Chapter Text
March, 1986
Your POV
“Eddie?! What are you doing?!” Dustin peeks back into the dirty darkness of the Upside Down, where Eddie cranes his neck to look at you, then Dustin.
“I’m buying more time.” It’s not a triumphant scream, he doesn’t claim he’ll return, he doesn’t tell you to wait up. Before you can argue, Eddie slices the sheet rope, and shoves the mattress far away from the exit, leaving you and Dustin with no way to follow your stupid fucking boyfriend.
“EDDIE?!” You shriek, but he’s already out the door. You can’t think straight, your vision blurring with angry tears. When you look at Dustin, his mouth hangs open, eyes wide with fear. “Hey,” you snap him back to the present, and he turns his head to you. “I’m going in. Stay here.”
“Hell no! Eddie’s one of my best friends. So are you, actually. I’m not just gonna wait here and hope you don’t die!”
“Dustin, I don’t have time to argue with you. I'll go down first and move the mattress, okay?” He nods once. You drag a rickety dining chair over from the corner, and climb into the Upside Down. You land on your back, hard, but the adrenaline keeps you moving. You’ll feel everything later, if you live to see it.
True to your word, you drag the mattress to the opening, and shout to Dustin that he’s all set. He jumps from the chair, and pulls himself over the ragged edge of the opening, tumbling to the mattress with a thud. You help him up, and the two of you are sprinting and panting toward the sounds of Eddie’s screaming.
You exit the trailer to find a swarm of the shrieking bat creatures surrounding Eddie, as his trash can lid shield takes hit after hit. You’re running at him before you can even think, a heavy baseball bat in your grip. Before you and Dustin reach him, though, the bats seem to freeze, and instead of devouring Eddie limb from limb, they retreat into the sky.
“EDDIE?!” You and Dustin shriek in unison, running the rest of the way to where Eddie lay, bleeding from several deep, ugly bite marks on his torso, as well as a wound far too close to his throat.
You drop to your knees, and take Eddie’s hand in yours. “Eddie, baby? Can you hear me?”
Eddie coughs and you release the breath you’d been holding. “Hey, sweetheart.”
You laugh despite the situation. “Baby, we gotta go, okay? We have to get out of here.”
“That’s a good idea, you probably should.”
Your brows pull together in confusion at his words. “Yes, but you’re coming with us.”
“I can’t, I can’t move.” His voice breaks, and your heart freezes in place. He’s dying. He knows it too.
“Eddie, let us help you.” Dustin’s voice is a broken sob and it rings in your ears like a flatline. But you keep moving, tying his bandana around his neck to stifle the bleeding. You throw Eddie’s limp arm over your shoulder, and Dustin does the same with his other. He’s not dead, but he’s pretty much dead weight. Somehow, you manage to make it back to the trailer unscathed, and you lie Eddie on the mattress as you hunt for another chair.
“Dustin, come in Dustin.” It’s Steve, and Dustin answers the walkie frantically. “Copy, I'm here. Please tell me you guys fucked Vecna up because we need help NOW.”
“Yeah, yeah we’re on our way back to the trailer, what’s wrong?”
“Eddie’s hurt, bad. Just hurry.” Dustin glances over to where you hold Eddie’s head in your lap, whispering calming words and singing quietly to keep him calm.
“Stay with me, baby, okay? Help is coming. I need you to stay awake, even thought it’s difficult, okay?” You talk in circles, watching Eddie fight to keep his eyes open. Your head pounds, and you bite your lip to hold back sobs. “Don’t leave, Eddie, please don’t go. We still need you. Can you hang on for me, baby?” You’re desperate for a response of any kind, but Eddie looks right through you.
It could have been minutes, or hours, but eventually you hear the footsteps of your friends as they run around above you, positioning themselves to heave you back into the right dimension.
