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When Eddie woke up it wasn’t how he usually did.
He didn’t wake up tangled in his bedsheets to the sound of Uncle Wayne banging around in the kitchen while he made breakfast. He didn’t hear the obnoxious sound of his alarm telling him it was time to go to school.
He woke up disoriented and cold. The surface under him didn’t have the cushioning his mattress had, it was hard and cold, the temperature seeping through his shirt and making goosebumps rise on his skin.
Gathering enough energy, he opened his heavy eyelids and his vision was blurry, barely making out his surroundings, but he could recognize that he was looking up at a dark sky that red lightning struck across every few seconds.
As his vision cleared he could see ashes drift down through the air, almost like snow. Eddie groaned and pulled himself up slowly, his entire body searing with pain as he did. His movements were slow and stiff as they pulled at injuries he didn’t realize he had until he looked down.
His clothes had been torn to shreds, his shirt missing nearly the entire bottom half, hanging off of him in tatters and revealing nasty-looking scars. That’s when it hit him.
Eddie looked around him, taking in the dead swarm of demo bats that had torn him apart and killed him, or so he thought.
He was trying hard not to panic. Closing his eyes, he pressed his hand against his chest, gripping at what was left of his shirt as he tried not to hyperventilate, focusing on keeping his breathing even and slow.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.” he gasped, willing his heart rate to slow down. How long had he been dead? How the hell is he alive? He died in Dustin's arms, the poor kid. Nothing made sense.
As Eddie looked around, he was filled with a new sense of dread along with the knowledge that he was completely alone in the upside down. It was eerily silent, apart from the rolling thunder every few seconds.
Eddie may look healed, but he felt like his entire body was still burning with the sting of the bats sinking their teeth into his flesh and tearing it off of him. Tears burned in his eyes but the need to get out overpowered the urge to cry.
He pulled himself to his feet, arms wrapped around his middle once he was standing. He limped toward the trailer where he hoped to god the gate still remained. Pulling open the door, Eddie dragged himself into the trailer.
He nearly ran to the main area, looking up hopefully. When he saw the gate he nearly cried in relief. The only problem was that the rope was gone since he’d cut it. On the other side of the gate, the mattress had been moved and replaced with a chair, probably the chair Dustin used to climb back through.
Eddie looked behind him and grabbed the chair from the desk, placing it under the gate and backing up. This was going to hurt like a bitch but it’s his only way out of this hellhole. Stepping back, Eddie took a readying breath before running forward and planting his foot on the chair, jumping and hands latching onto the edge of the gate.
He grunted and tried not to scream at the excruciating pain shooting through his entire body as he heaved himself up and through the gate. He didn’t really think through this part and when gravity did its job, he came falling through the other end and landed on the ground with a thud, knocking the air out of his lungs.
He wheezed and squeezed his eyes shut in agony, holding his stomach and rolling onto his side as he tried to catch his breath and push through the pain. After a minute of recovering, Eddie was on his feet again and running out of the trailer.
He thought that maybe he should be more cautious about getting caught, but all he cared about right now was getting to the others, showing them he’s alive.
He had to have died. They wouldn’t have left him in the upside down if they thought he was alive, right? Eddie entered the forest, it was his best way of making sure he wasn’t spotted.
The only place he could think to go to where everyone most likely was is Steve’s place. He knew where it was because of the many parties that had been thrown there during Steve’s more popular days.
Eddie would go to those parties so he could get some dealing in, no better place to make sales than a party.
Eddie navigated his way through the forest, limping and nearly tripping on twigs and roots more than once. He felt like every dumbass in a horror movie that would go running through the forest just to trip over their own feet. Now Eddie was understanding how hard it actually is.
It felt like forever when Eddie finally came to the edge of the forest, wheezing breathlessly as he stopped in front of a large pool that was lit up by a light inside of it, making the water glow. Eddie was so thirsty that the sight of the water was almost enough for him to run over and drink some.
But he had to get inside so he limped around it.
His clothes and skin were still caked in dry blood and dirt from the upside down, making him feel gross and grimy. He walked up to the backyard door, gripping the handle and trying to pull it open, but it was locked.
