[ It's a relief when Steve doesn't try to steer her down one of the rows closer to the court, even though she's sure that's where he'd prefer to be — closer to the action, or whatever — because now she can lean back against the painted wall of the gym, can have solid brick at her back and the solid brick of Steve's muscles against her side, hemming her in away from the rest of the students around them.
Would she be fine without him? She'd like to think so. But not having to find out is nice. A relief, a weight off her shoulders. ]
I feel like we're the main attraction. [ Her tone makes it sound completely preposterous, even though they both knew what they'd be getting into when they started this. ]
[Steve prefers being closer to the action, being able to see the game up close and study the plays being made. It's typical jock behavior, Eddie should know this by now. Only tonight is about making sure Eddie feels comfortable, even if that means taking a back seat for watching the game.
Steve isn't worried too much about it considering he hadn't planned on attending in the first place. ]
Shut up. [ Eddie knocks her shoulder into Steve's with a soft laugh, pulling down her skirt as she sinks to a seat on the bleacher, resisting the urge to let her legs sprawl open like she usually does. Fuck, she forgot how much she hates wearing skirts.
It's a lot harder for people to stare surreptitiously at her when she's up here, at least the ones who are on their side of the gym, which she appreciates. The other side of the gym has no problem staring at her, of course, and there definitely are people who twist to try and see her better.
She resists the urge to hunch her shoulders and instead straightens them, lifting her chin a little, letter her hair fall away from her face. ]
So who were you supposed to take out tonight? Who'd I jilt by stealing you away?
[Steve is focused on the game that's about to start. Players are beginning to take their places and soon the gymnasium will be echoing with cheering. He glances over at Eddie as she makes herself comfortable. Her jacket is tight around his form, could be problematic for cheering himself. ]
Huh?
[He had actually forgotten about the date he had scheduled for the night, well sort of.]
Her name is Kristen. She's been in the video store a few times.
[ Hawkins is a small town, but that doesn't mean Eddie knows literally everyone who lives there. There could be a couple Kristens that Steve is talking about. In any case, it doesn't really matter all that much, considering that Steve's here with her, that he dropped his other plans so quickly, that he's barely talked about this girl before the date or now instead.
Hopefully she didn't come to the game anyway. It would probably be pretty awkward for Steve to be seen with by the girl he ditched.
She wonders what excuse he gave her. She decides not to ask. ]
Okay, so give me a quick run-down before we start.
[Steve doesn't talk much about the girls he's currently dating or sleeping with. Mostly, because it's usually multiple and he would rather avoid Robin's constant lectures. There is also this weird and indescribable bond forming between Nancy and himself again.
Maybe it's just wishful thinking or you know, trauma. Regardless, she's still with Byers. ]
[ If pressed, Eddie would probably say Steve's Casanova tendencies stem from trying to find what he had with Nancy. She didn't know either of them when they were dating, but the whole school knew about King Steve and Princess Wheeler, the golden couple that imploded in a shocking spectacle of swirling rumors and black eyes. Ever since then, Steve's been on the prowl, and everyone is well aware that you don't get more than a handful of dates before he moves on.
Hopefully Kristen wasn't hoping to break the streak. ]
Of the game, Steven. What am I supposed to be looking out for? What position does Lucas play?
[ Look. She's trying. Sure, she's as far away from the court as she can get while still being in the room, but she's here. She wants to support her friends. She just doesn't know what's going on, and there's a selfish part of her that wants Steve to keep paying attention to her instead of ignoring her the whole game. ]
[Steve wouldn't say he was chasing after what he once had with Nancy. Why? Because now he feels like loving Nancy Wheeler was a bit pointless and ridiculous. Especially since it was nothing but a lie that Nancy created.
She never loved him. Why should she?]
You're actually going to pay attention this time ?
[ If she ever hears Steve's inner monologue, Eddie will be sorely tempted to hit him. He's had a little too much head trauma to make that feel like a good idea, but come on. What the hell, Steve. ]
Yes, [ she lies, a smile on her face and her eyes wide and guileless. ] Well. I'll do my best.
[ Look, it's not her fault that sports are confusing! ]
[Steve is being honest with himself here. He's a pretty shitty boyfriend or at least Nancy made him feel that way. He's much better at just keeping it sexual and no strings attached.
Yet-
He still wants that one.]
