brunnerasposts

[brunnerasposts]

how does pinterest see you?

search: fashion, pantone, mood, food

tagged by: @bryscorner tysm ♡

tags: @robschneiderfan @forevermoreharrington @thebackofspencers @sunhealings @corrodedhawkins @stardewcowboy @sugarsfics

[brunnerasposts]

The List

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: Steve is struggling to comprehend how he feels, so Dustin and Lucas help him make a list

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: angst, meanie headed boys, takes place between S3-S4, crushes to ???, minimal use of Y/N

Additional Note: this is the same idea as The One With the List episode from Friends, but with Stranger Things characters

"I don't know what I'm gonna do." Steve panted as he continued to pace back and forth in his living room. "I mean, what am I gonna do?" He turned to Dustin and Lucas, who were trying to watch TV.

"I'm attracted to both Nancy and Y/N and I think they might feel the same. Now, I don't know what to do. This is so frustrating!" Steve groaned, gripping his hair.

"I mean, you have Nancy, who I've been in love with for three years now, and then there's Y/N who entered the picture once we started dealing with the upside down shit. And I..." He leaned against the wall, looking to both boys. "Is it possible to be in love after knowing someone for such a short period of time?"

"Yes." Both boys said, glancing at each other before their attention was drawn back to the movie. Steve nodded a little, remembering that they both had girlfriends. Lucas and Max always had trouble and Dustin had his girlfriend, Suzie, who was recently proven real through musical means.

"She's so different from Nancy, and yet I just want to be with her constantly. But then Nancy has also been there for me through my whole change of King Steve..." He trailed off, knowing he could keep going.

"This is terrible. I'm a terrible person." He groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

"I mean, I know Nancy and I have had our issues, but recently she... I don't know. She's been very flirty now that Jonathan is in California." He sighed, scratching his head.

"But then there's her." He smiled, remembering when you first entered the picture.

It was the middle of the school year, right after the Snow Ball. Steve was just becoming a new version of himself and trying to prove to his fellow students that he was capable of change. So, he was looking through the halls and that's when he saw you.

You were digging through your locker, reaching for something in the back which caused all of your things to fall and spread out on the floor.

Steve instantly went over to help, and you had been friends ever since. How you got involved in the upside down stuff was a different story. But when you found out about all of it, you didn't run and hide. You wanted to help. You wanted to protect Hawkins as well as everyone else in the group. You wanted to protect Steve.

"She was the first person to treat me differently."

"What's going on?" Lucas asked, only half paying attention as his eyes fixated on the cartoons he was watching.

Steve, realizing that he's been talking to a wall, glared at them both. "I'm talking about Y/N and Nancy."

"Oh no! Two women are attracted to Steve Harrington! Shocking." Dustin rolled his eyes, Lucas shaking his head.

Steve stared at them before grabbing the remote. He turned the television off, causing a commotion from both teenage boys. "What am I gonna do?" He asked, now having their full attention.

Lucas sat up.

"Here's an idea. Why don't you make a..uh, uh, a list! Yeah, a list of things you like and don't like about both of them." He suggested, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"What like a pros and cons list?" Steve asked, his hands on his hips as he continued his pacing. "Yeah, yeah!" Dustin chimed in.

"Should we be doing this?" Steve asked, moving to go sit on the couch. He wasn't sure why, but something didn't sit right in his stomach with the idea of writing down things he didn't like about both girls. Especially when all he could focus on was the good.

"It might help." Lucas shrugged.

"Y/N versus Nancy: Pros and Cons." He said as Dustin stood, going to find some paper.

"Let's start with the cons!" The teen came barreling back into the room with pieces of paper and a pen. "Those are more fun." He grinned.

Steve rolled his eyes, leaning back into the couch. "Am I writing these down?"

"Nope, let me. Let's start with Y/N." Dustin said as he sat on the floor, using the coffee table as a desk. He looked to his older friend, ready to start writing some cons down.

Steve sighed, eyes moving around the room as he searched for one. "I don't know. She's amazing." He reached for some popcorn. "She's in love with you, so there must be something wrong with her." Lucas teased, ducking as popcorn was thrown at him.

A glare was sent Lucas' way before Steve resettled into the couch. "Well," His mind wandered, "I guess she can be a little ditzy." He chuckled nervously, fidgeting with the strings on his ripped jeans. This felt wrong, but he was desperate to try anything.

"Ditzy. That's good!" Dustin said, scribbling it down. "What else?"

"Um," Steve swallowed, rubbing his palms on his pants. "I guess she can be a little spoiled. But that's also because of me." He smiled, starting to feel better as he continued listing them.

Dustin wrote it down just as Lucas chimed in. "Don't you complain sometimes about how long she takes to get ready?" He asked. Steve thought about it and slowly began to nod. "I mean, I guess. She likes leaving a good impression with people, so she focuses a lot on making sure she looks nice." He shrugged.

"Too into her looks," Dustin spoke slowly as he wrote down each word. Steve winced, sucking air through his teeth. "I don't know if I'd word it like that, Henderson. Maybe like," He thought for a moment, "just say, 'takes a long time getting ready' or something."

Steve watched as Dustin drew a line through the previous bullet point and wrote the new phrase next to it. Dustin then set aside the other papers so he had more room for the one they were working on.

"Oh, her ankles are a little chubby!" He said, receiving a glare from both Lucas and Steve. "What? I thought we were all chiming in." The young teenager frowned but wrote it down anyway, his hat being knocked off his head by Steve. Dustin stared at him with annoyance before going back to the task at hand.

"Give me one more so we can have five total."

Thinking, Steve began to stand up. "I'm not sure. Let me grab a soda really quick. You guys want one?" He asked, both boys nodding.

Steve stood, going over to the kitchen. He looked around, hoping something would give him an idea as he grabbed a can of soda for each of them. He looked to the dining room, china cabinet, and his pool outside.

He never struggled with anything other than having a good relationship with his parents. They were a wealthy household, and it helped Steve turn into an asshole for a while. That is until he got involved with the group of nerds and their older siblings... and you.

"Well, Nancy and I both grew up comfortably, so we have that in common." He said as he reentered the living room. "But Y/N didn't. I mean, she has to work as a waitress to support her family." He frowned, knowing how much you hated your job but always did what you had to for your family. It was something he admired.

"Okay...and done! Now, what about Nancy? What's wrong with her?" Lucas asked. The question sent hundreds of different things he could say, but they all added up to the same point.

"She's not Y/N." He realized. As soon as he said that, everything just clicked. His feelings for Nancy were nowhere near the same as his feelings for you.

His eyes darted to the house phone. Steve then ran over to the phone, startling Dustin, who was in the middle of writing. "Dude, come on! Now it's not even her name!" He groaned but left it be.

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked as Steve dialed the phone number to the Wheeler's. The plan was forming slowly as he held the phone to his ear, letting it ring. "I'm telling Nancy the truth." He took a deep breath. God, he hoped now that she knew how to shoot a gun that she wouldn't use it on him.

"Wheeler's residence, this is Nancy Wheeler."

"Nancy!"

"Steve? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah! Well, for the most part."

"What? Do I need to come over?"

"No! No, uh, I just wanted to talk later."

"Okay... where?"

"Is it cool if I come over?"

"Oh...oh! Sure! Yeah, definitely. Uh, does ten work?"

"Sounds perfect. See you then."

He hung up the phone, looking to both Lucas and Dustin. "Are you actually going to tell her that you guys are done?" Dustin asked. "I mean, we've been done for a while. But the whole flirting thing that's been going on is going to come to an end tonight." Steve felt confident in this and he prayed Nancy would be understanding.

The doorbell rang, and Steve was not paying it much attention as he was precelebrating. Dustin joined in on Steve's celebratory dance, both unaware that Lucas went to answer the door.

Everything felt right in that moment. Steve was going to close up an old passing fling and open doors to someone he was committed to. You.

"Steve?"

Steve's head snapped up as he heard a voice from the doorway. Speak of the devil.

"Sweetheart?" He was met with you staring at him, almost frozen where you stood. Memories of your kiss from last night flooded back in his mind.

The memory was met with butterfly feelings in his stomach. Or was it a gut feeling? He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that you were right here in front of him.

"Hi." He spoke breathlessly.

"Hi." You grinned, cheeks rosy as you awkwardly showcased the cookie tin in your hands. "I brought these for your parents." She told him, walking up to him.

"Oh," Steve's smile grew as he saw how delicately the tin was wrapped in a pink ribbon, "Thank you. I'll go put these in the kitchen. Um," He looked around, "Did you want to stay for a little? I wanted to talk to you about something." He fidgeted with the corner of the cookie tin, hoping she'd agree.

"Talk? Am I in trouble?" You joked.

Steve chuckled. "No, no. I just wanted to talk to you about Nancy. I just called her." He grinned.

Your smile faltered, and Steve quickly realized his mistake. "No, no, I plan on talking to her to tell her how I feel."

A groan escaped Dustin, hiding his face in his hands from pure second-hand embarrassment.

You glanced to Dustin, eyes switching between the three of you now as your eyebrows furrowed. "Tell her...?" Your voice quivered as you trailed off.

Steve was too excited to say. He turned into a fumbling mess as he tried to explain himself. But the more he failed to explain, the clearer it was that you were getting the wrong idea.

"He's gonna tell her he's not interested!" Lucas exclaimed impatiently.

Steve sighed in relief, silently thanking Lucas for saving him. Your concerned expression turned into one that held surprise. "Really?" You asked, slightly breathless.

Steve moved to stand in front of you, tucking a loose strand of your hair behind your ear. "It's always been you, sweetheart." He promised, making you gush as you both hugged each other tightly.

"Aww," Dustin and Lucas spoke in unison, giving each other a side hug as they watched the happy pair.

A small creak noise was made as Steve accidentally touched the cookie tin to your back. "Damn it, sorry, let me go put these away." He smiled widely, placing a quick kiss on your cheek before walking into the kitchen.

Steve was on top of the world. Nancy was going to be out of his hair, you'd be at his side, and nothing else could possibly be better.

Especially with a break from all things Upside Down related, Steve could enjoy what it was like to have a real and serious relationship. He'd have his person. His other half. Maybe even his future.

As he set the cookie tin down, he began to hear a commotion from the living room.

"What's that?"

Hearing those words sent Steve's stomach churning. He knew exactly what had been found.

The List.

He scrambled out of the kitchen to see Dustin and Lucas holding the list as you chased them around the coffee table to grab it from them.

"I saw my name! What are you keeping from me?" You ask, getting slightly frustrated.

"Hey, what's going on?" Steve asked nervously, placing his hand on your back so everyone would stop chasing each other. You turn to Jim. "Those two have my name on a piece of paper, and they won't let me see." You said as you looked to him.

From behind you, Dustin and Lucas began pointing at the list in their hands, Steve gulping. "They won't. They won't?" He changed his tone, "Isn't that the...the story you were writing?"

"Yes, yes it is! It's a story... I needed to write for class!" Lucas suddenly exclaims, taking the list from Dustin before sticking it in his pocket.

That made you stop. "A story? Well, let me read it."

"No!" All three boys shout at once, making you look between them with bewilderment.

"Hey, why don't you read it to her?" Dustin asked, Lucas slowly turning to face his friend. Oh, if looks could kill...

Lucas cleared his throat, keeping away from you as he opened the paper. "Uh..it's kinda short." He said as you were led to the couch by Dustin and Steve.

You looked between both guys, Steve giving you an awkward smile before turning to Lucas. The boy shakily opened the paper, staring at the few words on it.

"It was summer..." He started, Steve unsure of how much Lucas was going to be able to come up with at the top of his head. "and it was hot." He glanced at everyone before looking to you. "Y/N was there," both Dustin and Steve nudged you, hoping you believed what was going on.

"A lonely gray couch," His voice hitched, getting higher as the lie continued. "And that's all I have. The End." He smiled widely, holding the paper behind himself.

"That's it?" Dustin spoke a little loudly. "That's all you wrote?" Steve chimed in. "You're the worst writer in the whole world!" He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright. This isn't funny anymore. There is something about me on that paper, and I want to see it." You said as you stood and snatched the paper. Steve took it from you, who had the paper taken from him by Dustin.

"No, you don't." Lucas promised.

Steve's attention turned to you, seeing a plan form in your eyes. "You know what, you guys? I don't have time for this behavior. Alright? If you want to be children about it, that's fine." You said as you began to walk past them.

"We're all mature here." You moved away from the couch. "And I do not need... to see it!" You suddenly exclaim as you snatch the piece of paper from Dustin, all three boys yelling out in surprise and chasing you around the house.

You eventually make your way back into the living room as Lucas and Dustin dive for you on the couch, landing on each other. Steve stopped at the arm of the couch, out of breath from the jog.

Now the successor, you smirked and moved to stand several feet away before unfolding the wrinkled page.

Absolute silence.

Steve could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he saw your frustration turn to surprise and then a sudden sadness at what you were reading.

"What is this?" You whisper.

All three boys stood, pushing themselves away from each other.

Steve rubbed his sweaty palms against his jeans, watching as you analyzed the paper in your hands. Lucas and Dustin both fumbled over their words, trying to help cover up for Steve what they could.

"Oh, that's—"

"My mom needed groceries so—"

"No, no, no—"

"It was a—"

"Steve, what is this?" You ask again, angrier this time. That was the cue for both Lucas and Dustin to leave the room and head upstairs. They pat Steve on the back as a sign of good luck before their feet pattered up the flight of stairs.

Steve waited until they were gone before trying to approach you.

"Sweetheart, just... just please remember how crazy I am about you—"

"Ditzy? Spoiled?" You read, hands gripping the paper so tightly. Your voice shook with each word. You gasped softly, looking to him with watery eyes. "Too into her looks?" You ask.

"No, no, that's not true." Steve promised. "That's why it's crossed out." He chuckled nervously, following you as you paced. As you reached the next bulletpoint, you stopped in your tracks and turned to him.

"J-Just a waitress?"

Steve hesitated, unsure of what to say at this point. "Now that was..uh—" He watched as you walked past him, eyes still glued to the paper in your hands. "You know, as opposed to the uh... you know." He cleared his throat, panic setting in fully now. "Is this over now?"

A gasp escaped your lips, making you turn to Steve in full rage. "I do not have chubby ankles!" You growl before storming out of the house.

Shit.

"No, no, sweetheart, wait!" Steve begged as he chased you out of the house. He grabbed your arm gently, turning you to face him. "Look at the other side. Look at Nancy's column!" You flipped the paper, looking at it in confusion. "She's not yum?" She asked in bewilderment.

Steve gulped. "What? No, no, it says—"

"Is that some fancy phrase I don't understand because I'm just a waitress?" You ask, crumbling the paper up in your hands before shoving it right against his chest as hard as you could.

"No, sweetheart, please!" Steve called out as you walked off.

"Maybe we should go." Dustin said as he appeared next to him.

"No, you guys stay. I'm leaving." You promise as you continue walking. Steve couldn't believe how everything flipped so fast since you arrived. One second, he was excited to tell you that he wanted to be with you, and next, he's begging for you to hear him out.

Once you reached your car, Steve knew he had to attempt one last time.

He ran over, shoving his hand against your car door just as you began to open it, so it closed again. "Come on, sweetheart, I know how you feel—"

"No, you don't, Steve!" You snap, startling him. Realizing you had, you took a breath. "Imagine the worst things you think about yourself." You started, lip trembling. "Now, how would you feel if the one person that you trusted the most in the world not only thinks them too but actually uses them as reasons not to be with you?"

Steve shook his head, reaching out to hold your hands. "No, no, but see, I want to be with you in spite of those things." He promised.

You scoff, removing his hands from yours. Steve flinched, knowing he screwed up. "Oh, well, that's mighty big of you, Steve." You spoke sarcastically before looking over his shoulder.

"I said don't go!" You snap, making Steve turn to see Dustin and Lucas picking up their bikes. They instantly dropped them, awkwardly standing by the garage.

Steve looked back to you, unable to believe this was the argument you were having. Everyone has flaws. He had them, too. Not only that, but he felt like this argument was hypocritical. "You know what?" His voice hitched as it raised.

"You know what? If...If things were the other way around, there was nothing you could put on a list that would ever make me not want to be with you."

"I guess that's the difference between us." You whispered as you moved past him, getting in your car.

You turned the key in the ignition, the car engine roaring to life. "See, I wouldn't have made a list." A tear rolled down your cheek, making you wipe it away.

"Sweetheart, please." Steve whispered, eyebrows furrowing as he held himself in the open part of the door. His eyes watered, his fingers digging into the sleeves of his sweater.

You then shut the car door and began to reverse out of Steve's driveway, driving back home.

Steve let out a deep and aggravated sigh. What was he going to do now? That conversation was heavy, even for him, and he knew they all felt in the wrong for making the list.

How could something go wrong so quickly?

More importantly, you were probably never going to speak to Steve again. Of course, the universe decides the day he's mature enough to figure out his feelings that he has to go ahead and mess it all up.

What was Steve going to do now?

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

hiiiiii!

i saw your tbbt fix AND OMG IT WAS ADORABLE could i maybe get a story about the whole gang getting overprotective when Somone flirts with reader [ik it's basic I just love the overprotective trope]

tysm!♡ of course!

Dinner Disaster

The Big Bang Theory x GN!Reader

Summary: A dinner at the Cheesecake Factory gets awkward when the gang defends you from a stranger coming onto you

Word Count: 0.7k

Warnings: Outside of TBBT storyline, no shipping with anyone, gender neutral pronouns for reader

Additional Note: I had no idea what to name this one, I'm so sorry 😭

It was another average day for the gang in Pasadena. Everyone had just gotten home from work and decided to go have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory per Sheldon's consistent schedule.

You, Leonard, Howard, Amy, Bernadette, Penny, Raj, and Sheldon all took your usual places at the eight person table.

"Let's see... what am I going to order that isn't going to make me nauseous?" Penny asked herself, confusing Howard.

"Is something wrong with the food?" His chair made a slight scrape sound against the floor as he shifted. "Should I be eating a tum?" He joked.

Bernadette shook her head, rubbing her boyfriend's back. "No, silly. It's just that when you work in a restaurant for a while, the consistent smell of the food plus eating it on your break makes you get sick of it." She explained.

"Don't you feel weird eating dinner at the place you work?" Leonard asked you, making you shrug.

"I make a point not to eat the food here. Otherwise, I'd never step foot into the Cheesecake Factory again. I honestly can't smell half the foods in here anymore." You explained, the short scientist nodding as he looked over his menu.

"Excuse me," a voice came from next to you. Everyone, confused, looked to what they assumed was the waiter, but it was an unfamiliar man.

He was tall, clean shaven, but something felt off. Your gut told you this guy was going to cause trouble. Realizing that he was speaking to you, you turned to face him more. "Yes?"

"I know this might be a little forward, but you're really attractive, and I was wondering if you wanted to grab a drink with me at the bar?" The guy asked.

You froze.

Never had someone been so forward with you before, nor had anyone been so blatantly rude to the fact that you were otherwise busy. Penny, who sat next to you, leaned forward. "Who are you exactly?"

The man glanced at Penny, a bit taken back but also not doing anything to hide the fact that he was also checking her out. "Just a guy who noticed an attractive person and wanted to say hi."

Sheldon interjected, sounding annoyed with a stranger interrupting their dinner. "Excuse me, but I don't believe you understand the social protocols here. Our friend is clearly enjoying our company, and we are more than capable of fulfilling their intellectual and social needs."

Amy was quick to follow up. "Sheldon's right. We're a close-knit friend group, and quite honestly, I think you're making our friend uncomfortable." She added, her tone protective.

The man raised his hands defensively, clearly surprised that everyone was snapping back. "I didn't mean to cause trouble."

