Chapter Text
Steve’s first real interaction with Eddie Munson is on a Thursday night in the middle of January when he strolls into Family Video talking animatedly with Dustin, Max and Mike fifteen minutes before closing time. The kids, who Steve has grown to care about deeply after spending more time than he’d like to admit babysitting over the past year or so, are engrossed in whatever it is that Eddie is talking so passionately about. Steve guesses it’s that game Dustin and Mike love so much, although the name seems to escape him in that moment. Dustin and Steve’s eyes meet and a wide smile spreads across Dustin’s face as he wanders over to greet him, slamming his hands down on the desk.
“Steve, hey, buddy!” Dustin says, still smiling wide, this look on his face like he’s about to do or ask something that will piss Steve off.
“Why do you always decide to show up when we’re just about to close?” Steve asks, slightly frustrated knowing they’d probably stay way past the time they should be closed by.
“Nice to see you too, Steve.” Max replies, a slight smirk on her face.
“Well, do you guys want to hurry up and choose something so we can close on time for once?” Steve is tired of their shit tonight, just wants to close up and drive home with Robin for the sleepover they had planned, where they’ll eat cheap mac and cheese and watch whatever movie they find that interests them.
“Is your girlfriend here?” Dustin asks.
“What? Robin is not my girlfriend, dude, how many times do I have to tell you? Robin, come help me out here, please!” He shouts out to the back where Robin was cleaning up.
“Oh my god, why do you always do this?” she asks when she notices Dustin grinning.
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“Steve, I have a question.” Dustin begins.
“I don’t like where this is going.” Steve says, exasperated.
“So I was wondering, we were wondering…” Dustin gestures to himself and Max, and Mike and Eddie who are off to the side looking at horror movies, talking surprisingly quietly to one another. “If you would like to join us for movie night?”
“I’ve got plans, sorry, man.” Steve tells him, trying to let him down gently.
“Well, can you at least give us a ride?”
“Do you want to come over to my house as well?” Steve asks, sarcastically.
“Oh, yeah, that would be great actually.” Dustin agrees, either not picking up on the sarcasm or choosing to ignore it entirely.
“I wasn’t being serious, man. Why can’t Eddie take you to wherever it is you’re going?” Despite not having talked to Eddie yet, he did recognise him from when they were in school together and the times he had dropped Dustin off at his club that the older boy ran.
“His van is broken.”
“Okay, just go pick out a movie.”
“Is that a yes?” he asks, his face lighting up.
“It’s a maybe!” Steve calls after him as he runs off to see Eddie and Mike, Max following closely behind him. Steve turns to face Robin who has been watching their conversation play out.
“Are you okay if they join us for movie night?” he asks her, in some ways a little sad that it might not just be the two of them.
He loves those kids, he truly does, but he has been looking forward to a night with his best friend, just the two of them, all day and wants to make sure she was okay with the change of plans.
“That’s fine, we can do our sleepover another time. We both know you can’t say no to them, anyway.” Robin says with a smile, knowing how much Steve cares about them.
“I know, but can you blame me after what they’ve been through? I like knowing they’re safe.”
“I get it, Steve, I promise.” Robin grabs his hand, gives it a squeeze, because she understands.
They sort out who is doing what for their last tasks of the night, getting it done as quickly as possible, while the kids and Eddie pick out a couple movies, and Steve rings them up. Robin grabs her bag and her jacket, and they close up the shop, before walking over to Steve’s car. Robin gets to ride shotgun like always, while Max, Mike and Eddie sit in the back, with Dustin sitting on the floor near the backseats since there’s not enough seats for everyone and, quite frankly it slipped Steve’s mind - maybe it isn’t the safest but he’s a good driver. Dustin will be fine, he’ll get over it.
While Steve is driving back to his house he hears Dustin talking to Eddie saying something about how he’s glad he finally got the two of them to meet, and how Robin’s cool and that he thinks they’ll be friends. Steve just wants to go to bed.
They get to his house and he stops the car before getting out and walking slowly up the driveway, Eddie at his side now as he throws his house keys to Dustin who is almost at the front door.
