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Steve finnly felt good. He hung out with Eddie as much as he possibly could, and even when he did leave Eddie, he was barely ever alone anymore. He’d have sleepovers with Jonathan about a quarter of the time as he had sleepovers with Eddie. When he had sleepovers with Eddie it was usually at Eddie’s trailer but when he had sleepovers with Jonathan it could be at either one of their houses. He also went on fake dates with Chrissy, and real ones with Eddie. He played D&D with Hellfire once a week over the weekend. And they all hung out as a group every Friday, until swim team started and they hung on on Saturdays instead, then switch back to Friday’s when it was over. But, simply put, he was almost always surrounded by people. It was fantastic.
Unfortunately being around Nancy didn’t get any easier but he was getting used to the feeling. Besides they weren’t ever left alone to start up awkward conversations, there were always other people around. He could handle it. Besides, with everything else going so well it was just a balance to the universe, something had to be wrong to keep everything in order. He would be okay.
Around the end of March Jonathan even suggested they join Hellfire’s table for a day. It was fun, they talked a bit about D&D, a bit about music, and a bit about school, including if any of their workloads felt easier with the club, which most did. Jonathan came to the conclusion he couldn’t sit in the cafeteria every day, it was too overwhelming, but he told Hellfire he’d join them once a month, and he stuck with it. Steve liked the days they sat there, since he got to hold Eddie’s hand under the table, but he continued to sit with Jonathan in the hallways the rest of the time.
Steve went to every single one of Corroded Coffin’s shows, sometimes dragging along the others. Chrissy missed a few here and there, Jonathan joined them about once a month, and even Robin tagged along to watch a few shows. The only one who never came with them was Nancy, but Steve was okay with that.
It took Steve two whole months to convince Chrissy to ask out Robin, but it was worth the wait when they finally got together, they were so cute. What wasn’t worth the wait was the double dates they got to go on. He hated waiting for those. But once they were finally dating Steve got to take the four of them out to restraints and the bowling alley and not have to worry about getting hate crimed.
Nancy, however, was somehow still blissfully unaware of either relationship. Which was especially weird since Steve always sat next to Eddie when they all hung out for the club, he even braided his hair sometimes. Plus Chrissy and Robin were almost always holding hands or hugging, or doing their weird excited jumping up and down thing. Chrissy even laid her head in Robin’s lap once while they were watching a movie. Nancy had to be legitimately blind to have not figured it out and yet, on April 19th, with Eddie greeted Steve with a kiss as everyone was walking into his house, Nancy was shocked.
“Happy birthday.” Eddie winked at him when he pulled back.
“How the fuck did you know?” Steve whined. Eddie just shrugged, smirking at him. Of course he wasn’t going to tell him.
“Um, what was that?” Nancy’s asked. Everyone turned to look at her like she was crazy, which only made her confusion grow. Which, in retrospect, Steve could completely understand. However in that moment he did think she was crazy.
“A kiss?” He squinted at her. All he could think then was that she knew what a kiss was, so what was she so confused for? He’d never stopped to think that he hadn’t actually told her he was dating Eddie. Everyone else knew and they acted like boyfriends all the time around her, he just thought she’d figure it out. But when no further explanation came to her she just glared at him.
“Yeah? I know that. Why?”
“Cause he’s my boyfriend and he gets to kiss me?” Steve replied. “Have- have we not kissed in front of you before?”
“No! What do you mean he’s your boyfriend!? How long has that been a thing? And you’re gay!? What? Since when?” She seemed a bit frantic but not angry? He could salvage the situation. Maybe she wasn’t the one and only homophobe of the group.
“Well, firstly, I’m bi, I like guys and girls.” Steve began. “Secondly we’ve been dating since
“What!? How did I miss that?”
“I don’t know, we’ve definitely cuddled a lot in front of you. And Eddie has like 37 different pet names for me.”
“I just thought that’s how you guys were. Wait what about Chrissy!? I thought you two were together?”
“Oh, right, yeah, we’re fake dating to please her parents.” Steve laughed.
“Oh.” Nancy nodded.
“Okay, but you’re, like, not homophobic, right?” Eddie asked.
“No- I- this is- I’m not.” Nancy stuttered.
“Good.” Eddie nodded.
