Title: Swamp Thing and Burnt Dinner
Summary: Stella goes to Eddie’s after her and Nancy’s first forte into the Inside Down, and Eddie cluelessly bumbles his way through cheering her up.
Category: Teeth-Rotting Fluff, and Comfort
When it takes place: Pre-fic, during Season 1
Word Count: 3418
Stella didn’t know how she managed to trudge over to the trailer park covered in sludge and whatever else that freakish place slathered on her in a sickening film. Hell, she wasn’t even worried about being seen either, just impressed she could actually make the trek. It was all a blur after they crawled out of the tree. She only vaguely remembered rejecting Jonathon’s offer for a ride, citing how Nancy’s need to get home outweighed her own. Which honestly made no sense given she was comparatively closer to his house than her. Though if she was being honest, she wouldn’t be surprised if the Wheeler house was the only stop they made tonight. And she had no desire to be caught up in whatever weird love triangle Nancy found herself entangled in. Not when Barb was still out there, and not when creatures she thought were mere fiction actually roamed the earth, or some part of it anyway. No, instead, she was stumbling through town in a blur of thoughts and paranoid glances, trying and mostly failing to keep her thoughts clinical, instead of allowing the panic to set in.
She needed to make sure she could research what this thing is with sources that weren’t already at the other two’s disposal. There were bestiaries at Eddie’s she could look into from their DnD campaigns, or maybe even something from their various fantasy novels. Even as she assured herself of the solidity of her plan, it didn’t work to stave off the impending doom she was trying to avoid. All she could think about was what she’d seen, what she’d done, and how she didn’t want to be alone. She’d followed that thing into a goddamn portal through a tree trunk in fucking Hawkin’s, Indiana of all the places in the world. And to make matters worse, she tracked it like she was actually the ranger she played at Hellfire, and shot at it. Straight through the arm with her crossbow that she only ever used on straw targets, and put herself in danger to allow Nancy a chance to escape. She didn’t even think about it, not for one second.
And now she was wandering through town in the dark of the night, with the rest of the world totally unaware of what she’d done. It was nothing new, and yet there was a deep feeling of injustice to it. To this thing that had something to do with Will’s death, and maybe even Barb’s disappearance. But she shouldn’t be dwelling on that, she needed to get somewhere to rest, and to think. She needed to think of next steps, of something to report back to Nancy about, to prove herself useful still. Needed to prove the validity of the hesitant call to rope her into this fight to begin with. Needed…sleep, God, did she need sleep. And to shower…or to just recuperate without making Jacob and Claudia Henderson question her about where the hell she was, or what she could have gotten into.
Questions she couldn’t answer, which would only lead to the comments. Comments about how her little brother needed her today and she’d abandoned him. About how she was being careless for doing these mysterious things that she couldn’t tell them about, and therefore defaulted to selfish impulses. Hell, they’d probably just assume she went off somewhere to smoke, which in all fairness, wasn’t necessarily wrong most of the time. No, in reality, she doubted they even noticed she was gone in the first place. Between School, varying work schedules, and the focus on Dusty, Stella doubted she was on her parents’ radar currently…or ever for that matter.
Keep reading
Her limbs felt leaden as she trudged up the concrete steps, her head barely turning to observe Eddie’s Van alone in the patch of grass they’ve designated as their driveway. The absence of Wayne’s truck did little to signify the time for her, which she’d lost track of several hours ago along with the sunlight. Either way the lack of the older Munson made things easier for her; less people to interact with, less people to have to lie to. It already killed her inside to lie to Eddie the other day- and have to continue to do so- and Wayne was too kind of a soul to have to deal with her bullshit on a normal day. No, it’ll be easier to lie her way through an explanation to her boyfriend, right?
Eddie’s heavy footsteps approached slowly after the second knock, meaning he probably was watching TV in the living room while having a late night smoke. It was so normal, and so just…him that Stella debated running, just leaving him to his weed and late night programming and away from the mess that was her life. And yet, at the same time, it was something they’d done so many times before, that her body ached for it. She almost didn’t register the door opening, she was so lost in her thoughts, but luckily, the hinges were never the subtle sort. So she rolled her shoulders the best she could, and made an attempt at not looking like a waterlogged deer in headlights as he took in the sight of her.
“Stel…hey…” He rubbed away some of the lingering high he was riding, looking disheveled and half asleep as he leaned on arm on the doorway. “It’s late… I didn’t think you were coming by tonight.”
“Yeah, change of plans, I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders as nonchalantly as she could, letting out a hiss as the knots there gave a pang of protest. “Could I come in?”
“Yeah, yeah…sure.” He blinked at her, the haze leaving his body as he fully looked at her. “Oh! Uh… you uh….you look like… what the hell happened to you?”
