Chapter Text
A proposal is what set this whole thing off.
It came out no wherever, totally blindsided the whole group. They weren’t even there to witness the damn thing though the guys knew it before anyone else.
Jonathan showed off the ring one winter afternoon. Everyone was back in Hawkins during Christmas break and Eddie, Jonathan, and Billy went to grab lunch, working around their busy schedules to finally meet up.
That’s when Jonathan confessed his plan and showed off the ring. He placed it right there on the diner table, in between their water cups, napkins, and silverware.
Eddie wasn’t surprised, not really. Nancy and Jonathan had been going strong since high school ended; with no breakup in sight, it only made sense that a proposal would come.
Jonathan sat there, smiling like an idiot as he waited for the others to react.
“Aren’t we a little too young for this sort of thing,” Eddie laughed, gesturing lamely to the ring between them.
“We’re in our twenties,” Jonathan argued with that love-struck laugh.
“Early twenties,” Billy pointed down, his own eyes narrowing in on the ring.
It was a simple thing; all that the poor guy could afford but Nancy liked it simple; nothing too flashy or forward. A chip of a diamond on a silver band. Sweet and simple, just like Jonathan himself.
Eddie thought the proposal would come later you know? Graduate first, and then move in together, save up a bit of money. That’s what Eddie’s plan was anyway.
Eddie swore up and down that he planned on making an honest man out of himself by marrying Chrissy, but he sure as hell was gonna take his time doing it. Proposing in the middle of their school year just seemed so off-putting but Jonathan insisted he was going to wait.
And by the wait, he meant until Christmas just a few weeks later. By New Year's Eve that ring was on Nancy’s finger for the world to see. It looked better on her than in the box; Jonathan sold a lot of pictures and saved up a lot of green to buy a ring he thought Nancy Wheeler deserved.
Eddie stood beside Billy at the New Year's Eve party that Harrington was throwing, watching as the girls giggled and gossiped over how disgustingly romantic the proposal was, eagerly listening to all the ideas Nancy had in her head for the big day.
“They’re not gonna expect us to do this right?” Eddie asked, earning a snort from the blond beside him.
“Maybe Chrissy might,” Billy commented.
Eddie swallowed hard, his eyes falling onto his lady love across the room. She was gushing along with the rest of the group, her smile bright when her eyes met Eddie’s.
She didn’t put up with anything, thank Cthuthlu and no off-handed comments came his way afterward. Chrissy hadn’t brought up wanting to get married nor did anyone ask when it would be their turn so he stayed quiet, stayed respectful.
That was until Jonathan asked him to be a part of the wedding party.
They expected a long engagement. They still had one semester of college left so obviously they’d want to wait right?
Wrong.
By the time spring rolled around and everyone was back from school the planning had begun. Nancy wanted to get hitched before finishing her senior year. Eddie didn’t get it and when he squeezed info out of Chrissy, the only thing she could chalk it up to was pressure from their families and wanting to focus solely on their careers once finishing.
If they got married early then they could care exclusively about their careers and then kids after.
Billy swore it was better to just go along than to question heteronormativity. Not wanting to ask about their happiness, Eddie did the best thing he could in the situation: stayed supportive. He hugged them and called him a lucky man and made the joke that when the wedding came around that Chrissy would be the one to catch the bouquet.
He promised to be on his best behavior and look appropriate during the ceremony. Will would be his best man, which was stellar since the little dude was planning on starting up a new campaign while away at college and Eddie was planning on giving him a few pointers.
Robin, the maid of honor, opted to also offer the band's skills during the reception. It wasn’t ideal since the Dead Lovers Society had retired after prom three years ago and their bass player was the one getting married but they agreed to make it work. Outside of that, they had a DJ working the music booth; simple and worth the money so long as the jerkoff played the right tunes.
Eddie had no idea how much went into planning a wedding until he witnessed it firsthand and saw how quickly time flew away from them. One moment he was in the diner with the guys, celebrating the very idea of proposing, and in a flash, he waved goodbye to Chrissy and the other girls as they drove off for the bachelorette party.
The guys would be having a get-together as well; no strip club or bar since half of them were underage but they agreed to at least have fun. Harrington swore he’d take care of it all, leaving the others to sit back and enjoy.
They were already halfway through summer; each with a job that took up seventy percent of their time. That other thirty was dedicated to putting up a good show so Eddie could continue with his education, much to his chagrin.
He hadn’t planned on ever doing more than the two years he got from community college but after a bit of time and many discussions with Chrissy he found he liked the idea of pursuing music.
Not professional; no that dream came and went. Besides being a rockstar seemed exhausting and how that pop had begun to take over he feared the Boy Band takeover would be too much for him. Nah he was content just jamming out with the others.
Instead, he followed his lady love's footsteps in teaching. No fucking way he’s put on a suit and tie and read some boring book, but molding young minds as a music teacher — that was something he could get behind.
