Inspired by this post
By the wonderful @steddieas-shegoes you dont have to read it first, but you should
At first, Eddie thought something was wrong. They had just gotten through the turnstiles, and he was wandering forward to marvel at the train pulling into the station on the raised platform above them. He hadn’t seen an actual steam train in real life before. The combination of the excitement at seeing the billowing clouds coming from the flume of the engine, on top of the buzz he was still carrying from his first-ever trip on an aeroplane, meant he hadn’t realised Steve had fallen out of step with him until he turned to ask if they could ride it.
Steve had stopped dead in his tracks and didn’t seem to be in any rush to catch Eddie up. So Eddie skipped back around the other families and stopped beside his boyfriend. closeup Eddie could make out that Steve was crying, his sunglasses hid it, but Eddie knew him well enough to read the wobble on his lip and the way his eyebrows arched and know what it meant.
“Stevie, what is it?” He placed a hand on Steve’s arm, the only thing he felt safe doing in such a public setting. “Did someone say something? You’re not getting one of your headaches are you?”
Steve shook his head, his wobbling bottom lip turning into a wobbly smile.
“We’re actually here.” Steve leant into his side moving out of the way of the people coming through the turnstiles, “I never thought… well I never thought I would get here…”
Steve was happy crying in front of a giant floral Mickey Mouse head and Eddie had never loved him more. It was well worth all the sneaking around and plotting and planning to see Steve so overwhelmed with Happiness.
But Eddie might actually burst if they didn’t get into the actual park soon, plus people were looking at them, and he was more than aware that if the sight of two fully grown men crying didn’t draw attention to them, two fully grown heavily scared crying men would.
“Come on Baby, You haven’t even seen your summer pad yet. I hear that this place has an actual castle, not a two-star McMansion like good old Castle Harrington.” That jostled a laugh out of Steve, who saw ample opportunity to wipe his tear-stained cheek on the shoulder of Eddie’s T-shirt.
“Are you regretting the wardrobe choices yet?” Steve tugged on the hem of his black shirt.
“Absolutely not.” it was a barefaced lie, he was boiling to death and in desperate need of something to drink as soon as possible. But it was the principle of the thing. He had a standard to uphold. He flagged down a passing member of staff (a cast member Steve had pointed out as they had gotten to the hotel, his nose in the guidebook the kids had bought them) and asked them to take a picture with the camera that Jonathan had lent them for the trip. The woman didn’t even blink as Eddie pulled Steve into his side as they posed before the train station. She wished them a magical day as she returned the camera and Eddie dragged Steve towards the Tunnels under the train station and onto Main Street USA, not as scared to keep Steve a little closer to his side.
Eddie had seen nothing like it before, the adverts on the T. v, and the guidebook didn’t do it justice at all, they hadn’t even been in the park two seconds before Steve had dragged him towards something.
There was so much to take in, the other-worldly-ness of it was overpowering, and considering Eddie had been stuck in a hell dimension for a good while there that was saying something. Everything was so bright, and as they made their way up towards the honest to god fairytale castle, sounds and smells overwhelmed the senses, Eddie wasn’t sure where to look first.
Steve was yapping away, flicking through his guidebook, they had picked up a map as they had passed under the station, and Eddie had been tasked with navigating, making a big production of folding the map out as much as he could and wafting it in front of both their faces.
“So what do you want to do first.” he asked as they reached an area on the map labelled with ‘hub,’ “If we go Left we have Pirates and a river adventure, if we go right we have the future. Straight ahead and you can punch a prince in the face, steal his horse and his title for charming.”
“What do you want to do?” Steve looked so awestruck Eddie wasn't sure he wasn't about to burst into tears again.
“I say we go buckle some swashes, plus they sell ice Cream over in ‘adventure land’” (he did the air quotes, earning him an annoyed tisk from a woman carrying a child that had stopped next to them )
Soon they each had a dole whip float, and Eddie couldn't help but laugh as Steve ended up with a scoop of ice cream stuck to the end of his nose as he attempted to retrieve his straw from the mountain of Pineapple Juice and soft serve.
