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fluffansmut · 8 months

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Love is strange

Summary: The summer of 83’

When the Harringtons made their way to the Kellermans for an end of summer vacation.

Where their innocent son ran into Eddie Munson, and learnt a thing or two about how life should be lived.

Content warnings: Dirty Dancing AU, Eventual smut, period-typical homophobia, Abortion, mention of rape

A/N: Summer is crashing into autumn any minute now and I’m excited but I worked on this all through summer and I really wanted it out before summer ends so here’s chapter one

Series Masterlist

AO3 | main Masterlist

It was the summer of 1983.

When mother still called me baby and it didn’t occur to me, to mind…

That was before George Michael came out, before Whitney Huston made her debut album..

When I couldn’t wait to join the family business and I thought I could never be any more than what my father already was.

That was the summer we went to kellermans.

There were people everywhere when the old, shiny station wagon that belonged to Dr. Harrington rolled up outside the Kellerman hotel.

A jolly man with an aura that was so annoying it made Steve want to pull his hair out, was talking in a megaphone.

“Ping-Pong in the west arcade,softball in the east diamond. All you Sandy Koufaxes,get out there! Complimentary dance lessons in the gazebo.”

Steve shook his head slightly at the man's shenanigans, none of it sounded appealing to Steve.

The man, who went by Bob Newby, however wasn’t done with his propositions, and continued talking into the megaphone.

“Okay, we got horseshoes on the south lawn in minutes! We've got splish-splash the water class down by the lake. We have the still life art class.We got volleyball and croquet. And for you older folks, we got sex!”

Steve could see through the rear view mirror how his mother turned her nose up at the joke.

His father got out of the car and Sam Owens was outside in seconds, greeting the doctor and his wife with those awkward sort of forced semihugs, that no one really enjoyed. He shot a strained smile towards Steve, who returned the favour. Next to him stood a young woman, she had high waisted pants and a t-shirt with the hotel logo across the chest, her curly perm was clipped up on either side of her face. She smiled at Steve and made him feel way more welcome than Sam previously had.

“Sam!” The older Harrington exclaimed as the man got close to them.

“Doc, after all these years, I finally got you up on my mountain.” Owens said, dunking the doctor hard on the back.

Steve found the interaction strange, it all seemed so extremely forced.

“How’s the blood pressure?” His father asked.

“I want you to know…” the hotel owner began turning to Steve and his mother.” if it were not for this man,I'd be standing here dead.”

Steve found the statement sorta stupid, logically he wouldn’t be standing anywhere if he was dead, but Steve decided not to comment on it.

“Nancy, the bags” Owens said with a snap of the fingers to the woman at his side, with a pointed finger towards the car, before he continued his conversation.

“Right away doc.” the woman, who Steve now knew as Nancy said as she took the keys from his fathers outstretched hand and got to work.

Steve, who had grown incredibly bored of his fathers conversation, followed her around the car to help.

No matter how many times he had been through it, he never really got used to someone else’s taking care of their bags.

Nancy was in full swing lugging his father’s huge suitcase out of the trunk when he stepped in to help.

“I could have done it, you know,” she informed.

“No doubt in my mind” Steve said, making it clear that he didn’t step in just because she was female. “I just… it’s a little weird ain’t it? I mean it’s my clothes in there”

Steve motioned towards his bag that was left in the trunk. He saw how Nancy visibly relaxed and flashed him a smile.

“You are more than welcome to carry it yourself if you so wish.” She said and waited for him to take it before she slammed the trunk shut.

“I’m Nancy Wheeler.”

Steve took the hand that she held out towards him.

“I’m Steve,” he said.

“Harrington I presume?” Nancy filled in, remembering the name Owens had used for the older man on the other side of the car.

“Just, Steve, please” he said, almost whispering it.

“A pleasure to meet you Steve” Nancy said, deciding to not ask questions.

Steve was about to reply likewise but his mother interrupted them by shouting out for him.

“Steve, stop chit chatting, we have a merengue class in 15 minutes” she informed.

“Mother I..” Steve began.

Dancing really wasn’t his forte.

“Do not be such a baby,” his mother said quite sternly. “You are going.”

