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“When’d my life turn into a fuckin’ horror movie?”
Steve looks up at Eddie’s voice, finding him pulling the laces of his shoes tighter, his hair hiding his face. When his laces are done he falls back in his seat, leaning against the wall, looking outside at where the others are still… Preparing, Steve guesses, is the best word for it.
The kids are figuring out the spears and shields, Nancy is showing Robin how to shoot the sawed-off shotgun. Just in case.
“That’s a good question,” Steve mutters, following his gaze to watch.
“Looks like… some kinda indie movie,” Eddie says, watching as Max makes fun of Lucas and Erica laughs, pointing at him.
“One with a happy ending?” Steve asks softly.
“…Yeah.”
“We’ll go with that, then.”
Steve reaches down to tighten his shoelaces again. Just because.
“If this were a chick flick you’d be back with Wheeler already,” Eddie says snarkily, and Steve suppresses an eye-roll.
“Good thing it’s not a chick flick, then,” he mutters.
“I thought you liked her,” Eddie says, leaning back comfortably, like they’re best buds, just hanging out, instead of preparing to fight to prevent the end of the world.
“Yeah, I did,” Steve says. “Past tense.”
“Uh-huh,” Eddie says doubtfully.
“She’s cool,” Steve says, re-tying his shoes after tangling the laces. “But we’re… we wouldn’t work out. We’re friends.”
“Uh-huh.” He sounds less doubtful.
“And don’t even start telling me to ask Robin out,” Steve says, exasperated. “Dustin will not leave me alone about that.”
He expected a Why not? but Eddie just laughs in a way that makes his nose scrunch up adorably.
“Nah, I wouldn’t do that,” Eddie says. “I gotta feeling you’re not really her type.”
Steve snorts.
“Definitely not.”
He finishes with his laces, sighing and leaning back. They’re quiet for a moment, like neither of them wants to leave.
“If you could pick a movie genre for your life,” Eddie says, “what would you pick?”
“Uhm.” Steve sighs. “Maybe comedy.”
“Eh.” Eddie makes a face. Steve laughs softly.
“What’s wrong with comedy?”
“Nothing,” Eddie says. “But so much of it is based on, like, embarrassing moments. I think if my life was a comedy, I’d wanna kill myself.”
Steve laughs again, shifting in his seat.
“What would you choose, then?”
Eddie looks up at him, staring blankly, quietly, his eyes flicking across Steve’s face for a moment, and curiosity builds in Steve’s chest.
“Maybe one of those weird art films,” Eddie says finally, but Steve feel like he’s lying. “That doesn’t really make any sense. No plot.”
“That’s what you’d want your life to be?”
Eddie shrugs.
“Kinda feels like that’s what my life already is.”
Steve laughs softly, turning back to look out the window. Dustin and Lucas are sword fighting with the spears as Max and Erica watch, shaking their heads, probably calling them nerds. Robin and Nancy are chucking pine cones at a tree, aiming for something Steve can’t see from here.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Me too.”
Eddie moves to sit next to him, looking out the window, watching the kids with a soft smile on his face.
“We can make it something else,” he says softly. “Some kinda fantasy, sci-fi… something.”
“One where the good guys win,” Steve adds quietly, tracing Eddie’s profile with his eyes. The bridge of his nose, the curve of his eyelashes, his lips.
Eddie’s smile widens as he watches the kids before he looks at Steve, meeting his eyes.
“Yeah,” he says. “One where the good guys win.”
Steve sighs. He wants to fall against him, to bury his face in his neck and hold him close until everything passes them by. Until it’s all over.
But he can’t do that.
“Well,” he says quietly, clapping Eddie on the back and standing. “Into battle, then.”
—————————
The bandage on Eddie’s cheek itches.
It’s driving him a little crazy, but he doesn’t touch it. He’s sitting on his own hands.
The hallway he’s in is almost silent, except for the ticking of the clock on the wall and the quiet, muffled, distant noises of the hospital. And Steve’s and Robin’s breathing.
Steve’s back and arms are covered in bandages too. He’s wearing a sweatshirt now, one that they got from Eddie’s trailer before they were taken to the hospital by some government people. Eddie doesn’t know what’s happening, but he doesn’t bother asking. He’ll find out if he has to.
Eddie ignores the way he feels about Steve wearing his sweatshirt.
Eddie’s sides are sore from the stitches, and he’s eaten three blueberry muffins so the painkillers he took don’t make him loopy, but he still feels unsteady, shaky. He blinks slowly when the floor starts to swim.
“We won,” he says quietly. His voice still echoes around the hallway. “Right?”
“Yeah, Eddie,” Robin says. “We won.”
Eddie exhales, leaning back in his seat, moving his hands, and he starts to reach for his cheek before he stops himself. Robin notices it too and grabs his hand gently, holding it. It’s quiet for another few moments.
And then a laugh bursts out of Steve.
