#Gareth is DONE with eddie haha

[youmakemyhearthowl]

Punk Princess

Ao3| Part 1| Part 2| Part 3| Part 4| Part 5 | Part 6| Part 7 (Next Part)| Part 8| Part 9 | Part 10

(this one got a little angsty but it’s not super bad I promise)

“This was such a bad idea.” Eddie groans, his eyes flicking over to Gareth sprawled across his bed. Gareth snorts, scrambling to grab a pillow and chucking it at Eddie's head.

“Dude you’ve been half in love with this guy for years, and basically cream your pants every time you see him now. You should be excited.” 

“That's the problem Gareth, what if I say something embarrassing in front of him again?” Because apparently Eddie's brain has no idea how to be a normal person and say normal things when it comes to Steve. Case in point, he told the guy they weren’t even friends and Steve had looked like he’d slapped him. Which, Jesus they weren’t really friends, they were people that spoke sometimes in the halls or when they needed to bum a smoke, but apparently when Steve latched on, he latched on. 

Not that Eddie was complaining, the opposite really. 

But if jock Steve had Eddie flustered, punk Steve just completely turned off his brain. And the pastels Steve had been adding to his wardrobe were basically melting Eddie into a puddle cause the fucker looked so soft, he just wanted to smother him in a hug and kiss all over his face and Eddie focus. 

“He seems to like that you say embarrassing stuff, he’s been flirting with you for weeks now.” Jeff pipes up from where he’s hanging upside down off the bed next to Gareth. “And you said that princess line and said he seemed to react really  well to it.”

“What if this is like some elaborate prank, pretend to be punk to make fun of the only openly queer kid in the school.” Eddie grumbles, and he knows that’s not the case. Steve was a mean girl sure, he always had been, but he’d only ever really dished it out to people who deserved it and let Tommy do whatever he wanted to everyone else. Which isn't great, but Steve was quickly showing that he was trying to be a better person here and Eddie should give him more credit than that.

“I don’t think Steve got his face quite literally smashed in by Billy Hargrove for a prank to embarrass you Eddie.” Macks voice trails into the room as he makes his way back from the bathroom.

“I’m sorry what?” All three boys sit straight up, eyes locking on Mack. He looks surprised.

“You guys haven’t heard? Fuck man I saw him at the gas station earlier today with Hopper and some kids, and the dudes sporting an entire face of bruising. It looked pretty bad to be completely honest, and I heard Billy’s kid sister talking to that Dustin Henderson kid about how they needed to make sure Steve went to the hospital because they were pretty sure Billy broke a cheek bone or something like that.” 

“Jesus Christ.” The words come out a whisper just as the phone starts ringing causing all of them to jump. Eddie scurries over to the landline, plucking it off the receiver.

“Harry's Barbeque and Crematorium, you kill em’ we grill em’ what can I do for you?” Eddie snickers.

“Eddie?” The voice that comes through the phone is soft.

“That’s whos talkin’.”

“Uh, hey, it's Will, Will Byers, I got your number from Steve. I hope that's okay.” Eddie racks his brain a bit, trying to put a face to the name, when he is suddenly struck with who in fact is on his phone. Of course Steve was protective of his kids, if the boy who went missing last year was one of them. Jesus.

“What’s up baby Byers, how can I assist thee?”

“Steve… uh Steve isn’t allowed to drive right now, and I can’t bike to his house for the campaign tonight and was wondering if… well if you could maybe drive me?” This kid is adorable, Eddie decides.

“I got you kiddo.” Will mumbles off the address and Eddie hangs up before scampering back to his bedroom, “I’ve gotta kick you guys out early, Lil Byers needs a ride.” Three groans echo through the room, but the guys get up without much complaint and scamper off to do whatever it is they do without Eddie around. 

Will doesn’t talk much on the drive over, which is fine by Eddie really, so they listen to his music with Will occasionally offering him directions to get to Steves. What he isn’t expecting is when they pull up to an old cabin in the middle of bum fuck no where and Will tells him this is it. 

“I thought Steve lived in Loch Nora?” The surprise must be palpable in his voice because Will kinda freezes up.

“He used to yea. But he’s lived here since the summer.” And that is a slap in the face if Eddies ever had one, because that means, that means that a 17 year old Steve Harrington is living in a cabin in the middle of the fucking woods alone, because everybody knows the Harrington's wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this. Eddie tries to keep the realization off his face as he hurries out of the car to follow Will into the house, whisper yells echoing around the walls as they walk in.

“Dustin, would you stop talking so damn loud man.” Steve's voice rings out as they make their way into the living room where the kids and Steve have apparently set up their very own Dungeon, with a throne at the head of a table completely decked out in DnD minis. Eddie stops in his tracks when he gets a glimpse of Steve because  Jesus fuck, Mack wasn’t kidding. Steve's entire face was splattered with purples and yellows, his left eye red around the iris. And by the looks of it his eyebrow piercing was ripped out.

“Hey!” Dustin exclaims running over to Eddie at full speed before barrelling into him. “I’m Dustin man, it’s so cool to meet you! Steve told us you’re practically a god at DMing.” Eddie can see a soft pink pushing through the bruising on Steve's face and he shoots him a smile.

“Steve, when is your boyfriend getting here?” Robin Buckley's voice dances around the tall ceilings in the cabin as she stumbles into the living room with everyone else. Eddie tries to stifle his laugh at Steve's groan as Robin gently cards her arms around his waist and squeaks, hiding her face in his neck once she notices Eddie standing right there. Steves dressed softer than Eddies seen him at school and it’s pulling a little too much at his heart strings as he takes in the pair of them. Robin and him sporting matching black and pink plaid pajama pants and Steve in a massive oversized band sweater that Eddie can’t make out the faded name on. From where it rides up as Robin hugs him, Eddie can make out a shoe print bruise just below his belly button and a few dark  bruises as well as… 

Wait holy shit is that a tattoo peeking out of the top of his pants? 

Nope, no focus Eddie, now is not the time to pop a boner. 

He’s acutely aware that he knew Billy probably didn’t fight fair, but seeing the evidence all over Steve, and knowing there's probably more hidden under his clothing, makes Eddie's throat close up. What the fuck happened? It’s all that's playing on loop in his mind as Steve pats Robin's head.

“Alright shit birds, there's food and drinks on the counter so help yourselves, but me and Robin are going to be in the basement watching some weird French film with the volume low for my headache. Please behave and don’t be rude to Eddie. Also please don’t yell if you need anything, just come down the stairs and ask for it at a normal volume. I am begging you.” The kids are all nodding their heads along to Steve's words, and that's when Eddie realizes that Billy Hargrove's kid sister is sitting on the couch in the corner with another girl he’s never seen before. Curiosity eats away at his brain as he watches her smile softly at Steve and tell him that her and the other girl, El, will be fine and if the boys get to be too much they’ll come down stairs. 

Steve Harrington is an enigma wrapped in an enigma because what in the fuck man?

Steve shoots Eddie a soft smile as he makes his way down stairs with his arm thrown over Robin's shoulder to help support him.

“Um…” Eddie starts looking at the 6 faces staring at him now. “Hi, I’m Eddie?” He does a bit of a half wave as he makes his way over to the throne sitting in front of the table and the boys scramble to take their seats as well.

“Yea we know.” Dustin speaks up.

“I’m Lucas and this is Max, El and Mike.”  Eddie nods as he points out each person sitting in the living room with him.

“Please do not mind Steve not introducing you to us. He is not feeling well.” El’s soft voice travels over to where he’s sitting.

“Yea I can… uh I can see that. Is he okay?” Eddie's question is met with the children around the room sharing a few looks, communicating without words and it's more than a little freaky to experience.

“He’s alive.” Is what Will settles on saying, and if that doesn’t just break Eddie's heart. Because had there been a point where he might not have been that made them feel the need to land on that answer? Mike shoots Will a small glare and Will just shrugs in response.

“Was he… like… not?” Eddie can’t help the question from slipping out, his curiosity too strong, and his heart aching too much.

He’s met with an eerie silence before Max is suddenly jumping up and exclaiming that she’s decided she wants to join the game and they need to teach her. But Eddie’s not an idiot and he knows a deflection when he sees one, so he bites his tongue, sliding into his DM roll smoothly, and the campaign begins. 

~~

Here's the thing.

Steve’s head is killing him and he should have rescheduled the little DnD night he’d planned for the kids, but after the Upside Down had come back again, and the kids had had to deal with thinking Steve was dead for a solid 20 minutes until he’d woken up in the back of Billy's Camaro with Max driving, he figured they deserved this. Aches be damned.

He’d been hoping he could fall asleep wrapped up in Robin as they watched her weird film, but once it had ended she was out cold drooling on his shoulder and he was still wide awake and in need of more pain medication. So he sighed and stumbled his way back up the stairs only to realize that the kids and Eddie seemed to be taking a snack break.

“Steve.” Eddie spots him instantly, making his way over to where Steve had stopped at the top of the stairs to admire the way Eddie's skinny jeans and Hellfire shirt hugged him.

“What’s up stud?” Steve smiled crookedly at Eddie, his lip ring pulling at the split in his lip. Eddie's hand comes up to gently cup Steve's cheek, barely touching it as he takes in the bruising and discoloration. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Steve just smiles at him, his head and mouth aching too much to really offer any words as Eddie gently places his pain medication into his hand, Dustin coming up next to him with a water bottle.

“We figured you were due for some more, so we took a break in case you came up so we weren’t being all loud.” Dustin smiles, watching as El comes up to Steve and gently cards her arms around his middle, squishing in between him and Eddie and burying her face in his stomach.

“Thanks Dustin,” Steve knows his voice sounds a little wrecked, the tug on his heart these kids give him has him holding back tears as he wraps his free hand around El to hold her close.He’s trying to think of something to say, but his brains still foggy from the concussion and the thoughts keep sliding away as soon as he has them, when suddenly Eddies hand still cradling his face pulls his attention softly back to him.

“We should maybe get you to bed, Princess. Rest is good for healing.” and that definitely doesn't help any coherent thought stick with Steve so he just nods, as El grabs his hand and leads him slowly towards his room , standing on her tiptoes so he doesn’t have to bend down too far for her to put a barely felt kiss on his cheek.

“Hopper says you can always kiss it better.” She mutters shyly as Steve ruffles her hair and disappears behind his bedroom door, his heart full and warm. He’s vaguely aware of Eddie’s strangled noise that comes at the display of affection he and El just had.

Ao3| Part 1| Part 2| Part 3| Part 4| Part 5 | Part 6| Part 7 (Next Part)| Part 8|  Part 9 | Part 10

[piratefishmama]

Fake it till you Make it | Part 20

So now, he was sat in a car, with a rich older man.

To some little queer boys, this would be a dream come true, especially since the older man wasn’t half bad in terms of looks, that all American square jaw, strong nose, the works. Plus… rich.

But this wasn’t a rich older man whisking him away, no, this was Steve Harrington’s regularly absent father taking him grocery shopping.

It’d been a wild day.

“So…” Eddie didn’t do well with silence. Silence never sat right with him. Had to fill it somehow, be it with silly noises, random singing, or conversation with any person in his vicinity. “They uhm, they do that often?”

“It’s a family thing, I think we’re all as bad as each other.” At least he was self-aware, the eldest Harrington still watching the road as they drove through the small town, he knew where he was going though, each turn done as if he’d driven the route enough to do it blindfolded. “Lynda’s a lawyer so, that should explain that” loved being right, it was her job to be right, even if she was actually wrong, she had to make out like she was right and she did it well. “I’m a middle child” explained both everything and nothing at all, “and Steven… I think he got a little bit of both of us. I’d have thought you’d be used to that though, since you’re dating him.”

“Ah-haha, I mean… don’t get me wrong, I’ve always known about Steve’s uhm… how to phrase this… mean girl streak?” John snorted a little laugh, emboldened, Eddie continued, “he’s like everyone’s disappointed mother, always with the little—” Eddie shifted in his seat, just about managing to put his hands on his hips and cock them weirdly in place “pose that he does when he’s oh so very disappointed in you. I used to thrive on it back in high school, whenever he’d catch Tommy H or the other basketball goons bullying the kids, he’d just stand there like he’d caught his kids with their hands in the cookie jar, an they’d actually just… cower, like he could actually do anything to them. It was the funniest shit I’d ever seen.”

It'd actually been quite the surprise when that’d happened the first time, it didn’t happen often, Steve had been a douchebag, not the ‘shove your head in a toilet’ kind of douchebag, or the ‘shove Gareth in a locker’ kind of douchebag.

No, he was the mega bitch douchebag who could flash a smile and drop every set of panties in his immediate vicinity, he was the douchebag who KNEW he could do that. Who carried himself high with the knowledge, lording it over everyone without… ever actually lording it, it was a presence kind of thing. An attitude.

And maybe, occasionally, he’d have been the douchebag who didn’t really see anyone unless he wanted to see them, didnt really pay any attention to those not on his radar, those not in his friend group, which led to many an accidental shoulder check, which had in turn led to Eddie’s own personal little vendetta because he’d lost one of his prized mini figs to the underside of the Hawkins High trophy case when Steve had walked by a little too close and shoved him just hard enough to send Eddie’s shit flying.

Had just kept walking as if he hadn’t even seen him. Asshole.

It was only when he’d first been seen hanging around Wheeler that his personality had shifted toward something reasonably human. Thanks Wheeler, the sacrifice of your time and patience hath created a god among men.

“So he was never… bad then?”

“Nah” no sense bad mouthing the boyfriend, that wouldn’t get him anywhere. “Real Prince Charming in a perfectly pressed polo shirt. He’s amazing, sir… you have nothing to worry about with Steve, he’s… one in a million.” Now anyway.

“Good. Good.” And then he fell silent, the quiet stretch lasting nearly five minutes with only the faint music playing on low volume from the radio to fill that silence, until the eldest Harrington pulled the car into a quiet carpark, and parked. “Here we are!” Oh thank Christ.

“We can't keep doing this.” Steve was the first one to speak up during their mutual living room silent treatment, finally looking at this mother after nearly an hour of watching a gentle snowfall that’d started outside. He hoped it wouldn't get heavier before Eddie got back.

“I have no idea what you—”

“Mom.” Steve cut her off, his eyes sharp and tone firm. “We can’t keep doing this. This bickering, this who’s right who’s wrong shit, we’ve gotta stop, at least here.” If not for their own sanity, but for the image he was giving Eddie of his family life.

