Chapter Text
THREE DAYS LATER:
“Uh, Steve?” Eddie calls.
There’s something panicked hovering at the edge of his tone and Steve tenses, shoulders going tight. The soup in front of him bubbles on the stovetop, and he flicks the burner off.
He looks around; the kitchen is a good place to grab a weapon, at least.
“Yeah?” he calls back.
Eddie’s face appears in the kitchen doorway. His expression is pinched, mouth turned down into a frown.
“Not to, like, freak you out or anything, but there’s a huge fucking black car in your driveway?”
Steve’s stomach twists.
“It’s probably the Feds,” he says.
He drags a hand over his face, feeling exhausted. He just wants to eat soup and watch The Blues Brothers with Eddie. He doesn’t want to deal with whatever threats and stupid fucking cover stories the FBI have cooked up for them this time.
“They usually make us sign a stack of NDAs, make some threats towards our family, that kinda shit. They’ll have, like, a cover story as to what actually went on these past few days – y’know, stuff you gotta stick to if anyone asks.” He shoots Eddie a wry smile. “Like the Starcourt Mall fire.”
Eddie’s face goes pale, his hands grip the doorframe tighter. He bites his lip.
“Fuck – I mean. What if they still choose to blame the murders on me? I’m an easy scapegoat, I – I mean, it would make the most sense, with Chrissy’s body, and everything. And, like, Jason’s still out there and he’s going to be fucking pissed after Max and Dustin turned him into mincemeat. I mean, I’m surprised he’s not come knocking down your door already, Harrington -”
Steve snorts. “Our dad’s work for the same company. I don’t know what Mr. Carver does, but I do know he’s not as high up as my dad. Jason probably doesn’t want to risk causing a scene in front of the neighbors.”
Eddie tangles a hand in his hair, tugging. “Steve, c’mon. You have to hear how stupid that sounds. From the way Dustin and Max tell it, he was ready to fucking kill them. I highly doubt the Harrington reputation is going to keep you safe forever.”
“No,” Steve agrees. “It doesn’t need to, though. It just needs to keep me safe for now. The Feds owe me big time, as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure I can get them to do something about Jason and his fucking goons. As for the murder stuff, Eddie, no one is pinning shit on you. Nancy won’t let them, I’m serious. We already spoke about it the other night, she’s already agreed.”
“Okay, but these are the fucking FBI Steve, if they want to send me to prison, I think they’ll find a way.”
Steve shakes his head.
“Eddie, Nance found a way to leak the fact Barb died to the press a couple of years ago. She’s got some contact, or something. So, believe me, she’ll find a way to get you off the hook, Eddie, I promise.”
“I – I’m just, freaking out, a little,” Eddie says. His voice sounds wobbly.
Steve snorts. “Don’t. The Feds don’t know what they’re doing, really. I mean, there’s a reason we always end up being the ones who have to deal with this shit, y’know? You just need to nod, go along with most of what they say, and then sign whatever shit they give you. At this point, they don’t usually even try to argue with us too much. They’ll get you a cover story. Plus, you have me, Robin, and Nancy, okay? You’re not going to be dealing with it on your own.”
Eddie’s eyes are wide. His hands are shaking against the doorframe, and he shakes his head slowly.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Steve. You know you shouldn’t be reacting calmly to the Feds turning up on your drive, right? I need you to know that this isn’t something you should be used to.”
Whoever is outside chooses that moment to knock heavily on Steve’s front door. Eddie jumps, and Steve moves past him, pressing a gentle hand to his waist as he goes.
“It’ll be okay,” he says. “Seriously, I promise.”
He pulls open his front doors. He’s expecting to be confronted by Owens, or Stinson, or –
Jim and El Hopper are standing, shoulder to shoulder on his front step.
Steve feels faint. He looks between them, only half convinced he’s not been taken into another Vecna vision.
“I – is this real?” he says.
His voice cracks, and he rubs his jaw, embarrassed.
El smiles. “It is real. The bad men have been killed. Henry is gone. Papa is dead, too.”
Steve tracks his eyes over her, taking her in. She looks the same as she did in the Void. Taller, with her hair cropped short to her skull. Her shoulders are relaxed, though, and she seems steady – more at peace than Steve has seen her before.
