Rating: Not Rated
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Steve Harrington, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Eddie Munson
Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Robin Buckley
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Eddie Munson Calls Steve Harrington Pet Names, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Brotherly Steve Harrington, Dreamscapes, Post-Vecna (Stranger Things), Steve Harrington Has Head Trauma, Eddie Munson is Whipped, Eddie Munson Lives, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Steve Harringtonās Scoops Ahoy Uniform, Siblings Eleven | Jane Hopper & Steve Harrington, Steveās Hair Obsession Is A Plot Point, Requited Love, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Friendship, Robin doesnāt show up much but she is his SOULMATE
Words: 8,147
Chapters: 1/1
Summary
āHowād you get in hereāā Steve hisses.
āYour security sucks, sweetheart,ā says Eddie. Then, āActually, that isnāt true. It was a nightmare getting here, and the inside of your brain is a fucking labyrinth.ā
Or, five times El and Eddie find a version of Steve Harrington while traversing his mindscape to drag him out of a coma (thanks, Vecna).
And one time Steve finds Eddie.
The day had arrived and Claudia had offered to help get them all there, as Eddieās van was full and Robin still didnāt have her license. She was in driverās ed right now, thankfully. Her parents didnāt want her going to college without knowing how.
So Dustin, Will, El, and Mike went with Claudia and Robin, Max, and Lucas went with Steve.
Dustin had wanted to go with Steve, but it didnāt make sense as his mom was the other driver. So he pouted all the way to pick up his friends, but by the time Claudia had picked up Mike Dustin was vibrating in the front seat.
Lucas was picked up last.
He still didnāt have his ears so he looked crestfallen when he answered the door. He was wearing the pirate outfit he had told Steve he had.
āHeās being a piss baby,ā Erica muttered. āSomething about ears.ā
āErica Jean!ā Mrs. Sinclair hissed. āWe do not talk about your brother that way.ā
Erica crossed her arms and pouted.
āActually, Mrs. Sinclair,ā Steve said with a smile. āI have a solution, but Iām going to need your help.ā
Both Lucas and Erica perked up at that. Steve patted his pocket with a wink.
āOf course!ā Mrs. Sinclair beamed. āI told you Steve and Eddie were going to come through for you, didnāt I?ā
Lucas blushed. āYes, Mom.ā
āWhere do we need to be, Steve?ā she asked.
āThe bathroom would be the best place.ā
She nodded and led the way, Lucas in the middle and Steve bringing up the rear.
Steve sat Lucas on the toilet seat and pulled out the thin box Eddie had given him. He opened it up so Mrs. Sinclair could see it first.
āOoh!ā she cooed. āI know just what we need. Iāll be right back.ā
Steve turned around so Lucas could see them.
Lucas gasped. āHoly shit! What are they made of?ā
āSilicone.ā
āDo we need anything to affix the ears, Steve?ā Mrs. Sinclair asked from her bedroom. āI have makeup glue if we need.ā
āThatās fine, Mrs. Sinclair,ā Steve called back. āI have spirit gum.ā
She peaked around the corner. āOh thatās even better!ā She had her makeup bag in her hands.
āActually Lucas,ā Steve said eyeing the makeup bag. āGo change into your costume. I donāt want to smear makeup on your costume or accidentally knock off one of the ears and have to start all over.ā
Lucas leapt to his feet and dashed out of the room.
āIt was really nice of you to do all this for him,ā Mrs. Sinclair told Steve in the wake of her sonās cartoon speed cloud. āItās really made him feel special. To stand out in a way that feels good for a change.ā
Steve smiled back at her. āHeās a good kid. It was great that I got to do something nice for him.ā
Lucas came back a few minutes later, a blanket covering his costume. When his mom and Steve raised an eyebrow at him he blushed.
āI was worried about the makeup getting on the costume,ā he admitted shyly.
Steve patted his shoulder. āI would have put a towel over it. A mom approved towel. I donāt think sheās going to approve that blanket.ā
āAbsolutely not!ā She took off the blanket and handed them a ratty old towel to drape over Lucasās shoulders.
āThanks Mrs. S.,ā Steve murmured and got to work. He applied the ears and then swapped with Mrs. Sinclair.
She applied makeup to the silicone to blend them to Lucasās ears.
āAll done!ā she said triumphantly.
