On the outskirts of Hawkins, Steve's BMW sped down the highway, kicking up dirt as it ran over the rarely traveled roads. Eddie sat in the passenger seat, drumming idly against the dashboard. It was at least a 30 minute drive to get all the way out to Wayne's trailer, and the two had settled into a comfortable silence as the radio played a few popular, albeit overplayed songs. 'We Built This City" was just beginning to play, causing Munson to groan.

"I can't stand this song." He muttered.

Steve glanced over. "Really? I like it. It's catchy."

"That doesn't surprise me."

Steve snorted and shot him a glare. Eddie didn't respond, he just watched as the tree line passed them by. He was particularly grumpy today, constantly fighting the urge to make smartass comments to Steve, who was just trying to be nice. It wasn't Steve's fault. Eddie hadn't had anything to drink since last week and he was beginning to get antsy. Having someone with blood pumping through their veins so close to him wasn't doing him any favors.

His lack of blood consumption also began to manifest in physical symptoms. His nails were steadily darkening, beginning to sharpen to a point, his skin had lost its luster, and the bags under his eyes were much more prominent. He looked as tired as he felt. The song finally started fading out and the radio DJ began his usual spiel.

"Hello and welcome back to WFXN, your station for all things rock, pop, and more. We actually have some breaking news from our neighbors in Hawkins - "

Eddie glanced up as his attention became fixed to the radio.

" - some really tragic news. Curry Farm, one of the town's biggest grain providers has shut down all production in the wake of a police investigation unfolding this morning."

His brows furrowed as he listened.

"The owners, Linda and Dale Curry, were found dead on their property by staff. Several of the livestock were also reported either missing or deceased with some distressing injuries, likely pointing to an animal attack. Foul play is not being considered at this time. Local law enforcement will be conducting a search of the area to track down the animal. Just try to stay safe out there, folks. The Curry's were 74 and 75 respectively at the time of their - "

"Jesus, this is depressing." Steve changed the station, snapping Eddie out of his thoughts. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked out the window. Something about that broadcast filled him with unease, but he chalked it up to his bad mood and tried to forget about it.

When they pulled up to the property, Wayne wasn't home. Eddie knew that his uncle had work around this time, so there was a good chance they'd be able to get in and get out without arousing any suspicion. They got out of the car and walked up to the door. Eddie reached under the mat to grab their spare key and clicked it into place.

"That doesn't seem very secure." Steve joked.

"Wayne's always been lax about security." Eddie rolled his eyes. "I kept telling him to install some cameras or something, but he's even more stubborn than I am." He opened the door and walked in "And he wonders where I got it from."

Looking around the trailer, it was almost exactly how he'd left it. Wayne hardly liked change, much to Eddie's relief. The familiar scent of bacon on the stove, cigarettes, and old aftershave was still there. He stood in place for a moment, taking it all in.

"Man…" He chuckled sadly. "I kind of miss the old guy. I wish I could just see him. Tell him I'm okay."

Steve pressed his lips and nodded. He knew how much Eddie cared about his uncle. Even though his parents weren't really in his life, off doing god knows what, Wayne was like a father to him. Steve nudged his arm and cocked his head towards the bedroom. "We can't stay too long. Let's load up the car."

Eddie nodded a bit and led him to the back. When he opened the door, he stopped, completely stunned. All of his things were in boxes. His posters on the wall were gone, his clothes were put away, everything.

Why is his stuff packed up? What the hell was Wayne thinking?

Then, the realization dawned on him. It was because… he died. Because Wayne didn't think he was coming back. They'd given him a funeral, they'd mourned. Five months later, everyone had moved on. He stood there, silently taking in his new reality. He might never see his uncle again. The weight of that realization floated in his mind, and then sunk with his heart. Steve knelt down, inspecting a box labeled 'clothes'.

"Here. We should be able to grab a few boxes. We can't take everything, obviously. Just a couple, so that your uncle doesn't notice any of it is gone." He looked up at Eddie, who just stood there, lost in his own mind. "Hey, you good?"

Eddie snapped back to reality and nodded, brushing it off. "Yeah, never better."

Back in the car, Eddie sat with his feet on the dash, strumming lazily on his guitar. He wasn't really playing anything specific as he stared out the window. Just a few despondent chords and the occasional riff or melody. He looked distant, and Steve had noticed from the moment they pulled out of the driveway. He'd asked Eddie a couple more times if he was okay, but had been brushed off every single time.

After ten more minutes of awkward silence, Steve finally sighed and looked over at him. "Eddie, if you need to talk about it - "

"Can you just drop it?" Eddie snapped, accidentally gripping the hilt of his guitar, and causing Steve to flinch. His nail grazed the front, scratching up the paint. He looked at the damage in shock. "Son of a…"

Steve blinked in surprise. "Eddie, what the hell? When did your claws grow back?"

Eddie balled up his fists and then covered his face, trying not to start fuming.

