Sorry for the big time skip! I was gonna write a full Christmas and New Years chapter but decided to basically just summarize it (a lot).
Sorry there wasn't much written for their birthday XD. There wasn't much written for it at all but honestly this story is just mainly snippets of their lives after, it's not like any of my other stories lmao. Next chapter we get to FINALLY meet the newest little Wheeler.
For those who read Phenomenal Mutiny- I'm slowly but surely working on the next chapter XD
Saturday, February 20, 1993
Their first Christmas all together was also one for the books. Karen had made Richie and Eddie their own Christmas sweaters, just like she'd done for the rest of the family, and Eddie almost cried. Richie did and hugged her for a long time. Eddie hugged her longer, though. After New Years, they moved into their new house- their first and only house together, as a matter of fact, and the two couldn't have been any happier- well they would be soon enough.
El had been twenty-six weeks pregnant (about five months and three weeks) on Christmas day, and Nancy and Karen were sure to get many pictures of her in front of the Christmas tree- some by herself, but most with a slightly annoyed Mike. One picture hadn't been staged, El was leaning against Mike in front of the fireplace, looking up at him as he looked back down at her, his hands on her belly, hers covering his, just smiling and talking to each other. That picture would be one on the walls of everyone's houses for years, just because of the pure love in their eyes and their smiles made everyone happy.
Actually, in only a few years, pictures of each other would be put up on the walls in everyone's houses- whether it be on wedding days, pictures of/with their kids or just random pictures. They all loved each other- they're a family now.
Today, El is having her baby shower- planned by Nancy, Bev and Karen, of course. She's thirty-three weeks pregnant now (about seven months and a week) and waddled instead of walked, which she made sure to complain to Mike about constantly.
"I look like a penguin, Mike." She grumbled as she sat in one of the chairs in the kitchen.
"A cute penguin." He offered, grinning. She huffed and glared at him. "There's nothing wrong with walking like that-"
"Waddling." She interrupted. He chuckled, raising his hands slightly, looking in the living room as Richie, Jonathan, Hopper and Nancy put up decorations.
"It's normal for every woman that's pregnant, you know this."
"I know, doesn't mean I have to like it." She pouted. He chuckled, leaning down and kissing her gently. She grunted, rubbing her belly.
"You okay?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed. He crouched next to her and she waved him off.
"Fine, baby is just kicking the hell out of me. They'll probably be a track star like their dad." She gave him a pointed look and he laughed.
"I wouldn't say I was a star."
"Mike, you won like every race you were in. Maybe second in like five of them, third in like two." Bev said, arriving with two giant gift bags.
"You always get here right on time to butt in, don't you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a gift."
"Don't worry, Mike, she walks into our house at least twice a day, during the worst possible conversations." Eddie said, giving Bev a look. "I regret letting Richie give her a key." Mike snorted.
"You guys love me anyways." She retorted.
"Yes, Bev, we love you dearly. But you need to understand that if our bedroom door is closed at any time, it'd be a good idea to not walk in without knocking." Richie said, throwing an arm around her.
"Why do you have your door closed anyways? You live alone?" Mike asked, making a face.
"Eddie's paranoid. And for good reasons, too. Why, do you two not shut your door?" Richie wiggled his eyebrows and Mike flipped him off while El laughed.
"Bev, you look like you've been scared for life, did you see something you shouldn't have?" El asked her, giggling a little.
"Boy did I." She shook her head. "Apparently, Richie will walk around butt naked after a shower while Eddie reads in bed. Never thought I'd see Richie's ass and his dick all in one day."
"I'll never forget that scream." Richie laughed.
"RICHIE FUCKING TOZIER!" Eddie mocked. Bev cackled.
"Wait a minute, does that mean you've seen his junk on separate days?" Mike asked, making a face.
"I have, sadly." She sighed, sitting in another chair. "No offense, Mikey boy, but Richie has a better ass than you." El busted out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. Mike snorted so hard it hurt. Richie just giggled like a little girl.
"You've seen Mike's ass too then?" Richie asked, grinning.
"Yep. Right before our Senior year, we were at Steve's swimming and Mike and El had been getting a little hot and heavy in the pool by themselves and she apparently… loosened his shorts and when he pulled himself up out of the pool, he mooned us all."
"Oh my God, I thought we said we weren't talking about that ever again." He moaned, covering his face with his hands. El laughed, squeezing his shoulder.
"I saw the front and everyone saw the back." She snickered. "That was before we'd ever done anything other than makeout."
"Shh!" Mike whined, sliding down until he was sitting on his ass.
"No, keep going." Richie laughed. "This is golden. It took you two until your Senior year? Damn, when did you lose your V card?"
"Prom." El replied, shrugging. "He never rushed me for anything so there's nothing wrong with it."
"I'm not saying there is." Richie said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I think it's cool that he waited for you, considering… Anyways, how old were we when we did the do for the first time, Eds?"
"We did the do on your nineteenth birthday." Eddie replied easily, sitting in the chair next to El. Richie turned red.
"Come on, baby, make me look lame as shit in front of everyone." Eddie grinned, waving a hand at him.
"Can you guys like, not talk about doing the do please?" Hopper practically begged from the living room. El nearly shrieked with laughter.
"I forgot you were here!" She laughed. "Shit, help me up, I'm gonna piss myself." With a laugh, Mike stood and helped her up. She waddled her way to the bathroom and Mike dusted off his pants.
"I'm gonna need the giraffe twins to come give us a hand in here, please and thank you." Jonathan said, leaning against the door frame and looking at the four in the kitchen. Said giraffes laughed and headed into the living room.
