Work Text:
This was a terrible idea.
And Eddie would know, he's made a plethora of terrible ideas. Like when he left a tea towel on the stove top to warm it up, only to find that there are a lot more plastic fibers stitched into it than he thought. Or when he was too lazy to lean forward from his place on the couch to the ash tray on the coffee table, tossing a cigarette in its direction, overshooting it, and burning a hole into the carpet. Or even the time when there was a nest of spiders in the bathroom and Eddie, high off his ass, thought using some hairspray and a lighter would be the best pest control any trailer trash could have. Looking back at it, all of his terrible mistakes had something to do with fire and that was something he would prefer not to look into.
All to say, Eddie is an expert at bad ideas. And this? This is one of them.
Because Eddie was stuck, suspended fifty feet in the air, trapped in a Ferris Wheel car. Down below, the probably under qualified teen operating the ride used a megaphone to inform them there were maintenance issues and to stay calm.
Right, Eddie could stay calm. He can take this moment to make peace with his life, his final rites read in the safety of his spiraling mind. To think it wouldn't be Demobats from hell that kill him. Its a stupid Ferris wheel in an even stupider Rowan County Fair.
He should have followed Robin's lead, should have said yeah, I'm too dizzy to go on a giant spinning wheel and just took the brunt of teens goading him into riding before they ultimately went on ahead without him. Because it is just a giant spinning wheel, no one would realistically be scared of it. But no, he had to get on in order to pretend he wasn't deathly afraid of this modern day medieval torture device. Its not like it mattered anyway, since every kid was paired off with another of them. He thinks Dustin would have sat with him but the little shit got into a rather passionate conversation with Will when they all were about to board, a conversation that the metalhead can hear even now, despite the delay. Lucas and Max were together, as they were, and Max was loudly heckling the worker to move faster. Mike and Eleven, they were oddly quiet, not that Eddie really paid attention to. He couldn't, he had his own problems to deal with.
“God, this blows.”
Because the Universe believed Eddie Munson should never be granted a break, he is stuck on this godforsaken ride with none other than Steve Harrington. The bravest guy in the entire Midwest. A guy who would face down monsters again and again if it meant protecting people. And he'd do it with an air of confidence, fear is practically afraid of him.
Meaning Eddie looks like even more of a wuss next to him. If Dustin could see this now...
“This better not take long," Steve huffed, his arms crossing over the lap bar. "I was already getting hungry.”
Of course, Harrington can think of food right now. Granted, this man can eat―must have something to do with an athletic metabolism. Ever since Steve started working out more and more, out of fear for more Upside Down related bullshit, his appetite only increased. But to think he'd be worried about his stomach right now with the threat of falling to their deaths― that it could potentially be a reality at any moment.
Eddie could only squawk his surprise and disbelief, a tiny noise caught in the back of his throat.
Otherwise, he didn't move. Refused to out of fear of jostling the car and knocking it off it's axis, sending them crashing down below to where there would somehow meet a fiery doom. That and also the fact that he wanted to make sure Steve doesn't notice how petrified he was.
That was step one: don't let Steve know. Step two was obviously trying to calm down. He thought of everything that could comfort him.
Heavy Metal, Dungeons and Dragons― Wayne's home cooking.
None of these are working. He curses under his breath in frustration, trying to think of anything else that could calm him. While trying to picture himself eating a plate of funnel cake, he came to the realization that he's breathing a little heavier than normal and his grip on the lap bar felt more slippery from the way his palms were sweating. Tremors wracked his body, making the car shake. Enough that Steve noticed. Fuck.
“Hey man, you okay?”
“Yee-up!” His voice sounded a bit too high in pitch for his ears. He cringed but couldn't fix it with his next words― “I'm―G-good.”
Steve began to move in order to look at him, the car swinging a bit with the movement and causing Eddie to grip the lap bar even tighter, something he didn't know was possible still.
