Hello, Hello! My name is Goldie (it is but it isn’t…) ~ 21 ~ Capricorn 🌞 Pisces 🌜 Pisces ➶ ~ (She/Her)
I am an Autumn girl and love all things spooky and strange whilst mainly appearing like a total normie. I found my obsession with Eddie Munson around last year and it has stuck to me like glue ever since. Whilst I love the Stranger Things universe I am always looking for new people to write for and would be open minded to suggestions from you guys!
I have another account which is my main account unfortunately and I cannot switch them around. There I post some poetry and other things that tickle my fancy. I’m sure re-blogs and likes come from there so don’t be alarmed! Tis’ but I. @thewrathoffemalerage
Right now, especially online, I think it’s incredibly important that AI use in writing is disclosed and then avoided. I am a heart and a brain and I write every word on my own. Not once have I lowered myself to use AI in my stories and I never ever will!!
Masterlist <3
Working on it!
Eddie Munson <3 one shots, long fics, AU’s, drabbles and more!
Working on it!
Requests are: open!
Like I said before I want to remain open to new ideas for any character that you find joy in!
I believe that I am part of many many fandoms but one look at my blog and you can see it is very Eddie Munson heavy. I write x fem!reader stories and I do no use y/n for anything I write. As a reader I know that this use can bring you totally out of a story and I don’t want that for you guys reading my work! In the future I do also want to start experimenting with OC’s and separate universes but that is a conversation for another time.
Here are some fandom I enjoy: ST, Marvel, Twilight… honestly this is kinda hard to categorise haha! Let’s say I like most things!
I like to think that I am incredibly open minded but there are things I simply WILL NOT write and if you suggest these things I will block and report you… because why would you do that?
These things are as follows: Pedophilia, underaged characters, minors etc. Also scat (shit) and piss. Anything else, go for it!
When requesting please keep in mind that I am only one person and I want to write as much for your ideas as possible so some things may take time and I value your patience while I juggle my offline life with this.
I also love collaborating on stories and writing so I may reach out to you with some questions about your request. We can talk moodboards, scents, music, time periods and anything else! Just have fun with it. I generally like to yap about anything writing related anyways so if you have ideas in mind you want to brainstorm then please hit up my DM’s or my inbox!
The entirety of my blog is 18+
I am not saying people under that age cannot engage with fan fiction and must rid themselves the joy of reading about their favourite characters. What I am saying is that I tag my posts accordingly and I am stating that whatever you choose to read is something you’re doing of your own free will. I can only do so much to warn people. I am not responsible for your triggers.
Blogs without names, are ageless and look robotic will be blocked and reported.
What are your thoughts on this style of Reader Insert?
Love it/don’t mind it/would still read!
I prefer the use of ‘you’ instead of ‘I’/would not read/don’t like
My button (don’t press) xxx
Remaining time: 10 hours 15 minutes
As I write this the city is fast asleep. Her avenues and squares empty. The cafes and bistros shuttered and the rain is a gentle heartbeat against the glass of my bedroom window.
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.
A predictable rhythm I have come to love.
For the last three weeks, I couldn’t sleep and tonight was no different. Above me the ceiling swirls in the dark, creating shapes that aren’t there and distorting my mind further beyond the realms of exhaustion. Soon the disappearing sun will reappear and claim its throne in the morning sky and I will be its unwilling jester. Burnt out memories repeat themselves over and over like a carousel floating aimlessly through my brain, bordering on insanity as I cling to them with a vice like grasp.
The way I lost that argument against myself in the bathroom mirror, or how I apologised to the kitchen counter after it clipped my hip so hard I nearly collapsed or…
How I couldn’t get three words out when bumbling like a fool to anyone even remotely attractive. So much more than I. Infinity better. Worthy. Godly.
A particular interaction pokes its head repeatedly, a conversation instigated by the one and only Eddie Munson. Throughout the torture of high school Eddie had been gentle to me. Chivalrous when I didn’t deserve it and chatty when I couldn't force my tongue to speak. It’s hard to choose just one memory to obsess over when there has been countless failed attempts at basic human communication with him since leaving high school. Nonetheless, they haunt me in unison. Every night before bed.
Should I have spoke softer? Slower? Faster? What was I doing with my hands? Were they still or fidgety? I think they were restless, there’s no way I would’ve been able to stand there any other way. Not with his eyes surveying me the way they were.
Such a small thing and so long ago yet I can recall nearly every detail.
He cornered me on the way to our final class of the day by the water fountain, his hair matched the wild of his eyes and his wolfish grin was even sharper upon closer inspection.
“Have you always wore glasses?” He stooped further to meet my gaze. I shook my head, my tongue in a knot, “They really suit you.”
“Not all the time…” That’s when my fingers became so interesting, “I don’t wear them for everything. I… I can see without them, too…” At the time that information seemed the most relevant. The most valuable.
“Yeah, well, they’re sweet. I like the colour.”
Sweet. A word I had heard thrown around far too often for my own good. It angered me now and pulled ropes of nausea up from the base of my restricted throat.
Sweet. That’s all I’ll ever be. Not hot or sexy or slutty. Just… sweet. Quiet. Kind…
And whilst there is nothing wrong with those qualities it meant I would forever pale in comparison to my female peers. Undesirable. Unseen.
“Hey, kinda crazy but I was wondering—”
“Sorry. Have to go.”
“Oh? Okay—”
“Sorry.”
The human mind is an esoteric and overgrown place. Mine is no different, filled with thorny brambles and bare tree branches twisted in all ways but one. So dark and thick that I struggle to sleep, tormented by my own voice and past. The embarrassment I felt for everything was overwhelming and irrational. I knew that, I wasn’t stupid, but part of me still lay awake convinced that I was less than because of how I muttered ‘Hello’ while walking down the hallway to someone who didn’t notice or how the planes of my face birthed fire when asked a question that I knew the answer to in class. Nothing made logical sense to me… but it did.
I mistook genuine laughter amongst friends as fork tongued bullets shot at me, I was convinced that everyone’s sour moods were somehow a reflection of something I had done and more important than anything else I have previously said— I was utterly obsessed with myself.
Why did I say it like that?
Does this shirt look okay? Does the colour clash with my eyes?
Is my hair frizzy? Is it flat and dull?
Am I dull? Am I witty?
What am I? Who am I…
The more I searched for an answer to that question, the more lost I became. Misled in circles of self-loathing and bitterness. Maybe I was once a sweet girl, but now I feel like a tin can. Hollow on the inside and boring to look at.
As promised, the mist shrouded sun occupied its rightful place in the stark eye of the winter sky, casting a veil of grey over the awakening streets of the city which began its routinely hum to life at 5:00am. Six more days of exaggerated freedom before I was back in a lecture hall, fighting for my life to keep pushing that metaphorical boulder up the hill before it flattened me. They say the first year of college is always the hardest, maybe they should’ve warned us more about the first month.
Already I was falling behind, a paragraph turned into a page and then turned into two and that turned into an entire chapter. It wouldn't be long before the book laid closed. Unread and unstudied. Covered in a thin sheet of dust. The interior voice nagging me to get up and dressed won its usual battle and like a disconsolate mosquito I fled to the campus library for some solo revision. My eyes strained against the tiny black words on the jaundice paper and paired with the lack of rest it made for the perfect cocktail for a headache.
“Mind if I sit?” My limbs become as stiff as a mannequin at the friendly voice soaked in fresh sleep, “Don’t wanna intrude.”
From behind his voluminous curls shines the dispassionate white sun at the summit of the sky. The harsh light through the window illuminates his fly-away hairs in a red hue that curl and twirl off the crown of his head like desperate plant shoots itching to feel the warmth of the suns rays. He wears the same smile I fondly remember from high school and it’s just enough to make me nod my head wordlessly. Inviting him to stay.
“Still don’t talk much, do you?” Eddie asks brazenly with unbothered shoulders as he cracks open the spine of a book.
“Not really…” I agree with a powerful drowsiness drifting through me like a current that forces a yawn to gape my mouth. Habitually I use my palm to shield my teeth.
The handsome brunette’s lips quirk up at the corners, his since tired eyes now popping with life, “She speaks.”
The newfound attentiveness towards me had me questioning if there was perhaps a camera set up between the rows and rows of books, the device waiting to capture something hilarious at my expense, “You remember my name, right?”
The unvarnished truth was that I couldn’t possible forget him. His face, his scent, his walk, “Yes, Eddie. I remember your name.” It also hadn’t been long since we last saw one another, maybe four months, give or take. Definitely not enough time to scrub yourself clean of a person.
“Thank. God. Had me panicking there for a sec.” His hand, still adorned in silver metal, clutches at his chest and for a moment longer than I should have I stare at the black fabric stretched across his bicep and the noir ink waving at me from beneath it.
“Why?”
“Hmm?”
“Why would you panic?” His fingertips dog ear one of the pages multiple times, toying with the flimsy vessel repeatedly until the sound of a small rip fills the quiet space.
“I’m usually forgettable to most people.”
Not to me.
My chest expands with the awful impulse to laugh, “Me too. If it makes you feel any better…”
“You?” He protests with heavily arched eyebrows, “Never. C’mon, that’s silly.”
This stunned me and I couldn't take my eyes off of the metal bar in his mouth. A pierced tongue, something new I hadn’t bothered to notice until now. Or, I wasn’t brave enough to look for.
“I’m being honest. People forget about girls like me all the time—”
“Seriously, they don’t,” He leaned in on his elbow then, “Girls like you run wild in peoples daydreams. Trust me, I should know.”
The dreadful familiar coil began to wind itself around the base of my neck, “You don’t have to do that.” I fought against the gallows but the noose slowly tightened.
“Do what?”
“Pretend. Be nice to me. Flirt… you don’t have to.” I grimace down into my textbook, hiding my internal struggle as best I could.
“I know I don’t have to because I want to. Don’t tell me you seriously don’t believe me?” Eddie cranes his neck, a fight lost as he tries to find my eyes, “You’re literally fuckin’ gorgeous, y’know that?”
A pitiful laugh parts my lips, “Eddie, stop, you don’t have to—”
“In high school I had the biggest fuckin’ crush on you. The entire time. And each year it intensified. Even now my hands are sweating like mad just sitting here across from you,” The elephants foot on my chest is replaced, the cavity now riddled with butterflies as my eyes shift to meet his, “I thought you didn’t like me because, well,” He gestures downward to his body, dressed in its normal armour that's now matured, “But I couldn’t give in. You drive me crazy with how beautiful you are.”
Drive. Not drove.
“Really?” The words sounded foreign as they hit my ears.
“One thousand percent!” He slumps back in his chair, draping his arms coolly across his chest, “Before we split for Summer I was gonna ask you out.”
“What?” I couldn't comprehend it. He was speaking too sure and too fast.
“Yep,” He said, “It was by the water fountain, you had your glasses on and before I could ask you you sort of… ran off. I think that was the last time I saw you, actually. Until now.”
The memory of that day is still pristine in my mind from the night before but the details were now hazy and strange. It was Eddie and I but we were mushed into a massive blur. Words exchanged and spoken but nothing retained.
“You… you were?” The disbelief is hideous in my voice. The pieces were refusing to click together. How was it that Eddie Munson, who could have been on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine and voted ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ wanted to ask me out… of all the better options available to him. Especially now with college life, surely he’s drowning in offers from girls.
“I still wanna ask you… if you’d let me?”
I freeze, briefly reminded of the camera I had convinced myself of lurking in the shadows earlier, “This isn't a joke?”
“Absolutely not.” He is stone faced, “If you would so graciously accept I would love to take you to dinner tonight. Somewhere nice…”
C’mon voice, don’t fail me now.
“O.. okay. Okay. Yes.” I winced, waiting for the punchline but it never came. All I was gifted was the cheesiest Cheshire grin from across the table and a unmistakable glance down at my lips.
“Sooooo, It’s a date?” He sung with triumph which was unfortunately short lived as the librarian came over to shush us fiercely.
“It’s a date…” I whisper over with a contained smile and Eddie’s knee brushes mine beneath the table."
Description: Dustin Henderson loves to read, especially books by the novel super star, Stephen King. After reading 'Pet Cemetery' by the author, Dustin turns to fantasy when his best friend, Eddie Munson, is staring into the jaws of death in the Upside Down. Hoping that he can save him. That he can bring him back... Dustin buries him there. w/c: a lot…
Pairing: Dark!Kas!Eddie Munson x Henderson!Reader.
Tags: Lovers to Enemies to Lovers again to… Enemies (I guess…), thriller, horror, mystery, crime.
⚠️: Mentions of death, character death, Dark!Eddie, swearing/cursing, angst, murder, attempted murder, manipulation, kissing, implied sexual encounters, bodily harm, grief, menstrual blood, blood, gore, injury, stalking, trauma, night terrors, dead dove.
Angst, hurt with no comfort… My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: This is something I wrote on my old blog and I am transferring it over because honestly… I’m proud of it. Re-blogs and comments are always welcome in this house! Enjoy xoxox
- 6 Months Prior -
Dustin's cold and trembling hands warm with the spillage of fresh blood.
Appearing maroon in the darkened light of the Upside Down, the blood has turned Eddie's t-shirt from white to brown. The fluid feverishly and sinisterly splutters from Eddie's mouth and splits his bony prominent chin in half.
Eddie bleeds from his stomach, the tears of his flesh ripped by the bats are oozing and hacking away at his precious time. His eyes flood with pain stricken tears bloated with terror and knowing. An ominous knowing that he wasn't going to survive this attack. Despite his fear and the feeling of Death's cold grip on his shoulder, he was beaming with joy that Dustin Henderson would be the last person he saw in this life.
"Stay with me, please stay with me, Eddie!" Dustin's shoulders tremble with each swallowed sob he tries to fight. The palms of his soaked hands press firmly at one of the wounds however leaving the others seeping with crimson and unattended.
"Eddie!! Stay awake, Eddie!! Don't please don't leave me, please..." Frustrated with Eddie's growing stillness, Dustin resorts to tapping his face, slapping the skin of his cheek to keep Eddie conscious.
"Henderson..." A strained cough lunges from Eddie's throat, shooting blood across the whole of his face, "Re... remember me... please. Don't... forget." Eddie is shivering with gentle sobs.
"No, Eddie, never! I'll never forget. C'mon, you-you have to stay awake- stay with me. We.. we have to get you back- Steeeeeeve!!! Help me!!" Dustin's confidence wavers and a gaping hole forms like a sucker punch to his gut as he realises that this is it. His best friend, the one person who he felt truly seen by, a mentor and an idol, was going to die. He was going to leave him stranded and and alone in this God forsaken 'normie' world.
"I... I didn't run... away... tell.. tell her I didn't... I didn't run.." For the first time in hours Dustin remembers his older sister waiting at home for them. How could he possibly tell you, someone he adores and cherishes, that the love of her life is gone? How would he look you in the eye and tell you that Eddie is dead but you can't know how or why?
He couldn't. He couldn't do that. He wouldn't. He'd bring Eddie home to you.
But then, fate decided for him, and he had no choice. The apartment you and Eddie had planned together would sit vacant. Never occupied by you or him. No spilled paint on the carpet or questionable stains on the kitchen floor. There would be no laughter, no tears and no children...
Nothing but emptiness.
Raw and agonised wails of loss could be heard from miles off in the distance and they hit Steve's ears like a clash of thunder as Dustin's desperate attempts to keep Eddie alive had failed. Dustin's heart breaks like glass in his chest, sharp and painful as it collapses to the pit of his stomach and splinters into a million pieces.
Forever broken.
Eddie Munson died in his arms.
And only Steve could pry him away.
But they couldn't leave until Dustin had done one last frantic good deed. He buried Eddie there, in the radioactive and somewhat alive soil of the Upside Down.
Marking his grave with his guitar stuck wrong side up into the dirt and his bandana wrapped as a flag around its neck.
Dustin never told anyone why he did that. Why he buried Eddie Munson there.
But he knew why... and all he could do was hope that someday soon he'll see his best friend again.
As himself or otherwise.
—
- Present -
The hum of the refrigerator grumbles gently in the nightly silence and Dustin's swollen eyes are set staring vacantly into the darkness. The kitchen table has rubbed the skin of his elbows raw and his legs feel numb against the chair below him. He stifles a sniffle and resorts to holding the weight of his exhausted head in the palms of his hands.
Too frightened to sleep. Too sleep deprived to stay awake.
Nights like this have become the ordinary routine for Dustin, and you, his sister. He knows exactly when to expect the creek of your bedroom door opening just enough to listen for him in the kitchen. The struggle of you finding your fuzzy slippers and dressing gown so you don't catch a chill when you go to find him.
And it's always the same. Dustin will be at the kitchen table, blanketed in shadow, and you'll always pretend to be thirsty for a glass of water or rummaging through the refrigerator for an early morning snack.
Neither of you talk about it too much. The comedy of it all. But both of you know that Henderson's are far from stupid.
"Hey." Your low voice is clear and soft as it splits the space, a dead giveaway that you haven't been to sleep tonight either.
Dustin doesn't bother to raise his head, "Hi."
Compared to you, it sounds like he had swallowed razor blades moments prior to opening his mouth. When it fills the space it's like the crackle of burning wood in a blazing fire.
Your stature stalls at the refrigerator door, your hand lingering over the smooth silver handle for a moment too long as you ponder what to say next. What do you say to someone who is hurting just as much as you are? What could you say?
"Nightmare?" The question is asked flamboyantly. A throw-away question that you already knew the answer to. You ask it every night. You just had to confirm it.
Finding nothing satisfactory in the refrigerator your next pit stop is the freezer.
"Mhm," His vocalisation makes you frown into the 2Litre tub of Neapolitan ice-cream, "Couldn't sleep?" Dustin fires back as he sits up right and folds his arms across his stomach.
Your jaw ticks and you grimace as you steady yourself, moving on to locate a soup bowl in the dark, "Something like that." Your voice is meeker now. A lot more reserved.
The honest truth was, you hadn't slept right for 6 months. Something always stirred you awake and when you awoke, you'd always reach for him.
But he wasn't there anymore.
"You want some?" You hold up a spoon in gesture to the ice-cream thawing on the counter. Dustin scoffs and your eyebrows furrow in surprise.
"Do I want ice-cream? It's 3 o'clock in the morning-"
"Okay, jeez! God, what happened to my kid brother, huh?" You slam the ice-cream closed and nearly catapult it back into the freezer, "Y know, you're so lucky that mom is a deep sleeper because she would freak if she knew you weren't sleeping-"
"Okay, yeah, I get it! Forgive me if I'm no in the mood for chit chat and ice-cream but I'm missing my best friend, okay?" Your heart wrings in your chest.
"I miss him too but you aren't the only person hurting, Dustin. Eddie's gone. He left us and you need to move on and find other friends-"
Dustin's body turns rigid, his bones seizing until they're mistakable as concrete. You didn't know the truth. The week after Eddie had died that's when Dustin gathered enough courage and composure to spin the tale that Eddie had fled town. That he had met some other new girl. And through this lie came the guilt ridden night terrors. The haunting ghoulish face that bullied him nightly when he slept. Eddie's soulless eyes seared into the backs of his eyelids.
He had to hide his grief. He had to choke it down like it didn't exist and every night it visited him in his dreams.
"How can you say that? You're supposed to love him!-"
"Yeah, I did!" Your voice betrays you with a whiny crack, "I did love him. I still love him and some stupid part of me thought that he loved me too but he left me, Dustin. He left you! Why are you not mad at him?" Suddenly the melting bowl of soupy ice-cream no longer appealed to you, "Why do you sulk around all day like a-a fucking sad little puppy waiting for him to show up? He's Not. Coming. Back!-"
"He might!-" Total desperation.
"No. He won't." You ignore the intense burn of your tears against the lash line of your eyes as you drop your bowl into the kitchen sink with a careless clatter. An eerily calm demeanour falling over you. With your back still to Dustin you welcome the fall of fiery tears down your cheeks.
"It's been 6 months. If I catch you up again like this I'm telling mom. You need to sleep." Your tone is cold. Frostbitten.
Before Dustin has any time to protest you are scurrying out of the kitchen like a wounded animal and back to the safety of your bedroom on the ground floor.
Leaving Dustin stranded.
And alone.
—
- 2 Weeks Later -
For the last 14 days you and Dustin had tiptoed around one another. Barely uttering so much as a full sentence when it came to sitting down for a family meal each evening. Of course, your mom took notice, but she had learned from many years of sibling rivalry experience that it's best to let the both of you wait it out until it all cools off.
"So, Dusty Bun! How's your new little club doing at school? Hellscape... or.. Hell... something-"Your mom's bumbling is genuine and her honest cluelessness nearly elicits a laugh from you.
"Hellfire," Dustin stabs his fork into a roast potato with intent to harm the poor vegetable, "It's… doing fine."
Lips purse in annoyance and you gnaw the inside of your cheek. A futile effort to keep your opinions to yourself.
You knew that Dustin was lying. He had gotten pretty decent at it the last year or so.
Maybe you felt like this towards him because you two had already been arguing, or maybe it was because you had always been protective of your mom and you didn't appreciate his dorky little angsty tone that he was taking with her.
"It's not her fault, Dustin." Your tone remains calm and still like a sheet of frozen water. Unwavering. You didn't want to spark a flame with Dustin, you just wanted to remind him of who he was speaking to. The atmosphere at the dinner table seizes up like cramp in a stiff muscle. Your mom very evidently afraid to breathe.
Your eyes meet across the table and for an intense moment you ready yourself for fire to spit from his mouth, but to your surprise, Dustin only sighs and offers your mom a thin curve of the lips.
"Sorry, mom. Long day today..." His gaze flickers to you and his eyebrows jump up discreetly on his forehead. An unspoken way of him saying, 'Satisfactory? Okay. You're right. Let's stop fighting?’
You accept this peace offering with a respectful bow of your head before filling your mouth with a forkful of food. Your mom's rigidness melts away like butter but that doesn't stop her from excusing herself from the table to empty the drying rack to make room for the incoming dishes.
After a few long moments of heavy silence you decide it's better for you to start acting your age as opposed to your shoe size,
"Truce?" You ask with the faintest of smiles.
Dustin ponders it for a second, trying to analyse the outcome of this before gently nodding his head and requiting your small smile, "Truce."
"Great, because you're on dishes tonight-" Your face cranes over your shoulder and Dustin's mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out, "Mom, don't touch those!! Dustin just volunteered!"
Dustin's face contorts as he gurgles a scoff, "Remember when we used to get along? Yeah, me neither."
Then you leave the table.
—
- Present -
In the dead of night images flash up in his mind like a flickering film reel. Memories of his life worn and full of noise and disturbance. So far away yet so close he could touch them. Taste them.
The trailer sits unmoving and sleepy in the indigo blue nightfall. Against his pale and Hell tormented skin the quickening Spring wind is mild and welcomed. He hadn't experienced this in a long time.
This aliveness wouldn't slip through his taloned fingers. Not this time.
The taste of metal coats his forked tongue still as traces of blood weave themselves around each of his teeth. His lips are messily stained from the concentration of the bodily fluid. Kas pays no mind to the fact that by morning break that dismembered body lying by the side road with its throat ripped out will be undoubtably found by someone passing by.
Authorities will be distraught. Where, Kas believes, they should be thankful that he has fed and satiated himself. For now.
Kas could inhabit a host with ease but he could only access so many of their memories. He could only bury himself so deep into their psyche and Eddie seemed to be doing a good job of guarding his most cherished memories and keeping them tucked away and out of Kas's reach.
Time would allow him to burrow further, only he had to reinsert himself into Eddie's world first. Starting with this tiny trailer home. Located at 53 Forest Hill Trailer Park.
Hawkins, Indiana. The outside of the trailer resembled a decaying tin can that had been left out in the rain. From the rusted seams of the trailer weeps streaks of burnt orange and the windows appear so wind struck with dirt and grime that he can't even peer through to the inside of the home. The metal joints and bolts whine in the breeze uneasily and he is left to wonder how long this has been inhabited by the Munson's.
Inside, Kas could hear the gentle thrum of a resting heartbeat and he was certain that it must belong to Eddie's relative, Wayne, sleeping soundly inside.
The keys in Eddie's pocket chimed softly as all the metal clinked against each other and the front door clicked open with knowing: Welcoming him home.
Stealthy with eyes like a hawk, Kas takes in the scene like a detective to a crime.
Everything remained solid, just as he had seen from Eddie's memory of the place.
Even the smell that lingered in the living room felt familiar. Enough to cause Eddie to stir against Kas's command. Eddie was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had hoped for. Strong and passionate.
Now, Kas isn't one to commit to the mundane daily routines of the human's that he hosts, but if he were to blend in here then he had to scrub the drying blood from his face and hands before he gave Wayne a heart attack.
Each step toward the bathroom elicited more findings. More recognition and more fight from Eddie. Trying to fight him was like being strangled with barbed wire; annoying and worrisome. Luckily, Kas was able to suppress him. Ignoring his plead for his humanity and his cries of bitter loneliness.
The bathroom light buzzes to life with a satisfying clonk' of the light switch and Eddie's weak human eyes wince as he is engulfed in warm beams. The small ceiling fan in the corner gurgles to a gentle whir and Kas closes the bathroom door behind him before inspecting his ghoulish reflection in the nearby mirror.
Just as expected, he looked horrifying. Too gruesome for immediate introductions.
Cheekbones protrude like cliff side rocks being bashed against by the ocean. Eye sockets are sunk in toward Eddie's skull and his eyes... his eyes were like wine spilled over snow. Intense enough to make you flinch.
It smelt clinical in the bathroom, like bleach from the cleaning supplies under the sink but also damp from the nearby bath towels folded on the outdated radiator. Not bad or unpleasant but lived in and recently used.
The walls are coated in a thin layer of cheap light blue paint, almost white with the loss of pigment over the years. Toward the ceiling the paint has began to peel from the steam from the shower, revealing underneath the paper brown of the plaster board that lines the foundations of the space.
Eddie's body is stripped limb for limb of clothes and jewellery before the shower water has time to warm up. Humid steam is fast to fill the small room and each breath feels thicker and thicker with each inhale and lasts twice as long.
The pads of his feet are cold against the cream coloured viny! floor as he treads toward and into the shower cubicle. Warmth instantly finds his skin and it's like soft kisses to his tired flesh.
As the shower stream thunders down onto his head and soap meets skin and hair the plug hole swirls with crusty old blood, both Eddie's and otherwise, dirt and debris. The darkened water drains away whatever it was that happened to Eddie Munson in the Upside down and he steps out of the shower cubicle a new man but also a scarred man.
Kas is many things, but he is not a healer. He cannot mend the events of the past.
So, Eddie's scars on his abdomen, arms and neck remain just as they would have if Eddie had survived himself. They helped Kas puzzle together his final moments.
The mirror squeaks as Eddie's damp palm swipes away some of the condensation from the glass. Revealing to Kas a much more tame and gentle appearance. He truly saw Eddie for the first time then.
Something otherworldly happened in that moment, when Kas's voided gaze met Eddie's. Something that used to be human stirred within him and an empty aloneness pierced his chest like a thin hot rod. His eyebrows flickered with surprise and he could hear the pounding of Eddie's heart in his ears. It was as though he could feel his blood coursing through his entire body, thrumming in his veins like the strings of an electric guitar.
However, the tender moment is short lived as passiveness is injected back into Kas's bones and he slings a graphite grey towel low around his hips which is clearly five years old or older.
The door knob whines with a small twist and as the door pans open Kas is then met with a Browning BSS double barrelled shotgun rifle to the face with Wayne standing poised on the other side dressed in nothing but pinstriped sleep shorts, a faded white vest and brown socks up to his knees.
The human thing for him to do would be retreat and cower with his hands raised in surrender. Instead, he stands there. Heart pumping. Staring down the abyss of the barrel. Total acceptance.
The gun's safety remains on and Wayne's iron clad grip on the machine loosens and then drops to reveal his wrinkled and stubbly face wide and ghastly blown with surprise and mild horror.
"Eds..? " His voice is hoarse and bed ridden, "Eddie?" Wayne's jaw wobbles with the words and his tired eyes slick over with salt. The palm of his free hand paws at his droopy eyes as if he thought he were mistaken by the sight. It felt like a dream to see Eddie standing there bathed in light and mist and glowing around the edges. He had to be sure. He had to be sure this was real.
Eddie's face contorts into a wicked grin that pinches his cheeks and slits his menacing eyes devilishly.
"Hi, Wayne."
—
Small orange wheels churn and tremble against the rough gravelled concrete leading up toward Hawkin High's busy entrance. The morning sun burns bright in the clear seaglass sky and students of all heights and ages crowd the parking lot in squashed groups. The dots of their colourful backpacks merging together to form some sort of distorted Andy Warhol painting.
Max's faded black converse clad foot kicks up the edge of her treasured skateboard until the palm of her hand catches it. A skill she has practiced a thousand times and can do from muscle memory. She knows exactly where to find the party that morning - she also knows exactly what they'll be arguing about, too.
Lucas's hand slaps against his locker, frustrated, "I'm telling you guys, it was Eddie! Max freakin' saw him!" Will and Mike share a look of apprehension before Will's eyes soften to concern.
"And what about Dustin? He'll be crushed if you're wrong about this." Will crosses his arms over his chest defensively, his shoulders soft and shy.
"I'm not wrong!" Lucas fires back, explosive and passionate. His deep eyes find Max skating toward them in the background behind Mike. She swerves multiple Freshmen and Lucas grabs Mike's shoulders to turn him toward her, "Here she comes! Ask her! Max, over here!"
The redhead rolls her eyes with a faint smile etched on her lips at her boyfriend's arm waving her over, as if she weren't already on her way toward him.
"Hey guys-"
annoying.
"You saw Eddie?" Mike interjects with a squwack, his voice whiny and slightly
"Yeah, did you really see him?" Will chimes, his voice softer but edged with alarm.
"Tell them, Max. Tell them—" Lucas's voice is clipped surgically when Dustin joins the group. He wears a fluffy grin but his eyes look fatigue ridden and a shade of salmon red.
"Tell us what?" Dustin asks, attentive and curious.
The party swells with a pregnant silence and all eyes dart around in a circle from Dustin to the other members. They contemplate the weight of this with severity.
One wrong move and Dustin could break.
Again.
Dustin's impatience grows until he become irritable, "Well?" He snips in a very Eddie tone of voice.
"Uh... Max... Max saw Eddie." Mike is the one to warily break the news and Dustin fixates his gaze on Mike's face, suddenly wide awake.
"What?" Dustin's voice comes out in panted breath. His throat croaks lowly, barely audible, "It worked..." and Mike nods toward Max who stands waiting for Dustin's immediate interrogation.
"Is... is that true? Did you see him?" He takes a step closer toward her, his sneakers squeaking across the newly polished floor as he does. Max treads carefully, her eyes as steady as a sniper's as she takes in Dustin's every move.
"Yeah. I did—"
"This should be impossible, right?" Will argues timidly, unsure and beyond confused, "Eddie... Eddie died."
The whole group feel that pain in their chest. The nightmarish memory being the cause of the hollow ache.
"Yeah, he did. He is.." Doubt riddles his mind, "Right?" Mike's throat bobs as he gulps thickly.
After momentary silence Dustin finally pipes up after some tense solo thinking, “It isn't necessarily impossible," He pauses, a small smile brushing his face, "But it is fucking insane."
Max and Dustin meet once more, "Where did you see him?" He continues.
"Walking toward the outskirts. He was alone but I'd recognise that wild hair cut anywhere. It was him." Complete conviction.
"Take me to him."
—
The air is foreboding and misgiving. A protective and gentle tug on the sleeve of your sweater whispering, 'no, don't go. Silence fills your head with an ominous ringing and each click of your bike chain feels like the ticking of a bomb about to explode. As the road stretches out in front of you and the surrounding trees begin to shroud you in inescapable darkness you feel the watchful eyes of the forest piercing your skin like syringes. The overwhelming aloneness that captivates you from head to toe is nearly enough to strike you from your bike. You wobble against gravity and reality hits you in the form of beaming headlights blinding you from the bend in the road up ahead. A cargo truck barrels past you and its shrieking horn stops you still. The erratic rhythm of your heart against your ribs makes you battle the rancid urge to vomit right there and then.
Anxiety lingers in the background of each of your thoughts. Fighting rationality. Welcoming dread.
Just when you thought you might implode from panic you reach Skull Rock and your ears are met with wailing laughter. The tyres of your bike grumble against the forest floor, nearly knocking your chain off the bottom bracket with each stick and stone as you edge closer and closer toward the smoking ball of orange in the distance. A teenage made camp fire, no doubt. The Spring time chill drags goosebumps from your skin and a shiver snakes down your spine. The sensation is specific, comparable to a melting ice cube on warm flesh.
Upon your handle bars your bike light begins to flicker and glitch until finally completely shutting off. Allowing darkness to captivate you. Something it has never done before until now. Luckily, you were near enough to the fire to be granted some light. Enough to see who is surrounding that fire.
"Dustin..." The name leaves your throat in a swallowed plea. Barely excusable and yet it grabs everyone's attention.
"You came! Didn't think you'd wanna-"
"Hey!" Beams Max, offering you a small jolt of her hand.
"Come, sit." Steve chimes in a relaxed manner which pulls your blown gaze over to him. At first glance you hadn't initially registered the shadow perched next to him on the fallen log. His shape similar to that of a cloaked raven occupying a tree branch.
After taking notice of him, something powerful shifts the group. A stiffness that seizes their lungs from breathing and their muscles from moving. The warning tug on your sleeve was now heavy fists pounding on your back begging and screaming for you to flee. Run and never stop running.
"What the fuck..."
Instead, you stand there. Tethered to the spot.
"You didn't tell her?" Max hisses in a hushed tone but you still hear her over your pulse clanging in your ears.
Dustin scoffs, "Well no, I guess she- I thought it'd be a surprise- I thought it was nice!"
Your stare is unwavering. Stuck on his silhouette like a deer in headlights. A moth to a disastrous flame. Still, he hasn't looked at you. Not yet.
"Can't even look at me." A scornful thought that wasn't supposed to hit anyone's ears except your own and yet the party fall notably silent.
Charcoaling wood snaps and crackles in the rising flames, punctuating the very moment that Eddie's eyes search your own. His iris's welcome the smouldering orange of the fire, tainting his otherwise black iris to a Hellish red hue.
There is challenge in his glower and the grin that stretches his cheeks is unanticipated. It shocks you, even.
"There. Now I'm looking."
Your clenched fists slacken at the grumbling vibration of his voice dominating your mind. Eddie's voice had changed since he'd abandoned you months ago. Opposite of his once delicate and smoother tone. It was guttural with a jagged and sharp edge. Grittier and more resonate in his chest cavity. Grounded and animalistic. A threat that was able to strike terror with horrific flamboyant ease and it wasn't just the sound of his voice that appeared heavier and forever shifted. He looked so...
"Let's talk. Privately..." Evidently, it wasn't a request.
The soles of your Reebok sneakers remain planted in the dry earth of the forest and you observe Eddie's slow rise to his feet. It appeared fluid in a way that could've only been rehearsed.
Shadows swirl across his frame with each small gust of wind that dances with the flame separating the two of you. He stood taller with a quiet confidence and your face warms at the sharpness of his jaw and the sunken definition of his cheeks. His hair is freshly washed, you could tell, and there was something obscure stretched on the side of his neck. A large dark spider web of skin that almost looked like a scar and was hidden by his dark ringlets.
Noting your rigid frame, Eddie smiles warmly at you and this time, for the first time since arriving, you recognise him, "Please? Only take a sec."
A second too long, you thought to yourself.
Thankfully for Kas, Dustin had spilled his guts to Eddie a few hours prior. Bringing him up to speed about every intricate event that had spanned over the last 6 months. The tales and the deceit. Including your avoidance and detest of the topic of everything Munson related.
Kas wasn't fond of the complexities of human emotions and he didn't care enough to learn how to navigate them in their entirety but he did like to think of himself as a mass manipulator and that's what he intended to do. Become the ventriloquist to your puppet.
Sensing your stubbornness, Eddie breaks away from the camp light toward a darker area of the forest beckoning you to follow. Close enough to the group to seem 'safe' but far enough for his lies to paint the exact picture he wanted them too. Uninterrupted.
Morbid curiosity brings your feet forward one cautious step at a time and it doesn't take much time before the group begin to mingle together again at your absence.
"Save it."
"What- I've not even- just listen-" Your eyes strain to adjust to the darkness and Eddie's shape seems faceless in the shaded moonlight except for those reflective button eyes blinking back at you.
"No-" A click of your tongue punctuates your eye roll.
"Yes." You seem to blink and somehow Eddie is right in front of you. Intense eyes searching yours and his leather clad arms caging you in against a tree trunk, "Five minutes. S'all l ask."
A shiver flickers down Eddie's spine at the scent of you. Such a delicate aroma cursed with memories that make Kas's head spin hazily. Dreamlike. The way your laugh always had you clutching at your chest and how you looked when you were in deep sleep. The droplets of water on your skin lingering after you'd showered and your happy dance after Eddie would supply your favourite snacks on a gloomy day. For a moment, Kas's control slips. Eddie's consciousness wrapping its tight fists around his throat.
At this proximity you take notice of his eyes-how much they have changed. Somehow. No longer heavy with warmth and oozing with brown, but flecked and pierced with a cold red and black. Almost shimmering in the darkness. Those weren't the eyes you fell in love with.
Distracted by the charred smell of bark and the fresh mint that captivate your senses, you are transported back to the hallway at school when you first began dating Eddie. The sneaky make-out sessions between classes against the lockers that left you panting and yearning for more. The brushed knuckles as you passed one another in the canteen. You remembered everything good. Every moment bathed in warmth and love. Such a stark contrast to what is in front of you now.
"I'm taking your silence as compliance so this is it. The whole truth-" Eddie uses the soft pad of his index finger against your jaw to shift your face back toward the fire, "Your brother lied to you."
"Shut up-" A snorted laugh.
"He did. Henderson covered for me," As much as you didn't want to believe a word he said, it would explain Dustin's restlessness. His reckless behaviour and his inability to sleep since Eddie vanished some months ago. Only you couldn't understand why. What was so bad that Dustin couldn't spare you the truth?
Anything other than the basketball sized hole punched into your chest when you thought Eddie fled with another woman, "You remember Reefer Rick, don't cha"?"
Slowly you nod your head.
"Well, you know that he is- was, my supplier, right?" His eyebrows perk, searching for confirmation, "For drugs?"
"Yes, for drugs. Jeez- I know that I'm not dumb-"
"And since you're not dumb you'll know that he isn't the supplier," Eddie paces slowly, his hand movements like liquid, "He's the middle man. Basically what I'm saying is— I had to go, I needed to go but I, well, l obviously didn't want to."
No sound leaves you.
"Reefer Rick fucked me over," Eddie's feet still as he stops dead in his tracks, his body facing yours. You hadn't noticed up until this point that your back is still flush against the tree trunk from earlier and now, pinned under his gaze, you begin to feel trapped, "I paid him and he robbed me— fucking snake, month after month!" He drags a frustrated his palm down his face, "People from the top came looking for me... that's why I hid. It's why I ran. owed them too much and and didn't even know that I did!" He chuckles solemnly to himself and your jaw unhinges with utter disbelief.
Money. This was about fucking money. As if he could read your mind...
"Before you tear me apart just know that I love yo- it killed me to leave, okay? For the last 6 months I have been fucking dead inside but I had to look out for you. I couldn't live with myself if some macho drug dealing asshat came looking for you because of me." Eddie respects the space you need right now, judging from your crossed arms and deeply furrowed eyebrows.
"So, instead of telling me you owed someone money you left without a word and let my little brother pick up your pieces?" Eddie's shoulders square as he braces himself. You laugh pitifully, "That's ridiculous, y'know that? Fucking pathetic."
"I almost told you— Woooah hey!" Purposefully you wall your shoulder into his, unfortunately this meant getting close enough to him for him to grab your upper arm with a vice like grip, "Don't be like that—"
"Let go. Now."
"No-"
"Eddie, I swear to God-"
"I can't let you go," His voice swells in your ears like a whimpering pup, "Not again- you don't understa- I can't lose you-" He is breathless.
Puckered lips open and shut like a fish in water as you track your mind for a response but instead you say nothing. Only you both stand there in one another's presence for a prolonged moment.
"Let's start over... please?" Gently, Eddie's hands slide down your arms until they clasp your fingers, "Please. I just, I want you to trust me again."
He hides his amusement well, gnawing on the inside of his fleshy cheek to bite back a knowing smile. One feathery touch and he can already see your facade faltering. This ‘I hate you' and ‘I'm so cool and tough' act that you have going on is no match for the muscle memory stored in your bones. Melting into Eddie's touch is what you're used to and it's what you've longed for every waking moment of every night for the last 24 weeks.
"I need you in my life... I do. And I know I've been selfish and- and | know you hate my fucking guts but please... please just let me show you how sorry l am- let me show you I'm better now. Better than before."
Kas contemplates a dramatic finale of dropping to Eddie's bony knees and clasping his begging hands up at you as if you were a God. He knows that human's thrive off of power and domination. They live and breathe control and when starved of it they try to create chaos to find it. Maybe he just had to feed you... make you believe that this was your idea. That you are the puppeteer and he the wooden boy.
Your heart wages war against your brain. Your wide eyes linger on Eddie's for a second too long before they cowardly flit away and down toward your shoes that now appear all the more interesting. Of course, Kas notices this.
What you think you want to say to him is;
No, you hurt me, fuck you, stay away from me, hate you, fuck off and eat shit.
Instead you whisper, "There was no other woman?"
"No, no! I promise-" He explains.
"Then okay." The nail in the coffin.
"Okay?" He beams, bearing all teeth and the space between you begins to shrink.
He cranes his neck to try and catch your gaze and he successfully does.
"Okay." You barely manage to repeat the word.
His hands squeeze the balls of your shoulders a tad too tight, "Oh, Sweetheart... you won't regret this." A flirty purr that ruins your stomach.
That settled it. Its about time you two got to know one another... all over again.
—
Krrrrk!!
The walkie-talkie on his belt hisses to life.
"Come in, Hopper. Chief Hopper, come in.'
"Yep." Hopper croaks with pinched eyes and a thundering headache. Beer for breakfast wasn't his brightest idea but there was no damn coffee in the house.
“We have a situation down on—"
"Already there, Linda." The fog fallen arable field sits idle and vast. Contaminated with a desecrated corpse that appeared drained in its entirety. Skin sagged, wrinkled and dry with undertones of bruise blues and purples. Veins as black as coal and finger tips and toes the same inhuman colour. Unlike the last few that have been showing up all over Hawkins under similar circumstances, this one appeared to be female. Judging from her headless body.
She is the first of five to pop up. Each scene demanded Hopper's authoritarian oresence and he could stomach it. Until now. This one... this one churned his stomach and tied it in a wretched knot of bile and bubbles. He could only think of Jane. What if this were her? What if this were one of her friends? What would he do?
Could he cope?
"Awaiting the rest of the team, Chief. They're ETA'd at 15 minutes." Hawkins PD officer Calvin Powell asserts with clarity and strength which earns a silent nod from Hopper.
"Where were they?" Jim finally asks, his scowl unwavering from the scene in front of him.
Powell clears his throat, "Another scene, Hop. Supposedly more recent than her. Body is basically still warm." He nods towards the girl in the grass.
"Oh, Jesus Christ." Hopper pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes crinkled as he shakes his head in disbelief, "Same pattern?"
"Yep."
"Man or woman?"
"Teenager."
"Shit!!" Instinctively Hopper's hands momentarily cup his ears, trying to shield himself from the dark news. His hands then form fists as he shoves them into his coat pockets full of frustration, "Fuck this fucking job!" He screams into the sky, causing nearby birds to fly from their settled nests and flee.
Powell gulps thickly, "People are worried, Chief. What do we tell them?"
A palpable moment passes.
"Do we know her name?" He drags his palm down his face, both exhausted and plagued with confusion. The wheels churn in Hopper's head, the pieces not quite fitting together in the way they're supposed to. What was he missing? Who is the monster doing this to people? He can't be human. He just... can't be.
"Chief, the town-"
"Do we have a name, Powell?!" Hopper breaks.
"No, Sir."
"And why is that? Huh?" He is slow to walk interogatively closer to Calvin.
"Well, uh she- she uh doesn't-"
"Doesn't what?" Jim prods more, his agitation growing, "Doesn't what?!"
"She doesn't have a head, Sir!" Calvin shudders, maybe the weight of the situation has finally began to dawn on him. Maybe not.
"And that's exactly why we can't tell the fucking town!" Jim plunges his hand into his coat, pulling out a red deck of cigarettes and a lighter, "Now, get outta my sight. Radio me when the team arrive. Copy?"
"Copy."
—
The pursuit started small. Creeping in like haunting shadows across your bedroom floor. No matter where you were or who you were with, Eddie always managed to rev his head. You'd catch a glimpse of him at the corner of your eye, mistake him for someone else only to find his eyes already on you when you'd recognise him.
Something in your head would always sound off an alarm. A warning siren ringing shrill and sharp as he casually waved his hand up at you and smiled a knowing grin.
Something felt off about him recently.
New.
Separate...
This Eddie was far different to your old one. Callous, cruelly sarcastic and intimidating. His personality seemed to tower over you, even suffocate you at times. Dustin, however, was star-struck by him. Dumbfounded and totally oblivious.
The day of Steve's backyard barbecue was the day everything shifted. Summer was heavy in the air, the temperature seeming to have sky rocketed over night and the flowers of life were in full bloom. However, alongside the smell of flowers drying in the sun also came the thick stench of death that mortified the town. People were more than aware of the bodies appearing, they were outraged and they demanded answers. But Hopper couldn't provide them anything, not once he knew where these attacks stemmed from.
Hopper is no stranger to the horrors of The Upside Down, and that's why until further notice, these secrets would die with him.
In the meantime, a cold beer and a hamburger wouldn't hurt anyone, right?
It's his day off.
Hopper in charge of the grill and meat, Joyce on teenage surveillance and everyone else?
Sweltering in the sun.
"Fuck, it's hot." Steve groans, his palm pawing at his sweaty upper lip and brow.
"Too fucking hot." You agree, squinting across the pool with the sun beaming off of the water and directly into your eyes.
Across the yard, the boys play with super soakers and water balloons. Pelting them off of one another and bellowing with hysterical laughter. Max and Jane are close by, as always, their eyes flickering to and from your lounging frame. There is no question that they looked up to you, Nancy and Robin, however it didn't stop you from shifting uncomfortably every now and again under their watchful gaze.
"Steve?" You address the host soft and unsure. Slowly, you shift onto your side to face him, propped up with your weight leaning against your elbow.
"Hmm?" He hums lazily, his eyes closed beneath the shade of his sun glasses.
"Do you-" You hesitate, the question tasting fuzzy on your tongue, "Do you... believe Eddie?"
Immediately, Steve's muscles strain beneath his sun-kissed skin and though he hides his worry well you can instantly read that something isn't right, "What'dya mean?"
"I mean do you buy all this crap about Rick? Did you know about it... the whole thing?" You're hopeful that he didn't, that he'd never watch you suffer the way that you did. But part of you remained doubtful of your friends. After all, Dustin was closest with Steve. You couldn't imagine him hiding such a thing from him.
"No- What? Of course I didn't know."
"Honest?" The tenderness to your voice is sickening.
Flexed muscles soften like warm honey at your tone, "Swear. Cross my heart, Hendy."
A loud breath exhales from your mouth, your jaw still tense with contemplation.
"So, you believe him?" Pensively you admire the ripple of the swimming pool.
"Sure, I believe him-" All nonchalance with a confident puffed chest.
"Don't do that"
"Do what?" His voice pitches higher and you groan.
"Be dismissive. Defend him. If there's something you know that I don't then please just—"
Steve is quick to sit upright, matching your now rigid energy and slinging his sunglasses up to rest in his hair, Listen, I don't know what you think I know... but I'd never withhold anything from you, okay? Not if I knew it could help... settle you.."
Settle you. Like you were some sort of distressed wild animal being domesticated.
The statement stung like sun burn scorching your skin.
"I have so many questions.."
Instead of retaliation and causing a scene; you let the conversation diminish. Allowing everyone to enjoy the start of a long and tireless Summer.
When Eddie finally arrives the majority of the company have gone home and people are beginning to cover up as the nightly chill creeps its way through Steve's backyard. You remain by the pool, allowing the soft wind to coat your skin in lulling kisses.
Heavy eyelids fall closed and your shoulders slump with each slow and intentional breath you take. Almost asleep- Until a certain someone pipes up next to you.
"Hard day lounging in the sun?" You heard his grin before you saw it. Each and every one of your cells question if you can be bothered dealing with him right now.
Something about his voice swayed you, though. It quirked your lips up into a tiny curve.
"No, I'm just... thinking." Your eyes remain closed and Eddie admires your bare frame without judgement.
"About?" Instantly he is inquisitive, his eyebrows raised up on his forehead and his lips pursed.
For a moment you linger, simply existing within the silence as you contemplate what to say. How could you tell him that you were thinking about him? The way his eyes used to smile at you from across the room and how each feathery touch lit your soul aflame. How could you share the dreaded despair of how much you miss him? How you still miss him... even though he is right there with you. Looking at you like that.
"Doesn't matter." The decision was clear. There wasn't much point in enlightening him.
He hums a hum that reads suspicion and you find yourself now fixated on his neck. His hair, tied back in a low bun, cascaded loosely in soft wispy waves barely covering the fresh scars etched there on display. Your fingertips twitch with need, longing to trace the sharp pattern there and examine him further. What happened to him? Where did he go?
"Caught you," He muses with a grin, snapping you back to the present and you stare at him with a gaping mouth, "You're curious."
"Sorry! I- You don't have to- Shit I'm so sorry..." Blood pulses to your cheeks which causes a hearty chuckle to ripple from Eddie's throat.
"S' fine, Sweetheart.." Shaky digits tremble as he fidgets with the silver on his fingers, "Motorbike accident when I was in Florida." Unruly eyebrows pinch close together as he recalls the scene in great detail.
Florida. That's where he was...
"A motorbike did that?" The exclamation wasn't intended but you were confused. Eddie on a motorcycle, it didn't make any sense. And Florida? Of all places...
"Surprised me, too," A laugh that read half heart and half sorrow. In an incredibly human way, Kas felt the weight and guilt of his lie. The closer he got to you, the stronger Eddie's screams became. His thrashing was hard to ignore, "Parts of the accident are a total blur and other parts, well, they uh just don't exist..."
"You don't remember anything?" Intrigue and concern unknowingly pull you closer to him. Sitting with him now, Eddie appeared older. Mature but like a red wine gone sour.
"Remember wakin' up in the hospital. Remember flashing blue lights," He shrugs, "That's it, really."
The pause you take seems to last a lifetime, "Must've hurt," Once neutral lips are now inched down into a soft frown, "You went through that alone..." The realisation knocks the air from your lungs and every suppressed measure of love and care for Eddie bubbles to the surface in the form of tear swelled eyes.
"Hey- it's okay, I'm okay- Shhhh." Within seconds a strong pair of arms envelope you in a close embrace and you sniffle softly into the buttery fabric of his white t-shirt. Being this close to him brought you both comfort and strain. Your muscles tight and howling; a confession warring grizzly against your insides.
"I missed you, Ed's," You sob from the relief that relaxes your entire body, "Missed you so much." The words are broken by shaky breaths and Eddie only holds you tighter, afraid that if he let you go that you may shatter. Your fingernails claw at the back of his t-shirt like a rodent, trying to press yourself closer to him; if that were even possible.
The proximity submits Kas completely, and in those few seconds it is Eddie sniffing the top of your head and kissing your scalp. It's Eddie's hands that smooth down your spine and cradle the back of your neck. For the first time in months, that empty space within his chest starts to fill again and his memories are in total technicolour.
"Missed you more than you'll ever know, Sweetheart." His words are swallowed by the strands of your hair and for a long moment you rest there with your ear pressed to his chest.
"Why Florida?" The words are a mumbled mess into Eddie's chest, but he hears you all the same.
"Went lookin' for my old man.." He sighs, regretting the decision and you wrestle the urge to go rigid in his arms at the mention of his shitbag father, "Thought he'd oe able to help me out, considering he's had a few rodeos in his time, Y'know?"