It would be hard work. Have to get more than just that simple associate degree. That meant picking up more shifts at the record store; college wasn’t gonna pay for itself you know? His parents' money only went so far.
Gone were the days when Eddie could lounge around and slack off. He still sold on the side; it wasn’t ideal, but he made good money off of it. Chrissy didn’t judge him for it, which was perfectly fine with him. So long as he didn’t get caught and he didn’t use any drug deal money to pay for their dates, she was willing to turn a blind eye.
No no, the drug deal money was to be used for something better; like Jonathan’s bachelor party. They agreed to keep calm, though that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun. While the girls were off to Indianapolis for their spa retreat, the guys were left behind to have their camping trip. Food, fun, without a single stripper in sight. The little dudes might have a beer or two but they’d be fine. They knew better than to get fucked up before the wedding after all.
Eddie was driving half of them on account of having the van and was running late since he had to have a meeting with the school to go over his schedule. There had been some document he needed that he was about eight percent certain he had thrown out, resulting in Eddie rummaging through his trash can out back to find it.
No document in sight, he did however find something even more off-putting.
A positive pregnancy test.
He stared at the thing, holding it in his hand with wide eyes as realization had come over him.
Chrissy had moved into his room halfway through school after having a falling out with her parents. They didn’t approve of their relationship for a multitude of reasons and consistently told her to grow up and drop the ‘teenage bullshit’ as they liked to put it. They had fooled around enough but now it was time to move on.
Chrissy didn’t take too kindly to that and moved out within a week. Wayne and he got that bigger trailer, giving him a room with a bit more space to it. Billy moved in too, though he spent most of his time at Harrington’s place. Eddie and Chrissy made it work, making their place a happy little home that would be adding a fifth person soon enough.
Eddie freaked out, as was expected. He called up the Harrington household, demanding to speak to Billy, who was waiting for him to pick them up.
“Stick! She peed on the stick. I found the stick, Billy!”
“Is he high?” Steve asked aloud.
“I FOUND THE STICK STEVE!” Eddie shouted into the phone.
“Wow, wow,” Billy spoke carefully. “What stick? What the hell are you talking about?”
Eddie whined, slumping down against the wall, the pregnancy test still in his hand. “The stick that tells you you’re having a kid, man. I found it.”
The other line was deathly quiet before finally, a short, humorless laugh came from his best friend. “Well, I’ll be damned,”
“Fuck you, man,” Eddie whined.
“At least if you did I wouldn’t get pregnant,” Billy replied. “Look, we’ll be there soon, alright? Just hang tight and try not to freak out anymore than you already are.”
Eddie bobbed his head, hearing the click of the phone as Billy hung up. He stayed there on the floor, letting time trickle.
It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility that Eddie would have a kid with his girlfriend. Chrissy was out of his league, but she wasn’t going anywhere. He loved her. He fucking loved her, man! He didn’t deserve her but he loved her and he wasn’t going to do anything to ruin that.
He’d get that degree, and get a good job, and propose to her like a real man. And maybe, when the time was right and the money was flowing, they’d get a real house, with a yard, and a gate, just like she had when she was a kid. And when they were settled in then he would put a kid inside of her.
Not when they were still focusing on school. Not when he was a year into getting his bachelor's, working towards his masters, working day in and day out to pay for this shit. Not when her family disowned her and they were sharing a bedroom in his uncle’s trailer.
This was sure as shit not the right time okay!
Eddie was still on the floor when the duo arrived, making their way into the trailer.
“Ew, dude. You’re still holding it?” Steve muttered, grimacing at the pregnancy test Eddie had clutched in his hand.
“Positive. Positive means a baby.” Eddie replied numbly. “She’s having a baby.”
“That’s what happens when you don’t use a condom,” Billy answered as he stood above him.
Billy pouted, his eyes narrowing to an annoyed glare. “You don’t.”
Billy rolled his eyes, ignoring the stare that came from Steve behind him. “Yeah well, which one of us is gonna get pregnant?” He asked, gesturing to his partner.
Eddie rubbed his knuckles against his eyes. It wasn’t like they had planned on skipping out on the condom. They had stopped using them a little over two months ago after a passion-filled night where neither himself nor Chrissy expected to find themselves in such a situation.
One minute they were enjoying The Return of Swamp Thing and the next they were in the parking lot, stripping their clothes off so they could get them on in the back of Eddie’s van.
He hadn’t replaced the box of condoms from the last time they got adventurous and did this and sure, he could’ve easily driven to buy more or even make a run for it, but Chrissy was sucking at his neck and her hand was pulling at the waistband of his boxers. She reminded him that ever since she moved out of her parent's house she had been on the pill and that was enough for him.
It wasn’t enough for them as he was currently holding the stick of power as his life crumbled around him.
“Look, this is something you have to talk to her about,” Billy reminded him, checking his watch with a heavy sigh. “The guys are waiting on us,”
“How am I supposed to go knowing what I know?” Eddie demanded, whining as Billy tugged him up to his feet.
