Chapter Text
Steve woke up to the sound of footsteps pattering around downstairs and a pounding headache. He groaned softly and put a hand on his forehead, wincing at the heat. He'd definitely had too much to drink last night. Reluctantly, he sat up, stretching out the soreness in his shoulders. Morning light spilled through his curtains, casting a calming dim light onto his room. He threw on a shirt and opened his door, hit immediately with the smell of breakfast. Shuffling down the stairs to find the source of the smell, he discovered Robin in the kitchen, hunched over a frying pan with eggs and bacon sizzling on the surface. In the next room over, Dustin and the others were chatting and eating the meal Robin had made for them.
"You're up!" She exclaimed with an overwhelmed grin. Her movements were sharp and jittery. "I made breakfast!!"
Steve raised his eyebrows. "I see that. You okay?"
Robin's grin broke. "I'm really scared of cooking. I don't want to burn anything and the stove is scary. SHUT UP," She added loudly as Steve held back an amused snort. "I made breakfast because I thought you wouldn't want to. Since, uh..."
He nodded knowingly.
"Yeah. Thanks, Rob. Really," He offered a small smile and grabbed a plate, letting her scrape some scrambled eggs and sizzling bacon onto it. He took it to the dining table and sat down, murmuring a small greeting to his younger friends before inspecting the food. The eggs seemed wetter than they should be and the bacon was tinged pink. He imagined Robin was scared of burning the food, and ended up rushing through the process like she always does when she's stressed. He took a reluctant bite out of the eggs. They weren't amazing, but he still appreciated the notion. Last night had left a bitter taste in his mouth, and he still had no clue what to do about Eddie. Despite his confusing feelings, he at least felt like he knew himself a little more, as scary as it was.
"Hey, Steve?"
Steve startled at the sudden mention of his name, almost tossing his fork into the air as he snapped out of his thoughts. He looked around the table, not knowing who had said it, yet the realization clicked when Max raised her eyebrows expectantly at him. "Yes?" He managed.
She tore a bite off her bacon, wiping the grease off her fingers with a nearby napkin. "Where's Eddie? I thought he was staying with you last night."
"Um- he uh..." Steve wasn't sure what to tell her. It felt a little too personal to tell the kids exactly what had happened last night, especially when he himself only had half an idea of what made Eddie leave in the first place. "He went back to the motel. Said the bed was more comfortable there," He lied, begging she would take the fib.
Max took a sip of milk from her glass. "That's funny. Eddie's always complaining about how the motel mattress made him sore," She interrogated. "I don't know why he'd willingly sleep on that piece of shit."
Fuck. Steve shrugged innocently. "Maybe he changed his mind."
"Yeah, maybe," Max replied with an unidentifiable tone. El giggled softly next to her. He was about to ask what she meant when the phone rang from the kitchen, startling him. He put his fork down and shuffled over before anyone else could answer it.
"Harrington residence," He recited, frowning as he heard Dustin mock his greeting from the kitchen.
"Hey, Steve. It's Joyce. I was just calling to ask when Will and Jonathan are coming home?"
Steve softened, feeling a pang of sympathy for the worried mother. He always felt vulnerable when he talked to Joyce, in a way that was hard to explain. He wasn't sure what it was about her, but it made him feel exposed. Her presence in her children's lives was so bold; it was something he wasn't used to. "We're just eating breakfast now, don't worry Miss Byers. They'll be home soon, okay?"
"O-okay. Thank you."
"Of course. Buh-bye."
Steve hung the phone on the base and returned to the kitchen, clapping rhythmically to catch the kids attention. "Okay, guys, come on. Eat up, we gotta get you guys home now."
It wasn't long before the group finished their food and cleaned their dishes. Jonathan had driven off with Will, and Nancy and Robin had left to walk back to their respective houses once they'd finished cleaning up the kitchen. Steve watched as Dustin, Lucas, and Mike put on their shoes and backpacks, ready to finally leave. "Be careful getting home, alright?" Steve called after them after they left the house, straddling their bikes. Mike gave a wave of acknowledgement as their rode off, clearly not taking Steve's advice as they raced down the street. He sighed and shut the door, almost hearing the silence after the largest presence of his life had left. He walked into the living room and began picking up the stray blankets and sleeping bags, letting himself get lost in thought.
His mind immediately shifted to Eddie. He wondered what exactly made him leave so abruptly that night. Was it Steve? Did he just not want to share a bed with some jackass jock from high school? Or was it the question he'd asked him?
"Your parents. I've never seen them before either."
"That's probably for the best."
