soph’s mindscape ‹𝟹

multifandom | shifting | aesthetics 18 ⭐️ 🍂🔪🍎🍿🪻

[s0phslibrary]

SOPH'S MASTERLIST

☄︎. *. ⋆

⋆·˚ ༘ * 🔭🦔

the diary of a girl with too many hobbies and too many fandoms. and far too many thoughts :)

she/her, afab, woman/femme leaning, aroace, queer / 18 / AuDHD

shifter / writer

'which to borrow...?'

main masterlist under the cut, still in the works <3

Requests are open ! Please read these guidelines if you wish to send one in

SHIFTING:

main dr currently: stranger things dr, hogwarts golden trio era dr, fourth wing dr (?)

DR MASTERLISTS: coming soon....

things i'd like shifters to remember

How Awareness Works In Shifting, What Happens To Your Awareness Here When You Shift, and 'Do Other Versions of Me Shift?'; in my perception and what I see likely ౨ৎ

reminders for if you haven't shifted/haven't shifted fully

Manifestation success story (uni application)

FANFICTION

EMPYREAN SERIES:

multiple character:

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠; various empyrean series men and how it feels to love them

Xaden:

morning domesticity with Xaden

Liam:

𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚋𝚢𝚎, 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢; liam mairi x reader

𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅; liam mairi x reader

MY HERO ACADEMIA

CLASS A:

bakugou x reader mini series (currently untitled):

'after school solace'; bakugou x reader drabble ! :*:·ﾟ☆ 。·:*:·ﾟ★

'strawberry matcha and fallen leaves'; bakugou x reader fic/drabble ! :*:·ﾟ☆ 。·:*:·ﾟ★

general:

˚✧⁺˳༚ Bakugou x reader; platonic/best friends edition !! ˚✧⁺˳

Bakugou x health anxiety reader mini scenario

'we'll be alright'; bakugou x OCD/hypochondriac reader

LEAGUE OF VILLAINS

'scary? my god, you're divine'; shigaraki and dabi (separate) x villain reader

MICHAEL JACKSON;

a better place, for you and for me; michael jackson x artist/singer!reader fic

she composition, she statistical fact; michael jackson x f!famous!reader

michael jackson x dark academia!s/o moodboard

STRANGER THINGS;

loving them sounds like..... (various)

Eddie Munson:

— eddie munson headcanons ★ general / relationship / x reader

Eddie x activist/debate team reader Drabble

Eddie x reader is him but in a different font Drabble

Sleepy Eddie Drabble

Eddie with a Harrie partner if harry styles was in the 80s

︶꒦꒷ MUNSON MAYHEM; eddie munson headcanons ! ︶꒦꒷

𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖚𝖙𝖞 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖒𝖊; eddie munson x mortician!reader headcanons ⚰️🖤🍂🩸

eddie building furniture drabble

eddie comfort thoughts

genderfluid!eddie x genderfluid!eddie thoughts

eddie anxiety comfort drabble

Do you swear you'll stay forever?; eddie munson x fem! reader (TW for ED and physical insecurity)

summer with eddie drabble

soul crushing devotion with eddie

eddie x reader general relationship headcanons

A list of things Eddie Munson would have loved if he didn’t absolutely get his shit rocked by some bats | part 2 |

Henry Creel:

STAY WITH ME; henry creel/mr whatsit x fem!hopper!reader series masterlist

henry creel x reader nsfw headcanons ༚༅༚˳ . ♱ . ˳༚༅༚

[appleheadedveggie]

Guys why are the Jacksons such cuties its literally not even fair. Almost all of them are so cute

They're so joyous

[bl00dfroma-fairy]

[mikewheelerisaqueerler]

BREAKING NEWS mike queerler caught staring at will byers like the sun itself shines from his eyes for the 90027th time today

[azaablue]

the best fanfiction you've ever read was written by a woman in her 40s before she made dinner for her kids. it was written by a teenager after school when they should've been studying for a history test. and a barista came up with the idea while they cleaned the espresso machine and busser fact-checked it on their break and the post-doc edited between writing grant proposals and the nurse apologized for typos in the notes after a long shift and behind every drabble and one-shot and multi-chapter fic there is a person with a wonderful and interesting and chaotic life and it is such a privilege that we get to be apart of it because they decided to do this thing we all share, for fun.

[beasbrain]

eddie is always being written as the dominant type but istg this is how i see him

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTScbsEd6/

WAIT YOU ARE SO RIGHT…eddie is so eric forman coded

[chaostraumasworld]

The Munson Way of Caring

01. Wayne's blanket

summary: sometimes home is made of little things. a borrowed sweatshirt, a cup of hot chocolate, wayne’s blanket, and the strange comfort of eddie munson’s beautiful mess of a world. ☕🖤

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

tags: soft!eddie x you, no y/n, slow burn, friends to lovers, oblivious!eddie, mutual pining, the munson way of caring, protective!eddie, caring!eddie, teasing!eddie, dramatic!eddie, sweet!eddie, domestic fluff, hurt/comfort, comfort after a bad day, sharing clothes, wearing eddie’s clothes, rainy night, cozy vibes, found family, wayne munson being wayne, eddie munson being eddie munson, acts of service, playful banter, soft moments, fluff, romantic tension, critical frost damage avoided ♡

warning: excessive fluff, dangerously high levels of domestic comfort, may cause sudden cravings for hot chocolate and a place on wayne’s couch

words: ~11k (not sorry)

notes: damn, i'm a curl girl ☆ next chapter not that long ☆ no promise ☆

──────────────────────────────

By the time Eddie finally admitted defeat, the two of you were long past the point of pretending you weren't freezing.

The rain showed no mercy. In cold, heavy sheets it had soaked clean through your jacket, your shirt, your jeans, until every step sent water sloshing inside your shoes.

"That," Eddie announced solemnly, lifting one foot for emphasis, "is the sound of my dignity leaving my body." The demonstration came with a squelch so horrific it deserved its own eulogy.

Water trickled down the back of your neck no matter how tightly you hunched your shoulders against the wind.

"I swear," Eddie muttered, shoving a handful of dripping curls out of his face. They flopped immediately back into place, as if the gesture had never happened. "That van picked the absolute worst possible moment to die on us."

"Honestly," you said, glancing out at the downpour surrounding you, "it really committed to the bit."

Eddie barked out a laugh.

"Yeah. Couldn't just break down Tuesday morning. Saving me from Mr. Kaminski."

Thunder rolled across the sky, low and rumbling, followed by another gust of wind that drove the rain sideways. Instinct made you turn your face away, though it barely made a difference anymore — there wasn't a single dry inch left on you to protect.

"This doesn't even count as rain anymore," you called out over the wind.

Eddie tipped his head back, blinking up at the vast, churning sky.

"This is personal. Whoever's in charge today clearly has a grudge."

The trailer finally emerged through the curtain of rain, its porch light glowing, a tiny beacon against the dark evening.

"Welcome to paradise," Eddie joked, relief bleeding through, plain and impossible to miss.

He took the steps two at a time and fished his keys from his pocket. You followed him up the creaking wooden steps, your soaked sneakers slipping slightly against the damp wood. Eddie's fingers were numb from the cold, and it took him two tries before he managed to get the key into the lock.

"Come on," he muttered under his breath. "Work with me."

The key finally turned.

Warmth hit you the moment Eddie opened the door. Soft carpet replaced splintered porch boards beneath your feet. The old couch sat exactly where it always had, its faded fabric still carrying the faint smell of cigarette smoke. A stack of cassette cases leaned beside it, old newspaper forgotten on the coffee table, Eddie's clothes thrown over the backrest. After the cold and the rain, seeing the familiar mess of the trailer felt strangely comforting.

Eddie pushed the door open and stepped aside with an exaggerated sweep of his arm.

"After you."

"Wow," you laughed, brushing past him into the warmth, grateful for the sudden absence of wind and rain, "an actual gentleman."

"Don't get used to it," he called after you, already following close behind, the door swinging shut against the storm at his back.

"Figured I'd let the prettier one go first."

