[ look at that, he wasn't too high to forget about the stupid tiny pictures.
you better believe he drops everything to make sure he looks and smells as nice as he possibly can before he heads out. he sculpts the hair, he checks the breath, the whole thing. this is steve harrington at his peak, or at least as peak as he can be in grandfatherly cruise attire.
once he's satisfied, he's on his way with a surprise gift in hand. ]
Edited (omg i forgot something VERY IMPORTANT) 2022-11-29 23:38 (UTC)
[ once he receives confirmation that steve will be there (pausing of course to laugh at the little emoji), eddie doesn't do nearly as much to prepare himself. he still tries to make the hair looks somewhat presentable, though it tends to have a mind of its own.
with hands stuffed in pockets, eddie makes his way to the theater, feeling a little off his mark due to his attire. he can only do so much with tommy bahama's truly remarkable selection, but mostly it looks like his clothes just lost a fight with the bahamanuel.
the theater feels much bigger without the crowd sitting inside, and the eerie quiet does make it seem much creepier. but this is fine, totally fine, they're gonna be distracted anyway, right? while waiting for steve to get here, he's gazing around the place, and trying not to get into too much trouble. his attention is immediately drawn to the instruments, and he can't help but look to see if there's a guitar handy that he can fuck around with while waiting for steve to get here. ]
[ it is a little weird to be back in the theater after the ruckus that was the price of right, but it's not quite as creepy as steve had anticipated. it reminds him a little of the days of basketball and swim practice, when he and the other guys would roam the empty hallways of the high school sometimes on their breaks.
he spots eddie checking out bellona's various instruments and heads over. in one hand he's carrying something familiar — eddie's denim vest, though steve doesn't address it right away.
first he sidles up next to eddie and loops his arm around him. now that they're ~official~, it means eddie won't be the only without any sense of personal space. ]
[ he hears steve coming before he's at his side, so it's not too startling to suddenly have an arm snaking around him. a smile slowly forms and he tears his eyes away from the instruments to take in steve's everything, though curiously not noticing the denim vest just yet.
he wraps an arm around steve's waist and pulls him closer, turning his head just enough so that he can lean his forehead against steve's. ]
Hey, Stevie. [ he's not sure he'll ever be able to stop smiling, feeling immensely lighter ever since they both cleared the air. he only lasts another few seconds before he's wrapping his other arm around steve and burying his face against steve's neck. ]
Missed you. [ it's shortly after those words leave his mouth that he notices the flash of denim in steve's hand. ] Wait. Is that...you still have my vest? [ yep, he's done for, especially if there's a chance he can get steve to model it again when they're not fighting for their lives in the upside down. ]
[ it's not so much that steve had forgotten what this is like. it's more that the time he'd spent dating around for casual sex and hunting for "the one" had dulled the memory of how it feels to be close to someone because you want to be, because you like them, and not just because you like the idea of liking them.
eddie's breath on his neck sends goosebumps prickling across his skin and he squirms. god, he wants to kiss him. he wants to do a lot of things with him. not to be dramatic, but stevie and missed you kind of almost make him think this fucking awful cruise ship hell is worth it.
once eddie notices the vest, though, steve takes a step back and reluctantly loosens his arm from eddie's waist so he can hold the vest up with both hands, offering a better look at it. ]
Yeah, I've been meaning to give it back. Just couldn't find the right time.
[ it's clean, scrubbed of lake stink and upside-down grime and steve's blood. he'd committed the placement of each pin to memory before carefully removing them so he could wash the vest safely, and he'd put them all back in more or less the same places. the vest probably hasn't looked this good since... okay, probably not since that fated morning eddie woke up and put it on for school. ]
[ he'll happily return to keeping steve in his personal bubble at all times, but first, he needs to inspect the vest. it's insane how one single article of clothing can mean so much to eddie, but it's not so much the vest as what it stands for.
he had poured so much sweat and tears into crafting this, from choosing just the right t-shirt for the back panel, to each patch and pin, finding the perfect placement for everything. and he had assumed it lost forever, but he's holding it, in his hands, right now.
