Eddie and Steve ★

The rivalry wasn’t loud.

It never was.

It lived in the small things—who grabbed the flashlight first, who walked closer to her, who offered their jacket when the air got colder. Steve had known her longer; that was his unspoken advantage. Eddie, on the other hand, had arrived later, loud and chaotic, filling space he hadn’t technically been invited into… and somehow staying.

Neither of them had said anything outright.

No real confessions yet. No dates. Just lingering looks, half-jokes, and the constant, ridiculous need to outdo the other.

Now, in the shadowed ruins of the lab inside the Upside Down, the group split up fast. Too fast.

“Alright,” Nancy said, already checking her map. “We’ll cover more ground if we—” “I’ll go with her,” Steve said immediately, stepping forward.

Eddie spoke at the exact same time. “Yeah, no. I should.”

Both stopped.

Turned.

Looked at each other.

Steve frowned. “Why would you go?”

Eddie lifted a brow, offended. “Wow. I don’t know, Harrington. Maybe because I’m fast, flexible, and not afraid of creepy murder hallways?”*

Steve scoffed. “You trip over your own boots.”

Dustin groaned. “Oh my god, not this again.”

Steve crossed his arms, eyes flicking briefly to her before returning to Eddie. “She needs someone reliable.”

Eddie leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to make it personal. “She doesn’t need a babysitter.” The tension snapped tight between them—unspoken, obvious, ridiculous.

Nancy sighed. “Guys.”

Steve and Eddie spoke again, together. “I’m going with her.”