Chapter Text
Once upon a time, in a magical, faraway kingdom called Threshburrow, there lived a king. The king, a kind-hearted man named Everard, had two sons. Prince Edward, the eldest son, was not his, but King Everard loved him as if he were his own. The Prince was a reckless young man who thought with his heart instead of the brain his stepfather knew he had. The old King could only hope that he’d use his heart to find a queen, someone who would help the prince rule their kingdom gracefully.
Prince Arthur was King Everard’s second and youngest son. Only a few years younger than his brother, Prince Arthur had a talent for magic, and he was taking on an apprenticeship offered by the Royal Sorcerer-
~
“Wait, I’m confused.”
The group groaned and turned to face Steve, sitting next to Eddie at the round table in the Wheeler family’s basement. “Literally how are you confused? We just started.” Dustin complained, rolling his eyes. Eddie leaned over and hit the back of his head.
“Be nice, Henderson, it’s his first time. Harrington, what are you confused about?”
Steve pointed at the paper Will laid out in front of him before they began. The paper had little scribbles about who each person represented in the game, along with their names, ranks, powers and anything else Will deemed important for Steve to know. “Who’s King Everard? And Prince Arthur? Neither of them are on this list!”
“Oh, right,” Eddie said, grabbing Steve’s paper and his pencil. “So, Stevie, some characters aren’t actual people that we control. Some are just there for the plot. We call them Non-Player Characters, or NPCs.” As he explained, he wrote notes on the paper, handing it back to Steve once he was done. Steve nodded, circling Eddie’s words a few times with his own pencil as a reminder for himself later.
“So then who controls those people?” Steve asked, cocking his head to the side. Dustin groaned again, earning a glare and a jab in the ribs from Eddie, who answered Steve’s question as thoroughly as he could.
“The Dungeon Master, in this case Will, controls all characters who aren’t played by one of the campaign members. He has his own set of dice that he can roll during battles. He’ll control villains, NPCs, and essentially anyone else who we don’t control. Understand?”
“Yeah, I think so. We can keep going.”
~
-He was taking on an apprenticeship offered by the Royal Sorcerer called Crellean.
The king hated to play favorites, but he had a soft spot for Arthur. The young prince was always the butt of his older brother’s jokes. He would always be blamed for whatever destructive plan Prince Edward would come up with. Although their relationship has matured and mended since their adolescence, King Everard could still sense a bit of resentment held in the heart of Prince Arthur.
However, the king had no time to focus on that now. Prince Edward was about to turn twenty, and the deadline for their deal was fast approaching.
—
When the eldest prince turned eighteen, his stepfather sat him down for a talk. “Edward,” the king said, “After your mother died last year, I know how difficult it was for you to cope. Because of this, you’ve become reckless, disorganized, disobedient, and childish. How am I to be sure you’ll make a good king someday if you’re struggling to be a good prince right now?”
Prince Edward was shocked. His stepfather never spoke to him like this, and he certainly never mentioned his late wife so nonchalantly. But he knew the king’s words were not meant to hurt him, they were meant to enlighten.
“I know how close you and your mother were, and I don’t blame you for acting out. But you’re the heir to the throne. You have to start showing me that you can rule this kingdom with your best self. I think the best way for you to do this is to be married before your coronation.”
“Father, you didn't marry mom until ten years after her coronation, when I was two. Why should we change the rules for Arthur and I?” Prince Edward wasn't necessarily opposed to this new rule, but he found it quite stupid. If his mother didn't have to follow it, why should he?
King Everard sighed, and the young prince knew he wasn’t going to like what came next. “Your mother was already married once before we met, you know that. Your father and her were married very shortly after her coronation, but she wanted to finish her studies before having a child. She and I met a few months after your father died, when you were still a baby. Edward, your brother has a much better track record than you. If you can’t marry before your twentieth birthday, you will be skipped in succession and Arthur will become the next heir. If this happens, and I hope it won’t for your sake and mine, I won’t make him find a companion. He will become king no matter what.”
At first, Prince Edward was angry. Why should his brother get special treatment? Art was the one who got him in trouble all the time, and for years Eddie let him. But that’s exactly why Prince Arthur was getting special treatment. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but because he let his little brother frame him for all of the trouble he’s caused, the eldest prince had a bad reputation.
Eventually, Prince Edward nodded. “I understand. Would you like me to tell Arthur about this or do you want to tell him yourself?”
“I’ll have someone fetch him in a minute, you get back to your sparring.”
—
Back in the current day, on the other side of the kingdom, there lived a young, carefree girl named Robin. Deep in the forest, and burrowed in a hollow tree, she lived alone, but she was always visited by whatever creatures decided to walk through her wide-open door.
