Chapter Text
Steve is facing the back of Family Video, which is why he blames his startled jump at the sound of someone banging open the store door. The bell rings loudly and, curiosity raised from the hubbub, he turns away from contemplating whether the Back to the Future VHS should be stored in sci-fi or comedy.
He’s in time to see Eddie framed in the sunny doorway grinning. With a basket under one arm, he quickly glances around before loudly proclaiming, “How to woo a werewolf!” Despite knowing that the store is empty, a jitter of nervousness has Steve hurriedly checking that no outsider heard their furry little secret.
He only sees Robin at the counter who steps away from the telephone and computer with upraised palms as if to say she doesn’t know what’s going on either. He squints suspiciously at her too-innocent expression but is distracted as Eddie bounces over to them. He looks like an adorable bat beating its wings towards a bunch of delicious fruit.
Steve ignores the comparison, leaning into his brief fright instead. With a scowl, he places the VHS case into the comedy section, “Why don’t you shout a little louder, I don’t think the government agents heard you at the back.”
With a soft thud, Eddie releases the wicker basket onto the counter and Robin leans in curiously. While she does, Steve peers around the two of them to stare at the parking lot: empty but for his bimmer.
Eddie catches him doing it and smiles smugly, “I parked a block away.”
Well, he’s always known that Eddie is smart; he must have worked out that Steve makes himself scarce at the first hint of the van. “You figured that out, huh?” Eddie nods while looking down, shuffling items inside the wicker as if meticulously arranging an art exhibition. “Yup, so you can stop ducking out on me now because that trick no longer works.”
Steve drums his fingers sceptically on the counter, “Because you’re here to woo a werewolf?” He ignores the little hand tugging at his heart, trying to tell him to listen to Eddie. Slapping it away, he nevertheless allows this to play out. Like a sap.
Eddie hums in agreement, looking up with calm eyes. “That’s right. I get it now. You think I’m going to bail or that I’m fixed on who ‘Steve Harrington’ should be, or used to be, or anything like that.” He grimaces in apology, “And I shouldn’t have jumped you when you were talking the other day. You were trying to tell me something important, but I got caught up in the moment.”
Steve swallows down the bittersweet memory, “I have it on good authority that I was beautiful, sure.”
But Eddie shakes his head, expression serious as he keeps his hands firmly gripped at the edge of the polished wood between them. “It wasn’t like how hot your ass is or something, Steve. It was you.” Steve is caught by the warmth that fills Eddie's eyes. “You were so excited and had all these plans, I was in awe of you. I don’t even know what I’m doing next week and you’re already planning your entire life.”
“And that made you want to kiss me,” Steve asks cautiously, that hand tugging at him again, urging him to believe in Eddie once more.
Eddie smiles confidently, engagingly charismatic in a way that Steve falteringly reminds himself to resist, “I always want to kiss you, but yeah, in that moment I thought I’d have to touch you or die.” He winks, “I know you call me dramatic, but when you feel that strongly for someone it can make you do stupid things.”
Heart stuttering in his chest, Steve’s mouth goes completely dry at the implication of Eddie’s words. “Strongly?” He eventually manages and realises that he’s swayed over the counter, because Eddie’s eyes are much closer as they flicker over Steve’s face, pausing for a weighted moment on his lips.
He clears his throat, swinging away from Steve slightly but his expression is full of affection and reassurance as he says, “Very strongly. And so, I think you should let me.”
Steve blinks, dazed by the emotions running riot through him and the speed at which Eddie is barrelling ahead. “What?”
Robin groans next to him, making him jump for the second time and Steve glances at her in mild irritation, he’s having a moment here, okay? She rolls her eyes and waves both hands towards Eddie, silently telling them to get a move on.
“Anyway,” Eddie interrupts, amused gaze flicking between the two of them, “Stage one of how to woo a werewolf: shower them with treats.” He gestures grandly to the basket, “Dustin hooked me up with one of his books and I read that wolves like to hide food cachets, so I thought you might like a stash of a few comfort items.”
Steve looks down doubtfully but can’t help the laughter that unfolds as he picks through it. “You asshole,” he snickers, holding up a big red chew toy. In the shape of a bone, it has pink hearts dotted across it. Robin brightens at the package underneath it. “Cool,” she says before scooping up the bag of peanut butter pretzels, popping the bag open and digging into his treat before he can say anything.
Steve experimentally squeezes the plastic with an airy squeak. Ignoring his inner wolf perking up in interest he casts a dry, judgemental look at Eddie, but he only grins like he knows that Steve’s going to be chewing on it as soon as he shifts.
