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If Gareth knew this was how he was going to be spending his day; he’d have told Eddie to fuck off and slammed the door in his face. Drown his pleas out by playing his drums. But he’s weak and the mention of free ice cream foolishly blindsided him. He tells Eddie as much when they pull into the mall, but the Dungeon Master waves him off and ushers them in.
“Still wish I’d stayed home.” Eddie spits raspberries. “Oh please. If I hadn’t dragged you out of your house, you’d have been sitting with your mom watching the god-damned Andy Griffith show.”
“That doesn’t start until eight and do not talk shit about my mom; you love her. And I’m pretty sure she’s in love with you.”
Eddie smirks. “Oh? Maybe I should’ve invited her instead. Beats hanging with her nerd son.”
“Maybe you should’ve. Then at least I wouldn’t have to hear how much you wanna bang Steve Harrington.” Gareth snarks back. Their friend scoffs at their antics, hands shoved in his pockets. Eddie slings an arm over his shoulders. “Not you Jeff, you’re a damn stud. I’d get in line for a piece, but I don’t want to hog you from the ladies.”
Jeff furrows his brow, looking around. “Funny, I don’t see any ladies lined up.” Eddie sighs, patting him. “Worry not, friend, there are. Afraid they’re just a tad shy, though. They’ll come around once you flash them that winning smile.”
He rolls his eyes in return, a smile creeping up. Eddie snaps his fingers. “See! That’s the one. God, I’m sweating. Gare, why can’t you be more like your brother?”
Gareth closes his lips in a tight line, nodding as he feigns reaching into his pocket just to pull his hand back out and flip his friend the bird. Eddie gasps, slapping a hand over his mouth. “What would your mother think?! As your future dad-in-law, I feel I deserve some respect.” The younger shoves him as they arrive at the destination. “I hate you.”
“Mm, no, you don’t.” Gareth chooses not to argue. Instead, he looks up at the obnoxious sign advertising the name ‘Scoops Ahoy’. Great.
The place is rather clean; only a small family and a couple present, the parent’s child eating ice cream—or more appropriately—missing their face and dripping it everywhere. Gareth has to tear his gaze from it, suppressing a shiver. Kids. Ahead of him, Eddie has already slinked over to the counter and is ringing the bell obnoxiously, calling out, “Stevie. Your favorite customer requires all hands on deck!”
Funny thing is, an employee is standing in front of him. Her stare bored and almost unseeing. No doubt her soul sucked dry from customer service. “Alright! I’m coming! Jesus.” And out from the door bursts Steve Harrington. Sure enough, dressed similar to the girl in full sailor get-up, complete with hat. Gareth wishes he had a camera to document it.
Harrington pushes—Gareth read her name tag—Robin to the side gently, mumbling in her ear; she nods in relief, heading to the back without a second look. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Munson?” His tone is bored, body slumped a bit. Nothing like The King’s usual easy and confident posture. “What? Not happy to see a regular?”
“Eddie, most of the time, you just eat free samples. And it’s been a long day. I think Robin has gone catatonic.” Eddie hums in something like sympathy. “Would not blame her. If I have to argue with one more prick about what the difference between Punk and Metal is, I might hit them with a guitar.”
This gets a huff from Steve, and he shakes his head. “You don’t have to argue.”
“Stevie, they need to be educated.”
“It’s a wonder you aren’t fired yet.”
Jeff coughs before Eddie can reply. Both boys snap out of their banter. At least Harrington seems shameful, unlike someone. “So, what brings you guys in?”
How kind of him to acknowledge them. “Oh, well, we wouldn’t really be here if Eddie didn’t have such a massive bone-“ Gareth feels a sudden pain shoot in his ribcage, where Eddie’s elbow connects. “Big heart. Mhm, a massive big heart and wanted to treat us to some ice cream." Jeff nods along, not listening as he peers at the flavors.
Steve gives them a curious look but smiles anyway. “Oookay, weirdos. What would you like today?” After everyone orders, the two friends get shooed off to a booth so Eddie can chat with Harrington. Unbelievable. And they talk. For twenty goddamn minutes.
