Chapter Text
Eddie laid on the bench out in the woods, smoking a cigarette. He was sprawled out on the tabletop as smoke filled the air, a cloud puffing from his mouth. Eddie licked his dry lips and flicked the cigarette butt into a nearby bush. He exhaled and stared at the clouds. It was a sunny day in Hawkins, not many clouds but just enough for the sky to be bright. A horn honked, and Eddie sat up.
“Eddie! Let’s go!” Nancy honked from her car. Robin, Steve, and Jonathan were all in the car too. Robin stuck her head out the window and waved.
Eddie gathered his things and walked to the car, sitting in the back. Robin was in the passengers seat, Jonathan and Steve were in the middle seats, so Eddie had to take the back.
Nancy backed out of the parking lot, and began to head towards the cinema.
The group had decided on watching a new film on Anne Frank. It was called something that Eddie couldn’t remember. ‘The Ceiling’? No. That sounds like a stupid movie title, that wouldn’t do Anne justice.
“Hey Nance? What’s this movie called again?” Steve asks, reading Eddie’s mind.
“The Attic.” Nancy glances in the rearview mirror, then back in the road.
“That sounds spooky. I mean- I know it’s about Anne Frank but does ‘The Attic’ really sound like a war movie about Anne or does it sound like a horror physiological film?” Robin turns to face Steve, glancing at Eddie and Jonathan too.
“It’s not spooky.” Jonathan murmurs, his shaggy hair covering his eyes and dark bags underneath them.
“This is the one time Jonathan gets to pick out a newly released movie and this is the one he picked.” Nancy sighs.
“Sorry, It was just my opinion. I-“
“It’s okay, Robin.” Nancy gives Robin a slight smile.
“Wrap it up, love birds.” Steve groans.
“You’re just jealous, big boy!” Robin grins and laughs.
“Hey! Only I can call Steve big boy.” Eddie smirks and pats Steve on the shoulder.
“No. Nobody can.” Steve rolls his eyes.
“You sure about that, big boy?” Eddie laughs as Steve sighs, annoyed. Eddie clutches his stomach as he stops laughing. He exhales a shaky breath. Ever since being half-devoured by those demo-bats, he’s been wearing bandages and taking anti-biotic pills. He also uses a prescribed antibiotic cream, but that’s only before he goes to bed and when he wakes up.
“You okay?” Steve asks, a tad concerned.
“Yep. I’m fine, I just need to change the bandage.” Eddie leans back as they pull up to the curb of the Hawkins’ cinema.
Nancy distributes the tickets after she paid at the counter, Eddie tucking his into his leather jacket pocket. He digs around for the bandage roll as he slips into a bathroom stall.
He slips off his jacket and slings it over the door. Eddie holds the roll in his mouth as he lifts his Metallica band tee. He takes the bandage roll out of his mouth, replacing it with his shirt. He peels off the old bloody bandage, tossing it into the toilet. He wraps the new, freshly white bandage and wraps it slowly over his wounds; wincing. Eddie rips the bandage off the roll, pressing the new bandage lightly in place. He releases his shirt from his mouth, slipping his jacket back on. Eddie puts the bandage roll into his pocket, grabbing his ticket as he leaves the stall.
Everyone was in the theater, but Steve. He was waiting for Eddie outside the bathroom door.
“You got it?” Steve questioned Eddie, giving him a pat on the back.
“Yep.” Eddie nodded.
“Gotcha, let’s go watch this movie now. Huh, Eds?” Steve nodded.
“Uh- Ah, yeah! Yeah.” Eddie stutter, beaming a bit. Eds? Eddie loved it when Steve called him Eds.
-
In the movie theater, their lineup of seats was J2, J3, J4, J5, and J6. Jonathan sat in J2, Nancy and Robin took up J3 and J4, Eddie and Steve sat in J5 and J6. Jonathan sat focused on the screen while Nancy and Robin held hands and shared lovey-dovey looks and smiles. Steve looked half asleep, and Eddie poked him awake.
“Huh?” Steve looked at Eddie.
”Nothing, you were drooling on our popcorn, and you were about to start snoring.” Eddie shook his head, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth, wiping his hands off on his pants.
“Hah hah.” Steve whispered mockingly, rolling his eyes and grabbing a small handful of popcorn and slowly picking through it.
-
As the movie ended and they all gathered into Nancy’s car, they all chatted cheerfully.
“Well I think it was pretty good.” Jonathan smiled faintly.
“Yeah, it’s the perfect movie if Ted Wheeler wants to take a nap. It was boring as hell!” Steve throws his hands up in the air.
