Steddie Notes Part 7
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6)
He’s looking up at the most beautiful face in the world, all hard-planed jaw beautiful moles sensual mouth. There are bloody fingerprints on the strong chin and agony warps those sharp features. Eddie loves this face more than anything, so if this is the last thing he sees before he dies, he can’t be mad. Except, he doesn’t understand why Steve is so unhappy. He tries to open his mouth, to ask what’s wrong, what happened, but he’s engulfed in a pain so acute, so mind contorting, that everything goes black.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
He sees two men holding each other. Crying? His ears are thick, stuffed with cotton, no sound penetrating. One of them moves, his face now visible, and Eddie’s heart contracts. Uncle Wayne.
Sound rushes in at the shock of seeing his uncle. His uncle crying. He can hear them now, Wayne’s partially stifled sobs, and a cracked, rough, wavering voice saying through tears, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I tried to keep him safe. I tried—"
“Shhh, my boy, you did your best. I know you did. You brought him back, Steve.”
“But he might—The doctors say—it’s all my fault, Wayne. I did this. I didn’t keep him safe.”
Eddie wants to yell, to get their attention. Can’t stand to see the two men he loves most in the world crying when he’s right here.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
Wayne, asleep with his arms crossed over his chest, in a plastic chair. And Steve—Steve still here, still with him, still waiting for him to wake up. Steve’s left hand twines with one of Eddie’s and he’s propped up just so that he can write and hold a notebook steady at the same time. That’s briefly confusing before he recognizes that it’s a black Composition Book, one of Eddie’s own with a dragon inked in red on the front.
He allows himself to watch Steve, admire the curve of his cheek, the sharpness of his jaw, the lovely moles and freckles across his skin (the nights Eddie spent thinking about kissing each and every one of those marks). His hair is deflated, falling limply over his forehead, but he’s still so beautiful, Eddie almost can’t take it.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
This time is different. He senses it immediately, his head less fuzzy, his fingers able to twitch. He’s like awake awake. There’s a tube in his throat, which fucking sucks, sort of hurts. He wants to claw it out, but that seems extreme.
He doesn’t see Wayne, but he’s not alone, his fingers twisted into someone’s hair, the silken fine strands soft against his palm. Eddie’s eyes drift down to find Steve, head cradled on his arms against the edge of the hospital bed, snoring gently. Eddie can’t stop himself from pressing the flat of his hand into the chestnut locks.
Eddie’s touch has Steve blinking sleepy hazel right before he springs to his feet, “Eddie??” he yelps. Eddie, for his part, opens his mouth to respond, remembers the tube down his throat, and settles for waving.
“Holy shit,” Steve says. He slams the “call” button, then says, “Fuck this, be right back,” and flees into the hall.
Later, when the doctors all leave, Eddie can’t stop the tears that slip free, but Steve is there, holding his hands, crawling into the narrow bed with him to hold him close until they fall asleep, Eddie’s head on Steve’s chest.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
A week later, Eddie wakes up in an empty room. He hasn’t been alone, even once, since regaining consciousness and he has a second of panic before he hears the soft murmur of Steve’s voice from just outside the door. It’s relaxing, and Eddie’s gaze falls to the shockingly blue sky out his window.
He's lucky, he knows. He lived, the murder charges were dropped, he found a group of people to call family.
And Steve. Even if they’re just friends. It’s okay. He’s okay with that. Steve saved his life, stayed by his side, gave Eddie the most love he’s ever had. And that’s good.
He’s so locked into his thoughts he doesn’t realize that Steve’s come back into the room until there’s a Hawkins General branded notepad and pen thumping into his lap.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You okay?”
“Just thinking.”
“Good stuff?”
Eddie smiles as he writes. “Yeah.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Just that I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
Steve’s face flushes a pretty pink and maybe Eddie takes it back, being okay with just friends.
“Best friends forever, right?”
It’s Eddie’s turn to blush. “As long as you’ll have me.”
“Forever then.”
He looks at Steve, then, at the flush of his face and the brightness of his eyes and wishes.
“Eds.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re staring.”
“Sorry.”
“No, I like it.”
“Steve,” he whispers. His heart’s going a mile a minute and Steve is looking at him, gazing at him, his whole fucking heart in those hazel eyes.
“I have something for you,” Steve says. It’s careful, like he’s afraid Eddie will spook. He pulls a crumpled sheet of paper from his jacket pocket, smoothing it out, handing it over.
Eddie looks at the note.
“You ever been in love?” it says.
“No, but I think I’m falling,” is the answer
“I love you, Eddie,” is the follow-up. It’s accompanied by an atrocious sketch of a sailor boy and a rockstar holding hands, little asymmetrical valentine’s hearts between them.
Eddie can’t help it, he laughs even as tears fill his eyes. His heart is all twisted up, his mind reeling. This can’t be real. How can this be real.
“Eds?” Steve asks. He’s nervous now, breathy, and oh, he really meant it.
Steve Harrington is in love with Eddie Munson.
Jesus Christ.
“Stevie?” Eddie can’t quite get air into his lungs; he’s so overwhelmed with fondness. “Baby, I love you so much.”
Steve’s crying now. “I’m sorry it took me so long,” he writes.
“You took as much time as you needed, considering I thought you were straight.”
“Me too. Until you.”
“Come here?” Eddie shifts as far over in the hospital bed as he can. He has to have Steve close, has to touch him, has to make sure this is actually happening.
