Chapter Text
"What's with the…" Steve asks, hand vaguely waving in the direction of the handkerchief always on the brink of falling from Eddie's back pocket.
Eddie doesn’t hear him, animatedly talking to Dustin about what Steve assumes is their new campaign for Hellfire, something decidedly less focused on horror and evil than their previous goes around, apparently. Steve understands about every tenth word, not that it matters much, given that all the begging in the world from Dustin and the other brats could not convince him to play and Eddie, well… it’s not like Eddie would ever ask Steve of all people, anyway.
It’s been three weeks since Eddie was discharged from hospital, and things, for the most part, are slowly coming back to normal - whatever normal is for them now. Vecna has been gone for three months now, and while for the moment, everything appears to be settled, Steve still feels like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to creep up on them when he’s least expecting it. It’s why he’s here now, loitering on the high school parking lot and picking Robin up from band practice just to quell his lingering paranoia by seeing for himself that they’re all still fine, still in one piece. While the kids are a constant whirlwind in his life, regularly showing up at his house or Family Video, and Robin is never far away either, Steve hasn’t seen quite as much of Eddie since he’s gotten out of the clinic. They’ve hung out as a group a few times now, but never just the two of them anymore, and there’s something that makes Steve want to linger around whenever the rest of them leave. He can’t put a name to it, nor has he acted on the thought - but there’s something about Eddie Munson that Steve can’t seem to shake.
Robin, standing next to him, jabs him with her elbow until he finally tears his gaze away from Eddie and his strange fashion choices. Not that Steve was staring, although Robin’s single, unimpressed eyebrow tells a different story.
"Why are you asking me?" She says, which tells Steve precisely nothing other than that Robin knows something and is most likely unwilling to share with the rest of the class. Brilliant.
"Like, is it a fashion statement, or?" Steve continues, undeterred. It’s not like he’s ever been one to back down. He manages about two more seconds of looking at Robin before his eyes find their way back to Eddie - and Dustin by extension - the two of them still entirely engrossed in their dorky conversation. There is something gentle about Eddie’s expression as he watches Dustin ramble on, and Steve’s stomach does a strange little flip that he resolutely refuses to analyse further.
"Again, not the one you should be asking." Robin sighs, but she’s following Steve's gaze even so.
For the record, Steve isn’t staring. He’s observing and maybe, his eyes just happen to linger on Eddie’s smile for a moment longer than strictly called for. Although, really, who can blame him? It’s a nice smile, especially now, patient and amused, and it’s good to see any of them smiling, really, after the shitshow they’ve been through. It’s nicer still to see Eddie smile, who almost hadn’t made it out of this nightmare…
Steve’s eyes flit from Eddie's face to his slender, ringed fingers and tattooed forearms, which are waving around while Eddie’s mouth runs about a mile a minute. If Steve’s gaze lingers there especially, well, that’s no one’s business but his own.
Steve knows Eddie is attractive, he isn’t blind or stupid, and he’s caught more than his fair share of glimpses. It’s the wild hair, the bright, brown eyes and the strong jaw, the clear definition of muscle underneath all the layers of questionable fashion choices…
"You know something though." Steve presses and at that, Robin throws her hands up with an exasperated groan.
The noise catches the others attention, more importantly, Eddie's attention - who looks right back at Steve, rather than Robin, who’s currently dragging her hands down her face like she can’t believe what her life’s become. There is no pretending Steve wasn’t looking, not at this point anyway, if the smile slowly spreading on Eddie’s face is anything to go by.
"What is it, Harrington?" Eddie drawls, cheeky little smirk tilting his lips. Steve almost can’t bear looking at him. "Jealous we're planning a fantastical adventure without his royal highness?"
Steve feels his cheeks warm, though honestly, he has not a single reason to be blushing under Eddie's mirthful gaze. It’s like Eddie is seeing right through him, and while Steve knows there is no way Eddie can figure out what is going on in his head - hell Steve has no idea himself half the time - it still leaves Steve reeling.
Robin bumps his shoulder, harder this time, and gives Steve a look that he can only suspect is meant to be communicating something significant, although he has no clue what exactly that is meant to be. He's been quiet for too long though, that much is clear - so Steve does the only thing he has left at this point : bullshit his way through and hope it's gonna work out in his favour.
"Nah, just discussing your ‘fashion choices’, if you can call it that." Steve comments, aiming for nonchalant or even teasing, full with air quotes. It falls flat, so, so flat, that Steve doesn’t even have to look at Robin next to him to see her wince. He sounds like an awkward, nervous schoolboy getting called out by the prettiest girl in class for staring - and that’s just to his own ears, he doesn’t even want to consider what he sounds like to the others, or to Eddie.
More than that, it’s just stupid, isn’t it, Steve acting this way. Like, sure, Eddie is pretty, Steve can admit that, he has eyes, after all - but for starters, Steve isn’t twelve years old anymore and Eddie isn’t even a girl. Steve’s meant to be suave, charming - hell, Steve is those things with all the girls who he takes on dates only to forget their names and faces right after. He’s all that when it doesn’t matter, when he isn’t interested and… no, that’s not right, either. Steve isn’t interested in Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson . The guy just has a way of getting under Steve’s skin like no one else has in a very long time.
