Chapter Text
Steve wakes up late in the afternoon, the sunlight from his window stinging his eyes. He pulls his covers over him.
After everything, his sleeping schedule has been trashed. Everyone is in a quarantine from the upside-down bleeding through into the surface. It makes Steve trapped in his parents' house, something he hates more than the thought of dying.
He sits up and looks at his surroundings. There's trash of small little wrappers all on the floor, since Steve can’t bring himself to make himself an actual meal. He can’t pretend like everything is normal. He looks at his bedside table, which is littered with pill bottles. He was prescribed sleep medication after Joyce called him and he fell asleep while holding the phone up to his ear. Can anyone blame him?
‘God forbid I’m exhausted after 2 or 3 years of bullshit’ Steve thinks to himself as he drags himself to his bathroom.
Max is still in the hospital, but she woke up. About a week ago, he got a phone call from a very tired Lucas. He talked to her a little on the phone, and she really is alive.
Steve still hasn’t seen her, which is his own fault. Poor Max is blind and he’s the one moping around his huge house. Steve laughs at how depressing it all is, gripping the side of his sink.
He decided to hop in the shower before he cries too hard. He pinches the side of his arm as hard as he can before he gets into the shower. It helps him 'get his emotions under control', or whatever his dad said.
–
“I tried to call you earlier, are you alright?” Robin says over the phone. She's been worrying so much about Steve. The guy’s her best friend and he can’t even talk to her truthfully.
“Yeah, I’m just tired Rob...” Steve desperately searches for a change in topic.
“When do you want me to pick you up for the funeral?”
It feels like poison when the words fall out of Steve's mouth. Eddie Munson was alive and well a couple months ago. Now he’s dead.
“Um, whatever time is good for you...” Robin also feels weird. This isn’t supposed to be happening to people like them.
“Are you really okay, Steve? You know you can tell me anything right.”
Steve shuts his eyes for a moment, “I’m okay Rob. Please stop asking me that every day.”
Robin sighs heavily, “Steve, I wouldn’t ask If you would let me h-”
Steve cuts her off again, “I need to get ready. I’ll talk to you later.” He puts the phone back on the wall and takes a deep breath. He needs to go to the store.
He loves Robin, she's the best friend he's ever had. But God can she be annoying.
‘I am fine. I don’t help with shit’ He thinks he goes back up to his bathroom and brushes his hair. It doesn’t look like Steve when he looks in the mirror. He tries to smile but it just comes out as a grimace. He needs to be better.
At least for Dustin's sake. Poor kid is helping plan his own friend's funeral. He goes back downstairs and grabs his mask, a ‘requirement’ If you’re going outside.
He puts his car into drive and takes another deep breath as he goes onto the main road. The roads are bare since people aren't really supposed to be outside. The convenance store is the only thing open. It makes Steve think they just didn't get the memo.
He just doesn’t understand everything that happened or is happening. It's like he’s watching a horror movie and he’s in the cast. He wants to do something, but what would he do? Leave town? He can't just leave everyone. This shouldn’t be happening, he should have just ran out of there with Dustin and Eddie, and they would all be safe.
Dustin is safe but Eddie is dead and it's all his fault. Just like Barb.
Steve doesn’t realize he’s hyperventilating until he gets to the store. He puts his hand on his chest and counts to ten. One two three four five and so forth. He grips his steering wheel to get himself back to where he is. It’s different when he's calming down Robin or Dustin. It's different when it's yourself.
He downs a water bottle in his cup holder and turns on the radio to distract himself. He flips through the stations until he hears a Bowie song. It's Rebel Rebel.
He remembers that Eddie Munson loved Bowie. And the song brings him a strange comfort. If Eddie was here, he’d be singing along like no one's business. Steve smiles and gets out of the car.
He really needs a pack of cigarettes right now. He knows Robin would be mad to see him smoking but it’s none of her business.
He walks into the convenience store and goes up to the counter, “Can I get a pack of Marlboro’s please?” His voice comes out more strained than he meant to.
