Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The ride to the gun shop took ages in that shitty RV.

Well, it felt like it did, from Eddie's perspective at least.

He was bunched up behind the driver's seat, on the thin foldout couch that sat way too close to the ground. So he had pulled his legs up and sat longways, leaning against the back of Steve's seat.

If he focused, he could feel the warmth seeping through the shitty fabric. The warmth of Steve, who they had almost lost.

Just thinking about it made his hands shake. First Chrissy, then Patrick; he watched two people die to Vecna's stupid curse. The very thought of possibly having to also watch Steve die was what kept his cowardly ass on that boat.

But then Nancy jumped in. Robin followed. So he had to.

As metal as it was killing that Demobat - then watching Steve take a bite out of and fucking body slam the one pinning him down - Eddie would've been happier if Steve had just gotten back on the damn boat.

And now here they were, running to a gun store full of the very hillbillies trying to kill him, in order to kill Vecna/Henry Creel/One (he's lost count of what they're calling this fucker at this point).

And as if that wasn't bad enough, despite all of that, Eddie can't stop thinking about the warmth at his back. Like a stupid fucking idiot.

Of course that was the only thing he's focused on. He's been addicted to the warmth ever since he pinned Steve to that wall in the shed. Sure, he was hopped up on adrenaline and terror and way more focused on the fact that Chrissy just died to some telekinesis bullshit that sucked her eyes back through her skull. But his mind still stored that little fact away. It held it close like a child and their favorite toy; a fitting analogy, considering how fucking stupid this whole... thing was.

Eddie didn't even notice himself chasing it. He didn't notice when Steve gave him that tiny wave when they came back with food the day after they met up. He didn't notice when Steve was worried about him being seen. He didn't notice when his voice shook as he told Steve good luck before Steve dove into Lovers Lake. He didn't notice when he threw Steve his vest in the Upside Down. He didn't even notice during his talk with Steve about Nancy, where he couldn't shut his brain up about how good of a person Steve actually was. 

He only noticed when, during that speech, Steve's eyes suddenly became just... focused on Eddie's mouth.

Then all of a sudden they seemed way way way too close, and seeing Steve in his vest made a shiver scrawl up his spine, and god he could feel Steve's breath on his face and Steve's eyes looked so dead set on his lips and it was stupid stupid stupid-

Eddie forced those last few words out of his mouth. Pointing at Nancy, staring dead into Steve's eyes still staring at his lips. Feeling his emotions hide away in the crevices of the Upside Down.

Running away. Again.

"Because that... was as unambiguous a sign of true love... as these cynical eyes have ever seen."

It burnt his throat like bile.

But now he was aware that he was chasing the closeness of Steve Harrington. He'd never in a million years think that he wanted to get close to the former King of Hawkins High, but here he was.

Eddie has no fucking clue what the hell is going on with his emotions anymore.

The only difference between then and now was that now? He was consciously chasing it.

Standing or sitting next to Steve every chance they got. Leaning in towards him just shy of too close. Throwing Steve these knowing, smug ass smiles that brought his eyes right back down to Eddie's mouth. Staring right back at Steve's lips, letting his mind wonder for a split second about what they felt like.

And then there was that moment just a few minutes ago. Eddie was hot wiring the RV, Steve was curious about it. Eddie pulled his little 'almost getting too close' schtick again as he explained. Then Robin stepped up, talking about how she didn't want Eddie driving.

"Oh I'm starting this sucker. Harrington's got her. Don't you, big boy?"

Right in front of Robin, in the middle of trying to steal a fucking RV, Eddie bit the bullet. Smiled a bit wider, stared right into Steve's eyes, leaning in when he spoke.

He breached the line of too close. He was way too close. If he wanted, he could kiss Steve, right on the cheek.

And Steve, in that fraction of a second where Eddie was so close his eyes went crossed trying to focus on him, stared right at Eddie's lips again, and his jaw twitched.

Almost as if he wanted to kiss Eddie.

But then Eddie broke the moment, got the car in motion, and officially committed grand theft auto as the RV peeled out of the trailer park.

Now he's sitting behind the driver's seat - since it's the most hidden part of the RV - and thinking about the warmth at his back.

He can't stop fucking thinking about it. Dustin tried to talk to him a couple of times, but Eddie's silent will to be alone forced him away. Robin kept checking in to make sure he was okay, even though that was also her first time in official Upside Down territory. Nice of her. Lucas and Max, though, stick together, headphones held awkwardly between them to share Kate Bush music.

Never before did he feel such grief and jealously. He wishes he could show Steve his world of music, pull him away from those pop artists. They're talented, sure, but absolutely not his type.

Eddie feels like Steve would like Queen. It's a good introduction to the realm of rock, and who in the world turns down the fantastic Freddie Mercury?

Nancy's talking. Steve's replying. Eddie tunes into the conversation. He wishes he was in Nancy's place, in every single way.

Steve mentions having always wanted a huge family, with five or six kids. Nancy sounds appalled.

Eddie would fucking adore that. A house full of adventure and life, never boring, never empty.

Steve mentions going on cross country trips every summer in shitty RVs, just like this one.

Eddie would plan every stop. Spend every second between trips daydreaming what to do next.

Steve talks to the wrong person about a life he wants. He's still wearing Eddie's vest.

It feels like a betrayal.

Nancy's torn shirt is holding Steve's blood back, keeping him together. Nancy's sitting next to Steve, getting told everything she doesn't deserve. Looking at Steve in a way that isn't genuine. Getting everything from Steve, every vulnerable part of him, and doesn't even appreciate it.

Eddie finds himself turning to glare at Nancy's back. His sight holds daggers, yet their handles drip with poison.

'You're not worthy of him,' he thinks. 'But I'm not either...'

He looks away before he does anything stupid. He's clenching the holes in his jeans so tight he swears he hears tearing.

Eddie's got to do something with his hands and his mind, right fucking now, he's going to lose it if he has to just sit here a second longer, running away from himself-

He abruptly stands and begins filtering through the RV's cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asks him almost immediately.

"Looking," is all Eddie replies with. He finally finds a barely touched notebook and a pen in one of the drawers, and plops back down.

"Uh, last time someone had that stuff, she was writing letters on her almost death day...," Lucas says slowly, glancing over at Max. Surprisingly, she nods with no other comment. "So yeah, we're a little worried-"

"Sinclair, I-" Eddie cuts himself off with a deep sigh. "Please just shut it." He glares at them all, trying to keep his voice light. "I just... gotta keep my hands busy. This is the only thing I could think of." He brings his knees up as he opens the notebook, solidifying the fact that he's done talking.

Eddie clicks the pen open, whirls it between his fingers. He is fidgety, his brain running a mile a minute, but he can't think of what to write.

God fucking damn it. He's running, again, even without trying.

His back is still to Steve. He can still feel that warmth.

Eddie takes a deep breath, and begins writing the only thing that comes to mind.

