of this kid,” Wayne said with a dirty look at Officer Wiley. “Is there somewhere I can file a complaint?” 

“A complaint?” Officer Wiley’s eyes went wide. “Jeez, come on. He’s a juvenile delinquent. Someone should be filing a complaint against him.” 

“That’s enough, officer,” the woman said. “I’ve got him from here. You can go.” 

“Good riddance to you,” he mumbled as he started off down the hall. “You little freak of nature.” 

When he was gone, the woman turned to Wayne again. “I’m Opal Williams, Eddie’s caseworker,” she said, extending a hand to Wayne. He shook it gently. “And you are?” 

“Wayne Munson,” he answered. He looked down at Eddie who had mostly come out from behind him and was practically clinging to his leg. He gently laid a hand on his head and tousled his unruly curls. “Just making friends with little Eddie here.” 

“That’s kind of you,” she said with a smile. “But I’ll take him off your hands now.” She reached for Eddie, and he ducked behind Wayne’s legs again, peeking out at her with those big doe-like eyes. “That’s strange.” 

“What’s that?” 

“Eddie doesn’t like to be touched,” she said gently. “He’s a very troubled boy. I’ve never seen him let anyone touch him other than his mother.” 

“Where’s his mother,” Wayne asked. 

“That’s a long story,” Ms. Williams replied. 

“I’m just waiting for my wife,” Wayne said. “And Eddie doesn’t seem to want to let go of me. So, why don’t we sit down and talk, and you can tell me.” They both sat down, and Eddie climbed up on the bench next to Wayne, staring up at him with hopeful eyes. “You want some more candy?” Eddie nodded and his curls bounced on his head. Wayne took out the roll of Life Savers and handed it to Eddie. He unrolled it and popped a green one into his mouth. “He certainly likes those, don’t he?” 

“He does like hard candies,” she said with a soft laugh. “But he’s not fond of chocolate.” 

“So, tell me,” Wayne began. “Where’s his mother?” 

“There’s no gentle way to say this,” she said. “His mother was killed a few nights ago. By his father.” Wayne winced. He looked down at Eddie. The poor child. There was no telling what he must be going through. And that bully Officer Wiley being so mean to him. “His mother was a . . . prostitute.” She whispered the last word. “His father is a drug dealer who consumed more of his own supply than he sold. He pimped her out to pay for drugs.” 

“Dear God,” Wayne sighed. Eddie smiled up at him then leaned into him and laid his head on Wayne’s arm, closing his eyes as he yawned. 

“He physically abused them both,” Ms. Williams went on. “Eddie’s been taken out of the home a dozen or more times, but the system is flawed and sometimes it fails the kids. And, unfortunately, sometimes they suffer, like Eddie has.” She shook her head sadly. “He’s been beaten, abused, forced to watch his mother as she . . . worked.” 

“Mother of God.” Eddie snuggled against Wayne’s arm, and he shook his head. How could someone do that to a little child? 

“His father even peddled him to make extra money.” Wayne’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “There are all kinds of perverts out there.” Wayne shook his head. That thought turned his stomach. “This poor child has been through hell his entire life.” 

“What did Officer Wiley mean about him being a delinquent?” 

“Eddie has been picked up several times for shoplifting, mostly food, sometimes candy,” she said. “One time it was soap. Another time a jacket in the middle of the winter.” 

“I assume his father’s in jail?” 

“Yes,” she said. “Three nights ago, Eddie walked into a police station, covered in blood, and told them that daddy punished momma and she wouldn’t wake up anymore.” 

“What happens to him now?” He looked down at Eddie again and he was asleep, his arms around Wayne’s arm, his head nestled against him, the roll of Life Savers clutched tightly in his little hand. “Does he have any other family?” 

“I’m afraid not,” Ms. Williams sighed. “He’s going to be put into a group home for troubled boys. With his past, it’s almost impossible to find someone to adopt him. He’ll stay in the group home until he ages out of the system at eighteen.” 

“Wayne, honey?” He looked up to see Patsy coming down the hall towards them. She had a sad smile on her face. When she stopped in front of Wayne, she looked down at Eddie, a curious look in her eyes. “Who’s this?” 

“This is Eddie,” he said as he ran his other hand over his head, smoothing down his curls. “Baby, we need to talk.” 

********** 

Eddie followed Wayne everywhere he went; he was Wayne’s little shadow. The only time he wasn’t right by Wayne’s side was when Wayne had to go to work. When Wayne was at work, Patsy took care of him. She quit her job at the library to be a stay at home mom since Eddie wasn’t going to start school until the fall. When he was home with Patsy during the days, Eddie usually played quietly with his toys or read books. He loved to read and though he had fallen behind in school because of his past life, his reading level was above and beyond most ten year old kids.  

After the adoption had gone through, Wayne and Patsy took Eddie to be tested. No one was sure where he was at in school, only that he had exceptional reading skills. His verbal communication skills were weak, and his math scores were almost non-existent, but his reading placed him on a sixth to seventh grade level, even though he was only ten and should probably only be in fifth grade. The school board determined, based on his birthday falling in mid-October, that he had most likely started Kindergarten a year later than the other kids, turning six just after starting. So that would mean that he should be in fifth grade, but with his test scores, they placed him in the fourth grade for the coming school year. He would be older than the other kids, but they didn’t think that he would have any trouble fitting in. 

Wayne was worried that he wouldn’t have any friends when school did start. He didn’t like to go outside and play with the other kids, even when Wayne or Patsy went with him and tried to introduce him. Eddie was painfully shy and preferred to just be alone. So, Wayne started teaching him to work with his hands. Wayne liked to tinker with engines and small motors. He did odd jobs for people around the neighborhood on the weekends. He fixed lawnmowers, worked on cars, he even built a deck for one of his buddies at the plant. And he took Eddie with him. He taught him about tools and how to use them safely. Eddie seemed to like doing that, especially tinkering under the hood of the old ’58 Ford Thunderbird that Wayne was restoring. 

One day, Eddie found Wayne’s old acoustic guitar on a shelf in the garage under a bunch of greasy old shop rags and dusty old National Geographic magazines. He was at once fascinated with it and asked Wayne if he could play with it. Wayne told him he could have it. He hadn’t touched the thing since before he’d been drafted. It was a leftover from his high school days, back when he thought he wanted to be a folk singer someday. So, Wayne had tuned it and polished the battered old wood and handed it over to Eddie. 

Eddie seemed to have a natural aptitude for music. Wayne showed him a couple of simple chords that he picked up on rather quickly, and within weeks, Eddie could sit in front of the radio with his guitar, listen to a song, and by the time it ended he could pretty much play along with it. From then on, he was hooked on music. While Wayne was at work one day, Patsy took Eddie to a record store and bought him a little turntable and let him pick out some records. He’d chosen The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, T.Rex, and Kiss, based solely on the album covers he liked best. Wayne laughed when the Stones, Bowie, and T.Rex albums ended up in the closet, and Eddie listened to nothing but Kiss for an entire month. 

It was Saturday and Eddie was sitting on a stool next to Wayne’s workbench in the garage as Wayne sharpened the blades on the lawnmower he’d been working on. Eddie was reading aloud to him from the mower’s instruction manual. He didn’t need it because he’d already completed the repair, but he liked to listen to Eddie read out loud since he never said much of anything else otherwise. 

Patsy had driven into town to do some grocery shopping. Tomorrow was the Fourth of July and Eddie was excitedly looking forward to a cookout and the fireworks that he and Wayne had bought the previous weekend. He seemed scared of the idea at first, but Wayne told him it would be like the sounds they heard during gunfights in the old Western movies Wayne liked. Eddie liked watching those movies with Wayne and since Wayne assured him they wouldn’t hurt him, if he was careful and stayed far enough back and let Wayne handle them, Eddie had started looking forward to it. 

Wayne had just reattached the lawnmower blade and was wiping the greasy fingerprints off when a car pulled into the driveway. He pulled the lawnmower down off the workbench and parked it next to Eddie’s new bicycle as Eddie closed the manual he was reading. Wayne gave him a smile.

“Sounds like Aunt Patsy’s home.” Eddie didn’t want to call Wayne and Patsy mom and dad because it reminded him of his real parents, and he didn’t want to think about them. Patsy had suggested Uncle Wayne and Aunt Patsy and Eddie agreed. He’d never had any aunts and uncles and he liked the idea. “Let’s go see if she got any of those red, white, and blue popsicles.” 

“Yeah!”  

Eddie hopped down off the stool as Wayne pulled up the garage door so they could go help Patsy with the groceries. But Wayne froze when the door slid up and it wasn’t Patsy’s car in the driveway. It was a police car. And Chief Hopper was just stepping out. Eddie quickly stepped behind Wayne and hid, peeking out under his arm as Chief Hopper approached them, taking off his hat, a pained expression on his face. He stopped a few feet from Wayne and for a moment just stared at his shoes as he nervously toed the ground in front of him. 

“Jim?” Hopper looked up at Wayne. “What can I do for you?” 

“Wayne, I don’t . . .” He stopped when he saw Eddie peeking out from behind Wayne. “Can we talk in private?” 

“Sure.” Wayne reached behind him and laid a hand on Eddie’s arm. “Son, why don’t you go inside and let me talk to Hop, alright?” Eddie nodded then skittered away. He went inside the house and shut the door, but not all the way. He left it cracked just a little and pressed his ear to the crack. “What’s going on, Jim?” 

“There’s been an accident out on Old Highway 77,” Hopper said quietly. “Drunk driver hit another car head on.” 

“No,” Wayne moaned. “Tell me it ain’t Patsy.” 

“I’m afraid so, Wayne,” Hopper said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Where is she? Which hospital?” Hopper shook his head sadly. “No, no, no!” 

“Can Eddie stay with someone,” Hopper asked. “I need to take you to the County Coroner for an ID.” 

“There ain’t nobody,” Wayne said as a tear rolled down his cheek. “You know Eddie doesn’t do good alone with strangers.” He took a deep breath and wiped his face with a shop towel. “Give me a few minutes to talk to him, then we’ll meet you there.” 

“Okay.” Hopper turned to leave. Before he got back into his car he spoke again. “Wayne, I’m so sorry.” Wayne just nodded and Hopper left. 

Wayne stood there for a minute. His heart breaking, tears streaming down his face. Patsy, his Patsy. He’d known since he was seven years old, when she kissed him on the playground at school, so he’d yanked her ponytail hard enough to make her cry, that he was going to marry her. She was gone. Just like that. And he didn’t even get to tell her goodbye. The last thing he said to her was when he reminded her not to forget the red, white, and blue popsicles that Eddie loved so much. She couldn’t be gone.  

“Uncle Wayne?” Eddie stepped out into the garage and Wayne covered his face with his hands, rubbed his eyes and wiped his cheeks, trying to hide that he was crying, He didn’t want to scare Eddie. He turned to face him. “Aunt Patsy’s not coming home, is she?” 

“No, son,” Wayne said, trying to keep his voice even. “She’s not.” Eddie ran to Wayne and threw his arms around him, and Wayne dropped to his knees, cradled Eddie to him, and for a long time, they just cried together. Finally, Wayne sniffed back the last of his tears and kissed Eddie on top of the head. “Come on, son. We’ll be okay. I promise.” 

Chapter Text

1977  

Today was Eddie’s twelfth birthday. October seventeenth. He wished he had been born two weeks later, on Halloween. Not that it would change anything, but if he was going to be The Freak, he might as well have a birthday to live up to the reputation he was gaining. There was one other boy in his class, Jeff Franklin, who got teased and picked on as much as he did. His birthday was October thirty-first. Everyone called him a demon, mostly because he was the only black kid in the whole school. But having Halloween for his birthday just made it worse. 

But Eddie liked Jeff. He was the only kid that Eddie had been able to get along with. He seemed to understand that Eddie didn’t always want to talk, and he definitely didn’t want to be touched. Jeff seemed to get that. He didn’t push Eddie like the other kids did. Even though he was older than all of the other kids, they still bullied him because Eddie didn’t stand up for himself. He’d rather just hide in a corner somewhere with a book. But the teachers thought he needed to socialize more, and they pushed him into social interactions that he wanted no part of. But once he made friends with Jeff, they started to back down. At least he wasn’t sitting alone all the time. Even if he was with ‘that colored boy’ that everyone was so afraid of. 

Eddie got more shit from the other kids than Jeff did. Mostly because they were scared of Jeff. He was bigger than Eddie, and the fact that he was black and born on Halloween didn’t help. They called him names and talked behind his back, sure. But that was as far as it went. Unfortunately, Eddie took the brunt of the bullies wrath. Especially from Tommy Hagan and Steve Harrington. They were ruthless and mean and Eddie hated them with every fiber of his being. They seemed to delight in the fact that Eddie shied away from being touched.  

No, not shied away. That wasn’t quite right. Even though Uncle Wayne had been working with him to get past it, Eddie still flinched anytime someone came near him. He still had it in the back of his head that everyone was going to hurt him. He couldn’t help it. Too many people, especially those bigger than him, always tried to hurt him. Wayne was the only one who ever touched him in a way that didn’t hurt. Even his momma hurt him. She didn’t want to. Daddy made her do it. Shut that bitch up, he’d yell at her when Eddie cried. Shut that little pussy up before I put something in his mouth and make him shut up. So, momma would hit him, beg him to stop. It was better if she hit him than to let daddy get his hands on him. 

Eddie learned to stop crying when someone was hurting him. If he cried, they hurt him more. Daddy hurt him. Mostly daddy just watched. But if he cried, it made daddy mad, and daddy would shut him up. They didn’t pay as much if Eddie cried or fought. So, he didn’t cry. He didn’t fight back. Now, when someone hurt him, Eddie took whatever was dished out and then he went home and hid in the closet. He hid and cried so that when Wayne came home and found him, he would be the only one who knew Eddie cried. Because Wayne wouldn’t punish him for crying. 

It was time for recess and while the other kids played sports or hung out with their friends on the playground, Eddie took his book and went to sit under the trees by the fence. When he got there, Jeff was already there. He had a purple velvet Crown Royal bag and a stack of books with him. Eddie smiled and sat down under the tree. He sat his own book, The Shining by Stephen King, aside and looked curiously at the books in front of Jeff. There were three of them and they each had dragons on the cover. Eddie liked dragons. 

“What ’cha readin’.” Jeff asked. 

“The Shining,” Eddie answered. He didn’t have to say anymore. Jeff was used to Eddie’s perfunctory way of speaking. He never said much, but he said enough. “What’s that?” Eddie nodded towards the books and the velvet bag Jeff had. 

“It’s a game,” Jeff answered. “You play it with dice, and these books.” He handed the books to Eddie. 

“Dungeons and Dragons,” he read quietly. “Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figurines.” He looked up at Jeff curiously. “Volume One, Men and Magic. Volume Two, Monsters and Treasure. Volume Three, The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures.” Eddie handed the books back. “Dice?” 

“Yeah, and not just like six sided cubes like in regular board games.” Jeff loosened the gold ties on the velvet bag and poured at least a dozen dice on the ground in front of Eddie. He picked up one that had twenty sides. 

“Polyhedral.” 

“Dude, I don’t know what poly-cathedral-whatever-you-just-said means.” 

“Polyhedral,” Eddie repeated. “A solid figure with more than six planes.” Jeff just stared at him, and Eddie held the die up in front of him. 

“That’s what I said,” Jeff laughed. “Dice with more than six sides.” He looked up and saw two guys in their class coming their way, so he took the die from Eddie, picked the others up from the ground, and dropped them back in the bag. “A fantasy game where losers like us can be heroes. Are you in?” 

“Definitely.” 

Eddie and Jeff both stood up as the two boys stopped in front of them. Eddie balled his hands into fists. He’d been beat up by these guys before, so he knew there was a fight coming. He didn’t know if Jeff had ever dealt with them before, so he took a step forward, then slightly to one side, in front of Jeff. Jeff was bigger than him, so were these boys. But Jeff couldn’t defend himself against them if it was two on one. And Eddie knew he couldn’t protect Jeff. But if he could draw Tommy and Steve’s attention away from Jeff, maybe Jeff could get away. 

“Hey, freak,” Tommy sneered at Eddie then pushed him hard so that he stumbled back. Eddie fell to the ground but got up at once and resumed his place in front of Jeff. “What’s up? Playing with your little nig…” 

“Tommy!”  

Eddie dragged his eyes away from Tommy to the other boy, Steve Harrington. He was just as much of an asshole as Tommy, but he wasn’t as mean. When they beat Eddie up before, Steve didn’t hit as hard or as often as Tommy. And Steve didn’t call him names. Mostly he just looked at Eddie with pity. Steve didn’t seem like a bad guy, not really. But when you paired him with Tommy, he became one of the Evil Twins as Eddie liked to call them. 

Except they weren’t really twins. Steve wasn’t as mean as Tommy. Mostly he just did what Tommy told him, albeit reluctantly most times. But there was another difference, something that made Steve stand apart from Tommy. Not that Eddie would ever admit this to anyone, not even Wayne, but Eddie thought Steve was cute. He liked looking at Steve. Steve made his stomach flutter. He didn’t understand the feeling, no one else made him feel quite that way. He didn’t like looking at anyone else that way. Just Steve. 

Well, there was one other time he felt the same things he felt when he looked at Steve. One of the boys in his class brought a magazine to school a few weeks ago. The magazine got passed around and all the boys were looking at it, ogling the naked girls. But it wasn’t the naked girls that caused Eddie’s tummy to flutter or his pulse to race. It was the men they were with. It was just images of oral sex, and he heard boys like Tommy and Steve talk about wishing a girl would do that to them. But not Eddie. Eddie wished Steve would do that to him. Or that Steve would let him do that to him. He kept that to himself though. No one else talked about that. Eddie was the only one having those thoughts. 

So, Eddie went home, and he couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d seen in that magazine; he couldn’t stop thinking about seeing Steve naked in the locker room during gym class. And he thought about the things other boys talked about doing when they thought about naked girls. And Eddie did that to himself. It was quick and scary, and it felt oh so good, but Eddie knew it was wrong. He was supposed to be thinking about girls. Not boys. Not Steve. 

“Oh, come on, Harrington,” Tommy laughed. “Like you haven’t called him that a hundred times.” 

“Go away,” Eddie whispered. “Leave us alone.” 

“Shut up, freak!” Tommy shoved him again and Eddie landed hard against the tree, almost knocking the wind out of him. “What’s this? You faggots reading gay porn?” Tommy picked up the books Jeff had been showing Eddie and handed them to Steve without even looking at them. “You sucking each other’s dicks too?” 

“It’s not porn,” Steve said, flashing an apologetic look at Eddie. “It’s . . . fantasy. A game, I think.” He tossed the books on the ground at Eddie’s feet. “Come on, Tommy. Leave them alone.” 

“Fuck that,” Tommy laughed. He pulled back his fist and punched Eddie in the stomach. Eddie doubled over, clutching his midsection. But he didn’t cry. He didn’t fight back. Tommy punched him again, this time in the chest, hard enough to knock him to the ground. “Come on, pussy boy. Get up. Fight me.” Eddie stood up again just as Jeff surged forward. He got right in Tommy’s face, a defiant look in his eyes. “Aw, you going to fight for your boyfriend?” He shoved Jeff and he fell to the ground next to Eddie. 

“Stay down,” Eddie whispered. He stood up, let his hands relax, unclenching his fists, and he squared his shoulders as he got in Tommy’s face. “Leave him alone.” 

Tommy pulled back his fist and hit Eddie again, this time the blow connected with his jaw. Eddie’s head snapped to one side, but he didn’t fall. He brought his face back to Tommy, didn’t cry, didn’t fight. He just stood there. Tommy hit him again. In the nose, the eye, the mouth. After the fifth or sixth punch, Eddie lost count, he fell again. Eddie got to his knees, spit blood at Tommy’s feet. Some of it splattered on his white shoes and his face turned red with rage. He pulled back his foot and kicked Eddie in the groin as hard as he could. Eddie’s face went white, and he fell forward into the dirt, gasping and spluttering as he fought to catch his breath. 

“Kick him,” Tommy shouted at Steve, He pushed him forward. “Kick the freak in the face! Teach that little bitch a lesson!” Eddie raised his eyes to Steve’s, silently dared him to do it. “Harrington! Kick the shit out of the pussy before I kick your ass too!” 

Steve pulled back his foot and kicked Eddie in the ribs. Eddie fell forward onto his hands and knees and Steve kicked again as Tommy egged him on, jeering and shouting. Jeff tried to get between Eddie and the other boys, but Eddie pushed him back, kept himself positioned between them. Tommy just laughed as he spewed racial slur after racial slur, insulting their manhood, calling them names Eddie didn’t even know or understand. Tommy and Steve took turns kicking Eddie until Eddie lost track. Someone’s foot connected with the back of his head at some point, and everything went blurry for Eddie.  

He was vaguely aware of an adult yanking him off the ground by his arms, dragging him to the principal’s office. He didn’t remember much more up until he was sitting up in bed, an ice pack on top of his head, and Wayne telling him that he’d been suspended. Again. And if it happened again, they’d expel him. And if he got expelled, truancy laws would kick in, and Wayne was at risk of going to jail for not making Eddie go to school. A school that didn’t look out for him. A school that took the side of the popular boys with the good grades that beat Eddie for no reason. A school that blamed Eddie for getting beat up by a couple of bullies. If he would just try harder to fit in, the bullies would leave him alone. 

What a way to spend your birthday. Eddie didn’t even eat the cake Wayne bought him. He just laid in bed, in pain, wishing in the back of his head that his dad had killed him instead of his mother. Wayne sat with Eddie most of the night. There was no need for words, Wayne knew Eddie hadn’t started the fight. And it didn’t even matter what it was about. He was used to it already. 

********** 

Eddie stood in line to get some milk to go with his lunch. Wayne had packed him a juice box, but Tommy had taken it from him on the bus that morning while Steve sat back and watched. Eddie didn’t even resist. It was his first day back after a week suspension. A week without school wasn’t exactly a punishment, but he was already behind, his math scores way below acceptable levels. And missing a week meant that he’d have to study an entire chapter of his math book on his own, and he just didn’t understand. One plus one is two. He got that. And twenty divided by four was five. That was easy enough. It was the a+b=c that he wasn’t getting. He didn’t want to be held back. He was already a year behind and older than all the other kids. He didn’t need to fall any further behind. 

“Hey.” Eddie looked up. Steve Harrington was in line behind him. “What’s up?” Eddie didn’t answer, afraid it was some kind of trap. If he dared to speak to Steve, Tommy was probably close by and would just kick his ass again. “Tommy’s in the guidance counselor’s office,” Steve said quietly. “Don’t worry.” 

“What do you want?” He spoke slowly and quietly. His lips and face were still swollen and bruised from the beating he’d taken the previous week.

“I wanted to apologize for the other day.” 

“Fuck off,” Eddie mumbled as he grabbed a carton of milk off the shelf above the lunch trays. 

“Tommy’s not really a bad guy,” Steve said as he reached for a lunch tray and a carton of milk for himself. “He just likes to show off.” 

“Like I said,” Eddie whispered. “Fuck off.” 

“Hey, I’m just trying to apologize.” They got to the register at the end of the lunch line and Steve took the carton of milk out of Eddie’s hand and sat it on his tray next to his own. He paid Phyllis, the lunch lady, for his lunch and Eddie’s milk then stepped out of line and handed Eddie’s milk back to him. “I’m sorry for what I did. And for all the other times too. I’ll try to keep Tommy distracted from now on.” He started to walk away then stopped and looked back at him. “Is it true you can play guitar?” Eddie just nodded, not looking him in the eye. “That’s so cool. I’d love to have a talent like that. Maybe you should sign up for the talent show. There’s a twenty dollar cash prize for first place.” 

