Steve waited in the car, at Eddie's request, at the cemetery. Eddie got out, pulled one of Steve's old Hawkins High baseball caps down over his eyes, and made his way to the grave Steve pointed out. He approached it slowly and stood just staring at the ground for a long time before getting up the nerve to lift his eyes to the stone. It was plain and simple with just her name, date of birth, and date of death. Eddie knelt next to the grave and took a deep breath. He held it for several heartbeats then let it out slowly.
"I'm sorry, Chrissy," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry that I left you there. I'm sorry I ran away. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you." He reached out and traced a finger over her name on the headstone. "But I wanted to thank you for saving me, even if I didn't save you. I didn't deserve to be saved, but you did It anyway. I don't know how or why, but thank you, Chrissy."
Eddie heard voices and looked up to see two women stopping at another grave a few rows over. He stood up, pulled the cap down lower then hurried back to Steve's car, wiping tears from his cheeks as he went. He got in the car, his head down, and said nothing. Steve reached over and took his hand in his. Eddie squeezed his hand but didn't look up or speak. After a moment, Steve started the car and headed towards Eddie's trailer. When they got there, Steve parked and turned off the car. Eddie was still holding his hand and still had not spoken.
"Are you okay," Steve asked him. He nodded. "Do you want me to wait out here?"
"No," Eddie answered as he finally raised his head. "Come in with me. I just want to look around." Steve nodded once and they both got out of the car and went in. For a long time, Eddie stood in the middle of the room staring at the spot on the ceiling where Chrissy had died. "Did you know that I had a crush on her since middle school?"
"I didn't know that," Steve answered. "I didn't even know you knew each other."
"We never talked anymore once I left middle school." He inched closer to Steve. "Then I kind of forgot about her until she got to high school. But by then I was sleeping with other girls, and she was with Jason. I mean, she was still on my radar, but she became the Queen of Hawkins High, and I knew I never stood a chance with her, so I didn't put any effort into trying to get to know her."
"She would have loved you." Steve slipped an arm around Eddie's waist. "If she had given you a chance."
"She seemed really cool, and sweet, you know?" He looked up at Steve. "When we were hanging out that day, before she was killed. She was nice, and she laughed at my stupid jokes. And she told me I wasn't mean or scary."
Eddie broke down in tears and Steve wrapped his arms around him. He clung to Steve and cried, and Steve just held him. A few minutes later, when his tears finally stopped, he stepped out of Steve's embrace, his cheeks and eyes red, looking embarrassed. He wiped his eyes then headed for his bedroom. Steve hesitated, but then followed him.
Eddie turned in a circle. It was weird to him to see everything gone. "Your uncle took your things," Steve said. "Well, except the Hellfire shirt he gave me."
"My guitar?"
"He took the acoustic guitar, the one that slays dragons." Eddie gave him a sad smile. "The other was destroyed in The Upside Down. Dustin..." He stopped; not sure he should tell Eddie. But Eddie gave him a pleading look. "Dustin kept a piece of it, just a broken sliver of wood." Eddie nodded. He seemed pleased with that bit of information. "And he gave your pick, the one you wore around your neck, to your uncle."
Eddie went to the desk and ran a finger along the front edge. Then, using both hands, he pulled it away from the wall a few inches, and reached behind it. He slid his hand along the wall then finally stopped. When he brought his hand out, he was holding a brown, leatherbound book with band logos and names drawn haphazardly all over it. He held it up.
"I almost forgot about this."
"What is it?"
"In ninth grade I got this dumb idea about writing," he said with a casual shrug. "For three years I carried this with me everywhere I went. If I had a thought or saw something I thought was interesting or funny, I wrote it down. I hid it behind the desk so Wayne wouldn't find it. I did a lot of bitching about him in here back then."
"It's not a dumb idea," Steve said. "Why'd' you stop writing in it?"
"Ran out of pages," Eddie answered with a soft laugh. "Always meant to get another one, but never got around to it."
"You should start writing again." Eddie shrugged. "Are we done here?"
"Yeah," Eddie answered. "I'm not sure why I even wanted to come here." They walked back to Steve's car and got in. "Maybe I just wanted to say goodbye."
"Did it help?"
Eddie looked down at the book on his lap and ran his hand across the battered cover. "Yeah, maybe."
**********
Eddie watched Steve prepare the grill. They already had a couple of potatoes in the oven baking to go with the steaks, and it was almost time to cook them. Eddie smiled to himself. Steve was wearing an apron, pale blue with polka dots and a frilly edge and he thought about the night before when they'd had dinner with Dustin. It had felt so much like a family dinner, not that Eddie knew much about family dinners. But he'd seen enough of them on television to recognize what it looked like.
