Chapter Text
Even inside the canteen, humidity clung to Steve like a second skin, the loud, whirring fan doing nothing to circulate the air in the room. If the heat wasn’t enough, he’d entered the canteen only to find out that none other than Jonathan Byers was head counselor for the camp, and would effectively be his boss for the next two weeks.
At least he’d have Robin, who was really the only reason he decided to take the job. Whenever she decided to show up, that is. It was about an hour before all the kids were supposed to get there, the counselors having to arrive early to get everything together and make sure all was as it should be. But it was now twenty minutes past when they were supposed to show up, and there was still no sign of his talkative friend.
Instead, he sat in the sweltering room with Jonathan, Argyle the cook, and Chrissy Cunningham, an upcoming senior at Hawkins High. Steve had seen her around, but never interacted, as she was two years below him. She seemed nice enough, though, going out of her way to try and include Steve in the conversation she was having with Jonathan when he’d arrived. Much to Jonathan’s dismay, if his one word responses and suddenly closed off demeanor said anything. Steve couldn’t say the feeling wasn’t mutual.
“Alright, if the last counselor doesn’t show up in five minutes we’ll just start without them,” Jonathan said with a sigh, flipping through the pages on his clipboard and scribbling something, brows drawn together.
“Quit your stressin’, man,” Argyle was leaning back in his chair, legs spread out comfortably. “You’re harshin’ the vibe.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who’s about to be in charge of forty teens and the four of you,” Jonathan scratched the back of his head, leg bouncing as he continued to scan his clipboard. He didn’t know how they knew each other, as Steve had never seen Argyle before today, but it seemed the two men were well acquainted.
“You don’t gotta be in charge of us, Byers,” Steve said flatly. “We’re all adults,” he glanced sideways at Chrissy. “Well, I guess not you.”
Chrissy scoffed in mock offense, a smile on her face. “I’m eighteen, dude.”
“And probably the most mature one here,” Jonathan mumbled, more to himself. Steve looked at him in disdain, feeling like that was somehow meant to be a pointed jab at him and him only. Jonathan’s head popped up as he looked over at Argyle. “Speaking of, man. You know I obviously don’t care about your…” Jonathan glanced around, shrugging half-heartedly as he said, “Activities. But you better not let the kids see anything. And I mean anything.”
“Chillax, broheim,” Argyle said easily. “I’m a master of stealth.” Jonathan rolled his eyes back to his clipboard, but there was a small smile on his face.
Steve heard the door to the canteen open behind him and he sagged in his chair out of relief. “Thank god,” he muttered, turning around to greet Robin. His face fell in an instant, however, when instead he saw Eddie Munson, of all the fucking people. What’s more, this was the first time Steve thought he’d ever seen the man in shorts. He’d previously assumed those ripped black jeans were glued to his legs.
“What are you doing here?” Steve asked with furrowed brows at the same time Jonathan said “You’re late.”
“Well aren’t we a bunch of happy campers,” Eddie raised his eyebrows at them as he dropped his duffle bag to the ground and plopped down in the chair beside Steve, the chair he’d intended to be for Robin. “Sorry, Byers. Not gonna lie, I got a little lost,” he lolled his head to look at Steve, fixing him with an irritating smile. “And what does it look like, Harrington? We’re at a meeting for camp counselors, so one could assume I’m counseling,” he opened his palm to the ceiling, sweeping it in a gesture to the room. “At a camp.”
“Since everyone’s here–” Jonathan started, but Steve cut him off.
“Uh, everyone is not here,” he countered. “We’re missing Robin.”
“Buckley’s not coming,” Jonathan said simply, not looking up from his clipboard.
Steve’s brows shot to his hairline. “I’m sorry, what?”
Jonathan looked up at Steve through his lashes, not bothering to move his head. He gestured with his pencil dismissively, shaking his head slightly as he said, “She bailed last minute. Eddie’s filling in.”
Steve’s brows were low as he fixed Eddie with a stern look, anger bubbling in him when he saw the man was already smiling at him smugly. Eddie waggled his fingers in a wave. Steve slumped further in his chair, head falling back and chin tilting to the ceiling as he let out an exasperated sigh. “Great. That’s just great,” he grumbled.
Robin talked him into this stupid summer job and now she wasn’t even showing up, leaving him stuck with not only Jonathan ordering him around, but Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson. This is why I don’t try new things, he thought to himself, wallowing in self pity. “Can I start now?” Jonathan raised his eyebrows at Steve pointedly. Steve widened his eyes in annoyance, giving a wave for him to get on with it. “Great. Chrissy, you’re obviously gonna be bunking with the girls. Buckley was supposed to be with you, but that means you have the side room to yourself. Unfortunately that means once it’s night, if the girls need anything you’re gonna be the only one they can go to. Don’t hesitate to come get me or one of the guys, though. The cabins aren’t more than a ten minute walk from each other.”
“Aye, aye, cap’n,” Chrissy smiled at him.
“That leaves me, Argyle, Eddie, and Harrington bunking in the side room of the boys’ cabin. There are exactly four bunks, so we’re lucky they didn’t need more counselors this year, or we’d have to draw straws to see who had to bunk in the room with the campers.” At the very least, Steve was thankful for this. Though, he didn’t count on getting much peace either way. Especially not with Eddie and his incessant need to bother him.
He didn’t know Eddie well, the most knowledge he had until last year being that he was the weird guy his old friends used to give a hard time. Steve was never fond of that, but their general bullying was a huge part of why he dropped them towards the end of sophomore year. Amongst other things, but most of it fell under the category of how they treated people.
The summer he worked at Scoops Ahoy, however, he realized Eddie and Robin were friends. He didn’t come in an insane amount, but it was somewhat often. Steve was about seventy percent sure the guy had a crush on Robin, and if he weren’t such an insufferable prick, maybe Steve would come up with a way to get it into Eddie’s head that he and Robin were never gonna happen. Covertly, of course. He’d take Robin’s secret to his grave, even if he were in some insane torture scenario.
All this to say, one of Eddie’s favorite pass-times while visiting Robin seemed to be finding every way he could to push Steve’s buttons, and he held onto no hope that the next two weeks would be any different.
Jonathan continued giving the rundown of how things would go, brushing past a few things as they were short on time, and soon they were headed to their cabins to set down their things before having to meet the incoming campers.
The boys’ cabin was about a fifteen minute walk from the canteen, the girls’ being essentially right next to it. There was a small trail branching off to the side of their cabin, which Jonathan pointed out as leading to their showers.
“That mean we gotta walk through the dark to take a piss?” Argyle asked.
“Not if you take a flashlight,” Jonathan supplied simply before opening the door to the main room of the cabin. There were a bunch of bunk beds lining the walls, taking up almost the entire room. “This is where the kids will be, and this…” he pushed open a door to the side and it swung open with a loud squeak. “Will be our room.” It was far smaller than the kids’ room, also filled with nothing but the two bunks, four beds in total.
“I call top!” Argyle dropped his bag next to one of the bunks and scrambled to climb up the ladder, despite absolutely no one fighting him for it. He flopped onto the top bunk, lacing his fingers behind his head and relaxing back. “It’s like sleeping in a penthouse,” he smiled to himself.
Steve took it upon himself to drop his own bag on the bottom bed of the unclaimed bunk, no part of him wanting to climb up and down a ladder every morning and night. Jonathan and Eddie shared a look before Jonathan simply gestured for him to take his pick first. “What a gentleman,” Eddie smirked before hoisting his bag onto the bed above Steve, leaving Jonathan to claim the one under Argyle.
“Argyle, you can do whatever you want for the next…” Jonathan checked his watch. “Four hours. Dinner’s at six, so start cooking by, I dunno, five.” Argyle gave a thumbs up from the top bunk. “As for you two, we’re meeting the campers in twenty. Be on time,” he looked at Eddie pointedly. “Or so help me I’ll… I’ll dig through your bag and give your entire stash to Argyle.”
