Archive of Our Own

Jules pulls the twins bedroom door closed carefully. He winces with her at the click of the latch which rings out loud through the hushed apartment. Staring into her eyes in apprehension until the blessed, persistent silence convinces them she got away with it. Jules sighs in relief. Eddie opens his arms and she drops down onto the sofa into his embrace. He stretches back, encouraging her to lie down with him.

“You did it!” he whispers in her ear when they're comfortable. Her body warm and soft, cocooned between him and the worn cushions. In the last few months it's become a habit to do this for an hour or more in the evenings when he's home at the right time. They don't watch TV, or even have music playing. Just spend time together, the two of them, talking quietly. It's exactly the kind of peace he really needs at the end of a long day.

“For now,” she sighs.

He kisses the top of her head in place of a response. He doesn't want to jinx things. At six months old the twins are usually down to two wake-ups a night, but if the wind is blowing the wrong way or a butterfly farts in New Jersey it could be three or even four. Or they could have two, but decide to tag team and wake up at different times.

Their apartment is much tidier than usual, thanks to a lot of hard work since he got home, and Jules’s brainwave last week to put a laundry basket in every room to hold baby clutter. Everything is prepared, so they won't have to panic in the morning. Although he's a little nervous after moving one very special small box from his guitar case to the inside pocket of his leather jacket. Moving it feels like it's asking for it to get lost, or for Jules to find it, both of which would ruin his plans.

“Are you sure about leaving them with Joyce tomorrow?” Jules asks, interrupting his thoughts. He doesn't need the tightness in her voice to tell him it's really her who's having a hard time with the idea. It’ll be the first time she hasn't been with the twins overnight since they were born. She's been going back and forth worrying about it for a month.

“Joyce is the only one I’d leave them overnight with.” He gives his usual answer, rubbing her arm in an attempt at reassurance. “And she’ll have Hopper and Wayne to help too. But if you don't want to go through with it then we can change plans, it's no problem.”

Jules sighs, and settles her head on his chest.

“God, that's us isn't it? Always changing plans.”

“I guess so.”

“Remind me again how things got so out of hand?” she asks after a short pause. To his relief she sounds lighter, more amused. “It was supposed to be just you and me at the courthouse.”

“An excellent question, my lady! You'll never find a more complicated web of whispers and intrigue,” he declaims quietly. A soft chuckle tickles against his chest and, as though she doesn't know the whole story back to front, he launches into the tale of the most surprising week of their lives since they arrived in New York. “After we got our license sorted and the appointment booked in we asked Steve to be our witness, and forgot to tell him and Max to keep it to themselves. In hindsight, that was our first error. Then you told Jen, who in the least surprising turn of events ever, insisted on being here.”

“Hey!” Jules protests, without any real conviction behind it.

“What? I told you she would. Anyway, that was error number two. From there the whispers took over. Steve told Robin, of course, and more importantly, one Dustin Henderson, who then blabbed to the rest of the party. It's still hotly debated whether word got back to the Byers-Hopper clan that way, or because Max dropped the gossip on El. If the kids are to be believed they were on the phone at the same time. They could just be trying to spread out the blame, but it doesn't exactly matter at this point. Jen also called Paul to ask if he knew, which shocked the hell out of him by the way, he’s only spoken to her once since school and that's when we were ‘missing’.” He makes air quotes around the word, feels her shake her head against his chest. “Paul called Jeff and then me, which was the first I heard of the gossip train going on. After that Clive overheard me asking Steve if he'd told anyone, so the band found out too.”

Eddie pauses there, contemplating for the hundredth time the whole shocking turn of events.

“After all that I figured I’d best hurry up and call Wayne so he didn't end up being the only one left out,” he continues. “Anyway once everyone was convinced it wasn't an elaborate April Fools' joke, and after a lot of negotiation about who would actually come with us to the courthouse, it was decreed that no matter what they were all coming and throwing us a party.”

Never in a million years had either of them expected that reaction from their friends. He’d expected Jen, Steve and Wayne to come, but everyone else? They hadn't been prepared at all. When they’d first agreed it was time to finally get legally married, they hadn't expected anything at all from anyone else. The level of involvement, of actual happiness for them, took them both by surprise. After all, it was just signing papers at the courthouse. Neither of them had wanted church, or big poofy dresses, or any of that shit. But after talking it over, a lot, they'd decided they were ok with their friends throwing a party.

He kisses her head again before continuing with the story.

“Then of course Joyce started conspiring with Wayne and Steve and what seems to be everyone else to give us a night at an actual hotel as a wedding present. Luckily those three had the sense to talk to us about it instead of just informing us they'll be kicking us out of our home and kidnapping our children for twenty-four hours, which I believe was Henderson's original suggestion.”

Story over at last, he glances down at Jules. He's finally gotten used to seeing her hair it's natural brown colour all over. A small smile plays on her face.

“I can't believe they're all here,” she says.

“Well timing it for Max’s spring break probably helped, but, yeah,” he squeezes her a little tighter. “They're all here. I can't believe that Steve's somehow managed to squeeze nine extra people into their apartment and that he's talking to Jonathan again. Who saw that coming?”

'Talking' might be overstating things. They're being civil for the sake of the occasion. Still, Jonathan’s sleeping on Steve's couch and calm words have passed between them, which is shocking enough. Maybe the three of them being so far apart has given Steve and Jonathan enough space to get over the whole Nancy Wheeler debacle. And the fact that Nancy had to work over break, rather than joining the rest of the group here, definitely helps. Steve didn't even seem that upset when she sent her apologies.

“They’ll have more space tomorrow, when Joyce and Hopper are here,” Jules notes.

“Does that mean you're happy sticking with plan A?”

She nods into his chest. “Joyce spent most of today with us. The mini-Munson's seem to really like her. And Wayne proved he was good at calming them down when he saw them last.”