He wondered what it would be like to have kids, to have a great kid, like Dustin, that was his very own, that he could raise and mentor and love. He'd never met a girl that he could ever picture having kids with, except maybe Chrissy. But that was just a faraway fantasy. Even before she died, he'd never stood a chance in hell with her. She may have been nice to him, but that didn't mean she had any interest in him other than someone to buy weed from, at least, or just a friend, at best.
What kind of girl would Eddie want to have kids with? Because he did want kids. Lots of them. At least five. He wanted a girl with dark hair and dark eyes, pretty, beautiful actually. Someone who would be there for him when he needed her, would take care of him and their kids. Someone who believed in him. He snapped out of his thoughts when Steve called his name then froze when he realized that the perfect girl for him, the one he'd been describing in his head, was Steve.
"Yeah," he laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry. Lost in my own little world. What?"
"Would you bring me the steaks?" Eddie nodded. "They're on the counter by the refrigerator."
Eddie went inside and found the steaks exactly where Steve said they'd be. When he saw them, his stomach grumbled again like it had before, and he suddenly felt hungry. He picked up the plate and he could smell the raw meat. He stared at it for a moment then picked one of the steaks up. He held it up and inhaled deeply, his stomach grumbling and growling almost violently. He had the urge to take a bite of it, but the thought of eating raw meat made him queasy. He put the steak back on the plate and started to turn and go back outside when he noticed the blood on his hand. He took a quick glance at the door, then raised his hand and licked the blood from his fingers. His hunger rose, gnawing at him. He raised the plate and put it to his lips, tilted it, and the blood that had collected on the plate poured into his mouth. He swallowed and lapped at the edge of the plate, trying to get every drop he could.
"Eddie?" He jumped and turned towards the door. Steve was just coming in. "What's taking so long?" Eddie shook his head and willed his stomach to stop growling. "Are you okay?"
Eddie licked his lips. "Yeah, I'm fine." The growling stopped, but he wanted more. He reluctantly handed the plate to Steve. "Sorry, I got distracted."
"No problem." He took the plate. "Just making sure you're okay." He started for the door. "Come on." Eddie followed Steve outside and over to the grill. He watched as Steve laid the two steaks on the grill. He resisted the urge to take one and just eat it right there. "How do you like your steak cooked," Steve asked.
"Rare," Eddie grunted quietly. Steve looked surprised but said nothing. Eddie watched the steaks on the grill, the red juice dripping into the fire. Steve flipped one of the steaks and Eddie licked his lips again. "That's good," Eddie said.
"Are you sure?" Steve gave him a skeptical look and he nodded hurriedly. Steve removed the steak from the grill. "I think the potatoes are probably done. Can you take them out of the oven?" Eddie nodded. "And put this in the sink."
Steve handed Eddie the plate he'd brought the steaks out on. Eddie took it and quickly went inside. At the sink he raised the plate and licked it. He closed his eyes, savoring the blood left on the plate. The timer on the oven beeped so Eddie hurriedly licked the rest of the plate clean before putting it in the sink and taking the potatoes out of the oven. He was putting them on plates when Steve came in with the steaks.
"The potatoes are done," he said as he eyed the steaks.
"Good." He placed a kiss on Eddie's cheek. "Sit down. I'll fix your plate." Eddie went to the table and sat down. "What do you want on your potato?"
"Nothing." Steve stopped and looked up at him. "Just the steak. Please."
Steve brought their food to the table and without a word, Eddie tore into his steak. Steve watched, a little worried. But after what Eddie had been through, he couldn't really say that he blamed him. He must be starving. So, Steve said nothing, just ate his own food while watching Eddie. When Eddie was done, he reached for the glass of water in front of him and gulped it down. He then rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. He could smell the warm, bloody juices still on the plate in front of him and it took every ounce of strength he had not to drink it. Not in front of Steve.
"Eddie?" He said nothing. "Eddie, what's wrong?" Steve went to kneel next to Eddie's chair. He put an arm around him. "Hey, talk to me."
"I..." Eddie stood up suddenly and Steve fell back on the floor. "I'm tired." He left the room and Steve heard him going up the stairs.
**********
A few hours later, Steve went into the bedroom to find Eddie laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He watched him for a moment and when he didn't acknowledge him, Steve went to get ready for bed. A few minutes later he was back in his boxers and a sleeveless t-shirt. He crawled into bed next to Eddie and turned on his side to face him. After a few minutes, Eddie turned to face him as well. Steve reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. Eddie turned his head and kissed Steves hand.
