Steve didn't know what to do. Everything finally normalized again with him and Eddie. Which was great: the witty banter, flirtatious joking, plus the mom and dad dynamic held strong. It was an easy choice, either he jeopardized his friendship or he didn't. So, he didn't. Each day trying and achieving, better and better, at being himself again. Without the unrequited attraction getting in his way.
But now, that meant he had to get Eddie a graduation gift. He already had gotten his senior friends flowers, but he wanted something more for Robin and Eddie. Even if it was small, not that it couldn't be something bigger, it definitely could have. He just didn't know what.
Robin was easy, she had broken her old record player a few weeks ago and she had been saving up to move out. So it wasn't exactly on the top of her list of where to spend her money. He even got her the new record that The Smiths released. But he didn't know what would be conventionally okay to get Eddie. He hadn't known him as long, but was now just as close to him as he was with Robin. They were like, three peas in a fucking pod. Still he stood at work, running through all the possibilities in his head of what he could get him.
"Steve, you have that look on your face, you're thinking way too hard over there." It was currently Saturday, he and Robin had their shift together from start to finish today.
"I'm thinking about the fact that you're finally graduating, you idiot. It took you long enough."
"Oh I'm sorry we had a multiple month long, life threatening event, that held me back a little bit. Entirely my fault, I'll make sure it never happens again." They both laughed and Steve got up from his stool behind the counter to join her in wiping tables down. No one was there and Keith left an hour ago. Only one more to go before they closed, no one usually came in for afternoon coffee anyway.
"Yeah, I expected better from you Buckley. In Eddie's case I get it, but you have no excuse." Steve noticed his comment got her to pause in the middle of the circling scrub of the table she had been working on.
"You were thinking too hard about Eddie, weren't you? You haven't talked to him about anything?"
"God, Rob no, I haven't. I don't know how many times I have to explain it to you, but I will never be talking about that with him. Ever."
"Whatever you say Harrington. Now what's making the vein in your forehead bulge?" Robin had moved closer to Steve in the span of time he stepped out in front of the counter, only to hit him with her dirty, wound up rag in his forearm.
"I don't know what to get him for graduation."
"You're getting him a present?"
"I'm getting everyone a present." Her head whipped around as an excited look took her face. "Yours, might I add, is currently sitting in my house, in an undisclosed location so you don't go snooping." That excitement immediately left when he said that.
"Oh come on, I can't get it a little early? If anything, it would be late if I had already graduated."
"But you haven't, have you?" Steve's eyebrow raised and when she couldn't say anything else, he continued. "Exactly, so you'll get it after the ceremony tomorrow."
"So do you have any ideas on what to get him at all?"
"I have too many, that's the problem. On top of that though, I know him. He won't accept anything super expensive even if I like, glued it to him or something." They already had finished wiping off all the tables, but since they had nothing else to do, they went over the ones the other had already done.
"What are you saying about me then? That I mooch off of you or something, since I love getting all of your rich boy presents?"
"No, Robin, because I love those rich boy presents too. Since I don't pay for them. Remember, consolidation gifts from estranged parents?"
"Right. Got it...Ooh I got it, Eddie likes music. He likes metal more specifically, I guess. What if you got him something to do with that?" Steve knew that was probably the best of ideas he would get from Robin about the topic. So he put on his best believable and appreciative of smiles.
"Good idea Rob, I'll go find something on that track after work."
He in fact, did not look at almost anything to do with metal as he walked around the mall. He hadn't been there in a long time, obviously he'd go with Robin and Eddie when they needed to watch movies that didn't show downtown. But he hadn't been there alone in a long time, so he tended to avoid it.
There was a record store he checked out, it was bigger than the place he had gotten Robin's record at. But it was mainstream and carried things in bulk more than the one in the other part of town. The only thing even somewhat enticing was the Master Of Puppets record, but he knew Eddie had it. He bought it right when it came out.
Then, he walked by a music store, filled with instruments of all shapes and sizes. He never really had noticed it before, he wasn't exactly a musically inclined person. He played in his elementary school band, but that was about the stretch of his talents. But Eddie, he could play, Steve had heard it first hand. And he knew he had a guitar, but every musician could use more instruments. That's what he'd heard anyway.
It was in and out for the most part. He went up to the employee, asked what the differences between the guitars were and what they were best used for. Picked out one he liked, that happened to be on the higher end of price ranges, before getting a case for it and walking out after charging it on his credit card. That was very much attached to his parents bank account.
He was dressed in a blue polo and white shorts, it was hot but he still had to look somewhat presentable even though he wasn't the one walking. He knew Nancy and Jonathan would want pictures, if not along with everyone else in the place. He drove by himself to the school, it wasn't as crowded as it would have been for a regular year. Seeing as it was maybe half of the class that actually stayed and less than that who decided to do summer school.
When he parked he chose the spot right next to Eddie's van, which also happened to be right next to Robin's parents car and Jonathan's. Robin was the first to find him as he was scanning the crowd of families to find his own. Tackling him in a tight hug while yelling in his ear the fact she was graduating. Everyone joined in a group around them, Steve moved Robin and him to join the rim of the circle their group formed.
