our last summer. (e.m)

twenty-three: autumn's approach.

autumn is in the air now.
it's sweet to our skin,
though it is cold,
and it welcomes us with orange leaves and golden skies.
hawkins has always been infamous for its beautiful fall festivals and i'm glad to spend it by eddie's side.
"how is it?"
he asks,
standing beside me with the same smile i've adored since the beginning.
"everything you've imagined?"
"and more,"
i answer.
"it's wonderful."
i finish with a sugary smile.
"i can tell. you're practically wearing it."
i wipe my mouth clean of the caramel apple residue and make a joking face at him,
to which he offers one back.
then we fall into a mess of laughter that only we can understand;
onlookers will turn their heads and stare,
but they will never truly be able to wrap their minds around what eddie and i have.
this love,
so pure and heavy with devotion,
is not easy to come by.
we have had to pry it from greedy hands,
hide it from evil eyes,
and nurture it in the silence.
now,
it is free for others to see and admire from afar.
eddie has learned to stop caring about others opinions,
especially when it comes to us.
he figures the entire world can talk if it means lying next to me at night;
the gossip, if it ever surfaces, is worth facing to be able to kiss me.
the summer,
with its sticky air and fiery sun,
has faded and now in the embers lies the autumn.
i always wondered what my lover looked like under pale skies, surrounded by colored leaves.
he is mesmerizing to say the least;
like art come to life.
not a thing has changed since the quick, hot summer has left us.
the slower season approached us with grace and kissed us kindly.
now,
we revel in the chill and spend it warming each other up during cold nights.
i've started school with eddie there to help me as best he can,
whether it be with encouraging words or learning the material alongside me.
we've made a good life together so far.
the path we pave now will only lead to something greater.
i've escaped my sins and eddie, in time, will be able to, too.
the moment our funds are right,
i'll pack his suitcase with mine and we'll board the first flight out.
but for now,
i'll lean into his embrace and smell the smell of apples, cinnamon, and eddie himself,
i'll share this confection with him,
and i'll fall even deeper in love.
"how was it?"
my father asks when eddie and i meet back with him. he sits at the picnic tables provided by the event,
accompanied by wayne and a beer.
eddie and i take our seats next to them as i respond,
"great. it's beautiful here."
"see? i told you she'd like the festival,"
wayne chimes in with a wink towards eddie.
"yeah, yeah, you were right,"
he mocks.
"you did tell me."
a smile reserved only for me grows across his cheeks.
we don't kiss this time,
if one can believe it.
i've made it a rule not to in front of our guardians.
eddie says that rule is some southern conformation i've yet to shed,
but he doesn't dare break it anyways.
instead,
he gathers my hand in his and peppers my knuckles with those kisses i'll never tire of.
next will come the winter and i'll brave the snow with my lovers arm in mine.
our hands will entwine with mittened fingers,
our ears will be covered by hats,
but his crimson nose with be warmed by my kisses and my own skin nipped by the winter air will be warmed under his influence.
this presumed last summer of ours forged this love that's prevailing through colder seasons.
and we always will,
from now until the end.
this is the man i was made for,
and i am the woman he was made for.
we'll honor the fates way by loving each other until the end.

—
an
the end is here!
thank you all so much for the endless support and love you've shown me on this story.
thank you for your patience as well <33
you all mean the world to me and i can't begin to describe how happy you've made me in my endeavor of writing this.
i owe you guys everything!
this is my favorite work yet and it's all thanks to you guys <33
all the reader, votes, comments, silent readers,
you all encouraged me to put my best foot forward.
thank you for sticking with me and i hope you enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed writing it.
as alwaysss
stay safe!
i love you
<33
-e