hushed whispers were heard as eddie walked the school halls. he was never one to shy away from all the stares. personally, he liked the attention sometimes. but this time something was different. somehow people were looking at him with a different type of disgust.
he hung his head, occasionally stealing a glance at the people walking around, looking at him. he stopped by his locker trying to get his books out when someone next to him whispered a little to loud "did you hear? they say he likes guys.." "oh my god, that's disgusting."
eddies head shot up. he stared at the two girls who looked at him with repulsed faces. he felt his body go cold, his hands started to tremble. his eyes now of pure horror, he looked around, everybody was either snickering or shooting him glares that at the moment, felt like could kill.
and then came the worst.
"look at that little bitch!" it was tommy h. of course it was tommy h.
"i knew you were always a freak but i didn't know you were a queer one." he laughed maniacally. eddie noticed how tommy wanted to push him into the lockers but never actually did it.
"ah it wouldn't be smart to do that, you'd probably like it wouldn't you." so he instead opted to punch him straight in his face.
eddies head slammed into the lockers as he groaned loudly, touching his nose, feeling a trickle of blood coming out. he momentarily glanced at tommy seeing his brows furrowed together as he swung his arm back and slamed it into eddies face yet again.
eddie cried out, sliding down the lockers in agony. he was sure tommy broke his nose, it hurt so much.
and when he thought tommy's gonna blow him another punch or this time maybe a kick, the boy just spat on him as he said "freaks like you belong in hell." his friends all laughed and walked off.
eddie sighed as he sat there, on the ground. he wiped his nose with the sleeve of his sweater as tears started to form in his eyes. he slowly got up and picked up his backpack that fell of his shoulder when he heard someone yelling "let me through, let me through!"
steve was pushing his way through the crowd that gathered around to watch the commotion. as he managed to squeeze into the center eddie was staring back at him with the saddest eyes that were somehow also swimming with immense rage.
seeing the state eddie was in, steve rushed forward and gently grabbed eddies face, inspecting it. "oh my god eddie, are you okay? who did this to you?" steves face was of pure concern as he tried to catch eddies eyes. but the boy just swated his hands away and pushed him back.
the boy stumbled back before looking at eddie, scared. "you did! you did this to me!" eddie stepped towards steve pushing him back again. the crowd around them moved out of the way, nobody wanting to have any punches that might get thrown around landing on them.
"you did this! you told them!" eddie was crying at this point. he didn't care that people were watching. he was so incredibly hurt.
before eddie could push steve again the other straightened up and caught eddies hands in his own, not grabbing to harshly but making sure eddie couldn't push him again. "eddie what are you taking about? i didn't tell anyone-" "LIAR!" eddie retrieved his hands and before steve had a chance to gain his composure, eddie swung and punched steve right in his pretty face.
god, eddie wasn't really sure why he did it but he felt so angry, hurt, sad, he felt the whole dictionary of bad words in that moment and thought that punching steve might make things better. and it did, but only for a fraction.
as steve was gripping his nose in pain eddie just looked at him "you ruined everything. i hope you rot."
and with that, he walked away. everyone moved out of his way like he was some sort of disease and eddie was okay with it. maybe he deserves it. maybe he should burn in hell.
eddie woke up in cold sweat, gasping. he looked around his dark room and realized it was just a dream. well, more of a nightmare really.
he wiped the sweat of his forehead and realized he might've been crying in his sleep. he laughed at himself as he sat up in his bed, running a hand through his hair. "god, you're such a pussy eddie" he mumbled to himself and got up to get a glass of water.
and as he leaned his back on the counter, drinking his water, he didn't think he could fall asleep again. so he decided he'll go for a walk downtown, maybe get something to eat from the 24/7 diner.
but walking down the roads of the cold october air, eddie thought that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. he was a known gay man and walking the streets alone at night wasn't so clever. but he didn't really care at the moment. he was desperately craving a milkshake and a burger and nothing could stop him from getting it.
finally coming on a semi lit road eddie huffed out into the cold air, rubbing this palms on his biceps for warmth. he eyed all the closed businesses, the broken windows in stores, leaves blowing around in the wind. it truly felt like some kind of horror movie and if eddie was watching it he might've enjoyed it. but what he didn't enjoy was being the one in the horror movie.
so he sped up his pace, trying to get to the diner as soon as possible. he wasn't trying to get murdered tonight.
slight feeling of relief washed over him as he saw the bright blinking sign of the diner. he ogeled the windows to see if anyone else was inside and to his luck, he didn't see anyone.
he opened the door, warmth and the bell above the door welcoming him in. as he stepped inside, a sweet subtle smell of pancakes made him think of his old friend and how he always got pancakes when they went here.
a bittersweet sadness burned a hole in his heart which was immediately forgoten when the waitress welcomed him and offered for him to sit down.
