𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐔𝐌𝐁 | 𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧

☆ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 19

  
                       EDDIE WATCHED as Sam made her way towards Robin and Nancy.

Her hair bounced a bit as she tried to catch up to them and as soon as she did, Eddie could see that she was being teased about something. Even in the darkness the Upside Down provided, even if Sam was few long steps away, Eddie could still see her cheeks as they quickly went a deeper shade of pink.

When talking to Sam, Eddie realised that he was quite similar to Robin. Whenever she was nervous, she'd talk and ramble and so on. Eddie was the same. Whenever he was nervous or awkward he had to talk and so, he kept opening up a conversation with Sam as soon as any kind of silence fell upon them. He liked their comfortable silence, he really did. It's just, he loves her voice more than the silence. He loved and still does to hear her talk, to listen to her and take notes of her voice and the changes of her tone.

And when Eddie offered comfort with holding each other's pinkies? He'd honestly thought Sam would push him away or, at least, show discomfort but all he saw was safety.

Sam felt safe with Eddie.

At that, Eddie's heart speed up again and a subconscious smile decorated his face.

"Hey, man, uh..." Steve began again, taking Eddie back to the present.

They had been walking towards what was supposed to be the Upside-down version of Nancy's house for far too long than Eddie would have signed up for. Steve and Eddie were walking side by side and as much as Eddie was starting to like Steve and accept that he wasn't the douche he once was, he sort of missed Sam's company. Scratch the sort of, he definitely missed her company. He hasn't seen her for a year and finally being this close to her, with their relationship visibly changing by every ticking minute, Eddie wanted nothing more than to be around her.

He sighed a bit and turned to face Steve, catching a quick glance at the three girls as Robin waved her hands around in discussion as Nancy nodded and Sam laughed.

"Listen, I just, uh... I just want to say thanks." Steve said, moving the flaslight around them. "For saving my ass back there." He added, quickly patting Eddie on the back.

"Shit. You saved your own ass, man." Eddie said, refusing to accept the thankfulness. "I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."

"Ozzy?" Steve asked confusedly as they stepped over a fallen trunk.

"When you took a bite out of that bat." Eddie explained, smiling. Steve stared at him with confusion. "Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath?" Still no answer from Steve. "He- he bit a bat's head off onstage-"

"I don't-"

"You know?"

"No." Steve shook his head.

"Doesn't matter." Eddie said, giving up. "It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying."

A beat. "Thanks."

Eddie looked upfront before deciding to start talking again because really, when does Eddie ever shut up? "Henderson told me you were a badass, insisted on the matter, in fact."

It was true, Eddie had to listen to Dustin talk about how amazing and nice Steve was. Steve this, Steve that. Really, Eddie thought Dustin must be making it all up but seeing Steve's personality these past few days, it was starting to change Eddie's way of seeing the ex King of Hawkins High.

"Henderson said that?" Steve asked, a bit loud and quite hopeful.

"Oh yeah. Shit." Eddie replied. "Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest." Steve made a tsking noise with a big grin on his face. "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve."