Three's A Crowd? (Eddie Munson/ Steve Harrington x OC)

10

"Back where it all started," Eddie smiled as they both attempted to shake off the water that began to freeze them. "I'm still mad at you," Carrie sighed to him. "Yeah, well," Eddie was lost for words as he took off his jacket placing it around Carrie shoulders. "You know your jacket is also wet?" she smiled, why couldn't she stay mad at him. "Well, the thought was there," he attempted to cheer her up. "You know Steve told me he likes me before I left," Carrie looked down as she scuffed her shoe with the dirt. "Oh yeah?" Eddie tried not to burst with jealousy, but he had already pissed her off with that shit earlier. "Yeah, then right after he told me that he thought I could be saved by Madonna," she laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. "I think he wants to like me, but-" Carrie began but Eddie cut her off. "He does like you, I can tell, the way he looks at you," Eddie shook his head. "But he loves Nancy, he's just lying to himself," Carrie replied. "I dont want to be the one you choose because he didn't choose you," Eddie spoke. "I- you're not. Who am I with right now?" Carrie asked him. Eddie smiled. "We need to get someway to tell the rest of the group where we are," Eddie spoke clearly. "I could just go and tell them," Carrie replied. "Woah there, you heard Jason, he saw you and thinks we did this together, your name will be straight in some police report by now," Eddie scrunched his nose, cringing at the fact they were both now runaways. "Wait here, there's a building sight near here, I'll nab a radio and ill come straight back to you," he stood up, she went to stand with him but he pushed her to sit back down. "I'll come straight back to you," he smiled.

Being alone gave Carrie time to think, for some reason she felt safe even if she was in some woods. She supposed its because this is where she met Eddie so it had the sort of Aura of safety around it. True to his word Eddie was quick and came back with a radio in his hand. She watched as he began to speak into it, "Dustin, can you hear me? Wheeler?" he spoke down the radio, Carrie rolled her eyes at the end of his sentence but he just brushed his thumb on her chin. "Hey, I've already told you who I choose," he winking reassuring her. "Holy shit, Eddie man are you okay?" Dustins voice sounded down the radio. "Nah man, we're pretty far from okay," Eddie looked at Carrie. "We?" Dustin questioned, "Carrie, she's still with you?" Dustin asked rushed. "Yeah, she's here, she's safe," Eddie smiled at her. "Where are you?" Dustin asked. "Erm, Skull Rock, do you know it?" Eddie asked, the pair could hear in the background as Steve told they group that he knew where it was. "Hold tight, we're coming!" Were Dustins last words before the signal cut out. Eddie looked at Carrie expectantly, "No, before you ask I never came here with Steve, I'm not the reason he knows this place," she explained.

The pair heard rustling, "Boom there she is Henderson! Bada bing, bada boom. In your face man, in your stupid, cocky, little face," Steve spoke through the trees, "you just can't admit when you're wrong, you little butthead," Steve finished. Eddie jumped down from the rock he and Carrie were sat on, "I concur Dustin Henderson, you are a total butthead," Eddie smiled. "Hey that's my brother you're talking about," Carrie laughed as she greeted Steve who hugged her tightly. "Jesus, we thought you were a goner Eddie," Dustin smiled, thrilled his friend was okay, tightly hugging him. Eddie smiled, as did Carrie at the relationship between Dustin and Eddie. "Im also fine," Carrie shook her head at her brother. The rest of the group followed. "I told you id be fine," she smiled to them. "I dont think I would of been without you coming," Eddie smil ed at her. "At least you're not the only runaway in town now," she shook her head. "You're a what?" both Steve and Dustin questioned. "Jason, he was there and he was going to hit Eddie with this bat," she motioned to the bat on the floor, "then there was this whole thing and he said he thinks me and Eddie are working together, with Satan or something, so when he tells the police that," she paused, "suspect number two, at your service," she bowed, smiling.

