Chapter Text
You could safely cross the Upside-down off your list as the worst place in the universe. Right now the only thing stopping you from having a meltdown were humming a rota of songs to yourself and the four other equally dishevelled young adults staggering towards Nancy’s house. Or more importantly, Nancy’s guns.
Your gaze drifted back towards the boys. The selfless part of you fretting over losing stragglers to whatever hell they were in. The selfish part of you clearly ogling back at the man you had dropped into this mess with.
Eddie ambled alongside Steve. Deep in conversation and clearly causing chaos judging by that wide grin he got whenever he decided to stir the pot.
Your heart swelled at his smile.
When this is over… Once he’s free and safe, you’ll tell him how you feel.
He glanced over to you, double taking when he realised you were staring at him. As if his expression couldn’t get any sweeter, his eyes softened. You forgot for a moment you were in hell.
… And you needed to stop ogling him right now if you were going to survive long enough to tell him.
Steve groaned. ‘Oh come on man. You can’t tell me all that about-’ he lowered his voice, ‘Nancy and then start making gooey eyes at Y/N.’
It took a second for Eddie to register Steve’s protest. He was too busy staring at the back of your head and smiling with his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to will you to turn around again. But he supposed the comment was worth some sort of response, for your sake if anything.
He wheeled round on Steve as they kept walking, veering in and out of Mr Popular’s personal space. He held up his finger. ‘One big difference. I know I like Y/N.’
He didn’t quite know when it happened, but it felt right to say. Maybe it was when you chased him across the field to force him to study. Maybe when they insisted he was smart after watching him do speed multiplication at a D&D session. You didn’t give up on him, even after being practically declared a murderer… Staying after all this madness and horror- for what?
… Maybe it was when he said The Shire was burning. That determined frown pinching your brow telling that they would follow him into Mordor.
But he knew for certain on the boat. After Nancy and Robin dove into Lover’s lake, you were next on the edge. Heart leaping into his throat, he snatched your wrist.
‘Fuck no. No, no, no.’ Not you.
‘I know you’re scared. I am too.’ Your voice quaked with adrenaline. ‘But we can’t let them die Ed!’
Unfortunately there wasn’t much space to pace or jump in the rowboat. Leaving him anxiously spinning and spitting every bad word he knew at the universe.
Before he could tip the boat over, your fingers laced with his. A tender yet slightly ironic smile crossing over your face. ‘I’ll be your Samwise.’
God it was dorky. A nerdy oath wielded like a spear straight through his gut. However as he caved, jumped off that boat whilst swearing all the way, his heart fell after you.
‘So why haven’t you said anything?’ Steve’s question cut through his train of thought.
The Dungeon Master’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Right now Harrison?’ For as many dates as Mr Popular had presumably been on, surely he knew the value of presentation!
In truth, rejection wasn’t something new to him thanks to society, but the very real possibility that you were just being nice and he was taking it the wrong way made him want to implode- no, smack his thick head into a wall thenimplode. So if possible, he was not going to fuck it up.
You deserved better than a confession in Hell. When this was over. When you had time to recover and relax again, he would tell you… most likely in a needlessly dramatic and non-conformist fashion. A sly, chaotic smirk slipped onto his face again. Steve didn’t know that. ‘Ok. I’ll do it.’
As if sensing the mischief rolling off of him, Steve’s head swivelled. ‘No! No not now- God are you crazy?’
Eddie let Steve decide the answer to his own question. ‘How about this,’ he tilted his head to the side, eyes wide and curious, ‘I’ll tell Y/N when you tell Nancy.’
Harrison rolled his eyes and trudged ahead.
…
Turns out, Nancy didn’t have guns. Well, didn’t have guns yet. For some reason, time worked… slower here. They’d figured out what time the Upside-down was suspended in through the Wheeler’s décor and Nancy’s diary.
‘You have a Tom Cruz poster?’ Robin teased in disbelief, much to Nancy’s growing exasperation.
But another thought dawned on you as Robin ferreted through those old cassette tapes.
‘What’s everyone’s favourite song?’ You were shot a couple of confused looks, so you continued. ‘If we can escape Vecna with our favourite song, we should know each other’s… Just in case.’
If the mood wasn’t sombre enough, it plummeted at the hypothetical.
‘Holy Diver.’
Of course Eddie was the first. You shot him a grateful glance for breaking the tension and the corners of his eyes crinkled in quick solidarity. You’d heard him air guitar and wail Dio into his hairbrush enough time to know that.
Robin chimed next, a bit too much casual breeziness in her tone to pass as unbothered. ‘Girls On Film. It’s a classic!’
You nod, gabbing a pen from the desk and scrawling it on your hand. ‘Duran Duran. Nice.’
Next was Nancy and Steve. You turned to them, pen poised, but both looked like they’d rather get shot than tell.
‘I won’t judge.’ You reassured.
Steve grimaced and mumbled something through the fingers running down his face.
‘What?’
His hands flopped down to his sides, announcing a little too loudly, ‘This is stupid- Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love.’
Eddie, in a moment of miraculous restraint, bit his lip to stifle a laugh. Robin, meanwhile, had no such control.
‘No judgement folks.’
‘Hey, you said I not we.’ She protested.
You noted it down on your hand, but it took one hell of an effort to keep your face neutral as you did so. ‘Nancy?’
‘Danger Zone.’ She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ‘It’s been stuck in my head for weeks.’ Before anyone could comment on Nancy’s apparently long love for Tom Cruz, familiar ghostly voices echoed through the halls.
…
After talking to Dustin, Max and Lucas, it was a mad dash to Eddie’s trailer. Another way to get back home!
You didn’t dare let relief wash over you until everyone was out, but the hope was tantalising. It all felt like a blur. Maybe your brain was trying to actively block out the Upside-down. All you could do was zero in on protecting your strange, dirty and bloodied group.
It probably didn’t do anything, but you hummed the tunes on your hand in hopes it would ward away Vecna anyway.
The door to the trailer groaned as Nancy pushed it open a flood of soft bright light poured from the ceiling and a bubble of laughter burst from your lips. You’d never been more relieved to land on a dubiously stained mattress in your life. And Eddie’s sheepish protests made your grin even wider.
God you wanted to touch him. Your hand drifted to brush the back of his and your heart soared when his slender fingers laced with yours.
‘Seriously I don’t-’ he turned to you, but the objection died on his tongue at your beaming smile. He seemed to consider something as he took in your features quietly. ‘I… I should go first, I guess.’
Nerves grew and boiled over in your stomach, but he gave your fingers a reassuring squeeze and a private wink that left you weak. Damn his big brown eyes for rendering you mute as he slipped away from you.
He climbed up and through, when gravity twisted he fell flat on his back. ‘That was fun! Y/N you should try this.’
‘Robin first,’ you insisted.
One by one, they climbed up. First Robin, then Nancy. She objected but quickly gave up when you started singing Danger Zone until she hauled herself up into the normal world.
‘Don’t make me sing Robert Palme-’ your threaten jovially as you turned to Steve.
But he wasn’t there.
No one was...
Because you weren’t in Eddie’s trailer anymore.