Work Text:
A dull 'pling' appeared on his phone. He saw Nancy's name flash across the screen, saw a few words before they winked out into black again.
*Where are you?*
Another message popped up. Then another and another.
He knew he was screwed by now, he didn't need his phone to rub it in even more with every beep. He hated the damn thing for shoving words into his mind he didn't need since he already loathed himself enough for two entire lifetimes.
"Fuck", he grunted. The engine of his truck creaked dangerously, grinding and stuttering following suit. The needle dropped drastically and the car slowed down with a few jerks of the steering wheel.
"Fuck", he yelled. Smoke curled from the sides of the hood in just the tiniest tendrils, but still enough to give him a jolt of panic.
That was exactly what his wife had predicted to happen sooner or later. She had always hated his truck - the one he loved, the one he had bought from his own money after his parents had cut him off financially after highschool to punish him for staying in Hawkins instead of starting a career he didn't want as soon as he had his diploma. The one he had lived in for months when he lost his scholarship and his dorm room after snapping a tendon in his leg and battling severe depression afterwards.
Well, all good things came to an end eventually and now it seemed to be his truck's turn.
With a sigh he pulled into the parking lot of the most run down motel he had ever seen just in time. The engine died even before he turned the keys. At least the smoke had vanished by now he noticed with relief. His duffle bag slung over his good shoulder, the other had been injured by an accident at work not too long ago, he shuffled to the office.
An old lady eyed him over the rim of her old fashioned glasses. Her gaze lingered a bit too long on his body for his own liking, but this wasn't new to him. His wife wouldn't stop teasing him about the fact that his looks had always outshone his intellect. The effect his handsome face had on some women was something she didn't seem to mind too much since he had never given her any reason to doubt his loyalty to her. He didn't flirt, he didn't act when a woman tried to make a move on him but refused her advances right away, he made it very clear he wasn't interested and had a wife and a daughter he was very happy with...
The receptionist was no exception. The moment she opened her mouth he knew she liked what she saw in a wildly inappropriate way, what gave him the ick. Still he remained polite and thanked her when she pressed a set of keys into his hand with a teasing flick of her long, pink nails across his wrist. Bolting out was no option so he just nodded, turned on his heels and left.
The room was shabby and would make a pretty awesome set for any eighties movie - or for cheap porn, he thought. But hey, at least it was mostly clean and the bed was surprisingly comfortable.
- 12 missed calls from Nancy -
*Could you please answer your goddamn phone, Steve! I have to leave soon and you are still not responding to me!*
* Are you ignoring me?*
*I know we fought before you left and couldn't settle this, but could you at least send me a text where you are and when you're gonna be back!?"
*Steve, where the fuck are you?*
*Where are you?*
*Fine, ignore me...*
*Barbie is still at my mom's place - can't wait any longer for you to arrive, my plane won't wait for me either so...*
Steve dropped the phone into his lap. There was more, but he didn't bother to read it. He already knew Nancy was pissed, which would make her messages get gradually worse until she dropped out of the one sided conversation entirely - like she always did when it came to situations like that.
His eyes burned angrily. Tears pricked in them ready to spill so refused to blink. Staring at his texts didn't make anything better now knowing that none of them had gone through.
*Drove through a storm, didn't hear the phone ring, so sorry, Nance!*
- message delivery failed -
*Got lost, GPS isn't working*
- message delivery failed -
*reception is terrible here*
- message delivery failed -
*dunno where I am really*
- message delivery failed -
*every time I try to call the connection breaks down*
- message delivery failed -
*Nance?*
- message delivery failed -
Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuck!
The next hour he tried desperately to connect to the motel's wifi until frustration got the better of him.
- network not stable, connection failed -
Yeah, thanks for nothing!
The bed creaked a little when he flopped to his back staring at the water stained ceiling. The socket where a fan used to be was empty, a piece of lighter wallpaper plastered over the hole in the middle.
Sadly he could relate to this pathetic excuse of a repair. A hollow feeling occupied his body where once a lively pool of emotions had been. Steve still pretended to be fine, to be whole and happy even though it was obviously not the case.
He closed his heavy lids unsure whether to shut out reality for a while or to fall asleep. Thoughts Steve didn't need right now meandered through his brain. The past threw long shadows and tainted his life irreversibly, but he had still no clue what he could have done differently back when they had been younger. Their cards had been already dealt and now he had a hard time finding out how to transform his shitty hand into something useful he could still turn the game around with.
'Reflection mode' was what his wife affectionately called Steve's quiet phases of contemplating , but he was quite sure it was more of an act of overthinking.
Since Nancy was so much more successful in her career than him it had never felt odd that she had become the main breadwinner early in their relationship. While he had hopped from job to job this woman had climbed up the ladder quickly earning a lot of praise for her journalistic work and even winning prizes for it. Steve didn't feel envy since all of this was earned and Nancy really deserved all of her success, but with her going back into her job after Barbara's birth nine years ago their relationship had changed.
Steve had been the main caretaker of their daughter since then while struggling to find an employer who was fine with him being not as flexible as other people and having a restriction on the number of hours he could be there in person. His remote desktop jobs (mostly for call centers) had given their financial security a bit of a boost and since his mother in law had offered to help with her granddaughter they had bought a house in Hawkins on Barbie's second birthday.
The building was solid wood in an outdated bungalow style popular in the sixties and seventies and in desperate need of a complete makeover, but they had fallen in love with it - or at least he had.
Steve had done all the renovations by himself since money was still a little tight and he discovered that he had a certain talent for wood work to his own surprise. So he had started to work in a local carpenter's shop in addition to his regular job on the phone when Barbie had started kindergarten.
With him pursuing his new career he and Nancy had been financially well off, but their relationship grew colder and more distant over time.
His wife decided to explore a more investigative branch of journalism back then including a lot of traveling and research which meant being away from her family a lot.
To be always 'on the run', how Steve called her work teasingly had soon left traces on her. Nancy became harder, tougher, less friendly and more controlling. There had never been a reason to distrust him or to be jealous in any way, she knew that very well, but still Nancy disliked him going out with his guy friends or traveling for work.
In addition she generally assumed her husband's jobs weren't as important as hers since she considered both of them as mundane, while being an investigative reporter ranked above all else including being a mom.
So Steve updated his calendar and put in details to give Nancy a heads up for the days she spent at home like 'Tuesday: Promised B that she can wear her yellow dress on this day' or 'Friday: B hates carrots in her lunchbox, do not include!'
Or 'Dinner with Robin', who was his best friend since they had worked in the same place after his parents had kicked him out Barbie adored them and called them her "auntle" since she didn't find a better word yet to include nonbinary Robin into the family.
Of course his wife had been unhappy to see that a person she hardly knew was very close with her child AND her husband. But instead of despising them, Nancy had come to like the quirky blonde with the dark humor very much and she quickly learned to be an expert in using they/them pronouns. Seeing the both of them interacting so cheerfully felt odd, but he couldn't put a finger on why. He somehow felt less seen in this moment, less important, almost like Nancy enjoyed his friend's company more than her husband's... Was he the one being jealous now?
Steve, average Joe from next door, small town boy, father, call center agent and part time carpenter, who had been married for more than a decade now knew deep inside himself. that he wasn't happy anymore with the woman he had loved since ninth grade. Nancy had been his first date ever, his first girlfriend, his first kiss and first time... his first heartbreak, too. He still loved her very much, but he no longer thought she did the same.
