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@hellfirecoded
โทโท hellfirecoded:ย aย dependentย eddie munson blogย associatedย withย hwkinsfms. doย notย interactย ifย youโreย notย affiliatedย withย theย groupย ,ย pleaseย &ย thankย you.ย writtenย andย adoredย byย v.ย
(ย ย introduction !ย ย )ย (ย ย interactions !ย ย )ย (ย ย musings !ย ย )ย
#fidgety baby
OPEN / closed to everyone
LOCATION: the hideout
โokay listen, iโm starving and iโd love some company for lunch. SO hereโs the proposition.โ midge started off, leaning back against the wall outside of the pub with ease. โiโll buy us both lunch, whatever you want. consider it payment for your time and company? after all of the paperwork iโve had to deal with today, i just really need some sort of conversation. whatever form it may take.โ she laughed, a shrug lifting her shoulders. โso . . . what dโya say? sound like a deal?โ
DITHERING EYES SET ON THE BADGE that stood outside his work place and had midge not been in uniform this day, eddie wouldnโt have put another thought to the matter but given the circumstances of hawkins โ this wasnโt a proposition he could take mindlessly. hop had always been the one that he trusted most and maybe, possibly โ he could do the same with cadet banning but it was growing increasingly difficult for him to trust just anyone. not with how his life ended up after the last two years. โanything, huh?โ he echoed her offering, eyebrows raised so he gave off no suspicion. a canine tooth glinting slightly behind his smirk before it fell.ย
โITS A PRETTY SWEET DEAL, gotta tell you, officer,โ the munson brought the stick of nicotine to his lips for a final drag, flicking it off toward the rocks when it was finished. โiโve got some pretty expensive taste if youโre buying, yanno? steak, lobster โ maybe even some caviar if iโm feeling risky โ but i gotta ask โโ he squinted in scrutiny, โwhatโs in it for you? not โ being survailanced again, am i?โ
who: nancy wheeler & eddie munson ( @hellfirecoded ) where: the munson trailer
as soon as sheโd heard the news, eddie had been one of the first people to pop into her head. after confirming that everyone in her family had gotten home safely, the first place she stopped had been the hideout. instead of waiting around out back this time, she had made a beeline up to the bar. only to find out that he hadnโt come into work that night and the bartender in his place didnโt seem to know when heโd be returning. โshit,โ she mumbled to herself as she turned to head back out to her car. was it acceptable to go over to his place right now? though, did she care about any looks or questions she might get from anyone else around? all she wanted to do was make sure that he was okay.
nancyโs nerves seemed to pick up as she drove across town, hyper aware of every strange shadow now that the threat of their past had popped back up again. was vecna actually back somehow or could this be the work of someone else? pushing it out of her head for now, she parked outside the munsonโs trailer and bounded up to the door. her arm raised as her fist pounded against the metal of the door in front of her, pausing for just a moment to see if she heard anything from the other side. when it didnโt seem like anyone was coming, she started up again with no plans to stop until the man sheโd come to see was standing in front of her. with his van in view, she knew there was no where else he could be.
THE POUNDING ON THE DOOR had him toppling out of the faded sheets from his bed, heart racing and mind debating. the likes of someone banging on his door was never good, not in his luck. this trailer had seen more police out here than any other in the park. who was to stop them from coming out for another drop in after yet another incident? another tally to add to the list of accusations and this time, for another string of murders that happened within the realm of hawkins. his heart was in his throat. trapped. much like he was within the metal walls of his bedroom and immediately, eddie found himself ducking. crawling out within his tattered t-shirt and faint-black briefs through the hallway of the trailer. was it suspicious to be suspicious of who was at his door? no, not when he had so many illicit strikes against his name. it was bound to be the authorities. chief powell waiting out with his cuffs to take him into custody for another crime that tainted his innocence.
