Screams. All Steve could hear was screams, echoing from all around him. He heard Dustin begging, pleading for Eddie to wake up. He heard Eddie groan and mumble something about it being his year. He heard Robin and Nancy struggling to breathe. He heard Lucas screaming for Erika to help. He heard Max saying she wasn't ready to die. He didn't want to hear any of this. Why was he hearing this? Why couldn't he move? Why couldn't he help? A screech cut through the screams of his friends, and he saw the bats circling around him. He was going to die, wasn't he? And he wasn't going to be able to help any of them. The bats started to swoop downwards and he screamed.
Steve awoke in a cold sweat. His breaths were quick and shallow, his eyesight blurry from tears and the remnants of sleep. He couldn't focus on anything, just on the screams of his loved ones still echoing in his ears. He desperately searched his bedside table, knocking over a glass which shattered on the floor. He heard a thump which he assumed was the receiver of his phone falling. He moved to the ground and found it, facedown in the shards of glass. He ignored the pain of the sharp objects as he grabbed it.
Steve didn't know who he was calling. He dialed a number that had been etched into his brain, but he couldn't quite remember who it was. He was still half asleep and halfway through a panic attack. He didn't know who was on the other end of the line as his phone rang.
"Harrington? What's going on, are you alright?" the familiar groggy voice of Eddie Munson rang out in his room, cutting through the silence. Steve opened his mouth but nothing came out except a strangled sob. "Steve, what happened?" Now, he sounded more awake, concern evident in his tone.
"I didn't, I didn't know who else," another sob cut him off as he took a shaky breath. "I didn't know who else I could call," his hands trembled as he held the receiver up to his ear. He tried to calm his breathing but couldn't focus on anything except the images of the upside down flashing in his head. He dropped the receiver and pulled his comforter over his head as though he was a child, hoping it could shield him from the monsters just out of sight. He didn't hear Eddie hang up.
What Steve did hear was the loud knocks on the front door, however he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed, let alone answer. His body felt heavy, like lead, and his throat raw from crying. He heard someone open the door and held his breath, trying to stay quiet. That is, until he heard Eddie Munson's voice for the second time that night.
"Steve? Are you here?"
"Eddie? Eddie I'm, I'm in here," Steve choked out, finally managing to scramble out of bed and towards the bedroom door. He opened it and was met with a messy Eddie Munson. His shirt was backwards and hair wild, and he wasn't even wearing his leather jacket or denim vest. Steve collapsed into Eddie's chest, shaking and crying and still breathing rather quickly.
Eddie carded his hand through Steve's hair as he held him. "I'm here, Steve. I'm here." He led the boy to his bed and sat down with him, allowing him to get out his tears until he was only hiccuping and sniffling. "Do you wanna talk about what happened?"
Steve sniffed again. "It was just... another nightmare. About the upside down. I heard Nancy and Robin being choked by the vines again, and I was getting attacked by the bats again, but I couldn't run or fight back or help anyone, and I heard Dustin crying and- and-" He took another shaky breath, trying to compose himself. "I heard you... I was so scared Eddie... I thought we were back there, I-I thought you were all going to die and I thought I was going to die and I couldn't do anything to stop it, I was useless."
"Hey, hey, it was just a nightmare. Here, copy my breathing." Eddie took Steve's hand and placed it on his chest so he could feel the man's breaths. Steve tried to follow and soon enough, he had calmed down. "Everything is okay. It's all over, we're all okay, Max just woke up in the hospital, and I'm alive. I'm here."
"Promise you won't leave," Steve begged, looking up into Eddie's eyes.
"Never."
After a few more minutes of laying on top of Eddie, Steve sat up. "I'm sorry for calling you at," he glanced at the clock on his wall and winced. "One in the morning... I didn't know what to do."
"Don't apologize Stevie, it's alright. I'm here."
Steve's heart did a backflip at the nickname and he laid back down next to him. Eddie started to sit up but Steve grabbed his hand. "Stay?"
He looked down at him with a soft smile on his face. "I'll always be here if you need me," He said, and sat back down. Steve moved so his head was in his lap. Eddie went back to playing with his hair, and Steve let out a content sigh. He started to drift back into sleep. He nuzzled into the older man and mumbled a half-asleep 'I love you'. Eddie smiled down at him again, admiring Steve's peacefulness as he rested. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Everything was going to be okay.
