Only Soup

Steve knows how to have fun without getting his heart involved.

Contrary to what many may think, he did not have a crisis when he realized he wanted to kiss Eddie. But when he realized he was falling in love with Eddie... That's where the problem came in.

Steve understands sex... But falling in love with someone is something he's never been good at, that was the real crisis. And not because Eddie was a boy, but because Steve Harrington is good, very good at sex, but when it comes to love? Steve Harrington doesn't deserve love.

He truly believes he doesn't know how to love someone and that hurts him because Eddie really matters to him, and he desperately wants to love Eddie.

Eddie, on the other hand, has no experience with sex; he has the theory and his fantasies, but never the experience. He's created the idea in his mind that he's cute in a certain light and from a certain angle, but sexually? Nah, he has no sex appeal.

Eddie loves deeply. He's incredibly loud and intense when he's in love. He loves his uncle, he loves his guitar and his music. He knows how to melt for love. He's the kind of person who would literally die for someone he loves.

Eddie doesn't know how to have fun without putting his whole heart into it.

He could leave it with most of the hippie bullshit they rolled into Hawkins with but otherwise. They don’t park near hydrants and they collect their trash cans after trash day.

They’re odd, but fine.

The issue he does have with them is that they are perfectly fine letting their kid ‘explore’ until they want her and can’t readily see her.

Then it becomes Hopper’s problem.

They call the station crying about their missing kid, and now Hopper is easing his way through a block party looking for a kid that probably isn’t missing in the first place.

He finds Robin. Of course he does.

She’s at the forest line behind her own house with seven year old - “Munson.”

“Oink. Oink,” Eddie says, poking a raccoon with a stick. “Hey pig, is this thing dead?”

Robin asks, “Is he asleep? He looks asleep. And is he a boy? How do you-“

Hopper sighs at the very much dead raccoon before telling them both, “Get away from that before you get rabies.”

“What’s rabies?”

“It’s a disease that you will die from, get over here,” He tells them both. “Get in the truck. Robin, your parents are looking for you.”

He gets both kids in the truck and halfway down the block before Eddie throws his full weight into Hopper and slams his hand down on the horn. Hopper slams on the breaks, nearly sending the kid into the goddamn radio before swearing, “What the hell is wrong-“

“Look!” Eddie screeches, completely ignoring Hopper. “It’s my creature!”

When Hopper looks out the window, he sees Steve trying to climb a telephone pole which - “Get in the car.”

Steve protests but ultimately loses that stand off so he gets in. He’s promptly asked, “Do you think I have rabies?”

“I don’t think so,” Steve tells Robin. “I don’t think girls can get rabies.”

“Why not?” She asks. “Girls can do whatever boys can do.”

This starts an argument about peeing standing up and Hopper is in utter disbelief that this is what he has to look forward to with his daughter. Eddie cuts in eventually to tell Robin, “Hey, this is “Steve.” He’s fae.”

“He doesn’t look fae,” Robin frowns at Steve. He doesn’t even have wings.

Steve frowns too and says, “My dad says not to let people call me a fairy ‘cause it’s bad.”

“That’s to protect you,” Eddie nods sagely. “But it’s okay ‘cause me and Buckles won’t tell anyone about you and your kin folk.”

Robins nods readily.

Both because she knows you’re not supposed to give the fae your real name (she’s never had a nickname before!) but also because she would keep the fae’s secret. If Steve really is fae. She’s not sure.

Steve frowns more because, “My dad says I gotta hit people who call me that.”

“Oh, okay,” Eddie says. “You can hit me.”

Hopper is about to tell all three of them to cut it out when Steve shoves his hand into Eddie’s shoulder. The hit was barely strong enough to move it.

Steve shrugs, “I think that it?”

The notes aren’t signed but - “What you’re describing isn’t a demogorgon.”

Steve looks up from not doing his math homework like, “What?”

