( ...steve could u have found a better way to say that?? the point is, he kinda likes the idea somebody thinks he's safe to talk to. be around. that's how he feels with Robin, it's nice!! )
That's cool. Good. Uh... yeah. ( so goddamn smooth really killin' it out here Harrington )
I wasn't really coherent for most of it, but yeah.
Also, Dustin wouldn't shut up about how badass it was.
[ he loves the little runt, but sometimes the kid doesn't really know when to quit. at least he doesn't mind Dustin's epic retelling of how Steve heroically dragged him out of hell and practically saved his life. ]
He did not seriously go on and on about the time you nearly
( oop that text got cut off as fast as his brain rejected the word that would reasonably go next. the point is, Steve is going to strangle that darling curly headed brainiac when he sees him next. )
It's not a big deal. I wasn't gonna leave you there. You would have done the same for me, so.
Let's not make this an "oh sure, any time" sort of thing though, huh? It sucked a lot, actually. You were heavy.
( and much more serious and complicated emotions that Steve is not prepared to unpack so he's just gonna leave that one there! )
It is a big deal though. And yeah, I would've done the same for you but it's not
[ he doesn't want to admit that he wouldn't do it for just anyone because that sounds a bit more selfish than he would have meant it to
plus he's pretty sure he would have dragged any of their group across the wastelands of the Upside Down, after everything they all did for him. ]
Look, just. I really appreciate the fact that I'm still alive because of you so we'll leave it at that.
I sure as fuck hope we don't have a repeat of that anytime soon, though. For both of us. Not sure I could fireman's carry you very far, we'd both be fucked.
( eddie, you are breaking midwestern convention by denying something proclaimed to not be a big deal as something that was, in fact, a big deal. that's not how this works!!!!!!!! )
Well... likewise. Couldn't have lost many more pounds being bat food. And I kinda like you being alive too, so.
( HOW dO THEY EnD THIS cONVERSATION Steve is not used to having heavy talks like this, did Eddie's uncle not teach him uncomfortable things are meant to be shoved under a rug or what? ?? though, fine, it isn't... the worst thing someone has ever said to him. Steve just doesn't super like thinking about Eddie not making it, is all. Steve doesn't really mean to make a joke to deflate the tension, it's just he says the most ridiculous things all the time. )
Robin says she'd drag me out by the feet if she needed to, so maybe just catch me under the pits and between the two of you it'll work out.
Probably at least to get across town, sure. If you wanna flash your knees around once you get here I guess I won't stop you.
( especially because if Eddie is lazy about this, Steve can also be lazy about this. shockingly, unbearably tight Levis aren't that comfortable to wind down in. )
( is that... weird.... . . .. to notice the rips in Eddie's jeans?? it's just. hard not to notice. it's not just his knees, the rips travel up his thighs, too. okay, yeah, maybe that's weird. oops. HAHA MOVING ON A S A P THEN !!! )
Put on whatever pants won't scandalize old ladies and get ready. I'll swing around for you on the way for the food. ( Eddie could drive himself but Steve is very used to chauffeuring his friends, so, it only seems natural that he would drive Eddie around, too.
only seems natural until he overthinks it later. obviously. )
[ well, Eddie is definitely not going to be thinking about this for the next several hours and wondering just how much Steve pays attention to other details other than the rips in his jeans. ]
Okay, okay, I think I've found a passable outfit. I guess I'll see you soon, then?
[ and then, against his better judgment, he adds: ]
( probably no attention at all!!!! nothing to worry about. just a normal amount of perceiving your fellow man. he doesn't hyperfixate on Eddie's fingers or how narrow his waist seems to cut or wonder if there's tattoos he can't see WHATSOEVER
so obviously he won't hyperfixate on the word d-a-t-e used, in this context. that just wouldn't be like him! but there's nothing to hyperfixate on, here. no need to stare at four little letters and lose half his mind. because... well. because obviously Eddie is joking. sarcasm. or something. ha ha, right? hilarious. so there's only one response to someone jokingly (sarcastically) (not seriously) using the word date is to play along. obviously!
did it take him five minutes to think of a comeback and stave off the momentary panic? no. obviously not. the stretch between messages is sheer happenstance. )
( well, EDDIE, that'll be IMPOSSIBLE, because he's really blushing now. Fuck. what is the point of this weird friendly not real flirting? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE??!?!?!? just to be warm and fuzzy and CONFUSING?!?!? )
That's not how it works, smartass. I can't save it, you just gotta make me do it again later.
