NOW OR NEVER
☀︎
WITHIN THE WOODS, THE GROUP STAYED CAUTIOUS OF ANY DANGERS THAT LURKED IN THE SHADOWS. Convincing the group she was fine to walk on her own, Alex fell back behind the group as she kept her own pace. Feeling obligated to stay by her side, Eddie Munson kept sneaking glances at her, wondering how any of them could act as if this was natural. No one even seemed to take an interest in the bats' grab for Alex while the rest had to fight for their lives to not be eaten.
Seeing as they walked alone, Eddie allowed his curiosity to get the best of him. He was new to the group and frankly, he needed a lot more than simple blind trust to know this was a good idea. Keeping his eyes shifting among the trees surrounding him, Eddie gravitated towards Alex until he was able to nudge her in the side. "No one's gonna say it, but those bats didn't even consider taking a bite out of you back there. Care to explain?"
Sending him a playful smile, she raised her brows at him, "If I could tell you, I would. We sort of just live in this idea that the monsters from this world have a thing for me. Unsure why, but I'm sure Vecnas dying to spill his secrets when those bats bring me all the way to him."
"We don't... we don't know they'd bring you to him," he said hesitantly. Truly, there was nowhere else anyone could think they'd bring Alex. He was the only one out there they knew that was currently digging around in her mind.
Even Alex gave him a look. "We do and I think you know that. No use trying to make me feel better." Looking down, she gave a small shrug. "Guess I'm sort of used to it anyways. Bad shits been happening for three years and I really don't expect it to get better until he's dead."
"Well, I guess I can promise you that we won't let those things touch you, take you, or whatever the hell they want with you. You guys wanna protect me from Hawkins playing hunt the freak, I guess it's my turn to keep some psycho creatures from playing hunt the freak with you." He glanced over at her and immediately felt guilt weigh on him. "Least I could do."
At the mention of the manhunt raging in Hawkins, Alex felt the guilt come straight to the front of her mind. They had been so caught up in discovering more on Vecna that she hadn't stopped to consider how Eddie felt through all this. He was hurting all the same, running and hiding from a town that now hated him. "I'm really sorry, Eddie," she said gently. "A lot of this is on me, man, and you don't have to act like it's not. You told me to tell Chrissy no to seeing you and I made you talk to her. Now you're wanted and-and stuck in this hellhole all because of me. You saw people die, dude, and you don't even get to catch a break."
"Say what you want, but apology unaccepted," he stated, her sad eyes turning over to him. "I can't blame you. I would've found myself here with or without you annoyingly worming your way into my life. I asked Chrissy to come back to my place and I'm the one who chose to follow you shitheads straight into Mordor. If anyone's to blame, it's me, your fellow freak." Bowing, he played this all off as some joke. It's what made him feel better and he knew Alex needed that kind of humor as well. None of it was easy and it certainly wasn't going to get any easier.
A sad laugh escaped her lips as she wrapped an arm around him. Resting her head against him, she was glad he was here. Startled, Eddie flinched at her acts of affection he could never expect. It was unlike the person he once knew, but this was someone he liked so much better. Feeling that relief, he cozied up to the fact that she cared for him enough to hold on to him when she was terrified of her surroundings. He was her hero and nothing that could ever change how she saw him. "You sorta saved my life back there. I pretty much owe you my entire existence." Pulling back from her hold, she flashed him a warm smile, one that caused him to divert his eyes away so she couldn't see how deeply she affected him. He always needed someone like Alex, in fact, he needed a pair like the Henderson's. They were easy to get along with, yet so easy to mess with. They were a perfect combo and imagining a life without them seemed dull and boring.
"Consider your slate wiped clean," he stated. "Not that it mattered much anyways." Seeing as confusion swept over her face, he couldn't help but chuckle at the blind love she always had for Steve Harrington. "Yeah, I noticed you didn't run straight to your savior. Raced right past. Just tell me... when were you planning on mentioning you and Harrington started swapping spit again? Sorta expected to be in the loop or whatever."
"We are... we are not swapping spit," she stated defensively. "We aren't even together. We're still just friends so... so relax."
