They weren't prepared.
The military fell within days, and Hawkins became as desolate as its Upside Down counterpart. If it wasn't for their planning and supplies, Steve feared they would all be dead too.
Even so, it felt like things could go to shit at any moment. It had been days since he had left the house, over a week since anyone had visited. It was too dangerous to travel now with the darkness complete and the power coming and going at random. It was safer to stay inside, keeping in touch with the radios.
But Steve wasn't alone. He had Eddie.
The house wasn't so quiet with him there, and Steve was so grateful not to be alone. But then, bringing someone back from the dead did bond you together in a strange sort of way. Steve had never had a relationship quite like the one he had with Eddie. It was intense in all the right ways. Their closeness was something Steve had always desired, and now he finally had it.
He wouldn't let anything take this piece of happiness away from him. Not the upside down, not the monsters and certainly not Vecna.
Vecna, who had personally threatened to kill Eddie to break him. Steve had regular nightmares about it, waking up in a cold sweat and only finding comfort in Eddie's sleeping form beside him.
He hadn't told Eddie yet. He didn't want to worry him. Someone informing him about Vecna's vendetta after his recent resurrection didn't sound appealing. Steve hadn't even told Robin, but that was more because he hadn't been able to get her alone yet. She was currently stuck at the Henderson's, and who knew who was listening in on the radios?
For now, though, Vecna was keeping a low profile.
Not that it mattered. His monsters were doing a good enough job of tearing Hawkins apart.
Steve was glad for his strange powers, being able to keep the monsters at bay. Eleven had taught him how to stop the demobats. He could reach into their minds and find that spark - their life force, he supposed - and snuff it out. Demogorgans were more complex. He hadn't figured them out yet. Demodogs were hit and miss, he had taken out a couple of them, but some had been close calls. Thank god for his bat.
So he spent most nights sitting alone in the bedroom, focusing on finding as many demobats as possible and taking them out. He must have killed hundreds by now, but it didn't make a difference. Thousands were pouring out of the gate daily, and the sky was clouded with them. It was exhausting and disheartening. At least his nose had stopped bleeding after so much practice.
He was getting stronger but not nearly strong enough to face Vecna.
Eddie found him one evening after another round of demobat hunting. At least, he thought it was evening. His watch said so anyway. He was exhausted, staring out at the shifting sky. "Hey," he started softly, joining him at the window. "How you feeling?"
"Tired," Steve admitted with a heavy sigh. "I found a whole nest of them tonight."
"That's great!"
"It's not enough!" He burst out in frustration, rubbing his aching head. "For every one I kill, five more come out the gate! People are dying out there. How long before it's not just Hawkins but the state? And then the whole country?"
The military may have fallen at the gates, but they held the quarantine for now.
"It's not your responsibility to protect everyone. We can only do so much." Eddie grabbed his hand to give it a squeeze.
Steve relaxed at the touch. Eddie always knew how to ground him. Those first three weeks had cemented their relationship, and now stuck together for the foreseeable future, it had been easy to figure each other out. Steve missed their friends, but he was glad it was just them. At least they didn't have to worry about keeping the noise down. Eddie was loud, and Steve loved it.
"What are you thinking about?" Eddie asked slyly, catching sight of his smile.
"Oh, nothing. Just your pretty mouth."
Eddie laughed, elbowing him in the side. "Alright, big boy, save it for after dinner."
"What's on the menu tonight?"
"Pizza."
Steve groaned. They had eaten pizza two days ago.
Eddie gave him a sympathetic smile. "I know, but we gotta empty that freezer. It's your own fault for having such a big one."
He considered burning the stupid pizza as it cooked but then thought better. He didn't want to burn the house down. Fire was still a tricky one for him, and it stemmed from his anger, so it wasn't something easy to control. Eddie flicked his ear as he walked by. "Hey!"
"Don't you dare, Human Torch. You'll be eating the ashes."
"I don't know what you're talking about." When he turned his back, Steve jerked his chin, and a glass shot off the drying rack into Eddie's waiting hand. "You're welcome."
"Thank you."
Fire was hard. Telekinesis was not. Practice made perfect, as Nancy said.
He held out his hand and concentrated hard. After a moment, a small flame appeared in his palm, shimmering and warm. It flickered briefly before dying out as pain spiked in his head. Eddie set down the glass - now filled with water - in front of him. Steve drank gratefully.
"Try not to burst your brain."
Steve shrugged, draining the glass. "You weren't complaining the other day when I fixed the netting outside."
"Yeah, because I didn't have to climb your shitty step ladder. I'm not in danger of breaking a limb right now, so you can put the mind tricks to bed for a while." He stooped to steal a kiss. "Relax."
"Easier said than done." The lights flickered, making them both pause. "How long do you think it'll last?"
"Long enough for our food to cook, hopefully, or you'll be doing it."
"You just said-"
Eddie kissed him again, effectively ending the complaint.
Yeah, even with the world ending, Steve could still find some happiness.
The power held until halfway through their meal. Suddenly surrounded by the darkness and quiet, they could easily hear the creatures shrieking outside. It dampened their meal, even when Steve got up to find the candles, and they continued eating in the flickering light.
"Just call me a romantic," He muttered, carrying some of the candles upstairs to the bedroom as Eddie finished cleaning up in the kitchen.
As he stepped onto the landing, his mind was assaulted, and the candles fell to the floor, sputtering out and leaving him in darkness.
Eddie. Eddie was trapped. Vines tied him down and slowly began suffocating him. Steve tried to move forward to help but couldn't. He was trapped too, but it wasn't physical. Vecna was holding him still and stepped into his line of vision.
"I told you, I will destroy him. You cannot stop me. I am coming, Alpha. Be ready."
"Steve!" He couldn't tell if it was in his mind or the real world.
The trapped Eddie was gasping for air, reaching out to him, and Steve stumbled forward to grab his hand. Their fingers met, and he fell into darkness, spiralling down a dark tunnel of visions. Everyone he loved, dead. Hawkins, levelled to the ground, but he couldn't tell by who, Vecna or the military? He landed at Eddie's feet, winded and breathless, heard his neck snap and screamed.
"Steve!"
His eyes snapped open. He was back on the landing. Eddie ran up the stairs, grabbing him from behind to steady him as he teetered on the edge. In the dark, Steve could see the cracks in the wall and began to shake. Had he done that? The taste of blood confirmed it.
"What happened?! I heard some sort of explosion?!" Eddie was looking around in a panic, only stopping when Steve turned to face him. "Steve?"
"I... I-" He was still shaking, unable to control himself as the cracks spread. His head ached with sharp pain, and his vision was starting to dim. "Vecna," he got out before collapsing in Eddie's arms. "He's coming."
When he woke up, he was in bed. Eddie was curled around his back and spoke when Steve shifted. "You should've been in the drama club. Always with the dramatics."
Steve managed a chuckle, rolling over so they were face to face. "Sorry."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Not yet."
"Okay." It was another thing Steve loved about Eddie, that he didn't push when Steve said no. He simply accepted it and would wait until Steve was ready to talk. Instead, Eddie combed his fingers through his hair, instantly relaxing him. "Rest. We can talk in the morning."
Steve nodded, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you."
"I love you too."
It was easy to fall asleep in the light and safety of Eddie's arms. Before he drifted off, Steve concentrated on putting up his shields so Vecna wouldn't try to attack him again. If his visit was any indication, it was that things were about to get a lot worse.
Eddie kissed his forehead, smoothing out his furrowed brow. "Sleep."
"M'kay."
Vecna could wait one more night.