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Steve was used to Dustin and Max, mostly them but the other kids came by pretty frequently too, coming into the Family Video in a flurry of energy and excitement, but today felt… Different.
An uneasy pit settled into his stomach.
They were speaking swiftly to each other, however, it seemed for subdued, low, hushed whispers, rather than eager, excited chattering.
He had a feeling he knew what this was about.
_______
As Robin turned on the TV to put in the VHS, the last channel it was on, the news, crackled to life, showing a newscaster standing in front of police tape, positioned around the yard to a trailer.
Steve knew that trailer.
He could feel his stomach turning as he tried to subdue a choked sob.
Eddie had come to him that very night, telling him what had happened, so Steve knew, Steve knew, that Eddie would never do something like that.
“Steve,” Eddie had managed, breathless, sweat sticking his hair to his forehead, his eyes wide with panic, standing on Steve’s doorstep, in the cold, spring night.
_______
“Did you see what was on the news?” Robin asked, disturbing Steve from his reverie, as Dustin and Max hurried up to the counter.
“That’s exactly what we’re here about.” Dustin replied, hopping the counter, barely giving Steve enough time to brush a stack of VHS tapes out of his way.
“We need to find Eddie,” Max supplied, giving Steve a look.
Max knew about Steve’s little secret, she’d seen his car parked in front of Eddie’s trailer enough times to figure out there was something else going on there, so Steve had told her and begged her to keep it a secret.
And Max, the good little sister she was, had only mildly extorted him for free lunches for a week, plus two weeks of driving her wherever she wanted, no questions asked.
Now, let it be known that Steve wasn’t ashamed of dating Eddie, he was friends with Robin for Christ’s sake, he helped Will when he was having a crisis over liking Mike, it was not shame.
It was just that… They had always been a secret, ever since highschool.
_______
Steve had found an abandoned picnic table in the woods just behind Hawkins High a while back, and he always went there whenever he just needed space.
Freedom.
And now, more than ever, he needed space.
Nancy broke up with him, and fuck if it didn’t feel like the world was ending.
He
knew
that he was a shitty person, he didn’t need anyone else to tell him that he was the world’s biggest douchebag but he just thought…
He always thought that Nancy had seen beyond that. Had seen that he was so much different than he pretended to be, but whatever. He deserved the breakup anyways.
Didn’t change the fact that he was still sitting here on the stupid, old picnic table, sobbing his eyes out.
Leaves crunched behind him, indicating someone else approaching, and after everything he’d been through, he couldn’t help but tense, in fear and anticipation.
There was a low whistle from behind him, confirming that it was indeed a person behind him, so he tried to force his sobs into sniffles, wiping at his cheeks.
“Kinda too late to hide the fact that you were totally bawling, your majesty,” A low voice said, directly next to his ear.
Steve jumped and whipped around, to see Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson, with a lazy smile twisting across his lips, curls falling over his shoulders, as he leaned towards Steve.
His expression was guarded, almost as if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of this.
“Oh gosh, what gave it away?” Steve deadpanned, forcing a shocked expression, feeling his tears already starting to dry against his face.
That seemed to rip a laugh from Eddie’s throat, which stopped as soon as it started, and he seemed just as shocked as Steve was about the whole thing.
Steve looked at the stunned expression on Eddie’s face as he clapped a hand over his mouth and he just couldn’t help it.
A laugh started bubbling up in his chest, causing him to snort in amusement, before he just couldn’t stop himself and was doubled over, cackling, clutching at his stomach, fresh tears in his eyes, this time from how hard he was laughing, rather than crushing sadness.
As he turned to the side, he could see Eddie laugh too, more in disbelief, rather than any sort of joy or delight.
As Steve’s laughter slowed, he watched Eddie hop up onto the table, to sit next to Steve, looking at him out of the corner of his eye.
“So, what exactly does your royal highness have to cry about?” Eddie asked, with some measure of exasperation in his tone, like he couldn’t believe he was doing this.
“Well, my girlfriend broke up with me, and I know that I’m a shitty person,” Steve began, before Eddie cut him off.
“At least you’re self aware, Harrington.” He teased, and Steve couldn’t help but smile, reaching out to punch Eddie’s shoulder.
“Shut up, Munson.”
_______
In the present, Dustin was desperately explaining why they needed to find Eddie, right this very minute.
“You don’t think he did it?” Steve asked, and however he said it must’ve come off as hostile or enraged because all of a sudden Dustin looked angry.
“And what, you do, Steve?” Dustin snapped, as Max and Robin both looked around to make sure no one could hear them. “Highschool reputations aren’t everything!”