“One, two, three, four!” The preppy sounding girl who was teaching the class counted. “Stomp those grapes and stomp some more!”

Steve gave it an honest try. How could he not, but it was like it was utterly impossible to keep track of his own two feet.

“One, two, three, four! Listen to the music!” she called out. Steve glanced up at the ankles of the instructor, how could she move so gracefully? Steve found himself staring at her, almost out of jealousy.

Steve got lost in thought and before he knew what happened he had stepped on the foot on the person next to him.

“Sorry.” he croaked out as he tried to catch up.

“Move your caboose and shake it loose!” she shouted, a huge grin on her face. Steve was sorta puzzled in his mind, how could someone be so happy and carefree on the job? Maybe this place was just as wonderful as both Sam Owens and his father had promised.

“One, two, three, four!” She counted once again. “Start the train! Come on, men!”

In the middle of the forming train there was Steve, feeling so incredibly misplaced.

“Follow me into a round robin!” Was the woman’s next command, she laughed after she said it, but Steve couldn’t understand why.

“Ladies, the inner circle!”

Somehow, Steve ended up in that inner circle as well, it didn’t help with the misplacement he felt.

“Come on, ladies!” The instructor called out to the group surrounding Steve. “God wouldn't have given you maracas if he didn't want you to shake them!”

The woman shook her chest in a way that made most of the women in the class choke on their own saliva. Steve found it hilarious though, cause he really could read the malicious content of the woman’s face. She had said it with the intention of making them embarrassed.

“Okay now, ladies, when I say “"stop"”...you're gonna find the man of your dreams.” Steve stopped to wonder if he too could find the man of his dreams, he was in the inner circle after all.

He eyed the outer circle, none of them really lived up to what Steve would call a dream-man. They were either too old, or too young, or very much not Steves type….

So he stepped out before the stop came.

When the class was done for the day, Steve hung around waiting for his mother to finish up talking to a friend, who Steve only knew as Mrs. Perkins, aka, annoying Carols mother.

He wasn’t thrilled by the knowledge that they also would be spending the week here, so to distract himself he listened in on other peoples conversations without making it obvious.

“Lovely danceclass as always Robin dear.” An older woman said, reaching out with a wrinkly hand to run in across the apple of the dance instructors cheek.

Oh so Robin was her name.

“Mom, Dad, I'm going up to the main house to look around.” Steve said after he had been roped into games on the lawn for the last 45 minutes. He needed a bit of a break, if not from the games then definitely from his parents.

It was surprisingly quiet for an early evening, steve realised.

Old couples went for quiet strolls along the lake, some kids were playing with hula hoops outside their cabin, but there wasn't much else going on at that time.

Steve relished in the silence while at the same time finding the lack of people a pity, because what was he supposed to do, if he couldn't watch people, going about their day?

He started to hear a bit more commotion as he drew closer to the main house, which gave Steve a bit of hope. Maybe this walk hadn't been for nothing.

A strong male voice could been heard from inside as steve approved the veranda. He could place it instantly.

Sam Owens.

Steve tiptoed even close, and when he could glance in though the window, he realised that Owens was talking to his staff members.

“There are two kinds of help here.” he began, looking at the young men around him, all wearing the same uniform.“You waiters are all college guys...and I went to Harvard and Yale to hire you. And why did I do that? Why?”

None of the waiters seemed to know exactly why Sam had hired them, because what followed was looks to one another, between the waiters, none of them daring to say anything.

“I shouldn't have to remind you,this is a family place.” Sam said, hoping that this was enough for the younger ones to go by, but to no such luck.

The older sighed, defeatedly.

“That means you keep your fingers out of the water, hair out of the soup…” he began explain, looking round the room, as if to make sure that everyone heard him. “and show the goddamn daughters a good time.All the daughters.Even the dogs…”

Steve shuddered at his wording, it was so clearly just for sales purposes and for profit. Steve felt almost dirty, just listening in on the conversation.

“Schlepp 'em out to the terrace, show 'em the stars” Sam continued “Romance 'em any way you want.”

“Got that, guys?” Someone said from the back of the room. Steve leaned closer to the window to try and catch whomever had said it.

