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“Billy!” Steve skidded across the StarCourt floor, his hand instantly coming to the gaping wound in Billy’s chest, looking down at the man who was struggling for breath.
His hands quickly pressing down on the wound, even though he knew it wasn’t going to help, he could literally feel Billy fading underneath his fingertips.
“Steve,” he muttered, hands shaking as he tried to pull his necklace off, placing it into Steve’s palm, “for….you,” he heaved as he looked up at Steve, as if trying to remember what he looked like.
“Billy, c’mon, you can’t leave, you can’t leave Max alone!” he shouted, his voice breaking slightly as he watched the man he’d grown to love fade before him, trying to hold himself together as the group was still around them.
Steve felt his heart shatter when he saw the light finally leave Billy’s eyes, his hand gripping the necklace Billy had given him so tightly that the chain cut into his hand.
Steve had decided to wear the necklace Billy had gifted him, a red and black guitar pick hanging on a chain, a small engraving of L.E on the back of it in handwriting that reminded him of Dustin’s writing.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
Since Billy’s death, he’d been trying to keep himself busy, trying to forget the tender moments he’d had with the man, the feelings that had blossomed out of nowhere after they’d had sex after a verbal argument.
He’d never forget how soft and teasing Billy’s lips were, how his large hands used to tug at his hand and grab greedily at his backside.
But then, he’d also never forget Billy’s reaction to Steve confessing he was in love with him.
The sheer confusion and disbelief on Billy’s face was an entertaining sight, something that quickly led to Billy shoving him against the wall of his bedroom, kissing him as if he was trying to say ‘I love you’ without properly saying it, something Steve fully understood.
It’s the 80s after all.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
“Can you drop me off at school?” Dustin made him jump, practically leaning into his Beamer already, “mum’s not well and I don’t wanna bother her,” he added and Steve couldn’t help but think that it was a good thing Dustin was somewhat adorable otherwise he would have clapped the kid upside the head.
“Get in,” Steve sighed, starting his car up, the sound of Queen quietly playing in the background, something Billy would have loved.
“You okay?” Dustin frowned noticing how quiet Steve was and the older man just hummed.
“I’m good, just tired….is Max okay?” he asked cautiously, knowing how hard Billy’s death had been on her mental health.
“She’s a lot more quiet…but she’s tough, she won’t break,” Dustin nodded with a smile, his belief in his friends was something Steve had always admired about him.
“Yeah, she is,” he agreed.
“Thanks Steve!” Dustin grinned, getting out of his car and beelining for Lucas, who greeted Dustin with a fist bump.
“Yeah, yeah,” Steve muttered, watching the kids for a moment, just to make sure they would be safe, his fingers tapping on his steering wheel in an attempt to distract himself even further.
It was then that he spied the one and only Eddie Munson walking toward the kids with a grin, high fiving Dustin and ruffling Mike’s hair with affection.
Steve huffed, slight jealousy filling him as he was a little prickly when it came to his friendship with Dustin, enjoying the role of being a big brother to the kid.
Getting out of his car, he leaned against the roof, needing a moment in the cold winter air to sort his brain out, his fingers absentmindedly running over his necklace.
“Heeey, Stevie-boy!” Eddie grinned when he spotted him, wandering over with his normal playful attitude, his massive puppy dog eyes staring through Steve’s soul.
“What do you want, Munson?” Steve asked, running his fingers through his hair.
Eddie paused for a moment, eyeing Steve with an unreadable expression, his gaze now focused on the necklace that he was practically cradling between his fingers/
“What?” Steve asked with annoyance, feeling self-conscious under such a stare.
“Where did you get that necklace?” Eddie asked, his voice unnaturally serious and emotional at the same time.
“What’s it to you?”
Eddie faltered slightly, his eyes flickering around nervously.
“Steve,” he licked at his lips, “I think you and I need to talk later on, meet me at my trailer okay?” he whispered, his eyes looking urgent and Steve could only nod at him, confusion flooding his system as Eddie disappeared into the school.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
“This better be good, Munson, I’m tired,” Steve scratched at his arm, judging Eddie’s living conditions for a moment, a small glint of compassion running through him.
“Where did you get that necklace from?”
Steve scoffed and shook his head.
“It was a gift,”
It was Eddie’s time to scoff.
“Yeah, it was,”
Steve stared at him confused.
“Did Billy give you that necklace?”