Deciding it's safer to remain neutral than comment on something you no longer have any say in, you nod your head and nudge your face closer to his chest. Judgement free.
"I found him... but uh... he had nothing nice to say." A sombreness captivates Eddie's voice and your teeth grind together as your jaw tightens. Tears threatening to spill.
Timidly, you pull away from him, your cheeks burning and your nose all sniffly, "I-uh- I should go freshen up before, y'know..."
"Totally. Definitely:" The dry skin of his palm finds the dampening skin of his neck and his shifty eyes swirl with greed as they watch you rise to your feet and flee toward the inside of Steve's house where the rest of the flock were fleeting to as well.
He could smell you... it was obscene. It left his mouth watering.
Steve's bathroom smelt like a pungent fresh linen upholstery spray and the overhead light is warm as it washes over the magnolia walls that are covered in strange abstract art. On the ceiling there is a strange stain, evidentially a past water mark that you acknowledge quickly. Hurried fingertips dab at your reddened eyelids, patting away some of the smeared mascara there before you decide that a quick pee break is long overdue.
That's when you see it. The monthly dread staining the lining of your bathing suit,
"Oh shit!" You hiss, plucking a small bunch of toilet paper from your left and swiping at the blood hoping to blot some of it away.
It made a bit more sense now. The crying you had endured before hand. The unease at the pit of your stomach and the ache in your limbs. Fucking periods.
In a panic, you rummage through Steve's cabinet below the sink, praying to find some form of menstrual products. A panty liner, a pad, a fucking tampon-anything! Anything would do. Unfortunately, you only find Steve's electric manscaping razor and a bunch of loose toilet rolls.
"Ew..."
Screw it. A wad of toilet roll wrapped around your underwear would just have to suffice for now. Looks like this pool party is being cut short. When you leave the bathroom you feel queasy and fatigued. A sudden drought finds your tongue and the interior lights of Steve's home begin to poke and prod at your orain.
"Hey- Woah, you okay? Lookin' a little pale there, Champ." Steve's round eyes search your face and you meet him with a graceful smile.
"M" okay, just a lil' tired. Gonna head home I think." A dismissive flick of your wrist waves away Steve's worry and a quick glance over his shoulder drags your eyes toward Eddie's hard and sly stare. It read a look of pure penetration. Almost as though you were totally transparent.
As if he knew that you were bleeding.
No, he couldn't. Surely...
"Need a ride? Pretty sure I'm still under the limit." He gleefully grins down at the beer bottle in his grasp.
"Nah, should be fine. Fresh air will do me good. I'll call when I'm home." You're already making your way toward the front door before anyone can protest further and the night air hits you like a dream where before you were struggling to sleep.
The gravity of the local news seemed to have slipped everyone's slurred minds, it must have if they have allowed you to walk home alone without even batting an eyelid. Except, you recalled every gruesome detail from the trail of cases. The photographs. The desperate appeals for information. The entire walk home you were snatching hurried glances over your shoulders, sure that on one of the occasions you'd find someone lurking there in the shadows. A masked man beneath a street lamp with a deadly tool in his hand. Or maybe he'd lunge at you from behind a parked car, catching you off guard and grabbing you from behind.
Jagged steel keys wiggle their way messily between each of your fingers. The cold metal brings comfort to your warm skin but all you can concentrate on is the galloping of your heart in your chest and how it synced with each step you took.
Left, right, left, right.
Realistically, the keys wouldn't do much in defence. They'd slip, or fall or worse; they'd hurt you instead if you threw a punch at someone. You knew this and that's what made it all the more pathetic. People were dying in unspeakable ways and here you were believing that a set of house keys would save you from this butcher.
The reality is, if push came to shove, you'd be the next headline in that paper. No amount of wishful thinking could excuse that.
Your thoughts shift quickly as the lining of your stomach grumbles and you feel weak in the knees with hunger and exhaustion. All the poolside excitement left you without food for a good few hours and you were feeling it incredibly strongly now. A oox of Mac n' Cheese is the only motivation you have to keep pushing forward. To get home and change into some pyjamas with a film to fall asleep to.
Unbeknownst to you, you did have a chaperone that evening; only he kept a few paces behind you at all times and had razor sharp instincts. Sharp enough to predict each of your frantic movements. Even when you took drastically off route turns and diversions to throw him off, he could still smell you from a mile away. Taste you on the tip of his tongue. Your scent clinging to his nostrils like tarmac on concrete; teasing him.
The heavenly earthly perfume led him right to your front door and as he stood with his feet planted in the grass of your front yard, he contemplated forcing entry. He pictured the horror on your face and the contortion of your body as you try to flee from him. He really did.
But ultimately, he settled for watching you through the window pane. Glad that you had made it home safely and especially chuffed that he was the one to escort you there unharmed. He imagined the warmth radiating from your skin and heating his. Kas was encapsulated by a forever Winter, unable to hold onto any sort of body heat no matter the human host he inhabited. For a while his skin could prickle and redden with heat like stone in the sun but eventually he would cool again to something monstrous.
He fought to feel the familiar brush of your soft lips and recall every detail of your face and your body. Despite his efforts and the amount of struggle, he couldn't force the recollection to be his own. These love sick affairs didn't belong to him. They never would.
It conflicted Kas, the newfound protectiveness he felt for you, but he also knew that partly (or most of )those fond feelings came directly from the source; Eddie. With each passing day he was able to see more and more of Eddie's past. Even more so, the moments he spent with you. Tender and passionate and it left him feeling fizzy all over. The downside was, the deeper he managed to burrow, the more intense Eddie's presence became. Harder to ignore and difficult to swallow. The type of annoyance that would have Kas tangling his fingers into Eddie's hair and tugging on the roots with frustration.
—
A crooked family photo beams at you from the stairwell wall as you skip your way up to your mom's room, prepared to rummage through her wardrobe and borrow -take-a few pieces of her jewellery. The mirror is shrouded lightly with dust as you put in some earrings and outside of the window you can hear the birds happily chirping in the nearby trees that stretch the whole way down the avenue. The sun is soft in the early morning sky, painting the clouds a hazy lilac and blue. Not too harsh but still smiling down on Hawkin's with promise for a gorgeous day ahead.
There were plans for ice cream later in the day at the local gem hidden away beside the popular liquor store and the tiny green grocers; Matteo's Delights. The shop has stood in the same spot for over 20 years and only the community truly cherishes the homemade goods inside. Outdoors, the exterior design has remained somewhat the same since the 1960's; cherry red doors with bare dusty brick and white signage with black cursive lettering. Only a few structural modifications had been made for maintenance and a handful of sparse paint jobs here and there to keep things looking fresh. It was a place the group felt welcomed and a place that they adored.
Nancy was the first to introduce you to Matte's. Confessing it was the first Summer job she ever had. Scooping ice cream, making milkshakes and serving the community when she was just 14 years old and saving for a Donny Osmond concert. She had turned scarlet at the admission and you had giggled down into the horoscope pages of your weekly magazine.
Life was simpler back then. Care free and whimsical.
Now the once fruitful branches of life sit twisted and askew. Pointing in the one direction you wish they wouldn't.
"Awh, yes! You made it!" Steve's arms wrap around you tight and friendly but feverishly you pat his upperback.
"Hi, Stevie." The words evaporate from your mouth in the form of a sigh.
"Been too long since it was just us adults around," He addresses the group now, opening up the space with his hands on his hips and allowing you to settle on Eddie's defensive posture. Arms crossed, legs stood ready and shoulders square. If you didn't know him, you'd definitely mistake him as some sort of bouncer for a nightclub.
"Yeah, look at us; adulting." Eddie's voice grumbles with sarcasm and you gnaw on the inside of your cheek to bite back something equally as sarcastic and cheeky.
Thankfully, Steve was great at ignoring the obvious and all Eddie had to endure was a scornful look from Nancy and a vexed perked eyebrow from Robin. You, on the other hand, turned your gaze to your shoelaces which appeared all the more intriguing amongst the rising tension.
"You... you don't like this place, then?" You ask with an unreadable tone and your eyes still glued to the ground.
The weighty air stills and as you await the answer your heart dares to plummet to the bottom of your stomach and explode on impact. This was an end-all moment, depending on what he replied. This was the place you and Eddie had gone on your first date and to hear him so unenthusiastic about it really fucking stung.
Did you mean so little to him? Your time together; was it worthless?
Eddie shrugs his shoulders, trying to catch your line of vision with a toothy smile, "S' fine, Lovie. Was just being a dick." You meet his smile with a sour expression and you take secret pleasure in the way the grin fades from his stupid face.
"Yeah, you are-"
"Are we gonna go in orrrr?" Jonathan croaks warily, his voice hoarse and you scuff the bottom of your shoe against the dusty concrete which looked feverishly thirsty for a drop of rain.
"Let's." You march ahead.
"Right, yeah- let's uh, oh— Ladies first." The palm of Steve's hand rushes to open the parlour door and a wind chime sings above it, alerting the staff of your presence. In total, the booths occupied 2 other people who clearly had no business with one another. Evident from the rows of empty seats between them. Looked like business was booming.
"Nancy! Whatta lovely surprise, my dear!! Come, sit." Matteo, now a rather elderly gentleman with a refreshing accent, rounds from behind the counter in a red, white and blue striped apron to usher the group toward a spacious red booth where the leather was beginning to crack and peel from wear and tear. The entire walk over you were conscious of the two rounded eyes stabbing into the back of your skull. Eddie hadn't muttered much else and you hope the next thing out of his mouth is an apology.
"I'll give you guys a moment to order, wave me over when you're ready," Matteo flashes you a quick wink and you meet him with a large smile; half humour and half disbelief.
"Whatta DILF.." You tease jokingly with a giggle and Robin erupts into hysterical laughter.
"More like a GILF!" She remarks with creased eyes an snort, "Grandpa l'd like to-"
"Jesus!-" Eddie exclaims with furrowed brows.
"-Ok, we get it!!" Steve protests with raised hands which only makes you laugh more.
Eddie's eyes roll so hard they nearly find the back of his skull and Jonathan plays with the edge of the paper menu, his eyes frantic to find some sort of dessert to focus on.
"Should we get something to share?" Nancy asks all too casually, like she is desensitised to yours and Robin's antics together and you finally manage to calm the buzz in your chest.
"Yeah, Nance. What you thinking of?" You lean close to her, peeking over her shoulder and Robin sighs dramatically before collapsing back onto the booths pillowy walls.
The tip of one of Nancy's rose painted fingernails taps on the picture of the banana split, her amused eyes flickering to you and awaiting confirmation with a small smile. You nod, lost to the background as the rest of the group chatter amongst themselves loudly. Steve teases Eddie about something that had occurred the night before and Robin plays a game of 'who can wrestle the menu away from the other' with Jonathan. She wins.
Orders are taken and brought promptly to the table. Strangely, Eddie hadn't ordered anything. A quirked eyebrow elicits a response from him before anyone can ask him why.
"Ate with Wayne before I came, stuffed to the brim."
Wayne. The name makes your heart sing.
"How is he?" You ask without thinking and four pairs of eyes scorch your face crimson, "I've. I've not seen him." You add rather awkwardly.
Eddie holds your gaze and you feel like prey. Something squeezes around you tightly like a 12ft python snake and suddenly it's as though you forget how to breathe like a normal human being.
"He's good," He replies plainly, "Sleepin' a lot but night shift'll do that to you." Momentarily your mind flickers to the rusted and rickety old pull out bed in the living room that Wayne took upon himself to sleep on. Sacrificing his own comfort for the safety and security of Eddie. The thought dampens your mood and follow up questions die at the base of your throat. Part of you wonders if Wayne had the same questions as you did about Eddie's disappearance.
Did he wonder where he went?
Or did he question if he were dead?
This makes you furious with Eddie all over again. Fuck it, you'll endure the pain of his torment. But Wayne? His sweet as a cough drop Uncle? He didn't deserve that.
Not one bit.
"Hope he's doing well." On the surface you sounded sincere, and you were for the most part, but your voice also read a subtext of passive aggression. 'Hope he's doing well.. now that he knows his nephew is okay. You inconsiderate cunt.'
Thanks to years of bullying and psychoanalysing his peers, Eddie picked up on your attitude problem like that!
"Can I speak to you? Outside." He shoos Jonathan out of his seat so he can slip out of the booth and you follow him quietly but not without an eye roll.
"Be back." You mutter to Nancy.
Tucked in nice and cozy in a nearby corner is an old jukebox playing the 60's hit, ‘Buttercup Baby’. It plays ever so gently, loud enough for your brain to register the lyrics but small enough to go unnoticed by many others. You hum along.
As soon as the sunlight hits your skin Eddie is rambling, "What the hell happened to us starting over? You're acting like a a little kiddy on the playground. Why- what have I done now-"
You stop him dead.
"You're one to talk! In case you have forgotten, Edward, I don't have anything to be apologetic for. You screwed up, not me, and have to say that you're doing a pretty shitty job at making up for it-"
"This again- you hate me, you fucking hate me and I knew it!" He clicks his fingers as if having a eureka moment and you scoff instinctively.
"I don't hate you, Eddie. Not even a little bit." Immediately, your throat begins to bloat, "You'd think I would, but I don't. " Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your composure, "The worst of it all is; even after all that... after you hurt me...I still wouldn't do that to you."
"How long do I have to keep apologising for this? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm fucking sorry, okay?!" He begins to pace, "Do you not think I feel bad enough already? This shit eats me alive at night."
"Really?" You bite through clenched teeth, "It eats you alive? Does it? Because from where I'm standing it doesn't seem like it. You've been a total jerk since we got here. Honestly, it's like you're a totally different person now. You didn't even remember-"
Something stops you. A look in his eyes that seized your tongue from continuing.
"Remember what?" This wasn't getting you anywhere. This carousel that kept you spinning around and around. Both of you were incredibly frustrated with the other.
Furious...
And dizzy.
"I don't think we can be friends." Snap goes the elastic band against your heart and you almost grab at your chest to soothe the pain, "This clearly isn't going to work out."
"No, stop it-"
"It's for the best, Eddie-"
"That's the easy way out and you know it- The cowards way. Maybe it's better for you to run away but not for me." The crack in his voice squeezes your chest harder.
"But you did fucking run away," Your somber soaked voice is laced with disappointment, "You ran away from me..."
Stunned, Eddie's frantic feet stand still and his jaw hangs loose. His gaze is round and glazed and the sight is difficult to endure.
"You're right. We can't be friends." His line of vision is quick to find the dry earth beneath him and his contentment cuts you deep.
Standing like a corroding Greek statue, beautiful on the outside while your insides begin to crumble away to dust. You thought he would've fought for you more. You believed he still had more time to give. More patience. It sickened you to admit but you had imagined a future with him. More memories to share and to be shared with others.
"We can't be friends... because I love you. I never stopped.." His eye line is unwavering from the dusty spot on his shoe and more than anything you want him to look at you. To look you in the face and say it.
"What?" You heard what he said, you just wanted him to say it again.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Eddie's face rises and his eyes meet yours. For a moment, oddly, you don't recognise him.
"I love you."
You longed for the same confession, but something halts you. Binds you to deflection.
"Don't say it if you don't mean it." Eddie's softness quickly transforms into irritated bouncing.
"Oh my God... You are impossible, y'know that? Of course I mean it, fuck me! You drive me crazy!" You shrink momentarily, feeling the weight of his scold but that shifts instantly when you see the stretched smile on his face, "What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
The pause between you seems to last a painstakingly long time and since Eddie had reappeared back in Hawkins... you had no response. Nothing to say to him. Totally speechless because you didn't know the answer. You hadn't the faintest clue on how to fix this mess of a relationship. Of course you wanted to, but you didn't know how.
You watch with a sour tongue as Eddie's smile fades to a thin tight line and you feel your eyebrows curve with sympathy, "I don't know.." The admission feels right, "I'm sorry."
"I could work harder-"
"You can't rewrite what happened-"
"I know, I know but...I can try to... to-"
"Eddie-"
He releases an exasperated sigh which was mistakable as a groan, "l just... you have no idea how torturous it is to be around you when you look like that and not... hold you." He gulps thickly, eyes flickering to the pulse in the your neck, "Taste you..." Travelling up to your lips, he disappears somewhere inward, "Kiss you."
You witness his eyes water and transform into something silky and welcoming, "I'm starting to forget all the good things we had... I don't wanna forget you. I don't wanna lose us..."
Your limbs decide for you to pull him into an embrace before your mind can fully process what's happening and Eddie is quick to accept your body flush against his. His hair fills your face and tickles your nose as you shakily breathe his scent. The familiar sweetness of his minty shampoo left you beaming against his shoulder and you let go of a sigh you had been holding.
"It'll take time, Eddie," Your voice sounds sleepy; intoxicated, "But I forgive you. I want you to know that."
The man pressed to your chest remains remarkably still and quiet. As if afraid to move. You interpret it as emotional overwhelm, but that simply wasn't the case.
Over your shoulder Eddie had locked eyes with the green vested cashier of the liquor store. A dark blonde boy of similar age, probably a previous bully of his, and when Eddie's lips met yours you know that you should have stopped him. Pushed him away and called him out on taking advantage of your vulnerability.
How dare he kiss you so soon?
But you don't. Instead, like butter, you melt. Because his tender fingers felt so nice running through your hair and your eyes couldn't help themselves but to drift shut. The only thing your hands could do was grasp his jacket timidly. Holding him near and dear. It was a kiss you expected to take your breath away... but it felt like arriving home. Easy and warm.
All the while you were blissfully unaware of Eddie's eyes that remained wide open, trained on the boy through the murky window pane. It was a challenging glare, one that pressed on the boys lungs and squeezed his heart with a tight fist. The blonde looked back, feeling hypnotised by Kas's tormented eyes, horrified and curious all the same.
Kas had claimed you now. Officially. It was his duty to let every soul in Hawkins know that you were taken.
His.
Let the games begin.
—
Things were better but they were never the same. Steve looked at you with caution and Dustin held his breath every time Eddie stayed over. Sometimes, during the darkest hour of the night, Dustin would meet Eddie in the hallway as he returned to your bedroom. He would smell like the fresh air and his eyes seemed to glow in the nightfall. On more than one occasion Dustin caught glimpses of crimson on his chin and fingers... he knew what had happened, but his grief kept him clinging onto this shell of Eddie's being. Blindly hoping that his real best friend was still in there.
It took you forever to notice. Their shifty eyes and tense shoulders. Their clenched jaws and tight lipped smiles. Your friends, people who you thought cared about you, had been lying to you this entire time. Looking you dead in the face and lying to you. And you played the trusting fool so perfectly. You necked back every poisonous lie as if it were the freshest water on Earth and you hadn't had a drop to drink in weeks.
What gave it away?
Nancy's crooked eyebrow.
Steve's teeth nibbling on his finger tip.
Dustin's sudden avoidance.
If only you had seen it. If only you had used your brain instead of ignoring that squirm in your stomach. Your lack of scrupulousness ensured that you missed these important details. Maybe you could have prevented the inevitable. Maybe you could have moved on.
But you have never been so lucky.
The first rainfall of June swiftly drowned the brightness of Summer. Taking all the footprints left dusted on the sidewalks. All except for those sunken into a muddy puddle by Hopper and his team. Their dogs left paw prints but their noses sniffed out nothing. Evidence having been washed away also.
This time, it was two bodies at the same site. Found disregarded in an alleyway, left in plain sight, or on display, to be found and fawned over with utter repulsion behind a Quickie-Mart. A blonde young male and what appeared to be an elderly woman possibly in her late 60's. Both were mutilated in ways Hopper didn't think possible.
Scratches deep enough to hit bone, muscle shredded to string and multiple bite marks across their limbs. The blonde had endured more than the woman. With him it seemed personal. This place... this town... it was turning into his perfect dumping ground. He kept coming back, for what? The hope that he'd be caught? The thrill... or did he chase them here? Lure them?
Hopper had found himself in this exact place before. His mind full of questions and doubt. Doubt in his ability to conceal the truth. Doubt that he'll be able to stop whatever is doing this to his community. What he was certain of, though, was that he was getting sloppy. Leaving more speckles of blood training behind him...
"Seems like an animal again, Chief." A gruff voice speaks to his left.
"It's not an animal, it's that animal." Hopper spits back, short fused and worried.
The sound of a heavy sigh is lost against the downpour of rain hitting a nearby dumpster lid, "We need to issue an immediate curfew. Starting tonight no one leaves home after dark. Kicks in at 8pm."
The Chief is met with silent cooperation, little did Hopper know that this would cause momentary panic, uproar and some push back from the townsfolk.
—
"A curfew? Why?" Porcelain clatters together as you load last nights dinner plates into the cupboard whilst Dustin scrubs the remaining dishes in the bubble covered sink.
With a bounce of his shoulders, "I dunno. Hop's gone crazy, I guess. Probably that body they found earlier...."
For a moment you pause, your eyebrows fixing together in a microscopic way, "It's the animal, isn't it? The one that's been... Y'know..."
"Killing people?"
"Yeah... I mean, surely they can just kill it, right? I doubt it'll stop hunting just because they lock us up at nightfall like some scared locals evading a witch hunt." You make a noise that is half laugh and half scoff and Dustin deadpans while he scrubs harder at a piece of silverware.
"You'd think it was a freakin' werewolf or something. As if." You expected your prod of a joke to at least tickle your little brother, but still, nothing leaves him. No sly remark, no equally as cheesy joke... nothing. Just the sound of scrubbing and sloshing water.
"Whatever. Talking to a wall," A snarky comment meant only for your ears, Imma invite Eddie over tonight, would hate for him to be alone during this stupid lockdown."
"This isn't a joke, okay?! People are dropping like flies out there and you should be more careful!" Caught off guard by Dustin's expressiveness, you drop a green gingham printed tea towel from your grip.
"Woah, man! Chill out... I am being careful." Trailing off you bend down to pick up the towel but Dustin swipes it away with his sneaker, "Hey!!"
"No! No you're not, you're being selfish and reckless- Eddie is always here! With you! Or you're out galavanting around with him being all weird and shit! Come up for fucking air once in a while!" For the faintest fraction of a second you are absolutely gobsmacked.
"We are not being weird, Dustin. For your information, we go to the movies or we sit at a diner. We are always indoors... I don't even know why I'm having to explain this to you? We like each other, okay? Soon enough you'll have someone that you like too to spend every waking second with-"
"I do have someone!"
"Someone real!"
"She is real! God! I cannot keep having this conversation with people!"
You're not sure how or why, but somehow, as you stood opposite your baby brother... that's what you saw him as. Not the rebellious teen with chip on his shoulder but as the tiny gap toothed nuisance who would shoot you with silly string and leave your bedroom door open. The little shit that would blame you for everything to your mom and vice versa. In a moment you should have felt your blood boil you only could muster a knowing smile.
"Fine. You win... but if you wanted to spend time with me so bad you could've just said that, Dweeb."
"What? That's not-" Dustin waves his hands dismissively.
"I'm picking the movie marathon, you get the snacks when I ask." You conclude with a gleam in your eye.
"This isn't what I meant!" Using his pointer finger he gestures rapidly between the both of you and the rest of the empty house.
"Whatever, Loser! Admit you love me!" You holler over your shoulder, galloping away toward the solitude of your bedroom. Time to rummage through your video tape collection.
Rummaging through the box of nostalgia like you're trying to dig a hole in the ground with your bare hands, your eyes are drawn to the colourful tape cover of Richard Donner's, Superman, starring Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent. The character who just so happened to be the dorky heartthrob to pave the path for your exquisite taste in even dorkier men.
"Okay, yes, definitely this." Fluidly you tuck the tape beneath your armpit, rummaging through for another movie or two which you find rather quickly. None of the movies you had picked correlated with each other in any way, shape or form. But they were fun and uplifting with a singular spooky one to finish the night off right.
Back in the living room, Dustin sets the scene. Blankets, pillows, even a childhood stuffed toy or two. He could've argued against this all he wanted, threw a teenage fit, but beneath the surface he was secretly ecstatic to be spending time with his big sister. It felt nice to be your kid brother again... it was starting to feel like a distant memory.
Sinking into the sofa you hum gleefully into the bowl of popcorn on your lap before you're tossing a kernel or three into your mouth, "Ewww, Dustin! Salted? Really?" Your tongue dries up at the magnitude of salt that just invaded your mouth and Dustin groans.
"Don't like it then get your own, Sucker." The time it takes you to blink Dustin has snatched the bowl from your grasp, the bowl that just so happened to also be the ‘Family Barf Bowl' and Mom's 'Bleach Bowl' for cleaning the cabinets.
"Oh, you little shit." You use the palm of your hand to nudge his hat from his scalp and you relish the distressful noise that follows the act, "Don't ask me for a drink refill or nothin' ya hear? Salted fucking popcorn... psycho."
The smell of the stove heating up could lull you to sleep with the way it conjures up colourful memories from your childhood. School bake sales, your Mom showing you different recipes which she inherited from your Grandmother, the time Dustin nearly burnt the house down with a makeshift ‘Magical Potion' he had created in D&D and wanted to try in real life. All of these things and more kissed a smile onto your lips.
Without fully realising, you had been staring out the kitchen window that looked out across the lawn and onto a stretch of trees. Hard to see in the fading light, you mostly could only make out your own reflection in the glass. But something stirred that image. A shadow passing by the side of the house. Like a pebble dropped into a lake.
At first, you blinked it away and decided it was a trick of the eye, but when your popcorn kernels began to pop and you near enough jumped out of your own skin, you reckoned that only real fear was able to do that to you.
A quick hand reaches for your chest in an attempt to slow your beating heart, "Jeez—“
"C'mon, you're missing the best bits!" Dustin whines from the sofa with his mouth half full of candy and for the sake of tonight's plans, you let go of the figure in the window. Maybe it really was just your reflection.
To your right Dustin had hit snooze before the end credits began to roll and you toss a blanket over him all whilst fighting back the urge to smother him with a pillow in the process, "Night, Kid. Love ya." It was the first time Dustin was able to sleep at a reasonable time in months.
The walk to your room is slow and in passing you stop at the bottom of the staircase, contemplating going up to say goodnight to your Mom, but you knew she'd be reading or sleeping so ultimately you decide to leave her be, "Goodnight, Mom... l love you." Words spoken softly into the darkness, only loud enough to settle yourself to sleep.
A sound from inside your bedroom stops your twitching fingers from grabbing your door knob, a small creak of the floorboards whispering a fair warning through the walls, but you knew. You knew someone was in there.
Or did you? Was this just your paranoia from earlier creeping its way back in?
Rationality takes over and you push your way inside even with your nerves still fizzling on end. Only you did not expect to be met with a pair of curtains blowing gently in the wind. Did you leave the window open...? You couldn't remember. A guttural pull drags you to your bed side table where you switch on your lamp and then was followed with a frantic gallop toward your open window. You take a peek outside before slamming it closed, having not seen a soul. You rest there for a moment, your palms against the window sill before you're spinning on your heels and gasping for air.
“I didn't scare ya, did I, Sweetheart?" From a shadowy corner comes the voice of the man you love, however it doesn't seem to soothe the rattling of your hands.
"Eddie!" You whisper shout, "What are you...? How did you-"
"Window," He takes one careful step toward you, "I couldn't stay in that trailer alone for another second. Bored out of my goddamn mind... come home with me?"
"Wayne isn't home?" You ask absentmindedly as you take off your cardigan, suddenly now warm.
"Night shift," He repeats the words you've heard over and over for the past few weeks. You hadn't seen Wayne since Eddie's arrival home. Not once. It should've alarmed you but you trusted Eddie wholeheartedly.
"Even with the curfew?"
Eddie replies with a hum.
Across your face a small grin formed, "Admit it, you missed me, Munson."
In response to your tease Eddie chuckles lowly, "You caught me, Baby. Need you there with me..."
"But the Chief... if we're caught-"
"We won't get caught. Promise-" He's closer now and something about his presence has you feeling drunk.
Pouting your bottom lip you cross your arms over your tank top clad cleavage, "Why can't you stay here with me? It's probably safer than us going back out there...”
Kas could hear the rising beat of your heart. The excitement stirring within you at his growing proximity and the gloss glazing your gorgeous eyes, "Your family's here, Honey, and what I wanna do to you... I need privacy."
Instantly you were sold on the idea. Like a giddy school girl awaiting her first kiss, "Okay. but I think I'm going to need a little more convincing." Suddenly shy beneath the pin of his gaze you turn your attention toward your carpet.
However that doesn't fly for long as Eddie's slender fingers grip the plush of your cheeks and force your eye-line back to him, "None of that, Pretty girl... God, I wanna ruin you."
His lips are all over you, pressing heavenly kisses to your neck and shoulders. He sucks on the sweet spot on your neck and you writhe against him, "Still needing convinced?" His unoccupied hand slides beneath your tank top where he squeezes the fullness of your chest through the security of your bra and you nearly buckle at the knees when his tongue wrestles sloppily with yours.
"Eddie..." Was it a plea for more? Or were you trying to dismiss his seduction? You weren't certain. All you knew was that your body craved him. You were screaming to be touched and taken care of.
"Is that a yes?" He bites down gently on your neck and you flex into his touch, your head nodding profusely.
"Okay. okay."
Filled to the brim with ego, "Atta girl. C'mon, out the window before I lose my mind."
—
Eddie hastily ushers you up the steps to the trailer as if he was sequestering his prized possession away for safe keeping. A pinch to your waist prompts a giggle from your throat and Eddie's finger smushes gently against your lips to silence you, "Shhh, Wayne might be home now."
His house key meets resistance as he slots it into the lock, forcing him to jam and shimmy the mechanism until the metal is fully submerged inside. Thankfully after that the door opens smoothly and Eddie is first to peer inside, craning his neck from left to right before signalling that the coast was clear. As the door closes behind you, you are then victim to a darkness that your eyes struggle to adjust to. Before a lamp could be switched on, or any light for that matter, Eddie is all over you like a hot rash in the Summer. His hands are everywhere and his lips are unfaltering from yours.
"Need you like I need air to breathe, Baby.." He moans into your mouth like he could combust from just this and you feel that all too familiar pulse between your thighs return, "Fucking perfection." His voice is low and reverent like gospel praise and you succumb to his touch all the more.
You were on cloud nine with each tug and squeeze of your body and Eddie appeared to be right there with you, spurring you on every step of the way.
"Take me, Eds. However you want..." Feverish need outweighed the bashful crimson heating your face and Eddie released a strangled growl.
"You need me, hmm? Need my touch?" He softly pulls on your hair at the back of your head, "Need my cock?" He almost taunts you but you don't retaliate. You nod in agreement, praying that he'd help you release this rising pressure foaming inside of you. The thought of his fullness stretching you out made your desperation spiral into downright anguish.
"Fuck, Ed's, please..." Eddie laughs into the shell of your ear and like a volcanic eruption your skin prickles with intensity.
"Not even touched your pussy yet and you're already begging for me. My pathetic pretty girl, eh?" He flicks a slap against your clothed cunt and you shudder at the tingle that shocks each of your nerves ends, "Room. Now."
What Kas liked about you most was that he never had to tell you the same thing twice. Thanks to Eddie's charm and his looks that you loved so much, you obeyed him like a dog on a short leash.
Yes, Baby.
Of course, Baby.
Anything for you, Baby.
It was a shame, really. That this relationship wasn't built on solid ground. That it couldn't last forever. Until death do you part...
All the more reason to relish in the here and now. Whilst Eddie still lived and breathed.
In Eddie's room you fight against the fabric of your pants, wriggling the material down your thighs and calves before kicking the garment from your ankles. Like a disappearing act, your tank top vanishes and all else until you are left bare and waiting on the edge of Eddie's unmade twin bed. Only your panties remain. However, something about your loud nudity made you slightly uneasy as you awaited closer inspection and in a millisecond of remorse you grab the first T-shirt that happened to be closest to you from Eddie's haphazardly messy floor. Instantly you're calmed as the T-shirt drapes across your frame and your nose is engulfed with Eddie's scent. There's no doubt the shirt was worn and probably on the floor awaiting laundry day but you just didn't care. Anything that made you feel that much closer to him was worth it in your eyes.
"You ready for me, Sweetheart?" Like a siren song he calls from somewhere beyond the walls of his room and you wait for what feels like hours on his shadow appearing in the doorway. Part of you is convinced he'll never reach you in time before you burn yourself up. And something sinister slithers up your spine like a snake. Slow and intentional. Goosebumps burst across your skin and it's as if your body can predict something that your mind hasn't caught up to yet.
Something primal.
For a long pause you do nothing and say nothing. Remaining as still as stone, partly afraid that he'd never show up. That you'd be left sitting there... waiting all alone all over again.
Until he does...
But there is a change in him. One that shrinks you.
"My princess, sitting all nice and patient just for me?" You feel pinned to the spot, despite your restless mind, and entranced to look at him and only him. The closer he got to you, the stronger it felt. The drowsiness and the inability to lift a finger. Almost as if you were a doll on a shelf watching the world go by. A puppet.
"So quiet... what happened, Babydoll? Don't like what you see?" The moonlight slicing through the blinds illuminated the space just enough to reveal blurred snapshots of his face. His face that was unlike anything you had ever witnessed in your short human life and Kas gets high off of the emotion reflected in your eyes: Disbelief. Not fear or horror, not yet, but doubt. An over saturation of it.
"You..." It's all you can manage to stutter before your tongue gives up on its natural muscularity.
"Don't try and comprehend it... you can't possibly," His shimmering eyes examine his knife like nails expertly and after viewing them you feel nauseous, "Maybe if they had told you at the beginning this could've all been stopped." Registering the confusion pulling your eyebrows together he goes on to break your heart.
"Your so called friends? Your own baby brother? They've been lying to you. This whole time and you were the perfect wound that never stopped bleeding. Too fragile for the truth.. too damaged." He bows toward you theatrically with his head hung low, an actor concluding a grand show, "This is the outcome."
To the side your head sways gently and your eyes settle on the open bedroom door, "Wayne..?" Your ears fill with a deafening silence as the lifeless home stares back at you and in that devastating moment you knew. You knew that...
"Wayne's dead, Sweetheart." He says it so casually. As if Wayne meant nothing, as if he was a nobody to you and to Eddie. Whoever this was standing in front of you, he was right. You couldn't comprehend what was happening. You were beyond confused and angry and full of despair. How could he look like your Eddie but be something so wretched and cruel? Otherworldly?
With tear blurred vision you force yourself to meet his predatory stare. He wasn't looking at you, he was trying to look through you, "How? How is this possible?" Your oody shook with the growing adrenaline spiking through your bloodstream and Kas knelt in front of your perched frame, his hands coming to rest and steady your shoulders.
"You look at me and see your beloved, Eddie, don't you?" You nod. Still hesitant.
"I'm not him. I've never been him. Your Eddie, the one you know and the one that ‘left’ you. He's gone." A question pushes up your throat but Kas already knows the answer, "He didn't leave you like they say he did. He died and your brother resurrected him, in a way. Unfortunately, for you and everyone else, it was me who came back. Not him."
This had to be some sort of practical joke. A prank you were sure to scold your friends for later. But you waited for the laughs and the giggles never came and your tear burnt cheeks remained on fire.
"You're not my Eddie?" Kas shakes his head, watching your bottom lip quiver with a growing excitement, "And my Eddie is... gone?" The word splutters out of you. You couldn't even bring yourself to say it. To think about it. But you had to work this all out aloud. Get these impossible equations out of your mind and into the realm of the living.
"Correct. Knew you were a clever one." You bring a hand up to swipe the tears away from your cheek, now aware of your ability to move you contemplate bolting toward the door. Which would've been a fine idea if your legs were working.
Kas stands tall, looming over you with a beastly demeanour. You follow his face, the two red sparks shot into a faceless silhouette stare back at you and the only emotion you can make out is amusement.
"Eddie is still in here, y'know." Every time he talks it's like a blade to your body, gutting you and leaving you empty inside, "I can hear him sometimes... pleading to spare you. Sometimes he can overpower me, that's how much he loves you- well, loved." You want to slap him, hurt him, fight him but you can't. Too drained. Too weak.
"Like right now he's screaming to reach you. His fists are relentless against his prison walls. All because he can see you now... how stricken you are." Unexpectedly and in one fluid motion Kas snatches your face between his clawed hand, his nails sharp against your smooth skin. You gasp at the outburst, suddenly shocked awake.
"Want him to see you this way. So petrified and helpless... and there's nothing he can do about it. Nothing to stop it." Up close his breath smelt like metal, undoubtedly blood, and his teeth had transformed into something you had only ever read about in fiction. You cry out when his nails pierce your cheek ever so slightly and you try to jerk away from his grasp, causing the pain to scratch across the surface further.
"What the fuck are you?" You spit, now livid and determined to get as far away from him as possible.
"The same as you, only I don't hide it as well as you humans do," He stands again, using such little power to push you violently back onto the bed, "What are we if not all monsters?" Your body thrashes against the mattress as he crawls on top of you. Savouring each flick of struggle from your otherwise paralysed muscles Kas chuckles low into the night air, "After tonight I'll have all I need to return home. Every plan, every source, every name. They'll find you in the morning... but don't worry, and your funeral will be divine. All of your favourite flowers and songs. And stories.... You'll be remembered just as the rest.... Taken too soon."
Your mouth gapes open to scream but nothing comes out, a sharp inhale of breath stealing your voice away as Kas's hand heavily weighs down on your right arm, snapping it clean in two, "Shhhh... don't cry. You'll only make this more memorable for me." You sob to the sky, praying to whatever higher power that may exist up there to save you. But the torture persists.
Like a pig sniffing out truffles Kas buries his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent like it is the most intoxicating substance on the planet, "Pains me to kill such a pretty thing..."
"Then don't!" All you can do is tremble as if you are haemorrhaging.
"Oh but it's not that simple, Honey." Little by little the feeling returns to your body and you are so overwhelmed by the pain from your arm that you don't pay mind to the way he sucks and licks at the pulse on your throat. Your brain has been taken over by a horde of bee's and all you can manage is stifled groans as you attempt to kick your legs against him.
Eventually your knee collides with his stomach and he releases an animalistic moan into your ear, "Now, now... you'll only rile me up more if you keep fighting me like that." You hear the smile on his face ghost against your shoulder and collar bone before he decides to sink his teeth into the muscle there. He penetrates the skin so deep that you are at a loss for profanities, only gargled screams of agony leave you. Over and over you replay the sound of his fangs scraping and crunching against bone, your bones and bile instantly finds the base of your oesophagus.
"Nghaaaa!!!"
"Whoo!! That sound!! Gets me off!" He howls to the ceiling like a rabid animal running rampant and you sneak your hand up to clasp the bite mark, hoping to stop the blood from swelling and ease some of the pain. You roll slightly onto your side, your body wanting to retreat into the fetal position, "Let's get you out of this shirt, hmm? Looks awfully bludgeoned to me."
Down your exposed side he rakes his talons from your ribs to your waist, partly tearing the shirt whilst also etching the edge of the razors into your soft tissue. In that moment you hoped for death. You anticipated its sweet embrace. Accepted it.
But it never came.
What came was silence from your murderer. Until he began to convulse and roar like a caged lion. There was no denying that it pricked your heart beat up, like a defibrillator to the chest.
"RRR-" you struggle to sit up, observing him closely as he propels across the room and away from you, his hands ripping at his hair, "RRRRUUUUU-NNN- NO!!" For a split second he appeared human. Someone you recognised.
"Eddie.." you whisper his name, too afraid to say much else.
"RRRUNN NNOOOW!!" His eyes grasp the door with both hands and you waste no further time, "GGOOOOO!!" He's begging now but getting up from the blood soaked mattress was the worst pain you had ever endured and seeing this man wrestle with himself left you fearing for more than just your life.
With your legs unsteady you nearly collapse as you stand, your knees like jelly and your feet in sand. Thankfully you find your bearings just as Eddie collapses to the bedroom floor and you limp for the hallway, leaving smears of bloody handprints against the door frame and the walls as you lean on them for a much needed crutch.
The noise from behind you becomes angrier, more reckless and desperate, thuds against the walls and furniture being used and thrown. When you reach the front door you take a risky glimpse over your shoulder, only to be mortified at the sight. The body was following you, still shaking and uneasy, but it was coming after you nonetheless. Salivating and snarling like a starved bear.
"Come. Here. N...n.." He falters again, his head hanging between his hands as his knees crash the ground.
Within the second you are bursting out onto the front patio and wobbling down the uneven steps, your bare feet pricking against small jagged rocks and snapping dry twigs as you run as fast as your wounds would allow you towards town.
Through your difficult pursuit you hadn't turned around once, because if you had you would have realised that Kas was following your blood curdling screams into the night.
Description: An unfortunate mishap leads you into the hands of the law and while incredibly handsome, you sure did wish that this detective would stop following you around.
Ch. 1, Ch.2 w/c: 3k
Pairing: Detective!Eddie Munson x Trailer Park!Reader.
Tags: Strangers to mild enemies to lovers, drama, romance, mystery. (This will be updated as chapters progress)
⚠️: Deceit, money troubles, touch starved and touch avoidant reader, found family, trust issues, weaponised independence, explorations of loneliness, abandonment, criminal activities, gun use, slow burn.
Fluff, angst and eventual smut in later chapters. (This will be updated as chapters progress) My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: This is my new baby and hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as l am loving writing this story. What do you think happens next? And what’s the deal with Billy? 👀 lemme know! Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
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Chapter Two
The gentleman hunched over at the end of the bar raises his empty glass at you, signalling he’d like to order a refill. You oblige, tending to him for the fourth time tonight. Usually on Saturday nights you are swept off your feet with orders and impatient newcomers, but tonight it’s a little quieter, probably from the absence of the live band that accidentally double booked themselves.
Throughout your shift you tried to pull the man into polite conversation but you were met with silence on numerous occasions and while this place attracted its fair share of solo drinkers, his steamed shirt, grey tailored jacket and slick hair said that he didn’t belong here. Finally, upon deliverance of his drink, he speaks.
“I’ll take two beers as well, please. Bottles of Bud if you have ‘em.” His tone is steady, indifferent to the people cramming up next to him and you slyly raise an eyebrow at the stranger.
“Are you expecting company?” Absentmindedly you grab two pint glasses from beneath the bar, inspecting them briefly before setting them up on the counter then turning back to the mini fridge to scoop up two of the iconic brown glass bottles. The red labels are slippery with condensation and you nearly allow one to slip from between your fingers.
Over your shoulder you follow his gaze to the back booths of the bar, lowly lit and tucked away. The man in front of you having ducked his head at a shadowy figure waiting for him,”Just a friend.”
This wasn’t just any ‘somebody’. This was a somebody you were coming to know inside and out.
“Son of a… Would you excuse me?” Your tight lipped smile read undeniable annoyance as you slam his beers down onto the counter. Promptly you ask your coworker in passing to keep an eye on your station whilst you dealt with an inconvenience. They asked no questions and you marched your way over to the booth where the familiar face perched grinning up at you. Unperturbed. He looked different now, dishevelled and worn out. The top of his collared dress shirt unbuttoned to his collar bone and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows which reveal the ink sketched along his arms. He really wasn't what he seemed, was he?
“I see you’ve met Steve—”
“You following me?” You have never been tailed before, but that doesn’t mean you’re dim witted to what officers do to those they suspect of a crime.
Eddie couldn’t help but admire your sharp instincts, although they were untrue this time around, “I am not.”
“I don’t believe that.” Defensively your arms pull across your chest, “This is my bar and I ain’t never seen you around here before. Now, it could be coincidence but I think that highly unlikely given the recent events. So, you're either following me or you’re moving in next door. Which is it?”
You stand toe to toe for a minute, neither one of you willing enough to back down until Eddie eventually gives in. Not a soul alive could amount to your stubbornness.
“I am working,” He confesses, “But this isn’t about you.” He cranes his neck to catch the gentleman's attention at the bar who you had curtly dismissed, “My partner. I’d tell you what we’re doing here but you know I can’t.”
“So, you’re in law enforcement and you drink on the job. Could you get any more predictable?” The ribbon of your apron tickles the back of your bare thighs.
“I’m full of surprises.” He muses.
“Is that so?” You hide your amusement well.
Eddie hums, punctuating Steve’s arrival to the table. Now with only one beer in his hand which he glides along to Eddie.
“Surprise me, then.”
“Maybe I will.”
“I doubt you can.”
Steve groans sleep stricken into his hand, “Come. On.”
“Sit with us. Have a drink?”
“Is that the trick up your sleeve?”
“I’ll have you know that casual drinks can take you all sorts of places.”
“Like back to your place?”
He shrugs with a ghost of a grin which he conceals masterfully as his lips come to purse around the neck of the beer bottle to take a refreshing swig.
“Unlike you two rookies who are supposed to be on the clock, I can’t be wasted while at work. Buh-bye, boys.”
Quietly they salute your departure.
“Oh, and Eddie?” You pivot to face him.
“Yeah?”
“You know where I live. You're meant to woo the girl before you ask her out to drinks,” Your lips dance with the faintest smug smile, “I like Marlboro Reds and pink tulips.”
“Where d ‘ya like to eat?” He coaxes.
“Surprise me.”
"Is that a yes?”
“Maybe. As long as little Bo-Peep leaves her sheep at the station.”
“Fuck you—” Steve’s curse is an exaggerated slur of his drunken tongue.
“You have my word.” He crossed his heart like a Boy Scout and you rolled your eyes with a smirk.
“Bye, now…” Eddie watched each sway of your hips as you walked away and your smirk remained there prominent on your face. Knowing that he was looking at you in a way that screamed that he wanted to play your game of chess.
People were buzzing around you like trailer park mosquitoes and the swarms only worsened as the night dragged on. You lost track of Eddie’s whereabouts quickly with the flow of customer traffic and the soles of your shoes became sticky with spilled alcohol on the worn wooden slats. Each step was like walking on glue and even over the noise of the live band you could hear the velcro like sound ripping in your ears.
“Hey, Dollface! I ordered a drink ten fuckin’ minutes ago!” The boozehound snarks from your side as he wraps a slimy fist around your bicep which you snatch away before he has the chance to clamp his fingers down on the flesh.
“Touch me again and that drink will get smacked over your head , ‘Darlin!” You spit in his face, unafraid and challenging. Part of you hoped for the violence because there was nothing you wanted more than to slap him in his idiot face.
“Just pour the damn drink!” He looked to his plaid clad buddies for validation and you tuck your serving tray beneath your armpit. Some of them ignore the altercation entirely while some chuckle softly to themselves.
“Word of advice, Sweetie,” You leaned in dangerously close. Close enough to smell the stench of fermented beer on his breath, “Don’t talk shit to the person handling your beverages. I might just get Big Chef Gary over there to spit in it for ya.” You flash a wink over to Gary who stood sweating in the corner, a damp towel pressed to his forehead and his dirtied off-white apron low on his hips.
The stubbly faced man gulps, unwilling to put up the fight you were hoping for and unfortunately he flinches at the thought and shrinks down in his seat.
Slightly disappointed you turn back to the bar, ill prepared for your heated stare to meet Eddie’s across the room. Shrouded in shadow his eyes held an intensity you hadn’t registered before. His feet were planted firmly on the floor where he stood, braced and ready to spring to your aid if need be. If there was anything Eddie hated more than bullies and lukewarm beer it was sleazy drunk men with no manners towards women. He couldn't stand it, but seeing you handle the dirtbag yourself made him inwardly smile.
As the end of your shift neared the anticipation pumping through your veins with each tick of the quiet clock hand was enough to send you climbing the walls, “You look excited.” Eddie appeared in front of you like a corny jump-scare in an old horror movie.
“Shift ends soon.” Your eyes flicker between him and the small leather strapped watch on your wrist.
“You uh… you’re quite the magnet for trouble, aren't cha’?” You immediately scoff with tight eyebrows.
“That guy was a pig— no pun intended.” Eddie shook his head, his curly hair sweeping against his brow bone.
“I admire your courage. Usually that kind of confrontation takes me at least a few drinks.” His finger tip draws short circles on the counter top and the gleam of his silver rings catch your eye.
“Yeah, well, round these parts you have to hold your own…” A soft shrug of your shoulders draws Eddie’s attention to the fly away baby hairs tickling the base of your neck. So unravelled yet beautifully soft.
“Tell me ‘bout it,” The words possessed him and a split second decision between freezing and laughing it off held him hostage. He decided a bit of both would suffice. Thankfully you mistake his discomfort for drunken tomfoolery.
“How many have you had?” You quiz with a teasing squint of your eyes.
“‘M sober as a judge.” And he was. The lone beer hadn’t even given him a slight buzz. Apparently, though, it had given him the curious urge to open up to you.
“I saw you earlier… you looked.. bewitched.”
“By you? Oh, yeah—”
“No. Seriously,” You study him, “You were ready for a fight… maybe you’re as prone to a brawl as I am.”
“It was just instinct.”
“Comes with the job?” You interrogate further and it silences him for a moment.
Shyer now his hands clasp in front of him and he studies the skin around his nails, “Not quite.” You saw him then, the wounded child that created the man with a irreparable chip on his shoulder. It squeezed your chest because you knew that deep down you were both alike in ways unspoken.
“Walk me to my car?” To that Eddie beams, his smile a blinding ray in the sombre light.
“I was wondering when you’d ask.”
—
The black concrete beneath your boot clad feet is riddled with cracks and the smell of freshly mowed grass clings to your nostril hairs causing you to nearly sneeze. Nearly. When you find your car nearby it is tucked away in a bay with the white lines barely visible. Faded to the tarmac.
“Y'know, it looks like you’ve abandoned that car,” Your face finds Eddie, his hands are stuffed into his denim jacket and beneath the street lamps he is even more striking than the first time you lay eyes on him, “I could probably book you for parking illegally.”
“Go on, Detective. Cuff me.” You hold out your upturned hands, expecting a silly slap to the wrists but what you receive left you near breathless and flinchingly wary.
The rough pads of Eddie’s thumbs find the veins of your wrist, stroking tenderly with an apologetic undertone, “They marked you.”
The remorseful look on his face had you feeling stranded with a head full of noise.
The red rings hadn’t entirely left the delicate skin and you had forgotten about them until now. Now they itched as if they were fresh and a dormant part of you snatches your hands away from the gentle man in front of you.
“Doesn't hurt, if that’s what you’re wondering. Besides, I’m a big girl. Can handle it.” Steady fingers slot your car key into the door mechanism and the car screams to life with the anti-theft alarm sounding into the night. Clumsily, you clamber inside and shut it off before you attract unwanted nocturnal attention. Eddie observed you voicelessly, his heart rattling as he tried to keep a firm grasp on who he was and who he was with. Until his professionalism ran dry.
His face ducks down into the dark of your car to meet your eyes, “Can we start over? Not from the beginning but from right now. Here.” Somehow he knew he had crossed a line.
It was incomprehensible to you that this stranger, a shady police officer no less, would care about your well being and expect nothing in return. Why did he want to befriend you? What was he looking for? More importantly, what were your burying?
“I’m not sure what you want from me.” Your hands grip the steering wheel intensely, paling your knuckles as you try to work through your discomfort.
“Why do I need to want something from you? Can’t two people coexist as friends…?” His eyes alluded that he wanted more than that.
“I don’t expect you to understand this, Detective, but what you're looking for… you won’t find it in me. Our worlds are too different to ever coexist,” You would be lying if you said his soured expression didn’t blanket you in a veil of guilt, “You should focus on whatever it is you’re working on. And next time… I’ll walk myself to my car.”
“So, there will be a next time?” He toyed.
“Goodnight.”
Eddie stood there, absorbing the small frown on your face and the light bouncing off of your cheek. He may have stood there a minute too long but he didn’t mind. This could be his last time seeing you, after all. But he doubted it…
After closing your car door for you he raps the palm of his hand against the tin metal of your roof a few times, seeing you off as backed out of the parking lot.
You were deeply flawed, Eddie could sense that much, but even after spitting his closeness back in his face the way you did he still decided to watch you drive away with a fascinated sparkle in his deep eyes and a tug to his full lips. You, on the other hand, watched with frustration as his silhouette shrunk to the backdrop in your rearview mirror before he disappeared entirely; consumed by the darkness of nightfall.
The hard pill people who met you had swallow was that you didn’t trust anyone. Not a soul. Over the years no one has managed to get close to you, the real you and it begged the question; Nature or nurture?
The probability being a bit of both.