With that he was gone. Eddie watched him go, confused about what had just happened. Steve Harrington, the boy that Eddie couldn’t stop thinking about, was actually being nice to him. It didn’t make any sense, and in the back of his head, Eddie still thought it was some kind of trap. He had never seen Steve do anything that Tommy didn’t tell him to do. And if he was paying for Eddie’s milk, being nice to him, there had to be an ulterior motive. There was no way that Steve Harrington wasn’t a royal douche bag. 

********** 

Eddie handed the talent show flyer to Jeff. Jeff just stared at it for a minute then looked back up at Eddie as Eddie scratched his freshly shaven head. He’d picked up lice, most likely from another kid at school, and the only thing to do about it was get rid of the hair. He’d almost cried when Wayne sat him in the garage with a towel around his neck and shaved it all off. His unruly mop of curls were now just a mess to be swept up from the floor. 

Eddie shrugged. He knew that Jeff played guitar too. He hadn’t ever heard him play, but then Jeff hadn’t heard Eddie play either. Eddie wanted to join the talent show. He wasn’t sure why, other than to show people there was more to him than just the quiet kid everyone pushed around. Maybe, just maybe, if they knew he had some talent, they might leave him alone. He didn’t want to be friends with the other kids. He didn’t want them to like him. He just wanted to be left alone. 

“You want to do this?” Eddie nodded. “So, they can boo us off the stage and make us look like fools?” 

“Can you play?” 

“Of course, I can play,” Jeff scoffed. “I’m going to be the next Jimi Hendrix, dude.” 

“I can play The Wind Cries Mary,” Eddie told him. Jeff shook his head. “It’s the only Hendrix song I know.” 

“Well, I don’t know any fucking Kiss songs,” Jeff grunted. “So, I guess were not doing this.” Eddie gave him a pointed, pleading look.  

“I can learn another Hendrix song.” 

“In two days?” Eddie shrugged. He might be able to learn one that quickly, if he listened to it enough. “You know any Beatles songs?” 

“Helter Skelter,” Eddie laughed, and Jeff shook his head. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps?” 

“Too slow.” He scratched his head as he thought for a long moment. “Rolling Stones?” 

“Bitch?” 

“Yeah, I can play that!” He reached for Eddie’s acoustic guitar. “Is this the only thing you play on?” Eddie nodded. It was the only guitar he had. “I’ve got an electric guitar. You think you can play on an electric?” 

“What’ll you play?” 

“My dad has a guitar you can use,” Jeff answered. “Why don’t you ask your uncle if you can come over tomorrow and we can practice. I’ll teach you to play on an electric guitar.” 

That weekend, Eddie went over to Jeff’s house and Jeff’s mother made them sandwiches and lemonade while they sat in the garage and Jeff taught Eddie how to work an electric guitar. It took less than an hour for Eddie to pick it up and then he was playing circles around Jeff. Jeff just watched him as he tore through songs by Alice Cooper, Kiss, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. Jeff tried his best to keep up with Eddie, but it was no use. Eddie was just too good. Once he figured out how to pull different sounds out of the electrified instrument, it didn’t take him long to figure out how to play the simple chords Wayne had taught him and all the other notes he’d taught himself. Just as he finished the last notes of Deep Purple’s Highway Star, Jeff’s father walked into the garage. 

“Eddie, holy crap, kid,” he laughed. “Where’d you learn to play like that?” Eddie just hung his head as he blushed a deep pink. “You’re going to be a real rock star someday.” 

“Dad, this is the first time he’s ever played an electric guitar,” Jeff said, beaming proudly. “He’s got a beat up old acoustic that he taught himself to play. But we’re going to enter the talent show on Monday.” 

“What are you going to play,” his dad asked, and Jeff didn’t answer. It was just a song title, but it was a word he wasn’t allowed to say. Not in front of his parents anyway. 

“Bitch,” Eddie whispered. “The Rolling Stones.” Jeff froze, waited for his dad’s reaction. After a moment, he just laughed. 

“Well, boys, good luck with that.” He started to turn and leave but stopped and went back to where Eddie was standing. “You don’t have an electric guitar?” Eddie shook his head slowly. “I’ll tell ya what,” he chuckled. “I haven’t played this old thing in, I don’t know, ten years or something. Why don’t you take it home with you?” Eddie stared incredulously at Jeff’s father. “Sound like a plan?” He reached to clap Eddie on the shoulder and Eddie flinched, shrank away, raised his arms defensively. “Hey, whoa. Eddie, I’m not going to . . .” He trailed off, throwing a glance at Jeff. Jeff just shook his head. He knew Eddie wasn’t used to people touching him, not if they weren’t kicking his ass anyway. “I’m sorry kid. It’s okay.” 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie whispered as he lowered his hands but instinctively took a step back away from Jeff’s father. 

“Why don’t we just think of it as an indefinite loan,” he told Eddie. “Like I said, I don’t play anymore and at least you can get some use out of it.”

“Thank you,” Eddie said quietly as he lovingly cradled the guitar against him. “I’ll take good care of her.” 

“I know you will, kid,” he laughed. “I know you will.” 

********** 

Principal Coleman stood in the middle of the stage in the auditorium, thanking a bunch of cheerleaders for their performance. Eddie didn’t get the appeal. A bunch of girls with pompoms, shouting about football and basketball. What was the point? And how much talent did that really take? He could do that if he really wanted to. But, again, what was the point? As the girls left the stage, the lead girl, the one with the strawberry blonde hair and the big blue eyes, bumped into Eddie as she passed. Eddie shied away as he looked down at her and frowned. But she just smiled at him, her nose and eyes crinkling. That was a first. Girls usually ignored him. And he was okay with that. When she was gone, Jeff leaned over and whispered to him. 

“Man, Chrissy Cunningham is so into you!” 

“Shut up,” Eddie whispered. “She is not.” 

“Did you see the way she smiled at you?” Eddie shook his head. “She totally wants to kiss you,” Jeff laughed. “Too bad she has a boyfriend.” Eddie just shrugged. He didn’t care. Chrissy didn’t interest him in the least. “Shit, we’re next.” Jeff slung his guitar strap over his shoulder. “You ready?” Eddie just nodded. “Which band name did you decide on?” But Before Eddie could answer, Principal Coleman introduced them. 

“Our next contestants are Jeff Franklin and Eddie Munson,” he said then frowned at the index card he was reading from. “Better known as Corroded Coffin.” 

“Corroded Coffin,” Jeff asked, and Eddie nodded. “Fuck yeah!” 

The two boys walked out on the stage as Principal Coleman walked off the opposite side. A loud wave of hisses and boos rose from the audience though there were a few claps and cheers. Eddie looked up and saw Chrissy in the front row with the other cheerleaders. She was looking right at him, smiling. But then Eddie noticed who was sitting behind her, Steve Harrington. He was smiling too, and when their eyes met, he gave Eddie a thumbs up. Eddie just nodded then went to his amp and plugged in, and Jeff plugged into his. Jeff approached the microphone at the front of the stage, leaned into it, and spoke. 

“Hi,” he said and there were a couple of giggles from the student body. “We’re Corroded Coffin, and this is . . . uhm, a song by The Stones.” 

He stepped back and he and Eddie stood facing each other, Jeff watching as Eddie adjusted a knob. Then he looked up at Jeff and nodded. Jeff counted off a four count and Eddie started playing. Jeff joined him a few bars later and they played dueling guitars all the way through. 

When it was over, they both looked out at the other students and Eddie almost smiled when he saw Steve standing just behind Chrissy. They were both jumping up and down, cheering and clapping, along with everyone else in the auditorium. Even Principal Coleman looked impressed when he stepped out on the stage to thank them. They left the stage and went to take their seats as they waited to hear who won. Jeff turned to talk to a couple of other kids he knew, Eddie wasn’t sure of their names, both started with a G, he knew that much. But he was more interested in the fact that Steve Harrington was pushing his way through the crowd of other students, headed right for him. 

“Hey, you were great.” Steve reached for Eddie and Eddie flew backwards, bumping into Jeff, almost knocking him over. 

“What the fuck, Munson,” Jeff growled as he turned to see what was going on. Steve was standing there, looking extremely confused, and Eddie was scrambling to get as far away from him as he possibly could. 

“What’s with him,” one of the G guys, Gareth, asked. 

“What’d you do to him, asshole?” Jeff glared at Steve as he held his hands up defensively. 

“I didn’t do anything to him,” Steve said, sounding as confused as he looked. 

“Yeah,” the other G guy, Grant, said. “He just touched his arm.” 

“Are you crazy,” Jeff asked, directing his question at Steve. “He doesn’t like being touched. Especially not by douche bag jock assholes that kick his ass for no reason.” 

“I’m not . . . I didn’t . . .” Steve stammered to a stop. Yeah, he’d kicked Eddie’s ass before, but only when Tommy was egging him on. “Tell him I’m sorry, okay?” Jeff didn’t answer. “And tell him you guys kicked ass up there. Honestly. It was fantastic.” Steve turned and walked away just as Principal Coleman announced that Chrissy and her cheerleader friends had won first prize. 

Chapter Text

1984  

Eddie closed his lunchbox and looked around the clearing. He was alone. For the last hour, there had been a steady stream of teenagers coming and going. Everyone knew that if you wanted to buy weed, or anything else really though weed was his main trade, you just meet Eddie Munson in the clearing behind the football field. If you were brave enough to meet him back there. Most people were. Some seemed to really believe that he worshipped the devil and sacrificed kittens to Satan back there. Sure, Eddie listened to heavy metal, sold and smoked weed and did a little coke every now and again, had long hair and played in a band, but that didn’t make him a bad person.  

He pulled his jacket closed and zipped it up. It was getting cold, and his van didn’t have heat. That sucked, but he’d bought it himself, with money made from dealing, and it was all he could afford. He just needed something to get around in and that he could haul his amps and Gareth’s drums in when Grant couldn’t get his dad’s truck. Heat didn’t matter. That’s what his leather jacket was for. And pretty soon, once the big Dio patch he’d ordered out of the back of an issue of Kerrang! Magazine arrived in the mail, his denim vest would be complete too. He’d already sewn all the smaller patches on and added some pins here and there as well. He just needed that back patch. But the advertisement had said six to eight weeks, and he was at five weeks now, so he hoped it would show up soon.  

Eddie stood up and reached for his lunchbox just as he heard someone coming through the trees. Eddie stopped and waited. There was always one last straggler. He reached into his pocket for his cigarettes and lit one as he waited. Then Steve Harrington entered the clearing. He looked annoyed as he batted at the branches and twigs that were catching his sweater and hair. Eddie tried not to smile but he couldn’t help it. Images of Steve were flashing through his mind; images of him in the tiny green swimsuit he’d been wearing during swim practice yesterday.  

Eddie had been on his way back to his van from the clearing after school yesterday and decided at the last minute to take a shortcut through the natatorium building where it was a lot warmer. And it just so happened that the swim team was practicing. And maybe Eddie knew that. And he knew that Steve was on the swim team. And so what if he just wanted to get a look at all those little beauty marks all over his perfect body? Or that scruffy little patch of hair that had started growing on his chest over the last year. It's not like he was trying to touch Steve or anything; he was just looking. He’d saved the touching for when he got home later and could just touch himself.  

“Hi, Eddie.” Eddie just nodded in response. “I’m glad you’re still here. Basketball practice ran a little late and I was afraid I was going to miss you.”  

“Still here.”  

“Good,” Steve said, flashing that perfect smile of his. “That’s good. Uh, I have something for you.” Steve reached into his jacket pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. “Samantha Stone asked me to give that to you. She thinks you’re cute but she’s kind of shy.” Steve ran his hand through his hair then planted it on his hip that was cocked to one side. “And honestly, she loves kittens, so she’s scared to come out here.”   

Steve laughed but Eddie didn’t. He just gave Steve a suspicious look as he slowly unfolded the paper. It was a note. She was asking him out on a date. He’d never been asked out by a girl before. Hell, he’d never been asked out by anyone before. Or even asked anyone out himself. He was probably the only eighteen-year-old virgin in the whole state of Indiana. He stole a glance up at Steve and wondered if he was still a virgin. He was almost seventeen and he was dating Nancy Wheeler. He was sure they were probably having sex. The way Nancy looked at him sometimes, it just screamed sex.  

“Flattering,” Eddie said as he refolded the note and held it out to Steve. “Thanks, but no. Give her my apologies.”  

“Eddie, are you mental?” Eddie didn’t answer, just crossed his arms over his chest and watched Steve through lowered lashes. “Half the guys in school would give their left leg to go out with Samantha Stone,” he chuckled. “The other half would give their right.”  

“Not interested,” Eddie mumbled.  

“Not interested?” Steve laughed and shook his head in disbelief then suddenly stopped. He took a step closer to Eddie. “Not interested in Samantha? Or just not interested in girls?”  

Eddie froze. That was something he didn’t need getting around school. As if he didn’t get in enough fights as it was. He could only imagine how often he’d get his ass kicked if people found out he was gay. That was a secret he planned to keep until he could get out of this shithole town and go far, far away. Even his uncle didn’t know. Or his friends, all three of them. He shook his head.  

“Just not interested,” he said as he grabbed his lunchbox off the table. “Leave me alone, okay?”  

“Eddie, wait.”   

As Eddie sidestepped Steve and tried to leave, Steve reached out and grabbed Eddie’s arm. Eddie jerked away, tripped over his own feet, and landed hard on the ground. His lunchbox flew out of his hands and landed next to him. The metal latch keeping it closed sprung free and its contents scattered across the ground. Steve reached for Eddie, tried to take his hand and help him off the ground, but Eddie threw his hands up defensively, covering his face. Steve took several steps back, put his own hands up in surrender. Eddie scrambled backwards as he sat up, reached for his lunchbox with one hand, and swiped at the leaves in his hair with the other. After a moment, Steve knelt and started gathering the pill bottles that had fallen from Eddie’s lunchbox. He held them out to Eddie.  

“Thanks,” Eddie whispered as he took them and shoved them in the lunchbox with the various baggies of weed. “I got it.” He stood up and faced Steve.  

“I’m sorry,” Steve said as he took a tentative step closer to Eddie, his hands in front of him, waist high, letting him know he wasn’t going to hurt him. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Eddie.”   

Eddie just shrugged. He knew Steve didn’t mean him any harm. They weren’t actually friends, but they were known to be friendly. Ever since Tommy had moved away almost two years ago, Eddie and Steve had started getting along. It had been even longer than that since Steve had hit Eddie. That ended when they got out of middle school, though Tommy kept it up until he moved away. Now Eddie had other bullies to deal with. There was Jason Carver for one. He was the worst, even though he was only a freshman. But he had an ego and an attitude that you just had to see to believe. He’d given Eddie two beatings this year already.  

“Don’t sweat it.” Steve took another step and Eddie crossed his arms over his chest.  

“I was only joking,” Steve said softly. “What I said about not liking girls.” Eddie didn’t answer. He watched as Steve got even closer; he was close enough that Eddie could smell the cologne he was wearing. It was nice. He liked it. “Unless . . .”  

Steve leaned in and touched his lips to Eddie’s. Eddie froze for just a split second. In that split second he relived a thousand different fantasies about Steve that he’d had over the years; all the times he’d watched him changing in the locker room, climbing out of the pool at swim practice. Eddie felt his stomach flutter and he wanted to put his arms around Steve and pull him closer, feel his tongue in his mouth and taste him.   

But instead, Eddie shoved him with both hands flat against his chest. He shoved so hard that he stumbled himself with the force of it. Steve flew back, clutched his chest where Eddie’s hands had been. He gasped, trying to catch his breath that Eddie had knocked out of him as Eddie snatched his lunchbox off the ground, spilling its contents again because of the broken clasp. Eddie dropped the broken lunchbox and bolted out of the clearing, leaving his things all over the ground.   

He didn’t care, he just needed to get away, far away from Steve. He didn’t know why Steve had done that, Steve had a girlfriend. Besides, even if by some random fluke of nature, he was interested in guys, there was no way he could ever be interested in Eddie. That just didn’t make sense.  

Eddie ran for the parking lot, praying that Steve wasn’t following him. He chanced a glance back over his shoulder, he didn’t see Steve. That was good. He rounded the corner of the gymnasium towards the parking lot and suddenly ran headlong into Chrissy Cunningham. She fell back but Jason Carver, her boyfriend, was behind her and he caught her, keeping her from falling to the ground.  

“I’m sorry,” Eddie gasped.  

“Babe, you okay,” Jason asked as he let go of Chrissy. She nodded then gave Eddie an apologetic smile. “Watch where you’re going, freak.”  

“Jason, be nice,” Chrissy told him. “It was an accident.”  

“I said I was sorry,” Eddie said then tried to go around them, but Jason stepped in front of him. “Get out of my way.”  

“What’d you say? Huh, freak?” Jason pushed Eddie back. “You apologize to her. She’s the one you tried to tackle.”  

“I’m sorry, Chrissy,” Eddie whispered. “I didn’t try to . . .”  

“Jason, stop it,” Chrissy pleaded. “Leave him alone.”  

Jason pulled back his fist and punched Eddie. Eddie’s hands instinctively balled into fists, but then he took a deep breath, relaxed his hands. Don’t fight back. Jason pulled back again, but Chrissy jumped on him, held his arm. He looked down at her and Eddie took advantage of the momentary distraction. He dashed around Jason and ran to his van, jumped in, and locked the door quickly. In the rearview mirror he could see that Chrissy was leading Jason away, in the opposite direction. That was good at least. Then he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His left eye was already beginning to swell. It was red and he had enough experience with getting hit to know that by tomorrow, he’d be sporting a shiny new black eye.  

Eddie buried his face in his hands. His head was still spinning, and it was actually making him dizzy. He wasn’t sure what had happened back there with Steve. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Because then he’d be forced to acknowledge the fact that it had happened. And that could get him in a lot of trouble. Except it did happen. And it wasn’t Eddie’s fault. He didn’t try to kiss Steve. Steve kissed him. Steve Harrington. Kissed him. On the mouth. And Eddie liked it.  

Sure, he’d kissed a couple of girls before; like the one last weekend at The Hideout, after Corroded Coffin played. But he didn’t like kissing her. It was sloppy and gross and there was too much touching involved. And she tried to unbuckle his belt when he was kissing her. That was when he told her that he was a virgin. She’d laughed at him and walked away. Later that night, Eddie had accidentally walked in on her giving Jeff a blow job. She’d offered to give him one too, when she was done with Jeff, but Eddie just left, went home, and jerked off while thinking about giving Steve a blow job.  

He figured it would be easy enough. You just put it in your mouth and sucked. How hard could it be? And it wasn’t like Steve would even have to touch him. Jeff wasn’t touching that girl. He had a beer in one hand and a joint in the other while she was blowing him. Not like it mattered anyway. A kiss was one thing. Sucking dick was a whole other ball game. Besides, what was Eddie supposed to do? Ask Steve if he could blow him?  

Eddie jumped when someone knocked on the van’s window. His heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes to see Steve standing there, smiling at him through the glass. He hoped like hell that what he was just thinking didn’t show on his face. He was just about to start his van and drive away, leaving Steve just standing there, when Steve held up his lunchbox. Shit. He’d forgotten about that. His entire stash was in it. He rolled down the window and Steve gave him the lunchbox.  

“Figured you’d need that back,” Steve said.  

“Thanks.”  

“Hey, I’m sorry.” Eddie just nodded. “I’ll see you around.”  

When Steve was gone, Eddie looked inside his lunchbox. Everything was there, neatly arranged. But the latch was still busted. He’d have to see if he could fix that when he got home. He stashed it under his seat, started the engine, then slid a Dio cassette into the player before heading home. When he got there, Wayne’s truck was in the driveway. That was odd, he should be at work. But maybe he’d finally gotten around to going back to the doctor about that cough he had that just wouldn’t go away. Eddie really hoped he had; his cough was getting worse instead of better and the Robitussin that Eddie got him from Melvald’s hadn’t been working too well. Neither had the prescription the doctor gave him last time.  

“Hey, Wayne,” Eddie said as he came inside and found Wayne sitting in the living room. “Why aren’t you at work? You feeling okay?”  

“I’m okay,” Wayne said then coughed as he squinted up at Eddie, noticing his swollen eye. “Another fight?”  

“Not really,” Eddie answered. “Bumped into a girl and her boyfriend got pissed and slugged me.” He shrugged indifferently. “It’s not so bad. I’ve had worse.” Wayne coughed again. “You didn’t answer my question. Why aren’t you at work?” Eddie picked up Wayne’s cigarettes from the coffee table and lit one. “Want me to make dinner tonight? What were you planning on making? I’m sure I can manage whatever it is without fucking it up too much.”  

“Eddie?” Eddie raised an eyebrow at him. “Come sit down. I need to tell you something.” Eddie flopped back in the recliner and threw a leg over one arm of it as he reached for the ashtray and perched it on his lap. “I haven’t been completely honest with you about something.” Wayne took a deep breath and held it for a minute. “When I went to the doctor a few weeks ago, they x-rayed my lungs and the doctor saw something that had him concerned.” Eddie sat up straighter in the chair, paying close attention to what Wayne was saying. “They took a sample of the crap I’ve been coughing up and I went back in today to get the test results.”  

“What’d they say, Uncle Wayne?”  

“They want to run some more tests,” Wayne said, not directly answering Eddie’s question. “Today they stuck some needles in me; did a thoracentesis and a fine needle aspiration biopsy.”  

“Biopsy?” Wayne nodded solemnly. “Isn’t that how they test for cancer?” He nodded again. Eddie looked at the cigarette in his hand, then up at Wayne, then at the cigarette again. “No,” he said as he stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray. “No. Nope. Uh-uh. No way.”  

“Eddie, they found cancer cells in the first test,” Wayne said as gently as he could. Eddie stood up, continuing to shake his head. “They should have the results from the tests today back in a week or two.”  

“No,” Eddie said adamantly. “No!”  

“Eddie, come on.” Wayne stood up and reached for him. Eddie fell into his arms and buried his face against Wayne’s shoulders. “We’ll get through this, Eddie.”  

“I can’t lose you too,” Eddie whispered. “Please, don’t leave me, Uncle Wayne. I need you.”  

“I’m not going anywhere, son,” he said, hugging Eddie tight against him. “I swear to you.”  

“Why didn’t you tell me before,” Eddie asked as he pulled away from Wayne.  

“I didn’t want to worry you needlessly,” Wayne answered. “It was bad enough with me having to think about it for the last few weeks. I didn’t want you to have to deal with it too.”  

“That’s what kids do,” Eddie said as he wiped his eyes. “Of course, I’m going to worry about my dad.”  

“What’d you just say?” Eddie had never called Wayne that before.  

“It’s what you are,” Eddie said, his cheeks turning red. “Maybe I never say it, but you’re my dad; the only real father I’ve ever had. Al sure as hell wasn’t a father, even if he was the piece of shit that knocked up my mom.”  

“I can’t tell you what that means to me, Eddie.”  

“I love you, Uncle Wayne.” He threw his arms around Wayne and hugged him. “Dad.”  

“I love you too, son.”  

**********  

Eddie sat in the chair next to Wayne’s hospital bed, holding his hand. The tests had come back confirming their worst fears. Wayne had lung cancer. So, they ran more tests, did another biopsy, an open biopsy this time. And by the time Christmas rolled around, Wayne had been officially diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic large cell carcinoma. The cancer had already spread too far, beyond his lungs into the lymph nodes in the center of his chest. Their only recourse was surgery to try and remove as much of the cancerous tissue as they could.   