Instead she took all he did for granted: his work, his role as the main caretaker of their child and the person who took care of all the chores in and around the house. They didn't even have sex anymore, since Nancy was always too busy writing articles or doing research. Most nights she would sit in front of her computer in the guest room upstairs to avoid getting distracted by anything and that was also where she slept.
His phone beeped and buzzed. The screen blinked showing the 'empty battery' symbol one last time before it died completely. Using the car charger was definitely no option, so he decided to ring the front desk to ask if the creepy old lady there might help him out. He picked up the receiver yellowed with age and tobacco but the landline was dead as well.
"Splendid!" he muttered, grabbing his keys from the table to head out.
The office was dark, no one to be seen inside. A piece of paper had been taped to the inside of the glass door: 'For check-in after 10 p.m. please ask for Dolores in the Classic Bar across the street. Thank you!'
"Fine, whatever!", Steve sighed. With hands buried deep inside his jean jacket's pockets, his lean figure drudged through the night. Gusts of wind whipped his dark hair around and blew a couple of raindrops into his pale face.
One couldn't miss the old fashioned building with the flickering neon sign above the entrance reading 'LASSI BA' since three of the letters were obviously broken and stayed dark.
The inside on the other hand was a pleasant surprise. Walls were clad in oak boards sporting all kinds of decorations. There hung movie posters from the sixties to the late eighties framed beautifully. Small paraphernalia from old sets like empty rolls of super eight film, camera lenses and production slates were also mounted there next to cowboy hats and some pretty realistic replicas of swords, arrows and revolvers.
A warm and inviting atmosphere filled the room and sucked Steve in.
Behind the bar a lovely girl drew beer. She was tall, with a dark complexion and a mass of brown curls spilling out of a messy bun. A smile appeared on her full lips when she spotted the newcomer and signaled him to come and sit in front of her where most of the seats were still empty.
"Hey, Sunshine, what can I get ya?", her sweet voice bubbled, "You look like you need a beer, don't ya?"
With a friendly nod, he sat down and waited for his drink to arrive. He could ask if she might lend him a charger for his phone later he decided. He took off his jacket dangling it over the back of his chair.
"What does a good-looking stranger like you do here in the middle of nowhere", a laughing voice mused from his left side. A pretty blonde in her early thirties had turned around to Steve scanning his confused face with a very inquisitive motion of her blue eyes. Up and down they went, taking the slender figure with his muscled arms and wide shoulders in so intensely it almost felt like being touched all over by them.
A shudder went down his spine. It would have been a lie to say this woman wasn't quite attractive in her tight cherry red dress, but Steve wasn't even tempted the slightest bit. He had never wanted someone else than Nancy.
"Car... broke down. Erm...", he stuttered trying to find the right words to block her advances, "My family... is waiting for me, but my phone died and I forgot to bring a charger. Wanted to ask if I could borrow one from here... you don't happen to have one with you?"
"Unfortunately... no... but I could help you by taking a look into your pockets, maybe you missed one in there...", she purred leaning in to let her hands glide up his tights.
Steve bolted from his seat stumbling backwards. Tugging his jacket from the chair his feet carried him to a seat in a dim corner while he mumbled all kinds of polite apologies while making clear he wasn't interested.
The blonde giggled in amusement waving her manicured fingers.
"No need to run, boy! Didn't want to scare you away, cutey! Come back if you make up your mind, I'll be here for a little while longer..."
"Boy!"Steve solemnly huffed, sinking deep into the red leather cushion behind him, "Gonna be 40 on the 28th ..."
"28?", a happy voice chimed, "That's my age! What a coincidence!"
Pretty brown eyes rested on his hazel ones. Their warm color twinkled happily in the light. Spilling curls framed a heart shaped face and tumbled down to a pink blouse riding very low on her tanned shoulders. It was the girl from behind the bar, he realized with some relief. She placed a beer in front of him a white napkin neatly folded and tucked underneath the bottle.
"Erm, thank you... for the beer!", the words bubbled nervously from his lips.
Clasping his drink he nodded and took a shallow sip waiting for the girl to leave, but she lingered just another minute to let him know:
"If you need me, I'm at the bar until midnight... but I could leave earlier, if you want me keeping you company tonight..."
Flashing his wedding band he shook his head: "I'm married!"
With a cascade of laughter she winkend and leaned forward putting her cleavage right in front of his head.
"Your wife doesn't have to know, Sweetheart!", she breathed seductively into his ear. A finger followed the curve of his auricle with a confident flick, making the hair on the nape of his neck rise uncomfortably.
Why did things like that always happen to him? Why did random women think he was looking for a one night stand when he didn't even try to look at them?
Suddenly a rough male voice, all gravel and dark, was calling his name, well his old name to be precise, but it was definitely addressing him.
"Harrington!", it laughed from afar drawing nearer and nearer, "There you are, babe, I was looking for you!"
"Hi!", Steve choked when he saw the man coming up to him and the waitress: curly black hair drawn back in a loose ponytail complemented his slightly tanned, narrow face, a ring glinted in his nose and studs lay like dark spikes above and below his upper lip giving him the air of a vampire. His eyes appeared to be almost black in the bar's dim light playing beautifully into the contrast of dark hair and light skin. Tattoos peeked from underneath the seams of his simple tee covering his arms and neck.
One motif, a handful of bats near his elbow made bells ring in Steve's head. He knew this guy, he knew him for sure...
"Hey, babe, sorry, I made you wait so long!", the guy, Edward... Eddie... Munson (?), purred into his direction, startling him fully by sliding into the seat next to him. A strong tattooed arm sneaked around Steve's shoulder drawing him against the other man's lean body. Eddie, feeling hot like a radiator, had a firm grip, but surprisingly gentle finger which started to play with one of the long strands of hair behind Steve's ear so casually as if they did this at least once a day.
"Who's your new friend, darling?", Eddie asked curiously. His dark eyes glittered. Their gaze didn't show interest in the cute waitress at all but glared daggers and swords in her direction. It was as if they told the flirty woman to back off or deal with blood and murder.
"She... brought my beer...", Steve heard himself answer mechanically, immediately lifting his bottle to illustrate his words.
"Oh, perfect! So you work here, right?", Munson acted all nice and friendly without letting the waitress's eyes dart away from him until she nodded nervously.
"I'd like to order a beer then... and a bottle of whiskey, the good stuff not the cheap crap that tasted like ash. And two glasses for me and my husband, please... Do you want ice, babe?"
Steve blinked in shock, but managed to bob his head in agreement.
"Of course, Sir!", the girl said sourly through gritted teeth and a stupid fake smile. Embarrassment gave her face a strong red glow, but her artificial happiness never faltered as long as she was in the men's line of sight.
"You can let go of my ear, now", Steve finally managed to say.
Eddie laughed innocently while pouring drinks for the both of them.
"Cheers, Harrington!" he added, his timbre relaxed and deep.
The tumbler felt good in his hands, cold and smooth. The distinct aroma of the expensive booze lay in the air overwriting the strong smell of beer and leather that seemed to be characteristic for barslike this.
"Cheer!", Steve pressed through his lips donning the whole glass in one single gulp.
"Slow down, Harrington, I'm not planning to make a move on you! Just wanted to talk a little... we haven't seen each other in almost 20 years... so please forgive my curiosity!"
"Sure...", Steve mumbled, filling his glass once again.
Eddie sipped on his own drink and began to pick up a real conversation: "So, Harrington, tell me-"
"It's Wheeler now!", Steve interrupted
"Wheeler? Not Harrington? Wheeler like in Nancy Wheeler? Don't tell me she's the lucky one who got to marry you? No way..."
