Chapter Text
Despite the fact that they’d saved the world together, Steve still couldn’t easily talk to Eddie. They talked, of course, they had to; after going through that kind of shit together you couldn’t really just go back to normal. So, for the second time, Steve found himself with another extremely unlikely friend. Except, unlike Robin, his dynamic with Eddie was… different. He’d never got along with anyone easier than he did with Robin, and in contrast, he couldn’t seem to figure out Eddie Munson at all. He always went around with this air and this look in his eyes that he knew something that you didn’t, and Steve couldn’t figure out what it was that he knew for the life of him. The two of them got along well enough, and they had a sort of friendly banter going on, but there always seemed to be some kind of fence between them, like neither of them let themself get any closer. And so, every time the two of them hung out, Steve always left feeling like there was something that he should have said. What, he never had any idea, and there never seemed to be the right time to think about it. They were always in a group, anyways, Robin and Nancy, and sometimes Jonathan and Argyle, joining their unlikely friendship. Despite the fact that not a single one of them would have interacted in school before all of this, dealing with the upside down tended to bring people a lot closer. Having others to talk about everything with made coping with it a lot easier, and coping, they were. The death of Vecna seemed final, more final than everything else that had happened before, and as much as Steve didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, he couldn’t help but feel himself relaxing, and starting to actually enjoy his life. He stopped having nightmares for the longest stretch of time yet in three years. There was nothing exciting happening, and he couldn’t be more grateful. He went to his Family Video shifts with Robin and hung out with the kids, and it was everything he could ever want. He even started hanging at Eddie’s D&D games, much to Eddie’s excitement. He never had any clue what was happening, but he liked seeing Eddie and everyone happy, (despite Eddie’s bandmates occasionally shooting him a begrudging glare, remnants of their memory of him in high school), and that was enough.
They were all out of school for the summer- it was mid June, three months after the entire ordeal with Vecna. Robin and Nancy graduated from Hawkins, and Jonathan and Argyle from California, after going back there for the last few months before moving back. Eddie graduated, too, which he was impossibly excited about. Despite his attempts to be cool and a little above everything all the time, Steve could tell he was proud of himself, and he was proud of him too. He’d went to the graduation to support him and the girls, watching with a grin as Eddie flipped off the principal and grabbed his diploma, jumping off the stage into the grass with a yell (He’d never liked that principal, either.) He’d practically sprinted over to where Steve and the kids were sitting, jumping around full of energy, grabbing him with an arm around his shoulders, shouting about it being his year. (It’s my year, Harrington! ‘86, baby!) Nancy and Jonathan were preparing for heading off to college, and the rest of them were simply enjoying the summer. After not getting into college last summer, and then going through the ordeal with the Russians, he decided he was better off not trying to go, and just living his life the way it went. He’d never had the same kind of ambition like Nancy did. Eddie seemed to be the same way, perfectly content to never set foot in a classroom ever again after spending two extra years in them. If you’d told Steve three years ago that he’d still be in Hawkins, working at a Family Video, hanging out with none other than Robin Buckley, Eddie Munson, and a group of freshmen- he would have laughed in your face. But now, he couldn’t imagine his life being anything else.
Steve was currently absentmindedly filing movies behind the Family Video counter, bored out of his mind. Usually he wouldn’t mind a quiet day, but the weather outside was perfect, and he’d rather be doing anything else. The day was slow, and even Robin seemed to be quieter than usual. Their silence was interrupted by the ringing of the bell over the door, and Eddie Munson’s loud voice.
“Greetings, Harrington, Robin!” He bowed dramatically, looking up with a smirk while his hands were out. Dustin and Will filed through the door behind him like a pair of minions following their leader. As much as he was jealous of there being another older brother figure for the kids, Eddie seemed to really take to them, and genuinely care about them. Along with the three in Hellfire, the second Will and El moved back to Hawkins he took them under his wing just as easily. Will was practically entranced with him. Steve raised his eyebrows as Eddie sauntered up to the counter and leaned over it, tilting his head towards Steve with a sly grin.
Steve moved his stack of movies over to lean his hands against the counter, his arms straight. “Good afternoon, Munson, what can I do for you?” He raised his eyebrows. Eddie gestured behind him to the kids. Dustin grinned at him.
“Well, as it so happens, Harrington, I’m looking for a movie. Henderson here came to me begging for a ride, and who am I to refuse the kid.” The aforementioned kid gave a wave and a grin from behind him. “They want something scary.” He leaned ever closer, his eyes practically boring into Steve. Everything about Eddie was intense.
