ragnarok

“What do you mean you can’t swim?” Eddie asked her one day as the sun scorched their skin pink. It was Springtime and y/n was laying around with Eddie as the two of them sipped on the ice cold lemonade her mum had made. 

“I just can’t,” she shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve never felt the need to jump in the water like everyone else and I’ve always been too scared to go into the water anyway.” 

“But, you were best friends with Steve!” Eddie insisted. “He’s swim captain. You mean to tell me he never forced you into the water with him? Never tried to teach you? They have a fucking pool in their yard.” 

“He tried, I just always said no. And after a while he stopped pushing for it,” y/n shrugged, swirling her straw around the glass and not meeting Eddie’s eyes. 

“Well that’s a load of bull,” he finally said after a long pause. “You need to learn how to swim. And I know the perfect teacher,” he puffed out his chest and smiled widely at her. 

Y/n stared back at him, her expression dubious. “And who did you have in mind?” She asked slowly. 

“You’re staring at him,” Eddie said proudly. 

“Nope. No way. Eddie you’re out of your fuckin’ mind if you think I’m going to have you teach me how to swim. Especially not at the pools. Steve and his douchebag friends are always there,” she paused for a breath. “If they saw us together they’d have a field day. The freak and the freakette.”

Eddie’s face softened a little. “You don’t have to worry about them. We won’t go to the pools, Red,” he told her laughing as she scowled at him. He’d picked up the nickname that Steve used to call her soon after they’d become friends. 

Y/n had told him how much she disliked it, how it reminded her of Steve and how much he had changed, but Eddie had been insistent on using it. He’d told her it suited her too much to be tarnished by someone like ‘king Steve’ and that they’d just have to build new memories with it until she never thought of Steve again when someone called her Red. 

And it had half worked. Y/n didn’t mind it when Eddie used the nickname. It made her feel warm and wanted and special again. Not in the same way Steve had, she didn’t think anyone would ever make her feel the way Steve had - she’d realised too late, with the help of Eddie, that she’d been in love with her best friend. But Eddie made her feel wanted and loved in a way only a best friend could and she found that whenever he teased her or called her by her nickname, she thought less and less of Steve and the word didn’t hurt as much anymore. 

There was still that little twinge of nostalgia, but she didn’t think that would ever go away and that was ok. Y/n had grown a lot since the last time she’d spoken to Steve. 

He’d called and called and called for a whole week after their fight, and when that hadn’t worked, he’d tried to find her in person. Tried to get her alone to speak to her - to say what, y/n wasn’t sure, but she hadn’t been willing to risk anymore hurtful words spewed her way, and she hadn’t been ready to forgive Steve either, so she’d used Eddie as a buffer. 

Eventually Steve had stopped trying. 

“Where would we go then?” She asked him. For the first time, the idea of swimming didn’t terrify her. 

“The lake!” Eddie waved his hands around. “It’s perfect this time of the year and no one ever thinks of going swimming there,” he told her. “I never understood why,” he shrugged, unbothered.

One of the first things y/n had learnt about Eddie was that he enjoyed his solitude. It was something he’d gotten used to after most of his friends had graduated and moved away without him and he was left to repeat high school, and then it had become something he’d sought out when the Jason’s and Tommy’s of the world had decided he was their next target. And while y/n also appreciated being alone and herself rather than blending in and becoming someone she didn’t recognise, she didn’t mind sharing her serenity with Eddie. And Eddie had felt the same way. They’d both found they didn’t mind being together, finding the same sort of solitude with each other, without the added loneliness. 

“Fine,” she finally agreed, unable to say no when Eddie looked so excited. “On one condition, Munson.” 

“Anything.” 

“You don’t let me drown.” 

Eddie’s laugh echoed in the air around them, neither of them aware of the boy next door who watched them with quiet sadness. 

-

“I can't believe I have to repeat another year,” Eddie grumbled, making y/n flinch as he bit into his ice cream.

“You know I hate it when you do that, Eddie,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her jaw. Her teeth hurt just thinking about biting into her own ice cream cone. 

“At least we’ll be in the same grade next year,” he perked up. “You can tutor me and we can sail off to college together,” he said decidedly. 

“You don’t even want to go to college,” y/n reminded him. 

“True. Fine, you can go to college and I’ll follow you and do an apprenticeship in the big city and we can be roommates,” he amended, then wiped his fingers with a napkin and stood up. “Come on, you promised me we’d go swimming today.” 

“I’m not so sure,” y/n hesitated. Eddie had convinced her to go to the pools with him today. School had just ended and this had been one of the hottest summers they’d ever had, and the lake they usually swam in was more of a puddle lately. 

