Three Worlds Collide

Chapter Twelve

~December 1985~

Thanksgiving had come and gone, now it was the time for the Christmas season. The holidays are a hard time for me since I am still trying to get used to not celebrating them with my mother. But Robin, her parents and even Steve and Eddie have been making them bearable, which I am grateful for. My aunt and uncle figured out the relationship between Steve, Eddie and I during Thanksgiving and have been incredibly supportive despite this type of relationship being a bit taboo for the time. It doesn’t surprise me really since they both have taken a liking to both of the young men, my uncle’s only warning, well it was more of a threat towards them should they ever hurt me in any way. 

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~Christmas Day~

I wake to the sounds of people bustling around downstairs, then the smell of food hits my nose through my cracked bedroom door. I slowly rub the sleep from my eyes and sit up in my bed, I look around and notice the pallets Steve and Eddie had slept on the night before are empty. I smile softly when the sounds of their voices travel up the stairs, they are laughing along to whatever joke my uncle must have told them. I wrap my robe around myself once I am out of bed, I make a quick stop at the bathroom to brush my teeth and fix my hair before heading downstairs to join everyone.

“Morning sleepy head.”, I hear Robin call out once I enter the kitchen and see everyone milling about the room getting food ready for our lunch/dinner. I roll my eyes and flip her the bird when my aunt and uncle are turned away, she returns the gesture then bursts out laughing. “Morning babe/ ladybug.”, Steve and Eddie say once I make my way over to the pair. They place a kiss on my head before going back to the conversation once I step away to grab me some hot chocolate. 

I chip in where I can to help with tasks as the morning goes by, we all take seats in the living room in front of the Christmas tree and fireplace. I take a seat on the floor between Steve and Eddie as Robin, aunt and uncle take seats in the chairs and couch. We begin exchanging and opening gifts, I smile big when I open the small box Eddie has just handed me, I pull out a necklace with a red guitar pick on the end of it. 

It matches the one Eddie, and now Steve has around their necks. “Thank you Eds.”, I smile up at him sweetly, he gives me a nod while smiling at me big. “Eddie and I pitched in together for this one.”, Steve states as he now hands me another small box. I open it to find new guitar strings and a new mixtape with all of our names on it, “It has all of our favorite songs on it.”, Eddie explains to me. I feel warm tears fill my eyes and I smile at the pair, “Thank you.”, I tell him in a soft voice as I try to keep my voice even despite the amount of emotions I am feeling right now. 

Once my aunt and uncle have left the room to go check the food and Robin disappears upstairs to put her gifts away, I steal a long, deep kiss from both Eddie and Steve. “Thank you both, I love everything. Oh I have one more gift for each of you.”, I tell them before jumping up and running upstairs to retrieve two copies of a song I have now completed for them. They are moving about the living room when I reappear downstairs, they turn their attention towards me when I hold out two envelopes towards them. 

I hold a bated breath as I watch them open the envelopes, unfold the sheet of paper and read the words that are scrawled across the page. “I wanted to wait to say these words, but it just feels like the right time. I have known you both for over a year now and it has been the best year of my life. You both make me so happy.”, I begin to ramble anxiously before I am stopped by Steve and Eddie both taking my hands into theirs. I look up from my feet to see their eyes filled with tears, big smiles on their faces, “I love you too.”, they both say in unison. 

My heart leaps in my chest at their words, happy tears fill my eyes, “We are so happy to have you in our lives, without you we would have kept a big part of ourselves hidden.”, Eddie pipes up. Steve nods in agreement, “You accepted us for who we are and never once judged us as others would have.”, he adds. I let their hands go to cup their cheeks, I look between the pair lovingly, “I used to think I was unlovable due to past relationships, but you two have shown me how to love myself as well as what it feels like to be truly loved and cared for.”, I tell them.

We spend the rest of the evening stealing kisses from one another before taking seats at the dinner table, or really anytime we were alone in a room with one another. I lay awake staring up at my ceiling once we have said our goodnights, my heart keeps racing as I think over the revelation that the three of us truly love each other. The two have made my life so much better since moving here, Steve being there whenever I have nightmares about the Upside Down and Eddie just being there.

Steve and I hate that we have to keep our experience with monsters and the Upside Down from Eddie, but we both agreed that it is better this way, agreed that it is for his protection. I nearly lost Steve the last time, I don’t know what I would do if Eddie had been there and jumped into danger to save my life. I don’t know what I would do if I lost either of them. I push this thought away as my eyes slowly begin to droop and sleep finally overtakes me.

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~January 1986~

Eddie, Steve, and I all share a kiss once the countdown hit midnight of January 1, 1986. We all share kisses and laughs as we talk about the following future, talking about what we want to do once Eddie and I graduate in May. “This is our year Y/n, I just know it.”, Eddie says with a big, bright smile upon his face. The optimism he has about graduating and finally being able to prove his worth and showing that he can finally do it makes my heart melt. I know the feeling as this is my last year here. I sit and watch my boyfriends talk, occasionally piping in as I keep replaying the conversation we just had. Eddie had mentioned about packing us all up with his band and moving to California so he can finally chase his dream of being a rockstar. Steve and I are supportive of this and we all agree that we need to leave Hawkins, leave and be happy out of this hellhole of a town.

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Steve and Y/n think Eddie is safe from the monsters, alternate dimensions, and the Upside Down, but they don’t know that their partner is about to be hurled into their weird little world head first. What will they do to keep their Eddie safe from danger? Will they be able to keep him safe?