he walked towards the back, sitting in one of the booths and the waitress was already there with a menu in one hand and a notepad in the other.
eddie skimmed through the menu before deciding "i'll have the house special burger and a chocolate milkshake, thanks."
the waitress thanked him as she walked off and as eddies eyes lifted to one of the boths almost across him he met the eyes of a person he most dreaded to see.
and of course his eyes were looking right back at him. those pretty hazel eyes that shine in the neon lights of the diner. and eddie might've gotten lost in them if the other didn't move his head to the side as he let out an awkward cough. "umm... hi" steves voice was hoarse and eddie couldn't help but imagine steve waking up and driving to the diner still half asleep.
eddie awkwardly nodded at him before staring down at his fingers and playing with one of his rings. he was thinking of heading out, not wanting to be tortured by his own thoughts around the other boy but he was sure they already started to prepare his meal and he wasn't going to be a dick just because he couldn't face his ex friend.
but despite the awkwardness of the situation, eddie couldn't help himself. he kept stealing glances at the other who sometimes returned them.
and when eddies food came steve stood up and eddie thought finally, he's leaving. but no. steve walked over to eddies booth and slid in, opposite him.
eddie was blinking at him rapidly, not knowing how to react. steve was in his booth, staring at him and his eyes were still sparkling. he was wearing a mustard yellow sweater that nicely complimented his eyes and eddie realized it was the sweater he gave to him for his 18th birthday. he remembers because he saved up for it for at least two months and steve could not stop gushing over it, wearing it with every single opportunity he got without it being weird. and eddie could see that it was a little washed out, the color slowly starting to fade, but it still layed on the other as nicely as it did before.
steve seemed to notice eddie staring at his clothes because he gripped the sweater and looked at it "yeah, it's still my favorite. very comfortable." and eddie looked at him as if steve just told him the 100 digits of pi, almost baffled that steve even spoke to him, like nothing happened.
"eddie?" steve snapped him out of his trance, eddie realized he might've been staring at him for a little to long. "i'm sorry, you're here because... why?" eddie questioned like steve wasn't supposed to even breathe the same air as him.
"umm.. i got pancakes? cause i was hungry?" steve grinned a little and eddies face softened. he could never stare at his smile and not feel that warm feeling he always got when his mom used to cuddle him close before bed. he had a soft spot for his smile.
"i meant here" he pointed at the booth in circling motion "in my booth." "last i checked it's the restaurants booth" steve giggled. eddie stared at him and steves smile dropped a little. "i just... i just wanted to talk." eddie noticed that steve was doing what he always did when he was nervous, picking at his nails. and a part of him wanted to reach out and grab his hand but the other part kept him back as he looked at steve.
"talk about what?" eddie knew what steve meant but he just felt like playing stupid in the moment.
"about our conversation at school. and... the fact that i might've finally realized why you hate me." he was looking down and eddie could see that he was trying to form a sentence that could kick start the topic.
"i wanted you to know that... i never told anyone. about you secret." he nodded his fingers as quotation marks around the last word.
"whats that supposed to mean" eddie asked as he repeated steves notion of the fingers. steve looked at him a glimpse of regret in his eyes as he waved his hands a little "no no, i don't mean it as if it wasn't a secret, i just mean... it shouldn't have to be a secret. that you should be able to be whoever you are. i- i'm getting off topic here." he shook his head, his brown locks rid of any product that rests in them throughout the day, flying around his face gently.
"i was umm... talking to tommy today. he was.. bragging about something, i don't even know what and he.. he mentioned how he still remembers that, and i quote jackpot of dirt he found like two years ago." steve seemed like he was getting nervous. like, he's saying something he shouldn't be saying. like this is his secret.
"and i got.. curious, i guess and asked him what he meant." he paused, looking at eddie with sorry eyes before continuing "he saw you. that night."
eddie furrowed his eyebrows not knowing what the hell steve was talking about. so he asked "what night harrington?"
"when you kissed that boy..."
eddies face fell. it felt as if someone took all the heath in his body, shoved it in his head and then let it fall like a rollercoaster down his body. he knew exactly what boy steve was talking about, though he wasn't sure steve knew which boy.
"eddie" steve was looking at him, worried and sad as he reached out and grabbed eddies hand in his own. and when eddie didn't pull away because frankly - he didn't want to - he started to rub his thumb over eddies hand. something eddie found extremely calming, even at a time like this.
he slowly felt the heath return to the rest of his body and stared at steve. he knew he wasn't lying, no one else knew that eddie kissed another guy. they made sure they were being very careful. but apparently it's impossible to stay secretive because tommy h. likes to shove his nose where it's not supposed to be.