Raj, who had been silent up to this point due to his incapability to speak in front of women, managed to muster up the ability to say, "Back off, dude or Penny will kick your ass."

Penny gave Raj a look, but everyone knew that she'd be able to take him down.

"Woah, woah! Hey, look, I'm sorry. I was just trying to meet someone. No need for a fight." Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked to you. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Not really sure what to say, you shrugged. "You did, and I appreciate the apology. I'm going to have to decline." You tried to be nice about it, but your friends were making that a little difficult.

"Yeah, our friend is not interested. Goodbye!" Bernadette shooed him off. Surprised, the man blinked a few times before quickly scurrying off.

Once he was out of sight, the tension at the table seemed to disperse. You turned to everyone, laughing a little. "What was that, you guys?"

"What?" Leonard pretended to be oblivious, adjusting his glasses. "That whole thing that just happened!" You laughed, looking between everyone.

Amy, who sat adjacent to you, tilted her head a little. "Someone was making you uncomfortable. Did you think we were just going to let him?"

That made you smile, warmth spreading through you as you looked to everyone. Although you were slightly embarrassed, you were mainly appreciative that they were so quick to help.

"Thank you, guys." You said, touched by their concern. "Just remember I can take care of myself."

"We know. We just care about you." Bernadette smiled from a few seats down.

As dinner shifted back to its normal rhythm, you couldn't help but feel grateful for the people around you. Being apart of this quirky, overprotective group of friends meant you'd always have someone looking out for you.

You wouldn't have it any other way.

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

hi! it’s so hard to find this and i saw you write for big bang theory. could i maybe get a story about the whole gang comforting you after you got fired from the cheesecake factory after caught kissing on the job? thank u!!!

of course!! ♡

Factory Mishap

The Big Bang Theory x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 0.8k

Warnings: Outside of TBBT storyline, no shipping with a specific character, Howard kind of being a perv

Additional Note: This is my first Big Bang Theory fanfic, so please bear with my writing of the characters

"Hey guys," You sniffled as you entered Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. The gang was all gathered on the couch, waiting for you before they dug into their usual takeout.

"Hey, we got you some Chinese food." Leonard grinned, gesturing with his chopsticks to the only white container on the coffee table that hadn't been opened.

You fiddled with your work uniform, a uniform you'd no longer be wearing after today. The very idea caused your eyes to water, making you quickly wipe away any tears that fell.

Raj, noticing, offered you his seat on the couch, opting for the floor. You took your place between Howard and Sheldon, snatching up your box of takeout.

Everyone exchanged concerned glances before Penny decided to speak up.

"Bad day?" She asked before taking a sip of her wine.

The question was enough to send you into another wave of tears. How could this of all things happen today? Well, you knew why it happened but it was the last thing you expected. A simple warning would've been just fine.

"I got fired today." You sobbed, hiding your face in one of your hands.

The room went silent, everyone exchanging glances as you cried. You suddenly felt a comforting hand on your shoulder from Bernadette, who sat on the arm of the couch. "I'm so sorry, Y/N." She frowned, eyebrows laced with concern.

Everyone else began to chime in with their apologies, all except for Sheldon.

Leonard cleared his throat, glancing at his roommate.

"What?" Sheldon asked, painfully oblivious to social cues.

Both Amy and Leonard gestured to you, making Sheldon sigh. "Oh please, I'm not apologizing. It's obvious given Y/N's years of service at the Cheesecake Factory and her excellent people skills that she was fired for a good reason."

You looked to Sheldon, not believing that he even just said that. Could someone compliment someone and crush their soul at the same time?

"What?" You asked, anger in your tone.

Penny sat up. "As much as I wanna argue with Sheldon," She began, receiving a perplexed look from the scientist, "Sheldon makes a good point." Leonard looked to his girlfriend, mouth slightly agape.

"Did you just agree with Sheldon?"

"I think she did." Howard commented, receiving a small glare from Penny. "I'm just saying that I'm a terrible waitress, and I'm still working there." She said, her attention turning to you as she grinned. "What'd you do?"

Amy began to smile. "More importantly, who did you do?" She asked, clinking her glass of water with Penny's wine.

Your face grew beat red, shocked they had caught on so quickly. "I didn't do anyone! It was just... a heat of the moment thing." You admitted, beginning to beat yourself up over it again.

"Coitus?" Sheldon asked, unable to help himself.

"Oh, please tell me it was passionate girl on girl action." Howard spoke a little too quickly before remembering that Bernadette was sitting right next to him. He slowly turned to look at her, smiling awkwardly. "Please don't leave me."

Bernadette rolled her eyes before returning her attention to you. "Who'd you sleep with?"

"I didn't sleep with anyone." You promised before looking to Penny. "I kissed the busboy."

She gasped, her jaw dropping with a slight smile to it. "You kissed the busboy? When?" She exclaimed, setting her glass down. This was what you loved about Penny. She was always a girl's girl.

"Last night in the kitchen of the restaurant. It was closing time, so we were talking, and one thing led to another..." You gulped, "And we were caught." You sighed, remembering how he had lifted you up onto the counter just as your boss came in.

"What a way to go out, huh?" Penny smiled. "Well, that's the thing. I didn't want to leave the Cheesecake Factory! It's barely getting me through rent and my bills. How am I supposed to live now?" You rambled, picking through your rice. "What if I get evicted?"

"You can always stay with us." Howard offered, Bernadette nodding. Your heart melted from how quick he was to offer you a place to stay. "Or us if you'd like." Leonard suggested. "Hang on, hang on!" Sheldon grabbed everyone's attention.

"I didn't agree to this. This doesn't abide by the roommate agreement." He said, sitting upright as he spoke to his roommate.

"Section 4, paragraph 15 clearly states that—"

"It's fine, Sheldon! Y/N will stay with me." Penny smiled, winking at you before going back to eating. Your heart warmed with how much everyone wanted to help... except Sheldon, of course.

What'd you expect?

"I really appreciate that. Thank you, guys." You smiled a little, finally beginning to eat your food. As crazy and weird as your group of friends could be, they always found a way to make you feel better about any and every situation you've been in.

With friends like them, you knew you'd be just fine. Everything would turn out okay.

Everyone sat quietly, enjoying their food and each other's company before Howard broke the silence.

"Are you sure it wasn't a woman you kissed?"

"Howard!"

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

Suggestions Open!

Hey everyone! I am running low on writing ideas and would love to hear what you guys suggest! Here are some fandoms I know (alphabetically):

Disney

Dreamworks

Friends

Miraculous Ladybug

Marvel

Stardew Valley

Steven Universe

Stranger Things

The Big Bang Theory

Despicable Me

I'm pretty flexible with the things I'll write, but I will not be writing anything with the following

relationships with minors

rape, sexual assault, etc.

certain kinks regarding smut fic

suicide

I will add more as I see fit

But seriously, hit me with whatever it is you'd like! You can be as specific as you like!

Thank you! ♡

[brunnerasposts]

"She"

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: All while you're getting ready for a surprise date, Steve is preparing to tell you for the first time that he loves you.

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: mentions of st2-4, bit of a clumsy reader, fluff, dating, mentions of nudity, swearing, Steve just admiring you honestly

Additional Note: Once again, it has been a hot minute since I've written any fanfiction of any kind so please excuse my poor writing 🥲

If there was anything that Steve Harrington had a soft spot for, it was watching you get ready.

From the way you delicately dragged the mascara wand up your eyelashes to the way you always seemed to hum the same melody while spritzing your neck with perfume, it captured his heart every damn time.

This time, in particular, he was antsier. His leg bounced as he sat on your bed, keeping his hands busy by holding onto one of the stuffed animals you kept on your bed. This was a big day for him. For the both of you, though you didn't know it yet.

While you were showering, Steve spent the time rehearsing the scene in his head. He'd take you home after an incredible day, give you a kiss goodnight after walking you to your door like any gentleman would, and just say it. The three words he'd been itching to say anytime he looks at you.

He loved you.

How could he not? You were, in so many ways, perfect for him. Whenever you entered the room, his eyes were always on you. Because of this, he could read you like an open book. He knew that when your eyes would continuously shift around that you were overwhelmed or that when you would chip your nail polish, you were lost in thought. He knew that if he kissed right behind your ear you'd shriek and laugh as you were most sensitive there.

He knew your passions and your hobbies, and you both had already discussed the possible future together. He remembered the way you flushed at the idea of having children together, six no less. To his surprise, you weren't against it and he felt himself falling for you all over again.

"Stevie," You whined as you entered the room, a towel wrapped up on your head and another wrapped around your body. The sight made his breath hitch and his cheeks warm at the sudden sight of you.

God, he wanted to say it so badly.

Swallowing harshly, he found his words. "Yes?" His eyes shifted downward as you raised your leg slightly. A streak of blood was prominent on your calf, causing him to stand from the bed instantly.

"Oh, honey, you've got to be careful with your legs," He frowned, leading you over to your vanity so you could sit and let him take care of you. He kneeled in front of you, his fingers grazing the back of your calf as he raised your leg ever so slightly. You flushed from the position he was in.

"You still have those band-aids I gave you?" He asked as you removed the towel from your damp head of hair before passing it to him.

"Mhm," You turned towards your vanity, opening the middle drawer to pull out the cardboard box. "How many are in there?" He asked as you pulled a sealed band-aid out from the carton. Eyes scanning the contents of the box, you counted around fourteen.

"I'm good on band-aids," You confirmed, handing him the band-aid before returning the box to your drawer.

"Promise?" He asked, using the wet end of the towel to gently wipe away the drying blood on your leg. "Promise." You repeated as he unwrapped the band-aid.

With a soft grin, Steve dried your leg before carefully placing the bandage over the cut. "Does this happen often?" He asked, smoothing out the creases from the band-aid. Really he just wanted an excuse to be close to you, but he wasn't going to tell you that.

You shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess so. I don't mean for it to happen. I just get distracted, I guess." Steve arched an eyebrow. "What distracted you in the shower?" He asked, noting the pout that was forming.

"My boyfriend won't tell me where we're going!" Steve couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry, honey, but it's a secret. Just know it's a date." He said as he placed a gentle kiss on your knee before standing. "A surprise date." You reminded him.

"And you know I'm not good with surprises!" You whined and watched Steve as he sat back down on your bed before picking up the teddy bear again.

"I know, but you love them." He teased, causing you to huff before picking up a hair brush.

"Can I guess?"

"You can try," He grinned, now laying on his stomach so he could watch you.

Your eyebrows began to scrunch as you thought about the possibilities. "Rollerskating?" You asked as you started to detangle the ends of your hair. Steve gently shook his head, gazing at you with nothing but adoration.

Picking up the small juice box you had opened earlier, you took the straw between your lips and began to drink what was left of it. "Hm, oh! A picnic?" You guess again, Steve once again shaking his head. "Two strikes. You get one final guess before we get to the car. Are you sure you want to use it now?" He asked, seeing the panic enter your eyes.

"No, I need to think for a while." You admitted, picking up your hair brush again before continuing to contain your already drying hair. "I used my new soap that you got me," your voice carried easily across the room. "Oh, yeah?" Steve asked, standing from the bed. "Mhm, the lemongrass scented one." You stood from the vanity, making your way over to sit beside Steve. He sat up quickly, leaning in to place a gentle kiss to your neck and bare shoulder.

A soft hum escaped your lips, followed by a yawn. "You smell like lemongrass and sleep." He admitted, making you laugh. "Sleep? I dont think that's a scent, Steve." You told him, leaning your head against his as he rested his chin on you. "Of course it is. I just made it up." He grinned, causing you to shake your head at his playful manner.

"Gotta finish getting ready." You whispered, causing him to whine and wrap you up in his arms. "Steve—!" You yelped as he pulled you down onto the bed, making you squeal as he began to smother your face with kisses. "No, no, Steve!" You laughed, him finding your most sensitive places. He knew just where you were ticklish.

"I'm not doing anything, hon." He said with a cheesy grin. "Yes you are! Steve," You continued to laugh, your breathing becoming rapid as you couldnt catch your breath. "Whats the password?" He asked, fingers delicately moving up and down your rib cage. You writhed underneath him, eyes teary from laughing so hard. "Stevie," You gasped out, his fingers coming to a slow halt.

"Not fair. You know I can't resist that nickname." He hummed, gazing down at you with nothing but adoration in his eyes. Your laugh had to be his favorite sound. There was never a day he didn't make you laugh. Anytime you were happy, he found himself suddenly in a better mood. Your smile had that effect on him. Your laugh had it too. But most importantly, you had that effect.

Once you had caught your breath, you simply laid with him. "Gonna let me get dressed now?" You whispered, looking up at him as your own fingers began to trace him. You focused on each mole, practically playing connect the dots on his arms. Steve chuckled a little. "I can't tell if you actually want to get ready," He joked, noticing that you weren't even budging. Though the moment he said that, you moved.

"I do! You keep distracting me," You pouted a little, though it was a playful one. You made your way over to your dresser, opening a drawer. "Does it matter what kind of undergarments I wear?" You asked with an arched brow, causing Steve to chuckle. "Whatever you're most comfortable in, baby." He hummed before grabbing the teddy bear again.

It was from your second date together. Hawkins was hosting its very own carnival in the town square and Steve thought it would be a great date opportunity for you both. He promised he'd win you a prize and ended up with a backseat covered in stuffed animals. Steve wasn't sure what you'd do with them all, so you decided to donate them. However, this teddy bear was your favorite of them all so you kept it. Steve wasn't sure why, so he decided it was time to ask.

"Hon?"

"Hm?" You asked as you put them on. It wasn't anything Steve hadn't seen before so you went back to your vanity to begin drying your hair.

"You never told me why you kept beary." He said, returning his attention to you. You were already looking at him, a soft smile growing.

"He was the first prize you won for me. Thought he deserved to be kept to cherish the memory." You explained, plugging the hairdryer in. Steve's heart practically melted from your words. "Really? I didn't think he meant that much."

"Are you kidding? Stevie, I could tell just how much you wanted to prove to me that you would win him. And it wasn't to try and look cool or something either. I knew you were just trying to make sure I had a good time. But what you didn't understand was that I always have fun when I'm with you. No matter what it is we're doing."

Steve held the plush to his chest now, suddenly overcome with your words.

"I love you."

The room was overcome with immediate silence, quickly followed by the blow dryer slipping from your grasp and landing on your toe. You gasped and instantly shot up from the chair you sat in. "Fuck!" You couldn't help but swear. Steve sprang up from the bed in a sudden panic.

"I'm sorry! God, I'm so so sorry! This is my fault, I shouldn't have—" He huffed a bit before lifting you bridal style and gently sitting you down on your bed. "I'm fine, Steve, I'm fine!" You promised, biting your lip to ease the pain in your foot.

Steve quickly kneeled to inspect your foot, noticing that your toe had really only turned a few shades darker. Hopefully, it wouldn't bruise. "Scale of one to ten?"

"A six." You answered, watching as he further set into panic.

Steve sprinted downstairs, ignoring the questioning looks your parents gave him as he stumbled into the kitchen to grab an ice pack. He then flew back up the stairs, panting as he reached you again. "Here," He said, hands fumbling as he put the ice bag on your foot. "Better?"

"Better." You said, watching him with concern. Noticing that you were staring, Steve asked, "What?" while trying to catch his breath. That is until he saw your lip begin to quiver. "Oh no, no, honey. Please don't cry. I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have startled you like that." He apologized, wiping the tears as they began to fall. Steve cupped your cheeks gently, gazing at you.

"Steve-"

"Oh, princess, look!" He exclaimed, seeing your toe was still no longer the color that it was before. "Let me keep holding the ice here to make sure it doesn't swell, yeah?" He gently pressed, making you wince a little, but your foot was the least of your worries.

"Steve..." You trailed off, hoping to capture his attention this time. "I know, I know, but sometimes you say you're fine when you're not. So, it is my job as your boyfriend to make sure that you are taken care of." He smiled, gently rubbing the back of your calf.

"Steve." You finally said in a tone that was stern enough for him to look up. His eyes were laced with concern, searching yours for any signs of what he did wrong. You smiled softly before shakily cupping his cheeks in your hands and leaning forward.

Liking where this was going, Steve met you halfway, lips sealing with yours.

He shifted, cradling your head as the kiss turned more passionate, your arms wrapping around his neck to pull him closer. You hummed against his lips, fingers finding their way into his hair which you tugged gently. Steve groaned, his hands beginning to travel...that is until you gently held his wrists.

He parted from the kiss, confused as to why you stopped him. Oh, but he was met with that adorable smile and flushed face he couldn't resist. "Sweetie?" He asked, wondering why you wouldn't let him continue.

You parted your lips, almost hesitant to say what you wanted, but you took a deep breath and held Steve's hands. "I love you too, Steve." You admitted, blinking a little quickly to rid of the tears that were beginning to form.

He stared at you, unsure if he believed what he was hearing. The girl he loved more than anything, the girl he'd die for, the girl he'd kill for...loved him too. Steve began to realize that it didn't matter what he said or where he said it. The only thing that mattered was that you made him happier than he ever thought he could be.

"Steve, please say something."

He wasn't exactly sure what to do. His heart was racing, his palms were a little sweaty, and all he could think about was ways he could say thank you.

Your eyebrows furrowed, confused. "Why-?" But before you could finish your question, you were being tackled onto the bed in a warm embrace. You squealed in surprise, laughing as you held each other. He kissed all over your face, speaking between kisses. "How did I get so lucky?"

His fingers, once again, found their way to your ribcage, making your legs kick. "Noooo! Steve Harrington, you let me go this instant!" You begged, laughing between words. Steve couldn't help but laugh as well. "Not until I hear those words leave your pretty little mouth again." He grinned mischievously.

"Okay, okay! I love you! I love you! I love you!" You exclaimed, getting louder each time you said it. He finally stopped tickling you, allowing you to catch your breath. "I love you, Steve Harrington." You said more seriously this time, making him grin from ear to ear.

"I love you too, dollface. Now...let's get you ready for our date, yeah?"

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

"wait in the truck"

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: Steve gets lost on a rainy night and finds you bruised and bloody on the side of the road. You get in his truck, and he drives to find who hurt you and make them pay.

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: OUTSIDE OF ST STORYLINE, mentions of physical, verbal, and mental abuse, swearing, slight fluff, references to violence, strangers to friends

Additional Note: I haven't written any fanfiction in a hot minute so please bare with my writing ;(

"Thank you for listening to 94.7!" The radio suddenly blared once the static had stopped. Steve immediately reached for the volume knob, turning it down. He could barely focus with how loud the rain was pouring and how fast his windshield wipers were having to move. There hadn't been any indications that it would be raining soon, let alone a whole storm. "Jesus," He muttered under his breath, throwing his high beams on. What was worse than being stuck in a storm? Being stuck in a storm and having no idea where the hell you are.

He couldn't remember when he had gotten off track from the directions being repeated consistently by the GPS. Maybe it was when he needed gas? Steve gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, agitated with himself for being so careless. His eyes squinted as he leaned forward, hoping that would help him see the road in front of him better. He was mainly concerned with hitting anything or anyone.

His eyes suddenly stopped squinting as he noticed a figure in the distance. It was a person. Maybe they could help him find out where he was. Relief washed over him as he drove closer. His relief soon turned to confusion as he began to realize this figure was walking away from him in the rain. It didn't look like they had a coat or anything.

He drove a bit faster to catch up with them before slowing down to a stop. He rolled his window down, realizing it was a woman. "Excuse me, Miss, I was wondering if you could help me out here." He asked, hoping to sound as nice as he possibly could. After all, it was the middle of the night and he was a man in a vehicle while she was alone and in the rain.

"I'm a little lost," He admitted, "I could drive you to wherever it is you're going in return. You could get sick being out there like that."

