Chapter Text
From the minute they piled into Steve's car to when they pull into the driveway, the kids were none the wiser.
They chattered like fifteen-year-olds should, as excited and cheerful as any kid on their last day of school, eager to have reached the freedom of summer and shed the shackles of freshman year.
Steve, meanwhile, was teetering on the edge of a panic attack, knuckles white on the steering wheel and breaths carefully timed so the kids didn't notice anything amiss. He was quite certain he hadn't been this nervous since the night at the lake, when he'd been sucked through Watergate to the Upside Down.
It seemed juvenile to be so frightened of a simple conversation with some teenagers. After all, he'd helped save the world for a fourth (and hopefully final) time, but his brain seemed intent on envisioning every worst-case scenario.
He wasn't worried, he'd told Eddie numerous times throughout the morning, about the kids reacting negatively to their relationship. Steve was pretty sure Max already had her suspicions about them, anyway; all four of them were little nerds, but she in particular was too intuitive for her own good.
After all, Steve knew his kids; even if they turned out to be surprised, they weren't bigoted.
He was more concerned that they'd be angry at him for the talk itself. It felt deceptive, baiting them into a serious conversation on what was supposed to be the most carefree day of the year. More than that, perhaps, they'd be offended at the suggestion that they would be careless enough to catch the virus—or mortified at the implication that they'd be fooling around, period.
Steve remembered what it was like to be fifteen; logically, he knew he and Eddie would be far and beyond preferable to lead this sort of conversation than their parents, who could be far too overbearing, wildly homophobic, or both.
Still, he wasn't convinced the kids wouldn't try to bolt as soon as they realized what sort of discussion was taking place. Thankfully, Eddie had come up with a plan for that—well, technically, two plans.
("We are not threatening them with the nail bat."
"I wouldn't actually swing it or anything! Just hold onto it so they don't think about making a break for it."
"Give me the damn bat, Eddie.")
So Plan B was slushies from the corner store, which Eddie had promised to retrieve while Steve picked up the kids, and that plan turned out to be a winner.
The kids cheered as soon as they stepped inside the living room and found the little cups of red slush dripping condensation on the coffee table.
"Oh, hell yeah! Thanks, Steve!" Dustin said, already plopping down on the living room floor with the others following close behind.
Steve smiled despite his nerves as he shut the front door behind him. "Don't thank me. That was Eddie's doing."
Lucas frowned and looked around. "Where is he, then?"
Steve blinked. That was a good question, actually. "Uh, I'm not—"
All the lights abruptly began to flicker, then shut off entirely. It didn't exactly inhibit anyone's vision, considering it was one o'clock in the afternoon and the curtains were open, but it did make all five in the room freeze.
"Um, should we check the fuse box?" Max suggested tentatively. She scooted a little closer to Lucas.
Before anyone could answer, a single light overhead flicked on.
"Past experience tells me that we should run," Dustin mumbled.
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. "Eddie, what did I tell you about threatening them?" He hollered, planting his hands on his hips.
Eddie popped his head around the corner with a petulant look. "I didn't use the bat!"
"Munson, I swear to god—"
Eddie groaned. "Fine! Take a seat, brats," he said, even though the kids were already sat cross-legged on the floor. The kids kindly didn't point this out, so Steve just dropped onto the couch and let Eddie flop unceremoniously next to him.
"Uh, is something going on?" Dustin asked, eyebrows raised and looking equal parts confused and concerned.
"You guys look like someone died," Max agreed, leaning back on her palms. "Spill."
Steve tapped his fingers nervously on his knee and glanced at Eddie. "No one died," he said carefully. "But we've gotta talk to you about something."
Lucas frowned. "I thought we were coming over to swim. Was that just a bribe to get us here? 'Cause that's pretty low, man."
"What? No, no, of course not," Steve laughed weakly. He was mostly trying to lighten the mood, but even to his ears, it sounded like he was lying through his teeth.
Eddie mercifully jumped in, leaning forward with elbows planted on his knees. "Look, party's still on as planned, but something came up this morning and we decided it was best to sit you down and explain. Simple as that," he said easily.
Steve idly thought how much he wished for that ability, to roll with the punches and make everything seem so simple. True, Eddie himself claimed that in every "fight or flight" situation, he'd opt for flying every time, but at least he was honest about it. Steve had spent years playing the effortlessly cool and carefree King of Hawkins High, but with years of hindsight and a hell of a character arc under his belt, he knew he'd just been hiding behind a bullshit mask. It was a mask he'd finally shed, but with it he lost the ability to hide any anxiety or insecurity. Eddie was, frankly, the best person you could have to tag-team this sort of conversation, Steve thought.
The kids still didn't seem convinced, though, and exchanged matching looks with suspicion painted all over their faces.
"It's finally happened, I guess," Dustin said finally, taking a long sip of his slushie. "Steve's decided to kill us."
"Come on, guys, can you just be serious for five minutes?" Steve cringed at how desperate he sounded, even to himself. "I swear this won't take long, but I— we wanna keep you guys safe, and—"
Mike jerked his head up, alarmed. "Wait, is this a code red?"
