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Steve wasn’t particularly nervous about hosting dnd night at his place— until he saw the look on Eddie’s face that meant he would rather be anywhere other than in Steve’s vicinity. Steve didn’t really get it. They never talked in highschool, but then again he was friends with the biggest dickheads in their year so maybe Tommy had something to do with it.
He was hoping to at least ease Eddie’s discomfort, maybe offer drinks, make some sandwiches. That was until he saw that the rest of the hellfire club all had matching faces of disdain. Hatred.
He tried to be friendly when they first sat down in the dining room, making it known to help themselves to the kitchen. Offering to bring them some drinks— but each time he was shut down by the older guys. His kids were all over it, though. So that was a plus.
“We have Mountain Dew, Coke…” Steve hesitated a second trying to remember what was in his fridge. “Dr Pepper—”
“We don’t need your drinks, Harrington. ” Gareth spoke like he was spitting vitriol, leaving Steve with a sour taste in his mouth. “Trying to buy us? Go figure.”
Dustin and Lucas frowned, but didn’t say anything. Mike stayed silent too, but he looked amused but unsure of whether he could laugh or not. Steve swallowed down the interaction, leaving the room with a silent nod.
“Good. Now that he’s gone, let's get this show on the road.” Eddie punctuated his sentence with a clap of his hands and the kids were quickly distracted by the motions of the game. Discomfort relaxed by excitement.
Over the next couple hours, Steve stuck to hovering around the main floor, trying not to distract anybody. He listened in a few times, leaning against the wall beside the dining room getting caught up in the way Eddie spoke before catching himself and shaking his head. The way he talked was theatrical and really got you immersed. Steve wanted to be able to watch and listen, but he knew he wasn’t exactly a comforting presence. Nor was he welcome to anyone besides his kids.
He occasionally offered up drinks and snacks, only to be rebuked every time. He was getting fed up with the constant remarks and whispers about him behind his back, but he wanted these people to warm up to him. He knew it’d mean a lot to the party if the hellfire guys liked Steve, but the only one who seemed to tolerate his presence was Jeff.
He settled for just silently delivering Dustin, Lucas and Mike’s refills for snacks, quickly leaving to avoid any scathing remarks. After a while, Steve noticed that even Mike looked uncomfortable. The constant belittling seemed to drain the kids’ energy as the night went on.
“We can get our own shit.”
“No, Harrington. We don’t want your posh little snacks.”
The last comment before he decided to give up was the one that hurt the most. Leaving him feeling soaked up of any and all hope he had for the night.
“We’re not gonna steal anything, you can stop hovering over us.”
Gareth earned a few snickers from freak and Eddie at that but the kids just honestly looked bored.
So he stopped trying. Stayed in the kitchen or the loungeroom, not daring to step foot in the dining room for a while.
At around 6:30pm, Steve decided to make everyone sandwiches. He vaguely remembers Dustin mentioning Jeff being vegetarian so he made sure to make a separate option for him. He cut them all into halves before he even realised what he was doing. He was too used to only catering for kids. Steve hesitated a moment, standing in the doorway as they seemed to be in an intense mode of thinking. Unfortunately, he hesitated a little too long because Dustin noticed him hovering and grinned.
“Steve! You made sandwiches!” Lucas and Mike perked right up, looking over the archway Steve was standing in with a sheepish smile on his face. He flushed a little, shrugging.
“Well- It’s around dinner time, and only the kids have touched the food, so..” Steve took a few steps in, avoiding everyone’s gaze to focus on Dustin who was making grabby hands. Steve let out a quiet snort and set a plate on the part of the table that wasn’t taken up by notes and other miscellaneous objects before moving to Jeff and putting a smaller plate down near him.
“Uh-” He clears his throat, gesturing to the plate. “These ones are vegetarian.” Jeff looked at him with surprise, before moving to grab one of the sandwiches. Freak groaned, rolling his eyes at Steve and sat up to stare directly at his face from across the table.
“We’re not twelve. We can take care of ourselves, Harrington.”
Gareth’s face twisted into something uncomfortable, and Jeff hesitated before grabbing another one of the sandwiches Steve had made for him and nodding in a slight appreciation.
Eddie broke the ice, sitting up too. “We didn’t ask for your catering.” He spat, tone sharp. “Leave us alone, man. You don’t need to bullshit us.”
Steve took a step back, feeling his stomach drop. Suddenly he could feel a tingling heat behind his eyes and tears threatening to drop. He drew in a shaky breath and swiftly left, slamming the back door shut and desperately sucking in the fresh air as he struggled to bite back his tears.