"Well she did... more than ten years ago"
"That's amazing, Har- Is it okay if I call you Steve? Don't think I can use 'Wheeler' to address you, because that's what Nancy's brother went by in my club in highschool. Feels awkward, you know?", Eddie asked. His tone was conversational and full of genuine curiosity although they had never been close back then. They had shared a few friends like Dustin and Lucas, had attended some classes together in eleventh grade as far as Steve could remember, but the amount of things he knew about the curly trouble maker was rather limited.
"Steve is fine", he finally said, adding: "We even have a daughter now."
"Wow that's amazing, man! How old is she?"
"B will be ten in a month"
"Bee?", Eddie mused with a smile on his lips, "What does it stand for?"
"Barbara, but we mostly call her Barbie or just B..."
"My daughter is almost thirteen now. Her name is Sage, she's a tough nugget and a bit on the rebellious side, but we get along pretty well most of the time..."
"Eddie Munson... father of a teenage girl!", Steve whistled through his teeth, "didn't see that coming, to be honest"
"Why not?"
"I always pictured you to become leader of a scandalous punk rock band with groupies, drugs and all that stuff... but never imagined you to be a father!"
"What makes you so certain that I am not doing both? I mean I totally could be a star... with girls, coke and cash... and a child..."
Steve's eyebrows shot up in an insecure frown. Taking a swig from his bottle he thought about Eddie's words.
Recalling the nerdy boy with his eighties hair, his ripped jeans and assortment of bold rings from around twenty years ago wasn't too hard. Steve had always envied how someone could be like him, so unapologetically himself, open and free... He had never dared to be like that, to not go with the flow just to fit in. Eddie had always stuck out like a sore thumb, stubborn and mischievous.
"No offense, but I always considered you to be... well... into guys, you know. Maybe that's where my surprise comes from...", he said, staring into the brown bottle's neck.
Eddie's laughter rang like bells through the corner they sat in.
"Never heard of the concept of bisexuality, Har- Steve?"
"I have... I just assumed... since there were rumors, you know?"
"Of course I do... those guys from the basketball team hit me to pulp because of that a year after your graduation. Had a couple of broken ribs and fractured elbow and nose... I didn't repeat twelfth grade because I was lazy but because it took months for me to recover from that attack" Bitterness tinged his voice and gave his forehead a hard line between his eyes.
"That's horrible...", Steve breathed in shock, "I didn't know, I'm so sorry, Eddie!"
"Nah, it's no big deal anymore... I mean it happened more than two decades ago and I had the chance to go to therapy in the meantime...", he said with a smile crinkling the skin around his eyes.
"I think I wouldn't be alive today if I had never found a professional to help me with my mental health when my parents cut me out of their life...", Steve confessed, shoving his empty beer away slowly. Switching back to hard liquor he sighed.
"Wish, Nancy would go, too, but she's too proud to admit she has issues as well..."
Downing another glass of Whiskey he added with a sad undertone to his voice: "I think she stopped loving me a long time ago... All that matters for her is becoming the greatest female journalist of the country one day... B and I, we hardly see her anymore 'cause she's everywhere but at home most of the time..."
"That's...", Eddie swallowed audibly, "That's quite sad..."
"Are you still happy with your kiddo's mom?"
"She... died when Sage was around three... We were about to break up just before it happened - an argument escalated, Chrissy wouldn't stop yelling and smashing all our cups and plates to pieces, so Sage came from her room and cried in panic. I begged her to calm down, but all she did was blame me for our miserable life and her addiction... That was the last time, saw her alive. Some teenagers ran her over during an illegal street race the same night..."
Eddie took a big gulp straight from the bottle of whiskey instead of bothering himself with pouring some more into his glass.
"Oh, Eddie... I'm so sorry...", Steve whispered. Tears welled up in his eyes. Thankfully for the napkin the waitress had brought with his beer he dried away the wetness before it could spill.
All of a sudden Eddie giggled leaving Steve completely confused.
"What? What is it?", he wanted to know, waiting for the other man to break free from his laughing fit to explain. Had he said or done something dumb?
"Now you have guyliner!", Munson cackled fishing out a shiny lighter from his pocket to show Steve his reflection in the polished surface.
"Fuck!" was all he would say in return. Opening the crumpled piece of white cellulose he discovered traces of a phone number written in black ink - which he had generously transferred to his lids and the bridge of his nose.
"Suits you Har- Steve! Really. Looks very cute on your babyface...", Eddie teased him, producing a pristinely steamed black handkerchief from his pocket.
"Here, take it, it's clean. Sage made it for me. She is into saving the planet by reducing waste at the moment. Whole program. Fortunately I could convince her to leave the toilet paper where it was instead of replacing it with a washable alternative..."
Steve grinned a little, rubbing the piece of fabric eagerly over his lids.
"Wait, Stevie, you're making it worse somehow, lemme help..." Eddie crooned impatiently, taking the handkerchief back. "Keep your eyes closed", he ordered.
Warmth spread over Steve's face. Calloused fingers held his chin in their firm grip - not rough but surprisingly gentle. The way Eddie had drawn even closer felt kind of intimate but not in an intrusive way, more like there was an unknown familiarity suddenly blooming between them.
"You may open your eyes, Stevie!" Eddie announced proudly, pocketing the handkerchief he had curled into a ball.
"Damn your eyes are gorgeous! Always assumed they were brown, but they are hazel - no wait! Do you have a green halo around your irises?", the black haired man bubbled in amazement, his face only inches away from Steve's.
"Erm...", he swallowed audibly without leaning back or turning his head somewhere else, "I-it's called heterochromia... m-means I have two different eye colors on the irises..."
Sweat pooled in the hollow of his throat and his cheeks burned like fire. The impulse to push the other man away passed without acting on it. Instead he risked taking a closer look at Eddie's eyes.
"You're not wearing contacts, are you? But how can your eyes be so... so black... that's pretty... errr... pretty unusual", he heard his own voice babble unfiltered. Oh Lord, he definitely WAS the most pathetic person on Earth!
Eddie finally leaned back casually, his arm resting on the upper rim of the mounted leather cushion behind his opposite's back. A crooked grin gave his face a saucy expression which made Steve wonder what kind of mischief this guy might be up to.
"Yeah... my dad has the same, but that's literally all he gave me I can draw benefits from... aaand maybe the ability to hotwire a car in under two minutes..."
"You can do what?!"
Eddie shrugged casually, swirling another round of liquor in his tumbler. The ice had turned into water a long time ago Steve realized. How long had they been talking by now?
"Lived with my uncle for a reason, Stevie! My old man spent more years behind bars than he wasn't around in my childhood..."
"I'm sorry..."
"Why do you do that? Apologizing I mean. None of my personal fuck-up of a life should be something you feel sorry for. It's not your fault, you know?"
"I... well, I guess that's how I roll these days", Steve shrugged, pouring himself a drink, "My parents... I don't really know them... We lived in the same house and they told me what they expected me to do or how they wanted me to be but they never showed any emotions around me but anger and disappointment.
I'll be forty this month and still wasn't able to figure out if they ever loved me or if I was just a checkmark on their neverending to-do lists... 'have a son', 'raise him with the highest of expectations', 'don't accept him as a person/individual', 'dump him if he turns out to be a failure' and so on... can you believe they kicked me out when I had to break up college?"
"They did what?"Eddie croaked, visibly shaken by the other man's confession.
