Work Text:
Laughter and animated conversation filled the cozy living room of Harrington’s house. Coming back from the kitchen, where you put the last dirty plates in the dishwasher, you stopped by the doorway, silently observing your friends.
Eddie’s infectious smile brightened the whole room, immersed in the lighthearted banter with your friends, making your heart swell with love. You reflected on the countless moments you all had shared, all the tears, laughs, and support, and how you had weathered storms and celebrated victories as one. Through the highs and lows and all the hardships of fighting against the upside down, you all came out stronger.
“Come here, sweetheart; you have to save me! Nancy wants me to use a tuxedo!” Eddie acknowledged you were stepping back into the room with a warm smile, reaching out to put you back on his lap.
“What’s the problem, Eddie? I would use one; they are nice.” El countered.
“You can’t go to their wedding in your worn-out jeans!” Lucas added.
Eddie looked at you with those puppy eyes you loved so much as if waiting for you to convince them that there was no need for him to dress up for Nancy and Jonathan’s wedding. Whenever those chocolate button eyes looked at you, you knew you would do whatever he wanted, but the others were not as easily charmed as you.
“Well… if there is no wedding… there is no problem” You gave a sided smile and shrugged.
“Oh no, not again! I don’t know why you are so against two people getting together!” Nancy rolled her eyes.
“I’m not against that; I’m living the time of my life with my baby here” You gave Eddie a peck on the cheek. “I just don’t see the point of the marriage institution… it’s just a piece of paper! You are letting the damn government into your relationship.”
Nancy rubbed her hands against her face - she couldn’t understand why you think that way, as if love and marriage were opposite forces instead of complementary things. She was a romantic; what could you do?
“Eds, you better get used to the idea, you can avoid using a tuxedo for Nancy’s wedding, but I’ll want to see you all dressed up like a penguin in my wedding, and you bet I’ll be laughing at you the whole time” Max laughed, and Lucas nodded his head, agreeing with her.
“Shut up, Red!” Eddie threw a pillow at her.
“You can wear whatever you want at mine, man!” Dustin said, making everyone start booing.
“See, that’s a true friend!” Eddie tried to reply, but the voices of the others were much louder.
Lost in the rhythm of their laughter and the symphony of their voices, you couldn’t help but smile and feel an overwhelming sense of happiness in having them all in your life, no matter how silly or annoying you all could be.
“I bet Suzie will love this idea, Dustin,” Robin teased him.
“Wanna come to Cerebro tomorrow night and hear firsthand her opinion?” Dustin dared her
“No way! Haven’t you seen the alerts? You are not going to Weathertop at night.” Steve intervened.
The rumors of unsettling incidents in the woods of Hawkins had spread like wildfire, capturing the town’s attention and stirring a mixture of fear and curiosity. The police had issued warnings, urging caution and vigilance when venturing into the woods - but facing and beating Vecna had a side effect - it wasn’t anything that scared you anymore.
“No need to worry ‘Mom’ “Dustin was mocking him.
“C’mon, Hopper even gave a statement at the town square this week… recent disappearances, attacks that had occurred within the vicinity of the woods... I don’t want any of you doing anything stupid; stay away from the woods until the situation is resolved, you understand me?”
Steve was apprehensive about the kids, and as much as they were annoyed about it, they knew that he only wanted the best for them, so small nods of agreement were seen around the room, and happy chatter started again. Finally, when the time came to go home, you all shared heartfelt goodbye hugs.
“What I told them also serves you - I know you both escape to the woods during the weekends… just don’t, ok?” Steve told you, looking straight in the eye.
“We are grown-ups, Stevie; we can take care of ourselves!” Eddie replied, ruffling his hair before going out the door.
≿━━━━━━━━≾
It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day away from the woods. So, in the sun-kissed afternoon, you and Eddie were swimming side by side, enjoying the lake’s cool water. Your laughter echoed as you playfully splashed water at Eddie, who retaliated with a mischievous grin, making the water your playground.
You raced to dry land, and as you toweled off, you noticed Eddie admiring your body. “Seeing something you like, baby?”
“Sure, I’m looking at the most amazing view right now.”
“Oh, baby…”
“No, really, look how many tall trees we have around here!”
“Ohhh, you are talking about that…”
Eddie grinned. “Little does Steve know, the only problem I can see here in the woods is actually the size of your underwear.”
You made a sound that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh, and Eddie hugged you, spinning you around and taking you into his arms, he brought you back to your spot in the woods.
Together, you sprawled in the blanket on the ground, your bodies intertwined in a comfortable embrace. Eddie gave you soft kisses and held berries on his lips, making you reach out to take them with your mouth, looking him intensely in his eyes while you ate them with a teasing smile.
“I love you so much,” you confessed.
“Not more than I love you, princess.” he cupped your face with his huge warm hands. “You’re my whole life; I don’t know what I would do without you.”
He kissed you deeper, sucking on your tongue more, keeping his touches lingering on your body longer. You enjoyed each other company while the day was coming to a close. Then, when the sun had already dipped below the horizon, you got your things to bring it back to the van.