Steve climbs up, gentle in a way that only Steve Harrington can be, and Eddie curls into him, holding the man he loves as tight as he can.
“Can I say that I’m sorry?” Steve asks, mouth against Eddie’s ear.
“Again? I don’t think you have anything else to apologize for.”
“Kissing you that night.”
Eddie raises an eyebrow and Steve seems to catch the misstep, quickly says. “Oh, shit. No, I’m not sorry for the kiss, but for when it happened. You were upset and I thought it might help?”
Eddie giggles, can’t stop it, but cups a hand around the contours of Steve’s cheek.
“It did help. But mayyybe the circumstances weren’t the best.”
“That’s why I’m sorry.” His eyes flick to Eddie’s mouth. “You think I can make up for it now?”
“Please,” Eddie answers, can hardly get the words out, too shocked at how this is his life; that the boy he loves, loves him back.
One of Steve’s hands winds into the hair at the back of Eddie’s skull, and then they’re kissing, soft and slow, and he can’t think of anything aside from Steve Harrington’s gentle chapped lips and the stubble on his jaw and the way his mouth feels around Eddie’s tongue.
They pull apart after a couple of minutes, Eddie already feeling the strain on his battered body. Their foreheads rest against each other, still sharing air.
“I love you,” Eddie whispers.
“Love you more than anything, Eds,” Steve answers, his hold on Eddie tightening, like he'll never, ever let go.
✏️✏️✏️✏️
On a napkin from the Hideout, imprinted with the ring of a glass and half-formed song lyrics:
“What if we owned this place, Stevie? I’ve got ideas.”
“You want to?”
“Been thinking about it. As much as I’m shocked to admit it, we could have a life here. A good one, I think.”
“Whatever you want, babylove. Whatever makes you happy. You know I’ll go wherever you are.”
“Even if we stay in shitty old Hawkins?”
“Even then. Best friends forever, yeah?”
“God, you’re a dork, Harrington”
“The dork you’ve been in love with for three years.”
“I’m having second thoughts.”
“Like hell you are. You’re obsessed with me.”
It ends with a cheeky little sketch of a devil.
On a Hawkins Middle paystub for guidance counselor Steve Harrington:
“Wanna do the one-shot with us when the kids are home for Christmas?”
“Sure”
--
“What?”
“Sure. Sure says Steve Harrington like it’s nothing, like I haven’t asked you to play almost every week for YEARS.”
“Calm down, Munson. Let’s just say you wore me down.”
“I can’t believe you.”
“Paladin, do you think?”
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Hmm, what race, though? I want to be something cool.”
“Steve.”
“Huh?”
“Take your fucking clothes off right fucking now”
On a wedding invitation addressed to Steve and Eddie (return address Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair):
“Why didn’t you get more milk???”
“Oops, sorry, Stevie. Forgot”
“Well???’
“Oh, you want me to go now. Okay. Back soon.”
“Love you, Eds”
“Love you more, Stevie.”
On scattered bits of paper and detritus across the Munson household:
“Love you, baby”
“Love you more”
“Love you most”
“You’re everything, Munson.”
“Kiss me”
“Always”
“You’re beautiful, Steve Harrington. Can’t believe I get to have this.”
“Love you”
“Love you more”
(BONUS PART)
This is the end of the Steddie Notes saga (though there may be a Steddie Notes-verse surprise coming soon 😈) This part took longer than usual because I wanted to make it perfect. I hope you love it as much as I do!!! I'll be posting this on ao3 soon, if you want to check it out there too (I'll be adding back pieces I cut for length). Thank you all so much for sticking with me! It's been such a pleasure to write and share with you all! 💜💜💜
@gaysonthefloor @little-gae-shit @ineffablecolors @mojowitchcraft @hiscrimsonangel @thegingerrapunzel @adelicioustragedy @mackdaddyofheimlichcountyy @im-sam-fucking-winchester @rainydays35 @gobbledy-gluk-gluk @gay-stranger-things @sherilitchi @gezell-igg @leather-and-freckles @bornonthesavage @ramyayaya @awkwardgravity1 @chaoticvictorianspirit @thosemessyvibes @beeing-stuupid @silentiumdelirium @freyaforestafay @thatbitchgayasf @sapphirecobalt-1 @sahh-dude @adorkfromnewyork @ollie-in-gray @extralegobrick @snapshotmaestro
@fandomgenderz @nuttychaosface @thatcottagewitch @idoquitelikebread @shinekocreator @savveth @mackfrfr0 @yourebuckingkiddingme @steddieassheg0es @gamerdano @thebig-smoke @questionablequeeries @zerokrox-blog @thegingervulcan @charlies-candid-corner@perpetual-trashcan @sleepy-rainedrop @marvelous-musicals @hoffmannwrites @fromapayphone @courtjestermunson@juicinmyjams @daydreaming-mood @aceflavouredyougurt @emly03 @pille1983 @darcyshandflex @anteaterballs @adankrivervalleynearyou @didntwant2come @kittsu-makes-glass @alienace
@somewhereatdawn @5pac3g1r7 @thequeervibes @paperbackribs @bitchysunflower @knitsforthetrail @wrenisflying @plasticcrotches @demoniccorvid @em9515 @savory-babby @loverliner @aceacebaby42
@trainchomp @anaibis
392 notes
·
View notes