"Hey, it's okay, it's fine." Steve said, trying to diffuse the situation. "We can fix it - "

"Steve - !" Eddie paused to compose himself, clenching his jaw. "I need you to shut the fuck up right now. Just shut up."

Steve looked over at him, brows furrowed. "Dude, what is your problem?"

"My problem is that I'm fucking starving, Steve!" He shouted.

Steve stared at him in shock.

"I can't stop thinking about killing things because I'm so hungry all the time, I can barely look at you because your veins are practically screaming at me to rip them open!"

Eddie was absolutely furious. Steve finally noticed that he'd scratched his nail polish off in his anxiety. He hadn't even realized how fidgety and on edge Eddie had gotten over the last few days.

"My uncle thinks I'm dead and I can never see him again, because A: there's the possibility that he won't understand who I am anymore, and B: the possibility that I might kill him! So that, Steve, is my fucking problem."

They stared at each other for a long time.

Eddie glared at him. "And you staring at me like I'm some kind of freak isn't exactly helping."

Steve held up a hand in defense. "I don't think you're a freak."

Eddie scoffed. "Right."

Steve looked back at the road and shook his head, jaw clenched. He slowed the car and pulled over onto the shoulder.

When they finally stopped, he looked over at Munson, who was looking anywhere else. "Why didn't you tell us you felt like this?"

"Why didn't I tell you I was actively trying not to rip your throat out every day?" Eddie snorted. "Gee, now that's a mystery."

"Eddie," Steve was getting frustrated, "we could have helped you. You didn't have to let it get this far.

"Oh, save it -"

"Look at your hands, Eddie!" Steve shouted. "You almost look like you did the night we found you! If you needed blood, you should have just said it."

Eddie threw up his hands. "And where would you have gotten that? Huh? Who was going to give it to me?"

"Me! You could have asked me!"

Eddie looked at him incredulously. "Are you crazy? I almost killed you last time, do you have a death wish?"

"You don't have to completely drain me; you just need enough to keep you satisfied until we can get you some more." Steve rolled up his sleeve. "It's just temporary until we can find you a better solution."

Eddie sighed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Steve held up his forearm. "Just drink it."

"Jesus, Harrington, put your arm away - "

"Do you want to keep getting worse?" Steve asked, frustrated. "Drink. Now."

Eddie stared at him in disbelief. "Steve, you can't be serious."

Steve sighed. "Eddie, I don't have time for this. Just do it."

Eddie could hear the veins pulsing under Steve's skin. He stared at the open, blank skin, as if it were beckoning him to sink his teeth in. He swallowed a bit and looked at Steve, who just stared down at the dash. Harrington had goosebumps and was shaking just slightly, clearly not excited about the pain he was about to feel.

He sighed in defeat and rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to do this to Steve. He hated that it was even a necessity. Eddie dropped his hands and stared at the arm. After a second of uncertainty, he finally took it and held it up to his mouth. Eddie couldn't help but hesitate, the smell of his blood dizzying his mind. Then, after taking a deep breath, he bared his fangs, pressed them into the skin, and bit down.

Sweet, red liquid filled his mouth instantly as Steve winced at the sharp pain. Eddie squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden rush of adrenaline and drank from Steve like he'd just lived a year in the desert. The sensation for Steve was uncomfortable at first, it made him lightheaded and nauseous, and the feeling of Eddie biting his flesh stung like hell. Unexpectedly, however, the feeling melded into something serene and comforting, and eventually, to both of their surprise…

Euphoria.

Eddie groaned against Steve's skin as he drank, his mind flooded with dopamine and relief from his hunger. He felt high, like Steve's blood was the nectar of the gods. Steve felt the same, his eyes fluttering closed as warmth spread all throughout his body. It was utterly intoxicating. Neither of them could get enough of it.

"Eddie…" He managed, coming to for a moment. He was beginning to feel light-headed. "Hey, that's… that's enough."

It was proving difficult to stop. Eddie gripped his arm a little tighter, like a kid trying to keep a toy from being taken away, but Steve put a hand on his chest to push him away gently.

"Eddie..." He breathed, finally breaking his trance. Eddie stopped, the realization of what just happened sobering him up as he unlatched his teeth. As if on instinct, he licked the wound. His saliva immediately closed the flesh as if the marks were never there. When he pulled away, he blinked in surprise. He didn't even know he could do that. He looked at his hands to find that his claws had all but disappeared and his skin was full of color once again. Then, sheepishly, he looked up at Steve, who stared back at him, cheeks flushed. They both sat back, breaths hitching a little. Neither of them were sure of what to say.

"Um…" Steve said, clearing his throat a little. "That was… different."

"Yeah." Eddie was bright red, suddenly really interested in a fern outside. They sat in awkward silence for a moment before Steve looked at Eddie again.

"How, uh… How do you feel?" He asked.

Euphoric. Incredible. Blissful. Intoxicated. On cloud nine.

"… Fine." Eddie said.

Steve nodded a bit. "Good. Uh, great."

