Who was gonna tell me Steve x Quentin was a thing?? Why am I only finding out about / considering this now?? Damn...now I have to make some starting headcanons :)
(Sorry in advance for the length. I don’t know how to keep things short)
Steve is just an air-head, through and through. He’s more blonde than he is idiot. In trials, he can kind of be that way, but he’s usually a lot more focused, realizing what’s on the line is his friends lives. If he applied himself in high school like he did in a trial, Steve would have been a straight ‘A’ student in the running for valedictorian.
Quentin is very similar to Steve but for a different reason; he’s just drop-dead exhausted. Quentin doesn’t apply himself much anywhere other than when he’s keeping himself awake at camp. Of course he’s not going to let his friends die because he’s dissociation while working a generator. Quentin just struggles to grasp emotions other than exhaustion and fear.
That being said, Quentin doesn’t want others to feel like he does. He realizes he’s in a weird situation with a demon-p*do as his stalker, but he absolutely doesn’t want the others to endure what he goes through. So, med-kits are Quentin’s forte. When he arrived, Quentin managed to teach Claudette a few things about medicines and bandages that she didn’t even know.
Steve appreciates the “let’s stay healed and play this smart” mentality but will follow it about as soon as he and Nancy get back together. Toolboxes and Flashlights are where it’s at for Steve. “Either help your friends in an aggressive way or get us out of here, you pick” is what Steve likes to say. Most of his flashlight lessons came from Feng and Nea, so you can imagine how ‘aggressive’ Steve is with flashlight saves.
Steve was the first to realize he had feelings for Quentin (that he promptly pummeled into the dirt over and over again). Raised in the household (and time) that he was, Steve fully believed someone would condemn him for even considering liking Quentin.
Steve kept his thoughts mostly to himself until other relationships started to hit the spotlight. The one that took Steve off guard the most was Ace and Felix announcing they were together. It wasn’t the announcement but more that everyone else was happy for them. That wouldn’t have happened if he was back home.
After that, Steve began to get a bit bolder around Quentin. If there wasn’t going to be backlash, why not? It started with Steve taking a seat next to Quentin’s usual spot, followed by “accidentally” leaving his leftover items next to Quentin’s as well. It eventually got to the point that Steve just lived at the spot next to Quentin. But, out of respect, if Steve felt he needed to sleep, he’d leave Quentin alone and find a different spot out of his sight.
Quentin received the same treatment in trials too. Steve and Quentin are in a trial together? You can bet money that Steve is behind Quentin at all times, flashlight in hand, ready to get the boy out of harms way. Steve has taken many a hatchet/spear/sword/machete/etc. to the back/arm/face/stomach/leg/etc. for Quentin. And every time he can, Quentin is there to patch Harrington up.
Steve takes it very f*cking personal if someone lets Quentin die on hook. Whether Steve is in the trial or not, if someone lets Quentin die or doesn’t “try hard enough” in Steve’s eyes, that person is on his sh*t list for the next few trials. (Feng and Yui are nearly always on Steve’s sh*t list)
Quentin eventually gets Steve alone and asks him what’s up. Steve, being the egotistical, smooth talking, ladies man that he is, stuttered every word of his excuse:
“Steve.” Quentin stopped the rambling survivor. “The truth dude. I thought you were good at talking.”
That comment hit a nerve Steve didn’t realize he had.
“Ace is good at talking,” Steve insisted.
“Ace is good at lying. Why the special treatment dude? Did you lose a bet or something?”
“No.” Steve snapped at the allegation. “Can’t I just be nice?”
“Here? No,” Quentin countered, quickly and in the same monotone voice he’s had the entire time. “Do you like me or something?”
Steve’s face flushed in that moment and his throat closed up. He tried to get something out, anything that would work as an answer, but all Steve could do was wave his hands around trying to find the right words. After a moment, Quentin furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side a bit.
“Look man,” Steve quickly said, avoiding Quentin’s stare. “I don’t know how...I-I don’t even know if you...”
“Swing that way?” Quentin guessed the last statement Steve couldn’t finish.
“I don’t want things to be weird-”
“Quentin.” Steve rebutted sternly.
“No, no. Say it,” Quentin insisted, a smile on his face. “Do you like me or not?”
Steve remained silent but nodded.
“Cool. You wanna go on a date sometime?”
The shock Steve endured in that moment made Doc’s ability seem weak. Eyes wide and now really at a loss for words, Steve had to resist the urge to look around; he honestly felt like someone was pulling a prank on him and was watching from the shadows.
“W-Why was that so casual?” Steve eventually asked.
“Is it not supposed to be?” Quentin countered, following with. “So...a yes to the date then?”
“Yeah! Yes, please.” Steve groaned when the word ‘please’ left his mouth. Damn that sounded desperate. It made Quentin laugh though, so not a total bruise to his ego.
Steve and Quentin were a lot slower to open up about their relationship. They’d mostly sneak off to have some alone time together under the guise of “offering gathering.”
They learned a lot about each other when they’d just sit and talk away from the others.
Some of those things consisting of:
Quentin admitting he prefers energy drinks over coffee, but coffee was just a lot easier to afford in the long run. Steve doesn’t like either but would have tried any of the energy drinks Quentin’s had that Steve’s never heard of. Quentin doesn’t believe that would be a good idea since Steve is always bouncing off the walls energized anyway.
Steve explaining the actual process of getting his hair as perfect as it is, and then admitting it takes him well over an hour to do it. Quentin never really did his hair but can appreciate the want to (and the outcome).
Quentin explained to Steve why he stays awake as much as possible. Everyone at camp kind of assumed they knew, but Steve was the first to learn the full extent of it. Freddy accesses his dreams even in the fire’s light, an area no killer is ‘supposedly’ allowed to be in. Freddy doesn’t give two sh*ts and does it anyway whenever Quentin falls asleep. The scars that slash across Quentin’s face came from the last time he fell asleep. He hasn’t allowed himself to sleep at camp since. Steve is honored to have that info but is equally horrified that Quentin has to live with that.
Steve is very affectionate. Quentin is not. Steve gives Quentin a lot of hugs and Quentin just kind of takes it; like a cat that has nothing better to do.
Steve is also very emotional. Quentin isn’t but can sympathize when Steve needs it. At the very least, Quentin can offer his shoulder for the boy to cry on if he needs.
When they did eventually let the news out, a lot of the girls responded with “Called it!” as loud and as high pitched as their vocal cords could manage. Really, no one batted an eye at the news. Of course everyone was happy for them. To Steve’s surprise, Nancy was even congratulating him. There was something about his ex congratulating him that made Steve feel like he could truly be happy with Quentin. Both boys are happy and would be regardless of what the others could possibly say.