Archive of Our Own

The first thing Eddie noticed when he woke up was the pain. The second thing was how badly he needed to piss.

He opened his eyes to find an unfamiliar ceiling. It wasn’t the rotting tile of the hospital room he’d been mostly disoriented and high in. It wasn’t the white damp caravan roof that birds’ pattering footsteps could be heard through when it was buttfuck early.

No, this ceiling was yellow. Musty. Maybe it hadn’t always been yellow. Maybe the person who lived here was a smoker.

Eddie brought a hand to the thick bandage around his waist. It hurt to even press his fingertips on it. A burning, throbbing pain, like he should definitely still be in hospital right now. He felt woozy still.

He tried to run through what he could remember since the bats in the upside down in his mind. There was Dustin crying; the hospital room; some flashes of a car. Had- had Steve held his hand? He curled his right hand into a fist as he sat up.

The room he was in was homely, lived in, but like no one had been here for a very long time. Cobwebs strung themselves in every corner, and the posters on the wall were peeling. Eddie held his stomach as if that’d make any difference as he rose. The floor creaked. His eyes shot to the door when he heard thunderous footsteps.

“Eddie!” Dustin slammed through the door. His grin was wild, bright, and far too much when all Eddie could think about was the combination of pain in his abdomen and growing confusion.

“Toilet.” Eddie said. He could hug the kid later. Priorities.

“Oh.” Dustin, bless him, looked disappointed at the reaction. If he had more energy, Eddie would’ve reassured him, ruffled his hair, but God he was tired. In pain, “It’s uh- first door on your left when you go out. Do you need help?”

Eddie shook his head. He took a step. Pain shot up his side and he couldn’t help the whimper that escaped him. He nodded his head and beckoned Dustin over with an arm held out.

With the kid’s help, he made it to the bathroom with hobbling and excruciatingly slow steps. He pissed. Then he made the mistake of looking at himself in the mirror.

Sunken eyes, dark circles, pale as a ghost. He was wearing someone else’s sweatshirt, and pyjama pants that also weren’t his. He braced with one hand on the sink and used the other to pull the collar of the sweatshirt up to his nose. Steve, his mind immediately provided.

God, he could identify the guy by smell. Sad little freak.

He took in a deep breath before trudging the 3 gruelling steps to the door. Dustin nearly fell through it as it opened and Eddie couldn’t even take a step back to avoid him.

He grunted and stumbled as he was hit.

“Henderson.” He warned, accepting the hand that helped him gain his balance. Nausea suddenly rushed through him. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it back to the toilet if he tried. Honestly, he wanted to be carried.

“You look horrible.” Dustin said, not unkindly. Eddie closed his eyes and willed himself to not be sick.

“I feel horrible.” He swallowed roughly, “We don’t have a wheelchair, do we? I- I don’t think I’m taking another step here, kid.”

“Just wait here.” Dustin told him, then his hurried footsteps faded away. It was easier to just keep his eyes closed, so Eddie did.

“Shit.” Steve’s voice reached his ears. He was right in front of him. It took a moment or two for Eddie to force his eyes open and he realised how hard he was gripping the door to stay upright.

“Don’t swoon, Harrington.” Eddie offered him a weak smile, “Don’t need two of us weak at the knees.”

“How are you still-?” Steve shook his head, “Come on, you need to go back to bed.”

It was obvious why Dustin had fetched the guy, so Eddie nodded, “Go ahead.”

Steve stepped forward, his eyes darting over his body like Eddie was about to fall apart from his touch alone. He would, but not physically. Emotionally he’d he ruined.

Once Steve had tucked an arm under Eddie’s legs and got an arm on his shoulders, Eddie let go of the door and muttered, “Timber.”

He dropped like a dead weight and had enough in him to let out a little breath of a laugh when Steve grunted on impact. Strong man.

“This is why hospitals have catheters.” Steve mumbled as he started walking back to the bedroom.

“Talk dirty to me.” Eddie teased before the lights went out again.

*

The next time Eddie woke up, it was because he heard the TV blaring in the other room. He stumbled to his feet, overly aware of how there was a lump in his throat. A brief scan of the room and he spotted a dusty looking glass of water. After chugging it down, he dropped it back on the side table and headed to the door.

The pain was considerably better. His mind provided him with the fact that the last time he’d woken up it’d been dark out. The place completely different now it was flooded with light.

The next room was just as musty as the bedroom. Eddie peered around it, spotted a kitchen around the corner. Clearly someone had been cleaning. They hadn’t done a great job, though.

The windows were mostly boarded up, but natural light leaked through.

Eddie felt like death warmed over, honestly. He spotted Steve sat on the couch and automatically went to the back of it with the thought of hopping over. The realisation that he was already struggling to walk had him rounding it instead.

The news was playing.

“So, they still talking about me?” Eddie said to Steve, who started like he hadn’t heard him approach. Great observation skills. Super comforting.

Watching so many emotions pass over Steve’s face should’ve been entertaining. Instead, Eddie found himself just wanting to see certainty in the man. Something grounding. Eddie had no idea where he was, how he’d survived, what was happening next. As far as he was concerned, he was dead.

He’d accepted it.

Eddie had laid there with his guts bitten out by fucking demobats and had made Dustin promise to look after the club, find those weirdos that didn’t fit in and give them a place. Now he felt out of reach. Displaced.

Eddie wasn’t supposed to be here.

Eventually Steve’s face landed on anticipatory, “Actually, you’re kind of old news.”

“Oh?” Eddie glanced at the TV. He used the arm of the couch to lower himself down next to Steve, far enough away not to be distracted by him, but close enough to feel something.

“Turns out you didn’t murder those people in a ritualistic sacrifice for Satan.”

“I didn’t?” Eddie tilted his head. Waking up to having his main problem (aside from nearly dying) solved wasn’t something he’d been expecting, “Then, pray tell, who did?”

