Summary: Soulmate AU in which your soulmateâs name appears on your wrist on your 18th birthday. Youâre one of the most popular girls in the school so when the schoolâs residence freakâs name appears on your wrist it canât be him, right?
Words: 9.8k
Warnings: Bullying, cheerleader!reader, slight angst, sort of enemies to lovers, reader is a bully
Authorâs Note: This is the longest fic Iâve ever written but I hope people enjoy it!
summary you are Dustinâs older sister, you and Eddie used to be friends but havenât seen eachoter in a while, Dustin needs a sub for Hellfire tonight and you agree to go. (2,3k)
warnings fem!reader, fluff, hurt/comfort, eddie as a DM, mutual pining, yearning etc, slowburn friends to lovers, idiots in love!!!, multi post fic?, english is not my first language so I apologise if thereâs some mistakes, not proof read!
âFor Fuck sakeâs, please?â you ignore him once again. âIâll do the washing up for you.â still, nothing comes out of your lips. âIâll wash your car for a monthâ now that does sound more interesting.Â
âCar wash, and the new Black Sabbath cassetteâ You demand.Â
âJesus what do you think that Iâm made of money?â Your eyebrow raises, you know for a fact that he has way more money than anyone else in your house.Â
The silence that you provide to him makes him reconsider the offer.Â
â Car wash, and Iâll make mum buy you the cassetteâ You nod, slightly biting your inner cheek. You look down at your little brother.Â
âOkey Dusty buns, youâve got yourself a deal.â He giggles in respond, grabbing your hand and running eagerly to your car demanding to leave your house right at this second. âJeez kid, your little meeting is hours away, and I need to get my old stuff, so youâll wait.â You inform him, arms crossed in your chest, back reclaimed to the threshold.Â
âMâkay. Let me call Mike then, tell him I found our sub, so he can tell Eddie.â You frown at the mention of his name.Â
âEdd still runs Hellfire?â You ask, curious to learn that the boy that sat behind you last year in Maths, is still in that shithole.Â
âOh, yeah. Kinnda forgot you knew him.â You feel heat coming to your cheeks all of a sudden. You nod fast and head to your room to try and find your old Hellfire stuff.Â
Yes, you used to be in Hellfire. Yes, of course you knew Eddie. Itâs not like you werenât friends anymore, you just stopped hanging around where he usually was. And since your last PC was killed in last yearâs campaign, you didnât really have an interest in starting one this year.Â
You had enough, working with Steve and Robin at Family Video, getting over everything that happened at Starcourt, helping your little brother Dustin when he needed and wanted your help, taking care of your house, now that your mom spent more and more time at work. Leaving for entire weeks, even if they sometimes felt like months.Â
With everything going through your head, absentmindedly, you got on your floor. Looking directly to your last drawer, pulling it open and finding your little figurines. There was a character that you never got to use, and you are positive that Eddie would lose his mind, if you roll well enough and are lucky enough.Â
-
âYou ready, kid?â You ask Dustin once your carâs parked. He smiles, teeth finally showing.Â
âDidnât know you even had a shirt like oursâ â He giggles as he walks out the car and closes the door. You grab your backpack, and his as youâre heading out.Â
âAnd who the fuck do you think drew it?â You smile quite proudly, as his mouth opens in shock. Eyebrows raised, you nod. âUm kid, does⊠Does Eddie smoke inside?â You ask tentatively, you know heâs not fondly of you smoking, but he also knows how anxious you can get.Â
âYeah, well, sometimes, though, he does step back, and itâs usually when we are trying to figure out what our next move should be.â You nod, and touch his shoulder, as saying, thanks, go on, Iâll start in a second.Â
He understands, no words needed.Â
You grab your packet of cigarettes, Zippo in your other hand, you lit one up, and as youâre letting your body hit the wall, you look at the sky. So much more quiet that you remember.Â
You can hear a familiar van, music blasting, parking badly. And there he is. He looks just as shocked as you do when he sees you, though you only see his shock for a millisecond. He gets his Stuff out of the van, backpack hanging on his shoulder. He smirks as he walks towards you.Â
You didnât remember that he looked like that. Hair slightly longer than the last time you saw him. Muscles that seem to have gotten more defined under his jacket, his lips curving up in a smile, pinkish and with a familiarity that shocks you. As you get another drag of your cigarette he stands in front of you.Â
âYou know, I didnât believe them when they told me you were comingâ He says almost too calmly for the way he entered the scene.Â
âGood to see you too Munsonâ You smile as smoke escapes your mouth. You really do mean it.Â
His eyes get lost in you for a second. You might not realize it, but have changed too. The slightly ripped thighs that elongate your legs, the ripped shorts, the Hellfire shirt, though old and with holes, sits perfectly into your body, hugging every part of you that he might find attractive. You feel him checking you out, but you think itâs more because of the shock of seeing you here than anything else.Â
âIt really is.â He laughs, arms to his chest. As you drag the fag to your lips, his hand rises up, a question in his eyes, can I?.You nod, and he takes it, to smoke it in utter silence as you light up another one. Fingers brushing for a second.
âSoâ He starts to say, looking directly into your eyes. âCome so I can kill another one of your PCâs?â You laugh, even if you try not to.Â
âToo soon Munson.â You chuckle looking at the ground for a second. âNo, Iâm here to kick your ass, youâll see.âÂ
âCanât waitâÂ
-
Character sheet, spell cards, the multiple die, it all lies in front of you. But youâre enchanted by Eddie and his storytelling. He leans closer to the table, hair brushing his face, a smile creeping into his face, you think that whatever is coming up next canât be good. And if you are being sincere with yourself, you arenât really paying attention to what heâs saying, more so than the way heâs moving as he does. Hand on the table, strong grip, enough so to make his veins show in his arm, as he propels his body up and announces that Vecna is, once again, alive.Â
The entire table bursts into various screams. Your face, pure shock. He smiles, and gives you a little wink. What the fuck was that you think.Â
Your party starts to attack, and as your roll for initiative was low, -enough to make Eddie chuckle, and for you to glare at him with daggers in your eyes- you wait patiently for your turn. A lot of your party members have died - all be it, only dropped to 0 Hit Points, not permanently dead like you did-, and they just Captured Dustinâs PC. You nod as you know what you must do.Â
âI got you kid, donât worry.â He looks at you, puzzled.Â
âYou sure?â He asks, panic in his voice.Â
âYeah, am sure. Scoutâs honour.â You say as you take your tongue out, making a silly face so his shoulders relax a bit. You see Eddie standing up and taking a step back, as he loses his hand in his front pocket, and you stare, maybe a little bit too hard, and he grabs a cig, and looks down on you.Â
âAnd as so happens mâlady, itâs going to be your turn next, so, if you delight us with what it is that you intend to do.â He teases. Smirk in his face, eyes lost in yours. And your heart is beating faster and faster.Â
âOkay soâ You stand up. Hands on the table, chest pushing forwards pointing at him. Your hair moving everywhere as you look at him, smoke disappearing out of his mouth. âSo I was with Mike, so Iâm probably right around here.â You ask as you point to the board, your mini hasnât entered the board since the fight started so you needed to make sure you were right. Eddie nods, looking right at where youâre pointing. âRad, okey.â Your left hand goes to your chin, and as you stroke it, a smile forming in your face you say âSo with Tempestuous Magic, before I cast a first level or higher, I can fly 10 feet?âÂ
He begins to smile, you can tell heâs excited to see you play again. His eyes seem to glow brighter than before.
âThat sounds rightâ He reassures you. Youâve cracked it. And hope youâll blow his mind away.Â
âSo I can, like, run through here and then fly 10 feet over these, whatever they are, âcause I donât take opportunity attacks.â You smile as you begin to explain your move.Â
Starstruck as he seems he nods and says in shock, mouth open and beaming with excitement.
 âYou absolutely can, yes.âÂ
âOkay, awesome.â You look at the board once again. â So I get here and, before I cast anything, who all is within 10 feet of me?â You need to be absolutely sure that the higher command to Vecna is close, if he is itâs going to be awesome.Â
âUm, that would be Dustin, who is down underneath the gallows and other than that, the second in command to Vecnaâs army.â He says with a pride so high at his well played round.Â
Your smile grows bigger.Â
âPerfectâ You purr out. He sits back to his throne, cigarette finished and in the ashtray. â Okay, so what Iâm gonna do is,um⊠Iâm Gonna do a fourth level Thunder Step. Iâm grabbing Dustin to come with me.â You declare triumphantly. You are basically teleporting next to him and saving your little brotherâs ass, if this works out.Â
As he realizes what youâve just told him. his mouth opens and glares at you, Shock and glee evident on his face. âYou can pick one person to come with you.â He almost whispers. Your skin tingling as you hear his voice so low yet deep. Your face, with a bright smile, still higher than he is, looks down at him. Your smile grows wider, and cheeks turning ever so slightly pink.Â
âIndeed I do, dear Edds. So, Iâm doing a fourth level Thunder Step, and Iâm also using my Channel Divinity, um, Destructive Wrath.â His face turns slightly white. Yours beams with joy. Your party is finally catching up to what youâre doing. âBasically, this allows me to do max damage in an attack of my choosing once a day.â You inform everyone at that table, as you read over your card spell once again. âSo basically theyâre all taking 40 points of damage, and then since I cast lightning spell, theyâre also all gonna take another 3. And then.â As you stop to gather some air, you see Eddieâs face. Both parts are equal, shocked, pissed and proud of you. You can feel your cheeks burning, seeing him like that. Under your spell. âIâm gonna use Quicken Spell to do Spare the Dying on Dustin as I teleport them back in here.â Your eyebrows rise up as you start giggling.Â
Your party is looking at you, they start to go wild.Â
Eddieâs face is frozen in complete shock.Â
In a single round of combat youâve managed, not only to save your little brother, but also to fuck his army up considerably. He smiles up at you, finger to his temple, moving forwards from his throne. Biting his lower lip as he looks you up and down.
âYoâŠâ Mike says in complete shock âHoly shit, Oh my godâ He keeps repeating.Â
âWeâre gonna fuck you up Munson, she read the rule book!â You catch Garret hyping you up and your smugness grows as you step back like he did only a second ago, so you can smoke in peace. Basking in your glory.Â
âHell yeah.â Dustin finally says as he looks at you. You can tell heâs proud of you.Â
Eddie gets all flustered and finally meets your eyes. Though mad, he canât stop smiling at you.Â
âYou did, ah, what, you didâ He mumbles contemplating you, up and down. You get lost in his eyes for a second.Â
â43 damage to everyone within 10 feet of me.â You tell him. Smoke pushing to him.Â
âBut not toâŠâ He can even finish his sentence. Too shocked to process.Â
âBut not to him, because heâs coming with me. And since I spared them, theyâre no longer dying.â You grab your spell card, and flicker it at him. He grabs it in his hand, it shows through his rings as he reads it once over.Â
âFuck me Henderson.â He lets out, hands in his hair, satisfied with a grin in his face.Â
âJust did.â For a moment it truly seems to only be you two. Until you remember where you are. âAnd itâs called payback.âÂ
He laughs, god you missed his laugh. He looks at you once more, and as he nods, he winks at you. âWell played, Henderson.â He stands up once again. âHow did you know that he had such low HP?â He asks, forgetting that you two are not alone in this room.Â
The table loses their shit, this implies that potentially, you just killed a big bad villain.Â
âYou forget.â Your chin up, as you walk slowly to him. âI DMâd for you last year, and youâve got the same guidebook as I do.â You fist bump him playfully into his chest. His mouth opens in shock, as he covers it, you can hear the entire table going crazy. and your touch growing warmer where your hand connected to his chest.
âTHIS IS AMAZINGâ Your little brother proclaims. You bow theatrically, as they cheer for you, calling your name and your PCâs name.Â
You return to your seat, this time itâs Eddie who canât stop looking at you. Your cheeks become even pinker. Youâre really happy with how this played out.Â
-
if you enjoyed (i I really hope you did), please reblog! i promise it makes a difference
so uh continuation from this post, he looks so damn GOOD in this scene UGH- especially that first gif hhhhhhh
18+ drabble to match beneath the cut đ (might make a part 2 if people like this?)
cw: 18+ minors dni, groping, choking, teasing, name calling, eddie being a fucking menace and we love him for it, no actual sexually explicit acts occur but they are heavily implied.
p.s. these are my gifs â€ïž please give credit if re-used, and reblog đ„ș
itâs not often eddie uses that tone of voice with you. the kind that has your thighs squeezing together in desperation, toes curling in anticipation.
but when he does, you know youâre in for it.
ânaughty girl,â he purrs in your ear, sliding into the seat next to you at the hellfire table for lunch, a hand coming to rest at the nape of your neck. âthink you can tease me all day and get away with it, hm?â
his friends are caught up and fully occupied in a conversation about the campaign and last nightâs game, oblivious to the way eddieâs fingers toy with the hem of your skirt whilst tracing over the goosebumps that had risen on your neck.
âoh, gonna act coy huh?â he smirks, ghosting his fingers along the inside of your thighs and enjoying the way your body tenses to attention at his touch.
âi have no idea what youâre talking about.â you whisper with a face as straight as you can manage, eyes staring straight ahead as you try to calm your breathing. but the truth is, you knew exactly what youâd been doing.
flashing him your underwear from beneath your skirt as you jumped out of his van.
subtly passing him a poorly taken polaroid in history class of you on your knees with his hellfire shirt bundled over the swell of your tits.
and not to mention youâd been giving him the eyes all damn day, so by the time he got to you in the lunch hall he was all but completely frustrated and over your little display.
the pads of his fingers catch right over your bundle of nerves through your underwear, making you draw a sharp intake of breath. âoh really?â his voice was right next to your ear now, mocking you, his hair tickling the column of your neck and his voice sending ripples of arousal down your spine. the hand at the back of your neck curls around to the front, pinning you helplessly against him and you let out a shuddering breath.
he turns his head to scan over the rest of the cafeteria as he presses small circles to your clit through your underwear, as if daring someone to look and see what a state you were in, his eyes wide in mock innocence. but his voice is deep and heavy with the weight of it's implications.
âthink i need to put you back in your place, princess.â
tagging people who enjoyed my original gif plus others interested in my other eddie works sksks love y'all: @thefact0rygirl @razzles-bottom-lip @eddie-munsons-rings @fandomshipdumbdump @thetwistedharlequin @intricatestars @hansonveggieclub @eddiemunson4ever @eddiemunsonsthrone @dreaminrubies @l0verzz @zeldaknight @blossom-cream @zombiedixon89 @munsonsmaximoff @xtrokeme @wickedmuse @wesmilewinklove @shesthegirlnextdoor1 @munsonlover @emiliaserpe @withluvisa @bxtchboy69 @vulture-withafile @pezdispenser @dragon-ash13 @talesof-old @thatsonezesty13 @smutmaniac @yodelingtea @marauders-wifey @eddie-munsonn @jazy3y @ilmae @tasmbestspdrman @0pastelprinxess0 @candylife44 @dearneverlander @sophie-lesley @singerj2002 @vulture-withafile @violetblofeld @pungey @maybankslefttoenail @shigarakislosthands @yourlocalsimpforthefictional @fairyp1ss505 @boobear729 @poge-life @dajahsstuff @idkwhattodowithmylife67 @strangersahoy @frasersgrlfrnd @courtxox @thatsonezesty13 @sy6ete6tn @wesmilewinklove
if you would like to be tagged in future eddie works, or removed from these tags, please let me know! đ„°
Series Summary:Â Your dreams know the sound of his voice, even if you haven't heard it closely in years. His fingertips still tingle when they remember the feeling of your skin, like a poorly healed scar. Or, the story of how you and Eddie fell apart, and found each other again.
A/N: First part of⊠I don't know how many honestly, this story will literally be me going with the flow, mostly. I will try to keep updates regular, focus on try. In any way, really hope you like it, let me know. <3
Masterlist
1976
"You sure you got everything?" Wayne called out, leaning against the front door of his trailer.
A little ten-year-old Eddie came running from his new room, big backpack bouncing on his back, missing a tooth on his infectious smile. His dark locks just about started to curl around the shell of his ear; "yeah, I did."
Wayne frowned as he looked down at his nephew, one of his hands reaching out to tug on the sleeve of Eddie's shirt. "Did you⊠is this on backwards boy?"
Eddie glanced down at his chest, muttering a soft; "shit," he dropped his bag on the floor and quickly pulled his black shirt off and on again.
The morning sun stung Wayne's eyes, he rubbed at his lashes with his fingers, still exhausted from his night shift. "I'm not cut out for this," he grumbled to himself.
"Sorry uncle Wayne, I won't do it again," Eddie's small voice was quick to say, looking up at him with his big chocolate eyes.
"Nah it's," Wayne sighed, looking down at the boy, at how he already expected a scolding, "s'not your fault boy, come on," he ruffled Eddie's tiny dark curls and walked out to his car, Eddie tailing behind him.
It would take some time for Wayne to get used to dropping Eddie at school every morning before work, making him breakfast, or patching up his scraped knees and going to school meetings because he was now his legal guardian. He never wanted to be a father, but the poor boy deserved one for a change; plus it did feel nice to watch him run off to school just to turn back immediately because he forgot to say goodbye.
Eddie barged through the school doors with purpose, too focused on finding his best friend to notice the lingering looks of his classmates. He met you just about a year ago, after finding a little note on his backpack of you asking if he wanted to sit with you on lunch instead of sitting alone, and since then you'd been attached to the hip with each other.
He spotted you beside your locker, mismatched socks high on your ankles and a bright purple baseball cap on your head, waving frantically at him and already calling out his name. You always greeted him with a quick hug and a; you won't believe what happened this weekend.
More likely than not, it was just a tale of how your dog ate another shoe. But Eddie loved to hear about it nonetheless.
"So you're staying with your uncle now?" You asked, now walking side by side with Eddie, in no hurry to get to your classroom even though the bell had already rung.
Eddie nodded, hands clasping his backpack straps; "yeah, dad left with his friends one night, and uncle Wayne came to pick me up a few days later, he says I'll be staying with him until dad gets back."
You hummed, your sneakers scratching the recently mopped school hallway, "that's good, your dad was kinda mean, is uncle Wayne cooler?"
"Yeah he is," Eddie beamed, innocent excitement bouncing off of him, "he lets me stay up at night until whenever I want and doesn't cut my hair, he said I can let it grow if I want to. Oh and I think he likes good music too."
"Cool," you chuckled, "we should look through his tapes when he's not home to see what he listens to."
"You can come back with me tomorrow after school," Eddie smiled.
"I'll ask my mom, but I'm sure she'll say yes," your shoulder bumped his as you walked. "It'll be fun."
Eddie slowed his steps when he spotted your classroom door, his smile fading slightly. "I miss my dad though, he wasn't the nicest but I didn't want him to leave like mom."
You stopped walking just short of reaching your classroom, at a total loss of how you should comfort someone but wanting to do it anyway. "Um⊠I'm sure he'll be back, no one would want to leave you, you're too cool. You should write him a letter, let him know you miss him."
A familiar prickling feeling behind his eyes made Eddie bite his lip, "will you help?"
"Sure, we can do it tomorrow too," you agreed, turning to take a step toward your art class but a hand on your wrist stopped you.
Eddie's cheeks turned pink, he let go of you just as quickly as he had reached out. "We- we'll never stop being friends, right?"
"Of course not," you didn't hesitate, words slipping off your tongue easily, "you're my best friend, we'll always be together."
Pursing his lips, Eddie lifted his hand with his pinkie pointing to you. "Promise?" He asked, tone all too pleading for someone this young.
You hooked your pinkie with his, an oath as easy as breathing; "promise."
1977
Only almost a year after the letter was sent, that Eddie's father emerged from the darkness. Wayne was about to kick him out of the house when Eddie walked in. The happiness of seeing his father again spoke louder than the anger of being left alone for a year, louder than all the pain from before.
His father stayed for a week, and even if Eddie's wrist was a little bruised from that one time he almost opened a bag he wasn't supposed to touch, the boy was happy.
He stayed for a week. And then he never came back again.
1978
You saw Eddie cry for the first time when your teacher suggested a father's day project. He had tears silently streaming down his face before he even realized it, you dragged him out of class before anyone could see and make fun of it. He bunched your shirt in his fists and soaked it in tears in the hallway.
From your insistence, Eddie made his gift for Wayne. That was also the first time you saw his uncle cry.
1979
Eddie formed a band with his new friends. You're sneaking into the cheerleading practice.
You don't miss a single one of his band's rehearsals. Eddie distracts the gym teacher for you and tells you to join the cheer team when you get to high school.
1980
You and Wayne put together enough money to buy the burgundy guitar that Eddie had been drooling over for months now.
Eddie gives you your first kiss. It tasted like ice cream, under the sun of a hot summer day and the low tune of I Was Made For Lovin' You playing on Wayne's car. You both laughed afterward, fingers all sticky and cheeks all hot and skin tingling even after you got home.
1981
You and Eddie have your first big fight after he insulted the basketball players. You had just made the cheerleading team; the rumors were already going around about the new girl who was friends with the troublemaker.
Later that day you found Eddie sulking at the lonely picnic table in the woods. You made up; with a bag of his favorite snacks and a cuddle session you never spoke about afterward. A weird weight sits in the air between you after that.
1982, January
A boy asked you to be his girlfriend. It wasn't Eddie. You said yes, because it felt exciting, and your new friends said he was the cutest boy in your class.
Your new boyfriend doesn't like Eddie, calls him a weirdo and a freak. The word has a bitter taste, you hate it. But Eddie's all black leather jackets, metal music, and long hair now; and you're all soft pink lipstick, plush cheer pom poms, and weekend partying now. You never tell your boyfriend or your cheerleading friends otherwise, even though you should.
Eddie doesn't like your new boyfriend. He says he's just a stuck-up jock and you can do much better. You don't ask him who would be the better option, even though you want to.
Eddie doesn't sit with you in the cafeteria anymore, he settles for a halfhearted nod whenever you smile his way. He does still give you a ride home and lets you in his room to hear him practice guitar though. It's like he's two different people inside and outside of school.
1982, August
Days in which you don't speak to Eddie at all are starting to become a new normal.
Eddie thinks you see him the same way everyone else does now. A freak, someone to coil away from in disgust. Of all people, you were the last one he expected would do this. Maybe that's why it was so painful. He feels betrayed, so he wears his armor around the person who's seen him in his most vulnerable more than once. It feels wrong. But that's all he knows.
You think Eddie is being petty. You think it's unfair that he can't accept your new friends, that he doesn't want you to hang out with other people or have a boyfriend who just so happens to play in the school's team. You can't help but think that the insults he throws at them, are meant for you too.
You two don't talk much anymore; except for birthday wishes and the few nights you go to watch him play at The Hideout.
Eddie doesn't tell you that he'd never say a single bad thing about you. Not you. Never you.
You don't tell him that he could never be anything other than the sweet boy with chocolate eyes for you.
1984
Eddie is more of a stranger than a friend.
It's foolish, because it's hurting both of you.
You graduated and he got held back, it didn't make much of a difference, you haven't spoken to each other in more than a year.
1986, March
"We have also identified a person of interest. Eddie Munson. We encourage anyone with information to please come forward."
Your spoonful of cereal stopped midway before reaching your mouth as you heard the voice of the chief of police on your television, saying the name of the person who once used to share all his secrets with you, and blaming him for fucking murders.
Before you register what you were doing, you were already dialing Eddie's phone number, your heart threatening to leap out of your chest every time the line rang and no one picked up. When you slammed the phone back on your wall, you felt sick to your stomach, almost puking the little bit of the cereal you managed to eat.
No one knew where Eddie was. You searched, even if you were probably the last person he wanted to see.
Only a couple weeks later, after the earthquakes, after Eddie's name was cleared, you finally had a glimpse of him. From far away you saw bandages on his exposed skin â you wondered what happened, part of you wanted to run to him â and even so, he was carrying a cardboard box over to the gymnasium, helping those who lost their homes in the destruction.
For the first time then, you could breathe again, knowing he was okay. Despite it all, Eddie would always have a piece of your heart.
1986, November
"Absolutely not," you said with an edge on your tone, carrying a stack of freshly returned movies in your arms as you walked around the counter to put them back in place.
Monday's were definitely the slowest day in Family Video, usually, the only thing happening was customers returning the movies from the weekend.
"Y/N please, I've already talked to Keith and after pretty much I and Robin begged on our knees, he agreed to it," Steve tailed behind you, the red neon sign on the back wall shining against his cinnamon hair and green vest, "under the one condition of you watching him for the first days, that's all I'm asking and I'll make it up to you I promise." He finished with a plead, clasping his hands together and giving you his best puppy eyes.