The guy at the counter looks at him, he looks like he could be in a biker gang. He doesn’t ask for Steve's ID, since the guy is nice, and Steve looks like he's still 17. At least he would like to think.
He pays the $1.10 and leaves quickly. He immediately opens the pack and smokes in the car with the window cracked. He sits there for 30 ish minutes, going through two cigarettes before he realizes it's 1 o’clock. Eddie's funeral starts in 40 minutes, and it seemed like Dustin wanted them to come early. He squeezes his eyes shut tight, debating on just going home. Steve drops the cigarette out the window and takes off to Robin's house. Can't just change plans, can he?
‘There's playing a lot of Eddie's music on the radio today’ Steve thinks before he realizes it’s probably just the station he’s on. He doesn’t change it as he parks in Robin's driveway.
Robin’s out in a couple minutes, pulling her boots on the way to the car.
“You didn’t warn me! You’re lucky I didn’t come out in my pajamas!” Robin huffs as she falls in the passenger's seat.
They sit in silence for a bit before Robin starts talking, “I like that you put on a rock station. Eddie would probably laugh at Steve Harrington listening to rock and metal on the way to his funeral.”
Steve smiles, “At least he’s having one. It was nice for Hopper to let us have a little get together.”
Robin bites her lip before she asks her big question, “Have you been smoking? It smells horrible in here...”
Steve gives a dramatic sigh, “What are you Robin, my mom? I’m twenty, it's not rocket science.”
Robin's mouth goes straight, feeling awkward, “It just doesn’t seem like you.”
Steve thinks before he speaks, “It's just a lot right now, okay?” Steve's voice breaks and Robin rubs his shoulder as he drives.
When they get to the apartment and Steve parks, Robin hugs Steve tighter than she's ever had.
“It's gonna be okay, Steve” is all she says as Steve squeezes her tight. Steve wipes his eyes as he and Robin get out of the car.
They go to Wayne's apartment and Dustin opens the door before he can knock.
“I knew I saw you both out the window!” Dustin says as he drags both Robin and Steve inside.
It's very awkward for Steve, since his old friends used to torment people in the Hellfire Club, especially Eddie Munson. But Eddie was amazing, and it's nice to get out of the house. The metalhead deserves a day honoring him. He saved the town after all.
Gareth, one of Eddie best friends puts his hand on Steve's shoulder, “Thanks for coming, Harrington. Eddie would’ve freaked seeing you here!”
Steve smiles and nods, ‘Why is everyone saying that?’ He thinks.
–
Robin and Steve are getting ready to leave, until Dustin drags Steve into a room at the end of the hallway. It's a room with some of Eddie’s stuff in it. The dude was close to being a hoarder after all. There are boxes lined up this way and that, and definitely not organized. “Wayne is fine with me trying to give away Eddie's stuff, so I figured you would like some cassette tapes!” Dustin hands Steve five Bowie tapes.
Steve looks at his hands and looks back at Dustin, “Why would you think I wanted this..”
Dustin scrunched his eyebrows confused, “Why wouldn’t you? I remember you and Eddie taking about how your music taste sucks so I thought-”
“You thought I would want my dead friend's music?! What the hell??” Steve tries to apologize but Dustin doesn’t let him respond.
He huffs, “Please Steve, you only knew him for a week!”
Steves eyes widen, and he loses his cool, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean??! Why would you invite me if I wasn’t his friend!”
Dustin balls his fist up and yells, “Because you’re acting like a huge dick to everyone! I was being nice!? You haven’t even gone to see max!! Eddie probably wouldn’t even want you here you ass-”
Steve slaps Dustin. A little hard then he even meant to.
He didn’t mean to. It just happened. He loves Dustin like a brother.
“I-I’m sorry.” Is all Steve can muster up. Steve immediately leaves the apartment, trying to process everything a mile a minute. Why would he do that? Why would he do that.
