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matchingbatbites · 4 hours

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somehow we're here

Explicit | 6.5k | Modern AU | Full Tags + Read on Ao3

Steve only downloaded the app because he was drunk.

At least, that’s what he’ll tell himself in the morning, once he’s back in the light of day and not half-gone on a few fruity cocktails and multiple shots of tequila - at least three, though it’s realistically more like five or six. Nevermind that he’s been home for almost an hour at this point, is only still awake because of the vague nausea still rolling in his stomach.

It had been incredibly easy to set up an account, even in his drunken state - something he thinks might be a feature and not a bug - and he’s been scrolling on it for about ten minutes when he realizes-

He’s still bored.

Because that had been the real reason, hadn’t it?

Steve is bored. Bored of first dates that seem to go nowhere, of relationships that seem to fizzle out after a few weeks, and for whatever reason, Tequila Steve seems convinced that a gay dating app would be a fun thing to sign up for. It’s not like he has anything to lose, he’s just bored and kind of horny and definitely not lonely and desperate.

So Steve flips through profiles, taking in photos of the same waifish boys and beefy gym bros. He’s just about ready to give up and try to sleep through the nausea, when he stumbles across a profile that makes him stop cold.

The photo looks like it’s from a concert or something; the guy is on a stage, clearly mid-show, with a wicked looking guitar in his hands. Steve’s eyes get caught on those hands, the veins and the painted nails and the chunky, silver rings.

His hair is a riot of dark curls haloed by the stage lights, and Steve regrets that he isn’t able to see the man’s face. He focuses instead on his clothes, the black t-shirt and ripped jeans, his exposed forearms littered with black ink.

The photo is so honest. It’s pure, simple emotion and Steve is instantly drawn in, eager to know more about this person.

The next photo is closer, clearly cropped down from a larger picture, and Steve gets his first good look at the man’s beautiful face. Deep, chocolate eyes that house a delighted sparkle, a blinding smile that sets loose a swarm of butterflies in Steve’s stomach. Not to mention the piercings; two just below his lower lip and another through his eyebrow - Steve briefly wonders if he has more, maybe his tongue or his nipples - fuck, that would be so hot.

In the last photo the man is seated on a couch, holding an acoustic guitar this time, and he seems focused on whatever he’s playing, clearly unaware of the camera-person at all. Those brown curls are pulled into an updo, revealing ears littered with even more silver jewelry, and there’s a cute little crinkle between his brows that Steve wants to smooth out with his thumb.

Steve scrolls down to actually read the guy’s profile, and sees that his name is Eddie. He’s 27 and local to the area, he likes metal music and D&D, and he definitely seems to check a lot of Steve’s boxes. Nerdy? Yeah. Hot? Fuck yeah. Confident? If the concert photo is anything to go by, this man has confidence coming out his ass. So yeah, check there too.

He adds the guy without hesitation, and will once again blame Tequila Steve for what’s next once he’s sober. He sends Eddie a message.

‘Hi, i’m straight, i literally just got this app cause im kinda bord and kinda drunk. But you’re actually my type. Can I be honest?’

Steve doesn’t really expect an immediate response, considering that it’s two in the morning and all, so he decides to flip over to a different app, already knowing that he isn’t really going to care about anyone else he might come across. He’s surprised when only a couple of minutes later, he gets back a simple ‘Sure lmao’, and scrambles to flip back over to the messenger.

‘I didint think i’d message anyone on here but your cute and hnestly i geuss i kinda like that you won’t get pregnant.’

He decides to wait this time, to see if he’ll get another quick response, and he holds his breath when the typing indicator pops up, only to disappear again. It does this a couple of times, like Eddie is writing and pausing, or erasing and starting over, and Steve just waits, so curious to know what the other man is going to say.

‘Are you free tomorrow? I need to know if you’re as adorably endearing when you’re sober.’

Steve gasps in delight. Eddie wants to meet him! He kicks his feet a little in excitement and messages back ‘I can be as endering as you want me to be baby.’ It takes him a second to realize he hadn’t actually answered Eddie’s question, and he sends a follow up ‘Yes i am free tomorow.’

‘Meet me at Hank’s on 6th? 7pm?’

He confirms the time and place, and even as giddy as he is, Steve’s barely able to exchange a few more messages before he’s out like a light.

Steve wakes up the next morning with a headache. It’s nowhere near the level of one of his migraines, but it’s enough to be annoying as he gets up and starts his day. He’s thankful it’s Saturday, that all he really has to worry about are some errands and brunch with Robin.

A quick shower and a cup of coffee has him feeling more alive, but meeting up with Robin makes him feel better than anything else could. She looks about as bad as he does, which is interesting considering that she didn’t even come with him to the club last night.

They chatter on for a while, with Steve letting her rant again about the situation she finds herself in (she refuses to drop Vickie even though the girl bounces between her on-again-off-again boyfriend and Robin like a fucking ping pong ball, and she also refuses to admit her growing feelings for Chrissy, her roommate turned friend with benefits. It’s a whole mess.)

She asks about his own dating life, and he honestly has nothing new to report. He’d gone out last night intending to at least find someone to take home, but once he actually got into the scene, the effort just didn’t seem worth it for a temporary fix.

Instead he drank, and he danced with strangers until the room started to spin, and then he made his way home. He’d had fun, even though he'd ended his night alone. Robin hums and pours another drink from the pitcher between them - White Peach Sangria this week, and it’s good, though Steve prefers the Bloody Mary they had last time.

“We're kind of pathetic, huh?”

“I mean, you are,” Steve replies, and shrugs when she gives an affronted Hey! “I might be single, but you're the one who's letting a great girl slip through your fingers because you can’t say no to your fickle ex.”

“She’s not fickle-”

“Where was she last night?” Steve asks, staring Robin down until she says “With me.”

“Mhm. And where is she now?”

Robin frowns hard and grumbles “With Jack.”

Steve gives her a look, and she sinks down a little in her seat.

“You know, sometimes I forget that you were friends with the mean girls in high school, and then you hit me with that fucking Carol Perkins face and it all comes flooding back,” she says, and Steve rolls his eyes.

“Stop being a drama queen, and stop waiting for Vickie to change her mind about Jack. It’s not fair for her to come running to you every time they have a fight if she has no intention of actually leaving him for you. You deserve better, Rob.”

Robin groans and drains the last of her glass. “When did you get so wise and shit?”

“Fuck you,” Steve says, no heat behind it as he kicks her under the table. “I know how relationships work and shit. You’re the one who doesn’t listen to me.”

She kicks him back with a “Yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s finish this pitcher so I can go home and wallow.”

The notification comes in after brunch, once he and Robin have parted ways and Steve’s just parked at the grocery store (he doesn’t take Robin with him to the store anymore, for both of their sakes).

‘Hey, just want to make sure we’re still good for tonight?’

Tonight? What’s tonight?

It takes him a moment to remember his actions from the night before, to remember the app. Steve’s stomach flips at the vague memory of a conversation and he opens the messenger. He scrolls up, reading his message history with this Eddie person, and oh god.

Is it possible to get secondhand embarrassment from your own actions? Your very drunk and somewhat horny actions? The guy seemed to take it pretty well, at least, and Steve taps over to his profile out of curiosity.

