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“And that, brave gentlemen, wraps up tonight's session.”
In Eddie's opinion, tonight's Dungeons and Dragons campaign was one of the better ones he's had in a while, and needless to say his Dungeon Master expertise was on fire. Sure his monster ended up dying in the end but not without a good fight, one that every member of hellfire put their best effort into taking down after much debating and teamwork. And besides, beating their characters to death is never his goal, he's here to bring entertainment in a good and challenging game. Emphasis on the challenging part, he’s not giving their victory that easily.
“I can’t believe we made it out of that one alive,” Mike breathed out with a wide grin on his face, coming down from the high of their victory. They were all packing up now, Eddie putting all his figurines and setup in a box, making sure to take great care as he did so. He was watching the three with a smirk, feeling rather flattered by their indirect praise of his DM abilities. “I thought we were done for.”
“You almost were done for.” Dustin commented while grabbing his things and shoving them into his bag. “The only reason you were still walking by the end of it was thanks to my Nat20 which saved your ass. Which you are welcome for, by the way.”
Eddie saw Mike roll his eyes, but didn’t he seem to take what Henderson was saying to heart. Instead he threw his own backpack over his shoulder and glanced over at Lucas. “Are you good to go?”
“Yep, all set.” he said, slipped his jacket on and had his bag clutched in one hand. “Dustin, you remembered to say we’d be done at 10:00, right?”
“Yeah he said that was fine with him, and besides it’s only,” Dustin looked at his watch, eyes wide as he read the time. “10:21? How did we go overtime? Again!”
“Well that's what happens when you punks are having fun.” Eddie piped in, walking over with his box and keys in hand as he glanced over the three of them. “And what's twenty minutes anyway? Did your parents threaten to make you walk if you went over time?” Eddie hoped that wasn’t the case, it was cold out tonight and he wasn’t sure he liked the idea of any of them walking home alone now, much less their own parents making them do so. He may be cruel to them in their game, but he wouldn’t stoop to that level in real life.
“Nah we're good, we have a ride-”
Dustin was cut off by the sound of the door slamming open, revealing Gareth.
“Bad news, someone's camping out in their car waiting for us.” Gareth announced, looking over at Eddie. The three teens behind him looked confused by the statement but Eddie wasn’t. Bullies waiting to catch them alone wasn’t new to the mettle head, he is the school freak after all.
“Oh joy,” he said sarcastically, already planning out how to get them all into his van safely to avoid a confrontation. Going the long way around the school should do it. Though the last time they had to do that he didn’t have nearly this many people. His mind conjured up a plan like he was planning another DnD session, only this time he couldn’t place the traps where he wanted, they were already set. Instead of showing his jumbled thoughts he put a dramatic voice he had finely tuned throughout his high school years. “And who exactly dared to intrude on Hellfire's big night?”
Gareth stuck his hands in his jean pockets and leaned against the now closed door he barged through. “Well, if the car was anything to go by, Steve Harrington is parked just outside the entrance.”
“Well shit, looks like King Steve is trying to live his high school glory days.” Eddie didn’t know Steve Harrington personally, but knew enough to recognise him as the asshole he was. They never interacted with each other while in high school but that was no surprise, Steve had his crowd of dick heads and shallow teens to hangout with while Eddie was already dubbed the school freak. The guy was always surrounding himself with those who loved to torment Eddie, even if Steve wasn’t there personally for all of it, but that doesn’t mean he hadn’t caught him snickering and whispering when his gang pestered Eddie from afar. Though he had to acknowledge, the guy showing up here was a bit odd considering he graduated, but nevertheless very in character for the ex king of Hawkins high. So trust Eddie when he says Steve is-!
“Oh, Steve’s just here to pick us up.”
-here to what!
Eddie turned back to Dustin, who was the one that broke his train of thought with that comment, sounding a bit too normal about it. As if Dustin hadn’t just said the most mind boggling statement like he was commenting on the weather.
“What?” Eddie asked, absolutely dumbfounded.
Dusting nodded, “Steve said he would drive us home tonight since we were already going to be done pretty late.” Dustin turned his attention back to his two friends. “We should go, he’s probably just been sitting out there this whole time.”
Mike and Lucas hummed in agreement, grabbing the last of their things before heading out. Eddie, managing to make his legs move despite his fried mind, stopped them before they reached the doorway though, holding a hand out in front of Dustin while giving him a weirded out look.