Y’know what, fine.
Steve could let the little brat get away with that one, but only because this was such a high stress situation.
“Okay, listen. Head outside, you kids mill around at the arcade in the strip, and come here after the end of my shift.” Steve commanded, in that ‘mom’ voice of his, that brokered no room for argument.
“But-!” Dustin began and Steve fixed him with a glare.
“Dustin. Trust me on this.” Steve pleaded, letting his tone drop into something softer, more gentle and reassuring.
Max was the first to comply, grabbing Dustin by the arm, despite his protests, and hauled him out of the store.
+++
The kids were waiting beside the car when Steve and Robin walked out of the Family Video, Max looking thoughtful as she watched Steve, while Dustin was bouncing on his toes.
Steve unlocked the doors, allowing everyone to pile in, and quickly went around to check all the seatbelts, making sure they were secure, before he got in the driver’s seat, put on his own seatbelt, and began to drive.
They had only made it a few minutes from the store when Dustin’s barrage of questions began.
“Do you have some super secret tracking technology at your house that you’ve been keeping from us?”
“We’re not going to the house. We’re going to the lake house.” Steve corrected, fingers drumming against the wheel in an absent tune that didn’t match what was pouring out of the radio.
“You didn’t deny the secret tracking technology, though,” Dustin countered, with a smug smile. “So, is it at the lake house?”
“There is no secret tracking tech, Henderson,” Steve sighed.
“Then why are we going to the lake house and not staying at Family Video where we had all the computers?” Robin asked, seemingly stealing the words right from Dustin’s mouth.
Steve glanced over at her, with an unreadable expression.
“Just… Trust me on this, okay Rob?”
Robin pursed her lips, to hide a frown, but nodded, tucking her hands under her thighs and staying silent for the rest of the drive.
Dustin seemed to catch the memo and, miraculously, fell silent too, leaving Steve alone with his own thoughts.
_______
Eddie was sitting on the couch at Steve’s house, a glass of water clutched between his hands, rings clacking against it as he tapped his fingers against the smooth surface, just for something to do.
“You believe me, right, Steve?” Eddie asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course I do, Eddie,” Steve answered, moving to sit on the couch next to him, placing a hand against Eddie’s back. “Just… Tell me what happened.”
“Chrissy, Chrissy Cunningham, she wanted to buy some shit off me, the strong shit,” Eddie explained, sitting his glass down and reaching over to take Steve’s hand, to ground himself. “So, I brought her over to the trailer, because I don’t just carry that shit around. An-And I went to my room to find it, and when I came back out,” He pressed his eyes shut, as if trying to block out the pain of the memory. “She was in a trance, just standing there, eyes rolled back in her head. I couldn’t wake her no matter how hard I tried. And then the lights started flickering,”
Steve felt his stomach drop, as all the muscles in his body tensed, but he kept quiet, urging Eddie to go on, with a squeeze of his hand.
“Then after the lights, she just started floating, and I fell back screaming, because Jesus, she was floating, and that’s when…” He trailed off, clearly unable to say whatever happened to her, but Steve was sure it was gruesome enough to send Eddie running. “That’s when I came here. But that sounds insane.”
Steve took a deep breath.
He knew what this was.
Knew what this had to be.
He hadn’t told Eddie about it, any of it, because part of him thought that maybe, if Eddie didn’t know, he’d be safe.
What a load of a bullshit.
“Eddie,” Steve said, trying to keep the shakiness out of his voice. “First of all, we need to move you somewhere more deserted, there’s too many people in Hawkins proper.” Then, another deep breath, before he opened his eyes, making direct eye contact with Eddie as he said, “Second, do you remember that mall fire last year? And all the weird, hard to explain incidents the years prior?”
_______
They pulled up outside the lake house, as Steve put the car in park.
He led everyone inside and made them stop in the entryway.
“Wait here,” He said, glaring at Dustin and Robin specifically.
With that, he quickly made his way up the stairs, pushing open the door to the room that had been designated ‘his’ room at the lake house.
Just as he had suspected, Eddie was sprawled across the bed, in a pair of sweatpants he had borrowed from Steve.
As Steve walked in, he accidentally stepped on one of the creaky floorboards, causing Eddie to jolt up.
“Relax, relax,” Steve said, softly, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.
Eddie calmed down immediately, after seeing it was just Steve, even holding his arms up, asking Steve for a hug.
Steve was incapable of denying Eddie anything, so of course, he crawled onto the bed, curling his arms around Eddie, and allowing himself to be tugged into Eddie’s lap, as Eddie tucked his face into the crook of Steve’s neck.