Steve stuttered slightly, feeling incredibly nervous and frightened, his sexuality had always been something he’d tried to hide, he didn’t really want Eddie Munson to be the one he came out to.
“Steve,” Eddie pulled at his rings with agitation, “did he give you that necklace?”
“Yes,” Steve replied quickly, looking away from Eddie, not brave enough to keep eye contact.
“Okay, I’m gonna tell you something, but you need to keep your god damn mouth shut, okay?” Eddie grabbed a cigarette, lighting it up as his hands shook, “Swear to me you’ll keep it to yourself,”
Steve nodded, “I swear,”
Eddie took a deep breath, his legs jumping up and down from the anxiety.
“You know how you were with Wheeler?” he licked his lips as Steve nodded, “I was like that with Billy,” he let out a frustrated noise, not able to keep in one position as it felt like his insides were ripping.
Steve felt his world shift slightly.
“You were….with Billy?” Steve asked and sat down beside the jittery man, who just nodded, taking a drag of his cigarette.
“I gave him that necklace,” Eddie muttered, eyeing it with a strange fondness in his eyes, it made Steve want to hide it from him, “l.e,” he mumbled, eyeing the inscription he’d down a few years ago, “love, Eddie,” he explained with a shrug, laughing nervously.
“Eddie,” Steve looked him over, feeling a strange connection to him, “I was with him too,” he admitted quietly, his large hands rubbing over his face in frustration.
“Were you there….when he died…is that why you have that necklace?” Eddie asked, shakily puffing through his cigarette.
“Yeah” Steve flinched when a flashback of Billy blood-soaked clothes came to mind, the way Billy coughed up blood, trying to stay awake just to see Steve once more.
“Sorry,” Eddie sighed shaking his head, “I didn’t mean to put that memory to the front of your head, I’m sorry,”
It fell silent for a long while, both men seemingly going on their own memory lanes that they’d journeyed with Billy Hargrove.
“Are you homosexual?” Eddie asked suddenly, making Steve grunt and roll his eyes.
“Not fully, I still like girls,” Steve muttered, shuffling his feet awkwardly.
“Both?” Eddie tilted his head to the side like the overgrown puppy he was, “never heard of that before,”
“Are you homosexual?” Steve quickly asked.
“Yep,” Eddie chewed his bottom lip, flicking his burnt-out cigarette out the window, “part of the reason my old man kicked me out, found me with a boy from my middle school, kissing,” he sighed heavily.
“How long were you with Billy?” Steve asked curiously, watching as Eddie stretched out on the sofa.
“Couple of years,” he replied with a small smile, “guy was a sweetheart when he needed to be,” he added and looked at Steve, “I’m sure you know that though,”
Steve’s breath caught in his throat.
“Y-yeah, I know,”
Eddie let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as he looked at the ground.
“Can’t believe he kept that necklace,” he mumbled, eyeing it around Steve’s neck, “suits you much more, I have to say,” he added, trying to lighten the mood.
“Clearly meant a lot to him,” Steve reassured him, meeting Eddie’s eyes for the first time in what felt like forever, “Billy wasn’t exactly one to wear stuff that was sentimental…but he still wore this,” he tugged at the chain a bit, “do you…want this back?” he asked nervously and Eddie snorted.
“No, It was my gift to Billy, to show how I felt about him, he must’ve seen it a way to say that he cared for you in the same manner,” Eddie pointed out, “plus what sort of dickhead would I be to take your boyfriend’s gift?” he chuckled.
Boyfriend.
Steve felt heat race through him, he’d never really put a label on what Billy was to him, just a man he was in love with, he’d never really called him a boyfriend.
It felt nice to give him that title, even if it was too late to say it to his face.
“Yeah,”
Eddie noticed the slight sadness in Steve’s face and he clicked his tongue rapidly as he tried to think of a way to distract Steve.
“Have you ever seen or heard me play guitar?” Eddie asked, making Steve look up at him with a baffled expression, his hazel eyes staring at Eddie like he’s grown another head.
“No?” he replied softly, his eyes watching as Eddie smirked, causing a sense of dread to suddenly go through him, “Munson, I’m not much of a metalhead,” Steve pulled at his bright orange sweater.
“You hurt me Stevie, thinking I only play Metal,” Eddie tutted playfully as he re-entered the room, his trademark electric guitar nowhere to be seen, instead a gorgeous acoustic guitar.
“What else can you play?” Steve questioned, sitting criss-crossed on the sofa.