he can't even tell it was once covered in blood and grime with the way it's been painstakingly cleaned. it's no surprise, then, that eddie feels overcome by emotions, his eyes stinging with tears -- happy ones, this time. no one's ever done anything like this for him. ]
Shit, Steve, this is. Definitely the right time. [ the level of emotions he's experiencing is clear by the waver in his voice. he pushes the vest back to steve with a smile, using one hand to wipe at the threatening tears, a few of them spilling down his cheek in the process. ]
You should keep it, though. Looked better on you. [ not to mention, it's a little like giving your letterman jacket to your sweetheart. there's a level of possessiveness to it that eddie can't deny he's going to feel every time steve wears it. ]
[ for a split second steve thinks he's fucked up and ruined the mood, but that quickly shifts to confusion as eddie pushes the vest back towards him. he's giving it to him? that's not —
steve shakes his head with a baffled frown. ]
Eddie, I can't — [ he starts to protest, but the words die in his throat as his gaze drops to the vest. he understands the significance of the gift. it's more than that, too. this vest was his only lifeline home for so many weeks, the only proof that hawkins — and his friends — even existed outside of himself. it's come to mean a lot to him, too.
when he looks back up his expression has softened into one of understanding. he steps forward to cup eddie's face, thumb brushing softly over his cheek to wipe away those few tears. ]
Thank you, [ he says, and he means it. to show just how much, he leans in and presses a kiss to eddie's lips. it's bolder than their last, backed by the confidence that they both really do want this. they don't have to dance around it anymore. they don't have to pretend. they can just be, without fear or worry or any of the bullshit that might've tied them down back home. ]
[ that's settled, then. eddie finds himself leaning into the hand against his face, letting out a shaky breath when steve's thumb brushes away the last of his tears. now he's smiling, because how can he not smile when steve is touching him like this?
his eyelids flutter shut as steve leans in to press a kiss to his lips. with nothing to interrupt them and no watchful eyes, eddie feels much more comfortable at letting this lead wherever it wants to, wherever steve wants it to.
they have all the time in the world now. quite literally, even. and yet at the same time there's a level of desperation that goes hand in hand with we might die at any moment because of this accursed place that leads eddie to kissing back a little faster, a little more passionately. he brings a hand to steve's waist, the other one reaching around his neck, fingers sliding through the hair that's at the nape of steve's neck, because now that he has free reign to touch it, how can he not? ]
[ steve matches eddie's desperation beat for beat. the hand cupping eddie's face slides back to tangle in his hair as steve kisses him with a kind of hunger.
he had felt so isolated his first month here, alone and scared and certain his friends still needed him back home. then came the nothing, and for weeks that's all he had known. now, standing nearly flush with eddie, with the warm, comforting presence of a hand on his waist, of fingers in his hair, steve feels unexpectedly emotional. he hadn't realized how badly he needed to be reminded that he isn't alone here.
he works through the sudden tightness in his throat by kissing eddie's neck, nuzzling close and grazing his teeth gently over the delicate skin there. ]
We should - [ he begins before reluctantly pulling away completely, flush-faced and dark-eyed. ] We should find somewhere more comfortable.
[ he looks out at the theater, and his eyes drift up towards the private balconies that dot the upper level. he nods towards one of them as he looks back to eddie. ]
[ and to think, eddie had tried pushing steve and nancy back together. it had seemed easier than facing the fact that he had been developing anything resembling a crush for steve, back when he had been convinced that he had no future and a hawkins prison was the only life he would know.
but now, as the kiss gradually becomes more and more heated, eddie can't imagine him being anywhere else but by steve's side. maybe eventually they'll have to figure out what a future looks like stuck on this ship, but for now, he's content to just be.
when steve's mouth makes its way to eddie's neck, he gladly tilts his head back to give steve more skin to work with, until suddenly steve is pulling away and eddie is making a noise of dissatisfaction before he realizes what steve's pausing for. ]
Ah, yeah, good idea.
[ his eyes follow steve's line of sight until he spots the private boxes, a sly smile forming as he turns back to steve. ]
Let's go, [ he says, and flashes a mischievous grin before he sets off, leading the way towards the back of the theater and the private stairwells.
as they head upstairs to one of the private boxes, steve takes the steps two at a time. the actual balcony itself is as he pictured: plush seating, far cushier than what they'd had for the game show. it's comfy and private, perfect for their needs.
he plops down in one of the chairs and squints down towards the stage. it feels a million miles away from up here. ]
People pay extra for this? You can't even see anything.
