Archive of Our Own

Wayne stumbled into Hawkins Hospital as nothing but a physical manifestation of nerves and nausea, the tinny voice of a woman over the phone rattling around in his brain.

“Hello, is this Wayne Munson?” She’d sounded somewhat harried. At his confirmation, she'd continued, “My name is Christine, I’m a nurse at Hawkins Hospital. We have you down as the emergency contact for Steven Harrington? There was an incident at Starcourt Mall and he’s been injured rather severely, would you be able to get here anytime soon?”

He hadn’t had his stomach sink like that since his brother had called from prison all those years ago. Slurring his words and asking Wayne to drive four hours to collect his nephew and ‘look after him for a while.' Jesus, when had Steve even made him his emergency contact? Why hadn’t he mentioned it? Whatever the explanations, Wayne was eternally grateful it was his number written down on that sheet of paper– he doubted Harrington Sr. would’ve picked up in the first place, let alone cared. 

He made his way to the front desk, feeling a little guilty for not waiting for Eddie. The kid was at a session for his Demons and Devils (or whatever it was called) game, same as every Wednesday; Wayne had tried to call Gareth’s house, where it was being held, but he’d been sent to voicemail. Not wanting to sit about while Steve was lying in a hospital bed, he’d scribbled out a note and taped it to the trailer door.

“Wayne Munson.” He tried to be as polite as possible giving his name to the front desk. The receptionist lit up at his name, nodding.

“For Steven?” She asked, shuffling through a couple papers. “Thank you for getting here so quickly, he’s in Room 127. I’ll have Nurse Christine come in to brief you when she gets a moment.” She was perfectly pleasant, but it sort of grated on Wayne’s last nerve. Hospitals always fucking freaked him out, and the overly friendly dispositions of these people never helped. He moved to turn away, but she quickly added, “I should warn you! There’s quite a crowd gathered in there.”

He paused, turning back to her. “How so?”

“There’s about three children, two teenage girls and the Chief of Police.” Wayne raised an eyebrow in lieu of response. She shrugged. “We can’t get them to leave, it’s definitely breaking about thirty policies, but they’re stubborn." A trace of something warm flitted across her face. "The boy has a lot of people who love him.” 

That, he could understand. Steve Harrington, though the Wayne of a year and a half ago would loathe to admit it, was one of the kindest, most genuine souls in Hawkins. He was a nice goddamn kid, selfless to his own detriment, and fuck– Wayne loved him like he was his own. It definitely helped that he was so goddamn good to Eddie, and made him so disgustingly happy all the time, but he was also just… good, by himself. Not due to, but in spite of his environment. Wayne would be a liar if he said that didn’t impress the hell out of him. One too many people in his life had planted their heels in the ground they were given, blaming everything but themselves for the way they’d turned out.

He weaved a path through blindingly white corridors until he spotted the numbers ‘127’ printed on a door. Pausing outside, he took a breath. What was he going to see, when he walked into this room? Severely injured wasn’t the most informative terminology, but it was certainly fucking bad. 

But he was a veteran. There was nothing he hadn't already seen before. So, with one more steadying breath, he pushed open the door.

Whatever he’d been fearing, what he actually saw was probably ten times worse. Seeing Steve– who was usually full of life and energy and excitement– dishevelled and pale in a hospital bed would probably grace his nightmares for months. The famous hair was flattened across his forehead, which was bruised and bloody. His face was beaten badly, one eye swollen and red, lip split and chin wrapped in white gauze. The index and middle finger of his right hand were similarly wrapped. Multiple wires were hooked up to his arms, machines beeping and flashing and doing god knows what. And, dammit, that was just the damage he could see. There was probably more hiding beneath the hospital bed sheets.

There, also, was the unmistakable sensation of being watched as he stepped into the room. The nurse hadn’t been kidding, there certainly was a small crowd in here. Every corner and chair was occupied by someone in varying states of distress and injury. However, Wayne was a man with priorities and a dangerous tendency for tunnel vision, and right now one of his boys was bloody and unconscious. He ignored the confused, feminine ‘uh, hello?’ from somewhere or another and walked straight to Steve’s bed, pausing at the foot to grip the metal bars. 

God, Eddie was going to have a breakdown when he saw this. Should he even be allowed in, when Steve looks the way he does? Wayne briefly considered barring his nephew from the room altogether, but picturing the tantrum he’d throw made him change his mind quickly. Better him sit by Steve’s bedside quietly fretting than throwing important medical equipment at an innocent bystander or three.