Clearly Steve understood he wasn’t asking for the actual truth they all knew, “Funny story, actually. Turns out one of the orderlies at the psychiatric hospital had been helping Victor Creel escape. He and Creel had a creepy apprentice deal.”

They really believed that? Eddie wanted to say. The thought didn’t have time to travel to his mouth before Steve spoke again.

“The whole place went down in the quake though, so they can’t be charged for it.” Steve was smiling, slightly. It wasn’t fully there for probably the same reason Eddie wasn’t smiling at all.

“So, he went down for murders he didn’t commit. Twice.” He said. Steve’s smile dropped completely, and he nodded slightly with a grimace, “Who even came up with that?”

“Suit lady.” Steve shrugged when Eddie raised his eyebrows, “She never actually told me her name. Just, she’s government. Pretty high up. Brought Hopper and Joyce back, cleared your name. I could’ve kissed her, honestly.”

Eddie’s head spun, “Hopper? Died-in-the mall-fire-Hopper?”

“The one and only.” Steve waved a hand, “Not dead, apparently.”

“Damn.” Eddie leant back. He stared at the TV, saw his photo come up. It was jarring, nauseating, so he looked back at Steve instead, “Where am I, exactly?”

“Hopper’s place.”

“Not-dead-Hopper.”

They looked at each other seriously for a moment, Eddie mainly digesting information he wasn’t sure explained anything at all, then Steve’s mouth twitched. They both burst into a bout of laughter.

“Shit, shit.” Eddie heaved, his side screaming in sudden pain. His eyes watered.

“God.” Steve jumped to his feet and ran to the kitchen, “We made you take some painkillers the nurse gave us while you were sleeping. They’ll have worn off.” He spoke loudly over his shoulder, “You should probably still be in hospital, but I was kind of afraid to ask for anything else. They’ve already cleaned up a lot of our mess.”

“Pretty sure it’s not our mess.” Eddie said, which he knew was true for at least himself and Steve. He accepted the pills and water with a nod of thanks. Steve went back into the kitchen and rooted through the cupboards.

Eddie watched in silence. It was quiet, clearly outside of town, and he was thankful for it. Having only one person here to keep up with was enough for him in this moment.

He stared at Steve’s hand as he held out a bowl with canned peaches splashed into it. They’d definitely held hands. Eddie could almost feel the rough palm against his skin. Goddamn injury stealing the clarity of that memory from him.

“It’s all we have right now.” Steve took his hesitation as about the peaches glistening with syrup rather than the touch crisis, “You’ve barely eaten for two days so I recommend you get something down you.”

“Two days?” Eddie took the bowl. At least he’d been provided a fork.

Steve sat back down with a sigh, “Yeah. You were pretty out of it at the hospital, and we had to leave way before you should have. Me and Dustin have been taking shifts keeping you fed, watered, and drugged.”

“Look at you.” Eddie raised his eyebrows, mouth full of peach. The sweetness coated his mouth, “Little caregiver.”

“Well, I’ve gotten pretty used to it.” Steve didn’t look all that regretful of the fact.

A few questions and answers later, Eddie found out that Hopper and El (superpower girl) were in the police station covering their asses for Hopper’s resurrection and Eddie’s innocence. Paperwork, and the girl didn’t want to leave her dad’s side, understandably.

Dustin, Robin, and Nancy were all at the school helping with the triaging and donations. Welfare and whatever. Steve didn’t mention any of the others, but Eddie supposed he was leaving out bad news and ones he didn’t know on purpose.

“There is one more thing.” Steve said. He bit his lip and Eddie eyed him curiously as he slurped from the bowl.

The pain killers were kicking in and made him a little more lightheaded than he already was, “Out with it, Harrington.”

“You haven’t- uh- asked about the quake. Or why we need triaging.”

Eddie hadn’t really thought to, “Assumed you’d tell me all the important stuff. Juicy gossip as a bonus. How’s things with Nancy, anyway?”

“Eddie.” Steve grabbed the bowl from him. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been tapping his rings against it anxiously.

The thing was, Eddie didn’t want to know the damage. A quake? Right after they fought Vecna? It didn’t take a genius to guess what had happened. Steve hadn’t mentioned Max, or Lucas.

She’d died. She must’ve. They lost.

Eddie wanted to focus on not losing his goddamn mind over suddenly having to deal with contemplating the rest of his life. How would he even go about graduating high school when he was a social pariah? Sure, he was declared innocent legally, but angry mobs don’t scatter that easy.

“Let me just-” Steve ran a hand through his hair- “Let me just show you.”

“Do I want to see this, Steve?” Eddie said. He’d been trying not to show how tired he was, how weak he felt, but he let it bleed out now. Emotionally and physically exhausted, that’s what Eddie was.

Steve considered him for a moment. He glanced at the TV and grabbed the remote to turn it on mute.

“Just look.” He gestured at the screen.

Eddie pressed his lips together. There, in a blurry bird’s-eye view, was Hawkins. Cracked in four places, running together until they connected in the middle. Plumes of smoke rose from them, clouds that promised nothing good and looked far too fucking familiar. The TV switched off.

“It’s bad.” Steve said. He was still looking at the blank screen, remote in hand.

“No shit.” Eddie huffed. The room was too quiet without the murmur of onscreen voices. His thoughts were suddenly too loud. The peaches weren’t sitting right.

“But-” Steve tipped his voice into purposeful and a little forced optimism- “we have to take the little wins. Hopper is back, El has her powers back, and you’re alive.”

“Am I?” Eddie rubbed his hands down his face, “This all feels real fucking weird to me, Steve. I don’t- I feel like this is some stupid post death hallucination. Like I’m still there, choking on my own blood and- and Dustin-”

“You’re alive.” Steve was suddenly closer. He put one of his hands on Eddie’s knee and the other on his shoulder. It was embarrassing how much the touch made him melt.