"eddie, are you okay?" steve looked at him for a few second, seeing eddie still couldn't breathe properly and was literally on the bring of tears. he decided to stand up and sit next to eddie, the boy moving aside, almost as a reflex, to make some space.
and steve spared no time before he engulfed the other in a hug, the tight harrington hug that only steve knew how to give. and eddie almost immediately wrapped his arms around his back, fisting his sweater as he let it all go and sobbed into steves neck.
and in that moment he felt like his world didn't know what to do, split in half or feel at peace. he was wrapped in the arms of the one person he ever truly loved and at the same time felt such sadness from the realization what he put the other through.
"i'm sorry" eddies voice was muffled by steves skin and because well... he was crying.
"eddie, why on earth are you sorry?? i'm sorry! i never did anything to defend you, i just stood aside like a stupid idiot and let it all happen to you" steves voice sounded like he was starting to cry as well and eddie could feel him breathe unevenly.
he pulled away momentarily to look at steve. his eyes were glistening with tears and eddie wanted to wipe them away so bad. "no steve, you were there. you were and i fucking pushed you away. i blamed you and my god, i didn't even let you explain yourself."
he was holding steves hands, almost as if steve was the one that needed comfort. and eddie was sure he did because what steve went through because of eddie was in eddies book just inexcusable. but he supposed steve had a different mindset.
"i should've tried harder. i should've fought for you. god damn it you were my best friend! i'm so sorry eddie, i really am!" steve was full on sobbing, his shoulders rising and falling, hickups flowing out. and eddie couldn't stand to look at the mess that was infront of him, knowing that he was responsible for it. he hugged him again and kept repeating 'sorry' into his hair as he rubbed circles on steves back.
and slowly both of them calmed down and broke their hug just looking at each other, eddie wiping his tears with his sleve. and steve just kept staring at him with those puppy eyes full of sadness. so eddie raised his hand up to steves face and with his thumb he wiped, more like smudged steves tears. he was cupping his face and the second steve leaned his head into the touch, eddie melted.
he was staring back at steve who had a kind and small smile on his face, his eyes blinking back at him. and for a moment eddie felt like he could kiss him right there and then. it was the perfect moment. they just shared a deep conversation, shed some tears and still holding eachothers hand. and it would be so easy to just lean in and kiss steve.
but god, eddie knew steve was the straightest man alive. and he wasn't gonna change that no matter how many hugs or glances they share. he was going to stay satisfied with the longing stares and the lingering hands, the warmth of his embrace and the smell of steves cologne.
the first one to break their little staring contest was steve who much to eddies dismay lifted his head from the loving touch and looked at eddies food. "i think this might've gone cold."
eddie giggled and turned to his burger, deciding to just eat it. and much to his surprise it was still semi warm and still as good as always.
as he set his burger down he saw steve looking at him as he leaned to the straw of eddies milkshake, opened his mouth putting the straw between his lips and almost as a dare to stop him waited for a second before taking a sip of the delicious sweet drink.
faking a gasp eddie shot his hand to his chest as if he took offense to steves actions. both of the giggling they stared forward, the silence once again engulfing them. only this time it wasn't awkward at all. it was kind and sweet, warmth of it hugging them.
"i really am sorry" eddie broke the silence. "i'm sorry for not listening to you. though, one could say i had a reason but... you were my best friend and i put so little trust in you. i... i was being a dick" eddie admitted.
steve sighed "yeah, you kinda were." eddie giggled. "but i should've known it was tommy. it was always him."
they both sighed simultaneously. "just so you know, i broke it off with him. tommy" steve assured eddie who smiled at him gratefully. this was the best friend that he knew. the kind and caring boy, the most loving person to walk this earth. and eddie was blessed to be in his presence. to have once been considered his best friend. best friend.
"thank you" eddie smiled at him, trying to look as grateful as he could because he knew there was nothing more he could say that could explain how much love he felt for steve.
"i think now is as good a time as any to ask" eddie paused to look at steve who was waiting patiently like a dog. "steve, would you be my friend? again?"
and as if fireworks lit up in steves eyes they sparkled brightly, a big smile stretching across his face. he threw himself at eddie, wrapping his arms around him and said "yes, yes yes! i would love to be your friend again!"
and eddie couldn't help but giggle at steves enthusiasm, he really was like a dog.
as he hugged his once again friend back he felt like his world decided it wanted peace. world destruction can wait for another day.
steve pulled away, holding onto eddies forearms as he asked "best friends?"
and eddie couldn't but giggle at him. he was truly the most beautiful, pure person in this whole world and he was more than happy to answer "best friends."
...
A/N: my loves, i adore this chapter. i wrote it at midnight so any spelling mistakes are cause of my sleepy self. hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as i enjoyed writing it. and if anything doesn't make sense either ask or just go with it😅