“Okay, shit,” Steve says. “I’m sorry – I’m just. This is –”
He can’t stop looking at Hopper. He’s thin, with his leg bandaged into a cast. He looks tired, heavy bags under his eyes. But he’s alive. He’s alive, in front of Steve.
In front of him. Jim fucking Hopper is in front of him. Alive.
“Hey, kid,” Hop says. He’s smiling, eyes soft and warm. “El tells me you’ve been fighting some shit for the rest of us.”
Hearing Hopper speak finally dissolves whatever pieces of himself Steve had been holding together. Feeling out of control of his own body, he takes a shaky step forward, planting himself heavily into Hop’s chest. He’s only just managing to hold back his tears.
Hop, to his credit, doesn’t falter. His arms wrap around Steve immediately, as strong and sure as they’ve always been. Part of Steve feels like he should be embarrassed; he’s aware Eddie and El are standing there, just watching him and Hop hug.
A larger part of Steve doesn’t care; Hop smells like cigarette smoke, coffee, and sweat. He feels real, fucking solid underneath Steve’s arms.
Something that had broken in Steve comes alive again. He takes a deep breath in. Exhales.
“You died,” Steve says.
He’s proud of how little his voice shakes, but Hopper’s arms still tighten around him like he knows what Steve isn’t saying.
“Not quite.”
Hop releases Steve finally. He takes a step back, wiping his nose and sniffing. Hop looks at him, considering, before his gaze drifts past Steve, over to where Eddie is still hovering, nervous and unsure in Steve’s hallway. Hop’s mouth twitches. He looks back at Steve.
“New recruit?” he asks.
“Uh, yeah,” Steve says, voice still a little shaky. “You know what it’s like. Every year we gotta pick up a new stray.”
“Mm,” Hop says. “Gotta say, Harrington, you seem to collect them faster than most. Nancy’s already filled me in on how much your Buckley girl helped out during your crazy fucking plan.”
Steve flushes, pleased on Robin’s behalf. “Yeah, she’s pretty great. Wouldn’t let her near a gun, but she sure knows her way around a Molotov.”
Hop snorts. “Don’t we all, these days?”
“Max has been writing about Robin in the letters she sends me,” El says. “She likes her, too.”
She says it like Max’s approval is the only thing that matters to her. Steve supposes there are far worse people to base your judgements off.
“Yeah, yeah. If I ever need another teenager to come fight some interdimensional creatures with us, then I’ll call the Harrington Hotline, okay?” Hop says. He’s smiling, though.
Steve rolls his eyes. He’s still not over the surrealism of having Hop in front of him, cracking jokes.
He gestures to the door, waving Hop and El towards the hallway.
“Um, anyway. My tendency for end of the world recruits aside, c’mon in, you guys.”
Hop and El step into Steve’s house, and he pulls the front doors closed behind them. In the quiet of Steve’s foyer, they all pause. The atmosphere of the house makes everything feel awkward.
Steve finds himself looking over Eddie, Hop and El’s individual faces. He tries to imagine going back in time, telling the Steve from 1983 that one day he would have this selection of people in his hallway.
He can’t imagine what his past self’s reaction would have been. He probably would have thrown a punch, or something else as equally stupid.
The punch probably wouldn’t have landed, either.
Eddie’s eyes are wide, and he’s looking at El with poorly concealed curiosity. Steve points, introducing them both to each other.
“El, this is Eddie. Eddie, El. She’s the girl with –”
“Superpowers,” Eddie finishes. He holds out his hand, smiling brightly at El. “Hey, ma’am. It’s an honor to meet you. Thank you for keeping Steve here safe for me.”
El flushes, smiling softly. She takes Eddie’s hand, shaking it gently.
“You are welcome,” she says. “I like Steve a lot. He used to give me free ice cream. And he is very important to Max.”
Steve flushes, looking away from the two of them and turning back to Hopper.
“Hop, this is –”
“Munson,” Hop says, head inclining in some form of a greeting. “Your uncle know you’re here?”
“Yeah,” Eddie says. “I’ve, um. I’ve not seen him. I didn’t – I didn’t wanna go back to the trailer park, and – um. Wheeler told him I was safe, though. Nancy Wheeler, I mean. I’m, uh. We haven’t heard from Mike, but. Can’t exactly show my face around much of the town at the minute. Y’know, on account of the whole.” He holds his hands up and shakes them like jazz hands. “Wanted for murder!”
