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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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“Don’t you ever let me hear you say that again.”

Eddie Munson x reader

summary: you were not the kind to show weakness. you didn’t want to be babied, but you can’t help but show up to eddie’s with a messed up, bloody face.

warnings: physical abuse, alcohol use, swearing, depictions of blood and bruising, crying, soft eddie, fluff galore, vomiting.

a/n: i know this is sad, but i’ve had a bad couple of days so here we are lmao. also, i wanted to take the time to thank everyone for all the support i’ve gotten with my writing! i appreciate every kind comment, reblog and new follow i get! you’re all so welcome and loved here! feel free to send me asks and requests!

“You’re a fucking moron, Wheeler! You cost us this campaign!” You banged your fist on the table, leaning over as you shouted profanities.

“Me?” Mike scoffed. “How did I cause our downfall? You rolled a four! A four, y/n!”

Dnd nights with the hellfire club weren’t exactly family friendly, but you had to admit, they were fun as hell. The kids were annoying, especially Mike, but they did hold a special place in your heart. Eddie, your boyfriend, sat at the head of the table, giggling and bouncing as he watched you defend yourself against the table.

You and Eddie were known as one of the most chaotic, outgoingly rambunctious couples of all Hawkins High. You became best friends in middle school when you transferred from California, and started dating your sophomore year. It was rare for you two to be apart. You were always together. Whether it was at school, hellfire night or just out on the town, you were together.

“Children, children, children,” Eddie stood dramatically, waving his ringed hands. “Never forget that it’s not about loosing, it’s about how you lose. They’re is no shame in running.”

“Oh, shut it, Munson.” You rolled your eyes, causing everyone to laugh, including him. His pearly teeth shined in giggles as you fought your smirk, collapsing back into your throne like chair.

He stretched out his arm, grabbing you by the collar and pulling you close, placing a loud, smacking kiss against your lips. You both smirked as the kids cringed at your action. Eddie was terrible when it came to pda. The man had no shame, and never gave a shit who could see when he decided to man handle you, and hell, neither did you.

“Are you coming to my place tonight?” He pulled away, whispering amongst yourselves as everyone else loudly scooted out of their chairs.

“I want to,” You sighed, fixing the collar of his jean jacket. “But I’ve been gone all weekend. You know how dad is, he’ll worry.”

Eddie nodded, offering a small smile. “Sure. No worries. I’ll just miss you, is all.”

You smiled at your lover, knowing how lucky you were to have such an amazing person by your side. Hawkins treated him unfairly, because despite his status known as “The freak metalhead”, he won the national boyfriend award every year in your mind. He was thoughtful, considerate. He treated you like goddamn royalty, even. He was the most artistic, creative person you knew. You loved him with everything you had.

Your mother had died the summer before you left California, the reason why you had moved, and your dad had never been the same since. You loved him with all your heart, but sometimes, he scared you. You hated thinking that, because he was your dad, but the alcohol scared you. It had never gotten that bad before, though, and you believed he could keep things under control. When his evenings were tough, he needed a drink. And things, lately, had been especially tough.

His job wasn’t going very well, having been docked pay and hours. Money wasn’t a strong suit in your family, one of the many reasons why Hawkins high liked to pick on you too. A lot of the time, you practically lived with Eddie. You didn’t like sleeping at your house, and usually snuck out when your dad was passed out asleep.

Eddie knew your relationship with your father was strained, so he tried to be considerate as possible, offering his support in any way he could.

You helped him clean up everyone’s mess, putting away the game pieces and throwing away trash. You two always did it alone, because usually, things got a little heated. The kids knew better than to stay. “You want me to drive you home?” Eddie cleared his throat, pushing the last chair in. “Those brakes of yours make me nervous.”

You smiled as you turned, wiping your dirty hands together. “I’ll be okay. I’ll call you in the morning, k?”

He nodded as he watched you grab your bag, rolling his toothpick between his teeth. He gulped, feeling almost nervous about you leaving. But that was Eddie. He was always nervous for you to go home, because he knew how stressful the environment was for you. You chalked it all up with a brave face, pretended it didn’t get to you. He could read you, though. On mornings he picked you up for school, he could tell just by looking at you if the night had been difficult.