Eddie snorts, looking around Robin at him.
“The fuck is so funny?”
“I don’t know,” he says, laughing again, shaking his head. “We fucking won. Holy shit.”
“Yeah,” Robin says, staring wide-eyed at the ground, nodding. “Holy shit.”
Steve takes her other hand. Eddie lays his head on her shoulder, sighing.
“Mr Harrington?” a woman’s voice says after a long while, and an old nurse comes through the door to the empty hall, finding the three of them. She gives Steve a friendly smile. “I’ve been asked to give you a hearing and vision test.”
“Oh,” Steve says. “You don’t… need to do that.”
“I’m afraid we don’t have a choice,” she says, making a sympathetic face. “Orders from Dr Owens. Concussions can cause issues with hearing and vision, and we know you’ve had your fair share.”
Steve stares at her, and she stares back. Eddie wonders if she has grandchildren to practice dealing with stubborn patients. Robin pushes at Steve.
“Go, get it over with.”
Steve huffs, getting up to follow her out. Eddie hears him tell her, “I don’t need glasses,” before the door shuts behind them. Robin puts her head on Eddie’s.
After a while, the door opens again and Max appears, her left arm in a cast.
“Hey, Red,” Eddie says softly. “What’s up?”
“Uh.” She takes a breath, looking away anxiously. “My mom’s on her way.”
“Everything okay?” Robin asks.
“Yeah, I just…” She looks away again. “I don’t really wanna be alone.”
“You want me to wait with you?” Robin asks. Eddie sits up straight as Max nods. “Will you wait for Steve?” she asks Eddie.
“Yeah, ‘course.”
Eddie watches them go, watches Robin wrap an arm around Max’s shoulders before the door shuts behind them. The hallway falls silent again. He sticks his hands under his thighs.
And he waits. Listens to the ticking of the clock, to his own breathing, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against the wall. He only opens them when the door opens again, and Steve comes over to sit heavily in the seat Robin sat in before she left.
“I need glasses.”
A laugh bursts out of Eddie.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
Eddie laughs again and looks at the floor as Steve lets his head rest against the wall.
“Where’s Robin?”
“She went with Max— Wait a fucking second.”
“Hm?”
“This whole time, you haven’t been able to see?” Eddie says loudly.
“I can see,” Steve says defensively, lifting his head but still slouching. “Just not well.”
“Oh my god.”
“Or hear very well. My left ear isn’t good, apparently.”
“Holy shit.”
“‘S fine.”
Steve sighs, looking up at the ceiling. Eddie lets it go even though he desperately wants to know why Steve hasn’t done anything about either of these things. There’s no way he just… hasn’t noticed.
“Where’d Max and Robin go?” Steve asks.
“Uh, Max’s mom is on her way here. Might be here already, I don’t know. Max didn’t wanna be alone.”
Steve nods quietly.
“Where are your parents, Harrington?” Eddie asks, copying him, leaning against the wall, still looking at him.
He shrugs.
“God knows,” he says quietly. “They didn’t tell me this time.”
“Jesus,” Eddie breathes. “You know where they’re coming back?”
Steve shakes his head slowly, his eyes trained unblinkingly on the ground.
“Gonna be a bitch when they do, though,” he says softly. “Last time they were here, I…” He takes a breath. “I heard them talking about selling the house.”
“Like… the house?”
Steve nods.
“Which means,” he says, “I’ll need to find a place to live. Hopefully they leave me some money for an apartment or something, because…” He shakes his head.
“Jesus.”
“Yeah.” He pauses. “Sometimes it’s like… like they’ve forgotten I even exist.”
Eddie listens, shifting in his seat to face him.
“They don’t say hi when they come home, they don’t tell me when they’re going when they leave, or where they’re going, or how long they’ll be gone, and sometimes I wonder if they come home and like… wonder whose car is in the driveway. Wonder who’s been using the kitchen or… or doing laundry.”
“Steve,” Eddie starts quietly, but Steve keeps talking.
“Wonder if they’ve just… like, suppressed their memories of me on purpose. If they know I’m just a fuck up so they pretend I don’t exist.”
“Steve,” Eddie snaps. Steve blinks, looking up at home, his cheeks flushing like he’s just realised he’s talking out loud. Eddie softens. “Thought you were done with all that King Steve shit.”
Steve blinks again, this time in confusion.
“Huh?”
Eddie sighs.
“If you’re… turning over a new leaf. Being a better person. You gotta be nicer to yourself too.” He looks into Steve’s eyes. “You’re not a fuck up.”
Steve looks away.
“Habits are hard to beat.”
“You’re telling the Hawkins local druggie habits are hard to beat?” Eddie says, smiling.
“Thought you were the dealer.”
“Yeah, now.” Eddie shifts in his seat. “Everything I’ve sold, I’ve used. Some are hard to kick.” He pauses, his voice quieting. “Why do you think I’m twenty-one, in high school, and living with my uncle in a trailer park?”