“I’m sorry, man, about this. We finished Hellfire really late tonight and Dustin was like ‘let’s go see Steve, you still haven’t met’, so here I am, I guess. If you don’t want us here, I get it, we can go.” Eddie rambles slightly, as they reach the front door.
“No, man, it’s fine, honestly. I wouldn’t have agreed if I wasn’t happy with you guys coming over.” Steve assures him.
The younger teens often came over to Steve’s house, whether that was to watch movies, eat all of his food or to just hangout for a while. They had stayed the night plenty of times before too, especially after everything that had gone down at Starcourt Mall. They were all having nightmares and trying their best to cope with the trauma and the loss; of Billy, no matter how much he was hated - a part of Steve believes he got what was coming to him after the way he treated Max, but he knew that it still must be difficult for her - and El and Will who were now in California, away from them all. Steve hates that they are all so young and have already been through so much, more than anyone should have to go through in a lifetime, never mind at fifteen, it isn’t fair. It keeps him awake at night sometimes, and he’s scared that maybe it wasn’t all over, that bad things would keep happening, that it was all out of their control. He just wishes he could protect them but he can’t, not from everything, no matter how much he wants to. So he does the closest thing to protecting them he can, which is giving them a safe place, something he wishes he had when he was younger. He just wants them to be happy, he’d settle them for them being okay even.
It also helps that his house is practically always empty, making it the perfect place for them to come and go as they please. His parents are never home, his father is always away on business trips and his mother always goes with him. He can count on one hand the times his parents have been home over the past year and although he’s gotten used to this he appreciates the company whenever the kids decide to stay over, more than he knows how to articulate, not that he’d ever tell them that.
“Dustin talks a lot about you, dude.” Eddie tells Steve, following him into his house. “The kid worships you.”
“Yeah?” Steve asks, a small smile on his lips. “He’s a good kid.”
“Yeah, he is.” Eddie agrees, smiling fondly.
“He doesn’t shut up about you either, for the record, he’s always going on about you and your club.”
“Aw, Steve, are you jealous?” Dustin pipes up, making himself comfortable on the couch next to Mike.
“I wasn’t talking to you, dude. I was talking to your new best friend who you wanted me to meet so badly.”
“I think he is jealous.” Mike says unhelpfully, and he hears Eddie let out a small, amused laugh.
“Shut up, Wheeler.” Steve responds, though there isn’t any malice in his voice. “Just put whatever movie you want on, have you guys eaten?”
It turns out they hadn’t eaten yet so Steve goes to order them all pizza. Eddie tags alongside him to go talk to Robin who is in the kitchen helping herself to a drink, already out of her work clothes, dressed in an oversized Hawkins High hoodie that once belonged to Steve and a pair of pyjama shorts that she keeps at his house for when she stays over. Once the pizza is ordered, Steve goes upstairs to get into some clothes that are more comfortable and takes five minutes to himself before going back downstairs to see everyone.
He sits next to Robin on the couch, rests his head on her shoulder, as they all settle down to watch the movie Dustin puts on for them to watch.
“Steve, can we stay over tonight?” Max asks him, fifteen or so minutes into the movie.
“I figured you guys were, already.”
And so that’s what happens. They all, apart from Eddie, have a set of spare clothes at Steve’s house for nights like this one where they end up staying over. They pause the movie and go to change into their bed clothes which consists of sweatpants and old baggy t-shirts or hoodies. No one is sure what belonged to who in the first place. Robin stays downstairs, listening out for the pizza delivery, whilst Steve takes Eddie upstairs to pick out some clothes for the night.
“Taking me up to your bedroom already, Harrington? At least take me out for dinner first.” Eddie remarks jokingly, and Steve knows this, that it’s a joke, but it does something that it definitely shouldn’t to his stomach, makes him a little nervous.
“I mean I am buying you dinner, so I’d say this is fine.” Steve manages to respond as they walk along the upstairs hallway to his room.
“I suppose that’s true, but I’m not letting you pay for it.” Eddie tells him.
“It’s on me.” Steve insists.
