Chapter Text
Steve wakes up sometime around four in the morning when she hears Wayne getting home from work. Eddie is still sleeping soundly, with a gorilla grip on her waist. She carefully slips out of it though, seeing as she works out more than her boyfriend, and moves to greet Wayne. He’s in the living room in his chair when she enters, clearly exhausted from work.
“Hey, Wayne.” Steve gives a small wave, closing Eddie’s bedroom door behind her.
“Nice to see you again, kid. Didn’t wake you up did I?” He asks, taking off his hat while he talks to her.
“I’m a light sleeper.” Steve waves him off, glancing to the kitchen. “Want me to make you anything to eat?”
Wayne chuckles, “Sure.”
“Eggs sound good?” Wayne nods and Steve goes to make Eddie’s uncle a quick meal. They’re both quiet while she makes the food, the only sounds being the pan and Eddie’s light snoring from the other room. Once she’s done making Wayne’s food she heads back to the bedroom, knowing that he’s probably too tired for a conversation.
Steve moves back under the sheets, moving closer to her boyfriend when she accidentally wakes him up.
“Hey, Princess.”
“Hey, moron.” Steve yawns, scooting in to cuddle. Eddie quickly wraps her up in a hug and throws a leg over her.
“Wayne wake you up?” Steve nods, listening to the sound of Eddie’s heartbeat with her ear against his chest. It is steady and loud, reminding her that he’s still alive even if he was temporarily thought to be dead when Dustin found him. She squeezes him tighter, making sure that Eddie isn’t going anywhere soon. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Eddie chuckles.
“Better not be, it’s not even light out.”
“I recall a certain someone driving all the way over here at two in the morning one night because she called and said she wanted to cuddle.”
“That’s not what I said.” Steve grumbles, pinching Eddie’s side for teasing her.
“Right, you wanted me to fuck your brains out.” Steve pinched him again. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop.” He sighs, knowing that the visit he’s mentioning was because Steve was having a meltdown because her parents almost found out about Eddie and her relationship. It was a partially hard night after they heard from their neighbor that she was having a trashy looking boy stay almost every night while they were out of town, not to mention that Mrs. Campbell swore he was supposed to be in jail for murder. Luckily she got off the hook by saying she was mistaken and that she’d been having girls over instead. She’s still not sure her parents believe the lies, but it was enough to get them to at least pretend they do.
“Hey, do you have anything to do today?” Steve asks, reaching up to twirl a strand of her boyfriend’s hair. She wishes hers would be at that length already, but it takes forever to grow for her.
“Why? You want me to fuck your brains out?” Eddie says, teasing her again by squeezing her ass.
“No, I was thinking of something more romantic than that.” She rolls her eyes, still not looking up at Eddie’s face while her hands fidget with his hair. “Like maybe a date at the lake. I could make us some of those tiny sandwiches and we could grab some watermelon?” She asks nervously. It’s rare that they actually get to go on dates so when they do it’s typically at the diner acting like they’re just friends. “No one really goes out there since last year.”
“Uh, yeah. That sounds nice.” Eddie smiles.
Steve and Eddie make it to the Shop’n Save some time after ten in the morning, just as all the rest of Hawkins start the weekend grocery shopping. Steve gets a bit freaked out by the crowd and practically hides in between Eddie, their cart, and whatever side of the isle they’re looking at. It works out pretty well, cornering her safely away from the people around them while Eddie rambles on about an upcoming album release.
“Hey, Eds? Could you grab a bag of apples?” Steve asks, pointing towards the fruit area once they reach open space rather than walled sections of the store. Eddie stops his speech and nods, jogging over to pick a bag while his girlfriend waits by the cart. He’s realized it on many occasions before her hatred for loud and full places, especially when there isn’t alcohol available like the parties she would throw all through high school. Steve gets agitated by the little noises, the squeak of wheels or the rattle of carts moving around her along with chatting yentas making the way through the store together.
He also knows that she likes honey crisp apples because she thinks they’re the prettiest ones they carry in their local markets. Or that she likes baby carrots because they’re cute and new. Or that Steve can’t get enough Kentucky Fried Chicken when she’s too tired and overwhelmed to prepare food for herself.
“Eddie? I thought that was you.” The metal head turns, holding back a look of anguish when he recognizes Mrs. Wheeler and her cart of wonder bread and other preppy mom foods. His run-ins with her since his name was cleared have been brief and painful each time. She so clearly puts on a fake expression that tries to read as happy to see him, but her disgust bleeds out.
“Hey, Mrs. Wheeler.” He says, grabbing Stevie’s apples and hoping she’ll let him go without roping him into something he doesn’t want. Before the whole apocalypse he would have brushed her off, or worse, but now he’s trying to hold the few allies he has in town close. Even if they're just really a neutral, stay at home moms of a kid he hangs out with. “Sorry, I’m in a bit of a rush.” He says, gesturing back to where Steve is staring blankly at the items in their cart, probably already tired from the short excursion.
“Oh, I don’t mean to hold you up. Is that Steve?” She asks, smiling back at the woman and back to Eddie. “Poor thing, he just hasn’t been the same since Nancy broke up with him. I don’t want to pry, but how is he doing?” Eddie tries not to scoff or roll his eyes when she says she’s not trying to pry.
“Steve’s doing pretty good actually. And we still hang out with Nancy all the time.” He says. Which is partially true, though Nancy has been busy lately with her new job. “We were actually about to hang out with a few of our other friends. Doing a picnic lunch at the park.”
“That sounds sweet. It’s nice to see young men like yourselves doing nice things. I could never get Ted to go to picnics with my gal pals and I when we were younger.” She says, her tone getting tired when she mentions Mike and Nancy’s shitty dad. “I hope you’re not too embarrassed to do that for your future girlfriend.” She laughs, not in a mean way but like a teasing mother. Eddie wants to get defensive over the sentiment, but he actually does have a girlfriend and he can’t imagine being too embarrassed to do anything for Steve.
“Nah, never. I’d do anything for her.”
“Oh, you have a girlfriend?” She asks as if surprised she hasn’t heard about this news before, like they’re closer than they are.
“Yeah, Steve and I are supposed to meet her at the park with some of her friends and stuff. We should probably get going, we are running a bit late.” He says, holding up his wrist with his uncle’s old watch, though it’s more for decoration since it doesn’t work at all.
“Of course, dear. You’ll have to tell me more about her when I see you next time.” She says, letting Eddie slip by her. Steve looks up when he tosses the apple in the cart with a defeated look.
“What’s up?”
“Yentas.” He says, subtly motioning back to Mrs. Wheeler in the produce section. Steve chuckles, and rolls her eyes.
“Hey, Mrs. Wheeler! See you next time.” She calls, waving at the big haired mom happily. Eddie gives her a glare. “What? I actually like Mrs. Wheeler. Much better than her husband and son.”
“Oh, ha ha. You’re a yenta, too. Such a gossip.” He sighs, leading Steve towards the check out quickly to not make the woman suspicious about his little white lie. She teases him all the way to the car about how she’s harmless, really. Eddie doesn’t believe her for a second, that’s just what someone would say about Steve. But they haven’t seen her swing that bat of nails around, or get those fierce eyes when someone she cares for even mentions something bad happening.