Chapter Text
September 1985
Eddie Munson sat on a brick ledge outside Hawkins High, his threadbare backpack tossed haphazardly on the ground. The bell would ring soon and he needed a quick smoke before being subjected to yet another day of this nightmare. He was one month into his third senior year, and it wasn't getting any easier. He was so fucking ready to get out of this shithole and start living his life ...
As he smoked, a maroon BMW pulled into the parking lot. To his immense surprise, inside was Dustin Henderson, one of his newest proteges, with none other than Steve Harrington, both laughing. Dustin had told him all about his friendship with Harrington, but he honestly thought the kid was lying. Apparently, he wasn’t. He watched Dustin shut the door and wave cheerily as Harrington drove away.
When Dustin turned and spotted him, he waved even more enthusiastically.
He smiled and stubbed out the rest of his cigarette. "Hey, Henderson."
"Eddie!"
He shouldered his backpack as Dustin jogged over. "Did Steve Harrington just drop you off for school?"
"Yeah?" Dustin replied like it was obvious. "Mom had a flat, and Steve opens the video store today anyway."
He shook his head in disbelief as the two made their way inside the building.
"I told you we're friends!"
"I just … didn't believe you," he chuckled.
"Why would I lie about that?"
"To seem cool?"
"When have I ever wanted to seem cool?" Dustin deadpanned.
"Fair point. It's just … Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington? 'King Steve'? Isn’t he kind of a douche?”
"That was like, two years ago! He's a good guy now."
“Whatever you say, Henderson.” He clapped him on the back before they parted ways. He pondered the odd friendship as he made his way towards his English class. He personally had no beef with Harrington. They’d only shared a couple of classes last year, and pretty much ignored each other. He couldn’t lie to himself that he did, in fact, find him really hot, but Harrington was a jock, and he never had good experiences with jocks. He remembered the previous year when that asshole, Billy Hargrove, shoulder checked him so hard in the hallway that the strap on his backpack ripped, spilling character sheets and scribbled song lyrics across the floor. He'd never seen Harrington with Hargrove outside of practice, so he guessed that was a point in his favor, but still … Rich kid, jock … He had to be a douche, right? Those were just the rules of the universe. He wondered what Dustin saw in him.
~*~
Earlier that morning ...
Steve snoozed his alarm several times before he finally managed to drag himself out of bed and into the shower. Once dressed, he went downstairs for breakfast. The house was blissfully quiet with his parents once again out of town. Sometimes he wondered why they even kept a residence in Hawkins. He fished a bowl out of the cupboard and poured himself some cornflakes. Just as he was about to chow down, the kitchen phone rang. He sighed heavily, his spoon falling back into the bowl with a loud clang. “Harrington residence,” he answered.
“Hey, Steve!” came Dustin’s energetic greeting.
“Hey, Dustin,” he replied, relaxing now that he knew it wasn’t one of his dad’s stuffy business associates. “Why are you calling so early?”
“Well … Mom’s car has a flat, and I was hoping you could drive me to school ...”
“Uh huh,” he scoffed. Of course he needed a ride.
“Please, Steve! The bus already left before we realized.”
“You’re lucky I have a morning shift today, otherwise I’d still be unconscious.”
“Yes!” Dustin then yelled away from the receiver, “Steve is picking me up!”
“Oh, that sweet boy!” He heard faintly from Mrs. Henderson.
“Does your mom need a ride, too?” he asked, figuring he was all in at this point. Besides, Mrs. Henderson fed him on a regular basis, so it was only polite.
“He wants to know if you need a ride, too!” Dustin yelled, this time a little too close to the receiver.
He winced as he pulled the phone away from his ear.
“That Steve is such a gentleman!” Mrs. Henderson replied, “But Sylvia is already picking me up.”
“She says she’s good,” Dustin relayed.
“Yeah, I got it. I’m headed out the door, so make sure you’re ready when I get there. Keith will kill me if I’m late again.”
“You got it,” Dustin agreed, then hung up the phone unceremoniously.
Steve shook his head. That kid needed to learn some manners … He dumped his unfinished bowl of cereal into the sink, grabbed his vest, wallet and keys, and stepped out the door.
*
Dustin was waiting for Steve at his mailbox, backpack slung over his shoulder. He waved when he saw his car approaching.
Steve pulled up and unlocked the doors so Dustin could slide in. He noticed Mrs. Henderson’s car in the carport, back left hubcap practically on the concrete. “Does your mom need help changing the tire later?”
“I have no idea,” Dustin answered.
He rolled his eyes. “Well, how about a little gratitude for the pick-up?”
Now Dustin rolled his eyes, scoffing loudly. “Thank you, Steve,” he said as sarcastically as possible.
He grimaced as he pulled out onto the street, but quickly got over Dustin’s antics, as he always did. “Got any fun school projects coming up?”
Dustin shrugged. “I have to make a 3D model of a cell for biology.”
“Oh, I remember doing that! I tried making mine out of play-doh. It did not go well … What are you gonna use?”
“My mom has some leftover floral foam I think will work as a base.”
