Chapter Text
“Steve!” Max’s voice bellowed as she pounded at his front door. “I know you’re in there!”
Robin stood across from Steve in the kitchen, tiredly sipping from her way-too-sugary coffee. “You gonna get that, dingus?”
Groaning, Steve shot Robin an eye roll before heading towards the noise. “Jesus, Mayfield, you’re going to knock my damn door down,” he groused as he opened the door. Max glared up at him unimpressed before sweeping past, El entering slowly after her.
“Good morning, Steve.”
“Hi El,” Steve sighed. (At least one of these kids was polite.) “Hey, are you doing okay? Mike was being a real shithead yesterday.”
“I am okay,” El nodded serenely. “Boys are dumb. I am glad I am dating Max.”
“You can say that again,” Steve snorted.
“Boys are dumb,” El repeated before smiling widely. “Hop is glad I am dating Max too.”
“I’m sure he is,” Steve muttered under his breath as El headed towards the kitchen. And speaking of Max -
“Steve, pancake time!” She hollered from the kitchen.
He let out a beleaguered sigh before following after the girls. “Coming!”
/////
“Mike is dead to me.” Max announced after totally demolishing a plate of chocolate-chip and syrup laden pancakes. “He’s – he’s - ”
“A total butthead,” Robin nodded in agreement. “What he said was, like, the furthest thing from okay. And the way he acted? Just because he met El first doesn’t mean he owns her. Or any girl, for that matter!”
“Yeah,” Steve sighed, running his hands through his bedhead. “He’s – look, he’s kind of a total butthead, but he’s not all bad. He’s like Nance - when the people he likes are hurt he gets angry.”
“That doesn’t mean he can treat people the way he did, though,” Robin countered.
“No, I agree, kid was way out of line. But you should let him apologize if he tries. But make him work for it, you know?”
Max groaned loudly at Steve’s pronouncement, but after shooting a look at El she settled down somewhat. “Fine. I’ll let him apologize.”
“Good.”
“But I reserve the right to kick him the balls if he starts that shit again.”
“Max!” El gasped in shock.
“Oh, duh.”
“Completely fair,” Steve and Robin said at almost the same time. He turned to face his platonic soulmate who crinkled her nose before laughing.
“Great minds, huh?”
“Well, my mind is great - ”
“Watch it Buckley, I’m the one with the coffee machine,” Steve teased back.
“ – hey, I’ve always said you’re our generation’s Albert Einstein!” Robin grinned before waving her empty coffee mug towards Steve. “And speaking of Einstein and his theory of relativity, would you make me another cup from your relatively expensive espresso machine?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Steve rolled his eyes, but he gathered Robin’s empty cup and headed towards the coffeemaker all the same.
“Anyways, if you’re looking for ways to make Wheeler grovel, Steve and I are more than happy to help,” Robin turned back to address Max. “Like he gives you all his quarters for the arcade or something.”
“Ooh!” Max sat up, her eyes shining with possibility. “Or he gives us his allowance for the rest of the year!”
“Max, that is not why we are here,” El spoke, laying a comforting hand on Max’s arm. “We are here for Steve.”
“For Steve?” Robin asked.
“Yes. We wanted to see that Steve is okay.”
Steve was halfway through refilling the pot with new grounds when El spoke. Aw, shit. “I’m okay,” Steve said, pouring the rest of the grounds into the clean filter and pressing the on switch.
“Oh, really? So you didn’t run away in the middle of our session yesterday?”
“Max,” Robin hissed in admonishment, “not cool.”
Steve pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “No, no, she’s right,” he murmured, turning around to face the girls once again. “I’m not okay. But I will be,” he said, cutting off any exclamation from Max. “This is just something I gotta get past.”
“Hmph.” Max slumped back in her chair, an angry flush on her pale face. “We should key Eddie’s van.”
“Ooh, or slash his tires!” Robin chimed in. “Or we could steal the strings off his guitar!”
“Better yet, we steal his guitar! Ugh, he plays it until one in the morning, like, every night,” Max complained.
“No, no, no,” Steve ordered, his hands dropping to his hips. “We are not keying Eddie’s van or slashing his tires or messing with his guitar, okay?”
