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Steve has gotten beat up a lot, and when people say a lot they mean a LOT. He always seemed to find himself in some kind of trouble that ended with blows. Usually he was the one getting beat up but he doesn’t like to talk about that. The first fight he ever had was when he was in first grade because some boy had pulled his hair. He had been growing it out and his mother taught him to never let people touch his hair because of all the expensive products that she puts in it. She’s been getting things imported from the east since he was a baby and she wasn’t going to stop now. She had said that it was from his grandmother in Italy, that was the secret to their hair and how it was so full. He didn’t really understand it but he did understand that his mother took great pride in her hair and that he should do the same.
His mother’s hair was lighter than his own, there were some blonde streaks in them and she got them touched up every 2 weeks because she couldn’t go out of the house with her hair looking even slightly off. When she had got it done Steve would usually come with her. She would gossip with her friends and Steve would sit on the counter with the candy that the hairdresser has given him and he would kick his feet back and forth while he watched his mom under the dryer. When they would leave she would grab his hand and they would walk out together. His mom usually cut his hair because she did go to school for cosmetology and hairdressing.
Once, Steve had asked her why she went to other people when she knew how to do it herself, she said that she went for the experience. She liked to be able to hang out wither her friends once in a while. Steve still didn’t understand but he nodded anyway.
But back to the present, Steve had been minding his own business, coloring in the book the teacher had passed out. She said that she needed to catch up on something so she just let them color for a bit while she got things sorted out. Steve could hear her talking on the phone, “What? No, no, can you put the money back into the safe? Why? Because that’s the emergency money.” Steve didn’t know what she was talking about but he couldn’t help but listen while she spoke anyway. She swiped the tip of his nose with the back of his hand and then stretched over the table to pick up another color.
He did have his own markers but he ended up sharing with some kids at his table but he didn’t mind. At first he wondered why his mom had bought so many, she had got him his own pack but then the teacher asked for more. And so most of the kids in the class had the same markers as him and it was a little hard to tell which one was really his. He shook his head and then went back to reaching, it was quite far from him and so he was almost lying on the table.
His small fingers finally caught it, he was triumphant for a second before he felt a tug on his hair from the back of his hands. He had barely noticed that someone had wrapped their hand around the strands of his hair. For a second he stood in shock, completely frozen. The fact that this person had the audacity to even touch his head was beyond him. He slowly turned around and he could feel the whole room freeze. All of the other kids in the class had stopped talking and they were looking at the scene. They boy’s hand was still in Steve’s hair and he started to tighten it into a fist.
Everyone knew that it was an unspoken rule that you shouldn’t touch Steve Harrington’s hair.
Everyone knew, and this kids wasn’t new. He damn well knew the rule, but it seemed like he didn’t care as he pulled again. No tears came to Steve eyes but he could feel his face warming up with anger. “Oh look, it is real!” Steve glared at him. “Of course it’s real!” The boy’s hand didn’t loosen instead he kept looking at Steve. He could feel the rest of the people looking at him and there were some small snickers but Steve could feel himself getting more upset by the second. Why wasn’t the boy letting go?
“Well, your mom’s face isn’t real with all the plastic she puts in it.” Steve was trying to keep calm but that broke him. He jumped up from his seat and all he saw was red. Nobody talked about his mom, they could talk about him, his stupid fluffy hair, but they would not talk about his mom. It was a common rumor that Steve’s mom has had work done on her face and while it was truer that she had a few Botox injections it wasn’t as bad as ever has said it was. And so Steve started swinging and he couldn’t stop.
When the teacher had gotten back into the classroom the boy below him had bruises on his face and a chunk of Steve’s hair in his hand. He was crying, face wet, and yet Steve didn’t stop. He just had so much rage inside of him and that was apparent to everyone. By the time the teacher managed to pull him off, his face was red and as were his knuckles. He was breathing hard as if he had just had the best workout of his life. The boy did get a few punches on him as well, his lip was busted in the middle and his nose was bleeding but he barely felt it.