Steve is quiet for a moment before,
“This is a depressing movie.”
Eddie laughs, almost giggling, squeezing his eyes shut. His cheek hurts.
“Yeah,” he says. “It is.”
“Why are we still here?” Steve asks, looking around the hallway. “Should we go somewhere?”
“Yeah, I think this hallway is sucking our souls out.”
“C’mon,” Steve says, standing up, and Eddie starts to follow, but he probably should have had more water, or more blueberry muffins, or something, because his vision goes dark after a second as he’s stepping forward, and he hears Steve’s voice say something before he’s falling over and Steve is catching him, stumbling and falling to ground with Eddie in his arms.
“Fuck!” Steve says sharply, and Eddie groans loudly, pain zipping through his whole body as they hit the floor.
“I’m sorry,” he says weakly, trying to sit up as he feels Steve’s chest rise and fall, because fuck, Steve is crying and it’s Eddie’s fault, and shit, Eddie can’t get up, and Steve is…
Laughing.
“Steve?”
“God, that fucking hurt,” Steve says, still laughing, his arms around Eddie as Eddie rests on top of him.
“Why are you laughing?” Eddie questions, but he can’t help but start to giggle too.
“I don’t know,” Steve laughs. “I have no idea.”
Eddie snorts and lets his head fall to Steve’s chest, both of them shaking as they laugh.
“There’s something wrong with us,” Eddie says, wincing as his sides hurt again.
“Definitely,” Steve says, a hand running over Eddie’s back gently.
Gently. So gently that it makes Eddie want to cry even as he giggles.
They hold each other as they laugh, Eddie’s arms finding their way around Steve’s neck after a few moments, their legs twining, and it all suddenly comes crashing down around Eddie.
That they made it. They’re okay. They fucking won.
When they finally stop laughing Eddie lifts his head from where it’s resting on Steve’s chest, and he looks down at him. Steve’s eyes are shining with tears, and his cheeks are rosy, and his hair is fanned out on the white floor under them. And Eddie feels himself fall in love.
“Oh,” Steve breathes, his smile faltering, his eyes widening.
“What?” Eddie whispers.
“Uhm.” Steve’s throat bobs as he swallows. “Remember how I… can’t see super well?”
“Yeah?”
Eddie realises how close they are.
“You’re really pretty,” Steve says softly, a hand finding Eddie’s cheek carefully over the bandage.
Eddie’s cheeks flush with heat and he just… looks at him. At his wet eyelashes and red cheeks and the moles that are scattered across his skin. Eddie wants to count them. He wants to kiss them.
He doesn’t realise how long he’s been staring until Steve speaks.
“If this was a romantic comedy, we’d kiss right now.”
His voice is soft. Eddie melts.
“Only if one of us was a girl.”
Steve gives him an eye roll so powerful Eddie is surprised it doesn’t cause an earthquake.
“Can you shut your cynical heart up?” Steve says quietly. One of his hands moves to push Eddie’s hair back. “Pretend they make movies about people like us.”
Eddie leans his head down, his eyes trained on Steve’s lips. They’re pink. How are they so pink?
“Do we have to be in a movie?” he asks quietly, his eyes fluttering shut when Steve’s hand pushes into his hair. “Wouldn’t real life be better?”
Steve pulls him down a little more by the back of his head.
“Yeah,” he breathes. “It would.”
Eddie kisses him.
Softly. Carefully.
Gently.
Steve’s hand tightens in his hair when Eddie pulls away to take a breath, pulling him back down, and Eddie grins against his lips. Steve lets out a soft noise when Eddie slips his tongue over his lip tentatively, and he shifts them, holding Eddie in his arms as he rolls them over on the floor so Eddie is under him.
Eddie whimpers, his arms wrapping around Steve’s neck, and Steve tilts his head, kissing Eddie like he’s trying to soothe him, like kissing his mouth will heal the wounds on his sides and chest. One of his hands finds Eddie’s neck, lightly dancing over the cut that was too shallow to be bandaged. Eddie’s legs wrap around his hips, a strangled noise escaping him.
“Okay?” Steve gasps breathlessly, looking down at him.
“Mhmm.”
Eddie pulls him back down, kissing him hard, furrowing his brows and squeezing his eyes shut, letting his mouth fall open for Steve’s tongue, but they rip their mouths away from each other when the door opens.
It hurts too much to scramble away, but Steve sits up a little bit, and Eddie tilts his head back to see the door upside down. Robin is standing in the doorway, blocking it from the outside hallway, staring at them.
“Why on the floor?” she asks, clearly judging them, and Steve looks down at Eddie. Their eyes meet, and then they’re laughing again, so hard Eddie’s stomach aches and even Robin starts to laugh.
“Rom-com,” Steve says when their laughing quiets, and it just sends them into another spiral. Robin just shuts the door.