#ask jay

It was cold. Steve's arms were littered with goosebumps under his jacket and his legs hadn't stopped shivering, proving how long he'd been standing there. Just knock.

The door swung open before he could, nearly rapping Steve's knuckles as he lifted them to knock. Eddie Munson stood there—hair disheveled and brown eyes looking tired, though slowly awakening as he realized who was standing there.

"Were you gonna stand on my front step all night, Harrington?" Eddie asked, already beginning to feign coolness by leaning against the door frame and crossing his arms. "Tryin' to see how the other half live?"

"I..." Steve started, opening and closing his mouth in an attempt to find the right words. "I need to buy."

"I'm not selling tonight, big boy."

"I need it," Steve punctuated. Idly, he wondered what his dad would think of him begging on Munson's doorstep like this. It's a good thing his parents are in Chicago again. "I just, please."

Eddie must have seen something in his face, because suddenly he was swiping a hand over his own face and moving back from the doorway. "What d'you want then, Harrington?"

Steve had no idea. He didn't do this shit. Sometimes he'd smoke with Tommy, but he never bought it. This was so far out of his element he couldn't help but stand awkwardly in the Munson trailer, arms wrapping around his middle like that might spare him from thinking about what he was doing. This was the only thing he could think of, though, that might ease the sharp sting in his chest. It felt like something had been ripped out of him, all the wire-like nerves frayed and shocking inside of the empty chest cavity.

"Whatever's strongest," Steve said.

Eddie raised one eyebrow, considering him for a moment before sighing and asking, "What's happening here?"

"Nothing. I want...drugs. Yeah, drugs."

"Drugs, yeah, okay, Harrington," Eddie breathed in shock, shaking his head. "What sent straight-laced, golden boy Steve Harrington to drugs?"

"None of your business, Munson," Steve instinctively snapped. They may be in the same graduating class now, but that didn't mean they got along. Steve can't remember the last time they ever spoke kindly to one another, if they even had. It was the simple fact that Steve was a jock and Eddie was decidedly not that had split them apart before they'd ever had a chance to see if they fit.

Steve had to wonder if that even held up anymore, considering how little he seemed to actually know about the world. He was so different from who he'd been even just a year ago, maybe Munson wasn't all so bad.

So he sighed, ran his fingers through his hair like it might reset the situation, then said, "Nancy broke up with me."

Eddie just looked at him, a little smile he was fighting back against on his face. "You're....Let me get this straight. Steve Harrington is turning to hard drugs to get over a little breakup?"

"It wasn't little," Steve snapped immediately, crossing his arms over his chest and looking off to the side so he didn't have to face Eddie. "Is that a yes or no, man?"

"...Sure. Sure, man." Eddie left to grab some box, walked him through the whole process. "You mind staying here while you use? I don't wanna get blamed when you do something stupid."

That was how he ended up sitting on Eddie Munson's couch, Eddie offering him some pill while he took his own. The effects set in fairly quickly, numbing his senses and, most importantly, dulling the sharp stabbing ache in his chest. It wasn't the best feeling in the world—it left Steve with the lingering feeling that he wouldn't be able to defend himself if another demogorgon decided to make its brutal appearance—but it was preferrable to the raw ache of the breakup.

"...she told me it was all bullshit. I should've seen it coming, she's been in loved with Byers all year."

"Jonathan Byers? That's harsh, man," Eddie hissed, "What're you gonna do?"

It was easier talking like this. The music Eddie was playing hurt Steve's throbbing head a little, but he could appreciate the beat of it. He mostly liked hearing Eddie's voice and the way it reverberated around his head. The guy could a little harsh with his jokes, but they'd talked more than Steve had talked to too many others all year.

"No idea," Steve confessed, turning his head on the couch to face Eddie. "I'll be the laughingstock of the school tomorrow, when she shows up with Byers and I show up alone. There'll be no saving it."

"I mean..." Eddie trailed off, raising his eyebrows pointedly like Steve was supposed to catch on. "If your only problem is that you can't be the single one tomorrow, we could fix that."

"Yeah? How'd you propose we do that, Munson?"

"I'll be your boyfriend for as long as you need me, no problem," Eddie offered, "if you keep the basketball team off my ass for the rest of the year."

It was crazy. Steve knew it was a bad idea, and yet all he could think to do was nod his head. It would solve his problem, and honestly he still had enough pull with the team as captain to make it work. And hey, if Eddie wasn't so bad tonight then he couldn't be the worst fake boyfriend, right? And it would at least keep the rumor mill off his back, and would save him the dignity of walking into the school with clear evidence that he hadn't been enough for Nancy.