homebody pt. 2 (e.munson)
description: years after you found out that eddie cheated on you with a groupie, you decide to return to hawkins for a bit of spring cleaning. closure is the key to healing, they say. is it possible to move on without closure? is it possible to move on at all?
part 2 of homebody
pairing: eddie munson x reader
warnings: allusions to sexual content, mentions of cheating, angst
an: i'm sorry for the long wait for part 2 ! i honestly had no clue what direction to take this mini-series in, but i settled on this. part 2 is inspired by @jessyballet and the anonymous sweetheart that messaged me ! thank you so much for the love and support, enjoy:)
also, my inbox is always open for requests, comments, questions, or if you just want to talk! much love<3
taglist! @khayhuij @bubblysunwoosworld @annie-maximoff @imasimptoowth @ureleesian @subjecta13-thefangirl @anunstablebigirl @eddieswifu @ilovehotdads69 @plk-18 @demo-bats
not proofread
healing. it's never been easy. you had a tendency to hold onto things that were long gone, relishing in the feeling of when it was, never daring to indulge in what it is.
you wanted this time to be different. you wanted eddie munson to be the heartbreak to end all heartbreaks, the straw that broke the camel's back.
but in truth, it wasn't.
you thought about him more often than you'd like to admit. you thought about him in the most minuscule times; he was like a cold you couldn't quite shake no matter how much cough syrup you forced down.
he was a drug and you quit cold turkey. you felt the withdrawal curse your veins, send you reeling as you grasped for anything to ease the pain.
but nothing did. nothing eased the pain. you woke up every morning in a daze, asking yourself where eddie was and whose bed you were in. it never felt like yours; you wondered if it ever would.
for the first few months after your departure, you found yourself in a quaint little place just outside of hawkins, close to your job and even closer to your new school. you bought a new car, changed your hair, and even went as far as to gift yourself a whole new wardrobe that wasn't stained with eddie's cologne.
you'd be the first to admit you weren't the kindest to yourself during this period of time. it wasn't easy to cope, being in your early twenties with your projected future crumbling under your feet and all. you neglected yourself, throwing yourself into work and school and substance abuse to avoid even a second of being alone with your thoughts.
you thought life was going... well. maybe not well, but you were surviving.
how does one determine the difference between being alive and just living?
you hadn't given it a second thought. surviving was the bare minimum and you relished in your ability to wake up every morning. you were just living. that was until you saw him.
but no, not him. him.
steve harrington. a name that hasn't left your mouth since you started dating eddie. a face you haven't seen since his graduation. parts of you most definitely believed fate would never cross your paths again. but there you were, standing in line at the supermarket with steve just a mere few feet away from you.
it was nice to see a familiar face. after your abrupt uprooting, everyone became a stranger. you were lost in a sea of staticky faces, never stopping to learn a name or a story.
for the next year, steve became your rock, your best friend. he was there for every emotional wine night, every karaoke road trip, and every day in between. you two were inseparable; you couldn't deny you felt like a high schooler again.
steve took his time. he never rushed you to talk about your feelings or indulge in the nitty-gritty details of your and eddie's relationship. things came naturally, much like the best things in life.
sooner or later, the two of you found yourselves tangled up in bedsheets, 'i love you's spilling from your lips like a mantra. it felt new, exciting, safe, and secure. never would you have believed that it was steve to be your prince charming, the one to cure your bad days and make every day a good one. if someone told you 4 years ago that steve would be your happily ever after, you would have laughed in their face.
funny how things change.
that was years ago. dozens of months since you learned the joys of feeling alive instead of just living.
now, a new home, a fairytale wedding, and 3 kids later, here you both were, still tangled up in bedsheets like love-struck teenagers. some things never change.
"my parents have some stuff in the garage they want us to have," steve mentioned vaguely, his body weight squished between you and the comforter, his hands reaching up to comb stray strands of hair from your face.
you nodded with half-lidded eyes, sleep beckoning you with every word he spoke.
"when do they want to come by?" you asked, letting his gentle touch lull you into a semi-comatose state.
"they actually wanted us to come to hawkins." steve's words were careful, like he was treading on thin ice. the subject of visiting hawkins very rarely came up with you and steve. he understood it held a lot of bad memories for you, and although you were healed from it as an adult, he didn't dare ask you to pay a visit knowing the risks.
he was surprised by your lack of reaction. in some way or another, it surprised you as well. although you were now in a loving, healthy, and happy relationship with steve, you hadn't confronted that part of your past face-to-face. at the moment, it seemed like nothing. in reality, you didn't know what the consequences held.
"sunday would be best, i think," you stated. steve only nodded in agreement.
a trip back home might be nice, you thought. maybe you could see some of your old friends, pay your own parents a visit with the kids while you were at it.
after all, what were the odds that eddie munson still lived in hawkins?
•••
as the car rolled into the gravel road of hawkins, you felt a wave of familiarity wash over you, coating and enveloping you in a strange, tingling warmth.
it had been years since you stepped foot in the city. by the looks of it, nothing changed. the same buildings resided in the same lots, the barren fields sat untouched, and the decaying buildings had not aged a day. it was almost comforting, but it was almost eerie like a bad omen.
mr. and mrs. harrington stood in the frame of the garage, which was swung open and littered with boxes and memorabilia. they waved as you pulled into the driveway.
the kids were the first out of the car, barreling down the pavement towards steve's parents, almost tackling them with all the force in their toddler bodies. you couldn't help but smile at their antics; they truly were the perfect mix of you and steve.