So, that was how Eddie found himself, on Christmas Eve, waiting for Wayne to come out of the anesthesia so the doctors could come in and tell them how the surgery went. If Eddie believed in God, he would be praying, but since he didn’t, he prayed anyway. What harm could it do? If there was no God and Eddie was uselessly praying, no one would get hurt by it. But if there was a God, and he decided Eddie was worth listening to, maybe, just maybe he’d give Eddie and Wayne a miracle.  

There was a light tap on the door and Eddie looked up just as Steve poked his head in. Eddie wanted to be annoyed by his presence but actually found it to be welcomed. He was tired of doctors and nurses and orderlies who looked at him like he was some kind of freak. A friendly face was a nice change of pace. And he actually enjoyed being around Steve sometimes. They had become friendly over the last couple of months. Eddie wouldn’t call him an actual friend, but they exchanged pleasantries, and Steve was actually buying weed from him on a fairly regular basis now. Eddie gently laid Wayne’s hand on the bed then stood up and went towards the door.  

“Can I come in,” Steve whispered, and Eddie nodded. He stepped into the room and let the door swoosh quietly shut behind him. They stood in the dim light of the door’s alcove and spoke softly so as not to disturb Wayne. “I heard. It’s going around school.” Eddie just nodded again. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how horrible this is for you.”  

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with your family? It’s Christmas Eve.”  

“Oh, my dad’s working,” Steve said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Like always. And mom’s busy prepping Christmas dinner for tomorrow. I’m sure they don’t even realize I left.” Eddie gave him a sad smile. He never would have guessed that Steve’s life was anything less than perfect. “I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay. See if you need anything?”  

“Thanks, man, but I’m good for now.”  

“How’s your uncle?”  

“He’s, uh, actually my dad,” Eddie said softly. “My adopted dad. My real dad’s in prison.”  

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Steve told him. “I didn’t know.”  

“It’s okay,” Eddie answered. “He’s doing okay, I guess. All I know so far is the surgery went well. When he wakes up, the doctors will come talk to us and let us know what the next step is.”  

“Well, I guess I should get out of your hair,” Steve chuckled quietly. “I didn’t want to intrude. But if you need anything, let me know, okay?”  

They both just stood there, staring at each other for a minute. Finally, Steve smiled, and he looked like he was about to say something but suddenly, Eddie leaned in and kissed him. It was quick but sweet, and Eddie wasn’t sure why he did it or if he even should have, but it was too late to take it back now. Eddie dropped his eyes, his cheeks burning red.  

Steve bit his bottom lip to hold back a smile. Eddie kissing him was the last thing in the world he expected, but he wasn’t complaining. He watched Eddie toe the ground for a moment, clearly embarrassed, or maybe not, maybe just shy. He started to reach for Eddie, but he remembered how he’d reacted the times before when he’d touched him, so he opted not to.  

“Hey.”   

Eddie raised his eyes and Steve inched closer. Eddie raised his head the rest of the way, so Steve pressed his lips to Eddie’s. Eddie let out a breath he had been holding. Steve took that as an invitation, and he parted his own lips, touched his tongue to Eddie’s lips. Eddie opened his own mouth and closed his eyes when Steve’s tongue slid into his mouth. He stepped closer, their chests bumping lightly, and he let Steve kiss him, swirled his tongue with Steve’s. It wasn’t sloppy and it wasn’t gross. In fact, kissing Steve was doing things to his body that he wasn’t going to be able to hide if he didn’t step back and stop this right now. Reluctantly, Eddie took a step back, tearing himself away from Steve’s soft, warm lips. He licked his own lips, trying to capture and hold the feel of Steve kissing him.  

“Thanks,” Eddie whispered, taking another step back.  

“I’ll see you around, Eddie.” Eddie nodded slowly and when he was gone, Eddie went to sit next to Wayne’s bed again.  

“Who was that?” Eddie’s head jerked up. Wayne was awake. “I didn’t know you were interested in boys,” Wayne said slowly, weakly.  

“I’m not,” Eddie replied. “I mean, I . . .” He picked up Wayne’s hand and held it tightly in his own. “I don’t know. I guess, I guess I’m not interested in girls.” He didn’t want to come right out and say it even though he’d known for years that he was gay. He’d never said it before. Admitting it out loud scared him. “His name is Steve.”  

Before either of them could say anymore, a nurse entered the room with Wayne’s surgeon right behind her. Eddie moved away from the bed and let them tend to Wayne, checking his vitals, asking cognitive questions to make sure the anesthesia hadn’t had any negative effects on him. The surgeon examined Wayne’s chart then finally looked up at Eddie. Eddie stepped closer to the bed again, and Wayne reached for him, so Eddie slipped his hand into Wayne’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  

“We removed as much of the cancerous tissue as we could, but unfortunately, at the rate this has metastasized, there was quite a bit that we couldn’t get to.” Wayne closed his eyes and Eddie held his breath. “We caught this too late. Chances of survival beyond five years at this stage are less then thirteen percent.” Tears started rolling down Eddie’s cheeks, but he didn’t make a sound; he didn’t want Wayne to know he was crying. “The best we can hope for at this juncture is a lung transplant.”  

Chapter Text

1986  

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could go on an adventure over Spring Break?” Steve looked back over his shoulder at Robin Buckley, his best friend. She handed him another movie off the cart, and he put it on the shelf. They were restocking movies that had been returned the day before at Family Video where they worked. “We’re young and fun and Spring Break is supposed to be a party. But what are we doing?”  

“Working,” Steve answered. “Always working.”  

“Right!” Robin handed him another movie. “Wouldn’t it be cool if something happened in this town?”  

“Like what?”  

“I don’t know.” She pushed the cart of movies to Steve and walked towards the end of the aisle before turning to face him. “Imagine this, there’s a parallel world full of monsters and evil creatures right below us.” She waved her hands as she spoke, and Steve smiled. He loved her animated way of talking, the way she bounced around, talked with her hands. It was endearing. “And we have to fight these monsters to save Hawkins. Demon dogs and giant bats!”  

“Below us?” Robin nodded excitedly. “How do we get there if it’s below us?”  

“Trans-dimensional gates, dingus!” She rolled her eyes at him. “Like there could be one . . . at the bottom of Lover’s Lake.”  

“You can’t swim.”  

“Hush, don’t ruin it.” Robin spun in a circle. “Everything there is completely opposite of the way it is here. Even directions. So, when you go through the gate, you’re upside down. And left is right, and right is left.” Steve just laughed. “Everything here is calm and light and alive and everything there is dark, chaotic, and dead. And there’s an evil overlord, and he possesses the living in our world, tries to kill you and take your soul. But the only thing that can break the curse is your favorite song.”  

“Do you know what you sound like,” Steve asked as he put the last movie on the shelf and pushed the empty cart towards Robin. “You sound like Henderson. Have you been reading his D&D crap or something?”  

As if on cue, the bell above the door rang and Steve looked up to see Dustin, Mike, and Lucas walking in. Lucas and Mike each had a couple of movies in their hands, but Dustin was carrying his walkie talkie and had a determined look on his face. That was the same look he had when he lost his cat and made Steve go with him to look for it. That was the look he got when he needed Steve for something. Usually a ride somewhere, or adult help that he couldn’t get anywhere else. Steve wasn’t sure why he always gave into that kid. One of these days he was going to put his foot down and say no to him. Maybe that day would be today. But he doubted it.  

“Oh look,” Robin said with a smirk. “Your children are here.” They both went behind the counter and leaned on it, looking down at the boys. “How can we help you, children?”  

“We’re returning these,” Mike said as he and Lucas laid their movies on the counter.   

Steve stole a glance at them. Their parents must have rented the movies because he couldn’t picture any of the boys watching Out of Africa, The Color Purple, Desperately Seeking Susan, or A Chorus Line. Well, maybe Desperately Seeking Susan because Madonna was hot, no doubt about it. So, if they were volunteering to return movies their parents had rented, then he was right. They had another reason for being here. They wanted something from Steve or needed him to do something or take them somewhere. He sighed and shook his head. They definitely had ulterior motives.  

Suddenly, Dustin veered away from the counter. Something caught his eye and distracted him, and Steve knew exactly what it was. It distracted almost every guy that came into Family Video over the last week, and he was sure that when Mike and Lucas noticed it, they’d get distracted as well. Steve laughed when Dustin stopped in front of the life-size cardboard stand-up of Phoebe Cates in a red bikini next to the Fast Times at Ridgemont High display. He stared up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.   

It was very possible that they didn’t actually want anything from Steve, and they’d returned the movies as an excuse just to look at Phoebe Cates in a bikini. He couldn’t blame them. He’d already called dibs on the stand-up when the store was through with it. He was taking Phoebe home and putting her right next to the dresser in his bedroom. That way he could look at her and pull a Brad Hamilton/Judge Reinhold anytime he wanted, without having to pause the movie at fifty-three minutes and five seconds.  

“Henderson!” Dustin didn’t answer and Steve laughed. “Close your mouth. You’re drooling.”  

“Give me a minute,” Dustin said, his voice cracking and coming out as a high pitched squeak.  

Mike and Lucas turned to see what was going on and both of their mouths dropped open as well. They went over to Dustin and stared up at the stand-up as well.  

“No way Suzie is hotter than Phoebe Cates,” Mike sighed dreamily.  

“Yeah,” Lucas added. “No way. Especially because she’d actually have to exist to be that hot.” Dustin elbowed Lucas in the ribs just as Steve pushed his way past the boys and grabbed Phoebe. “Hey!”  

“Stop being little perverts,” Steve said as he turned the stand-up around to face the wall. “It’s disgusting. No one wants to see that.” He nudged them all back towards the counter then joined Robin behind it again. “What’s up? You little shits didn’t just come to return the movies your parents rented.”  

“We need help,” Dustin said, his face going very serious as his voice seemed to drop an entire octave. “Do you have a minute?”  

“I’m working,” Steve replied.  

“Working?” Steve nodded and Dustin looked around. There was no one else in the store but them. “Right. Whatever you say, Steve.”  

“What do you need,” Steve asked with an exasperated roll of his eyes.  

“You buy weed from Eddie Munson, don’t you?”  

“Keep your voice down,” Steve growled. “Don’t go announcing that to the world.”  

“There’s no one here,” Lucas laughed.  

“And we know you smoke weed,” Mike added.  

“So do I,” Robin said as she nudged him with her shoulder.  

“Okay, fine,” Steve sighed. “Sometimes I might partake. Why? What’s it to you?”  

“We need a ride to his place.” Steve planted his hands on his hips and stared at Dustin like he was crazy. “He lives out in Forest Hills Trailer Park,” Dustin continued.  

“Right across the street from Max actually,” Lucas added.  

“It’s too far to go on our bikes,” Mike told him.  

“Please?” Dustin gave Steve his best sad puppy dog face and Steve sighed. “It’s important.”  

“What could possibly be so important that you three need to see Eddie Munson so urgently?”   

Steve actually wouldn’t mind seeing Eddie. It had been too long. Since he’d graduated last year, he saw a lot less of Eddie than he’d like. Sure, he still bought weed from him sometimes, but not nearly as often as these boys thought he did. He rarely ever saw him to be honest. When his uncle, no it was his dad, was in the hospital a year and a half ago, that Christmas Eve when Eddie had kissed him, was the last time they’d had an actual conversation. He saw him in school after that, but then Steve graduated and now, whenever he bought weed from him, there were usually other people around that were buying from him as well.  

“I think your children want to buy weed,” Robin giggled.  

“No,” The three of then shouted in unison.  

“No, that’s not it,” Dustin said. “Seriously, Steve. You know us better than that.”  

“Then why do you want to go to Eddie’s place?” The three boys looked uncertainly back and forth between themselves. “Spill it, shitheads.”  

“He disbanded Hellfire,” Lucas sighed.  

“And he quit Corroded Coffin,” Dustin added.  

“We’re worried about him,” Mike said.  

“Hellfire? Corroded Coffin?” The three boys nodded in response to Robin’s quizzical stare. “What in the world is Hellfire and Corroded Coffin?”  

“Hellfire Club is their dumb D&D club,” Steve told her. “Not sure what Rotting Caskets is.”  

“Corroded Coffin,” Dustin corrected him. “His band.” Steve just shrugged. “He started it in middle school. All he’s ever talked about doing is getting out of Hawkins and being a rock star.”  

“But he quit,” Mike said. “For no reason.”  

“Same with Hellfire,” Lucas said. “No reason.”  

“Hellfire meets every Thursday, right?” Steve nodded. He thought he remembered that’s what Dustin had said before. “And Corroded Coffin plays every Tuesday at The Hideout.” Steve nodded again. “Two days ago, we were waiting for Eddie with the rest of his band in the Drama room after school for our weekly Hellfire meeting.”  

“His band is also in Hellfire,” Lucas said, clarifying what Dustin was telling them.  

“But Eddie never showed up,” Mike added. “And Jeff said that he didn’t show up for their show on Tuesday.”  

“So, we tried to talk to Eddie yesterday at school,” Dustin continued. “But he told us that Hellfire was done. We weren’t meeting anymore. It was over.” Dustin threw his hands in the air. “We were in the middle of a campaign. The Cult of Vecna. And now it’s just over. We can’t go on without Eddie because he’s the Dungeon Master.”  

“Ooh, Dungeon Master,” Robin giggled. “That sounds kinky.” Dustin gave her a pointed look. “Sorry. Continue.” She waved a hand at him.  

“Jeff, Gareth, and Grant said that he . . .”  

“Who,” Steve asked, interrupting him.  

“His band,” Mike explained.  

“Right. Rotten Coffin.” Steve motioned for Dustin to continue with his story.  

“Corroded Coffin, Steve,” he said, obviously irritated with him at this point. “Corroded Coffin. How hard is that?”  

“Corroded Coffin, okay.” Robin smacked his arm playfully. “Jeez!”  

“Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted.” Mike and Lucas both nodded in agreement. “They said that Eddie told them the band was through too. No more. He was quitting. They’d have to find another guitar player if they wanted to keep playing. But he was done.” That piqued Steve’s interest. What little he knew about Eddie was that he loved playing guitar. He remembered the middle school talent show. And he remembered the name of the band too. He just liked giving Dustin a hard time. “I tried to call him, but his phone’s been disconnected.”  

“I called Max and asked her to go check on Eddie, but her mom won’t let her go over there,” Lucas said. “Her mom knows Eddie deals, and she thinks he’s a devil worshipper. So, Max can’t go over there when her mom is home.”  

“Besides,” Dustin said. “Eddie probably wouldn’t talk to her anyway. He’s not a fan of strangers.”  

“Right,” Robin laughed. “This is the same Eddie Munson that was on the table in the cafeteria the other day? Ranting about forced conformity and how society uses people like him as a scapegoat?”  

“That’s different,” Mike told her. “That’s not a one-on-one situation.” Robin just shrugged.  

“Steve, come on,” Dustin pleaded. “It’s not just Hellfire and Corroded Coffin. He’s been missing school a lot the last couple of months.” Mike and Lucas both nodded. “I mean a lot. Like two and three days a week.” An imploring look from Dustin. “Can you take us to see him?”  

“No,” Steve answered, and they all stared at him, dumbfounded. “I’m working.”  

“When you get off work?” Dustin’s face was hopeful.  

“I’m working until closing,” Steve sighed. “But, when I get off, I’ll go check on him. I’ll let you know how he’s doing.” They all nodded, albeit reluctantly. “Where’d you say he lives?”  

“He lives across the street from Max,” Lucas reminded him.  

“I thought he lived on Cherry Lane.”  

“I think he used to,” Mike said. “But they moved last summer.”  

“I don’t know the whole story,” Dustin told them. “But from what I’ve heard, his uncle got sick or something and lost his job, so they lost their house and moved into a trailer.”  

“The last time I really talked to him,” Steve said thoughtfully. “It was at the hospital. His uncle had just had surgery.” Dustin frowned. “Lung cancer.” Steve pushed himself upright from where he’d been leaning on the counter when the door opened, the bell jingled, and an older couple came in with several children. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”  

“Thanks, Steve.”  

“Yeah, yeah, now go.” When they were gone, he turned to face Robin. She was smirking knowingly at him. “What?”  

“You still have a crush on Eddie Munson?”  

“Shut up,” Steve whispered. Robin was the only person who knew he was bisexual. Well, the only person that knew besides the few guys he had had sex with. Luckily, two of them, Tommy Hagan and Billy Hargrove, had moved away. The third, Dan Shelter, was attending Purdue University up in West Lafayette. He and Steve still hooked up every once in a while, when he was home on the weekends or over summer vacation, as long as they both happened to be single at the same time. Otherwise, they both just dated girls, which Dan was doing at the moment. He was dating Vickie, the girl Robin had a crush on. “I don’t have a crush on him.”  

“You kissed him, didn’t you?” Steve ignored her and just watched the family as they browsed the children’s section of the store. “Don’t worry, dingus. Your secret is safe with me.”  

“I wouldn’t call it a crush,” Steve said as the door opened, and two young women walked in. He instinctively ran a hand through his hair and put on a charming smile. Both women smiled brightly as they approached the counter.  

“Call it what you will, but it’s a crush.” Robin clapped him on the back. “Hope that raging case of herpes clears up for you real soon.” Robin laughed as both women made a face and a quick detour away from the counter.  

“That’s not true,” Steve called after the women. “Not cool, Robin.”  

“C’est la vie, mon ami,” she called back to him as she went to help the family in the children’s section.  

Chapter Text

Steve parked next to Eddie’s van in front of the trailer across the street from Max’s. He wondered how long Eddie had lived here because he had been to Max’s to drop her off or pick her up when she was hanging out with the boys a hundred times it seemed. He had never noticed Eddie’s van, but then he would have no reason to notice it if he wasn’t looking for it. It was mostly non-descript and didn’t stand out in any way. He got out of the car and went to the door. It was almost ten o’clock and Steve wasn’t sure he should knock this late, but he could hear quiet music coming from inside, so he went ahead and knocked. There were footsteps, then the curtain over the window in the door fluttered, and a moment later, Eddie opened the door. He looked surprised to see Steve, but he stepped to one side and let him in anyway.  

Steve looked around as Eddie went to the radio on the kitchen counter and turned it off. It was small and slightly run down, but it was tidy. There were trucker hats and mugs adorning the walls that Eddie’s uncle obviously collected. There was a small sofa, a recliner, a foldaway bed in one corner, and a little Formica table with a mismatched pair of chairs near the front door. Eddie turned back to face Steve, his arms folded over his chest, and he just looked at him, waiting for him to say something.  

“How are you?”  

Eddie just shrugged. Steve didn’t know what else to say. He could say that his friends were worried about him, and he was checking up on him, but that would be lame. Even if it was the truth. Eddie was almost twenty years old. He didn’t need a bunch of fourteen-year-olds sending their babysitter to check up on him.  

“If you’re here to cop,” Eddie said quietly. “I’m out right now. But I’m going to try to get out to Reefer Rick’s this weekend to stock up.”  

“No,” Steve said. “I’m good.”  

“Then what do you want?”  

“I’m just here because . . .” He hesitated and Eddie raised an eyebrow at him. “Would you believe Dustin sent me?” At that, Eddie smiled. But it was a sad smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “He said you quit Hellfire, and your band, and you’ve been missing a lot of school, and he’s worried about you.” Eddie sighed heavily. “So are Mike and Lucas. And to be honest, I guess I am too.”  

“I’m fine.”  

He didn’t sound convincing. He sounded tired, worn out, stressed. He didn’t sound fine. Nor did he really look fine. He was pale and thin. Not that he was never not thin, but he seemed thinner than Steve remembered him being.  

“Eddie?” The voice was quiet and weak and came from down the hall past the kitchen where Eddie was standing. And it was followed by a wracking cough that Steve could only imagine was as painful to whomever was coughing as it was to hear it. “Who was at the door?”  

“I’ll be right there, Uncle Wayne.” Eddie unfolded his arms and turned to go down the hall. After a moment, Steve went after him. Eddie hadn’t asked him to leave, so he figured he might as well follow. There was a bedroom at the end of the short hallway where Eddie’s uncle was laying. He looked frail and sickly, barely able to hold his head up. “It’s just a friend of mine,” Eddie said quietly as he knelt next to the bed.  

This had obviously been Eddie’s bedroom at some point, Steve assumed. There was a Corroded Coffin banner on one wall, Judas Priest, Metallica, and Motorhead posters on another. And there was a beautiful black and red guitar on the wall above the desk. But if Wayne was sleeping in here now, Eddie must sleep on the foldaway in the living room.  

Steve turned his attention back to Eddie and Wayne when Wayne started coughing again. It was a deep, aching cough, and when he pulled the handkerchief away from his face, Steve caught a glimpse of blood in it. The lung cancer. From the looks of him, it looked like it was killing Wayne. The last time Steve had seen him, in the hospital, he hadn’t looked nearly this bad.  

“It’s hurting something bad tonight, son.”  

“I’ve got enough left for one more dose,” Eddie said with a nervous, sideways glance over at Steve. “I’ll have to leave for a little while tomorrow to restock. But I won’t stay gone too long.” Wayne just nodded as he coughed some more. “Give me a minute, okay?” Wayne nodded again and Eddie stood up then motioned Steve out of the room. He went and Eddie went after him. Eddie stopped at the shelf at the end of the kitchen counter, knelt down, then retrieved a small, metal lock box from the bottom shelf. He put it on the kitchen counter then looked up at Steve, dead seriousness in his eyes. “This doesn’t leave this trailer, alright?”  

“You have my word.”  

Eddie opened the box. Inside was a rubber cord, a metal and glass syringe, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a small glass vial with a clear liquid inside. Eddie assembled the syringe then inserted the needle into the rubber stopper and drew the contents of the vial into the syringe’s barrel. He sat the empty vial on the counter, picked up the rubber cord, then went back down the hall to the bedroom. Steve followed and stood in the door watching as Eddie waited for Wayne to finish another coughing fit before tying the cord around his upper arm, folding Wayne’s hand into a fist, then gently tapping the crook of his arm to bring a vein to the surface. But he closed his eyes and turned his head when Eddie stuck the needle into Wayne’s arm. He counted to ten then opened his eyes. Eddie was laying the syringe on the bedside table and untying the cord from his arm. He folded Wayne’s arm over his chest and patted it gently. Wayne nodded once, then his eyes slid closed, and his head lolled to one side.  

They left the bedroom again and went back to the kitchen where Eddie took the syringe and the rubbing alcohol and went to the sink to disassemble the syringe and clean it. While he did, Steve picked up the empty vial and read the label. Morphine. His eyes went wide in surprise. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know where Eddie was getting morphine to shoot his uncle up with. He sat the vial down again and looked around the small kitchen. He was a little surprised to see that there was no stove. There was an oven on the wall and a microwave on the counter, but no stove. Eddie turned away from the sink and gently placed the items back into the metal box. Then he looked up at Steve.  

“He’s dying,” Eddie explained. “The drugs are the only thing keeping him from complete suffering.”  

“What do his doctors say?” Eddie laughed bitterly at that. “They’re not doing anything to help him?”  

“I guess a rich boy like you wouldn’t understand,” Eddie said. “He doesn’t have any doctors. I’m all he’s got.” Steve shook his head. He still didn’t understand. “The cancer is aggressive. He got to where he couldn’t work, so they laid him off. He got a small pension, but medical bills and chemo and radiation treatments burned through that in just a few months.”  

“What about insurance?”  

“You really are naïve, aren’t you?”  

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” Steve said softly. “I’m just trying to understand.”  

“Insurance barely covered shit when he had it,” he said. “Insurance denied most coverage, except for the very basics, because, as they put it, he did this to himself. You know, being a heavy smoker for more than thirty years?”  

“What do you mean, when he had it?”  