They go into his room and Steve opens a drawer in his dresser, one that holds all of his bed t-shirts, and tells Eddie to pick one. Eddie says he doesn’t mind so Steve ends up picking out the first one he sees, a comfy dark blue t-shirt, and hands it to the other boy before finding him some sweatpants. He lets the boy get changed in his room but before he can leave to give him some privacy Eddie speaks up.
“Thanks, dude, for the clothes, and, uh, letting me stay.” It’s something so easy to say but the older boy sounds genuinely grateful, and Steve can’t help but smile.
“Don’t mention it, man.”
Steve closes the door behind him and heads downstairs, joining Robin on the sofa again.
“I like him.” Robin says simply, already decided, and Steve knows she’s referring to Eddie.
Steve thinks he agrees.
The night goes on, the kids call their parents, letting them know whose house they’re staying at. The parents are for the most part always okay about this, trusting Steve, knowing how good he is at looking after them.
They get through the first movie, eating pizza and talking quietly amongst themselves for a good portion of it. They watch most of the second movie too, although towards the end of it Steve notices the kids starting to get tired, yawning and eyes getting heavy. Robin also seems to be getting sleepy, her head resting on Steve’s shoulder and she’s murmuring something to him almost incomprehensible about the movie which he lets out a laugh at.
They decide to call it a night, it’s past one am and the kids have school in the morning. Max is already asleep on the couch and Steve knows she’ll kill him if he wakes her up, so he gets her a blanket and gently drapes it over her. Dustin and Mike are also half asleep now so Steve gets them blankets too.
He tells Eddie he can sleep in one of the guest rooms and shows him to it, lets him know where the bathroom is and that if he needs anything he’ll be in his room, before saying their goodnights. Steve and Robin go to brush their teeth in his en-suite bathroom before also heading to bed, both of them sleeping in Steve’s bed like always, so comfortable with one another.
After Starcourt they spent countless nights with one another as they tried to deal and come to terms with what they saw, what they experienced, knowing they were forever changed. It bonded them in a way that was indescribable. For about two months Robin spent most nights at Steve’s house and it got to the point that they were spending most hours of the day with one another. For the first few nights of this, Robin slept in one of his guest rooms, barely sleeping, completely restless, but after having a severe nightmare one night and going to Steve’s room to find him already awake, they began to share the same bed and that never really stopped. After everything that had happened at the mall; being drugged and tortured by the Russians, them both throwing up while sat on the dirty bathroom floor, Robin coming out to Steve - both still high out of their minds, them sharing the same bed really wasn’t a big deal to either of them.
Robin sleeps on the side closest to the wall so she gets into bed first, getting herself comfortable under his covers, and Steve gets in after her. They talk for a few minutes about their days and the movies they watched, how they’ve both had a good night with Eddie and the kids, who aren’t really kids anymore but they are to them, before deciding to go to sleep.
“Love you, dingus.” Robin tells him, as she often does.
“Love you too, Rob.”
They fall asleep a few minutes later.
---
The next morning comes and Steve hears a faint knock at his bedroom door, pulling him out of sleep. He calls for them to come in and to his surprise it’s Eddie whose hair is a little messy after sleeping, his shirt - Steve’s shirt - is rising up, showing some stomach as he stretches.
“Hey.” Eddie says with a yawn.
“Mornin’, is everything okay?” Steve asks.
“Yeah, um, Dustin was asking if you’d drive us to school?”
“Oh shit, yeah.” Steve looks at the clock, and realises there’s only half an hour before school starts. “Tell them to hurry up if they’re not ready yet. I’ll drive you, just need to get changed and brush my teeth.”
Eddie nods and says thank you before leaving the room to get ready, closing the door behind him. Steve shakes Robin gently, getting her to wake up and get ready for school, knowing she’ll stress about running late if she wakes up any later.
They manage to all be ready within fifteen minutes, giving them enough time to get to school without being late. They all pile into Steve’s car, in the same seats as yesterday, Dustin complaining about being sat on the floor which is fair but Steve thinks it serves him right for the events of last night - coming into his work and inviting himself over to his house.