And yeah, okay, Tequila Steve had a point. He’s never thought about dating a guy before, but this man is hot, just absolutely sexy in a way Sober Steve isn’t prepared for. He had been planning on telling this Eddie guy that he was drunk when he agreed to meet, that he wasn’t interested, but now that would be a lie. Because he’s definitely interested.

He sends a ‘Yup! Still good :)’ and then quickly follows it with ‘I was so drunk last night that I kind of forgot about our conversation, so I’m glad you messaged me!’

Eddie’s reply takes a second, that starting and stopping going on just long enough to make Steve nervous before a message comes through.

‘Oh damn! I’m glad I did too. Though you did tell me last night that you’re straight, so I won’t hold it against you if you don’t want to meet anymore. I know alcohol can make us do things we normally wouldn’t.’

Oh, he’s sweet. Steve actually does decide to think about it, and flips back over to Eddie’s profile as he does. He goes through the photos again, imagines what it would be like to be close, be intimate with Eddie the way he has with women. It doesn’t scare him the way he thinks it should, because he doesn’t actually think it would be that different. Sex is just sex, right? It’s the person that makes it fun, makes it special. And Eddie definitely seems like a special one.

What reaffirms Steve’s decision is the last photo, where Eddie is holding the acoustic. His eyes catch again on those ringed fingers, on the rough, clearly hand cut neckline of Eddie’s shirt. He thinks about what it would be like to lick the jut of Eddie’s exposed collar bone, and the shiver that runs down his spine has him immediately flipping back to the conversation.

‘I definitely still want to meet. As embarrassing as I was last night, I was telling the truth.’

‘Oh good! Nice to know that sober Steve also thinks I’m cute and is glad I can’t get pregnant.’

Steve groans and drops his head onto the steering wheel a few times. He's never gonna live that one down, is he?

Another message comes through before he can be too mortified, though he almost regrets looking when he sees ‘Unless sober Steve is more upset by that than glad’ which is followed rapidly by ‘It’s okay baby, we can always pretend if you want ;)’

This man is gonna fucking kill Steve.

Hank's on 6th is a little dive bar that Steve has actually been to a few times, when he and Robin had wanted to go drinking but hadn’t wanted to deal with the noise and bustle of the club. It’s cozy compared to other bars in the area, and Steve is happy for the familiarity of the location as he steps inside. He pauses inside the door and glances around, looking for- oh.

Sitting at a nearby table is Eddie, in the flesh. He’s even more stunning in person, with his hair pulled up into a bun, showing off the jewelry in his ears and the long line of his neck. He’s wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans, and Steve can see a leather jacket slung over the back of his chair.

Eddie spots Steve about the same time and waves, inviting him over. He does his own once-over as Steve approaches, and Steve knows what he looks like. He spent long enough in front of the mirror agonizing over his appearance, making sure everything was perfect. His red sweater is comfortable even though it’s a smidge too small, and he can see Eddie’s eyes catch on the way it stretches across his shoulders, on his forearms where he’s rolled the sleeves up.

“Not gonna lie,” Eddie says as Steve sits down. “I’m kind of surprised you showed up.”

“I said I would. Tequila Steve might not be the smartest, but sometimes he has good ideas.”

Eddie laughs and Steve is overwhelmed with the desire to dig his thumb into the dimple that appears in the man’s cheek. “Well I hope I get the chance to thank him someday.”

Eddie’s photos don’t do him justice, don’t properly convey the energy he has. They get on better than Steve would have imagined, and while the conversation lulls every now and then, it never truly stops. His piercings catch the light, pulling Steve's attention down to his mouth, to the way it moves while Eddie speaks. It’s distracting, and the teasing smile Eddie wears for the conversation tells Steve that he knows.

Steve learns that Eddie works at an assisted living facility, something he never would have guessed based on the man’s appearance. It’s not a job Eddie ever expected to have, but he loves it, loves helping people who need it and gossiping with the old biddies that have taken a shine to him. In exchange Steve talks about his job as a physical therapist, how he recently started his experiential hours so he can specialize in pediatrics.

(“I feel kind of dumb now,” Eddie says. “Knowing that you’re a whole ass doctor and I just have a CNA.”

“Eddie, I majored in kinesiology. You’re probably better in a medical setting than I ever will be.”)

They talk about their hobbies and interests, pleased to learn there’s a little bit of crossover with everything. They may not know the ins and outs, but Steve has absorbed some knowledge on D&D thanks to the kids he used to babysit, and Eddie likes to watch sports with his uncle to keep him company on his off days.

They sit and talk for a long while, completely unaware of the time passing until Steve looks at his watch and realizes it’s been nearly four hours since they sat down.

“Holy shit, it’s almost eleven,” he says, and Eddie blinks in surprise. “Oh wow, I had no idea.”

It’s like they’ve been snapped back into reality, and Steve notices the half dozen beer bottles littering their table along with the bill that’s been there for who knows how long. Steve pays the check - nearly shoves his card into the server’s hand so he can beat Eddie to it - and they both leave cash for the tip before heading out of the bar.

It’s outside Hank’s that the hesitation sets in. This is one of the best dates Steve has been on in a long, long time, and he really isn’t ready for it to be over. He thinks Eddie feels the same, if the way he reaches over to thread their fingers together means anything.

“Do you want to come back to my place?” Steve asks, practically on impulse, and Eddie smiles.

“I would love to, Stevie.” He takes a breath like he wants to say something else, but pauses, and Steve squeezes his hand gently.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m trying to figure out how to tell you that I want to have sex with you without sounding like a slut who puts out on the first date.”

Well, that’s fair. Steve doesn’t usually have sex on the first date either. He likes the connection that comes with knowing someone emotionally before learning them physically, but there’s just something about Eddie. Steve feels like he knows the man inside and out after just four hours together, and he knows it’s fast but he wonders what it would feel like to wake up next to him in the morning.

Steve just grins at the blunt honesty and tugs Eddie closer. “If you’re a slut then so am I, because I’m definitely down for that.”

The drive back to Steve’s place doesn’t take long, and before he knows it he’s locking the door behind them as Eddie sheds his leather jacket. He drapes it over the back of the couch as he looks around, taking in Steve’s apartment. It’s not much, but it’s comfortable, cozy, very different from the sterile house Steve grew up in.

Eddie smiles as he sees the trinkets dotted about, a mix of gifts from the kids Steve used to babysit and his own little knick knacks, but pauses when he sees a photo collage of Steve and Robin on the nearby wall. Steve doesn’t like the way his smile dips down into a frown, and he walks over to wrap his arm around Eddie’s waist.

“That’s Robin,” he says as he pulls Eddie into his side, needing to quell any doubts or misconceptions he might be having. “She’s my best friend in the entire world, and a lesbian, so you can stop pouting now.”

Eddie gives him a bit of a side-eye and says “Not pouting. Just want to make sure you’re not doing this behind the back of an unsuspecting girlfriend or something.”

Steve smiles at the consideration and shakes his head as he turns Eddie to face him. “No girl, Eds, I promise. Just you and me.”

Something about that seems to be the final straw for Eddie because he surges forward, hands landing on Steve's neck as he leans up to press their mouths together.