Finally, he took a real look around the room. Sure enough, on Steve’s left, sat three children. One with red hair sat by his head, watery eyed and her knees tucked to her chest. One holding his hand, clasping it tightly with both of his little ones. There were still tears drying on his face and a dirty, blood stained cap struggling to stay atop a mass of brown curls. The third had his upper body sprawled across the end of the bed, resting his arms gently over Steve’s legs. He was glaring at Wayne with a fire that reminded him of Eddie. The state of them– covered in grime and blood– gave Wayne the impression that whatever had happened to injure Steve this way, they were there. It made him shudder. 

On Steve’s right was a teenage girl dressed in a silly little sailor outfit. She had tangled blonde hair and was holding Steve’s bandaged hand delicately to her face, pressing his knuckles against her lips in a constant kiss. Her leg was bouncing up and down as she tried to decide whether to look at him or the boy in the bed. The name Robin came to mind– wasn’t that Steve’s co-worker, from the mall?– confirmed by a name tag embroidered to her vest. Beside her, Jim Hopper, Chief of fucking police, for whatever reason, in a– what? Guard uniform? With a sickle and scythe on the shoulders? He was tense and bloody in the face, too, but nowhere near as bad as Steve.

Finally, posted up in the corner, arms across her chest, was another teen girl. Brown curly hair and hard eyes scrutinising Wayne intensely. Nancy Wheeler, he realised. Harrington’s ex-girlfriend. The kid had mentioned her once or twice, and Wayne had seen her with her folks a couple times. Now that he thought of it, he reckoned he’d seen the black haired boy with the glare around them too. Eddie was not fond of her, telling stories of how she’d fucked Steve up after their breakup, or something– so Wayne couldn’t help it if he frosted over a little when their eyes met. Also, because she was the ex. Natural instinct.

“Anyone care t' tell me why my boy’s in a hospital bed?” He asked, directing the question more at Hopper than anyone else. Call him what you will, he’d rather not discuss this with a bunch of children.

“Wayne?” Hopper asked, somewhat incredulous. “Munson? You– you’re the emergency contact?” He could see the cogs turning, the puzzle pieces failing to fit together. It was a bit unbelievable, he supposed. Not like Wayne Munson had much business running around with sad, rich teenagers.

“Apparently so.” He muttered, shaking his head and shooting a fond look to Steve’s sleeping face. Damn kid, could’ve asked him. Prepared him. As if he’d ever say no to a question like ‘could I put you down as the person to call if I ever wind up in hospital?’ “Not a fun phone call to get, s'you can imagine. Even less fun of a sight.” Every passing second made him more and more anxious. He really wanted to get this information before hurricane Eddie came storming through. 

Hopper nodded, somewhat sympathetically. “I’m– well…” He shared a look with the other people in the room. Nancy, especially, seemed to be desperately trying to communicate something with her eyes. “This isn’t what you want to hear, but I’m not sure there’s much I can tell you.”

Wayne scowled. Look, he wasn’t stupid. There were shadier things at play in this town than many liked to believe. If you took two seconds to really pay attention, that is. Steve’s presence in his life only confirmed that suspicion. The kid acted like he’d been to war, and had the scars and the migraines and the nightmares to back it up. One too many times Wayne walked into the trailer after a shift to the most gut-wrenching screaming coming from Eddie’s room, only soothed by comforting words in low, dulcet tones. That faraway look in Steve’s eyes whenever a light would flicker was eerily reminiscent of the men who’d sat by his side in the trenches. Something was wrong, he’d seen shit he hadn’t needed to see. Shit that had broken him, not that Eddie, nor Wayne, minded piecing him back together.

So, Hopper’s words made him antsy. They stank of NDAs and government cover-ups, and frankly, he wasn’t going to have it. Not when whatever was going on left Steve out of commission like this. “You’re right, it ain’t.” He spat, a little harsher than intended. “Signed them NDAs already, have you?” As confirmation, everyone in the room went still. Wayne huffed.

Wheeler pushed herself off the wall and took a step closer, hands on her hips. “Who told you that?” 

“Well, no one, but you’ve just confirmed it f'me.” He smiled, toothy and fake. The girl bristled, gearing up to say something else until Hopper shook his head in her direction. 

“Nothing ever got past you, eh?” He asks, weary. Wayne shrugged.

“Takes a blind idiot to not notice somethin' in this town stinks.” There was a silent agreement in the way everyone looked at each other. He shakes his head. “Steve just– ah, I dunno. I can see it in his eyes, he’s never tellin' us everything.”