“When he lost his job, they took away his insurance.” Eddie shook his head. “They only cover their employees.”  

“Shit, Eddie,” Steve sighed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  

“Yeah? Like what?” Eddie laughed again, even more bitter and humorless than before. “Golden boy’s going to swoop in and make everything alright?” Eddie folded his arms over his chest and hung his head. “I don’t need your pity, Harrington. You don’t even know me. Why’re you even here?”  

“I don’t know,” Steve whispered. “The boys asked me to check on you. When they told me what was going on, I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”  

“It’s as okay as it’s going to get,” Eddie barked. “I’m doing the best I can.”  

They were both quiet for a long time. Eddie still hadn’t asked him to leave so Steve stood his ground. He really did want to help Eddie, but there wasn’t anything that he could think of to do. He couldn’t fix Wayne or the stupid insurance system. He felt so helpless; he could only imagine how much worse it was for Eddie, watching his uncle, his dad as he died a slow and painful death. It was no wonder he’d turned to drugs to help ease his suffering. He looked around again, trying to think of something he could say or do, though he knew it was useless. He again noticed there was no stove in the trailer.  

“Eddie, how do you cook?”  

“I don’t,” he replied sadly. “If I can’t microwave it, we don’t eat it.” He raised his eyes and saw the way Steve was looking around. “The oven doesn’t work. Never has. And you see how small this place is. We had a choice of a stove or a washing machine.” He shrugged. “We chose the washing machine because we needed a way to do laundry more than we needed the stove.” He gestured at the microwave. “Cheaper than a stove.”  

“There’s got to be something I can do.”  

“There’s not,” Eddie said angrily, fighting to keep his voice down so he wouldn’t disturb Wayne. “There’s nothing you can do. He’s fucking dying. There’s nothing anyone can do.”   

Suddenly, Eddie was crying. Everything in him seemed to give way and a mountain of emotion rushed out of him. Steve couldn’t imagine what it must be like for him. Someone as young as him, having to deal with this, bearing the weight of all of this, all on his own. And he’d been dealing with it for years. Steve didn’t know when Wayne was diagnosed, but it was almost a year and a half ago when he’d visited Eddie at the hospital.  

“Eddie?”  

“I’m so fucking tired,” he sobbed. “I’m doing everything I know how, and nothing gets easier. Every day, it gets harder and harder, and there’s just nothing I can do.” Eddie buried his face in his hands. “He’s all I’ve got. He’s the only person that’s ever truly loved me and cared about me. If it weren’t for him, I’d be dead. He busted his ass to raise me and provide for me. And now, when he needs me the most, there’s nothing I can do but watch him suffer and die.”  

“Eddie . . .” Steve took a step closer to him, not moving too fast, not wanting to startle him. “Eddie, I’m right here. Anything you need, I’ll do whatever I can.”  

“All I need is for him not to die,” Eddie cried. “And, just . . . I need . . .” He choked on a sob and couldn’t go on.  

“What is it, Eddie? What do you need?”   

Eddie raised his eyes to Steve as he took another step closer. Eddie could smell his cologne. He remembered that smell. It was warm, familiar, comforting. He remembered the last time he’d smelled it, at the hospital, when they’d kissed. He’d forgotten about that until just now. The soft, gentle way Steve had kissed him, careful not to touch him because he knew he didn’t like it. And now, all he wanted was to kiss Steve. He wanted one minute of comfort, tenderness, something from another human being. Just to prove that he could feel something other than sorrow and grief.  

Eddie raised his hands and wiped his eyes then wiped the tears from his hands on his shirt. Then he reached for Steve, held his face in both hands. Steve locked eyes with him, searching, trying to figure out what to do next. Then Eddie leaned in, he pressed his lips to Steve’s, hard and needy. Steve opened his mouth and they kissed hungrily. Steve moved forward and backed Eddie into the counter behind him. But he didn’t touch him, he just let Eddie hold his face, let Eddie kiss him and take whatever he wanted, whatever he needed.  

“Touch me,” Eddie sighed into his mouth. “Please, just don’t hurt me.”  

“I won’t hurt you, Eddie,” Steve said as he lifted his hands.   

He touched Eddie’s hips, barely grazing with his fingertips. Eddie whimpered against his lips, pushed his hips into Steve’s hands. Steve closed his fingers around Eddie, slid his hands up to circle his waist. He bent into Eddie, their chests touching and when Eddie didn’t resist, he went further, moving until their bodies were against each other, until he could feel Eddie’s arousal where it was wedged against him. But Steve couldn’t think about that now. Eddie was too vulnerable, too upset. He needed comfort, sure. But that didn’t mean sex. So, Steve just let Eddie kiss him, holding him gently until he surged against Steve, then holding him back just a bit to let the tensions ease. Finally, after several minutes had passed, Eddie released Steve’s lips but continued to hold his face, his thumbs softly stroking Steve’s cheekbones, their noses and foreheads pressed tightly together. Steve squeezed his hips and sighed softly.  

“Thank you.”  

“You’re welcome.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“Shh, no, Eddie,” Steve said softly. “There’s nothing you need to apologize for.”  

“There’s not anyone . . . I can talk to,” Eddie said. “I don’t have anyone. Wayne’s all I’ve ever had.” Steve squeezed his hips again, trying to offer him some comfort. “My dad killed my mom when I was a kid,” Eddie whispered. “I saw him do it.”  

“Shit, Eddie. I’m so sorry.”  

“Then Wayne and his wife adopted me,” Eddie went on. “But I was only with them for a few months before she was killed by a drunk driver.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Wayne’s all I’ve ever had. I don’t know how to . . . When he’s gone, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”  

“Eddie, I’ll help you,” Steve said. He kissed Eddie again, softer, slower. Eddie turned his head and Steve’s lips found his ear. He nuzzled it through his hair. “I’ll help you, Eddie.”  

“What can you do?” Eddie pushed him away, but it wasn’t angry or hard. He just moved him, so they weren’t touching anymore. “You can’t save him. He’s going to die. Then I’ll be all alone.” He stepped around Steve, walked into the living room and stood staring up at the row of trucker caps with the shelf of mugs and cups below it. “They’ll take the trailer just like they took our house and all I’ll have is my van and whatever I can manage to pack into the back of it before the sheriff locks me out of this place.”  

“Eddie, I have some money in my savings account.” Steve followed him to the front door and the shelf of mugs next to it. He smiled at the Garfield mug that Eddie reached up and ran his fingers over. “I’ll help you.” Eddie hunched over, almost like he was shrinking into himself. He took a deep breath, then he turned to Steve, anger in his eyes.  

“I don’t want your pity or your charity,” he grunted. “I’ve been managing just fine without you. Why don’t you just leave? Leave me alone and let me take care of my dad. There’s nothing you can do.”  

“Eddie, please let me . . .”  

“NO!” Steve recoiled, stumbled back from the force of that single word. “Just leave,” he said in a softer, calmer voice. “I don’t need you.”  

Steve stepped around Eddie and went back to the kitchen where he’d seen a small pad of paper and a pencil attached to the refrigerator with a magnet. He wrote his name and phone number on it, then went to the front door.  

“If you change your mind, call me.” Then he was gone.  

Eddie went to the kitchen and read what Steve had written. His first instinct was to pull the sheet off the pad and throw it away but when he reached for it, he remembered the way it felt to kiss Steve, the way Steve had touched him so gently. He left the phone number there and went to check on Wayne.  

Chapter Text

Early Sunday morning, Steve called Dustin and told him he was coming over. He didn’t give Dustin a chance to say yes or no. Because he knew Dustin would say no. This early in the morning, Steve knew he’d woken him up. But he didn’t care. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson would be awake, probably already on their way to church by the time Steve got there, and that would be perfect. He could talk to Dustin about Eddie and not have to worry about his parents hearing anything he said.  

It wasn’t that he was going to say anything to Dustin that would cause Eddie a problem. But he was going to tell Dustin the truth. And that was something that he was sure Eddie didn’t want getting spread around. He loved Mrs. Henderson to death, but she was a gossip. Everything she heard, she shared with her church lady friends. The juicier the better. And what could be juicier than a single father dying of cancer while his troubled son tried to support them by dealing drugs. Yeah, she didn’t need to hear that.  

“You really need to learn to respect other people’s sleep patterns,” Dustin mumbled as he opened the door when Steve knocked.  

“I have to go to work,” Steve told him. “So, if you want to know what’s going on with Eddie, you should probably invite me in.” Dustin pulled the door open wider and he stepped inside then laughed when he saw Dustin wearing Thundercats footie pajamas. “Ooh, look at you, Lion-O!”  

“Shut up,” Dustin said as he flipped him off.  

“Aren’t you going to offer me coffee or something?”  

“I’m fourteen. I don’t know how to make coffee.” Dustin led Steve to the living room and flopped down on the couch. “If you want coffee, go make it yourself. But if you make a mess, you’re cleaning it up.”  

“I don’t want coffee,” Steve laughed as he took a seat in Mr. Henderson’s recliner. “I’m just messing with you.”  

“Tell me what’s happening with Eddie,” Dustin said, his voice getting serious as a worried look crossed his face.   

“His uncle is sick.” Steve didn’t know how many other people knew that Wayne was really his dad and not his uncle, so Steve didn’t divulge that detail. “He’s got cancer and he’s dying.” Dustin’s lower lip trembled slightly. “Eddie’s trying to take care of him. and right now, Wayne needs him more than Hellfire, Corroded Coffin, or Hawkins High School did.”  

“Shit,” Dustin whispered. “Now I feel like a complete asshole.”  

“You are a complete asshole,” Steve told him. “But what do you mean?”  

“After we talked to you at Family Video yesterday, I was complaining to Mike and Lucas about Eddie. The Cult of Vecna is important, and I was pissed that he’d just blow us off like that.” He shook his head sadly. “I didn’t know his uncle was dying. I mean, I knew he was sick. I told you that. I just didn’t know it was this bad.”  

“Well, it is this bad,” Steve said. “Maybe even worse. So, why don’t you cut Eddie some slack, okay?”  

“Yeah, yeah, absolutely.” Dustin looked up at Steve with pleading eyes. “Will you take me to see him?”  

“No, not today,” Steve answered. “Like I said, it’s pretty bad. I’m not sure he really wants anyone around.”  

“He needs friends right now.”  

“I know,” Steve sighed. “And I’m trying to be that for him. But he’s stubborn and used to it just being him and Wayne. And there’s his pride to consider. Let me see if I can’t get him to . . . I don’t know. Let’s just wait. I want to talk to him again before I just show up with you in tow.”  

“Yeah, I get it,” Dustin answered. “And you’re right. When you talk to him again, tell him we’re all here for him if he needs us.” Steve nodded and stood up. “Thanks for checking on him for me.” Steve nodded again and left.  

**********  

On Monday, Robin lassoed Steve into taking her to the grocery store. Steve pushed the shopping cart up and down the aisles of Bradley’s Big Buy while Robin picked things off the shelf and put them in it. She was going on and on about something, but he wasn’t exactly sure what it was because he couldn’t get his mind off Eddie. That kiss? Sure, that was definitely something to think about it, and he’d thought about it a lot after he left the trailer and went home. He’d laid in bed, his hand inside his boxer shorts, not thinking about Phoebe Cates this time. He thought about the way Eddie tasted, the way his lips felt against his, the way his hips felt in his hands, the way his erection had felt against him.  

But then he couldn’t even finish what he was trying to do because he started thinking about the way Eddie trembled, the way his body begged for some kind of affection. It was such a contradiction; someone who disliked being touched as much as Eddie did was also starving for physical contact. He didn’t know anything about Eddie’s life, why he was the way he was. He could only imagine the things someone must have to go through to be as skittish and untrusting as Eddie was.   

He gave up on masturbating and rolled onto his side to try and get some sleep. But his brain wouldn’t turn off. He thought about Eddie’s uncle, his dad. And he thought about the trailer. He thought about the fact that Eddie didn’t have a job, and Wayne had lost his. Whatever money they had was from Eddie dealing. But to deal you needed cash to buy. And there was no way he was supporting himself and Wayne on selling weed to his classmates, and then still having enough left to buy morphine to keep Wayne comfortable. Dustin had said that his phone had been disconnected. Shit. He’d forgotten that when he told Eddie to call him. He couldn’t. And what was next? Electricity? Water? Then where would Eddie and Wayne be?  

“Dingus!” He looked up at Robin as she hissed at him, pinching his arm. “Look.”  

“Ow,” he hissed back. “What?”   

She nodded towards the end of the aisle they were just about to turn down, then backed up a little so they were just peeking around the end cap display. Eddie was at the other end of the aisle, staring at a shelf of canned spaghetti and ravioli. He was about to say something to Robin, ask her what the problem was, when he saw Eddie slip a can of food into his pocket, then a second one. Then he walked away, very casually. He quickly pushed the cart down the aisle towards the front of the store, with Robin trotting along behind him.  

“What are you doing,” she asked him. “Dingus, slow down.” At the front, he watched as Eddie walked out of the store without paying for the cans of spaghetti he had taken. He sighed heavily. “Did he just steal those?”  

“Keep your voice down,” Steve said softly. “And yeah, he did.”  

“Should we say something?”  

“No,” Steve laughed. “Are you insane, Robin? Just forget it.” He looked down at the groceries in the cart. “Are you just about done? There are some things I need to take care of.”   

“What kind of things?”  

“Uh, I . . .” He didn’t want to tell her what he was really doing. “I need to go to the bank and . . . stuff.” He gave her a pointed look. “Are you done?”  

“Yes, I’m done.” Steve started pushing the cart towards the registers and Robin grabbed a bag of potato chips off a shelf as they went. “What’s gotten into you suddenly? Does this have anything to do with Eddie?”  

“Maybe.”   

Steve waited somewhat impatiently as Robin paid for her groceries, then he drove her home and helped her carry the bags inside. He tried to slip away quickly, but Robin’s mother and grandmother wanted to chat. He couldn’t be rude so he killed a few minutes talking to them then excused himself and headed straight for downtown and the bank where he withdrew as much money as they would let him from his savings account. Then he went to the phone company and paid to have Eddie’s phone turned back on, as well as paid for three more months in advance to make sure it stayed on. Next, he went to the water and utility offices and paid for three months of electricity and water at Eddie’s trailer. After that, he went back to Bradley’s Big Buy and bought a cart full of groceries, things that could be microwaved or didn’t have to be cooked. He bought canned goods, frozen TV dinners, cereal, chips, cookies, bread, peanut butter, lunch meat, cheese, anything he could think of.   

Last, he drove out to Forest Hills Trailer Park. He stopped by the rental office and paid two months’ rent in advance on Eddie and Wayne’s trailer. He would have paid more, but with everything else he’d done, it was all the cash he had left at the moment. He’d take care of more later. Unfortunately, there was a weekly limit on what he was allowed to withdraw from his savings account. Then he went to Eddie’s trailer. His van wasn’t there. So, Steve left the bags of groceries on the steps along with a note telling Eddie that the phone would be turned back on tomorrow, and he didn’t have to worry about rent or utilities. It was all taken care of. He didn’t sign the note, though he was sure Eddie would figure it out. And it would probably piss him off. But Steve didn’t care. He couldn’t let Eddie and Wayne suffer like that.  

**********  

Tuesday afternoon, when Steve’s phone rang, the last person he actually expected it to be was Eddie. And when he heard Eddie’s voice, he expected to be yelled at. But instead, all Eddie had done was say ‘thank you’ . Steve asked if he could stop by, and he was surprised when Eddie said yes. So, he showered and changed, and he drove out to see Eddie.   

Eddie was sitting on the steps outside of the trailer smoking a cigarette when Steve arrived. Probably best not to smoke it inside with a man dying of lung cancer. Steve got out of his car and sat down next to Eddie. Neither of them said anything, they just sat there listening as Wayne coughed and hacked and choked. Steve glanced over when Eddie tossed his cigarette away. Every sound out of Wayne made Eddie wince and grimace, as if the fits of coughing were hurting him just as much as they were hurting Wayne. And they probably were. It had to hurt Eddie to not be able to do anything to ease Wayne’s pain.  

“I guess it’s a good thing Spring Break came when it did,” Eddie said softly. “I can’t leave him like this and go to school.”  

“What are you going to do when Spring Break is over?”  

“Drop out,” Eddie answered. “I was already missing too much school anyway. I couldn’t keep up at this rate. But now . . .” He trailed off as Wayne started coughing again. When it stopped, he went on. “It’s gotten so bad, I can’t leave him alone.”  

“Were you able to get out yesterday and get the stuff he needs?” Eddie shook his head. That meant Wayne had no morphine. He was in pain and there was nothing to ease it. “Where do you get it? I’ll go pick it up.” Eddie turned his head and stared at Steve like he’d sprouted horns. “What?”  

“You want to go score illegal narcotics for me?” Steve nodded. “You’re insane.”  

“Maybe I am.”  

“Nah, man,” Eddie said. “I can’t let you do that. I’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it.” Eddie leaned down and picked at something on his shoe. “Can I ask you something?”  

“Yeah, sure.”  

“Why are you being so nice to me?” He stole a glance over at Steve. “You used to kick my ass all the time with Tommy. Then, one day, you just stopped.”  

“I guess I realized that I’d rather kiss you than kick you.” Eddie’s cheeks turned pink, and he looked away but not before Steve saw a smile curl up the corners of his mouth.   

“What did you ever see in Tommy,” Eddie asked. “I mean, he was such a fucking asshole. Even to you. But you were still friends with him. I never could understand that.”  

“When we first met, I thought he was cool,” Steve said. “He was tough and strong. I don’t know. I was drawn to him.”  

“Did you ever kiss him?” Steve didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure where Eddie was going with this. And even though it was probably obvious to Eddie that Steve was bisexual, he’d never actually admitted it to anyone other than Robin. “You don’t have to answer that,” he finally said. “I was just curious.”  

“Have you ever kissed another guy before?” Eddie shook his head. “I’m the first one?” This time he nodded. “Why me?”  

“You’re the only guy that’s ever tried to kiss me.”  

“Well, I’m sure there have been plenty that wanted to,” Steve laughed. “Girls too.” Eddie just shrugged. “Oh, come on. I bet they crawl all over you after you do your rock star thing. I mean, chicks dig guys with guitars, right?”  

“I guess,” Eddie said with a soft laugh. “I’m not really into that.”  

“Not into what? Chicks?” Eddie hesitated, but then he nodded slowly. “You’re gay?”  

“Yeah,” Eddie said uncertainly. “I mean, I guess.”  

“You don’t know?” Eddie didn’t answer. “Wait. You said you’ve never kissed a guy before.” Eddie looked away. “You’re a virgin, aren’t you?” There was a loud, long fit of coughing from inside the trailer. Eddie looked back over his shoulder at the partially open door. As he was turning back, their eyes met, and Steve could see that Eddie was embarrassed. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a virgin. Or not being into girls.” Eddie nodded slowly. “To answer your question, yeah, I kissed Tommy. And a lot of other things.” Eddie’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m not a virgin. I’ve slept with both guys and girls. I’m bisexual.”  

“I kissed a couple of girls,” Eddie said quietly. “Two, to be exact. I didn’t care for it.”  

“You seemed to enjoy it when we kissed.”  

“You’re a better kisser than they were.”  

“Can I ask you something personal?”  

“I’d say this conversation is already pretty personal,” Eddie chuckled. “So, why not?”  

“Did you get a hard on kissing either of those girls?” Eddie’s cheeks went pink again, even darker this time, as he shook his head. “But you did when I kissed you.”  

“Yeah, well, I’ve never jerked off while thinking about either of them either.” Steve’s eyes went wide in shock. “Yes.”  

“Yes, what,” Steve asked.  

“The answer to your next question is yes,” Eddie told him. “So, let’s not embarrass me any more by you asking me if I’ve ever jerked off while thinking about you.”   

He stood up suddenly and went inside the trailer. Steve waited for a moment then got up and followed him inside. Eddie was standing in the doorway to Wayne’s room. It was quiet; he wasn’t coughing. That was a good thing. After a moment, Eddie pulled the door mostly closed then joined Steve in the living room. They just looked at each other for a moment, Eddie still blushing, until Eddie finally went to sit on the couch. He nodded towards the seat next to him and Steve sat down with him.  

“Me too.” Eddie gave him a quizzical look. “I’ve jerked off thinking about you.” That made Eddie smile. “Why don’t you like it when people touch you?” Eddie’s smile disappeared and was replaced by something that looked like fear. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that.”  

“My mom and dad used to hit me,” Eddie whispered. “And they let other people hit me too.” He swallowed hard. “Wayne was the first person that didn’t try to hurt me.”  

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” Steve whispered. “I didn’t know that.” Eddie just shrugged. “But it explains why you love him so much.” He glanced down at his watch. “Shit. I have to get to work.” Eddie nodded and stood up. “You good for the moment,” Steve asked as he stood up as well.  

“I could be better.” Steve knew exactly what he meant. “But yeah, it’s all good.” He walked Steve to the door. “Would you . . .?” Eddie stopped, his hands fidgeting nervously.  

“Would I what, Eddie?”  

“Would you mind if I hugged you?” Steve shook his head and Eddie timidly reached for him. Steve slowly put his arms around Eddie and Eddie laid his head on Steve’s shoulder. “Thanks.”  

“Anytime, Eddie.” Eddie stepped out of his embrace and Steve left.  

Chapter Text

The next morning, while he and Robin were working, Steve was staring off into space, his thoughts a million miles away. Robin didn’t think much of it at first, but when three very cute girls came in and rented a couple of movies, even though Steve rang up the movies, he barely looked at them, and when one of them started flirting with him, he practically blew her off. That was when Robin knew something was up. When the girls left the store, she hopped up on the counter next to where Steve was leaning on his elbows on it and snapped her fingers in front of his face. 

“Earth to dingus. Come in, dingus.” He looked up at her almost like he was just noticing she was even there. “Who are you and what have you done with Steve Harrington?” He just blinked at her. “Three very cute girls were just flirting with you, and I think one was trying to ask you out.” 

“Really?” 

“You didn’t notice?” He shook his head then pushed off the counter. “Something is definitely wrong with you.” 

“Sorry, I just have something on my mind.” 

“Want to talk about it?” Steve shook his head. “Oh, come on! What are best friends for?” 

“Alright,” Steve sighed. “I need to figure out where someone lives.” 

“Phone book, dingus!” 

“I don’t know his name.” 

“Follow him.” 

“I don’t know what he looks like.” Robin just stared at him like he was crazy. “Reefer Rick, okay? That’s all I know. Never met the guy. But I need to find him.” 

“Ask your new boyfriend, Eddie.” 

“He’s not my boyfriend, Robin!” She shrank back at that. “I’m sorry. But he’s not. And I can’t ask Eddie. I don’t want him to know I’m doing this.”

“Are dealers really that territorial when it comes to their client base?” Steve threw up his hands in defeat and turned away. Robin suddenly felt really bad. Steve obviously had something important on his mind and going on in his life right now. She didn’t know why in the world he would need to find Reefer Rick, and she’d only been teasing about Eddie and the dealer remark. “Hey, Steve. I’m sorry. Talk to me. Maybe there’s something I can do to help.” He turned back to face her. He looked so desperate. “Honestly. No more teasing. I promise.” 

“I can’t tell you why, but I need to find him,” Steve said. “Eddie can’t be the only person we know that knows him.” 

“Jonathan Byers.” 

“He moved to California, remember?” 

“I know this,” Robin groaned. “But him and Nancy are still a thing, aren’t they?” Steve nodded. “Maybe she can call him and ask him for you.” 

“We’ll use that as a last resort.” The door opened and a customer came in. He walked up to the counter and laid a movie down. 