“Jason Carver thinks that Eddie’s running a cult of child murderers,” Steve says.
Hop’s eye twitches. “What? Has he been giving you guys grief?”
“You could say that. He nearly killed me,” Steve says. “Or, well. He probably would have killed me. I was, uh, up against Vecna. Or, um. Henry. I don’t know what El’s told you, but Jason would have messed everything up, if Henderson and Max hadn’t stopped him. She knocked him out, like she did with Billy.”
Hop whistles, long and low. “Shit, kid. You gotta stop getting yourself in these situations. I don’t think that head of yours can take another concussion.”
“No concussions this time,” Steve says. “Just. I don’t know – an evil guy living in my brain, or whatever, but he’s gone now. Jason? Not so much. I – uh. We left him at the old Creel House. He was still breathing, but he might be pretty concussed. He’s definitely going to be pissed off. I reckon the only reason he’s not come over is the last vestiges of respect my dad’s name carries. ”
Hop’s eye twitches again. He lets out a displeased grunt, but he says nothing.
“Yeah,” Eddie says. “So, um. I’ve been keeping a low profile.”
“You should,” Hop says.
Without looking back, Hop stalks off into the lounge. He’s limping badly, his heavy boots tracking a thick layer of mud onto Steve’s mom’s carpet, but Steve couldn’t give a shit. He’s grateful for the physical trail of Hop’s steps. Grateful for the way Hop still commands a space. Grateful for the tangible proof he’s real, he’s here.
Grateful for the fact he’s not fucking dead.
Following after, they all watch as Hop collapses heavily onto one of the leather couches. El takes a seat beside him, leaning onto his shoulder like she’s still scared he’s going to disappear.
Steve doesn’t blame her. He sits down on the floor at Hop’s feet, like he’s a small child. Eddie hesitates in the doorway for a moment, before slowly taking a seat beside Steve on the floor, just far enough away they have plausible deniability.
Hop looks between them both, frown deep-set into his features. Then, he tips his head back, sighing.
“Sorry you kids have been dragged into this for another year.”
“We thought, um, I thought you were going to be the Feds,” Steve says. “They haven’t – we haven’t signed anything yet. This is, like, pretty slow – even for them.”
“I’d say being incompetent is pretty like them,” Hop says, tone dark. He pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out a long exhale. “You’re right, though. They’ll probably take a bit longer than usual this time, ‘cause they’re up to their necks trying to deal with the shit El, Jonathan, Will and the other Wheeler put them through. I’ve heard reports of several explosions.”
El frowns.
“Jonathan, Will and Mike did not do anything,” she says. “Jonathan’s funny friend Argyle was innocent, too. I was the one who blew up Nina.”
Beside him, Steve feels Eddie sway closer to him in surprise.
“Um – blew up? Nina?” Eddie says. His voice squeaks.
“Yes,” Eleven says. She doesn’t elaborate.
“Yeah, well. What I’m saying is you kids are going to have to lay low for a bit longer.” He frowns, eyes going dark. “Owens has spoken to me a little, though. They got me and Joyce back to Hawkins, and I think they’re trying to get a cover story for me so I can come back to life.”
“Mm, I imagine it’s a paperwork minefield,” Steve says.
Hop snorts. “You joke, kid, but I’ve been signing my name so much the past three days my hand’s going numb.” His eyes darken, and he frowns at Eddie. “Next time I speak to Owens, I’ll let him know about that Carver kid. I was in high school with his dad, guy was a real piece of work. I’m not surprised his son turned out the same.”
“You said Mrs. Byers is with you?” Steve asks. “In Hawkins, I mean. We, uh. We tried to call Lenora, let everyone know what was going on. No one was picking up.”
Hop snorts. “Yeah, Joyce wasn’t home. She would’a been somewhere in Russia, getting me.”
Eddie lets out a low exhale, almost sounding disbelieving. Steve feels himself letting out his own surprised noise.
“Fuck,” Steve says. “I – I should have figured, sorry. You were with the Russians?”
“Yeah.” Hop runs a hand over his bald head, smiles at Steve sharply. “Can’t say I cared too much for their hospitality.”
Steve lets out a shaky laugh. Smiling weakly, he says, “Did they get the bone saw out for you? When I saw that thing, I think my heart stopped.”