Looking down at yourself, soaked through, hair plastered to your face, you glanced back at him, equally drenched, a stray drop of rain still clinging to the tip of his nose.

"Pretty sure," you countered, fighting a grin, "neither of us is winning that title right now."

Wayne looked up from the kitchen sink, a dish towel slung over one shoulder, and let out a low chuckle at the sight of you.

"Well, don't you two look like a couple of drowned raccoons."

"Hi, Mr. Munson," you greeted, brushing damp strands of hair away from your face.

"Evening." Wayne's gaze swept over the two of you, amusement written plainly across his face.

"We definitely feel like it," you admitted, and that only seemed to deepen it.

Eddie looked at you, smiling slightly, before glancing down at himself. Apparently deciding the situation was still salvageable, he ran a hand through his hair, giving the curls one final adjustment before looking back at you.

"I think we pulled it off."

Wayne's mouth twitched, clearly unconvinced.

"Sure you did." Wayne returned his attention to the dishes.

"So, what happened?"

"Van died at the corner of Birch," Eddie grunted, wrestling himself out of his leather jacket, which protested with an unmistakable squeak.

"Real dramatic exit." Eddie threw his hands up, miming an explosion. "Smoke and everything."

Slipping out of your soaked sneakers, you lined them up neatly beside the door. Even so, droplets of rain escaped your clothes, gathering in tiny puddles across the floor.

"Sorry," you apologized, looking down at your feet. "We're making such a mess."

Wayne glanced at the puddle for all of half a second before looking back at you.

"I'd rather have wet floors than you two still out there." He nodded toward the stools at the kitchen counter and grabbed another towel from the rack.

"Here."

The moment it touched your hands, you let out an embarrassingly happy sigh.

"Oh my god, this is so good. Thank you!"

The towel had officially become the only thing standing between you and looking completely miserable, so you claimed a spot at the counter and pressed it over your face for a moment, breathing in the faint scent of laundry soap.

Eddie caught himself looking at you again. When you noticed, he didn't flinch. He just smiled to himself.

"You got the van off the road?" The mug was the next victim of the soapy water, disappearing beneath the bubbles as Wayne continued the cleanup.

"Yeah!" Eddie held his arms out, presenting the full disaster of his outfit, a fresh black smear now added to the wreckage.

"Such a drama queen till the very end."

"Locked it?" The mug received its final rinse, earned its place on the drying rack, and joined the others in pretending the cleanup was almost over.

"Mm-hm," Eddie hummed, wringing out the hem of his shirt with a grimace. "Though I'm not entirely convinced the thing is alive enough to care."

A small nod from Wayne.

"Good."

Outside, thunder rolled low across the sky again, deep enough to make the windows tremble, followed almost immediately by rain hammering even harder against the roof.

"Callin' Wade in the morning, see if he can tow it. No sense sending anyone out in this."

A last few crumbs met their inevitable end as Wayne cleared the plate, his gaze drifting toward the rain outside.

Eddie followed his gaze to the window and rubbed a hand through his still-dripping curls. A few drops of water fell onto the floor between his feet.

"Yeah... figured."

Judging by the amount of water Eddie was still shedding, Wayne clearly decided reinforcements were necessary. He grabbed another towel and tossed it toward him.

Catching it with a small nod of thanks, Eddie immediately started rubbing it through his hair, trying to get some of the water out. It didn't do much. His curls only seemed to grow more unruly, sticking up in every direction as he dragged the towel through them.

"...Fixed it," he grinned.

Looking at him for a beat, you smiled.

"Your curls beg to differ."

One look at the two of you was enough to notice something was off. Wayne's attention stayed on you a moment longer, quietly assessing.

"Doesn't look like you're warming up much. You're turning blue."

Glancing down, you found your hands trembling, a tremor you hadn't noticed until now.

"I'm fine," you said, the words coming out before you'd even thought them through.

Wayne's expression eased. "I know. Still, those wet clothes aren't helping." He tilted his head toward the hallway. "There's something dry in there. You two should get out of those."

The towel found its new home around Eddie's neck.

"Yeah, let's not turn into human icicles today."

The matter was apparently settled. The mugs waiting on the drying rack had already claimed Wayne's attention.

Eddie shook his head, a fond smile crossing his face at how quickly Wayne had moved on.

"Come on," he said, already heading toward his room and flicking on the light as he stepped inside.

The familiar chaos greeted you — band posters curling at the edges, cassette tapes scattered across every surface, the faint smell of candle wax and old paper.

Idle curiosity led your eyes over the room, taking in what Eddie would generously call "organized," until something on his desk caught your attention.

Your black marker.

It had quite obviously made itself at home beside his paints. Rolling it once between your fingers, you decided it had apparently chosen its new owner.

Honestly, you couldn't blame it.

"Alright..." Eddie announced, giving the drawer a good yank and a rattle until it finally gave in with a squeak. "You've got quite the selection here. Black, black, or..." He paused, his fingers moving through the pile with an almost adorable amount of concentration. "...premium black."

Suddenly you were all ears. Your whole body ached for something warm and dry.

"Ooh, premium is in stock?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Eddie flashed a wide, almost boyish grin.

"Oh, absolutely."

The clothes rustled beneath his hands, the soft clink of his rings filling the quiet room before he suddenly stopped.

"Actually... scratch that," he said, pulling out a faded black sweatshirt with a soft, stretched-out collar that had clearly seen better days. He held it up with exaggerated care, giving it an approving nod before presenting it to you.

"This is premium cozy black."

"...oh wow," you breathed, running your fingers over the worn fabric.

"Pretty sure this one comes with a comfort bonus," you hummed, giving the sleeve another squeeze.

Honestly, you understood the temptation of keeping someone else's stuff now — and you weren't sure you'd give this back either.

Eddie caught your reaction, and the look on his face made it painfully obvious he considered this a personal victory.

The clothes were arranged with the seriousness of a royal offering, the sweater and sweatpants presented like priceless family heirlooms before an unnecessarily elegant bow completed the performance.

"My lady," he announced with all the drama of a royal decree.

Not one to be outdone, you pressed a hand to your chest and inclined your head in return, accepting the bundle with matching gravity.

"A most generous offering," you declared, voice as regal as you could manage.

Clearly delighted that you were playing along, Eddie's grin stretched wider.

Tightening your grip on the pile, you felt the sweater's warmth seeping into your cold hands, a small, unexpected act of mercy. You'd barely taken a step when Eddie froze.

"Hold on..." He turned around so fast his wet curls sent droplets flying. "The ceremony isn't complete."

The drawer was immediately searched for the next essential item, and after a moment of dramatic rummaging, another treasure emerged with the same theatrical care as before.

"This is of great importance!" The final piece of the ensemble made its appearance, completing the royal collection before he gave you a quick wink. "Protection against frostbite... a devastating weakness of your toes."

"Socks!" you gasped, your eyes widening with perfectly feigned astonishment. "A rare item. I thought these were only a legend."

Eddie just stared at you. A crooked, pleased look crossed his face, warm and immediate.

"Okay," he said, his nose scrunching the way it did when he was trying not to smile too hard. "See, this is why you're dangerous."

You laughed. "Oh! Dangerous?"

"Yeah." He nodded seriously. "Encouraging me."

His expression shifted as your fingers brushed against his while you adjusted the stack of clothes between you, and just like that, the teasing dropped from his face.

Neither of you moved at first.

Then Eddie seemed to remember he was still holding onto the socks, and his fingers loosened with a small, almost embarrassed laugh.

"Uh... I'll let you get changed."

He lingered for just a second longer before backing toward the door.

"Eddie?"

He paused mid-step, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Thanks," you said, lifting the stack of clothes slightly between you.

Another grin, smaller this time but no less genuine, and then he slipped out into the hallway, pulling the door gently shut behind him.

His footsteps continued on to the bathroom, followed by the soft click of that door too, and the faint rustle of him getting out of his own wet clothes.

The trailer creaked softly around you, settling beneath the weight of the storm. Rain battered the roof like it was trying to break in, but inside, everything felt strangely safe. Warm. The world outside could do whatever it wanted, and it didn't matter quite as much in here.

