ᴍᴜᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ- sᴛᴇᴅᴅɪᴇ

15- ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʜᴏᴍᴇ, sᴛᴇᴠᴇ

Two weeks later

Two weeks had slowly passed, leading them into the top heat of the summer. Almost all breezes had gone and the sun was blazing down on them day-to-day, heating up the video store and sending everyone into a hazy state of relaxation. Everyone, that is, apart from Steve.
Steve was quite the opposite.

Everything was going well, so it wasn't that aspect that was troubling him, and after his swift escape on the Monday release day a week and a bit ago, it wasn't that either. Interestingly, but to total thankfulness, aside from the copious Hellfire Club talk from Dustin and the gang, next to no contact was made with Eddie Munson.
And even though Steve hadn't known him personally for long at all, it almost seemed like an old buddy had suddenly gone M.I.A.

Robin was almost sprawled out on the floor complaining about the warmth, fanning herself with a bothered look. Harrington thought that if she kept like that for any longer, she would stay like it- which wasn't a completely foreign idea, as she was pulling the same face most days no matter what.

He must've admitted, though, that the air was starting to become uncomfortably stuffy in the enclosed space.

With a simple decision, Steve sat himself down next to his best friend.
"You wanna ditch?"

Robin paused, rolling her head to face his direction.
"Last time we tried that we almost got caught."

"I know, but," he looked down. "Screw it, y'know? Let's drive somewhere, find a nice place to walk, or something."

Buckley didn't need telling twice, and after a sigh, her hands were in her pocket, fumbling for the keys before tossing them over, leaving Steve to power off the electricals and make his way over to the front door.

They tore through the car park and into Harrington's burgundy BMW parked across the way.
The leathered seats creaked as the two reached over for their seatbelts, clicking them into place and securing their safety. Soon enough, the journey had begun.

It was still tremendously hot, so as expected, the windows were rolled down after a few minutes of unaware baking. Steve relaxed into his seat, one elbow resting on the window ledge. And even though he looked relaxed, his body was actually still quite tense.

Robin had noticed.
"You okay?" She asked, watching him as he looked over like he'd been zoning out the whole time and had only just come back to earth.

He didn't respond, the gears turning noisily in his mind as he attempted to source an answer. When none spawned, he bought his focus on the sounds of the world; the tires scraping against the tarmac, the sound of the wind as it entrapped itself through the windows, the crunch of the gravel, the roar of the engine. They all seemed ten times louder in his mindset.

There was a thought- one that had been brewing for just over a week now. One that scared him and one that he couldn't get out of his head. One that he promised to never think more of, one that he promised to lock away. One that he thought meant nothing, and one that he swore he would never tell.

But with a mixture of the urge, and the heat of the day messing with his senses, Steve Harrington found himself splurging out words like a faulty tap.

"I'm not gay."

Robin turned so quickly but so slowly at the same time, that it was honestly confusing to see. Whether it was shock, or confusion, or both, at the statement, no one would ever know.
Harrington peered across at her, biting his tongue slightly. He didn't mean to say what he said out loud, it just... happened.