#at such a distance where max can’t even see him so it’s not because vecna wanted her to feel guilty

[toobusybeingdelulu]

OH HE WAS CRYING EVEN BEFORE saying “and sometimes you have wished to follow me” TO MAX. This was right when he was walking towards her after she had finished reading the letter… Meaning that maybe he heard her?? But couldn’t do anything about it because Henry wouldn’t let him?? Oh we are gonna suffer so much in s5 aren’t we

[loveinhawkins]

Steve watches as Eddie drops the shield clumsily, just lets it fall into the grass. His hand—it’s not shaking, exactly, but there’s a delay to everything, to the way his fingers curl, like even the smallest movement takes so much effort.

Steve knows the feeling: when the whole world feels like wading through molasses.

Eddie comes to sit next to him, thunks the back of his head against the RV and winces. “Ow.”

Steve smiles. “We’ve got time, y’know.”

Eddie gives him a blank look. The shadows under his eyes are practically sunken in. “Time?”

Steve gestures out to the distance, where the kids are still playing, where Nancy and Robin are re-counting the supplies he’d noted down earlier. “Reckon you’ve got an hour or so, if you wanna get your head down.”

Eddie snorts. “Ah, sleep,” he says, with a wry smile. “What’s that?”

“Come on, man,” Steve says. “Gotta take any opportunity you can. Don’t want you collapsing before we flambé Vecna.”

Eddie mouths Vecna to himself a couple of times, blows out a breath. “God, my life… my life is fucking crazy.”

Steve chuckles slightly. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

“You’re used to all of this shit, though. Lemme guess, you can sleep just like that?”

“Hmm, not always,” Steve says, which… well, Eddie doesn’t know enough, he reasons, to realise just what an understatement that is.

Eddie sighs again. He closes his eyes, tips his head back against the RV—doesn’t look comfortable at all.

Steve moves closer, gently nudges Eddie’s foot with his own. “Hey.”

Eddie’s eyes open with prolonged, heavy blinks. “Hmm?”

Steve pats his shoulder in invitation. Eddie lets out an exhausted laugh. “Oh, my life just got even crazier.”

“What? It’s a perfectly good shoulder, dude, I dunno what to tell you.” Steve grins when Eddie keeps laughing. “It’s not bony or anything.”

“That so?” Eddie says, rubs at his eyes with a lingering smile. “You got good reviews?”

“Glowing. Five stars.”

Steve thinks about all the times he’s been a pillow for Robin or Dustin—Max, too, on the seldom few times he’s wheedled until she just took a damn nap, even if it was only for ten minutes.

He taps his shoulder again, goes quiet, more serious. “You’re dog-tired, Eddie. Come on, just ten minutes. Then you can trash my stupid shoulder all you want.”

Eddie just looks at him, considering. Then he huffs, glances upwards as if to say Fine, you win. “You drive a hard bargain, Harrington.”

And with some hesitancy, he tips his head down to the side and settles on Steve’s shoulder.

He’s tense still; Steve can feel it.

“Y’know, one of the best naps I ever had was ‘cause of you,” Steve says conversationally.

Eddie makes a disbelieving noise.

“It’s true. Uh, Winter ‘84, the period just after lunch, I think? Damn, can’t even remember what class it… Anyway, you were giving the teacher shit ‘cause of some test result, you just kept going, it was incredible. No work got done; I just put my head on my desk and slept, and no-one even noticed.”

Eddie chuckles, slumps a little more. “That’s…” And he yawns. “That’s depressing, man. You saying me going on and on was relaxing?”

“Yeah, like one of those meditation tapes. Except, uh, more aggressive.”

Steve feels more than sees Eddie smile. “You’re so dumb.” He hums tiredly, his head resting heavier and heavier on Steve’s shoulder. Voice small, he says, “Keep talking?”

So Steve does.

He keeps up a constant, one-sided conversation, speaking softly. Talks about what they’ll all do after this—mostly nothing, because everyone deserves a goddamn extended Spring Break, he’s decided.

And Eddie sleeps. He doesn’t twitch like Robin, and his head doesn’t nod forward like Dustin—like he’s reached such a level of fatigue that he can only be still. His breathing is deep and heavy in a way that Steve knows only comes from a rare, utterly dreamless sleep.

Steve just sits there for way more than an hour, doesn’t care when his back begins to protest at how unmoving he is. It’s only as the sun begins to set, as the group just begins to head back to the RV, when he reluctantly nudges Eddie.

“Hey. Hey, Eddie. Sorry. Time to get up.”

Eddie mumbles something, barely lifts his head before returning it to Steve’s shoulder. “Hmm… five more minutes?”

Steve sighs through a little laugh. Feels suddenly emotional for reasons he can’t fully explain. God, I wanna give you forever.

“Sure, yeah. Five minutes.”

But Eddie rouses after just a minute or two. Sits up and stretches. His eyes look a little brighter, his face no longer quite as grey.

“You were right, man,” he says lightly, gives Steve’s shoulder an endearing little pat. “It’s a nice shoulder. Gotta take good care of that.”

And his hand lingers there, holds on like he did when they were huddled round the Lite Brite. Like he’s saying Take care of yourself, instead.

Steve feels the warmth of Eddie’s hand as he shrugs. “You get first dibs on it, when this is over,” he says.

And he means Come back.

[wroteclassicaly]

A/N: I just love being horny and angsty today, lol. This is extremely heavy content, so read at your own risk. There’s no happy ending (right now). I’m debating on making it a part of a published fic I have, but idk… we will see. Maybe I’ll just do a continuation and make it happy??

Warnings: Language, unrequited feelings, mentions of blood/injury, mentions of death, angst/tragedy without a happy ending (not in this, anyways, so be warned).

Imagine being in love with Steve. You’re there, you’ve always been there. And when you think he feels it too, when you think it’s time — that it’s okay, that you shouldn’t wait to tell him how much you care about him, how you truly feel — you hear him tell Nancy that his future has always been with her in his mind. His RV, his kiddos. And suddenly, every look he’s ever given you, every lingering touch of his hand, those nights where he held you in bed and kissed your forehead, those times when he always let you pick the movies and eat his candy, all the times you both had nightmares and climbed through one another’s windows, each and every single time you treated one another’s wounds (mental and physical) — you were seeing it through one side.

Your chest swells with heat, your throat goes dry, bones dusted to ash beneath your pulverized heart. Your ribcage is a dead zoned, tattered full of aching pressure. You can’t breathe.

You’re in love. And so is Steve, but it’s not with you.

He’s always wanted Nancy, he never got over her. And he never moved on to you.

When you went to prom, because everyone should get to, you had told him — he wished he was dancing with Nancy.

After the Russians, it was her arms he wanted solace in.

When he held your hand, it wasn’t your fingers that fit perfectly.

When you pictured losing your virginity to him, it was her he craved in his bed.

He didn’t cum with your name on his lips, not like you did with his.

And as Robin sees your eyes fill with tears when your group of four approaches Henry’s house — a look of soft recognition coats her features.

You go on, you wait for your signal, but as plans are often thwarted — you hear a ticking in the distance. You know what’s coming before it does. When he finds you, you see Max fade from his hold, in time for El to grab her. She can’t save you both, but that’s fine. She isn’t sure how you’re suddenly here, but she can sense it.

But it doesn’t matter to you, not really. You will choose Steve every time, even if he never chooses you. You will love him until you are gone, even if you take that secret to the grave. As long as he’s alive, as long as he’s okay…

Vecna’s sharp hand reaches out for you and you close your eyes as he presses in. His touch is Steve’s hand on your face, his icy voice Steve’s raspy laugh, his disgusting, burnt scent — Steve’s soft spice. It’s okay.

When your feet leave the floor, Steve is throwing his cocktail, barely able to see through his tears, his chest exploding with rage and sheer panic. Nancy attacks him after Steve and Robin. It works, but not in time. And that’s okay. You’re still breathing as you awaken, everything numb. You can barely make his silhouette out through the dried blood around your lash line. He screams for Nancy and Robin to help him, to go find someone.