He ended up getting sent to the office and he had to wait for his mom to pick him up. He had an ice pack to his nose when his mom walked in. “Mrs, Harrington, please, sit down.” When she walked in the principal had motioned to her seat. She pulled her dress to the front and sat down. Across from herself and Steve was the boy that had the bruises blocking all over his face. A few minutes later another woman walked in and it appeared to be the boy’s mother.
The principle sat and they all sat in silence as he did. Nobody said anything but the mother’s were clearly looking over their child’s faces to see his bad the damage was. “I got dragged away from work so this better be important.” Mrs. Harrington had put on the cold front that she usually had when she was in front of anybody that wasn’t family. She told Steve that it was to stay professional, Steve didn’t understand what she meant but he got the gist of it.
He had his hand in his lap and he looked down while he kicked his feet and his shoes ran along the carpet. “It is Mrs. Harrington.” The principle’s voice wavered a little but she didn’t seem phased. “Well?” The principle fixed his tie and sat up a little more. “There has been a fight between the two boys, your son started it from the sound of it. He refuses to apologize nor will he say what it was about.” The man pushed is glasses up when he finished speaking and he looked at the two boys.
Steve was looking down at his hands and the boy across from him was glaring like there was no tomorrow. Steve’s mom turned to him and Steve wasn’t sure if he wanted to look up. “Steven, wanna tell me what that was about?” Steve twisted his finger in his hand and then sighed. “Mamma, mi ha tirato i capelli, hai detto che i miei capelli sono il mio orgoglio. Nessuno dovrebbe toccarlo.” Mom, he pulled my hair, you said that my hair is my pride. Nobody should touch it. The woman seemed to think for a second before she nodded. “Capisco, ma non dovremmo mai ricorrere alla violenza.” I understand, but we should never resort to violence. Steve didn’t know if she said that because of the fact that it would make them look bad or if she really meant it.
”I would really appreciate it if we spoke a language that everyone could understand.” Steve’s mother glared at the man and his teeth clicked shut. “It seems there has been a misunderstanding.” Steve’s mother spoke and the other woman glared at her. “Misunderstanding? My son has bruises on his face!” She motioned to her son’s face and the boy looked away. “Well maybe he shouldn’t have put his hands on my son.” She crossed her legs while the other woman fumed. “He was fighting back, it was self defense.” The woman looked back at the principle but he put his hands up in surrender as to say, “I have nothing to do with this.” And that only served to make the woman more upset.
”Look at the differences to the extent of their inures. A bursted lip and some bruising isn’t going to kill him. Meanwhile they’re mopping up my son’s blood.” The lady’s hands were shaking as she looked down at them, unable to look anybody in the eye. “I assume he conveniently forgot to mention that he started it. Have you not taught your son to keep his hands out of other people’s head?” The lady was red in the face but it seemed like she had nothing left to say and Steve’s mother nodded at that. “That’s what I thought.” The lady was about to speak but the principle cut her off. “Seeing as Mr. Harrington isn’t the one who started it he gets 1 day suspension.”
He kept speaking but Steve didn’t hear anything after that. All he knows is that when he got to the car his mom gave him a high five and they went out for ice cream after, she had ruffled his hair back into place after checking to make sure that his scalp wasn’t damaged from the fight. When they got home they had a movie night and Steve had fallen asleep and waken up in his own bed.
-
When Steve got to middle school he had developed some kind of disorder. At first his mother just thought he was sick or having an allergic reaction. He would be doing something one second and then wake up on the floor the next. So it was safe to say something wasn’t right. His mother had changed his sheets twice a day and changed what detergent they were suing in hopes that it had to do with that but there was no luck there. She then went on to change the most tiny of things, hoping that something wasn’t actually wrong with her son. She didn’t know how she would be able to live like that. But no matter how much she changed the sheets or the the toothpaste, it didn’t stop Steve from waking up on the ground.
What was it? Some make ask that and Steve wouldn’t be able to answer. When Steve was halfway into his first year of middle school his mother finally decided to take him to the Docter and try to figure out what was wrong. It was test after test and medicine after medicine but they were yet ti find anything.