You walked over close to him, smirking at his sure sign of anxiety. He would always roll a stupid tooth pick. “Don’t worry about me, Ed’s. I’ll be fine. I’m sure he’s asleep by now.” You grabbed his chin, watching as his brown eyes bore into yours. “Now, are you going to kiss me goodnight, or what?”

He smirked softly, loosely wrapping his left arm around your neck, pulling you to his lips. You sighed into the kiss, his lips warm against your own, noses scrunching against each other’s. You placed your hand on his shoulder, fisting his jacket. You felt that familiar bulk of sadness build up in your chest, but you knew you had to fight it. You loved your dad, but you hated going home. You wanted to stay with Eddie, but you knew you had to go.

You pulled away from his lips, but only to bring your body his. You wrapped your arms warmly around his back, his scent buried into your chest. His arms wound tightly around yours, his head placed alongside yours. Hugs like these made him realize you were stalling to leave, he knew tonight would be difficult for you, but he long since gave up trying to convince you to move in with him actually. You were too stubborn, and liked to pretend everything was okay.

“You okay?” He mumbled, his hand moving softly at your lower back. You nodded against him, muttering a weak ‘yes’.”

You eventually pulled away, and you both smiled at each other. He gave your hand a squeeze, holding it until you walked away and broke the contact. He watched as you pushed open the basement door, and he sighed. Hopefully tonight would be okay.

•

Your breath punched it’s way out of your lungs so loudly, it created clouds in front of you. Your heart hammered so quickly, it barely made you capable of walking. Sobs cracked their way through your throat, making hoarse burns that caused you to wince. Your feet dragged along the ground, your hand holding your stomach to keep from throwing up.

The stale taste of iron filled your mouth, and though you weren’t aware of it, also dripped down your forehead. So, to some it up, no, the night had not gone well.

You weren’t even sure all of what had happened. He’d been asleep, your dad, just like you had suspected. You were nearly asleep, until you heard the loud crashing coming from downstairs. You kept telling yourself over and over to stay up stairs. Stay in bed. It’s not worth it. But you didn’t listen to yourself. You went, and you payed for it.

Your mind was in a total state of shock and disbelief, not being to handle nor process what had happened. You weren’t even able to defend yourself. It had happened so quickly, so suddenly that you barely had time to react, only your muffled screams and cries being heard. A part of you wondered if it was even your dad, maybe it was just someone who looked like him? You highly doubted it.

He had been completely hammered, as per usual, and when you tried to calm him down, your face was met with his fist, your ribs shoved into the side of a table, your throat marked with dark, purple fingerprints. Blood nearly coated your face, making you seem like an entirely different person. You were certain he was going to kill you, but it seemed like he was just bored with you.

He left you to lay there, sobbing and shaking like a traumatized animal. Eventually, you’d mustered up the strength to get up, and that led to now. You should have called the police or the nearest emergency room, but the only thing your mind screamed was Eddie. You tried so hard to keep the boy from worrying about you. You tried so hard to pretend your life wasn’t nearly falling apart.

But now, you didn’t know what to do. You were just wandering, and all you wanted was Eddie. You were in so much pain, your entire body ached and throbbed. It took nearly a half hour until you got to the trailer park, and you flinched as the loud dogs barked at your presence. You sobbed in relief at the sight of his trailer, happy to see his uncle wasn’t there. You loved him dearly, but the last thing you wanted was an audience.

Usually, you would have felt hesitant for his help. You never liked for him to see you cry, because you could see in his face how much it would affect him. Your pain caused his. But, you were running on adrenaline now, you weren’t crying anymore, only bloody and bruised. Eddie had no idea what was coming.

You didn’t bother to knock, and you used your shoulder to push open the door. “Eddie?” You tripped inside, voice cracking. “Eddie?”

You saw his bouncy, black curls first, the shine of his rings that flared in the orange tinted light of the kitchen. “Eddie.” You stumbled, sobbing dryly when you saw him.

“Y/n?” He rushed out at the weak sound of your voice. “Holy- oh, shit, what happened!” His face dropped completely, running to you and grasping your shoulders.

You opened your mouth to speak, but your throat filled with cotton. You shook your head, your eyes blurring together as he grabbed your face. “Y/n, talk to me! Talk to me! Who hurt you?”

