Steddie Summer Exchange

Sweat pooled, well, everywhere as he lay nearly naked on top of the bedsheets. It gathered between every joint and tickled where it beaded up near the newly growing hair on his chest and upper lip. He could even feel it drip down the sides of his face to follow the contours of his scalp before the moisture veered off course, wicked away by his hair. Eddie was tempted, only for a fraction of a second, to take a pair of scissors to his locks, but he knew he’d regret losing his signature hair in exchange for absolutely no relief. It was simply too hot and far too humid for the loss of hair to make any difference, especially with the way he’d fanned it out on his pillow and away from his shoulders before lying down.

Aside from the sweat, which Eddie was likening to slime in his vision of slugdom, his skin was flushed bright red as his body desperately tried to lose its excess heat. He may have flunked senior year twice, but he remembered enough from biology to understand why it was happening. However, why didn’t matter that much if it had the unfortunate side effect of making him feel even hotter than he probably actually was. Stupid thermoregulation and circulatory systems. Or maybe it was the meds. Was that a side effect? Both?

It didn’t matter because this was one of the hottest heat waves Eddie had ever had the misfortune to experience. Indiana summers in late July were always just on the side of too miserable due to the high humidity if not necessarily the temperature, but this time it was both. For over a week, they’d both been hovering in the high 80s / low 90s when, for two days in a row, the thermometer had shot up to a recordbreaking high that nearly hit triple digits during the day.

The Munsons could have endured, as always, by coaxing the aged window air conditioning units to take the edge off at night; however, one had finally died and the other…

Hawkins’ power had become a fickle friend. Eddie’s only possible savior sat still and silent on the sill. In fact, everything in the trailer was silent and pitch black because, once again, demand for power in the growing town had outstripped the plant’s ability to supply it, causing yet another rolling blackout.

Eddie wasn’t sure how long this one had lasted. He could probably fumble for his phone to check, but the thought of movement actually induced a wave of nausea. He’d never been able to tolerate the heat and should have known this would happen if the AC stayed off for too long.

He’d already tried opening the windows to let the slightly cooler night air in, but there was no breeze, so if it had helped, Eddie couldn’t tell.

Maybe a shower would help. It was the middle of the night, so the water in the pipes should be cooler now.

Eddie slowly slid to the edge of the bed before mustering enough strength to sit up. The change in orientation sadly upset his tenuous truce with his digestive system forcing Eddie to blindly launch himself in what he hoped was the direction of the bathroom before he lost the contents of his last meal in the hallway instead.

He did make it to his target in time, though one arm would have a bruise from swiping a door jam as he ran past. As the sounds of his retching echoed in the walls of the trailer, Eddie was glad that his uncle was on the night shift and didn’t have to be subjected to these dulcet tones. Knowing Wayne’s wry sense of humor though, Eddie could imagine him claiming that he couldn’t tell the difference between his nephew’s dry heaves and his favorite music.

Once the heaves had subsided, Eddie dragged himself into the shower. Having purged his stomach and finally being exposed to water that felt at least a little cool, he thought he might be on his way to returning to human form.

As he made his way back to the bedroom and dried himself off, the power returned bringing the blessed breeze of cooler dry air from his window unit. Eddie closed the windows to keep the cool air in and hoped that the AC would stay on long enough this time for him to sleep.

When he saw his uncle in the morning, they would need to check their savings to see if they could stay in a hotel or something while the power remained this unreliable. Eddie figured he could find places to go during the day that stayed cool like the mall or the library, but he didn’t think he could endure another night stuck in this stagnant tin can. Wayne may hold up a bit better, or at least he wasn’t as prone to tossing cookies when his body decided he’d overheated, but Eddie still wanted the old man to get some decent rest during his off hours.

@steddiesummerexchange

“Steve.” Eddie doesn’t mean to say his name. It jumps past his lips against any judgment. But then it’s out there. The frown smooths out, those big brown eyes go wide and his eyebrows are heading for his hairline.  

Steve opens his mouth. Eddie’s name hangs on the air, unsaid because Steve has stopped. And the little kid beside him is startled by the sudden stop. With a soft hmph, she starts pulling at Steve’s hand. 

There’s a mop of curly hair on the little girl’s hair and Eddie can’t tell age, but she’s barely up to Steve’s hip. When she turns her head dramatically to look between Steve and him, she’s got these huge, brown eyes and oh. Eddie’s heart stops as he realizes. She’s the image of Nancy and Steve. 

“I didn’t know you lived in Chicago.” Eddie hates that that’s all he could think to say. “Jeff and Gareth didn’t tell you?” Steve asks. It makes so little sense to Eddie as a question, he didn’t even know they knew Steve. 

“We’re neighbors,” Steve says. He makes a gesture with his thumb, indicating down the hall. “I knew they were heading down to Hawkins for the reunion. George and I were going to check on Percy.” 

“I’m cat-sitting,” Eddie says. He wants to stuff one of his rolled socks into his mouth to shut himself up. 

“So you’re not going to the reunion?”  A smile breaks across Steve's face, and it feels like being hit with a ray of sun. “Too cool for it?” “I’m afraid they would be too star-struck,” Eddie quips, as if he doesn’t still wake up in the middle of the night, fear gripping his throat and it has the face of Jason Carver. He doesn’t need an auditorium full of Hawkin’s High green to send him into a panic attack. 

“STEEEEVE!” There’s the stomping of little feet in little boots, and little balled up fists. “Don’t ignore me.” There’s a hint of a sniffle in the little voice and Steve is pulling his attention toward. Leaving Eddie a little cold, even if he’s embarrassed to be jealous of losing Steve’s attention to a child. 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Steve says. He’s knelt down, petting one hand over the little girl’s curls as he carefully un-balls one of her fists. “I was talking to Eddie, baby. We haven’t seen each other in -” his eyes cut to Eddie. And Eddie has to swallow back the memory of the last time they would have seen each other. It feels a thousand miles from Wayne’s trailer. The smile Steve gives him is the same small, shy thing though.

“It’s been a long time,” Steve lands on. 

“How long?” The girl asks with a sniffle. 

“Long, long time,” Eddie chimes in, saving Steve. She looks at him, rubbing one hand against her eye. She sniffles, dramatically. On her cheeks are moles just like Steve, which is confirmation enough. 

“That's not a number,” the kid says, mouth stumbling over the words the way kids that age do. “Mommy says vague answers are for fibbers.” She says ‘vague’ with a ‘b’ - bague - but she sounds so matter-of-fact about it that Eddie can picture Nancy saying that perfectly. 

“Mommy also says not to yell when we can use our indoor voice,” Steve says. 

“Sorry,” she says, quickly. Then she looks to Eddie without prompting and says, “Sorry, Eddie.” and Eddie can’t help lifting his hands in surrender, waving the apology off. Almost feels like he has to admit that he yells all the time. But instead he watches Steve with his kid, and can’t help thinking of Steve talking to Nancy about little nuggets - both of them so unaware of the way Eddie was holding his breath to stay unnoticed as he sat pressed back to the driver’s seat. 

“Can we come in and see Percy?” George rubs one eye with her fist as she asks. And it fills Eddie with fear that the kid will cry if he says no. 

“Another time, sweetie,” Steve replies, saving Eddie. He rubs George’s head gently and then turns to steer her away. “Let's leave Eddie to settle in.”

“Promise?” 

Eddie is staring at Steve and doesn't immediately realize the question is directed at him. It takes the stomping of a foot and a waving of a little pinky in his direction. 

“Uh yeah, of course kid. Cross my heart … “ Eddie stops himself from saying ‘hope to die,’ but barely. He kneels down to complete the pinky promise. Horrified momentarily that George's hands are so small. 

Above them, Steve is smiling. And it makes Eddie want to skitter away and hide. His chest his hot and his throat feels strangled, and he wants to run away and kiss Steve at the same time. All of it life or death, flight or flight, levels of yearning need. 

“See you later, Munson,” Steve says and it rings in Eddie's ears long after he's gone.  

Eddie hides in Jeff and Gareth's apartment the rest of the day.

Disjointed song ideas and cord progressions that don’t work outside of a shitty blue grass wannabe and the weird none metal bullshit that somehow got him here; that people keep insisting is grunge.

‘You have till mid June, ready for Lollapalooza in July. Label said so.’ And Jake is a good guy, a good manager, but Eddie wants to rip his skin off and never see this ugly fucking Chicago office building or anyone in it. Ever. Again. 

He wants to write. He wants to create, and perform. 

But he can’t. 

It all shit. There’s nothing here. 

-

He speeds down the interstate. Foot pressing on the accelerator, pressing steadily harder and harder. The speedometer ticking up 10mph, more, 20, more. 

‘Shit, fuck.’ Eddie curses, trying to light the cigarette at his lips. Lighter sparking but no quick catching flame, just the click and fizz, dead. ‘Stupid. Fucking.’ He sniffs, scrubbing at his eyes, tears leaving sticky tracks across his cheeks. 

‘FUCKER!’ He shouts, throwing the shitty bic lighter out of the passenger window, into the inky blackness, scrubbing at his eyes again. 

He can’t fucking see. He needs a fucking cigarette. 

He’s running out of gas, fast. Rain starting to fall, heavy and sleeting. His hissy fit can’t last forever, but the itch is still under his skin. Mind blank to anything that could be remotely useful. He’s so creatively drained it’s a joke. A mean fucking joke handed out by god himself. 

Because Eddie had his whole life to write that album. To pour his brain out and stick it together into a mangled beautiful little thing. 

And now he’s expected to do the same thing. In months. 

And he knows. He knows, it’s possible, and it’s been done, and he has thoughts and feeling and music left inside him. 

But it’s hard. And he’s scared. 

Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever write another song again. Dry to the bone. Like his Dad always expected. Always knew. Knew he had nothing in him. Good for nothin’. 

Snot drips onto his top lip. He, he can’t see. ‘Fuck.’ He whispers - he. 

The lights of a gas station shine up ahead. 

Tiredness dripping down into his bones, suddenly. 

Eddie pulls off, parks off at the side. 

Punches the steering wheel till his knuckles go bloody. 

‘W-wayne ‘m sorry, I, I just can’t Wayne.’ Eddie stutters into the receiver. The distance between then crackling. Cold wind rattles the glass walls of the little gas station payphone. 

‘Ed’s? I need ya to take a breath for me kid.’ Wayne’s voice sounds deeper through the phone, more smoky. 

Eddie’s hands are shaking so hard he shoves one up under his armpit, can barely feel his fingers, tucking his elbow in close and squeezing. Stomping his feet, trying to ground himself into this time and space. He breaths in through his mouth and nose, shuddering as he tries to get as much air as possible into his frame. Blood pumping loud in his ears, and he still can’t fucking see. 

‘That’s it son, and again for me.’ Wayne says, in the same tone he says most things; calm and plain, for as long as Eddie can remember. 

He only heard his uncle raise his voice a couple of times, and never once over Eddie. It was always the disappointed looks that would get under his skin, keep him on the straight and narrow (or, not straight, and mostly narrow), kept him safe.

The main one that Eddie remembers, was when his dad came. 

His dad came to try and get him, take him home, wherever that was, whatever that meant. Wayne lost his shit, as much as Wayne can. Held his hunting gun too close to his dads heart and told him brother-in-law to ‘Get! Out!’ 

Eddie had hidden behind the arm of the sofa, crouched and only daring to peak over when he heard his dad huff, punching the doorframe once and stepping back to leave. ‘Fine, fine!’ He’d spat. ‘Don’t want the kid anyway.’ He glanced at Eddie then, a dark sort of indifference in his eyes. ‘Fucking useless.’

That darkness fills Eddie now, coating his lungs and stopping the air flowing through. His Dad’s right, he can’t be anything, not really. Doesn’t have it in him. 

Part of him is still there, cowering behind the couch. A coward, still now. Maybe always. 

‘You stop that right now Eddie y’hear? You might be yer Daddy’s son but you’re in no way him. Ain’t no way.’ Wayne says, stern. 

Eddie sobs, palm pressed across his eyes, fingers digging into his temple. ‘Fuck.’ He fucking, he just can’t. 