“But he hurt you!”
“I know, but I don’t want to hurt him,” Steve sighed. “It sucks, Max, it really does, but I still care about him. And it’s not his fault that he doesn’t feel the same about me. It happens. I’ll get over it.”
El squeezed Max’s arm. “You are good, Steve,” she said with a sad smile. “We will be nice.”
“Ugh, fine,” Max agreed with an eye roll. “But if you change your mind - ”
“I’ll call you first. Thanks, Mayfield.”
“Whatever,” Max snorted, but even she couldn’t hide the smile on her face.
“Okay, enough about Steve,” Robin interrupted with a grin. “Who officially asked who out?” She pointed between the two girls, both of whom flushed bright red and began to laughingly argue about who made the first move.
Robin shot a wink at Steve over the tops of the girls’ heads, as if to say I got you, dingus.
Steve nodded back. I know.
Smiling, she turned her attention back to the girls. Steve just stood and relished in the sound of three of his favorite people being happy.
/////
The week that followed was strangely quiet. He shepherded Robin around to and from school, he worked his shifts at Family Video, he handed out the last of his quarters to Max and El (who stopped by after school on Monday and hadn’t been seen since). And sure, things had certainly been quiet in the aftermath of Steve’s expulsion from Hellfire, but it hadn’t been this quiet.
“Maybe it’s really over, you know? I just thought that Dustin would have stopped by or something,” Steve said to Robin on Friday during their closing shift. “Or maybe he’s waiting for me to call him?”
“I don’t know, dingus,” Robin said noncommittally, her attention focused on the copy of Seventeen in front of her. (That was another thing, Robin was acting super weird too. She’d seemed distracted the last few days and now she was reading Seventeen? Nope, no way, she was definitely hiding something.) “You’re still planning on going to Will’s tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah?” Steve frowned, hitting rewind on the copy of The Last Unicorn that Karen Wheeler had just dropped off. “Why, did Will cancel or something?”
“What? No, no, I’m just checking,” Robin replied quickly, glancing up to look at Steve before burying her face back in her magazine.
“Uh huh,” Steve crossed his arms across his chest. “What’s going on, Robin?”
“Huh, what? Nothing, nothing’s going on!”
“Uh huh,” Steve hummed again. “Which is why you’re reading Seventeen – which you hate, by the way – instead of talking to me about, you know, anything?”
Robin winced before setting the magazine on the counter. “Steve - ”
“Did – did I do something? Is there something we need to talk about? I - ”
“No! No, no, no,” Robin rushed out, practically leaping over the counter to grab at Steve. “No, I’m okay, we’re okay, I’m just a little stressed about school and stuff and I want to talk to you about it but I’m not ready to but I will, I promise, I just need some time to - ”
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, Rob, we’re okay,” Steve replied, grabbing hold of Robin by the shoulders and squeezing until she stopped talking. “Whatever you’re worried about, I’m here to listen when you’re ready.”
“I know, dingus,” Robin said softly, and then she leaned across the counter and pulled Steve into a hug. “I love you.”
“Love you too, birdie,” Steve murmured, giving Robin one last squeeze before letting her go. “You still need a ride to the Byers’ tomorrow?”
She had, in fact, needed a ride to the Byers’ place, so when Steve dropped her off at home later that night he made her swear that she’d be ready to go at nine, which is why he was a little peeved the next morning when -
"Robs, it's 9:30!” Steve exclaimed when Robin finally slid into the car. “We’re going to be so late!”
“Hey, people who don’t menstruate don’t get to judge people that do,” Robin huffed haughtily. “Besides, I made you coffee.”
Grumbling, Steve snatched the traveling mug out of her hands and took a large sip. “Ugh, how much sugar did you put in this?”
“Hardly any,” she said, swiping the cup and taking her own large sip. “Seriously, how do you drink this, it’s so bitter.”
“Hey, just because I don’t add enough sugar to give Dustin cavities in all his brand new teeth - ”
“BLECH, ew, why did you have to say that?!”
“ – doesn’t mean that it’s not still way too much, Robs!”
“Ugh, god, how did I ever think you actually had good taste?”