Solemn silence fills the room. The middle kid, the one holding Steve’s hand, draws his eyebrows together. Opens his mouth to ask a question, but Wayne doesn’t hear what he says. Instead, his well-trained ears hone in on the skidding of sneakers at the other end of the hall. The redhead catches it, too, if the way she raises her head is any indication. He meets her eyes, and says to the room, “Brace yourselves, people. My apologies in advance.” 

They’re given a solid two seconds to be confused before Wayne hears the door behind him be slammed open. Sure enough, when he turns, Eddie’s in the doorway, panting like he’s just ran the mile. He sweeps across the room in long strides, carving himself a space between Hopper and Robin, worried hands hovering over Steve’s body, unsure where to touch. Now he’s static, Wayne realises he’s less panting, more hyperventilating.

“He’s alright, son.” He’s quick to soothe, knowing that if Eddie works himself up now there’ll be no helping any of them. Even though he’s not sure of Steve’s condition himself, he’s not above lying to calm his kid down. “Take a breath before ya piss yourself.”

Eddie whirls on him, all misdirected anger and frantic, nervous energy. Flails his arms around as he shrieks, “Fine? Fine?! He doesn’t look fucking fine to me, Wayne! Holy fuck– how long has he been here? Why didn’t you come and get me? You just– I had to come home to–” He stuffs a hand in his pocket and pulls out the note Wayne had left. Uncrumpled it and tossed it in his general direction.

‘Steve in hospital, put me as emergency contact. Come ASAP.’

In hindsight, a rather harrowing message, but he’d been panicking himself, alright? Eddie blazes on, “I was so fucking scared the whole way over! And I was– right to be! Is he– what the fuck happened? How hurt is he? Is he gonna wake up? What–” 

“Kid.” Hopper called, jolting Eddie out of his ramblings. He spun to face the Chief with a mix of bewilderment and fear. He didn’t exactly have a good relationship with the cops in this town, after all. “We’re all worried, but working yourself into hysterics is just gonna make it worse.” The words were surprisingly warm and understanding. Eddie, though minimally, did seem to relax.

“What happened?” He demanded, slightly choked up. The anger and panic seemed to be the only thing keeping the tears at bay. 

“Fire at Starcourt.” Hopper gritted out, rather flatly. “Got stuck under debris on the way out.” Eddie stared at him for a second before turning to Wayne, the ‘you believe that bullshit?’ look written all over his face. It was the same look he’d send him over Steve’s head sometimes, when he’d give them half-truths about his past and try to convince them he was fine mid-panic attack. 

“What’d I tell you, boy?” He warned, referencing the first night after Steve’d had a flashback so intense he’d curled up into a corner and sobbed into his knees for two hours straight in their living room. Eddie had put him to bed, then came back out to pace up and down the trailer. Wayne had nursed a beer and watched, adding idle comments to his running, nervous narrative. He’d been planning what to ask Steve when he woke up, intending on demanding answers and every last detail of whatever that had been.

“Eddie, son.” Wayne interrupted, sighing heavily over the rim of his can. “This is gonna be one of the most important pieces of advice I’m ever gonna give you– learn to tell when somethin' shouldn’t be poked at.”

It was a rule that had kept Wayne out of plenty of shitty situations over his life, and he intended to continue to follow it for the years to come. Eddie, the smart boy, needed no further reminders– he wasn’t as avid a believer in that particular life rule, but had added to his own personal doctrine for Wayne’s sake. His shoulders slumped.

“Let me guess,” It hurt how devastated he sounded. Eddie was by no means a small personality, this small voice he was using now… it didn’t suit him. “He was protecting someone, huh?”

Red sniffled. Robin dropped her head, resting it on the intertwined mess of her and Steve’s hands. 

Hopper smiled, a little bittersweet. “As always. Dumb kid.” Eddie tried for a laugh, but got barely halfway through before it devolved into a sob. Within seconds he was stepping around the bed and seeking Wayne out, who gathered him up in his arms as he let himself go. Heaved quiet sobs into his shoulder, muttering strings of curses and shaking like a leaf. 

“I know, son. I know.” He whispered, cupping the back of his head and pressing him further into his shoulder, if possible. “He’ll be okay. He’s sturdy.” He says this a little louder, a vague attempt to offer comfort to the room.

“He shouldn’t have to be!” Eddie wails in response, and the sounds of his cries and his words seem to set off Hopper, Robin and the curly haired kid. Hopper wipes his tears discreetly, the kid is embraced by the younger Wheeler, and Robin drops Steve’s hand to cradle his head and kiss his cheek.

It’s this moment that Nurse Christine chooses to walk in. She pauses at the state of the room– Wayne feels slightly bad for her, but she recollects herself and clears her throat. Everyone lifts their heads to look at her.

