Steady

Mother

When the sun peaks from behind the trees, bathing Hawkins in its shy glow, Eddie pushes the door of the gym open, cackling at one of Steve's remarks. After their night spent wandering outside, supporting each other's weight from their shoulders, they both feel lighter. Still ecstatic from their time away from it all, they share glances and laugh, amused by inside jokes they made up on the road.

Now, they look at each other under a new light. While Steve doesn't see Eddie as an aggressive ticking bomb anymore, Eddie doesn't see Steve as a pompous chick magnet. They find new qualities in each other, whether it be their sharp sense of humor or the comfort they feel in the other's presence.

As Steve gazes at Eddie's head full of hair from behind, his lips curl up into a smile, his cheeks reddening.

While he finds it depressing that Vecna's attacks affected so many, he finds solace in the fact that he's not the only one ridden by guilt and feeling responsible for all the souls trapped in the shelter until they find a new home. If they ever do.

Before Eddie can turn to Steve again to offer him a cup of coffee, a fist closes around the collar of his t-shirt, brutally stopping him in his tracks. A warm yet furious breath blows upon his face, only two inches away. Steve bumps into him, not being able to stop on time.

"Where were you?!"

His traits distorted by anguish, Wayne doesn't look like himself at all. Eddie hasn't seen him in such a state since the last time he got in trouble before Chrissy's murder. Yet, relieved that it's only his uncle and not one of the popular Hawkins High seniors, he lets out a sigh and relaxes, patting the hand closed around the fabric.

"I needed some fresh air, Wayne."

"Fresh air? In the middle of a crisis? Don't you fuck with me, Edward!"

"I couldn't sleep, so I called Steve," he defends himself, showing the palms of his hands. "We went to grab slushies at the 7-Eleven on the highway. We weren't even far!"

"Slushies? In May? All night?"

Steve rests his hand on Eddie's shoulder, trying to free him from his uncle's grip at first. When he realises that he's not strong enough, he leaves it there anyway, poking his head next to the two.

"It's true, Mr. Munson," he insists. "We weren't at the 7-Eleven all night, of course, but we were just driving in my car. Nothing more."

"Stay out of this, Harrington."

"Hey, don't speak to him like that!" Eddie spits, rage filling his dark eyes. "Why does it matter to you that I went out? We're stuck here anyway, wandering around like fucking ghosts! At least I got to get out and clear my head with a friend!"

Wayne grunts and shoves Eddie, bouncing against Steve's arm. Before he explodes and starts an argument with his uncle, Steve keeps him away, nodding at him.

"Mr. Munson, Eddie did nothing wrong. You can imagine how much this whole situation has been weighing on him. You can't be mad at him for trying to find some sanity in all this."

The older man glares at him, but begins to relax. No, he can't be mad at Eddie for wanting to find escapism after being wanted for murder and hiding in the forest and random abandoned places for days on end. Everyone wanted it too, himself included.

"I get it," he whispers. "But you scared the shit out of me, Eddie. Finding your cot empty, in the middle of the night! Thought someone got to ya."

"Thankfully not. Listen, I know you're worried, but I'm good. Jason isn't here to threaten me and get my head on a stick or whatever. His little friends left town."