Holding his hands up, Eddie showed he meant no harm, however his laugh told otherwise. "I'm just saying, if you held me like you do him, I think Steve would punch me in the face. No one that are just friends are that touchy. Sounds to me like a bunch of idiots pretending they aren't in love for the sake of the world. News flash, Henderson, we're all gonna die so quit with the touchy-flirty and pound it out already, would ya? This place is a little disgusting, but if you two really needed to tear off each other's clothes and get busy just to get it over with, I'm not here to object."
"You're so nasty," she said with a shake of her head. "We don't need to... pound it out or whatever the hell you just said. We're perfectly fine being how we are now." Keeping her eyes forward, Alex knew better than to share that she was not fine with how they were now. Whether it was guilt or someone else stealing their moment, something was preventing them to admit to one another that they were anything but fine.
"Please," he groaned as he threw his head back in annoyance. "Get over yourself there, babe. None of us give a shit if you two start making out while dealing with all the crap we're going through. No one. I think your girls up there would probably crap themselves knowing you two were back together again. I'm honestly getting bored with the teasing touching and cute little glances. You two are hot for each other and in an unpleasant way."
Alex forced out a breathy laugh while keeping her eyes focused on the ground as they walked. "Yeah, whatever. I just don't want to hurt him again, you know? Sorta did that enough."
Rolling his head over, he prepared himself for a good laugh at the plenty of teasing he had in store for her. Once his eyes landed on her, his smile faded and he observed her as she looked down at her feet as she walked, a sadness settling on her. For a moment, he saw who she was before— someone torn down and filled with a hatred for herself as she grew lonely in such dark times.
He couldn't stand and watch as she fell back into old habits so he dropped his teasing for the moment, slapping his hands together as he cocked his head over to her. "I'm not one to speak for Harrington, but I sorta don't think he cares anymore. Surprises the hell out of me, but you could pull an ole Nancy Wheeler and stomp on his heart, and for some odd reason... I feel he'd pick up those pieces and hand them back to you." Looking over at her, he scoffed to himself. Though he had good intentions, he didn't want her to see it as any means negative. "Not that I'd think you'd hurt him again, by the way. And you were going through tough shit, right?" His eyes wandered around the hellscape they walked through before shaking his head in complete disbelief. "Honestly, for good reason too," he mumbled, frowning at his surroundings. "This place is creepy as hell and the monsters are totally not cool."
Finding the corners of her lips turning up, she let her eyes wander the same as his. "Were you expecting a welcoming party? I'll have a little talk with Vecna and let him know next time you're here you're expecting cake, balloons, and a piñata."
"Ha, as long as I'm not the piñata," he stated. Sighing softly, he glanced at her with a sad smile, knowing the jokes she kept up were a mask. From personal experience, he could see right through her. "Laugh it up, but we both know whatever the hell you've gone through, no one's gonna know that kinda pain." Turning his eyes away, he found himself looking at his feet he felt himself settling back into his jokes. "But I'm sorta inching up there on the trauma," he teased playfully. "I got about two deaths I got to witness, a trip to this hell hole, and to add to it, the worst of it all, seeing you shirtless. Awful stuff."
"Have I told you I hate you recently?"
"You don't tell me enough," he commented back with a smile emerging. "Friend to friend, I'm not going to skirt around it, play matchmaker and encourage this game you two are playing. You two love each other, you want each other bad, and it's now or never. You don't know if we'll get out of this and you sure as hell don't know if this is the last moment you get to be with him. I hate to admit it, but he's a good dude."
Seeing her hesitation, Eddie grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a stop just for a moment. Holding onto her shoulders, he directed her to face him and keep her eyes focused on his. "I don't know what happened between you two, but I would get him back. No sane guy would go through the crap he did for some chick he didn't care about. There's nothing but love between you two. Don't let the shit you deal with ruin your chance at happiness. I'm guessing it's what that asshole wants and I'm here to say, screw him. Screw Vecna. I say let Alex Henderson be happy for once."
Her eyes stayed narrowed on him, but she saw nothing but love being spoken by him. Letting his words get to her, she began to walk after breaking away from his hold, him following only a step behind. Through his teasing and playful attitude, there was a seriousness in his words no matter what. Eddie was genuine and he truly wished happiness for her. Letting him have a moment to feel relief with himself, Alex gave a small nudge to him as they followed after the others once again. "He was jealous of you, by the way."
