Chapter Text
Vecna had been defeated. The Upside Down was finally gone for good. And Steve Harrington’s boyfriend was a god damned idiot.
Sure, he’d kept Dustin out of the danger Steve knew the kid would throw himself into in a heartbeat, but that doesn’t mean he liked Eddie throwing himself into it either.
Eddie had luckily escaped with being a badly chewed toy, rather than the alternative, which Steve still refuses to think about.
The first couple days within their hospital stay had been intense. Doctors, police and fed’s swarming them for answers, making them sign their story away with the stipend of a hefty fee.
Eddie’s eyes had widened significantly when he’d been conscious enough to get his own interrogation, minus the murder accusations. Nancy had worked fast on that one, blaming a copycat for the Creel murders and subsequently pinning it all on Jason.
He deserved every moment of rotting in a jail cell as far as Steve was concerned.
Wayne had visited regularly while he and Eddie were confined to their beds, explaining that the Munson trailer had been quarantined after it had half fallen into a crater caused by the earthquake the party hadn’t quite managed to stop. Instead, Wayne had grumpily explained that he’d been living in a motel nearby with some money the government had given him.
Steve had immediately offered up his own house, explaining that no one was going to be occupying it, and Wayne may as well save some money and sleep in a comfortable bed. He was adamant that Wayne and Eddie should have a proper house once they got out of the hospital and after many days of convincing, Wayne finally agreed to move in when Steve and Eddie got out.
Now, standing in his own doorway Steve felt slightly apprehensive about going in.
He logically knew that it was fine. Wayne had done a quick clean of the place before picking them up, but the house still loomed down at him. A cold building that had no business bringing in a loving family.
He’d spent so much time here by himself as a child that Steve hadn’t realised how much he dreaded being alone in his own house.
But he wasn’t alone this time. Eddie and Wayne were at his back, waiting for him to turn the doorknob.
He was so grateful for the two men that had saved him after Starcourt. Saved him from his loneliness, his self-deprecation. Saved him from this cold and lonely house.
Taking a deep breath, he finally turns the handle, swinging the door wide open.
“Surprise!” A swell of cheers rise up from within his normally barren house, causing Steve to jolt back into Wayne who gently steadies him.
He was clearly ready for the shock and had positioned himself behind Steve to catch him if needed.
A wave of affection consumes him as he glances back at the two men, twin grins reminding him that they’re absolutely related.
“Did- did you plan this?” he asks, causing Eddie to grin even harder, his dimples finally making an appearance.
“We all did, Sweetheart. We wanted to celebrate, and what better way than us finally getting out of hospital?” He says, moving around Steve to drag him inside, leading them to his own couch.
Suddenly he’s enveloped in a cacophony of chatter and celebration, Eddie and Robin on both of his sides, sprawling out.
His heart feels incredibly full. Everyone had come together to plan this, to welcome him home.
To celebrate them stopping the end of the world being over for good.
A fuzzy feeling takes over him. His people are here and they’re all safe. No one is in danger. Not anymore. A mask that he’d held onto all these years finally slips off as he sags into the couch.
After a long while he finally needs to refill his cup of soda, waving off Robin who volunteers to grab it for him. And then Eddie, And then Dustin.
He needs to stretch his legs a little anyway.
On the way to the kitchen he spots the answering machine, blinking innocently up at him.
He supposes no one else would have cleared them while he was away, despite knowing that they could have just told Steve what was recorded later. He rarely gets voice messages. Everyone who would, knew he was in the hospital anyway.
Setting his cup to the side, he curiously begins the first message.
A voice Steve hadn’t heard in close to a year crackled to life “Steven, your mother and I heard about the earthquakes. The house hasn’t been damaged, has it? Our neighbour said that the quake hadn’t made it as far as Loch Nora.”
Steve rolled his eyes, of course they cared about the house more than how he’d been in the hospital. They definitely knew too, seeing as he was still on their insurance.
“Your mother and I have decided to sell the house. It’s become too much of a burden to keep up with and we have decided it’s best we moved on.”
His whole body freezes up. Huh? Where was he supposed to go? Why so suddenly? His fathers voice continues, unrelenting against any inner turmoil he’d just given his only son.
“We’ve left the details with the realtor, he says he’ll begin trying to sell it once the hubbub about the Earthquake has died down, so you probably have six months to find a new place. Make sure the house is presentable when buyers come through.” The phone clicks. Message over.
Steve slumps to the side like a marionette who suddenly had their strings cut.
No goodbye, no explanation of where they’re going next. Not even a simple good luck with your future.
Nothing.
He was aware his parents didn’t care about him. Didn’t like knowing they’d had a child. He glances as his chosen family, still happily chatting and affectionately swatting each other.
Steve didn’t need his parents anymore. Maybe he had never needed them. But it didn’t hurt any less to lose them for good.
Blinking the start of tears out of his eyes he notices the blinking red of the answering machine hadn’t gone away. One more message.
“Hey Steve, I don’t have long to talk.” A tinny but gruff voice calls through the receiver.
For the third time today, he’s completely gobsmacked. Is he dreaming? This can’t be real.
“Cell reception is pretty bad in Russia, and this call is eating up all my coins. But- Ah hell kid, how do I say this.”
There’s a pause on the line long enough that Steve thinks the call may have disconnected. The only reason he knows it hasn’t is because he can still hear the howling winds on the other side of the line. The plastic on the phone creaks as his grip the phone tightens.
“Joyce and Murray came to get me, so I’ll be home soon. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the latest go around son. I heard about it from Owens.” The phone line crackles with a particularly harsh gust coming through. Faintly he can hear the voice swearing about the wind.
His breath hitches. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. He thought he’d never hear this voice again. Even if it is a hallucination, it’s a nice one. Maybe El was giving him a good last moment. Maybe it was Vecna, just waiting for the right opportunity to suck him into his hellscape. It couldn’t be real. It just couldn’t. That would mean- It’d mean that Hop- that he’d-
“I’m so proud of you for taking the lead. I’ll be back as soon as I can... I have to go now. Murray got the plane to work. I’ll-”
A knock at the door interrupts Steve’s spiral, ripping his attention away from the rest of the message.
Who?
Wasn’t everyone here already? Maybe it was the realtor. He’d have a sick sort of satisfaction shutting the door in his face. Not today.
Striding over he forcefully yanks the door open, ready to tell whoever it is to fuck off.
He freezes. And as if in slow motion, the man before him tackles him in a bear hug so tight that it winds him and makes him stumble back a few steps. It can’t be real. It can’t be real. It can’t be real.
But it is real.
He’s frailer since Steve last saw him.
The tears from earlier finally break through, streaming down his face for an entirely different reason as his arms come up to finally grip tightly onto the man.
They stand like that for entirely too long, letting the warm air out. They finally separated just long enough to look at each other.
Steve feels as if his throat has ceased up, finally letting out a wet, garbled “Hopper?” before he’s enveloped in another hug.