Chapter Text
Steve reflects on his current situation as he grabs his first box, He’d never really given much thought to what he wanted to do with his life up to this point. Taking life slow would be one of Harrington’s many understatements. He always had something to distract him from the fact that he needed to start living for himself. Whether it was high school football or the group of kids that practically harassed him to go to college in the first place, he came here more to set an example than because he wanted to pursue further education.
Steve then shook his head He’d rather think about the kids than his future or high school (especially high school) Sometimes it feels alien to him, like yesterday he was dropped off to replace King Steve Harrington, or maybe that’s what he told himself to not focus on the fact that he’s washed up: that his glory days were already far behind him. Now he was just a has-been high school jock who rots in a small town, ‘ No ’ even if he didn’t come to college for his own sake he should at least try and make a good life for the sake of the kids and Robin.
Steve shook himself again from his train of thought reminding himself that he needs to be in the present something he often forgets. Robin tells him that he focuses on ‘what he can control and that what he can control is the past’. Steve couldn’t disagree more, the past was like a ghost staring him in the face. Maybe it was the fact he couldn’t control the past that he was so focused on it, or maybe he was wrong and Robin was right, that’s usually how it was.
Steve approached the door box in hand when he realized he left the dorm keys in his car. Steve put the box down and sighed, he tried the door anyway. It was locked. Steve huffed and went back to his car and grabbed the keys and another box. He returned to the door and the first box was missing and the door was open. Steve hoped one of his new roommates had gotten the box.
As Steve walked in he noticed multiple smells mixing,
#1. Bath and Body Works he couldn’t tell which scent to be specific but he knew the smell. Robin always had one lit in her room, she used to love champagne toast but got quickly disgusted with it after smelling it everywhere she went in Hawkins.
#2. Cleaning supplies. The whole kitchen had an almost citrus undertone to it. It was sharp and he knew he’d feel bad muddling its cleanness whenever he needed to eat. It made him think of his mother. When she was home she would bleach every corner of the Harrington household. Steve remembered when he was young he used to get jealous that the house got more attention than he did, so he cleaned the way she liked, but she would just clean it again saying he didn’t know how to do it right.
#3. A faint smell of weed, it was almost old, like it had absorbed into the carpets or the curtains. Steve was never one to smoke weed unless he was stressed, he was more of a smoker like his father, Steve winced at the comparison he quit cold turkey a year ago just because of that fact.
Steve continues towards his room and he sees two twin-sized beds, one side of the room is covered in posters for bands Steve didn’t know, and dark-colored clothes are strung pretty much everywhere, ‘I can see this whole guy's closet’, Steve smiled to himself. The room was a mix of natural scents, to say the least.
Steve placed his box on his twin bed seeing the other box at his feet. He again smiled to himself. He wondered who all of his roommates were going to be. All he knew was it was in an ad for a boy who was going to attend South College Indianapolis. His roommates consisted of Two girls and one boy. He then envisioned what kind of people he hoped they were.
Then he saw Tammy Thompson. Steve didn’t know if he picked up his jaw fast enough before they made eye contact. He knew instantly he would have to call Robin about this as Tammy Thompson became an almost inside joke between him and Robin, Vickie always called him and Robin mean girls and maybe a playful shove to whoever was closer.
“Oh my god”! She shrieked, and her eyes grew big.
“Tammy so good to see you”. Steve didn’t know if he sounded convincing but Tammy seemed to buy it.
Steve studied her, she looked about as washed up as he did. She looked more neat and put together, she was wearing mixtures of white, some almost cream color others were bleach white. He then thought to himself about how he must have looked and then shook the idea from himself entirely.
“What are the chances that this entire dorm is Hawkin hijinks” Tammy laughed dryly.
Steve stood agape, “I’m sorry what”?
Tammy shifted her weight in the doorway, “Oh yeah, it’s you and Munson in here,” Steve’s heart dropped, and then he saw it, he smelt it. He figured it was a Munson type, not the Eddie Munson.
Tammy continued, “And it’s me and Chrissy in there, and let me tell you I love the girl but she can’t go a second without having an apple-scented candle lit”.
Tammy leaned in as if telling Steve a Secret. As if it was gossip and not someone having an affinity with candles, maybe Steve was looking into it too much or maybe Tammy wanted Steve to read between the lines so that she wouldn’t have to claim responsibility when he did find out. He then shook his head.
Tammy frowned before switching to a skipper mood. “I guess I’ll see you around then Steve”! Tammy strolled back to her room.
“Thanks for moving my box”! Steve called at her but she she shut her and Chrissy’s door before responding. Steve went back to his original task of moving boxes to to his half of the room. Steve was a little concerned about sharing a room with Munson. Steve went back to his original task of moving boxes to to his half of the room. Steve was a little concerned about sharing a room with Munson. Steve was hostile in high school and was the very opposite of what Eddie stood for. Steve was the king meanwhile Eddie was the castaway who labeled himself a freak before anyone else could.
