Chapter 2
Eddie sat still as he could manage as two nurses poked and prodded him, redressing his wounds and checking his stitches. They worked quickly and a Doctor came in to ask questions like " Any numbness?" and "Can you feel this pinch?" before signing his release papers.
Police were there too, which caused Eddie to panic for a second before Steve held on to his hand reassuringly, but all they said was "After getting results from the coroner it's come to our attention you can no longer be a suspect in the recent deaths." And that was it. No explanation, no 'I'm sorry for the inconvenience', just two stone-faced men who left as soon as their message was delivered.
Eddie guessed it didn't really matter anyway. He was never gonna have people's sympathy in this town, but at least he could go back to living with his uncle in relative peace. He was used to not belonging in this town, in this world that despised people like him for no good reason. Just because they feared things and people different to them.
Steve squeezed his hand before letting go and packing up all his and Eddie's things and they slowly hobbled out of the hospital together to Steve's car.
"Oh shit. I guess in all the craziness I didn't mention there's some bad news." Steve breathed out, opening the passenger door for Eddie.
Eddie's brows knit together. "What?" panic taking up a nice little spot in the pit of his stomach.
Steve gave an uncomfortable sort of smirk and spoke."The earthquakes kinda took out your trailer. Your uncle was at work so he's okay, and he should get insurance money for a new trailer in a few weeks, but he's staying with a work friend right now."
Eddie sighed as he got into the car. "Fuck dude. I guess I have to figure out where I'm staying then." he winced as he buckled his seat belt and it tugged on his stitches.
"You're staying at my place." Steve said matter of factly as he closed Eddie's door, and walked around to the driver's side.
"I don't wanna be your problem Steve." Eddie said defiantly, looking to his side as Steve got situated, eyes hooded and serious.
"You're not my problem Eddie. You're my friend." Steve got out his keys and placed them in the ignition and sighed. "Besides, people in this town are gonna need time to get over the whole satan worshiping bullshit before anyone will let you stay with them." Steve replied just as seriously meeting Eddie's eyes before starting the car. "Plus, my parents are AWOL anyway and I could use the company, and you need help changing your bandages." He said putting an emphasis on the last and.
Eddie rested his head back against the headrest and sighed. "I guess you're right." he sighed and murmured "Thanks man." he turned to look out the window, watching the hospital disappear into the distance as they drove. The sun was getting ready to set and the sky was a few shades of pink and orange.
"You know I really didn't think I was gonna see the sun again. It's bright as hell." he said, squinting and moving the sun panel to block the harsh rays.
"The doctor's didn't think you would at first. You had lost a lot of blood and you had a punctured lung among some other issues, but you're strong. Once you got out of surgery and were still alive the next morning they said you should make it." Steve's hands tightened on the wheel, his knuckles turning white at the memory of that first night.
Eddie glanced over, noticing the change in Steve's voice. He glanced at Steve's hands on the wheel and the sweat forming a sheen on his brow. He cleared his throat, looking back down at his feet. "You dragged me out of there didn't you?" he asked in a whisper.
"I mean you weren't exactly gonna walk. I had to." Steve said, his voice cracking, one hand up in emphasis of his point. He seemed agitated by the memory of the whole ordeal.
"You saved my life Steve." Eddie looked back up at Steve's face slowly. "I would have died if you hadn't dragged me out of there." Eddie's voice was somber and low. He was disappointed in himself. In being the burden, causing Steve to be so upset.
"I honestly thought you already were. I just couldn't leave you there." Steve stared straight ahead at the road, unable to meet Eddie's gaze. "But then you started coughing up blood and I realized you were still breathing so we got you to the closest hospital." Steve bit his lip, trying not to let himself burst into tears. He was so angry at the thought. He had lost a friend that day, just as he had started to get to know the chaotic, metalhead, nerd. His heart had broken in that moment, seeing Eddie's lifeless and blood brained face. He had to remind himself that that wasn't his reality anymore. Eddie was right next to him in the car, breathing and alive.