It was starting to catch up to you, everything that had happened, and your mind seemed to go blank. Your vision blurred and it was harder to see, his words became harder to hear and make out. Your breathing slowed, and your head spun. You were finally in his presence, the only person in the world that you felt comfortable to let go around. So you did.

Your knees buckled and smacked against the floor, and the rough, burning pain of bile scorched it’s way out of your throat and onto the floor. Your chest heaved and hyperventilated, and you could barely hear Eddie beside you.

“Okay, it’s okay.” His voice nearly shook at how scared he was, holding your waist as he took in your form. The blood on you was cracked and dried into your skin, the bruised turning into a dark purple. He was trying his damnest to not loose his cool, but you weren’t complying with him.

You dry heaved one last time as you coughed, your senses coming back to. The pain in your ribs was too intense to be able to hide your tears, and you let out a painful, noisy sob as you tried to lift yourself up. “Y/n, please, what’s going on? You’re scaring me, talk to me! Who did-”

“Dad.” You sobbed, grabbing at his chest for support.

That was all it you needed to say, and you watched as the color from his face dropped, his brown eyes sinking as he took in your broken face. You looked down, breaking down in tears as you hiccuped. “I don’t- I don’t know w-what happened.” You shook. “Eddie, I don’t- I don’t understand, I can’t-”

“It’s okay, shh.” His face went back to that loving, passionate gleam that you fell in love with. He was fighting every instinct to go to your house and kill your father, to knock him on his ass and make him pay. He too, was in shock, because you looked terrible. But he couldn’t, because you needed him. You were freaking out, and he needed to clean you up.

“Shh, honey, it’s alright,” He reassured you, gathering your close so he could view your injuries. “Calm down, I- shit, y/n, tell me what hurts? Should we go to the hospital, I-”

“No!” You pulled away, standing up. “No, I can’t! Nobody can know a-about this! Dad- he, he didn’t mean it!” You flailed your hands, and he approached you slowly.

“Okay, okay, just-” He swallowed roughly, feeling powerless. “You need to sit down, baby. You’re bleeding, just..sit down, alright?”

He guided you sit down on the couch behind you, watching you like you were a wounded animal ready to pounce for it’s last fight. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He kissed your head softly, rushing into the bathroom and opening every drawer he found.

Your hands shook in your lap, and you felt the back of your head with your shaking hand. Blood stained your fingertips, and you let out a cry. One by one, sobs began pouring their way out of your throat. You hunched over, your cries sounding hoarse and nasally from the bruises on your throat.

Eddie crouched down below you, his eyes glancing up at you as you cried. He lifted your chin up, bringing a wet washcloth to your bloodied cheekbones. His other hand rested on your knee, and he tried his best to concentrate on cleaning you up. “It’s my fault.” You finally spoke, making him flinch with your sharp sob.

“What?” He narrowed his eyes, bringing the rag down.

“I shouldn’t-” You choked on your sob, grabbing at his wrist. “I shouldn’t have gotten up. I should of just- I should of j-just ignored it. I pushed him it’s m-my fault.” You cried.

His face hardened at your words, and he sat taller, grabbing your face. “Don’t you ever let me hear you say that again.” He shook his head.

“You listen to me and you listen good, this is not your fault, you hear me?” He lifted your chin, wiping away a stray tear. “This is not your fault, sweetheart.”

He stood, moving to sit beside you. He pulled you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you softly, careful not to hurt you. You cried into him, hiccuping into the material of his shirt. “I won’t let him hurt you again, I swear it.”

He held you throughout the night, taking care of you gently and lovingly. And he was right, because he’d never let him hurt you again.

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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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Sweetest Flower

Pairing: best friend! Eddie Munson x Lily Sinclair (OC of @lily-sinclair-2006)

Rating: Mature?

Warnings: Vecna, ambiguous ending

Lily Sinclair rode the line of nerd and jock like she was a professional bull rider.

She dressed in pleated skirts and minded her manners in class before hitting the gym like she was training for a marathon after school. She got along relatively well with everyone at school because she was just nice but if she wasn’t working out, she tended to study and since most high schoolers avoided studying like the plague, she didn’t have many friends.

Despite this, she was best friends with both Steve Harrington— even after his less-than-desirable fall from grace— and Eddie Munson, the senior who just couldn’t make the cut.

That was about the extent of the information that everyone at Hawkins High had on her, and that was how she liked it. People who didn’t know anything about you couldn’t bully you.