And through the charred remains of Vecna, the particles this underworld carries — you still smell Steve Harrington. You reach up to caress his face, and with your last breath… everything is okay, because you love him.

// eat me paragraph //

[hbyrde36]

Times Like These (The Anniversary Edition)

CH 1 CH 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch5

Chapter 6: Four Chimes

WC: 7910 | AO3 link

It was nearing midnight by the time Nancy and Mike got back to Steve’s house, where everyone was still anxiously waiting up for their return.

They would have been back sooner but, as Nancy explained, they had stopped home first on the off chance that Jonathan had tried to reach her there and left a message or anything like that. 

He hadn’t.

After that unfortunately unsurprising discovery, the siblings snuck out again to make their way back to the others, only to be passed on the road by an ambulance, fire truck, and a police car, all with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

They tracked the procession to Benny’s, watching from a safe distance as the long abandoned burger place was cordoned off with caution tape. Not long after the Hawkins P.D. and Co arrived, a blackout SUV pulled up to the scene and a woman Nancy thought she recognized from her time being detained at Hawkins lab stepped out of it. 

After watching a body bag get rolled out on a stretcher, she and Mike figured it was time to get out of there before someone noticed them, and raced all the way back to Loch Nora.

“It's gotta be Patrick,” Dustin said when Nancy was finished. “He’s the only other previous victim unaccounted for.” 

“And Benny’s is the team’s usual hangout spot.” Lucas added.

“What do you think that woman was doing there?” Robin asked.

Erica sneered. “Trying to cover it up.” 

“Should we…” Eddie trailed off, biting at his bottom lip. “I dunno, this is their fault isn’t it? Should we maybe be going to them for help or something?”

“Absolutely not.” Several of them said in unison, including Steve, and Eddie quickly raised his hands in surrender to the experts. 

“When’s the last time you tried to call California?” Nancy asked.

Dustin scoffed. “Don’t you think if they went back home from the airport they would have called us by now?” 

Eddie tilted his head in agreement, while Steve threw the kid a grateful look. 

“I did actually try to call a few times when you and Mike didn’t come back on time, but it was always the same, a busy signal.” Steve admitted.

Robin wrinkled her nose. “That sounds… ominous.”

“So that means either they left the phone off the hook, or…” Mike began, but neither he or anyone else bothered to follow that thread. It didn’t seem likely to lead anywhere good. 

“What are we going to do now? We can’t just keep waiting around for an answer to magically present itself. Not with three of our party in danger.” Dustin said, gesturing generally in the directions of Max, Steve, and Chrissy. “What if the music stops working?” 

“We’ll figure something out Dusty-bun, we always do.” Robin said, reaching out to roughly ruffle his hair.

He shrugged her off, undeterred. “And what about Will, El, and Jonathan? What if it’s him, what if Vecna got them somehow?”

“Look, Dustin, we’re all worried, alright?” Steve paused, dragging one hand down his face. He looked tired and drawn. “It’s late, everyone is exhausted and we’re no good for anything like this. Let's just try and get some sleep and see what we can come up with in the morning, ok?”

The sound of protest from the kids was deafening. Even Max who so rarely took part in any of the group discussions seemed appalled at the idea of sleeping at a time like this. 

But surprisingly, Nancy agreed with Steve.

“No guys, he’s right. We-” She paused, her bottom lip wobbling almost imperceptibly. “There's nothing we can do about any of it right now.”

Suddenly Eddie felt a little bit like an asshole, because until that exact moment he’d briefly forgotten that Nancy and Jonathan were together. It had to add another level to whatever else she was feeling right now.

It usually would have been enough to get the others in line, the two older and most seasoned members of the group—the new adults essentially with Joyce so far away now—agreeing on a course of action, but still they argued. 

Nancy looked on the verge of tears, a startling thing to witness from someone who was usually so stoic in these situations, and Steve was clearly at his wits end, already rubbing his temples as if warding off an oncoming headache.

Eddie surveyed the scene and figured maybe it was time to step in and put some of his DM skills to use.

“Shut up!” He shouted as he hopped up onto the coffee table, praying it would hold his weight. Though, him crashing through the furniture might provide the same level of distraction. 

The kids immediately fell silent—Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Erica, out of habit, and Max because she was usually quiet anyway.

“Okay kiddies, you heard your mother—and Nancy. Bed, now. We’re all in need of a long rest to properly replenish. No arguments! Or you can say goodbye to any magical items your characters collected over the last campaign. Better yet, maybe I'll make you all create brand new characters. Who wants to relive the glory days of being a level one rogue, or a level two mage?”

Max cracked a smile, as did Steve—his eyes sparkling with amusement as he watched Eddie’s antics. Chrissy and Robin hid their snorts of laughter behind their hands and there was a collective groan from the rest of the peanut gallery followed by blessed silence.

Eddie hopped down off his makeshift soapbox with a flourish. “That’s what I thought.”

As everyone made their way to where they’d be sleeping for the next few hours, he and Steve lagged behind, making sure that all the doors and windows were closed and locked, for whatever good it would do them. 

When they did finally head up the stairs themselves and into the hall, Steve stopped short, catching Eddie’s eye as the sound of stifled giggles trickled out of the room Chrissy and Robin were sharing. 

“Sounds like they’re getting along well.” Eddie said softly.

Steve grinned. “You know it’s funny, Robin is usually so nervous around… uh, people. It’s nice to see her making a friend.”

Eddie pretended not to notice the hesitation. He could appreciate Steve not wanting to out Robin without her permission, even when it was someone he knew was safe.

“I think it’s nice for Chrissy too.”

-

After so many nights in a row, getting ready for bed with Steve was becoming surprisingly comfortable and routine. Each of them taking a turn in the bathroom to shower, change, or do whatever else they needed to before going to sleep. 

Except that tonight, for the first time, Steve left the door wide open while he washed his face and began to brush his teeth. Eddie wasn't sure what to make of it. It felt like a test of some kind… or maybe an invitation? 

Did Steve want to share the small space with him? 

He could, it was just sharing a sink. Friends could do that, right? 

It wasn’t a big deal, though something about it felt like a level of closeness that Eddie'd never had with someone else before, and as dumb, and as simple a thing as it was, if that was something that was allowed—he wanted it. 

Eddie took a chance and ventured in, not looking at Steve as he took up his own toothbrush out of the holder. The tube of toothpaste was on the far side of the vanity and without Eddie even having to ask Steve passed it to him, catching his eye in the mirror, and smiling a little around his own toothbrush. 

Steve finished before he did, their shoulders brushing lightly as he bent down to rinse and spit. After drying his face Steve looked at him one last time through the mirror before slipping past to go out into the bedroom, sliding a hand along Eddie's back on the way as if he'd needed to steady himself. Eddie shivered, his skin breaking out in goosebumps at the intimate, almost familiar touch. 

As they settled into bed, Eddie had the dangerous thought that he could get used to all this—this cute domestic shit, and falling asleep next to Steve night after night. If they made it out of this thing alive it would be hard to go back to normal. Though it would be nice to see Uncle Wayne again, and the rest of his friends.

A muffled cry startled him out of his thoughts and his half-asleep state. 

He opened his eyes, not really remembering when he’d closed them, and found Steve with his face pressed into his pillow, body trembling with the effort to hold his sobs inside. 

“Hey,” Eddie crooned, sliding his arms around the other boy and pulling him in against his side. Steve went willingly, resting his head on Eddie’s chest, one arm thrown over his waist.  

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, Stevie?” Eddie gently stroked a hand through Steve’s hair and waited patiently for him to decide if he wanted to talk.

“I’m sorry. I swear I’m not usually like this," Steve said eventually, groaning into Eddie’s shirt.

Eddie believed it. He had a feeling Steve didn’t let himself break down very often, even in private—even when he had more than earned the right to do so. He felt honored to be someone Steve felt safe letting go in front of, and it was a privilege to be allowed to offer him comfort.