She stopped walking, keeping her head down so her hair blocked her face. "You're being awfully nice for a guy stuck out in a storm." Her voice was shaky, her accent thick. Steve couldn't help but smile, shaking his head. "Just trying to be nice."

The girl lifted her head to look at him, causing Steve's breath to hitch.

The first thing he noticed was that she was absolutely fucking beautiful. He had never seen such eyes. If it weren't raining and dark, he'd probably end up staring a lot longer than he had been. Her eyes were wide, tired, and had little life to them.

The longer he looked at her, the more his smile fell and turned into a scowl. Her lip was swollen with a bleeding cut going from the bottom to top lip. She had bruises all along the sides of her head and near one of her eyes. Her tank top did little to cover the cuts and bruises lining her arms. She held herself, shaking, eyes and nose red from the rain and from crying. She had been through hell. It didn't take long before Steve was reaching across and opening the door, having made up his mind. "Climb in,"

She complied.

He turned the car lights on, watching her as she buckled herself in. Her tank was torn up, dried blood splotches near her stomach area. "What happened?" He couldn't help but ask. She stared at him and was silent for a while. Her whole body trembled, so Steve reached for the heat and turned it on. He then reached into the back seat and grabbed a blanket, handing it to her.

"I..uh," She sniffled, "I was home and trying to fix this light. Couldn't reach it, so I grabbed this ol' ladder and ended up falling down the stairs." She told him, avoiding eye contact as she bundled herself up. "Thank you."

"Stairs, huh?" He asked, not really believing her story. She nodded a little, fiddling with something on her hand. He glanced at it before shifting into drive, turning the light back off in the car.

"This probably isn't any of my business, but couldn't your husband have fixed the light?" He asked, looking for any other roads besides the one they were on.

He slowed the car as he heard her begin to shift, pulling at her finger. She continued to pull until the ring came off, shakily placing the ring on the dashboard. Steve turned the light on again, looking at the blood covered ring. His attention shifted to her hands, seeing bruises of all sorts.

This wasn't just falling down a flight of stairs.

He inspected her face, noticing the watered-down blood that surrounded her mouth. Her watery eyes focused on the ring she had set down. "He's no husband of mine." She whispered.

Steve wasn't one to get involved in other people's business, but too many clues were adding up. He turned his GPS off, accelerating ever so slightly. He found a point in which he could make a u-turn, hand gripping the wheel. They didn't talk for a while. Not until they reached roads that branched off.

"Where is he?"

There was silence for a while, the woman hesitant to speak. "Home." She soon admitted, looking at her lap. "Drunk."

His suspicions had been correct then.

Some light came into view as they approached scattered "landmarks." A gas station, a diner, and a bar. Steve still was unsure of where he was, but he could tell it was a very small town.

"Make a right near that gas station." She spoke quietly, Steve putting his turning signal on. "Which house?" He asked, turning onto the road. "It's at the very end of the road." She told him. Steve nodded and continued driving.

His eyes moved everywhere as he drove. He looked at the road, his rear view mirror, his speedometer, the woman next to him, pretty much anything to keep his mind occupied. The idea of what this woman could have gone through was sending his blood pressure through the roof. He didn't care that she was a complete stranger to him, he just knew she needed help. And he was more than willing to put her mind at ease.

"Are you gonna hurt him?"

He could feel her eyes on him now, but he didn't look over. "It depends." He spoke, spotting the house in the distance. He turned his lights off, driving slowly. "Do you love him?" He asked as he parked, now turning to look at her. Even in the darkness of the car, he could see her uncertainty. He gently reached his hand out, palm facing up so she could put her hand in his.

The woman was hesitant, but she placed her hand in his. "I promise he isn't going to bother you again. Now, wait in the truck." He said before opening the car door. Steve shut the door behind himself and opened the door to the backseat.

"What if he hurts you?" She asked in a panic as he grabbed his pistol and his baseball bat.

"He won't."

Steve went to close the door, but she quickly exclaimed, "Wait," and Steve stopped. "What's your name?" She asked, gripping the blanket around herself now. He couldn't help but smile a little, glad she was finding comfort in his things. "Steve. Steve Harrington."

"Y/N Letcher." She introduced herself. "Mr. Harrington, why are you helping me?" She asked, Steve simply shaking his head in response. "Just wait in the truck." He told her, closing the car door. Rain continued to fall, making his once nicely kept hair into a mop on his head. For once, he couldn't care less. He walked up the gravel driveway, each crunch under his shoe, giving him the confidence to walk up and pound on the door.

If he was being completely honest, he couldn't even answer her question. He wasn't entirely sure why he was involving himself in another person's business other than the fact that she was in trouble and needed help. He didn't approve of this kind of behavior, and he needed to make sure this man never hurt anyone ever again.

The door cracked open, a man in a white wife beater and jeans standing with a cigarette in his mouth. "Mr. Letcher?" Steve asked.

"Who the fuck are you?" Mr. Letcher asked, scratching at his beer covered stomach. At least Steve thought it was beer. Steve grinned at the man through the screen door. "You got company?"

"Who's askin'?" The man spat, his accent thicker than his wife's. Steve twiddled with his baseball bat, opening the screen door which startled the man. He then held the baseball bat against his shoulder, grinning.

"Harrington. Steve Harrington."

---

"Harrington, you've got a visitor."

Steve rolled his shoulders before sitting in his designated chair, glaring at the officer behind him. He adjusted his wrists, looking to the phone on the wall. Taking it, Steve held it against his ear and looked through the glass.

"Your bruises seem to be almost healed."

"I hardly even notice them anymore." She smiled, more lively than he had last seen her. Steve took the time to really look at Y/N. Bruises almost gone, no blood, no cuts, just healing. Healing in so many ways.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Me? I'm doing perfectly fine, Mr. Harrington. I should be asking that."

Steve chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright in here. If I can survive one month, I can survive another eleven." He grinned a little until he noticed that her eyes cast down to the handcuffs on his wrists. "I'm proud to be here, Y/N. Please don't blame yourself." He said, watching as she slowly nodded.

"I won't. I just...I still don't understand why. Why help me? You could've just driven me somewhere and dropped me off and...that would be it." Y/N whispered into the phone. Steve's eyebrows furrowed with concern, leaning closer.

"I helped because I couldn't imagine what would've happened to you if I didn't." He frowned, gently placing his finger against the glass. She did the same. "He won't hurt you anymore. He can't," Steve promised, "And I promise the second I'm out of here, I'm gonna make sure you never have to worry about him again."

The woman laughed softly, gazing at Steve. "You've done more than enough for little ol' me, Mr. Harrington." She promised. "It's funny, when people ask me about what happened, I never know how to describe you. I keep wanting to call you an angel, but I don't know if an angel would've done what you did."

Steve chuckled. "I'm sure they wouldn't."

She stared at Steve for a little, glancing to the officer who gave her a minute warning. "Steve?"

Slightly surprised by the use of his first name, he sat up. "Yes?"

"Because of you, I can sleep peacefully, knowing I'll never be hit again. Thank you, darlin'. Thank you." Y/N smiled, eyes watery.

Steve nodded before they both returned their phones to their places. Steve didn't want to move. He just wanted to keep looking at her to know that she was okay now. But he knew.

As he watched her walk away, he knew that she was going to be just fine.

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

"School Nights"

E.M. x Female Reader

Summary: Eddie lets you color in his tattoos and finally let's you see his scars from the demobats

Word Count: 4.6k

Warnings: st4 spoilers, overthinker type reader, slight nudity, fluff, best friends to lovers, mention of scars

Additional Notes: I based this story off the song School Nights but kinda fell off track with the lyrics as the story just kind of flowed through my brain nicely. So this one is more so inspired by the song than anything. It also took me way too long to write this. I hope you all enjoy! Likes, comments, and reshares are always appreciated. Let me know if you'd like to be added to my tag list! :)

Now, you weren't much of an artist, but there was nothing more entertaining than when Eddie allows you to color in some of his tattoos.

The situation had come up in conversation when heading back to Eddie's trailer. You had been admiring his tattoos all day, to which he noticed and offered for you to color in some of them. Soon enough, you were creating more 'tattoos' once you ran out of ones to color. "What are you doodling over there?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing as he looked at the doodle on his arm.

You both were sitting together on his bed, listening to some music on the radio with an open window. You colored while Eddie scribbled chicken scratches on an assignment from trigonometry. The air conditioner had stopped working overnight so Eddie was relying on the fresh air for some sort of breeze. The outside air came with its orchestra of noise. From the neighbors who sat outside talking to the dog constantly barking across the street, it sounded like home.

It was strange how you could feel so at peace here with Eddie when you couldn't feel like that even in the comfort of your own home. There was always something to worry about there. At Eddie's, you didn't have to worry. That was the thing about you, you were an overthinker. If you thought about things too much, you'd stress yourself to tears.

Eddie seemed to have noticed that it was one of those days for you and that's why you had been so distracted by his tattoos. The main reason he even let you color them was to ground your thoughts to simple things and not the grand scheme of the world that was Hawkins.

"Well, you've got a lot of cool tattoos so I tried making one that fits your theme." You explained, moving your hand so he could see. It was a half-colored, dorky-looking dragon. "A dragon?" He hoped to be guessing it correctly. "Yes!" You spoke excitedly, glad he had depicted the drawing.

"You know, I have a dragon tattoo right?" He asked, making you gaze at him in surprise as well as curiosity. "Really? I didn't color a dragon though." You were puzzled, knowing that you colored every single tattoo on his arms.

Leaning back in his bed, Eddie was suddenly flustered. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly in a visible spot. It's on my back," He explained, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. "Oh," You realized, assuming he was uncomfortable with you coloring his back.

You didn't blame him. Even during the past summer, you had never seen Eddie shirtless. His excuses were always the same. He either claimed to be a terrible swimmer or it was going to rain soon.

You knew that neither was true and you sort of knew why he didn't want you to see his torso. From what you had gathered at the hospital when you managed to drag him through the upside down was that he had scars all over his chest. He knew how traumatic that event was for you and was probably saving you the worry of seeing them.

You weren't even sure what you would do if he did show you his scars. Just the thought of how he got them gave you a nauseous feeling inside. Never will you forget the image of Eddie laying on the floor, bleeding out from the attacks that came from the demo bats.

"Okay, well then I believe it is your turn." You closed the marker, making sure to wipe the cap with your shirt before handing it to him. Eddie looked at you, slightly bewildered before accepting the marker. "Can you believe spring break is in a month?" He asked as he removed the cap from the marker. Before you could answer, his eyes shifted up towards yours while he placed the cap of the marker in between his teeth.

It flustered you, though you weren't even sure why. What was he even trying to do? "I can't even believe we're seniors this year. Now you're sure this is your year, Eddie?" You teased him, making him scoff. "Yes, I'm sure. I got myself a tutor for Trig since I never gave a damn what went on in there."

This made you smile. "I'm proud of you, Ed. You'll be walking across that stage in no time." You promised. After his whole fiasco the previous year, the school once again held him back. You dropped a few grades so you would get held back as well, not wanting him to be alone in this. Everyone in town deemed him untrustworthy except for the group that had been there during the whole thing.

There had been threats against not only him and his uncle but towards you as well. It was difficult for Eddie to just stay quiet as people talked about you, and he knew that was part of the reason you overthought many conversations. You both feared saying the wrong thing.

Before you could think about Vecna any longer, the song on the radio came to an end before it quickly switched to a spokesperson which made you huff. "Jesus Christ, what is happening to that station? I tuned in just the other day and I managed to hear three songs in four hours." You complained, making Eddie chuckle. "Why'd you stay tuned in for so long?" He asked, making you shrug your shoulders.

"It helped me focus on my homework somehow." You explained, him nodding slowly before getting an idea. He quickly placed the cap back on the marker as he finished his drawing, giving you the chance to look at it. "Hellfire?" You questioned, noticing the demon. "Yeah, couldn't come up with anything else." He hummed before going back to the previous topic.

"And what helped you focus exactly? Listening to some old barf bag talk?" He asked, making you laugh. "He's not that old Eddie, but yes. I guess just listening to someone I know talk can be calming." You told him, his idea coming into full shape now.

"You still want to color my back tattoo?" He asked, surprising you. "Eddie, if you don't feel comfortable with me coloring your back then I won't." You worded your sentence carefully, not wanting him to think about the scars on his chest.

He shifted the way he sat on the bed so he was now on his knees, bringing his hands to the opposite sides of the bottom of his shirt before lifting it over his head. You were still confused and now shocked by his actions. Your cheeks burned red and you were quick to cover your eyes as you weren't sure what he was doing.

"Eddie? What's going on over there?" You chuckled nervously, not even wanting to peek for fear of him being uncomfortable. "I'll let you color my back tattoo if you let me read to you afterward." He offered, making you peek between your fingers. Eddie was laying on his stomach, arms crossed in front of him for head support.

Your eyes couldn't help but be drawn to his bare back, gulping softly as you watched his muscles flex occasionally. Then you spotted the tattoo on his right shoulder, a dragon with its claws clutching onto a d20 dice. Without thinking, you crawled over and began to trace your finger along the lines of the tattoo.

How could you possibly color something as detailed as this? What if you chose the wrong colors and it ended up looking like a five-year-old's work? What if you accidentally got the colors mixed up so a section of the tattoo ended up looking strange? What if Eddie wanted a specific color combo for it, sorta like the Hellfire logo? That did seem to be his type of color choice.

While your mind scrambled to come up with ideas, Eddie flinched under your touch before slowly relaxing and looking back toward you. "Any colors you want sweetheart. Doesn't matter to me." He promised, practically reading your mind.

"M'kay," Was all you could say, slightly embarrassed at having been caught lost in thought. Reaching towards the pile of markers, you grabbed a few different warm colors. "Do you want music?" He asked as you removed the cap to a red marker. "Isn't the radio just going to be having interviews for the next thirty minutes?" You questioned, staring at his tattoo for a moment to figure out where you wanted the red color.

"Yeah, but I figured you could listen to some of the tapes I have." He shrugged, making you smile softly. "Or you could sing me something." You teased, gently pressing the marker into his skin. Eddie flinched once more before staying still as you began to color in the dragon.

"Sing? Sweetheart, I play in a band. We don't usually sing in that band." He reminded you, making you laugh softly. "No I know, but it's not like I haven't heard you in the van before." You pointed out, having had many jam sessions with Eddie in the past.

Knowing this was a losing battle, the male groaned in fake annoyance before asking, "What would the princess like to hear?"

You tried to think of something that Eddie would know and that you enjoyed a lot, though that list was impossible to come up with. "Surprise me." You finally said, placing your palm flat on his back to get a better hold on the surface that the marker was scribbling on. Yet, he moved slightly making you whine.

"Stop squirming, Ed! I'm gonna end up coloring outside the lines," You huff before placing the marker cap in between your teeth. You then gently placed your hand on his waist, keeping him still. "It's not my fault it tickles." Eddie chuckled, making you playfully roll your eyes before continuing.

After a moment, you heard Eddie start to hum, and it was a song you didn't recognize. You kept quiet, giving him the chance to vocalize however he pleased.

Only in pure moments of comfort did Eddie ever drop his act. This seemed to only ever happen around you. Recently he's been more comfortable with Wayne, the three of you enjoying dinner on his occasional days off from work.

You were proud of Eddie, knowing he'd soon come around to being himself even with the group.

Eddie managed to get through five different songs before you finished coloring the dragon. Placing the final marker's cap back on, you placed a gentle pat on his back. "All finished!" You announced, watching as he sat up.

"It's not gonna smudge if I move will it?" He asked nervously, making you giggle before shaking your head no. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief before turning to his dresser.

"What should I read?" He kept his stomach on the bed, trying to reach for the few books he had without exposing his torso. Wanting to help, you slipped away from him and off the bed.

"Read what exactly?" You questioned, knowing he didn't have much to read in his room besides DND things. Eddie frowned from the loss of your touch before scanning the books you were picking up.

"Carrie? You have Carrie?" You questioned, a sudden prideful feeling overcoming you as you were the one who introduced him to the book and film.

The male shrugged his shoulders, sitting up and bringing a pillow to his lap to cover himself with. "I don't know. It seemed interesting when we watched it together. Thought I'd give it a read," Eddie scratched at his chin.

"And?" You couldn't help but ask, glancing at the titles of the other two books. "It's pretty good from what I read of it. I sort of skimmed over some of it." He explained, which was to be expected from Eddie.

"I can always read it to you sometime," You told him, wanting him to at least give it a chance. Still unsure of the idea of Carrie, he shrugged and turned towards your backpacks on the bedroom floor.

"How about that book you're always reading?" He asked as he got up to dig through your book bag. Your face went bright red, quickly scrambled toward the foot of the bed.

He did not need to grab that book of all things to read.

Eddie didn't know it but you were a romance novel type of person. Especially when those books had some steamy things in them. It sounded strange and gross to most, but you had never been intimate with a person before. It fascinated you with things that happened inside the book, never even being able to imagine someone doing those things to you.

Mostly it was the cutesy romance stuff that you adored reading. Relationships were always a struggle for you until Eddie came along. He was someone you wanted more than you could even fathom, and yet you both remained the most platonic of friends.

Well, mostly anyway. There were some things you guys did that always had the group questioning what was going on between you both. If the gang got together to watch a movie or two, you were either in Eddie's lap or he was situated on the floor so his back was pressed against your legs. You both were rarely found separated, only usually being apart during a fight of some kind. It always resulted in a big hug and an apology.

There were times when you wondered if things could ever really happen between you both. It was embarrassing, but you've tried things on Eddie that you've only ever read about to see what kind of reaction you would get. The first time you did it, you had decided to just run your fingers through his hair during a movie-watching session with the gang.

His whole body had tensed under your touch, making you stop as you worried he was uncomfortable. That wasn't the case and he proved that as he turned around and gave you a small pout. "Why'd you stop?" He had asked, making you smile and go back to playing with his hair.

"No, no, Eddie! Anything but that book, please." Your words made him arch a brow, a slow smirk appearing on his face. "Could it be that the princess has something naughty in here?" He teased and yet didn't realize just how right he was.

As much as you both tended to goof off, this was not a playful mood that you were in. "No, come on, Eddie! Seriously put it back." You told him as your voice started to become sterner.

Eddie put your backpack down and began to flip through the pages of the book to spite your motherly tone. He stopped at a particular page that caught his eye, reading a paragraph or two before looking at you with a smirk. "You do have something naughty in here. My, my, what taste the princess has." He hummed, turning away from you as you got off the bed to try and grab the book from him.

Continuing to be a tease, Eddie raised the book high in the air, looking down at you with a smirk as you tried to grab at it. "I'm not giving this back until you give me an explanation." He told you, making you groan in annoyance.

"I have nothing to explain! It's a book, Eddie." You placed a hand on his torso for support as you tried jumping up to grab the book. In doing so, your hand slipped and just barely grazed his stomach.

In a matter of seconds, it was like someone had flipped a switch in Eddie's head. His eyes grew slightly wide before casting darkness you didn't recognize. Quick to use his free hand, the male snatched your wrist into his grasp to keep you from touching him again. The action made your voice hitch, fearing him growing angry.

"Eddie?" You whimpered slightly, feeling his painful grasp slowly release.

He realized his mistake, and his eyes softened once more. "Here," Was all he said as he pressed the book into your arms before walking to his dresser. You didn't move, standing there in shock. How had the mood in the room changed so quickly?

You slowly turned to face him, seeing that he was hunched over his dresser in shame. He could practically feel your eyes on him and he grew shy. "I'm sorry." He then whispered, opening a drawer to rummage for a shirt of some kind.

No.

No, you couldn't let him try and keep you at bay anymore.

You quickly walked over to him and grabbed his wrist, a lot more gently than he had done to you. He stopped moving and yet he couldn't even look at you. You knew he was embarrassed, ashamed even of the scars.

