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It’s a busy week for them. They were already on tour, but it’s also just been announced that they’ve been nominated for the Grammys for the first time. And not just for one, but for both best rock song and best new artist. This was their second interview of the day. The host has just finished asking them about the chord progressions in their nominated song, ending a series of questions that had Eddie feeling like a serious artist. “So,” Her immaculate raspberry-coloured lips smiled over at them. “Since you’re Grammy-nominated artists now, I think we all know that’s going to open you up to a lot more people. Any celebrity crushes you’re hoping to meet?”
The guys all shot-pointed looks at Eddie, Jeff being the first to say “Eddie has a huge crush on this one NHL goalie.”
Eddie felt his face slide into a pleased grin as he nodded. “Steve Harrington. Toronto Maple Leafs.”
The interviewer's eyebrow crooked. “Oh yeah? You a big hockey fan?”
His mouth opened but Gareth beat him to it “No, you don’t understand. He had never watched a full game before this in his whole life. The only things he knows about hockey is what has to do with Steve.”
“Eddie, what’s a breakaway?” Jeff asks
Eddie shrugged. “No clue, dude.” Genuinely having no idea what that meant.
“How many shutouts did Steve have last season?”
With no hesitation, “Five.”
Grant snorted “I walked in on him having a bubble bath and watching a YouTube compilation of funny Leafs moments.”
Eddie cackled, flashing back to many of Steve’s bitchy one-liners in the compilations he’d watched. “Alright, alright. You didn’t have to tell them about the bubble baths. But yes, I’m obsessed with this man. He’s also one of the first NHL players to ever come out, which is really cool. His butterfly is insane, even his helmet hair is gorgeous, and he seems very kind and does a bunch of charity and shit. Who could blame me?”
His bandmates nodded. “We really can’t. This guy is beautiful,” said Jeff.
The host recovered from her laugh at the honest confessions. “Eddie if Steve sees this, is there anything you’d want to say to him?”
Eddie looked directly into the camera. “Steve, our children could be dual citizens. If it matters to you, I will try to figure out what a breakaway is.”
The thing about doing all of these interviews is that you forget about most of them. By the time he fell asleep that night, highlights of that night's game on, the questions they’d been asked that day had fully left his mind. He talked about Steve so often with his band that the moments all blurred together.
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The door to the changeroom blew open, Dustin’s wide eyes immediately targeted him “Steve!”
Steve rolled his eyes, undoing one of the straps on his goalie pads. “We’ve discussed this, Dustin. Barging in on dudes changing is rude. You can wait until we come out.”
Dustin groaned as he stormed over. “Sorry fellow dudes but this is urgent.”
Mitch Marner could be heard from the other time with a nonchalant “It’s okay, Dustin!”
Steve rolls his eyes even more dramatically. “Don’t encourage him.” He called over. He returned his gaze to the shorter man. “So? What’s so important?
“You will thank me for this later. You are required to make me your best man for this.”
“Robin is best man.”
Dustin groaned with even more intensity. “I’ll deserve the position once you hear this, but I will accept officiant.” Steve didn’t let on that this was already his plan. “Eddie Munson has a crush on you.”
Steve squinted. “Who is that?”
Dustin gave him his patented ‘really?’ look. “Lead singer of my favourite band.” Nothing. Dustin sighed. “I showed you a video where he was performing shirtless last month. You called him, and I quote, a ‘downright hottie Lamottie with a swimmers body of a man.’”
Steve gave a drawn-out “ah” in acknowledgment. That was a beautiful man. And if he remembered right, while it wasn’t his usual thing he’d quite liked their sound. “His voice was amazing.”
“Yeah. And he’s super into you. Honestly, if it was anyone else it would be like, a delusional crazy level of obsession. But this is Eddie Munson.”
Steve squinted. “Is he even nice? What if he’s an asshole rockstar type?”
Dustin put on his ‘Steve, I’m an expert. This is what’s best’ voice which was a tone he took on often. “His band has done charity Dungeons and Dragons livestreams and shit. Dungeons and dragons, Steve! For charity! The first big thing he did when they made it was buy the uncle who raised him a house. And later I’m going to show you a Buzzfeed puppy interview they did where Eddie cries because they were about to go on tour so it wasn’t a responsible time to adopt a puppy. You have the chance to make Eddie Munson my brother-in-law. You can’t ruin that for me.”
Once Dustin showed him the clips as he took off the rest of his pads, he decided that he was going to take the task very seriously. Which is why, in his post-game interview after he gave a few comments on their 2-1 win, he interrupted “Something else I just want to say.” He paused. “Grammy nominated artist Eddie Munson, a breakaway is when there are no defenders between a player with a puck and the goalie he’s skating towards. It does make sense that you don’t know what they are because my team is amazing so I don’t have to deal with them often. I also think it’s pretty cool that our children could be dual citizens. Check your dms later.” His attention returned to the group of people in front of him. “Thank you, have a good night.”
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Eddie’s eyes drooped as he watched Steve’s final save of the game. But no, there was no way he was drifting off until he got to see Steve’s post-game interview. It started off pretty standard, mostly about one of his more impressive saves of the night. But then, Steve shifted. His cool confidence was still there but it was also…something else in his eyes. Eddie didn’t know him enough to know exactly what it was, but it felt enticing.
The second he started speaking again, Eddie shot back to full consciousness. The explanation of a breakaway slipped right passed him, though he’d be sure to check it later. He very understandably was focused on the part that Steve was hitting on him. Hitting on him back, actually. Everything he’d said in those two minutes, ten hours ago flooded back. He immediately switched over to insta, for which he’d turned off notifications ages ago. And yup. Sure enough, he found out two things very quickly. One, Steve Harrington had followed him 45 minutes ago, which would have been almost immediately after he’d left the arena. And two, Steve had, in fact, dmed him.
‘Learn a little about hockey for me, and I’ll learn about DnD and metal for you. My younger brother told me that your tour schedule has you in Toronto next week. My game schedule has me here, too. If you’ll let me, I’d love to take you somewhere nice and get to know you. Are you free the afternoon before we both work?’
His heart had surely stopped beating. He was dead. This was heaven. Or perhaps it was a more romantic version of his usual Steve-oriented dreams. He pinched himself. Okay. It hurt. This is real. His now thudded in his ears. “Holy shit” he whispered to himself.
He had been devastated when he had learned their show was on the same night as Steve’s game. He had been hoping to see the man play in person. But this? This was way better. His fingers shook as he typed back his reply.
‘Technically I’m supposed to do some interviews in the afternoon with my band, but I think people will understand.’
There was no way he’d be able to get a wink of sleep that night.