“These notes you’re putting in my locker,” Eddie says, putting the stack of notes between them . “They’re cute and I kinda love that you’re dreaming about me slaying monsters but what you’re describing isn’t a demogorgon.”

Steve’s entire face has gone red when he says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t write that.”

“You did actually,” Eddie says, not letting up. “And I know that because you’re the only guy I know who writes like this. You’re kinda dyslexic.”

“I’m what?”

“Ignore that,” Eddie waves off. “We’re talking D&D. What you’re actually describing is-“

“It’s a demogorgon,” Steve insists. “I saw one. I know what it looks -“

He pauses, realizes what he’s confirming and says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

There is no crueler act that being that hot and also the straightest man in Indiana so Steve is homophobic. To Eddie specifically and the rest of the queer-leaning members of Hellfire in general.

No one has ever had a problem with this joke until they got their new recruits.

As soon as Dustin heard someone call Steve homophobic, he’s scoffs like, “How could Steve be homophobic? He likes men.”

“He likes women too,” Mike cuts in. “Maybe he’s half homophobic.”

“Robin says that bi people don’t have a straight half and a queer half, they’re-“

Steve who needs rides to and from school and none of his other friends have cars yet and the bus doesn’t even go anywhere Steve’s house in loch Nora so-

He hears that Eddie “The Freak” Munson has a variety of services he offers, and Steve isn’t 100% sure what all the variety includes besides weed but at this point Steve figures why not ask the freak to give him rides to and from school for a few weeks.

Eddie is absolutely floored by the audacity of Hawkins most elite golden boy to ask Eddie to drop everting he has going on to play chauffeur and drive Harringtons little pompous ass around and he wants to say no just on principle but well, the consist intake of money is a lot better then hoping someone wants to trek out to the woods for a joint, and a lot safer too. Plus, Eddie likes to idea of Steve having to beg Eddie for a ride and watching him squirm in the passenger of eddies van, his pressed polos and fresh white Nikes itching to get out of his van of devilry.

We are talking near professional level here. Realistic looking fire. Shadows and shading. This guys sword looks like it's GLOWING.

And Henderson keeps insisting fucking Steve Harrington did it.

"He says he used to get dumped with his Grandma a lot and she loved painting miniature dollhouse stuff. Steve said she let him do cool stuff with the paints while the watched tv."

"Of all the lies you have spewed," Eddie snarls around the fist he's practically eating, eyes boring holes into the newest beautifully displayed figure (a dragon that somehow looks like it's made of actual fucking ice) "This is the worst."

"But I'm not lying!"

"Holy shit, the thing has chrome gold nails." Jeff says, head level with the table to stare at it. "How is it chrome!?"

Eddie inhales.

Exhales.

Hisses: "The woooooorst."

"The Honerable Henderson, the Hellfire puzzle master, has to ask for help?" Eddie says, tutting loudly the first time he overhears Dustin argue if this is a "Robin or Nancy" situation. "How the mighty have fallen!"

Henderson, who has in fact ruined several of Eddie's finest puzzles by solving them the second they were introduced, rolls his eyes.

"Best part of being smart is knowing when to phone a friend!" He sing songs in that smug little tone of his. "Language puzzles are Robin's terrotory!"

"Its not just a language problem though," Lucas cuts in. "It has historical components. That's Nancy, all day long."

"Why dont you just call them both?" Jeff asks, because Jeff has the braincell that day.

All three freshman immediately make a face.

"Party rule, older girls stay apart." Henderson says immediately.

Sensing drama, the elder members immediately hone in.

"Is this because of a certain graduated, former king, perhaps?" Eddie asks eagerly.

As annoying as it would be for the two smartest people hed ever met to cat fight over the dumbest, it would be excellent ammo to aim at the freshmen the next time they brought up Harrington.

"No." Mike scoffs, "Its because they find some real problem and then try and solve it, and they drag us all into it and mom gets upset because Nance puts red string all over the damn house--"

"Steve does always complain that he has to bail them both out of jail." Lucas adds helpfully. "Robin always trips over a security alarm."