Eddie held his hands up in defense. “Jeez, Byers. Sounds like you should just smoke it yourself.”
The bunk creaked, Steve looking up to see Argyle bracing himself over the railing with his hands as he looked down at Eddie in complete sincerity. “Just so you know, man, I’d never smoke your stolen weed. Totally not cool.” The bunk continued to creak a concerning amount as Argyle clamored down the ladder, dropping to the floor from a few rungs above it with a thud. “Now if you excuse me, these woods are prime for mushroom hunting.” And with that, Argyle left the room, the three who remained watching as he did.
Eddie turned to address Jonathan, an eyebrow quirked. “Sure we should let him wander around in the forest alone? What if he… gets lost?”
“He’s actually got a surprisingly keen sense of direction,” Jonathan anecdoted, Eddie’s eyebrows raising as the corners of his mouth downturned in mild surprise. “I’m gonna head over now,” Jonathan started for the door, turning over his shoulder to say, “Seriously. Don’t be late. Either of you.” The door closed behind him with another creak, Steve flopping onto the stiff, bare mattress with a long sigh.
“This totally blows,” he thought aloud to no one in particular, though he wasn’t surprised by Eddie’s need to comment.
“Lighten up, Harrington. You’re at a summer camp, not in hell,” Eddie sat across from him on Jonathan’s bunk.
“I’m at summer camp where the dude who stole my girlfriend is my boss, and the guy who gets his rocks off by annoying me is the only other familiar face,” Steve contradicted. “Might as well be hell.”
“Don’t worry, Harrington,” he glanced over to see a smirk on Eddie’s face. “I get my rocks off in a lot of ways. You won’t have to carry that burden all on your own,” Eddie sent him a wink, leaning back on his hands.
Steve’s brows knitted together, face heating as he blustered out, “That’s– that’s exactly the kinda shit I’m talking about. And you know what’s worse? All of this could’ve been avoided,” Steve sat up, gesturing animatedly and staring off as he dove headfirst into a ramble. “I was this close,” Steve held his thumb and pointer finger only a sliver apart, “from working at Scoops again. But noooo,” Steve shook his head once, eyebrows raising and holding up his hands mockingly.
“Robin said ‘oh, Steve,’” Steve pitched his voice higher in an unflattering imitation of his absent friend. “‘It’ll be so much more fun than working at the mall’--” he returned to his usual tone as he looked at Eddie dead in his eyes. “You know what the mall has? Air conditioning. And now she isn’t even here, and I’ll tell ya,” Steve held his finger up. “She better have a damn good reason.”
He slumped back against the headboard of his bed, sighing as all the pent up angst was finally released into the air. It then became very apparent to him that he had just spilled all of that to Eddie, whose lips were pressed into a tight line, poorly containing his amusement as he simply looked at Steve. Steve rolled his eyes, “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Eddie shook his head lightly, forcing a frown onto his face but his cheeks and bright eyes betrayed him.
“You didn’t have to,” Steve grumbled, crossing his arms.
“You said Byers stole your girlfriend?” Eddie asked, Steve simply nodding. Eddie raised his eyebrows. “Really? Jonathan Byers stole King Steve’s girlfriend?”
“You guys are apparently friends, he never mentioned it?” Steve quipped.
“I sell him weed and we occasionally smoke together. Don’t think that makes us best friends.” So Steve was right about how they knew each other.
Steve sighed, letting his head thump against the wall above the short headboard. “I guess he didn’t technically steal her,” he spoke to the underside of the mattress above him. “I kinda fucked that up on my own.” It was then that Steve realized Jonathan said they were meeting the kids in twenty minutes, and it took fifteen to get back to the canteen. Steve looked at his watch. “Shit,” he hissed as he pushed himself up. “We’re gonna be late.”
“Eager not to piss off your ex girlfriend’s boyfriend?” Eddie smirked, but got up as well, albeit with less urgency.
“Actually, yes,” Steve said as they made their way out of the cabin. “Whatever gets me through the next few weeks.”
+++
They’d managed to get to the welcoming right on time, and Jonathan handled most of the heavy lifting when it came to getting the kids in order. Steve was grateful this summer camp was for freshmen and sophomores, because frankly he didn’t think he had the stamina to keep up with middle schoolers. What was mildly awkward, however, was Nancy Wheeler’s younger brother being amongst the kids he was in charge of.
What’s worse is Eddie’s day group was paired with his, meaning Steve had to not only suffer through the heat and unruly teens, but Eddie as well. He had been sincerely hoping Chrissy would be paired with him, but perhaps Eddie was still better than Jonathan. Seeing one connection to his ex all day was enough.
It’s not that Steve was still into Nancy, they hadn’t dated since sophomore year, but the reminder of who he was back then… that was something he could do without. Though, maybe this was just his penance. And among the reminders that twisted guilt into his stomach like a sharp knife, was calling Jonathan a queer. He thought about how Robin would feel if she knew, and shame draped over him like a heavy winter coat. Not that he was hiding it from her perse, afterall the least he could do was own up to the shit he’d done, but it never came up. This is what plagued his mind during the canteen that evening, the stifling air finally giving way to the coolness of night.
Fortunately, Jonathan had been right about Argyle’s directional skills, as dinner was served perfectly on time. Steve took a seat next to Chrissy at the counselor’s table, eyeing the steaming mashed potatoes and sloppy joe on his plate. His eyes flicked over to Jonathan laughing about something with Argyle, who had joined them now that everyone got their own food. Maybe he could make the most of these two weeks, and at least apologize to Jonathan for what he’d said.
It had been over something stupid, as well. He’d seen Jonathan come out of a movie holding hands with Nancy while she and Steve were still dating, and the confrontation spiraled from there. Nancy’s infidelity was something Steve had suspected for a few weeks at the time, and while it wasn’t an excuse to cheat, he couldn’t say he exactly blamed her. At least not anymore. He’d been a pretty dismissive boyfriend, allowing his friends to tease and make fun of her without much intervention. And Jonathan… Well, he supposed Jonathan was just doing a better job of being there for her than he was.
Regardless, the apology was long overdue, and he decided then and there that the first chance he got he’d pull Jonathan aside and apologize. He didn’t expect them to be friends, didn’t even know if he wanted that, but it was the right thing to do.
A tap to his shin snapped him out of a daze he hadn’t realized he’d fallen into, his attention turning to Eddie across the table from him, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows. “What?” Steve asked.
“Chrissy just asked you a question and you’ve been staring at Byers like he’s your long lost lover come back from the war,” Eddie poked, Steve brustling but choosing to ignore the comment.
“Sorry, just… zoning out,” he told Chrissy. Jonathan was giving him a weird look, Steve clearing his throat in an attempt to cover his embarrassment. “What’d you say?”
“It’s cool,” she smiled reassuringly. “I was just asking what you thought about meeting here once the kids get settled in.” Her eyes sparkled as she said, “I brought a few bottles of whiskey.”
Steve tilted his head back in relief before smiling lightly at her. “You’re a saint, Cunningham,” he glanced over at Jonathan in uncertainty. “And you’re… cool with this?”
Jonathan shrugged. “We told the kids if we’re ever not in our rooms and they need something to come to the canteen, anyway. As long as they know where to find us in case something happens, I don’t see the problem,” he paused before adding, “and we can’t get plastered. Two of us have to stay at least reasonably sober.”
Eddie snorted. “With the time you have us getting up tomorrow, Byers, no chance I’m dealing with a hangover in the morning.”
“It’s settled then. After lights out we meet at the fire pit outside?” Jonathan looked around at the group, all of them nodding.