While parked near Hopper’s old cabin, you would still spend the night in the van. That place was abandoned long ago, and the van was your sanctuary for the night. You settled in, curling up together, finding solace in each other’s arms, while Eddie picked up “The Hobbit” book to read. You always loved when he read it out loud for you.
But you were craving for something else at that moment. You couldn’t take your eyes off Eddie’s neck; your hand started its journey around his body, teasing him. You could see his breathing increasing and his difficulty keeping his voice steady, making small stops, and biting his lips occasionally. Your fingers were rubbing against his skin when suddenly he grabbed your hand to stop it from moving.
“I can’t keep reading if you don’t stop.”
“You don’t really want me to stop, do you?” you teased him again.
“I do. We should end this chapter,” his voice shook a bit.
“The way you’re moaning tells me otherwise, big boy. I think it’s cute you think you can stop me from pleasing you.” you got closer and whispered in his ear. “Now be a good boy and take your hand off mine so I can finish what I started… or I’ll have to restrain it”.
“Fuck, you’ll be the death of me!”
You jumped on top of him, with him grabbing your hips and pulling you close. Wrapped in each other’s arms, your lips entwined in a dance of lust and desire, kisses both sweet and fervent. The confined space of the van increased the sense of intimacy; the windows fogged with your shared warmth and entangled breaths. As your embrace intensified, the world outside seemed to fade away.
However, strange guttural growls pierced the air, the haunting tones reaching your ears, making you suddenly stop. Your eyes met, and a shared sense of unease washed over you.
You broke the silence, your voice quivering with concern as you whispered, “Eddie, do you hear that? What could it be?”
His brows furrowed, and you could see worry written all over his face. He peered out of the van’s rear window, his heart racing as his eyes caught what he believed to be a glimpse of glowing eyes looking back at him from the darkness.
“I think we are not alone here,” he muttered, his voice heavy with trepidation. “I need to see what’s happening.”
“No fucking way, it could be a damn clown chasing us with a bloody knife.”
But Eddie didn’t pay attention and slipped out of the van, making you follow him - Outside, you saw nothing but darkness; even the moon was covered by clouds. Your fingers wrapped around Eddie’s wrist.
“Don’t leave me, please,” you said under your breath.
“I’m right here,” he answered quietly. “But I may need my hand in the future.”
And then you realized that you were holding his hand so tightly that you could have stopped the circulation in his hand. So you looked down at your intertwined fingers and reluctantly started to loosen the grasp on his hand but kept holding his arm.
“Do you think there is someone out there?’
“Someone… or something.”
“I’m scared, Eds,”
He held you close and guided you to the passenger seat - he jumped to the driver seat and tried to start the car, but it didn’t work. Eddie started to curse and hit the steering wheel.
“Dammit! Ok, we are not going anywhere for now…. So I’ll check what’s happening - You just wait for me here, alright? I won’t be long.”
You grabbed Eddie’s arm; your eyes widened with fear. “What?!? No, no, don’t leave me alone. It’s dangerous out there.”
But determination flashed in Eddie’s eyes as he tenderly kissed your forehead. “I’ll keep you safe! I’ll find out what’s going on, and I’ll get back to you. I promise.”
“Eds, no, don’t leave me!” you pleaded, but it was too late. He climbed out, picked a bat and a flashlight on the back of the van, and left you, his silhouette vanishing into the inky blackness of the night.
You tried to behave, to wait for him as he asked you to, but time seemed to stretch as minutes turned into an agonizing wait. Your heart pounded in your chest; your thoughts raced with anxiety. Something was wrong; you just knew it. The sound of a howl sent a shiver through your spine, and you decided you couldn’t just stand there waiting.
Moving quietly through the woods seemed like a good approach - your eyes scanned the surrounding trees, desperately searching for any sign of Eddie, with no success. Your fears intensified with each step, your worry fueling your determination to find him.
Suddenly you felt the hair on the back of your neck standing straight up, the feeling of being watched. The sound of a sharp bark and snorts reached you, making you start running, trying to put distance between you and the sound until you skidded. As you tried to get up, gasping for air, an idea formed in your mind.
You started to sprint towards the old cabin, reaching the shed in the back. Your eyes darted around, searching when you finally saw it: an old dusty rifle. You got the ammo shells and started to load the gun as quickly as you could, your hands sweaty and shaking, afraid of what could be after you, or even worst, what could find Eddie.
The rifle was trembling in your hand, but you were determined to find Eddie. You tried to call his name not so loudly a couple of times, without success, while the wind was slipping through the leaves. Finally, a chilling howl pierced the silence, and you saw the ray of light from Eddie’s flashlight guiding you toward it.
The high-pitched scream from Eddie echoed in the woods, and your heart sank when you got there and stumbled upon a harrowing sight — a wolf was lunging at Eddie, who fought desperately to defend himself.
And you should have fired, but you just stared, paralyzed by fear. Only when the wolf bit Eddie’s arm that he was using to protect himself and a painful scream left his mouth again that, fueled by adrenaline and a fierce protectiveness for him, you aimed and shot the rifle with fierce determination. One, two times, to ensure that it would be - and stay - dead. You knelt beside Eddie, who was bloodied and weak.