“Well that's good because as much as I’m going to miss the hell out of those kids,” he cranes his neck down so he can rumble seductively in her ear, “I am very on board with keeping certain wedding night traditions.”

She laughs quietly and pokes his side.

“Speaking of tradition, are you sure you don't mind not going out with all the guys tonight?” she asks. “They were kind of bummed about not being able to get you hammered and tie you to a lamppost or something.”

“Not at all,” he groans. “Having a bachelor party on April Fool's Day is asking for trouble. I’d rather not run the risk of being dumped upstate with no clothes on, thank you very much.”

“Steve would never let that happen.”

“It's not Steve I’m worried about,” he mutters darkly. “But seriously, no, I don't care about going out with the guys. I don't need a last night of freedom because I’m not giving up any freedom. I already have all the freedom I want, and tomorrow isn't going to change that.”

She pushes up, reaching to press a kiss to his chin.

“Well said, very smooth.”

“Thank you,” he catches her before she can lie back down, kissing her mouth lightly. “Anyway, if we're leaving the twins tomorrow night, I kind of want to stay close tonight.”

“I’m glad it's not just me feeling guilty about the idea of leaving them.”

“Of course it's not, I think it's one of those instincts that came as part of the package when we took delivery of those little gremlins.”

There was only one choice for what to wear today, Eddie's old Ride the Lightning t-shirt. It symbolises so much of what they've been through together to get to this point. When Jen, Max, El and Robin came to check on her, she got three understanding faces and one confused one. 

Of course Jen doesn’t get it, how could she? She asks whether Jules wouldn't prefer one of the dresses in her closet, and it's all she can do to keep her refusal casual. She hates that she can't explain to her friend exactly why it has to be this shirt. Lying to her, even by omission, always leaves a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. They share an awkward moment until Robin steps in and distracts Jen from the question by cooing over the twins who are valiantly attempting to roll themselves over in the middle of the bed. Both of them already dressed in warm polka dot rompers, Josie in red and Danny in blue. New York still hasn't warmed up, despite it being technically spring, and the grey skies outside the window suggest that isn't changing today. Max and El - shit, she has to remember to call her Jane today - follow Robin's lead, until the awkwardness passes and the room is filled with laughter and excitement. The twins don't acknowledge their new audience. Too busy grabbing their toes and tipping from side to side. Making little high pitched grunts of effort from time to time.

But as Jules fusses in front of the mirror, tucking the shirt into her denim skirt before pulling it back out again, she's starting to think she might have to switch to a dress after all. She sighs in frustration.

“I thought it looked great,” Robin says helplessly from her position next to the mirror. 

“What's wrong?” Jen asks, looking up from the twins, who are giggling on the bed. The attention they’re getting diverting their usual descent into frustration at not being able to move their little bodies the way they want to.

“I can't get it the way I like it,” Jules grumbles.

“Ok, let's see if we can help mommy,” Jen says to the babies, tickling one, then the other. 

El's still nervous around them, so before she moves Jen extracts a quick promissory nod from Max, confirming she's happy to keep charge. Then she grabs Jules's shoulders, turning her away from the mirror, and looks her up and down with a critical eye.

“If you're sure you're not going with a dress today then I think you already know what it needs,” she says gently. Her hand tightens on Jules’s shoulder.

Jules bites her lip. Despite all the secrets being kept from her, Jen really does know her better than almost anyone. This is one of those moments she wishes she didn't.

“I don't know, what if…” she trails off, although she can tell from the look in Jen’s eyes that she knows what she's thinking.

“If you don't like it, then we'll try something else,” Jen says firmly. “But I think you should give it a go.”

Jules sighs and grabs the hem of the shirt. Looking determinedly away from the mirror she folds it underneath itself a few times, then ties the hem in a knot behind her back. Cold air on the sliver of skin now exposed above the waistband of her skirt makes her shiver.

“That's it!” Jen exclaims. “What do you think, Robin?” She keeps it subtle, but Jules still sees Jen’s elbow connecting with Robin’s side.

“Looks great!” she yelps. At least her encouraging smile looks sincere.

Jules grimaces, staring at her stomach in the mirror. While the exposed part of her stomach isn't hanging in rolls over the top of her skirt, thank god, it definitely looks softer and more bulging than she’d like. While she's finally been able to ditch the awful maternity stuff, she's still curvier than she used to be, her waist and hips wider. She doesn't fit all her old clothes yet; the new ones she’s picked up recently have all had to be at least a size bigger than before. At least the bit that's exposed is above her belly button, so none of her stretch marks, or the wrinkled and unsightly loose skin are showing. Only Eddie's seen that, and he's blinded by love enough to ignore it.

“I don't know,” she says, wrinkling her nose. Jen puts an arm around her shoulder. 

“Girl, don't be so hard on yourself,” she says. “You grew two human beings in that body. You're amazing, and you look amazing, even if it's a little different to what you remember. Trust me.” Jules really wants to believe it, but it's so hard to silence that voice inside which is screeching that she has no business exposing herself this much. Jen squeezes a little tighter and turns her away from the mirror again. “You said you wanted to get married looking like you, didn't you?”

Jules nods.

“So let's get your makeup and hair done and see if we’ve unearthed some more of the old Jules, huh? How long has it been since you've worn eyeliner?”

“Over a year,” Jules moans.

“Damn! Sit down then, and I’ll do it. Can't have it all messed up today!”

“I’ve got the makeup bags,” Robin, apparently happy to have something useful to do, grabs the bags from the top of the drawers.

“Tip them out and we'll see what we're working with,” Jen says, indicating a spot on the floor.

Makeup hasn't exactly been at the top of Jules’s priority list, and all but the few things she uses regularly have gotten old and crusty. So Jen and Robin volunteered their supplies for her. Robin pours the contents of the three bags into roughly separate piles and Jen sets to rummaging. 

