Chapter Text
He’d just left the movie theatre when he heard it.
“Get over here freak!” His head snaps up and he gives a frantic look around before realizing that no one is coming after him. No, a glance around the front of the building reveals a group of Jason Carver’s (may he burn in hell) lackeys laying hands on Eddie Munson.
Eddie is thrashing around and trying to shove them off but he is desperately outnumbered and out muscled. They manage to bully the metalhead into the alley and Keith stands there frozen as he hears the sound of fists hitting flesh.
He’s still standing there frozen when he sees Steve Harrington sprint across the parking lot with a baseball bat in his hands. He vanishes from view after the rest of them and all Keith hears is a deeply enraged ‘Hey!’ before several heavy thuds and pained screams come from the alley. Keith barely remembers to swallow the piece of redvine he’d been chewing as the rest drops from his mouth. God, had Steve…?
The three who’d dragged Eddie away scramble out of the alley, two of them supporting the third between them. “You’re fucking deranged Harrington!” is shouted over their shoulders as they hobble away, something must happen back where Steve is because the three pale and move even quicker in their mission to get away.
Swallowing nervously Keith starts making his way over to the front of the alley, mostly he’s going to offer to be a witness for them. The jocks never noticed him there so if they try to pull a sob story with the police at least those two can say that someone saw the jocks had started it.
He gets to the mouth of the alley and feels his body stop cold. Eddie is pressed against the alley wall, one hand pressed to his ribs, there’s a trickle of blood from his mouth or his lip Keith isn’t sure. Munson scrubs his sleeve across his mouth and spits on the concrete.
“Stevie,” He calls, holding his other arm out. The jock is pressed to his chest in a second, his mission to retrieve his bat abandoned. Eddie sighs and wraps his arm around Steve knocking their foreheads together with a sigh. “I’m okay baby I’m okay.”
Baby?!
“You’re not,” Steve insists, he sounds frustrated as he yanks up Munson’s shirt. Eddie hisses as Steve brushes his fingers over the other man’s stomach, “Let’s go home and get you patched up.”
Eddie chuckles which turns into a groan as he hunches slightly from the pain, “It never fails to make my day when you refer to the trailer as home.”
“You and Wayne are home, no matter where it is.” And before he can process any of what was just said Steve is cupping Eddie’s cheek in his hand and pressing a kiss to his bloody lips.
A noise causes them to spring apart, Steve throwing himself in front of Eddie looking half feral. It takes Keith entirely too long to realize that the noise was the rest of his pack of red vines falling from his numb fingers and hitting the concrete. As soon as their eyes meet Keith feels a chill run down his spine. There’s so much fear there, on both of their faces, Steve in front of Eddie arms spread to protect him and Eddie’s fingers twisting in the back of Steve’s jacket.
“Steve, Steve let’s go. Now!” Eddie tugs Steve back a step or two before both of them turn and flee into the woods. They left the bat behind in their retreat and after a minute's debate he walks over and picks it up. He knows Steve is scheduled to be on shift with him tomorrow.
He’s at the counter, flipping through a magazine and chewing gum when Steve walks in. Eddie’s van is still idling in the parking lot, with Nancy Wheeler in the passenger seat. Keith accidentally swallows the wad of gum when he realizes that she’s cleaning a shotgun and staring him down. Steve looks skittish, eyes darting around like he’s expecting another mob to appear and murder him.
“There’s a handful of returns in the bin and we got a new shipment of movies that need stickers and a place on the shelves.” He informs the brunette going back to his magazine.
“Okay.” He offers but makes no move to do either of those tasks.
“You’re going to be late if you don’t clock in and I’m not fixing it.” He flips another page and reaches under the counter to dig out more gum from the junk drawer. He watches Steve prepare to dive as he does, Christ is Harrington expecting him to pull a gun or something?
It’s only when Steve shifts and he’s abruptly reminded of the scar around Steve’s neck that he realizes that is exactly what Steve thinks. And yeah he’s not the most pleasant person he can admit that but he’s never had someone think he’s so awful that they think him capable of shooting a gun and killing them before. Okay so pretending nothing happened and all of last night was a wild hallucination or a mistake is officially off the table now.
“Your bat is in the backroom by the way.” Keith offers as Steve skirts around the counter to grab the returns, he notices that Steve is very carefully staying out of Keith’s reach.
“Umm, thanks?” He says as he stays towards the edge of the store, uses the shelf racks as a shield in case Keith tries to throw something at him.
Keith looks towards the front of the store again, the van and its occupants are still there.
“If those jo- assholes try to go to the police… I saw them corner and grab Munson. It was self defense, you going after them.” That finally gets Steve to look at him, still wary but it’s hopefully being seen as the peace offering it is.
“I’ll let Eds- Munson know.”
Fuck, he’s not made for niceties and tact. Ugh why is this so hard?!
“Look man, I don’t get it but I’m not going to rat you and Munson out. Things are already shitty enough here without another mob okay? I didn’t agree with the last one already.”
Steve studies him for a moment before turning to the window and making a gesture towards the van. Eddie and Nancy nod and finally drive away. Keith gets the feeling that he’s going to see every one of the dork patrol members at some point today, all of them checking to make sure he hasn’t murdered Steve and dumped his body out back. That lot was like a feral pack of wolves at this point.
“Thank you Keith.” Steve finally offers as he steps behind the desk to grab the inventory clipboard.
“Just, never ever let me see you and Munson in the backroom together.”
“Christ what do you take us for?” Steve gives a small chuckle that dissipates the last of the tension. After a moment of contemplation the brunette offers, “Would you want to join us for movie night? The whole-”
“We’re not there yet.” Keith cuts him off firmly but not meanly, he is so not joining Harrington’s pack of misfits. Steve just smiles and shrugs in response.
“Fair enough” He says as he heads to the backroom to deal with the delivery.