“Why the hell is Steve Harrington of all people driving you three home?” Something just wasn’t adding up for Eddie, it’s a Friday night for christ sake, didn’t the guy have a party or something to get too? Why go out of his way for a bunch of random freshmen? Hell, why go out of his way for anyone here? “How do you even know the guy?”
“Uuhh.” Dustin turned back to his friends for an answer, but they were struggling for an answer just as much as he was, giving nothing but helpless looks in return. “He’s our…um.”
“Friend-”
“-Older brother figure-”
“-Emergency contact?”
Eddie just frowned at them with a raised eyebrow, hardly even hearing the clumsy excuses for answers as they talked over one another. God this just keeps getting weirder by the second, and Eddie wasn’t sure if that made him more annoyed or just more intrigued by it all. Maybe both. He opened his mouth to ask something else, which hopefully they would answer one at a time, but was interrupted by the sound of a car horn honking from outside.
Dustin side stepped Eddie. “Well that's our cue, gotta go” and he hurried out of the room without another word or explanation.
“Thanks again, Eddie,” Mike offered as he hurried past, Lucas following behind with an awkward wave and hurried steps. Eddie only felt more dumbfounded then he was before, he glanced back at the others, who apparently stopped paying attention at some point, with a look of confusion as he gestured to the door the boys had left through. All he got in return were shrugs, they either didn’t know what to make of it or didn’t care to respond. Eddie just sighed and went back to gathering his stuff. It was just a one off thing, he told himself. Nothing to fret over when it probably doesn't even matter in the long run.
****
A few weeks passed without another mention of Harrington, and Eddie had for the most part forgotten that night all together. It had stuck with him for a day or two, part of him wanting to believe he was being pranked or something but then the other half just out right questioning if he heard the little twerps right. Regardless, life went on and so did he.
Tonight was once again another great night of fine gameplay and dice rolling, the party had barely made it out of the monster encounters planned by him. Seeing the group truly come together every session was one of the things that brought joy to Eddie, as hard as life was it was nice seeing them cheer, even over defeating the very monsters he had set in place oh so carefully for them.
Yeah yeah, he had a soft spot for his players, but can you really blame him? Funny little shitheads who have the time of their lives while playing Dungeons and Dragons on a random school night? Call him crazy but it was like looking in a mirror, recalling back when he was younger like them. He had fun, but a small part of him also recalls being heavily bullied just like today, the only difference was he was younger and an easy target. Which is why when they finished up one night and the three were stranded waiting for their ride, he asked if they needed a lift.
Dustin shook his head, “Steve's on his way, we’ll be fine.”
And Eddie highly doubted that. But when he raised an eyebrow in disbelief Dustin rolled his eyes at him and jumped to defend his statement. "Seriously, he is! He's just running a bit late.”
“Probably off flirting with someone and not bothering with the time,” Mike grumbled, leaning against the wall, and Eddie could tell he was trying to look annoyed but there was something else too. Was it embarrassment? Worry? Lucas spoke and pulled his attention away before he could figure it out.
“You know Steve's not like that, man. He wouldn’t just forget about us.” And shit, did Lucas sound so sure of that. Eddie frowned, not liking the idea of kids' hope and trust being crushed because of some jackass abandoning them. He worried the kids were being messed with, that this was all some long term scheme to get them comfortable before pulling the rug right out from under them. Because despite everything they’ve said, he just couldn't believe it.
But a small part of him wanted to believe though, it was just hard to listen to that side of him right now.
Eddie wanted to just get them home before anything happened, but when they insisted that King Steve would be there soon he decided to just wait and see if it actually happened. But he was late. Eddie glanced down at his old watch, 10:32. Very late. They had even ended on time today, Eddie had said bye and was surprised when 15 minutes later when he was coming out with his own bag of stuff, the three of them were just standing here. Was the guy running late or was this abandonment.
He was dead set on the latter, unfortunately.
So you could imagine his surprise when a car suddenly pulled in front of them outside the school, driver side window rolling down to reveal none other than Steve Harrington himself, leaning out of the car as he greeted them.
“Alright let’s get going.”
Dustin was the first to speak, him and the other two picking up their bags and making their way over, leaving Eddie leaning against the school as he watched in pure confusion and disbelief at what was happening.
“Steeeeeeve, why the hell were you so late?”
Steve rolled his eyes and gave a fake apologetic look, placing a mocking hand over his heart. “Well excuse me but I had to pick up Max from the arcade, remember?”
Another window rolled down revealing a red head girl, who Eddie had to assume was Max.
“Of course they forgot, I don't think they were even listening on the drive here,” She said with some aggression, but also a slight smirk.