Couldn’t bully you well, at least.

But insults thrown in the hall between classes held nothing on all the crap she’d been through after meeting Eleven, so she brushed everything off.

Mostly.

Yeah, she had some self-esteem problems but who didn’t?

Yeah, she drank sometimes, but who didn’t?

Yeah, she was hopelessly in love with her Metalhead best friend, but who wasn’t?

Actually, that problem was probably a lot less common, now that she thought about it.

And that problem got a lot worse when they had to fight Vecna. Couldn’t she have just one summer to pine after her best friend? Like a normal high schooler? Instead of having to run around the Upside Down like a chicken with it’s head cut off from chicken-head-eating-monster. Or something.

The amount of stress I deal with on a semi-monthly basis cannot be good for my liver, she mused as she jogged after Eddie and Dustin toward Eddie’s beat up trailer. Lily didn’t really want to be here right now, but it made sense.

3 on each team.

And Erica was already with Lucas. So, really, she had nothing to worry about.

Not like that was gonna stop her. She liked to be in control of a situation. That’s why she focused so hard on maintaining her mind and body.

At least that made it easier to breathe in the choking air of the Upside Down. At least that made it possible for her to control her urge to kiss Eddie after he finished his Master of Puppets solo.

At least her complete control of her body made it possible to focus through the tolling of the clock while she, Dustin, and Eddie fought off the hellish bats breaking in through the vents.

Unfortunately, it did not help with the visions of the underground Russian base that she dragged Steve and Robin into. It didn’t help with the sounds of her brother and sister crying out for help. And it certainly didn’t help with the mummified version of Vecna screaming at her that it was “her time” or something like that.

Honestly, she didn’t care.

She just had to get out of this stupid base and get back to her friends.

Lily’s heart rate began to pick up as Vecna chased her. He always seemed to be just a few steps behind her, and even though she knew what was going on, it was difficult to calm the animal response he incited.

She began to hum her favorite song, hoping it would be enough. Maybe she should win the award for Most Idiotic Member of the Party if she ever got out of this, because telling everyone her favorite song should’ve definitely been on her list, right?

Vecna seemed to be focused on Max, but clearly that wasn’t as set in stone as they were led to believe. Faintly, an electric guitar version of the familiar opening to Africa began to echo throughout the twisting hallways Lily was blindly sprinting through.

A voice joined the guitar, and immediately, Lily wanted to burn a tape of this new version. Her heart rate calmed down, she timed her breathing to the strum of the guitar. As the singer reached the chorus, she caught a glimpse of him, far, far away.

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rain down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

Lily could see them clearer, now, and even though her legs were about to give out, she pushed herself faster and faster still. She could hear Dustin shouting, though she couldn’t quite make out the words. Eddie’s voice was getting louder and clearer, the guitar reverberating through her chest.

There wasn’t much space left between Lily and the opening of the portal, but she knew the song was coming to an end and she had to get there before it did.

She was almost surprised when she reached the end of the race, when she slammed back down to the ground, when her best friend abruptly stopped singing and jumped on top of her.

She was definitely surprised when he cradled her to his chest like she was something precious, like she was worth something to the man she’d been quietly pining for across DND tables and classrooms for all these years.

And when he pulled back, tears streaming down his cheeks, and smashed his mouth against hers? Had Eddie not been holding her up, a stray breeze could’ve made her topple over like a defeated King in a chess match.

Metaphors are hard, she thought distantly, still frozen as Eddie pulled away with a guilty look on his face, before burying his face into her shoulder and crying in earnest.

“If you ever pull something like that again, Sinclair, I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

Lily chuckled and grabbed his head gently, guiding him to look at her.

“I promise,” she whispered, still overwhelmed with joy. “If I ever do that again, I give you permission to kill me. As it stands, though,” her gaze dropped to his mouth and locked on his eyes an instant later. “I’d prefer it if you just kissed me.”

“Guys!” Dustin interrupted, as Eddie’s face turned into one of complete shock. “Aren’t we busy right now? I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’m a little anxious to check on everyone else! You can suck face later!”

“The attitude on this one!” Lily said mock-seriously. “I blame your parenting, Eddie.”

The man in question looked affronted. “This is all Steve’s doing!” He protested. “I’m gonna sue for full custody of this is how he lets his son treat his parents.”