He just happened to faint multiple times a day and nobody could explain why. They had the money for out of country docters but even then, they couldn’t explain it. They went to churches because some believed that he was possessed. Nothing, nothing at all. So he was stuck with it, nobody knew what it was but that they did know. It wasn’t something that they knew how to get rid of. So Steve was a little distant in his first year, shying away from people in case he passed out. He didn’t want to freak anybody out.
It can’t be said that he had been hiding it on purpose, certainly not. It was just something that never came up. When he started to get that lightheaded feeling he knew it was time to head out. To find a soft place to lay or land depending on how fast he got there. Or got to the bathroom and sit on the floor of a stall and wait for it to pass. With how much he fainted it was a wonder how he didn’t get caught once. Not through middle or high school, never caught. So one would be able to say that he was very good at it.
Not matter how strange it was that he took so many bathroom breaks, everyone would just laugh it off as they do everything else. But something changed around the time when he started to date Nancy. He was entranced by her, one could even say he loved her. She just seemed to perfect, maybe that’s what he liked about her. The fact that she was pure and untouched like the rest of the people in the school. She was different and he liked that. He was so tired of the copy and paste that was going on around in Hawkins. Everyone wanted to be a copy of each other and nobody wanted to be different. A down side to living in a small town.
He liked the way her eye shined when he saw her in the morning and the way she would give him a good morning kiss. The way the people in the hall would be jealous because they couldn’t have her like he did. He loved it and he felt like she was becoming and addiction to him. But just like everyone else, he hid it from her. He didn’t want her to freak out about anything and and wouldn’t be able to calm her down.
When he woke up a lot of the time he was disoriented and could barely form a sentence without tripping over the words as they tangled in his mouth. And so he didn’t say anything and he just hoped she wouldn’t find out and they would be able to live their lives happily ever after.
But then of course, everything went to shit.
Nancy’s little brother didn’t like him, of that he was sure. Mike always seems to have a permanent scowl on his face and it seemed to intensify when his friend went missing, Steve didn’t watch the news or read the paper so he didn’t really know why everyone was acting so weird. But the stress was starting to get to him. So he did what he usually did, throw a party and ignore the problem. Hope it goes away before he wakes up in the morning.
No such thing happened.
Nancy’s friend, Barb went missing. Steve had this ‘I don’t care’ exterior but in the inside he was falling apart. He wanted to be strong for Nancy. Anything could have happened to her friend and he was hoping for the best. Of course the best is not what happened.
After a bit of fainting for a week almost nonstop, Steve decided that he needed to distress. He suggested another party and though she sounded a little unconvinced she nodded and said she would go with him. He tried to keep the huge smile off of his face but he could feel it creeping up on him. Something about her, was different. She wasn’t like any girl that he’s ever been with before, all of it before her felt pointless. Because the voice in the back of her head was saying ‘this is the one’.
But from what she said at the party she severely disagreed. “It’s bullshit.” Steve laughed because he thought it was a joke she was drunk and stumbling around the room. Dancing and singing drunkenly. “We’re bullshit. It’s all bullshit.” Steve felt something crack in his heart, the stress came tumbling back because what do they say? “Drunk words are sober thoughts.” She clearly had her eyes in someone else in the party, Steve had caught her looking at Jonathan Byers when they walked in but Steve wanted to ignore him. He didn’t want to see another freak.
He also saw that weird kid, what was his name? Edison? Edward? No that’s not it. It was…Eddie! Steve would ask him to bring Nancy home but he was a little weird and he had a small feeling that Nancy would he found in a ditch if he left them alone. As for Jonathan he was taking pictures of them though Steve’s window. He was creepy for sure but at least Steve knew him. So with his heart beating in his ears and the music that was way too loud, Steve dragged Nancy out of the bathroom. He went to the corner where Jonathan was and hoped that he hadn’t gone home yet.
