Not Real. (Kas Theory - Steddie.)

Awake Again. (002)

(Author's Note; WELCOME TO THE SECOND CHAPTER!! ART IS NOT MINE! mentions of d3@th, c1g@r3ttes, & alc0h0l. enjoy your read.<3)

April 5th, Saturday, 1986. Steve Harrington's House.
11:23 AM.

He was awake again.

Gripping the DIO vest as tears ran down his face in his big bed. It had been at least a week since Eddie died & Steve couldn't take it well. He knew that Eddie died in Dustin's arms, so Henderson was most likely having it worse.

But, even though Steve wasn't there, he was unbelievably upset. He had dreams of Eddie every single night after he found out about his death, keeping the vest near him.

He had cried himself to sleep & awake every morning & night. It was awful. Steve's heart ached, everything hurt. He didn't want to leave his bed. He was hugging his knees, quietly sobbing as tears soaked his face.

Steve squeezed his eyes shut, biting down on his bottom lip. He was ashamed to even love or care about someone he barely knew this much. He used to tease the guy so much & treat him like shit.

Why did he have to feel this way?

That stupid freshman year memory was a dream. Of course it had to be. He hated it so much. His grip on the vest he was given became tighter, holding it close.

Steve noticed that it was losing the smell of the boy, but he didn't care. All he knew was that it once belonged to him. Maybe after a few minutes of crying, he sat up, letting go of the vest.

He slowly left the bed, walking into his bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror, looking at his puffy red eyes & stuffy nose that was also red.

Steve could barely carry around his own weight. He felt awful & just sick to his stomach as he slowly brushed his teeth & lazily washed his face afterwards.

He locked the bathroom door & just sat down in one corner, hugging his knees as he cried some more. There were footsteps that came into his room & someone knocked on his door.

"Steve?" A raspy & calming voice said.

Steve didn't respond. He didn't feel like getting up or saying anything. There was a sigh that was heard from the other side of the door. "Steve, I know you're upset. But, please. You have to come out & eat."

Still no response.

The voice became shaky & weak. "Dingus, c-come on. Stop being upset, it makes me upset too. I hate seeing you like this, man. Please." She was crying too. Steve stood up & opened the door for her.

Robin. Robin had basically been living with Steve to make sure he wouldn't do anything & make sure he was okay. She had to take care of him herself which she didn't mind. She knew this was hard on him.

Robin wiped her tears & pulled Steve into a hug, the two of them crying in each other's arms. Steve held her close, hugging her back. "I'm sorry, Steve.." She randomly apologized.

"Wh-why are you apologizing, Rob? You didn't do anything." Steve finally spoke. She pulled away to look up at him, her bottom lip quivering. "I just- I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't be crying."

Steve shook his head, "No! It's normal to cry. You two were close..best friends & hung out." Robin bit down on her bottom lip. "But- Steve..you loved him. That was different."

"You know it was platonic." He was lying straight through his teeth & didn't even know it himself. He was denying his feelings for Eddie, pushing them down completely. But that didn't mean he didn't care for the freak.

Robin let out a small forced laugh & sniffled, wiping her tears as she let go of Steve. "Sure, dingus. You were totally in love with him," she teased, her voice still shaky & weak.

He rolled his eyes as he wiped his own tears. "Come on, let's go downstairs." He suggested. Robin nodded, Steve glancing at the vest on his bed as he left his room with his friend.

The two went down the stairs & a curly haired boy looked over at them with an empty plate. He must've finished his food. Steve gave him a weak & forced smile. "Good morning, Henderson."

Dustin had been basically living with the two as well, all of them each other's emotional support. Dustin noticed Steve's puffy red eyes & sighed. "Steve. You didn't cry again, did you?" He asked.

Steve didn't respond & just sat down in his spot at the dining table, picking up his fork & poking at the food on his plate. "Man, you have got to eat. Please." Dustin said as he stood up, putting his plate into the sink.

"I'm just not hungry.." Steve quietly replied. Robin was sat on the couch, curled up into a ball with a blanket as she watched TV. "Eat. Please. I don't need you dying too." Dustin said, sitting down next to Steve.

Steve slowly started to eat little by little. He felt sick just looking at food. He felt like he wanted to throw up. "Come on, just a little more. You haven't eaten in a whole week." Dustin said, looking at Steve with a worried look.

Steve shook his head, a random tear rolling down his face. Why couldn't he get over it? Dustin sighed, "Oh, Steve." Steve looked up at him with teary eyes.

"It hurts, man. I can't even fucking- live normally anymore." Steve sobbed, covering his face with his hands, crying again. He felt like he was too sensitive about this, crying too much. He's already been having headaches due to all the crying, taking pills left & right.

"I know, I know. We just have to learn to live with it." Dustin replied, a weak smile on his face. "Let's try eating again later, okay?" Dustin suggested, patting Steve on the shoulder as the older boy nodded into his hands.

Dustin stood up, taking Steve's plate & washing the dishes for him. Steve stood up as well, opening his fridge & grabbing a few beer cans. He quickly looked through the cabinets in the kitchen once Dustin left to sit in the living room with Robin. He then found his lighter & a pack of cigarettes.

Steve placed the beers down onto the kitchen island counter & walked over to his sliding glass doors, sliding them open & walked out to his pool in the back. He placed the lighter & the pack down next to one of the pool chairs.

He went back inside & came back out with all the beer cans, placing them next to the chair as well. He sat down & started to drink all the beers one by one slowly.

He left the empty cans on the floor. After finishing them all, he started to light the cigarettes & smoke them. He did this routine for hours at a time every day & would always be caught by either Robin or Dustin. Sometimes both of them.

He finished probably a few cigarettes & stopped smoking, staring at the empty beer cans on the floor. He slipped off his shirt & clumsily walked over to the pool, sipping his feet in first before going all the way in.

Steve shivered at the cold feeling of the water all around him. He stood in one corner of the pool, sometimes swimming to the other side & talking to himself.

He felt embarrassed for caring so much.

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Word Count; 1217.