Cursed | Eddie Munson & Steve Harrington ✓

six | billy joel

[trigger warning — suicidal thoughts]

♥

JOHN BAKER HAD ALWAYS TOLD his daughter to slow down. Either Ruby always had to be doing something or proving to herself that her life was on track — that Ruby was not like her mother.

Now, if her father was here, he would see through the cracks. Ruby's dad would have told her to calm down, comforting her however he could. But, right now, Ruby was relieved that her dad was dead for the first time as he would be spared from the pain of Ruby dying.

Because it was all true.

Max had almost lost her life because of Vecna. The Upside Down was real.

And Ruby was cursed — literally cursed.

So, she sat on the bench in the Wheeler backyard with her head in her hands, hiding the frightful tears. Since they had returned, Ruby was in shock that was unnoticed with the attention and support being on Max, who had miraculously survived.

But now Ruby had broken down, finding it all too much.

"Ru..."

Ruby quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, but she couldn't look at him. Steve sat down next to Ruby, where from the corner of her eyes, she noticed the Walkman and tapes that made her laugh.

"Nothing's going to save me, Steve."

"There's still a chance," Steve insisted with Ruby tensing at the words, not trusting to believe in them. "It's worked for Max, so it'll work for you. It has to work, Ru — I can't lose you. Not again."

"Miracles don't happen twice, Steve," Ruby told him, head turning as brown eyes narrowed at him. "And don't start caring about me now."

"I've always cared," Steve stated.

"Right, well it's a little too late," Ruby decided, fiddling with her fingers as she desperately needed another cigarette, but they were all gone. Since seeing the evidence of Max levitating for her own eyes, Ruby had smoked through the rest of her pack in an attempt to calm herself down. "I'm a lost cause, so you might as well just go. Sticking around is just a promise that you'll see me die, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Stop doing that," Steve told her, agitated.

"Doing what?" Ruby demanded.

"Pushing me away," said Steve. "I get it, you hate me and maybe I deserve that, but I'm here for you, Ru. You don't have to face this alone anymore. And, please, for the love of God, stop thinking you are going to die."

The tears fell free from Ruby's eyes as she tried to hide the evidence. Ruby was terrified, truly believing that she had a couple of days left to live — maybe even less. Yet, there was that small part of her that was relieved that it would all end soon.