To Hell and Back Again

Chapter Twenty-Six

Steve looked up into the shower, letting the water hit his face and shoulders. He had felt empty, tired- no, exhausted- since Eddie left. He kept replaying their conversation in his head, losing sleep at night because he was too busy thinking about his words. Had he chosen the correct words? Had he chosen the wrong words? Steve shivered as the water had gone cold. He slammed off the shower and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He'd been in the shower for longer than he could remember. His skin had a red tint to it from the practically boiling water. Eight days and thirteen hours. He'd been alone for eight days and thirteen hours. Steve forced himself to get dressed. He'd much rather lay in bed under his covers and do nothing for the rest of his life. His phone rang, which he had moved from the kitchen to his room, because he was never downstairs anymore.  Steve grabbed the phone and listened as Kieth ripped him a new one for not coming to work anymore. Steve didn't let him finish, slamming the phone down on the receiver. Steve leaned against the counter putting a hand over his face. The phone rang again, the light flashed in the dark room, illuminating Steve's face. He picked up the phone. "Keith, I swear to god if you call me one more time." Steve's voice cracked as he felt his blood start to boil.
"Have you had enough time?" Eddie's rough voice was like music to Steve's ears. His hand was shaky as he looked down at the receiver to check the number. It wasn't the number to Wayne's trailer. Steve's heart felt like it was going to fall out onto the countertop.
"Where are you, Ed?" Steve let his head hang as he waited for Eddie's voice again. Oh how he desperately needed to hear Eddie's voice.
"I-I'm at a payphone. By the school?" Steve knew exactly where he was talking about. His voice sounded scared but also rough like he'd been sick. Steve's heart beat faster.
"I'm on my way." Steve didn't care if Eddie didn't want to see him. He didn't care if things were hard right now. He didn't care if things would ever get better, he just wanted to see Eddie. Steve hung up the phone before Eddie could speak and grabbed his jacket off the coat rack by the end of the stairs. He ran towards the door, flinging it open.
A couple minutes later, Steve car screeched into the parking lot of the high school. A mixture of Steve's headlights and streetlights illuminated the parking lot, making it easy for Steve to spot Eddie. He was sitting on the stairs with his head down. Steve's head felt like it was pounding as he got out of the car and ran towards Eddie. Eddie glanced up at the approaching footsteps and immediately stood. Steve slammed into Eddie, almost knocking him to the ground. Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve. "You're a fucking asshole. You shouldn't have ever left me. You're such a dick." Steve pushed Eddie backwards, still angry for the last eight days and thirteen hours. "But I need you." Steve whispered as he pushed his face into Eddie's shoulder. He missed Eddie, the smell of Eddie's leather jacket, the feeling of his hands against Steve's skin, the color of his eyes- he missed everything to sum it up. "I missed you." Eddie pulled away from the hug and looked at Steve. Their eyes met like it was the first time they'd seen each other all over again. Eddie put his hand on Steve's cheek, admiring the face he hadn't seen in what felt like a century.
"I- I cant even think of how to tell you I'm sorry." Eddie used his thumb to rub the side of Steve's face. Steve looked around real quick to see if anyone was watching them. "I don't know why I reacted that way. I don't even know why I couldn't talk to you. It feels so stupid now."
"Shut up and kiss me." Steve pulled Eddie's face to his, interlocking their lips. Eddie grabbed Steve's arm to pull him closer.
"I'm guessing I can come home?" Eddie laughed a bit under his breath. Steve nodded before he dug his face back into Eddie's shoulder.

"You never cared. You never wanted anything to do with me. I didn't survive, you left me there to die. Why would I ever want to come back home with you?" Eddie pushed away Steve, after Steve had just run up to him to welcome him back. Eddie's eyes were cold, unforgiving, angry. He spat towards Steve as he pushed past him, walking away from the high school stairs where they were. "You're disgusting if you think I'll just forgive you."
Steve shook himself awake, looking around. Eddie was laying next to him in bed, where he should have been. Steve's heart shook from how scared he was. He sniffled, his nose was running. He crawled off the bed and walked into the bathroom, grabbing a tissue to wipe his nose. Blood. Steve looked down at the crimson stained tissue and looked up into the mirror. His nose was surrounded by blood. He grabbed another tissue and wiped his nose off, tossing the tissues into the toilet and flushing them. He left the bathroom, rubbing his head.
"Do you feel guilty for the way you treated me? For the way you made me leave? It's your fault I'm so sick all the time. You left me to die, you didn't check to see if I was still alive. You just left me in the upside down to ROT." Eddie's words shook Steve. He reached up a hand to take Eddie's as Eddie flinched and backed away. "Are you going to hit me? Why would you try that? Do you feel guilty, Steve?"
Steve snapped awake once again. He looked over to see Eddie still asleep. He looked at his alarm clock. 9am. At least he slept past six. Steve stood up and walked to his closet where he proceeded to start rummaging through clothes. He grabbed out a sweater and a pair of jeans, nothing too out of the norm. Steve took his pajamas off, replacing them with the new clothes. "Damn." A scratchy voice said from behind him. He turned to see Eddie sitting up on his elbows. Steve pulled his jeans up the rest of the way and zipped them.
"Don't start." Steve smirked and put on his sweater, struggling to pull it on without messing up his hair worse than it already was. Eddie admired Steve's body, every scar, every freckle, every hair, and there was a lot of hair. Steve looked over at Eddie who was basically drooling and gawking at Steve's bare chest. "What?" Steve pulled the sweater on the rest of the way.
"You're beautiful." Eddie's eyes scanned Steve. A heavy blush flooded over Steve's face. Instead of responding, Steve turned, hiding his red cheeks, and rummaged through the closet again, looking for socks. "I'm being serious." Eddie stood, approaching Steve. He wrapped his arms around Steve's waist.
"You're just trying to swoon me because yesterday and the day before that and the other seven days before that you chose not to be here with me." Steve's voice was bitter and hurt. He bent over to put on his socks, pulling away from Eddie's hands.
"What? No. I came back. I came back that night. Robin told me you needed time. I gave you time." Eddie's voice was wavy and shaken.
"What?" Steve turned around to face Eddie. He had to look down a bit to make eye contact with him. Steve inhaled sharply, deciding he didn't want to argue about anything. He just wanted his happy ending. "Okay." Steve exhaled the breath he was holding and grabbed the sides of Eddie's face. "I'm glad you're back."
"Babe, your nose." Eddie grabbed the sides of Steve's face, tilting his head backwards to look up his nose. "Was it bleeding?" Eddie pulled the edge of his sleeve over his hand and stuck it in his mouth to get it wet.
"Eddie, don't." Steve tried to wiggle free. Eddie stuck the edge of his wetted sleeve into Steve's nose to wipe out the dry blood. "ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!" Steve yelled as he broke free of Eddie's grasp. Eddie was laughing so hard, he doubled over. Steve wiped his nose vigorously on his sweater. "That's so gross!" Steve laughed as he pulled his sweater off his face.
"What!" Eddie pulled Steve closer still laughing. "It's not like my saliva hasn't been in your mouth." Eddie pointed out. Steve shivered at the thought. Their waists were touching, leaving little room between their chests. Steve's hand slid down the side of Eddie's neck, to his shoulder, and down his arm. Their hands tangled within each other. Steve's body flooded an overwhelming feeling, that feeling he got when he held Eddie's hand for the first time. Steve's heart thumped inside his chest as he moved his eyes to Eddie's. He suddenly felt flustered as he dropped Eddie's hand.
"I- gotta go to Family Video and turn in my vest..." Steve quickly changed the subject to avoid Eddie from saying anything about his sudden nervousness. As Steve walked towards the door, Eddie grabbed his wrist, pulling him back into his arms.
"You lost your job?" Eddie's eyes were a mix between sad and concerned. He brushed away Steve's hair softly.
"Y-yeah..." Steve pulled away, walking back towards the door. Steve grabbed his jacket off the hook on the back of the door.