But you had always felt like you were born backwards. That there was something irremediable within you that even you couldn’t touch or comfort.
Ultimately it led to your aloneness, but you never quite felt lonely. Just alone plus Ellie which you weren’t mad at. You found that it would be nice to talk to another human being, though, someone who could answer your absurd questions back.
Ellie could only sit panting at you with the same puppy eyes she never grew out of.
“What do you think, Ells? Think he's up to something?” Her tail wagged at the sound of your voice and you giggled as she slumped her entire body weight into your side. You wrapped your arms around her, “I’m serious, there’s something about that boy… I just can’t prove it. Yet.”
You smile with clenched eyes as Ellie’s slobbering tongue furiously licks at your face, “Okay, okay. I’ll drop it for the night…” You pet her soft coat gently, your lips peppering kisses atop her head. She smelt like dog and needed a bath pronto, “Now… how about a midnight snack, hmm?”
Description: High school sweethearts typically eloped straight after graduation, but as you’re off to experience the big college pond Eddie unfortunately has to stay behind another year at Hawkins High. Little do his friends know that one of his many many rings is actually a wedding band.
Request here! Hope you enjoy this.. 🥀 w/c: 2.3k
Pairing: Eddie Munson x Goth!Reader.
Tags: Lovers to lovers (lol), romance.
⚠️: cuteness that’ll make you gag, fluff (I think that’s it...)
Fluff and a few kisses. My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: This one is short and sweet. I am currently using Ellipsus to write and oh my god trying to transfer my work over is a nightmare! Anyways, rant over... Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
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This love affair began beneath the bleachers on the football field. Come rain or shine, Eddie met you there every time. It's difficult to recall which of you fell first, was it Eddie when he would start showing up with little trinkets in his pockets and fresh flowers plucked from the wild? Or was it you, when you’d start following his scent down the hallway and sleeping with his jacket to your chest that you’d borrowed for weeks at a time?
None of you knew and none of you seemed to mind.
He was yours and you were His, and as Spring bled into Summer Eddie knew exactly what he had to do. A hot Summer night, mid July, he took you out on a date that he had planned a week or two in advance. He was uncomfortably aware of your college life fast approaching, hurling at him like a brick being thrown and he refused to lose you to the distance. His Queen. His little Batsy.
The only issue he faced was that Eddie was broke, well, close to broke and of course he understood that you were worth more than anything money could buy, but he couldn't possibly propose to you empty handed. Could he?
You weren't materialistic in any sense of the word, but you did find joy in the things labelled strange and unusual. Perhaps that’s what originally drew you to Eddie, he didn’t conform and he also didn't flinch away from your loudness. He saw the leather and the spikes and the black around your eyes, Hell even the holes in your tights and immediately he was sold on you. You were the coolest fucking chick he had ever met. Especially when he got to know you beneath all of that. When you saw you bare.
So, during a spontaneous late night supermarket visit after hours of lingering touches and stolen kisses, Eddie popped 20¢ into the small vending machine outside the store as you went in searching for a band aid. Eddie had snagged his finger on a can of Mountain Dew so naturally you had to swoop in and save him. Like always.
During that alone time he took advantage of the gumball machines stuffed with kids toys, one was filled with cheap costume jewellery and before he knew it the machine had stole a whole dollar from him before he even managed to get a lousy ring.
His pockets were stuffed with tiny bracelets and questionable necklaces but in his hand he held a small transparent plastic ball that contained a lone ring, thankfully adjustable in size, which was adorned with a tacky dark blue jewel shaped as an upside down teardrop.
It was perfect, and even you thought so too when he presented it to you on not one, but both knees. As if he were begging you at your feet to spend the rest of your life with him.
Giddily, you said yes and Eddie slid the ring onto your finger. The wrong finger at first, but you corrected that later without him taking too much noticed.
After that night Eddie spent weeks hustling to scrape money together for a small ceremony. Dealing all sorts of narcotics to anxious teens until he had nearly enough. You told him not to worry, that you’d chip in and meet the odds, but of course to Eddie that was ludicrous and the last thing he wanted you to do. So he had you spend your savings on altering your Mom’s old wedding dress from the 60’s. It was white, of course, and it was pretty. The only thing you weren't fond of was the sleeveless shoulders. So, you took the garment and made it your own. You added sheer lace sleeves and a high slit to the side.
Eddie was going to be your husband, after all, he deserved to see a bit of thigh during the reception. Paired with your favourite huge bracelets and your voluptuous hair sprayed hair, it was everything you had dreamed it would be.
Truth be told, the cake was where most of the budget went to. It was huge, three tier and enough to feed a small village. But the cherry on top was the custom cake toppers Eddie had designed specifically for you and him.
“Oh… my god, Baby… look, that's literally a mini me!” You pointed at the small figurine draped in black, “They even managed to fit my eyeliner on there. Holy crap…” That was what shocked you most because you liked your eyeliner BIG and bold. It blew your mind to smithereens.
“I uh… I actually made them.” Thanks to countless D&D campaigns, Eddie had developed a sharp eye for detail and skilled woodcarving fingers.
You gaped at him, “These are incredible. You did so good, Ed’s. Thank you…” You could’ve sobbed tears of pure joy.
“Anything for you, Sweetness. I think I actually did a pretty good job on my hair…” Eddie leaned down with you to inspect the characters further, taking pride in his work as he did. A soft lovesick smile slithered its way onto his face as his gaze found his way over to you, his blushing bride, “I love you, Beautiful. So much.”
“I love you too, Handsome. Can’t believe I’m officially Mrs. Munson…” You wiggle your ring finger up at him, the once cheap jewellery now replaced with something nicer. Not expensive but nice and clean. Your giggle warmed his chest to a blaze comparable to the rays of the sun and Eddie chuckled too, part disbelief and part relief.
“I have to say, I like the way it rolls off the tongue. Mrs. Munson… It’s got a ring to it.” He purred, his fingertips stroking the exposed skin of your neck softly before he plants a delicate kiss to your pulse.
“Your puns are terrible.”
“You love them.”
“I must.” Attentively your palms smooth down the shoulders of his suit, it was the one he had bought for prom last year but never really got a chance to use it. He had gave up on all that normie nonsense years ago. Thankfully, he got to put it to good use after all.
“You shape up nicely. If you weren’t my husband I may not recognise you…” Eddie groans, his heart leaping every time you reminded him that he was yours now, forever. Officially.
“Driving me insane, Baby…” The tip of his nose brushed yours.
“Ugh, just kiss me, loser.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
The getaway car was rented by Wayne as a wedding gift to you both. It was a cream Rolls Royce Spirit and it sent you and Eddie sailing smoothly onto your Honeymoon which you spent laid up in bed, nude and tangled in one another’s arms for days. Totally, rottenly smitten and higher than Cloud Nine.
An entanglement you were sure would withstand the trials and tribulations of time with a smug as fuck ease.
August 3rd, 1985. The day you were married to the love of your life.
—
The hardest part wasn’t trying to recover financially from the wedding, but trying to say goodbye as you parted ways for school. You swore, crossed you heart and hoped to die that you would visit Eddie every single weekend. And you did. As Eddie went back to high school you tried your best to adapt to your new life away from everything you once knew. Daunting at first college soon became pleasant when you met more people and even made some friends. You weren’t seen as the odd ‘Goth Girl’ anymore because you were now surrounded by a pool of people all totally separate from one another and that was okay. It was accepted.
You made the effort to call Eddie each night where you’d debrief one another on what had happened that day. Eddie was doing well in class, he always reassured, and he was hopeful that soon he would be joining you there.
“Have you told anyone yet?” He asked, his voice slightly muffled through the phone.
“A bunch of people. I can’t stop talking about you, apparently,” When his laugh met your ears you felt your body relax away from a tension you hadn’t noticed you were holding, “What about you? Has anyone clocked in yet?”
“Honestly, I’m waiting for someone to notice the new ring I’m currently rocking.” He studied his hand then, his eyes skimming over his many rings until he settled on thee ring.
“You wear so many, though,” You jabbed playfully, “How do you expect anyone to see that it’s there?” You twirl the phone cord around your index finger.
“It’s funny! Seeing how oblivious they are. No one even questioned where the cake came from when I brought them all a piece. They just scarfed it down like wolves.” You threw your head back, laughing into the speaker as you paint the picture in your head.
“Okay, yes, that is funny,” After regaining composure you chew your bottom lip mischievously , “Let’s make a bet?”
“I’m listening.”
“The next time I come to visit, if still no one has noticed, I’ll buy you those denim patches you’ve been wanting.” He goes quiet, his mind processing.
“…Okay. What’s the catch?”
“If they figure it out, you need to let me Goth-ify you for a day.” To Eddie this was a win-win situation.
“Oh you're on, Munson. I’m getting those patches.” You pouted at his confidence, finding it adorable.
“We’ll see about that, Baby boy.”
—
The long awaited weekend came rolling around and you couldn't contain your excitement as you walk through your old stomping ground, Hawkins High, and towards the drama department where even from far away you could hear the kids squealing and Eddie cackling like a maniac.
You had compiled a plan, something so hard to ignore that you even polished your wedding band the night before. Confidence radiating in each step as you bound your way into the room.
Immediately the party take notice and you are met with endless warm welcomes from each member. Eddie studies you from his throne, his lips pulled into a smirk and his eyebrow raised.
“What’cha got there, Batsy?” His eyes shimmered and you shrugged, smiling down at the box in your hand.
“Oh, nothing… I just thought you warriors could use a tasty snack,” The white box thumps down onto the table and when you open the lid Eddie’s jaw feels as though it’s been unhinged, “Bon appétit.”
“Cupcakes—”
“Not just any cupcakes. These are special, Eddie Bear, remember?” Jeff freezes mid frosting bite and Erica slowly pulls her hand away from one of the decorated treats.
“Are these poisoned?” Erica pops her hip sassily to the side and you laugh with a shake of your head.
“Course not! You guys! You’ve tried this flavour before! Eddie gave you some not long ago…” Right now you’re doing a WHOLE lot of talking with your hands and within mere seconds Eddie knew that this battle had been lost to a fucking cupcake.
“Uh, yeah… but that was slices. What the hell is happening—”
“Oh… my god—” Dustin stares at your hand before he whips his head around to Eddie, his eyes lingering low, “Show ‘em. Eddie, show your hands right now—”
“Why?”
“Now, Eddie!” Dustin, the little bossy fucker he is.
“Okay, Jesus!” He throws his hands up in surrender with a pout as he slumps down into his chair, a defeated man.
“Shut the fuck up—”
“You’re engaged?” Without asking Erica takes your hand into hers, admiring the the metal band closely.
“Married—” You start.
“Married?!” A choir of voices scream and you instinctively reach for your ears.
“When did this happen? How did this happen—”
“Beginning of August.” Eddie quips, all Bambi eyed and innocent.
“Eddie, why didn’t you tell us?” Gareth asks and to his left Jeff has a mouthful of cake sponge unable to comment.
“I thought you guys would’ve known!”
“Literally, how? Explain to me how we could have possibly known?” Dustin’s investment has you giggling to yourself at the end of the table.
“Uhhhh, the ring, duh?” He displays his hands once again and simultaneously everyone’s faces drop.
“Look at your hands, Eddie. How the fuck were we meant to spot a wedding ring? Your fingers are full of rings!”
“Like a need in a haystack.” Erica murmurs, now more trusting of the baked goods on the table as she slips one in front of her.
“Is this the wedding cake, then?” Mike asks with a head tilt.
“A replica, you guys had the wedding cake last time. The rest is frozen at Wayne’s.” Together the party were in bits and pieces, confused and hungry all at once.
“Number one, fuck you for not inviting me,” Dustin flips Eddie the bird, “And number two… are there pictures?”
“Only a bucket of them—”
“Lemme see, you have them with you?”
Of course you did.
Reaching into your purse Eddie watches with amused eyes and an adoring smile. As shit as it was to lose, he’d always rather it be to you than to anyone else. You spread the Polaroids onto the table and while the kids snacked and rummaged you made your way over to sit on Eddie’s lap.
“Touché.” He mumbles through a kiss to your neck and you dip down to lock lips with him, your pierced tongue skimming along his bottom lip teasingly.
“I hope you're ready for your make-over.” Eddie groans, his fingers squeezing the plush of your fishnet covered thighs.
“Ready as I’ll ever be, Sweetness.”
“Good, because I have my make-up with me—” You jump up faster than it takes Eddie to blink and all too quickly he feels everyone’s eyes on him.
“Wait, What? Here—”
“Oh, this’ll be good.” Gareth snickers to himself and you straddle Eddie again, keeping him where he’s sat.
“Buckle up, Buttercup. Oh, and guys?” You swivel your head to meet them briefly, “I’m taking requests…” the smirk on your face is Devilish and Eddie couldn’t decide if he was terrified or aroused.
Description: Eddie Munson has a crush, the only issue is he can’t even look you in the eye nevermind talk to you face to face. His solution? Taking advantage of your makeshift therapy clinic that you run in the abandoned toilet block round the back of Hawkins High School.
Request here! Hope you enjoy this.. ♥️ w/c: 6k
Pairing: Shy!Eddie Munson x Outcast!Reader.
Tags: Strangers to friends to lovers, romance, mystery.
⚠️: Mentions of Disordered Eating! Death, grief, Two cuties, fluff, angst, bullying, issues with self worth and confidence, loneliness.
Fluff, angst and a happy ending. My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: I am currently using Ellipsus to write and oh my god trying to transfer my work over is a nightmare! Anyways, rant over… Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
Almost.
One of the more unfortunate words to exist within the English language.
I almost made it. I almost kissed you. I almost told you.
For Eddie, it was gutting. He almost made it out of this hellish tomb. He almost flew but the sun had other plans for him. So, he fell, and when his plummeting body hit that concrete he wasn’t sure if he could get back up.
He almost didn’t….
Until he met you.
The quiet girl who often only existed within the realms of his daydreams. The girl who radiated light, not in the harsh way of the beating sun but like the comforting glow of the full moon at night. The one person who made Eddie’s palms sweat and his throat swell. He couldn’t even manage a meek ‘Hello,’ in passing, too shy. Too undeserving. So, his eyes would glide along the floor until he caught only a glimpse of your feet and even after you were long gone he was unable to look back over his shoulder at you. He could smell you though, the freshness of your perfume mixed with your shampoo if you ad washed your hair that day. Little things that kept the wheel of his imagination churning on.
It’s not that you were popular, actually, you were quite the opposite. An outcast, just like him, only prettier and a hell of a lot better at avoiding their loathsome stares and targeted brutality. You hid it better, suppressed it until you could walk over it, whereas Eddie couldn’t help but be ridiculously vocal about it. He didn’t care, not entirely, and he was nearly out of this shit hole any ways. Make waves or drown, right?
The only way Eddie was able to pluck up the courage to talk to you was through the thin wall of a bathroom stall where you would meet every Wednesday just as the final bell blew to dismiss everyone home. Over the last few months you had started a somewhat therapeutic clinic in the abandoned bathroom block hidden at the back of the high school. Now the forgotten space was used for the occasional smokers and substance takers. You claimed the middle stall as your own, cleaning it up slightly and treating it as your office. Sometimes you’d eat lunch there if you were feeling particularly vulnerable that day. The cheerleaders could be mean sometimes. Especially if provoked.
Outwardly you were overlooked and trodden on by your peers, but this separate identity of yours was praised and championed. It was strange, living both lives apart from the other, but you liked the anonymity. The shadows felt safe.
Some visited you regularly and when they couldn’t afford the $5 fee they would bring you other items of value like a fresh pack of ballpoint pens or something they had baked at home and brought for you to try. A lot of them were sweet, truly, but quite a few couldn’t handle the truth. You’d been yelled at numerous times, spat at through the walls and rattled to the core. They came around, eventually, all they needed was time and acceptance came with that.
For example, when you explained to Chrissy Cunningham that her reasons for feeling ill after eating wasn’t something necessarily physical but something punishing her mind. You suggested that she looked into the disorders of bulimia and anorexia and encouraged her to identify what caused her flare ups and triggered her illness. She had wailed, cursing your bloodline as she fled the building in tears. The following week she returned with a new outlook and a readiness to try to get better. You had helped her to reach out to a professional councillor for treatment and that’s what your message was. Healing took time and effort but it all started with opening up to someone worth trusting.
You slowly became that person for the students of Hawkins High.
—
Eddie was mistrusting at first. A nervous clam that was hard to crack open. At the beginning, your sessions together consisted of weighty silence with the occasional breath as one of you felt the urge to talk. More often than not people just need to sit with someone nonjudgmental. To know they are there and they aren’t alone. You liked those moments too, you felt allowed to exist as yourself with him. Unmasked.
“Hey…” The word left Eddie’s heart scrambling in his chest, as if he had done something wrong. He knew he was nervous over nothing but he couldn’t shake his need for control. If he opened up to you he would be totally exposed. Naked and willing. Unable to take it back. Unable to hide anymore.
The sound of denim rustling and a lightweight chain chiming hit your ears as Eddie fidgeted next to you, evidently uncomfortable and searching frantically for something to ground him. You expected this session to be no different to the previous.
“Please, don’t feel pressured to speak. We can take this at your own pace.” In front of you your eyes spotted a small beetle scuttling across the dirty tiled floor and you internally squirmed at the small creature.
“Sorry…” He choked as he dragged his hands through his hair, pushing his dampening fringe back and away from his sweaty forehead, “This, uh, this is new to me… I’m sorry.”
Instinctively you wanted to reach out and comfort him, “Don’t worry, me too. Sort of…” A soft smile found your face as Eddie released a sigh of relief into the still air.
“I cant imagine this is fun for you,” He shifted against the closed toilet seat lid, settling into his newfound welcome, “Listening to people bitch and moan must exhaust you.”
“Well, in a weird and self-indulgent way…” Momentary silence captivated you and you contemplated if you should show this side of yourself. You, more than anyone, knew the meaningfulness of relatability and how it only takes one thing to spark a deep conversation between two people. So, in a second of brave stupidity, you shared, hoping that the person on the other side of the wall felt a sense of belonging, “It makes me feel better about my own life. Knowing now that other students here struggle similarly to me makes me feel less of a target. I can ignore their taunts and eye rolls… I can see the human in them. Even when they don’t feel the same about me.”
Although Eddie couldn’t see you nor you him, his eyes slumped with appreciation and little by little his body relaxed into your presence, “Your empathy amazes me. Wish I could be as considerate.”
“Has high school been kind to you?” Deep down you knew the answer, your body could sense when someone like you settled down beside you. It’s like the souls spoke before anyone managed to open their mouths.
“Was hell kind to Satan when he first arrived?” A rhetorical question he expected you to laugh at but you remained unswayed, “No… high school has not been my best years. I’ll admit that good shit has came from my time here but… everything else is memorable in the worst way.”
“That’s why we focus on the good. Acknowledge the bad but don’t let it consume you.” He smiled then and rested his head against the adjoining wall. Through his nose he breathed your scent until it captivated him fully, lodging the breath until he was ready to reply.
His eyes watered, “I’m a little angry… no, fuck that. I’m really fucking angry. I’m so angry and I have been for years.”
For the first time in hours you were genuinely taken aback by this confession. But you remain voiceless, allowing him to vent.
“I’m not a bad guy,” He said it like he was trying to convince himself, “I look after people… I try to make sure no one feels the way that I have and yet you have people like douchebag Carver who treats people like they’re dogshit and he is worshipped like a God. Why is that? Why do people just… hate me..” It broke your heart to hear the croak in his voice and after allowing the emotion to level only then did you choose to respond.
“People… they often disregard what they don’t understand. They fear the unknown and the strange,” You searched for the words, chewing your bottom lip, “Jason is what they know, they find comfort in him because they have been brainwashed to believe that’s what the ‘norm’ should be. Surprisingly, not everyone has a kind heart. Not everyone cares.”
“They should…” He grumbled to himself, his polish chipped nails coming to pick the skin around his cuticles, “If people were more like you I think I would’ve actually gave a damn about school.”
The compliment seeped into your brain and you banked it there for a later visit, trying to remain as professional as possible and stay within the tender moment, “I’m sure you have people that cherish you and what you do for them. Like the people you have adopted. They may not treat you like a God but they treat you like a human being.”
Eddie bit back a loud chuckle then, his memory flickering to his role as Dungeon Master and how his little sheepie’s did treat him as a God during his meticulous campaigns. More importantly, though, he realised how right you were and he respected your way with words. Under normal circumstances he would be tongue tied right now and walking away in the opposite direction of you. He knew he'd be making the effort of returning to see you again.
Eddie slumped forward, resting his elbows on his knees and using his fist to hold up his tired head, “I feel like I could tell you anything.”
You sung a happy hum, “You can, if you feel comfortable.”
A moment of suspense passed, “Can I ask you something?”
“Okay.” Your stomach fluttered with uncertainty.
“Has high school been kind to you?” There was something special about this stranger. Something that made you feel unveiled and safe. No one had cared enough to ask you questions, but here you two were, defying the odds.
“Not as kind as it has been to others and not as brutal as it has treated many more unfortunate than I. I’m sort of in a grey area… I know people but I don’t particularly have many friends. I guess I’ve survived high school but not conquered it.” The truth left you feeling lighter but with a sourness lingering on your tongue that made you frown. Unbeknownst to you, Eddie was also saddened on the other side of the stall.
“Don’t lose hope, there are bound to be many quiet admirers that lurk these halls looking at you…” Him being one of them.
“That’s sweet of you, but I don’t want to be admired. Besides, only a few months left before graduation and in a couple of years none of this will matter. I’ll forget about it…” This time it was you that was trying to convince yourself of that statement. Maybe with time the memories of the torment will fade but the scars will remain. You’ll never look at skirts the same way and your hair won’t be pulled up into a ponytail for at least seven years. White sneakers will make you grimace and vanilla will always smell foul to you.
You’ll move on from Hawkins High but you wouldn’t recover.
“Unfortunately, our time is up… I’m sorry I spoke so much.” Eddie shook his head, alarmed at your discomfort.
“Trust me, you have no idea how much I enjoyed today. And hey, we actually talked this time. Progress.” You could hear the grin on his face and you couldn’t contain the heat spreading across your cheeks and nose as you smiled down into your notebook resting on your lap. The page open but blank. How charming.
“I’ll see you soon?” You asked, unsure.
“See ya next Wednesday, Doc. Oh, and here.” Beneath the cubicle, just at the small gap above the floor, his hand reached through with a $10 bill and as he hovered the money there you took notice of the unique silver rings adorning his fingers and the black watch strapped around his wrist.
“Oh, that’s too much—”
“Consider it a deposit for next time.” After ensuring the money met your fingertips Eddie exits the stall promptly, leaving you alone once more but this time with a amused grin ghosting your face and longing for more time.
You were growing fond of this client.
—
The sides of your ribs were in stitches, sore from laughing at countless sloppy jokes. You weren’t sure how you ended up here, spending hours after class with the same client twice a week now, but here you were. Tears streaming hot down your cheeks that also ached from your prolonged smile.
“Honest, these sessions help me get through the day… I look forward to them every time.” Talking was easy now, carefree with him and yet you still were unsure of his identity. Only hints of him existed in your mind. His staple rings, his black watch and the fresh minty smell of… shaving foam.
“Glad I could be of some assistance, Sweetheart.” His new nickname for you. He’d call you it constantly, the same adoration radiating from it each time. You’d never grow tired of it, never stop thinking about it or dreaming about it…
You’d miss him when you’d leave for home. Things would happen that you desperately longed to tell him about; like how your favourite mug had sadly lost its handle during a ferocious battle in the kitchen sink or how every time you thought about him you decided to write it down in your notebook. Those tallies went from once and turned into twelve times and twelve times turned into twenty-four. You had to know his name… you wanted to know him more.
Eddie was no different in comparison. It pained him to walk away from that stall, every time his feet would falter beneath him and stick to the tattered floor. He contemplated waiting there for you on the other side wearing nothing but a huge smile and a wild mop of hair. But, like a coward, he would run— not walk, but run to the parking lot and hurl himself into his van. You had come to know him more than anyone. You were burrowed beneath his skin now and there was no escaping you. He would see you in morning clouds on his drive to school. He’d search for you in every crowded room and supermarket isle. It was unbearable… he needed to know you.
“Y'know, I’m not taking your money today. Or anymore, for that matter.” You teased and your ink covered fingertip drew little circles on your thigh.
Eddie huffed, “Listen, it’s either you take it or I’m leavimg it on the floor for the roaches. You decide, Sweetheart.” His thumb toyed with the flint of a lighter, flicking the mechanism and occasionally lighting the flame.
A gasp escapes you, “That isn’t fair! I consider us friends now… you don’t pay friends for their time.” You chew the inside of your cheek as Eddie hums teasingly.
“Hmmm, I dunno. You still listen to my crap, which there is a lot more of, by the way. Wouldn’t feel right letting you take on that burden for free.”
A burden. He could never… not you.
“I like you— I like talking to you! I mean… uhm. It's nice, talking to you. I don’t mind it…” Your skin erupts in a warmth comparable to lava and you slap a palm to your forehead repeatedly.
Silly girl. Silly, silly girl.
You felt like screaming.
Eddie, however, has frozen to the spot. His restless limbs now like concrete as he processes what you’ve just said slowly. He couldn't believe it, but regardless, he beams and responds with a foggy brain, “I like you, too. I… I like this.”
The rigid moment dissolves into something diffused and for a long pause you both sit there. Basking in it.
“I… I nearly left last year, y’know? It’s hard to believe that I could’ve missed out on this.” Eddie’s gaze is trained on his clasped hands and his voice had a sombreness to it.
“Missed out on what?”
“You. This…” Your eyes flicker to the wall separating you, almost expecting to meet his eyes, but all you’re offered is old graffiti done in thick black sharpie.
‘Michelle is a whore! Yuck!’
Poor Michelle….
“What happened?” You quiz after your train of thought decided to take a detour.
He gulped, his mouth suddenly dry, “I met this girl at one of my gigs… she was an intern at one of the bigger labels and God, I was so close to getting a CD to her. But…” He punctured his bottom lip with his two front teeth, the memories rawer than they were seconds ago.
“But…?” You try to coax him in a way that was supportive.
“My uh… my Dad showed up. He fucked it… he fucked everything. Plus, Paige, the girl… she went off grid. Must’ve changed her number, or something.” Your jaw ticks and you blink away the water from your eyes. Of course there was another girl, how could you have been so foolish to believe this could be anything than what it is.
As if he could read your mind Eddie interrupted your self destruction, “It was strictly business. I hardly knew her… even now, I can't really recall her face.” You smoothed down your sweater, something you done often when you needed comfort. To self soothe.
“Your Dad… you haven’t really spoke about him.” Eddie now chewed on his thumb nail, picking off the polish and flicking it away with his tongue.
“He’s a total asshat. He was holed up for most of my childhood for petty crime and shortly after I moved in with my Uncle Way.. My Uncle William.” He regretted it as soon as he said it. Why didn’t he tell you the truth? Why didn’t he tell you about Wayne?
“Your Uncle? Why not your Mom?” The air shifted instantly to something tangible, you could feel it in the seconds it took Eddie to respond. Clearly, it was something not many people had asked him about before.
“She… she uh…” He almost couldn’t say it, “She died when I was young… terminal illness. It was a bit easier because I was only six but man did I miss her.” The frog jumped in his throat before he could conclude his sentence and you gave him a few moments to collect himself.
He still missed her. Every day….
“Tell me about her? What was her name—”
“Elizabeth.” He answered instantly through a teary smile, “Beth, for short. What my Dad called her…”
“I bet she was beautiful.”
“Oh, you’ve no idea,” He exclaims through a pant of a laugh that was equal parts love and loss, “Life with her was so… bright.” He remembered her as if it was only yesterday he had lost her…
He chuckles, “I remember this one time, after they had been to the grocery store, my Mom and I played a trick on my Dad,” He sniffled, his sinuses clearing, “I had asked for a bowl of cereal all the while my Mom had hid the milk in the cabinet. We watched my Dad search for the carton for a whole five minutes before we told him.”
You giggled, able to see the scene play out in your mind. Only the characters were faceless and slightly blurry…
“He was unimpressed but we laughed and laughed…” His giggles faded, “If I could go back I would in a heartbeat. There’s so much I wanna say to her…”
You could only imagine the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders. How he has carried that with him through his formative years into early adulthood. If anyone had an excuse to be an asshole, it was him. Yet, he remained kind even after being beaten and bruised.
“I feel guilty sometimes… because sometimes I forget about her. I.. forget my grief.” He breaks down then, a sob strangling his throat that he violently tries to swallow.
“That’s normal. That… that happens. Grief ebbs and flows… it comes in waves. Some stronger than the others.” The palm of your hand rests against the cubicle wall, reaching out for his touch and your temple follows to lean against it.
“I wonder if life would’ve been different with her here… I question if I would've turned out somewhat normal.” Eddie was calmer now, letting his emotions wash over him and away again.
“Normal is overrated.”
“It is. I'm sure she’d agree, too,” Suddenly exhausted he collapses back on the covered toilet seat, letting his back collide with the water tank, “I swear I can still smell the pancakes she’d make in the morning. Only on a Sunday as a treat before the school week but wow… best fucking pancakes I’d ever had. Nothing compares.”
You laughed softly, “Sounds like you need to learn how to make a mean pancake.”
“I definitely do.”
“Maybe you’ll let me taste test one…” A desperate attempt of yours to drive the friendship further.
“Maybe I will, Sweetheart. Maybe I will.” His voice drops low, insecure and pensive.
“Next time… can we ditch the stalls? I’d really like to meet you—”
“You have met me.” He fires back.
“Fine! I'd like to see you. Know you…” Now it was your turn to shell up. Terrified of what he might say.
“…Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, yes. Okay. But don’t look too disappointed when you discover who is behind this charm and raw sex appeal.”
You chuckled, “I don't think you could ever disappoint me.”
We’ll see about that…
“I have to head on home now, but I’ll see you on Friday? 3.30pm at the… bench?”
You knew the place, It’s where all the jocks and the cheerleaders met for their not so discreet drug deals and tasteless hookups.
“I’ll see you then.” You tried not to sound so excited though it proved impossible.
“It’s a date.”
—
Wednesday evening through to Friday was nothing short of tortuous and when Thursday night eventually rolled around, after many anticipated hours, you couldn’t will sleep with all the noise parading around in your head. Trumpets of doubt and drums of triumph.
You stayed up late into the early hours of dawn, tossing and turning and rehearsing the perfect conversation filled with witty one liners and blushing cheeks. Giddily you pictured a kiss... slow and sensual. And a embrace that blanketed you in fulfilment. It had you smiling up at your darkened ceiling, your eyes watching the blades of the fan swirl around slowly. During that girlish moment you also found yourself reminded of the other way which this could go. You tried to prepare for the worst outcome; the disappointment.
What if it was him riddled with regret on his face?
What if he was repulsed by what he saw?
These lonely thoughts became the downward spiral that robbed you of any rest at all. In fact, it inspired you to leave the warmth of your bed at 5:00am and begin getting ready for the day ahead. Classes weren’t until 9:00am but you couldn’t stop yourself, you had to do something. Shave your legs, pluck your eyebrows and scrub your skin until smooth.
From an outside perspective you look utterly insane in that bathroom, doing the unthinkable at that hour in the morning, but you struggled to find reasons to care. You’d show up at that bench today looking your absolute best if it was the last thing you did.
Walking down the traffic stricken hallway you met each fleeting face with suspicion and a quirked eyebrow. Your brain rushing around to string the pieces of the puzzle together before the end of the school day.
It was one of your many flaws, your need to know the future before it presents itself.
Frustration found you in your first class of the day when you couldn’t focus on a single thing spewing from the sub teachers mouth. Your pupils too busy darting to the clock above the door every five seconds and watching the minutes tick by.
9:30, 9:45, 9:47, 9:50, 9:53, 10:00…
Pathetically, you wanted to scream at the mechanism to hurry up.
After discovering that your wishful thinking wasn’t going to make the clock hands move any faster you slumped your body down over your desk, using your open textbook as your pillow as your eyelids sunk over your eyes and you drifted to sleep for a short while.
Eddie was unable to contain his excitement and even without an ounce of sleep he was still able to climb the walls with buckets of energy possessing him. Whenever he would see you he’d nearly combust into flames, he felt like a little kid in a candy store, grinning at your choice of outfit and the makeup around your eyes. You did that for him and he was absolutely enthralled by it. The party commented on his ridiculously good mood at lunch and how out of character it was for a campaign as gut wrenching as today. Then, they thought the worst when Eddie revealed that Hellfire was postponed that evening.
“Who died? Was it Carver? Are we celebrating?” Gareth investigated with a michevious smirk across the cafeteria but Eddie said nothing. He wanted to keep you a secret for now. Until he was sure… until he was certain that you wouldn’t run away as soon as you saw him.
“None of your business, ladies.” He chomped into the side of a red apple, his eyes scoping the canteen as he searched for you. Sure enough, he found you with ease near the lunch ladies where you chatted away with them. The older women smiled and laughed with you and you picked away at the slop on your plate. Pushing the mush around before you decided dessert was due.
His heart picked up to a record breaking pace and he felt like he could run a mile right there and then with the adrenaline flooding his blood stream.
“Jesus, Eddie, nervous much?” He hadn’t noticed that his bouncing leg was shaking the entirety of the lunch table. Jolting lunch trays and sodas as if they were experiencing an earthquake.
“No? I’m excited… for the campaign tomorrow.”
“If you were that excited we would be doing it today. What gives?” Dustin really could get on his nerves sometimes.
“Like I said, Dusty-Bun, it’s none of your—”
“Is this another Chrissy Cunningham special?” Gareth wiggles his eyebrows and Eddie flinches, disgusted.
“What? No. Ew, that was a one time deal and nothing happened—”
“Then who is it you’re meeting later?” Jeff asks, leaning in closer to Eddie, “You can tell us. Promise… we’ll be nice.”
“Okay. That’s it. Fuck you guys, I’m leaving,” He kicks out his seat, the metal legs screeching across the floor, “You,” He singles out Mike, “Through my lunch away.”
Mike meets him with a nod and an eye roll and Eddie shoots off from the table, fleeing away to somewhere more private where he can collect himself and his thoughts. His excitement was slowly starting to twist and expand into anxiety and the longer he waited for the end of the day to arrive the more difficult it got.
He started to picture your face, contorted with terror and disgust when you realise after all this time it’s been him on the other side of that stall.
It was funny, actually, because now more than ever he wanted to sit in that cubicle and talk to you about it. About his raging feelings for you.
He couldn’t, he knew that and it drove him fucking crazy.
When the final bell sounded, signalling the weekend, you weren’t the only person eager to make it out of the bloated hallways plagued with mild B.O. and booming voices. Instead of the main entrance at the front of the school that undoubtedly would be mobbed with a stampede of students you opted for the quieter side door that lead straight out towards the woods.
After fighting your way through the whipping branches and soft ground you were a whole twenty minutes early when you arrived at the table, too jittery to wait for him to meet you there. You needed time to prepare, to pace around and sort through your earlier thoughts and ideas.
What was good enough to say? What was totally unusable and lame?
These were the things you needed to know.
In the time it took for the twenty minutes to pass you had already talked yourself out of leaving on four different occasions and around the picnic table you had paved an evident path through the leaves in a huge circle. You spoke to yourself aloud, losing track of all time and meaning. You were calmer now but you also hadn’t even stopped to question if he were coming or not.
That’s when you decided to pace in the other direction which drags a unexpected yelp from your throat and causes one of your hands to fly up and clutch at your pounding heart in your chest as you nearly collide into someone at full speed.
“Oh god, Sorry! I didn’t see you— Oh, Eddie. Hi! Are you… are you meeting someone here?” You knew he used this spot regularly for quick visits with his clientele and through avoiding his gaze you shift down to admired his hands, “I can totally leave and come… back… wait…” You trail off, your eyes clocking the black watch on his wrist and the rings decorating his fingers.
“Eddie?” Your blown eyes find the shy smile teetering on his lips. If he didn’t know any better he may mistake your surprise for horror.
“Surprise, Sweetheart…” There goes all his confidence, out the fucking window.
“Wait—” you squint at him, “Your Uncles name isn’t William.”
Slowly, the hornets in his chest dissolve, “Correct.”
“It’s Wayne. Wayne Munson—”
“Which is exactly why I couldn’t tell you. You’re too smart, you would’ve figured me out instantly.” You beamed up at him, getting lost in the depths of his eyes.
“You’re… taller than I remember.” Eddie shrugs his jacket from his shoulders, tossing it onto the bench.
“It’s been a long time since we spoke, and possibly forever since we were this close to one another,” Suddenly coy you take a small step away from him but Eddie matches the step towards you, “That wasn’t a complaint. Just an observation…”
Like how he observed the the pink in your face that definitely was unrelated to the makeup touched gently onto your features.
“Are you… disappointed?” You couldn’t look at him. Why couldn’t you look a him? He may be the most handsome man you’ve laid eyes on in this dump of a town and you couldn’t muster the strength to look at his perfect face—
“Me?” He chuckles lightheartedly, “Sweetheart, I was about to ask you the same question.”
With caution his fingers tilt your chin up until he can see the mesmerising colour of your eyes, “You have got to be the textbook definition of perfect If I've ever seen one.”
You rolled your eyes, “I’m serious!” He exclaims, “Don’t give me that sass, y’hear? I might grow to like it too much.”
He was relentless, like the prickling warmth scorching your entire body, “I.. I’m so relieved that it’s you.” You confess and Eddie melts, nearly succumbing to gravity.
His Cheshire Cat smile goes straight to your head, “Yeah?”
“Definitely. If it was anyone else I think I may have ran for the hills by now…” You gnaw on the inside of your check.
“Hey, me too… me too,” All too quickly his fingers tuck a fallen strand of hair behind your ear before his touch is gone again. Leaving you yearning for more, “Shall we sit down?”
Your thighs settle against the warped wood of the bench, cold against the blazing skin through your jeans, “So… Eddie Munson.”
“In the flesh.” He fidgets with his arms, crossing them and uncrossing them over his chest.
“Did you know it was me? Through the wall.”
“The whole time.” He said it so casually it made your head spin at x2 speed.
“No way, you couldn’t have—”
“Mhm, I did,” He smiles down at his clasped hands outstretched on the table in front of him, “Did you suspect it was me? Did you have any ideas…?”
“Nope. Not a clue… only reason I knew it was you right now was because of your rings. And your watch,” You nod down towards the items, “When you’d pass me money through the stall I would see them. Catch glimpses…”
He clapped, “Very good, Detective. Very good…”
You bow where you sit, angling yourself forward from your hips and tipping you’re imaginary hat towards him, “Thank you, kind sir.”
Fuck, Eddie was smitten.
“Next time we hang out we should hit Benny’s diner… not as good as it once was but I think the pancakes are decent enough…” Your body stills for a moment, not rigidly but motionless enough to peak concern from Eddie, “What? Do I have something on my face—”
“Are you asking me out? On a date…” This time you took great pleasure in watching Eddie’s face glow in a colour similar to a tomato.
“Possibly… maybe…” He grabs a piece of his hair, hiding part of his face behind it, “Yes.”
“Well… I’d also like to add to that invitation, if I may?” Sitting here with him felt so natural. So… meant to be.
“Please do.”
“Pancakes at Benny’s and a movie later in the night?” The sunlight peeks through the trees and illuminates your eyes in a luminosity Eddie can only describe as ethereal.
“Sounds great—”
“The catch is, though… next time you have to make the pancakes. And I get to eat them.” Your posture straightens and Eddie nods whilst he chuckles.
“Okay. Sold, to the pretty girl with the remarkable eyes.” His attempt at an English accent catches you totally off guard and you burst into laughs, your hand shooting up to cover your open lips.
“Where on Earth did that come from?”
“I don’t know! You make me so nervous… next I’ll be pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” The giggles continued at an alarming rate and you feared you may run out of breath soon.
With a huge sigh, “I love this.”
I love you…
You thought but didn’t say.
“I love it, too. Love our time together, Sweetheart. Wish I could spend every second here with you…” Your brain doesn’t register his hand holding yours until after he ceased talking and looking down at the limbs intertwined had your heart leaping and singing with joy.
“Maybe this can be our new spot… amongst many other places.” The suggestion is punctuated by a soft squeeze from Eddie’s fingers.
“I think I’d really like that.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah… I’d like that a lot,” He pauses and you see in his eyes the gears turning, “Fridays are campaign days, though… is that cool with you?”
“Perhaps you can teach me the ways of Dungeons and Dragons…? I’d love to see the master at work,” God, you knew just what to say, “Once I’ve learned the ropes I could possibly join the club? Maybe we can have some solo adventures together, too.” You’d winked.
And his brain nearly exploded.
“Deal.”
“Deal?—”
“Yes, yes! Deal! Say no more because I am all in, pretty girl.”
And for those incredible remaining hours together you giggled and snorted like there was no tomorrow. No one else existed but you and him and slowly, then all at once you came to realise that….
Description: Being Steve Harrington’s baby sister has its perks when you came to college, but it also has its cons. When you develop funny feelings for a mutual friend you don’t dare to act upon it out of respect for him. But… what if you did? Request here! Hope you enjoy this.. 🥹 w/c: 9.7k
Pairing: College!Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader.
Tags: Friends to lovers, romance, drama.
⚠️: Two scared idiots, fluff, alcohol, cheating (sort of… I guess?), overbearing family, issues with self worth and confidence, friendship difficulties.
Fluff, angst and a little peck. My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: Next up is chapter two to my new series ‘It’s Who You Know’ With Detective Eddie Munson. Keep an eye out for that, lovelies ;) Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
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Collapsing to the sun-warmed grass you sprawl out your limbs similar to a lazy cat after a tiresome day. The passing chatter of students galloping by fill your ears and the thump of their walking feet send a current through your body similar to a massage chair. There was a buzz in the air, a promise that Summer was near and all you had to do was endure the semester a little bit longer before a much deserved break.
A mild breeze ruffles your hair softly, causing the delicate strands to kiss and tickle your cheeks. Behind your closed eyelids the suns rays beam down on your relaxed frame with insistent brightness and you feel you could melt away into the lawn and leave your study troubles behind you.
Your lungs release a weighty sigh and the taste of your afternoon coffee still lingers on your tongue, captivating your taste buds and making you wish for another. For a while you stay there, basking in your newfound sense of freedom as you await the arrival of your friends.
Their entrance carried an energy comparable to a firework display: Explosive, colourful and so magnetic that even you struggle to look away.
First came Steve, your older brother by a year and four months. Then there was Robin and Eddie. The pairing that always seemed to tickle your ribs whenever they were around. And Nancy, who knew the perfect balance between keeping a tight ship and letting loose.
A lot of the time you felt deeply that you we the fifth wheel when you were with them. Only invited out of necessity and not genuine fondness. It was the loneliest of the chips you carried on your shoulder from the beginning of your fresher’s week at college, Steve Harrington’s adorable kid sister and nothing more.
This couldn’t have been further from the truth, as a certain someone within the group always felt the need to bargain his soul to the devil to ensure your attendance to any and all hangout sessions. No matter what it was that you were doing together: a period of silent studying, spontaneous coffee dates or late night movie screenings. Eddie longed to have you close by. He began to crave it like he would a cigarette after a dry spell of sobriety. Each whiff of you had him itching for more.
One thing held an element of truth, however, and that was the blood tie that bound you and Steve’s together. It automatically made you different from everyone else. Unattainable and absolutely off-fucking-limits.
How could Eddie possibly pursue you when his friendship with Steve came long before his feelings?
He couldn’t. And it crushed him whenever you’d grace his eye line.
You watch contented with a amused smile as Eddie saves Steve from being mowed down by a swerving bicycle zooming by and Robin skips towards you, unbothered about the boys left behind as she is the first to sit down and occupy the space beside you.
“You didn’t have to do that, I saw the bike!” Steve exclaims halfheartedly and Eddie thuds an open palm onto his back.
“And you were still going to step out in front of it?” Eddie retaliates with a perked eyebrow and you giggle quietly, the noise meant for only you. Robin at your side heard it though and she banked it for a later conversation.
“I was not.” God, your older brother had such younger sibling syndrome when Eddie was around. They fought as brothers did and through strange practice they were. Too much endured together. A friendship strong enough to last the times.
Involuntarily, like muscle memory, you gush at the sound of Eddie’s voice. The melody is enough to make your skin tingle and prickle with heat and your lips swoop upwards at the corners. Unwavering. His ineffable charisma left you reeling with joy and airy in the chest. While not frequent, his diffident presence brought a blooming comfort to you with ease. It was effortless for him to make you feel as though you belonged and that your voice mattered. That you were a somebody.
He probably assumes that you don’t regard his efforts as anything to care about, but all of the times he has included you in conversations or took your side during heated debates live fondly within you. Your particularly favourite time replays in your mind repeatedly, a dream you get to engross yourself in every night before bed.
In the Fall last term, when students had long packed up what they could and hitched rides home to their families, you were one of the last to leave. Steve ran for the hills with Robin and Nancy before you could decide what to take and what mattered least to you. It got to the point where you were so overwhelmed that you froze and couldn’t move from your stripped bare bed staring off at the nearest blank wall in front of you. Counting the small dried blotches of sticky tack left up from your old posters that you were looking to replace when you next returned to this room.
The faint smell of your roommates pungent body spray lingered in the still air and while there was a time you would choke on the sickly sweet toffee scent, now it brought you comfort.
You’d miss the A.M. giggle sessions where you’d spend hours trying to go to sleep and the way you’d help one another get dressed for off campus party's. It was like finally having a sister after spending your whole life wishing for one. Instead of Tammy-Lynn, your sibling by choice, you got Steve.
Not once did it occur to you how or when you’d get back to your parents, but somehow you knew that you would, even if it meant riding in a strangers car to reach them.
Thankfully, a stranger just so happened to fall right into your lap as Eddie rapped his knuckles softly against your open door, “Hey… Steve said you were still here.” Although it was a statement, there was an upward inflection to his voice that told you he wanted to ask you ‘Why?’
You had sighed, too defeated to explain fully, “Yeah… I guess I just…” You hesitated telling him the truth, but the small crinkles by his round eyes and the sincerity reflected in their chocolatey depths made you believe he was trustworthy, “I wish I didn’t have to leave just yet."
Going home was something you had persistently been dreading for the better part of a year and you couldn’t for the life of you pinpoint why. The family house loomed over you like a dark rain cloud, lacking the charming chaos and messiness that a family home should have. It was empty 90% of the time, and maybe that’s your reasoning for your borderline parental bond with Steve. You basically raised each other.
If it were possible for Eddie to soften more at your confession, he did, and slowly he made his way through the valley of clothes on your floor and closer to your slumped frame, “What can I do to help?”
“Stay with me for a little while? Just so I can figure this out.” Your suitcase laid open at your feet, some belongings already packed inside, your books and notes for the term but so much more to be put away.
“Sure,” He flopped down next to you, which caused your body to jolt back and forth on the springy mattress, “And afterwards, when you’re ready, you can ride home with me… if you’d wanna, that is?”
Of course you did. It’s all you had ever wanted. Alone time with him…
“That’d be really nice, Ed’s. Thanks. I don’t wanna make you wait for me if you have things to do… Are you sure?”
“It’s honestly no trouble, what kinda friend would I be if I left you here to fend for yourself?”
The question wasn't supposed to sting as much as it did, but it hurt the pair of you as much as an intentional bruise would.
“Have you packed away your radio?” He curtly changed the subject with fidgety eyes scoping the room and you pause. The radio that he got you as a gift at the beginning of the school year. Portable and silver in colour. He had one of the same, only his was worn in and used 23 hours out of the day.
“I haven't… I just don’t think I can tell you exactly where it is.” It was hidden somewhere amongst the clutter and Eddie rose to his feet to rummage frantically.
“If we’re gonna do this right then we gotta have some music playing or I'll lose my mind.” And by that he meant, if we sit in this torturous silence for another second he was going to spill his guts onto the carpet and ruin your relationship forever. Which, for obvious reasons, he couldn’t allow to happen.
He moved with legerity and fought hard against the strain of his jeans against him as he stole glances of rouge pairs of your underwear that littered the floor. The perverted part of him wondered if they were clean or not… he almost convinced himself to pocket a pair but just as he was about to he found the radio beneath a sweater he has seen you wear one hundred times over. He’d go as far to argue it may be a favourite of yours.
“Finally,” He suspended the machine high towards the ceiling as if it were a trophy, “Let the movie montage commence.”
Both of you took turns in changing the radio stations, your contrasting taste in music occasionally coming together to harmonise before one of you reached for the tuning dial again. The swollen tension calmed with the passing hours and little by little you were able to see your dormitory floor again.
Eddie took charge of your ‘get-rid’ pile, neatly folding old clothes to donate and arranging brick a’ brack into an orderly corner. The sound of your suitcase zipper being forced up blessed Eddie’s ears and like an eager puppy he awaited further instructions on what to do next.
“Think that’s it.” You leaned back and observed the space. The floor needed a good vacuum but otherwise the room was left in pretty good shape.
With a click of a button the background music disappeared and the emptiness was deafening, “We can get going then?” Eddie didn't want to appear too keen but the clouds were getting weightier by the second and so were his eyelids.
You hummed, clicking up the handle of your suitcase and then you wheeled it toward the hallway. You finished in just the nick of time it seemed as a campus security guard approached, huge in his wingspan and his shoulders, “We’re locking up in the next 10 minutes. I suggest you guys get a move on.”
“Yes, of course, sorry… thanks…” The guard didn’t stick around to chit chat and like your shadow, Eddie appeared by your side.
“C’mon, the longer we wait the more time you have to talk yourself out of it.” You wish you could’ve responded with something heartfelt or clever but his soothing hand on your shoulder tied your tongue into a knot that wouldn’t loosen. Instead, you nodded and forced your feet to slide away from the place you had called home for the last year.
As you clambered into Eddie’s van it was like you were transported to a place frozen in time. One of Eddie’s striking personality traits was that his van never changed. In his eyes it didn’t need to, no matter how old it got or how many garage visits that drained his pockets. He loved it unconditionally.
“Music?” Your eyes immediately find the built in cassette player.
“Absolutely,” He beams, “Can’t guarantee there’ll be anything of your taste, but you can have a snoop around.”
And snoop you did.
The journey back to Hawkins took an hour and thirty minutes, the first ten of which were spent in complete voicelessness. It wasn’t uncomfortable and the silence didn’t demand to be filled. It just existed as the boning trees passed by the window and the orange leaves blew in spirals around you. There was a feeling of magic in the air as Halloween approached and you still got the same butterflies in your stomach as you did when you were a kid. This time of year was your favourite.
As the rain picked up its devilish dance upon Eddie’s windshield, his wipers struggled to keep the road coming at him clear which caused his shoulders to go square and his eyes to glare ahead with concentration, “Came outta nowhere.” It was a whisper meant for only him to hear and when you perked up next to him his heart faltered in his chest. You had been so quiet he momentarily forgot you were there.
“I like it. It’s peaceful.” You could say that, being the passenger and all, but as the driver Eddie was petrified of the slippery road and what this weather may bring.
“Mind if we stop off for some gas? Tank won’t make it the whole way back.” You shook your head and leaned in toward the air conditioning to lower the temperature slightly, your finger tips grazed Eddie’s knuckles as he leaned in to do the same.
“Shit, sorry. You okay? You cold?” His voice croaked and his face fully flushed at the contact. Your response was just as alarmed and flustered.
“No, no, I’m warm. Too warm,” You chuckled awkwardly, “Are you cold?”
“Pfft, no. I’m sweating through this seat right now.” Eddie grimaced at his own words and hoped the ground would swallow him whole. You must’ve found him appalling.
“Same.” A single word that calmed his racing mind.
Funnily, you nearly repeated the action but were able enough now to laugh it off and allow one or the other to control the dial. Eddie left it up to you.
Through the thickening fog a large billboard appeared, listing the latest gas prices and Eddie slowed the van ever so slightly, “You hungry? Need a snack or anything when I hop out?” His attention was split between your thoughtful face and the road.
“A bopper! The peanut one, if they have it?” To that Eddie chuckled hard, “What?” You grinned over at him and he shook his head.
“Nothing, nothing. Just… you’re such a Harrington.” To that your heart sunk but you took the comment for what it was. A compliment masked with tease.
