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Many moons before Steve starts dating Eddie, Wayne Munson enters his life.
The day is a usual one for Steve. After reaching his social peak at sixteen and tumbling down from grace ever since, time moved by in such a way that made Steve feel as if he’s standing in syrup. Everything around him goes by but his own life is slow and stilted, barely shifting and changing despite seconds and minutes and days passing him by.
He’s out early in the morning, contemplating the failure that he is while he tries to run his melancholy away. His shirtless skin is the only thing that makes him visible in the vivid darkness that surrounds 2AM, so Steve isn’t all that surprised when he turns a corner and is lightly clipped by a truck rolling through a stop sign.
The impact his body takes is the most Steve’s felt since a Demogorgon first walked into his life. It’s so jolting and otherwise exciting that Steve can’t find it in himself to be upset. He knows right away that nothing is wrong with him at all – his long legs might be a little sore from the pathetic attempt to catch himself, but that’s a small price to pay. By the time he’s rolled over his shoulder a couple of times, Steve is invigorated.
“Holy shit! I’m so sorry, kid,” Steve’s accidental attacker says. He’s out of his car, looking all around with a panicked expression overtaking his face the second he spots Steve laid out on the ground.
With a blink, Steve does his best to reassure the man – after all, that’s what he’s known for, what he’s good at. As long as everyone else is okay with the situation, Steve is okay, too. “Don’t worry about it. I was obviously in your way.”
The look on the older stranger’s face twists into something that Steve can’t quite place. It makes his stomach knot up and turn, kind of like the times in his youth when his mom screamed his name with distaste from the kitchen. And though he doesn’t get a wallop like his mom always dished out, Steve is certain the man is thinking about the lecture he so desperately wants to give. Instead, he settles on this –
“What are you doing out this early in the morning? You can’t be any older than my nephew, which means you should be at home… tucked into bed, safe and sound.”
Steve can’t help but laugh – it’s hard to remember the last time he’s felt safe… let alone sound or at peace.
“Early morning is the best time of the day for a run. The streets are usually clear, with tonight being an obvious exception,” Steve says, hoping his tone comes off as joking instead of petulant like he’s feeling.
For a second, Steve waits for some sort of fall out, though none comes. The older man shifts on his feet, looking uncomfortable. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Steve. I’m Steve – “
Without thought, Steve sticks out his hand between them, leaving it in the air awkwardly. He’s not all that certain what makes him do such a thing but he’s compelled to, truly unable to stop himself. For whatever reason, Steve feels like he needs this guy’s approval, like it’s important for him to make an impression that isn’t in the shape of his body along the side of the stranger’s truck. Maybe his brains are rattled, or maybe, just maybe, the world is working in his favor for once.
The older man only hesitates for a second before grabbing onto Steve’s hand, shaking it briefly. “Wayne. It’s nice to meet ya.” He waits a beat, then gestures over at his truck with the barest flick of his head. “Why don’t you hop in? I’ll take you to get some breakfast. It’s the least that I can do.”
Steve doesn’t argue or question, he doesn’t worry about the fact that he doesn’t have a shirt or that his knee is cut up to bits from the fall. He simply nods without question and climbs into the passenger side of Wayne’s car. Out of all the outcomes that might’ve come his way, Steve supposes a free plate of pancakes isn’t the worst.
Come to find out, Wayne’s presence in Steve’s life is far from over.
Since that morning, Steve’s taken it upon himself to go back to the diner that Wayne took him to for their amazing bacon whenever he can. He’s not totally sure what makes it so good but it’s absolutely worth the ten minute drive out of town to get it.
Never mind the fact that leaving Hawkins, even if just for a little while, feels like the perfect break from a life that’s still dull and dreary.
Wayne, it seems, holds the same opinion about the diner’s food (and the distance from Hawkins, though it takes Steve years to find that truth out).
They run into each other several mornings over a course of weeks. At first, Wayne pretends he doesn’t even know Steve, that he didn’t run him over or bribe him with breakfast foods. The wave Steve sends his way is resolutely ignored. For two more trips, Steve tries to get his attention to no avail. Yet, the moment Steve steels himself against the disappointment of another adult letting him down, Wayne actually steps up.
He finally invites Steve to join him one Saturday morning, cementing their routine.
From that point on, Steve dedicates the first morning of every weekend to his time with Wayne. As the Saturdays pass, the old man’s frozen exterior thaws into something that’s soft and squishy on the inside and easily pliable when Steve comes from the right angle. In the matter of weeks, Steve knows that Wayne is a factory worker with an adopted nephew and little to no social skills. Throughout all of their conversations, Steve realizes, despite the quiet gruffness, that Wayne is a good person who’s willing to give someone like the former ‘king’ a chance.