“Looks like you folks need some good news.” She smiles, holding a clipboard to her chest. “I assume one of you is Wayne?”

He holds up a hand, allowing Eddie to separate from him. “That’ll be me.” She nods at him, scribbles something down and then sighs. That’s never good.

“I know I said good news, but I’m afraid there’s a little bit of bad I’ll have to get through first.” Eddie migrates back to the spot between Hopper and Robin, stealing Steve’s hand from under her arms. She doesn’t seem to notice, too busy petting his hair and staring at the nurse hard enough to bore holes. Christine looks to Wayne as she speaks, “It was a bit touch and go for a while. He wasn’t in great shape, there were some unknown drugs in his system–” Robin tenses. “–a couple of broken ribs, quite severe blood loss. One of the ribs had punctured a lung, so we had to perform an emergency surgery.” 

Each word is like a knife in Wayne’s gut. Even the stony Wheeler girl has had to take a seat. Fire, eh, Hopper? How would unknown drugs get into him during a fucking fire? Christine continues. “We lost him on the table.” The words are quiet, as though that’ll soften the blow. It doesn’t.

Hopper and Wayne both take shaky breaths. The Wheelers and Red all hover hands over Steve, like they wanted to check he was still there. Robin, Eddie and the other kid all audibly sob. 

She looks sympathetic. “He’s a fighter, though. I think he made his own heart beat again out of sheer will.” The implication that they nearly gave up on him isn’t lost on Wayne. In fact it makes him sort of sick. The curly haired kid laughs.

“Stubborn asshole.” He shakes the hand he’s holding gently, trying to be playful. Robin, to her credit, manages to laugh at him.

“Don’t let him hear that!” She’s all snotty and watery. “He’ll put his hands on his hips and scold you for cursing.”

Wheeler joins in, “Dustin! Language.” She lowers her voice in a mimic of Steve’s and pouts, places her hands on her hips and everything. Admittedly, it was a good impression. It makes the kids laugh, at least. Even Eddie smiles. 

“Well, watch your words.” The nurse laughs, “He’ll wake up soon, once the anaesthesia wears off.” 

The way the room brightens at that is genuinely relieving. Whatever oppressive cloud had gathered dissipates somewhat, the desperate grief in everyone’s eyes is replaced with light and hope.

“So he’ll be okay?” Eddie asks, sounding far too much like the kid he is. Wayne wants to take him and Steve, wrap them in bubble wrap and hide them in a little corner forever.

“As far as we can tell, yes.” She looks happy to give this news, grinning ear to ear. The Harrington charm works even when the boy is unconscious, it seems. “He will make a full recovery.”

Hopper thanks the nurse and asks a couple more questions. Robin breathes a sigh of relief, pressing another kiss to his temple. Eddie shoots her a look. “Thank you, thank you. Holy shit…” She murmurs into his hair, smiling so hard it looks like it hurts. “Love you so much, dingus. Owe you my fucking life.” Wayne’s not sure she intends for everyone to hear her words. They’re dripping with affection, and with the way she’s pressed into his space, she almost looks like his girlfriend. Eddie’s watching with a pinched expression. So is the kid, Dustin.

He looks at Nancy, then Robin. “His ex is right there, Robin.” The smile melts off her face in an instant and she glares at the kid from her spot in the crook of Steve’s neck. 

“Shut it, Henderson.” She hisses. “I told you, we’re not dating.” Dustin levels her with a, ‘yeah, sure’, look. Eddie, apparently unable to keep his fucking mouth shut much longer, chimes in.

“She’s telling the truth.” Then, again, because his nephew is stupid. “I hope, anyway. Otherwise me and Stevie will have to have a very devastating conversation when he wakes up.” His words take a second to catch up with him, but when they do, he visibly cringes. Nurse Christine has made her exit by now, bidding Wayne and Hopper a goodbye and saying she’d be back in a little bit, or whenever Steve woke up. Good for her, Wayne thinks, because Nancy Wheeler decides to hop on Eddie’s ass and for fucks sakes, this is going to get difficult.

“Sorry, who are you?” She asks. Eddie rolls his eyes, barely able to keep the contempt from his face.

“Believe it or not, we go to school together, Nancy Wheeler.” She looks genuinely shocked at that, eyes flicking over his face. Robin turns her head, and seemingly looks at Eddie for the first time. She bolts up, pointing at him.

“Holy shit, Eddie!” She screeches, mouth agape. Eddie turns to her with a smile and a little wave. “You– wait, you and Steve are actually friends? I thought you just annoyed him over ice cream while he’s on the clock ‘cos he was a dick in high school or something.”

