Chapter Text
Steve curses under his breath. Sweat rolls down his back under his button-down shirt, the heat of summer making the very air feel heavy and thick. For how late in the day it is, the sun sure didn’t get the memo to cool off. He looks down at his car’s engine and curses again. He’s not particularly handy when it comes to cars; and whatever is wrong with his BMW, he couldn’t even diagnose, let alone fix.
He straightens and glances up and down the road. Nobody coming or going. He’s going to have to hike, apparently. An idea sparks in his mind and he digs into his car, searching for the brand new device that his father insisted on him having. The cell phone is still odd to use. Steve’s only had it for a few weeks and he has yet to get used to even having it around. He’s already had to teach his father and coworkers how the damn things work, which shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. His father, despite demanding these cell phones in the first place – the better to keep up with competition – has been particularly reticent about learning something new.
Steve stares down at the phone in his hand, realizing that he forgot to charge it. It is going to be about as useful as a brick in this instance, though it’s a much sleeker design than cell phones used to be.
Hiking up the road it is.
Steve strips his business jacket and necktie off to leave in the car and then starts walking. He’s pretty sure he’s not far from the tiny car shop. He drives this route every day to and from work. Sure enough, it’s only twenty minutes of walking before he crests the ridge that leads towards the trailer park. Right off the road is the tiny building – Munson Mechanics. Steve doesn’t normally go to this particular shop, but it’s the closest place to where his car just decided to stop working. Actually, in retrospect, this shop is closer to his apartment, too.
Based on the rugged appearance outside, Steve doesn’t put much faith in the ability of this shop to get the parts needed for his BMW. Then again, all he needs is the bare minimum to get his car functioning so he can get it properly fixed later. There’s a tow truck outside beside a dark, grungy van, so maybe Steve can just get a lift to his normal mechanic.
Well, he doesn’t have a normal mechanic – he just takes it to whatever place is closest to where he’s at when he realizes it needs a tune-up.
He walks through the front door, a bell jingling merrily as he enters. There’s a blast of cool air – thank god for air conditioning – and Steve sighs in relief. He pops open the top couple of buttons on his shirt, grateful for the reprieve from the heat. As he rolls up his sleeves, he looks around, but there’s no one present. The room is small with large front windows and a counter cutting off a corner of the space. There’s barely a handful of plastic chairs settled against the walls, and a crackling radio sitting beside the cash register and telephone, softly playing some radio station.
The place is surprisingly clean and uncluttered. Steve was half-expecting some grimy place covered in stains and car parts. He walks up to the counter, looking around for someone he can get help from. There’s no bell at the counter, but there’s a door behind it, opening out into the garage. Steve can hear loud music emanating from the garage, something far harder and more intense than what the little radio sings out.
Someone must be back there. Still, Steve’s not about to vault the counter – he’s not as spry as he was as a teenager – so he goes outside and wanders around the building, looking for an actual person.
“Hello?” He calls, rounding the corner into the garage proper.
The space is large, big enough for three cars at once. The walls are lined with tools and tires and various car parts and while Steve doesn’t know a damn thing about fixing cars, he can see that everything is well-organized. There’s a car in one of the spaces, hood up, and Steve can hear singing – someone enjoying the blaring music as he works. This mechanic has a good voice, though Steve’s no expert on music.
Steve moves towards the car, towards that singing voice, just as the mechanic rounds the side of the car. Steve freezes in place, forgetting how to breathe.
The man is about Steve’s height, maybe a little taller, but a bit lankier. He’s wearing coveralls, but the sleeves are tied around his waist, revealing a Metallica shirt. The sleeves have been ripped off the shirt, exposing the man’s pale arms to the world. His muscles are apparent, even on his frame, the manual labor giving him a strength that his long limbs try to hide. He’s covered in a sheen of sweat, with a couple dark smudges on one bicep and across his cheek, oil or grease or something. He’s got dark, curly hair that’s tied up out of the way, tiny curls framing his angular face. His dark eyes are wide with surprise, not expecting Steve to be standing right there, and they feel like they almost look through Steve.
Steve sucks in air, heart stuttering to a stop in his chest as his mind helpfully tells him how utterly gorgeous this man is. Gorgeous and strong and Steve has the inane thought that he wants to have this man pinning him down and…
Oh.