‘M’sorry Wayne. M’sorry. It’s so stupid but I nearly fucking killed him Wayne, if I wasn’t there he woulda’ got away, woulda’ got away fine.’ 

‘If you make one more excuse for that sack of shit Eddie I’m coming up there myself to talk it outa’ you.’ Wayne says. ‘You were a kid Ed, didn’t do nothin’ wrong other than trustin’ your own Daddy.’ Wayne’s voice softens, making sure Eddie’s still listening. ‘What happened wasn’t your fault kid.’ He says, like it’s final. 

‘Okay.’ Eddie takes a wet breath, shivering. ‘Yeah, okay Wayne, I hear ya.’ Closing his eyes, squeezing the receiver and rolling his forehead across the cool glass of the booth. 

‘You ring Chris for me now Ed, tell her you’ll be home soon. And I’ll ring tomorrow once ‘m off, leave you a message if you’re not in.’ Eddie sniffs again, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks. 

‘Ok Wayne.’ He agrees, it’s easier. He’s so tired. ‘Night.’ 

Eddie sneaks through the door, not sure if he wants a whole pity party right now. He kind of just wants to go to bed. 

Chrissys head pops up over the couch, looking at him with wide, wet eyes. 

Maybe he does want a little party, actually. He feels tears well in his lashes again. 

‘Hey Chris. I um, sorry for leaving. It uh, it’s bad again.’ He admits, voice cracking. 

‘Eddie.’ She soothes, coming around to him by the door and wrapping him in a hug. Holding him so tightly in her skinny arms. Too good for him. ‘I’m sitting with you while you ring the doctor tomorrow okay? And you’re coming to yoga with me Thursday.’ She says, wiping Eddie’s tears with her sleeve. ‘And I don’t want any buts mister.’ She mumbles darkly, squeezing his waist when Eddie snorts. 

‘Fine. I, fucking, anything to not feel like this anymore Chris.’ He sighs, he’s so tired. ‘Even fuckin’ yoga.’ And he knows she can hear his eyes roll but she just squeezes him again, humming. 

He buries his face in her neck. Taking deep breaths, till the shuddering goes away. 

-

They’re in the coffee shop below the yoga studio. Eddie’s anxious, already itching for another cigarette even though he finished his last one right before entering the cafe, not five minutes ago, shivering against the cold wind. He didn’t sleep last night, or get any words out, he just watched the shopping channel all curled up on the couch, biting his nails and wishing for something to come change him. 

But he’s here, as much as he doesn’t want to be. He trusts Chrissy, and the last call with the label about the very none negotiable schedule for a new song release in conjuncture with the tour has him ready to try anything. 

Even fucking yoga. 

‘I just don’t see how this is going he help Chrissy, it’s just breathing and shit.’ Eddie says loudly, stress making him obnoxious, the bell above the cafe door tinkling. ‘It’s not gonna help me get stronger. Plus it’s wrapped up in all that pseudoscience bullshit. Just trying to make money off unhappy people and their shit.’ He’s staring down and the flyer in his hand. They were on the counter and Chrissy had shoved it at his chest as she ordered. Probably a queue for him to shut up. 

‘Who the hell even is Stevie anyway?’ Eddie asks, flapping the paper around. It’s pink, with bold black writing and the outline of a striped flag in the corner. Hm. 

But no, gay yoga is still yoga, Eddie won’t be converted that easily. 

‘Chrissy, hey!’ Comes a deep voice from behind him, making Eddie jump. When he turns his arms fall limp at his sides. 

Golden skin and soft brown eyes. Hair that curls around his ears and sits on his head in a highlighted swoop; kinda messy, like he runs his fingers through it. Little gold hoop in his ear, neck covered in moles. Beautiful. 

They’re around the same height but this guy is broader, thick and sturdy with a layer of squish over his muscle, a layer of chest hair over his pecs, peaking out of his tank. He could suffocate Eddie with those thighs. Eddie could take great pride in holding all that bulk down, making him scre- 

‘Stevie! Hey!’ she beams. ‘Eddie meet Steve Harrington. And Stevie, this is Eddie Munson, my best friend.’ Chrissy say, introducing them and pulling the stranger into a side hug. 

Eddie can’t think straight. 

This, is Stevie?

The barista calls his name, Eddie coming back to himself to turn and grab his order. Plaster some kind of smile on his face in leu of an actual human greeting. 

Chrissys looking at him, smiling like she knows something. Knows more than Eddie does. 

He sips his tea. Doesn’t look at her. 

‘…Well nice to meet you man, I’ll see you both in there.’ Steve says, pointing his thumb towards the door. ‘just wanted to say hi. Gotta go prep some more pseudoscience bull before it all starts.’ He says, clapping. Smiling at Eddie like a fucking Stepford wife. Eddie gapes at him. Steve winks. 

Eddie’s mouth snaps shut. 

Slimy fucking guy. Eddie seethes, sipping his tea, watching Stevie leave. He looks like he could be the son of any of the record execs that’ve tried to fuck over Eddie’s music. Breathing down his neck to get another hit album, like Eddie has any control over that, can get himself to write anything like that again. Like he can handle the plans for a tour next spring, into the summer for festivals, said they want new songs to keep the fans interested. Fucking Steve looking at him like that, all spotless and put together and prefect and Eddie cannot fucking let this guy beat him. Not today. 

‘What does that look mean?’ Chrissy asks, amused. 

‘Means that I’m about to have the best fucking yoga session that guy has ever seen.’ Eddie says, still glaring at where Steve had just been. He hooks his arm through Chrissy’s and heads for the door. 

The studio is a renovated townhouse with hardwood floors and long windows. There’s a wall of mirrors and a bar across one wall, aerobics equipment stacked in the corner.

Eddie finds a spot with Chrissy nearer the back, but the rooms really not that big, he can see Steve’s set up at the front just fine. 

Chrissy leave his side to go pay, and apparently flirt with the tall freckled girl who’s taking said payments. Standing in the corner with a clipboard and a laugh that ends in a snort. That must be Robin, Chrissys long time yoga crush, and by the way Robin playful taps Chrissy on the head with her pen, she’s not doing too badly. 

Looking around Eddie’s surprised that there’s other people like him, with tattoos and some more visible piercings. 

Older ladies with pink in their hair. A younger guy with a cane and a Prince shirt on. People of different sizes, colours, shapes.  

Steve is making his way around the room, talking to people, he knows most of them by name. 

It’s. It’s almost nice. 

But when Eddie looks at Steve all he sees are the jocks who spat on him in high-school. The rich kids who said they couldn’t be friends because their parents found out he lives in a trailer. People who look at him with awkward, dead eyed pity when he mentions his uncle but not his parents. 

Steve walks over, snapping Eddie out of his head. ‘Hey, so Chrissy knows how it goes. But Eddie, I want you to take it easy tonight, okay? First session means you should be careful.’ 

Eddie leans back on his palms, festered. ‘Don’t think I can handle it Steven?’ 

Steve doesn’t take the bate, neutral face barely twitching. ‘Have you done yoga before?’ 

‘No’ 

Steve crosses his arms. ’Then no, I don’t think you can handle it actually. Last thing I want is you disturbing my class because you pulled a muscle being dumb, kay?’ 

Eddie just grunts, smiling at him in a little closed lipped sneer. Jerking his head and clenching his jaw. 

Stevie just rolls his eyes, walks away. 

Eddie hates him. 

Fucking yoga. How hard could it fucking be…

Eddie muscles are burning. He takes it back he takes it back. 

But he can’t let Steve know. Can’t bare to see that smug little smirk on his face again. 

‘Stay here if you're comfortable. But, if you want a little push tonight’ Steve says to the room, eyes flashing to Eddie in warning. ‘Move with me.’ And he bends down to touch the floor, hands then coming away, held in place by his core. 

‘Fuck’ Eddie grunts, tries releasing his hands but he comes too close to toppling over. His palms are sweating and his hair is sticking to his neck. Fucking yoga… 

‘Just breathing and shit right Munson?’ Steve says as Eddie spaces out on his mat, session over. Eddie can see more thigh at the angle, up the stupid fucking shorts Steve’s wearing. A little patch of sweat on his tank, sticking to his chest hair. 

‘Whatever Harrington.’ He grunts, forcing himself to sit up. Not looking Steve in the eye. 

Everything hurts. Even his fucking brain hurts from trying to imagine the smooth lake that Steve talked about during the ending meditation. Eddie couldn’t seem to imagine his without a ghostly pirate ship bobbing in the middle of the water. 

Fucking yoga. 

-

‘I hate him.’ 

‘Yeah sure, next thing you’ll be pulling his pigtails’ Chrissy rolls her eyes. ‘You don’t even know him, and I heard how well you slept after the session, your snoring woke me up Ed’s. Don’t give up just because the teacher is hot.’

‘He is not hot!’ Eddie seethes. 

He is so hot. So, so incredibly hot. 

Chrissy raises one eyebrow. 

‘Fine. I’ll keep going. but I hate him. ‘ 

-

One session, a few weeks in, Eddie feels it.

He dips down, back bending, coming out of downwards dog. Flowing onto his palms and toes. He breaths, feels his blood flow in his veins and his lungs fill. Rising back up and feeling the stretch in his feet, in his shoulders and hips. He breaths through it, moving with himself, connected to himself. 

Mind blank, room gone, just him and his breath. The smooth voice of Steve telling them to repeat. Eddie does. His eyes close and his mind smooths out. He flows. 

He doesn’t look at Steve again. Misses the glint in his eye, noticing the space Eddie holds on his mat, the tensions that’s been released. Misses Steve’s smile. 

Eddie breathes in. A chord progression plays in his mind. 

He breaths out. It plays again. 

It works perfectly with that scribbled line he re read this afternoon. 

Eddie breaths in. 

He goes home and writes. 

-

Winter eventually thaws and Spring begins slowly, slush still gripping to the sidewalks as the sun peaks through thick clouds. 

Eddie continues to work on demos, that don’t quite hurt so much to look at anymore, and goes to yoga once a week.

Twice a week for a couple weeks now, while Chrissy is away visiting family. Eddie doesn’t want to disturb her too much by phoning. But he misses her, the apartment too quiet, and empty. 

He gets to class early. Kind of exited to feel the stretch in his muscles tonight, see if he can hit the lower warrior stance he’s been working on. Any excitement sifts into annoyance though, once he sees Steve, mingling, in a bright pink shirt and shorts that sit way too high up on his thighs. Eddie’s not a prude, but, does he really need to see so much leg hair and smooth inner thigh when he’s trying to work out? Trying to relax?

‘Ready to feel the burn Munson?’ Steve asks as he saunters past him, clicking on the boombox as he goes

‘Bite me Harrington, ‘m not in the mood.’ Eddie says. annoyed. Always annoyed that Steve is still as fucking handsome as last time. Always so annoyingly handsome. 

He misses Chrissy. 

He’s annoyed

Steve’s shorts are too fucking short… 

Steve’s smug smile does not go unnoticed when Eddie actually falls asleep during the wind down meditation. Steve had skipped the ending applause and instead ushered everyone out quietly, leaving Eddie to sleep for a solid 20 minutes while he packed up. 

Eddie has glared, not able to extend any gratitude to that being the best sleep he’s had all week, his cheeks bright red at being caught. But Steve’s smugness seemed to be thawing with the ice. A softness to his eyes as he bid Eddie goodnight; once Eddie had wrapped himself back up in his winter coat for the walk home. 

Eddie couldn’t help but say goodnight back. ‘See you next week Harrington’ Didn’t seem to sound so bitter anymore. 

-

Eddie watches Chrissy try and show Robin an old cheer move, somehow moving topics once Chrissy had added her money to the pot. Robin’s arms don’t seem to stay straight for long enough, too distracted so she looses form. Chrissy giggling and reaching over to grab her wrist and squeeze. 

‘You two been dating long?’ Steve asks, suddenly next to Eddie and joining him in watching the two girls dance around each other. Eddie gives him such a look of confusion and judgment that Steve puts his hands up in defence. 

‘I’m joking dude, Rob’s been crazy about her for months. Too bad she’s too chicken shit to ask her out.’ 