Eddie didn't have to be. This was the first time you both had even discussed the scars and you weren't sure what to say yet. Gazing at the back of his head, you could feel the shame building inside of him like a thick blanket coating the room. "May I?" You whispered, wanting his permission to see them.

Eddie was hesitant, unsure if he was ready for you to see them. "Would you prefer it if I closed my eyes?" You spoke softly, treating Eddie like a baby deer. Speak too loudly and you just may startle him.

He was quick to nod, making you hum a bit in amusement before doing as you promised. Once your eyes were closed, you felt his hands slowly meet with yours as he turned to face you. He held them for a moment, fingers practically intertwining as he gently tugged you closer. Your heart began to race. Although your eyes were closed, you could feel Eddie's eyes on you.

His forehead leaned against yours, allowing himself to be completely vulnerable in front of you. These moments were rare with Eddie, usually only happening in places where you two could truly be alone. You were there by his side when he was bleeding to death, so he knew he could trust you with anything.

After all, you were the one who saved him.

Eddie then carefully brought your hands closer to his torso, his hot breath mixing with your own.

What was happening?

Your nose managed to brush against his with how close you were, fingers just barely grazing his torso. Your instant reaction was to retract your fingers, clearing your throat to get his attention.

You weren't going to until he gave you the verbal go-ahead.

"It's okay," He finally whispered, eyes fixated on your closed ones. "You can touch them."

With that, you gently brought your fingers to his stomach which flinched under your touch. "Sorry." You whispered, feeling the scarred tissue underneath your fingertips.

You knew better than to jeopardize this moment. Eddie was often open with you but never in such a raw moment like this.

"It's okay." He repeated though this was a different reason. As you felt the scars that cascaded down his torso, Eddie couldn't help but bring his hands up to cup your face. The metalhead remained still, not wanting to lean in and scare you.

He simply held your face, nuzzling his nose with yours as you continued to touch and feel the wounds he endured around this same time a year prior. "Eddie?" You spoke a bit louder now, your lips barely brushing his when you spoke.

This made you tense under his touch, moving your hands to his chest so you could back up a bit.

As much as you wished for intimacy with Eddie, this wasn't the time to admit your feelings.

You couldn't remember when your crush on Eddie even began, nor could you remember when it became so intense. This wasn't a slowly growing crush either. You had an "a-ha" moment with Eddie, perhaps three months before this very day.

It was when you realized your feelings and just how intense they were.

You had gone for a walk around town to clear your head, having one of your lowest moments. There had been a death in the family, someone close to you and yet it hurts now to even think about it. You had planned to walk until your mind was clear, only for you to stumble across the cemetery that's halfway across town.

When you got there, you didn't even hesitate to go in, being sure to respect the atmosphere. There were very few people there, visiting loved ones like you'd be doing in a week. You managed to find a grave you weren't even aware was in this area.

Billy Hargrove.

Max's brother.

The poor teenage girl was still in the hospital, only now she was awake. Most of her injuries have healed by now, though she's most definitely blind. It crushed the group to know, but they all were thankful that she was even alive.

At that moment, you couldn't help but wish Max had been able to give her brother a proper goodbye. To say what she wanted to say before Vecna could get in the way. After all, she was only fourteen.

That's a lot of trauma she'll have.

"Hm?" He asked, slight disappointment clear in his voice. The feeling of his thumb gently brushing against your cheek caused you to shiver slightly. Whether it was because of his touch or the draft coming in, you had no clue.

"May I see them?" You didn't want to open your eyes, afraid of losing the extra bit of trust he had placed in you.

The male seemed extremely hesitant after hearing your question, unsure if he was ready to see your reaction to these scars.

Was he prepared to see the look of disgust or horror that would be in your eyes?

After a moment of silence, you heard Eddie suck in a sharp, shaky breath.

"Go ahead."

All too quickly you opened your eyes, blinking a few times to readjust to the light in the room. You were met with Eddie's closed eyes, realizing that he wanted to avoid your reaction.

Your eyes then began to slowly trail down his body, a sudden heat filling your cheeks as you weren't used to seeing him so exposed. Just as quickly as that fluttering feeling began, it disappeared at the sight of the scars.

Despite being healed, they still raised on his skin, slightly pink. Across his left side were three scars all following the same direction, most likely having been clawed at by the demo bats. The more you looked, the more scars you saw.

It was painful to look at, and you could feel the hot tears brimming in your eyes.

It reminded you too much of that day. When you had found Eddie bleeding from practically everywhere. Memories of sobbing and having to listen to him say goodbye as if you'd let him.

Before you could let a tear fall, you found one last scar. One that seemed to almost have a calming effect. Underneath his belly button, one lay horizontally and was around six inches long. A scar from the surgery that truly saved his life.

A scar that symbolized his survival.

"You're making me nervous, sweetheart. Please say something," Eddie's voice startled you a little. His hands moved to gently hold your arms, trembling at the feeling of your skin under his.

This was hard for him, you knew it was. Instead of saying anything, you simply raised your arms to wrap around his neck. "You have nothing to be ashamed of Eddie," You whispered in his ear, hugging him close.

At those words, Eddie practically collapsed himself onto you, wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you so tightly as if you would disappear should he let go.

"It's okay," You whispered, feeling his silent tears slip down onto your shirt. It didn't matter if he got it wet, you just wanted him to let it all out. "You're alright," You promised, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N. I just wanted to save you both." You gently shushed him, stroking his hair back. "Hey," You pulled back a bit so you could look at him. His puffy eyes held so much fear, either from reliving the memory or ____.

"Never apologize for what you did." You said in what was the sternest tone you could muster. He went to argue and you shushed him again simply by cupping his face in your hands. "You did the right thing, Eddie. You were brave, you were so very brave." You continued to reassure him, feeling your own tears brim once again.

Your foreheads met, leaning against one another for comfort. Heart racing, you brushed your thumb across his cheek.

"You were a hero."

He scoffed a little, your eyebrows furrowing as he didn't believe you. "Eddie, you were. You still are. You're my hero." You emphasized, feeling his grip on your waist tighten slightly.

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere as your noses brushed against each other, lips barely touching.

"Your hero?" He questioned, voice barely above a whisper. You could only nod, too shy to give any further explanation.

He chuckled a little, moving your hair out of your face before wrapping his arms around you again.

"I like the sound of that."

Before you knew it, your lips had met his, moving slowly against each other. This didn't seem like the appropriate time, but neither one of you was complaining. He drew you in closer, leading you back towards the bed where he sat, and proceeded to pull you into his lap.

-

The sound of a knock disrupted you both, causing Eddie to groan against your lips before separating. "Yeah?" He called out, knowing very well who was behind that door.

"As much as I am an advocate for you both finally getting together, I won't be having any more children in this house. School Nights are off-limits to any sexual activity, you hear?" Eddie's uncle had a way of being just as blunt as his nephew.

Your ears began to burn red as Eddie stiffened underneath you. "Jesus Christ, Wayne, we're not having sex!" Eddie shouted back, glancing at you for a minute. Seeing the slight disappointment on your face, he couldn't help but grin. "But we heard you, protection will be used." He shouted back, listening as Wayne's feet padded off down the hallway of the trailer.

"Happy for you both!" You heard a distant Wayne shout, causing you to collapse on top of Eddie in pure embarrassment. "Christ, we will never hear the end of this." He chuckled, petting your hair softly.

Slowly, you raised your head to look at him. "He is right though. It's a school night and it's getting late." You hummed, patting his chest before you began to sit up.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Eddie frowned, gently wrapping his arms around your waist as he sat up too. This made you smile, knowing he didn't want you to go just yet. "As nice as that sounds, I can't help but feel the uncomfortable silence between us three already." You gave him a quick peck on the cheek before he released you.

"But I wouldn't mind a ride. Perhaps a kiss at the door goodnight." You smirked, already seeing the grin that was growing on his face. Perhaps there were still touchy subjects between you both and plenty of things that needed discussing, but there was one certain thing.

You were unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

If it wasn't clear enough for you, Eddie couldn't be any more in love with you than you were with him.

After that, you both promised to reserve school nights for actual school work as a courtesy to Wayne.

It left you impatiently waiting for the weekend.

The End.

[brunnerasposts]

"Pancakes for Dinner"

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: You prepare a confession to Steve in your bathroom mirror to which he ends up overhearing

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: st2-4 spoilers, friends to lovers, fluff

Additional Notes: this was inspired by the song Pancakes for Dinner by Lizzy McAlpine. It's a really cute song and I recommend giving it a listen! I also hope you enjoy this fanfic! It was a struggle to write and idk if I like how it turned out. It's just kinda there lol. Likes, comments, and reshares are always appreciated :)

Tags: @robschneiderfan bc she picked for me to write this one first lol

"Okay," You spoke to yourself, inhaling deeply as your grip on the bathroom sink tightened. Slowly, you closed your eyes and exhaled that breath in hopes of calming the sudden nerves that had developed in your body.

While decent in size, your bathroom suddenly felt as though it was suffocating you. From the bright fluorescents to the squeaky clean tiles, you felt out of place. Sure, you had panicked earlier today and scrubbed your bathroom clean top to bottom, but that was because you only wanted to invite him over to hang out. Impulsively, you had decided to invite over your best friend not to just hang out. You were planning to confess your feelings.

You had a massive crush on Steve Harrington.

Although you hadn't known Steve until these past two years, you both had gone through a lot together. From fighting demodogs to running from Russian commies, you both had experienced a lot of traumatic events. You both didn't truly recover after everything so you supported each other for comfort.

Sometimes Robin would hang out with you both, but it was usually just the two of you. She claimed that there was too much tension between you guys whenever she visited and it made her want to barf. You weren't even sure what she was talking about half the time.

Steve didn't like you, you knew that. With the charisma that boy had and his flirtatious manner, he would have begun flirting ages ago if he really did like you. No matter what reason you had, Robin didn't seem to care.

Before your mind could begin to think anymore negatively, you opened your eyes and stared at your reflection.

You had about fifteen or so minutes to quickly plan what you were going to say. It was now or never, right?

Taking another deep breath, you relaxed your once tense shoulders and acted as though Steve was in front of you.

"Steve," You began, your voice cracking so you cleared it and started again. "Steve, can we talk?" You asked the mirror, the silence filling your head. Pretending that he said yes, you sighed softly.

"I don't wanna be forward," You gulped softly, your grip on the sink loosening, "and I don't wanna cross a line." You chose your words cautiously, not wanting to risk messing up and causing that to happen for the real confession. "I don't want to say too much, so..." You groaned out in frustration as you were at a loss for words.

You brought your hands to your face, hiding behind them. "God, why is this so scary to tell you?" You asked no one in particular. It wasn't like you had never confessed to a guy before. The only difference was, Steve was too good to lose. If he didn't feel the same way, would things become awkward?

"I'll just say something else." You told yourself, waving your hand as if to smack away the imaginary thought bubbles over your head. Deciding your mirror tactic wasn't working, you reached into a cabinet and began to search for some sort of perfume or deodorant. Was it hot in there?

God, this was so stupid!

You shouldn't have to be standing in your bathroom, prepping a speech just to tell some guy you like him. Even if it was Steve, what difference did he make from everyone else?

"What the hell do I have to lose if I just tell you?" You asked, knowing the answer to that question.

Him.

You could lose Steve. All the memories you guys once shared would be just that. Memories. Not a single one would be made after this, you were sure.

"I—" You cut yourself off, hesitant to even speak. What could you say? You didn't want to come right out and just tell him the way you felt. You wanted to ease into it and not scare him off. Maybe describe what you wanted to do with him if he felt the same way?

Daydreamed scenarios began to replay in your mind, making you smile. "I wanna have pancakes for dinner." You began, chuckling to yourself over how silly that sounded. What other slightly silly stuff could you say?

"I want to get stuck inside your head," It only seemed fair as he was always stuck inside your head.

"I want to have a song that we love together and we listen to it whenever we need cheering up or a reminder of the other." You hummed a bit, not even sure what song that would be for you both. Were you sounding slightly insane? Would he freak out if told all of this? It made you nervous.

"I don't think I should tell you this," You sighed, dragging a hand down your face in frustration. This wasn't usually this hard. It used to be a simple matter of 'Hey, I think you're really cute' but now it was so much harder because you actually knew him.

"God, I don't wanna say something weird or wrong." You looked at yourself in the mirror again, seeing the sudden fear in your own eyes. Irrational thoughts came in and out of your mind. What if he freaked and ran out? What if he laughed at you?What if he didn't feel the same way because he was still in love with Nancy?

That was way too real. You saw the way he looked at her. He may try and go out with different girls, but whenever he looked at Nancy, it was a longing gaze.

How could you possibly compete against her?

"But if you're still in love with her then—" Your voice hitched, "I think that I'll leave it there." You couldn't hate him if he did. They went over for almost two years. How could he not love her?

"If that is the case then, then I'll try to hide the way I feel." Your voice was soft, trembling slightly. It hurt to think of helping him find his next girl to go flirt with. It hurt to tell him that he should have fun on his dates. It hurt to give him advice on girls so he'd actually stay with them longer.

Maybe it was better that you remained friends. That's all he saw you as anyway.

"Well, maybe I won't have to say any of this." You hoped, giving yourself a small laugh as you imagined he would say it instead. The only reason it was funny was because you knew that couldn't happen.

As you finished your confessional speech in the mirror, you felt a lot better about the situation, more prepared in a sense. Turning, you opened the bathroom door to go wait for Steve only to find him standing right there in front of you with wide eyes.

You froze, knowing very well just how thin your bathroom door was. "H-How long were you standing there?" You stammered, itching your arm in sudden nervousness.

When he didn't say anything, your heart practically leaped in fear. "It's actually a funny story!" You quickly spoke, laughing nervously as you tried to come up with some sort of explanation for the things you said. It was clear that he heard enough to know it was him who you were talking about.

"There was this uh...this project! Yeah, a project in English where she wanted us to...feel like we were having a conversation." You began, laughing nervously, "And I was like 'That's way too crazy, teach!'. And she was all like, 'Y/N I'm very serious about my assignments', so I wanted to be sure my grade came out okay you know?"

As you continued to babble on with this random excuse you had created, Steve stepped forward and silenced you by pressing his lips onto yours. It shocked you to your very core. What was he doing? Why was he suddenly kissing you? His hands cupped your face gently, moving slowly and kissing softly as to not freak you out entirely.

It was a little late for that though.

Realizing that you weren't kissing back, he slowly pulled away and looked at you with worried eyes. "I really hope that story isn't true otherwise I just kissed you like an idiot." He whispered, searching your eyes for some kind of confirmation.

It took a long few seconds for you to even comprehend the fact that Steve Harrington had just kissed you. Slowly, you shook your head, confusion overcoming you. "I don't understand. Aren't you in love with Nancy?" You questioned, making him shake his head. "Maybe I once was, but not anymore. I sort of started falling for someone else." He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then no, I was lying before." You admitted with a small breath of relief. It felt so nice to admit out loud. What had you even been stressed about? "I invited you over because I wanted to confess the way I felt. I guess since you overheard all of that, I don't have to." You shrugged your shoulders, squealing in surprise as Steve hugged you and lifted you off the ground.

"Steve, what are you doing?" You let out an airy laugh, not even sure what he was so happy about. "I can't believe I spent half of the year figuring out how I was going to tell you how I felt." He spoke, making you laugh again before leaning down, pressing your lips against his.

The male was quick to react, holding you tight as to make sure you didn't fall. Not only that, but Steve didn't really want to let you go anyway. Your hands snaked up into his hair, finding their way through before tugging slightly. Steve groaned in response, kisses becoming slightly sloppy as you smiled.

"Mm, let me make this up to you." He mumbled, making you part from his lips. "What?" You questioned with a raised eyebrow and the faintest of a smile now. "Yeah, come on! A proper date, what do you say?" He asked, making you hum in thought.

"Why not?" You finally decided, making him set you down. "Alright, let's go." He grinned, making you giggle. "Right now? Can't I go change or at least get my shoes on?" You asked, making Steve chuckle. "Yes, of course. I'll be waiting right here, okay?" He told you, you nodding your head before placing a quick peck to his lips.

Once you turned away, you held your face and felt the heat that was radiating from it. God, Steve knew just how to fluster you. Making your way upstairs, you were sure to move quickly as you didn't want him to wait for too long.

"You can take your time" Steve shouted up the stairs, practically reading your mind. Once you reached your bedroom, you were quick to change from your shorts and shirt, putting on a pair of acid washed jeans with a plain white t shirt. Simple, yet cute and that was what you were hoping for. Going to your vanity, you began to fix your hair when all of a sudden you almost had to turn your lamp on as it was darker outside.

"That's strange." You muttered before jumping at the sound a clock chime. Confused, you stood straight and looked around your room. Something felt off. It didn't feel like your bedroom anymore. "Steve?" You shouted, listening for a response to which you didn't receive.

Could he not hear you? "Steve!" You shouted again, louder this time and yet there was still no response. Thinking he stepped outside, you walked to your window and shifted the blinds. You were met with a sight that shook you to your very core.

The upside down.

How were you back? You didn't cross through anything! As your breathing picked up, you quickly whipped back around to charge downstairs when you found your door was open.

In that doorway was a creature completely new to you. Unlike the demodogs or a demogorgon, it stood as tall as a human. It seemed as though it was covered in these dark vines, hands elongated at the fingers. The skin looked burned to a crisp.

Never had you been more scared than in that moment. You were frozen by the window, slowly pressing yourself into it. "It's almost time, Y/N." A deep masculine voice boomed from the creature, almost having a small growl behind his words. How did it know your name? Why could it speak? What the hell was this thing?

"Y-You're not real." You stammered out, feeling the glass window against your arms as you continued to press yourself into it. "Oh, I am very real, Y/N." He stepped towards you and you suddenly felt as though you couldn't move. As much as you wanted to run, to hide and avoid him, you couldn't. Some sort of force was keeping you still.

"I can hurt you in more ways than one." His elongated fingers raised and he gently grazed your trembling face with them. It was in that moment that you searched for your alarm clock. Your eyes shifted around, even searching for some sort of scripture on your wall. Maybe this was just a nightmare.

Maybe you were experiencing sleep paralysis. This couldn't be real. He couldn't be real.

"Y/N!" A voice made your attention shift forward again, and suddenly it was Steve in front of you, looking worried as he held your arms. "Are you okay?" He asked nervously, brushing your hair out of your face as you shook in his hold.

"What..?" You quickly looked behind you, noticing the bright blue sky outside. What just happened?

"You were up here for a while so I came up to check on you and you were just...standing here, twitching. Your eyes were.." He trailed off, shaking his head before drawing you in for a hug.

You were quick to wrap your arms around him, breath shaky as tears brimmed your eyes. "You're okay, you're okay," He promised, trying to soothe you by rubbing your back.

While it was considerate of him, it wasn't helping. All that was echoing in your head was the distant chiming of a clock. The feeling of that creature's fingers as it grazed your face made you shiver.

What the hell was that thing?

As you tried to calm your breathing, you tried to listen to the sound of his voice. You needed something, anything to calm you down. As much as you tried to focus on his reassuring words, they were beginning to be drowned out by the sound of a clock.

This time it wasn't a chime.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Maybe it really was a dream.

THE END...?

[brunnerasposts]

"Halloween Bash" pt. 2

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: You and Steve drop Dustin off at the snowball which leads to the mention of past lies and a revealing truth

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: st2 spoilers, best friends to lovers, sweet Dustin boi, swearing, mutual pining

Additional Notes: thank you all so much for all the love and support on the first parter to to this! I hope you all enjoy this second part as well! I kinda lost inspo halfway through writing this but tried to give it my all. Likes, comments, and reshares are always appreciated :)

Pt. 1 is linked here! :)

Tags: @onlylauraa @makepastanotwar13 @pagesfalling @loulou0101 @mrsjaderogers @frostandflamesfanfic @my-tin-can-mans @asmilinghopefullromantic

It had been two months since Tina's Halloween Bash incident and you weren't really sure where Steve had gone.

