Steve has been the Party's first call for anything and everything since the demodogs at the junkyard.
So when Eddie accidentally handcuffs himself to that throne of his during a game, Steve Harrington gets called.
Which on its own is terrible, but the constant dad jokes while shoving his stupid man tits in Eddies face because he "needs another angle" to better cut it off is just torturous.
The elder members of Hellfire, who are VERY aware of Eddie's crush on Steve, have done nothing but make this entire situation worse.
Gareth in particular is having a great time.
Addition: at some point Steve also starts to have a great time.
He's been Hawkins teen heartthrob for a solid chunk of his life, dethroned status or not.
It takes him roughly two and a half seconds to clock Eddie’s crush, and he immediately exploits it for entertainment.
Drops lines that would be flirty in any other universe with deadpan sincerity, and pretends not to notice when Eddie goes bright red.
Grabs the wrist the idiot handcuffed to "check it over, just in case." The next time he sees him. Uses it as an excuse to start getting touchy with Hellfire's fearless leader, like theyre now bestest buddies.
Has thrown in one, genuine compliment in-between his usual teasing and has to hide his grin when Eddie nearly falls on his face over it.
Robin doesnt step in until Steve starts purposefully looking up D&D terms he can misuse, because "He has no idea you’re safe, Steve. You’re just putting him through hell, and you know exactly how that feels.”
She's right of course, but he's having way too much fun and so Steve patiently waits for the perfect moment to drop that he's friends with Dorothy too, actually--and finds it when theres a mixup at Hellfire when Dustin's mess of a binder somehow eats some weird hand printed booklet of Munson's.
Finds it only because a ill timed throw makes the damn thing explode in his backseat, papers and dice and chip flakes going everywhere.
The cover boasts a minimally sketched version of two guys, one sporting elf ears.
A quick flip through it (for this is not Dustin's usual fair--and Steve would know because this is the third time his binder has blown up this year) shows it's a a very explicit story involving Legolas and that dwarf guy Lucas never shuts up about.
Shakes it at Dustin anyway, just in case, and is not at all surprised to hear a hiss and then "Shit no I think thats Eddie's. I must have grabbed it by accident, I'll give it to him on Mon--Steve!"
Steve, because he'd yanked the book away before gross, grabby hands could get it.
"He comes by Family Video every Saturday, I'll give it to him then."
Dustin squints suspiciously at him. "You promise?"
Steve crosses his heart with the gay smut book. "Promise."
Then he grins like a demon, because this is the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he needs to go home and brush up on his LOTR nerd knowledge, because he is 100% certain the human guy is a better partner for Legolas than the dwarf is, and he needs Eddie to know that.
