Chapter Text
Summer 1986:
Steve Harrington stood behind the counter of Family Video one slow afternoon, lamenting the fact Robin Buckley, his best friend and partner in crime, wasn’t working the shift alongside him since it was her day off.
He was heavily considering grabbing one of the freshly sharpened pencils from its resting place in the glass jar atop the counter at his elbow and chucking it towards the ceiling to see if it could get stuck there. Anything to alleviate the boredom he was currently feeling.
A moment later his eyes shifted toward the entrance of the building hearing the familiar bell above the door chime invitingly as a customer finally entered the store.
“Welcome to Family Video. I’m Steve. L-let me know if you need help finding anything,” he offered with a strained smile, silently taking in the appearance of the man who eyed Steve wordlessly before giving him a curt nod and winking at him.
“Got it, sweetheart,” the man finally replied huskily, a smirk gracing his features as he held Steve’s gaze.
Steve’s eyes widened briefly at the other man’s brazen attitude, a flush unexpectedly rising to his cheeks.
As the man eventually proceeded to browse the selections on the shelves, Steve did his best to ignore the sudden increased tempo of his heart, allowing himself the chance to covertly check his lone customer out.
Dark ringlets framed his face, and he was clad in what Steve considered an abundance of leather and denim, skintight black jeans, and a pair of white sneakers.
Turning his focus to the computer, Steve attempted to appear busy, hard at work or what the hell ever, so he wouldn’t be caught openly staring thus scaring away a potential return customer all because he couldn’t keep his eyes in check. He’d never hear the end of it from his manager Keith. Or from Robin for that matter come to think of it. But he knew both of their takes on the situation would be entirely different.
Keith would be angry with him for running off a repeat customer all because he couldn’t stop gawking like a creeper. While Robin on the other hand would be encouraging Steve to put himself out there, feel the guy out, flirt a little maybe. Except for the glaring fact that Robin, much like several other people in his life, assumed Steve was straight. And he hadn’t bothered to correct her assumption. He was still very much figuring out his attraction to men and preferred people remain in the dark about it for now.
But he knew once he was ready to start opening up more, Robin would be a safe person to confide in. Not only was she Steve’s best friend and trustworthy to a fault, but she was a lesbian and had experience in this area. Coming out. Yeah, she’d be a real lifesaver when the time came, Steve had no doubt.
Drawing in a steadying breath, Steve eventually pulled his gaze from the computer screen as the man approached him at the counter.
“Find everything you need?” he asked in as friendly a tone as possible, relieved that his voice wasn’t reaching painful decibels that only dogs and small children were capable of imitating.
“Sure did, Stevie,” the man replied with a toothy grin, leaning heavily onto the counter as Steve rang up his selections.
“Eddie Munson?” Steve checked, raising an eyebrow for clarification that he had the right customer information pulled up in front of him.
Upon Eddie’s nod of affirmation Steve continued putting the necessary information into the computer before bagging up Eddie’s purchases and handing them over to the man in question.
“Please be kind and rewind. Thanks for choosing Family Video. Hope you enjoy your movies,” Steve said, the rehearsed spiel spilling from his mouth before he could stop it. He found himself swallowing thickly, transfixed briefly by the rings Eddie wore as the other man rapped his knuckles against the counter before he was once again over by the door.
“Oh, don’t worry. I plan to, Stevie,” Eddie reassured him, winking yet again.
Steve nodded dumbly, giving Eddie a halfhearted five fingered wave in response, for some reason choking out a breathy, strangled: “Bye,” as Eddie pushed his way back through the door out to his van in the parking lot.
Eddie laughed aloud. “See you around, sweetheart,” he called out over his shoulder in a warm promise, the tinkling of the bell ringing in Steve’s ears as Eddie finally left the store and a confused Steve Harrington in his wake.
__ __
“So, wait. Tell me this again? Eddie Munson came into the store and what?” Robin demanded of Steve the following morning in a lull during the day, her face scrunching up in confusion.
Sighing heavily, Steve ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t… I don’t know! He just, he was…” he trailed off, biting down on his lower lip.
Hot. Insanely hot, Steve. He thought inanely to himself, giving Robin a weak smile.
Robin cocked her head, her expression softening as she looked at him.
“Oh. Steve, were you worried because Eddie was flirting with you? I wouldn’t worry too much over it, bud. The guy will flirt with just about anything that moves. That’s just part of his personality. It’s no reason to get your boxers twisted over it though. All right? It’s gonna be okay,” she reassured him, patting his arm.
Steve sighed again. Maybe he should just come out to her? It would definitely make things a lot simpler between them being honest about his bisexuality.
“Robin, I need to tell you…” he began, but was cutoff midsentence by the arrival of a customer. A very familiar customer.
