Chapter Text
"We’ll have two of the steaks," Steve’s father informed the waitress, without even a glance towards the woman.
Steve tried to shoot her an apologetic look, but she didn’t meet his eyes. She just wrote down the order and walked off.
"Now Steve. We need to have a conversation about your future."
Ah, so it was finally time to talk about the real reason they were there. Of course his father had thought that bringing him to dinner would be enough to finally convince Steve to come around. Arthur Harrington, a businessman to the end.
"What colleges have extended acceptances?"
Steve took a deep breath. "None."
His dad’s face darkened. "You have been denied from all the colleges you applied to?"
"No, because I didn’t apply to any."
If his face was dark already then this made it practically stormy. "And why did you make that idiotic decision?"
"I am working until my friend graduates and then we are going to apply to colleges together."
"I assume you’re referring to your ice cream shop friend. Lark was it?"
"Her name is Robin."
"You would sacrifice a degree from a reputable school just for this girl? I was already angry enough that you won't be able to attend my alma mater or another top institution because of the dip in your grades, but I have come to terms with that. I will not allow you to stoop even further just because you have a silly crush."
Never mind the fact that the "dip" was because Steve had been too focused on breaking up an illegal experimentation ring to study for finals. His father couldn’t know that because of all the NDAs they were required to sign. Leaving Steve looking like he had just suddenly stopped trying during junior year. It wasn’t the first time his father had argued with him on the topic.
"I don’t like Robin as anything more than a friend. I’ve explained this to you and Mother already."
Arthur scoffed. "You may believe that, but I’m your father. I know you better than you know yourself."
You couldn’t be more wrong, Steve thought.
"I wouldn’t be stooping by going to college with Robin. She’s so smart and she has so many extracurriculars she could get into any college she wanted. She would be stooping for me."
Arthur scoffed again, ignoring Steve completely and sliding a piece of paper across the table. "You will apply to the colleges I listed. I’m sure I can pull some strings for your decision letters to be released faster. Then we will sit down again to discuss the schools that have accepted you and I will decide which school will fit the Harrington reputation best."
Steve went to respond, but they were interrupted by the waitress returning with their meals. She avoided both of their eyes again and just put the plates down.
"Thank you Janet," Steve tried. She simply rolled her eyes and walked off. Well that went well.
"I would really prefer to stick to my plans." Steve tried to insist as he refocused on his father. "I will take your suggestions into account when Rob and I are applying next year but it will be next year."
"No," Arthur said, tone sharp. "You will do it now. I am tired of your insolence and your belief that you know more than your betters. You associate with children and social outcasts, tarnishing our reputation. You have done nothing since graduating to work towards continuing the Harrington name with a family and your career. Your mother and I are leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning. We will be back in two months and if you have not submitted your applications and made work to improve who you associate with by then there will be serious consequences."
Steve hated how it made him shrink. He hated that his father was always able to turn him into that scared kid again. But he couldn’t seem to stop it.
Arthur leaned forward, his voice icy cold. "Do you understand me Steven?"
"Yes Father."
"Good." Arthur stood, throwing a wad of cash on the table to cover his untouched food and stalking out. Steve let out a shaky, relieved breath. As if she had been watching, Janet suddenly appeared next to the table. She probably was, the Harringtons had always been a favored show of Hawkins when they were out together, partially because of how rare the sighting was.
"I guess I’ll just settle your tab then," Janet said sarcastically. "This looks like it’s the exact amount so you’re all set."
"Oh, uh, here." Steve quickly pulled out his wallet to get cash for a tip.
"Don’t bother King Steve. I wouldn’t want to make you feel forced."
"No, seriously Janet. Thank you." He held out the money, but Janet didn’t take it.
"For what? I was just doing my job. See you around school Steve." And she walked off.
Steve let out an annoyed groan. Nothing about this night had gone well. At least now he could do the one thing he had actually looked forward to today.
- - - - -
"And then he gave me this stupid ultimatum about finding “better associates’. Apparently he and my mom will be back in two months and 'there will be consequences'."
"I’m sorry to break it to you Steve, but your father is a massive dick," Robin said as she carded her fingers through his hair.
Steve rolled his eyes as he looked up at her from his place in her lap. "Believe me, I am already aware. Although he might be right on some level. The only people who would want to associate with me right now are his selfish, stuffy business partners. Everyone else in Hawkins either hates me because of who I used to be or refuses to associate with me because I’m not that person anymore."
"That’s not true. There are plenty of people that love you for who you are and don’t care that you used to be King Steve. The kids just see you as Mama and I love you for being my platonic soulmate. Plus Joyce loves you and Hopper respects you at least."