THE STRETCH TO THE FRONT DOOR seemed shorter the closer eddie got to the handle, sweat beading down the sides of his neck making his lungs suffocate within his chest. he didn't do anything. there was no reason for him to be nervous โ yet, he was feeling as if the ghost of those handcuffs around his wrists had never really left him. knees bent by the window of the trailer door, eddie extended himself for only a moment to peer outside the small glass and immediate relief invaded him at the small stature of the female outside. without hesitation, he swung the door open to greet her with an exasperated:
"YOU KNOCK LIKE THE COPS!" the wild haired male exclaimed, jolting his head to the side to motion for her to come inside. with a watchful eye, he surveyed the eerily quiet park as she made her way in and swiftly closed it behind nancy after she entered. "what are you doing here? you โ the last place you should be is with me right now."
open location: the hideout
mike didn't expect anyone he knew to come in and see him. he didn't expect it tonight at least. he'd been trying to keep his mind off of the most recent attack at the carnival, that he hadn't attended because of work but he'd heard about it on the news. he was worried about his friends and family more than anything. he took a small breath in as he saw a familiar face walk into the hideout, "hey." he said simply, "what can i get for you?" it was a small place, so he didn't really have to talk too loudly.
'DON'T MAKE A SPECTACLE. don't draw attention to yourself.'
THE ADVICE CIRCULATED eddie's mind like a mantra and yetย โ the swing of the bar door had eyes looming at him with every step he took inside. restraint. he had about an ounce left of it when he noticed every single gaze that lingered on him. after two years, he thought that he'd be used to the chastising glares that came whenever he entered the public space but each time he withheld the urge to curtsy. for his own benefit, the munson kept his head down.ย
THEย FAMILIAR VOICE ROUSED eddie's head in minor amusement, despite all the circumstances. the middle wheeler behind the bar in his place as their boss told him to take the day had him smirking to himself, leaning against the bartop. he could feel the burning of eyes in the back of his head but even so, he kept his voice low. "so, he called you in to be me today?" he questioned, lightheartedย as he could possibly manage. "first red, now youย โ i need to get a training school going." there was a soft, hidden smile among his lips but it faded as he brushed off the offer. "as much as i would love to, apparently drinking isn't what i'm supposed to be doingย โ not that i want to deal with any of this sober butย โ " he motioned with his hands, helplessly, "alasย โ i don't get a choice in anything. just here for my paycheck."ย
โheard she was going for an angelic theme this year. couldnโt risk anyone bringing a little devil along,โ she joked about the fake party. โdonโt worry, i wasnโt invited either. havenโt you heard the story of the town harlot? she had her name across the marquee and everything. certainly not pure enough.โ in the moment, that had felt like the worst thing that couldโve happened to her. having something that she had felt to be so private and monumental be spread across town like wildfire was her first real taste of what happened in that town when you dared to go against what society had hoped for you. then the upside down opened, and well, it made joking about the smaller things in her teens that much easier. โyou know, it does sound tempting to put my identity aside for a little while. think i can convince you to switch places?โ she doubted her boss would even notice.
while she knew of, or knew stories, about almost everyone in town, she didnโt know all that much about eddieโs uncle. back when everything had first started happening, and the fingers were all pointing at eddie, nancy and the rest of the group knew better. so nancy, being nancy, had wandered up to wayne and somehow got him to open up just a little bit. enough to give nancy the smallest idea that she immediately ran with. โhe was always lovely to me,โ she added, standing by her description. both munsons were. โyou know i donโt care about anything anyone wants to say about me, but i understand wanting to dodge a game of twenty questions.โ that had been a pretty big reason of why she hadnโt wanted to spend much time with her parents. โhad my apartment lined up before i even told my mom i was moving back. i know you and your uncle are close, but god, i canโt even imagine having to introduce people or explain whenever i had someone over.โ
nancy pulled back enough to give him the space to get into the car, paused for him to, very slowly, roll down the window, and then stepped forward again. โyou can feel free to drive like a maniac, but youโll just be waiting for me outside the apartment while iโm going the speed limit,โ she told him. a little smirk brought up one corner of her lips as she took a few steps back towards her own car parked beside his. โnever really put it together until now, but you and heathcliff have a lot in common.โ nancy knew heโd have no idea what she meant by that, but she hoped that it would at least have him thinking and wondering what she was thinking. โsee you in fifteen?โ she unlocked her car door and quickly slipped into the driverโs seat, almost as a way to cut him off from any questions that popped up.