"What? No, it's—"
"Did one of the gates re-open?"
"Is El okay?"
"And Will?"
"Is Vecna back?"
"What about the commies?"
"Jesus!" Steve groaned and buried his face in his hands. Eddie's arm wrapped around his waist, thumb rubbing soothing circles on his hip, and Steve found himself automatically leaning into his boyfriend's side.
"Wait." Dustin looked between Steve and Eddie. "Are you guys…?"
Steve managed a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. Eddie just smirked.
"And you didn't tell us?" Lucas said, more incredulous than accusatory, but that didn't stop Max from elbowing him hard in the ribs.
She ignored his yelp. "They're not obligated to tell us everything, y'know," she hissed.
Mike didn't say anything, just stared at Steve like he was re-contemplating his entire existence and all of reality itself.
"So is that it? That's what you wanted to tell us?" Dustin asked slowly. "We promise we won't tell anyone. We're smarter than that."
Steve felt a pleasant warmth in his chest. He cracked a grin and leaned forward to tussle Dustin's curls. "I know you are, dude, and I appreciate it. But that's not it— not everything, anyway." He glanced at Eddie, who grabbed the thick manila envelope stashed under the coffee table and presented it to Lucas with a flourish.
"If you'd be so kind, take one and pass it on, my good man!" Eddie said brightly.
Lucas looked at the others, who looked as confused as him, but he finally shrugged and took out one of the thin, stapled stacks of papers before passing the envelope to Max. As soon as he read the title on the first page, his eyes became saucers, and he suddenly looked like he was about to be sick. The other three pulled out their own copies and reacted identically in quick succession.
Mike's face was already bright pink. "Listen, I swear I don't have a problem with— with you guys being— I mean, you do you— but we're not—"
Steve smiled wryly. "Queer?"
Mike shrugged weakly.
"Lesson número uno, lads and lady," Eddie said, holding up one finger topped with chipped black nail polish. "So long as you're human, you can get it. How you take your lovers has nothin' to do with it."
"C'mon, Steve, why are you making us do this today?" Mike tried again, his voice bordering on a whine. "Can't we just enjoy our first day of summer?"
Steve blew out a breath and scrubbed at his face, trying not to betray how overwhelmed he already felt. Before he could formulate a reasonable answer, Eddie jumped in— or, rather, snapped in.
"Hey! This would take ten minutes tops if you shitbirds would just listen for once, 'cause Steve's trying to do you a real favor here— no, more than that, he's trying to save your lives for the millionth goddamn time!" Eddie ranted, his eyes a bit crazed. "Look, I get it. I wish you guys had the luxury of blowing this off and not thinking about it for one second, but life's not fuckin' fair, and there ain't another person in this whole town willing to help you little assholes like Steve is now. Just because you wish it didn't apply to you doesn't make it true, and that's the sort of attitude that'll get you killed, so here's a crazy idea: buckle down, shut your mouths, and let him talk."
The kids stared at Eddie with mouths agape, stunned into silence. They'd shrank back into the couch as his volume had gradually increased until they were practically hiding behind one another, and Steve knew he needed to diffuse— and fast.
He reached over and placed his hand on Eddie's knee, simultaneously grateful and warning. "Hey, settle. We can all do this without losing our cool. Right, guys?" He turned to look at the kids pointedly.
They nodded, almost frantic in how their eyes flicked between Steve and Eddie, not to mention the hand on his leg.
Eddie sighed and held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. But I'm not afraid to get the bat," he added, narrowing his eyes towards Mike.
"What happened to saving our lives?" Mike asked, his voice cracking.
Steve clapped his hands with what he knew was a much too forced smile. "Right! So, um, AIDS!"
"Holy shit —"
"Eddie."
"Sorry."
The kids looked torn between terrified and incredulous.
Steve blew out a breath and steeled his expression into a smile he hoped looked sincere. "What Eddie meant to say before is that the news likes to talk about this being a gay thing, but it's not. Anyone can get HIV if you're not careful and don't take the right precautions," he said, trying to keep his voice gentle. "That's why we wanna talk to you guys about it."
"And HIV is the virus, right? AIDS is the sickness you get after?" Dustin clarified.
Steve blinked. "Uh, yeah, actually. Good job, Henderson."
For a moment, none of the kids responded, all looking like they were mulling the newfound information over themselves.
Lucas was the first to pipe up, even hesitantly lifting his hand like he was in math class. "My mom said there wasn't any way to cure it. Like, once you catch it, that's it."
Even Eddie looked somber. "She's not wrong," he admitted. "Right now, they haven't figured out how to cure it, and frankly, there ain't a lotta folks who care enough to try. But that doesn't mean you can't prevent it. You just gotta know what's risky and how to avoid that stuff. Which brings us to lucky door number one, your first grand prize! Well, second, I guess, after the slushies."
He reached underneath the coffee table and straightened up with a brown paper shopping bag in hand, which he cheerfully turned upside down over Mike's lap. "Your shields, little warriors!"
Mike paled and immediately smacked the small box of condoms onto the floor like it had burned him.
