Chapter Text
Eddie groaned as he came too, his entire body aching and burning as though he had been dragged across hot coals. His eyes fluttered open and his brows furrowed as he noticed the harsh fluorescent lights above him, confused as to where he was.
It all came back to him in a second. The upside down, Vecna, the bats, the bites.
His eyes widened and he began to pant heavily, panic gripping him tightly. He felt like he was trapped in a tunnel, sounds around him echoing eerily. He heard a rapid beeping somewhere in the distance and he jumped as he felt hands on his shoulders, forcing him to lay back down.
“Hey, hey, easy, Kid. You’re ok.”
His uncle came into view and he felt his panic beginning to ease slightly.
“Eddie, you’re ok. You’re in the hospital. You’re alright.”
Eddie swallowed thickly, remembering hearing a deafening scream of his name before it had all gone black.
She had been there, she had come back for him, she had saved him.
Eddie sat up again, his heart rate beginning to climb, the monitor beside him going haywire once again at the thought of her, at the mere possibility that she hadn’t made it out of the upside down.
“Where-where is she? She was-”
“Relax, she’s fine. She’s right here, Eddie. She hasn’t left your side.” Wayne soothed him, motioning to the other side of the bed.
Eddie turned his head and his entire body sagged in relief, a weak smile growing on his tired face. There she was, the love of his life, sleeping contentedly, her head resting on her crossed arms that lay at his bedside.
“She’s been worrying herself sick.” Wayne explained, looking over at the sleeping girl fondly, thankful that his nephew had found someone so purely good and sweet to love.
Eddie felt his eyes sting, his fear returning tenfold as he thought of that night, being in the upside down with her, how she had been adamant to follow him into danger. To see her now, resting peacefully, made relief wash over him so greatly it made him feel dizzy.
“I’ll let the nurse know you’re awake.” Wayne said and with one last, reassuring squeeze to Eddie’s shoulder, he left the couple alone.
Eddie watched her with a soft smile, his hand reaching out to gently move her hair out of her face. At the feeling of his touch, she began to stir, slowly waking and wincing at the pain in her neck from the uncomfortable position she’d been in for hours.
As soon as her eyes adjusted to the bright light and she remembered where she was, her eyes locked onto Eddie and when she saw him staring back at her, that crooked smile she was so familiar with on his face, her lips parted in shock and her eyes began to water.
“Eddie,” She breathed out and within a second, she was in his arms, hugging him tightly.
He groaned in pain and she gasped, pulling away and pulling the rough hospital blanket back to check his bandages.
“Shit, I’m sorry. Are you ok?” She asked frantically.
“I won’t be if you don’t get back in these arms.” He complained, his arms still wide open, ready for her embrace again.
“Eddie, you’re hurt.”
“I don’t give a shit, just hug me, sweetheart before I start to cry.” He said, only half joking, though he wasn’t about to tell her that.
She let out a small laugh and wrapped him in a hug again, this time much more gentler than before. When she pulled away, she began to plant dozens of kisses over every inch of his face, reveling in the deep laugh it earned her.
“Hey, quit it.” He called out jokingly, when she raised a teasing brow in response he smirked. “I want a real kiss, sweetheart. Think I earned it after what we went through.”
A dark look passed over her face, her smile faltering at the memory of him being swarmed by those demonic bats, of him laying bleeding on the cold hard ground, writhing in pain.
Eddie’s eyes softened, knowing exactly where her mind had wandered and he felt his own emotions beginning to rise.
“Hey, don’t do that.” He said softly, his hand reaching out to cradle her cheek. “I’m ok, we’re all ok. I’m not going anywhere, I can promise you that.”
“You really scared me.” She choked out, her voice breaking as tears slipped down her cheeks. Eddie wiped every single one of them away, and he hoped she didn’t notice how hard he was biting his lip to stave off his own bubbling sadness.
He saw how much he scared her and it made him feel sick to his stomach.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered with a hoarse voice. “I’m so fucking sorry, sweetheart.”
She shook her head wordlessly, her hands gripping onto his tightly, like she needed to reassure herself with his touch that he was truly there in front of her, that she hadn’t lost him that night like she thought she had.
“You know you don’t have to fight about demon bats to be a hero, right? You don’t have anything to prove.”
Eddie bowed his head and sighed. “I didn’t wanna be a coward anymore.”
“You’ve never been a coward, Eddie.” She told him adamantly. “You’ve been my hero the second you said ‘hello’ to me.”
Eddie swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly to keep his tears at bay, but one fell down his cheek without him even realizing. He was startled slightly as her hand reached out to cup his face, her thumb wiping the tear away.
The thought that last night could’ve ended so much differently, that last night could’ve been his last night with her, the realization that he was lucky enough to be held by her again was too much to fathom.
“I love you so much.” He breathed out, gripping onto her arm tightly, loathing the idea of her pulling away.
She smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. “I love you too. More than anything in this world.”
She leaned down and kissed him softly, the both of them overcome with the feeling, the intense fear that had plagued them finally slipping away. The gesture was gentle and slow, portraying just how much they cared for each other.
As they pulled away, Eddie let his forehead fall against hers and he let out a shaking breath.
He thought back to the promise he had given her as they prepared their weapons to fight Vecna, it was a promise he’d told her time and time again, one she would laugh delightedly at each and every time.
Just say the word and I’ll drag you down to city hall and make you mine forever.
He had said those words to her on their third date and she had thought he was certifiably crazy. But after a few years, when his offer refused to change, she started to feel a nervous excitement growing within her every time he brought it up, suddenly realizing that he wasn’t joking.
When he said it to her before the fight, it was the first time she didn’t laugh, it was the first time she truly knew he was serious.
I just might have to take you up on that offer, she had told him with a cheeky smirk, earning her a shocked look of disbelief from him, stunning him to silence.
Eddie moved slowly in the hospital bed, his face twisting in pain as he did.
“What are you doing?” She asked worriedly, her hands reaching out to stop him.
“Lay down with me.” He asked her, having made room for her beside him. She sighed and looked at him disapprovingly, knowing the doctors would most likely give them both an earful for something so reckless.
“Eddie, I-”
“Please.” His soft voice that sounded so weak and so tired made her break and she could no longer refuse him. She slowly moved to lay down beside him in the small bed, careful not to aggravate his wounds.
Eddie sighed contentedly, feeling as though he was truly beginning to heal with her at his side.
“Soon as I’m out of this damn bed I’m taking you down to city hall.” He whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.
She winced slightly and looked up at him. “City hall was destroyed, Eds.”
He rolled his eyes playfully, like the simple fact was a mere bump in the road to his grand plan.
“Then, I guess we’ll just have to leave Hawkins.” He suggested and she looked over at him curiously, wondering if this was another one of his eccentric ideas that eventually fell by the wayside.
But the seriousness in his eyes, the trauma that lingered from the past couple of weeks, cemented his decision easily.
It wasn’t just that he was now terrified of the town and the dark secrets it held, he was absolutely petrified to have her anywhere near it and he was counting down the days until he could hightail it out of there with her.
“I guess we do.” She answered with a small smile. “Where would we go?”
Eddie just shrugged, wrapping his arm over her shoulder so she was cuddled into his side. “I’ll be happy with you anywhere.”