The first kiss with Eddie is easy. It’s not earth-shattering or life changing, not like Steve thought it would be kissing a man for the first time. It feels like a normal kiss, and honestly that’s more of a comfort to Steve than anything. The fact that it’s Eddie on the other side of the kiss is what makes him shudder, makes him press closer.

Eddie’s hands push up into his hair, messing up the styling as Steve dips his head to kiss along his jaw. He hums into smooth skin and slides his own hands down to Eddie’s ass, squeezing it briefly before using his grip to drag Eddie’s hips against his own.

He can feel the line of Eddie’s dick through the layers of denim and yeah, that’s different, but not bad at all. Steve warms up to it pretty quickly actually, especially once Eddie starts moaning into his ear, a low “Fuck, baby,” that only encourages Steve to continue. Their mouths meet in another kiss as Steve grinds their hips together, each thrust working to drive Steve absolutely insane.

Eddie’s hands eventually make their way south to ruck up Steve’s sweater, and he breaks the kiss just enough to mutter “Off, get this off,” against Steve's mouth.

Steve laughs but steps back, pulls off his top and drops it carelessly to the floor. Eddie groans and reaches out, not even hesitating before he pushes his hands into Steve’s chest hair. “God, I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw your photo last night,” he mutters, and it takes Steve a moment to remember the picture he’d drunkenly added to his profile.

It was just a typical shirtless thirst shot he’d taken before a run one day (though he had put a shirt on before he actually left, thank you), because he’d felt good about the way he looked - and clearly Eddie had appreciated the picture as well. Steve shudders as Eddie scrapes his nails down his chest, and he half-expects Eddie to start purring in delight.

“Is it as good as you imagined?” he asks, biting back a chuckle, and Eddie nods.

“Better than. So fuckin’ hot. Don't ever shave it, I beg you.”

Steve does laugh at that. He lets Eddie get his fill for a moment before swooping in to kiss him again. He slips his fingers into Eddie’s belt loops and mutters a “Bed?” against his mouth. Eddie hums in agreement and Steve tugs him along, guiding him to the bedroom and only stopping once to grind their hips together.

He steps back enough to pull off Eddie’s shirt and groans because his nipples are pierced, and fuck if that isn’t doing something for Steve. Thumbing over one makes Eddie shiver and gasp, and he knows that he needs to get his mouth on them as soon as possible. He feels like a predator as he pushes Eddie back, not stopping until the man is sprawled across his bed, a beautiful feast meant just for him.

Steve crawls on top of Eddie and presses his lips to the spider decorating his shoulder before moving down to lick over his nipple. Eddie shudders and pushes his hands into Steve's hair, holding him in place as Steve seals his mouth around the pink bud. The piercing is warm, and the stark contrast between metal and flesh has Steve groaning into Eddie's skin.

He sucks on it, earning a stuttering moan from the man under him and hands tightening in his hair. “Fu-uck, Stevie.” Steve thumbs over the other nipple and pinches it just to hear him gasp again, before continuing his journey southwards, pressing kisses into the tattoos he comes across along the way. He pauses for a moment to suck a bruise into Eddie’s hip, just above his waistband, and the man is practically squirming.

“God, when I agreed to come over, I didn’t think you were gonna be this much of a tease.”

Steve rolls his eyes and bites into the bruise he just created, pulling a low groan from Eddie. “It’s called foreplay, you ass.”

“I’d rather you foreplay my ass,” Eddie mutters, and Steve laughs into smooth skin. He does concede, though, and pulls back so he can slide off Eddie’s jeans and underwear, discarding them to the floor. Eddie’s dick is pretty, a smidge thinner than his own but just as long, and weeping heavily from the pink tip. Steve wants to touch it, taste it, wants to feel the weight of it on his tongue as Eddie fucks his mouth.

“Feel free to touch it, not just look at it,” Eddie says, and Steve smirks.

“Normally I would, but someone wanted me to skip the foreplay.”

Eddie groans dramatically in response and Steve ignores him as he reaches over into the nightstand to grab the lube and a condom. He drops the items next to Eddie, and the man gives an “Oh shit!” as he grabs the tube. “You actually have lube?”

“Uh, I'm a grown man, Eddie. Not some 15-year-old that still uses lotion to jack off.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and smacks the bottle against Steve's chest. “Twenty-four hours ago you told me you were straight, excuse me for making some assumptions.”

“Stereotypical assumptions,” Steve tacks on and Eddie rolls his eyes again harder. “Also you might be surprised to learn this, but some women also enjoy anal, so I'm not actually a complete newbie when it comes to this.”

“And here I was thinking I'd have to hold your hand through the whole thing.”

Steve huffs a laugh and slicks up his fingers. “Oh, do you not want to hold hands while I fuck you into the mattress?”

Eddie gasps and brings a hand to his forehead, like a mockery of some swooning maiden as he says “Why Stevie, I think that's the most romantic thing you've said so- ohhh my god.” He groans as Steve pushes the finger deeper, and kicks his shoulder gently when Steve just grins.

“Shut the fuck up,” Eddie spits, but Steve can tell there's no real heat behind it. He just hums, says “I dunno what you're talking about,” as he slides a second in alongside the first. He hooks his free hand under Eddie’s knee and pushes it closer to his chest, exposing him a bit more.

Steve leans down to press a kiss to Eddie’s neglected dick and curls his fingers at the same time, trying to hit Eddie’s prostate. He knows he’s successful when hands jerk down, sinking into his hair once more as Eddie keens.

“Shit, Stevie-!”

“Wanna suck you off next time. Wanna pin your hips to the bed and see how much I can take, wanna tease you until you come on my face, in my mouth.”

Eddie shudders and nods, bucks his hips as best he can with Steve’s fingers in him. “Oh fuck, yes. Gonna let me paint your face, baby? Gonna let me be the first cock to fuck that pretty mouth?”

Steve groans a “Fuck yeah, Eds,” and pushes in a third finger, eager to finish his prep but not wanting to rush. He spreads his fingers wide as he leans in again, sinking his teeth into the junction where thigh meets groin, and Eddie's entire body jerks at the bit of pain.

He tugs at Steve's hair, trying to pull him up as he says “Fuck! That's gotta be good enough, need you in me fucking last week, sweetheart.”

Steve shudders and nods with a “Yeah, baby,” as he pulls his fingers free. He stands up and strips off his remaining clothes, not worrying about where they land before he climbs back between Eddie's legs. He can feel Eddie watching as he rolls on the condom, and he's about to make a remark about it when the man says “You know what kind of sucks?”

Steve just hums in response as he scoots closer, until his thighs are pressed against Eddie's ass and all he has to do is push forward just a little more-

“That we’ll have to get tested before we can put my ability to not get pregnant to good use.”

A groan rips through Steve and he drops his head back at the mental image that creates. “Fuck, you can’t just say that.”

Eddie grins, all Cheshire and taunting as he says “Oh, I can’t? I can’t tell you how excited I am for you to come in me, to fill up my ass until I’m fucking leaking- mmh!”

Steve dives down to shut him up with a kiss before he can say anything else, and he can feel Eddie laughing into it. Arms wrap around Steve’s shoulders, holding him close as they take a moment to just make out, all slick and languid like they're not both on the verge of desperation. Steve wraps a hand around his dick and blindly rubs the head against Eddie’s hole before he finally pushes forward.