“No apologies needed, sweetheart.”

"It's just… I feel so useless this time. Usually there’s something to hit, some physical threat I can protect everyone from with my bat or my body, but—this thing? I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where I fit. I can’t protect anyone from this, and I’m fucking terrified. I’ve seen what Vecna does, and I don’t want any of you to have to go through that.” 

Steve finally looked up, wet eyes glistening in the dim light. “I’m so glad you knew to get Max started on the music before she had to–”

Eddie squeezed, tightening the hold he had on Steve with one hand while still raking fingernails lightly over his scalp with the other. 

Steve settled more heavily on top of him. 

“And I can’t stop thinking about the Byers, and El. Not that Jonathan and I are the best of friends or anything, but none of that matters now. What if Dustin is right and Vecna got them? It has to be related, doesn't it? They were right there at the airport. I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to think—I mean, what could have kept them from getting on that plane?” 

It was the million dollar question, and Eddie didn’t have any more answers than anyone else, but there was one thing he had to make absolutely sure Steve knew. 

“It's not your job to protect everyone y’know, or at least, not your job alone. Not anymore.”

-

Only a few short hours later Eddie found himself awake again, a warm weight resting on his chest, his own fingers still tangled in Steve’s soft hair.

Cracking one eye open he realized Steve was awake too, and watching him intently from the same spot he’d been before they fell asleep. 

“You get any rest?” Eddie mumbled.

Steve jolted a little in surprise. “Some,” he said. Then, perhaps realizing that he’d been staring, stuttered out another unnecessary apology.

“Sorry, you just… I mean, you look… peaceful, when you sleep. It’s, uh, cute.” A dark red blush began to spread from the base of Steve’s neck all the way to the top of his ears.  

Eddie huffed a laugh. That was… hmm. This couldn't be what it looked like, could it? There had to be some sort of heterosexual explanation for it.

“You—are clearly delirious. I think maybe you should try and get some more shut-eye.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right." Steve said through a yawn, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “But the kids will be up soon and I really don’t want them getting impatient and trying to sneak off to do something stupid without us.”

Of course, Steve was right. 

It was barely 7am, they’d all had less than 6 hours of sleep, and every child in the house was awake, and they were loud. Technically everyone in the house was awake, it was just that the younger teen’s raised voices at the early hour were particularly grating. Eddie thought teenagers were supposed to sleep in. Apparently not true for this bunch. 

The TV in the living room was tuned to the local news, and everyone was watching over the top of their cereal bowls as the anchor spoke of another murder victim having been found. The police were not naming names, still waiting to notify the victim’s family, not that it mattered. Maybe it was wrong to not want to know the name of the person who had essentially taken Chrissy’s place, but to Eddie—to all of them, it just meant that Vecna now had 3 out of 4 kills under his belt, and their time to act was rapidly running out. 

As she so often did, Nancy took charge.

“I thought about it a lot last night, and I think our only choice is to follow through with the original plan without the others. A version of it anyway.”

“The plan that’s failed three times now? The plan that’s gotten Eddie killed and who fucking knows what else?!” Dustin shouted.

“I know! Alright? I know, but with some minor adjustments, I really think it could work.” Nancy said.

Eddie looked to Steve across the room and found the other boy’s eyes were already on him, a question swirling in their depths. 

He wanted to know what Eddie thought, if he was in.  With nothing but a meaningful stare Steve communicated loud and clear that he would take Eddie’s lead. If he didn’t want to do this, then Steve would back him up. 

He didn’t, for the record. The last thing he wanted to do was the same fucking thing they’d been doing—the literal definition of insanity—but he didn’t have any better ideas, and the clock was ticking. 

He gave Steve a sad smile and a shallow nod before turning to Nancy. 

“What minor adjustments did you have in mind, Wheeler?”

-

Eddie regretted agreeing almost the second they started hammering out the details.

The crux of the plan would remain the same. Someone would play bait for Vecna, keep him busy in their mind while the others set about attacking his physical form in the Upside Down. 

“I’ll do it.” Steve volunteered immediately.  

Eddie sucked in a sharp breath. He wanted to scream—no! Absolutely fucking not! No way was he letting Steve put himself through that again, but he held his tongue. 

What was he supposed to say? What other choice did they have? Max, who was an actual under-18-years-old minor child, or Chrissy, who wasn’t much older and had no experience with this stuff. Who would he throw into the fire in Steve’s place?

No one. 

If it was up to him no one would have to play this role. But it wasn’t up to him. They needed the distraction. Without it they had no chance at all of defeating Vecna.

“Maybe it should be me.” Chrissy said. “I mean, won’t they need you to go after his body? I don’t know how to fight, I'd be useless there.”

“No, Chrissy I-” Steve began, but Nancy cut him off. 

“Eddie can come with me and Robin in Steve's place.” 

“What about the bats?” Eddie asked.

Nancy eyed up the Harrington's fancy stereo system. “If we got you a long enough extension cord could you set this up in the Upside Down?”

“Nancy, you’re a genius.” Dustin exclaimed, and Eddie couldn’t help but agree. Why hadn’t he ever thought of that?

The next and perhaps the most important detail they needed to work out was where they would enter the other dimension from. Eddie’s trailer was out, obviously, since there was no gate there this time around. Fred’s gate was inaccessible, being in his own backyard in the middle of a residential street. Too many people would see them and wonder what they were up to, most of all Fred’s poor parents. Not knowing where the most recent murder had even occurred, that only left them with one viable option.

Benny’s.  

“We need to go over there and see if the cops are still around, if it’s clear we could go in tonight.” Nancy said. 

“If we’re lucky they’ll be too busy with the other murder.” Dustin said. 

Max shook her head. “Dude.”

He winced. “Sorry.”

“Me and Eddie could take a ride over there.” Steve suggested.

“It might be safer to keep Eddie out of sight for now,” Dustin pointed out. “Jason might not have a whole lynch mob after him this time but he’s still got it out for him.”

Chrissy cleared her throat, “Nancy and I could go check it out. We made a pretty good team looking for Fred the other day, even if we didn’t manage to find him.” 

Eddie half expected Robin to want to go too, since she and Chrissy had become attached at the hip, but she’d only bumped their shoulders together looking proud and continued whispering to Steve. He’d noticed them doing a lot of that this morning actually.

Once the two girls were gone on their fact finding mission, Steve grabbed Robin and pulled her into the kitchen to start working on dinner. 

Naturally, Eddie followed, letting his curiosity get the better of him, under the guise of offering an extra set of hands to make the food.

“Want some help?” Eddie asked as he stepped into the room.

Steve looked up in surprise, his cheeks turning pink as he opened his mouth to reply. He hesitated and Robin shot Eddie a sympathetic smile behind Steve’s back

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Ah, I see. You two want some time alone then.”

“Not like that.” Steve sighed, rolling his eyes.

Eddie laughed. “I know, I know. I get it, you need some best friend time. That’s okay, I'll just go keep the rug rats out of your hair.”

It was surprisingly easy to keep the kids distracted for a while, a testament to how much they’d been through that they were able to compartmentalize like that. He told them a little, very little, about his plans for the next campaign for Hellfire, the last game he planned on running before he graduated. 

If he managed to graduate, Eddie mused, but he kept that thought to himself.

Which of course led to a discussion of who would be taking the reins when Eddie went off to bigger and better things. Dustin seemed to think he’d earned the right to inherit the kingdom, but Eddie was quick to knock him off that pedestal. 

“Do you really think Gareth would let me hand the club over to a bunch of freshmen when he’s been waiting for his moment for two years?” 

“We’ll be sophomores next year!”

Eddie waved him off. “Semantics.” He muttered “And Gare will be a senior. I expect all of you to support him, you hear me? He’s a good DM and an even better friend.”

The room fell silent when the phone suddenly rang, a sound that could mean only very good things or very bad things. It could also be a telemarketer, Eddie reminded himself, though it was a little early in day for it, they always seemed to call right as you were sitting down to eat. 