[ and to think, there had been a time when eddie had scoffed at all the girls crowing over steve harrington, and the eagerness with which they threw themselves at him, or would have jumped at the chance to be the one he flashes that mischievous grin at. now eddie is the one he's leading to a dark corner to make themselves cozy and after everything they've been through? he's more than happy to just forget about everything and indulge a little bit, be a little selfish.
he races after steve with his own eagerness on display and happily takes the seat next to steve, an impossibly big grin on his face that refuses to disappear. he could turn to look at the stage, to see what steve is looking at, but he can't seem to take his eyes off steve for the moment. ]
I don't know. View looks pretty nice to me, [ he teases, matching steve's mischievous grin from before. ]
[ that gets steve's attention again, reigniting the moment. he sets the vest aside and turns back to face eddie, pushing the armrest between them up as he does to give them some more space. ]
How come I never knew you were such a charmer? [ he says, and of course the answer is that he should have known. he just thought eddie was joking. or that he was imagining it. the list goes on.
he starts to lean over but stops and glances down, one hand hovering just over eddie's chest as he braces his weight on the other against the chair. ]
[ eddie shrugs at steve's question. if he thought about it long enough, he would probably walk away with the realization that he just felt able to be bold now, like there was nothing left to lose. but mostly he thinks steve has just been rubbing off on him. ]
I dunno, you're a freak. [ he smiles, raises an eyebrow and tilts his head to the side. the smile fades a little when steve asks about them -- the scars, the lovely parting gift the upside down left him. ]
Nah, barely even feel it now. [ he lifts a hand up to steve's cheek, brushing his thumb against his jaw before pushing his hand further, through steve's hair and letting it rest at the base of his neck. ] You're not gonna hurt me, and besides. [ a glimmer of mischief sparkles in his eyes. ] I happen to like it rough.
[ steve can't help but laugh, short and soft, at being called freak. he might've bristled at the mere suggestion a few months ago. now he finds he doesn't mind it all that much.
he expression shifts and goes a bit sad as eddie's smile fades. he gets it. maybe not entirely because he hadn't fucking died but he knows how it feels to look in the mirror and see those scars and remember how certain he'd been that he was going to die there in the upside down with those creatures boring into his flesh.
and then he thinks about how terrifying and painful eddie's final moments must have been, and how different it might have gone if someone had been there to save him just in time, too. or how different it might be if he were there, if he were the one telling eddie not to be a hero, and not some other steve harrington who maybe didn't care as much as he should have or maybe didn't make the right calls. (he knows that's not how it works but it's hard to think of it any other way.) a heavy lump settles in the pit of his gut, snuffing out the warm, exciting sparks of arousal that had been dancing around there since they'd started kissing.
god. he hadn't meant to kill the mood for himself.
so when eddie goes on, talks about liking it rough, steve is happy to match his mischievous glint with an impish smile of his own and push those pervasive grim thoughts back into the dusty corner of his mind where he normally keeps them. ]
Yeah? I can work with that.
[ he leans in to steal another quick kiss before he's moving, crawling over to straddle eddie's lap. he's never been on this side of things before but he finds he quite likes it. from here it's easy to tangle his hands in eddie's hair, to kiss him fiercely like steve hadn't just nearly given himself a depression spiral in the middle of a makeout date. ]
[ eddie notices it, the way steve's expression shifts. for a moment the thinks steve is about to retreat, because that's what eddie would have done if the negative thoughts began to be too much. that's what he's always done.
he realizes now it's a defense mechanism, a way of preserving himself from a world that's too cruel to those that don't fit into the social norms, or who outwardly reject them like eddie does.
but now he's reached a place where he sees that nobody here cares. they can be whoever or whatever they want to be, and that's just accepted. it's done wonders for eddie's fight or flight tendencies, though he still feels like he has a long way to go from time to time.
still, with steve's lips pressed against his, with steve now firmly in his lap, it's more than enough to keep his thoughts from getting too depressing. whatever, whoever he was back in hawkins doesn't matter anymore. now it's just him and steve, and this big empty theater on a ship that's tried to kill them both, that's maybe even been successful. he wraps his arms around steve to pull him closer and kisses him like they're the only two people in the universe.
and for eddie? well it kind of feels like they are sometimes.
he might have at one point shied away from such bold moves at one point in his life, but with the way steve feels on top of him, he can't help but rock his hips a little upwards, trying desperately to find some middle ground between going too fast and going agonizingly slow. the last thing he wants is to scare steve off, who he's so certain is new to this, but he also knows that recent events have made him feel a little more desperate than he might have otherwise been.
but he also considers steve is also probably feeling in a similar boat, so he tries not to worry too much. if steve needs them to slow down, he'll vocalize it. ]
[ it might seem strange that steve can be so unsteady when choosing his words around eddie but so sure of himself now, but this doesn't bother him. he's not worried he might misstep; sex doesn't make him nervous. he's confident, he knows he's good at it. he's not here to lose his mind worrying about getting physical when he hasn't been laid since the night of the big championship game.
still, back home even the suggestion of doing anything like this with another guy might've come with a nervous laugh and a dash of overblown defensiveness. here, away from the prying eyes and judgment of hawkins, he's surprised to find he feels just as excited and eager now as he would with a girl. maybe even more, because ever since that night he got so high he could barely walk he hasn't even been able to think about eddie without butterflies so. he's got it pretty bad. he would get on his knees right now if only eddie asked.
so when eddie rolls his hips up it draws a soft sound from steve's throat, something almost like a note of acknowledgment, and he smiles into their kiss. arousal reignites in his belly and he's already half-hard when he grinds his own hips down in response.
he nuzzles along eddie's jaw, peppering kisses as he goes, until he's close enough to murmur in his ear, ]
How far do you wanna go?