Uh huh.
[His head turns suddenly when he hears the crowd getting riled up and Steve is quick to get to his feet. Looks like Carver has noticed Eddie, evident by a sudden fumble of the ball.]
[ A lot of time has passed between then and now. But Eddie can't hear the absolute ridiculous bullshit Steve is stewing in in his own mind, so she's letting herself focus on what's happening on the court, watching the boys jogging out and getting into a position that seems utterly opaque to Eddie.
Jason, as team captain, stands in the middle of the court alongside the other team's captain and the ref, and for a moment he looks up and across the crowd. The moment the ball gets tossed between them and he catches it, he immediately fumbles the ball and it goes bouncing away, much to the other team's delight and Hawkins' collective disappointment.
Eddie's not vain enough to think it's all because of her. She does make a point to lean closer to Steve, though, mostly so they can hear each other over the low roar of the crowd and the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor. ]
[It's a damn good thing Eddie isn't a mind reader. The thoughts that roam in Steve's head can be pretty dark as much as they are depressed. Perhaps it's all the trauma he's experienced and keeps it bottled in for the sake of the others. He's got kids to protect, kids to keep alive.
The gymnasium echos with the sound of booing and many of Jason's teammates look either frustrated or confused about the ball fumble. Even Cunningham looks a bit taken aback by the play. Jason just stands in the middle of the court, eyes focused on Eddie and mouth dropped open. Steve finds himself smirking as it takes Jason a moment to get his head back into the game.
Oh? Jesus boy is still gawking I disbelief at Eddie. This is too damn perfect. ]
Don't slap me.
[The soft mutter comes quick against Eddie's ear and seconds later Steve's hand comes down to give her ass a nice slap. It's all part of the plan, promise.
For a few good seconds the gymnasium goes silent as Jason struggles to get a grip, his face red from either embarrassment or frustration. It's obvious Eddie's new look has done the trick by the way Jason shuffles about the court confused and his hands trying to adjust himself without being caught.
It's the slap to Eddie's ass that closes the deal. It's enough to inch her skirt up.
The gymnasium is suddenly echoing with a very disturbing cracking sound and animalistic cry comes from Carver's lips as he goes down clutching his nose. ]
[ Eddie's about to turn her head away from the court to look at Steve in confusion after he tells her not to slap him — what about her makes him think her first impulse would be to slap? — when his hand lands solidly on her ass cheek, the crack of impact loud even through the denim she's wearing and the fact that there's plenty other noise in the room.
A sudden wash of heat roars through her and she's sure her face has gone bright red while the rest of her freezes up in shock.
Did Steve —
Did he just —
He just spanked her!
She's so stunned by the feel of his broad palm making contact with her ass so firmly that she's completely forgotten about the basketball game going on in front of them, feeling horribly overheated in her borrowed jacket as all her awareness narrows down to the dull throb under her skin and the overwhelming thought that she'll probably have a bruise in the shape of Steve's hand blooming under her skin.
The shout from down on the court barely grabs her attention, but Steve's exclamation after does, and she makes a conscious effort to wrench her attention out of the spiral she's been sinking into. ]
[Steve is well aware that he should have given Eddie a heads up before hand or they at least should have talked about him slapping her ass well before hand. It was an act of impulse, a final act to tie their play together in order to humiliate Jason.
Steve has slapped plenty of girl's asses, he thinks nothing of it. However, the slap echos throughout the gymnasium and heads spin around to pierce them both with a shap look. This only makes Steve smirk more, his hand staying firmly along Eddie's cheek for a few seconds.
The game has stopped, players have been cleared off the court and a medical crew has rushed to assist Jason's gushing nose. ]
Shit....
[Some of the crowd has shifted to get a better look and others remain seated in shock. ]
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no subject
Would she be fine without him? She'd like to think so. But not having to find out is nice. A relief, a weight off her shoulders. ]
I feel like we're the main attraction. [ Her tone makes it sound completely preposterous, even though they both knew what they'd be getting into when they started this. ]
no subject
Steve isn't worried too much about it considering he hadn't planned on attending in the first place. ]
You're the main attraction here.
no subject
It's a lot harder for people to stare surreptitiously at her when she's up here, at least the ones who are on their side of the gym, which she appreciates. The other side of the gym has no problem staring at her, of course, and there definitely are people who twist to try and see her better.