He was still in the same spot he was in 10 minutes ago before Steve’s world came crashing down on him. “Hey man, you have a car right?” Steve knew he did but he didn’t know how else to start. Nancy’s arms were around his waist and for a second Steve thought she went to sleep until he felt her stand and make herself a little more steady. Jonathan, at first didn’t look like he knew Steve was talking to him, not a week ago Steve has broken his camera and he still hasn’t gotten around to apologizing yet. When he finally did look down at Steve he seemed to be caught off guard. Steve didn’t mind it.
“Yeah, yeah I have a car.” He held up his keys dumbly and Steve would laugh if not for the dull headache behind his eyes. “Take care of her, get her home.” Jonathan looked down to Nancy who was swaying in place and then back to Steve who’s eyes were determined. “Okay.” For some reason Steve had a small amount of trust for the guy which is weird because just a few seconds ago he was thinking about how he couldn’t believe how he was leaving his girlfriend…ex girlfriend alone with the freak who was taking pictures of her getting undressed in front of his window but he didn’t have a choice.
With how she just talked to him he doesn’t think that he could so anything anymore. He watched Jonathan carry her out and tried to stop the squeezing in his heart. The party was dull now, the life of it just left with Nancy. Steve looked at the punch in the table and then down at his shaking hands. He didn’t feel faint, he felt mad. Upset, more than he had ever been before. He walked to the table, he knew he shouldn’t because he had to drive himself home but he was just so mad and he needed to unwind.
He took a cup and downed it, he could barely taste the alcohol because all of his other senses were so intensified. By the time he had gotten to 7 cup he was stumbling over his own feet and telling jokes that nobody could make out because it just sounded like gibberish but he would laugh and everyone else is so drunk that they just laughed with him.
“Le stelle sono davvero luminose.” The stars are really bright. He had somehow managed to get outside and was laying on the grass in Tina’s backyard. It had only been 10 minutes since his first drink but he was drunk out of his mind. He was laying on the grass and looking at the sky. A few people had passed out in the house from being drunk and Steve had to walked around them to get to where he was. He was looking at the moon, with the buzz from the alcohol he felt peaceful.
Like he could forget about this night, about what Nancy had said to him. He could just let it go and let his mind drip elsewhere. “Come fanno ad arrivare lassù comunque? Sono sicuro che se salto abbastanza in alto sarò anche una star.” How do they get up there anyways? I'm sure that if i jump high enough I'll be a star too. He heard footsteps from above him and he just assumed that it was someone walking around him to get to the pool. The footsteps stopped above his head and he looked up. It was the boy from earlier, his name was…Izzy? No that can’t be it, stupid. Jonny? He doesn’t even look like a Jonny.
The boy squatted. “What you saying there Stevie?” From his Steve was laying it looked like the boy was upside down. “Le stelle! Sono belli vero? Brillano più luminosi stasera.” The stars! They are beautiful aren't they? They shine brighter tonight. The boy listened to him speak as a person would listen to a baby babble. “Stelle. That’s star right? Sorry, I haven’t really been good in Spanish class. Or…any other language class. That was Spanish right?” Steve didn’t answer him but he knew that he had a small smile on his face. “Le stelle.” He looked away from the boy and back to the sky.
There was still a cup in his hand that was half full. The boy took it from him. “Alright, I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.” Steve frowned. “No! Non prenderlo, non ho finito.” No! Don't take it, im not done. The boy looked back to his face. “I don’t know what you’re saying but from the ‘no’ I’m going to assume that you still want it.” Steve just looked at him like he had grown a second head. “Okay then.” The cup slipped from Steve hand and he didn’t make an effort to take it back. He looked back to the sky. He shivered a bit even though he wasn’t cold and the boy looked back at his face from where his eyes were directed at his hand.
”Oh, what the hell, you aren’t going to remember this in the morning anyway. You probably don’t know who I am but-“ Steve cut him off and his eyes sluggishly went to him. “Eddie Munson.” Eddie’s eyes widen a fraction. “And he speaks English again! And, you know me?” Steve giggled a little bit and Eddie laughed with him. “Of course I know you, everyone does!” Eddie had moved from above him to next to him, his arms behind him to hold his weight up. “Well I didn’t know that King Steve was included in everyone.” Steve giggled again and he didn’t even know why.
