[ If there's one good thing about Felix's sudden disturbance, it's that it's managed to distract Steve from his earlier feelings of failure. Instead they've been replaced with something else, something not entirely terrible, though Steve cannot say for certain what it is Felix does make him feel. He should be shying away with how much closer Felix is now, but unlike back in Hawkins where it's almost compulsory to make sure you're not within an inch of another man, Steve doesn't automatically retreat.

He brings up memories of Eddie Munson crowding into his personal space just then, and it causes Steve to forget how to breathe for a moment, though he tries to recover quickly, before Felix catches on. The last thing he wants is for Felix to think he had any effect on, well, anything with Steve. ]

Yeah, well, I'm always doing that, apparently. [ For your modesty echoes in the back of his mind, and somewhere in the universe there's a denim vest with his blood on it. Maybe when he goes back home after the orbs he'll find it, clean it up, wear it in Eddie's honor. ]

For your information -- [ he turns his attention back to the lake, gesturing at it. ] This is where I almost died. Kind of? I was swimming and got pulled through into another dimension, almost eaten alive by a bunch of demonic bats. So...yeah. [ Somehow it sounds lame when he says it out loud. ]