“Uh, okay Mrs. Tammy Thompson - ”
“OH MY GOD, STEVE, LET IT GO!”
They continued to squabble for the rest of the drive. “And if anyone gives us shit for being late, I’m gonna say it’s your fault,” Steve scolded as he pulled into the driveway.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Robin waved at Steve before opening the door and hopping out before he’d even come to a stop.
“Jesus Christ, Robin, can you at least wait until I’ve parked the car?!” Steve yelled out the still-open door, throwing the car into park and turning off the ignition.
“Oh my god, calm down, dingus, I’m fine!”
“Are you serious, that’s not the point! The point is - ”
“Hey, morons!” Erica Sinclair yelled from the Byers’ porch. “Save your fighting for the wargs and get your asses in gear!”
“Language!” Robin and Steve yelped in unison. Erica just rolled her eyes at them, turning and strutting into the Byers’ house like a woman on a mission.
“Geez, kids these days,” Steve muttered under his breath.
“It’s her attitude, right?”
“Her and Henderson. God, they’re the worst.”
“Tell me about it,” Robin whispered as they climbed the porch steps.
“What did I say?” Erica poked her head out of the screen door and fixed them with a glare. “Get a move on!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Steve rolled his eyes, following Robin into the Byers’ home. “Sorry we’re late, guys,” he greeted the others, all of whom were lounging around the living room. “Someone overslept.”
“Yeah, well, someone is going to get an arrow to the ass if they don’t stop complaining about it - ”
“Hey, it’s cool, man,” Jonathan said, head on Argyle’s thigh. The pair were slumped on the floor by the couch, staring blearily at the ceiling. “We’ve got all day.”
“Besides, El’s nails are still drying,” Max said from her spot next to El before gently blowing on El’s hand.
El blushed happily before turning to smile at Steve and Robin. “Max painted them blue.”
“They look great!” Robin cooed. “Me next, me next!”
“Rob, seriously?” Steve sighed. She ignored him and ran over to join the girls because of course she did, and he was about ready to scold again when Nancy appeared and pressed a mug of hot coffee into his hands.
“Relax, Steve. Besides, Will still needs some time to get set-up,” she chided gently.
“Yeah. Yeah, okay, sorry Nance,” Steve exhaled. “I guess I’m just a little tense after last week.”
“I get it,” Nancy replied softly. “And I’m sorry about Mike.”
“Hey, no, that’s not your fault.”
“Maybe not, but he’s still my brother, and he’s been so angry recently and I haven’t been there to help. I need to do a better job.”
“Look, he’s a kid but he makes his own choices, you know? And besides, he doesn’t have to like me.”
“No, but he has to be nice,” she replied sharply. “And not just to you, to everyone. We’re going to be having a long talk in the future, that’s for sure.”
“Ooh, scary,” Steve teased, which finally got Nancy to laugh. “Just don’t go too hard on him, Wheeler.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Harrington.”
“Please,” Steve snorted, “as if you’d ever let me.”
They both fell silent at that, the mood growing a bit somber. Nancy took a deep breath before wrapping her arm around Steve. “You aren’t bullshit, by the way.”
“I – what?” Steve swallowed around the lump in his throat.
“I just – I don’t think I ever said that, after Halloween. And you – you’re a good guy, Steve. A great guy,” she said quietly, but with that trademark Wheeler intensity in her eyes. “And you deserve to be loved as much as you love everyone else and more.”
Shit, were his eyes watering? “Thank – thank you, Nance,” Steve stuttered, wiping quickly at his eyes. “That, uh, that means a lot.”
“Of course,” Nancy murmured, and the pair just stood there quietly until Will announced he was ready.
They picked back up right where they’d left off, fighting a group of wargs and wolves. It took a surprisingly long amount of time, mainly because everyone rolled pretty poorly, and after about forty-five minutes of combat the party finally finished the last of the creatures off.
“As the final wolf breathes its last breath, you see a tall figure emerge out of the shadows. He is at least seven-feet-tall with short black hair, woven around a crown made of dark metal. He is dressed only in a leather kilt, and the heads of his latest kills are swung across his shoulders.” Will paused for a moment before straightening up further and turning to face Steve. “I have waited many years for you, my love.”