A lively debate over the different colours or products she should use breaks out. Jen and Robin bicker good-naturedly about it, Max interjecting an opinion every now and then in between trying to show El how to play with the babies. Graciously, they occasionally allow Jules an opinion too. El doesn't offer her thoughts, too nervous about interacting with Josie and Danny to really pay attention to anything else.

Jen makes sure she's standing with her back to the mirror, forcing her to trust her friends to apply her makeup for her. Once it's all done Jen sprays something in her hair and runs her fingers through it.

Standing back to admire her handiwork, Jen holds up her hand and Robin gives her an awkward high-five. 

“What do we think?” Jules asks the room, a little nervously.

Robin waggles her fingers to indicate she should look in the mirror while Max gives her an approving nod. “Looking good!”

El’s smiles widest of all of them, her mouth curled up on one side.

“Bitchin’” she declares loudly, much to Jen’s amusement. Then Josie reaches up and places her chubby fingers against El's mouth, making her eyes go wide and the others laugh out loud.

Jules manages not to grin at her daughter's inadvertent admonishment. With some nerves, she turns towards the mirror.

The woman staring back at her still doesn't look exactly like the old Jules. Aside from the physical changes there's no dye in her hair. The stuff Jen put in it has made it even messier than usual, but it's artfully messy, like she's just stepped off a beach. Actually, she likes it. Jen and Robin have done a great job with her makeup, although again it's probably not quite what she would have done herself.

“Close enough?” Jen asks, and Jules lets out a long breath.

“Yeah,” she agrees, finally feeling a little better about the whole thing. “Close enough. It's good. Thanks guys.”

A knock at the door interrupts Jen’s answering hug.

“Are you guys ready?” Eddie's voice calls. “Steve and Dustin have two cabs waiting.”

Robin opens the door with a flourish.

“All ready!”

Eddie pokes his head into the room.

“Wow,” his eyes widen as he looks at her. He takes a step forward, staring at her like she's the only person in the room. She flushes. In honour of the day he's chosen his newest black jeans, probably the first pair he’s owned in years with no rips. They’d agreed no matching, so beneath his usual leather jacket and denim vest his t-shirt bears the yellow spiky sigil of Anthrax. 

“Stop right there!” Jen commands, halting his progress by grabbing his arm. “No time for that now. Go strap your spawn into their carriers.”

“But…”

Jen doesn't let him get another word out. She scoops up Josie from the bed and dumps her into his arms. The little girl immediately giggles and reaches up to tug on his hair. 

“Chop, chop,” Jen chivvies him towards the door. “We’ve all got to get going!”

“Okay, okay,” Eddie leans around to blow a kiss at Jules and wave Josie’s little hand at her before carrying the babbling girl out into the living room. Max follows with Danny, leaving Robin and El to scoop the loose makeup back into the three bags.

“Here,” Jen shoves her earrings into her hand, large silver hoops she hasn't worn since the twins got old enough to start grabbing, but today seems like a good day to try. Quickly she puts them on, then sits on the bed and pulls on her boots and denim jacket. 

The twins are smiling from their white plastic carriers when she emerges into the living room. Each covered in a blanket, their still wispy curls covered by little knitted wooly hats.

“All ready?”

“The license and our IDs are in the diaper bag, along with anything these two might need,” Eddie answers, “and our overnight bag is in Steve's car along with a worrying number of garbage bags.”

“Shh!” Jen hisses, poking his shoulder. You aren't supposed to know about any of that stuff!”

“What stuff?” Jules asks desperately. No one will tell them what's being planned for today. “What are you guys doing?”

“That’s for us to know and you to find out,” Jen answers smugly.

“You do remember this is our wedding?”

“Please,” her friend waves a dismissive hand at her objection, “you were going to just sign the papers and come home like it was nothing. You don't even have rings today.”

“We couldn't find any we liked!” Jules retorts. It's not exactly true. They did find some which were perfect, but also much more than they can afford right now while she still isn't working. “We’re going to get them later.”

“Whatever,” Jen snorts. “We’re in charge of the party now.”

“Are you worried?” Jules asks Eddie, only partly joking. It's very sweet that their friends want to throw them a party, but the lack of details are making her apprehensive, “I’m worried.”

“Terrified," he agrees.

“Come on!” Jen hurries them along, handing the diaper bag to Jules and picking up a baby carrier. She motions Eddie to pick up the other one, ushering them and Max towards the door. “Oh! You left a set of keys here for Robin and the others right?”

“They're in the bowl on the table,” Jules calls over her shoulder, already out in the corridor.

“Got it!” Robin yells as Jen pulls the door closed behind them.

The black plastic chair digs into her thighs, each pinch combining with the slight chill in the air to send thrills of nervous excitement running through her body. It's only their group waiting right now. Jen and Steve have taken chairs on the other side of the corridor, while Max and Dustin are on her right. The kid's hair is even more wild than she remembers it. They'd deny it, but she's pretty sure both his and Mike's slowly growing locks are for Eddie's benefit. Maybe one day she'll ask them just to watch the shade of red they'll no doubt turn. Today, she's more concerned with his backpack that, much to her trepidation, he's so far refused to take off.

Danny's happily babbling at Wayne as he walks the boy up and down and on her left, Josie squirms restlessly in Eddie's lap. He offers his hand to the little girl. She babbles at him, then grabs his index finger and starts gnawing on it.

“You’ll make her ill,” Jules sighs, shaking her head. It's futile, not even Danny getting his first tooth has stopped him letting them chew on him. Sure enough,

“I wash my hands,” he says, utterly unrepentant, “they're clean.”

“Just don't let her get your ring off.”

“Don't worry,” his grin widens, “I just replaced them all, damned if I want to lose one like that.”

She shakes her head again.

“Mr Munson, Miss Rowland?” A call from the door has them all turning. Her heart flutters. This is it. 

“That's us!” Eddie calls back. 

“Come on through,” the clerk says with a smile.

