Work Text:
Steve clocked into the family video two hours late Thursday morning. The only reason he was here at all is that Robin called his house phone eight times, panicking because she had to get a ride from Nancy to work.
“Steve?!” Robins' still worried voice called from the front counter as he walked onto the main sales floor. “Steve, what happened? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sorry,” he sighed as he got behind the desk. “ I was up late at Hendersons, he's been teaching me that dumb game they all play.” Steve didn't tell her that in reality, Dustin couldn't get more than three words of his carefully planned explanation out to him before he burst into sobs. Steve had only stayed up so late because Dustin couldn't sleep, and kept having nightmares when he did, so the self-proclaimed babysitter stayed with him to calm him down and hold him when he cried. And they both cried a lot.
Steve hadn't been particularly close to Eddie, but he had started to like him. I mean, you don't go through literal hell together and not get to know your quirky, d&d playing, metal head companion. And when he found his way back to the normal world with everyone else and found Dustin missing- he honestly thought they were both dead. In Steve's opinion, going back, finding Dustin holding Eddies cold and stiff body, having to pull him away from that- to him that was almost worse.
“ You're gonna end up killing yourself staying up that late all the time Steve. You guys gotta start going to bed earlier before the summer ends.” Robin was looking at him with a pitiful look, one that said she knew, he didn't have to tell her a thing. He never did, that's why they clicked.
“Yeah, I know,” he gave her a small smile. “Next thing you know I'm gonna start telling him to eat his veggies.” that made her giggle as she pushed a cart of video tapes at him.
“Go stock the shelves you doofus” she smiled “Andy wants a “Friday night frights” pop-up stand by the way.”
“Oh yay. I'm doing that too then?”
“You're doing that first since you made me late this morning.” Robin smiled at him, and it was back to their normal back and forth.
Steve smiled to himself and went off to the backroom, thankful that robin gave him the quiet task for the day. Sorting videos was pretty boring but at least he wasn't gonna have to deal with people, he didn't think that he could handle it today.
As he sorted and piled videos onto the cart next to him, Steve couldn't help thinking of the events from the past few months. He was just finally getting over the horrors that had happened at Starcourt mall. Had only recently been able to sleep at night without the image of everyone he loved being killed the same way Hargrove was- and then it started all over again. It always did, he was starting to wonder if he was cursed, somehow they always ended up like this. Everything was finally getting back to normal and suddenly a portal opened up, someone got killed, someone went missing.
He was tired. So tired of everything that could go wrong going wrong. He just wanted a simple life. He wanted a few kids, a nice but not huge house, and a good reliable car. He wanted to be neighbors with Robin and whoever she ended up falling in love with, and he hoped they would be happy. He wanted reunions and barbecues and good music, and he wanted someone to spend his days with.
If Steve were perfectly honest with himself he'd say he wanted Eddie Munson to spend his days with. But that was like robin admitting she had a crush on Nancy Wheeler.
Wasn't possible now anyways.
After Steve got the cardboard stand set up and all the horror movies organized into it, he and Robin set to rewinding and restocking everything that had been returned the night before, which was boring, but Robin was good at entertaining them both, and they were nearly done organizing everything onto the counter when the door chime rang out.
“Steve!” None other than Dustin Henderson came running into the video store, jumping over the counter just like he did before this mess and scattering the tapes all over the ground.
“No no no-” Steve sighed, too tired to be that upset. “Dustin, dude.” he turned to look at him as Robin groaned and started picking up the tapes.
“I know, I'm sorry but- something happened, and I need you guys to come look as soon as you can-”
The lights flickered.
Steve was fully aware that Dustin was still talking, that it was urgent, he could feel robin next to him putting the tapes back on the counter. But he wasn't listening. Everything in steves’ head told him to run, to fight, to grab Dustin and robin and get the hell out of there because Vecna was coming and they were all going to finally die this time and-
“Steve!” Robin shook him, knocking him out of his daze. He looked around, the store was fine, robin was fine, and there was no hell portal, Dustin looked scared but he was safe.
“Shit- sorry-” Steve reached out and slowly grabbed Dustin by the shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “Sorry.” he couldn't help those weird mini panic attacks anymore, they got worse every time they traveled into the upside down.his memory loss was starting to creep up on him, he rarely ever slept- What was he doing again?
They sat Steve down behind the desk, Robin got him water, Dustin sat down with him, and eventually he had calmed down enough that he wasn't shaking anymore. He didn't want this to be his life, panic attacks over flickering lights, the kid he swore to protect having to care for him instead- even after Steve failed to protect the ones Dustin cared about.
He felt like a failure. He had barely graduated high school, he didn't get into college, he had no money, absent parents, and traumatized, dead, or child friends. I mean here he was, having a full-on meltdown at work because of some lights flickering? He felt stupid. So stupid.
He needed a distraction.
“Dustin?” his damn near brother looked at him, ready to help. “What were you saying before I- ya know.” Dustin blinked at him, recognition eventually dawning on his face.
“Oh! Uh-” his face turned apprehensive and a bit worried. “I- I found another portal.” His voice was soft, he knew the possibilities, the danger, and the irony as he looked at Robin, they both most definitely were concerned about setting Steve off again.
“Shit.”