That was when he came into view.

The man that Steve had hoped for in the outer circle. The man of his dreams, at least aesthetically.

He had long, curly dark hair, that hung in frizzy ringlets round his face. He pushed his sunglasses up into the unruly mess and revealed the most gorgeous, soft, brown eyes, lined with a smudged black eyeliner.

The man had a leather jacket swung over his shoulder, on him was a tee and some fitted trousers.

Steve tried, he truly tried, but couldn’t look away.

He was so infatuated by the man that it took him quite some time before he realised that both Nancy and Robin had arrived with him.

“Hey, hold it!” Sam said as he noticed the man and his entourage.

The man stopped in front of Sam, and crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for him to continue.

“Well, if it isn't the entertainment staff.” Sam said, not sounding the least impressed by the staff that had arrived.”Listen, wise ass, you got your own rules.”

He put a pointed finger in the chest of the dark haired man as he said the last thing.

“Dance with the daughters. Teach 'em the mambo, the cha-cha,anything they pay for.”

He raised an eyebrow at Sam, who seemed to grow frustrated with the man.

“That's it.” Owens declared,making it abundantly clear to everyone. “That's where it ends.No funny business, no conversations,and keep your hands off!”

With those words Sam left.

Steve noticed that one of the waiters was shooting the dark haired man dirty looks, grinning a superior smile.

“It's the same at all these places. Some ass in the woods, but no conversation.” He said, Steve wasn’t sure if he meant for the other to hear it or not.

“Watch it, Hagan”, was heard not long after, so apparently he had.

“Can you keep that straight , Munson? What you can't lay your hands on?” The waiter said, almost challenging him.

“Just put your pickle on everybody's plate, and leave the hard stuff to me.”

The next time Steve saw that very same waiter was the same evening, when he was at dinner with his parents, and their family friends, the Perkins.

“This is Dr. and Mrs. Harrington, Mr and Mrs Perkins,Steve and Carol, this is your waiter,Tommy Hagan,Yale medical school.” Owens said as he introduced the young man, the one Steve already knew as a douche.”These people are my special guests. Give them anything they want.”

Tommy nodded understandingly towards the owner. Steve noticed how Carol already had begun to twirl her hair around her finger, as soon as she had heard the word “Yale”.

“ Enjoy.” Sam said before leaving to attend to other guests.

“Thanks, Sam.” The older Harrington responded before turning to the menu.

The next time Sam Owens showed up at their table, he had brought someone else with him.

“Doc, I want you to meet someone,” He said, placing a hand on the upper back of the younger girl beside him. “My granddaughter, Tammy”

Steve felt the intense stares from Tammy at his temple, and did everything in his power to avoid making eye contact with her. He hoped with all his might that he wasn’t obligated in any way to spend time with her.

“Tammy goes to the Cornell School of Hotel Management.” Sam said triumphantly.

“Oh, ain’t collages fun” Mrs Harrington said, “Our baby’s starting Mount Holyoke in the fall.”

The mother tried to run her finger through her sons hair, but Steve was quick it swat her hands away.

He rolled his eyes at her statement, cause both of them knew that he was waitlisted. But to hold up appearances, both his parents told everyone they met that Steve was going to Mount Holyoke, to study pre-med.

Tammy found the idea of a second generation doctor Harrington fascinating and insisted on them dancing together, to get an opportunity to talk.

Steves mother had accepted the girl's proposition on his behalf, and Steve had done what he always did. He kept his thoughts and opinions to himself.

Steve was about as terrible at dancing with someone else as he was at the merengue, in some cases, he was even worse at this, after all he was expected to lead here.

He was about to thank Tammy for the dance and find an excuse to get away from his family and the Perkins.

But then, a new song came on, and onto the dance floor came Robin and the longhaired man whom Steve had glanced at earlier.

He wanted to know more about him, about them, what was their deal, and how could Steve make sure that he could see him again.

“Who's that?” He asked, trying to not sound as impressed as he was about the way the two swung each other around on the floor.

“Oh, them.” Tammy said, almost rolling her eyes. ”They're the dance people. They're here to keep the guests happy.”