Robin is yelling after him, “Hello??? Steve, what happened.”
Steve turns around to face Robin, but nothing comes out of his mouth. What is he supposed to say? That he smacked the shit out of his best friend?? “Can I just drive you back? I want to go home, I shouldn’t have come.” Robin pauses and gets in the passenger seat. She really wanted to talk to Eddie’s friend Gareth more, since he was nice. But she knows there's no point in trying to reason with Steve. Especially the way his hands are shaking.
Steve won’t forget the look on Wayne's face from the window as he drove away.
–
They don’t say anything to each other. Steve zones out the whole time and barely registers when Robin whispers ‘bye’ when they’re at her house. He should go after and explain, but all he can do is put his car in reverse. Steve drives home silently, not with the radio on.
Dustin is wrong. Eddie wouldn’t mind Steve coming to something like his funeral. Right? It’s not like Eddie and Steve haven’t seen each other outside of school. He used to sell weed at a few parties Steve went to.
That still isn’t funeral worthy though.
He parks his car in his driveway and goes inside, kicking his shoes off by the couch.
It’s almost like he never left the way his house is dead silent. He pulls his cigarettes out and quickly lights one. He sits on his couch, staring into the black TV screen.
The last conversation him and Eddie had replays in his mind. He wishes Eddie was here. God, he does. He would be able to fix everything that happened in high school. At least he would try.
Steve's stomach growls. He hasn’t eaten at all today, and he does have some things in the fridge from when he needed to stock up for the quarantine.
He opens his fridge and takes out some old steak he meant to cook but has now gone bad. He throws it out in the trash can outside and shivers from the cold. It’s been freezing lately.
When he gets back inside, he runs his hand down his face and thinks.
‘You need to be better for Dustin, Steve.’ The poor kid would probably never talk to Steve again after what happened. The kid was trying to do something nice for him, but you know what Steve does? Yells at him and slaps the shit out of him.
‘Good going Steve, really living up to the Harrington name.’
He needs to be better. He tries so hard, yet nothing happens. Steve gets out a pot and decides on pasta. It’s quick and easy after all and doesn’t require Steve to think as much. He stares into the boiling water, thinking of sticking his hand in, but why the hell would he do that?
He strains the pasta and was about to get the spaghetti sauce out of the fridge, when he hears something. It's a soft rattling noise coming from outside. Like an animal sniffing.
It's muffled but he can hear something.
He immediately grabs his bat from behind the sofa and slowly walks outside. Always have to keep that thing handy.
Steve tries to make his breathing slow, but he can’t help but be scared, even if it's a raccoon.
Just great, now what? Steve ducks behind a wall of his house, only seeing the animal's black hair.
‘God this is pathetic’ Steve thinks as he hides, terrified to face whatever is rummaging in his trash can.
‘Just do it, Steve. What if it's something from the upside-down?’ He thinks as he takes a big deep breath. He swings the bat as he charges towards the creature but stops in his tracks when he sees who the creature is.
A large creature with small sharp wings and fangs. Its hands have black claws, and its eyes glow a strange haunting red. It has a similar bandana, and the signature ripped up Hellfire shirt.
Eddie Munson stops tearing open the stake Steve threw out.
His sharp teeth are stained red from the blood in the steak. His clothes have that upside down residue.
They stare at each other for the longest time. What do you say when someone who you thought was dead is eating out of your trash?
Chapter 2: Quick before I lose my touch
Summary:
just a continue of last chapter. PROMISE I'll WRITE MORE!!!
Chapter Text
“Eddie?” Steve chokes out, barely processing what's happening right now.
The staring contest lasts for 5 more seconds (Steve counted), until Eddie flashes his teeth. Steve flinches and reaches his hand out. Eddie drifts his head around and gets off the ground. ‘Shit shit shit.’ Steve thinks.
Eddie simply wipes his mouth and takes off on his fours, toward the woods.
Steve stands there, still looking out at the woods. Steve takes 3 deep breaths. One for himself, one for Eddie, and one for the complete disconnected look on his face.
