[ steve barely even notices the night air, now that they're free from the thick, unsteady feeling of the upside down. and that probably has more to do with just how much time has passed, how he'd been in hawkins for long enough to get his footing again, before he dove back under. before he immediately turned back. he hates this idea that going to the upside down is turning into something that just happens, that he can drive out to a highway in the middle of the night to make a quick trip, but...
but eddie was alive. is alive. and if it meant saving him over and over again, steve wouldn't hesitate. wouldn't even have to think about it.
it doesn't matter, though, because it's over. it's finally over. all of them are out of there, for good, and eddie is whole. here. even if steve is kind of carrying him on their way to the car. he barely even feels the weight of it, and that is saying something. steve, who hasn't slept in days. steve, who feels wrung out and exhausted and piecemeal even now. steve, who - if needed - would probably carry eddie all the way home to his house. it makes him feel a bit invincible, the way the feeling of success floods through him. so much so that he has to remind himself they're not safe yet.
eddie lands into the passenger seat with a thud, and if steve wasn't so focused on just getting on the road he might have worried over even that. instead, steve is all but diving into his own driver's seat. is turning on the car and letting whatever music he'd had in there blast through the speakers. eddie says you spoil me and for whatever reason, that just makes steve laugh - something exhausted, something a little too bubbly, something that might just be thinking this worked. ]
Shut up, Munson. [ for whatever reason, it's said with a smile. a glance over into the passenger seat as steve all but tears off across the highway. he should be worried about a cop, worried about curfews and other people out on the road, but he feels too...what? good? relieved? ecstatic? he keeps his eyes on the road and avoids any of the cracks left behind, two hands on the steering wheel. after a short time he does manage to slow to something more manageable, but it's hardly the speed limit.
the music must shift just at the right time, must turn to a slower song, because steve is just able to make out the quiet ah, harrington?. it draws steve's eyes over, catch eddie looking back at him.
( his chest does not tighten, his heart does not skip a beat. ) ]
Huh? [ he says, eloquently. because in all reality, steve doesn't quite get what eddie is getting at. what he's trying to say. the confused look is probably familiar to the other boy enough by now, but still steve can't help but look over at him again, brow furrowed.
thanks for coming to get me he says, and steve just...doesn't get it. why eddie thinks he wouldn't have. it very nearly makes steve angry, a flash of something protective and a little dark, but he shakes it off. turns his eyes back to the road. tries not to think of a world where he couldn't have had this chance, where instead of eddie breathing, alive, here, it had been the alternative.
steve swallows. ] I mean, yeah, man. Of course. [ a beat, and then against steve's best efforts to keep his eyes on the road, he looks over at eddie a third time. ] Is that what happened? Did you really...you know. Die?
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but eddie was alive. is alive. and if it meant saving him over and over again, steve wouldn't hesitate. wouldn't even have to think about it.
it doesn't matter, though, because it's over. it's finally over. all of them are out of there, for good, and eddie is whole. here. even if steve is kind of carrying him on their way to the car. he barely even feels the weight of it, and that is saying something. steve, who hasn't slept in days. steve, who feels wrung out and exhausted and piecemeal even now. steve, who - if needed - would probably carry eddie all the way home to his house. it makes him feel a bit invincible, the way the feeling of success floods through him. so much so that he has to remind himself they're not safe yet.
eddie lands into the passenger seat with a thud, and if steve wasn't so focused on just getting on the road he might have worried over even that. instead, steve is all but diving into his own driver's seat. is turning on the car and letting whatever music he'd had in there blast through the speakers. eddie says you spoil me and for whatever reason, that just makes steve laugh - something exhausted, something a little too bubbly, something that might just be thinking this worked. ]
Shut up, Munson. [ for whatever reason, it's said with a smile. a glance over into the passenger seat as steve all but tears off across the highway. he should be worried about a cop, worried about curfews and other people out on the road, but he feels too...what? good? relieved? ecstatic? he keeps his eyes on the road and avoids any of the cracks left behind, two hands on the steering wheel. after a short time he does manage to slow to something more manageable, but it's hardly the speed limit.
the music must shift just at the right time, must turn to a slower song, because steve is just able to make out the quiet ah, harrington?. it draws steve's eyes over, catch eddie looking back at him.
( his chest does not tighten, his heart does not skip a beat. ) ]
Huh? [ he says, eloquently. because in all reality, steve doesn't quite get what eddie is getting at. what he's trying to say. the confused look is probably familiar to the other boy enough by now, but still steve can't help but look over at him again, brow furrowed.
thanks for coming to get me he says, and steve just...doesn't get it. why eddie thinks he wouldn't have. it very nearly makes steve angry, a flash of something protective and a little dark, but he shakes it off. turns his eyes back to the road. tries not to think of a world where he couldn't have had this chance, where instead of eddie breathing, alive, here, it had been the alternative.
steve swallows. ] I mean, yeah, man. Of course. [ a beat, and then against steve's best efforts to keep his eyes on the road, he looks over at eddie a third time. ] Is that what happened? Did you really...you know. Die?