Oh, no.
“Uh… hi, I was…” Steve’s voice cracks in the most unfortunate way and he has to fight to keep a blush off his face. He clears his throat and tears his gaze off the man’s forearms. He has to raise his voice to be heard over the music. “Sorry. My car broke down up the road a bit, and I was wondering if I could get a tow?”
The mechanic’s face breaks out into a smile, and Steve’s knees threaten to give out on him entirely. “Oh! Yeah, sure. I’m just fiddling with this anyway.”
The mechanic’s eyes slide up and down Steve’s body in a way that feels more appreciative than assessing. It almost makes Steve feel naked, which he shouldn’t like as much as he does. He fights back the flush and tries not to appear bothered by the way the mechanic’s eyes focus on his hair, then right at his collar, then at his forearms, before looking Steve in the eyes.
“So, gorgeous, let me guess…” The mechanic’s smile stretches across his face, lighting up his expression. “BMW?”
Steve tries to restart his brain to make any sort of sense of what the mechanic just said. Gorgeous? Where did that come from? Steve is sweaty and gross from walking in the summer heat wearing this stupid business attire. “Uh… yeah. How’d you know?”
“Business attire, nice shoes, nice watch… you don’t really fit the vibe of the trailer park. Like a princess in a swamp.” The mechanic explains, waving a hand to encompass all of Steve. Steve has no idea why that means he owns a BMW, but he’s not about to argue with the most attractive man he’s ever seen in his life. “I don’t usually carry a whole lot of BMW stuff, but I can get my hands on whatever part you might need.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it,” Steve says.
“Don’t thank me until I fix your poor baby.” The mechanic holds his hand out to Steve. “Eddie Munson.” He abruptly jerks his hand back before Steve can take it. Steve thinks he should probably be upset or something, but then he sees the mechanic grabbing a black handkerchief out of his back pocket, wiping his hands off thoroughly. “Sorry about that. Don’t want to get grease on your nice clothes.”
“Steve Harrington.” Steve finally takes the man’s hand and immediately regrets it. Eddie’s skin is scalding hot, fingers rough with calluses, and the strength in his grip is enough to make Steve forget to breathe. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s definitely a pleasure to meet you,” Eddie purrs, smiling in a way that makes Steve’s gut flip. “All right. So, you need a tow?”
Steve clears his throat and nods, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from throwing himself at the mechanic. Eddie nods with a bright grin and Steve watches as the man carelessly tosses the wrench in his hands over his shoulder, making a loud clanging noise echo throughout the garage.
“You better not be throwing wrenches in my garage!” A voice booms from a room in the back that Steve completely missed. Eddie grins and wanders to the boombox, turning the music down.
“We’ve got a customer!” He calls back.
“All the more reason to not be throwing my wrenches!” An older man sticks his head out of the back office. His eyes trail over Steve before focusing on Eddie. “Stop throwing wrenches, Eddie. You know better.”
Eddie grins and waves the older man’s words off. “He needs a tow, Uncle Wayne.”
The older man, apparently Eddie’s uncle, nods and disappears into the office. He reemerges a couple seconds later with keys in hand. “Whereabouts did you break down?”
“I’ve got it!” Eddie offers, voice a little too loud, holding his hand up to catch the keys.
Wayne’s eyebrows shoot up and he looks Steve over again. Steve has no idea why he’s of this much interest to either of the mechanics. “All right.” He tosses the keys to Eddie. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Eddie turns to leave the garage, and Steve turns with him.
“Eddie!” Both Eddie and Steve turn back to acknowledge Wayne. Wayne has a small smile on his face as he looks seriously at Eddie. “Behave.”
Eddie laughs. “Yes, Uncle Wayne.” Eddie waves Steve along out of the shade and into the summer sun.
“I mean it!” Wayne calls after them.
Steve has no idea what that’s all about, but it’s obviously some inside joke or something. None of his business.
“So, princess, whereabouts did you break down?” Eddie asks as he leads the way to the tow truck.
“Uh… just a few minutes that way.” Steve points.
