Chapter Text
Steve was no stranger to soulmates. Although his parents may not have been meant to be, he knew a lot of people who were. A prime example was Joyce and Hopper. After years and years of knowing one another, they finally realized what was right in front of them.
Soulmates are known in certain ways. A singular word across the skin. The nickname someone's soulmate calls them the most. If your soulmate calls you by that nickname, the words morph into something that corresponds with your soulmate.
Steve’s soul mark was relatively easy to cover, being on his hip. He wore high-waisted jeans most of the time and when he swam for his high school, he wore a patch. Though he loved the idea of soulmates, he had no idea why ‘ princess ’ of all things was the word on his hip. It was such a feminine nickname. It didn’t suit him at all.
And then, the Upside Down happened. He became vulnerable and stopped hanging out with his asshole friends. Started babysitting (mostly against his will but what can he do).
The nickname became his saving grace after his walk through hell. Steve always found himself placing a hand over the word, just to remember that there was someone out there waiting for him.
That got him thinking one night. After his conversation with Robin Buckley in that disgusting bathroom. Steve always thought of someone as a soulmate. Never “she’ll call me princess” or “a girl was waiting for him”. He realized that he wouldn't mind if his soulmate was a boy. And that terrified him.
He remembered what his father drilled into his brain back when he still came around. Steve could hear the slurs and offensive words echoing in his head.
‘Just ignore it, Steve. He doesn't know you.’ he could imagine his soulmate saying. Sure, he had fake conversations with a soulmate he doesn't have. Everyone he knew did that.
“I'm trying. I just don't want to drop the plates” he sometimes heard Robin mumble to the ‘ Songbird ’ on her forearm. “Just need to get this done” Nancy hums to the ‘ Nance ’ on her rib.
Steve knows that Robin hasn't found her soulmate. But Nancy has. In Jonathan. Her soul mark morphed into a camera and it was obvious who her soulmate was. And who was Steve to get in the middle of that?
He loved Nancy. As much as one does when neither of them has found a soulmate just yet. There was this one night when they just sat in Nancy’s room, saying each other’s soul names. But no transformation.
That was fine.
Totally fine.
Eleven, or Jane which she is starting to prefer, had already found her’s. She had two. Both had said ‘ El ’ on her wrist and collarbone. The thing with two soul names was that you must have met both of them for the names to transform. So when her collarbone morphed into a skateboard after Max called her El for the first time, it was obvious that the other had to be part of the party.
That ended up being Lucas. Steve wanted nothing more but to hug Mike when the soul mark on Jane’s wrist formed. Into a basketball. The kid looked so confused. But he congratulated the three of them anyways.
Mike has yet to meet his soulmate. Steve made sure that he knew that was fine.
“You don’t need a soulmate yet, you’re still a kid. They will show up when you need them most”
And holy shit Steve had hoped that was the case. From then, things got worse for the kids. Will and Jane got the most of it. But Jane had her soulmates. Will was a different case.
That was until the ‘mall fire’ at least. There was a boy who ran to the mall just as the ambulances had shown up, his eyes searching. Steve recognized him. Gareth Emerson. He was looking for his friend who worked in the record shop but was turned away when he was informed that the man had taken the day off. Something about his uncle being sick. Crestfallen, he had turned and saw Will wrapped in a blanket.
“You alright there, pretty boy?” Will’s eyes widen before by instinct, he says, “I’ve been better, wanna sit with me handsome?”
And weren’t those just the nicest nicknames that they could’ve gotten? Drumsticks and a wizard hat formed on Will’s shoulder and the back of Gareth’s neck.
Steve was proud of his kids. Of course, he was. With everything they’ve been through, they deserved this, someone to go to when all was said and done. When the nightmares got especially bad. When the monsters under their beds crept up to visit them. More often than not did Steve have to answer late-night walkie-talkie calls, asking to be picked up and dropped at someone’s house.
As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Max was a frequent caller.
“Steve” she would say, the tone of her voice making Steve rush out of bed and fumble to put his shoes on. “On my way Mad Max,” he’s there in record time, probably breaking a few traffic laws. They pick up Lucas on the way but Max always gets the passenger seat, curled up in herself. The only people who really know about Max’s vulnerability were Jane, Lucas, Steve, and Will. The latter knew due to being the one to open the door, with a soft understanding smile.