“A number of things, so throw a song out there for me and I’ll tell you if I can play it,” Eddie smiled at him, lightly plucking the strings to make sure it was in tune.
“You know any Queen?” Steve asked quietly, and just by the look Eddie gave him, it was very apparent that the other man knew why he was asking.
“Yes, I know a lot of Queen,” Eddie replied, his plectrum was now being flipped between his fingers, a testament to years and years of practice with his instrument of choice.
“Do you know how to play Crazy Litle Thing Called Love?” Steve picked at his fingers slightly, watching as Eddie snorted.
“Do I know how to-“ he lightly pushed at Steve’s shoulder, “dude, please, I love Metal but even I know how fucking great Queen is,” he grinned, “they were some of the first songs I truly perfected on a guitar long since departed,” he sighed dramatically making Steve laugh a bit.
Eddie didn’t even let Steve get another word out, his fingers immediately moving up and down the fretboard, looking completely at ease as he played the tune, choosing the hum instead of sing as he was a little shy about his voice.
Steve smiled slightly, closing his eyes, his hands linked on his stomach as he simply thought of one of the few playful memories he had of the usual tough guy.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
“What’s the matter Your Majesty, jealous of another monarch?” Billy chuckled as he turned Queen up on the radio, his smirk like the devils as Steve rolled his eyes at him, laying on his bed.
“No, I just thought you were coming over here to make out,” Steve huffed slightly, stretching out and looking up at Billy again, jumping a bit when he saw how dark his eyes had gotten.
“Oh really?” Billy smirked, caging Steve on the bed like the lion he was, his smirk still sitting proudly on his face as he watched Steve Harrington’s face flushed a dark red.
“I could punch you in your face right now,” Steve arched his eyebrow at him, having to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing when Billy let out a roar of laughter, his hand moving downward and smacking Steve’s backside playfully.
“Nah, you wouldn’t do such a thing, right?” Billy pushed his forehead to Steve’s lightly, a small tender action that caught Steve off guard, “wouldn’t wanna ruin the view as I pound into you, right?”
Aaaaaand, there it was, typical Billy attitude, making Steve roll his eyes once again, his fingers quickly flicking the man between the eyes.
Billy quickly snatched his wrist into his hand, his eyes warning Steve, only teasingly though, his grin still on his face as he slowly linked his fingers with him.
“And here I was thinking we were gonna have a soft afternoon,” Billy chuckled deeply into Steve’s ear, making Steve shiver, his eyes fluttering closed.
The bouncy tune of Queen’s ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ played in the background, masking the noises of their lips meeting and parting, the gasps that left them as they urgently embraced one another, hands pulling at clothing, teeth biting at skin.
“Ah shit,” Eddie finished the song, his eyes now on Steve in concern, he put his guitar down and grabbed some toilet paper for him, “you’re crying,” he pointed out, making Steve freeze a bit as he slowly took the tissue and wiped his face.
“Sorry,”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
Eddie frowned at him.
“For what, grieving?” he shook his head, “cry as much as you want man, I was just…hoping to cheer you up a bit, is all,” he mumbled, a slight red hue to the tips of his ears and he’d never ever been so thankful for his hair.
“It did cheer me up,” Steve smiled, “these are happy tears,” he watched as Eddie anxiously watched over him like a nervous puppy, “oh my god, I’m not gonna break, man,” he rolled his eyes slightly.
“I know but…” Eddie let out a small sigh, “I dunno, I’m just worried…about you and the Mayfield girl,”
“Max,”
“Right, Max,”
“Eddie, we’re okay, we’re just sad,”
Eddie chewed his bottom lip, nodding slowly at him.
“Did…she know about you and Billy?” Eddie asked curiously.
“No, most of the time he was at my place, couldn’t be around that father of his,” Steve glared at the memory of him, watching as Eddie’s face turned into something similar.
“Same, my uncle knows,” Eddie explained vaguely, “he’s pretty chill with it, even if he doesn’t quite understand it,” he laughed lightly and Steve felt a pang of jealousy at the acceptance Eddie had found within his own family when Steve was terrified to come out to his parents.
“He was okay with you bringing a guy home?” Steve asked with wide eyes, watching as Eddie played with the rings on his fingers.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say that he was over the moon or anything, but I think he was just happy that I was happy,” he smiled affectionately, his eyes drifting to a photo of his uncle briefly.
