Chapter Text
🏀 Steve 😎
“I just want to know who he’s texting!” Steve groans, shoving his phone back in his pocket and crossing his arms over his chest.
“Are we ready to admit we’re jealous?” Robin asks, absentmindedly playing with Steve’s hair. They’re sharing a lounge chair by the pool. Across from them, Eddie basks in the shade of an enormous umbrella. He keeps glancing at his phone and grinning, occasionally texting back to whoever is on the other end, before plopping his head back down on the rolled towel he’s using as a pillow.
“I am not jealous! I’m just worried! What if this new guy is just stringing Eddie along? They haven’t met in person yet, I don’t think. What if they’re a catfish?!”
“It’s not your problem,” Robin says.
“He’s my friend, it is too my problem!”
“Steve,” she starts.
“He’s fragile, ok? I know he doesn’t act like it, but he is.”
His own phone buzzes at him and he snatches it.
Eds: yes, mom, i put sunscreen on
He snorts, rolling his eyes.
Steve: took u long enough 2 respond, asshole
Eds: srry, fell asleep for a sec there
He snorts softly again, before shoving his phone in the beach bag. He hadn’t noticed Eddie dozing off, but it was kind of hard to tell since he was wearing sunglasses, and his dark eyes were nearly invisible behind the lenses.
“Dingus,” Robin mutters under her breath for absolutely no reason before flopping down behind him, legs straddling either side of his torso.
He reaches up and pats his head, Robin had somehow managed to braid his hair into two pigtails. He needed to add getting a haircut to his to-do list, apparently.
🎺 Robin 🙄
She loves this idiot, she really truly does, but my god, sometimes he’s such an idiot it’s almost painful.
Ever since the world almost ended and then didn’t, things have gone back to a new normal. The kids are enjoying the end of summer break, as is Eddie, and she and Steve are set to work at the new batting cages/mini golf course they’re building where Starcourt once stood. There’s rumor the new facility will have an arcade too, and Steve’s been trying to convince Eddie to take a shift there. Of course, he won’t say it’s because he can’t bear to be apart from Eddie these days. He thinks she hasn’t noticed, but he forgets she can practically read his mind.
Case in point:
“I think Eddie would cry if you cut it, Dingus.”
“Wha-”
“You know I’m right.”
“Eddie doesn’t care about my hair that much, Robs.”
“Hmph.”
She reaches up and swats the back of his head.
“Now I’m gonna cut it just out of spite.”
“And I’ll help,” she replies flatly, closing her eyes and trying to pretend they’re at the beach instead of the Harrington’s pool.
The last thing she hears before she drifts off is Steve, once again, lamenting over the fact that Eddie’s texting someone else.
If only he wasn’t so stupid.
🎸 Eddie 🦇
Turns out it’s a lot harder to get turned into a vampire than they make it seem in the movies. Being chomped on by half a dozen bats isn’t enough to merit shiny new fangs and leathery wings, bummer. But he’s, unfortunately, always had the pale, ghostly, skin.
Unlike Steve, that stupidly beautiful God.
So he sulks under the umbrella while the kids splash about and Steve absorbs the sun like a house cat. Behind him Robin dozes off. But Steve’s on high alert, as always. The only time his eyes leave the pool is to look at his phone.
Eddie: pizza?
Steevee: doordash?
Steevee: don’t wanna get up
He grins to himself before texting back, knowing damn well it’s not laziness keeping Steve glued to his seat.
Eddie: yeah, toppings?
Steevee: robbie says pepperoni, i second that motion
Eddie: booorrringgg
Steevee: 🙄
Eddie: fine 🍕🤤
Eddie: anything 4 u big boy 😉
He watches as Steve reads his response and chuckles. Then he watches the way Steve’s hair swishes around his shoulders as he shakes it out of Robin’s pigtail braids. Then he watches the way the long line of his torso moves so fluidly as he dives into the pool, showering all of them with the spray.
Eddie: asshole