He looked up from where he was looking at the sky and looked to Eddie who was also looking down on him. His eyes sparkled a little and Steve’s heart skipped a beat. It could be because he kind of broke up with Nancy and he was in some kind of shock or it could be a possibility that Eddie was just really pretty in the moonlight. “Do you need a ride home, I don’t think you’re getting anywhere like this.” Steve didn’t answer for a second but then he nodded. Eddie helped him up and he dug around in Steve’s pockets for the car keys. He put Steve in the passenger seat and he sat down to drive.
Steve was leaning on the window and the cold made him calm a little. It didn’t last for long because as they sat at the red light Steve leaned over towards Eddie. The boy looked from the light to him and then back to the light again. “What are you doing there Steve?” Steve was close to his face like he was inspecting him and Eddie’s voice was a little shaky. When he didn’t answer Eddie turned to him. “Bacio.” Kiss. Eddie’s eyebrows furrowed, “What?” Steve leaned forward and drunkenly pressed his lips to Eddie’s who stayed still for a second before he pulled away. “Steve, you’re not sober. You don’t know what you’re doing.” Steve only looked at him like a puppy dog with his head tilted. He knew it was wrong but he wanted to kiss Eddie again, kiss him until he was breathless.
His dad would never allow it but his dad wasn’t here right now. Steve knew he should feel gross, dirty. Like a queer. But he doesn’t, he feels happy. Maybe it was the alcohol that was buzzing though his system but he didn’t feel shame or disgust. He felt content. “Bacio.” Kiss. Eddie put a hand to Steve’s chest and pushed him back. “So that means kiss? I’m learning fast with you.” He looked at the light when it turned green and he looked back at the road. Steve was half asleep when Eddie helped him walk into the house. Eddie had managed to get him up the stairs and find his bedroom. He deposited Steve in the bed and took his shoes off while Steve lied on his back.
Steve was looking at the ceiling and when he looked back down Eddie was walking back in with headache medicine and a cup of water. Steve didn’t take it and Eddie left it on the counter. Eddie was about to leave, thinking that Steve was sleeping but he reached out and caught his wrist. “Puoi restare. Come torneresti a casa. Inoltre, grazie per la guida.” You can stay. How would you get home. Also, thanks for driving. Eddie shook his head. “I’m sorry man, I don’t understand you.” Steve seemed to sigh and it took all of the life out of him. “Stay.” When Steve woke up in the morning (and passed out again) Eddie was gone.
Not that he remembered him being here or anything. Or the kiss, god that kiss. What has he done? Sure Eddie was okay with it but what would happened if he told the whole school? Luckily he didn’t. And for the first time in years, Steve didn’t faint the whole following day. He was expecting himself to be in the bathroom stall in tears and fainting more times than he could count but he was awake the whole day. It had to be a miracle or something.
Eddie was the cure.
-
Steve didn’t remember much from that night and he wished that he could forget what Nancy had said but even in his drunken mind it was playing over and over and drinking wasn’t really a good idea because now he had a headache and he couldn’t tell if he was going to faint or not because the pressure behind his eyes didn’t loosen. He didn’t know if it would be safe to go to school but then again he wasn’t really sure about anything. When he stood up to start getting ready for school he fell right back in his bed. He gave a heavy sigh and sat there for a second while white clouded his vision.
When it went away he took a deep breath, it wouldn’t be too bad today considering that he didn’t actually faint. But that lightheaded feeling was going to drive him crazy. He had managed to take some headache medicine before he walked out of the house. He drove hot school and when he got to the parking lot he sat there for a second with his head on the wheel not yet ready to face Nancy but he knew that she would come sniff him out of her didn’t come to her first. He didn’t care, if he was good at anything else it would be dodging people.
If he doesn’t want to be found then nobody would find him.