It felt good to joke around after the stress of the past minutes. But, unfortunately, Dustin had a point. There were more important things they could be doing.

“After this is all over,” Lily said as they collectively clambered to their feet, getting ready to move onto the next thing. “You need to take me to dinner. I demand to be wined and dined.”

Eddie chucked and they began the treck to Vecna’s HQ. “Anything you want, darlin’. Just let me clear my name and we’ll be all set.”

“God, you guys are worse than me and Suzie! Keep it in your pants for 10 seconds, please. Jesus.” Dustin increased the pace as if trying to get away from the pair.

Eddie and Lily shared a look before jogging to catch up, Eddie pleading for forgiveness the whole time.

As for her, Lily wasn’t sure who would and wouldn’t make it out of the Upside Down. But she could hope, and hope was better than nothing.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson x original character #gift #eddie munson stranger things #season four #st s4 vol 2 #spoilers #st s4 vol 2 spoilers

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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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Y’all look at this I’m so excited

Unlucky Masterlist - Steve Harrington x Fem!Subject!Reader

Plot: On September 8th, 1979, a tragedy befalls the inner workings of Hawkins National Laboratories. Only three survivors emerged. One of them slipped into a coma, one of them watched, and one of them escaped...

Prologue

Chapter One: Thirteen

#steve harrington x reader #super powered! reader

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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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Guys this is such a fucking reach, but I don't care. I wil forever stand by the fact that Eddie's name was taken from Eddie, as if from Iron Maiden. In the infamous scene at the beginning of episode 8, he was holding maidens recording, while yelling the "THIS IS MUSIC!" line.

So, like, 1985 and 1896 albums feature Eddie the 'Ead coming back from the dead, with 1986 album featuring songs:

"caught somewhere in time"

"stranger in a strange land"

"heaven can wait"

You see where I'm going with this.

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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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This better be the first scene of Stranger Things Season 5

#stranger things spoilers #spoilers #st4 spoilers

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stratospherewalker · 3 years ago

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Hello to my followers, may I present to you this script they are filming rn it’s canon just trust me, I know stuff

Just Come Back

A/N: It's been a minute since I posted any writing but this fix-it fic was very much needed since The Duffer Brothers apparently lost all sense and reason and their good writing went straight out the window. Enjoy this, I hope it makes some of you feel better after that 💕

*******

Reader is a member of the Hawkins gang and has to sit out of the mission to kill Vecna. All they can do is stress the importance of all of their friends making it back to them.

************

Warnings: Violence, swearing

*****************

The cool breeze tickled your cheeks as you sat on the ground, busying yourself with fashioning a weapon out of a stick. You used one of the knives they'd picked up from The War Zone a few hours earlier, narrowly escaping Jason and his band of miscreants. Everything seemed to be going to help around you and you were desperate to keep yourself distracted.

A few shouts and protests could be heard nearby and you glanced up to see that Eddie and Dustin had started wrestling with each other, the pair tumbling around, laughing. A smile crept across your face at the sight. At least some things never changed. You watched as Eddie suddenly took Dustin by the shoulders and said something to him. Dustin's face dropped slightly and you felt a twinge in your chest. But then, Eddie was laughing and smiling again, never remaining too serious. Typical Munson.

"Be careful, Eddie." You called out as they started messing around again. "We all know Henderson could take you any day."

Eddie ceased trying to tackle Dustin and his gaze met yours, a playful smile on his face. He slowly made his way over to you, his grin never ceasing. "Maybe you'd like to try your hand?"

"Me? That's hardly a fair fight. I could take you easily."

"Is that so?" He asked, a mischevious glint in his eye. You gave him a warning stare.

"Eddie, don't you dare."

He didn't listen, instead surging forward and picking you up with ease, spinning you around. You heard Dustin chuckle as you screamed lightly before bursting into a fit of giggles yourself. You struggled to fight back and almost fell over in your attempt but Eddie was there to catch you. His hands remained at your sides as you took a deep breath, your happiness fading as the sombre reality hit you again.

"You alright?" Eddie asked, immediately picking up on your change in demeanour. You looked up at him and his eyes searched yours. You shook your head and his hand came up to your cheek gently, an act of reassurance. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know, Eddie. This whole plan, you guys going back into the Upside Down, the kids risking their lives. So many things could go wrong. I'm just scared that it might not work out for us this time."

