dylan ⛥ 🚒🧡

Steve’s not a complete asshole. He knows Eddie’s had his moments with a couple of girls in and out of town, but never anything serious (has Eddie ever wanted anything serious? Steve’s not so sure,) and never girls that look like you.

You’re pretty, prettier than any girl that would’ve looked his way in his prime and the way you’re smiling at Eddie as you lean on the car makes you look infinitely more beautiful. By the flush on his friends cheeks as you step closer towards him, Steve thinks he might share the same sentiment. 

Robin- or Captain Obvious, as Steve would call her right now- unhinges her jaw as she ogles through the blinds, letting more moonlight creep into the kitchen as she pulls the slats wider. “I don’t mean to be rude, but does Eddie have a-?”

“Girlfriend?” Steve finishes for her. 

The pair watch Eddie’s shoulder shake as he lets out a shy laugh, kicking his shoes on the ground as you continue your anecdote. Robin makes a cringing, displeased sound next to Steve. Eddie Munson, shy? Steve never thought he’d see the day.

“Well, she’s real pretty.” Robin determines a fact so plainly obvious that he rolls his eyes.

Steve hums in agreement. “Super pretty.”

“What’s pretty?” Dustin asks as he strolls in, opening the fridge for his own cold beverage. 

Steve and Robin turn to him, looking caught. “Nothing,” Steve says as Robin replies matter-of-factly, “Eddie’s girlfriend,”

The latter comment seems to stick with the younger boy. Dustin almost drops the glass bottle as he balks at the pair, Steve groaning and Robin grinning. “Fuck off,” he laughs incredulously. When neither of the two respond, he shimmies his way in between them and looks out the window, looking out into the driveway.

“You guys are assholes,” he scoffs, slapping Steve in the chest as he lets the blinds snap back into place, “there’s nobody there.”

Steve and Robin whip around, this time opting to pull the blinds up completely as they stare at the moonlit street. There’s only Eddie’s still-smoking cigarette crushed on the ground that proves that there was anyone outside in the first place. 

“Eddie’s girlfriend my ass,” Dustin snorts now, throwing his head of brown curls back as he points a finger at the balking pair with a laugh, “you two are funny.”

He stops when the doorbell rings, looking as pale as a ghost.

Robin breaks into a run first, almost tripping on Steve’s rug as she sprints down the hallway, Steve following close behind. She’s already pulled the front door open as he skids to a stop.

Eddie’s standing outside, a box of beer tucked snugly under his arm and his other hand on the small of your back. You step back a little, surprised at the pair as the summer breeze whips your hair around.

“Hey, guys,” Eddie greets, eerily mature as he smiles at the two best friends.

“Hello,” Robin greets back warmly albeit surprised, nudging Steve in the ribcage as he stutters back to life. “Hey, Munson,” he responds slowly, eyes raking over you. For such a small town, Steve’s surprised that he can’t place your face anywhere. He’s even more surprised that Robin can.

She blinks at you. “Hey,” she says, “you serviced my car the other day!”

You blink back before breaking into a smile that has Eddie grinning, turning to you with an expression that Steve can only  read as pride. “Oh, yeah, the Honda Accord, right?.” you ask “You made me wait 5 minutes so you could clean your center console.”

Steve snorts. Sounds like Robin.

Robin nods adamantly. “You had the cool shoes!” she turns to Steve now, poking him with her finger, “I told you about the mechanic with those shoes I liked, remember?”

Eddie clears his throat. “This is Y/N,” he introduces as you offer a soft smile and a little hello, “she’s a fucking rockstar working at Wayne’s garage- as Robin said -and she’s fixing my van for me right now. I thought it would be cool if she came to our movie night, if that’s okay.” The look on Eddie’s face tells Steve that your presence isn’t really up for discussion, but Steve doesn’t mind.

Eddie points to Steve. “This is Steve. Don’t bother learning his name, though, ‘cause he’s not worth the wasted words.” he says to you, lips curled into a smirk. You wave hello anyways and Steve bites back a smile.

“You can’t come in anymore, Munson.” he says deadpan, big arms crossed over his broad chest. 

Eddie ignores him to turn to Robin, who beams. “This is Robin, who you already met.” he leans down to whisper into your ear loud enough for everyone to hear, “She’s worth talking to.”