The sweatshirt was a little too big, the sleeves falling over your hands no matter how many times you pushed them back. The sweatpants sat loose around your ankles, soft and warm, swallowing up the last bit of cold the rain had left behind.

Surprised by how quickly something unfamiliar had started to feel comfortable, you padded out of Eddie's room sock-footed. The overly dramatic sock ceremony had, unfortunately, been justified. They were really good socks.

Wayne was still waging war on the last of the dishes while Eddie gathered up mugs and plates, dressed and looking suspiciously put-together for someone who'd needed a small eternity just to find matching socks. The second Eddie turned and caught sight of you, a grin spread across his face.

Since a proper reveal lost some of its impact while still holding a bundle of soggy clothes, you draped them over the back of one of the kitchen stools.

"Well?" you asked, turning around with amused patience, arms held out as if giving him time to properly assess the situation.

Eddie set the dishes down and gave you a slow once-over, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin as though he were considering a life-altering decision.

"Give it five minutes."

"Until what, exactly?" you asked, eyes widening in exaggerated concern.

"Until you're quoting Sabbath, arguing about guitar solos, and informing innocent strangers their taste in music is objectively wrong."

Your straight face didn't survive that. Eddie's dramatic prediction was ridiculous enough to make you laugh, mostly because there was a little too much truth in it.

Eddie blinked, like he'd expected to tease you, not actually catch you off guard.

"Oh," you said, drawing yourself up, chin lifting as you slipped into the performance, "I think I'm already there. Just missing the curls, though."

Reaching up, you gave your hair a dramatic, tousled fluff in a poor imitation of his curls.

The accusation clearly required a response. His eyebrows lifted, and whatever amusement had been there was quickly replaced by the need to defend his reputation.

"My lady," you intoned in your best imitation of Eddie's voice — low, gravelly and just a touch too dramatic.

"Okay, that's slander," Eddie scoffed, stepping toward you with a look of mock offense, one finger already raised in protest. "I don't sound like that!"

"You absolutely do," you teased, tugging one sleeve back without really looking, already so used to the oversized sweatshirt it barely seemed to register anymore. "All the time!"

Still shaking his head, Eddie caught the end of one sleeve between his fingers, lifting it like an exhibit in a courtroom.

"The sweatshirt?" he declared. "Convincing."

His gaze flicked to you.

"The impression? Criminal."

"You hear yourself, right?" you mocked, trying to pull your arm free.

A playful nudge of your shoulder was your next attempt to escape, but Eddie only tightened his hold, clearly far too entertained to let you go. Instead, he only laughed, reached around you, and caught you in an easy hug from behind, his chin nearly brushing your shoulder.

"Eddieee—" you protested playfully, trying to pry one of his arms loose.

It accomplished absolutely nothing except making him laugh harder.

Eddie had seen you soaked through, freezing, trying not to make a fuss about it. Now you were standing there wearing his clothes, arguing with him over a fake accent. Somehow, that got to him more than it should have.

The microwave beeped, apparently confident it had done its job. A quick stir proved otherwise. After a moment of silent judgment, Wayne sent the pot back in for another minute.

"You two planning on eating tonight, or should I just leave you to the fashion show?"

Eddie's arms stayed exactly where they were, making it perfectly clear he had no intention of letting go. Defeat, apparently, came with remarkably comfortable conditions. Settling back against him, you decided fighting it was wildly overrated.

"We're conducting a highly scientific evaluation," Eddie declared.

"Of?" Wayne asked, already setting slices of toast onto waiting plates.

You pretended to give the question careful consideration. "My commitment to premium cozy."

Wayne looked over then. His eyes moved from the sweatshirt to the easy way Eddie still had you tucked against him before settling on your face. The sight seemed to please him.

"Looks committed."

Catching your smile, Wayne gave the toast another look before deciding a little extra butter couldn't hurt.

Tipping your head back against Eddie, you couldn't resist the quiet triumph in your grin.

"Heard that?"

With a small click of his tongue, Eddie leaned closer, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper.

"You're clearly working together."

Apparently deciding the toast hadn't suffered enough, Wayne added another generous helping of butter before his attention shifted to the stool.

"Probably oughta hang 'em up before we forget."

Only then did Eddie seem to notice he was still holding onto you. He blinked, almost surprised by the fact that he hadn't wanted to let go, before easing his arms away.

For a second, you missed the easy comfort of his arms before reminding yourself that he had only been messing around.

"Got it." Before you could even move, the bundle was already being taken. Eddie shifted it into both hands, then paused, looking down at the pile.

"Oh." His brows lifted. "That's... all..."

Heat crept up your neck. "...Maybe."

"Even—" He stopped himself, catching the word before it could fully leave him. "Never mind."

"What?" You laughed. "You know rain doesn't magically stop at your jeans, right?"

A small shake of his head followed, apparently realizing the flaw in his own logic.

"Yeah. Just... Didn't really think that through."

The microwave beeped again, clearly done negotiating. Wayne rescued the pot from the microwave, gave the stew one last stir like he was personally responsible for its survival, and glanced toward the bathroom.

"Ed. The rack in the bathroom folds out."

"I know."

"Last time you said that, you put a wet towel over the shower curtain."

Looking offended, Eddie adjusted the bundle in his arms.

"That was one time," he said, already heading to the bathroom.

The cupboard opened with a quiet creak. Wayne paused for a moment, then took down the bowls stacked inside.

"Need a hand?" you asked, drumming your fingertips lightly against the edge of the counter.

He glanced back at you, a little surprised by the offer.

"That's kind of you. Think I can manage," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

A mug of hot chocolate appeared in front of you a moment later, courtesy of Wayne, who had clearly decided you needed warming up more than you needed another argument.

"Careful, though. Made it the way Ed likes it. Might rot your teeth."

Steam curled up carrying the rich scent of melted chocolate and something faintly like cinnamon. A few marshmallows floated on top, their edges softened into pale, gooey ribbons.

Warmth sank into your fingers the moment you wrapped both hands around the mug. The first sip was almost too hot, way too sweet, and somehow exactly right.

"Okay," you said, "this explains so much about him."

Wayne huffed, already reaching for the ladle. "Told you. Kid's got a sweet tooth. Always has."

"I would've guessed coffee." The second sip was just as reckless as the first, sugar be damned, and the warmth kept spreading from the inside out.

"Oh, that too. Mostly when he's got a paper due at two in the morning." Wayne tapped the ladle against the pot rim, stew flicking across the counter. "But given the choice? Hot chocolate wins every time."

"So that's his secret weakness." Clearly enjoying this far too much, you cradled the mug a little closer, already plotting a marshmallow stockpile. "Good to know. I'll keep a bag of marshmallows around for emergencies."

That actually got a proper laugh out of Wayne, low and warm. "Don't you give him ideas. He'll start negotiating a marshmallow allowance."

As Wayne cleared some space on the counter, something underneath the magazines caught your attention. Clint Eastwood stared back at you, looking deeply offended by his temporary imprisonment. You pulled the VHS case free.

"Pale Rider," you read off the cover. "Huh."

"Been sitting there since last week." The last bowl joined the others on the counter, and Wayne gave the VHS case a quick look.

"Was gonna watch it myself one of these nights, but—" he gestured vaguely at the general chaos of the trailer, of life, "—never got around to it."

The sun-bleached cover art was doing a surprisingly good job of selling the idea of a quiet movie night, right in the middle of the storm.

"I've heard of it. Never actually watched it, though."

"It's a good one. Saw it last year when it came out. Wasn't expecting much, but it surprised me," Wayne recalled, setting down another plate with a clink, already reaching for the cutlery.

"Ed'll tell you westerns ain't his thing." Wayne snorted, clearly more amused than he was willing to admit, and collected the last of the spoons.

"Still sits through every one of 'em, though."

Leaning an elbow on the counter, you said, "Yeah... He has a habit of accidentally getting invested."

Next to the slices of toast, the bowls of stew found their place, a knowing look crossing Wayne's face.