“It doesn’t feel like it.” Eddie looked at the other man to find himself being watched with wide, sad eyes, “I just-”

“Here.” Steve used the hand on his shoulder to press too fingers into Eddie’s pulse point. Eddie froze at the contact. The hairs on his arms stood on end, “Seems steady to me. Strong,” The man shrugged, “You’re talking too. Walking around. I don’t know about you, but those are pretty obvious signs of life to me.”

Eddie stared at him. He tried to see through whatever front the guy was putting up, because there for sure was one.

“That just an excuse to touch me?” Eddie asked, so they were both thrown off base instead of just him.

Steve pulled away with a roll of his eyes. The blush on his cheeks satisfied Eddie’s need for mutual discomfort.

“Fuck off, Munson.” He leant back into the couch, looking Eddie up and down as if assessing him for damage.

“Like what you see?” God, he couldn’t stop. Why couldn’t Eddie stop?

“We need to change your bandages.” Steve pointed out, entirely unfazed. The egotistical bastard that controlled the attention seeking side of his brain ducked his head in shame.

Next time.

“Lead the way, man.”

Steve hovered behind him instead as they walked over to the kitchen. It was more roomy, according to Steve. He’d be able to get right in there to do the deed.

Eddie needed help stripping out of his sweatshirt. He desperately tried to ignore the feeling of the man’s warm fingers on his skin and the rush it sent through him despite the pain of raising his arms over his head.

Because of the obvious chunk above his hip that stung like a fucking bitch, Eddie had barely noticed that his arms were littered with bites too. They were scabbed over for the most part, only one on his shoulder still covered with gauze.

“I’ll warn you-” Steve said to him as he peeled the bandage away from his stomach- “I’m not really an expert at this.”

“What, you don’t practise wound cleaning in your spare time?” Eddie’s eyes drooped. He still caught the bland look Steve shot him as he completed the first step of the task.

“This’ll sting.” Steve sounded almost pleased about the fact. Eddie supposed he deserved it for the comment.

Disinfectant was unpleasant. With gritted teeth, Eddie held in the groan when it hit his skin. The wound was stitched but an obvious dent where he must’ve lost some flesh couldn’t be patched up. He stared at it in vague horror.

Thankfully, Steve was entirely professional and didn’t comment on how ugly it was. The only consolation was that at least Eddie knew the rest of him looked good. Hell, some guys were super into scars. He could work with it.

“Hold still.” Steve said as he placed the new gauze over the stitched up mess. Eddie bit his tongue and did as he was told.

Gentle fingers brushed over his damaged skin. The area surrounding it was hot, and Eddie was pretty sure it wasn’t a good sign. Hands that had been warm grazing against his shoulder blades seemed cool when touching it.

“Not infected, is it?” Eddie asked the man crouched in front of him. He determinedly looked at the ceiling when Steve’s eyes met his. Did not need that image burned into his brain.

“No.” Steve answered, “The nurse told me what to do, and I’ve done it right.”

“What about Dustin?” Eddie promoted, since the kid was supposedly his other keeper.

Steve muttered something he didn’t catch.

“What?”

“He hasn’t changed them.” Steve said louder, his face a little red when Eddie looked at him. He straightened and grabbed the bandages, “I wanted to do it. Wouldn’t let him.”

“You want a job doing right, do it yourself?” Eddie couldn’t help but preen a little that Steve wanted to look after him. It felt a bit like making it. The guy said to take the little wins right?

“Basically.” Steve shrugged. He dutifully wrapped the bandages around Eddie’s torso and tucked the end in when he was done. The touch left goosebumps in its wake.

“Chivalrous of you.” Eddie smiled. He caught Steve’s eyes for a moment before the man looked away with his hands on his hips.

“Yeah, yeah.” He scratched at his chin, “You nearly died, Eddie, gimme a break.” Before Eddie could apologise or thank him more sincerely, he gestured at the abandoned sweatshirt, “Need help getting it back on?”

Eddie looked at the offending piece of clothing. He swallowed and closed his eyes.

“Don’t think I can do that routine against honestly.” The thought of having his arms up and his side straining made him queasy, “I’m wiped.”

Steve nodded, “Yeah, you look tired.”

“Rude, Harrington.” Eddie leaned heavily against the counter.

“Just the truth.” Steve’s little smile was refreshing, like it was maybe the first genuine one Eddie had seen up until this point. Apparently his near-death had really hit the guy.

“Goodnight, asshole.” Eddie started to turn, but Steve caught him by his elbow with a small sound.

“Just-” he bit his lip, like he hadn’t planned what he was going to say- “we’re only here because everything was weird. Couldn’t go home. You’re coming to mine, next time you wake up.”

“Guessing the trailer-” Eddie trailed off, intimately aware of what will have happened with the portals spreading and connecting.

Steve grimaced, “Yeah. Goner. I have a spare room and eternally absent parents, so.”

“Great.” Eddie agreed easily, too tired to argue. He turned again to leave, but was suddenly overcome with panic, “My uncle, he-”

“Dustin’s on it.” Steve waved a hand, “He’s going to tell him to meet us at mine tonight so we can explain everything. How you need basically round the clock care and-”

“He needs to work.” Eddie smiled, a little impressed, “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you, Stevie?”

“Stevie?” The man repeated, visibly cringing away from the word like it had a repulsive smell, “We’re not doing Stevie.”

Eddie bit his lip, containing a laugh he knew would hurt like a bitch, “Oh, we are now that I know it bothers you. Time’s’it anyway?”

Steve checked his watch, “10:30am.”

“Nice.” Eddie blinked slowly, “Plenty of time for a healing nap before telling my uncle there’s another dimension and I got attacked by a bunch of demonic bats.” He patted Steve’s shoulder and headed to the bedroom, “G’night, Steve.”

“Sleep sweet, Munson.” Steve called after him.

Eddie gently folded himself into the bed. He left the door open, assuming Steve would want to check on him in his sleep like an anxious mother. The guy gave that vibe.

