Chapter Text
The Dial Tone Is All He Has
Chp 1: Preface
Eddie’s brain was mush. With Steve’s hand down his pants, he couldn’t form complete thoughts, never mind complete sentences. But his mouth was still perfectly functional, spilling please and more and fuck, Stevie without conscious input.
He was on his back, Steve hovering over him with one hand rucking up his shirt and the other working him over so sweetly— teasingly slow if he was honest. He needed more.
“Steve, please.” He wasn’t above begging, but that was something they had established a long time ago.
Steve never denied him for long. His back arched as Steve built up to a brutal pace and his head flung back against the thin mattress covering the metal floor of the van, exposing his throat. Steve didn’t waste a second to take advantage, latching on just under Eddie’s jaw. A moan was punched out of Eddie as pleasure zinged up and down his spine.
A few more strokes and he was catapulted to the edge, just managing to hold on. He wanted this to last longer— wanted it to last forever. But-
“Sweetheart, I- I’m gonna-” His last conscious thought buzzed through him— that maybe Steve would still fuck him after— before he was streaking white across his stomach and Steve’s hand. Stars spilled behind his tightly closed eyelids, his bones sinking into the floor.
Steve lapped like a kitten at the mess, nuzzling his nose into Eddie's soft belly and humming sweet praises—you did so well, love how you taste baby, such a good boy for me. Eddie would float in this pleasure forever if he could. Where his brain was calm and his lover was warm against him. And they still had more to do, more pleasure to wring out of each other. He still wanted to be fuck-
The bang bang of metal echoing in their ears sent Steve shooting off him.
“Munson, open up!”
His head lifted, but the world was out of focus, his mind fuzzy as panic and adrenaline tried to permeate his orgasm haze. Steve was back after a second, frantically fixing his hair and wiping at his stomach, shoving his dick back into his pants.
Eddie blinked.
At least the windows were tinted. At least there was no way Hopper could see them when it was this dark out.
"I know you're in there, kid." Police Chief Hopper banged twice against the van again, the back doors this time.
Fuck.
They were so fucked. Eddie chuckled softly at the double entendre. Steve's wild eyes caught his focus. Apparently, he determined Eddie was still too dazed and orgasm stupid, his expression hardening in a way that meant he had decided to deal with this himself.
Steve reached for the door handle, barely grazing the metal before Eddie's hand shot after him, grabbing his wrist. Steve's pulse was fast under his skin, panic flooding both of them. But Eddie wasn't gonna let Steve go out there. Steve could lose his job, his house— hell, his parents could disown him— if this got out. Eddie wouldn't let that happen. He could do this. It was him that Hopper expected to see anyway. All he had to do was hide Steve and make the cop go away.
Easy peasy.
Eddie guided Steve to curl up against the door— the door that Eddie wouldn't be opening. With any luck, Hopper wouldn't be able to see him there. He gave Steve another nod, that he hoped was reassuring, and pushed open the other door in one big movement.
He stumbled out, almost tripping over his feet, as the door bounced off it's hinges and swung shut. He could do this. Keep Hopper busy, keep him occupied so he wouldn't look where he shouldn't. It was practically Eddie's MO.
"How can I help you this fine evening, officer?" Eddie gave him a little bow, extending his hands to either side.
Hopper didn't look impressed. "What are you doing out here, Munson?"
"Just out for a nice evening cruise, you know, the fresh air, the wind in my hair." He rhymed, twirling a strand to punctuate his statement. It was rather nice out, now that he was out in it. A warm summer night with a slight breeze. Crickets, fireflies, a bright moon. Perfect date night weather— if it hadn't been interrupted.
"Right."
So, obviously Hopper didn't believe him. His stare was scathing, but Eddie just smiled.
"Anyone else out here with you?"
"Nope." He popped the P, shifting from foot to foot and letting his head follow the momentum. He tried not to think about the other person he definitely did have out here with him— who he'd left hard and half-naked.
That was probably a losing battle.
"Meeting anyone?"
"Don't think so, I'd have to check my calendar. You want some of my time, Chief?" He smirked, turning up the cheekiness.
Hopper rolled his eyes, but ignored the question, moving on with his own interrogation. "Any drugs in that van of yours?"
Eddie gasped. "Now why would you go and accuse me of something like that?"
Hopper shifted on his left leg ever so slightly, arms crossed, giving one hell of a 'done with it all' stare. "You've got priors, kid."
Eddie had to give him that one.
"Under the circumstances," Hopper continued "I'll need to search it."
"What? Why? I haven't done anything." Eddie was quickly losing control of the situation, panic overcoming the bravado and limited self-confidence he'd been holding onto like a lifeline.
"Like I said, Munson, priors. And it's a bit suspicious, you being out here all by your lonesome."
