After All This Time (Steddie)

Ch. 15: Forever.

A/N; I just want to preface this with I've been listening to Ratt all day and trying to focus on working and I just can't do it anymore. So if I get fired you owe me like... $93 dollars. Lol.

Also, if I were to make a playlist for this, who would listen? Just me? On repeat till I die? Cool. Cool.

TW; anxiety, homophobia, threatening situations (sorry💕)

This is it. The morning I have to go into the video store again, and let me tell you that I am fucking terrified. I know that Eddie will be with me every step of the way. I know that it's going to be okay. But is it? What if it's really not okay? God I just want to get this all over with. I hate being this anxious. Sleeping was next to impossible yet again, but I think I managed a solid 5 hours so. Here goes nothing?

"You ready for today?" Eddie looks to me from the drivers seat of his van. "Nope." I have a sick feeling in my stomach that I don't feel like I'm going to be rid of. "If it helps, you look cute in that vest." He grins over at me and grabs ahold of my hand giving it a gentle squeeze. "That does not help, but thank you." I smile weakly and try to get my nerves under control. It feels like I'm trembling and I know that I'm sweating already. I haven't left our bubble of safety in days, I haven't faced anyone in public. I haven't felt like I should even leave the apartment today but I need to keep my job. Especially now.

We pull up to the Family Video, and I look around the parking lot to make sure no one's around waiting for us to kick our asses. I can see that there's still some broken glass in the spot I normally park my car, so I ask Eddie to at least park where we can see his van so it doesn't get ruined as well.

We walk inside, finding Ella behind the counter and she gives us a soft smile. "Hi guys, here to relieve me Steve?"

"Yep. You're free to go. Thanks for covering for me this weekend and yesterday. I appreciate it."

"No worries at all, I'm sorry for what happened. You didn't deserve that. You're way too sweet."

"Thanks Ella, I really mean that." She nods and walks out the front doors. I feel like that's the most I've ever talked to her but, I guess more trauma bringing people together and what not. Eddie plops himself up on the counter top and I start my nightly duties of getting the returns in order, and restocking.

"Is this really all you do? Rewind tapes, restock and clean?"

"I mean sometimes people come in too but it's Tuesday so it's slow. Busy nights are Fridays and Saturdays." I shuffle around the store putting movies away from the cart. "Not as glamorous as you thought huh?"

"Not even slightly. Do you get any perks?"

"Free rentals? Uh. Coffee in the break room? And since I've been here so goddamn long, I got to pick my shifts."

"Wow, swanky."

I laugh and finish putting away the moves coming back over to him sitting on the counter top. "You can put whatever movie in you want. I don't mind."

He hops down and starts walking around to look at the selection, and the front door opens. My heart drops. Just when I was starting to feel comfortable, thinking no one would come in.

"Harrington. Thought you wouldn't be back here... interesting."

"Dude please just go. I don't want any trouble..." I can feel myself physically getting sicker by the second as Tyler approaches the front counter. I'm glad Eddie isn't sitting here right anymore and he is wandering around the store. His hands come up to sit on the counter, a knife rests between us now. Fuck. "I noticed your boyfriends van out front here..."

I swallow the lump in my throat looking down at the knife and back up to Tyler's eyes. He's got a crazy look in them. Like he's gonna snap at any moment. "Uh... yeah. He let me borrow it. Since you and your asshole friends fucked mine up." I take a deep breath in an out, trying to keep my cool knowing my life is in danger in this exact moment. I look over his shoulder, but no ones behind him. Fuck where's Eddie? There's no sound coming from the rest of the store.

There's a sudden flash of movement and Eddie is holding up a knife to the side of Tyler's throat. "Get the fuck out of here. Don't come back. Next time you wanna come in here and threaten my fucking boyfriend again you won't get so lucky. Now go. Before I change my mind."

Tyler scurries back, and out the front door. "Next time I won't be alone. You don't get to get away with it easily, fucking queers!"

I stare at Eddie completely dumbfounded. "You're an absolute idiot! You know that? You could have gotten fucking killed! I told you, don't be a hero what did you do? Some stupid hero shit. You need to stop it. You're going to get yourself hurt."

"You think I'm out here trying to let some douchebag threaten you like that you're dead fucking wrong. I've dealt with people like this my whole life Steve. He's not gonna do shit on his own. He's trying to scare you and it's working." He looks mad, but I'm mad too. Why would he sit here and potentially risk his life, he should have called Hopper the moment he saw a knife get pulled out of Tyler's pocket? He should have never done that.

Okay even if it was a little hot seeing him threaten someone like that. Cmon. Right?

"You need to not be so reckless. You have to keep your anger under control Eds. You can't see red every time someone threatens me. You'll end up in jail or dead. We've already had to fight back both of those things before. We're not doing it again."

"Look I'm sorry but I'm not going to stand idly by and do nothing when he pulls a knife on you. I'm scarier than you are, Harrington. I don't think he'll be back today."

I hope not. I'm shaken. Thank god we close soon. I don't think I could stand for anything else to happen right now. My first fucking day back and my life gets threatened? Are we even going to be safe here anymore?

Can we last until graduation at this point? Eddie doesn't seem to be bothered but I really am.

"EDDIE! I CANNOT LOSE YOU! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME?!" I am shaking. I've never had to yell at him before. Is this our first fight? I don't want to fight with him but he's not hearing me. He just seems caught up in his own thoughts in wanting to protect me but how am I supposed to protect him if he's gonna pull some shit like that?

"Steve, I-"

"No Eddie. Don't fucking Steve me. Don't do that shit again. Please..." I feel tears start to pool in the corners of my eyes. "I can't lose you again."

He pulls himself over the counter and wraps his arms around me. "I won't. I'm sorry. Can we go home now?"

"Please?"

I get the store closed up, and we drive in silence most of the way home. "Darlin?"

"Yes?" I try to shake my head of the negativity that seems to be a looming.  "You know I love you more than anything, right?"

"I do know. I'm sorry I yelled at you... you scared me."

"Hey don't worry. I shouldn't have reacted like that... I was just... I'm suddenly so protective of you. I don't want you to get hurt. I know I shouldn't have done that. It was stupid." We pull into my apartment complex and park. He grabs my hands and pulls me so we're facing each other. "I won't be stupid like that again. I'm really sorry, okay?"

"I love you Eddie. Forever, remember?"

"Forever." He leaves a kiss on my hands and we head upstairs into the safety bubble once again. I need some sleep. That was a lot all at once.