“This is late,” he said sheepishly. “How much do I owe you? Late fees, I mean.” 

“How late is it,” Robin asked as she picked it up. 

“Uhm, so late that I don’t remember,” he laughed. 

“Let me check the computer.”  

Steve took the movie and went to the computer on the opposite counter. He punched in the barcode number, and it pulled up the customer’s name and the movies he’d rented. Steve had to hold back a laugh when he saw how late the movie really was. Robin glanced over his shoulder at the screen, saw the same thing Steve did, and she didn’t bother to hold the laugh back. 

“Dude, you’re joking, right?” 

“No, not really.” Steve laid the movie back on the counter in front of the guy. “How much?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Steve said. “The late fees exceed the price of the movie. And the store wrote it off as a loss months ago. Take it and go.” 

“Are you sure?” Steve and Robin both nodded. “Alright. Thanks.” 

“And thank you for doing the responsible thing and trying to return it.” When the guy was gone, Steve turned to Robin. “I think that was a new record.” 

“Yeah,” she giggled as she glanced at the computer screen again. “How could someone . . . keep . . .” She trailed off, leaned closer to the computer, and suddenly smiled. 

“What?” 

“We sure do have a lot of information in our computer about people that rent movies.” Steve shrugged as Robin pulled the stool over to the computer and hopped up on it. She started typing. “Rick. Short for Richard, right?” 

“Usually,” Steve said. “Why?” 

“You think Reefer Rick watches movies?” Steve’s eyes lit up. 

“Robin, I love you!” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re a genius.” 

“I could have told you that.” She pulled up a list of all the Ricks and Richards in the system. “Twelve Ricks already have accounts here.” She clicked a few more keys. “That’s a lot of Ricks. So, let’s narrow it down.” She went to the first Rick on the list. 

“Rick Alderman rented Annie and Dumbo,” Steve read from the screen. “Not him. Next?” 

“Rick Conroy rented Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, and Romancing the Stone.” She looked up at Steve and he shook his head. “Rick Joiner, Mask, Footloose, and Grease.” 

“Next?” Robin went to the next Rick on the list. “Rick Kimbrough rented The Blue Lagoon and Splash,” Steve said, shaking his head. “Definitely not.” 

“Okay. Rick Lipton,” Robin said as she went to the next name on the list. “Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, Cheech and Chong’s Nice Dreams, Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke.” 

“Bingo! That’s him!” 

“Twenty-one twenty-one Holland Road,” Robin said, reading his address from the screen. 

“That’s out by Lover’s Lake.” Robin turned to face him. “Middle of nowhere. Perfect place for a drug dealer to live.” He grabbed Robin by the face and dropped a sloppy wet kiss on her forehead. “I love you, Robin Buckley!” 

********** 

Steve parked in front of twenty-one twenty-one Holland Road and took a deep breath. Up until this moment, this had seemed like a good idea. But now that he was here, it was starting to seem like a really bad idea. What was he going to do? Knock on a total stranger’s door and ask to buy morphine? He really didn’t have any other choice though. Wayne needed it and Eddie couldn’t get it. Besides the fact that he couldn’t leave Wayne alone, Steve was pretty sure he didn’t have the money. He said his stash was gone, which meant he wasn’t selling. And if he wasn’t selling, he wasn’t earning. Not that Eddie would admit that. He was too proud. 

So, Steve got out of the car and started for the house, praying he wouldn’t get shot, stabbed, robbed, or murdered. Before he even got to the front steps, the front door opened and a large, bearlike man stepped out onto the porch with a shotgun pointed right at Steve’s head. Steve immediately put his hands up to show that he was unarmed and meant no harm. 

“Turn around, get back in your car, and go back to wherever you came from.” 

“Are you Reefer Rick?” 

“Who’s asking?” He narrowed his eyes at Steve suspiciously. “Do I know you?” 

“No, no, no sir, you don’t,” Steve stammered. “I’m a friend of Eddie Munson.” 

Rick barked out a sharp, hateful laugh. “Unless you’re here to pay off his tab, I ain’t got nothing to say to you.” 

“His tab?” 

“Yeah,” Rick answered as he lowered the gun. “Little shit owes me money. And then still had the nerve to come around Sunday asking for credit.” Rick rolled his eyes. “Kid’s got a bad habit and I’m not supplying him with any more pharmaceuticals until he pays me what he owes.” 

So, Eddie had lied. He had gone out to try and get more morphine. And Steve was correct, he just didn’t have the money to do it. He didn’t know how much Eddie owed or what morphine would even cost, but he had to do something. And this guy probably wouldn’t even sell the morphine to Steve, knowing it was for Eddie. But Steve had to try. 

“How much does he owe you?” 

“What’s it to you?” 

“Do you want to get paid?” Steve lowered his hands. There wasn’t a gun pointed at him anymore, so he felt like an idiot standing there with his hands in the air. “I’ll take care of what he owes.” 

“Kid owes me five hundred bucks.” Steve frowned. 

“How much for . . . uh, what he was looking for Sunday?” 

“Fifty a pop.” Steve nodded. “You gonna cop for that freak?” 

“When you say a pop,” Steve asked, feeling even stupider than when he had his hands in the air. But he honestly didn’t know enough about drugs to know how much that was. “What would that get me?” 

“Fifty bucks a vial,” Rick said exasperatedly, and Steve nodded again. “So, what’s it gonna be?” 

“I’ll pay you what Eddie owes,” Steve said. “But I don’t have that much on me right now. Give me two hours.” 

“Well, you know where to find me.” 

********** 

Steve went home, sat down with his parents, and told them about Eddie. He didn’t give any names or specifics to where they’d figure out who he was talking about, nor did he mention the kissing. But he told him there was a friend he’d met in school many years ago and he needed some help. He told his parents that he’d already hit the limit for the week that they set on him withdrawing from savings, and he needed to borrow some money. That got him curious looks, but he promised he would pay them back out of his check from Family Video when he got paid again. 

“How much do you need, son?” 

“Uh, six hundred?” His father raised an eyebrow at him. “I know, it’s going to take more than one paycheck to pay you back, but I promise I will.” 

“Is this to help your friend?” Steve just nodded. It was, but not in the way they thought. He didn’t need to tell them that though. “Come on,” Mr. Harrington said as he stood up. “I’ve got cash in the safe in my office.” Steve stood to follow his father, but his mother took his hand and stopped him. 

“I’m proud of you, Steve,” she said. “That you’re willing to help someone in need like this.” He just smiled and nodded and followed his father. 

In his office, Steve waited while he unlocked the safe in the wall behind a dreary painting of a dog standing in a marsh, looking up at a duck that a lone hunter in the distance was aiming a shotgun at. Steve hated that painting and he suspected that his father did too. He didn’t hunt, had never touched a gun in his life. But the painting was the perfect size to cover the wall safe, and Steve was sure it had been cheap, probably bought at the thrift store. It was really ugly, and kind of sad too. 

“Are you sure six hundred will be enough?” Mr. Harrington closed the safe and turned to face Steve. 

“Yeah, that’s all I need.” He took the money his father held out to him. “Thanks, dad.” 

“Steve?” Steve raised his eyes to his father. He looked like he was about to lecture Steve; he had that same harsh look that he got when Steve failed chemistry, or the time his mother found a joint in his sock drawer. “There’s no need to repay this. If you’re helping someone who needs it more than you do, then think of it as a donation. Not a loan.” 

“Thanks, dad,” Steve said. “I really appreciate it.” 

********** 

Steve knocked on the trailer door and waited. He could hear Wayne coughing. It sounded bad tonight. He knocked again, but there was still no answer. Eddie’s van was here; Steve didn’t think he’d leave on foot or with someone else. He knocked one more time. But all he got in return was Wayne coughing and choking. So, Steve tried the door. It was unlocked, so he stepped inside. All the lights were off except the one in Wayne’s room. Steve went down the hall and peeked into the room. Wayne was lying in bed, looking even frailer than he had a couple of days ago. And Eddie was sitting on the floor, his back against the side of the bed, holding his head in his hands, and from the way his shoulders shook, Steve could tell he was crying. 

“Eddie?”  

His head jerked up and their eyes met. Steve was right, Eddie’s eyes were red and swollen, and tears were streaming down his face. Eddie wiped angrily at his face as he stood up. He looked down at Wayne. He was still coughing, gasping for breath. He gently touched his hand and Wayne opened his eyes a slit. He tried to smile, and Wayne nodded a little, but it was cut short by more coughing. Steve left the room and Eddie followed him, pulling the door closed behind him. When they got to the living room, Steve turned to face Eddie and suddenly Eddie had his arms around him, his face buried against his neck. He could feel warm tears on his skin as Eddie cried. 

“He asked me . . . to . . . kill . . . him.” The words came between gasping sobs. “I can’t do it, Steve. He wants me to put him out of his misery and I can’t do it.” 

“Here,” Steve said soothingly as he reached into his pocket and slipped the vials into Eddie’s hand. “This will help him.” 

Eddie stepped back, looked down at the vials in his hand, then back up at Steve. “Thank you.” 

Eddie dashed off, stopping only to retrieve the metal box from the shelf, then disappeared into Wayne’s room again. Steve sat down and waited. A few minutes later, Wayne’s coughing slowed, then finally subsided altogether. Steve breathed a sigh of relief. At least Wayne was resting now. He hadn’t had any morphine since Saturday. It had been four days. He couldn’t imagine the agony he was in. It was no wonder he’d asked Eddie to do . . . That. 

Eddie came back into the living room and sat down next to Steve then leaned his head over onto his shoulder. Steve very slowly and very gently raised his arm and draped it over Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie sighed, sounding exhausted and frayed. 

“I told you not to do that.” 

“I did it anyway,” Steve chuckled. “How long will that last him?” 

“A couple of days.” 

“I’ll get you more before then.” 

“You don’t have to do that,” Eddie said as he sat up, scooted away from Steve a little. “I’ve got it covered.” 

“Do me a favor?” Eddie nodded. “Look at me.” He raised his head and his eyes met Steve’s. “Don’t lie to me. I know you went to Reefer Rick’s on Sunday. And I know he wouldn’t sell you anything because of the money you owe him.” Eddie looked away then, shame flashing in his eyes. “You don’t owe him anything anymore. You’re free and clear. And when you run out, tell me and I’ll get you more.” 

“I’ll pay you back,” Eddie whispered. 

“Nah, you won’t,” Steve chuckled. “I won’t let you. So, don’t even try to argue. Because I can be just as stubborn as you.” At that, Eddie smiled a sad smile. 

“Thanks.” He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. “So, how’d someone like you find Reefer Rick anyway?” 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Steve laughed. “By the way, did you know Rick thinks you’re a morphine addict?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie answered with a smile. “I didn’t bother to correct him.” 

“You know, if you told him the truth, he might have cut you some slack.” Eddie raised an eyebrow at him. “He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, really.” Eddie just shrugged. “When was the last time you slept?” 

“Man, I don’t even know,” Eddie answered. “I’m afraid to close my eyes. If I fall asleep, I’m so exhausted, I might not hear him and wake up if he needs me.” 

“Get some sleep, Eddie,” Steve told him. “I’ll stay here. If he wakes up and needs you, I’ll wake you up.” 

“I can’t let you do that.” 

“I’m not really giving you much of a choice.” Steve stood up and went to the foldaway bed in the corner. “Is this where you sleep?” Eddie just nodded so Steve pulled the bed out, unfolded it, then looked around the room. “Pillow? Blanket?” 

“Wayne’s got them,” Eddie whispered. “He gets cold so easy now. I gave him mine.” 

“Come lay down.” Eddie stood up and went over to Steve. He just looked at him for a moment, then finally laid down on the bed. Steve took his jacket off, rolled it up, then lifted Eddie’s head and slipped it under. He stroked Eddie’s hair and Eddie turned his face into the touch, letting Steve’s fingers brush his cheek. “Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

“Thank you, Steve.” Steve just smiled. 

Chapter Text

Eddie woke up, and for a moment, just a moment, he almost forgot that his entire world was in flames. He felt warm, safe, rested. He could smell Steve’s cologne on the jacket under his head, and he nuzzled his face into it, breathing deeply to savor his scent that was so warm and comforting. There was a blanket over him; he had no idea where that had come from. It was nice; it had been a while since he slept with a blanket. He snuggled down under it, not wanting to wake up yet. He just wanted to lay there for a little while longer. But then Wayne coughed, and it all came crashing back down. Eddie opened his eyes and sat up as Steve came down the hall from Wayne’s room and smiled at him. 

“You’re awake.” 

“How long did I sleep?” 

“It’s been almost . . .” Steve looked at his watch. “Twelve hours.” 

“Damn,” he chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept that long in my life.” Wayne coughed again but it didn’t sound as bad as it had the day before. “Is Wayne okay?” He started to stand up, but Steve gently placed a hand on his shoulder, so he stayed seated. 

“Wayne’s okay,” Steve said. “He’s been awake for about two hours. I was going to wake you, but he asked me to let you sleep.” Eddie smiled. “I found a hot water bottle in the bathroom. Do you know how long it takes to boil enough water in the microwave to fill a hot water bottle?” 

“I can only imagine,” Eddie said. “But what about the hot water bottle?” 

“I put it on Wayne’s chest,” Steve said. “It’s eased his coughing some.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Do you want some coffee?” Eddie raised an eyebrow at Steve. “It’s instant, but it’s not too terrible with some milk and sugar in it.” 

“Steve, you don’t have to do all of this.” Eddie stood up. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. But I’m sure you have better things to do than help me take care of Wayne.” 

“Well, I do have to go home so I can get ready for work,” Steve told him. “But I’ve got a few minutes.” He turned and went into the kitchen. “Why don’t you go see Wayne, and I’ll make you a cup of coffee?” 

“Thank you.” Eddie went into the bedroom and sat down on the side of Wayne’s bed. “How’s it going, old man?” 

“Watch it,” Wayne said with a weak smile. “I may be old, but I’m still scrappy.” 

“Yeah, I know you are,” Eddie laughed. “How do you feel?” 

“This thing on my chest feels good,” Wayne answered. 

“I’m sorry I never thought to do that.” 

“Your friend is nice,” he said. “Isn’t he the one you were kissing after my first surgery?” 

“Yeah. That’s him.” 

“Is he your boyfriend?” 

“No.” Eddie blushed and dropped his eyes. “I wish,” he finished in a whisper. 

“I heard that.” Wayne reached for him, took his hand, and squeezed it. “I’m gonna take a nap. Go be with your boyfriend for a while.” 

“He’s not my . . .” Wayne squeezed his hand again and smiled. “Yeah, okay.”  

Eddie adjusted Wayne’s pillows and tucked his blankets more securely around him, kissed his forehead, then went to join Steve. Steve was just sitting a cup on the little table near the door. Eddie sat down and took a sip of the coffee. Steve was right, it wasn’t that bad. For coffee. Eddie wasn’t a fan, but Steve had offered, and Eddie didn’t want to be rude. Steve sat down across from him and watched him as he sipped the coffee.

“Is there anything you need,” he finally asked. “I can stop by after work.” 

“No, Steve,” Eddie said. “You’ve done too much already.” He glanced over at the foldaway bed. “Where’d the blanket come from?” 

“My trunk,” Steve said, his cheeks turning a soft pink. “I keep it in there in case I find myself at Skull Rock or . . .” He trailed off and Eddie chuckled. He knew exactly what Steve was getting at. He knew about Steve and his girlfriends. “I’ll bring you a pillow, okay?” 

“You don’t have to do that.” 

“Stop telling me that,” Steve said. “I know I don’t have to. I want to. And even though I’m leaving the blanket for you, I’m taking my jacket back, so you’ll need a real pillow.” Eddie laughed at that. He kind of wished Steve would leave his jacket. He didn’t mind using it as a pillow at all. He could pretend he had his head on Steve’s chest. “I’ve got to head out.” Steve stood up, went to the foldaway bed, and put his jacket on. When he turned back around, Eddie was right behind him, and Steve started in surprise. “Oh, hi.” 

Eddie went up on his toes and pressed his lips to Steve’s. Steve opened his mouth and let Eddie in but left his hands at his sides until Eddie took one arm and wrapped it around him. Then Steve raised his other hand and caressed Eddie’s hip as he twisted his hands in the front of Steve’s shirt, tugging him closer until his hands were squeezed tight between them. While they kissed, their tongues darting back and forth into each other’s mouths, Eddie released Steve’s shirt and slipped his arms under Steve’s jacket, around his waist, one coming to rest at the small of his back, the other landing lightly over the curve of his ass. Eddie pushed his body against Steve’s, moaned his name into his mouth. Steve squeezed his ass in his hand, then Eddie suddenly pulled back, raising a hand to his mouth to cover it as he looked up at Steve from under lowered lashes. 

“I’m sorry.” He took another step back. “I know you have to go.” 

“Yeah, but I have time for one more kiss,” Steve said. “If you wanted to kiss me again, I mean.” Eddie threw himself at Steve and they kissed again, needier this time, as Eddie clumsily touched Steve, his face, his hair, his shoulders, his arms, his chest. Eddie broke their kiss and gazed into Steve’s eyes. He cupped a hand on Eddie’s cheek, tilted his head, then leaned in and kissed his jaw, his ear, his neck. Eddie sighed softly as he felt Steve’s teeth barely graze his skin just below his ear. “Eddie,” he breathed against his ear. “I’ll see you later.” 

“I’ll see you later,” Eddie repeated. 

********** 

“Are you out of your mind?” Robin slammed the car door shut and turned in her seat to face Steve. “You gave Eddie six hundred dollars?” She smacked his arm hard enough to leave a stinging red hand print. 

“OW!” Steve rubbed his arm as he shrank back away from her. “What are you talking about? How do you know about that?” 

“Your mom called my mom to find out if we were okay because you borrowed six hundred dollars from your dad to help out a friend and she just assumed it was me because the only other friends you have are all children.” Robin paused just long enough to take a breath. “Why did you give Eddie six hundred dollars?” 

“I didn’t give Eddie six hundred dollars,” Steve answered as he pulled away from the curb. “What did your mom tell my mom?” 

“Nothing,” Robin said. “She didn’t know what to tell her. All she said was that she’d talk to me about it. And I told my mom that the money wasn’t for me, but I thought I knew who it was for. She kept asking me to tell her, but I told her that I needed to talk to you first. So, if you didn’t give it to Eddie, who’d you give it to?” 

Steve stole a sideways glance at Robin. She was turned in her seat, glaring at him, her arms folded over her chest. She expected an answer, and she wouldn’t give up until she got one. Steve knew her well enough to know that. As much as he wanted to just change the subject and steer her away from this, it was too late. He was going to have to tell her something. He could probably lie to her convincingly if given enough time to formulate a good story. But with her sitting right there, looking at him like that, there was no way. He would just have to tell her the truth. Though there were certain parts of it he was going to leave out. 

“I gave it to Reefer Rick.” She said nothing, though her eyes were wide with interest now. “Eddie owed him five hundred bucks and wouldn’t extend him credit, so I paid off what Eddie owed and the other hundred was for . . . morphine for his uncle.” 

“Morphine? For his uncle?” Steve nodded. “What about all the money you took out of the bank?” So, she knew about that too. “Your mom also said that you borrowed the money because you hit your withdrawal limit on your savings account. Did you give that to Reefer Rick too?” 

Steve sighed heavily. This was getting too complicated to keep lying about, and he loved and trusted Robin, so he just told her the truth about Eddie and his uncle and their financial situation. He told her that he paid their rent and utility bills, and for now, he was supplying the morphine to keep Wayne comfortable. Robin said nothing while Steve told her the whole story. And when he parked at Family Video and turned the car off, he looked over at her, waiting for a response. After a moment, she leaned over and threw her arms around him. 

“You really are the nicest guy in the whole world, Steve Harrington.” They got out of the car and Steve unlocked the store. “Why couldn’t you tell me all of this before? And why didn’t you tell your mom and dad what you were doing?” 

“I didn’t think Eddie would want me telling everyone his problems.” Steve flipped the sign on the door from closed to open then went behind the counter with Robin. “He still isn’t really comfortable with me knowing his problems. He’d probably kill me if he knew I told you.” 

“I’ won’t say anything to anyone.” Steve nodded, giving her a grateful look. “Is he coming back to school next week?” 

“He can’t,” Steve answered. “I hate to say it, but he’s got to drop out. There isn’t any other way. He’s too far behind, and there’s no one else to take care of Wayne.” 

“Well, at least he has you to help him out.” She suddenly hugged him again. It was quick and she stepped back several steps as she smiled sheepishly at him. “I always knew you were a big softie.” 

********** 

That evening before he left work, Steve called Enzo’s and placed a to go order with them. Then he dropped Robin at home and headed over to Melvald’s. There he bought a couple of pillows and a nicer, softer blanket than the one he carried around in his trunk. On his way to Eddie’s, he stopped at Enzo’s and picked up the food, then drove out to Forest Hills. When he got there, Eddie was just getting Wayne ready to take a bath. He offered to help, but Wayne didn’t weigh much these days, and Eddie could handle it on his own, so Steve waited while Eddie bathed him. 

While he was waiting, Steve took the old blanket back out to his car and put the new one and the pillow he bought on the foldaway bed for Eddie, then he fixed plates of food for them. After Eddie had Wayne bathed, dressed, and back in bed, Eddie gave him a shot of morphine, then joined Steve in the kitchen. He saw the three plates of food on the counter, and he smiled broadly at Steve. 

“Lasagna’s my favorite.” 

“Good,” Steve laughed. “Because I brought a lot of it.” 

“But, uh, Wayne can’t eat that.” He gave Steve an apologetic look. “He can’t keep solid food down. I gave him some chicken broth just before you got here.” 

“Well then, you’ll just have to eat Wayne’s for him.” Steve picked up two plates and took them to the table. Eddie followed and they both sat down. They were both quiet for a long time as they ate salad, lasagna, and garlic bread. When Eddie was almost done eating, Steve finally spoke again. “How’s he doing today?” Eddie just shook his head. “That bad?” 

“The hot water bottle on his chest helps ease the coughing,” Eddie said. “Thanks for that idea by the way. But the pain is getting worse. He can’t walk, not even to go to the bathroom. Thank God for the bedpan I stole last time he was in the hospital.” Steve wanted to laugh at the bedpan comment, but he realized that Eddie wasn’t joking. He really had stolen a bedpan from the hospital. “I don’t think he’s going to last much longer.” 

“Eddie, I’m so sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” he said. “He’s ready to go.” 

“And you?” 

“I’m torn.” He laid his fork down. “I love him, and I don’t want him to die. But, at the same time, I wish he’d just go ahead and do it. It kills me to see him like this. If he just died, at least he’d finally be at peace.” Steve reached across the little table and Eddie flinched, just a little, so Steve stopped. Eddie raised his eyes to Steve’s then nodded, so Steve took his hand and held it tightly. “I told Wayne that I’m ready, I’m prepared for his death. And I keep telling myself the same thing, hoping that if I say it enough, it'll be true. But, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I am.” 

“I don’t think anyone is ever really ready for someone they love to die,” Steve said softly. “Even if it’s inevitable. You can’t be ready for that loss. Not really.” 

“Thanks for dinner.” 

“It was my pleasure.”  

They took the dishes to the kitchen where Steve wrapped up the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator while Eddie washed and put away the dishes they’d used. When they were done, Steve wandered around the living room, looking at the trucker hats and coffee mugs on the wall while Eddie went to check on Wayne. He was sleeping rather fitfully, but that was par for the course with him. When he came back, he stood by the kitchen counter and watched Steve as he looked at Wayne’s things. When he noticed Eddie watching him, he stopped and smiled. 

