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

Chapter 27: What Now?

Everyone was kind enough not to bombard Steve with questions as Eddie helped him up and into his parent's ensuite bathroom to clean up. 

"So, how are you really feeling?" Eddie asked, hovering close by as he washed the blood off his hands and face.

"Kind of wild," he admitted, leaning on the sink, and letting everything turn over in his mind.

Yes, he had helped Eddie, Hopper, and Max, but this had been a whole other experience. The others had all been slower for a start, and this had felt so much more urgent, so immediate.

"It was kind of wild to watch," Eddie told him, stepping up behind him and placing a hand on his back. "Nancy was so pale, like she was already dead, and she came back to life under your hands. Birdie is right, it is amazing."

"I still don't know what I'm doing," he said, watching the last of the bloody water circle the drain.

"Yeah, you do," Eddie said, leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "You might not fully understand it, but I don't fully understand how my van works, but I can still fix it."

"Debateable," Steve replied automatically, and Eddie scoffed at him.

He wasn't sure he quite believed that, but they were in yet another crisis, so he pushed his doubts down.

"Did you explain everything to my mom, Wayne and your guys?" he asked, pulling off his shirt and picking up the soap to clean where the blood had soaked through.

"Hmmm," was all that came back.

"Eds?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Sorry," Eddie said, blinking and giving him a coy little smile, "got distracted. Give a guy some warning if you're gonna rip your top off. Yes, they've all had Upside Down 101 and I explained about me and how I'm not dead too. Your mom is one formidable lady, I think Owens is in so much trouble when she gets her hands on him. When Robin gave her the rundown on Starcourt and the Russians, your mom looked like she was ready to kill. And I think Wayne is just glad to have an explanation for all the weird shit that's been going on. Gareth, Jeff, and Frank look about how I felt when I learned about all this shit too."

"And are you okay?" Steve asked as he splashed water to rinse off. "Can't have been easy explaining where you really were."

"There might have been a bit of manly crying," Eddie said, trying to play it off with humour, but Steve could see how hard it had been. "And manly hugging too."

"Well, as long as it was manly," he replied in kind, but leaned over and pecked Eddie on the cheek at the same time. "I'd give you a manly hug too," he added, "but I'm all wet."

"No fair, Harrington," Eddie complained, "you can't promise me things like that and not deliver. And how did you manage to make this about me? I'm sure we were talking about you."

"Yeah, well, we can do the heart to heart later, we've got a crisis to deal with right now," he replied, refusing to dwell on things. "Can you find me a shirt, please?"

"No problem," Eddie said and disappeared before Steve could suggest where to look.

Steve went back to cleaning up. He was towelling off when Eddie returned, flushed and breathing hard, clearly having been running. He laughed when he saw the shirt Eddie handed him.

"Y'know, my dad has clothes in the room just outside this door," he said, but pulled on the band Tee Eddie had grabbed.

"Didn't think of that," Eddie said unrepentantly, "and your room is off limits, so you'll just have to bow to the metal."