“Whoa, shit,” Argyle whispered across from Steve.
“I – uh, do I know you?” Steve asked, shooting a quick look at Robin.
“You will soon,” Not-Will smirked. “I am Graz’zt, the Shadow King, and I have come to ask for your hand.”
“Seriously?!” Robin exclaimed. “How come Steve gets a husband before I get a wife?!”
“Robin,” Nancy hissed next to her, but Robin ignored her and slumped down in her chair.
“That is so unfair,” Robin muttered under her breath. “I was gay first.”
“As I was saying,” Will-as-Graz’zt continued, “from the moment I first scryed you, I knew in my deepest bones that you must be mine.” He held out his hand. “Take your place at my side, and all that I have shall be yours.”
“Do it!” Erica hissed next to Steve. “We need his armies if we’re going to defeat Strahd.”
“Yeah, with the power of love.”
(Steve was a little worried about the eye twitch Erica was developing whenever Argyle opened his mouth.)
“Well, Sir Stefan, what do you say? Will you be my immortal love?”
“I - ”
“Not so fast, demon prince!” A new voice rang out. A voice Steve recognized. A voice he hadn’t heard at a table in weeks. He whirled around to face the door and –
Eddie, dressed in a black silk shirt and ripped black jeans. Eddie, whose eyes flickered nervously around the room before landing on Steve. Eddie, who held something behind his back that Steve couldn’t see.
“I – what?” Steve asked faintly, his eyes quickly darting around before landing back on Eddie. “I - ”
“Who dares to intrude upon my lands?” Will-as-Graz’zt glared at Eddie.
“Eddie, go!” Steve heard Dustin hiss from behind the door and – yep, sure enough, there were the Hellfire boys, all peeking out from behind the doorframe and into the room.
“Graz’zt plays the fool,” Eddie began softly. His eyes flickered over to Steve, and as they looked at each other, his voice seemed to gain strength. “Graz’zt knows the face of his brother. Graz’zt knows Orcus the Demon Lord.”
“HOLY SHIT!”
“Language, Max!”
“Wait, who?”
“You speak true,” Will-as-Graz’zt frowned in disdain. “I had just hoped my eyes were indeed mistaken. But you did not answer my question: what are you doing here?”
“Orcus is not here for you,” Eddie said, his eyes still locked onto Steve. “Orcus is here for his beloved.”
“You dare - ”
“Silence!” Eddie hollered, and with that he took a small step towards Steve. “Orcus would ask that Sir Stefan hear his plea.”
Silence. Steve quickly looked around the room at this friends. Robin looked nervous, gnawing on her lip as she glanced between him and Eddie. Max was just glaring at Eddie while El looked at him with polite interest. Erica was scowling, but that wasn’t really much of a change, and Jon was looking between Eddie and Argyle, who just looked confused. Nancy, though?
Nancy was looking at Steve. And when she nodded at him, it was as soft as her smile.
“Orcus,” Steve started slowly. He cleared his throat before turning back to Eddie. “What is your plea?”
“I – Orcus,” Eddie corrected quickly, “Orcus has prepared a speech. But, uh, Orcus is realizing his speech isn’t good. Uh, good enough. Because Orcus – shit, why did I make him talk in third person,” Eddie muttered almost to himself.
(Steve was barely able to suppress his smile.)
“Because Orcus made an awful, terrible mistake when he let Sir Stefan go. Because Orcus – Orcus doesn’t really know how to trust anyone. Most people look at Orcus and they only see the, uh, monster. The freak,” Eddie continued, and Steve knew that it wasn’t just Orcus talking now, just like it hadn’t been Sir Stefan back then. “And in the past, when Orcus has met people who said that they saw him, they didn’t. And they didn’t stay. And, so, it’s easier for Orcus to believe the worst, because who would – who could – possibly want this, especially someone as handsome and perfect as Sir Stefan the Brave?”
