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

Chapter 29: Deadlines

It took a few tries as Steve did his best to split his healing instincts between El and Will. It wasn't that it was too much for him, more that if he wasn't careful one or the other would grab his attention and he'd find himself focusing on one, rather than both. However, no one could accuse any of them of being quitters. 

Eventually he found the balance. He wasn't really sure what changed, but something shifted in his awareness and it suddenly made sense.

"You did it," El said, beaming at him as he blinked open his eyes.

He smiled back. It was a small victory, but he'd take what he could get.

"One more try?" he asked as he dabbed his nose.

He wanted to be sure it wasn't a fluke.

"One more try," El said with a nod.

If there was one thing they shared, it was a need to be sure. Once he had this down, he could worry about what would happen when El and Will needed to use a lot more force.

They set up again and he reached for the balance point.

"Okay," he said and waited for El and Will to slip into the Void.

Their combined power tickled down his spine and he couldn't help smiling to himself as his own abilities answered as they were needed. It was almost peaceful for a while, and then something happened.

Steve felt Will's power spike. He reacted without thinking about it, smashing through that invisible barrier and curling his own energy around the injury forming before it could become anything serious. However, the moment it was done he opened his eyes.

"What was that?" he demanded as Will blinked at him and they dropped hands.

It only took him a second to realise Will seemed as confused as he was.

"Are you okay?" he asked, much more gently as his momentary panic passed.

"I ... yes," Will said, glancing at El.

"What happened?" Joyce asked from where she had clearly been watching them closely.

"I wasn't trying to do anything," Will told his mom in an obvious attempt to stop her worrying.

"But something happened anyway?" El asked, although Steve was pretty sure she had to have felt something going on, just not quite in the way he had.

"Whatever it was, I had to heal you directly," he added, "so I guess at least we know that will work."

As Steve grabbed a Kleenex for his nose, Will's hand went to the back of his neck.

"Mindflayer?" El asked, eyes going wide with alarm.

Will quickly shook his head.

"No," the kid said firmly, "just it kind of felt the same, except for, y'know, the existential dread."

"Can you tell me what happened?" El asked her forehead crinkling as she tried to understand.

"I'll try," Will replied. "When we were in the Void, I felt something and I kind of reached for it before I thought about it, like it was instinct."

"Like me and healing?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, maybe," Will said with a nod as he thought about it. "It felt natural."

Steve gave him a nod, that was how he experienced what he did best. Everything else took far more thought and direction.

"And what happened then?" El asked.

"I think I saw the house, only it was like a monochrome echo, but everyone in it was a bright spot," Will did his best to explain. "Like I was looking through walls to the people, even though I knew the wall was there."