"YOU MEAN SHE DIDN'T WANT the supposed devil worshipper of hawkins around her party? sounds like a total bland party if you ask me. she obviously needs a better planner," eddie mused with the same smirk that he wore moments before only this time, the sarcasm upped the ante. the rumors never seemed to die no matter how much time had passed and it never ceased to amaze the munson at how creative commentators could get with him. an animated gasp came from the bartender, elvishly placing his hand on his forehead as if he were to faint. "a harlot? the town harlot of hawkins? what a combination we are, wheeler โ the freak and the harlot." it wasn't harlot though that word didn't seem right when it died along the back of his tongue. he remembered that day well that hellfire was ravaging the nearest convenient store for their usual game night when they saw it. perched on the 'now playing' display, tasteless and shocking to all that passed by. it was that day that he began to realized that no matter how much anyone tried, no one was safe from the ridicule in hawkins.
THERE WAS A LOOK OF AMUSEMENT, yet, nothing could stop the silent glance as if he were wondering if she were serious. to swap places with anyone in this town? the last on the list would be the one who was accused of murder. it didn't come as much as a surprise after a moment, thinking all about just who was offering to switch places with him. nancy wheeler was never one to back away easily, nor, did she seem to care much about what finger was pointed to her. she probably would do better being in his shoes than he was. "he's the best," he simplified, nodding toward her direction. "he's a good judge of people, too." there was a hint of laughter bubbling in his throat, pursing his lips to confine the way it threatened to spill over into something more notable. "i know this is a hard concept for you to get past, being that i am such a hot commodity in this place but โ i don't bring home many people, more or less, ones i have to explain to my uncle," he chuckled at the idea of it all. now, she was just being kind.
THE ROAR OF HIS ENGINE CAME TO LIFE when she began to back away from the metal junk that was his van and with every step she took back, eddie's wide eyes squinted in an analytical glance. he was too naive to know what she meant, seeing as he probably couldn't even tell her what the book was about in the first place but her comparison alone was to enough to pull the intrigue. through the eyes of nancy wheeler, she saw something within the book she had read well over a handful of times that correlated with him. "you โ nancy wheeler, might flatter me enough to get me to open a book? alert the press. you've got a story on your hands," he mused. with a wave of his hand, he shifted into drive and peeled out of the parking lot in record eddie time to put a head start toward nancy's apartment. despite his innate desire to floor it toward the other side of town, he kept his pace relatively on the slower side to assure that nancy was behind him the entire way.
That bashful look transported her back two years. The meeting in the forest had been unconventional. But it'd been something that had provided her with some comfort. Mean and scary had been redefined into something softer, kinder. Eddie's patience with her had given her hope in a world where her faith was vastly dwindling. Fear had prevented her from really taking up another conversation with the metalhead. Her mother would've never had approved of any connection with him. Jason had been a perfect fit only because Laura Cunningham had handpicked him herself. A young man who attended the same church group. A fine boyfriend, but, her heart had never truly belonged to him.
The offer of watching him play someday had been something that she was looking forward to. Though metal music was banned in the Cunningham household, the blonde had her ways of sneaking tapes into her Walkman; disguised as bible readings. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like it. Or at least some of it. Facing reality now, though, it seemed like it wasn't something that she was going to be able to see. "Oh," her tone was soft, embarrassed.
She took a sip of her diet coke, hoping that it'd buy her a bit of time so she could think of something else to say. "Tuesdays and Thursdays," a bob of her head. Despite the faux confidence that she tried to carry herself with, it was all pretty useless when it came to Eddie. "I'm sure it's great..." There was no doubt in her mind that she looked foolish right now. "Do you not play anymore? I mean, it's more than fine if you don't. I was just hoping..." Chrissy took a much needed breath, her words had come out a lot faster than she was anticipating. She was nervous. "What I'm trying to say is that, two years ago, you asked me to come and watch you play. I've kinda been looking forward to it, since."