“Can you hang out for a while?” Steve nodded. “We can watch TV or something. I just . . . it gets lonely sometimes.” 

“I get it,” Steve said. “Yeah. I’ll stay a while.” He sat down on the couch as Eddie picked up a TV Guide. “Anything good on the tube tonight?” 

“In about fifteen minutes we’ll have a choice of The Cosby Show, Simon and Simon, or Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” He looked up at Steve, a dead serious look on his face. “I’m not watching The Cosby Show.” Then he laughed. “How about Ripley’s?” Steve nodded, so Eddie turned on the television, put it on the right channel, then went to sit next to Steve. 

“Can I put my arm around you?” 

“Yeah.” Steve draped his arm across Eddie’s shoulders and Eddie pulled his feet up on the couch then snuggled into Steve. “You can touch me,” he said softly. “You don’t have to ask. But, don’t do it suddenly, or surprise me.” 

“I don’t have to ask?” Eddie shook his head. “I don’t have to ask if I want to do this?” He gently hooked a finger under Eddie’s chin, tilted his head back, then kissed him slowly. 

“Nope,” Eddie sighed. “Don’t have to ask.” 

“Good,” Steve laughed. “Because I really like kissing you. And it would suck to have to ask every time.” 

“Why do you like kissing me so much?” 

“You’re a good kisser,” Steve answered very matter-of-factly. “I find it hard to believe that other than two girls you didn’t like kissing, I’m the only person you’ve ever kissed.” He pressed his lips to Eddie’s again. “You’re too good at it.” 

Eddie sat up and pulled out of Steve’s arms. He studied him for a moment. He found it hard to believe that the guy sitting here with him, telling him how much he liked kissing him, was the same guy that used to beat him up in middle school. If someone had told him back then that Steve Harrington wasn’t a total douche bag, he would have just laughed at them. But now here they were, friends. Or maybe something more. Friends didn’t go around kissing each other the way they had kissed. 

Eddie locked eyes with Steve as he moved over onto his lap, watching for any sign that Steve didn’t want him to do this. But Steve smiled when he realized what Eddie was doing. He smiled and he put his hands on Eddie’s hips, and when Eddie sat down on his lap and leaned in to kiss him again, Steve slid his arms around Eddie and held him tenderly while they kissed. 

Eddie kissed across Steve’s cheek, and down to his jaw. Steve tilted his head back as Eddie moved to his neck. Eddie wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing, he’d never done this before, but it had felt so good when Steve did it to him. And he’d seen it in enough movies. He kissed him gently, let his tongue flick out against his skin. He could smell his cologne, stronger just below his ear than anywhere else. He caught Steve’s earlobe in his mouth, nibbled it softly. Steve sucked in a sharp breath, his body arched into Eddie’s. He moved down his neck, across to the other side then up to that ear. He flicked his tongue over it, then sighed Steve’s name into it. Steve dragged his hands down Eddie’s back, then slipped them under his t-shirt, letting his fingers dance over his warm skin while Eddie slowly made his way back to Steve’s mouth. Finally, he pulled back, hating to remove his lips from Steve; he tasted so good. 

“Was that okay,” Eddie whispered. 

“Hell yeah,” Steve whispered back. “It was so okay that I’m going to have to ask you to stop and get off my lap.” 

“Why?” He pulled back even further and frowned at Steve. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Steve said as he fidgeted underneath Eddie. “You’re just . . .” Then Eddie felt it, Steve’s erection against his ass as he squirmed. “Nothing’s wrong, Eddie.” Eddie slid off his lap and studied him again for a long moment. “Are you okay?” 

“I’ve got the same problem you do,” Eddie chuckled. “So yeah, maybe we should stop kissing for a while.” Eddie reached out and pushed a stray lock of hair back off Steve’s face. “Can I ask you something personal?” 

“At this moment, is that the wisest idea?” Eddie just shrugged. “Go ahead.” 

“Do you want to have sex with me?” 

“Eddie, I, I, I . . .” He stammered to a stop. That wasn’t what he was expecting. He didn’t know what he thought Eddie was going to ask him, but it certainly hadn’t been that. And though the answer was an undeniable yes, he wasn’t sure he should say that. He took a deep breath, held it for a long moment, then let it out slowly. “I’m attracted to you,” he said finally. “But I don’t think right now would be a good time to move our relationship in that particular direction.” He hoped that sounded diplomatic enough without hurting Eddie’s feelings. 

“No, I wasn’t suggesting that we do it,” Eddie said softly. “I just wanted to know if that was what you wanted.” 

“Eddie, it’s not that simple.” He sighed. “If you’re asking me if that’s all I want from you, the answer is no. If you’re asking me if I’d like our relationship to become physical someday, the answer is yes.” 

“Our relationship?” Steve nodded. “If we had sex, it wouldn’t just be a one and done thing?” 

“I would hope not,” Steve laughed. “Is that what you want to know, Eddie? If there’s actually something between us, something serious?” Eddie thought for a moment. When he first asked, he wasn’t sure how to say it and maybe his initial question hadn’t been the right one, but Steve seemed to understand. Because that was exactly what he wanted to know. He nodded slowly. “Eddie, if I thought you’d have me, I’d ask you to be my boyfriend.” 

“Ask me.” 

“Will you be my boyfriend?” 

“As long as you’re patient with me, the answer is yes.” 

“I’m not going to try and rush you into anything,” Steve said. “I know you’re a virgin and I’m not going to push you into anything you’re not ready for.” 

“I guess, if we’re going to do this, then I should be honest with you about something.” 

“Always,” Steve answered. “Like I said before. Don’t lie to me.” 

“I didn’t lie,” Eddie said as he pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. “I just wasn’t completely truthful about something.” 

“Okay, tell me.” 

“I’m not actually a virgin,” he whispered so quietly that Steve had to lean in to hear him. “I’ve done things with men. In the past.” He dropped his eyes to Steve’s hands. He couldn’t say this while looking into his eyes. “My dad used to make me do things with men for money. And sometimes with him when he . . .” 

Steve threw his arms around Eddie and pulled him against him. He couldn’t hear this. He just couldn’t. It hurt too much to hear it. And it must hurt even worse for Eddie to say it. He kissed his hair, stroked it, held Eddie in his arms and forced himself not to cry. Eddie had said before that he’d been with Wayne since he was ten. Ten years old. How could someone do things like that to a little boy? He couldn’t understand it and he couldn’t think about it. He held Eddie back, touched his chin, and when Eddie lifted his head, they looked into each other’s eyes. 

“Baby, don’t. You don’t have to say it. I understand.” He pulled him against him again. “I’ve got you now.” 

“That doesn’t change how you feel about me,” Eddie asked quietly. 

“No, it doesn’t change anything.” Steve kissed him gently. “It’s okay.” 

Steve pulled Eddie closer, and they snuggled together on the couch then turned their attention to the television. For the next couple of hours, they just held each other and watched TV. When the ten o’clock news came on, Steve kissed Eddie on top of the head and they both stood up. Eddie went to check on Wayne and when he came back, Steve took him in his arms. They got lost in a slow, loving kiss that seemed to last forever, until finally, Eddie laid his head on Steve’s shoulder and sighed. 

“I’d give almost anything for you to stay the night,” Eddie said. “But I don’t think there’s enough room on the foldaway for both of us.” 

“No, probably not,” Steve laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll come by after work tomorrow. How’re you doing on the morphine?” 

“Okay for now,” Eddie answered. “After tomorrow, he’ll need more.” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” They shared one more quick kiss, and Steve let go of him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Good night, Steve.” 

“Good night, Eddie.” 

Chapter Text

Steve wasn’t even surprised when he pulled up in front of Reefer Rick’s and was met with a shotgun pointed at him again. So, he shut off the car, got out slowly, and stood there facing Rick with his hands up in the air. Rick just stared at him for a moment, waiting for Steve to say something, but then he realized who Steve was. He lowered the shotgun to his side and smirked at him. Steve took a couple of tentative steps closer, but stopped when Rick held a hand up. 

“That’s close enough,” he said. “You really need to stop coming here.” 

“I need some more.” Steve said. 

“What’s a golden boy like you doing out here copping for that freak,” Rick asked with a nasty laugh. 

“Golden boy?” 

“I know who you are, Harrington,” Rick told him. “Your dad’s put me away a few times.” Steve had to hold back a laugh. Of course, his dad would have prosecuted Reefer Rick. Anyone who did anything wrong in the town had to face off against the District Attorney. “Does your daddy know you’re buying pharmaceuticals for a strung out freak?” 

“He’s not strung out,” Steve said defensively.  

“What’s that worthless junkie got on you anyway,” Rick asked. “He must be holding something over your head to get you to pay for his drugs for him.” 

“It’s not like that,” Steve tried to protest. 

“Why don’t you get out of here,” Rick said. “Go home before you end up in too deep. You’ve got to have some real friends besides that loser.” 

“He’s not a loser!” Steve took a step forward, his hands balled into fists at his side. “He’s not a freak! He’s not a junkie! He’s not strung out!” Steve took several deep breaths as Rick just smirked at him. “His father is dying of cancer and the morphine is the only thing keeping him from excruciating pain.” Rick’s face went pale, and his smirk disappeared. “He’s just trying to help his dad.” 

Rick didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just watched Steve, his face blank. Steve let his hands relax and took a step back again. He realized how stupid it was to show animosity like that towards someone who had a shotgun in their hand, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t listen to Rick say those things about Eddie anymore. Eddie had enough problems without Rick giving him shit for no reason. 

“I’m sorry,” Rick finally said. “Come on in.” Steve followed him inside and watched as he hung the shotgun on a rack over the fireplace before turning to face Steve. “I’ve only got three vials left. I’ll give ‘em to ya for one twenty. A little discount.” Steve nodded once. “I wasn’t planning on bringing anymore in, since Eddie was the only one buying it anyway. But I’ll make sure I have some more before next weekend. Will that work?” 

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” Steve took out his wallet and handed Rick six twenty dollar bills. He disappeared into the back room and was back a few minutes later with three vials of morphine that he handed to Steve. “Hey, I’ve got another thirty bucks. Could I maybe get some weed too?” 

“I can do that.” He went to a small lock box on the coffee table. “Half ounce for twenty?” Steve nodded as he took out his wallet again. “This for you or Munson?” 

“Both,” Steve chuckled. “I think we both need to relax a little bit.” He handed Rick another twenty then stashed the weed and the morphine in his pocket. “Thanks. I’ll see you next week.” 

“Yeah.” Rick walked to the front door with Steve. As Steve was going down the front steps, he called out to him. “Hey.” Steve glanced back over his shoulder. “Tell the kid I’m sorry.” Steve nodded and left. 

********** 

Eddie let Steve into the trailer, and they kissed for a long, sweet moment before Steve handed him the three vials of morphine. Steve could hear Wayne coughing in the next room; it was really bad today. It hurt him just to hear it. Eddie told him he was in the middle of boiling water in the microwave to refill the hot water bottle, so Steve took over that duty while Eddie went in to look after Wayne. When Steve finally joined them, Eddie was just preparing a shot of morphine for Wayne. So, Steve went to the bed, laid the hot water bottle gently on Wayne’s chest, then froze when Wayne raised a hand and laid it over his. 

“Thank you.” He coughed again and Steve gave him a smile. “For everything,” Wayne told him. “But most especially for being kind to my boy.” 

“Of course, Mr. Munson,” Steve said gently. 

“Wayne,” he replied, coughing harshly. “Call me Wayne, son.” He let out a deep breath as Eddie slid the needle into his arm. “Take care of him.”  

Steve nodded and watched as Wayne’s eyes slid closed. He laid Wayne’s hand over the hot water bottle on his chest and patted it gently. Eddie stood up and smiled over at him, motioned towards the door with his head. They went out into the living room and Eddie put his arms around Steve, laid his head on his chest, and breathed in the smell of his cologne. Steve kissed the top of his head, then nudged his chin with a finger, Eddie looked up into his eyes and Steve led him to the couch where they both sat down. Eddie laid his head against Steve again and sighed. 

“I’d give almost anything for a joint right now,” Eddie said softly, and Steve smiled to himself. “It’s been so long since I’ve smoked.” 

“Almost anything, huh?” Eddie nodded against his chest. “For example?”  

“If you had a joint on you, I’d give you my guitar.” Steve reached into his pocket then dangled the bag of weed he’d bought in front of Eddie’s face. Eddie sat up, his eyes wide, staring at Steve like he’d just sprouted horns, as Steve pushed the bag into his hands. “Are you fucking serious?” 

“Keep your guitar though,” Steve laughed. “I can’t play so it would be pointless for me to take it.” 

“How about this instead?” Eddie leaned in and kissed him, slow and passionate, taking his time to explore every inch of Steve’s mouth. When he finally pulled back, Steve was grinning. “I see that meets your approval.” 

“Very much so,” Steve answered. “Now roll us a joint.” 

Steve watched Eddie as he went to the same box where he kept Wayne’s morphine and found a package of rolling paper. He also grabbed a saucer from the kitchen to use as an ashtray then joined Steve back on the couch. Eddie quickly rolled a joint and lit it, then passed it to Steve as he rolled a second one. He left the second one on the table and sat back with Steve as they passed the first joint back and forth while holding hands and just staring at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes, when Steve had the joint, he tugged Eddie’s hand. 

“What?” Eddie looked up at him with those big, innocent eyes, and Steve’s heart melted. 

“Come here, baby,” he whispered, and tugged Eddie’s hand again.  

Eddie threw a leg over Steve, straddled his lap, and gave him a questioning look. Steve took a long, deep hit of the joint, then slipped a hand behind Eddie’s neck, and pulled him down. Their lips met, barely touching, and Steve licked Eddie’s lips. When Eddie opened his mouth, he exhaled smoke into Eddie’s mouth. Eddie inhaled, taking it from him, then slid his tongue into Steve’s mouth as he held it in. They kissed until Eddie threw his head back and blew out the smoke he’d been holding in. He took Steve’s face in his hands and gazed into his eyes. 

“Do it again,” Eddie whispered. 

Steve took a last hit from the joint and dropped it onto the saucer on the side table just as his lips met Eddie’s again. He put his hands on Eddie’s hips and squeezed as they repeated the process again. The kiss lasted longer this time. Eddie exhaling against Steve’s lips. Eddie slid his hands from Steve’s face to his neck, cupping each side in his hands, running his thumbs along the line of Steve’s jaw. Steve pulled Eddie closer as he felt his own arousal growing. Eddie must have felt it too because he drew in a sharp breath then rocked his hips against Steve, his bottom causing exquisite friction against Steve. Steve whimpered into Eddie’s mouth then finally broke the kiss, panting hard and gasping for breath. 

“Okay,” he said with a soft laugh. “You have to get off me.” 

“Get off you,” Eddie whispered. “Or get you off?” 

“Eddie!” Shock registered on Steve’s face at his words. That wasn’t what he’d expected to hear. Not from shy, quiet Eddie. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking,” Eddie said, still whispering, his voice husky and deep. He took Steve’s hand from his waist and put it between his legs. Steve froze, left his hand where it was. He could feel Eddie’s erection throbbing through his jeans. Eddie moaned softly and pushed his hips up into Steve’s hand. “I’m not the only one.” He wiggled his hips so that Steve’s erection slid against his ass, causing Steve to whimper again. Then the look on Eddie’s face changed, his voice changed. He dropped his eyes and barely looked at Steve from under lowered lashes as doubt and uncertainty clouded his face and his words. “You do want me, don’t you?” 

“God, Eddie, yes,” he said softly as he moved his hand from between Eddie’s legs. “I want you. But your uncle’s in the next room and, well, you’ve never done this . . .” He closed his eyes as he remembered what Eddie had said about not really being a virgin. “Like this.” 

“Oh.” Eddie leaned back away from Steve and frowned. “I understand.” 

“Baby, wait.” Steve pulled him closer again. “You don’t understand. I do want you. What I don’t want is to hurt you.” 

“Just use your hand,” Eddie whispered. “That won’t hurt, right?” Steve shook his head and Eddie kissed him again. “Please,” he breathed into Steve’s mouth. “We’ll do it together. At the same time.” 

“Baby.” Steve held him back, looked up into his eyes; they were full of trust and hope. “Take your shirt off.” 

Eddie pulled back just far enough that they could both pull their shirts off over their heads and leave them in a pile on the couch next to them. Steve sat up a little straighter so that Eddie was sitting on his thighs, then reached for his pants and opened them quickly. Next, he opened his own, never breaking eye contact with Eddie. But when he reached into his own pants and pulled his dick out, laying it against his stomach, Eddie dropped his eyes, took a moment to just look at it. When he brought his eyes back up to Steve’s, Steve then reached for him again and took his dick out as well. 

Steve took Eddie’s hand, wrapped it around his dick, then he wrapped his own hand around Eddie’s. After a moment of hesitation, they both started stroking each other. Eddie caught his lower lip between his teeth and stifled a soft moan. Steve put his free hand behind Eddie’s neck, pulled him down, and tried to kiss him. But Eddie wanted to watch.  

He briefly pressed his lips to Steve’s but then rested his forehead against his and watched their hands moving up and down. All the times he’d done this to himself while thinking about Steve, and now here he was, Steve Harrington himself, his hand on Eddie’s dick, stroking him, coaxing sounds and feelings out of him that he didn’t even know were possible. Instinctively, Eddie’s hips started moving, rocking forward, pushing his dick through Steve’s fist. He was almost there, and they’d just started. It had barely been a minute.  

Eddie closed his eyes as he spilled sticky, warm fluid over Steve’s fingers while Steve whispered to him. His head was spinning, and he couldn’t understand the words, but he felt them, in the pit of his stomach, like a thousand butterflies were swirling around. Steve’s hand slowed, his thumb circled the super sensitive head of Eddie’s dick, then he finally stopped, squeezed Eddie gently, then let go. When Eddie finally caught his breath and opened his eyes, he was still holding Steve’s dick, and it was still hard, still throbbing in his hand. His cheeks burned a deep red. 

“I’m sorry,” Eddie whispered. “That was too fast.” 

“No,” Steve told him then kissed him softly. “It was okay. Your first time is always quick.” Eddie’s hand started moving again, slowly, steady. “I can finish it myself,” Steve said. “If you don’t want to.” 

“I want to.” 

Eddie went faster, applying more pressure, while Steve caught the back of his neck again, pulled him into a heated, hungry kiss. He wrapped his other hand around Eddie’s and bucked his hips up to meet their hands. Steve breathed heavily into Eddie’s mouth, whimpering his name, soft curses. Eddie’s calloused fingers felt so good wrapped around him, rough, but gentle and soft at the same time. He kissed Eddie like his life depended on it, nipping at his lips as he got closer and closer to his own orgasm. 

“Eddie,” he moaned as he felt it building inside of him. “Closer, baby.” He let go of Eddie’s hand, wrapped his arms around his waist, then pulled him against him so that Eddie was jerking him off against their stomachs. “That’s it, baby. I’m coming.” 

Eddie felt the warmth and wetness between them, their come mixing together on Steve’s stomach. Steve thrust up into Eddie’s hand, his hips slowing as he came down. Eddie let go when he felt Steve relax and the arm around his waist loosened. Steve kissed him one last time then let go of him. Eddie sat up and looked down at the mess they’d made on Steve’s stomach, and a quirky smile turned up one side of his mouth. 

“That was a lot more fun than jerking off while thinking about you at swim practice,” he said quietly. 

“You’ve jerked off while thinking about me?” Eddie nodded slowly. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear that,” he laughed as he reached for his shirt. Eddie laid a hand over his and handed him his own instead. 

“Use mine. At least I have clean ones I can put on.” He watched Steve wipe them both clean then wad Eddie’s shirt into a ball and lay it to one side. “I used to walk through the natatorium when I knew the swim team was practicing,” Eddie said. “And I went to all the swim meets that were at our school.” He dropped his eyes and his cheeks flushed pink. “Just to see you in that little green bikini thing.” 

“That’s not fair,” Steve said. “I never got to have a mental image of you naked before.” He reached for Eddie, tucked him back into his jeans, then waited as Eddie slid off his lap before putting himself back in his pants as well. “I didn’t know you had tattoos.” 

“Grant did them,” Eddie said as Steve lifted his right arm and kissed the bats under his elbow, before turning it over and kissing the puppet master on his forearm. “In his basement.” Steve’s lips moved up to the wyvern on his bicep. “He was tired of practicing on himself.” Steve leaned in and kissed the spider and the demon’s head on Eddie’s chest. “So, I let him practice on me.” 

“I like them,” Steve said. “Shit, I like you. Your body is amazing.” Eddie blushed a deep shade of red. “Someone has to have told you that before.” He just shook his head. “Well, it is. I love it. I can’t wait to see the whole thing someday.” He brought his eyes up to Eddie’s and smiled. “When you’re ready. No rush.” 

“Hey, do you want some dinner?” Eddie stood up and went into the kitchen. “I can heat up some leftovers from what you brought yesterday. Or something else if you don’t want Italian two nights in a row.” 

“I’m fine, Eddie.” Eddie nodded and just grabbed a bag of potato chips then joined Steve on the couch again as he was putting his shirt back on. “I can’t stay as late tonight. I have to open the store in the morning, so I have to be up early.” Eddie’s face crumpled into a frown. “Baby, it’s okay. I’ll stop by to check on you after work.” Eddie didn’t respond. “Hey, I don’t work Tuesday. So, how about Monday night, I spend the night here with you?” 

“Really?” Eddie’s face lit up and his eyes went wide. “Could you?” 

“Yeah,” Steve answered, stealing a glance over at the foldaway bed in the corner. “You’re right about us not fitting on the bed together, but I have an idea.” Eddie shoved a handful of potato chips in his mouth. “It’ll be fun. If you’re willing to be adventurous.” 

“With you? Always.” 

“Okay,” Steve said with a smile. “Now kiss me for a little while longer before I have to go.” Eddie put the potato chips down, wiped his hands on his jeans, then scooted closer to Steve. “Eddie, I just want to say I’m sorry for everything in the past, with Tommy and everything I did to you.” 

“You don’t have to.” Eddie kissed him softly. “That’s ancient history.” He reached for Steve, let him pull him closer, and they lost themselves in kissing each other. 

Chapter Text

For the next few days, Steve stopped by after work to see Eddie and Wayne. They would spend some time with Wayne, coaxing him to drink some broth to try and keep his strength up as much as they could, and talking with him to keep him as distracted from the pain for as long as they could. When it got to be too much and his coughing fits were too bad, Eddie would give him a shot of morphine and he’d fall asleep. Once he was asleep, Eddie and Steve would eat their own dinner and watch TV. Though neither of them saw much of what was on because they were too busy kissing to actually pay attention to the shows. 

On Monday, Steve picked Robin up after school and they went shopping. He dragged her to The War Zone, Melvald’s, the Hunting and Camping store, and Starcourt Mall. Steve was quiet as he looked for what he needed, but Robin was chatty enough for the both of them, going on about Vickie and how she was thinking about volunteering at Hawkins Memorial Hospital on the weekends because Vickie did. Steve nodded and interjected a few words here and there to keep Robin talking, but when she saw Steve buying an air mattress and a sleeping bag, she stopped talking and just stared at him for a moment. 

“Why’re you looking at me like that,” Steve asked as they carried his purchases out to his car. “And what about Hawkins Memorial? Is your grandma sick again?” 

“Really,” Robin asked incredulously. “That’s what you think I’ve been talking about?” Steve closed his trunk and turned to face her, hands on his hips. “What are you doing with an air mattress and a sleeping bag? Does this have anything to do with Eddie? Does he not have a bed?” 

“He has a bed,” Steve told her. “Why are you going to the hospital?” 

“Vickie volunteers there.” 