Was it even him? ‘Okay okay, get back inside idiot’ Steve thinks as he wipes his eyes and gets back indoors, locking all of the locks on the front door. After the Russians, Steve needed to get some more locks. Just for his own sake.
He goes toward the phone and puts in Robin’s number with a shaky hand. He listened to the beeping noise as he waited for someone to pick up. He stares into the wall and remembers when the demogorgon clawed its way out of Johnathan Byers wall. Is Eddie one of those now?
“Hellooo? Anyone there?”
Steve blinks and focuses on what's happening now, “Robin! Hey I uh.. need to get my red shoes back.”
He can hear Robin breath hitch over the phone, “Ohhh really? Right now.”
Steve swallows the lump in his throat, “Yes. I need them for my run tomorrow.”
Robin takes a breath, “Okay, I’ll be there-”
“NO- no no. I’ll come and pick you up! So you don’t get- um lost.”
Robin eyes widen and she looks through the kitchen doorway at her mom, sitting on the couch and watching the TV closely. She takes a breath, “Okay.”
“See you later.” Steve quickly says as he puts the phone back on the wall and puts his jacket on.
He runs to his car, fumbling with his keys from his fear of Eddie ‘the new threat’ Munson.
He puts his car into drive and backs out, holding his breath for the couple seconds he looks at the woods.
What's gonna happen now? Vecna might be dead and now Eddie is behind his house, probably drinking rabbit blood.
Steve fiddles with the volume on the radio, trying to find something that's tolerable. He doesn’t and grips his steering wheel in frustration.
‘I should radio Dustin’. He needs to know that his supposed dead friend is actually alive. Well.. he seems alive. ‘Don’t think he would wanna talk to the guy who slapped the shit out of him almost an hour ago dumbass’ Steve thinks as he drags a hand down his face.
Robin will know what to do. Hopefully.
Steve pulls up to Robin's door and sits there to wait.
He probably shouldn’t tell any of the kids, they have Max to worry about. God, he hopes she's okay. Maybe when all this is over, he can bring them to a bowling alley 30 minutes out of town and they can be kids for a little.
He sees Robin come out of her house and he immediately feels ten times better.
When she gets in, her face is all scrunched up. “Right code red.” Steve remembers. “I saw Eddie.”
Robin's eyes are as big as saucers when she hears that come out his mouth. She stammers for a minute, “Are you sure??! What does he look like? Did he talk? Was he okay? I mean-”
Steve puts his car into drive as he explains. “I threw some old meat away outside and.. He was eating it out of my trash. It looked like him but.. He looked at me like he didn’t have a clue who I was.”
He feels a shiver go down his spine, “As for looks, it wasn’t him. He had all the slime shit from the upside down on him. He had these fangs, that I swear were like half a finger tip long. He even had wings Robin. I-”
Steve feels a hand on his shoulder. Robin looks at him intently before she speaks, “Well.. he was alive. Maybe we can reason with him or something. Like get him back to normal?”
Steve bites the inside of his mouth, “We can’t count on it Rob, we just can’t.”
Robin rubs Steve's shoulder as they pull into his driveway. She tries to give a reassuring smile as he turns toward her, “So. What's the plan?”
Steve thinks for a moment. Can’t tell the kids so no help from Eleven. Can’t go towards Eddie because what if he hurts them. Would he do that? “Maybe we can go near him with food. He was hungry. Is that a good plan?”
Robin presses her lips together thinking, “If we tell Hopper maybe-”
Steve shakes his head and cuts her off, “No no, that can’t work. Eddies a wanted man still.”
Robin shrugs, “Half the crew knows Eddie didn’t kill anyone. Plus, you think Hopper would book a vampire-like creature?”
Steve laughs but it feels strange to be laughing right now. “Okay so we told Hopper. We can probably do a small search party in the woods.”
“I thought we weren’t telling anyone?”