“If they… see us leaving, though,” Steve started, a thought coming to mind. “I mean, we’ve all been fifteen before. Who knows what shit they’ll get into.”
“That’s what climbing out windows is for, Harrington,” Eddie supplied.
“The screen in our room pops off easily,” Jonathan informed, this piquing Steve’s interest.
“And you know this because…?” Eddie raised his eyebrows, voicing Steve’s intrigue before he had a chance to.
“Can’t smoke in the room, man,” Argyle answered with an easy smile, Jonathan nodding in agreement. “We made an escape plan.” This was perfect, really. It gave Steve an opportunity to have his conversation with Jonathan. Now for working up the nerve to actually say what he needed to say.
+++
Eddie, Argyle, and Steve led the boys back to their cabin, Jonathan staying behind with Chrissy to make sure the girls got settled in and that she didn’t need anything. They were about five minutes into the walk, Steve walking a bit ahead from everyone else as he tried to figure out what to say to Jonathan, when someone short sidled up next to him.
He looked over to see Dustin Henderson, who he recognized as one of Mike Wheeler’s friends. Steve never interacted much with Mike or his friends, but he did once do Nancy the favor of picking them up from school and driving them to the Wheeler’s. A ride in which Dustin had interrogated him intensely on his intentions with Nancy, a conversation Steve barely got from her father. He’d assumed the kid had a crush on her or something.
“What do you want, Henderson?” He asked when Dustin proceeded to simply stare at him as they walked.
“Kind of a kick in the nuts to have your ex’s boyfriend in charge of you, huh?” He said simply, Steve’s brows furrowing at the audacity. Good to see the nosy little shit hasn’t changed.
“He’s not in charge of me,” Steve pressed as he looked at the trail ahead of him, flashlight bouncing over the trodden path.
Dustin gave a high pitched, skeptical hum. “... Kinda is, though–”
“He’s not–” Steve ruffled, stealing glances at the kid beside him. He decided to drop it, irritation inching its way through him, as Dustin was right. He’d even admitted it to Eddie earlier. Instead, he looked over his shoulder to see mini Wheeler and mini Byers staring at him, along with their other friend Lucas Sinclair. Will had the decency to look away, but Lucas and Mike watched on, Mike’s eyes narrowed in distaste on Steve.
Steve looked back over at Dustin, uneasy with the glare on his back. “He gonna be like that this whole time?”
Dustin shrugged. “I dunno. Try not being a dumbass and see if anything changes,” he offered matter-of-factly, Steve rolling his eyes, not knowing what he expected from a fifteen year old.
“Ya know,” Steve started, because he couldn’t help himself. “She cheated on me. I don’t get why I’m on the kid’s shit list.”
“Think it’s less to do with you being a bad boyfriend, and more who you are in general,” Dustin informed, Steve’s brows lowering as he looked at him.
“You’re kind of an asshole, you know that?” Steve prompted, wondering if the kid got his audacity from his parents, or if he was just like that.
“No,” Dustin contradicted. “I just say things how they are. If people take that as me being an asshole, that’s their problem.” Steve gave a quick quirk of his eyebrows, ignoring the child once more.
A weight dropped over Steve’s shoulders, a look to the side showing Eddie had come up behind them, his arms now around both he and Dustin. “Quit giving Harrington a hard time, Henderson,” he grinned over at Steve, face so close it was practically all Steve saw. “That’s my job.” He retracted his arms, but continued walking just behind them.
“I’m surprised you’re even here, Eddie,” Dustin commented, squinting his eyes as he looked at the man in question. “Honestly thought you were allergic to the sun.” Steve snorted genuinely at this, an amused smile lingering on his face.
“Just for that, Henderson, I’m doing everything in my power to repeatedly kill you next campaign,” Eddie said, Steve having absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but it was now apparent that the two knew each other somewhat well. “Better come with an arsenal of back up characters.”
“Well that’s dramatic,” Dustin cocked his head at Eddie.
“Should I be worried about one of the camp counselors threatening to kill a child?” Steve glanced between them.
“We’re talking about D&D,” Eddie informed.
“D&D?” Steve asked, as this didn’t provide any more context.
“Dungeons and Dragons,” Dustin’s tone implied Steve was slow on the pickup. “It’s a roleplaying fantasy game.”
“Oh, right,” he said flatly. “I remember Nancy mentioning you guys were into some nerdy game,” he glanced over at Eddie. “Didn’t know you spent your time hanging out with a bunch of upcoming sophomores, though.”
“Easy with the judgment, Harrington,” Eddie gave him an unamused look. “As far as I know, Robin Buckley is your only friend.”
“She’s not my only friend,” Steve immediately replied, defensive.
“Name your other friends,” Dustin commanded.
Steve narrowed his eyebrows at him. “What?”
Dustin raised his own eyebrows in response, eyes darting around expectantly as he punctuated his words with a listless gesture, “If she’s not your only friend, name your other friends.”
Steve’s brows knit even closer together, bristling at the question. “I’m not– I don’t need to prove myself to some dorky fifteen year old and…” he glanced Eddie up and down. “You.”
An infuriating smile stretched Eddie’s face as he leaned down to Dustin to say, “Think we struck a nerve.” Dustin shared in Eddie’s amusement, which only furthered Steve’s riling.
“No,” Steve pressed. “Because in order for you to do that, I’d have to care about either of your opinions. Which I don’t.”
Dustin leaned into Eddie this time, murmuring “Sounds like he cares a little bit.”
“Will you cut that out?” Steve whirled on them, his irritation only building when he saw their poorly contained giggles. “Screw this. I’m hanging back with Argyle,” Steve huffed, shoving his flashlight into Eddie’s chest and turning on his heel, heading to the back of the group.
“Awww, c’mon, Harrington!” Eddie called after him with a chuckle, Dustin snickering. “It’s just that you’re like an angry little kitten when you’re mad!” He heard Dustin laugh harder, but didn’t entertain them by turning around, sighing exasperatedly as he fell into place next to Argyle. I am not an angry little kitten, he thought defiantly.
“What’s got you so stressed, muchacho?” Argyle asked, the flashlight in his hand scanning the trees instead of the path ahead.
“Nothing, nothing,” Steve shook his head in an attempt to dispel his frustration. He glanced over at Argyle, still searching the trees. “What are you doing, dude?”
“Lookin’ for bats,” Argyle informed simply.
Steve’s eyes narrowed at this. “Are there even bats in Indiana?”
Argyle looked over at him briefly, as if in shock. “Totally, man. Thirteen species of bats found in Indiana, and summer’s their prime nesting time.” Steve studied Argyle in intrigue as he continued his quest.
“So you like, know a lot about nature and stuff?” Steve asked.
Argyle smiled at him, his flashlight falling from his browse for bats and settling on the ground in front of them. “Yeah, man. Life’s long as hell, might as well get to know more about the world around me.” A small smile of his own twitched the corner of Steve’s lips, admiring the sentiment, albeit pleasantly shocked at who the wisdom came from. Maybe he’d underestimated the man a bit, subconsciously at least.
Not long after, they arrived at the cabin, ushering the boys in and getting them settled in their bunks. Soon, Jonathan arrived and reminded them it was lights out in an hour, and where to go in the event they weren’t in their room.
“You guys wanna play cards, or something?” Jonathan asked, looking unsure of himself as he held up a deck of playing cards he pulled from his bag.
“Maybe when I get back, because I don’t know about you three, but I’ve been sweating in some pret-ty unholy places since…” Eddie’s eyes moved to the side in a thoughtful arc. “Well, since the drive over here, basically. I’m hitting the showers.” He grabbed his bag from the top bunk and pulled out a towel, draping it over one shoulder as well as grabbing a change of clothes and a plastic bag with various toiletries.
“Actually, that’s a good idea,” Steve said, unzipping his own bag to dig through. “I’ll join you.”