Eddie lets out a little exhale of air, and something flickers across Hop’s face. No one laughs. Instead, Hop’s eyes track over Steve like he’s looking for evidence of bruises long healed.
“No,” he says. “They, uh. They mainly just went for fists, with me. Bone saws were one thing I escaped, at least.”
Steve nods.
“The Russians – they weren’t trying to open another gate? The Upside Down doesn’t stretch that far, does it?” He’s only half sure he wants to hear the answer.
Hop sighs again, rubs a hand over his face. “I don’t think so. They had a Demogorgon, though. We dealt with it.”
“Uh, yeah, about that –” Eddie says. His voice has gone high pitched, and he’s chewing on his nails. “You guys have mentioned Demogorgons before, but. I assume, uh. I assume you don’t mean the fictional D&D monster.”
“I wish it was fictional,” Hop says, snorting. “But it’s all too real. Demogorgon. Eight foot bastard with a mouth instead of a face. From the Upside Down, initially, so the Russians must have grabbed it when they were trying to open the gate under Starcourt. They were using it as some sort of weapon, or torture device. It’s not exactly the sort of thing you wanna go up against.”
“It’s what me, Nance and Jonathan fought in 1983,” Steve says. “It was what killed Barb Holland. Nearly killed Will, too – but Hop and Joyce managed to get him out of the Upside Down in time.”
“Oh,” Eddie says. “Right.”
Steve tugs a hand over his face, then pulls at a chunk of his hair. He wants to be sick.
“What the hell were the Russians thinking, dealing with one of those things?”
Hop shrugs. “Like I said, they were using it as a torture device. Don’t know if that was their initial plan, can’t say they let me know too much about the inner workings of their organization, they didn’t exactly feel the need to keep me updated.”
“Right,” Steve says. “I just – the gate? You’re sure there wasn’t one out there?”
“There would not be a gate to the Upside Down in Russia.” El says. “The Demogorgon that dad fought was connected, joined, but it was only connected like I am connected.”
Despite the grim topic of conversation, Hop’s shoulders go soft at El calling him dad. He looks at her with warm eyes, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. She stops to smile at him, teeth white and straight, before turning back to Steve.
“The gates were only in Hawkins. It was why the Russians had to come here, first. Now Henry is dead, nothing is – feeding – giving life to the openings. Whatever is connected to the hive mind will suffer.” Her shoulders harden, and her jaw tightens in resolution. “I will make sure no one else is hurt. It will all stay away.”
“Fuck,” Eddie says. “I mean – like, sorry, Chief. Hop – um. Fuck. It’s just – this is fucking crazy.”
Both El and Hop laugh a little, leaning together. They paint a nice picture, Steve thinks – a real dad and daughter – he tries to ignore the way the sight makes his own stomach twist in jealousy.
“Not a Chief anymore, Munson. ‘Sides, it’s nothing I ain’t heard before.” Hop looks between Steve and Eddie, then raises his eyebrows. “You’re right that this is all fucking crazy, though. You two gonna tell me the full story of how Munson became Hawkins most wanted resident, then? Or what the hell stupid shit Harrington pulled this year?”
Eddie frowns a little, eyes darting between Steve and Hop. He’s still chewing on his fingernails, shoulders tense and eyes nervous. Before he can let himself question it, Steve tangles his fingers with Eddie’s free hand.
Eddie jolts, clearly surprised at the gesture, before settling into the touch.
Hop, to his credit, doesn’t even flinch.
“Uh, yeah,” Eddie says. “So – um. It started when Chrissy Cunningham, um – she came to me, and uh –”
*
By the time Steve and Eddie have stumbled their way through explaining the past week, Hop’s slumped forwards to put his head in both hands.
“So, you’re saying you – what? Remote projected to El?” Hop asks. “Helped her kill this Henry, Vecna guy?”
Steve chews his lip. “I – I don’t know. Dustin sure seems to think so.”
El looks thoughtful. She leans forwards, focusing on the armchair on the other side of the room. It lifts off the ground by a couple of feet.
“Holy fucking Christ,” Eddie says. He laughs under his breath, pulling his hand free from Steve’s grip to tug both hands through his hair. “Superpowers. Fuckin’, superpowers.”
“Yes,” El agrees. She lowers the chair back to the ground, and tilts her head to the side in question. “Steve, you cannot do the same?”