Which didn’t really surprise him. Rich people always locked their doors whereas people like Eddie couldn’t bother. It’s not like there’s much worth stealing from his trailer anyways.
But Eddie wondered if that meant they also locked their windows. He walked around the house until he spotted a window that led into the kitchen. Eddie ran up to it and reached up, placing his palms and fingers flat on the glass and sliding up.
The window moved and Eddie sighed in relief, pushing it the rest of the way open until he could jump and pull himself up and through it. He landed on the counter and very smoothly, fell right off and onto the floor.
It didn’t seem like anyone was home so Eddie thought he’d just camp out there until Steve came home. To busy himself, Eddie pulled himself up from the floor and practically crawled to the fridge.
On his knees, he pulled open the door and began searching through all of the food. He searched through it but found nothing that looked like it could satiate his hunger. He was starving.
He grabbed the counter and pulled himself up to his feet. Pulling open cupboards, Eddie searched until he found where the glasses were kept. He grabbed the first one he saw and walked over to the sink, turning on the tap and filling the cup.
It was barely full before he was chugging the water down. But as he drank it, cup after cup, it did nothing to satiate his thirst. If anything it made him feel nauseous.
He’d been so focused on chugging down the water that he failed to hear the approaching footsteps behind him. He only became aware of another person in the room when he felt the impact of something hard against his side.
He cried out and dropped the glass. It fell to the ground, shattering and Eddie spun around only to have something smack him upside the head, making his eyes nearly roll back as he tipped over and fell to the ground.
The palms of his hands dug into the shattered glass, pain flaring up in them.
Eddie’s vision was spinning but he forced himself to scramble back, away from whoever was swinging a weapon at him, aiming to kill, it felt.
“Stop! Stop it!” Eddie begged, scrambling back quickly until his back was pressed against the wall and he could clearly make out who’d hit him. He had a hand held up to cover his face protectively but over it, he could see Steve holding a bat, one without nails luckily, and Nancy and Robin standing behind him with their own weapons, Nancy a gun and Robin a knife.
He met Steve’s eyes that were hard but uncertain as he held the bat above his head, poised and ready to strike again. Eddie must have stared for too long because Steve moved to hit him again and Eddie tensed.
Curling into a ball and throwing his hands up over his head protectively he yelled, “Wait! Please, it's me! It’s Eddie!”
“We’re not falling for that shit. This is just Vecna playing a cruel trick on us.” Steve said, gritting his teeth as he looked down at the thing that looked so much like Eddie. But he knew it was too good to be true. He’d felt Eddie’s cold skin as he checked for a pulse, only to find none.
Eddie was dead, his body still in the upside down. And even if this is actually Eddie’s body, he doubted it was Eddie who was controlling it. He wasn’t going to fall for it.
But as he looked down at not-Eddie cowering below him, arms over his head protectively, he felt his heart twinge painfully at the sight. It wasn’t something he ever wanted to see. He never liked seeing Eddie scared, and he never wanted to see Eddie scared of him.
But this isn’t Eddie. He has to keep reminding himself of that fact.
“Robin, get the ropes from my duffle bag,” he said, never taking his eyes off of Eddie. “If this is one of Vecna’s sick games we’re going to find out the hard way.”
Eddie’s big brown eyes peeked over his arms, fearful as he watched Robin walk over to the discarded bag on the counter, unzipping it and pulling out a bunch of ropes. Eddie did not want to know what Steve meant by the hard way so he did what he does best. He ran.
Scrambling, Eddie shot up and moved to run toward the window but Steve was quicker.
He felt the bat connect with his knee and he screamed, falling to the ground and holding his leg as he held back the tears blurring his vision. His vision was clear enough to see Nancy’s gun up close and personal with his face now.
“Try anything like that again and I will splatter your brains all over Mrs. Harrington's nice wallpaper.” She bit viciously and Eddie nodded frantically.
He didn’t fight, not as the gun was pointed at him steadily, not as Steve handed Robin the bat and took the ropes from her, not as Steve crouched down in front of him, meeting his eyes briefly as if searching in them for something. Maybe Steve was trying to see if it was really Eddie but as quick as their eyes met, they were looking away.
