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He left a month after they finally defeated Venca. He was surprised he left at all, if he was being honest. Steve Harrington has done many things but running away after something goes wrong has never been something he did.
And Steve’s life had been going so well for those short few weeks, so when everyone’s opinion of him came to the surface, he finally felt like it was time for him to run as far away from Hawkins, Indiana as he could get. He didn’t see any signs at first that he was being annoying to everyone, it just all seemed to come to a head on his birthday of all days.
This whole Upside Down shit had led him to meeting some of the best friends, and more, that’d he ever had. First, there was Nancy and Jonathan; the two that accidentally pulled him into this world of parallel dimensions and little girls who could move things with her mind. There was an easy friendship that settled between the three of them, which honestly surprised Steve. He expected there to still be some lingering animosity for both after they started dating right after Nancy had called their relationship and Steve himself bullshit, but there wasn’t. He loved them both dearly.
Second, were the kids. He would do anything to protect each and every one of those little shitheads, even Mike, who Steve swore still hated him even though Dustin has tried to tell him the opposite several times. “Seriously, Steve, Mike is all talk. He loves you; we all do.” Even with Dustin’s reassurances, Steve still sometimes only felt like he was needed for rides only when it came to the Party. Not that it mattered, really. He’d still sacrifice himself for all of them in a heartbeat if he had to. Next came Robin, his awkward gay best friend who had helped save his ass more times than he could count.
Finally, there was Billy and Eddie. Billy had surprised him when their friendship began. After surviving the Mind flayer, Billy seemed to cool down and mellow out. He was still a hot head who was prone to burst of rage that could leave someone shaking, but he never hurt anyone again. Well, that Steve knew of. The easy friendship that blossomed between them was so surprising, but Steve could easily say that Billy Hargrove was his best friend. When Billy nearly died, he was only out of the hospital for two days before Neil Hargrove put him right back in. Susan, Max’s mom, had filed for divorce the next day and moved herself, Max, and Billy to a trailer which was right next to Eddie Munson’s. Everyone spent a lot of time over at Steve’s house, but Billy and Max were there the most, and the three of them became a family. He had overheard on more than one occasion Max calling Billy and Steve her brothers.
Eddie, on the other hand, Steve never thought he’d like him. Like, like him, like him. Hell, Steve didn’t even know he liked men. Robin had told him the term was bisexual, because even though he now liked men, he still liked boobies. So, bisexual it was. And fuck, Eddie was amazing, and Steve hated himself a little for the way he treated the metal head when he was still a douchebag, still King Steve.
He finally worked up the courage to tell Eddie how he felt on his twentieth birthday as a happy birthday to me kind of thing.
It blew up in his face. Spectacularly.
When Steve woke up on his birthday, he had a heavy feeling deep in his gut that wouldn’t go away. He got dressed and made his way downstairs to see Billy sitting on the couch, glaring angrily at the wall. He and Max each had a key to his home so they could swing by whenever they pleased. Steve himself had one to their trailer. He made his way over, sitting down next to him and placing a hand comfortingly on Billy’s shoulder. “Billy?” His hand was slapped away with more force than he was expecting, the sting making him recoil a bit. Angry blue eyes cut to him. “Are you okay? Did - did you have a nightmare?” Billy and Max had them frequently, as did Steve, though he never really talked about what he went through with anyone but Robin; solidarity in torture, and all. Billy scoffed, standing up quickly and began to pace. “Billy, you can talk to me. I get them, too.”
“What would you know about nightmares, Harrington?” Billy spat making Steve flinch. Steve didn’t really talk about all the things he went through with, or in, the Upside Down, or being tortured by evil Russians with anyone but Robin. He couldn’t really fault Billy for not knowing that he does understand what he’s going through.
“Billy-”
“Back off, Harrington,” he snarled, moving further away. “You have no idea what I went through! Or what Byers went through, or Eleven! Or Max! You know nothing!” He was shouting so loudly that if they were in Billy and Max’s apartment, Steve knew the neighbors would have been pissed.
“You’re right,” Steve said, attempting to soothe his much too angry best friend. “I have no idea what you went through, but I-”
“There’s no ‘buts’, Harrington!” The blonde was on a war path at this point. “Fuck, this is such bullshit! The Upside Down is bullshit, the Mind Flayer is bullshit, you are bullshit!” Steve flinched back, barely being able to suppress the whimper at his best friend calling him bullshit.
Billy snarled out a few curses before making his eat up the stairs to, Steve assumed, the room he had claimed as his own.
Steve just sat there, shaking minutely. Billy knew - he knew how much that hurt him, even now. Sure, he was over Nancy by this point, but he was well aware that it would always hurt to be called bullshit.
