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Steve had to stifle a laugh as the crew arrived at the local park, a comedic scene awaiting them. They’d been called to a “rescue” as Nancy had kindly worded it, the sarcastic tone that had embellished her voice now starting to make sense.
A large man was draped over the child's swing, a sheepish look on his reddened face as he kicked at the bark beneath his feet. A maze of chains wrapped around the man’s middle, a no doubt painful reminder of the situation he’d somehow found himself in. A small group of children and their particularly unimpressed mothers had gathered at the edge of the playground.
Hopper sighed heavily as he made his way towards the man, followed closely by a chuckling Dmitri, nodding politely at the group as they passed.
“I have twenty dollars on a bachelor party gone wrong,” Eddie wagered as he passed Steve, tapping him lightly on the ass as he passed.
Steve smiled to himself and shook his head, blushing as he drifted to the other side of the truck to help Robin with the medical kit. Mumbling to herself, she didn’t notice Steve round the corner until he tapped her shoulder. She let out a small shriek in surprise, which quickly turned to frustration.
“What absolute idiot gets themselves stuck in a swing in the middle of a children's playground in the middle of the day on a goddamn Sunday?!” She huffed, tucking the medical kit under her arm and blowing a stray piece of hair from her face.
“I think we can safely assume one who is heavily under the influence of alcohol,” Steve answered, motioning towards the man who was now in sight and heaving forcibly into a bucket held under his chin by an unamused Hopper.
“Lucky us,” Robin sneered in the man's direction, sticking her tongue out in mock disgust.
Approaching the man, Steve began to pull on his latex gloves, his enthusiasm lacking much like Robin’s. He knelt next to the swing-clad figure, careful to avoid the overflow of the bucket beside him.
“Sir, I’m just going to check your vitals, that swing looks awful tight around your middle,” Steve explained as he reached towards the man's wrist.
Steve was caught off guard by a swift swat of the man’s arm, causing him to lose his balance and land in the bark with a thud.
“Ah like hell ya are,” the man slurred, a hiccup escaping his throat as he pulled his face from the bucket. “I know yer one of them firefighters from ‘round town.” He buried his face back in the bucket, offering no further explanation.
Steve looked to Hopper from his position in the bark next to the man, with an eyebrow raised in question. Hopper shook his head and frowned, decidedly as lost as Steve.
“That’s right, we’re the Hawkins fire crew. One of your so-called friends called us to help you out of this situation you've found yourself in before they buggered off,” Hopper explained.
“I fuckin’ know that you big,” another hiccup interrupted the man’s insult, “oaf! I don’t want any of yer faggot fire crew touchin’ me.”
Steve froze on the spot, blood running cold through his body . All sensation went from his limbs as his vision started to cloud over. He hadn’t heard that word since the incident in Melvad’s parking lot.
Fucking faggot…you’re dead.
Swallowing back tears and remembering the horror of seeing his boyfriend hit the concrete under heavy blows, Steve stood and stumbled back. He subconsciously reached for Eddie or Robin - anyone who could tether him to the earth beneath him. He collided with a brick wall of strength – Billy.
He steadied Steve before handing him off to Robin and storming towards the man.
Steve watched through blurred vision as Hopper caught Billy with a firm hand on his chest, his face like stone. The pair’s eyes met, a wordless conversation between them before Billy stepped back with a sigh, his fists still clenched and knuckles white with tension.
Still in Robin’s grip, Steve sought Eddie, a wave of concern for his boyfriend engulfing him. Dmitri had a hand on Eddie’s chest, putting himself between the man and Eddie’s fury. Steve could see the tears welling in Eddie’s eyes before he blinked them away, wiping fiercely at his face as he caught Steve’s eye.
Eddie pushed past Dmitri and beelined for Steve, his own hurt forgotten upon seeing Steve’s discomfort. Steve gave him a small warning nod, reminding him of the professional setting they were in, and Eddie settled for a small pat on his shoulder, his eyes longing for more.
A rustle of activity from beside the man pulled Steve's attention reluctantly from the presence of his boyfriend and back to the man still entangled in the swing, Hopper back at his side.
“Well, sir,” Hopper strained through gritted teeth, dusting his hands off and removing his latex gloves slowly, “what do you propose we do about your predicament?”
The man lifted his head, his neck straining at the effort as he scanned the crew in front of him. Raising an acutely unsteady finger, he jabbed it in Robin’s direction. “Her,” he said simply, “she can get me out and check my vitals or what--” another hiccup, “--ever.”
“Oh, Robin?” Hopper smirked and raised his eyebrows in Robin’s direction giving her a wink as he stepped aside dramatically, “if you insist.”
Steve screwed up his face, uncertain of Hopper’s theatrics and concern brewing for his friend. Before he could protest, Robin stepped out from behind him, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and snapping her glove over her hands loudly and with flair.
“Oh sure, Chief,” she said, dragging out her words, “ gladly.”
“’ Atta girl,” mumbled the man.
Robin knelt next to him with a smile on her face as she placed one hand on his back and the other on the pulse point on his wrist. Steve heard Eddie and Billy chuckle from their posts beside him, clearly amused by the circumstances.
“I ought to tell you though, sir,” she started, “my girlfriend is the one who dispatched us to this job.”
Oh. Steve giggled.
The man whipped his head back, disgust painted on his face as he threw his arms in the air in an attempt to get Robin away from him. Luckily, he was too inebriated to move at any speed, and Robin was clear of any flailing hands well before they could do any damage.
“Ah yer a fuckin--” the man paused suddenly, the effort from his flailing catching up to him. Steve could have sworn he saw the man turn green before he heaved and vomited into the bucket with such force it splashed back into his own face.
Hopper shook his head, laughing heartily as he reached for his radio.
“ Yeah, comms, can you get an ambo here, we’ll cut him loose but we sure as hell aren’t transporting him anywhere any time soon.” Hopper said down the radio.
“ Copy, Chief, already on their way, they’re five minutes out.” Nancy responded.
Steve watched as Hopper put the radio back in his hip holster, motioning for Dmitri to get the bolt cutters from the truck to cut the man free. Billy was now at his side, looking down his nose at the man who was now humming to himself as he wiped haphazardly at the vomit down his front.
“Are we really going to cut that asshole out?” Billy asked, turning his attention to the Chief.
“We’ve got a duty of care, Billy,” Hopper nodded, still smiling to himself.
Steve studied the Chief carefully, he could sense Hopper had something else planned for the man, he could see the thought process dancing across his face. Reaching for his radio again, the Chief squatted next to the man, careful not to get in the way of Dmitri who was working rather slowly above him.
“ Nance, while you’re at it can you get Hawkins PD down here too? This... Idiot... Is drunk and extremely disorderly in the middle of a children’s playground and he’s throwing around some colorful language.”
The Chief was smiling to himself, happy with his plan.
Steve could hear the smile in Nancy’s voice as she responded, mirroring the Chief’s. She had clearly picked up on the amusement in the his voice,
“ Oh, happily, Chief, they’ll be right there.”