Cutting ahead of Steve, Jen swoops in and lifts Josie out of Eddie's arms, settling her on one hip. She raises her eyebrows at him, and he holds his hands up in surrender. He grabs the diaper bag instead and directs Dustin and Max to pick up the empty baby carriers.

Eddie stands, wiping Josie’s drool off on his shirt before he holds his hand out to her. The pure happiness on his face makes her heart feel like it's about to leap out of her chest.

“Ready?” he asks.

Taking his hand, she leaps to her feet. 

“Hell yeah!”

The first room they get shown to is nothing more than a small office. They show their ID and license, sign on the dotted line, and Steve does the same. Then they're whisked into another room, a much larger room, and Jules is suddenly very glad that there are only five people watching, not including the babies who are more interested in their wide-eyed inspection of the unfamiliar space. Eddie's the performer, not her, she's never liked that many eyes on her.

But when Eddie squeezes her hand any sense of awkwardness fades away. The voice of the officiant, brisk and upbeat, runs through the words that she knows so well from TV and movies. To her relief her voice doesn't shake when it comes time to repeat her part. Her promise to love and support Eddie for the rest of her life. She tightens her grip on his hand as she says the words, hoping he understands it's because although the words might be rote, she means them with everything she has.

There's a happy infant yell right as Eddie opens his mouth to repeat his vows to her. She turns her head to see Steve thrusting a white plastic ring threaded with brightly coloured flowers at Wayne, who waves it in Danny's face. The flowers clack together, attracting the baby's attention before he yells again. Instead he grabs at it and shoves it into his mouth. Eddie laughs quietly at their son's antics, his vows spoken through a wide smile.

It feels like seconds from the moment Eddie took her hand out in the corridor to the moment the officiant declares that they are officially married according to the law in the state of New York. But as though he's been forced to wait for hours, Eddie doesn't even let the man to finish the final words of the ceremony before he swoops forward to kiss her. She throws her arms around his neck, kissing him back, totally forgetting their audience in the joy of the moment.

“I guess I don't need to tell you to do that bit,” the man jokes. Heat rises in her cheeks, but Eddie grins unrepentantly.

“Nope, never.” 

Then he grips her waist and lifts her up, spinning her and kissing her again.

Applause breaks out behind them as her feet make contact with the floor once more, facing their audience now. She ducks her head against his shoulder, Eddie's arm still tight around her waist. They're all standing. Steve clapping enthusiastically, Wayne and Jen more awkwardly, working around their grip on the shocked looking babies. Max’s applause even accompanied by a rare genuine grin. The only one not clapping is Dustin. To her surprise, the kid’s produced a camera from his backpack. He clicks a photo, clearly not the first, then gives them a smile and a goofy thumbs up.

“That's my cue,” the officiant interrupts, making them spin back around again, “to say officially: congratulations, Mr & Mrs Munson.”

With a rustle, he thrusts the marriage certificate at them and Jules grabs it.

“I think now is the time for photos,” he says over their shoulder. There's the sound of a light slap behind them. Steve clipping Dustin’s arm most likely. He tells them they have ten minutes then shakes both of their hands and diplomatically slips away.

“Where did you even get that?” Jules asks Dustin. “I thought Jonathan was going to take some photos later?”

“He is, but given your refusal to organise anything approaching an actual wedding, I decided to borrow it from him,” he retorts. “I have to return it in the same condition on pain of death, but he agreed with me that you would regret forever not having a photo of that moment.”

There's a lump growing in Jules’s throat. 

“Thanks, man,” Eddie says it for them both.

“You see?” Dustin spits across his shoulder at Steve, ignoring the huge eye roll he gets in response.

It's a mark of just how grateful she is that her good feeling even survives Dustin's impatience with the short round of hugs and congratulations. He allows Jules a grudging minute to put their marriage certificate away safely in the diaper bag before he sets about ordering them into different places for more photos. Although she has a sneaking suspicion the best picture will be the one he took first.

The little squirt insists on taking final pictures of them with the kids on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall. Light rain forces them to stay under cover at least, so they can keep off to one side rather than taking up space on the steps. As much as Eddie appreciates the sentiment and the gesture, Dustin's clearly having way too much fun ordering them, or specifically him, around. Max has noticed too, watching on with her mouth twisted into a sarcastic little grin. Lucky for the kid he's still too elated to feel any real irritation. He honestly hadn't expected to get so swept up in emotion about the legal part of today. He's never set much store by the law, but from the moment the clerk called their names he felt like he was floating. Like nothing could erase the smile from his face. She's his fucking wife. That signature, Julie Munson, it's not just a name she occasionally uses any more, it's her real damn name. And no one can ever tell her otherwise.

Eddie surreptitiously pats his vest pocket, the movement slow and careful and hidden by his hold on Josie. Although he experiences a tiny flash of relief at the press of the small square box still safely tucked away there, nerves still bubble in his stomach. There's no going back on his decision now; he can only hope it actually is as good an idea as he’d convinced himself it was.

Steve saves them from the shaggy-haired, nascent Annie Leibovitz with a shout which makes Dustin jump, interrupting his next ‘suggestion’ mid-sentence. Eddie pats the kid’s shoulder as he walks past, maybe just a tad harder than he usually would.

No one will tell them where they're being taken to, not even usually reliable Wayne. When he asks, his uncle simply shrugs with a wicked twinkle in his eye. In the face of everyone's silence all they can do is strap the twins back into their carriers, tuck them in against the persistent damp chill in the air and scurry across to the cars, sheltering them as much as possible from the rain. When the four of them are in the back of one car, the two baby carriers in the middle and him and Jules squashed in on either side, Steve hands over the stuffed diaper bag, refusing again to tell them where they're going. 

Jen takes the front seat and Eddie keeps his attention on her, hoping to get a clue from their destination, but she leans in close to talk to the cab driver, so they can't hear. He shares an exaggeratedly nervous look with Jules, but he can't maintain it. Not when he's looking directly at her. And especially not when joy mirroring his is also tugging at the edges her expression.