Even after prep, Eddie is tight, and Steve groans as he slowly sinks in, not stopping until his hips are flush with Eddie’s ass. He rubs his hands over Eddie’s sides as he just waits there, giving the man a chance to adjust. It only takes a moment before Eddie gives a soft “Okay, I'm good,” and Steve holds good on his word. He leans forward, lacing his fingers with Eddie's and pressing them into the bed as he starts a slow pace.

Eddie goes all starry-eyed as he glances at their joined hands, and mutters “Didn't think you were serious about that.”

“I don't joke about hand holding, Eds. It's very important.” That pulls a soft laugh from Eddie and Steve leans closer until he can kiss that smile, can taste the laugh at its source.

It's hands down the best sex Steve has ever had. Eddie is so responsive, all noisy and twitchy and eager. He quickly figures out what Steve likes and doesn't even attempt to keep his mouth shut, just offers a stream of encouragement that’s only broken when Steve finds and abuses that sweet spot inside him.

“Right there, Eddie? Is that it, baby?”

“Uh-huh, fuck, so good!”

Eddie's a fucking vision, with his brown curls slowly escaping the confines of the bun and his eyes glazed over in pleasure. Steve releases Eddie's hands and slides his own down to clutch at the man's slim waist, his fingers digging into the tattoos decorating his skin. He fantasizes about leaving bruises, about leaving his own mark alongside the black ink and fucks into him harder at just the idea.

“Shit, Stevie! Gonna come, gonna-”

Eddie gets a hand around his dick and barely gets in a few strokes before he’s coming, a loud “Fuckfuckfuck!” escaping him as he spills over his hand and onto his stomach. It’s so fucking hot, and Steve’s hands tighten around Eddie's waist at the sight. His thrusts are a bit wild as he chases his own orgasm, and all it takes is Eddie's reedy “In me, Steve, give it to me-” before it hits him like a fucking truck.

He doesn't remember the last time he came this hard, his hips grinding against Eddie's ass as he fills the condom before eventually collapsing down onto the other man. They just lay there for a moment, waiting for their highs to settle and their breathing to return to normal, and Steve smiles when Eddie starts to giggle.

“What's that about?” he asks, using the opportunity to press a few kisses along the line of Eddie's shoulder and neck. The man just grins and shakes his head.

“I haven't bottomed in like- three years. Forgot how good it feels.”

That surprises Steve a bit, actually. “Three years? And you just break that streak for some random person you met on the internet?”

“Mhm. You sent me those messages and I was like ‘Wow, I can't believe I'm gonna let this guy fuck me’.”

Steve laughs and nips at Eddie's shoulder. After a few minutes he carefully pulls out and reluctantly leaves Eddie on the bed as he goes to the bathroom to trash the condom and grab a wet hand towel. He cleans Eddie up before tossing the cloth to the floor and laying down beside him. He's instantly wrapped up in Eddie's arms and he sighs happily as they huddle close together.

“Stay the night? I'll make you breakfast in the morning,” Steve offers, and Eddie hums into his temple.

“With coffee?”

“With coffee.”

Another hum before Eddie nuzzles into his hair, and Steve can feel Eddie press a kiss to the crown of his head. “Then I'd love to stay the night, Stevie.”

Steve wakes up slowly the next morning. The sun shining through the window bathes the room in golden light, making Eddie look ethereal where he lays curled into Steve’s side. He takes a moment to just watch the man, to admire the relaxed lines of Eddie’s face as he slumbers on, unaware.

He doesn’t know the last time he felt a connection with someone this- profound.

Actually, no - the last time this happened was probably with Robin, the girl who became something closer to him than a sister, the one person who probably knows him better than he knows himself. Being with Eddie feels so similar to those early days with Robin - after they’d gotten locked in the bathroom during a mall fire, not the actual early days when Robin seemingly hated him.

So Steve knows deep in his soul that there’s something about Eddie. Something so special ingrained into his very existence, and Steve’s sure that, if he just gives it a chance, Eddie could change his life.

After a few more minutes of basking in the morning silence, he tries to slip out of bed without waking Eddie, but he knows he’s failed when the arms just tighten around him. Eddie groans out a “Noooo,” and Steve grins. He presses a kiss to Eddie’s hair and says “Gotta let me go if you want me to make your coffee.”

A muffled “Man of my dreams,” as Eddie releases him has Steve chuckling as he climbs out of bed. He throws on a pair of sweatpants and heads downstairs, and puts on some coffee before he does anything else. By the time Eddie joins him, dressed only in his boxers from the night before, the coffee is ready and Steve is stacking pancakes onto a couple of plates.

Eddie seems more awake as he wraps his arms around Steve, pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder along with a soft “Morning, sweetheart.”

“Morning, baby. Coffee’s on the counter, sugar’s in the jar and milk is in the fridge if you want it.”

Another kiss meets his skin, this one just below his ear, before Eddie is pulling away. Steve finishes plating the pancakes while Eddie makes his coffee, and they converge at the kitchen island. They eat mostly in silence, but it's not uncomfortable. It's easy, actually, to let the quiet settle around them like a warm blanket. But that doesn't mean Steve's thoughts aren't racing.

“So, uh.” Steve pauses, feels almost bashful as he looks up at Eddie. “It's been a really, really long time since I've felt a connection like this, and I may be a little dumb, but I'm not an idiot.” Eddie frowns at Steve's little self deprecating dig, but doesn't say anything as he continues. “I really want to see where this goes, if you're up for it.”

A slow grin breaks out on Eddie's face and he leans in, getting into Steve's personal space. “Why Stevie. Are you asking me to be your boyfriend? After only one date?”

Steve huffs a laugh and slides a hand up to the base of Eddie's neck, feeling and tangling his fingers with the soft hair there. “I’d ask you right now to move in if it wouldn't make me look fucking insane.”

Eddie's expression instantly goes slack with shock, and fuck, Steve's done it again, hasn't he? Said too much, too soon, and lost something good before it even had a chance to go anywhere. He starts to pull away, wanting to give Eddie some space, but he's stopped by two hands settling on his waist, practically clutching the bare skin.

“My lease is up for renewal in three months,” Eddie says, and Steve blinks in surprise. “So maybe at that point we can see where we are? Because you're right. I don't think I've ever just clicked with someone like this before. It feels like- like fucking destiny or something. And I also really, really want to see where this goes.”

Steve gives in to the urge to pull Eddie forward into a kiss. It’s intense and passionate and a bit sticky, the maple syrup making their lips tacky and causing Eddie to giggle into Steve's mouth.

They’re interrupted by the sound of Steve’s phone ringing with a video call, and he knows who it is before he even looks at the device. He answers with a “Morning, Robin,” and is met with a manic “You’ll never guess what happened this morning!”

“I would hope something with Chrissy, but I’m guessing it’s something with Vickie-”

“Vickie called! Jack fucking proposed to her last night!”

Oh shit. “And she said..?”

“They’re on good terms right now, so of course she said yes!”

Steve takes a sip of coffee and hums. “Sounds like it’s time for you to put on some big girl panties and ask Chrissy out on a real date.”

“Steven, you know I hate that word.”

