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Bat Out of Hell
Steve was trying to treat this like any other first date. A nice button down shirt, his hair quaffed to perfection and a spritz of cologne. He stood in front of the full length mirror in his bedroom, holding a tie to his top button. He’d never worn a tie on a first date. Sunday dinner at Nancy’s maybe but never on dates. Shaking his head, Steve discarded the tie, throwing it onto his bed before checking the nightstand.
Letting out a puff of breath, he had to get moving. Turning up late wouldn’t be a great start to the night. He’d spend far too long worrying about his appearance, changing his shirt at least three times before settling on the wide collared one with small red dots. That was good enough right? There wasn’t enough time to change now, he had to commit. Nervously checking his hair before leaving, Steve got into his car, sitting there for a few minutes before starting the key.
“It’s just a date. You’ve been on plenty before,” he muttered to himself, trying to build up confidence.
It was agreed that he would do the picking up and drive to the movies. Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, Steve turned on the tape deck to distract his turbulent thoughts. The energetic tones of Duran Duran bounced around the exterior, Steve finding his heart rate increasing as he approached the first destination.
The Forest Hills Trailer park existed in its own little ecosystem away from the rest of Hawkins. Surrounded by thick woodland, it was closed off as if hiding away. Of course, it was designed by the upper classes to remain hidden, no one wanting to be reminded of the poorer parts of town.
Steve rove down to a trailer sitting in a ring of five, Eddie Munson sitting on a bench outside the one he shared with his uncle. Steve swallowed, honking the horn to indicate he was there. Eddie smiled widely, stepping off the bench and swaggering over. He wore a red plaid shirt and jeans absent of any rips which Steve didn’t think he owned. The denim vest was gone but Eddie still donned his usual leather jacket and countless rings.
“Perfect timing, Harrington,” said Eddie, getting into the passenger seat.
“Well, got to get to the showing on time,” he replied, lamely.
Eddie’s face scrunched up, staring at the tape deck. “ Duran Duran ? Man, that is so you. Can we listen to anything good?”
Steve frowned. “Hey, I’m driving so I get to pick the music. When you drive, you can choose Bleak Sabbat or whatever.”
Eddie chuckled, leaning back on his chair. “It’s Black Sabbath , dude.”
“Fine, Black Sabbath ,” Steve answered, tartly.
“You OK?” asked Eddie.
“Yeah. Sorry. Just a little jittery. And I have you judging my music choices,” he replied, joining the main road.
“You nervous, Steve Harrington?” asked Eddie, leaning his elbows on the dashboard.
Steve didn’t look at him. “No… Maybe. Look, I’ve never done this before.”
“This?” asked Eddie, eyebrow quirked.
“You know, go out with a guy,” he muttered, the last five words going real quiet.
Eddie gave a solemn nod. “You could treat me like any girl you went out with before. I could turn around, you could pretend I’m a girl from behind.”
“Dude, shut up,” said Steve, shaking his head.
Eddie cackled, drumming his hands over the dashboard in primal beat, clearly pleased by his teasing. Even if the music wasn’t his type, Eddie still banged his head around, long hair whipping side to side. Steve couldn’t control the smile building, finding the behaviour endearing. He’d been confused for months now since Eddie crashed head into his life.
They butted heads at first. Eddie didn’t really have anything to do with Steve during their time in high school together, moving in different crowds. They both knew each other by reputation; Steve the king of school, the stuck up jock and Eddie, the high school drug dealer who had failed senior year. Charging into the video store, Eddie and Steve sniped at each other at every interaction.
But eventually it turned. Discovering they shared a common link through Dustin, their conversations became more cordial. Steve would ask how school was going whenever Eddie dropped by, helping out with any homework he brought along. Eddie visits became more frequent, sometimes not bothering to look at the video stock. He would sit by the counter, tease and flirt with Steve, coming in like a hurricane and spinning Steve around until he wasn’t sure which way to turn.
