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For once Steve’s parents were at home, hoarding the free space. The more they stayed, the more time they spent arguing and belittling him, the more Steve wanted to leave. So he did. There he was stupidly sitting at lovers lake alone, the area smelling strongly of something that was definitely not cigarettes, like somehow Nancy was going to come back to him or some ideal girl would just pop out of the water like he was on some shitty Miami beach show. This was stupid he was a grown man at this point, maybe his dad was right, he should’ve gone to trade school become an electrician even though it clearly didn’t suit him. Hell anything but being stuck in retail his whole life to serve people with more of a futre then him. At least that’s what his dad said as he walked out of the door an hour ago.
He saved the world, how could any job be more exiting or more important. Well El saved the world, he helped but maybe got in the way too.
One way to pass the time before his parents would probably be asleep was to skim stones, after all he was in the middle of nowhere next to the water in Hawkins. What else could he have done? Read a book he forgot to bring. Picking out a smooth weathered stone, he threw it along the waters edge. It made two satisfying hops across the water and Steve sat down in the muddy sand ready to spend the night in somewhere that any of the kids would have murdered him for being on his own in.
“Hey dickhead watch where you’re throwing that.” He heard from somewhere. Fear struck his heart. How long had he not been alone for? Had this strange male voice heard him cry? “No good looking up there, I’m in the water!”
“Hello?“ Steve scanned the water’s edge nobody was swimming. They couldn’t anyways it was far too cold. You’d have to be some sort of idiot to swim in this weather. Hell it stunk outside god knows what diseases you could get from that water.
“Hellooooo?” The man spoke again this time sounding a lot closer. Steve looked down. There he was swimming, in this water. With this weather, and this smell.
The guy looked weird like not just because he was swimming in the middle of nowhere seemingly not caring at all about his safety. Like maybe this is trauma talking and Barbra affected him even more than he’d like to admit but water could be really dangerous. Long hair on his head remained waterlogged and covered his ears and neck, it was wavy and dragged down by its own weight. His nails were black, sharp and claw like and the grin on his face revealed sharp fang like teeth. He seemed to take care of his appearance in other aspects however like how he was clean shaven and was wearing a lot of jewellery despite being shirtless.
“Are you gonna quit staring and apologise for hitting a rock off my head?”
“Yeah, fuck dude, I’m sorry it’s just you don’t expect anyone to be out here this late.”
“Well I am.” The man paused moving to a rock slightly out into the water. “Listen dude you seem stressed. I can offer you something to relieve it if you can keep a secret.”
“And what would that secret be.”
“Tell me you’ll keep it and I’ll give you it.”
“Fine I’ll keep it, just tell me what it is.”
The man grabbed a box from on top of the rock, it was a lunchbox of sorts. Steve guessed the dude was just already high and it was his secret. Not really a secret in Hawkins hell back when Hopper was sherif he didn’t care about the supposed drug problem.
“This is your last chance dude, runaway and I’ll tell the cops you were in possession of drugs or some shit.”
“Dude at this point nothing phases me. You’re hyping this up for me but it probably won’t be a massive deal just show me already.”
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
“Fine dude whatever I promise.”
Suddenly the man placed the lunchbox into Steve’s hands, with a brief apology. He then started crawling onto shore. Steve stepped back a bit thinking the dude had been skinny dipping or something then lost his clothes. But then Steve noticed he wasn’t putting any weight on his ‘legs’ they didn’t look like legs or bend like legs. It was just one unnatural limb. Steve jumped back. What was this thing?
“Come on dude, please. I thought you were cool?” The freak basically begged. Steve watched dumbfounded, he was going to get eaten wasn’t he. Oh well. “Please at least give me a chance to get out the water. You’ve seen how slow I am so I’m not exactly a threat.”
“What are you?”
“Me?”
“Yes you. I don’t suppose the weird leg thing you have going on is just some quirky wetsuit.”
“Oh right. Yeah. Listen I’m a merman.”
“Really dude is that the best lie that you coul-“ Steve paused when the man got out of the water with a splash. “That’s a fucking fishtail.”
“Yeah. I’m not full time though I could maybe meet you on land one day. I’m just exhausted right now because of my diploma.”
“Okay I’d love to have this conversation but I’m kinda freaking out. Why don’t we both have a smoke before we start.”
“Yeah sure man. Do you mind rolling me one. I would but my hands are kinda annoying.”
Steve glimpsed at his new friends hands they had some sort of transparent webbing on the fingers. No wonder the dude couldn’t roll his own joints. The guy had leaned against a log most of his upper body propped up by a hand, by the time Steve had sorted his own. He stared at the merman finally getting a good glimpse. He had a long black and blue tail with a few fins coming from his sides and down his back. He had a few bite marks on his body. Littering his skin.
“You can call me Eddie by the way. I’m probably gonna be here a lot over the next few weeks.”
“Nice to meet you Eddie. I’m Steve.”
They both relaxed together smoking next to the water before Steve decided to become more daring. He was curious about the bites, it’s not like there were sharks in Hawkins.
“Eddie why do you have so many bites?”
He scoffed then paused. “It’s my dads fault. I’m not really allowed to exist. But I do because he dated a human. I’m not, I’m not a hunter like him. I couldn’t catch food as a kid but no food meant some sorta punishment. Mostly getting bitten.” The merman adjusted himself. “Don’t worry I’m okay now. I don’t even know where my dad is. He’s on the run. My uncle took me in but he’s human, he doesn’t really understand me but he tries. And it counts to me.”
“You’re half human?”
“Yep. How else would I get my diploma or hell who did you think I bought the weed off.” His fins flared up. Steve wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not but he giggled. Here he was high talking to some merman, some merman who apparently was half human. “What’s so funny?” Eddie asked. Tilting his head, his eyes opening wide like a puppy. This guy.
“Nothing. Nothing.” Steve giggled.
“Dude when was the last time you smoked your tolerance can’t be this bad.”
“Honestly?”
“Not like I can judge you for being honest.”
“I was like 17 or something, someone died in my pool and it kinda scared me into responsibility.”
The merman paused a second. Like drowning was some sort of trigger for him. He started crawling closer and suddenly he had his arms around Steve. Hugging him.
“It wasn’t your fault okay, waters really dangerous. I mean look at me I’m covered in scars from it.”
“Yeah but it was in my house. I should’ve been there.”
“What we’re you going to do? Jump in? You gotta try to move on.” The conversation would have probably angered hero sober Steve. But in that moment he needed to hear that release. “Genuinely you gotta not blame yourself for this.”
Eddie moved to give Steve some space but winced as he tried to keep his balance. Slowly Steve slid his arm around his waist to give him support. Maybe one day Eddie could meet Robin. Or Nancy. Steve could only imagine how weird Eddie would be to Nancy. Hell Steve was still in shock himself.