"Are you okay?"
Eddie nodded then caught Steve's mouth with his own. He kissed him slowly at first, moving closer to him on the bed. Steve put a hand on his hip and returned his kiss. Eddie reached up, caught his face, then let his hands move to his shoulders. He pushed Steve back on the bed and continued kissing him as he crawled over him, straddling his hips.
Eddie's mouth moved lower. He kissed Steve's shoulder. His tongue darted out and Steve shivered. Eddie slithered his tongue across his skin to his neck, then to his ear. He licked along the outer edge then breathed heavily against it before whispering.
"I'm hungry." It was low, almost a growl, not quite human. Steve tensed.
Then Eddie bit him. Softly at first, eliciting small whimpers of pleasure from Steve, but then he bit harder. Steve tensed against him as he applied more pressure, his teeth breaking the surface of Steve's skin.
"Eddie," Steve moaned. Eddie pushed him deeper into the bed as his teeth dug in. "Eddie, stop." A low, deep growl escaped Eddie's throat. Steve hissed in pain and bucked under Eddie. "You're hurting me."
Steve bucked again, pushing Eddie back. Eddie raised up on his knees, his head hanging, as Steve scrambled away from him on the bed. He reached up and touched the spot where Eddie had bitten him. Eddie raised his head. His eyes, wild and animalistic, followed Steve's hand. It came away from his neck with blood on his fingertips. Eddie growled again and reached for his hand. He raised it to his lips then flicked his tongue out, lapping at the blood on his hand. His eyes met Steve's and for a moment Steve feared him. Eddie cupped Steve's cheek, his eyes softening.
"I won't hurt you." Eddie leaned in and licked Steve's neck. He whimpered as he licked the blood from Steve's skin, then pressed his lips to the bite and sucked hard while his tongue massaged it. Eddie caught Steve's skin in his teeth again, opening his mouth wide to encompass muscle as well. He bit into him with a guttural moan.
"You're hurting me! Stop it!" Steve pushed Eddie away again, harder this time. Eddie fell back, off the bed, and landed on the floor with a thud. "What's wrong with you?" He shook his head like he was trying to clear it, then looked up at Steve on the bed, his hand covering the bite on his neck.
"I'm sorry." Eddie backed across the floor, away from the bed. "I... I'm sorry."
Eddie scrambled off the floor and darted out of the room. Steve jumped up and followed. He heard the front door open as he started down the stairs. By the time he got out the front door, Eddie was gone. Steve went back in and got dressed as quickly as possible. He grabbed Dustin's walkie-talkie and his keys then jumped in the car and started driving. He went slowly, searching the shadows for any sign of Eddie, but he saw nothing. Finally, he stopped, picked up the walkie-talkie, and called Dustin. Dustin answered almost immediately.
"Hey, Steve, what's up?"
"Eddie's missing. I'm coming to get you. Right now."
"Missing," Dustin asked, worry in his voice. "What do you mean, missing?"
"Meet me outside your house. Bring flashlights."
"Ten-four, Steve," Dustin answered. "Copy that."
When Dustin jumped into Steves car five minutes later, he looked scared. "What happened, Steve?"
"I don't know," he answered. "I took him to Chrissy's grave and to his trailer, then he just..." Steve shook his head. "I don't know, Henderson. I don't know what happened."
Dustin pointed a flashlight at him. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Get that thing out of my face." Steve pushed the flashlight away. "I don't know what else you want me to tell you. He freaked out and he ran."
"But why?"
"He attacked me!" Steve grabbed the flashlight from Dustin and pointed it at his neck. "He tried to take a bite out of me then he ran when I fought him off."
"No, not Eddie," Dustin said, almost whining. "Eddie didn't do that."
"Yeah, he did!"
"What did you do to him," Dustin asked him angrily. "Eddie wouldn't attack you for no reason."
"Can we just find him first, then we can figure out why?" Steve started the car and shifted into drive.
"Can you get ahold of the others on that thing?"
"I can get Lucas and Mike," he answered. "Mike can get Nancy."
"And Nancy can call Robin." Dustin nodded. "Tell them to meet us at Eddie's trailer."
"Eddie's trailer. Got it." Dustin adjusted the knobs on the walkie-talkie. "Steve?" He looked over at him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He craned his neck and looked at it in the rear-view mirror. "I'm okay, Dustin. Thanks."