“I wish you had an annoying sibling so I could talk about them all the time.” It was Eddie’s turn to clam up.
“I don’t.. talk about Steve all the time.” His unsure voice betrayed him.
“Don’t worry, Eddie, everyone does. Steve's just… one of those guys, I guess.” The tyres screech as Eddie lined up with one of the gas pumps, killing the engine and sitting there for a prolonged moment. His eyes were on you but your gaze was trained to the passenger window.
“People care about you too, y’know? Even if they don’t tell you constantly.” You smiled a sad smile.
“I know that… Besides, it's not all bad living in his shadow. Some shade is nice when you’ve been out in the sun too long.” You referred to the way your parents would pick on you from a young age to do well in everything. School, sports, posture, relationships and everything else. Steve existed in your shadow once and now it was your turn.
You got the good grades and the brains but Steve got everything else. A social life with amazing friends. Loved by his peers and sought after by countless girls. He was spoiled for choice whilst you rotted away. Starved of the goodness of college life.
Unable to coherently form his thoughts into speakable sentences, Eddie opted for a clear of his throat, “Uh, just a bopper, then?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Please. I have some cash somewhere—” Your hands started to frisk your pockets and Eddie waved his hands around like a madman.
“Stop, I’ve got it. It's literally like a $1. You want a drink? I’m thinking of grabbing a Coke. Need the sugar.”
You were slow to nod, “Okay, sure. I’ll have the same. Thanks!”
And with that the van door swung open and Eddie faded to the downpour of Autumn rain. From the window you watched him empty his pockets into a overflowed trash can and from the denim of his jeans he pulled a lighter and a half smoked cigarette. Lighting it he took a few long drags before he flicked it away and stomped on it. Eddie registered the vague shape of your face in the window and flashed you one of his down turned and dorky smiles. All too quickly he adverted his attention to his initial mission and carefully selected the best out of a bad bunch of greasy fuel pumps. The meter ticked on slowly and his hair dampened more and more into defined ringlets the longer he was subjected to the elements.
You cracked the door, “You want a magazine or something? For shelter?” Rain dripped from the tip of his reddened nose and while his cheeks flushed with blood from the cold his eyes became molten at the sight of you.
“M’ okay, Sweetheart. Just stay inside.” He used his unoccupied hand to gently close the van door and you deflated into the back of your seat. Every cell screamed inside of you and you tried to pull yourself together for his near return from inside the filling station.
Sweetheart. He called you Sweetheart.
Quickly, before someone caught an unfortunate sight of you, you squealed to release some of the pressure in your chest. It felt insane at the time but it worked a treat.
It also meant that when Eddie reappeared by the van with his arms full of goodies and his hair stricken perfectly with rain that you were able to somewhat control the loving glaze smeared in your eyes.
“Managed to grab the last three boppers, thank me later.” Your eyes pinged wide.
“Three? Eddie, you didn’t have to—”
“I refuse to have a hungry passenger, okay? Besides, I've never tried one and I kinda want to.” The glint in his eye made you laugh and your fingers worked fast against the candy bar wrapper.
Eddie sat there, observing you, “C’mon, then, Munson. We're doing this together.” You looked to the bopper in his lap and he grinned before picking it up and opening it.
“So bossy.” He teased and you swatted at his shoulder playfully.
“Cheers.” You held out the exposed bar and Eddie clinked his with yours.
“Cheers.”
The rest of the ride Eddie’s irises drifted to and from the last bopper that sat lonely in the cup holder. Having thoroughly enjoyed his first ever taste of one, you chivalrously allowed him the blessing of the final one. Which, he swiped up without a second thought.
Time passed much quicker than you had wanted it to and eventually the ‘Welcome to Hawkins’ sign flew by your peripheral, “Home already.” You sighed with a frown and Eddie’s finger tips twitched with longing to reach out and touch you.
“I uh… I bet Wayne has fired up some hot chocolate. You… you maybe wanna come by for a cup? You don’t have to! I just thought, y’know, nice to be nice—” His panic shocked through you and you interrupted him with a tender voice.
“I’d really like that, Ed’s. You think Wayne would mind?” The sleeves of your sweater were pulled over your thumbs and your nails picked at the fabric.
“Wayne loves you! Says you’re welcome anytime.”
You don't respond, accepting the invitation quietly. Gently.
It didn’t take long for the Munson trailer to rise up in front of you, the lights inside were warm compared to the dark blue sky blooming above and from afar you could see Wayne smoking a cigarette on the porch. He was really trying to make it seem like he wasn't waiting on Eddie’s return. The smile on his wrinkled face gave it away.
Eddie bounded from the van to meet his uncle in a heartwarming embrace, one you knew wouldn’t be waiting for you at home. You allowed them a few private moments before you exited the vehicle and warily approached the pair.
“Hi, Hon. Heard you’re staying for some hot choc?” Wayne looked at you through his unruly brows and you offered him a tight lipped smile as you pulled your sleeves further over your palms.
“Only if that’s okay?”
"Course’ it is. C’mon in now, it’s getting cold out.” At the time you hadn’t even noticed Eddie’s earlier departure into the trailer. One minute he was there and the next he was inside.
The smell of chocolate washed over you like a nostalgic hug and immediately you started sweating at the contrast of temperatures, going from cold to sweltering.
“Pick a mug, any mug.” Eddie’s hands flew up to gesture around the room and you observed the mug covered walls with a slack jaw.
“Can I have a hat, too, or are they off limits?” You wiggled your eyebrows and Wayne craned his head from behind an open kitchen cabinet.
“You break em’ you buy em’!” You had giggled then, looking to Eddie and catching the huge grin on his face.
“You’ve poked his soft spot.”
“Okay, no hat then… I’ll take that mug.” You pointed.
“The McDonald’s one?” He inquires, his eyebrows drawn together.
“No, the one with the little yellow… bear?” You were unsure of what the creature was, too small for you to inspect from this far away, but Eddie knew and he unhooked it from the rack.
“Yeah, pretty sure it's meant to be Winnie-the-Pooh. Or something. Good choice.” He placed it on the counter for Wayne to fill, next to his own choice of the grinning Garfield mug.
“His smile is kinda creepy…” You stared at the orange cat.
“Ya think so? I think it looks like Eddie.” Wayne chuckled to himself, far too amused at his own humour and Eddie’s eyes briefly met the floor.
“No… no your smile is sweet. Charming, even.” Unsure on how to control the blush on your cheeks you advert you face away from Eddie, hoping it’ll help cool the skin.
“Mallows and cream?” Wayne dug through the refrigerator. Jars clanked around with containers as he did.
“Duh,” Eddie braced his palms against the counter, seemingly unable to keep his feet planted still as he awaited his sweet treat, “For the lady?” His attention burnt into the side of your face and you fought against the butterflies in your stomach.
“Uh… marshmallows, please.” You chimed.
“Big or mini?” To that your face contorted.
“Big? You guys… you put big mallows on your coco?” It was ludicrous.
“Sometimes—”
“How are you drinking it? The mallow is too big, it gets in the way—” You stopped yourself, “Y'know what, each to their own. Uh, I’ll take mini please, Wayne…. like a normal person.” The last part was directed at Eddie who then gently nudged his knee against yours beneath the counter top. You would’ve stayed the entire night if you could’ve, it felt like home with the Munson’s.
“You guys have a lot of hats.”
“We do.” Eddie agreed and Wayne hummed into his mug of coffee.
“I’ve never seen you wear a hat. Like, ever. Maybe a bandana but never a cap,” You looked to Wayne, “I mean, you’re wearing a hat right now, are they all yours?”
“Not exactly,” He sipped, “Some are collectibles, some are gifts from Ed’s over the years and others… I rotate.”
“So… they are all yours?” You insisted.
“Exactly.” Eddie spoke from your side and his t-shirt clad shoulder brushed yours. Your eyes were drawn to the skin of his bare arms and every now and again, unbeknownst to you, Eddie caught you looking.
Just then, the phone vibrated on the wall with a ring that pierced your ears. Eddie jumped up to get it and pulled the black phone to his ear, “Yep?” His fingers toyed with the cord, “Harrington, what do I owe the— She’s here, yeah…” You felt like the sofa cushion could swallow you whole as Eddie’s eyes flickered to you, “I’ll drop her home, don’t worry. Ten minutes-ish? Cool. ‘Kay, bye.”
Awkwardly his body pivoted to you and his lips teetered on a frown, “So, that was Steve, obviously… He wanted to check in.”
The overbearing brother. It didn’t surprise you.
“Right, yes. I should get home…” You knew you hadn’t outstayed your welcome, but you also knew that this night couldn’t last forever. No matter how much you wanted that to be your reality.
“I’ll grab my keys, gimme a sec.”
As Eddie disappeared you turned your attention to Wayne, “Thank you for the hot chocolate. It was probably the best I’ve ever had.”
“Anytime, Hon. You make sure he behaves himself when driving you home.”
“I will.”
“And next time he asks you out, make sure the idiot takes you somewhere nice.”
You nearly swallowed your tongue and before you could respond dismissively Eddie was leading you towards the door, all while he shot Wayne a loathsome glare.
The drive to your parents could be measured with a measly blink of the eye and Eddie killed the engine before you could fully register where you were.
Steve’s silhouette lurked in the window and your mouth soured at the sight, “He’s such a dick sometimes.”
Eddie laughed and anchored his body to face you more, “Yeah but he’s your big brother, it’s kinda his job to piss you off.”
You shook your head, “He’s mature enough now to know when he can take his foot off my throat.”
The air swelled and you sighed softly, “Sorry… I just hate it here.”
Eddie wanted to floor it on the gas right then and there. He wanted to tell you that you could stay with him as long as you needed and that for the longest time that’s all he had ever wanted. It to be you and him.
Instead, he turned his eye line away from you and to the dark road, “Give it a chance, it may be nice to be home.”
Overwhelmed by the feeling you had said too much and gone too far you unbuckle your seatbelt and reach for the door handle. For a second your touch lingers there suspended, your mind screaming at you to stay, but you follow through on that promise to yourself and you leave the van, “Thanks for the hot chocolate.” And you slammed the door, not allowing Eddie to respond.
Although the ending to that night was bittersweet, you adored the memory all the same.
Maybe you shouldn’t read too much into his sweetness, but you couldn’t ignore that deluded part of yourself that saw something in the way his knuckles would brush yours during weekly movie nights at your dorm room or how every now and again you’d look up to find him across the room, only to catch his longing gaze already on you, his eyes searching for something buried deep within you. Lately, when you were around him, the air would bloat with this insufferable tension and it felt like a forever tug of war between your heart and your brain. You knew that this could never be, whatever this was growing between the pair of you, but you reached for it in a way you’ve never done before.
But how could you be so selfish? Eddie is Steve’s best friend and that makes him above all else…
Off-limits.
—
“Plans for tonight?” Nancy chirps and a momentary quiet settles between the groups ideas.
“A movie?” Steve answers, uncertain of the suggestion himself.
“Real original.” You taunt.
Robin thrashes with a exaggerated groan, “Urghhh, I am so sick of movies, Steve.”
“Drinks?” Eddie beams with confidence, “Of the alcoholic variety.”
“Shouldn’t we be studying…” It felt utterly wrong to disagree with Eddie but it seemed that everyone was beginning to lose focus, “Kinda important right now.”
“Combine the two,” Nancy perks up across from you, “Some drinks, some study and we get to hang out.”
“I like this,” Robin snaps her fingers, a eureka moment for her, “Your place.” She points to you and your nose crinkles as if you've smelt something horrible.
“My place?”
“Why not? You have all the best movies in case we get bored. I'll bring snacks, Eddie has kindly volunteered to bring all the booze—”
“Wooooah, absolutely not—” Eddie exclaims.
“Steve can bring his hair products in case we wanna do make-overs on one another—”
“Come on, now—” Steve rolls his eyes.
“And Nancy will bring herself. Because twas her idea and that’s enough.”
“Just kiss already…” Steve mutters under his breath and Robin leans over to punch him in the arm, “Ow! Shit! That was a hard one…” He rubs the area lovingly and Eddie snorts.
“Shut up, Munson or I swear to God—” She raises her fist again.
“Okay, okay… jeez.” Eddie surrenders quickly and you grab your backpack, clawing your way through your things to find your sad sandwich which has been squished at the bottom.
“6pm, then? That cool?” Nancy’s hands clasps your shoulder gently, searching for reassurance and you nod complicity.
“Sure. Uh… see you then.” You stood up, slinging your monstrously heavy bag over your shoulder and heading inside to the shaded halls but not without dropping your lunch in the trashcan beforehand.
“Yeah, bye!” Steve hollers passive aggressively from behind you but you keep marching on. Preparing to host yet another night at your dorm.
—
Tammy-Lynn had kindly vacated the vicinity for the evening, escaping off to her friends sorority house and you squeezed in a few hours of independent study before your troops came kicking the door down.
Unfortunately, Nancy had the annoying and somewhat helpful tendency to be early for everything, so 6:00pm turned into 5:30pm and you were no where near prepared for their arrival.
“Hellooo!” Robin droned loudly over the soft lyrics of your radio, “We’re coming in so put some clothes on! Or don’t…” You heard Steve groan in annoyance at her warning.
“Robin, c’mon man, that’s my sister.” Robin ignored his protest but Eddie heard it… and it turned into the torturous echo in his mind that he was unable to escape.
“Shit,” You curse to yourself, “Come in!”
They piled in, one after the other and you grimaced at the mess of your room. Papers everywhere, books splayed open and clean laundry folded in the corner but not yet put away.
“Nance, you said 6 o’clock….” You stand from your desk, still clad in unflattering pyjama shorts and an oversized tank top and begin to tuck things away. Kicking loose papers beneath your bed and piling heaps of books onto your desk to make floor space. They thud as they make contact with the budget wood and for a moment you believe the nails would give way.
“You’re worrying for nothing! It’s not like the place is a pig stye! Come on, have a drink and we will help clean up…” Now you weren’t so sure you were emotionally equipped for the company, especially with the way Eddie couldn’t even look in your direction.
Nancy was stubborn so you knew she was here to stay and instead of fighting her you sigh a defeated breath and let her do her thing. The others chipped in, Robin grabbed your pile of clothes and started on your dresser, the boys organised the floor with the snacks and the booze and they fluffed up each beanbag to make sure they were comfortable enough. Nancy sorted your desk and you excused yourself to the bathroom to get showered and changed. There was nothing more vulnerable than being caught in your ugly set of pyjamas.
Robin being Robin took it upon herself in your absence to have a.. look.. around. Noticing the new posters on your walls and the dream catcher above your bed. She examined the bottle of dark nail polish on your dresser and the new pair of shoes on your shoe rack. Your style was shifting, she noticed, but that wasn’t what made her stop dead. While putting your clothes away she stumbled across a hidden Polaroid. One that wasn't on display like the others, how did she know it was supposed to be hidden? Well, no one hides stuff in their underwear drawer if they want it to be found by a friend.
In the lamplight the picture was blurry at first, but the black sharpie hearts inked around the crisp white edge slowly brought the muse into focus. It was a photo of Eddie, “No way…” one that was taken a month or so ago when you first got your Polaroid camera. She remembers that night because you wouldn’t stop flash banging people with the damn thing, constantly taking portraits and group pictures of everyone. No one could be mad, though, because everyone got a picture or two to keep while you squirrelled away the rest. Most were on show, openly admired around the room, but this one… this one of little lonesome Eddie. You kept that just for you.
“Psst! C’mere…” She signalled to the metal head with stealth and precision, leaving Nancy and Steve unalarmed as she called Eddie over to her side. He stalked over slowly, his head tilted with caution and confusion as Robin dragged him closer, “Look…” She gasps in equal parts bewilderment and excitement.
Eddie’s eyebrows furrows down at the photo of him before his eyes come to search Robin’s face for an answer, “So?”
“Dude, look at the hearts! It was hidden in here… she obviously likes you!” Eddie’s face warms at the sight of your underwear drawer pulled open and he shakes his head in denial.
“You went through her underwear drawer?” His nose crinkles with disgust. A convincing ploy to deflect his own desire to rummage through your panties and to stop his cock from stiffening at the cute vibrator peeking out from the frills and lace.
“Don’t be an idiot. She clearly fucking likes you… you should definitely say something about this.” Eddie ponders it for a moment, his eyes studying the careful hearts drawn around his moody frame. If you liked him it didn't matter because Steve would never allow it to happen. He couldn't jeopardise his friendships over one of Robin’s hunches.
“Put it back—” Robin needn't to be told twice as you scurry back into the room. She shoves the photo sloppily inside and slams the drawer closed just in the nick of time that you reach them.
Towel clad and soaking wet you stand in front of the pair expectantly, “Uh, guys… I need some clothes.”
Eddie is utterly mesmerised by you. Right now, as you were, you were the closest thing to absolute divinity that he had ever seen. Complete perfection in every sense of the word. Robin falters first, disguising her shadiness with a giggle as she pushes Eddie out of the way also. Clearly he was unable to move on his own.
“Thanks…” you mutter with an undertone of suspicion as you lean down to grab what you needed. T-shirt, jeans and a cardigan. You were feeling the nightly chill. Thankfully, beneath your towel you had already slipped on a pair of underwear that you had grabbed to take with you so the tampered with pantie drawer was left as it was and you were unsuspecting of anything.
Eddie, however, was struggling greatly with the finding. The entire night his head was filled with doubts and hope. Yo-yoing between the two tiresomely. He couldn’t wrap his head around the concept that you liked him too. You. The most otherworldly being he had ever met… liked him? Of all people? It had to be something else. The photo in the drawer was a mistake. Maybe you kept a photo in every drawer of all of them and he wasn’t special at all? Maybe you actually disliked him and the repulsion of him made you hide the photo away instead of pinning it up with the rest?
That had to be it. It had to be… he couldn't cope if it was any other way. God, if you felt the way that he did… he’d fuck everything up. It was better for him to believe that you hated him. He could live with that.
—
The red and cream checkered floors fucked with Eddie’s eyes as he quietly made his way through the bustling diner. It was 8pm and people still buzzed around him like fruit flies to a discarded banana peel. Eddie could tell that all too familiar was creeping up on him again. It appeared in the way he would itch the same spot on his palm over and over again and how his legs stiffened the further he got from the front entrance: a buried plea for him to leave.
When he met Tammy-Lynne at the table, all bright eyed and gleaming up at him, he felt a duty to stay. Obligated… and partly forced.
She squeaked a quick ‘Hey’ and shot up to embrace him. He flinched away at first but Tammy-Lynne was surprisingly strong and managed to hold him captive against her chest.
“So glad you made it! I was starting to fear you had stood me up…” Her freckled nose crinkled as she snorted a laugh and Eddie shook his head.
“Oh, uh, no… never. I just got held up at the… library…” Eddie hadn’t been to the library for an entire year. It was too quiet, he couldn't take it… he always found your dorm more comforting. He could focus more when you were around. You explained things better, you spoke softer and never got mad when he couldn’t grasp something the first time—
“Ah, the library! Nice! Funny, though, I was there before and didn’t see you…” She stabs her fork into a French fry.
“You already ordered?” Eddie’s gaze settled on her half eaten burger and Tammy-Lynne shrugged her shoulders.
“Eddie, you took for-ever. We can always order a shake to share.” She flashes him a sultry wink and a pang of lightning fast nausea finds the base of his throat.
“For sure,” He gulped, “Excuse me. Bathroom…” The side of the table catches Eddie’s hip and he winces as he stumbles away to the bathroom, his stomach gurgling with nerves and… guilt. Everything about this felt wrong.
After retching into the rancid toilet bowl Eddie ducks his head beneath the running faucet and gargles some water. Nothing could wash away the bitter aftertaste from his mouth, it was like trying to cleanse your soaked hands of blood— you never really could.
Upon his pursuit back to the table Eddie’s shoulder collides with an unfortunate waitress. That waitress being you…
“Shit, I’m so sorry! Are you okay… wait, what—” His hands steady themselves on your shoulders as you fuss to dab away at the milkshake now covering your white frilly apron which also was embroidered with your name at the bottom in pink cursive. Your hair is tossed and slightly askew and your make-up drawn eyes have faded with the hours. The sight is a warm palm holding his thrashing heart.
“Oh, wow, Eddie! Hi!” You try to hug him, keeping your soaked body at a respectable distance as to not tarnish his clothes, but Eddie wouldn’t mind, he wished for your body to be pressed close to his, “What are you doing here?”
You tuck your hair behind your ear, an attempt to make yourself look semi-presentable.
“Me? I didn’t know you worked here. Since when?” His chocolate eyes search your face and in doing so he registers the heat that skims your cheeks. He wanted to capture that image and keep it forever to carry around in his wallet. You were a masterpiece. One of the greats. He could admire you for hours and he would… if you were his.
“Only a few weeks now and I know it’s sort of embarrassing but the tips are pretty good and I needed the money for more textbooks so… here I am. Covered in chocolate milk.” Thankfully the tray you were carrying saved the floor from the majority of the shake. Less clean up for you to do but you were still embarrassed all the same.
“Jeez, I hope the unfortunate fella doesn’t mind waiting a coupla’ minutes. I’m so fucking sorry, again.” There is a rasp to his voice that sets your stomach on fire.
“It's actually for Tammy-Lynne. My roommate. She’s over there,” You point over to her table and Eddie follows your gaze praying that Tammy-Lynne wouldn’t be sitting there anymore, “You know Tammy, right? You guys have met?”
“Oh... yeah. We have.” He croaks, adverting his disappointment to the cake counter. Apologetically you flash Tammy-Lynne a small wave.
“She’s actually looking at us right now. God, hopefully she’s not too pissed.”Eddie pauses for a moment, his forehead straining as if the confession truly hurt him on the way out of his throat.
“We uh we’re actually here together.” He thought he would’ve felt relief but the haunted expression on your face only amplified his misery.
“Together?” The words blurt from your mouth pathetically fast.
“Yeah…” Suddenly the necklace adorning your neck was all that Eddie could look at.
“You and Tammy? Like… like a date?” It had made sense now why Tammy-Lynne kept her mystery man a secret. You had interrogated her when she had arrived at the diner, asking her about her plans and who she was meeting. You both rolled your eyes at his lousy timekeeping and you gave her your free on-shift meal to pass the time and lessen the blow. If only you had known it was Eddie…
“Mhmm… yeah.. something like that. For sure.” Registering his discomfort you flip a switch in your mind and settle back into your customer service way of thinking. He was a customer, after all.
On a date. With your roommate…
“Oh. Uhm… no worries. I’ll uh, I’ll let you get back to her…” You swivel to the counter and place down the half empty milkshake glass, “I’ll only be a sec with that shake. Enjoy your… date.”
Tammy- Lynne scolded him as he returned to the table but it wasn’t long until he had her laughing again with his no good cheesy jokes and broad smile. Eddie hated to admit it but the date went pleasantly once he had empty his stomach into the toilet. As long as he kept his mind away from you then he was able to enjoy Tammy’s company. It proved difficult, though, as his eyes would unconsciously drift over to you at the counter.
At first glance you appeared fine.
Beneath the surface however their giggles were like cruel taunts to your face. Punches to the stomach, each blow worse than the last as the night continued. You kept your composure, you had to if you wanted to keep your job, and you played the perfect server flawlessly. Your tone was pleasant when you spoke, your smile was unwavering but not eerily huge or fixed and customers loved you. Each one would say you were a delight.
Once your shift ended at 9:30pm that’s when things got difficult. Your eyes burned as you got changed in the locker room, your cheeks and jaw ached from the consistent stretch of your face and when you found yourself alone at the lamp lit bus stop you couldn’t hold it in any longer. The floodgates opened and your mascara paid the price.
Not only has this day gone terribly so far but you had also just missed your bus by a millisecond. Leaving you stranded for another 20 minutes as you waited for the last one of the night. From across the parking lot you see the pair through the streak free window. Tammy was leaned in close with her elbows against the salt dusted table and Eddie was slumped back casually against his seat. You’d do anything to be where Tammy-Lynne was sitting right now.
Anything but confess how you feel about him. It was the fated curse you were forced to live with. Eddie Munson would never be yours and it was clear that he didn’t want to be.
—
The days following the diner incident blurred together in the form of diffused sunlight and meaningless words found in a textbook. Each passing hour the same as the last as you avoided your friends like the plague. You read the lines on the page but couldn’t retain a single ounce of information, too distracted by the gurgle of your stomach and the rising ache of your head.
'Sorry, got a fever.’ You told Nancy three days ago over the phone.
‘Need to study, I’m falling behind.’ You’d muttered unconvincingly to Robin through a half opened bedroom door.
‘Fuck off.’ Steve had pushed you to a point of anger that only a sibling could when he came into your room unannounced and told you get your shit together.
And Eddie?
Well, Eddie you met with silence. Not radio silence, no, because even that had a buzz of frequency. But absolute desertion. Not word. Not a sound.
Not because you were mad at him. Never.
It was because you were torn in half. Wounded and seeking shelter from the cause. You couldn’t even explain why you were so sad because you were certain no one knew of this ridiculous crush you had.
It was clear now why they are called that. Crushes. It leaves you wheezing and staggering over this idea you have of a person. Polished memories that coax the delusion of what could be. A series of technicolor that you once loved to fantasise about now laid at your feet lifeless and dull.
And not a soul could know your torment. It was a lingering pain that felt self inflicted. You knew that you should feel happy for your friend regardless of how you felt about him but the selfish part of you couldn't. You just.. couldn’t.
Your fourth day without sunlight was the worst, not because of the agony in your chest, but because your professors were beginning to get suspicious of your absence. They’d hound Tammy-Lynne constantly and she could never answer their questions because frankly she also hadn't really seen you.
It was down to coincidence and dumb luck that whenever she’d enter the room you’d be on your way out to shower or visit a near by vending machine. Never stopping long enough for conversation, only a polite ‘Hello’ and a, ‘See you later’. You’d never see her later, though, because when she sneaked back into the room it was ungodly hours in the morning and you were always somewhere foggy between sleep and the land of the living.
On one occasion you had thought she had brought Eddie home, convinced that her drunken giggles were a side effect of one of Eddie’s terrible jokes. The good news was that she was alone, the bad news was that you were slightly disappointed to not find Eddie there with her when you craned your head to look.
On that fourth day you left your dorm for a snack run, stocking up on cans of soda and candy bars to see you through your study session. When you returned to read the same paragraph for the fifth time you were mortified by the scene in front of you. Nothing had moved or changed but there was someone sitting opposite your bed with his hands in his lap.
“Eddie? What the Hell—” You remain stiff by the door, your arms struggling to juggle the contents in them and your feet cold in your flip flops.
“Sorry, sorry!” He jumped from his spot on Tammy’s bed, “I’m waiting for Tammy and she said you wouldn’t mind but judging from your face right now you clearly very much do mind.”
It felt like it had been months since you last saw him but the recent ache in your chest reminded you that this bruise was fresh.
“No… it’s fine, Ed’s. You just scared me, that’s all.” Finally your feet decided to glide towards your desk and Eddie’s doe eyes follow your movements carefully.
“Cool, cool…” He grins down at the assortment in your grasp, “No Bopper’s?”
“Not today.” You’d never be able to eat one again. They'd been ruined for you.
Eddie’s thick gulp at your tone makes the air bloom with tension and you begin to mentally prepare for the worst. You’d rehearsed this a thousand times over, each lie perfected to deflect any sort of judgement and suspicion. You’d make it through this.
“Are you.. are you mad at me? It’s just I haven't heard from you in days and you’ve been so unreachable I can’t help but wonder—”
“I’m not mad at you, Eddie. And there’s nothing wrong with me.” You snip.
“Really? Because you’re acting so out of character. Cutting everyone off...”
You rolled your eyes, “I’m fine. I’ve been working on assignments—”
“Bull.” His features darkened and you could tell that he was getting slightly pissy with you which made you laugh humorlessly.
“What?”
He starts towards you, “You’ve not been working on anything. You never picked up your assignments because haven’t been to class!”
“Oh, whatever! What even is this? A one person intervention?” Your arms are defensive as they cross over your chest.
“Your friends are worried about you.”
“Maybe they should worry about something more important. Like their school work.”
“You are important.”
You scoff, “Yeah… right.”
“Come on, don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Pretend we don't care.” Eddie softens in front of you, his body and his face.
“My friends only miss me when they have nowhere to run to. Nowhere to hang out. Steve is the only reason they even talk to me—” You sounded pathetic.
“You keep saying ‘They, they’ like… like I’m not your friend. Like I’m not standing here in front of you about to combust with stress,” he is closer than ever now, “Are we not friends?”
Immediately you answer, “No, of course we are. We are friends. You’re… you’re my good friend, Eddie. You’re the best.”
The best. Every fibre of you thrashed for a confession.
“Then why have you ghosted me? Why won’t you take any of my calls?” He’s persistent now, unable to keep the balls of his feet planted as he tries to rope the pieces together.
“Because…”
“Because what?” He stops dead.
“Because you’re dating my goddamn roommate, okay? And… and it sucks! It’s… strange.”
“It’s strange?” His eyebrows rise.
“Yeah…” You can’t bare to look at him and Eddie scoffs.
“C’mon, you can do better than that. Where’s the creativity?” Your eyes meet his face as he stands nose to nose with you, “Go on. I can take it.”
“I..”
“You what, hmm? You think Tammy is too good for me?” That sentence gutted you.
“No—” you exclaim with blown eyes.
“Then say it. Say what you mean—”
“You're too good for her. You’re… not meant to be with her.”
His expression read genuine shock and you flinched away from his looming frame.
Backwards steps lead Eddie’s calves to the wooden frame of your bed where he flops down, his skittish eyes searching for answers in the carpet, “What…” It was more of a inward thought escaping him but you felt obligated to explain yourself.
“You… you and Tammy are just so different and you should be with someone who… who knows you and who cares about you… someone who isn’t your friends roommate. Y’know?” Your jaw ticked as you forced the growing lump in your throat back down with a thick gulp and Eddie's slumped frame and lack of response made you want to curl up in a ball and die right there.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. Just pretend I didn’t say anything, okay—” You couldn’t bare the silence.
“Robin was right.”
“What?” Your heart jumps.
“This whole thing is about me and Tammy. Why?” His gaze settles on you now. Unafraid.
“I don’t know.” Your defences were crumbling.
“Yes, you do.” He rises to his feet, his eyes are full of desperation but his lips are pressed into a hard line.
“Eddie…”
“I need you to tell me the truth. Even if I’m wrong… even if I fuck everything up.” He wasn’t making sense anymore.
“I just told you the truth—” You nervously laugh.
“No, you didn't.” His calmness scared you.
So much to the point that you actually considered it. You considered telling him everything.
“Why would I lie to you?” The heat between the two of you was suffocating.
“To throw me off,” You catch the way his eyes dart down towards your lips, “I… I think you’re lying to me.”
“About what?” You try to angle your body away from him but he uses his hands on your shoulders to gently turn you back towards him.
“Me… How you feel about me.” The blood barrels to your face at an alarming rate and you shake your head on instinct.
“What are you talking about?” Time folds in on itself and you swear the sweat on the back of your neck was the same temperature as molten lava.
“Do you object to my fling with Tammy because she’s your roommate and it's weird or is it because… because you feel the same way that I do?”
The same way. The three words did cartwheels around your mind.
“The same way? As you feel?” Your head begins to spin.
“About you,” Eddie’s chest rises and falls rapidly and from an outside perspective it probably looked like you were both going insane, “Robin said you might like me and that scared the living shit outta me because I…” He stops himself momentarily, recollecting himself before he grew the balls to continue, “I really fucking like you. I have for the longest goddamn time but I couldn’t take the risk in case she was wrong so I settled. For uh.. for Tammy…”
You freeze at the moment it mattered most. It felt like you had missed something crucial and you felt stupid for not being able to understand.
“Honey, please say somethi—”
“You like me?” The words sounded wrong coming out of your mouth. Your voice horrendously soft and small as you looked up at him with rounded eyes. Eddie mistook your enchantment as terror.
“Fuck, you’re horrified. Shit— I knew I should've just said nothing.” He instantly panics, his feet ready to make for the door but a tug on his sweater stops him.
“I like you, too. So… so much,” Instantly the elephant removes one of its feet from your chest, “I just… I honestly can’t believe this is happening.” You needed him to pinch you.
“Fuck, you do?” He grins so wide you fear his cheeks might split in two, “You’ve no idea how amazing that is to hear,” He collapses forward, his palms resting on his knees as he attempts to catch his breath, “Holy shit.”
You laugh at his stance, knowing the feeling all too well. Until the dread settles in and twists your beautiful moment into something bitter. So sour that you can taste it on your tongue…
“But, Eddie…” He looks to you and his smile drops at the worry between your eyebrows, “Steve…”
The name forces his spine upright and his hands find his hips to steady himself, “Right… Steve.”
The elephant.
You both stand there opposite one another in a pensive silence, but even with the gloomy cloud hanging above you, you both couldn't stop the shy smiles from taking control of your lips.
“Does he have to know?” Eddie muses and you contemplate it for a second.
“I don't want to hide how I feel about you anymore…” You’d endured that for far longer than was comfortable. Never again. Not with Eddie by your side.
“Me too,” He agrees as he slowly closes the distance between you, “Don’t think I could ever hide you away.” His calloused fingertips stroke against your warmed cheek and you lean into his feathery touch. This is all you had ever dreamed about. Still, it was hard to grasp that this was reality.
“Whatever happens with Steve we can handle it… together. I'm sure he’ll be understanding.” You admired how much he respected your older brother, but clearly he didn’t know him as well as you do.
“We’ll take it slow… we’ll tell him together...” You shiver as his thumb strokes over your bottom lip and you could tell from the look in his eyes that this conversation will be picked up again at a different time.
“You are angelic. Absolute Heaven on earth,” The tip of his nose kisses yours, “Please, can I?”
“Yes.” You close the distance immediately, your lips crashing against his with a hunger you have never known until now.
Eddie returns the passion, his hands stroking from your hair down the curve of your shoulders and arms until they settle on your hips. His grip is gentle but strong enough for you to feel each of his fingertips indenting your skin.
You were relentless, afraid to loosen your grip on his sweater that was balled up in your tight fists. You were terrified that once the kiss ended you would wake up and be prisoner to this colourless life you had made for yourself these past few days.
Eddie’s encouraging palm on your jawline helps you to ease that worry as he pulls away. He pants like a thirsty dog for breath as his forehead rests on yours, “Fuck, Sweetheart. You’re perfect. So… so perfect.”
It takes you a moment to accept that Eddie wasn’t about to disappear in front of your very eyes and you smile into his neck as you pull him close for a hug.
Description: Being Steve Harrington’s baby sister has its perks when you came to college, but it also has its cons. When you develop funny feelings for a mutual friend you don’t dare to act upon it out of respect for him. But… what if you did? Request here! Hope you enjoy this.. 🥹 w/c: 9.7k
Pairing: College!Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader.
Tags: Friends to lovers, romance, drama.
⚠️: Two scared idiots, fluff, alcohol, cheating (sort of… I guess?), overbearing family, issues with self worth and confidence, friendship difficulties.
Fluff, angst and a little peck. My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: Next up is chapter two to my new series ‘It’s Who You Know’ With Detective Eddie Munson. Keep an eye out for that, lovelies ;) Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
—
Collapsing to the sun-warmed grass you sprawl out your limbs similar to a lazy cat after a tiresome day. The passing chatter of students galloping by fill your ears and the thump of their walking feet send a current through your body similar to a massage chair. There was a buzz in the air, a promise that Summer was near and all you had to do was endure the semester a little bit longer before a much deserved break.
A mild breeze ruffles your hair softly, causing the delicate strands to kiss and tickle your cheeks. Behind your closed eyelids the suns rays beam down on your relaxed frame with insistent brightness and you feel you could melt away into the lawn and leave your study troubles behind you.
Your lungs release a weighty sigh and the taste of your afternoon coffee still lingers on your tongue, captivating your taste buds and making you wish for another. For a while you stay there, basking in your newfound sense of freedom as you await the arrival of your friends.
Their entrance carried an energy comparable to a firework display: Explosive, colourful and so magnetic that even you struggle to look away.
First came Steve, your older brother by a year and four months. Then there was Robin and Eddie. The pairing that always seemed to tickle your ribs whenever they were around. And Nancy, who knew the perfect balance between keeping a tight ship and letting loose.
A lot of the time you felt deeply that you we the fifth wheel when you were with them. Only invited out of necessity and not genuine fondness. It was the loneliest of the chips you carried on your shoulder from the beginning of your fresher’s week at college, Steve Harrington’s adorable kid sister and nothing more.
This couldn’t have been further from the truth, as a certain someone within the group always felt the need to bargain his soul to the devil to ensure your attendance to any and all hangout sessions. No matter what it was that you were doing together: a period of silent studying, spontaneous coffee dates or late night movie screenings. Eddie longed to have you close by. He began to crave it like he would a cigarette after a dry spell of sobriety. Each whiff of you had him itching for more.
One thing held an element of truth, however, and that was the blood tie that bound you and Steve’s together. It automatically made you different from everyone else. Unattainable and absolutely off-fucking-limits.
How could Eddie possibly pursue you when his friendship with Steve came long before his feelings?
He couldn’t. And it crushed him whenever you’d grace his eye line.
You watch contented with a amused smile as Eddie saves Steve from being mowed down by a swerving bicycle zooming by and Robin skips towards you, unbothered about the boys left behind as she is the first to sit down and occupy the space beside you.
“You didn’t have to do that, I saw the bike!” Steve exclaims halfheartedly and Eddie thuds an open palm onto his back.
“And you were still going to step out in front of it?” Eddie retaliates with a perked eyebrow and you giggle quietly, the noise meant for only you. Robin at your side heard it though and she banked it for a later conversation.
“I was not.” God, your older brother had such younger sibling syndrome when Eddie was around. They fought as brothers did and through strange practice they were. Too much endured together. A friendship strong enough to last the times.
Involuntarily, like muscle memory, you gush at the sound of Eddie’s voice. The melody is enough to make your skin tingle and prickle with heat and your lips swoop upwards at the corners. Unwavering. His ineffable charisma left you reeling with joy and airy in the chest. While not frequent, his diffident presence brought a blooming comfort to you with ease. It was effortless for him to make you feel as though you belonged and that your voice mattered. That you were a somebody.
He probably assumes that you don’t regard his efforts as anything to care about, but all of the times he has included you in conversations or took your side during heated debates live fondly within you. Your particularly favourite time replays in your mind repeatedly, a dream you get to engross yourself in every night before bed.
In the Fall last term, when students had long packed up what they could and hitched rides home to their families, you were one of the last to leave. Steve ran for the hills with Robin and Nancy before you could decide what to take and what mattered least to you. It got to the point where you were so overwhelmed that you froze and couldn’t move from your stripped bare bed staring off at the nearest blank wall in front of you. Counting the small dried blotches of sticky tack left up from your old posters that you were looking to replace when you next returned to this room.
The faint smell of your roommates pungent body spray lingered in the still air and while there was a time you would choke on the sickly sweet toffee scent, now it brought you comfort.
You’d miss the A.M. giggle sessions where you’d spend hours trying to go to sleep and the way you’d help one another get dressed for off campus party's. It was like finally having a sister after spending your whole life wishing for one. Instead of Tammy-Lynn, your sibling by choice, you got Steve.
Not once did it occur to you how or when you’d get back to your parents, but somehow you knew that you would, even if it meant riding in a strangers car to reach them.
Thankfully, a stranger just so happened to fall right into your lap as Eddie rapped his knuckles softly against your open door, “Hey… Steve said you were still here.” Although it was a statement, there was an upward inflection to his voice that told you he wanted to ask you ‘Why?’
You had sighed, too defeated to explain fully, “Yeah… I guess I just…” You hesitated telling him the truth, but the small crinkles by his round eyes and the sincerity reflected in their chocolatey depths made you believe he was trustworthy, “I wish I didn’t have to leave just yet."
Going home was something you had persistently been dreading for the better part of a year and you couldn’t for the life of you pinpoint why. The family house loomed over you like a dark rain cloud, lacking the charming chaos and messiness that a family home should have. It was empty 90% of the time, and maybe that’s your reasoning for your borderline parental bond with Steve. You basically raised each other.
If it were possible for Eddie to soften more at your confession, he did, and slowly he made his way through the valley of clothes on your floor and closer to your slumped frame, “What can I do to help?”
“Stay with me for a little while? Just so I can figure this out.” Your suitcase laid open at your feet, some belongings already packed inside, your books and notes for the term but so much more to be put away.
“Sure,” He flopped down next to you, which caused your body to jolt back and forth on the springy mattress, “And afterwards, when you’re ready, you can ride home with me… if you’d wanna, that is?”
Of course you did. It’s all you had ever wanted. Alone time with him…
“That’d be really nice, Ed’s. Thanks. I don’t wanna make you wait for me if you have things to do… Are you sure?”
“It’s honestly no trouble, what kinda friend would I be if I left you here to fend for yourself?”
The question wasn't supposed to sting as much as it did, but it hurt the pair of you as much as an intentional bruise would.
“Have you packed away your radio?” He curtly changed the subject with fidgety eyes scoping the room and you pause. The radio that he got you as a gift at the beginning of the school year. Portable and silver in colour. He had one of the same, only his was worn in and used 23 hours out of the day.
“I haven't… I just don’t think I can tell you exactly where it is.” It was hidden somewhere amongst the clutter and Eddie rose to his feet to rummage frantically.
“If we’re gonna do this right then we gotta have some music playing or I'll lose my mind.” And by that he meant, if we sit in this torturous silence for another second he was going to spill his guts onto the carpet and ruin your relationship forever. Which, for obvious reasons, he couldn’t allow to happen.
He moved with legerity and fought hard against the strain of his jeans against him as he stole glances of rouge pairs of your underwear that littered the floor. The perverted part of him wondered if they were clean or not… he almost convinced himself to pocket a pair but just as he was about to he found the radio beneath a sweater he has seen you wear one hundred times over. He’d go as far to argue it may be a favourite of yours.
“Finally,” He suspended the machine high towards the ceiling as if it were a trophy, “Let the movie montage commence.”
Both of you took turns in changing the radio stations, your contrasting taste in music occasionally coming together to harmonise before one of you reached for the tuning dial again. The swollen tension calmed with the passing hours and little by little you were able to see your dormitory floor again.
Eddie took charge of your ‘get-rid’ pile, neatly folding old clothes to donate and arranging brick a’ brack into an orderly corner. The sound of your suitcase zipper being forced up blessed Eddie’s ears and like an eager puppy he awaited further instructions on what to do next.
“Think that’s it.” You leaned back and observed the space. The floor needed a good vacuum but otherwise the room was left in pretty good shape.
With a click of a button the background music disappeared and the emptiness was deafening, “We can get going then?” Eddie didn't want to appear too keen but the clouds were getting weightier by the second and so were his eyelids.
You hummed, clicking up the handle of your suitcase and then you wheeled it toward the hallway. You finished in just the nick of time it seemed as a campus security guard approached, huge in his wingspan and his shoulders, “We’re locking up in the next 10 minutes. I suggest you guys get a move on.”
“Yes, of course, sorry… thanks…” The guard didn’t stick around to chit chat and like your shadow, Eddie appeared by your side.
“C’mon, the longer we wait the more time you have to talk yourself out of it.” You wish you could’ve responded with something heartfelt or clever but his soothing hand on your shoulder tied your tongue into a knot that wouldn’t loosen. Instead, you nodded and forced your feet to slide away from the place you had called home for the last year.
As you clambered into Eddie’s van it was like you were transported to a place frozen in time. One of Eddie’s striking personality traits was that his van never changed. In his eyes it didn’t need to, no matter how old it got or how many garage visits that drained his pockets. He loved it unconditionally.
“Music?” Your eyes immediately find the built in cassette player.
“Absolutely,” He beams, “Can’t guarantee there’ll be anything of your taste, but you can have a snoop around.”
And snoop you did.
The journey back to Hawkins took an hour and thirty minutes, the first ten of which were spent in complete voicelessness. It wasn’t uncomfortable and the silence didn’t demand to be filled. It just existed as the boning trees passed by the window and the orange leaves blew in spirals around you. There was a feeling of magic in the air as Halloween approached and you still got the same butterflies in your stomach as you did when you were a kid. This time of year was your favourite.
As the rain picked up its devilish dance upon Eddie’s windshield, his wipers struggled to keep the road coming at him clear which caused his shoulders to go square and his eyes to glare ahead with concentration, “Came outta nowhere.” It was a whisper meant for only him to hear and when you perked up next to him his heart faltered in his chest. You had been so quiet he momentarily forgot you were there.
“I like it. It’s peaceful.” You could say that, being the passenger and all, but as the driver Eddie was petrified of the slippery road and what this weather may bring.
“Mind if we stop off for some gas? Tank won’t make it the whole way back.” You shook your head and leaned in toward the air conditioning to lower the temperature slightly, your finger tips grazed Eddie’s knuckles as he leaned in to do the same.
“Shit, sorry. You okay? You cold?” His voice croaked and his face fully flushed at the contact. Your response was just as alarmed and flustered.
“No, no, I’m warm. Too warm,” You chuckled awkwardly, “Are you cold?”
“Pfft, no. I’m sweating through this seat right now.” Eddie grimaced at his own words and hoped the ground would swallow him whole. You must’ve found him appalling.
“Same.” A single word that calmed his racing mind.
Funnily, you nearly repeated the action but were able enough now to laugh it off and allow one or the other to control the dial. Eddie left it up to you.
Through the thickening fog a large billboard appeared, listing the latest gas prices and Eddie slowed the van ever so slightly, “You hungry? Need a snack or anything when I hop out?” His attention was split between your thoughtful face and the road.
“A bopper! The peanut one, if they have it?” To that Eddie chuckled hard, “What?” You grinned over at him and he shook his head.
“Nothing, nothing. Just… you’re such a Harrington.” To that your heart sunk but you took the comment for what it was. A compliment masked with tease.
“I wish you had an annoying sibling so I could talk about them all the time.” It was Eddie’s turn to clam up.
“I don’t.. talk about Steve all the time.” His unsure voice betrayed him.
“Don’t worry, Eddie, everyone does. Steve's just… one of those guys, I guess.” The tyres screech as Eddie lined up with one of the gas pumps, killing the engine and sitting there for a prolonged moment. His eyes were on you but your gaze was trained to the passenger window.
“People care about you too, y’know? Even if they don’t tell you constantly.” You smiled a sad smile.
“I know that… Besides, it's not all bad living in his shadow. Some shade is nice when you’ve been out in the sun too long.” You referred to the way your parents would pick on you from a young age to do well in everything. School, sports, posture, relationships and everything else. Steve existed in your shadow once and now it was your turn.
You got the good grades and the brains but Steve got everything else. A social life with amazing friends. Loved by his peers and sought after by countless girls. He was spoiled for choice whilst you rotted away. Starved of the goodness of college life.
Unable to coherently form his thoughts into speakable sentences, Eddie opted for a clear of his throat, “Uh, just a bopper, then?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Please. I have some cash somewhere—” Your hands started to frisk your pockets and Eddie waved his hands around like a madman.
“Stop, I’ve got it. It's literally like a $1. You want a drink? I’m thinking of grabbing a Coke. Need the sugar.”
You were slow to nod, “Okay, sure. I’ll have the same. Thanks!”
And with that the van door swung open and Eddie faded to the downpour of Autumn rain. From the window you watched him empty his pockets into a overflowed trash can and from the denim of his jeans he pulled a lighter and a half smoked cigarette. Lighting it he took a few long drags before he flicked it away and stomped on it. Eddie registered the vague shape of your face in the window and flashed you one of his down turned and dorky smiles. All too quickly he adverted his attention to his initial mission and carefully selected the best out of a bad bunch of greasy fuel pumps. The meter ticked on slowly and his hair dampened more and more into defined ringlets the longer he was subjected to the elements.
You cracked the door, “You want a magazine or something? For shelter?” Rain dripped from the tip of his reddened nose and while his cheeks flushed with blood from the cold his eyes became molten at the sight of you.
“M’ okay, Sweetheart. Just stay inside.” He used his unoccupied hand to gently close the van door and you deflated into the back of your seat. Every cell screamed inside of you and you tried to pull yourself together for his near return from inside the filling station.
Sweetheart. He called you Sweetheart.
Quickly, before someone caught an unfortunate sight of you, you squealed to release some of the pressure in your chest. It felt insane at the time but it worked a treat.
It also meant that when Eddie reappeared by the van with his arms full of goodies and his hair stricken perfectly with rain that you were able to somewhat control the loving glaze smeared in your eyes.
“Managed to grab the last three boppers, thank me later.” Your eyes pinged wide.
“Three? Eddie, you didn’t have to—”
“I refuse to have a hungry passenger, okay? Besides, I've never tried one and I kinda want to.” The glint in his eye made you laugh and your fingers worked fast against the candy bar wrapper.
Eddie sat there, observing you, “C’mon, then, Munson. We're doing this together.” You looked to the bopper in his lap and he grinned before picking it up and opening it.
“So bossy.” He teased and you swatted at his shoulder playfully.
“Cheers.” You held out the exposed bar and Eddie clinked his with yours.
“Cheers.”
The rest of the ride Eddie’s irises drifted to and from the last bopper that sat lonely in the cup holder. Having thoroughly enjoyed his first ever taste of one, you chivalrously allowed him the blessing of the final one. Which, he swiped up without a second thought.
Time passed much quicker than you had wanted it to and eventually the ‘Welcome to Hawkins’ sign flew by your peripheral, “Home already.” You sighed with a frown and Eddie’s finger tips twitched with longing to reach out and touch you.
“I uh… I bet Wayne has fired up some hot chocolate. You… you maybe wanna come by for a cup? You don’t have to! I just thought, y’know, nice to be nice—” His panic shocked through you and you interrupted him with a tender voice.
“I’d really like that, Ed’s. You think Wayne would mind?” The sleeves of your sweater were pulled over your thumbs and your nails picked at the fabric.
“Wayne loves you! Says you’re welcome anytime.”
You don't respond, accepting the invitation quietly. Gently.
It didn’t take long for the Munson trailer to rise up in front of you, the lights inside were warm compared to the dark blue sky blooming above and from afar you could see Wayne smoking a cigarette on the porch. He was really trying to make it seem like he wasn't waiting on Eddie’s return. The smile on his wrinkled face gave it away.
Eddie bounded from the van to meet his uncle in a heartwarming embrace, one you knew wouldn’t be waiting for you at home. You allowed them a few private moments before you exited the vehicle and warily approached the pair.
“Hi, Hon. Heard you’re staying for some hot choc?” Wayne looked at you through his unruly brows and you offered him a tight lipped smile as you pulled your sleeves further over your palms.
“Only if that’s okay?”
"Course’ it is. C’mon in now, it’s getting cold out.” At the time you hadn’t even noticed Eddie’s earlier departure into the trailer. One minute he was there and the next he was inside.
The smell of chocolate washed over you like a nostalgic hug and immediately you started sweating at the contrast of temperatures, going from cold to sweltering.
“Pick a mug, any mug.” Eddie’s hands flew up to gesture around the room and you observed the mug covered walls with a slack jaw.
“Can I have a hat, too, or are they off limits?” You wiggled your eyebrows and Wayne craned his head from behind an open kitchen cabinet.
“You break em’ you buy em’!” You had giggled then, looking to Eddie and catching the huge grin on his face.
“You’ve poked his soft spot.”
“Okay, no hat then… I’ll take that mug.” You pointed.
“The McDonald’s one?” He inquires, his eyebrows drawn together.
“No, the one with the little yellow… bear?” You were unsure of what the creature was, too small for you to inspect from this far away, but Eddie knew and he unhooked it from the rack.
“Yeah, pretty sure it's meant to be Winnie-the-Pooh. Or something. Good choice.” He placed it on the counter for Wayne to fill, next to his own choice of the grinning Garfield mug.
“His smile is kinda creepy…” You stared at the orange cat.
“Ya think so? I think it looks like Eddie.” Wayne chuckled to himself, far too amused at his own humour and Eddie’s eyes briefly met the floor.
“No… no your smile is sweet. Charming, even.” Unsure on how to control the blush on your cheeks you advert you face away from Eddie, hoping it’ll help cool the skin.
“Mallows and cream?” Wayne dug through the refrigerator. Jars clanked around with containers as he did.