"We get them together for emergencies, but otherwise they end up finding some stupid cover up and it takes up everyones week." Henderson finishes.

"Nancy Wheeler has been arrested?" Gareth says slowly, like hes sounding the words out.

"Oh yeah. She and Flo share puzzles now and Cal's terrified of her."

"Cal being..."

"Hes the one Eddie calls Mustache."

"Look, look, that's him!" Dustin's practically vibrating in place, one hand on Steve's elbow as he utterly fails at being stealthy; "That's Eddie Munson, the Hellfire DM! All we have to do to get into the club is play this oneshot--Steve you're not listening, I can tell you're not listening, we have to survive this super brutal oneshot--"

Steve, whose watching Munson stage his own pay-per-view in the parking lot, complete with dramatic knockout, Oscar-worthy collapse, and interpretive fish dance for the encore, just deadpands "No, I'm listening. Think I might stop though."

Dustin ignores him in favor of calling Eddie “the coolest" right as Munson yells at a friend to go on without him, Samwise!

"Dunno what dictionary you're using but it's the wrong one." He says, and tries not to pinch his nose when Dustin just brushes the comment off.

(Later he will go on a long rant to Robin about how he's "totally fine with nerds, obviously, but why the fuck did it have to be THAT one!?"

"Was that an insult at me or the children? One of those options is safer than the other, Dingus."

"You know what I mean! He's like--like," Steve throws his hands in the air, as if he can physically pull the words to him. "So loud!? And he deals drugs, Robin. Can you imagine Dustin high? Can you imagine Mike!?"

"He is loud." Robin agrees, snatching on of Steve's hands and trapping it under her arm, nail polish armed and ready next to her knee. "But you know that's not your problem. Your problem is that the brats copy everything they see."

She examines one of Steve's nails as she talks, Steve not fighting her at all from his spot bemoaning his life on her couch. "You're about to end up with three Eddie Munson clones, table-top rants and all. They're gonna blast metal in your car. They're gonna make you watch sci fi movies." Robin lowers her voice dramatically as she picks up a nail file, restoring the single shiny nail that's fallen out of Steve's usually salon-fit standards. "They will never listen to you about hair care ever again."

"Paint my nails black, Robs." Steve says morosely, his free hand thrown dramatically over his eyes. "The world needs to know I'm in mourning."

"Can do." Robin chirps back.)

Two Fridays later, when Eddie realizes his new freshman are all deeply attached to the former King of the Jockstraps, it'll be his turn to stare across the parking lot, trying to glare a hole into Harrington's beemer as the freshman all jump around him like over excited puppies.

Harrington will waive a hand dismissively in the air.

It will (still) have pristine black nail polish on it.

The Kickstarter for my indie pilot 'ERSATZ' is now funding!

"You know, they say you never stop learning until the day you die."

"Uh-huh..." Steph hums, half-listening while she prepares breakfast. 

"Last night I've learned I apparently hate cats."

Steph snorts, and turns to throw him an evil grin of a proud cat mama. "What did they do?" she asks.

Eddie waves his hand in a circle, looking for the right words to describe last night's horrors. "Do you know about sleep paralysis?" 

She raises her eyebrows. "I think I've heard of it before but no, not really."

"Well, all you have to know is that my paralysis demon is now round and orange. I swear to all I believe in, I could feel him pressing on my chest," he demonstrates by pressing a hand to his ribs, "while the other two were summoning the Dark Lord himself. That's how it sounded, at least."

Steph looks at him skeptically, calmly sipping on her coffee. "I think you're exaggerating a bit."

"I can't believe you didn't hear anything!" Eddie widens his eyes at her. "One day you'll wake up and there will be a portal to Hell opened in your living room. Mark my words."

"I promise I'll give you a call." She shrugs, turning towards the toaster that just popped out two bread slices. "Bet you'd get a kick out of it."