“Ooh! I get it,” Steve laughed. “You’re trolling for . . .” Robin held her hand up in front of Steve’s face to stop him. 

“If you’re about to make a misogynistic comment about lesbians, just do not,” she said. “I will punch you in the gonads.” 

“Well, I’m not sure it’s misogynistic,” he said as they got into the car. “But it probably wasn’t very nice. And I like my gonads, so hands off, Buckley.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and he just laughed. “What exactly do you call it when you have sex with a girl?” 

“What do you call it when you do,” she asked. “Other than a lie, because I know you’d rather be doing it with a boy.” She puckered her lips and made kissing sounds at him. “Especially Eddie.” 

“You shut your mouth.” His voice sounded angry, but Robin could see the smile around his eyes and knew she was right. “So, you’re going to volunteer because Vickie does?” Robin nodded eagerly. “It’s good that you’re doing something to help the community, but shouldn’t you be doing it because you want to help and not because you want to sleep with Vickie?” Robin frowned. “And what about her boyfriend?” 

“I never said I wanted to sleep with her,” Robin answered adamantly. “I just want to get to know her. Besides, we were talking at lunch, and I think things are going south between her and Dan.” That caught Steve’s attention. If things were going bad, would Dan be calling him soon? That’s usually how they got together. He’d have to let Dan down easily since he had Eddie now. “I know what you’re thinking.” Steve stole a glance over at her as he drove. How could she know? He’d never told her about his past with Dan because of her crush on Vickie. He didn’t want to freak her out. “You’re thinking that you successfully changed the subject and I’ve forgotten that you never answered my question.” 

“What question was that,” he asked stupidly, knowing exactly what she wanted to know. 

“Why did you buy a sleeping bag and an air mattress?”  

He glanced at her again as he turned onto her street. There was no way he could get out of answering. And there was no way he could lie. He could lie to almost anyone, but he’d never been able to lie to Robin. She always seemed to know when he wasn’t being truthful with her. And she was his best friend, so maybe he should tell her the truth.  

“I’m taking them to Eddie’s tonight,” he said softly. 

“You said he has a bed,” she replied, suspicion tinging her words. 

“He does.” He turned into her driveway, shifted in to park, then turned in his seat to look at her. “But it’s not big enough for both of us.” 

“Oh.” Robin took off her seatbelt, opened the door, and turned to get out when suddenly it dawned on her what Steve was saying. She stopped, got back in, closed the door, and turned to face him, her eyes wide and questioning. “You’re going to sleep with him?” 

“That’s not what I said,” Steve answered. “But I’m going to spend the night with him tonight.” Robin crossed her arms over her chest and gave him that look, the one that said he better say something else and not make her have to force it out of him. He knew that look all too well. “We’re . . . together. He’s my . . . boyfriend.” 

“Are you flipping kidding me?” Steve shook his head. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about this?” 

“It’s still new,” he told her. “It’s only been a few days.” 

“Okay, I’ll let it slide then,” she said. “But only because I love you.” 

“Thank you.” 

“So, if he’s your boyfriend, and you’re planning to spend the night with him, and you’re obviously planning to sleep in the same bed with him.” She motioned towards the back of the car and the items he’d bought in the trunk. “But you’re not going to, well, you know.” Steve shook his head. “And you haven’t, you know, yet?” 

“No,” Steve sighed. There was that look again; Robin was waiting for more of an explanation. “We’ve kissed. And maybe there’s been some hands.” He dropped his eyes as his cheeks flamed red. “But I don’t think we’re going to have sex. Not for a while.” 

“Well, why not,” she asked, throwing her hands in the air. “He’s your boyfriend, is he not?” Steve nodded. “You’ve always jumped into bed as soon as you could with everyone else you’ve dated. Hell, you’ve even jumped into bed with people you weren’t dating. Just random sex, which is just eww! to begin with, by the way. So, why not Eddie?” 

“Robin, you’re my best friend.” 

“I know, dingus,” she laughed. “I remember the day I claimed you.” Steve smiled lovingly at her. 

“I shouldn’t say this, and if you ever repeat it to anyone, I swear to god, we’re no longer friends.” Robin made a face at him. “I’m deadly serious, Robin.” She froze. His tone scared her. She had never heard Steve sound so somber as long as she’d known him. “This is dead serious.” Finally, she nodded. “Eddie’s never . . .” He hesitated; this was harder to say than he thought it would be. 

“He’s a virgin,” Robin laughed. “Well, why didn’t you just say that instead of making it sound like this was some huge thing that was going to shock me . . .” 

“He was molested and abused as a small child.” Robin stopped and stared at Steve. “So, no. I’m not doing this because I plan to have sex with him. Do you get that?” 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” 

“You’re my best friend, Robs,” Steve went on. “I’m telling you this because I think I’m falling for him. And you deserve to know how I feel. But I need you to understand that things are a little different. It’s not like it’s ever been with anyone else I’ve been with. He’s different, and he’s special. And it’s not just sex.” For a whole minute they just looked at each other until Robin reached over and pulled him into a hug. “What’s that for?” 

“I’m sorry,” she said again. “Eddie is definitely special. And so are you, dingus. Like I said before, you’re the nicest guy in the whole world. And I hope everything works out with you and Eddie.” She let go of him and sat back. “I’m happy for you both. You both deserve someone special. I’m just so glad you found each other.” 

“Thank you, Robin.” 

********** 

After dropping Robin off, Steve stopped by Benny’s and got dinner for him and Eddie. He figured burgers, fries, and milkshakes would be a nice change. He even bought an extra milkshake for Wayne. He couldn’t keep solid food down, but maybe he could have a few sips of the milkshake, just as a treat. Then he went to the trailer. Eddie was just coming around the trailer, carrying an empty laundry basket, when Steve pulled up. He stopped and waited, a big smile on his face. Steve got out and went to him, caught him in his arms, and kissed him. It was a risky move, in case someone saw them, but Steve was to the point that he didn’t really care who knew about him anymore. And Eddie didn’t seem to mind, if the way he’d dropped the laundry basket and gone up on his toes, arching into Steve as they kissed, was any indication. 

“Is it my imagination,” Eddie said when Steve finally let go of him. “Or do you smell like burgers from Benny’s?” 

“Do I?” Steve turned his head and sniffed his shoulder. He couldn’t smell it. But he had been smelling the burgers in the car on the drive over, so maybe he was used to it by now. “I did bring burgers. Fries and milkshakes too.” Eddie’s eyes lit up at that. “I got one for Wayne,” Steve said. “I don’t know if he can sip it like he does the broth. I thought he might like something sweet for a change.” 

“He’ll love it,” Eddie answered. “Benny’s shakes were always his favorite.” 

“Laundry day?” He picked up the basket Eddie had dropped. 

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I was just hanging things to dry on the line out back.” 

“Well, come help me.” Steve started for his car. “I have some things we need to carry in.” 

Eddie followed Steve to the car and got the bags of food and the milkshakes out while Steve unloaded the things he’d brought into the laundry basket to make carrying them in easier. Eddie peeked into the basket and smiled when he saw a rolled up sleeping bag and a box with an air mattress inside. He peeked up at Steve who was grinning broadly at him. 

“The idea you mentioned?” 

“I figured we could inflate the air mattress and put it on the living room floor,” he said. “And it’s a double sleeping bag. It’ll fit us both. We can just throw that on top of the air mattress and have a perfectly comfortable bed for the both of us.” 

“I like the way you think,” Eddie said as he sat the food on the kitchen counter. He took the food out of the bags while Steve unloaded the laundry basket before joining him in the kitchen. 

“Where’s this go?” He held up the empty basket. 

“Down there.” Eddie pointed down the hall. “In the alcove between the bathroom and Wayne’s room.” Steve went to put the basket away then rejoined Eddie, taking him in his arms, and kissing him again, slower this time, taking his time, letting his hands move over Eddie’s body. “What kind of milkshakes did you get,” Eddie asked when they finally pulled away from each other. 

“One each of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla,” Steve answered. “I didn’t know what you and Wayne liked.” 

“I like anything but chocolate,” Eddie said. “Wayne likes them all. But maybe we should stick with vanilla for him. Easier on the stomach maybe.” 

“Good idea,” Steve said as he reached for the vanilla shake. “Is he awake?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie answered. “Or, he was when I went out to hang the laundry.” He grabbed a spoon out of the drawer then put his hand in Steve’s and they went down the hall to Wayne’s room. He stuck his head in and then smiled back at Steve. “Dad, Steve brought you something.” 

“Come in, boys,” Wayne answered weakly. He smiled when Steve came in. “Don’t know what I’d do without your daily visits,” he said to Steve. “What’d you bring an old man?” 

“A vanilla shake from Benny’s,” Eddie said as he let go of Steve and went to sit on the bed next to Wayne. “You up for a little bit?” 

“My favorite,” he answered with a soft cough. 

They brought their food and milkshakes in and sat with Wayne for almost an hour as they ate, and Eddie fed him small bites of the milkshake. Wayne told Steve stories about Eddie when he was younger, and the fun they’d had before Wayne had gotten sick. They talked about going fishing at Lake Jordan and how Eddie could repair and rebuild any engine you put in front of him. He was a genius when it came to mechanical things. Eddie blushed a lot as Wayne talked about how wonderful he was. And he blushed even more when Steve held his hand and agreed with Wayne. Wayne smiled the whole time. He liked seeing Eddie and Steve together. He liked the gentle, tender way that Steve treated Eddie. But most of all, he liked how happy Eddie looked. It had been a long time since Eddie had smiled and even longer since he’d been truly happy. He appreciated Steve for that. 

“You only ate about a third of this,” Eddie said, holding up the milkshake. “You want me to put it in the freezer and save it for you?” 

“No, son,” he answered. “Why don’t you have the rest?” He coughed roughly. “Thank you, Steve. I really enjoyed that.” They both stood up from where they were perched on Wayne’s bed. “Eddie, would you get my shot? I think I’m ready to sleep now.” Eddie nodded. “And I know the two of you would like some time alone too.” Eddie blushed again and took Steve’s hand as he started for the door. “Leave Steve with me. I want to tell him something.” 

“Okay, dad.” Eddie dropped a soft kiss on the corner of Steve’s mouth and went to prepare Wayne’s shot. 

“Come here,” Wayne said and gently patted the bed beside him. Steve sat down and Wayne took his hand. “Will you do something for me?” 

“Of course,” Steve answered. 

“Will you look after my boy when I’m gone?” 

“Yeah, of course, yeah,” Steve said, squeezing Wayne’s hand gently. “I’ll always take care of him. I promise.” 

“I don’t have much time left,” Wayne said then coughed again. “And I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. More for his sake than my own. He’s a good boy and he just needs someone to be there for him. I’ve tried to do that since he came into my life.” He paused for another fit of coughing. “But I haven’t done a very good job these last couple of years, what with him having to take care of me and all. I’ve just been hanging on, hoping he’ll be okay. But I can go peacefully if I know he’s got someone that’ll always do what’s best for him.” 

“I will,” Steve said, wiping a tear from his cheek. “You have nothing to worry about, Wayne. I’ve got him. He’ll be okay.” 

“Thank you, son.” 

“Peaceful bliss just moments away,” Eddie said as he came back in the room. Steve squeezed Wayne’s hand once more, wiped his cheek again to make sure all the tears were gone, then stood up and let Eddie take his place next to Wayne. “You need anything else?” 

“No, son,” he answered. “It’s getting late and I’m tired.” 

“I’ll see you in the morning, dad,” Eddie said softly as he tied the rubber cord around Wayne’s arm, gently rubbed his thumb over the crook of his elbow until one of the veins rose beneath his thin, pallid skin, then slid the needle into his arm. “Good night.” Eddie removed the needle, untied the cord, then laid Wayne’s arm across his stomach before standing up and smiling at Steve. “What’d he say?” 

“Nothing,” Steve answered. He didn’t want to tell Eddie that Wayne had been saying goodbye. He hadn’t used those words, but it’s what he’d said. “He just thanked me for the milkshake.” Steve smiled even though all he wanted to do was cry. He’d never lost anyone close to him before. And though he barely knew Wayne, he felt a connection to him, through Eddie, and it broke his heart just as much as if it were his own father laying there dying. “Come on. Let’s let him sleep.” 

Eddie and Steve went back to the living room and started unpacking the things Steve brought. They took turns with the air mattress and the pump and finally got it inflated. There was just enough room for it on the living room floor if they pushed the coffee table up against the couch. Then they opened the sleeping bag and the extra pillow Steve bought and put those on the mattress with the pillow from Eddie’s bed. Finally, Eddie turned on the television and turned off the rest of the lights and they crawled into bed together to smoke a joint and watch a movie on TV.

About halfway through the movie, Eddie turned onto his side and propped himself on his elbow, looking down at Steve. Steve just smiled at him as Eddie ran his fingers through his hair, along his cheeks, down his jawline, and over the curve of his ear. As his fingers traced across his lips, Steve reached up and caught his hand, kissed his fingertips, then raised up and kissed him softly. 

“Take your clothes off,” Eddie whispered as he reached for his own shirt and pulled it off over his head. They both undressed, Steve going slowly, taking cues from Eddie as to how far they were going. When Eddie stopped at just his boxers, Steve did the same, then they climbed back into the sleeping bag together and laid on their sides, propped on an elbow, facing each other. “Will you . . .” Eddie wouldn’t look at Steve, he just stared at his fingers as they toyed with the hair on his chest. 

“Will I what, baby?” Steve nudged Eddie’s chin with his fingers and Eddie looked up into his eyes. “Tell me what you want, Eddie.” 

“I want you to touch me,” Eddie whispered. “Like you did the other day.” 

“Like this?” Steve reached down and cupped Eddie through his boxers and Eddie nodded slowly, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. “Do you want me to do it inside your boxers?” 

“Probably,” Eddie said with a nervous laugh. “Maybe it won’t get everywhere and ruin your sleeping bag that way.” 

Steve touched his fingers to Eddie’s stomach, traced circles around his belly button, teased in the trail of soft, dark hair that led from it down to disappear into the soft, blue plaid boxers. Steve pushed his hand inside the boxers, and it brushed against Eddie’s half erect dick. But Steve ignored it for a moment. He let his fingers play over Eddie’s skin. They danced down into the thick thatch of hair between his legs, twisted in it, circling the base of his dick. He grazed them over Eddie’s testicles, cupped them in his hand, and rolled them in his fingers. Eddie’s hips jerked and he whimpered quietly. Finally, when Eddie was fully erect and panting in anticipation, Steve wrapped his fist around Eddie and squeezed before stroking it firmly. He let his thumb glide over the head and trace the slit with each pass. The silky drops that leaked from the head made gliding his hand over Eddie’s engorged erection that much easier.  

Steve covered Eddie’s mouth with his own to stifle his moans with his kisses. Eddie snaked his arms around Steve and Steve laid him back, moved his upper body over him, pumped his fist as Eddie raised and lowered his hips, fucking Steve’s fist hard and fast. He was getting so close. They could both feel it. Steve stopped stroking and held Eddie firmly. 

“Do you trust me, baby?” Eddie just nodded as he gazed up at Steve, his eyes full of lust, hunger, and need. “If you want me to stop, just say it.”  

Eddie nodded again and Steve started stroking again. Softer now, less pressure. He pressed his lips to Eddie’s for a quick kiss then moved his mouth to his jaw. He kissed every inch of Eddie’s skin. Down his neck, across his shoulders, his chest, stopping to lavish some attention on each nipple. Eddie tangled both hands into Steve’s hair as Steve’s mouth moved over his ribs, then his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes flew open when he felt Steve’s lips kiss the head of his dick through his boxers. Steve looked up at Eddie, their eyes locked, and Eddie nodded once. He trusted Steve. 

Steve tugged at the elastic of Eddie’s boxer’s and Eddie lifted his hips, reached to help and push them down. Steve kissed his thighs, his knees, as he pushed the boxers down his legs and off, then dropped them on the floor next to the mattress. Then he made his way back up to Eddie’s stomach. He kissed his belly button once then dipped his head and took Eddie’s erection into his mouth. Eddie gasped, his hips bucked up, and Steve swallowed around him as he hit the back of his throat. Steve slid him out until he only held his head in his mouth. He sucked it hard, swirled his tongue around it, then took him back in again. He did that two more times and suddenly Eddie grabbed his hair again and his entire body arched off the bed. Eddie came quickly, pumping his hips to meet Steve’s mouth, Steve swallowed around him until he was spent. Then he slid Eddie out of his mouth, placed a soft, light kiss on the head of his dick, and kissed his way back up Eddie’s body to kiss his chin before smiling down at him. 

“Wow,” Eddie sighed without opening his eyes. “Fucking wow!” 

“Can I kiss you?” At that, Eddie did open his eyes. “I won’t if you don’t want me to.” 

“Kiss me,” Eddie whispered as he slid an arm behind Steve’s neck. Their lips met and they kissed softly, Steve tentatively probing with his tongue. Eddie parted his lips, uncertainly flicked his own tongue at Steve’s. Steve gave him a little more and Eddie accepted it. The taste wasn’t so bad, so he swirled his tongue with Steve’s, and kissed him back eagerly after a moment. “Wow,” he breathed again. 

“You good, baby?” 

“I’m better than good,” Eddie answered. “Holy shit. Now I understand why Jeff’s always so eager to get head after a show.” He opened his eyes as Steve stroked his cheek softly. 

“Speaking of Jeff and your shows,” Steve said. “I think you should consider putting Hellfire back together and not breaking up your band.” Eddie opened his mouth to protest, but Steve stopped him with a kiss then went on. “I can stay with Wayne while you do those things. We’ll make it work. But you can’t stay cooped up here all the time. You need to get out and do things. Wayne would want you to do that. So, will you at least think about it? For me?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie sighed. “I’ll think about it.” He slid a hand down Steve’s chest and traced his fingers along the waist of his boxers. “In the meantime . . .” He trailed off as he leaned up for another kiss. 

“Not tonight, baby.” Steve pulled Eddie’s hand away. “Let’s go slow, okay?” Eddie nodded hesitantly. “We’ll get there. And I’m okay. All I wanted to do was make you feel good.” 

“Will you at least take your boxers off,” Eddie asked. “I want to feel all of you against me.” 

“Sure.” Steve sat up and flipped the television off then pushed his boxers off before laying down next to Eddie again. Eddie turned so his back was to Steve and Steve put both arms around him. Eddie pushed back against him, curved his body along Steve’s so they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, then wrapped his hands around Steve’s arms. He snuggled against him and smiled as he closed his eyes. “You feel all of me, Eddie?” 

“You feel good.” 

“So do you.” He kissed the back of Eddie’s head. “Get some sleep.” 

“Good night, Steve.” 

“Good night, baby.” 

Chapter Text

Eddie refused to open his eyes when he woke up. He was snuggled against Steve, the hair on his chest tickling his cheek. And Steve had his arms around Eddie, both of them. They were solid and strong, and Eddie felt safe and warm where he was. He would have given anything to stay there, just like that, for the entire day if he could. But he knew he couldn’t. He needed to get up. He needed to check on Wayne. But there was no coughing that he could hear. So, he snuggled deeper into Steve for just another minute longer. 

When he finally did open his eyes and tilt his head back to look up at Steve, Steve was awake, smiling down at him. Eddie opened his mouth to speak but Steve had other ideas. He covered Eddie’s mouth with his own and they kissed for several minutes. It was slow and lazy, and they dragged it out as long as they could before Steve finally pulled back. He reached behind him and felt around for their discarded boxers. He handed Eddie’s to him, and they both put them on before pushing the sleeping bag back and sitting up. Eddie sat up next to him, their shoulders touching, and nudged him softly. 

“Good morning.” 

“Morning, beautiful.” Eddie blushed a deep shade of red and Steve leaned over to drop another soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. “You sleep okay?” Eddie nodded. “Coffee?” 

“I don’t really like coffee,” Eddie answered. 

“Well, shit,” Steve sighed. “I’m not sure we can be friends anymore if that’s the case.” Eddie nudged him again and they both laughed. “Well, I want coffee. Why don’t you go check on Wayne while I make some?” Eddie nodded again. “Do you want anything while I’m in the kitchen?” 

“Nah, I’m good.” Eddie leaned across Steve and grabbed his jeans and t-shirt from the floor. “But sometimes Wayne likes to sip a little coffee in the mornings. If you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t mind.” He reached for his own clothes and they both got dressed. “How does he take it?” 

“Black,” Eddie answered. “Not hot. Just warm.” 

“Warm, black coffee coming right up,” Steve said as they stood up. 

“You’re the greatest,” Eddie told him then kissed him quickly and went off to check on Wayne. 

In the kitchen, Steve heated two cups of water in the microwave to make coffee, taking Wayne’s out after only a minute so it wouldn’t be too hot for him. When he had the cups ready, he took several drinks of his own, then took Wayne’s to his bedroom. He tapped lightly on the door before stepping inside. Eddie was sitting on the side of the bed, holding Wayne’s hand, and they both looked up at him as he came in.  

Steve held the cup out to Eddie and Eddie smiled and shook his head. There was something off about his smile. It was sad but relieved at the same time. He glanced at Wayne. Wayne was sitting up, smiling at both of them. He seemed in better spirits than he had in a while. Steve sat the coffee on the table and turned to leave again when Wayne reached up and laid a hand on his arm.  

“Stay, son,” Wayne said. He looked better today, but his voice was tired and thin, weaker than it usually was. “Eddie’s going to need you.” Eddie also put a hand on Steve’s arm and tugged him closer, so Steve sat with him, let him lean back against him, as they sat on Wayne’s bed together. “It’s time.” 

“I’m not ready yet,” Eddie said, his voice cracking as he fought to hold back his tears. “I know it’s for the best, but I want more time with you.” 

“I’ll always be with you,” Wayne said. “And now that you have Steve, I don’t have to worry about you anymore.” Steve wrapped his arm around Eddie. “I love you so much, Eddie. You’ve been my everything, the light of my life.”  

“I love you too, dad.” Eddie’s voice shook as he lost his battle against his tears.  

“Don’t cry for me, son.” Wayne lifted one arm and reached for Eddie. “Give me a hug. I’m ready to go now.” 

Eddie leaned into Wayne and wrapped his arms gently around him. They embraced for several minutes as Steve sat back and waited. He felt like an intruder witnessing something that was none of his business, but Eddie and Wayne both seemed to want him here, so he stayed. Finally, Eddie reached back with one hand, searching for Steve. Steve put his hand in Eddie’s and held it while he continued to hold Wayne. Several more minutes passed before Eddie finally let go of Wayne and sat up. Wayne’s eyes were closed and the shallow rise and fall of his chest had stopped.

“He’s gone,” Eddie whispered hoarsely before bringing his red rimmed eyes up to Steve’s. “He’s gone.” 

“I’m sorry, Eddie.” 

“I need to call someone.” Eddie stood up, looked around, confusion, uncertainty, and panic in his eyes. “I have to go . . .” Steve stood up, gently put his hands on Eddie’s shoulders. “Who am I supposed to call?” 

“Eddie?” 

“I need . . .” Eddie stopped and gave Steve a piteous look. 

“What do you need, baby?” 

“I don’t fucking know.”  

Eddie fell into Steve’s arms and a fresh wave of tears spilled from his eyes as he cried against Steve’s chest. Steve held him, rubbing his back, stroking his hair, whispering soft words of comfort to him. Steve slowly led him out of the bedroom and sat with him on the couch for more than an hour, just holding him and offering him comfort as he cried. Eddie clung desperately to Steve, refusing to let go of him for any reason until his tears finally dried up. Then he pulled away, reached for a joint, and lit it. Steve stayed with him while he smoked. When he was finished, he stood up, took a deep breath, and held it for a long moment before letting it out slowly. Eddie squared his shoulders, looked down at Steve and managed a weak smile, then he went back to Wayne’s bedroom and closed the door behind him. 