A few minutes into the ride Josie starts to grumble.

“Have we got far to go?” Jules asks Jen, perhaps a little too innocently. “I think these guys are going to be demanding lunch soon.”

“Not far,” Jen answers, “nice try though. Devious, using the babies. I like that.”

Jules shrugs helplessly at him, with a sly little wink he loves, then focuses on distracting Josie from her growing unhappiness by rubbing tiny circles on her little tummy, cooing at her gently. Pulling his attention away from her with some effort, Eddie checks in on Danny, who at the moment seems to be watching and trying to decide if whatever his sister is upset about is worth crying over as well.

Jen’s assessment of ‘not far’ might have been accurate for an adult, but not for a six month old rapidly on course to furiously hungry. Almost ten minutes driving later and they've progressed from a grouchy Josie to both babies voicing their displeasure. There's formula and two jars of baby food waiting for them in the bag, but it’ll have to stay there for now. No way the driver wants whatever variety of strained mush it is all over his car.

He lets Danny gnaw on his finger to stave off any screaming, wincing at the sharp pain whenever the kid gets a little too enthusiastic with his brand new tooth. Although she usually isn't a fan of it, in the circumstances, Jules doesn't say anything. She's too distracted trying to keep Josie from exploding into a full blown tantrum. 

They pull up outside a bar and he recognises it instantly. How could he not? It's the first place he ever performed with Eternal Damnation. A gig that would have been so much more enjoyable if he hadn't been so worried about Jules back home, being babysat by Joyce Byers while stuck on bed rest. Held in their back room, which, he recalls, is available for hire. They've played much more exhilarating gigs here since then. In fact it's probably the place that really started gathering the small but growing following which has led to other bookings, including the slot at CBGBs which they're really hoping will turn into a regular thing. And Dave, in the way Dave always seems to be, is friendly with the owner of this particular bar. 

The implication boggles the mind. Has Steve been conspiring with the band too? Have they already reached that critical mass?

“Yup!” Jen says happily from the front seat, as though she's read his thoughts. She shoves some cash at the driver and hops out. “Come on, then!”

As he exits the cab he realises Hopper and Wayne are standing out front, placed on either side of the door like sentries, or bouncers. They’re smoking rather than talking, wearing almost matching expressions of stoic resignation on their faces. Distracted by the kids growing impatience, he hadn't even noticed the cab Wayne and Steve were in vanishing but now he thinks about it, they've definitely taken a longer route here. He's not quite sure if that's something to be worried about or not.

Without a word or a backwards glance, Jen passes between the two men, vanishing into the bar.

“Hand him over, kid,” Wayne drawls, throwing down his cigarette and reaching out for Danny's carrier. “They’ll be safe with us for a bit.”

“They're kind of cranky,” Jules says with motherly worry in her eyes, although unnecessary given their ongoing cries.

“Been there, done that,” Hopper shrugs. He crushes the butt of his cigarette under his heel. “It won't be long. If I were you, I’d go in quick and get it over with.”

“Get it over with?” Eddie repeats nervously. Hopper and Wayne just look at them. Of course, they've sent out the two stubborn old guys to greet them. Taking advantage of his confusion, Wayne silently relieves him of Danny and the diaper bag. With another worried glance in his direction, Jules allows Hopper to take Josie.

“They’re in the back room.” Wayne nods his head towards the building. “I gather you know it?”

Eddie grabs Jules’s hand and squeezes. Her grip in return is strong.

“Yeah.”

At the door, Jules pauses, throwing a worried look over her shoulder at the two men now in charge of their cranky babies. Hopper’s looking at Josie like she's a bomb about to go off, but Wayne's already got Danny out of the carrier to calm him down. He tugs on her hand. The quicker they do this, the quicker they can get back to them. Together, they step through the main doors. 

This place doesn't do much in the way of lunchtime trade, so the main bar is quiet. The bartender on duty looks up from pouring a beer for one of the three patrons inside as they enter and gives them a cheery wave.

“Congrats man,” he calls, before adding a rather ominous, “good luck!”

Nerves jangling, Eddie leads Jules through the bar and down the short flight of stairs that lead down to the back room. When they're close to the bottom, she hesitates, pulling back on his hand.

“Before we go in there,” she says, “I just wanted to say something.”

“What’s up?”

She steps into his space, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He doesn't need any encouragement to respond, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her there. Her mouth is soft, the kiss transforming his nerves to warmth, bubbling in his chest. The little box in his pocket suddenly feels like it weighs a ton.

“Well said,” he murmurs when they break apart. She snorts a quiet laugh.

"I guess actions speak louder than words."

“I love you,” he kisses her once more, “so whatever’s on the other side of that door, we'll face it together, right?”

She bursts out laughing properly at his dramatic pronouncement. 

“Seriously, how bad can it be?”

“I don't know, but Dustin Henderson looked gleeful this morning, and that's enough for me to be at least a little apprehensive.”

“Good point,” she threads their fingers together again. “Come one, let's do it.”

He nods once, then pushes the door open.

Straight into a wall of sound.

The cheering from the shockingly large group of people on the other side of the door stops them in their tracks. He's got no idea how such a crowd has gathered. The room actually feels full, with New York people there as well as the Hawkins crew. His eyes find the three members of his band, who are hooting and hollering as loudly as anyone. They've clearly been spreading the word amongst other bands they're friendly with and the regulars from Grandbergs too. He can't believe how many of them are here.

It's such a shock that they're conveniently standing still in the doorway when confetti, glitter and balloons begin to rain down from the ceiling. Through the cheering and laughter he hears a quiet click, and turns to find an amused looking Jonathan Byers standing next to them and snapping photos. 

Shaking with laughter, Jules wraps her arms around his waist. She's got glitter all over her and has so many little pieces of paper in her hair it looks like she's covered in snow. Sparkling, cartoonish, snow. He doesn't need a mirror to know he looks the same. He reaches up to brush at his hair, sending a shower of confetti and glitter onto the floor.