All Eddie could do was nod. He had been such a burden to his friends. They had all been through so much and they still wanted to save him. Even in the end they made time to get him back to Hawkins, even dead, just so he could be remembered properly. Tears started to well up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He turned to the window as they started to silently fall down his face, too stubborn to cry in front of Steve.
The rest of the ride they spent in silence. Watching the destroyed visage of Hawkins fly by. Massive cracks stretching from the center of town had destroyed hundreds of buildings. Workers were busy removing the destroyed pieces of buildings and looking for survivors.
"Fuck." Eddie breathed out in awe as they turned towards Steve's neighborhood which looked relatively untouched.
"Yeah, lots of people are staying in the gym of the highschool right now. Robin and I have been volunteering when we can. I'll probably do more now that you're out of the hospital." Steve replied as he pulled into his driveway.
"Do you ever sleep Harrington?" Eddie said with a small laugh which made him flinch as his stitches tugged again. Fuck this was gonna suck, even breathing hurt.
Steve chuckled a small chuckle in response. "I'll sleep when I'm dead." He opened his door and came around to help Eddie out of his seat.
"Here let me get that." He said reaching to unbuckle Eddie's seatbelt before Eddie could say anything. "You got a lot of stitches that need to stay in for at least a few more days and you can't afford to bleed anymore." He said with an awkward little laugh and reached in to tuck his arm around Eddie's waist to help him out of the car.
Eddie threw his arm over Steve's neck and allowed himself to be helped out of the car. He could smell Steve's musk. Probably hadn't been able to shower in a day or two, but there was something comforting and warm about it. After he was on his feet he leaned against the hood of the car while Steve grabbed his duffle bag of supplies from the hospital and they made their way towards the front door of Steve's house.
"Home sweet home." Steve said in a sarcastic tone, unlocking the large wooden door and beckingin Eddie with a nod of his head.
This house was enormous. It was the American dream. A white fence, a boring beige facing, the whole shebang.
"Damn Harington, your parents must be loaded to afford a place like this." he said with a chuckle. "You ARE a little rich boy." he sent a side eye and a smirk Steve's way.
Steve just rolled his eyes with a matching smirk, readjusting the bag on his back. "Just go inside you weirdo."
"Ooh ouch. Never heard that one before." Eddie joked, playfully holding his hands over his heart like he'd been stabbed as he entered the large entryway of the down right massive house. He had never seen a house this big and grand. The wallpaper was kinda tacky and the house looked like it was prepped for a movie. Too clean and void of human existence. No wonder Steve didn't like sleeping here. It was creepy.
"So I figured you could sleep in the guest room next to mine. Hopefully it'll be more comfortable than that hospital bed." Steve started to make his way up the staircase toward what Eddie presumed was his bedroom.
He followed him up slowly, clutching his side as his breathing increased. "Now I know how you stay so fit Harrington. 20,000 stairs everyday." it came out more like a groan than anything.
Steve just chuckled in response and continued to a door, opening it and beckoning Eddie inside.
The bedroom before him was a boring shade of beige, but it was the most normal thing about this house. A standard size for once.
"You can stay here till your uncle can get your new place situated. Hopefully it's cozy enough for you." Steve said as he turned, hands outstretched at the room.
"Yeah it's great. Thanks Steve." Eddie said as he took a seat on the bed and kicked off his grime covered converse.
"Let me grab you some spare clothes. Yours are kida destroyed… and covered in blood." Steve rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly,looking down at Eddie's dirty shoes. He turned to the door, rushing out of the room and to a room next door. There was a small rustling and the sound of a few drawers opening.
Steve came back in a few minutes later with a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "These should fit you okay." he said, placing the clothes on the bed. "Here I'll help you change."
Eddie felt the blood drain from his face at the thought. "It's cool, I got it." he said too quickly holding up his hands.
"Dude you're not supposed to do anything that could pull your stitches out. The hospital is super busy with all the victims of the earthquake and you don't want me re-doing them because they'll be atrocious ." He said with a small snicker, reaching for Eddie's shirt hem.