“And not just snacks and fun for Girl’s Night, but also reminders for when the sprouts aren’t around.” Eddie pulls out a handful of miniatures and positions them carefully in a row in front of them, from shortest to tallest.
At half size, three figures stand while brandishing their weapons: an axe, a sling, and the last looks like it holds fire around a metal cog. Towering over them is an armoured woman with a long sword crossed over her body. She is fierce and smug all rolled into one. “Robin?” Steve asks.
He hears Eddie hum in agreement, but his attention is quickly captured by the wolf standing in front of his pack. Washed over in a warm mahogany that glows with a subtle bronze, the snarling mouth and ferocious brow are painted so that the animal looks less menacing and more protective. Eddie reaches out and touches a gentle finger to its snout, “I thought about giving you both the wolf and a knight, but I figured it’d be redundant.”
Steve’s heart is squeezed—one long, hard pulse by that earnest hand—at the realisation that Eddie had been listening to him about his wolf all this time; not only hearing him out but taking his words to heart.
He sees Eddie nervously shift on his feet from the corner of his eye like he’s uncertain about the reaction to his gifts, but Steve’s not sure how to respond when he can see the careful brush strokes that has brought the figures to life. It’s the party in a snapshot and Eddie has gifted them to Steve so that he will never be alone.
Eddie pulls out the final gift, sliding it out for it to pool partially over the counter. A soft blanket made from durable materials, it is threaded through with generous tones of gold and brown made into geometric shapes that match the clay pots in his house. Steve frowns in confusion, “And you want me to rug up?”
Eddie bites his lip before explaining, “I thought you could hang it over your couch, and whenever your place feels too empty then…”
“It would have the scents from everyone sitting on it when they come over,” Steve concludes softly and Eddie rubs at a corner of the blanket, “I don’t think you’re ever going to be alone, Steve. Never. Not with the kids around, Robin’s never going to let you be—” They ignore her snort of agreement to the side. “—and definitely not if you allow me in the picture. But, just in case, you’ll always be able to smell them and see little versions, to remind you that they’re not far away.”
Steve looks up from the assortment of gifts, designed to woo a werewolf, and he’s sure that his heart is in his eyes, shining with the hope that is tentatively forming into belief and faith.
Whatever he sees in them has Eddie’s own eyes widening before he steps back quickly. Steve watches as his fingers curl as if to stop himself from reaching out, and the carefulness in the gesture causes a corresponding tug at the corner of his mouth.
Eddie licks his lips while motioning to the counter, “Anyway, this is just the beginning, something to start convincing you that I’m not going anywhere.” Steve feels that tug become a smile, broadening until he’s beaming as Eddie continues. “And maybe you’ll end up deciding that I’m not what you want or that I’m not worth the effort, but I’m going to make it real difficult for you to make that choice.”
His breath catching at Steve’s expression, Eddie blinks and half-steps back, “I’ll, uh, just get out of your hair then…”
Except that Steve’s not letting Eddie go anywhere, not now. Not after comprehending that he’s not a fling to Eddie; he’s not a simple-minded jock, but someone that he knows deeply enough to design a curated treasure trove for and wants enough to court until he’s willing to understand that.
And Steve does. He can feel the certainty of it settling into the marrow of his bones until they glow with the fire of urgency. Because he understands Eddie’s call to action at the garden store too, he hears an echo of but when you feel that strongly for someone it can make you do stupid things, and he thinks that Eddie will never be a stupid thing, but he will always be the person that Steve needs.
He allows that demand to fuel his actions and determinedly he rounds the counter as Eddie steps back again. He manages half of a “What—?” before Steve clasps his hand firmly around his wrist and drags him to the back storeroom, away from prying eyes and where Steve can show Eddie just how far the fire has spread.
Steve tugs him into the Family Video storeroom, and Eddie smacks back into the door as he closes it firmly behind them. One palm by Eddie’s head, resting on the wood, while Steve’s body almost presses against him.
Less than an inch separates them and Eddie is mesmerised by the inviting sight of Steve’s hooded eyes trained on him and the soft pout a hair's breadth away from his lips.
The temptation of it is searing and, desperately, he brings to mind Steve’s hurt face at the Nook and Eddie's silent resolution, as he sat next to Robin, that he would take this slow and easy, at a pace that Steve needs until he’s convinced of his esteem and devotion.
Steve leans in closer and Eddie stops himself from squeaking before ducking under his arm and backing further into the room. Eyes following him intently, he stalks his backwards progress.
“Wait!”