"It's our year Stevie!" Steve had thrown his arm over Robin's shoulder and Eddie mirrored his position on him.
"It's your year!" Steve wrapped his arm around Eddie's waist to reciprocate the side hug. It was friendly.
The bell rang and principal Higgins could be heard calling all of the students to meet in the gym. They would let all of the visitors in after everyone was in their designated seats, so he gave hugs to everyone that had to leave right then one last time. He grabbed the flowers from his car now that none of them would be able to see them. Leaving the bigger and more special gifts for his two best friends in there.
The ceremony was much more entertaining than Steve's had been. Nancy had to speak to her class, since she had been valedictorian, which meant she crossed the stage first, but her walk was perfectly normal. It really started reflecting their dysfunctional friend group when Robin was called. She almost fell on her way up onto the small stage but saved it. Jumping off of it and avoiding the stairs completely when she got her diploma. Next was Jonathan, who was undoubtedly a little high, who laughed in the principal's face while staring at his diploma when he got it. Then Argyle went, who was even more noticeably out of it, so much so that he almost just walked across the stage without actually interacting with the principal at all. The kids started making a scene while laughing their asses off because of it.
Then it got to Eddie, who was by far the one to make the biggest scene. He had promised to flip the bird to Higgins, but that was the least concerning thing he did. When he grabbed his diploma, he shook Higgins hand so hard that even ten yards away, Steve could see his hand redden. Then when the piece of paper was securely in his hand he flipped everyone off, especially the principal and ran for it out the main gym doors. The whole group laughed except for Hopper, who was holding it in, out of professionalism since getting his job back.
Steve didn't wait for the rest of the people to get called to leave the gym to find Eddie. He just told Dustin, who sat to his right, to find him by his car once it was all done. When he got outside, Eddie was running and jumping in the parking lot before he completely stopped when he saw Steve.
"You know you still have to turn your tassel idiot."
"Oh whatever, I got my diploma Harrington! Two extra years but here we are with this shitty piece of paper in the palm of my hand." Steve walked up to where Eddie had frozen near his van.
"You did Munson, I can't argue that with you. You are officially a high school graduate...Congratulations Eddie." Steve held his arms out for a proper, and friendly, hug. He may or may not have forgotten how good of a hugger Eddie was.
"Thanks Stevie." Eddie squeezed before letting go and leaning against his van.
"Don't get too comfortable, I have something for you. Follow me."
"What do you mean you have something for me?" Steve went to the trunk of his car.
"It's a graduation present. You have flowers too but I left them with Dustin to hand them out to people."
"Steve you did not have to—"
"I wanted to, Eddie. It's a gift, and it is rude to not accept a gift." He popped his trunk open and pulled the case to the edge of the car.
"What the fuck did you do Stevie." Steve gestured for Eddie to open it. It felt like Eddie was moving in slow motion, he inched towards it carefully, moving his eyes back and forth between looking at the black case and looking at Steve.
"I got you a little something." When Eddie opened the case, his eyes widened and mouth dropped. He looked at Steve with comedic disgust.
"Are you kidding me? Steve, this is a discontinued F-series acoustic. Fender stopped manufacturing these in '79, where the hell did you find it?"
"Music store in the mall after I had the employee show me every single acoustic they had in stock, which may have included the ones behind the counter. I thought the stain on this one was nice, so I bought it."
"You're insane, but like, why did you choose an acoustic guitar?" Eddie wasn't complaining, He was just curious. He grabbed it and moved the case back so he could sit in the opened trunk.
"I knew you already had an electric one. Thought this would be a nice change." Steve sat next to him. The parking lot was still empty of people, all of them still finishing the ceremony inside, leaving empty cars all around them. It was quiet besides the summer breeze running through the leaves. It was already the end of July, before they knew it, it would be autumn and the wind would be much cooler. Steve always liked fall weather, he missed it.
Eddie was hugging him again, this time at an odd side angle where he put his face in the crevice between Steve's shoulder and neck. It was done before he even realized it started. Eddie just started to tune it by ear and Steve watched. He was mesmerized by Eddie Munson of all people, no matter how hard he tried to not be.
Eddie kept fiddling and when it was presumably tuned, he began playing a song. A song that Steve actually recognized, one that wasn't nearly close to metal. It was a song he remembered from when he visited Spain when he was much younger. He wasn't sure how Eddie knew it, but he played it perfectly, as perfectly as his seven year old self remembered it being. That in itself was a little bit of a shocker, but the next thing he played. That might have made him stop breathing long enough to pass out, even if he didn't.
"You know, I'm just a fool, who's willing...to sit around and wait for you." Steve stared at him, he knew this song too well. But it was like he was hearing Eddie for the first time, his voice was incredibly soft, softer than he had ever heard it.
"But baby can't you see, there's nothing left for me to do." He knew where this was going, but he didn't think it was actually happening.
