Chapter Text
Eddie walked the streets of Hawkins in silence. It was winter now and summer of ‘86 felt like a dream you’d be eager to wake from. He was cold but he didn’t mind that snowflakes clumped in his curls or that his feet had gone nearly numb in his boots. Being born in the winter, Eddie was a child of the winter. He was truly happy only when the days were short and the nights were long. He loved the winter. Every year he longed for it, looked forward to it. Even though he always felt as though it was turning him inside out. The beauty and loneliness of it hurt his heart and carried with it all the memories of every winter before. At the coming of winter he could close his eyes and remember walking the streets while everybody was asleep, as he did every year. He could remember how the ice crunched in the trees as the wind blew, and the feeling of the air – so cold that with every breath it scoured his throat. But he would never want to go indoors and miss the magick of it. He realized completely that winter was sentient, that there was an intelligence behind it. There was always a pain that came with the magick of winter, but nonetheless he mourned when the season would end, as if he were losing his best friend.
Now he made his way back to his trailer, alone in the most comforting way possible. The only source of light was the occasional street lamp or passing car. He loved the danger of the dark and regularly made up horror stories of the cryptids that lived within the woods of Hawkins when he took these walks. A nearly burnt out cigarette hung from his lip, the smoke feeling smooth and pleasant in his mouth. This and his uncle's old winter jacket were his only sources of warmth.
A car came cruising down the road, the stereo blaring the latest Metallica record. This perked Eddie’s attention. He turned to face the headlights, the familiar car coming into sight as it dimmed its headlights and pulled up next to him. Steve rolled down the window and told Eddie to get in. Despite his love for the cold weather, Eddie couldn’t deny the comfort of a warm vehicle. Shrugging off his jacket and getting into the front seat, Eddie turned to smile at Steve.
Ever since the summer of ‘86 Eddie and Steve had become almost inseparable. Nobody knew what made them click as well as they did. Perhaps it was just opposites attracting, but over the months the two had become rather similar. For one, Eddie had gotten Steve into a few bands, like Metallica and Iron Maiden – they now shared their record collections. Möntley Crüe was Steve’s favorite. Eddie would admit it to no one, but he loved Steve’s Madonna tapes.
“You know your cigarette run could wait until morning” – Steve laughed, stepping lightly on the gas. It was dangerous to drive fast on the frozen roads.
“Bold of you to assume I can sleep without them” – Eddie offered.
“You can, you just don’t want to”
“Oh Harrington, always so desperate to know me”
Steve waved him off and turned the music back up. They drove for a period in silence, before Eddie spoke up – “Where are we going?”
“Home”
“This is not the way to my house”
“No, I’m taking you to my house”
“Are your parents still gone, I don’t think they like me all that much”
“They don’t mind you, but yes, they’re still gone” – Steve’s parents had picked up a habit of going out of town without notice, one day they’d be there and the other they wouldn’t. Nobody knew where they were going or why. As far as anyone was concerned Steve was a glorified house sitter. Soon enough they reached the driveway and Steve pulled in, making the rather ignorant decision of leaving the car out in the snow. Eddie picked through the keys clipped to his belt until he found the one shaped like an electric guitar. Quickly unlocking the door and stepping inside, he tossed his jacket on the coat rack and made his way straight to the kitchen. Steve fished a paper bag out of the back seat and followed right behind.
“There’s nothing in the fridge but I got a six pack” – he called out.
“You got ice cream?” – Eddie called back, opening the freezer – “Nevermind, found it”.
“Ice cream in this weather? What are you, insane?” – Steve questioned, setting the bag on the counter.
“Some like to call me that, yes” – Eddie laughed, taking the ice cream out of the freezer. “You’re telling me you’ve never experienced the joys of beer and ice cream?”
Steve looked puzzled – “What like together? In a cup?”
“No, like spoonful, sip, and so on”
“Maybe you are insane”
“Don’t mock it till you try it, Harrington” – Eddie replied, taking a bottle out of the bag and popping the cap on his forearm.
They spent some time downstairs watching TV. Eddie with his legs draped over Steve’s lap, which has come to be the way they always sat if the circumstances allowed it. Eventually, Steve nodded towards the stairs and Eddie nodded back. When they had first started spending time together in the summer of ‘86, Steve would stay over at Eddie’s trailer. He’d sleep on the couch even though it hurt his back. Now they saw nothing wrong with sharing a bed. Although Steve was always a little nervous, seeing as Eddie liked to sleep in his boxers. When they got to Steve’s room, Eddie went straight for his drawer in Steve’s dresser. They had drawers of each other’s things in their rooms now.
They’d settled into bed after changing and Eddie had begun drifting off when Steve’s hushed voice rang through the air – “I told you, you can sleep without them”.
“You’re an idiot, Steve” – Eddie rarely used the first name.
“How come?” – the question was genuine, Steve knew that whenever Eddie said ‘Steve’ something was always off.
“Don’t busy your pretty head with thing you don’t want to know”
He said ‘pretty’ – “The nightmares?”
“Yes, Steve, the nightmares” – Eddie replied, hoping that would settle it.
“I was there with you, you know”
“Dustin was there with me, he had to see it. I worry about him”
“Kids have a funny way of bouncing back from things, I’m more worried about you”
“Quit it, really. I’m fine”
“Eddie, you can’t sleep unless you’re with someone. And even then, you jerk around all night. That doesn’t seem fine to me”
“Not someone, Steve. You. I can only sleep when I’m with you”
“Why?”
“Christ, Harrington. Your skull is so thick” – Eddie laughed. Really he didn’t know what about Steve’s presence had become so comforting to him. He only knew that he slept only when Steve was near, otherwise he had to wait for exhaustion to take its toll.
“Fine, forget I asked”
“Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to. It makes you look dumb” – with that Eddie turned away and closed his eyes.
Steve thought about this for a long time. Eddie had fallen asleep by now and had subconsciously turned towards Steve. Quietly he laid down and faced Eddie, reaching out his hand until their fingers were lightly touching.
Steve did like ice cream with beer.