SHE'D CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE those few years ago when he'd taken the chance to meet her out in the forest by the baseball fields. it wasn't like he didn't know where he was going, aided by having picked that to be his 'spot' for when students asked him to make a deal with him. it wasn't a chance by going out there that dayย โ it was taking the chance on chrissy cunningham not being the like the people she spent her time around. cheerleaders usually made him the butt of every joke. jocks in particular making him the game they so loved to play every single shot they could take on him. it'd been that way for years and though becoming immune to their pre-pubescent quips, it wasn't like chrissy cunningham was just anyone. she was the queen of hawkins high. jason carver's ( the meathead who took over all the vile torments from tommy hagan's reign ) girlfriend. the girl that he so quietly eyed ever since middle school. she was seated on a throne in the town of hawkins where heย โ he wasn't even allowed at the feet of her majesty.ย
'oh.'
THE SOUND NEARLY MADE HIS HEART feel like it was being punctured at the utterance. it was hard not to notice the dust of pink along her porcelain cheeks, only making eddie's mouth open to assure. " โ hey, i know that you said you were trying to come," he finally settled on, nodding in her direction so he knew of her intentions, "i mean, c'mon. you're a freak, remember?" it was a lighthearted jest. a crack of his toothy grin displayed for her to see what his intentions were. despite all the rumors โ the reputation that the blonde tried to uphold โ one thing was for certain in eddie's mind: chrissy cunningham was not like any of those people.ย
ย ALL THOUGHTS HAD BEEN SUSPENDEDย inside the metalhead's brain when she admitted to wanting to watch him perform with his band. his band that he glorified and raved about when all along they were a bunch of boneheads that thrashed around their instruments like they were the next iron maiden.ย to hear that she still thought of being in the crowd had his chest blooming in a familiar warmth, peering at her from the other side of the bar with his own flushed glow to his cheeks. " โ i do. still play, i mean. i just haven't in a few gigs. it's uhย โ better for the guys to play without me. you know, all theย โ " controversy, yet his hands swirled in silent gestures, knowing that she must've known what he was saying. he still cleared the bile that was running in the back of his throat to fill the wordlessness. "they just get more of a crowd without me." he nodded in essenceย of her desires, knowing that she came down here after a two year interimย just to come and see his lame self stand on the stage to play that trashy metal earaches that most people hated. she came to see him, but he was failing her at this moment.ย
" โ BUT UHย โ i could always ask the guys if they would want me up there for their gig this thursday. if youย โ would you be able to makeย it โ ?"ย
with : anyoneย ! at : ย lover's lakeย !
itย wasย probablyย aย badย ideaย toย walkย aroundย loverโsย lakeย ,ย aloneย ,ย whenย itย wasย pitchย blackย outsideย ;ย theย moonย givingย veryย littleย lightย asย itย wasย hidingย behindย clouds.ย butย bevย didnโtย mindย โย feltย safeย ,ย evenย ifย onlyย forย theย heavyย flashlightย inย herย handย andย theย pepperย sprayย inย theย backย pocketย ofย herย jeanย shorts.ย sheย didnโtย expectย toย actuallyย runย intoย someoneย ,ย theirย chestsย slammingย intoย eachย other.ย sheย letย outย aย loudย screamย andย thenย immediatelyย startedย laughing.ย โย ohย ,ย shit.ย โย sheย keptย giggling.ย โย youย scaredย theย shitย outtaย meย !ย areย youย okayย ?ย โย sheย figuredย ifย sheย justย ranย intoย aย serialย killerย ,ย maybeย ifย sheย wasย kindย toย themย ,ย theyโdย spare her life.
