He decides on the name Demi Gorgon as an inside joke with his friends and other nerds who got the reference. It’s very exhilarating for him to spend one night being a completely different person and put on a performance he would’ve been scolded for back when he was a boy. He dreamed of a day when he’d get to dance to Madonna and lip sync to the words without judgement and now he has it.

He has a lot of energy, and we know he has some muscle, likely just from day to day activity, mechanics, band equipment, etc. He seems like he would enjoy being outdoors, and hiking or exploring. Something that is a work out but doesn't feel like one if you do it right. Despite all that, he absolutely has the vibe of someone who hated gym class (which, same), and probably would claim to hate working out/doing physical activity.

I just know that when Steve finally convinces him to go to the gym with him, Eddie would be SO MAD at how much he loves it and how great it makes him feel. He is absolutely that post that is like "you mean regular exercise is good for you and makes you feel good???? is good for your mental health??"

He feels lied to, he feels cheated. Maybe he should've expected this, now that he's dating a jock, but he thought that his jock was an exception. He hates jocks. What is happening to him.

Of course part of it is just that it's not gym class, which is not good at catering to any demographic other than "generally athletic and doing a school sport". Another part is that Steve is very big on making sure he doesn't hurt himself, and making sure that why he lifts and shit are at the level he is actually at. Steve would not allow him to overwork himself. He likes that he looks after him and likes that they are able to do something together that aligns with Steve's interests and not the nerd herd's.

It becomes a great way for them to spend time together in public, and it's extra fun when Robin comes along, or when they manage convince one of the others to join them.

The funniest part would be how much his friends would heckle him for it though. It's all affectionate, but Gareth every practice makes a joke about how he knows how Luke Skywalker feels, now that his "father" has betrayed him. Lucas is smug every time he shows up for a session with Steve, and Eddie is there too. it takes a lot for Eddie to remind himself he can't fight a toddler.

(He refuses to admit that he knows Lucas would win.)

The worst though, as @starsvs brought up, is that Steve would look at Eddie, who loves the outdoors, is good at staying hydrated for dnd/the band, and is now working out regularly? And go "babe I think you're a jock now" and Eddie would lose. his. shit.

But she couldn’t fall apart over that just yet. There was still one more kid she needed to take care of tonight. 

“Hi sweetheart,” Joyce said softly, squatting next to where the boy was slumped down on her couch. The kids were all clustered up around him, fast asleep. They had been like this when she and her sons had returned, and Will had quickly found his place in their pile, tightly pushed next to Mike and El and falling asleep in an instant. Only one was left awake. 

“Hi Mrs. Byers,” Steve murmured back, barely opening his eyes. Dustin snuffled impossibly closer as Steve shifted to somewhat sit up, curling up against his ribs and sighing. Steve idly played with the younger boy’s hair, clearly completely out of it. She had no idea where he had gotten all of these injuries, but it was too late to ask about that now. Steve blinked slowly at her and sighed

“‘M sorry. Fell sleep. Meant t’stay up,”

“That’s fine,” She cooed, pushing any exhaustion lingering in her bones back. Will was taken care of, Jonathan was in his own bed with Nancy, but there was still a child in front of her that needed her. She could focus on him, and not on the grief that was waiting patiently at the back of her mind. She needed to focus on taking care of Steve. Just for now. 

Joyce carefully reached up and slowly pushed Steve’s hair away from his face, minding where his injuries were. Steve melted into her touch, letting out a soft shaking sigh as the tension leaked out of him like air out of a balloon. 

“What hurts?” Joyce whispered, holding his chin in one hand as she put the tiniest bit of pressure against the injury along his hair line. Steve winced anyway, but didn’t pull away from her touch. 

“My face. My ribs. Everything, kinda,” Steve shrugged. 

“That looks like a pretty nasty cut,” She agreed, keeping her tone light even as her concern continued to mount, “Can you come with me and let me clean you up a bit? Maybe put on some pajamas or something?”

Steve finally pulled away at that, forcing himself to sit up and roughly rubbing his palms against his eyes. Joyce wanted to grab his hands to keep them away from his already injured face, cringing at the harsh way he pushed against the bruises marking his cheeks. 

“Oh no it’s okay. I’m gonna go home I think. I just wanted to wait till you and Hop got back,” Steve mumbled, practically rambling as he tried and failed to force his body to stand. 

“Okay, okay,” Joyce said, doing her best to soothe him into lying back on the couch. There was zero way she was allowing this boy to go home and lick his wounds in isolation, but she needed to phrase it in a way that would make Steve not fight her. Joyce couldn’t handle that tonight.

Then it came to her all at once. 

“Can you do something for me?” Joyce asked softly, running her fingers back through his hair again. 

“Mhm,” Steve hummed, nodding immediately. She didn’t know Steve particularly well, but given everything she had seen, and given what she had learned through the few interactions with Jonathan and Will that he had had, the boy was clearly a caretaker. If she phrased it right, she might even get him to see her patching him up as him somehow taking care of her. 

“If you left now, I would be scared for you all night long,” Joyce began, keeping her voice soft and patient as she tried to find the right words, “Would you let me take care of you? Just so I feel better?”

Steve stared at her through his bloodied eye for almost a solid minute after Joyce stopped speaking. She wasn’t sure what exactly he was working through, but she didn’t falter. She didn’t look away, didn’t pause in the gentle touch. 

Joyce didn’t mind giving him the time. There were a thousand things she didn’t want to think about right now. It felt good to just be able to help, even if it was something as small as a mother’s touch.