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Three things happened after Vecna was slayed by the magical girl with superpowers.
All three, even several months later, felt incredibly surreal. Too good to be true. Eddie, for sure, had never expected any of them. Because life generally taught him not to expect anything good when the odds were absolutely not in his favor.
One: he made it out alive. Barely, and definitely not unscathed, with how chewed up his body was and how much blood he lost; and yet here he was, still walking and breathing, albeit covered in scars, both physical and mental.
Two: he graduated. Technically, to no credit of his own; when the school had to be suspended following the earthquake, parents of seniors all started complaining that it was disrupting everybody’s college plans, so the school just handed out diplomas to everyone based off of their current averages. Including Eddie, because someone definitely made a mistake in all that chaos; he wasn’t about to correct them.
And three… in the midst of all the nightmarish madness, he became best friends with Steve Harrington.
It was the weirdest thing of them all, perhaps because past Eddie would never have assumed this would be something good. It was the unlikeliest friendship he could ever imagine; the former King and the resident Freak. Except now, with high school finally, blissfully over for Eddie (4 years is already way too long to stay in that place, if you ask him, let alone 6), they were just… Steve and Eddie. Not literally attached at the hip, but not a far cry from that either.
Obviously, Eddie had experienced good friendships before. He still kept in touch with Jeff and Frank, although only occasionally over the phone, since they were both off to college; he still had his weekly jam sessions with Gareth; he definitely considered Dustin one of his best friends, even if he was more like a little brother (to both him and Steve). But nothing could have prepared him for the sheer intensity of the friendship he and Harrington developed over their joint stay at the government hospital.
The time Eddie spent with his other friends was usually centered around some activity, most often music or D&D. But Steve and him didn’t have many interests in common; and there wasn’t much to do together in the hospital other than play some board games the kids brought sometimes during visiting hours, or watch TV.
So instead, they talked. A lot. Eddie didn’t remember being this open and talking so much of things that really mattered, with anyone other than uncle Wayne. Hopes, dreams, heartbreaks, the past and the future. And yet, with Steve, they somehow developed that mutual trust and intimacy quickly enough. Steve opened up first, and maybe it was the way certain confessions and stories completely blindsided Eddie, obliterated a whole lot of assumptions he used to have about Steve, that made him take the metaphorical hand extended to him.
And in the end, maybe it was the shared trauma, or the amount of time spent cooped up in the same hospital room, or just the fact that Steve turned out to be a genuinely amazing guy and actually great to hang out with despite the two of them being so different. Maybe it was all of the above. But on the morning following his release back to the world, when he woke up in the new trailer Wayne had received as compensation for Eddie’s silence, Eddie’s first thought was that this was when he would usually be greeted by Steve’s sleepy smile from the other bed.
Eddie spent three whole days moping and missing Steve like a limb he’d never known he was supposed to have, until relief came in the form of a phone call from the other boy. When Steve admitted to him that he missed him, Eddie felt a little bit easier about his own sudden clinginess.
And then, easier each following day that passed as Steve kept calling, kept coming over, kept inviting him over to his own house, and never looked like he was growing tired of Eddie. At first, during the summer, those were mostly group hangouts with Robin, Nancy and Jonathan; but once they were all off to college, the only ones remaining in Hawkins, other than the kids, were Eddie and Steve. And they clung to each other like magnets. Not a day went by without them either seeing each other or at least making a phone call (which would often end with one of them falling asleep still on the line).
Somewhere down the line, of course, Eddie couldn’t help but fall a little bit (a lot) in love with Steve. Eddie didn’t develop crushes particularly often; and with Steve, somehow, he seemed to have skipped that step altogether. He just woke up one day to a whole whopping realization of loving Steve. Like, wanting to spend the rest of his life with Steve. And even if Steve could never reciprocate his feelings, it was fine, he convinced himself. So long as Eddie got to stay in his orbit, keep having dinners together, making fun of bad horror movies and arguing over whose turn it was to pick the music for the drive.
Even that hardly seemed realistic. Steve was bound to move on someday; he’d said he wanted to stick around until the kids all graduated and moved out of Hawkins, but even before that, surely one day he was gonna find himself a girlfriend and realize he didn’t need his weird clingy friend third-wheeling his entire life.