They get asked, pretty frequently, if they are father and son. The wait staff is never the same so Steve’s presence in Wayne’s booth is always an exciting topic for whomever takes their order. One ballsy waitress even sounds off, making them both laugh – “it’s so sweet of you to spend time with your dad. Warms my heart.”
Despite the potential for awkwardness, neither Steve nor Wayne worry about correcting the mistake. For what it’s worth, Steve is positive that Wayne’s done more for Steve in their short relationship than his own father throughout the entirety of Steve’s life. DNA doesn’t tie them together but the relationship they nurse is a strong one, one that’s born from communication and Steve’s need to have someone see him.
Things get a little interesting when Eddie comes into his life. At first, Steve isn’t even aware that Eddie is Wayne’s nephew. With everything that’s going on with the Upside Down, it’s an easy mistake to make. When Nancy talks about her interview with a man named Wayne, Steve makes the connection, almost stopping dead in his tracks. All of the sudden, Eddie’s innocence (and what that means for the person he cares so much about) becomes Steve’s mission – it’s vital that Wayne gets to keep the important people in his life.
Steve doesn’t realize that feelings crept into the picture along the way until Eddie is wrapped up in bandages, tucked tightly into the sheets of a cookie-cutter hospital bed. He’s fighting for his life with Wayne by his side. His chest heaves up and down as air fills into his lungs and supplies the rest of his body. It’s a normal thing for a person recovering from near fatal wounds but to Steve, it’s everything.
He's still trying to push away the sight of Eddie’s skin torn to bits. Steve’s heart slams against his chest when the inkling that Eddie still might not make it out on the other side arises. Upon reflection, Steve comes to understand that apprehension as real worry, as gut churning anxiety as the minutes pass and Eddie’s eyes don’t open.
Eventually, Eddie comes back to them. He’s stubborn like his uncle and not at all ready to leave this Earth behind. It’s a relief, both for Wayne and Steve, to see Eddie up and around and very much living.
In fact, it’s such a breath of fresh air that Steve doesn’t waste any time. His usual courtships are done with smoothly spoken words and fancy dates used to impress. Steve is the master of his game, yet shockingly poor at actually feeling the things alive and well in his heart. Maybe that’s because no one ever made him feel so right in his skin. Or maybe, Steve’s just now at the point where he’s recovered from Nancy and ready to genuinely love again.
Unsurprisingly, it takes them no time at all to fall into each other. Eddie is so much like Wayne (with the added bonus of being drop dead gorgeous and cuttingly funny) that Steve is immediately enamored. While there are no fatherly feelings between Steve and Eddie, the familiarity of being around someone he already feels a kinship with is kind of nice.
So nice that dating quickly turns into something very serious. The sort of serious that makes Steve and Eddie get an apartment together long before they’re ready. Struggling to make ends meet isn’t what Steve pictured for his life but he’s living like a pig in shit – happy as can be, despite the fifty hour weeks split between two jobs. Every day he gets to come home to his best guy who greets him with a smile on his face and their next adventure together waiting for them. Even if that’s cooking shitty spaghetti and doing the dishes before they pass out for the night. It’s hard most days but Steve isn’t about to wish his reality away, either. Happiness, he’s found, is worth the price paid.
Years go by and as they do, things get better. Eddie gets a job that he loves (and pays well, too) while Steve continues to crush it at the factory with Wayne. Manual labor is exactly what Steve needs to keep his mind occupied. The added bonus of getting to be with his surrogate father and probable best friend is yummy icing on the cake. Steve’s family, the one he found and put together himself, is flourishing. With a little nourishment, Steve knows they’re only going to get better.
Then, the law catches up and eventually allows them to make things official – Steve and Eddie, unsurprisingly, are first in line to do exactly that. They run away to Maine with Wayne and Robin in tow. They sign some papers and exchange rings and become something in the eyes of the law they’ve been since they first decided to commit to each other. Eddie is Steve’s husband. They finally share the same last name.
So the next time that Steve and Wayne are mistaken for father and son about a year later, Steve gets to joyfully nod his head and proudly say yes to the nosy woman asking. He smiles widely when Wayne wraps an arm around his shoulders and adds his positive confirmation, too.
And despite always feeling like Wayne’s family, like someone who belongs to the Munson name, Steve feels truly complete for the first time… maybe ever. Not only does he have this amazing man that’s excited to love him and make a life together, but Steve’s lucky enough to have a dad who cares about him, too.
Getting hit by Wayne’s truck is the best thing to happen to Steve – he reminds both his dad and husband of that as often as possible. Without that little clip of a Ford’s bumper, Steve might not have the life he loves with his whole heart. Though it’s a running joke to poke fun at Steve’s sappy admission, neither Eddie nor Wayne ever take the truth of the matter for granted.
Fate brought them together.
Their love for each other makes them a family.