Steve knew Eddie had mentioned his father before, but he wasn't sure just what he was like. He understood shitty parents, it's not like his folks were winning the grand prize for worlds best parenting, but the look in Eddie's eyes when he'd brought up the metalhead's parents... he looked distant, as though he were stuck in a memory he didn't want to remember. A feeling Steve knew all too well, he'd seen it on his own face multiple times in the mirror, waking up from nightmares. But that feeling was beyond nightmares. That was aged. Deep. And Steve, a man Eddie barely knew beyond stopping the Upside Down together, had exposed it.
Steve sighed through his nose, hands on his hips as he glanced around the empty house, the blankets stacked neatly on the couch after his work. He had no idea what to do. If he called Eddie to apologize, he only feared he'd make it worse. But if he said nothing, things might not be right again.
He really fucked this up, didn't he?
He jumped at the blaring of the phone's ring tone from the kitchen. He tutted at himself and scrambled to answer it.
"Harrington residence."
"Hah. Dustin's not gonna let you live that down, Steve."
"Robin, you just left like fifteen minutes ago," He rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"
"No need to be to so crude. Nancy and I were going to go to a clothing store later today at about 2pm. What do you say?"
Steve cringed. "You want me to hang out with my ex?"
He could hear Robin's frown in her voice. "I'm just nervous, okay? I don't hang out with Nancy just the two of us very often, I need you there as backup."
"Oh my god, fine. I'll be there."
"Thanks Steve!" She said sing-songily, ending the call after giving him the address. He returned the phone to its holder and ran his fingers through his hair. At least it was something to get his mind off Eddie.
•••
Steve stood in front of the mirror, frantically adjusting his hair as he got ready to meet with Robin and Nancy at the store. He messed with his hair until he was finally satisfied with it, and turned to his closet, scanning his array of clothes, not sure what to wear. His gaze drifted towards his chair and the vest draped over it. He pursed his lips, biting back the urge to put it on, and instead turning back to his closet and taking out a magenta-gray t shirt and ash colored jeans. He quickly put them on and snatched up his car keys and wallet, pausing at the door before he left. With a heaved sigh, he looked back at the vest. It sat innocently over the back of the chair, as it has for months since he'd took it home. Steve cursed under his breath and grabbed it, putting it on swiftly before he could change his mind, promptly racing down the stairs and leaving the house as he tucked his wallet in his back pocket.
The drive was longer due to the store being in the next town over, it took about forty for Steve to get to his destination. The whole way there, Eddie's vest hugged him gently, the blue complimenting the warm gray on his shirt. Despite him not knowing most of the bands referenced on the jacket, he had to admit he looked really cool. He wondered if Eddie felt the same way about his sweater. He hoped he did.
Steve pulled into a parking space and checked himself in the mirror, fiddling with his hair a moment before grabbing his keys and leaving his car, making sure to lock it twice. He entered the store, pocketing his keys, and looked around. It was lit nicely and had multiple mannequins on display, wearing all kinds of styles of clothing. One had a leather jacket covered in zippers with yellow stitching and spikes on the shoulders. It looked like something Eddie might wear, if he'd have the money to afford something so high quality. He stepped further in the store, looking around for his friends. After a brief moment, his gaze fell on Robin and Nancy, who were inspecting a pair black ripped jeans a couple dozen feet from entrance. He approached calmly.
"Hey," He greeted, nodding acknowledgement to Nancy as he accepted a hug from Robin. "Those are cool. I didn't think they'd be your style," He commented, gesturing to the jeans in her hands.
Nancy hung them back up, folding her hands behind her back. "They're not, but we're going to a concert soon, so we're looking for clothes to blend in with the crowd."
"Really? What kind of concer-" Steve trailed off as he heard a loud voice from the next aisle over.
"Hey, Robbie, you'd look hot as fuck in this."
You have got to be kidding me. Steve tightened his lips as a familiar metalhead approached from behind a rack of band shirts. Eddie held a shirt with Iron Maiden written across it in scratched red letters, with the hem and sleeves cut off, unkempt. His face fell as he noticed Steve standing beside Robin. He offered a small wave.
"Harrington, I didn't know you were coming," Eddie remarked, handing Robin the shirt to examine.
Steve brought a hand to the nape of his neck. "I didn't know you were coming either," He shot a look to his friend, who promptly ignored it. "Good to see you."
"Yeah, good to see you too, man," He smiled before disappearing once again behind the rack. Immediately once he'd gone, Steve grabbed Robin by the sleeve.
"What the hell, Robin? You didn't tell me he was gonna be here!" He hissed quietly.
