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Steve walked up the dissolving stairs, determined to find his friends before whatever dark matter was taking over in the Upside Down took their lives. Behind him, Dustin followed, still not fully on board with the idea of the two going up the staircase as the place was practically melting into nothingness, despite the fact that they were trying to reach Nancy and Johnathan.
“Guys, if you can hear us, we're coming. I repeat, we're coming” Steve spoke into the broken walkie talkie, hoping for it to somehow work, as he continued climbing the half-melted stairs.
“Steve, slow down! The higher we go, the more dangerous it gets” Dustin shouted from behind, as he tried to keep up with the pace the older guy was walking at.
“All the more reason to speed up”. Steve replied, quickening his pace up the stairs.
“We're no use to them if we're dead. Steve”
Just as Dustin spoke, a piece of what was formerly part of the stairs above turned goop broke off and dripped down, leaving a hole in where Steve almost stepped. He wobbled as he backed away from the hole, his and Dustin’s faces left in pure shock and speechlessness as they turned to look up at a hole of goop.
“As I was saying…” Dustin began speaking, but paused as confusion painted his face as he watched Steve turn around and walk past him, and eventually walks to a closet.
’What the hell is this guy doing?’ Dustin thought to himself when Steve walked past him. Luckily, the door was unlocked, so Steve opened the door and grabbed ladder.
’Oh thank you,’ he muttered to himself as he grabbed the ladder. The only thing on Steve’s mind right now was getting to Nancy on time. And Johnathan too of course. Yeah, he was kinda annoyed at the guy for assuming there were things going on between him and Nance when there clearly weren’t. They are just friends. But, he couldn’t focus on that right now. All that mattered to him was getting to the top on time in order to save his friends from their impending demise. Not even a minute or two later, Steve walks out back towards the staircase carrying the giant ladder as Dustin stared at him from behind.
“Steve, what the hell are you doing? That's never gonna work. Stop! Stop!” Dustin shouted, getting closer to Steve to try and stop him as his concern for his friend, his brother filled him up inside.
“Steve, stop. I'm serious. It's not safe. You're gonna fall” Dustin continued as he tried grabbing on to the back the ladder and to him. Steve turned around to look at Dustin, his face full of determination as he rejected Dustin’s help as he placed the ladder on the stairs over the giant goop hole.
“It's unstable. I got it already, okay?” Steve replied, his voice annoyed as he glanced at the kid. Why was he against trying to reach their friends so much? These stairs were the only way up as far as Steve knew. He didn’t care in that moment he was putting his life on the line yet again for everyone around him. He ignored Dustin’s calls and began to climb up the stairs. However, he couldn’t even get halfway before he was practically yanked back towards the kid, almost trampling him.
“No, don't! Stop being an asshоlе!” Dustin shouted as he grabbed hold of Steve’s jacket and yanked him off the stairs towards himself, moving back a bit to not make himself fall.
“I’m not I’m trying to get to them!” The guy shouted back at him, tension building between them once more, the same tension that had built up just half an hour prior leading to their fight.
“You always try to get yourself killed, and I can't let it happen again. Stop being so selfish, please”, Dustin replied, glancing up at Steve, tears forming in his eyes as his voice cracked.
“If you go on there, you're gonna die, and I can't deal with it again.”
Steve looked at the kid, concern now etched on his face as Dustin’s bruised face now showed visible tears as his voice broke while speaking to him, trying to get him to understand. And Steve, the protector, the person who now puts himself on the line for others because no one did for him growing up, understood now. This is why Dustin had been distant, why he had spaced himself from Steve for so long. He was scared.
’God, why hadn’t I been there for him that day?’ He thought to himself as he kept looking at the kid, his kid, and guilt piled up inside him for what he had told him. He felt so guilty and stupid about what he had spoke of Eddie’s death. If Eddie hadn’t gone and played hero like he claimed that day, who knows what would have happened to all of them. But Steve felt so guilty that he wasn’t there. Looking back now, he wished that he could have swapped places with Eddie. He hadn’t known the guy for long, but he knew how much Dustin looked up to him. And he was grateful for that bond, however , he missed his best friend. He was wrong before. Dustin’s just a teen, a kid. He shouldn’t be experiencing this kind of grief at such a young age. Steve through, felt as he had grieved his whole childhood. His parents were never there for him, preferring to take proclaimed ‘business trips’ instead of being actual parents. At least Dustin had a mother who loved him, and best friends who cared for him. He felt that he had to show up for these kids, because they were the only people he’s got in life.
“You can't die 'cause I can't deal with it again. Don't let it happen again. Please. Please don't let it happen again. Not you.” Dustin sobbed, as he felt Steve grab him into a hug, wrapping his hands around his head protectively and he wrapped his arms around the guy’s back tightly, afraid to let go because he didn’t want to watch someone he loved, who he looked up to, die in front of him again. Eddie dying in his arms broke Dustin. It broke his confidence, his personality, it hurt him so bad because he didn’t think he would die. So he wasn’t going to let Steve die right in front of him trying to be a hero.
“( sobbing ) I'm sorry” Dustin spoke through the tears into Steve’s shirt which was soaked with the kid’s tears. But Steve didn’t care, because this kid was his best friend, one of the few TRUE friends he had been able to make. Dustin was like the little brother he never had, and he wasn’t going to let anyone or anything break them apart again. Not after what he had already been through.
“No, no, no” Steve muttered softly in response. And in that moment, Steve held Dustin close, the way he didn’t get to in the 18 months before, because he was afraid. Afraid to let go, and if he let go, Dustin would slip away just like Eddie did. Steve can’t live a life without Dustin, and Dustin can’t live a life without Steve. That’s their saying, You die, I die.