Right Side Up (Steddie)

You Could Probably Pass For Prince Charming

Eddie only slept for a couple of hours and when he woke up Steve was not there. Eddie got out of bed slowly, his balance wasn't the best, and made his way to the bedroom door. He opened it and stepped out into the hallway, then walked carefully to the stairs. He could hear someone moving around downstairs, so he grabbed the railing and held on for dear life as he very slowly made his way down. About halfway down he stumbled but managed to stay upright and not fall. Steve must have heard him because suddenly he was there, his arm around Eddie's waist, scolding him about being up and on the stairs. But he didn't take him back upstairs, he led him the rest of the way down and into the living room where he put him on the couch with a pillow behind his back and his feet propped up.

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'd kill for some pain killers and a bottle of something alcoholic."

"I think my mom has some wine around here," Steve answered. "But, like I said, all I've got is aspirin."

"I'll take a couple more aspirin, if it's not too much trouble."

Steve held up a finger then turned and dashed upstairs. He was back a moment later and sat the aspirin bottle on the coffee table in front of Eddie. He disappeared again then came back with a large glass of water. He handed Eddie the water then fished two of the pills out of the bottle and gave them to Eddie. Eddie swallowed them and when he leaned forward to put the glass of water back on the table, his face twisted in agony, and he almost dropped the glass. Steve caught his hand and took the glass from him.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel like Vecna stomped on my ribs," he grunted. "Oh, wait. He did."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Eddie said. "But I know I'll have to eventually, so I guess I might as well go ahead."

**********

I died in The Upside Down. After being attacked by the Demobats, I died. I floated out of my body and hovered above it for what seemed like days. I couldn't remember any sounds or feelings, just me laying there. Then Chrissy came. She sat down next to me and held my hand until I finally stopped floating and crashed back down into my body. That's when the pain started.

I can't even describe the pain, it was all over, in every part of me. The best way I can think to describe it is that it felt like liquid fire was flowing through my veins instead of blood. Sharp, burning vines snaked their way around my ankles and wrists and pulled me in different directions. I was sure that I was going to be ripped to pieces most of the time. I would have welcomed it. Maybe then the pain would have stopped.

Chrissy floated in front of me, and I saw her death again, heard every cracking bone. I closed my eyes, but more vines came and attached to my eyelids, forcing them open, forcing me to watch Chrissy die over and over. And besides my own pain I could feel every agonizing thing that Chrissy felt as well.

I begged for mercy, begged to just die. But more vines came. They swung at me, slammed into my body, beating and bruising me. Sometimes they'd wrap around me and squeeze tighter and tighter until I couldn't breathe. Sometimes they'd poke and dig into the open wounds the Demobats had left. Sometimes they'd slither down my throat and whip at me from the inside.

Then one day, the vines dropped me. When I hit the ground, it felt like every bone in my body broke. Then Chrissy was on top of me, and she kissed me. It was the only thing that didn't hurt, so I gave in to her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me and for just a minute, the pain was gone. But then her arms started getting tighter, I could hear and feel my bones cracking. I opened my eyes, and it wasn't Chrissy. It was Vecna.