OMG you should do a gareth x reader and like you join the hellfire club and he has crush on you and he ends up telling you and you like him back!
Idk why it took me so long to write this. Characterizing Gareth should not have been as difficult as it was lmao. But y'know what it took to finish this? Sitting upside down. In a chair.
Like, y'know in big hero 6 when Tadashi holds Hiro upside down or whatever to get him to think and it worked? Yeah. That was me.
But I hope you enjoy this, it definitely got away from me lol. It wasn't supposed to be this long and the ending was definitely a little rushed. But whatever.
(Also, somewhere in an alternate universe, Gareth does turn out to be an axe murderer)
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Word count: 5.8k
Pairing: Gareth Emerson x Reader
Warnings: underage drinking, swearing, mentioned drug use
Request Here
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Eddie strutted down the hall with you at his side, excitement putting an extra bounce in his steps. He looked like a child, the pins on his jacket rattling.
You smiled faintly. A few weeks ago he asked you to play D&D with him. The two of you had gotten together to get high once or twice, you bought all your shit from him. And you mentioned how you used to play back in middle school.
That spurred the conversation of the Hellfire Club, which you'd heard a lot about. Mostly bad things if you were being honest, but hey. That was highschool.
It took him a while to convince you to join his club, and then bring you up to speed on all the rules and remind you how to play.
But now here you were, joining your first campaign with the Hellfire Club. You were pretty excited, you couldn't lie.
Not like you'd tell Eddie that. He'd be even more bouncy than he was right now.
Eddie kicked the door to their 'club room' with a loud crash, "hey nerds!" He called with an obnoxious grin.
You followed him into the room, which used to be the old theatre, but considering a new and bigger theater had just been built, this one was given to Eddie's club. It was really the only room they could spare.
Plus, it was pretty on brand; playing a fantasy game where drama had taken place.
They were backstage and all the lights seemed to be on. They were very colorful too, lighting the room up beautifully. There was also discarded sets and other junk pushed towards the walls and out of the way.
You went to look at the table where the other members sat, leaving the throne at the head of the table empty. You guessed that was Eddie's seat. His place at the table was already all set up, there were even candles lit on either side.
The rest of the table was occupied by the club members. A handful of them were underclassmen. You could tell by their baby faces. "Henderson! Drumroll!" He pointed to the table as he got closer.
A boy with brown curls obediently began to drum his fingers against the table, muttering, "why doesn't the drummer do the drumroll?"
"Shut it," Eddie said, pointing at him again. He got close enough to step right up onto the table. And then he bowed low, hand extended to where you stood with an amused smile.
"Please welcome the newest member of Hellfire! Y/N L/N!" He cheered as he rose back up, to which received several greetings ranging in enthusiasm.
Eddie grinned and hopped down from the table. He stepped forward and walked behind you, guiding you forward. "Curly is Dustin Henderson," he said, pointing him out once again. "His friends, Michael Wheeler, and Lucas Sinclair," he said, pointing to each of them.
You smiled and waved to the three younger boys. They looked like babies, they were so young. You wanted to squeeze their cheeks.
"That's Jeff. And finally, there's Gareth. He's a pain, ignore him more than you ignore the others," he instructed you very seriously.
Your eyes lingered on Gareth. He had the fluffiest hair you'd ever seen and you could imagine how soft it would feel beneath your fingers. He wore the same shirt as the others, white and black with the Hellfire logo. He also layered on a red and black flannel with the sleeves cut off.
Gareth fixed his annoyed look on Eddie. "And why should they ignore me?" He asked, his voice higher than you thought but beautiful to listen to.
"Because you're a pain," Eddie repeated with a 'duh' tone. But unfortunately for him, the only free spot they had was beside Gareth. He glared at Gareth like it was his fault once he realized.
You clapped Eddie on the shoulder with a laugh,"I deal with you everyday. I'm sure I can handle Gareth," you assured with a grin, going and sitting next to Gareth.
Eddie smiled before he understood, and when he did his expression grew annoyed. "Ha ha, very funny," he droned, sitting on his throne. "Now everybody shut up and let's get started!"
---
As soon as the session was over, Dustin cornered you while you waited for Eddie to pack up. He eagerly chatting your ear off about just about everything. You found it endearing how enthusiastic he was. His friend Mike, looked apologetic though as he awkwardly stood at his side.