The ironic thing was that Eddie didn't even have anything stashed in his van right now. Usually he had a pre-roll or two, but him and Steve had smoked it out by the quarry just last night. The only thing in his van that needed hiding was Steve himself, and Eddie wasn't about to give up that secret without a fight. He wasn't going to let Steve be thrown into scrutiny—to become the kind of social pariah that people hurled slurs or violence at. He stepped between Hopper and the doors.
"Don't you need my permission or- or a warrant? It's my personal property."
"Not if I think there's evidence of a crime in there." He reached for the handle, but Eddie moved to block him again.
"What crime, Hopper? I'm tellin' you, I'm not doin' anything. I'm just out here cause I was goin' stir crazy at home. Is it a crime for me to be out in public? If I was anyone else, would you have even stopped? Or would you have stopped but only to see if they needed help?" He was on a roll now, a full blown rant building, and he could tell it was starting to wear Hopper down, pointing out the injustice of it all. "Just because I dress different, or listen to different music, means that you and everyone else can brand me a criminal? Just because everyone 'knows' I'm a dealer-"
"Is that a confession?" Hopper cut him off smoothly.
"Uh…" Shit.
His knee-jerk reaction was 'no, it most certainly was not a confession', but Hopper was looking at him again, not at the van, not at Steve hidden inside. Could he do this? Doom himself to save Steve, his Stevie? The answer was crystal clear: Steve couldn't get involved with this. Eddie was already the outcast, the bad influence— bound to follow in his father's footsteps.
Fuck the consequences. He squared his shoulders, held his head high. Maybe Steve would pay his bail. His mouth was open, the words on the tip of his tongue, but apparently Steve was ready to risk it all for him, too.
"For fuck's sake, Hopper. Give him a break." Steve pushed the door open, lightly shoving Eddie aside. He was fully clothed now, but his hair was still mussed out of it's usual perfect coif.
Eddie's heart kicked up into his throat as fear pulsed through him. "Steve?" his voice was quiet but insistent, scared. He didn't even know if Steve heard him, but the hand that touched his waist and squeezed was reassuring. At least Steve seemed to know what the fuck he was doing.
"Harrington?" Hopper asked, expression mirroring Eddie's confusion and shock. "You lost, kid?"
"I'm here with Eddie." Steve stood his ground, staring down a hardened cop like it was nothing and slowly—deliberately—took Eddie's hand in his. "And we weren't doing anything two consenting adults can't do."
Eddie and Hopper both stiffened. When Hopper's gaze then caught on Steve's neck, Eddie blanched. All the blood drained out of him at the sight of the purpling hickey he had left on Steve not even 20 minutes ago. Hopper had obviously seen it for what it was, face turning slightly red with his understanding.
Steve's hand might have bruises, too, with how hard Eddie was squeezing it. His other hand rushed to cover where he could feel his own hickey lingering—previously ignored until it was suddenly so incriminating. Eddie wanted to run, just book it into the woods. It was Steve's steely nerves and his hand around Eddie's that kept him frozen in place. He couldn't even come up with a witty quip, couldn't even think of a way to get them out of this.
Thankfully, he didn't need to.
Hopper cleared his throat, tilting his head up, so he was looking over their heads. He kept his gaze there as he talked, not able to look either of them in the eye. "Ah, right. Well-" He cleared his throat again. "Uh- Are you- Are you being safe?" His tone softened—dropping out of Chief-of-police and into something almost concerned.
What?? Eddie was reeling. Since when did the Chief of police act like an awkward dad? "Cause, you know, it's dangerous with that- that virus going around." Hopper brought a hand up to rub at his eyes.
Steve snorted— actually snorted— at him. "Yeah, Hop. We're being safe." Steve was relaxing next to Eddie, almost laughing at the deeply awkward interaction they were in.
"Good, right. I'll, uh, leave you to it then." He turned and walked a few steps back to his truck, before spinning to face them again, leveling them with a stern look and a pointed finger. "This'll stay under wraps, but keep it to the privacy of your own homes next time, huh?"
"Sure thing, Chief."
"I mean it, Harrington. I'm not the only cop on the road. You got lucky."
"Don't I know it," was Steve's cheeky reply, and as he pulled him into his side, Eddie got the impression that he didn't mean it the way Hopper did.
With one last huff, Hopper made his way back to his truck and started the engine. Steve drew Eddie into a kiss just as the headlights passed over them from Hopper pulling back onto the road. Eddie was breathless. The kiss, Steve's valor and charisma in the face of the law, and the last dregs of panic fading out of him left him fuzzy and drained— speechless.
"Hop's daughter is one of the rugrats I babysit. He likes me," Steve offered as explanation. Which really explained nothing— he hadn't even known the Chief had a daughter— but Eddie wasn't gonna question it. He just kissed his boyfriend again, letting Steve support him as the adrenaline in his blood was supplanted by relief. A few quiet moments passed with Steve's arms around him, but when Steve caught his gaze again, his eyes were serious. "You're not allowed to sacrifice yourself for me, okay?"
"Okay," Eddie agreed easily, letting Steve drag him back into another kiss.