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cherrycoloredfaith · 2 months

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Kiss Off

pt 1 | pt 2 | pt 4

Chapter 3: Three for My Headache

Eddie

Eddie slammed the door to his office. Well, really his bedroom. It’s not ideal for him to live outside the city, but once Eddie realized he wanted to live alone while not being able to afford it, he took Wayne on his offer. It’s messy and lonely, but he’s actually able to save up his money.

He leaned against the door, inhaling deeply. He didn’t mean to snap–especially not in front of Max. She knew what Eddie’s been through, but he felt ridiculous confiding in her with his issues. Even more so when he lost control of his temper. He didn’t know what was wrong with him.

He waited until he heard the front door open and shut. Then, he moved to the window, peeking through the blinds to catch a glimpse of his worst nightmare, walking away in his stupid jeans, getting into his stupid car and driving away. Eddie took a sigh of relief.

Kicking off his boots, he started to relax. He headed back out into the kitchen to pour himself some water; Max stared at him with her arms crossed, her gameboy forgotten on the table. “Dude, what was that about?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Eddie, giving her a smile he knew wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“If you really intend to hide your feelings, you’re doing a terrible job… Is this about–?” Max asked.

“I’m not talking about this.” Eddie drained his glass. “Especially not with you. Wayne’s leaving soon if you need a ride home.”

Max narrowed her eyes on the man, but stood and gathered her things. “Whatever, Eddie. I’m just saying, Steve seems nice.” She headed out the door without another word.

Looking down at his feet, Eddie began to think through his day. Steve did struggle at most of his tasks, but he knew with practice, it’d get better. That was what he reported to Wayne anyway. Steve clearly could work with his hands, however delicate they seemed. Eddie wasn’t worried about Steve’s performance, but instead was fretting over the ways he made Eddie want to laugh and get close to him and touch his hair.

So far, Eddie did all the wrong things around Steve. He became quiet, or he was too abrasive, or god forbid, he flirted with the man. Since last year, he told himself he’d never let anyone have power over him again. Not like it was. He was supposed to be scary, to be loud and obnoxious. All that went out the window when he caught his first glimpse of Steve.

There he stood, at the door of the office, perfectly clean, his chestnut hair framing his face in waves, clearly freshly trimmed. His curious eyes landed on him with an ease Eddie did not mirror but tried. He had been arguing with Wayne, saying he didn’t need a new crew member; the residual tension hadn’t eased, and Eddie needed out . Without addressing Steve in the slightest after giving him his most intimidating smile and foreboding description of life at Munson Construction, he was out of there, running to the clubhouse to catch his cool. He ran towards the back porch to hide, lighting his cigarette.

Eddie and Wayne had built it a couple years ago to create a space for cookouts with the guys and various gatherings. You wouldn’t notice it unless you knew it was there. It looks out onto the line of trees beyond the small field. Just out of view is their garage storing all of their equipment and supplies. They’re a small company, but have been growing for the past few years, getting bigger and bigger jobs. Eddie knew they needed the extra hands.

But Eddie didn’t want someone joining their circle. Let alone a very handsome someone. Why the hell did Wayne not let Eddie pick a perfectly ugly candidate? Wayne argued they didn’t do interviews in person, but couldn’t the man make an exception? He had to go pick up the prettiest motherfucker Eddie’s ever seen?

Wayne gave him and the guys the day off as Steve was just getting his bearings and finishing up paperwork. After Max checked in with Eddie on what he’d have to teach Steve tomorrow, he cowered on that porch until he heard his car leave.

Now, Eddie stood in his kitchen, running his hands over his eyes. He scrunched his face in disgust, remembering how he was covered in dirt from the day, and walked towards the bathroom to have a shower.

Shedding his clothes, he forced himself not to think of him, but this was his first bit of alone time all day. Pulling on the hair tie, he let his ponytail loose, sighing in relief at the feeling. He stepped into the shower and was focusing on the task at hand.

The water was slightly cold, as it always was when Eddie first stepped in. A year living here, he knew to wait for it to heat up. Instead, today he welcomed the chill. He felt the dirt and sweat of the day wash away and reached for his 5N1 shampoo. He gave it a sniff, the familiar cedarwood vanilla bringing flashes of last summer. Eddie shamefully wondered what Steve smelled like.