The former king of Hawkins stopped his movement, half turned to Eddie.
“Eddie.”
Eddie hummed weakly.
“...Are you scared of heights?”
Is he scared of heights? As if the sight of the ground from how far up they are wouldn't make anyone a bit faint. It's very clear humans were never designed to be far from the ground. If they were, they would have wings, right? Or a capability to climb walls. Humanity has grown far too bold in their wretched ways of defying the laws of physics and he has to pay the price for their insolence, all because of his own ego. He set himself in this cage and must repent for this folly. If not to a explosive death once he hits the ground, then to embarrassment of having Steve Harrington find out about his crippling acrophobia.
Eddie didn't say a word but he's sure the answer was clear on his face. Pale and clammy, eyes wide and unseeing, body taut like a band.
He was terrified of heights.
Steve, thankfully, didn't outwardly laugh at him but there was definitely a bit of judgement in his voice when he says “But you like…fought interdimensional bats?”
Eddie scoffed softly. “Y-Yeah but,” He started before clearing his throat. “I can fight bats with weapons. You can't exactly fight gravity.”
Steve made a small comment on how he thinks El can, technically, making a comment that she could stop fair rides too, but he shakes his head lightly at the argument. Again, the movement caused the car to jostle and Eddie made a yelp this time.
“I don't understand," Steve's voice does have a shred of confusion in it at least, like he genuinely wants to understand what horrid turmoil is brewing in the older boy's thoughts. "I thought you liked Rollercoasters?”
“I do but that's! That's different!” Eddie argued through gritted teeth.
“How? The Tornado has a higher drop than this.”
“Its not the same! Its only like one drop and its controlled!”
“But its supposed to be way scarier than this!”
“Excuse me, I don't exactly get to tell my brain what should be scary and what isn't, dick!"
The car swayed again and Eddie snapped his teeth together, feeling the vibration rattle through his skull. Raising his voice like that makes him feel like the car is going to jump off its axis, sending the two of them to plummet to their deaths. He tensed again with a renewed grip on the lap bar, like its the only thing that could keep them floating in the air.
Steve was thankfully silent then, allowing Eddie the respite needed to just breathe. He could still feel himself shaking from the panic and he's sure its not going to subside any time soon but, at the very least, he doesn't need to worry about Steve finding out about his stupid phobia. No possible way he could embarrass himself further from the hot ex-jock with the nice hair, gorgeous smile, and sweet personality. Certainly this would only sully whatever Steve thought of him. Eddie didn't know if Steve would ever find him cool, and it wasn't something he wanted in the first place, not really. But if the so-called popular kids approve of you, in some way or another, you would ride that high for forever, right? But now, Eddie knows he will never get that stamp of approval, not even from a guy who peaked in high school.
From the corner of his eye, a hand came into view. Eddie's eyes flickered to it before he tilted his head down just slightly as recognition filled him. His gaze then flickered up, looking at Steve who returned his eye with a tender gaze.
“Take my hand. Might help.”
Eddie almost declined. Any further movement made him more anxious and he knows Steve's hand is less stable than the seemingly reliable bar. But the other boy looked so honest and so sure that Eddie…he let go.
The first thing he noticed was that Harrington's hand was warm and a comforting weight in his grip. He knows that his own hand was sweaty and clammy. The grasp he had on Steve's hand was just as hard as when he squeezed the lap bar and the ex-jock made a small grunt of pain.
“Geez, Munson, remind me never to thumb wrestle you.”
Eddie gave him a sheepish look and loosened his grip just a bit though not enough to stop the mole-riddled hand from turning bright red. Steve made no further complaints, just remained cool despite the fact that he was holding hands with the town freak. All because said freak is a big ol' scaredy cat.
“Gosh this is embarrassing,” sighed Eddie, his eyes sliding shut.
Steve hummed like he understood. And maybe he did, a little, because he followed with― “A lot of people are scared of heights.”
