Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's late September in Hawkins, kids in school have gotten settled back into routine and the military keeps patrolling the streets everyday. The sun is past its peak, a cool breeze cooling the 4pm heat. 
Dustin Henderson is kneeling in the graveyard, his bike is discarded behind him and there is a rag full of paint thinner in his hand. There is a pained smile on his face as he tries to not focus on the words scrawled on the gravestone, instead he's talking animatedly about the newest crawl, as he usually does to Eddie. 
“Hop says it seemed different this time, that there might be a chanse of some leads. But we just have to keep an eye on that section, ya know?” 
He stops, his breathing a little uneven after his rambles. 
He feels a little ridiculous- no- ashamed. 
Ashamed because he is talking to his dead best-freinds gravestone about dumbass shit when he should be apologizing, or fixing the world or- fuckin avenging him. 
But no. Instead he sits here with his fucking cleaning supplies talking to a piece of stone. 
There's tears running down his eyes before he knows it. “FUCK!” he yells, throwing the rag away as he punches the floor. 
“I’TS NOT FUCKING FAIR!” Dustin yells, there is this terrible emotion in his chest, grief and sadness and anger as he sobs over Eddie's grave. 
“I-I’m sorry Ed. I fuck-I I failed you” Sobs interupt his words, his breathing erratic and eyes blurry. 
“It’s not fair, Eddie. It should have never been you.” 

Dustin continues crying, casting his gaze back up to the grave where red paint still spells “-ERER” 
He sniffles and reaches for the rag again. 
He wipes his eyes with his sleeve - the long coat he got because Eddie had a signature coat - and uses his ring decorated hands to brush his longer hair away. The traces of the man are clear, little pieces of him Dustin carries with himself everywhere.
He continues to scrub the gravestone, teartracks drying on his face, and whispers “I’m sorry Eddie. But I’ll always remember you, and be by your side. A-and dont worry about the lost sheepies cause I will help them. I promised. I just wish you could be here with me. Cause I miss you man. I miss you a fuck ton” 
A final tear streams down his face as he finishes up cleaning the grave. 
What he does not expect is the very subject of his tears to appear behind the stone, a smug smile on his face as he asks “You crying about lil’old me Henderson?” 

.
.
.

“FUCK!” 
Dustin jumps on his place, his legs struggling and twitching as he pushes himself away from the man- if it can even be called that- in front of him. “GET THE FUCK- AHH” 
‘Eddie’ jumps the stone- no. His fucking Wings lift him up and over it to land by Dustin’s feet. 
His hair looks the same and he’s wearing the same clothes from when he DIED!!!! And everything else looks like him if it wasn't for the giant wings coming out of his back and his weird ears and horns?? 
“Henderson. Calm down okay! I know! It's crazy but you have to listen!” 
Dustin shakes his head, still punching to try and get away from the creature “Shit.Shit.Shit. I’m fucking vecna’d This is it. Im so dead right now"
“Dustin, man, calm down please, just hear me out okay man. I'm not gonna hurt you okay? It’s me! It's Eddie! Just take a breather okay?” To prove his innocence ‘Eddie’ raises his hands, the ones that have massive claws on them!!!
“Fu-u-uck that man, get away! HELP! HEELP” Dustin cries, finally reaching for his discarded bike behind him and attempting to get on. He’s reaching for the walkie strapped behind him when he sees a flash of black from behind him before he is thrown to the floor with a not-eddie on top of him. 
“HENDERSON STOP” the creature says, moving his hand from where it had cushioned Dustin's head from the fall. 
“It’s fucking- Its me! Okay! If it wasn't me would I really know that you and suzie are over. A-and that you don't want to tell Steve so you told me instead! Remember! A-at my trailer.” 
Dustin squinted his eyes, his heart was beating a mile a minute and Eddie's wings were flapping fast in front of him. 
“Vecna could know that.” 
“Well I’m not vecna, a-and I need you to trust me because I'm running out of time and you have to meet me back here tomorrow. Alone. Please.”
“Yeah right, and fall right into your trap. I bet you don't want me to tell anyone that I can see you either right?” 
“Henderson I know it sounds ridiculous but you need to trust me okay? I know what vecna wants to do next and we have to stop him and I can't do it alone. I’ll see you here tomorrow okay? Please be here-AAAHHH” 
Eddie’s voice is cut off by his screams, his body going rigid as he leans back looking up at the sky, his eyes rolling back and blood running down his nose. 
There is this sound of electric waves and yells additionally to eddie’s before it all cuts off and eddie disappears. 

