Work Text:
March, 1990
The living room is a mess of boxes. The portable radio in the corner plays gently as Eddie builds a new box to stuff full of their belongings. Now that the excitement of closing on a house had faded, the frustration and stress of packing up all of their things had settled in. It had resulted in a couple of squabbles between them, but nothing that they couldn’t handle. Much like now, where he and Steve had disagreed about how to pack up their expansive game collection. They had bickered about it, then fallen into a heated silence as Eddie built more boxes and Steve packed, victorious.
“I’m gonna start in on the back bedroom,” Eddie remarks, retreating down the suggestion of a hallway in their apartment. Steve just gives a grunt and continues to tetris their numerous board games into the box in front of him.
Eddie sighs to himself as he takes in the room. It’s mostly empty, the furniture already disassembled and moved but there were still a few straggling collections of…stuff. Who knew just the two of them had this many belongings? He picks a corner to start in and works his way around the room. Gathering random items to put in empty boxes, he’s not really paying attention to what is being placed into where; that’s a problem for Future Eddie. He leaves the trash in one corner, also a Future Eddie problem, and stares down the closet door. Closed, ominous.
This closet was no ordinary closet. This was Eddie’s dumping ground, as Steve so unaffectionately called it. Didn’t have a dedicated place for something? Put it in the closet. That’s a problem for Future Eddie.
Well, that Future Eddie was him now, and it was his problem.
He chews on his lip absently before wrenching the door open, a determined set to his shoulders. He’s met with the tumble of a clothes pile at his feet. A box tower shifts precariously. Eddie rubs his hands down his face. “Why do I do this to myself?” he whines aloud. He half expects a retort from Steve, but he’s alone in his mess.
“You’re actually gonna purge shit from that closet, right? We’re not just relocating your dumping ground,” Think of the devil, and his voice shall call down the hall, “You said you’d take care of that thing months ago!”
“Yes, darling dearest love!” Eddie grits back, and he can feel the eye roll that Steve gives him through the sheet rock. Eddie rolled his shoulders, shaking himself out. “You got this Munson, it’s just your stuff. Make some piles, let some stuff go.”
And with that, he starts to tackle the Closet of Doom, crawling his way through the assortment of random items that have accumulated and nestled their way back into the crevasses of this tiny storage space. He amazes even himself with the amount of things he’s managed to shove in here over the three years they’ve lived here.
Three piles start to grow in size: keep, donate, and trash. He has to try really hard not to let everything become a keep item. Each item he picks up, he remembers why it wasn’t just discarded or given away. Sue him for being a bit sentimental, okay? Some of this stuff he actually wanted to keep, he just…forgot it was here. Didn’t have a designated spot for it yet.
One of the last things to sort into his piles was a good sized box, tucked far back on the top shelf of the closet. Of all the stuff he’s shoved in here, he doesn’t quite recall what this is. There’s a blanket on top, and he knows that anywhere. Wayne had given that to him from the back of their trailer couch, “for when you need an extra throw”, and Eddie grinned. He had wondered where this had wandered off to. Now they could put it on their new couch.
Eddie dragged the box down from the shelf. Maybe there were more linens in here? He pulls the throw blanket off and halts, not quite believing his eyes.
Christmas presents. Well shit.
With a quick scan through the box’s contents, he realizes exactly what this is. The presents from ‘87. What Eddie thought had been lost forever in the shuffle of their move, he had actually hidden so well from himself that they had been buried deep in his doom closet. Some of the gifts here were…priceless. Irreplaceable. And they were all for Steve.
Eddie laughs, incredulous, as he drags a hand through his hair. He picks up the box, mess of a room abandoned, and carries the presents out to the living room. Coincidentally enough, Steve is dragging their packed Christmas tree out from the front closet. He straightens up when he sees Eddie looking down at the contents of the box, and he cocks an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“It’s uh…well, d’you remember when we first moved in?” Eddie looks up at Steve from across the room.
Steve chuckles, “Of course I do, Eddie. What’s going on?”
“Well, I had planned all this shit out for our first Christmas together, but then the move was a lot, and then your accident happened, and I had to scramble to get stuff to…replace these gifts.” Eddie almost winces, sheepish. “And I guess I just hid them too well so they didn’t get thrown out.”
Steve’s face softens as he crosses the room to kiss Eddie’s forehead. “You’re something, y’know that?”
“Merry Christmas, Steve.” Eddie shrugs, passing the box to him.
“Wait, you want me to open them now? Why don’t we wait?” Steve takes the box anyways.
“Nope. I’ve wanted to see the reaction to some of these for years and thought I never would. You’re opening them now.” Eddie ushers Steve over to their couch, directing him to sit as Steve laughs.
Steve pulls a large stocking out of the box as Eddie settles on the couch opposite him. It’s heavy and lumpy, stuffed to the brim with small, tightly wrapped cylinders. Steve unwraps one, and it’s a nip of whiskey. The next one, more whiskey. The third, moonshine. Steve’s eyebrows draw down, and he gives Eddie a look. Eddie is staring back at him, feigning innocence. “Eddie, are these all just individually wrapped nips?”
Eddie bats his eyelashes, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?” Steve upends the stocking and at least twenty more tiny packages fall out into the box. He tosses the empty stocking at Eddie’s face as he cackles. “You know I hate when you do that!”
“Hey, now you’re just taking a mystery shot!” Eddie defends, and Steve rolls his eyes, not even bothering to unwrap the rest of the small bottles. He picks up the larger box, and Eddie starts to explain, “Okay so, y’know how you mentioned that you only ever got sports equipment for Christmas because your dad is an asshat? And I got you that LiteBrite when we moved in? This is what I had originally intended.”
Steve ran his fingers under the seams under the wrapping paper as Eddie pleaded his case, nodding along. Steve had once told Eddie that his parents had not bought him many toys for Christmas past things like baseball bats and basketballs, deeming a lot of other popular toys “too noisy” or “too frivolous”, and Eddie was crushed at how Steve had brushed it off. It was then that Eddie had determined to buy Steve at least one toy, no matter how cheesy, every Christmas. It’s what Steve deserved for all that Steve gave to him, and to the rest of their friends. He’d move mountains, fight demobats and Vecna a thousand times over again to see Steve smile the way he is now, face lighting up as he opens his gift.
“Whoa…” The colorful paper falls away to reveal a slot car box, and Steve’s eyes are bright and smile is wide as he takes it in, then looks up at Eddie, “Baby, thank you. I love it. I’ve always wanted some of these.”
“You’re welcome,” Eddie grins back, satisfaction bubbling in his chest. “Keep going, there’s two more in there.”
Steve puts the slot car box down on the floor beside him to search the box, sifting through the nips to find two more items. One, a simple rectangle wrapped in the festive wrapping paper, and the other, a larger black velvet jewelry box. He looks at it, then at Eddie suspiciously. “Eds…what is this?”
“I uh, didn’t get a chance to wrap that one. Save that for last.” Eddie shifts in his seat, tucking a leg underneath him.
Steve thankfully lets it go for now and moves on to the wrapped present. He holds it up to his ear and shakes it gently. It gives a familiar rattle. “Ah, I know what this is,” he says as he tears off the wrapping to reveal the cassette in its case. ‘Eddie’s Romantic Mix Tape Vol. 1’ is scrawled across the label tape and Steve smiles mischievously, “Oh, so this is where volume one went?”
“Listen,” Eddie groans, deflating a bit, “it’s not gonna be great, but…it’s nostalgic now. And I told you that volume one was lost to time. I wasn’t lying…”
Steve flips the tape over to read the list of songs written on the back. “Definitely nostalgic. You put Kate Bush on here?”
“Okay, maybe Kate Bush wasn’t the best choice then,” Eddie throws his hands up, “But in my defense, I didn’t know your music taste very well. I was also dumb and lovestruck, and it was either that or more Dio.” Steve chuckled, watching Eddie, and he felt like he was under a microscope. “What?”
Steve shook his head, “Nothing. I love you.”
That always made Eddie melt a little bit. He knew Steve loved him, but he’d never ever get sick of hearing it. Eddie leaned forward, closing the short distance between them to give Steve a chaste kiss. “Love you too. Last one.”
Steve picked up the black velvet box, suspicion passing over his face again. “You gonna explain this one?”