“I will record it and set it as your ringtone if you don’t make some kind of move, Robin. Before Chrissy gets tired of waiting for you to make a decision and makes one herself.”

She groans pathetically and Steve watches her scrub a hand over her face. “I hate it when you make sense. Can we stop talking about me, please? Distract me with something else.”

“Oh, well, uh,” Steve glances up at Eddie who has been watching the interaction with an amused smile. His heart swells with affection and he blurts out “I have a boyfriend.”

Eddie beams at him as Robin blinks, most likely processing before she says “You just told me yesterday that your dating life was practically nonexistent, and now you have a boyfriend? How did that happen?? And moreover, how long have you liked men??”

She sounds incredulous - rightfully so, honestly - and Steve shrugs. “At least twenty-four hours, but it could realistically be closer to something like thirty-six. I downloaded a dating app the night before last and met Eddie on it. We went on a date last night, he stayed over, and I asked him to be my boyfriend this morning.”

“You asked me to move in this morning,” Eddie says, and Robin must catch it because she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“You’re gonna put every U-haul lesbian in this city to shame,” she mutters before looking at Steve again. “Are you not like- freaking out? I mean, in the near decade I’ve known you, you’ve only dated girls, and now you’re dating a guy? Just like that?”

Steve shrugs and reaches out to take one of Eddie’s hands. “I guess so. You know I’ve always been a roll with the punches kinda guy. And Eddie is- Special. He’s special.”

Eddie is looking at him with those big, brown eyes, wide and a bit awestruck, and Steve can’t resist reeling him close for a quick kiss.

“I am so happy for you,” Robin says, pulling Steve’s attention back to his phone, “but also incredibly upset because now I know I have to follow your advice about Chrissy. Which is just absolutely terrifying.”

“You should have been listening from the beginning. Seriously though, go get your girl, Rob. You deserve to be happy.”

They say their goodbyes after another moment and Steve focuses back on Eddie. “Did you have anything to do today?” he asks as he collects their empty plates and takes them to the sink. Eddie follows, draining the last of his coffee before he replies “Not today. Why, did you have something to do?”

Steve grins and takes Eddie’s mug, setting it on the counter before he scoops the man into his arms. “Other than you?”

Eddie barks a laugh at the line and shakes his head fondly. “Jesus Christ, how did I get my hands on such a dork?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Steve replies, and tugs Eddie into another sticky kiss.

Much love to @bramble-berries for brainstorming this with me! (Even if she didn't know it at the time lol.) Also thank you to @sidekick-hero for cheerleading me through the last bit of writing on this! You're an absolute dear! <3

#oh hey its my baby #im so proud of this one you guys dont even KNOW #in my notes #srb

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matchingbatbites · 10 hours

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Okay, we need to have a heart to heart, Eddie Nation... This is a mullet:

Not a mullet:

Mullet:

Not a mullet:

Mullet:

Not a mullet:

Eddie's hair is layered, which the majority of styles in the 80s were (Billy has a mullet, and Steve is pushing boundaries). A mullet--all business up front, and party in the back--was not really the thing for metalheads. Long, flowing, full locks were. Bonus points by the late 80s if it was longer than most women's. Actually, the mullet became a big part of lesbian culture in the 80s.

But, just so we understand one another, Eddie's hair... not a mullet.

#who is saying this???#ive literally never seen someone say this about his hair before #to those that are: wtf mate

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matchingbatbites · 2 days

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bro u knocked over his drink

read this fic that goes with this art!!

#yeeessssss #art

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matchingbatbites · 3 days

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I saw that reverse writing tropes prompts go around and the 'instead of fake dating everyone's convinced you're not actually dating' is a 10/10 prompt for Steddie lol.

Between Eddie's dramatics and Steve's two year "thing" with/over/about Nancy, the fact they're instantly comfortable with each other, and the fact their relationship is very jokey, and you have not a singular soul believing either of them.

Well except Robin, but that's only because she shares a braincell with Steve and has more than once had to coax him out of the bathroom in grounds that Eddie "Won't break up with you over a bad hair day dingus God."

#yes absolutely #wheres the one fic where the party tried to keep them apart #because they think steddie hate each other but theyre actually dating #steddie

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matchingbatbites · 3 days

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Just checking.... We all pronounce Miette like My-TAY in our heads, right?

#mee-yet #my french ex-boss would hunt me for sport if i said it any other way

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matchingbatbites · 3 days

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#pfft

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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let’s romanticise the “keep reading” feature

i know some of you new users aren’t as familiar with tumblr’s dashboard and that’s okay! i’m here to teach you a lil something that will revitalise the way you long post on this site.

tumblr has two forms: web browser and mobile app

no matter which way you prefer to post either long fic or simply have long posts about your life, current news affairs, whatever, there are now ways on both mobile and web to add a “keep reading” break. back in the early days of the app, we used to have to type out code that added the break [ READ MORE ] iykyk and it only sometimes worked. now we have a much easier button to press on both the web browser and the mobile app.

web:

mobile:

go forth and long post to your heart’s content!

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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anonymous reviewer: i don’t like the way you’ve written this character in this fic

me:

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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i think about this pic constantly its so crazy the outfit….. the fluffy hair…. THE FUCKING GUITAR….. the jeans……. how good his ass looks…. i cant even be subtle about it

#just one bite #thats all i need #one good chomp #cast

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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Another take it and run idea- once upon a time someone posted something with hint of this idea and I haven’t been able to forget it. So here’s a snippet- if you want to grab it make into something bigger I’d love to read it!

Before doing anything with Steve Eddie always takes off his rings, sets them on his side table. They make a little noise, each time the same, as they tumble into each other. And then Eddie slowly takes Steve apart, Steve slipping into sub space so nicely under Eddie’s hands.

One day in the kitchen Steve is working at the table and Eddie is about to start dinner, so he takes off his rings and sets them near Steve. He starts cooking, chattering away about his day. It takes a minute for him to realize Steve hasn’t responded. When he turns around, there’s Steve, sitting so pretty at the table, his hands resting gently on his thighs, his eyes glossed over as they track Eddie’s movements slowly. He’s so far gone that he barely moves when Eddie steps into his space.

“What happened baby, where’d you go?” Eddie tips Steve face up to meet his eyes, Steve swallows heavily and let’s his eyes drag to the rings sitting a foot away on the edge of the table.

And that’s how Eddie learns he accidentally Pavlov dogged Steve into sub-space at the sound of his rings being set down on a wooden surface.

#aaaaAAAAA #yes absolutely #fic

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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Instead of bitchless loser Eddie, what about pathetic omega Steve?

King Steve who presents as an omega and gets shunned by most of the school because of it. His parents aren’t home to help with his transition and he has no pack, no friends nor followers anymore.

He falls from his place atop the high school hierarchy in a matter of days.

And then he’s just alone.

Steve shows up to school, does what he needs to, and leaves without interacting with people any more than he absolutely has to.

He quits all his teams and secludes himself, resigned to being alone in every way imaginable because of his designation.

And then he catches a scent he likes one day.

He doesn’t mean to be weird about it. But someone’s scent— their very essence— grabs his attention and he can’t help but crave more.

It’s intoxicating.