"You've noticed."

A small detail caught your attention, three plates instead of two. The extra plate sat there like it had always belonged — Wayne had just included you.

Right on cue, Eddie wandered back into the kitchen, drying his damp hands against the sides of his sweatpants. One curl had escaped whatever battle he'd fought within the bathroom and now hung stubbornly across his forehead.

"Mission accomplished. Your clothes are officially hanging in a way that suggests I know what I'm doing."

Dropping onto the stool beside you, Eddie immediately leaned over and stole a marshmallow straight from your mug before you could react.

"Hey!"

The stolen marshmallow disappeared into his mouth, completely unapologetic as he ignored your look of betrayal. The second mug on the counter offered the perfect opportunity for revenge. You plucked one of his marshmallows, popped it into your own mouth, then handed it over with your sweetest smile.

"Here."

Eddie chewed for a second before flashing you a thoroughly unrepentant grin.

"Worth it!"

With the mug now in hand, the entire exchange seemed to have gone exactly according to Eddie's plan, followed by a long, satisfied sip.

"So, what did I miss?" He asked, completely unaware of the chocolate mustache he was sporting.

"Since Zeus had other plans for us, we figured we'd let Clint Eastwood save the day."

You held up the cover, the grim-faced gunslinger staring back like he'd personally taken offense at the weather.

Without missing a beat, Eddie lifted his spoon toward you and Wayne.

"I knew it! I leave for one minute and you two start plotting."

"Sorry," you managed between laughs, "can't take you seriously with that mustache."

Noticing where you were looking, Eddie dragged his tongue deliberately slowly across his upper lip without breaking eye contact, taking the chocolate with it.

The smug grin stayed.

With hunger clearly winning the argument, Wayne made his way back toward the living room, the movie secured under one arm and his plate in the other hand.

"Movie's starting either way," he said. "You can hide out in Ed's room if you want, or come keep an old man company."

Apparently, everything had been successfully handled: dinner was ready, the movie was saved, and Eddie hadn't managed to ruin either one.

Three feet of carpet became an obstacle course the moment you and Eddie decided to cross it, arms full of plates, bowls, and mugs, exaggerated concentration written all over both your faces like you were crossing a tightrope instead.

"Corner or middle?" Eddie asked, tilting his head toward the couch while Wayne crouched by the TV, the worn VHS case already in hand.

You didn't even have to think about it.

"Middle," you decided. "Better view."

With the kind of clunk that meant the VCR was either working or pretending to, the old machine accepted the tape, and a second later the television dissolved into a brief shimmer of static.

"Careful," Eddie warned as he eased himself down beside you, balancing the bowl carefully on one thigh. "This couch was not built for personal space."

Fair warning, apparently. The cushions dipped beneath his weight, nudging him effortlessly against you until his knee bumped yours.

"Noted." You shifted just enough to make room, though it hardly made a difference. "Too late now."

Something about your answer clearly pleased him.

"Way too late."

A blanket settled over your lap, soft and worn thin in places from years of use. You blinked down at it, then up at Wayne, who was already halfway back to his armchair like he hadn't just quietly made sure you were both comfortable.

"Wayne." Eddie eyed the blanket with exaggerated offense. "It's not cold anymore."

"Didn't say it was for the cold."

Already lowering himself into the armchair, Wayne didn't so much as glance in your direction.

For a moment, it looked like Eddie was searching for a comeback worthy of the occasion. Whatever he'd come up with apparently wasn't convincing enough. A quiet huff escaped him instead as he tugged one side of the blanket a little farther over both of you.

Static melted into the opening notes of Pale Rider, crackling softly through the old speakers while the storm outside continued throwing itself against the trailer roof like it still had something left to prove.

With a warm bowl in your hands and Eddie's shoulder resting comfortably against yours, you couldn't help thinking the van really could've chosen far worse places to give up.

"This is dangerously close to a family movie night, Wayne."

Wayne didn't even look away from the television.

"Eat your food, Ed."

──────────────────────────────

[s0phslibrary]

I yearn for this so bad

[strawberrykittymp3]

every time i come across Randy and Michael pics they were always on some bullshit😭😭😭 that’s that youngest sibling bond

looking like

[spacejjunk]

when its cold, id like to die

pairing: eddie munson x you

w/c: 7450

summary: eddie munson lived through the upside down but he wasnt supposed to. you and dustin just refused to leave him behind. the hard part wasn't getting him to safety or dealing with a town split in 4-- the aftermath of living and being in a coma-- thats the hardest part.

warnings/tags: angst, grief, stranger things level violence, injury, blood, eddie lives, happy ending

masterlist

The Upside Down didn’t want to let you go.

It pulled at your boots with every step, vines twitching like they were tasting the air for fresh blood. Red lightning split the sky in jagged veins, and the floating particles stuck to the sweat on your face, your neck, your shaking hands. You and Dustin had been running since the moment you heard the first distant screech—too long, too far, too late already.

“Faster!” Dustin’s voice cracked as he sprinted beside you, curls plastered to his forehead. His spear was clutched so tight the wood creaked. “He said he’d buy us time, not—he’s not supposed to be the one who—”

“He’s not dying,” you cut in, the words raw and furious. Your lungs burned. Every breath tasted like copper and rot. “We get there, we drag his stubborn ass back through the gate, and we get him to a hospital. That’s the plan now. Say it, Dustin.”

Dustin’s eyes were glassy, wild. “We get him back. We get him to the hospital. He doesn’t get to be a hero if it kills him. Not this time.”

The sound hit you before you saw him.

A wet, tearing chorus of wings and teeth. High, chittering screams that made your bones vibrate. And underneath it—Eddie’s voice, hoarse and defiant, breaking into a ragged shout that turned into a cry of pain so sharp it felt like it split your own chest open.

You crested the hill and the world narrowed to a single, horrific point.

Eddie was on his knees in the middle of the street that was more vine than road, surrounded by a living storm of demobats. Dozens. Their leathery wings beat so fast they blurred. One had latched onto his shoulder, another tore at the side of his neck. Blood sprayed with every vicious pull. His denim vest was shredded. The Hellfire shirt beneath was soaked through, dark and clinging. His spear was snapped in two, the jagged end still clutched in one fist like he refused to let go even as they dragged him down.

“EDDIE!”

You didn’t remember deciding to move. One second you were frozen, the next you were charging, spear raised, a scream ripping out of your throat that didn’t sound human. Dustin was right beside you, face twisted with something between terror and pure rage.

“Get off him!” Dustin roared, stabbing upward into the swarm. A bat shrieked and fell, wings twitching. “You don’t get to take him!”

The next minutes were nothing but chaos and blood.

You swung until your arms went numb, until your spear was slick and the bats started turning on the new threats. One clipped your arm hard enough to tear skin— you barely felt it. Dustin took a hit to the side of his head that knocked his vision out for a brief moment but he didn’t stop. You fought like the world would end if you didn’t—because it would. If Eddie died here, something in both of you would break and never come back.

Slowly, horribly, the swarm thinned. Some bats dropped. Others wheeled away into the crimson sky like they’d gotten what they came for. Or maybe the music still faintly thumping from the trailer had finally lost its pull. You didn’t care. You were already dropping to your knees beside the crumpled figure on the ground.

“Eddie—Eddie, look at me—”

He was worse up close. So much worse.

Deep, ragged tears across his chest and arms. A vicious bite on the side of his neck that wouldn’t stop pulsing blood no matter how hard you pressed your hands to it. His face was pale under the grime and red, lips already taking on a bluish tint. But his eyes—those dark, doe eyes—fluttered open when he heard your voice. They found you first. Then Dustin.

A weak, bloody smile ghosted across his mouth.

“Hey, Henderson… told you… to get the hell out…” His voice was wet, bubbling. “And you… brought backup? Knew you were… smart…”

“Shut up,” Dustin choked, already yanking off his hoodie, pressing it hard against the worst wound on Eddie’s side. His hands were shaking so badly the fabric slipped. “Don’t you dare joke right now. We’re fixing this. You hear me? We’re fixing it.”