After they had cooled down, they joined the line for the Jungle Cruise; he did not know what to expect, but it wasn’t the dry sarcastic deadpan humour of the Skipper of the little boat. The jokes were Hopper level dad jokes, and by the time they had reached the eighth wonder of the world (the back side of water), they had both almost fallen in with laughing so hard.
“Well, at least if everything else fails Mike can get a job working for the Jungle Navigation company.” Steve pointed at the fake flyers on the way out of the queue advertising for staff.
They stuck to the shade as they made their way towards the next ride, only pausing to watch as Chip and Dale wandered past them (‘Jesus imagine if Wayne had gotten chipmunks that size stuck in the roof?’ ‘Are they a couple? Or is it a Burt and Earnie situation?’ Dustin would know he knows everything )
“What the hell is a Handwitch and why do I want one?”
It turned out to be a sandwich served as a cone, and ended up in a debate on if Argyle had anything to do with the monstrosity that had just been devoured. It lasted all the way until they got into the delightful air conditioning of the pirate line. The ride building was cold, and there was a strange smell in the air, but they were thankful for it as they ventured further and further into the darkness. As they loaded into another boat, they took the back row, Eddie feeling emboldened by the darkness twisted his hand together with Steve as their boat took off on a voyage.
Dead men tell no tales.
Eddie lent in close to Steve’s ear “Dunno I thought it was one of my better skills.”
“Think you have to stay dead, you came back and haven’t shut up since.”
We wants the redhead.
“Isn’t that Birdie’s battle cry?”
Here doggy doggy doggy
“That dog is guarding those keys like I guard the last shred of my sanity around the rugrats.”
"Well, now I have a massive need to see you dressed as a pirate" Steve teased as they jumped out of the boat at the other end.
"Well, they sell tricorns and swords in the gift shop so it can be arranged"
Walking into frontier land Eddie couldn't help but make a beeline for the cowboys selling hats near some construction walls. He tried not to appreciate the man in the chaps but he was only human.
"If I buy a pirate hat, you need a cowboy hat or that Davy Crockett hat." He pointed to the one next to the popcorn maker.
"That very specific one? Is there something you want to share with the class Munson?"
"Not where impressionable ears can hear Harrington." He wiggled his eyebrows and Steve reached for his wallet. By the time they got on the rollercoaster, Steve had the fake raccoon hat pulled down over his hair and Eddie had dashed back to buy the tricorn he had seen in the last land. As they rode up the lift hill, he leant into Steve " You heard the man darlin' best remove em…"
"Think they meant hats and glasses baby, keep it in your pants, I know you can restrain yourself till we get back to the hotel." Yet Steve still shimmied a little closer along the bench seat knocking his knees playfully against Eddie’s, the skin on skin contact where their knees met was enough to make Eddie reach out and touch, resting his hand on Steve’s bare knee as they looked out at the world around them. The castle looked just as pretty from the back, and the sight of a steamboat thrilled Eddie almost as much as the train. He was so distracted he didn’t even see the first drop coming.
The coaster was a little wilder than the pop-up ones at the Hawkins fair and Eddie was happy that Steve gripped his hand as they took the second drop because Eddie was almost sure he was about to see the dole whip in reverse.
He declined the chocolate-covered bacon, happy to let Steve indulge in his abomination on a stick. Seeking shelter from the midday sun they dropped into a show, the way Steve's face lit up when he turned to Eddie and whispered "These bears all talk like you and Wayne after too many whiskeys" earned the younger man a dig in the ribs.
After getting photos with the country bears (they also liked Steve's hat.) Eddie all but dragged Steve towards the ominous-looking Mansion.