Steve couldn't help himself but shrugg once again. For years he had felt defeated and sad about the cruelties his mom and dad had done to him, but it didn't matter anymore by now.
"Back then most people from Hawkins assumed my life was a walk in the park because of my parent's wealth... it's a bummer that it wasn't...", he sighed. The whiskey burned down his throat. Drinking had never been one of his favorite coping mechanisms but now it really helped to ignore the nagging hollowness in his heart. The next gulps even made him ignore the stream of hot tears on his face in front of Eddie - a guy he barely knew. Still it felt oddly liberating to share these feelings with him. The certainty that this man wouldn't judge him for his trauma lifted a lot of weight off of him.
"Hey, Stevie, it's okay! Your feelings are completely valid, okay?", Eddie whispered softly. His long fingers squeezing the nape of Steve's neck came by surprise, but he found himself enjoying the wave of reassurance it gave him instead of flinching away.
"You are the first person to say that in a long time", his voice came out all small and jumbled, "Not even my wife seems to care anymore... she always advised me to bottle that shit up and forget about it. She even mocked me for being 'too soft' and 'too sensitive' so I dropped the topic completely even if I am still not 'over it'... dunno if I ever can to be honest..."
"That's fucked up...", Eddie agreed. His fingers had absentmindedly started to trace a lose pattern of small circles on the other man's skin.
"Yeah... but it is what it is, I guess", Steve huffed, still nursing the heavy bottle of liquor in between words. A giggle escaped his mouth without warning but he was beyond caring by now as it seemed.
"You know what's funny?", he chuckled.
"Tell me!" Eddie said, taking the whiskey away to pour himself the sad excuse of what was still in there.
"Remember that guy... his name was Billie, I think..."
"Nah - not really..."
"Blonde, tall, bested me in basketball and swimming...", Steve explained, "...his sister Max was Lucas's girlfriend..."
"Oh, that does ring a bell indeed. So what about him?"
Rubbing his sweaty palm dry in his jeans Steve stammered: "He was the reason I... well for a while I thought... I might be into guys as well. Don't know why I tell you that for no reason and completely out of the blue now, sorry..."
"No need to apologize yet again, Stevie, I tend to have that effect on people sometimes. I'm a great listener...", Eddie told him with a wide smile, "Who would've thought that of all people big boy Harrington could be anything but straight as a board... what a pleasant surprise"
"Really?", Steve glowered, "Is it?"
"Yeah, since my gaydar is pretty accurate most of the time. But hey, no offense! I think a twink like you would have no problems finding a bunch of suitors in no time, your baby face is just adorable..."
"And now you're mocking me! Great!" Steve hissed in disappointment, "I need more booze to forget I ever told you..."
"Steve! Don't be stupid...", Eddie chided him, "Let's get you some water and get you to your place - the motel?"
"Are you trying to act like a parent now? I can take care of myself, Munson, don't worry!"
"No need to be pissed, man!", Eddie grunted. He slammed down a couple of dollar bills on the table, squeezed a cigarette between his lips and turned to leave without a word.
Knocking over his empty bottle of beer Steve bolted to his feet, clumsily grabbing Eddie's tattooed forearm to make him stop.
"I'm sorry, I... you are right. I shouldn't drink anymore and I go back to my room. Didn't wanna snap at you, it's just..."
"Are you ever going to stop apologizing? C'mon let's go, you need the air outside to cool you down, boy!"
The temperature had dropped significantly as they drudged along the lonely road together without saying even a single word. The amber spark of Eddie's cigarette was the only color in the darkness. It illuminated his lips from time to time whenever he took another drag.
"Want one, too?", he offered while replacing the dead end with a new dart.
"Haven't smoked since highschool", Steve laughed while taking the cigarette anyway. The bitter aroma made him crinkle his nose but he refused to stop inhaling since the smoke seemed to steady him a little bit. It was quite soothing to have something to hold on to, to do something instead of talking.
"You don't happen to have a phone charger with you by coincidence", he asked the moment they passed his car in the motel's parking lot.
"I have one in my shop... I could go get it for you from there, if you want..."
"You have a shop?" Steve blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, I repair cars now. Wanna see it? It's not far away, just a couple of minutes down the road", Eddie offered, pointing his thumb into the darkness behind him.
"Err, yeah, sure... why not?"
A smell of oil and metal hung into the air. Yellow light of an old streetlamp poured through the shop front window casting bizarre shadows on the floor.
"The former owner gave me a chance and taught me anything he knew about mechanics. A few years later I was able to buy the business when he retired and now it's mine", Eddie explained with pride in his voice. He switched on a few small lights in the front room and started rummaging through a couple of drawers.
"Go ahead, take a look. It's a pretty small shop, only three rooms and the garage in the back..."
Steve unfroze immediately. He didn't realize that he had been staring at the other man the whole time, at his muscular frame, his long fingers and strong arms.
"Yeah... I...", he mumbled just to shuffle around for a few minutes.
A sense of familiarity clung to the walls where wrenches and other tools had been mounted by size. Boards had been installed to hold boxes spilling nuts, bolts and other small pieces. Every inch of the shop had a purpose and gave off the air hard work and passion always did.
"You should renew the wallboards as soon as possible", was all he said when he returned after his small room tour.
"What did you say?'' Eddie asked puzzled while he shoved around the contents of a cardboard box.
"The wallboards. They seem to be rotting away. Guess it's some kind of fungus."
"You an expert in wood work now, Stevie?"
"Kinda... I'm a carpenter now, you know?"
"Explains the changes to your arms and shoulders..."
"What are you talking about, man?"
"Your frame is... different. Your shoulders are wider, your biceps, too. Your waist and hips look smaller and more shredded than I remember them to be in school. You had more of a runner's legs in eleventh grade. Even as a member of several sports teams you more or less appeared to be more on the scrawny side... but now... look at you, Stevie!"
"Could you please stop calling me 'Stevie'?"
"I could", Eddie teased, flicking his black eyes up and down the other man's body with a malicious grin on his lips. His piercings looked even more like fangs now glinting in the dull light of a desk lamp.
"But what shall I use instead, Steve Merlin Cedric Harrington-Wheeler?", his gravelly voice purred.
Steve's mouth fell open. "How come you know my fucking full name, Munson? That's kinda creepy!"
Eddie stepped around his desk with a coil of white cable in his hand closing the distance between them with two long strides.
"We had an assignment in Miss Denver's history class in tenth grade... about family trees. You tried to hide yours all the time although we were put together in a group... let's say I took the liberty to ask your mom very charmingly about it..."
"You did what?"
"Ask her about your full name... oh, she was very proud to tell me. But don't worry, I refused politely when she offered to show me your baby photos... although I was quite tempted to take a look at baby boy Stevie..."
He wanted to die off embarrassment right here and now, Steve decided, clutching his face with both hands to tone down his shock.
"Why would you wanna find out anyway?", he stammered, his voice confused and brittle.
Eddie leaned back against his desk crossing his arms casually in front of his chest. He suddenly looked like a cat who had secretly killed its owner's beloved canary without any regrets.
"I was curious after I overheard you talking to Miss Denver. At first I planned on using whatever I found out about your full name in case you decided to bully me out of the assignment, but as it turned out, you were just a perfectly normal dude, polite, friendly, bit of a jock 'cause of the guys you hung out with in your basketball and swim teams, but all in all not the bad person I pictured you as...", Eddie shrugged innocently his eyes never leaving his opposite. A smug expression flashed in them for a split second, before he added: "It's Galahad by the way..."