“If it’s alright to ask, why did you and Billy…call it off?” Steve asked, arm resting on the back of the sofa now.
“Oh, I was putting my hobbies before anything to do with the relationship,” Eddie sighed, a tinge of regret in his voice, “I couldn’t focus on anything and I went into a bit of a spiral, Billy couldn’t handle it either, not with the shit going on at home and so,” he gestured to himself, “Single Eddie,”
Steve snorted slightly.
“Never thought he’s fall for the King, though,” Eddie winked at him playfully, causing Steve to want to hide in his sweater.
“Stop, fucking hell, I hate that stupid ass nickname,” Steve rubbed his temples when he heard Eddie cackle beside him.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s fun to watch you get flustered,” Eddie scratched at his chin, Steve’s eyes taking note of the flaky black nail polish.
Eddie paused, noticing where Steve was looking, a soft chuckle leaving him.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
“Sit still Munson!” Billy puffed an annoyed breath out, his eyes practically making Eddie freeze under his gaze.
“I’m just tickledat the thought of Billy Hargrove knowing how to paint nails,” Eddie snickered, his gaze watching as Billy held his hand gently, brush in hand as he painted his nails.
“I have a little sister, Ed,” Billy muttered, “she made me do this for her all the fucking time when we were younger,” he sighed heavily again, but Eddie could hear a small amount of fondness for those memories, they must’ve been the last few happy ones Billy had with his new family before his father started to turn on him.
“Dude, please tell me there are photos or something of that?” Eddie was practically bouncing on the bed, making Billy give him a stern look again.
“Ed,”
“Sorry,”
Billy shook his head with a small laugh, tugging Eddie’s face to his, their lips meeting for a brief kiss.
“Fucking weirdo,” Billy murmured against Eddie’s mouth and for once, it didn’t feel like an insult, it felt like an endearment.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───
Steve watched Eddie smile at his nails fondly.
“You good there?”
Eddie nodded.
“Yup, just Billy memories I guess,” he shrugged, “he used to have to paint my nails because I couldn’t sit still,” he laughed, “I got better at managing everything and now I’m better than he ever was,” he boasted, making Steve laugh, his hand coming down on his stomach.
“Billy painted your nails?” Steve smirked.
“Oh yeah, and he’d put my hair in a ponytail,” Eddie rolled his eyes, “though that was for various reasons,” he said suggestively and Steve instantly looked to the floor, images flashing in his mind of the possibilities.
“Oh, this is like…bonding,” Eddie chuckled, “tell me, Harrington, did you ever manage to top the beast in the bedroom?” he grinned playfully, cackling once more when Steve sunk further into the sofa, his hands rubbing his face once again.
“Did you?” Steve asked with a curious look, his jaw falling open slightly when Eddie wiggled his eyebrows at him, “what the fuck, how did you ever do that?!”
“Stevie, Stevie, Stevie,” Eddie chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief, “I may look like a twig, but you forget,” he gestured around the room at the wannabe rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle he lived in, “I’m made of tougher shit than people think I am…I mean I run away a lot, but that isn’t the point,”
Steve laughed softly.
“Plus Billy was….trying to see if he would enjoy it,” Eddie shook his head.
“And did he?”
Eddie laughed loudly.
“Ass up, Hargrove,” Eddie smirked, his palm slapping his lover on the rump, enjoying the groan that left the usually dominant man.
“Hurry up, Ed!” Billy glared over his shoulder, looking both angry and horrifically aroused at the same time, like he was fighting with about a hundred different emotions at once.
“Aw, baby,” Eddie leaned over him, placed kisses between his shoulder blades as his hips jutted against him teasingly, his teeth biting down, hard on Billy’s shoulder, “you getting desperate for me?”
“Munson!”
“He wasn’t too keen on my teasing,” Eddie smirked, “I mean, you know what I mean right?” Steve nodded with a laugh.
“Yeah, he wasn’t one for a lot of teasing,” Steve shook his head, “though, he was a fan of uniforms,” this made Eddie’s eyes snap to him in surprise.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Nope,”
Steve licked his lips proudly.
“That shit Scoops Ahoy! Uniform?” Steve pointed out, Eddie’s eyes widening, “Billy was like….obsessed with me in that thing,”
“Holy shit, Billy, slow down!” Steve panicked as he tried to keep up with Billy after the other man had stormed into Scoops Ahoy! And into the bathrooms, his eyes burning as he quickly checked that they were alone.