A harsh snort forced its way through her nose, as she held her hand out and looked down.
“Well, gee, Munson…way to make a girl feel pretty.”
“You know you’re beautiful, Stella, I usually don’t have issues in that department, but right now uh…now you look….” His ran a hand over his mouth, backing up to let her inside. “Well for lack of a better word, you look fucking gnarly, Sweetheart.”
“Keep talking, this could go a whole ‘nother direction, Handsome.” She rolls her eyes, and pats a sticky hand on his shirt, shaking it slightly to make sure she didn’t get trapped there. “Let’s just say that I need to be better prepared for night hikes.”
“I’ll say, Swamp Thing…” He grimaced as he rubbed the spot on his shirt, his eyebrows furrowed as he took in her frame. He must have accounted for her unsteady gait, because the next words he said were. “When was the last time you ate?”
Stella continued her way into the living room, turning to walk backwards as she spoke, shooting a single hand formed into a finger gun. “Excellent question; wish I knew the answer.”
A shaky breath of laughter broke past his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. “Right, well, you can go make yourself look like my gorgeous human girlfriend again, and I’ll heat us up some grub, sound good?”
She gives him a thumbs up, heading to the bathroom. “Sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had outside of DnD.”
“Don’t make me retract the offer, Henderson…” She barely caught him rolling his eyes, making his way to the kitchen with the shake of his head. “You strange, and mysteriously mucked woman…”
“You love me!” She said, her smile cracking as she leaned her back against the bathroom door.
While she could hear the muffled response assuring her the affirmative, she couldn’t help the doubt that always crept in when she said that in a burst of false confidence.
She didn’t have time to dwell on it though, her aching muscles were already starting to turn to jelly, both from fatigue and the sense of calm that came from Eddie’s home. The smell of cedar, cigarettes, and weed mixed with the stale smell that came from two bachelor’s sharing a home provided a soothing balm to her janked-up nerves. She allowed herself a second to breathe it all in, that feeling of safety, that feeling of home that seeped into her very bones. She almost could have collapsed onto the floor that second, broken down and allowed the fear and grief to overtake her, but she didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath and continued on with her intended task, grabbing a fresh towel from the cabinet and peeling off her clothing before stepping into the shower.
It was a hot shower where time lost any sense of meaning as she locked herself back away into her thoughts. She doubted she was actually in there for all that long of a time, scraping away at her skin, and scrubbing at more than the physical grime that clung there. Her fingers dug at the pesky knots that tried to give her way, but were too stubborn for her efforts. After that, she moved onto the next nightmarish and herculean effort, her hair. It was a struggle that led to caught fingers, and snags thanks to the mess of tangles and various bits of forest and foreign gunk. She was thankful to have products here, and not be using either of the boys run of the mill shampoos. She almost sobbed at how stupid the thought was, given everything she just saw.
The creature with no face, but a mouth that looked like a flower littered with teeth instead of seeds. The slender and emaciated body that towered over her and Nancy as it sniffed out for the two of them… that deer that didn’t stand a chance left behind as they ran for their lives.
The conditioner slipped from her shaking fingers and clattered to the floor, startling her from the memory. Stella barely had a chance to curse under her breath, let alone reach down for it before the door burst open, and Eddie’s voice broke through the reverberating din around her.
“Stel?! Are you okay?”
She poked her head out the curtain to see wild eyes, and a heaving chest as he took stock in her face. Her heart clenched at his worry, at how quickly he’d rushed to help her at the mere sound of toiletries falling. She didn’t deserve him, and yet there he was, there he always was… and she was lying to him. She shook it off, offering a slight eye roll, and a painfully forced scoff.
“Just dropped the conditioner, like a klutz.” She hated how easy it was to slip into the apathetic mask, to lock away the fear and panic that stuck in her throat. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, Eds.”
“Right, well forgive me for being on edge,” he sighed, his hunched shoulders dropping as he gave her a look that dared to look at every inch of her face for cracks.
“I mean…This is weird…right? It’s fucking weird…you just, show up in the middle of the night, looking like- like the creature from the black lagoon or some shit…” He paused, as if waiting for her to make another comment about his comparisons, and when she didn’t, he barreled on. “An-and don’t tell me anything about it….which is fine, I’m not saying you owe me any kind of explanation- even if it would help- but…but then I hear a loud ass bang from where you are. It’s just- Its not fucking normal, Stella.”
“Yeah well, since when did we do normal anyway, Eddie…” She retreated back behind the curtain, scooping up the conditioner and stowing it away so she could rinse out her hair. The lump turned to stone in her throat. “There’s nothing for you to worry about… seriously.”