Thanks to the pain pills truly sinking into his system, he knocked out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow.

*

Eddie was getting used to his surroundings changing when he woke up each time. If anything, he expected to already be at Steve’s place the next time he woke. They seemed to like moving him around in his sleep. Maybe they liked confusing him, thought it was funny to make him disoriented when he was already injured and confused.

The change when Eddie opened his eyes was the countless voices speaking outside the bedroom. He recognised a few of them, Dustin’s nonsensical ramblings the loudest of the bunch. Steve was in the mix too. Most of what Eddie could make out was him telling everyone to be quiet, not joining in with the actual conversation.

He stumbled out of the bedroom. Seven pairs of eyes stared at him. Silence fell.

“Hi.” Eddie said dumbly.

A girl with a buzzcut smiled at him, “Hi.”

He nodded at her, “I like your buzzcut.”

“Thank you.” The girl rubbed a hand over her head shyly. She looked to, holy shit, not-dead-Hopper, “I match my dad.”

Steve, bless the guy for his instincts, saved Eddie from further awkward small talk by pointing at everyone in the room and introducing them, “That’s Eleven, El, the girl we told you about.” El, superpowered girl, waved at him. Steve then pointed at two boys, one with an impressive and awful bowlcut, “Jonathan, and Will Byers. They’re helping clean up the place.” He gestured to the two kids, “And you know Mike and Dustin. Plus, Hopper.”

“I do.” Eddie could basically see the kids vibrating with excitement. He held his arms out, “Come on, then.” The boys rushed towards him, “Gently.”

They slowed their pace but still crashed into him a little too hard considering he was swaying on his feet. He clung to both of them round their shoulders, mostly to keep himself upright, but also because it was damn nice to be missed, to be loved.

“They told me everything.” Mike said as the boys leaned away. They were both still touching him, Mike with a hand on his shoulder, and Dustin clinging to the side of his sweatshirt, “I can’t believe you got caught up in our shit. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.” Eddie tried for a reassuring smile, “You didn’t drag me into it.”

He looked at Dustin pointedly, channelled as much disapproval as he could into his gaze.

“What?!” Dustin squawked, “I didn’t- I don’t- you really think-”

Eddie took mercy, “I’m fucking with you, kid. End of the world and you can’t even take a joke anymore.”

He shoved Dustin’s head and shared a look with Steve over the top of it. The expression on the guy’s face couldn’t be described as anything other than fond. Steve seemed to realise this and startled as if he’d been caught. Eddie filed that away for further inspection.

Something else sprung to mind.

“Wait-” he pushed the boys in front of him to either side with a hand on each shoulder, staring at the kid with the bowl cut, “Will Byers.”

“Yeah, I’m the kid that is went missing.” Will looked at his shoes, like this happened to him a lot.

Eddie walked over to him with a grin, “Will the Wise. Almighty kid Dungeon Master with kick ass art skills. Am I warm?”

He glanced over at Mike, who looked a little startled, redness spreading on his cheeks.

“Wheeler told me all about you.” Eddie winked at the kid to embarrass him further, and turned back to Will. He put his hands on his shoulders and shook him slightly, “It’s a fucking honour to meet you, Byers. We should chat some time.”

Will stared at him with wide eyes. God, Eddie loved making people flustered and a little unsure. A smile spread over the boy’s face after a second, “Yeah. Yeah, I’d- I’d like that.”

“Awesome.”

“Steve,” Hopper suddenly spoke up, startling Eddie. He flipped around and consciously straightened, law enforcement (even former) making him skittish, “You’re alright to drive him back to yours? I’d let him stay longer, but El needs a bedroom.”

“Shit.” Eddie swore, then sent an apologetic look to Hopper for some reason, “Sorry, El. If I’d known I was stealing your bed, I would’ve taken the couch. I swear.”

“It’s okay.” El nodded at him, “You needed it more than me.”

Steve piped up, “Like Hell were you sleeping on a couch in the state you’re in, Munson.” He then directed at Hopper, “I’m good. We can go whenever he’s ready.”

“Don’t think I have shit to pack,” Eddie tried not to think about his destroyed trailer, about how all his stuff will have been cracked in half, “Lead the way to your steed, Harrington.”

Part of Eddie had hoped the drive would be silent. Instead, Steve chattered away about nothing in particular. He told Eddie about the clothes drive, donations, how his street is the furthest you could be from the rift without leaving Hawkins. The streets rushed by as Steve explained how basketball works, for some reason, apparently deciding it was better than silence.

Eddie rested his head against the window and stared out at the town. Tumbled buildings, cracks in the pavement, people leaving in droves. There was a dust in the air. The same dust from the Upside Down that Eddie felt like he was choking on in what were supposed to be his last moments.

Even though he didn’t need to hide his face, Eddie still hoped no one would spot him. They hated him. Before this, before Chrissy- just- before, he was still an outcast. A weirdo. A freak.

The murder accusations were just an excuse to finally be rid of him and his corrupting nature. The town saw something in him, something they couldn’t accept.

Eddie knew what part he would have to hide forever here. It’d be another nail in his social coffin. If there was room for more, what with his reputation being thoroughly soiled by this whole thing.

Maybe it’d be old news. Maybe the town would move on, forget how much they were gunning for him, in the aftermath of everything else that’d happened. Then again, he’d be surprised if they didn’t somehow blame him for this too. He summoned Satan and brought Hell to Hawkins.

It wasn’t Eddie that brought Hell here. He fought to keep it out. He nearly died to keep it out, and it didn’t work. He failed. They all did.

“Eddie,” Steve caught his attention with a hand on his arm. Eddie jumped, and winced, hand flying to his side, “Sorry.” He ran his hand down Eddie’s arm with a maddening softness, “We’re here.”

Eddie saw that Steve’s house was out there beyond the windscreen. He whistled lowly, “King Steve really wasn’t a joke, huh?”

“You can swoon later.” Steve climbed out of the car, “Come on.”