"What?"
"My middle name. It's Galahad.", he stated matter-of-factly. He dumped the charger to pull out a well worn leather wallet from his back pocket. He selected a card with a photo of himself and held it in front of Steve's face to inspect.
"Edward Galahad Munson?! Wow, that's... creative?? I guess...", the hazel-eyed man reacted with a helpless huff in between sentences.
"My mom was obsessed with old stories during her pregnancy, my uncle told me when I wanted to drop the name - so I kept it since I have nothing else to remind me of her. She died when I was very little. Never got to know her..."
Steve felt bad for his old classmate, but didn't know what to make of all the information he had learned over the last few hours. It was a mystery to him, how they could pour out each other's hearts so freely after they hadn't met in almost two decades. They had never been friends, had never been particularly close, but now they were talking and it didn't feel wrong or weird at all.
Following an impulse Steve put his hand on Eddie's shoulder, but instead of patting it or letting it rest there reassuringly, he found his fingers wandering up the strong tattooed neck into the mass of black curls.
"What are you doing, Stevie?" Eddie breathed into his ear when their faces drew near.
"Nothing... I guess... ", Steve answered almost inaudibly without stopping his fingers from slowly stroking up and down the other man's neck. His free hand closed gently around Eddie's sharp jawline. Hints of stubble pricked his palm just the tiniest bit as he allowed him to feel their skin touch.
A jolt of heat shot down his spine the moment their lips touched in a small kiss, gentle and sweet. Immediately he wanted to pull back but Eddie wouldn't let him. Both of his hands grabbed Steve by the hips forcing him to draw even nearer until their bodies met. Their mouths crashed against each other, hard and urgent.
The sting of the tattooed man's fangs in his upper lip, a pierced tongue intertwined with his hands sliding up his torso under his shirt - all of it felt like a hot fever dream, but Steve didn't intend to stop. His fingers buried themselves in Eddie's black hair clutching thick stands while he pushed him against the desk behind them.
Eddie's nails dug into his skin and a low moan escaped his mouth. He flicked his thumbs over Steve's nipples eagerly, making the pale man tense under his grip. Their breath became more labored by the minute as their body's instinctively began to grind against each other generating a wave of heat and desire.
There wasn't the slightest trace of doubt that they wanted more. Still Eddie broke the kiss to ask hoarsely: "You sure you want this?"
"Yeah", Steve breathed impatiently, leaning in again to go on where they had left off.
A hand shot up between them blocking his kiss.
"Steve, listen! This is important to me - to us! DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS even though you are married, even though you know you're about to cheat on your wife if we proceed. I don't want you to regret this when it's already too late, that's all..."
"I have no idea what I'm doing right now, but I really want this... want you..."
"There might be consequences..."
"I know", Steve nodded somberly, "But still..."
His hands slid down Eddie's chest, popping open the top most button of his jeans.
It wasn't a seductive gesture nor a rash thing to do; he just wanted to show what he was planning to pursue. He waited patiently for his opposite to at least say something but nothing happened.
"I don't want to wreck your marriage, Steve!" Eddie finally growled in frustration drawing his hands away from the other man's body.
"You can't destroy what's already broken, Galahad", Steve said without any emotion in his voice. His eyes darkened to a blackish hue of green making his skin appear even paler. Once again he leaned in without pushing a wall of resistance this time.
They exchanged hungry kisses and heated touches. Panting and moaning they stumbled through the shop knocking over boxes, swiping paper off the desk, bumping into stuff constantly.
"We should go somewhere else", Steve managed to propose in between kisses.
"I have a bed in the storage room over there", the other man breathed leading the way.
As they sank down on the old futon jammed into the corner of a windowless room. Blankets and pillows lay strewn all over the floor next to stacks of boxes upon boxes in different shades of grey. The only light source was the dim glow streaming in from the front office next door.
"I've never...", Steve began nervously after getting rid of his shirt.
"I know very well what I'm doing... Stevie... don't worry. Do you trust me?"
Swallowing hard he finally nodded yes. His eyelids fluttered shut for a brief second. All of this still seemed so unreal.
"Splendid", Eddie snickered with some amusement coloring his dark timbre, take off your jeans, babe!"
Without hesitation Steve obeyed shoving the bunched fabric down his legs hastily. The moment he considered undressing completely Eddie stopped him by gently taking his hands into his own.
"Not yet, not yet!", he purred in delight. His thumbs drew lazy circles on Steve's palms coaxing out a giggle of him eventually.
"Relax, babe!"
"Stop calling me that, Munson!"
"Fine, Merlin, fine!"
"EDDIE!"
"STEVIE!"
"Fuck you!"
"Nah, not when I can fuck you instead", he crooned playfully. Without taking his eyes off of Steve he stripped down to his boxers as well. He flopped down next to the other man, carefully brushing brown strands of hair out of his face.
"You are beautiful!" Eddie whispered in awe, making Steve blush.
"No, I'm not!", he brushed away the compliment with a smile.
"Shut up!"
"Make me, Galahad, make me!"
With a burst of laughter he flipped Steve onto his back forcing his knee between his legs.
"Oh, I will..."
Their lips brushed against each other again in a series of hard, sloppy kisses before Eddie's mouth moved on to a spot behind Steve's ear, down his long neck to the hollow between his collar bones, making him sigh.
"You still want to do this, huh?"
"Very much... ", Steve breathed impatiently.
Eddie leaned back on his haunches to coil his curls into a new messy bun before he pushed his hands up Steve's long legs with a vicious grin on his face. His fingers slid beneath the seams of the blue pair of boxer briefs drawing inward along the lines where thighs and pelvis met.
A sharp gust of air hissed out from in between Steve's teeth followed by tiny whimpering moans.
When a palm slid over his dick Steve's breath immediately picked up speed. His moans got a lot deeper and throaty every time a stroke went up or down. Eddie's movements were measured and excruciatingly slow, his own breathing steady and relaxed.
"Haven't had sex in a while, have you? I barely touched you and you're already panting by now... poor baby!"
"Don't!", Steve pressed out.
Eddie cocked his head innocently.
"So you don't want me to touch you anymore? What a pity!"
Panic made Steve grab the other man's wrist before he got to pull it out of his underwear.
"No! Please! I... need this... I-", he huffed out of breath directing Eddie's hand back where it belonged.
"You're still way too tense to enjoy this properly, Harrington!"
"Sorry, I..."
"Don't apologize, big boy!"
"I just don't want this to be over before it even begins... ", Steve mumbled with some shame in his voice.
"I see", Eddie understandingly nodded, tugging a loose strand of hair behind his ear, "It's holding you back... maybe we should switch places then? You confident enough to try?"
"What if I fuck this up?"
"You won't, okay, baby?"
Steve sighed. He felt like a clueless highschooler who had no idea what to do in bed, like an insecure virgin ready but lost.
He watched Eddie sprawl right beside him, his beautiful tattoos on display, his pierced nipples perky and hard. The fact that this was a man, a fucking gorgeous one at that felt indeed a little intimidating, but the pull to be with him soon overpowered his fear.
Taking Eddie's face into his hands, kissing him, sliding his fingers over a pattern of thorny roses on his ribs, a flaming heart pierced by a sword on his chest, a circle of what appeared to be some kind of runes around his navel, felt so utterly right. After a second of hesitation Steve pushed his hand below Eddie's waistband shoving away his shorts to free his dick.
Next to this his own cock felt tiny, but Steve was beyond caring now. His hand curled around Eddie's hard length. Working it slowly he carefully increased the pace bit by bit until he had Eddie moaning.