She pulled back the curtain to find him standing between her and the towel she’d hung nearby. His gaze held none of his usual joking demeanor, and it didn’t flinch from her own blank stare. Her mouth went dry as Eddie looked through her defenses, and tried to analyze what was happening presently. She felt her face flush, and for a fleeting moment, she almost wished he was gawking at her with the usual lewd and carefree intentions. Instead, she was forced to hold his gaze, as she reached behind him, and wrapped her body in the warm cloth. She wanted to tell him she was fine, that this was just a fluke accident born from the first funeral she’d been to since her father’s. That she was genuinely just lost in the woods for hours on end, working her way through the loss of one of her brother’s friends, and the fear that her own was next. Instead she just stood there, and somehow that was so much worse.
Stella registered his warmth before registering the hug. He’d pulled her into his chest, his lips brushing against her temple as one hand found the back of her head and the other the small of her back. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even ask any questions, just massaged her scalp in his hand. The arm around her torso held her flush against him but remained loose enough that she could push him away, if she felt the need to do so. And that act of simply being there for her, of shoving aside his own anxiety or need for answers; of knowing when to be silent but present, that was what finally got her to let go.
The tears fell before she could even comprehend them forming, and hands balled into the fabric of his Black Sabbath T-shirt. Her breathing hitched as she pressed her face into the curve of his neck, and just cried in nothing but a towel as her boyfriend murmured sleepy assurances, and gently kissed at the side of her head. Her choked out apologies were whisked away with caring brushes of his thumbs, fears battled away by the smell of his cologne. She was home there, in Eddie’s arms and if possible that terrified her even more.
Because if whatever hellish demon that was could get to Will, could be what took Barb…what could stop it from getting Eddie as well? She felt her body stiffen at that, her heartbeat erratic for a split second. No. She couldn’t let the what if’s flood her senses, not when this was her safe space, her haven from the outside world. So instead, she let herself cry until the tears stopped, and until she felt herself sag into the warmth of Eddie’s embrace. After what felt like an eternity of silence, she pulled away with a slight sniffle, rubbing at her face.
“I uh…I didn’t mean to do that, for you to see me like this.” She looked down at their feet, ashamed. “I shouldn’t have come to bother you at all, really.”
“Hey, you’ve had a rough week, I get it. I’d be more worried if you didn’t break down at some point, okay?” He hooked a finger under her chin, gently guiding her gaze upward. “And I’m not gonna push you for answers right now, but…you know you can tell me anything that’s going on with you, right? Whatever it is.”
Stella could only bring herself to nod, any words of assurance to him being another lie. Instead, she sniffed again, the harsh scent of smoke spiking in her nostrils. “Hey Eddie…”
“Yeah, Stel?” He gave no indication of smelling it, and she almost thought she was imagining it. Then she remembered what he was doing before he ran to check on her.
“Weren’t you-” She glanced at the door and back at him. “Did you leave the stove on when you ran in here?”
His head tilted in confusion, but then his eyes widened with realization. “Oh, shit!”
He let go of her so quickly, she stumbled back a bit, and was looking at his shoulders as he ran down the hall in the same instant. After some clattering, and the distinct squeal of water being turned on, Stella braved at following him to the kitchen. There she saw Eddie fanning at the smoke detector with a dish towel, the night breeze tickling at her skin from hastily opened windows. Steam was rising out of the sink as cold water flooded into a charred pot of Spaghetti-O’s. She must have made some sort of noise in surprise because Eddie stopped his little dance to look at her sheepishly, an embarrassed flush brightening his cheeks.
“Ah well… guess you’ll just have to settle for crackers and tea…” He grimaced at the pot, waving a hand at it. “And I’ll worry about that….monstrosity in the morning.”
“You are…a character, Eddie Munson.” Stella shook her head, feeling the first genuine smile she’d had all day break across her face. “And a ridiculous one at that.”
“And you’re amazing, Stella Henderson.” He grinned, his face coming alive as he looked at her. “Don’t ever change.”
“Oh god, you sound like a fucking Hallmark Card!” She laughed, covering her face with one hand. “You’re lucky I love you.”
“You know, funnily enough, I didn’t need you to tell me that.” He charged over to her, grabbing her by the waist, and lifting her up. “I figured that out ages ago.”
She opted to kiss him then, arms resting on his shoulders as he carried her to the bedroom and sat her down on his bed. She watched as he pulled out a faded AC/DC shirt for her to wear along with a pair of her own cotton shorts, placing them next to her. He then grabbed a bottle of moisturizer, motioning for her to dress as he got comfortable behind her. Eying him curiously, she dried herself off quickly, and got herself dressed, leaving the shirt to only cover the front half of her body as she settled between his legs. Peering over her shoulder, she was met with a small smile and a nod, as Eddie dolled out some of the lotion, warming it between his hands. He started at her lower back, palms finding all the tension hidden there and smoothing it away. Soft kisses were placed on her shoulder and neck as he moved his way up, paying special attention to the hard knots she failed to remedy earlier. Stella sighed in relief as she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Her head rolled back to rest against Eddie as he kissed and massaged away all the remaining worry from her body.
