Warning: Murray stupidly pushes Steve into outing himself. There is a happy ending. Shoutout to the person who recently posted about this and gave me the idea.
Steve looked around at the party, a warm smile on his face. Joyce was sitting in Hopper's lap as they talked to Claudia and Sue. Judging by the looks on Sue and Claudia's faces, they were boasting about him again. He doesn't understand why they felt the need to brag so much or why they made sure he heard it as often as he could stand it. They were celebrating the fact that the fourth of July was over and that there wouldn't be any more fireworks to retraumatize them. They were also celebrating the fact that they were all alive and well, the gates closed hopefully forever. Steve was sitting off by himself after having chased the kids around the Hoppers' new and spacious backyard with Eddie. Steve was tired, but Eddie somehow managed to keep going and now had Mike in a headlock.
"Finish him!" Erica hollered, causing Hopper and Jonathan to snort into their cups.
Steve laughed. That's when Murray plopped down in the empty chair next to him.
"I'm not sure if I like that kid or if I'm afraid of her," Murray said.
"I'm pretty sure she could have taken down Vecna just by talking to him," Steve said.
"I do not doubt it," Murray cackled.
Mike finally surrendered to Eddie, and he let go of him, cheering loudly. Steve smiled at him, his heart fluttering. Eddie winked at him, and his cheeks flushed red. Nancy cheered and clapped. Mike flipped her off, and Jonathan threw his empty cup at Mike's forehead, and when Mike yelled, Jonathan claimed he was aiming for the trashcan.
"Those two kids still together?" Murray asked.
"Mike and Jonathan never dated. At least, I hope not," Steve said, his brow furrowing.
"No! Nancy and Jonathan!" Murray scowled.
"Oh, yeah, no. They're friends, Nancy wanted to focus on school," Steve said.
"Sounds about right considering I was the one who pushed them together," Murray said.
"You were?" Steve asked.
"Yeah, she was dating this complete dud she clearly had no feelings for," Murray said. "I was all, 'we like Steve, but we don't love Steve'. Hey, you know, you have the same name as him."
"Yeah, it's funny how that works. Poor Steve, right?" He said. "They never love him. I'm the very same Steve, dumbass."
"Don't you like guys?" Murray asked.
"What the fuck?" Steve said, staring at him wide eyes, his cheeks flushed. "No, I don't!"
"I'm not gonna judge you, Harrington," Murray said, rolling his eyes. "I'm gay too. Safe space for you and your boyfriend over there."
"What business of it of yours?" Steve snapped. "And Eddie's not my boyfriend."
"Oh, do you guys need a little push too?" Murray scoffed.
"You do know bisexuals exist, right?" He asked, gripping his cup.
"Yeah, and are you?" Murray asked, amused at how mad Steve was getting.
"It's not any of your goddamn business!" He snarled at him.
"Are you still hung up on Nancy?" Murray continued to push.
"No!" Steve rolled his eyes, wanting this conversation to be over.
He stared ahead, not looking at him. Everyone was still conversing and horsing around while Steve was stuck, having the most awkward conversation of his life. Murray's words from earlier rolling around in his head.
"So, you don't have feelings for him?" He asked.
"I do, okay!" He exclaimed.
"Then what's the problem?" Murray asked.
"We don't love Steve, remember?" Steve growled at him, tear prickling at the corners of his eyes, and suddenly, he was back at Tina's party.
He stood up suddenly, knocking his chair back harshly, causing everyone to look at him.
"Steve, honey, are you okay?" Joyce asked.
"Oh, he's just being a little sensitive, Joyce," Murray replied.
Sensitive. The same word that Steve’s father used to call him when he didn't want to say the word. He always knew about Steve and the fact that he was too sensitive. Steve whirled around, and before he knew what he was doing, his fist was colliding with Murray's face and knocking him out of his chair. There were several gasps, and Murray cackled.
"There's no need to be ashamed of yourself, Steve," he said.
"I have never been ashamed that I also like men, and I am not ashamed that I like Eddie!" Steve yelled at him.