"I'm hopelessly devoted to you." He stopped playing after that, letting the last note linger. Then he did what Steve didn't prepare for, he looked up at him and Steve couldn't take it. He could see Eddie for the first time, in his entirety, he knew he did that for a reason. The same way he tucked his hair behind his ears so Steve could see his whole face and how he nervously chewed at his bottom lip. He meant it.
Steve couldn't control himself anymore. He found his head moving closer to Eddie and he couldn't stop it. It was a slow approach only for a second, but when he saw Eddie move towards him too, that was it. It was quick after that, he almost ran into him. He grabbed the back of his head as he guided Eddie towards himself.
That was it and god, if he thought Eddie was a good hugger, he was a better kisser. He'd kissed a lot of girls, but what he found with them was one of two things. They were either way too soft or unnecessarily aggressive. But this, this was fucking Goldilocks perfect. There wasn't even any tongue and it wasn't long, but when they parted after, the silence was broken by tens and tens of voices coming from the gym's direction, it lingered.
"Thank you for the gift Steve, seriously. I'll treasure it, promise." When Steve opened his eyes, Eddie was looking at him, only him. Steve nodded in a slight daze and he smiled, genuine and soft like Eddie had been.
"The other's are gonna be coming over here any second." Eddie knew what he meant, he stood up and wiped his bottom lip off a little. Distancing themselves enough to just be friends. Steve was going to ask a question but Eddie read him and answered it.
"Later, right now we're celebrating everyone, and what just happened is gonna take longer than two minutes to unpack." He stopped, making sure there were still no people around to hear them. "You meant it, right?"
"Yeah...yeah I meant it Eddie." Eddie nodded in understanding before almost falling over when a loud voice snuck up behind him.
"Steve! I heard from a little birdie that there's a present for me here."
"Jesus Christ Robin, a warning next time. I almost had a goddamn heart attack." Eddie doubled over and grabbed his chest as Steve and Rob just laughed.
"Yeah I got a little something for yah Robs. Close your eyes."
"I better not get jumped." She said right before willingly closing her eyes.
"No you're definitely getting jumped." Steve had been moving the guitar case more to bring forward the record player when Eddie said that. Before he turned around all the way to face them again to see Eddie carrying Robin like a sack of potatoes.
"Okay, thanks for the distraction Eddie, but put her down. Here you go, you fiend." She reacted, pretty much exactly how Steve expected her to. She gave him a big hug before grabbing the box to take it to her parents' car. "Hold on Buckley, you have one more thing." Steve placed the album on top of the box and when she saw it Steve had to brace her arms so she didn't drop anything.
"Are you kidding?! Thank you Steve, thank you, thank you, thank you. God, I chose a good best friend, didn't I?" She jumped a little before taking both things to the car.
That's when the children came and congratulated Eddie properly. Dustin gave the last small bundle of sunflowers to Eddie, apparently as a gift from both of them. Which got an all knowing stare from Steve towards him, wondering how the delivery process made it a split present. But he let it slide.
"So Steve, graduation celebration at your place?"
"I'm sorry what?" Robin had come back and asked the question, which made everyone look his way. That's all he could say to it.
"Come on Stevie, let's have a nice...adult only, party for once. No kiddos in sight." Eddie added on to the plea, and for some reason it was easy to say no to Robin but when Eddie asked...He may have just been thinking about the fact he'd be able to get him alone to talk about what happened.
"What do you mean no kids!?"
"We are literally all sophomores now." There were more added on disagreements to it, but the real adults shut them up when Joyce and Hopper came over.
"Everyone under the age of seventeen can hang out at our house if you want to. Let the graduates have their fun with people their own age."
"I'm making spaghetti and meatballs if that helps persuade any of you." Joyce added onto Hopper's proposition, which got the youngsters to forget about the 'party' since they could get free rides to free food.
"I guess everyone else can meet at mine in like an hour, bring what you want and feel free to stay the night. Just give me time to straighten up the place." Mostly everyone started to disperse after that, agreeing to Steve's idea. Slowly they all left, one by one or in groups and pairs. The last one left in the vicinity of Steve's car was Eddie. The parking lot got closer to the quiet state it was in before the ceremony ended, though much emptier.
"So..." Eddie was the first to break the silence between them after everyone had left.
"So?" Steve had already closed his trunk, so now he leaned on the back of his car for support.
"We want to figure out what the hell is happening here?" Eddie leaned on his enclosed guitar case.
"My house. I don't have any cleaning I need to do, you get there now, and we can talk in private."
"Private? Stevie wants to get me all alone-"
"What if I do Munson? We saw what happened already." Steve opened his driver's side door. "I'll see you in a bit." He hopped in and closed the door. He thought it was quiet before but right then, it was deathly silent. All he could hear was his heart pounding and slow breathing.
He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened in the past hour. But he just kept wishing in his head that it was real, because right now he was starting his car after kissing Eddie Munson. The same Eddie Munson who was his best friend, the one who saved the world with him a few months ago, the one who kissed him back.
He kissed him back.
That was terrifying and electrifying at the same time. It made a smile take to his face, he was given the green light and his foot was on the gas.