A vision passed behind Eddie’s closed eyes from earlier today. Eddie stood gazing down while Steve kneeled, checking the slumped pile of concrete they were testing. He was giving Steve a chance to assess it himself, but Eddie knew right when he mixed it the ratio was off. He needed to teach Steve what it looked like when it was wrong. The moment gave Eddie a chance to watch Steve’s concentrated expression as he analyzed. With his head tilted and one eyebrow cocked, he regarded the deflated cone shape with uncertainty. “Looks good to me,” he said confidently. To Eddie’s horror, from his spot on the ground, Steve looked up at his face with his big brown eyes, lips parted and panting from the heat. The perfect flush from the sun painted his cheeks, glowing with a sheen of sweat.

He remembers dropping his jaw slightly, probably wearing the dumbest look on his face. Eddie blinked, stilling, to try and recollect what was just happening. He laughed it off, “No, Harrington, not at all.”

The memory played out in full a couple times, and then Eddie was stuck on that same frame. That look of innocence and hope in Steve’s eyes. He just knew Steve wanted to please him, to be right for him. It made him hard to hate. Hard to stay away and keep his distance. Eddie knew he was in trouble.

And the way Steve reveled in Eddie’s praise earlier. He could think of a few other opportunities for Steve to earn it again, just to see that look on his face once more.

Soap cascaded down from his hair to his shoulders, down, down, down. So did his hands as he scrubbed away the grime.

Maybe, if he kept his eyes closed, he wouldn’t feel the shame. He wouldn’t have to face the reality of it.

With a sigh of resignation, he gave in. Reaching down for himself, he kept his eyes shut. Slowly warming water pounded his face until he leaned against the wall. He gasped for air the moment he surfaced from the stream of the showerhead and his hand came into contact with his slowly hardening cock. As he began to grip tighter and tighter, he failed to think of anyone else but him. The sweat that beaded on his skin, dripping down his neck. The slight burn on his skin that would soon turn into the most delicious tan. He pictured his lips as they wrapped themselves around his water bottle.

In a sudden moment of clarity, Eddie halted, opening his eyes to the harsh fluorescents of the bathroom. What the fuck was he actually doing? Jerking it to his crew member after knowing him for a day? He had to stop this before it got out of hand– fuck! –out of control! He had to stop this before everything he feared came true at the fault of his own.

He was aching all over with need, but he fought it back. Trying to return his focus to finish washing the dirt from the day’s work, he got more soap, scrubbed his fingernails, his feet, behind his ears, anywhere he could think of. He washed his hair for a second time. Then, finally, his face–which led him to close his eyes once more.

Immediately, flashes of Steve kept coming until he couldn’t take it anymore. He gave in. Eddie fell to his knees as he touched himself to the thought of that mouth, of those eyes shining up at him. He stroked up until he got closer and closer to the edge. His orgasm washed over him like a wave so intense the water hitting his back stung his skin as it made contact, like his nerves were shot.

He was panting. By the time his heartbeat slowed, the soap had all washed away. Hanging his head, he relished in the calm and clarity. He was looking forward to the weekend ahead without having to see the man that will likely be the next to haunt him.

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Steve

The sour mood created by Eddie followed Steve around like a dark cloud, even up until Robin returned from school. She walked through the door, textbooks in hand, backpack hanging off one shoulder, looking frazzled as always.

Steve was preparing to ask her for another night of moping and smoking, but when she noticed him sitting on the couch, once again upside down, she started to shake her head.

“Nope. Nope, no, Steve. Not again. Not another night in. You’ve been cagey ever since we moved. We’re going out tonight,” she ordered. She didn’t give the impression she would take no for an answer. Something in her expression told Steve she’d really start to worry if he refused.

He knew he needed it to be honest, despite how spent his body was from his first day on the job. He’d struggled to gather the courage to make friends since he was so focused on finding work. Even after a month, all he had was Robin.

He didn’t think he was getting fired, based on the conversation he and Eddie had in the truck, but the knots in his stomach wouldn’t unclench. Robin was right, he needed distraction and a little fun–so what if he’s a little tired?

