Hell felt weird. Eddie knew that was where he was going after all. The second he saw Chrissy floating in the air in his trailer, he knew his time was limited and the devil's warm embrace was hovering nearby. He'd never really considered hell or heaven real at all before, but there had to be some ultimate good to balance out the nightmare he was seeing. And if there was, his bad far outweighed his good. The last day or so wouldn't change that. So when he'd closed his eyes, he was prepared to open them surrounded by flames.
But instead, he was kind of comfortable. Not floating on a cloud comfortable, but fine. There was a fogginess to his brain, but there wasn't any pain, which was a vast improvement over his last lucid moment. What happened to that whole dying thing he was doing? It felt pretty final as it was happening, but maybe it didn't stick.
The last thing he remembered was trying to be the hero, distracting the bats away from Dustin. Had he imagined all that? It seemed possible, since saving people wasn't really his thing. But the pain of those bites felt very real and he wasn't that creative.
Maybe it was time to finally open his eyes. If he was still in the Upside Down and this was some death hallucination, it would be best to figure that out sooner rather than later. There was no use prolonging the mystery.
It was damn bright, wherever he was. Eddie had to squeeze his eyes shut almost immediately after he opened them. This definitely wasn't the Upside Down, since it was only dark and gross there. So what the hell was going on? He forced his eyes open again, blinking a few times to clear his vision. White walls stared back at him. Familiar in a way that you didn't need to have been there before to know where you were. Not heaven, not hell, just a hospital in Hawkins. And something else to follow along with that bit of alliteration.
"Harrington?" Eddie muttered, eyeing the person sitting in a chair next to his bed. Steve's head was tipped down and he was fiddling with something that was around his wrist, but he'd recognize that hair anywhere. Even though it was currently as limp as he'd ever seen it.
"Eddie!" Steve exclaimed in a raspy voice, jerking up to look at him. Eddie may have been the one laying in a hospital bed, but Steve looked absolutely terrible. "About time you woke up."
"What the hell?" Eddie asked, because he really didn't know where to start.
"It's a long story," Steve sighed, staring down at his wrist again. Eddie didn't remember Steve being the type to accessorize before, so he was surprised by the new addition to his wardrobe. That is, until he actually got a look at it.
"Is that a hospital bracelet?" Eddie questioned, finally taking in all the details. It wasn't just a normal chair Steve was sitting in, but a wheelchair. And he was wearing a set of hospital scrubs. Then there was the IV snaking from the back of his hand to the stand at his side. "The hell?"
"A long, long story."
"What happened with- did everyone… did we win?" Eddie asked hesitantly. What if he and Steve were the only two left? That probably wasn't the case, but it was a bit surprising to have Harrington by his side when he woke up. Dustin would've been more likely, but only if he was able to.
"Of course we did. This wasn't our first rodeo," Steve bragged. Eddie let out a relieved breath, closing his eyes for a second to appreciate that no one had been lost. It was crazy to think how much he cared about these people he barely even knew.
"Why do I get the feeling you're leaving something out?" Eddie asked, giving Steve a pointed look once he reopened his eyes. Steve smirked at him, but there was a sadness to it. A few days ago Eddie would've said that Steve Harrington couldn't feel anything but smugness and whatever other emotions people at the top felt, but he would've been wrong. Steve was genuinely a good guy and had proved it ten times over.
"Not everyone made it out unscathed," Steve admitted reluctantly, flicking at the tape on the back of his hand.
"How bad?"
"Max has a broken arm. It was a close call, but that's as far as he got," Steve mumbled, not saying the name of the thing that caused all this. Eddie couldn't blame him. "It was pretty bad and she had to get surgery on it, but she's already home. The doctor said she should make a full recovery after some physical therapy."
"Good. That's good."
"Lucas had a run in with Jason," Steve sneered. Eddie sneered right along with him. "They kind of kicked the crap out of each other."
"Bastard," Eddie growled. He understood that Jason was looking to avenge Chrissy, but he was going about it in the worst way possible. He thought things would've changed after they witnessed the murder on the lake together, but it just made him even more unhinged.
"Lucas is a bit banged up, but he's okay. Lord knows he's seen me beat to shit enough times and walk it off. We should start a club," Steve snorted.
"I would love to hear those stories at another time," Eddie smirked, outright grinning when Steve shot him an exasperated look.
"Funny."
"I try."
"Not well."
"Says you."
"Are you done? Would you like me to call a doctor in to check your catheter?" Steve threatened. Eddie held his hands up in surrender. He was glad his whole body was numb, since he didn't want to feel any part of that situation.
"Anyone else?"
"Henderson sprained his ankle, thanks to you cutting the rope and stranding him on this side. He jumped back anyway and landed wrong. What the hell were you thinking?" Steve glowered. Eddie shrunk back guiltily. He'd just been trying to protect the kid, but evidently he screwed up.
"Sorry," Eddie mumbled.