—
Eddie’s POV
When he opens his eyes, it’s to a room of dimmed fluorescent lights and beige walls. He glances down, where he lay in a hospital bed, gown and all, hooked up to machines and bags of fluid. His right hand rests in yours, and when he looks up at you, he watches as your face shifts from broken to bright in a matter of seconds.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
A wracked sob escapes your throat, and you bring his hand to your lips, leaving a long, grateful kiss to his knuckles. “Hi, baby.” You rasp. It’s clear you haven’t slept in days, at least. Which Eddie thinks is so unfair, as he just spent days asleep.
“Did we win?” It’s the first question he needs an answer for, hoping his injuries are the worst of the group because shit, does it hurt.
You nod, a small smile reaching through your somber expression. “It was hard. Eleven somehow helped from California, but we did it. Vecna’s gone.” He almost sobs when you say it, relief flooding over him. He will never not blame himself for dealing to Chrissy. He will never forgive himself for dragging you into this mess. But he can’t thank the universe enough for at least giving him this. A chance at life. Until he remembers he’s still a wanted man.
“What about Jason? The police?”
“Jason is taken care of. The police have dropped the charges on account of Jason being arrested for assaulting Lucas, as well as being caught in the same room as a levitating Max. This might all have to do with the fact that they know they had nothing to go on besides Chrissy being found in your trailer.” You squeeze his hand lightly. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“I- I don’t know, I didn’t wanna run away again. And I didn’t run away this time! I fought. I had to fight. To protect my friends, protect you.”
“You can’t protect me if you’re fucking dead, Eddie. That was the stupidest thing you could have done. Did you think we wouldn’t chase after you? You thought we wouldn’t fight like hell to save you?”
Eddie looks down, the guilt settling in his chest. He knows he didn’t need to run back, there was no reason to. They had all been inches from safety, and he blew it. For what, his pride?
You interrupt his thoughts when you lean down, resting your nose inches from his. “Don’t ever do that shit again, yeah? If you die, I will fucking kill you.”
He can’t help the grin that crosses his face, closing the gap between your lips and his. The kiss is soft, sincere, and Eddie can feel the wetness of your cheeks as you deepen the kiss. Eddie can’t imagine what these last few days have done to your brain. Before he can ask, there’s a knock on the door.
“You have visitors,” The nurse announces, moving aside to make way for a gaggle of children, followed by Steve, Robin, and Nancy all huddled together. The kids have brought balloons, cards, and bouquets as well as drawings and figurines to brighten up the dingy room, and they all stare at Eddie with glazed, teary eyes. They’d just finished visiting Max, who was recovering from a near blinding as well as several broken bones.
Eddie adjusts in the bed to sit up further, wincing as the pain of his wounds makes itself known, bandages sticking to his scabbed skin. The kids sit around him telling jokes and stories, all the while he holds your hand in a tight grip, promising never to let go of you again.
—
Three Months Later
Your POV
“Edward Munson.” The principal announces into the small microphone. The audience claps politely, but the air of disapproval still lingers throughout. Eddie prances across that stage, snatches his diploma, and just as promised, flips him the bird. You giggle from your seat, fighting the urge to clap for the gesture. In the stands, you hear the shrieks of the Hellfire Club and company, chanting Eddie’s name as he skips back to his seat.
The ceremony ends, and you find Eddie and Robin on the football field. You leap into your boyfriend's arms, legs curling around his waist. “‘86, baby!” You cheer, and the gowned classmates surrounding you respond with whoops and whistles. Eddie sets you down, and you throw your arms around Robin’s neck. “Next stop, world tour.” You chuckle, and she laughs with you.
The three of you walk hand in hand to find the rest of your friends. Steve suggests ice cream, and you all pile into his BMW. You pop in the tape you’d brought for this occasion specifically. You crank the volume to Alice Cooper’s School’s Out as you peel out of the parking lot for what you hope is a very long time.
We can't salute ya / Can't find a flag / If that don't suit ya / That's a drag / School's out for summer / School's out forever / I'm bored to pieces…