You’ve watched Steve change from the guy who always had an answer to someone who can barely meet your eyes.

It’s not something he’d ever admit, but you see it in the way he stares at the phone, waiting for a call from Dustin that never comes.

You see it in the way his whole body tenses up every time someone mentions Max still being in a coma.

Eddie’s death changed him. Not because they were best friends, but because Eddie did what Steve always thought would be his job to do.

And now he has to carry the weight of being alive while Dustin treats him like a stranger. It's like every time Steve tries to help, he’s just a reminder of who didn't make it back from the Upside Down.

Tonight, the silence in the room is the kind that feels heavy.

You wake up and the mattress feels different. Steve is sitting on the edge, elbows on his knees, in that posture of someone who’s just waiting for something bad to happen at any second.

You put a hand on his shoulder and notice he’s sweating, even though it’s cold. He flinches, but he doesn't pull away. He just lets his shoulders drop, defeated.

"Crap... I woke you up. Sorry," —he mutters.

His voice sounds dry, like he hasn’t had water in hours. He rubs his face with his hands, and you hear the sound of his stubble rasping against his palms.

"I mean, I try to sleep, but I close my eyes and my head just... it keeps spinning around the same thing."

He stares down at his hands in the dim light. His fingers won't stop moving, restless.

"It’s Henderson. He barely said a word to me today. And when he did... god, the way he looked at me. Like he was annoyed I was even there."

"I get it, you know? Munson was the hero, the guy who played the guitar, the one who made everything feel like a game. I’m just the guy who’s always late."

He lowers his head a bit more. You hear his voice crack for a second, but he quickly clears his throat, trying to hide it.

"Do you think if I... if I had stayed in the Upside Down instead of him... Dustin would be better off? Maybe... happier?"

He realizes he’s said too much and reaches for your hand in the dark, squeezing it hard, as if you’re the only thing keeping him from sinking completely.

"Forget that. It’s stupid. It’s just... it’s been a crappy night, that’s all."