[ he doesn't want to make assumptions, and he's not looking to scare eddie off, either. ]
[ when they arranged this little rendezvous, eddie had assumed they would maybe just make out. then again, he shouldn't be surprised, because this is steve, the inventor of skull rock, so of course the fact that they don't have guaranteed privacy isn't a problem for him.
and, to be honest, it's never been a problem for eddie, either. maybe a little more so back home, because getting caught could mean being on the receiving end of a hate crime, but not here, not right now.
so when steve asks how far, eddie just lets out a tiny noise as he nuzzles against steve, noting the way his skin feels like it's charged with electricity right now. all just from a fucking kiss. ]
Honestly? As far as you're willing to go.
[ maybe part of it is the fact that staying alive is not a guarantee, and so there's a feeling of urgency that there might not have been under normal circumstances. but mostly it's probably the fact that eddie has been pining for steve ever since that damn boathouse, and now that he's finally got his hands on him, it's a little hard for him to stop. ]
[ he’s desperate to touch every part of eddie. he wants to feel him, skin against skin, chasing that reminder that they aren't alone. they have each other now, and steve knows deep down that it's stupid but he almost thinks “each other” is enough.
almost. ]
I really wanna go down on you, [ he admits, voice low and a little bit rough, still close to eddie’s ear.
he drops one hand to the hem of eddie’s shirt and slips it beneath the fabric. his palm slides gently over scarred flesh as it works its way higher, careful still in spite of eddie saying it doesn’t hurt anymore. ]
[ steve isn't the only desperate one here. it's taking all of eddie's willpower not to rip steve's clothes off right then and there, but the slight lack of true privacy has him keeping at least slight control over himself. besides, there is something inherently sexy about the fact that anyone could potentially walk in on them at any time, adding an air of danger to the whole thing.
of course, as soon as steve mentions wanting to go down on him, eddie finds his brain completely shutting down, restarting only so that it can apparently repeat steve's name over and over in his head. ]
Shit, yes. Yeah, I'd. Shit, I'd like that a lot.
[ he arches into steve's touch, and one of his hands joins steve's so he can guide it along, as if showing him that he doesn't need to be nearly that gentle anymore. if anything, steve's touch burns against his skin in a way that feels like it's healing the scars even more than they already are. ]
[ he gets the message. his hand roams up eddie's body a little bit rougher, tracing along the path of scars until his thumb brushes over eddie's nipple. meanwhile, he presses a kiss to the spot just beneath eddie's earlobe, then another to his jaw, until he makes his way back to his lips.
steve's never felt like this before. he doesn't know if it's because of this place and all the shit that's happened, or because eddie's fate in hawkins is a constant shadow sitting in the back of his mind. it's almost as if he has this full-body ache that starts pleasantly in his core but works its way up to sit heavily in his throat. like he could cry if he let himself.
of course, he's not going to let himself. instead he untangles his hand from that mop of curly hair (he's really going to have to talk hair care with eddie later) and drags his other hand back down eddie's body, then gets to work on unfastening eddie's pants. ]
[ if someone were to tell eddie that he would get the full steve harrington experience one day, he would have laughed in their face. if someone were to tell him that he would get it in the middle of a public theater on a cruise ship he might have a lot of questions. with the placement of each kiss, eddie feels his skin tingle and burn with pleasure, all seeming to rush directly to his dick.
it almost makes all of this seem worth it. if he had just died back in hawkins, he would never have known this kind of happiness. he would never have known what steve tastes like, or the map of each freckle on his skin. he chases those thoughts away though, focuses on being present in the moment, lest steve thinks he's doing a terrible job instead of eddie just getting trapped in his own thoughts.
his jeans are already tight, but once steve's hands are at his belt buckle, they only seem to grow even tighter as the anticipation alone makes him moan, his toes curling in his boots. he brings a hand up to steve's hair, brushing fingers adorned with rings through that hair and fixing steve with a soft smile before he helps steve gets his pants all the way off. shit, they're really doing this. he almost needs to pinch himself to convince himself that this isn't just a really elaborate dream. ]
[ that moan does something to steve, makes his own breath hitch as he settles on his knees between eddie's legs. it makes him eager to see what other sorts of sounds he can draw from eddie.