“Easy, Harrington,” he could hear that annoying smirk in Eddie’s voice before he even saw it. “I know I’m irresistible, but buy me dinner first.” When Steve looked up not only was Eddie grinning at him slyly, but his fingertips were draped over his chest as if Steve had suggested something lewd.
His own words replayed in his head, and a flush rushed to his face. “I didn’t– that’s– that’s obviously not what I meant.” Steve stumbled indignantly, and the shared look of amusement between Jonathan and Eddie was not helping. “Whatever, you guys suck,” he grumbled in defeat, removing his flexible shower caddy from his suitcase. He did not anticipate this causing the room to erupt into strained laughter. Well, just from Eddie and Jonathan, the latter the only one making any real attempt to hide his response by holding a hand over his mouth.
“Is that a shower caddy, Harrington?” Eddie raised his eyebrows in glee, a strand of his hair pulled in front of his grin.
“What’s wrong with my shower caddy?” Steve shook his head, brows furrowed in offense. Jonathan and Eddie’s hilarity was too much for them to respond immediately, Jonathan’s shoulders shaking in silent laughter, glimmering eyes glued to Steve. “It’s a perfectly practical way to carry everything you need!”
“Nothing’s, uh, nothing’s wrong with it,” Eddie finally said, a hardy chuckle coming back as he shook his head at the ground, letting his hair fall away as he crossed his arms. “Just… surprising. Though, strangely fitting.”
Steve threw his hands up in defeat with a roll of his eyes, yanking his towel out of his bag and grabbing a folded set of clothes and his shower shoes. “Hey, man,” Argyle piped up. “Don’t listen to these two. You be proud of your shower caddy,” he held out a supportive, firm thumbs up. Steve was quickly starting to believe Argyle was gonna be the only person who got him through the next two weeks.
“Thank you,” Steve directed at Argyle, grabbing one of the flashlights and heading for the door. He didn’t miss the final humorous look Eddie shared with Jonathan before following him out.
As they entered the room with the kids, a few of the boys turned to look at them, one being Dustin. He furrowed his brows at Steve. “Is that a shower caddy?”
“Oh for the love of god,” Steve huffed out in a rush, moving double time to the exit.
Behind him he heard Dustin say, “Jeez, it was a simple question.”
“Touchy subject,” he could, once again, hear the smirk in Eddie’s voice as he stepped into the cool night. Finally it didn’t feel like he was in a sauna. “Hey, wait up. You’re the one who’s got the light,” Eddie picked up his pace to step beside Steve, the two embarking down the skinny path to the washrooms.
They walked in silence for a few moments, Steve regretting his decision to shower at the same time more and more as time went on. “So,” Eddie started. “You think there’s a killer in these woods?”
“Why would you say that?” Steve shook his head.
Eddie chuckled, “Just trying to make conversation.” Steve decided not to comment, knowing no matter what he said it would just lead to more teasing. Another small silence passed before Eddie said, “I mean I’m just sayin’, what if there was some kinda Jason Voorhees wannabe stalking us right now–”
“Seriously,” Steve cut in, fixing Eddie with a look. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Eddie laughed harder, shrugging. “Didn’t take you for such a scaredy cat, Harrington.”
“I’m not,” Steve hadn’t expected to be defending himself so much on this trip, and he was quickly losing his stamina for it. “Besides. There obviously isn’t a killer in the woods.” It was a bit of an attempt to convince himself, if he were honest.
“No, you’re right,” Eddie said, Steve surprised at how easily the man gave in. Until he added, “If anything’s gonna kill us it’ll be the coyotes–”
“Munson, if you don’t shut up the only threat to you is gonna be me, alright?” Steve shut him down because, admittedly, he was actually worried about the wildlife… and now maybe killers.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Harrington,” Eddie quipped, Steve’s eyes squinting in confusion but ultimately deciding to keep his silence.
The bathrooms weren’t far from the cabin, luckily. What was unlucky, however, was how eerie they were. The door squeaked open, the beam of the flashlight casting menacing shadows and gleaming in the reflection of the scratched up mirrors. It played tricks on Steve’s mind, thinking he saw dark figures looming in the corner of his eye, only for there to be nothing when he darted the light over them.
“Okay…” Eddie said, swaying a little more into Steve’s space. “This place even gives me the heebies.”
“Where the fuck is the light?” Steve murmured to himself as he scanned the wall with the flashlight, spotting it a little further in the room. He made haste to walk over and flipped the switch, the lights flickering a couple of times before staying on with a low whir. “That’s… really not much better.” Steve switched off the flashlight and set it on a small, wooden table near the entrance.
Steve walked down the long line of shower heads, which were divided by small half walls and short, stall-like doors. He peered around the only corner, which led to a few washers and dryers, before coming back to start opening the stall doors.
“What are you doing?” Eddie furrowed his brows at Steve, setting his change of clothes on the metal bench across from the showers.
Steve looked over his shoulder, hand on the final stall door. “You’re the one who said that dumb shit about a killer,” Steve raised his eyebrows with a half shrug. “Murderer check. Duh.” Once he saw there was, in fact, no one crouched over the toilet waiting for them with a meat cleaver, he dropped his own change of clothes and caddy on the bench.
Eddie snorted, shaking his head as he smiled to himself. “Can’t believe I used to be intimidated by you,” he murmured, placing his bag of shower supplies on the ledge of the half wall, sitting on one end of the bench and beginning to undo his sneakers.
Steve’s brows creased at Eddie as he took a seat on the opposite end of the bench, their things between him. “You used to be intimidated by me?”
Eddie paused, looking at Steve as if he wasn’t expecting a response to his comment. He glanced around, giving a noncommittal shrug. “I mean… a little? Your friends weren’t exactly my biggest fans,” he slid off his sneakers, tugging off his socks and tucking them into his shoes before he pushed them under the bench. He dropped the flimsy flip flops he’d brought onto the floor, a smack echoing against the tile.
Steve worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he considered that maybe he owed more than just Jonathan an apology. “I would’ve never… I mean, I wouldn’t have… done anything to you.”
Eddie met his gaze once more, eyes flicking between Steve’s. “I know… sure, you intimidated me, but I don’t think I ever actually thought you’d…” Eddie shrugged again, his lips pursed into an unsure frown. “Hurt me. Not you, anyway,” he added that last part as an afterthought as he slid into his flip flops, taking off his watch and setting it next to him.
“Did…” Steve was scared to ask the question at the forefront of his mind, not only because he wasn’t sure if it was his right to, but because he didn’t know if he wanted to hear the answer. “Did Tommy ever…?” If it would’ve been anyone, it would’ve been Tommy. The fact Steve knew that, even back then, and didn’t say anything… he regretted not punching Tommy in the face sooner.
“What?” Eddie looked back over with a humorless snort, a corner of his mouth turning up in a weak attempt at a smile. “Beat the shit out of me? Yeah…” he nodded, no longer looking at Steve as he pressed his lips into a tight line. “A few times.”
Steve sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, jaw clenching as he shook his head, attempting to blink away the anger that began to boil in his chest. “I should’ve fuckin’ said something,” he muttered more to himself than Eddie, staring down at his feet for a moment before yanking his shoelaces untied.
“You weren’t there any of the times it happened, Harrington,” Eddie assured, guilt curling deeper inside Steve because god, Eddie should not be the one comforting him right now.
“Doesn’t matter,” Steve said simply, taking off his socks and shoes, placing them to the side before putting on his own flip flops. “I knew what that piece of shit was like. And I stuck around anyway.”
“Seriously, dude,” Eddie said, Steve finally having the courage to look him in the eye again. “Don’t sweat it. It was like… years ago. And it was never that bad, anyway.” Steve meant to apologize in that moment, he really did, but Eddie standing up and tugging his shirt over his head made a heat so ferocious rush to his face that he had to snap his eyes to the floor.