After Halloween night he had separated himself from you, not picking up any of your phone calls for almost over a week straight. He was never home either. It worried you, but you wanted to remain positive. Maybe he had gone on a spontaneous road trip with his family? Who knew?

You were worried.

Then at some point around one in the morning on November 8th, he had come knocking on your bedroom window and when you opened it, he seemed so relieved to see you.

The male hugged you tightly and you had never been more happy to hug him than in that moment. You didn't ask where he had gone, only glad that he had returned and was safe. You of course lectured him on not stating that he would be gone for a period of time and to not panic as you had been panicking all week.

He apologized, and the longer you looked at him, the more you noticed how he had seemed to have changed. Steve was different somehow. More nervous, more anxious now that he had seen you.

Almost as if something could have happened to you. It was strange yet you hugged him once more anyway.

Now as the colder season approached, you sat in the backseat of Steve's car, listening to him as he hyped up Dustin, one of the kids you had grown to love.

"Now you're gonna go in there."

"Yeah." Dustin nodded.

"You look like a million bucks." Steve continued to boost Dustin's confidence, your eyes focused on the head of hair Dustin had.

It was different than his normal curly hair, almost as though he had taken inspiration from Steve's hair and tried to make it his own.

"Yeah!" Dustin agreed, nodding once again. "And you're gonna slay 'em dead." Steve promised.

"Like a lion." Dustin then proceeded to purr with a grin on his face. You couldn't help but smile, always finding it a bit silly when he did that but also rather cute for his age. Steve, however, winced a bit.

"Yeah..don't do that, okay?" He asked, causing Dustin's smile to fall. "Okay."

Steve then held his hand out to Dustin, the boy shaking his hand as goodbye. "Be safe in there, and good luck." You told him, placing a small kiss to the boy's cheek. Dustin smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah, good luck kid."

"I will and thanks." He nodded again before turning and removing his seat belt. He then opened the car door, and made his way out. Once he shut the door and began walking in, Steve rolled down the backseat window so you could also watch him walk inside.

"It's like sending our kid off to school," You joked, making him chuckle a bit. The both of you watched as Dustin turned his ticket into his science teacher and picked up a conversation, making you smile. Looking over at Steve you expected to see him smiling proudly as well, but he wasn't.

His face had contorted into one of slight hurt and sadness, making you confused. You looked back to where Dustin was, only to see the real problem. Behind the door that led into the gymnasium was Nancy Wheeler.

"Still hurts?" You asked, crawling into the front passenger seat. Once you were situated, the male nodded. "I still love her, but not really in the same way anymore." He shrugged his shoulders, making you arch an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, beforehand I loved her and wanted to really be with her. Now it's somehow turned itself into a friendly sort of love. I just want her to be okay." He sighed, and his answer made you smile.

"I'm proud of you Steve." You told him, the male smiling a bit in return. "Did you think I'd be miserable forever?" He questioned which made you laugh. "No, I'm just glad you managed to figure that out on your own."

"God knows how many times I had to step in when you couldn't dump a girl or tell her things weren't working out. I think I've gotten most of the Hawkins High females to somehow hate me yet love you still." While it was a joke, it was somewhat true. Anytime Steve had been too much of a high horse to break up with a girl, you'd have to do it for him. He finally was off the whole King Steve thing.

"Yeah that won't happen anymore." He promised, though you didn't really believe him. "Yeah sure, who's next on your list? Am I gonna have to start helping girls develop feelings for you now too?" You teased, making Steve chuckle.

"No, I uh..I think I can handle this one." He spoke, your playful manner quickly dying.

"Wait, you already have eyes on another girl?" You questioned, your chest tightening a bit from the sudden painful news.

"Yeah, I've actually had my eyes on her for a while. Before Nancy actually, but then Nancy came into the picture so I figured it would be easier with her." He shrugged, glancing inside the middle school one last time to make sure Dustin got in okay before driving off.

"And you've never mentioned her to me before?" You asked, now slightly offended at having never been told about your best friend's secret crush. Your mind was spinning, going through a flip book of names. "It's not Tammy Thompson is it?" You questioned, nose wrinkling up in disgust.

"No, no, it's not Tammy. She sounds like a muppet when she sings." He huffed, the comment making you giggle. The longer you tried to figure it out, the more lost in thought you became.

Steve glanced over at you, smiling softly because of your confused expression. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to tell you because this was more entertaining for him.

He enjoyed the way your eyebrows scrunched together when you were stuck trying to figure out the answer to something; it made him enjoy keeping it from you even more.

You were beginning to give up, a small whine leaving your mouth. "Oh come on, Stevie you know I'm not good at guessing." You frowned, making him laugh again.

"I know you aren't. Thats what makes this so fun." He stuck his tongue out at you, making you huff a bit. "Harrington, don't test me." You playfully warned, waving a finger at him.

He raised a hand up in surrender, keeping his eyes on the road. "Wouldn't dream of it, babe." The nickname while commonly used still made your heart flutter. You tried to calm yourself by thinking of any other girl that would have Steve's eyes, going through the years of highschool.

"Who was that one girl in Ms. Click's class? Robin I think her name was?" You questioned and Steve shrugged his shoulders as he turned on the radio. The beginning to the song "Keep on Loving You" by REO Speedwagon played, almost a little too fitting to the conversation. "Don't know her." Steve mentioned, making you nod a little.

"Well its obviously not Carol Perkins. She and Tommy are still a thing, number one. Number two, she was down right just a bitch." You didn't have too great of a past with Carol, a past you didn't really want Steve to know about as he used to be friends with her.

"Definitely not Carol Perkins. It's not Heather Holloway either." He practically read your mind. "God, Steve! You've associated with so many chicks these past four years, how am I supposed to guess who this girl is?" You asked as he pulled up to his house.

When the car was put into park, he turned to face you, smiling softly. Confused, you arched an eyebrow at him and faced him as well. "Steve?" You questioned, unsure if he had something to say.

His eyes shifted to your lips for a moment, making you suddenly nervous. You subconsciously licked your lips, a soft smile forming on your face as you figured he was just being a goof as usual. "Steve, what's up? Have you finally caved and are gonna tell me who it is?" You questioned, meeting his eyes.

"Yeah," He let out a small breath before nodding his head up and down. "Yeah, I'll tell you." He swallowed harshly, hands fidgeting as they moved from the steering wheel and now rested in his lap. "But I have to tell you something else first." Steve practically teased you, yet you let him tell you what he had to say anyway.

"Fine, what is it that you have to tell me?" You asked him, relaxing your shoulder into the cushioned seat of the car. Steve seemed hesitant to tell you, but ultimately took a deep breath and asked, "Do you remember Halloween night?"

You sighed softly, figuring he was going to apologize for the millionth time. "Steve—"

"Do you?" He asked softly, your eyebrows furrowing as you weren't sure what he was getting at. "Yes, I do. I remember the whole night." You promised him, tilting your head slightly as you took in his figure.

Steve seemed nervous, rubbing his hands on his jeans before running his fingers through his hair. "Okay, good. Good."

You couldn't help but giggle a bit. "Is that all?" You knew it wasn't, but it was clear he needed a little assistance in getting out what he had to say. "No, um, I had a confession I wanted to make."

His words caused your smile to slowly fall, your heart beginning to beat a little faster. What could he possibly have to confess about Halloween? Was it something involving Nancy?

"Y/N," He began, "I know I kissed you."

Your stomach dropped. "What?" You blinked a few times as you weren't even sure you heard him correctly.

"That night? I was drunk, but I know what happened. I kissed you, and I'm so sorry." He apologized, making you shake your head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Why are you even apologizing, Steve?" You asked, seeing as that was literally two months ago.

The high school senior's lips parted, and yet no words left his mouth. After a moment, you called his name.

"Steve."

"I wanted to apologize for kissing you that night. And I'm apologizing now because I want to kiss you again."

At first, you thought it had been a joke. Payback for Halloween was what you assumed. And yet it was very real. Steve's cheeks were flushed from embarrassment, his eyes frantically searching yours for some sort of sign of comprehension to what he had told you.

Slowly, you reached forward and grabbed Steve's hands. "Steve, listen." It was clear that just from those two words, Steve began to panic. He was worried you didn't feel that way too. "Halloween night wasn't just you. You may have initiated the kiss but I didn't necessarily stop it right away." You admitted, eyes focused on his hands.

It was hard to confess that while looking him in the eye. "Why not?" He asked nervously, making you smile. "Because I've been in love with you for a while Harrington." Your eyes finally met, and a smile was quick to grow on his face. "Really?" He asked, making you nod shyly.

"Thank god," He leaned forward, hands stretching outward to cup your face in them. Once he had, he met you halfway and pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was slow and gentle, despite the adrenaline boost you both had gotten beforehand.

It was like a dream. If it was, you never wanted to wake up. Your hands slowly inched their way up and around his neck, leaning into him as the kiss continued into multiple passionate ones.

"Steve," You mumbled against his lips, making him groan softly. "God, I really do love it when you say my name." He mentioned, making you tense suddenly. Slowly, you pulled away from the kiss and gave him a confused look.

It wasn't the first time you heard those words leave his mouth.

"Exactly how much of Halloween do you remember?" You asked him, making him chuckle a bit. "All of it?" He seemed nervous to tell you.

Your cheeks burned from embarrassment, you quickly hiding your face in your hands. His hands moved to your arms which he rubbed sympathetically. "Oh my God, you mean to tell me that for the last two months you've known I had feelings for you?" You questioned, Steve shrugging his shoulders.

"I was worried it wasn't true." He admitted, making you sigh and reveal your face once again. "Steve, you make me so frustrated sometimes." You couldn't help but laugh a bit in shock from the whole ordeal. He chuckled as well before gently intertwining your hands.

"I know." Was all he said before you both leaned in again. As you kissed, you felt completely and entirely whole. Nothing could ruin this chance you had with Steve. No one could, not even Nancy.

Once you both parted for air, Steve continued to grin like a fool. "What do you say we go inside and watch some Christmas movies?" He asked, your smile matching his own.

"How could I possibly say no?" You questioned, unbuckling your seatbelt. "Y/N?" Steve asked as you both exited the car, you looking over to him as you shut the car door.

"Yeah?" You let out a small breath, a cloud of air revealing itself on the chilly and snowy night.

"I love you."

Steve had never said that before. Not to you anyway. By the puppy dog look on his face, you knew it was a true statement.

"I love you too." You told him, sprinting over before hugging him tightly. He brought you into his arms, holding you just as close.

The ground beneath you both didn't seem to support the hug as Steve began to slip and slide a bit on the thin sheet of ice that covered his driveway. "You okay?" You giggled before screaming as you both ended up falling into the snow covered lawn.

Looking to each other, you proceeded to bust out laughing and stayed laying in the snow for a bit longer to simply enjoy the moment together.

"You're such a dork." You giggled, leaning in to press your lips against his. He pressed your body closer to his, practically melting under your touch.

"I'm your dork." He corrected you, gently brushing your hair out of your face. It was like you were living life inside a holiday romance movie.

And honestly? It's a movie you'll never forget.

THE END.

[brunnerasposts]

Masterlist.

everything I've written in one place ♡

Steve 'The Hair' Harrington

Halloween Bash -

♡ part 1

♡ part 2

I Had A Vision

Pancakes for Dinner

She

The List

wait in the truck

Eddie 'The Freak' Munson

Bookstore Girl (coming soon)

Cigarette Daydreams (coming soon)

Fine (coming soon)

Happy Sunrise, Sunshine (coming soon)

Old Friend -

♡ part 1

♡ part 2

♡ part 3

School Nights

The Big Bang Theory

Dinner Disaster

Factory Mishap

To Family (coming soon)

I accept any recommendations you may have!

[brunnerasposts]

"Halloween Bash" pt. 1

S.H. x Female Reader

Summary: You and Steve plan to spend Halloween together when he ditches you to attend Tina's Halloween Bash with Nancy. A few hours later, you find yourself having to take care of a very drunk Steve.

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: st2 spoilers, underage drinking, swearing, slight angst, fluff, best friends to lovers, mutual pining

Additional Notes: I only have the inspiration for Steve and Eddie fanfics rn so I will most likely be writing those for a while, haha. I hope you enjoy this Steve fanfic! Likes, comments, and reshares are greatly appreciated :)

pt. 2 will be linked here!

"What are you getting all dressed up for?"

You were currently sitting on Steve's bed, watching in confusion as he picked out things to wear.

He didn't respond right away, changing his shirt before adding a jacket over top.

Steve reached for a pair of shades, sliding them on his face before looking to you.

"What do you think?"

You couldn't help but smile. "I think you're a tad overdressed for Halloween movie night."

Steve removed the sunglasses, hooking them onto his shirt. "I thought it would be really fun if we went to Tina's party tonight."

Arching an eyebrow, you began to cross your arms. "Why would we do that when we've already made plans to watch movies and get really sick on Halloween candy?" You asked with a small laugh before it slowly dawned on you.

Now that you knew why, you groaned in annoyance.

"Steve Harrington I know for a fact that you're not trying to bail on me for Nancy Drew." You spoke sternly, slightly peeved with him for even wanting to cancel.

This was your last Halloween as highschoolers!

Every year for Halloween or Christmas, you and Steve would get together and spend the day just watching films and snacking on holiday goodies. It was your way of bonding and winding down from the pressure of society.

Why would he want to cancel if not for his girlfriend?

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun I swear!"

"No, Steve. You promised me that we would spend the night just sitting on your couch with a bunch of rented tapes of horror movies!" You frowned, eyes traveling downward as Steve got onto his knees.

"But I already promised Nancy I would go with her and act like stupid teenagers! Come on, I know you and her don't get along, but this could be my chance to really get her to relax after Barb." He spoke, his words practically gutting you like a knife.

You hardly ever argued with Steve when he wanted to hang out with his girlfriend, but this was a tradition night for you both. He wanted to break tradition for Tina's stupid party?

It was true, that you and Nancy didn't really get along but that's because you were constantly battling for time with Steve. You really only ever saw him in school now that you had a job, but even in school he was wrapped around Nancy's little finger.

Sure, you were jealous. You had been smitten for Steve for three years and only realized during the summer that you were madly in love with the boy.

The feeling wasn't reciprocated obviously as he spent all his time with his little journalist.

They were either doing homework together in the library, making out next to her locker, or sitting together at lunch.

It was never just you and Steve. Now that you two finally had a chance to hang out, he was bailing on you? For Nancy?

"You promised her?" You asked softly, Steve sighing a little as he heard the hurt in your voice. "When?"

As he tried to come up with an answer, your anger over Steve never having the time to hang out with you suddenly boiled over.

"You know what?" You got up from the bed, grabbing your shoes, "I don't care. Clearly you're so invested with Nancy all the time that you dont even want to hang out with me anymore." Once your shoes were on your feet you began to make your way downstairs.

Soon enough, his feet followed. "No, come on! Y/N, wait." He pleaded, speeding past you to block the front door.

"Steve, let me out." You demanded.

"Y/N, listen to me! It's not just Nancy, every senior is gonna be there! You can come with us, hang out for a bit, ya know?" He suggested, you staring at him in disbelief.

"Sometimes you can be such a dick." You whispered, hurt spreading across his face. "Ouch, Y/N. Really trying to hammer down my ego huh?" He tried to joke but you weren't having it.

"Yes I am." You announced, silencing him. "When are you going to wake up and realize that Nancy has her head so wrapped up around Barb that the only reason she's with you is for comfort?" You questioned, leaving him flabbergasted.

It was a heavy subject, you knew, but Nancy didn't seem all that interested in Steve until Barb went missing. The timing was all too weird to you.

"She doesn't love you Steve. Nancy is quite the actress, I'll say that." You reached behind him for the doorknob, his hand grabbing your wrist.

"No, you're wrong Y/N. Nancy loves me." Although he wanted it to come off strongly, he sounded slightly worried. Almost as though he didn't want to believe you. "She doesn't, Steve." Your voice was gentle now, your eyes shifting from his to his lips.

"There are some people in this world who actually love you unlike her." Was all you could say before you opened the door and walked out.

This time, he didn't follow.

You didn't have your car with you, so you walked home. Traveling past the many children out in the streets trick or treating, your anger began to dissipate and the shame took its place.

Why did you say that to him?

In the many ways you pictured confessing to Steve, never had you wanted it to be done that way. It didn't seem like he understood either way which made you a little relieved.

As you arrived home, you grabbed the bowl of candy your parents had left out for kids and brought it inside with you, claiming it for yourself. Once you got inside, you found the house to be eerily quiet. It was unusual, making you turn to the cabinet near the front door. A note laid on it, written in your mom's handwriting.

Apparently they were having an 'adult' Halloween party at the Henderson household. You knew it wasn't much different from the ones in highschool so you shoved the note into your pocket before trudging up the stairs to your bedroom.

This night couldn't possibly be any worse. Not only did you get ditched by your best friend, but you left the rented movie tapes at his place and all you were stuck with was your small collection of books and a bucket of candy. You could sit like a fool on your porch and just pass it out, but if some kid from school was walking around with their sibling, you'd literally die of embarrassment if they saw you sitting at home instead of being out of the house either with Steve or at Tina's party.

Reading and munching on candy it is.

For the next three hours, you listened to Halloween tunes on the radio and read Dracula while eating a few different candies here and there. That is until a ringing of your doorbell sounded, making you groan.

Didn't kids know that there was no candy out on the porch?

Realizing you had left the front porch light on, you huffed and got up from your bed before making your way downstairs.

The doorbell rang a couple more times, your annoyance growing. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" You shouted as you went down the last few steps. You unlocked the door and opened it, except there was no kid at the front door.

It was Steve.

"Jeez, I thought you were some random kid trying to get candy." You sighed in relief before noticing his stance.

He was leaning an arm above his head on the doorway for support, eyes cast to the ground. His eyes seemed red, either from exhaustion, or crying.

"Hey," You spoke softly, slowly reaching forward to place a hand on his arm, "You okay?"

Steve didn't reply, eyes still fixated on the floor. A singular tear rolled down his face, causing worry to spread across your own.

"Hey, hey," You cooed, wrapping your arms around his waist to hug him. "It's okay, Steve. You're alright." Speaking softly was always the key with Steve when he was upset. It kept him calm, focused even.

If you panicked, he'd shut down. That was the last thing you wanted.

Steve practically slumped his body against you, making you drag him inside. Closing the door with your foot, you continued to comfort him by stroking his hair.

His usual minty scent was replaced with the muskiness of alcohol. "Jeez, Steve how much did you drink?" You asked him, not really expecting much of a response as you dragged him up the stairs and into your bedroom.

"Five...teen?" He mumbled, making you roll your eyes before gently sitting him down on your bed. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"No, no, no..don't go." He whined.

"Steve, I have to go get a trash can and some water for you." You told him, smiling a little as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

"Just stay right here." Steve wasn't going to let you go and that was certain. "Okay, let's get you comfortable, yeah? Then I can go get you some stuff?" His head slowly nodded up and down, making you sigh a little in relief.

You helped him remove his coat, laying it across the foot of your bed before looking to his shirt. Noticing a small stain of red liquid, your eyebrows furrowed. "Punch?" You asked, him nodding again.

"Arms up," He complied and you removed his sweatshirt, your cheeks warming as you gazed at him for a moment. Clearing your throat, you reached into your bag from earlier and pulled out Steve's Halloween themed shirt that he traditionally wore.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" You asked as he pressed the side of his face into your stomach, hugging you close. It didn't really bother you, you were just glad he wasn't about to throw up all over your duvet.