And normally, Steve might have more restraint, but he’s been ostracized from other people and his inner omega is begging for comfort, for the scent of a stranger whose biology is crying out to his own and he’s drawn in like a moth to a flame.

So Steve goes looking.

He keeps catching traces of the scent, but it takes a while to pinpoint the exact source since there are so many people in the school and he doesn’t get too close to anyone.

But he finds it in the place he’s least expecting it to be. The old picnic table behind the school is practically covered in it.

So Steve waits there.

Basically has his face pushed into the old wood, trying to pick up whatever traces he can. He wishes he could maintain some of his dignity, but that went out the window a while ago when he started trying to track down a stranger for their scent like a lovesick pup.

He’s so lost in the comfort, in the feeling of safety and acceptance, that he doesn’t hear the arrival of a second party until it scares him.

“Harrington? What are you doing out here? I thought Tommy normally collected your party favors. Or— wait, are you even doing that shit anymore?”

Eddie Munson. King of the Freaks. Resident drug dealer of Hawkins High. More importantly, an alpha.

His alpha.

This is whose scent he sniffed down like an unruly bloodhound.

Shame rushes through him fast and hard, nearly knocking him off his feet. Luckily, he’s caught by someone with faster reflexes than his own because his balance is iffy after his little round of intoxication off a scent.

“Whoa there, Steve. You sick or something, man? You had your head down a moment ago, maybe you should sit for a minute,” Eddie suggests kindly, leading him back to the table and sitting right next to him.

Steve immediately leans into the side, probably getting too close and in Eddie’s personal space, but he can’t help it. The older boy smells so good that it’s actually ridiculous. And he’s weak from it. Practically drunk.

A whine of distress leaves his throat without his permission. It’s horribly embarrassing, but Eddie just wraps his arm around Steve’s waist and gently pulls him closer.

His head lays on the alpha’s shoulder without permission and his body melts the rest of the way into the warm embrace. It feels so good. Better than he’s felt in a long time.

Certainly better than he has since presenting.

Just being held, having someone treat him kindly, like he’s not a waste of space... It’s enough to have him start crying.

“Oh sweetheart… you’re okay, omega. I got you,” Eddie shushes him, scooping him up the rest of the way until he’s being held in the alpha’s lap now.

He buries his face in Eddie’s chest and inhales deeply, no longer caring how this looks. If he’s allowing it, Steve’s going to take every ounce he can get.

“You smell so good, alpha,” he murmurs into Eddie’s shirt. “Wanna stay here with you. Please.”

Eddie looks down at him with a heartbroken expression, but he quickly composes his face, as if to reassure the omega.

“I’m not going to leave you, baby. I think your inner omega is going through a drop right now and you were looking for someone safe to take care of you,” Eddie explains kindly, stroking his long fingers through Steve’s hair and causing him to purr with happiness.

His alpha is accepting him. He’s not going to be sad like he’s been.

“Don’t wanna be alone anymore,” Steve confirms. He reaches a shaking hand up and uses it to pull Eddie’s head down a bit.

The alpha complies easily, giving in to his silent request. It makes it easier for Steve to brush his nose against Eddie’s throat, searching for his scent glands so he can inhale straight from the source.

His head goes fuzzy, but his entire body relaxes. No more tension or pain that’s been lingering in the background for weeks.

Just this. Eddie. Warm, soft, kind alpha.

“Let me get you home, sweet boy. Back to your nest,” Eddie suggests quietly, standing without protest despite the extra weight protected in his arms.

Steve shakes his head, but hesitates to explain his dilemma when the alpha gives him a confused look. Eddie presses a sweet kiss to his forehead and waits for him to speak instead.

“I… I don’t have a nest, Eddie. Don’t have any scents to put in it but mine. Wouldn’t even be worth it. I’m a bad omega,” Steve cries harder and prays that Eddie won’t abandon him for a proper omega with a real nest.

Instead, the alpha gives him the softest look imaginable and simply replies, “That’s okay. We’ll just go make you one then. Now you have two scents for it, baby. Yours and your alpha’s.”

#oh i love this one #fic #omegaverse

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matchingbatbites · 4 days

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cw: mentions of scarring, canon-typical violence, flashback (not graphic), minor body horror (again, not graphic, mostly just emotional feelings about scars)

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

Everyone gave him weird looks when they walked in, quickly schooling their features when they noticed he was awake and watching them.

He didn’t know exactly what that was about.

They had him on a lot of good drugs.

But eventually he got weaned off them, and he noticed the pull of bandages on his side, and his arm, and his neck, and his face.

He was still unable to get out of bed. Still couldn’t even reach his arms above his chest for more than a few seconds.

But he damn sure reached up to feel the cloth and plastic surrounding his cheek. How had he not noticed for days? How had no one bothered him about it?

Maybe they had and he just didn’t notice. The morphine was one hell of a drug.

Wayne was soft, patient with him. Saw him touching it, saw the way his eyes filled with tears. He’d never been particularly vain, hadn’t cared much about what he looked like to others, but this felt bigger than that. This felt like he was changed in a way that everyone could see.

Add it to the list of things people could bully him for.

He cried himself to sleep, Wayne’s hand in his, silently comforting in the way he’d always done.

When he woke up again the next morning, he was alone.

It was the first time he’d been alone since the boathouse.

He could swear he heard bats outside his door, screams coming from the attached bathroom, flashes of someone dying on the ceiling.

He felt the sharp sting of teeth puncturing his skin.

He felt hopelessness creep into his bones as he gave in.

Maybe this time they would finish the job.

“Eddie!”

Steve Harrington’s voice broke through the thoughts, panicked enough to bring Eddie back to his hospital bed within a second of hearing it.

“Shit, are you okay?” He continued, hand brushing against Eddie’s bandaged cheek.

Eddie nodded once, closed his eyes, leaned into the touch.

He could blame it on any number of things if Steve felt weird about it. The morphine, the flashback, the loneliness.

“You’re okay, Eddie. I promise. Won’t let anything happen to you,” Steve whispered.

Eddie believed him.

He fell back asleep with Steve’s hand gently cupping the mangled side of his face.

If Steve could still touch him there, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

Steve came by every day, sometimes in the early morning, before visiting hours officially started, sometimes well after Wayne had left to get some sleep. He always smiled when he walked in, a genuine one, not the one everyone else gave that was so fully of pity and pain he couldn’t bear to make eye contact. He sat down on the side of the bed, not the chair like everyone else, not scared to be close.

And every single day, without fail, he would run his finger along the edge of Eddie’s bandage on his face, watching his own movements and cataloging any changes.

Eddie sat quietly, still, scared to put words to anything happening. Scared to tell Steve what it meant to him to have someone acknowledge his pain in this way. Scared to think Steve could mean anything by it.

It was easy to pretend Steve was doing this because he cared.

Maybe he did care.

But he didn’t care the way Eddie wanted him to, needed him to.

So he stayed quiet, still.

He watched.

He fell asleep while Steve talked about his day, the kids, what Joyce made Hopper do around the house.

He woke up alone most days, but that was okay, because Steve would be there eventually.

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

“You ready to get that thing off?” Wayne asked, gesturing to the bandage.

“Oh. Today?” Eddie suddenly didn’t want to ever be without the bandage. Removing it meant he’d see what was under it.

It meant seeing how much that place had ruined him.

