I Wish You We're A Girl

Chapter 6

Steve didn't know what to do. Everything finally normalized again with him and Eddie. Which was great: the witty banter, flirtatious joking, plus the mom and dad dynamic held strong. It was an easy choice, either he jeopardized his friendship or he didn't. So, he didn't. Each day trying and achieving, better and better, at being himself again. Without the unrequited attraction getting in his way.

But now, that meant he had to get Eddie a graduation gift. He already had gotten his senior friends flowers, but he wanted something more for Robin and Eddie. Even if it was small, not that it couldn't be something bigger, it definitely could have. He just didn't know what.

Robin was easy, she had broken her old record player a few weeks ago and she had been saving up to move out. So it wasn't exactly on the top of her list of where to spend her money. He even got her the new record that The Smiths released. But he didn't know what would be conventionally okay to get Eddie. He hadn't known him as long, but was now just as close to him as he was with Robin. They were like, three peas in a fucking pod. Still he stood at work, running through all the possibilities in his head of what he could get him.

"Steve, you have that look on your face, you're thinking way too hard over there." It was currently Saturday, he and Robin had their shift together from start to finish today.

"I'm thinking about the fact that you're finally graduating, you idiot. It took you long enough."

"Oh I'm sorry we had a multiple month long, life threatening event, that held me back a little bit. Entirely my fault, I'll make sure it never happens again." They both laughed and Steve got up from his stool behind the counter to join her in wiping tables down. No one was there and Keith left an hour ago. Only one more to go before they closed, no one usually came in for afternoon coffee anyway.

"Yeah, I expected better from you Buckley. In Eddie's case I get it, but you have no excuse." Steve noticed his comment got her to pause in the middle of the circling scrub of the table she had been working on.

"You were thinking too hard about Eddie, weren't you? You haven't talked to him about anything?"

"God, Rob no, I haven't. I don't know how many times I have to explain it to you, but I will never be talking about that with him. Ever."

"Whatever you say Harrington. Now what's making the vein in your forehead bulge?" Robin had moved closer to Steve in the span of time he stepped out in front of the counter, only to hit him with her dirty, wound up rag in his forearm.

"I don't know what to get him for graduation."

"You're getting him a present?"

"I'm getting everyone a present." Her head whipped around as an excited look took her face. "Yours, might I add, is currently sitting in my house, in an undisclosed location so you don't go snooping." That excitement immediately left when he said that.

"Oh come on, I can't get it a little early? If anything, it would be late if I had already graduated."

"But you haven't, have you?" Steve's eyebrow raised and when she couldn't say anything else, he continued. "Exactly, so you'll get it after the ceremony tomorrow."

"So do you have any ideas on what to get him at all?"

"I have too many, that's the problem. On top of that though, I know him. He won't accept anything super expensive even if I like, glued it to him or something." They already had finished wiping off all the tables, but since they had nothing else to do, they went over the ones the other had already done.

"What are you saying about me then? That I mooch off of you or something, since I love getting all of your rich boy presents?"

"No, Robin, because I love those rich boy presents too. Since I don't pay for them. Remember, consolidation gifts from estranged parents?"