"Hey, look at me." He said. You did so and he gave you a smile, that smile that always made you a little weak.

You hadn't always known Eddie. You'd been friends with Steve and Robin and faced off against the monsters with them before. In turn, you'd become a main figure in the kid's lives and one day, you'd offered to drop Dustin off at one of his Hellfire Club meetings. That was when you'd met Eddie. You'd literally bumped into him in the parking lot which had caused you to splutter out about a thousand apologies. Eddie had been pretty much head over heels since day one, and it hadn't taken you too long to fall for his rugged charm either. Now here the two of you were, taking on the world together.

"I won't pretend to know what the hell is going on because, let's face it, between the two of us, you're the certified expert on the supernatural." He remarked, which made you chuckle. Eddie's heart soared, he loved making you laugh. "But one thing I do know is that we're not going down without a fight." He laced his other hand in yours. "No more retreating for Eddie the Banished."

"I wish you wouldn't call yourself that." You admitted with a small melancholy smile. "It makes you sound like a criminal, and that's not who you are."

"I think half of Hawkins would disagree."

"Yeah, well, they don't know the real you. I wish they did. They're small-minded and cowardly. You're not."

Eddie squeezed your hand gently. "You know, I wish I could see myself the way you do." He said, which made your heart ache. Eddie was your hero, but to him, he was just a coward who couldn't stop running. You knew he was so much more than that.

"Hey, lovebirds!" You heard Steve call across to you and you both glanced in his direction. "Let's wrap it up with the doe-eyes and get going, yeah?"

You rolled your eyes as you looked back to Eddie. "He never changes, huh?"

"Hey, Harrington is your best friend."

"He's still an idiot." You grinned as the two of you made your way back to the trailer.

***

You'd made a quick pit-stop at your house before setting the plan in motion. There was something you needed to get. Your lucky coin. You'd won it at a fair when you were seven and, as stupid as it might have sounded, you genuinely believed it offered you some kind of luck. It was easy to find, kept safely on the dresser in your bedroom. You grabbed it quickly and hurried back outside.

As you did so, you immediately noticed the van coasting down the road. Your heart rate picked up as you noticed the driver. Jason. He was on the look-out for something, or someone. You knew who he was likely looking for. A chill went down your spine at the expression on his face. He didn't look sad anymore over Chrissy. He looked hollow, like all the humanity had been drained from him. What would he do if he got hold of one of the kids? You dreaded to think. Something had to be done. With that thought in your head, you hurried back to the trailer park.

***

"Wait, what are you saying?" Steve asked you as the group circled around you in the stolen trailer. "You think he's onto us?"

"I don't think so." You replied. "But I know he has half the town after Hellfire, and if someone spots one of them tonight and he goes after them, I don't know what he'd do. You should have seen the look on his face." You shuddered at the memory.

"I saw it too." Nancy chimed in. "At The War Zone. He looked empty."

"Consumed by vengeance." You nodded before looking at everyone in turn. They were listening intently. "I just have this feeling that something bad might happen."

"So, what do you think we should do?" Robin asked. "Call off the plan?"

"We can't do that." Max said.

"She's right." Dustin added. "This is our only shot at killing Vecna. If we don't do this, everyone dies."

You let the words soak in before glancing to Steve, who looked concerned as he ran his hand through his hair. Out of everyone, the two of you were most concerned about the well-being of the kids, having been the certified babysitters the longest. He met your gaze and you gave a decisive nod.

"I'll stay behind." You volunteered.

"Woah, hang on, are you sure?" Eddie asked from beside you on the couch.

"Yes." You said. "I'll stay in the trailer and be the go-between. I can still be there to help out you and Dustin, and if anything goes south at Kreel House, I can book it over there to help out."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Robin asked. "That would mean effectively putting you out of the plan."

"The one thing that matters to me is that all of you come back safe." You replied. "I can do this." You looked to Erica. "If anything goes wrong at any point, you call me on the walkie-talkie. SOS, that's our code word, got it?"

She nodded in affirmation as the others all accepted the new turn of events. "Alright." Nancy said. "Everyone else's job remains the same. Are we all clear?"

There were nods from the rest of the group as everyone got themselves ready for the fight.