You groaned, leaning back against one of the movie posters on the wall, you did always have a weakness for a pretty boy with brown eyes, "Stevie, it's not that I don't want to help, I just have a lot on my plate already, with the arcade and here." It was true, because you happened to be Keith's cousin, you were the one he trusted most to overlook both places while he was absent, which honestly, was most days. But you didn't tell Steve that he was asking you to watch over the same boy who counted stars with you on an empty lot of the trailer park, the same boy who left a hole in your heart that was yet to be filled. It was all kinds of messy and all kinds of complicated and, of course, it was just your luck that your friends â and coworkers â were now also besties with him. But no one needed to know that, whatever it was that happened between you and Eddie, belongs in the past.
"I know, listen, I know. But Robin and I are gonna help however we can-"
"Why can't one of you do it, anyway?"
Steve huffed, placing one hand on his waist, "some bullshit about how our judgment won't be fair because we're friends, you know how Keith is with these things." He chewed on the side of his cheek for a second, weighing his words, "listen he- Eddie, he's been through a lot, and now that he finally managed to graduate he needs a stable job and⊠with his history, you can imagine how just about no one will hire."
The wound was still fresh in most of Hawkins, the murders, the false accusations that just about doomed the poor boy, plus the town was still rebuilding, still healing; Steve talks about it as if you didn't know, as if you hadn't seen and worried first hand about it. You don't let it show on your face how much his words freeze your insides.
"This fucking town," you grumbled.
Steve snorted, "tell me about it."
You nag on your bottom lip with your teeth, almost drawing blood. Your stomach is twisting and turning, you're in front of a crossroad and with no idea in which way to turn. But regardless of the road you take, you know it'll be a path you can't walk back from.
Somehow, you think, you've probably made your decision as soon as Steve first asked you. He's right, Eddie has already suffered way too much. You know he won't be happy to see you, let alone work with you, and you're not thrilled about it either. But you made a promise long ago that you intend on keeping.
"Alright, whatever, I'll do it." Damn you and your soft heart.
â*⟠â*ïŸ:â*ïŸ
Curious for the next part? ;)
Feedback and reblogs are very much appreciated. <3
we all talk about kinky Eddie but what about goofy, giggly sex? let's be honest, eddie is a menace sometimes [18+ obv]
eddie gets over-excited and accidentally bumps your teeth when kissing. he pulls away feigning hurt, holding his lip with a pout, just to laugh and say "just jokin, sweetheart"
eddie pushes you on his bed and your head bumps the wall a little. you spend the next 5 minutes convincing him you're totally fine and you should really get back to the task at hand because you're so. turned. on.
eddie who gets ahead of himself and tries taking off his jeans while walking only to fall flat on his face. you can't help but break down laughing and neither can he
you're on top riding him like your life depends on it and he grips your hips harshly to stop. you look at him confused only to watch him swat your hair away from his face and fake cough
you change positions to missionary. you're so close, eddie is too, but then "fuck, CRAMP. CRAMP! MY LEG"
eddie's back to grinding into you, faces so close together intimately. "did you have.. *sniff* garlic for lunch?"
stopping midthrust to sneeze
he stops again moments later, sighs and mentions he forgot to do something. "it can wait... no it can't." he grabs a shirt to place in front of him and runs out of his room. you hear a bunch of clanking metal then he's back. "wayne wanted me to take food out of the freezer for him. nearly knocked over the fridge, i was moving too fast"
he climbs on top and puts his cold hands on your belly
gets too excited and keeps missing your hole.
he's thrusting in you when you put your hand on his chest to stop him. "i hate this song." "babe, we talked about this. sabbath will never get turned off during sex." "but can't you change just this song? lower it maybe??" he pulls out, walks to the stereo, and turns it up
you get on your knees in front of him, his hands dig into your hair. he stops you just as your mouth is about to devour him, "nope, you're right. this song sucks"
your mouth is gliding over his cock, his hand is gripping your hair. he's thrusting into your mouth but pulls out suddenly. gasping, "that was a close one. almost came in your mouth when it's your puss-puss that's hungry." you grimace at his words. "yeah, i heard how bad that sounded too but i ran with it anyway"
you're back on top riding him, this time with your hair in a bun. you start slow, but get impatient and start bouncing quicker. you've both been waiting for release and now you finally get to it. eddie's fingers are digging into your hips while your nails are clawing into his upper chest. you ride it out and collapse on top of him, your breathing synchronises as it slowly comes down
you sit up and look down at him. "hi," you whisper. "hi," he chuckles back.
eventually you get up and both of you slide some underwear on. he turns to you with a hand held up toward you. "great teamwork back there, champ." he's expecting a high five but you just shake your head and make your way toward the bathroom. "well.. practice is same time next week"
Warning: Making out and cussing. More tooth rotting fluff.
Summary: part two, you can read part one on my page if you havenât yet :). You get to know your new neighbors over some cheap champagne and pizza.
Itâs hard for you to concentrate on anything for the rest of the night. Even after you went inside you couldnât help but try and sneak glances at Eddie through the window. They were moving their things in well into the night. After you stopped hearing robin yelling is when you assumed they had finally finished.
There was a part of you that was so excited to meet some new people. You lived alone which you loved having your own space but you definitely lacked in the friends department. Growing up was rough and you werenât really close to the one parent that was still alive. The aspect of maybe having a new friend group made you feel things you hadnât felt in awhile. They all seemed so nice and close. Something youâve always craved. Trying to push down your anxiety you decide to do the best thing you can to calm your nerves. Roll a joint.
You make sure to turn your porch light off so you can smoke in the darkness not to draw too much attention to yourself. Leaving Herman inside for this excursion you plop back down on the steps twirling the joint in your fingers as you light it. Taking in the smoke you hold it for a second before your eyes land on lights that are on in the van parked in front of the Uhaul.
The van is shaking like someone is wrestling inside it, you see a blanket hit the front window and slide down.
âJesus H Christ where is it?!â You hear the faint yell of the man inside.
Youâre squinting to try and see if you can make out who is inside the van when the back doors fly open and Eddie jumps out with a black metal lunch box in hand and a look of triumph on his face.
âThought you could hide from Eddie The Banished? I donât fuckinâ think so.â
You canât stop the stoned chuckle that leaves your mouth after watching every thing unfold in front of you making Eddieâs head snap in your direction.
Eddie already knows its you when you laugh, having stored the sound in his memories from this morning. Itâs hard for him to see you sitting on your porch until he sees the red of the ember on your lit joint. He can smell you from here. Itâs now or never Munson.
âThat wouldnât be the smell of Devilâs lettuce miss y/n now would it?â Eddie fakes a shocked expression slapping his hand on his chest. Making you laugh again, Eddieâs decided this is his new favorite thing to do.
You take a deep breath, put on your big girl pants and attempt to flirt with the long haired metal boy whoâs occupied your mind all day. Standing up you walk towards the fence again. Eddie immediately takes quick strides to meet you half way.
âIf I let you take a hit you promise not to tell?â You bat your eyelashes up at him. You can see the blush covering his cheeks in the moonlight.
âHmmm I donât know y/n. Youâre over here asking me to break the law with you.â You can see the playfulness in his eyes as he steps closer hand resting on top of the fence. âAnd weâve only just met a few hours ago.â
âYou can trust me, scouts honor.â You raise your hand in the air to try and prove you mean it making him break out into a smile so big it makes his dimples show.
âI mean how can I say no to that? Youâve earned my trust.â You reach out and hand him the joint. You watch him take a long drag, heâs clearly done this before.
You canât help your eyes from wandering down his slim build. His black Dio shirt with the sleeves cut off showing off multiple tattoos that you couldnât quite make out yet but hoped one day heâll let you close enough to see. His black jean shorts were cuffed mid thigh and left little to the imagination. The heat of his stare made you realize you had been gawking. You cough shifting around willing anything to come to mind to get the attention away from you.
âSo who were you wrestling in that van?â You try to joke. Heâs passing you back the joint with a mischievous look in his eyes. Heâs caught you and he knows exactly what you are trying to do. But heâs going to be nice to you tonight and play along.
âFunny story, I was actually grabbing my personal stash of Luciferâs flowersâ Her smirks opening the metal lunch box so you can see a decent sized bag of bud and rolling papers inside. âFigured weâd earned a treat after unloading all their junk today.â
Picking up on his words you question âJust their stuff?â
He shifts a little nervously hoping that what heâs about to tell you doesnât burst whatever bubble you two are in.
âUhhh yeah, right now just Steve and Robin are moving here. Iâm shooting to grab their extra room by the end of the summer. Just want to make sure my uncle is in a good spot before I leave him.â Eddie searches your face to catch any kind of reaction. He sees slight disappointment in your eyes but you quickly cover it up.
âBut its only a 6 hour drive, weâre from Hawkins Indiana. So ill be here on weekends when I can between work.â Eddie adds âSo youâll still see me all the time sweetheart.â
The pet name makes your legs weak and you cant help but bite your lip to try and hide the smile.
âWell I certainly hope so.â You look up at him beneath your lashes. You can hear his breath catch in his throat. âIâll let you get back to your friends, I donât need to hear Robin yelling at you again.â
Eddie wishes you werenât right about getting back inside but he knows its a matter of seconds before the search and rescue team comes out to find him.
âTill tomorrow mâladyâ Eddie makes a show of bowing at you getting his favorite sound in return.
âGood night Eddie The Banishedâ You smirk over your shoulder as you walk away.
ââââ-
Eddieâs up earlier than normal that next morning. When he wakes heâs sprawled across the couch in their unfurnished living room. Boxes every where half opened. Just a record player and boom box are the only things fully set up. Their priorities clearly straight.
It takes you less than 3 minutes to pop into his mind and he cant help the stupid grin that starts to form on his face.
âWhatâs got you smiling like an idiot at 8am Munson?â Steveâs voice cuts through the silence. Eddie rolls his eyes hard before sitting up to look at the messy haired boy who is in the doorway.
âWhy are you creeping on me in the early hours of the morning Harrington?â Eddie counters raising an eyebrow.
âYeah, yeah I was just coming out to grab some water and I see you staring at the ceiling smiling like an idiot.â Steve shuffles to the kitchen, the sound of glass clanking and the stream of sink water fill the silence before Steveâs in the doorway again. âYouâre thinking about our new neighbor y/n arenât you?â
Eddie can feel his face get hot before he lays back down on the couch again to hide from Steveâs knowing stare.
âWhy donât you mind your business hmm?â
Steve chuckles heading back to his room but stopping at the door one last time. âAs someone who has a lot of experience in the field of women, I would say sheâs definitely into you too. But remember at some point she is gonna be our neighbor man. So like try to not make things weird?â
Eddie rolled his eyes again. âyeah, yeah Mom whatever you say.â He knew Steve hated that nickname. Glancing over he can see Steveâs eyes narrow at him before shutting his bedroom door.
âââ
You look at the clock 7:06pm. Your chest is tight with anxiety and smoking isnât going to help right now. You look at yourself in the mirror, you went for a pair of faded black high waisted jean shorts with your black cropped Danzig tank top. This time you sported your signature deep red lip and winged eyeliner. Eddie had seen you on your lazy day yesterday and you wanted to impress him. You took one last deep breath before sliding on your black vans and grabbing the bottle of cheap champagne you had got them as a house warming gift along with a bag of freshly rolled joints. Hoping this would be enough to offer you decide to grab Herman and make your way over. The butterflies attacking every organ in your body.
It takes less then 2 knocks before Robin is ripping the door practically off its hinges.
âHerman! Y/Nâ
You canât help but smile at her greeting and how much she loves your dog.
âI love how you say hi to him first.â You tease before sheâs pulling you into a hug and into the apartment.
The living room looks half way done thereâs just a couch, a lamp and coffee table. A few boxes stacked up in the corner. Organized chaos.The sound of Eddie Moneyâs Take me home tonight fills your ears. Itâs coming from the only place thatâs fully set up in their apartment, their record player. Smart people.
âWelcome to our humble abode.â Steve says as you enter with Robin. He pulls you into a hug too. All the affection is making you blush, you arenât used to such friendly people.
âShe comes bearing gifts! Look!â Your eyes immediately snap up to the sound of his voice. You see Eddie bounding over huge grin plastered on his face pointing at the champagne and joints in your hand.
âOf course, I couldnât come empty handed what kind of Chicagoan would I be?â You smirk at Eddie as he gets closer.
âLet me lighten your load here darlinââ he gives you a breathtaking smile as he reaches out to grab the bottle and bag from your hand. His fingers brushing against your skin causing goosebumps to cover your body.
âCrack that open Munson lets get a nice buzz going while y/n tells us where we should be ordering pizza from around here.â Robin says excitedly.
Eddie Munson, so thatâs his name.
âI second that suggestion!â Steve yells raising his hand to prove it.
Eddie can see you guys in the living room from the open kitchen island. Heâs trying to listen to the restaurants your suggesting but your red lips have him distracted. The eyeliner is new too, they make your eyes pop even more against your dark hair. Donât get him started about the hair, it was down today and he didnât even think it was possible to be even more beautiful then when he last saw you.
âHey Munsonâ Steve broke Eddie out of his thoughts. He looks back over at you and sees you and Robin are now deep in conversation on the couch with Herman in Robinâs lap. He missed everything and hadnât even brought the drinks yet.
âRemember that thing I said this morning about not being weird? Youâre being weird. Just staring at the damn girl mouth open. My god man get it together!â
Eddieâs face burned bright red, had you seen him?
âShe didnât see you.â Its like he read his mind. âIâm going to order this pizza, youâre going to bring out our booze and weâre going to have drinks and be normal. Okay? Tell me you understand.â
Rolling his eyes Eddie grabs the cups and heads to the living room. âSure thing Mom.â
âReal mature Eddie!â Steve yells behind Eddie making you look up in confused amusement. Eddie just winks at you and plops himself down on the floor Indian style next to your legs and tries his best to figure out what you and Robin had been talking about.
âââ-
It was hard for you to focus with Eddie so close to you all night. The stolen glances you two were taking didnât become so stolen as the four of you polished off the bottle.
You were able to really listen while you ate the pizza since you and Eddieâs attention was finally on something other then each other. They told you about Hawkins and where they were from about the mall fire and the giant earthquake. There seemed to be missing pieces to the version they were telling you but you werenât going to push it further it wasnât your place to do so. You in return told them about your rough childhood in the details you were comfortable with sharing and your lack of a family unit besides Herman.
âWe can be your family nowâ Robin smiled sweetly finishing off her last piece of pizza like she didnât just say the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you.
You could feel the sting in your eyes but you were able to fight them back. This champagne is making you soft you think to yourself. You can feel Eddieâs eyes on you but you refuse to meet his gaze this time.
âHow about we smoke one of these beautiful jointâs y/n rolled and call it a night?â Eddie suggests to the sleepy buzzed crowd.
âSometimes I wonder why you failed senior year twice with ideas like that.â Steve teased.
âCan it Harringtonâ Eddie snapped lighting to joint shooting daggers at the boy across from him.
The joint went around rotation in almost comfortable silence besides the coos to Herman and giggles when he would snort.
You watched as Steve put the last of the joint out with a huff. âWell this was fun boys and girls but I think its time for this guy to lay down.â
You could feel Eddieâs gaze on you again, this time you dared to look back a small smirk on his lips when your eyes met.
âYeah its way passed Hermanâs bed time, the prince needs to return to the castle.â You tease standing up and Eddie quickly follows.
âAnd a prince he is! The most handsomest prince in the worldâ Robin sings as she covers Hermans face in drunk kisses.
You feel Eddieâs hand on your arm making you look at his big brown eyes. You could melt right here.
âLet me walk you home?â
Biting your lip all you could do was nod suddenly extremely nervous at the thought of being alone with him again. You all say your goodbyes and you and Eddie set off into the heat of the night. The walk is mostly silent your finger tips graze each other a few times but never really connect. Thereâs a few stolen glances as you get closer to your front door.
âTonight was a lot of fun.â You smile up at him as you stop at your entrance. Heâs looking down at you with a toothy grin. He moves a strand of hair behind your ear running his fingers down the length of your locks. You canât help it when your eyes close.
âYeah, this was not the kind of weekend I was anticipating at all.â Eddieâs laugh makes you open your eyes. Heâs biting his bottom lip and has somehow gotten closer then you remembered. He brings his hand up to your cheeks this time gently rubbing his knuckles over your soft skin, the metal of his rings sending a shiver down your spine. âSo pretty.â
Your eyes go big at his words and now heâs scared maybe he went too far. He steps back a little wanting to make sure you feel comfortable. You realize heâs misread your reaction and you step closer closing the space quickly. Herman perched at your feet.
Your favorite smile breaks out across his face and you feel one arm snake around your waist pulling you against him. His other hand at your cheek cupping you softly. Heâs licking his lips looking at you and at your mouth. âCan I?â
You donât answer you just nod your head yes and he closes the gap instantly. A groan leaves both your mouths as you collide. It feels so good his lips against yours. Your head is dizzy and he is everywhere. His tongue swipes against your bottom lip begging you to open up for him. You gladly give him what he wants eliciting another moan from the new sensation. Hermans bark breaks you both out of the moment. Foreheads pressed together you cant help but smile. He has red all over his face, his friends are absolutely going to know.
âIâm afraid Iâve made you look like a bit of a clown Mr. Munson.â You tease finally breaking away from him.
He snorts rolling his eyes âTotally worth it if you ask me.â
You laugh pushing against his chest, he grabs your wrist and brings your hand to his mouth placing kisses on your knuckle. Your face is hot again.
âI leave tomorrow but Iâll be back next weekend. Could I get your number maybe I could call you sometime this week?â His eyes are on you and you can tell there is still a slight nervousness about what he just asked you.
âI would love nothing more.â You whisper biting your lip. All you have on you in your red lipstick. Without hesitation Eddie sticks out his arm to you. The gesture makes you giggle before you write your number on his pale flesh. Before you let go of his arm you finish by planting a kiss underneath it. You hear his breath catch above you.
âThanks again Eddie.â Before he can do anything else you are walking back inside with Herman closing the door.
Eddie canât get rid of the shit eating grin as he practically skips to Steve and Robinâs place. Yeah he needed to get here as soon as possible.
Hi mommy! can I request a blurb of comfort!Eddie when the reader's going through a heartbreak? its me... im reader lolđ
Sureeee baby <3
There you were, walking through the cold nightly weather, crying, sobbing and becoming weak to your knees. You were headed to Eddie's trailer where he hosted the D&D game in his living room this time. You forgot he was going to be busy but honestly you didn't actually care. You needed him.
You arrived at his trailer and banged on his door. You could hear the laughter from here. Cmonnnn Eddie, you plead to yourself. You bang on the door again. Within no time being wasted, the door flew open, Eddie opened it.Â
He was shocked to see you, he didn't expect you to be over tonight. The boys watched you as you guided yourself straight to his room. You removed your shoes and socks and pulled back his blanket. You got into his bed as if you were preparing yourself for a good ole sleep. But instead you were preparing yourself for a good oleâ breakdown.
You laid your head on his pillow and began to cry. Eddie rushes to his room and closes the door behind him. He rushed over to the bed and say at the edge as he rubbed your leg,
âDarlinâ, what's wrong?â he asked you in a concerned tone.
You cried even harder, âOk, we don't have to talk about it right now, but when I come back in here I'm going to need you to tell me everything.â
He got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. You laid there and cried for another 10 minutes and then you sat up.Â
You noticed he had a box of cigarettes on his nightstand so you took one and the lighter beside it. You lit the cig and threw your head back as you smoked it. It calms you down a little bit. This was your first time smoking one, that's how bad you were hurt.
Eddie came back into the room, removing his jacket. He walked over to you and snatched the cigarette out of your mouth and put it into his, it still had your pink gloss on the tip.Â
He sat next to you and turned your head to his, âTalk to me now, Darlinâ... Was it that prick again?â he asked as he huffed.
âI just.. I just don't understand⊠he told me he was in love with me.. Why would he say that and then cheat on me?â you began to cry again, falling over onto Eddie's lap. He reached over to put out the cigarette.
âI told you Y/N. stop taking him back because every single time you find yourself all bundled up in my bed crying over him and i don't wanna keep seeing him hurt you like this,â he told you as he stroked your hair.Â
âIâm sorry i never listen Eddie i-âÂ
âDont apologize darlinâ, Iâm here and iâll always be,â he stated. âLet yourself drift away in my lap, i promise itâll all be okay.â
From this prompt âit sounds like youâre flirting with meâ for Finnieâs (@stumachergf) birthday month writing challenge, pretty fluffy with a lil angst in the middle and a fun fluffy end
kinda feel like I couldâve done better with the flirty bits but i tried my best
âHey Y/N!â A familiar, and sometimes annoying voice, yelled across the cafeteria. You scoff and pay the lunch lady before making your way to your usual table with your best friends.
â¶For once in his life, Eddie makes a good decision when he shows up to your motel room early. And another good decision when he mumbles something under his breath after you outsmart him at his DND club. That's my girl.â¶
NSFW â fluff, flirting, sexual tension, wearing eddie's shirt and loving the scent a little too much, & oops you discover you have a praise kink, 18+ overall for eventual smut, drug/alcohol mention/use, canon typical violence
chapter: 6/? [wc: 7.1k]
âł part 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 / 05 / 06
AO3
Chapter 6: The First Rule of Hellfire Club
The moment Eddieâs knuckles connected with the chipped paint under the peep hole, his stomach sank, much like the weathered bronze number Nine losing its top nail and plummeting into the number Six. In his head, strands of apologies tangled into amalgamations of concern, and seeing your distressed face pleading up at him when you struggled to open the door sent them spiraling into the single emotion he could grasp: protection. The words heâd meant to say vanished from his brain in favor of fixing whatever it was causing you trouble.
âSorry,â you mumbled, balancing the dingy yellow phone between your ear and shoulder; arms crowded with the clunky receiver itself, trying not to press any buttons as you let him inside, kicking the cords out of his way.
âDidnât know when you were comingââ you whispered to him, then straightened your spine and changed to a forceful tone. âYes, Iâm still here. Yeâ ..Yes, I told you, Iâm not home right now, but I still have theââ Eddie edged into your room and tuned out the conversation. Not necessarily because it seemed private on account of the manila file you were reading from, but because his gaze landed on your open suitcase. Specifically the delicate lace set on top.
He didnât pin you as the type to wear that sort of stuff. Tight. Partially see through. Jewel toned. Carnal in design, mouth watering in nature. Lingering on the notion of the material against your skin..
He drummed his fingers on his leg and reminded himself, and the devil on his shoulder, why he was here early.
âWait! DonâtâDonât you dare hang up. Hello? Hello?â You examined the phone. An arrant dial tone persisted. You put it up to your ear again. âHello?â Pressing your lips into a thin line, the plastic creaked under your grip, seething temper boiling under your composed exterior.
You let out a calming exhale. Relaxed the tension from your shoulders.
Then you beat the phone on the bedside table three times and slammed it on the receiver with a definitive, âBitch.â
Curiosity aroused, Eddie asked, âEverything good?â
âStupid insurance bullshit. Been on the phone with them all day.â
âAnything I can do to help?â Still unsure of where you stood after last night, you gave a little shrug, and put away your files, volunteering nothing more. He offered, âI can make some calls for you or something. Sit on the hold lines. Whatever would make it easier for you.â
âI can handle it,â you interjected. âShould we get going?â
Walking past him to the end of the bed, you bent to grab your purse from the floor and saw what you tossed on top of the pile of laundry spilling from your suitcase after your shower this morning.
You cut a glance at Eddie the exact moment he chose to look the opposite direction, humming a tune to himself.
Using your foot, you closed the suitcase and made to step around him.
âCan we talk first? I wanted to apologize for what I said last night.â
Despite him acknowledging the tension between you, you kept your gaze on the carpet, remaining vigilant for the sake of his feelings. âYou didnât say anything last night.â You kept moving.
He asserted his arm in front of you. âDonât do that,â he whispered, voice cutting in and out. Harsh, yet sensitive. âDonât walk away from me.â
The cold metal chains decorating his sleeve brushed your upper chest. You considered his method for blocking you from leaving; how he leaned into it, caging you, face tipped to speak into your ear. Aggressive to those who did not know him, but you understood the charity in the curl of his fingers hesitating in the air to refrain from an accidental caress. The desperation in his chapped lips. The absolute fatigue in his attempts to dance around the awkwardness of your tumultuous relationship.