Robin lived a quiet life, but that didn’t mean it was boring, especially on a day like today. Because today, Robin had found her true love.
“Oh, Dustin! It was a wonderful dream. We were dancing and singing, and then- oh and then- he took me into his arms and pulled me close and we shared a true love’s kiss! Oh, it was magical!” Robin spoke quickly, focusing both on the conversation and the mannequin-turned-statue in front of her.
“I thought you couldn’t see his face? How are you supposed to know who this guy is?” The chipmunk asked, cocking his head to the side and flicking his tail a bit.
~
“Hold on, I’m a chipmunk?”
“For the time being, yes. Just hold your horses, Dustin, let me finish the back story.”
“If I’m a chipmunk this entire time, Will, I swear to God.”
~
Robin sighed, “I’ll know him when I meet him. I couldn’t see most of his face, but he had the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen! They were like moonstone, so shiny and perfect and- and-“
“Beautiful?” Dustin supplied.
“Yes!”
“Here! Here, Robin,” One of the many bunnies Robin had befriended said. “How about these for the eyes?” She held out two sparkling brown gems, and Robin took them gratefully.
“These are perfect! Now, just a touch here, and a little bit there and…Yes! Perfect!”
Dustin gathered the rest of the forest critters into a group at the back of the room. “Take it away!”
Robin cleared her throat, “I now present to you, my dream man. My soulmate. My one true love,” She turned the statue so it faced the crowd, “My prince!”
The statue was very well done considering how quickly it was put together. Shoulder length hair made of dried out vines and eyes made from the bunny’s gems, the statue was perfect. The eyes, oddly enough, looked blue if she stood at the right angle, and she thought the beauty from this trick of the light was very fitting for her soulmate. His clothes were made from an old blanket Robin had lying around, navy blue with white flowers stitched on the hem. He had his hands on his hips, and one of his legs was propped up on a stack of books, giving Robin a little perch to sit on.
He was perfect. The man of Robin’s dreams, literally. There was only one problem.
“Oh! I didn’t give him any lips.” Robin frowned.
Dustin skittered towards Robin. “Does he have to have lips? He’s a statue.”
~
“Valid point, to be fair,” Robin pointed out. She turned toward the makeshift head of the table. “Will, I love you and your attention to detail, and you’re so smart and cool, but could we please skip the lip talk? It’s grossing me out a little.”
Will giggled, flipping a page in his notebook and nodding. “Yeah, that’s fine. I only included it because I wanted to see your reaction.”
~
Blah, blah, blah, the forest creatures try to find lip shaped objects for the statue, blah, blah, blah, Robin waits patiently back at her tree.
—
Meanwhile:
With a loud thud, the troll fell to the ground, wrapped up in rope and stood upon by Prince Edward.
“Amazing, Eddie! That’s your tenth troll this month!” Prince Arthur beamed, trying and failing to climb up next to his brother. After slipping down the troll’s face for the third time, Prince Arthur muttered an apology. The troll merely shrugged, and the prince took the help offered by his brother.
Prince Edward sighed, “Troll hunting is fun, Art, but I long for a partner. Not just because that’s the only way for me to remain heir but because I want to find my true love. I can’t spend the rest of my life tying forest creatures up!”
Prince Arthur didn’t know what to say. On one hand, he knew that Prince Edward would be a better king than himself, but on the other, his brother had already taken everything from him. His toys when he was six, his bedroom when he was twelve.
His mother, when he was fifteen.
The eldest prince destroys everything he touches. Why should he still be allowed to rule an entire kingdom?
Still, the younger pasted on a smile. “I’m sure you will find your love in due time. They could be just around the corner!”As soon as the words left the younger prince’s mouth, a trail of bunnies and birds and all sorts of critters sped past them and headed deeper into the woods. Curious, Eddie jumped off the troll’s back and followed them.
That’s when he heard it. The most beautiful voice, giving thanks to the forest goers he just saw. As he got closer, however, thunderous footsteps shook the ground and knocked him off his feet.
The troll had escaped.
—
“Do you actually think he’s out there, Robin?” Dustin asked, settling himself down in the makeshift nest Robin made for him.
Robin nodded. “I’m sure of it. And I’m sure we’ll have a happily ever after, too.” The woman turned to look at her audience. Her friends may not have found her the perfect pair of lips for her statue, but they tried their hardest and that’s what matters. But instead of disappointed, they looked terrified.
“What's wrong? Are you all alright?”
One of the birds shook his head. “B-behind you, look behind you,” He whispered.
