Chapter Text
"Music..."
That was all Billy Hargrove could think about as he run out of his shelter on the other side.
He had been there for a while, more or less a year and a half he calculates, but it was difficult to determine the time there.
He run towards the sound, it was a guitar, pretty well played by the way, he was also surprised by the fact that he could barely see any demo-bats, which were one of his main pains in the ass while he was living there.
He run and run and run, and then he saw someone playing the music, he was too confused to see who it was, but he tried to yell, ask them who they were, how they got there, if they knew how to get out... But the music was too loud and he wasn't heard.
Then he saw the bats flying towards him "shit!", He didn't want the only human he had seen in ages to die! But they didn't, they ran with... Dustin Henderson! He couldn't believe it, he knew Dustin and his friends knew about the other side, but he also thought the portals were closed by that weird girl, El? Whatever!.. What the fuck was going on?!
He run towards them, but they didn't realize and got inside a caravan he couldn't recognise, as he saw the demo-bats coming towards them when they closed the door, he knew he couldn't escape just yet, he had to hide, so he got on the back part of it and the demo-bats didn't see him, or they did but were too busy with the other two to bother attacking him, he wasn't sure but he was grateful for it.
Some minutes passed, some demo-bats started going away, but then he saw the dude playing the guitar getting out...
Wait... Was that Eddie Munson!?!
How the fuck did the freak end up there?
He knew him from high school, they only shared a year together but it was enough for both of them to despise each other, they were completely different from each other.
Billy used to play around and make fun of him, Eddie usually talked back but he didn't ever fight physically (he could be eccentric but he wasn't stupid, he knew he wouldn't be able to win against him), he also never started any argument of any type and even when he was confronted face to face, he never looked angry or violent, he just laughed it off an gave very good comebacks. Billy also insulted him for other stuff that wasn't his personality or likes/dislikes, there was suspicions about Eddie being queer, and that intimidated him, or like he preferred calling that feeling "that made him feel disgusted". Even with all this, he was always around Munson, he didn't quite know how but they met many times during high school and out of it, sometimes they didn't talk, others they fought. What he knew clearly was that Eddie was not a strong soldier, he was not brave, yeah he was crazy, but not that crazy.
Yet, there he was, on a bicycle, fighting the bats with some homemade weapons... Billy's eyes were wide open.
The bats were destroying him, he expected Dustin or someone to come help him out, they seemed like they were friends and Dustin seemed devastated, he even came out of the caravan, but he did nothing than yell.
And Billy was too scared to move.
He felt ashamed, yeah he hated Eddie, but that didn't mean he wanted to see him die slowly and painfully, the reason he didn't do anything wasn't that, it was because he was shocked, which made him even more embarassed, because Eddie, the coward, the freak, the weak-ass, was being more heroic than him.
And then, the demo-bats collapsed on the ground.
He hadn't seen anything like that.
He was Dustin talk to Eddie, he wanted to go with them, he needed to get out of that hell, but his feet were stuck on the ground.
He couldn't believe it when he saw Henderson run away without Eddie, who was left to die alone.
Billy's breath was accelerated, he didn't understand the situation and it took him some minutes until he could react.
He remembered that if Eddie had entered the other side, he probably also knew how to get put of it, he couldn't leave him die (and a part of him also wanted to save him, it was a human being after all).
He walked towards him, cautious for any creature, and when he was there, he leaned down and talked with a firm whisper.
Bi: Eddie Munson?
Eddie was half-dead, everything hurt, he couldn't taste blood on his mouth and his sight was blurry.
He accepted he would die, but now that it was happening, he felt misserable, all alone, without saying goodbye to his loved ones, with everyone thinks he is a monster.
Still, he was calm, because at least he would die on a heroic way.
When he heard a voice, he couldn't recognise it at first, but it was a male voice.
His first thought was that someone, anyone, had come back to help him, he was so happy, in addition, he thought it was Steve, because of the tone, it was the most similar voice, and he had had a crush on Steve since he knew him better on the woods, maybe even before.
Ed: S-steve!? Is there anyone else?! We have to- It- I don't think I have much time!
His voice was broken.
If Billy didn't understand anything before, he understood even less now.
Steve? He meant Steve Harrington? Was he there? And there was other people there to?
Bi: What are you talking about? How did you get here?!
Eddie's eyes were open, but he couldn't see the other one's face, it was blurry, but now he knew it wasn't Steve, nor any of his friends.
He couldn't reply again, he wanted to cry but he was too weak to even do that, all he did was close his eyes.
Bi: Fuck fuck fuck no! Stay up man!
He tried to touch Eddie face, almost slapping him, he couldn't die, not yet!
But Eddie was already unconscious, to his fortune tho, he could see his chest go up and down, meaning he was still breathing.
He grabbed him like a backpack and went to his shelter.
When Eddie woke up, he had his chest exposed with bandages, as well as his left arm and part of his legs.
We was lying down on a very uncomfortable bed, obviously he was still on the other side. The walls and the door were reinforced, there was food, knifes and axes all around, it seemed like a human had been living there for a while, but he couldn't see anyone.
He still saw a little blurry, but he could at least recognise stuff, and the pain was reduced, even tho it still burn.
When he saw Billy coming through the door he was too surprised to talk.
Ed: Hargrove!?
Billy then walked towards him with a stern face.
Bi: Finally awake!
Eddie had never been so confused in his whole life.
Wasn't Billy found dead like a year ago on the mall?
Ed: Am I dead?!