The entire table stared at his movements in shock, flinching at the sound of the door slamming closed.
“What. The. Fuck. Was that?!” Dustin stood up from the table with indescribable fury. He glared at the older members at the head of the table, not blinking for a second as they stuttered, looking between themselves.
Jeff broke the silence, eventually. “Should we-” he swallowed, leaning to look out the window that was across the house. He couldn’t see Steve, he’d gone in a different direction. “Should we check on him?”
“ We?!” Lucas spat in disbelief. “We? Really? Now you feel bad?” He shoved his chair back, leaving to go find Steve.
Mike was the last to stand up, not even taking a second glance at the others before he was out the door.
Eddie was silent, not making eye contact with Dustin who was currently staring right into his soul.
“Unbelievable.” Dustin rolls his eyes, shoving his chair back so hard it nearly tips over. “Words have meaning , fucking assholes!”
He was furious in a way he’d never been before. The whole night had been building up to this. Dustin had quietly hoped they’d warm up to Steve and see him as the guy Dustin and the others knew him to be— but no. They were petty and still stuck up on shit that Steve has changed from. He’s practically a whole new person!
Point was, he wasn’t happy. And he will hold a grudge and get Erica on them if he has to.
Dustin shakes his head, getting ready to leave before he hears Eddie’s voice cut through the tension.
“Check if he’s alright, Henderson.”
And that just wasn’t fucking fair. Steve was his big brother, practically his second mother and he lets strangers into his house to be nice and this is how they treat him? Belittle and make fun of him in Steve’s own home?
“You’re being an asshole. I really looked up to you, but I care for Steve more than anything so don’t think I won’t choose him any day of the week.”
That seems to stump Eddie, who just sinks into his chair looking guilty. And it still wasn’t fucking fair.
—
Eddie knew he’d fucked up the moment he broke the pause of silence. He knew he’d fucked up when he saw the way Steve flinched away from the table, swallowing harshly as his face flushed, eyes going glassy.
He’d taken it too far in the moment of what he thought was giving Steve a taste of his own medicine, he became what he hated the most. Not just him, Freak and Gareth were in on it too. Jeff just looked mildly off-put.
Now they were sitting at the table in silence, wondering what to say— how to say it.
“We fucked up.” Gareth deadpans, not even looking up from where his fingers are tapping against the table.
“Yup. Sure did.” Jeff spoke, seemingly not impressed.
“This is his house.”
“Uh-huh.”
“We should apolog—” Eddie cut him off before he could even finish.
“I know! Alright? I know! We should fucking—” Eddie rubbed his face with his hands, stressing. “We should say sorry.”
There was another silence.
“…How?” Gareth looks around at everyone and Jeff just shrugs, glancing away as if to say ‘don’t look at me!’.
“I’ll go.” Eddie stood up, heaving a sigh as if he was preparing to go to into a deadly battle to the death. “Wish me luck!”
“No.” Jeff rolled his eyes. “Just- be… kind. Like you are with us? I’ve been waiting to be able to call you guys out on your shit. You’re acting worse than he did in highschool.”
Gareth sinks into his chair and Freak just stares ahead.
“Yeah. Be nice. Say we’re all sorry.” Gareth mumbled, picking at his nails.
“Right. Be right back.”
Eddie stumbles out of the dining room and towards the sunroom where the back door is. It’s dark out and when he opens the door he can hear the gaggle of teens talking over each other as he rounds a corner behind the pool house.
Steve is standing there, curled in on himself with a pack of smokes clutched in his hands, probably waiting for the kids to disperse so he can light one.
“They’re usually nice! I don’t know what happened—” Dustin was clinging onto Steve’s arm as Lucas shoved him out of the way. Mike was hanging back a little bit but he still had a stubborn, angry face.
“And we know you don’t like that word, man! We’re sor—” Lucas cuts in, covering Dustin’s mouth.
“Ew, did you fucking lick me?! Gross—”
“Gentlemen, I’d like a moment of Harrington’s time. If you will.” Eddie uncrossed his arms and gestured away from the back of the pool house, hoping to get a little privacy for their talk.
“No.” Dustin crossed his arms, puffing his chest out. The other two just gave him challenging looks, standing in front of Steve like a wall of pre-pubescent boys. And Steve— he just looked sad. And wasn’t that just heartbreaking?
He didn’t even try to make eye contact when Eddie finally managed to get the kids to move, not without a quick shovel talk from Mike— which he was not expecting at all. Steve seemed surprised too.