he looks up as he licks his lips, running his hands over eddie’s pale, bare thighs, and thinks, not for the first time, shit, he’s so pretty. in this moment he’s not worried about whether that’s emasculating or not, or if he’s approaching this relationship with a guy the right way or not. it’s just shit, eddie’s so pretty and so goddamn cool and he wants me and i want him so much. it’s a jumble of words that’s almost difficult to parse with how his thoughts are racing in tandem with his heart.
god, maybe he should’ve sprung for somewhere a bit more romantic than this. he’s serious about eddie, and having their first intimate encounter be some rushed, half-clothed tryst in a theater feels a little juvenile — like something steve might have suggested a few years ago, when he was younger and more concerned with feeling good than creating a lasting moment. it’s a little late for that now, though. he’s already working eddie’s underwear down to expose his dick, and when he does his breath hitches again. ]
Damn, [ steve breathes, tongue darting out to wet his lips again. he’s never been with a guy before, obviously, but this doesn’t feel strange like he’d expected it to. it's just natural, because it's just eddie, and when he starts by pressing slow, languid kisses to eddie's inner thigh it's not because he's buying time to work up any sort of courage. it's because he wants this to last, despite the desperation and sense of urgency they've built and despite how uncomfortably tight his own pants are sitting right now. ]
[ maybe if their rooms were actually private, and they had more options then they would have been able to find a spot a little more romantic than this. but truthfully, eddie doesn't care at all where they are. his biggest priority is being with steve, and how he makes him feel. and right now he is making him feel like they're the only two people in this whole cruise ship, like there is zero chance of being interrupted right now.
the rest of the theater seems to melt away as steve pulls his underwear down, and eddie's cheeks go flushed as he sits there, exposed. and the way steve looks at him, not with fear or disgust, but with interest, with emotions he can't quite parse, it's only turning eddie on more and more.
each kiss that steve places on every inch of his skin draws out a moan, and the occasional whine. and because he can't not do it, he brings a hand to steve's hair, not putting any pressure on his head just yet, simply brushing his fingers through that perfectly styled mane of steve's, just because he can. ]
Take your time, big boy. [ he bites at his bottom lip as he follows steve's trail of kisses, almost trying to will him to get to the main destination. ] And if you need help [ (because it's safe to say steve hasn't exactly done this before with another man) ] I'm here to guide you every step of the way.
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[ besides, after everything they've been through, he'll take just about any location so long as it's not the upside down, thank you very much. ]
meet you there in five?
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[ look at that, he wasn't too high to forget about the stupid tiny pictures.
you better believe he drops everything to make sure he looks and smells as nice as he possibly can before he heads out. he sculpts the hair, he checks the breath, the whole thing. this is steve harrington at his peak, or at least as peak as he can be in grandfatherly cruise attire.
once he's satisfied, he's on his way with a surprise gift in hand. ]
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with hands stuffed in pockets, eddie makes his way to the theater, feeling a little off his mark due to his attire. he can only do so much with tommy bahama's truly remarkable selection, but mostly it looks like his clothes just lost a fight with the bahamanuel.
the theater feels much bigger without the crowd sitting inside, and the eerie quiet does make it seem much creepier. but this is fine, totally fine, they're gonna be distracted anyway, right? while waiting for steve to get here, he's gazing around the place, and trying not to get into too much trouble. his attention is immediately drawn to the instruments, and he can't help but look to see if there's a guitar handy that he can fuck around with while waiting for steve to get here. ]
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he spots eddie checking out bellona's various instruments and heads over. in one hand he's carrying something familiar — eddie's denim vest, though steve doesn't address it right away.
first he sidles up next to eddie and loops his arm around him. now that they're ~official~, it means eddie won't be the only without any sense of personal space. ]
Hey.
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he wraps an arm around steve's waist and pulls him closer, turning his head just enough so that he can lean his forehead against steve's. ]
Hey, Stevie. [ he's not sure he'll ever be able to stop smiling, feeling immensely lighter ever since they both cleared the air. he only lasts another few seconds before he's wrapping his other arm around steve and burying his face against steve's neck. ]
Missed you. [ it's shortly after those words leave his mouth that he notices the flash of denim in steve's hand. ] Wait. Is that...you still have my vest? [ yep, he's done for, especially if there's a chance he can get steve to model it again when they're not fighting for their lives in the upside down. ]
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eddie's breath on his neck sends goosebumps prickling across his skin and he squirms. god, he wants to kiss him. he wants to do a lot of things with him. not to be dramatic, but stevie and missed you kind of almost make him think this fucking awful cruise ship hell is worth it.
once eddie notices the vest, though, steve takes a step back and reluctantly loosens his arm from eddie's waist so he can hold the vest up with both hands, offering a better look at it. ]
Yeah, I've been meaning to give it back. Just couldn't find the right time.