***

It wasn't long before you'd stopped Max, Lucas and Erica off at Kreel House and the rest of you were standing under the gate at Eddie's trailer. It was time for the plan to be set in motion.

You hugged Robin first, holding on tight to one of your best friends. As you pulled away, you nodded to her. "You got this, OK? I know you do."

"Your faith in me gives me a little hope." She joked. "Be careful down here, yeah?"

"Always." You replied before it was time to hug Steve. Your best friend pulled you into a bone crushing hug, as if he scared to let you go.

"Anything goes wrong, give them hell and don't be reckless." He told you, to which you chuckled.

"You're about to face a murderous monster and you're worried about me? Classic Harrington."

"Yeah, I'll take my chances with the evil wizard, I think." He told you as he pulled away. You kept your hands on his shoulders.

"Be careful, OK? I don't need a Steve Harrington shaped hole in my life, alright."

He smiled and playfully pushed you, to which you retaliated. "Enough with the cheese. We're both gonna be fine."

You said your goodbyes to Nancy and Dustin, making them both promise to come back safe. And then, it was time to say goodbye to Eddie.

"Saved the best for last, huh?" He grinned at you as you turned to him. You rolled your eyes.

"Figured you'd need a second to prepare. We all know how dramatic you can be."

He smiled lightly, shaking his head. "You know, I kind of wish you were coming with us. I feel like nothing bad can happen if you're here."

"Well, in that case." You reached into your pocket and took out your lucky penny. You gazed at it quickly before pressing it into Eddie's hand. "Take it. Even if the luck isn't real, you'll still have a piece of me with you, right?"

Eddie held the coin between his fingers before pressing it to his lips and smiling at you. "I'll never let it go."

"I wanna be able to hear that guitar solo across dimensions, by the way."

"Oh, absolutely. This is going to be totally metal. The most important thing is that I kill it, right?"

You couldn't help but feel a twinge as you took in his excited expression about getting to shred his guitar in an alternate dimension. Only Eddie.

"The most important thing is that you come back to me." You said, trying to choke back a sob. "Just come back, promise me?"

Eddie's expression softened at your words as he noticed you holding back tears. "I promise." He assured you. You nodded quickly before pulling him into a tight hug, burying your face in his shoulder. He hugged you back even tighter and then, all too soon, it was time. You slowly pulled away and looked at each of the group.

"All of you are coming back. No exceptions."

"Alright." Nancy declared. "Let's go kill this sucker."

***

You waited in the trailer, nervously tapping your fingers on the table-top. You checked your watch religiously. Things seemed to be taking far too long and you were growing anxious. What if something had happened. What if Vecna had seen them coming? What if they'd gotten lost? What if, what if, what if?

Your spiralling thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Dustin all but falling through the gate, breathless and in a panic. You jumped up and hurried over to him. "What happened?" You asked, glancing up at the gate. Eddie was there on the other side and you could hear the sounds of flapping wings in the distance. The demobats.

"Eddie, come on, we're so close!" Dustin yelled at him. You watched as he glanced back, obviously debating something. All of a sudden, your worst fears were realised as he reached up and cut down the rope hanging through the gate, preventing either of you from following him.

"What are you doing?" Dustin shouted.

Eddie looked up at the two of you, a look in his eye that you could immediately decipher. He was going off-book, he was trying to be the hero he felt like he needed to be to redeem himself. "Buying more time."

You couldn't hold back your scream as he made to run away, to lure the bats away. "Eddie, stop!"

Something in your voice stopped in his tracks. You never yelled at him like that. He hesitated before taking a step back and looking up at you. You seized the opportunity.

"I know you think you need to do this. I know you feel guilty for leaving Chrissy. For running from Jason. You think you need to some sacrificial shit to save everybody. But listen to me, Eddie. You don't deserve to die for a town that hates you so much. A town that is actively hunting you right now. You know what you deserve? You deserve to graduate, you deserve to get out of this shitty town and build a future, to keep playing guitar, to be there for the people who need you, OK? Your uncle needs you. Hellfire needs you. And I need you."

The sound of wings was getting louder and Eddie glanced back again. Then his eyes met yours. "They need more time."

"OK, OK." You said. "I can't stop you from acting as bait. But don't you dare pull some kind of stunt here. You find somewhere to hide until it's over, OK? You're not running away, alright? You're running towards a future that we get to have together. You promised me, Eddie. You promised me you'd come back. Don't you dare break that promise."

