Peace

A bright light is what Dylan opened his eyes to, a white light, and then beeping, the feeling of fabric with an uncomfortable bed.

He looked around a noticed he was in a hospital, Dylan tried to sit up but flinched at the feeling of soreness on his left rib, he looked down and saw a bandage on his side.

"Oh my god, Dylan!" Steve exclaimed as he hugged his brother.

"S-Steve?" Dylan looked at his brother, he noticed how messed up his face was and a few tear stains on his cheek and sweatshirt.

"I'm so sorry Dylan, I was a horrible brother, my one job is to protect you and I failed... I-I'm sorry." Steve rambled as he stared to tear up again.

"Steve...Steve, STEVE!" Dylan slightly yelled getting his brothers attention. "What the fuck happened to your face?" Dylan asked

Steve looked at the boy in shock, "I-i um, lost a fight." Steve looked down at the floor, he then heard his brother start to laugh.

Dylan was now crying holding his ribs in pain by how hard he was laughing. He couldn't stop and Steve started laughing with him.

The two brothers calmed down and Dylan gave Steve a big hug."You didn't do anything wrong, I promise, and I'm fine, another scar on my body won't kill me." Dylan said

"Wills been awake." Steve said

"Really! I need to see him!" Dylan quickly jumped out of bed.

"Woah woah! Hey slow your roll, you need to rest-" Steve argued

"I'm fine!" Dylan responded as he grabbed his jacket and put it on covering his other scars, he then grabbed his IV and quickly walked out of the room.

Steve led him to the room where Will was at along with his other friends.

______________________________

Will was laying in bed being told the whole story by Dustin and Lucas when he spotted Dylan at the door.

"Dylan!" Will weakly exclaimed

"Will!" Dylan replied as he ran over to Will and gave him and big hug "I'm sorry, so so sorry will." He then turned around as he heard his other friends yelling his name.

"DYLAN!"

"Dylan!"

"Dylan!

He was hugged by Mike followed by Lucas and Dustin. "Ah, ah, easy on the ribs." Dylan said ________________________________

ONE MONTH LATER Christmas night

"Something is coming, something angry." Mike menacingly said as he sat around his basement table, DnD set up."Hungry for your blood. IT is almost here."

"What is it?" Will questioned

"It's the Thessalhydra, I'm telling you." Dustin responded

"It's not the Thessalhydra." Lucas argued

"I'm telling you, it's the Thessalhydra." Dustin argued back.

  Mike cut them off by slamming a Figurine on the board. "The Thessalhydra!"

"Damn it!" Dylan yelled as the other boys grunted and shouted in disparity. "It roars in anger!" Mike yelled "Will your action!"

"What should I do?" Will frantically questioned

"Fireball him!" Lucas and Dustin simultaneously answered, Will looked at Dylan for the final vote.

"Fireball the son of a bitch." Dylan said as They all smiled

Will grabbed the dice, and rolled it his fingers crossed

"Fourteen!" Dustin shouted as all the other boys exclaimed in happiness and excitement.

"Direct hit. Will the wise's fireball hits the Thessalhydra. It makes a painful [screech]  and then.... It crumbles to the ground. Its clawed hand reaches for you one last time. And...and...." Mike fakes being dead as they all jumped up in excitement.

Will hugged Lucas as Dylan hugged Dustin and the boys loop around the basement before coming back to the table

"Dylan and Lucas  cuts off its seven heads as Dustin places them into his bag of holding, you walk out of the dungeon victorious, and present them to king Tristan. He thanks you for your bravery and service!" Mike explained before Dustin interrupted

"Woah. Woah, whoa, woah, whoa, that's not it, is it?" Dustin asked confused as Lucas gave Mike a curious glance.

"No- There's a metal ceremony—" Mike started before he got into a semi argument with Dustin about how short the game was.

Dylan didn't care how short it was and how it didn't really make sense he was just happy Will was back and that they could play together again. He was still a bit guilty about Eleven, maybe he could have saved her if he wasn't so tired, he was weak and it caused him to lose his sister, he won't let that happen again.

_______________________________

Will had left with Jonathan, and Lucas and Dustin left soon after. It was just Dylan and Mike in the basement.

"The campaign was good Mike." Dylan said putting his hand on mikes shoulder.

"No they were right it was a bit confusing, I guess my mind is just a bit....lost." Mike responded a he looked at the bed he made for eleven.

Dylan noticed Mike staring and decided that he was gonna ignore how he felt and be there for Mike."I know how you felt about Eleven, and I'm sorry Mike, I really am." Mike just hugged Dylan tightly, as Dylan hugged Mike back, he missed this feeling, he loved it.

_______________________________

Dylan, walked up the basement stairs with Mike behind him.

"Hey Mrs wheeler, merry Christmas!" Dylan greeted the beautiful Woman who was making amazing food.

"Merry Christmas sweetheart! Steve is in the living room." Karen responded with a smile

Dylan walked into the living room and sat down by the Christmas tree, Micheal sitting next to him. The two boys looked at their siblings cuddled up on the couch, Dylan gave them a judgmental look but he was happy Steve found someone.

_______________________________HARRINGTON HOUSE

Dylan was sitting on his bed, reading a book when Steve walked into his room.

"Hey man." Steve said

"Hey Steve, what is it?" Dylan asked

"Well I told you I didn't have a present for you but......I lied! Surprise!" Steve said

Dylan smiled "I told you, I didn't need anything."

Steve walked out the room and came back with a big box. He placed it in front of Dylan and the young boy sat on the ground and felt the box before openings it, revealing a box.

"A box!" Dylan sarcastically joked "I just love boxes."

"Shut up, open the box." Steve chuckled

Dylan opened it and he saw a guitar, an acoustic guitar, he was shocked, he's always wanted a guitar he had asked for one this year but his dad told him music was for queers. So Dylan never asked again.

"If you don't like it I can just-" Steve started before Dylan jumped into his arms in happiness. "Thank you." The young boy said

Dylan set the guitar in his closet hidden, and said goodnight to Steve.

The boy laid in his bed, the only light being the moon, the Harrington house was not the kind of house you would expect on Christmas Day, there were no lights, no trees nothing it was dry and looked how it looked every holiday and every other day.

But Dylan was happy, he had Steve, Mike, and everyone else he also surprisingly still had his sanity. That's all he needed

And he was never going to lose it

Right?