"Harrington? Nah," he chuckled. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but you gotta work on your lying."
"He thought the two of us were... something."
"That's disgusting," he mumbled, his eyes darting over to her. He searched for a reason for her to lie, but she was so confident in her words and didn't even break a grin of amusement. "You and I are far from lovers. Sorry to break it to you."
She looked over her shoulder with a glare. "Trust me, I'm not interested in you. In your dreams."
Smirking to himself, he couldn't help but let himself laugh. "Good to know I don't have to break your sad, pathetic little heart there. Stevie's a lucky guy, though, so I was thinking you should take my advice."
"Sure," she mumbled. "Whatever. I guess I owe you one for being my hero and saving my life."
Placing an arm around her shoulder, he forced her close to him as they continued their walk to catch up with the rest. Laughing into his chest, Alex tried to fight his hold, only for him to hold on tighter, looking down at her with a mischievous grin. "Oh, Alexandra, as much as I do adore these moments between us, I do have to say, I don't appreciate the lies."
"Oh, so you think I'm lying again?" she laughed. Yanking herself free from his hold, she flattened out her hair he managed to rustle up, wide-eyed in amusement before shoving him back. "I really do owe you, asshole."
"No, no," he chuckled, raising a finger up toward her. "No, you totally owe me. I'm honestly expecting big bucks after this." Letting his hand fall to his side, he shook his head as his smile began to fade away. "But, uh, I'm no hero. Far from. You see, I'm a runner. Any chance I see danger, I flee. Learned that about myself recently."
"Yeah, well, in this sort of situation, you're insanely smart for running. Way smarter than any of us because we're pretty much the idiots that chase after it. Look where it gets us." Extending an arm out, she gestured to their surroundings. Dark, gloomy and haunting was every situation they found themselves in and somehow they never ran when they should have. Turning her head to him, she leaned her head back for a better look at him. Having him so close to her, she realized how all this time he truly was right there all along, never running, never fleeing. From the day she met him he was always her hero because he was always there. "Eddie Munson, you are a hero to me. No one that's a runner dives into a lake knowing there's some screwed up shit waiting for them on the other side. If you ran this time, I would be whisked away to Vecna and probably dead. Instead, I had you, Eddie Munson, Hawkins hellraiser and famous freak, holding on to me to make sure I didn't have another monster hurt me. That's not someone I'd call a runner."
A guilty smile came to his face to hear those words. Guilty because that's never the person he saw himself to be. With Chrissy, he watched her die and he ran; with Patrick, he watched him die and ran once again. With Alex, he ran to her instead of away. Feeling her tap a finger against his chest, he looked over at her and saw how sincere she truly was. "Hawkins hero," she stated with a soft smile. "Give yourself some credit, babe," she mocked teasingly as she slipped her hand away. "You're insanely better than you think you are. I had a good feeling about you when we first met and I can tell you now, the feeling hasn't gone away. No matter how much of a little shit you are."
"Thanks," he said with a twitchy smile. The truth had been he never felt that anyone saw him as much as anything. Surrounding himself with this group, something changed him. He felt he truly belonged and felt the undeniable love they shared. Had he been in danger, he was certain these people would be willing to race to other worlds for him and now he knew he'd do the same. Running was no longer an option. This was his year— '86 and nothing was going to change that.
Giving a hit to his arm, Alex pulled him from his thoughts as she directed a finger up ahead. "Looks like we made it to Skull Rock," she said happily. Moving ahead of him, she walked backward with her hands extended out and a smile stuck to her face. "All right, listen up, we duck and cover, make a game plan, and then get the hell out of here. What do you say?"
"That's it? That's... that's your plan?"
"Of course," she chuckled, unsure where his confusion lied. It was a simple plan, but it was in fact a plan. Scoffing, she dropped her hands down, "And I'll figure out things with Steve, is that what you want to hear?"
"Not really my concern," he said truthfully. "I was more worried about the lack of detail you Hendersons put into your plans."
"Well that's why I said we make a plan in my plan," she said in annoyance. Grabbing ahold of his hand, she forced him to pick up the pace and catch up to the others. "Just come on and quit worrying."