‘I know, I’m honestly just glad she’s real, Chris wouldn’t shut up about her.’ 

‘Tell her to make it obvious, would you? More obvious that she would expect, Robbie needs that.’ And Steve is smiling, eyes sparking as he looks at them. 

Eddie nods, and he doesn’t know why he feels the need to say what’s he’s going to, why he needs to explain. Why he feels like Steve needs to know, but.: ‘We uh, both swing away from each other on the ol’ spectrum, just so, so that we’re clear.’ 

And Steve is looking at him. At the side of Eddie’s head, because he refuses to see what kind of face Steve is making. 

‘That right?’ Steve says quietly. ‘Well, good to know.’ 

Eddie.. he. ‘Good?’ 

‘Yeah good.’ And Steve’s voice is soft. And Eddie still doesn’t know why but, he blushes. 

And Steve’s moving away and calling Robin to start the session. 

Eddie doesn’t look up from his mat. 

-

He can’t be in the apartment anymore. Going stir crazy, buzzing, trapped in his own head. Its too early, class doesn’t start yet. But Eddie needs out. 

Chrissy isn’t going tonight, working late. The weatherman said there might be a thunder storm in the early hours. the rain already started, pelting his windows and sending a deep swirling ache dripping through Eddie’s nervous system. 

It’s raining so hard he can barely see in front of him but he manages to slop to the studio in one piece, waterproof and face dripping all over the floor. 

It’s warm, once he’s through the doors, the now familiar soft yellow lighting and smell of hardwood greeting him. 

He can hear laughing from the usual room. Moving closer can hear Robin and Steve giggling about something. 

Eddie slips through the door, not really sure what to do but he’s almost ready to admit that he craves the soft light of the familiar yoga room. 

He slips through the door and the first crack of lightning snaps in the distance. 

Steve is in a head stand, giggling and telling robin to knock it off, whatever she’s said making him almost loose his balance. 

Upside down Eddie can see Steve’s back, his T-shirt up around his shoulders. 

There’s old raised lines of jagged scars all along the planes of skin and muscle. Sewn back together and healed all wonky. 

Eddie’s mouth is dry as he stares at them. The muscles moving under Steve’s skin, the softness at his hips. Eddie gulps. 

His dad setting the stupid boat house on fire, once he’d heard the sirens, not leaving enough room between himself and the gasoline. Throwing the lighter while he was off balance. The flames licking his arms and face. He told Eddie to run. Eddie did. 

Eddies mat slips from his fingers and smacks against the floor. Steve coming down from his position and turning around, shirt falling back and covering him. ‘Sorry, sorry.’ Eddie stammers, not sure what about. His hands are sweating. Steve, with skin like that. He’s not his Dad, he’s not. 

Eddie doesn’t even know if his Dad is out of prison. The lightning cracks again, closer. It was raining the day of the verdict, the courthouses grey brick so waterlogged it looked black. 

Eddie can barely look at him. Who even is this guy? 

‘Hey man, you okay?’ Steve asks, voice soft and Eddie needs to leave. He needs to leave. 

‘Water.’ Eddie slips back out of the room, into the hallway and he speed walks down the corridor to the water cooler. Thudding his shoulder into the wall next to it and sliding down into a crouch. Thunder claps and rattles its deep booming cry. 

His breath is shaky, a little too fast. When he closes his eyes he sees the black smoke and orange flames licking the forest skyline as he ran. Feet pumping and sweat dripping into his eyes. His dad told him to run. So he had. Leaving him there. 

Eddie can barely breathe. He’s already run for so long, the sirens faint and distant. His dad’s cold eyes on him in the hospital; burns unit. In court. Wayne dragging Eddie home in tears. Soaking wet. 

His head jerks and smacks the wall behind him. Pulling him back to the present. The wet slap of his hair against his cheek. Eddie can’t breath, his hands are shaking and, and. 

Steve is crouched in front of him, lips moving but Eddie can’t hear him over the blood rushing in his ears. 

Steve counts on his fingers; one, two, three. Holding them up for Eddie to see. Then his other hand reaches forward and pokes Eddie in the sternum over his slimy waterproof. Steve breaths in, fingers counting again. Steve hold it, fingers. He breaths out, fingers. 

For the next round Eddie follows, hands shaking and cupping over his ears. He breaths in, unable to hold it but he breaths everything in his lungs out. Does it again. Following the count of Steve’s fingers. He has a plaster over his thumb. Eddie wonders what happened. Eddie’s breaths in, holds it for three, breaths out. 

Eventually Eddie can breathe on his own, still shaky, but consistent. The thunder and lightning having moved off into the distance. 

Steve gets him a cup of water from the cooler, handing it over slowly and Eddie grips it in both hands. ‘You scared me there Munson.’ He says without heat. 

‘Yeah I, sorry.’ Eddie cheeks burn, it’s been, a long time since he’s had one like that. 

‘S’okay. I know these are pretty scary.’ Steve motions to his back, shifting to sit against the wall next to Eddie. Sad sort of smile pulling on his lips. 

Eddie panics. ‘No, no that. They’re, they’re not.’ Because they really aren’t. He just, he wasn’t expecting it. 

‘I’m kidding Eddie, you’re good.’ Steve says, smiling for real now, small wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Those will look pretty as he ages, Eddie’s thinks. He nods. 

Steve nods back, eyes Eddie, flicking over his face. ‘You wanna do class tonight? I can take you home?’ 

‘Oh uh no.’ Eddie drains his water. ‘I mean no, I want to do class. It um, it helps.’ He stares into the little plastic water cup. 

But in his peripheral, Steve is smirking, smug as shit and Eddie tries to scowl. But he just ends up hiding his grin behind his hair. 

‘Let me give you a lift home after though, yeah?’ Steve asks, bumping their shoulders together. ‘Storm isn’t due to let up until tomorrow and I can’t have one of my best students getting sick.’ Steve says, standing up from the floor with an ease that Eddie still envy's. Holding his big hands out to haul Eddie up. 

It takes a second to reorient himself, Steve is, Steve is pretty strong. ‘Uh, thanks. Thank you, Steve.’ He manages, squeezing Steve’s fingers once. 

‘Don’t mention it.’ And Steve’s eyes are soft and kind and endless. 

Eddie pulls away. Slips down the corridor and back into the studio. 

Steve’s car is nice. A beemer that’s a few years out but it looks like he takes care of it. The interior cream and the leather soft, it’s tidy, and there’s an air freshener hanging from the mirror, a pinup of a sailor. Eddie flicks it, smirking. 

‘Gift from Robin. We used to uh, work at a sailor themed ice cream shop. The uniforms were, really somethin’.’ Steve says with a pained sigh, pulling into the street. 

Eddie smiles, aggressively forcing his mind away from Steve in any kind of sailor uniform, steering towards safer territory. 

‘Can I?’ He asks, motioning to Steve’s little box of tapes at his feet. 

‘Have at it man.’ Steve says, squinting slightly and turning up the speed on his wipers. 

Eddie picks the new Queen tape, Steve has a decent collection, a lot of pop and some 70s rock. Eddie nodding his head slightly to “innuendo”. 

He sneaks glances at Steve as he drives. His hand big and veined where it rests on the gear shift. There are raindrops stuck in his arm hairs and the bomber he slipped on is dark across the shoulders. He doesn’t really look anything like those record execs, or their sons, probably. His socks are mismatched and there’s a spot of stubble on his upper lip that he must’ve missed this morning. He runs a yoga studio and is aggressively accommodating when he teaches. He always learns clients names before the end of their first session and he loves his best friend. 

Eddie feels his fringe sticking to his forehead, half sweat half rain. The car windows are slightly misted and he blinks a few times to clear his eyes. ‘Thanks, uh, thank you. For the lift man. You really didn’t have to.’ 

Steve smiles at him, glancing away from the road. Some of his hair has tucked itself into the his little hoop earring, something in Eddie’s chest softening. ‘Do you want to talk about it? Earlier?’

Eddie, he doesn’t. Not really. 

‘It was raining the day my dad got sent to prison. Thunder and lightning by the time my uncle could got me home.’ Eddie settles on, voice thick.

‘Fuck, Eddie. I’m so sorry.’ 

‘’S fine. I’m, he wasn’t that great of a dad.’ Eddie huffs, he really doesn’t want to get into that. 

Steve glances at him, smile sad. ‘I’ll cheers to that man. But yeah, still.’ He shrugs. 

‘Thanks. Um, if you take a left here my place is just at the end.’ Eddie says, quietly, tired. 

They arrive at the base of his apartment, the rain hammering on the roof and blurring the glow of the yellow streetlight. Eddie moves for the door, hand on the mat between his knees. 

‘Oh hey, wait, uh.’ Steve says, moving in a little closer. 

He reaches out, fingertips brushing the soft skin below Eddie’s eye. ‘Eyelash.’ He murmurs, holding the little hair up for Eddie to see. ‘Make a wish.’ 

Eddie swallows, feels the ghost of tear tracks still crusted over his cheeks. A boy just touched his cheek. He sniffs.

When he was a kid and his dad remembered his birthday he’d get Eddie a slice of pie from the diner. Linda who worked there always managed to find a candle out back for him; squeezing his shoulder and giving Eddie a smile that only read a little bit like pity. His dad would tell him to make a wish and ask for money, or fame, or for Al to one day own a new Mustang. 

Eddie always wished for the same thing.

For something to change. 

Figured something had to give. 

Now Eddie thinks about it, again, and maybe evrything has changed. Maybe everything is exactly what it looks like, and he’s here, in the centre of it. And there are parts, parts that are quite beautiful. 

He breathes in, opening his eyes and watching the eyelash flutter away on his breath. Eddie wishes to be able to see it.

-

‘Mind if I touch you?’ Steve asks from behind Eddie. ‘You almost have it.’ 

Eddie starts, muscles shaking a little. ’Sure, sure Stevie.’ He whispers. 

Steve’s warm finger press gently under Eddie’s arm so he lifts it slightly. Then on his shoulders so they dip minutely lower. Finally his palms wrap around Eddie’s waist, twisting him so he’s facing forward more fully. 

Eddie breaths out the air he’d been holding, long and slow, sinking into the pose. 

‘That’s it. Perfect.’ Steve soothes and moves on to the next person. 

Eddie falls asleep that night with the phantom press of palms on his waist. 

-

It’s raining again, but, no thunder. On a Tuesday, the session that Chrissy and Robin can’t make. The session that only Eddie attends in his now comfortable bi-weekly yoga routine. 

The night that it’s also routine for Steve to drive Eddie home. 

Tonight Steve wore a long sleeve and track pants to class. It’s not that unusual but, it’s warmer out now. So, a little unusual for Steve really, who’s usually sweaty during class even with ice clinging to the windows. 

He’s quiet too, doesn’t roll his eyes at Eddie playing one of the handful of tapes that he’d squirrelled into the car for these short rides. Doesn’t bat Eddie’s hand away from the temperature dials, telling Eddie to zip his coat up if he’s so frail. 

Tonight Steve is just quiet, moving the class into child’s pose three times. Leaving the ending meditation in silence. His breath wavering on the classes final group goodnight. 

‘…Steve? Are you okay?’ Eddie finally asks, the quiet too suffocating, the downward pinch of Steve’s mouth making Eddie’s heart feel heavy and rotted. 

‘Hm? Yeah, I’m just. Bad day, scars itch.’ And Steve smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He looks almost sadder. 

‘Can, uh. How did? I mean, you don’t. But.’ Eddie stammers, he’s never been much good at comforting but if Steve needs someone to listen, he can do that. Wants to. 

Steve sighs, pulling up next to the sidewalk, Eddie’s apartment just at the end of the street, cutting the ignition so it’s just the two of them, and the rain. 

‘They’re from a car accident. When I was 18. I, shouldn’t have been driving, it was so stupid. I wasn’t drunk or anything just, upset. Had a fight with my Dad, bad one. This other car was driving, pulling up along side me. It was this asshole from my high-school asking to race. I said yes like an idiot. But I was so, so angry. At everything. I thought, winning maybe, winning and wiping that smug fucking look from his face. Would like, help?’ 