Eddie offers Steve a boost into the cab of the tow truck and Steve fights hard to not react because Eddie is deceptively strong. And Steve likes that fact way too much. God, he needs to get his head out of his pants. Steve takes a few deep breaths while Eddie walks around to the driver’s side, doing his level best to calm the fuck down. Eddie is a literal stranger. Steve just hasn’t had sex in a while. That’s it. He needs to focus on getting his car fixed.
“So, what’s a princess like you doing in a swamp like mine?” Eddie asks, driving down the road.
Steve replies, voice dry, “my car broke down.”
Eddie chuckles. “I mean, tell me about yourself. You’re obviously not from around here.”
“I grew up here!” Steve argues with a laugh.
“Yeah, but we didn’t go to school together. I would’ve remembered you.” Eddie shoots Steve a flirty wink.
Steve’s face heats up but he steadfastly ignores it. “I was sent to a boarding school. My father is… old-fashioned. He wanted me to grow up to be a mini-version of him, so I went to the same school he had gone to. A bullshit, uppity place in New England.”
Eddie hums thoughtfully. “Well, if you’re calling it ‘a bullshit, uppity place’ then you must not be either one of those things.”
Steve has the distinct sense that Eddie is teasing him. He huffs out a soft laugh, not entirely sure why he’s just spilling his guts to this stranger. “I hated it there. But I can fake it. Convinced my dad that I was an exact copy of him when I graduated. He started me working at his company right after.”
“Are you?” Eddie asks.
“Am I what?”
“An exact copy.” Eddie looks over at Steve again. “‘Cause if you are then your dad is a silver fox.”
Steve chokes and tries not to look as disgusted as he feels.
“Jeez, princess. You could’ve just said ‘no’,” Eddie laughs.
“I don’t look at my father and see anything attractive, no,” Steve replies dryly, making Eddie laugh harder.
“Forget I asked.”
“If you’re wondering if I take after him physically, no. My father is overweight, balding, and has such awful eyesight that I’m pretty sure he should be considered legally blind,” Steve explains.
“So nothing like the young, fit man with gorgeous hair that just wandered into my shop looking like a fantasy come to life?”
Steve’s entire body lights up, yearning for more attention from the most attractive man he’s ever met.
“I wouldn’t describe myself that way,” he mutters.
“Then you would be describing yourself wrong,” Eddie replies.
Steve laughs. “Anyway, what about you? You’ve been here your whole life, too?”
“Yep.” Eddie nods proudly. “Uncle Wayne took me in when I was a kid, ‘cause Dad got sent to prison after Mom died. He’s been the best support I could’ve ever asked for. He’s the one who taught me about cars and how to take care of them.”
Steve smiles at the respect and almost reverence in Eddie’s voice as he talks about his uncle, sharing a couple funny stories about growing up in the garage. Eddie is gorgeous, funny, and interesting, and surprisingly well-spoken. He also flirts with Steve every other sentence. Steve has to start breathing through his mouth, because he can smell Eddie and his scent of sweat and oil somehow triggers every primal urge in Steve’s body. He wants to climb onto Eddie’s lap and taste everything. Fortunately, his car isn’t that far away, so he’s only trapped in the cab of the truck for a few minutes.
Eddie arranges the tow truck and then hops out. Steve follows behind him as he approaches Steve’s car. Eddie lets out a low whistle, peering into the engine. “Hello, beautiful,” he croons, petting the front of the car reverently. “Let daddy take a look at you.”
Steve chokes, trying to cover it up with a cough and turns resolutely towards the woods. The last thing he needs is to get an erection just listening to this mechanic talk to his car. Shit, he really needs to get laid if he’s falling apart like a horny teenager around one man. Granted, Eddie is obscenely attractive, pushing every single button that Steve forgot he had. That’s beside the point. Steve is thirty, for fuck’s sake. He should be able to handle one sexy mechanic.
“All right, princess, fortunately for you, this is not a BMW exclusive part,” Eddie announces, voice muffled. Steve chances a glance towards Eddie and regrets it immediately. Eddie is half inside the engine, bent over as he roots around in the car. His ass is gorgeous and Steve can’t help but stare. Eddie pulls himself out of Steve’s car with that bright grin. Steve blinks hard, face heating up as he realizes he’s been caught ogling. Eddie’s grin shifts into a knowing smirk, but he doesn’t call Steve out.