"I have every right to worry. Look at this place," he called to her, nearly tripping over himself to keep up the pace with her. Yet she never slowed down as the others raced under the rock, waving the other two along to join them in their safety of the sky.
As they neared Skull Rock, Alex's eyes drifted up, checking to be sure no monsters flew above them. Above was a cloudy sky and the occasional storm of red breaking through. Somehow this had been a comfort to her when it once used to be an image she fear. Now a red sky meant there were no monsters waiting for her.
Pulling Eddie with her, they slipped into the safety of the rock, keeping cover as a swarm of bats soon zipped overhead. Letting Eddie's hands slip from hers, Alex found herself gravitating toward Steve as she kept her eyes to the sky. Taking his hand in hers, Alex's observation of the sky kept her from seeing as his eyes focused on her. Even bruised and bloody, he never saw her beauty fade. Squeezing onto her hand, he caught her attention before squeezing it once more. Lighting up when she met his eyes, Alex leaned closer to him, squeezing his hand in return. It was a sign of love and comfort the two needed in such dark times.
As the swarm fled, leaving an empty sky above, the group got to their feet with shaky breaths. Caught up in the plan to flee this place, Alex scrunched up her face in thought, letting Steve's hand fall from hers as she stepped out from the safety of the rock. Her eyes darted around the dark woods in search of any threats and the hope that any ideas would come to mind on how they'd move forward from here. Hiding in Skull Rock only left a sliver of time before the creatures within discovered their hiding spot.
"That was close," Robin whispered, still slowly making her way to stand tall.
"Too close," Eddie agreed. Placing a hand on Robin's back, he grew worrisome to see Alex venture outside their spot. "Hey, Alexandra, maybe you should, I don't know, hide from the things that think you're a wanted woman." Clearing his throat, he turned his eyes away from her hesitantly. "And, uh, maybe put some clothes on?"
"Yeah, thanks," she shot back in annoyance and frustration. None of this had been part of her plan and the concern of her in a bra was left to sit in the back of her mind. "Had I known we'd end up here, I would've packed myself another outfit."
Hearing her frustration in the situation, Robin perked up as she slipped her button-up shirt off her shoulders and tossed it over to Alex. Leaving her to shiver in only her black tee now, Robin hid her goosebumps with crossed arms as she gave a small shrug toward Alex. "It's something at least." Trying to stay optimistic, she forced the corners of her lips to turn up, "Maybe we get lucky and those shitbirds won't think it's you."
Slipping it on herself, Alex focused on Robin's optimism and nodded her head in agreement. "Hopefully they'll just kill me instead."
"Not funny," Eddie mumbled as he found his courage to venture outside the safety of cover alongside Alex. Making his way out, he kept his eyes up to the sky, unsure if it was as safe as she claimed it to be.
As he approached her side, Alex buttoned up her shirt a little over halfway as she let out a sarcastic laugh. "What's better to you, kidnapped for some psycho monster or eaten alive by bats?"
"Let's just get out of here safely," he said with a side glance at her. Hearing the groans and whimpers from Steve as he grew weary from his bites, the two turned to see as he fell against the rock in pain. Hurrying to his side, Nancy was unwilling to hear his denies for help. "No, no, no. You're losing blood," she whispered, helping him down to take a seat. Eddie's eyes shifted over to Alex with raised brows. "Nows your chance, Alexandra," he whispered.
Brushing a hand down his arm, she hurried back inside Skull Rock, coming to Nancy's side as Steve grunted loudly, holding his sides in agony. Opening his tightly squeezed eyes, Steve saw Alex standing there in worry and tried to brush off his pain for her as he claimed to be fine once again.
Hearing the commotion, Robin raced to Alex's side, peering around her shoulder with wide eyes and a load of information that she felt was necessary to share. "So the good news is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies. But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling aggressive, like-like you wanna punch me or something, you should totally let me know."
Sighing as he readjusted himself through the pain, Steve whispered her name. Growing closer, Robin was eager for what he wanted to tell her. Resting his hands against his sides, he winced once more before admitting the truth to her. "I kinda wanna punch you."
Immediately bursting into laughter, Robin felt instant relief and clung to Alex's arm. "Sense of humors still intact. That's a good sign." Feeling her duties of encouragement were done, Robin laughed nervously to herself as she found her way back towards Eddie to share the good news with him.