An hour or so later, all guests had arrived and everyone was talking and eating the sweets Karen and Max made. It was thirty minutes after everyone arrived that Nancy announced it was time to open presents. And there are a lot of them. Mike and El sat together on the love seat as everyone else gathered around to watch them open presents. Everyone that was in Hawkins- minus for of the Losers and three party members- were there, and a few of El's friends, along with Karen and Joyce's friends were there, though they didn't stay long, just dropped of presents and talked with El for a bit and left. They didn't like the idea that there were men at a baby shower.
"I can have men at my baby shower if I want." El had grumbled to herself, though Mike had heard her and hugged her.
"Don't worry bout them, El, it's none of their business. Besides, this is our child, our house, we can do whatever we want." She nodded, kissing his cheek.
"I just really hope that I'm not a bitch like them when I'm fifty." She muttered. He snorted.
"I don't think you will." He said, kissing her on the head. "Ready to go open a shit ton of gifts?"
"I'm ready to look at hundreds of diapers." She agreed and he laughed.
She wasn't wrong, the two had received a bunch of diapers- majority of they'd have to take back and switch for the brand they were using. They got a lot of white, yellow and green outfits and baby blankets.
"The rest of the Losers and Trashmouth said they're gonna get you guys some stuff after lil Poot is born so that he or she has some blue or pink stuff." Richie told them, handing over a box. "Also, Bev had these made." He gave them a grin and they looked at each other.
"Really, Richie?" Mike asked, giving his brother a look as he held up a small T-shirt that said Uncle Chee is prettier than Dad. El had one that she loved, that said Mama's the prettiest of all. Richie snickered.
"I love it." El said, smiling at Richie.
"So you're saying I'm pretty, but you're prettier?" Mike asked. Richie nodded.
"I beg to differ." El said, winking at Mike who laughed.
After all the clothes, diapers and baby wipes, they got a stroller from Joyce and Hopper, some little stuffed animals from Bev and Max, a car seat from Karen, and bottles and pacifiers from Jonathan and Nancy.
Sunday, March 7, 1993
"Chee." Eddie called quietly, shaking his fiance's shoulder. "Chee!" He called a little louder. Richie grunted, rolling away from him. "Richard Tozier, wake your scrawny ass up right now."
"What'd I do?" He asked sleepily, turning his head so that most of his face was smashed into a pillow- but Eddie could see one eye that was barely open.
"It's your birthday, shithead."
"I feel loved." Richie groaned. "It's just another birthday, man, no big deal."
"First off, you know I love you, two, don't call me man, and three, it's you and your brothers first birthday together." Richie, who was in the middle of turning over, fell off the bed, nearly taking the blanket and two pillows with him. Eddie shrieked and covered his mouth, laughing as he crawled over to Richie's side to look at him. He was laid out on the floor, eyes wide as saucers.
"You're right." He whispered, "What time is it?"
"Eight thirty." Eddie replied and Richie and shot up faster than Eddie thought possible. He grabbed the pair of jeans he'd been wearing last night and put them on, hopping as he did so, and grabbed a shirt. Eddie just watched him with a grin. He ran into their bathroom to brush his teeth while Eddie got up and pulled his own clothes on.
"Slow down, babe, Mike's not going anywhere." Eddie chuckled.
"He has to go to work at like nine thirty." Richie told him.
"Oh, well in that case, you have like an hour, slow down." Richie snorted but did as he was asked. He sat on the bed as he waited for Eddie to finish getting ready. Once he was, Eddie plopped in Richie's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck.
"Happy birthday." He said, smiling sweetly. Richie smiled back and pecked him on the lips.
"Thanks, baby." He kissed him again and hugged him.
"You excited for the show tonight?"
"Yes!" Richie exclaimed quietly, doing a little dance in his seat. Eddie laughed. Trashmouth was having their first actual show tonight in Chicago and everyone was going- even El, who was adamant in going and wouldn't take no for an answer. Her doctor said it would be fine, so she's going.
"I can't wait to see you guys perform again. It's been too long."
"Ugh, I know. We've practiced but I can't wait to perform for people." Eddie chuckled and nodded.
"Are you nervous?" He asked. Richie shrugged.
"You get nervous when you care." Eddie pulled away a little and looked at him for a couple seconds.
"I don't mean to offend you or anything, but that's literally the smartest- no, sweetest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." Richie laughed and pecked Eddie on the lips.
"I only speak the truth, Eds." He gave him a grin and Eddie grinned back. "Now let's go." He stood up with Eddie in his arms and walked out of the bedroom while Eddie cackled.
Even though they live right down the street from Mike and El, they drove because it was so cold. Mike opened the door before Richie even had a chance to knock.
"Richie!" He exclaimed, grinning.
"Happy birthday!" They said in unison, and Richie jumped at Mike. They hugged tightly while Eddie chuckled and El took pictures from her spot on the couch.
"This is sweet but I'm freezing my ass off, can you guys move over a little so I can shut the door?" Eddie asked, poking Richie's side, making the taller man squeak and move away from him. "Thank you very much." Eddie shut the door and joined El in the living room.
"Alright boys, come here." El said, motioning for them to join them in the living room. "I was gonna wait until later because I didn't think Richie was gonna be up this early." She raised an eyebrow at him and he pointed at Eddie.
"He woke me up."
"Richie also fell off the bed when I told him it was his first birthday with you." He gestured to Mike. Mike snorted. He crouched in front of El and Richie followed suit. She took out a small (but tall) box and took the top off, showing two cupcakes with a birthday candle on each one. The two chuckled and she grinned.
"Rich, do you have your lighter on you?" She asked. He snorted and nodded, taking his lighter out of his pocket. He lit the candles and with big grins, El and Eddie sang happy birthday to them.