Slowly, Robin turned around so she was facing the window. The view that was usually a gorgeous sunset was now hidden by a giant eye.
“I eat you now!” The owner of the eye growled before busting through the window and trying to grab Robin.
~
“Robin, what’s your Dexterity?”
“What the hell, are you serious? I’m so bad at this game, I’m gonna die already. It’s, like, seven.”
~
Luckily, she had just enough time to stumble away from the window before it was smashed in.
The troll's other fist came barreling through the ceiling, narrowly missing her head.
“Gotcha!” The troll exclaimed, feeling something human-like grasped in his fist. He pulled his hand out of the house and opened his palm. “Hey! That’s cheating!” Realizing he grabbed the statue instead of Robin, the troll was even angrier.
Robin managed to escape out of the other side of her house, through a small window that led to a branch thick enough for her to walk on. She thought she got away, that the troll didn’t see her, but as she felt the branch start dipping with extra weight, she knew she was out of luck.
Almost.
Below her, about twenty or thirty feet, there was a man on a horse. Robin couldn’t make out his face from so high up, but she heard the man’s voice nice and clear.
“Don’t worry, young maiden, I will rescue you!” The man shouted, positioning his horse directly underneath Robin in case she fell.
Considering the fact that she was starting to slip from the branch, that was a good call.
“Dustin, help!” Robin called out.
“I’m coming! Hold on, just wait!”
As Dustin reached the branch, Robin’s grip was barely there. Only holding on by a pinky, Robin peeked at the ground beneath her.
The ground very, very, very far beneath her.
One more desperate call to Dustin, and Robin’s grip finally gave out. She was too scared to scream, the only sound coming out of her mouth being a small gasp as she plummeted towards the forest floor.
Her fall was cushioned somewhat by other branches below her, but the leaves in her mouth and splinters in her ass were still severely unpleasant. However, she didn’t hit the ground like she expected to. No, instead, she fell directly into the lap of the handsome man. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, making sure she didn’t fall
Robin gazed up into the man’s eyes. They shone like moonstone, sparkling warmly and making her stomach flutter.
~
Robin shuddered, shaking her head and pressing her hands into her eyes. “God, you should’ve let me die. My stomach is not fluttering for Mr. Super-Senior over there.”
Eddie slammed his hands on the table and gasped dramatically, “For your information, Buckley, I am a CATCH!”
“Both of you, shut up, let Will finish,” Nancy scolded, gesturing for the youngest Byers to continue. “This is really entertaining.”
~
“H-hello,” Robin stuttered, gazing up at Prince Edward. “It’s-it’s you. How did you know I was here?”
“Yes, it’s me. I, uh, followed the critters. I heard your voice, and I knew I had to find you,” Prince Edward explained. “Now that I’ve met you, I know I made the right decision. What’s your name?”
Robin smiled softly, leaning further into his hold. “I’m Robin. What’s yours?”
“Prince Edward of Threshburrow. Oh, Robin! We shall be married in the morning!”
~
“Damn, I move quick. I am loving this. Ready to wed, Robin darling?” Eddie joked, making kissy faces and smoochy noises towards the girl. She pushed his face away, rolling her eyes.
“Will, buddy, once again, I love you. We aren’t actually getting married, though, right? Like you wouldn’t put me through that?” Robin pleaded, using her foot to push away Eddie, who was still making faces at her.
The DM just laughed, “I can’t tell you, I’ll spoil the campaign,” Will flipped another page in his notebook, scribbling something down in the margins. “We’ve only got a few more pages, and then we’re done with the backstory.”
“Thank God,” Max complained. She decided to be a part of the campaign this time, albeit reluctantly, and she was sitting to the left of Will. “I’ve had to pee for twenty minutes.”
~
Early the next morning, Robin was summoned to the palace. The carriage, an angular white and gold box pulled by beautiful white horses, was big enough to fit most of her furry forest friends. When they arrived at the palace, Robin was nearly ready for her wedding. But they were running late.
Really, really, late.
Frantically opening the door of the carriage, Robin barely processed the man waiting to guide her inside. “Miss? I’m here to- Excuse me? I-I’m here to-”
“Oh! I’m sorry! Am I late? I think I’m late,” Robin began running up the steps of the palace, animal friends in tow, her big, poofy wedding dress and tiara picture perfect. Turning to the servant, she paused. “How rude of me. You were saying something, and I completely ignored you. What's your name?”
The old servant bowed, “I am Lord Amraphel, Miss. I’m Prince Edward and Prince Arthur’s head attendant. I’m here to guide you to the ceremony,” Amraphel gestured widely. “Welcome to the palace. Don’t fret, you are right on time. And congratulations on your engagement and marriage. May you and Prince Edward live a long and happy life together.”
