𝐻𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛𖤐

.twenty-two

The group continued walking, Y/n moving around to talk with everyone and check on Eddie. She had made her way back to the rear, where her brother was. He hadn't said much, except playfully argue with Dustin.

"You okay?" Y/n asked frowning.

Steve just nodded "Yeah, just....thinkin'." He answered.

"About what?" Y/n questioned, keeping pace with him.

"About everything." Steve ssid with a shrug, "Are you okay? I mean, after seeing what happened to Patrick."

Y/n let out a breath "I've seen a lot since this shit show began, but uh....what happened to him definitely takes the cake." She mumbled.

"That bad?"

"Pretty bad yeah, I mean he was an asshole and a dick. But...he didn't deserve that." Y/n mumbled, "No one deserves that." She sighed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Steve said remembering Billy's death, he had seen it from the balcony of the mall.

He had seen the look on Y/n's face when she held back Max, heard Max's scream. Steve didn't like Billy, never did. Not because of Billy stealing Steve's "crown", it was the way he was. How he was towards Y/n, flirting with her and trying to date her(ultimately failing). How he treated Lucas, and what he said about him.

"How have you and Eddie been?" Steve asked hesitantly.

"Good. Tense cause of everything, but good." Y/n said with a nod, "He's getting used to all of this....upside down stuff." She said.

"Must be overwhelming him.......Have you been explaining everything to him?" Steve asked.

Y/n nodded "Yeah, just bits and bits. Fron the year Will went missing, to now." She said "He knows about the Demogorgon, demo-dogs, mindflayer, what happened."

"I feel bad for him." Steve mumbled shaking his head, "He-he didn't deserve to be dragged into this." He said.

"He feels bad for running away." Y/n said "He partly blames himself for not helping them, especially Chrissy." She explained.

"He shouldn't feel bad for running away. He didn't know what was happening, he didn't have a choice." Steve said sympathetic.

"Thats what I keep saying. He was just starting to accept that, but then Patrick happened." Y/n said frowning, "I don't know if he feels guilty for Patrick, or if it just reminds him of what happened to Chrissy." She explained.

"Maybe it remains him of Chrissy, but he also sees you in that position." Steve suggested.

Y/n looked at him confused "What?" She asked.

"He might see you, instead of Patrick that night. If Patrick was friends with Jason, he was probably an asshole who didn't like Eddie." Steve said, "If anything he might think it could happen to you. I think the same thing, have been for years." He admitted.

Shocked at her brothers confession, she stopped "Wait, what?"

Steve stopped and sighed "Ever since....all this began, since I found out you were dragged in it. I've been having....nightmares, all the time." He confessed, "And....they seem to get worse every year."

"What kind of nightmares?" Y/n asked gently.

"Ones of you dying, or almost dying." Steve answered "Or going missing like Will did." He explained, "It just.....I just feel so guilty, and horrified."

"Guilty for what?" Y/n asked as she started walking again, Steve following her.

"For how I was back then, for how I treated you." Steve explained, "And not being able to protect you all the time."