Watching them is both fascinating and... disgusting. With Eddie giggling and twirling his hair like a schoolgirl as Steve flashes his pearly whites and bats his eyes. Too encased in their own bubble to care about the other people here. Gareth looks around, brows furrowed, trying to see if anyone else is seeing this shit. He turns back to Jeff as the man scoops at his banana boat. “Look at them. This is weird, dude. I feel like I’m going crazy.”
Jeff shrugs, following Gareth’s gaze. “I guess... but Eddie’s happy. Isn’t that a good thing? I’m happy for him. And free ice cream is always cool.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure. But he’s too happy. Suspicious if you ask me.”
“I didn’t—“
“I think Harrington hexed him. Clearly Black Magic. I mean, this is King Steve we’re talking about, man. The one that sat back as Tommy harassed us constantly? Why’d Eddie pick him?” Gareth sneered, swirling his shake.
“Maybe he’s changed. Seems nice to me.”
“Or it’s an act.” His theories earn a groan from the man sitting across from him. Gareth huffs, glaring at the lovebirds and slurping at his delicious milkshake. Eddie finishes up with Steve and approaches their table with a dopey grin. And Gareth admits Eddie is more content as of late. Perhaps Steve is doing some good. Still...
"Eddie, dude, are you okay?" Eddie side-eyes him and makes a face, eating his ice cream. “Hmm?”
“You and Harrington... what is going on? Are you serious? Is he blackmailing you or something? Spelled you? Blink twice if you need help.”
Their dungeon master lets out a nervous laugh. “What? Gare, chill out. He’s cool now, remember? I’ve told you all about it for days now.”
“I know, but I didn’t really believe you.”
They both stare at each other before he motions to Jeff. “Oh, come on! Even Jeff thinks it’s strange.”
“I did not say a word. Leave me out of this.”
“Back me up here man, I feel like I’m going crazy!”
Eddie snorts, shaking his head at his best friend’s antics. “Sounds to me like you are jealous, Gare-bear. Don’t worry, I am certain you’ll find a nice girl... or boy? Person who will deal with your shit. And soon, please? I can only shoulder so much of you. Need a break.” He teases, causing Gareth to huff again, cheeks puffing and all.
“Assholes, both of you.”
“Takes one to know one—ah shit,” Eddie curses as ice cream drips down onto his band shirt. Seeing Steve close, he smirks, waving his hand. “Sailor, yoo-hoo! Technical difficulties over here on this boat! We need napkins!”
Harrington’s face goes red, and he shoots him a glower but obediently stomps away to get napkins. And throws them in Eddie’s lap once he returns. “Bet you did that on purpose.”
“Believe it or not, not everything is about you, sweetheart,” he purrs out, with no trace of malice, just sickening fondness, as he cleans himself. So weird.
The dairy slinger directs his attention to the table. “Are we all good over here?”
Jeffs nods. “The banana boat is amazing.”
Steve smiles. “Good.”
“Everything’s great over here, King Steve. I’m sure you have better places to be than checking in on your lessers.” Gareth snaps and the smile disappears into something more… remorseful? At the same time, Eddie whips toward his friend, with a potentially deadly glare. And by ‘deadly’ he means getting the cold shoulder and banned from Hellfire for a week.
“Right, sorry, I’ll just—sorry...” Harrington murmurs, backing off, but Eddie holds up a hand, eyes still locked on Gareth. “No, no, Stevie. Gareth has something he needs to fucking say.”
He isn’t being serious! Another long look tells him straight away he is. To Gareth’s right, he notices how Steve is making a point of avoiding eye contact, worrying his lip instead, and picking at a loose thread on his stupid outfit. He had to admit; he feels a little bad. Maybe the guy wasn’t so terrible anymore.
Gareth grips the cup of his milkshake and bites the inside of his cheek.
“Sorry, Steve. Shouldn’t have said that. Thanks for the napkins. And the milkshake is great.”
Eddie nods, relaxing a bit, and Steve seems to calm down as well, tension bleeding away. He offers a small smile. “All good. No hard feelings?”
