Peaceful bliss, just moments away (Stranger Things)

Epilogue

The sea breeze feels cool against Eddie's warm skin, and he tips his head back as he digs his toes into the sand, enjoying the way the water ebbs and flows over his feet. He has no intention of swimming anytime soon, but the beach isn't so bad. It's peaceful.

"Mike, you asshole!"

Relatively, anyway.

Eddie turns to see Max, her hair soaking wet, chasing after Mike while he laughs. Mike's expression quickly changes to an "oh, shit" face once she catches up to him. It's Lucas and Dustin's turn to laugh when Max shoves Mike into the water and he comes up spluttering.

Back on the sand, Will is showing El how to make a sand castle, and they both look up with smiles when they hear the others laughing. For kids who'd been trapped in the Upside Down-for a week, which makes Eddie want to go back and kill Vecna all over again-and raised in a lab, they've adjusted surprisingly well.

The kids had managed to convince their parents to let them go on a trip to California over the summer-with Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie as chaperones. Well, if Eddie's being honest, his presence probably didn't help. Either way, they're here now thanks to the US government.

Unbeknownst to Eddie and the others during the time loops, Joyce and Chief Hopper were in Russia, fighting to escape a prison. A fight that became a lot easier when the demogorgons held there mysteriously died all at once. When they got back, they called their government contact.

From what the others have told Eddie, there was way less of a cover-up to do this time around. Aside from throwing cash and NDAs at everyone involved in the incident-and if Eddie lied to get the Hendersons and the Byers a bit more cash by claiming they could remember all the time loops at any time, well, that was his little secret-their biggest help was getting Eleven out of juvie. Eddie still doesn't know the full story behind that one, but he's sure she was justified in whatever happened. She's a good kid.

After all was said and done, tests were run all over Hawkins. The Upside Down is gone for good, it seems. The nightmares remain-worse than before, actually, like being out of the real danger means Eddie's mind has to compensate-but he's safe, and everyone he loves is safe. It's all been worth it.

Telling the others that didn't always go smoothly, though.

-

"You went into the Upside Down without me?"

"Henderson, I think you're focusing on the wrong thing here-"

"You almost died, Steve! Both of you! And I didn't even know about it! What if none of you got out? Then nobody would know what happened to you."

"We're okay, Dustin," Eddie says softly. "Nothing bad happened-" nothing permanent, anyway "-and nothing else is gonna happen anymore. It's done."

For a moment, Dustin looked like he doesn't believe Eddie, like he still expects something else around the corner. But he covers it with a glare. "Fine, but I'm still mad at you. Don't expect me to be hanging out with you all the time anymore."

-

Despite his words, Dustin clings to Steve and Eddie like a shadow, like he expects them to just disappear on him. But Eddie has no intention of leaving Dustin now, not until he'd graduated, too, and moved on to the bigger and better things he's bound for. Maybe not even then.

With the help of the others-Erica, mainly, though he'd never admit it to her and she knew anyway-Eddie managed to barely scrape together a passing grade in chemistry. He'd be very happy to never have to encounter the phrase "significant figures" ever again.