Epilogue

3rd Person's POV

Two weeks had passed.

Hawkins had been burning for a while now. The cracks only getting wider, spreading like a disease, carrying rot wherever it went. Anything in its path would disintegrate.

Scientists, journalists and even tourists were drawn to the so called cursed town. They weren't to blame, the sight was one out of a movie. Apocalyptic.

Meanwhile, residency at Hawkins had halved. They all packed up and left. And why wouldn't they? People had died, been injured, rendered homeless.

It was weird to have it out in the open, after all these years of fighting it themselves. Having to deal with it all being sweeped under the rug, having to go on like nothing had happened.

On a bright note, the Byers were back, along with Mike, Eleven and Hopper. The first thing they did was visit Valerie in the hospital, where Eleven confessed to playing a part in bringing Valerie back.

Her mom and Dustin visited her everyday. Dustin would even fall asleep in her bed. The first couple nights, to his embarrassment, he cried himself to sleep. He'd grown quite clingy and protective of her.

Then there were Robin and Steve, keeping her company in the daytime, watching movies, drawing anything and everything on her casts. Which just happened to cover both her arms and legs. Steve insisted on drawing boobies.

Eddie had to be restrained from sneaking, or rather barging into the hospital to see her. The town still blamed him of course, he couldn't yet come out of hiding.

She had died. In front of his eyes. And then came back, in true Valerie fashion, and he couldn't even meet her. All he wanted to do was just hold her. So he counted down the seconds till she was discharged and sent home.

It just happened to be today.

Valerie stared out the window, an unknown song playing from the radio her mom had placed on the bedside table. It was frustrating, not being able to change it but she wasn't about to yell for someone every five minutes.

But it was as if the universe heard her thoughts because the door creaked open right then.

She was about to complain to whoever it was, her mom or Dustin, but their eyes met and she froze.

Eddie had poked half his head through the door, "Hi." He said, a shy smile on his face.

"Hi..." She mumbled, suddenly self concious about how horrible she looked. Her hair unruly, bags underneath her eyes, scars and bruises evident on her neck. She looked and felt like a zombie, which was fair because she sort of really was like the living dead.

But then there was that smile, nervous and adoring, grateful and longing, and somehow it made her feel pretty. He never failed to make her feel pretty.

And then he was shoved inside, stumbling onto his feet, glaring at Dustin who walked in after him.

"You were gawking at her for a full minute, okay?"

They both silenly stare at him until he sighs, "Fine, but I'll be right outside the door. So if you're thinking of doing anything, don't." And with that he walks out, quietly closing the door after him not to alert their mother.

He let out a breath, grinning sheepishly, "Hey."

"Do I make you nervous, Eddie?" Valerie felt a teasing smile tug at her lips.

"You've forever intimidated me Valerie, and I think you know that."

And by the look on his face he didn't seem to mind.

"You always know just what to say to me."

He walked over to the side of her bed, "Scoot."

And then she wiggled in her spot, looking much like a fish out of water, giving up with a sigh.

Eddie chuckled, "You're so cute." And then he gently picks her up, "Tell me if it hurts at any point."

He sets her down after adjusting her pillow so she'd be in an upright leaning position instead of laying down. Then he got in beside her, under the covers.

He grabbed her face, immediately pressing a kiss to her forehead then leaning his against it, "I missed you so much man."

"I wish I could hug you."

Eddie pulled back with mock bewilderment on his face, "You've changed since we last met."

"Shut up." She grumbled.

He smiled fondly at the sour look on her face and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaving kisses all over her head, temple and cheeks. She relaxed against him.

"I swear I wanted to come visit, I tried- so many times. But your brother wouldn't let me, I think he was just getting back at me for not telling him we were dating."

He then pulls back to cautiously scan her features.

"Not dating- I mean-"

"Yeah, I know."

"Good."

He was just about to entice her with a surprise when her face morphed into one of concern, "I'm sorry you had to see... it. I'm just glad Dustin had you."

"And I'm glad you came back. See, I keep telling you you're my hero..." He trailed off, his voice taking on a lighter tone.

She could've said it was Eleven who really brought her back, and it wasn't like he didn't know. But the way he said it, so proud, she was kind of starting to believe it.

"I heard you, you know. Your song. I could hear you. And I could see you, and Dustin too. A portal opened up. And I tried so hard, but I was already floating..." She deflated with a sigh.

"Okay but the fucker got out injured and so did you. And only one of you had superpowers." He shrugged, getting off the bed, sneaking a glance to see if he managed to make her smile. He did.

"I didn't come empty handed."

She frowned, "What do you mean?"

"So I did some studying. Yes, me. I seriously think I might graduate this year." He said, inching towards the door.

"I still don't understand-"

He opened the door an inch, peeking outside then back at her, "So I didn't really know what to get you. I've only really spent a couple weeks around you now. So I bought you flowers. But that was two weeks ago, when Dustin refused to let me into the hospital."

"And?"

"That's where the research part comes in. I dried them. Then I turned them into guitar picks with some resin. Now I couldn't give you guitar picks withou-"

Valerie widened her eyes, "Don't tell me-" she tried to sit up straighter, failing, yet again. She let out a huff of frustration.

"I got you a guitar. You seemed really into learning it with me so I just figured you'd like it?"

"Aren't they expensive?"

"A little bit. Not that that matters-"

"You can't just-" She paused, an incredulous look on her face, "buy me a guitar, I literally can't even play it." She looked at both of her plastered arms.