Robin grabbed the servant’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you. You’re a very kind man, I hope you’re treated well here,” She smiled sweetly and continued up the stairs, now leading Amraphel behind her. “Let’s go! I can’t wait to see Edward again!”
—
“This is the main ballroom. We hold all of our public events here,” Amraphel explained, hands folded neatly behind his back as he led Robin through the castle. Since she was ready, and Prince Edward was still readying himself, Amraphel took it upon himself to give the girl a small tour of her new home. He hadn’t allowed entry to the critters she brought with her, but she seemed to understand that this was a place of high regard. “Your wedding reception will be held in one of our smaller ballrooms, as it’s not open to the public. Any ques…tions?”
Turning around to face where Robin had been, the servant realized he was alone. He listened intently for any sound he could, but he was met with only his own breathing. Her first day here, and she’s already causing trouble. Between her and the two princes, Amraphel was getting too old for this.
—
Robin had taken a wrong turn, and ended up in the ballroom where the wedding was taking place. Amraphel said that Prince Edward would be waiting for them, but the beautifully decorated room was empty except for a band, still tuning their instruments, and a few servants she hadn’t met yet.
She walked to the food table, and the old woman behind it smiled. “Excuse me? I’m Robin-”
“I know who you are, honey. Sir Edward just left to go find you, but it seems you had the same idea,” the old woman chuckled. “He couldn’t have gotten far, dear, probably just around the corner. Don’t worry, we’re still giving the room some final touches, so you both have time.”
Robin grinned at the old woman. “Thank you for your help, it was really nice to meet you,” Turning to leave, she looked back over her shoulder. “The room looks great. Exactly how I dreamed it!”
—
Following the corridor and turning a corner, Robin ended up in a huge courtyard. A waterfall was flowing on the wall furthest from her, and as she stepped further into the room, she realized it was a wishing well. There was no barrier on the ground floor, so getting too close was dangerous. Pillars around the room supported a second story walkway that led to the well, making it the centerpiece of the room. Various types of flowers and succulents and bushes and trees were organized around the area, splashes of color amongst a sea of green.
“This place is beautiful,” Robin said to herself as she explored the courtyard. She glanced at the well again. “I wonder if my wishes will come true.”
As she began walking closer to the well, she heard a raspy voice coming from above her, “What a beautiful groom. Our stunning future king!”
Robin looked up, noticing Prince Edward on the walkway above with an ugly, old man. He looked to be at least one hundred, maybe older, his teeth were gnarled, and his face was covered in warts. His body was hidden by a ratted old cloak. Edward startled, “Oh, my! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s quite alright, your Majesty, however I have a wedding gift for you!”
“It’s okay! I re-really should be getting back to the ballroom. My future queen is probably waiting for me,” Edward stuttered out a laugh, anxiously taking a step back from the man.
The old man laughed, a creepy and croaky sound. “Nonsense! It’ll only take a minute! Follow me,” He grabbed Edward by the arm, placing his other hand around the prince’s waist, effectively trapping him in his wrinkly grasp. He led the prince closer to the wishing well, and Robin followed from below, each step closer allowing Robin to see how deep the well really was. When they reached the edge, she couldn’t see the bottom. “This is a magic well, Sir. Any wish you make is guaranteed to come true.”
“This well has been here since before I was born, I’m well aware of its abilities. Would you like me to make a wish before the ceremony?” The prince asked politely. At the old man’s nod, Edward leaned further over the edge, staring down into the deep, dark pit within. “I wish for Robin and I to live happily ever aft-AAA!”
With a quick shove, the old man cackled as Edward fell down, down, down. Robin could only watch in horror as the prince fell past her and into the darkness below. She ran towards the nearest flight of stairs, following Amraphel, who had heard Edward’s scream.
“Who are you?” Amraphel yelled at the old man. “Where’s Master Edward?”
The old man was still laughing as he answered the servant. “He’s gone, my Lord,” He grinned, displaying his rotting, yellow teeth. “He’s in a place where there’s no such thing as ‘happily ever after.’”
The man lifted the cloak over his eyes, hiding his face. Waving his arms, smoke billowed from his feet to the top of his head, consuming him and temporarily blinding Amraphel and Robin.
When the smoke cleared, the man was gone.
~
“Okay, that’s the backstory,” Will said, dog earring his page and closing his notebook. “The actual campaign will start tomorrow after school, but my mom is on her way to come get me, so we have to end it here for now. Sorry guys.”
Eddie stood up and stretched, a little irked that the story was left on a cliffhanger, but alas. Children have curfews.
