Steve hasn't been doing well lately. He's constantly cranky, or his emotions are like a roller coaster, and one second he's happy, laughing his ass off at something Dustin says. The next, it's like he's in a depressive, post traumatic...well, uh, Steve doesn't know the full diagnosis. But he has been told to sort himself out by countless people. It isn't that easy though.
Steve has been trying to get over that awful spring break for years. Really, he has. For three years, he's tried everything to get over losing people left and right, but he couldn't get over the fact that that spring was just the catalyst. Dustin lost Eddie. They lost Eddie. Steve lost Eddie. Everyday since then has not been the same, because Steve keeps being reminded of the fact that Eddie isn't here.
Dustin more or less managed to deal with his grief, but Steve? Oh, Steve's doing it silently. It doesn't work. Like, at all. Robin tells him most days that she's freaking out Steve's spiraled so far and hard he's not gonna be able to come back as a whole man again. And honestly, Steve knows he won't.
So, he made the painful decision to agree to Jonathan's offer and come up with him to New York, as Jon lent a position at NYU.
Steve works as the same as in Hawkins: a teacher and baseball coach, nothing new. He likes it in New York. As weird as it is, he's not entirely alone, he's got Jonathan. And it's great. It's good. It's enough to push away the dark thoughts most days.
So when one day, his car breaks down and he barely makes it to a garage on time before the engine just dies, he officially declares himself as one of the most unfortunate people on this earth.
He's told to wait, but he can't, really, the kids are waiting for him, his boss is gonna tell him off for not showing up at school, and he's hungry.
Deciding to wander around a bit, he notices a café slash breakfast place (something like a diner, back in Hawkins, although here in New York, it doesn't look as run down). He walks in and orders something he'll munch on for a while.
Then something catches his eye. One particular person catches his eye. The guy is clad in work clothes Steve's seen on men in the garage. This guy though, he's stunning. Steve doesn't have his glasses on, so he barely makes the features out, but he can definitely recognise someone's beauty. The mysterious guy is buying some food at the counter, and obviously, doesn't give two fucks about Steve.
He can't help, but feel this immense amount of familiarity wash over him when looking at the guy. It's so...weird.
The moment is over when a waitress gets to his table and gives Steve his order. He, of course, thanks her with a tight smile before quickly turning his gaze to where he saw the guy, but there's no one there anymore.
Huh, weird. He would've bet that he knew the stranger from somewhere, or has seen him.
Without the thought ever really leaving his head, he digs into his meal, munches on it as if it could preoccupy the swarm of voices in the back of his mind telling him something is off.
Little does he know that the mystery man is still there, as a matter of fact, watching him from afar, from safe distance, also wondering what the hell is Steve Harrington doing in New York, and why is fate playing such a dirty game with the undead freak of Hawkins.
