I Was Made For Lovin' You (A Steddie Fic)

Loneliness

The Summer of 1987

A year after the Vecna's Downfall.

The smoke swirled around in an almost pretty fashion as Eddie lifted the cigarette to his lips. Steve, who had declined a cigarette previously, couldn't look away. It was like he was caught under a spell.

He wasn't sure how long he stared, enough that Eddie noticed and gave a chuckle.

"Harrington, you're all spaced out."

Steve shook his head and the laughed. "Sorry."

Eddie shrugged. He was wearing a band t-shirt, Steve didn't recognize the band, and his usual leather jacket and denim vest. It was a new vest, his last one was still in Steve's room. He never gave it back, Eddie hasn't asked for it either.

Steve realized he was all dazed again so he returned to the conversation they were having previously. Who was babysitting the kids this weekend?

"Please watch the kids. I need a weekend to myself without Henderson demanding I help him with something." Steve complained about the kids, Dustin especially, but he loved them. They were still annoying though.

"Fine. I suppose I could have them help at the store." Eddie smiled mischievously.

Steve groaned. He didn't doubt Eddie would make them work if he was watching them.

"Do you offer to work on the weekends so you won't get stuck with them?" Steve asked, dead serious.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "No asshole. I don't, I get off at five on Friday. I'll take them to the arcade then."

He smiled as Eddie took another drag of his cigarette. They were friends now, a year ago he would've thought someone was crazy if they said he was friends with Eddie Munson. But now they hung out. Like tonight, they were at Steve's work because he was bored and called Eddie to complain.

Eddie didn't hesitate, he showed up immediately. Steve only had a few more minutes left of his break, then he only had a couple more hours. He didn't know how long the other boy was going to stay but he found he didn't mind.

"Sure you don't want one? You keep looking at it." Eddie raised his eye brows dramatically.

"I'm good. Breaks over in" he looked at his watch. "Fuck now." He could've sworn he had a few more minutes.

He raced back inside and for the next hours he worked. Restocked the movies, checked for any late returns. Eddie roamed around and then started eating a box of candy.

After he was done he told Eddie night and headed back to his house. It was empty, always empty.

His parents were God knows where, and he was always single. Sure Steve would hook up with occasionally, less than the year before but enough.

His chest hurt as he looked around the empty house. He wished Robin or Eddie was here. Someone go hang out with.

Maybe he should get a cat or a dog, something to keep him company. His parents wouldn't care, even if they did they weren't there.

He walked around the house, like a bored ghost. He ended up outside at the pool. It's been years since barb died, disappeared right outside this pool.

It didn't always bother him, it wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyones but the demogorgon or maybe vecna.  But tonight the pool bothered him. Thinking about Barb bothered him.

Because then he thought about other people who died even the ones he didn't know that well. He felt it all and it took him a minute to breathe.

So he walked back inside and went to his room. He picked up a book, one Robin insisted he read, so he started to try it.

He only got a few pages in before setting it aside. He couldn't focus. His eyes kept darting to his closet. With a sigh he made his way over to it and looked around until he found what he was looking for.

The denim vest. He put it one without thinking about why. Something about it calmed him. Made him focus.

He breathed it in, it was faint but still smelt like Eddie.

After a minute he felt like he could breathe normally. He didn't know why it helped,maybe it's because of Eddie. They balanced each other, constant pulling the other one into the present and saving them from drowning in memories.

That had to be it. It was just a comfort from a friend.

He fell asleep with the vest on, and gripping his pillow.
~~~
He was alone when he woke up. Painstakingly alone. It was Thursday. And he didn't work. But Robin did, and he wasn't sure about Eddie.

He decided to go to the mall. Something normal. Normal was good, and he hoped it would stay normal.

Despite the others' hope that since the vecna was dead that everything was normal. They thought the upside down was closed off from them forever. Steve wasn't so sure.

He wasn't sure life would ever be normal. That didn't mean he wasn't trying to be normal, normal twenty year olds went to the mall on their day off to shop.

He got some shorts to work out in, some of his fancy hair products, and then a movie that seemed interesting. He almost felt like a traitor for not renting it from his store, but he decided that was ridiculous.

It was weird, his chest was hollow as he walked around. He wanted to stay in the moment but he couldn't. 

He ended up driving around town. He didn't have a destination, he just drove and saw a few new stores opened, they finally cleaned Benny's up.

It wasn't until he saw Eddie's van that he realized he headed towards his job. He pulled in the drive way, suddenly more awake and he looked around. He recognized a couple of the other cars. He knew he's seen them before but couldn't remember who drove them.

His stomach tightened, and his heart beat faster.something felt off. Wrong.

The moment he got out he heard a scream. Eddie's scream. Steve barely had time to shut the door before he was taking off towards the scream.

He noticed the blood first, then Eddie laying on the ground outside the employee work door. People were running away, already too far for Steve to notice their faces.

He was more focused on Eddie.

"Hey, Munson. You're okay. Hold on. I'll call the police." Eddie grabbed at his arm.

"Stay, I'll be fine." It was obvious he would not be fine.  But Steve stayed for a minute to let him draw some comfort.

He noticed that one of Eddie's arms was bent weird, his face was bruised, and bleeding in a few different spots.
Eddie closed his eyes, and wouldn't open them.

"Munson. That's not funny, open your eyes." He didn't.

"Eddie, Eddie." He yelled, shaking him a bit. ""Eddie wake the fuck up."

He didn't. So Steve ran inside and called an ambulance. He fumbled with the phone but managed to be calm enough to explain where he was.

When he got back out Eddie's eyes were open again but looked foggy.

"Steve." He groaned. Steve was so scared for him.

"You'll be okay. You survived vecna. You'll be okay."

They didn't say anything as the ambulance arrived.