Steve manhandled Eddie onto his stomach, pulling his arms behind his back and wrapping the rope around his wrists, tying them tight and making Eddie wince. He couldn’t stop thinking, hoping that they would realize it was him and not some puppet of Vecna’s.
Once Eddie’s hands and ankles were tied he was being lifted, thrown over Steve’s shoulder like he weighed nothing and carried into the living room. Nancy carried a chair and placed it in front of the fireplace, the chair facing away from it so it faced the living room.
Eddie was dumped into the chair unceremoniously and Steve was back to work tying him up and making sure he couldn’t get out of the chair. The ropes were tight around his stomach and he felt like he could barely breathe as they rubbed against his sensitive scars.
Eddie’s temple was throbbing from when Steve nearly knocked him out with the bat, his knee was twinging painfully from being bashed in though he didn’t think it was broken which is good, and his stomach was cramping painfully with hunger. Overall he felt like death.
Nancy started a fire in the fireplace behind him and Eddie felt the sudden burst of heat against his back, making him try to squirm away from it but Steve placed a hand on his chest, forcing him back into the seat, not like he got far anyway with the ropes keeping him in place.
“What are you guys doing? It’s me! I’m Eddie, Eddie Munson. Freak of Hawkins High, Dungeon Master, long-haired freak as little Sinclair once said. Why don’t you believe me!?” Eddie was begging at this point, he didn’t like how they all stared at him like he was inhuman, a danger to them. He would never hurt them.
Apparently, they didn’t share that sentiment, because Steve grabbed the chair and tipped Eddie back, closer to the fire behind him until he could feel the heat against his back.
“If there’s one thing we know Vecna hates, it’s fire.” Steve told him, narrowed eyes boring into his wide fearful ones.
“I’m pretty damn sure anyone would hate fire when it’s nearly singeing their hair!” Eddie spluttered, twisting his head to see how close the fire was. “Seriously dude, it took me forever to grow this shit out, please do not ruin that for me.” he tried joking, well, he was serious but he hoped it would at least lighten the tense mood. It didn’t.
“What is this, Vecna? You using Eddie’s body like some sick puppet or is this all a hallucination you’re making us see so you can try to mess with our minds?” Steve glared, face close to Eddies and in any other situation Eddie would’ve been a flustered idiot at the close proximity but right now he was just terrified.
So much for “Oh my god! Eddie, you're not dead!” instead it was “Who the hell is this guy and how the hell did he get into my house?” Not exactly the reunion party he was expecting.
“Steve, would you just listen to me?! I am not working for Vecna or- or a hallucination. I’m just Eddie. Just Eddie.” he pleaded, eyes big and hopeful, boring into Steve’s cold and calculating ones.
“Then how are you alive.” Steve demanded more than asked.
“I don’t know! The last thing I remember is dying in Duntin’s arms after being those damn bats' dinner and- and then I woke up alone and cold and my bites were all healed and now that I say that out loud it sounds… ridiculous but it’s true!” he scrambled to explain, the fire was still hot against his back and he really was concerned about his hair catching on fire from where it was dangling above the flames.
“A normal human being doesn’t just recover from something like that. Eddie died. I saw him before we left the upside down. He can’t come back from that.” Steve said and Eddie laughed weakly.
“When have you ever known me to be a ‘normal human being’.” he tried for a joke but it fell flat. When he smiled though, Nancy perked up at the sight of something, something Eddie didn’t know.
“Steve,” she said and they all turned their eyes on her. She nodded toward Eddie. “Look at his teeth,” she pointed out and Eddie’s brows furrowed. He kept his mouth shut and dragged his tongue along his teeth until it caught on his unnaturally sharp canines. His eyes went wide and Steve seemed to notice this.
“Open,” he demanded and Eddie found himself keeping it shut because if Steve saw that he had teeth like a goddamn vampire his chances of them not killing him would be thrown out the window.
Steve wouldn’t take no for an answer and a hand was gripping his jaw, squeezing hard and painfully. Eddie gasped in pain, whimpering as the fingers squeezing forced his mouth to open.
Steve’s eyes scanned over his teeth before noticing the sharp canines. His brows furrowed and he looked back up, meeting Eddie’s eyes. There was a tense silence before Steve was suddenly tipping him closer to the fire.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Eddie nearly screamed, kicking his legs that were tied together. “I didn’t even know they were like that, I swear!” He was on the verge of tears now, his heart was racing and he was truly terrified that they were going to kill him.