Frankly, Steve didn’t know how the other guys in the locker rooms were always so casual. Or maybe they were just as uneasy about it, but were better at hiding it than him. He didn’t really know what it was that made him so uncomfortable in times like this, but if he had to venture a guess it would be because he didn’t want to make anyone else uncomfortable. Didn’t want anyone to think he was looking at them… like that.
Not that he had a problem with people being gay, obviously. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the same for everyone else, and he’d rather not have more problems to deal with than necessary. Especially considering he wasn’t even gay himself.
Steve busied himself by pulling off his own shirt, unable to stop from stealing a sideways glance at Eddie, who was tying his hair back in a low ponytail, his bangs and a few longer strands in the front hanging loose. It was then that Steve was struck with the world-altering notion that Eddie Munson was, indeed, hot. Not that he’d thought him ugly before, afterall he was clearly very charming and Steve had no doubt the girls went crazy over those eyes. But besides maybe the casual observation at Scoops that Eddie was generally an attractive guy, Steve hadn’t given it much thought.
Then, Eddie’s eyes snapped to his, flicking down to Steve’s bare chest before meeting his gaze once more. Fire bloomed in Steve’s face at the realization he’d been caught staring, and Eddie probably thought he was creeping on him. He didn’t think an explanation that while he was straight, he could just appreciate an attractive man, would dig him out of the hole he dug, either.
A self-inflated smile grew on Eddie, “Stare any harder, Harrington, and I’ll have to charge ya.” Then, Eddie winked at him. Steve’s brain was somehow simultaneously moving at a million miles an hour and a snail’s pace, wracking himself for a response that could convey it wasn’t like that. His eyes fell to the tattoos on Eddie’s chest, one a spider and the other some sort of skull-faced demon with stringy black hair.
“Shut up,” he grumbled, untying his shorts as he tore his eyes away from Eddie, his face still alight. “I was looking at your tattoos.”
“Uhuh,” Eddie said, pushing his own shorts down and stepping out of them, thankfully keeping his boxers on. Steve made a mental note to shower alone from then on, whenever possible. He couldn’t handle this kind of… weird intimacy, every time. If this was bad, he couldn’t imagine how awkward it would be if he got stuck with Jonathan. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.”
Eddie grabbed his towel and hung it over the short door to the shower, his lower half hidden as he stepped out of his boxers and tossed them over to his pile of clothes on the bench. Steve stripped down to his boxer briefs and grabbed his caddy, stepping into a shower and being sure to leave an empty one between him and Eddie.
Steve finished showering first, wrapping his towel around his waist before grabbing his clean clothes and stepping into one of the stalls to change. He packed mostly for comfort, but as it was cooler out now, he changed into light wash jeans and a royal blue polo shirt.
If they hadn’t been planning on meeting up later, he likely would’ve just changed into what he was sleeping in, but Steve wasn’t above admitting to himself that he preferred looking nice when he could. Which is why he brought his styling mousse, predicting that he’d want a way to tame his hair while it was wet. He’d also brought a small hairdryer, but he was going to do everything in his power to avoid Eddie– or anyone, for that matter– seeing it.
When he exited the stall, Eddie was out of the shower, changed into the black ripped jeans Steve was used to seeing him in and a Queen shirt. He tugged the elastic out of his hair and slipped it onto his wrist, a thought briefly crossing Steve’s mind that Eddie should wear his hair up more often.
“You ready?” Eddie asked, slipping back into his sneakers.
“Give me like, five minutes,” Steve said, plucking the small container of mousse from his caddy and walking to stand in front of a mirror. Well, it was more just a metal sheet nailed to the wall with so many scratches Steve could barely see himself, but it did the job.
Eddie gave a light snort, coming to lean against the wall behind Steve, who saw him cross his arms in the mirror. “I knew your hair didn’t look that good naturally.”
“Ya know,” Steve said, unscrewing the lid to his product and sticking his fingertips in, “Your ability to insult me with a compliment is honestly a little impressive.”
“What can I say?” Eddie smiled in the mirror. “I try.”
Steve placed the container on the sink, rubbing his fingers together before running them through his hair, pushing the wet strands back. He fiddled with it, pushing it back and forth and adding a bit of product as he tried to predict how it would fall once it dried. It was a very thin line to walk between putting enough product to actually do something, and not so much that his hair looked greasy or felt crunchy.
“Didn’t really take you for a mousse guy, though,” Eddie quipped, eyes not leaving Steve in the mirror.
“You’d be correct,” Steve said, scrutinizing his work so far. “Usually prefer hairspray but, ya know,” he glanced up to meet Eddie’s eyes, pointing at his hair. “Wet hair.” Steve shook out his hair before brushing it back, not able to get it into a place that he wanted. “What do you use, anyway?”
“Nothing,” Eddie said simply.
Steve paused what he was doing, brows raising as he held Eddie’s gaze in the mirror once more. “Seriously? It’s just…” he examined Eddie’s hair for a moment. “Like that?”
A grin split Eddie’s face, Steve wondering why what he said was entertaining. “Trying to charm me, Harrington?” And there it was, Eddie never passing up the chance to try and embarrass Steve. He rolled his eyes, giving his hair a once over before deciding that was as good as it was gonna get and replacing the cap on the container.
“If I were trying to charm you, you wouldn’t have to ask, Munson,” Steve said plainly, dropping his mousse back in his caddy and gathering his things. He turned to Eddie to see if he was ready, but stalled at the strange way he was looking at him. His eyes were intense, narrowed slightly as if he were trying to work out a puzzle in his head, a pink tinge to his pale cheeks. “You, uh, good to go…?”
Eddie blinked a few times, hair bouncing around his face as he gave a small shake of his head. “Yeah, yeah, let’s…” he breathed a short, meek chuckle, an almost strained smile on his face as he said, “Get out of here before the killer shows up.”
“I thought I told you to knock that off,” Steve scolded, grabbing the flashlight from where he left it before turning off the lights and leading the way out of the bathroom.
+++
“Did you guys get jumped by some woodland creatures or somethin’?” Argyle asked as Eddie and Steve reentered their room, both moving to put their things away.
“No…” Steve’s brows drew together at the odd question. “Why?”
“You guys took forever,” Jonathan informed. “We’re supposed to meet Chrissy in,” he glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes.”
“What are we waiting for, then?” Eddie gestured to the window.
“Let me just put the boys to bed, you guys pop off the screen,” Jonathan jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the large, sliding window before exiting the room and closing the door behind him. His muffled commands to the kids were heard as Argyle slid open the window, bracing the screen and pushing gently.
It rattled loudly as it popped out of place, Eddie wincing and Steve sucking in a hiss through his teeth. “Quietly, dude,” he urged Argyle in a hushed tone.
“That’s as quietly as I can do it, man,” Argyle replied in a stage whisper, Eddie walking over to help him lift the screen off its track and lean it gently against the wall. When Jonathan reopened the door, he kept it as closed as possible as he inched in, the lights in the kids’ room now off.
“We good?” Steve asked him, Jonathan nodding. Argyle climbed out of the window first with surprising grace, a soft thud coming from outside. Steve, Eddie, and Jonathan crowded over the windowsill to see him smiling back up at them, holding out two thumbs up. It was about a six or seven foot drop to the ground since the cabin was essentially on stilts, but Argyle seemed to land with ease, so Steve was confident in their ability to get out safely. “You next, Byers,” Steve gave his shoulder a pat, he and Eddie backing up to give him space.
Jonathan struggled a bit more to get out, specifically getting his second leg over, but in the end he managed. Steve grabbed two of their flashlights from the bunks and leaned out the window. He stretched his arms down as much as he could without falling forward, Jonathan coming up to grab them from Steve, having to jump to do so. “Alright, Munson,” Steve said as he pulled back into the room, gesturing to the window. “You’re up.”