His friend shrugged innocently. "You said you fucked up, so now you need to figure this out, without avoiding him forever, Steve. You can thank me later."
Steve gaped at her in disbelief as she walked away beside Nancy, still holding the shirt Eddie had given to her moments ago. He sighed and rubbed his temples. He wasn't surprised Robin had done something like this. Usually, she isn't one to meddle if she can help it, but she definitely gives little nudges here and there when she thinks Steve is being too stupid to continue on his own. But he worried that sometimes even a nudge could push something over the edge.
The four proceeded through the store, occasionally stopping by different sections to pick out all different kinds of punk clothing and accessories. Steve didn't get anything, since he wasn't sure what to get and didn't bring much money. But Eddie was an expert at this stuff, darting around each section with a strange sense of expertise. He picked out outfits that suited Robin and Nancy to a T, even if they never wore clothes like that or listened to any of the bands featured on the shirts. Eventually, he had picked out full outfits for both of them, and they stopped by the fitting rooms to finally try them on.
Steve collapsed onto a bench outside the women's changing rooms, feeling a raw soreness in his feet from walking around for the past hour. He took out his keys and spun them around on his finger anxiously. A few seconds later, Eddie plopped down next to him, letting out a content sigh of relief. Steve grinned a bit.
"You all tuckered out, Munson?" He teased, and caught his keys in his fist.
Eddie glanced over, briefly looking him up and down. He looked away. "It's hard work, finding clothes for those picky girls," He commented simply. Silence fell over them again, making Steve fidget quietly. Beside him, Eddie let out a soft sigh.
"Listen. About last night..." The metalhead started. Steve turned to meet his eyes, which were glued to the floor as he spoke. "I'm... I'm sorry for just running off so suddenly."
Steve picked at his nails, averting his gaze. "It's fine," He reassured with a brief chuckle. "I..."
He felt at a loss for words, clueless, trying to find words to explain what he'd been thinking. Eddie waited patiently for him to speak.
"I don't know your... situation," He finally said. "We aren't friends. We never were. We barely talked in high school, and when we did, I was probably just being a little jerk, like I always was. Hell, if I'm being honest, the only reason we're even speaking right now is because of our circumstances."
Eddie frowned to the floor, a terrible look of bitterness glinting in his eyes at the words.
"But... I want to know you better. If you'll let me," Steve pressed, inching closer to the metalhead. "I'm not the same person I was in high school. I've crawled forward, you know?"
Eddie breathed a short laugh, anxiously twirling his hair. He finally met the other boy's gaze, his doe eyes sparkling, making Steve's stomach flutter.
"You're a weird guy, Harrington."
"Thanks?"
Eddie clapped a friendly hand on Steve's back and leaned in closer. "Our acquaintances have completed their mission," He murmured as Robin and Nancy emerge from the fitting rooms, both holding the clothes Eddie had picked out from earlier.
"They fit perfectly, Eddie, thank you so much!" Nancy smiled politely as her eyes fell between them.
Robin raised her eyebrows. "I see you dummies are getting along."
Steve had barely noticed Eddie still had his arm wrapped around him. His face was just inches away from his own, a smug grin plastered on his face. Before he could move away, Eddie sat up quickly, guiding Steve with him with his arm.
"We've made best friends, Buckley," He smiled coyly. Steve shoved the metalhead's arm off his shoulder.
"Yeah, whatever, dude."
While the group made their way over to checkout, Robin and Eddie lead the way, engaging in quiet conversation as Steve and Nancy trailed behind them. This is exactly what he was worried about, getting stuck with the girl who had completely rejected him not even a year ago. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about Nancy after the ordeal. They'd never gotten to properly discuss what Steve had said to her. Between each of them recovering from the horrors they had faced, and Nancy spending more time alone after breaking up with Jonathan, neither of them had the chance to speak privately. He supposed they were just too busy, but in the back of his mind he knew both of them knew it'd be too awkward.
"It's kind of funny, huh?" He spoke nervously, hoping to ease the mood. Nancy glanced over at him as if she didn't expect him to talk.
"What is?"
"Me and Eddie. You and Robin. Getting along so well."
Nancy blinked. "Why's that?"
Steve tucked his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "All four of us came from completely different worlds. But, you know, after finding and destroying a literal different world, it's surprisingly easy to get along."
It was true. If he'd went back in time and told his high school sophomore self that he would make friends with a group of nerdy middle schoolers and Eddie "the freak" Munson, he wouldn't have believed a word he'd said. But that's just what happens when you save eachothers lives on multiple occasions. You grow attached. After the ongoing battles, it was rather difficult making friends with anyone outside of his circle, but Steve wasn't sure he even wanted to. Since what had happened, no one would understand him more than Robin or Dustin and everyone else. But he wasn't complaining they were the ones he was stuck with.