Swallowing hard he leaned over to replace his fingers with his lips. Kissing the cock's tip playfully before he let his face sink down to take him in, Steve closed his eyes. He gagged a few times but managed to adjust his position to avoid Eddie's dick hitting his throat the wrong way. Sucking and moving made him break a sweat while the other man bucked into him in delight.
Enjoying another guy fucking his face was the weirdest thing to wrap your had around as a person who had considered himself straight most of his life.
Eddie's breaths were turning into ragged gasps now. A familiar twitching ran through his body and his pulsing cock. He was close, Steve realized. Instead of letting go he picked up even more speed.
Burning hands buried themselves in his hair holding painfully tight the moment Eddie tipped over the edge and climaxed in Steve's mouth. A series of hard spasms rocked his lean body.
Overwhelmed, Steve leaned back letting the other man's gunk run down his chin and throat. It did taste different from what he had expected, but couldn't really say if it was better or worse.
He fished out the balled up handkerchief from the crumpled pair of jeans next to him to clean himself as good as possible. Eddie was still catching his breath as it seemed his dark eyes closed, his limbs stretched out in a state of perfect relaxation.
"Don't tell me, you've never done that before, Stevie, I won't believe you, I just won't", he laughed, his voice raspy and sweet.
"Never, Galahad, never!"
"Liar!"
"I'm not!"
Eddie wheezed a sound of doubt but stopped pestering as soon as he noticed the brunette's expression.
"So you've got some talent, Stevie, who wouldn't have thought that...", he purred. Pulling up his boxers he stumbled to his feet.
"Want something to drink?", he offered.
Steve nodded following the tattooed mechanic out into his shop in nothing but his jeans.
Gulping down the water greedily Steve leaned to the wall. The cool bricks felt amazing on his hot skin making him shudder slightly. Eddie busied himself on his desk rolling a small joint. His clever fingers routine was obvious.
"My roommate after college was making the best edibles...", Steve laughed, "They came up with a new recipe every other week or so, always complaining that they didn't work on them the way they expected them to."
"What about you, Stevie?", the curly mechanic asked with genuine curiosity finishing the joint.
"I mostly felt very heavy and cared a bit less about my problems whenever I consumed", he shrugged, taking the gleaming blunt from Eddie's long fingers. Inhaling the herbal aroma he remembered the days he had spent at home sulking and depressed only leaving the house to pick up Robin from their bookshop on the days they worked until night had fallen.
"My ADHD is a big fan..." Eddie laughed, "Really! Wouldn't have made it through highschool without weed. But I never tried anything but smoking it since my cooking skills are pretty mediocre at best... had to learn a lot when it came to feeding my kid. I can make decent pancakes, scrambled eggs on toast and tomato soup, but that's where my expertise ends. My coffee is amazing though..."
Passing the joint back to the other man, Steve grinned: "Ninety percent of my male coworkers can't even boil water, so you rank rather high in my opinion when it comes to preparing food..."
"Really?!" Eddie frowned, taking a last drag before dumping the dead blunt's butt into his ashtray.
His water bottle had begun to sweat on the outside. The small heater next to the desk blasted its warmth into the room creating the illusion that even the small amount of clothing they'd thrown on was too much.
A digital clock above the entrance blinked midnight but neither of them felt like going to sleep.
"What's going on in your head, Munson?", Steve asked after a while, "You look like you're plotting something wicked under those pretty curls..."
"Just fantasized a little"
"About??"
"About fucking you on my desk..." Eddie told him bluntly, making Steve's heart skip a couple of beats.
"What if anybody sees us, I mean, your whole shop front is mostly windows..."
"So what", he shrugged casually. With a quick jump he swung his long, bare legs over the table between them drawing near until his body was only a couple of inches away.
"So what", Steve repeated sluggishly. His hands found Eddie's ribs. Grabbing them hard he pushed the taller man against himself. His body bumped into the brickwall behind them but he couldn't care less at this moment. A tattooed leg shoved itself between his thighs rubbing and grinding until their pelvises met. It didn't take more than a few minutes to turn their steady breathing into a staccato of labored gasps and low growls of desire. Eddie's eyes turned even darker, his pupils huge in the desk lamp's eerie glow. A cool line played around the edges of his mouth giving him the air of a wild animal looking for prey.
Without hesitation he turned them both around pushing Steve's sweating body against his desk's wooden front. One of his large hands pressed the brunette's pale abdomen down to lie flat on the overcrowded table top while the other got rid of the unnecessary pieces of clothing they wore
Steve didn't dare to say a single word. The effect of the smoke still clouded over any traces of doubt he might have had earlier.
The sensation of Eddie's rock hard dick brushing against his ass made him pant already. Impatience made him struggle against the pressure on his back, made him whine and wiggle against the blazing body behind him.
Only when Eddie barked a sharp "Stop it!" at him to end his resistance once and for all. Lying there waiting his breathing slowed down a little, his muscles growing less taut.
"I don't wanna hurt you, Stevie, so I need you to trust me and do what I say, okay?"
"I will!", he pressed through his swollen lips.
"Good boy!" Eddie purred contentedly. His nails dug into the pale skin of his shoulder with a gleeful grunt wandering down Steve's spine until they reached his ass. Lingering there Eddie leaned over to whisper: "I know you wanna do this, but I have to stretch you first, okay?"
Steve nodded eagerly. The faint gulp of åsome liquid being poured irritated him at first, but when he felt a finger rubbing gently over his asshole he realized Eddie must have produced lube from somewhere in his shop. He pushed aside the idea of him storing things like that in his workplace just in case.
He came back to focus on the increasing pressure Eddie's fingers dealt to his back entrance. The sensation of him sliding inside coaxed a high pitched whine out of the carpenter's throat. Steve squealed and rocked just a fraction before the exciting feeling of having someone penetrate him sank in.
"Easy, big boy!", Eddie crooned as he moved his finger up and down slowly for the first time, "Breathe!"
Having completely forgotten how to pump some oxygen into his lungs a brief moment of panic washed over the pale man. A burst of stars made his vision swim.
"For fuck's sake, Harrington! BREATHE, if you don't wanna pass out in less than a minute! Are you even listening?"
"I... am... sorry... just... overwhelmed", Steve heard himself say. Blood rushed in his ears and a fine sheen of sweat broke on his brows. His ribcage heaved by the effort to establish a steady rhythm of air flowing in and out. The slow motions of Eddie's finger helped him to avoid hyperventilating and he thanked God for that. Making a fool out of himself while being fucked wasn't something he was especially keen of.
"Good boy!" Eddie praised him with a smile in his deep voice, "I'm gonna add another one, okay, baby?"
Steve wasn't despite nodding eagerly before. The pressure was bearable, the length on the other side hit him by surprise.
It took him every ounce of self control to keep in a high pitched squeal.
"Behave, sweetheart! I know this spot is kinda tricky, but if you want me to fuck you for real you have to push through... without losing it now. Can you do that for me?"
"I...", Steave moaned low in his throat.
"Can't hear you, Harrington! What did you just say?"
"I... can, Galahad!"
"You won't stop using that stupid name, will ya?" Eddie chuckled, pushing in a third finger without warning.
"Never!", Steve huffed desperately trying to keep his shit together.
"This... is exactly what I expected, baby boy! But it just won't do. How do you feel about calling me...", Eddie hissed looming over Steve's body like a burning presence. He leaned in until his lips grazed the carpenter's ear whispering only a single word: "Daddy!"