Steve let himself have this, just this moment, his legs splayed out behind Eddie on the bed, his arms around Eddie’s neck, fingers tangling in Eddie’s hair, as Eddie held him close, like he was something precious.
He liked feeling like he was something precious, especially to Eddie.
But he could almost feel Robin getting impatient downstairs, so he leaned back, to look Eddie in the eyes.
And those big, brown doe-eyes made him want to stay upstairs in this little bubble forever, but he shook that feeling off.
“You remember those friends I fought all those monsters with, sweetheart?” Steve murmured, tilting his forehead forward, to rest against Eddie’s.
“Mhmm,” Eddie hummed, reaching up, to rub one hand against the back of Steve’s neck, the cold metal of his rings a stark contrast to the warmth of his hand.
“Well,” And Steve couldn’t help but let out a breathless little chuckle, nuzzling his nose against Eddie’s as he was overcome with a bout of such overwhelming affection. “Some of ‘em are waiting for us downstairs. Robin, Dustin, and Max.”
“Ah, I see,” Eddie mused, leaning up pressing a soft peck against Steve’s lips. “And you decided this would be the best way to get me downstairs? Making me wanna stay up here forever?”
Steve giggled, honest-to-god giggled, hiding his face in Eddie’s shoulder, relishing in the softness of Eddie’s hair against his cheeks.
“We’ve gotta go down, they’re expecting us.” He managed, although a bit muffled. “And you should put a shirt on.”
Eddie laughed, twisting his head to press a kiss against Steve’s cheek.
“Wanna keep me all to yourself, Harrington?”
Steve kissed the spot where Eddie’s shoulder met his neck.
“You know it, Munson.”
+++
Steve finally made it back downstairs, pleased to see everyone standing right where he left them, even if they did look incredibly aggravated.
Max raised an eyebrow when she saw that Steve was by himself.
“Where’s dad?” She asked.
“On his way down,” Steve replied, ushering everyone into the dining room and busying himself in the kitchen.
Robin and Dustin both seemed to look at Max strangely, while she fiddled with the napkin on the table in front of her.
While they were distracted, and while the wall between the kitchen and the dining room mostly obscured their view, Eddie snuck downstairs, looping his arms around Steve's waist, with a murmur of,
"Boo," Directly next to Steve's ear.
Steve jumped and suppressed a soft laugh, pressing one of his own hands over where Eddie's were clasped in front of his stomach.
Eddie hooked his chin over Steve's shoulder, shifting his head so he could press his lips against Steve's neck.
It appeared Max noticed them as she hopped up from her chair and dashed into the kitchen, shoving her arm between Eddie and Steve, so she could hug Eddie.
"Dad!" She exclaimed.
Eddie adjusted his grip on Steve so that he could hug both Steve and Max.
"Hey, you little gremlin," Eddie laughed. "You've been being good for your Mom?"
"Of course she hasn't," Steve interjected.
"I torment him daily," Max said, with faux seriousness.
Eddie threw his head back cackling, before reaching out to ruffle Max's hair.
"That's my girl!"
Steve shook his head fondly, noticing Robin and Dustin stepping into the doorway.
"I swear between the two of you, I'm going to go gray, prematurely." He sighed. Then, turning his attention to Dustin, he said, "Well, you found Eddie. Happy now, Henderson?"
"Wait, wait, wait," It was Robin, waving her hands in the air, as Dustin seemed to be rendered speechless. "You're telling me Eddie fucking Munson has been here this whole time?! And you knew?!"
"Of course I knew? I've been harboring a criminal, Robin, how would I not know?" Steve scoffed.
"Thank you, baby," Eddie murmured, leaning forward again and pressing another kiss against Steve's neck, earning an "EW!" from Max, as she slid out from between them.
That seemed to break Dustin out of his speechless stupor, as he managed to screech,
"YOU'RE DATING EDDIE MUNSON?!"
"Oh, no, he kissed him on the neck because he hates him, Henderson." Max rolled her eyes.
"We've been dating since…" Eddie hummed thoughtfully, taking advantage of the newfound space after Max slid out from between them, to plaster himself against Steve's back again. "Let's see... When did Nancy break up with you?"
Steve rolled his eyes at Eddie.
"Not exactly that long." He sighed. "It was a few months after."
The others fell silent for a few long moments, before Max finally spoke up.
"Well, I'm hungry, mom, hurry up with the sandwiches, so that you and dad can explain what the hell's going on."
Eddie said, with faux seriousness, "Language, Maxine!", at the same time Steve rolled his eyes and said, "Sure thing, Max."