An answer for @rebelfell from this post about WIPs that'll probably never get written who asked: 'Feelings denial, meet-cutes, fluffy & smutty times? What more could I ask for???? 🐶' (your ask initially disappeared when I tried to save a draft so I did it as a new post 🤷♀️)
From London With Love (working title)
Pairing: Eddie Munson x f!London-born reader who comes to Hawkins to support an ailing aunt
Premise: You're both early 20s. You're on a gap year after finishing uni with a degree in Biology & Dance or Creative Expressive Therapies with a focus on dance & movement (both genuine courses that I've actually considered). Eddie’s attending the community college part-time, doing odd jobs and dealing on the side, not really knowing what he wants to do with his life.
You first encounter Eddie at a semi-traditional annual camping event where all the kids and YA get together near Lover's Lake and you're chaperoning your two younger f!cousins. There's much glancing and who's that type questions from both sides, probably featuring stay away from him and you've got no chance dude type answers from either side. Eddie watches as you entertain the younger kids, maybe showing them English playground games that they've never heard of and choreographing a group routine to Footloose that you showcase in the afternoon (even the boys join in, Mike, Lucas and Dustin surprising you with air guitar at their improv bit, and Jeff shocks everyone by running in and jive dancing with you near the end, explaining afterwards that his aunt taught him and he loves it bc it keeps him fit and he gets to dance with beautiful women). You enjoy watching Eddie dicking around with the CC boys, heaving logs about and generally helping to set up the camp, although he seems oddly bristly with Jeff after the whole dance thing. You eventually get introduced and talk over whisky at the campfire (with much cute dialogue which I cannot reveal lest I use it somewhere else eventually). Other camping-related events include Eddie being up uncharacteristically early to make coffee in the communal cooking area and watching you struggle to back out of your tent ass-first clutching breakfast goods wearing an oversized cardigan and superhero nightshirt bc you didn't think anyone was there, Eddie watching-not-watching you in the lake (he's totally watching), him not being athletic in the least but jumping in to save a swimmer who's in trouble (or doing something else mildly heroic or helpful like figuring out how to get them out using a long branch and knowhow about pivots and levers or something), you having your wet, brightly-dyed hair braided by your cousins and it being voluminous and wavy and cute once dry the next day (massively nostalgic self-indulgent self-insertion? how very dare you…), Eddie playing guitar around the fire (+ CC jam w instruments and pots/tubs), and Eddie rescuing the three of you on the final night when there's a storm and your tent's damaged and you all sleep in his van, you snuggled against his side (he'd expected to go crash in one of the other guys’ tents, but one of your cousins crawls into his lap and dozes off so 🤷♂️)
Further chapters detail your integration into the community including, but not limited to:
Eddie finding you looking a bit lost outside Joyce's centrally-located diner and offering you a driving tour of Hawkins. He has various 'errands' to run, and you take in Lover's Lake (collecting from Rick's), The Hideout (he's getting his wages and tips, and oh my he plays there too??), Melvald's (plus playful arguments about snacks ofc), and you make him screech to a stop outside the florist/craft shop bc their window display is divine and you meet Claudia Henderson who loves that you love it and finds out you're currently looking for things to do and asks if you'd like to volunteer to help make displays
Eddie finding out your schedule and 'accidentally’ bumping into you as you walk your cousins to/from school (maybe he's on a skateboard, who knows?)