“You can fix it?” Steve asks, trying desperately to keep things professional.
“Indeed I can,” Eddie says, proudly. “However, this part is buried a bit. So I’ll have to take things apart to replace it and then put everything back together. It’ll be a few hours of work.”
A few hours? Steve is going to have to be around Eddie for a few hours? How is he supposed to keep his hands to himself when he can barely think around Eddie? How is he supposed to resist the most gorgeous man he’s ever met in his life? How is he supposed to function at all when Eddie keeps flirting with him? When the only thoughts running through Steve’s head are perverse and pornographic?
“Don’t look so put out, princess,” Eddie tells him.
“No, it’s not…” Steve stutters out and then Eddie starts laughing.
“I’m teasing. Come on. The sooner we get your baby back to the garage, the sooner I can fix her up, and the sooner you can get out of here.”
Put it that way and Steve thinks about sabotaging his own car just to keep himself around Eddie. “Why? What’s wrong with here?” He asks, leaning against the tow truck as Eddie gets his car hooked up.
Eddie shrugs one shoulder. “Well, it’s no place for a BMW, that’s for sure. Trailer park? BMW? Those are worlds apart.” Somehow, Steve knows that Eddie’s not talking about the car.
“They don’t have to be,” Steve replies.
Eddie’s eyes find Steve’s over the tow cable, brows raised in surprise. “No?”
Steve leans forward, lips quirking up in a smirk as he fully gives up trying to hold himself back. “I find myself liking the swamp.” They’re really not talking about the car.
Eddie grins and returns his focus to making sure Steve’s car is properly attached to the tow truck. “Is that so? Not many people would agree with you there, princess.”
Steve has no idea why he hasn’t protested the pet name. Some part of him likes it, far more than it should. The part of him that knows how to flirt and be suave and charming – the part of him that has successfully picked up a number of women in his life – demands that he repay the favor, just out of pride. If Eddie can get under Steve’s skin so damn fast, Steve should be able to tease Eddie right back.
“Well, they’re all wrong,” Steve declares, pretending to look into the woods like there’s something interesting out there. There’s nothing more interesting than the man before him. “The swamp is more beautiful and sweet than I thought.”
He can feel Eddie’s startled gaze and bites back a grin. “Beautiful, huh?” Eddie clears his throat. “Most people are intimidated at first sight.”
Steve has no idea why anyone would be intimidated by Eddie. He’s gorgeous and funny and sweet. And also attractive and sexy and strong enough to manhandle Steve into all sorts of pleasurable positions…
Steve shakes his head to make himself focus. “Sort of like finding a beehive.”
Eddie’s brow furrows in confusion.
Steve smiles. “Beehives can be scary because people are afraid of bees. But if you’re gentle, bees are sweet.”
Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up again. “Bees are sweet?”
“Just like the honey they make,” Steve agrees with a nod. “I’ve always liked bees.”
“You are one strange person, princess,” Eddie declares.
“Tell me something I don’t know, honey,” Steve replies.
A bright flush creeps overs Eddie’s cheeks and Steve has the urge to kiss the man. Unfortunately, the towing cable is between them. Or maybe that’s a good thing. Steve should not be flirting with his mechanic. His mother would be losing her mind at the impropriety. Whatever. She’s not here.
“So, you’re a business guy of some variety?” Eddie asks, when they get back into the cab of the truck.
Steve can’t help it; he starts laughing. “So are you!”
“I’m just a mechanic,” Eddie argues.
Steve shakes his head. “You run a garage with your uncle. Your business is being a mechanic. Do you help your uncle manage things, like bills and insurance and taxes and payroll and stuff?”
Eddie purses his lips. “Yeah. Some of it.”
“Then you’re a ‘business guy’, too.”
Eddie chews on that for a minute. “Yeah, but I’m sure your business is way fancier. I mean, you’re wearing a suit.”
“It’s my father’s business,” Steve corrects, “and it’s selling furniture. He’s the one demanding everyone wear suits. Honey, I would rather be in jeans and a t-shirt. Or coveralls and a tank top.”
Eddie shoots Steve a heated look, like he’s imagining Steve in those clothes and liking the image all too much. “Selling furniture, huh?”
“Yeah, now that I’ve moved up from ‘wood polisher’ and ‘cashier’,” Steve mutters.