It’s a quarter to nine when Steve walks up the stairs to the new Munson trailer, taking a slow breath in before banging on the door with the side of his fist.

It’s the Friday before Halloween, and he is in a terrible mood.

He had spent damn near a month planning the perfect Halloween costume with Robin for a stupid party he didn’t even want to go to only for her to get violently ill at the last second. Steve had told her that the shrimp she had ordered at the bar the night before looked gross, but she had ignored him and gorged herself on it anyway. Now she was paying the ultimate price.

“You have to go tell Eddie,” she said through the phone in between moments of heavy gagging. “I tried calling the trailer, but he won’t pick up, and if I don’t get back to the bathroom I’m going to paint my mom’s rug a color humans have never seen before.”

“Alright, Jesus,” Steve winced as he pulled the phone away from his ear. “No need to be so graphic. You set up camp in the bathroom and I’ll let Munson know our plans are canceled.”

“You’re a saint,” Robin groans into the phone. “You aren’t dressed already, are you?”

“Uh, no,” Steve looks down at the costume he had just finished putting on. “You caught me just in time, I was just about to change.” 

“Oh, good,” Robin sighs with relief into the phone before making a pained noise. “I would have felt like such an ass if you were already ready to go. Alright, I should head back to the bathroom. Food poisoning waits for no man.”

“Bye Birdie,” Steve chuckles. “I’ll bring you some soup and crackers tomorrow.”

“A Saint,” Robin reiterates before hanging up.

So there he was, shivering as he waited for the trailer door to open. 

He lights up a cigarette in a desperate attempt to suck some warmth into his lungs, his breath fogging out all around him as he exhales. It hasn’t snowed yet, but it was only a matter of time now, and the top Steve is wearing wasn’t exactly built for extreme temperatures. 

He didn’t have to wait long before the tell tale sign of heavy footsteps came up to the door, yanking it open to reveal a rumpled, half awake Eddie Munson.

“What? Whadda want?” he grunts, rubbing sleep out of his eyes before finally looking down the steps. He stares for a long moment, blinking several times before squinting at him.

“I’m sorry, is that Steve Harrington in pleather pants on my doorstep?” Eddie asks, mostly to himself. “Or am I still dreaming?” 

“Oh, fuck off, it’s my Halloween costume.” Steve crosses his arms over his chest self consciously. “Robin and I were supposed to match but she’s a fiend for half-priced cocktail shrimp and gave herself food poisoning."

“Halloween costume?” Eddie stares at him with a sleep drunk stare, his gaze traveling slowly down him before snapping up again. “Who- uh- who are you supposed to be?”

“The easter bunny,” Steve says flatly before dropping the cigarette onto the porch and grinding it out with his heel. “Look, will you just move so I can get changed? I’m freezing my dick and balls off out here.”

Steve takes a step forward but is stopped by Eddie's finger tips pressing into his chest. Eddie leans back to get a full look at him before his eyes widen with recognition.

“Are you Sandy?” Eddie says, his voice full of absolute glee. “Sexy Sandy from the end of Grease?”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Steve huffs. “Now move, there’s no point in going to the party like this if Robin isn’t coming. Without her dressed as Danny Zuko I just look like a-”

“-a lady of the night?” Eddie raises both eyebrows. “A temptress in four inch heels? Speaking of which, where did you even find a pair that fit you?” 

Steve shoulders past him when it becomes clear Eddie isn’t going to move out of the way on his own.

“It wasn’t that hard. It's not like I’m Bigfoot or anything,” Steve says crossly as he yanks off the offending heels. “Some women happen to have bigger feet.”

“I guess,” Eddie says, his eyes flickering down again before damn near boggling out of his skull. “Did you paint your nails?”

Steve does not dignify that with an answer, hastily sitting on the couch so he can tuck his bare feet under his legs.

“I’d say I feel bad for canceling party plans but it looks like you completely forgot anyway,” Steve changes the subject. “Do you even have a costume?”

