Request
This was by far the least likely situation you thought you would find yourself in.
After the events of last summer and previous years, you hoped you would never have to hang out with Nancy, Steve and even Robin under the same circumstances again. However, here you were, in no other place but the Upside Down. But by far, the weirdest thing about this whole event - Eddie Munson.
Somehow, your former best friend had found himself tagging along. Of course, you knew Eddie would have nothing to do with the murder of Chrissy Cunningham. Although you were sceptical about what they were doing together in the first place, something about his loose demeanour and casual jokes had you agreeing to help him almost instantly.
You glanced over your shoulder at the group trudging along closely behind. They seemed to have formed pairs; Nancy and Robin talked quietly, and Steve and Eddie walked silently. A shooting pain through your ankle snapped your attention away from the others as you stumbled to avoid putting too much weight on it. You drew a deep breath and tried your best to return your walk to normal. During the fight against the bat-like creatures, a vine caught your foot and sent you flying into the ground mid-swing at one of the little shits. Despite the sharp pangs, you had insisted that it was just a sprained ankle and that you were okay. There was enough to worry about anyway, with all the monsters and demon realm going on. You grasped at the end of your sleeves and pulled them down as a shiver fell over your spine. You couldn't deny the fear building up in you as you prayed that Vecna's next victims wouldn't be one of the others.
"Hey."
You peered up at the face watching you carefully, almost torn between cracking a joke or asking if you were okay. Eddie's eye's held the same glint of mischief they used to have but were glazed over with what could only be fear.
"Hi." You felt a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. Eddie seemed relieved at your response, and you felt the tension in your shoulders easing too.
"How's the ankle holding up?" Eddie jerked his head in a gesture towards it, and your cheeks began to sting in embarrassment.
"I told you. It's fine."
"Oh yeah? Is that why you're hobbling around over here like my grandma?" He smiled smugly as you laughed, giving him a slight shove that only resulted in more pain. You grimaced and shrugged,
"It's a little sore." Eddie wasted no time threading his arm under yours, lifting the pressure off your ankle as he adjusted his grip so you could walk properly. You brace yourself against him to gain balance, sighing relief you didn't know you were holding in.
"You know, this would never have crossed my mind of all the places I imagined our great reunion to take place."
You shook your head and smiled fondly, "How could you? I never thought I would willingly come here in a million years, but here we are."
Eddie nodded, "Here we are." It was almost like old times again, before freshman year started and Eddie joined Hellfire. It was always easy to hang out with him, with no pressure of expectations or the need to talk about anything of particular importance. Sometimes the two of you would stay together for days at a time, and you remember feeling drawn to him, everything he did or said. You hated the kind of music that he played, but you were always at every practice to watch his world come to life. But that all left when the cruel world of high school came crashing between you. There weren't many people you were willing to entertain a friendship with, but after getting caught up in the mess of November 1983, you had a few close knits. You directed your gaze back towards Eddie. He had grown considerably, making for an awkward stance as he tried to support your weight. His hair was still wild, but you knew that all that crazy was still just a disguise for his charming personality, his need for approval but selfless measures to make sure those he cared about were safe. He hadn't changed, not really. You wondered if he still felt the same about you or was willing to continue this rekindled friendship when you got out of this mess.