"When we got to shore we did try calling you guys, but uh, my walkie was busted man, drenched so I er, did the thing that I do now apparently, I ran," Eddie held his hands out in expectation, showing what he thought everyone expected of him. "Hey, what else were you meant to do?" Carrie asked. "You saved me," she smiled, nudging him gently. "Do you know what time it was? The attack?" Nancy asked. "Yeah, no I know exactly what time it was, my walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked," he spoke, gently throwing his watch to Nancy. Nancy looked and began explaining that it was the same time their flashlights went off, that when they felt a surge of energy, it was Vecna attacking Patrick. "Now we just need to sneak into the upside down and drive a stake through his heart," Max explained. "If he has a heart," Robin points out. "A stake?" Steve looked confused and slightly worried, "Like a vamp- is he a vampire?" he panics slightly, Carrie smiles at his confusion, unfortunately Eddie notices. "It was a metaphor," Max explained. "A bullet should work though right?" Eddie asked. "I say we chop his head off," Lucas replied. "All of the above, but we can't do any of that without a way into the upside down," Nancy pointed out. In the background, Dustin was looking around confused, pacing back and forth. "Hey, uh, your brothers not cursed is he?" Eddie motioned to Dustin whose pacing had gotten quicker. The group turned to look at Dustin. "Hey, Dustin? You okay there buddy?" his sister questioned. "Cursed? No, he's just mental," Steve smirked to both Eddie and Carrie. "Wow, Steve," Carried rolled her eyes, joking with him. Eddie watched as Steve and Carrie laughed with each other, he swears Nancy watched too. "BOOM!" Dustin shouted from no where. "Bada, Bada, boom," he spoke staring at Steve who just shrugged. "I was right," he pointed at Steve. "I mean you clearly weren't look around you dude," Steve scoffed, "You're literally, totally one hundred percent wrong right now," Steve was frustrated. "Yes and no," Dustin spoke with a smile on his face. Steve threw his face into his hands, moaning 'oh my god'. "This was working when we left the Wheelers," Dustin pointed to his compass as he began to explain that somewhere along the way here it messed up. "Something has made my compass act like this," he pointed out. Everyones eyebrows were raised in confusion, trying to believe and make sense of what he was saying. "The further East we went, the more it got messed up. Lucas do you remember what can affect a compass?" Dustin asked. "An electromagnetic field," Lucas replied. Dustin began nodding. "And that means what Dustin?" Carrie asked, Eddie tipped his head in confusion, the same way a puppy would. "In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field, the needle will deflect towards that power. So either there's some super big magnet around here or," Dustin paused for effect. "There's a gate," Lucas finished for him. Dustin pointed, signifiying Lucas was correct as he smiled gleefully. "But we're no where near the lab," Nancy pointed out. "So somehow, there's another gate somewhere?" Carrie questioned, "Exactly, and it would have to be way smaller and less powerful," Dustin explained. "A snack- sized gate?" Steve asked gaining a laugh from Carrie. Eddies wide widened in a hint of annoyance. "All I know, is the last time we saw something like this, it was a gate," Dustin pointed out, "and if it is, it means we have a way to Vecna, and a shot at freeing Max from this curse," he began walking. "Hey, where are you going?" Carrie asked. The group began to follow, Eddie stood up, offering his hand to Carrie to help her up. She gladly accepted, smiling to him. Every time they made contact it was like no one and nothing mattered, like they only saw each other. "Eddie's still a wanted man, and Carrie has joined that label so we can't just go hiking in the woods," Steve pointed out. "Right, we'll just wait here," Eddie winked, pulling Carrie into him by the hand he was still holding. Steve rolled his eyes, not the best thing for Nancy to notice. "We have to go, this key may hold the answers and end to Max's curse and the whole Vecna thing," Dustin expressed. Everyone looked to Eddie for what he wanted to do. "What say you, Eddie the Bannished?" Dustin asked. "I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if I'm totally straight with you, I think is a really bad idea, but uh the Shire is burning, so Mordor it is," Eddie nods, nervously. Dustin beings to smile, jumping up and down on the spot. Eddie walks forward, walking with Dustin. "What is Mordor?" Steve asks flailing his hands. "What is the Shire?" Carrie shrugged, apparently walking with Steve at the back of the group.

Carrie hadn't realised how slippery a hiking trail would be. "Jesus Christ I'm going to snap my neck walking on this," she hissed as she stumbled past some rocks. She placed her foot onto a rock, thinking it would be steady enough, unfortunately for her she misjudged the whole step as her foot slipped, her body quickly heading for the wet ground. She let out a yelp, anticipating the hard ground she was about to hit. Before she could feel the ground she felt arms, sweep her away from it. "Careful," a soft, husky voice caught her. It felt like the world paused as her arms fell around his neck. "Thanks Steve," she smiled up at him, he still hadn't put her upright. Her hands brushed his chest which she found to be surprisingly hard. The group turned at the noise of Carries yelp, watching the scene unfold infront of them. "Steve," Nancy spoke one word, and as quick as he caught her, he put Carrie upright even quicker, "Yep," he spoke as he continued walking, leaving Carrie stood awkwardly, she just shook her head, thoughts whirled around her mind as she walked, comparing how it felt to be pressed against Steve and Eddie. That sounded less provocative in her mind.

"We're here,"