As the planning meeting broke up into smaller groups, Steve made his way towards Hopper.

"Hi," he said.

"Let me stop you right there," Hopper said before he could say anymore. "If you are going to suggest you can finish fixing me first, then the answer's no. Even if we don't get to implement this plan until tomorrow, you need to be in top form. And if you are going to apologise that you can't finish fixing me, because of Max, don't, because of course the kid who got Vecna'd is in front of an old man with a bad ankle in the queue." 

Steve blinked.

"God I'm too predictable," was what he chose to say, shaking his head.

"Yes, Steve, you are," Hopper said with a rather smug smile. "Out of interest, which one was it?"

"The second one," he replied. "I'm not actually as dumb as the kids like to make out."

"Kid, you're not dumb at all, you just have some wildly fucked up priorities," Hopper told him and patted him on the arm.

He tensed for a moment, but he relaxed as soon as the onslaught he was expecting didn't come. It helped.

"See, you do a good job," Hopper said and grinned at him.

"Let's hope I can do as good a one with Max," he replied, doing his best not to let his insecurities rise up.

"No doubt from this direction, Steve," Hopper said, expression turning serious. "Now I think my daughter is trying to get your attention."

Steve turned to see El smiling at him.

"Guess it's time for the pre-game pep talk," he said, more to himself than Hopper, but the man clapped him on the back as he walked away anyway.

Talking to El was surprisingly easy. They went over the plan in a bit more detail before shifting into discussing possible other practice sessions they could do along with Will. El had plenty of ideas which were only slightly terrifying as far as Steve was concerned. He was listening to El and Will discussing the Void when he heard the phone ringing. Jonathan disappeared to answer it, but Steve wasn't really paying attention.

"Robin, it's your mom," did however get his attention.

"Oh, thanks," Robin said, climbing over Dustin and Mike who had sprawled onto the floor rather than just sitting on it.

"If you get any closer I'm gonna need Steve to fix what you squashed," Dustin complained.

"Then move, Doufus," Robin replied, but she was already mostly through the obstacle course.

Steve tuned back into what El and Will were talking about, but kept one eye on the door, in case Robin needed anything. He was relieved to see her bounce back into the room smiling a minute or so later.

"Hey, Dingus," she called across the room, "good news, technically we're still employed, bad news, Family Video is not going to open for at least a month."

"Problem for another day?" he asked, just in case it was something Robin needed to deal with before she could settle.

Sometimes she was like that, and he always liked to make sure.

"Oh, hell yeah," she replied. "I will miss our mornings of double boxsets if we have to quit, though."

"Highlight of my days," he told her with a hand on his heart.

"You have no taste," she shot back, before tucking herself back on the couch with Nancy.

With that dealt with, Steve returned to his previous conversation and asked what he hoped was a sensible question.

~*~

When Robin and Steve got back to his house, Wayne and Eddie were smoking in the backyard. They'd had no more news about when Max would be back in Hawkins, so the party meeting had broken up. Steve left the walkie on the table in the pool room as he headed out back and Robin disappeared into the bathroom with a quick, "Need to pee."

"Hey," he greeted.

"Steve," Eddie said, face lighting up, "everything go okay?"

"As well as anything can go with that many fifteen-year-olds in the same place," he replied with a smile. "We now have a workable plan for visiting Max without the hospital turning into complete chaos."

"The Mayfield girl?" Wayne asked.

Steve nodded.

"She was hurt badly in the quake," he explained, "and they're transferring her back to Hawkins today at some time. She was in a coma when the evacuation happened but woke up a few days ago, so everyone wants to see her as soon as possible."

"I heard she was in a bad way," Wayne said. "Poor kid."

"I'm sure she'll be raising hell again in no time," Eddie said, giving Steve a supportive smile over his uncle's shoulder.

"Knowing Max, that's for sure," he agreed.

Wayne pulled out a packet of cigarettes and offered him one.

"Thanks, but I quit," he replied. "Robin kept handing me flyers about lung cancer until I promised."

"That's because I'm a good friend," Robin said, choosing that exact moment to appear from the house. "Terrible habit."

"That it is," Wayne agreed, even as he puffed away.

"Told you," Robin said, grinning at Steve.