Tommy wasn’t talking to him anymore but Steve didn’t think it was on purpose.
Steve noticed that Nancy was getting attached to Jonathan, he wasn’t stupid but he didn’t want to accept it. She was moving in from him because he was boring and too much for her to handle. She went to Jonathan, the school freak over him because she just couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. He couldn’t say that that was what she was actually thinking but it felt close enough. She managed to get to him when he was in gym and pull him outside. They had a talk that didn’t end well and she stormed away. He tried to ignore the sharp pains in his heart as he watched her retreat.
He sighed, was that a break up? That had to be a break up. Well..she didn’t say the words break up. Which has to mean that they’re still on until she does.
When Steve had went to her house to he was there to apologize. When he looked though her window and saw how close they were sitting he felt anger. He was never that mad, but now he couldn’t contain it. He didn’t throw rocks at her window like he had planned and the whole romantic thing. He was upset, he went home. The stress of that didn’t seem to make his fainting let up. He managed to get home with no incidents but when he got home it was a whole other story.
There was a tiredness in his body that he couldn’t shake and that was when he just knew it was going to be bad. He didn’t want to cry, but he felt the tears well up anyway. At least he saw his mom’s car in the driveway. He managed to get inside of the house and he sat on the couch next to her. “Mamma, penso che andrà male.” Mom, i think it's going to be bad. She looked up from her book that sat in her lap. There was a tired smile on her face as she moved it and patted her lap. Steve turned on the couch so he could lay down on her lap while her fingers trailed though her hair.
She looked down at him and wiped the tears that were pooling in the corner of his eye. “Non c'è bisogno di piangere tesoro. Sono qui. Andrà tutto bene.” No need to cry honey. Im here. It's going to be okay. Steve smiled a little before he felt the black creep up in his eyes. He felt himself go limp and the sound faded, the sound of the television and his mother’s breathing. When he came to about a minute later he could see that his mom was reading the book again like before. He has the time to look at her smile before he fainted again. It was about 30 seconds before he woke up again just to have time to call his mom and faint again.
He knew it was going to be bad, this wasn’t the most that he had fainted in his life but it wasn’t ever very fun when he woke up for good. The heavy headache and tiredness that followed the fainting was never pleasant but it was just increased when fainting was back to back. When he woke up the forth time he tried to stay up, he really tried. “Stai bene ora? Puoi stare sveglio?” Are you okay now? Can you stay awake? Steve nodded sluggishly but she frowned. “Non combatterlo, lascia che faccia il suo corso.” Don't fight it, just let it run its course. The tears gathered in Steve eyes again. “Non voglio.” I don't want to.
”Lo so.” I know.
Steve’s eyes slipped closed again but when he came to the 5th time he was sure that he was awake, he wasn’t going to faint again. He looked at his mother and he could see her looking at him with that look on her face. He hugged her and then went on his way, upstairs to his room so he didn’t have to think about it. The headache that was pounding behind his eyes had to be one of the worst yet but he didn’t scream or cry. He had his arms wrapped around himself as he sat in bed and just tried it think though his scrambled thoughts. He didn’t know what it was but something just felt so off.
Tommy started to talk to him again, talked about doing some kind of prank to get Nancy off of Jonathan. Steve didn’t know what it was but he agreed because he wanted to hang out again and also because he had nothing better to do. And so the next day after they made their plan in the phone they went out and got the things. Tommy said that the it was a surprise and that he could see when they got there and so Steve just went along with it. They got the spray paint and Steve ignored the buzzing in his ear.
Steve had gotten in his car and drove to the alleyway next to the movie theater.
Steve had stood next to his car with his arms around himself again and he leaned back, he wasn’t sure what they were painting because he was a little lost in thought, the buzzing in his ear could become a problem but he would have to get it checked out. But it would be because of the fainting spell that he just had, the buzzing wasn’t too uncommon for them. He saw a phone not too far and decided to call his mom. He put the number in and then waited for it to ring, she picked up on the second ring.