Hey Steve.

----------

Eddie finishes the last of the words just as the gun shop group comes back in a hurry. Steve chucks a bag at him, giving him enough time to hide the papers.

But hearing that Jason is looking for him again makes him forget all about them. He bunches up behind Steve's chair, holding on for dear life as they drive off.

Once they're far enough away, they all take a deep breath of relief. Eddie decides to glance in the bag. It's just tons of clothes, camo and otherwise.

"Figured we needed something clean," Robin informs him, waving a second bag similarly full. Eddie nods in agreement, picking out a dark camo green vest.

Oh shit, his vest. Steve wasn't wearing it when he came back. He begins to panic, digging through the deep plastic bag.

Please please please say Steve still has it, please, he can't lose that vest. Putting it together was one of the most important things he's done as a sort of nephew/uncle thing with Wayne, he can't lose that-

It's neatly folded at the bottom of his bag. The Dio cover he spent ages painting sits proudly on top. He breathes a deep sigh of relief.

At least now he doesn't have to keep himself from staring at Steve wearing it.

They pull over into a thick part of the forest, slowly coming up with a plan for that night. It takes a few hours of talking, but they pull something together.

Erica, Max, and Lucas will go to the Creel house topside, to get as close to Vecna as they can. No one likes the idea of leaving them there, but they're probably the safest out of them all. Even Max, with her sacrifice, has a better chance.

Eddie and Dustin will draw the bats away from the Creel house, a distraction to give them time.

"How do they even do that?" Max had asked.

"That hellscape is stuck in '83, right?" Eddie explained, placing a hand on his heart. "My sweet, sweet guitar was in her prime back then. She'll do nicely."

He's glad his tone lightens the mood a little. He hates putting on that show again, but he has to. He's terrified for Dustin, and himself.

Steve, Nancy, and Robin will head to the Creel house in the Upside Down, to take one final stand against Vecna. None of them like that, especially not Dustin, but they have to.

With their plan set and reviewed multiple times, the 'Upside Down warriors', as Erica joked, took turns changing into their 'battle armor'.

Eddie took the camo jacket and his vest with him, the thick materials combined masking the sound of crinkling paper. Shutting the door to the surprisingly decent sized bathroom, he placed them on the closed toilet lid and leaned against the sink. He took a deep breath.

Then he allowed his nerves and anxiety to surge through his blood, until he was on his knees leaning against the sink. He allowed the panic to make him shake, let himself have this one true moment of fear.

Then he pulled himself together with a deep breath and cleaned himself as best he could of dirt and Upside Down sludge. 

Eddie had to be strong for Dustin. He couldn't let himself fall apart. Best to get that out of the way now.

He looked at the papers on top of his vest, folded into fours. The one on top read, simply, 'STEVE'.

Eddie knew these papers just meant running away again. He knew that well. But hopefully, once they won and everyone found them, read them, and confronted him, he would hold his ground.

He tried so hard to convince himself they would win. Made it a statement in his mind.

He didn't want to think about the alternative.

He shoved the papers into his dear Dio vest. He took a step back, closed his eyes, and took one more deep breath. Then he pulled his black bandana out of his back pocket and tied it around his head.

When he stepped out, maybe Erica was right. Eddie sure did feel like a warrior.

Wish he had the confidence of one, though.

Steve's the only one to notice his emergence, everyone else busy with their final preparations. "Huh, thought you would wear that one," he notes, pointing at the Dio vest in Eddie's arms. He sounds genuinely curious about it.

Damn it. And just when Eddie thought he was okay.

"Didn't want to ruin this precious thing with more of that slimy shit," Eddie said, hiding behind a wall, again. He carefully placed the vest into the bag it came in, making sure the papers didn't crinkle. "Besides, you owe me. Any damage done to this thing is on you, Harrington," he jokes with a smile.

He's leaning in just a little, even though they're on opposite sides of the RV. A world apart, yet still chasing that warmth. Fucking shit.

There's a light in Steve's eyes that says he'd follow through. "In your dreams, Munson," he jokes right back.

'God, you have no idea,' Eddie thinks.

"More like yours," he says instead, with a too wide grin.

----------

The ride to the Creel house is somber. They all know it's probably the last time they'll see each other in one piece.

That time in the field was nice, though. It was nice to hear people laughing. It was nice to smile. Despite everything, they found a way.

"Never change, Dustin Henderson. Promise me?"

And though he already said it in his letter, Eddie's glad Dustin got to hear it.

"Wasn't planning on it."

He holds his spear a bit tighter at the memory. Max, Lucas, and Erica are stepping out now. They drive away too soon. Eddie draws in a breath, as they head for his trailer park, where all this started.

Now or never.

-------

Eddie and Dustin step back after a long hour of preparing and building.

His trailer looks like some strong, fortified fortress, at least if you didn't focus too hard.

Eddie glances at Dustin, and they smile.

He's glad they're together for this. He wouldn't face the end of the world with anyone else.

But still he hopes.

'Be safe out there, Steve...'

---------

The signal's here. The speakers are prepped. The duplicate of Eddie's dear beloved guitar sits on its rightful place over his shoulders. Dustin turns the volume way up on the speakers.

Eddie has one shot at the most metal concert to ever exist, in either dimension. He wants to honor it for someone.

Chrissy. Steve. Wayne. The people of Hawkins, who he's trying to save. Every single person he's ever hurt, every single mistake he's ever made, and every single good thing he has towards his horrible family name.

Eddie makes it out to Chrissy. He keeps the honor for the others silent to himself.

Then red lightning strikes, he tears off his guitar pick necklace, and shreds out a beginning note, letting the music chase away his nerves.

-------

They barely made it. They look at each other once they slam the door closed. Then they both explode into excited cries, jumping together with pure joy.

Eddie's nerves are alight not with fear now, but with excitement, hope.

They made it. They made it. They. Made. It.

They have a shot.

They can win.

-------

The bats are getting in.

Eddie knew karma was coming for him one day.

They tried to stop them. They can't hold them off any longer. So they continue on.

Dustin lands first in the real world. Eddie grabs the rope to follow.

But all of a sudden... he stops.

Dustin's yelling. Why wouldn't he? Eddie isn't following the plan.

But all Eddie can think about is their plans.

If the bats lose interest, if they get called to more important matters, they'll go back to the Creel house. To Nancy and Robin.

To Steve.

Eddie looks up at Dustin. He doesn't say anything. He's afraid he'll back out if he does.

He throws the bed to the side to the sound of Dustin's pleading. Eddie hates how close the kid sounds to crying.

He cuts the blanket.

"Eddie, what are you doing?!"

Running away. Turning and fighting. Redeeming himself.

Sacrificing himself. Going down with a fight.

"I'm buying more time."

Being someone worthy.

--------

'For Chrissy,' Eddie thinks, turning to face the bats from where they dropped him a little way away from his trailer. 'I wish I could've helped you more.'