Before Eddie could try climb out himself, Steve ran around the bonnet of the car and opened his door for him. He held out a hand like the gentleman he was. Eddie took it with a reluctant smile.

This side of the guy was cute, something he hadn’t been on the receiving end of before.

Eddie accepted Steve’s help all the way to the door. Their hands were held between them, not really ‘hand holding’ as much as like helping an old lady climb some stairs. A glance around the other houses told Eddie most of them had left town. He supposed they likely had other houses to stay in, somewhere by the beach, an apartment in the city maybe.

Steve led him straight upstairs to his bedroom. He gestured to the spare as they walked, but they didn’t go in. Instead, Eddie found himself being guided by his shoulders to sit on the edge of the man’s bed.

He looked around the room, “A Wham! poster?” He raised an eyebrow, “Really?”

Steve ignored him, “We need to get you some clothes. I have tons, and I can’t promise they’ll be your style-” he said the word with a little wiggle of his eyebrows- “but they’ll have to do.”

“Splitting your wardrobe with me?” Eddie wasn’t sure what he did to deserve this. This treatment. Being cared for by Steve Harrington was killing him slowly. He was too tired to contain the confusion, “Why are you doing this?”

Steve was already rooting through his wardrobe, “Doing what?”

Clothes got thrown down on the floor as he went. A t-shirt here, sweatshirt, some sweatpants. Steve even threw out some underwear. That was a whole other level of giving and Eddie was going insane.

“Doting on me.” He scrubbed his eyes. God, he was wiped. His body ached and it’d been days since he’d been attacked but it felt like he was only just out of it.

He realised the room had gone silent. Eddie removed his hands from his eyes so he could see what the fuss was, saw Steve looking at him with his hands on his hips and a frown creasing his brow.

“Why am I-?” He shook his head, gestured with a hand, and opened his mouth before closing it again. Finding the words, he gave Eddie a hard look, “You nearly died. I know- I know we haven’t known each other long, and we aren’t exactly-” he pressed his lips together- “the kind of people who’d be friends in any other situation.”

“No kidding.” Eddie muttered. The word friend sat heavy between them.

“Max is in a coma.” Steve’s shoulders dropped, like the momentum was draining out of him, “Dustin, he- he’s basically shut down. The town is cracked and broken. I can’t- I can’t fix those things. I can try to be a good friend, and support the people around me, but I need to do something.”

“So, you’re looking after me for something to do?” Eddie soured. He shouldn’t have asked. It was too much to ask for Steve to actually-

“I’m looking after you because I care about you.” Steve interrupted his train of thought, borderline yelling. Eddie stared at him with wide eyes, “Is that so hard to believe? That I actually like you, Eddie? That I want you to be okay, and I want to be the one to make sure that you are?”

“It is.” Eddie admitted, picking at a thread in the pyjama pants he now assumed were Steve’s. The striped material fuzzed in front of his eyes, “I thought you hated me, to be honest.”

“Hate you?” Steve shook his head, “Who could hate you?”

It sounded like the man genuinely believed no one could, “I don’t know. Ask, maybe, the whole town?”

“They don’t know you.” Steve shook his head. He turned back to the wardrobe and continued pulling out clothes, “You’re a good guy, Eddie. You’re a little dramatic-” Eddie gasped in fake offence- “but you’re funny. You’re- you’re interesting.”

“Interesting.” Eddie repeated in awe.

“You got thrown into this shit so quickly. You said you aren’t brave, but you took everything in your stride. You panicked and were scared, but- fuck, who isn’t?”

He dropped cross-legged next to the large pile of clothes and started folding them. The silence stretched around them. Eddie felt a little too warm, embarrassed at having needed that speech to feel like a person again. He bit at the bed of his thumbnail.

“You’re a really fucking good person, Steve.” He wanted to say, I don’t deserve you. Maybe Steve heard it anyway. He smiled at Eddie, that little curve of his lips and raised eyebrows that made him look mischievous, smug.

“I do my best.”

If Eddie was concerned about his crush before, he was downright worried now. As he watched the man fold his clothes with care, carefully picked out so Eddie wouldn’t hate them, not a polo in sight, Eddie felt his heartbeat quicken. He was so, so fucked.

*

Wayne came by a few hours later. Eddie had managed a nap, they’d changed his bandages again (too much skin-to-skin contact, torture), and eaten a microwave dinner.

The couch was easy to sink into. Eddie slouched on it as Steve let his uncle in, having only just taken his painkillers so feeling the last lot wearing off with brutal awareness. He could hear quiet voices in the corridor.

A moment later, Wayne was there, “Eddie.”

His eyes were already stinging, “Uncle Wayne.”

He shot up and ignored the spark of pain, hurtling himself towards the other man and crushing him in a hug. It’d been too long since he’d seen him. On the run, in the Upside Down, Eddie had wished he could’ve just sat in silence with the guy while the TV droned. He yearned for their quiet conversations on the rare mornings where their schedules crossed over to have them home at the same time. Just a calm presence, one he knew, one that loved him unconditionally.

“Jesus Christ, kid.” Wayne clasped the back of his head, squishing Eddie’s head further into his shoulder, “You ever scare me like that again and I’ll kill you myself, you hear me?”

“I hear you.” Eddie breathed. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to stop himself from crying. Steve was right there. He wasn’t sure crying in front of your crush was considered cool.

With a sniffle, he pulled away from the hug and smiled at his uncle, the relief flooding his system at the sight of him completely disorienting.

“Now, you wanna tell me why you’re here of all places?” Wayne shot a look over to where Steve was bustling about in the kitchen pretending not to listen, but well within earshot.

Eddie wiped his eyes, “Turns out Harrington has a soft spot for me.”

“He does, does he?” Wayne’s raised eyebrows were far too knowing. Eddie shook his head minutely, trying to communicate how off the man was without having to actually say it. He seemed to get the message, “Steve told me you’d explain everything once I was here.”