âI..â Eddie started, fluttering his eyes shut to better sift through his thoughts. âIâm sorry. I didnât mean what I said last night. I donât hate you.â You sighed in a way that had him cringing at his actions. It was always worse when you were disappointed in him. âTo be honest, seeing you again after all this time has been.. has been..â
âBizarre?â
âYes, bizarre,â he said emphatically, beginning to pace. âItâs brought up a lot of old feelings I never got over, andâand stuff I wanted to forget.. And stuff I didnât want to forget, but at this point, Iâm tired of the back and forth, and lashing out at you, and being a massive asshole. It didnât feel good to say that last night, and I swear to you I didnât mean it. Iâm not mad at you for doing what you needed to for your future.â Stopping, he drove his hands through his hair and locked his fingers behind his head, monopolizing the cramped space at the end of your bed where you wrung your arm. âYouâre here now, and I like being around you, and me trying to, I donât know, is âpunishâ the right word? Wallowing and wasting all this energy punishing you for leaving has been exhausting and I just, Iââ
Unwavering eye contact. A rare occasion as of late, taken for granted long ago. You seized it, held it, and the glimmer of hope in how his face softened when he looked at you.
âI miss you,â he admitted in a gentle breath. âI miss you and I want to be friends again.â
He wasnât so much as asking permission to pick up where you left off as he was adamant for it, and his verbiage was not lost on you.
Eddie wanted you, needed you to be his friend again.
Faithful to your detriment, willing to make sacrifices for your best friend, ever diligent and committed to someone who returned the same kindness in the same degree with the same modesty, you smiled. âWe can be friends again.â
Here is where normal people would hug. Not for you two.
Eddie beamed sunlight on a cloudy day. âI was also thinking about our conversation yesterday and I wanted you to know Iâm really going to try at school this year. Iâm going to graduate, and who knows, maybe Iâll end up at Penn State with you, so you can have a friend there and we can.. Okay, it wasnât that funny.â
âS-Sorry,â you hissed through the laughter, âItâs not because of you going to college, I swear; your hair is all messed up. More than usual.â He examined his appearance in the large square mirror above the chest of drawers, and instead of fixing his mane like any sane person, he headbanged a few times and decided the wildness of it was perfect. Which it was.
Eyeing the entirety of the bed in the reflection, he smirked. âInteresting place for a mirror.â He turned to you. âDo you have your character sheet and stuff?â
You held up your purse. âYep.â
âSweet.â
~~~
Arriving at your dreaded destination, Eddie escorted you down the halls of Hawkins High, opening doors for you with a half-bow and grand sweep of his arm. Youâd only spent one year here, and that was enough to build sore memories. Passing by your dented locker someone repeatedly broke into to steal your things, the classroom where a girl stuck gum to the back of your neck, the grassy patch near the concrete steps you had been formally introduced to after a boy shoved you because he heard a rumor you had a crush on him. All acts the principal excused as, âKids being kids.â
Problems Eddie took upon himself to fix. Sharing his locker. Coming home with a black eye beneath the one his parole-granted father gave him. Threatening anyone who looked at you twice, regardless if he was the instigator. He shielded you. Your knight in rusted tin armor.
âDidnât realize your club was literally at school.â
âOh yeah, itâs the easiest place for us to meet,â he said, showing you to the back entrance of the theater. âWelcome.. To Hellfire Club.â He walked backwards into the prop storage area, and you couldnât quite tell if you were supposed to be impressed by the big empty table in the middle, or if he was joking with you. To be polite, you pointed out the clubâs handmade banner on the wall.
âCool logo.â
His grin grew wicked. âIâm so glad you like it.â Removing his backpack, he unzipped it and took out a bundle of black and white fabric. âYou should know the first rule of Hellfire Club is.. You gotta wear a member shirt.â
You caught what was hurled at you and unfolded it, frowning. âYou couldnât even turn it right-side-out?â Pulling the sleeves through and shaking out the wrinkles, you saw why it was balled up, and snarked in disgust, âDid you wear this already?â
âRules are rules, my dear,â he sang, setting up his barricade of binders where he sat on his gaudy throne like the incensing king he wished he was.
âAnd where do you expect me to change?â
âItâs a theater department. Go find a prop tree, or,â âHe threw his thumb over his shoulderâ âThe Russian cathedrals behind me, or something.â
âThat would be sacrilegious, Eddie.â Opting for the gathering of standee trees and bushes blocking you from both his sight and the door, you said goodbye to your Macho Man t-shirt and peeled it off, stuffing it in your purse.
You should feel humiliated, embarrassed by how your body reacted holding his worn shirt in your hands. Flushed hot from burning cheeks to curled toes. You cradled the delicate memento to your chest, collar gripped tight in your fingers, hem tickling your exposed belly, sleeves tucked in your arms. You should feel ashamed of your nipples hardening against your thin bra when you paused in the trivial space between smelling his clothing and still having alibi if he caught you.
His shadow stayed at the table, arranging his things, and you broke for your old addictions.
An itch you could scratch again, finally.
Fabric to nose, you curled your shoulders in and inhaled deep. It was him. All him. Turning you dizzy. Invading your mind fuzz. Eliciting a perverse craving, an insatiable hunger. Inciting a primal greed over your possession. You donât know what started this habitâhim giving you his clothes and you obsessing over every little detail that was Eddie Munsonâbut you knew it was wrong.
However, the image of his body touching what lied in your palms, creating the scent buzzing in your veins, draping yourself in the smell of his sweat knowing it belonged to him alone.. It felt so fucking right.
Getting a hold of yourself, you quickly pulled it over your head, and tucked the hem into the corduroy skirt you borrowed from one of your teammates. Youâd been hidden behind the trees long enough for Eddie to ask if you required assistance, and now you had to pretend you hadnât been a complete degenerate for a full minute straight, getting high off his scent.
âWas it necessary to make me wear your dirty laundry?â you scoffed. âAnd what is this stain at the bottom?â
âI think itâs from aââ He turned around to finish his statement. The dice tower in his hand tumbled to the floor.
What a fantastic thing white shirts revealed to be when under the dramatic overhead lighting of the drama department.
He swallowed. âFrom a pen exploding on me.â Managing the meager sentence, he commanded his gaze off your chest and met your equally stunned expression reflecting the thrill of catching him. âI designed the logo myself,â he said a bit too loudly.
âCool.â You nodded slowly, locking in the memory of how he devoured your clothed body, how he had to blink away and adjust his stance. âCool, and what were the other rules?â
âOther rules?â
Picking up the dice tower at your feet, you put it on the table, taking inventory of the figures and miniatures he would be using during the game. He returned to his flamboyant throne, organizing stacks of campaign plots written in his neat handwriting. âYou said wearing the shirt was the first rule like there were more, so whatâs the second?â
âOh, there is no second rule.â He smiled above the binders, all cocksure and full of himself as if you hadnât just witnessed him staring at your tits moments ago. âExcept, of course,â he implored, tilting his head, âHaving fun.â
Attraction be damned, you could, in fact, wring this manâs neck.
~~~
The stage lights had been dimmed. A candelabra behind the throne cast the campaign in shadows, setting the mood. Jeff was the first to open the door, and his laughter trailed off. Gareth was second, watching you and Eddie converse over the graph paper map on the table.
âThat wall should go one square to the right.â He checked his notes. âThen Garethâs figure would be one to the left.â You leaned over the plastic chairs opposite him, following his directions, replicating where they left off on their game last Friday. âAnd I think weâre done.â
Breaking the spell settling over his Dungeon Masterâs face as he watched his assistant saunter to the right hand spot at the table where Jeff usually sat, Gareth stepped forward and announced his presence rather well, he thought. âSo thatâs why Eddie was talking about you at lunch.â To which Jeff added, âYou shouldâve seen him, he looked so cute updating us on you..â And serving the knockout punch was Lloyd, who had just come in. âHey Eddie, Eddieâs girlfriend.â
âSheâs not my girlfriend.â
âIâm not his girlfriend.â You tried not to do the cliche thing of shifting your eyes to Eddie, but your curiosity got the better of you. âYou were talking about me?â
Jeff supplied the answer, âOh yeah, he was bragging about you being the best gymnast on your team.â He sat across from you, ignoring the way Eddie was shaking his head at him, frantically communicating his panic through his wide-eyes screaming at him to shut up.
Gareth piped up again, âHe said you ran off to Penn State.â
âAnd he warned us not to be weird at DND tonight, presumably he meant not being weird in front of you,â Lloyd said.
Tickled by their eagerness to divulge this information with you at their leaderâs expense, you found it most interesting Eddie was speaking so highly of you when he hadnât apologized yet, or ensured you two were on amicable ground before giving them a dissertation on your life since you left. âIs that true?â you asked Eddie, who performed his best innocent act.
âIâWell, itâs not like it sounds.â
âYou see,â Jeff ribbed, âhe hadnât talked about you in years. He was just excited you were back in town, and wouldnât let anyone else get a word in edgewise; going on, and on, and on, about how youâre some college big shot now, and just so cool.â
Eddie pointed a stern finger at him, and said through gritted teeth, âI did not say that last part.â
Luckily for the blush crawling up Eddieâs throat, the door opened again and all attention turned to the last three guests for the evening. Unfortunately for Eddieâs self-esteem, Dustin was in a chatty mood.
âSweet, a girlâs joining us. You must be Eddieâs girlfriend he was talking about at lunch.â
âFucking Christ,â he put his face in his hands.
You offered a faint, âIâm not his girlfriend,â and introduced yourself properly to those you hadnât met yet, amused by Mikeâs haircut resembling a certain someoneâs next to you, and Lucasâ windbreaker pants, wearing them from his first basketball practice.
However, as the idle chatter waned, you gave in to the irking awareness someone was staring at you, and quirked a brow at Jeff, who was squinting at something in particular.
âNice shirt,â he said, flicking his gaze to the ink stain.
This was going to be a long night..
Intervening, Eddie slammed his hands on the table, shaking his plethora of binders, commanding his distracted party to assimilate into their characters. âAs we left off..â Slipping into his role as Dungeon Master, he sat at the edge of his plush seat, legs spread wide, gripping the ornate edges of his throne. He wove the tale in a mysterious tone, building anticipation, âTaking the quest from Hordram, the dwarven barkeep, you find yourselves lost to the labyrinth hidden deep within the Mountains of Hag Baduhr. Days are immeasurable as you succumb to sleep-deprived delirium. All you know is darkness, cold, and the stench of old gore dried to your clothes. Dank mildew stuck in your nose. The faint drips of water..â He held up his hand and curled his fingers in one at a time. âDrip. Drip. Drip. A clock with no hands, nor face. Neverending shadows playing tricks on your mind as your torch loses its flame, knocked from Sargasâ hand in the last battle.â Eddie made a show of gesturing to Lucas to indicate that was his character. âGareth, you chose to limp deeper into the narrow passage of the maze, hissing at your wounds, clutching onto your wounded arm. A musty, warm breeze caresses your right cheek, almost undetectable. Around the corner you approach comes a soft orange glow. You hear something shifting. What do you do?â
Gareth chewed the inside of his cheek while he considered where his figure stood on the map. âCan I tell if there is another pathway nearby?â
âRoll for perception.â The dice tumbled from his palm. Eddie sucked his teeth. âNo, it looks to be a dead end and your only option is the stretch of light coming from the right.â
âI tap my gauntlet on the wall twice, giving them the signal for backup.â
Eddie raised his eyebrows at the rest of his little adventurers, and they agreed. You garnered they had just finished an intense fight from their descriptions of having the help carry Lloydâs tiefling barbarian. âNow, the smell of smoke wafts to you. Soot and pine.â
âAnother torch?â Jeff whispered in character.
âOn three?â Gareth said to his team. They nodded, and looked to Eddie to lead them through the scenario.
âUpon the bend in the labyrinth, you peek around the corner as one, weapons at the ready. Breaths held. Peering into the depths at..â Dramatic pause. A swell of his chest as he bewitched his audience into hanging onto his every word. âYou encounter not a monster, but another person, perched on a mossy slab.â With a dramatic sigh, he slouched sideways on his throne, propping his elbow on the chairâs arm and settling his cheek into his palm, tapping his forefinger on his high cheekbone. Beholding you from beneath his long lashes as he granted you the stage to introduce your character.
Unfolding the paper in your shaky hands, you didnât know if you were supposed to roleplay yet, or read from the sheet, but with how dry your mouth became, you chose to stick with what you wrote. If you could read it, that is.
Everything swirled. Stammering, you tried, âIâm a half-elf cleric named Valendrei. Lawful good. Level 5. Uh..â How much were you supposed to share? Did it sound dumb? Was everyone expecting more? When were you supposed to enter the scene?
Eddie bumped his leg against yours, ceasing your nervous bouncing.
âUhm, I chose the Life Domain, if that matters..â Calm. His adoring gaze. Calm. Proud of you for taking part in his hobby. Calm. âMy shield lays in splinters at my feet, and my mace rests propped against the slab. Iâm unarmed except for the torch Iâm using to cauterize a wound on my knee.â
Lloyd reacted first. âIntense.â
âThatâs metal,â Dustin said, impressed.
Earning their respect stirred a deep-seated desire etched into your very being; a want to belong. And same as always, you glimpsed at Eddie for his approval to gauge whether you were doing the right thing, but instead of being met with his mild reassurance, he looked at you in bold admiration. Stark glory, hair fanned about his face from him twisting it. Eyes nearly closed from how broad his smile was. Fingertips placed on his bottom lip, tracing it languidly as his chest jumped with a laugh.
âShouldâve known you would pick a healer,â he said to you, and sat up to address the others. âShe hates it when her favorite characters die in books, so now she wants to be the one to save them.â Entranced by his mouth, you watched it form the coy remark, wholly invested in what annoying observation he would conclude next. âAlthough.. Lawful good? Thatâs a mighty claim. Need I remind you, Iâve seen your permanent record.â
âShut up. Itâs my character, she can be lawful good.â
He seemed hellbent on oversharing your previous life together. âYou know that cheerleader Brittany who graduated two years ago, the one with the broken nose? Guess who did that.â Their eyes were on you. You kicked Eddieâs shoe under the table, telepathically yelling at him to cut it out. Much to your dismay, he snapped a few times, recalling something, and said, âThatâs right! And there was that other time in 8th grade when you were suspended for beating up that popular girl. Man, you guys shouldâve seen it. She knocked her to the ground, sat on her chest, and just fucking whaled on her.â He mimicked your punches while the guys laughed. âIt was crazy. Iâve never seen so much blood. What did she say to you, anyway?â
Trailer trash. She called Eddie weird, she called him ugly, and she called him trailer trash. In a classic misunderstanding, Eddie was being his normal self around Jessie, who was from the good suburbs, and she mistook his goofy, boisterous antics as him flirting with her. And as soon as he was out of earshot, she turned to her giggling friends, and your next vivid memory was pulling your fist back, musing over how sticky blood became when it reached oxygen. âI donât remember,â you mumbled.
âYou fucking rock, dude,â someone said. You werenât sure who.
âI mean, you see her guns, that girl stood no chance,â Eddie raved. With the candles crowned above his head like a halo, you had no choice but to bask in the radiance of his everlasting light. âStrongest person I know,â he said quietly, dragging his gaze over your broad shoulders filling out his shirt. Deliberate in his efforts to appreciate the finer details of where it hugged you.
He was so obvious. A wave of whispers ensued; gossips of yours and Eddieâs names at the intimate table where his knee touched the skin of your thigh through the rips in his jeans.
Shrugging out of his jacket, he was all business. He staked an elven figure on the map, and demanded silence and the continuation of his game. âSo, you see an unassuming, unarmed half-elf before you. Do you invite her to your party?â
The clear answer was yes, and yet..
The apple of Jeffâs cheeks shined with joy under the same benevolence you shied from. âIâm not about to trust some rando in a dungeon,â he said to Eddie while picking up a dice. âI prepare my spear.â
This would be a long night, indeed.
~~~
Neverending encounters.
Dismembered goblin parts laid in heaps like bricks around your party. Their gore clung to your armor. In fantasy, your half-elf worked to bandage your teammateâs wounds; in reality, clusters of dice rolled across the table top. Bleak were the low health points. The squish of pallid flesh, the metallic taste in your mouth, the putrid reek of entrails. Eddieâs knack for descriptive storytelling would follow you to bed that night.
More dice rolls. Lucas found a treasure chest of disappointment. All those goblins for very little loot, and anticlimax in the form of him passing off his Wand of Magic Detection to you. An impractical object since the spell could not penetrate stone, and being in a labyrinth inside a mountain, it was not exactly useful, but considering you had the bag space and no shield, you accepted it.
Down, down the labyrinth you traveled. An enemy here, an ambush there. Dense packs of creatures, but low on health, meaning this was a good sign you were heading in the right direction. Gareth and Lloyd led the way with your dwindling torch, insisting those of you with darkvision determine paths. Up, up an incline, over a ravine on a tattered rope bridge. The wind became thick. The scent earthier. It seemed like you were helping them escape the maze. It seemed like you were everyoneâs hero, healing their sores and sending them off to freedom. It seemed like you were the star of the night after answering a riddle far too easily for the cunning mind who created it. It seemed to be too good to be true, because it was. Especially paired with the Dungeon Masterâs rolls behind his binders, running his tongue over his top lip with an excited lurch in his posture when Dustin suggested Mikeâs wizard bounce a fireball down a hallway, and suddenly, fog engulfed the party.
A smirk claimed Eddieâs face as he placed an elaborate figure of a winged lion on the map. âMy friends, you have alerted a manticore to your location, and he, and his prey hiding amongst the shadows, are not very happy to have you in their domain.â
~~~
You tried. Cantrips on your tongue, hands aglow with prayers. Spending actions until your spell slots were nearly exhausted. Salves, bandages, well wishes; they fell short. Your friends laid splayed on their backs, gurgling through mucky blood in their throats. Manticore spikes impaled their forearms, protruding like breached bones. Skin flayed in ribbons. All the while, the manticore stood ready to attack, its thick fur acting as armor. Another round of Death Saving Throws were completed and Eddieâs menacing leer was upon you.
âThe manticore sinks into its hind legs, nails scraping the stone floor, and he leaps forward. His wings extend, catching the draft, and he lunges for you, Valendrei. Mouth open. Fangs glistening in the torchlight, dripping with blood. What do you do?â
Two second level spell slots remained. You asked Lloyd, âIf I cast Healing Word, can you protect me?â
âHow confident are you that Iâll heal enough to not immediately die again?â
âNot very.â
âMm.â
Tapping your pencil on the corner of your character sheet, you ground your teeth at your options, weighing them in your head as Mike offered a cooing wisdom.
âThis was a tough dungeon and the school year just started. Donât worry about our characters dying, we can always make new ones. Itâs not your fault, no healer wouldâve been able to juggle a party this size.â
His well-meaning kindness got under your skin.
You werenât a loser. You didnât earn consolation prizes. You were a gold medalist, you could outsmart the Dungeon Master.
âTick, tock,â your smarmy friend added from over his binders.
Reading over your abilities, your bag space, your copperâanything, your gaze zeroed in on one item.
âWhat does the Wand of Magic Detection look like?â
Eddie blinked. Gears turned in his head, calculating your scheme, rushing through simulations of where you were leading him, and finding no flawânor logicâin your question. As a severe, but not unkind Master, he consulted his books, and figured heâd be generous. Just this once. You had 4 hit points left. You werenât coming out of this scenario alive, anyway. âWhat do you want it to look like?â
Flipping over your sheet, you sketched a straightforward rod with a pointed gem at the top, not unlike the ones youâd seen in the Playerâs Handbook yesterday. A simple wand, but efficient. You werenât about to take advantage of Eddie by conjuring up something ludicrous and overpowered. âLike this.â You showed him.
Suspicious, he drawled, âSure, that works.â
âI shove it in the manticoreâs mouth.â
âWhat?â
âYou said his mouth was open, so I wedge it in there. Vertically. Preferably with the gem against the hard palate and the base against the soft floor under his tongue, but Iâll take what I can get.â You laced your fingers and appeared stoic despite his condescending taunt.
âIâm gonna need a dex check for that one, sweetheart.â
Sweetheart?
You disregarded the pet name, ascribing it to one of his habits. A slip of his tongue, nothing more. Besides, you had a game to play.
The table embraced your confidence. Murmurs of encouragement, exchanges of premature celebration, more than one person chanting for your victory. You picked up the die and imbued it with your collective support, and rolled.
âNat 20!â
âMan, thatâs one way to decimate a monster.â
Slowly, Eddie drew his gaze to the paper in front of him. Eyes moving back and forth over his handwriting. Losing the crease between his brows as he buckled under the weight of acceptance. âRoll for damage,â he mumbled.
You complied with an arrogant lilt, âIs 28 enough?â
The corner of Eddieâs lips jumped in a small smile aimed at his clasped hands. Gareth erupted in a rowdy cheer, recognizing the look on his face as one of content defeat, and Jeff took it upon himself to flick the manticore figure off the map. âScrew you and your grueling labyrinth.â
You were being rocked back and forth. Many hands patted your back, shook your shoulders, bumped your fist. Lauding you for your wit, and for being the one to put Eddie in his place. You were glowing under their excitement, their congratulations, their insistence on coming back to Hawkins to play with them again, and your best friend sat on his throne, chin in his handâpalm covering his mouthâsmitten from the groupâs acceptance of you.
âThatâs my girl.â
He didnât mean for anyone to hear it, and for the most part, everyone had sat back down, busy making their Death Saving Throws and rationing out potions, gunning for your spell slots. But you heard it.
Thatâs my girl.
His praise, the creaking of his chair as he leaned forward, the rustle of his papers as he poured over his notes for the next part of the story he crafted; shifting the same way he did yesterday in his van, except there was no lighter to drown out his words.
You were his girl.
Your heart raced at the implication. Turning your body heat on high, and with it, carrying his shirtâs scent to your nose again. Snapped to attention like an obedient animal and it didnât even phase you as you did it. Frozen on the receiving end of a brutal awakening. A winner all your life, but on the caveat you could score higher, move faster, perform sharper. Words of affirmation followed by a critique. Not from Eddie, though. You were his perfect girl who did everything right.
What else could he praise you for?
A whine hitched in your throat at the visual your mind latched onto.
And he caught you in the midst of your preening for more. How you sat up straighter. Unadulterated desperation in your candid expression; a slight parting of your plump lips. Tempting his massive ego into discovering your secret. Too taken by his words to erase the evidence of your reaction.
Eddieâs pupils were black lakes absorbing every detail of your face. Mirrors reflecting intrigue. Exhilaration. A curiosity rivaled by no other.
Leaning towards you, head and voice down where the others could not eavesdrop, he asked, âYou good?â
Ever the deviant, you responded with one short confirmation, loud enough for his ears only, âYes, sir.â
He tensed. Eyes widening the exact way someoneâs would when trapped in this predicament; squirming under the narrowed scope you viewed each other in after hitting that sweet spot neither of you were aware of, and having no outlet to act upon it. Afterall, you had only agreed to be friends again hours ago. There were boundaries to your relationship. Walls. Guards he resurrected around his heart.. And drool pooling against his bottom lip as he remembered you were wearing a skirt and what sort of sinful delights were trapped between your thighs.
Fervent whispers were had at the other end of the table, and after a hushed debate, Dustin spoke up, âAre you two going to keep flirting, or are you going to wrap this up so we can go home?â
Recovering first, Eddie forced a laugh and opened his arms wide. âTaken by surprise, the manticore continues its planned trajectory, biting down on the wand with its powerful jaw. The gemstone pierces the tissue at the back of his throat. Blood flows over Valendreiâs arm as she retreats from her move. He attempts another bite, lusting for her demise, but the wand lodges deeper into its flesh, crushing his windpipe. Succumbing to the pain, it stumbles backwards into a shimmering wall and disappears behind it. Shimmering, shimmering. The wall waves like heat refracting on hot ground. And then.. It dissipates. Striking bright light blinds you. Warmth gathers all of you in a hug. Scents of damp tree bark and chimney smoke welcome you. The manticore lays in an open plain of grass, gasping its last breath. Beyond him, on a hill in the far distance, is the beginnings of a village amongst the sparse woods.â
âWhiteridge!â The name of the town their original quest was for, before the unrelenting maze of the labyrinth diverted them. Next week they could return to their adventure, experience gained, and free from their Dungeon Masterâs cackling.
A succinct, yet satisfying close to the evening. Pushing back from the table, you carried a conversation with the guys outside the theater while Eddie made notes for himself about the map and what miniatures he would need for the village.
Falling behind the freshman, Jeff, Gareth, and Lloyd slowed once youâd said bye to the others, passing around silent looks in lieu of spoken word. When you turned around, Jeff volunteered as the one who should confront you.
âSo, about Eddie..â
âAbout Eddie?â you asked, feeling the elation of the evening evaporate from your mood at his serious tone.