Of what he might possibly maybe be getting himself into if Steve could actually swing a real relationship by the end of the week. The chances of him saying yes were already pretty farfetched, but if Steve’s parents were their worst selves…

Why would Eddie want to subject himself to that long term?

She paused, expression unreadable, something she’d mastered years ago for the court room, then she sighed. “I know, Steven.” She sighed heavily “Sometimes I forget that you’re a grown up now, that you can argue right back and actually stand your ground.” It only felt like yesterday when he was tugging uncomfortably at the little bowtie they used to make him wear for special occasions, all dressed up looking up at them with those big hazel eyes of his. His childhood only felt like yesterday. “I miss when you were cute and just did as you were told” she sniffled. Back when his parents had been there regularly before their duties had pulled them away. Before distance had strained them and they missed everything. Steve rolled his eyes but said nothing as his mother continued “Anyway, i agree. I think I’d prefer it if Eddie didn’t go away from this trip thinking John to be the most mature of us.”

“God, could you imagine?” Steve shook his head to free himself of the truly harrowing thought, allowing the subject to change. “I really like him, Mom... I didn’t expect to at first, not enough to want something long term with him anyway...” He’d thought it’d be easy to just pretend with him at first, but Eddie just had this... thing about him, Steve didn’t really know how to explain it, he just felt like home. Maybe it should have been alarming as to how fast that’d happened but... Steve had always rushed into things, funnily enough he didn’t think Eddie minded. “So I’d really like it if he liked all of us by the end of this, an if he only likes Dad cause of our bullshit, I think I might just disown the both of you.” The last part said in jest but... god he’d never let it go.

He’d lockjaw it until the end of time, would take it out on special occasions and shake it in their faces like look what you did. Look at what you cost me.

“Honestly, sweetheart I think I’d disown myself.” Lynda laughed, the air finally lightening up a little between them. “Here, how about we go see if the maintenance men pilfered the wine cellar? I’m positive Mags was hiding a damn good red down there among the cabernet that I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want to go to waste...”

“Well... we probably should check it... just in case, y’know? For security reasons.” Not that he actually doubted the integrity of the maintenance crew, they’d been employees for years, they’d known his grandparents, had worked for them in their later years when time had started to catch up to them, and a steady gig passing through generations wasn’t something to scoff at.

“Security, absolutely.” But then, the contents of the wine cellar alone was probably worth more than the actual house, so… better double check.

For security reasons.

Part 22

[pizzaqueen]

This was meant to be a few sentences… It is now more than that haha

1.1k of fluff and silliness

Eddie gets drunker than he usually gets one night, when he’s home alone. He’s feeling sorry for himself, which is also unusual for him, but he’d hung out with Steve earlier and Steve had looked even prettier than normal. Fuck. He is so so pretty.

Eddie’s never felt like this before. It’s driving him crazy. He can’t stand being some kind of lovestruck idiot, even if Steve is beautiful and funny and brave and kind and being around him feels like heavy metal and D&D all in one.

Jesus Christ. This is ridiculous. He just needs to get it out of his system somehow.

And, in his drunk mind, the best way to do this is write Steve a letter. Lay it all out. Each and every feeling, no matter how embarrassing. No holds barred.

He finds a pad of paper and a pen and writes furiously. When he’s done, he shoves it in an envelope, writes Steve’s address on it and—

Shit. No stamps. It’s fine. He’ll have to mail it in the morning. And then he collapses on the couch and passes out, the letter clutched in his hand.

Eddie wakes up with a blanket draped over him, a pounding headache, and the feeling he’s done something spectacularly stupid. He manages to get himself off the couch, takes the aspirin left on the coffee table with the glass of water by them, and makes himself some coffee.

As the caffeine kicks in, last night comes back to him. Pining over Steve. Writing the letter—

The letter! Shit. He’s so glad they didn’t have stamps. He’s going to tear that stupid thing up and never think about it again. Except… It’s not by the paper and pen he’d used to write it.

Eddie searches everywhere for the letter, starting to wonder if maybe it was a beer-fueled nightmare after all, when he spots a note on the coffee table. It’s by the empty glass and he doesn’t know how he missed it earlier, but, as he reads it, his heart sinks. It’s from Wayne. And he’s gone to the post office.

Eddie dresses quickly, hangover forgotten, and races to the post office. He tells them he sent a letter by mistake, can he get it back but, no dice. They won’t give him the letter back no matter how much he pleads. (He actually gets down on his knees but they only kick him out.)

He considers breaking into the post office—he’s pretty sure Gareth would help—but dealing to people looking for a good time is one thing. Breaking into a government building is another. And, okay, Eddie would totally do it because these are extreme circumstances—and it’s his damn letter anyway—but he doesn’t want to let Wayne down.

So, he’ll just have to intercept it after it’s been delivered but before Steve gets it. Shouldn’t be too hard so long as Steve is at work or somewhere else (like on a date, which Eddie doesn’t want to think about) and his mom’s not there. And Steve’s dad is guaranteed to be at work.

He stakes out the Harrington house and, after the mailman delivers the day’s mail, he scurries over and is about to open the mailbox, take back his letter, when a car pulls up.

“Eddie?”

Eddie looks over to see Steve’s mom getting out of the car, one hand on her hip, looking at him oddly. “Mrs. Harrington. How are you on this fine day?”

“Fine, thanks.” Her eyes narrow. “What are you doing?”

“I, uh…” Eddie rubs the back of his neck. “I was just passing and… Need me to bring your mail in?”

“I can manage it, thanks.” She raises a brow, shakes her head. “But you can help me with the groceries.”

“Yes! I would love to help you with the groceries.”

She shakes her head again and goes around to open the trunk. Together, they haul the groceries in, Eddie keeping one eye on the mail the whole time. There’s a moment, in the kitchen, when Mrs. Harrington is putting eggs in the fridge that Eddie tries to slip the letter out of the pile but Mrs. Harrington turns back around too soon.

“Steven will be home soon,” she says, “if you want to stay for dinner.”

“Uh, can’t… I have to…” He looks at the letters. This is never going to work. Fuck. “I have to go now Bye.” And he turns tail and runs.

New plan: he’s going to move to Canada, change his name to Freddie Bunson, maybe cut his hair… No, too dramatic. Canada and the name change is enough.

In the end, he doesn’t go to Canada, but he does hide. It’s just… He really didn’t hold anything back in the letter and now Steve will know exactly how he feels and Eddie is pretty sure Steve won’t hold it against him but, even if it somehow doesn’t ruin their friendship, nothing’s ever going to be the same again.

But the thing about small towns is you can’t hide forever. That and Steve knows where he lives. It’s the next night and Eddie’s waiting for Gareth when there’s a knock at the door, so he opens it without thinking (not that smart of him, but Gareth’s bringing pizza and Eddie’s hungry.)

But it’s not Gareth with pizza. It’s Steve. And he’s holding the letter.

Eddie slams the door shut.

There’s another knock and Steve calls out, “Hey, man, open up.”

Shit shit shit. Eddie runs a hand over his face and opens the door. He leans on the frame, aiming for nonchalant. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I got your letter.”

“Letter?”

Steve holds the letter up.

“Oh, that letter.”

“I thought we should talk about it.”

And Eddie breaks: “Look, man, I was drunk and I just… I shouldn’t have written it, okay? Can we pretend that I didn’t?”

“Uh, yeah, if you want, but…”

“But what?”

“I kind of liked it.”

Eddie blinks. “You… What?”

“I liked it. A lot, actually. I wanted to write one back, which is why I didn’t come as soon as I read it but I’m not good at writing shit down.” Steve shrugs. “So, I thought I could tell you, instead.”

“Tell me?”

“Yeah.” Steve swallows. “Can I come in?”

Eddie nods numbly, standing aside to let Steve in, heart beating hard.

And Eddie’s right. The letter does change everything. But it’s a good change. A really good change. He’s so damn glad Wayne mailed the letter.

(Steve keeps the letter tucked away safely and, years later, when he and Eddie move in together, he gets it framed and it hangs in their living room, and happily tells anyone who asks the whole story, including the parts he didn’t know at the time, but Eddie filled him in on later. It’s a little embarrassing, sure, but Eddie doesn’t care. Because Steve is always so happy when he tells it and it’s the best time Eddie’s made a fool of himself.)

[munson-blurbs]

Hey Bug! I have a request for a fic just in case you run out of ideas

Eddie gets bullied by Jason and those annoying basketball jerks all th time but doesn't tell anyone. When he sees them at the Hideout before he's about to perform he has a panic attack or something. Y/N is there because she still hasn't gotten over him. :D

Then backstage Y/N comfort's him

exes back to lovers

hurt/comfort

This might be way too specific but...........

;)

K bye

Combining with these two requests!

hello i love your blog so much and you're really one of the best writers here! <3 i'm honestly a slut for the enemies to lovers trope sksksks so i was hoping you could write one for eddie? then maybe sprinkled with a lil bit of jealousy haha thank you so much and ily <333

May i plz request an exes back to lovers with eddie x y/n? Maybe he cheated or something?

Warnings: smut (18+ only minors DNI!!!), fingering, p in v, panic attacks, mentions of cheating, mentions of oral, Jason Carver is present

WC: 3.9k

Thank you @firefly-graphics for the amazing dividers and @usedtobecooler, @trashmouth-richie, and @this-was-bad-sorry for dialogue help!

--

Reader:

"Babe, where are you taking me?" you ask your boyfriend, snuggling up against him as he just grins and continues driving.

"You'll see," Jason answers teasingly. "I told you that we'll be doing a full 'Welcome Home' tour of Hawkins when you got back from college, and that's what we're gonna do."

Since you'd been home for the summer, he'd brought you to Benny's, Enzo's, Skull Rock, and Lover's Lake. Hawkins is a small town; there wasn't much else to do around here.

You and Jason had been together for six months after you ran into him when you came home for Thanksgiving. You'd bumped into each other at the grocery store, frantically scrambling to buy last-minute ingredients. It was hard to see him; he wasn't nice to you or your friends back in high school. But then he'd apologized, offered to take you out for coffee to show you how much he'd changed, and the rest was history.

Your stomach drops when he pulls into the Hideout parking lot. It brings back memories of watching your ex-boyfriend and his band play there. You and Eddie would fool around backstage until it was time for them to perform, and you would stand in the audience of five drunks and cheer like you were at a Metallica concert. It was a tradition, every Tuesday night.

Wait...

"What day is it?" you mutter to yourself, but Jason thinks you're asking him.

"It's Tuesday," he answers, blissfully unaware of what that means. "Why, you got plans?" he jokes.

You can just manage to shake your head, palms suddenly slick with sweat. Maybe Corroded Coffin didn't play on Tuesday nights anymore. Maybe you wouldn't have to see the man who shattered your heart into a million pieces.

Eddie:

"We're on in twenty minutes," Jeff tells him, slinging the strap of his guitar over his shoulders. "You all tuned up?"

Eddie nods. "Yup, good to go." He glances at his kohl-rimmed eyes in the mirror. Since you two had broken up, he's had to learn how to apply his own eyeliner before shows, but it never looks as good as when you used to do it.

"Uh, guys?" Gareth pokes his head in the room nervously. "I think you might wanna see this."

They make their way to the side of the stage, peering out as inconspicuously as they can. Gareth points out to where Jason is standing at the bar with his tanned arm around some girl.

No...not just some girl, Eddie realizes. It's you.

"What the fuck?" he snarls, heart catching in his throat. "What's she doing with him?" He winces as Jason hands you a watered-down beer and kisses you, making you giggle.

Jeff claps a hand on his friend's back. "I'm sorry, dude," he says gently. "You gonna be okay?"

But Eddie doesn't hear him; doesn't hear anything besides a pounding in his ears. He feels like he's standing outside of his own body. His bandmates keep calling his name to no response.

She's with Jason now. She's done with me and moved onto the prick who made my life miserable for all of high school. I lost her and I'll never get her back. It's over it's over it's over...

"Eddie?" Gareth shakes him, too aware of the way his friend's chest is expanding and contracting at a rapid rate. This isn't the first time Eddie's had a panic attack, but it's the first time you haven't been there to calm him down. "What do we do?" he asks Jeff.

"I-I don't know!" Jeff cries out. "What did Y/N used to do?" He glances over in your direction. "Should I...would she even want to help after...?"

Gareth shrugs. "It's worth a shot!" he surmises, nudging Eddie again. "He's gonna hyperventilate." Tears involuntarily spill down Eddie's cheeks as he murmurs the same phrase again and again:

It's over it's over it's over...

Reader:

You're waiting for Jason to come back with a plate of fries, possibly the greasiest offering in all of Hawkins, when you feel a frantic tapping on your back. Your smile fades when you see Gareth in front of you, panting like he's just run a marathon.

"What do you want?" you hiss, remembering his role in everything that went down last year.

"Look," he starts, "I know you hate me, and you hate Eddie more, but he's having a panic attack backstage and we can't calm him down. I'm worried that he's gonna pass out. Please," he begs, not even bothering to finish his request. You know exactly what he's asking.

There's a knot in your stomach, twisting with your options. You could ditch Jason and help out the guy who cheated on you at your own graduation party, or you can let Eddie suffer and enjoy a night out with your boyfriend. You don't want to see Eddie; the words fuck off are on the tip of your tongue, but you can't help the gnawing feeling pulsing through your conscience.

"Fine," you mutter, and Gareth grabs your wrist and pulls you backstage. Jeff's gotten Eddie to sit on the torn leather sofa, but the man is still breathing too heavily for your liking. His eyes are glazed over, like he's not actually present. It's a sight you've seen before.

"Eddie, it's me," you say softly, trying to keep the resentment out of your voice. "We're backstage at the Hideout, sitting on the couch. Jeff and Gareth are here, too. Ground yourself here." Against your better judgment, you slip your hand under his trembling one. "Squeeze my hand when you're ready." About thirty seconds pass before you feel his fingers grip yours.

"Okay, we're gonna do your exercise together," you tell him. "Five things you see; I'll start." You pick the first thing your eyes land on. "A chair."

Eddie pauses before he gives his answer, voice barely audible. "Th-the coaster," he says finally, referring to the sticky Bud Light coaster on the table.

"Good," you offer a small smile. "I see...Sweetheart," you announce, referring to his guitar.

"Gareth and Jeff." Eddie replies just a bit faster this time, allowing himself back into reality.