"So how do you know Eddie?" Dustin asked, adjusting his cap. "Are you guys friends?"
"Oh, he's my de…uh, detention partner," you quickly altered your sentence. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell the kid Eddie was your dealer. Plus it wasn't like you were lying, Eddie had been your detention partner a couple of times.
"Really?" Dustin asked, ignoring Mike's urging warning that they were going to be late. "How long have you been playing D&D?"
"Since eighth grade," you answered honestly. "Gave me something to do after school."
"Why did you just now join Hellfire?" Mike finally gave in and asked a question. You knew he was curious too, after all you were a new face.
"Because I was too busy before," you shrugged, glancing to see if Eddie had packed up all his things yet. You looked back at the boys. "And I never had a ride."
"Do you need a ride?" Gareth asked, swinging his bag over his shoulder and stopping next to you. The way he looked you up and down wasn't as subtle as he thought it was.
"Nah, Eddie—"
"Gareth, you take 'em home," Eddie cut you off. "I forgot, I have to take Henderson and Wheeler. Their ride is busy so of course, the burden falls to me," he said with a shake of his head.
Dustin swung his head around to stare at Eddie. "What!?" He yelped. "What happened to Steve? Why didn't you say anything sooner!" He shouted, storming over to Eddie.
Gareth tilted his head towards the door and you nodded, walking out of the theater with him. It was silent for a few moments before you broke it.
"So you're a drummer?" You asked.
Gareth looked over at you and nodded, "yeah, for our band. Eddie tell you?"
You shook your head. "You're in a band? Eddie's in a band and he didn't tell me? That ass," you scoffed.
"I'm surprised you've gone this long without knowing," Gareth replied earnestly. "He's your dealer, right? I think he's mentioned you a few times."
"Didn't want to say it in front of the kids," you nodded, "but yeah. That's how I originally met him."
"So you've been 'round his? I know you've seen his guitar," Gareth held the door open for you. "He uses it for gigs only. It's his prized possession."
You suddenly remembered the name of the band. Eddie invited you out one day but you'd been too busy to attend. Now you had a reason to attend one of their shows. "Corroded Coffin, right?" You asked with a proud grin at remembering.
Gareth smiled at you. And wow was his smile beautiful. He nodded. "So ya do know our band," he mused. "Yes, I'm our drummer."
"Well considering that Dustin kid was asked to drumroll and not you, I'm gonna assume you're not—"
"Hey," Gareth said, affronted, turning to point a finger at you, "I'll let you walk home," he threatened.
"I didn't say it," you held your hands up in surrender. "I said nothing. What you use to fill in the blanks is entirely your—"
"Oh shut up," Gareth elbowed you in the side.
You jumped away from him with a scowl on your face, rubbing your injured side. "I'm not feelin' the love here, Gareth," you huffed. "I think I will walk home," you said, making a 90° turn and walking off.
"Hey!" Gareth shouted, grabbing your arm before you could get too far and pulled you back against his side. He casually tossed an arm around your side to prevent a repeat. "Eddie would murder me with my own sticks if I let you walk home."
"Maybe then you’ll learn some manners,” came your snarky reply but you let him guide you. You tried to ignore how his touch made you feel.
“Look who's talking,” Gareth replied, unfortunately releasing you. He walked around to the driver's seat and unlocked the doors.
You grinned and got in the car. “So, besides playing D&D and playing the drums, what do you do?” You asked, a pathetic attempt to keep the conversation going as you clicked your seatbelt on.
Gareth ignored his own seatbelt and put his arm behind your seat as he twisted to look behind him as he reversed out of his parking spot. “Really?” He asked, making eye contact briefly. “Small talk?”
Warmth coursed through your body as you rolled your eyes, trying to pretend like the small action didn't fluster you. You were rapidly developing a crush on him. You were unable to decide if it was surface level attraction or if it'd maybe have a chance to develop into something real. “Are you really judging me, drummer boy?” You mocked.
“Oh wonderful, I haven’t ever been called that before,” he said flatly, turning and removing his hand from behind your seat. “Ask me something worthwhile.”
You took a moment to think about an ‘interesting’ question. “Okay, what’s the weirdest thing you have been called?” You asked.
Gareth paused to actually think about it. "Freak," he answered honestly. "That's what just about most of the school calls me. Us. Hellfire," he clarified.