[ it's clean, scrubbed of lake stink and upside-down grime and steve's blood. he'd committed the placement of each pin to memory before carefully removing them so he could wash the vest safely, and he'd put them all back in more or less the same places. the vest probably hasn't looked this good since... okay, probably not since that fated morning eddie woke up and put it on for school. ]
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he had poured so much sweat and tears into crafting this, from choosing just the right t-shirt for the back panel, to each patch and pin, finding the perfect placement for everything. and he had assumed it lost forever, but he's holding it, in his hands, right now.
he can't even tell it was once covered in blood and grime with the way it's been painstakingly cleaned. it's no surprise, then, that eddie feels overcome by emotions, his eyes stinging with tears -- happy ones, this time. no one's ever done anything like this for him. ]
Shit, Steve, this is. Definitely the right time. [ the level of emotions he's experiencing is clear by the waver in his voice. he pushes the vest back to steve with a smile, using one hand to wipe at the threatening tears, a few of them spilling down his cheek in the process. ]
You should keep it, though. Looked better on you. [ not to mention, it's a little like giving your letterman jacket to your sweetheart. there's a level of possessiveness to it that eddie can't deny he's going to feel every time steve wears it. ]
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steve shakes his head with a baffled frown. ]
Eddie, I can't — [ he starts to protest, but the words die in his throat as his gaze drops to the vest. he understands the significance of the gift. it's more than that, too. this vest was his only lifeline home for so many weeks, the only proof that hawkins — and his friends — even existed outside of himself. it's come to mean a lot to him, too.
when he looks back up his expression has softened into one of understanding. he steps forward to cup eddie's face, thumb brushing softly over his cheek to wipe away those few tears. ]
Thank you, [ he says, and he means it. to show just how much, he leans in and presses a kiss to eddie's lips. it's bolder than their last, backed by the confidence that they both really do want this. they don't have to dance around it anymore. they don't have to pretend. they can just be, without fear or worry or any of the bullshit that might've tied them down back home. ]
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his eyelids flutter shut as steve leans in to press a kiss to his lips. with nothing to interrupt them and no watchful eyes, eddie feels much more comfortable at letting this lead wherever it wants to, wherever steve wants it to.
they have all the time in the world now. quite literally, even. and yet at the same time there's a level of desperation that goes hand in hand with we might die at any moment because of this accursed place that leads eddie to kissing back a little faster, a little more passionately. he brings a hand to steve's waist, the other one reaching around his neck, fingers sliding through the hair that's at the nape of steve's neck, because now that he has free reign to touch it, how can he not? ]
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he had felt so isolated his first month here, alone and scared and certain his friends still needed him back home. then came the nothing, and for weeks that's all he had known. now, standing nearly flush with eddie, with the warm, comforting presence of a hand on his waist, of fingers in his hair, steve feels unexpectedly emotional. he hadn't realized how badly he needed to be reminded that he isn't alone here.
he works through the sudden tightness in his throat by kissing eddie's neck, nuzzling close and grazing his teeth gently over the delicate skin there. ]
We should - [ he begins before reluctantly pulling away completely, flush-faced and dark-eyed. ] We should find somewhere more comfortable.
[ he looks out at the theater, and his eyes drift up towards the private balconies that dot the upper level. he nods towards one of them as he looks back to eddie. ]
Up there?
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but now, as the kiss gradually becomes more and more heated, eddie can't imagine him being anywhere else but by steve's side. maybe eventually they'll have to figure out what a future looks like stuck on this ship, but for now, he's content to just be.
when steve's mouth makes its way to eddie's neck, he gladly tilts his head back to give steve more skin to work with, until suddenly steve is pulling away and eddie is making a noise of dissatisfaction before he realizes what steve's pausing for. ]
Ah, yeah, good idea.
[ his eyes follow steve's line of sight until he spots the private boxes, a sly smile forming as he turns back to steve. ]
Yeah, I think we can work with that.
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as they head upstairs to one of the private boxes, steve takes the steps two at a time. the actual balcony itself is as he pictured: plush seating, far cushier than what they'd had for the game show. it's comfy and private, perfect for their needs.
he plops down in one of the chairs and squints down towards the stage. it feels a million miles away from up here. ]
People pay extra for this? You can't even see anything.