“Duh,” Eddie braced his palms against the counter, seemingly unable to keep his feet planted still as he awaited his sweet treat, “For the lady?” His attention burnt into the side of your face and you fought against the butterflies in your stomach.
“Uh… marshmallows, please.” You chimed.
“Big or mini?” To that your face contorted.
“Big? You guys… you put big mallows on your coco?” It was ludicrous.
“Sometimes—”
“How are you drinking it? The mallow is too big, it gets in the way—” You stopped yourself, “Y'know what, each to their own. Uh, I’ll take mini please, Wayne…. like a normal person.” The last part was directed at Eddie who then gently nudged his knee against yours beneath the counter top. You would’ve stayed the entire night if you could’ve, it felt like home with the Munson’s.
“You guys have a lot of hats.”
“We do.” Eddie agreed and Wayne hummed into his mug of coffee.
“I’ve never seen you wear a hat. Like, ever. Maybe a bandana but never a cap,” You looked to Wayne, “I mean, you’re wearing a hat right now, are they all yours?”
“Not exactly,” He sipped, “Some are collectibles, some are gifts from Ed’s over the years and others… I rotate.”
“So… they are all yours?” You insisted.
“Exactly.” Eddie spoke from your side and his t-shirt clad shoulder brushed yours. Your eyes were drawn to the skin of his bare arms and every now and again, unbeknownst to you, Eddie caught you looking.
Just then, the phone vibrated on the wall with a ring that pierced your ears. Eddie jumped up to get it and pulled the black phone to his ear, “Yep?” His fingers toyed with the cord, “Harrington, what do I owe the— She’s here, yeah…” You felt like the sofa cushion could swallow you whole as Eddie’s eyes flickered to you, “I’ll drop her home, don’t worry. Ten minutes-ish? Cool. ‘Kay, bye.”
Awkwardly his body pivoted to you and his lips teetered on a frown, “So, that was Steve, obviously… He wanted to check in.”
The overbearing brother. It didn’t surprise you.
“Right, yes. I should get home…” You knew you hadn’t outstayed your welcome, but you also knew that this night couldn’t last forever. No matter how much you wanted that to be your reality.
“I’ll grab my keys, gimme a sec.”
As Eddie disappeared you turned your attention to Wayne, “Thank you for the hot chocolate. It was probably the best I’ve ever had.”
“Anytime, Hon. You make sure he behaves himself when driving you home.”
“I will.”
“And next time he asks you out, make sure the idiot takes you somewhere nice.”
You nearly swallowed your tongue and before you could respond dismissively Eddie was leading you towards the door, all while he shot Wayne a loathsome glare.
The drive to your parents could be measured with a measly blink of the eye and Eddie killed the engine before you could fully register where you were.
Steve’s silhouette lurked in the window and your mouth soured at the sight, “He’s such a dick sometimes.”
Eddie laughed and anchored his body to face you more, “Yeah but he’s your big brother, it’s kinda his job to piss you off.”
You shook your head, “He’s mature enough now to know when he can take his foot off my throat.”
The air swelled and you sighed softly, “Sorry… I just hate it here.”
Eddie wanted to floor it on the gas right then and there. He wanted to tell you that you could stay with him as long as you needed and that for the longest time that’s all he had ever wanted. It to be you and him.
Instead, he turned his eye line away from you and to the dark road, “Give it a chance, it may be nice to be home.”
Overwhelmed by the feeling you had said too much and gone too far you unbuckle your seatbelt and reach for the door handle. For a second your touch lingers there suspended, your mind screaming at you to stay, but you follow through on that promise to yourself and you leave the van, “Thanks for the hot chocolate.” And you slammed the door, not allowing Eddie to respond.
Although the ending to that night was bittersweet, you adored the memory all the same.
Maybe you shouldn’t read too much into his sweetness, but you couldn’t ignore that deluded part of yourself that saw something in the way his knuckles would brush yours during weekly movie nights at your dorm room or how every now and again you’d look up to find him across the room, only to catch his longing gaze already on you, his eyes searching for something buried deep within you. Lately, when you were around him, the air would bloat with this insufferable tension and it felt like a forever tug of war between your heart and your brain. You knew that this could never be, whatever this was growing between the pair of you, but you reached for it in a way you’ve never done before.
But how could you be so selfish? Eddie is Steve’s best friend and that makes him above all else…
Off-limits.
—
“Plans for tonight?” Nancy chirps and a momentary quiet settles between the groups ideas.
“A movie?” Steve answers, uncertain of the suggestion himself.
“Real original.” You taunt.
Robin thrashes with a exaggerated groan, “Urghhh, I am so sick of movies, Steve.”
“Drinks?” Eddie beams with confidence, “Of the alcoholic variety.”
“Shouldn’t we be studying…” It felt utterly wrong to disagree with Eddie but it seemed that everyone was beginning to lose focus, “Kinda important right now.”
“Combine the two,” Nancy perks up across from you, “Some drinks, some study and we get to hang out.”
“I like this,” Robin snaps her fingers, a eureka moment for her, “Your place.” She points to you and your nose crinkles as if you've smelt something horrible.
“My place?”
“Why not? You have all the best movies in case we get bored. I'll bring snacks, Eddie has kindly volunteered to bring all the booze—”
“Wooooah, absolutely not—” Eddie exclaims.
“Steve can bring his hair products in case we wanna do make-overs on one another—”
“Come on, now—” Steve rolls his eyes.
“And Nancy will bring herself. Because twas her idea and that’s enough.”
“Just kiss already…” Steve mutters under his breath and Robin leans over to punch him in the arm, “Ow! Shit! That was a hard one…” He rubs the area lovingly and Eddie snorts.
“Shut up, Munson or I swear to God—” She raises her fist again.
“Okay, okay… jeez.” Eddie surrenders quickly and you grab your backpack, clawing your way through your things to find your sad sandwich which has been squished at the bottom.
“6pm, then? That cool?” Nancy’s hands clasps your shoulder gently, searching for reassurance and you nod complicity.
“Sure. Uh… see you then.” You stood up, slinging your monstrously heavy bag over your shoulder and heading inside to the shaded halls but not without dropping your lunch in the trashcan beforehand.
“Yeah, bye!” Steve hollers passive aggressively from behind you but you keep marching on. Preparing to host yet another night at your dorm.
—
Tammy-Lynn had kindly vacated the vicinity for the evening, escaping off to her friends sorority house and you squeezed in a few hours of independent study before your troops came kicking the door down.
Unfortunately, Nancy had the annoying and somewhat helpful tendency to be early for everything, so 6:00pm turned into 5:30pm and you were no where near prepared for their arrival.
“Hellooo!” Robin droned loudly over the soft lyrics of your radio, “We’re coming in so put some clothes on! Or don’t…” You heard Steve groan in annoyance at her warning.
“Robin, c’mon man, that’s my sister.” Robin ignored his protest but Eddie heard it… and it turned into the torturous echo in his mind that he was unable to escape.
“Shit,” You curse to yourself, “Come in!”
They piled in, one after the other and you grimaced at the mess of your room. Papers everywhere, books splayed open and clean laundry folded in the corner but not yet put away.
“Nance, you said 6 o’clock….” You stand from your desk, still clad in unflattering pyjama shorts and an oversized tank top and begin to tuck things away. Kicking loose papers beneath your bed and piling heaps of books onto your desk to make floor space. They thud as they make contact with the budget wood and for a moment you believe the nails would give way.
“You’re worrying for nothing! It’s not like the place is a pig stye! Come on, have a drink and we will help clean up…” Now you weren’t so sure you were emotionally equipped for the company, especially with the way Eddie couldn’t even look in your direction.
Nancy was stubborn so you knew she was here to stay and instead of fighting her you sigh a defeated breath and let her do her thing. The others chipped in, Robin grabbed your pile of clothes and started on your dresser, the boys organised the floor with the snacks and the booze and they fluffed up each beanbag to make sure they were comfortable enough. Nancy sorted your desk and you excused yourself to the bathroom to get showered and changed. There was nothing more vulnerable than being caught in your ugly set of pyjamas.
Robin being Robin took it upon herself in your absence to have a.. look.. around. Noticing the new posters on your walls and the dream catcher above your bed. She examined the bottle of dark nail polish on your dresser and the new pair of shoes on your shoe rack. Your style was shifting, she noticed, but that wasn’t what made her stop dead. While putting your clothes away she stumbled across a hidden Polaroid. One that wasn't on display like the others, how did she know it was supposed to be hidden? Well, no one hides stuff in their underwear drawer if they want it to be found by a friend.
In the lamplight the picture was blurry at first, but the black sharpie hearts inked around the crisp white edge slowly brought the muse into focus. It was a photo of Eddie, “No way…” one that was taken a month or so ago when you first got your Polaroid camera. She remembers that night because you wouldn’t stop flash banging people with the damn thing, constantly taking portraits and group pictures of everyone. No one could be mad, though, because everyone got a picture or two to keep while you squirrelled away the rest. Most were on show, openly admired around the room, but this one… this one of little lonesome Eddie. You kept that just for you.
“Psst! C’mere…” She signalled to the metal head with stealth and precision, leaving Nancy and Steve unalarmed as she called Eddie over to her side. He stalked over slowly, his head tilted with caution and confusion as Robin dragged him closer, “Look…” She gasps in equal parts bewilderment and excitement.
Eddie’s eyebrows furrows down at the photo of him before his eyes come to search Robin’s face for an answer, “So?”
“Dude, look at the hearts! It was hidden in here… she obviously likes you!” Eddie’s face warms at the sight of your underwear drawer pulled open and he shakes his head in denial.
“You went through her underwear drawer?” His nose crinkles with disgust. A convincing ploy to deflect his own desire to rummage through your panties and to stop his cock from stiffening at the cute vibrator peeking out from the frills and lace.
“Don’t be an idiot. She clearly fucking likes you… you should definitely say something about this.” Eddie ponders it for a moment, his eyes studying the careful hearts drawn around his moody frame. If you liked him it didn't matter because Steve would never allow it to happen. He couldn't jeopardise his friendships over one of Robin’s hunches.
“Put it back—” Robin needn't to be told twice as you scurry back into the room. She shoves the photo sloppily inside and slams the drawer closed just in the nick of time that you reach them.
Towel clad and soaking wet you stand in front of the pair expectantly, “Uh, guys… I need some clothes.”
Eddie is utterly mesmerised by you. Right now, as you were, you were the closest thing to absolute divinity that he had ever seen. Complete perfection in every sense of the word. Robin falters first, disguising her shadiness with a giggle as she pushes Eddie out of the way also. Clearly he was unable to move on his own.
“Thanks…” you mutter with an undertone of suspicion as you lean down to grab what you needed. T-shirt, jeans and a cardigan. You were feeling the nightly chill. Thankfully, beneath your towel you had already slipped on a pair of underwear that you had grabbed to take with you so the tampered with pantie drawer was left as it was and you were unsuspecting of anything.
Eddie, however, was struggling greatly with the finding. The entire night his head was filled with doubts and hope. Yo-yoing between the two tiresomely. He couldn’t wrap his head around the concept that you liked him too. You. The most otherworldly being he had ever met… liked him? Of all people? It had to be something else. The photo in the drawer was a mistake. Maybe you kept a photo in every drawer of all of them and he wasn’t special at all? Maybe you actually disliked him and the repulsion of him made you hide the photo away instead of pinning it up with the rest?
That had to be it. It had to be… he couldn't cope if it was any other way. God, if you felt the way that he did… he’d fuck everything up. It was better for him to believe that you hated him. He could live with that.
—
The red and cream checkered floors fucked with Eddie’s eyes as he quietly made his way through the bustling diner. It was 8pm and people still buzzed around him like fruit flies to a discarded banana peel. Eddie could tell that all too familiar was creeping up on him again. It appeared in the way he would itch the same spot on his palm over and over again and how his legs stiffened the further he got from the front entrance: a buried plea for him to leave.
When he met Tammy-Lynne at the table, all bright eyed and gleaming up at him, he felt a duty to stay. Obligated… and partly forced.
She squeaked a quick ‘Hey’ and shot up to embrace him. He flinched away at first but Tammy-Lynne was surprisingly strong and managed to hold him captive against her chest.
“So glad you made it! I was starting to fear you had stood me up…” Her freckled nose crinkled as she snorted a laugh and Eddie shook his head.
“Oh, uh, no… never. I just got held up at the… library…” Eddie hadn’t been to the library for an entire year. It was too quiet, he couldn't take it… he always found your dorm more comforting. He could focus more when you were around. You explained things better, you spoke softer and never got mad when he couldn’t grasp something the first time—
“Ah, the library! Nice! Funny, though, I was there before and didn’t see you…” She stabs her fork into a French fry.
“You already ordered?” Eddie’s gaze settled on her half eaten burger and Tammy-Lynne shrugged her shoulders.
“Eddie, you took for-ever. We can always order a shake to share.” She flashes him a sultry wink and a pang of lightning fast nausea finds the base of his throat.
“For sure,” He gulped, “Excuse me. Bathroom…” The side of the table catches Eddie’s hip and he winces as he stumbles away to the bathroom, his stomach gurgling with nerves and… guilt. Everything about this felt wrong.
After retching into the rancid toilet bowl Eddie ducks his head beneath the running faucet and gargles some water. Nothing could wash away the bitter aftertaste from his mouth, it was like trying to cleanse your soaked hands of blood— you never really could.
Upon his pursuit back to the table Eddie’s shoulder collides with an unfortunate waitress. That waitress being you…
“Shit, I’m so sorry! Are you okay… wait, what—” His hands steady themselves on your shoulders as you fuss to dab away at the milkshake now covering your white frilly apron which also was embroidered with your name at the bottom in pink cursive. Your hair is tossed and slightly askew and your make-up drawn eyes have faded with the hours. The sight is a warm palm holding his thrashing heart.
“Oh, wow, Eddie! Hi!” You try to hug him, keeping your soaked body at a respectable distance as to not tarnish his clothes, but Eddie wouldn’t mind, he wished for your body to be pressed close to his, “What are you doing here?”
You tuck your hair behind your ear, an attempt to make yourself look semi-presentable.
“Me? I didn’t know you worked here. Since when?” His chocolate eyes search your face and in doing so he registers the heat that skims your cheeks. He wanted to capture that image and keep it forever to carry around in his wallet. You were a masterpiece. One of the greats. He could admire you for hours and he would… if you were his.
“Only a few weeks now and I know it’s sort of embarrassing but the tips are pretty good and I needed the money for more textbooks so… here I am. Covered in chocolate milk.” Thankfully the tray you were carrying saved the floor from the majority of the shake. Less clean up for you to do but you were still embarrassed all the same.
“Jeez, I hope the unfortunate fella doesn’t mind waiting a coupla’ minutes. I’m so fucking sorry, again.” There is a rasp to his voice that sets your stomach on fire.
“It's actually for Tammy-Lynne. My roommate. She’s over there,” You point over to her table and Eddie follows your gaze praying that Tammy-Lynne wouldn’t be sitting there anymore, “You know Tammy, right? You guys have met?”
“Oh... yeah. We have.” He croaks, adverting his disappointment to the cake counter. Apologetically you flash Tammy-Lynne a small wave.
“She’s actually looking at us right now. God, hopefully she’s not too pissed.”Eddie pauses for a moment, his forehead straining as if the confession truly hurt him on the way out of his throat.
“We uh we’re actually here together.” He thought he would’ve felt relief but the haunted expression on your face only amplified his misery.
“Together?” The words blurt from your mouth pathetically fast.
“Yeah…” Suddenly the necklace adorning your neck was all that Eddie could look at.
“You and Tammy? Like… like a date?” It had made sense now why Tammy-Lynne kept her mystery man a secret. You had interrogated her when she had arrived at the diner, asking her about her plans and who she was meeting. You both rolled your eyes at his lousy timekeeping and you gave her your free on-shift meal to pass the time and lessen the blow. If only you had known it was Eddie…
“Mhmm… yeah.. something like that. For sure.” Registering his discomfort you flip a switch in your mind and settle back into your customer service way of thinking. He was a customer, after all.
On a date. With your roommate…
“Oh. Uhm… no worries. I’ll uh, I’ll let you get back to her…” You swivel to the counter and place down the half empty milkshake glass, “I’ll only be a sec with that shake. Enjoy your… date.”
Tammy- Lynne scolded him as he returned to the table but it wasn’t long until he had her laughing again with his no good cheesy jokes and broad smile. Eddie hated to admit it but the date went pleasantly once he had empty his stomach into the toilet. As long as he kept his mind away from you then he was able to enjoy Tammy’s company. It proved difficult, though, as his eyes would unconsciously drift over to you at the counter.
At first glance you appeared fine.
Beneath the surface however their giggles were like cruel taunts to your face. Punches to the stomach, each blow worse than the last as the night continued. You kept your composure, you had to if you wanted to keep your job, and you played the perfect server flawlessly. Your tone was pleasant when you spoke, your smile was unwavering but not eerily huge or fixed and customers loved you. Each one would say you were a delight.
Once your shift ended at 9:30pm that’s when things got difficult. Your eyes burned as you got changed in the locker room, your cheeks and jaw ached from the consistent stretch of your face and when you found yourself alone at the lamp lit bus stop you couldn’t hold it in any longer. The floodgates opened and your mascara paid the price.
Not only has this day gone terribly so far but you had also just missed your bus by a millisecond. Leaving you stranded for another 20 minutes as you waited for the last one of the night. From across the parking lot you see the pair through the streak free window. Tammy was leaned in close with her elbows against the salt dusted table and Eddie was slumped back casually against his seat. You’d do anything to be where Tammy-Lynne was sitting right now.
Anything but confess how you feel about him. It was the fated curse you were forced to live with. Eddie Munson would never be yours and it was clear that he didn’t want to be.
—
The days following the diner incident blurred together in the form of diffused sunlight and meaningless words found in a textbook. Each passing hour the same as the last as you avoided your friends like the plague. You read the lines on the page but couldn’t retain a single ounce of information, too distracted by the gurgle of your stomach and the rising ache of your head.
'Sorry, got a fever.’ You told Nancy three days ago over the phone.
‘Need to study, I’m falling behind.’ You’d muttered unconvincingly to Robin through a half opened bedroom door.
‘Fuck off.’ Steve had pushed you to a point of anger that only a sibling could when he came into your room unannounced and told you get your shit together.
And Eddie?
Well, Eddie you met with silence. Not radio silence, no, because even that had a buzz of frequency. But absolute desertion. Not word. Not a sound.
Not because you were mad at him. Never.
It was because you were torn in half. Wounded and seeking shelter from the cause. You couldn’t even explain why you were so sad because you were certain no one knew of this ridiculous crush you had.
It was clear now why they are called that. Crushes. It leaves you wheezing and staggering over this idea you have of a person. Polished memories that coax the delusion of what could be. A series of technicolor that you once loved to fantasise about now laid at your feet lifeless and dull.
And not a soul could know your torment. It was a lingering pain that felt self inflicted. You knew that you should feel happy for your friend regardless of how you felt about him but the selfish part of you couldn't. You just.. couldn’t.
Your fourth day without sunlight was the worst, not because of the agony in your chest, but because your professors were beginning to get suspicious of your absence. They’d hound Tammy-Lynne constantly and she could never answer their questions because frankly she also hadn't really seen you.
It was down to coincidence and dumb luck that whenever she’d enter the room you’d be on your way out to shower or visit a near by vending machine. Never stopping long enough for conversation, only a polite ‘Hello’ and a, ‘See you later’. You’d never see her later, though, because when she sneaked back into the room it was ungodly hours in the morning and you were always somewhere foggy between sleep and the land of the living.
On one occasion you had thought she had brought Eddie home, convinced that her drunken giggles were a side effect of one of Eddie’s terrible jokes. The good news was that she was alone, the bad news was that you were slightly disappointed to not find Eddie there with her when you craned your head to look.
On that fourth day you left your dorm for a snack run, stocking up on cans of soda and candy bars to see you through your study session. When you returned to read the same paragraph for the fifth time you were mortified by the scene in front of you. Nothing had moved or changed but there was someone sitting opposite your bed with his hands in his lap.
“Eddie? What the Hell—” You remain stiff by the door, your arms struggling to juggle the contents in them and your feet cold in your flip flops.
“Sorry, sorry!” He jumped from his spot on Tammy’s bed, “I’m waiting for Tammy and she said you wouldn’t mind but judging from your face right now you clearly very much do mind.”
It felt like it had been months since you last saw him but the recent ache in your chest reminded you that this bruise was fresh.
“No… it’s fine, Ed’s. You just scared me, that’s all.” Finally your feet decided to glide towards your desk and Eddie’s doe eyes follow your movements carefully.
“Cool, cool…” He grins down at the assortment in your grasp, “No Bopper’s?”
“Not today.” You’d never be able to eat one again. They'd been ruined for you.
Eddie’s thick gulp at your tone makes the air bloom with tension and you begin to mentally prepare for the worst. You’d rehearsed this a thousand times over, each lie perfected to deflect any sort of judgement and suspicion. You’d make it through this.
“Are you.. are you mad at me? It’s just I haven't heard from you in days and you’ve been so unreachable I can’t help but wonder—”
“I’m not mad at you, Eddie. And there’s nothing wrong with me.” You snip.
“Really? Because you’re acting so out of character. Cutting everyone off...”
You rolled your eyes, “I’m fine. I’ve been working on assignments—”
“Bull.” His features darkened and you could tell that he was getting slightly pissy with you which made you laugh humorlessly.
“What?”
He starts towards you, “You’ve not been working on anything. You never picked up your assignments because haven’t been to class!”
“Oh, whatever! What even is this? A one person intervention?” Your arms are defensive as they cross over your chest.
“Your friends are worried about you.”
“Maybe they should worry about something more important. Like their school work.”
“You are important.”
You scoff, “Yeah… right.”
“Come on, don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Pretend we don't care.” Eddie softens in front of you, his body and his face.
“My friends only miss me when they have nowhere to run to. Nowhere to hang out. Steve is the only reason they even talk to me—” You sounded pathetic.
“You keep saying ‘They, they’ like… like I’m not your friend. Like I’m not standing here in front of you about to combust with stress,” he is closer than ever now, “Are we not friends?”
Immediately you answer, “No, of course we are. We are friends. You’re… you’re my good friend, Eddie. You’re the best.”
The best. Every fibre of you thrashed for a confession.
“Then why have you ghosted me? Why won’t you take any of my calls?” He’s persistent now, unable to keep the balls of his feet planted as he tries to rope the pieces together.
“Because…”
“Because what?” He stops dead.
“Because you’re dating my goddamn roommate, okay? And… and it sucks! It’s… strange.”
“It’s strange?” His eyebrows rise.
“Yeah…” You can’t bare to look at him and Eddie scoffs.
“C’mon, you can do better than that. Where’s the creativity?” Your eyes meet his face as he stands nose to nose with you, “Go on. I can take it.”
“I..”
“You what, hmm? You think Tammy is too good for me?” That sentence gutted you.
“No—” you exclaim with blown eyes.
“Then say it. Say what you mean—”
“You're too good for her. You’re… not meant to be with her.”
His expression read genuine shock and you flinched away from his looming frame.
Backwards steps lead Eddie’s calves to the wooden frame of your bed where he flops down, his skittish eyes searching for answers in the carpet, “What…” It was more of a inward thought escaping him but you felt obligated to explain yourself.
“You… you and Tammy are just so different and you should be with someone who… who knows you and who cares about you… someone who isn’t your friends roommate. Y’know?” Your jaw ticked as you forced the growing lump in your throat back down with a thick gulp and Eddie's slumped frame and lack of response made you want to curl up in a ball and die right there.
“I’m sorry, Eddie. Just pretend I didn’t say anything, okay—” You couldn’t bare the silence.
“Robin was right.”
“What?” Your heart jumps.
“This whole thing is about me and Tammy. Why?” His gaze settles on you now. Unafraid.
“I don’t know.” Your defences were crumbling.
“Yes, you do.” He rises to his feet, his eyes are full of desperation but his lips are pressed into a hard line.
“Eddie…”
“I need you to tell me the truth. Even if I’m wrong… even if I fuck everything up.” He wasn’t making sense anymore.
“I just told you the truth—” You nervously laugh.
“No, you didn't.” His calmness scared you.
So much to the point that you actually considered it. You considered telling him everything.
“Why would I lie to you?” The heat between the two of you was suffocating.
“To throw me off,” You catch the way his eyes dart down towards your lips, “I… I think you’re lying to me.”
“About what?” You try to angle your body away from him but he uses his hands on your shoulders to gently turn you back towards him.
“Me… How you feel about me.” The blood barrels to your face at an alarming rate and you shake your head on instinct.
“What are you talking about?” Time folds in on itself and you swear the sweat on the back of your neck was the same temperature as molten lava.
“Do you object to my fling with Tammy because she’s your roommate and it's weird or is it because… because you feel the same way that I do?”
The same way. The three words did cartwheels around your mind.
“The same way? As you feel?” Your head begins to spin.
“About you,” Eddie’s chest rises and falls rapidly and from an outside perspective it probably looked like you were both going insane, “Robin said you might like me and that scared the living shit outta me because I…” He stops himself momentarily, recollecting himself before he grew the balls to continue, “I really fucking like you. I have for the longest goddamn time but I couldn’t take the risk in case she was wrong so I settled. For uh.. for Tammy…”
You freeze at the moment it mattered most. It felt like you had missed something crucial and you felt stupid for not being able to understand.
“Honey, please say somethi—”
“You like me?” The words sounded wrong coming out of your mouth. Your voice horrendously soft and small as you looked up at him with rounded eyes. Eddie mistook your enchantment as terror.
“Fuck, you’re horrified. Shit— I knew I should've just said nothing.” He instantly panics, his feet ready to make for the door but a tug on his sweater stops him.
“I like you, too. So… so much,” Instantly the elephant removes one of its feet from your chest, “I just… I honestly can’t believe this is happening.” You needed him to pinch you.
“Fuck, you do?” He grins so wide you fear his cheeks might split in two, “You’ve no idea how amazing that is to hear,” He collapses forward, his palms resting on his knees as he attempts to catch his breath, “Holy shit.”
You laugh at his stance, knowing the feeling all too well. Until the dread settles in and twists your beautiful moment into something bitter. So sour that you can taste it on your tongue…
“But, Eddie…” He looks to you and his smile drops at the worry between your eyebrows, “Steve…”
The name forces his spine upright and his hands find his hips to steady himself, “Right… Steve.”
The elephant.
You both stand there opposite one another in a pensive silence, but even with the gloomy cloud hanging above you, you both couldn't stop the shy smiles from taking control of your lips.
“Does he have to know?” Eddie muses and you contemplate it for a second.
“I don't want to hide how I feel about you anymore…” You’d endured that for far longer than was comfortable. Never again. Not with Eddie by your side.
“Me too,” He agrees as he slowly closes the distance between you, “Don’t think I could ever hide you away.” His calloused fingertips stroke against your warmed cheek and you lean into his feathery touch. This is all you had ever dreamed about. Still, it was hard to grasp that this was reality.
“Whatever happens with Steve we can handle it… together. I'm sure he’ll be understanding.” You admired how much he respected your older brother, but clearly he didn’t know him as well as you do.
“We’ll take it slow… we’ll tell him together...” You shiver as his thumb strokes over your bottom lip and you could tell from the look in his eyes that this conversation will be picked up again at a different time.
“You are angelic. Absolute Heaven on earth,” The tip of his nose kisses yours, “Please, can I?”
“Yes.” You close the distance immediately, your lips crashing against his with a hunger you have never known until now.
Eddie returns the passion, his hands stroking from your hair down the curve of your shoulders and arms until they settle on your hips. His grip is gentle but strong enough for you to feel each of his fingertips indenting your skin.
You were relentless, afraid to loosen your grip on his sweater that was balled up in your tight fists. You were terrified that once the kiss ended you would wake up and be prisoner to this colourless life you had made for yourself these past few days.
Eddie’s encouraging palm on your jawline helps you to ease that worry as he pulls away. He pants like a thirsty dog for breath as his forehead rests on yours, “Fuck, Sweetheart. You’re perfect. So… so perfect.”
It takes you a moment to accept that Eddie wasn’t about to disappear in front of your very eyes and you smile into his neck as you pull him close for a hug.
Pairing: Kas!Vampire!Eddie Munson x Henderson!Reader. (Lovers to strangers to enemies…. It’s complicated.)
Description: Dustin Henderson loves to read, especially books by the novel super star, Stephen King. After reading ‘Pet Cemetery’ by the author, Dustin turns to fantasy when his best friend, Eddie Munson, is staring into the jaws of death in the Upside Down. Hoping that he can save him. That he can bring him back… Dustin buries him there.
⚠️ Warnings: Mentions of death, character death, Dark!Eddie, swearing/cursing, angst, murder, attempted murder, manipulation, kissing, implied sexual encounters, bodily harm, grief, menstrual blood, blood, gore, injury, stalking, trauma, night terrors, dead dove. This isn’t a fairytale.
-
A/N: Lots of Kas inaccuracy I bet (not sorry!!) Word count unknown… I should really start keeping track. Also not proofread after a certain point xx
- 6 Months Prior -
Dustin’s cold and trembling hands warm with the spillage of fresh blood. Appearing maroon in the darkened light of the Upside Down, the blood has turned Eddie’s t-shirt from white to brown. The fluid feverishly and sinisterly splutters from Eddie’s mouth and splits his bony prominent chin in half.
Eddie bleeds from his stomach, the tears of his flesh ripped by the bats are oozing and hacking away at his precious time. His eyes flood with pain stricken tears bloated with terror and knowing. An ominous knowing that he wasn’t going to survive this attack. Despite his fear and the feeling of Death’s cold grip on his shoulder, he was beaming with joy that Dustin Henderson would be the last person he saw in this life.
“Stay with me, please stay with me, Eddie!” Dustin’s shoulders tremble with each swallowed sob he tries to fight. The palms of his soaked hands press firmly at one of the wounds however leaving the others seeping with crimson and unattended.
“Eddie!! Stay awake, Eddie!! Don’t— please don’t leave me, please…” Frustrated with Eddie’s growing stillness, Dustin resorts to tapping his face, slapping the skin of his cheek to keep Eddie conscious.
“Henderson…” A strained cough lunges from Eddie’s throat, shooting blood across the whole of his face, “Re… remember me… please. Don’t... forget.” Eddie is shivering with gentle sobs.
“No, Eddie, never! I’ll never forget. C’mon, you— you have to stay awake— stay with me. We.. we have to get you back— Steeeeeeve!!! Help me!!” Dustin’s confidence wavers and a gaping hole forms like a sucker punch to his gut as he realises that this is it. His best friend, the one person who he felt truly seen by, a mentor and an idol, was going to die. He was going to leave him stranded and alone in this God forsaken ‘normie’ world.
“I… I didn’t run… away… tell… tell her I didn’t… I didn’t run..” For the first time in hours Dustin remembers his older sister waiting at home for them. How could he possibly tell you, someone he adores and cherishes, that the love of her life is gone? How would he look you in the eye and tell you that Eddie is dead but you can’t know how or why?
He couldn’t. He couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t. He’d bring Eddie home to you.
But then, fate decided for him, and he had no choice. The apartment you and Eddie had planned together would sit vacant. Never occupied by you or him. No spilled paint on the carpet or questionable stains on the kitchen floor. There would be no laughter, no tears and no children…
Nothing but emptiness.
Raw and agonised wails of loss could be heard from miles off in the distance and they hit Steve’s ears like a clash of thunder as Dustin’s desperate attempts to keep Eddie alive had failed. Dustin’s heart breaks like glass in his chest, sharp and painful as it collapses to the pit of his stomach and splinters into a million pieces. Forever broken.
Eddie Munson died in his arms.
And only Steve could pry him away.
But they couldn’t leave until Dustin had done one last frantic good deed. He buried Eddie there, in the radioactive and somewhat alive soil of the Upside Down. Marking his grave with his guitar stuck wrong side up into the dirt and his bandana wrapped as a flag around its neck.
Dustin never told anyone why he did that. Why he buried Eddie Munson there.
But he knew why… and all he could do was hope that someday soon he’ll see his best friend again.
As himself or otherwise.
-
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
- Present -
The hum of the refrigerator grumbles gently in the nightly silence and Dustin’s swollen eyes are set staring vacantly into the darkness. The kitchen table has rubbed the skin of his elbows raw and his legs feel numb against the chair below him. He stifles a sniffle and resorts to holding the weight of his exhausted head in the palms of his hands.
Too frightened to sleep. Too sleep deprived to stay awake.
Nights like this have become the ordinary routine for Dustin, and you, his sister. He knows exactly when to expect the creek of your bedroom door opening just enough to listen for him in the kitchen. The struggle of you finding your fuzzy slippers and dressing gown so you don’t catch a chill when you go to find him.
And it’s always the same. Dustin will be at the kitchen table, blanketed in shadow, and you’ll always pretend to be thirsty for a glass of water or rummaging through the refrigerator for an early morning snack.
Neither of you talk about it too much. The comedy of it all. But both of you know that Henderson’s are far from stupid.
“Hey.” Your low voice is clear and soft as it splits the space, a dead giveaway that you haven’t been to sleep tonight either.
Dustin doesn’t bother to raise his head, “Hi.”
Compared to you, it sounds like he had swallowed razor blades moments prior to opening his mouth. When it fills the space it’s like the crackle of burning wood in a blazing fire.
Your stature stalls at the refrigerator door, your hand lingering over the smooth silver handle for a moment too long as you ponder what to say next. What do you say to someone who is hurting just as much as you are? What could you say?
“Nightmare?” The question is asked flamboyantly. A throw-away question that you already knew the answer to. You ask it every night. You just had to confirm it.
Finding nothing satisfactory in the refrigerator your next pit stop is the freezer.
“Mhm,” His vocalisation makes you frown into the 2Litre tub of Neapolitan ice-cream, “Couldn’t sleep?” Dustin fires back as he sits up right and folds his arms across his stomach.
Your jaw ticks and you grimace as you steady yourself, moving on to locate a soup bowl in the dark, “Something like that.” Your voice is meeker now. A lot more reserved.
The honest truth was, you hadn’t slept right for 6 months. Something always stirred you awake and when you awoke, you’d always reach for him.
But he wasn’t there anymore.
“You want some?” You hold up a spoon in gesture to the ice-cream thawing on the counter. Dustin scoffs and your eyebrows furrow in surprise.
“Do I want ice-cream? It’s 3 o’clock in the morning—“
“Okay, jeez! God, what happened to my kid brother, huh?” You slam the ice-cream closed and nearly catapult it back into the freezer, “Y’know, you’re so lucky that mom is a deep sleeper because she would freak if she knew you weren’t sleeping—“
“Okay, yeah, I get it! Forgive me if I’m no in the mood for chit chat and ice-cream but I’m missing my best friend, okay?” Your heart wrings in your chest.
“I miss him too but you aren’t the only person hurting, Dustin. Eddie’s gone. He left us and you need to move on and find other friends—“
Dustin’s body turns rigid, his bones seizing until they’re mistakable as concrete. You didn’t know the truth. The week after Eddie had died that’s when Dustin gathered enough courage and composure to spin the tale that Eddie had fled town. That he had met some other new girl. And through this lie came the guilt ridden night terrors. The haunting ghoulish face that bullied him nightly when he slept. Eddie’s soulless eyes seared into the backs of his eyelids.
He had to hide his grief. He had to choke it down like it didn’t exist and every night it visited him in his dreams.
“How can you say that? You’re supposed to love him!—“
“Yeah, I did!” Your voice betrays you with a whiny crack, “I did love him. I still love him and some stupid part of me thought that— that he loved me too but he left me, Dustin. He left you! Why are you not mad at him?” Suddenly the melting bowl of soupy ice-cream no longer appealed to you, “Why do you sulk around all day like a— a fucking sad little puppy waiting for him to show up? He’s Not. Coming. Back!—“
“He might!—“ Total desperation.
“No. He won’t.” You ignore the intense burn of your tears against the lash line of your eyes as you drop your bowl into the kitchen sink with a careless clatter. An eerily calm demeanour falling over you. With your back still to Dustin you welcome the fall of fiery tears down your cheeks.
“It’s been 6 months. If I catch you up again like this I’m telling mom. You need to sleep.” Your tone is cold. Frostbitten.
Before Dustin has any time to protest you are scurrying out of the kitchen like a wounded animal and back to the safety of your bedroom on the ground floor.
Leaving Dustin stranded.
And alone.
-
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
- 2 Weeks Later -
For the last 14 days you and Dustin had tiptoed around one another. Barely uttering so much as a full sentence when it came to sitting down for a family meal each evening. Of course, your mom took notice, but she had learned from many years of sibling rivalry experience that it’s best to let the both of you wait it out until it all cools off.
“So, Dusty Bun! How’s your new little club doing at school? Hellscape… or.. Hell… something—“ Your mom’s bumbling is genuine and her honest cluelessness nearly elicits a laugh from you.
“Hellfire,” Dustin stabs his fork into a roast potato with intent to harm the poor vegetable, “It’s.. doing fine.”
Lips purse in annoyance and you gnaw the inside of your cheek. A futile effort to keep your opinions to yourself.
You knew that Dustin was lying. He had gotten pretty decent at it the last year or so. Maybe you felt like this towards him because you two had already been arguing, or maybe it was because you had always been protective of your mom and you didn’t appreciate his dorky little angsty tone that he was taking with her.
“It’s not her fault, Dustin.” Your tone remains calm and still like a sheet of frozen water. Unwavering. You didn’t want to spark a flame with Dustin, you just wanted to remind him of who he was speaking to. The atmosphere at the dinner table seizes up like cramp in a stiff muscle. Your mom very evidently afraid to breathe.
Your eyes meet across the table and for an intense moment you ready yourself for fire to spit from his mouth, but to your surprise, Dustin only sighs and offers your mom a thin curve of the lips.
“Sorry, mom. Long day today…” His gaze flickers to you and his eyebrows jump up discreetly on his forehead. An unspoken way of him saying, ‘Satisfactory? Okay. You’re right. Let’s stop fighting.’
You accept this peace offering with a respectful bow of your head before filling your mouth with a forkful of food. Your mom’s rigidness melts away like butter but that doesn’t stop her from excusing herself from the table to empty the drying rack to make room for the incoming dishes.
After a few long moments of heavy silence you decide it’s better for you to start acting your age as opposed to your shoe size, “Truce?” You ask with the faintest of smiles.
Dustin ponders it for a second, trying to analyse the outcome of this before gently nodding his head and requiting your small smile, “Truce.”
“Great, because you’re on dishes tonight—“ Your face cranes over your shoulder and Dustin’s mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out, “Mom, don’t touch those!! Dustin just volunteered!”
Dustin’s face contorts as he gurgles a scoff, “Remember when we used to get along? Yeah, me neither.”
Then you leave the table.
-
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- Present -
In the dead of night images flash up in his mind like a flickering film reel. Memories of his life worn and full of noise and disturbance. So far away yet so close he could touch them. Taste them.
The trailer sits unmoving and sleepy in the indigo blue nightfall. Against his pale and Hell tormented skin the quickening Spring wind is mild and welcomed. He hadn’t experienced this in a long time.
This aliveness wouldn’t slip through his taloned fingers. Not this time.
The taste of metal coats his forked tongue still as traces of blood weave themselves around each of his teeth. His lips are messily stained from the concentration of the bodily fluid. Kas pays no mind to the fact that by morning break that dismembered body lying by the side road with its throat ripped out will be undoubtably found by someone passing by.
Authorities will be distraught. Where, Kas believes, they should be thankful that he has fed and satiated himself. For now.
Kas could inhabit a host with ease but he could only access so many of their memories. He could only bury himself so deep into their psyche and Eddie seemed to be doing a good job of guarding his most cherished memories and keeping them tucked away and out of Kas’s reach.
Time would allow him to burrow further, only he had to reinsert himself into Eddie’s world first. Starting with this tiny trailer home. Located at 53 Forest Hill Trailer Park. Hawkins, Indiana. The outside of the trailer resembled a decaying tin can that had been left out in the rain. From the rusted seams of the trailer weeps streaks of burnt orange and the windows appear so wind struck with dirt and grime that he can’t even peer through to the inside of the home. The metal joints and bolts whine in the breeze uneasily and he is left to wonder how long this has been inhabited by the Munson’s.
Inside, Kas could hear the gentle thrum of a resting heartbeat and he was certain that it must belong to Eddie’s relative, Wayne, sleeping soundly inside.
The keys in Eddie’s pocket chimed softly as all the metal clinked against each other and the front door clicked open with knowing: Welcoming him home.
Stealthy with eyes like a hawk, Kas takes in the scene like a detective to a crime. Everything remained solid, just as he had seen from Eddie’s memory of the place. Even the smell that lingered in the living room felt familiar. Enough to cause Eddie to stir against Kas’s command. Eddie was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had hoped for. Strong and passionate.
Now, Kas isn’t one to commit to the mundane daily routines of the human’s that he hosts, but if he were to blend in here then he had to scrub the drying blood from his face and hands before he gave Wayne a heart attack.
Each step toward the bathroom elicited more findings. More recognition and more fight from Eddie. Trying to fight him was like being strangled with barbed wire; annoying and worrisome. Luckily, Kas was able to suppress him. Ignoring his plead for his humanity and his cries of bitter loneliness.
The bathroom light buzzes to life with a satisfying ‘clonk’ of the light switch and Eddie’s weak human eyes wince as he is engulfed in warm beams. The small ceiling fan in the corner gurgles to a gentle whir and Kas closes the bathroom door behind him before inspecting his ghoulish reflection in the nearby mirror.
Just as expected, he looked horrifying. Too gruesome for immediate introductions.
Cheekbones protrude like cliff side rocks being bashed against by the ocean. Eye sockets are sunk in toward Eddie’s skull and his eyes… his eyes were like wine spilled over snow. Intense enough to make you flinch.
It smelt clinical in the bathroom, like bleach from the cleaning supplies under the sink but also damp from the nearby bath towels folded on the outdated radiator. Not bad or unpleasant but lived in and recently used.
The walls are coated in a thin layer of cheap light blue paint, almost white with the loss of pigment over the years. Toward the ceiling the paint has began to peel from the steam from the shower, revealing underneath the paper brown of the plaster board that lines the foundations of the space.
Eddie’s body is stripped limb for limb of clothes and jewellery before the shower water has time to warm up. Humid steam is fast to fill the small room and each breath feels thicker and thicker with each inhale and lasts twice as long.
The pads of his feet are cold against the cream coloured vinyl floor as he treads toward and into the shower cubicle. Warmth instantly finds his skin and it’s like soft kisses to his tired flesh.
As the shower stream thunders down onto his head and soap meets skin and hair the plug hole swirls with crusty old blood, both Eddie’s and otherwise, dirt and debris. The darkened water drains away whatever it was that happened to Eddie Munson in the Upside down and he steps out of the shower cubicle a new man but also a scarred man.
Kas is many things, but he is not a healer. He cannot mend the events of the past. So, Eddie’s scars on his abdomen, arms and neck remain just as they would have if Eddie had survived himself. They helped Kas puzzle together his final moments.
The mirror squeaks as Eddie’s damp palm swipes away some of the condensation from the glass. Revealing to Kas a much more tame and gentle appearance. He truly saw Eddie for the first time then.
Something otherworldly happened in that moment, when Kas’s voided gaze met Eddie’s. Something that used to be human stirred within him and an empty aloneness pierced his chest like a thin hot rod. His eyebrows flickered with surprise and he could hear the pounding of Eddie’s heart in his ears. It was as though he could feel his blood coursing through his entire body, thrumming in his veins like the strings of an electric guitar.
However, the tender moment is short lived as passiveness is injected back into Kas’s bones and he slings a graphite grey towel low around his hips which is clearly five years old or older.
The door knob whines with a small twist and as the door pans open Kas is then met with a Browning BSS double barrelled shotgun rifle to the face with Wayne standing poised on the other side dressed in nothing but pinstriped sleep shorts, a faded white vest and brown socks up to his knees.
The human thing for him to do would be retreat and cower with his hands raised in surrender. Instead, he stands there. Heart pumping. Staring down the abyss of the barrel. Total acceptance.
The gun’s safety remains on and Wayne’s iron clad grip on the machine loosens and then drops to reveal his wrinkled and stubbly face wide and ghastly blown with surprise and mild horror.
“Eds…? “ His voice is hoarse and bed ridden, “Eddie?” Wayne’s jaw wobbles with the words and his tired eyes slick over with salt. The palm of his free hand paws at his droopy eyes as if he thought he were mistaken by the sight. It felt like a dream to see Eddie standing there bathed in light and mist and glowing around the edges. He had to be sure. He had to be sure this was real.
Eddie’s face contorts into a wicked grin that pinches his cheeks and slits his menacing eyes devilishly.
“Hi, Wayne.”
-
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Small orange wheels churn and tremble against the rough gravelled concrete leading up toward Hawkin High’s busy entrance. The morning sun burns bright in the clear seaglass sky and students of all heights and ages crowd the parking lot in squashed groups. The dots of their colourful backpacks merging together to form some sort of distorted Andy Warhol painting.
Max’s faded black converse clad foot kicks up the edge of her treasured skateboard until the palm of her hand catches it. A skill she has practiced a thousand times and can do from muscle memory. She knows exactly where to find the party that morning— she also knows exactly what they’ll be arguing about, too.
Lucas’s hand slaps against his locker, frustrated, “I’m telling you guys, it was Eddie! Max freakin’ saw him!” Will and Mike share a look of apprehension before Will’s eyes soften to concern.
“And what about Dustin? He’ll be crushed if you’re wrong about this.” Will crosses his arms over his chest defensively, his shoulders soft and shy.
“I’m not wrong!” Lucas fires back, explosive and passionate. His deep eyes find Max skating toward them in the background behind Mike. She swerves multiple Freshmen and Lucas grabs Mike’s shoulders to turn him toward her, “Here she comes! Ask her! Max, over here!”
The redhead rolls her eyes with a faint smile etched on her lips at her boyfriend’s arm waving her over, as if she weren’t already on her way toward him.
“Hey guys—“
“You saw Eddie?” Mike interjects with a squwack, his voice whiny and slightly annoying.
“Yeah, did you really see him?” Will chimes, his voice softer but edged with alarm.
“Tell them, Max. Tell them—“ Lucas’s voice is clipped surgically when Dustin joins the group. He wears a fluffy grin but his eyes look fatigue ridden and a shade of salmon red.
“Tell us what?” Dustin asks, attentive and curious.
The party swells with a pregnant silence and all eyes dart around in a circle from Dustin to the other members. They contemplate the weight of this with severity. One wrong move and Dustin could break.
Again.
Dustin’s impatience grows until he become irritable, “Well?” He snips in a very Eddie tone of voice.
“Uh… Max… Max saw Eddie.” Mike is the one to warily break the news and Dustin fixates his gaze on Mike’s face, suddenly wide awake.
“What?” Dustin’s voice comes out in panted breath. His throat croaks lowly, barely audible, “It worked…” and Mike nods toward Max who stands waiting for Dustin’s immediate interrogation.
“Is… is that true? Did you see him?” He takes a step closer toward her, his sneakers squeaking across the newly polished floor as he does. Max treads carefully, her eyes as steady as a sniper’s as she takes in Dustin’s every move.
“Yeah. I did—“
“This should be impossible, right?” Will argues timidly, unsure and beyond confused, “Eddie… Eddie died.”
The whole group feel that pain in their chest. The nightmarish memory being the cause of the hollow ache.
“Yeah, he did. He is…” Doubt riddles his mind, “Right?” Mike’s throat bobs as he gulps thickly.
After momentary silence Dustin finally pipes up after some tense solo thinking, “It isn’t necessarily impossible,” He pauses, a small smile brushing his face, “But it is fucking insane.”
Max and Dustin meet once more, “Where did you see him?” He continues.
“Walking toward the outskirts. He was alone but I’d recognise that wild hair cut anywhere. It was him.”
Complete conviction.
“Take me to him.”
-
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The air is foreboding and misgiving. A protective and gentle tug on the sleeve of your sweater whispering, ‘no, don’t go.’ Silence fills your head with an ominous ringing and each click of your bike chain feels like the ticking of a bomb about to explode. As the road stretches out in front of you and the surrounding trees begin to shroud you in inescapable darkness you feel the watchful eyes of the forest piercing your skin like syringes. The overwhelming aloneness that captivates you from head to toe is nearly enough to strike you from your bike. You wobble against gravity and reality hits you in the form of beaming headlights blinding you from the bend in the road up ahead. A cargo truck barrels past you and its shrieking horn stops you still. The erratic rhythm of your heart against your ribs makes you battle the rancid urge to vomit right there and then.
Anxiety lingers in the background of each of your thoughts. Fighting rationality. Welcoming dread.
Just when you thought you might implode from panic you reach Skull Rock and your ears are met with wailing laughter. The tyres of your bike grumble against the forest floor, nearly knocking your chain off the bottom bracket with each stick and stone as you edge closer and closer toward the smoking ball of orange in the distance. A teenage made camp fire, no doubt. The Spring time chill drags goosebumps from your skin and a shiver snakes down your spine. The sensation is specific, comparable to a melting ice cube on warm flesh.
Upon your handle bars your bike light begins to flicker and glitch until finally completely shutting off. Allowing darkness to captivate you. Something it has never done before until now. Luckily, you were near enough to the fire to be granted some light. Enough to see who is surrounding that fire.
“Dustin…” The name leaves your throat in a swallowed plea. Barely excusable and yet it grabs everyone’s attention.
“You came! Didn’t think you’d wanna—“
“Hey!” Beams Max, offering you a small jolt of her hand.
“Come, sit.” Steve chimes in a relaxed manner which pulls your blown gaze over to him. At first glance you hadn’t initially registered the shadow perched next to him on the fallen log. His shape similar to that of a cloaked raven occupying a tree branch.
After taking notice of him, something powerful shifts the group. A stiffness that seizes their lungs from breathing and their muscles from moving. The warning tug on your sleeve was now heavy fists pounding on your back begging and screaming for you to flee. Run and never stop running.
“What the fuck…”
Instead, you stand there. Tethered to the spot.
“You didn’t tell her?” Max hisses in a hushed tone but you still hear her over your pulse clanging in your ears.
Dustin scoffs, “Well no, I guess she— I thought it’d be a surprise— I thought it was nice!”
Your stare is unwavering. Stuck on his silhouette like a deer in headlights. A moth to a disastrous flame. Still, he hasn’t looked at you. Not yet.
“Can’t even look at me.” A scornful thought that wasn’t supposed to hit anyone’s ears except your own and yet the party fall notably silent.
Charcoaling wood snaps and crackles in the rising flames, punctuating the very moment that Eddie’s eyes search your own. His iris’s welcome the smouldering orange of the fire, tainting his otherwise black iris to a Hellish red hue.
There is challenge in his glower and the grin that stretches his cheeks is unanticipated. It shocks you, even.
“There. Now I’m looking.”
Your clenched fists slacken at the grumbling vibration of his voice dominating your mind. Eddie’s voice had changed since he’d abandoned you months ago. Opposite of his once delicate and smoother tone. It was guttural with a jagged and sharp edge. Grittier and more resonate in his chest cavity. Grounded and animalistic. A threat that was able to strike terror with horrific flamboyant ease and it wasn’t just the sound of his voice that appeared heavier and forever shifted. He looked so…
“Let’s talk. Privately…” Evidently, it wasn’t a request.
The soles of your Reebok sneakers remain planted in the dry earth of the forest and you observe Eddie’s slow rise to his feet. It appeared fluid in a way that could’ve only been rehearsed.
Shadows swirl across his frame with each small gust of wind that dances with the flame separating the two of you. He stood taller with a quiet confidence and your face warms at the sharpness of his jaw and the sunken definition of his cheeks. His hair is freshly washed, you could tell, and there was something obscure stretched on the side of his neck. A large dark spider web of skin that almost looked like a scar and was hidden by his dark ringlets.
Noting your rigid frame, Eddie smiles warmly at you and this time, for the first time since arriving, you recognise him, “Please? Only take a sec.”
A second too long, you thought to yourself.
Thankfully for Kas, Dustin had spilled his guts to Eddie a few hours prior. Bringing him up to speed about every intricate event that had spanned over the last 6 months. The tales and the deceit. Including your avoidance and detest of the topic of everything Munson related.