Nancy let out a soft chuckle at Steve's pondering.
"What?"
"You're just surprisingly reflective, that's all," She commented with a smile. "You've grown. I'm... really proud of you."
Steve smiled back. He felt... nice. And not in the way he used to feel around Nancy, like a desperate love for her that she'd never return. Just easy and uplifting. It was a rare feeling, one he usually only felt around Robin, but it was comfortable, like a warm hug on a rainy day.
"I'm proud of you too," He murmured.
•••
"Thanks for helping us out, Eddie," Nancy said politely, she and Robin each holding brown paper bags containing the clothes they'd purchased. The four were grouped up on the sidewalk overlooking the parking lot, saying their goodbyes.
"Anytime, Wheeler," He smirked with a playful salute, holding the keys to his van in his left hand. Steve stood beside him, back leaned against the building.
Robin grinned. "And thank you, Steve, for following us around doing nothing," She said. He rolled his eyes.
"Anytime, Buckley," He said, repeating after Eddie.
After Robin had left with Nancy in her new car, they had left Steve and Eddie on their own in the parking lot. Eddie had lit a cigarette, and was climbing up into his van soon after the girls departure. He flopped down into the seat, shaking the van slightly, and slamming the door shut. Steve was standing awkwardly next to it, waiting for Eddie to roll his old, squeaky window down.
"So, Harrington, have fun today?"
Steve blinked. The day had been really weird. It was awkward and uncomfortable at the start, but he'd slowly eased into it after he'd finally spoken with Eddie outside of the fitting rooms. He felt relieved, like the clouds in his sky had finally cleared away.
"Yeah, I think I actually did," He responded with a nod. Eddie grinned wildly.
"Guess us freaks aren't that hard to hang out with, now are we?"
"Putting words in my mouth, Munson?"
They smiled at eachother quietly. Eddie huffed a laugh and slapped Steve on the shoulder. "Just maybe," He smirked. "So... Robin ever tell you why they actually came here?"
Steve shook his head. To be frank, he'd actually forgotten to ask. "All I know is they're going to a concert."
Eddie smiled. "Bingo."
"You going too?"
"It'd be a little weird if I didn't," He replied with a shrug. "The band needs a lead singer."
"What?"
Eddie laughed. Steve stared, dumbstruck. "Yeah, man, its my band's concert. If you could even call it that, anyway. We just play for a few drunks down at the hideaway pub," He hid his face behind a few strands of curly black hair. "You're welcome to come watch us play tomorrow night."
"I- I mean sure. But isn't what you play for like..."
"Metalheads and freaks?"
Steve had only ever seen Eddie play guitar once, and that was in the Upside Down, where it could cost him his life to pay attention to anything other than the task at hand. He'd never gotten a good look or listen to the music Eddie had been playing, but he'd been informed it was a song by Metallica after they'd managed to kill Vecna. Although he didn't pay much attention, Eddie had sounded extremely professional. Despite what the people of Hawkins may say about the metalhead, he was incredibly talented.
"Yeah," Steve said finally.
Eddie shrugged, tracing his ring adorned fingers along the leather steering wheel. "Well, yeah. But neither Buckley or Wheeler listen to metal. No one will question you. Just so long as you don't show up looking like..."
"Looking like what?"
The curly haired man shot him a look. "Like you just came fresh off the golf course."
Steve held back a sarcastic eye roll. "I don't have anything else. Except for this." He pulled at the hem of the denim vest he wore. "Which I should probably give back to you, now that I think about it."
Eddie snorted and took a long drag of his cigarette. "That's alright, man. You can stop by my trailer tomorrow and I'll let you borrow something."
Steve's stomach whirled at the thought. He did his best to stop the blood from rushing to his face, though he was pretty convinced it turned pink anyway. "Sounds good. Thanks, Munson."
"Sure thing. I'll see you around, Steve."
"Yeah. See you around."
Eddie held his cigarette between his lips and backed out of his parking space as Steve stepped back up to the sidewalk, watching him go. Before he drove away, the other man grabbed his cigarette and shouted at Steve once more, smoke billowing out of his mouth as he spoke.
"Keep the vest! Looks good on you," He grinned and returned the cigarette to its original place before he sped off out of the parking lot and down the road back to Hawkins.
Steve could only sit there like an idiot as he watched the van disappear from vision.
This was going to drive him crazy.