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Eddie hadn’t cried like this in a long time. He prided himself on not letting what other people thought about him affect him, not conforming just because society said so or because it made things easier. But tonight he found himself curled up in bed, silently sobbing into his duvet. Christmas was almost here and all he could think about was how unfair it was that he was here to celebrate but Chrissy wasn’t. Sweet Chrissy who, although she was Queen of Hawkins High, wouldn’t have harmed a fly.
Chrissy loved Christmas, Eddie recalled seeing her dressed in her signature cheerleader uniform but with green and red scrunchies and tinsel in her hair. Smiling brightly and selling handmade ornaments and home baked goods during the Christmas fayre. Eddie had told himself he was going to go all out this year for Christmas, a holiday he usually didn’t pay too much mind to. Businesses used it as a marketing scheme to make money and he was just constantly reminded of how he didn’t have the ‘perfect family Christmas’. He and Wayne usually just ate a tv dinner whilst sat on the couch watching some rubbish on the tv.
But this year was going to be different . He had his new friends….. family. Bonded through trauma which they told him meant he was stuck with them for life. He had Steve. In fact, he was supposed to be at Steve’s right now for a Christmas movie night with the rest of the gang. But it had all gotten too much and he just needed a moment to let out what he had been holding in all these months. Let himself think about her, let himself feel the pain.
Eddie was starting to calm down when he heard a knock at the door and a gentle voice call his name, “Eds? Can I come in?”
Eddie mumbled a yes, hoping Steve would understand what he’d said. He heard the door opening and peered over the top of the duvet at his absolutely gorgeous and perfect boyfriend.
“Wayne said you needed some alone time, I just figured I’d bring you some of my amazing hot chocolate and I can stay…if you want?”
Steve moved closer to the bed and put down two thermo’s of what Eddie assumed was the hot chocolate. Steve made amazing hot chocolate, said his mum taught him how to make it just right when he was younger. It was something he and his mum shared together, before she got caught up in following her unfaithful husband around the world.
When he first shared it with Eddie, he had told Steve he didn’t want to overstep and take away from something that was special to him and his mum. But Steve had said that Eddie was special to him and that he wanted him to be a part of everything that meant something to him.
Eddie shuffled up to make room for Steve and he immediately sat down next to him, after a bit of shuffling around the boys got comfortable. Steve half sat/half laid against the top of the bed and Eddie’s head resting on his chest. The sound of Steve’s heartbeat and the steady rise and fall of his chest helped calm Eddie more and even out his own breathing.
“Thank you” he whispered, as he felt Steve wrap one arm around him and the other run through his hair and play with his curls.
“You’re welcome, Bambi.”