“I think we should let him in, Steve.” Robin says before turning back to you, “And hello again.”

“Hello,” you wave, giving them your name this time.

“Do you want to come in, Y/N?” Steve asks you, and only you, purposefully ignoring Eddie’s pout.

You step inside, carefully removing your shoes and laying them neatly on the rack. Eddie still stands outside, frown deeply etched in face. He looks to you with pleading eyes that have Steve wanting to burst out laughing, ringed hand outstretched for you to take. “Don’t leave me here!” he protests, smiling now at your giggles, “Pull me in, sweetheart,”

You yank Eddie through the door as he pretends to stumble, almost actually falling on top of you. Robin shoots Steve a knowing look:  are you seeing what I'm seeing?

“‘Kay, Y/N, you wanna come help me pick a movie?” 

Steve watches your expression, unsure as you turn to Eddie. He waves you off. “I’ll survive here with Harrington.” and then to Robin, “Don”t break her with your movie-talk Rob! I want Y/N back in one piece.”

Robin snorts, and then with a little bow and salute, disappears down the hallway, arm-in-arm with you. Steve waits until you’re out of earshot to turn to his friend.

“What the hell is this?” Steve asks as Eddie unlaces his big black boots, stepping out of them and back down to Steve’s height.

Eddie looks perplexed as he shrugs. “I already said: she works at the garage and I wanted to bring her along to movie night, Harrington.” 

Steve rolls his eyes. “Yeah, asshole, I was listening.” he snaps back, picking up Eddie’s carton of beers, “I meant like, you’re stood in my driveway playing all coy with this really hot mechanic girl, when did that happen?”

“I just met her today,” Eddie blushes a dark red that matches his t-shirt. “And when have I ever played coy?” he says defensively. Eddie was playing coy, it seems to make you even bolder.

Steve doesn’t even try to hide his disbelief as he looks at his best friend. “Sure, Munson,” he says, “now let’s go before Robin picks Top Gun again.

-

It’s almost overwhelming how nice everyone is to you.

Months of confining yourself to a room of kind, albeit emotionally unintelligent, old men has your settings switched onto something not so equipped for a house full of people your age and you mostly sit in silence for the first half of the movie party. The version of you 2 months ago would already have made the rounds introducing herself to every one in the room. Oh well. 

Eddie plops down next to you, his legs kicked up on Steve’s coffee table. Your thighs touch and you can’t help but notice how handsome he looks up so close, and how he doesn’t pull his legs away. “Hello,” he says lightly, passing you a cold soda.

“Hi,” you greet back.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he murmurs, careful not to let the other party patrons hear. The pet names today have had your brain in a frenzy, and his concerned gaze pinning you to your seat doesn’t make it any better.

“Yeah,” you say finally, “just adjusting to not having to discuss Camaro models with anyone for the first time in, like, months.”

Eddie laughs, a pretty sound that has you laughing back. You want to make an effort to hear it again.  “Yeah? Must be pretty tough, all those hours talking Sports Coupe bases with Wayne.”

You smack him lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t diss Wayne like that!” you gasp, “He’s cool.”

“‘Cause he doesn’t talk?” 

“Eddie!” you giggle. 

The brunette boy you met in the doorway (and the owner of this fucking mansion), Steve, stands in front of you, reaching his foot over to kick Eddie’s off of the table.

“Hey!” Eddie protests.

Steve ignores him as he turns to you. “Do you like pizza?” he asks you, eerily serious.

You hold your expression straight as you answer his question. “Yeah, sure.”

He holds out a big hand in invitation. “Cool. Come order with us.” 

You’re dragged away from Eddie as Steve guides you into the kitchen, hand wrapped around yours. “Wha- Harrington!” Eddie calls out from behind you.

There’s a girl and a guy who you assume to be a couple sitting on stools in the kitchen with Robin leaning on the island, talking animatedly with her hands. You like Robin, she’s intelligent and funny and she acts like you’re already best friends when you walk in with Steve. 

“Y/N, hi!” she waves, beer in hand. The couple greet you with smiles of their own and you look to Steve, pulling open the fridge to grab his own beer. Jeez, you think, is being good-looking  a prerequisite to join this friend group, or what?

