one last kiss

King Steve had changed, that much was clear. No longer did he start fights in alleys, or base his whole life around basketball scores, or think that his place on the popularity food chain was a matter of life and death. Steve Harrington, the real Steve, cared about people. He loved so much, he might start growing gray hairs early. This Steve didn't have dreams of college scholarships, and worked at the video store downtown, and his best friends were a band geek and a nerdy fifteen-year-old.

How the mighty have fallen. And how Eddie has fallen for Steve.

It blinded him, how much Eddie had grown to adore the guy he once hated, over such little time as a matter of days. After all, Eddie had never been in love — how telling of fate to have it happen when the world was about to end.

Love was the last thing Eddie needed heaped onto his already heavy shoulders; he was hiding from the police, the basketball team – all while trying to keep nightmares of Chrissy at bay in the hazy darkness of Reefer Rick's shed. And one night, Steve Harrington waltzed right into that shed.

From then on, it's been a blur — travelling interdimensionally, fighting monstrous bats with rowboat oars, stealing RVs in Halloween masks. It was as if while Eddie's body was busy, somewhere in the very back of his mind, he was falling in love. Without even knowing it.

Eddie fell for Steve's selflessness and bravery; how he didn't hesitate to jump into Lovers Lake, or how he ripped a mutant bat in two with just his hand and foot. Eddie loved Steve's resolve, how he trekked through the forest in the not-Hawkins world even with splitting sides. In Eddie's vest, no less. Eddie admired how Steve worked to keep the kids' spirits high even in their mega-shitty situation, because God knows they don't deserve to know all this at their age.

That mega-shitty situation, however, was about to end – here and now.

Everyone had a plan, makeshift weapons in hand and partners by their side, waiting for the cue to go. Steve, ever the natural-born leader, was handing out pep talks.

"If things start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort." Steve urged. "Okay?"

He continued to go over the plan; distract the bats, the others will get Vecna, don't do more than you're supposed to, blah blah blah. Eddie understood his and Henderson's job the first several times it had been told.

Eddie watched Steve's eyes as he spoke; they were worried, determined. When lightning flashed red in the sky behind them, Steve's dark eyes reflected it, glimmering in a morbid sort of beautiful way. God, this guy would be the death of him.

"Don't try to be cute or a hero or something." And then Steve was walking away.

With his retreating figure came a tidal wave of terrifying thoughts. What if Steve died? What if Eddie died? What if Dustin died, and it was Eddie's fault? Steve would never speak to him again — if any of those things happened. He had to do something, before they went their separate ways. Now or never.

"Hey, Steve?"

Eddie blanked. Of course.

He couldn't think, maybe because he hadn't thought this through at all, and had no idea what he wanted to say. Maybe because he now realized there was an audience, and his brain shut down under the many pairs of eyes on him. Robin and Nancy had turned with Steve, watching Eddie expectantly, and Dustin's breathing could be heard over his shoulder. Eddie's chest tightened with regret.

They had a big bad to fight, and here Eddie was, holding up the line for a case of stupid teenage feelings. What had he expected Steve to do? He couldn't read Eddie's mind, couldn't hear what Eddie wanted to say, and wanted Steve to say in return.

Tell me it's going to be okay.
Tell me we're going to survive this.
Tell me that you love me too.

"I—" Eddie stuttered, and not of his own volition, stumbled forward. With a dry throat and a fuzzy brain, Eddie's hand held onto Steve's neck, fingers warming under the curtain of curls that rested there. Leaving no time to think, Eddie pressed his lips to Steve's.

There was no magic, no fireworks or butterflies in his stomach like the movies. Right person, wrong time – that was the only way to say it. If only this happened on any other day, of any other year, at a different time. Maybe then it would feel right. Instead, they were freezing their asses off in this monster-riddled version of Hell, with a menacing, deadly wizard to kill.

Eddie would never find out if the kiss was wanted by both of them, because he pulled away seconds after it began. The answer might as well have been obvious in the shocked stiffness of Steve's body.

They couldn't waste any more time away from Vecna. They had to save Max. Eddie had done what he needed to, now it was time for battle.

Stepping back with a shaky sigh, Eddie gave a pained look between their locked eyes.

"I'm glad I got to know the real Steve." He murmured, quiet enough to reach only their ears. A split second later, Eddie was hurrying away from Steve, back towards the trailer.

Steve's hand fell from where it had been intertwined with Eddie's, cold washing over his fingers in cruel replacement of the other's heat. He didn't even remember latching on to Eddie. All he could think was he didn't want him to go.

If not for Robin pulling at his arm, Steve would have stood there forever.