Steve whipped off the towel and pulled Lucas to his feet. He closed the door so that they could use the full length mirror that was on the back. He put his hands over Lucasās eyes and gently steered him toward the door.
āYou ready?ā he asked softly.
āYeah,ā Lucas croaked.
Steve uncovered his eyes.
Lucas stared in the mirror for a moment or two.
āBaby?ā Mrs. Sinclair asked. āDo you like it?ā
Tears streamed down his face as he nodded. āIām an elf, Mom...ā
She hugged him tightly. āYes you are, sweetie. And the best looking elf at the fair, no doubt.ā
He nodded and then wiped his tears.
āHow did you do this?ā he asked Steve.
Steve smiled. āJeff makes them.ā
Lucasās jaw dropped. āOh.ā
Mrs. Sinclair cocked her head to the side. āWhoās Jeff?ā
āMom!ā Lucas hissed. āI like talk about him all the time! Heās the other black member of Hellfire!ā
āAh,ā she said with a smile. āYou talk about so many of those boys, I get them mixed up sometimes. But Iām happy he was able to help my baby out.ā
Lucas rushed out to show the girls who gasped and oohed over Lucasās outfit.
āHow much did you have to pay for those, Steve?ā she asked gently. āThey canāt have been cheap.ā
Steve shook his head. āJeff did them for free because he knew what it was like to be told no just because of the color of his skin. So donāt worry about it, okay?ā
She nodded and the two of them wandered out into the front room.
āSteve!!ā Erica screeched. āI didnāt know you could sew like this!ā She waved at Lucas. āWhat the hell?ā
Steve threw back his head and laughed. āYou could have come, and maybe would have gotten a cool outfit too. Too late now.ā
Erica gasped, wide-eyed that Steve would call her out like this.
Mrs. Sinclair patted her daughter on the head. āYouāre the one that wanted to sleep over at Tinaās this weekend, sweetie. Maybe next year.ā
Erica couldnāt deny her motherās logic and was forced to concede. āFine, but just know Iām going to be grumpy about it.ā
Mrs. Sinclair kissed the top of her daughterās head. āI know, dear.ā
āCome on,ā Max said, āweāve admired Lucas long enough, I want to go to this fair, please.ā
Lucas and Steve shared a glance. āUh-oh. She said please, we better go before she gets really mad.ā
Max rolled her eyes. āFuck off.ā
Mrs. Sinclair bit her lip as she struggled not to tell the girl off for her language.
Max and Lucas piled into the backseat while Robin and Steve slid upfront.
*
The closer they got to the where the Renaissance Fair was being held, the more nervous Robin got.
āSteve?ā she questioned. āWhy are we heading to the burned down mall?ā
Steve grinned. āWe arenāt.ā
Robin bit her lip. āNo,ā she mumbled. āI rode my bike on this road every day to get to work. This is the way to Starcourt.ā
Lucas and Max leaned forward to see the road ahead of them.
āI think sheās right,ā Max concluded. āThis is the way to Starcourt.ā
They pulled into the makeshift parking lot of the fair. It was pretty much a dust field with people in medieval getups directing traffic.
Steve pulled in where he was directed and they all piled out of the Bimmer.
They stood looking out at the field where Starcourt once stood, but was now a bustling center of outdoor activity.
āWhat the hell?ā Robin gasped. āWhere is the mall?ā
Steve grinned. āThis piece of land was always used for passing carnivals and the Renaissance Fair every year. When the mayor sold it to the Russians to build the mall it put a stop to a lot of summer activities the town once enjoyed. So after the earthquake they bulldozed the area and put back the way it was.ā
āWhat did they do with the underground bunker?ā Max asked, vaguely interested.
Steve scratched his cheek. āFilled it with uh, cement.ā
Lucas and Max shared an appreciative glance and even Robin nodded.
Steve was the first to spot the rest of their group. Dustin, Mike, Will and El were waiting in neat little cluster for them.
Lucas tugged on the hem of his gambeson and ducked his head. Max looked over at him and rolled her eyes.
āThey arenāt going to care,ā she hissed.
Steve glared at her. āThere has been evidence to the contrary regarding this very thing, so zip it.ā He mimed zipping his mouth closed.
Max stared at him wide-eyed in shock. Robin tugged on her sleeve.
āCome on,ā she told the younger girl. āLetās got meet up with the others.ā
Max huffed but did as she was told without protest.