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he races after steve with his own eagerness on display and happily takes the seat next to steve, an impossibly big grin on his face that refuses to disappear. he could turn to look at the stage, to see what steve is looking at, but he can't seem to take his eyes off steve for the moment. ]
I don't know. View looks pretty nice to me, [ he teases, matching steve's mischievous grin from before. ]
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How come I never knew you were such a charmer? [ he says, and of course the answer is that he should have known. he just thought eddie was joking. or that he was imagining it. the list goes on.
he starts to lean over but stops and glances down, one hand hovering just over eddie's chest as he braces his weight on the other against the chair. ]
Is it still bad? I don't want to hurt you.
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I dunno, you're a freak. [ he smiles, raises an eyebrow and tilts his head to the side. the smile fades a little when steve asks about them -- the scars, the lovely parting gift the upside down left him. ]
Nah, barely even feel it now. [ he lifts a hand up to steve's cheek, brushing his thumb against his jaw before pushing his hand further, through steve's hair and letting it rest at the base of his neck. ] You're not gonna hurt me, and besides. [ a glimmer of mischief sparkles in his eyes. ] I happen to like it rough.
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he expression shifts and goes a bit sad as eddie's smile fades. he gets it. maybe not entirely because he hadn't fucking died but he knows how it feels to look in the mirror and see those scars and remember how certain he'd been that he was going to die there in the upside down with those creatures boring into his flesh.
and then he thinks about how terrifying and painful eddie's final moments must have been, and how different it might have gone if someone had been there to save him just in time, too. or how different it might be if he were there, if he were the one telling eddie not to be a hero, and not some other steve harrington who maybe didn't care as much as he should have or maybe didn't make the right calls. (he knows that's not how it works but it's hard to think of it any other way.) a heavy lump settles in the pit of his gut, snuffing out the warm, exciting sparks of arousal that had been dancing around there since they'd started kissing.
god. he hadn't meant to kill the mood for himself.
so when eddie goes on, talks about liking it rough, steve is happy to match his mischievous glint with an impish smile of his own and push those pervasive grim thoughts back into the dusty corner of his mind where he normally keeps them. ]
Yeah? I can work with that.
[ he leans in to steal another quick kiss before he's moving, crawling over to straddle eddie's lap. he's never been on this side of things before but he finds he quite likes it. from here it's easy to tangle his hands in eddie's hair, to kiss him fiercely like steve hadn't just nearly given himself a depression spiral in the middle of a makeout date. ]
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he realizes now it's a defense mechanism, a way of preserving himself from a world that's too cruel to those that don't fit into the social norms, or who outwardly reject them like eddie does.
but now he's reached a place where he sees that nobody here cares. they can be whoever or whatever they want to be, and that's just accepted. it's done wonders for eddie's fight or flight tendencies, though he still feels like he has a long way to go from time to time.
still, with steve's lips pressed against his, with steve now firmly in his lap, it's more than enough to keep his thoughts from getting too depressing. whatever, whoever he was back in hawkins doesn't matter anymore. now it's just him and steve, and this big empty theater on a ship that's tried to kill them both, that's maybe even been successful. he wraps his arms around steve to pull him closer and kisses him like they're the only two people in the universe.
and for eddie? well it kind of feels like they are sometimes.
he might have at one point shied away from such bold moves at one point in his life, but with the way steve feels on top of him, he can't help but rock his hips a little upwards, trying desperately to find some middle ground between going too fast and going agonizingly slow. the last thing he wants is to scare steve off, who he's so certain is new to this, but he also knows that recent events have made him feel a little more desperate than he might have otherwise been.
but he also considers steve is also probably feeling in a similar boat, so he tries not to worry too much. if steve needs them to slow down, he'll vocalize it. ]
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still, back home even the suggestion of doing anything like this with another guy might've come with a nervous laugh and a dash of overblown defensiveness. here, away from the prying eyes and judgment of hawkins, he's surprised to find he feels just as excited and eager now as he would with a girl. maybe even more, because ever since that night he got so high he could barely walk he hasn't even been able to think about eddie without butterflies so. he's got it pretty bad. he would get on his knees right now if only eddie asked.
so when eddie rolls his hips up it draws a soft sound from steve's throat, something almost like a note of acknowledgment, and he smiles into their kiss. arousal reignites in his belly and he's already half-hard when he grinds his own hips down in response.
he nuzzles along eddie's jaw, peppering kisses as he goes, until he's close enough to murmur in his ear, ]
How far do you wanna go?
