Raising Hel | a Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 16

Timeline check: sets during ST4 episode 7, on Wednesday 26th of March 1986  after the first fight with the Demobats

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Eddie feels like pinching himself. The last hours have been insane! The sole fact that he is walking back to Skull Rock in an alternate dimension is mind-blowing! When he agreed to follow Dustin into a metaphorical Mordor, he was far from imagining this.

It's been going crescendo since the four oldest of the group got into the boat. From Steve diving in search of the gate to all of them actually crossing it and fighting bat-like creatures, it's been a hell of a ride.

Eddie has always been annoyed by Dustin's praise about his so-called badass babysitter, jealous of the admiration he saw in the kid's eye. Now he has seen that bravery himself, he's not sure how he feels about it. The way Harrington tore that bat in two? Man, this was so metal! ... and kinda hot. Annoyingly so...

Maybe he wouldn't have minded if he hadn't caught the clear romantic tension between Steve and Nancy. He vaguely remembers them being the trendy couple of Hawkins High a few years ago and although he doesn't know what happened between the two of them, he can tell the flame hasn't died yet. No, Eddie's newfound attraction feels like another hopeless crush... The story of his life.

First, Kelly, in middle school, the bookworm to whom he never dared talking to because he was too awkward around girls at that time. Then Hellen during his freshman year whose closeness was both a blessing and a curse. And lastly, Tony ... they met on a drunken night and although the memories are blurry, Eddie knows he had his first gay sex with him. What he remembers clearly is how hard he fell in love with that long-haired guitar hero who was older than him, and how heartlessly that twat toyed with him.

The only lover that never betrayed or hurt him is his guitar and maybe that's just fine. Maybe in another world, he and Steve might have a story to write together, but here and now, there's no way Eddie can compete with the hold Wheeler has on him. Anyway, this is probably just his brain being reckless because it's high on adrenaline.

Although he can still have some fun with it. Something tells him Steve would be thrown off his game if Eddie got flirty around him, and he could really use some mindless source of amusement right now. Anything to keep his mind away from the fact that they have no idea how to cross back to their world without risking being eaten alive by those bats.

As if the universe was finally on his side, he hears Steve calling out for him.

*

Hellen groans in frustration and sprawls over the table. There are notes, datasheets and charts everywhere but she can't seem to make anything out of it. What was she thinking? She's an aerospace engineer, not a physicist! Reason tells her to go back to the hotel, eat something, take a shower and get some sleep. Maybe she can try and call the FBI again tomorrow before coming back here.

But leaving Eddie's place feels like giving up, so she stays there, with her face flattened on her papers. She's woke up in the middle of the night by her growling stomach and forces herself to fetch for a snack in her car. As she eats outside on the wooden deck, she imagines Eddie sitting there with his guitar and playing some song he probably never played since she knows it. She's not even sure how to depict him anymore.

She used to picture him with a large mop of hair surrounding the baby face he had 5 years ago, a few inches taller, tattoos on his arms and chest. She fairly confident about the hair and tattoos since he described them in length in his letters, but what she saw in his bedroom made her rethink the rest. Maybe he's sporting some bold facial hair, now?

The thought brings back the memory of a campaign during which Eddie decided his character had a handlebar mustache and drew it on his face with what he thought was a washable pen. She smiled to herself. They had spent the evening after in the restroom trying to rub if off and the poor boy had ended up with a violent rash. At least back then she was of some help to him...

Submerged by bleak, she surrenders to the need for sleep. The couch isn't an option since it's already occupied by her dosimeter, Eddie's bedroom is both tempting and revolting ... so she resigns herself to use Mr. Munson's bed. Even though he said she could, she feels intimidated stepping in. But the room is clean and tidy, and the bed too welcoming for her tired mind to resist.