Light my fire. (Steddie)

Chapter 8

Eddie had rushed around the shop grabbing everything and more that he needed.  Thanking the shop keeper giddily as he paid.
He was fumbling with his keychain as he left, not noticing the group of boys blocking his way to his van.
"Well well well boys! Look what we've got here! The local freak!" The boy jeered as he met Eddie's fearful ones.
His eyes scanned the group meeting eyes with Tony stood slightly away from the group with the same fearful eyes.
Eddie's became even wider as he read the other boys lips. 'RUN'
His feet although heavy with fear, jolted into action only to be stopped dead in their tracks as an arm snaked itself around each of his own, pulling him tightly back to face Jason once again.
The younger boy reached to grab Eddies chin, gripping it tightly as his fingernails made moon shaped dents in his skin.
His head being thrusted up towards the sky.
He caught a glimpse of the shop keeper in his peripheral, he was stood shaking as much as Eddie was himself.
Steve may of been the king of this town once but Jason, He was the oppressor who told himself he was king.
A dictating, overlord and everyone knew it but they also knew that if they were to do anything about it then they too would be subject to being hunted down.

"Ha would you look at that! Even the freak has found someone to be freaky with!" He teased, pointing to the hickeys on Eddie's neck.
"Who did you corrupt with your fag infection?"
"Your dad was lovely last night. Tell him I said call me" Eddie grinned as he stiffened in preparation for the inevitable blow to the stomach of which made him keel over in pain but the arms kept him upright.
"If you won't tell me then I'll make you spill" Jason threatened as he gestured to their own bag, revealing a bottle of vodka.
"Drink it." Forcing the bottle into Eddie's grip.
"What? I'm not doing this!" He argued.
His arms were quickly released as a kick to the back of his knees sent him plummeting to the ground.
Jason's hand gripped his curls, forcing him to look up at the younger boy as he watched him bend down to meet his ear.
"You drink this or we go to your little Steve's house and tell him all about the dirty shit you get up to and then we decorate his face black and blue until not even his own mother can recognise him. Okay?" He spat in Eddie's ear, releasing his hair.
He cracked the lid off of the bottle, the smell hitting him instantly. He was more of a beer and whiskey guy but none the less his alcohol intolerance and experience was still higher than Jason expected. He managed 6 shots of the liquid before his stomach starting threatening to hurl.
"Who's your freak?" Jason questioned once more.
Eddie could see Tony still stood frozen in the background.
"Your mum" he mumbled.
Another blow to the stomach followed by the order to drink more.
"Come on Munson who's your freak?" He taunted.
His stomach was flipping back and forth to the point he knew if he was to get another blow then the contents of his day would be up across the gravel floor.
The bottle sat loosely in his hand with nearly half of the contents gone. He knew he couldn't drink much more. He was doing okay as he was but as soon as he stands up, his body was going to pass out if he carried on.
"Fine... I'll give you a clue... but you've got to come here so I can whisper it.." he grinned.
Jason was unsure but still bent towards him keeping his distance but close enough to hear the man.
Eddie held the tension before whispering,
"Half of your own basketball team has asked me to call them daddy as some point-" he chuckled only to be cut off by fist connecting with his jaw, pushing him down to ground.
"You're fucking lying!" He raged, his fists shaking.
"Oh the things they've told me about you! I don't think you want to know the amount of times you've come up in pillow talk!" Eddie mocked.
A scream of pain escaped him as one of the boys stomped on his leg.
"If it's not true then how do I know that you pray for forgiveness to god before and after sex every time?" He demanded.
Jason's eyes widened as his lip shook with pure rage, shuffling backwards before taking quick jog. His foot swinging round to connect with Eddie's stomach. Eddies whole body curled like a crushed can, vomit shooting up his throat and out just past where he laid.
The sound of frantic engines starting as he watched the boys leave, rushing to keep up with Jason's car who was already speeding to find his next victim.
Eddie would feel bad for throwing someone into the pit of destruction which is Jason if it wasn't for the fact that at the end of the day no matter what sexual needs they have, they are all still arseholes.

All the joints in his body howled at him as he peeled himself off of the ground, dragging himself to his van. There was no way he could drive it in his current state.
He climbed into the drivers seat, drowsiness taking over him as he closed his eyes.