“Ehi mamma, per quanto pensi che rimarrai in città?” Hey mom, how long do you think you'll be in town? She seemed to think for a second. About 2 weeks. Longer than usual but that was okay. She could watch over him through this time because she sounded very concerned but that was not unusual. He spoke to her a little more before returning back to his car and waiting for Tommy to call him for the big suprise that he was making. Tommy called him over and Steve looked at what he wrote before looking back to Tommy. A small laugh escaped his mouth and the next thing he knew he was giggling. This thing was that it wasn’t funny so he didn’t know why he was laughing but he just couldn’t stop.
He went back to his spot next to his car once again while Tommy talked about going back for the finishing touches. He once again had his arms around himself, not because he was cold but because the gesture was comforting for some reason that he didn’t want to think of. Next thing he knew Jonathan and Nancy were walking up to him and he was lost in a daydream. “What is wrong with you?!” Nancy sounded mad and rightfully so. “What’s wrong with you?!” Steve didn’t know what else to say, it wasn’t his idea and yeah he laughed but it wasn’t because of that.
And as mentioned before, it came to blows with him and Jonathan. The ringing in his ear didn’t get better and the police had to almost pull Jonathan off of him. And then later, after another fainting spell Steve realized how mean he was being. He didn’t mean it, or maybe he did and he didn’t want to admit that.
He went to Jonathan’s house to apologize but they didn’t want tot let him in, when he saw the blood in Nancy’s palm it was like the final straw. He pushed his way inside and got way more than he bargained for and yet he just stood there in fear. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears and he knew the familiar lightheaded feeling but he pushed it down in favor of riding the adrenaline rush that was being thrusted on him. He just saw some kind of creature and the buzzing in his ears was still there and it was really getting on his nerves.
”What the hell was that?!” Nobody wanted to answer and Nancy kept trying to make him leave. And then he ended up getting one of the worst headaches that he’s had. Nancy started it date Jonathan and Steve tried to ignore it as if that would make the problem go away because it usually did. They found Jonathan’s brother and Steve thought that was the end of it. He started to hang out with this kid who really seemed to see him as a older brother figure and it kind of warmed his heart.
After that he just managed to adopt a group of middle school kids.
The fainting lessened as his stress levels went down. Something about being around these kids calmed him and so he didn’t question it, he went along with what they were doing even if he didn’t understand it most of the time. From what it sounded like they were just really worried about their friend and his frequent visits to the hospital. It was so dumb to think that it was all over just like that. It would never happen like that. The gate was opened again and their friend was possessed and holy shit did that bring the pressure because Steve feels like he could faint and just stay sleeping because so much was going on.
But instead he found himself at the railroad throwing out pieces of meat and talking to a middle schooler about his new crush that had come to school it sounded like both him and Lucas had liked her and Steve was a little scared to see how that turned out. But he was stressed. So stressed, Steve had been fainting a lot more and it was getting harder to hide when he was around everyone but he managed to keep it down because he didn’t want to scare anyone and there was already so much going on.
He left it alone and he hid when he could to faint and go. Sure it was bad but when the gate finally closed he dropped too and he was glad that he has the excuse of being injured by Billy before and so nobody questioned it.
Ahh, the great year of 1985 when they thought it was finally over there was some secret operation and they had to be the ones to fix it again because nobody else in Hawkins ever does anything and so of course it had to be them. Eddie had worked at the record shop across from Scoops Ahoy, Steve would notice how he looked at him but he was too busy trying and failing to find a girlfriend to do anything about it and on top of that the store didn’t sell any music that Steve listened to and he knew this because he had went in there when it was Eddie’s day off.
No time to ask him anything because he was too busy being slapped around by the Russians for some kind of interrogation that he didn’t really want to remember. The buzzing in his ear ahd went quiet and he did faint a few times in front of Robin but she wrote it off as him being in pain. Apparently Hopper died and Steve didn’t know what to do when he saw the look on El’s face and so he went to her and gave her a hug that she returned easily.