“What’s wrong with you?” Steve frowned, slightly concerned as Billy was currently breathing heavily like he’s run a marathon.
“Billy!” Steve grabbed the other man by the shoulder, “what is wr-“ he let out a noise of surprise when he was slammed back into the doors to the bathrooms, his lips taken over by Billy’s as he felt his uniform being felt up.
“You didn’t tell me you were working here,” Billy smirked as he pulled away, grinning at the flushed state of Steve, “you look so fucking good,”
Steve went to reply, but he was quickly kissed once more, his hands pulling at the golden locks he’d touched so many times before.
“This is what turns you on?” Steve panted, his eyebrow arched in confusion, making Billy’s deep chuckle rumble through the both of them.
“Oh Steve,” Billy purred, his hands exploring under his shirt, “I can’t stop picturing you in nothing but that fucking hat,”
“Man, I knew I should have opened up more about kinks and shit,” Eddie snorted playfully, his eyes roaming over Steve for a second, trying to picture him in the Scoops Ahoy! Uniform, something that was a little difficult as he’d only seen Steve in the bloody thing about three times.
“Stop picturing me in the uniform,” Steve warned him, a punch meeting Eddie’s shoulder.
“You mentioned it!” Eddie grinned, his eyes now noticing how Steve’s gaze liked to linger on his fingers.
“I never wanna be in that fucking uniform ever again,” Steve whined, running his hands through his luxurious hair, Eddie’s heart felt like it was going to give out.
“Shame,” Eddie gave him a goofy smile, “I remember you looking awfully good in those little shorts of yours,”
“Oh I so regret coming here,” Steve laughed slightly, his words having no bite whatsoever, actually enjoying his time with Eddie for once without a gaggle of kids around them.
Eddie grinned, the both of them not really paying much attention to the fact that they had shifted closer together on the sofa.
“No, you don’t,” Eddie smiled softly, “wouldn’t have found another…well,” he gestured between the two of them.
Steve felt his heart skip a beat, realising just how much he had needed to be open with somebody about who he was.
“Yeah,” he whispered, his thumb still brushing over the necklace, “it’s been…fun, Munson,” Steve smiled gently, trying to show him that he was being serious, not even noticing how Eddie was struggling not to have an anxiety attack being in his presence.
“Yeah, been fun,” he whispered.
Eddie paused, his breath catching in his throat as he looked at the man next to him.
“Steve, I…”
Steve watches in silence as Eddie has an inward struggle.
“Dude this is so inappropriate,” Eddie muttered to himself, “I uh,” she cracked his fingers, his eyes staring at the ground nervously.
“Eddie?”
“Ah, dude c’mon, don’t say my name like that,” Eddie whined and rubbed at his eyes in annoyance.
“Would …you ever date a guy,,,like me?” Eddie cleared his throat, looking away from Steve.
Steve let out a strange noise, too stunned by the question to even speak.
This made Eddie panic, big time, jumping up from his seat and pacing up and down his trailer, hands nervously tugging at his hair.
“I’m sorry, that was a shitty thing to ask, considering who…you just lost I just…”
Steve got to his feet slowly, his large hand grabbing at Eddie’s wrist.
“Ed, stop,” he sighed, his grip tightening a bit when Eddie’s puppy eyes came back into view, making his chest warm, “you’re a fucking dumbass,” he tugged Eddie closer to him.
“Why wouldn’t I wanna go out with a guy like you?” Steve asked with a shake of his head, “you’re hot, like….really hot,” Steve sighed loudly, rolling his eyes when the smirk crept onto Eddie’s lips.
“Would you wanna….actually go out with….me?” Eddie asked gently, nearly jumping out of his skin when Steve quickly placed a kiss on his lips, he let out a small moan against Steve’s lips.
“Billy would be freaking out right now,” Eddie laughed against Steve’s lips, “struggling to hide his boner,” he added with a grin, crying out when Steve smacked his arm.
“Shut up,” Steve laughed, “although,” he smiled fondly as he pictured Billy in his mind, “he was always saying he knew somebody if I ever wanted a threesome,” Steve looked over Eddie’s face with a laugh, “I wonder if he meant you,”
“Probably,” Eddie replied cheekily, smiling at the fact Steve was holding both of his hands, still.
“So…what are we?” Eddie asked quietly, a little nervous still.
Steve captured his lips once again.
“We’ll see what the future holds, Ed,”