"That was two, you overachiever!" you tease. You walk him through the remainder of the exercise: four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. By the time you're done, his breathing has slowed considerably and he's stopped crying.

You turn to his friends, both visibly relieved that the situation has been diffused. "I don't think he should perform tonight, guys," you tell them. "He needs to go home and rest. The adrenaline of being on stage could trigger another one." They nod knowingly, and you stand up to leave.

"Where're y'going?" Eddie mumbles, reaching out for your hand. "Can you stay for a little bit?"

"I, um, have to get back to my date," you tell him, purposely omitting Jason's name. "You'll be okay. Just take care of yourself tonight." You rub his back quickly, almost out of habit. "Gotta go," you add quickly before dashing back out to the bar.

Part of you feels guilty for running out of there, but why should you? You weren't the one who hooked up with Ashley Calloway at the party; that was Eddie. You were too busy trying to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves; Eddie sure was when you found the two of them in the guest bathroom, pants around his ankles and Ashley on her knees in front of him. They were both beyond drunk; you didn't know who initiated, but you really didn't care.

No, you didn't owe Eddie anything. Helping him through his panic attack was nicer than anything he deserved.

"Where'd ya go?" Jason asks, concerned. He pulls you in for a kiss, and it seems more possessive than usual.

"Ladies' room," you lie easily. "Hope you didn't eat all the fries without me!"

He laughs. "Don't worry, I saved a few for my girl." He tugs you closer, eyes scoping out the rest of the bar. "Forgot how grimy this place is," he mutters. "Wanna get out of here after we finish these?" he asks, gesturing towards the plate on the counter.

You nod. "That would be great."

Eddie:

Eddie's sitting in the back of his van; Jeff is driving and Gareth is plunked down in the passenger seat.

"Sorry, guys," he apologizes for what seems like the millionth time. "I don't know what happened back there."

Gareth exhales slowly. "We're just glad you're okay," he says truthfully, "but, dude, you can't be getting this upset whenever you see Y/N with someone else."

"Yeah, I know," Eddie agrees. "But Jason Carver? What does she even see in him?" He groans and leans back in his seat.

Jeff thinks for a moment. "Have you two actually...talked since the party?" he asks. "I know there was a lot of yelling and screaming, but did you ever have a real conversation?"

"Nope." Eddie replies. "She wanted nothing to do with me, and I don't blame her. I fucked up royally." No one can argue with that.

"Maybe you should try that," Jeff suggests. "Like, listen to her, and don't give some shitty excuse for what you did."

Eddie considers this. "What if she doesn't forgive me? What if she still hates me after?" he ponders meekly. "Then what?"

"Then at least you tried," Gareth reasons. "Is it more important that she forgives you, or that she just knows how important she was to you?"

Reader:

The drive home from the Hideout should be passed by peppering kisses to Jason's clean-shaven face while he drives and lacing your fingers into his when he rests his hand on the gearshift. Instead, you're in your own world; a world where you can't stop thinking about Eddie Munson.

It was so stupid, especially after how badly he'd hurt you. You'd heard the unmistakeable sounds of his panting moans coming from the bathroom, and when Jeff and Gareth tried to stop you from investigating, you knew something was amiss. You'd shouted at him until your throat was raw, and then you shouted some more at his friends for protecting the cheating bastard. It was the last time you'd spoken to any of them until tonight.

You look over at your boyfriend, so sweet and wonderful, and you ache to love him fully, to commit to him with your whole being. But you just can't. Because your heart still belongs to the metalhead who broke it.

"Jason," you blurt out before you can stop yourself, "I have to tell you something." And you tell him the truth of where you disappeared to that night, watching his expression fall with each word.

When you finish, he laughs incredulously. "You skipped out on our date to go comfort The Freak?" he spits, and you see the old Jason, the one he insisted no longer existed, ooze through his nice-guy persona. "Seriously? After everything he did to you."

"It's not like anything happened!" you protest. "Besides, you were a total douchebag in high school, and I forgave you."

Jason pauses. "And what if something had happened?" he questions, voice thick with venom and insecurity. "What if he had tried to kiss you or something? Would you have let him?"

You stumble on your response, and that's enough of an answer for him. "Nice. Real nice," he sneers. "Do you even love me?"

"I wish I did," you whisper, tears in your eyes. "Jason, I'm so sorry."

He sighs, slamming a hand on the steering wheel. "Forget it. I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved. All of you weirdos in that satanic cult Munson ran were bad news." He slams on the breaks as he pulls into your driveway. "Look at that. There's Freak Charming now." Sure enough, Eddie is sitting on your stoop, smoking a cigarette in the crisp summer evening air.

"I swear, I didn't--" but Jason just waves you off.

"We're done. Do whatever--or whoever--you want, Y/N," he says tersely, and you hop out of his car wordlessly, watching as he speeds away.

You turn your attention to Eddie, who is making his way towards you.

"What are you doing here?"

Eddie:

Well, isn't that a loaded question.

Eddie runs his fingers through his curly hair. "I, um, came here to listen to you," he stammers, avoiding your gaze.

"Listen to me? What do you want me to say?" The thought is almost absurd; him showing up to your house, expecting you to carry a conversation.

"Anything," he takes a drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "We never got to talk after the party. I didn't really apologize, and I didn't get to hear you out."

You laugh harshly. "I think I got my point across when I called you a cheating piece of shit and our relationship a waste of my time. Why, did I miss something?"

"No, I think that about covers it," Eddie says with a frown.

"Why did you do it?" you blurt out. "Was I not enough? Or too much? What did I do wrong?" Your voice wavers, a sob catching in your throat.

"Oh my God, no," Eddie replies, slack-jawed. "No, it was nothing like that. It was my fault, not yours." He sighs, looking upwards to will his own tears away. "I was drunk and stupid and scared."

"Scared?"

"Yeah," he says, "scared that you'd realize that I wasn't enough; that you'd want someone who's getting a college degree like you are, who isn't back in Hawkins working at a power plant and playing in a band with a bunch of high schoolers."

You kick the ground lightly, dust pluming around your sneakered foot. "I was gonna ask you to get an apartment in Evanston with me," you admit. "I would be at Northwestern and you could easily find work there. Plus, it's only about half an hour from Chicago." Your heart pangs at the thought of what might have been.

"Y-you were?" Eddie's eyes widen in shock. "Fuck, man!" He stubs out his cigarette angrily. "Can't believe I went and fucked it all up like that." Before he realizes what he's doing, he slams a fist into a nearby tree, wincing as the pain shoots up his arm.

"Of course I was!" you shout. "I thought you were the love of my life, Eddie. I thought we'd move in together, get married someday, have our own family." You let the tears fall, unable to hold yourself together. "And then you decided that getting blown by some random cheerleader was more important than all of that."

He's silent for awhile, and it's not until you hear him sniffling that he realizes he's crying.

"You can leave now," you tell him quietly. "There's nothing left to say."

He nods. "I'm so, so sorry," he sobs. "I hurt you. You didn't deserve that; you didn't deserve to suffer because I was insecure. I'd...I'd do anything to get you back."

"I don't think that's a good idea," you answer him, crossing your arms over your chest.

"I know you're with Carver now--"

"We broke up," you see his eyebrows shoot up, and you elaborate, "just now. He didn't like that I was helping you tonight."

"Oh," Eddie says simply, trying to bite back a smile at the news that you're single. "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends what it is."

"Why did you help me? You could've just told the guys to deal with it themselves, you know." He tries to resist the urge to light up another cigarette and fails, feeling the nicotine calm his nerves.

You roll your eyes and scoff. "Because as much as I hate you--and I do hate you, very much--I wasn't about to let you faint over some stage fright."

Eddie chews on his lower lip. "Wasn't stage fright."

"What?"

"It wasn't stage fright," he repeats. "I had a panic attack because I saw you with Carver--not that it was your fault," he hastily adds, "it just fuckin' killed me to know that you were over me. That we were over. Because I-I never stopped loving you."

Reader:

You let the confession sink in: Eddie never stopped loving you. Or so he says, but the image of him with Ashley never fades.

"Did you still love me at the party?" you sneer. "Did you still love me with her mouth around your dick?"

"Of course I did!" he retorts, "I just...look, there's no excuse for what I did. I got it in my head that you'd leave me and I...I acted vindictively. But you've got to believe me--I've regretted it every day since."

You sit on the steps, feeling like you're about to fall over from the adrenaline coursing through your veins. "And you know what the worst part is?" you hiss. "Earlier, when you said you wanted me back, I actually considered it. I hate myself for it, but I considered it."

"Do you...still love me?" he asks quietly.

"I do," you confess. "I don't want to, but I do. I love you and despise you at the same time, if that makes any sense."

"What...what can I do to earn your trust back, Y/N?" he murmurs. "I'll do it; whatever you ask, I'll do it. I don't want to mess this up again. I don't want to risk losing your love for good." He looks up at you, tears shining in his big brown eyes. "Please, baby."

"Eddie, I don't know--" you start, but he interrupts you.

"Can I just do one thing?" No sooner do you nod your head do his lips come crashing against yours, his hands on either side of your face. You arch into him, pressing up on your toes.

"Was that okay?" he whispers against you, brushing away your tears with his thumb. "God, baby, it eats me up inside to know that I'm the reason you're crying. I never wanted to be that."

"I know," you tell him, falling into his warm embrace. "Want you to make me feel happy again. Like you used to."

He looks taken aback at your proposition. "Y'sure? We can just do this," he reassures you as he pulls you in for another deep kiss.

"'M sure." You gasp as he lifts you, placing one hand under each of your thighs. You wrap your legs around his waist as he kisses down your arms, sending a tingling sensation through your body. "Show me how much you love me."

Eddie swings open your front door, pushing you up against the living room wall so he can put his hands all over you. "Are your parents--"

"They're out," you tell him. "We have the place to ourselves."

"Fuck," he growls. "Bedroom?"

"Mhm."

Eddie stumbles into your room, holding onto you as though he's afraid that you'll disappear if he lets you go. He gently lays you on the bed, climbing on top of you, parting your lips with his tongue.

"You're so beautiful," he muses. "You are the most perfect woman I've ever seen. These perfect eyes...perfect nose...perfect mouth...perfect ears..." He punctuates each statement with a kiss, naming every body part he can think of.

"My turn," you say, sitting up slightly. He furrows his brows, puzzled, until you start peeling off his shirt and kissing down his torso. He shivers as you reach for his belt buckle, clasping his hand over yours.

"We don't have to rush this," he stammers. "I don't want you to regret anything."

"Do you not want to?" you ask. It's not an accusation, just concern.

"I do. I definitely do," Eddie clarifies. "I just want to do this right, y'know? Don't want this to be a one-time thing."

"Eddie?"

"Mm?"

"Stop talking."

He lets out a small chuckle. "Will do, my love." Pressing another gentle kiss to your forehead, he lifts your shirt above your head and rubs his thumbs over the lace of your bra. Your nipples pebble under his touch.

"Eddie." His name drips with need from your lips. "Keep touching me." He unclasps your bra, inhaling sharply as it falls to the bed, revealing your pert breasts.

"S'perfect," he coos, taking one into his mouth. He presses his groin against your thigh, rutting against you softly. A moan slips from you as feel him growing harder.

"Wan' touch you," you whimper, nudging again at his belt. "Please."

"Okay, baby," he indulges, groaning as you take him out of his boxers, using his precum to help your hand glide along his length. "I missed your touch." He trains his focus on your own jean shorts, fighting his feral urge to rip them off of you, instead opting to leave kisses across your hips and thighs as he pulls them down gently. Pressing his forefinger against your throbbing clit, he smiles when he feels you soaking through your panties.

"Did you miss that, too?" you tease, but he's completely serious in his reply:

"I missed everything about you."

Your gaze meets his, and you immediately take note of his misty eyes. You melt at his words, at how genuine he is; the raw vulnerability making him even more beautiful. He leans in for another kiss, and his tears fall against your cheeks.

"I love you I love you I love you," he whispers into your ear, tugging down your panties and sliding one thick finger inside you, pumping it against your pulpy walls. "I'll never lose you again, never never never..."

"I know," you tell him, and you mean it. You cry out with pleasure as he inserts another digit, bucking your hips into him. "I love you, too."

"Are you...can I...?" he glances down at his erect length, slick with his own precum.

"Please," you beg. He slowly enters you, filling you up perfectly. His movements still for a moment as the two of you feel the power of your connection. He gives small thrusts, holding you by the small of your back as he pulls himself out and pushes back in rhythmically. You can't remember the last time anyone's held you this close.

He grows harder inside you, hitting that sweet spot over and over. His choked panting tells you that he's close, but so are you.

"Can we finish together?" you manage, and he nods. "I'm still on the pill...you can cum inside me, baby."

"Now?"

"Mhm," you cry out as he pumps faster. "Eddie--fuck--right there, I'm cumming..." You clench around him as your orgasm overtakes you, and you feel his thick, hot ropes fill you. He stays there for a beat, kissing you with his swollen lips before taking himself out and flopping next to you on your bed.

"Y/N?" he asks meekly. "Look at me, love."

You shift to your side so your eyes are trained on his.

"You're my everything. Always have been, always will be." He caresses your cheek, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. "Will you take me back? I'll never..."

"I know," you kiss his nose as he grabs your waist and pulls you against his chest. "I love you, Eddie."

"I love you more," he play argues with a grin.

"Impossible."

"Nope," he tickles you gently until you swat at him. "And I'll spend the rest of my life proving it."

--

[thisapplepielife]

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I was tagged by both @wynnyfryd and @wormdebut, thank you both! (I only used AO3 fics. That's easier for me to sort through than Tumblr.)