“Unfortunately not, Buckley.” He says it like it’s an inconvenience, but the smile on his face and the glint in his eye betrays him. “Me and Stevie are, to my great horror, rather well acquainted.”

Wayne can’t hold in the snort. “Great horror, my ass.” He mumbles, too easily picturing the goo-goo eyes Eddie trails Steve around with at all hours of the day. Eddie shushes him, which– rude. Fucking attitude on this kid… where did Wayne go wrong with him? 

Realisation seems to dawn over Wheeler. She gasps, ”Eddie Munson!" Like he’s just walked in and she thought he was dead. Hand over her heart, a touch scandalised. “You– what the hell? How do you know Steve?” The way she asks it is somehow both accusatory and suspicious at the same time. 

Eddie narrows his eyes and squares his shoulders. “Just do.” Which, not the best explanation. But then again, he owes this girl nothing, so why should he have to explain? The kids are watching the back and forth like a tennis match.

“But Steve doesn’t have other friends.” Nancy jerks her head towards the kid, Dustin. “He’s with Dustin and the kids like, 85% of the time!” 

“Yeah, and I’m Steve’s best friend,” The kid says it like it’s his greatest achievement, and Wayne feels his heart warm. Finally remembers the fond way Steve talks about having to pick up a kid, Henderson, and wonders if this is that same boy. Didn’t Robin call him that a second ago? “He’s never mentioned you to me!”

“First of all– you’re not his best friend,” Eddie says to the kid, who looks so genuinely offended and instantly readies himself to argue before Eddie manages to get in, “You’re like his little brother. Secondly–” And shit, if the kid smiled any harder Wayne worried his face would get stuck like that. “That still leaves 15% of his time, which is spent with me. So sorry that the idea of the town freak and your pretty boy jock ex actually getting along doesn’t fit your little narrative, but I happen to like Steve’s company nowadays. He got his head out of his ass and is a pretty down to earth guy now, unlike you, it seems.” 

Wayne lets out a low whistle. Not kind, but not wrong either. He wasn’t gonna stop Eddie from voicing his opinions. Wheeler looks like she sucked on a particularly sour lemon. Hopper isn’t too different. The kids look relatively unbothered, maybe Mike a little less, but Robin is suddenly leaning in, incredibly interested.

“Oh my god.” She whispers, “I get it!” Eddie goes still and looks at her. Really looks at her. She’s smirking with a mischievous glint in her eye. “You must be friends with our girl Dorothy, right?” She emphasises ‘our’ and gestures between herself and Steve.

Wayne knows this one, he thinks. Remembers a conversation with Eddie about signals between people like him, how they identified each other and whatever. He hadn’t really paid attention to most of it, had only really asked to make sure Eds wouldn’t go about asking the wrong boy on a date. But the name Dorothy rings a bell, and the conspiratorial tone and the way Eddie relaxes infinitely, nodding enthusiastically just solidifies it.

“Yeah, yeah– what the fuck, you know her too?” His tone changes considerably now he’s addressing Robin. He’s also, probably consciously, ignoring how the present company are all staring at him and the girl like they’re speaking in tongues. Minus Red, who is nodding along slowly. She meets Wayne’s eye and raises an eyebrow, glancing at the boys. Wayne just shrugs. 

“For a while.” Robin nods. “Me and Steve, we, uh– only found out we had her in common tonight.” Her smile is bittersweet. “Told me about his other friend. You’re not who I expected, but it’s nice to meet you. Well– meet you like this. He told me a little bit.” She holds her free hand out for him to shake, which he does.

“All bad things, I presume?” He teases, though he’s gone a little red. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. 

“Oh, of course! Though he neglected to mention how shit you are at turning up to practise.” 

“Look, Buckley. If we’re being honest, it’s the hats. I can’t wear the band hats, they crimp my style.”

She cringes. “Don’t say that, god– I see it now, you two working together. That’s exactly something he’d say.” Eddie sighs, dramatically forlorn.

“I know, he’s corrupting me.” He leans in a little closer and stage whispers, “I’m becoming normal.” She snorts in response, looking genuinely happy for the first time since Wayne walked in. It’s nice, and he likes to imagine Steve would be happy seeing them get along if he was awake.

“Of all the people I expected to walk through that door,” Hopper sighs, pulling Eddie’s attention. He shrinks a little under the man’s hard gaze. “You’re probably the last one I expected, Munson.” Wayne can't decide which of them he's talking to. Maybe both.