When it hadn’t been answered by the third ring Eddie jumped up and ran into the kitchen to see what was wrong. 

Something on the stove was burning and Robin was running her hands under cold water while Steve fussed over her. 

“Do you want me to..?” Eddie asked, indicating the phone when Steve looked up. He nodded gratefully.

“Uh, Harrington residence.” Eddie answered, just in case it was, god forbid, a relative or one of Steve’s father’s business partners or something like that. 

“Oh.” A young female voice came over the line. “Is this, Eddie?”

Eddie's heart rate picked up speed as he realized who it must be. “Supergirl?” 

She laughed softly. “Yes, this is El.”

“Jesus Christ kid, we’ve been so worried! What happened, are you guys okay?” Eddie said in a rush, and Steve was at his side in less than a second, pressing their heads together so he could hear her voice too.

“El?” Steve said.

“Steve!” She sounded so happy and so relieved to hear his voice, it made Eddie’s chest tight. 

“I am sorry we worried you. We are…. okay. Men in uniforms came and took us away from the Airport. I thought they were police but really they were with Doctor Owens. He knew about Henry. He knew Hawkins was in trouble and said he could help me get my powers back, so we went with him. We were in a car for a long time and then–” She hesitated, swallowing hard enough that Eddie could hear it over the phone. “I- I could not call until now, I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. We’re just glad you’re safe.” Steve said into his side of the receiver.

“I know you were planning to go after him tonight. I…spied on you earlier, and I think I can help. I just need a little more time to get strong. Do you think you could get the others to wait until tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I think we can do that.” Steve said.

“But how are you gonna help from… wherever it is you are?” Eddie asked.

“I think we are in a place called Nevada, and I can piggyback. I’ve done it before, sort of.”

Eddie mouthed the word piggyback to himself silently, sending Steve a sideways look.

He shrugged. 

“Once Henry has Steve in his trance, I will enter Steve’s mind, find him, and help fight Henry from there. Piggyback.”

“Oh. That actually makes sense.” Eddie murmured.

“Can Steve still hear me?” She asked.

“I'm here.”

“After Henry takes you, remember to think happy thoughts. Hide in the good memories, it is harder for him to find you there. Hide for as long as you can. I will find you.”

She hung up with promises to call again the next day to work out a time for the attack. In order for this to work they had to be perfectly coordinated.

Hearing from El changed everything. Even Eddie felt a much needed boost of optimism from it, like they might finally have a real shot at beating this thing. 

They were all still worried something might happen in the meantime by delaying their plans. There wasn’t much stopping Henry from taking another random victim in the night, but they all agreed it was worth the risk to go into this fight with the full force of the party now that they had their superhero back.

Privately Eddie had a suspicion that Vecna didn’t want just anyone for his final kill anyway. He had a vendetta against them now, no doubt, and would take nothing less than someone Eleven knew and cared about. He was almost sure of it. 

Nancy and Chrissy returned with good news as well. After they were filled in about the surprise phone call, Chrissy told them that Benny’s was completely abandoned. They even found the gate, a wide crack in the wall with a pulsing red membrane in the back of the building out by the dumpster.

-

For all their talk of staying awake all night to watch over each other, by 1 o'clock in the morning, after eating way too much pizza—half in celebration, half because Robin had burned dinner—and watching several cheesy movies, almost everyone had passed out where they sat. 

Robin was slumped over on the small couch with her head draped over the armrest, while Chrissy was draped over her, and Nancy and Erica were snoring from their place on the floor in front of them.

Mike, Dustin and Lucas had all fallen asleep sitting up in a line on the longer couch, with only Max looking comfortable where she was reclined against the arm, and had her legs sprawled out over the three boys’ laps. 

Eddie was wide awake, feeling too unsettled to sleep. 

He was on the floor with his knees tucked to his chest and his back resting against the recliner that Steve was currently occupying. He understood why the kids had wanted them all to stay in one room tonight. They were worried, unsure of what the future would bring tomorrow, as was he, but if it was their last night on earth—so to speak—he would rather be spending it with Steve in the now familiar cocoon of his warmth, in the bed they’d been sharing for almost a week now. 

He finally turned, looking up, expecting to find Steve as conked-out as the rest of them but found him awake too—already gazing down at him with a look that, if aimed at another, he might call longing.

They stared at each other for a long beat before Eddie tilted his head in the direction of the stairs in silent request. Steve smiled warmly, nodded, and the two snuck off as silently as they could.

-

The air between them felt heavy, charged in a way it hadn’t quite been before, and Eddie was almost sure he wasn't the only one feeling it. 

Neither of them spoke as they climbed into bed together, as if they both knew anything they said would either be too much or not enough.

There was so much Eddie yearned to say. 

That he was scared. That he wished Steve would stay behind where it was safe, even if he knew it wasn’t practical and that the other boy would never ever sit out this fight. 

Unfathomably, he considered telling Steve how he felt about him. If his world was, maybe, about to end for the 4th time, what did he have to lose? He could tell Steve exactly how much he cared about him, how much their short time together has meant, and how he’ll never be the same after this. How he thought he might be falling in love with him. 

But Eddie was a coward, so he didn’t say any of that. He held Steve’s gaze from a foot away and wished desperately for an excuse to get close. 

As it turned out, he didn’t need one. 

Steve closed the distance between them, winding his arms around Eddie and pulling him into his chest. Their arms and legs entwined with an almost practiced ease, and when Eddie pressed his face into the crook of Steve’s neck, for the first time it didn’t feel scary or awkward, it felt like he was made to fit there.

He breathed Steve in deeply, lips brushing lightly across the other boy’s collarbone by accident, but he didn’t care. He needed to memorize this moment, sear it into his brain forever—Steve’s smell, the heat of him, the softness of his skin, because one way or another it could all be gone tomorrow. 

He tried to hold on but in the end it was too easy to fall asleep in the circle of Steve’s arms, and as he drifted off he could have sworn he felt a light kiss being pressed to the top of his head.

But maybe that part was just a dream.  

-

The shrill ringing of a phone way too close to his head jolted Eddie from his sleep. Somehow he hadn’t even realized Steve had one in his room. Must be a rich people thing. 

Eddie was closer so he snatched the handset off the base that sat on the nightstand and held it out to Steve, already sitting up and reaching for it. 

“Hello?” Steve answered roughly, sounding exactly like a person who’d just been woken up after too many days of too few hours of sleep, but after a quick reply from the caller he was instantly more alert. 

“Woah! Jonathan, slow down. What happened?”

Eddie sat up, scooching over and pressing himself into Steve’s side so he could listen in through the earpiece. 

“Some army guys showed up, tried to get El. They killed Brenner and took Owens.”

“Brenner?” Steve asked.

“Papa.” 

“Wait, that fucker has been alive this whole time? Dustin told me a demogorgon got him back when all this shit started! And he’s been there with her?!”

Steve clenched his jaw, audibly grinding his teeth. Eddie was still a little confused on the details, but he knew enough to put the pieces together. They were talking about the man who raised Eleven like she was a goddamn lab rat instead of a human being. The balls to do that to a child and have them call you Papa. It was disgusting. 

“I know, man, I know. But it was her choice. He- he was a piece of shit but he got us out of there. He got shot as soon as we made it out the door. They had a gunman in a helicopter aiming for her.”

“Jesus H. Christ, she’s just a kid.” Eddie mumbled.

“Who? Wait, is that… Eddie?!”

Eddie's face felt hot, like he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar or something. He cleared his throat and tried to sound normal. “Hey Byers.”

“Is she okay? And Will?” Steve pressed on.

“They’re fine. We got away. El… she’s amazing. She stopped the helicopter, knocked it right out of the sky. She saved us. Brenner gave me his keys before he passed out, and we took off. I drove for a couple of hours till it felt safe enough to stop and grab a motel room. Hang on, she wants to talk to you-”

“Hi, Steve.” El said.

