[ eddie had once told steve that the only reason he went into the upside down the first time was because wheeler and buckley followed in without a moment's hesitation; he'd told him that he would have never gone to save his ass in normal circumstances. but normal got thrown out the window with chrissy, and fred and that kid in the lake. normal had never been an option and while a part of eddie is still shocked at how quickly steve was to leap at coming to get him from the place that was the epitome of nightmare fuel, a different part of him thought that maybe, maybe if the roles were reversed, he'd be doing the same, now. because none of this was normal. because somehow that felt more right than any other previously considered option.

there's something serendipitous about how the timing works out. eddie's navigation of the cracked landscape aligns near directly with steve's a pivot of perspective — up to down, or down to up — and as eddie is approaching the edge of the portal on unsteady footing, is the exact moment steve had decided to jump on in.

it shocks eddie, a sharp yell escaping just as he takes a step back, foot catching the edge of a root as he scrambles backwards and lands — painfully, thank you — right on his ass. ] Oh holy shit — !

[ this isn't exactly the best way to make a first impression since coming back, ass over teakettle and looking like he's crawled out of...well, here. its embarrassing, is what it is, and maybe he'd care a little bit more about that, but the relief bubbles over in manic laughter as he scrambles back up, teeters dangerously to one side, stepping forward as if to really affirm that steve is standing right in front of him. eyes wide, and words tumble out, breathless — ] Shit, man, you really came. Never thought I'd be saying this but you're a sight for sore eyes, Harrington. [ says the dead man walking. ]