Chapter Text
Eddie wakes up to an empty bed. He’s a little surprised, honestly, since he had his heart set on first anniversary morning sex. Though, based on the smells wafting through their apartment, Steve’s making breakfast, which is an acceptable alternative (plus, if he has it his way, they aren’t leaving the bed again today).
The digital alarm clock on his bedside table is obscured by a Composition Book he doesn’t remember bringing to bed. He reaches for it before his brain registers the red ink dragon sketched on the cover. His hands tremble as he flips it open, but the first few pages are written in his own scrawl. Steve’s handwriting doesn’t appear until 10 pages in and Eddie’s heart stutters at the sight.
March 28, 1986
God, Eddie, I’m so sorry. So, so fucking sorry. I can’t— I’m sorry. I should have been there, I should’ve protected you, I should’ve kept you safe.
You wouldn’t be part of this if it weren’t for me. Robin and Dustin keep telling me that's not true, that Chrissy was already cursed but. Robin is here because of me. Erica-fucking Sinclair is here because of me. And now you. And you’re dying. And it’s my fault.
I don’t even know what I’m doing right now, but I can’t just sit and wait, I’d lose my mind. Anyway. You left this notebook in my trunk, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m using it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this terrified in my life, Eds.
Please don’t die on me. I can’t live in this world without you.
March 29, 1986
Hey Eds
You made it through the night. I can’t fucking believe it. I ripped Robin’s shirt when the doctor came in to tell us that you were out of surgery and stable, and then he dropped the bomb that your chance of surviving the night was 40%. Forty-fucking-percent. I guess you beat the odds, babylove.
I’m with Uncle Wayne at your bedside. He threw a fit to make sure I could be here whenever I wanted, and that everyone could visit.
You’ve missed some wild shit, Munson, you’re going to be so mad when you wake up.
Come back to me, sweet boy. I can’t take this.
March 30, 1986
Made it through a second night, babe.
I hope you wake up soon.
Miss you like crazy.
I keep looking at you in this hospital bed, and you look so fucking small. I hate it. You’re the loudest voice in the room. You don’t just take up space, you demand it. It’s killing me that I haven’t heard your voice in days. And my brain, it keeps filling in things you would say, and I wait for you to speak up, but of course you don’t. It’s a kick to the balls every single time.
The thing is.
The thing is that I need you to wake up, Eddie. You can’t leave me. I made up my mind a long time ago, we’re spending our lives together. And it can’t fucking end now. It can’t end because of this.
And I need you to open your goddamn beautiful eyes so I can tell you how much I love you. You don’t get to go before you hear me say it, do you understand?
I love you. You’re it for me. I’ve never wanted a forever as much as I want one with you. So, you have to wake up, yeah? You have to wake up so we can grow up, have a family, have a life together.
Promise you won’t leave me, Eds.
March 31, 1986
You woke up, you motherfucker. The doctors kicked me out to look you over and I cried so hard in the bathroom that Robin made El break down the door with her powers.
Thank you for coming back. I won’t ever let you go again.
April 7, 1987
I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m giving this to you, babylove. It’s been a year. Look how far we’ve come.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
September 18, 2015
It’s way too fucking early for Eddie to even be awake and he has the day off. Steve asked him to take vacation months ago, didn’t say why, and now that fucker has the audacity to not even be in the house. And like, sure, they’ve been together for close to thirty years, and Eddie knows that Steve goes for a run at the ass crack of dawn.
Still pisses him off, though.
Eddie huffs down to the kitchen to get coffee started, doing a double take when he sees a familiar black Composition Book with red dragon on the cover.
He walks towards it slowly because this has been framed on the wall since their first anniversary, way back in ’87, and Steve isn’t home.
Eddie opens it, re-reads the panicked, lovesick notes Steve wrote in the hospital, doesn't bother to fight back the tears. He gets to the last letter and the paper is stiff and wrinkled, like it took water damage. Eddie flips the page, grief already pumping through his veins.
What he sees instead is college-ruled notebook paper glued in place. It reads:
“I fucking hate this class.”
