Steve's running. He remembers that much. There's a lot of adrenaline coursing through him, maybe that's why he has no memory of why he's covered in blood?
Doesn't matter. Nothing has mattered, since he saw Eddie. He only just double-backed after going though hordes of shit to find some of the others, when he spots Dustin in the cavernous mouth of an opening, frantically pulling at something on the ground.
He just knows it's Eddie. It's in his chest, his blood and his heart and his brain is screaming while outside there's no noise except for the sounds of the Upside Down as he slams himself down beside him, grabbing the guitarist's hand.
It's freezing cold, but he pretends it's still warm as unfocused eyes gaze up at him away from where they were keeping watch of Dustin, hazy and soft and not right, just /not right/.
"You're either the prettiest angel I've ever seen-" The voice harshly whispers as blood bubbles up from between his lips. "-or you're Steve Harrington come to say goodbye. I don't know which would be better. Or worse."
Steve chokes out a breath at the statement and it's acidic, fiery and fury-filled as everything is just so wrong. "Shut up Munson and don't talk. Save your strength."
Eddie, the shit of a guy, just smiles up at him, bloody teeth on show. "Oh, I'm done for."
Stop talking! Don't you ever listen?" Steve attempts to get a word in somehow to just make Eddie be quiet, but it doesn't work as Eddie keeps going. "You're so beautiful…"
Steve's drowning now, internally, because he just can't bear it. He can't lose another person he cares about, would live for, would die for, do anything for. He can't.
Instead of throwing a fit and making his own wounds worse, he tends to the fallen despite his protests, wiping the blood that is slowly taking over Eddie's lips as Dustin watches on, broken as he is.
"You- yeah, you too man-" He touches Eddie's head gently. "-but, please. Seriously, don't talk right now. It's going to be okay. Just breathe."
"Okay." Eddie, thank Christ, finally listens and heaves a sigh that sends shudders of doom and despite though Steve before he closes his eyes.
And that's the last thing he ever does.