'For Wayne,' Eddie thinks, when he pulls the spear and shield from his back. 'I wish I had been better to you.'

'For Steve fucking Harrington,' Eddie thinks, one of the bats seeing him, and thus all of them do. 'I hope I don't run from you too.'

'For me,' Eddie thinks, the bats rushing towards him. 'May I finally stand and fight for once.'

The bats hit his shield, and he lets out a cry of anger, daring them to get him.

-------

Eddie wishes he could say sorry.

Funny, how he's so sentimental now. He just performed the most metal concert in existence, fought a giant horde of demonic bats.

Maybe it's because he lost.

Maybe it's because he's dying.

It doesn't feel like how he thought it would. Eddie's just kind of... tired. Weak. He wouldn't even be upright if he wasn't leaning on Dustin's lap.

God, Dustin's crying sounds so awful. Almost as painful as the bat bites.

It's bittersweet, that Eddie thankfully never has to hear it again, but nor can he help stop it next time. He's trying, sure, but it's not working. His heart isn't into joking right now, and he knows he's being sentimental.

He wants to see Wayne again. Tell him he's so, so sorry he wasn't a better nephew. Tell him he wishes more than anything he moved in sooner. Just... apologize for everything. Hug him one more time. Write the letter he ran out of time for.

He wishes he could see Chrissy one more time. Poor girl just wanted help. He wants to apologize to her too, say sorry that they were both too stuck in their personalities to talk to each other sooner.

He wants to see Steve. Make sure they killed Vecna and made it out alive. He wants to tell Steve straight to his face how his heart has finally accepted how it soars in his presence.

He wants Dustin to be happy again. He wants to go back to that moment in the field, where they're playing leapfrog with the shields and laughing till their sides hurt.

Just like Eddie's does now.

But most of all, he wants to see the younger version of Eddie. Tell that little kid he's sorry they went out like this, without having done anything worthwhile. Nothing that the people of Hawkins would praise, at least.

He'd tell that younger version of him that no matter what, he'll want to do it all again in a heartbeat.

"I love you, man..."

Dustin needs to hear that. Eddie knows it, and damn it does he mean it.

"I love you too..."

Maybe Eddie needed to hear it too.

For the first time since Wayne...

He can finally believe that.

Chapter Text

Dustin.

Eddie.

Dustin.

Eddie.

Dustin Eddie Dustin Eddie Dustin Eddie Dustin Eddie.

Steve's mind is screaming at him as he runs back to the trailer park, Nancy and Robin panting behind him. The adrenaline is the only thing pushing them on.

When the earthquake happened, they all feared the worst. Even though they saw Vecna's body, burning on the front porch, and Nancy blew his head off just to make sure.

But it was just another one of the Upside Down's many tremors. Hopefully the last one now that its leader is dead.

With that out of the way, they had to make sure the other two were alright. Erica already signaled that everyone was alive, but Max barely.

Vecna's curse almost got her. They almost lost.

But they didn't. Not the main fight.

But if either of those two are dead, Steve will have failed them both.

--------

Steve's heart hears it before his ears do.

Dustin's wailing could be heard echoing from the trailer park.

No...

Steve runs faster. His legs burn. His still healing bat wounds sting.

No no no no no no no no no no no no, please no, not them, not them...

Robin gasps at the sight. Nancy whispers in shock.

Steve just stops.

Dustin's kneeling in the dirt, surrounded by bat corpses. Eddie's head is cradled in his hands.

Eddie's chest isn't moving.

There's so much blood...

Steve stumbles towards Dustin's side. He falls to his knees beside his best friend. He can't look away.

Dustin is sobbing out an apology. Saying he begged for Eddie to follow him. How Eddie couldn't stop the bats.

Even when dead, Eddie looks so scared.

Robin brings Dustin close to let him sob into her shoulder. Steve can hear her try to reassure him that everything will be okay.

Nancy goes to Eddie's other side. Closes his eyes. Cliches be damned, it really does look like he's sleeping.

Face screwed up like he's trapped in a nightmare.

Steve just kneels there. He can barely breathe. He's crying.

He reaches out, grabs Eddie's limp hand. There's no pulse, he knows. Why is he checking...

Steve leans forward, placing his forehead against Eddie's chest, away from the blood.

For once, he lets his emotions win.

A tidal wave of grief and guilt slams into his chest. The choked sob that escapes him echos louder than Dustin's.

Everyone huddles together, holding onto each other, letting the reality of it all fall onto their shoulders.

Won the war, lost the fight.

Took down Vecna. Lost Eddie.

Eddie's gone.

Eddie's just... gone...

--------

Steve's chest is heaving with the labored breaths of his effort. He's pulling Dustin - kicking and screaming and begging - back towards the trailer.

Eddie's trailer...

He doesn't want to leave Eddie behind. He would never dream of it in a million years.

But they're not just going to leave his body somewhere back home. Someone at some point would find it, or them, before they could give him a proper burial.

They'd see Eddie Munson's limp corpse, and cheer. They'd desecrate his body, everyone in town trying to tear off a piece of his existence until nothing remained.

Hawkins would curse the wrong villain. Praise the wrong hero.

Steve can't watch that happen, can't let that happen to Eddie's body. So they're leaving him behind. In the Upside Down.

Dustin is begging, pleading, sobbing for them to at least take Eddie to his trailer back home, bury him there.

But it wouldn't change anything. Even without Wayne there, the other people living in the trailer park would notice them.

Finally, Dustin gets the message. He calms down, and silently helps to get back. He can only do so much, with his sprained ankle, but he tries.

He thinks he's being secret. Steve can see the guitar pick hidden in Dustin's sleeve.

But he's one to talk.

Eddie's ring brands a hole into Steve's skin from the pocket of his jacket.

--------

The first day after Eddie's death, they spend just... coming to terms with it all. That day, they allow themselves to fall apart. Sleeping until hunger forces them awake. Either barely taking bites or scarfing down food. Not talking to anyone, or talking way too much.

They spend far too much time in their respective showers. Nancy becomes a bit worried that they'll waste the warm water, but it stays.

Persistent. Not knowing when to quit. Even at the risk of losing every scrap of warmth it has left.

How achingly familiar.

Steve sits under the hot stream for way too long. Lets the water chase away the cold of the Upside Down, feels the caked-on blood - of Vecna, Demobat, human... - wash away.

He lets himself curl up into a ball on the floor of the tub, lets the rushing water hide his sobs.

Steve shouldn't be here, crying on the floor of a bathroom, shaking like a pathetic little kid.

They won.

THEY. WON.

Vecna's dead. They'll figure something out about the gates, but with the brain truly dead, they don't have to worry about the monsters.

All of their worries are gone. They finally won.

But Eddie was the first close death since Barbara that Steve actually knew.

He didn't know Bob. He despised Billy. He didn't really know Chrissy or Fred or Patrick.