“Yeah, double good, because we would’ve had to, like, fight you if you were, to protect our friends, you know how it is.” Jeff explained. Robin chuckled a bit before slamming a hand over her mouth. Nancy just nodded.
“While we’re doing this whole thing, Robin and I are also dating.” Chrissy explained.
“Why was I the only one who didn’t know this?”
“I don’t know, heteronormativity?” Eddie replied.
“Yeah, probably, I’m sorry.” She sighed.
“Seriously?” The word came out before Steve could even think about it so his eyes widened just as much as Nancy’s. “Sorry. Nevermind.” He turned to Robin, “What were we going to do today?” Thankfully she shot right into her plan for the day and Nancy didn’t ask about Steve’s outburst. No arguments on self care days. It did still piss him off, that she’d apologize for not knowing he and Eddie were dating, but couldn’t apologize for calling their relationship bullshit, continuing to date him when she knew she didn’t love him, or basically cheating on him. But she didn’t need to know that. He wasn’t going to bring it up. He was not going to start an argument.
“You okay.” Eddie bumped his shoulder. Steve nodded. But everyone was staring at him.
“Well, anyway, that was the plan.” Robin continued. Was? Why was? What changed? “But, now that I know it’s Steve’s birthday-” Shit.
“Hey, wait, we don’t need to do anything for that, it’s fine, stick to the old plan.” Steve interrupted.
“Oh right! He said ‘happy birthday’ after he missed you.” Nancy concluded. “Happy birthday.” She smiled at him. Of course he didn’t get an apology for that either. She never even bothered to ask him when his birthday was.
“Well, clearly we need a cake.” Chrissy chimed in. “Ahd happy birthday.”
“We do not need a cake.” Steve assured her. “Seriously, the old plan is just fine.” Not that he was even listening to it.
“Shit.” Jonathan muttered.
“Oh! We could having baking a cake as an activity and then go bowling or to an arcade or something!” Robin shouted. Before Steve could protest against it Jonathan dragged him into his living room. Steve heard the others all start giving ideas too, brainstorming how to decorate the cake and what activities they should do after.
“Are you okay?” Jonathan asked. Steve nodded. “Are you sure?” He nodded again. “Alright.” Jonathan sighed. “Why do you hate your birthday so much?”
“I just- I don’t like to celebrate it so maybe I can forget about it.”
“Why do you want to forget about your birthday?”
“Because they aren’t here.” Steve muttered.
“They? Who- Your parents?”
“Mhm.” Steve nodded.
“Well, that’s their problem. They’re missing out on being able to watch someone as wonderful as you grow up.”
“Thanks.” Steve smiled. “Alright, I can do this.” Steve nodded, more to himself than Jonathan. “I am going to have a great birthday with or without them.”
And he did. He had a fantastic birthday. He got to bake a cake with all his friends and watch them make a total mess of his kitchen knowing at least three of them would help him clean it all up later. They ate they’re surprisingly well done cake given all the times Robin tried to sabotage it, which she insisted were all accidents. And even though Gareth, Grant, and Nancy all had to go home after that the rest of them went bowling, after dropping the others off of course. Steve had a good birthday for the first time since he was ten. He loved how easily his new friends made everything feel better.
The rest of the year went pretty smoothly, minus the fact that Steve couldn’t get into any colleges. As a result of that his dad had called late May to let him know that as soon as he graduated he was cutting him off, no more allowance. Which was fine, Steve applied for a job at the mall and until he got it he ate at the Munson’s so he didn’t have to worry about groceries. He continued to pay for his own gas with his leftover cash from before being cut off until it ran out, but by then he Good afternoon the job so it was okay.
However, since Wayne had figured out what was going on during the three weeks Steve had no income, he insisted on Steve continuing to eat with them even after he had a stable income. Steve agreed because he loved the time he got to spend with Eddie and because it was one less thing for him to have to worry about. He needed gas to chauffeur his kids around after all. Not that they really needed it in the warm weather, especially since Will was finally allowed to ride his bike again. But, just in case they asked, he wanted to be able to.
Eddie managed to graduate from Highschool, and also was not going to college but he wasn’t going because he didn’t want to and didn’t apply, unlike Steve who just couldn’t get in. But it was alright, he didn’t need to let anyone know that until fall, it was still summer, he could have a little fun. He was going to have fun, and he was going to be okay. And even if he wasn’t he had friends to back him up.