There was a tired smile on her face and Joyce had a haunted look on hers. Then the Byers decided to move, they said that they needed to get away from everything and Steve didn’t blame them, if he had his choice then he would move too but he decided to stay with the kids. Or more like was forced.
And now he was 19 working at Family Video because the mall had been destroyed and they didn’t think they would reopen it after everything that happened down there. There hasn’t been an incident for 9 months, almost a year. It was dumb if Steve to think that it would be over but that large amount of time have them false security, and as usual when these situations happen it makes Steve stressed and he starts to faint more and more but still never around the kids because he was so scared that they would freak out and call the police or something only for him to wake up in the hospital with a bill that he would rather not give to his parents.
They learned about Vecna who so the new monster that was terrorizing the town and oh look at that, he could kill people. Before, with all of the other things from the upside down they were never really conscious, they were more like animals than anything but this was a person who had the ability to kill them and it usually went for people with trauma which all of them have thanks to what happened to them the years before and now Robin and Eddie have gotten pulled into it and Mike is gone which is good because he doesn’t want Mike to get hurt but bad because he can’t keep an eye on him.
He knew that Mike didn’t like him much and he did think that Mike was a little shit but he didn’t want anything to happen to him because even though he was rude he still did care for him. He thanked the heaven above that Will wasn’t there because lord knows he would have been the first target like he always was and Steve didn’t think that the boy could handle any more because he has already been though so much and he hasn’t even seen his 16th birthday yet.
2 days after Vecna was defeated or at least weakened the others came rolling in with a friend called Argyle and apparently they drove all the way from California to get here but not because they thought something was going on, but because they were looking for El who apparent got arrested and detained and they thought she was back in the lap here but they’re so glad that they’re back that they can’t even say anything so everyone is just hugging and kissing and crying and it would all be sweet if Max as awake right now and Lucas wasn’t balling his eyes out at the hospital.
But she did eventually wake up and she had to wear bandages around her eyes because the docters said that there was a very small chance that she would get her vision back and Steve was so excited for her that he almost fainted in front of everyone. They couldn’t find Max’s mom and so she slept over at Steve’s house as did everyone else because they all needed a place to be together without freaking anyone out.
Eddie had some injured but the others got back in time and so he was unconscious but he wasn’t dead. Dustin had been sitting by his side for 8 hours straight, he didn’t get up to eat or go to the bathroom and Steve was concerned but he let Dustin do his thing so that his anxiety was calmed and Steve went about his business.
About a month later everyone is able to sleep in their own houses but that’s not to say that they wouldn’t call in the middle of the night in tears sometimes.
When everything calmed down they decided to have a movie night at the Byer’s old house that Joyce had bought back. Steve managed to hide it for years but now he couldn’t anymore. The stress had calmed a little and he was able to get off with fainting maybe 8 times a week which was good for him considering the 20-30 times a week. But they just happened to be one of those times in the the 8 times a week. He had gotten up to get something to drink because Dustin asked for it and nobody else was getting up and he needed too stretch his legs anyway.
He had made his way to the counter and the next thing he knew he was on the floor. The others had hear a glass break and then a thud and when they looked over Steve was on the ground. “Steve!” Someone paused the movie but Dustin didn’t hear as he ran over to the man on the ground. He managed it sit up but Dustin but his hand son his shoulders anyway. “Are you okay?” Steve seemed to blink for a second before nodding. He knew that he would have to tell them eventually but he was just wondering if eventually would be today.
Turns out it would be the day after when they all start to question him and start to think that he was drunk because of how he was staggering around. “I faint a lot. The docters don’t know what causes it but it just happens. I can usually feel when it’s about to happen so yesterday was a fluke.” They all seemed to accept that but that didn’t stop them from asking questions. “How long has it been happening?” Dustin seemed very serious about it and Steve wasn’t going to deny him some answers. “Since middle school.” People around the room looked at each other. “How come nobody has ever saw you if it’s been going on that long?” Steve shrugged. “Good at hiding it I guess. Most of the time went into the bathroom stall.”
They accepted his answers and he was glad. Maybe this won’t be so bad.