Steve sinks down in his seat. “Dustin probably never wants to talk to me again.”
Robin laughs, which catches Steve off guard, “Steve harrington. You really think Henderson is gonna completely cut you off because you had an emotional breakdown?”
Steve shakes his head, “It wasn’t a breakdown, Robin, I was just-”
“Frustrated?” Robin guesses and gets right. “Everyone's having a bad time. And if you get a little upset it's completely normal. Not that you gotta go hitting everyone but- look just apologize and you're good alright?”
Steve nods and looks towards the woods outside his house. “Sleepover first? It's getting late and-”
Robin shakes her head, “Steve. You don’t even have to ask. But you should probably cover your mouth before you get sick from all the upside-down particles.”
Steve shrugs and covers his mouth, “At this point, we’re probably immune.”
Robin laughs, putting on her mask from her pocket and gets out of the car. She frowns when she sees her friend run to the door and quickly go inside like a scared kid. Robins never seen him like this. Then again, Steve pushes things down like it's his job.
They get inside and Steve holds his bat close to himself as he sits on the couch. Robin sits down next to him and takes the bat, sitting it on the table. “Steve, please just relax. We can worry tomorrow.”
Steve nods and gets up to get blankets from his room. Back down stairs he sees Robin setting up the plates of pasta. Long forgotten by Steve as his stomach rumbles.
Robin and Steve scarf down the pasta, both hungry and tired. “You sure you wanna sleep here tonight?”
Steve laughs, “Where else would I go? The roof?”
Robin shrugs and pulls a blanket to her chest, “I don’t know. I could have snuck you in or something?”
Steve gasps dramatically, “How scandalous, Buckley!”
Robin laughs loud and hits her friend on the chest.
She gives him a lopsided smile as she lays on her back, “You really need to apologize to Dustin. You both are like a dynamic duo.. I just hate it when you two are actually mad at eachother.”
Steve nods and pulls at the sides on his sweatpants. “I know. I am, trust me. Its just.. Hard. I mean first I need to apologize and then tell him that his friend is alive.”
Robin blows a breath out, “I mean, crazier things have happened, right?”
Steve nods and thinks. “I just keep thinking about before.. I let them be decoys. I just let him walk away. I wish I knew more, I would have ran out with both of them.”
Steve realizes he’s crying when Robin pulls him up into a hug. “Sorry, I’m sorry..” Steve whispers.
“It’s okay Steve. It's better out than in.”
Chapter 3: He Lives
Notes:
SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, I'LL BE BETTER WITH UPDATES IN THE FUTURE
Anyway, enjoy your vampire Eddie appearance!
Chapter Text
Steve breaths in and out as he parks his car in front of Dustin's house. He taps the steering wheel and closes his eyes to think. ‘Just say what Robin told you, Steve’ He thinks as he hears a knock on his window. Steve quickly unlocks his car and gives a wearily smile to Dustin. Dustin looks at Steve for a moment.
“I’m sorry, Henderson. And to prove it. I’m gonna take you to Mcdonalds and we’re gonna talk.”
Dustin scrunched his eyebrows together and opened his mouth to speak.
“I know, I would usually never get you Mcdonalds, but like I said. I’m sorry, Dustin.”
Steve smiles at Dustin's toothy grin. “Okay, you are slightly forgiven.”
Steve shakes his head, “No seriously. We have to talk.”
Dustin raises his eyebrow. “It's Eddie.” Steve says as he pulls into the drive-through. He looks over at Dustin's teary eyes and watches him shake his head.
“What do you mean Eddie..?” Dustin's asks quietly. “He’s.. alive.” Steve focus hard on the road.
“No no- what do you mean?? Did you see him?!”
Steve nods slowly, “Yes. Me and Robin are pretty sure that he’s behind my house in the woods.”
Dustin scoffs, “I can’t believe Robin knew before me! We gotta tell the crew.”