“Steve,” Robin spoke, her voice unsure. Steve looked over his shoulder at her. “Something tells me this is actually Eddie. Our Eddie,” she said and Eddie wanted to hug her forever.
“Robs, Eddie died. He was gone. A corpse. ” he told her and Robin nodded.
“Yes, but if I’ve learned anything ever since Starcourt Mall, it’s that anything is possible. Even people resurrecting from the dead.” she tried to reason and Steve seemed to be thinking. Eddie’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as he tried not to think about the fire licking the back of the chair now.
“Just… give him a chance to prove it’s him at least,” she told him and Nancy nodded, even she saw something in those big brown eyes that looked just a little too much like Eddie.
“Alright,” Steve sighed and he stepped back, allowing the chair to rest back on all four legs. Eddie exhaled a large breath at the solid ground beneath him. Steve stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, looking over Eddie expectantly.
“What did you hold to my neck back when this all started?” he asked, starting off easy.
“A broken beer bottle. It was all I had,” Eddie answered quickly.
“Eddie,” Robin spoke up and Eddie looked at her over Steve’s shoulder. Steve’s bat was still in her hands but Robin had a way of making dangerous weapons look less terrifying because he knew she’d never use them.
“What was our first ever encounter?” she questioned, stepping closer and watching him intently for any hesitation.
“Sophomore year, there were these guys calling you… names in the hallway. They knocked your books out of your hands. I helped you pick them up but later that day in the cafeteria I paid the lunch lady to give me extra bowls of oatmeal and as I was walking past the table of the douchebags who’d been messing with you I pretended to trip and spilt the oatmeal all over them. I’d earned a hell of a beating but it was worth it.” he recalled fondly, remembering the look on the guy's faces when the oatmeal coated their hair and clothes.
They’d dragged him out of the cafeteria and he caught the look on Robin’s face as he was dragged out, she’d been trying to hold back a laugh and Eddie knew it was worth it no matter how much his ribs ached afterward.
Robin grinned at the memory and when Steve and Nancy looked at her to make sure Eddie had been right she tipped her head in a nod.
“What’s your favourite movie?” Nancy questioned and Eddie almost hesitated before answering.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” he said and Steve furrowed his brows.
“What the hell is that? I've never heard of it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Both Robin and Eddie said at the same time and shared a knowing look with each other.
“Why do you have teeth like a vampire?” Steve asked, tone serious again and suddenly Eddie was nervous and aware of the fire behind him all over again.
“I don’t know, man. I’m serious when I say I woke up not remembering what the hell happened. I don’t know how I’m alive, or how my bites have healed o-or why the hell my teeth are like this and why I’m still so thirsty even after chugging five glasses of water. It’s all so frustrating and it doesn’t help that I’m fucking terrified right now!” Eddie said, overwhelmed suddenly with everything and feeling that stinging behind his eyes again.
Steve seemed to be mulling over something.
“What was the last thing I said to you?” Steve questioned. Eddie swallowed.
“You told Dustin and I not to be heroes. I told you to make Vecna pay,” he said, voice certain because he remembered that had not been what he wanted to tell Steve. He’d wanted to tell him everything, how much he cared about him, not to die because he didn’t know if he’d be able to handle it. He wanted to confess his feelings but like usual, he was too scared and backed out at the last second like a coward.
“And why the hell did you not listen to what I said?” Steve’s voice was hard, accusing.
“Dustin. I knew that if I didn’t draw the bats away they would’ve gotten him. I couldn’t let that happen and I know that if you were in my position you would’ve done the same.” he told him, eyes pleading for him to understand why he did it.
Steve looked him over, taking him in and Eddie wanted to squirm under his eyes. Then, suddenly, Steve’s stiff posture was slumping and he was crouching down in front of Eddie, looking up at him with those soft eyes Eddie was used to.
“It’s really you?” he asked gently and Eddie wanted to sob in relief. He nodded and tears built rapidly in his eyes. Steve noticed this and his face fell, eyes sad. “Oh, Eds.” he sighed and reached into his pocket to pull out a switchblade.
