Parent trap ; Steddie

Trust issues

June 9 1987, Family Video, Hawkins Indiana

The bell on the door swung back and forth as the door opened, Steve lifted his head up from the notepad he was doodling on so see Dustin standing at the door, "hey kid."

"Hey," Dustin looked around the store, nobody else was there except for him and Steve. "Where's Robin?"

"She went to the store to buy a new bucket. The roof is leaking again."

"Ah," is all Dustin says.

Steve peered out the window at the rain, "looks like we are back to it constantly pouring cats and dogs."

"About that, could you drop me off at home later after you drop off Robin? My moms been driving me everywhere because she doesn't want me biking."

"Yeah sure."

The door opened again, Robin walked on clanking the metal bucket she was holding on the door. "Oh great! Henderson you're here already!"

"Hey Robin."

Robin grabbed a stool that had been sitting by one of the shelfs and dragged it over to the front counter Steve was sitting behind. She left the stool at the back of the counter and pointed at it, "Henderson, sit." Then she went and sat on the counter space between the two boys.

Dustin looked at Robin, then Steve, and back at Robin in front of him, "who's starting?"

Steve, drowning in his own confusion, asked, "Is this some sort of intervention or something?"

"Steve," Robin passed. "We need to talk about Eddie."

"No no no no no, you said we would talk about it later."

"Steve."

He sighed, he wasn't quite ready for it but he knew he would have to talk about it eventually. But did eventually really have to be today? "What if someone walks in and hears us talking?" he said, trying to push back this conversion.

"How many people have been in today, like two or three?" Dustin asked, looking at Robin.

"No one actually. Nobody has been in here besides us all day, it's pouring outside, you have nothing to worry about." Robin took a short pause, "me and Dustin already talked to Eddie yesterday. All we want to do is understand what is freaking you out."
"Yeah," Dustin second. "We are worried about you. Eddie, is worried about you."

Steve looked like he was about to start sobbing. "I don't know," he said, fighting back tears.

"Do you not love him?" Dustin asked.

"I do, I promise I do. God, I really really do. But everytime I try to say it, even when I'm alone, I just can't. It's not like I don't want to, I- I just can't." As much as Robin and Dustin wanted to understand, Steve wanted to understand more. He just wanted to understand what was wrong with him. If he loved Eddie why couldn't he say it? "I don't know what is wrong with me."

Robin scooted closer to Steve putting her hand on his shoulder, "there is nothing wrong with you." Steve nods. "Do you think it has something to do with nancy?"

"What the hell are you trying to say? That I'm hung up on nance or something? Because I'm not. End of story."

"No, not what I was getting at. I just mean uh, you know how you told me about your break up?"

Steve tilted his head in confusion, his eyes still watery. "Yeah?"

"You said that you told her you loved her and she wouldn't say it back."

"Oh my god. I'm doing that to Eddie, aren't I?" the realisation of how much he had hurt Eddie had fully set in, Steve felt like such a shitty boyfriend.

Dustin interjected, "I think what Robin is trying to get at is that you might just be worried that if you tell him you love him your relationship is going to end up like it did with nancy."

"Exactly," Robin said.

"You mean like trust issues or something?" Robin nodded at Steve. "He must hate me." Steve was terrified to talk to Eddie, and with Eddie trying to give Steve space, there was no way he was talking to Steve first. So if neither of them were going to voluntarily talk to the other Dustin and Robin would just have to force them.

I'm in a writing mood right now so I might post the next chapter or couple chapters later today :)) Remember to drink water!