“Something scary, then? You two little idiots sure you can handle it?” Steve joked. Dustin rolled his eyes, protesting.
“We’ve fought off the end of the world, Steve. Horror movies aren’t even scary anymore.”
And so Steve checked them out with a copy of The Shining, much to Eddie’s delight.
“Great movie choice, Harrington. You know, you don’t seem like the horror movie type. Maybe I was wrong about you once again.” Eddie tapped his fingers on the counter, his rings clinking together. He tilted his head, looking like he was trying to figure something out. Steve shrugged.
“Maybe you were wrong then. I dabble in horror myself.” He pointedly ignored the stare that Robin was shooting him from across the store, saying Steve Harrington, you do not dabble in horror, and you look like an idiot right now. Eddie smiled at him.
“Great, then you’ll join us tonight?”
“Of course.” Steve faked utter confidence. “Where and when?” One corner of Eddie’s mouth twitched up.
“My place. 9.”
“See you there, then.” And so Eddie and his entourage filed out of the store, leaving it just as quiet as it was before they came in. Steve leaned against the counter, his head in his hands. “Robin, I am so stupid. I hate horror movies.” She came up behind him, clapping him on the back.
“Yep,” she said, emphasizing the p. “Can’t back out now, though.”
And so, Steve Harrington found himself outside of Eddie’s trailer at 9 that night, trying to work himself up to get out of the car and knock on the door. This is stupid. It’s just a movie, and it’s just hanging out at Eddie’s. The kids will be there. Come on, Harrington. He sighed and stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind him and stepping up to Eddie’s door. He knocked, three times, and the door was open before his hand had even dropped back to his side. He was met with Eddie Munson’s grinning face. His hair was up out of his face, tied in a bun, and he was wearing an oversized band t-shirt, Iron Maiden, apparently.
“Harrington! You actually came.” Steve realized he’d been staring at Eddie’s torso for a second too long, and he glanced up, embarrassed, for some reason.
“Yeah, of course, uh-”
Eddie grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in. “Come on, what are you waiting to be invited in or something? Sit down.” He was pushed onto the couch, where Dustin was already sitting. Lucas and Mike were sat on the floor. Will had taken control over the armchair.
“Max and El were having a sleepover today, so it’s just us guys,” said Dustin, leaning over. Steve nodded absentmindedly, watching as Eddie bent down to put the movie in. It started, and Eddie flopped onto the sofa next to Steve, sprawling out, his knee brushing Steve’s.
“You can relax, Harrington, I don’t bite.” Eddie hit him lightly on the shoulder. “You don’t have to sit so uptight.” Steve forced himself to relax, leaning against the back of the sofa, but refusing to move a single millimeter closer to Eddie. For some reason he couldn’t quite fathom, his mind was entirely focused on the brushing of their knees, and he couldn’t get himself to move away either. (Eddie was always touchy with friends, there’s no reason it should be any different with him.)
Despite his dislike of horror, he managed to get through the movie without jumping too badly, although by the end, he and Eddie had gotten significantly closer. Steve allowed himself to entirely relax, and their legs had been leaning against each other for the majority of the time. Eddie had stretched his arms across the back of the sofa, and Steve was hyper aware of how close his arm was to the back of his shoulders. He was frozen still, not even wanting to look at Eddie, for fear he’d notice how close they were and- well, he didn’t know what he would do. But Eddie barely seemed to notice. Steve practically jumped off the sofa when the credits started, grateful for the opportunity to not be so tense around Eddie. Why he couldn’t relax, he had no idea. But he was glad to leave, and not have to think about it. He offered the kids all a ride home, so as to not make Eddie drive out and back home, and they swarmed out of the trailer out to his car, piling into it and arguing who got shotgun. (Dustin did, as usual.) Eddie handed the movie to Steve as he left.
“Here, return this for me, would you?” Their hands brushed as Steve took it.
“Sure, ok.” He made eye contact with Eddie, freezing for a second under the gaze of his dark eyes. They stood like that for a second too long, eyes locked, both holding the movie, saying nothing, until Eddie said, “G’night then, Harrington,” and dropped his hand. He smiled, one side of his mouth tilting up more than the other. Steve nodded. “Night, Munson,” he said, and stepped outside, pocketing the tape. He heard Eddie close the door behind him. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway, watching as the lights inside the trailer were flicked off.
Once all the kids were dropped off at their respective houses, he pulled into his own driveway. The house was in darkness, as it usually was, his parents away like always. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel, staring down at his lap with his hands on the wheel. He’d been overcome with some sort of indescribable feeling that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Eddie Munson was a mystery he didn’t think he’d ever be able to entirely figure out.