stolen kisses • steddie

20.

20.

Steve laid awake, staring at the ceiling. He felt so angry with his parents for just showing up and acting like they loved him. He had been so used to them not showing up, but the fact that they didn't care just made him angrier and more upset.

Steve wanted to leave but didn't want to risk running into his parents. He knew they wouldn't care if he left, he just didn't want to confront them again while he was dealing with how he felt.

What he really wanted was Eddie.

The doorbell to his home sounded and Steve sat up, peeking out his bedroom door to see who the visitor was.

"Robin! How are you, hon?" Steve could hear his mother chatting with the unexpected visitor, and he let out a small sigh of relief. He didn't know what he would've done if it was Eddie.

"Oh, hi, Mrs. Harrington. I'm alright. Is Steve here?" Robin sounded like she was uncomfortable.

"He is!" Steve's mother nodded, calling up the stairs to him. "Steve, honey, Robin is here!"

Steve took a breath as he made his way out of his room, putting on a smile as he saw Robin. "Hey, Robs."

"Hey, dingus. Nancy is picking up the kids from their club meeting and we're taking them out for food. You want to come with?" Robin waved as she saw him, rocking back and forth on her feet.

My savior, Steve thought.

"Getting food with you, Nancy, and four ungrateful children? How could I say no?" Steve teased, and Robin lightly shoved him.

"Good, now let's go," Robin yanked him by his arm out the front door.

"Ow, what the hell, Robs?" Steve complained, and waved back at his mother who was telling him to have fun.

Nancy was waiting in her car in the driveway, and honked when she saw Robin and Steve. Robin claimed the passenger's seat, which meant that Steve was going to have to sit in the back with the Hellfire children. Great.

Nancy and Robin held hands over the center console, and were talking quietly with each other. Steve was happy for them, he just missed his other half. His dumb, chaotic, metal-loving boyfriend.

As Nancy pulled up to the curb, she honked again to get the kids' attention. Steve saw Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas make their way to the car, yelling over each other.

"Dude, you made the wrong call! Just face the facts," Dustin argued with Mike, and Mike just rolled his eyes.

"Nothing I can do about it now!" Mike huffed, climbing in the car.

They all piled in the backseat next to Steve, and he rolled his eyes.

"You dickheads keep arguing and we're taking you all home," Steve muttered, getting a middle finger from both Dustin and Mike.

Steve heard knocking on one of the car windows, and saw Robin rolling her window down, revealing Eddie.

"You made Harrington sit in the back with the little assholes?" He teased, and Robin laughed.

"Well, obviously!"

Steve rolled his eyes and made eye contact with Eddie. Eddie gave him a small wink and Steve's face turned a light pink. Luckily, the kids didn't even notice.

"Want to get food with us?" Robin extended the invited to Eddie, and Steve hoped he would say yes.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll follow you guys," Eddie tapped the roof of the car a few times. "Harrington, come ride with me. I can't imagine you're comfortable right now."

Steve immediately got out of the car, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He could see Eddie smirk ever so slightly, and followed him to his van. As they both got in, Steve was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled closer to Eddie. Their lips met, and Steve smiled, relaxing almost instantly.

"God, I've been thinking about doing that all day," Eddie confessed, starting his van and glancing over at Steve again.

"I need more of that after dinner," Steve replied, making Eddie laugh softly.

"Been deprived without me, Harrington?"

"You have no idea," Steve shrugged, getting another signature smirk from Eddie.

"I like that shirt on you," Eddie backed out of the parking spot, pulling up behind Nancy's car and starting to follow her to the restaurant. "It would look better on the floor of my room, with the rest of your clothes."

Steve swore his face turned a bright red, staring out of the windshield. He didn't want Eddie to see how flustered he was, which failed. "In your dreams, Munson."

Eddie laughed again softly and nodded. "Yeah, that usually happens in my dreams too."

Steve couldn't help but laugh at the long haired boy. No one had ever had this much of an effect on him, and he definitely wasn't used to his partner out-flirting him either.

As they parked in front of the restaurant that the kids chose, Steve got out of the van and followed Eddie inside. He watched as Eddie gently swung his car keys around in his hand, and eventually found himself staring. Snap out of it, Harrington.

The group sat down, and the kids immediately starting talking and arguing about things that had happened during their Hellfire campaign. Eddie chimed in a few times, but mostly told them to shut up, which they didn't listen to.

Steve sat next to Robin and across from Eddie, making eye contact with him. Eddie wiggled his eyebrows and Steve rolled his eyes, giving him a small smile.

"You might as well just lean over the table and make out with him," Robin muttered in Steve's ear.

"Shut up, Robs," he whispered, watching as Eddie was now fully engaged in conversation with Dustin.

Steve was really glad that Robin came to his rescue tonight. He really didn't want to be sitting at home, alone in his room. He had done that enough after his and Nancy's awful breakup. He thought back to his parents again, trying not to get upset while he was out to dinner with everyone.

Eddie noticed Steve being quieter than usual and slightly tilted his head as Steve let out a sigh. "You okay?"

"His parents are home," Robin answered for him, and Eddie's eyes went wide.

"When did they get back?" He asked, glancing over at Steve.

"Today while I was at work," Steve answered, shrugging. Robin pat his back lightly as a way of trying to comfort him.

Eddie only nodded, not wanting to make Steve upset in front of everyone by asking. He thought back to that night where he found Steve on the floor by the phone. The night where the taller boy sobbed into his chest, which absolutely broke Eddie's heart. The fact that Steve's own parents made him feel like that made Eddie feel angry for Steve. Maybe Steve himself was used to them basically abandoning him, but Eddie hated them for it.

Eddie watched as Steve talked with the kids, and grinned as the kids successfully made Steve smile and joke around with them. They were definitely the loudest table in the whole restaurant, but none of them seemed to have a care in the world.

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a/n: a wholesome chapter for you all! i hope you enjoyed it

i'm sorry for the delayed update! my updates will probably be down to twice a week now due to my work hours and school starting :(

i also wanted to say thank you for all of the comments and love that this fic has gotten! i know i say it a lot but i'm truly grateful to have an audience that enjoys what i write. i hope i can continue to publish good writing for you guys :)

- jj