“Right!” He swallows the laughter trying to break free and puts on his old DM tone. Glaring towards the little knot of former Hellfire Club members sniggering by a table covered in snacks. “Which one of you brats put glitter in my hair?”

Jeff and Paul don't react at all, they just keep laughing, but the younger kids exchange some worried glances. It soon escalates into a silent argument between the four of them, glaring and shaking heads until Mike breaks and jabs his finger towards Jen and Katie over on the other side of the room.

“It was their idea!” he yells.

Dustin and Will share an eye roll and a disappointed head shake.

“Dude!” Lucas smacks his arm.

“You little rat!” Jen calls back, struggling to hold in her own laughter.

Mike’s mouth opens and closes like a goldfish. At his side, Eleven frowns with confusion, and a little worry.

“I should have known you were planning something like this.” Jules grumbles good-naturedly at Jen, straightening up and brushing her hair. A cloud of glitter puffs out, filling the air around her like a halo.

“I told you, it's our party now!” Jen laughs and pulls Jules into a hug, ignoring the glitter that immediately transfers onto her. 

Like it's a signal, tension breaks and suddenly they're surrounded. There are hugs and handshakes, and he soon stops being able to tell who is who, people blurring together. 

Through the chaos, the door behind them opens, letting in the unmistakable sound of hungry twins fed up of waiting for their lunch. 

“Is it safe?” Hopper calls. Jules immediately scoops a crying Josie out of his arms, only to have her taken straight away again by Joyce.

“Uh-uh,” she says, bouncing the little girl. “We can handle it, you two go and enjoy yourselves.” 

Before they can object she's barking orders at Wayne and Hopper, driving them across to the furthest corner of the room. In no time at all she's got them set up at the one lonely table there, bibs on and Joyce and Wayne each holding a baby in their lap.

“I think they're good,” he murmurs to Jules, watching as Wayne spoons orange mush into Danny’s mouth while Joyce tries to stop Josie pulling her bib off.

“Um, yeah, I guess so.”

He puts an arm around her shoulder. “Come on,” he says, “think of it as practice for later.”

She sighs, and lets him lead her through the crowd. They grab a few chips and a beer each before setting out to greet everyone who's come to the party, now in full swing all around them. Someone's put a tape on, a muted version of Warhead filling the air. Knowing what the sound system in this room can do, whoever it is must be afraid of setting it off too loud. 

They bounce from group to group. From the gaggle of still bickering teens, to a laughing Paul and Jeff, who he attempts to rub glitter on, to Dave and the band. Who freely and laughingly admit to also having a hand in the prank. After threatening them with sufficiently creative revenge they move next to the Byers boys who are watching their mother feed little Danny a bottle of formula with what looks like fear on their faces. Jonathan leans in close to make himself heard over the noise of the crowd,

“You don't think she's going to start getting weird about grandchildren do you?” he asks. Eddie pats his shoulder.

“For your sake, I hope not. Good luck with that, dude.”

Jonathan flushes at his answer, probably realising Eddie wasn't the best person to share his worry with.

“If Dustin didn't wreck the film I should have some good pictures,” he says in a rush. “I’ll send them to you as soon as I can.”

“Thanks. This is all…” he gestures around the room wondering what to say. Crazy? Unexpected? In the end, Jules fills in the gap for him.

“I can't believe how many people are here,” she says.

“Yeah, well, this isn't exactly Hawkins,” Will says. “Things seem to be going pretty good for you guys.”

Despite the smile on his face there's a weight behind his eyes. Eddie's about to ask about Creel, and whether the heaviness in his mind really has gone, until he remembers where they are. Shit. Maybe he needs to ask Eleven if everything really is ok with the kids. She's the leader of their little mind meld after all, if anyone should know about any lingering effects, it's her.

Jonathan nudges Will’s shoulder in a pointed, ‘lighten up’ gesture.

“Yeah,” the older Byers says easily. “We'll keep a look out for your first article in Hit Parader or whatever.”

“Christ, I wish!” Eddie snorts. “Gotta get that record deal first.”

The party is a whirlwind of faces. Every now and then another drink gets shoved into his hand by a never ending rotation of people wishing them well. At least they manage to sneak a few moments here and there to check in on Joyce and the kids, until she declares it's time for them to go home. She hands them back their IDs and he takes them, resolutely not mentioning the fake in his pocket which fudges his birthday by a year. 

It's so strange seeing the twins be carried away with Jules still there by his side. An unexpected lump forms in his throat, and he has to take a moment with Jules, leaning against each other.

Soon after they leave a hand lands on Eddie's shoulder. He startles and spins around.

“Drink up, Sparkles!” Dave says, in a way that makes Eddie worry it's going to become a nickname. He winks at Jules, “and Mrs Sparkles. We’re going to rock!”

“What?”

“Dude, Maiden are in town. Tonight. We’re going. Right now, so down them, both of you!” He indicates their drinks.

“We chipped in for your tickets,” Robin thrusts two tickets at him and he reads them disbelievingly. Jules leaning over him to do the same. Iron Maiden, Madison Square Garden, April 2nd 1987. Jesus, they actually look real.

“We’re all going,” Steve says, pulling his jacket on.

“Even us!” Dustin crows happily and the reason why the Sinclair's had declared Erica too young to travel with her brother clicks into place. He feels a sudden and unexpected burst of dread thinking about how much of a live wire kids who are part him and part Jules are likely to be by that age. To banish the thought, he casts around for something to say.

“Dude,” Eddie eyes Steve's polo shirt. “You look more like you’re going to Duran Duran. Are you sure?”

Jonathan diplomatically hides a laugh behind his hand, but he's the only one who does. Paul and Jeff snort openly, like Steve's a freshman at the Hellfire table who doesn't know the difference between a paladin and a ranger, and there's plenty of other laughter too. Dustin, especially, just can't hold it in.