“C’mon, Red. We talked about this. You’re in Hellfire club now, you can’t let your life be dictated by a jock with no manners,” he said referring to Steve and his friends. 

“I know, but I-I dunno. I just feel nervous. What if I forget how to swim?” 

Eddie tried not to laugh, but his lips twitched into a smile he couldn’t hide, earning himself a smack from y/n as they made their way out of the ice cream parlor. 

“You won’t forget to swim,” he’d eventually comforted her. “Besides, I’ll be right beside you the whole time. Anyway, those idiots might not even be there today.” 

“They’re always there,” y/n had sighed, but followed Eddie to his car anyway and allowed him to drive her to the one place in Hawkins she’d never stepped foot in. 

She let out a breath after waking in and not seeing Steve or his friends around, ignoring the look Eddie shot at her, as she made her way to the change rooms. 

The place wasn’t as quiet as she’d prayed it would be but it wasn’t as busy as she’d expected either and she and Eddie were able to easily find a pair of lounge chairs beside one another where they dumped their things. 

“Would you like something to drink?” She asked him, standing up. 

She was wearing a bright yellow sundress over her swimsuit, liking the way it looked around her. 

“Wouldn’t mind some punch, Red,” Eddie replied after a second of contemplation.

“Be right back, sugar,” she winked at Eddie, laughing at the disgusted expression on his face at the endearment she’d used. 

“You’re not a fifty year old woman, y/n, don’t call me that,” he yelled after her, grimacing at the glares he received from the middle aged women around him. 

“Here ya go,” she handed him the glass a few minutes later, standing in front of him. 

“Don’t move,” Eddie said suddenly. 

“What? Why?” Y/n glanced over her body nervously. “What’s wrong? Do I have something on me?” 

“No. I just like sitting in the shade,” he grinned. 

“You’re an idiot, Eddie Munson,” she grumbled, but didn’t move away. 

Eddie took a sip of his drink and sighed as the cool liquid cooled him down a little. “It’s good,” he said. But you know what would be even better? Some of your mum’s milkshakes, but alas,” he held his hand over his heart and made a mock wounded expression. 

“That’s your doing,” y/n smirked. “I bet she’d have made us all the milkshakes we wanted if we’d stayed at home today.” 

“And miss out on all the fun we're gonna have?” 

Y/n felt herself freeze at the voice behind her. She turned slowly and faced Tommy and Carol, ignoring the way Steve was standing just behind them, dragging his feet reluctantly. 

“Carol. Tommy,” y/n nodded at them. “I didn’t think you guys would be here,” she said lamely. 

“You didn’t think the swim team would be at the pools on a day as hot as today?” Tommy asked. “Where else would we be?” 

“She’s not on the swim team,” y/n pointed at Carol. “But I guess you guys can’t go anywhere without your cheerleader.” 

“Red,” Eddie warned, putting his drink aside and standing up.

Y/n didn’t miss the way Steve frowned at the nickname, looking a little upset. “Tommy, Carol, come on,” Steve tried to intervene. “Just leave it.”

“No way, Steve, our little freakette here seems to have found her voice,” she took a step forward and grabbed the glass y/n was still holding out of her hand. “Enjoying your punch?” she asked, before pretending to stumble forward and spilling the drink all over y/n. “Oops.” 

Tommy laughed in the background, while Steve’s frown deepened. “Guys come on, not cool. You got punch all over her dress.” 

“Don’t worry, Stevie,” Tommy chuckled. “I can help her get all cleaned up.” And then he took a few steps towards y/n, forcing her to take a few steps away from him until she was standing at the edge of the pool. “Enjoy the swim,” he waved his fingers at her before giving her a little nudge backwards until she was falling into the water. 

“Tommy!” Steve yelled, his voice angry and a little panicked. “She can’t swim, dude!” he chastised furiously, reaching out and taking his shirt halfway off. 

“She seems to be doing fine to me,” Tommy shrugged, pointing out to where Y/n was now being helped out of the pool on the other side by Eddie. 

-

“When did you learn to swim?” Steve asked her. He’d jumped the fence between their houses and climbed the vines until he was able to knock on y/n’s window. 

She’d opened it quietly, thinking it was Eddie, freezing when she’d seen Steve’s face instead. 

“Eddie taught me,” she’d said without thinking, so surprised at seeing him there she let him climb into her bedroom. “What are you doing here?” 

“You never let me teach you, but you were willing to let Eddie ‘the freak’ Mun-”

“Don’t call him that,” she interrupted Steve sharply. “He’s my best friend, of course I let him teach me.” 

“I’m your best friend,” he said without thinking, hating the way she laughed at his words. Hating that they were no longer true. 

“We haven’t been friends in a long time, Steve,” she told him. “You shouldn’t be here.” 