Robin sleeps in his house, he has plenty of guest rooms. She was there with him now, practically moved in by now. Ever since she came out to her parents, Steve’s welcomed her with open arms, like he had a few months ago. Steve checks on her, only to see her flailing underneath the covers. “Please don’t hit him. Let him go, let him go please” she cries and he knows what it’s about. Russian guards.
He climbs into the bed with her, holding her close. “You’re okay Rob, I’m here. You’re here. We’re both safe.” As safe as they could be. Will and Jane had a hunch about something, which is what they told Steve. They didn’t tell anyone else yet because it might have been nothing. Joyce was going through a lot.
The government was telling her that her soulmate was dead. But she knew better. Joyce’s mark didn’t revert to Hopper’s last words, which is what happens when a soulmate dies. Steve suggested that Jane and Will stay with him. Steve had them during the weekdays when the kids had school and Joyce searched for her soulmate. Looked for any leads. She took breaks on the weekends, spending time with her children.
“After the kids met their soulmates and Hop...disappeared, I just couldn’t move to California like I originally planned. They need each other and I can’t be the one to separate them.” Steve didn’t know whether or not she was speaking from experience or from her heart. Probably both.
So when Jane and Will told him one weekend that their mom went to Russia, he didn’t question it. Knowing that if he knew who his soulmate was and they were taken from him, Steve would do the same.
And then the Upside Down came back. One of the cheerleaders had died in Eddie Munson’s trailer and his kids were telling him that it wasn't his fault. Lillian the poor girl, though Steve remembered her vaguely. The news had said that whoever had done this took another cheerleader as a hostage.
“Lillian was best friends with Chrissy” Robin had mumbled to him as they drove to Reefer Rick’s house. It was their only lead.
It was how Steve became pinned to the boathouse wall with a broken bottle to his neck. A disheveled looking Eddie Munson was at the end of it.
“W-What are you doing here?” was the first thing he had said to him. And as Dustin and Chrissy were trying to stop Eddie from pushing the bottle into his throat, Steve couldn't help but to look at his attacker for the first time.
Not really for the first time but he actually looked at him. Without the asshole friends obscuring his worldview. Without the thought of what his parents would think.
And this guy, who he realized was who his kids were talking about this whole time, was so very pretty.
When Eddie steps away, shakingly going back to Chrissy’s side, Steve does the same, wordlessly going back to Robin. They share a look, Robin’s brows furrowed and Steve hovering a hand over his throat as he thought about how close to death he was there.
‘ I’m fine ’
‘ We’ll talk about it anyways ’
In these silent conversations, Steve couldn't help but to curse up at the universe for making anyone but Robin his soulmate.
Because who could really compare to Robin? His soulmate, whoever they were.
So Chrissy and Eddie explain what had happened. How, when Eddie left to find the drugs, Chrissy helplessly watched as her best friend flew up into the sky. She gripped her leg, eyes brimming with tears as she tried to pull her down. The metalhead rushes out of his room when he hears Chrissy’s pleas for help. For Lillian to come back to her.
He forces her to run. To leave the body there because a disgusting flower dog just showed up and they had to leave . Had to run in order to survive whatever the fuck that was. They went to where Eddie knew they could go. Where no one was going to show up because the owner had been gone for months now.
Not unless someone knew him well enough to go there. In which Dustin and the gang came in.
Steve listens to everyone telling their story, adding a few comments here and there. Even talked about Jane, who was at the Wheeler house with Will. He didn't have any room in his car and he made a mental note that he’d have to get them later.
“We’ll come back, I’m Robin, that’s Steve” he hears his platonic soulmate say and laughs a bit. Robin was adorable, there was no doubt that Eddie and Chrissy knew exactly who they were.
“I know. You play trumpet in band right? A real songbird” Chrissy smiles, and Robin visibly pales at that. “I…yes” she looks to Steve for help but even he can't help with that. But Dustin, the genius, honks the horn of his Beemer. “Our cue to go, be back soon”
And once they get to the Beemer, he and Robin share a look before she pulls up the sleeve of her cardigan for only her and Steve to see. A pair of green and yellow pom poms.
Fuck.