“Alright, yeah, you got it,” he agreed, getting up from his signature moping position.

“Good. You can tell me how your day went once we’ve got a drink in our hands,” she pointed at him.

They split off into their respective rooms to get ready. He knew Robin had added decorations to her’s but Steve’s bedroom couldn’t be more bland. Everytime he tried to come up with ideas for it, he couldn’t name one thing he liked for himself. He had essentials: a bed frame and a night stand. A dresser, too. It hadn’t really sunk in for Steve that this was his new life, his new home.

Steve already showered once he got back, but now he needed to change and fix his still damp hair. He picked out an outfit of light denim jeans and a dark purple polo that hugged him in all the right places–something to make him feel like himself.

Robin emerged from her room a few minutes later, looking fashionable in blue slacks, a patterned button down, and suspenders. She swung a relaxed purse over her shoulder. “Ready?” she asked.

They walked to a nearby bar, one Robin had raved about prior to their apartment searching. She informed him at the time that it was the only real lesbian bar in the city, but it was just dumb luck they ended up moving nearby. Steve silently prayed there wouldn’t only be lesbians there.

While Steve was prevented from discussing his day, Robin talked about hers as they strolled down the street. She only had a few courses this summer, but they were primarily what she had to talk about nowadays.

“This next test is going to be crazy, absolutely no one is ready. And really what kind of professor puts a test on a Monday anyway? My answer, the worst kinds. They really should make rules against this kind of teacher/student abuse,” she continued, hardly stopping to breathe. “Oh, Steve, I may need you to quiz me later–”

As he silently listened, he took in the sights around him, trying to familiarize himself with the path to and from the bar. It was nearing 6 PM, but the streets were calm for a Friday night, he thought. The neighborhood wasn’t overly busy, but Steve suspected later in the evening would be a different story. He took deep breaths as he tried to come back to himself. He wanted to tap into the Steve he felt he left behind in Hawkins. Not the one who was an asshole back in high school, but he missed his confidence, his own surety. Even though he hated it there and knew he wanted to leave. Now, here he was. Walking down the Indianapolis street with his best friend in a place that could actually accept him for who he is. So, why did he feel tears stinging behind his eyes as the harsh wind beat against his face?

He quickly blinked them away before Robin had time to notice them.

Fuck this , he thought. He started to make a deal with himself; he was going to meet someone in this hopefully-not-all lesbian bar. He was going to forget about Eddie, forget about Hawkins. Forget who he used to be or whoever he wished he was.

Once they arrived, they snagged seats at the bar, both ordering their drinks to start off the night. Moments later, with their drinks in their hands, Robin stopped talking about school. “Alright, Steve-o, tell me what happened,” she requested.

Steve considered filling her in, but now that he was sat with a drink in his hand and a newfound determination to prove himself, he paused. “You know what, never mind. We can talk about it later? I just want to relax.” He scanned the room looking for potential strangers to talk to. He’d need Robin’s help as both of their “gay-dars” were pretty shit, but maybe he’d have good chances with a guy here. “Rob… I think I want to try and meet someone.”

“Someone that isn’t your new boss?” she teased.

“Someone who is definitely not my new boss.”

She gave him a sad smile. “Okay, I’ll let you know if I see any contenders. Keep an eye out for me, too,” she requested.

They were on their second drinks before Steve actually began to relax. Their seats were turned out to the room, so the pair had a good view of the crowds. Steve was enjoying himself, talking with Robin about the latest movies, reminiscing on when they worked together. As he went to take another sip of his drink, across the room, he caught a glimpse of dark curling hair–quickly disappearing behind someone else.

Eddie?– Steve gasped as he drank which caused him to choke. He coughed, Robin slapping her hand on his back to pretend to help. A few people around them turned their heads to see what was happening. Robin looked from his face to the direction he was staring as he regained his composure, trying to see whatever caught his attention. He caught his breath just as he felt his face heating.

“Dude, what happened?” Robin asked as she looked at him, concerned.

“Uh, I thought I saw someone.” Is it possible that Eddie could be here tonight? Would he even go to a gay bar? Was it possible for Eddie to be gay? Steve realized he hadn’t even considered it.