She resists the urge to hunch her shoulders and instead straightens them, lifting her chin a little, letter her hair fall away from her face. ]
So who were you supposed to take out tonight? Who'd I jilt by stealing you away?
no subject
Huh?
[He had actually forgotten about the date he had scheduled for the night, well sort of.]
Her name is Kristen. She's been in the video store a few times.
no subject
Hopefully she didn't come to the game anyway. It would probably be pretty awkward for Steve to be seen with by the girl he ditched.
She wonders what excuse he gave her. She decides not to ask. ]
Okay, so give me a quick run-down before we start.
no subject
Maybe it's just wishful thinking or you know, trauma. Regardless, she's still with Byers. ]
Run-down?
[What do you want from him, Eddie?]
no subject
Hopefully Kristen wasn't hoping to break the streak. ]
Of the game, Steven. What am I supposed to be looking out for? What position does Lucas play?
[ Look. She's trying. Sure, she's as far away from the court as she can get while still being in the room, but she's here. She wants to support her friends. She just doesn't know what's going on, and there's a selfish part of her that wants Steve to keep paying attention to her instead of ignoring her the whole game. ]
no subject
She never loved him. Why should she?]
You're actually going to pay attention this time ?
no subject
Yes, [ she lies, a smile on her face and her eyes wide and guileless. ] Well. I'll do my best.
[ Look, it's not her fault that sports are confusing! ]
no subject
Yet-
He still wants that one.]
Uh huh.
[His head turns suddenly when he hears the crowd getting riled up and Steve is quick to get to his feet. Looks like Carver has noticed Eddie, evident by a sudden fumble of the ball.]
no subject
Jason, as team captain, stands in the middle of the court alongside the other team's captain and the ref, and for a moment he looks up and across the crowd. The moment the ball gets tossed between them and he catches it, he immediately fumbles the ball and it goes bouncing away, much to the other team's delight and Hawkins' collective disappointment.
Eddie's not vain enough to think it's all because of her. She does make a point to lean closer to Steve, though, mostly so they can hear each other over the low roar of the crowd and the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor. ]
no subject
The gymnasium echos with the sound of booing and many of Jason's teammates look either frustrated or confused about the ball fumble. Even Cunningham looks a bit taken aback by the play. Jason just stands in the middle of the court, eyes focused on Eddie and mouth dropped open. Steve finds himself smirking as it takes Jason a moment to get his head back into the game.
Oh? Jesus boy is still gawking I disbelief at Eddie. This is too damn perfect. ]
Don't slap me.
[The soft mutter comes quick against Eddie's ear and seconds later Steve's hand comes down to give her ass a nice slap. It's all part of the plan, promise.
For a few good seconds the gymnasium goes silent as Jason struggles to get a grip, his face red from either embarrassment or frustration. It's obvious Eddie's new look has done the trick by the way Jason shuffles about the court confused and his hands trying to adjust himself without being caught.
It's the slap to Eddie's ass that closes the deal. It's enough to inch her skirt up.
The gymnasium is suddenly echoing with a very disturbing cracking sound and animalistic cry comes from Carver's lips as he goes down clutching his nose. ]
Holy shit!
no subject
A sudden wash of heat roars through her and she's sure her face has gone bright red while the rest of her freezes up in shock.
Did Steve —
Did he just —
He just spanked her!
She's so stunned by the feel of his broad palm making contact with her ass so firmly that she's completely forgotten about the basketball game going on in front of them, feeling horribly overheated in her borrowed jacket as all her awareness narrows down to the dull throb under her skin and the overwhelming thought that she'll probably have a bruise in the shape of Steve's hand blooming under her skin.
The shout from down on the court barely grabs her attention, but Steve's exclamation after does, and she makes a conscious effort to wrench her attention out of the spiral she's been sinking into. ]
What the fuck?
no subject
Steve has slapped plenty of girl's asses, he thinks nothing of it. However, the slap echos throughout the gymnasium and heads spin around to pierce them both with a shap look. This only makes Steve smirk more, his hand staying firmly along Eddie's cheek for a few seconds.
The game has stopped, players have been cleared off the court and a medical crew has rushed to assist Jason's gushing nose. ]
Shit....
[Some of the crowd has shifted to get a better look and others remain seated in shock. ]
And there you go.