THE LAST THING HE NEEDED was to be caught at lover's lake, given the last time he had really visited the spot wasย โ more or less traumatizingย than it was enjoyable. with the cool, spring air creeping up the back of his neck and the nicotine that lingered on the bow of his lips, eddie's sought after peace came to an end when the snap of a twig nearby had him jolting his head back to look. he thought he'd been alone. it was near midnight but couples often frequented no matter the time of night. standing from the rustledย mess of foliage, his eyes squinted in the darknessย โ seeking. there had to be someone there, yet, who was to tell it was someone that had good intentions when it came to him? another step back had a leaf crunching under his sneakers and with a turn in the direction behind him came the slamming of another body against his own with a shirek.ย
"JESUS CHR โ " he let out in a sharp breath, hanging onto the other so that they wouldn't topple over. a girl. just a girl. no ill-tempered saboteur lurking in the shadows for his guard to be down. "yeah, that makes two of us. holy mother of damn." eddie gave a quick smile, allowing a subtle laugh to escape him as he realized that there was no alarm in the situation. "yeah, yeah โ i'm awesome," he quipped, his hand pointing to her as a retort, "what about you? i hope my chest didn't dent your head there."ย
#me with any device
EDDIE MUNSON APPRECIATION WEEK Day 1: Favorite Scene โฌฉ The Cult of Vecna campaign
Thatโs why we play!ย
location: the hideout tagging: @hellfirecoded
The moment that Chrissy entered the Hideout she instantly felt more relaxed. Whether it was the way that people were unabashedly themselves here, or, the atmosphere where it felt like that would always be accepted; she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She'd promised, many moons ago to come and see Eddie perform. As much as she wanted to, she kept putting it off. Vulnerability in their first encounter had left the blonde embarrassed.
Despite all that though, she really did want to see him again. He'd made her feel safe and secure in a time where she needed it most. As scary as she thought him to be in the technically, second, interaction they'd had... he'd turned out to be the perfect gentleman. She made her way over to the bar, blue eyes scanning for a bartender. A warm smile spread across her features as soon as she saw him. It was hard for it not to. "Just the man I wanted to see," she mused. "A diet coke with ice would be great. Fill me in on all the details. When are Corroded Coffin playing their next gig?"
IT WAS MOST DEAD inside the hideout, awaiting the sudden happy hour rush from the construction workers getting off their evening shift or the bikers coming in for the usual occasion. regulars weren't pouring in just yet and it felt nice to be able to restock the bar without someone pestering him for 'another round!' it had only been him and another guy on the bar and while his back was turned from the door, a light pat on his back caught his attention before he turned to meet the pair of blue eyes that seemed to haunt every memory of school he ever had.ย
NOTHING ABOUT CHRISSY CUNNINGHAM HAD CHANGED within the last two years. it wasn't a bad thing, not in the slightest when everyone in town thought she was the epitome of perfection. to eddie, it was no different. the sheer look of her had him stalling, brain almost short circuiting as he questioned for a moment if she was even speaking to him. there's no one else here, he thought. it had to be him. "chrissyย cunningham," he breathed, finally. taken back with a tilt of his head and a near bashful smile appearing on his lips. "i never thought i'd see the day you came in here," he eased, tossing the rag along his shoulder on top of the counter by his work station. "honestly thought you forgot all about your favorite freak from school." that was a lie. he knew that she wouldn't have forgotten him. most people didn't but he shook the thought from his brain. besides, he could barely think anything coherent with her staring back at him earnestly as she did.ย
"ONE DIET COKE COMING UP," he affirmed, nodding as he attempted to move as gracefully as he could toward the glasses behind him. there was more to his smile than met the eye and anyone who saw eddie on a day to day basis would've seen the switch in his demeanor. "โ you came all the way across town to ask about the band? oh, chrissy โ you know how to make a guy's day," he chimed, fixing the nozzle on the coke dispenser before pouring her glass. still, his smile wavered only a moment when he put the napkin down in front of her place at the bar. "the boys play here every tuesday and thursday night. you should come see them. they've been โ " without me, "really getting a crowd going. i think they're up to eight drunks, now."ย
when she first got back home, she had felt everything from the past come rushing back at once and it had taken a couple days for her to shake it all off. she was no longer the same girl that sheโd once been. she was no longer nancy wheeler: slut, monster hunter, priss, princess, insert random name given to her by a neighbor here. she was, finally and simply, just herself. it was something that she was trying to pull back now. trying to make sure that simply being home didnโt erase everything sheโd worked so hard to build for herself. one of the things that came along with just nancy meant that she found herself making connections with people sheโd never really expected to. the people that, while sheโd been friendly with in the past, sheโd never really given a chance.
her lips curled up in a smile of approval in response to the sarcasm that was shot back at her. it had been nice to find someone that could often meet her quip for quip. debate for debate. โ110, actually. didnโt you get the party invite?โ at the addition to his playful comment, she dramatically took a bow. โnancy wheeler: town menace. itโs a wonder they allowed me past the welcome sign.โ the one that she did note still had the faint lines of the word hell spray painted across it. her eyes followed him as he moved around to get into the van, keys to her own car in the palm of her hand. โdare i say iโm reading for pleasure and terrify men into thinking women have brains?โ even as she joked, she held up the novel in her hands. wuthering heights had always been a favorite of hers.