“Yeah,” Gareth says before Steve leaves. As soon as he heads to the break room, he earns a sharp kick to the shin. “Ow! What the hell, dude?”
“Do not dude me. You were being a dick!”
“I apologized!” Gareth shoots back, but Jeff shakes his head. “Ugh, I can’t get let off just this once for throwing one jab at a prick that gave us shit in school?”
“Well, you are welcome to try your luck with any of the others, but Stevie is strictly off-limits. But do that shit again and it is TPK next campaign.”
“Perfect. Nice going, buttmunch,” Jeff bites, pointing his spoon toward Gareth. The drummer raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, I won’t make fun of your boyfriend... for the time being.”
Another glare. “He’s not my boyfriend.” It’s a weak protest, and Gareth knows better.
“Damn, you really like him, don’t you?”
“Yes, Gare. Sadly, I do,” Eddie sighs, biting at his cone. Gareth and Jeff meet eyes, knowing. Time for a rare show of emotion. “I’m sorry, Eddie. I was just…“
“Being protective? It’s okay.”
“I am not ‘protective’—“
“Ah-buh-buh, agree with me. I’m still pissed.” Eddie gives him a playful smirk, a certain fire in his eyes letting Gareth know he’s—half—joking but also daring him to disagree. So he lets it go and slurps down his milkshake, tapping his finger to a rhythm on the table.
“What is it, man? You have something to say.”
“I wanted—um, you seem happier. And if Steve Harrington—for some reason—is the cause, then... he’s cool with me. But! If he hurts you, he is dead.” He harrumphs, ring clicking against his cup.
They sit on that in silence, with Jeff looking anywhere but at them so they can have some semblance of “privacy”.
“I guess he does,” Eddie admits wistfully as if he’s only now realizing it. “But no need to worry, Gare-bear. I can protect my own heart. I just... want to have this for a while.”
Though it pains him, Gareth nods, blowing air out his nose. Knows he can’t do much more to guard his friend from heartbreak. The guy was stubborn to a fault. “Alright, I won’t tease as much for this. But I’m serious about before. Even the beating him up part.”
They stare at each other before Eddie lunges at the shorter boy, wrapping his arm around his neck and messing up his hair. Gareth squawks in outrage as Steve yells from across the store, threatening the Metalheads. “How sweet! He has a heart everybody! But I hate to break it to you, Gare. You’re more of a little teddy bear, so leave the fighting to someone else, hm?”
Gareth shoves him off, fixing his hair, and muttering curses under his breath. The nerve of this idiot. Eddie takes his ice cream back from Jeff. “Careful, there are children present.”
“Traitor,” Gareth squints at Jeff. The asshole just smiles at him, shoving another mouthful of chocolate in his face. If you ask Gareth, he can shove that damn banana boat up his as—
“Hey, uh, guys? What day is it again?” Eddie says, rudely interrupting his brooding.
“Thursday, why—?” Eddie stares at him, biting at his thumbnail.
“Eddie. You don’t mean—“
“Yeah...”
In an instant, Gareth is sliding out of the booth, tripping over his feet. “Damn it, Eddie!” Jeff shouts shoving Eddie out as well. “How did you forget, dude?”
“They moved the dates around! It messed with my internal schedule!” Gareth slaps a hand over his face. “Great, we’re gonna be late to The Hideout.”
“We won’t even be playing until later.”
“But we need to set up and warm up! Now go, c’mon, go, pronto!” Eddie looks to Jeff for pity, but the fellow nerd just raises his hands. “You heard the man.” Oh, now he helps.
As they’re all leaving, Steve calls out, and if Gareth didn’t know any better... he’d say Harrington was pouting. “Off in a rush?” Eddie waves with his dramatics. “I’m off to war, Stevie! Fear I may never return! Remember me as I was!”
It earns an exasperated huff out of the jock. “I shall wait in this very spot until you come back.”
“Enough flirting!” Gareth urges, pushing his idiot friends more. He figured it out. It’s an alternate dimension. That is what’s happening here. Definitely.