"y/n, darling! how are you?" mrs. harrington was the first to greet you, pulling you into a warm hug as your children swarmed around the driveway.
"just fine, thank you. how have you been?" you asked, scooping the youngest of your children into your arms. mrs. harrington let out a sigh, gesturing to the garage jammed full of junk.
"busy, to say the least. thank you again for coming by. could i trouble you for a favor?"
you nodded.
"i haven't had time to get to the market for dinner. would you mind picking up some things?" mrs. harrington was always so pleasurable when asking for favors; she made it near impossible to say no.
"of course! i'd be happy to."
•••
you decided it was best to take the little ones with you to stay out of the way from the heavy lifting. the last thing steve needed was your children locking onto his legs with boxes piled in his arms.
you wandered the aisles, slowly pushing the shopping cart. your two oldest children trailed in front of the cart, your youngest in the cart and grabbing at the sleeves of your shirt. your eyes scoured the shelves, trying to mentally check off every item mrs. harrington mentioned to you.
just as you spotted the last item, you groaned internally as it was perched on the top shelf, entirely out of your reach. you stopped your pacing, reaching as high as you could for the box, attempting to use the handle of the cart as leverage.
you struggled with a growing annoyance, looking around for any employee to assist you.
just as you were about to give up, a strangely familiar voice called out to you.
"do you need help with that, ma'am?" your head snapped in the direction of the voice.
your breathing halted and your body froze. time itself seemed to pause as your eyes were met with his. his doe eyes widened equally in surprise as you met his gaze. his polite smile dimmed to an open-mouthed gape.
"y/n..."
"hi eddie," you responded, swallowing the breath in your throat. he still stared at you, nearly speechless and unblinking.
the one to break the silence was your eldest.
"mommy, is that your friend?" your son spoke. you watched eddie's heart drop as he spoke. you looked down at him, smiling and nodding.
"an old friend," your gaze turned back to eddie, "eddie, these are my kids: alex, joanna, and lila. kids, this is mr. munson."
eddie mustered up a smile to wave at your kids.
"hi mr. munson!" alex and joanna spoke in unison. eddie elicited some shy greeting back before the two children returned to their supermarket shenanigans.
you and eddie lingered a while longer, the two of you avoiding eye contact but still standing in each other's presence.
"motherhood looks good on you, y/l/n. sorry, um, mrs....?" eddie stopped himself. you gave him a half-hearted smile.
"mrs. harrington," you finished for him. eddie sucked in his cheeks as you spoke, fighting both tears and curses as he nodded.
"i can't lie, i was always hoping you'd introduce yourself as mrs. munson one day." you bit your lip at eddie's attempt at a joke. you could see the hurt strewn across his features. in the moment, you truly did feel bad for him.
"eddie..." you started.
"does he... does he treat you better than i did?" eddie asked with a swallowed voice. you could see how glossy his eyes became as he avoided your gaze. you sighed outwardly.
"like a princess," you answered honestly. as bad as you felt for eddie, you couldn't deny how happy you were with steve. he was the one to pick up the pieces and help you put them back together. he was patient and kind and understanding. he was intensely honest and sincere; he gave you everything eddie couldn't.
eddie nodded, trying to muster up some form of a smile.
"i'm happy for you, y/n. i really am," eddie stated, his eyes finally meeting yours. you bit down on your lip, feeling overwhelmed by this entire situation.
this was closure. the act of reliving past traumas, facing your counterpart, and having all the uncomfortable conversations you avoided for so long. it was overwhelming and heart-shattering; a teenager you would have crumbled in the same position. but you were older and wiser, stronger and kinder.
"i'm sorry," eddie continued, "for everything. i shouldn't have done what i did. i had everything. you were my everything. i had everything, and i lost it because i was some stupid rockstar idiot. i should have looked for you, i should have fixed everything. i... i'm so sorry."
a soft tear melted down his porcelain cheek as he stared at you, words dripping from his lips like he was under some spell. tears threatened to slip from your waterline. you no longer mourned eddie, you didn't miss him. you didn't love him anymore.
but you wept for the girl he hurt. you wept for the broken heart that spend years to mend. you mourned for her, not for him.
"that's life, i suppose. you get hurt and you keep moving," you spoke, swallowing the lump in your throat. on the surface, you appeared emotionless and rigid. your insides churned with nervousness.
"but, y/n... i never kept moving." you cocked your head to the side, puzzled at what exactly eddie was insinuating. he sensed your confusion, inhaled, and let his emotions pour out with his breath.
"i still love you, y/n. i always have, and i think i always will. i will never get past my wrongdoings. i lost.. the best thing to ever happen to me. i don't think i can just keep moving from that." tears poured freely down his cheeks as he spoke.
"you can't tell me that this is over. i can't accept that it will ever be over."
you glanced over your shoulder. lila slept away in the baby seat while alex and joanna played hopscotch with the grocery store tiles.
you looked back to eddie, his lips pursed together to omit sobs that pressed against his teeth.
"this is my life now, eddie. i love steve and i love my kids. i wouldn't trade it for the world." as much as you could feel your words hurt him, you knew you had to be honest. if there was one thing you learned in the past few years, it was that a person is nothing without their word.
eddie exhaled deeply, shutting his eyes and letting the last of his tears pool down his face. he nodded softly, reopening his eyes to look at you one last time.
"i hope you gives you everything i couldn't. you deserve it," eddie said in finality. you opened your mouth to say something to the same effect, but you let it linger.
"goodbye, eddie," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.
"goodbye, y/n."