"So, what are your terrible habits?" Eddie asked, pinning Robin down with the I-dare-you look he had that did things to Steve on a visceral level.

"The tales I could tell," Steve replied before his brain could go off on a tangent.

"You would break the best friend code?" Robin gasped, taking a leaf out of Eddie's book and putting a hand over her heart and everything.

"Dammit," Steve said, letting his shoulders sag, "you take the fun out of everything."

"Do not!" Robin squawked. "Take that back."

She slapped him on the shoulder for good measure. Of course, he had to retaliate, sweeping her into his arms bridal style so she screeched some more.

"Put me down you big bully," she yelled, slapping his shoulder some more.

"I'll put you down," he said and took a step towards the pool.

"You wouldn't dare," Robin said, so he had to take another step. "No!" she squeaked, throwing her arms around his neck and hanging on like her life depended on it.

He rolled his eyes, laughing as he gently put her down.

"I would never," he said, enjoying just blowing off some steam, "you'd get slime all over my house."

Eddie snorted a very loud laugh at that.

"I hate you both," Robin said, doing her very best impression of a kicked puppy.

It wasn't that good, because she just didn't have the eyes down, but it always worked on Steve anyway. He dragged her into a hug and kissed her on top of her head.

"Forgive me," he said as she relaxed against him.

"I'll think about it," she replied quietly.

"You sure you two ain't related?" Wayne asked from where he had watched the whole proceedings.

"He wishes," Robin said with a bright grin.

Steve did not deny it. He often wondered what it might have been like growing up with a sister like Robin. Would he still love her in the same way he did, or would they have grown apart like many siblings he knew? Such questions plagued him.

"Well, I should be getting back," Wayne said, standing up and stretching his back. "Took me an hour to get through those damn reporters yesterday. Almost missed my ride to the plant."

"You're having problems with the press?" Steve asked as Robin pulled away from him.

"Damn vultures," Wayne replied, "all want a piece of Eddie an' don't care if he's dead or alive. Had to sneak through each time before I decked any of 'um for the questions they were asking."

"That sounds terrible," Robin said, and Steve nodded his agreement.

"You could stay here if you want," he said as the idea popped into his head.

Wayne looked honestly shocked and Eddie's eyes had opened in surprise too.

"There's plenty of room and no one would ever guess you were here," Steve added as both Munson men kept looking at him.

"I couldn't impose like that," Wayne said eventually.

"You wouldn't be imposing, Wayne," he did his best to assure the other man, "and it would probably be safer for Eddie having you here," he added for good measure, "rather than running the gauntlet of press every time you come visit. I'm sure we could get Hop, or Jonathan and Argyle to pick up your things from the motel so no one is the wiser."

Eddie was asking a whole host of questions with his eyes, so Steve did his very best to make sure his boyfriend knew he was perfectly serious.

"If we put you in the basement bedroom, you shouldn't be bothered by noise when the house is invaded by teenagers either," he said as it occurred to him.

They'd have to be more careful about where in the house they discussed anything Upside Down related, but it wasn't as if every other house except for Joyce and Hopper didn't have the same problem.

"He's not going to let you say no, Wayne," Eddie said, standing up and leaning on his uncle's shoulder. "Once Steve adopts you, there's just no way out."

Steve seriously began to rethink his slime in the house rule as his face rapidly heated up. It might be worth it to see the grin wiped off Eddie's face. Wayne was looking between him and Eddie now.

"Are you sure, son?" Wayne asked, facing him square on again.

"Perfectly," he replied. "You're welcome here."

The way Eddie's smile went soft and warm at that had Steve feeling warm for entirely different reasons.

"Then, thank you, Steve," Wayne finally said. "I would be most grateful to take up your offer, especially to keep Eddie safe."

"Great," Steve said. "I can show you the room and we can call the guys so see if they can swing by the motel. What time do you need to meet your ride?"

He listened as Wayne gave him the details and they all headed back into the house.

"You're going for sainthood, that's it, isn't it," Eddie whispered in his ear as they made their way towards the basement.

"I was thinking more of worshiping my very own demon," he replied in an equally low tone and very much enjoyed the way Eddie almost fell over his own feet.