"Nope, I've changed my mind, you need to get one of these maid outfits" Steve whispered as they stepped into more darkness the doors closed behind them and a looming voice began taking from the darkness.
Steve pressed in closer as the room began to seemingly stretch around them. Eddie almost missed the door opening as he tried to work out how they had achieved the effect, it definitely felt like the room was stretching, and it disorientated him as they followed the crowd out onto the loading platform.
Eddie was already convinced that this was some of the coolest shit he had ever seen even before they were loaded into their doom buggies.
" Is this going to be scary?" Steve whispered.
"I doubt you're going to shit your pants if that's what you're worried about, baby, you can hold my hand if you need to."
Steve did just that, content to watch Eddie as he tried not to miss anything as they progressed from room to room.
By the time they had gotten to the ballroom, Steve was leaning forward just as much as he was, eyes blown wide as he took it all in.
By the time they had ditched their hitchhiking ghosts and emerged blinking back into the sunlight, both of them were trying to work out how they had managed the effects.
"Again? " Steve asked as they passed a carriage with a ghost horse.
"Again."
By the time they had been around four times, Eddie was sure he had worked out how they had achieved the ghost effects in the ballroom and could recite the opening monologue of the ride from memory. (quietly so as not to annoy anyone else, he wasn't a monster.)
"I don't think I want a ghost following us home." Eddie lamented as Steve finally pulled them away from the ride and towards a churro cart.
"After Vecna, a ghost would be easy to deal with, I mean, El would sort them out if they really miss behaved, we could teach them to fold laundry or something useful.," Steve licked the cinnamon and sugar off his fingers, and paired with the beaver hat he still had pulled down over his head, it was giving Eddie ideas.
"You're thinking if a poltergeist, like Beetlejuice babe, ghosts can't touch stuff."
"Who?"
"Beetlejuice?"
"Beetlewho?"
"I see what you're doing and that's not gonna work, plus Universal is up the street, play your cards right and I might take you to meet the ghost with the most, but only if you're a good boy."
"If I drag you on 'the happiest little cruise to ever sail' will I get marked down?"
Eddie tried not to be charmed by the tiny dancing figures but every so often he would see one that reminded him of the kids and he would point them out to Steve and laugh. There were only so many times he could hear the syrupy sounds of "It's a small world " before he wanted to shove his fingers in his ears.
"Someone sold their soul to the devil to write that tune. It's going to be stuck in my head forever."
And when Steve dragged him across the path towards Peter Pan, Eddie found himself humming the tune, if it got stuck in his brain he was going to make it everyone else's problem.
They got a few funny looks as they waited for their pirate ship to take them to Neverland, and even more scandalised looks when Steve loudly started talking about how Peter Pan reminded him of Eddie.
"Yeah well unlike Peter I came back from the dead, at least I get the chance to grow up."
"Disgracefully?"
"Naturally, is there any other way?" He wrapped his arm around Steve, in the dark surrounded by mermaids and pirates, it felt safe to be themselves for a moment or two. Steve sank into it, not really watching the dark rides story as they passed, and still humming 'It's a small world ' as they traversed through the stars.
Steve looked in his element as Eddie hammed it up, fantasyland was more his speed.
It reminded him of the Renaissance fairs he would go to, the cast members all dressed in fantasy outfits and there was an honest to god replica of the sword in the stone, both of them tried to pull it from the rock only to have the little blonde girl behind them in the line have it slide out right out.
"No more King Harrington, this is a momentous day! Let's celebrate by going round in circles on the fancy painted horses, I'm sure that will in no way make us throw up." Eddie dragged them to the thankfully short line for the carousel.
"This might not but the tea cups will most definitely make you hurl." Steve pointed to the viciously spinning pastel monstrosities, and Eddie regretted the churro choices immediately.
Eddie posed on his horse Steve snapped a photo and passed the camera over to Eddie to get one of his own. He looked stunning in the mid-afternoon sun, even with the stupid hat. Eddie waited until he got a genuine smile before he hit the shutter, he knew this one was going on the wall.
