#wictf

Summary:

“Aside from the kids, you’re all I’ve got too,” Steve said. His voice echoed in the elevator shaft. He let out a slow exhale, fidgeting with his tie. “Jerks Ahoy, right?” “Jerks Ahoy,” Robin murmured, flashing a glance at him. “So, Eddie still hasn’t accepted your apology, huh?” “I...think that’s a lost cause,” Steve said. The wave of despair that swept over him felt so trivial yet inescapably crushing, the kind of dramatic phrasing that he was sure Eddie would appreciate. “I left him a voicemail last night, but I was kind of drunk, and uh…” Robin groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Do you remember what you said?” “I said I was sorry and could make him a Banana Royale for free if he ever showed up again.” “Oh. Huh.” She hummed, tilting her head. “Y’know, that just might work, actually." - Steve is pretty sure that he’s in for a miserable summer. His coworker hates his guts, his most frequent customer delights in annoying him, his parents are disappointed in him, and his only friend is away at some nerd camp until July. If he makes it to September without not-so-accidentally drowning himself in his pool, he'll be surprised.

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley Rating: Explicit Word Count: 60k Main Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Depressed Steve Harrington, Oblivious Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley is So Done with Steve Harrington, Platonic Soulmates Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Scoops Ahoy (Stranger Things), Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Steve Harrington, Aftermath of Torture Main Warnings: Suicidal Thoughts, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Abusive Parents, Implied/Referenced Homophobia

Author's Notes: Altogether, this fic is probably 65% romantic Steddie and 35% platonic Stobin, but it varies arc-to-arc. Canon platonic Stobin scenes are mostly unchanged (including the bathroom confession scene, which is sacred to me). This is definitely a darker take on Steve’s mental state pre-S3 than canon suggests.

Summary:

“And deprive me of such joy?” Eddie clicked his tongue. “Nay, you’d be cruel.” “This really gives you that much joy?” Steve arched a brow as he handed over the ice cream cone. “Maybe,” Eddie said, glancing off to the side. “I’m still figuring things out. I don’t think I was giving it a fair chance before.” “What?!” Steve threw his arms up. “You’ve had the same damn flavor like six times now!” “You were counting?” Eddie looked almost excited by this, leaning over the counter. When Steve just gave him a flat stare, Eddie waved his free hand. “I just mean I was focusing too much on its appearance, y’know? Figured I could look past the taste. But now I’m thinking, hey, maybe the taste is actually...good.” - Steve is pretty sure that he’s in for a miserable summer. His coworker hates him, his most regular customer seems to delight in annoying him, his parents are disappointed in him, and his only friend will be at a nerd camp until July. If he makes it to September without accidentally drowning himself in his pool, he'll be surprised.

Steve: my life is a mistake, fuck me

“You’ve gotta help me win Max back!” Lucas pleaded, hands clasped as if praying at the altar of Scoops Ahoy.

“Okay, first of all, you can’t win a girl,” Robin said, arms folded tightly across her chest. “Second of all, don’t you have an allowance for this kind of thing?”

“I blew it on the arcade last week,” Lucas lamented, hanging his head low enough to brush against his knuckles.

“Third of all, what the hell did you do to piss her off this time?” Steve asked, which honestly felt like the more important question here.

“Hey, start your own ‘of all’ sequence,” Robin said, elbowing him. Steve was about to elbow her back until he caught sight of Eddie waltzing into the parlor. He offered a little wave, which earned him a smile. “Third of all, why do you think this will work?”

“What are you guys scheming about?” Eddie asked. Lucas lifted his head, turning towards Eddie. “I want in.”

“Steve, who is this weirdo?” Lucas asked, gesturing towards Eddie with his thumb.

“Weirdo?” Eddie scoffed, slapping a hand to his chest. “I prefer Freak, actually.”

“That’s Eddie,” Steve supplied. “He likes to come in here everyday to annoy me.”

“Not every day,” Robin corrected. Eddie coughed into his fist, earning a puzzled look from Robin.

“Well, every day I’m unfortunate enough to be here,” Steve went on.

“I come here for the ice cream, thank you very much,” Eddie said, wandering over to put his grubby hands all over the display.

“Anyway, this is Lucas,” Steve said. “He got dumped, again.”

“He’s convinced that he can get un-dumped with the power of a Banana Royale sundae,” Robin went on. “Free of charge, of course.”

“Isn’t that like, the most expensive thing on the menu?” Eddie asked, quirking a brow.

“I want to impress her!” Lucas insisted. “Plus, since it’s royale, I can slip in a line about how she’s the queen of my heart. She’ll love that.”