Eddie startles. “Your father made you start at his own company polishing wood?”
Steve shrugs. “He wanted me to work for everything I’ve got.”
“Except for that fancy, princess education.”
Steve laughs, rolling his eyes. “Except for that.”
“So, I’m going to assume that a handsome guy like you is good at selling furniture,” Eddie says.
Steve shrugs. “Pretty good. My father says if I start to outsell everyone else, he’ll start teaching me management things, like taxes and payroll. I already manage the security cameras because he can’t be bothered to learn new technology.”
“Do you like it?”
Steve has no idea why he feels compelled to be honest. Maybe because Eddie is so openly honest about himself. Steve’s already heard all about how much Eddie adores working with cars and fixing things up and is willing to stay at his uncle’s garage as long as they can keep their doors open. Steve clears his throat and looks out the window. “Not so much.”
Eddie is silent for a long minute. His voice comes out soft when he finally asks, “why not?”
Steve sighs and pushes his hair off his sweaty forehead. “It’s my father’s business. I can sell things, sure, but it’s… it’s been the thing I’ve been told I’m going to do my entire life. I do like doing all the security camera stuff, though. Maybe I’ll like doing management stuff better. It’s just… I don’t care about furniture. Or hiking up prices because we don’t want that customer coming back, or trying to convince people to care about wood grains, or bothering people about all the add-ons we can do to jack up the price. It feels gross to be taking advantage of people like that, but my father demands it. If I ever want to get out from under his thumb, I have to get so good that I’ll eventually take over and then won’t have to deal with him anymore.”
The words fall out of him in a rush. Heat flames his entire face in sheer humiliation. He just met Eddie and now he’s whining about his cushy job to a guy who works just outside the trailer park. He’s so privileged it isn’t even funny.
“Fuck,” he mumbles. “I’m so sorry. I know this isn’t your problem and I shouldn’t be complaining. I’m just a guy who’s going to pay you to fix his car. I’m sorry. Just… ignore me.”
Eddie huffs out a soft laugh. “Ignoring you is entirely impossible, princess.”
Steve swallows tightly, clenching his hand on the door handle to keep from throwing himself at Eddie like the pathetic disaster he absolutely is. He feels so juvenile and yet he can’t seem to help himself – Eddie is magnetic and Steve is helpless to his charms.
“Anyway, if you hate the job, you should quit,” Eddie shrugs, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“I can’t do that,” Steve replies, automatically.
“Why not?”
Steve falls quiet, trying to come up with literally any argument that makes sense.
Eddie shoots him an amused smirk. “You’re an educated, attractive man who apparently is really good at learning new things. You could get a job anywhere. And then you’re not under your father’s thumb.”
Steve hesitates and looks out the window. “I… can’t,” he says, but he’s not convincing anyone.
“Anyway, you can teach me how to do that management stuff,” Eddie decides, “because I can handle the bills, but taxes are so fucking complicated.”
Steve manages to chuckle. “They’re designed to be complicated. Once you know the system and forms and stuff, it’s not that bad.”
Eddie shoots Steve an impressed look. “Say that to Uncle Wayne during tax season. It’s the only time you’ll ever hear him swear.”
Steve laughs, and he feels a little less stupid about complaining.
“All right, back to the swamp,” Eddie says, pulling into the lot outside the garage.
“Best place to be,” Steve replies, admiring the way a tiny flush emerges on Eddie’s cheeks. He’s so cute. Steve’s been so obsessed with how strong and gorgeous and sexy the man is that he somehow missed how fucking adorable he is.
“Princess, you’ve got to stop inflating my ego,” Eddie tells him.
“Honey, that is not going to happen,” Steve replies.
It takes a couple minutes, but Eddie eventually gets Steve’s car positioned inside the garage, and then parks the tow truck back in its spot beside the grungy van. A quick glance at said van is enough for Steve to just know that it’s Eddie’s. It looks well-loved, but also extremely well-cared-for. Eddie takes great pride in his work, and having a shitty van would not be good business for being a mechanic. Steve follows Eddie back into the garage, wondering how much space is in the back of the van. Is there enough that Eddie could pin Steve down and—
“Well, I’ll get started working on your baby,” Eddie declares, “you can wait in the front office if you like.”