Kas wasn’t fond of the complexities of human emotions and he didn’t care enough to learn how to navigate them in their entirety but he did like to think of himself as a mass manipulator and that’s what he intended to do. Become the ventriloquist to your puppet.
Sensing your stubbornness, Eddie breaks away from the camp light toward a darker area of the forest beckoning you to follow. Close enough to the group to seem ‘safe’ but far enough for his lies to paint the exact picture he wanted them too. Uninterrupted.
Morbid curiosity brings your feet forward one cautious step at a time and it doesn’t take much time before the group begin to mingle together again at your absence.
“Save it.”
“What— I’ve not even— just listen—“ Your eyes strain to adjust to the darkness and Eddie’s shape seems faceless in the shaded moonlight except for those reflective button eyes blinking back at you.
“No—“ A click of your tongue punctuates your eye roll.
“Yes.” You seem to blink and somehow Eddie is right in front of you. Intense eyes searching yours and his leather clad arms caging you in against a tree trunk, “Five minutes. S’ all I ask.”
A shiver flickers down Eddie’s spine at the scent of you. Such a delicate aroma cursed with memories that make Kas’s head spin hazily. Dreamlike. The way your laugh always had you clutching at your chest and how you looked when you were in deep sleep. The droplets of water on your skin lingering after you’d showered and your happy dance after Eddie would supply your favourite snacks on a gloomy day. For a moment, Kas’s control slips. Eddie’s consciousness wrapping its tight fists around his throat.
At this proximity you take notice of his eyes— how much they have changed. Somehow. No longer heavy with warmth and oozing with brown, but flecked and pierced with a cold red and black. Almost shimmering in the darkness. Those weren’t the eyes you fell in love with.
Distracted by the charred smell of bark and the fresh mint that captivate your senses, you are transported back to the hallway at school when you first began dating Eddie. The sneaky make-out sessions between classes against the lockers that left you panting and yearning for more. The brushed knuckles as you passed one another in the canteen. You remembered everything good. Every moment bathed in warmth and love. Such a stark contrast to what is in front of you now.
“I’m taking your silence as compliance so this is it. The whole truth—“ Eddie uses the soft pad of his index finger against your jaw to shift your face back toward the fire, “Your brother lied to you.”
“Shut up—“ A snorted laugh.
“He did. Henderson covered for me,” As much as you didn’t want to believe a word he said, it would explain Dustin’s restlessness. His reckless behaviour and his inability to sleep since Eddie vanished some months ago. Only you couldn’t understand why. What was so bad that Dustin couldn’t spare you the truth? Anything other than the basketball sized hole punched into your chest when you thought Eddie fled with another woman, “You remember Reefer Rick, don’t cha’?”
Slowly you nod your head.
“Well, you know that he is- was, my supplier, right?” His eyebrows perk, searching for confirmation, “For drugs?”
“Yes, for drugs. Jeez— I know that I’m not dumb—“
“And since you’re not dumb you’ll know that he isn’t the supplier,” Eddie paces slowly, his hand movements like liquid, “He’s the middle man. Basically what I’m saying is— I had to go, I needed to go but I, well, I obviously didn’t want to.”
No sound leaves you.
“Reefer Rick fucked me over,” Eddie’s feet still as he stops dead in his tracks, his body facing yours. You hadn’t noticed up until this point that your back is still flush against the tree trunk from earlier and now, pinned under his gaze, you begin to feel trapped, “I paid him and he robbed me— fucking snake, month after month!” He drags a frustrated his palm down his face, “People from the top came looking for me… that’s why I hid. It’s why I— I ran. I owed them too much and— and I didn’t even know that I did!” He chuckles solemnly to himself and your jaw unhinges with utter disbelief.
Money. This was about fucking money. As if he could read your mind…
“Before you tear me apart just know that I love yo— it killed me to leave, okay? For the last 6 months I have been fucking dead inside but I had to look out for you. I couldn’t live with myself if some macho drug dealing asshat came looking for you because of me.” Eddie respects the space you need right now, judging from your crossed arms and deeply furrowed eyebrows.
“So, instead of telling me you owed someone money you left without a word and let my little brother pick up your pieces?” Eddie’s shoulders square as he braces himself. You laugh pitifully, “That’s ridiculous, y’know that? Fucking pathetic.”
“I almost told you— Woooah hey!” Purposefully you wall your shoulder into his, unfortunately this meant getting close enough to him for him to grab your upper arm with a vice like grip, “Don’t be like that—“
“Let go. Now.”
“No—“
“Eddie, I swear to God—“
“I can’t let you go,” His voice swells in your ears like a whimpering pup, “Not again— you don’t understa— I can’t lose you—“ He is breathless.
Puckered lips open and shut like a fish in water as you track your mind for a response but instead you say nothing. Only you both stand there in one another’s presence for a prolonged moment.
“Let’s start over… please?” Gently, Eddie’s hands slide down your arms until they clasp your fingers, “Please. I just, I want you to trust me again.”
He hides his amusement well, gnawing on the inside of his fleshy cheek to bite back a knowing smile. One feathery touch and he can already see your facade faltering. This ‘I hate you’ and ‘I’m so cool and tough’ act that you have going on is no match for the muscle memory stored in your bones. Melting into Eddie’s touch is what you’re used to and it’s what you’ve longed for every waking moment of every night for the last 24 weeks.
“I need you in my life… I do. And I know I’ve been selfish and— and I know you hate my fucking guts but please… please just let me show you how sorry I am— let me show you I’m better now. Better than before.”
Kas contemplates a dramatic finale of dropping to Eddie’s bony knees and clasping his begging hands up at you as if you were a God. He knows that human’s thrive off of power and domination. They live and breathe control and when starved of it they try to create chaos to find it. Maybe he just had to feed you… make you believe that this was your idea. That you are the puppeteer and he the wooden boy.
Your heart wages war against your brain. Your wide eyes linger on Eddie’s for a second too long before they cowardly flit away and down toward your shoes that now appear all the more interesting. Of course, Kas notices this.
What you think you want to say to him is;
No, you hurt me, fuck you, stay away from me, I hate you, fuck off and eat shit.
Instead you whisper, “There was no other woman?”
“No, no! I promise—” He explains.
“Then okay.” The nail in the coffin.
“Okay?” He beams, bearing all teeth and the space between you begins to shrink. He cranes his neck to try and catch your gaze and he successfully does.
“Okay.” You barely manage to repeat the word.
His hands squeeze the balls of your shoulders a tad too tight, “Oh, Sweetheart… you won’t regret this.” A flirty purr that ruins your stomach.
That settled it. Its about time you two got to know one another… all over again.
-
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Krrrrrk!
The walkie-talkie on his belt hisses to life.
‘Come in, Hopper. Chief Hopper, come in.’
“Yep.” Hopper croaks with pinched eyes and a thundering headache. Beer for breakfast wasn’t his brightest idea but there was no damn coffee in the house.
‘We have a situation down on—“
“Already there, Linda.” The fog fallen arable field sits idle and vast. Contaminated with a desecrated corpse that appeared drained in its entirety. Skin sagged, wrinkled and dry with undertones of bruise blues and purples. Veins as black as coal and finger tips and toes the same inhuman colour. Unlike the last few that have been showing up all over Hawkins under similar circumstances, this one appeared to be female. Judging from her headless body.
She is the first of five to pop up. Each scene demanded Hopper’s authoritarian presence and he could stomach it. Until now. This one… this one churned his stomach and tied it in a wretched knot of bile and bubbles. He could only think of Jane. What if this were her? What if this were one of her friends? What would he do?
Could he cope?
“Awaiting the rest of the team, Chief. They’re ETA’d at 15 minutes.” Hawkins PD officer Calvin Powell asserts with clarity and strength which earns a silent nod from Hopper.
“Where were they?” Jim finally asks, his scowl unwavering from the scene in front of him.
Powell clears his throat, “Another scene, Hop. Supposedly more recent than her. Body is basically still warm.” He nods towards the girl in the grass.
“Oh, Jesus Christ.” Hopper pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes crinkled as he shakes his head in disbelief, “Same pattern?”
“Yep.”
“Man or woman?”
“Teenager.”
“Shit!!” Instinctively Hopper’s hands momentarily cup his ears, trying to shield himself from the dark news. His hands then form fists as he shoves them into his coat pockets full of frustration, “Fuck this fucking job!” He screams into the sky, causing nearby birds to fly from their settled nests and flee.
Powell gulps thickly, “People are worried, Chief. What do we tell them?”
A palpable moment passes.
“Do we know her name?” He drags his palm down his face, both exhausted and plagued with confusion. The wheels churn in Hopper’s head, the pieces not quite fitting together in the way they’re supposed to. What was he missing? Who is the monster doing this to people?
He can’t be human. He just… can’t be.
“Chief, the town—“
“Do we have a name, Powell?!” Hopper breaks.
“No, Sir.”
“And why is that? Huh?” He is slow to walk interogatively closer to Calvin.
“Well, uh she— she uh doesn’t—“
“Doesn’t what?” Jim prods more, his agitation growing, “Doesn’t what?!”
“She doesn’t have a head, Sir!” Calvin shudders, maybe the weight of the situation has finally began to dawn on him. Maybe not.
“And that’s exactly why we can’t tell the fucking town!” Jim plunges his hand into his coat, pulling out a red deck of cigarettes and a lighter, “Now, get outta my sight. Radio me when the team arrive. Copy?”
“Copy.”
-
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The pursuit started small. Creeping in like haunting shadows across your bedroom floor. No matter where you were or who you were with, Eddie always managed to rev his head. You’d catch a glimpse of him at the corner of your eye, mistake him for someone else only to find his eyes already on you when you’d recognise him. Something in your head would always sound off an alarm. A warning siren ringing shrill and sharp as he casually waved his hand up at you and smiled a knowing grin.
Something felt off about him recently.
New.
Separate…
This Eddie was far different to your old one. Callous, cruelly sarcastic and intimidating. His personality seemed to tower over you, even suffocate you at times. Dustin, however, was star-struck by him. Dumbfounded and totally oblivious.
The day of Steve’s backyard barbecue was the day everything shifted. Summer was heavy in the air, the temperature seeming to have sky rocketed over night and the flowers of life were in full bloom. However, alongside the smell of flowers drying in the sun also came the thick stench of death that mortified the town. People were more than aware of the bodies appearing, they were outraged and they demanded answers. But Hopper couldn’t provide them anything, not once he knew where these attacks stemmed from.
Hopper is no stranger to the horrors of The Upside Down, and that’s why until further notice, these secrets would die with him.
In the meantime, a cold beer and a hamburger wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?
It’s his day off.
Hopper in charge of the grill and meat, Joyce on teenage surveillance and everyone else?
Sweltering in the sun.
“Fuck, it’s hot.” Steve groans, his palm pawing at his sweaty upper lip and brow.
“Too fucking hot.” You agree, squinting across the pool with the sun beaming off of the water and directly into your eyes.
Across the yard, the boys play with super soakers and water balloons. Pelting them off of one another and bellowing with hysterical laughter. Max and Jane are close by, as always, their eyes flickering to and from your lounging frame. There is no question that they looked up to you, Nancy and Robin, however it didn’t stop you from shifting uncomfortably every now and again under their watchful gaze.
“Steve?” You address the host soft and unsure. Slowly, you shift onto your side to face him, propped up with your weight leaning against your elbow.
“Hmm?” He hums lazily, his eyes closed beneath the shade of his sun glasses.
“Do you—“ You hesitate, the question tasting fuzzy on your tongue, “Do you… believe Eddie?”
Immediately, Steve’s muscles strain beneath his sun-kissed skin and though he hides his worry well you can instantly read that something isn’t right, “What’dya mean?”
“I mean do you buy all this crap about Rick? Did you know about it… the whole thing?” You’re hopeful that he didn’t, that he’d never watch you suffer the way that you did. But part of you remained doubtful of your friends. After all, Dustin was closest with Steve. You couldn’t imagine him hiding such a thing from him.
“No— What? Of course I didn’t know.”
“Honest?” The tenderness to your voice is sickening.
Flexed muscles soften like warm honey at your tone, “Swear. Cross my heart, Hendy.”
A loud breath exhales from your mouth, your jaw still tense with contemplation.
“So, you believe him?” Pensively you admire the ripple of the swimming pool.
“Sure, I believe him—“ All nonchalance with a confident puffed chest.
“Don’t do that—“
“Do what?” His voice pitches higher and you groan.
“Be dismissive. Defend him. If there’s something you know that I don’t then please just—“
Steve is quick to sit upright, matching your now rigid energy and slinging his sunglasses up to rest in his hair, “Listen, I don’t know what you think I know… but I’d never withhold anything from you, okay? Not if I knew it could help… settle you…”
Settle you. Like you were some sort of distressed wild animal being domesticated. The statement stung like sun burn scorching your skin.
“I have so many questions…”
Instead of retaliation and causing a scene; you let the conversation diminish. Allowing everyone to enjoy the start of a long and tireless Summer.
When Eddie finally arrives the majority of the company have gone home and people are beginning to cover up as the nightly chill creeps its way through Steve’s backyard.
You remain by the pool, allowing the soft wind to coat your skin in lulling kisses. Heavy eyelids fall closed and your shoulders slump with each slow and intentional breath you take. Almost asleep— Until a certain someone pipes up next to you.
“Hard day lounging in the sun?” You heard his grin before you saw it. Each and every one of your cells question if you can be bothered dealing with him right now.
Something about his voice swayed you, though. It quirked your lips up into a tiny curve.
“No, I’m just… thinking.” Your eyes remain closed and Eddie admires your bare frame without judgement.
“About?” Instantly he is inquisitive, his eyebrows raised up on his forehead and his lips pursed.
For a moment you linger, simply existing within the silence as you contemplate what to say. How could you tell him that you were thinking about him? The way his eyes used to smile at you from across the room and how each feathery touch lit your soul aflame. How could you share the dreaded despair of how much you miss him? How you still miss him… even though he is right there with you. Looking at you like that.
“Doesn’t matter.” The decision was clear. There wasn’t much point in enlightening him.
He hums a hum that reads suspicion and you find yourself now fixated on his neck. His hair, tied back in a low bun, cascaded loosely in soft wispy waves barely covering the fresh scars etched there on display. Your fingertips twitch with need, longing to trace the sharp pattern there and examine him further. What happened to him? Where did he go?
“Caught you,” He muses with a grin, snapping you back to the present and you stare at him with a gaping mouth, “You’re curious.”
“Sorry! I— You don’t have to— Shit I’m so sorry…” Blood pulses to your cheeks which causes a hearty chuckle to ripple from Eddie’s throat.
“S’ fine, Sweetheart…” Shaky digits tremble as he fidgets with the silver on his fingers, “Motorbike accident when I was in Florida.” Unruly eyebrows pinch close together as he recalls the scene in great detail.
Florida. That’s where he was…
“A motorbike did that?” The exclamation wasn’t intended but you were confused. Eddie on a motorcycle, it didn’t make any sense. And Florida? Of all places…
“Surprised me, too,” A laugh that read half heart and half sorrow. In an incredibly human way, Kas felt the weight and guilt of his lie. The closer he got to you, the stronger Eddie’s screams became. His thrashing was hard to ignore, “Parts of the accident are a total blur and other parts, well, they uh just don’t exist…”
“You don’t remember anything?” Intrigue and concern unknowingly pull you closer to him. Sitting with him now, Eddie appeared older. Mature but like a red wine gone sour.
“Remember wakin’ up in the hospital. Remember flashing blue lights,” He shrugs, “That’s it, really.”
The pause you take seems to last a lifetime, “Must’ve hurt,” Once neutral lips are now inched down into a soft frown, “You went through that alone…” The realisation knocks the air from your lungs and every suppressed measure of love and care for Eddie bubbles to the surface in the form of tear swelled eyes.
“Hey— it’s okay, I’m okay— Shhhh.” Within seconds a strong pair of arms envelope you in a close embrace and you sniffle softly into the buttery fabric of his white t-shirt. Being this close to him brought you both comfort and strain. Your muscles tight and howling; a confession warring grizzly against your insides.
“I missed you, Ed’s,” You sob from the relief that relaxes your entire body, “Missed you so much.” The words are broken by shaky breaths and Eddie only holds you tighter, afraid that if he let you go that you may shatter. Your fingernails claw at the back of his t-shirt like a rodent, trying to press yourself closer to him; if that were even possible.
The proximity submits Kas completely, and in those few seconds it is Eddie sniffing the top of your head and kissing your scalp. It’s Eddie’s hands that smooth down your spine and cradle the back of your neck. For the first time in months, that empty space within his chest starts to fill again and his memories are in total technicolour.
“Missed you more than you’ll ever know, Sweetheart.” His words are swallowed by the strands of your hair and for a long moment you rest there with your ear pressed to his chest.
“Why Florida?” The words are a mumbled mess into Eddie’s chest, but he hears you all the same.
“Went lookin’ for my old man…” He sighs, regretting the decision and you wrestle the urge to go rigid in his arms at the mention of his shitbag father, “Thought he’d be able to help me out, considering he’s had a few rodeos in his time, Y’know?”
Deciding it’s safer to remain neutral than comment on something you no longer have any say in, you nod your head and nudge your face closer to his chest. Judgement free.
“I found him… but uh… he had nothing nice to say.” A sombreness captivates Eddie’s voice and your teeth grind together as your jaw tightens. Tears threatening to spill.
Timidly, you pull away from him, your cheeks burning and your nose all sniffly, “I— uh— I should go freshen up before, y’know…”
“Totally. Definitely.” The dry skin of his palm finds the dampening skin of his neck and his shifty eyes swirl with greed as they watch you rise to your feet and flee toward the inside of Steve’s house where the rest of the flock were fleeting to as well.
He could smell you… it was obscene. It left his mouth watering.
Steve’s bathroom smelt like a pungent fresh linen upholstery spray and the overhead light is warm as it washes over the magnolia walls that are covered in strange abstract art. On the ceiling there is a strange stain, evidentially a past water mark that you acknowledge quickly. Hurried fingertips dab at your reddened eyelids, patting away some of the smeared mascara there before you decide that a quick pee break is long overdue.
That’s when you see it. The monthly dread staining the lining of your bathing suit, “Oh shit!” You hiss, plucking a small bunch of toilet paper from your left and swiping at the blood hoping to blot some of it away.
It made a bit more sense now. The crying you had endured before hand. The unease at the pit of your stomach and the ache in your limbs. Fucking periods.
In a panic, you rummage through Steve’s cabinet below the sink, praying to find some form of menstrual products. A panty liner, a pad, a fucking tampon— anything! Anything would do. Unfortunately, you only find Steve’s electric manscaping razor and a bunch of loose toilet rolls.
“Ew…”
Screw it. A wad of toilet roll wrapped around your underwear would just have to suffice for now. Looks like this pool party is being cut short.
When you leave the bathroom you feel queasy and fatigued. A sudden drought finds your tongue and the interior lights of Steve’s home begin to poke and prod at your brain.
“Hey— Woah, you okay? Lookin’ a little pale there, Champ.” Steve’s round eyes search your face and you meet him with a graceful smile.
“M’ okay, just a lil’ tired. Gonna head home I think.” A dismissive flick of your wrist waves away Steve’s worry and a quick glance over his shoulder drags your eyes toward Eddie’s hard and sly stare. It read a look of pure penetration. Almost as though you were totally transparent.
As if he knew that you were bleeding.
No, he couldn’t. Surely…
“Need a ride? Pretty sure I’m still under the limit.” He gleefully grins down at the beer bottle in his grasp.
“Nah, should be fine. Fresh air will do me good. I’ll call when I’m home.” You’re already making your way toward the front door before anyone can protest further and the night air hits you like a dream where before you were struggling to sleep.
The gravity of the local news seemed to have slipped everyone’s slurred minds, it must have if they have allowed you to walk home alone without even batting an eyelid. Except, you recalled every gruesome detail from the trail of cases. The photographs. The desperate appeals for information. The entire walk home you were snatching hurried glances over your shoulders, sure that on one of the occasions you’d find someone lurking there in the shadows. A masked man beneath a street lamp with a deadly tool in his hand. Or maybe he’d lunge at you from behind a parked car, catching you off guard and grabbing you from behind.
Jagged steel keys wiggle their way messily between each of your fingers. The cold metal brings comfort to your warm skin but all you can concentrate on is the galloping of your heart in your chest and how it synced with each step you took. Left, right, left, right.
Realistically, the keys wouldn’t do much in defence. They’d slip, or fall or worse; they’d hurt you instead if you threw a punch at someone. You knew this and that’s what made it all the more pathetic. People were dying in unspeakable ways and here you were— believing that a set of house keys would save you from this butcher.
The reality is, if push came to shove, you’d be the next headline in that paper. No amount of wishful thinking could excuse that.
Your thoughts shift quickly as the lining of your stomach grumbles and you feel weak in the knees with hunger and exhaustion. All the poolside excitement left you without food for a good few hours and you were feeling it incredibly strongly now. A box of Mac n’ Cheese is the only motivation you have to keep pushing forward. To get home and change into some pyjamas with a film to fall asleep to.
Unbeknownst to you, you did have a chaperone that evening; only he kept a few paces behind you at all times and had razor sharp instincts. Sharp enough to predict each of your frantic movements. Even when you took drastically off route turns and diversions to throw him off, he could still smell you from a mile away. Taste you on the tip of his tongue. Your scent clinging to his nostrils like tarmac on concrete; teasing him.
The heavenly earthly perfume led him right to your front door and as he stood with his feet planted in the grass of your front yard, he contemplated forcing entry. He pictured the horror on your face and the contortion of your body as you try to flee from him. He really did.
But ultimately, he settled for watching you through the window pane. Glad that you had made it home safely and especially chuffed that he was the one to escort you there unharmed. He imagined the warmth radiating from your skin and heating his. Kas was encapsulated by a forever Winter, unable to hold onto any sort of body heat no matter the human host he inhabited. For a while his skin could prickle and redden with heat like stone in the sun but eventually he would cool again to something monstrous.
He fought to feel the familiar brush of your soft lips and recall every detail of your face and your body. Despite his efforts and the amount of struggle, he couldn’t force the recollection to be his own. These love sick affairs didn’t belong to him. They never would.
It conflicted Kas, the newfound protectiveness he felt for you, but he also knew that partly (or most of) those fond feelings came directly from the source; Eddie. With each passing day he was able to see more and more of Eddie’s past. Even more so, the moments he spent with you. Tender and passionate and it left him feeling fizzy all over. The downside was, the deeper he managed to burrow, the more intense Eddie’s presence became. Harder to ignore and difficult to swallow. The type of annoyance that would have Kas tangling his fingers into Eddie’s hair and tugging on the roots with frustration.
-
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A crooked family photo beams at you from the stairwell wall as you skip your way up to your mom’s room, prepared to rummage through her wardrobe and borrow -take- a few pieces of her jewellery. The mirror is shrouded lightly with dust as you put in some earrings and outside of the window you can hear the birds happily chirping in the nearby trees that stretch the whole way down the avenue. The sun is soft in the early morning sky, painting the clouds a hazy lilac and blue. Not too harsh but still smiling down on Hawkin’s with promise for a gorgeous day ahead.
There were plans for ice cream later in the day at the local gem hidden away beside the popular liquor store and the tiny green grocers; Matteo’s Delights. The shop has stood in the same spot for over 20 years and only the community truly cherishes the homemade goods inside. Outdoors, the exterior design has remained somewhat the same since the 1960’s; cherry red doors with bare dusty brick and white signage with black cursive lettering. Only a few structural modifications had been made for maintenance and a handful of sparse paint jobs here and there to keep things looking fresh. It was a place the group felt welcomed and a place that they adored.
Nancy was the first to introduce you to Matteo’s. Confessing it was the first Summer job she ever had. Scooping ice cream, making milkshakes and serving the community when she was just 14 years old and saving for a Donny Osmond concert. She had turned scarlet at the admission and you had giggled down into the horoscope pages of your weekly magazine.
Life was simpler back then. Care free and whimsical.
Now the once fruitful branches of life sit twisted and askew. Pointing in the one direction you wish they wouldn’t.
“Awh, yes! You made it!” Steve’s arms wrap around you tight and friendly but feverishly you pat his upperback.
“Hi, Stevie.” The words evaporate from your mouth in the form of a sigh.
“Been too long since it was just us adults around,” He addresses the group now, opening up the space with his hands on his hips and allowing you to settle on Eddie’s defensive posture. Arms crossed, legs stood ready and shoulders square. If you didn’t know him, you’d definitely mistake him as some sort of bouncer for a nightclub.
“Yeah, look at us; adulting.” Eddie’s voice grumbles with sarcasm and you gnaw on the inside of your cheek to bite back something equally as sarcastic and cheeky.
Thankfully, Steve was great at ignoring the obvious and all Eddie had to endure was a scornful look from Nancy and a vexed perked eyebrow from Robin. You, on the other hand, turned your gaze to your shoelaces which appeared all the more intriguing amongst the rising tension.
“You… you don’t like this place, then?” You ask with an unreadable tone and your eyes still glued to the ground.
The weighty air stills and as you await the answer your heart dares to plummet to the bottom of your stomach and explode on impact. This was an end-all moment, depending on what he replied. This was the place you and Eddie had gone on your first date and to hear him so unenthusiastic about it really fucking stung.
Did you mean so little to him? Your time together; was it worthless?
Eddie shrugs his shoulders, trying to catch your line of vision with a toothy smile, “S’ fine, Lovie. Was just being a dick.” You meet his smile with a sour expression and you take secret pleasure in the way the grin fades from his stupid face.
“Yeah, you are—“
“Are we gonna go in orrrr?” Jonathan croaks warily, his voice hoarse and you scuff the bottom of your shoe against the dusty concrete which looked feverishly thirsty for a drop of rain.
“Let’s.” You march ahead.
“Right, yeah— let’s uh, oh— Ladies first.” The palm of Steve’s hand rushes to open the parlour door and a wind chime sings above it, alerting the staff of your presence. In total, the booths occupied 2 other people who clearly had no business with one another. Evident from the rows of empty seats between them. Looked like business was booming.
“Nancy! Whatta lovely surprise, my dear!! Come, sit.” Matteo, now a rather elderly gentleman with a refreshing accent, rounds from behind the counter in a red, white and blue striped apron to usher the group toward a spacious red booth where the leather was beginning to crack and peel from wear and tear. The entire walk over you were conscious of the two rounded eyes stabbing into the back of your skull. Eddie hadn’t muttered much else and you hope the next thing out of his mouth is an apology.
“I’ll give you guys a moment to order, wave me over when you’re ready,” Matteo flashes you a quick wink and you meet him with a large smile; half humour and half disbelief.
“Whatta DILF...” You tease jokingly with a giggle and Robin erupts into hysterical laughter.
“More like a GILF!” She remarks with creased eyes an snort, “Grandpa I’d like to—“
“Jesus!—“ Eddie exclaims with furrowed brows.
“—Ok, we get it!!” Steve protests with raised hands which only makes you laugh more.
Eddie’s eyes roll so hard they nearly find the back of his skull and Jonathan plays with the edge of the paper menu, his eyes frantic to find some sort of dessert to focus on.
“Should we get something to share?” Nancy asks all too casually, like she is desensitised to yours and Robin’s antics together and you finally manage to calm the buzz in your chest.
“Yeah, Nance. What you thinking of?” You lean close to her, peeking over her shoulder and Robin sighs dramatically before collapsing back onto the booths pillowy walls.
The tip of one of Nancy’s rose painted fingernails taps on the picture of the banana split, her amused eyes flickering to you and awaiting confirmation with a small smile. You nod, lost to the background as the rest of the group chatter amongst themselves loudly. Steve teases Eddie about something that had occurred the night before and Robin plays a game of ‘who can wrestle the menu away from the other’ with Jonathan. She wins.
Orders are taken and brought promptly to the table. Strangely, Eddie hadn’t ordered anything. A quirked eyebrow elicits a response from him before anyone can ask him why.
“Ate with Wayne before I came, stuffed to the brim.”
Wayne. The name makes your heart sing.
“How is he?” You ask without thinking and four pairs of eyes scorch your face crimson, “I’ve… I’ve not seen him.” You add rather awkwardly.
Eddie holds your gaze and you feel like prey. Something squeezes around you tightly like a 12ft python snake and suddenly it’s as though you forget how to breathe like a normal human being.
“He’s good,” He replies plainly, “Sleepin’ a lot but night shift’ll do that to you.” Momentarily your mind flickers to the rusted and rickety old pull out bed in the living room that Wayne took upon himself to sleep on. Sacrificing his own comfort for the safety and security of Eddie. The thought dampens your mood and follow up questions die at the base of your throat. Part of you wonders if Wayne had the same questions as you did about Eddie’s disappearance.
Did he wonder where he went?
Or did he question if he were dead?
This makes you furious with Eddie all over again. Fuck it, you’ll endure the pain of his torment. But Wayne? His sweet as a cough drop Uncle? He didn’t deserve that.
Not one bit.
“Hope he’s doing well.” On the surface you sounded sincere, and you were for the most part, but your voice also read a subtext of passive aggression. ‘Hope he’s doing well… now that he knows his nephew is okay. You inconsiderate cunt.’
Thanks to years of bullying and psychoanalysing his peers, Eddie picked up on your attitude problem like that!
“Can I speak to you? Outside.” He shoos Jonathan out of his seat so he can slip out of the booth and you follow him quietly but not without an eye roll.
“Be back.” You mutter to Nancy.
Tucked in nice and cozy in a nearby corner is an old jukebox playing the 60’s hit, ‘Buttercup Baby’. It plays ever so gently, loud enough for your brain to register the lyrics but small enough to go unnoticed by many others. You hum along.
As soon as the sunlight hits your skin Eddie is rambling, “What the hell happened to us starting over? You’re acting like a— a little kiddy on the playground. Why— what have I done now—“
You stop him dead.
“You’re one to talk! In case you have forgotten, Edward, I don’t have anything to be apologetic for. You screwed up, not me, and I have to say that you’re doing a pretty shitty job at making up for it—“
“This again— you hate me, you fucking hate me and I knew it!” He clicks his fingers as if having a eureka moment and you scoff instinctively.
“I don’t hate you, Eddie. Not even a little bit.” Immediately, your throat begins to bloat, “You’d think I would, but I don’t. ” Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your composure, “The worst of it all is; even after all that… after you hurt me… I still wouldn’t do that to you.”
“How long do I have to keep apologising for this? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m fucking sorry, okay?!” He begins to pace, “Do you not think I feel bad enough already? This shit eats me alive at night.”
“Really?” You bite through clenched teeth, “It eats you alive? Does it? Because from where I’m standing it doesn’t seem like it. You’ve been a total jerk since we got here. Honestly, it’s like you’re a totally different person now. You didn’t even remember—“
Something stops you. A look in his eyes that seized your tongue from continuing.
“Remember what?” This wasn’t getting you anywhere. This carousel that kept you spinning around and around. Both of you were incredibly frustrated with the other. Furious…
And dizzy.
“I don’t think we can be friends.” Snap goes the elastic band against your heart and you almost grab at your chest to soothe the pain, “This clearly isn’t going to work out.”
“No, stop it—“
“It’s for the best, Eddie—”
“That’s the easy way out and you know it— The cowards way. Maybe it’s better for you to run away but not for me.” The crack in his voice squeezes your chest harder.
“But you did fucking run away,” Your somber soaked voice is laced with disappointment, “You ran away from me…”
Stunned, Eddie’s frantic feet stand still and his jaw hangs loose. His gaze is round and glazed and the sight is difficult to endure.
“You’re right. We can’t be friends.” His line of vision is quick to find the dry earth beneath him and his contentment cuts you deep.
Standing like a corroding Greek statue, beautiful on the outside while your insides begin to crumble away to dust. You thought he would’ve fought for you more. You believed he still had more time to give. More patience. It sickened you to admit but you had imagined a future with him. More memories to share and to be shared with others.
“We can’t be friends… because I love you. I never stopped...” His eye line is unwavering from the dusty spot on his shoe and more than anything you want him to look at you. To look you in the face and say it.
“What?” You heard what he said, you just wanted him to say it again.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Eddie’s face rises and his eyes meet yours. For a moment, oddly, you don’t recognise him.
“I love you.”
You longed for the same confession, but something halts you. Binds you to deflection.
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” Eddie’s softness quickly transforms into irritated bouncing.
“Oh my God… You are impossible, y’know that? Of course I mean it, fuck me! You drive me crazy!” You shrink momentarily, feeling the weight of his scold but that shifts instantly when you see the stretched smile on his face, “What do I have to do to make you believe me?”
The pause between you seems to last a painstakingly long time and since Eddie had reappeared back in Hawkins… you had no response. Nothing to say to him. Totally speechless because you didn’t know the answer. You hadn’t the faintest clue on how to fix this mess of a relationship. Of course you wanted to, but you didn’t know how.
You watch with a sour tongue as Eddie’s smile fades to a thin tight line and you feel your eyebrows curve with sympathy, “I don’t know…” The admission feels right, “I’m sorry.”
“I could work harder—“
“You can’t rewrite what happened—“
“I know, I know but… I can try to… to—“
“Eddie—“
He releases an exasperated sigh which was mistakable as a groan, “I just… you have no idea how torturous it is to be around you when you look like that and not… hold you.” He gulps thickly, eyes flickering to the pulse in the your neck, “Taste you…” Travelling up to your lips, he disappears somewhere inward, “Kiss you.”
You witness his eyes water and transform into something silky and welcoming, “I’m starting to forget all the good things we had… I don’t wanna forget you. I don’t wanna lose us…”
Your limbs decide for you to pull him into an embrace before your mind can fully process what’s happening and Eddie is quick to accept your body flush against his. His hair fills your face and tickles your nose as you shakily breathe his scent. The familiar sweetness of his minty shampoo left you beaming against his shoulder and you let go of a sigh you had been holding.
“It’ll take time, Eddie,” Your voice sounds sleepy; intoxicated, “But I forgive you. I want you to know that.”
The man pressed to your chest remains remarkably still and quiet. As if afraid to move. You interpret it as emotional overwhelm, but that simply wasn’t the case.
Over your shoulder Eddie had locked eyes with the green vested cashier of the liquor store. A dark blonde boy of similar age, probably a previous bully of his, and when Eddie’s lips met yours you know that you should have stopped him. Pushed him away and called him out on taking advantage of your vulnerability.
How dare he kiss you so soon?
But you don’t. Instead, like butter, you melt. Because his tender fingers felt so nice running through your hair and your eyes couldn’t help themselves but to drift shut. The only thing your hands could do was grasp his jacket timidly. Holding him near and dear. It was a kiss you expected to take your breath away… but it felt like arriving home. Easy and warm.
All the while you were blissfully unaware of Eddie’s eyes that remained wide open, trained on the boy through the murky window pane. It was a challenging glare, one that pressed on the boys lungs and squeezed his heart with a tight fist. The blonde looked back, feeling hypnotised by Kas’s tormented eyes, horrified and curious all the same.
Kas had claimed you now. Officially. It was his duty to let every soul in Hawkins know that you were taken.
His.
Let the games begin.
—
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Things were better but they were never the same. Steve looked at you with caution and Dustin held his breath every time Eddie stayed over. Sometimes, during the darkest hour of the night, Dustin would meet Eddie in the hallway as he returned to your bedroom. He would smell like the fresh air and his eyes seemed to glow in the nightfall. On more than one occasion Dustin caught glimpses of crimson on his chin and fingers… he knew what had happened, but his grief kept him clinging onto this shell of Eddie’s being. Blindly hoping that his real best friend was still in there.
It took you forever to notice. Their shifty eyes and tense shoulders. Their clenched jaws and tight lipped smiles. Your friends, people who you thought cared about you, had been lying to you this entire time. Looking you dead in the face and lying to you. And you played the trusting fool so perfectly. You necked back every poisonous lie as if it were the freshest water on Earth and you hadn’t had a drop to drink in weeks.
What gave it away?
Nancy’s crooked eyebrow.
Steve’s teeth nibbling on his finger tip.
Dustin’s sudden avoidance.
If only you had seen it. If only you had used your brain instead of ignoring that squirm in your stomach. Your lack of scrupulousness ensured that you missed these important details. Maybe you could have prevented the inevitable. Maybe you could have moved on.
But you have never been so lucky.
The first rainfall of June swiftly drowned the brightness of Summer. Taking all the footprints left dusted on the sidewalks. All except for those sunken into a muddy puddle by Hopper and his team. Their dogs left paw prints but their noses sniffed out nothing. Evidence having been washed away also.
This time, it was two bodies at the same site. Found disregarded in an alleyway, left in plain sight, or on display, to be found and fawned over with utter repulsion behind a Quickie-Mart. A blonde young male and what appeared to be an elderly woman possibly in her late 60’s. Both were mutilated in ways Hopper didn’t think possible. Scratches deep enough to hit bone, muscle shredded to string and multiple bite marks across their limbs. The blonde had endured more than the woman. With him it seemed personal. This place… this town… it was turning into his perfect dumping ground. He kept coming back, for what?
The hope that he’d be caught? The thrill… or did he chase them here? Lure them?
Hopper had found himself in this exact place before. His mind full of questions and doubt. Doubt in his ability to conceal the truth. Doubt that he’ll be able to stop whatever is doing this to his community. What he was certain of, though, was that he was getting sloppy. Leaving more speckles of blood training behind him…
“Seems like an animal again, Chief.” A gruff voice speaks to his left.
“It’s not an animal, it’s that animal.” Hopper spits back, short fused and worried.
The sound of a heavy sigh is lost against the downpour of rain hitting a nearby dumpster lid, “We need to issue an immediate curfew. Starting tonight no one leaves home after dark. Kicks in at 8pm.”
The Chief is met with silent cooperation, little did Hopper know that this would cause momentary panic, uproar and some push back from the townsfolk.
—
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“A curfew? Why?” Porcelain clatters together as you load last nights dinner plates into the cupboard whilst Dustin scrubs the remaining dishes in the bubble covered sink.
With a bounce of his shoulders, “I dunno. Hop’s gone crazy, I guess. Probably that body they found earlier….”
For a moment you pause, your eyebrows fixing together in a microscopic way, “It’s the animal, isn’t it? The one that’s been… Y’know…”
“Killing people?”
“Yeah… I mean, surely they can just kill it, right? I doubt it’ll stop hunting just because they lock us up at nightfall like some scared locals evading a witch hunt.” You make a noise that is half laugh and half scoff and Dustin deadpans while he scrubs harder at a piece of silverware.
“You’d think it was a freakin’ werewolf or something. As if.” You expected your prod of a joke to at least tickle your little brother, but still, nothing leaves him. No sly remark, no equally as cheesy joke… nothing. Just the sound of scrubbing and sloshing water.
“Whatever. Talking to a wall,” A snarky comment meant only for your ears, “Imma invite Eddie over tonight, would hate for him to be alone during this stupid lockdown.”
“This isn’t a joke, okay?! People are dropping like flies out there and you should be more careful!” Caught off guard by Dustin’s expressiveness, you drop a green gingham printed tea towel from your grip.
“Woah, man! Chill out… I am being careful.” Trailing off you bend down to pick up the towel but Dustin swipes it away with his sneaker, “Hey!!”
“No! No you’re not, you’re being selfish and reckless— Eddie is always here! With you! Or you’re out galavanting around with him being all weird and shit! Come up for fucking air once in a while!” For the faintest fraction of a second you are absolutely gobsmacked.
“We are not being weird, Dustin. For your information, we go to the movies or we sit at a diner. We are always indoors… I don’t even know why I’m having to explain this to you? We like each other, okay? Soon enough you’ll have someone that you like too to spend every waking second with—“
“I do have someone!”
“Someone real!”
“She is real! God! I cannot keep having this conversation with people!”
You’re not sure how or why, but somehow, as you stood opposite your baby brother… that’s what you saw him as. Not the rebellious teen with chip on his shoulder but as the tiny gap toothed nuisance who would shoot you with silly string and leave your bedroom door open. The little shit that would blame you for everything to your mom and vice versa. In a moment you should have felt your blood boil you only could muster a knowing smile.
“Fine. You win… but if you wanted to spend time with me so bad you could’ve just said that, Dweeb.”
“What? That’s not—“ Dustin waves his hands dismissively.
“I’m picking the movie marathon, you get the snacks when I ask.” You conclude with a gleam in your eye.
“This isn’t what I meant!” Using his pointer finger he gestures rapidly between the both of you and the rest of the empty house.
“Whatever, Loser! Admit you love me!” You holler over your shoulder, galloping away toward the solitude of your bedroom. Time to rummage through your video tape collection.
Rummaging through the box of nostalgia like you’re trying to dig a hole in the ground with your bare hands, your eyes are drawn to the colourful tape cover of Richard Donner’s, Superman, starring Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent. The character who just so happened to be the dorky heartthrob to pave the path for your exquisite taste in even dorkier men.
“Okay, yes, definitely this.” Fluidly you tuck the tape beneath your armpit, rummaging through for another movie or two which you find rather quickly. None of the movies you had picked correlated with each other in any way, shape or form. But they were fun and uplifting with a singular spooky one to finish the night off right.
Back in the living room, Dustin sets the scene. Blankets, pillows, even a childhood stuffed toy or two. He could’ve argued against this all he wanted, threw a teenage fit, but beneath the surface he was secretly ecstatic to be spending time with his big sister. It felt nice to be your kid brother again… it was starting to feel like a distant memory.
Sinking into the sofa you hum gleefully into the bowl of popcorn on your lap before you’re tossing a kernel or three into your mouth, “Ewww, Dustin! Salted? Really?” Your tongue dries up at the magnitude of salt that just invaded your mouth and Dustin groans.
“Don’t like it then get your own, Sucker.” The time it takes you to blink Dustin has snatched the bowl from your grasp, the bowl that just so happened to also be the ‘Family Barf Bowl’ and Mom’s ‘Bleach Bowl’ for cleaning the cabinets.
“Oh you little shit.” You use the palm of your hand to nudge his hat from his scalp and you relish the distressful noise that follows the act, “Don’t ask me for a drink refill or nothin’ ya hear? Salted fucking popcorn… psycho.”
The smell of the stove heating up could lull you to sleep with the way it conjures up colourful memories from your childhood. School bake sales, your Mom showing you different recipes which she inherited from your Grandmother, the time Dustin nearly burnt the house down with a makeshift ‘Magical Potion’ he had created in D&D and wanted to try in real life. All of these things and more kissed a smile onto your lips.
Without fully realising, you had been staring out the kitchen window that looked out across the lawn and onto a stretch of trees. Hard to see in the fading light, you mostly could only make out your own reflection in the glass. But something stirred that image. A shadow passing by the side of the house. Like a pebble dropped into a lake.
At first, you blinked it away and decided it was a trick of the eye, but when your popcorn kernels began to pop and you near enough jumped out of your own skin, you reckoned that only real fear was able to do that to you.
A quick hand reaches for your chest in an attempt to slow your beating heart, “Jeez—“
“C’mon, you’re missing the best bits!” Dustin whines from the sofa with his mouth half full of candy and for the sake of tonight’s plans, you let go of the figure in the window. Maybe it really was just your reflection.
To your right Dustin had hit snooze before the end credits began to roll and you toss a blanket over him all whilst fighting back the urge to smother him with a pillow in the process, “Night, Kid. Love ya.” It was the first time Dustin was able to sleep at a reasonable time in months.
The walk to your room is slow and in passing you stop at the bottom of the staircase, contemplating going up to say goodnight to your Mom, but you knew she’d be reading or sleeping so ultimately you decide to leave her be, “Goodnight, Mom… I love you.” Words spoken softly into the darkness, only loud enough to settle yourself to sleep.
A sound from inside your bedroom stops your twitching fingers from grabbing your door knob, a small creak of the floorboards whispering a fair warning through the walls, but you knew. You knew someone was in there.
Or did you? Was this just your paranoia from earlier creeping its way back in?
Rationality takes over and you push your way inside even with your nerves still fizzling on end. Only you did not expect to be met with a pair of curtains blowing gently in the wind. Did you leave the window open…? You couldn’t remember. A guttural pull drags you to your bed side table where you switch on your lamp and then was followed with a frantic gallop toward your open window. You take a peek outside before slamming it closed, having not seen a soul. You rest there for a moment, your palms against the window sill before you’re spinning on your heels and gasping for air.
“I didn’t scare ya, did I, Sweetheart?” From a shadowy corner comes the voice of the man you love, however it doesn’t seem to soothe the rattling of your hands.
“Eddie!” You whisper shout, “What are you…? How did you—”
“Window,” He takes one careful step toward you, “I couldn’t stay in that trailer alone for another second. Bored out of my goddamn mind… come home with me?”
“Wayne isn’t home?” You ask absentmindedly as you take off your cardigan, suddenly now warm.
“Night shift,” He repeats the words you’ve heard over and over for the past few weeks. You hadn’t seen Wayne since Eddie’s arrival home. Not once. It should’ve alarmed you but you trusted Eddie wholeheartedly.
“Even with the curfew?”
Eddie replies with a hum.
Across your face a small grin formed, “Admit it, you missed me, Munson.”
In response to your tease Eddie chuckles lowly, “You caught me, Baby. Need you there with me…”
“But the Chief… if we’re caught—“
“We won’t get caught. Promise—“ He’s closer now and something about his presence has you feeling drunk.
Pouting your bottom lip you cross your arms over your tank top clad cleavage, “Why can’t you stay here with me? It’s probably safer than us going back out there…”
Kas could hear the rising beat of your heart. The excitement stirring within you at his growing proximity and the gloss glazing your gorgeous eyes, “Your family’s here, Honey, and what I wanna do to you… I need privacy.”
Instantly you were sold on the idea. Like a giddy school girl awaiting her first kiss, “Okay.. but I think I’m going to need a little more convincing.” Suddenly shy beneath the pin of his gaze you turn your attention toward your carpet.
However that doesn’t fly for long as Eddie’s slender fingers grip the plush of your cheeks and force your eye-line back to him, “None of that, Pretty girl… God, I wanna ruin you.”
His lips are all over you, pressing heavenly kisses to your neck and shoulders. He sucks on the sweet spot on your neck and you writhe against him, “Still needing convinced?” His unoccupied hand slides beneath your tank top where he squeezes the fullness of your chest through the security of your bra and you nearly buckle at the knees when his tongue wrestles sloppily with yours.
“Eddie…” Was it a plea for more? Or were you trying to dismiss his seduction? You weren’t certain. All you knew was that your body craved him. You were screaming to be touched and taken care of.
“Is that a yes?” He bites down gently on your neck and you flex into his touch, your head nodding profusely.
“Okay… okay.“
Filled to the brim with ego, “Atta girl. C’mon, out the window before I lose my mind.”
—
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
Eddie hastily ushers you up the steps to the trailer as if he was sequestering his prized possession away for safe keeping. A pinch to your waist prompts a giggle from your throat and Eddie’s finger smushes gently against your lips to silence you, “Shhh, Wayne might be home now.”
His house key meets resistance as he slots it into the lock, forcing him to jam and shimmy the mechanism until the metal is fully submerged inside. Thankfully after that the door opens smoothly and Eddie is first to peer inside, craning his neck from left to right before signalling that the coast was clear. As the door closes behind you, you are then victim to a darkness that your eyes struggle to adjust to. Before a lamp could be switched on, or any light for that matter, Eddie is all over you like a hot rash in the Summer. His hands are everywhere and his lips are unfaltering from yours.
“Need you like I need air to breathe, Baby…” He moans into your mouth like he could combust from just this and you feel that all too familiar pulse between your thighs return, “Fucking perfection.” His voice is low and reverent like gospel praise and you succumb to his touch all the more.
You were on cloud nine with each tug and squeeze of your body and Eddie appeared to be right there with you, spurring you on every step of the way.
“Take me, Eds. However you want….” Feverish need outweighed the bashful crimson heating your face and Eddie released a strangled growl.
“You need me, hmm? Need my touch?” He softly pulls on your hair at the back of your head, “Need my cock?” He almost taunts you but you don’t retaliate. You nod in agreement, praying that he’d help you release this rising pressure foaming inside of you. The thought of his fullness stretching you out made your desperation spiral into downright anguish.
“Fuck, Ed’s, please…” Eddie laughs into the shell of your ear and like a volcanic eruption your skin prickles with intensity.
“Not even touched your pussy yet and you’re already begging for me. My pathetic pretty girl, eh?” He flicks a slap against your clothed cunt and you shudder at the tingle that shocks each of your nerves ends, “Room. Now.”
What Kas liked about you most was that he never had to tell you the same thing twice. Thanks to Eddie’s charm and his looks that you loved so much, you obeyed him like a dog on a short leash.
Yes, Baby.
Of course, Baby.
Anything for you, Baby.
It was a shame, really. That this relationship wasn’t built on solid ground. That it couldn’t last forever. Until death do you part…
All the more reason to relish in the here and now. Whilst Eddie still lived and breathed.
In Eddie’s room you fight against the fabric of your pants, wriggling the material down your thighs and calves before kicking the garment from your ankles. Like a disappearing act, your tank top vanishes and all else until you are left bare and waiting on the edge of Eddie’s unmade twin bed. Only your panties remain. However, something about your loud nudity made you slightly uneasy as you awaited closer inspection and in a millisecond of remorse you grab the first T-shirt that happened to be closest to you from Eddie’s haphazardly messy floor. Instantly you’re calmed as the T-shirt drapes across your frame and your nose is engulfed with Eddie’s scent. There’s no doubt the shirt was worn and probably on the floor awaiting laundry day but you just didn’t care. Anything that made you feel that much closer to him was worth it in your eyes.
“You ready for me, Sweetheart?” Like a siren song he calls from somewhere beyond the walls of his room and you wait for what feels like hours on his shadow appearing in the doorway. Part of you is convinced he’ll never reach you in time before you burn yourself up . And something sinister slithers up your spine like a snake. Slow and intentional. Goosebumps burst across your skin and it’s as if your body can predict something that your mind hasn’t caught up to yet.
Something primal.
For a long pause you do nothing and say nothing. Remaining as still as stone, partly afraid that he’d never show up. That you’d be left sitting there… waiting all alone all over again.
Until he does…
But there is a change in him. One that shrinks you.
“My princess, sitting all nice and patient just for me?” You feel pinned to the spot, despite your restless mind, and entranced to look at him and only him. The closer he got to you, the stronger it felt. The drowsiness and the inability to lift a finger. Almost as if you were a doll on a shelf watching the world go by. A puppet.
“So quiet… what happened, Babydoll? Don’t like what you see?” The moonlight slicing through the blinds illuminated the space just enough to reveal blurred snapshots of his face. His face that was unlike anything you had ever witnessed in your short human life and Kas gets high off of the emotion reflected in your eyes: Disbelief.
Not fear or horror, not yet, but doubt. An over saturation of it.
“You…” It’s all you can manage to stutter before your tongue gives up on its natural muscularity.
“Don’t try and comprehend it… you can’t possibly,” His shimmering eyes examine his knife like nails expertly and after viewing them you feel nauseous, “Maybe if they had told you at the beginning this could’ve all been stopped.” Registering the confusion pulling your eyebrows together he goes on to break your heart.
“Your so called friends? Your own baby brother? They’ve been lying to you. This whole time and you were the perfect wound that never stopped bleeding. Too fragile for the truth… too damaged.” He bows toward you theatrically with his head hung low, an actor concluding a grand show, “This is the outcome.”
To the side your head sways gently and your eyes settle on the open bedroom door, “Wayne…?” Your ears fill with a deafening silence as the lifeless home stares back at you and in that devastating moment you knew. You knew that…
“Wayne’s dead, Sweetheart.” He says it so casually. As if Wayne meant nothing, as if he was a nobody to you and to Eddie. Whoever this was standing in front of you, he was right. You couldn’t comprehend what was happening. You were beyond confused and angry and full of despair. How could he look like your Eddie but be something so wretched and cruel? Otherworldly?
With tear blurred vision you force yourself to meet his predatory stare. He wasn’t looking at you, he was trying to look through you, “How? How is this possible?” Your body shook with the growing adrenaline spiking through your bloodstream and Kas knelt in front of your perched frame, his hands coming to rest and steady your shoulders.
“You look at me and see your beloved, Eddie, don’t you?” You nod. Still hesitant.