And Billy knew.
He was glad that he already got dressed so he was able to grab his keys and leave. He made sure to slam the door; was it petty? Yes. Did he care at the time? No. Steve wanted Billy to know he was upset. To know that he was hurt. He climbed into his car, hands still shaking a bit as he gripped the steering wheel tightly for a moment. Who could he go to? His first choices would always be Billy and Robin. Billy was out for obvious reasons, and Robin was working at Family Video for a ten-hour shift, promising she’d be by after to celebrate his birthday.
Dustin, maybe? He started his BMW, backing out of the driveway and pealing out down the road. He pulled into the Henderson’s driveway and climbed out the car. As he was about to knock, the door swung open and a frazzled Dustin was standing there. “Hey, buddy. Are you okay?” Steve questioned, eyebrows furrowing in worry.
“Not now, Steve,” the teenager answered dismissively, moving around the newly twenty year old.
“What’s going on?”
“Seriously, Steve, not now!” Dustin started for his bike before he stopped and looked over at Steve’s BMW. “Actually, I need a ride.” The curly haired teen made his way over the passenger side door and flung it open, getting inside. Steve just stood there dejectedly on the front porch. What was happening? “Come on, Harrington! Today would be nice!” Steve shook his head and hurried over to his car.
When they backed out of the driveway, Dustin finally told him what was happening. Well, kind of. “There’s something going on with Max. The whole party is heading over there right now.” There was a pang in Steve’s chest at the teen’s words. Wasn’t he part of the party at this point? Why wasn’t he called?
“Is she okay?” Dustin let out an annoyed sigh, digging his walkie – talkie out of the bag sitting on the floor in between his legs.
“I don’t know, Steve. That’s why we’re heading over there.” Steve hadn’t heard him speak so condescendingly to him like that in a long time. Probably since the whole demo-dogs fiasco.
He decided to stay silent for the rest of the drive, feeling his heart break a little more when he pulled in front of the Mayfield- Hargrove trailer and saw Jonathan’s car pulling in, too. Nancy was in the passenger seat while Will and Mike were nestled in the back, all climbing out at the same time and hurrying into the trailer. Nancy paused, noticing Steve’s car and made her way over. “Hey, thanks for bringing him. Max sounded frantic and needs everyone right now.” She pushed Dustin towards the door and then looked over at Steve again. “Don’t worry about picking him up. Jonathan and I will take Dustin back home later. Thanks again, Steve!” Nancy turned, quickly entering the trailer, and shutting it behind her.
Steve just blinked at the spot she was just standing. Seriously, what just happened? Did Max not want him there? Was it something to do with Steve? Is that why Billy was being so hostile and Dustin and Nancy so dismissive? He belatedly heard music blaring over at the Munson trailer, and a little bit of his anxiety eased at the normalcy of the sound. Where there was rock music, there was Eddie.
And Eddie was exactly what Steve needed at the moment.
He made his way over to the trailer and knocked on the door. His thoughts were racing a mile a minute. Should he talk about his feelings for the older man? Should he see if he knew what was going on with Max? The door opened and Steve’s mouth went dry at the sight of a shirtless Eddie. He had a lean build with wiry muscles, and – were those - nipple piercings? “Do you need something, Harrington?” Eddie questioned with his voice pitched low. Steve’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion before he saw a hickey on Eddie’s neck. A fresh hickey.
Oh, fuck. He had company. Fuck, Eddie was already seeing someone. “I-” He stuttered. “No, no, I don’t need anything. Just wanted to see if you wanted to hang.” He forced a smile on his face, but he could tell it was a bit wobbly. “You seem busy, though, so I’m sorry for bothering you and I’ll catch you later, Munson.” He jogged back to his car, sending a wave over his shoulder at Eddie who was still standing in the front doorway of his trailer.
“Harrington – Steve – are you alright?” He called after him.
“Yeah, man, just fine!” Steve yelled back, hurrying into his car and turning the ignition over. He waved once more before peeling out of the trailer park and back to the main road. Tears flooded his vision, making everything around him dangerously blurry.
No one remembered. No one seemed to care enough to remember. His parents didn’t even leave their obligatory “Happy Birthday” voice mail from whatever country they’re currently in.
Steve had never felt so alone.
He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even realize where he was until he pulled in front of a familiar large house. He turned the car off, stumbling his way to the front door and knocking softly. It only took a few minutes for the door to open, and the freckled face of Steve’s ex- best friend Tommy Hagen was staring at him in surprise. “Steve?” He questioned softly, and Steve broke.