Eddie almost instantly puts on a face; pulls up that armour of his as he hums, stroking his chin like some shitty philosopher. “I don’t know, Chief. I think if Reagan waltzed in you’d be a little more surprised.” Hopper chuckles as Eddie makes an exaggerated once over of the room. “Then again, by the sounds of things you’ve had government officials in and out already, so maybe not.” He finishes with a pointed look at the uniform the Chief is wearing, “By the way– you should change, man. Not sure how you’re gonna tie the Russian uniform into the fire story.”

Hopper gapes at the sheer audacity– Wayne can’t help but laugh. Red, Robin and Dustin do, too.

“He’s got a point.” Mini Wheeler drawls. 

“Oh, can it, Mike.” Hopper scolds, though there’s no bite to it. The kid flips the man off with a terrifying amount of nonchalance and doesn’t even falter when his expression morphs into a glare. 

“That look doesn’t scare me anymore.” He sasses, and– lord, does Steve deal with this all the time? What a goddamn saint. No wonder he can deal with Eddie so well, he must have a patient bone bigger than his spine or something. “I’ve seen way scarier by now.” He makes what could only really be described as a distorted clucking noise, placing his hands by the sides of his head. Heels of his palms facing inwards, wiggling his fingers. Dustin kicks him in the shin.

“I’ll show you scarier.” Hopper threatens. Mike goes to stand up but is hastily shoved back into his chair by Dustin. Under Nancy’s withering look he does, in fact, shrink a little. Folds his arms like she had earlier and slumps. Immune to the Chief but not his older sister; state of the Hawkins police department right there. 

“Have your pissing contest over El later, guys.” Red huffs. It’s the first time she’s spoken, Wayne realises. Her knees are still to her chest and she looks so damn small but there’s an unmistakable fire in his voice. He decides he likes her. She turns to Eddie, “So, how long have you and Steve been dating?”

What the fuck? Never-fucking-mind. 

Eddie splutters. Everyone’s staring at Red like she’s insane. Dustin makes various indignant noises and Mike is grumbling out protests almost instantly. Robin is staring like a deer in the headlights at Eddie, and Nancy face drops as the pieces finally seem to click together for her.

“We’re not– what the fuck gave you that idea?” Eddie asks nervously, his grip on Steve’s hand loosening before he thinks better of it and holds on tighter. Red raises an eyebrow.

“Seriously?” She asks. “You had the conversation in front of everyone.” She looks around the room for support, pauses, then asks again, “What the fuck? None of you clocked that? Are you joking?”

“Clocked what?” Dustin cries. “Steve’s not gay, Max!”

“Dorothy! And says who?”

“Who the fuck is Dor– Hey! Says his relationship with Nancy!” Mike gestures wildly to her sister. Red –Max– rolls her eyes like she’s the most put upon human being in the entire goddamn world. Robin is quietly trying to soothe Eddie’s impending panic attack as the children bicker, and Wayne wants to lift her above his head and sing her praises.

“You can like both, morons.” Max groaned, making Mini Wheeler’s jaw drop. Dustin stops, considers it, then goes ‘ahhh!’ and starts nodding. Which is the fastest anyone’s understood and internalised the concept of homosexuality (bisexuality?) that Wayne’s ever seen.

“Oh– of course! Oh, that makes so much more sense!” The kid sounds like he’s just solved a difficult maths puzzle, and is now looking at the answer wondering how it ever escaped him to begin with. He turns back to Eddie, wide eyed and curious and completely missing the sheer panic in his face. “You’re why Steve wouldn’t date Robin! And why he stopped flirting with girls!” 

“I–” Eddie looks at Wayne, wide-eyed and terrified. Looks rather pointedly at Nancy and Hopper before looking back again.

“You can like both? That’s a thing?” Mike asks, sounding both mildly horrified and relieved. 

Robin’s face softens. “Yeah, bud, you can.”

“You can?” Nancy asks, similarly to her brother. Robin looks at her, a little shocked, then nods. Both Wheelers sit on that for a minute.

“Obviously you can!” Max throws her hands in the air. “We all know this now! Eddie still hasn’t answered my question!”

Wayne opens his mouth, ready to jump to Eddie’s defence. The kids are clearly well-meaning, but incredibly naïve. Speaking about this sort of shit gets people like Eddie killed, and if he had to see either of his boys in a hospital like this again anytime soon… well, his heart would probably give out. Surprisingly, though, he's beaten to it. By Hopper and Nancy.

“Enough!” The Chief uses what Wayne assumes is his cop voice, silencing the room in seconds. Eddie flinches, hard, at the loud voice. “Leave the poor boy alone. He doesn’t need to confirm, or tell, you anything about his relationship if he doesn’t want to.”

