Chapter Text
Steve Harrington had gone through some shit in the last two years.
Had photos taken of him he did not consent to, a friend of his girlfriend disappearing in his backyard, getting a concussion from the guy who took the photos, beating up a nine-foot-monster with no face, but a hell of a lot of teeth,
Getting broken up with and getting told his whole relationship was bullshit, his ex getting with the guy who gave him a concussion, fighting demon dogs with a twelve-year-old, and getting another concussion from protecting a bunch of children.
This, however, being thrown out of his parent’s house near the beginning of his senior year, dots the first place on his Shit-Show-Bingo of the year.
It was barely even warranted!
Okay, maybe a little warranted, but he hadn’t brought beers home, or thrown a party since 1983, two years ago. No, it was because there was almost no sign of colleges scouting for him, it was because he kept picking fights, and they didn’t wanna drag themselves back from whatever vacation they were on to deal with it.
So now he’s here,
Sitting in the school parking lot for the umpteenth time these past three weeks after hours,
Attempting to fall asleep.
It was currently mid-January, so it was still pretty damn cold, and his heater wasn’t working.
Great.
His parents were really in the giving spirit when they threw him out.
He’s gotten well past the point of trying to hide his car in the lot and is sitting smack dab in the middle.
He had leaned the passenger seat as far back as it could go and grabbed a random blanket from the back.
He stopped using the driver’s seat to sleep in after the first time he accidentally honked the horn.
Lucky for him, there were other cars in the lot, so it wasn’t too strange Steve was there.
He shut his eyes, content on getting the rest that he’s had trouble getting since the adjustment when he was interrupted by a knock on the window.
And what the hell? Where did this person come from? He had just been surveying the parking lot.
He peeked open an eye, and rolled down the window, “Hi? Can I help you?” He looked up, at the person who knocked’s face, and wow.
Okay, that was Eddie Munson.
What was Munson doing at school when it was out?
He barely even went in the first place.
He was smiling a bit, “ Hey-O, just uh, making sure you didn’t OD in the school lot, that would suck.” He let out a laugh that was a little too loud and winced.
He seemed to get over it pretty fast though, “So what are you doing here? You don’t seem like the type that wants to be here longer than you need to.”
Steve looked him up and down, making sure he was being obvious. “Could say the same for you man.”
The second-time senior flushed, an impressive feat considering his ears and face were already red from the cold. “Hah, you’re funny. That’s funny, uh, DnD club. Basically my whole thing aside from standing on lunch tables.”
He coughed to keep himself from rambling, “Anyways, what are you doing here? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re living here.”
Steve hummed, shutting his eyes for a second, just to rest them, and leering an eyebrow. “Do you know any better?”
When his eyes opened, Eddie was staring at him, mouth wide open. “You’ll catch flies, Munson.”
That immediately sputtered him out of whatever trance he was in.
“Are you actually? Like that's not a good thing to joke about at all. I thought you jock assholes had at least some form of decency.”
“I’m serious man, god I don’t even know why I’m telling you. If Tommy hears about this he's gonna have a fucking field day.”
Eddie bites his lip, “Okay, serious serious…And there's nowhere to stay, at all? A friend's house?”
Steve thought of Joyce who would no doubt let him stay in seconds, but she already had two and a half kids, she already had to worry about Will recovering, about her job, about Jonathan getting ready for senior year.
“Nope.”
He thought about Dustin, his mother loved Steve and could use the extra assurance he was safe, but he’d screw up and worry her even more.
“No one.”
“Christ.”
“Uh, you could stay with me?”
“Huh?”
Steve looked Eddie in the eye and he was-
Oh.
He was serious.
“Uh yeah, totally man. You don’t seem entirely dick-ish, and I’d rather you not sleep in a school parking lot.”
Steve frowned, “I’ve probably been an asshole to you before, I don’t think you want me around.
Eddie shrugged, “Yeah you have, in like 7th grade, and you used to talk a lot of shit but you seem fine now.”
“I’m not gonna freeload off of you.”
“You don’t have to, just pay like ten bucks a month or something, maybe help with dishes and shit. If you’re helping us I don’t think Wayne would care, plus it’d just be the living room, nothing fancy.”
“You could be a murderer.”
Eddie gave him a giddy smile, fluttering his eyelashes dramatically and placing his hands on his cheeks, “What, lil-ol-me? Never.”
His expression evened out into amused in seconds and he continued, “Also, you really think I could kill you? You could give me a little love-tap and I’d probably collapse.”
Steve didn’t wanna lie, the offer sounded nice, and his back would probably thank him.
“You’d also have the contact to get you, like, a lot of weed.”
Alright, he was in.