He awoke to find the shop now sat closed with all lights turned off which the pounding headache he had was grateful of.
'I could phone Steve maybe?' He thought to himself before the clogs in his brain shifted.
"Oh shit Dustin!"
He looked down to his watch, narrowing his eyes as held the watch right next to his face.
"Shit shit shit! 5 hours late?" He cried out loud.
The man probably shouldn't of driven in the state he was even with the bit of sleep but yet he still managed to reach Steve's a couple of minutes later.

'Now what?' He wondered. Walking to the side of the house, he could see a light on out of a sea of dark windows.  Grabbing a handful of small rocks , he started throwing them at the window while praying it wasn't Steve's parents room.
His prays answered when a groggy, angry Steve stuck his head out of the window.
"Eddie?! What the actual fuck man?" He shouted down.
"Shhhh I don't want to wake up your parents!" Eddie whisper shouted back.
Steve paused before groaning as he rolled his head back inside, a few short moments later re-emerging at the front door. He held it open for Eddie to come inside.

"My parents aren't home." He explained sternly.
His breath hitched as Eddie stepped through into the lit hallway.
"I'm serious what happened?" He questioned, his eyes analysing the boys whole situation.
"I uhh I got into abit of trouble.."
"Are you drunk?" He scoffed.
"Slightly.. yeah" the older boy confessed.
"Slightly? There's sick in your hair! You are unbelievable!" He snapped.
"It's not what you think...."
"It never is Eddie is it?"
Eddie stood frozen in shock, he had come to the man for help but now feeling more attacked than when he was with Jason.
"What does that mean Steve?" His face hardening.
"You say you want to get back to being with your friends but then you disappear! What was it? Another drug deal like when I caught you before? Thought you sample your own stuff with your clients again?" Steve snapped.
Eddie tried raking his brain in attempt to make Steve's words make sense.

"Like last time?" His brows furrowed together.
"Yes Eddie last time! Don't play dumb I know what I walked into! You are his dealer and you were taking the drugs together." His explanation was confident to the point Steve didn't even feel the need to properly look at him while Eddie stood trying to grab his eye line.

It clicked in his head causing him to sigh.
"Steve. Are you that dumb?"
Steve's eyes shot up to meet Eddie's in surprise. He thought he had figured it all out.
" I'm not his dealer... he wasn't there for drugs.." Eddie groaned at the thought of the next sentence but Steve remained persistent on getting an answer.
"I don't get it why was he there then?"
"Steve did you not wonder why he was just in underwear? Hell why I was just in underwear?!" He was getting frustrated at the naiveness of this grown ass man. Robin had said before that he was clueless but this was just devastating at this point.
Steve stood dumbfounded as he tried to piece the puzzles together. Somewhere in his brain he always knew the answer but he slightly didn't want to be the one to suggest it.
"Jesus Christ Harrington! I'm gay! A queer! Whatever you wanna call it!" He shouted, a sigh of relief at the end. He's never actually properly told anyone before. Obviously the guys he's seen know but he's never had the formal chance to share the information with somebody he trusts.

"Oh... are you sure?" Steve asked, his head tilted as he tried to figure out what to say. He knew it was a stupid thing to ask but he didn't know what else to say to stop the red flush forming noticeably on his face.
"Am I sure? No I'm straight! I just like being naked in bed with men?" Eddie chuckled, he watched Steve nervously shuffle as Max's words came back to him about jealousy.
The atmosphere was tight with unsureness on where to lead the conversation next.
"Do you want to shower?"
Eddie stared at him frantically.
"Not together! I mean do you want a shower? Your um hair still has sick in and your eh chin is bleeding a little.." he assured.
Eddie brushed his fingers over his face, wincing slightly at the bruise forming. Small specs of blood coming away with his fingers.

"Fucking Jason Carver" he groaned. "Yes please shower would be nice... sorry for turning up like this.. I promise it wasn't planned" he tried explaining.
It all started clicking into place in Steve's mind as his face flushed with embarrassment and guilt.
"Ugh I've been an idiot! I just kinda presumed you had legged it... I didn't stop and think that maybe something had happened..sorry"
"It's okay but we really need to stop saying sorry constantly man..." he joked, easing the tension
"Now lead the way to where I can strip my kit off!" Winking as Steve steered him towards the staircase. The golden boy hoping he didn't see the tremor in his lip.