01) Steve is comfortable on his back, laying against the trunk of his car, looking up at the night sky, when he sees a shooting star rush across the vastness of space. - {All Across the Universe}

02) Steve slumps behind his computer monitor at his desk, trying to make himself as small as possible. - {Secret Santa}

03) Eddie rests his forearm over his eyes, attempting to block out the way too bright sun and wipe the sweat away from his forehead at the same time. - {Permanent 99}

04) "No, no, no," Steve says, waving his hand in front of him. - {Steddie Holiday Drabbles}

05) Steve shoves the key into the lock of the Wienerlicious front door, and jiggles it just so, trying to get the damned thing to open. - {King Steve}

06) Steve sits alone at a small table near the fountain in the center of the mall a few miles from his house. - {If You Only Believe}

07) "This is ridiculous!" Eddie screams as loud as he can, from the bottom of the ladder. - {Let the Boy Be Merry}

08) Eddie steps out of the car, right between the Methodist church and the Hawkins High School building. - {Yours For the Weekend}

09) Gareth runs up and shoves Goodie into Jeff, and keeps running. - {Wake Up Time}

10) Diana hates doing the dishes. - {Crawling Back to You}

First, I like long sentences. I almost said run-on, but I usually love a good comma. Or three. I know this about myself. Long sentences, but short paragraphs. ("I want a fic with a short paragraph, and a loooonnnng, long sentence." - CAKE, probably.)

And, lol, I knew I liked to set up my POV right away, so the reader knows whose head they're in, because I appreciate that as a reader, but damn. A name as the first word 8/10 times is hilarious, even to me. I'll try not to be self-conscious about it from now on.

I think it's pretty appropriate that 4 of them start with Steve (Steve is my fav, and my draw into this show), 2 are Eddie, and one each for Gareth & Di. That seems to be a pretty accurate representation of my Stranger Things fic writing splits, haha.

(And for fun, yes, Take the Money and Run and Tuesday's Gone With the Wind both start with names, too: Steve and Eddie, respectively. And I just looked at my two other "medium-ish" unposted fics I'm working on, and yep: Steve and Eddie starters. Again. 🤷)

I also checked, and while I still like to use a name, I see that I'm far more open to starting a drabble with something other than a name than I am a longer piece.

Don't bore us, get to the chorus when I'm strictly limited on words, I guess. 🤣

Tagging anyone else that hasn't done it and wants to do it! ❤️

[streamafterlaughter]

Fundamental Differing

Chapter XII: I’ll Call You Beautiful, If I Call At All

nav | masterlist | playlist | pinboard | chapter xi

summary: seattle always brings out the sentimentality in you, and eddie’s feeling it too.

tags: slow burn, rockstar!eddie x rockstar!gn!reader, mutual pining, forced proximity, fake dating, confessions of feelings (finally), some fluff, lots of angst, consumption of alcohol

a/n: this is one of my favorite chapters i’ve ever written. thank you to my lovely partner and beta reader @children-of-the-grave for helping me come up with an album title and doing the grunt work of proofreading. love you forever.

-

July 1990

Eddie takes another gulp of his beer before slamming it into the recycling bin. “Y’know what, we’re done. I’m not doing this anymore.” He slurs his words as you watch, eyes glazed over with tears.

“What do you mean? We can’t be done if we weren’t anything to begin with.” You’ve had a couple drinks yourself, and the effects are taking a strong hold.

“Perfect! I don’t ever wanna see your face again, got me?” He doesn’t mean that, not even close. But he can’t do this casual hook up thing, not with you. “We don’t know each other.”

“You’re right. I’m not sure we ever did.”

-

Present Day

Your POV

You wake up to an empty bed, the space Eddie once occupied now cold as your eyes open, reorienting yourself. Outside the tiny window, the sun is rising over the Washington horizon, and you feel a wave of peace wash over you. After tonight, you have a whole week off to do whatever you want, in a city that’s become a kind of home to you since leaving Eddie.

Seattle is special, a place you never mind being in, even with its constant rain and uptight citizens. It’s the place grunge was born, and a place you’ve always thrived. Playing here is a dream come true, and you can only beg the universe for it to go well.

The tour buses pull into a rest stop off the highway, and you shove the comforter off your sweaty body. You’d slept fully clothed, something you hadn’t done in a number of years. With the added layers, plus Eddie’s extra body heat, your hair sticks to the sides of your face.

Sliding open the door, Steve greets you with a sleepy smile. “Morning! Sleep alright?”

“As well as I could, all things considered.” You try to hide your embarrassment. You’d slept better next to Eddie than you’ve slept in your own bed, but that’s not something Steve needs to know.

“Well, you’re free now. Go grab some food, we’re almost at the hotel.”

You nod and shuffle through the bus, weaving through the guys of Corroded Coffin, who stand in the hall chatting and chewing on what look to be soggy French fries. You notice Eddie’s voice lower as you approach him and Gareth in the breakfast booth.

“Aw, leaving already?” Gareth teases as Eddie avoids your eyes next to him.

“Haha, yeah. I can tell when I’ve overstayed my welcome.” Eddie’s eyes flick to your face, and you challenge him with yours. You want him to tell you you’re still welcome, you’re always welcome, but he doesn’t say a word, so you turn and exit the bus.

-

Eddie’s POV

The door clicks shut behind you, and Eddie turns back to his bandmate. “Anyway, as I was saying, I have never jumped out of bed so quickly in my life. I woke up and they were like, pressed into me.”

“Were you hard?” Gareth chokes out a laugh at Eddie’s flustering.

“I’m only a man. Of course I was! I debated rolling onto the floor and just never getting back up.” Eddie grins as he speaks, remembering the panic as he bolted upright in bed, dick stiff against his sweatpants as you snored soundly next to him.

“You think they know?”

Eddie shrugs. “God, I fucking hope not.”

Gareth cackles and Eddie shoved him playfully. Truthfully, it was the best sleep he’s gotten in awhile, and he’s forced to admit it’s because of you. Everything about your presence stresses him out, but sleeping next to you has been something he’s mourned for the last two years.

“You guys all set to get moving soon? Ed, go get some food, I haven’t seen you eat in days.” Steve’s standing over the little table, hands on his hips like he’s a soccer mom disappointed in her poorly performing child.

“Yes sir,” Eddie mockingly salutes his friend, who responds with a dramatic roll of his eyes. Eddie slides out of the booth and off the bus, the humid air hitting him in the face as he walks into the rest stop.

You stand with Robin and your other bandmates, in line for greasy burgers as you wipe the sleep from your eyes. You’re still in your sweats and a shredded t-shirt. You lean your head on Robin’s shoulder, seemingly fighting sleep from taking over again. Eddie gets in line behind you, careful to keep his distance.

“Hey, sleepyhead!” Robin turns to greet him, her eyes wide and sparkly.

“Mornin’, Bob.” Eddie grumbles, voice raspy from lack of much use yet today.

“Sleep okay?” He hears the teasing in her tone, but chooses to ignore it.

“Well enough,” He looks at you, and you’re studying the tiles on the floor like a museum exhibit. “I’m ready for a week off, though. Might fly out to Indiana early, go see everyone.” Eddie hasn’t been back since he moved out, shortly after graduation. “You guys got any plans?”

Robin shrugs. “I’ll probably go back home in a few days.”

You nod. “I dunno, I live out here now but it would be cool to see everyone. I’d need to get a hotel, or maybe,” you look at Robin, “my ever so lovely best friend can house me?”

“You know you’re always welcome, my mom adores you.” You beam at her, and Eddie fights the urge to stare, your bright smile now a rarity he likes to cherish when you’re not paying attention.

You and Robin order your food, bidding Eddie adieu for now. He gives you a small smile, but you don’t return it.

-

The buses pull into the hotel parking lot, the rain coming down hard now. He grabs his duffel from under the bus, using it to shield his hair from the weather. Steve is talking to the concierge, looking far more stressed than usual.

“What’s up?” Eddie leans an arm on the hotel desk, and tries to ignore the way the young girl at the desk ogles him.

“They don’t have enough rooms.” Steve rubs his face in frustration.

“Okay, no problem, we can all share.” Eddie’s trying to be optimistic, much to the confusion of his best friend.

“Well, I mean, we definitely could. I’m not sure how that would work, honestly. They have enough doubles for most of us, but-“

The hotel clerk interrupts. “I mean, if you and Y/n take the single, you’d all be set!” She’s practically squealing.

“Ah, so you know who we are, then?” Eddie jokes, causing the girl to blush.

“Of course I know who you are! And Y/n, and both of your bands. I’m a huge fan!” She rambles on, and Eddie feels a pang in his chest. There’s no way you’re gonna let this fly.

Steve sends Eddie a questioning glance, and he shrugs in response. “You’ll have to talk to them. I’m adaptable, I’ll manage.”

As if on cue, you’ve appeared on Steve’s other side. “Why’re you all stressed, Mama bear?” you tease, poking at Steve’s bicep playfully. “Did this lovely lady reject your advances?”

Steve groans. “No! I’m not being creepy, we’re trying to sort out the room situation. They have five. Four doubles, one queen.” He doesn’t continue, awaiting a reaction.

You blink at him. “Okay, that’s enough for everyone, no?”

“It is, if-“

“If Eddie and I take the queen? Because everyone else here is completely platonic with a capital P?” There’s not a hint of irritation in your voice, much to Eddie’s surprise. It’s then that your eyes land on him. “Is that okay with you?”

“Uh, yeah,” Eddie says dumbly, barely hearing you over the banging in his chest. “That’s fine. What’s another night?” He winces as it comes out, realizing how it sounds.

You nod curtly, tight lipped before you look back to Steve. “Book ‘em, big boy. No need to be dramatic.” You give him a pat on the shoulder. As an afterthought, and meeting eyes with the enthusiastic concierge, you approach Eddie again. “I’ll see you tonight, then? If you decide to come back in the first place.” Before he realizes what happens, you’re on your tiptoes. In his ear, you whisper, “I’m gonna kiss you on the cheek now. Because it’s gonna make this girl lose her mind. Okay?”

Blood is pounding in Eddie’s head as he nods. Your lips barely graze his cheek, warm and soft against his scratchy stubble. He closes his eyes, but before he can focus, it’s over, and his cheek is cold again.

“Bye guys! Bye,” You squint at the clerk’s name tag, “Hannah. Nice to meet you, thanks for your help.” You turn, and shuffle back to the elevators, probably to relay the news to your friends. Eddie can feel Hannah’s eyes burning into his skull, but he refuses to acknowledge her again, worrying his eyes will betray him. He’s never been a great liar.

Steve looks at his stunned friend, the smallest of smirks on his face. “You alright over there?” Eddie doesn’t answer, so Steve grabs him by the wrist, waving goodbye to Hannah, who’s still hypnotized by the whole interaction. Once out of earshot, he tries again. “Yoo-hoo, earth to Eddie?” He waves a hand in front of Eddie’s blank stare, snapping him out of his trance.

“What? Yeah, yeah I’m good. I’m great! I’m totally, one hundred percent fine.” He clamps his mouth shut, stifling the panic that will probably return to him later.

“They haven’t done that yet, huh?” Steve teases, no longer hiding his smirk. “You gonna be able to handle this whole fake dating thing?”

“I’m handling it fine, thank you.” Eddie snaps, and Steve raises his hands in defense. He’s not handling it well in the slightest, really.

“Okay, okay, whatever you say. I’ll drop it. But you gotta work on your poker face if you wanna be believable. Even if I had no idea, I’d be pretty skeptical right now.”

“Whatever, dude.” Eddie brushes him off as the elevator dings, and they both step inside without another word.

-

Your POV

“I need a fucking drink!” You flop, face first into Robin’s bed as you groan. Buried in the mattress, you feel safe enough to let it out. Because you can’t do this anymore, and you’re starting to push your luck. “I’mstillinlovewithhim.” Your confession is muffled by the fabric, and the only clue that Robin understands you is her reaction.

“Yeah, no shit!” Don’t think I didn’t see what you pulled down there!”

“What I pulled?” You push yourself back to your feet, jolted by the irritation in her voice.

“Kissing him like that, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.” Robin bats her eyelashes, singing a recap of the events in the lobby.

“I’m supposed to do that, Robin. I’m being paid to, actually! I was told to.” You inject as much venom into your words as possible, and Robin bites her tongue to stop from spitting back.

“Okay. You’re right, you’re right! Just,”

“Just. What.” It’s a challenge. You’ve absolutely had it with the peanut gallery. Between her and Steve, you’ve gotten a verbal retelling of every single time you and Eddie are together.

Robin has never been the type to back down from a challenge, though. “There were no cameras, Y/n. Just a starstruck fan you probably caused the heart failure of. You didn’t have to,” She flails, gesturing to your body, your face, you, “be so all over him.”

You stop short, breath caught in your throat. “Are you defending him?” Of course not. No, she wouldn’t.

“He was my friend too, Y/n. And I cut him off for you.”

Her words sting. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“Not in so many words! But I saw how you treated Steve when you caught him and Eddie having a drink. You didn’t talk to him for a month.”

You don’t have a response. She looks at you, eyes wide with what you can finally recognize is anger. “You left Eddie because you thought he changed, right? Have you realized yet that maybe you changed?”

You gnaw your bottom lip until you draw blood, heart quickening as you feel a sob blooming in your chest. Before you can stop them, you feel the tears running down your cheeks.

Robin is quick to notice, and flops onto the mattress. She pats the bed next to her, and you take your seat. “What would be so bad about trying again?” There is no more accusation in her voice, she’s past fighting with you.

You sigh, resting your head in your hands. “I don’t want to admit I was wrong.” Robin is silent, so you look back up to her. She’s stifling a laugh. “What?!”

“Sorry, just hearing you say that threw me off. I know how much you value your pride, but if there’s anyone to let your guard down for, it’s gotta be Eddie. It’s always been him.”

“He just got so different when he started getting famous. I don’t know what happened in the last two years to make him revert like this, but-“

“Seeing you again probably had something to do with it.”

You keep your eyes glued on hers, searching for the punchline. “Please. If it was because of me, he wouldn’t have changed like that in the first place.”

“Okay, maybe not just because of you, but think about it! He got signed, what, only months after graduating? Moreover,” you giggle at her suddenly expansive vocabulary, “He was probably still reeling from, I dunno, almost dying? We all were. He just never got the chance to grieve, let alone get a good night’s sleep! Seeing you after all of that, when he’s been without steady ground to stand on for two years, has to be a slap in the face.”

You blink at her, debating on arguing further. You settle on a question. “Have you been talking to him?”

Robin rolls her eyes. “Lately, yeah. In passing. But it’s always been for your benefit. Before that, I’d only heard snippets from Steve, and I kept most of them to myself.”

You flop down onto the pillow, letting Robin’s words continue to wash over you. You’ve admitted to yourself that you miss him, that you want Eddie back, but the hard part still awaits you. How the fuck are you supposed to tell him?

-

Eddie’s POV

“I don’t know how much longer I can handle this, man.” Eddie sits on the end of Gareth’s bed, grabbing the stray drumstick from the bedside table and twirling it anxiously through his fingers. Gareth lay against the headboard, visibly fighting to keep his eyes open.