He turned the keys in the ignition and started the car again. Eddie stared out the window, unable to stop himself from blushing. He noticed as Steve, equally as red in the face, crossed his legs and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. They pulled off down the road and continued home.

"You what?" Robin asked, jaw on the floor. A new shipment of cassettes had just been delivered to the store, but they sat untouched in the box as the two talked at the register.

Steve sank against the counter and sighed. "He was starving, Rob, what else was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, maybe not let him use you as a juice box. There's a thought."

"He really needed it. Trust me, he was about to lose it again. You should have seen him before and then after we -" He paused, cheeks heating up a bit.

She raised an eyebrow. "After you what?"

"Well, uh... When he drank from me, it sort of... uh..." He cleared his throat. "Okay, so... you can't tell anyone this. Not a soul."

"Okay..." She said, cautiously.

He scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. He knew he'd never hear the end of this from her. "It felt… good. Really good."

She tilted her head in confusion. "Oh."

"No, like… really, really good."

Realization dawned on her face. " Oh."

"Yeah… it was a little unexpected, to put it lightly."

She nodded slowly. "Wow, okay. Uh, I'm happy for you, I guess. Gross, but okay."

"And afterwards I felt… super weird. I couldn't stop thinking about it, like I wanted him to do it again. Isn't that messed up?" She squinted at him. He sighed. "Lately, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him either. I don't know why but I want to spend all my time with him and make sure he's okay, and safe, and… I don't know, I know he's going through a lot. I just want to be there for him."

Robin stared at him, slowly putting the pieces together.

"And after yesterday, even though he was pissed off at me and I was pissed at him, it all faded away after the bite. All I could think about in that moment was that everything was going to be okay, as long as he was there."

"Oh my god." She mumbled.

He continued. "Earlier this week I realized that I was just jealous of him. About how he's just always himself and never cares about what anyone thinks. And it should be illegal for a guy to be that attractive, it's not fair." He threw his hands up. "He doesn't even have to try, he's just -"

"Steve, you're gay."

He stopped and looked at her incredulously. "What?"

She laughed in disbelief, quickly covering her mouth. "Sorry, sorry, I don't mean to laugh, it's just - You are so into Eddie Munson it's ridiculous."

"Dude! I am not gay. " He scoffed. She stifled a giggle under her palm. "Robin, come on. I've had girlfriends since I was 12."

"Steve, you just said you can't stop thinking about him, how he's just so attractive. As a woman loving woman, I know a man loving man when I see it." She gestured wildly in the air as if it were obvious. "Besides, didn't we just have a conversation about how bisexuality is a thing? This shit writes itself, Steve."

"I… You're overthinking this -"

"Oh, for the first time, Steve Harrington, I think I'm right on the money. That little monologue you just had was the queerest shit I've ever heard in my life."

"Th - There's no way." He muttered.

"Wake up and smell the coffee, Steve. You, my friend, are a bonafide bisexual."

Horror filled his eyes, and he thought back to all the interactions they've had thus far. Steve covered his mouth. "Oh my god."

Robin grinned wide and squealed, bouncing giddily on her heels. She ran over and threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. He looked shell-shocked. Finally, she pulled away. "Are you gonna ask him out?"

Steve blinked, coming back to reality. "Huh?"

"Are you going to ask him out?" She repeated.

"Wh - no, of course not! I don't think that… I don't even know if he's into guys." He admitted, still a bit dazed from the revelation.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he gay?"

Steve sighed. "That's just a rumor. No one actually knows if it's true or not."

"And yet he's never dated a girl." She folded her arms.

"Robin, that doesn't mean anything -"

"Ugh, Steve! Look, Eddie Munson is your friend (who you are super into and also want to bang) -"

"Hey." He warned.

" - and," she continued, "he's someone that you can trust. If the king of the outcasts can't accept you for who you are, then what the hell is the point?"

Steve stared at her, swallowing a bit. She was right, but he wasn't sure he was ready to dive off the deep end and tell him just yet. He hadn't even fully accepted his own feelings about it.

Robin frowned suddenly. "… aaand I'm just now realizing this also applies to my situation. Dammit."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Glad you could help yourself work that out."

She rolled her eyes but smiled at him and squeezed his hands. "I'm proud of you."

He looked down at her and swallowed, furrowing his brows. He could never tell his parents, especially his dad. He'd gotten the brunt of his abuse from just the thought that his son could be queer. Everything was all about being tough and doing what a man needed to do. Work hard, get married, have kids, take care of the family, shoulder all the responsibility. That's why Steve had thrown himself into sports and girls and work. He'd wanted to show his father that he was a man, that he was someone to be respected. It was never enough. And now it never would be.

He swallowed thickly. Robin's smile faded.

"Hey, you okay?"

He tried to hold it together, but his eyes began welling with tears against his will. He cursed under his breath as a tear rolled down his cheek.

She looked up at him with a pained expression, her heart breaking a little. "Oh, Steve…" She pulled him into a hug and squeezed him tight as his shoulders began to shake. "It's okay, it's going to be okay." She said, stroking his hair. "You're gonna be okay."