Surrender // Steve Harrington x Reader

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Your pulse pounds in your ears. We need to talk. Were there any accumulation of words more anxiety-inducing than that? Probably. But you couldn't think of any right now since your brain was made of goop.

Steve's fingers gently encompass your arm as he guides you slightly away from the others. Both Robin and Nancy notice, glances flicking your way though you do your best to ignore it. 

"What is it?" You ask, trying your best to keep your voice level and calm. He knows. The words repeat in your mind and you're on the brink of spilling all. But you don't. You had to hear it first to know it was true. 

"It's uh... It's Max. She's... Well, long story short, it looks like she's one of Vecna's victims." He says quietly. Your shoulders relax from the immediate danger and you nod slowly to show you were taking on the information; though you obviously already knew that. "We managed to find a way to keep him from taking her, but... It was close. We almost lost her."

"How did you save her?" You blink your bewilderment up at him and he hesitates a moment, frowning as he looks at you. "It-- Are you not. Did you not hear what I said? Max almost died."

I'm not shocked enough. 

"No, I'm sorry, it's just been a crazy few days." You attempt an explanation, running a hand over your face. "And I haven't slept so nothing is really going in right now. You saved her though, right? That's the most important thing."

"Yeah." He agrees though he doesn't look completely convinced, a skeptical glance dancing over your features. "It was music. Music got her out of the trance he put her in; you know the one Eddie said Chrissy was in?"

"Oh. That's... Well, pretty genius." You exhale slowly. In truth, you hadn't thought there was a single thing on this planet that could fight Henry if the time came. It was refreshing to find some slither of hope, even if it was only partial considering it was a way to stop him from taking them from where he was in the Upside Down. There was nothing yet that you knew of that could stop him if he came here.

 "It's pretty cool, yeah. Robin and Nancy figured it out." The latter name makes you bristle. You couldn't help it. The others had begun to discuss what happened with Eddie last night, and you suddenly had no inclination to continue the conversation over how cool and genius Nancy was. "We should-" You say without finishing, leaving his side to return to the group.

You take a seat on the floor near Eddie as he speaks, chiming in when he forgot little details. "When I got to the shore, I tried calling you guys but my walkie was busted, man." He tells them, handing you a canteen of water which you take quickly. All night running without a drink had left you feeling a little dehydrated. Steve stands close to you, eyes moving between you and your new friend. "So, uh.. I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran." 

"We ran." You correct. "And there's no shame in it. There was nothing we could have done."

He manages a small smile at that. You liked Eddie now; not in the romantic way of course - your heart would always belong to Steve. No matter who his belonged to. But Eddie was kind and sweet, you saw that through the shell of toughness that he'd built up around himself. 

You saw it in the way he cared enough to know something had made you sad. In the way he'd given you his jacket to warm you up without a second thought for himself. In the way he lit up when talking about the things he loved. He didn't deserve any of this. Any of the crap he was being put through - hell, none of the people here in this circle did. They were so desperately good that it killed you to know you'd been a part of potentially ruining their lives.

So you liked to think perhaps Eddie could be a friend. Another friend like Robin. Once all this was over, of course, and if by the end of it you weren't... You know. Dead.