After All This Time (Steddie)

Ch. 7: Buckley

TW; love, friendship, drinking

We lay in bed for a long while, sharing a cigarette and long breaths in and out. I remember that I haven't called Robin yet. She's probably chomping at the fucking bit to get details. I'll have to call her soon.

It's about 6 pm, starting to slowly get dusky outside. My head is in a rush from all the feelings and events that have transpired within the last 24 hours between me and Eddie. I don't want to go back to reality tomorrow. I want to stay in this bubble forever. I roll to my side and admire his body. Taking in every feature and contour. He's like a painting you see in a museum, the most beautiful person I've ever met in my life. Scars and all he is just absolutely breathtaking.

A deep breath makes his chest rise and fall softly. "Since you're so insistent at knowing what's on my mind I'll just tell you what I'm thinking now before you even ask." He chuckles. "How'd you know?" I roll my eyes and run my hand down his cheek to his jawline softly. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." He looks at my from the corner of his eye. "Well shit, you've must have seen some ugly people."

"Fuck's sake let me give you a compliment you asshole." I laugh and push his arm playfully. "Okay okay. Thank you Stevie you're the sweeeetest." Thick amounts of sarcasm are very obvious. "I swear! You are!" He laughs and rolls to look over at me. "Okay let me spell this out for you so you're seeing it from my angle. Me, getting that big of a compliment coming from you, literally could get anyone in this whole damned town? Cmon man don't bullshit a bullshitter."

"Edward Munson you're the most stubborn ass I swear to god." He squints his eyes glaring at me. "Don't use my government name!" I smile widely. He just called me Stevie, so payback given where payback is deserved. "I'm telling you. Fucking perfection. Like some sort of painting."

He rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Yeah right. Maybe Jackson Pollock." I shove his shoulder again causing him to nearly fall off the bed this time. I nearly snort laughing at the face he made trying to keep himself from falling. "Holy shit the face you just made" tears start forming in my eyes from how hard I'm laughing. "I wish I could frame it. Oh my god."

"You're a jerk! I felt like I almost died!"

I pull his face close to mine and kiss him softly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I love you." I try to slow my laughter down to a light chuckle. "You're lucky I love you!" He pouts sitting up, crossing his legs in front of him.

My smile not fading I cannot help but to laugh a little. He looks like a little kid who just got his favorite toy taken away. I sit myself up, and hop off the bed to put the PJ pants back on that he let me borrow. Not bothering to put the shirt back on, not like he's not used to my scars either. We both have our fair share, that's for sure. "I gotta make a quick call. Mind if I use the phone? I gotta call Robin since she's basically the one who convinced me to ask you out."

"Gonna give her all the steamy details?" Eddie wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me. "No. She's not a perv like you!" I try to run out of the room quickly as he hurls a pillow in my direction, laughing the whole time. "You're gonna get it Harrington!" I hear him shout as I make it to the phone on the wall in the kitchen.

Smiling to myself, I type in the familiar phone number. It rings a few times before I hear a "Hello? Buckley residence, Robin speaking."

"Rob! It's Steve! Sorry I'm calling so late in the day. I've lost complete track of time..."

"Oh my god I've been waiting all day for your dumbass to call me! How'd your date go?! You have to tell me everything!"

"I uh, don't think you wanna know everything." I giggle slightly and Eddie pops his head around the corner smiling then walks over and wraps his arms around me, his rings feel cold against my stomach and I'm trying so hard not to get distracted.