Eddie stares at him for a long moment before scrambling back to his room without another word. Steve sits on the couch, stunned by Eddie’s abruptness as he listens to him rifle around in his room. Eddie comes out again a minute later, out of breath as he leans against the wall and strikes a pose. Steve takes in his outfit and bursts out laughing.

“I do now,” Eddie says proudly as he gives Steve a spin.

Eddie stands before him in a white t-shirt and his leather jacket, his long locks pulled back and his bangs delicately coiffed to perfection.

“I know I’m no Buckley, but I’d hate to see such an amazing costume go to waste,” Eddie waggles his eyebrows as Steve continues to laugh. “What do you think? Do I make a good Danny Zuko?”

He leans in closer but the flirty look falls off his face as his eyes catch on something.

“Are you, uh-” he clears his throat when his voice cracks, his face turning pink as his eyes flicker over Steve’s face. “-are you wearing lipstick?”

“There’s supposed to be a costume contest,” Steve says defensively. “So the costume needed to be perfect. I’m not going to wear heels all night and not win.” 

“Ah, there’s my competitive jock under all that mascara,” Eddie says. “I thought I lost you inside a brunette bombshell for a minute there.”  

“Excuse me,” Steve huffs defensively. “I’m always a bombshell, thank you very much. It’s not my fault it took a little eye makeup for you to figure that out.”

“I’m sorry, baby. What was that? I got distracted by how cute your lipstick looks when you pout.”

“Alright, that’s it-”

Steve forces himself up off the couch, ignoring how his face heats when Eddie’s gaze lingers on his legs.

“I’m going to this party,” Steve points at Eddie with one hand while using the other to slip on his heels. “Like Hell am I going to let Tommy Hagan of all people win that contest. The guy buys a fake Wookiee costume out of some cheap halloween store and suddenly everyone treats him like the pope.” 

Steve scoffs and turns around expecting Eddie to have a one liner already lined up, but instead he’s greeted with Eddie scrunching his face up like he had smelled something rancid.

“Tommy Hagan is going to be there?”

“Yeah?” Steve raises an eyebrow. “He’s back home from college for fall break. Why?”

Eddie groans out loud, dragging his hands across his face with an exaggerated scowl.

“What?” Steve laughs, giving Eddie a curious look. “I know you two didn’t exactly get along in high school but it’s not like you’ll have to talk to the guy. I’m sure he’ll be too neck deep in a punch bowl to even notice you’re there.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Eddie grumbles as he flops down on the couch.

“Well, what is it then?” Steve stands above him with his hands on his hips, his eyebrow cocked.

“I would rather eat a lead plate than watch that weird little fruit cake drool over you all night,” Eddie huffs. “He’s going to have a coronary when he sees you dressed up like this. The thought alone makes me want to barf.”

Steve lets out a bark of surprised laughter as Eddie crosses his arms across his chest with a stormy expression.

“First of all,” Steve starts. “It was never like that between Tommy and I-”

“Much to his dismay,” Eddie scoffs under his breath.

“-Secondly,” Steve powers on, ignoring him. “If we aren’t going to go to the party, what are we going to do? I didn’t cram myself into this top to not do something tonight.”

“Let’s go to the drive-in and you can have this- ” Eddie points to himself. “-weird little fruit cake drool over you instead. I’ll buy the tickets and everything. It’ll be a date.”

It’s clear Eddie didn’t mean to blurt out the last part because he falters after, wide eyed and flushed as he stares up at Steve. The resounding silence is almost deafening as Steve processes what he just said.

“Edward Munson,” Steve says flatly. “Did it take my ass in a pair of pleather leggings for you to finally nut up and ask me out?”

“Well-” Eddie flounders uselessly, fiddling with his hands before giving Steve a shy look. “I mean, they certainly helped.”

“Unbelievable,” Steve rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath. “I hit on you for months and the thing that breaks you cost me five bucks at the thrift store.” 

“Months?” Eddie sits up, looking alarmed. “I think I would have noticed you hitting on me for months, Sweetheart.”