“What, you finally gonna tell ‘em how you feel?”

Eddie shakes his already throbbing head. “I gotta break it off.”

Gareth’s eyes are wide, suddenly alert. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I know they don’t wanna do this. I don’t either. It’s a fucking sham anyway, I thought we were against that shit.” Eddie pushes himself back to his feet, pacing the length of the hotel room.

“Dude, I know you just came here to vent or whatever, but can I give you some advice?” Eddie looks to Gareth finally, and his expression is pleading.

Eddie could use the help, too. “Please.”

“Throw it out there. Worst case scenario, they don’t want ya back, you grieve a little, get laid a little, and move on. But you can’t keep doing this tiptoe bullshit. It’s exhausting to watch.”

Despite himself, Eddie chuckles. “You make a good argument.”

“What stopped you, this time? You used to have no shame.” Gareth crosses his arms over his chest.

It’s an easy answer. Eddie has thrown fits over this question, wondering what changed about his internal wiring to cause such a glitch in his ability to use his words with you. “Because now, I know what it’s like without them. And if I fuck up, if I say something I can’t take back, then I’m living in that reality. The one with no them. No Y/n.” His face is getting warmer with embarrassment as he blubbers, but Gareth doesn’t even crack a smile.

Instead, he rises from his spot on the bed, opening his arms to Eddie. Eddie takes the offer, quickly wrapping his arms around his friend. “Thanks, man.” His words are muffled by Gareth’s vest.

He pats Eddie on the back warmly. “Anytime, bro.”

The two release each other, awkwardly laughing at their circumstances. “So, what’re you gonna do?” Gareth’s question is barely audible.

“Whatever I have to.”

“Okay, man. But maybe take a nap before we have to leave for the gig. you look wiped.”

-

Your POV

You’re in search of your third, fourth, and fifth drinks of the night. You’d only asked for two on your rider, one for before your set and one after, but you’d downed them both within minutes of arriving at the venue.

The house is slowly filling with people as you make your way to the bar, speakers wailing along to Seattle’s finest. Currently, Call Me a Dog floats through the room, and you let Chris Cornell sing your feelings for you, not caring that you probably look insane, swaying dreamily along to the music by yourself, hair half done, empty bottle in your white knuckle grip.

The bartender approaches you, and you order another drink as you feel a presence looking over your shoulder. You have a 50/50 shot of guessing who it is in this low lighting, but you don’t wanna risk being wrong, so you shift to look behind you.

“Hi, Steve.” You can feel his disappointed glare as the bar man returns with your cocktail. You make a scene of hiding the glass with your body as you pull it closer to you.

“You still have an hour before you go on, and you’re already wasted.” He doesn’t phrase it like a question, but you nod anyway. “What’s goin’ on?”

It’s tiring, repeating yourself. You almost wish you hadn’t told Robin to keep it quiet. “I’m gonna tell Eddie I still have feelings for him.” It’s a confession, finally saying the words out loud. Steve’s eyes widen, but he doesn’t object. He sits beside you at the bar, hunching forward to hear you better. “I’m so sick of pretending I don’t feel anything for him. I don’t know how he feels about me, and I think this is the only way to find out.”

“Or, I mean, you could just take my word for it. Or Robin’s, or anyone else’s.” He snickers as you shove him. “I’m kidding! I think it’s a good idea, finally put these dramatics to rest.”

“I just don’t know how to do it, it’s like I forget every word in the English language when I’m around him.”

“Trust me when I tell you it won’t matter. Whatever you say, he’s gonna fall apart. He’s already in the palm of your hand, dude.” Steve wraps his arm around you, squeezing you tightly. You rest your head on your shoulder, sipping your vodka cran and letting the alcohol give you courage.

-

Eddie’s POV

He watches as you rest your head on Steve’s shoulder, his arm wrapped protectively around you. It stops him in his tracks, seeing you huddled like that with one of his best friends. It’s like he’s hit in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He knows he has to end it, for real, for good. You don’t feel the same way about him, it’s clearer to Eddie now more than ever.

He’s about to walk over to you, but he’s caught by a figure in his peripheral vision. He meets the eyes of a small girl with spiked hair and clanging metal on her jeans. He waves to her shyly, unsure if she’ll have the courage to approach him.

She gains it from the acknowledgment, though, and shuffles up to him timidly. “Hi, oh my god. I’m so sorry for being weird, I wasn’t sure you wanted to talk to anyone. It’s so nice to meet you!” She extends a manicured hand and Eddie shakes it. “I’m Izzy. Would you mind signing this?” She holds out a record, Corroded Coffin’s first album, Depravity of Doomed Souls. The cover depicts a man facing away from the camera, looking out into a horizon of burning red sky, clouds thick and dark hanging over him. Below him are the skeletal hands of a crowd, clawing at where the man stands on the top of a platform. Eddie holds it for a second, chuckling to himself.

“Man, this thing is ancient. We wrote this four years ago.” He scribbles in the top right corner, To Izzy, stay metal! -EM similarly to how he’d once signed his friends’ yearbooks.

“It got me through my senior year. Especially Martyrdom and Other Mistakes. It made me feel seen!” The sentiment makes Eddie smile. He never gets sick of hearing how his music has impacted his fans. It does suck, though, to relate the that particular track.

“Man, of all songs, huh?”

Izzy shrugs. “Satanic Panic was huge at the time, and I was, well,” she gestures to her outfit, a collaboration of leather, studs, chains, and spikes.

Eddie nods. “But look at us now, huh! Rockin’ out, just like we were in high school.”

He hands the record back to her, and she smiles at the autograph. “Hey,” she adds, as Eddie searches the bar for you, but you’re gone, probably setting up for your set. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Ah, fuck it. He’ll see you later, anyway. “Sure.”

-

He’s three beers deep when your set ends. Izzy’s been talking his ear off. “And Y/n is so fuckin’ cool, man. You got one of the sickest songwriters and group of performers on your tour. Do you know if they’re single?”

The question snaps his attention back to her. “What?”

“Y/n. Are they single?” Does she not know? Has she never picked up a magazine?

“Uh,” What is he supposed to say? Technically, you are. And he doesn’t want to get in the way of a possible romantic interest. However, to the public, you’re not. You’re dating him. Izzy’s cool, sure, but she’s still the public. He can’t tell her it’s a sham, that’s above his pay grade.

Izzy speaks again. “Oh, god, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude on anything.”

“No! No, it’s okay,” Eddie rushes out, stumbling for an answer.

But Izzy studies him, and sees something on his face that makes her say, “Oh, I get it.”

He doesn’t. “Get what?”

“You like Y/n, you must! How could you not?!” How the fuck is he so easily read that a stranger can do it?!

He scoffs out a nervous laugh. “Is it that obvious?”

Izzy smirks like she’s discovered a secret. “Well, you guys would make a terribly attractive couple. Consider me rooting for you.”

“You got any advice?”

Izzy laughs. “Not for you specifically, considering your, uh, status. But, in general, I’ve found it better not to lie. Don’t spare your feelings, or theirs. Tell ‘em everything. Because one day, you might be dead.”

Eddie sits with her words, and knows deep down that she’s right. Lying to you isn’t going to make anything easier. He has to know, for sure, that you don’t feel the same way about him. Eddie’s about to respond when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to make eye contact with Steve’s arms, crossed over his chest. “You're needed on stage.”

“Yessir,” Eddie bows to Steve, who rolls his eyes before walking back towards the stage. He turns to Izzy. “Thank you for the drinks, Izzy. And for the enlightening conversation.”

She snickers. “Knock ‘em dead, Eddie!” She claps her hands together, cheering him on.

-

Your POV

“Well?” You’ve been pacing the hall backstage while Steve went to find Eddie. “Who is she?”

Steve shrugs. “Didn’t bother to even introduce me. But she had a Corroded Coffin record, must be a fan.”

“Or a groupie.” You mumble. You’re about to keep arguing when Eddie rushes past you, gulping the final sip of his beer.

“Hey, Y/n,” Eddie stops short when he sees you, his face red and hair disheveled. “Can we talk later?”

You’re already thinking of the worst case scenario. He’s gonna tell you he wants nothing to do with you, even for the press. He and Izzy hit it off and you’re getting left in the dust. You fight the thought, though. Regardless of what it is, you’re gonna tell him what you have to. “Sure, yeah.”

He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear “Great, cool. Uh, meet me outside, like an hour after the set.” You nod, lips pressed together.

The house music fades, the final lines of I Want The Moon fading as the lights dim, and the crowd goes wild. You watch as Eddie walks onstage, holding himself well despite the amount of alcohol he’s likely consumed. His smile is bright as the spotlight hits him, and Gareth clicks his sticks together.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS UP, SEATTLE?!” Eddie shrieks into the mic, and Corroded Coffin takes off into their set, deafening you with the first chord.

-

You’re by the stage door when the final notes of Corroded Coffin’s set play, muffled by the brick of the building. You stub out your second cigarette, still anxious for what awaits you. You don’t have the first clue as to what Eddie wants to say to you. He could be ready to break this whole thing off, and then what? What will telling him do then? Should you tell him first? But then, will his feelings be influenced? The last thing you wanna do is try to convince him.

Your thoughts are interrupted when the stage door swings open. Eddie peeks out quickly, making sure there are no stray fans or paparazzi hiding in the bushes. “Hey, you.” He greets, stepping into the floodlights. He pulls out a cigarette and pats his pockets. When he comes up empty, he groans. “You gotta light?” You nod, flicking your lighter up to his cigarette. He inhales with his eyes still glued to yours, but you watch the flame intently. “Thanks.”

You reach for another stick for yourself, and light it quickly. “What did you, uh, wanna talk about?”

“Right to it, huh? No ‘Great show, Ed!’ Well, love, your set was fantastic too.” He’s being playful, clearly still buzzed.

“My apologies, your highness. You’ve set the record of most panties dropped in one place.” It’s a low joke, but you’re desperate to keep talking around the reason you’re both really out here.

“Oh yeah? Were yours included?” Oh, fuck off.

You shrug. “That’s for me to know.” Eddie laughs heartily, and you almost melt on the spot. You used to be so good at making him laugh, and it’s so hard to remember the last time you managed to. “Anyway,” you interrupt his cackling, “please, the anticipation is killing me.” You gesture for him to speak.

Eddie’s smile falters slightly, clearly affected by your palpable anxiety. “Right, yeah. Izzy’s a fan, by the way.”

“Ooh, Izzy. She was awfully snuggled up to you tonight.”

Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose. “I could say the same thing about you and Steve.”

“How many times do I have to assure you our relationship is Platonic with a Capital P?!”

“Things change, Y/n! For all I know you two could be bumpin’ uglies once a week.”

Your jaw snaps shut before you can hurl an insult at him. Instead, you quiet your voice. “Can you just tell me what you needed to tell me? I didn’t come out here to fight about who’s fucking whom.”

Eddie sighs. “Fine. But for the record, Izzy asked me to sign her album. Then, she bought me a drink and told me how pretty you were. That’s it..” You can’t help the snort that escapes you. Eddie frowns. “I’m serious, she asked me if you were single!”

“Has she not read the articles? I’m supposedly dating you.” It hurts not to mean it, but joking around with Eddie feels vaguely comforting.

Eddie shrugs. “She never mentioned seeing that. But she did call me out in a way.” He’s quiet, so you nod for him to go on. “She clocked me looking at you. Guess I’m pretty transparent when I’m drunk.” His smile is shy suddenly, and before you can answer him, he speaks again. “Listen, I uh, I don’t want to do this fake dating thing. I thought about it, and I think it’s stupid.” You bite your lip to keep from arguing, or interrupting despite the insatiable urge to shriek. Eddie continues, not noticing your struggle, his brow furrowed in determination. “Cash grab or not, it’s fucking with my head. It’s already too much to see you every day. and doing all of this,” he gestures between you and himself, “on top of that, is exhausting.”

You wait for more, but nothing comes. You search his expression for a hint, a cause for why he doesn’t want to be around you anymore. You can’t find anything. “Oh. Okay. I’m really sorry if I did something that-“

Eddie shakes his head, cutting you off. “No, not at all. It’s nothing like that. I just,” he stops, chewing his bottom lip in thought. “I don’t want just some of it.”

That wakes you up. “What?”

“Y’know, the flashy stuff and nothing else? Holding your hand, a kiss or two for the fans, but then we run away from each other when we’re alone. It’s not…” He searches for the right word, “enough for me.” Enough? As in, he wants more from you? You don’t answer, struggling to understand where he’s going with this.

“I mean, I can talk to Steve. Maybe he can talk to the execs, get the word out that we ‘broke up’ or whatever.” You’re trying so hard not to cry as you speak. You got your answer, he doesn’t want it anymore.

“Or,” Eddie takes a step closer to you, and you lose your nerve. You feel a single hot tear slide down your cheek as Eddie searches your face for your answer. Seemingly without thinking, Eddie reaches up and wipes it away with his thumb. “You could tell me how you feel.”

It’s now or never. “I’m thinking,” you start, voice shaky. “I think you’re right. It’s not enough. We need to get married.”

Eddie startles. “Sorry?”

You laugh despite yourself. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t have a ring.”

He rolls his eyes at your weak attempt at humor. “Can you not joke about this for like five seconds, please?” Eddie pleads, and you soften as you look at him. His eyes are wide, still locked on yours. “I need to know I’m not crazy.”

You scrunch your nose at him. “You and I both know you are, in fact, crazy. But fine, I’ll try to appease you.” It’s your turn to step closer, and now you’re only two inches apart. “In all seriousness, I can’t do it either. I don’t want to hold your hand because people are watching. I wanna hold your hand because I can, because I want to. I wanna kiss your stupid face in front of everyone and no one, I wanna sleep next to you by choice and not for convenience. I’m so tired, Eddie. I’ve been so tired trying not to feel this way, but I can’t make it stop.” You talk to his chest, too afraid to look at him. “I didn’t realize how much I missed you, the real you, until this tour. I hadn’t seen that version of you, that smiles and laughs and fucks around with his friends, in so many years. It’s like you came back to life.”

“You know why, right?” Eddie keeps his voice low, as if trying not to break the moment. His hand reaches for yours, and he plays with your fingers as he speaks. “You know what finally brought me back to life?”