Steve watched the way the mans muscles flexed as he swung Robin up in the air, and he thought to himself, well they are doing a hell of a good job.

Steve watched the two dance, it was mesmerising, but it wasn’t long until Tammy brought him out of his trance.

“They shouldn't show off with each other.” She said, watching them with a lot less awe than Steve.”That's not gonna sell lessons.”

Steve didnt understand her statement, why wouldn’t it sell lessons? But he kept his mouth shut, like usual.

Steve got away from Tammy with a lie about needing the bathroom, but instead he opted for some fresh air.

The grounds were wonderful at that time of night. The moon reflected itself on the lake, hung garden lights lined patios and there were lights on in almost every cabin window, that hinted towards just how many guests the hotel housed.

Steve was looking for a way to pass time, and for a way to avoid Tammy Thompson.

He saw a sign that said “Staff quarters, no guests please”

It made him intrigued, more than anything. And considering the comments Tammy dropped whilst dancing, she didn’t seem like the type to hang out a lot with the staff.

So Steve did what he wasn’t supposed to, he entered.

He felt like a child, exploring a teachers lounge or something, excitement sat in his stomach, making him feel a bit giddy.

As he entered he saw little cabins, lined up one after the other. They seemed to be much smaller than the smallest cabins they had available for the guests. Was this where the staff lived?

Steve couldn’t investigate further, because he had just found a familiar face.

Nancy was walking towards a fight for stairs, her arms filled with 3 huge watermelons.

Steve jogged to catch up with her.

“Hi” he said.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw him.

“How'd you get here?” She hissed, immediately looking around to see if anyone had noticed.

“ I was taking a walk.” Steve explained, not realising why Nancy was making such a big deal out of it.

“Go back.” She said, motioning toward the main building with her head.

“Let me help you.” Steve insisted, reaching for one of the watermelons, but Nancy was quick to turn, making it hard for Steve to get ahold of one.

“What's up there?” Steve asked, motioning towards the big almost warehouse looking building that Nancy was heading towards.

“No guests allowed.” She said, almost too quickly.”House rules.”

“Why don't you go back to the playhouse?” She asked, one again motioning towards where Steve came from. “I saw you dancing with the Thompson girl”

Steve made a face that told Nancy just about everything she needed to know about his feelings for Tammy Thompson.

“Can you keep a secret?” Nancy asked with a defeated sigh, as she tried to balance the watermelons.

Steve nodded, taking one of them.

Nancy let out a sigh of relief.

“Good, cause your parents would kill you.” She said. “Sam would kill me.”

She led the way up the stairs, and Steve could hear music playing, it got progressively louder the more they walked.

Nancy stopped outside a pair of doors, she gave Steve a meaningful look, almost asking if he was ready, and then with a flip of the hip, she knocked the door open.

Inside was something that Steve had a hard time describing even to himself.

It was sort of like a dance, but at the same time it was much more intimate than that, people were up on each other, grinding, humping, leaving breathy, open mouth kisses up and down each other's skin.

Steve's mother would definitely had called it vulgar, and she would have found it totally inappropriate for that matter, but Steve, her own baby was mesmerised by the sight;

The people inside the room was doing it so unapologetically, and it blew Steve’s mind. Steve felt things for men, of course he did, but those thoughts had never been voicalized, never spoken. He never thought there would be a place where he could, but then suddenly right in front of him, there it was.

Men making out with other men, Women grinding on other women, as well as straight couples, with no one batting an eye.

“Where'd they learn to do that?” Was Steve’s first question to Nancy as he tried to take in what he was seeing.

“Where?” Nancy asked back and stifled a laugh.”I don't know. Kids are doing it in their basements back home.”

Steve seemed to grow a blush at the mere thought of him and his friends, doing this, under his parents' noses.

Nancy noticed the sudden bashfulness of her new found friend and decided to have fun with it.

“Wanna try it?” She said, wiggling her eyebrows at the man in the doorway who’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Come on in”

Steve followed the curly haired girl, making their way into the room, feeling the heat of the ever moving bodies around him as they walked through the crowd.

Nancy stopped at a table that was filled with refreshments, where she began to cut up one of the melons.