Steve was never kind to anyone below him, but he’d grown since then maybe Eddie had too. Then as if summoned Steve made eye contact with Eddie as he picked up his final box. Steve tried to wave but Eddie walked to his dorm. Steve winced he could already feel his application for a new dorm room in his hands. Steve then entered inside the dorms again box in hand Eddie looked visibly pissed off.
Steve tried to not bother him more than his presence already had. He then started organizing his things around the room. He sighed, the was a weight in the air of the room, a tension.
‘ No ’, Steve thought ‘ a history ’.
Steve then began to hook up his computer, and Mundson was going through his pockets until he found a small snack bag with what Steve presumed to be pot. Then as quickly as Mundson came in he left with a grunt. Steve sighed again in temporary relief, he then heard Eddie slam the front door and winced.
“Geez what’s his problem”. A girl asked in the living room.
“Steve moved in”. Tammy responded acting uninterested.
“Oh right! I forgot to tell you guys, he applied to our dorm specifically for our dorm, I figured it was better than a stranger”. She shrugged.
Steve finished plugging in his computer and headed out into the living room. Tammy sat sprawled on the sofa filing her nails and Chrissy Cuningham sat on a lone recliner reading a textbook about child psychology neither of them seemed to mind or care for the other.
Steve then noticed a chalkboard with each house member’s name; excluding Steve’s but there was a blank spot where his name could fit. Under their names, there was a list of household chores. Tammy had just the word kitchen underneath her name. Chrissy had Living room. Eddie had Laundry and Dishes. Steve chuckled and imagined Eddie doing dishes and folding laundry in a 1950’s housewife-style apron. Chrissy then looked up from her textbook and jumped a little.
“Uh- Speak of the devil himself”! Chrissy quickly regained her composure. Steve awkwardly waved.
“As the dorm leader I was waiting on your arrival”! Chrissy said Steve could almost hear her smile in her voice as if she was doing a customer service voice.
“Yeah uh, thanks,” Steve said kicking himself.
“If you have any questions feel free to ask”! Chrissy said enthusiastically.
“Yeah-” Steve paused, “We have chores”? Steve pointed at the chalkboard.
“Yeah! Everyone pays the same amount, everyone has to help keep this place tidy”! She pauses and waits then continues “Steve your job will be trash, dusting, and cleaning the screen door! Chrissy clasps her hands as if to excite Steve.
“Yeah, I can do that”. Steve tries to match her energy but fails. Chrissy nods.
“Well I’ll write your name and chores down later, they’re expected to be done every couple of days. Well trash would be daily”. Chrissy says and Steve nods. “Other rules are kinda common sense, no physical violence, pick up after yourself, stay out of other people's stuff and spaces, etcetera etcetera. I think that’s everything-” Chrissy trails off scrunching her face as if scanning for important details. “Oh! And welcome to the dorm again if you have any questions feel free to ask”!
“No I think I understand”. Steve smiles then heads back to his computer and sat on a couple of sturdy boxes as his computer butted up and then he went into a private chat room.
Steve smiled to himself, for about 2 years he’d been chatting with a random nerd on the internet, steve went to a nerd chat room to look for a gift for Dustin when suddenly this one user with a snake profile told him about some fancy dice that steve thought was outrageously priced, but when Dustin saw them he freaked and was enamored with them. Since then Steve and this guy had been chatting in a private chat room back and forth.
Steve knew next to nothing about the dude but they would just chat about life and bonded over shared experiences of growing up in a small town with small minds. Steve realized that he was overly excited about talking with this guy, he talked to Robin about it and she teased him.
“Oh my, Steve got a boy crush”. She gushed, Steve then threw a pillow at her face and they both laughed, “Steve I think you're just excited to have a guy friend again. I mean you like girls right”?
“Yeah, I mean it doesn’t feel the same but it does feel like a crush”. Steve shrugged.
“Maybe you’re gay, so what”. Robin shrugged back. Steve just kind of sat there.
“I do like girls though, Can’t I like guys too”. Steve wrapped his arms around his legs.
“Who knows, you’re Steve. I don’t care who’re with as long as you're happy and safe”. Robin said swinging herself upside down on the bed her head hanging off so it aligned with Steve
“Thanks, Rob” Steve smiled and relaxed.
“Does this mean you want to go to gay bars because I’ve got bad news for you? There aren’t any even driving distance” Robin laughed.
“God no!” Steve laughed back.
Steve snapped himself back to his computer.
“ Are you up? ” He typed. Steve waited for a minute before he saw Untypicalt66 start to type back
“ Yeah, what's up? ” Steve stared at the response for a moment before typing again.
“ Nothing much just checking in, it was a busy day ” Steve typed
“ Same here ” Untypical66 typed followed by “ Want to talk about it? ”
Steve then laid out his day in broad terms he mostly talked about how he was excited and how his roommates were. They chatted for an hour before the other guy had to go to sleep since he lives in a different time zone than Steve they exchanged goodnights. Steve then turned in for the night being awoken by Eddie a couple of hours later but Steve told himself it wouldn’t be like this every night and went back to sleep.