Chapter Text
Vecna was dead. Finally, truly, with a bullet in the brain dead. Dead. Now that he was taken care of and all of Hawkins was safe Steve was more than ready to leave the Upside-Down forever. Hopefully. This place sucked.
Steve, Robin, and Nancy had accomplished their mission and began to make their way to the Munson Trailer in the Upside Down. They agreed that if everything went as they planned once Vecna was dead to meet Dustin and Eddie at the trailer on the other side of the portal in Hawkins.
They walked back with a heavy silence hanging over them. All of them tried to process what they had really just done. Worries rushed over the three of them in waves. Are the others okay? Did Max get away from Vecna in time? Did Eddie and Dustin make it out? Thoughts rushed in Steve's head in a giant wave. The anxiety of not knowing was killing him.
As he worries over the fate of the others the three of them come to the edge of the clearing to the Trailer Park. They looked around but saw no signs of the Demobats anymore. What they do see is Dustin hunched over an Eddie-sized mass on the ground. Steve’s eyes widen realizing they didn’t make it through the portal.
Before he can even make sure the coast is clear he breaks into a sprint. He had to get to them. Now. Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay, played on a loop in his head until he found himself in front of an injured, teary Dustin cradling an unconscious and injured Eddie.
“Eddie! Eddie, please!” Steve pleaded. “What happened?” He turned to Dustin with a wild look in his eye.
“He-... The demobats were coming from everywhere and-... There was nothing we could do… He cut the rope. I couldn’t get back so I jumped through,” Dustin chokes out and finally looks up at Steve through his misty eyes. “He didn’t listen. He played the hero Steve.” Steve looks at him. He can see that Dustin has a few minor injuries and that something was wrong with his leg. Nothing that needed Steve’s immediate attention.
Steve reached out to Eddie. Steve saw the demobats had torn through Eddie’s leather jacket and taken bites out of the metalhead's torso, similar to how they had attacked Steve. Except for this time, Eddie didn’t have anyone to come to his rescue. Idiot. Steve had told him he didn’t have to be a hero. Why didn’t he ever fucking listen? Tears sprung to Steve’s eyes as he began to fumble around and check for a pulse.
Robin and Nancy joined them in the clearing finally. If they said anything Steve didn’t hear it. There , while Eddie remained unresponsive Steve felt a very thready pulse. He was still alive. He looked up with wild eyes at Dustin, “He still has a pulse. It’s weak but it's there. Let’s get him through the gate. Nancy helps Dustin to the trailer. Robin help me with Eddie.” Steve barked out commands and the others followed suit quickly.
Nancy rushed over and helped Dustin stand and use her as a crutch to start walking toward the trailer. Steve motioned for Robin and together the two draped one of Eddie’s arms over each of their shoulders. Steve instructed robin to take one of her hands and try her best to apply pressure to some of Eddie’s wounds while they began to hobble their way to the gate. Steve did the same on Eddie’s left side.
“We’re gonna get you some help. You are not allowed to die on us, Munson,” Steve grunts out as they reach the trailer door.
*********
Together they were able to haul both an injured Dustin and Eddie through the gate. Steve told Nancy to call nine-one-one while he settles Eddie onto the saggy couch occupying the room. Steve ordered Robin to look around for a first aid kit or at least some gauze to slow the bleeding. Meanwhile, Steve brushes Eddie’s hair out of his face.
“You’re going to be okay damn it. Of course, you couldn’t just do what I told you,” Steve choked out. If Eddie lives through this he was going to kill him.
Robin rushes back in with a small first aid kit she found in the Munson’s bathroom. Steve checked to make sure he could still feel Eddie’s pulse. It was still very weak. Steve got to work using the supplies the best he could. He cleaned, disinfected, and bandage him. As he was finishing up he hears sirens in the distance.
Nancy ran out and waved the ambulance down while Steve remained firmly planted at Eddie’s side. Robin had started to help Dustin with his wounds when Eddie’s eyes suddenly fluttered open.
“Hey, Steve,” he wheezed out. Steve Shhh’d him as they heard the ambulance pull up outside the trailer.
“Helps here. I swear if you die on me Munson I won’t forgive you for leaving me to deal with all the kids by myself,” Steve said quietly. Eddie nodded and closed his eyes again. Steve thinks he fell unconscious again.
The paramedics rushed inside the trailer behind Nancy. They ushered Steve out of the way and they quickly began assessing Eddie’s condition. Steve left the trailer unable to face what they may say. Steve just silently waits by the ambulance until they load Eddie and Dustin on. No one says a word when Steve silently climbs in behind them to be with Dustin and Steve. Nancy and Robin tell him that they’ll meet them at the hospital. Steve just gives a curt nod as the paramedics shut the doors and turn on the sirens. The three now headed towards Hawkins Memorial Hospital in silence that was only interrupted but the sirens.
********
The faint hum of heart monitors and other machines is what Eddie notices first. Then he quickly registers that someone in the same room as him is speaking. It's a faint and garbled speech. The voice is low and smooth as it speaks. Eddie can’t make out what it’s saying but he feels a heavy sense of nostalgia and comfort at its words. He tries to hone in on the voice but before Eddie can he’s pulled back down into murky unconsciousness.
*******
Steve has taken a break from reading to Eddie to stare out the dark hospital window. Hawkins had suffered a small earthquake when they killed Vecna. A few parts of the city were still without power and there was some minor structural damage across the town. Nothing that couldn’t be fixed thankfully.
It had been three days since Steve had kissed Eddie and almost watched him die on the same day. Steve had only really left to shower or eat since Eddie had been allowed, visitors. Once he had been moved to a private room Steve had rushed over to Dustin to borrow a copy of The Hobbit to read to Eddie. Steve knew he was in a medically induced coma and he’d wake up when he was ready but the eerie silence of the hospital where the only sound was Eddie’s heart monitor and his breathing was going to drive Steve up the wall.
It was too silent. He couldn’t recall a time when he was around Eddie and the space wasn’t filled with laughter or silly voices or at least loud music playing in the background. The silence just reminded Steve of the lack of Eddie’s comforting presence. Steve hated being around Eddie like this but couldn’t bring himself to leave before he woke up.
Dustin was supposed to show up before too long. Dustin popped up about the same time every day for a little bit to relieve Steve so he could go get a meal that didn’t come from the hospital cafeteria. Thankfully for Steve, Joyce and Hopper had taken pity on him and had begun to feed him. Their place was closer than Steve’s was to the hospital and Steve didn’t like to be gone too long. Plus, Joyce Byers could whip up a mean casserole.
As Steve checked his watch to see how much longer Dustin might be, something changed. The silence was interrupted.
“Fucking hell.”
Steve’s eyes snapped to the hospital bed. In it was a patched-up and rough-looking but conscious Eddie Munson.
Steve rushed forward to his side. “Eddie! Fuck. Thank god,” Steve fidgets with patting down Eddie’s blanket.
“Can't get rid of me that easily, Harrington,” Eddie wheezes out. His voice is raspy from lack of use. Plus that shit they were breathing in the upside down couldn’t have helped.
Steve’s brows furrows and he pulled a chair up to Eddie’s left side. “I’m buzzing your nurse so they know you’re awake. Dustin should be here any minute. He’s usually here at 4:30 sharp-” Steve rambles to Eddie.
“Wait. What day is it? How long have I been out?”
“It’s Saturday. So roughly four days?” Steve shrugs.
“Fuck… Fuck ,” Eddie huffs. He missed four whole days. What the fuck else did he miss?
Before he got the chance the Nurse interrupted and began to assess him. Steve stepped back to let her go over his vitals and began to make small talk with her. He asked how her kids were and what her plans were for the weekend. Leave it to Steve Harrington to lay on the charm everywhere he goes whether he’s trying to or not. The hospital better watch out for him near the baby ward because he may just feel the need to adopt another child while he’s at it.
While Eddie is answering her questions it hits him. Steve must have spent a lot of time here to be on a first-name basis with Eddie’s nurses. Steve was here a lot waiting for Eddie to wake up. Eddie’s pulse races at that realization. Which is actually quite embarrassing because he’s still hooked up to a heart monitor. The nurse glances at the heart monitor, to where Steve is standing to the side telling her some story about Dustin, and then back to Eddie with a knowing smile.
Eddie coughed and cleared his throat suddenly feeling very warm. As he did though a voice boomed over him, “EDDIE!”
All eyes moved to the doorway where Dustin stood using a crutch to support his weight on one side. “Henderson! Glad to see you made it out in one piece.”