Eddie doesn’t really know what to say, or do. Steve is picking at the skin on his knuckles, the joints going red and raw. So Eddie takes his hand, holding his finger between both of his own; smoothing his thumb over its ridges. 

Steve sniffs, corner of his mouth tucking up, bottom lip wobbling. ‘Anyway, we’re driving way too fucking fast and then there are these kids, suddenly, biking on the road. And, and this asshole, he speeds up. Planned on running straight into them, I could see it in his, cold fucking eyes. And I just, I swerved. Went right into him. Better me than those kids u know?’ Steve runs his free hand through his hair, laughing in a way though could just as easily be a sob. ‘He got off without much of a scratch, but uh, my door crumpled against a tree and like, fucked up my back a load, got these scars and aches and stuff now. Didn’t get charged with anything, luckily. Those kids actually vouched for me, babysat them here and there and, now we’re actually friends, as much as they annoy the shit outa me.’ And Steve’s cheeks are red, wetness glistening in his lash line, threatening to spill. He sniffs again, scoffing and turning his head away. 

Eddie pulls their joined hands into his lap, so Steve turns back towards him again. He’s hunched; looks young, and scared, and tired. 

‘But, yeah. I dunno why I told you all that honestly but. I guess. Anger only gets you so far, usually somewhere stupid. That’s my, uh, my pro tip I guess. Harder to forgive but way better for you.’ 

The silence stretches again, more comfortable this times. Eddie runs his thumb over the downy hairs on Steve fingers, over the scar by his thumb. Massages his palms, digging fingers into sinew. 

‘You know, I hated you that first session.’ Eddie says, tired of the ache that Steve’s tears are causing in his ribs. Tired of being angry, tired of being scared. 

‘Yeah.’ Steve scoffs, rolling his eyes, grin stretching slow and sweet. Like it’s a good memory, a memory to savour. 

‘Yeah. Too fucking handsome for his own good this guy. And charming, and rightfully cocky; you’re good at your job Stevie. Really good, and it pissed me the fuck off.’ Eddie says, his own smile stretching.

And Steve laughs, a honking snoring ugly little thing and it makes Eddie heart swell, his cheeks flush and his cheeks hurt from smiling so big. 

Steve is looking at him, tears gone. 

‘You wanna go get something to eat? The diner around the corner does really good cheeseburgers? My treat?’ 

‘Yeah Eddie, I’d, um, I’d really like that.’ Steve says.

-

‘We’re going to get coffee, don’t wait up.’ Chrissy shouts at them, linking arms with Robin and pulling her down the street. 

Robin sends Steve one wild grin, honking a delighted snort of laughter and following Chrissy. 

‘Well.’ Eddie says at Steve who’s grinning like a loon. 

‘Home?’ Steve asks, twirling his keys on his finger. 

Eddie nods and get in, so used to the smell and the feel of the car now. The way Steve drives with one hand on the wheel, the other tapping on the window ledge or fiddling with the temperature or gesticulating as he talks. Eddie comfortable in the passenger, curled up in his sweater and squeezing the mat between his knees. Some rides home he realises he didn’t even take a glance out of the window, eyes set on Steve the whole time. 

‘Hey, do you want to come up?’ Eddie ask. 

‘Come up and do what?’ And Steve’s smiling at him, cocky and confident and sweet and Steve. 

Eddie leans forward, kissing the corner of Steve’s mouth, which is a little stubbly from his moustache coming in. Where he smirks and licks his lips before a difficult pose. He’s Steve Harrington, and Eddie kissed him. 

-

‘Hey Wayne.’ Eddie smiles, squeezing the receiver. 

‘Hey kid, you all packed.’ Wayne sounds tired but relaxed and Eddie nudges the box by his foot, full of merch ready to load in the van come morning. 

‘Yeah, just a few more bits, Steve just left so, got distracted.. you remember Steve, he my, the uh, the yoga instructor?’ Eddie asks, cheeks flushing. 

 ‘Mmm I ‘member Steve. You sweet on him boy?’ 

‘Yes Wayne, he is!’ Chrissy shouts as she walks past. 

Eddie jumps and almost hisses at her like a cat. She, where did she even come from?

Wayne’s smoky laughter draws Eddie back to the phone. ‘I. God Wayne are you 12?’ But that just makes him laugh more. 

‘I’m going okay? Love you old man, I’ll call when I can.’ 

‘Love ya too ed, be safe. I’ll come visit once you’re back. Wanna meet this Steve everyone keeps going on about.’ 

Eddie huffs but he can’t help smiling, imagining Steve and Wayne together. 

‘You deserve someone good Ed, ye understand?’ 

Eddie blinks, blinks back tears. The things he has around him now, the people, the tools, his music. What he’s been given. What he always wished for. 

‘Yeah, yeah Wayne, I think I do.’ 

₊✩‧₊

Tag list: @pearynice @scoops-aboy86 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @cheesedoctor @chickensinrainboots

@marvel-ous-m @tangerinesteve

“Just go!” Steve screamed trying to push Dustin through the still open gate. 

“But Eddie!” the curly haired boy shouted in response, trying his hardest to get back down off the older man's shoulders.

“I’ve got him ok, Robin can you grab Dustin please?” He asked loudly, shouting into the gate. 

“Yeah, I’ve got him,” she replied as she pulled Dutin up with the help of Lucas and Nancy. “You next,” she said, grabbing Steve. 

“I’m not leaving him, you guys all go. Get what help you can, I’ll get Eddie and get out,” he said, squeezing her hand once before running away. 

“Did he get out?” Eddie rasped out as Steve knelt down next to him. 

“Yeah he did. This is going to suck okay but we need to get you out of here so you need to move. I can do all the heavy lifting but you gotta work with me,” Steve said as he scanned over Eddie's body, trying to work out the best way to move him without causing any more damage. 

“Come on then big boy, let’s roll,” Eddie stuttered out as he tried to sit himself up, clearly in a lot of pain. 

Between the two of them they managed to get Eddie standing and he moved a few steps towards the gate, his whole weight against the other man. 

“Guys come on! We’ve got things ready but you need to hurry, the gate is closing!” They heard Erica shout from the open gate. “Move your asses!”

The pair moved as quickly as they could towards the gate but they could see it was closing up. Trying to move quicker, they almost made it before the last speck of light faded out and it shut. 

“Well fuck,” Eddie whispered. “We’re screwed. Stuck down here.” 

“For the time being, yeah. We need to get you somewhere where you can rest up whilst we think of a plan,” Steve sighed, looking around. This had to be somewhere close, Eddie was getting real heavy and Steve’s own injuries were hurting the longer he held the other. 

He noticed the bench close by in the trailer park and moved over towards it. 

“This isn’t ideal but it’s something for now okay,” Steve panted whilst helping Eddie sit down at the bench. 

“What’s up? Your big strong jock muscles not up to the task of holding lil ol me?” Eddie asked, giving the end of his sentence a Southern twang. 

“I could bench your weight easily any day Munson,” Steve laughed and then winced. “I’m just injured right now.” 

“We can put that to the test another time,” he hummed. 

“Alright, calm down,” the other man blushed and turned away. “I’m going to go and have a quick look around and see what I can find, o? Think you can stay out of trouble while I'm away?”

“I make no such promise. Don’t leave me too long though, yeah?” Eddie joked with an overly dramatic wink.

“Don’t miss me too much,” Steve laughed, walking away. 

Everything seemed to calm. Vecna was dead, he knew this, Robin having landed the killing blow. But he still couldn’t help but feel that this was too calm. The bats had disappeared and the red sky was now just a dull grey. He wondered where he could head to find something to at least drink, he figured the best place would be Benny’s. The diner was most likely to have things like bottled water and things in wrappers not out of date regardless of what time they were in or from. 

It felt weird to walk into Benny’s as it was before Benny had been murdered and the diner had changed hands. He was suddenly hit with the memories of the handful of dates he had brought here over the years. Fries and a milkshake making the perfect ending to a movie night. Sugar laced kisses under the lights of the sign outside.  

Heading straight to the stockroom Steve looked around to see what he could find. Small bottles of water were stacked up against the wall. He noticed a little cart also sat in the stockroom and filled it with bottled water and cans of beans he also found. He added a bag of salt that he figured they could use to make sterile water to the cart too. As he was about to leave he remembered that the diner must have a first aid kit and went on a hunt for that. Rummaging around the office he came across 2 bottles of vodka as well, those went straight into the cart. Finding the first aid kit he made sure everything was in the cart ok and left the diner, not before grabbing spoons and forks for them to eat with, as well as a pan to warm the beans up in if they wanted. 

The short walk back to the trailer park and Eddie was filled with anxiety. What if he got back and Eddie wasn’t there or he had been attacked again? What if he had succumbed to his injuries and there was nothing that Steve could do when he got back? All these kinds of thoughts raced through his mind until he saw Eddie still sitting at the picnic table looking around and very much alive. 

“Wow, did you get a full weekly shop while you were away?” Eddie laughed the best he could through the pain. Wincing and holding his side gingerly as he did so.

“I only managed to find water, beans, a first aid kit and vodka, nothing fancy unfortunately,” Steve joked back gesturing to various things in the cart. “But this does mean we can eat, drink some water as well as clean and dress the wounds.” 

“We should find shelter as well,” Eddie suggested. “I don’t think we should go far though with the gate being around here, at least for a few days, for when they come back for us.” 

“Yeah that’s a good idea. Any idea where we can find a tent or something like that around here?” the other man asked, looking around to see if he could find somewhere suitable. 

“There was one in the trailer, I’m not sure if that’ll have disappeared in the wreckage though,” Eddie answered, nodding towards what was still standing of the trailer he used to call home. 

“Okay, let me go and see what I can find,” Steve said, starting to walk off in the direction indicated. 

“Sit down and have a drink at least, you’ve just been in a battle. We’re not in immediate danger so take a second, please,” Eddie stopped him and reasoned with him. 

Steve nodded and sat down taking a couple bottles of water from the cart, handing one to Eddie and opening one himself. They sat in silence and drank the water, not feeling as though they needed to say anything. 

“Permission to go and see what I can find now?” Steve joked once he'd finished the water and stood back up again gingerly. 

“Sure, I’m not sure I can be of any help though. I’ll probably curl over and pass out if I move much,” Eddie sighed.

“Just sit there and stay alive okay? You’d be less use to me if you passed out or bled out,” Steve said sternly as he walked away. 

Steve walked over to the Munson trailer and stepped inside. Aside from half of it being missing, most of the trailer looked okay. He started to look through various big cupboards, finding a handful of blankets, a couple of old spare pillows and the mentioned tent. He also found a couple pairs of jeans, some underwear, t-shirts and a couple of towles. Grabbing it all together he headed back out to Eddie, hoping he could remember how to put a tent together. It had been years since he and Tommy had their obsession with camping and Steve smiled to himself at the flash of memories of his former best friend. 

“I’m back and I found a few things we could use. Not sure not sure how to set up the tent though but I'll work it out. I also found a change of clothes for each of us,” he announced as he walked back towards the table. 

“The tent will be super easy to put up, it'll have been a really cheap one,” Eddie explained. “Click the poles together and thread them through the holes,” he shrugged, attempting to lean forward to show Steve but stopping with a grunt. 

Less than 10 minutes later the tent was up.

“We should dress these wounds and get changed,” Steve suggested, laying all of the provisions for that on the table. 

“It's just my side really,” Eddie said, standing up and removing his t-shirt. As he removed the t-shirt he had to peel it away from dried blood on broken skin. “Fuck,” he screamed as his skin was pulled away from his body even more. 

“Shit, ok. Erm Eds you’re bleeding a lot ok. We really do need to get you bandaged up and quickly,” Steve said in a quavering voice, clearly panicked and rushing towards the other man. 

He opened up a bottle of vodka and poured some onto the towel he held. 

“This will sting but we need to get this clean okay?” he said, stepping into Eddie’s space and cleaning around the wounds as quickly as possible. 

Once the wound that was bleeding again had been cleaned around it, he opened the bottle again and poured some of the vodka directly onto the wound itself as Eddie let out a scream. He opened the largest of the dressings he could find and placed it over the wound. Once that was covered he started to work on cleaning the other smaller wounds and covering what needed. 