The days when Eddie didn’t appear, Steve found himself wallowing in disappointment, wishing to see the idiot metal head again. He lost interest in flirting with girls, wondering what Eddie would think if Steve pursued someone else. A stupid thought. They weren’t dating. Eddie wasn’t interested. They were guys. Steve knew for a fact Eddie had been with girls before, dating Sadie Ryder, a goth girl who was expelled for setting fire to the cheerleaders uniforms. Her parents ended up moving out of town soon afterwards for a new start.
But they flirted, didn’t they? Or was it just a joke between them? Could he be interested in both girls and guys or was Eddie the exception. Steve compared his feelings on how he pursued girls to how he acted around Eddie, noting every move was pretty similar.
Robin might have some insight, being the only person he knew interested in the same sex. He needed someone's help in trying to decipher his complex feelings on whether he wanted to punch or kiss Eddie. He expected Robin to do her usual teasing, mock him in some way. To his surprise, she took the conversation completely seriously, patiently waiting for him to stumble through explaining his current feelings.
“I have been watching you two drooling at each other for weeks now. I am dying to see which one asks who out first,” said Robin, “ask him out.”
“What? No! He’s probably just joking,” protested Steve.
“Only one way to find out,” Robin replied, throwing his advice to her back.
Turns out asking Eddie was more daunting than he thought. Whenever he tried, his mouth would go dry, the words failing to come forth. Eventually, he blurted it out, wondering if they should go to the cinema together. Eddie agreed, cheerily organising the date and time as if he'd been waiting for Steve to ask.
So here they were now, driving to the movie house, Steve panicking as he wondered if he should pull his usual moves. At one point during the drive, he would take one hand off the wheel to place a hand on the girl's leg. If she wasn’t comfortable, he’d retreat and respect any boundary she set. If she didn’t mind, he’d keep his hand on her knee during the drive, going no further. Could he do the same with Eddie?
As he wondered what to do, a blue and red light caught his attention, a cruiser appearing behind them.
“Oh shit,” said Steve, glancing in the car mirror.
“Pfft, don’t worry, man, I don’t have anything on me. I’m not that dumb,” said Eddie, waving his hand dismissively through the air.
Steve clutched the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. “Dude, come on, believe me,” said Eddie, sounding irritated.
“I have a spiked bat in my trunk,” Steve blurted out, the words almost blending together in a rush.
Eddie blinked, expression going blank. “What?”
“And components to make a molotov cocktail,” squeaked Steve, panic growing.
“What? Why do you have those!?” demanded Eddie.
“Just in case!?”
“Just in case of what? A Russian invasion?”
Steve glanced over at Eddie shocked, briefly wondering if he knew about the events that took place over the summer. He quickly realised it was a hyperbolic statement and not Eddie revealing he secretly knew everything about the Upside Down. The siren went off behind them, the cruiser indicating they needed to pull over. He wanted to floor the gas but that was a poor decision he’d never live down.
“Oh, what do I do?” said Steve, panicked.
Eddie placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to pull over. You’re going to be charming. You’re going to keep your shit together. Just act natural.”
“OK, OK, that sounds easy. Why do you make it sound so easy?” questioned Steve, pulling to the side.
“Not my first rodeo, big boy,” replied the metal head, lacing his hands behind his head in a casual pose.
“Of course, I almost forgot who was in my car.”
Steve wound down the window, waiting for the officer to approach. Be charming. He wasn’t doing anything bad. Keeping his hands on the wheel, Steve waited for the cop to reach the window, Eddie staring out his own, disinterested in joining the conversation. He didn’t have the best relationship with the Hawkins Police Department. Officer Callahan bent down, assessing those in the car, his upper lip twitching.
“Is there a problem, officer?” asked Steve, giving his best smile.
Callahan remained stoic. “Just a routine check. Where are you boys heading?”
“The Hawk. Just a couple of… friends going to the movies,” said Steve, trying to keep his voice under control.