”You know it’s bad if big boy Steve starts drooling on the popcorn and snoring.” Eddie teases.
“Okay, I didn’t drool on the popcorn.” Steve responds.
“So you’re saying you did fall asleep?” Eddie chuckles, jokingly pushing Steve’s shoulder.
“I was awake, you douche!” Steve scoffs.
“Quit being so defensive, big boy!” Eddie laughs.
“Oh come on, guys. It was an okay movie.” Nancy says, pulling off the curb we parked on.
“Yeah, because you and Robin were have sex with your eyes the entire time.” Eddie mumbles, making Steve laugh his ass off. Jonathan snickers too, shaking his head.
“That is enough!” Nancy says in shock.
“We were not! Can I not look at my beautiful girlfriend? Am I not privileged to see her with my own two eyes? Jesus!” Robin shakes her head, crossing her arms.
-
Nancy dropped Jonathan off, then Eddie and Steve at Steve’s house. His parents were out for a few weeks, so Eddie was staying at his house because his trailer is technically a crime scene right now, and he would also not want to live in a house with a portal to the Upside Down.
They head up to Steve’s room, where Eddie now lays on a mattress on the floor. Steve is currently in the bathroom brushing his teeth. Eddie is in his black boxers and thin Black Sabbath band tee. He still needs to change his bandage and put the cream on his wounds.
Steve walked out of the bathroom, flicking off the light. He climbed into his bed and exhaled. Eddie dug around in his bag for the bandage roll and cream tube until he found them. He stood and walked into the bathroom, turning the light back on.
He closed the door, leaving it open a crack. He lifted his shirt and put it in his mouth. He began to unwrap the old bandage, trying not to look too much at his wounds. They remind him too much of that night. The pain and the fucking blood. It was all too much. The amount of blood that Eddie had lost was a lot. It’s amazing he didn’t die. Sometimes he wondered what people would do if he was. They wouldn’t cry. People don’t cry and mourn Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson. They just don’t. Because Eddie is a fucking freak.
“Eds… you okay?” Steve opened the door a bit, peeking in. Eddie hadn’t realized he was clutching the sink counter, his shirt dropped from his mouth. His hands and breath were shaky.
“I-I’m fine.” He sniffed, wiping his nose. He peeled off the rest of the bandage, wincing before throwing it away. When he lifted his shirt again, the fabric scraped both wounds. Eddie groaned and grimaced hard. Pain shot through him as he put his forehead to the counter.
“Woah, woah! It’s okay, you’re okay…” Steve rushed in, rubbing circles on Eddie’s back. “Here I’ll help.”
“I don’t need your help.” Eddie managed to say.
“Yeah, and you’re full of shit. Take your shirt off.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“W-what?” Eddie hesitated, still in pain.
“It’ll just get in the way, take it off.” Steve responded.
“Okay..?” Eddie murmured, slipping his shirt off slowly. Steve turned pink, but he didn’t flinch.
“Place your arms on my shoulders, so they’re out of the way.” Steve’s voice lowered as he nodded. It was like an invitation.
Eddie placed his cold hands on Steve’s warm shoulder’s and they both inhaled sharply. Eddie looked into Steve’s eyes before closing his own.
“Do it.” Eddie mumbled slowly.
“O-okay.” Steve stuttered a bit, grabbing the tube and opening the cap.
Steve slowly applied the antibiotic cream to his wounds. Whenever Eddie winced or gasped he stopped immediately and let him catch his breath. He was oddly good at this—taking care of Eddie.
“Okay, I’m going to apply the bandage now.” Steve said, his voice still a low murmur. It was like he wanted this moment to be private, even though they were home alone.
Eddie felt Steve’s hands moving the bandage around his waist and wounds, lightly touching his bare skin. Eddie had almost forgotten that he was shirtless in front of Steve currently. He was exposed.
“All done.” Steve says, looking at Eddie.
“Thank you. Really.” Eddie’s hands linger on Steve’s shoulder’s but he slowly pulls them away.
They both get into their beds, and pull the covers up.
“Eddie?” Steve whispers.
“Yeah?” Eddie whispers back.
“Goodnight,” Steve paused before silently murmuring; “Eds.” Steve has a smile in his voice, like he usually does when he’s joking.
“Goodnight, Stevie.” Eddie tries not to grin, but he does anyways.
So what? He’s survived a demo-bat attack, why can’t he like Steve? Heh… demo-bat attack, it rhymes. Eddie loved when things rhymed. Like Steve and Steam, aka, Steamy hot.