The first thing Steve could hear when he woke up was yelling. A lot of yelling.
It was hard to even make out what they were saying through the collective noise, but he could at least recognize Eddie’s voice, “You little assholes said we were going to the hospital!”
“We will! Right after we finish the plan!”
Eddie was fuming, Steve could tell just from the tone of his voice. Though it usually took a lot to make him that angry. What the hell could have happened?
“I swear to God,” Eddie hissed, “When this is all over I am kicking all of your asses.”
Steve groaned, shifting his head. It hurt like a bitch, like someone had taken a bat to it. But the voices around him were getting clearer and clearer.
"Shut the fuck up!” Eddie hissed out, venomous enough for it to actually work on most of them, “I think he's waking up. Baby, can you hear me?”
"Why do you keep calling him that?!" That was Mike, Steve was sure.
"Why the fuck do you think?!"
As much as Steve loved the sound of Eddie’s voice, he’d really appreciate it if he toned it down a little. He opened his mouth to tell him just that, but all that came out was a pained whine. He felt cool hands go to his face, gentle as he murmured, “Sorry, Stevie. I’m here, are you okay? Can you hear me?”
Steve slowly blinked his eyes open, cringing at how that just made his head pound worse. Eddie was hovering above him, petting his hair from his spot in his lap, looking like he was on the verge of tears, “Eddie?"
"Oh thank god,” Eddie said, voice cracking near the end, “Are you okay? How’s your head?"
“Hurts,” Steve whimpered, struggling to sit up. Eddie scrambled to help him, easily lifting him by his arms pits and into his lap. Steve let his head fall onto his shoulder, grimacing at the lights flashing by. His head was fucking pounding, hard enough to make spots cloud all over his vision. But then Eddie’s arms were around him, subtly rocking him back and forth, instantly comforting.
But then Mike was yelling again, “Is he cheating on my sister?!”
Steve cringed at the noise, eyes still struggling to adjust to the difference in light.
“Just give him a second,” Eddie seethed back, his hand rubbing up and down Steve’s back, “He probably has a concussion.”
Steve brought a hand up to his forehead, a futile attempt to rub the pain away before asking, "What’s happening?”
He was at least starting to be able to see again. He looked up at Eddie who was gnawing on his bottom lip. He looked weirdly guilty like he just knew he was about to be in for it. He coughed, “A lot of things are happening, but they can wait. How do you feel?”
He felt confused, despite his vision fully clearing. He was just about to say as much when he stopped, eyes drifting down to Eddie’s chest. Had his shirt always been that red? With a trembling hand Steve reached out to touch it, eyes widening when his fingers came back wet. It was blood. Eddie was bleeding.
The sight of his boyfriend hurt was enough to snap him right out of his pained haze. He started trying to find where it was coming from, voice near hysterical when he asked, “Are you okay?”
Eddie stopped his wandering hands, holding them in his own, voice soft, “Hey, hey, I’m fine. Don’t worry, it’s not mine.”
Okay. Okay, Eddie was fine. And Steve wasn’t dying so things could officially be worse. Steve could work with that. He needed to catch up with what the fuck was happening here. It was getting a little easier to think and to see. Steve looked around, vision still a bit blurry but clear enough for him to be confused. They were in a car, with the kids? But why were they in a car? Whose car was this? And if Eddie was in the backseat with him….then who the hell was driving?
He leaned forward, struggling a little against Eddie’s hold before he caught a glimpse of who was in the driver’s seat.
Steve’s mouth fell open, before what sounded suspiciously as a screech came out of his mouth, “Is Max driving?!”
“Baby calm down! I was driving at her age, it’s fine!” Eddie said right as she mows down a freaking mailbox.
That was not nearly as comforting as Eddie thought it was. Steve stared at him, incredulous when he asked, “What the fuck happened!?”
“Billy almost killed you!” Dustin piped up, “And then Eddie came in and he like freaked out and it was awesome!”
“Yeah!” Lucas agreed, gestures wild as he tried to reenact his description, “It was crazy! He like sliced his face open and then he got him on the ground like had his arm on his neck and then knife in the other hand and-”
“And there was blood like everywhere,” Dustin went on, just as imaginative with his demonstration as Lucas, “And Billy started screaming and then Max stabbed him with the needle and we had to tackle Eddie off of him or I think he would have killed him-”
Eddie leaned over, quickly clamping a hand over Dustin’s mouth, eyes flitting between him and Steve, “I will do anything you want if you just stop talking.”
“So you won’t kick our asses after all of this?” Lucas asked, “And you’ll help us burn the tunnels?”
“I-okay,” Eddie took a deep breath before continuing, like he was really capable of an explanation that would suddenly make all this shit not insane, “Angel, I kind of lost the plot when I found you beaten into unconsciousness, alright? I was too worried about you to think straight.”
“So you almost killed someone, got swindled by kids to do this stupid fucking plan, all while letting a twelve-year-old drive?”
“I-yes,” Eddie admitted, at least having the good grace to look guilty, “That about sums it up.”
Jesus Christ.
From the newest chapter of this fic!
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Okay, so I’ve had a thought. When Teruko and Ace talk near the elevator in chapter 1, Ace lists off various fears he has. And some of them are normal, like spiders. Or sharp things in general (That one I could make an angsty theory about, but carrying a knife across the kitchen gives me a strangely high amount of anxiety so honestly I kind of understand). But the third one sorta mystified me.
Now, this line could simply be for comedic effect, since it’s so strangely specific compared to spiders and sharp things. And it is kinda relatable, I constantly worry about getting run over when crossing the street.
But I had an idea. My idea has no evidence and is basically a shot in the dark, but I wanted to share it.
Ace used to have a friend named Taylor. They aren’t friends anymore, and most people theorize he and Ace had a falling out, or Taylor died.
I bet you can see where I’m going with this. What if that was what happened to Taylor? A hit-and-run of sorts. That would explain why it’s one of the first fears Ace thinks of, since I’m sure something like that would scar you forever.
But again. I have no evidence, it’s just a random thought I had and wanted to share.
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