He had no idea what the hell floral foam was, but he nodded along as if it was a great idea. Knowing Dustin, it probably was. “What about your, uh, Hellfire thing? The one with Eddie the Freak?”
“Dude, don’t call him that!” Dustin protested, frowning sharply at him.
“I thought he called himself that!” he protested. “Seemed to wear it pretty proudly, at least.”
“Eddie says you have to, so people can’t get to you …”
Steve pondered that. He'd never really been the focus of insults until Billy Hargrove came along, and that guy was a psychopath, so it didn’t feel quite the same. He supposed it wasn’t a bad strategy. Certainly seemed to be working for Eddie, at least. He didn’t know Eddie well; they didn’t share many classes during school, but he wasn’t unaware. He’d witnessed some of Eddie’s antics and honestly found him pretty amusing. They just didn’t run in the same circles. “Ah, yes. Your new best friend, Eddie,” he teased.
“Aw, is Steve jealous?” Dustin quipped back.
“Ouch,” he replied. “You’ve been spending too much time around Max.”
Dustin grew solemn. “I’m actually kinda worried about her ...”
“Oh?”
“Yeah … She broke up with Lucas, and she's started pulling away from me and Mike, too.”
“Oh.” Steve knew better than most about the fucked-up relationship between Max and Billy, but he guessed Billy’s death must have had some kind of effect on her. “I’ll see if I can get her to talk next time I see her,” he offered.
Dustin perked back up. “Thanks.”
“So,” he said, steering the conversation back to happier subjects. “Hellfire.”
Dustin immediately launched into excited chatter about his new character, their powers, the club’s current campaign, etc. He rambled for most of the car ride, while Steve listened and fondly smiled. He loved listening to people talk about their favorite things, even if he barely understood what they were talking about.
“And Eddie is such a great DM,” Dustin continued. “His campaigns are on another level! And he loves acting out all the NPCs and monsters and does all these great voices! He even puts together tapes so we have the perfect ambiance while playing! It's incredible!”
“Sounds incredible,” he murmured, feeling a tad lame in comparison. “But has he ever infiltrated a Soviet bunker in a sailor uniform?”
“You’ve got him beat there,” Dustin laughed.
“Damn right,” he chuckled as he pulled into the high school parking lot. “Alright, twerp, we’re here.” He parked in front of the entrance. “Make good choices or whatever.”
Dustin climbed out of the car and waved goodbye.
He waved back, then noticed Eddie Munson himself sitting on a brick wall, all long hair and dark clothes. As he drove away from the school, he wondered to himself if he should attempt to befriend Eddie. Dustin clearly looked up to him a lot, and the stories he told painted Eddie in an interesting light. Besides, he needed more friends his age. He loved the kids, but he couldn’t talk to them about everything. And Robin was an incredible friend, his platonic soulmate, he adored her, but one more friend couldn’t hurt. If Eddie ever gave him a chance, that is.
~*~
Harrington continued to gnaw at Eddie through second period, which luckily was his study hall. He spotted Robin Buckley in the back corner of the classroom, balancing her pencil on her upper lip out of sheer boredom. He and Robin weren’t friends, per se, but she was a band nerd and he respected that. He’d also heard rumors of her developing a friendship with Harrington over the summer. Maybe she could illuminate him on the wonders of King Steve.
He marched over, spun an empty chair backwards, and dropped onto it, his arms crossed over the back.
Robin’s pencil fell onto the desk with a clack. “Can I help you, Munson?”
“I’ve got a question for you.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure a trumpet would work in your metal band.”
He snorted. “Ha ha. Actually, I wanted to ask you about Steve Harrington …”
She dropped her head back and sighed dramatically. “For the 1000th time, we are not dating!”
“Miss Buckley, please quiet down!” Mrs. Kirby yelled from her desk at the head of the class.
She rolled her eyes.
“No, no, no,” he murmured, voice lowering as to not invoke Mrs. Kirby’s wrath further.
“Nor do I want to go out with you,” she added, picking up her pencil and doodling in her notebook in an attempt to look busy.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a frustrated sigh. “That is not at all what- You’re not exactly … my type.” He lowered his chin and gave her a look, hoping to convey his meaning without words.
She returned the look. “Are you asking if Steve is-”
His insides froze solid at Robin’s implication. “Absolutely not!”
“Mr. Munson, please!”
He buried his face in his hands. “Look, Dustin Henderson claims to be friends with Harrington. In fact, he dropped him off for school this morning. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. And I’ve heard that you’re friends with Harrington, too, and I’m just totally lost. How is Steve Harrington, King of Hawkins High, friends with, no offense, two serious nerds. I mean, did he even realize you existed when he went here?”
Robin smiled fondly. “You’d be surprised. And no offense taken, I guess.”
He stared at her like she was nuts, waiting for her to elaborate.
“Look, we worked together at that ice cream shop in the mall over the summer, and he was a fucking riot. In fact, I used to keep score of how many times he went down in flames while chatting up girls.” She giggled to herself at the memory. “And we were working together the night of the … the fire.” Her expression grew more solemn. “He saved my ass that night. He actually saved a few people that night, including Henderson.”