Eddie couldn’t help but tense at the sight, scared that Steve had changed his mind and was going to kill him. But when the knife only cut at the ropes keeping him secured to the chair, he relaxed.
All of the ropes were cut off and Eddie fell forward, Steve catching him and holding him close, protectively. The two of them sat on the floor together, hugging each other tightly and Eddie would’ve been embarrassed about crying into Steve’s shirt in any other situation but right now he was so exhausted and overwhelmed.
Suddenly more arms were around him and he recognized them as Nancy and Robins. He melted more into their embraces and he was sobbing at this point. Steve was apologizing repeatedly for hurting him and for leaving him in the upside down.
“We thought you were gone, I’m so sorry Eds. I’m sorry for hurting you. I was just scared.” he apologized repeatedly while kissing his hair and holding him tight. Robin kept saying how happy she was that he was okay and Nancy just hugged him, words too much right now.
Eventually, they all pulled away and the fireplace was turned off. Eddie stayed in Steve’s arms, on the verge of falling asleep but the grumbling and twisting pain in his stomach kept him awake and moaning in misery.
“Shit, you’re probably hungry. You’ve been gone for nearly two weeks.” Steve told him and at the revelation of how long he’d been dead, Eddie almost spiralled all over again. He only buried his face deeper into Steve’s sweater.
Nancy and Robin left to the kitchen to try and find something for him to eat but Eddie shook his head.
“Nothing works, I drank so much water and I’m still so thirsty. The smell of food makes me feel like I’m gonna yack.” Eddie groaned and nearly sighed at the feeling of Steve’s fingers carding through his knotted hair.
“I need to shower, I feel disgusting.” he cringed and Steve nodded.
“Okay, let’s get you cleaned up while the girls find something for you to eat,” he said and moved. Eddie made a sound of protest which was stupid because he wants to get cleaned up but that means he has to leave Steve’s embrace.
Turns out he didn’t because Steve only reached down and scooped him up, cradling him close to his chest and Eddie really questioned how strong Steve actually was because he was carrying Eddie like he weighed nothing.
Steve informed Robin and Nancy of their whereabouts and they nodded. Steve brought him up the stairs and into a fancy-looking bathroom that had a large bath and two sinks on one counter. Rich people, you only need one sink.
Eddie was set down on the toilet gently, such a different contrast from how they’d been treating him minutes before. He understood why they didn’t trust him at first, but damn it hurt.
Steve moved to turn on the bathtub, checking the temperature of the water pouring into the tub and adjusting it to Eddie’s liking. He then pulled out a towel and set it on the counter between the two sinks before turning to look at Eddie.
“Okay, we gotta get you out of those,” he said, gesturing to the ruined clothes. Eddie wanted to crack a sexual joke but he was too flustered at Steve being so straightforward. He moved to pull the shirt over his head but winced when it pulled at his bruised ribs.
“Here, I’ve got you,” Steve jumped in to help and Eddie’s face flamed as he grabbed his vest, taking it off before grabbing the edge of his torn hellfire shirt and pulling it up over his head. Once Eddie was shirtless, he wrapped his arms around his middle self consciously, covering scars and bruises from Steve’s bat.
Steve caught sight of the large bruise spreading over his side from when he’d hit him with the bat in the kitchen. His eyes then drifted to the bruise across his temple and he felt like a shit human being. He had to hold back from apologizing a hundred more times.
“Okay, pants next,” he said and Eddie flustered. It took some work to get the jeans down his legs, especially over the knee that was bruised from the blow he’d taken when he tried running away. Steve apologized again when he saw the dark bruise forming over his knee.
Steve gave him privacy to take off his boxers and he pulled off the bandana from his head before getting into the bath with Steve’s help.
When he sunk into the hot water he sighed blissfully, the feeling almost immediately soothing his sore body. Steve got to helping him right away, washing his hair for him while he cleaned his body with a soapy rag, wiping off all of the evidence of his death and the upside down.
They had to drain and refill the tub three times before the water was clear, indicating he’d been cleaned off completely. Steve went through his wet hair with a brush after adding conditioner and Eddie almost fell asleep from the feeling.