“Can you imagine dancing like this on the main floor...home of the family fox-trot?” Nancy asked, nodding towards the filled dance floor in front of them.

“Sam would close the place down first.”

Steve imagined it, for a second, his parents watching same sex couples dance, to not mention, dancing like this. The idea scared him a bit, cause the reaction wasn’t something he could gauge.

As he stood there next to Nance, unable to take his eyes of the dancing, the door flew open and in came Robin, once again accompanied by her long haired dance partner.

“That's my cousin,Eddie Munson.” Nancy said, as Steve watched the man take a swing out of a champagne bottle.“He got me the job here”

Steve watched how the man whom he now knew went by Eddie, grabbed Robin by the waist and pulled her towards him, before he dipped her, her hair gracing the floor.

“They look great together.” Steve mustered up, choking down the jealousy he already felt.

“Yeah.” Nancy hummed as she took a bite of a watermelon. “You'd think they were

a couple, wouldn't you?”

Steve was confused by her statement.

“Aren't they?” He asked.

“Nah, they’re both as queer as they come.” Nancy said, and Steve felt a smile creep up on his face.

He wanted to respond to Nancy but he couldn’t find the words, so instead Steve settled for just watching Eddie, as he made his way across the dancefloor, grinding up against pretty much anyone who was in his line of way, all the people responding eagerly to his actions.

It wasn’t until it was too late that Steve realised that he was making his way over to them.

“Yo, Wheeler, what's he doing here?” Eddie asked, eyes flicking between Steve and Nancy.

“He came with me.” Nancy said, and Eddie raised a pointed eyebrow at her, she repeated her statement, a little tougher this time. “He’s with me, Eddie”

“I carried a watermelon.” Steve said, before his brain even registered that he was about to say something.

When he looked up to face the man he had just made a fool on himself in front of, Eddie was already out on the dancefloor again.

“I carried a watermelon?” Steve muttered to himself, wallowing in his stupidity.

Suddenly however as the songs switched, there he was again, this time right infront of Steve, curling his finger towards himself, motioning for Steve to come join him.

Steves initial reaction was to deny him, Steve thought about how terrible his other encounters with dancing had gone since his arrival at the kellermans, but there was something about the smugness in Eddies face, and the surge of energy that went through Steve’s body that made him agree to it.

He made his way out on the floor following closely behind Eddie. He felt weak at the knees, looking around the room, hoping that he could figure out how to dance.

When Eddie stopped and turned towards Steve, it was as if he picked up on Steve's insecurities instantly and began giving him instructions.

“Bend your knees.” He said, in a gentle but demanding tone. “Down.”

Steve did his best, but felt painfully stiff.

“Watch.” Eddie instructed, and placed a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Watch my eyes.”

Steve looked up, and he could’ve sworn those big, soft, chocolate button eyes could’ve knocked the wind out of him.

“Good.” Eddie said, when he felt Steve relax a little. He moved his hands to Steve’s hips, guiding them around, in an circle, helping the brunette to find a rhythm.

“That's better.” He praised, and moved his hands for Steve to try it for himself.

Steve almost whimpered at the loss of contact, but kept up the movement.

“Good.” Eddie said, “Now roll this way.”

Steve watch the way Eddies hips moved and copied the motion, essentially just rolling the opposite way.

Eddie watched him proudly, then he grabbed him by the waist, pulling him close, so close in fact the Steve felt Eddies belt buckle against his own lower stomach.

“Now watch.” Eddie said, as he began to move, in total sync with Steve’s ongoing moves.

Steve felt his face heat at the interaction, his cheeks probably beet red already.

“Look.” Eddie said, smirk apparent on his face “Got some moves in ya after all.”

With a wink, he moved on, and left Steve in the middle of the floor, wondering if that just happened or if it was somewhat of a fever dream.

Steve spent the following day trying his damn best to track down the “dance people” as Tammy Thompson had called them.

Most of all he wanted to find Eddie again, something in his core told him that he needed to seem him again.

But no such luck, the closest he got was this wig-workshop with Robin that Luckily Carol was interested in as well, so Steve used her a a cover story.

He tried on a couple of wigs, feeling oddly pretty in the long, flawless ones, so he quickly decided to take it off before he started to read too much into it.

Instead he took the opportunity and went to talk to Robin.

“I think you're a wonderful dancer.” He blurted out, not really knowing how to start the conversation.

“Yeah?” Robin said, not sounding that impressed. “Well, my mother kicked me out when I was 16.”

The confession shocked Steve, he hadn’t expected that.

“I've been dancing ever since.” Robin said with a sigh.

Steve’s mind began to spiral, he imagined for a moment what it would be like to be Robin, to be a queer person, out there, doing something for a living that isn’t pre decided by one’s parents.the opportunity to be whoever you want, to love whoever you want.

“I envy you.” Steve said, and Robin looked at him, like a clumsy, stupid rich kid who had no idea what he was talking about.

And it wasn’t until she left without saying a word, that Steve realised that was exactly what he was.

After dinner on Steve’s second night, he once again ended up in the claws of Tammy Thompson.

He was painstakingly leading her across the floor of the ballroom, his mind constantly flashing memories from the dance he had with Eddie the night before.

He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to focus on the current dance, with Tammy.

But unfortunately, no matter what he did, his eye’s kept sliding over towards the tattooed young man who now sported a neat low bun in the back of his neck, that spun cougar after cougar across the floor, a plastered smile on his face, a smile that was so different from the way he had smiled at Steve the night before.

When the song ended Tammy excused herself and Steve found himself letting out a sigh of relief.

He took a glass of punch and watched as Tammy made her way over to Eddie, catching him in between dances.

“ Where's Robin?” She asked, voice snappy. ”Everybody's been asking for her.”

Steve heard how Eddie went into defence mode instantly.

“What do you mean, where's Robin?” He asked, eyebrows raised. “She's taking a break. She needs a break”

Tammy rolled her eyes, obviously finding the man’s statement ridiculous, cause “ she is here to work is she not?”

“As long as it's not an all-night break.” was what she gave Eddie as a response. Steve watched as Eddie shook is head in disbelief at the girl as she turned heel and walked away from him.

Steve tried to seem incredibly busy when she beelined right back towards him. It didn’t help, she grabbed ahold of his underarm and pulled him towards her.

“Come on. Let's take a walk.” She said, promptly walking towards the door with him in tow.

Steve looked back at his and Carols parents, silently wishing, asking them to need him for something.

The only thing he got was an encouraging wave from his mother.

So outside he went.

Tammy led him to the docks, much like the night before, the moon reflected itself in the lake, and the little cabin lights all shone again, but this time the company stopped Steve from enjoying the view.

“I love to watch your hair blowing in the breeze.” Tammy said, after having stared at Steve for quite some time without saying something.

The woman reached out to touch his hair, but Steve, cleared his throat, and began to lean a bit towards the main house, pretending to see his parents.

“I think I saw my mother, maybe they need me for something.” He said, and was about to step away when Tammy planted a heavy, messily manicured hand on his chest.

“Oh Steve, don't worry.” Tammy said, “they know you're with me, so I’m sure they’re

the happiest parents at Kellerman's right now”

Steve couldn’t hold back the eye roll as she spoke, my goodness, was this girl for real?

She sensed that Steve wasn’t convinced, so she continued.

“You know, I’m actually known as the catch of the county.” She proudly stated.

“I'm sure you are.” Steve said, and tried not to sound as ironic as he was.

“Last week I took this guy from Heather, the lifeguard.” She began, telling a story that Steve didn’t want to hear. And she said to him, ““What does she have that I don't have?”” And he said, ““Two hotels.””

Steve wrung his mind to try and figure out how to get away from there, when he heard a familiar voice.

“Tommy”

It was Carol, who had been dragged away from the dance floor by Tommy Hagan a good while ago.

“I don't hear an apology.” She said, Steve saw her button her blouse.

”Go back to Mommy and Daddy,” he shot back. “Maybe you'll hear one in your dreams.”

She stormed off and Steve watched how Tommy walked in the opposite direction, trying and failing to hide the half-hard on he had in his trousers.

He noticed how Tammy tensed as they watched the scene play out in front of them, this wasn’t the part of Kellermans that she wanted to show off. So she did what any hotel ascendance would, cleared her throat awkwardly and changed the subject.