You tore the bottom of your own shirt into strips with your teeth, tying one tight around Eddie’s upper arm where a bite had hit something important—blood was spurting too fast. Your fingers slipped in the warmth of it. Too much. God, there was too much.

“Pressure,” you said, voice cracking but steady enough. “Keep pressure. We have to move him. The gates not far—if we cut through the edge of the woods—”

“Woods?” Dustin’s laugh was half a sob. “There aren’t woods anymore, there’s just—Jesus, he’s losing too much blood. What if we move him and it gets worse? What if we can’t stop it and he—”

“Then he dies here,” you snapped, sharper than you meant to. The fear made your voice shake. “He dies in this shithole because we were too scared to try. That’s not happening. Help me get him up. Now.”

Eddie groaned when you and Dustin hauled him between you, one arm over each of your shoulders. His weight nearly buckled your knees. His boots dragged, leaving dark smears on the ash-gray ground. Every step jarred a fresh sound out of him—half gasp, half whimper—and it carved something hollow into your chest.

“Easy,” you murmured, close to his ear, trying to keep your voice from breaking. “We’ve got you. Just stay awake. Yell at us if you have to. Call us idiots. Anything.”

“‘M… not… an idiot,” Eddie slurred, head lolling against your shoulder. His blood was soaking through your clothes now, warm and sticky and terrifying. “Just… really… bad at running away. Told you… I didn’t run this time…”

"Yeah, well, you’re gonna run with us now,” Dustin said fiercely, tears cutting clean tracks down his dirty face. “All the way back to the real world. Then you’re gonna let doctors poke you and you’re gonna complain about the food and you’re gonna live, Munson. You got that?”

Eddie tried to laugh. It came out as a wet cough that flecked more blood across his lips. “Bossy… little shit…”

“Damn right I am.” Dustin’s voice cracked again. He adjusted his grip, nearly stumbling over a twitching vine that reached for the blood trail they were leaving. “You think I’m letting you check out after everything? After you made Hellfire feel like home? After you let me be your friend even when I was just some kid? No. Not happening.”

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat threatening to choke you. The gate was visible now—a jagged, pulsing wound in the ground ahead, the membrane between worlds thin and wrong and the only way out. Every step toward it felt like the Upside Down was trying to drag you back, to keep its prize.

“He’s fading,” you said quietly, just loud enough for Dustin to hear. Your arm under Eddie’s was screaming from the strain. “His pulse is… Dustin, we have to go faster.”

“I know.” Dustin’s face was set, terrified, determined. “Eddie—hey—remember that campaign you said you were gonna do after Vecna? The last hurrah before graduation? We can't do that without our dungeon master. So you better pull through this shit and maks it happen.”

Eddie’s fingers twitched against your shoulder, weak but there. “You… do it… Henderson. You’re… gonna be… better than me…”

“Bullshit,” you whispered fiercely. “You’re not allowed to say goodbye like that. We’re not doing goodbye. We’re doing ‘see you in the hospital, asshole.’ Got it?”

The gate loomed closer. Ten yards. Five. The air around it hummed like a live wire, smelling of ozone and something metallic and wrong.

“On three,” you said. “We go through together. Don’t you let go of him, Dustin.”

“Never,” Dustin answered, voice thick.

Eddie was barely conscious now, mumbling something about Wayne and Corroded Coffin and how he was sorry he was such a freak. You and Dustin answered at the same time, overlapping, desperate.

“You’re our freak.”

“You’re the best one we’ve got.”

“On three. One… two… three—”

You pushed through the gate as one.

The sensation was like being dragged through freezing, burning jelly that clung and tore and finally—finally—let go. Normal air hit your lungs like a slap. The sky above was dark velvet scattered with real stars. Distant sirens wailed somewhere in Hawkins. The ground under your feet was solid, ordinary asphalt instead of ash and rot.

You and Dustin lowered Eddie carefully to the ground just on the other side of the gate, both of you breathing like you’d run miles. His eyes were closed now, but his chest still rose—shallow, stuttering, but there.

“We did it,” Dustin whispered, staring at the blood on his hands like he couldn’t believe it was real. “We got him out. We actually—”

“He’s not safe yet.” You were already pressing fresh pressure to the neck wound, your own hands trembling now that the adrenaline had somewhere to go. “Hospital. We need a car, a phone, anything. Flag someone down or—”

Headlights cut through the dark at the end of the street. Maybe one of the others had circled back, or maybe it was pure luck. You didn’t care. You just started yelling, voice raw and cracking.

“Help! We need help! He’s hurt—he’s dying—please!”

Dustin stayed crouched beside Eddie, one hand gripping his friend’s bloody fingers like an anchor.

“You hear that, Munson?” he said, tears dripping onto Eddie’s torn vest. “Help’s coming. You made it. You didn’t run… and we didn’t let you go. So you better fight now. You hear me? You fight.”

Eddie’s eyes didn’t open, but his fingers twitched once against Dustin’s—weak, but there.

The hospital became your whole world.

The fluorescent lights in the ICU hummed like a living thing, too bright, too steady, nothing like the flickering red lightning you’d left behind in the Upside Down. Eddie had made it through surgery—barely. The doctors used words like “massive blood loss,” “hypovolemic shock,” “he coded twice on the table.” You heard them through a fog, still wearing Dustin’s blood-stiff hoodie over your own torn shirt, your hands and forearms crusted dark red-brown no matter how many times you scrubbed them in the hospital sink.

You didn’t leave. You couldn't.

They tried, at first. A nurse with kind eyes told you visiting hours were over, that family only could stay overnight. Dustin had backed you up with a voice that cracked but didn’t waver—“She’s the reason he’s still breathing. She’s not going anywhere.” After that they stopped asking. A cot was wheeled in. You ignored it. The chair beside Eddie’s bed became yours. You sat with your knees pulled up, one hand wrapped around his where it lay pale and IV-taped against the white sheet, the other resting lightly over the thick bandages on his chest so you could feel the rise and fall, however shallow.

The first night bled into the second. Then the third. The beeping monitors became your heartbeat. Every time his oxygen dipped or the pressure alarm went off, your whole body went rigid until the numbers climbed again. You talked to him when the nurses weren’t in the room. Stupid things, at first—Dustin’s latest Hellfire campaign notes, the way the Party had started leaving little gifts on the windowsill, how the town was rebuilding. Then quieter things. The way his voice had sounded when he told Dustin to run. The way his blood had felt hot and slick between your fingers. The way you’d screamed his name like it could anchor him to the world.

“You don’t get to be the hero who dies,” you whispered one night, forehead pressed to the back of his hand. “Not after everything. Not after you fought. You can't die for this stupid fucking town.”

Lucas found you on the fourth day.

You’d stepped out for the first time in hours—just long enough to pace the hallway and try to remember what air tasted like when it wasn’t filtered through antiseptic and fear. Max’s room was two doors down. Lucas was in the chair beside her bed the same way you were with Eddie— shoulders hunched, one hand holding hers, eyes red-rimmed but dry. He looked up when you passed. Something in your face must have cracked something in his, because he stood, walked out into the hall, and pulled you into a hug that smelled like hospital soap and the faint metallic ghost of the blood you both felt was permanently etched in your skin.

After that, the meetings overlapped.

You and Lucas took turns fetching coffee that tasted too burnt and was always too hot. You sat together in the unnervingly bright family lounge at 3 a.m., trading stories in low voices so you wouldn’t wake the ghosts. He confided in you about the attic, about the way Max had floated and then fallen, the sound her body made hitting the ground. You told him about the demobats, about Eddie on his knees in the street surrounding him like a tornado of destruction, about the way Dustin’s spear had trembled in his hands and how you’d both decided, without speaking, that dying there together was better than coming back without him.

“You're here,” Lucas said one night, staring at the vending machine like it held answers. “With Eddie. Even when it's bad. Even when they said he might not…”

You didn’t answer with words. Just reached over and squeezed his shoulder. He squeezed back. That was the bond. Two people holding the line while the people they loved fought their way back from places that didn’t want to give them up.