“That’s my badass girl,” he managed to speak.
“Oh my God, Eds… I’m here, baby, I’m here…” Panic gripped you as you checked his wounds. His arm was bleeding too much; his face was white with dry lips.
“I think I need to rest a little,” he murmured.
“Don’t you dare close your eyes, don’t leave me!” tears welled in your eyes as you realized you didn’t know what to do.
You tried to pressure the wound, but the blood didn’t stop running through your fingers in a warm, tick, and slippery flow.
“If I die, it’s just one less worry for you.”
“You better stay alive, Eds; I can’t live without you, you hear me?” you replied with a trembling voice, sobbing while you took his bandana, trying to make a knot as tightly as you could to try to stop the bleeding a bit and then whispering “I’m sorry.”
His face contorted with pain, but he still managed to say. “Then marry me.”
“What?” you gasped.
“I know you hate the idea, but it’s only until death do us part, and this could be sooner than you think, so what do you have to lose?” he held your hand. “Will you marry me?”
You choked with the sudden request, but when looking at him, at the warmth of his eyes and the sweet smile he gave you, all you could think was how stupid of you to be so against marrying the love of your life. You were madly in love with him; that was a fact - suddenly, getting married seemed like the natural next step.
“Yes,” you said, smiling, trying to wipe the tears from your face with the back of your hand without leaving blood on it.
“You mean it? Or are you just trying to give me my dying wish?”
“I mean it! I’ll be happy to marry you…I love you, Edward Munson. I want to share my life with you and grow old together... And be able to complain about and annoy the grumpy old man you’ll become.”
He opened the biggest smile you had ever seen and tried to hug you, but it made him lose more blood, increasing your despair.
“I can’t die now; I need to announce on the radio that the woman of my dreams is going to marry me…” he murmured.
“THE RADIO! Oh my God, Eds, you are a genius! We are saved!” You gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Stay here; I’ll be right back.”
And you ran to the old cabin, hoping that the radio would still be there and that any of the boys would be near their walkie-talkies to receive your code-red message.
≿━━━━━━━━≾
The soft sunlight entered through the curtains of the hospital room. Eddie’s eyes fluttered open, still slightly disoriented and trying to make sense of his surroundings. A wave of relief washed over him as he laid eyes on you. The first thing he noticed was the glimmer of joy in your face when you saw him awake. He then noticed the others were also there, their eyes filled with a mix of worry and relief.
“Eds, you’re finally awake!” You exclaimed, unable to contain the emotion in your voice. “I was so scared!! How are you feeling?”
His mind was still foggy, and his voice was hoarse. “I’m feeling awesome; I won a fight against a wolf, didn’t I?
“Shut up, Eds! I could have lost you. Do you know what that would have done to me?” you scolded him.
.
“I told you to stay away from the woods, man! You almost gave us a heart attack!” Steve added.
”We thought you were a goner, man… but I’m glad you are better now,” Dustin tried to soften the mood.
He took a deep breath, his eyes locking with yours. “Yeah, I got lucky that my beloved future wife is the most courageous and smartest woman in the whole world.”
Nancy’s brows furrowed, her confusion evident. “Your what? Call the nurse; there is something wrong with his head.”
A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you reached for his hand. “I guess a propose done in the woods, while bitten and bleeding, is not the most romantic one... But I said yes.”
Everyone erupted into cheers and laughter, all their worries forgotten, their voices intertwining with excitement.
“Congratulations!” they all exclaimed, their faces filled with genuine happiness.
“Are you serious? All it took was an almost-death situation? That was easy!” Robin added a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Eddie’s eyes sparkled as a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Well, all soon-to-be Mrs. Munson needed was a little bit of perspective.”
“Oh no, can’t I keep my last name? I think I’ll call it off then.” you faked concern.
“No, no, no, we are doing it the right! And let us take care of everything; you both just need to show up for the ceremony,” Nancy countered.
Eddie looked and you and whispered, “Don’t worry, we can always just run away to Las Vegas, and that’s it.”
Laughter filled the room, a joyous symphony that mingled with the beeping of medical equipment.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try one or two traditional things for a change… I want to be yours, spend the rest of my life with you, and make it official in all possible ways.”
Eddie nodded, pure bliss shining in his eyes. “Whatever makes you happy, my love.”
The room erupted in cheers again, the excitement contagious as plans and ideas were thrown into the air like confetti. Hospitals were usually sad places, but the spirit of love and celebration filled the air at that moment.
Eddie was firmly holding your hand, and the stories and laughter of your friends were wrapping you in a comforting embrace. At that moment, you realized that traditional marriage could be just a piece of paper, and family could be considered just blood relations, but it was not like that for you.
In your friends, you had a chosen family, a connection formed through shared experiences, unconditional love, and a deep understanding of one another’s souls, the same way that you knew that the bond you and Eddie shared was special. Your love would grow stronger with each passing day, the wedding being another milestone in a journey that would bring you much joy.
And you couldn’t wait to start that new phase of your life.