“You hungry?” She asked,and then waited no time for Steve to respond. “Come on.”

She pulled Steve into the closed down restaurant kitchen, opening the fridge doors wide, presenting the late night snack options.

“So, what do you want? You can have anything you want.”

Steve didn’t reply, cause a small movement in the corner of his eye had caught his attention.

There, on the floor in the kitchen, behind the steel workbench, was Robin.

It took Steve a moment to realise who it was, cause this side of Robin was so widely different to the one that had smiled from ear to ear, teaching the mergue class yesterday.

Robin was clad in baggy jeans and an oversized flannel, the makeup that she had on earlier that day was smeared all down her face, the tear tracks apparent. She had her hand pressed to her mouth, muffling the deep sobs that ripped through the woman. She looked distraught, and Steve wanted nothing more that to rush over and ask how he could help, but with Tammy by his side that wasn’t an option.

“A brownie, some milk...Ieftover rice pudding,beets...cabbage roll...fruit salad, sweet gherkins?” Tammy rambled, luckily she was face deep in the fridge, with her glaze far away from Robin.

“Hey Tammy, look, I'm sorry.” Steve said, as he hatched a plan. “I better go check on Carol. You know… make sure she doesn’t say something.”

It all was a bold lie, to get Tammy out of there.

“Yeah.” She said, taking the bait. “Of course”

Steve parted ways with Tammy and made his way back into the ballroom, more or less scanning the room, trying to find someone who could help.

The first person he found was Nancy.

He rushed over, tugging her to the side.

“What’s going on?” She asked, visibly confused.

He began explaining, about Robin, the state of her and where she was.

He didn’t even finish until he saw Nancy dart across the room, grabbing ahold of Eddie, pulling him away from the older woman whom had her time with him at the dance floor.

In point two seconds after Nancy explantion Eddie headed towards the door.

Nancy, followed suit, grabbing Steve in the process.

“Why's he here?” Eddie asked as he noticed Steve behind Nancy.

“I brought him in case Tammy comes back.” Nancy said and that seemed to somewhat satisfy Eddie.

Steve watched how the low bun at the back of his head slowly unravelled strand by strand as Eddie hastily made his way across the yard.

“Robin just doesn't think.” He muttered under his breath, it sounded annoying but Steve could tell that it was rooted in worry.

A worry that Nancy had aswell.

“She wouldn't do anything stupid, would she?” Nancy asked, voicing a concern they all had.

The articulated question had Steve worried, he needed to know more.Steve wondered if he could ask… or if that would be overstepping..

“So, what's wrong?” He finally landed on.

“She's knocked up” Nancy whispered to him. He noticed how Eddie twitched as she did.

The answer however sparked another question.

“But, I thought? You said..” he began, not finding the words to ask if Robin wasn’t queer? Hadn’t Nancy said so?

“I did and she is..” Nancy said, answering Steve’s question. “It’s just.. it was rape Steve”

The words made all the blood drain from his face.

But it made Eddie’s boil.

“Wheeler!”

His voice boomed across the lake as they past.

After that the three of them were dead quiet until they laid their eyes on Robin again.

They got to work almost instantly, Nancy standing guard, on the lookout for everyone and anyone. With Steve within an arms reach, if she needed him.

Eddie went to Robin, straight to her, dropping to his knees beside her.

“It's okay. Eddie’s here.” He said, gathering the woman into his embrace as she scrambled into it.

Steve’s heart ached as he heard the gut wrenching sobs she now let out, when she was with friends, now that she wasn’t the one in charge of holding it all together…

“I'm never gonna let anything happen to you.” Eddie murmured.

Steve was truly in awe of how multifaceted the man was; how he was elegant and smooth in the ballroom, then a filthy amount of sexy at the after work dances, then an almost frightening amount of authoritative to the softest of them all right here.

“We got to go.” Nancy warned.

“Just hold on. Just hold on.” Eddie said, putting his arm under her legs.

She did as he said and clung tightly to him as he rose from the floor, keeping her in his arms.

“Good girl. Good girl.” He murmured.