“Yeah but you're not," the rebuttal was fast on Eddie's lips with a biting tone. "And now you're holding my hand like I'm some big baby.”
“Nothing wrong with needing a hand when you’re scared.”
“Says you,” He scoffs. “You're not scared of anything. How would you know.”
“I'm―" Steve cleared his throat, the first instance of him losing confidence in the conversation. "I'm scared of things.”
“Okay yeah sure," Eddie's hand would be rolling in the air if he didn't have such a death grip on Steve and the lap bar. "Demogorgons and demobats and demodogs or whatever. Russians and evil wizards too. But you also face them head on. You don't need someone to hold your hand like some...some- baby!”
He can't even think of other more eloquent ways to describe himself. Not with his irrationally rational fears, oxymoronic as it is. He has faced terrible troubles before, battled monsters and traversed hell. But Eddie should've known this is what was going to happen; that despite everything, he couldn't stop dread from consuming his bones. He's a runner! When things get scary he runs, it's what he's always done, it's what he'll continue to do. Because the one time he didn't run, he almost died from it.
“Clowns.”
Eddie's thoughts screeched to a halt at Steve's tiny voice. His head swung to stare at Steve, whose cheeks were a little pink.
“I'm scared of clowns,” He admitted again, just as softly as before. He refused to meet Eddie's eyes.
And Eddie felt like his world went topsy turvy just then. Because how can a brave, selfless, monster-slaying badass be scared of clowns of all things. Party entertainers for all intents and purposes. Guys with weird makeup and an act to cheer up children. Or scare them, which Eddie could admit he finds funny when seeing a kid cry at the sight of a clown's bright, polka dot jumpsuit. He just never expected Steve could be intimidated by the sight too.
The concept was so bizarre, a startled laugh escaped him.
“Are you serious?”
And Steve looked defensive but only mildly. “What? They're creepy!”
“They're just guys with makeup on!” Eddie squawked.
“They're freaky looking and its not like they're always innocent," Steve pointed at Eddie with his free hand. "Remember that serial killer clown? I was basically the demographic when he was going around killing people!”
“That was in Illinois, not Indiana.”
“Close enough," Steve shook his head, chestnut locks swaying with the movement. "Just told me I was right all along about those rat bastards.” He grumbled.
Eddie can't believe this. He seriously can't, it seemed more unlikely than an actual alternate dimension full of hostile flora and fauna.
“I don't get it, you fought Vecna. Like faced him and everything. Clowns are literally old schmucks,” He was trying to keep the amusement out of his voice but with the way Steve gave him a half-hearted glare, he thinks he failed.
“Its a bit different because I can't exactly treat clowns like demodogs. Surprisingly, its socially unacceptable to smash them with a nail bat."
Eddie couldn't help but laugh a bit more at how defeated Steve feels at the admission. The ex-jock was running his free hand into his hair, letting out a slightly annoyed huff with the reaction to what is surely a deeply held secret. Eddie would feel a little bad at laughing at Steve’s phobia but at least he was grinning a bit, maybe he was satisfied that he could soothe Eddie's fears. The thought made him feel lighter, Eddie's heart skipping for an entirely different reason other than fear. It was the feeling of falling too, a swoop in his stomach that left him breathless. He squashes that feeling down though uses the bought of slight confidence it brings.
“Don't worry Harrington, I'll keep you safe from any guy with a big red nose. Whether it be clowns, coke heads, or even Santa and his nefarious reindeer, Rudolph.”
Now it was Steve's turn to bark out a laugh and that didn't help with the feelings he was still trying to squash. What a beautiful sound. Eddie already knew Steve's laughter was like an angel's choir but up here, when vulnerabilities were laid out willingly, the sound was even sweeter. Eddie finds, not for the first time, the urge to bottle it up.
“Yeah, Munson, you gonna be my knight in shining armor?” And that didn't help either, the way Steve's voice went low and his lids hung heavy.