"Nancy um," He began, rubbing his eyes. Your attention was instantly back on him, waiting to hear what you were beginning to think.

"Nancy doesn't love me. You were right." He sniffled a little, making you sigh. As much as you enjoyed being right, this wasn't a time to show off.

"How do you know? Did she break up with you?" You couldn't help but ask, gently stroking his hair back so you could see his face more.

Steve's eyes were casted towards the ground, his grip on your sweater tightening. "No, she uh..she got really drunk and spilled punch on herself." He spoke slowly, his story sounding like himself right now.

"I tried helping her in the bathroom and she just started claiming how...bullshit I am. That we try and act like everything's normal when Barb is missing and that we act like we're in love-" His voice hitched.

"Oh Steve," You frowned, sinking down so you could properly wrap your arms around his neck while his remained wrapped around your waist. His head leaned against yours, foreheads pressing together.

"I'm so sorry Y/N," He spoke as he buried his face into the crook of your neck.

"Why are you sorry? I'm the one who went off on you which was totally unfair. I'm the one who should be apologizing." You argued a little.

Steve gripped you tighter, making you chuckle a little. "No, God, no. I'm so stupid. I should have realized that she didn't care for me. That she didn't love me." He huffed.

"And here I was abandoning you on our traditional holiday movie night just to hear that from her."

"Hey," You gently cupped his face and pulled his head back so you could make eye contact with him. "I'm not upset with you anymore. I shouldn't have even argued over it to begin with."

"I'm still sorry," He spoke, letting you go so you were free to move. Taking the chance, you helped him get situated under your covers, tucking him in. Once he was situated, you walked over to your radio and lowered the volume so it could barely be heard. "If you fall asleep, that's okay, okay? I won't be far." You promised him, giving him a soft smile before leaving the room.

As you went downstairs and into the kitchen, you began to worry about earlier events. He didn't know what you meant before when you mentioned there were others who loved him...right? He was drunk and too caught up with Nancy's drunken confession that maybe he'd forget you ever even said anything.

Once you grabbed two waters, you held them in one arm and grabbed the empty trash can with the other. You quickly made your way upstairs, quietly entering your room. "You're still up, huh?" You smiled a little as you looked over to Steve who had been staring at the ceiling.

"I can't sleep without you," He huffed, your cheeks warming. "Scared of nightmares coming?" You asked as you walked over to his side of your bed, him nodding and beginning to sit up.

You then opened the water bottle, helping him take a slow yet long sip. "Better?" He nodded as you took back the bottle, closing it tightly before setting it down on the nightstand.

"Y/N?" He whispered so quietly you almost didn't catch it. "Hm?" You hummed, setting down the other water bottle before looking to him.

"You love me right?"

His question completely threw you off guard, your eyes widening slightly. In fear, you chuckled nervously. "Love you? Of course. You're my best friend." You told him, the male beginning to shake his head.

"No. No, I mean like..love, love. Not that bullshit love. Do you really, really love me?" He asked, gently grabbing your hand before rubbing circles on the back of it. His actions and his words were making your heart race a little.

"Steve," You gulped a little, eyes unable to look into his as he was gazing at you in a way you weren't used to with him. God why did he have to be under the influence right now?

You wished he wasn't, that way you could tell if any of this was real.

Before you could continue, his hands found their way to your waist, gently bringing you closer to the bed. "Steve," You began again, though you weren't even sure what you were trying to say. Did he ask you a question? You couldn't remember.

All you could focus on were his hands as one stayed on your waist while the other brought itself up to your face. He cupped your cheek gently, your eyes finally meeting his. "I like when you say my name."

As he leaned in, you lost all sense of clarity, letting him press his lips into yours. When he began to move his lips, you did too. You practically melted under his touch, your fingers brushing through his hair so you had something to hold onto.

He groaned a bit into your mouth, making your stomach do flips. Steve was kissing you.

This was wrong. You knew it was.

He was in pain and wanted you for comfort. As much as you wanted to cherish this kiss, it couldn't go any farther than that.

Quickly, you parted from the kiss, placing your hands on his shoulders to keep him at a distance so he couldn't try and do it again.

"No Steve," You panted, "As much as I want this, you're hurting. If this is gonna happen for us, I want it to be done right. I don't want to be Nancy's sloppy seconds, okay?" You told him.

"You're not, Y/N. No, trust me that's done. She and I are done." He leaned in again only for you to back away. "Steve, you're drunk and heartbroken. I don't want us to get together this way."

You inhaled shakily, still adrenaline high from the kiss. You watched him for a moment, seeing his slightly swollen lips part as he wanted to argue. "I don't even know if any of this is really you or if it's drunk Harrington taking over," You sighed, removing his hands so you were at a comfortable distance again.

"Y/N-"

"Steve, sweetie, get some sleep okay? It's late and you need to sleep off the alcohol." You helped him lay back down, kissing his forehead.

"Lay with me?" He whispered, making you hesitate. It wasn't like you and Steve have never slept in the same bed before. Your parents knew how close you two were and always allowed sleepovers. But after the kiss and with Steve being drunk, you weren't sure.

"Please?"

God damn it.

Going around to the other side of the bed, you pulled the duvet back and got into the bed. Once the covers were pulled back over you, you watched as Steve rolled over so he faced you.

"Sleep now, okay?" You asked him, the male nodding slowly before closing his eyes.

You did the same, allowing the radio and Steve's breathing to lull you to sleep. Before you could really get into a deep sleep, Steve called your name quietly.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

There was a moment of silence before he finally answered.

"Nevermind."

~ ~ ~

"Morning sleepyhead." You smiled as Steve made his way down the steps and into the kitchen where you stood by the stove making bacon and eggs. "Smells delicious." He yawned, walking over to one of the cabinets to search for headache medicine.

"Third shelf."

"Thank you," He grabbed the bottle and opened it, taking out two of them. His attention was on taking the pills, but his eyes were watching you.

How could you be so peaceful after what he did to you yesterday?

"Do you feel better this morning?" You asked, looking over to him after you scrambled his eggs. "Physically? No. My head is killing me. Tina definitely overdid it with the punch this year." You couldn't help but giggle at his words.

"Emotionally? I've been better, but I am better than I thought I'd be." He sat down at the island counter. "Oh yeah? Well that's good. Maybe some sleep helped." You suggested, plating his and your bacon.

"Yeah..sleep." He agreed slowly, eyes still fixated on you. At this point you could feel his stare, making you look back over to him.

"What's up, Harrington? Is my hair messed up or something?" You joked, making him crack a smile.

"No, I'm just looking at you is all."

Your eyebrow arched, but you decided he was just being weird so you shrugged it off and continued to cook your eggs.

As his eyes bore into the back of your head, you could feel his eyes again and it was beginning to make you nervous. Why was he staring?

"Harrington, what's up?" You asked, plating the eggs. You then turned the stove off and turned around, arms crossed.

Steve's eyes widened slightly in surprise, quickly beginning to shake his head. "No, no, sorry. I must still have alcohol in my system." He explained, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Well you're able to hold good conversation now. So, I don't think the alcohol is really taking any effect here." You walked over to the island, leaning against it.

"What's going on Steve?"

He seemed hesitant, mouth opening and closing almost like a fish as he couldn't find the words. It made you wonder if he remembered what happened with Nancy.

After a minute, you said his name again, making him come back to reality.

"Yeah, um, I guess I just have a question to ask?" He seemed unsure, but you decided to go with it anyway.

"Okay," You turned and grabbed the plates before placing his in front of him. You set yours down in front of yourself, just wanting to keep it from getting cold.

"What exactly happened last night? When I got here, I mean. I remember Tina's party, and I remember ringing your doorbell but that's about it." Steve got up to go grab some utensils, his back to you which gave you the opportunity to facially express your nervousness.

You squeezed your eyes shut for a second, mentally cursing yourself. You opened your eyes again, trying to find a quick lie.

"Last night?" You began, "Well, you showed up to my house and I practically had to drag you inside."

Steve chuckled as he made his way back over, handing you a fork. You thanked him and began to pick at your eggs with the fork. "Then I brought you upstairs, helped you get out of your sweater since Nancy spilled some punch on you, put you in your Halloween sweater instead, and then we went to bed."

The lie came out a lot easier than you expected. Maybe it was because you left out the impromptu kiss.

As you met Steve's eyes, you could see the confusion in his face. "That's all that happened?" He questioned, eyebrows furrowing. "Did we talk? I feel like I remember talking with you in your room." He said, rubbing his temple a little.

"I mean, you told me what happened with you and Nancy, so that could be it." You explained, really hoping he would just drop the subject before you died of embarrassment from the replaying memory of Steve's lips on yours.

"And that was all we talked about?"

You were hesitant. Why were you even hesitating in the first place? It wasn't like you'd never lied to Steve before. They were just smaller lies. Like, Tammy Thompson is an excellent singer or that new kid Billy Hargrove wasn't the new king of Hawkins High.

"Yeah. That was all."

Steve watched you for a moment before shrugging and eating his eggs. Your shoulders relaxed and you began eating as well.

God, this was gonna come back to bite you in the ass.

TO BE CONTINUED.

[brunnerasposts]

"I Had A Vision"

S.H. x Female Reader

Inspired by "I Had A Vision" from the musical Bright Star

Word Count: 2.9k

Summary: BRIGHT STAR AU where you come across Steve after 20 years of searching for your child and you want questions answered

Warnings: most of the dialogue is from the actual musical, takes place in the 40s, angst, mention of teen pregnancy, reference to the death of newborn baby, slight fluff, old lovers to ???

Additional Notes: I've never done an AU before and this was one that's been on my mind lately. I probably won't do one like this again unless you all really want me to, haha. I hope you enjoy it though! Likes, comments, and reshares are always appreciated :) let me know what you'd like to see next!

Tags: @robschneiderfan @thebackofspencers >:)

"Are these all of the files for May 15th, 1924?" You questioned, digging through a box that was brimming with files of previous children at the agency. "They are." The lady behind the desk confirmed, digging through a separate box. After finishing, she sighed and removed her glasses to give you a pointed look. "The laws are changing this year. These records won't be open anymore." The lady informed you, only filling you with more worry and dread.

"Would you like for me to help you search?" She asked, annoyance clear in her voice, "Again?"

Not really noticing her irritation, you smiled gratefully. "That would be so kind," You picked out a random file, flipping it open to search for your baby's name. "The baby was wearing a—"

"I know, a blue sweater." She cut you off, making your eyebrows furrow. Out of all of these boxes they had gone through, there was no baby with a sweater? There had to be images at least.

The mental image of the last time you saw your child was unbearable to think about. All you could remember was screaming and crying, pleading with your father to not take your baby away. Your baby's cries echoed in your ears as you snapped out of your thoughts, noticing that the clerk was watching you with a worried expression.

"Maybe in one of the photos?" You ask, reaching for another box to open. The woman gently placed her hand on top of yours, stopping you. "The photos are in black and white, Miss Y/L/N." She reminded you in your panicked state.

"Maybe he wasn't dropped off in Hawkins." Her words while caring were beginning to frustrate you. Your baby had to have been dropped off here. This was the place you were told he would be all those years ago. How was he not here? After all this searching you've been doing for the past twenty years, how could he not be there? No trace of him? Nothing?

"You should be trying some of the surrounding towns. Jeffersonville has an agency," The clerk informed you.

"He was dropped off here, Kate!" You snapped, startling the woman in front of you. Walking away from the desk for a minute, you placed your hands on your hips. "I'm sorry," You apologized, shoulders slumping. You needed to get ahold of yourself. Your emotions were all over the place, not only from a lack of sleep but from the frantic searching of files for any whereabouts of your child.

With your back to the clerk, you crossed your arms. "Kate, you remember anybody else checking for a baby left here on the same date?" You already knew the answer before she could open her mouth.

"Not that I recall. Should there be?" Kate questioned, you feeling your lip begin to quiver slightly. "I would think so." You sniffled, looking up at the ceiling to get control of your tears.

You heard her heels click clack as Kate approached you from behind. She gently placed her hand on your shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know this is hard to hear, but maybe he didn't care as much as you." Her words were like a stab to the chest.

Of all the people who could've been searching for your kid, never did you expect him to be one of the ones who didn't. "If there's truth in this world, he cared." You argued, not wanting to believe negative things about him. "Somehow, he would've come looking."

Did you believe that though?

You weren't sure.

"It's only been me behind this counter for the last nineteen years," She told you, emptying what was left of your half full glass of hope. Sighing softly, you turned to her with a sad smile. "Well then," You cleared your throat and held out your hand to shake hers goodbye. "That's a puzzle I should've sorted out before."

After bidding farewell, you left the adoption agency and proceeded to walk back towards the train station, passing through a fancy neighborhood on your way. A small breeze blew by, causing you to take a second to just breathe.

Your walking came to a stop, your eyes closing as you focused on the sound of the wind as it blew through your hair. Although it was difficult, you needed to find some sort of calmness amongst the storm raging inside of you.

The sound of children laughing caused you to open your eyes again, looking behind you towards a grand brick home where two little girls were laughing and playing as they ran down the pathway. They ran right past you, causing a bittersweet smile to form on your face. This was all you wanted in life. To see it right in front of you and have it not be yours was heartbreaking.

Your plan for life had been a short and simple one. All you wanted was to find the perfect man to marry and give birth to two adorable children that you could raise in a home very much like the one you stood in front of now.

"LeAnn, Mary, wait for Momma!" A feminine voice from behind you sounded, a well dressed lady excusing herself as she walked past you. Your heart ached to the point that you felt slightly nauseous. Why couldn't this have been your life?

What did you do to deserve this sorrow?

Looking to the house one last time before you continued your path towards the train station, you found yourself frozen in place. Standing by the fence gate to the home, hand on the white picket fence was none other than the man you once longed for that future with.

He seemed just as surprised as you were, lips parted and eyes searching yours, almost as if asking himself if it was really you. Then came the recognition, and that damned smile that used to make you buckle at the knees over.

"Y/N? Is that really you?" He asked, slowly shutting the gate behind himself before taking a few steps towards you. He kept his distance, making you physically feel the years its been since you last saw him. With a weak smile, you raised your head strongly to meet his eye again.

"Why if it isn't Steve Harrington himself."

"Y/N, Young Y/N," He began causing you to shake your head. "Not so young." Which wasn't a lie. You had aged over the years as did he, as did everyone. "Young forever in my memory," His flirtatious manner never faded, not even after everything you both had been through.

Wanting to deflect him, you noticed the key in his hand. "This your home? It's nice," Your eyes traveled to the house once again, that sorrowful feeling slowly creeping back in. He was living the life the both of you dreamed of. He was living that life and moved on from you.

"I worked hard over the years," He shrugged, scratching at the slight stubble over his cheek. In a way, you were proud of everything Steve had accomplished. Memories of your teenage years came flooding back, memories of Steve telling you he wasn't sure he'd make it on his own.

Clearly, he was wrong.

"Those your kids?" You asked him, your head turning towards the path that the two young girls and mysterious woman had taken. "In a way," He tilted his head as he looked at you. "They're Nancy's."

"Always the babysitter." Your words made him chuckle a bit, you both remembering the younger years of your lives and how Steve was always stuck babysitting the kids of the town. Well, a particular six children anyway.

Your eyes traveled to his hands, seeming to relax a bit as you saw no wedding band. "You married?" You decided to ask anyway, knowing it would eat at you if you didn't.

You were becoming confident the longer you spoke with him. How you managed to not snap yet was beyond you. How could you even keep such a normal conversation after everything that happened between you both?

"No, I never married. Close a couple of times." He admitted, making you hum a bit in response. "I guess I would've heard," You spoke aloud, realizing that if he had gotten engaged it would have been the talk of the town just because of his parents wanting to own Steve's success. "I followed you."

His surprise while small, was clear as day before it quickly dissipated. "I know you never married. I paid attention." Steve practically challenged you, moving his hands to rest in the pockets of his pants so he could lean against the fence. "You always said that you'd become some big time writer and never had time for romance. You certainly wouldn't be walking alone if you had a husband." His forwardness made you scoff.

"You have been paying attention." You confirmed, and yet you were slightly surprised at how well he paid attention to what you did in life. "I always paid attention to you Y/N. If I didn't, I knew I was in trouble."

His words brought back bittersweet memories.

You had been discussing what you were gonna wear for the town dance in a few days, resting your head in Steve's lap as he read F. Scott Fitzgerald. After talking for a while, you noticed that he hadn't really been paying attention so you took his book and gently swatted him on the head with it.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked as you got up to storm off. Steve was quick to grab your hand, pulling you right back down into his lap so your noses were just grazing.

"I was going to go search for a boy who gave a damn about what I have to say," You smirked at him, crossing your arms. "A guy who's going to listen to you as you tell him you're going to wear your fanciest dress you own, which is your yellow sundress that your Daddy would smack you upside the head over for wearing, just because you want his input?" His words rendered you speechless, surprised that he had been paying attention after all.

"I'll be damned, you were paying attention." Your smile while shy, was a true one of adoration for Steve. "I'll never stop paying attention to you, Y/N." He promised, bringing his lips to your own.

"We were so young," You whispered as the memory faded out of your mind.

"We were," Steve agreed before his eyebrows furrowed. "But I wonder often, was I old enough to have behaved differently," His eyes cast towards the floor, "Better."

His mention of the past caused a spark to ignite inside you, making you stand straight as you were done playing catch up with him. "Yes." You watched him as you began to speak, "When I came to Hawkins today, it wasn't my intention to see you."

"I was at the hall of records with the same woman who has been there for twenty years." Your words seemed to have some sort of power behind them because he was beginning to lean more of his weight into the fence.

His eyes watered, the ghosts of his past seeming to come back to haunt him as you continued. "And I asked if anyone else had been looking for the whereabouts of our child and she said not one." You were steaming like a kettle over a fire. The heartbreak and pain seemed to resurface and it was clear you weren't letting him escape this conversation. "Not one person," You took a shaky breath, "Not you."

"I didn't, Y/N."

"And you never came to see me." You spat, chest heaving from the anger you felt. Steve abandoned you for twenty damn years and it was about time he explained himself. "Why?"

"Oh Y/N," He sighed, bringing his hand down his face from the sudden stress he felt. With what he was about to tell you, he knew you had every right to be angry. This was a day he had been dreading for so long. "Is it better to hope or to know?"

"Please," You practically told him to save whatever sympathy he could try and throw at you. You were done being looked at with pity.

Steve lifted himself off of the fence and took a step towards you. "After my father died, we discovered it was he who funded your scholarship." This spurred confusion inside of you, not sure where Steve was going with this and yet you were curious.

Steve's father never liked you. He was the reason you were searching for your baby. He told you he'd be bringing your son to an adoption agency in Hawkins to avoid any conspiracy against him or his son.

"Why?" You asked, knowing that Steve's father was incapable of emotion. Never would he fund a scholarship for you of all people just because he felt like being nice.

"To get you out of town." Steve gulped harshly, his words becoming shaky as he felt the tears brim in his eyes. He looked to you, taking the time to admire your features while he could.

"Guilt."

"Guilt?"

"Y/N," Steve gently lifted your hand, flinching as you withdrew it from his grasp. When his eyes met your own again, you found yourself looking at nothing but a broken man.

"On the train to Hawkins, somewhere in the night, my father took our son," Steve inhaled shakily, "and threw him off the train into the river below."

That was all you heard before it felt like your hearing was taken from your senses. Your vision began to cloud, stars overtaking as your legs grew weak.

You couldn't see a thing.

Steve caught you as you collapsed to the ground, slowly sitting with you as the tears brimmed your eyes.

Your son was dead?

You had been searching for nothing but a ghost for twenty years? The darkness you so desperately tried to push away did nothing but swallow you whole.