Behind Eddie, Dustin groans like having to even exist in the same space as them is some kind of cruel punishment. There are no bounds to the kid’s drama, clearly, not that Steve can blame him right now. He finds the whole thing painful, too, and he doesn’t even have to see himself blunder.
Eddie, on the other hand, seems wholly unbothered and only shows off his increasingly wide grin. There is a hint of colour high on Eddie’s cheeks that kind of makes Steve want to reach out and ghost his fingertips over the skin there and - hold up, no, absolutely not. These are exactly the kinds of thoughts Steve has been trying to stay away from.
"Please, Harrington.” Eddie says and laughs, and while it’s certainly a whole lot smoother than anything coming out of Steve’s mouth right now, there is an edge to it Steve can’t quite place. “You wish you could pull this off."
As he says it, Eddie flicks at his leather collar, inadvertently drawing Steve's eyes right where pale collarbones and the hints of a tattoo are peaking from below the threadbare band shirt. Steve's eyes linger before he can stop them and honestly, at this point, Steve knows that he is too far out of his depth to somehow save the situation. Not that it stops him from trying.
"Sure, that's it, Munson. Clearly brings all the babes to your door. My bad." Steve quips, crosses his arms over his chest and pretends his comeback isn’t nearly as weak as it sounds. It’s all about confidence. Right?
He chances a glance at Robin, but the expression on her face is of someone watching a train crash in slow motion: horrified but unable to look away.
As Steve turns back, something crosses Eddie's face that Steve can’t even begin to decipher, but it’s gone just as quickly as it came, too fast for Steve to even try and analyse it. The smirk is back before it was even really gone in the first place, and Eddie shakes his head at Steve, already half turning back to Dustin, who seems about a second from losing his patience entirely.
"Seems to work on you well enough." Eddie says, almost like an afterthought, and shoots a wink at Steve over his shoulder before turning all the way back. It feels like a dismissal, almost, as clear of an end to the conversation as Steve is gonna get, but that doesn’t mean it leaves him any less unsteady.
Robin chokes on an aborted laugh somewhere next to him, but Steve can only gape and pretend that his face isn’t currently on fire.
What the hell even was that?
Steve knows that he’s off his game, but still, he is supposed to be the witty one, isn’t he? He’s the one meant to be making people - girls - blush and giggle when he looked their way, not the other way around, and certainly not when it was Eddie fucking Munson. And anyway, Steve isn’t a girl, so whatever charm Eddie apparently has hidden away under all the dorkiness and sarcasm shouldn't even work on him in the first place - which it doesn’t, Steve thinks to himself. He's just been caught off guard, that's all there is to it, clearly.
Steve turns away, and promptly ignores the look Robin sends his way.
~*~
“Oh, I didn’t think we had this!” Robin calls somewhere from the shelves furthest back from the door.
Steve, sitting behind the counter of Family Video with his feet kicked up, doesn’t even raise his head from where it’s slumped over the back of the chair. It’s been a long day, an even longer week, and while he loves Robin dearly, he just doesn’t have the energy today. Whatever she’s found this time is bound to be about as thrilling as the last five obscure movies she’s made him watch on their shifts this week, and his excitement truly knows no bounds…
Steve would be lying if he claimed he had anything better to do, though - work is slow today and there are only so many times he can count the ceiling tiles before entirely losing his mind. Besides, if nothing else, it might offer a reprieve from the thoughts swirling around Steve’s head, constantly circling around one certain metalhead and his stupid, brilliant smiles.
“What’s it this time?” Steve asks when he hears Robin strolling back toward the front, rolling his head to the side to watch as she fumbles with the tape. All Steve can make out from where he’s sitting is a black cover with a blurry polaroid, and the word “LOVE” in bright, red letters.
“It’s… a love story.” Robin answers unhelpfully and Steve narrows his eyes. The hesitation doesn’t bode well for him or the next approximately two hours of his life, but there’s very little chance he’d be able to sway Robin away from whatever she’s set her mind on this time, either. Besides, Steve feels like at this point, they’ve watched all the actually good movies in store - and it can’t be any worse than “The Pirate Movie” Robin put him through yesterday.
“Can you be any less specific?” Steve asks, not really expecting an answer.
“It’s got Kate Jackson in it?” She offers. Steve rolls his eyes.
“Are we watching this because you have a celebrity crush?” Steve asks, finally straightening up to actually look at his friend. She’s up to something, Steve knows her well enough to tell by the tense set of her shoulders alone, he just isn’t sure what.
“Maybe…” Robin answers, far too noncommittal, and Steve narrows his eyes at her. Robin pretends like she doesn’t notice, and pops the tape into the VHS player hooked up to the TV set above the counter.