“What’re we ordering?” Steve asks, taking a swig of his beer. 

“Why don’t we just order the usual, man?” the other brunette boy with the tired eyes protests. Jonathan, you think.

“Y/N,” you startle at being addressed, “you’re not allergic to anything, are you?” his girlfriend asks. If you remember correctly, this is Nancy.

“No.” you say, “I don’t mind what you guys order.” 

Jonathan leaves to order the food and the chatter dies down, leaving you with the rest of the group. Robin speaks up first. “So,” she starts, “what’re you doing in a shithole like Hawkins?’

You laugh. Hawkins isn’t a shithole, not to you at least. It’s full of your typical Midwestern small town characters, but also full of life. Your coworkers at Hawkins Auto, the very people sat in this big kitchen. It feels like shit, all curled up in your empty home, wasting the days away when you’re not at the garage, but you’re grateful for all the interactions you have. There’s a strange dichotomy: the pit in your stomach, the desire to run back home to your friends and family, and the will to stay, to finish your apprenticeship and finish the great things you’ve started. You don’t realise you’re tearing up until a salty tear tracks down your cheek and onto the kitchen island.

“Sorry,” you flush red from head to toe, scrubbing your hot face. 

“It’s okay,” Robin murmurs, voice dripping in a kindness you want to fucking swim in. 

You inhale shakily. “Um, I’m here for my apprenticeship at the garage, that’s how I know Eddie. Hawkins Auto was the best place to study, even if it was far from,” your voice cracks and you wince, “home.”

The room is silent as you lift your head up, meeting the stares of Eddie’s friends. Their gazes wrap you in a warm blanket of sympathy that warms your cheeks, and you feel yourself shying up again.

Jonathan returns, his chair scraping on the floor as he sits back down. You’re too ashamed to look up at any of them.

“Homesick?” he asks you quietly, voice a murmur. You meet his eyes. “Yeah.”

“I lived in California for a spell. It was fucking awful the first months.” he tells you with a small frown, “But it gets better. It gets so much better.”

You let out a watery laugh. “Yeah?” 

He nods adamantly. “So much better.”

-

Eddie’s got his arm slung around the back of Steve’s couch as you munch happily on the cheesy pizza Jonathan ordered. There’s a part of him that wishes you’ll shuck off your shy shell and curl into him.

 You don’t, obviously, and Eddie settles for the way your thigh touches his. You’re so close that he can feel the heat radiating off of your body.

He peels his eyes away from Top Gun (that he was half-watching, preferring to look at you through his peripheral vision instead) to turn to you. Eddie drops his voice to a murmur to avoid Dustin and Mike throwing popcorn at him and leans down to speak into your ear.

“Everything okay?” he asks gently.

You nod, genuinely looking happy despite the black tear-shaped mascara stain dried on your cheek. “Yeah, are you okay?”

Eddie smiles. “Yeah. Were you crying?”

Your grin disappears, not meeting your eyes anymore and Eddie wants to punch himself in the face. “Just a little bit. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, honey. Did someone make you cry?” He doubts anyone sat in Steve’s living room would, but it never hurts to ask.

“No,” you shake your head, eyes wide, “no, you’re friends helped me stop crying. I’m just feeling a little homesick.” 

“Oh.” Eddie’s had the disadvantage of being confined to the same trailer in the same town for so long, he’s unsure what homesickness feels like. There was that period of time in the beginning when he had to move in with Wayne, but he doesn’t miss living with his father, not at all. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay now?”

“A-okay,” you respond and Eddie gives your shoulder a little shake.

“Good. I can’t have my favourite mechanic crying on me, can I?” he teases and you giggle, only stifling your sounds when Dustin hisses out a loud “shhhh!”

“I’m your favourite mechanic?” you murmur, looking up at him through your pretty eyelashes. You’re so close that Eddie can feel your breath heat his face. Or maybe it’s just his rising blush as he adjusts his shirt collar.

“Of course,” he says back.

“What about Wayne?” 

Wayne’s already his favourite everything. Favourite uncle, family member (though there’s not many to choose from), favourite confidant. He can afford to lose a title to you.

“Second best,”

“Wow. Am I that cool?” you smirk.