Suddenly, the walkie-talkie in your hand came to life and Erica's voice came through. "SOS. Jason found us." Her voice cut out. Panic overtook you and you looked back to Eddie.

"Promise me."

Eddie hesitated for a moment before he nodded. "I promise." Was all he said before darting off. You were scared for him but you didn't have time to think about that right now. You turned to Dustin.

"Be careful, OK?" You told him before you ran out of the trailer towards your car and made for Kreel House.

***

You arrived in mere minutes and immediately spotted Erica being held down by one of Jason's crew. You jumped out your car and surged towards him, using your strength to push him off. You'd learnt a thing or two in your time fighting the Upside Down and your combat skills were impeccable. Erica scrambled up and helped you out by delivering a swift kick to the guy, who doubled over in pain.

"Next time, pick on someone your own size." You hissed at him as he fell to the floor. "Erica, where are Max and Lucas?"

***

Lucas was struggling against Jason's grip when you made it to the attic. Max was in another trance. To your horror, you saw her Walkman crumpled on the floor. No Kate Bush, no chance against Vecna. However, you were nothing if not prepared.

"Here." You handed the spare you'd brought with you to Erica. "Quickly, put the headphones on Max." You wasted no time in surfing towards Jason, who hadn't noticed you yet in his bid to attack Lucas. You pulled him back by the collar, taking him by surprise. When he tried to twist and grab you, you shoved him against the wall, keeping one arm locked against his chest. You seethed with anger as you beheld the man who was so hell-bent on hurting the people you loved.

"If you touch him again, I will kill you." You told him, before shoving him to floor. The force caused him to land unconscious.

"Max, no!" You heard Lucas scream and you turned in horror to see her being lifted from the ground once more. Thankfully, Erica had succeeded in putting the headphones on, Kate Bush drifting out. You gently pulled Lucas and Erica back, the three of you watching on, hoping against hope that Max had it in her to fight back again.

"Come on, Max." You whispered, suddenly wishing you had your lucky penny on you after all.

Then, all of a sudden, you heard her gasp and she fell to the floor, her eyes open as she looked around in terror. Lucas was by her side in an instant, pulling her into him. You couldn't hold back a relieved laugh as you ran over to the two of them, hugging them tightly.

"Oh my God, we thought we'd lost you again." You breathed.

"Eleven." Max croaked out. "She was there. She helped me."

"What?" Lucas questioned her.

"Why don't we nail down specifics later, yeah?" You suggested. "For now, let's get you guys out of here."

***

You drove the kids back to the trailer park in time to see the others slowly making their way out. They all looked worse for wear and, for a split second, you feared the absolute worst.

But then, just behind Dustin, limping out of the trailer as Steve held him up, there he was. He looked beaten, bloody and bruised. But he was alive. Eddie.

You all but flew out of the car and across the park to throw your arms around him. He winced in pain but he slowly wrapped his arms around you in return. You breathed him in, feeling so safe in his arms.

"You didn't run away." You whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Well, I had a promise to keep." He replied, before reaching down and rooting around in his pocket. You pulled away to see what he was doing. He took out your lucky coin, holding it in the air. "I guess thing this really is lucky."

You chuckled through your tears. "I'm never letting you go again, OK?"

"Hope not. This is where I wanna be. Right here with you, always."

You kept an arm around him to keep him upright as you took in everyone. "Did we actually do it?"

"Not exactly." Nancy said. "We thought we'd killed Vecna but then he sort of...disappeared. We don't know where he went."

"Wait, so he could come back?" Lucas asked, as he and Max joined the group. Max held onto him for support, still weak from her ordeal. Her and Eddie really needed some medical attention.

"It doesn't matter." You said. "Because we're all still here, and if Max is right, so are Eleven and the others. And if Vecna comes back, we'll be ready. We can win, I know we can."

"Fighting words." Robin remarked.

"Yeah, your positivity is really unwavering, huh?" Steve joked. You smiled.

"We can come up with a plan tomorrow. For now, we need to get you guys patched up."

"After you." Eddie motioned before almost falling over from lack of strength. Now it was your turn to catch him.

"Why don't we go together?"

"I think that's for the best." He wheezed as you helped him toward your car. It was just so good to have him in your arms again. He came back to you.

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