To Hell and Back Again

Chapter Thirteen

Steve sat in Family Video flipping through an order catalog. He looked up to see Robin stumble her way into work. She slid across the top of the counter and put her bag down. "I cant take this anymore. The day after day working. It's killing me." Robin crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.
"Well at least we're getting paid a whole fifty cents more than last time." Steve grabbed a pack of m&ms out of the glass candy cabinet and opened them up. He looked at Robin who had her hand extended so he poured a couple in her hand. She popped them in her mouth as Steve kneeled down to mess with the sales books under the desk. The door dinged open and Robin pushed Steve's head so he'd stay down. He looked up at her confused.
"Nancy." Robin said in a stern angry voice. It's amazing how the slightest of actions can ruin an entire friendship. Last year they were fighting Vecna together and this year they're mortal enemies. "Did you need something?" Robin continued as Nancy walked up to the counter.
"Is Steve here? I just wanted to apologize for everything that happened." She twiddled her thumbs as she looked around the store.
"No, he isn't here. If you wanted to apologize you could have done that before Tommy Hagan beat the shit out of him. Which you caused." She moved so Steve was completely hidden from Nancy.
"I didn't know that Tommy would do that. I swear. I just want to talk to him. Please, Robin." The bell dinged behind Nancy again. She turned around to see Eddie. "And he could have talked to me before he beat the shit out of my dad!" She whispered towards Robin. Steve held in a chuckle from under the counter. "You know maybe it was well deserved, but-" She turned and gave Eddie a dirty look.
"Jesus Ed, what happened to your hand." Robin grabbed Eddie's hand a looked at the bruising. Steve immediately popped up and made eye contact with Nancy then broke it to examine Eddie's hand.
"I beat the shit out of Tommy Hagan." Eddie turned and smiled at Nancy. "He looked worse then your dad, to be honest." Steve frowned at Eddie and grabbed the first aid kit out from under the desk.
"You know what, I'm done." Nancy threw her hands into the air and went to storm away. "Steve, I don't even know who you are anymore." Steve groaned and slid over the top of the counter to follow Nancy.
"We used to be friends, Nance. I used to enjoy talking to you about what was going on in my life but the second I do tell you something that is happening, you go and tell Tommy Hagan. Do I need to remind you that this happened to my face?" Steve waved his hand in front of his bruised nose and busted lip.
"Because it's wrong." Nancy got into her car and Steve grabbed the door before she could close it.
"If it was Mike, would you still think it was wrong?" Nancy's eyes got huge. She shook a bit and turned on her car.
"Let go of my door, Steve."
"If it was Mike. Would. It. Be. Wrong?" He elaborated.
"Steve!"'
"I hate to tell you this but when Will came and visited for Christmas, they were not playing D&D and you know that. You're just mad because you're so desperate to get me back when you know I don't want you." Nancy got out of the car and shoved Steve.
"Shut up!" She frowned then grabbed Steve's face and kissed him. He pushed her off.
"Nancy! It's not happening. I don't love you anymore." He backed away a bit, "our love was always bullshit to you. It's not like that with Eddie." He walked away from Nancy's car and back into Family Video. Robin and Eddie were standing there watching the entire thing go down. "now, give me your hand." Steve took Eddie's hand and looked at the bruised knuckles.
"You okay?" Eddie asked. Steve nodded. He didn't really understand why Nancy would go through all this trouble just to tell him that he's wrong for what he's doing with Eddie. She knows and he knows that's not why she's so upset with him.
"I need to do my job." Steve shoved past Robin and Eddie to start cataloging movies. He sat on the floor behind the desk and rummaged through piles of movies, scanning them, then placing a barcode on them. He looked up Eddie. "You should go home."