“You said there was more than one bottle of this?” Eddie asked, pointing at the vodka. 

“Erm yeah there is,” Steve answered, handing over the open bottle to Eddie who started to reach for it as soon as he started to answer. 

Taking a couple of big swigs from the bottle he winced at the taste and handed the bottle back to Steve indicating that Steve should do the same.

“Lets get cleaned up and in the tent before we drink anymore shall we?” Steve said through a cough after he had also taken a drink from the bottle.  

Steve took off the vest  he was wearing and undid the temporary bandage that Nancy had put around him. Cleaning himself up using a different towel and a new bottle of vodka, he put new bandages on. 

“Here, let me help with your neck, it’s much harder to see,” Eddie offered, reaching out for both the bottle and the towel. 

Stepping into his  personal space, Eddie was suddenly very aware of how attractive Steve Harrington actually was. It wasn’t just moles that he had, but also a light dusting of freckles too, or maybe it was just dirt, either way Eddie was transfixed for a moment too long. 

“Everything okay?” Steve asked quietly, the question startling Eddie from his thoughts. 

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine. Just a little light headed is all,” Eddie whispered, visibly shaking his head. 

Once Steve’s neck was cleaned up both boys set about getting changed. With no running water they could only do so much about getting clean but a fresh set of clothes was a start.

“Looks like you got some of Wayne’s jeans,” Eddie laughed, nodding down at the pants Steve was now wearing.

“Which is a good job because judging by how skinny they are I’d never have fit into those,” Steve laughed back, pointing at Eddies.

“It’s a good job I haven’t really grown much in the last 3 years, they’re a little short that’s it.” 

“Let’s eat some of these lovely beans and drink some water before we get some rest,” Steve suggested, grimacing at the idea already.

“Pass me a couple of the cans and I'll get them opened,” Eddie said, taking a Swiss army knife out of his pocket. 

The pair sat in relative silence, eating the beans and drinking the water, occasionally making a comment about the things they could see around them.

Once they had eaten and drank a couple of bottles of water they headed inside the tent with the mostly empty bottle of vodka. 

“What a day, ay?” Eddie chuckled, opening the bottle and taking a big swig from it. 

“Yeah, I’ve certainly had better,” Steve laughed, taking the bottle from the other and taking a drink. “I thought I’d told you not to be a hero though?” 

“It bought you lot enough time to kill Vecna right? You also told me not to do anything cute, was me being a hero cute?” Eddie asked, batting his eyelashes. 

“I would not call almost getting yourself killed cute,” Steve sighed with an eyeroll. 

They sat talking whilst finishing the vodka and then they set up the inside of the tent ready for the two of them to sleep in as much as they could on a hard flood with little padding. 

“Now that I’ve laid down, I'm exhausted. I haven’t seen anything to suggest that we’re in danger so I think we’ll both be okay to sleep,” Eddie said as he lay down. 

“I don’t sleep well anyway, I haven’t in years. Not since it all started at least,” Steve shrugged, like it was okay that as a teenager he had become used to not sleeping at night because of horrors that he had witnessed and that he knew lay under the town he lived in. 

“Just try, and keep your hands to yourself Harrington, I’m not one of those girls,” Eddie joked in a mock high pitched voice. 

“Damn, and here was me hoping I could get lucky in this hell space whilst wounded from an attack by bats,” Steve laughed, rolling his eyes. 

He joined Eddie laying down in the tent, pulling a blanket over himself and closed his eyes. The pair fell into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning a lot and then ultimately just deciding to lie there talking but still resting. 

“Do we even know what time it is?” Eddie asked. “My watch broke as I dove down after the girls.” 

“Mines also broke so no, I guess we don't know the time,” Steve replied, looking at his own wrist. 

“Well that’s just great isn’t it?” Eddie sighed, groaning in pain as he tried to throw his hands up dramatically. 

“We may as well make the most of this seeing as we really can’t move far and we’re stuck here,” Steve suggested, sitting back up the best he could in a tent. “Let’s move from the tent and have a drink and something to eat. I don’t think we should be changing the bandages yet as we don't have many. Maybe I should go on a hunt to see if I can find some more.” 

“I think you may have to help me up from this hard floor before you go all hunter gatherer on me.” 

“Sure, I can’t pull too much though,” Steve pointed out, offering his hand. 

With a lot of grunting, groaning and more than a few curse words, Eddie was up off the ground and both boys were in a lot of pain. 

“So, we have plenty of time for you to tell me the story. What happened to King Steve? One day you’re all loved up with Nancy and the next Billy Hargrove is pushing you around on the basketball court and you’re doing jack shit about it,” Eddie commented, as he opened more beans for them to eat once they'd sat back at the bench.

“Well you know we explained all about the 3 previous rounds we’d gone with this place,” he answered, gesturing all around him. “Well, in between rounds 1 and 2, I stepped away from all the superficial bullshit because it meant nothing. It cost me Nancy and almost my life because of that. After that I didn’t really care. In comes Billy after round 2 and Nancy broke up with me. I had no reason to keep my appearance up,” Steve shrugged.

“I guess almost dying a handful of times does make you think of things differently,”  Eddie hummed. 

“What about you? If we're getting deep and personal right now, why Hellfire?” He asked, nodding to the other boy. 

“I didn’t have any friends when I first moved here. I was the new kid with parent issues, living with his uncle in a 1 bed trailer. So when I actually found friends and we started to play DnD together I wanted to keep that going, I wanted to make sure no one else had to feel that lonely again if I could help it,” Eddie answered before totally looking away, clearly upset by the mention of his friends.

“Makes sense. I guess we all find community where we can, when we can, especially in highschool. Your little band of misfits always seemed to have fun though. You’re little table top rants always made me laugh,” Steve said lightheartedly, remembering some of his favourites.  

“Which is actually really funny, seeing as they were mostly directed at you and other people in privileged positions like you.”

“I’d give up an empty house and parents who don’t speak to you for weeks on end for a home that has love and a guardian who loves me any day of the week. A lot of the kids like me are the same. Big empty, sterile house. Raised by a nanny or two until 14, then you’ve got to learn to cook, grocery shop and keep a house. I’m not saying I had it harder at all. The parties were fun. Having a big house with a pool obviously has its perks but it's a different struggle I guess,” Steve shrugged. 

“Damn Harrington, got me feeling sorry for you over here,” Eddie whistled lowley.

“Anyway, let me take this cart and go and see what I can find to keep us alive,” he exclaimed, maybe a little too loudly, and stood up, stepping away from the table. 

Steve helped Eddie get back into the tent and settled down so that he could get some more rest before he headed off towards Bradley Big Buy and Melvalds Drug Store. He needed to find all he could to help them whilst they were down here. 

Heading straight to Big Buy he found it closed and locked up. 

“Damn it,” he shouted and sighed heavily. Now what? 

He turned and headed to the drug store, hoping to at least find bandages for them both and maybe something to help keep their wounds clean.

Finding the store open and the door unlocked he headed inside and looked around and what he could find.  

He found more water, some packs of wet hand wipes so they could freshen up a little. Rooting through the aisles Steve also found bandages of all different sizes, sadly the antiseptic products all appeared to have sold out. Seeing if he could spot anything else that they may need he continued to wonder. He found a handful of cans of food that he added to the cart, already trying to count up how much food they had and how best to ration it out with them being stuck here for an unspecified amount of time. As he was walking down the final aisle he saw it, the door to the store room and went towards it. 

It was small but it was full. He found a lot more water, more cans and more bandages and cotton pads they could use to clean the wounds. His cart was almost overflowing when he left the store.

Heading back to Eddie and their little camp they had created he thought about Eddie, how they had just opened up to each other without really knowing each other all that much but had bared themselves so quickly, so easily, like they were discussing the weather and not childhood trauma that had changed everything. 

He finally made it back to the tent and opened it up softly to try and make as little noise as possible, looking inside he saw something that he wasn’t sure ever existed. Eddie Munson, completely still and as calm as they come. No fidgeting with his rings, his clothes or just generally moving, totally still. He was almost ethereal lying there with his hair fanned out and a peaceful look on his face, Steve wasn’t sure he had ever seen Eddie looking peaceful, a range of other emotions yes, but not peaceful.

“He looks so beautiful” was Steve’s last thought before he realised that it was actually really creepy for him to be standing there just watching the other man sleep and stepped back,closing the tent back up.

He sat at the table and tried to think of something to help them out of this situation. They could only survive down here for so long. Then what? Could they try to communicate with the other side? El couldn’t open the gate again, she was too far away and they couldn’t drag her back into all of this when she was finally free of this nightmare. The only saving grace of it all was that Robin, Nancy and Dustin all knew they were down here. Three people that would not stop before that gate was opened again and the two of them were found. Surly Dustin, Robin and everyone else would be looking for ways to get them back? He just hoped they would still be alive when that happened. 

A little while later he heard a groaning from within the tent and he went to investigate. 

“Good morning sleeping beauty, manage to get some sleep then?” He asked as he peered into the tent and noticed Eddie was awake.

“I think my body just shut down and decided it needed to rest I guess. I lay down one second and the next I'm waking up in a lot of pain. How long have I been out?” Eddie asked. 

“I’m not really sure but I don't think I’ve been back from my shopping trip long, so probably not all that long I guess,” he shrugged. 

“Did you manage to find anything?” Eddie asked as he tried to move towards the entrance of the tent. 

“A little bit yeah, some more water, some more food and most importantly more bandages so i think we should change ours soon,” Steve replied, leaning into the tent properly and helping Eddie to his feet outside the tent.

“Okay, yeah. Probably for the best. Erm we should move from this spot and drink something,” Eddie whispered into the very small distance between them. Their noses almost touching. 

“Yeah we should,” Steve whispered back, still holding onto Eddie's arm and still not moving backwards.

Eventually after a few more seconds, that felt like a lifetime to both boys, they moved to sit back at their bench.

Things were getting intense between the two of them already, sharing moments like that. Eddie hadn’t seemed too bothered by it though. He didn’t seem too awkward by them. Steve did need to get a grip on his feelings though. Things were going to be difficult enough down here without throwing any kind of romantic feelings into the mix. He wasn’t even sure where they had come from. He’d never really noticed the other man like that before.

“‘Shall I go and gather some wood so we can set a fire and heat some water up so we can clean the wounds with some sterile water?” Steve questioned wanting to get away and think about all of this.

“Sure, let's get this cart emptied and we can go and see what we can find. I’m sure I can help with that,” Eddie responded.

The two boys spent time sorting out all of the bottled water, all of the cans and all of the badges so they could clearly see how much they had to last them. 

“I’m really unsure if I can find other stuff to go with all of this easily so we may need to be careful with this lot,” Steve pointed out, gesturing to the piles. 

“Yeah we really do need to go easy on it,” Eddie agreed. “Let's go act like boy scouts and build a fire.”

Steve once again grabbed the cart and the two of them together, very slowly, made their way back into the woods. 

They searched the ground for all the odd twigs they could find before trying to get any that were actually attached to any trees. 

“Wait!” Steve exclaimed as Eddie reached for the tree. “Remember the hive mind, I think we need to be really careful that they're not all linked still. If something comes for us you get to safety and I'll hold them off for as long as possible okay? Nothing heroic this time Munson. Got it?” He ended with a raised eyebrow. 

“Don't worry big boy, you can have your sacrifice play should it come down to that,” Eddie replied with as dramatic of a bow as he could. He was sure there was nothing out there wanting to hurt them but he wasn't going to tell Steve and cause an unnecessary argument when simply agreeing with him solved everything. Plus he had to admit having that protective streak of the others turned on him was hot.

As Steve stood watching Eddie once again reached for a branch and got ready to run if needed. Grabbing the first branch he could, he waited to see if anything happened before he broke it off. 

“Can you hear anything?” He whispered to Steve. 

“No, I think we’re all good,” came the reply in a hushed tone. 

“I’ll snap one off then,” Eddie said, breaking the first branch off. 

Nothing came running at them, no loud noises could be heard in the distance and they weren’t attacked. Once the first couple of branches were added to the cart Steve helped to add more, the boys worked quickly and in a comfortable silence. 

“Erm, were any of us actually a boy scout?” Steve questioned with a laugh once they had returned and sorted the wood out into its own little pile. 

“I sure as hell wasn’t that would mean that daddy dearest cared enough to do something like that for me,” Eddie pointed out. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to build a fire though, let's hope my lighter survived the hell that has been the last few days.”

“Alright, I’ll leave that to you then,” Steve gestured to the wood pile.

Rummaging through the wood pile, Eddie found some smaller bits whilst Steve went to see if he could find something to sit over it to rest their pot on in nearby trailers.

Eddie got a fire started and Steve found a piece of equipment designed for exactly what they needed. They emptied a couple of bottles of water into the pot, added some of the salt and placed that over the fire to boil up. Whilst they waited for it to heat Eddie opened a couple of the cans and they started to eat them. 

“So, tell me something about Steve Harrington that I wouldn’t have previously known,” Eddie pipes up, jolting the other from his thoughts. 

“Erm, wow, that’s a tough one. Okay, so, this is something only Robin knows but something tells me the secrets safe with you. I actually like men as well as women. She said there’s a word for it but I can’t remember it. But yeah, I also like men,” He ended with a shrug. This was terrifying, he could have read the whole thing wrong and he could have just revealed his biggest secret and was about to be ridiculed for it. 

“Bisexual, the um, word you’re looking for is bisexual. Thank you for telling me. You’re 100 percent correct as well, secrets safe with me because I too like men as well and women. Mines not so much of a secret in Indy though. The clubs there are a lot more liberal, we can go there when we’re out of here and all healed up.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I guess I’ve never explored it, never really been safe for me to do so in Hawkins and there’s always been a girl for me to hook up with if I wanted to.” 

“We can take Robin too if she wants to come.” 

“Oh, I’m not really sure it’s for her,” Steve responded, a little panicked. He couldn’t out Robin.

“If she doesn’t want to go because it’s a club and they’re all loud and crowded we can find a quiet bar instead, but a friend knows a friend and I think she too could benefit from some Indy freedom,” Eddie soothed, seeing the panic rising in Steve.

“Thanks, I’ll mention it to her when I can,” Steve whispered, suddenly choking up. Robin had been accepted for who she was fully by some who she hadn’t had to come out too or explain that when it got too loud her skin felt too small for her and she needed to escape. 

“No worries and it’s not a big deal if she doesn’t want to join us for whatever reason,” Eddie smiled. 

They slipped into more of a casual conversation as they finished their food and took the water off the boil to cool down. Once it was cooled enough they took off the old bandages before using the cotton pads to clean them all off with. 

“This is the best we can do I guess. At least we know that the water is sterile, not just whatever it is in the bottles,” Steve said. 

Once they had cleaned the wounds and placed new bandages on them the pair got settled back into the tent and ready to get some rest for as long as they could. 

“Would you rather wake up as a worm or as a moth?” Eddie suddenly asked into the quiet of the tent. 

Steve let out a startled laugh “Erm probably a moth, I can move around quicker then. I’d be eaten as a worm I think.” 

“Hmm, yeah I agree, a moth would be better but also you can just bury yourself in dirt as a worm,” Eddie pointed out.

“That's actually pretty gross and I stand by my original answer of moth. Would you rather be a ladybug or a beetle?” Steve questioned.

“Ladybug, easy. They’re much prettier,” Eddie answered as though it was a fact and silly that he was being asked.

“But beetles are so much cooler, they can do some really fun things, so Henderson says anyway,” Steve squawked.

“But they’re disgusting, don’t listen to a thing that dweeb tells you,” Eddie laughed. “Okay, lion or elephant?” 

“Oh that's really easy, lion. Top of the food chain, ruler of the jungle and all of that,” Steve said, flexing his muscles. 

“Why did I even ask, of course King Steve was going to pick the lion. Tiger would have been more fitting though but it wasn’t an option,” Eddie giggled.

They continued to play would you rather for a little longer before they fell into a comfortable silence. Eddie couldn’t believe how comfortable he felt whilst he was with Steve. He normally had to  fill any silence with noise of some kind. Whether that be talking or random questions or sounds, he would fill the silence. He didn’t feel the need to do that with Steve around. 

“I miss the little shits,” Steve said suddenly, breaking Eddie’s thought process. “I hope they’re all okay. I don’t think anything from down here got up there so at least they won’t have to battle the monsters again.”

“Yeah, me too. This place would have made an amazing background for a campaign. Maybe I’ll write a new one for them when I’m home again. Wherever home is I guess,” he hummed, clearly trying to remain positive.

“Well, I do have a couple spare rooms and my parents left me the place to myself so if needed you and your Uncle Wayne can come and stay with me for as long as needed. I don’t mind,” Steve suggested.

“We’ll see,” Eddie replied. 

“I’m going to go and grab a drink, be back in a little bit,” the other whispered before moving away almost as though he had been scalded. 

Eddie was glad of the distance, he wasn’t sure he could have given Steve an answer if pressed for one because he wasn’t sure he could handle living with Steve Harrington and everything that would come with that. His heart would never survive it. Developing a crush on the other brunette was not something he should be doing right now. They were in a hell space with no means of escaping and feelings would only make things more complicated.

“So, you, erm, mentioned earlier about being openly bisexual in Indy. What’s that actually like?” Steve asked later that day once he had returned from his walk. 

“It’s a whole different world man, totally different out there than back in Hawkins. You’ll see some familiar faces when you’re there but it's never mentioned. There’s so much more freedom for everyone to be exactly who they want to be. You, erm, ever done anything with another guy before?” Eddie asked softly. 

“I’ve never had the option to try. I know I find men attractive though. I have wanted to kiss men and have sex with men. When I picture a future I can see it being with either a man or a woman.” 

“I’m sure we can find someone for you to experiment with if that’s what you want to do.” 

“Hmm maybe, we’ll see. I’m not really a huge fan of just sleeping around anymore,” Steve shrugged. 

The pair settled down into small talk, swapping stories of classmates past and present as well as stories about people within their town. Eddie laughed at how much gossip Steve had and how big of a bitch he was. Over time the two of them slowly fell asleep, albeit still fairly restlessly, the tent filling with the sounds of them both snoring and steady breathing. 

“What was that?” Steve shouted, sitting up right and feeling around for the axe that had been left with them both. 

“No idea but I heard it too,” Eddie replied in a panic. 

“We should at least leave the tent to see what’s going on and get somewhere safer,” Steve suggested moving ahead of Eddie and opening the tent up slowly, as quietly as he could. 

After checking their immediate surroundings and with as little disturbance as possible the two men made their way out of the tent. They could now see a lot further into the distance and couldn’t see anything of any concern. 

“Look, I’m the one with the weapon okay, stay with me and run if needed, please,” Steve pleaded with Eddie.

“Yeah as if I’m leaving you alone down here, especially when you have the best weapon,” Eddie joked, trying to keep the mood light. 

Eddie was not sure what he could do though. He wasn’t in any state to fight, there didn’t seem to be any weapons around either for him to pick up and use, Steve would stand a better chance if he wasn’t there. And then it hit him, how this beautiful man with his whole life ahead of him could potentially die because of him. 

“Whatever,” Steve snorted a laugh and shook his head. 

The noise was heard again. Almost like a screeching, neither could say if it sounded viscous or even hostile really. The walk over to the noise took the pair through the woods, past the lab and coming out by the quarry. Standing at the top of the quarry they looked down to see if they could spot what had been making the noise. 

“Holy shit,” Steve stage whispered. “Look down there,” he pointed. 

Down at the bottom of the quarry were a handful of demodogs which could only be described as playing, they seemed to be chasing each other around like actual dogs. It was kind of cute. 

“What the fuck are those?” Eddie asked, horrified. 

“Demodogs. Met them during round two with this place. One kind of saved us, it was really weird,” Steve explained.

“That doesn’t take away and from my what the fuck dude,” Eddie stressed. 

“I’ll explain all later okay? I don’t think they’re going to hurt us. We’d know if they were. This seems to be the cause of the noises we heard, I can’t see anything else around here. Can you?” 

“No, I can’t see anything else around here or hear any other noises. Let’s get the fuck outta here man,” Eddie suggested, grabbing Steve’s arm and walking away.

Walking back the way they came they fell into easy chatter with Steve explaining all about the demodogs and how they had been saved by D’art. Conversation had come easier and easier during the time they had been down here with the forced proximity of living and sleeping in a very small space and not having anywhere else to go due to dangers and injury. 

Conversations had been frank and honest at times. Talking about their hopes and dreams for the future, what they wanted to do and what they thought they would actually end up doing. Steve confessed his desire to do all he could to get into college and become an EMT. Eddie admitted that he really wanted to teach music to kids that couldn’t afford private lessons, that he’d like to work with a music shop to make sure that each kid he taught could get an instrument in an affordable way. They also had ridiculous conversations, all the silly stuff they had believed as children that now they think about it seems really stupid. All the rumours they had heard during middle school and high school that they could remember. Both confessed to having started a few of them each. 

“I’m going to sit outside tonight, just to make sure. You get some sleep,” Steve stated matter of factly later on in the day. 

“Alright then, you can come and sleep any time though if you need to,” Eddie pointed out.

Eddie lay down and tried his best to get comfortable. Something that was difficult for him to do with the amount of pain he was in with the bites, how every movement felt like it was opening some part of the wound up again. Finally he fell into an uneasy rest, already missing the presence of another person next to him, or maybe it was who that other person had been. 

Waking later on Eddie made his way out of the tent and straightened himself up the best he could. Looking around he made sure that all seemed safe. Nothing seemed to have been wrecked in the right and there were no other signs of conflict or anything else having gone wrong. 

He looked over at the table and saw Steve slumped over. Running as fast as he could over to the other man he feared the worst. Not only was Steve dead, Eddie himself was doomed. 

“Stevie, sweetheart, I really need you to wake up,” Eddie spoke as he shook Steve gently. “Steve please.” 

“Please what?” Came the sleepy response. 

“Jesus Christ!” Eddie exclaimed, pulling his hand back from Steve’s shoulder. “I thought you were fucking dead, and you were just napping.” 

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Seems as though it was all okay though,” Steve smiled, looking up at Eddie sleepily. 

As he calmed down from the near heart attack he’d had moments before he realised just how beautiful Steve looked when he was all sleepy. It was obvious how attractive he was when he was wearing his preppy clothes and his hair was styled perfectly but this Steve was on a whole new level. Messy hair and a dopey smile across his face made him look less polished but more perfect in a way.

Time blurred and the two men grew closer. They spent time wondering as far as they dared around the surrounding area to see if they could find anything else to help them survive more comfortably down here. They even discussed actually moving into one of the houses that was close as both were suffering with sleeping on the floor, as padded as they had since made it. They ultimately decided that it still felt too weird to live in someone else's home that was stuck in a time capsule, however both did agree that they would revisit the conversation at a later date if needed. They had managed to add more food and water to their pile and had been able to change their clothes too a few times.

The ‘day’ started as normal, the two sleeping closely on the bed that they had made. Steve woke up and propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at the sleeping boy sort of beneath him. Taking a moment to admire how handsome Eddie actually was, he moved some hair from the other’s face and allowed his fingers to linger a little before moving them away. 

“Keep doing things like that big boy and I’ll start to think you like me,” Eddie hummed sleepily, eyes still closed.

“Maybe I do, is there an issue with that?” Steve whispered, without really thinking and then hoping the other hadn’t heard him.

“That depends if you’re going to do something about it or not?” he questioned opening his eyes and meeting the others.

“Oh, erm,” Steve gulped, moving backwards and making to leave the tent. 

“Stop,” Eddie insisted, wrapping his hand around Steve’s wrist.

“Let me go please?” he whispered, tears evident in his voice. 

“No,” Eddie replied. “I want you to do something about it.” 

“What?” Steve asked, shocked.

“I want you to do something about it,” Eddie repeated. “I like you too.” 

“You mean it Eds?” Steve spoke softly.

“Deadly serious sweetheart,” he answered, sitting up and closer to the other man.

Steve finally looked around and into Eddie’s eyes. He moved so he was facing the other again and they both leaned forward, meeting in the middle with a tending touch of their lips.  