“You better not be sending us away so you can be an asshole again. If Steve mentions you being a dick at all— we’re not playing the rest of the campaign.” He glared at Eddie as he rounded the corner, Dustin and Lucas looked solemn but nod in agreement.
Steve clears his throat and wipes his face when Eddie turns back to look at him.
“Listen, Harrington—” Eddie starts, not really sure where he’s going with it.
“It’s nothing, man. You can just finish your campaign or whatever and I’ll stay out of your hair.” Steve lets his fringe fall over his eyes as he lights his cigarette, even offering his pack to Eddie who accepts.
“Nah, dude. It’s your house, I’m sorry I took it so far- I don’t know what I said or what.. happened? Back there? But I’m sorry. The other guys are too.”
Steve didn’t look too convinced as he shrugged it off, taking a drag. “It’s alright, I get it.”
Eddie frowns, shaking his head as he flicks the ash off the end of his smoke. “You- you should be way angrier, man.”
“What?”
“I mean- we were acting fuckin’… Like way worse than you ever did and I didn’t even realise until you had that freak out. You never did that shit, didn’t call names or whatever bullshit Hagan—”
Eddie stopped from running his mouth when saw the way Steve shrunk in on himself.
“Dude… you okay?”
“Y-yeah, dude. Peachy.” Steve huffed, taking another drag.
“Is this about…?” Eddie didn’t want to say the word again, didn’t feel like seeing Steve curl up into himself a third time. Instead made a sign with his hands, doing a rock symbol and holding it up to simulate a bull, his other hand coming down to his elbow, fist opening and closing as if it was taking a shit. Eddie held his breath to try not to let out a laugh.
Steve let out a quiet snort, covering his mouth. “What is that?”
“B-u-l-l-s-h-i-t.” Eddie spelt out, grinning a little. “Don’t wanna say it again, I’m afraid you might curl into yourself so much you turn inside out.”
Eddie anticipated Steve’s reaction, hoping that his attempt to make light of the conversation wasn’t taken as mockery this time.
Steve huffed a little giggle, looking down. Eddie felt something warm inside his chest, leaning into Steve and bending down a little to look up at Steve’s face.
“I am sorry, for the record. Think the Rugrats knocked some sense into me. If they trust you then I shouldn’t be so judgemental.”
Steve smiled a little, looking up at Eddie through wet eyelashes and it made Eddie’s heart stutter for reasons he didn’t want to think about. He stepped back, scratching behind his neck.
“Uh—” Eddie cleared his throat and Steve waited, watching expectedly. “I should get back, finish up before they gotta go home…”
Steve looked away and nodded, flicking the butt of his cigarette to the ground and stamping it out. He leaned back against the wall of the shed, not looking at Eddie.
“I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart.”
Eddie prided himself at the way Steve’s cheeks flamed red as he bit his lip to contain a smile.
“You better.”
Eddie grinned, reaching out to ruffle Steve’s hair— had a vague thought that they weren’t quite on casual-touches-level just yet but that didn’t stop him. Steve giggled, batting his arm away and ducking.
“Stop, man! Go play your stupid nerd game.” Eddie smiled, his own face taking on a pink hue as Steve looked at him while he tried fixing his hair. And god wasn’t he pretty? His red cheeks and glassy eyes. Cute smile and fluffy, messy hair. Eddie was gone.
This was so much easier than being an asshole. Way more rewarding when it meant that he could see Steve’s pretty face show happiness and sheepish little smiles. Not embarrassment and sad frowns in passing.
Eddie flicked his cigarette out, “Aye, captain.” He called out as he backed away with a small grin. “Talk to me when we’re finished. I still got some grovelling to do, yeah?”
Steve shook his head and smiled. “Okay.”
Yeah, maybe it was a rocky road to get to that point, but Eddie was more than pleased with the outcome. Goddamn those meddling kids for having more common sense than a 21 year old man. At least Gareth could get away with being a moody teen.
Eddie left Steve’s house that night with a blush on his cheeks and a promise of a private hang out— just the two of them. To talk out whatever tension was lingering between them. Let’s just say Eddie’s way of apologising was… something Steve had never experienced before when he laid on Eddie’s bed, shirt pushed up over his pecs, cuddling a pillow to distract from the embarrassment of his thighs being spread open.
Eddie’s eyes were red from the joint they had shared and he settled on his stomach behind Steve, pulling his cheeks apart with a grin on his face.
“Might as well start grovelling, Stevie.”