The Drive-In

8

Pulling up into the driveway, Steve notices Eddie looking a little nervous and reassures him, "My parents" Steve gestures vaguely at the windows and the other car parked up, "They're away on business for the week."

Eddie nods back in acknowledgement but doesn't seem any calmer. Maybe this was just his general energy. He did seem a little chaotic.

Steve locks up the car and heads to the front doors, Eddie following him up the driveway.

"What, one front door not good enough for you, Harrington?" Eddie leans against the wall as Steve finds the right key.

"Oh, these? This is to ensure every Ego size is welcome here. You might juuuust be able to squeeze in, Munson." Steve remarks as he opens the door, looks up at Eddie and waves him inside.

Steve expects a snippy retort, but it doesn't come. Instead, Eddie merely looks at him with an impish smile on his face. Then pushes off the wall with his shoulder and takes some big sweeping strides through the doorway and into the hallway.

Steve follows him in and shuts the door behind them.

Eddie is standing in the hall, turning around, taking everything in, then stops when he returns to Steve. His eyes shoot to the floor, and he moves to take off his sneakers.

"You haven't gotta do that here, man. You know that," Steve laughs a little. He's had so many parties here during middle school and high school. The rules were always the same. The study and master bedroom were off-limits; smoking anything but cigarettes was outside only. That was about it.

Eddie pauses and puts his shoe back on, looking a little confused.

Steve can't help but smile at this sort of stalemate they've come to in the hall, "Everything is where it usually is, dude. Beers are in the fridge."

Eddie takes a breath and gestures at his surroundings, saying, "Ah, well, I haven't actually been here before, Harrington." he almost looks a little embarrassed when he says it and gives Steve a weak smile.

Steve huffs out a tiny laugh while he removes his jacket before finally placing his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief, "What, you didn't come to a single one of my parties? Ever?!"

Eddies eyes search the ceiling and then the ground as he twiddles his rings around on his hand, "Well, um, I have been at your house a few times to make drops at those parties, but I was never inside your house at those parties..." Then he claps his hands together and gives a vast toothy grin before spaying out his hands at his sides, "Guess the mailman must have lost my invite."

Steve's brain reminds him how much of an asshole he was before he got mixed up in all this upside-down crap. Before the kids. Before Nancy. Before Robin. Sometimes he forgets that not everyone has been on this journey of change with him. Seen the progress he had made. Well, in one department, anyway.

"Well, if it's any consolation, you weren't missing much." Steve tries to add kindly. Not that it would make up for everything, but Steve hoped it would make up for something, especially after the night Eddie had experienced.

Steve moves past Eddie in the hallway to take point on the tour. "So that's upstairs, not important right now" Steve moved through to the end of the hall and into another room, "This one leads out to the pool, and outside area, for your special smokes. Then just down there is the kitchen and, on the left, the bathroom. Further back, there is the den."

"Well, now that's all out of the way. Did I hear you correctly when you said you had a fridge full of beer, Harrington?" Eddie rubs his hands together excitedly.

Steve nods but adds, "You don't wanna maybe get some food or watch a movie or something?"

In asking that question, Steve realizes how long it's been since he's hung out with a guy his age. He is still catering to the kids or Nance and Robin.