The pull of the stitches hadn’t been as obvious with the pull of the bandage masking it.

But now it’s all he felt.

The nurse smiled at him as she put some antibiotic cream over the area, saying he would probably still have to keep it extra clean for the next week or so while the stitches did their job.

Wayne smiled at him in the way that meant he didn’t really want to smile at all, but knew Eddie needed him to.

Steve didn’t come.

Eddie didn’t sleep.

♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️

He woke up with panic in his chest and a silent scream in his throat.

He woke up with Steve’s hand on his face.

Gentle, soft, but a strong comfort.

“Promise I washed them first. They said we have to be careful about germs,” Steve said quietly.

“You don’t have to. I know it’s…it’s gross. It’s ugly. I’m ugly.”

Steve shook his head. “No. Not gross. Not ugly. Alive.”

“Steve-“

“You’re alive, Eddie. You could have your entire face held together by staples and you would still be a miracle. You’d still be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Well, Steve’s charm wasn’t an exaggeration, was it?

He wasn’t even sure if the skin barely pulled together could blush anymore, or if the heat that should be on his cheek was burning on the outside the way it felt like it was on the inside.

“It’s gonna be awful when it heals. I saw it in the mirror.” Eddie could feel every stitch in his jaw, the few that spread across the corner of his mouth and bottom lip, the ones that were nearly up to his ear. “I’ll always have a crooked face. The scar will always be huge. It’s all anyone will see.”

“Then they aren’t looking.”

Eddie bit his lip, eyes searching Steve’s. “But you are.”

“No. I’m seeing. There’s a difference. I see you. I see what you’ve survived. I see the mark it left on you. I know it wasn’t just the scars that cover your skin.” Steve leaned his head down, touching Eddie’s forehead with his own. “We all have them. And we’re all still here. Your heart’s beating. That’s all that matters to me.”

“Who knew you were so good with words?” Eddie smiled sadly.

“Robin says I’m just good at not having a filter.”

“She’s right as always.” Eddie wrapped his fingers around Steve’s wrist, turning as slowly as he could to kiss his palm. “You’re not scared of it.”

“No. Are you?”

“I’m scared that you’ll change your mind when it’s always there as a reminder of what happened.”

Steve kissed his nose, making him smile for the first time in what felt like years.

“I’ll have the reminder that I got you out of there. That no matter what, the bats couldn’t finish the job. That you were stronger and you made it.” Steve let his hand drop, but quickly laced his fingers with Eddie’s. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you to trust me, but will you? For today?”

“Just today?”

“I’ll ask again tomorrow.”

“And what? Every day after that?”

Steve smirked.

His eyes were glistening with tears, but Eddie could tell it wasn’t sadness or fear.

“If that’s what I have to do.”

They hadn’t even talked about feelings, not really. Nothing that made any sense to Eddie, nothing that they could define. A part of Eddie was still convinced he was in a coma and dreaming this entire conversation up.

But even the nurse had noticed the way Steve watched him, how he touched him, how he fought for him. She said he’d been a firecracker from the moment he carried him into the hospital, dripping blood on the tile, staining the halls with his demands for help.

Wayne said he barely left his side the first day, only doing so when the doctors had told him they would call the cops if he didn’t.

Erica even noticed how things had changed between them, stating that she refused to watch her babysitter and the only DM she had respect for make out.

But Steve held Eddie, made him feel like he could get out of the hospital bed and live a life that wouldn’t keep him running. Steve was there.

Steve might even love him. If not now, then some day.

And Eddie could trust him today.

He could probably trust him tomorrow.

“Kiss me?” Eddie probably shouldn’t. The stitches tugged when he talked, and another mouth anywhere near his wounds was just asking for an infection.

But Steve would be careful. He knew what Eddie could handle.

It was barely a kiss. A graze of the lips at most.

But it was the best kiss Eddie had ever had.

At least until tomorrow.

#i am WEAK #im 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭#fic #mickala 🌻

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matchingbatbites · 5 days

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here's some merman Eddie that I got a little carried away with <3

Steve's dad has been taking him fishing for years, it's the only thing they can do together without fighting.

It's always over summer break. They pack their bags and fly out to the same island every year and spend nearly every day out on a rented boat just fishing and making small talk here and there. His mother usually sunbathes on the beach and waves at them with her book every now and then to ensure them she hasn't passed out from heat stroke.

Steve will admit he doesn't actually go because he likes fishing. He really hates fishing. He hates sitting in the sun for hours on end, hardly ever catching anything and having to listen to his dad drone on about the stock market. No, he comes to the island for a very different reason.

He first met this reason when he was 9. He saw it from his bedroom window one night, splashing in the shallow end of the water. At first, he thought it was a beached dolphin or a baby whale, so he ran down to the dark beach without bothering to wake his parents, but by the time he made it down to the waterfront, it was gone. A pile of shells and pretty rocks sat in the water where the splashing had been. Steve took one of the pearly white shells and placed it on his windowsill.

The splashing happened again the next night, the sound of fins hitting water so loud it woke him up. He peeked out his window once again, but this time, the moon was large and bright in the sky, and it illuminated the shape of a boy in the water. Steve panicked. He was only 9, he didn't know what to do when someone was drowning but that didn't stop him from running down to the water with one of his floaties. The boy didn't notice Steve until he threw the floatie at him and yelled, "Grab on! I'll save you!"

Dark eyes shone under the moon and stopped Steve in his tracks almost immediately when they narrowed at him from just above the waters surface. Steve's floatie bobbed in the water next to the boy, but he made no move to grab it. Steve was scared, unable to move when the boy lifted his head out of the water and pointed at him with webbed fingers. "You. Give it back." He snarled through sharp teeth.

Steve opened and closed his mouth, trying to force words to come out, but he was too afraid. The thing in the waves looked like an ordinary boy, he was probably even the same age as Steve, but he was terrifying. "The shell. Give it back. It's mine." It shoved Steve's floatie away as it bumped into him and swam closer to the waters edge. Soft waves lapped at his bare torso as he sat in the shallows, his legs - no, tail, sitting out in front of him. Steve stared in shock, his mind screaming so many warnings at him, but all he could think was 'pretty'. He thought he must have been dreaming. "The shell. Go get it." It splashed water at Steve angrily, which caused Steve to finally unfreeze and run back to the house. He tripped multiple times as he kept turning back to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, that the boy was still angrily sitting there.

"I - I'll go get your shell. Wait there!" He yelled behind him.

Steve didn't learn the creature's name until he was 15.

Every summer break, he practically dragged his family to the airport so that he could visit the boy with the glittering tail that visited him under the light of the moon. Steve asked him his name many times, but each time the boy shook his head. "Names are sacred. I can't trust you with it yet." He only ever spoke in short sentences, and sometimes he sat for a while, his dark gaze focused on something beneath the waves as he struggled to find the right words. English wasn't his native language. He taught Steve a few words whenever they waded in the shallows together. He'd hold up a shell and say what he called it, and when Steve repeated the name correctly, the boy would smile so wide Steve could see nearly all his razor-sharp teeth.

It was Steve's last night there when the boy finally told him his name. They were out a bit deeper, Steve treading water and enjoying the slight brush of the boy's tail against his legs as they talked about the stars. "That is my star." He pointed with a webbed finger up at one of the brightest stars in the sky. "It is named Eddie, after me."

