I Wish You Were A Girl

Chapter 1

Steve Harrington didn't have his title of 'King Steve' for no reason. It was earned, and despite being taken away later, by one Billy Hargrove, he still remained somewhat of an iconic person to Hawkins, Indiana. He was handsome, charming, had amazing hair, dressed well, was good with kids. The perfect man to any girl. It seems the only flaw that could be found was by Eddie Munson. The only problem, and one so personal that no one else could see it, unique to the held-back metalhead freak everyone avoided: Steve Harrington likes girls, and Eddie Munson likes boys.

It was a complete turn in Eddie's world. Tragic and cold. Nothing in life was ever fair, and his crush being the straightest man he knew fell right into that rule of the world. Still, he couldn't help but want those pretty pink lips. Sometimes he wonders if this is punishment for something. Like he's done something wrong and has to pay for it. Why else would God curse him with so many problems? He must hate him, just like all those people outside the hospitals say. Queers left and right are being sent there for treatment, unable to escape the deadly disease sent out to execute them by the universe. HIV, they've been calling it, but anyone who isn't a doctor will tell you it's gay cancer. There's so many people who stand outside, cheering when a body is brought out by the coroner, taunting when someone is admitted. They can tell which ones are there to die for being queer, hazmat suits dawned to protect the workers from it. Eddie's Uncle worries he'll catch it too, warns him against going anywhere near those other queers. Of course he knows, he's known since he was ten years old, trying to dress up in ladies shoes when they would visit one of Wayne's friends. He'd get yelled at to take them off, that they weren't for him. Little boys play with footballs and action figures, not in heels. Eddie hasn't had much desire for those things since then, maybe on account of being told it was wrong, but he doesn't feel much pull anyway. And Wayne doesn't say anything anymore. It's not acceptance. Acceptance is what Dustin gave him when he found out. Pats on the back and a double thumbs up. 'Okay by me'. Tolerance was what Wayne laid out for him. Don't get him wrong, he loved Eddie unconditionally, but maybe that was the downfall. He loved Eddie too much, didn't want him getting hurt. Being a queer wouldn't even get him hurt, it would just get him dead.

Eddie still threw himself out there, though; couldn't heed Wayne's warning. He kept a black hanky in his back pocket and a smile on his face when a guy would approach him about it. He's had a few good nights, but none of them were Steve. It's all he wanted. Steve "The Hair" Harrington and his pretty freckles, stamped across his body like he was just something to decorate. If Eddie had the chance, he would sit there and count every single one of them.

So here he sits, anxious beyond anything he's felt before, because Steve Harrington was coming to his trailer in a reluctant agreement to play DnD with the party. Dustin and Mike had bombarded him, apparently. And when that didn't work, they harassed him at his new job, getting him to agree only on the account that he wanted them to leave him alone so he didn't get fired. He was only half listening to the details of their agreement, picking up something about him bringing a girl along. Eddie feels a pang of jealousy that shouldn't even be there. He barely even knows Steve. Sure, they went to school together, and they talk more now after surviving the Upside Down together, but they were by no account friends. Sometimes Eddie wonders if it's just to appease Dustin. That kid worships Steve and he's sure Steve wouldn't want to lose any of that because he wasn't buddy-buddy with the dungeon master.

"Eddie? Eddie, are you even listening right now, man?" He's not looking at Dustin but he can see his hand waving in front of his face like in the movies. He swats at it, furrowing his brows, "Yeah, yeah, I'm listening. Quit- waving your hand in front of me." Eddie stands up quickly from where he was seated, striding slowly across the room, "What was her name again? Can she even play right?" He's skeptical, interrogating Dustin as if he's to know all the details. "Robin. You met her, remember? I just know she's cool and Steve likes her. Thought it'd be fair enough. Plus Steve said he would only bring snacks for us if he was allowed to bring a plus one to 'keep him company with us nerds'." Right. Robin. He does remember her. She kicked ass in the upside down. Eddie looks away from him, nodding a bit and stopping, standing in place. Fair enough reasoning. But Eddie still felt explicitly bothered by the fact that Steve would choose to bring some girl. He knows if he said it out loud, it would just come out so blatantly rude, so why did he think it? She wasn't doing anything to bother anyone. Still, Eddie finds himself hating a girl he seemed to like just fine before, and hating Steve more for bringing her. It hurt to think that she had more of a chance with him than he ever would.

Twenty minutes roll right by, and Dustin is suddenly up answering the door. He barely registers the banter until its right next to him and he can see Steve, Dustin, and Robin in his home. "Hey, long time no see, Eddie!" Robin flashes a smile, one that Eddie begrudgingly returns. He won't be rude to her, no matter how much he just wanted her to leave. "We brought snacks as a peace offering, oh great Dungeon Master. I'm not entirely sure what that is but- Dustin kept saying that's your 'proper title' here," Eddie just nods in response, guiding her and Steve to have a seat so they can begin.

He's written the script, thought about this campaign for weeks non-stop. Everything about this was planned to the last detail. And sure, he had to improvise, but he knows the story by heart and where its going. Its his game, his rules, his campaign that he would share with the party. He hoped they would enjoy it too. But suddenly when they start, his brain his scrambled, and all his thoughts are on Steve Harrington again.