“You alright?”

“I’m tired, but I’m okay. I still want to go through with the plan.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can do it, I have to do it.”

Steve took in a breath and held it, fumbling around with his free hand until it closed around Eddie’s, squeezing. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

“I’ll find you, Steve. Do not worry.”

Steve pulled his mouth away from the receiver and made a sound halfway between a laugh and a cry. Eddie was blown away too, Everything this girl had endured and here she was trying to make Steve feel better.

“I know.” Steve said eventually. “I’ll see you soon kiddo.”

A moment later there was a shuffling over the line as she presumably passed the phone back to Jonathan. 

“I need some time to get salt and stuff for her set-up. At least the room we got has a bathtub.”

“The gate is behind Benny’s so we need to wait until dark anyway.” Steve explained. “It’ll give her some time to rest too. 7 o’clock our time should do it. We’ll have everyone in position, and I’ll start baiting Vecna.”

“Good luck.”

“You too, man.”

“And Steve, um, can you tell Nancy…” Jonathan trailed off.

They could both hear the words getting caught in the other boy’s throat. Whether it was because of the emotion of the day or because Jonathan realized who he was talking to, Eddie didn’t know, but Steve understood what he needed and as he’d said before, none of the shit from the past mattered now. 

“Yeah, man. I’ll tell her.”

-

It was a somber day. Far from the party-like atmosphere of the night before, everyone was quiet, down to the youngest member of the party, all lost in their own thoughts as they made their preparations for battle. 

The sound system from Steve’s living room was carefully broken down and loaded into the back of Eddie’s van, along with several extension cords and a gas powered generator they’d found hiding under a tarp in the garage.

Weapons were made and split between Nancy’s station wagon and Steve’s car. Between the sheer number of people and the supplies they carried, all three of their vehicles would be needed for transport.

When there was nothing left to do and the sun was beginning to set, the group got into the cars and made their way to Benny’s. 

-

Eddie pulled around to the rear of the building and backed his van up as close to the thrumming gate as he dared, quickly busying himself with getting the generator going while the others parked on the side and walked over. 

After a short argument Nancy entered the Upside Down first, wielding her brand new sawed-off shotgun. She would provide cover, if needed, while Steve and Eddie carried the sound equipment through to the Upside Down. 

Eddie carefully didn’t look Steve’s way much as they worked. 

He hadn't meant to do it, at least in the front part of his brain, but he’d spent a majority of the day avoiding Steve as much as possible. It was just… he didn’t know how he was going to say goodbye to him.

In no time they were set up and ready to go.

It was the moment Eddie had been dreading the most since this loop had begun. His time was officially up. There was nothing left to be done, for any of it—no more preparations to make, or warnings to give. He’d changed so much and yet he had no idea if they were about to succeed or fail. 

When the farewells began, he tried to hang back, but he was pulled into the fold by Dustin—one of the few people in this world that he could never really say no to. He made his way around the group, still studiously avoiding Steve until finally the other boy caught his eye, and then it was all over. 

It was like gravity, a magnetic pull that left Eddie powerless but to walk up and meet Steve where he was.

“Remember what El said,” Eddie started, trying so hard to hold it together. “Hide in your good memories and she’ll find you there. And whatever that prick tries to show you just…”

They stood only a foot apart as the others filtered away towards the cars, but it might as well have been a mile-wide chasm for how badly the space made Eddie’s heart ache. But they weren’t alone, and Eddie didn’t dare close the distance between them. 

Steve nodded, offering him a sad smile. 

“I’ve got a few in mind, and Dustin is on Walkman duty, if anything we have to worry about him trying to pull me out too soon. It’ll be okay.”

“Come on, Steve. It’s time!” Dustin shouted through the open passenger window of the BMW. Max and Lucas were in the back seat, all of them going to the real-world Creel house with Steve.

Steve bowed his head, shaking it before looking back up to study Eddie’s face.

“Good luck, Steve.” Eddie said. 

“...You too.”

Eddie spun on his heel and forced himself to walk back towards his van. He needed to get his shit together. If they were going to defeat Vecna, he had to– 

“Eddie, wait.” Steve called out seconds before his hand landed on Eddie's elbow, just as it had that first night in his bedroom when Eddie had tried to make a break for it.

He turned and found himself enveloped in arms that had begun to feel like home, and he eagerly returned the embrace. Steve pulled back, a soft look of determination in his eyes as he cupped Eddie’s cheek, his other hand falling to rest on his hip.

Eddie’s breath hitched as the hands holding him trembled, and again with those fucking eyes of his Steve asked a silent question. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing but he was almost sure he knew what Steve was asking permission for. 

The answer was easy. 

Eddie dipped his chin, a single shallow nod, and without hesitation or a care for who was watching Steve crashed their lips together in a desperate kiss. Eddie melted into it, winding his hand into Steve's hair and pulling him impossibly closer. 

It ended far too soon, though to be fair they could have stood around making out all night and it would never have felt like enough. Steve broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Eddie’s as they panted into each other's mouths. 

“Please, please be careful.” Steve begged, pressing one last soft kiss to the corner of his mouth before letting him go, jogging over to his car, and peeling out of the parking lot to make it to his mark on time. 

Eddie stood frozen, a little stunned as he watched the BMW drive out of sight. When he finally shook it off and turned back to his waiting crew he found them all watching him, dumbfounded. 

Except for Robin, who was trying and failing to stifle the world’s largest shit-eating grin.  

“Well what are you all just standing around for?” Eddie mumbled, picking up his axe and backpack full of prepared molotov cocktails and headed straight towards the gate.

-

Chrissy, Mike, and Erica were tasked with staying in the Right Side Up, armed with spears as they kept an eye on this side of the gate for any demopests trying to make their way out—though their main job was to wait for the signal and press play on one of Eddie’s many metal mixtapes to draw the bats away from the other Creel house, and clear the way for Nancy, Robin, and Eddie who were venturing into the Upside Down.

They were roughly half way there, having made the entire journey so far in silence when Nancy decided to go scouting up ahead, leaving Eddie and Robin alone.

“I see the way you look at him, so I’m not going to give you the shovel talk or whatever.” She said, falling into step beside him. “Just… be good to him, okay? Steve deserves that.”

Eddie’s knee jerk reaction was to scoff, and roll his eyes. “It was one kiss Buckley who knows if it even meant anything. Maybe to him it was just a, we’re probably all about to die, thing.”

In reality he didn’t know what to think. It had certainly felt real, but the circumstances were indisputably dire. Who was to say if Steve would have ever kissed him had they not found themselves in a life or death situation.

With no warning Robin cocked her arm back and punched him in the side, hard.

“Hey!”

“You listen to me, Edward Eleanor Munson–”

“Not my middle name!” He grumbled, rubbing at the spot. Robin was tougher than she looked.

“Whatever. I did not help Steve speed run through his bisexual crisis, in the middle of the fucking apocalypse, just for you to be dumb about this.”

“Can we maybe talk about this after we survive?”

“Fine, but i’m warning you, Munson, if you mess this up I’ll–”

He was saved from whatever threat Robin was about to dish out by Nancy’s return. 

“It’s just up ahead. I can see the light marking Lucas at the playground. Are you guys ready?”

“As I'll ever be.” Eddie said.

Robin nodded. “Let's do this.”

When they reached the playground Nancy gave the signal, pushing her hand through the particles three times to initiate the next phase.

Soon after, the faint sound of music started in the distance and they were forced to duck down under the play equipment as swarms of bats began to pass overhead.

That meant Steve was in, Vecna had him, and now it was their turn to finish this. 

Eddie let out a shaking breath, closing his eyes tightly against the rising panic. 

Robin laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be alright. Steve always makes it out, you’ll see.”

-

They failed. 

They fucking failed. 

The ugly asshole was on fire, and Nancy shot him so many times.

They had him, he was down and they thought he was dead but then they heard it.

Chimes.