“At least I don't look like Tinkerbell threw up on me," Steve gripes good-naturedly, "and how come Robin doesn't get any of this shit?”

“Because Robin is actually cool,” Jen interjects, leaning between them. Katie hovers behind, shaking her head at all of them.

In retaliation for the laughter, Steve pulls Dustin aside to help him with the last errand of the day. Checking in at the small hotel that's been booked for them and dropping off their overnight bag. Dustin trudges off after him, complaining the whole way out of the door.

Outside, it's even colder now the evening has drawn in, but that doesn't dampen any spirits. It's a raucous train ride with almost twenty of them taking up most of a car, much to the annoyance of the few others sharing it with them. Most days he’d be right in the middle of the fun, but instead Eddie grabs an actual seat, so he can sit next to Jules. One arm thrown around her shoulder as they laugh together at the over-excited antics from their friends around them. It's loud enough he even manages to kiss her a few times without getting called out. Or maybe they're just being ignored given what day it is. He really doesn't care which.

They dart away from the group once they reach the East Village, after spotting a lone payphone sitting at the edge of an alley. Eddie drops some change into it, dialling home quickly. They share the receiver. Holding their breath until Wayne answers and shortly tells them everything’s ok with the kids and if they waste this chance to have fun he’ll personally kick their asses.

"If anything's wrong we'll call you, we got the number for the hotel. Now get!" Wayne puts down the phone without letting them say anything else.

They catch the rest of the group up pretty quickly. On the approach to the Garden the energy soars, building in the crowd the closer they get. Eddie keeps his arm firmly around Jules’s waist, determined to not lose her in the throng of excited metalheads ready to scream out their devotion to the one and only Iron Maiden. There's so many people there he's glad Robin gave them their tickets already, and also a little worried about whether or not Steve and Dustin will ever find them again. Not as worried as Jonathan or Robin, though, who are sharing with him the responsibility for keeping the group of excited teens together and delivering them home in one piece. 

Somehow Steve does manage to find them inside, while they're in a queue for t-shirts. He yells, wading through a sea of people with Dustin trailing in his wake to hand Eddie a key and folded piece of paper with the address. He slips them into his vest pocket with his ID and fastens the button to keep everything safe. Dustin's too excited to keep still for long. His straggly mop of hair bouncing in time with his movements.

“See you in there!” the kid calls as he steams away, Steve trailing him this time, shouting for him to slow the fuck down. Jules laughs loudly.

“When he said he wanted six kids, I bet he didn't think it would be those kids!” she giggles.

"Just goes to show you gotta be careful what you wish for."

When they make it inside, each with a brand new shirt tucked into their waistbands, the auditorium is already dark and crowded. Jules stays pasted to his side. Their tickets are in a group, around ten rows back from the stage. As they slide along the row, he's pleased to see everyone's made it.

Closest to them, Mike's head is ducked close to Eleven, murmuring to her. He looks up at Eddie once they've made their way to the rest of the group.

“Um, sorry about the, ah, glitter,” he stutters. Eddie snorts.

“No you're not, but if your co-conspirators can forgive you for ratting them out then I guess I can let it go. This time,” he wags his finger at the kid, who swallows uncomfortably.

“So, um, El’s a little nervous, Jonathan told her it's going to be loud and I was wondering if you could...”

“Hell yeah it'll be loud!” Eddie interrupts gleefully, “No one's louder than Maiden! You kids are going to have your ears ringing for days!”

Jules nudges his side and nods significantly towards the girl. El’s chewing on her lip, and he suddenly realises she really does need to know what she's letting herself in for here. With everything she's been through? If she doesn't know there's no telling how she'll react.

He leans across Mike, shoving the kid backwards a little with his shoulder.

“Ok, so it's loud, right, really loud. You remember my song? The one that woke me up? Escape?” El nods. “It's loud like that. Lots of guitars, lots of drums. This is heavy metal, kid, emphasis on heavy. And it’ll be dark down here, but there's going to be loads of lights coming from the stage. Bright, flashing, changing colours and moving. And ah, the staging, well…”

In a flash of inspiration he pulls out his shirt and shows her the image on the front, of skeletal Eddie walking in front of a flying car and then the back, a close up of a ghoulish face with ‘Eddie Lives’ emblazoned across it.

“This shirt ain't about me,” he jokes, “they call this character Eddie and you can bet your ass there'll be an Eddie up there somewhere. Usually a model, sometimes it's huge, sometimes it moves. But it isn't real, it's just pretend, so there's nothing to be scared of. Nothing to use your, you know, mojo on.” 

She nods again, eyes wide and serious.

“And down here, well, there's going to be screaming and shouting, jumping around, and pushing and shoving. It's how people enjoy themselves at these things, ok?”

The nerves haven't left her eyes. Shit. The last thing they need is a scared or overwhelmed psychic accidentally letting off a blast in this crowded space. 

“And if it's all too much for you at any point then I’m sure your boyfriend,” he draws out the word, turning his head to glare at Mike, “will be happy to take you outside to calm down. Won't he?”

Mike's got that hilarious surprised and panicky look in his eye, like he's about to lose all credibility in a way he never thought possible.

“Yeah, yeah of course,” he agrees quickly. Too quickly. Eddie narrows his eyes, nodding his head in El’s direction. Mike takes the hint, turning to look directly at her. “You can count on me. Just let me know and we'll go wait out in the hall.” 

Eddie gives a subtle nod of approval at the kid’s much more sincere tone. It's worked too, Eleven looks much calmer now. As he moves back and out of Mike’s space, he catches Jonathan's eye. He mouths a silent ‘thanks’, which Eddie acknowledges with a small wave.

He tucks his shirt firmly back in his waistband, making sure it's jammed in there as far as possible. Better some discomfort than risking losing it. He'd usually put it in the inner pocket of his jacket, but that's taken already. 

