#the kids are not equipped to deal with this level of co-dependent insanity

[blushweddinggowns]

Eddie flicked his cigarette butt as they stepped inside, immediately knocking into a frozen Mike. He was just about to ask him what the fuck before he realized he was staring straight ahead. Eddie looked past him, heart stopping in his chest at what he saw.

Eddie couldn’t quite process what he was seeing for a second. Because to him, that looked like Billy Hargrove, on top of Steve.

His Steve.

He was punching his Steve in the head over and over again. Steve, who wasn’t moving. 

Eddie was in motion before he even knew what was happening, going completely off of instinct. It was almost like it was someone else who was unsheathing the knife from his boot as he strode over. It was someone else who cut Billy's cheek open, nice and deep to make sure it scarred. It was someone else who used his shock at suddenly bleeding from the face to grapple him to the ground. 

Apparently he hadn’t lost everything that his Dad had taught him. 

But that’s when the instinct stopped, and it was all Eddie again. No excuses. He had his forearm braced against Billy’s throat, letting his weight fall so he couldn’t breathe. 

Eddie was sure that he had never been this furious in his entire life when he screamed, “What did you do to him?!”

Billy didn’t answer, how could he? But that didn’t stop Eddie from screaming the question at him again. He was struggling to get up, trying to curse with the little air he had left and that just pissed Eddie off even more. He flipped his knife around, using the handle to slam it into Billy’s nose, way too satisfied at the crunch it made. 

But hey, adrenaline does crazy things to a man. 

Part of Eddie realizes that he should be afraid. This isn’t like him. Just because he was taught this shit didn’t mean he liked it. Steve was the fighter out of the two of them. He was the one who calmed Steve down, convinced him when to it was worth it to let things go. Not the one to slam a knife handle into someone's already broken nose, just to hear them scream.

But Eddie had never been this angry. He’s never experienced the horror of cold rage, not like this. He’s never wanted to kill someone before. 

But for now he can’t remember why slitting Billy’s throat is a bad idea. He can’t remember why he shouldn’t be feeling so satisfied at the fear in his eyes. But before anything else could escalate, he could see movement out of the corner of his eye. 

Max was kneeling next to them, hands shaking as she stabbed a needle into Billy’s neck, right before Eddie was suddenly being tackled off of him by three twelve-year olds. It didn’t scream good things that Eddie had to be restrained by children to stop him from letting Billy suffocate, but at least it knocked him out of whatever trance he had been in.

He pushed them all aside to get to Steve, barely even noticing the fact that Max had the nail bat in her hands, yelling something at a nearly unconscious Billy. 

He scrambled to be next to Steve, feeling ill at what he saw. His nose was bleeding and his eye was swollen and he wasn’t moving.

He gently shook him, praying that he would open his eyes, “Stevie? Angel? Can you hear me?”

Steve made a small noise, but he didn’t open his eyes, he didn’t even move. Eddie could feel that cold rage seeping in again, only rivaled by how scared he was at the fact that he still wasn't moving.

He was going to kill Billy. He was going to fucking kill him for doing this-

“Another reason we should leave.” Mike hissed out to the others. 

Eddie hadn't even realized he was muttering that out loud. He was a fucking mess, a mix of anger and worry and panic. He turned to the others, probably looking just as crazy as he felt,  “We have to take him to a hospital.”

The kids all exchanged a look before Max stepped forward. She kneeled down next to Billy, digging into his pockets until she found his keys, turning to the rest of them, “I’ll drive.”

A preview to the next chapter (or the chapter after) of this fic

#the universe trapped in your skin #steddie fic #steddie #steddie ficlet #violence #tw blood #eddie cuts billy's face open and thinks about killing him for the crime of hurting steve #has a whole psycho moment #secret relationship steddie #steddie childhood friends au #eddie munson #steve harrington #billy hargrove #the kids are not equipped to deal with this level of co-dependent insanity #but they do a good job of it honestly #no idea when this chapter will be done #or any chapter #of anything #ever #but it will be done at some point in time!