Steve snorts. “No, I can’t say I’ve ever floated a chair off the ground, El. Honestly, you think if I also had superpowers, I wouldn’t have brought it up some time in the past three years?”
“Could you have, like, unlocked them?” Eddie asks. He twists a ring on one of his hands, eyes darting between Eleven and Steve like he’s worried he’s going to get laughed out of the room. “I mean – like, when Vecna was dragging you through his soupy mind, or whatever?”
“I – um,” Steve looks to El. “I don’t know?”
El frowns. “I do not know why I have the powers I do. I am – connected – to the Upside Down, or to something – older.”
She looks at Steve, her gaze boring into his soul.
“Papa trained us. I could not do these things at first, but now I can. Maybe there is the – the potential?” She tilts her head a little to the side, still surveying Steve. “I think, perhaps Henry did not just want people who were not happy. The people he hurt, they needed to be able to hear Henry’s call.”
Steve feels a headache coming on. He rubs his temple, frowning at El.
“So, what? Me and Max picking up on the creepy signals means that we’re, like, almost superpowered? Or we could be superpowered?”
“Maybe,” El says. She frowns. “I do not think Max could have found me in the Void like you did, though.”
“What, I’m, like, extra special?”
El still looks thoughtful. “I am stronger when I focus. It – recharges me when I have access to certain forces. Maybe, because you have absorbed the energy of the Upside Down, it has made you stronger. Henry was connected to you, and because of this, you were also connected to the space around you.”
“What do you mean?” Steve asks.
“I think she’s saying that you’ve spent so much time chasing down goo monsters that you’re, like, prime Upside Down material,” Eddie says. “You’re tuned into their frequency.”
On the couch, El nods.
“I think, Max is almost there,” she says. “But you have been dragged further than most. You have bled in it, and so it has bled into you. The Upside Down is a part of you.”
“Um,” Steve tugs a hand through his hair. “I’m not gonna lie, El. That sounds – like. Not ideal.”
Eddie snorts. “That’s putting it lightly. I’ve only had, like, one week of dealing with that place and I do not want to have to deal with it again.”
Hop nods. “I hate to agree with Munson, but don’t you think we’ve had enough of that place yet, kid?”
“It does not have to be a bad thing,” El says. “Without Henry, the Upside Down is just a place. It has a force, but it does not have to be evil.”
“I still don’t think I understand,” Steve says. “Like, are you saying that – that I have powers now?”
“Yes,” El says. “And no. I think you are – receiving the signal. You are like Will; you can hear it when I call you.”
“Like, Steve can pick up the phone, but he’s not able to actually dial in the number?” Eddie asks.
El nods.
Steve blinks – it makes more sense to him when it’s put like that. He flashes a hesitant smile at El.
“Guess that means you and Max can’t do any more sleepovers where you try to spy on me,” he says. “I’ll hear you coming.”
El flushes a little, looking away in embarrassment.
“We only did it twice,” she says. “We did not see much.”
“Not much is still too much,” Steve replies.
Hop hums in agreement.
“Speaking of seeing too much,” he says. “We should probably get going. I left Joyce and Jonathan with Murray and Dmitri. At this rate, the chaos is gonna cause the house to come crashing down around all of them.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Steve says. “I seem to remember taking several chunks out of the Byers house with a bear trap.”
Hop snorts, shaking his head.
“Well, looks like that shit’s not gonna happen anymore. S’why we wanted to come see you, Steve. We had to let you and Munson know about the gate situation. El’s been monitoring every day, but there aren’t even cracks visible, now. It’s all fully sealed up, no leaks.”
He slaps his knees, pushing himself up to standing with only a slight wobble on his broken ankle. Both El and Steve stand up too, reaching for Hop at the same time, trying to steady him. He waves them away.
“Look,” he says, eyes boring right into Steve’s. “I can take care of myself, kid, okay? I don’t want you worrying about me. Me n’El, we came to see you, make sure you’re doing okay. This Upside Down crap, all these monsters, they’re gone now. They’re properly gone, I think. They’ve all been killed and burned up and closed off. I can feel it, when I walk around the woods, now. There’s a – a deadness, there. Things are quiet, in a way they haven’t been ‘round Hawkins for a long time.”