“Everything?” Eddie directed the question to Steve as the guy entered the room again. He had two mugs in hand, passed one to Eddie and the other to Wayne.

“Everything.” Steve nodded, “El said she’d drop by, if we needed-”

Proof.

Eddie nodded. He cupped both hands around his mug, thankful Steve seemed to make a good cup of tea. This was going to go well.

Thirty minutes later, Eddie had told Wayne everything, with Steve filling in blanks here and there because of him having been involved for longer.

“So, the government-” Wayne put his empty mug down, the cogs in his head basically audibly whirring- “did this experiment with the girl.”

“El.” Steve provided helpfully. Wayne shot him a look.

“El.” He repeated, “And now the town has been ripped apart, and these cracks lead to-”

“The Upside Down.” Eddie nodded, “Like- like gates. Openings.”

Wayne rubbed a hand over his chin, staring into the middle distance. Eddie shared an apprehensive look with Steve.

“Do you-” Eddie grimaced- “Do you believe us?”

Anxiety crept up his spine. If his uncle didn’t believe them, they’d just get El to show him her whole thing. Eddie still wanted the man who raised him to have faith he wouldn’t lie. At least have one person who believed in him no matter what. He twisted the ring on his middle finger around.

“Yeah.” Wayne eventually grumbled, “I believe you, kid. The government has done some real shady shit in the past, so it’s not much of a stretch.”

“But the whole-” Steve waved a hand vaguely- “other dimension thing? Monsters?”

“I said I believe you.” Wayne raised his eyebrows, like he was offended they didn’t think he would, “You’re safe, now?”

Eddie wasn’t sure how to answer that, “As I can be.”

“You got hurt.” Wayne looked at his torso, where Eddie had told him he was injured.

“Stevie boy here saved me.” Eddie knocked the guy with his elbow, them sat side-by-side on the couch since Wayne took the armchair, “Real hero stuff.”

Wayne hummed.

After clearing his throat slightly, Steve assured Wayne, “Eddie was the hero. He- he stopped some creatures from getting through one of the portals, to Dustin. Maybe the rest of the town. I’m just glad I could get him out of there before he-”

“You’ll watch out for him.” Wayne said to him, but it wasn’t a statement, it was a demand. It was a relief that he wasn’t demanding that he’d get involved, or help, or remove Eddie from the situation entirely.

He trusted Eddie. It made his heart swell a little.

“Always.” Steve answered. The conviction in his voice was unwavering, and Eddie was definitely swooning. He watched the side of the man’s face with a smile he couldn’t contain taking over his face.

“Good.” Wayne was looking at him knowingly when Eddie tore his eyes away, “You stay safe, kid. I don’t want to lose you. Not again.”

“I’ll do my best.” Eddie bit his lip. He could’ve said ‘you won’t’, but it would have felt like a lie. With shit hitting the fan pretty much constantly when it came to this Upside Down crap, he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before he was pulled into the fray again. He hoped he would make it out. But he couldn’t guarantee it, not to Wayne, whom he never wanted to lie to.

They hugged again. After a few stern words at the door about keeping safe, in a context that wasn’t actually relevant and entirely mortifying, Wayne was gone.

“Well,” Steve said when Eddie walked back into the living room, “I think that went well.”

Eddie nodded. His breath stuttered and he realised how much emotion was still coursing through him. A chant of don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, ran through his mind as he leant against the doorway. He bit on his nail again, eyes downcast.

“He’s a good one.” Eddie said, “Looks out for me, you know?”

He blinked rapidly. It was all too much. A brush with death, losing his home, bringing Wayne in the know, seeing the town in ruins. Eddie closed his eyes against the onslaught and slid down, so he was sat with his back against the doorway.

Steve was on him a second later, “What- what’s wrong? Is it the pain?”

“No, no.” Eddie’s shoulder shook. God, how embarrassing. He felt hot tears run down his face and rubbed his hands over his cheeks, shaking his head, “Long fucking day, man.”

“I know.” Steve said quietly. He sat down in front of Eddie with his legs crossed, pulled his hands away from his face by the wrist, “You’re allowed to be a bit emotional, Eddie. I think you’ve earned it.”

“Everything hurts.” Eddie sobbed, blinked at the ceiling to stop the flow, “I’m tired, I’m confused. I thought I was dead and then- then I’m waking up needing a piss more than anything-” Steve laughed slightly- “and then I’m here, Uncle Wayne knows. I don’t know where to go from here, man.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Steve assured him.

For some stupid reason, Eddie believed him. Maybe it was the hands still holding his wrists that brought the wash of calm over him, or maybe it was Steve’s smile.

*

It had been a week since Eddie moved in with Steve. Wayne visited twice more, bringing bags of groceries like they couldn’t buy them themselves. Then again, Eddie was reluctant to leave the house with the fear that he’d be instantly mobbed, so he was actually thankful. Especially for the beers.

He’d nearly punched Steve when the guy said he couldn’t drink with his medication. Just meant he snuck a beer in the middle of the night when the nightmares woke him up and the other man wasn’t there to stop him.

The others came by to see him too. Dustin kept staring at him with wide eyes like he couldn’t believe he was really there. It gave him the creeps. He indulged the kid with constant hugs and a movie or two but couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched like a ticking time bomb.

Jonathan and Nancy came by on day five. They were a little awkward around each other, especially in front of Steve, but Eddie didn’t care because Jonathan was his new favourite person. He brought a couple joints and they all smoked together. Steve didn’t seem to have the same concern with weed that he had with beer, so it was fucking refreshing to feel loose limbed and happy for a little while.

High Steve was a trip. He was touchy. Eddie had never been so surrounded by the man, his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, head on his legs as they watched a movie and he draped himself over them.

The crush was worsening. It was turning into something much more frightening.