He blinked away his watering eyes for the second time that night. Before he knew it, he realized who he saw earlier was walking right for him. A very beautiful girl with a halo of brunette curls. A moment later, he realized she was smiling at Robin. As he looked to her, he recognized the look on her face: completely frozen–he had to act fast. He, sort of gently, kicked her shin with the toe of his sneakers and watched her snap out of her trance just as the mystery girl walked up.

“Hey, uh, Robin, right? I think we have Advanced English Lit together. With Professor Lyonne?” she asked warmly. She was short, even with Robin sitting at the bar, the strange girl cast her eyes upwards while tucking her chin low, a small smile playing at her lips. Steve watched as she batted her eyelashes. This girl was a pro, and he knew Robin was a goner.

“Y-yeah! Yes, wow. Nancy, right? Whoa, crazy seeing you here! Do you come here often? I’ve been here a few times, I haven’t noticed you–I mean–I’ve not–uh–seen you around these kinds of places, haha,” Robin stumbled over her words. Steve’s surprised her eyes didn’t bulge out of her head and form heart shapes.

Nancy actually laughed, “I’ve not been here for a while, but, yeah, you could call me a regular .” She scrunched her nose at the end of her sentence, sending the confirmation both Steve and Robin were looking for.

They both nodded in understanding, and Nancy’s eyes finally landed on Steve. Before she could wonder anything, he spoke up, “Hey, Nancy. I’m Robin’s best friend , Steve. And I was just about to walk around for a bit.” He stood and offered her his seat. Nancy took it graciously, and the two began talking about their class, leaning a little closer than necessary.

Steve smiled to himself as he walked towards the restroom. It wasn’t until he looked himself in the mirror that he saw how flushed he had become. Between choking on his drink and thinking he saw his boss, Steve's nerves were shot. Why would seeing Eddie have such an effect on him anyway? Why should Steve care if he goes to a gay bar? As if the obvious metal head would show his face at a lesbian bar exclusively playing dream pop. It was foolish of him to be thinking so much about this man he hardly knew. Schooling his features, he refocused on finding someone new to fill his thoughts.

Steve roamed around the room aimlessly, avoiding the overly dark corners, so he mostly found himself standing alone on the outskirts of a dance floor. There was a good mix of people–young and old, masculine and feminine–but, unfortunately, no one caught his eye.

Eventually, Steve returned to Robin and Nancy, and the evening carried on. The girls shared a few slightly awkward dances while he looked on, guarding their seats. They did include him in their conversations after he would strike out trying to meet someone new. Once with a guy, tanned skin, and blonde waves, another with a redhead who he misread and was definitely not into him. By 10:00, he was defeated and wanted nothing more than to go home; all his hopes for the evening had run out.

Robin was clearly much luckier. Steve could read the look on Robin’s face when she glanced over Nancy’s shoulders; it said “ please go somewhere while I bring this super pretty girl home with me for a few hours and I owe you one .” Of course, she wouldn’t say that out loud, but once she mentioned to Steve that they wanted to go back to theirs to “study,” he knew what he was going to do. Giving her a squeeze on the shoulder, he said his goodbyes for the night. He wouldn’t bother her; he could no longer feel the effects of his drinks and more than anything wanted to go for a drive.

#steddie #steddie fic #kiss off #kiss off fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #stranger things

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cherrycoloredfaith · 2 months

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Kiss Off

Pt 1 | pt 3

Chapter 2: Two for My Family

Steve was certainly disappointing Eddie. He couldn’t accurately test the concrete. He couldn’t properly hold the nail gun. His soft hands blistered at the slightest wears.

The project they were on was simple: constructing a ramp and walkup for an elderly woman’s front yard. They were in a suburb on the outskirts of the city with only a small crew. It would take them only a day to complete.

When Steve drove up to the office to meet everyone and travel to the site together, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Before yesterday, he would have imagined a group of big, burly, hairy men, probably chewing tobacco and losing their hair, but as he pulled into park, he saw the assortment of characters waiting for him.

They were gathered around the bed of the truck, Eddie sitting on the tailgate, lighting a cigarette as soon as Steve stepped out of the car. The boys were making Eddie laugh, and Steve caught a glimpse of that same smile from yesterday, this time real. He did have a good smile.