But Steve ignored her, looking around her room, curiously. It had changed a lot since the last time he’d been in here. Gone were all the pinks and florals, replaced with neutral pastels. “It’s different in here,” he commented. 

“Yes,” y/n said, sounding impatient. “Things change. People change. You need to leave,” she repeated. 

“Why?” 

“Because we’re not friends anymore, Steve. You can’t just climb up into my room whenever you want to,” she glanced at the clock on the wall behind him. “Because I don’t want you here.”

“Are you expecting someone?” he asked, raising his eyebrows in realisation, trying to ignore the pang of hurt that shot through him at her words. 

“Yes,” y/n finally admitted. “Eddie is picking me up, so can you please just leave?”

“Where are you going?” 

“Seriously? He’s taking me to a party, not that it’s any of your damn business.” 

“I don’t trust him. I’m just trying to look out for you,” Steve said. 

“Well, I trust him,” she rolled her eyes. “And I don’t care what you think. I also don’t need you to ‘look out for me’ anymore. You’re a couple years too late for that.” 

“Y/n, come on,” Steve grumbled, feeling an itch begin to form under his skin at the idea of her at a party without him. “Are you still upset about what happened years ago?” 

“Yes! You broke my heart and didn’t even care!” 

“That’s not true!” 

“It is! It is true because if you had cared, you never would have said any of those stupid things. You never would have let Tommy and Carol treat me the way they have, the way you have, for years. You never would have felt the need to sneak into my room in the middle of the night when they can’t see you and pretend you care about me,” she hissed at him, chest heaving with emotion. 

“Red…” Steve began, feeling his own chest constrict with emotion. He did care about her. He cared about her more than anyone else.

“No. You don’t get to call me that anymore,” she poked him in the chest. 

“Eddie called you that,” he sounded hurt. “That’s because he’s my best friend. Now will you please leave?” She pointed out the window. 

“I- I’m sorry,” he finally said before doing as she asked. “I just- I’m sorry, ok? This isn’t what I wanted.” 

And then he climbed back down, vowing he’d never hurt y/n again. 

-

Then Steve started dating Nancy and y/n felt her poor little heart break all over again. 

Everyone had known Steve had been into her, even Tommy and Carol had been supportive of the pairing, which had made y/n feel so much worse. 

Nancy had been just like her. A quiet outsider with one or two close friends. And then one day someone said she was pretty and suddenly she was popular. 

Or, popular enough that Steve was allowed to take interest in her, popular enough that if she chose to skip a party to study it was adorable. Popular enough that she could do whatever she wanted and still be nice and well liked by everyone that mattered. 

Y/n couldn’t help but feel bitter about that. Not towards Nancy or Steve. Not towards any one person really. She just felt a little bitter about the whole thing in general, and maybe even a little jealous. 

Eddie picked up on the jealousy one day, and in his own very Eddie way reminded her that she’d hate being popular. Hate the way everyone stared at her and the way they’d all want to be her friend for all the wrong reasons. 

“We’d never have been friends if people realised you were just as pretty as Nancy is,” he’d said offhandedly, relishing the way she blushed in return. “It’s a shame you’re not my type,” he’d laughed, dodging y/n as she’d tried to whack him and hiding on the opposite side of the picnic table they were sitting on. “I might have just dated you myself,” he’d cackled. “Imagine all the stares we’d get. Might even be able to make King Steve a little jealous,” he’d waggled his eyebrows at her. 

“You’re ridiculous,” she’d rolled her eyes and slumped back into a seat. 

“No, hear me out,” Eddie had sat across from her. “We can totally pretend to date, Steve will be jealous and everyone will know who you are! You’ll be the New Nancy.”

“You know I hate being the centre of attention,” she’d grumbled. 

Eddie had looked at her pointedly. 

“Yeah, ok, fine I’d hate being popular,” she’d admitted, refusing to look at Eddie’s smirking face. 

“Thank you. Now c'mon let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.” 

He’d reached over, grabbed her hand and pulled her all the way to his car, babbling about how her mum made the best burgers he’s ever had. 

For the first time, y/n allowed herself to imagine what her life would have been like if she’d never met Steve that first day. She wondered whether she’d have ever met Eddie, whether she’d have more friends, whether she’d have been ‘the Nancy’ that Steve had taken fallen for - the quiet girl who lived next door but whose name he’d never learnt until then, when he’d realised she was pretty enough for him to take interest in. 

She scrubbed the thoughts from her mind, feeling the phantom pang of never meeting Eddie pass through her in that alternate version of her life. 

Y/n decided then and there that she'd never trade the friendship and companionship Eddie had provided her for all the King Steve’s in the world. 

