I love Robin teaching Steve the gay ropes as much as anyone but I NEED more Steve and Vickie bonding fics.

After Vickie gets roped into the Upside Down madness she starts to understand Robin and Steves relationship and tries to befriend him more.

In doing so Vickie starts to pick up on things:

Like Steves recently acquired longing looks at Jonathan but Vickie clocks him immediately.

She also notices just how upset and quiet/deflective Steve gets whenever anyone(mostly Dustin) brings up Eddie.

How when one day while they're all out they run across Tommy and how Steve goes out of his way to avoid him. But how he also stares at him when his back is turned.

How when Steve accompanies Robin, Vickie, and a very nervous Will to a gay bar that he almost immediately relaxes and openly(& unintentionally on his part) flirts with multiple guys AND gets their numbers.

How Steve seems to have the absolute worst taste in women but every single gay/bi/queer guy he meets is an absolute sweetheart until they stop coming around because Steve never returns their signals. That Steve seems more upset when he loses his new "friends" then when his girlfriends break up with him.

Etc etc.

Robin and Steve may be platonic soulmates but there are just some things you need someone who understands exactly how your feeling to help you and not someone adjacent to it.

Steve and Vickie against the world misunderstanding both and beyond are still apart of the community..how even in the most loving open places where they should be free they're still met with judgment.

Vickie also seeing how Jonathan after going to NYU has started secretly returning Steves longing looks.

Vickie being Stonathans biggest supporter cause those are her bi buds. In turn Steve being the first person Vickie turns to when after returning from her study abroad sees how much closer Nancy and Robin have gotten and freaking out about how pretty Nancys new hair style is, how Vickie gets tingles when she sees Nancy help braid Robins new longer hair, and wow um Vickie knows shes bi but is it possible to love 2 people at the same time?

And Steve says yes because while he loves Jonathan he still loves Eddie even tho he only realized it after getting to know Eddie through Wayne after moving to Forest Hills and listening to his stories and A LOT of reflection of his small amout of time with him when he was alive.

How he feels guilty about it because he never even got a chance to begin properly befriending him; let alone falling for him in death.

The more love in the world is better in Steves opinion.