“Steve?! We need your help! It’s about Max,” Dustin Henderson said, making his presence loudly known as he, trailed by his two best friends, Lucas Sinclair and Max Mayfield, entered the store.
“Here we go,” Steve muttered to Robin, fighting back his own smile hearing her snort in amusement at his statement. “Henderson? What’s happened now?” he demanded softly, hands at his hips as he took in the sight of the three teenagers he’d more or less unintentionally adopted on accident a few years back thanks to some unforeseen circumstances. Like getting his heart broken by one Nancy Wheeler and soon accosted by Dustin along with all of his irritating tendencies. Being swept off on stupid errands, endless carpooling and whatever the hell else entered Henderson’s, or the other little dipshits’, minds on any given day to keep them all entertained and Steve watching over them. Always the goddamned babysitter.
“Park wide sewage spill,” Max explained, her features twisted in mild disgust at the thought of what was happening back at the trailer park, her home, in terms of clean-up. “So, we’ve all been displaced for the next few days.”
“We?” Steve questioned, sharing a look with Robin.
“Yeah. Eddie gave us a lift over here. I think he…? Yeah, he’s still out by his van,” Lucas said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the parking lot.
“Holy shit!” Robin squealed once she’d raced over to the expansive store window on the opposite side of the store. “Steve. Get your ass over here. Now!” she insisted gleefully, frantically motioning Steve to her side.
Huffing out an annoyed breath while simultaneously rolling his eyes in exasperation, Steve soon joined his best friend at the window.
“Fuck me,” Steve croaked, his throat growing dry as he took in the sight of Eddie Munson casually leaning up against the driver’s side of his van as he took a drag from a cigarette. “Robin…?” Steve whispered hoarsely, grabbing a hold of her hand in his.
Robin squeezed his hand for a moment before turning toward him.
“Get out there,” she told him.
“Huh?” Steve asked in confusion.
“The parking lot, Dingus. You know, use your ‘Steve Harrington charm’ or what the hell ever and get Eddie to talk,” Robin insisted, suddenly pushing Steve toward the door.
“What? What’re you…? Robin! Robin, no! I-I…” Steve protested as Robin shoved him unceremoniously through the Family Video entrance out into the parking lot before locking the door behind him once he’d successfully hit blacktop. “Rob-Robin! Why are you doing this to me?” he whined, his head falling forward until it thudded dully against the locked door.
“It’s for your own good, Harrington!” Robin replied, her voice muffled yet carrying through the glass door separating them. And with a half-wave, semi-salute she made her way back to the kids who were still standing near the back of the store.
Steve sighed heavily, banging his head against the locked door a second time, a pitiful whimper escaping him.
“You know, you keep doing that, Harrington, making noises like that, and I, I may just be forced to open up the back of my van,” Eddie said huskily.
Swallowing thickly, Steve slowly turned around to face Eddie, catching sight of the other man’s self-assured smirk and hooded gaze.
“Huh?” he wondered aloud, his eyes falling on Eddie’s lips as the man took another drag off his cigarette, smoke slowly drifting to the sky. And even though he was outside Steve found himself unable to shake the feeling that he was somehow ensnared, incapable of movement simply by being in Eddie’s presence. It was terrifying. Confusing. Exhilarating almost, for an unknown reason Steve couldn’t quite yet identify.
“You and me dancing with the devil, pretty boy. That’s all I’m saying,” Eddie replied suggestively through a huff of laughter.
“Oh, um, r-right,” Steve stammered a moment later, belatedly realizing Eddie was making a joke about them having sex. At least he hoped that’s all it was.
He found himself relieved this conversation wasn’t happening in front of the kids. That was the last thing he needed. An unnecessary headache.
Clearing his throat, Steve warily drew closer to Eddie. “Look, man, the kids, they, uh, they’re real concerned about Max not having a place to stay for the next few days. Her and you both. I figured you could crash at my place? You know, if-if you wanted? No pressure. Obviously,” he offered, giving the other guy a weak smile.
He couldn’t understand why it suddenly felt like the sounds surrounding them had grown muffled while the sound of his own heart seemed to have increased in volume, reverberating within his head at a sluggish yet overwhelmingly deafening rate.
He watched silently as Eddie eventually tossed the cigarette in between his fingers to the asphalt, grounding it beneath the toe of his shoe before meeting Steve’s gaze again.
“Generous.”
“What?” Steve croaked in a hoarse whisper.
“Don’t be offering me anything out of the kindness of your heart or anything, Stevie. You might give a guy the wrong idea,” Eddie replied, a smug grin gracing his features.
Steve scoffed. “Oh, screw you, Munson,” he retorted with a roll of his eyes.