Their ‘days’ continued as they had before. The Kiss as it would become known as, but now there was added intimacy. They cuddled at night, as best they could with wounds that didn’t seem to be healing. 

What felt like weeks later, the concept of time really gone by this point. The gate once again opened. 

“Steve, Eddie?” came the voice of Dustin from outside of the tent. 

The pair untangled themselves and raced out of the tent as quickly as they could considering they were both very weak from dehydration, malnutrition and prolonged pain.

“Dustin!” Eddie exclaimed, walking as quickly as he could towards the curly haired boy. “You’re here! Does this mean we can finally go home? I’ve had awful company, truth be told he smells a little, and I’m ready for a meal that isn’t beans from a can and drink something that isn’t bottled water. I’m still in a really bad way and I’m pretty sure Steve’s wound is a little infected so heading to a hospital might be the best thing for us both.”

“So I went ahead and called Dr. Owens and told him that none of us were signing another NDA until everyone had been treated and Eddie’s name had been cleared. We’re not children they can force into them now, I will happily write an article about this and send it to every major newspaper. I am sick of this bullshit,” Nancy declared, making her presence known.  

“This means that they’re actually on the way here. You two will be taken to a private suite and looked after around the clock until you’re able to go home” Robin added, leaning up from where she had been tucked under Steve's arm. 

“That’s amazing, “ Steve breathed. “We’re finally getting out of here, Eds,” he smiled at the other man. He didn’t miss the look Robin gave him as he said it. 

Getting both Steve and Eddie back out of the Upside Down was a struggle.

“You go first Eds, let's get you to safety,” Steve insisted, trying his hardest to help Eddie towards the gate.

Once both of them were through, they were to be taken to a private hospital. They were promised doctors and nurses would be waiting to treat their wounds and monitor them for any ill effects from prolonged exposure to the Upside Down.

Doctor Owens was waiting in Steve’s room when he arrived. 

“Where’s Eddie?” Steve demanded to know as soon as he saw the other man.

“He’s in surgery currently. He’s in a bad way, the surgeons, doctors and nurses are doing all they can to save him. It seems as though the Upside down was keeping him somewhat stable so once he was taken out of it he got rapidly worse.”

“Owens I swear if he dies I will be going to the press about this latest fight we had because you guys had to mess with shit you didn’t know. I’m standing with what Nancy said. None of us are signing anything until we’re all okay and Eddie’s name is cleared. Simple as that,” Steve stated, trying his best to not wince in pain. 

“I assure you, we’re already working on getting his name cleared okay. We’re going to say that Henry Creel came back to Hawkins and went on a killing spree but that we’ve got him and he’s heading to prison. We’re going to say that Eddie was taken from his trailer and managed to escape later on,” Owens informed him. 

“Speaking of the trailer, Eddie and his uncle are going to need somewhere else to live. Think you can make a nice little two bed or more happen for them?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, I’m sure we can arrange that. Can we just focus right now on making sure you’re both okay and get you both well again,” Owen replied with a sigh. He wasn’t surprised by Nancy’s demands when she spoke to him earlier, but he hadn’t expected this from Steve. 

“Dr. Owens, can I be left alone with the patient please? We need to get him assessed properly,” a nurse asked, walking up to the pair. 

“Steve, please. Mr. Harrington is my knobhead of a father,” Steve smiled as Owens left the room.

He sat on the bed in silence. The true horror of what had happened started to sink in. Eddie could potentially die because he didn't get him out of that hell quick enough. He was lying on an operating table dying because Steve failed. 

The nurses worked around him getting him to stand and sit, moving his arms and legs. Sticking him with needles, hooking him up to lord knows what and taking what seemed to be more blood than they should given how much he’d lost recently. They talked at him more than anything and his replies were short. He was sure he hadn’t answered half of the questions asked. 

He was physically and mentally exhausted. The nurses laid him back on the bed and he fell asleep instantly. When he woke up it was darker in the room and there was a quiet sobbing coming from beside him. Turning he saw that Robin was sitting at his bedside crying into his yellow sweater. 

“If there's any snot on that sweater you can get it dry cleaned,” he winced through a laugh. 

“Steve,” Robin gasped and leaned forward to grab his hand. “I’m so glad we got you out.”

“Hey birdie, me too. Thank you for helping get me out of there and Eddie too,” he replied, squeezing her hand.

“About him, anything you want to tell me?” Robin asked softly. 

“I really really like him, Bobby. We got so close in the time we were down there. He’s amazing. I really hope he makes it, I need to ask him on an official date.” 

“Oh dingus. I’m sure you’ll get to live out all of your gayest fantasies with him once you’re both out of here,” she laughed wetly. 

“Is there any news on him?” Steve asked cautiously. Her words were encouraging but that didn’t mean Eddie was actually okay. 

“He’s out of surgery and he’s in a room but he’s still critical. They’re hopeful though,” she explained. 

Steve spent a couple of days almost entirely in bed resting up and being treated for dehydration and a little malnutrition. He got updates on Eddie as often as he could which was mostly when his nurse needed to leave his room. There was also a steady stream of visitors over those first couple of days. They made sure he was okay and filled him in on what he had missed in the 3 weeks they had actually been stuck down there. 

“Morning Steve,” Nurse Nova greeted him one morning 5 days after he was admitted. “I have news from camp Eddie. They’re going to try and wake him up this morning. I do have to warn you that this doesn’t mean he’s better or that he’s out of the woods just yet. He is still very ill, I also need you to know that taking away sedation is a slow process and doesn’t always work. Not that they never wake up again but sometimes the body isn’t quite ready for it and we need to sedate again.”

“That’s great news! Will you let me know when he’s awake and I can go and see him please?” He asked, smiling for the first time in almost a week.

“We can certainly look into that, everything depends on Eddie is and how your day is going. You’ve got a lot that you need to do today, starting with a bit of light physio soon.” 

Hours later his wounds had been swabbed, cleaned and redressed again. He had another barrage of tests, another heavy course of antibiotics, and another bag of fluid before he was allowed to move around again. 

“Steve please stay in bed, you need rest,” Nova advised as he tried to get out of bed. 

“I need to go and see Eddie so either you can help me and make sure I get to him all okay or I can get up and go myself. I’m asking you to please help me. I need to see him, I need to make sure he’s okay,” Steve pleaded with her. 

“Okay, if I help, will you at least let me grab a wheelchair first? If I come back and you’ve moved without me I will be insisting on restraints on your bed,” she sighed before leaving the room. 

A couple of minutes later she returned with the wheelchair and helped Steve into it before taking him down the hall to Eddie’s room. 

“Hey pretty boy,” Eddie dreamily sighed as Steve entered the room. 

“He’s on some pretty strong painkillers right now,” the nurse looking after Eddie laughed. 

“Thought he was pretty anyway, me being high hasn't made me realise,” Eddie pointed out.

“How you doing Eds” Steve asked, trying to change the subject, already very aware that he was blushing. 

“I’m doing ok, I feel less like I’ve been hit by a truck than I did. They’ve taken bits of me away though Stevie. They stole bits of me!” He exclaimed, it was clear that the painkillers he was on had him higher than a kite.

“They had to remove infected flesh and some infected muscle. That’s all they took,” the nurse explained with a laugh. “He needs to rest a lot and will need a lot of physical therapy before he’s even close to okay again.” 

“You're going to be okay Eds, promise. Here for a few more days and then you can stay at mine for as long as you need or as long as you want,” Steve smiled, placing his hand on top of the other’s arm. He really wanted to hold his hand. To crawl into the bed beside him but he knew he couldn’t.

“Stay with you forever if you let me,” Eddie smiled back dopaly. 

“Easy there Romeo, calm it down,” Steve laughed. He really hoped the nurse wasn’t paying that much attention to what they were saying.

Over the next few days Steve spent as much time as he could with Eddie. Only being in his own room when either of them needed privacy for something or was receiving treatment. The doctors were very happy with how his wounds were healing and thought he could go home to continue to heal within a couple days. 

“What time is visiting?” Steve asked as he was finally being allowed home. “I want to be able to come and see Eddie,” he blushed. 

“10am until 5pm,” the nurse answered him as she gathered his paperwork together. He was given instructions on how to change his bandages, what movements he could make to help with his healing and what to avoid.

“They’ve released me Eds. I’m heading home. Nancy is coming to pick me up, I’ll be back tomorrow though okay,” Steve said, popping in to see Eddie before he left. 

“You don’t have to come back. Stay home and rest Stevie, you also need to heal and you’ve not got a lot of bed rest whilst you’ve been here,” Eddie argued. 

“I’ll be back in the morning,” he nodded, not leaving room for further argument. 

“Alright then,” Eddie smiled softly. “See you tomorrow.” 

The pet names and Eddie being over affectionate had stopped since his painkillers had been changed and he no longer spent his days high. Steve almost pouted about it every time, he missed them a lot. He was missing having Eddie on his own like he had for all that time in the Upside Down. He knew it was for the best but he still wanted to pout about it with Robin. Obviously she already knew about how close him and Eddie had got whilst in the Upside Down and trying to survive. 

Returning the next day Steve was walking through the foyer of the hospital when he saw them. Flowers and plants sitting outside a little gift shop, he walked over and took a look. Almost all the flowers were bright colours with a couple bunches of roses thrown in. None of these were particularly Eddie. He looked at the plants instead, maybe one of those would be better. These were boring and far too colourful but in the wrong way. Then he saw it, a tiny little succulent with purple stems leading into green leaves. It was small enough that he could get away with saying it was for a friend if needed but also something that he thought Eddie would like. Before he could think himself out of it he picked it up and brought it. 

Heading up to Eddie's room, he tried to hide it as best he could until he knew which nurse was looking after him today. He’d seen how a couple of the nurses looked at them whilst they sat close and talked. He wasn't bothered about people knowing he liked guys but he didn't want to give them anything else to talk about.  As soon as Steve turned to go into Eddie's room he noticed there wasn't a nurse in there. 

“Scared them all away finally ay Eds,” he teased as he walked into the room 

“You came back,” Eddie replied softly, a tone of disbelief in his voice. 

“Told you I would,” Steve smiled softly, walking over and taking the seat next to the bedside again. “Got you something,” He declared, taking the little plant out of its hiding place. “I thought the room could use some colour.” 

“My favourite colour! It’s cute, just like you,” Eddie smiled, taking the plant from the other and looking it all over before placing it on the locker beside his bed. 

The two sat close and whispered between themselves before the nurse got back from her break, when they reluctantly sat away from each other again. 

The days rolled by and Eddie got stronger and stronger. His blood work no longer showed signs of infection and he was able to start moving around without assistance. Walking was still an issue but he could transfer into a chair and back to his bed. The first time Steve walked into Eddie's room and saw him sat up in one of the patient chairs he could have cried. It was after this that the doctors and nurses started to talk about allowing Eddie to leave and have all of his physio treatment as an outpatient. 

“You will need somewhere to stay that's low profile. It also needs to have as few steps as possible up to it and no stairs that you have to go up or down to either sleep or go to the bathroom.”

“I can make that happen at mine, if you want that is?” Steve rushed to say before blushing. 

“Sounds like a good idea. I’m not surprised that the Harrington mansion has bedrooms downstairs,” Eddie laughed.

“Oh, it doesn’t. But I can turn my dads office into a bedroom for you,” Steve replied sheepishly, already thinking about what he would need to do to make this happen. 

“Okay then, as long as you’re both happy with the arrangement we can get things moving and get you out of here. You’re doing great Mr. Munson, all you need now is time and rest,” the nurse smiled as she left the room. 

“You, erm, sure about this?” Eddie asked nervously once the two were alone again.

“About what? You coming to live with me for as long as you want to? Yeah absolutely I’m sure, 100%. Never been more sure of anything in my life,” Steve grinned at the other before leaning forward and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. 

The look of surprise on Eddie’s face had Steve second guessing everything that had happened in the Upside Down. Had he misread everything and what they actually were having was a little bit of fun to make things bearable. Of course Eddie didn’t want anything now they were no longer trapped. He could go back to Indy and find whoever he wanted on a weekly basis. Why would he want some closest case that peaked in high school and had no hope of going anywhere outside of Hawkins. 