( is he doing this right? play flirting? not too much, not too little, some kinda Goldilocks impossible middle ground?? Jesus. thank god Eddie isn't actually here, or this would be so much harder.
only he is going to be here, soon. or, more accurately, Steve is going to be there, and then they're both going to be here. why does this feel like so much more of a deal than it did 10 seconds ago? he's gotta knock it off, because it's definitely not a deal. it's just two guys hanging out, that's... he can do that. it'll even be a good time, probably, since Eddie isn't an asshole. )
All right, fine. I'll get you home when you're sick of me, or before your uncle starts freaking about where you went. Whatever comes first.
[ Eddie has really just set himself up for failure now, because he knows that while it's not real for Steve, it is for Eddie. he knows he should probably stop, slow down before he makes Steve so uncomfortable that he decides it's too much to hang out around Eddie anymore, and yet every single time Steve reciprocates the flirting it just sets him right back down to square one.
and shit, Eddie can practically see the blush if he closes his eyes. this is probably a terrible idea, and yet he can't wait. hanging out with Steve is fun in a way he never anticipated. ]
Well, I'm sure I can find a way.
[ because it is pretty damn easy to rile Steve up these days. had been even as far back as the boathouse, pressing broken glass to Steve's neck. which, better not think back to that, because he'll just end up with all these confused feelings, a mixture of fear and something else that he's not really ready to deal with just yet. ]
Looking forward to it. See you soon, big boy.
[ and while waiting for Steve to come pick him up, in addition to changing into something a little more leaving his house appropriate, he needs to freshen up, make himself look presentable. because it's Steve and he can't help but want to look like he's put in a modicum of effort for him. which means that by the time Steve gets there, not only is he wearing a shirt with his usual ripped pants, but he's also got his hair pulled back and maybe even a little eyeliner around his eyes to give the illusion that he's actually gotten sleep recently. by the time Steve arrives, Eddie is already out on the front steps, waiting for his arrival. ]
( big boy. big boy. the eternal curse of big boy. Steve has done all sorts of mental gymnastics trying to understand the meaning of big boy. he's circled all the way around the point from "that's flirting" to "that's too obvious to be flirting" to "that must be some kind of sarcastic flirting that isn't really flirting". the appearance of it here only makes the vibes even MORE confusing. and Steve never needs help being confused.
he doesn't have time to feverishly call Robin with this newest context of big boy, though. because he had to be a big damn gentleman and offer to give Eddie a ride, which... very date like. not that this is a date? it's just. you know. now that he's thinking about it, picking someone up before spending time together. very datelike.
while it is decidedly not a date (only datelike, which is different), Steve might spare some time to making sure his hair isn't a disaster and changing from one shirt to another because the collar was too rumpled for his liking. his hair is somewhat windblown from letting the windows down so Steve not sure what the point was in making the effort to fix his hair in the first place. while it could easily seem like he's plowed halfway through a pack of Mentos because of more fixated on how not a date but date adjacent this meeting is reasons, really it's because Robin always knows when he's been smoking and this is the closest Steve has gotten to a stress cigarette since he quit.
since it is not a date (and could he, just maybe, STOP pointing that out to himself, in his head?), Steve does not get out to open the door. but some gentlemanly instincts linger, apparently, because he leans across the seat to shove the door open from the inside. like Eddie would amble into the backseat without some direction? jesus. he needs to get his act together. ) Come on already, ( Steve says, in lieu of a greeting, like somehow Eddie was late when he's the one that had to show up in thirty minutes or less. which he did, so it's not like anybody is late, anyway! look, he's going through a lot right now. )
( the thing about Eddie is that he has a tendency to flirt. with. everyone. but when it comes to Steve, that has gone from his normal baseline to shooting straight up to "totally normal and not at all pathetic crush." he'll blame it on witnessing the man tearing a bat in half; anyone would have had the same response.
but it's not like he can just tell Steve any of this. regardless of whether or not Steve is safe knowing about Eddie's sexuality, that doesn't mean he wouldn't freak out if Eddie admitted that yeah, he likes Steve. and it would really fucking suck if Steve distanced himself after finding that out.
so, he toes the line, and hopes for the best, but expects the worst.
when Steve's car pulls up, Eddie eagerly jogs the short distance to the passenger's side, taking note of Steve just shoving the door open. which is honestly more than he expected, so he'll take it. )
Patience, young Jedi. ( he flashes Steve a grin as he slides into the seat and pulls the door closed behind him. he turns his whole body to face Steve, arm resting against the headrest. ) Thanks for coming to pick me up, you're my hero.
