To Hell and Back Again

Chapter Six

"We'll see you guys tomorrow!" Dustin and Robin were the last ones to leave Steve's house after their Wednesday get together. Steve waved to them and closed the door.
"What's tomorrow?" Eddie looked over at Steve standing by the door. Eddie was still looking through magazines on the table.
"Okay, I'm not supposed to tell you. But we're throwing you a welcome back party because you're not dead anymore." Eddie smiled and nodded his head. He looked at a picture of a tattoo in one of the magazines. "That's sick." Steve sat down and looked at the tattoo of a double headed snake.
"Do you have any ink?" Eddie looked at Steve. "I'd figure you'd have a tramp stamp but I feel like I would have seen it."
"Nope. No ink." Steve stared into Eddie's eyes. "I've always wanted one but before I graduated you couldn't really blame 'Steve Harrington' for not wanting to have a tattoo." He had completely changed since he graduated. He felt free from his high school persona of being the hot popular player.
"Let me give you one." Eddie grabbed his wrist and flipped it over. "We can put it right here."
"A tattoo of what? I don't want anything stupid." Steve rubbed his wrist where Eddie wanted to put a tattoo. "And you don't have a machine or anything."
"I can give you a stick and poke. How about I surprise you." Eddie smiled and looked at the spot on Steve's wrist.
"Don't make me regret it, Munson."

Steve was laying on the couch with his arm on Eddie's leg. Eddie used pen ink and a needle from Steve's mom's sewing box to stab the ink into Steve's wrist. Steve winced at the pain. "This hurts like a mother fucker." He looked down at the spot but it wasn't anything identifiable yet. Eddie looked up at Steve then back down at the tattoo.
"You'll be okay." He grabbed a wipe with rubbing alcohol on it and cleaned off the spot. "I gave myself plenty of tattoos." He looked up at Steve who was staring at the ceiling.
"So why not just give yourself one. Why me?" Eddie wiped the spot again then put a bandage over it.
"You're done. Don't take off that bandage for at least an hour. Just so the ink gets situated." Steve looked at the spot. He stood up.
"I'm gonna go smoke." He ignored the pulsing pain in his wrist.
"Okay I'll be out in a second." Eddie stayed and started poking a tattoo into himself.

"Can I take it off now?" Steve eagerly looked down at his wrist. Eddie nodded. Steve peeled off the bandage to reveal a small black heart. He looked up at Eddie who held a cigarette in his fingers. "A heart?" Eddie smiled and took the bandage off his wrist. It was a similar heart but it was just an outline.
"I give you my heart." Eddie hit the cigarette then knocked the ash off of it. "You only went to hell and back for me. Quite literally." The sun started to set while they were looking at the tattoos. Steve interlocked his fingers with Eddie's.
"It was the best reason why I've ever gone to hell." Steve smiled and leaned in. Eddie hit the cigarette again then put his forehead against Steve's. Their lips were touching but they weren't quite kissing. He exhaled the smoke into Steve's mouth and Steve inhaled. Steve stood up and sat back down on Eddie's lap. "Did I tell you I liked your hair like that?" He played with the one curl that kept falling into Eddie's face. Eddie didn't answer. He only kissed Steve. Steve leaned his chest against Eddie's and Eddie leaned back against the wall and put his hand on Steve's back. He put his hand up Steve's shirt. Steve wiggled at the feeling of Eddie's cold rings on his back. Eddie could feel Steve's heart beat against his chest.
"You're missing the sunset." Eddie pointed behind him. Steve turned slightly to see it. He got off Eddie's lap and sat between his legs to face the sunset. Eddie ran his fingers through Steve's hair. "It's beautiful." Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out a hair tie. He pulled Steve's hair back and wrapped a hair tie around the small bun. Steve reached his hand up and took Eddie's.
"You better not have put my hair in a bun." He pulled Eddie's hand over his shoulder and held it as the sun set. He turned over Eddie hand and looked at the tattoo. "Does this means you're stuck with me forever?"
"I think I would be regardless." Eddie looked down at Steve as Steve looked up. He placed a kiss on Steve's forehead.