He knows Max, cares about her a lot, but she's alive.

But Eddie...

Sure, recently being around Eddie confused the shit out of his brain. Swapped the wires in them and giving him those sorts of feelings and impulses he only really got from being around Nancy.

And yet, Eddie was someone Steve could've been friends with.

Eddie kept Dustin safe at school, in the Upside Down.

Eddie was just a scared witness to Chrissy, to all of this, but still he chose to help fight.

Eddie had no reason to be there, yet there he was. He didn't deserve any of this, yet it's what he got.

Steve felt his sobs start to slow, even as his chest was crushed with grief. He had no more tears left to give.

He ducks his head into his pulled up knees, hands clawing at his hair.

Steve sent Eddie and Dustin into the bat horde. It was his suggestion then Nancy's order that sent him off to die. He knew what the bats could do, and left Eddie to die in that same way.

It's his fault.

It's all his fault.

--------

When Steve finally walked out, the last to shower, Dustin's radio suddenly crackled with static, making everyone jump.

"Dustin? S-Steve? Robin, Nancy, i-is anyone there?"

Dustin immediately scrambled for the radio, clicking it on. "Lucas? Holy shit, yeah, it's me, man, it's Dustin. We're here."

Over the radio, Lucas let out the deepest and most relieved sigh Steve has ever heard from anyone. "Copy that. Did... Did the plan work...?" he asked hesitantly.

Dustin breathed this airy laugh, full of similar relief and exhaustion. "Yeah... They got him..."

A long silence from the other line. "Lucas?" Dustin asked, nervousness creeping into his tone.

"-anted to make sure you guys made it, holy shit..." Lucas's voice cut back in mid-sentence, and they could hear Erica laughing in the background, both of them sounding so relieved.

"Where is he?" Nancy asks, Dustin relaying the question over.

"The hospital, with Max," Lucas answers.

"Tell him we'll be there soon," Steve says, drawing his pitiful emotions back into himself as he goes to the driver's seat.

As he passes the couches in the middle of the Winnebago, he spots the bags they brought from the gun shop. The one with Eddie's vest in it.

Steve feels the emotions try to rise again, but he crushes them within his heart as he sits behind the wheel.

The rest of them are still alive, and they all need support.

He can wait.

-------

An RV squealing into the hospital wasn't the weirdest thing that could happen to that building. From the way people were looking at their disheveled and broken faces, though, you'd think it was the weirdest thing to happen in the town of Hawkins, ever.

It took a bit of convincing from Robin to the desk clerk (she's really good at improvising, Steve realized, because wow), but they finally made it to the third floor. Lucas was pacing outside one of the doors, and the second the elevator opened, he glanced up. Pure relief spread across his face, and he ran forward to embrace Dustin.

Steve, however, was far more focused on the condition of Lucas's face. Beaten and swollen, lip split, eyes black and blue- damn, it looked like he might've lost a tooth.

Then there was the part that bothered Steve most; the dark, barely visible bruises along Lucas's neck, in the shape of hands.

Steve swears he sees red.

"Holy shit, Lucas, what happened to you?!" Robin exclaimed, both Dustin and Nancy going wide-eyed once they noticed.

And the second Robin asks, Lucas's face drops.

There's this look in his eyes, eerily familiar now. That faraway look when you've witnessed death... but now they're dark with guilt.

"Um..." He's breathing hard now, and when he lets go of Dustin, his hands are clearly shaking.

"Jason found us... At Creel House..."

Steve's heart drops.

Carver.

Anger floods his veins in an instant. If he ever sees that fucking bastard, he'll-

"He had a gun... He saw Max, and-and I tried to keep him away from her but then he just kept punching me... I got him down and he dropped the gun, and I..." Lucas is hyperventilating now.

"I didn't know what else to do... I just..."

Realization hit Steve. All of them.

"I never shot one before... He was kneeling, and-and I swear I aimed for his leg, how was... how was I supposed to-"

Nancy just steps forward and brings Lucas into a tight embrace. He starts apologizing over and over into Nancy's arms. She cradles his head to her shoulder, reassuring him.

At least Steve didn't have to worry about Jason anymore.

It took Lucas a few minutes to calm down, and Dustin and Robin were halfway down the hall by the time he did.

"What are you guys doing?" Steve calls out to them, catching Nancy and Lucas's attention as well.

"Looking for Max!" Robin yells back.

"Um... She's right here?" Lucas answers through his sniffles, pointing at the door right beside him. Dustin and Robin's faces are almost comical enough to calm the storm still brewing in Steve's chest. Lucas wipes the tears from his eyes, then opens the door as their two friends run back to them.

It's surprisingly nice in there, if a little plain. Spacious, and there's a huge window overlooking Hawkins. Max is sitting up in her bed, hooked up to a dozen different machines. Her legs are covered with a sheet, and her right arm is set in a cast across her chest. She's reading a comic book with her left hand, holding it incredibly close to her face yet still squinting. Erica is sitting beside her, looking out the window. At the sound of the door opening, they look up, and their faces light up.

"Hey, you guys are back!" Erica exclaims, running up to Dustin and hugging him.

"Max!" Nancy and Robin cheer, and they hug her with vigor. Dustin joins the pile, and the storm finally calms in Steve's chest.

At least Max is okay...

"I thought the doctors told you to not strain your eyes," Lucas scolds as Steve gets his hug in. When he pulls back, he notices her eyes do look a bit cloudy. Max just shrugs.

"Wait, why, what's wrong?" Nancy asks. Instantly, the kids' faces fall a little.

"Vecna, he, um..." Max says hesitantly. "He got pretty far with his curse thing. Messed with my eyesight." She waves her free hand around her head. "Everything's just really blurry now, so I can't complain too much. The doctors say I'll need glasses, though, which sucks."

"Heh, maybe you can convince Steve to go get some," Robin jokes, earning a light slap on the shoulder from him. He hasn't told anyone other than her about his worsening sight, and he can already hear the jokes from the other boys. Max just laughs and pumps her fist with a whispered "Yes!"

"How was your epic fight with Vecna?" Erica asks with a wide smile. "Was it as heroic as Max and El's?"

"I guess you could say that- wait, El?!" Dustin exclaims, everyone going wide eyed.

"Yeah, she got her powers back!" Max answered joyfully. "No clue how, but she kinda saved me in there." She waved her hand. "I'll tell you later, just fill me in. That fucker got what he deserved, right?"

"Language," Steve scolded under his breath, but he was smiling. El's back in business, and he suddenly really wants to see her. Thank her for helping where no one else could.

Robin picked up Max's question, and began relaying their version of the Creel house battle, talking up Nancy and Steve's "heroism".

"Nice!" Lucas cheered when Robin finished. He looked up at Steve, all joy and relief. "What about Eddie? How's he enjoying his first victory-"

Dustin's cries.

Eddie's unblinking eyes.

All that blood.

His fault his fault his fault it's his stupid fucking fault-

Steve can't stop his face from falling the moment Eddie's name is said.

He can feel his sudden change suck all the joy from the room. Max and Erica freeze. Dustin, Robin, Nance, none of them speak. 

"Guys...?" Erica says quietly when the silence grows too strong. "Eddie's... okay, right?"

God, they look so hopeful...

Robin and Nancy glance at each other, then Steve, eyes wide and pained.

He can only look away. Like he has any answers to this. He barely has any control to keep himself from breaking down.

In the end, it's Dustin. The three kids are too focused on the teens, so his sniffles come as a shock.  When they face him, he's pulling something from his sleeve-

Steve has to get out of there. Lucas's gasp when he realizes is just too fucking painful.

He walks out of the room in long strides, and wouldn't you know, there's the goddamn tears again. He hides his face in his hands and leans against the wall, sliding down until he's sitting, shaking and trying to will the tears away. He knows people walk by him and stare, but he couldn't give a shit. 

Why can't this just stop? Steve barely knew Eddie, yet here he is, sobbing at the mere mention of his name, trapping his mind in a loop of Eddie's wide, fear-ridden eyes.

Maybe that's why. He didn't know Eddie that well. He has nothing to mourn... except the glimpse of what could've been, if he hadn't been so fucking dense. He has nothing to hold onto but a ring - that he stole from the fucking corpse of his could-have-been friend - and his own shame.

The door opens beside him. Steve doesn't look up. He can hear someone come up to his other side. A hand is placed on his shoulder. 

Robin. He just knows.

He shouldn't, he shouldn't, the others take priority, his measly emotions aren't important-

She's moving her hand to his far shoulder. Pulling.

Steve blames the momentum. But it couldn't have been that alone.

He rests his head on her shoulder. He's staring at the hospital floor.

Robin runs a hand over his back. Neither of them talk about how Steve's breath is shaking, nor his tears falling silently onto her shirt. They just sit there... Quiet...

---------

The next few days pass by in a blur, to Steve. Shocking, considering how much happens.

Max was interviewed for being the only one who survived an attack from the "serial killer" Eddie Munson. She vouched for him, defending him, telling the press a tamer version of their fight. Steve thinks he was asked some questions as part of being an alibi, but he's not sure.

Eddie's name is cleared. The murders are blamed on Henry Creel. Jason Carver is named an accomplice, Lucas is cleared for self-defense. The Party members are dubbed as heroes.

Steve followed through with his promise, the one he made with Eddie when he had the hope they'd make it all back. He made Vecna pay, for everything. Max, Chrissy, Starcourt, Will, El, Barbara. Eddie. He got a small fabric cord to tie Eddie's ring to, and he wears it everyday as a necklace, hidden under his shirt.

When he found it, Dustin had told Steve that he could hold onto the vest. Steve was the last one to wear it and Eddie had willingly given it to him. It sits in his closet now. He hasn't gained the courage to look at it since. It means too much now. 

The moment Max showed clear recovery, Steve visited a local record shop. He ended up liking that Ozzy guy more than he'd thought he would - hell, that one "Mr. Crowley" song was practically written for him. He often wonders if Eddie would think the same.

Now, it's a week after Vecna. Steve and Dustin are standing at the front porch of a small trailer house. Dustin's fidgeting, nervous, but Steve has had this on his conscience since Dustin brought it up.

It's Steve who knocks, a hand gently on Dustin's shoulder. It's Wayne Munson, Eddie's uncle, who answers, apprehension on his face.

"Um, hello, Mr. Munson," Dustin croaks, immediately clearing his throat. "We, um... Could we have a minute of your time?"

Wayne's brow furrows. "I suppose? Who are you two, and what do you want?"

"Well, I'm Dustin, and this is Steve," Dustin introduces. He clams up again, hesitant. "We're... We're Eddie's friends."

Wayne's face falls. He looks up at Steve, and fear flashes in his eyes. Eddie had been deemed to the public as missing ever since Vecna. He looks terrified at just the prospect of his nephew being hurt.

Steve can't keep the pain out of his voice, and it's likely in his expression as well. "You may want to sit down for this, sir..."

So Dustin and Eddie tell him everything. They tone it down, not exactly describing the Upside Down, but it's enough for Wayne to understand. They describe Eddie's fear, his innocence.

But more than that, they tell Wayne of Eddie's heroism. His perseverance, his bravery in face of terror, his selflessness, his hopes.

So tears are aplenty when Dustin finally breaks the news, pulling out Eddie's guitar pick necklace. It's the first time Steve's seen it since the Upside Down, and he notices how the pick is scratched up.

Wayne takes the necklace, holds it in a shaking palm. He brings it up, holding his fist to his lips, face scrunched up as the tears take hold.

"And, Mr. Munson...?" Steve asks after a moment, needing to get this out. Wayne looks up at him through the pain, as Steve wipes away his own tears. "Eddie... had this vest with him. He gave it to me before he... he died, and I can bring it here if you want-"

"His Dio vest?" Wayne cuts him off, looking at him in shock. Steve nods. "Eddie... gave that to you?" Steve nods again, nervous now.

Wayne stares at him for a while longer, baffled. Then he looks at the necklace, and shakes his head. "Keep it."

Steve does a double take. "I'm sorry?"

Wayne looks up, and there's something... indescribable in his eyes. But there's a tiny smile beneath the tears. "That vest was the most important thing in Eddie's life. We made it his freshman year, and he would hardly let me even see it when it wasn't on him. He'd never just loan that to anyone."

He smiles a bit wider. "You know, I had my doubts about you, Harrington, but... you're here. You clearly cared about Eddie. And if he trusted you enough to have that vest? Then I suppose you can't be that bad. So keep it. I'm positive it's what Eddie would want."

Steve can't breathe. Eddie's ring sits under his shirt, against his heart. He places a hand over it and looks away to hide his face.

It's so... sincere. Real. Caring. And Steve doesn't deserve that, he was the one who sent Eddie to his death, he shouldn't- he can't-

Suddenly long strong arms are wrapping around his shoulders. Suddenly he's being pulled into a hug so encasing and warm and safe it makes him freeze.

"I know, kid, I know..." Wayne whispers, holding him tighter. "I promise you I know..."

Then Dustin's beside Steve and god fucking dammit, Steve really had tried to keep it in, put the others first. But these people, his friends, his real family... they just kept seeing through him; bringing him comfort when he felt he didn't deserve it, cried with him when the tears leaked out. He just can't help it anymore.

Steve grabs Wayne's shoulders... and breaks.

Chapter Text

It's been three weeks now. The town has slowly pulled itself back together. The Byers family and Mike came back from California. Steve finally got to thank El. Had to witness Mike tearing at his hair when Dustin told him the news.

Two other adults showed up as well. That Murray guy Steve barely remembered from Starcourt. And... Chief Hopper. Alive, though battered and bruised and bald.