Eddie. Steve felt his heart break all over again, but it wasn’t for him this time, it was for the awkward, nerdy guy standing in front of him. And fuck if it didn’t make total sense. Of course he wouldn’t be the only one dragging some luggage full of bullshit behind him; Eddie’d hurt him, sure, but how many times had he inadvertently hurt Eddie or someone like him because he was too caught up in his own shit? And sure, he’d made the first move, but he hadn’t fought for it, for them, why would Eddie think otherwise?
Shit. “Eddie - ”
“Uh, there’s no Eddie here, just Orcus the Demon Lord, and he’s not done yet,” Eddie jumped in with a nervous laugh. “Anyways, uh, Orcus let his fears get the best of him, and instead of talking with Sir Stefan, he just ran away. But running didn’t make it hurt less, it made it hurt more. And it hurt Sir Stefan, too, and that maybe hurts the worst of all.
“Orcus would understand if Sir Stefan does not forgive him,” Eddie spoke a little softer, his eyes finally darting away from Steve. “But Orcus would not forgive himself if he – if he did not try. So, uh, Orcus would like to ask Sir Stefan for another chance, both in his crusade against the great Strahd von Zarovich, and, uh, maybe next Friday? Orcus heard that The Hawk is showing Clue and that it’s supposed to be good. And there’s a diner nearby for after, if – if Sir Stefan would like,” Eddie finished quietly, and then he shakily moved his hands from behind his back and –
Roses.
He'd brought Steve a bouquet of white roses.
Robin gasped loudly from across the table, but Steve couldn’t be distracted; nothing, not even a Demogorgon, would have drawn Steve’s attention away from Eddie, whose eyes were fixed on the ground but whose hand was stretched out in front of him, towards Steve.
And.
Well.
There was only one way this was only going to play out.
Steve raced forward, snatched the bouquet out of Eddie’s hand, and pulled the other man into his arms. “Yes,” Steve murmured into Eddie’s hair, his free hand rubbing Eddie’s back. “Yes.”
“To – to what?” Eddie asked into Steve’s shoulder.
“To all of it. But you have to let me pay for dinner.”
Eddie snorted, and his tense form seemed to melt into Steve’s arms. “I don’t have to let you do anything, Harrington.”
“Eddie,” Steve said, pulling back and tipping Eddie’s chin up so they were looking directly at each other. “Call me Steve.”
“Steve,” Eddie murmured, and his smile grew as bright as his eyes. He shook his head with a watery chuckle, and then Eddie was throwing his arms around Steve and wrapping him in a giant hug to the cheers of everyone in and outside the room.
“ – I told you, I knew he’d say yes!”
“ – we all did, Dustin - ”
“ – just Mike - ”
“ – yeah, well, Mike’s an idiot - ”
“ – shut up, Lucas - ”
“ – dingus, oh my god, I’m so proud and I’m so mad, how did you get a boyfriend first?!”
“ – well, we could maybe go to the movie on Saturday, if you’d like?”
“ – I – uh, yeah, yes, we should, we totally should, Steve, STEVE, NANCY JUST ASKED ME OUT – ”
“ – very sweet - ”
“ – you’re very sweet - ”
“ – playing with Hellfire again, because this Abyss run has sucked - ”
“I am really sorry though, for what it’s worth,” Eddie said to Steve as chaos reigned around them. “I should have just talked to you.”
“Well, yeah, but I could have too, and I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t mean it.”
“No, you didn’t, it’s just my own bullshit, you know?” Eddie laughed harshly.
“Hey, it’s not bullshit,” Steve said softly, tightening his grip on the other man. “You’re not bullshit. The only thing that’s bullshit is that other people have treated you that way.”
“Steve.”
“But I’m not going to,” Steve continued firmly. “And the next time we disagree on something, I’m not going to let you run away. You’re stuck with me now, Munson.”
“Steve,” Eddie said with a watery smile, “call me Eddie.”
“Eddie,” Steve smiled back. He leaned his forehead against Eddie’s and ran his free hand up and down his back. “Eddie.”
“Steve.”
Steve could have stayed in that moment forever, wrapped up in Eddie, surrounded by all of their friends and friends who felt like family.
But, of course, his kids had to interrupt.
“Well, this is great and all, but I think you guys have a Shadow King to fight,” he heard Dustin chirp.
