𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘 ♡ steve harrington

CHAPTER FOURTY ONE

♡

WALKING IN THE WOODS AT night was terrifying enough, but in the Upside Down it was so much worse. Maybe in their dimension, walking in the woods led to paranoia about things in the night that wanted to take you; but in the Upside Down you were almost completely sure everything wanted to take you.

It's why Amelia jumped every time she heard a noise other than their footsteps and it was probably one of the reasons why a frown was so clearly etched on her face that to the naked eye, it seemed she'd never smiled before. She glanced behind her every now and then to turn to Steve and Eddie, who were at least a good few feet away.

Every time she did so, the Munson boy would avert his eyes under her look, almost afraid of eye contact.

Eddie liked having Amelia as a friend. She was charismatic, kind, funny — like, really funny — and all in all a great person for company. It's why he felt so guilty for not refusing her when she compulsively bought cigarettes off of him.

He didn't know why he didn't stop her. Maybe it was because she was good business, or maybe it was because he felt it wasn't his place. But now, after finding out Amelia ignored the signs of Vecna's curse because of those cigarettes, Eddie could feel the weight of guilt and worry hanging on his shoulders as he walked with Steve.

But instead of voicing it, he continued his conversation with Steve as they walked through the forest. "Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact."

"Wait, Henderson said that?" Steve asked before pausing in confusion. "...Which one?"

"Dustin, man," Eddie clarified. "Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea... it's kinda annoying, to be honest."

Steve scoffed a little as the Munson boy continued. "I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve."

The boy just turned to Eddie as they continued walking, watching as he frowned a little while glancing at Amelia. "I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually... a good dude. Rich parents, popular, super hot girlfriend... not a douche? No way, man. No way, that like flies in the face of all the laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine."

Eddie then leaned in playfully. "Still jealous as hell, by the way."

"Because of Dustin or Amelia?"

"Both," Eddie shrugged after a moment. "Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh... normal circumstances."

When a branch snapped nearby, the two flinched causing Steve to point the flashlight in its direction. But when there was no signs of trouble, Eddie continued.

"Outside of D&D, I am no hero. I see danger and I just turn heel and run. Or, at least thats what I've learned about myself this week—"

Steve stopped him by hitting him in the chest. "Give yourself a break, man."

"See, the only reason I came here was 'cause those ladies came in straight after you," Eddie stated after stopping Steve in his tracks and pointing at the girls ahead. "Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But Lia right there, she didn't waste a second... not one second."

Steve looked over at the girl, who was currently wrapping her arms around her bare stomach. She was so afraid of the Upside Down, but here she was.

"Even after she knew the risks she was taking for herself, she dove right in," Eddie stated, noticing the amount of love that filled Steve's eyes when he looked at her. "Now, I don't know the full story of what happened between you two but I do know that I'm sort of involved."