A Threnody of Tears | Steve Harrington ✓

Chapter Eleven

Maggie Fulmer walked ahead with Robin and Nancy on their way to the Wheeler's, both Maggie and Robin marvelling over the Upside Down despite its undeniable creepy qualities. While Steve and Eddie hung back, a comfortable silence between the two. 

"Hey, man." Steve started awkwardly, trying to get Eddie's attention. "Uh... Listen, I just, uh... I just want to say thanks. For saving my ass back there. 

 "Shit, you saved your own ass, man," Eddie replied. "I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."

"Ozzy?" Steve questioned, his eyebrows furrowed. 

"When you took a bite out of that bat. Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath? He bit a bat's head off on stage." Eddie explained only to get a blank stare from Steve in return. "Doesn't matter. It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying."

"Thanks." Steve returned with a small nod. 

"Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact." Eddie revealed.

"Wait, Henderson said that?"

Eddie nodded. "Oh yeah. shit. 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. Still super jealous as hell, by the way."

"Okay," Steve answered with a slight chuckle.

"Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass." Eddie continued. "Not under any, uh... normal circumstances. Nope. Outside of 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 in the last year or so."

"Give yourself a break, man." Steve consoled. 

"See, 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 Maggie didn't waste a second." He started, Steve's eyes immediately falling on the brunette who joked around with Robin ahead.  "Not one second. She just dove right in and trust me she wouldn't have just done that for anyone. Now, I don't know what's going on between you two but I've never seen Mags as happy and open as she is around you and that's before Kaira too, so just try to not let this thing that you two have going on disappear." Eddie concluded, leaving Steve slightly speechless and in shock as Eddie speed-walked to catch up with Maggie who had coincidentally fallen back to join him. 

"Hey, you good?" Maggie asked brightly, turning to the boy she considered her brother. 

"Well, considering I think we are in another dimension and going to get Nancy Wheeler's guns, I'm pretty good. You?"

"I'm pretty good too, you know considering everything." She returned teasingly. 

"Okay in that case, and you better be honest with me." Eddie started, pointing a finger in her direction. "Do you actually understand anything that's going on right now?"

"Nope." She said abruptly causing the two of them to chuckle at her quick answer. "But I trust these guys, and if anyone can get us out of this hell then we are probably in the best group to do so."

Eddie nodded. "You know I'm happy to have you back, Mags. The last year has seriously been shit without you and yeah most of that is my fault but I'm glad this insane experience brought us back together. Turns out we don't need Kaira to make us get along after all, huh?"