[ he doesn't want to make assumptions, and he's not looking to scare eddie off, either. ]
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and, to be honest, it's never been a problem for eddie, either. maybe a little more so back home, because getting caught could mean being on the receiving end of a hate crime, but not here, not right now.
so when steve asks how far, eddie just lets out a tiny noise as he nuzzles against steve, noting the way his skin feels like it's charged with electricity right now. all just from a fucking kiss. ]
Honestly? As far as you're willing to go.
[ maybe part of it is the fact that staying alive is not a guarantee, and so there's a feeling of urgency that there might not have been under normal circumstances. but mostly it's probably the fact that eddie has been pining for steve ever since that damn boathouse, and now that he's finally got his hands on him, it's a little hard for him to stop. ]
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almost. ]
I really wanna go down on you, [ he admits, voice low and a little bit rough, still close to eddie’s ear.
he drops one hand to the hem of eddie’s shirt and slips it beneath the fabric. his palm slides gently over scarred flesh as it works its way higher, careful still in spite of eddie saying it doesn’t hurt anymore. ]
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of course, as soon as steve mentions wanting to go down on him, eddie finds his brain completely shutting down, restarting only so that it can apparently repeat steve's name over and over in his head. ]
Shit, yes. Yeah, I'd. Shit, I'd like that a lot.
[ he arches into steve's touch, and one of his hands joins steve's so he can guide it along, as if showing him that he doesn't need to be nearly that gentle anymore. if anything, steve's touch burns against his skin in a way that feels like it's healing the scars even more than they already are. ]
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steve's never felt like this before. he doesn't know if it's because of this place and all the shit that's happened, or because eddie's fate in hawkins is a constant shadow sitting in the back of his mind. it's almost as if he has this full-body ache that starts pleasantly in his core but works its way up to sit heavily in his throat. like he could cry if he let himself.
of course, he's not going to let himself. instead he untangles his hand from that mop of curly hair (he's really going to have to talk hair care with eddie later) and drags his other hand back down eddie's body, then gets to work on unfastening eddie's pants. ]
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it almost makes all of this seem worth it. if he had just died back in hawkins, he would never have known this kind of happiness. he would never have known what steve tastes like, or the map of each freckle on his skin. he chases those thoughts away though, focuses on being present in the moment, lest steve thinks he's doing a terrible job instead of eddie just getting trapped in his own thoughts.
his jeans are already tight, but once steve's hands are at his belt buckle, they only seem to grow even tighter as the anticipation alone makes him moan, his toes curling in his boots. he brings a hand up to steve's hair, brushing fingers adorned with rings through that hair and fixing steve with a soft smile before he helps steve gets his pants all the way off. shit, they're really doing this. he almost needs to pinch himself to convince himself that this isn't just a really elaborate dream. ]
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he looks up as he licks his lips, running his hands over eddie’s pale, bare thighs, and thinks, not for the first time, shit, he’s so pretty. in this moment he’s not worried about whether that’s emasculating or not, or if he’s approaching this relationship with a guy the right way or not. it’s just shit, eddie’s so pretty and so goddamn cool and he wants me and i want him so much. it’s a jumble of words that’s almost difficult to parse with how his thoughts are racing in tandem with his heart.
god, maybe he should’ve sprung for somewhere a bit more romantic than this. he’s serious about eddie, and having their first intimate encounter be some rushed, half-clothed tryst in a theater feels a little juvenile — like something steve might have suggested a few years ago, when he was younger and more concerned with feeling good than creating a lasting moment. it’s a little late for that now, though. he’s already working eddie’s underwear down to expose his dick, and when he does his breath hitches again. ]
Damn, [ steve breathes, tongue darting out to wet his lips again. he’s never been with a guy before, obviously, but this doesn’t feel strange like he’d expected it to. it's just natural, because it's just eddie, and when he starts by pressing slow, languid kisses to eddie's inner thigh it's not because he's buying time to work up any sort of courage. it's because he wants this to last, despite the desperation and sense of urgency they've built and despite how uncomfortably tight his own pants are sitting right now. ]
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the rest of the theater seems to melt away as steve pulls his underwear down, and eddie's cheeks go flushed as he sits there, exposed. and the way steve looks at him, not with fear or disgust, but with interest, with emotions he can't quite parse, it's only turning eddie on more and more.
each kiss that steve places on every inch of his skin draws out a moan, and the occasional whine. and because he can't not do it, he brings a hand to steve's hair, not putting any pressure on his head just yet, simply brushing his fingers through that perfectly styled mane of steve's, just because he can. ]
Take your time, big boy. [ he bites at his bottom lip as he follows steve's trail of kisses, almost trying to will him to get to the main destination. ] And if you need help [ (because it's safe to say steve hasn't exactly done this before with another man) ] I'm here to guide you every step of the way.
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