you volunteering at the animal shelter where your mum (an Illinois native & qualified veterinarian who moved away for love) helps out. You take Eddie there one day and he becomes the only person who's ever been tolerated by a huge grumpy Mastiff called Boots (bc that's what it sounds like when he barks) bc all he did at first was sit in with him and read him LOTR (and you reluctantly agree when the other nurses/volunteers remark that he looks damn fine doing it)
shenanigans where on a volunteer dog walk you & Eddie get covered in mud, maybe you get tangled in leads and fall over together and there's awkwardness and feelings™️ & you offer to clean Eddie’s clothes at your place, followed by him accidentally meeting your dad whilst wearing nothing but a fluffy pink bathrobe and you accidentally stumbling in on him changing and getting a view of his torso (swoon)
Eddie taking you to a rusting old abandoned playground where you sit on the swings and reveal personal details about your lives, including how Eddie used to live around there, there was a school etc but it was demolished and Al was a terrible father who never bothered to take Eddie to his new school, that's part of how he ended up with Wayne, etc. and now he just comes here to think and remember his mom
Eddie living with Wayne in an old farmhouse that belonged to his grandfather. Wayne gave up his trucking career to look after him while Al was nowhere to be seen/in jail. The farmland is fallow now and Wayne works at the plant, Eddie helps out with maintenance and now occupies the long sunroom down the side of the house that's home to Gareth's old drumkit, some well used bamboo solarium furniture and all of Eddie’s paraphernalia
another semi-traditional event of a ‘potato party’ at Eddie's where Freak’s family (farmers) provide the goods and everyone wraps them in foil and cooks them around a massive fire in Eddie’s backyard. You come to Eddie’s earlier in the day and you talk and compare music tastes and help him to prep for the party and end up dancing in the kitchen to one of Eddie’s mum’s favourite songs and you asks where he learned and he says she used to dance with him in their old home when Al wasn't round, featuring an almost-kiss before Freak’s truck honks in the driveway. Some kind of fire-based shenanigans, maybe Freak hurts himself and you help and have to spend some time with him, where it gets super late and you end up staying over and Eddie offers you his bed and sleeps on the shitty solarium couch and there's much yearning but nothing happens
another day at Eddie’s where there's a bit of angst bc you fuck about on Gareth’s kit and Gareth catches you, encourages you to sit on his lap so he can 'teach you properly', Eddie's gone to get beers or whatever and walks in on this, and his frustration with all the other guys' interactions with you boils over into arguments & heated discussions where you get pissed off at Eddie bc it was innocent/he doesn't own you/why should he be jealous anyway it's not like you're an item or anything (bc you're frustrated that he hasn't asked you out, but also bc you know it can't go anywhere anyway bc you're not here for long so you take it out on him) and you leave, and Eddie gets pissed off at Gareth for even touching you and G lights a fire under his ass by saying something like if you don't make a move/ask her out I will
another day shortly after Eddie takes Boots for a walk (bc Eddie’s either fostering or has adopted him by this point) and he runs off and Eddie calls you in a panic and you realise your argument was stupid and go to help, and you both end up soaked either bc it rains or Boots gets across a river on the property and you have to go get him & you fall in, featuring a sweet drying-off-the-dog and then getting warm/dry scene where Eddie dons a thin and holey fine-knit black sweater that shows off his tattoos & nipple ring and you wear one of his band hoodies and you cuddle in bed for warmth and you reconcile and then things get messy and heated and you share a spectacular and electric first kiss
you start properly hanging out and increasingly filthy episodes of smut ensue along the usual escalating lines, hand stuff, oral, etc, and you agree not to take things too far bc you're both in denial and trying to keep it low-key and not fall or get too involved bc of your supposed short term residence
at some point you have a meaningful and intense first time together and Eddie can barely contain himself because he's doing it with you and it's slow and spectacular and you can't deny feelings anymore bc of course
there's lots of van smut, and outdoor smut
and farmhouse smut after Eddie convinces you to dance for him when he catches you swaying to Black Magic Woman, you blow his mind and then it becomes a thing with each of you picking different songs
you end up staying longer (bc aunt is permanently disabled/dies, oh dear sad) and your cousins need the support. Mum sets up her own business as the new town vet bc there isn't one & you help with admin pt, dad can work anywhere bc remote, so you need another pt job and get work at Claudia's shop & also do dance tuition/evening classes at the school/community centre (which Eddie picks you up from and totally starts arriving earlier and earlier specifically to ogle watch you)
Eddie helps out at the animal shelter more and ends up getting a steady job doing something he loves because he impresses (for instance) the owner/patron or husband of the owner, like he fixes their vehicles & gets offered a job at a garage, or helps out with admin emergencies or fundraising and becomes the town's newest librarian bc he's unexpectedly organised when it comes to paperwork & literature, or he drives rescues and kit around and enjoys it so much he's convinced to start his own delivery service that everyone loves, bc someone just needed to give him a chance™️/see he wasn't his dad, etc.