Steve put his hands on Lucasās shoulders and looked him in the eye. āLook, I donāt know how you feel. I can never know how you feel, but let me tell you something that those buttheads will probably never understand because they arenāt like you and me.ā
Lucas nodded.
āBeing a ānerdā as they call it is not the be all end all of existence,ā Steve said. āYou can have interests outside of theirs. I know they gave you shit for joining the basketball team, but you are a good player, maybe even a great one if you keep at it. You wonāt have the same experiences that they will and thatās okay.ā
āBut what if we stop being friends?ā Lucas asked, his voice breaking.
āItās going to suck for awhile,ā Steve confirmed. āIt wonāt be easy and it will hurt sometimes when you least expect it, but youāll make new friends with your same interests as long as you continue to be you.ā
Lucas took in a deep breath and let out slow. āYouāre friends were assholes though.ā
Steve laughed. āAnd Mike isnāt?ā
A small sunny smile peeked out from under Lucasās cloud of worry. āYeah, all right.ā
They started walking toward the group with Steveās arm slung over Lucasās shoulder.
āTake a deep breath,ā Steve told him as they got close. āAnd know I will kick his ass if he says anything.ā
Lucas huffed out a laugh. āThanks, Steve.ā
They reached the crowd of their friends and waited for their reaction.
āHoly shit!ā Will said. āThat is an epic costume!ā
And then Lucas fully reached the group and ears could be seen.
āWhat are you supposed to be?ā Mike asked with a sneer. āThere arenāt any black characters with pointy ears.ā
Dustin scoffed. āHe could be a Vulcan. There was a black Vulcan in āSearch for Spockā!ā
āThat movie was so bad, dude,ā Mike huffed. āIt doesnāt count.ā
āIt totally counts,ā Dustin protested. āItās considered canon, therefore it counts.ā
āIām not a Vulcan,ā Lucas said proudly, sticking out his chest, āIām an elf ranger.ā
āAre you a Drow then?ā Mike asked. āYou do know Drows are evil right?ā
Dustin and Willās jaws drop in shock and outrage.
āDude!ā Will hissed. āHis skin isnāt literally black!ā
Steve leaned over to the girls. āDoes anyone know what a draw or whatever is?ā
Lucas turned to Steve. āItās a race of elves that live in the underdark, deep below where even the dwarves dare to delve. Theyāre straight up evil and very matriarchal.ā
āWell thatās sexist,ā Robin said putting her hands on her hips.
Mike rolled his eyes turned back to Lucas. āWell you canāt be Silvain elf, because theyāre pale skinned and beautiful.ā
āIām a wood elf,ā Lucas said, āmy skin matches the woods around me, so I can blend in easier.ā
Mike crossed his arms. āShow me one other dark skinned elf that isnāt you and maybe Iāll allow it.ā
Just then a large van pulled up to the entrance in a skid, blaring metal music.
The four men got out and everyone was looking at them in stunned silence.
Eddie was dressed as a minstrel, wine dark puffy sleeves and leggings with a black tunic and boots. Gareth was a magic user in long, flowing purple robes that stopped two inches from the ground and beautifully carved wizardās rod with a deep purple crystal in its grasp. Brian was a fighter with a metal sword at his hip and dressed in actual leather armor. Then the Party saw Jeff. He was dressed all in black with tight leggings, a short tunic and a black silk shirt that was covered by a short cloak. He had two silver daggers tucked into the tops of his thigh high boots.
He dropped the hood on his cloak to reveal that yes, Mike, he too had elf ears.
Jeff spotted Lucas and threw out his arms. āMy kinsman! I greet you!ā
Lucas turned and bowed low and Steve was forced to turn away to hide the smile at Mikeās stunned expression.
āLord Kelnic,ā Lucas greeted. āI understand these were a gift from you?ā He rubbed the tip of one of the ears.
Jeff ran up to him. āDude! How did you get them to match so well? Iāve tried every kind of glue to make them look like actual ears.ā
Lucas blushed. āMy mom used her makeup kit to blend the two.ā
Jeff turned to the rest of Corroded Coffin. āAnd why didnāt we think of that?ā
Gareth and Brian just shrugged.
Eddie on the other hand looked sheepish. āBecause I thought makeup was just for girls?ā
Jeff rolled his eyes and turned back to Lucas. āIāll borrow my sisterās makeup for tomorrow. Canāt have shoddy looking ears next to my ranger kinsman.ā
Lucas laughed.