“Oh, Eddie, you’re so strong. Thank you so much for helping me move the Byers back in. Oh, Eddie, you're so thoughtful. Thank you for picking the kids up for me, I really owe you one. Oh, Eddie-” Steve says in a high pitched mocking voice, kicking up one of his legs behind him in a swooning pose. “I mean, what the hell, man? Those are classic come-ons.” 

“Or they’re classic ‘Thanks for being such a great friend ’-ons,” Eddie refutes. “That is shit any dude could say to another dude and have it be completely platonic.”

“What about when I complimented your arms?” Steve crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow. “I told you you looked strong enough to pick someone up and hold them there. Does that sound platonic to you?”

“You’re a jock,” Eddie defends weakly. “I thought you were just appreciating the form, not the person.”

“Oh my god, unbelievable,” Steve mumbles under his breath before he bends over and gets in Eddie’s face.

“I like you,” he says bluntly, putting both hands on his hips while maintaining strong eye contact. “I want to date you. This is not a platonic come-on, this is the opposite of that. Now if you’re not opposed, I’d like to make things official so you can come on me later.”

“Did you just ask me out with a sex pun?” Eddie sinks deeper into the couch, his face bright red as he giggles at Steve’s expression.

“It wasn’t a pun,” Steve raises an eyebrow. “It’s the plan. I’d appreciate it if you told me if you were up for it or not because this thong is incredibly uncomfortable and if we aren’t doing anything tonight I’m going to humbly request I borrow some of your sweatpants so I can get changed instead.”

“You’re wearing a thong?” Eddie asks, his face going blank and his eyes glazing over.

“Uh, yeah?” Steve frowns. “How the hell else was I supposed to fit into these pants without a panty line showing?”

Eddie covers his face with his hands for a second before lurching forward and throwing Steve over his shoulder.

“Ed-die !” Steve's voice cracks as Eddie stands up and walks them both toward the front door. “I swear to god, Munson, if you hit my head on the door frame-” 

“I’m taking you to the movies,” Eddie interrupts, throwing the front door open. “We’re going to have a very romantic first date and then, if it’s alright with you, we’re coming back here so I can take that thong off with my teeth. How does that plan sound to you?”

They hit it off, and Eddie tells Steve that he can't put his face on his profile because of his job, but he does send Steve a picture and ohhhh boy this man is so fucking hot.

They decide to meet up that weekend and the instant connection is so clear, so undeniable, and they agree to try dating right then. Steve learns that Eddie travels for his job as a musician, so they're probably going to be long distance for a while because there's a tour starting in just a couple of weeks.

Steve doesn't mind, and is actually excited to not really worry about diving into sex with someone for a change — he's used it as a crutch for failing relationships in the past, and he knows it will be good to build something emotional with Eddie first. They do manage to get in a few dates before he leaves, and Steve can't remember the last time he had so much fun during the early dating stage.

It's hard once Eddie leaves, having to manage texts and phone calls and video chats around their schedules, but by the time Eddie is halfway through his tour, Steve is pretty sure Eddie is The One.

Steve tells his friends about Eddie, how they met and what Eddie does, how he likes the same things as the kids do (kids, they're fucking 21 now but they'll always be Steve's kids). The problem is that— most of them don't believe him. He gets a few jokes about his "boyfriend from Canada" and tries to tell them that Eddie also lives in Indy, he's just on tour, but all he gets is a couple of condescending looks.

When he gets permission to show Eddie's pictures to the kids, they really don't believe him. "Steve," Dustin says. "That's the front man of Grammy nominated band Corroded Coffin. I think you're being catfished."

"I'm not being catfished, shithead! That's my boyfriend!"

"Yeah, sure. If he asks for money, don't send it."

Robin is basically the only one that believes him, because she's been around for Eddie's video calls before. She tries to help confirm it to the kids, but they pass the video calls off as deep-fakes. Steve finally resigns to just let it be, and takes the lingering jokes while expressing his frustration to Eddie.