Billy almost chuckled.
Bi: The fuck man? No!
Eddie looked at him again, still unsure.
He had lost some weight, but he maintained the mussles and he was probably still very strong, his hair was messy and his white t-shirt and jeans were dirty and a bit ripped, other than that, he was still the same Billy he knew from before.
Bi: How did you get to the other side?
He was taken out of his trance.
Ed: I- I
He was puzzled.
Bi: Hey? Freak! I asked you a question!
Billy was starting to get frustrated.
Eddie looked at his own bloody hands, not caring about his yells at all.
Ed: How long have I been sleeping?
Billy was about to yell again when he remembered how confused he was when he first entered the other side, how tired and stressed he felt.
He was more comprehensive since then, it's a shame that there wasn't any human around to see it.
Bi: Two days, I was starting to think you'd die.
"Very reassuring, thanks", Eddie thought.
Ed: And how did I get here? Where am I to start off?
He looked around again.
Billy sighted.
Bi: This has been my house since I got stuck here, I secured it and found food and weapons, it's not much but it helps me stay alive, there are also some medicines.
Eddie looked at Billy and forgot his raging hate against him for a second.
Ed: Stuck? I though you were dead, the news sai-
Billy then turned around and started walking in the room.
Bi: I know, it's what I expected they would say but I'm definitely not dead, something absorbed me and brought me here.
Eddie's mind hurt, but he still had to think.
Ed: The mind flier? The kids told me about it yeah.
Billy's brain brightened up.
Bi: The kids?
Ed: Yeah, Dustin, Lucas, Max...
Billy sat down on a chair and put a hand on his face.
Bi: Max?! Is she safe? Do you know if she is here?!
Eddie nodded.
Ed: Yeah, she is good, Vecna tried to hurt her but she's a rough girl, she is good, and I think the plan worked so she must be ok.
Too much information for Billy to handle.
Bi: Who is Vecna? What plan? What's going on?!
Eddie sat down on the bed and layed his back on the wall.
Eddie explained to him everything, with details, he answered every question like he was a teacher.
Once Billy started understanding the situation, he felt more comfortable.
Bi: I see, so the plan worked?
Ed: the demo-bats stopped attacking me, so I think it did yeah.
Billy breathed, at least Hawkings was safe.
Bi: So you said you can get us out of here?
Eddie smiled for the first time since he thought he was about to die.
Ed: There's a portal on my caravan.
He tried to get up even tho his whole body hurt.
Billy fastly run to grab his shoulders and keep him sat.
Bi: Where the fuck do you think you are going?!
Eddie would try again but it was too painful, he almost hissed at the touch.
Ed: Get you hands of me! And I'm going to the caravan! I don't know you but I'd like to get out of this place!
Billy's face was red, he felt rage building up.
Bi: Of course we are going there, once you are healthy enough to at least walk without trembling! You wouldn't last an hour out there like this!
Eddie pressed his own hands.
Ed: Why do you care?! I know I can do it!
Billy pressed his fists against his shoulders, making the other one feel more damage.
Bi: Look, on a normal situation I'd gladly watch you get yourself killed, but you are my ticket to Hawkings, so you are going to stay here and heal until I decide you can get out, got it!?
Eddie forced a smile and spit blood the floor.
Ed: Whatever you say, idiot.
Billy swore he would hit him right there If it wasn't for the given circumstances.
He walked away.
Bi: I'm gonna grab you some food, if you move a single feet away from the bed I'm not containing myself.
Eddie just sighted.
From all the people Eddie could end up trapped with, Billy was the one he hated most.
Eddie remembered how Billy tried to make fun of him, how he insulted him, all he was to him was an annoying bully.
He knew his dad was abusive, it was obvious, those bruises he wore every week weren't normal for someone that akways wins fight without batting an eye, as well as the rage that could be seen on his eyes and the copied-paste insults that obviously his dad thought him.
But he didn't care, because he had also been through a lot himself and he didn't go around hurting others just because he could.
And there he was, bright taken care of by that idiot, with whom he'd have to work hand to hand to get out of there.
He wanted to yell, but he stayed sat down.
Billy came back with two bowls of soup and gave on to Eddie, he took the other one.
Bi: Food here tastes like shit, but you have to eat and this is the best thing I have right now.
Eddie grabbed the spoon and forced it into his mouth.
He wasn't hungry, but as Billy said, he had to eat.
Billy was eating to, both in silence.
At some point Eddie felt tears attempting to get out of his eyes, he forced it to not happen and kept on eating, he was miserable.
He felt his arm hurt, and got distracted by the pain, both physical and psychological, and before he could realize, the soup bowl was dropped on the bed.
Billy heard the spoon hit the floor and looked at him.
He got up, he was more than mad, and walk towards him, he grabbed the spoon an looked at Eddie.
Ed: I'm sorry dude! It wasn't my intention!
Eddie felt fear, he knew the look Billy had, he knew it meant he would be hurt.
Bi: Do you know how difficult it is to find food here?! Are you stupid?!
He got closer, yelling.
Ed: I said I'm sorry!
Bi: Bullshit! I-
He kept yelling until he saw a tear on Eddie's cheek.
A familiar image came to his mind, Eddie was on a weaker position as he was getting yelled and probably hurt because he dropped something unintentionally, as it used to happen to him as a kid.
He breathed and walked a few steps away, with wide opened eyes.
Bi: I-im sorry.
He needed some time, he went out of the room, leaving Eddie alone again.