It was all fine. So long as Eddie could be just a little bit greedy for now, for just a little while longer. He’d be totally okay once Steve left him behind; he pre-processed the entire heartbreak multiple times over. That’s totally a thing.
***
Eddie never expected actual heartbreak to come in the form of a goddamn guy .
Brian was a new employee at Family Video. He was several years older; Eddie didn’t really remember him from school. The guy often had shifts with Steve, and Eddie would see him make polite conversation whenever he dropped by; Eddie never thought anything of it.
But after a while, Eddie realized they were actually getting closer, spending time together outside of work. Steve would mention that occasionally, usually over the phone, on the days when he oh so coincidentally didn’t see Eddie.
It made sense. They had similar interests, they both liked cars and sports, the normie guy interests; Steve even said that they rooted for the same teams. But there was nothing he could do to stop the ugly, bitter jealousy chewing on his heart. It didn’t help whatsoever that Brian was really fucking attractive, tall and lean, relatively muscular, with dark wavy hair down to his shoulders, always looking like he came straight out of a fancy shampoo commercial, as opposed to Eddie’s permanent crow’s nest.
It’s not like Eddie didn’t ever partake in Steve’s interests. They often watched games together, for one. Sure, Eddie could hardly ever remember all the insane rules of every sport, kept asking Steve questions and poked fun at things now and then, but Steve never seemed annoyed by that. The opposite; they’d sometimes make up their own arbitrary rules and score the teams based on those, and Steve always looked like he was having fun with it.
When Steve wanted to go outside to shoot some hoops, Eddie joined him. He wasn’t particularly good, but getting better actually, managed to score maybe once in ten attempts. Pretty impressive, if you ask him, for someone who had not played basketball a single day in his life before Steve.
Eddie cannot see how he failed to be the best friend Steve deserved.
Tonight was kind of the last straw. Eddie had just gotten his first paycheck at the garage where he’d been working for the past month; it wasn’t a lot of money, but it was honest money for work he was actually proud of doing and almost enjoyed half the time (if it weren’t for some annoying clients eyeing him suspiciously and constantly trying to lecture him on how to take care of their car). Of course, his first thought was to run over to Steve’s place, share the exciting news, maybe crack open a couple of beers to celebrate.
Except the moment Steve opened the door, Eddie knew he wasn’t alone. And sure enough, behind Steve, he caught a glimpse of motherfucking Brian, giving him a short wave as he passed by on his way to the living room, like he owned the fucking place.
“Hey Eddie,” Steve greeted him with a smile, warm and open as always. “We were just about to watch a game. Wanna join us?”
Eddie took a step back, trying to school his face into a somewhat neutral expression.
“Uh… No, man, it’s fine, I don’t wanna intrude. Actually, I just remembered…” He took one more step, eyes darting around, never meeting Steve’s gaze head on. “I just remembered I had to do something, so… I’m gonna go.”
“Eddie, what… wait!”
“Have fun with Brian, Stevie,” Eddie called out over his shoulder, this time failing to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Without a single look back, Eddie climbed into his van and drove off. He needed to get home. Rip his ribcage open and apply a thousand band-aids to his stupid, overdramatic, bleeding heart.
***
Once the initial frustration wears off and Eddie somewhat calms down, he’s filled with shame and regret. He has no right to be acting this way; Steve’s allowed to have new friends, obviously, including very attractive male friends. Eddie should be happy for him. Or at least pretend to be normal about it for Steve’s sake.
But just as Eddie starts to make plans of apologizing to Steve first thing tomorrow, an unexpected knock comes from the door. Eddie’s heart jumps into his throat; and sure enough, it’s Steve. Eddie had music on in his room, so that’s probably why he didn’t hear Steve’s car pull up to the trailer.
Steve looks uncertain, bewildered, and maybe a little bit miserable.
“Can I come in?” He asks, and something squeezes at Eddie’s heart again. It’s not something they usually ask each other, not for a long while.
“Yeah. Sure.”
Eddie steps away from the door and heads for his room to turn down his music. Steve follows him; once Eddie turns towards him again, they just stand in the middle of Eddie’s room, looking at each other, the awkwardness in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife.
And then, they begin speaking simultaneously.
“Look, Iー”
“I just wanted toー”
They both chuckle, and for a fraction of a second, it feels like just another normal night together.
“Sorry,” Eddie says, gesturing at Steve. “Go ahead.”
“I just wanted to check on you. You seemed upset, and then you ran away, and I didn’t get to ask why.”
Eddie swallows and looks away, shame swirling heavily on his gut.
“It’s nothing. It’s stupid.”
“It’s clearly not nothing, Eds.” Steve’s gaze bores into him, and Eddie feels like his friend can read him like an open book. Maybe he really does, because then he asks, “Is this about Brian?”
So Eddie does what he always does best. Runs. Deflects.
“Uh… what’s up with Brian? Weren’t you guys supposed to be hanging out? You should probably head back, I swear I’m fineー”
“Fuck Brian.”
It’s said with such force, and is such a perfect representation of Eddie’s general opinion on the guy, that Eddie barely contains a snort. One look at Steve’s frown is enough to deflate his amusement.
“What do you mean, fuck Brian? I thought you liked the guy.”
Steve sighs, rolling his eyes.
“I don’t know. He’s fine. I guess.” More quietly, he adds, “He’s not you.”
Eddie’s heart jumps all the way into his throat before his brain even processes what Steve could possibly mean.
“I’m trying,” Steve continues; he starts pacing the small room, sounding increasingly frustrated. “It’s not supposed to be that hard, right? Making friends. Why does this feel like a fucking chore?”
“Well,” Eddie says carefully, trying to keep the rising glee out of his voice, “If you don’t wanna be friends with him, you don’t have to. You know that, right?”
Steve stops pacing, in the middle of the room, puts his hands on his hips, throws his head back and lets out a half-sigh, half-groan.
“He’s a total moron. I mentioned Dungeons&Dragons once and he asked me if that’s a sex thing.”
Eddie snorts. Steve meets his eyes, and a small smile appears on his lips.
“Brian, I shit you not, actually believes the Earth is flat and the whole thing about it being round is a giant conspiracy.”
“Oh wow.” Eddie can no longer stop actual giggles escaping his mouth. “Damn, Stevie, what the hell are you doing with him then?”
Steve hesitates for a moment before replying.
“It’s something Robin said… We were talking over the phone the other day, she told me about a bunch of friends she made at college, and I told her what you and I had been up to, and she kind of made a joke about us being… codependent?”
Eddie winces; but of course, Robin’s got a point.
“And,” Steve continues, “She told me that… it might be good for me, to spend some time around people who didn’t go through all the Upside Down bullshit? Like, that she’ll always be my platonic soulmate, she can’t wait to see me for Christmas break, but she’s also happy that she met some new people. So I thought…” Steve sighs, sitting down on the edge of Eddie’s mattress and running a hand through his hair. “I thought I’d try.”
Eddie quietly sits down next to Steve. He’s not sure what to respond to all that; all he keeps thinking is what happens to them if (when) Steve does make some new friends. Maybe not Brian, but someone else, someone who also shares his interests and is more fun to hang out with than Eddie, who doesn’t wake up screaming from the nightmares during sleepovers, who doesn’t talk a mile a minute about a new D&D campaign Steve never expresses any interest in joining.
And it’s as if Steve reads his mind, again, because Eddie feels a nudge against his shoulder.
“Whatever nonsense is going through that big head of yours, cut it out. Eds, do you have any idea…”
He cuts off; when Eddie looks over, he notices Steve’s fiddling with his leather bracelet. Well, one that used to be Eddie’s, initially, but somehow found permanent residence on Steve’s wrist after Eddie forgot it in Steve’s bathroom one day.
“Maybe Robin’s right,” Steve says, then rolls his eyes. “You know what, whatever. I’m cool to just hang with you until we end up at the same nursing home, or something.”
Eddie snorts, despite his heart thundering violently in his chest at the possible implications behind these words.
“You wouldn’t need a nursing home in the future. You can just have a robot butler take care of you.”
Steve laughs at that.
“Fine. We can get a robot butler.”
We?