Eventually there comes a weekend where Dustin asks Steve to hang out but he can't, because Eddie is coming back from tour and Steve offered to pick him up from the airport.

He doesn't expect Dustin to kind of explode on him, to tell him that this is going too far and he's worried about Steve's well-being since he's clearly being naive about this whole scenario. Steve is hurt but says that he doesn't care if Dustin doesn't believe him, and they'll talk later because he has a boyfriend to go collect.

Later, once he's picked Eddie up and they've had a couple rounds of steamy reunion sex, Steve sends Dustin a picture he took earlier of himself and Eddie at the airport, before turning his phone off completely.

"You're not even gonna give him a chance to respond?" Eddie asks, grinning as he presses a kiss to Steve's bare shoulder.

But how was he supposed to know that the most beautiful high-strung man in the world was going to burst in, trip over his amp, swear like, “Fuck. I know. I know, I know, I know. We broke up.”

Hell of an introduction, right?

Eddie’s too stunned to speak and the man keeps talking like, “We broke up! We broke up. I moved out. I don’t care. I’m having a shit day, Nancy. Complete dog shit and I’m about to lose it.”

“I took my glasses off in an Uber, fucking forgot them,” He counts off on his fingers. “Can’t see. And I’m like, well. Fuck it, Steve. Go to the gym. Don’t need to see to run on a treadmill, right? Someone stole my wallet. My wallet!”

“And I-I-“ He runs a hand into his hair and messes it up. “Shit, Nanc. I’m taking a nap before I explode. Jonathan can go fuck himself.”

He then marches into the bedroom, leaving Eddie stunned in the living room. He shouts from the bedroom, “Yoyre letting this place go to shit, by the way. Learn to dust.”

Eddie just blinks at where the man was standing.

And then laughs.

For @steddiemicrofic's August prompt "experiment", 398 words

Pre-steddie | Gen | Eddie Munson lives | Resurrection but no gore or violence

--

Steve didn’t drive backroads in Hawkins as a rule. But he was due for dinner at the Buckleys, to celebrate Robin's late but valid graduation. She was all set to start in linguistics at U of I.

He was happy for her, but she was still leaving. No wonder he was discombobulated and had to drive almost all the way back to his house for the pecan pie he’d made. It was now wrapped neatly, waiting in the trunk. He took a shortcut, through the field behind Mulberry, trying to make up for lost time.

A van came right out of the pines and drove by him in the opposite direction, swerving and jumping as it went. It was all black, dull as if spray painted, and it was being driven by Dustin Fucking Henderson.

“What the fu–” Steve said. Judging from Henderson’s face, he was thinking the same thing. Then the numbskull floored it. Steve caught a glimpse of a flailing, long haired person in the passenger seat.

He made a U-turn he could feel in his solar plexus, prayed for the pie, and sped forward, cranking his window down as he went.

“Henderson! I saw you, dude, come on!” Steve yelled, really wanting to avoid a high speed chase through a cornfield. Thankfully, the rickety van rolled to a stop ahead of him, let out a tired exhale as the ignition was cut.

Steve got out of his car. If his tires had gotten fucked up Dustin was going to pay for it. What was he doing out here? He didn’t even have a permit! Was he trying to impress that girl?

He marched over, all of this on his tongue, and then he looked inside.

“So, don’t freak out, okay?”

Then Eddie Definitely Dead Munson leaned over, popping out from behind Henderson, and waved his fingers. He looked good. It was horrifying.

“Harrington. Looking handsome as always.”

Steve felt all the saliva leave his mouth, all the blood leave his limbs. He wondered if that’s what Eddie had felt, when he fucking died.

“You’re dead!”

“Alas, no,” Eddie said, and clapped Dustin on the shoulder. “I’m his little experiment.”

“Dude,” Dustin retorted. “You’re my friend. I didn’t invest in a whole body electric charge system for extra credit.”