-

The day Will Byers disappeared everything changed. It wasn’t very obvious at first, just some little things here and there. 

She no longer felt safe being alone outside by herself, always sticking to Eddie’s side - he didn’t seem to mind, sharing the same level of anxiety as her, especially at night when everything seemed much more spooky than during the day. 

Neighbours started locking their doors and people on the street no longer smiled back at you. 

As the days passed and no news emerged about Will’s whereabouts, y/n felt her anxiety grow. She started paying more attention to the Byers, feeling her heart break for Joyce and Jonathan every time she saw them around the town. 

It was on one of these days when she was leaving school when she saw Jonathan walking with his head down, completely unaware of the four other teenagers standing in the courtyard and waiting for him to get closer, their arms crossed and anticipation written on their faces. 

Y/n couldn’t help but notice the way Steve was standing out in front of all the others, a smug smirk on his face as the rest of his group of friends stood behind him waiting hungrily for their prey to fall into their trap. 

She wanted to run over and warn Jonathan about what he was walking into, but she was frozen where she stood, silently begging him to just look up from his camera, to turn in a different direction. To do anything but walk into whatever it was he was about to. 

Y/n knew whatever was about to happen wasn’t something she wanted to see. Wasn't something she would ever be able to forget seeing, and yet she couldn’t look away, couldn’t turn away from whatever terrible thing was about to watch. 

She watched as they grabbed his bag off him and threw it around between them, laughing at the way Jonathan tried to grab it back. Y/n couldn’t quite hear what they were saying but knew whatever it was Steve wasn’t happy about it. She could see the angry frown between his brows even as he smiled at Nancy as she approached asking what was going on. Carol flicked through the photos Tommy had pulled out from Jonathan’s bag, passing them around until they were once again in Steve’s hands. He walked up to Jonathan, a menacing stagger in each step and muttered something in his face before tearing the photo’s apart. 

Y/n was unable to look away. She didn’t recognise this version of Steve at all, he was so far from the boy next door with the kind brown eyes she’d grown up with. 

She subconsciously took a couple of steps forwards, enough that she could vaguely make out some of the words being exchanged. 

“...take away his toy,” Steve said, turning away from Jonathan and walking towards where he’d dropped the bag on top of his car. 

Nancy perked up a little at that. Y/n hated her a little in that moment. Hated the way she’d just stood around without saying anything, allowing Steve to be so cruel, for so long. Hated that even as she spoke up, it had been with reluctance. 

“No, please, not the camera,” she heard Jonathan say, and she hated herself a little as well because she was too scared to walk over there and call Steve out. And she hated everyone else that was standing around watching, because y/n blamed them for the rift that seemed to only get bigger between the Steve she’d known and the guy he pretended to be now.

She watched in horror as Steve held out the camera to Jonathan, only to drop it as he reached out for it. 

Y/n can’t help but stare at him as he looked up and finally saw her standing there. She thought he looked a little ashamed. 

He said something to his group of friends, watched them walk away before he walked towards her. 

“Y/n…” he started to say, unsure why he’d even come over, only that he knew he had to. Felt the invisible thread pulling him towards her, begging him to explain himself. She’d looked at him with so much horror and disgust when he’d dropped the camera.

“Why would you do that?” she asked him, speaking over whatever he’d been about to say. 

“He was taking photos of me and Nance,” Steve replied, trying to justify himself. “Personal photos.” He felt a blush creeping up his neck, but y/n didn’t react. 

“So you decide to vandalise his property?” 

“You don’t get it,” Steve rolled his eyes. “Right. Whatever, Steve,” she turned to walk away from him, rolling her eyes. 

“Wait,” Steve caught her by the wrist and forced her to turn around. “He didn’t have a right to take those photos, you can’t seriously tell me you’re on his side for this?” he asked her, astonished. 

“I’m not on anyone’s side. He shouldn't have taken those photos, true. But you shouldn’t have done what you just did. You shouldn’t have broken his camera. He’s already lost his brother, you didn’t have to take anything more from him,” she glared at him. 

“What does Will have to do with anything?” Steve asked, letting go of her arm and completely ignoring everything else she’d said. 

“You know what, forget I said anything. We’re not friends, whatever I say doesn’t matter.” 

“We used to be friends,” Steve said softly, lifting his hand a little, then dropping it back to his side unsure what he’d wanted to do with it.  

“That was a long time ago,” she shrugged, hiking her bag up higher on her back and taking a few steps away from him. “The Steve I’d known would never have done anything like this. I don’t even recognise you anymore.” 

And then she walked away. 

-

this is part two of a now three part steve fic. Please let me know what you think! Timelines might be a little muddled, but you gotta do what you gotta do to make a story come to life.