The staff-break room looked so different now,when it was empty.

There were a sofa and an armchair that Steve only noticed now, cause that was where Eddie put Robin down. Nancy was there seconds later, draping a blanket over her shoulders, placing a loving peck to her cheekbone.

Steve stood in the doorway, contemplating whether he was imposing or not. Still nothing in him pushed him to leave.

“What do you think you're doing?” Eddie said to Robin. “You're in trouble, you talk to me, I'll take care of it.”

Robin put a hand on his knee, making him sit down next to her.

“You should've come to me in the first place.” He said again, softly this time.

“Forget it, Eddie.” She said firmly. “I'm not taking what's left of your salary.”

“Robin, that's my business.” Eddie counteracted.

“Besides, it wouldn't be enough.” Robin said with a sigh, dropping her head into her hands, a new round of sobs emerging. “Oh, God, it's hopeless!”

Steve couldn’t take it anymore.

“Don't say that.” He said. “There's gotta be a way to work it out.”

“Baby? Is that what your mother called you?” Robin said, out of sheer frustration. “You know what, Baby? You don't know shit about my problems.”

Nancy sighed, sitting down on the armrest of the couch.

“I told him.” She said.

“Jesus! He’s gonna tell his lil management girlfriend and then we'll all get fired” she continued. “ Why not skywrite it? ““Robin got knocked up by Tommy, the creep.””

It made Steve think of the sight of Tommy and Carol from earlier that night. He knew he was an outright ass for the get go.

“Tommy”

Nancy flew up.

“Steve” she said in a tone that made him realise that she was silently asking him to keep their secret. Steve gave her a silent nod.

“One of the counselors knows a doctor, a real M.D....just traveling through New Paltz one day next week.” She explained. “We can get an appointment,but it costs 250 $.”

“But if it's Tommy, then I know he has the money. Maybe if you tell him…”. He began, but Robin cut him off.

“He knows…”

Steve had promised himself not to meddle. But the sight of Robin on the kitchen floor was ingrained into his mind, so he decided to help them. To the best off his ability.

First he decided to talk to Tommy Hagan.

“Why should you tell me what's right?” Was his response.

- You can't do this, after what you’ve done, it’s the least you can do…” Steve said.

“I didn't blow a summer hauling bagels just to bail out some chick… who probably banged every guy in the place”

Steve wanted to throw up in his own mouth. Was this really his response after assaulting someone?

He thought about causing a ruckus, to have him thrown out of the place for good, but the consequences for Steve himself didn’t make it worth it.

“You make me sick.” He settled for. “Stay away from me, stay away from Robin or I'll have you fire”

When that didn’t work out, Steve proceeded to the somewhat trickier plan B.

“Dad.” He stated. “Someone's in trouble.”

“Besides your mother?” He said and chuckled at the way his mother shot the golf ball. “You're overcorrecting,hun.”

“You always told me if someone was in trouble, I should help.” Steve said, treading lightly before just ripping the bandaid off. “Could you lend me 250$?”

The question shook his father to the core, and he started to ask 20 questions.

“Are you all right? Are you in trouble?”

“No, it's not me.” Steve promised. “So, could you loan it to me?”

His father hesitated for a moment.

“That's a lot of money.” He said, Steve felt how he studied him in search of an answer.”What's it for?”

“Baby, stand up straight.” His mother said, as Steve tried to figure out if he should deny him an answer or feed him a lie. So he straightened his posture and looked at his father.

“I can't tell you.” He said. “It's hard for me to say that to you,but I can't.”

Haven’t I always said you could tell me anything?” His father said.

Steve’s mind flooded with everything he hadn’t said…

“Sorry…I can't tell you this.” Steve said, holding his line.

“It's not illegal, is it?” Steve felt himself go pale at the question..

Cause in all honesty, Steve didn’t know… but he stood firm in his belief that it shouldn’t be.

“No, Dad.” He said.

“That was a stupid thing to ask.Forgive me.” He said and in that moment steve thanked himself for never doing anything that made his parents doubt him. “I'll have it for you before dinner.”

#Spotify #stranger things #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #dirty dancing AU #steve harrington #eddie munson

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