Eddie hesitated before moving to the window, leaning over the edge for a second. He turned around, eyes looking a bit frantic. “That’s… a bit of a drop,” his voice was higher than usual, sucking in a deep breath through his nose.
Steve furrowed his brows. “What? It’s like a little over six feet, dude.” He walked back over to the window, leaning out to confirm. Jonathan and Argyle were looking up at him expectantly. Steve turned back to Eddie, coming back into the room fully. “Munson… are you scared of heights?”
“Pfft, no,” Eddie huffed, face scrunching as if it were the most ridiculous question he’d heard. “I’m… scared of breaking bones.”
Steve glanced to the side briefly. “Yeah, I think that’s why most people are afraid of heights.”
“Okay, fine, Harrington!” Eddie said in a loud whisper as not to wake the children, sparing a look at the closed door. “I’m a little wary of dropping six feet. Sue me.”
Steve bit his lip, eyebrows lowering as he tried to think of a solution. “Well, okay…” The only thing he could think of was calming Eddie’s nerves. “Think of it this way: Six feet isn’t really considered ‘heights.’ I mean, there are people over six feet tall. If a human can be that big, it can’t be so bad, right?”
Eddie looked away from Steve momentarily as he seemed to consider this. “That is… actually really sound logic,” he appeared genuinely surprised by this as he met Steve’s gaze. “But still. You don’t have to fall far to break bones, man.”
“Hey!” A shouted whisper came from outside the window. Steve leaned back out. “What’s taking so long?” Jonathan asked.
“Just give us a second,” Steve dismissed before ducking back inside, turning to Eddie. “Okay, how about this: I’ll go out first and catch you?” He raised his eyebrows at Eddie, opening his palms questioningly.
Eddie scoffed. “So we can both break bones? Yeah, no thanks.” Steve sighed, running a hand over his face as he wracked his brain. Eddie seemed to take this as a sign of annoyance, though, as he said, “Look, I can just stay here. It’s not a big deal.”
“What? No,” Steve said firmly. “You’re coming with us. I just… gotta think.” He looked at the windowsill for a second, before an idea came to mind. He leaned back over, gauging the distance of the ground. Jonathan gave him a questioning look, but Steve ignored him, backing away from the window again.
“I think I got an idea. I go out first, and instead of dropping down, you just hang from the windowsill and I’ll pull you off,” Steve shrugged. “No chance to break bones.”
Eddie chewed on his lip, looking at Steve with wide, uncertain eyes. “Fine,” Eddie said, relief flooding Steve, as he really didn’t have another solution after this.
Steve clapped his hands together softly before heading over to the window, swinging a leg over it and balancing himself, one leg still in the cabin. He looked over at Eddie, “Do it just like this and you’ll be golden.” Steve braced the windowsill with his hands before pulling his other leg over, letting himself dangle off the side of the cabin for a second before dropping to the ground.
Eddie’s face appeared in the window as he leaned over, worry still worked into it. “C’mon, Eddie!” Jonthan said through a loud, encouraging whisper. “The payoff is gonna be worth it.”
Steve stepped closer to the cabin, waving him on. Eddie gave a final contemplative look before following Steve’s actions, albeit more clumsily. When Eddie was hanging over the side, Steve couldn’t help but chuckle. His feet were comically close to the ground, considering how scared he was.
“Harrington?” Eddie asked, panic edging into his voice as he faced the wall. “Doesn’t feel or sound like you’re pulling me off.”
“Munson, you’re not even two feet off the ground,” Steve couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice. “I promise you’ll be fine if you just drop.”
“Harrington, I swear to god if you don’t get me off this window right now I will be the killer in the woods and you will be my only victim,” Eddie rattled off, head bobbing to accentuate his sincerity.
“Alright, alright,” Steve chuckled, walking up to Eddie and wrapping his arms around his middle. “You gotta let go of the window, dude.”
“Oh… right,” Eddie released, his weight falling against Steve as he set him down on the ground lightly.
“See?” Steve’s arms still wrapped around Eddie’s stomach, front pressed to his back as he looked at him with an entertained smile still in full swing. Eddie craned his neck to look at Steve, their faces inches apart. “That wasn’t so bad.” Steve let go of Eddie, who straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. Steve thought he must’ve been really freaked, because even in the low light of the moon he could see Eddie’s face was red.
“Come on,” Jonathan said, he and Argyle were already a few paces ahead with the flashlights. “Chrissy’s probably waiting for us.”
Eddie started walking forward, but Steve wanted to make this easier the next time they tried to sneak out. And maybe he wanted Eddie to get a taste of his own teasing medicine. “Munson,” he said, the man in question turning around to look at him. Steve walked over to the cabin. “This is how far your feet were from the ground, by the way,” he smirked, having to bend over to hold his hand out in demonstration. It truly couldn’t have been more than two feet.
Eddie’s face fell, it burning brighter as Steve sidled up to him. “Oh,” he said simply. Steve shook his head with a smile, clapping him on the back before taking after Jonathan and Argyle.
“C’mon, before they leave us in the dark,” he took a few steps forward, Eddie still standing in place. Steve turned around as he continued taking slow, backwards steps. “Ya know,” Steve made a show of pulling a quizzical face, a smile still etched onto his face as he said anecdotally, “I hear there might be a killer in these woods.” A strange sense of pride filled him when Eddie’s face split into a grin, even if the man paired it with a roll of his eyes.
+++
Chrissy was indeed waiting for them at the stomped out fire pit in front of the canteen, a powerful lantern next to her on a horizontal log, which made up the seating. “I was starting to think you guys got mauled by the wildlife,” she smiled lightheartedly, hand wrapping around the neck of the whiskey bottle next to her before holding it up. “Jonathan, you got the keys to the canteen so we can get some cups?”
“Shit,” Jonathan’s head fell back. “I knew I forgot something.”
“It’s cool, man,” Eddie assured as they gathered around the charred circle on the ground. “Passing the bottle around is like a camp right of passage, right?”
“Is it?” Steve asked, taking a seat next to Eddie, who sat between him and Chrissy on the log. Jonathan and Argyle sat on a log perpendicular to theirs but close enough to easily talk.
Eddie shrugged. “I dunno. Does it look like I’ve been to a summer camp before?” Steve quirked his eyebrows in recognition.
Chrissy cracked open the whiskey bottle, taking a swig, lips puckering in the slightest at the taste before passing the bottle to Eddie. “So,” Chrissy said, Eddie bringing the bottle to his lips and taking his own drink, face scrunching in distaste. “When do we start sharing our darkest secrets?”
“Harrington uses a shower caddy,” Eddie immediately supplied, voice gruff from the alcohol as he held out the bottle to Steve.
“That wasn’t a secret, Munson,” Steve looked at him flatly, taking the bottle from him. “You’re just a dick.” He took a drink from the bottle, recoiling at the burn as he smacked his lips in disgust. It wasn’t the worst whiskey he had, but it had been a while since he drank liquor straight. He shook out his head, a shiver running down his spine as he leaned over to pass the bottle to Jonathan.
Beside him, Argyle had a joint already perched between his lips, lighting it. Steve noticed that when Jonathan was done with his sip, he passed the bottle back to Steve instead of over to Argyle. “You don’t drink, Argyle?” Steve asked, his second sip going down easier.
Argyle pulled the joint away from his lips, a stream of smoke jetting out into the night. “Nah, man. Anything that raises the chances of me throwing up is usually a no-go for me.” He took another hit of the joint before holding it out to Jonathan, who nodded in appreciation before taking a drag of his own.