He pulls up to his former school and stops the car in the parking lot. Dustin opens the door and stumbles out of the car, not waiting a single second for anybody else. Steve tells them all to have a good day at school and the kids thank him for the previous night. Robin leans over to give him a hug, tells him that she loves him before getting out of the car, leaving just him and Eddie.
“Thanks for having me last night, man.” Eddie says, looking over at Steve, still sat in the back of his car.
“It’s fine, you’re welcome any time. I could do with more friends my own age anyway.” Steve tells him, and finds that he means it.
“I hate to break it to you, Steve, but I’m older than you.”
Steve was aware that this was the case, that the older boy had been held back at the end of the school year twice now. Still he knew it wouldn’t hurt to have a new friend closer to his own age than the children he always seemed to be babysitting, not that he minded, but still.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.” Eddie smiles and goes to leave, his hand on the door. “I get why Dustin doesn’t stop talking about you. You seem like a good person, dude. It’s really took me by surprise.”
Steve wants to act shocked that Eddie is surprised by him being a decent person, but he isn’t. He understands why he’s surprised, knowing full well how much of an asshole he used to be, often to people like Eddie who didn’t fit in. If he could he would take it all back, change how he used to be. There’s no excuse for it, although Tommy and Carol definitely brought out the worst in him and some of the things in his own brain and his life at home could be seen as reasons for how he behaved, but no he doesn’t make excuses for it. He knows now that he should’ve known better. He tries everyday to be a better person, and knows that has to count for something. He can’t go back and change things, but at least he’s trying.
Steve doesn’t quite know what to say, if anything he’s surprised that Eddie thinks he’s a good person, so he just smiles and tells him thanks, man. Eddie leaves after that, now running slightly late after talking for too long, but he doesn’t mind. Steve supposes he doesn’t mind either, happy he was able to talk to him for a little while longer. As he drives off, he finds himself thinking he’s glad that Dustin got them to meet one another, thinks that maybe this is the start of something, of a friendship with Eddie Munson of all people.
---
Steve turns out to be right about his friendship with Eddie. After their movie night with Robin, Dustin, Max and Mike, the two start seeing one another a lot more frequently. At first, it’s when Steve picks Dustin or the other kids up from their club - which Steve learns is called Hellfire Club, and Eddie will come out to his car, talk to him for a few minutes. If Steve gets there early, which he sometimes does, he’ll go to the drama room at Hawkins High, where they play their game, and watch them for a bit until they eventually finish up. Eddie is always happy to see him, which continues to surprise Steve every single time but it’s a nice feeling. Steve finds himself looking forward to seeing the older boy whenever Dustin asks him to pick him up and he’s not fully sure why, tells himself he’s just happy that he has a new friend, one his own age.
Steve’s life starts getting busier again. He’s picking up more shifts at Family Video, while his nights are filled with weekly sleepovers with Robin, which he cherishes; occasional dates with girls he doesn’t find himself all that interested in and movie nights which increasingly include Eddie. And he feels like he’s doing okay, the world doesn’t feel like it’s closing in on him as much, he can finally let out the breath he’s been holding in for far too long.
Eddie starts visiting Steve and Robin at Family Video, often with Dustin and Mike and occasionally with Max or Lucas. Recently though he’s been coming in by himself a lot and Steve finds himself really enjoying these visits, feels like he gets to know the other boy well, from his taste in music to the movies he hates to his favourite cereal. Steve enjoys his presence, and the way his face lights up when he talks about the things he’s passionate about; metal music, D&D and Hellfire Club, to name a few. Their interests are not similar in the slightest, but Steve enjoys talking with him nevertheless, finds that their unlikely friendship just works. And he hates, despises that there was a time he put people like Eddie down simply because they didn’t fit in or try to conform, just counted them out, wrote them off.
One night when Eddie stays over at Steve’s house with Robin, they’re sat on the couch talking, a movie playing in the background and Steve looks over at Eddie to find his eyes already on him, a warm smile on his lips, and Steve has this vague thought of I wish I knew you sooner.