Eddie was trying to work out what Disney's deal was with boats and things that spin. It seemed to be a running theme, so after being thrown around in a teacup and then going around in circles on the back of a flying elephant, he was happy to be climbing into a bucket and taking the skyway into the future. At least that just went in a straight line.
They took photos in front of Space Mountain and then joined the line. Steve had his guidebook out again, pulled out of his fanny pack where he was holding things for safekeeping. His eyes kept darting from the guide to the space theme around them and he started going into details about space.
"I didn't think this was your kind of thing?" Eddie asked, leaning against the icy wall.
"Space? I was obsessed with it when I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. But Dad said it wasn't a realistic dream. So sports it was. Still, find it fascinating. Just don’t tell Dustin."
"How is it, after all this time I'm still discovering things about you?" Eddie sighed lovingly, he was a sucker for excited nerd Steve, and he was almost at peak adorable as he climbed into the seat before Eddie, pulling off his hat and shoving it in the basket before him Steve looked stupidly happy. Shoving his own hat into the compartment he pulled down the lap bar already sure he was going to hate this ride with a burning passion. He didn’t disappoint himself with that estimation, by the time he had got to the other side he had decided space just wasn’t for him.
Steve wanted to go on again, so Eddie hunted out the smoking area, and people watched. A family with their little kids clambering to get to the next ride caught his eye. A little boy was tugging one of them away from the coffee stand and towards the petrol race cars. The older one was watching Eddie with a curious look.
Eddie couldn’t keep his eyes off the family, two little boys and their dads, he hadn’t been sure at first, but then he caught the way the men looked at each other and he KNEW, that's the way he and Steve looked at each other. Here in the Happiest place on earth, the little family were being themselves and Eddie found himself longing for something he never thought he would ever have.
Steve emerged from the gift shop just as Eddie was stubbing his cigarette out, and Eddie wanted to follow the family. It was making him think things, things that involved Steve feeding a little person at 3 am as he sang quietly to them both.
As Robin called it ‘the free-roaming queers’ had opened something in his heart. He just wanted to see that someone out there like them had made a family from the scraps that society would allow them to have. That there was hope for him and Steve beyond hiding behind closed doors, and a fear that one day one of them wouldn’t come walking back through the door.
Steve gladly followed Eddie’s lead, climbing into the tiny cars that stank of petrol, they were in the car directly behind one of the other men and one of the kids, and Eddie couldn’t help but keep glancing at them, willing Steve to understand. He knew he had jumped several steps, but his heart wanted what his heart wanted, he just had to hope Steve wanted the same thing.
And as they reached the end of the circuit and they waited to exit, Steve caught up with the situation.
And as they reached the end of the circuit and they waited to exit, Steve caught up.
The blonde man walked over and helped his partner out of the car, Steve caught sight of the rings, and the two kids and he made an audible sound that made the Blonde man turn sharply to look at them.
The Blonde’s face changed from anger to understanding, as Eddie reached out and wrapped his hand around Steve’s wanting to signal they weren’t a threat.
The couple smiled and waved to them as they left, and Steve gave a weak wave back, he looked as if he were about to cry.
“Ok, baby?”
“Yeah, just… yeah.” he wasn’t but Eddie didn’t want to push it, moving him quietly towards the people mover, he didn’t speak, they just took their seat side by side as they moved around the track. As they entered the dark of space mountain Steve found his hand again.
“They had kids,” he whispered quietly into Eddie’s ear. “Can we have kids?”
“You can have anything you want sweetheart, all you have to do is ask.”
“No, that’s not… I mean maybe it is but, I thought-”
“-It’s complicated, but nothing stopping us. But maybe this is a conversation we should have when we can actually see each other,”
He felt rather than saw Steve nodding, knowing his face was screwed up in that adorable way that made Eddie want to push the crease out from between his brows and kiss it better.