Steve got up, folded the sleeping bag, and stashed it by the foldaway bed, then moved the air mattress and propped it against the wall. He spent a few minutes straightening the room, then finally went to the phone and sighed. This wasn’t a call he wanted to make, but he didn’t know what to do, and he knew Eddie didn’t either. Even if he did, he needed someone to take care of things for him right now. He was grieving and lost, and Steve didn’t want him to have to worry about the details. So, he called his mother. 

“Steve, sweetheart, are you okay,” his mother asked. “You sound upset.” 

“Remember my friend,” he asked. “The one I’ve been helping?” 

“The one whose father is ill,” she asked. “Yes, I remember. Is everything okay?” 

“No.” He stopped and took a deep breath. He hadn’t known Wayne that long, but he was still feeling the loss, not just for Eddie’s sake, but he’d grown fond of Wayne himself over the last week or so. “He passed away, mom.” 

“Oh, Steve, I’m so sorry,” his mother said softly. “When did that happen?” 

“About an hour ago.” 

“What hospital, sweetheart?” 

“No, mom,” Steve sighed. “He died at home, in his own bed. Eddie and I were with him when he passed.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed again. “Mom, we need help. Neither of us know what we’re supposed to do right now. I don’t know how to help Eddie.” 

“Give me the address,” she said. Her motherly instincts were kicking in, Steve could hear it in her voice. She would take charge and do what needed to be done. Steve gave her the address. “I’ll be there soon.” 

“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you first.” 

“What is it, sweetheart?” 

“Eddie’s not just my friend,” Steve said cautiously. He waited for a response but got nothing. “He’s my boyfriend.” His mother was quiet for a long moment and Steve closed his eyes, trying to mentally brace himself for what was coming next. Maybe he shouldn’t have told her, but when she was here, if Eddie wanted to touch him, needed some kind of physical comfort, he had no intention of denying him that. “Mom?” 

“I’m sorry, Steve,” she said slowly. “You just surprised me a little. Do you need me to bring you boys anything?” 

“No, not that I can think of.” 

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” 

Steve hung up and went down the hall to Wayne’s room. He listened closely but heard nothing, so he knocked. After a moment he heard Eddie call for him to come in. Eddie was sitting on the bed next to Wayne, his legs up with his arms around them, his forehead on his knees. Steve went in but stood a few feet away. He didn’t want to disturb Eddie; he just wanted to make sure he was okay. Eddie didn’t say anything, nor did he look up at Steve. He just sat there, in his own world of grief and loss and Steve’s heart broke. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Eddies father was dead, there was nothing Steve could say to make him feel better. 

When Steve’s mom arrived and knocked at the door, Eddie finally looked up. He glanced towards the door, then at Steve with an apologetic look. Steve gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. But he wasn’t sure, because he felt so lost not knowing what to do or how to help. 

“It’s my mom,” Steve said as he reached for the bedroom door. “I called her. She’s here to help.” Eddie nodded then put his head back down as Steve left the room and went to answer the door. As soon as he let her in, his mom took him into her arms and hugged him tightly to her. “Mom, you’re crushing me.” 

“Sorry.” She squeezed him one more time, then let him go. “How’s Eddie?” 

“He’s okay,” Steve said. “He’s hurt, lost, scared, but okay.” She nodded knowingly. “Let me ask him if he’s up for meeting you.” 

“I am.” Steve turned just as Eddie came out of Wayne’s bedroom. He stopped next to Steve and smiled sadly at his mother. “Hi.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Eddie.” Mrs. Harrington reached for Eddie, intending to hug him, and he flinched. Her eyes darted to Steve, and he shook his head, so she dropped her arms. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said. “I asked my husband to call Chief Hopper, so he should be here soon with the county coroner.” 

“Shit,” Eddie whispered, his head jerking around nervously. 

“What is it,” Steve asked. Eddie went to the shelf at the end of the kitchen counter and picked up the metal lock box where he kept the morphine. Steve’s eyes went wide. Chief Hopper was on his way here and they had illegal narcotics. “Is this all of it?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie said quietly then pointed towards the coffee table. “And those.”  

Steve looked back at the table. The remnants of a couple of spent joints were in the ashtray, and there were probably a couple of joints in Eddie’s cigarette pack on the table next to it too. Steve took the ashtray and the cigarette pack and put them inside the metal box with the morphine and held it out to his mother. 

“Mom, I’ll explain in a minute, but can you put this in the trunk of your car before Hopper gets here?” Steve’s mom didn’t hesitate. She turned and dashed outside carrying the metal lock box. Steve put an arm across Eddie’s shoulders and kissed the side of his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do, so I called her.” 

“It’s okay,” Eddie said as he huddled into Steve’s side. “But maybe you should let go of me before she comes back in.” 

“She knows,” Steve said. “I told her.” 

“You told her?” Eddie turned in Steve’s arms and looked up at him. “Why?” 

“If you wanted to hug me or touch me or anything when she was here, I didn’t want you to not be able to.” He dipped his head and pressed his lips to Eddie’s. “Are you okay, baby?” 

“I will be,” he answered. “I knew this was coming. I told you that I was kind of hoping it would happen soon.” Eddie laid his head on Steve’s shoulder. “But every day when he woke up, I was so grateful for another day with him.” Steve’s mom came back inside carrying a bag she’d brought and smiled when she saw her son holding Eddie in his arms. “I know this is going to sound weird, but I wanted him to go at night. So, I could have a whole day with him. Then this morning I went in, and he was sitting up, smiling, and I thought I had another whole day, you know?” Eddie sobbed softly and Steve stroked a hand over his hair. “But the first thing he said was that this was it. He was dying. And so we said goodbye.” He pulled away from Steve and stepped out of his embrace. “I feel like I’m not making any sense.” He looked over at Steve’s mom. “I’m sorry.” 

“No, honey,” she said sweetly. “You don’t have to apologize. You have every right to feel everything you’re feeling right now.” 

“We should tell her about the box,” Eddie said with a sideways glance at Steve. “In case there are any questions.” 

“There’s no need,” Mrs. Harrington said as she sat the bag she was carrying on the kitchen counter. “I looked inside before I hid it and I understand. I can imagine that morphine was a welcome relief for your father.” She gave Steve a conspiratorial wink. “And I’m sure the other was a welcome relief for you both after caring for him every day.” 

“Thanks, mom.” 

“Eddie?” He looked up at Mrs. Harrington. “Would you mind too terribly if I hugged you?” Eddie shook his head slowly and took a step towards her. She took Eddie into her arms, slowly, and hugged him tight against her. “You’ll be okay, sweetheart,” she whispered to him. “We’re here for you. Whatever you need.” She pulled back, dropped a soft kiss on his cheek, then let go of him and went to the bag she’d put on the counter. “I brought you boys breakfast.” She took a box of donuts and a bottle of orange juice out of the bag and handed them to Steve. 

“Thanks, mom.” 

“You boys sit down and eat.” Steve and Eddie sat at the little table by the door. “After you eat, I’ll need Eddie to make a list of anyone we need to call, family or friends.” 

“There isn’t anyone,” Eddie said around a mouthful of jelly filled donut. “It was just me and him for the last few years.” 

“Okay,” Mrs. Harrington said, giving him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll call the funeral home and start making arrangements.” 

“He has a plot,” Eddie said quietly. “At Roane Hill Cemetery. Next to his wife.” 

Before Mrs. Harrington could answer, there was a loud knock at the trailer door that caused Eddie to jump and almost knock over his orange juice. Steve got up to answer the door and it was Chief Hopper and the coroner. The next couple of hours were a blur for Eddie. There was question after question from both the coroner and Hopper. They were trying to establish exactly what happened and when. Eddie tried his best to explain with Steve helping out when Eddie got overwhelmed. 

It only got worse when the local television news crew and a reporter from The Hawkins Post arrived. They had heard that Chief Hopper and the coroner were heading out to Forest Hills Trailer Park, so they followed, hoping for an exciting news story. They tried to get inside but Hopper ordered them to stay outside, as far away as the street, and to give them all some privacy. Eddie wasn’t Hoppers biggest fan, but he appreciated him sending the reporters away. 

Eddie did a pretty good job of holding up under all the pressure. People seemed to be trying to take it easy on him, even Hopper. He could see how upset Eddie was, and he had known Wayne pretty well. Though they weren’t friends, he knew that Wayne had gotten sick and lost his job. But until now, he didn’t know how bad it had been. Eddie saw the look Hopper gave him when the coroner was examining the track marks on Wayne’s arm, but he said nothing, which Eddie was also extremely grateful for. 

But when Eddie had to stand there and watch the coroner put Wayne into a body bag and zip it closed, Eddie couldn’t take anymore. He broke down into an almost hysterical fit of crying. When they closed the bag and Wayne was gone from his sight, it finally hit Eddie. He was all alone. He had no one. He dropped to the floor and pulled his legs up, buried his head under his arms, and he cried. Steve went to him as his mother led Hopper out of the room and closed the door behind them to give them some privacy. Steve knelt next to Eddie, put his arms around him, and held him as he cried for another hour. 

When Steve finally came out of the room, leaving Eddie because he said he wanted to be alone, Steve found the trailer empty except for his mother. The police and coroner were gone, the reporters had left. It was quiet and almost eerie. Mrs. Harrington was sitting at the little table and was just replacing the receiver in the phone base on the wall above her. Steve sat down across from her and sighed. 

“How is he doing?” 

“He’ll be okay,” Steve said. “He just wants to be alone for a little while.” 

“I’ve made arrangements,” she said as she pushed a notebook across the table to Steve. “The funeral is next Saturday. But we can change it if he wants to do it another day.” 

“I’ll talk to him,” Steve said. “But they can’t afford this.” Steve tapped where his mother had written a price next to a description of a satin lined mahogany casket. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she told him. “It’s covered. Your father and I will take care of everything, anything he needs.” She laid her hand over his on the table and squeezed gently. “He doesn’t have anything to worry about.” 

“Thank you, mom.” 

“It’s the least we can do.” Steve smiled gratefully. “Do you love him, Steve?” 

“Yeah, mom,” he answered with a bigger smile. “I really think I do.” 

Chapter Text

For the next several days, Eddie walked around in a daze. Steve stayed with him, trying his best to offer him some comfort. But Eddie seemed oblivious. He stared off into nothingness, didn’t say anything, just roamed around. He spent hours in Wayne’s bedroom, just staring at the bed, his arms folded across his chest, lost in his own head somewhere that Steve couldn’t reach him. It was like Steve wasn’t even there. Except at night. When Steve tried to tell Eddie good night and go home, Eddie clung to him, pleading with those big, sad eyes not to be left alone. So Steve stayed and ended up staying. At night, Eddie would curl up in Steve’s arms on the air mattress and sob against his chest until he’d cry himself to sleep.  

The one time that Eddie spoke during that week was when Steve asked him about Wayne’s funeral. He hadn’t said much, just agreed to Saturday, and asked Steve to make sure that Wayne would be buried next to Patsy. Steve assured him that the arrangements had all been made and he had nothing to worry about. Then Eddie had fallen silent again, gone back to his absent meandering around the trailer.  

Steve’s mother brought him clean clothes since he was staying at Eddie’s for now. And she brought home cooked meals for dinner every night. It had not escaped her notice that there was no stove in the trailer. So, when she cooked dinner for her husband, she made enough for Eddie and Steve as well, then took it to them each night when she went to check on them.  

On Friday, when Eddie disappeared into Wayne’s room and shut the door, like he had been doing so often, Steve went to the phone and called Dustin. His mother answered and Steve had to endure a few minutes of random small talk. He didn’t mind. Not really. He loved Claudia Henderson almost as much as he loved his own mother. She was so sweet, loving, and kind. And she always wanted to chat and gossip with Steve whenever he stopped by or called. But finally, she put Dustin on the phone.  

“Steve, what’s up?”  

“I need a favor.” He heard Dustin sigh heavily. “Eddie needs a favor.”  

“Yeah, sure,” Dustin said, more interested now. “What can I do?”  

“His uncle . . .” Steve sighed this time, took a deep breath and held it, then let it out slowly. “Not his uncle. His father.” He heard Dustin gasp. “He died a few days ago and Eddie is in a really bad place right now.”  

“Shit, what can I do?”  

“His funeral is tomorrow morning,” Steve said. “Roane Hills Cemetery at ten. As it stands right now, the only people that will be there are Eddie and me, and my parents. Will you come?”  

“Yeah, of course,” Dustin answered. “Of course. I’ll be there for Eddie. Do you want me to bring Mike and Lucas?”  

“Yeah, yeah, good idea,” Steve said. “Bring them. And, do you know Jeff? I guess he’s in Eddie’s band?”  

“Sure. Jeff, Gareth, and Grant are in his band and in Hellfire.”  

“Bring them too,” Steve said. “Anyone that you can think of that’s friends with Eddie. Shit, Robin too. Call Robin and invite her too. Please.” Steve thought for a moment. He couldn’t think of anyone else that Eddie was friends with. But he did have other thoughts he wanted to bring up. “I’m sure they all know, but please remind people not to try and touch Eddie.”  

“Good idea,” Dustin said. “People always want to hug you at funerals. And he’d hate that.”  

“Remind them all not to.” He paused again. This next part was going to be a little harder to say. “One more thing.”  

“Shit, I don’t like the sound of your voice.”  

“Don’t worry,” Steve said. “It’s nothing bad. Just something . . . new.” One more deep breath. “Eddie and me, we’re together.”  

“You’re coming to the funeral together?”  

“Yes, but that’s not what I meant,” Steve said patiently. “He’s my boyfriend.” Dustin barked out a squeal of laughter.  

“Steve, it sounded like you just said that Eddie’s your boyfriend.”  

“I did.”  

“Oh.” Dustin’s laughter died quickly. “Does anyone else know?”  

“My parents,” Steve answered. “And Robin is aware that I’m queer and have a thing for Eddie. But she doesn’t know yet that we’ve made it official. I’ve been staying with Eddie since his dad died and haven’t been to work or talked to her.”  

“Wait, you said that a while ago,” Dustin interrupted. “Eddie’s dad? But he called him Uncle Wayne.”  

“It’s a long story that’s not mine to tell,” Steve told him. “But Eddie was adopted. Wayne was his adoptive father. He just called him Uncle because . . . Well, he just did.”   

“Okay, now back to you and Eddie.” Steve sighed again. He wasn’t in the mood for this conversation, but he knew he had to have it. At the funeral, he had no intention of being anywhere other than right by Eddie’s side, his arm around him or holding his hand, and people were bound to notice. “Steve? Why didn’t you tell me?”  

“I just did, kid.”  

“No, I mean in the past,” Dustin said. “I don’t care that you’re queer. It explains why you and Robin are such platonic soulmates.” Dustin giggled softly. “I wouldn’t have given you shit for it. Okay, well, maybe I would have given you shit for having a crush on Eddie. Because, let’s face it, if there were ever two people that were more opposite of each other than you two are, I’ve never seen it.” Steve smiled. Dustin was right about that. “But I never would have given you shit for being queer.”  

“I didn’t tell you because you’re a fourteen year old shithead pain in my ass,” Steve said, trying to sound angry but failing miserably. “And second, it just really wasn’t any of your business.”  

“You know what this means, right?”  

“Oh God, no. What does it mean?”  

“This means Eddie’s my dad,” Dustin laughed. “Mom and dad! I love it!”  

“Okay, ha ha ha,” Steve said. “You’re real funny, kid. How about you don’t say that to him tomorrow?”  

“Oh, I won’t,” Dustin answered. “But I’m totally telling Mike and Lucas.”  

“You do that,” Steve said. “And we’ll see you tomorrow.”  

“Tomorrow,” Dustin said, his voice sobering and his laughter dying. “Tell Eddie I’m sorry. And I’ll see him tomorrow.”  

“I’ll tell him.”  

**********  

Eddie wore sunglasses to hide his red, swollen eyes. Not that anyone would have cared. It was his dad’s funeral, of course he’d been crying, they all understood. He was wearing black jeans, the one pair that didn’t have holes in the knees, a solid black t-shirt, his leather jacket, minus the denim vest, and a pair of black boots. Steve was wearing his black suit, the one he’d only worn once before, to his grandfather’s funeral. And when he parked and got out of the car, he looked around, his eyes widening in surprise. There were more people waiting for them than he would have imagined.   

Eddie noticed all the people as well and hesitated. He sat in the car, his head down, almost wishing it could just be him and Steve. But Steve had told him that his friends were there to support him. He appreciated that. His Hellfire kids, his band, the little redhead that hung out with Lucas all the time and lived across the street from him. Robin was there, next to Steve’s mom and a man Eddie didn’t recognize. That must be Steve’s father. He could see the resemblance. Steve looked just like him, minus the gray streak in the front of his hair. Dustin’s mother was there as well. He’d met her several times when he took Dustin home after Hellfire. She was a sweet woman, a lot like Steve’s mom. And Jeff’s dad was there too. He hadn’t seen him in a while, but Eddie would never forget that he’d given him his first electric guitar. And standing in the very back of the small crowd was Chief Hopper. He was probably the last person Eddie expected to see. But his presence was somewhat comforting.  

Steve opened the car door and held a hand out to Eddie. Eddie looked up at him and Steve gave him a reassuring smile. So, Eddie put his hand in Steve’s, stepped out of the car, and huddled against him as Steve put an arm across his shoulders. He could feel Eddie trembling and he dared to drop a soft kiss on his cheek.  

“Baby, you going to be okay?” Eddie just nodded. “I’m right here. If it gets to be too much, just let me know. I’ve got you, okay?”  

“Thanks,” Eddie whispered as they started walking towards the graveside.  

Everyone clamored around Eddie to express their condolences. Eddie smiled and nodded and clung to Steve’s hand like it was a lifeline. The only person who tried to touch Eddie was Mrs. Harrington. But she asked first, and she did it slowly. And Eddie still didn’t let go of Steve, just hugged her with one arm while holding on to her son with the other.  

After the funeral, everyone went to the Harrington’s house where Steve’s mother had an abundance of food waiting. Eddie wanted to be anywhere but here, but he couldn’t say no to Steve’s mom. And between her and Steve, he was shielded from too much interaction with anyone else. She seemed to be even more fiercely protective of him than Steve was. He appreciated it, but after an hour or so, he just couldn’t anymore. He stepped out the back door and stood near the pool, just staring into it. Eventually, Steve joined him and slid his arm around his waist.  

“I want to go home,” Eddie whispered as he laid his head on Steve’s chest. “I’m tired and I just want to be alone.”  

“I understand,” Steve said. “Let me get my keys and I’ll drive you home.”  

“No.” Eddie turned in Steve’s arms to look up into his face. “I mean, I want to be alone.” Steve frowned deeply so Eddie pressed his lips to his and kissed him. “I’ll walk home.”  

“Baby, no, let me . . .” Eddie kissed him again to stop him.  

“Please, Steve,” Eddie said softly. “I really just need to be alone for a while. I just want to . . . I don’t know.” He gave Steve a pleading look. “Please. Just let me go.”  

“Let you go?” He didn’t like the sound of that.  

Eddie reached up, hooked his arms behind Steve’s neck, then pulled him into a kiss so hot and heavy that Steve felt like he was going to pass out. When it ended, Eddie slid his arms away, let his hands move slowly over Steve, his cheeks, his jaw, his neck and shoulders, until he finally stepped back, and they were no longer touching.   

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and Wayne. And your parents too. I never would have made it through this without you.” Eddie took several steps back. “Tell Dustin and the others I said goodbye.”  

“Eddie, please. I . . .”  

“I’ll be okay, Steve.” He smiled a sad, tired smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry about me.”  

He turned and walked away, disappearing around the side of the house, and Steve just watched him go, his heart breaking.  

**********  

Steve parked in front of the trailer next to Eddie’s van and turned off his car. It had been more than a week since Wayne’s funeral, and no one had seen or heard from Eddie since. Steve had tried to call, but there had been no answer. He’d wanted to come by sooner, but his mother insisted that he give Eddie some time. He was grieving and he wanted to be alone while he did it. Steve could understand that, but the last conversation they’d had, standing next to the pool, it had sounded like he was saying goodbye forever. It had hurt and Steve was worried.  

Maybe it was selfish of him to want to be with Eddie when Eddie obviously wanted to be by himself. But he didn’t care. If he was being selfish, then fine. Call him selfish. But he didn’t see how worrying about someone you love could be considered selfish. If anything, he thought he was being selfless. Right now, he cared more about Eddie than he did himself. All he wanted to do was make sure that Eddie was okay. He wanted to look into Eddie’s eyes and hear Eddie say he was okay. Just once. And then if Eddie still wanted to be alone, Steve would leave and not bother him again until Eddie was ready.  

So, Steve got out of the car and went to the front door. He glanced around as he did. Things seemed eerily quiet. His eyes fell on Eddie’s van. It was parked where it always was, but now Steve noticed that Wayne’s truck wasn’t there. Eddie had once mentioned that it didn’t run anymore and that he’d been meaning to do some work on the engine and get it up and running again because it was in better shape than his van was. Maybe he’d done that. Maybe he’d gotten it running and he wasn’t even home right now.  

Steve turned back towards the door and knocked. He waited, but he got no answer, so he knocked again and again. But no one came to the door. Steve reached for the knob, and it turned freely. The door was unlocked. He knew he shouldn’t, but Steve went in. He just wanted to leave a note for Eddie, let him know he’d stopped by and was worried. That’s all he wanted to do.  

Inside, it was dark, so Steve turned on a lamp and knew at once that something was wrong. Things were different. The air mattress and sleeping bag were gone. Most of the trucker caps and mugs that had lined the walls were gone. The pictures of Wayne and Patsy, and the one of them with Eddie were all gone. Steve went down the hall to Wayne’s bedroom. It looked exactly as it had the last time Steve had seen it, the morning Wayne had died. Except for one glaring difference. The beautiful black and red guitar that used to hang on the wall was gone.  

He opened the closet and rifled through the clothes inside. They were all Wayne’s. Nothing of Eddie’s was there. It was all gone. He was gone. Steve went back to the front of the trailer and looked around. Every trace of Eddie had been taken away. Steve opened the refrigerator. It was completely empty. As he closed it, he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the door with a magnet. His name was written on it. Steve pulled the sheet off and unfolded it. His eyes went to the bottom, and he saw Eddie’s signature, with the little devil horns over the E. That made Steve smile. But that smile disappeared as he read the note.  

‘I know I should have told you I was leaving, but you would have tried to stop me. And I don’t think I could have left if I had to look you in the eye and say goodbye. But I have to go. I can’t stay. There’s nothing for me here, just painful memories. I know what you’re thinking. You’re here. But I have to be realistic. There’s no way this would ever work between us. I’m too scared and you’re too Steve Harrington. I’d only hold you back. Or drag you down. And in the end, you’d resent me for everything I couldn’t give you that you deserve to have. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. And please thank your parents for me too. Take care of Dustin and the others for me. Goodbye. Eddie.’  

Steve folded the note, slipped it into his pocket, then wiped the tears from his eyes. Eddie was gone. He was gone and there was nothing Steve could do to bring him back. It was over. Steve went out to his car and got in. But he didn’t drive away. He just sat there staring at the trailer, at Eddie’s van, hoping that if he wished hard enough, Eddie would appear and he could take him in his arms and tell him the one thing he should have told him, but hadn’t gotten around to. That he loved him. Maybe that would make him stay. But he knew that was just a fantasy. Eddie was gone. So, he started the engine, wiped the fresh tears from his face, and went home.  

THE END