Getting down into a crouching position beside Nancy, Alex watched as she ripped the bottom of her shirt off as a bandage. Without considering anyone else to do it, Nancy passed her torn piece over to Alex as she dismissed herself from the two. Scooting closer to Steve, Alex was quiet, waiting as he raised his arms up for her to help. "Just do it," he groaned. Flashing him a nervous smile, she wrapped it around him, flinching every time he winced. "Sorry," she whispered, tightening it around him as his hands ran through his wet hair, dealing with the pain. "It's all good," he whispered, slowly beginning to sink back down as she began to it in the front.
Looking at her, he felt that pain wash away as she had such a determined look stuck to her face, her bottom lip bitten down and brows furrowed together in concentration, making sure she could help him without hurting him any further. "Thanks," he whispered as her eyes turned up to him. Nervously letting her eyes fall back onto attending to his wound, she gave a small nod. As Eddie would put it— it was now or never. This was her chance to have him back and it was the most alone the two would get without interruption.
When she finished bandaging him up, she forced herself to face her nerves as she turned her eyes up to him. His arms soon fell back down to his sides as the corners of his lips turned up. Droplets fell from the tips of his hair, landing gently against his face causing her heart to flutter. Taking a hand, she gently brushed his hair back out of his eyes, running her fingers through it before she kept her fingers entangled in his hair with one final push back. Watching as her eyes began to travel off his eyes, falling to his chest, Steve took his own hand, brushing her hair behind her ear before settling on holding her face gently, running his thumb against her cheek as a smile came to his face and a warmth settled over him with this moment of comfort.
To feel his gentle touch against her, Alex's eyes found their way back to his, and every bit of love lingered between the two. The fear of losing him so suddenly in the horrors she typically found herself wrapped up in weighed heavily against her shoulders. Together or apart, somehow he ventured after her into that darkness just for her. Tonight was just the same as he sat before her torn apart and in pain. For that small moment, there was a future without him that she never wanted to miss out on. "I love you," she breathed out as she laid her other hand against his cheek. "I don't want to be without you anymore. I-I can't."
"You've always had me. That's never changed," he spoke softly. To hear those words from him, Alex took the advice she wished she had taken all this time. There was no hesitation or fear of what pain would follow that they were trapped in a new hell. Holding onto him, she brought herself to him, pressing her lips against his until all that fear of what was to come was taken away simply from being his again.
For him, it was a breath of fresh air and a reason to escape from all these horrors. Steve dreamt of a future, one free from the nightmares and never a reason to be apart from one another. This was a moment he waited for, desperate to hold onto once again, and there it was and it was better than he ever imagined.
Breaking apart from his lips, Alex rested her forehead to his, holding onto him as she felt herself smiling. Keeping his eyes focused on her lips, there was nothing that could change his mind that this was anything less than perfect. Even with the unideal setting and the stinging pain that ached on his sides, the two continued to live in their own little bubble, one that no monster could take away from them.
Sitting back, Alex pushed her hand through his hair once more before meeting his eyes once again. "We should probably go," she whispered.
Taking a hold of her hand, Steve intertwined their fingers, preventing her from moving on. "Do we have to?"
Leaning forward, Alex grinned at his attempts to stay a little longer, brushing her nose against his. "Yes, we have to, Steve." Giving a quick kiss to his lips, she replaced her smile with an annoyed expression, "They sorta need our help getting the hell out of this place. After that, we'll steal a moment alone just for us. No one to bother us."
Playfully rolling his eyes, he gave in to her instruction as she wrapped her arm around him to get him back to his feet. Groaning at the stinging fire of his wounds, he still was the happiest he had been in months. With his arm draped around her shoulder and hers around his torso, the two emerged from Skull Rock, ignoring the exchange of glowing smiles between Nancy and Robin. Rather the two looked to one another once more to feel that this moment was truly real.
Eyes shifting across the land surrounding them, Eddie watched the true horrors that he only had seen in his imagination. The glowing red storm and dark forest were only the beginnings of the nightmares that lurked beyond Skull Rock. His instinct was to run but with nowhere to hide, he feared he'd have to trust that they could escape just as the others before. Looking back to the group, his tone was worrisome. "So, um, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?"
