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There’s a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings for a quarter a piece and Eddie swears it might be his favorite thing about his and Steve’s apartment in Chicago.
Well, no. He really loves that it’s only five minutes away from Buckley’s dorm and that it has a fire exit that’s often visited by their downstairs neighbor’s cat. And of course, he also loves living there with Steve.
But that little shop is pretty sick too. Eddie is constantly misplacing his rings, and this way, it’s easier for him to replace them.
He stops by once or twice every week, which in Steve’s opinion is too much.
“You only have ten fingers, Eds, how many rings can you possibly need?” He tells him every time, but he always asks Eddie to show him his most recent buy.
Today’s visit has gotta be quick. Steve is waiting for Eddie and the black pepper he sent him to get for his homemade chili. So it’s in and out of the shop in less than five minutes, a new black band secured in his pocket, before Eddie hurries back home.
But even if he does, Steve still lets out an impatient little huff when he arrives.
“There you are!” He says, walking over to Eddie– and grabbing the black pepper from his hands, ignoring him.
Eddie lets out an offended string of noises. “And what am I? Chopped liver?”
“No, you are late,” Steve chastises, but still presses a placating kiss to Eddie’s lips before going back to the sizzling saucepan.
Eddie follows him and hops on the counter, his legs dangling back and forth as he watches Steve stir. “Unless everyone’s hiding in our bathroom, and I would be impressed, given how small it is, there’s no one here yet so there’s no way I’m late,” Eddie says petulantly.
Steve rolls his eyes, adding the black pepper to the chili. “They’ll be here soon. Rob called to say she was leaving her dorm and the kids said they’d get here around two, and you know they’ll be starving from the three hour ride. And they’ll bitch if lunch isn’t ready.”
“They’ll bitch either way,” Eddie says with a snort. “If not because of the food, then for the fact that they’re all sleeping on the floor since we only have one couch.”
Their apartment is hardly the Harringtons’ mansion, and while it’s more than enough for Eddie and Steve, it doesn’t have multiple guest rooms and mattresses to fit nine people for a weekend.
Chuckling, Steve stirs the black pepper in. “You’re probably right, remind me why we agreed to this again?”
Eddie taps his bottom lip with his finger, pretending to think. “Mm, because you can’t say no to them, and because Lucas was excited to use his newly acquired license to get them all here. Oh, and because you miss them.”
“You miss them too,” Steve points out, one hand on his hip while the other brandishes the wooden spoon in front of Eddie’s face.
“I admit to nothing!” Eddie says, but the truth is that he does.
The last time they saw the kids was a couple of months ago, when he and Steve drove to Hawkins for Wayne’s birthday and it had really hit Eddie just how much they’ve grown in the time they were away. Mike had been taller than both him and Steve, Lucas had actual facial hair. El’s curls were almost as long as Eddie’s while Max had chopped hers off and was rocking a badass bob. Will had a boyfriend and Henderson had a goddamned tattoo, for God’s sake.
Needless to say that visit had left Eddie reeling, Steve too. And while they were both excited to see them and show them around Chicago over the weekend, neither is ready to see how many other things have changed since then.
God, is this how parents feel when they watch their kids grow up? Maybe all those jokes about him and Steve co-parenting these shitheads were right all along.
“Here, try this,” Steve says, snapping Eddie out of his spiral. He holds the spoon in front of Eddie’s lips for him to taste it in a move that’s become familiar since they moved in together. Eddie leans forward and takes it into his mouth.
Then he lets out a moan.
“Fuck, Steve,” he says, watching Steve’s cheeks go pink, either at the praise or the familiar obscene sound. “That’s so good, oh my God.”
Steve ducks his head, smiling. “Yeah?”
“Mhm,” Eddie hums, licking his lips. “I’d marry you for that alone.”
It’s hardly the first time Eddie has said that, but Steve’s reaction is the same as always. His cheeks pink up even more and a pleased bashful smile stretches over his lips. He puts the spoon in the sink and covers the saucepan to let the chili simmer before he stands between Eddie’s legs.
“You keep saying that, but I’ve yet to see the ring,” Steve says, teasingly, only Eddie’s mind goes to the ring in his pocket, the black band that would look so good in Steve’s ring finger–
And before he knows it, he’s jumping off the counter and dropping to his knees.
With a raised eyebrow, Steve takes half a step back. “Eds, you know I’d let you blow me for how good my food is any day, but the kids will be here soon–”
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Steve,” Eddie scoffs. “This isn’t that, although that chili is definitely blow job worthy.”
“Well, if it isn’t that then what are you doing down there?”
Hell if I know, Eddie thinks before digging into his jeans, taking the ring out.
Steve blinks down at it. “Did you stop by that shop again?”
“Yes,” Eddie says and before Steve can protest, he adds, “But this one isn’t for me. It’s for you.”
Steve’s eyebrows shoot up in his forehead and when Eddie holds it up to him, his eyes widen, his jaw going slack.
“Oh my god.”
Eddie clears his throat. “Steve, these last three years with you have felt like a dream. Most of the time, I still can’t believe they weren’t one. That I won’t wake up from a coma at that damned secret hospital to find that none of it happened or that I died that day in the Upside Down and this is actually heaven. Life with you is just that good, sweetheart. I’m the luckiest son of a bitch because I get to come home to you every day and wake up next to you and your ridiculously bad bed head.” At that, Steve makes the first noise since Eddie started his speech– a soft wet chuckle.