You shake your head, refusing to meet his eyes. But Eddie, ever the tactile gentleman, cups your chin in his hand, forcing you to look at him. “C’mon. I’ll give you one guess.”

You don’t answer, lost in the big brown eyes you haven’t really looked into since leaving him. Everything you two have gone through since meeting hits you like a ton of bricks. From surviving high school, to the Upside Down, to getting signed, to breaking up. Through it all, he was going through it right next to you. You shake your head, refusing to believe what he’s saying.

“You.” Eddie halts your speeding train of thought with one word. “Watching you perform, listening to your music, reading your interviews. Even just knowing you’re right outside, in the other bus. I meant it when I said I’d give it all up for you, Y/n. But, if I can be so brutally honest, I think I’d love having both, way more.” He’s so close, you can feel his breath on your face. You don’t pull away, despite your brain screaming at you to run away. “Now that I know how to behave.”

After a beat, you speak. “You can, y’know.”

“Can what?” He raises an eyebrow, cheeks red.

“Have both. You know I’d never ask you to choose.”

“Even though you know I’d choose you?”

You shake your head. “Stupid choices, Eddie, you keep making them.”

“I’m about to make another one, I think.”

“Oh? And what choice would that be?”

“To kiss you.”

You swear your heart stops. You can’t breathe, and your hands are sweating. “What if I’m about to make that stupid choice too?”

Eddie smiles widely, and so do you. Before either of you can ruin it with more babbling, Eddie rests a hand on your cheek. You crane your neck to reach him, letting the noise in your brain be silenced as his lips touch yours. You squeeze your eyes shut, as if he’ll disappear the moment you open them. Your hands find their way into his hair, and his free arm wraps around your waist. The kiss is slow, gentle. His lips are slightly chapped, dry from the beer, and he tastes like cigarettes and him. He feels the same, like the past two years didn’t happen, like his lips never left yours. You grow eager, suddenly, pulling his face as close as you can manage, fingers twisting in his hair to keep him on you. You feel the wet warmth of your tears, falling freely from your closed eyes, but still you refuse to let him go.

-

Eddie’s POV

He’s dizzy with your kiss, desperate for it. He’s afraid once it ends, you’ll disappear through his fingers like sand. He must be dreaming, it’s the only way any of this makes sense. Your hands are tangled in his hair like they were made to be, your lips soft against his own chapped ones. He feels a tear spring from his eye, and hopes with everything you can’t tell he’s crying. He shifts himself, wrapping both arms around your waist to bring you even closer. When you deepen the kiss, licking a stripe across his bottom lip, he moans without thinking. You smile against his lips, still interlocked with him as your tongue wrestles with his. His eyes stay screwed shut, even though he wants to look at you more than anything. He wants to know what happens next, where you go from here. You’re both drunk, sure, but this is more than an alcohol induced decision.

You’re the first to pull away. “I don’t know what this means.” There’s no urgency, no panic in your voice. It is simply a statement.

Eddie blinks quickly, vision blurry. “Don’t overthink it. Not right now. We can talk about it later, I just need you to keep kissing me.” He’s past the point of patience, needing to feel your skin on his again.

Luckily, you seem to be on the same page. You lunge forward, connecting your lips to his again. At this point he’s borderline desperate, kneading the flesh of your hips with the pads of his fingers, keeping you in his grasp as if to ground himself to this plane.

-

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[uglypastels]

Remember that episode where Jackie and Hyde go on a first date?? And he drapes his jacket over her shoulders and they end up kissing under the stars? Maybe you could write something with Hyde!Eddie and Jackie!Reader????

ok so i'm using this as a sequel to my previous request (but i think it can technically be read separately as well. you do you). idk what I'm on when writing these. i had so many ideas its just... anyway haha

warnings: not proofread. cursing. awkwardness. female!Henderson!reader

masterlist. || join the Stranger Things taglist

A kiss filled with pent-up tension and emotions is how it should have ended, right? That should have sealed the deal; it should have been the beginning of the happily ever after, shouldn’t it? 

That couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

After that kiss in the hallway, things had reached a new maximum of awkwardness between you and Eddie. 

‘You’re still a jerk, Munson,’ you said, and nothing followed. Neither of you said anything. Finally, Eddie dropped his hands, which fell lifelessly to his sides, and he took a step back. So did you, hitting the door. 

‘No need to remind me, sweetheart.’ He might have smirked saying that, but in the dark hallways, in the deep evening of Friday, it was hard for you to tell. So, blindly, you opened the door and made your way home, not looking back and keeping your thoughts as far from Eddie as you could. That second part, though, seemed to be more challenging than expected. 

Never before had you really given Eddie Munson much thought. He was just your brother’s freaky Dungeon Master, the school’s scapegoat. From what Dustin had told you, he seemed nice but then whenever you saw him… what did you actually think? It was hard to think back to any other day. It was as if that kiss had blocked that ability for you. 

On Monday, you had decided it would be the best thing to do to just ignore him. He seemed to have had a similar idea, as you did not see him until Wednesday noon in the cafeteria.

‘Hey, you forgot your lunch again.’ you threw the brown paper bag in front of Dustin, who thanked you over and over. The plan was to give your brother his food and make yourself scarce, but you had made the mistake of looking up. Your eyes immediately locked with Eddie’s. One blink was, luckily, enough to break you out of the trance and without another word, you left. The boys at the table didn’t even wait for you to distance yourself before talking about you. 

‘What’s wrong with your sister?’ One of the Hellfire guys (you never learned their names) asked, but you never got to hear Dustin’s answer, for you were already across the room. 

◈

‘Is everything ok? You’ve been acting strange, and not like your usual strange, but extra strange-y.’ Robin asked as the two of you roamed around in the library for books.

‘Yeah, of course,’ you shrugged, ‘why would you ask?’

‘Uhm, I just explained it.’ She picked up a book and put it back in its place without even reading the title.

‘I’m fine.’ And you meant it, for in the moment, you did actually feel quite alright. It was already a week since the kiss, and nothing had happened. Clearly, whatever had been in the corridor last Friday was a freak accident, and you and Eddie both decided on the healthy mature thing to do– bury it deep and never speak of it, or to each other, ever again. Done. 

And maybe Robin would have believed you if it wasn’t for your annoying little brother running into the library, followed by his friend Mike, and immediately getting shushed by Mrs Corey, the librarian. You could hear Dustin whisper-shout “sorry!” before turning the corner and finding you. 

‘There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.’ 

‘Why? Did you forget your lunch again? Because you’re not getting my sandwiches–’

‘No. no.’ He shook his head. ‘We need a sub for the campaign today. Gareth’s out cold with the flu and we need another player if we ever want to beat–’ 

‘Forget it.’ You didn’t need to hear the rest of it. 

‘Oh c’mon, please.’ Dustin begged, ‘I’ll do the dishes– for the entire week!’

‘After you made my drive out to school last week for nothing because you couldn’t be bothered to let me know you were hitching a ride? Forget it, pipsqueak.’ 

‘I’ll clean your room!’ Dustin was starting to get louder and quickly toned it down.

‘Stay out of my room.’ You threatened. ‘No. I am not setting foot in that room again.’ You made your point.

‘Fine. Fine.’ Dastin backed away and pulled Mike along with him. You were now left with a confused Robin who was trying to put all the puzzle pieces together. 

‘Was it really that bad to drive to school?’ 

‘No, I just– I don’t want to see Eddie right now, let alone play a stupid game for a whole night.’ 

‘I didn’t know things were that between you too. I thought he was just annoying.’ Robin put another unread book back. 

‘Why can’t that be enough?’ 

‘It can be… just not for you. I’ve never seen you dislike anyone without reason. Unless something happened between you two that you are now too ashamed about to even look him in the eye.’ It was typical of Robin to make a crazy assumption that hit the nail right on its head without her even realising it. She laughed at her own absurd theory until she looked over at you and realised you were quiet. More quiet than normal, and looking anywhere but at her. ‘No.’ 

‘What?’ You glanced her way, arms crossed, almost as if you were protecting yourself.

‘No.’ She got louder. ‘Did you and Eddie–’ She was so loud, you had no choice but to quickly slap your hand over her mouth, making her laugh hysterically. Once you released her, Robin asked: ‘What the hell happened between you two?’ 

‘Nothing!’ you hissed, not very convincingly. Just by the way Robin was looking at you, you could tell she was not impressed. With a roll of your eyes, you answered her truthfully this time. ‘He… uhm– Eddie kissed me.’ 

‘Oh my god!’ She was ready to let the entire library know, but shut up at the stern look you gave her. ‘So what does this mean? Do you like him? Why are you ignoring each other?’ 

‘I don’t.’ What was that supposed to answer exactly? ‘I don’t like him. And I’m ignoring him because it’s awkward and I don’t understand…’ 

‘Don’t understand what?’ Robin asked. 

‘Why the hell did he do it?’

‘You’re more hopeless than I am, seriously.’ She sighed, grabbing a random book off the shelf and dividing that one was the right pick. Without another word said, she walked away, leading you to follow behind, trying to figure out what she meant. What did any of it mean? Did you actually like Eddie?

◈

Would have helped to know Eddie was having a very similar conversation a few miles away? With the one and only Steve Harrington? 

He left school almost as soon as he arrived there. Hours later, the skidmarks of his van’s wheels were still on the parking lot in front of the building. And what was the reason for this panic-induced retreat? Well, he saw you walk through those doors. The same ones that the two of you had stood in front of a week prior. He watched you walk inside next to your friend, laughing, and he immediately decided to call it a day. 

Everything in that building just reminded him of how stupid he was. How stupid he was for doing what he did. Why the hell did he kiss you? And it wasn’t like it solved anything, either. 

He spent the next hour driving around town, almost decided to leave it and drive straight to the big city, but turned around when his gas meter was dangerously close to that bright red E. On his way to the gas station, however, he parked in front of Family Videos. Steve worked Fridays, didn’t he? 

‘Shouldn’t you be in English class now?’ Steve asked at the sound of the door opening without even bothering to look up from the magazine he was reading. The store was empty beside the two of them. 

‘We’ll get back to you apparently knowing my school schedule later, Harrington. I fucked up.’ Eddie took a few steps to the counter and sat on top of it, almost knocking down the small display that Steve had just been working on.

‘How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t give out discounts to every pretty chick that comes up to you, it just makes you look cheap and needy—

‘I kissed her.’ Eddie blurted out. Walking in, he had considered trying to play the subtle card, not directly tell Steve about his problem, but if there was someone who could help him, it must be Harrington, wouldn’t it?

‘Excuse me?’ Steve blinked. 

‘I kissed her. Last friday.’

‘And by “her”, you mean–’

‘You know who I mean.’ Eddie sighed. 

‘Well, shit, man.’ Steve chuckled under his breath, closing his magazine and rolling it up. ‘How was it?’ 

‘Fine.’ 

‘Just “fine”?’ Steve raised a brow. ‘Well, how did she react? What did you say?’ 

‘Well,’ Eddie tried to think back to that night without bringing up too many memories, just so as not to trigger a trauma or something. ‘Pretty sure I said “sorry”. She called me a jerk and… we haven’t talked since. More or less.’ 

‘And you’re sure you’re not a virgin?’ 

Eddie punched Steve in the arm. 

‘Ok, sorry. But you like her, right?’ 

‘No?’ For that, Eddie received a smack in the face with the rolled-up magazine. ‘What was that for?!’ 

‘No? You spent months looking out for this girl, witchhunting her boyfriend, then you kiss her and suddenly you have no feelings for her?’

‘It wasn’t months...’ Eddie felt like a little kid trying to win an argument he was too stubborn to admit defeat about. 

‘I say, ask her out.’

‘Did you miss the part where I said we haven’t talked for the past week? I’m pretty sure she hates me.’ Eddie was still rubbing the bridge of his nose, where Steve seemed to have aimed directly. 

‘And I’m pretty sure you’re a chicken. Just go talk to her, man. Ignoring her won’t help you. And het, you either get a date out of it, which is a win, or she kicks you to the curb and you get some closure, which is also a win.’

‘She’ll never agree.’

‘Then you better rent a movie, because this is becoming a real waste of my time.’ 

◈

It had been a long day, but at least an Eddie-free one. Before going home, you quickly passed your locker to get your books and jacket, but to your surprise, you were met with something else. A small, torn, piece of paper fell at your feet. 

In black marker, the words were scratched out messily: Meet me at the bleachers? 

Now, you could only assume, but it felt like he tried to remain anonymous– which was hard when posters covered in his equally unimpressive handwriting were all over the school, promoting either the upcoming battle of the bands show or his own gigs at the hideout. Yeah, you knew it was Eddie, 100%. 

So, why you actually decided to go to the football field was a mystery to you. The team was running drills around, and some students were seated in the audience, not exactly paying attention to the jocks. It was always more of an after-school hang-out spot where people didn’t do their homework after promising themselves to get it done the entire week. 

Eddie was sitting on top of the bleachers. Leaned back on the bench behind him, leather jacket on his lap. As you climbed up the steps, he suddenly straightened his back and waved awkwardly. ‘Hey.’ 

‘I didn’t even know you knew this place existed.’ 

‘Please, I may be a social disgrace, but I’m not an idiot– so this is what they call football, huh?’ He glanced over at the team of boys running around below you. 

‘Why am I here, Munson?’ You thought about sitting down next to him but decided against it for now. 

‘I was just thinking about… last week.’ Great. That was the last thing you hoped he was doing, but you let him continue. ‘And I know I fucked up. Everyone’s noticed that something’s up.’ 

‘Everyone?’ Your throat suddenly felt extremely tight. 

‘So I’ll just say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for how I’ve acted before, and during and after. And I totally understand if you don’t ever want to see or speak to me again, just don’t stop Dustin from coming to Hellfire–’

‘What?’

‘What?’ He blinked at your sudden outburst of a question. 

‘Is this all about Dustin? You don’t want me to ruin your dumb campaign? Jesus, Munson–’ You were glad that you had not sit down. What a waste of time.

‘No, shit. I’ve been thinking about this for the last hour and— fuck.’ He was visibly getting frustrated now with himself, rubbing his hand all over his face as he let his thoughts sink back down slowly. ‘I just meant, I know that you and Dustin are close, so he would probably listen to you and stop hanging out with us– Hellfire– if you told him to, which would be a shame for him because the little dude’s got skills with the d20 and I think letting him be in a creative environment– what the fuck do I know, I’m not your family therapist–’ he chuckled. So this was meant to be a joke, right? But you weren’t laughing, too confused at everything he was verbally throwing at you. 