"Pretty much," Nancy stated factually. There was no reason to skate around it or make it seem any better because it was just one hellish nightmare. From the looks of the place, there was no way to hide how truly awful it was.
Shaking his head in disbelief, Eddie decided to retreat from his rock and join the others. Seeing how careless he actually was with his movements, Nancy stepped forward with a hand extended out to stop him. "Wait, wait, watch out for the vines. It's all a hive mind."
One foot cautiously held up, Eddie looked at her with a new fear in mind. "It's a what?"
"All the creepy crawlers around here, dude," Steve mumbled. "You step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna."
"Shit," he stated casually. Now extra careful, Eddie was slower with his movements, careful to watch where he let his feet drop.
"But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people, obviously?" Robin questioned curiously. "So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate."
"Yeah, I highly doubt that the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin," Steve mumbled. "But, I mean, guns, yeah, sure." Wanting to try standing on his own, Steve and Alex each slipped their arms away from one another but their hands stayed interlocked with each others.
"Well, we don't have to go all the way to downtown for guns," Nancy thought out loud. Finally looking around the group, she shared a piece of information that could help them without a longer journey needed. "I have guns in my bedroom."
"I have one too," Alex stated as she headed up to Nancy's side with Steve trailing along with her.
With a final hop down from the rock, Eddie narrowed his eyes at the two before him. They weren't the type he would expect to be in possession of anything of the nature. "You, Nancy Wheeler and Alexandra Henderson have guns in your bedroom?"
Proud of the two, Robin couldn't help but grow giddy as she stepped forward. "Full of surprises, aren't they?"
Looking down at Alex curiously, Steve could admit she was full of surprises. "How did I not know you had a gun? Where the hell is it?"
"It's the one from the Russian you knocked out," she shared with a laugh. "Dustin kept it in his backpack and after the shit show at Starcourt finished, I took it back and have kept it ever since. It's under my bed."
"Uh, what? I was under your bed," Robin questioned as the three others flashed her a look of concern. Holding a hand up, Alex stopped her from worrying she may have lost it. "It's in a different box. I have a lot of secrets under my bed. You just get distracted easily." Seeing that as very plausible, Robin gave a nod as she stepped back out of the conversation for it to continue on.
"I have a Russian Makarov and a revolver," Nancy spoke up, turning to Alex with a smile. "Never know when we're gonna need them. Now seems like a pretty good time."
"Yeah, good time," Eddie mumbled under his breath. Taking another look at Steve, he frowned and slipped off his jean vest and threw it directly at him. "For your modesty, dude. Your girlfriend covered up, you could at least do the same."
Before Steve could make a comment back or even thank him, a rumble overtook the Upside Down. The ground beneath their feet shook drastically, sending the group to lose their balance. Falling forward, Robin collided into Eddie, giving him no option but to take hold of her to keep her close as they fell to the ground. Alongside Alex and Nancy, Steve held onto them as he fell back into one of the rocks, catching them before they could tumble to the ground.
The sudden quake of the world came to a halt and a thunderous roar from a creature in the distance filled the silenced air around them. Getting back to their feet, the group panted heavily from terror, as their eyes looked to the skies for any signs of danger headed their way.
Breaking the bit of silence, Eddie helped Robin back to her feet and a quick heart rate filled his ears. "So guns seem like a pretty good idea to me."
Putting on Eddie's vest, Steve took the flashlight from his back pocket and his other hand took hold of Alex's once more. "So what are we waiting for?" He questioned the group as he began the hike through the woods to head to Nancy's house. With quick feet, Alex kept up with him, holding onto his arm with her other hand as she looked at him nervously. "What if it's that thing that Vecna showed me? That huge ass monster with this huge ass mouth."
Shining his flashlight across the woods, Steve felt his heart rate begin to pick up as the confidence started to wear off. "Maybe don't bring that up right now."
"Oh, of course," she agreed. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw as the other three all smiled at her, even Eddie Munson, who told her before he was vastly uninterested in her love life, seemed to be happy to see the couple back together again. Shooting Alex a thumbs up, Robin soon turned back to Nancy, clinging onto her arm just as Alex did to Steve. "Can you believe this shit?"