Brian nudged Gareth in the ribs. āWhatās Mikeās problem?ā
Corroded Coffin all turned as one to see that Mike was standing there between El and Will looking like a rug had been pulled out from under him.
El patted Mike on the shoulder. āMy mom says that people who judge someone by anything other than the content of their character are either too young to know better, or are immature. Grow better.ā
She turned and started for the line that would grant them entrance to the Fair.
Lucas looked over at Steve and the two of them tried not to laugh at the absolute gobsmacked expression on Mikeās face.
āIām not being racist!ā he huffed and crossed his arms. āIām not!ā He looked around at all his friends, but none of them looked even remotely like they agreed with him. āHeās black so he should be black characters!ā
Brian reared his head back. āDude, how is that not racist?ā
Mike looked around again panicked. āIt just isnāt!ā
Jeff walked up to him and looked him straight in the eye. A feat that was a little hard for most of his friends these days with how tall heād gotten.
āThereās this thing, Mike,ā he said, his voice low and menacing, ācalled casual racism. Itās where all your upbringing and prejudices come out in casual ways instead of saying things like nigger and that blacks should be separate from whites. Itās oh he canāt play that character, the character is white. He canāt be an elf, elves are white. Thatās casual racism and you better check it before it ruins a damn good friendship.ā
Jeff stared him down until Mike was nodding his agreement. He turned to Will and Dustin.
āI wasnāt here at the start of this conversation,ā he said, ābut you two need to be better at calling out Mikeās bullshit. Because a few years on, he should be better not worse.ā
Dustin and Will gave confused glances at each other.
Jeff scoffed. āLucas told me all about the lovely little Ghostbusters incident. He straight up told you he wasnāt going to be Winston, but Mike here assumed he wasnāt going to be anyway because heās black. So the fact that here we are and heās still being a racist asshole?ā
āWe do call him out,ā Will said. āAnd I wasnāt here for almost a year, I donāt know what happened in that year, but yeah he got worse.ā
Steve stepped forward. āI think you do know, Dustin and I was really disappointed when I heard about it.ā
Dustin looked up at him in confusion. āWhat do you mean?ā
āAfter all, whatās a little casual racism when Lucas ābetrayedā you by joining the basketball team?ā Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest.
The older members of The Hellfire Club looked chastised. Because they had all given Lucas shit for that.
āYou still have time to course correct,ā Steve said. āBut make no mistake, any kind of bullying, is still bullying. Whether itās about the color of their skin, the games they play, or the type of school subject they like.ā
He pointed at Robin. āBand and orchestra is still people getting together and playing instruments like a metal band.ā Eddie winced hard and shoved a lock of his hair in front of his face.
āPlaying a sport is no different than DnD, planning, keeping track of stats, and working together are hallmarks of both.ā Dustin and Mike shared a grimace and even Gareth and Brian looked uncomfortable.
āBeing a genius at math or science doesnāt make you better than someone who is a genius at history or literature.ā
To which everyone but Robin and Max looked at their feet. Because they had all made that mistake with Steve before this all started.
āI think we will all need to unpack some pretty garbage baggage,ā Steve concluded. āBut!ā
All the heads shot up.
āWe are here for a good time,ā Steve said holding up his hand, āand as long as Mike apologizes to Jeff and Lucas I think we can move past this and enjoy ourselves today. Agreed?ā
Everyone murmured their agreement, punctuated with nods. Mike looked down at his feet and kicked at a pebble.
āIām sorry,ā he muttered. āI wasnāt trying to be racist. Iāll try to be better.ā
Steve looked over at Jeff and Lucas and they both gave him a thumbs up.
āGreat!ā Steve said cheerfully. āNow letās get this show on the road!ā
āDirt path maybe,ā Robin grumbled. āItās like an old western out here. I swear to god Steve if I see a tumbleweed I am out of here.ā
Steve laughed as they all met El in line.
Now that the heavy stuff was out of the way, it was time for some good fun.
****
My favorite line was El's "...Grow better." Because there is nothing more stinging then your girlfriend telling you to stop being an ass.
Here we go! Itās been a few years since Iāve written anything. Itās relatively tame and sweet but Iām just flexing my writing muscle. š Itās so fulfilling writing about these two in anything. š«¶š¼āØ Please check it out!
