I Like You Lots (Steddie)

Chapter 1

A/N; I will add any necessary trigger warnings to the top of each chapter so if something could potentially be not great for you to read about, that's where you should check first.

TW; drinking, self-loathing

"Robin, I don't want to go to brunch today."

"You have to. It's gay brunch Sunday and I will not accept no for an answer. Plus don't you want to see him again? You said and I will quote. 'He's so dreamy Robin'. Don't be a baby." Robin is basically always in my house for one reason or another. Mostly because she lives next door and I have 'better windows' or some shit. But I don't mind her company.

She seems like one of the only people I can really talk to about anything. She moved here from a small town a few years ago too, so I'm lucky that I'm not the only odd one out here. She's sweet, talks too much sometimes, but she means well I think.

Hear me out, he is dreamy okay. He's literally the most perfect human I have ever laid my fucking eyes on. But going to brunch and having him literally serve us breakfast and drinks until my face is pink from alcohol doesn't seem like something I wanted to do today.

"Dude I don't want to get drunk and get all zoned out on his face anymore, I feel like some sort of love-sick puppy and it's pathetic."

"That's not pathetic it's adorable and I know for a fact that he doesn't mind the attention." She looks in a mirror I have hanging up on the wall, fixing her makeup.

"How are you so sure?" I sigh and put my head in my hands.

"The way he walks over to us every time. Making direct eye contact with you when he talks to you. He only laughs at your jokes. C'mon Ed, you gotta see all of that too."

"That seems like a lie, but oh-kayyy."

How could someone on that level of attractive even see anything in me? There's no way in hell.

"You're blind it's okay. You'll see it. Pay attention when we go to brunch today!"

"Rob, I really don't want to fucking go."

"Well, I'm making you so. Get your shoes on. Let's go." She grabs ahold of my arm, dragging me towards the front door and I grab my shoes, barely having a minute to put them on before she's dragging me out of the apartment into the hall. "I have to lock the door!"

"I never lock mine!"

"That's because you're insane. Let me at least get my keys." I go inside and grab my keys, wallet and phone. Robin gave me no time to prepare myself before pulling me out into the hall. I hear her call out, "Eddiiiieeee. Elevator!"

"Jesus H Christ... I'M COMING!" I pull a jacket on and lock the door and run down the hall right before the doors close on the elevator. "Could you be a little more patient?"

"NOPE. Vickie and Will are waiting for us already down at Lost Lake and they've already texted me 6 times telling me to hurry up. We're late. We're going to miss bottomless mimosas if we don't get there soon."

I roll my eyes. "You're a booze hound. You know that?" She grins widely. "At least I'm not all hot and bothered for our waiter."

"Zip it, Buckley. Don't get cheeky."

We walk a few blocks down and make it to Lost Lake. This place is one of the only places around here besides IHOP that's open 24 hours a day. We do frequent here a lot. I basically know Steve's schedule and it makes me feel like a creep, but with how often we come here, how could I not?

Inside, we see Will and Vickie sitting over at our usual booth in the back corner, frantically waving us down. It's always loud, always busy, and there's always music. It's something I really do appreciate about this place. They play whatever they want, when they want. It's usually some alternative station, if Steve isn't working. If he is, it's 100% of the time turned to an 80's station.