They brought helicopters and trucks with them, military grade. Steve overheard that they came to assess the damage from the gates, to save face with the press.

To pull Eddie from the wreckage.

Ever since the rush of it all had calmed, the teens theorized how to get Eddie out of the Upside Down. His name was cleared, everyone was healing steadily - at least physically - and his body could now be recovered and given proper treatment.

But returning, even with the dimension barren and dead, proved too difficult. The gates had sealed over without a living power source. Still there, just shriveled and much harder to enter.

Not to mention, it's been 21 days. Eddie's body will be too far gone. Harder to salvage. Harder to witness.

So, so much harder to bear.

But then El showed up. She could reopen the gate, just long enough for an extraction team to walk in and out. She could close the gates over the following days, finally sealing away the Upside Down for good.

So the day after missions are told and wishes are expressed, they go through with it.

Everyone in their ragtag group gathered at Chief- well, former Chief Hopper's cabin, while El and the Hawkins Lab people went to the old Munson trailer. It was an anxious time, and no one could bother trying to fake otherwise. Hopper granted permission to the ones who wished to drink, and Mrs. Byers allowed Wayne to smoke indoors.

Steve couldn't stop fidgeting with Eddie's ring, disguised with his shirt. His hands shook the bottle he'd barely drank from. He still wasn't wearing the vest.

Finally, hours later, a knock came at the door. Wayne beat everyone else to it. It was that Dr. Owens guy, the one who lead the expedition into the Upside Down. He was fidgeting with his hands when he walked in, not even bothering to feign cheerfulness as he gives a solemn wave. El follows right after him, going immediately to curl up at Jonathan's side. Her eyes are hollow and puffy, distant. Pained.

"You okay?" Steve hears Jonathan ask quietly, rubbing her shoulder. She takes a while to respond, and even then, it's just a nod.

Owens takes the seat beside Wayne, leaning forward on his knees. The question hangs in the air, though he doesn't acknowledge it at first. He lets it fester - or maybe he's just preparing himself to answer.

Then, he releases a deep, slow breath.

"It was a success."

The relief grief closure crushes Steve's chest, making him double over with the force of it. Dustin, who was sitting beside him, falls onto his shoulder, clutching his hat.

Eddie is finally home.

"Now," Owens looks over at Wayne. "Mr. Munson, I was going to ask you-"

"Cremated," Wayne says without looking away from the guitar pick in his hand. He's crying, just the right amount of soft to not bother his speech.

"I'm sorry?"

"Eddie would never want to be buried here, and I wouldn't want him to be either. No matter if he fought for Hawkins, he'd hate knowing it's where he was laid to rest." Wayne rubs the pick with his thumb. "'Sides, he liked going on road trips. The music, the wind, the freedom-" he chokes up, face screwing up tightly as he brings the pick to his lips again. "I'd like to keep taking him on those..."

Steve is holding onto Eddie's ring tightly. He imagines it as Eddie's hand. He feels like he's cried more in these past few weeks than he has throughout the last three years.

"So please, just... just that will do."

Owens pauses, taken aback, before wiping at the corners of his eyes, and turning to Wayne. "Understood, but that's not what I was going to ask."

Wayne looks up at him. Owens takes in a deep breath, then, "I was going to ask if you'd like to see him one more time."

Wayne immediately shakes his head, and Steve can feel his heart grappling with itself. He'd told Wayne a basic summary of Eddie's injuries, and combined with the time, Eddie's body would be even worse to look at. Steve already has the scene of discovering Eddie tattooed onto his brain and heart, he can't bear to know Wayne could see it too.

Then Owens is jumping on Wayne's response- "His body was preserved." - and the air is sucked out of the room.

"We're not sure how, but when we went to extract him from that place, he still looked... alive, in a way." Owens is staring at his hands, mouth silently stumbling over itself, trying to find the right words. "It was as though he had died not moments before we arrived, despite it being weeks."

Steve suddenly remembers what Nancy said. About the Upside Down being stuck in time.

Owens glances back up at Wayne, who is staring wide eyed. A hand is placed gently on Wayne's shoulder. "It is entirely your choice. I wish we could do something better, but this is the best we have."

Wayne is silent. Steve can feel the weight of the decision. He almost begs to go in Wayne's place, but he knows he'll be too stricken with pain to even get a word out.

Besides, he knows what Wayne is thinking. Though his last memories of Eddie are pleasant, that's his nephew, his only family. He just has to say goodbye, one last time.

Wayne needs this. So off they go.

-------

Steve is the last to leave the cabin. He watches the other kids get picked up. Gives Dustin one more tight hug. Waves Robin and Nancy off. The Byers and Hopper don't leave until Steve promises to follow.

They've driven off and Steve is barely unlocking his car when Wayne comes back. He watches the car Owens took pull in, watches Wayne shake his hand. Watches him step out, watches Owens drive away with a wave.

Then Wayne's walking up to Steve, coming to a stop a few feet away from him, between the two remaining cars. He looks completely broken, face red and puffy, but also strangely calmed as he stares at the earth.

He's holding the pick again when he looks up at Steve. Steve can feel the emotions behind Wayne's eyes, knows they're copied in his own.

He walks forward. Takes Wayne in a hug. They collapse into each other, so suffocated with grief and regret the tears can't rise.

"I-" Steve's voice cracks. He's shaking. "I'm so sorry. We- I left him there-"

Wayne's holding him tighter, refusing to let him shake. "You kept him safe... You didn't know it, but you made sure I got to say goodbye... Please don't apologize for that..."

Steve just nods, squeezing tighter, pleading for every emotion crashing through him to seep from his skin and into Wayne, if only to make him understand.

Something tells him Wayne can feel it.

------

A month and some. 35 days. Steve doesn't think he'll ever lose track of the days that follow. He'll always be counting how long it's been since he last saw Eddie's eyes full of light.

They've moved on, adapted. It's all they can do.

Eddie never sat in one place for too long before he got antsy. It's nice how the sentiment is carried over to his ashes. Wayne didn't even question it, and so Eddie's everywhere; Nancy's desk when her journaling days are slow, on Dustin's right during his DM-ing sessions for Hellfire, beside Robin on their lunch breaks, at Max's side during her physical therapy. Steve takes him to Lovers Lake on the nights the memories get too strong to bear alone.

The urn is silver, small and compact but always shiny. Just flashy enough to be noticeable when it - when Eddie - wants to be. A pair of D20 dice is etched into the side with a halo hovering over them, one with the 20 face up and the other with the 11.

Dustin suggested that. Steve still doesn't get it, but it makes the kids smile, so that's all that's important.