You had to admit, you felt your heart squeeze at the sympathy you felt for him. You despised the words especially when it was used so maliciously. You pursed your lips, "that was supposed to be a light hearted question, sorry."
Gareth only laughed. "Hey, well, you asked," he replied, tapping the steering wheel. "Better get used to it. I did. Easier that way."
"No thanks," you shook your head for emphasis. "The second anyone calls me that, they're getting my fist."
"That's fair," Gareth conceded. "Hey, where am I going anyways?" He asked with a frown, slowing slightly to give you time to answer..
"Oh you missed the turn about a mile ago," you confessed, looking up at him. "But I figured it was too late to tell you."
Gareth was silent for a few seconds before he exploded. "What!?" He loudly demanded. "I am never driving you anywhere ever again!" He exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything!"
"Sorry!" You shouted back. "I'm sorry! I just…I don't know, don't yell!"
"You're yelling too!" Gareth screeched, making a wild U-turn. You heard several things rattle and roll in his car.
"Hey—hey! Cool it with the crazy driving!" You continued to shout, holding onto what you dubbed the 'oh shit' handle on the roof. He was worse than Eddie, which was saying a lot.
"Just tell me where I'm going!" Gareth turned to look at you, a crazy grin on his face as he continued to shout.
You realized he wasn't upset, but rather having fun. You grinned. "Just drive!" You managed between laughter. "You don't have anywhere to be, do you?"
Gareth shook his head no and joined in your laughter. "I like you!" He shouted.
"Then why are you yelling!?"
Gareth's smile never died as he repeated, in a much more respectable volume, "I like you."
You grinned, "thank you," you responded. "You're not so bad, for a drummer," you added belatedly.
Gareth's eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open in very obvious, and deep offense. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
Gareth scowled, "you got a problem with drummers?"
"Well, the last drummer I dated was crazy. I find the guitarist to be much more sane—"
"Uh, in what world is the guitarist more sane than the drummer!?" Gareth wildly demanded. "No way is Eddie more sane than I am!"
"Hey I'm just telling you my past experiences!" You defended, "I didn't say I like Eddie more than you—well, actually—"
"I'm giving you a ride home." Gareth sounded deeply offended again as he turned to stare at you.
"Eddie gives me drugs."
"That you buy. I'm doing this for free and in my own time."
You paused. You didn't have a response for that because he did have a point. "Fine," you conceded. "Fine, fine. Sorry for insulting you, drummer boy."
Gareth's victorious grin twisted into a scowl. "Can't you come up with a different nickname?"
"No."
Gareth sighed as he took a right turn. "I need a nickname for you now. It's only fair," he stated.
"No," you turned down, you knew this could only end in an embarrassing or terrible nickname. You had a reputation to maintain, you couldn't let him give you a nickname that would likely stick and catch on.
"You're a nerd but that just…doesn't fit," Gareth murmured to himself, staring out at the road.
You were concerned about the spaced out look on his face and thought maybe it wasn't a smart idea to let him drive you around.
"...I'll think of it," he finally shrugged. "But you need a new name other than drummer boy," he said, pointing a finger at you.
"Thumper," you replied.
"Will you be the Bunny to my Thumper?" Gareth wasted no time in asking.
You paused. "You've seen Bambi?" You asked in surprise. He didn't seem the type to sit through that kind of movie.
"I have a younger sister," Gareth offered in explanation, glancing over at you, "we've seen it a million times. Even my older sister's made me watch it."
You wanted to tease him, but you thought it was so sweet he watched it with her so many times. You smiled instead, "that's cute."
"Don't tease me," Gareth warned seriously.
"I'm not," you said quickly, "swear on my life. I'm not teasing you. I think it's cute that you watch movies with them."
Gareth tapped the steering wheel again to an imaginary beat and nodded, accepting that answer. "Do you need to be home soon?"
"I don't have a curfew," you answered, which…wasn't completely honest but he didn't need to know that. You wanted to spend more time with him though, he was interesting. And cute.
"Good. I was gonna take a ride out to the drive-in. I hope you like horror," he looked over at you again.
"The drive-in is in the next city," you stated the obvious.
"Yep," Gareth agreed.
"Okay," you said. This would be fun. You hoped. You had just met him, but he didn't strike you as an axe murderer or something.