"No, I'm sorry," Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. It flopped back down pathetically over his forehead. "I get what you were trying to do, even though it was stupid."
"Hey."
"I know what it's like to throw myself at danger to protect the little shits."
"Is that what you did at the lake? Are Nancy, Robin, and I also your little shits?" Eddie teased, trying to steer the conversation toward a less depressing side of self-sacrifice. Looking deeper into why he was so willing to die for people he barely knew could wait until another time, preferably when he was alone and had some good weed.
"You're kind of a big shit, actually," Steve smirked, shaking off his earlier mood. Eddie gasped in mock offense.
"How dare you!"
"I'm the one who had to carry your ass."
"But was it nice?"
"Was what nice?" Steve asked in confusion.
"My ass," Eddie smirked. Steve's face lit up the prettiest shade of red. He wouldn't mind seeing that more often.
"I didn't really have a chance to notice," Steve deadpanned. "I was too busy saving your life."
"How- uh, how did that go?" Eddie asked nervously. He felt fine at the moment, which he assumed was due to some very good drugs in his system. But was this a make him comfortable until he passes situation? Or would he find chunks of his body missing if he shifted the blanket covering him? "What's my prognosis, doc?"
"Well, despite your efforts, you're stuck with us for the long haul," Steve chuckled, staring down at his lap. Eddie could tell that Steve was trying to cover how serious it was with humor. He could appreciate that, since the intensity of these past few days was a lot to deal with.
"That bad?"
"Wasn't great. It was touch and go for a while," Steve admitted quietly.
"Don't hold out on me now, Harrington. I remember being bat chow, but that's about it. You just made it look so fun that I had to try it out for myself," Eddie smirked, trying to forget the horror of feeling like he was being eaten alive.
"You weren't breathing. By the time I got to you and Henderson, you weren't breathing. He thought you were dead," Steve whispered, still keeping his eyes pointedly away. But Eddie couldn't stop staring at him. He may have been flippant before, but he hadn't realized just how close he'd come to not making it. Being on this side of a near death experience was weird. "But um, I got you back, then Dustin and I got you through the gate and to the hospital."
"You got me back?"
"Just some CPR. No big deal," Steve mumbled.
"No big deal?" Eddie repeated incredulously. "You're telling me that Steve 'The Hair' Harrington kissed me and I missed it?!" There was that red he was quickly becoming addicted to. Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to get his wits about him.
"It wasn't my best work," Steve said finally, rolling his eyes. "It's usually less blood and more tongue."
"I'll look forward to you proving that to me later," Eddie replied, wagging his eyebrows. Steve cleared his throat, then winced, rubbing a hand across his neck. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Steve waved off. That was a bit hard to believe, given his current state. "They took you into surgery and stitched you to hell and back. You may resemble your patchwork vests a bit more now, but you're gonna be fine."
"That's pretty metal, I guess," Eddie sighed, running his hand along his torso. He hoped none of his tattoos were wrecked, but he wouldn't mind if something happened to the bat one. This whole experience had kind of ruined that particular bit of ink for him. "How long has it been? If Max had surgery and is already home, it has to have been a while."
"Four days."
"Jeez," Eddie breathed out. That was a long time to be unconscious. It wasn't like someone who woke up after spending years in a coma, but it was still unsettling. "And you're still here."
"I don't really have a choice," Steve said, gesturing to the drip he was attached to.
"And what new injuries got you stuck in here with me?" Eddie wondered, looking him over again. There weren't really any new visible marks, but they could've been covered.
"My body sort of… shut down, I guess, once we got you to the hospital. I kind of passed out at Dustin's feet. Scared the hell out of him," Steve replied, shaking his head. "That kid has been sufficiently traumatized."
"What finally put you down? I thought you were the guy who pushed through everything."
"Infection, believe it or not."
"From the bat bites?" Eddie asked worriedly. Did he have that to look forward to as well? "Was Robin right about the rabies?"
"Actually, it was from getting dragged on my back and running barefoot through the place that shall not be named. Thank goodness it wasn't some germ that doctors had never seen before. Some heavy duty antibiotics should take care of it."
"So that's why you look like death warmed over."
"Hey."
"I'm surprised they let you out of bed."
"I can be very persuasive."
"I see that. You even got them to give you a ride in here," Eddie laughed, nodding at the wheelchair Steve was sitting in. Steve bit his lip, running his finger along the smooth metal of one of the bars. "What?"
"I kind of threw my back out a bit," Steve admitted, blowing out an annoyed breath. "I'm on muscle relaxers and not allowed to walk for a while without help."
"All because you carried me? Fuck," Eddie muttered. Just another thing to feel guilty about.
"Actually, it was probably from throwing you through the gate. Not really my best work."
"You threw me?! The hell?"
"And Dustin pulled you by the hair. We did what we had to do," Steve said defensively.
"Hey, if it saved my life, I don't care what you did. A little hair pulling now and then never bothered me," Eddie chuckled. More gorgeous red. "Why didn't Nancy and Robin help? I'm sure the three of you could've chucked me up with no problem."