Lucas looked offended. “We were listening!”
“Right, right, because loudly arguing over each other is listening huh?”
“We weren't loud.”
“No, you were just obnoxious, dumbass.”
“Hey, no need to name call” Steve lightly chastised, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes. “I don’t have the energy to deal with this tonight.”
“Besides,” Mike cut in, ignoring both of their comments. “It wasn’t even an argument. Eddie almost smoked our asses last time and we wanted to make sure we had a strategy for today.” He gestured back towards the DM, who was watching them with silent curiosity throughout the whole interaction. Eddie had half the mind to realize the confusion written all over his face was quite obvious, but honestly he didn't care to hide it as he just stared at the group. Well mostly at Harrington, who was growing more and more… mysterious? No that wasn't the right word Eddie would put to the guy. His mind settled on cryptic, and it fit the situation perfectly in the moment.
And the next thing he knew, Harrington was staring at him, and Eddie felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him.
Instead of being met with who he was sure was the biggest dickhead in Hawkins, right up there with the other self proclaimed elite jackasses who paraded around and fed off of the misery of others, he saw something entirely different. Harrington held a calm and somehow kind expression as he looked over Eddie, eyes searching his face like he was looking for something, or figuring something out. Maybe Steve was remembering the freak and everything he’d done, guessing any moment he’d throw a demeaning comment to brush him aside and that would be that.
Eddie would almost prefer it, after all it was what he knew, what he was used to. He was ready and armed with his usual defense of nonchalance like he didn’t care, because he absolutely didn’t care what others, and especially Steve, had to say about him. But no, instead he was met with a somewhat accepting look as Steve nodded his way, apparently finding, or perhaps not finding, what he was looking for, what he was figuring out about him. And Eddie cursed himself internally. He was more observant than this, able to read others carefully because that is what had gotten him through years of educational torment, it’s how he knew what to do and what to say. At least for the most part. But everything about this, these now somehow even stranger kids and King Steve, had him at a loss for words.
Steve spoke, leaning out the open window of his car, “thanks for waiting here with them, hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
Eddie, stupidly, just nodded back, eyes flicking back and forth as he shoved his hands in his pocket, trying to hide the urge to fidget with the rings on his fingers. He fought for a cool response, “yeah-yeah um it was no problem, really. I didn’t mind.” He cleared his throat and tried to throw in something other than his horrible nerves into the conversation, not wanting to show that anything was off about himself at the moment. “Didn’t want these trouble makers having too much fun without me, you know?”
Steve huffed a laugh and looked like he was about to agree, or at least Eddie hoped he was, before Dustin yelled from the back seat, already buckled and impatient as ever, which was nothing new.
“Can we go now?”
Steve rolled his eyes at the kid and looked back at Eddie, giving a smile that Eddie could almost describe as charming. “Hope you gave them hell tonight, Munson.”
And oh boy, did that nearly shatter his entire view of the guy. Not only did Steve know his name, last name to be exact, but also knew he was running the DnD campaign tonight, meaning one of these little suckers had spoken about him to the guy. And apparently Steve listened.
He could feel his stomach swoosh in an odd way, like butterflies were fluttering inside him with no sign of stopping. He tried to ignore it. Cause nope, nope, he's not going to be “wooed” so easily, the man was an ass in the past and has given no reason to be different today. This was just one moment against many.
Now if only his brain could realize that, cause him was racing at this new Steve in front of him. Eddie managed to play it cool however.
“Always do, Harrington.” Steve seemed to like that response, and another small breath of laughter left him as he smiled, shaking his head almost fondly as he glanced back inside the car.
“Good, these shitheads don’t need a bigger ego than they already have.” The sound of protest erupted from the car and Eddie couldn't help but laugh with Steve from the reaction, finding his smile growing without his knowing. Steve looked back and gave a small wave goodbye. “Have a goodnight.”
“Yeah. you too.” Was all he could say.
And with that Steve rolled the window back up and almost immediately turned back to the three boys behind him, telling them something like a parent bugging their kids to put their seatbelt on, or asking if they had everything. Eddie couldn't help but think it was kind of nice, seeing a different side of Steve then he was used to. Maybe he was just seeing things, Steve Harrington mothering them like it was second nature was not something he would associate with the guy.
Then again he didn’t even think the man would pick the damn kids up to begin with. Maybe he had to rethink a lot of the things.
He breathed in deeply as the smile continued to stay on his face, because of Steve Harrington of all people. He let out a warm whisper, "you too, Harrington.”