The hunger in his stomach was still painfully adamant, getting worse by the minute but Eddie didn’t want to overwhelm Steve so he stayed quiet, though he was sure the guy could hear his stomach rumbling.
Steve left the bathroom momentarily to grab new clothes for Eddie. He came back with gray sweatpants, boxers, and a baggy Tears For Fears shirt that Eddie gave him a teasing look for. With help, he got dressed and if he noticed Steve looking at him a little too long after he was wearing his clothes, he didn’t comment on it.
The two of them walked down the stairs, Eddie leaning against Steve as they did. They could smell something cooking in the kitchen and Eddie felt his mouth water, but not in the way that it did when he was hungry, more like the way it did when he felt like he was gonna throw up.
It turned out to be chicken noodle soup, something light for his stomach since he hadn’t eaten in nearly two weeks. But it turned out to be too much because only after five spoonfuls, Eddie was darting to the bathroom to throw it all up.
“I swear it has nothing to do with your cooking, Robin. I just don’t feel good.” Eddie groaned from where his head was practically in the toilet, Steve standing behind him with Eddie’s drying hair gathered in his hands.
“I’m not offended, trust me, my cooking can be a safety hazard sometimes I swear.” she teased and Eddie went on to defend that it wasn’t her cooking, that it was him.
They tried giving him something else to eat but nothing seemed to stay down, he’d always end up throwing it up. After trying something else and throwing up for the fifth time, Eddie was exhausted and his throat sore from vomiting.
He brushed his teeth to get rid of the god-awful taste and by midnight he was laying in Steve’s bed with the man himself, the girls in the guest room already asleep. Steve walked out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and walked over to Eddie in bed.
Eddie could barely keep his eyes open, he was so exhausted and hungry and a part of him felt like if he fell asleep before finding something to satiate this hunger, he may not wake up.
Suddenly, he felt a warm hand cupping his cheek and he tiredly looked up at Steve who was looking down at him with soft sad eyes.
“Still hungry?” he asked sympathetically and Eddie nodded sluggishly.
“Very…” he said weakly and Steve sat down next to where he was laying, his expression thoughtful like he had an idea but he didn't know whether to voice it. Eddie picked up on it.
“What is it? Your thinking face makes you look constipated.” he nudged Steve tiredly and earned a small smile before his expression was serious again.
“I think I know how to fix your hunger problem,” he said and Eddie perked up a bit.
“How?”
“Well, I haven’t forgotten about your teeth,” he pointed out, lifting Eddie’s upper lip slightly to reveal one pointed canine. Eddie seemed to know where he was going with this and he shook his head.
“I don’t wanna hurt you,” he protested and Steve shook his head.
“You won’t. Eddie, you need to feed. You’re dying again. I can tell.” Steve told him, expression grim. Eddie knew he was right, didn’t mean he liked it any better. Steve gathered him closer in his arms, propping him up so that he was laying with his back against Steve’s chest.
Steve lifted his wrist to Eddie’s mouth.
“You need to feed.” he told him, leaving no room for argument. Eddie sighed and nodded tiredly.
He opened his mouth then and Steve pressed his wrist closer. He then bit down, feeling the sharp teeth dig into the flesh of Steve’s wrist and the gush of blood that followed. He latched his lips over his skin and sucked.
The taste of metallic blood filled his mouth and he closed his eyes in bliss, moaning as he reached up and held Steve’s wrist closer to his mouth, taking his fill.
Steve watched as Eddie fed, something about it made his face hot especially when he heard those noises come from him. Being able to provide what Eddie needed and seeing him so desperate for it had Steve feeling a little warm.
Eddie continued to drink from him until Steve felt himself grow lightheaded, he dug his fingers into Eddie’s hair and pulled gently, urging him to pull away. It didn’t take much and Eddie unlatched and pulled back, his lips tinted red with his blood.
Eddie turned and looked so dazed and so much more alive, his eyes shining and Steve didn't know what came over him but suddenly he was tugging Eddie close by his hair and crashing their lips together.
Eddie moaned and melted into the kiss, Steve could taste his own blood on Eddie’s lips and he knew it should disgust him but it didn’t. Eventually, they pulled away from each other and Eddie smiled up at Steve, practically beaming.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Steve said breathlessly and Eddie grinned.
“Me too,”