โyour uncleโs lovely and everything, but i donโt know how thrilled heโd be about you having company in the middle of the night.โ that was one of the reasons sheโd opted for her own place instead of accepting her momโs extremely eager invitation to move back into the family home. having her own apartment meant peace whenever she was looking for it. โmeet you back at my place and i promise to bore you with tales of heathcliff,โ she decided with a playful smile as she took a step back, still facing him. they both knew they probably wouldnโt even touch on anything about the book she was reading. majority of the time, they jumped into one conversation that snowballed into another until they realized they should both get some sleep before the morning sun snuck through.
IT WOULDNโT HAVE BEEN a shell shock for any hawkins resident to come back into town to realize that nothing had changed. disgraced with a tainted name, sure. even more in the past two years but every closed minded, judgmental human being still resided in their small cul de sac. those that even hinted that they were different from the rest of the cookie cutter lifestyle they were meant to be raised in was scorned into hiding. and him? well, eddie would forever have the string of accusations trailing behind him within this town. a glare at the supermarket or a slur whispered as he walked to his van โ good olโ hawkins. she was smart to get out. he only hoped that it would be a stop she made and not roots to plant for herself.ย
โWHAT?! YOU MEAN SHE DIDNโT WANT hawkinโs worst resident at her birthday party? she was missing out on a damn good time. iโm the greatest party crasher this place has ever seen,โ eddie toyed along, his usual loud self coming out at the hint of her laughter. comfort was hard to find these days but he entrusted his solace with nancy. it was hard not to match her wit when she claimed intimidation over the patriarchy. it came as no surprise to the metal head that nancy wheeler boasted about her determination to disarm it one day. she couldโve had a plan for world domination and he would fully believe her. โoh, iโm shaking in my boots as we speak. any more intimidation tactics youโre trying on me? iโm pretty sure after a ten hour shift, you could fool me into giving up my social security if you wanted to.โย
THERE WAS AN HONESTY behind every word he had in regard to the journalist. she had a drive that heโd never seen in anyone, least not in these streets of indiana. she was who she was. take it or leave it. it was admirable to someone like eddie. inspiring in a way that he wanted to be. the mention of wayne brought a hidden, genuine smile to the crook of his lips. shrugging in response as he tapped his hands against the driver side door of his van. โlovely โ is a โย rivetingย way to describe him. i concur โ but youโre right. โsides, i really donโt want the fifty questions. also โ the neighbors like to talk, ya know?โ especially given the last time he brought anyone back to his place in the early morning hours, his trailer was taped off as a crime scene by dawn. โso โโ he jumped into his driverโs side and quickly shut the door before turning to her with a coy grin, โโ blow all the stop lights and push about fifty on the main road is what youโre telling me? you canโt just leave me hanging about heathcliff, wheeler. i only skimmed that for three years in a row in oโdonnellโs class.โ it wasnโt a lie. he never even touched the book for the final. maybe thatโs why he failed her class, three times.ย
Lucas had just finished closing the store for the day and was just making sure everything would be ready for the next day. It was Hellfire night and Lucas was looking forward to another session, to spend time with his friends. They were all busy with their own lives now, they were no kids anymore but these game nights were something that they had all agreed to keep doing. Lucas was finishing up when he heard Eddie's voice through the walkie. Picking it up, Lucas replied. "Eddie, I'm just finishing up, will be out now. Over." He grabbed his backpack and closed the store, before heading over to Eddie's truck. "Sorry to keep you waiting." He said as he opened the door.
