revivalproject | End of the World as We Know It...

WHO: Steve Harrington, Chrissy Cunningham, Eddie Munson, and YOU!
WHERE: Upside Down Temba, Temba, and Personal Hell
WHAT: Steve finding an old friend, loving his boyfriend, and having lots of PTSD
WHEN: Start and middle of the storm
WARNINGS: Blood, death, trauma... That's about it.

Steve had been so sure he left this shit behind. He'd been so fucking sure. Robin had asked him if there was any of the Upside Down shit here and he'd told her no. He'd told her she would be safe. But that wasn't in the fucking cards for them, it seems. No, the Hawkins kids were tainted. And now it had come to Agra 10 to hunt for them.

Steve wanted to offer his services on the network but it was down. The best he could do was what he did now: patrolling. Sometimes with the new mace he had, sometimes with the tried and true bat that felt so at home in his hand. He had practice with these fuckers. He knew how to take them out. So he patrolled around the gates, through the forests, wherever he could. No one here was going to get hurt on his watch. No one was going to get taken by this fucking Hell dimension ever again.

He walks as quiet as he can, listening for movement or screams. Finally, he hears what he thinks is a growl and takes off at a run. It's bat day, today, and he's got it ready to strike as he leaps on the source of the noise.

"Eat nails, fucker!"

He knew the storm would come eventually. Everyone has told him of the infamous storms with the ghosts and the loss of powers. The minute the temperature starts to change and there is lightning in the air, Steve knows what's coming. His first thought, of course, is to find Eddie and go hole up somewhere; they both have ghosts enough that would come calling for them.

He doesn't get far in his search until he sees what must be one of those apparitions. For a second, he swears that it is Max and even knowing better, he takes off after it to check for sure. Steve loses it after a moment or it fades away and, confused (and a bit embarrassed to have fallen for that), he heads back the way he came. Only to see another apparition. And this one? Well. This one is confusing. He never knew Chrissy that well. Why would the storm pick her?

"Nice try," he tells the ghost as he walks to pass her. "Next time try for Robin or Dustin. But it's a good attempt..."

Steve hates this. He fucking hates this. Not just because he was actually enjoying being away from this but because he was really happy Eddie was away from it. And now? Well, his boyfriend didn't run away anymore even though he should. And if he wasn't running then neither was Steve. Steve would season himself with salt and pepper for those bats before letting Eddie get hurt by them again. And wherever Eddie was going? Yeah. He had a Steve-shaped shadow with his fancy new mace.

Even when it was in the Upside Down. God, he fucking hates this place.

Steve is walking as carefully as he can, not wanting to see if Vecna is here for a Round 2. But the rest of his attention is on Eddie. Eddie and anything that can come within a fucking mile of him. No hero shit, this time.

"We should head back soon," Steve offers. He has no idea how long they've been here but more than a minute is too long as far as he sees it. There's no sign of Hawkins here or anything familiar to them. Only more things that want to chow down on their body.

He tightens his grip on the mace.

"Jesus H. Christ. Fucking hate seeing this place again. I really thought we were safe..."

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Steve looks at the diner and tries not to feel his hackles raise at the idea of Billy being armed. Part of him instinctively still sees the angry boy who wanted to attack a child. It's odd to marry that up with the knowledge that the guy in his head doesn't exist anymore.

Gladio trusts him enough to give him a weapon. That puts him and Billy in the same group when it comes to the adult he values and trusts more than anyone else in this place, outside of his friends. Steve's judgement doesn't overpower that.

"He can take care of himself. He's...nothing if not a fighter. If I had to pick a team to fight shit with..." He pauses and accepts the truth of what he's going to say even though it feels wrong to him still. "Yeah. I think I'd pick him pretty much every time."

He can take care of himself, huh? Gladio wants to roll his eyes. Because he saw Billy. That boy was so damn hurt. So mentally broken. And Gladio can't explain it to him. It is not his place.

"I think people like that, they can be a lot more fragile than they seem. There's a point where you've had to fight too much and you have trouble standing. Some people push past that, and they can be fractured by it in ways that are hard to understand."

And he can't make either of them see that.

"For now he'll stand, since he's armed. He has claws, and that matters for a cornered animal."

Cornered animal. Pound dog. Steve feels what Gladio is saying connecting with what Robin said before and, combined, it makes him feel a little sick. "Billy wouldn't like being called fragile. But I guess...I can understand what you're saying. I can understand a little of what that might be like. Maybe..."

Steve glances at him and thinks a moment before working up to what he wants to ask.

"But you're helping him? As much as you can, I guess?"

"As much as he'll let me," Gladio agrees. "In a way, Steve, I think he needs me more than you do."

And they both know Steve needs someone like Gladio in his life. He cares about them both.

The only child inside Steve immediately grumbles at the idea of not getting--or needing--all of Gladio's attention. But after that knee-jerk response, he has to admit that it's probably true. Steve's seen the memories. It's not his place to tell Gladio about it, but he knows.

"I think it would help him to have someone in his corner like you. It will probably take a few decades for him to be able to trust you. But, yeah. You're right. He's been fending for himself almost as long as I have. Just...in really different ways."

Good thing Gladio's an older brother. He knows how to accept splitting of attention but also how to make it as fair as he can. To each according to their needs while also reinforcing how much you care about and cherish them.

"Give him time and he might find people to be in his corner without needing to reply on a guy like me. But I'm also used to the prospect of earning trust. Like I said, Ravus..."

Well, he doesn't need to elaborate on that anymore. They covered it underground.

"You shouldn't have had to fend for yourself," he says, his voice soft as they finally approach their destination. "Parents and other adults aren't supposed to just walk out of our lives willingly. Even at my age I wish every day I still had my dad in my corner. I know Noctis feels the same."

"No," he agrees. Finally, he can accept that fact. What happened to him was wrong. He would never do that to his kids. No one who loved someone and felt responsible for them should do that. "But at least here I have people like you. It...means a lot, Gladio."

He looks up at Gladio and offers him a sheepish but genuine smile.

"You really have been awesome for me. I never really had someone older I could ask for advice or...whatever. I seriously... Just. Thanks, man. Really, thanks for everything."

Yes, Steve does. And he's not going to let Steve lose him so long as he's here. The kid needs it. And, perhaps, Gladio does too.

"My door remains open to you kid. Always."

And that's the best he can give either of them.

End of the World as We Know It...

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