Nancy adds, more gentle but still scolding. “Seriously, you guys. People around here aren’t… progressive.” She shares a look with Mike. “If anyone had overheard any of that, you could’ve gotten someone seriously hurt.”

Dustin, the sweetheart, looks so confused. “But– why? ” How these kids haven’t encountered homophobia is truly beyond Wayne. What bubble have they been living in? “It’s just– it’s the same thing as a boy and a girl, isn’t it? That’s what Steve told me. What’s so different?” Oh– oh. Oh, that makes so much more sense. Of course the little ones would be the most kind-hearted, accepting people in Hawkins; they were being basically raised by Steve.

“He told you that?” Robin asks, a little breathless. Dustin nods.

“Yeah! A few months back. Some assholes were yelling things at this boy and he told me why they were doing it and why it was wrong. I thought–” His expressions scrunched up, sort of like a puppy. “I thought it was just their problem, I didn’t know it was an everyone thing.”

“Man, what did you think those people calling Will all those names were talking about?” Mike asks, the memory making him outwardly sad. Dustin gasps.

“That’s so fucked up.” He whispers. Turns to Eddie and says, with full sincerity. “Sorry people are like that. That’s so shit.” Pauses, then adds, “You don’t have to tell us anything.”

Max nods along, looking suitably guilty. “Sorry, too. I’m from California, it’s a lot more–” She waves her hand around vaguely, searching for the word. “Accepting? I knew Hawkins was a bit behind, but not this much. I grew up with, like, four different queer people in my friend group.” She smiles reassuringly. 

Eddie… Eddie looks… shocked. He’s all teary eyed and so is Robin, both of them seemingly searching everyone for even an ounce of insincerity. They don’t find it, not even in the rugged Police Chief or the uptight conservative rich girl. Just pure earnesty and acceptance. Robin glances at Wayne, who figures he should probably voice his own opinions. 

“Makes no difference to me who people wanna kiss.” He says, rather matter of factly. Because it doesn’t, and people truly need to learn to mind their own business. “Bigger issues in the world than gay people existin'.” Eddie laughs, barely getting it out– it's a mix of shock and amusement, and he looks at Steve.

“How the hell,” He murmurs, impossibly soft and affectionate, “Have you managed to find every accepting person in Hawkins, huh Stevie?” Steve, of course, doesn’t reply. Just keeps that incongruously serene face and remains unaware of the chaos unfolding around his hospital bed. “I appreciate it, seriously.” He says this to the room this time, the most genuine, teary smile on his face. “We– uh, I probably shouldn’t say this while he’s conked out but– yeah. We’re– he’s my boyfriend.” The word falls off his tongue so easily. Robin smiles brighter than the goddamn sun hearing it. “Since last August, so nearly a year.”

Max nods approvingly. Dustin begins to throw a mini hissy fit about how Steve managed to keep it a secret that long, only to be reminded of the whole ‘being gay is pretty scary’ thing from Robin. Who, while she's at it, timidly admits that she knew, but only as of tonight, when she’d accidentally blabbed her own secret, (she doesn’t say what it is, but Wayne could make a pretty confident guess) and Steve had comforted her with one of his own.

Wayne pulls up a chair and watches as Eddie fields questions. Enjoys how happy he looks talking about Steve with people who know and love him just as much as he does. How excitedly he tells stories and the eagerness with which he hears them in return. He and Robin get on like a house on fire, Dustin and Mike stare at him with starry eyes when he mentions his Dungeons game, (it sets off a thirty minute tangent about how they also play, and how they have to play together sometime, they have these friends Will and Lucas who also play! Maybe they could finally convince Steve to join if they all badgered him as a group!), and hell, even Nancy Wheeler cracks a joke or two. Hopper is mostly an observer, but trades exasperated looks with Wayne every time one of the kids gets a little too loud or excited. 

It’s nice. It’s comforting, and it’s so goddamn typical. It’s in this moment– being surrounded by people who look at his nephew and see a person, rather than a freak or a fag or whatever people call him nowadays– that Wayne understands. Sees how Steve managed to fight his way out of that little box that he’d been put into for the first sixteen years of his life. These were people with bigger fucking issues than social standings and popularity. Who’d been through shit Wayne would maybe never understand and had come out the other side just so happy to be alive in the first place that they tossed away all those stupid fucking rules society placed upon them.

Because, really– what’s the big deal in being friends with someone outside your appointed class or clique when you’ve been to war? Who fucking cares if Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson are in love with each other after all that? As Hopper had said, at one point, under his breath: “Long as they’re alive and safe, I couldn’t give two fucks what they get up to in their free time. It’s all the same anyways.”