HELLFIRE. the aftermath of vecna's damage took its toll on the group, eventuallyย dismembering it all together in the school. it came as no surprise to him and with the allegations of him being a murderer, it was best that the group went underground. it brought a lot of strife among the members, primarily the ones that didn't know the truth about what happened when the killings happened but eddie took it. took the distance that some wanted to put between hellfire and themselves. he wasn't even sure he could afford to bring it back, even in secret. it wasn't until the party convinced him to continue to live his life, despite his trepidations.ย
SO IT WAS REBORN. hellfire, underground. few were in it now. it was no longer a club but more like a hangout once a month to assure that the suspicionsย stayed low. it was an escape for eddie from the day to day reign that hawkins had over him. that's why for him? hellfire night was essential, even if it meant playing chauffeurย to some of the others. as lucas slipped into his van, he was tapping his fingers against the steering wheel with a wolfish smile on his face. "don't worry about it, man. any longer though and you would've gotten the riot act from henderson, not me," he chuffed, throwing the gear shift in drive to peel off out of the parking lot. "i'd ask how work was but friday night? you were probably begging for the clock to move faster."ย
maxย stoodย behindย theย counter,ย tryingย toย wipeย theย stickyย surfaceย clean.ย sheย rolledย herย eyesย asย sheย watchedย theirย usualsย laughย atย eachย otherย andย stumbleย aroundย theย place.ย sheย turnedย toย eddieย withย aย frownย onย herย face.ย โย nobodyย makesย meย doย anything. thought you knew that by now.ย iย volunteeredย toย stayย late.ย โย inย allย honesty,ย maxย wasย all tooย familiarย withย howย feistyย theย drunkย hicksย inย hawkinsย couldย getย andย tookย itย uponย herselfย toย stayย lateย withย eddieย toย makeย sureย nobodyย messedย withย him.ย butย sheโdย neverย admitย thatย toย himย โย heย didn'tย needย toย knowย sheย still worried so much.
withย aย wildย grin,ย sheย turnedย toย glanceย atย hammeredย harry.ย โย iย dunno,ย munson.ย harryย overย thereโฆย heย keepsย checkingย meย out.ย iย thinkย heย mightย likeย me.ย maybeย iโllย justย catchย aย rideย withย himย insteadย ?ย โย sheย turnedย backย toย herย friendย withย aย raisedย eyebrow.ย โย betย heโsย aย betterย driverย thanย you,ย evenย when heโsย blackoutย drunk.ย โ
HIS NATURE WAS TO PROTECT even those who he knew well, didn't need any protection. throw max against the most threatening of bikers and she was ripping into them about cleanliness. throw her to the wolves and she would come out their leader. hell, throw her in front of an interdimensional wizard and she was coming back a champion, healed limbs and all. max could hold her own. eddie acknowledged that from day one of knowing her. however, that didn't diminishย his need to scan everybodyย in the room to assure that no one was directing their attention to her. "hard to think you'd ever want to volunteer to stay later. i would've been out the back door the second he told me to split," he flashed a tooth grin at her to follow his words.ย
THERE WAS A SHIFT IN HIS GAZE at her joke, though, he fought to take it as one when his eyes landed on the disheveledย and intoxicated man. "hey, harry! did you forget your bifocals, man? could've sworn the doctor told you to keep 'em on. otherwise you wouldn't have an issue of looking at someone half your age!" eddie thundered, reaching over to take the clearlyย inebriated man's drink as a sign to cut him off. the replacement of water for alcohol was underway for the bartender. a slur of grumbles came from harry that he couldn't hear, nor recognize as he stumbled his way out from of the bar top. "you know what? i think harry's gonna head home," he mused to max, smirking her way as he washed out the glass in the sink.ย
"STILL A BETTER DRIVER than you, by the way. i confirmed it with steve and he won't even let you near his carย โ may i remind you, hot wheels?"ย
with : jane hopper ! (ย @janehoppcr )ย at : ย hopper residence !ย ย
"HOLY SHI โ" it was all that came out, clutching the center of his chest in a momentary aid for self control. two years he spent with actual horrors in his life and eddie found himself startled by rounding a corner too quickly. it was comical, almost. he faced monstrousย bats that threatened to tear him apart. vecna, in the apparentย flesh as he wanted to rip a whole through hawkins itself. yet, turning corners seemed to be the end all for him as he stumbled back toward the porch railing of the hopper residence. then again, if he was going to be frightened of anyone standing in his pathย โ it would be the superhero girl herself.
