Steddie: A Stranger Things Parallel Universe

Chapter 1

Steve looked both right and left before stepping over the curb and sprinting across the empty street. Robin waited for him on the other side of the road with a smirk on her face.

"Late, Harrington? So unlike you." A hauntingly familiar voice rose from somewhere behind him. There was a teasing ache to it's tone, which Steve swore he had tasted a million times before.

He spun around, his heart caught somewhere between his lungs and his mind. It wasn't possible.

"Hi, Stevie darling."

Eddie freaking Munson stood in the centre of the road, a silly grin crooked against his pale skin. Steve froze completely.

"Wow, you're actually speechless." Eddie raised an eyebrow in mock-drenched shock. He looked giddy, wilder under the orange light of the street lamps.

Steve took a step forward. Somewhere behind him, he could feel Robin's sly smile glowing in the dark. Of course she would be behind this. Robin always knew more than him somehow.

"How are you here?" He knew his jaw was slack with disbelief and Eddie was sure to make fun of him later, but he didn't care. He just wanted explanations for the ghost in front of him.

"I just am," Eddie said vaguely. He shrugged. "You're here too." He was wearing his regular denim vest, with a random band t-shirt underneath, and Steve couldn't stand it any longer. He looked too normal, too much like the Eddie who Steve gave up a month ago.

"You're supposed to be fucking dead right now...like stone cold in the ground!" He felt himself lose control.

Eddie's eyebrows crinkled. Steve could tell that he hadn't been expecting this reaction. Well fuck him.

"I buried your casket with my own two fucking hands, into the God damn dirt!"

"Ste—"

"No, don't you dare 'Stevie' me." He was starting to heave a little bit. "You can't ever call me that again."

He heard Robin get into her car. The ignition turned on. She backed off of the street and left the two of them behind. In over her head already. It was just him with Eddie in the dark of the road.

"You better have the best fucking excuse ever because I fucking cried over you for three weeks straight! 'Couldn't even handle being 'tough Steve' anymore. Dustin and the rest of those fucking punks thought I was losing it."

Tears were closing in on him and all he could see was Eddie standing in front of him. Eddie, who shouldn't be alive. Eddie, who was supposed to be in the Hawkins cemetery, far away from Steve. Eddie, who wasn't going to speak.

"Aren't you going to at least say something?" Steve was crying. Tears dribbled out of him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm.

"Steve..."

"I said you better have the best fucking excuse of your life!" Spit flew out of his mouth and he knew that he probably looked hysterical.

Eddie took a careful step forwards and Steve could see teary red outlining his eyes as well.

"I'm so sorry Stevie, I really am." He was right in front of Steve. His voice was rough and breaking at the edges. Steve could see his jaw ticking. "After everything that went down with Vecna, Dr. Brenner told me to keep a low profile. I've spent the last few weeks rebuilding my strength and training with Eleven in the new program. I never wanted to hurt you, and to be honest I didn't think me dying would do this to you. I would have come back sooner if I had known."

Eddie's brown eyes searched his for a sign of forgiveness.

"I fucking buried you," Steve whispered again. The anger was ebbing. His body felt like it was fading and he stood numbly before Eddie.

"I know darling, I know."

Eddie pulled Steve's head onto his shoulder and began to run his finger's through Steve's hair.

"I'm here now, and I promise you that I won't be leaving this time, alright?"

Steve nodded into Eddie's vest. It would be alright.