It took Steve a moment to realise what he said. His eyes widened and he nearly slipped under the water as he excitedly exclaimed. "You told me your name!" After 6 years of swimming and learning about this boys' strange underwater world, he finally knew his name.

The boy - Eddie nodded once and looked back up at his star. "You are special. Can trust you." Steve could have sworn he saw a blush creep across his pale cheeks that night. Before Steve could say anything else, Eddie swam closer to him and whispered, "You must not tell anyone else. My name is yours to keep. Yours only." This was important. Steve could tell by the way Eddie held his gaze, something he rarely ever did. This close, Steve could see just how much he's changed over the years, not anything drastic, it was all little things. The sharpness of his jaw, the scar on his brow, the markings on his chest and arms, the length of his hair; it had been just above his jaw when they'd first met, but now it hung in waves and brushed the tops of his shoulders. He wondered what other changes would happen in the years to come.

He hoped he could be around to see them all.

Steve had his first kiss, well, first kiss that really mattered, when he was 18.

He was aware of his feelings for Eddie for a long time but he was too scared to act on them. He dated other girls, never guys, and searched for that warm, tingly feeling he felt whenever he was with Eddie. But he never found it. At night, he opened his window and stared up at the brightest star in the sky, Eddie's star, and hoped that Eddie was looking up at it too. He started to hate coming home from their island holiday. Each year, he felt more and more of himself be left behind with Eddie in the comfort of the waves.

"I hate leaving you." Steve whispered while tying a new shell into Eddie's hair. Every year he visited, Eddie handed him a shell and told Steve to tie it into his hair. He told him it was something to remember Steve by. "I have nothing to remind me of you." He said while gently touching the first shell he ever tied in; it was the shell he stole all those years ago, the one Eddie forced him to return.

Eddie looked down at the water and hummed in thought. They sat on a rock, so only the end of his tail was submerged and he repeatedly lifted it out of the water before letting it splash softly back down into the cold sea as he thought. He always seemed so fidgety whenever they sat like this, his hands fiddled with the necklace that sat just above his collarbones and his eyes were never off the water for long. "I can give you something." He said after a moment of silence.

Steve perked up immediately. "Really? What is it?" He asked, unable to keep the eagerness out of his voice. Eddie never let him take any shells home so he knew it wasn't going to be that. A rock, maybe? He'd be happy with one of Eddie's favourite rocks.

"Close your eyes." Eddie said softly, his cold hand rested on Steve's thigh and caused him to shiver. "No peeking." Steve immediately did what he instructed. He screwed his eyes shut tight and listened for anything that could give away what Eddie was going to give him. Cold hands brushed against Steve's neck before resting on his bare shoulders, the touch almost feather light. Maybe the gift is a necklace? "Don't move." Eddie whispered.

And then there was a gentle pressure against Steve's lips and he felt that warm, tingly feeling spread throughout his entire body as he realised that Eddie was kissing him. Before Eddie could pull away, Steve threaded his hands into his soft, wet hair and deepened the kiss. It was wet and messy and a little uncoordinated, but it was the best kiss of Steve's life. When he slipped his tongue into Eddie's mouth and traced the sharp edge of teeth, Eddie made a noise that sounded a lot like a growl, and he pulled Steve as close as possible. Sharp nails lightly scratching his skin.

"Never forget me." Eddie said against Steve's lips.

"I couldn't even if I tried."

Eddie does end up giving Steve a necklace to take home. It's made of a variety of shells and stones, and it becomes a source of comfort when he leaves.

His friends ask why he turned down every girl that seemed interested and, unable to tell them he thinks he might be in a relationship with a merman, he shrugged and said that none of them were his type. He knew that whatever was going on between him and Eddie wasn't healthy or sustainable, but he's never felt more alive than when he's diving underneath the waves hand in hand with Eddie. Sure, Eddie didn't always understand him, was nocturnal, ate an exclusive diet of fish, and sometimes even brought Steve dead fish he'd just caught, but those were all things he loved about him.

Oh. Oh.

He was in love with Eddie.

His parents no longer come to the island, his father says he's too old, and his mother doesn't talk to him anymore. Steve's 22 now. He's turned down every beautiful girl his parents have tried to set him up with and instead of taking up his father's offer to join their family business, Steve works as a conservationist on his lover's island. He lives in his parent's holiday house, which is now equipped with a salt water pool that connects to the sea, and has a dog to keep him company during the day while Eddie is sleeping.

He's happy, content, and so, so in love, it's ridiculous. Eddie wakes at around 5pm every night and usually spends the first few hours awake with his family; who Steve has actually met. They sometimes come up with Eddie to Steve's pool and watch him potter around his house at night. After a while of listening to his family ask Steve nonstop questions, Eddie flicks his tail in irritation and hisses at them to leave in a language Steve's slowly learning. "Mine. Not yours." He growls at them. Steve's learned over the years that Eddie is very territorial and doesn't like sharing what is his, which includes Steve.

"Hi, my love." Steve sits down on the pools edge and smiles down at Eddie as he rests his head on Steve's lap. Some nights, they just sit and talk, Eddie's getting better at English and loves when Steve teaches him a new word. Some nights, they swim for hours and add to Eddie's shell collection that lines the edges of Steve's pool.

"I have something for you." Eddie says softly one night, only his head poking out the top of the water as he wades in the waves. A pale, webbed hand lifts out of the water and beckons Steve to leave his spot on the sand and join him in the icy waters. "Come here, my Steve." He calls into the night.

They're chest to chest in the water now, the scales underneath Eddie's eyes glitter in the light of the moon as he looks up at Steve. "Your people give rings to their lovers, yes?" Steve nods, fingers brushing over the scales at the base of his spine. "My people give pearls." He reaches into the little pouch that is tied around his waist, he keeps all his treasures in there, and pulls something out. He keeps it hidden in his fist and holds it out for Steve. "I made this for you, for us." He's nervous, Steve can tell by the way he keeps looking down at the water instead of at Steve.

"You made me something?" Steve says in awe as he lifts his hand and accepts the small treasure from Eddie. It's light and fits perfectly in the palm of his hand. When he looks down at the gift, his heart feels like its about to jump out of his throat. "Oh, Eddie." There's tears in his eyes as he carefully picks up the silver ring, a beautiful pearl adorns the top of the ring and catches the light of the moon as Steve slips it onto his finger. It fits perfectly. "It's beautiful. I love it."

Eddie beams and lifts his other hand to show Steve the matching ring on his finger. It doesn't sit as far down on his finger like Steve's because of the webbing. "We are- what's the word? Wives?"

Steve laughs and leans forward to rest his forehead against Eddie's. He's changed so much since that first day on the beach. There are more scales dusting his cheeks and neck, more shells in his hair and lines around his eyes when he smiles up at Steve. "Husbands is the word you're looking for."

Eddie hums and wraps his arms around Steve's neck, his cold fingers playing with the short hairs at the base of his neck. "Husbands sounds nice." He kisses his favourite mole on Steve's cheek and sighs happily, his tail brushing against Steve's legs.

"Yeah, yeah, it does."

#🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺#fic #creatures

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