“And I might be pushing my luck here, Stevie, because half the time I think I don’t deserve you. You deserve a– a gold ring and a beautiful house and someone who doesn’t think that jeans without holes in them counts as formal wear. But while I might not be able to give you that, I can and I will love you endlessly. So, ignoring the fact that legally we can’t, because fuck society, will you, Steve Harrington, marry me?”
Steve’s mouth opens with a gasp but before Eddie can get his answer, the door to their apartment swings open and in walks Robin.
She learned the hard way to use the key that they gave her cautiously after she walked in on them going at it half naked in the kitchen. The only reason why she used it today is probably because she thought it was safe to do it, knowing that they wouldn’t get up to any funny business while they were expecting the kids.
She probably didn’t expect to walk in on this instead.
To be fair, Eddie didn’t expect to do this at all today.
“Boys, look who I ran into downstairs!” She says, holding the door open for the kids before freezing on the spot. “Oh my God!”
“They’re naked, aren’t they?” Dustin groans. That damn tone is the one thing that hasn’t changed at all.
Robin sputters. “Uh, no, they’re–”
“Oh my God!” Mike gasps, echoing Robin’s words as he steps in and sees Eddie on his knees in front of Steve, the ring still held between his fingers.
“What? What?” The others ask, trying to get a look while stuck behind Mike’s tall frame.
They see El’s head pop up under his arm. “Eddie is proposing to Steve!”
“What?” Max and Dustin shriek, shoving Mike out of the way and stumbling into the apartment with Lucas and Will in tow.
Lucas gasps. “Holy shit!”
“Did he say yes?” Will asks, glancing between the two.
Dustin gives his arm a light slap. “Of course he said yes, he’s just as obsessed with Eddie as Eddie is with him.”
“Actually,” Eddie cuts in, speaking for the first time since they all barged in. “He hasn’t, you shitheads interrupted him.”
“Dude!” Max lets out an indignant huff. “What are you waiting for?”
“Yeah, Steve!” The boys all agree, El’s wide eyes do too.
“Children–” Robin chastises, but Eddie can see the curious glint in her eyes.
“I–” Steve starts, finally saying something but he doesn’t get far before Eddie interrupts him.
“Stevie, it’s okay, you just can tell me later–”
He firmly shakes his head. “No, Eds, I don’t mind that the kids are here,” he says, his lips tugging upwards as he starts his own speech. “I don’t mind that you got that ring from that shop down the street that I insist you spend way too much time in, or that we live in this small apartment and that you only own a single pair of jeans without any rips on them. I don’t care about any of that because I love you, and I love our life, and nothing would make me happier than being married to you even if it’s not official. Actually, fuck that, we can have our own wedding and it can be real to us. All that matters is that I get to love you. Endlessly.”
Eddie gapes at Steve, his heart in his throat. He wants to say something, anything, but he’s afraid he might embarrass himself by starting to cry.
“Dude,” Mike says, breaking the silence for him. “That was so sappy.”
“Shhhh!” They all say in unison while Max delivers a slap to the back of his head.
Eddie can’t help but laugh– a happy, giddy sound. “No, Wheeler is right. That was sappy.”
Steve shoots him a betrayed look. “Shut up. You’re lucky they didn’t hear your speech!”
“Don’t act like it didn’t make you swoon,” he teases.
Steve’s cheeks go red. “You’re insufferable, I take it back, I won’t marry you.”
“No take backsies!” Eddie protests, grabbing Steve’s hand and sliding the ring on. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“I know,” Steve says, his smile tipping into something soft as he hauls Eddie to his feet so he can kiss him.
Their friends cheer but the sounds quickly turn into groans as they both get a little carried away with their kiss.
“Do you guys need us to go back to the car and give you a minute to be gross?” Lucas asks after a while.
Eddie feels tempted to say yes but before he can Dustin jumps in protest. “No way! We’ve been in that car for hours and I’m starving!”
Steve and Eddie exchange a bemused look. They know their kids well.
“Well, lunch is ready, so go wash up and then you shitheads can eat.”
As soon as Steve says it, they all barrel into the apartment, squeezing into their tiny bathroom so they can wash their hands, arguing over who goes first the whole time.
Robin closes the door behind her and hands Steve her key. “I don’t think it’s not safe for me to have that,” she says sheepishly.
Eddie snorts. “Your timing really is impeccable, Buckley.”
Pulling them both in for a hug, she says, “I love you, dinguses and I’m happy for you, but if you make anyone else your Maid of Honor, I’ll kill you.”
“We love you too,” Steve chuckles, and Eddie agrees with a nod.
She pulls away, heading to the bathroom so she can also wash up.
Steve wraps his arm around Eddie’s shoulders. “And I love you,” he says with a kiss to his temple. “Endlessly.”
Eddie intertwines his fingers with the hand that rests over his shoulder, feeling the ring on Steve’s finger. It causes a flutter in his chest.
“Yeah, Stevie,” he says, giving his fingers a squeeze. “Endlessly.”