"Fuck you!", Steve half moaned half screamed in frustration. He had barely managed to avoid cumming all over the mechanic's paperwork by sheer will. Suffering through the overwhelming sensation of his nerve endings being set on fire again and again and again felt almost suffocating.
"That's not a no", Eddie snickered happily, "let's try again, will ya? If you succeed I'll add number four to this sweet ass of yours, okay?"
"FOUR?!"
"Of course, silly! Thought we already established that earlier when you checked out the dimensions of my dick with your mouth?"
"I...", Steve stammered, "We did?"
"Do you want me to fuck you or not, baby?"
"Yeah, I do... Daddy!?"
"That's my boy! Well done, Merlin, well done”
The last finger was downright painful, Steve realized, but not in a bad way. The searing sensation buzzed through him making his fingers and toes tingle with electricity.
"Shhh, there there! Don't buck your hips like that. Or do you wanna unload your little wiener all over the desk without Daddy's permission?"
"I'm not THAT small!", Steve protested in between a series of hoarse gasps.
"Yes, you are! But hey, there's absolutely no shame in being a little Size Queen, Stevie!"
"A WHAT?!", he shrieked in horror. The urge to just shrivel away, to dissolve until he was nothing but thin air, had never been that crushing.
"Calm down, baby, I don't like big dicks on other guys anyway. Having at least one major advantage is a huge turn on for me...", Eddie elaborated his fingers moving slower and borderline sluggish by now.
"Is that why you called me a twink?"
"I apologize for that. I might have misjudged what was underneath that lovely shirt of yours... You might even be stronger than me, baby, but don't you dare trying that out. I like my bottoms to be on the more docile side..."
"Dunno what that even means, man!", Steve grouched unhappily, "And why the hell did you stop the moment I got comfortable with you probing my ass with your unusually long fingers?"
"You missed the point by a good yard, Merlin, but since I'm in a very good mood right now and like to be your personal service top today, I'll give you a clue: I just can't fit a rubber over my cock by using only one hand, can you?"
Steve's head flicked around to take a glance if what Eddie was saying wasn't some morbid joke to tease him any further. The golden street lamp rendered the tall mechanic a mere black silhouette. The puny desk light was gone, rocked off the table top some time ago. Buried under stacks of paper it produced a measly glow besides Eddie's rickety excuse of an office chair, but didn't really help to illuminate the shop anymore.
"You still want this?", the dark figure asked, his voice coming out all raspy and concerned.
"More than anything...", Steve whispered into the night. Letting his eyes fall shut he waited, mentally preparing for at least a little pain or discomfort. The cool sensation of more lube on his back became his signal to shake off some of his tension, to actively let loose and relax.
"I don't want this to hurt, baby, so I'll try to go slow, okay?"
Steve bobbed his head in agreement, still fighting with himself to tone down his excitement to make this work.
"Good boy! Now take a deep breath, perfect. Another... gooood! Now breathe in as deep as you can and hold the air inside for three seconds... one, two, three..."
It was that very moment Steve felt Eddie push inside of him for the first time - not shallow but deep, almost all the way in.
A strangled sound like a flattened "aaahhh" broke from his lips involuntarily. Faintly he registered a pleasant sting where Eddie's huge cock stretched him a little more, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to start moving, to feel this gorgeous man inside of him as long as he could.
"I get it, you want me to pound your sweet little ass, but your just so fuckin' tight, baby girl. I won't last if you act up, so please tone it down a notch or two and let me do you my way, okay?"
"Yes", Steve agreed immediately.
"What did you just say, baby girl? Can't hear you..."
"YES, DADDY!"
"Good! Now calm down and breath. No bucking your hips, no pushing me. Are we clear?"
"Yes... Daddy!"
Eddie slapped the pale man's thigh with a satisfying smack, the crisp sound echoing through the whole office before he picked up a slow pace of measured thrusts. He had Steve moaning within minutes. Beads of sweat dripped onto crumpled printouts of invoices and important looking forms, but both of them gave a literal fuck if they destroyed them or not.
Their rhythm grew more and more frantic, the rasping of their voices a mixture of low growls and desperate gasps for air.
The sharp snaps of Eddie's pelvis against his, the pain and the pleasure of his cock filling him again and again, was almost too much to bear. Heat pulsed through his body pooling underneath the shallow dip around his belly button.
"I'm close" Eddie huffed, pushing inside even harder now not waiting for the other man to answer.
Instead of words Steve moaned so low in his throat it burned. His climax was coming he realized feeling the hot sensation build up until it was almost ready to burst.
"Come for me, baby girl, now, do it!"Eddie growled, pounding into him like a maniac.
Steve obeyed screaming and roaring as a wave of electricity washed over him. It resembled the sensation of being bathed in fire and ice at the very same moment, he thought while he came all over the mechanic's papers.
In the middle of riding his orgasm's high he felt strong fingers digging into his flesh just seconds before Eddie climaxed spasming with a loud cry of his partner's name on his lips.
And this time it wasn't 'Stevie' or 'Merlin' or 'Harrington' he bellowed, it was 'Steve'!
He pulled out with a strange wet sound, peeled off the rubber and closed it with a tight knot. Flopping it into his paper bin carelessly Eddie sighed.
Being at ease, discovering a sense of wholeness in this mad ecstasy wasn't something Steve hadn't expected to happen at all. The only thing he knew for sure was that he hadn't felt this good in a very, very long time.
He clinked his beer to Eddie's and took a sip. They sat on the futon in their underwear, shoulders touching briefly while they nursed their drinks in silence.
The fact that the mechanic stored a bunch of stuff in a tiny fridge in the adjacent third room of the shop, which doubled as a bathroom and a changing area, had made the brunette smile. Having a cold beer after sex was pure luxury.
"How do you feel, Steve?" Eddie asked without facing him. He had replaced his empty bottle with a cigarette, his drags lazy and a bit tired or so it seemed.
"Whole..."
"Whole?"
"Yeah... I didn't realize how much I had ceased to live until today. Losing my parents, my path of career in sports, falling into depression and having my relationship turning into the mere husk of what it once used to be did leave traces. All of that scraped away parts of me turning my days into a neverending cascade of misery. I wasn't living most of the time, you know... I was lost in a meaningless existence I had to function in.
I felt alone except when I was with B. But being a dad isn't my whole identity. I'm so much more...
And Nancy... she's not a bad person, you know? She's smart and ambitious, beautiful and strong and think I still love her to a certain extent. Still I don't regret what we did even if it might feel like cheating later..."
Eddie frowned. He opened his mouth to say something but in the end he decided against it. Instead he leaned in his body radiating heat like a campfire. The brush of their lips was sweet and soft, the kiss that followed was not.
"I'm glad, I found you!", he whispered in Steve's ear eventually when their mouths broke apart again.
"Me, too", he nodded, feeling like a weight had been lifted from him. He had finally escaped from a dark place he didn't know he had been trapped in for years.
The aggressive buzzing of a phone playing 'Master of Puppets' by Metallica woke up both men. Eddie stumbled to his knees almost toppling over to reach into the pocket of his ripped jeans.
"Sage!" he responded hoarsely, "What is it?"
...
"Yeah, sure... but make sure Riley keeps their hands to themselves while you are there, okay?!"
...
"I know, I know... I'm sorry!"
...
"I'm just trying to protect you!"
...
"No, I don't wanna talk to Riley's mom. I'm kinda busy right now... Erm, hi Mrs. Jackson, how do you do?"