The rest of the Party rotated through like clockwork.

Dustin was there every day after school, reading Eddie the new campaign he was working on. Mike brought comics and tried to make jokes that fell flat but made you smile anyway. Will sat quietly and sketched Eddie’s sleeping face, capturing the sharp line of his jaw and the way his hair fanned across the pillow like he was still on stage. Eleven stood at the foot of the bed for long stretches, eyes closed, like she was listening for something only she could hear. Steve and Robin brought food you mostly didn’t eat and sat on either side of you like bookends, Robin rambling about nothing until the silence stopped feeling like it was going to swallow you whole. Nancy came when she could— she didn’t say much, but her hand on your arm was steady.

Hopper showed up on the sixth day.

He filled the doorway like he always had—broad, gruff, eyes that had seen too much and still kept looking. Joyce was with him, carrying a thermos of actual decent coffee. He waited until Lucas had stepped out to check on Max, until the nurses had done their checks and left you alone with the steady beep of Eddie’s heart monitor.

“Kid,” he said, voice low. “I need you to hear this.”

You turned, still holding Eddie’s hand.

Hopper rubbed a hand over his face. “It’s done. The feds, the local PD, the whole goddamn mess. I called in every contact I had left from… before. Evidence got lost. Witnesses changed their stories. The official line is that Eddie Munson was a victim of the same shit that took Chrissy and the others—some kind of freak storm or gas leak or whatever the hell they’re spinning this week. His name’s clear. When he wakes up, he walks out of here a free man. No cuffs, no questions.”

Joyce stepped forward and pressed the thermos into your free hand. Her eyes were wet. “He’s going to wake up,” she said softly. “They both are. We don’t lose our people. Not this time.”

You nodded because your throat had closed. Hopper squeezed your shoulder once—rough, grounding—then left you with the coffee and the news and the man in the bed who still hadn’t opened his eyes.

The crash came on the afternoon of the eighth day.

It had been quiet. Too quiet. Lucas had taken Max’s mom to the cafeteria. The Party was at school or work or pretending to have normal lives for a few hours. The nurses had just left after changing Eddie’s dressings— you’d seen the raw, stitched edges of the worst bite on his neck, the way the skin around it was still angry and purple. You’d helped, holding the basin, murmuring nonsense to him the whole time like he could hear you.

Now the room was empty except for the two of you and the machines.

You sat in the chair, his hand in both of yours, and the weight of everything you’d been holding back for eight days—eight days of blood and screaming and not sleeping and pretending you were fine because Dustin and Lucas and all the kids needed you to be fine—landed on your chest like a demobat latching on.

Your shoulders started shaking first. Then the tears came hot and silent, then not silent at all. You pressed your forehead to the back of his hand, to the calluses still there from years of guitar strings, and the sobs tore out of you like something had finally ripped open.

“Eddie,” you choked, voice wrecked. “Eddie, please. I can’t—I keep seeing it. The way they were tearing at you. The blood on my hands, on Dustin’s face, the way you smiled at us like you were already trying to say goodbye. You weren’t supposed to fucking stay. You were supposed to run and you didn’t and I’m so fucking proud of you and so fucking angry and I can’t lose you now. Not after we dragged you through that gate. Not after Hopper fixed everything. You’re free, you asshole. You get to be free. So wake up. Yell at me. Call me pathetic. Anything. Just—please. Please come back.”

Your tears soaked into the bandages on his wrist. The monitors kept their steady rhythm. The light through the blinds striped the floor in gold and shadow. You cried until your ribs hurt, until your voice gave out, until there was nothing left but the raw, animal sound of someone who had run out of ways to be strong.

And then—

A twitch.

Fingers, weak but deliberate, curling around yours.

You froze.

Another twitch. A shift in the bed. The heart monitor picked up, just a little. You lifted your head, vision blurred, and watched his eyelids flutter like they were fighting through concrete.

“Eddie?”

A low, raspy sound—half groan, half breath. His head turned a fraction on the pillow. Those dark eyes, the ones that had always found you first, cracked open. They were glassy, unfocused, but they found your face. A tiny, exhausted smile ghosted across his cracked lips.

“Hey…” The word was barely air, but it was his voice. Rough. Alive. “Told you… I wasn't going…anywhere.”

Your breath hitched so hard it hurt. Fresh tears—different ones—spilled over as you leaned in, one hand coming up to cradle the side of his face so gently it was like touching something holy.

“You’re here,” you whispered, voice cracking on every syllable. “You’re—you came back.”

His thumb brushed weakly over your knuckles. “Heard you… crying. Couldn’t… let you do that alone.” His eyes drifted shut for a second, then fought back open. “Dustin…?”

“Safe. Everyone’s safe. Hopper—he cleared your name. You’re free, Eddie. You made it.”

The smile got a little stronger, even through the pain and the drugs and the exhaustion carved into every line of his face. “Knew you’d… drag my stubborn ass back.”

You laughed through the tears, the sound wet and broken and the most beautiful thing you’d heard in eight days. “Damn right I did.”

His fingers tightened—just a fraction, just enough—and you felt it all the way down to the marrow. The machines kept beeping. The light kept falling in stripes across the bed. Somewhere down the hall, Lucas was probably sitting with Max, and the Party was probably arguing about who got to bring the next round of terrible hospital food, and the Upside Down was still out there, still hungry.

But here, in this room, Eddie Munson was awake.

And you were still holding his hand.

The healing was slow, brutal, and beautiful in the way only survival could be.

The first week after Eddie woke was the hardest. He was weak, voice wrecked from unuse, body a map of stitched-together ruin. The demobat bites had torn deep—jagged across his chest, one vicious tear along his ribs that had nicked something important, another high on his neck that still pulsed dangerously close to the artery. The doctors kept saying “miracle.” You kept saying his name like a prayer every time the pain meds wore off and his hand found yours in the dark.

You stayed.

Every night. Every sponge bath the nurses let you help with. Every time they changed the dressings and you saw the raw edges, the way his blood still sometimes welled fresh if he moved wrong. You didn’t flinch. You traced the skin around the wounds with careful fingers while he watched you through half-lidded eyes, something dark and wondering in his gaze.

“You’re still here,” he rasped one night, after a bad dream had him gasping and reaching for a spear that wasn’t there. You’d climbed into the narrow hospital bed without asking, curling carefully against his good side so he could feel your heartbeat. “Even after… everything.”

“I told you,” you whispered against his collarbone, right above a healing bite. “We don’t do goodbye. We do see-you-in-the-hospital-asshole. And now we do see-you-at-home.”

He didn’t answer with words. Just turned his face into your hair and breathed you in like you were the only clean thing left in the world.

The Party became a rotating army of support.

Dustin showed up after school with homework he pretended was his but was really updates on Hellfire and the latest campaign. He and Eddie would argue softly about the story until Eddie’s voice gave out, then Dustin would just sit there, hand on Eddie’s arm like he was still anchoring him through the gate. Mike brought more comics and bad jokes. Ones that Eddie could hear and roast him for even saying. Will would come in with Eleven while she sat quietly and sometimes just… looked at Eddie like she was checking the shape of his soul was still intact. Steve and Robin brought food and conversation and the kind of normal that made the hospital feel less like a tomb. Nancy came with practical things—clothes that weren’t hospital gowns, a new leather jacket the whole party pitched in to buy because the old one was “evidence” now.

Lucas was there too, between shifts with Max. Your bond had deepened into something wordless and necessary. Late nights in the lounge, you’d trade stories—his about when he first met Max, how he owes her a movie date. Yours about Eddie before he joined the party. Sometimes you cried together. Sometimes you just sat in silence until one of you could breathe again. When Max had a good day, Lucas would smile like the sun coming out. When she didn’t, you brought him coffee and didn’t ask him to talk.

Wayne visited twice in those first weeks. The second time, Eddie watched his uncle’s hands shake while pouring water and made a decision he didn’t voice yet. After Wayne left, Eddie stared at the ceiling for a long time before saying, quiet, “He’s already carried enough for me. I can’t put this on him too.”

You didn’t push. You just squeezed his hand and let him come to it in his own time.