“Henderson was there, too?” he whispered in horror.
She nodded silently.
He shrugged. “He’s just … never mentioned it.”
“Would you want to bring up something that traumatizing?”
“I guess not.” He lapsed into silence as he considered everything she told him. “And you’re like, actually friends with him?”
“Mhm,” she nodded. “We work at Family Video together, we hang out on the weekends. He’s … Honestly, he’s my best friend.”
He leaned back in his chair and blew out a long breath. “This is blowing my fucking mind, Buckley.”
She shrugged. “I judged him, too, you know, before I got to know him. He’s not who you think he is. I mean, he's not the sharpest, for sure, but … he’s a good guy.”
He hoisted himself up from the chair, his head full of new things to ponder. “Thanks for your time, Buckley.” He saluted sharply.
She laughed. “Yeah, can I please get back to what I was doing?” She placed the pencil back on her upper lip.
He laughed and returned to his seat. Maybe he should hang out with Buckley, invite her to a Hellfire session or something. She seemed pretty rad. And if she said Harrington was a good dude, then maybe he had judged him prematurely. Not that it was going to affect his life in any way. Harrington had already managed to escape this hellhole, and he did not see them crossing paths any time soon.
*
Later during lunch, Eddie mindlessly chewed on greasy cafeteria salisbury steak, when Dustin and Mike finally joined their table.
“Tell him, Mike!” Dustin demanded as soon as he sat down.
“Tell him what?” Mike asked snottily.
Eddie rolled his eyes. Freshmen.
“Tell Eddie that Steve is a great guy!”
Of course Henderson was still on about this …
Mike shrugged, like he could not possibly care less. “Sure, he’s fine, I guess.”
“You guess!?” Dustin had no right to sound so offended. “How many times has he saved our asses?”
Mike shrugged. “A couple times?”
“Uh, he tried to beat up Billy for us,” Dustin replied with more attitude than his little body should be able to muster, as he held up one finger. “He saved us from the … mall fire.” Another finger shot up.
“Right, a couple times.” Mike squinted at Dustin like he was nuts.
Dustin scoffed. “The mall fire was actually several instances, so-” He held up two more fingers.
“Hold up,” Eddie interrupted. “Did you say ‘tried to beat up Billy?’ As in Billy Hargrove?”
“Yeah-” Dustin began to reply.
“Billy kicked his ass,” Mike interrupted.
“Steve was protecting us!” Dustin argued.
Eddie wanted to ask about the circumstances, but Gareth interjected first.
“Didn’t Harrington also get his ass kicked by Jonathan Byers?”
Eddie remembered seeing Harrington with a massive black eye his junior year. The rumors flying around school claimed they were fighting over Nancy Wheeler. He couldn’t think of a dumber, more stereotypical reason for teenage boys to fight.
“I never said he was a great fighter,” Dustin scoffed, “At least he kept Billy distracted.”
“Distracted from what?” he prompted.
“Billy was gonna beat up Max for hanging out with us,” Mike explained.
“So that guy was an actual fucking psychopath.” Eddie nodded to himself, the bits of Billy he’d seen slotting together.
“You have no idea,” Dustin replied, side-eyeing Mike.
Mike elbowed him, and something passed silently between them. They began to quietly eat their lunches.
Eddie pushed his tray away from himself, leaning back so he could prop his foot on the cafeteria table. “Henderson, you had my curiosity, but now I am downright intrigued.”
~*~
After lunch, Eddie was making his way to the science lab when he spotted Lucas at his locker. He snuck up quietly, then slapped his hand on the locker next to him with a loud bang. He swore Lucas jumped a foot in the air. “Hey, Sinclair,” he greeted casually, like he hadn’t just scared the life out of the kid.
Lucas grabbed at his chest as his adrenaline dissipated, but still smiled as he replied, “Hey, Eddie!”
“We missed you at lunch.”
“Yeah, sorry. Coach called a last minute meeting to discuss some plays before our game tonight.” Lucas shrugged apologetically.
“No worries.” He leaned against the wall of lockers. “You just missed Henderson regaling me with the adventures of King Steve-”
Lucas laughed. “Sounds about right.”
“So what do you think of Harrington?”
“He’s cool,” Lucas replied.
He made a motion for him to continue.
“I dunno, he’s a nice dude. Protective, funny, a good basketball player.”
Eddie willed himself not to roll his eyes. “So I’ve heard.”
Lucas squinted at him. “What’s got you so interested in Steve?”
He shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. “Just curious, is all.” Silence lapsed between them for a moment, then he leaned in close. “Those jocks … Are they treating you okay?”
Lucas looked surprised. “Yeah … I mean, they’re not my friends, but … they’re nice to me.”
He nodded, unsure if he believed Lucas. He’d had enough run-ins with those meatheads to last a lifetime. “Good, good.” The clanging of the bell echoed through the hallway, so he pushed off the lockers. “Well, I’m off to hopefully not flunk a chemistry quiz.”
“Good luck,” Lucas offered.
“Thanks, man.” He forced Harrington’s pretty face out of his head so he could try to focus on passing this damn thing.