"CHRIST, DO YOU DO THAT OFTEN?" he breathed, exasperated as he came back up to tossle the hair from his eyes. "did you like โ know i was coming? you got a โ sense for that or something?" he was slowing his breathing, though his speech was a different war altogether. in the twenty-five years of this earth, not knowing when to stop talking was still an uphill battle. "i just โ came by to see your old man. i didn't know if he was around or not?"
at this point when something goes wrong iโm likeย โyeah, i should have figured.โ
it hadn't been something she'd planned. a few days after she'd returned to hawkins, nancy had stopped by the hideout on the way home in hopes of secretly grabbing just one drink to ease the frustrating week of work. of course, she'd been thrilled to find max, and then pleasantly surprised to find eddie. while they'd never had too much of an opportunity to chat in the past, now that everything was (hopefully) behind them, their conversations seemed to have no end. whether it was catching up on the latest hawkins gossip, ranting about the bullshit stories she'd been assigned, or chatting about the most recent movies they'd seen, they easily morphed through topic after topic. it seemed like those late night hours did wonders in opening people up and breaking down those filters that kept in everything serious.
after a few weeks of hanging around at the bar for much longer than she needed to, she started opting to spend the last hour or so of his shift waiting for him out back instead. there, no one looked at her or tried getting her number. there was less of a risk of someone remembering they'd seen the wheeler girl around one too many nights. plus, it seemed to discourage people from vandalizing his car. nothing put more of a damper on plans than nancy wheeler waving at you from her spotlight under the lamppost. the sound of the back door scraping against the concrete had her slipping her bookmark into the page. what else was she supposed to do while she waited?
"i don't know what you're talking about. surely, the cops would wonder who's afraid of little old me," she replied as she slid down from her spot, feet gently landing on the ground below her. of course, more people should be afraid of her, but that didn't seem to be the general consensus of the town. nowadays, they mostly just looked over at her with pity in their eyes. poor girl had been this close to becoming a wife. "complain to mrs. hamilton on the other hand, and i'm a total menace to society."
TRUTH BE TOLD, the last person eddie ever expected to waltz through the hideout doors was nancy wheeler. for one reason or another, this town had been trying to diminish the young journalist mind since he could remember. small town talk of her getting back into town had been heard through the grapevine but it wasnโt until he laid eyes on her himself that he believed it. her mind was brilliant. budding and innovative in a way that hawkins would never be. if anyone was going to escape this town and all the deadbeats in it, it was nancy wheeler. thatโs why it came as a surprise to see her with his own skeptical gaze, but nevertheless, he enjoyed the moment to actually indulge in her conversations. it was something he rarely had with her in school. two different crowds. two different directions. their paths were never meant to intertwine โ that was, until the upside down. even going to school together all those years in hawkins, it never put them in preparation for what was to come march of 1986.
โIS MRS. HAMILTON EVEN STILL BREATHING โ what is she now? 109?โ eddie scoffed abrasively, theatrics his tell all when it came to the comfort he displayed around people. he wasnโt too much into the flare and flaunting with tasteful words these days. he couldnโt afford the added attention. so when he found that he could be himself around someone close to the chest, he embraced the sarcasm and showy humor. โ โsides, sheโs totally wrong. youโre not a menace to society โ youโre the menace of society.โ a telling grin spread along the metalheadโs features, moving to his driver side door to unlock it manually. the book in her hand became of interest to him, gesturing there with a nod of his head. โwhatcha got there? more investigative journalism?โ he questioned, the screech of his metal door rubbing together as it opened.
IT BECAME A MORE FREQUENT OCCURRENCE, seeing the eldest wheeler waiting by his van in the early morning hours. it felt like a fever dream. having him constantly question if he was truly conscious. yet, there she had been patiently waiting for the last closing minutes of his shift. for that, he was certain that heโd never find anyone more daring than her. โyou telling me all about it on the ride back to yours โ or is it mine this time?โ