“No problem, dude. This is gonna be a badass campaign,” He ruffled Will’s hair as he walked by to grab his stuff, everyone else having their own conversations as belongings were collected and kids started filing out of the basement. “You’re making a good Dungeon Master so far, I’m glad someone can be trusted with Hellfire now that I’m gone.”
Will smiled widely, nodding his head enthusiastically. “I can keep you updated on campaigns in the future, if you want! I’ve got some pretty good ones planned.”
“Sounds great, Will the Wise.”
He heard Robin speculating about something related to the next session, Dustin responding with equal vigor and divulging his own theories. Max and El were by the stairs, whispering about summer plans that didn’t involve the boys.
There were a few weeks left of the kids’ school year, and Nancy and Robin had just gotten back from their respective colleges the day before. Everyone was back together, and Eddie had a good feeling about the upcoming break. The year before had been difficult.
Obviously it wasn’t great, considering Eddie was accused of murder, chased by a mob of vengeful basketball players, chased by a mob of vengeful monsters, almost killed by both groups, chased and almost killed again when the party got back from the Upside Down with Vecna’s head on a metaphorical stick, almost sent to jail for life, chased for a third fucking time by a mob of vengeful basketball players when he won the trial, and had to get a police escort everywhere he went for four months. Honestly anything was going to be better than the hell he was put through before his graduation. It had to be.
Eddie didn’t realize he had spaced out until he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, man. You ready to go?” Steve asked. Eddie looked around and was met with an empty basement. The boys had gone upstairs to say bye to Will, El and Max (who was staying over at the Hopper-Byers residence), and Robin and Nancy were in the latter’s room, apparently having a sleepover to commemorate completing their first year as college students.
“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about how good it is that everyone’s back. I kinda missed having the girls around,” Eddie climbed the steps, Steve following behind him. “This summer’s gonna be great.”
Steve understood the implications. He knew how hard the last year had been for Eddie, and he knew how much Eddie wanted to separate himself from the Chrissy situation. “I’m making sure of it. You deserve it, Munson.”
—
“You’re actually really good with Will. I didn’t expect that,” Steve said as he drove Eddie home. He had already dropped Dustin off with a promise to be on time picking him up for school the next day, and they were about halfway to the trailer park. “Not in, like, a ‘I don’t trust you with kids’ way. Will’s just-”
“Different?” Eddie supplied.
“Yeah. Different. I worry about him sometimes.”
The Hopper-Byers family didn’t officially move back until mid-July the summer prior, and they were back and forth from California a lot until then. Joyce had told the kids it was because funds were tight after her and Murray’s impromptu rescue mission, but Jonathan told the older group that it was so Hopper could get used to being a free man. Eddie hadn’t spent time with them much when they first got back due to the whole being wanted for murder thing, but he’d pop into Hellfire meetings here and there, so he got acquainted with Will pretty quickly.
“I guess it’s because I relate to him. He’s just a kid, and he’s been through so much. Granted, my shit isn’t of the supernatural nature, but it’s still trauma. It’s kinda funny though,” Eddie turned to look at Steve from the passenger seat, an odd gleam in his eye. “When we first met, I’d never have thought you’d be the stereotypical encouraging and doting babysitter. You seemed more like a ‘kids should be seen and not heard’ type of guy.”
Steve chuckled and shook his head. “When we first met, I was. I’m not proud of the person I was back then. Without those kids, especially Dustin, I would probably still be the same mean, dumb jock. They’ve helped me grow up, more than they’ll ever know, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Eddie smiled to himself, thinking about all the times Steve had defended him when he was Tommy and Carol’s target. You were always good, he thought, you were just scared to show it.
“Oh, uh, thank you? I mean, I’m glad you think so, but I was a real asshole until all the Upside Down shit first hit the fan.”
Eddie blinked, his cheeks warming. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
Steve laughed, a bright, sunny sound that left Eddie’s stomach feeling warm and gooey. “I didn’t think so.” They had pulled into the trailer park now, gravel crunching under tires. The street lamps above casted a dim yellow glow over the area, eerie in a way Eddie didn’t find completely uncomfortable anymore.
“Well. This is me. Thanks for the ride, Stevie.”
“Anytime, Munson.”
—
It was hard coming back to Wayne’s place after everything that happened with Chrissy. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see her mutilated body floating above him, like some ancient evil omen symbolizing his cowardly response. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, could barely function without being reminded of that night and the events of the following week. Luckily, Wayne didn’t allow Eddie to suffer on his own.
He called Steve.
For the most part, Steve understood. While he never saw anyone die in his home, he knew what it was like when someone had. He told Eddie the basics, surface level stuff about Barb, about the nightmares he’s had, about waking up in a panic and thinking he was back in the Upside Down.