Eddie Munson is still alive, living a happy life in Hawkins, Indiana at age 57, still playing music on weekends with the Corroded Coffin guys, and Eddie owns his own music store that he managed to open as efforts to rebuild Hawkins were ongoing, from money his late Uncle Wayne gave him from settlements with the government.
In later years, he bought Reefer Rickās old place so he and his wife could live quietly after the kids left home and started their own families. The Munsonās are often seen out on the lake, Eddie serenading his beloved wife with his acoustic, or fishing with his son and young grandson and teaching little Wayne what Uncle Wayne taught Eddie regards fishing and letting the small ones go back to the water.
Eddie is still a freak to some who still whisper the childhood taunt amongst themselves but never to his face anymore, he is a hero to many and accepted now by all. Eddieās hair, now worn parted in the middle, the bangs mostly gone, is still long, almost to his mid back, but streaks of silver are amongst the dark curls, a bit of salt and pepper colored scruff on his face is normal. Eddie still loves Metallica and has seen them many times between shows in Indianapolis and Chicago and even to Cincinnati a couple of times, even met them once as a thank you from the town of Hawkins for his bravery in their darkest hour. Eddie still wears a leather jacket, the battle vest along with his old one however stays hung in the closet.
The van is long gone, traded for a Harley sportster and a black Chevy Blazer. His beloved BC Rich Warlock, Sweetheart, who he played in the āmost metal concert in the worldā still has a spot on his bedroom wall, (his wife laughs that itās her sister wife), but he has a few other guitars now too. Ed still enjoys working on older cars, canāt be bothered with social media, lets his wife mess with that, heād rather go out to the boathouse and paint, be it figures for D&D campaigns ( oh yes, the party still continues when everyone is in town, and he is the adult sponsor of the Hellfire Club at the High School to this very day) or actual paintings (of which he is quite good) or record some music he has in his head ( he has a small studio he built onto it).
Yes, Eddieās life is a peaceful one now, though the town still isnāt what it was, but, itās home. His dear friends, Steve (the town attorney) and Nancy (who runs the local paper) come to dinner a couple times a month. Robin and her wife bought a place across the lake from them and Henderson brings Suzie and their family to visit on holidays.
Eddie Munson is indeed still alive, if you are in the area stop by his store, you can see for yourself. He gives the best hugs and still has the warmest smile of anyone in the world⦠itās like sunshine personified. Just donāt ask his about the past, the demobats or the scars or the āearthquakeā. The past is the past, Eddie will tell you time and life is precious and he only lives for what is happening today.
Itās a nice life, quiet now, and Eddie is still a loving gentle āmenaceā, and a āfreakā, and a non-conformist and feeds the strays and wildlife and even the neighbors if he is cooking out⦠but he is happy, and loved, and living his best life, 80 miles outside of Indianapolis, 25 miles southwest of Lafayette, in a little town called Hawkins, Indiana. ā¤ļø
Steve groans at the sound of his alarm, batting his hand around the side table until he hits it hard enough to shut it up. He gets up, rubbing his eyes as he moves to the bathroom on autopilot.
He's not just tired, he's exhausted. But he always is at Christmas. He struggles to get enough sleep at the best of times but, since Dustin would kill him if he's late, Christmas is the one time he has to wake up early. It's miserable, every year. The motels only add to his suffering.
As he's washing his face, he freezes. He quickly rinses his face, prodding at the skin. There's no lines, no wrinkles, no crows feet. He doesn't even have his beard. That's when he notices his hair. His hand shoots back, grabbing at the longer strands at the back of his neck.
He hasn't had his mullet for at least 30 years. Not since 1989.
Hurrying back to his room, he nearly recoils. He'd forgotten about the plaid walls and curtains. But he quickly brushes that aside, quickly looking around for anything out of the ordinary. He wishes he could just pull out his mobile, sure that Robin would-
Robin!
He darts down the stairs, to the main phone. But is immediately reminded of how bad the old phones were. He can't remember what Robins old number was and he's sure the one he does remember will be wrong. And it's not written down anywhere either.
But it starts ringing, just as he starts walking away.
"Hello?" He says, struggling to keep his voice even.
"When will you get here?" Dustin asks. "You said you'd be up by now!"
"Dustin, oh thank god, I'm so glad to hear your voice," Steve sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Something really fucking weird is going on with me, dude."
"Weird? Like... Upside Down weird?"
"What? El shut- or has... what year is it?"
