iris. - steddie

02. meet

friday march 18, 1986.

steve groaned in exhaustion, head back as he noisily complained about nothing in particular. it had been a slow day in general, hardly anyone coming into family video.

'shut up steve, if you're so bored go find a different movie to watch. or at least be bored quieter.' robin rolled her eyes, looking back up at the small tv playing fast times as she sat on the counter.

'this is like the fifth time you've watched fast times this week, buckley. you're obsessed at this point,'

'i'm sorry, are you complaining? is phoebe cates not hot enough for you, steve?'

'i didn't say that, i just—'

'shut up! shut up! the scene's coming,' robin smacked the counter in excitement, grinning as she sat criss-cross on it.

steve completely forgot what he was complaining about as he walked over, watching as she got out of the pool in the red bikini beside robin.

'she makes a compelling point.' steve tilted his head, squinting at the screen a little.

'i know, rig—' robin got cut off as the door swung open, neither of them noticing a unfamiliar car pulling up outside the family video beforehand.

the both of them jumped, robin shouting a little as dustin announced his arrival.

'steve!' the curly-haired individual announced, the rest of the party following close behind.

'jesus! fuckin—' steve scrambled for the tv remote, pausing the tv right on the scene they were watching.

'woah, steve.' mike laughed, looking over at him and robin as he saw the tv.

'shut up wheeler.' steve retorted, ejecting the movie from the tv before the rest of them could ogle at it.

'what'd you want?' robin asked for steve, spinning around still sitting on the counter to look at them.

'can we play dnd at your place tommorow?' dustin looked at steve, giving him a grin and attempted puppy dog eyes.

'wh- you do realize i have to work, right henderson?'

'work on what, failing to pause fast times fast enough so we wouldn't see phoebe cates' boo-'

'do you want me to say yes or not?' steve cut him off with a complain-y tone.

'pleeeease? we can wait until you get off work,'

the door jingled again, steve looking up as he saw an unfamiliar long-haired person walk in. he was wearing a baseball tee with something on it he couldn't tell, a leather jacket covered by a jean vest and ripped black jeans under it, and what looked like a bandana in the back pocket.

'jesus fuckin' christ henderson, how long does it take you to talk to this guy—'

eddie looked up, spotting the shorter-haired brunette.

'this is the guy who's the babysitter?' the long-haired individual laughed with a grin plastered on his face. 'steve 'the hair' harrington!'

robin snorted behind him, covering her mouth with her hand quickly.

'i- who is this?' steve looked over from him to dustin.

'this is eddie! y'know, the dungeon master i told you about?' dustin said, getting a pat on the back from eddie.

'munson?' steve's brows furrowed.

'the one and only, harrington. the freak of hawkins.' eddie grinned, he had grown to embrace the title rather than be upset by it like he was years ago.

robin looked at eddie, eyeing the bandana in his back pocket, eyes narrowing and a small smile pulling its way onto her face at what she immediately suspected was the hanky code.
(a common longstanding system of communication in the lgbtq community, yes he canonly wears one)

'anyways, what'd you say? i'm tired of sitting in the car.' eddie grumbled, elbowing dustin.

steve looked at eddie, who somehow had the same power with puppy dog eyes henderson had.

'fine,' steve said, dragging out the 'e'.

'great! be at your place at 7,' dustin immediately began to leave, everyone following.

'wait, i get off work at 8!—' steve yelled, but everyone was already out the door. 'shit.'

the brunette leaned forward on the counter, watching as eddie grinned getting into the drivers' seat, immediately switching on what sounded like very loud metal that even they could hear from inside the store.

dustin yelled, covering his ears in the passenger seat and hitting him on the shoulder until he turned it down and peeled out of the parking lot.

steve shook his head, turning around to see robin looking at him with an unfamiliarly suspicious smile.

'what?'

'nothing.' robin shrugged, dropping her shoulders with a downward grin. 'back to phoebe cates.'