He chuckled, "They'll heal. Now for the guitar-" He opened the door a bit further, still not enough for her to actually see anything.

Valerie craned her neck, eagerly trying to get a look.

Eddie smirked at her antics, "You know you pretend like you don't want me to, but you always put yourself in situations where I have to pick you up."

Her face turned grumpy in seconds, and she let herself flop back against her pillow.

"See now you're just giving me what I want-"

"Eddie Munson-"

Before she could go any further, he whipped out a gorgeous red electric guitar.

It got the job done. It definitely shut her up.

She kept gaping at it as he slowly walked over to drop it into her lap. Smooth, shiny and so pretty.

She wished she could run her hands over it.

She wished more than anything she could run her hands through Eddie's hair.

"I take it that you like it?" He smiled, relieved.

"Are you kidding me?" She said, still refusing to take her eyes off the instrument.

So while she was busy staring at it in awe, he tiptoed backwards and reached behind the door once more.

"Oh my god, Eddie-" She finally looked up to see in his hands another guitar. Same as the first, but in a pale baby pink.

"I..." Her eyes travelled between the guitar in her lap, and the one in his grasp, "What-"

She looked dumbfounded.

"I know it's not exactly your style. I don't think I've ever seen you own an object in pink, and trust me I would've noticed. But uh, I saw it and it just fit you for some reason. It's cool if you don't like it but-"

"You said there was only one guitar-"

"There is. They're the same guitar, just in different colours-"

"Why would you buy the same guitar in different colours-"

"I didn't know what to get you, so I got you both." He shrugged.

She scoffs.

"God I hate you so much. I might love you. A little bit." She clears her throat, "Don't get too excited."

He freezes for a moment. And then he blushed, a nervous little laugh escaping him.

"I think those might be the meds talking."

Valerie raised an eyebrow, watching him squirm and fidget under her gaze, all while he remained rooted in place.

"It's just, it's..." He shakes his head, "Fuck, okay, it's just never been this close to being real before."

"This close?"

He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at her. She enjoyed this, tormenting him.

He sighs at her antics and walks over to the bed, sitting so he was inches away from her face.

"You've just made this real, and I was never actually prepared for it to be, and now I don't know what to do with myself."

When she says nothing he smiles, "You're quiet because you want me to keep rambling."

A grin escaped her, guilty and toothy.

"It's not gonna work." He cupped her cheek and brought his lips down to hers, something he wasn't sure why he waited so long for.

A chill ran through him because of the feeling he just got. Kissing Valerie Henderson was never supposed to feel familiar.

But it was starting to, and he wanted more. He wanted to do it over and over again until he had it memorized on his skin. The way he knew how to stumble back home in the dark, drunk. The way he knew how to play the strings on his guitar.

Valerie pulled back, staring at his lips.

Had he been smiling? He didn't realize.

"I don't think I'll ever-" she lets out a breath, "get over this."

She was talking about that damned smile. She wasn't going to admit it so easily. Or ever, maybe. Maybe she would just keep that little piece of him to herself.

Eddie chuckles, letting his other hand grab her hair to kiss her again, "I don't think I'll ever get over you." He mumbled out against her.

Once he was satisfied with the amount of kisses, he plopped down with his head on Valerie's lap. He brought the guitar picks out from his pocket and started playing with them, showing them to her one by one.

She knew he loved him, that wasn't something that needed to be said. But the guitar picks, they demanded attention. Just as he was about to say something she beat him to it.

"Tell me you'll be my boyfriend."

His eyes peered up to hers, a lazy grin appearing on his face, "I'm not by any means... religious. But it's basically hope isn't it? And honestly, it's starting to feel like you are my hope you know? I've always been the guy to run away from everything, but now I've got someone to run to." He reached up with his fingers to play with her hair, "I was actually feeling quite heroic, but then I realised I didn't wanna be a hero when I could rather just be with you. I don't need to be a hero to prove this town wrong, my friends know who I am, you know who I am, and that's enough for me."

Valerie had to suck in a breath to stop her eyes from watering. Because for him, it was simple and true. And nothing more. He said it so sincere, and yet casual. Like it wasn't this big monumental thing for him. Because it wasn't. It was a simple fact. Eddie Munson always has been, and always will be in love with Valerie Henderson.

"So when I say you're my hero, you really are. Because you might not have saved anybody else, but you definitely saved me."

"So that's a yes?" She sniffed.

"Of course it's a yes, Val." He smiled and got up, pulling her against his against chest, "I'd marry you if you asked me to right now. I have plenty of rings, and half of your body is already wrapped in white-"

"Shut up."

Although definitely not realistic, the idea was quite charming in the way only Eddie could manage to be.

"Do you wanna know the main reason why I came back?"

"Why?" She mumbled into his chest.

"I just couldn't leave my Hendersons behind."

[A/N: And it is at this point that I imagine he sings her the song he wrote her in the two weeks he couldn't meet her. I would've included it if not for the fact that I'm no songwriter.

For everybody who feared for Eddie's life, it was quite entertaining to watch cause I knew I wasn't going to kill him. What's the point of writing a fanfic where he dies after watching the show where he ALREADY DIES.

I don't know how this story has taken up 8 MONTHS of my life. It was supposed to be this little thing I wrote in a month or two. But here we are, and I'm proud of myself for completing it. It's actually sad that this is goodbye😭 Thank you to everyone who decided to read this man.

This one's for my friend who doesn't know shit about stranger things but read parts of my book anyway<3]