Because I Like A Boy ❦ Steddie

8: ᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴡɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴄɪɢᴀʀᴇᴛᴛᴇ

Steve Harrington does not have a crush on someone that he's only had two conversations with.

Definitely not.

Eddie Munson looked like the kind of reckless that should send Steve running but he knows he won't get far.

Having a crush on Eddie Munson is a bad idea.

Everything about Eddie screamed trouble.

Seems like the stars or karma were following Steve again because there stood Eddie, leaning against his Beemer with a burning cigarette dangling from his lips.

Steve found himself thinking that he liked the way Eddie looked smoking cigarettes.

"Those can kill you, you know that, right?" Steve told him, disappointment laced in his voice as he got closer but far enough to keep a good distance.

Eddie hummed, removing the cigarette from his lips and kept it between his pointer and middle finger. "Let's call it, a classy way to commit suicide."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Don't say shit like that."

"You don't smoke?" Eddie questioned.

Eddie has yet to turn to look at Steve which is getting him a bit irritated.

"No, I quit a while back."

"But the weed?"

"Um, I quit smoking cigarettes."

There was a moment of silence which Steve broke.

"Do you need a ride home today?"

Eddie finally turned to face him. "Not today, Harrington but thanks for being so kind in asking. I got my club tonight." He uses his unoccupied hand to uncover the shirt he had underneath his leather jacket and jean jacket vest.

It was the T-shirt the kids were wearing—Hellfire Club it read in big, bold black letters with dice on either side of the title and it had a red devil with horns right in the center with a medieval sword and a medieval flail.

"I never heard of it," Steve said, sounding guilty.

Eddie chuckled, a cloud of smoke escaped his lips. "Don't sweat it, Harrington. Doesn't surprise me. It's an exclusive club, you've got to be invited by a members personally to join."

"So, you personally invited the kids to join your club?"

Eddie smirked. "Of course. I got them under my wing or however the idiom goes. I felt a pull toward them when I saw them the first day of school seating down two tables over mine all huddled together looking like lost little sheep."

Steve was glad they found another figure to look up to other than Steve but that didn't stop it from hurting.

"You all right there, Harrington?"

"Yeah, of course." He sighed. "It's been a while since I've hanged out with them. I'm just glad they're well."

Eddie threw the cigarette on the floor, stomping on it with his foot. "You can come with me, you know, visit them, catch up with them? If that's cool with you."

Steve chuckled. "Why are you acting like this is some custody thing? Like I'm getting visiting hours?"

Eddie was already walking and turned around with a smirk on his lips. "Because it is. I won the custody. You snooze you lose, Harrington. Come on, the little shits are going to be psyched to see you."

Steve couldn't contain his excitement and nerves as he thought about seeing and talking to the kids.

Eddie turned back around to see if Steve was following him and he was but it was a bit of struggle to catch up with him—Eddie walked pretty fast.

"Munson! Slow down."

"Sorry," he said, slowing down.

They walked next to each other now, shoulder to shoulder and if Steve moved his arms a little harder, they'd brush hands.

"So, who's in your club other than the kids?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

"Three of the only people from this shitty school that speak to me; Gareth, Freak and Jeff."

"Hey! Robin, Vickie and I speak to you."

Eddie tried to stifle a scoff but failed.

Steve stopped, abruptly. "What was that for?"

Eddie turned to face him, his face neutral. "Listen, Harrington. Robin doesn't speak to me, she only knows of me or acknowledges my existence because of her girlfriend, Vickie that buys off me and Vickie only speaks to me and again, acknowledges my existence because I became her dealer," he sighed, pausing. "Now, you only speak to me or acknowledge my existence in the halls or across a room is because you sat next to me on the bus on a random Friday, saved me from a fight same day, bought weed off me on Tuesday and gave me a ride home on Wednesday."

Steve wasn't one to ever try to make actual friends since he knows friendship blossom just like Robin's and his but Eddie didn't see it as anything just a random encounter after another.

Steve scoffed, not hiding the offense he was feeling. "Shame on me for speaking to you at all, huh?"

"Don't dwell so much on it, that doesn't bother me at all. I'm just saying things how it is. Come on, let's go see the kids."

Steve shook his head.

The excitement he had morphed into a feeling he couldn't describe.

"Harrington, come on."

"I forgot I have work today. I need to go home and get ready. Maybe another time."

"Harrington!" Eddie called out.

Steve didn't turn around. He wasn't going to turn back around.

Eddie Munson was nothing but a stupid boy with stupid brown eyes and a stupid dimpled smile.