---
Gareth was in fact, not an axe murderer. The two of you went to the drive in together and saw a horror movie that you honestly lost the plot of, too distracted by him.
He was very engrossed by the movie. He laughed at parts he definitely shouldn't have, popcorn in hand. He made snide little comments about the actors or the movie in general.
His commentary made you crack up and you couldn't focus with him murmuring some smartass comment in your ear every few minutes.
You wouldn't have changed a thing about the night.
Well. You'd change one thing.
Gareth walked you up to your door with the excuse of, "you never know where a murderer might be lurking."
You doubted they'd lurk in the few feet from the street to your door, but you decided to humor him.
So you walked with him, arms brushing together with every step. Neither of you made an attempt to stop the contact. Neither of you attempted more contact
When you arrived at your door, he stopped you from opening it with a hand on your arm. "Hey," he began, shifting his weight and dropping his hand.
You turned to him, the faint light of your neighbor's porch light illuminated his face enough for you to see his shifting gaze. "Hi," you warmly replied, smiling at him.
"Hi," he laughed, looking away. He cleared his throat and tucked his hands into his jean pockets. He rocked forward on his toes as he spoke. "You should come to our show."
You were nodding before you even comprehended the suggestion. But once you did, you smiled. "You want me to come to your show?"
Gareth looked away again and shrugged, "yeah. Thought you'd like it. I'll prove I am a good drummer despite what some people think," he pointedly said.
Your smile grew. "I'll be there," you promised. You found yourself wishing for a kiss. Hell, even a brush of his lips against your cheek would sate you. But of course, nothing happened.
Gareth took a step back and nodded at you. "Night, bunny," he said, turning around and heading back to his car.
"Night, thumper," you murmured, your voice lost to the night. You stared at his back for a second longer before finally turning and heading inside.
---
You informed Eddie of your plans and Gareth's invitation and he would not leave you alone. You regretted telling him.
"Wait, wait. I explicitly told you to stay away from Gareth and you went on a date with him!?" He screeched, his voice disappearing into the forest surrounding you two. Thankfully, you decided to have this conversation outside of school.
"It wasn't a date," you denied, waving a hand. You sat up on the picnic table and stared down at where he was sitting on the bench. "It was just a movie."
"No, it was a movie at the drive-in," Eddie replied, putting more emphasis on the words like a weirdo. "You know what happens at drive-ins? Sex!" He shouted. Like a weirdo.
You grimaced, "what? No, stop. I didn't sleep with your best friend. Calm down," you huffed. "Jeez, Eddie. It was just a movie."
"Oh really? How do I know you didn't have sex in the backseat?" Eddie pressed.
You rolled your eyes. "You're disgusting," you stated.
"That's hateful," Eddie replied. "How come you never come to my shows when I invite you? Why is Gareth so special?" He complained.
He was right to complain. He invited you to his shows a couple of times, but you'd always declined. Either you were too busy or you weren't particularly interested.
That had been before you met the cute drummer.
"He's not special. I'm just not busy this week," you lied. "If you would have asked me, I would have said yes." You probably wouldn't have. No offense to Eddie.
"Mhm," Eddie hummed, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Fine. I'll believe you," he said. "I'll give you a ride. I guess."
You grinned.
---
Eddie picked you up as promised. Once you were inside, he left you at the bar as he went to go set up.
Fuck did he undersell his band. There were already people gathering and more coming inside as time passed. You were impressed.
And by the time their set started, a crowd had gathered around the stage, dancing to the music and hyping up the band with their support.
You didn't join the crowd and instead stayed at the bar and watched. You had a good view of the whole band from where you were. And by that, you meant you had a good view of Gareth.
And sure, Eddie was absolutely killing it on stage, his voice was perfect for his songs and his playing was unparalleled. But your eyes were glued to Gareth, who was enthusiastically slamming his sticks against the drum kit. Head bopping to his own music with an infectious smile.
You got into the music quickly, but your eyes never strayed from Gareth for too long. He was too captivating to look away from.
But when the show ended and the band packed their things up, you finally turned away from the stage.
"How'd you like the show?"
You looked over and nearly fell out of your chair. "King Steve?" You couldn’t stop the old title from tumbling from your lips, you were that surprised at seeing him. "Holy shit! What are you—this doesn't seem like your type of scene." Granted, you didn’t know much about Steve Harrington nowadays. You hadn't seen him in two years.