Steve buried his face into your shoulder as he cradled you, hiding his own tears. He waited for you to yell at him, to push him away, but all you could do was sit in shock as the tears began to fall.

"I—" Steve hiccups, "I had a vision. . . long ago of how our life would be," He squeezed you tighter, rocking you back and forth a bit as he spoke. If there was anything he's ever wanted it was a life with you, far different from the one he had with his parents. Never did he expect this to be the outcome.

"A happy little family, or bigger even. We'd be laughing on the front porch together watching our kids play. . ." He was talking and yet you weren't really listening. You didn't want to listen to what he had to say.

It wasn't like you didn't have that same dream. A family with Steve was all you had been wanting since you were sixteen. You once had that vision and it was ripped from you.

Any light in your life had now been dimmed immensely. Steve seemed to have noticed that you weren't listening because he lifted his head and simply watched your eyes as they shifted back and forth. You were like a blind woman, searching for nothing. He knew this was heartbreaking for you to hear. It was for him too when he heard it all those years ago from his own father.

"I can't speak of him," He whispered, which seemed to have grabbed your attention. Yet you didn't turn your head. You couldn't look at him. How could you after what he's been keeping from you for so long?

Gently, Steve reached forward and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. Even though you hated him in this moment, even though you couldn't stand to face him knowing he kept this hidden, you knew Steve. He would never keep something as serious as this if it wasn't for what he thought was good reason.

Slowly, you leaned your head towards his so your heads touched, depending on each other for support. "I don't know what pain it is you're feeling, but he hurt me too. In more ways than one." Steve whispered, beginning to stroke your hair.

You flinched, beginning to move away to which he followed you. He didn't want to lose you to the darkness. "If I could lift this veil of darkness. . . If I could see my way back to you, I would." His voice while shaky was quiet, not wanting to disturb your thoughts.

Steve gently turned your head to face his, noses barely touching. You finally looked him in the eye, lip trembling as he cupped your face in his hands. "I loved you so."

The male sniffled, moving back a bit from your words. Slowly nodding, he used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears. "I loved you too." He whispered, his hand that was cupping your face now moving to rest at the back of your neck.

He then gently leaned your head forward, placing a gentle kiss to your forehead. It was all he could do. It was all you would let him do.

You loved him. . . once.

Now, you weren't sure if you could ever see him the same way again.

THE END.

[brunnerasposts]

"Old Friend" Pt. 3

E.M. x Female Reader

inspired by "Old Friend" - I'm getting my act together and taking it on the road

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: questions that were left unanswered unveil themselves at Eddie's trailer

Warnings: takes place after st4, swearing, best friends to lovers, fluff, st4 spoilers, suggestive kissing

first two parts are here ☟︎︎︎

pt. 1

pt. 2

Additional Notes: I apologize that this is the shortest part of the series, but I wanted a nice ending, haha. this is the last part to the old friend series so let me know what other situations you would like to see! With Eddie or with anyone from ST really. Please like, comment, and share! Any and all are greatly appreciated :)

Tags: @littlestarfighter03 @eddiethesexy @resident-gay-bitch

"Want a coke?"

Eddie's voice snapped you out of your train of thought, your mind hazy and yet having never been so clear.

You were sitting on the couch in his trailer, sitting up right instead of lounging on it as you usually did. Things felt different this time around.

The both of you had gotten very quiet in the car when you pulled the van up to the house and hadn't really said much even when you got out and made your way inside the Munson trailer.

Wayne was working as usual, so it was just you and Eddie alone together.

The gentle hum of the living room fan caught your attention, it being on high speed. It seemed to help cool you down as the alcohol made you a bit heated. As did the almost make out session.

Callahan always had to ruin shit.

"Yeah sure, thanks." You whispered to the male who stood in front of you. Eddie watched you for a moment, worried that if he turned away you'd disappear. He knew better than to treat you as though were as fragile as glass, but with everything that happened that night, how could he help it? Knowing you wouldn't bail on him the second he turned around, he strolled into his kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

Nothing but an island separated the kitchen and the living room, so you found yourself watching his figure as he hunched down to search for the drink. You knew what needed to be discussed, but how were you supposed to put it into words?

"Eddie," You closed your eyes, knowing it would be easier to think that way. "Yeah?" He asked, not really thinking much into what you had to say.

"My curse took affect again tonight." You began, swallowing slowly as you found your mouth to suddenly feel dry. "He asked me to go to Enzo's with him and. . . and I had hope, ya know? I knew that tonight was the night that marked one month of being with him." You began to curl your fingers so your hands now formed fists.

You listened to the sound of the refrigerator close, hearing his footsteps as they slowly approached you. "But of course, he didn't show." You dryly chuckled at the memory of embarrassment in the Italian restaurant. "So I called him. . . only for a woman to answer the phone."

The feelings of Eddie's calloused hands against your own made you flinch, but you slowly relaxed. He intertwined your fingers, now on his knees in front of you so you were practically eye level. You leaned your forehead forward, gently pressing it into Eddie's as he tried to comfort you in the best way he could.

"Hey, hey," He lifted one of his hands to caress your face, "I'm here," Eddie promised, whispering, "You know you can talk to me, I'm here."

Taking a deep breath, you continued. "And I was so angry. . . so upset with him that I didn't even stop to realize," You took a short gasping breath, "I didn't even enjoy my time with him."

Eddie gazed at the ground, slightly surprised by this news. "Then why did you stay with him?" He regretted asking, but he wanted to know.

"Because I wanted to try and move on from you." You admitted, cheeks flushing from the confession. Slowly, you opened your eyes and soon found his eyes searching your own. "Move on?" Eddie swallowed harshly, subconsciously licking his lips.

You nodded.

It was all beginning to make sense now. Sure, before you met Eddie none of your relationships lasted either, but that wasn't your fault. After you fell in love with Eddie, you stopped caring for any other guy in your life. You didn't want anyone else, just Eddie.

Yet you kept yourself occupied with men to try and get yourself over what you thought was only a crush when in reality it was so much more.

"I kept dating guys to move on from you and yet I never really tried in those relationships because I was hoping something would happen between us." Your eyes moved to your lap, ashamed of this fact.

"How come you never told me?" He asked you, though he wasn't one to talk because he never told you either.

"Because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, Eddie. I didn't even know you thought of me as anything more than a friend! Why would I risk losing you?" You questioned, the emotions suddenly getting the best of you.

Craning your head to face the ceiling of the trailer, you began to try and blink away the tears forming in your eyes.

"Lose me?" His eyebrows furrowed, the male taking your chin between his fingers so he could gently bring your head back down. "You're too important to lose." Not once did he break eye contact with you when he said this, causing your heart to skip a beat.

A single tear rolled down your cheek and Eddie was quick to gently wipe it away. Looking into his eyes, you found comfort and safety. You found home.

"I love you." You whispered, leaning in slowly as your noses nuzzled. Eddie's lips parted, the male ecstatic over the three words leaving your lips. "God, I love you too." He whispered back, closing his eyes to simply focus on this moment with you.

"You know, we kind of got interrupted before," You stated, making him chuckle. "I know," He hummed, pulling you closer until you were barely seated on the couch.

"The problem is," He began to lean in, "if I kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop."

This caused a small laugh to erupt from your chest, your eyes closing now. "Who said you had to?" Your comment while suggestive wasn't planned and you found yourself blushing. Eddie let out a small groan, connecting his lips with yours in a heated passion.

Your fingers detangled from his and soon found their way into his hair. Eddie used his own hands to lift you by your legs, standing so he could then switch positions with you. Now sitting on the couch, he held you in his lap, continuing to place kiss after kiss onto your lips.

"Mm," You mumbled, making him part for a short breath, "Do we want to try this out? You and me?" You asked him, Eddie chuckling whole heartedly. "Fuck yes, I do. And none of that friends with benefits bullshit. I want the real deal, everything. I'll do all that romantic shit," He promised you, cradling your head in his hand. "I'll buy you flowers, I'll go on any date you wanna go on, I'll even get dressed real nice for you."

While it was all sweet of him to want to do for you, you wanted nothing more than to be with Eddie for who he was: his dnd loving, metalhead self and nothing else. Slowly, you brought your kisses to his jaw and up to his ear which you gently breathed against, making him shiver.

"All I want is you." You whispered, leaning towards his cheek which you left a gentle peck on. "Well I'm not going anywhere," Eddie chuckled, making you smile before you both leaned in once more.

So maybe you weren't cursed, maybe all you needed was an old friend, a couple of beers, and some Madonna to make magic happen. To make you and Eddie happen.

Because your love was rare and life was strange.

And if you had to do it all over again, you'd do it without hesitation.

THE END.

[brunnerasposts]

"Old Friend" Pt. 2

E.M. x Female Reader

inspired by "Old Friend" - I'm getting my act together and taking it on the road

Word Count: 3.7k

Summary: A musical car ride to Lover's Lake brings out a confession that was swore to be left unsaid.

Warnings: takes place after st4, swearing, underage drinking, best friends to lovers, fluff, st4 spoilers, reader likes Madonna

Other parts will be posted here ☟︎︎︎

Pt. 1

Pt. 3

Additional Notes: I plan on only having this be a three parted series so I would love to hear any suggestions you may have for other x reader type things! Please like, comment, and reshare :) my messages are open!

Tags: @littlestarfighter03

"There's no one like you

I can't wait for the nights with you

I imagine the things we'll do

I just want to be loved by you"

The car ride was one of silence, the both of you at a silent agreement to just listen to the music playing. However, as the music continued and you listened to the lyrics, you found yourself wanting the silence to come to an end. You had been itching to say something, but you weren't even sure if you were ready to discuss everything that happened.

Getting stood up wasn't a first time experience, but getting cheated on too? It just felt like your curse was becoming stronger the longer you tried to find love.

Was there a part of you deeply hidden that didn't want to make relationships last? Or were you just that unadmirable and unlovable? Did nobody want you?

Of course not.

You should've known this. Remembering highschool and how successful that was, your frown deepened. Even Eddie couldn't see that you liked him. Hell, you actually loved him.

Did he really see you as nothing but a friend?

"Should I take you home?" Eddie asked, snapping you out of your train of thought.

Never had you been so glad for Eddie to be the first to start talking. Your attention shouldn't be focused on your love life. You called him to get away from that, not to confront your highschool fantasy.

Knowing you'd probably just end up being up all night anyway, you shook your head. "I don't want to be alone right now," Was all you said, leaning your head against the window of the front passenger side of the car.

Your eyes slowly moved to look over to Eddie for a moment, noticing that he seemed to be the one lost in thought now. Not for long, however, because he felt your gaze on him.

His eyes shifted over to yours, only making eye contact for a moment before your gaze went towards the rain.

The rain had somewhat of a calming effect on you. It reminded you that after every rainy day there will always be a rainbow. Something positive may come out of getting cheated on and humiliated, right?

You were hoping that you looked a lot better than you actually felt.

Picking up his jacket, you proceeded to put it on. You weren't exactly freezing but you had definitely been shivering. "Want something to warm you up?" Eddie asked, and you knew what that meant.

"Thanks but maybe later tonight? We both know what happens if I drink too much," You shook your head as many drunken incidents from the past began to fill your thoughts.

Most were a blur, but there were a few random ones you could remember. Ones like Eddie having to hold your hair back as you threw up into some random toilet at a party you had gone to or you getting so drunk that you thought it would be smart to start removing your clothes.

Eddie chuckled beside you, remembering the incidents himself. Any time you had been drunk, Eddie had somehow been the one to be at your rescue. It wasn't like you were often drunk, he just always happened to be with you so he knew most of the reasoning behind why you'd drink.

The biggest reason being when something bad goes down and you don't feel like talking about it because you haven't fully grasped the situation yourself. It happened way too often that he picked up the pattern.

You declined drinking, so did that mean you were ready to share what was wrong? Eddie had no clue. He wanted to be respectful towards you and just keep silent until you were ready to speak, but it was eating at him inside.

Instead of prying, he glanced to his glove box and suddenly found an idea. "You know, there's this song that someone introduced me to a while ago," He began which slowly grabbed your attention, "and you're gonna find it very strange, but I actually enjoyed listening to it." He looked to you for a moment, watching as slight surprise overtook your face.

Curious, you opened his glove box and gasped as you saw the name on one of the tapes. "No fucking way, Ed!" You could not believe what you were holding in your hands. With a wide grin, you turned your body to completely face him as you asked,

"You have Madonna in your van?"

As you looked at him, you noticed his grin become smaller and more shy, noting the pink tone in his cheeks.

He didn't like to admit it but you influenced him more than you realized. Picking at his already messed up black polished nails, Eddie began to nod. "Yeah, well, when you play it all the damn time, I guess it. . . sort of. . . catches on."

"I so do not play this all the time," You began to bicker, though you found yourself smiling as you knew he was right. "You sure do," He sing songed right back.

"Oh, yeah? When?"

"When we're in my room just doing homework and you're whizzing through it, you tend to hum it. I guess in success or something," He chuckled, glancing into his rear view mirror before his eyes returned to the road, switching lanes. "Or how about when you take a shower before bed? Never really took you as the type to sing in the shower but it's pretty," You began to grow shy as he listed off many more times that you've listened to or mentioned the song.

"I don't even remember when I showed you that song," You admitted, causing him to hum in response.

It took only a beat for him to answer.

"Second week of eating lunch on the bleachers." He reminded you, surprising you with the fact that he remembered.

Of course Eddie remembered. He remembers almost anything and everything about you.

"Wait," You spoke after a moment, Eddie glancing your way. "We're not going to your trailer?" Eddie chuckled a little, knowing something had to have been distracting you if it took you this long to notice.

"Nope. We're gonna go somewhere a bit more quiet actually." He told you, pressing a button on the dashboard that popped open the cassette player. You quickly made the exchange of cassettes and closed the player, a grin forming on your face as the music began to fill the car.

As popular as this song of Madonna's was, you liked to believe that it was only known by you. Now, it was not only known to you but Eddie as well. The male reached over and grasped your wrist before bringing your hand to his lips like a microphone.

"Some boys kiss me, some boys hug me, I think they're okay." He practically shouted over the music which caused you to lean your head back and let out a whole hearted laugh. He even knew the words.

"If they don't give me proper credit, I just walk away," You sung back to him, a wide grin on your face. The nights previous worries all melted away as your mind could only focus on this absolute jam session that you never expected to have in Eddie's van, let alone with Eddie himself.

Everything around you practically disappeared and all that existed was you and Eddie, driving who knows where listening to Madonna of all things. Your face was flushed, your heart was swelling with love, and you couldn't keep your eyes off of him. If he hadn't been driving, you swore you would've kissed him out of pure joy for this moment.

And just as you were having fun, the moment was ruined by your intrusive thoughts. Even your mind couldn't be fooled by Madonna. What if you had kissed him? He'd get angry wouldn't he? Eddie was never the type to be frustrated with you, only ever being frustrated with the world, but there was a first for everything wasn't there?

"Hey, where'd you go? You missed the chorus!" Eddie practically whined, lowering the volume to the song as he looked over to you.

"Sorry," You forced a laugh, tucking your hair behind your ear. "I kinda forgot the words for a second." The lie was simple and so easy to say, you wish you hadn't said it in the first place.

You both knew it was a lie.

As less and less houses appeared and more forest showed, it became apparent to you as to where you'd be headed. "Lover's Lake?" You spoke aloud, causing Eddie to make a victory trumpet noise with his mouth. "We have a winner!"

"Why are we going to Lover's Lake? Isn't that a make-out spot?" You questioned, a joke being on the tip of your tongue.

Soon enough it came to you, and you gave him a devilish grin. "Damn, Eddie if you wanted to kiss me so bad you didn't have to take me all the way out into the woods. That's kinda serial killer like," You teased him, unaware of the dark color emerging from his cheeks.

The joke kinda hurt to make, but it was worth the awkward smile on his face.

"It's quiet. Besides, I heard that the stars are supposed to be out tonight. Figured we could talk and just stargaze or some stupid shit like that," He muttered, though you picked up every word.

"Never took you as the type to stargaze." You hummed a little, your eyes traveling to the sky above to see if it was really worth laying on the ground for. "Yeah well you're my biggest influence with half the shit I do now." Eddie chuckled, making a quick right before the van slowed to a stop.

You had arrived. As you both hopped out of the van, you discovered just how difficult it was to see. Lover's Lake was a known makeout spot, but it wasn't trying to be well known. No lights were existent around the heart shaped lake, so you relied on a small flashlight you found in Eddie's glovebox.

"Ready?" The metal head asked as he came around to the passenger side of the van, holding a blanket under his arm. "Ready as I'll ever be," You shrugged, hooking arms with Eddie before he led you down the path he began to create through the trees.

Once you had gotten past the tree line, you found yourself at one of the clearings of land that connected itself to the lake. "The police aren't gonna come swarming in and arrest us if we chill here, right?" You wanted to make sure, not being a big fan of the police force ever since Hopper was killed in the mall fire.

"Trust me, even the police know about this place. We'll be fine." Eddie promised you, making you feel a lot more relaxed. Once the blanket had been laid out, the both of you proceeded to lay on it, shoulders touching.

"Oh wow," You breathed out, eyes focusing on the sky above. There were tons of stars in the sky which wasn't normal to see in Hawkins. No doubt was the view mesmerizing.

"I told you." Eddie chuckled before gasping. "Shit, I left the beer in the car! Hang on," The male was quick to hop up on his feet and ran off towards the van.

You couldn't help but giggle. "Eddie, come on! We don't need to be drinking tonight," You shouted but it was no use.

When Eddie came back with the six pack of beer, you both cracked one open and clinked bottles before beginning to drink.

This was gonna be a long night.

-

"I just need to say this," Eddie's voice caused you to open your eyes, looking over to him to find him already gazing at you. The both of you had finished the pack of beers by now, you being more under the influence than him so you had gotten a little sleepy. You both could manage three beers though.

"Okay," You trailed off, not really sure where Eddie was going with this. "I just need to get this out." He practically repeated, causing you to laugh a bit. "Are you dying or something?" You couldn't help but question, though the nervous look on his face didn't even crack a smile.

"No, no, I'm not dying." Eddie promised you, beginning to sit up. Worried, you did the same. "Eddie, you're scaring me. What is it?" You questioned, reaching forward to tuck his hair behind his ear as it was beginning to hide his face.

The male took a deep breath before looking to you, an awkward smile forming. "Right, um. . .well, oh fuck how do I word this?" He asked himself, cheeks flushed.

Your head was beginning to spin, mostly from having sat up so fast and the alcohol didn't help with that but also because Eddie was beginning to freak you out. Was it a problem at home? Was Wayne okay? Is it something involving the kids he hangs out with?

"Eddie," You had to say his name again mostly to ground yourself but also because he hadn't said anything yet. His eyes shifted to yours, the male biting his nails a bit in his slightly freaked state.

"Eddie, seriously, what's got you so worked up? You're acting very—"

"I think I'm falling in love with you."

Your words completely lost all meaning in that moment. Blinking slowly, your brain began to try and register what he just said.

"Fuck, sorry." He quickly began to apologize, rambling some sort of reasoning as to why he said that, claiming it was the alcohol in his system. You had never seen him so scared.

"Are you drunk?" You nervously asked, watching him quickly shake his head. He couldn't lie to you. "N-No, I'm not. I meant what I said." Eddie promised before his face contorted into an apologetic one.

"While we're on that subject, I don't think, I know I'm falling in love with you. Well actually, I know that I'm in love with you because well, I don't know. God, this isn't how I wanted this to go." The male rambled, realizing he was beginning to make no sense.

Your throat practically closed, eyes watering. You didn't believe what you were hearing. This was just some sort of sick joke right?

"That's not funny, Eddie." You whispered to him, looking away from him so you could pull yourself together.

"What?" He laughed a bit in surprise, you believing you've caught him in his lie.