“Nope,” Eddie smiled, watching Steve’s face intently. Steve blinked at him, most likely surprised that he wasn’t spinning a tale about this gift. Eddie usually had one, but this one really didn’t need explaining.
Eddie watches as Steve’s face falls in shock as he pops the lid of the box open. “No…wait, it can’t– this is…” Steve looks up at him, tears welling in his eyes. “Eddie, is this hers?”
December, 1987
Steve was late. Eddie paces the kitchen, gnawing on his thumbnail past the point of rescue. Steve's shift had ended an hour ago, and it was a 15 minute drive.
“Calm down, Eddie, it’s probably just a late close at work,” he said aloud to the empty apartment, “Retail is dumb and he probably got kept late. He’s fine.”
He stares at the clock on the wall as more time passes. Eddie almost forgot the pot of water boiling on the stove in front of him until it boiled over. He scrambles to turn off the heat with muttered curses. He also almost misses the crackle of their radio coming to life in the living room.
“--llo? Is this the group channel?” A quiet voice sounds out from the device. He hurries over to it to listen in.
“Yeah El, what’s up?” Dustin replies.
“Can Eddie hear me?” El asks. Eddie’s stomach drops as he grabs the receiver.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Hopper just called, he is at the hospital with Steve. He is okay, but his car is not.”
There was a cacophony of the kids' voices responding all at once as Eddie felt the blood drain from his face. He fucking knew it. He knew there was something wrong. Steve would never be this late to come home if he wasn’t in some sort of trouble.
“Guys, GUYS SHUT UP!” Came Dustin’s voice over the line, “Eddie, you still there?”
“Y-yeah, still here,” he croaks, sinking down onto the couch.
“Are you okay?” Max asks.
Eddie doesn’t respond.
“Of course he’s not, Steve wrecked his car!” Mike entered the fray.
“Not helpful, Mike!” Max shoots back.
“El, does Eddie need to get to the hospital, or is Hop taking Steve home?” Bless Henderson for asking the questions that wouldn't come from Eddie’s mouth right now.
“No, he said that they were almost finished, but Steve was insisting that we contact Eddie.”
“We don’t have a landline yet,” Eddie offers weakly. They had just moved in a short while ago. They hadn't even gotten out of all their boxes yet.
“He is okay, Eddie. Hopper told me so. I heard him over the phone.” How she managed to know just what he needed to hear, he will never know, but that was more relieving than he'd expected.
“Wait, El, you said his car was not okay? What do you mean?” Mike asked. Eddie turns down the volume at this point, not wanting to hear the bickering as they dogpile on Mike. He had nothing to do but wait. He pulls a blanket off the back of the couch and buries himself in it. He isn’t sure how much time passes as he spaces out, staring at their Christmas tree, the only source of light in the room.
The jingle of keys turning in the lock snaps him out of his trance, and he manages to untangle himself from the blanket as Steve finally steps inside. Eddie stumbles up off the couch and practically slams into him as Steve closes the door behind himself. He lets out a little ‘oof’ as he pulls Eddie close, and Eddie buries his face in Steve’s neck.
“Hey, sorry I’m late…” Steve offers, subdued.
Eddie manages to pull back, feeling the tears stinging in his eyes before they fall, “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got knocked around a bit,” Steve offers a small smile, brushing his thumb under Eddie’s eye. “Hey, I’m okay, I promise. Clean bill of health.”
Eddie sniffles, wiping at his own eyes. He backs away, giving Steve space to get his coat off and get settled. Steve leads him to the couch again, picking up the discarded blanket and settling them both under it. He fills Eddie in that as he had been driving home in the snow storm, another car had skidded at an intersection, causing him to have to jam his own brakes and skid as well. “So, I’m fine, but the Beemer? She’s uh, not doing so hot…”
“I’m sorry, Steve.” Eddie knows how much he loves that car.
“No, I’m sorry, Eddie. I should have left earlier. I didn’t mean to make you worry this much.”
Eddie frowns, taking Steve's face in his hands, “This is not your fault, Steve. I’m just glad you’re home.”
They fell asleep on the couch, curled up around each other. There was no way Eddie was letting Steve out of his sight for a good while after this. The following days were filled mostly with Steve on and off the phone with his insurance company. They were able to find where the Beemer was towed to, so that Steve could collect his belongings.