"I actually can't," Nancy chuckled as she looked at Robin with bright eyes. Whether it had been them playing cupid, Eddie Munson's words of encouragement, or Steve Harrington's near-death experience, it hadn't mattered. Not when the two clung to each other and their smiles could be spotted from a mile away whenever they turned to each other. Everything was perfect for the time being.
The hike to the Wheeler's gave the group that time to hold on to such a perfect moment. However, the closer they got, the realization of facing reality again soon brought them back to their nervous state. After some time, Nancy and Robin took their chance to steal Alex away, asking for details on the relationship between the two and how it came to be once more. The boys, on the other hand, kept a distance back, looking out for any emerging threats as they stayed in their comfortable silence with one another.
After hearing such a heartwarming tale come to an end, Robin pouted as she took back in her surroundings and the uneasiness that it caused her to feel. What irked Robin the most was the path they needed to take to even get to the Wheeler's house. "Couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?"
"I think we're getting close. We're almost out of here." Turning over to Robin, Nancy gave her an optimistic smile. "Don't worry."
Unable to stay optimistic this time around, Robin grew flustered and panicked that she should in fact worry. "No offense, Nance, but we're in this creepy, second world of where we live b-but this place is filled with creepy crawlies and killer bats that may or may not have given Steve rabies, which, reminder: my biggest fear so happens to be just that." Taking a quick breath of air, she managed an uncomfortable laugh as she looked at the two girls. "And Alex is apparently a wanted woman which means that somewhere out there, Vecna is out there obsessively waiting for her to be delivered and yet somehow, Alex, being typical Alex, decides this is the perfect place to rekindle her romance with Steve. Honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised that horrifying monster that let out that insanely loud roar was Vecna setting out his buddy to come brutally kill Steve for being Alex's boyfriend again. Which, may I add, was probably his doing of breaking them up in the first place and why she distanced herself from all her friends. And-and this place is no help at healing her traumatic wounds. It's just... it's all just... just bonkers," she finally breathed out through her fast-talking, chaotic waving of hands, and long ramble.
For a brief moment, Nancy and Alex looked at Robin in complete silence. Though her rambling was highly panicked and an unleash of all her thoughts and concerns, she still had a point. The first to turn her eyes away was Alex as she agreed with her point. "Yeah, okay, maybe now was not the most perfect time for Steve and I to get back together. But to be fair, either one of us could die here and I'm not dying without him being mine again. Not happening."
"Though I see it as a sweet moment, Robin has a great point," Nancy said regretfully. "We need to keep ourselves hidden, but Alex, if those bats catch even the smallest sight of you, I doubt the rest of us will be their biggest concerns given their last grab for you was an epic failure. None of us are leaving here unless you're safe and you won't be safe if Vecna is thoroughly pissed because he can't get to you. And, no offense, Steve is a big distraction and I think that you being around him is going to be a red flag to Vecna."
"So," Robin spoke loudly. "As much as we love how undeniably adorable you two are, maybe now is not the best time when we're hiking through Vecna's home ground. I-I can guarantee those bats probably took a bite out of Steve was because... because of Vecna."
Alex bit the inside of her cheek as she looked out at the path in front of them. For the two to be so on board with this rekindled romance broke her heart to see them easily change their minds when she was happy as is. "So what I'm hearing is the reason we're on this creepy path is because of me kissing Steve? I thought this is what you guys wanted."
"No, no," Nancy said quickly. "No, this is not your fault and of course we want the happiness of our friends. We just want you to be careful. I... I don't know what any of us would do if you got taken. We're vastly unprepared for a fight against Vecna and I don't even want to think about what he wants with you."
Alex pondered on their concerns. However, she didn't want to keep resisting how she felt any longer. Giving in to Vecna once more and turning Steve away would only give him what he wanted, not her. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw for a moment as Eddie and Steve looked at one another in conversation, finally finding a reason to talk as Steve tapped his arm against Eddie's.
"Listen, I just, uh, I just wanted to say thanks," Steve said gently, sneaking a glance at Eddie to be sure he even heard. "For saving my ass back there, man." It wasn't easy for him. Before all of this, Steve never would have given Eddie Munson another thought. It wouldn't have crossed his mind that this metal head was going to mean something so big in his life.