Four chimes and then the ground beneath their feet started to shake. Deep down Eddie knew what that meant, but he couldn’t allow himself to think it. Not yet. 

He ran full out back to the gate, so fast that he somehow managed to lose the girls along the way. He felt bad about it in a distant way but he had to get there, he had to know. Was Steve really gone?

Eddie tumbled out of the gate, taking only a second to notice that Chrissy and Erica were huddled together by the van crying, while Mike sat a few feet away with his head between his knees.

He snatched one of the spare walkies up off the ground, pressing the button down with shaking hands. “Dustin? Lucas? Max?.. Steve?” His voice didn’t sound like his own, thick with an emotion he wasn’t ready to name as it cracked on his words. “What happened?”

“Steve, he was…” Dustin was barely audible over the glorified toy’s small speaker, but it was still evident that he’d been crying—was crying

“He- he got Vecna to take him and w- we were standing by in case things went too far b- but… Jason and Andy showed up. They held me and Max at gunpoint. They saw Steve’s car here, and they’d seen your van at his house before and… Eddie, we almost had them. They didn’t see Lucas sneaking up from behind. He tried, but the Walkman got broken in the struggle and then Steve was floating. Jason freaked out and took off, but it was too late. He’s gone.”

Eddie felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the world. He let out a painful gasping cry and let the radio fall from his hand, winding his arms around himself as his body began to shake. It felt like a black hole had formed inside his chest, an endless void, and every good thing he’d ever felt was being pulled into its vacuum of hopelessness.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the cult leader himself, and the rest of his flock.” A familiar and very unwelcome voice called out as two figures appeared around the side of the building. 

Jason and Andy came walking up, trying to look casual save for the way Jason was still limping on his bad knee, but as they got closer Eddie could see the haunted look in their eyes. They were afraid of him. 

While keeping his gaze on Eddie, Jason pushed his second in command in Chrissy’s direction. 

“Grab her, we’re getting her out of here right now.”

Eddie was torn, he wanted to help Chrissy fight Andy off but Jason already had his gun out, loosely pointed in his direction and he was afraid if he moved someone else would get hurt. 

“You've brainwashed all these people into following you, and I don’t know how you’re doing it, but I know you’re responsible for these murders somehow.” Jason said, leveling his weapon at Eddie’s chest. “I saw what your friends did to Steve Harrington.”

“You don’t fucking say his name!” Eddie growled. “And you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He lunged at Jason but he was too slow and the other boy side-stepped out of his reach easily, swinging the gun back around to aim it again. 

Just then Nancy and Robin came stumbling out of the gate. 

Jason turned, eyes widening as he saw the two girls magically appearing through a concrete wall. “What the fuck is that?!” He shouted.

Eddie didn’t look at them, he was singularly focused on Jason and taking him the fuck down. He tackled him to the ground, hoping the force of the fall would loosen his hold on his gun, instead the impact only caused Jason to squeeze the trigger with the barrel pressed right into him.

Eddie reared back, balancing on his knees as blood quickly blossomed across his chest, the bright red of it stark against the white of his Hellfire club shirt, and it occurred to him that maybe it had been bad luck to wear this particular shirt on this particular day. 

He’d just wanted to feel like himself.

Eddie collapsed backwards into the dirt and in moments he could feel it turning to mud, as a puddle slowly spread beneath him. It was hard to breathe, hard to concentrate but he could hear the sounds of a struggle and Nancy threatening to shoot Andy if he didn’t let Chrissy go. 

She must have succeeded in convincing him she meant business because suddenly Chrissy was there, falling to her knees beside him and putting pressure on his wound. Robin joined her a second later.

The pain, which he’d mostly been able to ignore, intensified as they pressed on his chest but he welcomed it—let it run through him and drown out the despair and heartbreak. 

Another gunshot rang out, and Eddie flinched, casting his eyes around wildly. All he could see was Mike consoling Erica as she cradled her arm.

“Damnit!” Nancy shouted from a short distance, and then she too came into his line of sight. “I missed. Clipped the side of the building and they got away.”

She looked down at him, and as if suddenly remembering that he was hurt started to tear at the bottom of her shirt. Eddie knew what she meant to do, but it was pointless. Even if he could be saved, which he highly doubted, he didn’t want to be. 

“No, stop.” Eddie said, struggling to talk through ragged breaths. "You gotta let me go. It’s the only way to fix this.”

“But what if this is it? What if you don’t get another try?” Nancy said. She had a strip of fabric now and seemed to be considering the best way to get it around him. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Eddie grunted. “Have to try.”

“Eddie, he wouldn’t want–” Robin began, but Eddie refused to hear it. Couldn’t accept it.

“I have to. We- we still have to kill Vecna. And Steve-” He sobbed, choking on the name. “It can’t end like this, it just can’t.”

Reluctantly Robin and Chrissy took their hands off of him and Nancy sat back on her heels looking lost and unsure. 

Eddie sputtered, a rush of coppery liquid filling his mouth, overflowing and spilling out the sides. It was hard not to struggle, his body still trying to breathe even as he was ready to let go.

Chrissy leaned over him, holding his face gently between her bloodstained hands as she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, her hot tears splashing down onto his cool skin.

He fought to give her a weak smile as she looked down at him. 

“I’m sorry, Eddie. I’m so sorry that you’re going to have to do this all over again—but you can do it, okay? I know you can. You are so brave, and loyal, and kind and I might not remember all this, but I’ll be right there with you in the next one. I promise.”

“See you soon, Chris,” was all he managed to say before releasing his final breath, and for the fourth time in his life, Eddie died.

Chapter 7

Special thanks to @penny00dreadful for being the best beta, friend and cheerleader.

Reblogs are always appreciated and if you want to be tagged, just let me know! I'd be more than happy to do so 💜

Taglist: @hitlikehammers @pearynice @cranberrymoons @thoroughlycollected @blubblesandink @finntheehumaneater @brbsoulnomming @estrellami-1 @hellion-child @mentallyundone @manda-panda-monium @spicysix @kikidoesfanfic @dreamwatch @lawrencebshoggoth @stillfullofshit @lil-gremlin-things @mamafaithful

[thesteddielibrarian]

Steddie Fanfic Staples

Just getting started reading Steddie fanfics? These are must reads! Nearly everyone in the community has read them and love them and I'm pretty sure you will too! Looking for Steddie fics with specific tropes/AU's/plots? Send me an ask! Have a rec? Send it in and I might review it! You're Divine by Oonionchiver

‘Blood?’ Eddie says again.

Eyes black but for the slice of iridescent white in the centre. His teeth are sharp, his hands are weapons and Steve thinks maybe he’s made a mistake doing this without telling Eddie first. Eddie’s focus lowers, it moves to his left hand which is…

Oh fuck.

It’s dripping blood onto the floor.

‘Shit,’ Steve says, takes a single step back, swallows. ‘Eddie, I’m so sorry, fuck.’

Eddie can’t seem to look away, can’t bring his ethereal gaze back up where it belongs. Steve thinks he should run, he should flee. A tiny part of him knows Eddie will chase him. Eddie will catch him, outrun him easily.

It's more than a little fucked up how that thrills him.

A Sign of The Morning by ToEdenandBackAgain

Vecna is dead. The Upside Down is cut off from Hawkins yet again. Steve is trying to go back to normal, whatever that is. He's also trying to figure out exactly how Eddie Munson has managed to fit so easily into his life.

Keep It Steady, Eddie by outofmygourd

Eddie Munson doesn't mind working at the Family Video Store. It's a nice sense of normalcy (not to mention money) and he gets to see Robin more because of it. However, between working together and sharing the same best friend, he's also been seeing a lot more of Steve Harrington.

He wants nothing more than to enjoy mindless fun with his friends now that everything with Vecna is over, but Eddie's finding it hard to move on from what happened. Even if the strangest thing in his life right now was simply the fact he and Steve Harrington might actually be friends.