“I’m gonna go home I think,” Steve whispered into the deafening silence that felt like it was dragging on for hours. 

He grabbed his jacket and walked away, hoping the tears wouldn’t start falling until he was in his car.

“Please don’t,” Eddie replied, clearing his throat. “I wasn’t sure you’d still want me like that now we were out of there. My brain couldn’t comprehend the idea that the Steve Harrington wanted me.” 

“Why would I not?” Steve questioned, outraged. “I’m already more than half in love with your stupid reckless ass so.” 

“Oh yeah? Come back here and say that to my face then,” Eddie raised his eyebrow in a challenge. 

“And what if I do? Hmm, what are you going to do about it?” Steve asked with a teasing tone in his voice as he stepped back towards Eddie. “I want you Eddie. You’re reckless and do silly things when told not to but you’re also kind and funny, weirdly charming and I’m already more than half in love with you,” Steve breathed into the space between them. 

“It’s a good job I’m more than halfway in love with your perfect ass too then isn't it?” The other boy responded before leaning forward and capturing Steve’s lips with his own. 

The world seemed to stop still in that moment. This was by far not the first kiss they had both shared but seemed to be the most significant, this one tasted like hope. Not of comfort as those they shared in the Upside Down had but of hope that they were both going to be okay and of a future together. 

“Don’t mind me boys, I just heard they were talking about releasing Eddie,” Wayne said, interrupting the moment the two were having. 

“Wayne!” Eddie exclaimed, the grin on his face becoming impossibly wider. “Yes! I can go and stay with Steve because he has a big house with a whole bedroom downstairs and I won’t need to go up stairs for anything. Plus you’ll be really busy moving into the new place and starting your new job.” 

“Alright then, if that’s what you both want, who am I to stand in the way? Just remember that you’ve always got a place with me boy, as long as I’m alive you have a home okay?” He said, squeezing Eddie’s shoulder and his hand. “And Steve, he’s your problem now, you chose him.” 

“Don’t scare him off yet Uncle Wayne, I’ve only just got him,” Eddie sighed with a playful roll of his eyes. 

“Oh, I’m fully prepared for what a handful you’re going to be,” Steve laughed, poking the other boy in the cheek.

Eddie was released from hospital the following day with the instructions that he would be going back once a week to have physio. Steve was shown how to properly clean the wounds and dress them as well as what to look out for to make sure they were all healing nicely. 

Steve had done exactly what he said he would do and had converted his dads old office into a bedroom with the help of the party.

“Erm, the beds not the best, it's the one from the spare room. I didn’t think my parents' bed would fit in here with the new draws and wardrobe and things that will be coming in the next couple days.”

“Sweetheart you didn’t have to go through all this trouble for lil old me. I’d be perfectly fine on a pullout with a blanket and a throw pillow,” he responded, grabbing Steve and giving him a kiss.

“Those throw pillows are sacred Munson, no one rests a head on those,” Steve scoffed in reply before laughing. “It’s nothing, you need to be as comfortable as possible and I didn’t want you feeling rushed at all with your recovery. I want this to feel like home for you. I’ll give you a moment to settle in and let you have some time for yourself if you want? I’m going to go and cook us something to eat and we can go and sit outside with it if you want so you can get some fresh air.” 

“Yeah that sounds amazing, thank you,” he replied, smiling at Steve as he left the room.

Taking a seat on the bed Eddie took a moment to think about how much his life had changed in the last few weeks. Finding out that there was a whole different world below Hawkins, that the monsters he read about in his Dungeons and Dragons books actually existed was unbelievable. Coming so close to death, twice, and having a murder charge against him and then removed. But there was some good. He had a new appreciation for life and from the couple of chats that he and Steve had he had a boyfriend to live that life with. He didn’t want to keep Steve waiting for too long so he got up and left. Sitting in some fresh air really did sound like a good idea.

25 minutes later the two boys were sitting outside at the little patio table that the Harringtons had with plates full of pasta and meatballs with some garlic bread sat in front of them. 

“I’ve got some clothes that you can use for a while but as soon as you’re up for it we can head somewhere and fill your wardrobe backup. I’ve picked you up some basics like underwear and a couple sets of jeans and some t-shirts but that’s all I could get, sorry,” Steve spoke up almost suddenly. 

“It’s more than you needed to sweetheart, you’re amazing. Thank you for everything,” Eddie replied, taking Steve’s hand in his and giving it a slight squeeze. “Can we, erm, talk about that too? About us. Like what is this?” He gestured between the two of them. “I would very much like to call you my boyfriend but I understand if you’re not ready for that. If you want to see what else or who else is out there.”

“I want you and only you. I want a life with you Eddie, I understand that Hawkins will make this difficult for us but together we can get through it. We can see about moving out of this shitty town that’s been nothing but hell for us for years. I just want to be where you are.” 

“Sap,” Eddie smiled. Steve saw the tears in his eyes as he leaned forward for a kiss. “Lets eat though before this goes cold.” 

The rest of the evening was spent sitting outside under the stars laughing, joking, kissing and enjoying being free. Eddie yawning put a stop to the conversation and the two went inside.

“Good night then baby,” Steve said against Eddie’s lips as they kissed at Eddie’s bedroom door. 

“Yeah, like you’re going anywhere else other than into this room with me,” he replied, grabbing the other close by his hips and opening the door and pulling him inside. 

“Alright alright, I’m moving,” Steve giggled. “Be careful of your stitches and everything though.” 

Once they were in the bedroom and they spent a few more moments kissing and just touching each other in ways they had not been able to do before tonight. Neither boy being on death's door anymore meant that they could finally explore each other's bodies a little more than they were able to in the Upside Down. Kissing and undressing each other until they were both naked except for the bandages that they both wore. Nothing more was needed than just kissing and being close to each other. 

“You kept it,” Steve whispered, walking over to the plant that Eddie had set on the makeshift nightstand that had been made. 

“Of course I did sweetheart, you thought I’d get rid of it?” Eddie questioned, walking over to Steve and hugging him from behind. “Going to make sure it lives and keep it with me, just like I’m going to keep you if you’ll let me.” 

“Well I’m not letting you go either so I guess we’re stuck with each other,”  Steve laughed, turning around slightly to give the other man a kiss. “Let’s get you to bed though bambi, it's been a long day today and you must be exhausted.” 

As if on cue Eddie yawned. “That sounds like an amazing idea. Come cuddle with me until we’re asleep sweetheart? Like we’ve done before.” 

“Yeah, yeah lets curl up and sleep,” Steve replied, moving to get under the covers, reaching out his hands for Eddie to join him. 

The following days were filled with visits from the Party, minus Lucas who had taken up camp at Max’s bedside. Wayne stopped by a lot but was also really busy sorting out the new house, it quickly became apparent to him that he could have the biggest bedroom with the ensuite when he saw how close his boy and Steve were. 

Eddie regained more and more of his strength and barely spent a moment alone, Steve making sure that Eddie was doing as little as possible and resting as much as he could. 

Robin had taken Steve to the side, in a bathroom naturally, and had questioned him over everything that had happened since they spoke at the hospital. 

“Nurse Steve at my service once again?” Eddie joked as he sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen one morning whilst Steve was sorting out fresh bandages. 

“How about I get a uniform to wear next time? Hmm?” Steve suggested. 

“Steady now big boy, we’re heading out for my physio soon, don't go talking like that or we won’t be going anywhere,” Eddie said playfully, pulling Steve towards him.

“And you almost tore a stitch last night so let’s keep everything pg13 yeah?” Steve smiled, kissing him lightly before stepping back and continuing to sort out the things needed. 

Eddie’s wounds were still healing, some weren’t healing as well as others, so they still had to be careful when their relationship took a physical turn a couple of weeks after Eddie got home. His twice weekly physico was also going really well. He was moving around the house a lot easier and the muscles that had been eaten away or had wasted from not being able to move much were growing back. He and Steve had been into Indy to restock his wardrobe and had made a stop at a shop that was known to sell books aimed at queer teens and young adults, Steve having thrown himself fully into learning the history of the LGBT community. They started to go out more and more around Hawkins as Eddie grew stronger and short outings no longer left him laid in bed for days afterwards like they had at first. 

The one thing they didn’t do was move Eddie’s, well theirs he supposed, bedroom out of the office. Steve had actually moved some of his things down into the room and they had made it more of a mix of both of them. Steve had enlisted the help of the Party to move everything that didn’t need to be in there out of there and into other rooms. Laying in bed one night they had even discussed a new colour scheme for the room. It was their room now, the first place they had made their own. 

“This should be your last bandage change bambi,” Steve shouted from their bedroom to Eddie in the living room a handful of weeks later. “Doctors said it’s all closed up now basically so as long as its dry when I take the old ones off this will be the last one.” 

“It’s about time!” Eddie shouted back, walking towards the kitchen “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” 

“Ready to be seen now?” Steve spoke in a low tone from the doorway catching Eddie's attention. 

Turning around he was greeted with a sight he was sure he would never forget. Steve was standing there in a nurses outfit and a smirk on his face. He filled it out beautifully, yes it may have been a normal nurses outfit that was a little big on him but the sight was enough to render Eddie speechless. 

“Everything okay?” he asked in a voice filled with faux concern as he walked, no sauntered, into the kitchen and towards Eddie. “Feeling okay? Do I need to check your temperature?” 

“I don’t think things could be any more okay right now” Eddie replied breathlessly reaching out for his boyfriend. 

“Let’s get these changed and maybe I’ll let you take it off me,” he whispered before laying a few kisses on the metalheads neck in a spot that he knew made the other weak. 

And as if nothing had happened Steve stepped back and went about changing bandages, ignoring the fact that Eddie was hard as a rock between them. 

“And now for your treat,” he announced as he put all the rubbish in a bag and then into the bin. 

Turning around to leave the kitchen Steve opened up the dress and allowed it to fall off his shoulders, revealing a much sexier nurses dress that barely covered his ass and fit like a second skin. He was clearly wearing nothing underneath it. As he bent down, sticking his ass out, Eddie caught a glimpse of a butt plug nestled inside of his boyfriend. 

“Come here you, I need to get my hands on my treat,” Eddie growled as he followed. 

When Steve entered his house after his shift at Family Video with Robin, he noticed the pile of shoes at the door first. Steve slipped off his sneakers and tossed them to the growing pile as Robin’s shoe thunked into the pile. Her purple chucks landed next to Max’s red pair, and Steve placed his sneakers near Dustin’s sandals. His gaze shifted to the black boots in the corner. Eddie was home.

“We made it through another shift, dingus,” she smiled. She still had on her Family Video vest and the new MANAGER pin shone in the evening light. “And I almost forgot it’s Hellfire: P.E. night.” She leaned against the wall to tug off her sneakers. Hellfire: Party Edition was a special campaign between Eddie and the kids and it was the only campaign they ran as one of the Party members as DM. 

“Congrats to us. It feels like time stands still when I’m there,” Steve said dryly. He wondered if she felt as drained as he did. Family Video was the one functional hang-out spot in town, and with its influx of business and need for organization, Keith hired a freckle-face kid who was better at shelving than Steve was. 

In what felt like punishment, Keith banished Steve to the back room to sort old rewinds. Steve was pretty sure they were Keith’s movie collection that he wanted labeled and put in alphabetical order. 

“You could check with Hopper again,” Robin reminded him. “He’s probably got a list of other available jobs. Or knows someone who’s looking for an extra set of hands.”

“I know, I just…I feel like I should find one on my own.” 

Steve trusted Hopper, it still felt odd asking for something he already had. 

Besides, he did inquire about open jobs around town a few weeks ago, and Hopper referred him to the pool to be a lifeguard. The pool was far from his first choice, but the one thing about it was it wasn’t the dusty back room of Family Video. Sitting in the sun sounded better than becoming besties with the dust bunnies. Still, apprehension filled his chest at the thought of being shirtless in front of the people of Hawkins. His back and side were healed from the bat bites, but he was left with scars scattered across his torso, the worst of them at his sides. Most days Steve barely wanted to look at himself in the mirror.