Though they all agreed that Eddie shouldn't have a grave, they still wanted a memorial to him. A wooden sword crafted like a cross, made by Jonathan and decorated by Will with wings and DnD symbolisms. An inscription was burned onto it courtesy of a friend of Murray's, out of all people:

To Eddie Munson,

He who welcomed the Banished

A mentor, nephew, friend, hero

Too big for life, for soul, for time

Fight on, for it is finally your year

1986

It didn't feel like enough, but again, it somehow became just perfect. They put it in the forests behind the school, to protect any who ended up lost out there. It was the only place they felt Eddie would want to be, if he were to be stuck anywhere.

It's where Steve finds himself now, 35 days after he last saw Eddie's smile. They had a "service" the day they placed it, but Steve didn't want to do this then.

He came with only Eddie's urn... and his vest.

Steve finally gained the strength to pull it out, having kept the plastic bag it was in in the corner of his room since getting back 34 days ago. It was still denim, still thick, still alive with Eddie's memory even when Steve was the last to wear it. As though nothing had changed.

He's been meaning to honor Wayne's wishes, he swears. He's finally going to wear it every single fucking day no matter what anyone says.

But something in him says that Eddie deserves to wear it just one more time. That Steve just can't keep the vest without giving it one final show on its owner's shoulders, so to speak.

He reaches the memorial. Gives it a little wave and holds up Eddie's urn, letting the dice face the sword.

"Hope it fit your standards, bud," he says aloud. He's not the only one who talks to the urn like it's Eddie, but it feels stranger coming from him. He still does it though. "I know you've already seen it, but hey, maybe it's not so bad."

He sets Eddie's urn down in front of the sword. Grabs the vest from where it hung on his bent arm. Hangs it over the memorial and places the... was it handle or hilt? Steve can't remember, but he places them through the arm holes, so that the vest hangs properly on the memorial.

He's just going to say thanks. Say how he appreciated the vest, how Eddie's uncle reacted to it. Then he's going to put it on, carry the urn back to Wayne's trailer, and never take off the vest again. Never stop counting the days.

That is what he plans on doing, but while he's smoothing out the wrinkles in the vest, he feels something bulging from within it.

Steve pauses, and after a moment of hesitation, pulls back the right side of the vest to look within. He hadn't noticed the inner pocket when he was wearing it, but there it is, containing what looks to be paper.

"Huh," he wonders aloud, looking down at the urn. "Think you left something in here. You... don't mind, do you?" he asks stupidly while gesturing to the pocket.

He doesn't want to be carrying around something that Eddie seemed to have wanted to keep secret. He would've felt the papers while wearing the vest, so Eddie must've put them in it after Steve gave it back. Right before they left to fight.

Steve doesn't get any sort of... unwelcome sense ("The hell does that even mean, Harrington?" Steve can practically hear from the urn) from the memorial, so he cautiously reaches in and pulls out the papers. It's a thicker bundle than he'd expected, notebook paper all haphazardly folded up.

On the front, in big blocky letters written in pen, is 'DUSTIN'.

Steve blinks in confusion. He tries to unfold the paper, but then notices it's not all one big heap. It's a series of folded papers, four sets in total.

He places 'DUSTIN''s down, and finds the next one with 'MAX AND LUCAS' written on the front. Then the next with 'ROBIN AND NANCY'.

The last one is the thickest, addressed with 'STEVE'.

Steve's heart clenches, and tears spring to his eyes. "Oh..." he whispers with an airy laugh. "I'm guessing this was your version of a 'failsafe' huh?"

He still remembers Max handing him that letter, somewhere around 40 days ago. He read it 32 days ago. It thanked him for being there, for being a pillar in a world of fog. It asked him to make sure Max's mom knew what happened to her, in case they failed.

But they didn't fail. Not in that department. Not in the whole.

Something about this felt similar to that queasy impossibility, only a thousand times stronger. This impossible became real, and Steve suddenly wants to kick himself for taking so long to find these. He should've looked sooner, shouldn't have been so much of a coward.

But he's here now, and he's not going to run from Eddie anymore.

Steve opens the other letters first, just out of curiosity and definitely not to delay the inevitable. They're short, mostly lighthearted letters, telling the addressed Eddie's thoughts. He can almost hear Eddie's voice in the back of his head as he skims them. All begin with 'Dear' and are signed with a custom title for the addressed person. Steve isn't ashamed to admit he likes Lucas's the most.

Then he gets to his own letter. It doesn't begin with 'Dear'.

Hey Steve.

God, this letter definitely won't capture how hard this is to write. I don't even know why I'm doing this, but I guess it's a bit of a distraction. Or an escape, depending on how much of a coward I really am.

We just escaped the Upside Down. We're driving to that Gun Shop to get weapons to fight Vecna. I'm hiding from this awful town behind your seat. The literal apocalypse is on our asses, and... all I can think to do is write.

Steve lets out an airy laugh. "So that's what all that noise was..." he mumbles to himself. He remembered hearing some commotion from Eddie and the kids while they were in that RV. Guess he found the source.

Damn, where do I even begin... I mean, there is only one thing I want to say here, and it's just thank you.

But it's not that simple, is it? It's not "just thank you". You guys were the only ones to pull me out of that shed, who would listen to me, who could possibly understand what I went through. You let me stick around, and you kept coming back. No matter where I ran to, or what I tried to fight, you let me stay.

Steve feels the phantom edge of a glass shard at his neck. Hears faint determined taunts behind him, intermittent with bat screams. Never once did he ever consider letting that presence be left behind.

Until suddenly, he was doing it without realizing.

Maybe you'll feel like you owe me once we're done, but you've repaid me a thousand times over. Consider us even.

I do thank you, for saving me, pulling me away from something that could've gone worse. But I also thank you for proving me wrong.

I know I've said it before, back in the woods, but I mean it. I wasn't expecting you to be... you. Makes me wish I got to know this Steve outside of the apocalypse. Back when we had more time.

Steve thinks back to the blur of high school, where every nothing mattered and everything important was lost to him. Vague speeches atop lunch tables, eyes boring into his head in Click's.

Lost time, wasted to ignorance.

But it doesn't matter now. This you is here, with this me. However brief it is, I'm sure going to cherish it.

Because it aches me to say it, the moment you're gone from my life, I'm going to miss you.

"I would've let you stay..." Steve whispers to the ghost sitting across him. "I wouldn't have let you go..."

I'm going to miss the mumble in your breath when you think Dustin can't hear you. The little hand twirl you do in a fight when you're in the moment. How you look at Dustin and Max and Lucas the same way you look at Robin and Nancy. The way you never leave people behind, even if you can't do anything to save them.

How sour that is. Maybe Eddie knew him better than he thought. Maybe when he was gone, he took that part of Steve with him.

Or maybe, Steve proved him right in the end. Abandoned him to preserve him, to make one final goodbye with his own face, not desecrated by time or people.

You don't have to keep me around. Eventually, you'll move on from all this - and I promise you, you will - and I'll let you, because holding you back pains me more than watching you go.

But before you do, I'm going to make a promise to you. To you, the kids, Nancy and Robin, and myself.