As it turns out, the movie isn’t even bad. It’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece and Steve probably isn’t paying enough attention to pick up on the nuances - and the glances Robin keeps throwing in his direction aren’t helping.
By the time the credits roll, though, Steve feels … strange. He’s never seen a movie where two guys kissed before, and quite frankly, he wasn’t even aware they allowed that kind of thing on screen. It must be why Robin picked it, too. The movie might not be about lesbians, but Steve guesses this is the next best thing - still her kind of people, after all. It doesn’t explain the way his throat kept closing up, or the stone that seems to have permanently lodged itself in his stomach.
“So… Am I meant to believe that it took him this long to figure out he’s gay?” Steve asks, voice not quite even, so he lays on the incredulous tone all the more. Something about it bothers him, really bothers him, and he just can’t put his finger on what it is. It’s not that he has anything against gay guys, Steve knows that, he’s certain of that. He would be a hypocrite for loving Robin quite as much as he does and then turning around to spit at a guy being the same way.
Robin shrugs. Steve can tell from the corner of his eyes that she’s been watching him, but he can’t bring himself to look at her, not yet. He’s almost afraid of what she might see if he does.
“I mean,” Robin says after another moment passes. “It makes sense if you never realise it’s an option, right?” She leans forward as she says it, Steve can feel her eyes on him. He breaks, turning his gaze in her direction. He doesn’t know what she finds in his face, but her gaze turns softer. “Besides, he could just like both, you know?”
Steve’s thoughts, ready to run wild, stop in their tracks.
Both?
That’s not… that’s not how that works, is it? And how would Robin know, anyway - it’s not like she likes both. It makes no sense, because… well, because if it did, Steve would have to open a whole other can of worms and he just can’t do that, he can’t.
“Then he wouldn’t have left his wife, though, would he?” Steve bursts out, before he can stop himself. It’s a weak argument, but it rings true enough in his ears. Nevermind that people - gay or not - fall out of love all the time, if both was an option, then the guy in the movie would’ve just stayed with his wife, wouldn’t he?
Robin gives him that look again, it reminds him of when they were last hanging out with Eddie and - nope, absolutely not. Steve refuses to think about Eddie right now.
“Steve - “ Robin starts and the phone rings. Steve pretends he isn’t breathing a sigh of relief as he turns away from her. Saved by the bell.
“Family Video, You’re speaking to Steve.” He says, his tone betraying his enthusiasm, or lack thereof, despite his best efforts.
“Steve! Great. I uh - I need a favour.” It’s Dustin, of course it’s Dustin. Who else even calls this stupid phone anyway?
Steve rolls his eyes and this time, doesn’t even try to hide his annoyance when he answers: “Will you stop calling me at work, dude?”
Steve debates which will be the lesser of two evils: that conversation Dustin just accidentally saved him from - or whatever Dustin wants this time around. When Robin crowds in close enough to hear as well, Steve bites the inside of his cheek. Dustin it is, not that he’s going to make it easy on the little brat.
“C’mon Steve, this is like, an emergency.” Dustin whines on the other line and Steve bites his tongue.
If it was an actual, real emergency, they wouldn’t call, he tells himself. Dustin and the other menaces would be at the door - it’s the only thing that squashes the almost instinctive surge of panic that rises up in his chest.
“Just spit it out.” He sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. Robin knocks their shoulders together lightly, a gentle reassurement. God, Steve loves her. In moments like this, it’s like she reads his mind, feels his concern before he even has to say anything about it.
“Okay, look, I know you’re not into horror and stuff…” Dustin starts and Steve wants to bang his head on the table.
Apparently, there’s a new horror sci-fi movie coming out, and the little dweebs absolutely have to go. Problem is that the only person passing as an adult willing to go with them is Eddie, and regardless of his proven innocence, none of their parents are really willing to let them go with Eddie alone.
“Why exactly is that my problem?” Steve asks, interrupting Dustin mid-speech while the kid is still ranting about the unfairness of it all.
Steve is inclined to agree with Dustin, his protest is mostly for show - the town is still shaken up about the deaths this spring, even if none of that is Eddie’s fault. The cops and the press officially cleared him of any guilt, while Eddie was fighting for his life in Hawkins National Laboratory, but the official notice didn’t really do much to help after the people in small town Indiana had already made up their minds about him. They’re all too willing to believe the guy they’ve already brandmarked as a freak could be a murderer, too.
Steve hates that even their parents aren’t an exception from that - although realistically, he probably shouldn’t have expected anything different.
“Well, Nancy has a date and Jonathan is outta town for the weekend and Robin can’t drive…” Dustin lists off, to which Robin interrupts with a quiet - “Actually, I have plans, anyway” - and Steve hates for just a moment what his life has become - driving a gaggle of kids to a movie he could not care less about, without even a date to bring to make the whole thing less dreadful. Steve already knows he’s going to say yes despite all that, but if Dustin thinks for even a minute that Steve won’t be complaining about it the entire time, he’s got another thing coming.
~*~