Eddie makes a reluctant Wayne come with him to visit you at the store ('now what the hell do I need with a dried flower arrangement, son?') and introduces him to Claudia (bc I want to get these two together whenever I can)
your family adore Eddie despite the gossip/opinions about his family, and your dad cements it the first Christmas you spend in Hawkins by gifting Eddie a brand new fluffy bathrobe in 'a colour that better suits him' (to which it's revealed you've already added a metal band patch to the back)
by the next annual camping trip Eddie and you are a solid item and camp in his van. The cousins (one of whom is now crushing on Dustin) share with Erica & Max bc they're tight now, nobody's tents get blown away, and everyone lives happily ever after goddammit.
Reasons I'll never write this: I don't think it's interesting/original enough to make a strong story; it's a fantasy world I still revisit, and writing it might ruin it; I've had it in my head for 4 years and if it was gonna get written down I think it would have by now.
Thank you for this interesting and exciting prompt to share story ideas I love without the pressure and effort of having to create a full fic! 💗🙏💋
More synopses here | General masterlist
Tagging my usuals; even though this isn't a full fic I hope you still find it interesting nonetheless 💗 @jamdoughnutmagician @guiltyasquinn @madaboutmunson @airen256 @sunshinepeachx @the-unforgivenn @skrzydlak @comeonatmebruh @jamiecb66 @80s-addict @abellmunsonmovie @definitionwanderlust @sheneedsrocknroll92 @munson-blurbs @wonderlanddreamer @daisy-munson @maedesculpaeusoubi @kurdtbean @swiftievibez @micheledawn1975 @littlebebebunny @12thatsanumber @alastorssimp @the-baby-angel @wolfqueenxxx @losingmygrasponreality @richter-raccoon @1deverland @3rd-conchord @bellalillyrose @steve-loves-eddie @justalotoffanfiction @gracieheartspedro @kellsck @eddiesecstasy @chronicles-of-koystee @cheesesandwichsanto @eddiessweethrt @emxxblog @slutforpumpkins @mama-likes72 @thatsonezesty13 @steddiefication @ali-r3n @spacecadet-dot-net @r-a-t-p-a-t-t-o-o-t-i-e @gregre369 @dmv49 @allsteddie @blondiecat73
Yall I swear I called it I literally sai in a blog once that they had to be involved somehow cause all of his friends were following and commenting/ following her back.but also idk if they’re still together cause in a post she had with her mom she was talking about “the Canadian hockey player ex” so maybe not
It’s obvious they aren’t together like that. Definitely have mutual attraction though and are probably more on the flirty friends spectrum - Don’t see the problem in it, I think people are too caught up in thinking these guys are some kind of wholesome virgins and decide to freak out when they’re in the vicinity of a female 💀
The ex Canadian hockey player she was talking about was someone she dated a while back, but wasn’t an NHL player (to what I know).
Him and her friends all clearly don’t mind her, and like her as a person hence why she’s around them. Whatever is going on between them wether it’s casual, friendly or serious. Don’t think it’s something to get worked up over lol I think if you’re hyper focused and butthurt over this, you need to revaluate some things. Reality is none of us have a chance (unless one of you prove me wrong, go get ‘em) - This is in general.
oh my god i completely forgot about this part. i remembered that emily's eggs were stolen. but i did 10000% forget that ali's fake doctor husband impregnated her with them while she was drugged up.
Do you like to cuddle?: If you can tolerate my lack of body heat, I suppose
Can we make-out?: If you don't mind a little biting included
A night in or dinner out?: In, naturally.
Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: Whichever you prefer
What makes you a good Valentine?: Huami has said I'm a... .. meow meow? Malewife???
Would you cook for me?: Of course
Would you let me cook for you?: Of course
idk who LMAO
@fellbloom || valentine's day application
“It certainly isn’t often that I find someone who insists that they’re older than I am.” It was certainly possible, as evidenced by some of the other dragons in the group, but it didn’t happen very often. And those words...what on earth were they talking about? Meow meow? Male...wife? Were those slang for something? She’d have to ask Minglian and Suyeon, she supposed.
“Hold off on the physical things, but sure, I’m up for it.”
