The Drive-In

23

It is almost like the world rushes back into Eddie's senses as he releases Steve from his grip and holding his hand. He wipes at his eyes quickly, stepping backwards, well away from Steve.

"Steve. Shit! I'm sorry, man" Eddie feels like the scum of the earth. He could have really hurt Steve by being out of control like that. Eddie steps back a bit more and raises his hands in surrender. He looks over at Steve, who has currently slid down the side of the van and is bent forward a little catching his breath.

"Hey, no. Get back here, right now!" Steve manages to get out, pointing at the floor in front of him.

Was this guy insane? Eddie had, only seconds ago, completely lost his shit at him, and he was asking Eddie to come back. Was he gonna take a swing at him?

Steve looks up at Eddie and points at the ground by him again, "Now, Eddie," Steve's voice isn't angry, but it is tense.

Eddie, still occasionally trembling from his outburst and out of concern about what could have happened, steps forward a little but keeps out of arms reach. He has no clue what could happen after something like that. This isn't something he's rehearsed in his mind.

"You're gonna open the door to the back of this van, we are gonna sit inside, and we are gonna talk about this without arguing, ok?" Steve says, standing back up and pointing at the side door.

Eddie feels like a school kid who's just been chastised, but he takes a deep breath and approaches the door. As he reaches for the handle behind Steve, he expects him to move away, flinch, get ready to defend himself or something, but he doesn't. If anything, he crowds Eddie a little more than he was already, and his body brushes Eddie's arm.

Eddie quickly glances at Steve's face, he doesn't know what he expected, but he doesn't expect to see Steve gazing at him softly with a slight smile on his face.

Eddie quickly looks back to the door, slides it open, and lets Steve in first, extending a hand to help him. Steve's smile morphs into a slight smirk as he accepts the assistance.

Eddie immediately regrets his decision as he will have to follow Steve's denim-clad backside into the van and try not to think about it and keep himself together enough to have this serious conversation. What was wrong with him?! Christ! How could he be thinking about that right now?

Steve sits on the backseat with his back against the side of the van facing Eddie. Who closes the door as he gets in himself and sits at the opposite end of the bench seat. It reminds Eddie of when Steve was pressed against his car door, but Steve wasn't recoiled in fear this time. He seemed entirely at ease, one foot on the floor and the other propped up on the seat. His elbow is on the seat back so that he can rest his sweet face on his hand.

The only light filling the back of the van comes from the street lamp above, and only tiny slivers of the warm-coloured artificial light break through, hitting the highlights of Steve's face, making him look like a photograph taken at some kind of gothic golden hour. Eddie almost forgets they are in here to talk. He could have easily stayed staring at Steve, but the plectrum he's nervously playing with in his fingers reminds him of the band. They could come to the van anytime, so he breaks the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry about...well...um...everything...mostly that... just now, but also being mean to you and pelting you with guitar picks," Eddie says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I get a little intense sometimes. But, believe it or not, I'm actually much better at controlling it now than a few years ago."

Steve shifts a little to lean towards Eddie, "Well, in that case, I'm sorry for being a crazy stalker and not respecting your boundaries, but mostly I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, Eddie. That was not, and never will be my intention." Steve rests his chin on his knee, and his hands come forward to touch Eddie's hand, "Do you think maybe we can call it even and put it behind us?" Steve mumbles gently as he twists one of Eddie's rings and looks expectantly at him.