"Y/N, I'm not lying." His face held one of surprise. "I'm being as serious as Wayne when he—"

"No, Eddie!" You cut him off before he could make some sort of other joke, "I'm serious! God, I know we joke about my love life but that's gotta be the most hurtful thing you've ever said to me." You sniffled, pulling your legs to your chest.

Eddie scrambled his way over so he sat in front of you, placing his hands on your knees so you would look at him. "No, Y/N. I would never joke about that!" He whispered, his hands shakily giving your knees a squeeze. "Do you really take me to be so heartless, sweetheart?" He asked with a weak smile, causing you to turn your head away.

"Hey," The male in front of you gently grasped your chin between his thumb and index finger, turning your head to face his so you had no choice but to look him in the eye.

"Your curse isn't a curse." He tried to tell you, only making you scoff in response. "Then how come I scare away every guy I meet?" You questioned, hearing him sigh a little.

"You haven't scared me away. I'm still here," Using his free hand, Eddie grabbed ahold of yours and brought it to his chest. Your palm laid flat against his chest, feeling his heartbeat as it beat abnormally fast.

On the inside, you were freaking out. Never had you expected this moment to come and yet, it was happening right before your eyes. Eddie was confessing to you.

Your best friend was in love with you.

Could this really be happening?

"This isn't something I discovered over night, Y/N. Three months into knowing you I found myself obsessed with the girl who claimed to be cursed by cupid himself." He admitted, his hand moving from holding your chin to now cupping your cheek in his palm.

"Eddie, I—" You began, heart racing.

"A-And you're probably questioning why I never stayed with anyone long. That's because of you. I. . . I never tried to be with anyone because I can't imagine moving on from this. From us." Eddie began to stammer over his words, his eyebrows furrowing when he did.

Your eyes continously shifted between his, seeing the clear frustration in his eyes as he tried to explain to you the way he felt. "Eddie," You began again, only for him to cut you off. . . again.

"Y/N, we're so good together. I can't imagine what life would be like if i met anyone else on the bleachers that day. You made me feel like I was more than just some pathetic highschool idiot." He held a finger to your lips as you went to try and talk again.

"Eddie—" You mumbled.

"I love you, Y/N. I mean that whole heartedly and truly. I'm not expecting an answer back, hell I'm surprised you haven't kicked me or yelled at me yet." He began to chuckle before you grabbed his wrist and moved his finger away from your lips.

Eddie gazed at you with confusion until you closed the space between the both of you. He remained frozen against your kiss, as equally afraid as you for this being a dream.

If it was, he never wanted to wake up.

He began to slowly move his lips with yours, only parting when you needed air. His nose brushed against yours, nuzzling into you as you caught your breath. "Shit, Y/N." He panted, eyes lustful when he opened them.

"Sorry," You whispered, feeling a bit bad for your actions as you had just completely threw him off guard. Eddie instantly began to shake his head. "No, no, no don't apologize for that. You never have to apologize for that," You both laughed before Eddie's lips once again connected with yours.

In every story you've ever read, a first kiss in a relationship was always described as fireworks lighting up inside or a thousand butterflies erupting in your stomach, but this was so much more than that. This was Eddie for fucks sake.

With Eddie it was the tingling sensation on your neck as his hands found their way to cupping the back of your head. It was the shaky feeling in your hands as you pressed them into his shoulders to support yourself climbing into his lap, straddling his waist. "Jesus H. Christ," He mumbled against your lips, his hands finding their way to your lower back.

You couldn't help but giggle, cupping his face in your hands now as the kiss deepened. It was everything you ever dreamed.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from the distance, causing you both to freeze. "Ah shit, we gotta go." Eddie spoke once your lips parted, the both of you scrambling to move the bottles to the middle of the blanket. Quickly, you grabbed the corners of the blanket so you made a pouch with the blanket.

"Freeze!" The voice shouted again, causing you to turn and see one of the officers of Hawkins standing at the other end of the field with a flashlight in hand. "It's Callahan, that fucking bastard!" Eddie couldn't help but exclaim, grabbing your hand before the both of you began to run.

"I thought you said the police knew about this place?" You whisper shouted to Eddie once you both found the path back to the van. "Yeah, well we're sort of underage drinking and Callahan has been a real ass to me after the earthquake and Chrissy incident." The male explained, slowing to a stop once the van came in sight.

"Makes sense," You didn't argue, watching as Eddie fiddled with the keys in his hands. "Jesus Christ, give me the damn keys." Hand held out, you shoved the blanket pouch of empty bottles into his hands. Eddie was hesitant, having never let you drive his van prior to this.

"You're lucky I love you," He groaned, a devilish grin forming on your face as you were tossed the keys. You both quickly filed into the van, engine starting and soon enough you were backing out while pressing on the gas. "Hold on!" You shouted as you turned the wheel, quickly shifting gears from reverse into drive as the car spun before you were driving back the way you got there.

"Holy fucking Christ! You're amazing," Eddie shouted, making you laugh as you took some pressure off of the gas. Eddie clapped his hands together in aggressive enthusiasm, pressing play on the cassette and Madonna began to blare through the speakers.

"You don't think he's gonna follow us, do you?" The idea of being chased by the cops frightened you enough to drive only five over the speed limit. "Callahan probably gave up the second we drove away." Eddie reassured you, gently patting your thigh with his hand.

"Your place I assume?" You questioned, knowing his van would definitely look out of place at your suburban home. The cops would come knocking on her door for sure. Eddie nodded, his eyes shifting to his hand that rested on your thigh.

While the idea of having to run from the cops was fun and all, there was still things that needed to be discussed between you both. Not only had a makeout session almost pronounce itself but Eddie had been the only one to say I love you and it was killing him inside.

Did you want a friends with benefits sort of deal or was there more? Eddie decided to save his questions for later. Although questions hadn't been answered, not once did he remove his hand from your thigh.

You didn't mind.

TO BE CONTINUED

[brunnerasposts]

"Old Friend" Pt. 1

E.M. x Female Reader

inspired by "Old Friend" - I'm getting my act together and taking it on the road

Word Count: 2.9K

Summary: You get stood up by your boyfriend and call Eddie for a ride when some old memories start to come back

Warnings: takes place after st4, swearing, slight angst, fluff, more so flashback Eddie than current day Eddie, best friends to lovers, st4 spoilers in later parts

Next parts will be posted here ☟︎︎︎

Pt. 2

Pt. 3

Additional Notes: I hope you all enjoy this! It's my first time ever writing fanfiction with a real life fictional character. I've only ever done animated, haha. Please like, comment, and reshare! Suggestions are encouraged!

This couldn't have been a more disastrous night. Getting stood up is something you weren't used to, nor was it something you ever experienced before. Sitting alone at a table for two in Hawkins' busiest restaurant having to receive apologetic looks from the waitress was humiliating. Not only the waitress, but other tables seemed to take interest into the girl getting stood up.

You shrunk a bit in your seat, trying to come up with any excuse you could name as to why your boyfriend was late for your date. Maybe he was having car trouble? What if there was an accident so traffic is really backed up? Or maybe his mom was really sick?

"Miss, would you like anything at all?" Your waitress asked for the fifth time that hour as you had yet to order anything except for a water. Shoulders slumping in defeat, you grabbed your wallet and began shaking your head. "No, thank you. I think I'll just go." You spoke solemnly, being sure to leave a gracious tip on the table before leaving the Italian restaurant.

This was just the perfect cherry on top for your day. You had already been having a pretty bad day that consisted of being late for work, missing rent, and to make matters worse, you stepped in gum. At first you figured that would've been the cherry on top for your horrendous day, but you seemed to have been incorrect.

Noticing a nearby payphone, you quickly walked over, fumbling to search your purse for a few coins. Once the coins had been inserted into the machine, you quickly dialed your boyfriend's number, gripping the payphone held against your ear.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" You heard a woman's voice sound through the other side of the line. Definitely not his mother. "Who is this?" You couldn't help but ask, gripping the phone in your hand so hard that your knuckles turned white. Hot tears began to form in your eyes as you heard the woman whisper to someone before giggling. "This is Y/B/F's girlfriend, Norma speaking. Who's this?" She asked, your stomach feeling as though it just dropped.

What could you say? Mouth agape, you found yourself speechless. He was with another woman? The question was spinning in your brain, and yet somehow, you found yourself worrying more for this Norma girl than yourself. You couldn't be sure how long this was going on for. Were you the other woman or was Norma?

Your head began to ache from the sudden stress of the situation and from searching for answers to your questions. "Hello?" You heard her voice come through again, clearly unsure if you were still there.

Not able to say anything, you simply ended the call by slamming the phone back onto its hook. That absolute bastard! How could he do this?

To make matters worse, it began to thunder outside of the payphone booth. What started as a light drizzle, turned into a turenchol downpour. Your only chance at a ride was from the one person you were regretting explaining this situation to: Eddie Munson.

Your best friend and only friend for that matter, Eddie 'The Freak' Munson, would not be too pleased to hear what happened that night. He had told you it was a bad idea to get involved with someone like your now ex-boyfriend, but you didn't listen. Of course, Eddie was right. He always was.

Closing yourself inside the payphone to avoid the rain, you couldn't help but let out a choked sob. When had the tears started flowing? Shoving your hand into your purse for a second time, you found the change needed to dial Eddie's number. Hands shaking, you reached for the phone and held it against your ear.

It hardly rang before Eddie picked it up. "Munson residence, Eddie speaking," His sing-song voice almost made you smile despite the betrayal you were feeling. "Eddie?" You sniffled, hearing the quick demeanor of his voice change as he asked, "Y/N? What's wrong?"

"Can you come pick me up from Enzo's, please? Y/B/F didn't show." Your voice was becoming quieter by the second, your lip trembling so much it was beginning to prevent you from speaking. "Shit, yeah Y/N," The sound of his keys jingled, you knowing that he was pacing and grabbing what he could while on the phone, "Jesus H. Christ, its storming out. Don't go anywhere, alright? Stay somewhere safe and covered. I'll be there in ten minutes." He spoke, making you exhale a small sigh of relief.

"...Eddie?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

You could practically hear him smiling on the other side of the connection. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't come rescue you?" Your crying seemed to soften the longer you were on the phone with Eddie, his voice always seeming to have a comforting sense to it. "See you in 10." He spoke before the line disconnected.

Your racing heart seemed to have calmed by the time the phone call had ended, only a few silent tears continuing to fall.

Ever since you met Eddie, he's been nothing but kind towards you. He found you crying on the bleachers one day during lunch and wouldn't stop doing his little voices and antics until you were crying from laughing so hard.

You had been broken up with for the first time ever that day, and it had been quite the public breakup. Jason Carver, the school basketball hottie, and your ex, was an absolute douche.

"You hear that Y/N? We're done!" Jason exclaimed a little too loudly, a hush falling over the students in the cafeteria. Your cheeks were red with anger and embarrassment. "Jason, please, don't make this a scene," You had begged him, watching as he stood up from the lunch table.

"Oh please," He scoffed, "the only one causing any trouble is you! You've been making eyes at Munson all week!" Jason's voice was loud enough to surely get the attention of Hellfire. It wasn't that you were into Eddie, you just thought that he seemed like a cool guy.

Did you think he was attractive? Yes, but since when did that mean you'd pounce on him whenever you felt like it? Just because he was attractive didn't mean you liked him!

"I have not! I just thought he and I could be—"

"Fuck buddies?"

"Friends!" You shouted back.

You had never been so humiliated!

It was worse than your current situation, really.

"Yeah, like anyone wants to be friends with that freak. You're just curious as to what it's like to be in the sheets with that devil worshipper. Be my guest." Jason spoke, glaring daggers into your eyes.

Everyone had their eyes on you, and you knew Eddie probably heard everything. "Fuck you Jason." Was all you could say before you ran out of the cafeteria crying.

The memory brought bittersweet tears as you knew how it ended.

"That was quite the show back there," A masculine voice sounded from in front of you. Lifting your head from your upright fetal position, you spotted the brunette haired Hellfire Club leader. Instead of trying to come back with some sort of sarcastic reply, all you could do was nod.

A sudden fear came over you as you worried he was there simply because of what Jason said. "I-I don't actually want to 'get in the sheets' with you," You emphasized the stupid remark your ex-boyfriend gave. A small laugh erupted from Eddie, the male shaking his head. "I'm not here to 'get in the sheets' with you." You smiled a little from his same emphasis.

Though that smile was quickly replaced with a puzzled expression. "Then why are you here?" You questioned, your tone soft as you didn't want to sound like you didn't want him there. As much as you liked to calm yourself in isolation, it was sort of nice to have Eddie there.

The male crouched down slowly until you both were eye level. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," He spoke just as softly as you had, eyes searching yours for any other troubles besides the current situation.

The idea of someone you've never had a true conversation with suddenly caring about you made your heart flutter a little.

You had refused to follow your gut this time. The last time you ended up in a "gut-trusting" relationship, it ended with humiliation from the cafeteria. It wasn't the first time a gut trust was used either.

"Yeah I'm okay," You promised him, wiping away a few of your stray tears. Just from his focus and attention, you had found a grounding sense of clarity in life.

You needed Eddie Munson in your life just as much as he needed you.

After that, you both agreed to meet up a few times a week at the bleachers during lunch just to hang out. He would occasionally teach you things about Hellfire and in return, you taught him a few things about 'girl world'.

"Never expected you to be the kind to have black nail polish," He pointed out as you painted his ring finger. Not wanting him to get into too much trouble, you decided to just paint the one and see how he liked it.

"Yeah? Well, there's a lot about me that may surprise you."

"Oh?" His eyebrow arched before a devious smirk took its place. "Pray tell."

Rolling your eyes playfully, you closed the bottle of nail polish and held his hand still so the polish could dry.

"I..never manage to keep a boyfriend for long." You began, seeing the slight surprise on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, nobody ends up sticking around that long with me. It's like I'm cursed or something," You joked, though this time your smile didn't meet your eyes. It was kind of hard to think about.

"If the maiden doesn't mind my asking," Eddie began slowly, causing your smile to really come through from his choice of words, "what's the longest you've ever been in a relationship?"

You began to think back to your very first boyfriend, and the boyfriends you had after. "A month." You realized, which sounded awful out loud. You groaned in frustration now.

"God! What is wrong with me? I haven't been able to keep a boyfriend for longer than a month? Am I just some sort of...of..guy repeller?" You suddenly stood from your frustration, facing Eddie who only blinked at you.

"I've heard every reasoning in the book by now! I do have to say though, today's was a new one," You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest as you looked out towards the schools field. "It's like I'm cursed or something."

"Or they're the ones who are cursed." His words made you laugh a bit sarcastically, glancing towards the sky. "You think they're cursed?" You couldn't help but ask as you figured he was going into one of his playful banners again.

"Well, actually I think they're assholes." Eddie's words made you tense slightly, your attention shifting back over to him. "Assholes?" You questioned, hoping he would clarify.

"I've only ever had," He paused, "Like what? Five conversations with you before today? You never gave me any feeling of wanting to run away or leave the conversation. You seem like a pretty cool person to be around." His eyes squinted up at you, the sun being in his eyes.

Deciding to sit back down to avoid his eyes straining, you found yourself sitting right beside him. "Our conversations were never more than asking for my answers to questions in class." You reminded him with a small smile, a knowing look in your eyes.

"Oh," He held his hand to chest as if wounded, "how you insult me so." He grinned instantly. "But seriously, you're a great person. If guys are leaving you, it's not your fault you're just too fucking awesome for them." Eddie's eyes met yours again and you knew he believed what he was saying to be true.

Either way, you shrugged it off and the both of you decided to just sit in silence with each other for the rest of lunch.

Something you said must have bothered him, because he fixated on your boyfriend issue for the next few days.

"How about this," He had said to you as you sat beside one another, sharing a bag of chips a week later. "If you ever start crying over some stupid guy, you call me and I'll be there. No questions asked." His eyes had seemed so focused on you, and yet at the time you thought he had been joking otherwise you wouldn't have busted out laughing.

"I'm being serious here, Y/N!" He grinned, fiddling with the rings on his fingers. Your laughter slowly began to die back down, watching his face as his cheek would twitch, clearly trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"How has my love life become something the oh so powerful Eddie Munson has to worry himself over?" You ask, using grand hand gestures to make him laugh which was successful.

Eddie sighed softly, looking at you with a look you couldn't decipher. There was a grin on his face, and yet you didn't know why. His eyes shifted from yours down to your hands which you subconsciously closed into fists. Not for long though because he was grabbing both and bringing them into his own hold.

His thumb began to gently rub against the back of your hand, sending goosebumps up your arms. "All who try to steal the princess away will be slayed by her protector. They aren't worthy." The male's eyes found their way back to yours, a hopeful look in them. Meanwhile, your cheeks were on fire.

The quick beats of your heart suddenly grasped your attention. Why was your heart racing? You didn't like Eddie did you?

Fuck.

You definitely did.

Just the question entering your mind received a response from your body as you shivered under his sudden touching kiss to your knuckles. "And who would my protector be exactly?" You asked nervously, gently squeezing his hand.

"Well, that one's up to you, sweetheart." He winked.

Even now, you were confused as to who he could have possibly been referring to. Your crush on Eddie while long and difficult to get a hold over, was nothing but a distant memory. Almost like a fantasy that would never come true.

He was your best friend, that's all.

In his eyes anyway.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a sudden honking of a horn, your attention snapping to the road to find Eddie pulling up in his Chevrolet van.

With the passenger window rolled down, he gazed at you with a devilish grin. "Need a ride?" He shouted, causing you to roll your eyes.

You left the payphone booth and hopped in without hesitation.

"You okay?" He asked once you were buckled in, gazing at you with nothing but concern. Highschool butterflies swelled in your stomach, causing any previous problems to vanish the longer you looked at him.

"I am now, yeah." You smiled softly which he returned before shifting his gears and taking off down the road back towards your house.

His eyes focused on the road, and yet you couldn't take your eyes away from him. His brown hair while a bit frizzier than usual was a bit damp, most likely from running to get into his car while it rained. His denim jacket was quickly removed, the male driving with his knees for a moment as he practically wrestled with the sleeves getting stuck to his customized baseball tee.

Reaching over in slight panic, you helped free him from the jacket and his left hand was quick to grab the steering wheel. His right held the jacket out to you before the male grunted a bit and simply placed it on your lap.

"Whatcha doing?" You asked with a small giggle as Eddie seemed to be mumbling curse words under his breath, struggling to adjust the jacket on your lap.

"I don't want you to get cold." The male spoke shyly, glancing to you before placing both hands on the wheel. Looking towards the dark road ahead of you, you found the slight chill you had quickly disappearing as the warmth of your cheeks grew.

It felt like highschool all over again.

The many days spent sitting on the bleachers, slowly falling in love with the leader of Hellfire were days you thought were a long distant memory. It was the same feeling as fun summer memories being reminsiced while in school.

You could remember when your feelings for Eddie were more than just friendly, but you couldn't seem to remember when your feelings went from a crush to being fully in love with him. Thankfully Eddie never cared to date throughout the years so it was easier for you to get some sort of control of your feelings.

While your love for him remained, you knew it was better to stay as friends.

Old friends.

The best of friends.

Too many previous relationships have made you worrisome and keep you from confessing your feelings. You couldn't risk something so big over what you felt was as meaningless as your feelings.

Like you told Eddie those few years ago, you couldn't seem to keep someone interested in you for longer than a month.

Regardless of what happened in the past, Eddie was the one thing you were too afraid to have change in your life. He was too good to lose.

"I can hear your brain turning from over here. What are you thinking about, Y/N?" Eddie asked, and that's when you realized you had gotten quiet.

"Nothing," You spoke so softly it was almost a whisper.

"Nothing at all."

TO BE CONTINUED