âWe feel like you should know how he reacted after you left.â Taking a deep breath, he struggled to explain. âI donât know how much he told you, or if he told you at all; and you know Iâm not really into all the stuff you guys doâdrugs, or whateverâbut.. I donât know, man.. He was on some serious shit for a while after you left. No one knew what happened to you, and he just kinda.. spiraled out of control.â
Lloyd said, âMy mom worked at the pharmacy back then. It was a shitload of pills.â
âI went over to get him for band practice one time and..â A wince developed on Garethâs face as he came to terms with what he saw. âIt was sad, walking in on someone crushing their dayâs worth of benzos into these little meticulous lines to snort later.â
âJesus..â You thought back to the diner and shook your head, confused. âHe said it was a few days that he couldnât remember.â
All three of them bulged their eyes at the ground. âIt was definitely more than a few days.â
Gareth soothed you, âHe evened out eventually, obviously. Heâs been normal since then, but when you first came back, we were kinda worried heâd relapse, but, uh.. I guess things are fine now?â He ran his hand over his nape and shrugged at the others.
âWhatever you two are,â Jeff began. You didnât bother picking at the scab of correcting him that you were only friends. âWe hope youâre working things out. I know youâre in town for other reasons, but I wouldnât hate it if you came to visit again some day. Donât forget you left me without saying anything, too.â He drew in a long breath, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets, swaying. âBut if Eddie can forgive you, then youâre cool with me.â
âYeah, youâre fun to play with,â Lloyd added. âJust saying, give it a thought if you can make the drive.â
Sensing the end of the heart-to-heart, Gareth walked in the direction of the schoolâs parking lot. âThere'll always be a seat at the table for you.â Lloyd dipped his head in farewell and joined him.
Waiting for them to disappear amongst the cars, Jeff shifted his weight beside you, crunching grass beneath his shoes. Faced turned up at the stars, taking a moment of peace for himself. You sighed into the cricket-laden night. âWas Eddie really that bad?â
He gave you his blessing. âHeâs better now, and I think thatâs all he cares about, and all you should focus on. The present. See ya around, yeah?â
âSee ya.â Watching him leave, you tightened your arms around yourself, fiddling with the sleeves of Eddieâs shirt as you unpacked way too much information for one day. Returning to the prop area, you shut the door softly behind you, and picked up a trash bin, cleaning up the soda cans and snacks while Eddie packed his things; stuffing papers in his binder and closing it, putting figures in a wooden box. You worked in quiet tandem. Avoiding the other, and being painfully aware of their presence all the same when the unexpected graze of fingers produced a physical yearnâa flinchâwhen you both reached for a notebook, and the simultaneous whispers of, âSorry,â stained the interaction as an accident, thus no longer meaningful. âCan I ask you a question?â
Eddie hesitated. âDepends.â
âHow come you were talking about me at lunch when we didnât end yesterday on a good note? You had no idea if I still wanted to come today.â
Relieved it wasnât about other matters, he revealed his truth. âHope, really. I had hope. I thought if I manned up and apologized, youâd want to try being friends again, and want to play tonight.â Putting on his jacket and grabbing his bag, he continued on the way to his van, âPlus, as annoying as he is.. Jeff was right about one thing. I was excited to brag about you.â
It was times like these, when Eddie minimized his pain and downplayed his hurt, that you wondered if there were enough apologies in the world to overcome your guilt. He didnât talk about you for years. Numbed himself for days, weeks, months, and lied to you about it.
He opened the car door for you. Because of course he did.
He kept the radio on low, in case you wanted to talk, because of course he did.
You were finally friends again, and you couldnât look at him. He could look at you, though. Glancing every minute he drove at a reasonable speed down the dark road, gripping the steering wheel too tight. Taking a breath as if he were about to speak, and letting it go by clearing his throat when he couldnât get the words out.
Jeff could be right about two things.
Moving on was easier. Reverting to your old dynamic, your style of banter, of laughing until your stomachs hurt; though it came with the confusing sentiment of relentless adoration, yet keeping each other at armâs-length. You were ready to embrace it. Ready to work on forgiving yourself, if you could manage.
You wanted Eddie, needed him to be your friend again.
In the motel parking lot, he aimed for the room on the corner near the edge of the woods, with the extra window opposite the bathroom where a lamp you left on painted the green bushes lining the trees stark orange.
It was far too easy for Eddie Munson to be charming.
Standing in front of your door, caught in the headlights of his van, you both made awkward attempts at hiding your shy smiles. For a beat, your eyes met, and his toothy grin was as generous as him. This could be it, this could be goodbye. You could never see him after today and he spent his last moments with you nervously playing with his watch.
âThanks for walking me the..â You eyed the ground. âFour feet to my door. What a gentleman.â
He swung his arms about him. âAnything to keep you safe at night.â You giggled. Waiting for either one of you to make the first move; to leave, to fuel the conversation, to say goodbye and mean it. Waiting for the sky to fall so neither of you would have to make a decision.
After another agonizing minute of sidelong looks, he brought his thumb to his mouth, and ran it over his lip. âSo..â he attempted.
âSo.â
Eddie dropped all pretenses and went for it.
He asked casually, âDoes your fancy dorm have a communal phone, or a payphone nearby, or something like that?â Understanding immediately what he was getting at, your surprised expression did no favors in helping ease his adrenaline. His confidence wilted. He gave you an out, âIf notââ
âEvery room gets their own phone with an extension. I just have to share it with my roommate. It even comes with an answering machine, so if weâre not there, someone could, in theory, leave a message.â
He whistled. âExtra fancy,â he said, raising his brows. âCould, ah..â You swore you could hear his heartbeat in the shallow breaths he took. In the antsy way he punched his fist in his hand, like old times. âCould I, maybe, get your number, then? Yâknow.. If you want to talk more..â
âSure.â Calm. Full of starstruck smiles. Totally calm, you ripped open your purse and took out your character sheet, tearing a long strip from the top, and using your pencil against the door to write the obscenely long number, trying not to tremble. You handed it to him and he pocketed it without reading it. Too enamored with the positive result of throwing caution to the wind.
âSweet. Uhm.. Iâll see youâorâcall you later. Not tonight, obviously.. But soon, yeah?â
You should win a gold medal for keeping in your laughter. âYeah. Soon.â
Not at all fumbling with your keys while unlocking your door, you closed it behind you, dropped your head back on the wood, and released your energy in a suppressed squeal.
âHoly shit!â You couldnât wait to rub it in your roommate's face, âA boy just asked me for my number.â
~~~
Forgetting to drive away, Eddie stared at the paper in his hand, studying it and the way you wrote the numbers above your half-elfâs name. He was so pleased with himself, he could pass out from the blood rushing to his head. âHoly shit.. I fucking did it.â
Summary: You ask Eddie to be your first, but unbeknownst to each other your feelings for one another run a lot deeper than expected.
Word Count: 6078
Content Warning: P in V (safe) sex. Eddie and Reader are both 18, but it is never explicitly mentioned. Some swearing. One mention of drug use to calm Readerâs nerves. Loads of insecurities and feels.
Notes: A huge thank you to @adrille88 for beta reading and for helping me out with the ending, because I was pretty damn stuck before â€ïž
Eddie's voice comes out all shaky, completely devoid of the usual mock confidence that he throws in all the time.
It was almost like all the layers had been stripped away completely from the moment that he had parked the van, stripped down right to the bone, until there was barely anything left.
The one who's responsible for it is you and he would like to think that you would be proud of it, too, if you could actually get any words to come out of your throat right now.
You huff underneath him instead, the sharp intake of air almost as wavering as his own, but you donât reply. Your eyes are squeezed shut tightly and youâre biting on your bottom lip so hard that he fears that youâll draw blood any moment now.
âHey.â Your eyes open then, blinking once and then focusing on him. He presses the tip of his nose against yours until you offer him a weak smile. âYou back with me?â
âY-yeah,â you reply. âSorry, âs just-â
âHurts?â
âK-kinda, but not l-like⊠itâs just⊠f-feels weird.â You try to elaborate, but itâs difficult to find the right words to express how you're feeling. You shake your head and throw in a, âSorry.â
âWhat for?â That makes him smile, you being all cute and thinking you need to apologize. âIf anyone should be sorry, it should be me.â
âWhy?â
âFor doing this in the back of an old van.â At least that makes you laugh and heâs thankful for it. Itâs a lot better than your slightly pained expression of earlier. âIâm serious.â
âNot like we could do this in my room.â
Your mother was almost constantly at home, always hovering around the house, either to clean, cook or keep tabs on what was going on.
Whenever Eddie came over, she was always asking if you wanted lemonade or snacks, constantly standing in the doorway of your bedroom as if she was afraid that the two of you would jump each otherâs bones the second that her back was turned.
So your house was very much out of the question.
âOr mine,â he answers.
âWell, we could, but youâd have to clean it first.â Thereâs some mild discomfort laced through your smile and Eddie momentarily wonders if you're still sure about this, if you're only smiling to stop him from worrying. âI have standards after all.â
âHey.â He squeezes your hips once in retaliation. âNot nice.â
The only option that the two of you had was Eddieâs van. He would have much rather made it more special, rented a motel room somewhere or something, but it wasnât like he had the funds to do that.
He had been working at the garage whenever he could to pay for his van and whatever spare money he had left from dealing had gone into buying equipment for his guitar, a new amp for starters, so there wasnât anything left.
When you suggested doing it in the back, he had been surprised that you had been up for that, but Eddie wasnât going to complain about it either. Not when the girl that heâd known for years and who heâd secretly been crushing on for about the same amount of time asked him to take her virginity.
Didnât matter that it was under the pretext of âif someone has to take it, Iâd want it to be someone that I trust.â He ignored that small detail, instead focusing on making sure he did it right.
Because it wasnât like he had any experience himselfâŠ
âEddie.â
âHmm?â
âYou can move.â
âOh, thank fuck for that.â He gives a gentle and experimental roll with his hips and you hiss through your teeth. âBad?â
âN-no. Just need to get-â Eddieâs still unsure if he should just pull out completely and forget that this ever happened, but the muscles in your jaw tense and thereâs this blazing determination in your eyes all of a sudden that makes his heart skip a beat. âFuck, just keep going.â
âYou sure?â
âPositive,â you reiterate. âKeep moving.â
Eddie pulls his hips back, out of the warmth thatâs surrounding his cock, taking care to move slowly so as not to overwhelm you, because thatâs the last thing that he wants. You whimper when he slides back in and he sees it then, a slight uptick at the corner of your mouth, the merest hint of a smile.
âGood?â
âY-yeah,â you breathe back. âThat almost felt nice.â
âA-almost?â
He panics a little, immediately thinking to himself that you might not enjoy this as much as he was.
And he was. He really, really was.
From the moment that his cock had slipped inside your tight, wet heat, it was like he was in heaven. He couldn't even describe how it felt for there was nothing that he could even compare it to.
Eddie had done everything that he could to make sure that it would be good for you, too, even going as far as asking the least intimidating guy that worked at the garage for advice, and getting told that he should make sure that you were aroused and wet first and to make sure that you had climaxed at least once before sticking his dick inside you.
But he was too big, wasnât he? That must have been the problem here and he should have known that from the moment that your eyes had nearly popped out of your skull when you saw his dick. Even if you had no previous experience and would probably have been intimidated by just about anything, he knew that he was too-
âEddie.â You run your fingers through his hair, as he reluctantly keeps moving, seemingly noticing his thoughts immediately. Thatâs what you get when youâre on the same wavelength. No hiding anything from each other. âI-I didnât mean it l-like th- oh fuck.â
âW-was that-?â You nod before he finishes his sentence. He had managed to hit your sweet spot completely by accident. âI d-donât even know w-what I did.â
âJ-just- ah.â When he pushes himself in deep, it's written all over your face how much you enjoy what he is doing right now, how right he has gotten it. Eddie grinds his hips against yours and he can feel your walls grip him a little bit tighter. âR-right there.â
âThere?â He still doesnât know what the hell he did, his mind too scrambled from having his cock snuggly enveloped in your twitching walls, but as long as you keep making those noises, heâll do anything. âC-can I move a bit f-faster?â
âYeah,â you mewl. âPlease.â
In all this time that he has known you, Eddie has never heard you beg for anything. Not even in situations where it would be in your best interest to do so you never did, almost as if your stubborn nature wouldnât let you. He genuinely thought that you would rather die than to be forced to beg.
So hearing you give him permission to go faster, and not just that, but begging him to please go faster, makes his mind go completely blank and he snaps his hips harder than he had intended.
âFuckkkkk, Eddie.â Thankfully, you donât seem to mind. From the way that your mouth is opened in a perfect o-shape and how your thighs grip him a little tighter, you really seemed to enjoy that. Thereâs a flicker in your eye as you tell him, âDo that again.â
âJesus, fuck, okay.â His next thrust is so hard that he can see your tits moving up and down from the ferocity of the impact and he manages to pull a sound from your throat that he has never heard you make before. âYouâre s-so⊠damn.â
âW-what?,â you ask, but Eddie dips his head down. His lips are suddenly on the column of your throat, licking and sucking, a bit too preoccupied to recall what he had wanted to say. âOh god.â
âStill good?â he pants against your flushed skin. Heâs absolutely relentless now, slamming into you, your walls fluttering around his cock so deliciously, sending him closer to the edge with every messy thrust. âYou like that?â
You let out a noise thatâs meant to sound affirmative, beyond words yourself now that youâre almost being ripped to shreds by the building pressure inside you. Eddieâs hand, which had been stationary at your hip, simply gripping you tightly until then, moves to where your bodies meet and you clench your teeth when his fingers start rubbing your swollen clit clumsily.
âPlease donât stop,â you keen. âPlease, Eddie. Donât stop.â
âI wonât.â He presses his lips onto your cheek, to the corner of your mouth, and he can hear your voice breaking over the continuous repeated pleas that keep falling from your lips. âF-fuck,â he grunts. âIâm so close.â
No sooner has he said those words, barely even out of his mouth, that he feels your pussy gripping him tightly. You gasp and your fingernails dig into his back so hard that he thinks that heâll be covered in marks for the next few days.
He will wear those marks with pride. Hell, he might even get someone to tattoo them on him simply to make it a more permanent reminder of what just happened.
His eyes are on you, even if itâs difficult to keep them open, watching your blissed out features as your climax washes over you. You never looked more pretty to him, something that he had wanted to voice out loud earlier if he hadnât gotten distracted.
Eddieâs right behind you himself, his cock jolting inside you, buried as deeply as possible, his balls tightening first and then unloading. Your walls are still clamping down on him like a vice, attempting to pull him in deeper, and he can feel his cum pulsing up his shaft in waves. The rush that he experiences is like nothing that he has ever felt before.
Surely, nothing could top this.
Claiming the girl that heâd known for years as his own, being your first, and you being his first as well. He would never ever forget this.
Collapsing on top of you, he feels guilty for crushing you, but he canât move since all his muscles have gone completely slack. He canât even pull out. Then again, he doesnât want to pull out, not even now that heâs softening inside you. It just feels too good.
You stir underneath him, crane your neck and press your lips against his temple gently. When your fingers tangle through his hair, he sighs deeply as you start dragging your digits through the strands, pulling out small knots.
He knows that he has to move eventually, but for now he'll do his utmost to burn this exact moment into his memory, how he feels and how you feel underneath him. He wants to remember every movement, every sigh, every touch⊠all of it.
Eventually, you nudge his side and he rolls off of you with a groan. He misses the warmth of your body immediately, even if he can still feel it from where your arms are still touching each other.
It's simply not enough.
"So⊠w-was itâŠ" Eddie starts to say as he sits up and removes the condom from his now soft cock. He ties up the end and places it in the corner, right behind the driverâs seat, hoping that he won't forget to toss it when he's home. "What I'm trying to ask isâŠ" he clears his throat and blurts out the rest of his question. "How was it for you?"
"Weird," you reply and when he looks back at you, you're already putting your bra back on. "But not as bad as IâŠ" He watches you shake your head and absentmindedly sees you rubbing a hand over your knee. "I expected worse? Not that I thought that you'd-!"
"No offense taken," he laughs. Eddie knew that if not done right, it could be worse for girls. His eyes are still on your hand and they slowly drift up your thigh, ever higher before you manage to cover yourself up. His eyes widen when he sees what happened. âOh, baby, shit. Youâre bleeding.â He reaches for his jeans, pulls his signature bandana from the back pocket and gently rubs it against the apex of your thighs before he freezes and realizes what he just called you. âI uh-"
âWhat, Eddie?â His eyes are dragged away from what he's doing and then he locks eyes with you. You're awfully close, close enough for him to feel your warm breath on his face. "It's okay⊠it happens sometimes. Apparently."
Your eyes keep flicking back and forth between his eyes and his lips and all that he'd have to do was lean in just a little bit more, only a couple more inches and then your lips would meet.
But he couldn't.
Because friends didn't kiss.
Even after what had just happened, he was still too cowardly to actually lean in and kiss you, almost as if he would be overstepping some boundary if he did. The kiss to the corner of your mouth was the closest that he'd ever gotten that evening.
"Y-yeah." Eddie pulls his hand away, the bandana stained with your blood, and then he turns his head to toss it right next to where he had put the used condom. "What time are you supposed to be home again?"
"N-nine," you stammer as you put your bra back on. "What time is it now?"
Eddie checks his watch and replies, "Quarter past eight so we have plenty of time left." He puts his own clothes on a lot quicker than you get back into yours and he slides back into the driver's seat a mere minute later. "You want a smoke?"
"Yeah, but just a normal one." With his eyes firmly fixed on the rearview mirror, he watches you get dressed, memorizing every inch of your bare skin. "My parents will kill me if I show up high."
"Fair enough." He grabs a packet of cigarettes from the dashboard and sticks one between his lips. "Some other time?"
"Yeah sure." You sound oddly distant, but Eddie blames that on the awkwardness of the current situation. After what you two had just done, it will probably take some time for things to be normal again. If they ever can be. "Light it for me?"
"Sure." He grabs another cigarette, digs his lighter from the pocket of his jeans and lights them both. When he looks back in the rearview mirror, you're almost fully dressed. Your sneakers are in your hand as you step between the seats to the passenger seat. "Thanks," you reply as you take the cigarette from him. "Music?"
"What?" Eddie realizes that he had been staring at you and follows your finger as you point at the radio. "Oh. Music. Sure."
You finish your cigarettes without saying another word, instead listening to a mixtape that you had made the week before with various punk rock songs until it was time to bring you home.
Last Caress from The Misfits was playing when you got out of the van and bid him a good night. It was the first time that you had said anything since asking him to put on some music. Eddie waited a bit longer, until you had opened the front door and entered the house, which was what he always did, before pulling away and heading back to the trailer park.
He ejected the tape fairly quickly after he pulled away though. Something about the lyrics of Last Caress rubbed him the wrong way for some odd reason.
One last caress, sweet death
It simply felt wrongâŠ
*****
Eddie doesnât see you the entire weekend and heâs too scared to go to your place or to pick up the phone so he can ask you if you want to hang out.
It wasnât supposed to be like this anyway. You had said it yourself, you had asked him to take your virginity because you trusted him. There wasnât anything more going on there. He had convinced himself that there wasnât, that the act itself was ultimately meaningless.
On Monday morning, when he was waiting outside your house to come pick you up like he usually did, that was the main thing that was on his mind, but he didnât want to make things awkward between you by asking you questions that would confirm his suspicions.
You slid into the seat next to him, saying a quieter âmorningâ than was usual for you, but Eddie does his best not to comment on it. All he does is incline his head in greeting and then his foot is on the gas as he drives to school.
Nothing else is said. Maybe thereâs a reason for it, for your silence.
Embarrassment for one, because you can barely look him in the eye. Nervousness perhaps, because you canât stop fidgeting with the hemline of your shirt. Regret? He hopes not, but who knows.
The silence drags on and you look out the window, alternating from rubbing your shirt between your hands to grasping the strap of your shoulder bag and twisting it around your fingers. You could cut the tension with a knife and youâre unsure how to lift it, not knowing what you could or should say.
You clear your throat and Eddie finally looks at you right before he comes to a stop in front of a traffic light.
âS-s-so,â you finally stammer out.
âSo. What's up,â Eddie replies, but his voice sounds all weird. Detached. Angry almost. And he wasn't, not really, but the rational part of his mind seemed to have switched off completely and he is incapable of sounding normal in any way.
âA-are you angry with me?â Unlike Eddie, you donât avoid the potentially awkward questions now that he has finally opened his mouth.
âAngry? Why would I be angry?â he snaps, but he seems to realize how that sounds and amends himself. âIâm not angry,â he sighs, his tone softer now. âThereâs no reason for me to be.â
âOh,â you mumble as the light turns to green and he starts driving again. âItâs just- I didnât see you this weekend.â
âWe saw each other on Friday.â He notices how you look down at your shoes when he says it and for someone that was able to read every single emotion on your face before, he sure has trouble deciphering them now. âYou didnât call.â
âI-I usually donât have to,â you reply. âYou just show up and then we hang out.â
That was true. The two of you hardly ever called each other beforehand to schedule anything. There were certain times during the day that you kinda kept empty for each other so neither of you had to call to ask âAre you free right now?â It had been like that for years.
âI was busy,â Eddie says. âMaybe I should have told you.â
âOh no, thatâs okay." You seem unusually flustered by this and immediately stare out the window again. "Fine. Thatâs fine.â
"What is the-" He begins to say, but even though your head is turned away, he can see your bottom lip wobble. "Hey, are you-"
"Fine," you repeat like a broken record, a bit more forcefully and he can definitely hear in your voice that you're on the verge of tears. "I'm fine."
âYou donât sound-â
âJust stop talking!â Eddie visibly flinches when you raise your voice. Okay, youâre definitely crying. âI donât want to⊠just donât say anything.â
Even though heâs close to school, Eddie still pulls over to the side of the road. If he reaches the school parking lot, youâll bolt out of his van and he wonât see you for the rest of the day, he just knows it. But heâs still far away enough now and youâre too upset to actually get out and walk. He knows you well enough to know that you wonât get out here.
âWhatâs wrong?â He tries to reach for you, but you turn away. Your arms are wrapped so tightly around yourself and youâre leaning forward as if youâre trying to curl yourself up into a little ball. âIs this about what we did?â
Even though he didnât want to, he had to broach the subject. Thereâs no other way around it anymore.
âWhat do you think?â You wipe at your cheek furiously, the tears falling in full force now. âEnlighten me, Eddie.â
âI told you upfront that we probably shouldnât do it, alright!â He hates himself for raising his voice as well, especially since youâre so obviously hurt but fuck, he was hurting, too. âBut you-â
âDonât blame me for it! You got what you wanted and then you couldnât even be bothered to pick up the goddamn phone?â
âI got what I wanted?" He wasn't expecting that response, especially not after you so obviously used him. "Youâre the one that-â
âIt was an excuse!â you shout. âI knew that you would never touch me like that, so I fucking lied!â
âWhat?â Itâs all he can say as he stares at you dumbfounded. âWhat?â
âI-I-I figured if Iâd offer you that⊠if Iâd let you⊠that maybe youâd see me in a different light, that youâd think of me as a woman instead of⊠actually I donât even want to know what you think of meâŠ" Eddie has no intention of answering, but you hold up your hand anyway, apparently under the impression that he had been about to speak. "But it obviously⊠fuck, itâs so obvious now⊠it didnât fucking work⊠and itâs not like I can take it back...â
You ramble on, more to yourself than to him by the looks of it, and Eddie doesnât know what to do. Heâs heard you rant before, usually about books or bands or whatever other subject you're passionate about, but never like this. This was pure, unfiltered self-doubt talking and it's a side of you that he was oddly unfamiliar with, because it was a side of you that you had never once allowed him to see.
Part of him knows that he should stop you, before you run out of breath since youâre babbling so much, but another part of him wants to know what youâll say now that your internal filter seems to be malfunctioning.
âSo I ruined everything⊠and I want to fix it⊠for things to go back to how they were, you know? But I canât just⊠wave a magic fucking wand around and make everything go back to normal.â You hang your head in your hands and he can see your back begin to shake, signifying that youâre close to sobbing. âS-s-so now Iâm going to have to⊠learn to live with that, I suppose⊠but fuck, I wish I could⊠really, really wish I could make you-â
âStop. Fuck, please. Youâre not making any sense.â Your mouth snaps shut and you wipe at your eyes with the back of your hand. âSo, hereâs what I got from that⊠that speech. When you told me that you trusted me, that you wanted me to be your first because you trusted me, that was a lie?â
âN-no. Not r-really.â You shake your head and quickly add, âI do. Trust you, I mean, but thatâs not why I asked you if you wanted to⊠you know.â
âSo why then?â
âIsnât it obvious?â
âOh, trust me, babe, it is.â When you were mid-rant, the pieces kind of fell into place and he felt like a right idiot for not realizing it before. âI just wanna hear you say it. And say it to my face.â
He watches you take a deep breath, trying to steady your breathing because right now it sounds like you ran a couple of miles. You close your eyes and repeat it a couple of times.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
It takes a short while for your breathing to even out, but when it does, you look a lot calmer than before. Eddie can see your hands shake and to stop them from doing that, you grip your knees so tight that it's hurting him just from looking at it.
