Eddie hated storms. Ever since that fateful night in the upside-down, the flash of lightning or the sound of thunder always transported him back. Most of the time, he could blast music to drown out the noise, and the lights hid the flashing, but when a power cut happened during the worst of the storms, it was bad. Only the rising sun let Eddie know that it was over, that he was still alive.

Normally, he was alone when it happened. Wayne still worked nights, and their new home was in a quieter part of Hawkins—an actual house with two stories. It had been years since Eddie had lived on a street with a name, and sometimes, he missed the noise of the trailer park, with people yelling, dogs barking, and loud music. Now, there was only silence, broken sometimes by a car driving past.

Then Steve started stopping over. At first, he claimed to be checking up on Eddie, like he did everyone else, but then Steve's visits became longer and more frequent. He often stayed the night now, which Eddie preferred because it was easier to sleep with someone else around, someone who understood why Eddie needed a light on in the dark.

The storm that hit one night was bad, the worst Eddie could remember and it hadn't been forecasted. So he was surprised when someone knocked on the door urgently, opening it to find a wide-eyed, soaked-through Steve. "Jesus Christ, get in here."

"Thanks." Once he was inside, Steve shook his head, soaking Eddie, and grinned. "Sorry. Did you know it's raining?"

"Ha ha," Eddie replied dryly, wiping his arms. "Why are you driving around in a storm?"

"Kinda came out of nowhere." Steve was dripping all over the hallway, and Eddie had to step back to avoid getting his feet wet.

"Let's get you changed."

Steve had plenty of his clothes at Eddie's, so he changed quickly in the bathroom, leaving his old clothes out to dry. They settled on the couch, deciding on Star Wars to kill the time. They were halfway through A New Hope when the power cut off. Plunged into total darkness, Eddie jumped and scrambled closer to Steve, practically climbing into his lap.

"Whoa, whoa, Eddie! It's okay, man. It's just a power cut."

"Uh-huh, yep, just a power cut."

Steve squeezed his arm and got up. "You got any flashlights?"

"Kitchen, maybe?"

Eddie waited on the couch, listening to Steve, who stumbled around, opening drawers and rummaging. Finally, he heard a little, "Ah-ha!" And light appeared in the kitchen, the small beam swinging around to blind him momentarily. "Sorry," Steve laughed, hurrying back over as Eddie blinked rapidly to get rid of the dancing spots in his vision. "That's better."

"Did you have to blind me?"

"I said I was sorry!"

A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room, making them both jump again. A few seconds later, thunder rumbled loudly outside, making Eddie shudder and move closer to Steve.

"You okay?" Steve asked softly.

"Totally. Never liked storms."

"Yeah. Bet that's a whole lot worse after everything."

Eddie laughed and would deny for the rest of his life that it turned into a shriek at the second, louder crash of thunder. Where the fuck was the lightning?

The flashlight tumbled from Steve's hands when Eddie landed on him, the beam strobing as it rolled across the floor. They almost fell off the couch, but Steve managed to steady them, arms wrapped firmly around Eddie. "How about we lay down, hmm? You got any blankets around?"

Pulling one off the back of the couch, Eddie was more than happy to curl up under it, pressed between Steve and the couch. In the relative quiet, he could hear the rain lashing outside and the loud thumping of Steve's heart. "Scared?"

"No. Nervous."

"Houses don't blow away in storms. Not like trailers."

"Never said it was because of the storm." Steve's fingers carded through Eddie's hair, soothing him. Listening to Steve's heart calm, Eddie found himself relaxing, and with his face hidden, he couldn't see the lightning. The next time there was thunder, it sounded quieter. "Looks like it's going away."

Over the next hour, the rain slowed. Eddie wasn't sure when it stopped because he dozed off, only waking when Steve got up. "Steve?" He mumbled, opening one eye to watch him cross the room and peer outside.

"It's fine, Eddie. The storm's over." The lights flickered back on, and Steve turned to grin at him. "Hey there, sleepy head. Wanna move this to your room?"

Eddie held out his arms, and Steve helped him up, guiding him to bed. Falling on it heavily, Eddie scooted over to make space and patted the bed. "Stay."

When Steve slid in beside him, it was easy to find sleep again.

Storms weren't so bad, as long as Steve was there.