But as the daylight returned as they exited the tunnel all he saw was the adoration on the other man’s face.
From then on they saw that family almost everywhere in the park. And when Eddie finally got to go on his steam train, the older boy climbed into the row with them. His dad nodded from the row ahead, acknowledging it was fine.
It was like Dustin had climbed aboard the train, and Eddie found himself talking at length about the way the engine worked, the entire time he could feel Steve watching him, he knew that if he looked up, he would be blown away by how gorgeous his boyfriend looked right now, he always lit up whenever Eddie was like this with people’s kids.
When they jumped off the train Oliver, as he had introduced himself, was still explaining the finer point of pistons to Eddie. His Dad’s walked over coming to a stop next to Steve.
“I hope he wasn’t too much of a pest.” the dark-haired one asked.
“Absolutely not, Eddie was going to wax poetic about trains, he might as well do it to someone who will appreciate it.” Steve smiled at Oliver, his little brother was now asleep in the Blonde man's arms.
“He’s been asking to come to talk to your husband since you got off space mountain, he wanted to know where you got the Raccoon hat.” The dark-haired man said to Eddie, and it only threw him slightly to hear Steve referred to as his husband, he found he didn’t hate it at all “He’s obsessed with Davy Crockett, I mean you can’t blame him.”
“It’s the arms right?” Eddie grinned as Steve blushed slightly aware that he was being objectified but preening like the peacock he was.
"We got it over next to big thunder, because someone is incredibly predictable." He said nudging Eddie with his hip.
"Says the man who wanted me to buy this pirate hat" Eddie defended himself, almost forgetting they were in public. Almost. He was well aware the poster family for all American wholesome were judging them from the steps. He remembered where he was seconds before he went to flip them the bird. Settling for a little wave instead.
"Well Oliver, say bye to the nice couple, we have dinner booked." The dark-haired man said, nudging Oliver to shake both their hands.
"Nice to meet you Mr Eddie, dad and pops say I must always be a gentleman."
"I think our Dustin could do with learning some manners like you." Eddie said, grasping Oliver's hand and shaking. Steve lent down and did the same. As they waved goodbye Eddie heard Oliver exclaim to his fathers ' Dustin has two dads too, awesome.'
When Eddie looked at Steve again, he could see he was on the verge of tears again.
It was shaping up to be an emotional day. They said nothing to each other as they hunted out food, settling onto the grass by the castle to eat the foot-long hotdogs they had purchased. Steve was ruminating on something, sunglasses now tucked away as the sun dropped beyond the horizon.
Eddie waited, he had learned a long time ago that rushing Steve wasn't the best idea; he got to things in his own time, even it he was likely to torture himself over it for a while first.
Eventually as the surrounding hub filled, Steve moved closer, leaning into Eddie's side as if he didn't care they were in public. Eddie was damn sure he wasn't bothered.
"That man called me your husband, and you didn't correct him." Steve was staring at the castle. It was as if it scared him to look across at Eddie.
"That's because I didn't want to." Eddie was glad his voice hadn't faltered, he didn't want Steve to have any doubt in this. "I'd marry you in an instant, you know that right?"
Steve did look at him then. Not even pretending to hide the tears pooling in his eyes now. He nodded.
"I'm not a cliché Harrington, You aren't getting me on my knees in front of this castle. But when we get home? No going all Paranoid again if I start sneaking about ok?"
"Maybe I'll ask you first, did you think about that Munson?"
“Well I don’t see any losers in that situation, and I mean, I did organise you the most kick ass metal holiday ever, I mean It’s about time you did some work.” Steve had the decency to look offended but still twisted his hand into Eddie’s as the lights around them dimmed and the music started playing from the speakers.
As the night sky filled with fireworks and the crowd oohed and aahed at the explosions above the castle, Eddie held Steve closer in the darkness.
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