“You’re sure?” Steve asks. He looks behind him, looking at Eddie’s pale face. “I just – I don’t think I can, like, be the adult, again. This time was – I didn’t think I was gonna make it. And, Max –”
“You did good, kid,” Hop says. His eyes are soft, warm in the way he usually only gets when he’s looking at El. “You did real good, okay? And it’s over. You and your boy are safe. I’ll make sure of it.”
The tears Steve’s been holding back since he first saw Hop alive finally break free. He sniffs, and a pathetic sob works its way out of his mouth.
“I missed you,” he says. It comes out thick, voice catching around the lump in his throat.
He plants himself back into Hop’s chest, uncaring that El and Eddie are both still in the room, uncaring that this is deeply, stupidly uncool. Uncaring about anything other than the still solid, still real feel of Hop’s breathing.
“Aw, kid,” Hop says. He sounds a little teary himself. “I missed you too, okay? But I’m not going anywhere, now. You got me in your corner, okay? You got me, and El, and the rest of those shitheads you’ve adopted.”
Hop hugs Steve tighter, leaning down so he’s talking quietly into Steve’s ear, whispering at a volume out of El and Eddie’s hearing range.
“You’ve also got Eddie fuckin’ Munson, okay? Don’t think I’m blind, Harrington. Hell, even if I was blind, I could still tell how he looks at you.”
Steve breaks the hug, flushing in embarrassment. He rubs under his nose.
“You’re not mad?” he asks. He doesn’t lower his voice; Eddie has as much of a right to hear this as Steve. “Or – I mean. You’re not – um, grossed out? That we’re – y’know. Queer?”
Hop laughs, mouth split open wide enough for Steve to see all his teeth.
“Steve, I’ve seen a lot more gross shit in the world than two kids being young, dumb and in love. No. I’m not mad.”
He slaps his hand on Steve’s shoulder, a comforting weight. Then, his eyes drift over to Eddie, who’s hovering a few feet away, mortified expression on his face.
“Munson,” Hop says.
His tone is severe –cop voice back in full effect. All of a sudden, Steve feels like he’s fifteen and being lifted at an illegal party at the quarry again. Eddie must feel it too, because he straightens, back stiffening, shoulders going tight.
“Hop,” he squeaks.
“I’m real glad you’re okay. I know your uncle, and I know you’re a decent kid, but I’m telling you now – if you do one thing to upset Steve, it’s not just those kids you’ll have to answer to. You’re gonna have me and El on your case, okay? And I won’t be the one to hold her back if she wants to use force.”
El grins, sharp. She lifts her hand up again, and every piece of furniture in the room lifts two feet into the air. Eddie swallows, visibly.
“Steve is very important,” she says. “Max loves him, and so does Dustin.”
Steve isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, so he settles for focusing on a space somewhere in his hallway and breathing slowly.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Eddie says. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Understood, chief. Um – Hop. El. I, I get it, okay?”
El lets the furniture float back down to its usual resting place, but her grin does not fade. Hop nods approvingly beside her.
“Alright, we’re gonna head out. Joyce is planning to do a dinner next week. That is, if the Feds haven’t got us all in some fucking quarantine by then. We’ll keep in touch, okay?”
“Okay,” Steve says. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” Hop says back. “Seriously, Steve. Thank you.”
He walks back to the front door, only a little uneasy on his feet. El hangs back a little, smiling at Steve before she throws herself into his arms. She hugs him tightly, smelling like woodsmoke and cheap bodywash. Steve hugs her back.
Then, she pulls away and runs after her dad. She doesn’t stop to push the front door closed, but it still shuts behind her with a loud bang.
Eddie jumps.
*
“I just – you never told me the fucking ex chief of police was your pseudo dad,” Eddie whines. “I – I can’t believe this. Fuck talking about the interdimensional monsters and your three years of trauma. This is – this is like, so much worse.”
“How is it worse?” Steve asks. “You said yourself that Hop never booked you for dealing. He’s not exactly the most upstanding citizen when it comes to the law himself.”
“That’s not the point,” Eddie whines. “Look, okay. I need you to be honest with me here, Steve.”
Steve snorts in amusement, shaking his head as Eddie hovers above him, clearly trying to make himself appear as serious as possible.
“Okay,” he says. “Full honesty. Go on, Eddie.”
“Was our whole relationship just you trying to date a bad boy because your cop dad died?”
Steve laughs louder than he has in weeks.