Beyond the Battle: Action & Consequence (Steddie, Stranger Things)

Chapter 22: An Ordinary Morning?

Max had given him a smile and a wave as he and El were ushered out of the hospital room. The doctors had been discussing removing one of Max's casts so they could x-ray her arm to see if splints were necessary anymore. It wasn't as if he could just step in and tell them anything, so he just hoped they didn't keep her waiting too long. Max was likely to find some power tools and do it herself if the professionals took too much time. 

Joyce had also invited him back to the Hopper/Byers residence for a large breakfast, but he had politely declined. He was flying high and he was kind of hoping that maybe Eddie would be interested in celebrating his success. He'd vaguely planned on food in there somewhere as well, but he'd taken one of his shakes with him and hadn't needed to use anywhere near the energy he had the previous day, so that was secondary on his agenda.

"Thanks, Joyce," he said as she pulled up in front of his house. "See you later, El."

"Bye, Steve," El replied with a big smile.

"Make sure to eat something," Joyce told him in her motherly tone.

"First thing on the list," he fibbed with a smile of his own.

He gave them a wave as he let himself in, kicking his shoes off and heading for the kitchen, hoping to find Eddie where he had left him a couple of hours previously. Who he actually found was Wayne, sitting at the table reading a newspaper.

"Good morning, Mr ... Wayne," he greeted, correcting himself at the last second.

"Mornin'," Wayne replied, taking a sip from a mug Steve was sure did not come from his house.

"Find everything you need?" he asked, placing his backpack on one of the chairs, and taking out the sports bottle from inside.

Moving over to the sink, he turned on the tap so he could wash it out.

"Eddie showed me," Wayne replied. "Nice kitchen you have here."

"Both my grandmas are big on food," Steve explained as he used a little dish soap on his bottle. "My mom likes to cook too, she just doesn't get much time these days. I guess I inherited the gene too, so the kitchen gets a lot of use."

Wayne made a humming sound.

"Eddie not around?" Steve asked as he walked over to where the coffee pot was three-quarters full.

"Went a bit of a funny colour and said he needed to lie down," Wayne replied. "Told me not to worry, it was just an after effect of something that happened that he couldn't talk about, an' the doctors had given him a clean bill of health. That true?"

Steve did his very best not to let his instant worry show, grabbing himself a mug and filling it from the coffee pot before turning round.

"If it's what I think it is, then yes," he replied, hoping that he was pulling off nonchalant. "But I'm guessing that isn't going to stop either of us worrying anyway."

"Yep," Wayne said.

Steve took a sip of the coffee and was thrown out of his worry by the shock of the taste.

"Did you change out the coffee?" he asked, taking another sip. "God this is good."

"Nope," Wayne said, "just did what I always do."

"Then I think you worked a miracle," he decided. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check on Eddie."

"Be seein' ya," Wayne replied, going back to his paper.

Taking his coffee, Steve walked out of the room trying to look as if he was in no hurry. Once he was through the door, he sped up. He left the coffee on the table on the landing at the top of the stairs and hurried into his bedroom.