"Don't be dramatic," Steve chided, a smile tugging at his lips despite himself as he reached down to retrieve the box. He tossed it to Lucas, who caught it easily, even though his hands looked like they were trembling. "There's boxes for all of you in there. You don't have to take 'em now, but make sure to put it in your bags before you go home tomorrow, alright?"
"You should know to wear these, anyway, lest you end up with an ugly little crotch goblin," Eddie warned. "But especially now, you gotta swear on Henderson's fancy little curls that you will never, and I mean never , try to fool around without a rubber. You promise?"
The kids looked taken aback at the quiet severity in Eddie's tone. It was one thing for notorious mother hen Steve to scold, but another thing entirely for Hawkins' token poster boy of young depravity (not to mention former murder suspect) to do it. It was apparently shocking enough that all four of them didn't hesitate to agree, all bobbing their heads up and down in perfect soldierly obedience.
"Promise," they chorused.
"Er— can't you also get it from drugs?" Max cut in, looking none too subtly at Eddie. "Like dope and stuff?"
Steve cracked a grin. "Not the drugs, but the needle. If a bunch of people are passing around needles, everyone's blood is getting mixed up, and that's how the virus travels," he explained.
All four of the kids were still eyeing Eddie, who snorted and held his hands up in mock-surrender.
"Listen, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I don't do that shit," he said bluntly. "I'd be a hypocrite to tell you not to do it, and an idiot to think you guys won't mess with shit you shouldn't at some point. But just avoid the injectable stuff, okay? You can't trust that the needle you're using is a hundred percent clean, so why risk it? Plenty of other wonderful ways to get sky high, which we can explore at a later date."
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose but figured he might as well allow it. It was one thing to give four bratty, hormonal kids the sex talk; the drugs talk could wait until he'd had time to recover.
"Okay, so sex and blood? You swear that's it?" Dustin asked. He was twiddling his thumbs in his lap, almost twitchy.
It seemed like a simple enough question to clarify, but Steve understood the anxiety behind it in a way that Eddie didn't seem to pick up on.
"You guys are okay, you hear me? Touching, kissing, hell, even sharing a toothbrush— that's not how HIV works," Steve said firmly. "It's not like the flu. So long as you're smart, which I know all of you are, you'll stay perfectly healthy."
A weight seemed to lift from the kids' shoulders.
"And," Eddie cut in, "If you guys ever do have questions about this, just let us know, yeah? Total confidentiality. I don't mean to shit on your parents here, but you can file this under 'crap you probably don't wanna ask them about,'" he said, curling his fingers into air quotes.
"Keeping you guys safe is priority number one," Steve agreed. "Nothing trumps that."
All four of the kids were quiet for a long minute, not meeting one another's eyes.
Unsurprisingly, it was Mike who finally lifted his head, still sporting a faint blush, and asked, "Can we swim now?"
Much later, after pizza was eaten, board games played, cookies made, and a frankly extravagant blanket fort constructed, Eddie and Steve escaped to the kitchen while the kids bickered over the handful of movies Steve had brought back from work the day before.
Steve usually tried to avoid looking at the pool, especially at night when the moonlight cast an all-too-ominous shimmer across the calm water. Tonight, though, with his kids bickering loudly in the next room and his boyfriend humming Black Sabbath while he loaded the dishwasher, Steve felt an odd comfort looking out the window at the backyard. He didn't notice when Eddie's humming faded, but also didn't startle when arms slipped around his waist to hug him from behind.
"You think we did okay?" Steve asked, unable to keep the worry out of his voice.
Eddie kissed his cheek and rested his chin on Steve's shoulder with a fond smile. "I think the little assholes know what they need to keep themselves safe. And that if anything does happen, they know they have at least two people they can always come to for help. Is that enough for you, doll?"
Steve laughed a little, feeling himself flush like he was fifteen again. "Yeah. More than enough."
An awkward cough behind them made them both turn, finding a very flustered Mike in the doorway, pointedly looking at the floor.
"Hey, little Wheeler," Eddie called, generously pulling away from Steve to save the poor kid from certain death by mortification. "What's up?"
Mike's ears were red. "Er— about the talk earlier— when you said that we could talk to you guys in confidence… Does that include stuff that is only, like, halfway-related to the virus stuff?"
Logically, Steve wondered whether he should make blanket promises of confidentiality like that to a fifteen-year-old, especially if he didn't know what Mike was actually worrying about. He knew, though, in a part of his brain which spoke much louder than any logic, that he would do anything for his kids, that there were no limits to what he'd sacrifice for them; that same part of his brain, incidentally, also knew those limits did exist for Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler.
He was already nodding his head before any of that could catch up with him. "Of course, kid. Something on your mind you wanna talk about?"
Mike shoved his hands in the pockets of his pajama pants. "Not tonight, but… maybe soon. Thanks, guys." He finally looked up and met Steve's gaze.
Neither Eddie nor Steve had time to respond before Mike had retreated back to the living room, where a third world war over movie options sounded increasingly imminent.
Eddie slipped back to Steve's side to sling an arm around his shoulders and plant a kiss on his cheek. "They'll be okay."
Steve turned his head just enough to hide his grin in Eddie's shaggy mane. "I know."