“I’m not him. I’ve never been him. Your Eddie, the one you know and the one that ‘left’ you. He’s gone.” A question pushes up your throat but Kas already knows the answer, “He didn’t leave you like they say he did. He died and your brother resurrected him, in a way. Unfortunately, for you and everyone else, it was me who came back. Not him.”
This had to be some sort of practical joke. A prank you were sure to scold your friends for later. But you waited for the laughs and the giggles never came and your tear burnt cheeks remained on fire.
“You’re not my Eddie?” Kas shakes his head, watching your bottom lip quiver with a growing excitement, “And my Eddie is… gone?” The word splutters out of you. You couldn’t even bring yourself to say it. To think about it. But you had to work this all out aloud. Get these impossible equations out of your mind and into the realm of the living.
“Correct. Knew you were clever.” You bring a hand up to swipe the tears away from your cheek, now aware of your ability to move you contemplate bolting toward the door. Which would’ve been a fine idea if your legs were working.
Kas stands tall, looming over you with a beastly demeanour. You follow his face, the two red sparks shot into a faceless silhouette stare back at you and the only emotion you can make out is amusement.
“Eddie is still in here, y’know.” Every time he talks it’s like a blade to your body, gutting you and leaving you empty inside, “I can hear him sometimes… pleading to spare you. Sometimes he can overpower me, that’s how much he loves you— well, loved.” You want to slap him, hurt him, fight him but you can’t. Too drained. Too weak.
“Like right now he’s screaming to reach you. His fists are relentless against his prison walls. All because he can see you now… how stricken you are.” Unexpectedly and in one fluid motion Kas snatches your face between his clawed hand, his nails sharp against your smooth skin. You gasp at the outburst, suddenly shocked awake.
“Want him to see you this way. So petrified and helpless… and there’s nothing he can do about it. Nothing to stop it.” Up close his breath smelt like metal, undoubtedly blood, and his teeth had transformed into something you had only ever read about in fiction. You cry out when his nails pierce your cheek ever so slightly and you try to jerk away from his grasp, causing the pain to scratch across the surface further.
“What the fuck are you?” You spit, now livid and determined to get as far away from him as possible.
“The same as you, only I don’t hide it as well as you humans do,” He stands again, using such little power to push you violently back onto the bed, “What are we if not all monsters?” Your body thrashes against the mattress as he crawls on top of you. Savouring each flick of struggle from your otherwise paralysed muscles Kas chuckles low into the night air, “After tonight I’ll have all I need to return home. Every plan, every source, every name. They’ll find you in the morning… but don’t worry, and your funeral will be divine. All of your favourite flowers and songs. And stories…. You’ll be remembered just as the rest…. Taken too soon.”
Your mouth gapes open to scream but nothing comes out, a sharp inhale of breath stealing your voice away as Kas’s hand heavily weighs down on your right arm, snapping it clean in two, “Shhhh… don’t cry. You’ll only make this more memorable for me.” You sob to the sky, praying to whatever higher power that may exist up there to save you. But the torture persists.
Like a pig sniffing out truffles Kas buries his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent like it is the most intoxicating substance on the planet, “Pains me to kill such a pretty thing…”
“Then don’t!” All you can do is tremble as if you are haemorrhaging.
“Oh but it’s not that simple, Honey.” Little by little the feeling returns to your body and you are so overwhelmed by the pain from your arm that you don’t pay mind to the way he sucks and licks at the pulse on your throat. Your brain has been taken over by a horde of bee’s and all you can manage is stifled groans as you attempt to kick your legs against him.
Eventually your knee collides with his stomach and he releases an animalistic moan into your ear, “Now, now… you’ll only rile me up more if you keep fighting me like that.” You hear the smile on his face ghost against your shoulder and collar bone before he decides to sink his teeth into the muscle there. He penetrates the skin so deep that you are at a loss for profanities, only gargled screams of agony leave you. Over and over you replay the sound of his fangs scraping and crunching against bone, your bones and bile instantly finds the base of your oesophagus.
“Nghaaaa!!!”
“Whoo!! That sound!! Gets me off!” He howls to the ceiling like a rabid animal running rampant and you sneak your hand up to clasp the bite mark, hoping to stop the blood from swelling and ease some of the pain. You roll slightly onto your side, your body wanting to retreat into the fetal position, “Let’s get you out of this shirt, hmm? Looks awfully bludgeoned to me.”
Down your exposed side he rakes his talons from your ribs to your waist, partly tearing the shirt whilst also etching the edge of the razors into your soft tissue. In that moment you hoped for death. You anticipated its sweet embrace. Accepted it.
But it never came.
What came was silence from your murderer. Until he began to convulse and roar like a caged lion. There was no denying that it pricked your heart beat up, like a defibrillator to the chest.
“RRR—“ you struggle to sit up, observing him closely as he propels across the room and away from you, his hands ripping at his hair, “RRRRUUUUU- NNN- NO!!” For a split second he appeared human. Someone you recognised.
“Eddie…” you whisper his name, too afraid to say much else.
“RRRUNN NNOOOW!!” His eyes grasp the door with both hands and you waste no further time, “GGOOOOO!!” He’s begging now but getting up from the blood soaked mattress was the worst pain you had ever endured and seeing this man wrestle with himself left you fearing for more than just your life.
With your legs unsteady you nearly collapse as you stand, your knees like jelly and your feet in sand. Thankfully you find your bearings just as Eddie collapses to the bedroom floor and you limp for the hallway, leaving smears of bloody handprints against the door frame and the walls as you lean on them for a much needed crutch.
The noise from behind you becomes angrier, more reckless and desperate, thuds against the walls and furniture being used and thrown. When you reach the front door you take a risky glimpse over your shoulder, only to be mortified at the sight. The body was following you, still shaking and uneasy, but it was coming after you nonetheless. Salivating and snarling like a starved bear.
“Come. Here. N… n..” He falters again, his head hanging between his hands as his knees crash the ground.
Within the second you are bursting out onto the front patio and wobbling down the uneven steps, your bare feet pricking against small jagged rocks and snapping dry twigs as you run as fast as your wounds would allow you towards town.
Through your difficult pursuit you hadn’t turned around once, because if you had you would have realised that Kas was following your blood curdling screams into the night.
Yes I made this header image and I am SO proud of it 🥺 isn’t it beautiful?
Description: An unfortunate mishap leads you into the hands of the law and while incredibly handsome, you sure did wish that this detective would stop following you around. w/c: 3k
Pairing: Detective!Eddie Munson x Trailer Park!Reader.
Tags: Strangers to mild enemies to lovers, drama, romance, mystery. (This will be updated as chapters progress)
⚠️: Deceit, money troubles, found family, trust issues, weaponised independence, explorations of loneliness, abandonment, criminal activities, gun use, slow burn. Fluff, angst and eventual smut in later chapters. (This will be updated as chapters progress) My blog is 18+ MINORS DO NOT ENGAGE
Authors note: This is my new baby and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I am loving writing this story. Re-blogs and comments are ALWAYS welcome in this house and I thank you for your time xoxox
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Chapter One
The interrogation table could have been the fluffiest of pillows with the way your sleep sunken eyes blinked down at it. The silver metal beneath your elbows is so scraped and tarnished that you can't even make out your appearance in it, though sure that you looked an absolute mess. It had been two hours since someone last check up on you and three hours since the handcuffs were slapped around your wrists. Tight enough to strangle your circulation.
You were behind this desk through no fault of your own. Luckily you had your mother to thank for the intrusion into your Friday errands. Unlike your mother, who is short fused and accusatory, you had a patience that was as free form as water and kindness by the bucketful.
In the corner of the room is an old fan that spins its rusty blades lazily, as if time has visibly slowed and you try not to fret over the sweat beginning coat the back your neck in the sweltering mid July heat.
"Sorry about the wait, Ma'am. We're a little overrun here at the precinct." Finally, another human graces your presence and the bonus? He wasn't too harsh on the eyes, either, "Have you had anything to drink or eat?" A slight shake of your head tells him 'No' and he releases a soft sigh through his nose.
Opposite from you he silently pulls out the only other remaining chair, sitting on it with a care that filled you with questions.
"I apologise about that… someone should've taken care of you. Would you like a glass of water? Maybe a soda?" In the time it takes you to respond you have already consumed intricate details from his appearance. Shiny black leather belt, polished boots with scuffs on the front that he has tried desperately to hide and a necklace tucked beneath the collar of his white button down. He'd be the picture perfect cop if it weren't for the mess of curls upon his head that he's attempted to pull back into a bun. His face is clean shaven from this morning, you can tell from the shine on his face and his lips read an expression of concern.
"I'd like these cuffs off." A silence that lingers, "But I'll take a Sprite, if you have one." To that he smiles.
You were prepared for a gruelling evening and even more so to be held in a holding cell until Monday morning, but the officer in front of you gave you a quiet hope.
"Officer Munson?" His eyebrows perk at the question, evident he has forgotten the ID badge dangling from his hip.
"Detective." He corrects with a undercurrent of pride.
You bow your head, respecting the title, "Detective." You repeat coolly, "When exactly can I leave?" Part of you suspected the answer, but who were you if not a trier?
The brunette releases a gruff sigh through his plump lips, "Unfortunately, I have no authority to say." He clasps his hands onto the table and tilts his body towards you on his elbows. His nails are trimmed and clean, "Your mother has some compelling evidence against her and thanks to your destruction to private property we may be here a few more hours or until Monday. Depends on the cooperation."
"Cooperation?" You ask instantly.
At this closeness you could smell the freshness of his cologne. It reminded you fondly of the fresh outdoor springs from your childhood where you used to play. He hums and nods, "People are going to want to ask you a lot of questions. If you're open and willing to helping them build their case against your mother then I can't see why they wouldn't release you tonight."
Your tongue pokes into your cheek, "I still have a phone call, don't I?" You knew you did.
"Mhm," He replies with a readiness to grab an attending officer to help escort you to the nearest pay phone outside, "You got someone in mind?"
The gentle urge to tell him was undeniable. Like two old friends catching up after years of distance, it felt easy and familiar. He was damn good at his job.
"I do."
That person wasn't a lawyer, as it might've been best to call on one, but it was your neighbour Sally from the trailer across the way.
"Sally? Hi! Uhm, I'm in a bit of a pickle, would you be able to go on over and feed Ellie at around 6 tonight? The keys where it usually is… I won't be home for a while and you know how she gets when she's hungry." A coy smile is feathered onto your lips, "Yeah, that's the one. Okay, thank you, Sally. Buh-bye now. Bye."
To your right, the attending officer has been replaced with Detective Munson who's bulging arms are crossed comfortably over his chest and his dark brown eyes have a intrigued twinkle to them.
"Is Ellie a daughter?" There was nothing casual about the question and his body language demanded a response.
"Something like that."
"Because if there is a child at home then we can post an officer out there with them until this is all sorted out." You dismiss him with a flick of one of your contained wrists.
"Ellie is the family dog, she'll be alright." And that ended the conversation.
For the following hours men came and went with questions about your mother and about her finances. A lot of the questions you had no answer for. You didn't know much about what she did, or where her money came from, exactly, but what you did know is that it was shady. Apparently you weren't aware of just how seriously she had messed up.
Her conviction? Fraud and embezzlement.
Yours? Damage to private property.
A.k.a, when you kicked the wing mirror from your mothers car after she accused you of ratting on her. She always said you had the temper of your Daddy.
The good news is that Detective 'Hot Stuff' was able to get those charges waived on the grounds of your cooperation with the leading officers.
You'd face no consequences.
For the most part.
-
The trailer park sits settled in the dim light, but not yet asleep as you arrive home and the red marks around your wrists itch with mild irritation. A not so gentle reminder of what you'll always be… what you'll forever be seen as.
Every night without fail you can rely on the faint music playing from Sally's porch to bring sleep into your reach. Her radio was old, small and would often glitch and jump around to other stations, but every now and again there was a sweet spot that played some classical music for hours on end.
In the Summer time it was near impossible to get Sally to go indoors to bed, her husband Ally tried tirelessly but she wouldn't budge from her wicker chair out front. She was an observer, not dissimilar to you.
When you first moved to the trailer park when you were only 16 years old, and you hadn't a clue about living life on your own, you thankfully found Sally and bonded with her instantly. She reminded you of your late grandmother Patty who you could only remember through blurred memories from your youngest years. Slowly but surely that lone wicker chair on her front porch turned into one more reserved for your late night chats together and midnight nibbles of home baked goods.
As much as you cherished Sally's wisdom and her ability to make you belly laugh, you decided to steer clear of her detection tonight and clamber into your trailer through the back door. You'll thank her in the morning. Welcomed, you were met with a slobbered teddy bear dropped at your feet by Ellie, your trusty Retriever who has clearly missed you dearly.
"Hey, baby! Wait a sec while I turn a light on", The warm bulb from the red beaded lamp illuminates your small space in a homely glow, one that throws a blanket of relaxation over you instantaneously. Your window nook sofa has never looked so good.
Before bed you decide to fix yourself something quick to eat, a bland sandwich which was too dry to swallow comfortably accompanied by a can of soda fresh from the fridge. Match made in Heaven.
After allowing your food to digest a little you go about your nightly routine; refilling Ellie's water bowl, giving her a quick little treat and then taking her on her last walk of the day when the concrete is cool enough for her paws to endure. You never felt alone with Ellie, or unsafe on these late night walks because you knew her nature. She was your life's purpose and you were hers. Equally, you would protect each other.
Which was confirmed by Ellie's reaction to a strange man standing by your front door as you returned to the park. She nearly pulled your shoulder from its socket as she tried lunging toward him, "Ellie, heel! Heel, girl!"
She hadn't barked yet so hopefully the neighbours kept their noses to themselves but you could hear the growl resonating at the back of her throat. Poised and ready.
"Can I help you?" You stop a few feet away from the steps leading up towards your porch and the figure raises his hands in friendly surrender, in one of his grasps you see the reflection of a gold badge glint beneath a nearby street light.
An officer.
Your conclusion comes and goes as a whiff of aftershave engulfs your nose.
Not an officer. A detective.
"I don't mean to intrude, Detective Munson, from earlier…"His hand finds his chest sincerely before he is tucking his badge back into his pocket, "I just wanted to swing by and ensure you got home alright, you refused the lift from the other officers."
"It's a small community here," You needn't say much else, the shadow in front of you nods like he knows all too well what it's like, "Can I do you for anything else?" Ellie rests by your side now, much calmer than before.
"I guess I also wanted to confirm that Ellie really was—"
"My dog?" With a tilt of your head you look down at the panting girl by your side, patting her head lovingly before rewiring your attention back to the detective.
"Yes." He replies plainly but with a small smile which you register now as he makes his way cautiously towards you.
"Well, meet Ellie and Ellie meet… I'm sorry, do you have a first name? Or is that just detective as well?" The stranger chuckles heartily at your quick mouth and you smirk only to yourself.
"Eddie. Eddie Munson." You hum, satisfied with that reply. He looked like an Eddie.
"Do you check in on all your released criminals, Eddie, or just this one?" Your hip pops to the side and your hand follows to sit on your waist, your feet still unmoving toward your home.
"Not all of them," He hesitates, "Only the pretty ones."
A sharp inhale through your nose fills your lungs with the needed capacity to reply with composure, "Well, I thank you kindly but I'm sure you have other pretty's that you can go and holler at whilst I pitch up for the night…" You say all of this whilst moving around him, the pitter patter of Ellie's claws against the gravel acting as a pendulum as the call of your name from your unmade bed grows more tempting by the second, "I've had a long day, Eddie, if you wouldn't mind trailing off." Your head bobs in the direction of the dirt road stretching out and away from the trailer park and Eddie, the gentleman that he is, doesn't stick around to make you beg.
"Goodnight." He bows his head as if he were respectfully tipping a hat towards you.
"Bye, now."
Your bid farewell is half swallowed by the jingle of your keys in the door and as you are met with the quaintness of your empty living room you can't help but ponder the real reason why he came by tonight. And even more worrying:
Will you be seeing him again?
-
The never tiring light of Summer stirred you from slumber long before the sunrise took to the pale blue sky and as you lay staring at your alarm clock with exhaustion you can tell that today was going to challenge you in unavoidable ways. Especially with only four measly hours of proper rest.
By day, you worked with a cleaning company for businesses and home owners: Wiped Clean. One day you could be at an intimate B&B which only took an hour or two to get around on your own and the next you're at a house big enough to be a gothic castle which would take you well into the early evening with additional help. After clocking out it's heading back home to shower, change and tend to Ellie before you're hiking out again to your late shift at one of the local bars centred in town. Vinny's.
Your work schedule was arduous but the bills never did find a way of paying themselves without your help and your tin can of a car needed more gas than a lorry truck some weeks with all the miles you'd cover.
Generously, Wiped Clean would sometimes cover travel expenses if your work for the day was further than usual, but anything closer than the strict 20 miles was left up to you to finance. Today you worked close to home on a farmhouse that you visited regularly. The owner, Bob, is a sweet old man that always awaits your arrival with a huge smile and some peach iced tea to get you going. His wife, Jessie, who was unable to move much now with her crippling arthritis, waved at you from the living room window like clockwork.
"I always ask for you, I say, 'She's the sweetest girl and she's a very hard worker' I say, 'I'm not paying anyone else, you gotta send her.'" Bob follows you in from the growing heat with a hearty chuckle, imitating his phone calls with the cleaning company and you huff a laugh through your nose, already weakened with lack of sleep and his story that he has repeated to you a hundred times over. Evidently, they didn’t receive many visitors and from the lack of family photographs around the house you assumed they must be childless. But their wedding pictures were divine and pumped full of love and devotion.
"That's real kind of you, Bob. I'm glad you keep having me back." You place your bucket of supplies at the bottom of their staircase, taking a sip of the cold tea and waiting for any further instructions from the grinning old man in front of you.
"Just the same as always, Dear. Only needs a little spruce up here and there and you can be on your merry way. Don’t wanna take up too much of your time on a day like this." Internally you scream with gratitude and nod with a sweet smile before turning on your heels and heading up the stairs. Each one creaks beneath your weight and every time without fail, no matter how many times you visit, you always picture yourself falling through the wood.
The minutes tick on and an hour passes quickly. Bob was right, there wasn't much that needed to be done. It's just unfortunate that you are paid by the hour, "That's me all done, I'll see you guys next Saturday?"
"Absolutely, Honey! See ya then." Jessie replies this time, her eyes only flicking away from the television screen for a split second to acknowledge your departure before she is invested back into her show. It must've been a juicy episode.
On your way to your following and final home you wolf down your lunch in the car with one hand on the steering wheel whilst the other rummaged around blindly on your passenger seat for any other snacks you had thrown into the car with you and you washed it all down with four greedy gulps of lukewarm water. The heat was absolutely unbearable and thanks to your car air conditioning that only half worked you arrived to your new location fully drenched in sweat, windswept with grains of sand and gravel stuck to your hair and face. This wasn't a fashion runway, you knew that much, but still you felt overly aware of your appearance as the customer looked you up and down with caution.
All you could do was gleam at him.
"Cleaner?" Carefully groomed dark eyebrows perk up above his eyes, the clearest icy blue eyes you had ever encountered in your life. So blue that looking at them made you question if he were human.
"Yes," You confirm with a flash of your small ID card which has a faded headshot of you stamped in the left hand corner. Desperately you begin using your forearm to dab away at your slick forehead, pulling some rouge hair from the skin by your temples. The house behind the man looms down at you and your heart pricks with panic, "Am I the only one here?"
Registering your worry, the curly haired blonde shakes his head, "Don't worry, it's only the one room I'd like focused on today. My usual maid is out on… annual leave." You remember now, this was the customer that kept rotating different cleaners from the company. Some would come in groups for the entire house, but throughout the week it would be one or two for maintenance and upkeep purposes only. Mr. Hargrove was his name if you seemed to remember correctly from all the stories from the other ladies.
"Okay." Your bucket rattles at your side in your loosening grip.
"Shall we?" He asks with a voice dripping with charm, extending his arm back toward the front door of the property.
"Lead the way."
You couldn't help but feel semi-frustrated as you knelt scrubbing the toilet bowl elbow deep to reach the bottom. One room. Just one room and you travelled all of this way. The room did take you some time, changing the Egyptian cotton sheets, making the bed to a standard of high quality and vacuuming the thick rugs and wooden floor but still not enough time for you to have wasted coming here. The adjoining bathroom also needed some major TLC.
By the looks of it, Mr. Hargrove had had a wild evening the night before. The telltale giveaway?
Used condoms in the garbage can which you tried your best not to dry heave at.
Snapping off your yellow rubber gloves with a satisfying pop you slap them down into your bucket and after checking over all the intricate details you wander your way down towards the first floor where you'd hope to find Mr. Hargrove easily. This house appeared even bigger on the inside than it did from the outside and each corridor lead to someplace else, sometimes wrapping you around in a circle. The decor was an elevated modern style which screamed new money and the paintings on the walls made your eyes roll. You could definitely do better than most of these pieces.
Closer inspection told you of Mr. Hargrove’s character. The house was lonesome and unlived in. Ornaments dusted and polished, but unmoved and unloved. Flowers that appeared fresh poked out of grand vases but they too turned out to be fakes.
It confused you, this big house and no one to cherish it.
Finally you reach the floor below and you find Mr. Hargrove pacing the tiles in the kitchen with a tattered notebook in his hands. He looked and dressed like a business man, maybe he was practicing an important pitch.
He stops dead when he sees you, almost surprised that you're still here, "All done?" He asks gently and you nod.
"Yep. Good as new." You shoot him a thumbs up and immediately cringe at yourself afterwards.
"Great, here's some cash. Thanks again." Awkwardly you watch as he digs through his wallet that is thick with all sorts of bills. Part of you questioned if you should tell him that the company pays for these visits and he shouldn't have to pay you anything today, but you stay silent. Accepting the $50’s that he hands to you. Not like he'd miss it.
"Thank you, Mr. Hargrove—"
"Call me Billy." He reaches an open palm out to you and you wipe your hand on your pants leg, ensuring it's dry before you clasp your fingers with his, "See you next time."
He dismisses you with a wink and you take that as your queue to get out of there which you do all too eagerly.
Pairing: Kas!Vampire!Eddie Munson x Henderson!Reader. (Lovers to strangers to enemies…. It’s complicated.)
Description: Dustin Henderson loves to read, especially books by the novel super star, Stephen King. After reading ‘Pet Cemetery’ by the author, Dustin turns to fantasy when his best friend, Eddie Munson, is staring into the jaws of death in the Upside Down. Hoping that he can save him. That he can bring him back… Dustin buries him there.
⚠️ Warnings: Mentions of death, character death, Dark!Eddie, swearing/cursing, angst, murder, attempted murder, manipulation, kissing, implied sexual encounters, bodily harm, grief, menstrual blood, blood, gore, injury, stalking, trauma, night terrors, dead dove. This isn’t a fairytale.
-
A/N: Lots of Kas inaccuracy I bet (not sorry!!) Word count unknown… I should really start keeping track. Also not proofread after a certain point xx
- 6 Months Prior -
Dustin’s cold and trembling hands warm with the spillage of fresh blood. Appearing maroon in the darkened light of the Upside Down, the blood has turned Eddie’s t-shirt from white to brown. The fluid feverishly and sinisterly splutters from Eddie’s mouth and splits his bony prominent chin in half.
Eddie bleeds from his stomach, the tears of his flesh ripped by the bats are oozing and hacking away at his precious time. His eyes flood with pain stricken tears bloated with terror and knowing. An ominous knowing that he wasn’t going to survive this attack. Despite his fear and the feeling of Death’s cold grip on his shoulder, he was beaming with joy that Dustin Henderson would be the last person he saw in this life.
“Stay with me, please stay with me, Eddie!” Dustin’s shoulders tremble with each swallowed sob he tries to fight. The palms of his soaked hands press firmly at one of the wounds however leaving the others seeping with crimson and unattended.
“Eddie!! Stay awake, Eddie!! Don’t— please don’t leave me, please…” Frustrated with Eddie’s growing stillness, Dustin resorts to tapping his face, slapping the skin of his cheek to keep Eddie conscious.
“Henderson…” A strained cough lunges from Eddie’s throat, shooting blood across the whole of his face, “Re… remember me… please. Don’t... forget.” Eddie is shivering with gentle sobs.
“No, Eddie, never! I’ll never forget. C’mon, you— you have to stay awake— stay with me. We.. we have to get you back— Steeeeeeve!!! Help me!!” Dustin’s confidence wavers and a gaping hole forms like a sucker punch to his gut as he realises that this is it. His best friend, the one person who he felt truly seen by, a mentor and an idol, was going to die. He was going to leave him stranded and alone in this God forsaken ‘normie’ world.
“I… I didn’t run… away… tell… tell her I didn’t… I didn’t run..” For the first time in hours Dustin remembers his older sister waiting at home for them. How could he possibly tell you, someone he adores and cherishes, that the love of her life is gone? How would he look you in the eye and tell you that Eddie is dead but you can’t know how or why?
He couldn’t. He couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t. He’d bring Eddie home to you.
But then, fate decided for him, and he had no choice. The apartment you and Eddie had planned together would sit vacant. Never occupied by you or him. No spilled paint on the carpet or questionable stains on the kitchen floor. There would be no laughter, no tears and no children…
Nothing but emptiness.
Raw and agonised wails of loss could be heard from miles off in the distance and they hit Steve’s ears like a clash of thunder as Dustin’s desperate attempts to keep Eddie alive had failed. Dustin’s heart breaks like glass in his chest, sharp and painful as it collapses to the pit of his stomach and splinters into a million pieces. Forever broken.
Eddie Munson died in his arms.
And only Steve could pry him away.
But they couldn’t leave until Dustin had done one last frantic good deed. He buried Eddie there, in the radioactive and somewhat alive soil of the Upside Down. Marking his grave with his guitar stuck wrong side up into the dirt and his bandana wrapped as a flag around its neck.
Dustin never told anyone why he did that. Why he buried Eddie Munson there.
But he knew why… and all he could do was hope that someday soon he’ll see his best friend again.
As himself or otherwise.
-
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- Present -
The hum of the refrigerator grumbles gently in the nightly silence and Dustin’s swollen eyes are set staring vacantly into the darkness. The kitchen table has rubbed the skin of his elbows raw and his legs feel numb against the chair below him. He stifles a sniffle and resorts to holding the weight of his exhausted head in the palms of his hands.
Too frightened to sleep. Too sleep deprived to stay awake.
Nights like this have become the ordinary routine for Dustin, and you, his sister. He knows exactly when to expect the creek of your bedroom door opening just enough to listen for him in the kitchen. The struggle of you finding your fuzzy slippers and dressing gown so you don’t catch a chill when you go to find him.
And it’s always the same. Dustin will be at the kitchen table, blanketed in shadow, and you’ll always pretend to be thirsty for a glass of water or rummaging through the refrigerator for an early morning snack.
Neither of you talk about it too much. The comedy of it all. But both of you know that Henderson’s are far from stupid.
“Hey.” Your low voice is clear and soft as it splits the space, a dead giveaway that you haven’t been to sleep tonight either.
Dustin doesn’t bother to raise his head, “Hi.”
Compared to you, it sounds like he had swallowed razor blades moments prior to opening his mouth. When it fills the space it’s like the crackle of burning wood in a blazing fire.
Your stature stalls at the refrigerator door, your hand lingering over the smooth silver handle for a moment too long as you ponder what to say next. What do you say to someone who is hurting just as much as you are? What could you say?
“Nightmare?” The question is asked flamboyantly. A throw-away question that you already knew the answer to. You ask it every night. You just had to confirm it.
Finding nothing satisfactory in the refrigerator your next pit stop is the freezer.
“Mhm,” His vocalisation makes you frown into the 2Litre tub of Neapolitan ice-cream, “Couldn’t sleep?” Dustin fires back as he sits up right and folds his arms across his stomach.
Your jaw ticks and you grimace as you steady yourself, moving on to locate a soup bowl in the dark, “Something like that.” Your voice is meeker now. A lot more reserved.
The honest truth was, you hadn’t slept right for 6 months. Something always stirred you awake and when you awoke, you’d always reach for him.
But he wasn’t there anymore.
“You want some?” You hold up a spoon in gesture to the ice-cream thawing on the counter. Dustin scoffs and your eyebrows furrow in surprise.
“Do I want ice-cream? It’s 3 o’clock in the morning—“
“Okay, jeez! God, what happened to my kid brother, huh?” You slam the ice-cream closed and nearly catapult it back into the freezer, “Y’know, you’re so lucky that mom is a deep sleeper because she would freak if she knew you weren’t sleeping—“
“Okay, yeah, I get it! Forgive me if I’m no in the mood for chit chat and ice-cream but I’m missing my best friend, okay?” Your heart wrings in your chest.
“I miss him too but you aren’t the only person hurting, Dustin. Eddie’s gone. He left us and you need to move on and find other friends—“
Dustin’s body turns rigid, his bones seizing until they’re mistakable as concrete. You didn’t know the truth. The week after Eddie had died that’s when Dustin gathered enough courage and composure to spin the tale that Eddie had fled town. That he had met some other new girl. And through this lie came the guilt ridden night terrors. The haunting ghoulish face that bullied him nightly when he slept. Eddie’s soulless eyes seared into the backs of his eyelids.
He had to hide his grief. He had to choke it down like it didn’t exist and every night it visited him in his dreams.
“How can you say that? You’re supposed to love him!—“
“Yeah, I did!” Your voice betrays you with a whiny crack, “I did love him. I still love him and some stupid part of me thought that— that he loved me too but he left me, Dustin. He left you! Why are you not mad at him?” Suddenly the melting bowl of soupy ice-cream no longer appealed to you, “Why do you sulk around all day like a— a fucking sad little puppy waiting for him to show up? He’s Not. Coming. Back!—“
“He might!—“ Total desperation.
“No. He won’t.” You ignore the intense burn of your tears against the lash line of your eyes as you drop your bowl into the kitchen sink with a careless clatter. An eerily calm demeanour falling over you. With your back still to Dustin you welcome the fall of fiery tears down your cheeks.
“It’s been 6 months. If I catch you up again like this I’m telling mom. You need to sleep.” Your tone is cold. Frostbitten.
Before Dustin has any time to protest you are scurrying out of the kitchen like a wounded animal and back to the safety of your bedroom on the ground floor.
Leaving Dustin stranded.
And alone.
-
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- 2 Weeks Later -
For the last 14 days you and Dustin had tiptoed around one another. Barely uttering so much as a full sentence when it came to sitting down for a family meal each evening. Of course, your mom took notice, but she had learned from many years of sibling rivalry experience that it’s best to let the both of you wait it out until it all cools off.
“So, Dusty Bun! How’s your new little club doing at school? Hellscape… or.. Hell… something—“ Your mom’s bumbling is genuine and her honest cluelessness nearly elicits a laugh from you.
“Hellfire,” Dustin stabs his fork into a roast potato with intent to harm the poor vegetable, “It’s.. doing fine.”
Lips purse in annoyance and you gnaw the inside of your cheek. A futile effort to keep your opinions to yourself.
You knew that Dustin was lying. He had gotten pretty decent at it the last year or so. Maybe you felt like this towards him because you two had already been arguing, or maybe it was because you had always been protective of your mom and you didn’t appreciate his dorky little angsty tone that he was taking with her.
“It’s not her fault, Dustin.” Your tone remains calm and still like a sheet of frozen water. Unwavering. You didn’t want to spark a flame with Dustin, you just wanted to remind him of who he was speaking to. The atmosphere at the dinner table seizes up like cramp in a stiff muscle. Your mom very evidently afraid to breathe.
Your eyes meet across the table and for an intense moment you ready yourself for fire to spit from his mouth, but to your surprise, Dustin only sighs and offers your mom a thin curve of the lips.
“Sorry, mom. Long day today…” His gaze flickers to you and his eyebrows jump up discreetly on his forehead. An unspoken way of him saying, ‘Satisfactory? Okay. You’re right. Let’s stop fighting.’
You accept this peace offering with a respectful bow of your head before filling your mouth with a forkful of food. Your mom’s rigidness melts away like butter but that doesn’t stop her from excusing herself from the table to empty the drying rack to make room for the incoming dishes.
After a few long moments of heavy silence you decide it’s better for you to start acting your age as opposed to your shoe size, “Truce?” You ask with the faintest of smiles.
Dustin ponders it for a second, trying to analyse the outcome of this before gently nodding his head and requiting your small smile, “Truce.”
“Great, because you’re on dishes tonight—“ Your face cranes over your shoulder and Dustin’s mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out, “Mom, don’t touch those!! Dustin just volunteered!”
Dustin’s face contorts as he gurgles a scoff, “Remember when we used to get along? Yeah, me neither.”
Then you leave the table.
-
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- Present -
In the dead of night images flash up in his mind like a flickering film reel. Memories of his life worn and full of noise and disturbance. So far away yet so close he could touch them. Taste them.
The trailer sits unmoving and sleepy in the indigo blue nightfall. Against his pale and Hell tormented skin the quickening Spring wind is mild and welcomed. He hadn’t experienced this in a long time.
This aliveness wouldn’t slip through his taloned fingers. Not this time.
The taste of metal coats his forked tongue still as traces of blood weave themselves around each of his teeth. His lips are messily stained from the concentration of the bodily fluid. Kas pays no mind to the fact that by morning break that dismembered body lying by the side road with its throat ripped out will be undoubtably found by someone passing by.
Authorities will be distraught. Where, Kas believes, they should be thankful that he has fed and satiated himself. For now.
Kas could inhabit a host with ease but he could only access so many of their memories. He could only bury himself so deep into their psyche and Eddie seemed to be doing a good job of guarding his most cherished memories and keeping them tucked away and out of Kas’s reach.
Time would allow him to burrow further, only he had to reinsert himself into Eddie’s world first. Starting with this tiny trailer home. Located at 53 Forest Hill Trailer Park. Hawkins, Indiana. The outside of the trailer resembled a decaying tin can that had been left out in the rain. From the rusted seams of the trailer weeps streaks of burnt orange and the windows appear so wind struck with dirt and grime that he can’t even peer through to the inside of the home. The metal joints and bolts whine in the breeze uneasily and he is left to wonder how long this has been inhabited by the Munson’s.
Inside, Kas could hear the gentle thrum of a resting heartbeat and he was certain that it must belong to Eddie’s relative, Wayne, sleeping soundly inside.
The keys in Eddie’s pocket chimed softly as all the metal clinked against each other and the front door clicked open with knowing: Welcoming him home.
Stealthy with eyes like a hawk, Kas takes in the scene like a detective to a crime. Everything remained solid, just as he had seen from Eddie’s memory of the place. Even the smell that lingered in the living room felt familiar. Enough to cause Eddie to stir against Kas’s command. Eddie was proving to be more of a nuisance than he had hoped for. Strong and passionate.
Now, Kas isn’t one to commit to the mundane daily routines of the human’s that he hosts, but if he were to blend in here then he had to scrub the drying blood from his face and hands before he gave Wayne a heart attack.
Each step toward the bathroom elicited more findings. More recognition and more fight from Eddie. Trying to fight him was like being strangled with barbed wire; annoying and worrisome. Luckily, Kas was able to suppress him. Ignoring his plead for his humanity and his cries of bitter loneliness.
The bathroom light buzzes to life with a satisfying ‘clonk’ of the light switch and Eddie’s weak human eyes wince as he is engulfed in warm beams. The small ceiling fan in the corner gurgles to a gentle whir and Kas closes the bathroom door behind him before inspecting his ghoulish reflection in the nearby mirror.
Just as expected, he looked horrifying. Too gruesome for immediate introductions.
Cheekbones protrude like cliff side rocks being bashed against by the ocean. Eye sockets are sunk in toward Eddie’s skull and his eyes… his eyes were like wine spilled over snow. Intense enough to make you flinch.
It smelt clinical in the bathroom, like bleach from the cleaning supplies under the sink but also damp from the nearby bath towels folded on the outdated radiator. Not bad or unpleasant but lived in and recently used.
The walls are coated in a thin layer of cheap light blue paint, almost white with the loss of pigment over the years. Toward the ceiling the paint has began to peel from the steam from the shower, revealing underneath the paper brown of the plaster board that lines the foundations of the space.
Eddie’s body is stripped limb for limb of clothes and jewellery before the shower water has time to warm up. Humid steam is fast to fill the small room and each breath feels thicker and thicker with each inhale and lasts twice as long.
The pads of his feet are cold against the cream coloured vinyl floor as he treads toward and into the shower cubicle. Warmth instantly finds his skin and it’s like soft kisses to his tired flesh.
As the shower stream thunders down onto his head and soap meets skin and hair the plug hole swirls with crusty old blood, both Eddie’s and otherwise, dirt and debris. The darkened water drains away whatever it was that happened to Eddie Munson in the Upside down and he steps out of the shower cubicle a new man but also a scarred man.
Kas is many things, but he is not a healer. He cannot mend the events of the past. So, Eddie’s scars on his abdomen, arms and neck remain just as they would have if Eddie had survived himself. They helped Kas puzzle together his final moments.
The mirror squeaks as Eddie’s damp palm swipes away some of the condensation from the glass. Revealing to Kas a much more tame and gentle appearance. He truly saw Eddie for the first time then.
Something otherworldly happened in that moment, when Kas’s voided gaze met Eddie’s. Something that used to be human stirred within him and an empty aloneness pierced his chest like a thin hot rod. His eyebrows flickered with surprise and he could hear the pounding of Eddie’s heart in his ears. It was as though he could feel his blood coursing through his entire body, thrumming in his veins like the strings of an electric guitar.
However, the tender moment is short lived as passiveness is injected back into Kas’s bones and he slings a graphite grey towel low around his hips which is clearly five years old or older.
The door knob whines with a small twist and as the door pans open Kas is then met with a Browning BSS double barrelled shotgun rifle to the face with Wayne standing poised on the other side dressed in nothing but pinstriped sleep shorts, a faded white vest and brown socks up to his knees.
The human thing for him to do would be retreat and cower with his hands raised in surrender. Instead, he stands there. Heart pumping. Staring down the abyss of the barrel. Total acceptance.
The gun’s safety remains on and Wayne’s iron clad grip on the machine loosens and then drops to reveal his wrinkled and stubbly face wide and ghastly blown with surprise and mild horror.
“Eds…? “ His voice is hoarse and bed ridden, “Eddie?” Wayne’s jaw wobbles with the words and his tired eyes slick over with salt. The palm of his free hand paws at his droopy eyes as if he thought he were mistaken by the sight. It felt like a dream to see Eddie standing there bathed in light and mist and glowing around the edges. He had to be sure. He had to be sure this was real.
Eddie’s face contorts into a wicked grin that pinches his cheeks and slits his menacing eyes devilishly.
“Hi, Wayne.”
-
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Small orange wheels churn and tremble against the rough gravelled concrete leading up toward Hawkin High’s busy entrance. The morning sun burns bright in the clear seaglass sky and students of all heights and ages crowd the parking lot in squashed groups. The dots of their colourful backpacks merging together to form some sort of distorted Andy Warhol painting.
Max’s faded black converse clad foot kicks up the edge of her treasured skateboard until the palm of her hand catches it. A skill she has practiced a thousand times and can do from muscle memory. She knows exactly where to find the party that morning— she also knows exactly what they’ll be arguing about, too.
Lucas’s hand slaps against his locker, frustrated, “I’m telling you guys, it was Eddie! Max freakin’ saw him!” Will and Mike share a look of apprehension before Will’s eyes soften to concern.
“And what about Dustin? He’ll be crushed if you’re wrong about this.” Will crosses his arms over his chest defensively, his shoulders soft and shy.
“I’m not wrong!” Lucas fires back, explosive and passionate. His deep eyes find Max skating toward them in the background behind Mike. She swerves multiple Freshmen and Lucas grabs Mike’s shoulders to turn him toward her, “Here she comes! Ask her! Max, over here!”
The redhead rolls her eyes with a faint smile etched on her lips at her boyfriend’s arm waving her over, as if she weren’t already on her way toward him.
“Hey guys—“
“You saw Eddie?” Mike interjects with a squwack, his voice whiny and slightly annoying.
“Yeah, did you really see him?” Will chimes, his voice softer but edged with alarm.
“Tell them, Max. Tell them—“ Lucas’s voice is clipped surgically when Dustin joins the group. He wears a fluffy grin but his eyes look fatigue ridden and a shade of salmon red.
“Tell us what?” Dustin asks, attentive and curious.
The party swells with a pregnant silence and all eyes dart around in a circle from Dustin to the other members. They contemplate the weight of this with severity. One wrong move and Dustin could break.
Again.
Dustin’s impatience grows until he become irritable, “Well?” He snips in a very Eddie tone of voice.
“Uh… Max… Max saw Eddie.” Mike is the one to warily break the news and Dustin fixates his gaze on Mike’s face, suddenly wide awake.
“What?” Dustin’s voice comes out in panted breath. His throat croaks lowly, barely audible, “It worked…” and Mike nods toward Max who stands waiting for Dustin’s immediate interrogation.
“Is… is that true? Did you see him?” He takes a step closer toward her, his sneakers squeaking across the newly polished floor as he does. Max treads carefully, her eyes as steady as a sniper’s as she takes in Dustin’s every move.
“Yeah. I did—“
“This should be impossible, right?” Will argues timidly, unsure and beyond confused, “Eddie… Eddie died.”
The whole group feel that pain in their chest. The nightmarish memory being the cause of the hollow ache.
“Yeah, he did. He is…” Doubt riddles his mind, “Right?” Mike’s throat bobs as he gulps thickly.
After momentary silence Dustin finally pipes up after some tense solo thinking, “It isn’t necessarily impossible,” He pauses, a small smile brushing his face, “But it is fucking insane.”
Max and Dustin meet once more, “Where did you see him?” He continues.
“Walking toward the outskirts. He was alone but I’d recognise that wild hair cut anywhere. It was him.”
Complete conviction.
“Take me to him.”
-
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The air is foreboding and misgiving. A protective and gentle tug on the sleeve of your sweater whispering, ‘no, don’t go.’ Silence fills your head with an ominous ringing and each click of your bike chain feels like the ticking of a bomb about to explode. As the road stretches out in front of you and the surrounding trees begin to shroud you in inescapable darkness you feel the watchful eyes of the forest piercing your skin like syringes. The overwhelming aloneness that captivates you from head to toe is nearly enough to strike you from your bike. You wobble against gravity and reality hits you in the form of beaming headlights blinding you from the bend in the road up ahead. A cargo truck barrels past you and its shrieking horn stops you still. The erratic rhythm of your heart against your ribs makes you battle the rancid urge to vomit right there and then.
Anxiety lingers in the background of each of your thoughts. Fighting rationality. Welcoming dread.
Just when you thought you might implode from panic you reach Skull Rock and your ears are met with wailing laughter. The tyres of your bike grumble against the forest floor, nearly knocking your chain off the bottom bracket with each stick and stone as you edge closer and closer toward the smoking ball of orange in the distance. A teenage made camp fire, no doubt. The Spring time chill drags goosebumps from your skin and a shiver snakes down your spine. The sensation is specific, comparable to a melting ice cube on warm flesh.
Upon your handle bars your bike light begins to flicker and glitch until finally completely shutting off. Allowing darkness to captivate you. Something it has never done before until now. Luckily, you were near enough to the fire to be granted some light. Enough to see who is surrounding that fire.
“Dustin…” The name leaves your throat in a swallowed plea. Barely excusable and yet it grabs everyone’s attention.
“You came! Didn’t think you’d wanna—“
“Hey!” Beams Max, offering you a small jolt of her hand.
“Come, sit.” Steve chimes in a relaxed manner which pulls your blown gaze over to him. At first glance you hadn’t initially registered the shadow perched next to him on the fallen log. His shape similar to that of a cloaked raven occupying a tree branch.
After taking notice of him, something powerful shifts the group. A stiffness that seizes their lungs from breathing and their muscles from moving. The warning tug on your sleeve was now heavy fists pounding on your back begging and screaming for you to flee. Run and never stop running.
“What the fuck…”
Instead, you stand there. Tethered to the spot.
“You didn’t tell her?” Max hisses in a hushed tone but you still hear her over your pulse clanging in your ears.
Dustin scoffs, “Well no, I guess she— I thought it’d be a surprise— I thought it was nice!”
Your stare is unwavering. Stuck on his silhouette like a deer in headlights. A moth to a disastrous flame. Still, he hasn’t looked at you. Not yet.
“Can’t even look at me.” A scornful thought that wasn’t supposed to hit anyone’s ears except your own and yet the party fall notably silent.
Charcoaling wood snaps and crackles in the rising flames, punctuating the very moment that Eddie’s eyes search your own. His iris’s welcome the smouldering orange of the fire, tainting his otherwise black iris to a Hellish red hue.
There is challenge in his glower and the grin that stretches his cheeks is unanticipated. It shocks you, even.
“There. Now I’m looking.”
Your clenched fists slacken at the grumbling vibration of his voice dominating your mind. Eddie’s voice had changed since he’d abandoned you months ago. Opposite of his once delicate and smoother tone. It was guttural with a jagged and sharp edge. Grittier and more resonate in his chest cavity. Grounded and animalistic. A threat that was able to strike terror with horrific flamboyant ease and it wasn’t just the sound of his voice that appeared heavier and forever shifted. He looked so…
“Let’s talk. Privately…” Evidently, it wasn’t a request.
The soles of your Reebok sneakers remain planted in the dry earth of the forest and you observe Eddie’s slow rise to his feet. It appeared fluid in a way that could’ve only been rehearsed.
Shadows swirl across his frame with each small gust of wind that dances with the flame separating the two of you. He stood taller with a quiet confidence and your face warms at the sharpness of his jaw and the sunken definition of his cheeks. His hair is freshly washed, you could tell, and there was something obscure stretched on the side of his neck. A large dark spider web of skin that almost looked like a scar and was hidden by his dark ringlets.
Noting your rigid frame, Eddie smiles warmly at you and this time, for the first time since arriving, you recognise him, “Please? Only take a sec.”
A second too long, you thought to yourself.
Thankfully for Kas, Dustin had spilled his guts to Eddie a few hours prior. Bringing him up to speed about every intricate event that had spanned over the last 6 months. The tales and the deceit. Including your avoidance and detest of the topic of everything Munson related.
Kas wasn’t fond of the complexities of human emotions and he didn’t care enough to learn how to navigate them in their entirety but he did like to think of himself as a mass manipulator and that’s what he intended to do. Become the ventriloquist to your puppet.
Sensing your stubbornness, Eddie breaks away from the camp light toward a darker area of the forest beckoning you to follow. Close enough to the group to seem ‘safe’ but far enough for his lies to paint the exact picture he wanted them too. Uninterrupted.
Morbid curiosity brings your feet forward one cautious step at a time and it doesn’t take much time before the group begin to mingle together again at your absence.
“Save it.”
“What— I’ve not even— just listen—“ Your eyes strain to adjust to the darkness and Eddie’s shape seems faceless in the shaded moonlight except for those reflective button eyes blinking back at you.
“No—“ A click of your tongue punctuates your eye roll.
“Yes.” You seem to blink and somehow Eddie is right in front of you. Intense eyes searching yours and his leather clad arms caging you in against a tree trunk, “Five minutes. S’ all I ask.”
A shiver flickers down Eddie’s spine at the scent of you. Such a delicate aroma cursed with memories that make Kas’s head spin hazily. Dreamlike. The way your laugh always had you clutching at your chest and how you looked when you were in deep sleep. The droplets of water on your skin lingering after you’d showered and your happy dance after Eddie would supply your favourite snacks on a gloomy day. For a moment, Kas’s control slips. Eddie’s consciousness wrapping its tight fists around his throat.
At this proximity you take notice of his eyes— how much they have changed. Somehow. No longer heavy with warmth and oozing with brown, but flecked and pierced with a cold red and black. Almost shimmering in the darkness. Those weren’t the eyes you fell in love with.
Distracted by the charred smell of bark and the fresh mint that captivate your senses, you are transported back to the hallway at school when you first began dating Eddie. The sneaky make-out sessions between classes against the lockers that left you panting and yearning for more. The brushed knuckles as you passed one another in the canteen. You remembered everything good. Every moment bathed in warmth and love. Such a stark contrast to what is in front of you now.
“I’m taking your silence as compliance so this is it. The whole truth—“ Eddie uses the soft pad of his index finger against your jaw to shift your face back toward the fire, “Your brother lied to you.”
“Shut up—“ A snorted laugh.
“He did. Henderson covered for me,” As much as you didn’t want to believe a word he said, it would explain Dustin’s restlessness. His reckless behaviour and his inability to sleep since Eddie vanished some months ago. Only you couldn’t understand why. What was so bad that Dustin couldn’t spare you the truth? Anything other than the basketball sized hole punched into your chest when you thought Eddie fled with another woman, “You remember Reefer Rick, don’t cha’?”
Slowly you nod your head.
“Well, you know that he is- was, my supplier, right?” His eyebrows perk, searching for confirmation, “For drugs?”
“Yes, for drugs. Jeez— I know that I’m not dumb—“
“And since you’re not dumb you’ll know that he isn’t the supplier,” Eddie paces slowly, his hand movements like liquid, “He’s the middle man. Basically what I’m saying is— I had to go, I needed to go but I, well, I obviously didn’t want to.”
No sound leaves you.
“Reefer Rick fucked me over,” Eddie’s feet still as he stops dead in his tracks, his body facing yours. You hadn’t noticed up until this point that your back is still flush against the tree trunk from earlier and now, pinned under his gaze, you begin to feel trapped, “I paid him and he robbed me— fucking snake, month after month!” He drags a frustrated his palm down his face, “People from the top came looking for me… that’s why I hid. It’s why I— I ran. I owed them too much and— and I didn’t even know that I did!” He chuckles solemnly to himself and your jaw unhinges with utter disbelief.
Money. This was about fucking money. As if he could read your mind…
“Before you tear me apart just know that I love yo— it killed me to leave, okay? For the last 6 months I have been fucking dead inside but I had to look out for you. I couldn’t live with myself if some macho drug dealing asshat came looking for you because of me.” Eddie respects the space you need right now, judging from your crossed arms and deeply furrowed eyebrows.
“So, instead of telling me you owed someone money you left without a word and let my little brother pick up your pieces?” Eddie’s shoulders square as he braces himself. You laugh pitifully, “That’s ridiculous, y’know that? Fucking pathetic.”
“I almost told you— Woooah hey!” Purposefully you wall your shoulder into his, unfortunately this meant getting close enough to him for him to grab your upper arm with a vice like grip, “Don’t be like that—“
“Let go. Now.”
“No—“
“Eddie, I swear to God—“
“I can’t let you go,” His voice swells in your ears like a whimpering pup, “Not again— you don’t understa— I can’t lose you—“ He is breathless.
Puckered lips open and shut like a fish in water as you track your mind for a response but instead you say nothing. Only you both stand there in one another’s presence for a prolonged moment.
“Let’s start over… please?” Gently, Eddie’s hands slide down your arms until they clasp your fingers, “Please. I just, I want you to trust me again.”
He hides his amusement well, gnawing on the inside of his fleshy cheek to bite back a knowing smile. One feathery touch and he can already see your facade faltering. This ‘I hate you’ and ‘I’m so cool and tough’ act that you have going on is no match for the muscle memory stored in your bones. Melting into Eddie’s touch is what you’re used to and it’s what you’ve longed for every waking moment of every night for the last 24 weeks.
“I need you in my life… I do. And I know I’ve been selfish and— and I know you hate my fucking guts but please… please just let me show you how sorry I am— let me show you I’m better now. Better than before.”
Kas contemplates a dramatic finale of dropping to Eddie’s bony knees and clasping his begging hands up at you as if you were a God. He knows that human’s thrive off of power and domination. They live and breathe control and when starved of it they try to create chaos to find it. Maybe he just had to feed you… make you believe that this was your idea. That you are the puppeteer and he the wooden boy.
Your heart wages war against your brain. Your wide eyes linger on Eddie’s for a second too long before they cowardly flit away and down toward your shoes that now appear all the more interesting. Of course, Kas notices this.
What you think you want to say to him is;
No, you hurt me, fuck you, stay away from me, I hate you, fuck off and eat shit.
Instead you whisper, “There was no other woman?”
“No, no! I promise—” He explains.
“Then okay.” The nail in the coffin.
“Okay?” He beams, bearing all teeth and the space between you begins to shrink. He cranes his neck to try and catch your gaze and he successfully does.
