mortal projections • steddie

IV.

IV.

"Thanks for the love, guys! We're going to take a quick break, be back soon," Eddie and the other band members waved towards the crowd and set down their instruments on their appropriate stands. Steve watched as Eddie made his way over to him, pushing a stray hair out of his face.

"Sounded good up there, Munson," Steve gave Eddie a playful smile, to which Eddie also smiled.

"Means a lot coming from you, Harrington," Eddie sat in the empty seat next to Steve, resting his elbows on the bar. "I'm glad you showed up."

Steve blushed lightly at that statement, taking a small sip of the beer he had ordered at the beginning of Corroded Coffin's set. "I wouldn't have missed it."

Eddie smiled once again and ordered a beer from the bartender, glancing over at Steve once again and giving his outfit a once over. "Guns 'N Roses, huh?"

"I just wanted to fit in with the crowd here, I don't even know where I got this shirt," Steve confessed, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry, Harrington. You stick with me and I'll show you good music," Eddie gave Steve a wink and pulled out his phone. "You have Spotify?"

Steve nodded, raising his eyebrows. "I do, why?"

"I'll make you a playlist to listen to, and then you can let me know what you think of it," Eddie set his phone down on the bar.

Steve nodded, giving Eddie a small smile. He was trying to contain his own excitement for this playlist that Eddie was supposedly going to make him. He was eager to see what music Eddie was into, and was also eager to see the type of songs he picked specifically for Steve. To say that Steve's little crush on Eddie was getting worse was an understatement.

"Y'know, it's been five days, and you haven't used my phone number once. I'm pretty offended, Harrington," Eddie took a sip of his beer, giving Steve a side glance as he did so.

"I truly apologize, Munson," Steve played into Eddie's playful tone and pulled out his own cell phone, sending Eddie a quick text that read "happy now, munson?"

Eddie saw this and smirked slightly, shaking his head. "You're too much."

                                            •••

"You're telling me you don't remember me?" Eddie tossed back the last of his second beer, glancing at Steve.

"I seriously don't! High school was such a blur and I literally tried to forget it," Steve laughed, setting his empty beer bottle next to Eddie's.

"It doesn't surprise me all that much. You were the 'king' of the school and I was at a lunch table in the back of the cafeteria with my only three friends," Eddie joked, and Steve cringed at the use of his old nickname. Eddie saw this and quickly started talking again. "Sorry, old nicknames are in the past for a reason. I shouldn't have said it."

"No, Eddie, it's okay. Really. That's who I was in high school, there's really no denying it," Steve shrugged, giving Eddie a small smile. "I'm just trying to prove that I'm different now."

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone. As long as you know that you're not your old self, that's all that matters," Eddie stood from the barstool he was sitting on, leaving cash on the bar for the bartender. "Drinks on me."

"You don't have to do that," Steve shook his head, but Eddie pushed the money further away from Steve until the bartender took it.

"I've got it, Harrington. You just sit there and look pretty until the end of our set," Eddie gave Steve a wink and headed back over to the stage.