When Mike, Will, and El visited, Eddie found himself pulled into a debate about D&D. It was terrifyingly normal and just what he needed. Will was wicked smart, creative, and whatever was going on between the three of them and their funny little love triangle was entertaining to watch while they were there. Will shot glances to Mike, El was all over the latter while he frowned about it in confusion.

Eddie could make some guesses on the reason but didn’t want to put too much energy into it. He was in recovery, after all.

Robin came by most nights. She didn’t seem to want to be alone.

One of those nights, when Steve had drifted off on the couch and he and Robin were watching the end credits to a movie Eddie hadn’t been paying any attention to, she’d turned to him with a determined glint in her eye.

“Are the rumours true?” She’d asked him.

“Which ones?” Eddie had replied since there were a few to pick from.

“That you’re-” Robin hadn’t seemed to be able to find the words but pushed through it- “That I wouldn’t be your type.”

He hadn’t seen any judgement or disgust in her face, so answered honestly, “Oh yeah. I’m queer as they come, sweetheart.”

They’d talked for a long while about it. It was nice to have someone else who felt the same isolation as him, that had something they were hiding from the rest of the world. She’d told him Steve knew. He fell a little more for the fact that he was accepting of her, that he wouldn’t be repulsed by Eddie.

Through it all was Steve. Steve, who woke him up in the morning with pills, a glass of water, and a couple pieces of buttered toast. Steve, who always looked at him a little too long when he changed into the man’s clothes, like it was a sight he liked seeing. Steve, who bought chocolate covered peanuts for him every time he went to the store, even though he hated them himself.

Steve, Steve, Steve. Everywhere, all the time, infuriatingly caring, observant, and making Eddie laugh when he was sure he’d never feel happy again.

On the seventh night, drained from socialisation and heavy with exhaustion, Eddie nearly cried when he woke from the feeling of something around his throat and creatures ripping at his flesh.

He pulled himself from bed.

The nightmares were the worst part of all this. Pain, he could manage. Not knowing what was going to happen next, he could sort of cope with. Nightmares? There was nothing he could do to stop them. Sleep was his only solace, and it was being snatched from him constantly.

The kitchen floor was cold under his bare feet. He cursed himself for not pulling socks on and grabbed a beer from the fridge with a sigh. It was cool and calming. The fizz clogged his throat as he sat on the floor with his back against the cupboard doors.

He stared ahead of himself, wondered if he’d ever feel whole again.

“You’re a little shit.” Steve’s voice startled him from his reverie, and he put the beer behind his back guiltily. The silhouette in the doorway scoffed, “Smooth. Really didn’t see that there. Also didn’t notice that the number of cans in the fridge has been going down by one every night.”

“You didn’t say anything.” Eddie said as Steve strolled over to him and dropped down at his side. He offered the can, and Steve took it with a nod of thanks.

“Thought I’d let you have your little things.” Steve sipped from the can. Eddie bit his lip, watched the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

Death by Steve Harrington Drinking Beer.

“You’re sweet.” Eddie tried to tease, but his voice was far too sincere, too genuine. He ducked his head and twirled the end of a strand of hair between his fingers.

Steve bumped their shoulders together, “What’re you doing down here?”

“What are you doing down here?”

“Touché.” Steve chuckled and passed the beer back.

They swapped it between them until the can was empty, and Eddie squeezed it in his fist to crush it. He turned it over in his hand. The feeling around his throat still hadn’t faded completely.

Eddie kept dying over and over inside his own head, and even the coolness of the tiled floor and warmth of Steve’s shoulder against his wasn’t enough to make him believe he was actually breathing.

“I have this recurring dream,” Steve said into the cavernous silence of the kitchen. Eddie looked at him, watched the moonlight move over his face as he tilted his head, “When it’s not a nightmare, it’s the same thing. I’m driving through Hawkins. It’s quiet, and whole. No portals or even people. A peaceful ghost town.” He rolled his head on the cupboard to meet Eddie’s eye, “I never know where I’m going. Usually I’m alone, just listening to music I can never remember when I wake up. It’s a pretty boring dream, I know. But- but it’s calm. I like it.”

“Sounds like a good dream.” Eddie smiled slightly, eyes flicking down when Steve licked his lips.

“I didn’t come down here because of a nightmare,” Steve whispered, “I came down here because I wasn’t alone in the car.” He nudged Eddie’s shin with the back of his hand, “You were there. Singing along to a song, and I couldn’t tell you what it was. The sunshine was coming through the window behind you, and you looked-”

The sentence abruptly ended, Steve staring at him still, “I looked?”

“You looked happy.” Steve said, “Beautiful, really. I came down here because when I went to your room, you weren’t there.”

Eddie wasn’t breathing, “You were looking for me?”

Steve nodded slowly, “Guess I just wanted to be near you.”

“Steve.” Eddie warned, the room closing in on him and his heart thudding dully.

“I always want to be near you.”

Oh God. Oh fuck.

Eddie gaped. He wasn’t sure what to do with that information, how to process it, but then Steve’s eyes dropped from his eyes to his mouth and his brain rebooted.

“Steve Harrington,” Eddie drawled, swaying closer to the other man, “Are you flirting with me?”

“Shut up, Munson.” Steve breathed and closed the gap between them. It wasn’t much of one. Just a second later their mouths connected, and Steve was kissing him like he was about to disappear in a puff of smoke.

Eddie had kissed plenty of men. He considered himself a professional, a connoisseur, someone who knew what he wanted. Kissing Steve Harrington felt different than anything he’d experienced before.

The man cupped a hand over Eddie’s cheek and ear, tilted his head to deepen the kiss with a groan. He parted Eddie’s lips with a gentle nudge. The silence around them swam. Eddie could feel tears in the corners of his eyes, brought forth by the fact that this was too good to be true, too good for him, unearned.

“What about Nancy?” Eddie asked as he broke the kiss. Steve’s eyes were glazed over when he blinked at him.

“Why are you talking about Nancy right now?” Steve tried to lean in again, but Eddie shuffled away entirely, his lips pressed together.