“Okay, Steve’s got a shower caddy,” Chrissy noted, making Steve shoot Eddie a glare as he passed him the bottle. Eddie smirked, which remained as he tipped the bottle back in a long gulp, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he fed off Steve’s annoyance. His face scrunched up however as he pulled the drink away, looking at the bottle disdainfully before giving it to Chrissy. “Anything else? Long lost twins, maybe a forgotten love-child?”
“How interesting do you think the people of Hawkins are?” Eddie smiled at her with raised eyebrows, making her laugh.
“I mean, it’s not soap opera level, but Munson’s totally terrified of heights,” Steve supplied, Eddie’s eyes snapping to him.
“I am not terrified of them,” Eddie defended, amusement working a smile onto Steve’s face, happy to not be on the receiving end for once.
“That was pretty terrified behavior, dude,” Steve chuckled, raising a patronizing brow at him before adding, “We gonna need to switch bunks when we get back?”
“If you’re done berating me, Byers has been trying to pass you the joint for a minute,” Eddie informed, giving a nod in Jonathan’s direction. It surprised Steve to see Eddie was right, as Steve didn’t think he was on drug-sharing terms with the man.
“You sure you don’t mind?” He asked with uncertainty, not wanting him to feel obligated.
Jonathan shrugged, “Wouldn’t offer if I did.” Steve gave a small, appreciative smile as he accepted the joint. He took a long pull, holding for a second before letting it out. When he turned to offer it to Eddie, the man was already watching him with intrigue.
“What?” He asked.
“Nothin’,” Eddie shrugged simply, taking the joint. “Just didn’t think straight-laced jock Steve Harrington smoked.” He placed the joint between his lips, the cherry burning brighter as he inhaled deeply. He held it for longer than Steve had before blowing a large cloud into the air.
“Probably not as much as you guys,” Steve nodded between the other three guys. “Especially not recently. But sometimes.”
“No offense,” Chrissy chimed in, “But y’all’s secrets are lame.” She took a swig, Eddie having passed her the bottle at some point.
Jonathan and Eddie laughed at this. “Why don’t you indulge us with one of your twisted secrets, then, Chrissy?” Eddie challenged, punctuated with another hit of the joint. He held out the joint to her when he was done.
“Nah, I’m good. I don’t like mixing,” she said with a smile, Eddie nodding and passing the joint back to Steve. Steve, having not smoked in quite some time, was definitely already feeling that fuzziness in his head, but took a small hit nonetheless before handing it off to Jonathan. “And… you know what? That’s fair. How deep do you want the secret to be?” She took another drink from the bottle.
“Deepest and darkest, darling,” Eddie grinned over at her before accepting the bottle. A pang of something strange shot through Steve, something akin to… annoyance? He couldn’t tell over what or at who, but for some reason this interaction got under his skin. Steve brushed it off, though, especially seeing as he couldn’t pinpoint the origin. “Seems like you got something in mind,” Eddie added.
“You ever kill someone?” Argyle suddenly asked, the joint burning between his fingers. Jonathan, Eddie, and Steve looked at him in amused confusion, Chrissy laughing. Argyle, noticing the group’s reaction, gestured questioningly. “What? Hey, man, it’s always the cheery ones that catch you off guard with the dark shit.”
Chrissy laughed harder at this, Jonathan shaking his head with a smile. “Unfortunately it’s not that juicy,” she informed, Argyle nodding as he puffed away. “But… well, you said deepest and darkest…” she bit her lip, pulling the sleeves of her sweater over her hands. “I… recently cheated on my boyfriend.”
Steve’s jaw dropped, the group falling silent as they stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably the longer no one said anything. Eddie was the one to speak first, “Wait, isn’t your boyfriend Jason Carver?” He asked.
She nodded. “Yeah, well–” she tilted her head to the side in consideration. “Was. We broke up when I told him.”
Eddie’s eyes were wide as he slowly handed the bottle back over. “Think you need an extra round.” She happily accepted, throwing back a long swig. “And honestly, no offense, but Carver’s a total dickbag,” Eddie added, Steve mouthing the word ‘dickbag’ to himself in question.
“Sounds like what the guy deserved,” Jonathan said, apparently not knowing of Jason. At least not enough to jump on the hate train. Steve, however, knew plenty enough.
“Definitely what the guy deserved,” Steve affirmed, looking at Chrissy earnestly as she once again handed the bottle back to Eddie. “We were on the basketball team together. Total prick. Couldn’t handle not being the center of attention,” Steve furrowed his brows, suddenly remembering how often he and Jason butted heads. “And he was always trying to pick a fight with me over nothing.”
“Well,” Eddie smirked over at him. “Can’t blame him there. You’re pretty fun to aggravate.” Steve scrunched his nose at Eddie in a childish manner, ignoring him to accept the joint from Jonathan.
Deciding he’d smoked enough for the night, he held the joint and his free hand out to Eddie. “Trade ya,” he said, Eddie obliged.
“Looks like you dodged a douche-bullet, little lady,” Argyle chimed in, Chrissy smiling lightly, but it fizzled out.
“I dunno…” Chrissy sighed, looking at the ground and kicking a pebble. “Even if he wasn’t the best… I feel like I should’ve handled it better. I mean, does anyone deserve to get cheated on?” She looked at them for reassurance.
Steve glanced to the side to see Jonathan was shifting in place, eyes darting around uneasily on the ground in front of him. Steve took a shot of the whiskey before sighing, fixing his eyes on Chrissy. “Look, Cunningham. Take it from a guy who got cheated on for being a shitty boyfriend,” he felt all eyes on him, crinkling a bit at the attention during such a vulnerable reveal, but he persevered. “Sometimes it’s the thump in the head we need. Ya know, to get our shit together. I don’t think it’s whether someone deserves something or not, but maybe…”
Steve shook his head, feeling like he’d been talking for far too long. Am I rambling? he wondered to himself, but even if he were he started this little spiel and he had to conclude it somehow. “Maybe some people need a harsher wake-up call than others. And, maybe I’m wrong, but you don’t seem like the kind of person to cheat on someone who was treating you well.”
Chrissy gave a large, toothy smile. “Thanks, Steve.”
“Aw,” Eddie cooed with a mockingly sweet smile. “He does have a heart,” then he was messing up Steve’s hair, heat flooding his face as he ducked out of his reach.
“Hey! Watch the hair, Munson,” Steve scolded as Eddie retracted his hands, still smiling as Steve tried to reconcile the damage without a mirror. “You saw how much work goes into this.”
Eddie and Chrissy laughed at his irritation, Steve shaking his head before chugging as much whiskey as he could tolerate. “Also, for what it’s worth,” Eddie spoke to Chrissy now. “I agree with Harrington,” a sentence Steve never thought he’d hear Eddie say, “If anyone deserved to get cheated on, it was Carver.”
Steve didn’t know how Eddie knew Carver well enough to determine this, but he could take a guess that it was through a similar fashion he was acquainted with Tommy. He didn’t let himself think about that much longer, feeling his anger for Jason returning in a way it hadn’t since he was in high school.
From there, Eddie, Chrissy, and Argyle somehow got on the topic of Rocky Horror, a movie Steve hadn’t explicitly seen, but heard Robin talk about. Still, he felt a bit out of the loop of the conversation, and found his mind wandering. From the lack of commentary of Jonathan, who was finishing the last of the joint and staring far off, Steve assumed he was in a similar position. He was emboldened by the mix of weed and whiskey in his system, and figured there was no better time to carry out his self-made promise.
“Byers,” Steve leaned over, talking quietly as to not draw the attention away from the others’ animated discussion. Jonathan looked over after stamping out the roach. “Can I, uh…” he didn’t anticipate simply getting Jonathan alone being awkward. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” Steve nodded slowly away from the pit.