Eddie pulled away instinctually, but Steve was insistent. "Christ dude it's not like it's something I haven't seen before. I won't look if it makes you uncomfortable." Why was he being so wierd?
"It's not that. I just… I'm not a child. I can take care of myself." Eddie said standing up and lifting his shirt up his stomach, realizing quickly that his stitches definatley started pulling
Steve's hand stopped him. "I know you're not a kid, but you've gotta learn to let people help you sometimes. Not everything has to be done on your own you know." Steve slowly lifted Eddie's shirt, over one arm then the other, careful not to snag his bandages on his chest and neck.
Eddie threw his hair out of his face as Steve pulled his shirt over his head.
"You've been strong enough for a life time, let me help you for once." Steve mumbled absent mindedly as he grabbed the fresh t-shirt.
Eddie couldn't find the words he needed to reply so just stayed silent. It's not like Eddie didn't want help, he just couldn't become some else's problem. It wasn't anyone else's responsibility to deal with his fuck ups. His Whole life had been one fuck up after another that he had delt with just fine on his own. Besides, people always let him down when he asked for help. It was better when he just dealt with things on his own. At least then the only person he could be mad at was himself.
Steve turned back to him, shirt at the ready. "Arms up." he said, glancing at the few tattoos adorning Eddie's skin. He was thin from not eating for the few days in the hospital, but he had some lean muscle that Steve certainly didn't expect. He looked like he might have been a swimmer if he hadn't been a music loving d&d nerd.
Eddie rolled his eyes in response and lifted his arms into the corresponding holes of the shirt. Steve pulled it down grazing his knuckles on Eddie's stomach causing him to wince ever so slightly, but he tried to keep his cool. He wasn't sure why this made him so nervous. It's not like he wanted to touch Eddie right? It was just like helping a friend in the locker room. Nothing he hadn't done before.
"Hey take me to dinner first big boy." Eddie said chuckling, trying to hide the shiver that ran down his spine at the lightness of the touch. He tried to focus on anything else. Looking at the ceiling and evening his breathing.
Steve just scoffed and rolled his eyes. "In your dreams Munson" he replied, grabbing the fresh pants from the bed.
"Every night." Eddie replied playfully, winking as he untied his sweatpants. He was trying desperately to cover his discomfront with humor.
Steve tried to hide a blush behind the pants as he calmed himself. He had tried to match Eddie's playful banter but that comment had taken him by surprise, and most surprizingly, it made his heart skip a beat. It should make him grossed out right? Why didn't the idea of that feel wrong?
"Aww don't get all shy on me now Harrington." Eddie quipped playfully, smirking. "It's just a joke. Relax."
Steve huffed and started helping Eddie out of the sweat pants they'd gotten from the hospital. his hands had started shaking at some point and he tried to steady himself.
"Sorry I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable." Eddie said looking down at Steve as he knelt to slip the bunched up pant legs off Eddie's feet. Eddie did his best to pretend he wasn't feeling exposed in that second and tried to hold in another joke to hide his discomfort.
"It's fine. I just haven't learned to match your quips quite yet. You just took me by surprise, that's all." He threw the sweats to the side and grabbed the fresh pants, bunching them up to slip over Eddie's feet, and trying to focus on the task at hand.
Eddie had suddenly become very quiet, seeming to look anywhere but Steve's face and he shimmied the pants up his legs. They had a light sprinkling of dark hair and a skull tattoo sat nicely on his pale right hip. Steve tried not to look as he finished pulling up the other boy's pants. After buttoning them up Steve stood and pursed his lips in thought.
"So... are you hungry?" he asked, realizing Eddie had only really eaten the hospital jello so far that day and desperate to break the tension in the room.
"Dude I'm fucking Starving!" Eddie replied, seeming to return to himself at the mention of something normal. Desperate to leave the tension of that moment behind.
Steve smiled his awkward lopsided smile and grabbed Eddie's arm. "Well come on then, I'll make you something."