Steve pauses at Eddie’s outstretched palms, watching thoughtfully as he threads a shaking hand through his hair: Steve at full seduction is a powerful thing.
“This means a lot to me,” Eddie breathlessly explains.
“Okay,” Steve says, a smile showing at the corner of his mouth.
Eddie shakes his head, “No, like, I want to make sure that you know that. Really get it because I want this to be a permanent thing. Not just some making out at the back of your workplace.”
Amusement and desire blend into an intoxicating mix in Steve's eyes, “I wouldn’t mind both.”
Huffing out a breath in frustration, Eddie doesn’t notice Steve inching closer as he says, “Yeah, but this is really important to me, Steve. Like proper emotions are involved here and I don’t want you acting on a whim only to regret it later.”
Before he can blink, Steve snakes out a quick arm and bands it behind Eddie, reeling him in against the lean heat of his body. Eddie gulps. But Steve ignores it as he slides his free hand up to cup Eddie’s jaw, a near-mirror of their last almost-kiss.
“Eddie,” Steve says softly before slowly explaining, each word a deliberate extension to ensure that he understands, “I pulled back before because I am so in love with you that if all you wanted was to make out in a backroom, then it was going to destroy me.”
“Oh,” Eddie whispers, “That’s what you meant.”
Fondness shines through Steve's expression as he rakes his gaze over Eddie’s face, leaving him feeling flushed and filled with a golden fire. “That’s what I meant. Is that okay?”
Eddie nods hurriedly, “Better than okay. Great, even. Because same,” he babbles, suddenly unsure of his words when all of his rehearsed scripts have been focused on convincing Steve to give him another chance, “I mean, me too.”
Steve interrupts gently, heated gaze falling on his lips, “Can I kiss you?” Eddie blinks because what the hell is Steve thinking? Of course he can kiss him, and Steve must read it in his face because he swoops in, passionately taking his lips in a searing embrace that Eddie fervently returns.
The intimacy of it is electric, exciting his body to the very molecules and filling Eddie’s bubbling chest to overflowing, only made better from finally, finally being allowed back into the fold of that ripe berry scent once again. No more bitter sourness: instead, overflowing into dark sweetness with a tang that shudders through Eddie’s senses in a way that he is helpless but to tumble after.
Eddie is so lost to the sensations, in the taste and smell of Steve as he takes him apart, that he doesn’t even register the pulse and swoop until he’s instinctively flapping his wings in the air, nose to hairy nose with Steve, whose mouth has dropped open in shock.
It’s still pretty and pink with a tempting sheen to it, Eddie thinks sadly with a mortified squeak at his incredibly bad timing. Steve’s face twists, and Eddie is suddenly struck with the concern that he’s managed to hurt his feelings by accidentally shifting into his bat form, before a giggle escapes.
Steve slaps a hand over the lower half of his face, but Eddie can see the brightness of his eyes and hear the smothered sounds of his laughter. He chitters angrily: this is embarrassing and terrible and he’s never kissing Steve again.
“I’m sorry,” Steve gasps, snickering into his palm and reaching out with a conciliatory hand. But Eddie deftly smacks it away with a miffed wing and swings back a foot, inadvertently hitting the hat stand, which falls to the ground with a crash.
“No, sweetheart, I’m sorry,” Steve says, forcibly turning his lips down even as his shoulders continue to shake. Eddie’s sure that under his fur, blood is rushing to his batty cheeks, and he thanks whatever shapeshifting god there is that allows him to hide it as he snaps his small fangs in displeasure and flits away. A clatter sounds through the room as he knocks a stack of VHS tapes on his way to hang upside down from the light fixture above.
The room’s door tentatively opens and Robin walks in, one hand over her eyes and the other outstretched to keep her balance while blinded, “Are you guys okay? It sounds like bad noises and not good noises in here.” Eddie squeaks in further mortification to have another witness to his faux pas.
Resolutely, he wraps his wings around his body, only peering out over the edge to watch as Steve shoos her out and Robin obeys with a grin as she peeks through her fingers. Steve looks up at Eddie, but something in his stubborn expression must set him off again because his hands collapse against his knees as he tries to draw a breath around his laughter.
“I’m sorry,” he repeats, gasping. “You’re just so cute, baby. Come on, come back down.” He gestures, eyes soft and hands reaching out to Eddie, but he only hides behind his wings fully this time. Steve calls again, voice cajoling and bright with joy, and Eddie decides that he’ll wait until he’s apologised at least two more times before he changes back.
Then he’ll kiss Steve again. And again. And maybe he’ll just never stop.