“It’s normal. All of us have some form of trauma response. Nance has refused to go swimming since Barb, Robin hates the doctor even more now, and Joyce and Hopper call me and the others in the middle of the night to check in whenever they’re feeling anxious, which is a lot of the time. The kids haven’t really told me anything, but I know Byers still has nightmares and probably always will. Obviously you know about Max and Billy. The point is, they’ve all learned that it’s better to confide in each other, people who know and have experienced this shit right alongside you, than to deal with it alone. Whenever you need it, I’m a phone call away.”
Eddie hadn’t wanted to burden anyone with his bullshit. Despite promising Wayne he would call Steve when his mental state went south, he would much rather suffer alone than give people ways to blackmail him later. His routine was simple: wake up from a nightmare, calm himself down, smoke, pace, smoke again, and go back to sleep. Easy peasy.
~
Except the more he used it, the less effective it was, and the worse the nightmares got.
~
The first time they called, they didn’t speak to each other for a week afterwards.
He didn’t take Steve’s advice until he’d had a particularly intense nightmare about the party getting stuck in the Upside Down, him running away to save himself, and watching Steve, selfless, heroic Steve, run towards the danger, trying his hardest to help everyone and fight against whatever evil placed itself in Eddie’s subconscious, only to meet a fate similar to Chrissy’s. Dream Steve’s broken body had laid limp on the ground, eyes gouged and jaw all but crushed, surrounded by Dustin and Robin and Nancy. They were all facing Eddie, screaming at him, calling him a coward, saying it was his fault Steve was dead.
Eddie had woken up screaming, cold sweat running down his forehead and back, tears streaming down his face. The trailer was empty with Wayne still being at work, and Eddie hated the quiet. It made everything feel so much more real. He needed to know that Steve was okay, that he was alive and breathing and it wasn’t his fault, that he wasn’t the reason Harrington was gone, that it wasn’t real.
When Steve picked up the phone, Eddie couldn’t get the words out. He was hyperventilating, air leaving his lungs just as soon as it came. His ears were ringing, eyes burning from the tears, all he could think about was how he had left Steve to die, he was a coward, coward, coward-
“Eddie? Eddie, hey, bud, I need you to settle down,” Steve’s voice was thick with sleep, but his attention was fully on the older boy. “Shit, okay, uh, can you take a deep breath for me?” Steve’s voice crackled through the phone, and he waited until the older boy complied, taking a heaving, shaky breath. “Good, that’s really good, you’re doing great, Eddie. Take another one for me,” Eddie did. “Okay, good job. Now, can you tell me what’s going on?”
Eddie almost didn’t want to. He’d already embarrassed himself enough just being on the phone with Steve, and he was terrified that his dream was a reality, that Steve and the kids did think he was a coward. But he could hear how frightened Steve was by his voice, a slight quiver in his otherwise strong and firm praise giving him away. Eddie could tell Steve was trying to hide it, but with how close they had gotten throughout Vecna and during the murder trial that followed, Eddie knew Steve about as well as he knew himself.
The fear was what allowed Eddie to spill. He told Steve about his nightmares, how often they happened, what they were about, and asked him if there were ways to stop them. Steve was silent throughout the explanation, listening politely, his little hums of acknowledgement letting Eddie know he was still there, that he wasn’t alone.
“I don’t think you’re a coward, Eddie, and neither does anybody else. And if they do, I’ll kick their asses because that is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard,” Steve’s voice was slightly raised now, and the wholehearted confidence Steve had in his words was enough to make Eddie believe him, at least a little. “You are the most badass person I’ve ever met.”
Eddie smiled softly before remembering Steve couldn’t actually see him. “Well I hardly believe that. Nancy was pretty sick. Has she always been like that?” He was obviously trying to change the topic, but either Steve didn’t notice, or kindly ignored the blatant switch.
“Yeah, kinda. I mean, I don’t think she would’ve needed to be if the whole Barb thing hadn’t happened,” Steve’s voice got quieter like it always did when he spoke about the beginning of this fucked up plan that whatever higher power bestowed upon him and the rest of the gang.
While he had given Eddie a surface level run down of the life-long issues that came from his involvement with the Upside Down, Steve hadn’t actually explained how he had gotten into this mess or why Barb was such a touchy topic for him. Something deep within Eddie wanted to ask, to demand an answer because why should he have to spill his guts when he knew nothing about anyone else?