The government men came on week three.

Two suits, polite, with nondisclosure papers and a settlement offer that made your eyes widen. Hush money. For the “earthquake.” For the “tragic accident” that had nearly killed all of you. For everything you’d seen and done and bled through. You signed because what else was there to do? The money was obscene. Enough for a fresh start. Enough for the brand-new house on the edge of town you’d bought two weeks later—empty, echoing, with big windows that let in real sunlight and a bedroom big enough for two people who’d almost died in the dark.

You told Eddie about it on a good day, when he was sitting up and the physical therapist had just left him sweating and grinning because he’d walked the length of the hallway without the cane for the first time.

“Government paid out,” you said, casual like you were talking about the weather. “Big settlement. I bought a house. It’s… empty. Brand new. Haven't really had time to decorate.”

He’d looked at you for a long moment, something shifting behind his eyes. Then he’d reached out, thumb brushing the scar on your forearm from where a demobat had clipped you during the rescue.

“You understand,” he said. Not a question.

You nodded. “Yeah. I understand.”

He didn’t say anything else that day. But after that, his touches lingered longer. His eyes never seem to have left you.

Two months in, the scars were pink and raised, permanent. The worst of the pain had faded to a dull ache he only noticed when it rained. He could play guitar again, softly, and the first time he managed a full verse of “Master of Puppets” without his hands shaking, the entire Party had cheered so loud a nurse threatened to kick them all out.

The doctor cleared him on a Monday afternoon.

“Rest. Physical therapy three times a week. No lifting anything heavier than a guitar for another month. And if anything feels off—anything—you come back immediately.”

Eddie sat on the edge of the hospital bed in the clothes you’d brought him—soft black jeans, your faded Hellfire shirt, his new leather jacket draped over his shoulders. He looked at you, really looked, and the whole room seemed to narrow to just the two of you.

“I’m not going to Wayne’s,” he said quietly.

You blinked. “Eddie—”

“He’s good. He’s the best. But he’s old, and he’s already buried too many people. If I show up like this he’ll worry himself into an early grave. I won’t do that to him.” He reached for your hand, lacing your fingers together. “But you... You saw the worst of it. You get it. The blood. The dark. The way it still feels like it’s under my skin sometimes. You're my best friend.”

He swallowed, eyes bright and fierce and so full of everything he’d been holding back.

“And that house you bought? It’s empty. Waiting. I want to fill it. With us. With music and bad cooking and the Party crashing in and you yelling at me when I push too hard in PT. I want to wake up every morning and know the person next to me understands what it felt like to almost die in that hellhole and still chose to stay. I want… I want to go home with you. If you’ll have me.”

Your throat closed. The tears came fast and hot, but they were good ones this time. You stepped between his knees, hands gentle on his face, careful of the healing bite on his neck. The space between you feeling too intimate for "just friends" but you don't care.

“Yes,” you whispered. “God, yes. Come home with me.”

The Party helped pack his few belongings from the hospital room. Dustin cried a little and tried to hide it. Lucas hugged you both and said Max would want to hear all about the new house when she woke up. Steve drove you—Eddie in the passenger seat, you in the back with your hand on his shoulder the whole way because neither of you could stand the distance yet.

The house was exactly as you’d left it— too big, echoing, sunlight pouring through windows that had never seen monsters. Empty rooms waiting for life. A big kitchen. A living room with space for a couch and amps. A bedroom with a king bed you’d bought on impulse because it felt like enough room for two codependant people who’d survived the end of the world.

Eddie stood in the middle of the living room, leather jacket still on, looking around like he couldn’t quite believe it was real. Then he turned to you. The sunlight caught the pink edges of the scars on his neck and chest where his shirt dipped low. He looked tired. He looked alive. He looked beautiful.

He crossed the space in three steps and pulled you into him. His face buried in your neck, arms wrapping around your waist like he was anchoring himself to the only solid thing left.

“Home,” he murmured, voice rough with everything he wasn’t saying out loud. “Our home.”

You held him back just as tight, one hand sliding up under his jacket to rest over the worst of the scars on his back. The ones you’d pressed your hands to in the Upside Down. The ones that had almost taken him from you.

“Welcome home, Eddie,” you whispered.

He pulled back just enough to look at you, dark eyes shining with something that had nothing to do with pain and everything to do with the future stretching out in this empty house—scarred, alive, and finally, finally theirs.

And for the first time since the demobats, the world felt like it might actually let you both keep breathing.

The new house didn’t feel like home right away. It felt like a stage someone had built for people who were supposed to be normal. The walls were too clean. You couldn't hear any of your neighbors fighting. Sunlight poured through the big windows like it was trying too hard, and every room echoed until you started filling them—blankets on the couch, amps in the corner, Eddie’s guitar case propped against the bedroom wall like it had always lived there.

Life was an adjustment.

Eddie still moved like his body was a borrowed thing. Some days the scars pulled tight when he reached for a glass or bent to tie his boots. You helped without making it a thing—steady hands on his ribs when he changed the dressings, thumbs brushing the raised pink lines of the worst bites while he watched you with that dark, unreadable look. Physical therapy at home was brutal some mornings. You counted reps with him, called him a stubborn asshole when he pushed too hard, and wiped the sweat off his temple when he finally let himself rest against you on the living room floor.

The government called it “quarantine protocol.” The military moved into your once quiet town. Walls went up, the fissures in the ground covered up by crude sheet metal to keep the world from learning the truth. The people who stayed in Hawkins officially trapped by a truth no one would believe in.

The kids were a constant.

They showed up in Steve’s car or on bikes, sometimes with Nancy riding shotgun. Dustin was there almost every other day, bringing updates from the rebuilding of the town and working on campaigns here and there. Lucas came when he could, eyes tired from Max’s room but lighter every time he saw Eddie upright and breathing. Mike, Will and Eleven always came together as a trio, the three of them experienced something we'll never understand out in California. Robin and Steve brought weed and any new vinyls they could sneak out of their new jobs at WSQK.

They all tried to keep it light. But one afternoon, a week into the new house, Dustin asked the question everyone had been dancing around.

“So… the coma. Was it like… dreams? Or just black? Did you see anything?”

Eddie went still on the couch, guitar balanced across his lap. His fingers paused on the strings. For a second the only sound was the low hum of the amp. Then he gave that crooked, deflecting smile—the one that used to get him out of detention and never quite reached his eyes anymore.

“Mostly just dark, Henderson. Like someone turned the lights off and forgot to pay the bill. Nothing worth writing songs about.” He ruffled Dustin’s curls and changed the subject to a new campaign idea so fast the kid didn’t have time to push.

You caught the way Eddie’s hand shook later when he reached for his water glass. You didn’t say anything. Just slid onto the couch beside him after everyone left and let him pull you into his side without asking.

That night the nightmare hit like the demobats had never left.

It started with him jerking awake around 2 a.m., a raw, broken sound tearing out of his throat. You were already moving—sleeping at his hospital bed had trained your body to wake the second his breathing changed. He was sitting up, sheets tangled around his legs, hands clawing at his own chest like he was trying to rip the bites off. Tears were already streaking down his face, silent at first, then not silent at all.

“Eddie—hey, hey, I’m here—” You climbed into his lap without hesitation, straddling his thighs so you could frame his face with both hands. His skin was clammy. His eyes were wide and unseeing, still trapped in whatever hell the dream had dragged him back to. “You’re home. You’re with me. The bats are gone. We got you out.”

He folded forward into you with a choked sob, face pressed to your chest, arms locking around your waist like you were the only thing keeping him from falling back through the rift. You held him through the worst of it—rocked him, whispered the same grounding words over and over until his breathing started to hitch less violently. Your fingers carded through his tangled curls, your other hand rubbing slow circles between his shoulder blades, careful of the scars but not avoiding them.

When the shaking eased enough for him to speak, you reached for the nightstand without letting go of him. The familiar ritual of rolling a joint calmed something in both of you. The crisp sound of the paper, the flick of the lighter, the first slow inhale he took like it was oxygen. You stayed tangled—legs wrapped around each other, his back against the headboard, your body curled into his chest so he could feel your heartbeat against the worst of the scars. The joint passed between you in the dark.