Jules threads her arm through his. She rises up on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek.

“One day, I'm going to be back here to watch you, babe,” she smiles up at him. The odd speck of glitter still sparkling on her face and hair. He takes a moment to appreciate how beautiful she looks, and the nostalgic joy of seeing her makeup all done like she used to when they went out together.

“If I'm playing this stage, you aren't watching from here. You'll be in the wings, right up close.”

Light dims, the crowd surges. A brash chord rings out.

Like he promised El, his ears are still ringing as they stumble through the beige-sameness of the hotel corridors. The gig had been incredible, even Steve seemed to have fun. He'd watched to make sure, and to see if Mike needed a swift smack around the ear at any point, but by the time a huge inflatable ball with an Eddie model inside had bounced it's way over to them, Eleven's nerves had vanished and she looked like she was enjoying herself.

Jules knocks into his side, then giggles as he grabs her waist and presses her up against the wall to kiss her. Like he's wanted to since the moment he saw her this morning, he caresses the soft skin exposed above her skirt. She shudders lightly, her arms tight around him, her tongue stroking his.

“Finally got to the tradition you were looking forward to, huh?” she says when he ducks his head to kiss behind her ear. He hums in agreement, unwilling to separate enough to speak in the moment.

“Guess what?” she breaths, “I’ve been looking forward to it too.”

Her hand pushes at his chest. He leans back just a little, and her fingers dart to the button on his pocket. Quickly, she works it open and extracts the key triumphantly, waving it at him. He kisses her fiercely, then grabs her hand and hurries down the corridor. He doesn't slow down until the numbers get close to the one emblazoned on the plastic chip attached to the key in Jules’s hand. 

A few steps before the door he drags her towards him, ducks and scoops her up into his arms. She squeals in surprise.

“Eddie! What are you doing!”

“It's tradition!” 

“I’m too heavy!” she laughs. “Put me down!”

“Heavy? Hell no.” He staggers towards the door. “Open it up, my lady.”

Awkwardly, he swings her around so she can reach the lock. His thighs are starting to burn as she struggles with the angle, but he manages not to drop her. And when the door finally opens, he somehow makes it through without cracking her head on the door frame. This is one tradition that's tougher to pull off than it looks. By the time he drops her onto the bed she's laughing uncontrollably.

The room isn't huge. The bed takes up most of it, there's almost no room for the bathroom door to open, but it's quiet and private and there's no chance of being interrupted by crying babies for as long as they are in here. And that is the greatest gift of all, as far as he's concerned.

He pulls his new shirt out and tosses it into the corner. Thanks to a profound lack of skill, it lands a few feet away from their bag rather than on top like he'd been aiming for. Jules does better, a few seconds later her shirt covers the worn canvas. Quickly, he hangs the creased cardboard ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the outside of the door and shuts it, making sure to secure the latch.

When he turns back, Jules is sitting up on the bed unlacing her boots. He watches as she kicks them away to the corner of the room. When she looks up, she hits him with her signature smile. The one that's wide enough for her eyes to get lost in it.

The little box taps against his ribs. It has to be now.

He sits next to her and reaches into his jacket pocket for tiny thing that's been weighing him down all day. Her expression turns quizzical when she spots it.

“You might think it's dumb I didn't do this earlier,” he says in a rush, “but even though I’m really happy we did the courthouse thing the truth is I don't believe in God, and when it comes to the law I can take it or leave it, but I believe in you, and I believe in us, and I wanted you to know that I take my promise to you more seriously than handing over our ID to some random guy who doesn't even know us and getting a piece of paper in return.”

He takes a deep breath and opens up the box. Inside are two rings. A thin one in gold, and a wider one in silver, both decorated with an interlocking scroll of lines, almost like the branches of a tree, stretching around the bands.

“You bought them." She gapes, staring into the box. “But how? We agreed they were too expensive.”

“Well that was before we got those extra gigs, and before Magnus let me start giving guitar lessons at the shop." Her eyes snap up to him. He'd kept that little tidbit to himself, so he could surprise her with this. He shrugs at her amazement. "Apparently there were a bunch of kids asking him about it. But I had to buy them because they're perfect, for you, and for us. And I wanted to give yours to you now, when it's just us, because you’re everything to me, and you might only be a Munson officially as of today, but honestly I've been married to you in my heart for I don't even know how long. Today just made sure that everyone knows how it is with us. The law included. You and me, it's all I want. For always.” He lifts the smaller golden ring out of the box. “Can I?”

“Yeah,” she nods, her voice thick with emotion. Quickly, she pulls off the little amethyst ring on her left hand, laying it down on the nightstand. He holds her fingers and gently slides the gold ring into place.

“I promise I'll do anything I can to make you happy,” he says, holding her hand tightly. “I’m going to be by your side for everything. The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.”

She kisses him fiercely and grabs the other ring.

“You don't have to say anything,” he says. “You’ve shown me a hundred times just how much…”

“Shut up,” she holds a finger to his lips. “It's my turn.”

“I know today isn't what we planned, but to me the main thing wasn't just getting the legalities sorted, although I know it's important, for the kids at least.” She lays her hand on his cheek. “I promised you way back in Hawkins that this was it for me, that I’d be with you through thick and thin. That I couldn't see myself sharing my life with anyone else. Honestly, looking back, I think we were married from that moment. And that it's still all I want for the rest of my life.”

He watches in wonder as she slides the silver ring onto his finger.

“You know what that means?” he asks.

Jules looks up, still holding his hand.

“Now we're really fucking married, sweetheart.”

“Yeah we are.” She grins at him then throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. He slides his arms around her waist, pulling her down the bed towards him. Warm desire coils in his belly, and her hand slides beneath his shirt to rest on his back.

“And you know what comes next, right?” she asks, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Yep,” he pivots her, laying her down on the bed, pinning her beneath his body. He leans down and nips her neck. “You do.”