“What if I’d like to watch a master at his craft?” Steve asks, the words falling from his lips before he can regulate himself.
Eddie leans hard against Steve’s BMW. “Jesus, princess. Warn a guy before you sweep him off his feet.”
Steve chuckles. “Honey, if I was going to sweep you off your feet, you’d know.”
Eddie grins. “Good to know.”
Steve does not want to move. He wants to stay right here and keep flirting with Eddie. However, if he doesn’t call his roommate, she’s liable to murder him whenever he gets home. She’s probably already freaking that he’s not home yet. Besides, he can’t just keep distracting Eddie, or his car will never get fixed.
“Uhm… so I’d like to sit out here, unless I’ll be bothering you,” Steve says slowly.
“Distracting me with your gorgeous ass? Absolutely. Bothering me? Never,” Eddie replies immediately.
Steve laughs. “But, I was wondering if I could borrow your phone. I’ve got to call my roommate before she loses it that I’m not home yet.”
Eddie nods at the front office, smile faltering a bit. “There’s a phone out front. Don’t keep her waiting.”
Steve realizes why Eddie’s face has fallen and almost laughs. If Robin weren’t gay as hell, Eddie might have to be concerned, but as it is, she’s merely Steve’s best friend. “She’s useless without me around. Lesbians, you know?”
Eddie’s smile brightens again. “How many lesbians do you know?”
“Enough to know that they’re better at most manual labor than me, but also need me to handle spiders and bugs.” Steve shrugs. “She’s my best friend for a reason.”
“Better go call before she sends out a search party,” Eddie teases.
Steve goes to the front office and grabs the phone, dialing his apartment’s phone number with comfortable familiarity. Behind him, Eddie turns the music back up, voice echoing around the garage as he sings along.
“Hello?” The phone clicks on the first ring.
“Hey, Rob.”
Steve listens to his best friend breathe out a sigh of relief. “You’re usually home by now, dingus.”
“I had car issues.”
Robin heaves a sigh over the line. “Well? What happened?”
Steve shrugs, and then, realizing she can’t see him, makes a noncommittal grunt. “Died in the middle of the road. I barely got it to coast to the side. I’m at a car shop and he’s fixing it now.”
Robin knows as much about cars as Steve does. “How long is that gonna take?”
“Eddie says a few hours.”
“Geez. That sucks.”
Steve hums noncommittally again.
Robin hesitates. Steve knows she just narrowed her eyes at the phone. “That does suck, right, Steve?”
“Sure.” Steve clears his throat, because he’s never been good at lying, and he’s even worse at lying to his best friend.
Robin can read his silences all too well. “Oh my god, are you flirting with the mechanic?!”
Steve grins to himself as Eddie somehow manages to hit a note that should not be in his range. He’s so good at singing, it’s insane. “Let’s just say… I probably won’t be home tonight.”
“You whore!” Robin sounds thrilled. “You’re going to sleep with a guy on the first date?!”
“It’s not a date!”
“That’s even worse. You’ve met the man and are willing to go all the way.”
“What are you? Twelve?”
Steve can hear Robin roll her eyes. “Excuse me for trying not to be crude. You’re going to fuck a veritable stranger?”
Steve looks over his shoulder out the door to the garage. Eddie is bent over Steve’s car, digging around the engine. Steve’s gaze snags on Eddie’s ass. “Yep.”
“Ew. Whore.”
Steve laughs. “Anyway, I may or may not see you tonight. I just wanted to let you know I’m safe and everything is fine.”
“Thanks.” Robin chuckles. “Have a good time.”
“I will.”
“Ew.” Robin hangs up.
Steve grins and puts the receiver down. He turns around, leaning against the counter to watch Eddie work for a minute. Eddie’s voice rings out, light and happy. When he emerges from Steve’s car, his expression is oddly focused, like a man on a mission. Part of Steve doesn’t want to move from this spot, just watching Eddie in his element, singing and working on a car and just being devastatingly attractive. The other part of Steve wants to go talk to Eddie, to flirt with him, to see what makes him tick, to see how badly he can throw Eddie off his game. Indecision paralyzes him and he stays right there, leaning on the counter and blatantly ogling Eddie.