( well, at least for now, Eddie has managed to maintain the world's most obvious secret. Steve's world view has broadened a great deal, with Robin as his best friend. that doesn't mean he has a gaydar. the rare occasions he starts to wonder if Eddie might be flirting, he's quick to come up with all sorts of reasons that just can't be the case. it can't really be flirting because the chances of running into another unicorn in Hawkins has to be statistically impossible. so it's not flirting, it is just... Eddie, being Eddie. and even if the most improbable stars had aligned... there's just no way he'd be Eddie's type. right? right.
and since it's all impossible and improbable, Steve doesn't have to overthink why he gets so weird and wiggly on the inside when Eddie says shit like big boy or has that look on his face when he ambles into the passenger seat like a spider-monkey. but he does have to get another mint to chew on. stress Mentos just don't do the job as well as a stress cigarette.
he lifts both eyebrows at the request to display some patience. does he seem at all like the patient type, Eddie??? in fact his lack of patience is a notable character flaw. ) Yeah yeah. I'm surprised that van of yours can actually move. ( damn Steve, you can't just insult a guy's wheels like that! ) Seatbelt.
( from knocking the functional integrity of Eddie's van to going full overbearing mom mode. yeah, there's no way Eddie would want to genuinely hit on this. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2022-11-03 03:17 am (UTC)( he'll let this one slide THIS TIME, Munson! )
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Date: 2022-11-11 09:11 pm (UTC)It's stupid.
[ He thinks about just leaving it at that, maybe Steve won't ask, but in a moment of weakness, he tacks on: ]
It's 'cos I feel safe talking to you.
no subject
Date: 2022-11-11 10:19 pm (UTC)( ...steve could u have found a better way to say that?? the point is, he kinda likes the idea somebody thinks he's safe to talk to. be around. that's how he feels with Robin, it's nice!! )
That's cool. Good. Uh... yeah. ( so goddamn smooth really killin' it out here Harrington )
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Date: 2022-11-14 09:55 pm (UTC)[ he should probably stop there, but because he's apparently a masochist, he keeps going with this. ]
My hero, out here ripping demobats in half.
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Date: 2022-11-21 12:52 am (UTC)Pretty sure you were my hero in that situation, smart guy.
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Date: 2022-11-30 11:53 pm (UTC)I think it all evens out when we consider how you dragged my ass back topside from the Plane of Shadow.
[ leave it to eddie to break out the d&d references. might as well, seeing as how they went with vecna for the big bad's name. ]
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Date: 2022-12-01 01:59 am (UTC)I didn't know you remembered that.
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Date: 2022-12-05 03:21 pm (UTC)Also, Dustin wouldn't shut up about how badass it was.
[ he loves the little runt, but sometimes the kid doesn't really know when to quit. at least he doesn't mind Dustin's epic retelling of how Steve heroically dragged him out of hell and practically saved his life. ]
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Date: 2022-12-08 04:32 am (UTC)( oop that text got cut off as fast as his brain rejected the word that would reasonably go next. the point is, Steve is going to strangle that darling curly headed brainiac when he sees him next. )
It's not a big deal. I wasn't gonna leave you there. You would have done the same for me, so.
Let's not make this an "oh sure, any time" sort of thing though, huh? It sucked a lot, actually. You were heavy.
( and much more serious and complicated emotions that Steve is not prepared to unpack so he's just gonna leave that one there! )
no subject
Date: 2022-12-14 10:06 pm (UTC)[ he doesn't want to admit that he wouldn't do it for just anyone because that sounds a bit more selfish than he would have meant it to
plus he's pretty sure he would have dragged any of their group across the wastelands of the Upside Down, after everything they all did for him. ]
Look, just. I really appreciate the fact that I'm still alive because of you so we'll leave it at that.
I sure as fuck hope we don't have a repeat of that anytime soon, though. For both of us. Not sure I could fireman's carry you very far, we'd both be fucked.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-19 03:00 am (UTC)Well... likewise. Couldn't have lost many more pounds being bat food. And I kinda like you being alive too, so.