Steve bites his lip nervously, “Yeah but we have to be careful. He looks-”
Steve looks at Dustin for a second. He has on his Hellfire shirt today and his ‘Thinking Cap’. ‘Baby steps’ says the Robin voice in his head. “He doesn’t look like Eddie. He needs to know we’re on his side.”
Dustin nods and sits back in Steve's passenger seat. “You think he’s scared?”
Steve rubs Dustin’s shoulder, “We all are, Henderson. But at least we’re together.”
Steve jumps at the honk behind his car, realizing he has a huge space between him and the car in front of him.
“Can I get fries too? Even though their fries are a little too salty.” Dustin says all smiley.
Steve nods and leans his head out the window to order. Friendship restored for now.
–
Hopper is currently pressing hard between his eyes, processing what Dustin just alerted him with, all in one breath. “And why do you decide to tell me this now, instead of, I don’t know. When he showed back up?!”
Steve scoffs and throws his head back, “Are you kidding me? I thought we were supposed to keep quiet about all this shit.”
Hopper squints his eyes at Steve. “Fine. You are allowed to see where he is. Then, you come straight back. I’m not letting you stay close to what you describe as something that could kill you. Understand?”
Steve nods and Dustin wipes his forehead. “That was tense. Anywho, when do we-”
Steve's eyes go huge, “WE? Absolutely not.”
Dustin gasps in shock, “Hopper?! Come on, tell him!”
Hopper shakes his head, “Kid, we’re putting anyone else in the hospital. You can stay here at the trailer or go home.”
Will pops his head out from the door. “What's going on?” Dustin can see Mike peeking through the window blinds. “Ugh, I guess I’ll stay since the whole gang's here. Except Lucas.”
That last part makes Steve frown. Lucas has been staying with Max every day since everything happened. Steve takes Dustin's flashlight and pulls him into a tight hug. “I’ll be right back, promise.”
Steve lets go of Dustin and goes back to his car. He planned on picking Robin up but he has a feeling in his gut he should be alone. Plus it’s getting late and Eddie probably won’t like multiple people. He drives slowly, perhaps to trick his brain that nothing bad is gonna happen. Or too slow things down.
He gets out of his car and grabs his flashlight. He feels his pocket for his small pocketknife. Just in case there’s something worse out here than Eddie.
–
“Can’t believe he didn’t let me go.” Dustin says as he fiddles with a rubix cube.
“You can’t blame him,” Will says sitting next to Dustin on his bed, “he just wants you to be safe.”
“Steve isn’t Dustin's mom, Will.” Mike says, still looking outside towards the woods. “I say we go after him.”
“Mike no.” Will says standing up, “You can’t just go do things. And Hopper would never let us go anyway!”
Dustin puts the rubix cube down, “What Hopper doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”
Will huffs, “You’re serious??”
Dustin shakes his head and groans, “Will, you don’t understand. Eddie would do the same for us.”
Mike nods and grabs his backpack, “He’s right. You wouldn’t get along great with him.”
Will smiles and breaths out, “Fine then. How are we gonna leave then with Hopper in the front yard?”
Dustin pats his friend on the shoulder, “Oh dear Will, have you never heard of the pillow technique?”
–
Steve swallows his spit as he goes deeper in the woods. It's so quiet that Steve can only hear the wind rusting past him.
He stops when he hears something moving around behind a tree. Steve moves his flashlight and sighs with relief when he sees it's just a deer.
“What are you doing out here?” Steve says quietly.
The deer starts to run the other direction and Steve freezes in place, feeling familiar boots inch toward him. He feels a breath from behind his neck.
“You scared away my dinner, Harrington.” Eddie says Impassively.
Steve slowly turns around, Eddie close by his face. He can see a faint blood stain on Eddie's face. He prays it wasn’t something innocent like a bunny.
“Eddie.. You’re okay..” Steve says, reaching to touch Eddie's shoulder. Eddie backs away, staring his crimson eyes into Steve's very soul.
“You think… I’m okay.” Eddie's face turns into a scowl. “I have wings and you think I’m okay?”