He was quiet for a long time, just smoking and letting you hold him. Then, voice hoarse and small in a way you’d never heard from him before, he started talking.

“The nightmare was the Upside Down again,” he said, staring at the glowing tip of the joint like it held answers. “Bats. Blood. You and Dustin too far away. Same shit as always.” He swallowed hard. “But the coma… it wasn’t just that. I saw my mom a lot.”

Your hand stilled in his hair, but you didn’t interrupt. You just held him tighter.

“She was happy,” he whispered, and his voice cracked on the word. Fresh tears welled up and spilled over before he could stop them. “Really happy. Sometimes she looked older—like if she’d gotten to live longer, you know? Gray in her hair but still smiling that same smile she has in the old pictures. And sometimes… sometimes I’d see us. You and me. Happy. In love. Like we’d been together for years. You’d be laughing at something stupid I said and I’d have my arms around you and it felt so fucking real I could smell your shampoo.”

He let out a shaky breath, the joint forgotten between his fingers. You took it gently and set it aside, then cupped his face again, thumbs brushing away the tears as they kept coming.

“And then there were the family ones,” he said, voice breaking completely now. “You, me, my mom, and Wayne. All together at some family function—picnic or something in a backyard that looked like it could’ve been ours. And there were these little kids running around. Curly hair. Loud as hell. Laughing. Calling her Grandma and Wayne Grandpa and you… Mom.” A sob tore out of him so hard it shook his whole frame. “They had my hair. Your eyes. I don’t know. But they were ours. And everyone was happy. No running. No monsters. Just… a real family. The kind I never got to have with her when I was little. The kind I never thought I’d get at all.”

He was crying in earnest now—shoulders shaking, face buried in your neck, hot tears soaking into your skin. You wrapped yourself around him completely, one hand in his hair, the other stroking slow lines down his back over the scars that had almost taken him from this future.

“I thought it was just the dark at first,” he choked out. “But it kept showing me that. Over and over. Like the Upside Down was trying to drag me under and something else was showing me what I’d lose if I let it. And now I’m here and you’re real and the house is real and I want it so fucking bad it hurts. I want that with you. The happy. The loud kids. The love that doesn’t have to hide from the world. But I’m scared as hell I’m gonna wake up and it’ll be gone again.”

You didn’t rush to fix it with words. You just held him—tight and steady—while he cried out the grief and the hope and the terrifying, beautiful weight of wanting a future he’d only ever seen in the dark. When the tears finally slowed, you pressed your forehead to his, noses brushing, and whispered against his mouth.

“It’s not gone. It’s right here. We’re building it. One day at a time. You and me. Your mom would’ve loved it. Wayne already does. And I’m not going anywhere.”

He pulled you closer until there was no space left between you, legs tangled, arms locked around each other like the world might still try to take this away. The joint burned low in the ashtray. The new house was quiet around you. But he was still crying—not the sharp, panicked sobs from the nightmare, but the quieter, deeper kind that came from somewhere older and more fragile. His face stayed buried in your neck, arms locked around your waist so tight it almost hurt. His whole body trembled against yours like he was terrified that if he loosened his grip even a fraction, you’d disappear back into the Upside Down with the rest of the dream.

“I keep thinking I’m gonna wake up,” he whispered, voice wrecked and small against your skin. His fingers fisted in the back of your shirt, knuckles white. “Back in that hospital bed. Or worse—still in the street with the bats and the blood and you and Dustin screaming. But then I feel you. Right here. Breathing. And it scares the shit out of me how much I want this to be real.”

You held him just as fiercely, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other stroking slow, steady lines down his spine over the raised scars. “It is real, Eddie. Every single part of it. You made it out of that hellscape. You fought to stay with us. You didn't run away and you're a god damn hero for that. You are so loved Eddie Munson. You have no idea how loved you are. This is real. It's real and its safe and I'm here and I'm not going anywhere.”

A fresh wave of tears hit him. He made a broken sound and pulled you even closer—if that was possible— legs tangled so completely you couldn’t tell where yours ended and his began. His face stayed hidden against your throat like he couldn’t bear to look at you while the words kept spilling out.

“I saw her so clearly,” he choked. “My mom. Happy. Older. Like the universe was giving me back the years we never got. And then it showed me you. Us. You’d look at me like you always do when I was being a dramatic asshole and you’d just… laugh and pull me in anyway. And the kids—those little curly-haired tornadoes calling you Mom and running to Wayne and latching onto his legs like how I used to do. My mom there with all of us like she never had to leave too soon. And I wanted it so fucking bad it hurt worse than the bats ever did.”

Every breath he took shuddered through both of you.

“I almost died without ever telling you,” he rasped. “Without ever saying that I’ve been in love with you since before all of this. Since the day we met. Since I was lucky enough that you decided that I was your person. And now we’re here in this house that feels like it’s waiting for exactly that future and I’m so scared I’m gonna fuck it up or wake up or lose you. I can't lose you.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you. His eyes were red-rimmed, lashes wet, face open and raw in a way you’d never seen from him before. Vulnerable. Terrified. Hopeful. All at once.

His hands came up to cradle your face, thumbs brushing your cheeks like he was memorizing the shape of you in case it vanished.

“So I need to know,” he whispered, voice breaking on every word. “I need to hear you say it again. That this is real. That I’m not still dreaming in that fucking hospital bed. That you’re not gonna disappear when the sun comes up.”

A shaky breath. His forehead dropped to yours, noses brushing, tears mixing between you.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” The words came out small and desperate, like they’d been trapped in his chest. “Please. Officially. I want to call you mine. I want to wake up every morning in this house knowing you chose this—chose me—after everything. After the highschool bullshit. All the times I've made a fool of myself to make you laugh. I can't just go back to being your best friend. I want to live life with you. The family. The fighting. The growing old together. All of it. But I need you to say yes first. I need to know it’s real.”

You didn’t make him wait. Your hands slid into his hair, gentle but sure, and you kissed him once—soft, salt-tasting, full of every promise you’d kept since the moment you dragged him through the gate.

“It’s real,” you said against his mouth, voice steady even as your own eyes burned. “Every scar on your body. Every damn breath in your lungs. This house. It’s all real, Eddie. And I’m yours. I’ve been yours since the day I met you. Yes. God, yes. I’ll be your girlfriend. I’ll be your future. I’ll be anything you want. It’s real. We’re real. And I’m not going anywhere. I love you Eddie. I'll always love you.”

A sound tore out of him—half sob, half relief—and he crushed you to him again, face buried in your neck, arms locked so tight you could feel his heartbeat hammering against your own. He didn’t let go for a long time. Just held you like the world might still try to take this away, breathing you in, whispering broken little thank-yous and I love yous into your skin between the tears that kept falling.

You stayed tangled like that for the rest of the night—his body wrapped around yours, your hands never stopping their slow, grounding strokes through his hair. The dark settled soft around the new house. And somewhere in the quiet, between the whispered promises and the way he kept checking that you were still there, Eddie Munson finally let himself believe that the future he’d seen in the dark wasn’t a trick.

It was waiting for him right here.

In your arms.

Real.

[5lutforeddie]

"Hey, babe! Take this picture for us?" 🤣

[starxaya]

How we’re all sleeping knowing we’re waking up in our dr

[tojiswifeforlife]

[jenndashifta]

It's always so funny to me that whenever a shifttoker is asked to share tips, and the FIRST one is always "don't listen to shifttok"

[dizzy-shifts]

“Mfs will put on a subliminal, say a few affirmations, go to bed and expect to shift lolll”

What the fuck else are we supposed to do 😭 physically pull our awareness out of our skull and place it down?? Drive it down the street for a coffee and ask politely ??

[sodiumvaporss]

i do have to say that no matter how shitty any sort of media is or how shitty your own creations are. always remember

[3leni]

this is information i never should’ve been shown…

[mikajensen58]

he finally came to see us in july ᢉ𐭩