Suddenly, he realized that he just outed himself in front of everyone. Steve felt very overwhelmed. Well, Robin and Dustin already knew. Steve quickly apologized and ran around to the front to head towards his car. He pulled out his keys, but his hands were shaking so badly that he kept dropping them. He got to his driver's side door when he dropped them again. He squatted down to pick them up when he saw someone else's hand reach down to do the same. He looked up to find Eddie squatting next to him.
"Oh, sweetheart," Eddie said softly. "He had no right to push you like that."
Steve hadn't realized he had been crying until Eddie cupped his face and wiped away a tear with his thumb. He could hear the distinct voice of Joyce yelling in the backyard. They stood up, and Steve collapsed into Eddie's open arms. He shoved his face into Eddie's shoulder as he sobbed.
"We like Steve, but we don't love Steve. That's what he said," Steve whispered.
"Please tell me that you don't believe that shit, man," Eddie said. "Because everyone here loves you. . . Including me. Especially me."
"You love me?" Steve said, his voice small.
"Yep, in a very not straight way. I also like men," Eddie said. "I'm not ashamed of it either."
"I want to kiss you," Steve said softly.
"Right here? I'm okay with it if you are," Eddie said.
Steve pressed his lips to Eddie's, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling the metalhead against him. His lips were soft against his own, and then Eddie pressed his lips hard against his as he deepened the kiss. Eddie wrapped his arms tightly around Steve’s shoulders as he tried to press himself further against him. Eddie broke the kiss, gently nibbling on Steve’s lip as he pulled away. Steve leaned his forehead against Eddie's, sniffling.
"I love you too, Eddie," Steve whispered.
"See, I knew you needed a push," Murray said.
Steve peered around to see him coming around the house, being dragged by Joyce and Hopper. Murray's nose was bleeding heavily. It was also clearly broken.
"Did I do that?" Steve asked.
"No. It was hard to tell who broke his nose, Sue or Claudia," Hopper said, chuckling. "But it was definitely Joyce who knocked his tooth lose."
"It's still hanging in there. Oh, and there it goes," Murray said.
"By the way, you didn't do shit!" Eddie exclaimed. "Fuck you and your tooth!"
"Yeah, I had a special evening planned tomorrow where I was going to make him dinner and then tell him, so thank you for that," Steve said. "With or without you, I would have told him."
"Wait, really?" Eddie asked with wide eyes. "Even though this jackass ruined your big reveal, can we still have dinner together tomorrow?"
"Yeah, it can be our first date," Steve said, smiling softly.
"You mean our first date wasn't our trip through the Upside Down together?" Eddie asked, and Steve laughed, shaking his head. "How about I do the cooking, big boy?"
Murray made a half assed apology before leaving. That's when Sue and Claudia came through with the kids following behind them. Sue, Claudia, and Robin started fussing over him.
"Oh, honey, are alright?" Sue asked.
"I'm much better, thanks, Sue," Steve said and pulled out of Eddie's arms to welcome her embrace.
"Oh, sweetie, we just want you to know that we love you," Claudia said.
"Yeah, we're proud of you, baby," Sue said, rubbing his shoulder.
"Yes, we love you, too, Steve," El said. "You and Eddie are cute."
"It's awesome!" Dustin exclaimed.
"Uh, why are Erica and Max whispering with their heads pressed together?" Steve asked.
"Uh, well, they said they were plotting Murray's death, but it was hard to tell if they were joking or not, and I wasn't going to ask," Lucas said.
"You guys really love me, huh?" Steve asked.
"Of course, sweetheart, you're family," Joyce said. "After everything you've done, it would be pretty shitty of us not to accept you."
"Yeah, you're our brother in arms," Lucas said.
"Our paladin," Will said with a proud grin.
"Our protector," El said.
"Our washed-up jock," Erica said with a fond smile.
"Our mother," Max said with an amused smile.
"Our kid," Sue, Claudia, Charles, Joyce, and Hopper said.
"My platonic soulmate," Robin said with a twinkle in her eye.
"My boyfriend?" Eddie asked.
"Your boyfriend," Steve said as he choked on his happy tears.
He swooped in and kissed his boyfriend in front of his entire family.
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