Apparently, word had spread fast from Steve to Robin, then to Nancy, who was overheard by Mike, and then all the kids found out that the Beemer was deemed totaled. The whole party was gathered at the front of the car lot when they arrive, all dressed in black like a funeral. Eddie and Steve look at each other in confusion and concern respectively as they approach the group. They hadn’t gotten the memo about the dress code.
“Hey hun,” Robin greets Steve with a tight hug.
“Hey Rob. What’s, uh, going on?” Steve asked cautiously.
“We’re here to see her off.” Dustin replies, stepping forward to pat Steve’s shoulder reassuringly.
Steve blinks at him, looking down at the book in Dustin’s hand, “Is…is that a Bible?”
“Yeah, I’m reading the eulogy.”
Eddie snorts, covering his mouth quickly, trying to contain the giggles escaping from behind his hand. Dustin gives Eddie a stern look, and Eddie does his best to compose himself.
Steve leads the group through the lot, and they all freeze up a bit at the sight of Steve’s car. It was mangled, to put it lightly. Eddie and Robin share a pale look between them. How Steve had come out without a scratch is anyone’s guess, and Eddie wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth so close to Christmas. Holy shit. It was scary looking.
Steve, Nancy and Lucas work on getting all of Steve’s belongings out of the car, passing things along to the rest of the party. They all take turns carrying things out to Eddie’s van and loading it into the back. Once it was all stowed away, they return, and Dustin actually cracks open the Bible he brought, and starts to speak:
“Friends, loved ones, we’re gathered here to pay tribute to a fallen party member: Steve’s BMW 733i, more affectionately known as the Beemer. The most reliable car I think we’ve all encountered. Most days, she just got us to work, or school, or the arcade, weathering all kinds of storms, whatever we threw at her…”
Oh shit, Dustin was serious. He wrote a whole eulogy.
“...and while she may seem to some just a car, she’s one of our biggest allies. Through demodog attacks, escape plans, and all the other shit the Upside Down threw at us, she got us from point A to point B safely with Steve, and sometimes Max, at the wheel.”
Steve chuckles wetly at Eddie’s side, and Robin scoots in close to flank Steve. Eddie rests his hand on Steve’s shoulder and squeezes, and offers a small smile when Steve looks at him sadly.
“While she may be gone now, she will never be forgotten. I think it’s summed up beautifully by the poem ‘The Final Flight’.
‘Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free,
I’m following the path God laid for me…”
Eddie starts to tune out as Dustin recites the poem, and his gaze starts to roam over his group of friends. He thought he was the weird one, but in a way, he supposes Dustin is right. They were all attached to Steve’s car in some way. Robin and Steve would sit and have late night chats in it often, hours after he had parked it at her house to drop her off and into the morning. Dustin and Steve had formed their brotherly bonds in it. Hell, Steve and Eddie had had their first kiss sitting on the trunk, watching the sunrise over the quarry. This car, however miraculously, had protected Steve not even a week prior from what could have been fatal injury. Like it had sacrificed itself. He felt kinda bad now for laughing.
“...Perhaps my time seemed all too brief,
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me,
God wanted me now, He set me free.”
Dustin then invites anyone to say a few words. Max, half jokingly, said she seemed like a great learning car, handled beautifully for someone who didn’t have a license. Nancy doesn't say anything, but produces a bouquet of roses from her shoulder bag, and starts handing them out one by one. The kids all step up and toss their roses inside the car through various empty spots of the windshield’s glass. Nancy, Robin, and Steve lay their roses along the dashboard, Steve placing his delicately in front of the steering wheel. His fingers brush over it, lingering and dragging as he steps back.
“See you around, old gal,” Steve manages tearily, and Eddie’s heart breaks. He could take everything else in stride, but he can’t take Steve crying. Steve was losing something he cared deeply about. Who fucking cares if it’s a car? It could be a pet rock, for all he cares. If it's making Steve this upset, Eddie is now required to do something about it. Eddie’s gaze falls on the wrinkled hood of the car, jaw working in thought and fighting emotions.
