stolen kisses • steddie

03.

03.

The front counter at Family Video was slow, as usual, and Robin had just taken her second fifteen minute break in two hours. Steve was bored, tapping a random pen he found on the counter with his head in his hand.

"Sorry to bother you, where's the horror section?" A familiar voice said, and Steve glanced up.

"Eddie," Steve greeted him with a small smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you worked here, so naturally, I had to come harass you," Eddie winked, leaning against the counter. Truthfully, he just wanted to see Steve again.

"Naturally," Steve laughed and set down the pen he had in his hand. "You got here at the best time, it's really slow."

"You're the only one here?" Eddie glanced around, noticing the store was basically empty.

"Robin's around here somewhere, she's taking another one of her fifteen minute breaks," Steve rolled his eyes, and Eddie laughed.

"Sounds exactly like something she'd do," Eddie nodded, leaning against the counter and tapping his fingers on it. "Wanna ditch the rest of your shift and come hang out?"

"You wish, Munson," Steve teased, standing upright and taking a look around, his eyes stopping at the clock. "I have an hour left, and Robin's nowhere to be found."

"Right here, dingus!" Robin emerged from the back stock room, crunching on the last of some chips.

"What's up, Robs?" Eddie gave her a small wave.

"Hey, Eddie. What are you doing here?" Robin jumped up and sat on the counter across from Steve.

"Just came by to harass Stevie over here," he joked, and that got a laugh out of Robin.

"Of course you got Eddie in on that stupid nickname too," Steve rolled his eyes, leaving from behind the counter. "You guys are annoying."

"You love us."

Steve shook his head, a small smile on his face. He actually did need to go restock some VHS tapes that had been sitting in a bin for a week. He picked up a rather large stack of them and got to work. As he made his way over to one section, the tapes toppled over onto the floor and scattered every which way. "Shit."

He knelt down to pick up the tapes and started stacking them again, when he saw someone trying to help. It was Eddie, of course. He was always there at the right moments. They both scrambled to pick up the VHS tapes and Eddie's hand briefly grazed Steve's. Steve froze for a moment, his face turning a light pink, and quickly stood up with the stacked tapes in hand.

"Hey, thanks," he nodded to Eddie, who bowed, as if he had just put on a show.

"Happy to help."

Eddie went back over to the counter to hang out with Robin while Steve re-stocked the VHS tapes. He felt nervous and slightly flustered whenever Eddie was around, but always tried to push the feeling away. Their hands brushing together remained in his mind for the rest of his shift.

———————-

"You done yet, Harrington?" Eddie called out from the front of the store. He had hung out at the counter for the rest of Steve's shift.

"Keep talking and see where that gets you," Steve shot back, smirking slightly as he grabbed his car keys.

"Ooh, feisty," Eddie said in a suggestive tone, and Robin raised her eyebrows.

"If you guys are done flirting with each other, please leave," She gestured to the front doors of the store dramatically.

"Sick of me already?"