Steve and Eddie sat in silence for longer than necessary, both uncertain what to say to the other. Steve could hear Eddie's frantic fidgeting as the metal head readjusted his position on the boat floor, the chains on his pants rattling with every movement.

"So, uhh…" Eddie said, pushing his hair away from his face, and Steve glanced over at him. "Sorry for, you know, bottle attack."

"Bottle attack? Is that what you're calling it? I would probably call it being held at knifepoint, minus the knife." Steve said, rubbing his neck. "But, it's fine. No damage was done, Munson. And, I did nearly kill you with an oar, so…"

Eddie mamanged a weak smile. "Yeah, that was not cool, dude."

"So, we're even, then?"

"Whatever you say, your Highness."

Steve sighed at the nickname, getting to his feet and walking around the boathouse, clearing the floor of any junk that they could trip on during the night, the night that already seemed darker than before. He could feel Eddie's eyes on him, most likely studying him as he moved around. Steve wasn't really surprised, Eddie didn't know much about the new Steve, not necessarily the one with powers, but the one that protected middle schoolers from monsters. Of course Eddie would be confused.

"How long have you been doing this?" Eddie asked softly, as if worried for Steve's response, and Steve answered honestly, not even needing to ask what he was referring to.

"A couple of years. I got thrown into it in '83."

"For three years? Since you were a junior?"

"Yup. I helped Nancy and Jonathan fight a Demogorgon." Seeing Eddie's confused and horrified expression, Steve continued. "Did Dustin not go over that with you?"

"Nope. He just said something about..another dimension that bleeds into ours? One with monsters and things that kill people?"

"We call it the Upside Down. A Demogorgon is a huge monster, maybe about seven feet tall? It has a flower face with tons of teeth, and razor sharp claws. Trust me, you do not want to face one. Then there's demodogs, a mini version of them, the Mindflayer, version one and two of that one, and now One…er, Vecna. Though, I'm still not sure if he's Upside Down related or not."

Eddie shivered, curling in on himself and crouching low. "This is crazy! Monsters, curses, other dimensions? This is absolutely crazy!"

Steve didn't know what to say to that. Eddie was right, this was crazy. All of it was. Yet, Steve wasn't shocked by it anymore. He was used to the fear, to the pain, to the monsters and the nightmares at night, the terrors of the day. So, was it really crazy anymore?

Eddie began muttering nonsense under his breath, rubbing his hands together, as if trying to warm himself up or trying to calm down his anxiety. Steve hoped that it was cold, he didn't know how to help the older teen's mental state.

Shrugging off his jacket, he walked back over to Eddie and handed it to him. Eddie eyed him with wariness.

"What's this? The King is offering me his royal jacket?"

"You're cold, take it. And, I'm not a king anymore. I hadn't been a king for years."

Eddie took the jacket nonetheless, tucking his arms into the sleeves and zipping it up.

"But, won't you be cold, big boy?" He said with a small, confused smile, and Steve shrugged.

"No. No, I won't be."

The metalhead seemed confused by that, but he thankfully didn't question it.

"I guess Henderson was right, you aren't a king. No King of Hawkins High would want to help little ol' me. Put himself in harm's way for me, staying in an abandoned boathouse with monsters outside. But, then, if you aren't a king, what are you?"

Steve sighed, sitting beside Eddie and running his hands through his hair. "Depends who you ask."

Nineteen. Experiment. Soulmate. Protector. Weapon. Freak. Babysitter.

He touched his watch, knowing that the number that defined hid below it, but never going away. Was that who he was now? Or was he the millions of other terms people use for him?.

"Harrington?"

"Just forget about it, Munson." Steve said weakly. "Just know that I want to help you."

"You're a Protector, then."

Steve could hear Edie shuffling along in the near darkness, and soon Steve felt something bump his shoulder. He looked up to see Eddieg gripping a plastic water bottle, holding it out in offering.

"I don't need it." Steve replied, "You have it."

"Forgive me if I'm confused, but you offer me your help but I can't help you? Eddie shook his head in disbelief. "You are a confusing one, Harrington."

"I don't need that sort of help, I'm not thirsty or cold. But…I appreciate the offer."

"Why don't you need help? Surely you need to drink water or something!" Eddie got to his feet, putting the water down and began pacing the floor. "Look, I get it, man, I'm new to this whole thing so you feel like you can't trust me, I get it! But, you don't need to be a jerk about it! Just take the stupid water! You need it as much as I do! So, why won't you let me help you?"

"Here's a question for you, Munson! When are you going to stop ignoring what you went through by getting mad at me for not drinking water?" Steve found his own voice raising, "Look, what happened to Chrissy sucked, butー"

Eddie scowled and lifted the broken bottle that he still held. "Don't you dare say her name! Don't you dare bring her into this!"

Steve held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

"I couldn't help her." Eddie gasped out, his hands shaking, and Steve was horrified to see tears in his eyes. "I couldn't help her, and all I want to do is help you but you won't let me! Do you really hate me that much?"