Drawing in a sharp breath, his fingers tapping out an unfamiliar rhythm against his legs, Eddie’s eyes softened as he appeared to have reached some sort of decision with his frenetic movements.
“All right, fine. Whatever. If Mayfield agrees to this idea of yours count me in,” he said softly.
Steve released a heavy breath, relaxing at Eddie’s words as he gave the other man a genuinely happy smile in response.
__ __
“So, what do you think?” Dustin asked Steve later that afternoon as they headed to Steve’s after taking Robin home.
“Huh? Sorry? Think of what?” Steve asked him in response, confusion flooding his features.
Dustin snorted, shaking his head, Steve watching him fight back a smile of amusement before returning attention to the road ahead of them.
“You’re kidding right?” Dustin demanded of him, choking on a laugh. “Eddie, Steve! Isn’t he like the coolest?” he continued; his tone reverential as he spoke.
Steve felt his stomach twist itself into knots at the mention of Eddie.
Huffing out a somewhat unsteady breath, his fingers flexing against the steering wheel, he found himself ignoring every kneejerk reaction within in him to scream ‘yes!’ in reply.
“Munson? Meh, he’s all right, man,” he muttered, swallowing convulsively, avoiding Dustin’s confused, calculating gaze as they finally, mercifully, pulled into Steve’s driveway.
“What? Seriously? You don’t…you don’t like him?” Dustin asked him uncertainly, seemingly crestfallen at this revelation as the two of them climbed from the car, heading in the direction of the house. “That doesn’t make any sense, Steve. I mean, you-you were out there in front of Family Video talking with him forever this morning! How the hell are you not in love with him already?!” Dustin demanded in disbelief.
“What?” Steve rasped, color leeching from his face as he came to a stop in front of the furious teenager.
Dustin sighed heavily, his irritation continuing to be evident as he rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“You know what I mean!” he snapped. “I just figured the two of you had connected. That you, you know, finally found yourself an adult male friend. You gotta admit you’re due. Right? So what the hell is the problem?!”
Steve cringed upon hearing Dustin’s vitriol spill out, his own expression becoming wide-eyed, silently pleading for his friend to understand. He couldn’t fucking explain it. Not without trying it out on Robin and talking (panicking really) everything out with her first.
Things had just grown complicated. Of course he hadn’t helped matters any by offering Max and Eddie a place to stay for the time being.
Giving Dustin a rueful smile he figured he better at least attempt to give the kid something to work with or he’d be off carrying the mere wisps of another crazy theory in his head, trying to prove it correct. “Henderson, look, I…”
He watched Dustin’s eyes widen, his mouth falling open slightly as something apparently occurred to him. “Oh. Oh. This is about Robin, isn’t it?”
Steve’s brow furrowed in confusion, frowning upon hearing Dustin’s question. “What?! No! This-this has nothing to do with Robin, all right, Henderson?” he insisted grumpily, running a hand over his face, exhaling a deep, exasperated breath, his eyes narrowing in Dustin’s direction.
Dustin reached out, putting a hand gently on Steve’s shoulder. “Robin and Eddie… They like each other, huh?” he murmured, concern welling in his gaze.
“Henderson, you couldn’t be more… Jesus, would you just stop? Please, man,” Steve begged quietly, his eyes closed, pressing his forefinger and thumb against either side of his nose, drawing in another sharp breath as he willed the flare of annoyance to dissipate with each ragged inhale. “Listen, you-you were right, okay? Eddie’s cool. And I don’t hate the idea of hanging out with him more,” he admitted. “But,” he continued, holding his hand upward into a ‘Stop’ motion to keep Dustin from jumping in and contributing his own, no doubt, overly exuberant thoughts on the topic. “It doesn’t mean we’re gonna suddenly become best friends or something, all right? Just because you want it to happen and think you can, I dunno, by manifesting it into existence or some other bullshit like that. Got it?”
Dustin nodded, mute for once, his eyes suddenly lighting up as a grin graced his features.
“What the hell is happening here?” Steve demanded sourly, waving his hand in Dustin’s face.
Dustin shrugged, continuing to grin up at Steve. “Nothing,” he finally mumbled.
Steve huffed out a laugh, groaning softly. “Whatever, butthead. Just don’t make me regret the decision to be honest with you,” he insisted, throwing an arm over Dustin’s shoulders as they made their way to the front porch. Well, as honest as I can be at the moment. He thought to himself, trying not to let the guilt he was feeling weigh on him. The kid would find out in due time he supposed. If and when he ever grew a pair.
“All right, all right. I got it, Steve,” Dustin said through a laugh of his own as the two of them finally made their way into the house, intent on waiting for Max, Lucas and Eddie to show up.