Steve can feel his hand start to sweat around his flashlight in hand, “Eddie, I’m just trying to help.”
“You can help by leaving me alone.” Eddie says, turning away from Steve and walking the other direction. He stops for a moment and inhales hard.
Steve almost chokes on his spit when Eddie zips back around angry, grabbing his collar “There's more. I understand now. You brought everyone out here to get me! Didn’t you?!”
Steve drops his flashlight as Eddies hand clenches his shirt, “I don’t know what you’re-”
That when he hears Dustin in the distance, yelling after Steve. Steve's heart drops to his stomach and he grabs Eddie's shoulder in desperation, “Please don’t hurt them.”
Eddie turns toward Steve and pushes him against a tree. “He said this would happen. All you people do is delay the inevitable.”
Eddie opens up his mouth and spreads his wings, indicating Steve is about to be his late dinner snack.
–
“STEEEEVEEE!!” Dustin yells into the mass of trees. Hopper pushes Dustin's hat down, “Hush, you’ll wake the neighbors.”
Will rubs his neck as he elbows Mike, the two falling a bit behind. “Sorry I fell out the window and blew our plans.”
Mike shrugs, “It is Hopper so I didn’t have that much fate in us. Plus it's late so..”
Mike gives Will that look. That look that tells Will that he really doesn’t mind and everything is cool.
Dustin shrugs his shoulders in confusion, “I don’t get it! His car was parked in his driveway, he should be about here..”
Hopper scans the forest, “Its getting late.. Something wrong.”
That’s when they all hear the scream. Steves scream, “HELP!! GUYS HELP!”
Immediately the group runs towards Steve yells. They find Steve pushing a big black shadow off of him with his foot. Hopper draws his gun but Dustin stops him, “Wait Hopper!!”
Eddie looks at them both, baring his teeth and flapping his wings. The leaves around them all blow into a circle as Eddie's wings take him into the air. Flying through the night sky over Hawkins. The air feels thick with fear as Steve yelps in pain
He grabs his arm, which now as a huge claw mark from Eddie going down it.
Dustin takes off his flannel and immediately wraps it around his friend's arm. “Dustin please, it's okay.” Steve says, out of breath and trying to not pass out from seeing his blood. Dustin wraps the sleeves around Steve the best he can, “No Steve, its not okay.”
Mike and Dustin help Steve get to the car and Hooper drives fast to Mike's house first.
“Wait what! Why are we going home??” Mike asks in an angry tone.
“I’m not getting calls from your parents. You’re up next Dustin.”
Mike stays there for a moment, trying to stare down Hopper as a form of protest.
“Go Mike! Before I have to drag you out! You want your friend to die from blood lost?”
Mike groans and gets out of the car, flipping Hopper off as he walks toward his house.
Dustin tries to make the same argument Mike was gonna make “Hopper, I’m not-”
“You listen, kid, and you listen well. I am an Adult. I’m also an office of the law. In short, I make shit happen. Steve will be fine and well with us. but you know who won’t? Me when I check the machine to a million missed calls from Ms Henderson! Am I making any sense?”
Dustin throws his head back in annoyance, “You should be a pastor with all the preaching you do.”
Hopper stares back at the road, but Steve can see a faint smile on the man's face.
Steve adjusts the way he’s sitting as Dustin leaves the car. He smiles as Dustin waves bye. ‘That kids is too good for this world’ he thinks as he leans back. “You can turn back and take me home, Hopper.”
“Kid, are you insane? You’re staying with us. Not gonna let you go with a bloody arm. You also don’t need to be beside that patch of trees until we figure out what's wrong with that Munson kid.”
Steve's face scrunches up, “And exactly how do we even think about doing that?”
Will pips up in the passenger seat, “Well.. did he say anything to you?”
Steve goes quiet for a moment, processing his small conversation with Eddie. “He said something about ‘delaying the inevitable’.. Someone told him that we would be looking for him.”