"1985. Are you ok? What's going on?"
Steve laughs, high and hysterical. "Uh, well... when I went to sleep last night, it was still 2021, so... no. I'm not ok."
"Are you being serious?"
"Unfortunately. Wait, 1985... that means-"
"No! Don't tell me!" Dustin yells so loud that Steve has to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment. "You can't just tell people what's going to happen! You could change the future!"
"Good!"
"No, not good! You might be trying to make things better, but you could make them worse. Especially if you actually tell people what's going to happen. You need to be subtle."
"Subtle, right..." Steve looks towards the door, pondering. "Right... uh... I'll see you later."
"What? Steve-!"
He hangs up before Dustin can continue to scold him, hurrying up the stairs and throwing on the first clean polo and jeans he finds. His old trainers are at the bottom of the stairs, just as remembers them being- they'd lasted decades before they fell apart, even though they'd always been loose and worn enough that Steve could slide them on, even though he keeps them tied.
It takes him a while to drive to the trailer park. He takes a wrong turn, completely forgetting the way. It's been so long since he's been in Hawkins and, even then, he wasn't familiar with this route.
"Um, hi, sir," Steve says, trying to smile when faced with Eddies uncle. He's not sure if he was always so stand-off or if Eddies death did that to him. "Is- is Eddie home?"
He grunts, eyeing Steve. "Gimme a moment."
He shuts the door, but he doesn't leave Steve waiting for long.
Eddie is the one to open the door. He gently pushes Steve back from the door, gesturing for him to follow him. Steve jogs to keep up with his fast pace, too busy staring to pay attention to how tense he is.
"Alright, what do you want?" Eddie sounds annoyed. Impatient. He's glaring at Steve and crossing his arms.
He looks amazing.
"Right, sorry," Steve shakes his head. "Sorry. Uh, this... ok, there's no way I can say this without sounding insane, so I'm just gonna say it, alright?"
"... Alright?"
"Chrissy Cunningham is going to try and buy from you in March. I don't know what she asks for, but if it means you bring her back here, don't. Just- sell her some weed, whatever you can carry on you. Don't bring her back here."
"She your girlfriend, or something?"
"No. God no. I just... something bad will happen. I'm sorry, I know that's... I sound stupid. But please, please," Steve can't help but step forward, grabbing Eddies hand. "Please don't bring her back here."
"Ok, alright, I won't sell to her," Eddies eyes are a little wide. "Jesus. I'll take your word for it."
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Eddie stares at him for a moment, raises a brow. "Is that it? You, uh, gonna let me go now, big boy?"
"Oh! Right, sorry, yeah. Um. Merry Christmas?"
"Yeah," Eddie laughs, starting to head back to the trailer. "Merry Christmas."
Dustin yells at him for an hour straight once he drives to his house. He's red in the face by the time he finishes and looks one wrong word away from hitting him. But Steves already done what he wanted to do, he won't change it now and he won't tell Dustin what he said so he can either.
But he does tell Dustin the time to start paying attention. Without Eddie to get them on the case, they won't figure out how to save Max in time. He doesn't tell Dustin anything either, just the date of Chrissys death. He wishes he could think of a way to save her, but his mind runs a blank. And Dustin won't let him ask him. And Dustin refuses to leave him alone long enough to ask anyone else.
By the time he goes to bed, he's happy to think that he's done enough. Though, like Dustin, he wonders what will happen next. If he'll stay in 1985 or wake up in the changed future. Wonders what that would mean for his past self.
He wakes up warm, comfortable, and well rested. Someone has their arms around his waist, pressed fully up behind him, light kisses trailing up his neck, along his jaw.
Steve hums, yawning. "Who's 'at?"
"Morning to you too," the person behind him snickers.
Curious, Steve turns. He freezes, eyes wide. "Eddie?"
"Who else would it be?" Eddie smirks, but that slowly drops, realization dawning on him. "You were just in the past, weren't you? Wait- shit, no, hold on, do you remember anything past that?"
"I don't- ow!" Steve squeezes his eyes shut, head throbbing. "Fuck. Ow, fucking... shit."
"What? What is it? Baby, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," Steve whines, clutching at his head. "You were dead but you- got a job at the record store?"
"Oh, ok, this is good," Eddie curls his arms around him, pulling him close. "This is good. Dustin said this might happen. It's the conflicting timelines or whatever. Your timeline catching up with the new one."