Steve grabbed her free hand to squeeze it in thanks. "I just don’t know what I’m going to do Rob. There’s no way for me to prove that I’m a different person to everyone else. I love and appreciate you all but I want to be able to go to a restaurant without the waitress thinking I’m looking down on her. I want the kids in the halls to not think they have to avoid my eyes to avoid me bullying them. No one believes that I’ve changed and I can’t blame them! If I was them, I wouldn’t believe I’ve changed either. But it’s like they don’t see that I’m one of them now."
Robin raised a skeptical eyebrow, the face she always made when Steve said something a little out of touch. "Steve, I know you’ve changed but how far down the social ladder do you think you fell?"
"I mean, pretty far? I’m friends with you and I hang out with the kids. Instead of hosting keggers I spend my weekends driving kids to the arcade and to each other’s houses to play DnD. I spend my Fridays watching movies with you and my free time working with you so we can save up enough money to have an apartment together next year. I love my life but I would say that it sounds like I’m pretty low on the food chain."
Robin laughed good-naturedly. "I hate to break it to you Steve, but everyone else doesn’t see it like that. Sure, they see us working together at Family Video and they might see you dropping off the kids at the arcade, but they make excuses. It’s like you said, they don’t think you’ve changed so their brains can’t comprehend anything that doesn’t fit with ‘King Steve’. Sure, you’re working with me, but maybe you just needed to make some cash. Sure we seem to get along, but everyone tries to get along with their coworkers, it makes shifts easier. Stuff like that they can explain away so they don’t have to come to terms with the fact that their idea of you is wrong."
"So you’re saying I need something bigger to convince everyone, something shocking."
"Yeah, I guess. I don’t know what that would be though."
Steve let out an annoyed sigh. "Me neither." He racked his brain to try and find something that would be shocking enough. "Maybe we could hang out more in a conspicuous place outside of work?"
"Nah, everyone would probably just think that you’re trying to chat me up and get another notch on your belt."
"I could hang out with the kids at the arcade?"
"Everyone will assume you’re trying to get in good with Nancy again by watching her baby brother."
"I don’t like how all of these hypotheticals include me still being a womanizer."
"Hey, this isn’t my thoughts, it’s theirs!"
"What I really need is something that can’t be mistaken as an attempt to romance a girl. Something completely opposite to trying to date Nancy again or getting in your pants."
"I mean," Robin said, chuckling to herself slightly. "You could always fake date a guy."
Steve bolted up. "That’s brilliant!" He shifted onto his knees in excitement. "If everyone thought that I was dating a guy they couldn’t think I was trying to get a girlfriend."
"Steve, I was joking. That can’t be the best idea."
"No, think about it! Like I said, people can’t think I’m trying to get a girlfriend if I’m already dating a guy. It’s the perfect thing to ruin the ladykiller version of me everyone has in their heads. It will work even better if I find a nerd like you."
"Rude."
"You know I say it lovingly."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"Robin! It could also help with my dad. If he thought that I was dating a guy he would give up for sure. The confrontation wouldn’t be the prettiest scene but my parents would have to accept that I’m going to make my own choices. We could do everything we planned without having to worry about their reactions. It’s perfect."
"You do have a point there," Robin admitted. "But you’re almost eighteen Steve, you could make your own decisions anyway."
"Not with him. You know that. I’ll never be free of them, or free of being seen as a Harrington by Hawkins if I don’t get the freedom to forge my own path."
Robin smiled sympathetically. "Fine, if you think you should do this, I’ll support you. But how will you even find a guy willing to pretend to date you? This is a small town, the same reason this ruse will work is the same reason there are practically no people that are out."
"Well isn’t Eddie gay?"
"Eddie Munson?" Robin asked, surprised.
"He’s pretty open about his sexuality, and he’s a nerd like you and the kids so I bet you will all get along."
"Wait, he’ll be hanging out with us now too?"
"Well, yeah, if he agrees then we’ll probably be hanging out a lot which means there’s bound to be some overlap with hanging out with the gang."
"You know what, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He still needs to say yes first. Do you have any idea how you’ll win over this person that you’ve never spoken to before?"
"Uh, yeah. Excellent point. I’ll have to think of something. You guys used to be in band together. He played the drums at school, but he’s also in a band where he plays the guitar, right?" Steve mused out loud. "He runs that dnd club. Maybe I can use something about that to approach him. Do you know anything else about him that might help?"
"Uh, maybe? Apparently not more than you." She looked at Steve appraisingly. "Anyway, all I know is Eddie is a little out there, which is what created his freak image, but I don’t think it’s in a bad way."
"Ok, it’s not a lot, but it’s something. Thanks Robs."
"Wonderful. Now can we get back to the movie?"
Steve laughed and moved to lay back down in her lap. "Sure. You got the remote?"