“Okay.” You barely manage to repeat the word.
His hands squeeze the balls of your shoulders a tad too tight, “Oh, Sweetheart… you won’t regret this.” A flirty purr that ruins your stomach.
That settled it. Its about time you two got to know one another… all over again.
-
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Krrrrrk!
The walkie-talkie on his belt hisses to life.
‘Come in, Hopper. Chief Hopper, come in.’
“Yep.” Hopper croaks with pinched eyes and a thundering headache. Beer for breakfast wasn’t his brightest idea but there was no damn coffee in the house.
‘We have a situation down on—“
“Already there, Linda.” The fog fallen arable field sits idle and vast. Contaminated with a desecrated corpse that appeared drained in its entirety. Skin sagged, wrinkled and dry with undertones of bruise blues and purples. Veins as black as coal and finger tips and toes the same inhuman colour. Unlike the last few that have been showing up all over Hawkins under similar circumstances, this one appeared to be female. Judging from her headless body.
She is the first of five to pop up. Each scene demanded Hopper’s authoritarian presence and he could stomach it. Until now. This one… this one churned his stomach and tied it in a wretched knot of bile and bubbles. He could only think of Jane. What if this were her? What if this were one of her friends? What would he do?
Could he cope?
“Awaiting the rest of the team, Chief. They’re ETA’d at 15 minutes.” Hawkins PD officer Calvin Powell asserts with clarity and strength which earns a silent nod from Hopper.
“Where were they?” Jim finally asks, his scowl unwavering from the scene in front of him.
Powell clears his throat, “Another scene, Hop. Supposedly more recent than her. Body is basically still warm.” He nods towards the girl in the grass.
“Oh, Jesus Christ.” Hopper pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes crinkled as he shakes his head in disbelief, “Same pattern?”
“Yep.”
“Man or woman?”
“Teenager.”
“Shit!!” Instinctively Hopper’s hands momentarily cup his ears, trying to shield himself from the dark news. His hands then form fists as he shoves them into his coat pockets full of frustration, “Fuck this fucking job!” He screams into the sky, causing nearby birds to fly from their settled nests and flee.
Powell gulps thickly, “People are worried, Chief. What do we tell them?”
A palpable moment passes.
“Do we know her name?” He drags his palm down his face, both exhausted and plagued with confusion. The wheels churn in Hopper’s head, the pieces not quite fitting together in the way they’re supposed to. What was he missing? Who is the monster doing this to people?
He can’t be human. He just… can’t be.
“Chief, the town—“
“Do we have a name, Powell?!” Hopper breaks.
“No, Sir.”
“And why is that? Huh?” He is slow to walk interogatively closer to Calvin.
“Well, uh she— she uh doesn’t—“
“Doesn’t what?” Jim prods more, his agitation growing, “Doesn’t what?!”
“She doesn’t have a head, Sir!” Calvin shudders, maybe the weight of the situation has finally began to dawn on him. Maybe not.
“And that’s exactly why we can’t tell the fucking town!” Jim plunges his hand into his coat, pulling out a red deck of cigarettes and a lighter, “Now, get outta my sight. Radio me when the team arrive. Copy?”
“Copy.”
-
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The pursuit started small. Creeping in like haunting shadows across your bedroom floor. No matter where you were or who you were with, Eddie always managed to rev his head. You’d catch a glimpse of him at the corner of your eye, mistake him for someone else only to find his eyes already on you when you’d recognise him. Something in your head would always sound off an alarm. A warning siren ringing shrill and sharp as he casually waved his hand up at you and smiled a knowing grin.
Something felt off about him recently.
New.
Separate…
This Eddie was far different to your old one. Callous, cruelly sarcastic and intimidating. His personality seemed to tower over you, even suffocate you at times. Dustin, however, was star-struck by him. Dumbfounded and totally oblivious.
The day of Steve’s backyard barbecue was the day everything shifted. Summer was heavy in the air, the temperature seeming to have sky rocketed over night and the flowers of life were in full bloom. However, alongside the smell of flowers drying in the sun also came the thick stench of death that mortified the town. People were more than aware of the bodies appearing, they were outraged and they demanded answers. But Hopper couldn’t provide them anything, not once he knew where these attacks stemmed from.
Hopper is no stranger to the horrors of The Upside Down, and that’s why until further notice, these secrets would die with him.
In the meantime, a cold beer and a hamburger wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?
It’s his day off.
Hopper in charge of the grill and meat, Joyce on teenage surveillance and everyone else?
Sweltering in the sun.
“Fuck, it’s hot.” Steve groans, his palm pawing at his sweaty upper lip and brow.
“Too fucking hot.” You agree, squinting across the pool with the sun beaming off of the water and directly into your eyes.
Across the yard, the boys play with super soakers and water balloons. Pelting them off of one another and bellowing with hysterical laughter. Max and Jane are close by, as always, their eyes flickering to and from your lounging frame. There is no question that they looked up to you, Nancy and Robin, however it didn’t stop you from shifting uncomfortably every now and again under their watchful gaze.
“Steve?” You address the host soft and unsure. Slowly, you shift onto your side to face him, propped up with your weight leaning against your elbow.
“Hmm?” He hums lazily, his eyes closed beneath the shade of his sun glasses.
“Do you—“ You hesitate, the question tasting fuzzy on your tongue, “Do you… believe Eddie?”
Immediately, Steve’s muscles strain beneath his sun-kissed skin and though he hides his worry well you can instantly read that something isn’t right, “What’dya mean?”
“I mean do you buy all this crap about Rick? Did you know about it… the whole thing?” You’re hopeful that he didn’t, that he’d never watch you suffer the way that you did. But part of you remained doubtful of your friends. After all, Dustin was closest with Steve. You couldn’t imagine him hiding such a thing from him.
“No— What? Of course I didn’t know.”
“Honest?” The tenderness to your voice is sickening.
Flexed muscles soften like warm honey at your tone, “Swear. Cross my heart, Hendy.”
A loud breath exhales from your mouth, your jaw still tense with contemplation.
“So, you believe him?” Pensively you admire the ripple of the swimming pool.
“Sure, I believe him—“ All nonchalance with a confident puffed chest.
“Don’t do that—“
“Do what?” His voice pitches higher and you groan.
“Be dismissive. Defend him. If there’s something you know that I don’t then please just—“
Steve is quick to sit upright, matching your now rigid energy and slinging his sunglasses up to rest in his hair, “Listen, I don’t know what you think I know… but I’d never withhold anything from you, okay? Not if I knew it could help… settle you…”
Settle you. Like you were some sort of distressed wild animal being domesticated. The statement stung like sun burn scorching your skin.
“I have so many questions…”
Instead of retaliation and causing a scene; you let the conversation diminish. Allowing everyone to enjoy the start of a long and tireless Summer.
When Eddie finally arrives the majority of the company have gone home and people are beginning to cover up as the nightly chill creeps its way through Steve’s backyard.
You remain by the pool, allowing the soft wind to coat your skin in lulling kisses. Heavy eyelids fall closed and your shoulders slump with each slow and intentional breath you take. Almost asleep— Until a certain someone pipes up next to you.
“Hard day lounging in the sun?” You heard his grin before you saw it. Each and every one of your cells question if you can be bothered dealing with him right now.
Something about his voice swayed you, though. It quirked your lips up into a tiny curve.
“No, I’m just… thinking.” Your eyes remain closed and Eddie admires your bare frame without judgement.
“About?” Instantly he is inquisitive, his eyebrows raised up on his forehead and his lips pursed.
For a moment you linger, simply existing within the silence as you contemplate what to say. How could you tell him that you were thinking about him? The way his eyes used to smile at you from across the room and how each feathery touch lit your soul aflame. How could you share the dreaded despair of how much you miss him? How you still miss him… even though he is right there with you. Looking at you like that.
“Doesn’t matter.” The decision was clear. There wasn’t much point in enlightening him.
He hums a hum that reads suspicion and you find yourself now fixated on his neck. His hair, tied back in a low bun, cascaded loosely in soft wispy waves barely covering the fresh scars etched there on display. Your fingertips twitch with need, longing to trace the sharp pattern there and examine him further. What happened to him? Where did he go?
“Caught you,” He muses with a grin, snapping you back to the present and you stare at him with a gaping mouth, “You’re curious.”
“Sorry! I— You don’t have to— Shit I’m so sorry…” Blood pulses to your cheeks which causes a hearty chuckle to ripple from Eddie’s throat.
“S’ fine, Sweetheart…” Shaky digits tremble as he fidgets with the silver on his fingers, “Motorbike accident when I was in Florida.” Unruly eyebrows pinch close together as he recalls the scene in great detail.
Florida. That’s where he was…
“A motorbike did that?” The exclamation wasn’t intended but you were confused. Eddie on a motorcycle, it didn’t make any sense. And Florida? Of all places…
“Surprised me, too,” A laugh that read half heart and half sorrow. In an incredibly human way, Kas felt the weight and guilt of his lie. The closer he got to you, the stronger Eddie’s screams became. His thrashing was hard to ignore, “Parts of the accident are a total blur and other parts, well, they uh just don’t exist…”
“You don’t remember anything?” Intrigue and concern unknowingly pull you closer to him. Sitting with him now, Eddie appeared older. Mature but like a red wine gone sour.
“Remember wakin’ up in the hospital. Remember flashing blue lights,” He shrugs, “That’s it, really.”
The pause you take seems to last a lifetime, “Must’ve hurt,” Once neutral lips are now inched down into a soft frown, “You went through that alone…” The realisation knocks the air from your lungs and every suppressed measure of love and care for Eddie bubbles to the surface in the form of tear swelled eyes.
“Hey— it’s okay, I’m okay— Shhhh.” Within seconds a strong pair of arms envelope you in a close embrace and you sniffle softly into the buttery fabric of his white t-shirt. Being this close to him brought you both comfort and strain. Your muscles tight and howling; a confession warring grizzly against your insides.
“I missed you, Ed’s,” You sob from the relief that relaxes your entire body, “Missed you so much.” The words are broken by shaky breaths and Eddie only holds you tighter, afraid that if he let you go that you may shatter. Your fingernails claw at the back of his t-shirt like a rodent, trying to press yourself closer to him; if that were even possible.
The proximity submits Kas completely, and in those few seconds it is Eddie sniffing the top of your head and kissing your scalp. It’s Eddie’s hands that smooth down your spine and cradle the back of your neck. For the first time in months, that empty space within his chest starts to fill again and his memories are in total technicolour.
“Missed you more than you’ll ever know, Sweetheart.” His words are swallowed by the strands of your hair and for a long moment you rest there with your ear pressed to his chest.
“Why Florida?” The words are a mumbled mess into Eddie’s chest, but he hears you all the same.
“Went lookin’ for my old man…” He sighs, regretting the decision and you wrestle the urge to go rigid in his arms at the mention of his shitbag father, “Thought he’d be able to help me out, considering he’s had a few rodeos in his time, Y’know?”
Deciding it’s safer to remain neutral than comment on something you no longer have any say in, you nod your head and nudge your face closer to his chest. Judgement free.
“I found him… but uh… he had nothing nice to say.” A sombreness captivates Eddie’s voice and your teeth grind together as your jaw tightens. Tears threatening to spill.
Timidly, you pull away from him, your cheeks burning and your nose all sniffly, “I— uh— I should go freshen up before, y’know…”
“Totally. Definitely.” The dry skin of his palm finds the dampening skin of his neck and his shifty eyes swirl with greed as they watch you rise to your feet and flee toward the inside of Steve’s house where the rest of the flock were fleeting to as well.
He could smell you… it was obscene. It left his mouth watering.
Steve’s bathroom smelt like a pungent fresh linen upholstery spray and the overhead light is warm as it washes over the magnolia walls that are covered in strange abstract art. On the ceiling there is a strange stain, evidentially a past water mark that you acknowledge quickly. Hurried fingertips dab at your reddened eyelids, patting away some of the smeared mascara there before you decide that a quick pee break is long overdue.
That’s when you see it. The monthly dread staining the lining of your bathing suit, “Oh shit!” You hiss, plucking a small bunch of toilet paper from your left and swiping at the blood hoping to blot some of it away.
It made a bit more sense now. The crying you had endured before hand. The unease at the pit of your stomach and the ache in your limbs. Fucking periods.
In a panic, you rummage through Steve’s cabinet below the sink, praying to find some form of menstrual products. A panty liner, a pad, a fucking tampon— anything! Anything would do. Unfortunately, you only find Steve’s electric manscaping razor and a bunch of loose toilet rolls.
“Ew…”
Screw it. A wad of toilet roll wrapped around your underwear would just have to suffice for now. Looks like this pool party is being cut short.
When you leave the bathroom you feel queasy and fatigued. A sudden drought finds your tongue and the interior lights of Steve’s home begin to poke and prod at your brain.
“Hey— Woah, you okay? Lookin’ a little pale there, Champ.” Steve’s round eyes search your face and you meet him with a graceful smile.
“M’ okay, just a lil’ tired. Gonna head home I think.” A dismissive flick of your wrist waves away Steve’s worry and a quick glance over his shoulder drags your eyes toward Eddie’s hard and sly stare. It read a look of pure penetration. Almost as though you were totally transparent.
As if he knew that you were bleeding.
No, he couldn’t. Surely…
“Need a ride? Pretty sure I’m still under the limit.” He gleefully grins down at the beer bottle in his grasp.
“Nah, should be fine. Fresh air will do me good. I’ll call when I’m home.” You’re already making your way toward the front door before anyone can protest further and the night air hits you like a dream where before you were struggling to sleep.
The gravity of the local news seemed to have slipped everyone’s slurred minds, it must have if they have allowed you to walk home alone without even batting an eyelid. Except, you recalled every gruesome detail from the trail of cases. The photographs. The desperate appeals for information. The entire walk home you were snatching hurried glances over your shoulders, sure that on one of the occasions you’d find someone lurking there in the shadows. A masked man beneath a street lamp with a deadly tool in his hand. Or maybe he’d lunge at you from behind a parked car, catching you off guard and grabbing you from behind.
Jagged steel keys wiggle their way messily between each of your fingers. The cold metal brings comfort to your warm skin but all you can concentrate on is the galloping of your heart in your chest and how it synced with each step you took. Left, right, left, right.
Realistically, the keys wouldn’t do much in defence. They’d slip, or fall or worse; they’d hurt you instead if you threw a punch at someone. You knew this and that’s what made it all the more pathetic. People were dying in unspeakable ways and here you were— believing that a set of house keys would save you from this butcher.
The reality is, if push came to shove, you’d be the next headline in that paper. No amount of wishful thinking could excuse that.
Your thoughts shift quickly as the lining of your stomach grumbles and you feel weak in the knees with hunger and exhaustion. All the poolside excitement left you without food for a good few hours and you were feeling it incredibly strongly now. A box of Mac n’ Cheese is the only motivation you have to keep pushing forward. To get home and change into some pyjamas with a film to fall asleep to.
Unbeknownst to you, you did have a chaperone that evening; only he kept a few paces behind you at all times and had razor sharp instincts. Sharp enough to predict each of your frantic movements. Even when you took drastically off route turns and diversions to throw him off, he could still smell you from a mile away. Taste you on the tip of his tongue. Your scent clinging to his nostrils like tarmac on concrete; teasing him.
The heavenly earthly perfume led him right to your front door and as he stood with his feet planted in the grass of your front yard, he contemplated forcing entry. He pictured the horror on your face and the contortion of your body as you try to flee from him. He really did.
But ultimately, he settled for watching you through the window pane. Glad that you had made it home safely and especially chuffed that he was the one to escort you there unharmed. He imagined the warmth radiating from your skin and heating his. Kas was encapsulated by a forever Winter, unable to hold onto any sort of body heat no matter the human host he inhabited. For a while his skin could prickle and redden with heat like stone in the sun but eventually he would cool again to something monstrous.
He fought to feel the familiar brush of your soft lips and recall every detail of your face and your body. Despite his efforts and the amount of struggle, he couldn’t force the recollection to be his own. These love sick affairs didn’t belong to him. They never would.
It conflicted Kas, the newfound protectiveness he felt for you, but he also knew that partly (or most of) those fond feelings came directly from the source; Eddie. With each passing day he was able to see more and more of Eddie’s past. Even more so, the moments he spent with you. Tender and passionate and it left him feeling fizzy all over. The downside was, the deeper he managed to burrow, the more intense Eddie’s presence became. Harder to ignore and difficult to swallow. The type of annoyance that would have Kas tangling his fingers into Eddie’s hair and tugging on the roots with frustration.
-
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A crooked family photo beams at you from the stairwell wall as you skip your way up to your mom’s room, prepared to rummage through her wardrobe and borrow -take- a few pieces of her jewellery. The mirror is shrouded lightly with dust as you put in some earrings and outside of the window you can hear the birds happily chirping in the nearby trees that stretch the whole way down the avenue. The sun is soft in the early morning sky, painting the clouds a hazy lilac and blue. Not too harsh but still smiling down on Hawkin’s with promise for a gorgeous day ahead.
There were plans for ice cream later in the day at the local gem hidden away beside the popular liquor store and the tiny green grocers; Matteo’s Delights. The shop has stood in the same spot for over 20 years and only the community truly cherishes the homemade goods inside. Outdoors, the exterior design has remained somewhat the same since the 1960’s; cherry red doors with bare dusty brick and white signage with black cursive lettering. Only a few structural modifications had been made for maintenance and a handful of sparse paint jobs here and there to keep things looking fresh. It was a place the group felt welcomed and a place that they adored.
Nancy was the first to introduce you to Matteo’s. Confessing it was the first Summer job she ever had. Scooping ice cream, making milkshakes and serving the community when she was just 14 years old and saving for a Donny Osmond concert. She had turned scarlet at the admission and you had giggled down into the horoscope pages of your weekly magazine.
Life was simpler back then. Care free and whimsical.
Now the once fruitful branches of life sit twisted and askew. Pointing in the one direction you wish they wouldn’t.
“Awh, yes! You made it!” Steve’s arms wrap around you tight and friendly but feverishly you pat his upperback.
“Hi, Stevie.” The words evaporate from your mouth in the form of a sigh.
“Been too long since it was just us adults around,” He addresses the group now, opening up the space with his hands on his hips and allowing you to settle on Eddie’s defensive posture. Arms crossed, legs stood ready and shoulders square. If you didn’t know him, you’d definitely mistake him as some sort of bouncer for a nightclub.
“Yeah, look at us; adulting.” Eddie’s voice grumbles with sarcasm and you gnaw on the inside of your cheek to bite back something equally as sarcastic and cheeky.
Thankfully, Steve was great at ignoring the obvious and all Eddie had to endure was a scornful look from Nancy and a vexed perked eyebrow from Robin. You, on the other hand, turned your gaze to your shoelaces which appeared all the more intriguing amongst the rising tension.
“You… you don’t like this place, then?” You ask with an unreadable tone and your eyes still glued to the ground.
The weighty air stills and as you await the answer your heart dares to plummet to the bottom of your stomach and explode on impact. This was an end-all moment, depending on what he replied. This was the place you and Eddie had gone on your first date and to hear him so unenthusiastic about it really fucking stung.
Did you mean so little to him? Your time together; was it worthless?
Eddie shrugs his shoulders, trying to catch your line of vision with a toothy smile, “S’ fine, Lovie. Was just being a dick.” You meet his smile with a sour expression and you take secret pleasure in the way the grin fades from his stupid face.
“Yeah, you are—“
“Are we gonna go in orrrr?” Jonathan croaks warily, his voice hoarse and you scuff the bottom of your shoe against the dusty concrete which looked feverishly thirsty for a drop of rain.
“Let’s.” You march ahead.
“Right, yeah— let’s uh, oh— Ladies first.” The palm of Steve’s hand rushes to open the parlour door and a wind chime sings above it, alerting the staff of your presence. In total, the booths occupied 2 other people who clearly had no business with one another. Evident from the rows of empty seats between them. Looked like business was booming.
“Nancy! Whatta lovely surprise, my dear!! Come, sit.” Matteo, now a rather elderly gentleman with a refreshing accent, rounds from behind the counter in a red, white and blue striped apron to usher the group toward a spacious red booth where the leather was beginning to crack and peel from wear and tear. The entire walk over you were conscious of the two rounded eyes stabbing into the back of your skull. Eddie hadn’t muttered much else and you hope the next thing out of his mouth is an apology.
“I’ll give you guys a moment to order, wave me over when you’re ready,” Matteo flashes you a quick wink and you meet him with a large smile; half humour and half disbelief.
“Whatta DILF...” You tease jokingly with a giggle and Robin erupts into hysterical laughter.
“More like a GILF!” She remarks with creased eyes an snort, “Grandpa I’d like to—“
“Jesus!—“ Eddie exclaims with furrowed brows.
“—Ok, we get it!!” Steve protests with raised hands which only makes you laugh more.
Eddie’s eyes roll so hard they nearly find the back of his skull and Jonathan plays with the edge of the paper menu, his eyes frantic to find some sort of dessert to focus on.
“Should we get something to share?” Nancy asks all too casually, like she is desensitised to yours and Robin’s antics together and you finally manage to calm the buzz in your chest.
“Yeah, Nance. What you thinking of?” You lean close to her, peeking over her shoulder and Robin sighs dramatically before collapsing back onto the booths pillowy walls.
The tip of one of Nancy’s rose painted fingernails taps on the picture of the banana split, her amused eyes flickering to you and awaiting confirmation with a small smile. You nod, lost to the background as the rest of the group chatter amongst themselves loudly. Steve teases Eddie about something that had occurred the night before and Robin plays a game of ‘who can wrestle the menu away from the other’ with Jonathan. She wins.
Orders are taken and brought promptly to the table. Strangely, Eddie hadn’t ordered anything. A quirked eyebrow elicits a response from him before anyone can ask him why.
“Ate with Wayne before I came, stuffed to the brim.”
Wayne. The name makes your heart sing.
“How is he?” You ask without thinking and four pairs of eyes scorch your face crimson, “I’ve… I’ve not seen him.” You add rather awkwardly.
Eddie holds your gaze and you feel like prey. Something squeezes around you tightly like a 12ft python snake and suddenly it’s as though you forget how to breathe like a normal human being.
“He’s good,” He replies plainly, “Sleepin’ a lot but night shift’ll do that to you.” Momentarily your mind flickers to the rusted and rickety old pull out bed in the living room that Wayne took upon himself to sleep on. Sacrificing his own comfort for the safety and security of Eddie. The thought dampens your mood and follow up questions die at the base of your throat. Part of you wonders if Wayne had the same questions as you did about Eddie’s disappearance.
Did he wonder where he went?
Or did he question if he were dead?
This makes you furious with Eddie all over again. Fuck it, you’ll endure the pain of his torment. But Wayne? His sweet as a cough drop Uncle? He didn’t deserve that.
Not one bit.
“Hope he’s doing well.” On the surface you sounded sincere, and you were for the most part, but your voice also read a subtext of passive aggression. ‘Hope he’s doing well… now that he knows his nephew is okay. You inconsiderate cunt.’
Thanks to years of bullying and psychoanalysing his peers, Eddie picked up on your attitude problem like that!
“Can I speak to you? Outside.” He shoos Jonathan out of his seat so he can slip out of the booth and you follow him quietly but not without an eye roll.
“Be back.” You mutter to Nancy.
Tucked in nice and cozy in a nearby corner is an old jukebox playing the 60’s hit, ‘Buttercup Baby’. It plays ever so gently, loud enough for your brain to register the lyrics but small enough to go unnoticed by many others. You hum along.
As soon as the sunlight hits your skin Eddie is rambling, “What the hell happened to us starting over? You’re acting like a— a little kiddy on the playground. Why— what have I done now—“
You stop him dead.
“You’re one to talk! In case you have forgotten, Edward, I don’t have anything to be apologetic for. You screwed up, not me, and I have to say that you’re doing a pretty shitty job at making up for it—“
“This again— you hate me, you fucking hate me and I knew it!” He clicks his fingers as if having a eureka moment and you scoff instinctively.
“I don’t hate you, Eddie. Not even a little bit.” Immediately, your throat begins to bloat, “You’d think I would, but I don’t. ” Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your composure, “The worst of it all is; even after all that… after you hurt me… I still wouldn’t do that to you.”
“How long do I have to keep apologising for this? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m fucking sorry, okay?!” He begins to pace, “Do you not think I feel bad enough already? This shit eats me alive at night.”
“Really?” You bite through clenched teeth, “It eats you alive? Does it? Because from where I’m standing it doesn’t seem like it. You’ve been a total jerk since we got here. Honestly, it’s like you’re a totally different person now. You didn’t even remember—“
Something stops you. A look in his eyes that seized your tongue from continuing.
“Remember what?” This wasn’t getting you anywhere. This carousel that kept you spinning around and around. Both of you were incredibly frustrated with the other. Furious…
And dizzy.
“I don’t think we can be friends.” Snap goes the elastic band against your heart and you almost grab at your chest to soothe the pain, “This clearly isn’t going to work out.”
“No, stop it—“
“It’s for the best, Eddie—”
“That’s the easy way out and you know it— The cowards way. Maybe it’s better for you to run away but not for me.” The crack in his voice squeezes your chest harder.
“But you did fucking run away,” Your somber soaked voice is laced with disappointment, “You ran away from me…”
Stunned, Eddie’s frantic feet stand still and his jaw hangs loose. His gaze is round and glazed and the sight is difficult to endure.
“You’re right. We can’t be friends.” His line of vision is quick to find the dry earth beneath him and his contentment cuts you deep.
Standing like a corroding Greek statue, beautiful on the outside while your insides begin to crumble away to dust. You thought he would’ve fought for you more. You believed he still had more time to give. More patience. It sickened you to admit but you had imagined a future with him. More memories to share and to be shared with others.
“We can’t be friends… because I love you. I never stopped...” His eye line is unwavering from the dusty spot on his shoe and more than anything you want him to look at you. To look you in the face and say it.
“What?” You heard what he said, you just wanted him to say it again.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Eddie’s face rises and his eyes meet yours. For a moment, oddly, you don’t recognise him.
“I love you.”
You longed for the same confession, but something halts you. Binds you to deflection.
“Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” Eddie’s softness quickly transforms into irritated bouncing.
“Oh my God… You are impossible, y’know that? Of course I mean it, fuck me! You drive me crazy!” You shrink momentarily, feeling the weight of his scold but that shifts instantly when you see the stretched smile on his face, “What do I have to do to make you believe me?”
The pause between you seems to last a painstakingly long time and since Eddie had reappeared back in Hawkins… you had no response. Nothing to say to him. Totally speechless because you didn’t know the answer. You hadn’t the faintest clue on how to fix this mess of a relationship. Of course you wanted to, but you didn’t know how.
You watch with a sour tongue as Eddie’s smile fades to a thin tight line and you feel your eyebrows curve with sympathy, “I don’t know…” The admission feels right, “I’m sorry.”
“I could work harder—“
“You can’t rewrite what happened—“
“I know, I know but… I can try to… to—“
“Eddie—“
He releases an exasperated sigh which was mistakable as a groan, “I just… you have no idea how torturous it is to be around you when you look like that and not… hold you.” He gulps thickly, eyes flickering to the pulse in the your neck, “Taste you…” Travelling up to your lips, he disappears somewhere inward, “Kiss you.”
You witness his eyes water and transform into something silky and welcoming, “I’m starting to forget all the good things we had… I don’t wanna forget you. I don’t wanna lose us…”
Your limbs decide for you to pull him into an embrace before your mind can fully process what’s happening and Eddie is quick to accept your body flush against his. His hair fills your face and tickles your nose as you shakily breathe his scent. The familiar sweetness of his minty shampoo left you beaming against his shoulder and you let go of a sigh you had been holding.
“It’ll take time, Eddie,” Your voice sounds sleepy; intoxicated, “But I forgive you. I want you to know that.”
The man pressed to your chest remains remarkably still and quiet. As if afraid to move. You interpret it as emotional overwhelm, but that simply wasn’t the case.
Over your shoulder Eddie had locked eyes with the green vested cashier of the liquor store. A dark blonde boy of similar age, probably a previous bully of his, and when Eddie’s lips met yours you know that you should have stopped him. Pushed him away and called him out on taking advantage of your vulnerability.
How dare he kiss you so soon?
But you don’t. Instead, like butter, you melt. Because his tender fingers felt so nice running through your hair and your eyes couldn’t help themselves but to drift shut. The only thing your hands could do was grasp his jacket timidly. Holding him near and dear. It was a kiss you expected to take your breath away… but it felt like arriving home. Easy and warm.
All the while you were blissfully unaware of Eddie’s eyes that remained wide open, trained on the boy through the murky window pane. It was a challenging glare, one that pressed on the boys lungs and squeezed his heart with a tight fist. The blonde looked back, feeling hypnotised by Kas’s tormented eyes, horrified and curious all the same.
Kas had claimed you now. Officially. It was his duty to let every soul in Hawkins know that you were taken.
His.
Let the games begin.
—
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
Things were better but they were never the same. Steve looked at you with caution and Dustin held his breath every time Eddie stayed over. Sometimes, during the darkest hour of the night, Dustin would meet Eddie in the hallway as he returned to your bedroom. He would smell like the fresh air and his eyes seemed to glow in the nightfall. On more than one occasion Dustin caught glimpses of crimson on his chin and fingers… he knew what had happened, but his grief kept him clinging onto this shell of Eddie’s being. Blindly hoping that his real best friend was still in there.
It took you forever to notice. Their shifty eyes and tense shoulders. Their clenched jaws and tight lipped smiles. Your friends, people who you thought cared about you, had been lying to you this entire time. Looking you dead in the face and lying to you. And you played the trusting fool so perfectly. You necked back every poisonous lie as if it were the freshest water on Earth and you hadn’t had a drop to drink in weeks.
What gave it away?
Nancy’s crooked eyebrow.
Steve’s teeth nibbling on his finger tip.
Dustin’s sudden avoidance.
If only you had seen it. If only you had used your brain instead of ignoring that squirm in your stomach. Your lack of scrupulousness ensured that you missed these important details. Maybe you could have prevented the inevitable. Maybe you could have moved on.
But you have never been so lucky.
The first rainfall of June swiftly drowned the brightness of Summer. Taking all the footprints left dusted on the sidewalks. All except for those sunken into a muddy puddle by Hopper and his team. Their dogs left paw prints but their noses sniffed out nothing. Evidence having been washed away also.
This time, it was two bodies at the same site. Found disregarded in an alleyway, left in plain sight, or on display, to be found and fawned over with utter repulsion behind a Quickie-Mart. A blonde young male and what appeared to be an elderly woman possibly in her late 60’s. Both were mutilated in ways Hopper didn’t think possible. Scratches deep enough to hit bone, muscle shredded to string and multiple bite marks across their limbs. The blonde had endured more than the woman. With him it seemed personal. This place… this town… it was turning into his perfect dumping ground. He kept coming back, for what?
The hope that he’d be caught? The thrill… or did he chase them here? Lure them?
Hopper had found himself in this exact place before. His mind full of questions and doubt. Doubt in his ability to conceal the truth. Doubt that he’ll be able to stop whatever is doing this to his community. What he was certain of, though, was that he was getting sloppy. Leaving more speckles of blood training behind him…
“Seems like an animal again, Chief.” A gruff voice speaks to his left.
“It’s not an animal, it’s that animal.” Hopper spits back, short fused and worried.
The sound of a heavy sigh is lost against the downpour of rain hitting a nearby dumpster lid, “We need to issue an immediate curfew. Starting tonight no one leaves home after dark. Kicks in at 8pm.”
The Chief is met with silent cooperation, little did Hopper know that this would cause momentary panic, uproar and some push back from the townsfolk.
—
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
“A curfew? Why?” Porcelain clatters together as you load last nights dinner plates into the cupboard whilst Dustin scrubs the remaining dishes in the bubble covered sink.
With a bounce of his shoulders, “I dunno. Hop’s gone crazy, I guess. Probably that body they found earlier….”
For a moment you pause, your eyebrows fixing together in a microscopic way, “It’s the animal, isn’t it? The one that’s been… Y’know…”
“Killing people?”
“Yeah… I mean, surely they can just kill it, right? I doubt it’ll stop hunting just because they lock us up at nightfall like some scared locals evading a witch hunt.” You make a noise that is half laugh and half scoff and Dustin deadpans while he scrubs harder at a piece of silverware.
“You’d think it was a freakin’ werewolf or something. As if.” You expected your prod of a joke to at least tickle your little brother, but still, nothing leaves him. No sly remark, no equally as cheesy joke… nothing. Just the sound of scrubbing and sloshing water.
“Whatever. Talking to a wall,” A snarky comment meant only for your ears, “Imma invite Eddie over tonight, would hate for him to be alone during this stupid lockdown.”
“This isn’t a joke, okay?! People are dropping like flies out there and you should be more careful!” Caught off guard by Dustin’s expressiveness, you drop a green gingham printed tea towel from your grip.
“Woah, man! Chill out… I am being careful.” Trailing off you bend down to pick up the towel but Dustin swipes it away with his sneaker, “Hey!!”
“No! No you’re not, you’re being selfish and reckless— Eddie is always here! With you! Or you’re out galavanting around with him being all weird and shit! Come up for fucking air once in a while!” For the faintest fraction of a second you are absolutely gobsmacked.
“We are not being weird, Dustin. For your information, we go to the movies or we sit at a diner. We are always indoors… I don’t even know why I’m having to explain this to you? We like each other, okay? Soon enough you’ll have someone that you like too to spend every waking second with—“
“I do have someone!”
“Someone real!”
“She is real! God! I cannot keep having this conversation with people!”
You’re not sure how or why, but somehow, as you stood opposite your baby brother… that’s what you saw him as. Not the rebellious teen with chip on his shoulder but as the tiny gap toothed nuisance who would shoot you with silly string and leave your bedroom door open. The little shit that would blame you for everything to your mom and vice versa. In a moment you should have felt your blood boil you only could muster a knowing smile.
“Fine. You win… but if you wanted to spend time with me so bad you could’ve just said that, Dweeb.”
“What? That’s not—“ Dustin waves his hands dismissively.
“I’m picking the movie marathon, you get the snacks when I ask.” You conclude with a gleam in your eye.
“This isn’t what I meant!” Using his pointer finger he gestures rapidly between the both of you and the rest of the empty house.
“Whatever, Loser! Admit you love me!” You holler over your shoulder, galloping away toward the solitude of your bedroom. Time to rummage through your video tape collection.
Rummaging through the box of nostalgia like you’re trying to dig a hole in the ground with your bare hands, your eyes are drawn to the colourful tape cover of Richard Donner’s, Superman, starring Christopher Reeves as Clark Kent. The character who just so happened to be the dorky heartthrob to pave the path for your exquisite taste in even dorkier men.
“Okay, yes, definitely this.” Fluidly you tuck the tape beneath your armpit, rummaging through for another movie or two which you find rather quickly. None of the movies you had picked correlated with each other in any way, shape or form. But they were fun and uplifting with a singular spooky one to finish the night off right.
Back in the living room, Dustin sets the scene. Blankets, pillows, even a childhood stuffed toy or two. He could’ve argued against this all he wanted, threw a teenage fit, but beneath the surface he was secretly ecstatic to be spending time with his big sister. It felt nice to be your kid brother again… it was starting to feel like a distant memory.
Sinking into the sofa you hum gleefully into the bowl of popcorn on your lap before you’re tossing a kernel or three into your mouth, “Ewww, Dustin! Salted? Really?” Your tongue dries up at the magnitude of salt that just invaded your mouth and Dustin groans.
“Don’t like it then get your own, Sucker.” The time it takes you to blink Dustin has snatched the bowl from your grasp, the bowl that just so happened to also be the ‘Family Barf Bowl’ and Mom’s ‘Bleach Bowl’ for cleaning the cabinets.
“Oh you little shit.” You use the palm of your hand to nudge his hat from his scalp and you relish the distressful noise that follows the act, “Don’t ask me for a drink refill or nothin’ ya hear? Salted fucking popcorn… psycho.”
The smell of the stove heating up could lull you to sleep with the way it conjures up colourful memories from your childhood. School bake sales, your Mom showing you different recipes which she inherited from your Grandmother, the time Dustin nearly burnt the house down with a makeshift ‘Magical Potion’ he had created in D&D and wanted to try in real life. All of these things and more kissed a smile onto your lips.
Without fully realising, you had been staring out the kitchen window that looked out across the lawn and onto a stretch of trees. Hard to see in the fading light, you mostly could only make out your own reflection in the glass. But something stirred that image. A shadow passing by the side of the house. Like a pebble dropped into a lake.
At first, you blinked it away and decided it was a trick of the eye, but when your popcorn kernels began to pop and you near enough jumped out of your own skin, you reckoned that only real fear was able to do that to you.
A quick hand reaches for your chest in an attempt to slow your beating heart, “Jeez—“
“C’mon, you’re missing the best bits!” Dustin whines from the sofa with his mouth half full of candy and for the sake of tonight’s plans, you let go of the figure in the window. Maybe it really was just your reflection.
To your right Dustin had hit snooze before the end credits began to roll and you toss a blanket over him all whilst fighting back the urge to smother him with a pillow in the process, “Night, Kid. Love ya.” It was the first time Dustin was able to sleep at a reasonable time in months.
The walk to your room is slow and in passing you stop at the bottom of the staircase, contemplating going up to say goodnight to your Mom, but you knew she’d be reading or sleeping so ultimately you decide to leave her be, “Goodnight, Mom… I love you.” Words spoken softly into the darkness, only loud enough to settle yourself to sleep.
A sound from inside your bedroom stops your twitching fingers from grabbing your door knob, a small creak of the floorboards whispering a fair warning through the walls, but you knew. You knew someone was in there.
Or did you? Was this just your paranoia from earlier creeping its way back in?
Rationality takes over and you push your way inside even with your nerves still fizzling on end. Only you did not expect to be met with a pair of curtains blowing gently in the wind. Did you leave the window open…? You couldn’t remember. A guttural pull drags you to your bed side table where you switch on your lamp and then was followed with a frantic gallop toward your open window. You take a peek outside before slamming it closed, having not seen a soul. You rest there for a moment, your palms against the window sill before you’re spinning on your heels and gasping for air.
“I didn’t scare ya, did I, Sweetheart?” From a shadowy corner comes the voice of the man you love, however it doesn’t seem to soothe the rattling of your hands.
“Eddie!” You whisper shout, “What are you…? How did you—”
“Window,” He takes one careful step toward you, “I couldn’t stay in that trailer alone for another second. Bored out of my goddamn mind… come home with me?”
“Wayne isn’t home?” You ask absentmindedly as you take off your cardigan, suddenly now warm.
“Night shift,” He repeats the words you’ve heard over and over for the past few weeks. You hadn’t seen Wayne since Eddie’s arrival home. Not once. It should’ve alarmed you but you trusted Eddie wholeheartedly.
“Even with the curfew?”
Eddie replies with a hum.
Across your face a small grin formed, “Admit it, you missed me, Munson.”
In response to your tease Eddie chuckles lowly, “You caught me, Baby. Need you there with me…”
“But the Chief… if we’re caught—“
“We won’t get caught. Promise—“ He’s closer now and something about his presence has you feeling drunk.
Pouting your bottom lip you cross your arms over your tank top clad cleavage, “Why can’t you stay here with me? It’s probably safer than us going back out there…”
Kas could hear the rising beat of your heart. The excitement stirring within you at his growing proximity and the gloss glazing your gorgeous eyes, “Your family’s here, Honey, and what I wanna do to you… I need privacy.”
Instantly you were sold on the idea. Like a giddy school girl awaiting her first kiss, “Okay.. but I think I’m going to need a little more convincing.” Suddenly shy beneath the pin of his gaze you turn your attention toward your carpet.
However that doesn’t fly for long as Eddie’s slender fingers grip the plush of your cheeks and force your eye-line back to him, “None of that, Pretty girl… God, I wanna ruin you.”
His lips are all over you, pressing heavenly kisses to your neck and shoulders. He sucks on the sweet spot on your neck and you writhe against him, “Still needing convinced?” His unoccupied hand slides beneath your tank top where he squeezes the fullness of your chest through the security of your bra and you nearly buckle at the knees when his tongue wrestles sloppily with yours.
“Eddie…” Was it a plea for more? Or were you trying to dismiss his seduction? You weren’t certain. All you knew was that your body craved him. You were screaming to be touched and taken care of.
“Is that a yes?” He bites down gently on your neck and you flex into his touch, your head nodding profusely.
“Okay… okay.“
Filled to the brim with ego, “Atta girl. C’mon, out the window before I lose my mind.”
—
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
Eddie hastily ushers you up the steps to the trailer as if he was sequestering his prized possession away for safe keeping. A pinch to your waist prompts a giggle from your throat and Eddie’s finger smushes gently against your lips to silence you, “Shhh, Wayne might be home now.”
His house key meets resistance as he slots it into the lock, forcing him to jam and shimmy the mechanism until the metal is fully submerged inside. Thankfully after that the door opens smoothly and Eddie is first to peer inside, craning his neck from left to right before signalling that the coast was clear. As the door closes behind you, you are then victim to a darkness that your eyes struggle to adjust to. Before a lamp could be switched on, or any light for that matter, Eddie is all over you like a hot rash in the Summer. His hands are everywhere and his lips are unfaltering from yours.
“Need you like I need air to breathe, Baby…” He moans into your mouth like he could combust from just this and you feel that all too familiar pulse between your thighs return, “Fucking perfection.” His voice is low and reverent like gospel praise and you succumb to his touch all the more.
You were on cloud nine with each tug and squeeze of your body and Eddie appeared to be right there with you, spurring you on every step of the way.
“Take me, Eds. However you want….” Feverish need outweighed the bashful crimson heating your face and Eddie released a strangled growl.
“You need me, hmm? Need my touch?” He softly pulls on your hair at the back of your head, “Need my cock?” He almost taunts you but you don’t retaliate. You nod in agreement, praying that he’d help you release this rising pressure foaming inside of you. The thought of his fullness stretching you out made your desperation spiral into downright anguish.
“Fuck, Ed’s, please…” Eddie laughs into the shell of your ear and like a volcanic eruption your skin prickles with intensity.
“Not even touched your pussy yet and you’re already begging for me. My pathetic pretty girl, eh?” He flicks a slap against your clothed cunt and you shudder at the tingle that shocks each of your nerves ends, “Room. Now.”
What Kas liked about you most was that he never had to tell you the same thing twice. Thanks to Eddie’s charm and his looks that you loved so much, you obeyed him like a dog on a short leash.
Yes, Baby.
Of course, Baby.
Anything for you, Baby.
It was a shame, really. That this relationship wasn’t built on solid ground. That it couldn’t last forever. Until death do you part…
All the more reason to relish in the here and now. Whilst Eddie still lived and breathed.
In Eddie’s room you fight against the fabric of your pants, wriggling the material down your thighs and calves before kicking the garment from your ankles. Like a disappearing act, your tank top vanishes and all else until you are left bare and waiting on the edge of Eddie’s unmade twin bed. Only your panties remain. However, something about your loud nudity made you slightly uneasy as you awaited closer inspection and in a millisecond of remorse you grab the first T-shirt that happened to be closest to you from Eddie’s haphazardly messy floor. Instantly you’re calmed as the T-shirt drapes across your frame and your nose is engulfed with Eddie’s scent. There’s no doubt the shirt was worn and probably on the floor awaiting laundry day but you just didn’t care. Anything that made you feel that much closer to him was worth it in your eyes.
“You ready for me, Sweetheart?” Like a siren song he calls from somewhere beyond the walls of his room and you wait for what feels like hours on his shadow appearing in the doorway. Part of you is convinced he’ll never reach you in time before you burn yourself up . And something sinister slithers up your spine like a snake. Slow and intentional. Goosebumps burst across your skin and it’s as if your body can predict something that your mind hasn’t caught up to yet.
Something primal.
For a long pause you do nothing and say nothing. Remaining as still as stone, partly afraid that he’d never show up. That you’d be left sitting there… waiting all alone all over again.
Until he does…
But there is a change in him. One that shrinks you.
“My princess, sitting all nice and patient just for me?” You feel pinned to the spot, despite your restless mind, and entranced to look at him and only him. The closer he got to you, the stronger it felt. The drowsiness and the inability to lift a finger. Almost as if you were a doll on a shelf watching the world go by. A puppet.
“So quiet… what happened, Babydoll? Don’t like what you see?” The moonlight slicing through the blinds illuminated the space just enough to reveal blurred snapshots of his face. His face that was unlike anything you had ever witnessed in your short human life and Kas gets high off of the emotion reflected in your eyes: Disbelief.
Not fear or horror, not yet, but doubt. An over saturation of it.
“You…” It’s all you can manage to stutter before your tongue gives up on its natural muscularity.
“Don’t try and comprehend it… you can’t possibly,” His shimmering eyes examine his knife like nails expertly and after viewing them you feel nauseous, “Maybe if they had told you at the beginning this could’ve all been stopped.” Registering the confusion pulling your eyebrows together he goes on to break your heart.
“Your so called friends? Your own baby brother? They’ve been lying to you. This whole time and you were the perfect wound that never stopped bleeding. Too fragile for the truth… too damaged.” He bows toward you theatrically with his head hung low, an actor concluding a grand show, “This is the outcome.”
To the side your head sways gently and your eyes settle on the open bedroom door, “Wayne…?” Your ears fill with a deafening silence as the lifeless home stares back at you and in that devastating moment you knew. You knew that…
“Wayne’s dead, Sweetheart.” He says it so casually. As if Wayne meant nothing, as if he was a nobody to you and to Eddie. Whoever this was standing in front of you, he was right. You couldn’t comprehend what was happening. You were beyond confused and angry and full of despair. How could he look like your Eddie but be something so wretched and cruel? Otherworldly?
With tear blurred vision you force yourself to meet his predatory stare. He wasn’t looking at you, he was trying to look through you, “How? How is this possible?” Your body shook with the growing adrenaline spiking through your bloodstream and Kas knelt in front of your perched frame, his hands coming to rest and steady your shoulders.
“You look at me and see your beloved, Eddie, don’t you?” You nod. Still hesitant.
“I’m not him. I’ve never been him. Your Eddie, the one you know and the one that ‘left’ you. He’s gone.” A question pushes up your throat but Kas already knows the answer, “He didn’t leave you like they say he did. He died and your brother resurrected him, in a way. Unfortunately, for you and everyone else, it was me who came back. Not him.”
This had to be some sort of practical joke. A prank you were sure to scold your friends for later. But you waited for the laughs and the giggles never came and your tear burnt cheeks remained on fire.
“You’re not my Eddie?” Kas shakes his head, watching your bottom lip quiver with a growing excitement, “And my Eddie is… gone?” The word splutters out of you. You couldn’t even bring yourself to say it. To think about it. But you had to work this all out aloud. Get these impossible equations out of your mind and into the realm of the living.
“Correct. Knew you were clever.” You bring a hand up to swipe the tears away from your cheek, now aware of your ability to move you contemplate bolting toward the door. Which would’ve been a fine idea if your legs were working.
Kas stands tall, looming over you with a beastly demeanour. You follow his face, the two red sparks shot into a faceless silhouette stare back at you and the only emotion you can make out is amusement.
“Eddie is still in here, y’know.” Every time he talks it’s like a blade to your body, gutting you and leaving you empty inside, “I can hear him sometimes… pleading to spare you. Sometimes he can overpower me, that’s how much he loves you— well, loved.” You want to slap him, hurt him, fight him but you can’t. Too drained. Too weak.
“Like right now he’s screaming to reach you. His fists are relentless against his prison walls. All because he can see you now… how stricken you are.” Unexpectedly and in one fluid motion Kas snatches your face between his clawed hand, his nails sharp against your smooth skin. You gasp at the outburst, suddenly shocked awake.
“Want him to see you this way. So petrified and helpless… and there’s nothing he can do about it. Nothing to stop it.” Up close his breath smelt like metal, undoubtedly blood, and his teeth had transformed into something you had only ever read about in fiction. You cry out when his nails pierce your cheek ever so slightly and you try to jerk away from his grasp, causing the pain to scratch across the surface further.
“What the fuck are you?” You spit, now livid and determined to get as far away from him as possible.
“The same as you, only I don’t hide it as well as you humans do,” He stands again, using such little power to push you violently back onto the bed, “What are we if not all monsters?” Your body thrashes against the mattress as he crawls on top of you. Savouring each flick of struggle from your otherwise paralysed muscles Kas chuckles low into the night air, “After tonight I’ll have all I need to return home. Every plan, every source, every name. They’ll find you in the morning… but don’t worry, and your funeral will be divine. All of your favourite flowers and songs. And stories…. You’ll be remembered just as the rest…. Taken too soon.”
Your mouth gapes open to scream but nothing comes out, a sharp inhale of breath stealing your voice away as Kas’s hand heavily weighs down on your right arm, snapping it clean in two, “Shhhh… don’t cry. You’ll only make this more memorable for me.” You sob to the sky, praying to whatever higher power that may exist up there to save you. But the torture persists.
Like a pig sniffing out truffles Kas buries his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent like it is the most intoxicating substance on the planet, “Pains me to kill such a pretty thing…”
“Then don’t!” All you can do is tremble as if you are haemorrhaging.
“Oh but it’s not that simple, Honey.” Little by little the feeling returns to your body and you are so overwhelmed by the pain from your arm that you don’t pay mind to the way he sucks and licks at the pulse on your throat. Your brain has been taken over by a horde of bee’s and all you can manage is stifled groans as you attempt to kick your legs against him.
Eventually your knee collides with his stomach and he releases an animalistic moan into your ear, “Now, now… you’ll only rile me up more if you keep fighting me like that.” You hear the smile on his face ghost against your shoulder and collar bone before he decides to sink his teeth into the muscle there. He penetrates the skin so deep that you are at a loss for profanities, only gargled screams of agony leave you. Over and over you replay the sound of his fangs scraping and crunching against bone, your bones and bile instantly finds the base of your oesophagus.
“Nghaaaa!!!”
“Whoo!! That sound!! Gets me off!” He howls to the ceiling like a rabid animal running rampant and you sneak your hand up to clasp the bite mark, hoping to stop the blood from swelling and ease some of the pain. You roll slightly onto your side, your body wanting to retreat into the fetal position, “Let’s get you out of this shirt, hmm? Looks awfully bludgeoned to me.”
Down your exposed side he rakes his talons from your ribs to your waist, partly tearing the shirt whilst also etching the edge of the razors into your soft tissue. In that moment you hoped for death. You anticipated its sweet embrace. Accepted it.
But it never came.
What came was silence from your murderer. Until he began to convulse and roar like a caged lion. There was no denying that it pricked your heart beat up, like a defibrillator to the chest.
“RRR—“ you struggle to sit up, observing him closely as he propels across the room and away from you, his hands ripping at his hair, “RRRRUUUUU- NNN- NO!!” For a split second he appeared human. Someone you recognised.
“Eddie…” you whisper his name, too afraid to say much else.
“RRRUNN NNOOOW!!” His eyes grasp the door with both hands and you waste no further time, “GGOOOOO!!” He’s begging now but getting up from the blood soaked mattress was the worst pain you had ever endured and seeing this man wrestle with himself left you fearing for more than just your life.
With your legs unsteady you nearly collapse as you stand, your knees like jelly and your feet in sand. Thankfully you find your bearings just as Eddie collapses to the bedroom floor and you limp for the hallway, leaving smears of bloody handprints against the door frame and the walls as you lean on them for a much needed crutch.
The noise from behind you becomes angrier, more reckless and desperate, thuds against the walls and furniture being used and thrown. When you reach the front door you take a risky glimpse over your shoulder, only to be mortified at the sight. The body was following you, still shaking and uneasy, but it was coming after you nonetheless. Salivating and snarling like a starved bear.
“Come. Here. N… n..” He falters again, his head hanging between his hands as his knees crash the ground.
Within the second you are bursting out onto the front patio and wobbling down the uneven steps, your bare feet pricking against small jagged rocks and snapping dry twigs as you run as fast as your wounds would allow you towards town.
Through your difficult pursuit you hadn’t turned around once, because if you had you would have realised that Kas was following your blood curdling screams into the night.
feeling guilty over not working on your fic is so silly if you think about like why are you stressing over the hobby you do in your free time for fun lol wip not whip
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