‘That is all besides the point, because I… wanted to actually make up for how I’ve been the last few days.’ 

‘How would you do that?’ You inquired, crossing your arms.

‘Let me take you out?’

‘Like on a date?’ 

‘I wanted to say a joke, but if it doesn’t land, I would live up too much to my reputation in this town, which is not what I’m going for right now, so yes… like a date.’ He sighed deeply.

You let him sit there for a moment as you pondered on an answer. His big brown eyes looked up at you expectantly. There was no way anything good could come out of this…

‘Ok.’ You readjusted the strap of your bag. ‘Pick me up at 8.’ 

‘Tonight?’ Eddie called after you as you already started your departure. 

‘Yes tonight.’ You said without turning around. 

◈

Eddie was panicking all the way until the clock struck 8 o’clock, and if only he could say this feeling stopped the second he saw you. His heart was in his throat the whole walk back to his car and inside it and as he started driving. Words just wouldn’t come out. He was sure you expected something, something he for sure did not have. He had no idea what he was doing.  

‘Do you just want to drive around? And then maybe grab something to eat?’ You suggested, saving his life. 

‘Uhm,’ Eddie cleared his throat as he took a turn, ‘sure. Or let’s get something now and then… I know this spot we can hang out.’

‘Yeah, ok.’ You smiled.

Now, Eddie was no asshole, so he was willing to pay for the food. The problem, however, was that his budget was limited, so the only thing he could afford was burgers and milkshakes. But you didn’t seem to mind, thankfully. 

Twenty minutes later, Eddie drove to the woods while you both sipped on your milkshakes, the burgers still warm in the foil packaging until you parked– Eddie’s van, to your great surprise, was surprisingly clean, and the seats would probably be a bitch to get mustard stains out of. 

‘And here we are,’ Eddie stopped the car in a small clearing. The trees towered over you but opened up to reveal a beautiful patch of the night sky. ‘Here,’ he helped you get up on the hood of the car before pulling himself up to sit next to you. The milkshakes were almost gone, but the burgers were still warm and delicious. You both ate in silence, enjoying the atmosphere. 

Once you were done with your burger, you leaned back against the window to look up at the stars. Eddie sat more upfront, slurping the last bits of his milkshake. You were together, yet apart. Enjoying each other’s company individually. 

‘I got coke– soda— in the van, if you want anything else to drink.’ Eddie said, slowly making his way to lie down next to you. 

‘What, no beer?’ You giggled.

‘Well, yeah, that too, obviously. Just didn’t think you’d be the type to drink it.’

‘So what type do I look like?’ 

‘Aren’t you always drinking sodas on parties? But you seem a much more classy kind of girl. Wine and shit, you know.’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever had wine in my life.’ You started laughing more now, and Eddie joined in a little. ‘You have no idea what you’re talking about, do you?’

‘No.’ Then both of you burst out laughing. 

A little time went by, the conversation died down, and a shiver tickled over your arm as the trees around you rustled with the wind blowing by. It had been a pretty warm day, but you had not considered how drastically the weather would change by the time the sun would go down.

‘Are you cold?’ Eddie noticed.

‘No, I’m good,’ you tried to curl up, pull your legs up to your chest, to warm yourself up a bit, but Eddie didn’t believe you for a second. Before you could protest again, he pulled his jacket off and put it over your shoulders. ‘Thanks.’ 

He replied with a small nod. 

◈

‘I’m sorry.’ 

‘What for now?’ You had been ready to open the door of the car. The lights were still on in your house, meaning your mom and brother were expecting a detailed description of the whole night, as always, whenever anything remotely interesting happened to any of the three of you. But before you actually opened the door, Eddie had caught you by surprise with those little words. When you looked back at him, he actually looked small, and sad. Which you didn’t understand at all.

‘About the date.’ 

‘I don’t understand.’ 

‘For ruining it–’

‘You didn’t ruin it.’ You reached for his hand on the wheel. ‘Honestly, it was one of the best dates I’ve been on.’

‘We didn’t talk for like an hour.’ He looked embarrassed and as if he had failed or disappointed you in some way, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘That’s an exaggeration. And we don’t constantly have to be talking, do we? I really had a great time, Eddie.’ You leaned over and slowly, carefully, kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you.’

the end.

thank you for reading! please support your (not so) local writers with comments and reblogs <3 it means the world. also, I love to hear what you thought of the fic. asks are always welcome

consider leaving behind an anonymous review :p

eddie taglist:

@spiderrrling @dorianelizabeth @theletterhart @niyahwhoreworld @fopdoodle1624 @pastel-abyss-x @ghoulsgraveyard @prettytoxix @lovesickollie @xbreezymeadowsx @ssanjuniperoo @nxrdamp @meaganjm @yourmommilf @mischiefmanagers @capybergara @brother-lauren @h0sh1verse @ghostlyreads @croweaterr @ladyapplejackdnd @bilesxbilinskixlahey @kbakery @lizzylynch1 @liltimmyst @hellfire-state-of-mind @escape-in-time-x @miscelaa @sweetpeapod @the-a-word-2214 @eddiemunsonbby @mydearzero @overthewhiteclouds @wroteclassicaly @groupies-do-it-better @celestialsxturn @hoe4eddiemunson @inanausomewhere @scoops-harrington @fluffyharrington @billyhargrovesprincess

[nametakensff]

Hairspray Mishap (s/tranger t/hings, e/ddie)

E/ddie has an unfortunate reaction to hairspray.

Totally SFW - just a quick fic based on a stray shower thought before it left me haha

As always, please don't reblog to non-kink blogs!

~~~~~~~~

Content:

G/areth comforts E/ddie through an allergic reaction after a hairspray incident

Hairspray allergies, spray, mess, friends looking out for friends

1.8k

~~~~~~~~~

It had all happened so quickly. Gareth had been stood chatting with Eddie while the dungeon master rifled through his locker for his D&D folder. Eddie had leaned back, file in hand, and turned to Gareth ready to go when Kimberley Walker had blasted the pair of them with a huge cloud of hairspray. She and her friends would regularly gather around her locker and crowd her mirror to reapply makeup and cosmetics, pointedly ignoring Eddie and giving him a wide berth. It had seemingly been completely accidental on her part as she secured her teased hair into place, but it wouldn’t have surprised Gareth one bit that she would do the same thing on purpose if it tickled her fancy.

They both sputtered at the offending aerosol, Eddie taking the brunt of it as they leapt back. Kimberley and her girls all at once seemed to notice their presence, looking them once over before bursting into shrill peals of laughter.

“Sorry, freak!” Kim spat as she closed her locker, and the gaggle of laughing girls made their way down the corridor.

“Assholes…” Gareth muttered under his breath. Kimberley was as spoilt as they came. They’d played together sometimes as kids when they were really little, but now she pretended Gareth was invisible. Had done so even when they were paired together in chemistry, leaving him to finish their shoddy project as she filed her nails in silence, then had the gall to get annoyed at him when his efforts had earned them a B-. There was really nothing to be done with people like that, and Gareth had learned to tune them out. For the most part.

He coughed into his fist, wincing as the spray he’d inhaled travelled down his sinuses and into the back of his throat, the chemical taste of it nauseating as it settled on his tongue. Turning to Eddie, he started to rant.

“Can you believe that fuckin’ – uh, dude…?”

It took Gareth a moment to realise that the look of intense, watery-eyed confusion was actually the expression of a man very desperately in need of a sneeze. He felt his heart drop as Eddie pitched forward, pinching his nose shut at the last moment against a ticklish, half supressed “Ing’kTT!!”

“Aww, man. Hold on a second,” He started, slamming Eddie’s locker shut and dragging him by the wrist to a nearby classroom he knew was empty from experience (he needed somewhere to smoke that wasn’t the boy’s bathroom). Eddie went without complaint, though Gareth was sure this was more to do with the fact that he was otherwise paralysed by an oncoming sneezing fit than any real cooperation. He went easily, allowing Gareth to sit him down at an empty desk and locking the classroom door behind them. His breath hitched, sinuses prickling as the hairspray continued to torture his ticklish nostrils.

“It’s ok, man.” Gareth said, gingerly placing a hand on Eddie’s back, contracting with shuddering breaths under his palm. “Nobody’s around here at this time, they can’t hear you.” He reassured him.

Given permission to let go, a sudden flurry of desperate sneezes exploded out of the older man.

“hh-heh-! ENGXT’chiew! AhDDT’Shieww!! hdDDt’chiew!! Engxt’shiewww!!”

Gareth stroked his back absentmindedly, wincing in sympathy as the sneezes seemed to tumble out one right after the other, giving Eddie very little time to snatch in needy breaths between each release. The dungeon master had a hand half started up to his face, but far enough away that it was pretty useless. He was sneezing more at it than into it. Eddie took in his largest gasp yet.

“EEHHDT’tchiiewww!! Fuck me...”

“Bless you!”

He heard Eddie grunt in acknowledgement before another gasp of air plummeted him right back into his fit. It seemed like it would take a few minutes to calm this one down. Gareth sighed, patting his friend on the back.

Eddie had always had terrible allergies, and a much more sensitive nose than anyone Gareth knew. He remembered the first time he’d seen Eddie have a bad reaction to pollen while they played at the park years ago. Gareth had run crying over to his mother, convinced his friend was going to die. It had all worked out fine, of course; his mom had driven Eddie back to their house and fixed him up with some antihistamines before Wayne had been able to come and pick him up.

That had been the first time he had ever seen anyone have a genuine allergy attack – his dad had mild hayfever but nothing to write home about. He thanked Satan that he didn’t suffer from any allergies himself. Even if whatever flu was going round managed to kick his ass every year, he’d take a miserable couple of weeks in Winter over allergies in Spring, Summer and Autumn like Eddie. The older man was extremely diligent, taking his medication almost religiously and had mastered holding back his violent reactions in public about 90% of the time. Gareth knew it was a source of embarrassment for him, as good-natured as he was about most things. Gareth supposed he should take some pride in the fact that Eddie only really allowed himself to let loose when he was around him.

Speaking of which, Eddie was looking a little worse for wear. Tendrils of snot were starting to hang threateningly from his flaring, pink nostrils. Seeing this, Gareth started to root around in his backpack for tissues, even knowing full well he was going to come up short. Eddie gasped.

“Hahhhh’GXXXTT’shiewwww!!”

That had done it. Gareth grimaced as ropes of snot shot down to the floor, several rogue droplets coating both his and Eddie’s sneakers in a glittering display.

“Gross, dude.”

“Mm’sorryyyyY’ISSH’ue!! Fuck, man, I’m sorry.”

Gareth could see that Eddie was blushing behind the wild curls that otherwise concealed his face. He felt bad for the guy, he really did. He sighed again. Knowing under any other circumstances Eddie would kick his ass but not particularly caring at this point, he yanked his friend’s own black bandana from where it hung a proud fashion statement out of his back pocket and held it out for him.

“Here, man. You need to blow your nose.”

Eddie snatched it from him in a panic, bringing it up to his nose a second too late to cover a spraying “hh’Ehggxt’shieww!!” Wanting to spare his friend any more embarrassment, Gareth subtly wiped the hand that had been baptised with that most recent sneeze on his jean-clad thigh.

After Eddie had cleared his sinuses in a series of extremely wet, gurgling blows, the sneezing seemed to at last wind down. Gareth regarded the older metalhead. Apart from a blush spreading across his face and a slight pink flush around his nostrils, he didn’t look nearly as ruined as, say, a bona fide hayfever attack would leave him. They should be able to head over to the drama room and set up for Hellfire in a matter of minutes.

“Ingk’tiew!! Ugh…”

Gareth smirked. That had been a particularly sweet little sneeze. It amused him to no end that his boisterous, often tyrannical older friend sometimes sneezed almost like the girliest of girls, but he held himself back from making any comment. Eddie was starting to regain some of his composure and wouldn’t tolerate any further bruising of his ego.

“Fucking christ on a motherfucking bike. Snff!” He wiped roughly at his nose with his bandana, smiling as Gareth laughed at his blasphemous outburst.

“You hanging on in there, dude?”

“Just about. Remind me to bring a fuckin’ gas mask to school from now on.” Eddie rolled his eyes. It was January, and all the plants in Hawkins were nice and dead, any mould and dust otherwise harmless under the mounds of snow that plagued their little town. He hadn’t been expecting an allergy attack to hit him out of the blue, but he was now considering bringing some antihistamines to leave in his locker, just in case.

“That shit really got you bad, huh? If that happens again in the future I’m seriously considering putting you down.”

They both laughed at the absurdity of it all.

“Honestly, Gar’, I’d probably fucking welcome it. That shit sucked. I can still taste it…” He pulled a face as if he’d bitten into a lemon. Gareth could relate. The cloying chemicals were still lingering in the back of his throat.

Gareth glanced at the clock at the front of the classroom. They had a couple of minutes to get going and set up for the latest campaign – the others would be making their way over shortly. The corridors would be blessedly empty by now as everyone else had made their way over to the gymnasium for a basketball game. (Man, even the fact that he had to waste space in his mind knowing about it pissed him off. Eddie was right – balls in laundry baskets, indeed.) He rose to his feet and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Come on, man, let’s get going.”

Eddie started to stand himself but was forced back down into his seat with a sudden fit of smaller sneezes.

“Hig’tchu! Hixxt! Igk’tieww-ahh….’scuse me.”

The older man shook his head as if that would finally disperse the residual tickle, curls bouncing. It  reminded Gareth of a small dog. He couldn’t help it – the girly sneezes, the way he’d dramatically flopped back into his chair under the force (force from what?! Those tiny things??) – it was all too funny. He tried to suppress his laughter but it just came out sounding awkward and choked. Shit.

Eddie pounced, pulling him into a headlock and driving a merciless noogie into his scalp. Gareth flailed, used to the roughhousing but caught off guard nonetheless.

“Oh my god, stop! This is how you repay me, for saving your ass back there?!” He heard Eddie snickering.

“Saving my ass, huh? Couldn’t have valiantly stepped in front of the accursed afront, taken the blow for me, oh noble one?!” Eddie’s voice had taken on a dramatic lilt, signalling his shift into D&D mode prematurely. He was fired up – bad for Gareth right now, great for everyone once the campaign started.