I'm going to stop running.

Suddenly, Steve's brain snaps into a singular focus.

All I do is run. I run from problems, situations. Things I don't understand, things I can't fix. Moments where I don't want to find out what happens if I stay.

Munson Doctrine rule #1. If there is nothing you can do, run.

But this I do understand.

I want to be around you guys. I want to be known and liked and cared about. I love being the outcast, but it's taken me longer than it should've to realize I want to be outcasts with someone else.

I've had Hellfire and Corroded Coffin, but they're nowhere near all of you, and I don't want them to be.

You are all just... defiant. Impenetrable. Pure examples of the word "despite."

You're stronger, smarter, greater, more human and impossible in every grand and amazing way that I could ever conceive.

All of that is in its purest... in you, Steve Harrington.

And then, it clicks.

The "all" of those sentences fade away.

It's just... "you." Him.

'Me.'

Despite every evil in this world trying to turn you around, make you cower and run, you did the impossible and stepped forward. You became everything everyone was too scared to let you be. You were flawed perfection, and you took those parts of you and forced the world to bear witness to what it could not hold back.

You love, Steve.

This isn't envy, or jealousy. It's admiration.

You are, in a word... beautiful.

The daring glances. The grins from a distance no matter how far. The leaning in, the closeness...

Oh, Eddie...

Oh, Steve...

And selfish it may be, but I want to see you in my life every single day from here on.

I want to know you. To have the honor and privilege to love this real, true version of you back just as much as you give out.

Out of everything in this world and beneath it, this feeling is one I understand, this urge is not something I will run away from.

But whether or not I will reach it is not my decision to make.

I'm going to let myself keep going. I'm not scared of you. I'm not scared of what's going to come out of this. I would rather know my love is not wanted than forever question if it could've been.

When this is all over-

Oh Steve Harrington, what have you done...

-you're going to get this letter.

And if so you choose, I'm going to stay.

You have my word.

Eddie

Chapter Text

Dear Dustin,

Hey big guy! Bet you're really confused as to why you have this little thing. Guess I'm just doing what I do best again.

Eh, I'll try to keep this light. The Dustin who's sitting by me as I write this is looking at me weird, don't want to somehow confirm any of his suspicions.

We're kind of going on a DnD mission right now, it barely even feels real. "And so here travels The Betrayers of Vecna, off to end his tyranny". Sounds like a cool campaign, don't you think? Maybe we could plan it out once we get back, base it on our grand exploits.

But there is something I wanted you to know. Something important enough that I don't think I could say out loud.

I want you to take care of Hellfire, once this is all said and done. This is still my year, and I'm getting out of the shithole that is Hawkins High as soon as I can. You've got to take care of those fresh little sheep coming in, show them the way to greatness.

Gareth, Mike, maybe even Lucas, they might try to steal the spotlight, but don't let them, okay? You've got what it takes. I believe in you.

You're like a brother to me, man. I'm glad to have gotten to know you all, and if the world was going to end, I'd spend every second of it fighting beside you guys.

Keep Sinclair and Little Wheeler in check. Those guys need a knock to the head sometimes. And if your buddy Will ever visits, you better invite him and me to a night of Hellfire, I want to meet this kid!

And hey, read this carefully, alright? No matter what people say, don't ever change. The world needs a Dustin Henderson, and you're just the man for the job. Funny, witty, smart as fuck, brave, the works. Keep proving everyone wrong, no matter who stands in your way and who tries to stop you.

Hell, you saved the world, what, four times now? That'll be nothing.

Keep shining, you glorious kid. Don't forget about me once I bounce.

Signed, the one and only, Eddie the Hero

To, Dustin the Prophesized

(PS, that's a cool nickname, right? I think so)

------------

Dear Lucas and Max,

Hey lovebirds! And you two better not be giving the paper one of those weird looks, you know I'm right!

Sorry you're getting one of these, I just want to cover all the bases. Guess you could say I'm being paranoid, our little mission here is going to go great, I'm sure of it!

Yet, I don't have much to say here, I'm afraid. I feel like I shouldn't impose either, you guys have it pretty good. Really damn good, actually, so try and cut him some slack, Red!

(Seriously, please, Mike's whining is enough, we don't need Lucas's too)

I guess the only words I have to give is just... stick together, alright? Being alone isn't all it's cracked up to be, as I'm sure you know. Sometimes you're going to be all the other has left, and you definitely know life's shitty like that.

I hope I get to know you better after all this, Max. I don't have much to go off of, and we're kind of saving your life here, so it'd be nice.

And Lucas? Go do your stupid laundry basket thing. I'll admit, you've got a hell of a lotta talent, and if it'll get back at Jason, I'm all for it. Fucker needs an ego check, Hellfire can wait a little.

I'm heading out as soon as my year is up. Good luck you two. Hell - or well, I guess the Upside Down - knows you need it.

Signed, Eddie the Banished

To, Lucas the Evermore and MadMax

(PS, you aren't the only one with a cool nickname, anymore, Red, try not to get jealous ;])

------

Dear Robin and Nancy,

God damn, where the hell do I start... Guess I should apologize first, I've been doing that for every other message I've been writing.

I hope you guys aren't too mad at me for this. I'm honestly terrified we all won't make it out of this mission, and I want to get some things off my chest. I've barely known you all a week, but I suppose the sappy sentimental stuff comes out when you face a shit ton of demonic bats together.

Well, I should say that... I'm worried I might not make it out of here. I'm inexperienced with all this compared to you guys, but if it's for Max, for Chrissy... I'll do what I can.

Hopefully this ages well. Sorry if it doesn't.

Don't tell anybody about all these things, if you could? Again, I guess all the sappy shit comes out during the near apocalypse. Thanks. 

But anyway, onto the actual meat of this letter, I suggest you guys actually get to know each other? From what I could tell your only mutual friend is Steve, but also that you guys could get along. Trust me, you both need it. 

Though Robin, maybe get some better standards first, for your sake. You know exactly what I'm talking about, and I completely understand, but... really?

And Nancy, to be completely open, you really surprised me recently. I mean, Nancy "Goody Two Shoes" Wheeler knows how to shoot guns? Damn. Don't tell anyone (looking at you Buckley), but you have my respect. Not sure who else would have the balls to face down Vecna with nothing but the barrel of a 12 gauge.

One more thing, the one that I don't really know if I can write. Take care of Steve. That guy is... way better than I had ever thought he could be. He's real fucking lucky to have you guys. I doubt he'll want to talk to me once he doesn't have to, so just... keep an eye out for him? Make sure he doesn't do any stupid hero shit...

Thanks you guys. I hope I get to know you both a little better once we're out of here. Contradicting my own words, I think I might have a shot at walking out of this. It'd be one hell of a miracle, I'll tell you that. 

Signed, Eddie the Freak

To, Robin the Immovable and Nancy the Unstoppable