Random Fic Idea : Underground-fighter Steve
End goal- ship: Steve/Billy
Secondary ship: Eddie/Chrissy
Post-Canon - Everybody lives/nobody dies
Post S4 AU - Vecna's victims come back from the Upside Down when it's all over, including Billy ( any other victim of the Mind Flayer are dead for good, as they were melted body and mind)
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After graduating, Chrissy left Hawkins for college, putting as much distance between her nightmare memories & toxic mother as she could. She became a veterinarian, and didn't keep contact with anyone in Hawkins, choosing to leave it all behind her.
One day, she learns that Corroded Coffin is going to play in her city- she decides to go, because she never forgot about Eddie, his weird antics and his unexpected kindness when she needed it like water in the desert.
Standing in the the energized crowd, looking up at Eddie on stage , glorious and smiling, bring back some old feelings -something like gratefulness and relief, and maybe the hint of an old, nearly forgotten crush.
She goes to see him backstage - staff lets her in once another band member recognizes her (let's say Gareth). Eddie's happy to see her (ecstatic, he's ecstatic and relieved, so relieved cause he hadn't seen her since after it was all over, and even then he hadn't been able to really talk to her, not the way he wanted to, and then she was gone). He invites her in, and she greet the rest of the band and - Billy Hargrove.
Billy's a mechanic, working for a luxury/specialized garage (I know nothing about cars). He's been tasked to collect some rare parts in a different state where the band would stop too, so decided to tag along until then (convinced his boss it would cost less).
After the show, they meet you for dinner & some beer, talking about past high-school drama, Hawkins, and as little as possible about their shared trauma.
When Billy & Eddie mentions some of their old comrades they recently came across, Chrissy mentions she also recently met with a former acquaintance through her vet job; Steve.
Eddie & Billy are shocked; they explain to Chrissy that in the last couple years Steve progressively cut contact with anyone in Hawkins (yes, even Dustin). Everyone has been worried something bad happened to him.
Chrissy is a bit uncomfortable- she says although Steve is been nothing but friendly to her, and clearly take good care of his dog (a Border collie mix), he's closed off and always seems to be getting into fights, showing up bruised and bandaged to every appointments. She doesn't know what his job is exactly - when she asked, he gave her a vague answer about self defence, or was it security?
He always deflect her personal question, choosing to redirect the conversation towards his beloved dog.
Back in the tour bus, Billy and Eddie talk about this, wondering what's going on with Steve. Eddie wants to try and find him, becasue what the hell happened there, and also Dustin would never forgive him if he didn't at least try. Billy wants to find him, because, yeah, what the hell (of course Billy used to have a crush on him. And, they might have had a careful friendship, after all was over and Billy spent weeks in the FBI hosptital-lab-facility. Steve came with Max at first, just saying hi-and-bye, but slowly started lingering around more, until he started showing up on his own. They lost contact when Billy left Hawkins for a fresh start, and regret sits heavy on his stomach.)
Eddie will meet with Chrissy again to gather any other information she has - wen she saw him last, when is the next vet appointment,, what was he saying, what was he wearing, is he her style, or does he maybe has a chance? Meanwhile Billy asks around, starting with the staff of the concert hall.
He ends up learning quite a lot - entertainment is big here, whether it's under 100-watt spotlights or in shady rooms, the city hides illegal gambling rooms at the back of dingy sewing workshops, and an underground fighting ring in an abandoned candy factory.
Eddie & Billy go to investigate. They don't get much luck in the gambling rooms, no trace of Steve, and no one wants to talk to them. Worse, people start to suspect they are cops, and they have to leave in a hurry.
The try the fighting circle next - a bit uneasy, a bit nervous. They stand in the crowd gathered on the old walkways, looking down in the makeshift-ring (it’s the ground floor really, but old machinery has been moved to make some sort of enclosure. Two old & massive metal doors have been set there, facing each other and attached with some type of pulley-system so the fighter can have a dramatic entrance.)
The place is shady, dark with most of the lights redirected on the dusty circle below, gathering a drunk and leering crowd. Despite it all, a real effort has been made to make it into ‘’something’’, to have the crowd feel like they’re here for actual entertainment, not just some poor soul hurting each other, with lights effect and a different song playing for each fighter that enters the ring. The referee- who’s apparently also the ring-master- yells over-enthusiastic commentary in the over- saturated speakers during the fight, and announces the winner, battered and bloody, at the end of each fight.
They watch the first fight with tensed shoulders, listening to the cheer of the crowds and the flat smack of fists hitting flesh. The second fight is not much better, and Eddie is starting to think this might have been a waste of time. As he turns to tell Billy, the next fight is announced. The first notes of a familiar electric guitar starts, and the ring master announces in a yell the name of the next fighter -
“KIIIING NOTHIIING !” And as the door on the right of the ring lifts, as the crowd yells and cheers, enter Steve Harrington and Billy stops breathing.
