Robin and Violet were taking them to a bar this evening, not just any kind of bar though. It was a gay bar, where it didn't matter if Eddie and Steve held hands or made out with each other because everyone else there was like them.
"Eddie, are you sure you're okay with this?" Steve stared across the room at him. Eddie had been quiet ever since the suggestion "Because we can just not go, you don't have to tell them why or anything, just that it's not something either of us enjoy"
"No, Stevie, I'm good" He tried to smile reassuringly. Steve didn't believe him.
"Eddie I know they're triggering for you, I don't ever want you to be in a situation that makes you feel like that"
"I wanna try Steve" He took a deep breath "I need to try and move past that shit, I want to be able to take you out and dance with you, even if there's no drinking involved"
"Eddie"
"Steve I just wanna be a normal twenty three year old, I don't wanna be stuck on this forever. Please let's just... let's just go out with the girls, if I really really hate it I can leave and come back here"
"I'll come with you"
"You don't need to cut your night short because of me, but thank you"
"Not gonna fucking leave you on your own in a city you don't know dumb ass"
"I'm an adult"
"Don't care"
Eddie couldn't help but smile a little bit, he found it adorable how protective Steve was of him.
***
Okay, he could do this. Eddie could do this. He stared up at the building, hand in hand with Steve, Robin and Vi standing in the queue in front of them. He gripped Steve's hand tightly, gnawing on his lip.
"Eddie, are you sure about this?" He looked so worried right now. His brow creased into what seemed to be a permanent frown of worry.
"Y-yeah" He took a shaky breath. Steve kissed the back of his hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles gently.
"The second you wanna leave, let me know and we will okay?"
Eddie nodded. He was grateful that he had an out. That he could just give Steve the signal and they would leave.
It was dark and loud inside the bar, music played loudly from speakers that lined the walls. The room was sweaty, the air smelled of cigarettes and weed. It was crowded and Eddie should have felt at home here. But a lot of things he had tried his best to keep buried down were trying to creep their way to the surface, clawing at his insides. But he wanted to do this, he wanted to prove to himself that he could do this and be okay with it.
Robin seemed to notice that something was off with Eddie and she looped her arm through his, he had one on each side and he suddenly didn't feel quite so small in this huge room.
"Do you want a drink?" She asks him. Eddie still tried to be good, he tried not to drink much anymore, but right now, much like on the plane he needed something to help his nerves. He nodded and let himself be pulled along to the bar by Robin. She ordered a round for everyone and Steve slipped his hand into the back pocket of Eddie's jeans. Trying hard not to smother him, but letting him know he was there if he needed him.
They waited a moment before getting their drinks and turning their attention back to the dance floor.
"Come dance with me?" Violet shouted to Robin over the music. The Edge of Heaven by Wham! was playing. Eddie couldn't help but smile over at Steve who was quite happily singing along to the song. In the few months they'd been together he had come to learn that Steve fucking loved Wham! He was a Wham! man before anything else.
आप पढ़ रहे हैं
Burn it after midnight.
रोमांसA story in which Eddie is a mechanic and Steve's car conveniently breaks down. (AU) Cover art: Kaedeleafs on Twitter. Title: Contagious - Y&T.