( HOW dO THEY EnD THIS cONVERSATION Steve is not used to having heavy talks like this, did Eddie's uncle not teach him uncomfortable things are meant to be shoved under a rug or what? ?? though, fine, it isn't... the worst thing someone has ever said to him. Steve just doesn't super like thinking about Eddie not making it, is all. Steve doesn't really mean to make a joke to deflate the tension, it's just he says the most ridiculous things all the time. )
Robin says she'd drag me out by the feet if she needed to, so maybe just catch me under the pits and between the two of you it'll work out.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-28 07:38 pm (UTC)Damn this got fucking dark.
And not in a cheeky, fun way, either.
[ it's kind of your fault, Eddie, for joking about your own death to begin with!! ]
Maybe instead of contemplating depressing future possibilities we focus on the fact that, yes, we're still alive and fucking celebrate that.
Preferably with pizza, maybe some beer, and I might even be able to supply some weed.
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Date: 2022-12-28 11:38 pm (UTC)( Steve is unconvinced. he will have to be introduced to b-horror to understand.
meanwhile, not thinking about things is so much more in his wheelhouse than thinking about them! great idea! )
That's more like it, Munson. Hell yeah we can celebrate not being dead. And if you can manage the grass I'll handle the food.
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Date: 2023-01-01 12:40 am (UTC)[ the guy named his band corroded coffin, after all. ]
Done and done.
I guess this means I have to actually get dressed then, huh.
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Date: 2023-01-03 06:05 am (UTC)( especially because if Eddie is lazy about this, Steve can also be lazy about this. shockingly, unbearably tight Levis aren't that comfortable to wind down in. )
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Date: 2023-01-09 03:51 pm (UTC)Of course now I'm trying to think of if there is a single pair of pants that I own where the knees aren't completely fucked.
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Date: 2023-01-15 03:36 am (UTC)( is that... weird.... . . .. to notice the rips in Eddie's jeans?? it's just. hard not to notice. it's not just his knees, the rips travel up his thighs, too. okay, yeah, maybe that's weird. oops. HAHA MOVING ON A S A P THEN !!! )
Put on whatever pants won't scandalize old ladies and get ready. I'll swing around for you on the way for the food. ( Eddie could drive himself but Steve is very used to chauffeuring his friends, so, it only seems natural that he would drive Eddie around, too.
only seems natural until he overthinks it later. obviously. )
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Date: 2023-01-27 04:12 pm (UTC)Okay, okay, I think I've found a passable outfit. I guess I'll see you soon, then?
[ and then, against his better judgment, he adds: ]
It's a date.
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Date: 2023-02-03 02:47 am (UTC)so obviously he won't hyperfixate on the word d-a-t-e used, in this context. that just wouldn't be like him! but there's nothing to hyperfixate on, here. no need to stare at four little letters and lose half his mind. because... well. because obviously Eddie is joking. sarcasm. or something. ha ha, right? hilarious. so there's only one response to someone jokingly (sarcastically) (not seriously) using the word date is to play along. obviously!
did it take him five minutes to think of a comeback and stave off the momentary panic? no. obviously not. the stretch between messages is sheer happenstance. )
Dressing up for me? Wow, Munson, I'm gonna blush.
I'll try and get you home before curfew.
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Date: 2023-02-16 02:59 pm (UTC)[ did he notice how long it took for steve's response? absolutely. does he know when to stop, or at least slow down on the flirting? absolutely not. ]
Aw shucks, Wayne'll definitely appreciate that.
Not that I actually have a curfew.
should we action? thinking emoji
Date: 2023-02-25 10:32 pm (UTC)That's not how it works, smartass. I can't save it, you just gotta make me do it again later.
( is he doing this right? play flirting? not too much, not too little, some kinda Goldilocks impossible middle ground?? Jesus. thank god Eddie isn't actually here, or this would be so much harder.
only he is going to be here, soon. or, more accurately, Steve is going to be there, and then they're both going to be here. why does this feel like so much more of a deal than it did 10 seconds ago? he's gotta knock it off, because it's definitely not a deal. it's just two guys hanging out, that's... he can do that. it'll even be a good time, probably, since Eddie isn't an asshole. )
All right, fine. I'll get you home when you're sick of me, or before your uncle starts freaking about where you went. Whatever comes first.
