Chapter Text
Robin Buckley banged on Steve Harrington's passenger side window, causing Steve to jump slightly. He unlocks the passenger side door, eyeing the flowers in Robin's arms.
"Awwww Robbie! How kind of you to bring me flowers!" Eddie Munson grinned at her from the backseat. They had made plans for a double date the day before, Robin called shotgun before Eddie could open his mouth.
"They're for Vickie, not you!" Robin smacked Eddie's hand away from the flowers. Eddie looked at Robin with a fake pouty face, making her giggle. Robin and Vickie got together a few weeks after Steve and Eddie, the four of them becoming rather close. They all agreed to pretend to fake-date each other in order to go on weekly dates in public, Steve and Eddie did a very long game of rock-paper-scissors over who got to fake-date Robin. Eddie won, so Steve was paired with Vickie. Steve and Vickie weren't very close, not talking much outside of their double dates, but he still invited her along with Robin and Eddie whenever they went somewhere. It was rare to see Steve in public without his three friends, unless he was babysitting.
"Okay, kids, stop fighting. We're almost at Vickie's." Steve caught a glimpse of Eddie's face in the rearview mirror and smiled slightly. They pulled into Vickie's driveway minutes later, the redhead joining Eddie in the backseat.
"We've been dating for a month now so I got you flowers! I hope you like them, I got the one I thought suited you best and-" Vickie cut Robin off before she could finish.
"I love them!" Vickie took the flowers from Robin, a grin spread across both of their faces.
"Where were my flowers for our one month!" Eddie whined, making eye contact with Steve in the rearview mirror for a few seconds.
"Hey! I took Henderson out to help me look for those weird dice you like! He told me that you use them every time you play that nerd game and don't let anyone else touch them." Steve grinned, watching Eddie's face redden.
"Henderson is so dead."
"You can kill a fifteen year old later, we're at the diner. Everyone out!" Steve shut off the ignition, locking the car once everyone was out. He offered his hand to Vickie, who moved her flowers to the other side before taking it. Robin and Eddie were ahead of them, Robin had her arm looped around Eddie's. They sat down in a booth near the window, the 'couples' sat across from each other. Vickie and Robin shared a menu, sitting close enough to each other so they could both see. Steve and Eddie had their own menus, not being able to get away with the same things that the girls were. It was normal for girls to be close and have their arms around each other, boys didn't do that. The four of them fell into casual conversation, mostly listening to Robin and Vickie ramble, before ordering their food.
"How are your wounds doing, Steve?" Vickie asked. Robin told her that Steve was attacked by rabid dogs, making sure that Vickie knew Steve did not have rabies.
"A lot better, Joyce is making sure I don't mess them up again." The Byers' decided to move back to Hawkins after everything with Vecna, and Joyce didn't want to leave Steve without help. She insisted that Steve stay with her while Hopper helped fix up their old house. It never sold when they moved, cursed towns weren't good for business, so the entire Cali gang moved back in about a week after Steve and Eddie showed up at Hopper's cabin. Their house was pretty small, lacking a spare bedroom, so Steve ended up sleeping on the sofa, his clothes piled in the corner of the room. Joyce offered him her bedroom, but he insisted on sleeping on the sofa. She had already done so much for Steve, he wasn't going to take her bed.
"I thought Joyce was your mom the first time I met her, when all of us came over for dinner." Steve smiled, remembering that night. Joyce wanted to make dinner for everyone the week before, and insisted that Steve invite Eddie and Robin. Vickie came as Robin's plus one, and Joyce made her feel right at home. After everyone went home, Joyce asked Steve about Eddie, already knowing the answer. Steve told her everything about him and Eddie, along with Robin and Vickie. He cried, and Joyce held him and told him that she still loved him, that she would always love him and being gay (or bisexual) wouldn't change anything. Joyce stroked his hair as Steve cried, and they stayed like that until Steve ran out of tears. Steve's mother would've kicked him out of the house if she figured out about him and Eddie, he thought Joyce would do the same. But she didn't, she accepted him, she even baked him cookies the next morning to take to Eddie and his family (Wayne knew about Steve and Eddie, he appreciated the cookies).
"She basically is at this point, I've been living on her sofa for over a month." Steve laughed, "I keep trying to pay rent but she won't let me." Steve didn't mention that every time he had a nightmare and woke up terrified, Joyce was there in seconds calming him down. He continued having nightmares almost every day for two weeks, but Joyce never complained. Steve still had nightmares, less frequently now, and Joyce was still there every time he woke up screaming. Steve remembered how confused Will and Jonathan were when they came home from California to find Steve sleeping on their sofa. When they were awoken by Steve's nightmares, Joyce made sure they went back to bed instead of trying to help him. She knew that Steve didn't want anyone to see him like this, and did her best to respect that. Will and Jonathan got used to it after a couple days, accepting that Steve was just there now with their only explanation being 'he needs someone'. Jonathan walked in on Joyce changing Steve's bandages one time, thankfully they never talked about it. Steve still didn't like people seeing him like that, especially when he needed help. Joyce, Robin, and Eddie were the exception, but he still kept up his bulletproof façade around everyone else.
"Joyce totally adopted you, Stevie, you might as well change your last name to Byers." Eddie interrupted with a grin. Eddie's uncle Wayne already knew that he was gay, so Eddie simply introduced Steve as his boyfriend the first time he came over. Steve was shocked at how chill Wayne was with everything, he just introduced himself to Steve and told the two of them to be safe before leaving for work. Steve had spent the night in Eddie's room, watching Eddie play guitar until they both passed out. Steve's nightmares had already calmed down at this point, usually once a week, so Joyce was okay with him sleeping at Eddie's. That night was the best sleep Steve had in a long time. Eddie stayed with Steve a couple times during the first few weeks, sometimes accompanied with Robin (who would've been there more if she could drive). They slept on the floor next to Steve's sofa and helped Joyce calm Steve down when he woke up screaming. Nancy stayed in Jonathan's room one time, not expecting to wake up in the middle of the night to her ex-boyfriend screaming. Jonathan explained what he knew, Nancy felt guilty for never checking up on Steve. She assumed that he was fine, that the panic attacks she taught him how to deal with were long gone.
"Joyce has been a better mom than mine ever was." Steve laughed, smiling at Eddie. Steve slipped his fingers through Eddie's, hidden under the table.
"It kinda sucks that you're living with her because of your injury though, wouldn't it be better if you could just be happy and carefree?" Robin looked over at him.
"I wouldn't change anything, getting hurt is what got me all of these good things. I think it's a pretty fair deal." Steve smiled, looking over at Eddie. Steve and Eddie wouldn't be in this position right now if Steve hadn't lied to himself, convinced that he could do everything himself and didn't need help from anyone. He was very wrong. Robin, Eddie and Joyce proved that to him. Steve wouldn't be here without them, but that didn't mean he wanted to change what happened. He was happier now than he's ever been before, he wouldn't have any of that without them. Steve had everything, why would he want to change what led him here?