Eddie felt the very same. He had his own thoughts on Steve Harrington and they weren't all that great. He was a typical popular guy who got all the girls and cared about no one but himself. Being with him now caused him to see Steve in a brand new light. "Shit," he chuckled. "You saved your own ass. I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."
"Ozzy?"
"When you took a bite out of that bat," Eddie said casually. However, Steve's blank look had his shoulders slack. "Ozzy Osborne? Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off onstage." When Steve's expression never changed, Eddie shook his head as he gave up on explaining any further. "Doesn't matter. It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying."
"Thanks," he responded quietly.
"Little Henderson told me you were badass," Eddie carried on. "Insisted on the matter, in fact."
"Wait, Henderson said that?" Steve questioned curiously. Over time he felt he was losing Dustin's friendship and he was left to be replaced by the very person talking to him.
"Oh, yeah. Shit, the kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest. I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve. I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude. Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all the laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine." Shooting him a grin, he gave a small smack to his arm. "Still super jealous as hell, by the way."
Admitting his jealousy was by far the easiest thing Eddie Munson had done tonight. Knowing that Steve felt jealous all the same, Eddie felt he owed him that moment to feel on top of the world. Finding out that someone like Steve Harrington could ever be jealous of a metal head with no filter— it felt refreshing.
"Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh, normal circumstances," Eddie continued. Hearing the snap of a branch caused the pair to come to a complete stop. This world was far from normal. To willingly dive into it was not something anyone would peg Eddie Munson to do. He should have ran. He should have watched as the girls dove after Steve then sailed off and raced back into hiding from every horror he witnessed. It was all far too much. Being there was outside the norm for him. "Nope," he sighed as the snap of a branch revealed no threat. "Outside D&D, I am no hero. I see danger and I just turn heel and run. Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week."
"Give yourself a break, man," Steve interrupted. "Saved me. Saved Alex. She'd give you shit if she heard you talking like this, you know? Probably already founded the Eddie Munson's a Hero Club or some shit. All three of them probably. Believe it or not, man, those three only have good things to say about you. Hero in their eyes, that's for sure." Hanging his head, Steve made a face that Eddie just barely caught. It was that spark of jealousy that caused Eddie to dip into a frown and feel he should step up and cheer him up.
Grabbing ahold of Steve, Eddie forced him to come to a stop. "The only reason I came in here was cause those ladies came in straight after you. Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But Alexandra, she barely had a breath of air in her lungs before diving back down for you. Didn't even waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right down." Pausing, he watched as Steve's eyes focused on Alex's before meeting his. "Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but if I were you, I wouldn't let her go again. Cause that was an unambiguous sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen. And she's a runner, Harrington, just like lil ole me. Don't let her try and run again, man. I can't make a promise that I'll always be there to keep her company while she gets her head on straight." Turning on his feet, he allowed Steve to follow closely behind him as he flashed him a bright smile. "And, uh, just so you're aware, dude, Alexandra and I, there was never anything between us. We freaks stick together, but that doesn't make us lovers. As Buckley would happily put it... Platonic with a capital P."
Steve looked to Eddie, a small smile coming to his lips to hear the truth from him. Whatever all this meant, he was sure that this made him and Eddie friends. As strange as it was, it felt great. Unable to share his thankful words with Eddie, the ground beneath them shook once more. Both guys clung to one another to keep balance while both Nancy and Alex caught Robin by her arms to keep her up straight. "Second on my list of least favorite things, earthquakes," Robin called out as her grip tightened on the girls. "Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is!"
"Trust us, we know," Alex grunted, pulling Robin back up to her feet when she let her legs give out once again. Nancy, however, caught sight of something in the distance that peeked her interest. Taking her grip off of Robin, she raced ahead while all those called out her name.
When the world settled down and Nancy came to a stop, the group raced to gather around her and see just out in the distance was Nancy Wheeler's house. Not quite out of the woods yet, they saw a small sliver of hope that they could make it out of this. Staying optimistic, the group banded together again and headed to a place of safety and comfort. Somewhere where they would find a new journey and the lights would speak on the other side, providing them the trip home they needed to escape the cold hand of Vecna that would soon make a reach for a pair of heroes.