“Tell me about it.”
“trig. You?”
“Algebra 2 :(”
A sound escapes his mouth, something between a laugh and a sob.
“Hey man, I'm pretty sure I fucked things up with us, and I owe you an apology. I've always known who you were, but you had no idea I was me...”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of beautiful, Munson?”
“Watch. The. Movie. This is the last time we get high first if this is how you behave.”
“What are you gonna win me at the fair, Harrington?”
“If you’re nice to me, probably something cute.”
“Eddie…I think I really like you
You’re my favorite person in the entire world
Some days you’re the only thing I can think about
I want to wake up in bed with you everyday
I can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss you
Do you like me? Yes or No”
“What are you doing about Hellfire?”
“Huh?”
“If the game is Friday. Lucas can’t do both.”
“He made his choice.”
“You ever been in love?”
No, but I think I’m falling”
“I love you, Eddie”
All the sketches of the sailor boy and the rockstar are there, even the one Eddie stuck to the poster in his room, though how Steve managed to get that is anyone’s guess.
There are pictures too, Eddie and Max still recuperating in the hospital; Corroded Coffin performing at the Hideout; them holding the keys to the bar, Steve shirtless and hammering something while Eddie looks on, with the increasingly popular bands Eddie booked to play their must-see Friday night slots; Steve on his first day of college and one of him jumping into Eddie’s arms in his graduation gown, mortar board slipping off his head; In the hospital cradling their twin girls with Max giving a weary thumbs-up between them. Shot after shot of their family, their life, their dreams coming true. A scrapbook of their lives together, big moments and small; good and bad.
Eddie’s crying freely as he flips through the rest of the book, still fucking astounded that Steve is the love of his life, that they’re making a forever together.
Eddie flips to the last page. Stops dead.
In Steve’s looped handwriting, unchanged since high school, it says:
“Eddie,
Will you marry me?”
“What the fuck?” He yelps, standing up fast enough that his chair crashes to the floor.
He turns and Steve— his reason for being, the man that brought him back from the dead—Steve Harrington, is down on one knee, something silver glinting in his outstretched hand.
“Eddie,” he says, his voice a wreck. “Marry me?”
Eddie crashes to his knees, shoving at Steve’s shoulder. “You’re such an idiot.”
Steve laughs. “Is that a yes?”
Eddie laughs too, but it quickly morphs into a sob, “Of course it’s a yes, Steve. Of course.”
Hands trembling, Steve slips the ring onto Eddie’s hand. It’s a thin silver band with skeletal hands contorted into an infinity symbol.
They fall into a kiss that rips the breath from Eddie’s lungs, but then that’s nothing new. When they finally pull apart Eddie asks, “why today?”
Steve blushes and grabs at the back of his neck. “Thirty-one years ago, I walked into Mundy’s class and found a note on the window ledge.”
“What the fuck.” Eddie’s mouth drops, his heart stuttering. This man.
“Once I figured out you leaving that note was going to be one of the most important moments of my life? I made sure to never forget.”
“Baby.” Eddie pulls Steve in for another kiss. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
Steve tugs at Eddie’s hand. “C’mon.”
“Where we going?”
“The girls will be here in a couple hours, and I have some things I want to do to you before they’re home.”
“The GIRLS?” Eddie shrieks. “How the hell long have you been planning this? Did they KNOW?”
“Since the end of June,” Steve answers without missing a beat. “And of course they know. Everyone knows. I asked Wayne for his blessing.”
Eddie can’t speak, his heart crashing in his chest as he, once again, thanks whatever entity made it possible for him to have this.
“I’ve been in love with you for over half my life, Eds. I wanted to do this right. You deserve it. We deserve it.”
He pulls Steve into his arms, kissing him hard enough that their teeth clack, but neither of them care.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
When they come home from dinner, as Steve reaches in his pocket for his keys to let the entire family in the house to celebrate their engagement, he finds a gum wrapper tucked in with the metal. He unfolds it, the words within unfurling in his heart, his soul.
"Thank you for giving me forever, sweetheart."