Dustin hobbled forward to a chair on Eddie’s right. Before taking a seat Dustin yanked Eddie up into a crushing bear hug. For a freshman, the kid was way stronger than he looked.
“Woah, kid. I just beat death be gentle please,” Eddie mumbled out muffled by Dustin’s shirt.
Dustin releases him from his vice grip, “Sorry. I was just really worried about you. It didn’t look good there for a while and I’m just really glad your okay.” Dustin sat down finally and the nurse was able to continue. Dustin caught Eddie up on everything that happened and gave him the play-by-play of how Steve “The Hair” Harrington basically saved Eddie’s life. No biggie. Be still my pathetic little gay heart.
Steve sat on Eddie’s side listening and watching Eddie’s vitals now that the nurse had left, occasionally chiming in when Dustin has a tendency to embellish the details. Eddie has no idea where he got that from.
“And now you’re basically caught up. Nothing really interesting has happened since you’ve been in the hospital. Joyce and the other Byers have officially moved back to Hawkins, Max and Lucas are back together, Hopper got some people to help him clear your name, and Steve has pretty much been living here. Which speaking of,” Dustin turns to Steve. “Dude you’ve been here forever. Aren’t you supposed to go see Joyce?”
Steve shook his head. “Nope. Not now that Eddie’s awake. I’m good.” He smiled brightly at Eddie.
Dustin scrunched up his face and blinked. Eddie silently noted that Dustin had confirmed Eddie’s earlier suspicion about just how much time Steve has spent here. Fuck. Eddie never stood a goddamn chance, huh?
Eddie smiled back at Steve. He could see the bags under his eyes and the lifelessness in his hair which really proved just how exhausted Steve was. It was harder to find Bigfoot than Steve without his hair products.
Just as Eddie was about to speak Dustin beat him to it by blurring out, “So are you guys like together after that whole ‘we’re going to die so let’s make out first’ thing?” Dustin was as blunt as he always was. Eddie could feel the heat rise in his cheeks against his will. They hadn’t had a chance to have that talk yet.
Steve visibly bristled at Dustin’s question. His face is also now tinted pink. Steve rested his hand on his chin and looked out the window again, “We haven’t had a chance to discuss that yet. And besides, it’s none of your-“
“Do you wanna be my boyfriend?” Eddie shot off without another thought. Any guy who was willing to wait four days in a hospital room for Eddie to wake up was definitely boyfriend material so he felt pretty certain about his choice.
If Eddie thought Steve was pink before now his face was now a nice shade of fire truck red. Steve’s gaze had snapped to Eddie so fast he thought he may have given himself whiplash. Steve may have suffered one too many hits to the head but his ears still worked perfectly so he definitely heard what he thought he heard.
Steve scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Eddie thought about how red was a nice color for steve.
“Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I’d love to be your boyfriend, Munson,” Steve finally got out. Dustin watched the exchange as if he’d just gotten a free pass to the zoo. Steve reached out and grasped Eddie’s hand lightly in his own. Electricity buzzed from Steve’s fingertips.
“Okay yeah great. Congrats guys and please don’t be gross. But you should probably head over to the Byer's place. Joyce will not hesitate to send out a search party for you,” Dustin interrupts their moment.
Steve sighs. He’s right. Plus he could bring some good food back for Eddie. And that’s reason enough for Steve to let go of his brand new boyfriend's hand and stand up. Steve grabbed his book and made sure he had his keys before he made his way to Eddie again. Steve kissed the top of his head, “He’s right. We’ll talk more when I get back. And I’ll bring you some food not made around dying people.” Eddie smiled softly at the touch. He may have almost died but at least if he died now he’d die as Steve Harrington’s boyfriend.
“I said don’t be gross!” Dustin shouted as Steve made his way to the door. Steve rushed out an apology and Eddie noticed something. Steve was carrying The Hobbit out with him. And as much as Eddie would love to think Steve was reading it on his own he knew better. So that must have meant… was Steve reading The Hobbit while Eddie was unconscious? He was never getting rid of Steve Harrington.
“WERE YOU READING THE HOBBIT TO ME?!” Eddie shouted as Steve ducked out the door laughing at Eddie’s sudden outburst. Steve would finish reading The Hobbit to Eddie over the next few days and would re-read it to him countless times over the years.