stolen kisses • steddie

27.

27.

When Steve and Eddie got back to the trailer, all of the kids were out front, waiting for them. Dustin was pacing while the others sat around him, talking amongst themselves. Eddie shut his van off and glanced at Steve. "We may have to tell them."

Steve nodded, knowing Eddie was right. The kids had been suspecting that something weird was going on, but never confronted the two about it. They heard Steve was in the hospital after being brutally assaulted by Jason, but why he was at Eddie's trailer alone stumped them.

"Steve! You're okay!" Dustin exclaimed as Steve got out of the car. "What the hell happened?"

"Nothing, dude, I'm alright," Steve tried to brush it off, but Dustin wasn't buying it.

"Well, you look awful," Dustin rolled his eyes at Steve's response, making Eddie snicker. Steve gave him a look and Eddie immediately stopped, mouthing 'sorry'.

"Henderson, leave him alone, he's had a rough night," Eddie tried his best to get Dustin to lay off the questioning, but that statement only made it worse.

"Why did Jason do this?" Max spoke up, getting multiple glances from the group.

"I don't know. He has it out for me and I didn't do anything to him. I barely know him, for crying out loud," Steve shrugged, glancing at Eddie. "My head hurts and I'm going inside."

Eddie followed suit, and the kids followed Eddie inside the trailer. Steve sat on the couch, holding a cold can of soda to his head. He tried to find an ice pack, but the cold can was the closest thing he found.

"I feel like there's something you two aren't telling us," Dustin spoke up once again, getting an annoyed side eye from Steve.

"What's with the interrogation, Henderson?" Eddie sat on the other end of the couch, facing the kids.

"You guys have been acting weird for a while. And since when do you guys hang out all the time?" Max crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"If we tell you, please don't be weird about it," Eddie decided to give into their request, thoroughly annoyed with the questioning.

"Why would we be weird?"

"Just tell us!"

"What, are you guys dating or something?"

That statement from Lucas got a look from every single person in the room. Steve looked to Eddie, his head hurting way too much to answer the question that lingered in the air. The kids waited impatiently for either one of them to answer, when Eddie finally spoke up.

"We are, actually. Have been for a while."

"I knew it! You owe me five bucks, Mike," Lucas exclaimed, and Eddie held back a laugh.

"But, Steve, you dated my sister. I thought you loved her at one point," Mike couldn't seem to grasp the idea of Steve and Eddie being a couple, and Max lightly slapped him on the back of his head.

"It's called bisexuality, dumb ass," she muttered, turning her attention back to Steve and Eddie. "We're cool with this. These assholes just don't know how to show it."

Steve gave the kids a smile and gave Max a small nod, letting her know that he was happy that they weren't upset. Eddie let out a sigh of relief and glanced over at his loving boyfriend, noticing that Steve seemed exhausted and in pain. "Hey guys, we appreciate your concern, but Steve's not feeling great. Can we plan another day to bombard him with questions?"

The kids all mumbled in protest but agreed to leave to Steve could rest. They all waved as they left, and Eddie locked the trailer door behind them.

"Thank you for making them leave. I love them all, but they're a lot sometimes," Steve set the soda can down and laid down, resting his head in Eddie's lap.

"I just want you to get some rest, Stevie," Eddie lightly ran his fingers through Steve's hair, but Steve reached out to stop him.

"Eds, I love you, and I love when you do that, but my hair is probably caked in blood and hasn't been washed yet."

"Guess what, sweetheart," Eddie lightly touched his thumb to Steve's cheek. "I don't care."

Steve rolled his eyes and gave Eddie a small smile, closing his eyes as he felt Eddie's hand in his hair once again. He gave up and let Eddie do what he wanted, as he didn't have the energy to protest any more.

——————

"What the hell, dingus? I haven't seen you for four days!" Robin exclaimed as soon as Steve entered Family Video for his shift.

"I was kind of in the hospital, Robs," Steve shot back playfully, slipping on his work vest.

"I know but still. Never leave me to work with Keith and only Keith. It was awful," Robin complained, pouring the last of her bag of chips in her mouth.

"That sounds like hell," Steve agreed, and Robin shoved him lightly.

"It was! Don't do it again, you asshole," she teased, picking up the box of movies to restock and making her way down one of the aisles.

Steve rolled his eyes at his best friend, truly grateful that he had a friend like her while he was going through so much. They had only been friends since they worked at Scoops Ahoy together, but Steve really didn't know what he would do without her. She gave the best advice, was always there for him, and put him in his place when he deserved it. Sure, she bullied him every now and then, but Steve knew that she only did it out of love.

The television playing in the corner of the store caught Steve's attention, it was playing the local news at a low volume. He went up to it and pressed the volume button a few times, turning it up.

"The Hawkins High School basketball team is being brought in for questioning once again by police chief Jim Hopper, regarding an assault case. Authorities are claiming that Jason Carver committed an act of assault against another Hawkins citizen, whose name has not been released, and is possibly being charged. We're here outside Hawkins Police Station, where the parents of the team members have gathered, looking for answers," a local news reporter continued to speak but Steve muted the volume, letting out a soft sigh.

Robin put the box of movies down and reached up to shut the television off. "Let's turn that shit off."

Steve gave her a small smile, mentally thanking her for turning it off. He already had the kids pestering him about it, he didn't need the local news down his back too.

Steve suddenly felt the overwhelming feeling of becoming dizzy, along with the start of a migraine, and rubbed his temple, muttering curse words under his breath. He hated admitting that he was in pain, and refused to take anything for it. He didn't want to rely on medications to help him feel better, no matter how hard Eddie pushed him to.

The pain in Steve's head got increasingly worse after a few minutes, and he sat on the ground below the front counter, holding his head. A worried Robin came and sat next to him, gently putting a hand on Steve's arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Steve whispered, continuing to rub his temple to try and ease the pain.

"I'm calling Eddie," Robin stood up and Steve let her, not able to muster up the energy to argue with her.

"He's holding his head and sitting on the floor. I just found him like that. He hasn't said anything at all really," Robin spoke to Eddie over the phone, and Steve jumped slightly in surprise as Robin had finished talking to Eddie and lightly touched Steve on the arm. "Did you hear me?"

That sentence made Steve feel like crying. Of course he didn't hear her, and it was still something he was becoming used to. He shook his head, looking over at his best friend. Robin saw how distraught he was and decided not to say anything more, waiting for Eddie to get to the store.

Seeing her best friend in this much pain was a different kind of feeling, and she hated it.

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a/n: i'm sorry if this chapter was a little lazy, it was kind of a filler but necessary to the plot

next one will be better!!

- jj