Everyone steps away from the Beemer, giving Steve some space on his own. He takes his time, but doesn’t linger long. He turns to the group after some time, and nods. They all start to move away, except Eddie, who is firmly planted, staring at the Beemer. Steve pauses next to him, “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just need a minute with her.” Eddie fiddles with the rose still grasped gently in his hand.
“Okay. We’ll be out front. I can’t stay anymore.” Steve kisses his temple, then joins the rest of the group.
Once they’re all out of sight, Eddie does something blasphemous. He digs his multitool out of his coat pocket, and crouches at the hood of the car. He regards the hood ornament, fairly unscathed despite the hood being pretty crumpled, as he flicks the multitool open. He has to move quickly, so he wedges the flat of the screwdriver head into a popped seam unceremoniously, scratching up the paint in the process.
“Sorry, old gal, don’t think you’ll miss this too much.” Eddie mutters into the grill, tongue poking out of his lips as he wiggles the screwdriver around under the edge of the emblem. In about half a minute it pops free, and he scrambles to catch it before it falls to the ground.
He snaps off the bloom of the rose, placing it in the hole where the logo used to sit. He slips the scuffed hood ornament into his jeans pocket quickly, tucking the multitool back into his jacket as he rises.
“Eddie!! C’mon man, we’re going to the diner!” Dustin hollers across the car lot at him, and he jogs to catch up.
March, 1990
Steve’s eyes are welling with tears as he stares down at the contents of the box. The Beemer’s hood ornament, shined up as much as Eddie could manage, is sitting in the satin lining of the box like a diamond necklace.
“H-how? When?” Steve stutters out around the lump in his throat. He picks up the hood ornament, turning it over gingerly in hand, like he doesn’t believe it’s real.
“Right after you all left, when I was alone. It’s a crime you didn’t have a piece of her.”
Steve’s gaze snaps up to meet Eddie’s, mouth dropping open. “You pulled it off right after?”
“I wasn’t gonna have another chance.” Eddie shrugs, but his gaze falls sheepishly. “That’s why I was so upset that year, when I thought this box had been thrown out. This was in there.”
Steve’s gaze falls again to the emblem in his hands. Eddie watches quietly as Steve holds it, thumbing over the logo gently. He’s smiling, but there’s a tear making its way down his cheek. Eddie frowns, pushing the discarded wrapping paper and other things out of the space between them to pull Steve close. He hates seeing Steve cry, so he tucks Steve close, under his chin, and soothes a hand up and down his back. “I didn’t mean to make you cry, Stevie.”
“It’s okay,” Steve sniffles, “This is…one of the most thoughtful gifts I think I’ve ever received. Thank you, babe.”
“Of course, Steve. I know how much that car still means to you. Just wish I could have gotten it to you sooner.”
“Better now than never?” Steve offers, settling his body weight against Eddie.
“Very true,” Eddie sighs, cuddling Steve closer and kissing the top of his head. “Merry Christmas?”
Steve chuckles, and it sounds like his tears are subsiding. “Merry Christmas.”
—---
The next time the kids are piling into Steve’s van, a certain ornament is hanging from the rearview mirror.
“Whoa, is that what I think it is?” Dustin shouts, clambering up over the center console to get a better look.
“Yeah, and you’ll never guess when Eddie picked it up!”
“I said I was sorry, okay! I swear I will behave at all other funerals to come in the future!” The alarmed and confused shouts of the kids layered over each other as Eddie sank down in shame in the passenger seat. “I’m never gonna live that down, am I?”
“Mmmmno.” Steve had the audacity to smile sweetly at him. “Love you, but no.”
“What do you mean 'behave at funerals', Eddie?” Dustin demanded.
“Y’know your beautiful send off for the Beemer? We hadn’t even left the car lot and Eddie was defiling her to pry this off!”
There was a chorus of indignant cries of “EDDIE!” and “How could you!”
Eddie looks at Steve with disbelief, appalled that his thoughtful gift is being spun in such a light. Steve meets his shocked gaze with a wink and a mouthed 'I love you'. He groans again, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up and yanks the strings closed to hide his face. He'll endure the chastisement from the kids, and from Steve. It was worth it to make Steve happy. Anything was worth it to make Steve happy.