When he finished, he pulled the shirt over her head to fully cover her, and wrapped his arms around her, laying them back into the pillows. She rolled slightly, placing a hand on his chest as she cuddled into him. All thoughts of monsters, and missing friends were gone and all that there was was her and Eddie, locked together in their bubble of happiness. She’d forgotten how well he knew her to not ask questions, to know exactly what she needed without her having to ask.
“Hmmm…what about my tea and crackers?” She looked up at him, fully aware that she was too tired to even attempt to move at this point.
“Later, Stel… for now, just rest, okay?” He kissed her forehead and brushed away some of her damp curls. “Did you need me to wrap your hair for you?”
“No…it’ll be alright I think…” She brushed her nose against his neck, taking in his scent, and falling deeper into his warmth. “Just for tonight anyway.”
“Alright, Sweetheart…whatever you say.” His hand rubbed up and down her back in soothing strokes, a yawn escaping his lips, as he shifted under her.
Stella sighed again, allowing herself to float in the calm he’d created for her. To finally let the weariness of the day overtake her as she did something as mundane as cuddling with her boyfriend. She didn’t know how long they rested there, the gentle breeze from his window ruffling their hair so that the strands mingled together in a mimicry of their bodies. They just stayed there, still and quiet, enjoying each other’s embrace. Hell, if it wasn’t for his hand still moving against her back, she would have thought Eddie had fallen asleep on her. Instead, she closed her eyes, any and all thanks she wanted to give dying away as sleep finally overtook her.
Hellfire Club Taglist: @drbobbimorse @bubblegum-barbie @booty-boggins @starcrossedjedis @harleyquinnzelz @susiesamurai @juliaswickcrs (wanted to be added? hmu)
"So..." Eddie sighed, passing her the pot of Spaghettios. "All things considered, this totally seems like a perfect reason to dump me."
"I didn't- dump you, Idiot...." Stella took the offered food, with a sigh. "I was trying to protect you from all these...crazy ass shit..."
"Yeah well," He grins, gesturing to their surroundings. "Real hell of a lot of good that did in the end, huh?"
Hellfire Club Taglist: @drbobbimorse @bubblegum-barbie @booty-boggins @starcrossedjedis @harleyquinnzelz @susiesamurai @juliaswickcrs (wanted to be added? hmu)
So I'm insanely proud of myself, this was something I was super scared of for doing. Big Shoutout do Sara (@starcrossedjedis) and Mary (@drbobbimorse) for being ultimate hype women and guides!
Steleddie + Photographs
“This is what I like about photographs. They’re proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect.” -Jodi Picoult, Lone Wolf
Hellfire Club Taglist: @drbobbimorse @bubblegum-barbie @booty-boggins @starcrossedjedis @harleyquinnzelz @susiesamurai @juliaswickcrs (wanted to be added? hmu)
Credits: Drawing of Eddie is from this lovely TikTok User
Polaroid PSD is from @gunshzt-a (Says she moved, but this is the link where I got it.) Manip of Stella and Eddie is mine.
Stella's Handwriting is MV Boli on PS and Eddie's is Ink Free
Hellfire Club Taglist: @drbobbimorse @bubblegum-barbie @booty-boggins @starcrossedjedis @harleyquinnzelz @susiesamurai @juliaswickcrs (wanted to be added? hmu)
Captions: (Starting top left going clockwise. Stella, Eddie)
Photo 1: Who needs bowls? Not this classy gent! There weren't any clean, okay?!
Photo 2: My favorite Sales partner Yeah sure...until the girls show
Photo 3: Gorgeous (small heart) And super high, what the shit Munson??
Photo 4: Best work yet! Gee I wonder why... Photo 5: Forever my favorite place, love you Photo 6: Who took this? Gareth....hot right? JFC Eds...
Hellfire Club Taglist: @drbobbimorse @bubblegum-barbie @booty-boggins @starcrossedjedis @harleyquinnzelz @susiesamurai @juliaswickcrs (wanted to be added? hmu)
Credits: Drawing of Eddie is from this lovely TikTok User
Polaroid PSD is from @gunshzt-a (Says she moved, but this is the link where I got it.) Manip of Stella and Eddie is mine.
Stella’s Handwriting is MV Boli on PS and Eddie’s is Ink Free