I'll be there in twenty. Half an hour tops.
yes absolutely we should
Date: 2023-03-11 03:59 pm (UTC)and shit, Eddie can practically see the blush if he closes his eyes. this is probably a terrible idea, and yet he can't wait. hanging out with Steve is fun in a way he never anticipated. ]
Well, I'm sure I can find a way.
[ because it is pretty damn easy to rile Steve up these days. had been even as far back as the boathouse, pressing broken glass to Steve's neck. which, better not think back to that, because he'll just end up with all these confused feelings, a mixture of fear and something else that he's not really ready to deal with just yet. ]
Looking forward to it. See you soon, big boy.
[ and while waiting for Steve to come pick him up, in addition to changing into something a little more leaving his house appropriate, he needs to freshen up, make himself look presentable. because it's Steve and he can't help but want to look like he's put in a modicum of effort for him. which means that by the time Steve gets there, not only is he wearing a shirt with his usual ripped pants, but he's also got his hair pulled back and maybe even a little eyeliner around his eyes to give the illusion that he's actually gotten sleep recently. by the time Steve arrives, Eddie is already out on the front steps, waiting for his arrival. ]
🎬 love that eddie gets confusing gay thoughts about holding boys at bottlepoint
Date: 2023-04-02 11:47 pm (UTC)he doesn't have time to feverishly call Robin with this newest context of big boy, though. because he had to be a big damn gentleman and offer to give Eddie a ride, which... very date like. not that this is a date? it's just. you know. now that he's thinking about it, picking someone up before spending time together. very datelike.
while it is decidedly not a date (only datelike, which is different), Steve might spare some time to making sure his hair isn't a disaster and changing from one shirt to another because the collar was too rumpled for his liking. his hair is somewhat windblown from letting the windows down so Steve not sure what the point was in making the effort to fix his hair in the first place. while it could easily seem like he's plowed halfway through a pack of Mentos because of more fixated on how not a date but date adjacent this meeting is reasons, really it's because Robin always knows when he's been smoking and this is the closest Steve has gotten to a stress cigarette since he quit.
since it is not a date (and could he, just maybe, STOP pointing that out to himself, in his head?), Steve does not get out to open the door. but some gentlemanly instincts linger, apparently, because he leans across the seat to shove the door open from the inside. like Eddie would amble into the backseat without some direction? jesus. he needs to get his act together. ) Come on already, ( Steve says, in lieu of a greeting, like somehow Eddie was late when he's the one that had to show up in thirty minutes or less. which he did, so it's not like anybody is late, anyway! look, he's going through a lot right now. )
totally normal thoughts to be having
Date: 2023-04-16 01:51 am (UTC)but it's not like he can just tell Steve any of this. regardless of whether or not Steve is safe knowing about Eddie's sexuality, that doesn't mean he wouldn't freak out if Eddie admitted that yeah, he likes Steve. and it would really fucking suck if Steve distanced himself after finding that out.
so, he toes the line, and hopes for the best, but expects the worst.
when Steve's car pulls up, Eddie eagerly jogs the short distance to the passenger's side, taking note of Steve just shoving the door open. which is honestly more than he expected, so he'll take it. )
Patience, young Jedi. ( he flashes Steve a grin as he slides into the seat and pulls the door closed behind him. he turns his whole body to face Steve, arm resting against the headrest. ) Thanks for coming to pick me up, you're my hero.
absolutely it's on par with getting hot and bothered about biting heads off bats
Date: 2023-04-30 10:16 pm (UTC)and since it's all impossible and improbable, Steve doesn't have to overthink why he gets so weird and wiggly on the inside when Eddie says shit like big boy or has that look on his face when he ambles into the passenger seat like a spider-monkey. but he does have to get another mint to chew on. stress Mentos just don't do the job as well as a stress cigarette.
he lifts both eyebrows at the request to display some patience. does he seem at all like the patient type, Eddie??? in fact his lack of patience is a notable character flaw. ) Yeah yeah. I'm surprised that van of yours can actually move. ( damn Steve, you can't just insult a guy's wheels like that! ) Seatbelt.
( from knocking the functional integrity of Eddie's van to going full overbearing mom mode. yeah, there's no way Eddie would want to genuinely hit on this. )
what doesn't everyone get hot and bothered about that?
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