As he walked up, he took in the scene before him. A shiny new hard hat and yellow vest rested beside Eddie’s thighs, covered once again in a dark denim. The truck was loaded with fresh lumber and large dusty bags of cement mix. The truck next to it also looked packed, full of various types of equipment and tools safely strapped in. Wayne wasn’t in sight, so Steve returned his attention back to Eddie. When he wouldn’t meet his eyes and stared at his watch, Steve quickly decided to introduce himself to the two strangers before him.

“What’s up, I’m Steve,” The two other guys smiled and murmured hellos; Eddie’s attention was finally on him.

“Stevie. This is Gareth, and this is Jeff,” said Eddie, gesturing. Steve blinked at the nickname, but nodded in acknowledgment at the others.

Gareth was short, a curly mop of hair nearly covering his eyes. Jeff was taller, dark-skinned, clean shaven, and looked at Eddie with a smirk once Steve waved hello. They looked young, aloof. Altogether, delinquent.

“Hey, nice to meet you guys,” said Steve. He could almost admit it was the truth, considering these guys didn't look half as intimidating as he expected.

“Riveting. Alright, we can talk small later. Right now, we’re running late,” said Eddie. He clapped his hands on his thighs and hopped down off the tailgate, closing it.

“I thought we were supposed to be here at 7:00?” Steve inquired, concerned. He followed Eddie around to the side of the truck, watching distantly as Gareth and Jeff quickly moved to the other truck full of equipment, snickering at something. Eddie rolled his eyes.

“We want to be at the site at 7:00. Usually it takes us thirty minutes to load up. Try to be early next time,” he stated bluntly. Eddie pressed his gear to Steve’s chest, none too gently, and got in the driver’s seat without another word. Steve didn’t know what else to do other than follow him.

Climbing up into the passenger seat alone in the truck with Eddie, he couldn’t help thinking this was a shit way to welcome a new team member. Steve didn’t know what his problem was, but he clearly didn’t want him around. He decided to try and appease.

“Sorry, Eddie. About being late,” Steve apologized, attempting to seem genuine. “Is there anything else I messed up?”

Eddie looked up, cocking his head to the side, and started the truck. He seemed to think about it for a moment, then his features softened.

“No, man, I’m sorry. It’s my problem with Wayne right now. I… I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I wasn’t expecting a new crew member so soon, and he just kind of sprung it on me.” Eddie pulled out and started to drive, Gareth and Jeff trailing behind.

“Oh, I hear you. Maybe we could start over?” Steve holds out his left hand for a shake. After a pause, Eddie takes it with a small smile that looks like it pains him.

On the drive over, he gave Steve a rundown of the project, telling him what parts he’s planning to train him on for today: mostly carpentry and quality assurance practices. Steve did his best to keep track of all of the new information, but he’s pretty sure any progress he made with Eddie in the truck was shot by the end of the day. Steve kept forgetting key details, almost punched a hole in his hand. He couldn’t help thinking he should have had a safety course before all this. Gareth and Jeff did most of the work under Eddie’s instruction as he trained Steve who was working at a much slower pace. Eddie got more and more frustrated with him throughout the day, but Steve would notice when he schooled his emotions back to calm. He could see he was trying to be patient with him. He appreciated Eddie making an effort. It also made him feel slightly feverish.

Not that he wasn’t already feeling that. The hot Indiana sun bore down them all day, reddening everyone’s skin except Jeff’s. Steve couldn’t understand how Eddie was wearing a black t-shirt and still had his hair down. It wasn’t until the late morning that he stretched upwards, pulling a hair tie off of his wrist with his teeth and gathering his curly, wispy locks into a high ponytail. Unruly pieces at the front of his face sprang free and some stuck to his forehead and he bent back down to continue hammering a nail. Steve was on a water break and had to take an extra few minutes to look in the opposite direction.

Their day ended without many hiccups, and Steve was exhausted by the end of it. The ride back to the office was quiet as Eddie played music. Steve was mostly lost in thought.

Suddenly, Eddie leaned over to turn the volume down, and glanced over. “What’d you think?”

Steve blinked the sleep out of his eyes in the bright afternoon light. “About what?” he said.