“You’re still in love with her.” Eddie pointed out, “I’m not- I can’t be your experiment to get her out of your system, Steve.”

“Do you think that little of me?” Steve glared, “That I’d use you like that?”

No, I think that little of me, Eddie thought. He just shrugged in response.

Steve heaved a sigh, buried his head in his hands, “I was confused with Nancy. She’s safe,” He raised his head again and Eddie consciously didn’t cower under the intensity of his gaze, “I loved her. Still do, in a different way. I’d been on all these failed dates, and then Nancy was there, and-”

“I get it.” Eddie interrupted him. He hugged his knees to his chest, “You were looking for a blanket.”

“Right.” Steve nodded.

Eddie directed the question at the beige tiles, “Am I a- uh- different, more male blanket?”

“No, Eddie.” The man beside him laughed, a full-bodied thing that broke whatever weird tension had been in the room, “You’re not a blanket. I just- I like being around you. And it helps that you’re easy on the eye.”

“Easy on the eye.” Eddie repeated smugly, biting his lip. He gazed at Steve, preened at the bashful look on his face.

“I could go into the deeper, more meaningful stuff-” Steve glanced at the clock hanging on the wall- “but it’s 3am.”

“Fair.” Eddie conceded. His heart was still racing, sending a restless feeling through his limbs that caused him to stand up, “I have all the deep meaningful stuff too, by the way.”

“Yeah?” Steve was still on the floor, looking up at Eddie with sparkling eyes and an awe-filled smile.

“Oh, yeah.” Eddie nodded, “Hell, I’ve been daydreaming about taking all the little fuckers out on the road and seeing the coast, like their fucking parents.” He laughed self-deprecatingly, “I’ve never actually been. Always wanted to watch the sunset out there.”

Steve didn’t reply. Suddenly anxious, Eddie looked down at him to find himself being watched with wide eyes. The man’s mouth was agape.

“What?” Eddie wiped a hand over his mouth with a chuckle, “Got something on my face?”

No reply again, but Steve shot to his feet and pushed Eddie back into the fridge. The impact made pain flare in his side, but Eddie didn’t care because Steve was kissing him again. He tasted like beer and a little like toothpaste. Eddie was drunk with it. Maybe he was also a little woozy from the meds combined with alcohol, but either way.

He tugged on Steve’s bottom lip. The man groaned and pressed closer, slotted his leg between Eddie’s. His hands roamed over the sweatshirt and-

“Ah, fuck- ow!” Eddie’s head banged against the fridge as he tried to pull away from the touch, his side shooting with hot fire.

“Shit, sorry.” Steve stepped back from him with urgency, hovered his hands over Eddie’s torso with wide eyes, “God, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Stupid question,” He shook his head, “I didn’t- I completely forgot-”

“It’s okay.” Eddie tried to even his breathing. He pressed a hand over the gauze. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as it had a week ago, tender and not healed yet, but getting there. He pulled Steve closer with the other hand, fisted in his t-shirt, “Disappointing, but okay.”

“Disappointing?” Steve let himself be moved, pressed himself into Eddie’s space and kissed his cheek.

“No fun stuff for a while.” Eddie tipped his head back as kisses were littered down his neck. He sighed, warmth rushing through him. Steve huffed a breath as he pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the marred skin at the junction of Eddie’s neck.

“That is disappointing.” He agreed. He scraped his teeth against Eddie’s neck.

“Maybe I could just borderline overdose on painkillers.” Eddie suggested. His brain was short-circuiting, the man’s roaming hands softly stroking over his sides and back sending his sleep addled state further into dizziness.

“No.” Steve said firmly, pinching a spot on Eddie’s side that wasn’t injured to punctuate the point. He pressed another kiss to Eddie’s cheek, then the other, and one on the tip of his nose, “Not having you drugged up for that.”

Eddie hummed in reply. He leaned in, feeling it like a magnetic pull, their kiss turning gentle and soft. Soft hair under his fingers and smooth skin beneath his palm, Eddie took what he could without straining himself. Steve pressed his hips in closer when Eddie stroked his hand over his lower back under his shirt.

They moved their lips together slowly with their eyes closed until they turned open mouthed and lazy as sleep pulled at them both.

Steve moved and kissed the corner of Eddie’s mouth, “You need to go back to bed.”

“Only if you’re coming with me.” Eddie stole another kiss, pulling Steve in with a hand on the back of his head. The man indulged him for a moment before pulling away.

Eddie blearily opened his eyes. He knew Steve wasn’t wrong. The reason he’d come down here was to get a night cap, and he’d been thoroughly tired out now.

“Come on.” Steve bumped their noses together gently, “Let’s go to sleep.”

He led Eddie with a hand linked with his. They went up the stairs, right past Eddie’s door, and into Steve’s bedroom.

As soon as they were in the bed, Eddie pulled the other man close and curled up against him. His side screamed. He huffed and manoeuvred them so that it was Steve pressed into his side instead, Eddie laid on his back with an arm around his shoulders.

“This okay?” Steve hovered a hand over Eddie’s stomach, afraid of hurting him.

“Yeah.” Eddie mumbled. He squeezed Steve’s shoulders, his eyes drifting shut, “’s on the other side. Just don’t bear hug me in your sleep, big guy.”

Steve laughed against his throat. The sound made Eddie smile, press a kiss to his forehead.

“Wake me up if you have a nightmare.” Steve told him. He nuzzled in closer and slipped a hand under Eddie’s shirt to rest on his stomach.

“I’ll kick you anyway,” Eddie said as he sunk further into the mattress, “That’ll wake you up.”

Steve didn’t reply, but he didn’t need to, as Eddie was already half asleep. He drifted off with a small smile on his face. It was a victorious feeling, having gained something good in all the shit that had happened. It felt like a little win he could celebrate.

For the first time, Eddie felt like the thud of his heartbeat wasn’t a lie. He was alive, and God did he want to live for this.