"No, I don't ー"

"Then take the stupid water!"

"No! You have it!"

An uneasy silence fell over the two of them, Eddie standing in front of him, stiff, while Steve remained sitting, unmoving.

He didn't really know what to do. He knew that, emotionally, it was a bad idea that he stayed back. They were like oil and water, never mixing, opposing each other with their very presence. They came from both ends of social status, two different lives, two different worlds. Of course they wouldn't get along for long.

Yet, he wanted to make this better. Eddie was a part of the Party now, he was dragged into this mess and now none of them would let him struggle through it alone. And, like Dustin had constantly preached about ever since Steve had met him, you never abandon a Party member. You put aside everyone's differences, and learn to trust each other.

He knew that he didn't really trust Eddie yet, and Eddie didn't trust fight was proof of the lack of trust between them. Steve had a feeling that the only way he could develop the trust needed would be to share who he was. Who he had become.

"I didn't get lost in the forest and get amnesia." Steve began quietly, leaning against the wall.

Eddie's eyes softened slightly, and he let his own arm drop, the glass bottle loose in his grip.

"What?"

"I lied. To everyone, even Dustin. That's not what happened after the mall burned down."

"Then…what happened?" Eddie's voice had become soft, as if he knew that this was a sensitive topic, and Steve was thankful for it.

"It's hard to believe, but now that you know that monsters exist…it should be easier." Steve took a deep breath, and took off his watch, his tattoo visible in the dim light of the moon. He titled his wrist towards Eddie, who walked closer, his eyes widening as he read it.

"Is that…is that a number? Nineteen?"

"There was a girl, she just randomly appeared in Hawkins in 1983. They called her Eleven. She was raised in a lab, tortured, experimented on, given powers." Steve explained, studying the ink on his skin like he had done many times before, "We just call her El now, but the people that hurt her, the man that hurt her…he was still out there."

Eddie crouched down and met Steve's eyes, compassion and understanding in them, and understanding that Steve himself couldn't understand.

"During the accident at the mall, which turned out to be a monster from the Upside Down…Robin and I were taken and sold to this man. Dr. Brenner. He…he gave us powers. That's how Robin knew what happened last night, she's a mind reader now, and I…I don't get cold or thirsty. My body just…adapts. I can't even get hurt by bullets."

"That's why everyone thought that you should protect me." Eddie whispered. "You just…adapt to anything?."

Steve nodded, tears burning in his eyes and threatening to spill. Everything in him screamed to let the pain, the memories, the agony go away, but he knew that it wouldn't be right. "Yeah. I can't feel temperatures, pain, and any injury I have is only temporary. My skin's basically a wall for most objects at this point." Steve reached up to rub his neck. "But, the glass was a new one. I'm all healed up now, though."

"Dude. Iー" Eddie fell back to the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault. I just want you to know that you can trust me. Now more than ever. And…I wanted to explain the water thing. I don't need it, and if it's the only one we have you should have it. Can you…can you sort of understand that?"

The metalhead gave a hesitant nod. "I think…I think I can do that. That's crazy though, Harrington." He huffed humorlessly, looking up to the rotting roof. "Dude…this world's messed up, man."

Steve managed a small laugh. "Right? So messed up."

There was a beat of silence before Eddie spoke up again.

"Do you know who's coming for us, who killed Chrissy?"

"Not really. At least not yet." Steve adjusted his position on the floor, and Eddie got back onto his own feet. "But, we'll figure it out. We got this. We got the Party."

"And you, apparently. Man, Steve Harrington; a superhero? That's something that's going to take some getting used to."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Get used to it, Munson, and get some rest. You'll need it, believe me."

"Alright, Stevie boy." Eddie said, making his way back into the boat he once hid in and covered himself with the tarp like a blanket, sighing loudly. Steve made no move to find a nicer spot to sleep, and instead put his watch back on, letting his mind wander.

"Dude, aren't you going to find yourself a bed? A blanket?" Eddie asked, and Steve shook his head.

"I don't need as much sleep as you do. Powers, remember?"

"Right. Well, goodnight, man."

"'Night, dude."

Steve didn't have to wait long for Eddie's breath to slow down, and he let himself breath, staring out the windows and at the moon wondered if this would be one of the last times he could see it.

He had a bad feeling about everything. He knew that life was frail, that One could take that life in mere seconds, and that the chances all of them made it out alive were slim. Steve couldn't shake the feeling that people were going to die, that these few sights of the moon could be the last for someone. For him. So, he stared at the moon for as long as he could, drinking in the beauty of it, memorizing it as much as he could.

He just wished that, if he died, he would protect everyone while doing it, even Eddie Munson.

Soon, he could feel something wet drip down his nose and onto his lip, something wet and warm. He reached up, touching it with his finger, and seeing dark blood on his skin. A sudden heaviness came over him, and before he knew it, his eyes were closing, his firm grip on staying conscious faltering, thrusting him into darkness.