“The job, Steve. This is your first construction job, I can tell.” He tried not to squirm as Eddie’s eyes flitted from Steve’s face to his blistered hands in his lap and then, after a beat, back to the road ahead. “No shame,” he started again, “just observations.”

Something lit up in Steve. “Nah, you’ve got me all wrong. Maybe Wayne and I are hustling you, and next week I’ll blow it out of the water.”

“Not sure how that would benefit you, Stevie, and I haven’t placed any bets,” Eddie laughed.

Steve took a moment to think. “Okay, well, to answer your question, I don’t know what I’m really doing. Today was cool though, I learned a lot. Lately…–I’m just trying things out I guess.”

Eddie nodded like he understood, but Steve knew he didn’t explain it well. He didn’t know if he should share that ending up at this kind of place was not in his plans.

“Well, you did good for your first day,” Eddie said. Before Steve could think about it, he was grinning, heart fluttering from the praise; he instead looked to his hands clasped in his lap. Eddie glanced over but didn’t return his smile.

When they were finally back, Gareth and Jeff had beat them, already walking to their respective vehicles. Eddie slowed the truck and rolled the window down. “See you losers tonight?” he called out. They yelled out their agreements, Gareth saying something about how he better be luckier than last time. When Eddie made no moves to invite him on their outing or whatever, Steve decided to forget about it. Moments later, as they parked, the other boys had already left.

His hard hat and vest sat in his lap, and he thought about how he should write his name on them, even though the guys didn’t need them for today’s job. Eddie held his hand out; sitting in his palm was a key. “To the clubhouse,” he clarified. “You can put that stuff away, whatever locker you like.”

Steve took the key and nodded, trying to ignore the feel of Steve’s fingers brushing Eddie’s rough palm. Dirt caked their fingernails and formed a layer over everything. Steve couldn’t wait to shower.

Their eyes met over the center console of the truck. “Same time Monday,” Eddie stated. “Well, earlier next time, big boy.” He winked. Steve’s heart skipped a beat. “Have a good weekend.”

Before he knew it, Eddie was out of the truck, trekking towards Wayne’s office, probably to go tell him what an actually bad job Steve did today and how distracted he was by Eddie’s arms. He took a deep breath and tried to steel himself, heading towards the clubhouse. Once inside, he was surprised to find Max there, sitting in one of the seats at the table playing a Gameboy. She looked up as he opened the door, but quickly returned her attention. A skateboard sat at her feet and she was absently rolling it back and forth.

“First day?” she asked.

“Yep,” answered Steve.

“Rough?”

“Yep,” he repeated. He placed his gear into the first open locker he saw, trying to ignore the way his skin screamed as he stretched.

“You might want to invest in some sunscreen next time,” said Max, grinning at his pained expression.

“Ha-ha, thanks,” he responded sarcastically. He admittedly was concerned if Max could see his redness from so far away. He dashed to the bathroom to look in the mirror. A harsh blush decorated his nose and cheeks; his ears were mostly protected by his hair. His arms felt warm and tender to the touch. He decided to wash his hands and face while he was there. He heard the front door open and slam shut once he wet his face.

“Goddamn it,” he heard Eddie’s voice yell from the other room. “Goddamn it. It’s just like last summer. He’s going to ruin everything.”

Steve froze. Was he talking about him?

“Whoa, Eddie, calm down,” Max had an emphasis to her tone that he knew was trying to communicate to Eddie that Steve was still here. He heard hushed tones after that, finished up in the bathroom just as he heard the door at the end of the hall close. Steve stepped out.

The door to Eddie’s office was shut, and Steve grew an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Didn’t he say Steve did a good job?

He came into the kitchen and looked to Max; she gave him a slight smile but made no moves to explain what had just happened. He only checked to see that she seemed alright, then gave her a small salute, and he headed out the door. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to get home. If Eddie was going to complain about him behind his back while being nice to his face, what was Steve even doing? Was he really that bad?

He placed the key on his key ring, climbed into his car; all the short-lived joy from the praise earlier disappeared. Feeling defeated, Steve headed home.

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #kiss off #kiss off fic #steve x eddie #steddie fic #lol hi everyone

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