"What the fuck does that mean?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I just know that, like, you might have two sets of memories- or your original ones get forgotten, or something. But this... this is good. God, Stevie, the idea that you'd forget this current timeline..."
He tries to think of what might have changed, new memories or old ones he can't recall. It just makes his head hurt. "How long will it be until I, like... remember everything? I barely remember the 86 with you alive."
"Who knows. Weeks, maybe? Might always be confusing. But... um. I died? Was that... why you were so adamant that I didn't sell to Chrissy?"
"Yeah, it- it got you caught up in the, uh... stuff."
"The Upside Down? Yeah, I did get caught up in that. Hard not to when your town suddenly rips apart. So, what, I originally got caught up earlier?"
"Right at the start. You, uh... you died to save us."
"Now I know you're lying. I'm not one for the big hero moves, that's your job."
"Shut up," Steve snaps. He lifts his head so he can glare. "Shut up. You were a hero. You were- you are. You- you-"
"Hey," Eddie wraps him up in his arms, one hand coming up to brush through his hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that, Stevie, I'm really sorry. I'm ok though, yeah? You made sure of that. It's ok. I got you. I've got you. We're safe."
Steve sniffles, grimacing at the snot he leaves on Eddies top. The sight brings forth vague, distant memories- his but also... not.
"You do this a lot, huh?" Steve asks.
Eddie smiles, cupping his face, thumb brushing some tears off his cheek. "Yeah. It's not always easy, but I'm always here."
"Oh, wait... have I missed Christmas?"
"Just the day. Dustin remembered that you said 2021 so... we all wanted to wait. We're doing Christmas today."
"Really? Why?"
"Mostly because they wanted to be here, just in case. You made us promise, too."
"Just in case?"
"In case you forgot, baby. We don't know what you changed. Sandy is going to be very disappointed- she was excited to meet you again."
"Sandy?" Steve frowns, but the memory almost immediately hits him.
A baby, premature, and so small that she was barely bigger than his hands. Dustin's face, wet with tears but so proud, introducing the baby to Uncle Steve.
"Oh, Sandy," Steve whispers the name with reverence.
Eddie kisses him, almost desperately. He pulls back fast though. "Sorry, that was- fuck, Stevie. You're really remembering."
He sobs, startling Steve. "Woah, hey, Eds."
"Sorry. Fuck, we prepared so much but it... God, Steve, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if you never remembered again."
Steve presses a small, hesitant kiss to his cheek. "I don't think you'd have too much to worry about."
"Yeah, that's great," Eddie laughs. "My husband would've found me attractive even with amnesia."
"We're married?"
Eddie groans, flopping onto his back. "Of course that's what gets you excited. Time travel? Too boring for Steve Munson! Where's the adventure? But marriage?!" Eddie gasps dramatically. "Oh my, mister, that sounds mighty exciting!"
"Hey, I'm supposed to be the love of your life, stop being mean to me."
"Oh, don't go pouting at me like that, big boy. Even you should know that I have no self-restraint."
There's just something so delicious about Eddie wearing a corset. Just imagine him in black leather pants and a red velvet corset while performing on stage. There's make-up running down his face bcs he's so hot and his hair is sticking to his skin but he looks ethereal under the glow of the stage lights. The whole crowd feels like they are having a religious experience as Eddie bends down to run his hands through the crowd while singing his cult classic 'Don't Pray for Me'. Someone manages to snag a ring off his finger and Eddie glares at them and holds his hand out for it while singing, "Don't take from me for I am your God now."
TheĀ Goran ViÅ”njiÄ ArchiveĀ andĀ Team GarcyĀ fansites are back online! <--- screen captures included, which was not a guarantee last week. Notes about this incident and the future of site updates as I get ready to move out-of-state, are up on bothĀ gv-archive.comĀ andĀ teamgarcy.com
a Timeless fansite with a focus on the Garcy relationship
Thank you for your support and patience as my server host worked to resolve this issue.
If you would like to help keepĀ Goran ViÅ”njiÄ ArchiveĀ andĀ Team GarcyĀ online beyond January 2022, you can do so by donating to my server host at this URL:Ā https://www.gtxgaming.co.uk/clientarea/index.php?m=public_pay&hash_id=YG2Q4DKRQ36P. I am grateful to every one of you who has donated in the past. And if you donate now, I thank you in advance ā¤