When The Sun Goes Down (Steddie)

Mad Girl's Love Song

Steve listened to In Your Eyes over and over that day. Jason and Patrick teased him about the Walkman, wanting to know what he was listening to and why he kept rewinding it. But he just smiled at them. He smiled most of the day, unable to wipe it from his face. He just kept thinking about the way that Eddie had almost kissed him. He hated that he didn't know until much later that Eddie was no longer with Billy. If Eddie had told him sooner, he would have let him kiss him. He would have kissed him back. Hell, there were a lot of things Steve would have done, or let Eddie do, if he'd only known. But Eddie hadn't told him; probably because he thought Steve was straight. What if Steve had told him he understood when Eddie asked him if he wanted to sleep with him? The whole night could have been completely different.

Now he had to spend the entire day thinking about all the might've and could've beens. He had to spend the entire day in anticipation of what would happen when he saw Eddie again tonight. His entire body tingled with electric energy at the thought of Eddie touching him again. Steve's head was in the clouds, floating high above the stratosphere where only he and Eddie existed.

He did his best to keep his eye on the boys as he rewound and played In Your Eyes for what must have been the five-hundredth time. It wasn't until he saw Robin at dinner that evening that he finally shut off her Walkman and took off the headphones. She sat down next to him and smiled, exchanged pleasantries with Jason and Patrick and some of the other counselors who were sitting nearby, then she finally turned her attention to Steve.

"You haven't drained the batteries yet," she asked quietly so the others wouldn't hear her.

"Not for lack of trying," Steve laughed.

"You're taking me to Radio Shack to stock up when camp is over." Steve just nodded. "And speaking of when camp is over, when do you leave for Notre Dame?"

"End of July," Steve answered. "The lease on my apartment starts August first."

"You're lucky your parents got you an apartment," Robin said with a slight frown. "I'll be in a dorm with a roommate I won't even meet until I get there. What if she's a slob? Or has poor hygiene? Or snores."

"You snore, Buckley."

"I most certainly do not!" Steve gave her a look, one that said he knew that she knew that she snored. "Well, at least I'll be able to come home on weekends to get away from her."

"Here's a thought," Steve began between bites of his dinner. "What if your roommate turns out to be a beautiful queer girl and you fall in love with each other?"

"What are the chances," Robin laughed. "And speaking of queers falling in love, how's your love life going?" Steve gave her a brief rundown of the events of the night before. "Tell me what he said in French," Robin told him.

"Why," Steve asked. "You don't speak French."

"Steven Maurice Harrington the third!"

"Keep your voice down," Steve hissed as he elbowed her. "Roberta Clementine Buckley."

"I cannot believe that you know my full name," Robin sighed. "Yet you're unaware of the fact that I can speak French." Steve's eyes went wide. "Well, maybe not super fluently. But I did just take four years of French in high school."

"Shit," Steve laughed. "I forgot about you taking French." Steve laid his fork down and thought for a long moment. "Okay. First, he said soixsant-neuf ."

"I don't get it," Robin chuckled. "Sixty-nine?" Steve's eyes went wide. "Sixty-nine? Why would he say . . ." Robin's eyes went wide as well as it dawned on her. "Oh!"