"They weren't there. They were still fighting Vecna," Steve said quietly.
"Uh, explain. Because I'm pretty sure you sticking with them was part of the plan and Wheeler was very adamant about everyone sticking to the plan."
"I had a feeling," Steve mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.
"A feeling? About me?" Eddie asked, needing the clarification. "You felt me?"
"No, Dustin was in trouble. It was Dustin," Steve argued weakly, but Eddie wasn't buying it.
"I wormed my way into your gut," Eddie bragged proudly. Steve tipped his head back in exasperation, giving up on trying to convince Eddie otherwise. "We're friends now, aren't we?"
"No."
"Oh yes we are. You've been sitting vigil at my bedside for days."
"Not the whole time."
"And you left the fight with the big bad to save my life."
"I didn't even know I was going to have to."
"You pushed your already battered body beyond its limits, just for me."
"You're taking this too-"
"Thank you."
"What?"
"Thank you," Eddie repeated sincerely. There was no joking in his voice this time. "You didn't have to do half of the things you did for me. We don't even really know each other and our most recent introduction to each other was me pressing a broken bottle to your throat. I may act like I don't care, but I really appreciate what you did. So, thank you." Steve was staring at him like he wasn't used to hearing something like that. It shouldn't have been out of the ordinary, given the tales Dustin had told him about all the times Steve had been their protector. Had none of them ever thanked him for everything he'd done?
"You're welcome," Steve replied softly, his face shifting into a more delicate pink this time. Eddie was falling harder than he had onto that filthy mattress. Who knew he had a blush kink? Who knew he would figure out a kink while he was lying half dead in a hospital? It seemed on par with this crazy new world he was living in.
"So when are they letting me out of here? Or are they sending me off to jail once I'm well enough?" Eddie asked, trying not to sound terrified. He pretended to be too cool to care, but the thought of being locked up was horrifying.
"You aren't going to jail," Steve assured him, even going so far as to reach over and grasp Eddie lightly around his wrist to emphasize his words. He had to admit, it felt kind of nice. "Those government people showed up, like they usually do after everything is finished, and did damage control. Admittedly there were some talks about pinning everything on you, since it would be the easiest for them, but Hopper raised hell and they went another way with it."
"Hopper? The old sheriff? I thought he-"
"Died? Yeah, so did we. Apparently he's been stuck in a Russian prison this whole time. I thought I was hallucinating when he came into my room yesterday and told me all of this," Steve laughed, shaking his head. "But everyone is back in town and figuring things out. Your uncle has been busy working, filling out stacks of paperwork, and setting up the new place that they are putting you up in. He'll be back later."
"That's… a lot," Eddie huffed. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see his uncle again. "Does Wayne know what happened?"
"He's been given a rundown, but not all the details. Seemed like a nice guy."
"You met him?"
"Sort of. He came into my room the night I brought you here, but I was still pretty out of it. He didn't kill me, so I figure that makes him a nice guy," Steve chuckled.
"Hell, you saved my life. You're part of the family now," Eddie insisted. More pretty red. "Speaking of family, should you be getting back to yours?" Steve pulled his hand back and Eddie almost whined at the loss.
"My parents are out of town. At least I don't have to explain all this stuff to them," Steve shrugged, going back to spinning his bracelet.
"Do they even know you're hurt?" The slight falter in Steve's movements told Eddie all he needed to know. They either knew and didn't care or didn't know because Steve knew they wouldn't care. Eddie knew about shitty parents, but at least he had Wayne. No wonder Steve was so willing to go to the ends of the earth for his friends. They were all he had. Now he had one more to add to the list. "Well then, you're coming home with me when we get out of here."
"What?" Steve scoffed, looking at him in surprise.
"You heard me. Things go better when we stick together."
"But-"
"We can nurse each other back to health. I may not have the little uniform, but we can improvise." Eddie was obsessed with those rosy cheeks. "I'm very stubborn, so you might as well give in."
"I'm probably going to be discharged before you, you know," Steve pointed out.
"Details," Eddie waved off. "Besides, if you can deviate from the plan, so can I."
"Hospital recommendations are a bit different than a plan to fight monsters."
"Are they?"
"Eddie."
"Steve."
"You're ridiculous."
"But you love it."
"I really don't," Steve insisted, but it was very weak. Eddie knew he almost had him. He tipped his head down, looking at him through his lashes. Steve groaned, but couldn't resist the pull. "Fine."
"Excellent," Eddie grinned, relaxing back against his pillows. "Just wait til all the girls here I've got Steve Harrington in my bedroom."
"I'll be sleeping on the couch."
"We'll see," Eddie winked. Eddie closed his eyes, letting the memory of Steve's heated face fill his vision. He'd been right about one thing when he woke up, but very wrong about another. This definitely wasn't hell, but with Steve by his side and the possibilities of what was to come, it just might have been heaven.