âOkay,â you say softly as you turn to him. Your eyes are red and there are streaks on your cheeks, but you seem to have found the determination to want to do this, to tell him whatâs going on. âEddie.â A shiver runs down his spine from hearing you say his name like that, his mind suddenly filled with reminders of last Friday. âI love you.â
âAnd thatâs why you asked me to f- make love to you?â
âYes.â You look ashamed of yourself and you donât seem to catch that Eddie very deliberately said that he âmade love to youâ instead of âfucking you.â âI shouldnât have asked you, Iâm sorry, and now I ruined everything.â
âWhy would that ruin everything?â
âYou think that we can go back to being friends after that?â He shakes his head in reply. âSee? I messed up.â Your eyes well up again and you rub at them before the tears can fall. âIâm so sorry, Eddie,â you sob and he can see your hand gripping the car door, getting ready to open it and get out.
âWait,â he blurts out. You sniffle and pause, but your hand doesnât let go of the handle. âYou donât want to hear my answer?â
âYour answer?â You frown, a brief flash of anger crossing your features because youâre convinced that heâs making fun of you now. âIâd rather not know if thatâs okay.â
âNo way. You got to say what you wanted so I should get the opportunity as well.â
âJust⊠be gentle, okay?â You seem to have resigned yourself to the fact that whatever you felt could never be reciprocated, hence why you had even come up with that badly thought out idea to have him be your first to begin with. âI donât think I can handle much more today.â
âBabeâŠâ
Seeing you like this was breaking Eddieâs damn heart.
All the thoughts that had been plaguing him these last two days seem to have been on your mind as well.
He wonders how many times you had the phone in your hand, ready to call him, before deciding against it. Wonders if you had been thinking of grabbing your bike to cycle over to his place, with the excuse that youâd lost some random thing that you desperately needed right that instance.
Because those were all things that he had been thinking of doing, too. Heâd even made it as far as a few blocks away from your house on Sunday before turning around and going back.
The only problem was that now that he had the opportunity to tell you exactly how he felt, and how he had felt for several years now, that he couldnât find the words.
His entire mind was drawing a blank.
And the longer the silence dragged on, the more your face seemed to fall. He could see every single insecurity written all over it, a million doom scenarios flashing behind your eyes, each one worse than the other.
Eddie wanted to take all your doubts away, but he didnât know how. For someone that had an answer for almost everything, he sure was struggling now.
âEddie,â you said softly. âYou donât have to-â
Practically lunging forward, he cupped your face in his hands and kissed you instead. It was just the one kiss and when he pulled away, you were staring at him with wide eyes, like your brain was struggling to process what the hell had just happened.
âI um⊠I didnât know what to say,â he whispers. âSo I just-â
âSo you just-â
âYeah. You donât mind?â
âNo, no, I donât mind,â you blurted out. âWhy would I mind? I mean, I-â
Eddie presses his lips on yours again before you can go on another nervous ramble. The first kiss was over before it even started and you hadnât gotten a chance to respond then, but you do now. He feels your hands on his shoulders, your touch uncertain at first, but your grip tightens when his tongue swipes over your lips.
You sigh and he takes the chance to lick into your mouth, seeking out your tongue. You match his eagerness and then take it further than he had intended to.
You shift in your seat until youâre sitting on your knees and looming over him. The kiss breaks for a few seconds and you push him back, moving in to straddle him immediately. Thereâs not a lot of room with the steering wheel right behind you, but you wonât be deterred and Eddie doesnât stop you either. His hands circle around your back, pulling you into him.
Youâre basically grinding into Eddieâs lap while most of Hawkins is on their morning commute to work, dropping their kids off at school, passing by his van without having a clue what's going on in there. Whenever they hazard a look inside, theyâre treated to the sight of two horny teenagers who look like theyâre seconds away from tearing each otherâs clothes off.
Some random woman that passes by on the sidewalk bangs her hand against the window, muttering something about devil worship. She didn't even have to look twice to check who was behind the wheel, because everyone in Hawkins knew exactly who the proud owner of that van was.
âWhatâs the devil got to do with you sitting on my lap?â Eddie murmurs against your lips, amused.
âNo idea,â you shrug as you pull away and move back to your own seat once more. âProbably thought that youâd brainwashed me or something.â
âSure I did,â he mutters. Thatâs when he thinks of something else entirely. âWhatâs first period again?â
âPhys ed.â
âFuck that.â Eddie turns the key in the ignition and makes the engine roar back into life. He turns the van around and drives back in the direction that you had come from. âWeâre skipping class.â
âOh, are we?â If you had asked him to, he would have turned around and driven right back to school, but he knew that you wouldnât challenge him on this. âAnd what are we going to be doing instead?â
âSome physical education of our own. Itâll be loads better than playing dodgeball again.â Eddie starts chuckling and couldnât resist adding, âYou can dodge my balls instead.â
âGod!â Your arm shoots out and smacks his bicep. âYouâre such a child,â you say with a laugh. âHonestly.â
âIâll make sure that you get your workout, baby, donât worry about it.â
âYou gonna make me sweat?â
âThatâs the idea.â He holds his right hand out to you, palm up, and you take it without hesitation. He gives your hand a quick squeeze and throws in a, âBest way to work up a sweat.â
The rest of the drive is relatively silent. The only noises are coming from the car stereo, which wasn't set to its usual volume for once, interspersed with the occasional laugh when the two of you happen to make eye contact.
Eddie drives to the exact same place where he parked the car last Friday afternoon, a relatively secluded spot near Lover's Lake which was eerily quiet at this time on a Monday morning.
It had taken quite some time to coax you into the back on Friday, nervous as you were, and even sharing a joint with Eddie hadn't made your nerves subside.
You'd sat in the passenger seat for at least a half an hour longer before you had joined him and then it had taken another half hour for you to even take your shirt off. All that happened while Eddie had his back turned to you by the way, while he continuously promised that he wouldn't face you until you were ready, even if he was hard as a rock already by that time (uncomfortably so).
There wasn't any hesitation now.
Seconds before Eddie had turned the engine off, you got up, squeezing through the space between the seats and sat down in the back. Eddie hadn't gotten round to putting all the blankets that he had grabbed from the trailer back yet so you were sitting quite comfortably among them when he joined you.
His mouth falls open when you take your shirt off like it's nothing and when your hands start moving down, fingers already moving to open your jeans, is the moment that apprehension sets in for him this time.
"Nice to see that you're so comfortable now," he laughs nervously. "But there's one thing that I need to tell you first."
Your fingers stop moving, jeans pulled open far enough so that your light blue cotton panties are visible. "What is it?" You move over to where Eddie has sat down and ask, "You don't want to do this anymore?"
"Fuck, that's not it. I definitely want to do this." He very crudely takes your hand and places it on his crotch so you can feel exactly how hard he is already. You give him a quick squeeze and he groans in reply. "I just wanted to clarify something."
"And what's that?" Your eyebrows arch in amusement and he doesn't really know why. "You can tell me, Eddie."
"Well, when you first suggested that we sleep together, you did that with the assumption that I'd slept with someone before."
"Yeah?" You briefly cover your mouth with your free hand and clear your throat. "Are you trying to tell me that you didn't?"
"Yeah," he says quietly. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"Eddie." You lean in and peck his cheek. "I already knew."
"Wha-?" he says, dumbfounded, and you can't stop yourself from giggling now. "How did you know?"
"You did say that you didn't know what you were doing. It was just the once, but it was kind of a dead giveaway," you reveal. Eddie smacks himself in the forehead. He had said that. "It made me feel a bit better, to know that we were both new to it and were experiencing it together."
"Can't hide anything from you." He reaches out to touch you then, his hands skimming up your chest until he's cupping your tits. "My girl's so smart." You let out a moan, one that's a bit too loud for what he's doing, and Eddie's face lights up like a goddamn Christmas tree. "You like being called my girl?"
"Uh-huh," you pant as you arch your back and press your chest into his hands. "I love it."
"Good." Eddie leans back until his spine is pressed against the side of the van, pulling you along with him and making you straddle his lap. "'Cause you are my girl, right?" You whimper when he runs his hand through your hair and grips the back of your neck gently. "Tell me."
"I'm your girl." You pop the button of his jeans, pull his fly open and slip your hand inside. "I've always been your girl," you tell him as he pushes his hips up into your hand. "Eddie." There's a sense of urgency behind your voice. "We're gonna have to hurry up if we want to make it back in time for the second period."
Eddie presses his forehead against your shoulder and groans, "And what's that again?"
"Maths."
"Fuck that," he replies as he reaches around your back to unhook your bra. "We're skipping that one as well." He licks a stripe from your collarbone up to your ear and growls, "Now stop talking about school please? It's putting me off."
"Oh really?" Your hand jerks upwards over his shaft. "If anything, you're only getting harder," you observe with a grin. "Or is that because of-" Your sentence ends in a yelp when Eddie suddenly flips you onto your back and gives you a searing kiss to shut you up.
"You done?" You nod, your sass now completely gone. "Good, because we have about an hour left and I want to make you come at least three times before we get back to school if you don't mind."
"No, I don't mind," you squeak. "I don't mind at all."
Request: Ooh can you do an Eddie x cheerleader!reader who are friends and hang out. They start hanging out and even kiss. His friends (the older ones not the kids) notice heâs hanging out with the reader and asks if theyâre dating but then he lies and says something like ânever, sheâs not my typeâ. Then the reader hears him and gets really upset and confronts him? Sorry Iâm just a sucker for something angsty!
Show Me What You've Got - Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader
Part 3 to the series Chemistry
stranger things masterlist
summary: It's Y/N and Eddie's last night working on their assignment. After a bad day at school, the two end up studying at Eddie's place. By the end of the night, the two finish their assignment, guitar playing from Y/N and Eddie ensue, heart's are opened, and Y/N's gives Eddie a surprise goodbye.
1. This was meant to be a filler chapter but ended up being the longest one I've ever written lmao so buckle up because a lot happens
2. I realize it's highly improbable a student like Eddie and a straight A student like Y/N would be in the same class or in a chemistry class for their senior year, but for the sake of this story, letâs ~pretend~.
3. Also for any of my astrology baddies, I'm big time convinced Eddie has a pisces placement. Iâm thinking maybe sagittarius sun pisces moon and Y/N is very much influenced by me and my virgo moon so i feel like this chapter (this whole series) really exemplifies that opposition/synastry lol.
4. get ready for hella yearning, teasing, flirting, hurt, comfort, and just all the cuteness
On the way home from Y/Nâs house, Eddieâs mind and heart are racing. Instead of focusing on the road before him, his mind wanders to the nervous look on Y/Nâs face or the adorable quiver in her lip.
When he gets to the trailer, the lights are off and his uncleâs car is nowhere to be seen. He unlocks the door and enters the dark space. He flicks on the light and trudges to his room where he flops on the bed and looks up at the ceiling fan.Â
He folds his hands behind his head and sighs. âGoddamn it Y/N, what are you doing to me,â he wonders aloud.Â
He turns over to his bedside table and rummages through the drawer. He pulls out one of his premade joints and a lighter. He props himself up on his elbows and lights it. He takes a puff and draws a long inhale. He exhales a cloud of smoke and a tension in his shoulders dissipates. His heart, however, is still pounding loudly in his chest from the moment that just transpired: he had asked Y/N, sweet, innocent, beautiful Y/N, if sheâd ever had sex before.
 Why did he even ask her that? Well, in the moment, it felt like the right thing to say, but now, he worries he mightâve taken things too far.
Itâs not like itâs his responsibility to help her explore something as personal as her sensuality, but she just looked so lost and confused. Like she was completely in the dark and the only person who had ever shone a light on the subject was him.Â
He wouldnât be surprised if sex was another thing on the list of forbidden fruits her parents ordained on her, but he at least expected her to have some sort of girlish curiosity about it, not just avoid the subject completely.
Regardless, it was obvious she had never had sex before, but despite the fact that she was clearly embarrassed about it, she never denied it. He knows for a fact that anybody else would have and made up some story to pretend like they had, but she didnât and that was refreshing to him.
By the end of the night, he comes to the conclusion that he doesnât regret what happened, but he knows that he needs to be careful. He doesnât want Y/N to think heâs more of a freak than he already is. Theyâve only known each other for a matter of days and heâs already managed to screw things up: thatâs a record.Â
In a way, heâs grateful they wonât meet up tomorrow. The afforded time and space might grant him a shred of dignity back. And yet, he feels like itâll be too long. As he takes another puff of his joint, he begins to count down the far too many hours before heâll see her again.Â
â-Â
The next morning, Y/N wakes up with very little recollection of the night before.
Like any other life altering moment, it kept her up into the night just replaying it, thinking about it, and overthinking about it.
But in the morning, sheâs not fully awake enough to remember it just yet. As she opens the blinds to her room and adjusts to the day ahead, sheâs reminded of the to-do list full of assignments, activities, and tasks thatâll keep her brain occupied for a while.Â
The thought of Eddie finally comes to her as she stands face to face with her closet. She forgot to prepare an outfit the night before and is tasked with choosing one now. It should be a simple enough task. Thereâs a few outfit combinations in her wardrobe that are tried and true, but a certain pesky thought stops her in her tracks before she can even select one.
What would Eddie think?
Y/N wonders what Eddie would think of any of the outfit choices she has. Would he think this outfit is too dorky? Would he think that outfit is cool? Would he think she looked pretty in whatever it is that she wears?Â
Y/N shakes her head as if she could physically remove the thought that way.Â
She convinces herself that it doesnât even matter how she looks because she wonât even be spending time with him after school today. But then she realizes that it doesnât mean she wonât see him at all.
During class, sheâll have to tell him that theyâll have to meet at 4:30 tomorrow instead because she has an appointment with her guidance counselor after school.Â
Itâll only be a five minute conversation, so why base a whole outfit for the day based on a brief interaction, especially with a boy she has no business wanting to impress?Â
And yet, she finds herself wanting to look good, for him.Â
The realization makes her want to crawl out of her skin. Sheâs never been so boy crazy as to want to look good for a boy before. She sees that sort of hypnosis in her close friends who have boyfriends. From that moment forward, Y/N promised herself she wouldnât succumb to that madness, yet here she is now.Â
Itâs silly to be worrying about this. She has college applications and exams and other, far more important, things to be worrying about. And besides, what's the point of a high school relationship? Not that sheâs even imagining a relationship with Eddie, but while sheâs on the subject, she reminds herself that theyâre futile.Â
This time next year, sheâll be away at college, many many miles away from Hawkins. And she canât make permanent plans based on temporary people, so itâs futile to keep incorporating Eddie into her thoughts like this.
Eddie is just a boy that she has to work on an assignment with. Itâs fun working with him, sure, but thatâs all he is. Nothing more and nothing less⊠Right?
â
By the time Thursday rolls around Eddieâs been eagerly anticipating seeing Y/N again.Â
If he had a quarter for every glance he stole at Y/N when he thought she wasnât looking, he could probably buy another guitar by now.Â
Itâs not enough just to be able to see her in class, looking at her whenever she pushes up her glasses with her index finger or raises her hand and gives the correct answer to whatever problem the teacher presents them with.Â
And it's definitely not enough to sneak glances of her at lunch where her friend group sits on the other side of the cafeteria.Â
âEddie,â Dustin waves a hand in his face.
âWhat?â Eddie snaps out of his daze.
âWeâre voting on when to have the next campaign.â Dustin says with frustration.
âYeah, yeah Iâm down for whatever,â Eddie aloofly responds and shoos Dustin away.
Sometimes, if thereâs not too many students walking past Y/N and her group of friends, Eddie will see her talking and laughing. And sometimes, heâll blame it on his imagination, that when he sees Y/N crane her neck a few times, itâs because she too is searching for him across the sea of students.Â
As he sees her laugh and smile, he wonders what she talks about. He also wonders what her friends are like. And he wishes he didnât care, but a small part of him that he tries to bury wonders what they think of him. What would they think of him and Y/N spending so much time together?Â
For the rest of the day, thoughts of Y/N consume Eddieâs head, and by the time school lets out, his blood is pumping rapidly in anticipation.Â
Eddie lingers a bit with some of the Hellfire boys, but at 4:25 makes sure to promptly make his way to wait for Y/N by the counselorâs office.Â
He almost wanted to bring her something. He thought about it a lot and considered bringing her a snack but he doesnât know what her favorite candy or soda is.Â
He also thought about bringing her some wildflowers from the field by the parking lot, but that would be too much.Â
He even thought about bringing her one of his guitar picks, but worried she might think it was too weird or personal, or worse, not even care.Â
Maybe itâs too soon to be doing any of those things, but he just wants to do something special for Y/N and make up for the weirdness of Tuesday night.Â
He decides that maybe the best way to make it up to her would be to be on his best behavior and try his best to finish their assignment on a good note today.
Unfortunately, he doesnât catch Y/N on quite a good note that afternoon.Â
As he excitedly waits for her by the counselors office, he hopes sheâll appreciate his punctuality, but it proves pointless when itâs 4:35 and sheâs still not there.Â
He looks down the hall and checks the other side but itâs empty. He checks his watch again and frowns. Why is she taking so long? Did he somehow miss her?
Suddenly, the sound of a doorknob turning catches his attention and he sees Y/N sluggishly exiting the door of the guidance counselors office.
âYeah, you too,â Y/N weakly mumbles over her shoulder before turning her head forward.Â
She comes out in a daze, not even seeing Eddie and his wild mane of hair as she walks out the door like a zombie.Â
âY/N,â he wonders aloud in confusion. She walks slowly with her head hung low and doesnât stop at the sound of his voice.
âY/N wait up,â Eddie calls after her but sheâs too lost in thought to hear. Eddie jogs to catch up to her and plants his feet in front of her.Â
He sees a deep scowl on her face and teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. âY/N are you okay?â
Y/N stops in her tracks and looks up at him, freed from her spiraling thoughts. She breathes deeply and holds herself steady.Â
âIs something wrong?â
Y/N shakes her head and looks away. Eddie says her name in an unconvincing way.Â
âAre you okay?â Eddie asks and Y/N looks up. She doesnât say a word with her lips, but her eyes say it all.
Y/Nâs chewing on her bottom lip as she contemplates what she should say or do. None of this concerns him and he probably wouldnât care anyway. This is her problem and her problem alone to deal with.
âYou know you can tell me right?â Eddie says reassuringly as he gently places his hand on her shoulder. Y/N slowly looks from his slender fingers gently gripping on the fabric of her shirt to his leather clad arm to the tattoos peeking out from his collar to the pale skin of his neck, the strong set of his jaw, the warmth of his lips, and the sincerity of his big brown eyes.
âI know we havenât known each other long, but whatever it is, you can tell me.â
Y/N locks eyes with Eddie and she looks back and forth between his irises. A curtain of stone cold blankness crosses her face. She canât let Eddie see her like this. Itâs embarrassing enough what heâs learned about her, but to see her so weak and emotional like this is the last straw.
âY/N, I get it if you donât want to talk about it, but you donât have to deal with this alone, you know? Itâs nothing to be ashamed of.â
Y/N lightly gasps under her breath. Can he hear her thoughts? How does he know what sheâs feeling, without her even having to say a word? If she werenât so self-conscious about her composure, she could just cry at his words.Â
She doesnât want to drag this moment out even more than it already has been, so she tries to give him enough of an explanation that he wonât ask questions and they can just move on from this unspeakably uncomfortable and embarrassing moment.
Y/N shakes her head. âItâs nothing. I just had to speak with the counselor andââ she cuts herself off.
Eddie doesnât say anything at first. He waits for Y/N to continue her sentence, but when she doesnât, he asks, âDid something happen in there?â
Y/N hesitates, contemplating if she should even say it out loud, let alone to Eddie. The boy is starting to get too close for comfort.
She looks at him and his big brown eyes and feels her chest tighten. The way he looks at her is unlike the way any boy has ever looked at her. Thereâs a vulnerability in his gaze that she herself canât even reciprocate.Â
Normally, she would just keep something like this to herself, or better yet, pretend like it didnât even happen, but the concern in his face and worry in his eyes begins to make her feel differently.Â
Eddie removes his hand from her shoulder and lets it hang by his side, leaving her feeling cold. âI know you probably think I wonât understand, but⊠but I can try.âÂ
Y/N shakes her head. âItâs not that I think you wouldnât understand Eddie,â Y/N responds, struggling but using every ounce of willpower in her body to maintain eye contact. âIn fact, if I think about it, you might be the only one who would understand. I just⊠I⊠I donât know. It feels weird to talk about.â
Eddie exhales and bites his lip as he looks away for a second before looking at Y/N. âWell, can you at least tell me how bad it was?â
âIt was kind of bad.â
Eddie frowns. âWere you⊠hurt, in any way?â
âNo, I didnât get hurt,â Y/N exhales and the right corner of her lip turns up slightly, feeling somewhat relieved at having gotten a fraction of the most discouraging experience sheâs ever had off her chest, even if it's to Eddie Munson.
Eddie exhales and a small smile slowly creeps onto his own face. âGood. I guess this means I donât need to go around beating anybody up for you then, right?â
Y/N looks down and giggles. Eddie beams at her, feeling victorious at having brought a smile to her face.
âNo. Not that I even believe violence is the answer, but no. And no offense, but you seem like your bark is much worse than your bite.â Y/N jokes as she starts walking. Eddie follows suit and the two make their way out of the building.
âBelieve me, the Hellfire boys and I can do some real damage.â
âYeah, like Iâm entrusting a bunch of nerds to do my fighting. Whatâs a few matching t-shirts and dice gonna do?â
âWow, so thatâs how it is, huh? And calling us a bunch of nerds as if you yourself arenât one,â Eddie teases and pinches Y/Nâs cheek. Y/N nods with a small smirk and blush tinting her cheeks.
âYou wound me, Y/N,â Eddie says and it comes off far more seductively in Y/Nâs ears than the sarcasm Eddie likely intended.
When Y/N and Eddie make their way over to his van, Eddie walks Y/N to the passenger side and opens the door for her. Y/N raises a leg up to step into the van, then hesitates and brings it back down. She looks inside the van then back at Eddie who has one hand on the outside door handle and the other pressed flat against the back door.Â
Y/N turns around and leans against the car. She exhales and shyly says Eddieâs name. The sound is sweeter than any song Eddieâs ever heard.
âYeah?â Eddie asks gently. Their corner of the parking lot is empty, with the after school rush having died down which is a privacy Y/N welcomes.Â
Seeing Y/N so guarded and unlike herself elicits an inexplicable need in Eddie to protect her. To take care of her. Sheâs strong on her own, but he wants her to know that she doesnât always have to be. That she can be weak with him. Â
âWhat happened back there,â Y/N says and jerks her head in the direction of the school building, âwas because of something the counselor said to me.â
Eddie looks at her and doesnât see a sense of fear in her face anymore. Despite this, he still wishes he could touch her. He wants to run his fingers along her arm or hold her in an embrace to comfort her, but he doesnât want to be too forward or any more forward than he already has been.Â
âWhat did she say?â He tilts his head and looks at her intensely.
âSomethingâŠweird⊠I just donât understand.â Y/N shakes her head, trying to withstand the intensity of his gaze.
âWhat is it you donât understand?â
âWell, she was weird about my college and major choice. I mean, the reason I even went to the guidance counselor today was to review my college application essays with her but we didnât even get to do that. I sat down and handed them to her and before she even took a look at them, she asked where I was applying to and what I was majoring in. So I told her, you know, my dream school is the University of Chicago and Iâm applying to their civil engineering program. Iâve wanted to go there for as long as I can remember.â
Y/N takes a deep breath in and out. Then, in a frustrated manner she rapidly and irritatedly explains the rest of her guidance counselor visit, âAnd itâs like I know what I like and what Iâm good at and where I want to go and how Iâm going to get there. All I needed was a second opinion on my essays. But she couldnât even give me that. As soon as I told her my plan, she said I should set my sights on something a bit more realistic. But what do I need to be realistic about? I didnât work my ass off to be ranked number three in our class, behind Randy and Lisa, do a million extracurriculars, and try to have stellar essays to be realstic.â
âWow, she said that to you?â
âYeah, and thatâs not even the worst part. Then she goes on to say that she thinks I should look into the local community college or a state school here in Indiana because a person like me would be lucky to even get into one of those schools, let alone the University of Chicago.â
âA person like you? What does that even mean?â Eddie asks in disgust.
âI donât know! But she said she wouldnât even look over my application until I decided to apply to a state school and change my major to something a little bit easier and less intimidating.âÂ
âWhat? Thatâs fucking bullshit,â Eddie huffs angrily and slaps his hand against the car door several inches away from where Y/Nâs leaning. The noise and proximity make her jump
âSorry, didnât mean to scare you,â Eddie says as he lightly rubs his hand up and down her arm. âAnyway, what else did she say?âÂ
âThat was it,â Y/N says and Eddie nods. âI just feel so stupid, you know? I mean, next time Iâll just ask my English teacher to look over my essays.â
âY/N,â Eddie asks, daring to include the phrase, âare you serious?â.