...
"Of course. I'll be there. At six, I know. Have a nice day. Yeah... Bye!"
The phone disconnected with a little click. A big sigh made the curly man's shoulders drop in relief.
"My daughter...", he began, "She has a new... person she's in love with... Riley, sweet kid, very smart and all, but their mom is... well, she's terrible. Just glad she's too much of a good Christian to understand what our children might be doing behind closed doors one day..."
"I'm so glad B is still a few years away from that kind of drama..."
Eddie laughed: "Consider yourself lucky, babe! Having a teen is hard work and puberty still seems to be living hell, if you ask me"
"You love Sage, I think that helps a lot when it comes to surviving those tricky years... you seem to be a good father"
"Harrington, don't make me get sentimental, my guyliner might smudge if I start crying!"
"Shut up, Galahad! Didn't you brag about your coffee yesterday?"
Steam was rising from a large mug in front of him, but Steve couldn't bring himself to take it.
Staring at his phone's cracked screen he waited for something to happen, for a sign from his wife, but Nancy still refused to answer his calls out of spite.
His mother-in-law didn't mind taking care of B for a few days longer to his relief. She adored her granddaughter and loved to spend time with the cheeky little girl.
Barbie herself had been very sad to hear his truck had broken down after a brewing storm (she loved the damn car even more than he did) and that it would take a few days to find all the spare parts the local mechanic needed to fix the engine.
His boss in the carpenter's shop had been less understanding, but inevitably accepted to give him two days off since his vehicle had died during a work trip without any warning.
His supervisor from his other job had fumed. A lot of his colleagues must have quit over the cause of the weekend or had called in sick so her patience was stretched so thin by now that his unplanned absence made her explode.
"You okay, Stevie?", Eddie asked sliding into the seat opposite to him.
"Yeah, it's just... I'm usually very busy all day everyday, no breaks... now that I lost one of my two jobs and can't go to the other one either I just don't know what to do with myself"
"Don't you have any hobbies, Harrington? Thought you liked basketball and swimming and stuff like that..."
"I play with B from time to time or take her to the pool. Every once in a while I have a beer with a couple of guys from the carpentry or watch a movie with my best friend Robin, but that's all..."
"Sounds very boring for a fun guy like you"
"Never was a 'fun guy', whatever that might be. I'm so fucking ordinary I'm quite positive you can find my portrait if you google 'avarage male person'... My bestie always calls me a 'normie' since I'm so normal, so basic..."
"Are you?"
Steve couldn't help himself but shrug. His coffee had grown cold by now, but still tasted pretty nice. The bitter flavor suited the gloomy thoughts circling his mind very well.
"There's one thing you should know before dwelling in self-pity, Harrington... I don't fuck ordinary people. Never have, never will!"
Steve choked and sputtered coffee all over the small table in front of him. He coughed and wheezed for a whole minute straight. Keys rattled in the apartment door the same moment he had finally managed to breath again without falling back into a fit
"Welcome back, Nugget!"
"Hi, Eddie!", a young voice chirped happily behind him, "Who's your new friend?"
"A guy I was in highschool with a long time ago", the black haired man said, winking at his opposite, "Steve Merlin Cedric Wheeler meet my daughter Christina Sage Cunningham!"
The girl flopped into the seat next to her father with a sigh. Her complexion was lighter than Eddie's with rosy cheeks and large brown eyes. Her hair was several shades lighter but just as curly as his. More than a dozen rings and studs adorned her ears and a ring glittered on each of her fingers. A frilly dress, silky and bottle green, clung to her lean figure.
Politely she offered her hand to Steve squeezing his fingers with a firm grip.
"Just Sage!", the teen ordered.
"Just Steve", he replied in a meek tone.
"Could you get me a coffee, too?", she crooned, smoothing down the fabric of her skirt over her scrawny knees.
"Sure" Eddie shrugged, leaving his daughter and his guest alone.
"How old are you?", Sage asked out of the blue, squinting her dark eyes to mischievous slits.
"Nearly 40"
"So you're not one of Eddie's younger D&D friends from his club back in school, are ya?"
"No, never played D&D in my life..."
"And your middle name is Merlin?"
"Unfortunately, yes"
"Cool... what do you do for a living, Steve?"
"Carpenter"
"Do you know how to cook?"
"Yep, I do"
"What about vegan food, can you prepare that as well?"
"Since my kid is allergic to milk and eggs and despises all kinds of meat except crispy bacon, my repertoire is quite large when it comes to vegan dishes."
"What about cake?"
"What about it? I love cake!"
"So you can make that, too?"
"Sure... vegan, classic variations with buttercream, cookies, churros... you name it"
"That's pretty impressive..."
"Thank you!"
"And you have a child...?"
"Barbara, she's almost 10. Loves to swim, to read and to dance."
"Cute!"
"She definitely is."
"What do you think about rock music?"
"Not exactly my genre, but I can't say I don't like it... I'm more into pop from the 80s to the early 2000s though."
"Ever been in a band?"
"No, but I was told, I'm a decent singer, maybe I should try..."
"You and my dad -"
"What about us?"
"Have you really been friends in highschool?"
"No, we had a few classes together, shared a couple of friends, but never were particularly close."
"But you like him now."
"I... yeah, I think I do actually"
"Good!"
"Good?"
Sage nodded approvingly and jumped to her feet. Taking the cup from Eddie's hands, she waved them good-bye with the words: "He's nice, you should keep him!" not further elaborating which man she was even talking about.
"My assistant says, she can get us the spare parts for your truck tonight, so I might be able to fix it tomorrow", Eddie informed Steve. The mechanic had been talking back and forth with his only employee over the last few hours to find out if and when he could actually help the other man out in his miserable situation.
Steve's mood sank instantly. He really missed B, missed his home and his job, but the idea of going back to a place where he had to face Nancy eventually didn't feel like something he was really up to, yet.
"Hey, big boy, what's bothering you?" Eddie wanted to know. Placing his long fingers underneath the pale man's chin he lifted his face to meet his hazel eyes.
"I'd totally understand if the things we did in my shop are -"
"No, they don't! There's no regret... or shame, not even a trace of a bad conscience if you will. It's... more of a deep sadness... caused by the realization my marriage isn't working anymore - not for me, not for my wife..."
"Does she know?"
"I think... she probably does, but didn't want to face this mess either - not alone"
"You think very highly of her, assuming she drew away to avoid hurting any of you..."
"Not on purpose, I guess", Steve sighed, "she might even still love me, but not in a romantic kind of way. At least that's how I feel towards her..."
Eddie batted his long, black lashes. A pattern of irregular red blotches crept up his neck filling in stretches of skin in between his beautiful tattoos.
"I wonder...", he asked without meeting the other man's gaze, "... how do you feel about me?"
Steve swallowed audibly, blinking away some tears still clinging to his lower lids. A smile warmed his face the moment he laid eyes on Eddie's flushed cheeks.
"... like I know nearly nothing about you. Like you are a mystery I want to explore, to fathom who you really are beneath all those tattoos and curls..."
"You're not afraid to fall for a freak like me? Eddie whispered, his mouth caught in a crooked grin.
"Not at all!", Steve laughed, "Not. at. all."
His lips brushed along a pattern of stars on Eddie's jugular. His teeth grazed the lobe of his pierced ear, it's helix... Gently kissing the burning skin of his temple Steve hummed: "As long as you aren't afraid to develop feelings for a normie like me, Galahad!"
"Might already have, Merlin.”