Robin stood tiredly, trying not to fall over, as she sorted out movies by genre behind the counter. The bell on the door dinged as it flew open. "Welcome to Scoo- Family Video!" Robin shook herself away as she looked up from the movies. Steve approached the counter. "Hey, Dingus. How you doing?" She put her elbows on the counter to hold her tired head up.
"I came to turn this in." Steve sat down the vest on the counter. His eyes scanned the back.
"Keith isn't here. You're good." Robin assured him as she pulled the vest off the counter and put it in a box next to her. Her eyes met Eddie's as he walked in behind Steve. "Oh." Robin snarled quietly to herself as she slammed a stack of movies down onto the counter. Steve's hands fidgeted as she took a second look at Eddie.
"Can I use the employee restroom?" Steve leaned over the counter to whisper towards Robin. "I have to pee so bad." He let a soft smile crack as Robin unclipped a ring of keys from her belt. She handed them to Steve and he bolted into the back. Eddie watched then his eyes scanned back to Robin who was staring daggers into his soul.
"Hey, Robin." Eddie waved awkwardly. He knew it was because Robin was upset at him but there was nothing he could do to change what had happened in the past. Robin didn't answer Eddie. She just stared at him. "I know you're mad at me..."
"Mad doesn't even begin to describe how I feel right now." Her hands gripped the side of the counter tightly as she looked him up and down. "You were childish, you were stupid, you were over dramatic, and you were a shitty boyfriend and Steve had to pay for that." Eddie was shocked. He knew everything Robin said was correct but he was shocked because he'd never heard her talk like that.
"I know." Eddie hung his head as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Steve came back from the restroom. He looked at the two facing each other like they had just had a serious talk.
"What?" Steve said as he straightened his shoulders out. Robin pulled her eyes away from Eddie and smiled at Steve.
"Oh, nothing." Robin eyed Eddie as she slammed another stack of movies down onto the counter. Eddie turned to Steve with that help me face he had in situations he didn't want to be in.
"Ed, will you go get a movie to watch tonight?"
"He can't use your employee discount." Robin opened a movie, sliding a slip inside, then closing it and adding it to the pile next to her. Steve frowned at Robin, knowing she had said something. "What?"
"You're killing me, Robin." Steve tapped his finger on the counter watching as Eddie browsed through the movie shelves.
"You just forgave him? Just like that?" Robin snapped her fingers. She added another movie to the done pile.
"I have to forgive him. He's my..." It came to Steve's realization he didn't know what they were anymore. He didn't know if the engagement was called off or if Eddie still wanted that. He didn't know what Eddie wanted. Steve fiddled with his fingers, "He's my significant other." Steve figured out a word without putting a label on it. He leaned closer to Robin so he could whisper, "Robin... can't you just- I don't know- play nice?"
"Play nice?" Robin scoffed as she leaned over the counter towards Steve. "Never. You're my Dingus. Someone hurts my Dingus and I'll-" She stopped when Eddie started to approach the counter. He showed the movie to Steve, who winced at the movie.
"Labyrinth?" Steve took the movie and raised an eyebrow at Eddie.
"Believe me, you'll love it. So David Bowie plays the Goblin King and he wears these ridiculously tight pants so you can see EVERYTHING and-" Steve sat the movie down on the counter as Eddie continued to ramble on about David Bowie.
"Ed, I already bought the movie. Don't spoil it." Steve handed it back to Eddie, who headed towards the door. "Rob, I actually need to talk to you about something..." Steve looked back to make sure Eddie was out the door.