âWhat?â
âWhat the counselor said to you was complete and utter bullshit, you have to know that.â
Y/N shrugs while pressing her lips together and holding her breath. If she doesnât think about it too much, then maybe the tears will go away.Â
âSheâs wrong about you. You shouldnât listen to the indoctrination crap she probably gives every other person in this school. Youâre meant for more than Hawkins. And youâll be a badass at engineering, I guarantee it.â
Y/Nâs spirit lifts at Eddieâs words, but not as much as it should have. She smiles, but it fades before she whispers in a hurt voice, âBut then why would she say that?â
âBecause sheâs a fucking idiot! An idiot who canât see that youâre one of the smartest students in this school, hell this town.â
âBut Eddie, sheâs the guidance counselor.â
âIt doesnât make her right.â He spits.
âWhat? Why not?â Y/Nâs voice cracks as she clutches the door for balance. If she canât trust the elders in her life, then who can she trust?
âLook Y/N, not every adult in the world is smart or right. In fact, a lot of them are the opposite. Just look at the president, heâs both.â Eddie sneers.
Y/N wrinkles her eyebrows.Â
âAnd they donât always have your best interest at heart either. Sometimes you have to just take what they say with a grain of salt.â
Y/N nods, eyebrows still furrowed as she makes sense of her words, âI never thought of it like that.â
âWell, you get let down enough times and you start learning the rules of this little thing called life,â Eddie smiles.
âEddie,â Y/N responds with concern, looking at his bangs lightly blowing in the wind.
âDonât worry about me, Y/N. Just promise that you wonât listen to what she says.â
âI can, itâs just⊠How could she say that to a student?â
â Because sheâs just doing her Hawkins High School job of forcing conformity onto you. But you donât have to do that, you know.â Eddie bends down to follow her downcast line of sight till she looks him in the eye. âYou donât have to be who people want you to be.âÂ
Y/N scrunches her eyebrows. The realizations are too intense for her. For as long as she could remember, she did what others expected of her.
âYou canât let your guidance counselors, or your teachers, or even your parents continue to tell you who you are or who you should be, Y/N. Only you get to decide who that is.â
Y/N looks away and blinks rapidly as she begins to feel tears form in her eyes. Itâs too much too fast. She can only handle so many life altering realizations delivered by none other than Eddie Munson.
She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out. She looks up at Eddie.Â
âCome here,â Eddie says as he rapidly wraps his arms around her and engulfs her in a hug.Â
Y/Nâs body is frozen in shock. Sheâs still processing the events of her guidance counselorâs visit and Eddieâs words, but the feeling of Eddieâs tightening arms around her and the tufts of his hair tickling the skin of her cheeks bring her back to reality.
Slowly, she slinks her arms around his middle and presses her cheek against his warm chest. She sniffles and pulls tighter. This kind of affection is foreign to her, but coming from Eddie, itâs more than welcome.
Eddie rests his chin atop her forehead and gently strokes the hair of her ponytail. She breathes him in. The scent of soap, cigarette smoke, and maybe even a bit of cologne fills her nostrils. He smells so good. Has a boy ever smelled this good before?
They hold each other like that for what feels like eternity but is only a few minutes. She almost doesnât want to let go, but her body betrays her and she pulls away.
âEddie,â she gently says with furrowed eyebrows.
Eddie looks at her and realizes he just made a big mistake. âIâm sorry, I thought it would help.â
âNo, itâs not that. I just⊠can we get out of here,â Y/N gently asks.Â
Eddie sighs in relief and smiles, âLetâs go.âÂ
When they climb in the car, Eddie looks at her and says, âIf you want, you can listen to whatever radio station you like.â
Y/N meekly nods. Itâs only car ride number three and heâs already defying his own rules for her. She knows how much it must mean for him to say that so she shyly thanks him and tunes in to her favorite station.Â
âWhen we get to the diner we can get whatever you want and just forget about all the bullshit that is Hawkins High School. Sound good?â Eddie says as he starts the van and pulls out of the parking lot.
âActually,â Y/N responds, âI donât really feel like going to the diner today.â
âOh,â Eddie looks from the sides of his eyes, âWhere do you want to go?â
âI kind of want to go somewhere quiet. I donât really feel like being around a lot of people right now.â
Eddie looks at her again, not really sure what sheâs asking for. âDid you have anywhere in mind?âÂ
Eddieâs already on the road, only a few minutes away from the diner, but heâd travel a hundred miles if it meant making Y/N happy.
âNo, not really.â
âUh, we could go back to my place, if thatâs alright. My uncle has an early shift today so he should be gone by the time we get there.â
Y/N steps out of her emotions for a second and realizes the gravity of his invitation. Sheâs being invited to Eddie Munsonâs home. Sheâll be home alone, with a boy. Just her and Eddie. And Eddieâs room which might eventually enter the mix. Her and Eddie. Alone. In a room. His room. With his bed and-
âOkay,â Eddie says as he looks at his fuel gauge, noticing its dangerously close level to empty. âWe might have to stop at a gas station real quick. Iâm not gonna have enough to make it all the way to my trailer.â
Trailer? Y/N didnât know Eddie lived in a trailer. Itâs not a bad thing, but sheâs more surprised than anything to learn this about him. Although, it makes sense if itâs just him and his uncle. She imagines how a house could get too big and too lonely that way.
âSure thing,â Y/N nods. Somehow, the thought of stopping somewhere familiar like a gas station before delving into the unknown that is Eddieâs personal space feels slightly relieving to Y/N.
After a few minutes, Eddie pulls into the gas station and parks in front of the convenience store.Â
âEddie, I thought-â
âCâmon, letâs get some snacks,â Eddie says and gets out of the van before Y/N has a chance to say anything.Â
Y/N follows suit, confused by his direction. She follows him and he opens the door for her to enter. A bell chimes and she walks through to find a landscape of chips, candies, and sodas galore.Â
She slowly makes her way to the side and looks to Eddie to lead the way. He looks down at her and says a quick, âCâmonâ before strolling to the candy aisle.
âWhatâs your favorite candy?â Eddie says as his eyes scan the rows of sweets.
âUm, I like Hersheyâs chocolate, especially the kind with almonds,â Y/N says softly.
âOk, Hersheyâs chocolate with almonds for you and pop rocks for me,â Eddie reaches out and grabs one of each candy.
âEddie, but-â
âCâmon, letâs go get some slurpees,â Eddie cheers as he makes his way over to the slurpee machine.
âEddie,â Y/N calls after him.Â
âWhich one do you want, blue raspberry or cherry?â
âUm, Iâm fine with just my candy,â Y/N shyly says.
âYou sure,â Eddie cocks an eyebrow and Y/N nods.Â
âIf you say so,â he raises his hands in mock defense.Â
He leans in and places a flat hand by his mouth and whispers, âBut between you and me, if you want some later you can just have some of mine,â he winks.
Y/N blinks in confusion at Eddie. What has gotten into him?
âThink weâll need anything else before we go?â
âUm, not really,â Y/N shrugs, not expecting him to go on this random massive snack scavenger hunt with her.
âOkay letâs hit the road then,â Eddie says as he skips over to checkout. Y/N and Eddie argue about him paying for her chocolate bar before ultimately just letting him do it.
They exit the store and get into the van. Eddie reparks the car at the closest available pump and gets out of the van. As he stands, waiting for the gas to pump into his van, Y/N sighs and looks out the window.Â
A car with an unrecognizable boy driving and girl riding in the passenger seat, pull up to the pump in front of them. The boy says something to the girl before leaning over the console to give her a quick peck on the lips. He gets out of the car and starts pumping gas. The girl looks over and makes eye contact with Y/N. She smiles and Y/N instinctively gives her a shy smile back.
The girl turns to look in Eddieâs direction while Y/N looks in the direction of the girl's boyfriend. The two boys see each other and do a mutual head nod.
Y/N turns over her shoulder and sees Eddie leaned against the van. One arm is fully outstretched with a palm flat against the metal of the vehicle while the other is holding the pump. His brow is furrowed in concentration, eyes cast downward, but when he feels Y/N looking at him, his eyes flick upward and he smirks at her.Â
Y/Nâs eyes widen and cheeks redden as she rapidly swivels back in her seat. She breathes in through her nostrils, but it feels shallow.
She hears the clanking of the nozzle and shortly after, Eddie climbs back into the van.
âYou ready,â he asks with a gleam in his eyes. Y/N sees the couple across from them getting ready to leave too.
âUm,â she looks over at him with a nervous smile, âYeah.â
âAlright,â he cheerfully exclaims. He puts the gear into drive and backs out of the pumping area. Y/N resists the urge to admire how sinfully good looking he is when he drives or wonder if she and Eddie looked just as much like a couple to the boy and girl from the gas station as they did to her.
For the rest of the journey to Eddieâs trailer, Eddie makes mindless chatter, filling Y/Nâs nervous silence beyond that of her favorite radio station.Â
âShh, I love this song,â Y/N interrupts Eddie and raises the volume as When Doves Cry by Prince comes on.
âYeah?â Eddie asks.
âYeah, itâs one of my favorite Prince songs.â
Eddie briefly looks over at her and asks incredulously, âReally?âÂ
âYeah! Probably that and Purple Rain.â
âHm,â Eddie nods contemplatively.
He hesitates a moment before adding âI know Prince is more of a pop star, but even I can admit, the man is an absolute beast on guitar,â Eddie comments in awe and Y/N giggles.Â
âHe is! Maybe you should learn how to play a Prince song. Expand your heavy metal horizons and what not.â
Eddie chuckles and looks over at Y/N. âYeah, maybe I will.â
Y/N nods and notices theyâre approaching the trailer park. Eddie drives past a few trailers before pulling up to his own.Â
Y/Nâs looks around, taking in her surroundings. The spaced out beige paneled trailers are different from the tightly packed red brick homes of her neighborhood.Â
Here, many adults are outside hanging wet clothes to dry on a clothesline or sitting and having a beer with their loved ones. In her neighborhood, itâs usually children out on the streets playing or riding their bikes. Itâs different, but comforting in the same way.
âWelcome to my humble abode,â Eddie greets as he opens the door to the trailer and lets Y/N walk through first. She takes a step in and Eddie follows behind her, turning on the yellow fluorescent light that hums above them.Â
She takes in the sight of the kitchen, dining room and living room. The space isnât big by any means, but it's somehow roomier than she thought it would be.Â
She walks further and turns around, taking in the sight of dozens of trucker hats and coffee mugs on the walls and ceiling.Â
She looks to the side and notes the worn brown couch in front of the tv with a collection of VHS tapes scattered nearby. She wonders which ones are Eddieâs favorites. What are his favorite movies or tv shows?
The clanking of dishes takes her out of her thoughts and she turns to see Eddie rummaging through the kitchen cupboards.
âSince you despise slurpees for some weird reasonââ
âI donât despise slurpees. Theyâre fine, just not really my treat of choice.â
âWhatever you say, smarty pants.â
Y/N rolls her eyes.Â
âCould I interest you in a crisp refreshing coke,â he says in a jingle voice, âor maybe a cup of stale leftover coffee my uncle probably made before he left?â
Y/N follows Eddieâs voice to the kitchen. She approaches the counter and leans her arms against it. âUm, yes to the coke, no to the coffee.â Â
She watches Eddie as he sets a glass on the counter, fills it with ice, and pours a can of Coca Cola over it.
âOne ice cold coke on the rocks,â Eddie proclaims as he slides the glass over the counter to Y/N as he looks into her eyes and wiggles his eyebrows.
Y/N blushes and looks down, but her hair is pulled back so thereâs nothing to hide her embarrassed blush.Â
âThanks,â she gratefully mumbles before turning around and taking a seat at the table. As Eddie serves his own glass, Y/N starts taking out her papers and pencil.Â
âFeeling better?â Eddie asks as he sits down across from her. She nods and meekly looks up from her paper to him.
âYeah, thanks for your help Eddie,â she says sweetly.Â
Eddie nods. âSure thing, smarty pants. Wanna get to work then?â Eddie asks as he pulls out his own papers.
âOh, um, yeah.â Y/N responds, surprised at Eddieâs eagerness to actually focus on their assignment for once.Â
She looks down at the papers scattered in front of her. They only have a few more questions to work on till they're done. She can get them done in no time.Â
Except this time around, she finds herself more distracted than ever. Sheâs constantly looking around the trailer or getting lost in some thought completely unrelated to chemistry and 9 times out of 10 related to Eddie.Â
At first, she lets her eyes wander to the mug collection she saw earlier and wonders if Eddie had chosen any. Does he even drink coffee? Or tea? He seems like someone who primarily lives on Jack and Coke and the thrill of a heavy metal song. Or maybe they all belong to his uncle. What is he like?
She tries to refocus her attention to the pencil in her hand and the paper in front of her, but the pencil feels too heavy and something inside her buzzes too loudly for her to properly focus on anything.Â
She looks back up and sees Eddie deep in concentration. His slender, ring clad fingers wrapped around a pencil. She wonders where he got those rings from or why he even chose to wear them in the first place. They look good on him, no doubt, but itâs rather uncommon for guys to wear rings or things like that. Well, unless youâre Freddie Mercury or David Bowie that is.Â
Her gaze trails up to his wild head of hair. His voluminous frizzy waves take over his head and shoulders. She wonders what he ever looked like with short hair. She also wonders what he would look like with his hair in a ponytail or even in braids. She imagines what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair as she braided it.Â
His hair is another one of those things that not many guys could pull off, but on Eddie, itâs totally and utterly attractive.
âY/N,â Eddie says in a playfully scolding voice still looking down at his paper, âI know Iâm looking sexy as hell today, but do you think we could maybe focus on the task at hand?â Eddie looks up at her with a shit eating grin and Y/N tenses up.Â
âWhat? Iâm notâIâŠI am focusing on the task at handâ Y/N scoffs, flustered and red-cheeked.Â
âYou sure about that sweetheart?â Eddieâs eyebrows raise as his gaze travels to Y/Nâs blank paper.
Y/Nâs breath gets caught in her throat as she looks down. âY-yeah I am.â
âYou donât sound too sure,â Eddie replies, cockiness dripping with every word.
Y/N turns her head up and looks Eddie square in the eye, âWell, I am. So, one, tough shit if you donât believe me, and two, for your information, youâre not even⊠sexy, so...â
âOh, Y/N, youâre so cute when you curse.â
Y/N gasps and Eddie leans forward to seductively add, âEven more when you lie.â
âEddie,â Y/N hisses, flames kissing every inch of her skin. âStop distracting me so we can finish this assignment.â
âYou seem distracted whether or not I say anything, smarty pants.â
âThatâs⊠not true.â Y/N rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her watered down coke before pretending to focus on the question before her.Â
She can feel her heart beating loudly in her chest. Can Eddie hear it too?
âUh huh, sure,â Eddie says sarcastically before returning to his own work. Soon enough, the heat in Y/Nâs chest and shame in her features dissipate till the two are silently engrossed in finishing the remainder of their assignment.
With the adrenaline from Eddieâs shameless teasing, Y/N finds the strength to finish the assignment with ease.
âOkay, Iâm finished with my part. How are you on yours?â Y/N asks.
âHold on. Iâm almost done with this last questionâ Eddie says without looking away from the paper as he scribbles out his answer.
Eddie puts his pencil down and looks up at Y/N, âIâm done."Â
âWe did it!â Y/N cheers and raises her hand up for a high five. Eddie is confused at first, then claps his hand to hers.Â
âYeah,â he forces a smile.Â
This isnât good news. It should be, but it isnât. This means he wonât have a reason to spend time with Y/N anymore. If he's honest with himself, why else would someone like Y/N hang out with a freak like him.Â
He recalls the first day they spent together and the conversation they had after they left the library. He remembers promising Y/N that they would do something fun to celebrate their finished assignment. He doubts Y/N remembers it or actually meant it when she promised it back.Â
Part of him wants to bring it up, but itâs a miracle that sheâs even here with him now. Maybe he can just make the most of his time left with her now, before itâs over.
Y/N checks her watch, âAnd itâs only 5:45!â
Eddie looks over his shoulder before turning back to Y/N. âYou donât have to be home till 7:00 right?â
âYeah!â
âCâmere. I wanna show you something?â Eddie says and gets out of his chair.
âOh, what is it?â Y/N asks innocently.
He leads the way to his room and Y/N cautiously follows. He enters casually while Y/N lingers in the doorway. Eddie begins moving things around and searching for something within his drawers while Y/N scans the room; thereâs stuff everywhere. How can someone think or breathe in a room like this? The disorganization makes Y/N yearn for the clean corners and empty edges of her own bedroom.
She takes in the mixture of band and playboy posters hung on the walls. Thereâs empty cigarette cartons and crushed beer cans on the dresser. It smells faintly of weed and even a bit of aquanet. Thereâs clothes strewn about across every square inch of the room.Â
She refrains from touching anything, feeling like the inside of a museum exhibit of a teenage boys room in 1985.
The chaos makes Y/N feel on edge, but she relaxes as her gaze settles on a weird looking, larger than life, bright red guitar hung on his mirror across from the doorway.
She slowly walks forward, almost entranced by the exquisite instrument. Its edges create a unique shape and the cherry red color is so vibrant. She stands before it and only looks, but her hands are itching to-
âTouch it,â Eddie says from behind and Y/N shrieks. She looks over her shoulder at Eddie standing inches away and clutches the part of her shirt over her chest.
âHoly shit, I didnât mean to scare you there tiger,â Eddie chuckles and Y/N rolls her eyes.Â
âYou didnât⊠I just could hear you.â Y/N mutters and looks at the hand he effortlessly places on her shoulder.
âYou can touch the guitar if you want,â Eddie says and heâs so close Y/N can feel the vibration of his voice against her body. His warm breath lightly coats her exposed ear.
âCan I?â
âGo ahead.â
âOkay,â she says softly and reaches out to touch the base of the guitar. She lightly runs her fingers across the sleek material and shivers. She slowly strums her fingers along the chords and nearly jumps at the corresponding noise.Â
âWanna hold it?â Eddie asks and lifts his arms up to take the guitar off its mount. Y/Nâs eyes are drawn to the tattoos on the taut skin of his muscled bicep.Â
He offers the guitar to Y/N and she takes it, placing the strap over her head and onto her shoulder.
âDo you play on this often?â
âYeah, we play at a dive bar a couple miles out of town.â
âWhat?â Y/N asks as she strums across the chords. She looks up at him in confusion.
Eddie looks around for a chord and connects the guitar to the amp on his dresser, âI play with my band, Corroded Coffin.â
âYouâre in a band?â She asks with widened eyes.
âYeah, you should come see us sometime,â he says confidently.
Y/N nods, speechless at the realization that Eddie is not only in a band but performs live. Her mind zeroes in on the vision of what Eddie would like playing guitar on stage. How his hair would stick to sweat on his skin and how the stage lights would reflect on his tattooed arms or dazzling eyes.Â
âHere, try this,â Eddie turns on the amp and hands Y/N a guitar pick. Y/N takes it and nervously strums the guitar. She nearly flinches from the loud vibrations.Â
âSee, youâre a natural,â Eddie teases. Y/N glares at him.
âWeâll take it slow,â Eddie says as he leans forward and places her hands on a specific string and fret. Y/N looks up at his hooded eyes, lids half closed as he looks down at her hands. Sheâs almost mesmerized by his beautiful features till the electric touch of his fingers on hers brings her attention down to the instrument between them.
âNow strumâ his command brings Y/N back to earth. She strums and hears the sound vibrate off the instrument.Â
âNow put your right hand on the string below it and put your left hand here,â Eddie adjusts. She strums.Â
âOkay, now put this hand here, on the D and G chords, and this hand here,â Eddie gives her another chord and she strums. They repeat the process for several more chords.Â
âNow put it all together,â Eddie instructs.Â
Y/N slowly strums, pausing to adjust between chords. When she forgets a chord, because why did Eddie have to make her memorize so many, she looks up to Eddie and he points out the next one.Â
She plays the entire piece and it sounds crooked but somewhat familiar. She tries it again and again. The more she plays the more she recognizes the song heâs just taught her.Â
âWait,â Y/N looks back down in concentration and plays the chords faster. Duh duh duhhh duh duh duh duhhhh, duh duh duhhh duh duh.Â
âEddie,â Y/N exclaims. She looks at him with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. She looks down and plays the chords more fluidly, getting into a rhythm.Â
She plays the song again and moves her body to the rhythm, leaning forward and back and bobbing her head along the way.
âEddie! IâmâŠâ Y/N trails off as she finishes the song one last time.
âA rockstar?â He quirks an eyebrow.
âNo,â she rolls her eyes then peers up at him.
âThat, smarty pants, is the legendary riff to Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.â
Y/N stops playing and tightly clutches the guitar in her fingers. She scrunches her eyebrows and grins at the impending sense of pride she feels.
âThat was⊠awesome! I loved every second of it. Do you feel like this every time you play?â She asks in breathless excitement. Her chest drastically rising and falling.
Eddieâs taken aback by Y/Nâs reaction. He didnât think she would be this excited or awestruck. He clears his throat and says, âSomething like that.â
 Y/N takes the strap off and holds out the guitar to him.
âItâs your turn,â She smugly grins at him.Â
âYou want me to play?â Eddie smirks and grabs the guitar.Â
Y/N sits back on the edge of his bed. âYeah, show me what youâve got.â She says with a challenging tone.
Eddie adjusts the guitar in his expert fingers. He holds his hand out for the guitar pick and flicks his wrist before he starts strumming.Â
âYou mean, a little something like this,â he winks before playing the chords to Iron Man by Black Sabbath. Y/N gasps at how much it sounds like the tape he played just the other day.
âOr maybe a little something like this,â he says and expertly plays the Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple chord he just taught her.Â
âSurely you know that one,â he winks at her open mouthed and wide eyed face.
âWanna hear something new Iâve added to my set list?â Eddie asks and Y/N nods with heat emanating from every inch of her skin. Eddie breathes in then exhales. He closes his eyes and strums the intro riff to When Doves Cry by Prince.Â
âEddie!â Y/N squeals as she rises to her feet, smile beaming wide from ear to ear. âYou learned my favorite Prince song? Why didnât you tell me?â
Y/N knows she must be imagining the pink tint beginning to coat Eddieâs cheeks.Â
Eddie decided from the first time Y/N rode in his van that he would learn a song for her. He figured a Prince song would be the most natural option. After borrowing the Purple Rain tape from one of his bandmates and listening to it for hours on repeat, he not only fell in love with the album but wanted to learn how to play every single song. He really liked the intro riff to When Doves Cry but he never realized the song would draw him in the same way it did for Y/N.
âI wanted to surprise you,â he says bashfully.Â
Truthfully, he didnât expect he would ever get the chance to show her, but the look in her eyes let him know that the late nights spent practicing were well worth it.
Y/N looks at him smiling breathlessly at her. This is the nicest and most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for her.Â
She turns her head to the side and covers her smile with her fingers. If she doesnât get it together, sheâs sure her heart will explode out of her chest.
Keeping her fingertips on her lips, she asks, âDo you sing, at all? For Corroded Coffin?â
Eddie presses his lips together, fighting the smile threatening to form on his face and does a one shoulder shrug.
âWhat does that mean?âÂ
âSorta, kinda.â Eddie shortly grins. With most girls, heâll never hesitate to let them know heâs the frontman of Corroded Coffin. He doesnât know why, but girls always seem to like him more when they learn heâs a guitar player, especially when he tells them heâs the lead singer too.Â
âSo do you sing backup then?â
âNot exactly,â he grins at her like a Cheshire cat.
âEddie,â Y/N whines, âWhy are you being so weird about this? Just answer the question.â
Eddie leans back on his dresser and crosses his arms over his chest. He smiles and cockily says, âJust come to one of our shows. Youâll find out then.âÂ
âWhenâs your next show?â
âFriday.â
Y/N gulps. âFriday, as in tomorrow?â
âYup,â Eddie replies, cockily popping the p-sound.
Y/N frowns, âI canât. My friends and I made plans to go to Star Court after school.â
âThatâs fine. We usually donât go on till 11:00 anyway. You can come after. And bring your friends too.â
âEddie, I canât do that. On weekends my curfew is 10:00.â
Eddie looks down in disappointment, âOh, come on, you can just sneak out. Your parents wonât know the difference.â
âSeriously, I canât. And I just know they would find out somehow. Nothing gets past them.â
âDo you have any siblings?â
âYeah, why?â
âGet one of them to cover for you.â
Y/N knows that if her sister could, that she would cover for her, and that she could potentially get away with it, but thatâs way too big of an if sheâs not ready to gamble on.Â
âEddie, even if I could get my sister to cover for me, I just donât think it would work.â
âSure they will. Theyâll probably be asleep the whole time and not even notice youâre gone.â
Y/N tries to imagine it. Never mind the fact that she doesnât even have a car to get her there. But, if somehow he gave her a ride and if her sister covered her and if everything worked out⊠What would happen then? Probably nothing because thereâs no way that could ever happen.