Callahan nodded. “Could your friend empty out his pockets?”
Eddie rolled his eyes as if this wasn’t unexpected. “Whatever,” he said.
Reaching into his jeans, Eddie shuffled around awkwardly in the tight space to expose what he carried around. He pulled out his keys, wallet, cigarettes, lighter along with some gum and a guitar pick. Weirdly enough, the last item was a dice that Steve had seen Dustin carry around before. Keeping his pockets out to indicate he didn’t have anything else to show, Eddie waited for the officer's assessment.
Callahan’s eyes shot to the back seat to see it empty. Steve could hear the blood thumping in his ears. He had to keep his breath regulated or it would give the game away. Why was Eddie so calm? If Callahan looked in the trunk, they would be spending the night at the station. He had no way of explaining the bat without lying or coming off as crazy. Lingering by the car, Steve maintained his smile, hoping it looked innocent.
Eventually Callahan slapped the top of the car. “Alright, boys, have a good night.”
Steve released the breath he’d been holding. “You too, sir.”
Walking back to the cruiser, Steve waited for Callahan to pull away first, disappearing down the road and out of sight. Slumping against his car seat in relief, he glanced over at Eddie who pocketed his various items. A gleam sat in his big brown eyes, a mischievous grin on his face.
“Can I see it?” asked Eddie, fingers tapping over his thighs.
“See what?” asked Steve, frowning.
“The bat! I want to see the bat, dumbass!”
“What? No! I’m not getting the bat out.”
Eddie pouted. “Please,” he whined, “Steve the hair Harrington has a bat with nails in it! The King himself! I want to witness it for myself.”
Steve rubbed his eyes. “You’re going to ask the entire night, aren’t you?”
Eddie nodded enthusiastically, bouncing in his seat like a child going to Disneyland. Steve gazed out the window seeking any patience out there. He found none.
“Fine. Fine. You can see it,” he said, pushing open his door.
Eddie shot out his seat, leaving the passenger side door open as he rushed to the trunk, almost becoming tangled in his seatbelt. Unbuckling himself, Steve rolled his eyes. The bat remained in the car as a precaution because he did not want to be caught off guard if freaky stuff happened over town again. It was approaching that time of year again when something came knocking at the door.
Opening up his trunk, the metal mouth creaked, Eddie practically vibrating out of his skin in anticipation. A dusty blanket Steve used on picnics concealed the weapons, a worn plaid that needed to be placed in the trash. Tugging it off, the bat wobbled a little, the nails digging along the carpet beneath its body. Dark stains painted the main body and bent metal nails like demented freckles.
Eddie let out a gasp, hands covering his mouth for a moment. “Can I touch it?” he whispered, eyes lit up.
“For a minute,” said Steve, knowing Eddie wouldn’t let it drop if he refused.
Excited, he slowly lifted up the bat, eyes sparkling as if he’d been handed a grand prize. Taking a step back, Eddie twirled it around, swinging a few times, hearing the bat whoosh through the air.
“Come on, dude, be careful, it’s not a toy,” said Steve, annoyed.
“This is awesome!” said Eddie, jumping from foot to foot.
“OK, you need to put it back before you get an injury,” said Steve, pointing at the trunk.
Eddie obliged, placing the bat back down gently as if it were a new-born.
“This is unexpected and truly one of the coolest things you could have shown me tonight,” he said, his grin wide.
Steve placed the blanket back over the nail bat as if tucking it in. “Are you satisfied now?”
Leaning forward, Eddie planted a kiss on his cheek. “Completely. Come on, we should go before we miss the start of the movie.
Stunned, Steve slowly traced where Eddie’s lips had been with his fingers. A warmth bloomed in his chest, one he felt the first time he kissed Nancy. Closing the trunk, he went back to the driver's seat, starting up the car again. As they drove down the road to main Hawkins, he placed his hand on Eddie’s knee where it stayed until they reached the theatre.