Another part of Eddie, the part that was born as he discovered the monsters and the darkness, knew that Steve didn’t owe him anything. After everything, Eddie expected Steve and Robin to go back to their normal life, the one without Eddie in it. But they haven’t cast him out yet, and at this point he doubts (hopes) they never will.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
Eddie sighed. “Bothering you, I guess. You’re dealing with your own shit, and adding mine on top of it is really unfair to you. I should learn how to cope on my own, I shouldn’t have called-”
“Hey, don’t you dare say that! It was my idea for you to call me when it got too hard, and it was my concern that made me pick up the phone in the middle of the night, and it was my choice. Mine. I need you to understand that I want to help. No one should deal with this shit alone, and it honestly makes me feel a lot better about everything knowing that I’m helping at least one of you. Please, just let me.”
“But-”
“No, Eddie! No buts. We care about you-- I care about you. Let me care about you.”
Eddie was quiet for a moment. Nobody had ever outright said they cared about him, not even Wayne. He knew, obviously, that his friends cared and Wayne cared, but actually hearing someone say it? That was something that happened once in a blue fucking moon. Something in him, something way deep down behind all of the facades and the weird voices and the false confidence, glowed bright and warm.
“I…I care about you, too, Steve. More than you know,” His heart was thumping, so loud in his ears he wondered if Steve could hear it. “You’re special, man, and you’ve been one of the only people to give a shit about me for a long time. I’m lucky to have support from you, but do you have support from anyone? Besides Robin, I mean.”
Steve sighed. “This call wasn’t supposed to be about me. You seem okay now, so I’m gonna go. Try and get some sleep, okay?”
“Wait, Steve, no-”
“Goodnight, Eddie.”
“Don’t hang up! I’m trying to fucking talk to you,” Eddie was practically shouting now, his fear turned to desperation in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t hear a dial tone, so he knew Steve was still on the other end. “You can’t say shit like ‘we’re all in this together’ and then help everyone but yourself. That isn’t fair to you, and it sure as hell isn’t fair to me. You want to fucking care about me? You want me to ‘let you?’ Fine. But you have to let me care about you too. This is either gonna be a two way street or a goddamn road closure. Your pick.”
“I don’t wanna burden you,” Steve mumbled. “You’re having a worse time than me.”
Eddie practically growled. “You’re a fucking hypocrite, Harrington.”
“It’s my choice.”
“That’s bullshit,” He heard a sharp inhale on the other end, but the glowing feeling from earlier was all but gone, replaced with anger boiling over. “Y’know what? What the fuck ever. I guess King Steve is too good to get help from a meek, cowardly peasant, huh? Some bright idea for me to call you.”
Now it was Steve’s turn to grovel. “Eddie, I’m sorry, that’s not what I-”
“My bad, I should have known. This whole thing is bullshit. You’re bullshit.” Eddie hung up before Steve could respond. God, he needed a smoke. Or a long ass drive. Or both.
—
His drive led him to the quarry. Before he started dealing, he would meet people here to buy weed for himself with what little allowance money he had. He liked the quarry, especially at night. It was quiet, serene in a way Eddie hadn’t found anywhere else. The silence helped him clear his head when he was stressed or angry or just needed to be alone, like now.
He parked the van and stared over the edge, still fired up from the phone call with Steve. Why the fuck couldn’t Harrington understand that support was a mutual thing? Eddie was a lot of things, but a leech wasn’t one of them. He appreciated that Steve didn’t expect anything back for helping, but Jesus fucking Christ, if Eddie was offering his help in return, why the fuck wouldn’t he take it?
Fishing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the glovebox, he sighed and got out of the van. Crickets chirped and wind rustled the trees and if Eddie wasn’t in such a sour mood, he would’ve appreciated the peace a little more. Lighting the cig, he took a long draw, filling his lungs before exhaling, smoke and anger swirling up into the night sky.
Eddie wasn’t mad at Steve. Logically, he knew that. He was mad at the world, at whatever divine power decided to uproot his entire life and throw him into the fucking mess that was the Upside Down. It was just easier when Steve became the target of all of the anger he’d bottled up, but Eddie knew he’d have to apologize eventually.
He finished his cigarette and stomped the bud out on the ground. Crunching gravel made him quickly turn around, and he saw headlights making their way through the tree lined road. Instinct told him to run, that it was Jason and his lackeys here to finish what they started over Spring Break.
Spite got the better of him, however, and he stayed put. He was sick and tired of running, of being too scared to leave his house because of what Jason might do. As the car got closer, pulling up next to Eddie’s van, he was able to make out a single silhouette sitting within.
Steve.
“Wayne said you’d be here. He had just gotten back from work when I came to check on you.”