âLook Eddie, while Iâm under my parents roof, I canât afford to get in trouble in any capacity. I just canât. I hope you can understand,â Y/N looks at him pleadingly.
Eddie looks into her eyes and sees a scared child. Itâs a sight he recognizes instantly because he used to have it too.
âYeah, I understand,â he replies in a sense of respectful disappointment.
âThanks,â Y/N whispers and Eddie nods.Â
An awkward silence fills the room but is interrupted when Y/N gets an idea. âI would still like to see you play though.â
Eddie looks at her in confusion.
âMaybe you could give me a preview, tonight,â Y/N bats her eyes.Â
Eddie raises his eyebrows.
âYou could play one song. It could be like practice.â She says innocently with big doe eyes.
Eddie is tempted to give in, but he hasnât fully let go of the hope that she could see him play live with Corroded Coffin someday. He knows it's a lot to ask for someone like her, and yet he wants it badly enough to ask for it anyway. Â
But for all he knows, this might be the last night they ever spend together. If she were to never see him play live or even see him outside of the classroom, then he wants to give her something. He wants to give Y/N anything she asks and one last beautiful memory between them both.
âOkay,â he gives in.
âReally? You sure?â Y/N worries she might have pressured him.Â
âYeah, for you I will.â
Y/N smiles hopefully at him âOkay.â
Eddie turns over and moves items around on his dresser. He pulls out a microphone and plugs the chord attached to it to the amp beside him
He juts his chin in the direction of the back corner of the room âYou mind passing me the mic stand over there?â
Y/Nâs eyes widen and she silently follows his request. Is he really about to do this right now?
âYou sure it wonât be too loud? Donât want to disturb the neighbors.â
âNah, they donât care.â
âThey donât or you donât care?â
âY/N, I practice like this all the time and theyâve never said anything to me before.â
âYet.â
âY/N, do you want me to do this or not?â He chuckles.Â
Y/N nods, âI do.â
âJust sit back,â He flicks his wrist in the direction of his bed, âRelax, and enjoy the show.â
Y/N slowly backs away and takes a seat on the edge of his bed. She looks up at him, palms sweating and nerves tingling.
Eddie breathes and takes a moment to think about which song heâll play for her. Besides the short Prince riff he just learned for her, thereâs nothing he can play that sheâll like or isnât metal. He doesnât have a lot of options, so he goes with a safe choice and hopes sheâll appreciate it anyway.
He kisses his guitar pick before strumming the chords to Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Itâs his favorite song to perform and one he knows like the back of his hand.Â
He begins strumming and shaking his head in rhythm with the song.
Finished with my woman 'cause
She couldn't help me with my mind
People think I'm insane because
I am frowning all the time
His voice echoes through the sound system and fills Y/Nâs ears. Y/N looks at him and notices how his full lips curl closely to the head of the microphone.Â
All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I'll lose my mind
If I don't find something to pacify
He looks from his fingers on the guitar to Y/Nâs face. His eyes lock with hers and he smiles before wailing:
Can you help me
Occupy my brain?
Oh yeah
His fingers dance along the strings and up the neck of the cherry red electric guitar. He thrusts his shoulders and moves his pelvis along with the instrument. He shakes his head, letting his frizzy waves fly.Â
I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can't find
I can't see the things that make
True happiness, I must be blind
He's lost in focus, trying to play it perfectly for her. Heâs never looked more beautiful. Y/Nâs dryly swallows the saliva in her poached throat. An unnerving sensation begins to grow in the pit of her stomach and her heart races to the beat of the song. In this moment, she realizes that she finally understands what it means when people say theyâre turned on.Â
In just a simple pair of black jeans, a hellfire club t shirt, a leather jacket, and jean vest, Y/N feels like sheâs in the presence of an absolute sex god.Â
Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal
Y/N can feel the blood dancing in her veins. She almost wants to stand up and jump or dance around to the song, but one, thereâs hardly any space, and two, how do you even dance to this kind of music? Itâs so much easier to dance to music on the radio or the Spanish music her parents listen to.
She settles for nodding her head to the rhythm and grinning at Eddie. She even lets out a few whoops and hollers to cheer him on which he nervously smiles at before refocusing on the song.
And so as you hear these words
Telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could but it's too late
Eddie strums the last chord and it slowly fades out. The buzz of the sound still reverberates around the room. His chest rises and falls and the hair at the back of his neck is damp.Â
Eddie wakes up from his metal induced trance and sees Y/N standing on her feet and clapping. Sheâs grinning widely at him and he breathlessly smiles back at her.
âEddie! That was so awesome! Youâre literally a rockstar!â
Y/N could just hug him, but thereâs a whole guitar between them. And despite the fact that Eddie already took them to a âgood acquaintances that can hug under specific circumstancesâ level, Y/N feels too shy to initiate such contact.
âNah,â Eddie breathlessly replies with a wave of a hand.
âNo seriously,â Y/N takes a step forward and places her hand an inch away from his holding the neck of the guitar, âYou have a gift.â
They lock eyes for a moment. Y/Nâs shine in admiration and Eddieâs gleam in pride.
Eddie breaks the contact to move over and unplug the chords.
As he puts the guitar back in its place, Y/N turns around and walks around the room with her back facing Eddie. Itâs embarrassing how big heâs making her smile.Â
âSo how long have you been playing guitar?â She asks as she pretends to look at the other things in his room.Â
âI donât know. As long as I can remember.â Eddie says as his eyes follow her movement.Â
âIs that what you want to do when you grow up?â Y/N asks.Â
âIâm nineteen. Some would say Iâm pretty grown already.âÂ
Y/Nâs tenses. She doesnât like when he throws his age around like that. It makes her feel intimidated knowing how much older and experienced in life he is.Â
âYou know what I mean Eddie.â
âI donât know Y/N. Probably yeah. I want to keep playing for as long as I can.â
âWhat do you think youâll do when you graduate?â Y/N asks as she walks over and sits at the corner of his bed.Â
âI donât know. I havenât really thought about it,â Eddie replies from his place against the dresser.
âReally?â
âYeah,â he replies curtly.
âWhy not?â
âI donât know, just havenât.âÂ
âReally?â Y/N asks incredulously.Â
âLook, maybe Iâll get a job with my uncle. Maybe Iâll go and fix up old cars. Maybe Iâll work at the record store at Star Court. Is that what you want to hear?â Eddie says in frustration as he plops down next to Y/N.
Y/N holds her breath and waits for him to calm down. She didnât mean to make him mad, but what she doesnât realize is just how sensitive of a subject this is for Eddie.
âPoint is, Iâll figure it out when the time comes.â
âYou donât⊠have a plan?â She asks quietly, barely above a whisper at the boy sitting next to her.
âNo, I donât have a plan Y/N,â he says in a controlled voice as he looks down at his hands folded in his lap. âWhy should I make a plan when itâs probably just gonna change?â
She turns her head to face him. âYeah, sometimes your plans can change, but they still give you something to work for, something to hope for.â
âThe last thing I need is false hope.â
âItâs not false hope, Eddie.â
âTell me how itâs not.â
âI mean, if you could make your tomorrow better than your today, wouldnât you at least try?â
Eddie looks down at Y/N whoâs already looking up at him. He scrunches his eyebrows and bites the inside of his lower lip.Â
He looks back down at his lap and Y/Nâs eyes trail to the tattoos on his arms. She wishes she could reach out and touch them, but that would be weird right? Sheâs in his room, leg to leg and arm to arm with him, but it would be too much if she reached out and placed her fingers over that delicate skin, right?
âEven if I did, what would it matter? Tomorrow isnât promised, why should I act like it is?â
Y/N canât deny that some of his words ring true, but itâs still not enough to convince her otherwise. Y/N sighs, âAre you happy, Eddie? With the way things are now.â
Eddie canât find himself saying yes. Of course he isnât happy he failed his senior year of high school twice. Of course he isnât happy to be a burden on his uncle. But as long as he had his guitar and his D&D, it made life bearable.
âI mean for some things yeah, but I have a lot of other things to be happy about. I have my friends and I have my Uncle Wayne and I have music. To some, it may not look like a lot, but for me, thatâs all I need.â
Y/N closes her eyes and breathes in. âEddie, Iâm sorry. I didnât mean it like that.â Y/N twiddles her fingers in her lap. âYou do have a lot to be happy about. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can be grateful for everything your familyâs done for you and you can still want more for yourself. I know I am.â
âYou are?â
âSure. Iâm grateful for all the sacrifices my parents have made and all the things theyâve done for me, but at the same time, I know thereâs more out there and I want it, even if itâs just a taste.â
Eddie muses over Y/Nâs words. âYeah I guess so.â
âIn the same way, Iâm grateful for everything Hawkins has given me, even if it includes shitty school counselors and hardly anything to do for miles, but I still want more than what this little town can offer, you know?â
Eddie nods slowly. âSo what do you want?â
âHuh?â
âWhat do you want? That your parents or Hawkins canât give you?â
Y/N takes a deep breath. Thereâs so many things that she wants in life. But she feels weird letting it all come out to Eddie. These are things she thinks about constantly but never tells anyone. She's excited but tries to contain it and instead lets out a simple, all encompassing answer. âFreedom.â
âYeah?â Eddie smiles at her.
âYeah. I canât really do what I want or be who I want under my parentâs roof or in a place like Hawkins.â
âI feel the same way. I mean I can be who I want in here, but out thereâŠâ Eddie trails off and shakes his head.
âIs there anything you want?â
Eddie shrugs, âI donât know. Never really thought about it.â
âReally?â
âI mean⊠no oneâs ever asked me.â
âWell, Iâm asking you. And Iâm sure thereâs something. For starters, do you ever want to leave Hawkins?â
âI donât know. Sometimes I think about getting out of this god forsaken town, but then I think about my uncle Wayne and my parents and what any of them would think and I just⊠Iâm not ready to leave this place just yet. Maybe in a couple of years, but for now, Iâm not ready to leave my family, my uncle.â
Eddie hasnât really brought up his parents before, so she knows how big of a deal it must be for him to have brought them up.Â
She places a gentle hand on his forearm and slowly rubs her thumb along the skin. Afraid to look Eddie in the eyes and make a vulnerable moment even more uncomfortable, she watches as Eddie brings his other hand over hers and guides it to interlock their fingers.
âIâm so sorry Eddie.â Y/N squeezes his hand.Â
âYou donât have to be.â Eddie says in a comforting voice as he sandwiches her hand between the both of his.Â
The two are silent for a moment before Eddie adds, âI think I might want to get out of this trailer though, stop being such a burden on my uncle.â
âEddie, Iâm sure thatâs not true.â
âEh, it kind of is though. I mean imagine barely making ends meet and still having another mouth to feed. Heâs not even a parent but for the past several years he's had a kid to worry about. I donât want to be that anymore. I just want to be like a normal nephew and uncle. Iââ Eddie chokes and squeezes Y/Nâs hand.Â
He clears his throat and in a strong voice says, âI want to stop being a fuckup and finally make him proud.â
Y/N gasps and tightens her grip on his hand. âEddieââ
âShh.â Eddie shakes his head. He breathes in deeply. âI just need to graduate. And then, Iâll get a job and I can get my own place. Maybe even upgrade the busted old van outside, but not too soon though. Sheâs been with me through too much.â
âYour van is a she?â Y/N laughs.
âYes, she is. Sheâs my old girl.â
Y/N rolls her eyes and Eddie chuckles. âGuys are so weird about their cars.â
âYouâre just jealous.â
âIâm very much not.âÂ
âWhatever you say, smarty pants.â
Eddie squeezes Y/Nâs hand and she looks at him. âSo, what about your band?â
âWhat about my band?â Eddie smiles and cocks his head to the side in confusion.
âIs there anything you want for your bandâs future?â
âI donât know.â
âWhat do you mean you donât know? Thereâs gotta be something,â Y/N looks up at him, âYou have a gift that needs to be shared with the world.â
Eddie shrugs, âI donât know. I never thought of it like that before.â
âEddie, you could perform in front of hundreds of adoring fans every night. Donât you want to hear girls screaming, we love you Eddie, from the mosh pit of every arena across the country?â
âOnly if youâre one of them,â Eddie pinches Y/Nâs cheek. She giggles and swats his hand away.Â
âSure, if you ever have a gig in Chicago, let me know and Iâll be there.âÂ
âSo tell me smarty pants, why Chicago?â
Y/N shrugs and giddily replies, âOh, lots of reasons. We visit a lot because we have family there and every time I go I fall more and more in love with the city. The people there are so cool and at night the skyline lights twinkle like stars. It's beautiful. Everything about the city makes me feel alive. I feel like I can be myself there.â
âYeah?â
âYeah,â Y/N nods and smiles. âIt doesnât hurt to be too far from here either.â
âOh so the big Chicago hot-shot is gonna come back and grace the presence of us Hawkins common folk?â
âShut up Eddie, itâs not even like that.â Y/N leans to the side to shove Eddie.
âYouâre gonna get into that school Y/N, I just know it. Youâll be the best thing to come out of this town.â
Y/N looks up into Eddieâs eyes, sparkling in the low light of the lamps in his room. âThanks Eddie⊠Youâre gonna make your uncle proudâyouâll make all of us proud too, I know it.â
Eddie smiles at Y/N. His lips pulled tight to create a dense dimple by the corner of his mouth. A comfortable silence falls between them.
All of a sudden, Y/N feels a tightening in her chest. She canât breathe properly. Heâs too close. Talking could distract her before, but now that thereâs silence, all she can focus on is the feeling of his leg against hers. Of the warmth and weight of his hand in hers.Â
He shuffles his torso slightly to face her and his arm rubs against her. She looks down at the newly created empty space between their arms.
âY/N,â Eddie softly calls out. Y/N looks up and her breath hitches from how close his face is to hers.
âYeah,â she replies barely above a whisper. She looks between his warm chocolate eyes. His eyes flicker from her lips and settle on her own bright eyes.Â
Is this going to happen?
Y/Nâs palms are sweating and her heart is pumping loudly and violently in her chest.Â
A part of her is afraid and nervous and not yet ready for this to happen. But the other part of her is the opposite.Â
She hadnât realized it till this very moment. If anyone was going to be her first kiss, she would want it to be Eddie. But would he even want to kiss her? What is happening? If Eddie is going to do something, he needs to do it now and take Y/N out of her misery.
He opens his mouth and closes it. His eyes flash to the side and he gulps. âI should probably take you home now. Donât want you to miss curfew.â
If Eddieâs not mistaken, a look of disappointment crosses Y/Nâs features quickly before she covers it with a mask of neutrality.
âOh, yeah, ok,â she nods and looks at her watch. Itâs fifteen till 7:00. Of all times for Eddie to be more concerned about following the rules than Y/N, why now?
âLetâs go,â Eddie taps the back of her hand with his free one and unravels their intertwined fingers. Eddie rises and walks to the door. Y/N stays back for a second, not yet ready to leave this room, this trailer, or this surreal moment.
âY/N,â Eddie smirks from the doorway. âYou coming?â
âYeah,â Y/N quietly nods and follows him. She silently grabs her things from the kitchen and follows Eddie out the door. She walks over to the van and hears the grass crunch beneath her feet. As she waits for Eddie to lock the trailer door and unlock the van, she looks around and sees the glare of the yellow street lights cast over the metal of the trailer.
The two climb into the van and Eddie starts the car. He puts a tape into the deck and pulls out of the trailer park. Y/N watches his slender fingers on the steering wheel as the shadows dance across them.
She feels solemn as he drives her back home. She doesnât want to be going home and leaving Eddie just yet. She doesnât want this to be the last time she ever rides in his van or hears his heavy metal blasting through the speakers.Â
The trailer park is all the way in East Hawkins, so the drive to her house is long, but not long enough.
âThat wasnât too bad, right?â
âWhat wasnât too bad?â Y/N turns to look at Eddie with a red glow cast on his skin by the stoplight.
âHaving to work with the freak,â Eddie points to himself, âOn a simple chemistry assignment.â
âEddie, you shouldnât call yourself that. Youâre not a freak.â
âYeah, well thatâs the thing about nicknames, theyâre given to you and theyâre pretty hard to get rid of,â Eddie shrugs.
âWell I donât care. Youâre not a freak to me. Annoying? Sure. A deranged metal head? Maybe. But definitely not a freak.â
Eddie chuckles and the sight of his joy makes Y/N smile.
âEddie,â Y/N says as he turns into her subdivision. âToday was fun.â
He looks at her. âYeah?âÂ
âYeah.â Y/N grins at him. âMaybe we can still do something fun⊠to celebrate a job well done on this assignment.â
âYou want to?â Eddie looks at her from his peripheral vision.
âYeah. If you do too.â Y/N smiles at her lap. She looks up and sees the houses leading up to her own.Â
âYeah, sure. You got anything in mind?â
As Eddie passes her house, she sees her fathers car in the driveway.
âMy dadâs home,â Y/N says with alarm as Eddie parks in front of her house. âI think heâs inside already, but we donât have a lot of time.â
âWhat?â Eddie shifts his body to face her and her frazzled state.
Y/N unbuckles her seatbelt and grabs her backpack. âAre you free on Saturday?â
Eddie had plans with some of the boys from Hellfire club but they could wait. âI can be.â
Y/N looks from her house to Eddie. âGood. Weâll pick back up on this tomorrow, before class, okay?â
Eddie nods. Y/N looks at the dashboard and the time reads 6:58. She looks over her shoulder and sees no one standing outside her house or peeking through the blinds of the living room windows.Â
She turns back around to face Eddie. She looks at him for a moment, gathering the nerve to do something she might end up regretting. Eddie notices and looks at her in confusion.
Okay, itâs now or never.
She grabs the back of his seat for leverage and leans over. She lightly places a hand on his neck for stability and presses a chaste kiss to his cheek.Â
âGoodnight Eddie,â she whispers inches away from his wide eyed and slack jawed face.Â
She scrambles to get out of the van before he can even say anything. She shuts the door behind her and runs across the walkway to her front door.Â
She opens the door and closes it behind her. To the right, her parents are loudly talking over some story on the news playing several feet from the left of her.
âIâm home,â Y/N shouts, âGonna go to the restroom and Iâll be back down.âÂ
Her parents wave her off and Y/N excitedly pounces up the steps. She throws her backpack on the floor of her room and runs off to the bathroom across the hall.
She giggles at her reflection and brings her fingers to her lips.Â
She doesnât know what came over her, but it did. She kissed Eddie Munson, on the cheek though. But itâs the most sheâs ever done in her life.Â
She hopes he liked it but starts to worry he might not have. She shakes the worry out of her head and smiles. Little does she know, Eddieâs been dying to make a move but was 100% certain his advances would have been rejected.Â
Y/N doesnât know what any of this means for her and Eddie, but it thrills her nonetheless.
She keeps her composure throughout dinner, but once she excuses herself to go do homework in her room, she closes the door behind her, lays on her bed, and screams into her pillow with glee.
She climbs out of bed and turns on her portable radio. Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears plays and she begins dancing around her room. Her eyes land on a hairbrush on her dresser. She grabs it and uses it as a microphone while singing to herself in the mirror.Â
When the chorus comes back on, she lies back on her bed and sings:
 Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out until I'm head over heels
Something happens and I'm head over heels
Ah, don't take my heart, don't break my heart
Don't, don't, don't throw it away
âY/N,â Y/Nâs sister yells as she opens the door. Y/N scrambles to sit up and looks at her in embarrassment.Â
âTurn that crap down,â she says as she walks over and lowers the volume. âItâs annoying as hell.â
Y/N sticks her tongue out at her sister as she walks out of the room and leaves the door open.Â
âCan you at least close the door?â Y/N yells over at her in the hallway.Â
Moments like this are what make Y/N wish she had a walkman.Â
Y/N spends the rest of her evening completing homework for other classes while intermittently replaying the time she just spent with Eddie.Â
By the time she lays in bed, ready to go to sleep, visions of Eddie behind his guitar or his big brown eyes and bright smile flash across her mind. Her heart canât wait to see him again tomorrow. She doesnât know what theyâll do next time they hang out either, but all that matters is that sheâs with him.
Itâs weird, feeling the way she does. And a part of her almost feels silly. How did this boy just come into her life and already made this much of an impact?Â
Y/N doesnât understand her attraction to the deranged metalhead and in a similar way, Eddie doesnât understand his attraction to the smartypants girl next door, but the both of them are eager to find out why.
summary - you need eddie to help zip up your dress
a/n - little tiny drabble written on my phone because i feel bad not giving you guys anything - 500 words
"Hey Eddie?" You were standing in a room surrounded by pictures of yourself in the changing room mirrors, creating an infinite illusion of yourself that went on forever.
"Yes Pumpkin?" Your childhood nickname, and in recent months the word that made your heart skip a beat.
"I-" you breathed for a moment, your head tilting back and your eyes met the sharp stinging spotlights of the changing room, "I canât- I need help zipping up my dress-"
Your teeth dug into your bottom lip as you anxiously awaited for his reply.
"Do you need- want help?" Eddie quickly corrected himself, his fingers we're already hovering over the threadbare and worn velvet curtain separating you.
"Please?" Your eyes slid shut for a mere second as the moment passed and your shoulders unclenched from your ears, your body finally remembering how to breathe on it's own again.
The rushing of metal on metal filled your ears as he pulled aside the curtain separating you,
"Could you move your hair please pumpkin?" He was already standing so close to you, but it wasn't nearly close enough for the task at hand, the task you had asked him to help you with.
Your answer didn't come as words from your lips, simply you grabbed your hair and carefully sweeping it away, and you knew that your back was on full display for him to see.
But instead Eddieâs eyes met yours in the mirror as he focused on looking anywhere but on your exposed skin as he stepped closer to you. His hot, shallow, breath fanned over your neck as his fingers fumbled blindly for the zipper on your dress before slowly pulling it along the soft slope of your back, and you swore that you could hear his breath hitching in his throat.
Slowly he pulled at the zipper along the back of your dress, his hand brushing the delicate band of your bra as they passed over it, and he tried his best not to think anything of it.
The slider reached the nape of your neck, and Eddie let it release from his fingers with a thud against the dress. But instead of letting his hand drop, his fingers lingered on your shoulder, teetering closer and closer to your neck with every second that passed.
His thumb pressed softly against the base of your skull, and his eyes we're still fast on yours in the mirror. Eddie was standing close enough to you that you could have rested your body weight on him, and you knew that he would catch you in his arms.
"You should get this one," Eddie finally broke the silence between you, his words hanging in the small and confined space of the changing room, ricocheting off the walls until you were convinced the echoing would drive you mad.
"You said that about the last one... and the one before that."
Brief description: Can you do a Eddie x plus!size reader one-shot where Eddie and his friends were taking bets and Mike makes a bet with Eddie that he has to make the chubby!reader fall in love with him and then at the end break her heart and tell her it was for a bet Eddie does but he fell in love with the reader he goes looking for her to tell her he loves her bc to him I wasn't a bet. âșïžSorry if this is long I just wanted to request something you can do it it's up to youđ
đ€đ€
Yes I love this one.
đ€đ€
Damn it where'd she go. Eddie was looking for you in the schools parking lot. When he saw backing out of a space. He ran to block you from leaving.
What the hell you thought.
" umm can you move?" You yelled out your window
Eddie smirked as he made his way to the door.
" Hey there y/n?"
" Can I help you?"
" Yeah. Where you off to in such a hurry?"
" what does it matter to you?"
" geez what's up with the hostility?"
" Are you serious? I'm just trying to get home."
"Oh. Well I wanted to see if maybe you want to hang out."
" Edward leave me alone." She said while taking off.
This is gonna be harder than I thought. Eddie stood there looking at the back of your car.
...
"Yeah hello is umm y/n there."
" uh yeah hold on."
Eddie listed to the person put the phone down to get you.
"Hello?"
" Hey y/n it's Eddie. Eddie from school."
" uhhh how did you get this number?"
" uh you're in the phone book." Eddie said before he heard a click.
She hung up on me. What the hell? Eddie tried calling again but no one answered. Seriously what the actual fuck.
...
Eddie was waiting by your car after school. You looked annoyed.
"Can you like move?"
Eddie was shocked. You didn't even give him the time of day. How was he gonna do this.
" Hey. I wanted to talk."
"Not interested."
" Oh common babe. Let me take you out."
" First of all don't call me that. Second of all no."
Seriously? What the hell was her problem? As your brush your hair back Eddie noticed a bat tattoo behind your ear. That's cool he thought.
"Hey I didn't know I was your idol."
"What?"