“Certainly didn’t stop Chrissy from going,” Steve commented. “Guess we know who the designated driver is,”
Eddie froze, the thought of Chrissy being the one behind the wheel while the rest of the wedding party were blitzed out of their minds sent a shiver down his back.
“They aren’t going to be driving, remember? They’re at the spa, now come on.” Billy pointed out. He looked back to Steve, hands on his hips. “Call Jonathan and tell him we’ll meet him at the campsite.”
Steve bobbed his head and was obedient. Billy took Eddie by the arm and am dragging him towards the couch so he wasn’t sprawled out on the floor. “Why wouldn’t she tell me before she left?” Eddie asked aloud. “You can’t just find out these things and then bail!”
“She probably didn’t want to disappoint the girls,” Steve called out from the kitchen. “Besides, she’s only what? A few weeks along? Not like she won’t fit in the dress,”
Eddie froze once more, having not considered that. Chrissy had come a long way since high school; working on the issues that her mother lodged in her head with a fucking battering ram. Every day became a bit easier and now she is in full recovery. She had a good relationship with food and with herself but Eddie had no idea if this would set her back. If it had been planned, if it was something she wanted, then maybe but a surprise?
“What am I gonna do?” Eddie asked, his voice dropping as he stared out into space. “How am I supposed to tell Wayne? This place ain’t big enough for a baby. We just got it, we can’t move again!”
“Not like you won’t have an open room soon,” Steve grumbled from the doorway of the kitchen. “You could make the nursery Elf-themed.”
“You’re not helping,” Billy pointed out, though Steve didn’t meet his gaze. The blond turned his attention back to Eddie, his place cupping his shoulder as he shook him slightly. “Look, there’s nothing you can do about it now,” he reminded him. “When you see Chrissy on Sunday, you can talk it over but for now, we have to get to the campsite.”
“What if she calls me?” Eddie asked desperately. “What if she’s there and she’s hysterical, and she calls here looking for me and she can’t reach me?”
“Chrissy knows where we will be, if she needs to get to you, she’ll find a way to do so,” Billy stated, standing to his feet.
Billy took the key to Billy’s van off the hook, figuring he’d drive this time around. The campsite wasn’t too far out anyhow and he could use the distraction.
“What am I gonna do?” Eddie said, speaking for the first time at the halfway point. “How am I gonna get a car seat back here?”
“Guess you’ll have to trade her in for something more practical,”
Eddie whimpered, bumping the side of the van in annoyance. “No, no! Come on! I’ve had this van since I was sixteen!”
He and Wayne fixed it up together. Bought the thing cheap down at the junkyard. The engine worked, but the rest needed some work. It came in handy lugging the instruments around back when the band was up and running, but now it had become his little getaway.
Perfect place to have some private time with his lady whenever they didn’t want Wayne or Billy to hear them.
Now that is all gone.
“Look, Chrissy has been saving up to buy a car right? Maybe she could get something a bit more family-friendly so you can keep this one,” Billy suggested, pulling into the campsite.
“Who knows? Maybe Chrissy will be all flower-power and want to have a home birth?” Steve mentioned. “You could have the next little Munson born right in this very van.”
“I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me or not,” Eddie grumbled.
“You’re not helping,” Billy replied, pulling up to pay the fee. He handed over the twenty bucks they charged for a weekend spot and proceeded on towards their section.
“You’re taking this pretty well,” Steve commented from the passenger seat.
“It’s not my kid,” Billy reminded him.
Steve shrugged, giving Billy a soft look. “Yeah, but come on.” Steve pressed.
“Not like I’ll be around to see it,” Billy commented quietly, his eyes hard on the scenery.
“Can we please focus here?” Eddie demanded from the back. “I am going to be a father. Me! Eddie Munson -- the guy who can’t even make it to management at the freaking record store!”
“The only reason you haven’t made it to management is that you keep fighting customers over their music,” Steve pointed out. “If you just let them buy what they want to be you wouldn’t get so many complaints.”
“I refuse to kneel to the masses!” Eddie hissed out.
“Yeah? And if your baby grows up to be a Carpenter fan?” Steve challenged.
And Eddie, with his eyes wide and mouth hanging low, slumped back as the real realization came over him. He would be raising a kid that would one day have their ideals, own opinions, and their taste in music.
“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Eddie mumbled miserably.
“There’s Jonathan,” Steve noted, gesturing to the car pulling up.
Billy sighed, looking back to where Eddie was wallowing. “Look,” he sighed. “We’re celebrating Jonathan, okay? Until you speak to Chrissy about all this, I need you to suck it up, okay?”
Eddie, despite his obvious misgivings, bobbed his head, breathing heavily through his nose. “Okay. Okay. I can do this. For Jonathan.”
Billy gave him a moment to collect himself, watching as the man he has called his best friend for the past four years slapped himself across the face to gain composure. Once he was settled, he glanced at his partner, who looked more amused than ever.
With one final sigh, he led them out of the van.