A few weeks post Starcourt, Steve and Robin have found a gay club in Indy.
Steve has already questioned Robin if she thinks people can like ‘both’ and she was like ‘sure why not. Wait-‘ and that was how Steve found out hes queer but they don’t find the word ‘bisexual’ until a few days later on their first Indy trip, scouring libraries and bookstores for ANYTHING
Anyway it’s a few weeks after Starcourt now and theyre at a club but Steve is still bruised up from the Russian torture. Robin has wandered off to the bar for some drinks so Steve is dancing alone for a minute when someone says “Harrington!?”
Eddie largely hasn’t cared much about Steve Harrington during school as he wasn’t the worst of the crowd that made his friends lives hell and he expected to never see him again after the guy graduated but here he is at a gay bar of all things looking like… well, terrified because Eddie just shouted his name and also like he recently got a severe beating. “What happened to your face?”
“I fell!” Steve shouts over the music, and then cringes like he knows Eddie won’t believe it.
And Eddie feels a shiver go down his spine because if it was a regular old beating or fight wouldn’t he have just said that? And he said he ‘fell’ which is the same excuse his mom gave when-
Eddie gently reaches out and tugs him away from the dance floor. “Seriously Harrington, are you ok?”
Steve looks genuinely surprised that Eddie is asking, which, fair, they’ve never spoken before outside weed deals. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Is whoever did that around right now?”
Steve blinks and looks around with wide eyes. “God, I hope not!”
That’s not very reassuring. Hes about to say something else when someone says, “Oh, Munson!”
He turns and sees Robin Buckley holding two drinks, one of which she passes to Steve, who gives her a bright smile.
“Hey Buckley, any idea what happened to Harringtons face? He says he fell.”
Robin chokes on her drink and gives Steve an incredulous look. “You said you fell?”
Steve looks sheepish. “I panicked?”
“Well?” Eddie asks, a little annoyed now.
Robin takes a breath and says, “So we were working at Scoops when we got stuck in the elevator - we were going to grab a delivery - and we got stuck because suddenly there was a fire. By the time we got out people were running everywhere and some stuff fell on Steve and he was also trampled.” Once finished with her explanation she turns to Steve who tries to give her a subtle thumbs up but Eddie sees it a mile away.
So that was definitely a prepared lie. Whatever actually happened to Steve, Robin knows about it and Steve has asked her to lie about it for some reason.
“So you two are friends then?” Eddie asks with a raised brow.
They both grin and throw an arm over each others shoulders and say, in unison, “Platonic Soulmates with a Capitol P!”
“Also I’m bisexual.” Steve says pointedly, trying for a flirty glance up and down Eddies body but hes so drunk it comes off more as a leer. Eddie pretends it doesn’t affect him at all even as Steve adds, “And single.” while Robin guffaws at his antics.
