Steady

Prologue

"I can't believe they didn't take me with them!"

Heaving a sigh, he drops onto the ground, the leaves rustling under his weight. He chews at a piece of skin off the corner of his fingernail, while tapping his foot. Next to him, irritated by his behavior, Eddie rolls his eyes, his legs outstretched before him and his crossed arms resting on top of his stomach.

"Calm your tits, Harrington."

Steve glares at him, waving his hands in the air, as though something obvious was hanging there but Eddie couldn't — or wouldn't — see.

"Uh, hello? Who's gonna take care of them when they find the gate? I sure hope they're not even thinking about going in."

"God, who are you, their mom?"

"Pretty much. You know what? You're surprisingly calm for someone wanted for murder."

Eddie ignores his remark and scratches his forearm, admiring the flock of bats tattooed on it. At the mere sight of it, he feels oddly nostalgic, craving to burst into a tattoo parlor and have the first thing marked into his skin. He wouldn't even care if it was a puppy on a rainbow, as long as he could feel the rush of adrenaline and the pure joy of having a needle stabbing his epidermis repeatedly.

But he can't anymore. Not until he's proven innocent.

The squeaking of Steve's shoe pulls him out of his reverie, as the former school athlete keeps bouncing his leg, his foot propped up on a broken slab of Skull Rock. Irritated by the constant noise, Eddie slams his hand on Steve's knee, forcing it down.

"Will you stop?" he scolds. "We've been alone for two minutes and you're already driving me insane!"

"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm worried about the kids!" Steve snaps back, making his sneaker squeak on purpose.

Eddie sits up and grabs him by the collar, bringing his face three inches away from his own. Steve gulps and raises both of his hands.

"Why are you even complaining? Huh? You were the one whining that Nancy and Robin left you behind to babysit THE ENTIRE TIME, but now that they leave together, you're pissed that you're not looking after them? Do I get the gist?"

"Okay, if you put it like that..."

His fist relaxes around the fabric of his companion's t-shirt, releasing him from its grip. Steve rubs his chest and sighs, leaning back against the cold rock.

"Sorry about that, man," Eddie apologizes, burying his face in his hands. "This entire situation, it's... it's wild."

"No shit."

Steve slips a glance towards him, pursing his lips and running a hand through his hair.

"Actually I think I'd go absolutely nuts if it were happening to me."

"But it's not, is it?"

"No, I guess not," Steve sighs, wishing that Eddie would quit being aggressive at everything he said. "But we're in this together. So..."

"Great. Waiting to be rescued by kids and their going-into-Mordor plan. What a blast."

Eddie jumps onto his feet and kicks the leaves with a grunt under Steve's confused look.

"Okay, but is someone finally going to explain me what this has to do with doors?" he asks, throwing his hands up. "How is going through a lot of doors gonna rid us from Vacka or whatever you call it?"

The metalhead whips around, his chocolate eyes round as marbles. His wavy hair flutters as he does it, sending a lingering smell of sweat and grass towards the former athlete, who wrinkles his nose as he receives it.

"First of all, it's Vecna," Eddie rectifies, showing the palm of his hand to Steve, "get that in your poofy-haired head. Second of all, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Vacka, Vecna, whatever! They mentioned going through more doors! I wonder how many gates have been opened since the last time, but I sure hope they're not going to jump through the first one they find."

His remark is met by Eddie's hysterical laugh as he throws his head backwards and claps, slapping his thigh every few seconds.

"I knew you weren't the brightest, but that you're that thick, I didn't expect!"

Stevie scowls and flips him off, before standing up in turn. As he begins to walk away, he hears hurried footsteps as the other young man runs after him to catch him.

"C'mon, Harrington, don't leave!"

"Give me one reason to stay, then."

Dumbfounded, Eddie grunts and rests both of his hands on his shoulders. Never had he thought he would ever spend time with Steve "The Hair" Harrington, yet here they were, in his most deperate hour.

"I don't know how to convince you, but I do need you. Sure, you're stuck here with me even if I've been out there for days and could manage, but you've stayed. The group agreed to have someone stay with me for support, and I'm sorry that you're the one they picked."

"Then, can we agree on not talking shit about each other?"

Eddie tilts his head and stretches his hand out.

"Deal."

Steve shakes it and follows him back under Skull Rock. The two of them sit back down, observing their still surroundings, undisturbed by traffic sounds or any form of hubbub. Only the breeze, soft and calm, tousles the treetops in its course, swirling between the blades of grass and the flowers growing around them.

They wish that all of Hawkins could be like this. Quiet, peaceful, with nothing ugly in sight. No disastrous lab, no Russian threat, no stupid high school and jobs, no burning mall and above all, no murdered kids.

Steve wishes he could go back to the time when he didn't have to swipe a spiked baseball bat at Demodogs or infiltrate a Russian lab under Starcourt. It was easier then. Just him and Nancy. Could he be in control of this return back in time, he would take Robin with him, just to make sure that she wouldn't go away and forget about their precious friendship. He would bond all over again with Dustin and let him make him watch Star Wars sooner, and he would take it seriously, this time.

But first of all, he would make it right with Nancy. He would tell Tommy and Carol to fuck off much earlier to protect her and embrace the person that she is and that he let slip away. He would support her and tell her to stay with Barb that fateful night. She was worth waiting for.

A nudge in his ribs pulls him out of his daydreaming. Eddie grins at him and punches him playfully in the arm, speaking in a soft tone that Steve has never heard coming from him.

"Don't worry about them. If half of the stories y'all told me are true, then they can manage much better on their own than us."

Steve chuckles and picks up a snapped twig from under his leg, spinning it around his finger and toying with it.

"You're not wrong."

"And hey, I already appreciate you being here. I mean it. It's good to know that someone in this shithole believes me and knows that I'm innocent."

"We'll help any way we can."

"Thanks," Eddie smiles. Steve can tell that he doesn't let his guard down often and rarely drops the tough façade he's built over the years. He recognises this smile as the most genuine he's seen from him. "We don't even need to get along. If you'd rather ignore me during the whole operation, then so be it."

Steve nudges him back, reciprocating a smile.

"We don't have to, but I won't ignore you. Not unless you call me dumb one more time."

"Fair."

They chuckle and gaze around, with Steve throwing a glance at his wristwatch every once in a while. Beside him, Eddie lays down on the ground, not caring about crawling ants and bugs anymore.

"Mordor's from Lord of the Rings, by the way."