[ in another time, in another place, with all the world to argue and bicker and spend cutting the legs out from all of eddie munson's theatrics, steve would have argued with him. nah, no way his ass. and maybe for even a brief moment, the urge to just shake eddie is there, to pull away and grab his face and shake him, because he died. he died to give them all time. to run out there and pull the bats away. eddie could try and argue with him as much as he wanted, but there's enough of steve- no, there's more than enough of steve- who would fight right back. because he told him not to be cute, he told him not to, and yet still it was steve who had to drag dustin away from eddie's body.
no, it doesn't matter. not right now. because steve could fix this- steve could fix all of this, if they just go through. it's part of why he lets eddie tie the rope, why he doesn't point out that he doesn't plan to let go of eddie even as they flip through. why, when they make it to the other side and the world rights itself back up again, he just. lets them sit there, eddie with his back to the asphault and his eyes to the sky, and steve, on his hands and knees. steve, who is looking at eddie, who suddenly feels like he takes the first full breath of air since those two taps at his lamp.
he gives himself those couple of moments to get back to his feet. he's unsteady, more exhausted than he's ever felt in his entire life, but they're not home yet. he pushes up with a kind of determination that feels way too familiar, and moves to stand above eddie. watches him for a moment, just a breath, because the image is almost too similar to when they'd first made it back. to eddie, part of the plan, back to the mattress. eddie, who looked breathless, but alive, ready to join them on this hell of a ride they've already taken too many times.
( steve tries not to think about this, too, feels a bit like relief. that this moment, seeing him, seeing eddie with that lopsided grin and those brown eyes and him, looking up at him. taking his hand. )
steve is very aware that he does a lot of the lifting, very aware that eddie is just nearly spent. his own mind is already onto the next step of all this - getting eddie into his car, taking him back to his house, getting him cleaned up - that he barely notices the hand back on his shoulder. barely notices the squeeze. instead, it feels more like they've righted something that had felt off, like having eddie's hand on his shoulder and getting his own hand around to eddie's side is where it should have been this whole time. ] Yeah, well, it's better than the alternative.
[ there isn't enough energy in him to even think about the town's reaction to eddie. not enough to really worry about what this can all mean, or how eddie might feel. steve's energy and worry and focus is entirely on eddie, who is not in the upside down. eddie, who is breathing, and warm, and may or may not be swaying. who may or may not just collapse right in front of him. ] Yes. [ he says, glancing up like he's actually checking to make sure his car is there before he's looking back at eddie. ] Yes, okay, right. Here- [ and whether or not eddie tries to pull away, it doesn't really matter, because steve's hands are moving, his whole body is turning, and before eddie probably even knows it, steve's got one of eddie's arms around his own shoulders and his arm around eddie's waist.
they're going to make it back together, one way or another, and steve's got enough on eddie that he can force this if he needs to. even if he doesn't think he will. he walks them both to the car, gets eddie situated in the passenger side seat, equipped with water and snacks and a towel and honestly, steve may be coming across a little manic, a little rushed, but he's trying. and whether or not eddie wants the stuff, it gets set in his lap as steve sits him inside and closes the door and runs around, throwing himself into the drivers seat.
home. next step. he can do this. he turns on the car and puts it in drive, speeding off down the highway. ]
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no, it doesn't matter. not right now. because steve could fix this- steve could fix all of this, if they just go through. it's part of why he lets eddie tie the rope, why he doesn't point out that he doesn't plan to let go of eddie even as they flip through. why, when they make it to the other side and the world rights itself back up again, he just. lets them sit there, eddie with his back to the asphault and his eyes to the sky, and steve, on his hands and knees. steve, who is looking at eddie, who suddenly feels like he takes the first full breath of air since those two taps at his lamp.
he gives himself those couple of moments to get back to his feet. he's unsteady, more exhausted than he's ever felt in his entire life, but they're not home yet. he pushes up with a kind of determination that feels way too familiar, and moves to stand above eddie. watches him for a moment, just a breath, because the image is almost too similar to when they'd first made it back. to eddie, part of the plan, back to the mattress. eddie, who looked breathless, but alive, ready to join them on this hell of a ride they've already taken too many times.
( steve tries not to think about this, too, feels a bit like relief. that this moment, seeing him, seeing eddie with that lopsided grin and those brown eyes and him, looking up at him. taking his hand. )
steve is very aware that he does a lot of the lifting, very aware that eddie is just nearly spent. his own mind is already onto the next step of all this - getting eddie into his car, taking him back to his house, getting him cleaned up - that he barely notices the hand back on his shoulder. barely notices the squeeze. instead, it feels more like they've righted something that had felt off, like having eddie's hand on his shoulder and getting his own hand around to eddie's side is where it should have been this whole time. ] Yeah, well, it's better than the alternative.
[ there isn't enough energy in him to even think about the town's reaction to eddie. not enough to really worry about what this can all mean, or how eddie might feel. steve's energy and worry and focus is entirely on eddie, who is not in the upside down. eddie, who is breathing, and warm, and may or may not be swaying. who may or may not just collapse right in front of him. ] Yes. [ he says, glancing up like he's actually checking to make sure his car is there before he's looking back at eddie. ] Yes, okay, right. Here- [ and whether or not eddie tries to pull away, it doesn't really matter, because steve's hands are moving, his whole body is turning, and before eddie probably even knows it, steve's got one of eddie's arms around his own shoulders and his arm around eddie's waist.
they're going to make it back together, one way or another, and steve's got enough on eddie that he can force this if he needs to. even if he doesn't think he will. he walks them both to the car, gets eddie situated in the passenger side seat, equipped with water and snacks and a towel and honestly, steve may be coming across a little manic, a little rushed, but he's trying. and whether or not eddie wants the stuff, it gets set in his lap as steve sits him inside and closes the door and runs around, throwing himself into the drivers seat.
home. next step. he can do this. he turns on the car and puts it in drive, speeding off down the highway. ]