Jonathan’s brows creased in the slightest at him, but he nodded, following Steve’s lead when he stood and began walking away from the group. He took one of the flashlights to light their path, the two moving in silence as Steve not only waited for them to get out of ear shot, but also to gather his thoughts.
“I, uh…” He slid his free hand into the pocket of his jeans as they walked leisurely side by side. “I owe you an apology.” Jonathan gave him a puzzled look, Steve ran a nervous hand through his hair. “For… for what I said, in sophomore year. Calling you…” he swallowed thickly. “A queer,” the words were foul in his mouth as he repeated them, shame digging it’s talons deep into him. “It was way out of line, for a lot of reasons, even if I did… see what I saw.”
Jonathan looked away at this, eyes jumping around uneasily. “It’s uh… It’s fine, Harrington. I shouldn’t have… we shouldn’t have been doing what we were doing.”
“No, maybe not,” Steve agreed lightly. “But still,” he dug deep inside himself and mustered the strength to look at Jonathan, stopping in his tracks. Jonathan did the same, meeting his gaze. “I’m sorry. You’re… not a bad guy. And you seem to make Nancy really happy, so… I guess what I’m trying to say is, I think it worked out for the better.”
Jonathan didn’t react immediately, taking in Steve’s sincerity before a small, albeit uneasy smile came to his face. But Steve reckoned it was the first genuine smile the man had ever directed at him. “Thanks, man. I’m… I’m sorry it happened the way it did,” he gave a weak snort. “I guess… you’re not the worst guy, either.”
Relief flooded Steve, a weight he hadn’t noticed removed from him as he smiled back. “‘Not the worst guy…’ I’ll take it.” With that settled, they rejoined the group, Eddie giving him a quizzical look as he took his seat next to him.
They sat around and drank for a little over an hour longer before they collectively decided to turn in. The boys walked Chrissy back to her cabin on the way to theirs, seeing that she’d also opted to climb out the window, except there were trash bins that she could use to step onto so she had a much easier time.
Steve had drank a bit more than he intended, not to an extent where he felt sick, but he forgot to factor in the weed and cut himself off too late. This was leaving his spatial awareness a little lacking on the walk back, frequently drifting into Eddie and having to apologize.
“Damn, Harrington,” Eddie laughed after the fifth or so time he knocked their shoulders together, this time Eddie having to steady him with one hand on his shoulder and the other on his back. “How much of a lightweight are you?” He pushed Steve back upright before letting his hands fall.
“I’m not a lightweight,” Steve’s voice was higher than usual, cheeks aching from a smile he hadn’t been able to get off his face. “Just haven’t smoked in a while. Plus drinking,” Steve shrugged as an end to his sentence, not particularly minding his overestimation of his limits.
The night was brisk but not cold, the chirp of bugs and rustling of the wind through the leaves the only sounds to accompany their voices. And the stars were phenomenal out here. Even if Robin wasn’t able to join them, in that moment, there wasn’t anything to complain about.
That was, until they reached the window they’d climbed out of, and were all hit with a sudden realization. “Shit…” Eddie said, staring up at the window. “Any of you think of how to get back in?”
Jonathan cursed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How did we not consider that? We were all sober.”
Argyle looked over at Jonathan with pinched brows. “We were?”
Jonathan gave a small roll of his eyes. “As sober as we all usually are.”
“Guys, it’s fine,” Steve walked over and pressed his back against the cabin, doing a chair sit and slapping his thighs. “I’ll boost ya.”
Eddie had one arm crossed over his middle, hiding a smile behind his hair with his other hand, silent laughter shaking his shoulders. Jonathan raised his eyebrows at Steve, but Argyle was already walking over to him.
“You heard the man,” he didn’t hesitate to step on Steve’s leg, pushing himself up. All Steve could see was Argyle’s middle as he strained to hold his position, biting his lip at the effort. Soon, the weight was lifted off of him, and Argyle’s torso quickly became his legs, then his shoes, and then he was gone. Steve stood up for a break, looking up at the window with his hands on his hips. Argyle leaned out of the window with a grin, waiting to help the next person through.
“Byers,” Steve got back into position, waving him over. “You two can help Munson in.”
“You calling me weak, Harrington?” Eddie crossed both his arms now, shifting his weight more onto one leg, hip cocking.
“No,” Steve said simply, grunting as Jonathan stepped onto his leg. He was lifted away much faster than Argyle, considering he had help. “Figured you’d just be less freaked out. With the heights and everything,” Steve shrugged, as he stood. “Hang on, gimme a sec,” Steve started doing side lunges, Eddie snickering as he watched on. Steve paused mid lunge, “Hey, I’m trying to help you here. A little appreciation.” He resumed his lunges.
His statement didn’t wipe the humorous smile from Eddie, but Steve got back into place regardless. Eddie’s constant glee at humiliating him wasn’t so annoying after the night’s activities.
“Well?” Steve asked when Eddie stood in front of him, hesitating. Steve raised his eyebrows, patting his thighs twice before saying, “Chop, chop. Before I get the spins.”
Eddie’s eyes flicked to Steve’s thighs, then back to his face. “Are you sure you’re gonna be able to jump high enough to reach us?”
“Kinda good at jumping, Munson,” Steve smirked. “Basketball, remember?”
Eddie grinned as he gave a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Right. Basketball,” he braced his hands on the wall above Steve’s head before stepping onto his leg. As he lifted himself to bring his other leg up, he wobbled, Steve’s hands shooting out instinctively to steady him. He didn’t have much time to pick where to steady him, however, and was now holding onto the backs of Eddie’s thighs, just below his ass.
His face swirled with heat, thankful Eddie couldn’t see him as he quickly removed his hands. “Uh, m-my bad man,” he cringed at himself, the substances in his system not enough to numb this embarrassment. Especially not when he realized his eyes were directly level with Eddie’s crotch.
“Don’t worry, Harrington,” Eddie snorted above him, Steve barely hearing his words, his full attention glued to the small trail of dark hair leading into Eddie’s jeans, his shirt lifted as he likely reached for Argyle and Jonathan’s hands. “Being groped by you isn’t the worst thing in the world.” And then he was lifted out of sight, Steve blinking himself back to reality.
He cleared his throat as he stood, turning to look up at the window where Eddie and Argyle were leaning over the ledge. Steve took a few steps back to get a running start, before taking off, crouching down low and leaping up as hard as he could. He caught both their hands with ease, but slammed his full front into the side of the cabin with an ‘oof.’
He groaned as he pressed the toes of his sneakers against the wall, taking as much of the weight off of Eddie and Argyle as he could, walking himself upward and allowing himself to be pulled through the window. His landing was far from graceful, however, as he rolled over the sill and flat onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. Steve wheezed out a strangled groan, eyes screwing shut as he just laid in his pain for a second.
“You good, dude?” When he opened his eyes, Eddie, Jonathan, and Argyle were all leaning over him. The light was still off in the room, but the moonlight was bright enough through the window to grant just enough visibility to see the vaguest concern on Jonathan’s face, amusement on Eddie’s, and indifferent observation on Argyle’s.
Steve blinked a few times, the pain slowly subsiding as he regained his breath. “Yeah,” he croaked. “Let’s… figure out a better way next time.”
Eddie smirked over him, offering his hand to Steve, which he took. A quick peek into the kids’ room and Jonathan confirmed they were all still asleep, which meant it was time for them to get to bed themselves.
They kept the screen off so they could take turns brushing their teeth in pairs at the window, none of them wanting to go through that ordeal again just to do so in the creepy bathroom. They left the window open once they’d replaced the screen to prevent it from getting too hot, and all got changed into acceptable sleeping clothes. For Eddie and Steve, this just meant taking off their jeans, and shirt in Steve’s case. They both politely faced the wall in their beds while Argyle and Jonathan changed, as they had to do a full strip.
Steve drifted off into sleep, thankful that the night at least ended better than the day had started.