“Indeed,” Will said in his Graz’zt voice, “for if I cannot have Sir Stefan, neither can you.”
“Oh, it’s on, Byers!” Eddie peeled himself out of Steve’s arms and reached for his free hand instead. “Come, Sir Stefan, Orcus wants to kick some demon butt.”
Steve just laughed and followed Eddie towards the table, knowing that he’d follow Eddie anywhere.
Three Months Later
“Smurfette, how do you want to do this?”
Whooping loudly, Argyle knelt on the ground in front of Jonathan (who had graciously agreed to retire Jon the Just and play the part of Strahd von Zarovich instead, since the Hellfire guys had thrown a fit and now everyone was playing D&D with the world’s biggest party every Saturday in the Byers’ basement).
“Strahd, from the moment I laid eyes on you, I just knew you were meant to be my dude,” Argyle-as-Smurfette began. “You listen to the greatest tunes, you can roll the sickest joints - ”
“Seriously?!” Erica hissed before being promptly shushed by Mike and Lucas.
“ – and I just know that our future kids are gonna have the best hair, Byers,” Argyle continued, oblivious to the bright red flush on Jonathan’s face.
“Argyle, we can’t have kids,” Jonathan said, breaking character.
Argyle just laughed. “We’ll see, man.”
Steve felt Eddie lean onto his shoulder. “Did that sound like a threat to you, or - ”
“Hey, I think it’s sweet.”
“Yeah,” Eddie sighed, watching as Argyle swept Jonathan into a passionate kiss to the cheers of the rest of group. “Kind of stings, though.”
“Why?” Steve frowned, turning to face Eddie.
Eddie didn’t meet his gaze, he just shrugged as he watched the scene in front of them. “That should have been us, you know? That should have been our story, instead of me almost fucking it up so badly that I lost you forever.”
“Hey,” Steve chided, nudging Eddie’s shoulder with his own. “I like our story.”
“Seriously?” Eddie asked doubtfully, turning to look at Steve. “You mean that?”
“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “I mean, you won my hand by right of combat against my ex-fiancee.”
Eddie blinked in confusion. “I - are you talking about when Orcus beat Graz’zt with only three health points left?”
“No, dude, you had four health points left, El’s spell was still active.”
Eddie’s confusion melted into a wide grin as he laughed, pressing a flurry of kisses all over Steve’s face. “Steve Harrington,” he sang once he was finally done. God, Steve would never get tired of the sparkle in his eyes. “I think you’re the love of my life.”
“Good,” Steve sniffed playfully. He grabbed Eddie’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “’Cause I know you’re mine.”
“Sir Stefan, Orcus, if we could have your attention please,” an exasperated Will spoke, “we’re not quite done yet.”
“Wait, what?” Dustin yelped from further down the table. “We just beat Strahd von Zarovich!”
“Yeah, man, who else could we possibly have to fight?” Jeff added in disbelief.
An evil grin spread across Will’s face, the same sort of grin Steve had seen all too frequently on Eddie’s face. “A purplish portal appears twenty yards ahead of you. Smoke emanates out from an endless dark, and as your eyes adjust to the lack of light, you see a frail figure stalk towards you.”
“No,” Mike paled, glancing over at Will with a look of horror. “Will. Will, please!”
“What? Who is it?” Steve asked, turning to look at Eddie, who was staring at Will with a dumbstruck expression on his face.
“No fucking way,” Eddie breathed, his face breaking into a maniacal grin.
“Before you stands the Maimed Lord, the Arch Lich, the Master of the Spider Throne - ”
“No. No! NO!”
“ – the Whispered One, the Undying King, the Lord of the Rotted Tower - ”
“NO WAY, NO FUCKING WAY!”
Will’s hand slammed down on the table in front of them, a tall, pale figurine with an emaciated frame and dark, fiery eyes.
“Vecna, Lord of the Hand and the Eye has arrived, and he has come to send you all into the dark! Ladies and gentlemen,” Will purred as he glanced around the panicking table, “roll for initiative.”
Steve and Eddie shared a smile and reached for their dice.
This Vecna dude didn’t stand a chance.