Dustin is left panting on the floor, his senses returning to him and his heart slowly beating back to normal. He slowly gets up, his foot bothering him from the harsh fall, and his mind going crazy thinking over what he should do. 
He thinks back to all the times he hid stuff from his party, how badly it went. About Max hiding her own suffering and hallucinations. 
He also thinks about Eddie's lifeless eyes, and how they stared back at him as Eddie's chest stopped rising. 
With a shaky breath he reaches for his bike and starts to leave the graveyard, knowing that there is only one person he could trust in the world about whatever the fuck just happened. 
He bikes to Loch Nora. 

Chapter Text

“Henderson, this better be important cause I got no sleep yesterday and you just interrupted me right as I was passing out-” Steve answers the door, unable to keep rambling once Dustin charges through the door and gives him this panicked expression “-Henderson? Are you okay?” 

Steve closes the door behind him and approaches the boy, a deep worry in his gut as he notices Dustin’s hands shake and his red-rimmed eyes. 

“Steve-” Is all he gets out before collapsing in on himself, sobs shaking his body and knees giving out. 

Steve is there to catch him. 

“Fuck.” is all Steve says once Dustin told him everything. They are sitting on the couch, blankets and food nearby as they talk. 

“Yeah Steve. Fuck.” Dustin replies, taking in a deep shuddering breath, the last of his sobs having stopped only a few minutes ago. 

“So you’re gonna go?” 

“I have to…It’s Eddie"
“Henderson- But what if it's not..?”
Dustin shakes his head. “Steve I know it's him, I feel it in my gut it has to be him. A-and he looked so scared Steve, when the sounds started, he yelled out- he needed me.” 

“I’m going with you” 

“He said alo-” 

“Dustin I’m going with you.” 

“Okay.” 

“Do you want the guest room or couch?” 

The next morning was uneventful, they ate sugary cereal for breakfast and Steve drove Dustin to school. 

After work Steve came back for him and they drove in silence to the cemetery. 

Steve had the worst sort of deja vu pulling up to the place. 

“Stay here,” says Dustin once they come to a stop. 

“Nu-fucking-uh. Last time I did that one of ya levitated to the air I’m not doing that again. I’m going with you or you’re not going at all.” Steve argues, pulling the keys from the ignitions and stepping out of the car. 

They walk up to the gravestone in tense silence, dustin taking deep breaths as he lets his eyes skim across the whole land in search of Eddie. 

The pair stop in front of the stone, Steve a few steps behind Dustin. He is looking at the stone with a grimace - it’s not his first time here, nor second, he's come back to talk to Eddie a few times- it has him wondering if he could really hear him all those times. 

Steve is pulled out of his thoughts when Dustin gasps, a whispered “Eddie?” coming from his mouth. 

Steve’s whole body tenses as he looks around… and doesn't see anyone. 

“Henderson?” Dustin hears his name twice, one laced with panic and the other confused. 

“Eddie I know you said alone but I couldn't and Steve wouldn't let me-” 

“Dustin who- I can't see him.”

Dustin stands between Steve and Eddie- the headstone- looking between the two. Eddie is standing in front of his grave, his wings are folded behind him and his clothes are still the same but his eyes are flooded white. And glaring at Steve. 

“He can't see me, Henderson. I can't make him see me- I’m not strong enough. It's hard enough trying to talk to you let alone two at once.” 