“Right. He’s gonna serve us cocktails as we sit on a bench in the backyard and watch flying cars pass by.”
“Sounds like an awesome retirement plan.” Steve flops back on the bed and looks at Eddie with such genuine softness in his face, Eddie’s own amused smile falters.
“Shit. You’re actually serious about this?”
Steve shrugs, looks away shyly and sighs.
“Sorry, I know it’s fucking weird. Forget it.”
Eddie’s thoughts are racing a mile a minute. He moves to sit cross-legged on the bed, facing Steve.
“No. Well, kind of. A little bit. I mean, what the hell, I’m in.” I want it. I want it so fucking much. “I’m just pretty sure that plan’s gonna expire once you find someone in your life that you love and actually want to grow old with, Stevie.”
Steve fidgets, drums his fingers against his stomach, lips pressed into a thin line as he keeps his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“I don’t think I’ll have to look very far,” he says quietly, as if to himself, but in the silence of the room, Eddie hears him clearly.
Eddie feels like his brain literally breaks down for a moment. Short-circuits. Chews on the messy tape of his thoughts like his old beat-up VCR. Steve, in the meantime, shuts his eyes, lifts his arm to rub a hand across his face; and it’s the uneasiness and pure regret on his friend’s face that brings Eddie out of his stupor. Makes him be the brave one, for once.
“Uh. At the risk of reading all of this wrong and making a colossal mistake…” Eddie reaches out with his own, slightly shaky hand and wraps it around Steve’s wrist, tugging gently. “C’mere.”
Steve looks up at him, his expression unreadable for a moment, and then his eyes light up with such naked hope, Eddie feels a little braver still, even if part of him keeps wondering whether he just fell asleep alone in his room and none of this is actually real.
“Why?” Steve asks uncertainly, and Eddie smiles softly at him.
“Because I think we’ve both been huge fucking idiots. Friends don’t muse about growing old together, Stevie. I mean… maybe they do. When they’re nine years old. Or, uh…” He chews on his lip nervously. “Or when they don’t mean they want that… as friends. Just friends,” he accentuates nervously.
Steve blinks at him, casts a glance at Eddie’s fingers still circling his wrist.
“And by they, you mean… both people?” He asks carefully.
“Uh-huh,” Eddie nods rapidly, a grin of pure joy slowly spreading across his face. “I sure fucking hope so.”
He watches realization dawn on Steve’s face, the corners of his lips lifting even as he keeps staring at Eddie with his mouth agape.
“Oh,” he says quietly, raising himself up on one elbow. “I just… I didn’t think that was an option.”
Holy shit. How could they have both been so blind?
Eddie tugs on Steve’s arm more insistently.
“C’mere, Stevie,” he repeats. “I need to kiss you, like, months ago. ”
Steve’s smile widens, and Eddie can spot a faint blush manifesting on his cheeks.
“Really?”
“Really really,” Eddie laughs, full of joy, excitement and relief. “Get over here, I’m not getting any younger. Halfway to a nursing home already.”
Steve laughs as well, a happy, bubbly sound that is music to Eddie’s ears, as he finally lets himself be pulled up. And then, he practically crawls into Eddie’s lap and presses his lips to Eddie’s with no further hesitation.
They end up making out until they’re both completely breathless, and Eddie doesn’t understand how he managed to delude himself for so long that he could live without this. Without Steve’s gentle hand cupping his cheek; without his warm, solid body pressed against Eddie’s; without the quiet confession, the three words Eddie could only ever dream of hearing, spoken in a whisper against his lips.
***
Turns out, Eddie has absolutely no problem with Steve making new friends, after all. He’s actually happy for Steve when he tells Eddie he met some guys from the neighboring town who casually play baseball every other week, and invited Steve to join them. Eddie comes with whenever he can and is the loudest cheerleader in the crowd of about twenty spectators.
He’s not worried when Steve goes alone, though. Or when Steve decides to spend Friday night at a sports bar, which is Eddie’s almost worst nightmare, second only to anything Upside Down-related. Because at the end of the day, Steve always comes back to him, to the little apartment they rent together now that the Harringtons finally decided to sell their Hawkins house.
They’re not codependent. Or maybe they are, a little bit, but who isn’t when they’re in love.