Eddie scoffed, watching Steve lean against the hood of his car. “What, King Steve decided to visit his subjects? I’d rather not right now, so if his Majesty could go back to his castle, that’d be great.”
“Quit that. Please. I’m here to apologize,” Steve crossed his arms and stared at the ground. “I’ve never been good at this.”
“At what? Apologizing?”
“At letting people care about me. The first person I actually opened up to was Nancy, and then she left me for Jonathan.”
Eddie stepped closer to the younger boy. “What does Nance have to do with this? I thought you two and Jonathan were friends.”
Steve nodded. “We are! They’re some of my best,” He looked up then, looking over Eddie’s face, searching for something. “But she…hurt me. Broke my heart, twice. Both times because of him. A-and I know that’s not her fault, I wasn’t the greatest boyfriend. I’m the reason Barb died, and I told Nancy that she needed to forget about it and move on, and it’s one of my biggest regrets. I lost her because I cared too much about myself and my image, and I’m lucky enough that she even wanted to remain friends after the fact.” Blinking a few times, Steve cleared his throat before continuing. “Barb was her best friend. I invited Nance over for a party with Tommy and Carol, and she invited Barb. They were so different. Good. Better than we were, than I am. Stuff happened, I took Nance upstairs and she told Barb to leave. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow the same thing that took Will took her too. Will hid from it before it could hurt him, but Barb didn’t make it.”
“I, um, I didn’t know that.”
“Not many people do, obviously. I don’t even think the kids know the full story. She and Jonathan figured it out, and Hopper found the photos they had. They all got involved with it after that. But Nancy never got over it, and I don’t think she ever will. After I initially told her to leave it be, we went to a Halloween party and she got drunk and told me that I was bullshit and our whole relationship was bullshit and that she didn’t actually love me. You guys have the same taste in insults.”
Eddie’s heart dropped. Digging up old trauma was not what he intended, but he still felt guilty. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t actually mean it.”
Steve gave him a small, self-deprecating smile. “I know. But I kinda deserved it. You were right.”
“Always am.”
“Shut up,” Steve laughed. “I just mean that I shouldn’t expect people to want to open up to me if I’m not willing to open up to them. It’s selfish of me, and I need to get it through my head that people want to help me too.”
“It’s not selfish,” Eddie said, moving to stand beside Steve. “It makes sense. Everything you just told me makes me understand why you wouldn’t want to. Open up, I mean. The one time you allowed yourself the comfort of another person, they stomped your heart into the ground-”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that-”
“-And then I went and dug all that shit back up for you. I don’t blame you now that I know, and even before you told me all of that, I wasn’t actually mad. I mean, I was mad, but not at you, just at the world and my situation and everything else wrong with life, but you didn’t deserve to get all of that put on you,” Eddie was word-vomiting, and he couldn’t stop. He needed Steve to know how he felt, and he needed him to know that he was sorry. “I’m grateful that you want to comfort me and care for me, and I shouldn’t expect you to want that in return. It’s my fault we were arguing and it’s my fault you thought you had to come grovel. I shouldn’t have said what I said, I didn’t mean it, and I’m sorry. You’ve gotta believe me, man, I regret saying it.”
“I do,” Steve said, placing his hands delicately on the sides of Eddie’s neck, thumbs gently caressing his jaw. “I believe you.”
Eddie laid his hands over Steve’s, giving the younger boy a dopey grin that he returned. They stood like that for a while, not saying anything, just slightly swaying under the stars. It felt intimate. It was intimate. To an outsider, they probably looked like lovers reuniting after a long time apart.
Steve knew Eddie was gay. Robin told him that Steve knew about her, and after everything with Vecna, he felt comfortable and confident enough with their relationship to come out. Steve was cool about it, obviously, and there was never a question about his feelings toward Eddie. They were friends, and always would be.
Eddie wanted more. It was greedy and selfish and definitely out of the cards for him, but he couldn’t help himself. Steve was a good person, and while he wasn’t Eddie’s usual type, he wasn’t at all unattractive, especially for buttfuck nowhere Indiana.
Steve was the one who pulled back first. “Are we good, then? We’re both done being stupid?”
“Yeah, dude,” Eddie laughed, stepping back towards his van. “We’re good.”
~
Eddie smiled at the memory, the moment that solidified his friendship with Steve, and a reminder that there would always be someone besides Wayne on his side. He unlocked the front door and turned to wave at Steve, who waited to make sure Eddie got in safely before driving off. The trailer was dark and quiet due to Wayne still being at work, but Eddie didn’t mind.
Vecna was dead and gone, the Upside Down was closed off from Hawkins for good, and Eddie was a free man.
This summer was about to be the best one of his life.