The One in Which a Time Loop is Fucking Exhausting by badpancake

It’s the first time in a while that he doesn’t know what comes next. He’s dove into the water hundreds of times. Screamed as his flesh was torn apart, heard Master of Puppets in the distance and held back tears. Felt Max’s cold, small hand in his as she laid in the hospital bed. There are things that always happen, no matter how hard he tries: El doesn’t arrive in time. Eddie dies. Max is put in a coma.

Steve fails. They lose.

“Steve, how many loops have you been through?”

His head is nodding, and his eyes are watery, and Eddie has approached him like a spooked animal.

“I lost count.”

AKA: The one where Steve Harrington is stuck in a time loop, and Eddie Munson is really fucking hard to save, or: fuck Volume 2, these bitches are in love.

Flight Risk by Ayes and itskleo

Eddie Munson is famous for giving his bodyguards the slip. Enter Steve Harrington. Has this bratty rock star finally met a babysitter that can keep up with him? too good to be true by Ayes (again, what a legend)

When Eddie sees Steve in a gay bar, he decides to seduce him and break his heart as revenge for what an asshole Steve was in high school. Steve, who was only at the bar to support Robin, is taken aback by the attention but finds himself under Eddie’s spell. And Eddie, to his growing unease, discovers that Steve Harrington is actually everything he’s ever wanted.

[slowandsteddie]

The One Where Steve Harrington Dies

Here's something I started awhile ago. I'm not sure how to expand on it, or if I even want to. However, I'm trying to clean out my drafts and I don't want to just throw it in the trash.

Which means that we are here now.

CW: The title pretty much covers it. The death isn’t “fully” described, but. Yano, gotta cover those bases.

396 words.

Steve took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and squared his shoulders.

Okay.

He could do this.

He looked back to El, whose nose was bleeding profusely.  She was being propped up between Mike and Will.  Lucas and Max were off with Nancy and Robin, trying to see if they could find any weaknesses to exploit.

They were all going to die if he didn’t do something.

He had to do something.

“Eddie,” he said suddenly.  He turned his head to look at his boyfriend of three months and said something he hadn’t said before.  “I love you.”

“I— Steve.  No.  Whatever you’re thinking, don’t do it.”  Eddie’s eyes were so wide, so brown, and so full of tears.  He tried to close the distance between them.

Steve let out a watery laugh.  “I love you, Big Boy,” he returned that phrase that was normally directed toward him.  “Don’t let any of our shitheads follow me, because I’ll never forgive you if anything happens to any of them.”

He ran.  As fast as he could.  He couldn’t let this drag out and give him a chance to realize how horrible of a decision he was making.

He slammed into Vecna/Henry/One, whatever you wanted to call him.  And the full brunt of his weight was what it took to send that monster back into the Upside Down.

Steve fell in with him and the gate closed behind him with a finality that he tried to not let get to him.

Trapped.  One the wrong side.  With a male who wanted nothing but death and pain.

The world was crumbling beneath his feet.

“You fucking idiot!”  Vecna shrieked.  “You’ve ruined everything!”

“What, you can’t connect to and destroy my world now?”

Steve dropped to his knees when the ground shifted beneath him.  He knew that he was going to die.  And he was okay with that.  Because his friends were okay.

Eddie was okay.

They’d live, they’d move on, they’d be okay.

There was the screeching of bats in the distance and vines wrapped around him and he didn’t fight it.

Things were falling now.  Trees, buildings, the ground.

He choked.  He closed his eyes and pictured Eddie’s face.  Tried to let it be the only thing that he thought of while he lost his air, his lungs began to burn, and everything went black.

[skullitonin]

Okay.. Hear me out on this. I personally think Eddie Munson is alive and this is how they could bring him back. Plus this is a mind dump too so sorry if my thoughts are all over the place.

(I am not in denial as i think this theory brings up a lot of points and hints throughout season 4 that hint at Eddie returning even though he was set up to die.)

Spoilers for Season 4 Volume 2.

One point I see people bring up quite a lot is why did Eddie died to the demo bat and Steve lives? I don’t think this is a very good argument to make as Steve was attacked by maybe three or four Eddie was attacked by a huge swarm of them. I know that doesn’t help the point I’m making but the duffer brothers were asked by an interviewer “How lethal do you think being bitten by a demobat is?” They responded by saying “I wouldn’t worry about the bats thing, that’s more my thing. I have this thing where I’m worried about bats. I was just fixating on bats at that moment.” (Notice how they say plural)

They’ve basically confirmed that demo bats cannot kill and looking at their design their teeth and claws look too small to cause any major injury. I know that blood loss is an option but looking at the demobats designs it looks like they wouldn’t even be able to puncture any vital organs and it also confirm that they don’t have illnesses or carry disease so infecting Eddie wouldn’t be possible. It is possible however to faint from losing blood so your body can heal itself while you are in a more unconscious state of mind. Especially if they have been animal attacks in real life that are worse than a swarm of bats and people have survived from that.

I would also like to point out the fact that Eddie isn’t being attacked by any bats while he is dying because the bats die due to vecna being set on fire and shot by Nancy, Robin and Steve. So his body would have enough time to go into a state of shock, cause him to pass out and at least heal his wounds quicker while he’s not using any energy. Just think of the attacks characters have survived that are worse than Eddies.

I have seen some people also try and point out the fact that apparently Eddie legs have been chewed up to the point you can see bone. This can be disproved because you see his legs both move when Dustin attempts to get him up and it’s just a mix of debris, bat remains and the shine of his combat boots. Also if they were chewed up then I have no doubt that the Duffer brothers would have added in a shot of them to further drive home the point that Eddie cannot stand up after Dustin attempts to get him help. There are also a few pictures of Joe Quinn in the costume he was attacked in after the attack and there are no prosthetics or areas of green/blue screen on any of his body, further proving my point.

I would like to point out the tape Eddie holds up when they’re talking about music in eddie‘s room at the start of Episode 9 (?). It’s an Iron Maiden tape. Their mascot is also called Eddie and he is basically an undead zombified character who they use for all of their promotions and does have a striking resemblance to Eddie Munson and also Vecna.

I would also like to add that in 1986 Iron Maiden brought out an album called Somewhere in Time and the song titles on that album seem too convenient of a parallel to not mention. “Caught somewhere in time” “Stranger in a strange land” and “The loneliness of the long distance runner” are the ones that stand out the most. If you also look at the album Art to the right of Eddie (Iron maidens Eddie) There is a black spray painted poster with “EDDIE LIVES” sprayed in white paint.

Also the Michael Myers mask that Max gave Eddie could also signify him coming back because the premise for the Halloween franchise is Michael Myers can’t die and can regenerate and the only two characters that have worn or had anything Michael Myers related to them is both Eddie and Max. Both characters who would be very critical condition but also have time to heal from their physical wounds with no harm coming to them. (That’s just me speculating though and I could be wrong)

Another point I would like to make is the fact that the song “when its cold, I like to die” by Moby plays when Eddie is saying his goodbyes to Dustin. I know at the same time Max was dying in Lucas‘s arms but I couldn’t help notice both of those things happening at the same time, to the same song that played when Joyce and Hopper found Will in the upside down back in S1. Might have been a call back but I think the Duffer Brothers are smarter than that. The song also played just before hopper “died” in season 3. I’m sure if that intention wasn’t meant for Eddie too then they would and easily could’ve split both scenes with Eddie dying first and then seeing what happened on Max, Lucas and Erica’s side while this song played separately and Eddie had his own death song. But they didn’t do that..

Music also has a very powerful meaning in the franchise too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Eddie survives, went into shock and his body slowly started to heal as he was in a relatively safe place when he fought the bats. Plus his trailer in the upside down wasn’t directly harmed either. It was just a gate so he still has some type of shelter to crawl to if he wanted to make a full recovery.