Steve got home from work and just sat in his car. He didn't want to go inside but he wanted to be in his bed. He wanted to lay in his bad and not move. He wanted to not move and cry. God damn it, he just wanted to cry. Steve laid his head on the steering wheel and felt the tears welling up like he had a ball in his throat. How did things end up getting more complicated then they were when Eddie was about to die in his bathroom? How are things getting so bad for him? He felt like he was trapped in a sick television show where everyone's eyes are on him at all times. He threw his car door open and got out. Just go up to the stairs, go to your room, go to bed, and cry. He couldn't. He just stood there in the driveway. He couldn't do it. He had to. He walked up to the door and slowly opened it. Eddie was sitting on the couch waiting for him. Steve ignored him. He walked up to the bedroom, closed the door behind him, and laid in the bed.
"Steve, are you okay?" Eddie opened the door and looked at Steve. Steve quickly turned over.
"Eddie, go." He wiped tears from under his eyes. "Just go, please. Leave me alone." Eddie walked over to Steve and rubbed his back. Steve turned around is pushed Eddie's hand away. "Eddie, damn it. Go away!" Eddie was shocked. Steve had never yelled at him.
"What's going on with you?" Eddie managed to say. He also had a ball in his throat. He couldn't move. He was shocked.
"I need to be alone and you won't let me!" Steve stood up.
"Are you kidding me? I'm trying to help you!" Eddie yelled back. He felt his blood get hot like he was going to explode.
"I don't want you here. I just want to be alone." He looked for words to say without hurting Eddie. "I need to be alone. When you're here I feel smothered. I just need time to think over everything that happened. I'm losing it, Ed. I'm fucking losing it and I can't think straight when you're here. Actually, no. You're the reason I'm in this situation. If you hadn't worn my stupid hoodie then Nancy wouldn't had found out. You knew I wasn't ready to tell people and you did. She told Tommy. Tommy beat the living shit out of me. It's your fault I'm hurt." He watched as the small light in Eddie's eyes disappeared. His entire mood had switched. Eddie walked out of the room and slammed the door. Steve's stomach turned into a pit. He chose the wrong words, drove the only person who loved him away. It hit Steve in waves. First, Anger. He was angry that everyone was working against him. He was angry that Eddie was always around but he was angry that Eddie was gone. He was angry that he was so tired of everything that had been happening recently. Then, sadness. He couldn't stop crying. He would think of Nancy and cry. He'd think of Eddie and cry. He'd think of how he'd treated everyone and cry. And finally, regret. He sat on his bed staring into nothingness. Everything that Eddie had said to him spun in circles in his head.
Hey Harrington, I don't want to be alone.
Your dirty little secret is safe with me, Harrington.
I give you my heart. You literally went to hell and back for me.
You saved me.
Do you promise me that you're mine? That you love me?
Steve stood up. He stood up and grabbed his keys off the nightstand. He couldn't let Eddie leave. He ran out the bedroom door and down the stairs almost tripping. He got in his car and sped away. Where would he be? The trailer. He turned around a corner to see Eddie walking down the sidewalk. He slammed on the breaks, forcing his body forward. "Eddie! Eddie Munson!" He got out of the car and ran over to Eddie. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Steve put his hands on Eddie's face.
"You said what you felt, Steve. I'm not going to hold that against you." Eddie pulled out of Steve's hands and continued walking.
"Eddie Munson, you better not take another step." Steve declared. Eddie turned around and looked at him with tears in his eyes. "You're such an idiot. You're such an idiot to believe what I said. I was wrong for saying all that. And you promised me, just yesterday, that we'd be together forever. And you're just going to walk away? I refuse to just let you walk away. So be a man and come here and let me beg for you back because that's how this is supposed to go. If you can't come back and let me beg for you to stay then I know that this promise was bullshit. Please let me beg for you to stay. Please just come back..." Steve took the ring off his finger and held it up so Eddie could see it. "If you won't let me beg for your forgiveness then come take your ring back because if I can't have you then I don't want a single reminder of what we had when you're gone."
"Put that ring back on your stupid finger,"'Eddie walked over to Steve and kissed him. In public, in the middle of the street, outside and exposed. Steve didn't care who was watching. He didn't care, as long as he had Eddie. "This is the part where you beg for me back." Eddie held his arms around Steve.
"Please come home. And never leave again. No matter how stupid I am. I love you, Ed." Steve melted into Eddie's arms.
"I know you do, Lover Boy. I know..."