Will looks away from the backseat at Hopper. “I hope its not-”
Hopper sighs, “We don’t know for sure. But what we need to do is get a good night's sleep and call the guys at the lab first thing in the morning.”
Steve nods and squeezes his hurt arm. It hurts a little but at least he’s not bleeding that bad thanks to the thick flannel. He could make breakfast in the morning for the Byers as a repayment. ‘These people are too nice to me’ Steve thinks as they pull up to Hopper's trailer. Joyce is out there smoking a cigarette and runs up to the car immediately.
“Mom, I’m okay! It's Steve that got hurt.” Will says, pushing his mom away and going with Hopper inside. Joyce rubs Steve's shoulder as she walks with him to the trailer “Don’t worry honey, we got a first-aid.”
Will yawns as he gets inside, walking off to his room for bed. “I need to get El back from the hospital.” Hopper says.
“Don’t be too hard on her.” Joyce says with a kiss on his cheek.
Hopper leaves, leaving Joyce and Steve to clean up Steve's wounds.
–
“And you said that Eddie Munson did this?”
Steve nods, “Yes but.. Its not him. Its like something is making him talk for him. It reminds me of um..”
Steve looks towards Will room, “What happened to Will a couple years ago. It's him but..”
Joyce nods as she wraps the bandage around Steve arm tightly, “Not him. I understand. Best we can do is try to get the boy to safety. I went to school with his dad and... Let's just say he turned out better than the hand he was dealt.”
Steve nods again and looks at his arm. He hasn’t ever had a visible scar before. Joyce hands some blankets and a pillow to him. “Listen. You stay here with us for now okay? I know Eddies is your friend but you can’t go near him without help. I knew I shouldn’t have let you go by yourself.”
Steve shrugs, “It's alright, Joyce. I can handle this.”
Joyce gives Steve a sad smile before she pulls him into a hug, “Sleep good for me, alright?”
Steve pulls the blanket around him as he looks out the window with the blinds open. Steve doesn’t pray. Definitely not after the last four years. He was raised in church but with everything that happened, it's hard for him to even believe in a book, let alone a god. But he does a silent prayer in his head. ‘Please let Eddie be safe tonight. He has to still be in there, right?’
–
Eleven whispers to Hopper as they get inside, “What is Steve doing here?”
Hopper shakes his head, “Long story. Go to bed, alright? And don’t-”
Eleven drops her head to the side to look at her dad before she enters her and Will's room. “Stay awake. I already know. Goodnight.”
Hopper smiles and drags his hand down his face as he closes his and Joyce's bedroom door. “She alright?” Joyce asks, her nose deep in a book about plants. “Yeah. She can’t be spending all her time at that hospital. It's not good for anyone.”
Joyce raises her eyebrow a little, “Where do you want her to go Hop? I think it's nice she’s with Max. Poor girls own mother is gone”
Hopper sighs as he gets into bed. “I know. I just don’t want her to get hurt.”
Joyce places her book down, “Nothing bad is happening right now. We should take advantage of that.”
Hopper smiles as he looks at Joyce, “There you go with your inspiration. You should write a book.”
Joyce hits Hopper's chest playfully. “Was Steve asleep?”
Hopper nods as he takes his shirt off, “Seemed so. Why?”
Joyce shakes her head and purses her lips, “Sometimes I think that boy bites more off that he can chew. He told me that he can ‘handle this’.”
Hopper kicks his boots off and lays down, “I don’t expect the kid to say he can’t. His dad was an asshole. Still is. I remember he came around the station a long time ago. Little kid hiding behind him. Steve’s not gonna say shit openly. Got thick skin though.”
Joyce turns the light off and snuggles up to her Hopper, “Well, we’ll just have to look out for him if no one else will.”
Idkjkdlol on Chapter 1 Wed 26 Mar 2025 09:31PM UTC
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DayWalker666 on Chapter 3 Mon 07 Apr 2025 07:41AM UTC
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