Eddie pointed at your tattoo.
" Oh spare me."
" What I think it's kinda cool you worship me."
" Like hell i do."
" Then why do you have it?"
"Well if you must know it was after I saw Ozzy bite the head off a bat"
Eddie was in disbelief. "You saw that?"
" Yeah it was so metal. When did you get yours?" You asked
"83"
Her eyes slit at you.
" What month?"
"October."
" Ha August bitch."
Eddie laughed at your candor. He didn't know you like Ozzy too.
As you and y/n just stood there for a minute she had a smile.
"What?"
"Nothing its just... That was a really good day." You answered
Eddie never noticed how pretty you looked.
" Um so can I leave now?" You asked
Eddie didn't want you to leave. You had peaked his interest. What else was in that mind of yours. Who were you?
" Yeah but I wanted to ask. Do you like Metallic?"
" Are you kidding? Oh God I saw them perform Master of Puppets in April. Holy shit it was epic."
Eddie was in aw of you. He did know that you had things in common.
"I uh I've been practicing that song."
You lifted your brows at Eddie. Now he was intriguing.
" uhh if you want I can play it for you."
You smiled and then forced it away. " I can't I'm busy."
"Well maybe I can come by. I can bring my guitar."
Little did Eddie know that you've been crushing on him since middle school. The thought of him showing an interest in you was beyond your comprehension.
"uhh I don't know."
" common gorgeous."
You blushed but forced that feeling down.
" umm ok. But don't call me that. I have a name."
" Ok sorry y/n. So should I head right over?"
" uh give me 2 hours. I have to do something."
"Ok"
Eddie watched as you pulled out a pen and paper to write your address down handing it to him.
" I'll see you soon."
"Ok" you said softly.
Eddie watched as you left school. Who is she?
...
Eddie could hear a baby crying and you trying to comfort it. As he stood at your door he was actually nervous to see you again. He rang the doorbell and you answered it with a baby on your hip.
" Hey"
"Hey. Umm let me get her ready for a nap." You said looking at your baby sister. She was getting fussy from being tired.
Eddie nodded as he followed you in.
"You can wait in my room." You said pointing at a door at the end of the hall.
Eddie nodded and went. When he got into you room his eyes found your posters. You had some of the same as his. He was shocked to see the autographs that you had on them. His eyes scanned your black walls and thought that this was the coolest room he's ever seen. But seeing your D&D set sent him into a frenzy. Why didn't he know you played. He would have asked you to join hellfire. Eddie started to feel something he was not expecting. He liked you. He saw you in pictures with his idols. How had he never noticed you before.
You came in and saw Eddie eyeing your pictures. "Awesome right?"
Eddie nodded.
" Want something to drink?"
Eddie didn't realize how parched he was until you asked. "Uh yeah."
"Pop ok?"
Eddie nodded and you went to fetch him a can. When you came back Eddie was sitting on your bed plucking at his guitar. He looked so damn good. And his NJ warlock guitar was something.
You sat next to him and listen to him play a few notes when he messed up.
" umm no may I?" You asked
Eddie looked at you as you put your hand on his fingers and placed them on a different fret.
"Ok when you hit that note. Play that instead."
Eddie did and it worked. It sounded so much better.
"Can I try?" Eddie never let anyone touch his baby but you asking him like that. He took it off and gave it to you. With a smile on your face you played it with such ease. Like it was second nature to you. As your hand moved up the neck of the guitar eddie pictured you touching his face. He was falling for you. Hard.
...
As weeks went by you and Eddie spent more and more time together. The friendship you had started to grow into something else. It was one night at the Hideout watching Eddie perform. That he asked if he could kiss you. Though you hesitate you allowed it. As Eddie grabbed your waist you were embarrassed by your love handles. But Eddie didn't even care. He like them. It gave him something to hold onto.
Things moved on from there. You started having a relationship. Nothing too intense but it was nice. You were in love with him and he was in love with you. You never thought Eddie would be interested in you. After all he never even looked at you before. But now that's all he did.
Every day Eddie spent with you felt like a dream. You were the person he never knew he needed. But as the days went on the conversation with him and the guys was eating him alive. This was no longer a bet for him. He knew it was gonna hurt you if he told you about it. But he really did love you. So instead of telling you. He broke up with you. Thinking it was for the best.
You didn't cry or ask why which hurt Eddie. He figured you didn't feel that same for him. Why else would you be so calm about it? It was only 2 days after the break up when Eddie found himself on your front steps. He knocked and when you answered it took everything he had to not cry and beg for your forgiveness. You looked at his so lovingly.
Eddie went on to explain the whole situation. And though it hurt you more than you cared to admit. You understood.
"Please say something." Eddie begged
You turned and walked away looking over your shoulder. It didn't matter to you what Eddie did in the past. You thought maybe this wouldn't last forever but hoped it would. But if it didn't you didn't want to waste any time you had left fighting with him.
"you coming?" Your reaction to the situation made Eddie nervous.
Eddie hesitate before following you in. Any girl would have cried or been angry with him after that confession. But you weren't like the other girls where you? It was then he knew he was gonna marry you.
Requests are open | prompt lists for inspiration | Stranger Things Masterlist
I got the request for "watching scary movies" from this list from the always wonderful @amzngdevil (thank you again, my love), so I ended up with a movie night at Eddie's trailer with a special appearance by Gizmo the cat đ
Pairing: Eddie Munson x gn!Reader
Word count: 2364
Warning/Tags: fluff, scary movies, flirting (let me know if I missed anything)
Autumn was your favourite season and nobody knew that better than Eddie. Eddie whom youâd been friends with pretty much half your life, ever since youâd moved into the trailer park. Youâd bonded over feeding the stray cats together. That way youâd taken in Gizmo four years ago. Eddie had chosen the name of course, because the little thing had looked just like Gizmo from the Gremlins colourwise. Youâd found him starved and dirty and had taken him in, had taken care of him, and now Gizmo was such a needy little thing, that he always stayed inside when you were home, or accompanied you over to Eddieâs trailer.
Watching Eddie with Gizmo always made you smile, because he was so gentle with the little thing. It was no surprise that Gizmo curled up on his lap as soon as he sat down on the sofa in his trailer, because as usual Gizmo had tagged along.
âOf course,â you scoffed, shaking your head while you got the snacks out of the bags and brought them to the table.
âWhat? Itâs not my fault, he chooses the best seat in the house.â Eddie winked at you, running his fingers through Gizmoâs fur, who immediately started purring.
âBest seat my ass.â A laugh escaped your lips when you turned around to go back to the kitchen and get your drinks.
âYou canât judge, youâve only sat in my lap for what? Five minutes at a time tops. Gizmo is a better judge of that.â
âIs that you telling me that you want me to sit in your lap longer?â You looked at him over your shoulder, a wave of heat rushing through your body at the thought. A couple of weeks ago, your flirting had taken a turn for the more serious. Heâd always called you sweetheart or darling, and it had never meant anything, but when heâd looked deep in your eyes, calling you darling once again with just the hint of a smile on his lips, youâd felt the difference, and you were pretty sure heâd felt that as well. Since then, whenever you ended up rather close, because you always argued and tackled each other, tickled each other until one of you gave up, you ended up looking into each otherâs eyes, catching your breath, and staring just a little too long, before one of you pulled back.
âYeah, thatâs exactly what it means.â Eddie didnât laugh this time, he simply smiled at you, which resulted in you turning back towards the fridge to get your drinks. You didnât even know whether youâd work out as lovers or not, and you werenât sure whether you were ready to risk a wonderful friendship, but you were sure that neither of you would be able to keep on going like this for long. âIn your dreams, Munson!â You walked past him and handed him his drink before you went to the TV. This was a movie night after all, so you should better get started on the first movie. Nightmare on Elm Street, which youâd probably already watched a couple of times, and youâd follow that up with Friday the Thirteenth. Movies youâd already watched, but you saved the one you.
âIn your dreams, Munson.â You popped the movie in and finally took your place next to him, remote in hand so that you could start the movie.
âYeah thatâs actually what happens in my dreams.â Eddie confessed, not looking at you. It was easier to really flirt with someone, to admit these things when you hadnât known that person for years. Toeing the line between joking and being serious didnât really help the matter, but he couldnât say outright that heâd fallen in love with you. The words didnât leave his lips. Every time heâd been close to you, heâd fought the urge to kiss you, not sure what youâd think of that. Sure, he knew that something had changed for you as well, he wasnât blind after all, but he was still unsure whether you wanted this as much as he wanted it, or if youâd rather keep your friendship the way it was in case it didnât work out.
âIdiot,â you mumbled to yourself trying to calm your racing heart down, because just thinking about him dreaming of you in his lap made you squirm in your seat. Slowly, you turned towards him. âCan we start the movie?â
âSure, sweet thing.â Eddie smiled at you before he turned his attention on the TV. He was really trying to get under your skin, and he managed to do so, you werenât sure whether he was doing it with a certain intention or just had one of his moods, where he tried to see how far he could go, because heâd done that a couple of times.
You watched the first movie in silence, eating away at your snacks, Gizmo still sleeping soundly in Eddieâs lap. At one point you pulled up your legs to get a little more comfortable. Towards the end, you started talking about how dumb the protagonists were here and there, because you always ended up doing that.
The second movie was pretty much the same, but at one point, you snuggled up to Eddie, your head landing on his shoulder. It was completely innocent, usually, but you still felt your heart pick up its pace again, because you felt the heat of his body seeping into yours, when your arms pressed against each other. Eddieâs arm came up to rest on your shoulders, while you put your hand on Gizmo to pet his belly. Not all cats liked that, but Gizmo often presented his belly to you to get some pets and scratches.
Towards the end of the second movie, though, Gizmo got up in search for some food, because you hadnât shared your snacks with him. You slowly raised your head from Eddieâs shoulder.
âYour turn to change the tape.â You stretched your arms out and your legs. You loved movie nights, but sitting through multiple movies without moving that much always made your legs and arms hurt at one point. So, while Eddie got up to pop in the next movie, you stretched out on the couch, lying flat on your back.
âWhat do you think youâre doing?â Eddie asked with a laugh, towering over you, hands on his hips.
âI used the free space.â You chuckled to yourself, extending your limbs to cover as much of the couch as possible.
âAnd where am I supposed to sit now?â
âThat sounds like a you-problem.â You stuck your tongue out to him, before you snickered. Really not your problem, right? Wrong. Because Eddie wouldnât sit on the floor through a whole movie.
âNope, but I know how to solve this problem.â
Eddie kneeled down and before you knew it, heâd lifted you up, cradling you to his body, one arm beneath your knees, the other coming around your shoulders.
âEddie!â you squealed, wrapping your arms around his neck for support, in case he wasnât able to hold your weight and dropped you, but Eddie was stronger than he looked.
âYou brought this on yourself! Dâyou think Iâll watch that movie sitting on the floor?â
âMaybeâŠ? I was just joking, please let me down!â Though you rather enjoyed being this close to him, being held by him, and your heart certainly beat for him when you felt his breath fan across your cheek.
âIâve got you safe in my arms, darling.â Eddieâs voice was low, causing goosebumps to cover your skin, and for a moment you closed your eyes. Only when he moved to sit on the sofa did you open them again. You let him handle your body to his liking right now, because you trusted him, because you wanted to see where this was going. And so he laid his own body out on the couch, yours on top of his. He betted your head on his chest, placing his hands on your back.
âThat alright?â The playfulness from a moment ago suddenly gone and replaced with something real, something deep. You could hear his heartbeat due to being so close to him, and it mirrored your own, but you werenât able to look at him right now.
âYes⊠itâs perfect.â You mumbled against his chest, reaching for the remote to start the movie, because you didnât want to talk about it right now, not even think about it if you were being honest. You just wanted to enjoy this moment, enjoy feeling his hands moving over your back in a soothing motion.
âGood,â Eddie said with a smile, but his eyes were still fixed on you for a moment, before he could tear his eyes away from you and look at the TV. It was the most interesting movie out of the three of them, because you hadnât seen Children of the Corn yet.
Every time you jumped, Eddie chuckled and tightened his hold on you, showing you that he was here, that he was protecting you. And it worked. Eddie had always protected you ever since youâd known him. It warmed your heart, and you found yourself paying more attention to the way Eddie touched you, to his steady heartbeat than the movie, until one scene made you jump again, and you instinctively pulled up your legs, your knee hitting Eddie right in the crotch. He whimpered and you turned your head to look up at him.
âIâm so sorry, Eddie, are you okay? Anything I can do?â
âIâd say you can blow on it to make it better, but that could be misinterpreted.â Because he really didnât mean it that way, he meant it in the way that someone blew on a childâs cut or bruise to make it better. For a moment, you looked like you were contemplating it among other things, but that would definitely take a turn in a rather different direction, and the thought alone made the tips of your ears burn.
âYeah, it definitely could,â you agreed with a chuckle, arranging your legs so that they were framing his and you didnât run the risk of kneeing him in the nuts again.
âIâm alright, no need to worry, darling.â Eddie raised his head to press his lips to your forehead, an innocent movement, an innocent kiss that still made your heart race.
âItâs those fucking kidsâŠâ you managed to say, biting your lip. âTheyâre absolutely terrifying. Makes you wonder if you really want to have kids someday.â
âDo you?â
âDo I what?â
âWant kids someday?â Eddie raised one hand from your back to run his fingertips along your cheek, eyes fixed on you, the movie momentarily forgotten.
âI think so, yes⊠with the right person by my side.â You glanced towards the TV before you looked back at Eddie. âBut only if I never watch this movie again.â
âCould I be the right person for that?â Eddie stopped his fingers from moving and instead cupped your cheek.
âEddieâŠâ you whispered and swallowed hard, leaning into his touch. You were sure that he could feel your heart beat in your chest, maybe even hear it, because just the thought of a future together with him, a family made you so happy that you could burst.
âIâm serious, y/n⊠Because I could see that with you. A future together I mean.â All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room had changed, from getting scared by horror movies to talking to Eddie about a possible future, to talking about what had been in the air between you for weeks now.
âIâŠâ you hesitated, even though you didnât know why, because you already knew the answer to this, could scream it from the top of your lungs no that youâd taken that step and talked about it. âYes⊠yes I could.â
âReally?â
âOf course, you big oaf,â you said with a laugh, hands coming up to frame his face. Now that youâd finally said that out loud, there was no need to hold back anymore.
âCharming as always.â Eddie pulled you up a little bit so that you were eye level with him now, noses nearly touching. âHiâŠâ
âHiâŠâ Your voice was barely above a whisper, but before you could lean down to meet him halfway for your first kiss, the door of the trailer flew open. Both of you yelped and got so scared that you fell off the couch, Eddie landing on top of you. He quickly scrambled to his knees so that his weight wasnât on you for long. A moment later, you heard laughter coming from the door. Laughter that you knew all too well.
âWAYNE!â Eddie yelled slowly standing up and extending his hand to you to help you up. You had to chuckle to yourself, because you should have expected it from Eddieâs uncle. After all, he knew that you were watching scary movies tonight, but youâd completely lost track of time.
âShouldâve heard the noises you made,â Wayne said as he closed the door behind him. Heâd gotten off work earlier than usual, and since heâd seen that the light was still on, heâd wanted to pay Eddie back for scaring him all the time. âGot you good.â
âYou really did, Wayne,â You said with a smile, not even mad about the horrible timing he had when you felt Eddie hand reach for yours, his fingers tangling with yours. You leaned against him, beaming at Wayne as you did so, and he realised what was going on.
âIâm gonna leave you kids to watch the rest of your movie. I need a shower anyway and then some sleep.â Wayne grinned at you before he turned around to get to the bathroom, whistling on the way. Heâd been rooting for you two all along, and heâd probably known it before the two of you had realised your feelings for each other. Once again, heâd been absolutely right. Needless to say, neither Eddie nor you were able to concentrate on the rest of the movie, but you were able to live without knowing how that ended.
Summary: There's Only One Bed meets Fake Dating meets Friends To Lovers. We've got a blending of tropes going on in this one! When your Mom invites the family friends and their creepy son along on your vacation you beg your best friend Eddie to fake date you and join your family to keep the handsy boy at bay.
Word Count: 1,634
Warnings: (full series, not just this chapter. Will be updated as needed) Creepy family friend, swearing, inappropriate touching, jealous!Eddie, fem!reader
A/N: This is my second Eddie x Reader series! Hope you like it đ this was started as an entry to @spiderrrling & @uglypastels writing challenge and will continue over the next few weeks. Right now there isn't a set plan to how many parts it is. I'm excited to share this with you all đ„ș
Please do not translate, repost or copy to any other platform, for example A03, Wattpad etc. You do NOT have permission.
- - - - - - - - - - đ - - - - - - - - - -
"By the way, we've invited the Johnsonâs to join us at the cabin next week." Your momâs voice rang out. Walking through the kitchen door with the remaining grocery bags, you drop them on the counter. Your eyes are locked onto the back of your momâs head, hoping you had misheard her.
"What? Why?" You canât help but whine. You had nothing against the older Johnsonâs, but their son was a different story altogether, even the thought of him had your skin crawling.
"Because they're our friends.â She turns to face you, hands on hips, the signature mom stance. âAnd it'd do you good to make more of an effort with Ross, he's a lovely young boy. You could do worse, you know."
Internally youâre gagging, but outwardly you resort to rolling your eyes, earning a sharp look from your mother.
"Mom, no. That's not happening. He's not a lovely boy, he's a creep.â You shiver at just the reminder of how many times youâve caught him looking down your top. Or the many excuses he finds to touch you every time his family visits. âAnd anyway, I- I have a boyfriend!â Where the actual fuck did that come from? Shit.
"A boyfriend? You've never mentioned him before. What's his name?" Sheâs onto you, clear disbelief in her voice. Which, ouch, that stung. Youâve always had male friends but never a boyfriend and your mom is all too aware of that fact. Sheâs constantly trying to introduce you to her friendâs sons, eagerly nudging you in their direction at every chance she gets.
"Name?â You say the first person you think of, without really thinking it through at all. âHis name is - Eddie.â Why did you say Eddie? You clench your fists by your sides, itâs too late to back out now. âIt's Eddie. You know, Eddie. He's my boyfriend now.â Even if he doesnât know it yet. âAnd- and I was going to ask if I could bring him with us. You know, since heâs my boyfriend." The words were escaping you before you could capture them today, and you only hoped you were able to pull this lie off.
"Oh, well I suppose he can come. He's a nice young man, could do with a haircut and some new clothes, but he's always so polite.â Your mom was one of the few parents in this town that actually liked Eddie. Sheâs always more than happy with him visiting, insisting he stays for dinner and practically forcing him to take home any leftovers for himself and his uncle.
âOkay, invite him.â She smiles and nods at you, continuing to put the groceries away. With her back to you, you let out a breath, your shoulders sagging in relief. âBut the Johnsonâs are still coming."
You hightailed it over to the trailer park as soon as you physically could after the conversation with your mom that morning.
So now here you are, standing on the steps in front of your nerdy best friend, who is leaning against the door frame looking down at you with those chocolate button eyes. His unruly hair is more of a bird's nest at this point, in desperate need of a wash and brush. The sweats heâs wearing are hanging low on his hips and heâs wearing the t-shirt he stole off you last time he was at your house. The sight begins to leave you feeling a little breathless before you catch yourself, heâs your friend. And youâre here on a mission.
"What do you want?" Eddie cuts to the chase, chewing on a slice of toast that seems to have appeared out of thin air.
"What, no hello?â You chuckle nervously, prolonging the inevitable.
âHello kiddo.â He mocks, teasing you with the nickname he knows you hate. Youâre one year younger than him and he loves nothing more than offering you âan elderâs wisdomâ and telling you how âback in his dayâŠâ. You canât resist rolling your eyes at his antics. âSo, what do you want?â
âNothing. What do you- I don't want anything. What are you talking about?" Your fidgeting, stop fidgeting. You know heâs going to pick up on it, the way youâre pulling at your sleeve and scuffing your shoe along the ground. Eddie has always been observant, heâd know if you were lying without you even making a sound.
"You're doing that thing, with your voice. Where it sounds all squeaky." Heâs got that knowing, cocky tone to his voice. Youâre internally cursing him for how he knows you too well.
"I'm not squeaky!" You are.
"What do you want, little mouse?" Eddie leans forwards as he speaks, lowering his face to yours. Heâs teasing you, baiting you. You resist, just a little longer.
"How would you like a free vacation?" You can hear the awkwardness in your voice as you ask the, almost truthful, question.
"A free vacation?" Heâs twisting a strand of his hair around his finger, the same finger that was holding his toast that is now coated in crumbs and melted butter. If you were going to take him on your family holiday you seriously needed to get him in the shower stat. He might be your best friend but he could be so gross sometimes.
"Yeah, we're going up to the cabin next week and mom said I could bring someone."
"Did she now?â
âYeahâŠâ You taper off seeing Eddie notice the remnants of toast on his finger, he brings it to his mouth. Your stomach clenches at the sight of him as he begins to suck and lick it clean.
Your stomach isnât the only part of you that clenches.
Feeling a warmth settle on your cheeks, you push those thoughts aside. Eddie is your friend. Just your friend. Nothing more. Youâve never wanted it to be more. This morning is clearly just a momentary lapse of sanity.
âWhat's the catch?"
"No catch. None. Just, perhaps, maybe, you could do me just a little favour?" You hold your thumb and index finger out in front of you, indicating a small gap between them and smiling sweetly up at the boy in front of you.
"That's a catch, little mouse." He taps you softly on the nose, laughing as you scrunch it up.
"Eddie, please."
"What's the favour?"
"Pretend to be my boyfriend?" Your words come out a little jumbled from the way you practically vomited them at him.
"I'm sorry what? Pretend to be your boyfriend?" That definitely caught him off guard. He goes back to standing up straight, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. You think you see a slight flush over his face but it could just be the afternoon sun catching up with him.
Time to be honest, no more beating around the bush.
"Look my mom is trying to pawn me off on this creep and I panicked okay?â Your arms are flapping by your sides, anxiety eating you up. âI kind of already said you were my boyfriend.â This time your words as muffled as one of your hands comes up to your face, beginning to nervously chew on your nails. âEddie please! I never ask you for anything!"
"You ask me for rides all the time. I'm basically your personal chauffeur at this point." He shrugs.
"Okay so I ask for one-"
He cuts you off, a grin on his face.
"And you asked to steal my fries just the other night at the diner."
"Yeah but-"
Youâre cut off again. You can see the glint in his eyes, heâs enjoying tormenting you.
"And what about when you practically begged me to be your fake boyfriend?"
"Iâm not begging, Iâm asking!" Thereâs that squeaky voice again.
"Maybe you should, my little mouse."
Wait, what? Was he honestly asking you to beg him to do this? He was going to be the death of you. You didnât know if you could handle a week of him. All day, every day for a week.
"I don't hear any begging. Actually, I think I'll be busy next week..." Eddie turns, moving to close the door on you.
"Ugh fine.â You grab the door, stopping him from shutting you out. âEddie, handsome, kind, Eddie. Would you please, please do me the honour of being my fake boyfriend so that my mom will get off my back and the creep will leave me the hell alone?"
"Hmm, maybe." The metalhead shrugs, his face scrunching to show heâs not impressed.
"Maybe?" What more does he want from you? Doesnât he realise youâre already embarrassed enough asking him to save you from some perv by pretending to be your boyfriend for a week.
"Begging normally requires some knee action right?" He gives you the cockiest grin youâve ever seen. His finger pointing to the ground in front of you.
You sigh deeply, cursing him silently as you lower yourself to your knees. The gravel digs in through the thin denim that covers your legs, making you wince just a little.
"Eddie, you're the best friend a girl could have. And this girl, here on her knees, is begging you to take pity on her in her time of need." Youâre peering up at him, giving him your best puppy dog eyes. Softly, you take his hand, bringing it to your face. "Please Eddie, oh master of the dungeons."
You finish your begging with a gentle kiss, placed on the palm of his hand.
"O-okay." You miss the way Eddie stutters, the way his adam apple bobbed in his throat as your lips pressed against his skin.
"Okay? Yes?â Scrambling back up to your feet, you throw yourself into Eddieâs arms, not noticing the way he melts into your touch. âThank you thank you thank you!"
Summary: Youâd always had a far-away adoration for Eddie Munson, though you never could quite make sense of him. And when you offer to help him pass biology by tutoring him, you tell yourself that itâs only to help him graduate. Totally.
Word count: ~11.9k
Warnings: Awkwardness lol. Fluff & flirting. Biology talk. One argument with strict parents. Angst toward the end of this first part.
A/N: So, I guess Iâm obsessed with writing school-focused fics?? This is my first time writing Eddie, so let me know if thereâs any glaring mistakes about his character. I had fun with figuring out his character (ha). Please let me know what you think! Thank you for reading <3