I hope everyone can see the parallel of someone being killed in the upside down and that song playing because at the point where Will was found, he had a very very very light pulse and Dustin didn’t check Eddie‘s wrist or neck for a pulse as far as we know. I know the duffer brothers wouldn’t skip over this, especially with a character as cautious and calculated as Dustin and a beloved and well reputable character like Eddie. I just hope the duffer brothers stay away from the trope of bringing a well received character in and killing them and try to change things in season 5 with Eddie coming back.

Moving onto Joseph Quinn and what he has said in interviews up to this point. Joseph Quinn has stated multiple times that he would love to be back in season five and him and Joe Keery have been thinking of ways they can bring Eddie back. One of the ways Quinn would like Eddie brought back is through a series of flashbacks or by Vecna tormenting Dustin with the thought of Eddie as that is now Dustin’s trauma point. I think they could bring in Eddie to play the part of Kas, Vecna’s right hand man who ultimately betrays him or Vecna could use Eddie as a puppet (Hint Hint.. master of puppets. Also.. in D&D Vecna has the power of necromancy as does 11 as shown by when she saves Max.)

This is how I think they could bring back Eddie and also characters who have died in the past. (Also driven from Noah himself as he hinted at the possibilities of bringing character back from the dead in season 5.)

I would like season 5 to go FULL Dungeons and Dragons on us. Billy was used as a physical puppet by Vecna in season three and we know it’s Vecna’s doing because he sent the physical form of the mind flayer to destroy the star court mall. That didn’t work but Max got away twice now and Vecna is going to be fucking pissed. I want Vecna to pull out all of the fucking trauma of every character. I want him to use Alexei to torment Joyce, Hopper and Murray, I want them to bring back Eddie as a puppet or even the embodiment of Kas the Bloody-Handed to torment the hellfire club and possibly use him as a threat over Hawkins making Eddie clearing his name, that much more of a possibility and I definitely I want him to bring Billy back to further torment Steve, Max and Lucas. Barb coming back to also torment Nancy and Robin would be awesome as nancy still feels guilty about her death as Robin was Barbs friend too.

The fact that Vecna shaped the mind flayer and used it to possess Billy‘s body is such a vital plot point that I don’t doubt they wouldn’t use it again. I think it would be cool for them to also give these characters are proper goodbye. For example if Billy died again then Max would have a proper heart-to-heart with him before he died because she never got that and he had so much to say as he had an awakening type moment of clarity before his death when he saved 11. Same with Eddie, same with Alexei, Barb, Bob and hell even Brenner to further torment 11 for what she did to Vecna. 

I know it would look like a cop out to re-use these same characters but it is the last season and I know the Duffer Brothers will pull out everything they had to make this the LITERAL end game of the stranger things world and wrap up the cult of Vecna campaign our loveable metal head started and was a apart of.

I think everything I have mentioned is too coincidental for the duffer brothers to write Eddie off as just another side character who dies. Especially looking at the monetary side of things where everywhere I have looked hellfire Merch seems to be everywhere. I don’t see how they can see how well received a character is, kill them off and continue to sell the Merch without thinking that people are riot over Eddie‘s death and possibly stop buying.  I’ve also seen people threatening to cancel their memberships if Eddie dies and if they stick to their word then this is going to have a pretty decent hit on Netflix and the Duffer brothers.

I do wholeheartedly believe that Eddie Munson will make a return!

[longlivthemagic]

my hopes for byler storyline s4

this is hella mushy because we need some cute hope in this tag! everyone grab your candles and manifest with me that this is going to happen!!

if you guys like these ideas i might write them out later because i do nothing anymore besides refresh this page over and over again.

We start out the season with some slight angst. Mike isn’t flat out ignoring Will, but whenever El is around, Will is clearly 3rd wheeling. On his birthday at the roller rink, he gets annoyed and skates off into the bathroom. Mike follows after him and leaves El behind.

In the (empty) bathroom, I want Will to RIP into Mike. He deserves it! I want him to fully tear into this boy. Then I want Mike to be like “Why do you care so much about El and I’s relationship? You’re never this mad at Lucas and Max.” And que a outburst from Will like “Are you stupid?” And a confused Mike being like “What are you talking about dude” and then Will kissed him- and Mike’s eyes CLOSE. This is a big factor here. His eyes are closed and he kisses back, unlike him and El’s last kiss. Then when they pull away, looking shocked, we hear panic from the roller rink causing them to run to help El and leaving tension between the two.

After El is gone, the boys ignore each other because neither really knows how to process their own feelings. This is where we get this awkward distance between them for the first half of the season.

However! In Argyle’s van after they begin their journey to find El, Argyle is sleeping in the front and the music is on loud enough Jonathon can’t hear them in the back. Mike looks at Will and says his name super soft like “Will? I’m sorry for everything.” In one of those voices he only uses for Will. So we FINALLY get a genuine apology from Mike. Will is gonna be like “I’m sorry too.” And Mike is gonna say “You have nothing to be sorry for, trust me.” Implying that the kiss was okay… and Mike is going to grab Will’s hand and they’re gonna hold hands in the back seat and maybe! Just MAYBE! They’re finally able to fall asleep with Will’s head on Mike’s shoulder and Mike’s head on Will’s, and Jonathon looks in the rear view and smiles to himself.

Now I NEED just soft moments at Suzie’s, like longing glances that Jonathon picks up on, or them sharing a mattress on the floor together. Nothing crazy, just soft byler like we had in season 2.

When Mike and El reunite, Will is ready to go back to hopelessly pining- but to his surprise- Mike dodges El’s attempt to kiss him and only hugs her again. This leaves Will and El both confused and Mike even more confused.

A ton of people have already mentioned this but if Vecna really is using memories to manipulate people and make them feel bad, I could see this to be used against Mike to make him feel internal homophobia, but I wanna see Mike defeat this and realize it’s not true! That’ll be part of his character arc.

Will gets hurt and Mike rushes to him and holds him on the ground while they duck for cover and Mike is freaking the fuck out until Will wakes up and is like “Stop panicking I’m fine- I’m okay.” And they both hug and comfort each other and we see an emotional Mike cry maybe.

FINALLY. They defeat the monster! And before they go back to their respective homes, Mike and Will have a moment alone in Mike’s basement, maybe looking at all the old drawings Will gave him- and Will gives him a new stack of drawings he made for him while in California (“I’m not good at writing or talking on the phone like El, but I did think about you every day. I drew you these.”). Mike takes this moment to tell Will he’s sorry again and he loves him. Will says “I love you too” thinking they’re having a bro moment but then Mike finally finds his words and is like “Will- I mean-“ and Mike just kisses him. Will smiles at him and Mike smiles back, the same smiles they gave each other at the end of S3, and that’s the last we see of them until S5 :).

BONUS!

Here’s that last scene written out because I can!

“These are really bad, Mike.” Will says, laughing as he stands beside his best friend, looking at his giant collection of drawings Mike had been saving since he was 5.

“Shut up! They’re better than I can do.” Mike smiled, hitting him on the arm.

“Oh, before I go-“ Will walks over to his bag on the Wheeler’s basement couch and pulls out his own binder of drawings. “I know I didn’t write to you much when I moved, I just didn’t know what to say. But I made these for you. I tried to add a little every day. I just- I don’t want you to think I wasn’t thinking about you.”

Mike took the binder, smiling a dorky grin. He would never admit it, but sometimes it did hurt that Will rarely wrote and called. He loved hearing from El, of course, but Will was his best friend. He was worried he hadn’t missed him as much as Mike had.

“Will- you’re so talented. Thank you.” Mike flipped through the drawings before setting it besides him carefully and pulling Will in for a hug. “I’m sorry again, for everything.”

“I’m sorry too.” Will sighed, pulling away. “I was acting a little crazy back there, I don’t know what got into me. I wouldn’t normally do that- and I know you’re happy with El- and”

Mike cuts Will off by kissing him.

“Hey, crazy together, okay? Always.” Mike smiled, pulling away from Will.

“I- yeah. Yeah. Okay.” Will smiled, wrapping his arms around Mike one more time before dragging him up the stairs.