Eddie's grin grew wider, unable to stop himself from playing along. If Steve wanted to playfully flirt, Eddie could play along. “Of course, my liege. If any evil jester dare look at the crown on top of your head, I swear an oath on mine guitar to send those monstrous fiends packing back into their tiny car.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I swear it!”
Eddie had placed his hand on his heart rather quickly, causing the car to jostle once more. Both Steve and Eddie gripped the lap bar then, panicked for just a moment as they realized where they were. Stuck on a Ferris wheel, in public where people down below could potentially see them. But more importantly, still fifty feet in the air. He can't believe he forgot about the predicament he was in. The small amount of levity helped his racing heart but the fear was steadily growing again.
“...It's a good thing Ferris wheels don't have clowns or else we'd both be screwed,” Steve tried, his voice now placating with the realization he was losing Eddie to his anxiety.
Eddie only chuckled a bit in agreement. At least it feels better, knowing that Steve understood his fears, had his own irrational one too, and they both shared this in the safety of each other. It didn't feel life ending now, that he wasn't struck into stillness because of terror taking its course in his body. It was strange, that he thinks he could control his breathing more. That his ears aren't pounding as hard and his vision isn't blurry.
Steve did that, somehow. Just being there, being reliable.
Eddie wasn't so scared anymore, not because Steve had a way of quelling fear, but because he was willing to help sit him through it.
He turned to look at Steve then, noticing that the other boy was already looking back with a soft smile. And the way that the sunset shined on him made his hair turn golden like a halo. He was beautiful like this too. Like an angel― maybe there truly is something in that analogy he thought of before. Nonetheless, Eddie knew in that moment that no matter what happened, Steve would be there. A rock in uncertain waters.
Eddie smiled back.
Then the car moved.
The Ferris wheel croaked loudly under shifting weight; whether it could have covered the sound of of Eddie's startled yelp that more than likely echoed throughout the fairgrounds is up to debate. At least Steve didn't mention it.
With the Ferris wheel moving again, the teen operating the ride was letting off passengers and apologizing for the trouble, albeit with a rather aloof tone.
When Eddie reached solid ground, he fell to his knees on hard dirt. He leaned down and kissed the earth, ignoring the disgusted looks of a mom with her two kids, carting them away from the deranged man. He didn't have a single care, he survived what could have very been the last few moments of his time on Earth.
“I am never leaving you again, baby,” Eddie promised with another exaggerated kiss to the ground.
"Keep it PG 13, Munson, there's kids around," Steve chuckled from somewhere behind Eddie to which, the metalhead ignored him.
"I swear I'm going to live life to the fullest now. I'm going to take chances, run to the city, maybe try for the lottery!"
"You said that last time, back when you were dying in a hospital." Steve was right next to him now, squatting on the floor. When Eddie peered up, he noticed a playful smirk on the ex-jock's face. Even though the sunset isn't reaching Steve here, all Eddie could think about is that he was still pretty, unfairly so. Whatever light that could reach them only casted defining shadows, highlighting the strong structure of Steve's face. He's absolutely gorgeous.
"What if I mean it this time?" Eddie meant for that to sound more assured in inflection but instead, he sounded airy in awe of Steve's allure. "...Take chances... And what not."
Steve doesn't seem to notice what he was doing to the poor metalhead but he smiles kindly nonetheless. He stands from there, brushing off the dirt that hadn't really made a home on his pants. "I might take a chance too." He points over his shoulder with a curved thumb. "I'm going to go see if I can complain about the hold up and score us some free funnel cake."
The ex-jock didn't even wait for Eddie to respond, only turning on his heel and heading back to the worker.
Eddie stared after him, feeling that falling sensation again. It was still heightened, just like when he was in that pocketed moment with Steve. It was just the two of them up there but even down here, Eddie feels a spur to see if anything could come from it. That maybe he could keep the train going and grow closer...
Well...He did say he was going to take more chances.