Just over two hours in, Steve’s eyelids flutter. The room holds their breath as he blinks, stares at the ceiling for about thirty seconds as the glaze recedes from his eyes. The first person he seeks out, in a muted frenzy, is Max. Who half-sobs, half-yells at him for jumping in front of her (and, ah, so it was her, then) and how dare he do that and how she would’ve never forgiven him if he made her lose two brothers in one night. He pets her hair as she cries into his chest, effectively making her threats meaningless. He apologises, but says he doesn’t regret it. They all believe him.

Then it’s Robin, who sniffles into his shoulder for a while and chastises him for something about Russians that Wayne definitely wasn’t supposed to hear. Makes a joke about them being unemployed now to which he rolls his eyes and makes another about never having to wear the uniforms again. When she pulls back, Dustin pounces. Scolds him similarly to Max and just says over and over and over how much he loves him. Thanks him for the most random things and asks him to never do something like that again because he thinks he’ll go crazy. Steve, trying very hard and failing even harder to conceal his tears, agrees, and holds the kid close for a while.

Once he’s done with them and looks around the room, his eyes zero in on Eddie, who’s been watching patiently. He’s staring, wide-eyed, as if though he can't quite believe it. Eddie just smiles and kisses the back of his hand, trying to disguise how relieved he is to see him awake and talking.

“Scared the shit outta me, Harrington.” He mutters. Steve exhales shakily, the ghost of a smile playing across his lips.

“You’re– you’re actually here?” He asks, squeezing Eddie’s hand. Eddie almost laughs.

“‘Course I’m fuckin’ here.” He says it like it’s a given, which he supposes it is. Wayne shifts which catches Steve’s attention, and it seems that then it dawns on him how the Munsons knew he was in hospital. Wayne can see it before he speaks, the apologies preparing on his lips– and cuts them off before they can even start.

“Coulda warned me I was the one written down,” He teases, because really, he wasn’t letting him get away with that one. “But I’m glad I was, son. If you dare change it, I’m takin' back that key I gave you.” It’s an empty threat and they both know it, with the way Steve laughs. 

He looks back to Eddie, smiling. Then, around the room again, and jolts. “Uh– oh, um. This is–” He goes to introduce them, which is so incredibly endearing. Eddie shushes him.

“We’ve met, darling.” He laughs, the pet name making Steve’s neck snap towards him. “Been chatting for the last two hours while we waited for your sleepy ass to wake up.”

“Eds–” Steve tries.

“They know.” He mutters. Steve’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and he glanced nervously around the room. Shoots one at Robin that seems to scream for help. She just smooths his hair back comfortingly. “Red over there clocked me and Buckley’s not-so-secret secret code.”

“Dorothy.” Max snorts. Steve looks at them both with his ‘oh my god you’re both the dumbest people I know, and I know myself, what the hell is wrong with you?’ face.

“I’m hurt you didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend–” Dustin starts, leaning into Steve’s face. The kid goes pale but is given no time to panic. “But I’m more hurt to find out he’s so goddamn cool, Steve! He plays D&D! Why have you been keeping him from us!?”

Steve laughs, then winces a little. Waves off the concern and smacks Dustin’s cap down over his eyes.

“Because I knew you gremlins would steal him from me!” He teases, leaving the real reason unspoken. His voice is a little hoarse but he’s sounding more like himself by the minute. Though he does ask, with a frightening amount of vulnerability: “So none of you… care? Like– it’s okay?”

Everyone nods. Steve relaxes back into his pillow, looking at Eddie with a goofy little smile. He's definitely still a little loopy, but if you looked close enough, you could probably see little hearts in his eyes. Wayne can’t believe, looking at him like this, that there was ever a time he was concerned Steve was playing with Eddie’s heart. The boy was so damn gone. Not that Eddie was any better. 

“Well then– this is my boyfriend, Eddie.” He grins so wide at the word, just as Eddie had, His nephew can barely contain the happiness, and leans in to press a kiss to his lips. Max fake gags, Dustin boos, and the atmosphere in the room is so much different now to what it had been two hours ago when Wayne had walked in, not knowing if he was going to have to bury one of his own.

There was still a lot unsaid. More questions to ask, emotions that needed to smooth over. A dark secret looming over everyone in the form of Russians and unknown drugs but– for now, at least, it was okay. His boys were okay, they were alive, and they were loved. Not just by each other, but by the little makeshift family Steve had built for himself. 

That was good enough for now.