“Ok, Ok, I give, I give!”

Eddie released him, finally, clapping a hand to his back as he righted himself. He cast an irritated glare at the older man as he attempted to ruffle his hair back into place, receiving a shit-eating grin in return.

“You’re so cute when you’re angry, Gare-bear!”

Gareth rolled his eyes. This was Eddie. Made him want to tear his hair out at the best of times, but he loved the guy anyway. Bickering like a couple of kids, they made their way through the school to get started on Hellfire, brief excursion all but forgotten.

[sunwarmed-ash]

Sinful Sunday: On deck- Figure You Out

okay so really the backstory of this whole fic was I got stoned and was starting to try to write and Figure You Out by VIOLA came on spotify. Less than 12 seconds into the song the angsty Steddiegrove story started forming in my brain.

Then I started thinking about how it would be cooler if Eddie performed this modified version of the song post breakup with Billy. and THEN I started thinking about who would be on tour with Corroded Coffin and because this is my fic and my obsessions I chose OG Panic! At The Disco :D

thus the steddiegrove, rydon, eddie/brendon 2000s band au fic was born

i also didn't expect to write more than the song fic haha so thats why theres only one chapter. Maybe if yall like it enough ill write more 👿

CHAPTER DROPPING THIS SUNDAY!!

in the meantime, here's a little teaser

Chicago: Punk Never Dies Tour 2005

Panic! At The Disco has just cleared the stage and their stage crew is busy setting up Corroded Coffins gear while the crowd demands a second encore. It's been a few days, since his break up with Billy, but it's still eating at Eddie. He hates that he's in such a bad mood. He loves the stage. He loves performing. But his personal life can’t get its fucking shit together and its bleeding all over his stage persona. Even two weeks later. 

He's far enough into his head he doesn't even notice there's someone in front of him until they make physical contact. 

“Eds? You good man?” 

It's Gareth. 15 years his band mate and he knows Eddie and his moods like the back of his hand. Eddie gives him a tight lipped smile. He's not. Not even a little.

“Yeah man, sorry. Didn't sleep great last night.”

Gareth smirks and rolls his eyes. 

“So I guess I should be blaming Billy then.” 

Any other day, Eddie would laugh it off. Maybe agree, flirt, or make an over the top sexual remark. But not today. Not after Billy yanked out his heart, crushed it with his boot and then pissed on it. 

“We’re done.” 

Gareth's playful face drops and he looks a little queasy. 

“S-Shit, man, I-I’m so sorry.”

“You didn't know,” Eddie says, shaking his head and slapping the back of his bandmates shoulder to indicate the end of that conversation. “Come on, gotta get warmed up.”

-

Billy is practically vibrating out of his skin. He looks like he's either going to pass out or throw up. 

“I don't wanna be here Steve,” he says for the 7th time since they arrived at the small venue, but based on the never ending mood swings and constant name dropping of his ex, it's more than obvious to Steve Billy does want to be here. Needs it actually. Steve knows Billy never should of broken up with Eddie. Even if the blonde convinces himself, poorly, he's better off without him. 

“Yes, you do. Come on, I’m right here. I’ll be right here, the whole time.”

-

The stage lights change and Eddie turns to face the crowd, still high off that last long. Evidently so are they, because the pit is still active and Eddie watches with glee as the security guards try and fail to stop it. He's arguably feeling a little bit better. Their first few songs have turned an already wild crowd feral. He makes a risky decision, and hopes it's the right one.  

“Okay so this next song is brand new. LIke, I wrote it a week ago new. And, well, it's drastically different than anything we've ever written or performed, but I don't know, what do you think guys? Think this is a good crowd for it?”

The crowd explodes and Eddie laughs, high off their approval. 

“Alright alright, ya convinced us,” he says before nodding to the band to start setting up for their new song. Gareth changes his black bass for an electric-red one, Jeff swaps his bass for the electric violin, and Mike starts up the simple, repetitive drumline with a bass boosted modification. Eddie switches his handheld microphone for a headset, eagerly waiting for his tour mate to return to the side stage.

The song starts off starts off slow, with a deep base undertone accentuated by an electric violin that Eddie thought feels so sexy once they get to the chorus. He's never performed it live before, only twice at practice before the concert tonight, but in his head it's going to be sexy. Mostly, he just had alot of feelings about one resident asshole Billy Hargrove that he needs to get out. The stage is where he healed.

[liminalpebble]

Hi I'm back to bother you! Care to share more about that ink you got? For science, of course.

Heyyy Sweetheart,

You are never bothering me! And yeah! I love talking about my sweet tats!

Hmmm. I think I got the bats first. Gareth's cousin did them in his garage. All things considered, I think they turned out pretty good.

The puppetmaster dude was the next. That one I actually saved up for to get it done right. I learned my lesson after the garage. Haha. 🤣😐

I have a few more on my chest, but uh...*leans forward* those are a little surprise for whoever manages to get my shirt off. *winks*

Talk to you soon honey.

XO🤘😈,

Eddie

[rosemaryandarsenic]

So I hear you want Gareth requests ☺️ maybe Gareth reacting to his best friends new nipple piercings? 👀👀👀 like maybe he noticed them through their shirt and he’s dying inside (I have mine done and I have yet to find anything involving them with Gareth or Eddie actually now that I think of it) also ily ❤️

Screaming bc I think about this all the time. I’ve seen some Eddie fics with mention to nipple piercings but I don’t have them saved so if they come back my way I’ll tag you! That being said I’m happy to supply haha. I don’t have my nips pierced but I’ve always thought about it and I’m currently planning getting my belly button done so maybe it’ll happen sooner than I think it will lmao. I’ll be back with a blurb asap!!! Also ily toooo ❤️❤️❤️

[thisapplepielife]

wip word find game

Thanks to @thefreakandthehair and @frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe for both tagging me! So, here are my combined words:

(Unedited snippets, subject to change on a whim, haha.)

hands (from my hopefully future fic that's not really named "Think About Elvis", lol)

"Steve," Nancy says, putting her hands on her hips, a gesture Steve knows she picked up from him and kept, even now, years after their time together ended. "What?" he asks, his hands hitting his own hips, mirroring her. 

freckles (from my "Steddie Coded Title" fic that I want to finish someday)

"I've missed you, too, sweetheart," Eddie tells him, and leans forward to press kisses against Steve's back, his shoulders. Following the familiar trail of moles and freckles. Making sure to greet the new additions with as much love as he's showing the ones he's known forever.

sunlight (from a scrapped piece of Tuesday's Gone With the Wind, I guess?)

Apparently, I don't use the word sunlight that often. It popped up in two posted fics, and then in one document of 141 words that had to have been cut from some sort of early version of Tuesday's Gone With the Wind but I have no memory of writing them, haha. So, here.

Eddie is in bed.  Steve draws open the curtains, letting the harsh sunlight in.  "C'mon. Wayne's waiting," Steve says gently. 

ignore (from a Steddie wip, that might go nowhere, lol)

He's done this over and over, probably half a dozen times or more by now. Sneaking out of bed in the early morning hours, and Steve has let him go without saying a word. Until now. Until he caught him red-handed, and there was no way to ignore it.  And when he did that, when he looked at him with those sad fucking eyes, Eddie couldn't pull the trigger. Couldn't just slink off. Not if Steve was aware of it, not if he fully realized what was happening.

second (from a Steddie fic that somehow Gareth and Di have now infiltrated. I'm over here writing a origin story for them no reason, that won't even make it into the main fic. Still. No ragrets. 🤣)

"Daze," Diana says, "sure I think he's cute, but what are the odds he's straight? Seriously."  "He might be straight. He might be bi. You won't know unless you ask. Shoot your shot! Get dicked down, and enjoy every fucking second of it." 

road (from the Steddie Coded Title fic that I've mentioned I had a title for, but little else. Well, it's 11.1k now.)

"I did come into your building, once," Eddie whispers. "What?" Steve asks. "In New York. I just walked in and asked your secretary to see you. She was having none of it. Basically told me to hit the road Jack, and don't ya come back no more, no more, no more," Eddie laughs, "and I realized I was being crazy. So, I left." "Which secretary? I'll fire her tomorrow," Steve says, and Eddie laughs. He knows Steve won't.

soil (I literally had nothing at all in my wips. In fact, fun fact, I've only used the word soil twice in anything in my docs. Once in the epilogue for Take the Money and Run and once in House in the Woods.)

term (from a future chapter of All Across the Universe)

"Like a blowjob," he finally says, wanting to curl up and die.  She still looks confused. Is that not a term yet? Jesus Christ. He's fucking embarrassed. 

circumstance (from Think About Elvis)

"It's not anything like that. I'm not acting out. I met a guy. I kinda liked him, but I get that it happened under less than ideal circumstances." 

Tagging anyone that hasn't played yet and wants to!

Your words are: gone, clock & tempt.

[thisapplepielife]

Monthly Word Count Wrap-Up

July 2024

This was a super busy month, with Corroded Coffin Fest (@corrodedcoffinfest) running all month long. I'm so grateful to everyone that participated! You all rock!

I took a flying leap through Steddie Week, because I'd missed the announcement and only had a week to get my shit together, lol.

I worked on 13 different projects this month, for a total of 31,279 words. And the 500 words a day streak is still alive. Though I had two nights in a row that I was just hammering away after 11pm.

I averaged 1,009.00 words a day this month.

And for the yearly average, I'm slightly down from last month, now at 1120.50 words per day.

What I Posted This Month:

pressed. (For Steddie Micro, M, 111 Words)

One Little Mistake (For A Stranger Summer Week #10, T, 791 Words)

The Remnants (For A Stranger Summer Week #11, T, 898 Words)

Feels Like Karma (For A Stranger Summer Week #12, T, 483 Words)

If He Wanted To, He Would (For Steddie Song Fics, T, 2000 Words)

Pretty Amazing (For Steddie Micro, M, 1,111 Words)

Cat Distribution System (For A Stranger Summer Week #13, T, 587 Words)

All Across the Universe (Chapter 16, E, 1740 Words)

Steddie Week (Total Words: 8,124)

Day 01: All Hours (T, 1125 Words) Day 02: Waiting on You (T, 448 Words) Day 03: Long Long Time (T, 1050 Words) Day 04: Seen Nothing, Heard Nothing (T, 833 Words) Day 05: Can't Miss Us. (T, 1979 Words) Day 06: Not Enough to Not Know Better (E, 1189 Words) Day 07: Reach Out and Touch Someone (T, 1500 Words)

Corroded Coffin Fest (Total Words: 38,000)

Day 01: Scout's Honor (E, 1000 Words) Day 01: Full Throttle (E, 1000 Words) Day 02: Bandmates Wanted (T, 1000 Words) Day 03: Do You Play? (T, 1000 Words) Day 04: Who's Counting? (T, 1000 Words) Day 05: I'm Done (T, 1000 Words) Day 06: The First, and the Last (T, 1000 Words) Day 07: Tonight Isn't The Night (T, 1000 Words) Day 08: Luck of the Draw (T, 1000 Words) Day 09: Just Have To Feel It (T, 1000 Words) Day 10: Let's Hear it For the Boy (T, 1000 Words) Day 11: Pretty Goddamn Metal (M, 1000 Words) Day 12: Zipper (M, 1000 Words) Day 13: Living the Dream (E, 1000 Words) Day 14: Getaway Car (M, 1000 Words) Day 15: Got You Good Kid (T, 1000 Words) Day 16: Headlines (M, 1000 Words) Day 17: Stayin' Alive (T, 1000 Words) Day 18: Charles III (T, 1000 Words) Day 19: Sweet Talkin' Lola (T, 1000 Words) Day 20: Louisiana Rain (E, 1000 Words) Day 21: It Was His Year (M, 1000 Words) Day 22: Rough and Rowdy Ways (T, 1000 Words) Day 22: Settle For This (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1011 - Eddie (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1013 - Goodie (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1015 - Gareth (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1017 - Jeff (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Herding Cats (M, 1000 Words) Day 24: If It Makes You Happy (T, 1000 Words) Day 25: Oh My, Good Lord (T, 1000 Words) Day 26: Choose Your Own Adventure (M, 1000 Words) Day 27: You Love Me, Now Act Like It (M, 1000 Words) Day 28: You Win Some, You Lose Some (E, 1000 Words) Day 29: All For Naught (T, 1000 Words) Day 30: Eddeth (T, 1000 Words) Day 31: Reading Between the Lines (T, 1000 Words)

That was a lot of posting this month. 😬

That's my toxic trait, wanting to participate in everything, haha.

[thisapplepielife]

Thanks for the tag @hbyrde36!

WIP Weekend 😻

I usually say absolutely nothing about a fic until it's really, really ready to go. Like Michael Scott says:

So this is a departure for me to even entertain doing something like this, I feel so exposed, lol. We'll see how it goes. I'm trying to be social. And to not be so secretive about my ongoing writing. That's just my personality though, I can't help it! Lock it down like Fort Knox! Tell no one! 🤣

I'm also going to marry this with the WIP Title Tag Game that @mentallyundone tagged me in the other day I and I didn't get done on Wednesday. Sorry! But I appreciated you tagging me, even if I'm late to the party. (Story of my life, haha.) So you can just ask me something about these files if you want to. No promises on how much I'll tell. 🤐😏

Rules 📝

In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can’t share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.

That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post.

WIPS 🗃️

My file names are often my fic names, at least what I think they'll be at the time. They do change. But maybe being so formal is weird? Either way, one of these I've gotten...pretty far into it. Like, I think it's happening. The other? Still a baby of an idea. No clue if it'll be anything in the end.

The Snippet ✂️

Steve puts the baking pan of rolls in the center of the table, on a trivet. Eddie reaches for them immediately. Steve snaps, “You’ll burn your fingers off!” “Oh, you forget, sweetheart, I’ve got calluses. These fingers feel no pain,” Eddie sasses, wiggling his fingers at Steve, but he doesn’t grab one, and has obviously decided that he will let them cool, after all. “Well, your fingers might be immune, but I’m guessing your mouth isn’t,” Steve says, walking away again, not giving much attention to Eddie’s nonsense.  Eddie turns his head, grinning like a fool as he watches Steve go.  Gareth smiles. This is what home sounds like. Them bantering. Their love.

Okay. Hopefully I did that right. I'm not tagging anyone because I don't really know anyone that well yet, lol. But anyone that wants to, please do it if you want to! ❤️