Dustin looks between them again, “okay fine, I’m sorry, Steve he’s here he just can't make you see him okay? Just- it's fine, I just have to talk to him.” 

Steve looks at him in mild annoyance and makes a ‘go ahead’ gesture before crossing his arms. 

Dustin turns his head towards Eddie and notices him still looking at Steve.
“What did you have to tell me?” 

Eddie clears his throat, “Look man, the upside down- they have a whole lab down here okay? A-and I'm here. B-but that doesn't matter okay the problem is that I can feel vecna. A-and he’s gaining his strength. I can feel him doing stuff and it's not good.” Eddie rambles.
Dustin nods, used to his fast word vomits. 

“What about you? Where do they have you exactly?” 

“Dustin I’m not- its just a lab okay? They scan my brain and do nothing wrong. That's why you have to go for the big guy first.”

“But we can get you. Save you and then go kill him.” 

“No-nonono I am not important in this operation okay? I’m fine you have to get him because I don't think you can stop him if he finishes what he’s starting.” Eddie says, shaking his head. 

Dustin’s face crinkles in pain, even the thought of leaving Eddie wherever he is is ridiculous. 

“Eddie no. We have enough manpower to save you too, okay? Dont fucking dout that but if you want me to do anything about vecna you will have to tell me something more than this.” 

Eddie groans, his arms twitching and fading as if he were a hologram. 

“I can see these walls- huge fleshy looking walls- rising. The government still doesn't know about them.”

“How do you see? Aren't you trapped” 

“Yes- yes im trapped henderson but I can see because Vecna did some weird thing to me and know i’m like part of his hivemind or something. He feels weak, I feel weak. He controls his demogorgons, I see them. Like flashes. Okay that's why you have to get him first. I’d tell you more but I’m running out of time. I can only do this projecting thing for so long before they notice”
Dustin paces, shaking his head. His expression is crinkled and his heart feels heavy. 

“Dustin, what is he saying?” Steve asks. Dustin just shakes his head at him, a silent ‘later’. 

“Fine. Ed, we will tell the party about this and start forming a plan. How are you even talking to me?” Dustin asks.
“I don't know man, it's like second nature. It's like I found you and your emotions or something. Yesterday I could see you a lot clearer than today. Maybe something about energy. It's not important.”
Dustin nods, resisting the urge to ask more. He feels like time is going by fast and the urgency and rush from Eddie is causing him anxiety. 

“Anything else you need? Should we meet you back here tomorrow?” 

Eddie shakes his head, “that's all Henderson, and no more meetings. Putting us all at risk by just trying this. If I need you- you’ll know.” 

Dustin nods, looking up at the man turned monster in front of him. 

He turns to Steve only to find him looking back at him. 

Steve lets his arms fall to his side, “Point me where he is and close your ears,” He says.

Dustin only sighs and points to Eddie before covering his ears. 

Steve moves his hand to where he assumes Eddie's face is, in reality looking straight into his eyes. “You hear me munson?” He asks. Eddie nods and gestures to Dustin with a nod to tell Steve. 

“He says yes.” 

“Good, turn around,” He says to Dustin, making the gesture with his finger. 

Dustin groans and turns around. 

Steve looks back at Eddie, this time looking behind him, Eddie adjusts his body to catch his gaze. 

Taking a deep breath steve says “Better not be fucking with him Eddie, cause this kid fucking missed you. And if there is any chance to have you back they will take it. You feel shit going wrong-you come to me. He doesn't need to experience any more grief or loss any more than he already has…And take care, lay low till we come. Cause we will.” 

Steve turns around, grabs Dustin by the shoulder and guides him back to the car. 

Steve drops Dustin off at his house after assuring he was okay and agreeing to host the meeting the next day at the Squawk for the team meeting. 

Back home he showers, has dinner and passes out as soon as his body hits his bed. 

The next morning Eddie’s vest that had been hidden in his closet is draped over his bed.