Steve awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not," he agreed, "Eddie invited me." He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Ah," you said slowly, nodding in understanding. "Eddie invited you."
Steve rolled his eyes, "it's not like that."
"Sure," you answered. "But it's fine if it is," you offered. "Gareth invited me."
"Steve," Gareth said, startling you as he materialized behind you. "Eddie didn't say he invited you." He gave him little more than a glance though before looking at you. "Hi."
You smiled, "hi," you responded. "You were amazing."
Gareth grinned, obviously pleased by the compliment. He ruffled the hair behind his ears, "thanks," he said. “So? I’m a good drummer, right?”
You playfully tilted your head as if pretending to think about it. He shoved you over and you shook with laughter, “yes, yes. You’re a good drummer. Best I’ve heard, but don’t let it go to your head,” you complimented with sincerity.
Gareth turned away with a bashful smile playing at his lips. “No promises,” he murmured, “I wasn’t uh, I wasn’t sure if you were gonna show,” he continued, drumming his fingers against the bartop.
“Ouch,” you deadpanned, holding your chest, “so little confidence, Emerson.”
“Oh, it’s Emerson now?” Gareth scoffed, arching a brow. “And I was just about to offer you a ride home.”
"Oh no, whatever shall I do?" You dramatically asked, "thank god Eddie is my actual ride."
"Is that a no?" Gareth asked impatiently.
"Let me buy you a drink," you offered instead of answering. "You really were amazing tonight."
"I gotta drive," Gareth pointed out.
"You won't get drunk off one drink, will you?" You asked, before shrugging. "If you want….you could come over. Have a drink or—or something. I dunno," you said, sounding way less confident than you would have preferred.
Gareth was silent, deliberating the idea as his eyes scanned the bar, eventually he nodded. "Okay," he agreed, "are you providing dinner as well or are you just trying to get me drunk?" He asked with a teasing smirk.
"Depends if you get us there in one piece," you replied, tucking your hands into your pockets and following him as he walked outside.
"All this slander on my driving from the person who can't drive," Gareth deadpanned, giving you an amused look. "Would you like to drive?"
"I would, actually," you answered, much to his surprise. "I can drive, y'know. I just don't have a car. Or a license," you shrugged, Eddie let you drive his van once or twice. In addition to stealing your parents cars, that's how you learned.
Gareth tossed his keys at you without saying anything and you barely caught them before they smacked into your face. You had half a mind to chuck them at his face.
You decided against it though, and followed him out to his car. You climbed into the driver's seat with a grin. "If I crash, it's not my fault," you stated, sticking the keys in the ignition.
"What happened to knowing how to drive?" Gareth asked, clicking his seatbelt on with a skeptical look.
"I never said I did it well," you cheekily answered as you pulled out of the parking lot and drove away.
You took a detour and got some food for the two of you (which Gareth was very happy about) before driving home.
You were proud to say you got both of you there in one piece. You didn't run any red lights or stop signs either, which you were very proud of.
Gareth didn't think it was so amusing.
"How is it an accomplishment, Y/N? That's the law," he pointed out, holding the food as he climbed out of his car.
You held the six pack you bought with your trusty fake ID, since you technically had promised him a drink. You tossed his keys over the hood of his car, "this is coming from someone who said, and I quote, speed limits are just suggestions," you snarked.
"Yeah, but I don't make a habit of running red lights," he sniped, catching the keys and pushing them into his pocket.
You pulled your own keys out as you walked up to your front door, correcting over your shoulder, "I don't make a habit of it, it's only happened once or twice. But in my defense, the light turned red right when I got to the intersection so I couldn't stop." You slid your keys in the lock and opened it, stepping to the side to let him in first.
"My parents are out of town, so don't worry," you said when you noticed his hesitation, stepping inside behind him and shutting the door.
"Starting to think you have ulterior motives," he called from where he set the food down on the coffee table. He sat himself down on the floor back against the couch.
"It's nothing like that," you promised. You took two beers out of the black and put the rest in the sink. You joined him on the ground, handing off a beer.
"You sure it's nothing like that?" He asked, eyes searching your face.
You nodded and turned away from his gaze before you could blush or say something stupid. You got up quickly to look for a movie to put on.
And with a smirk, you put Bambi on.
"Seriously?" Gareth deadpanned, staring at the screen as the opening played. "You're so funny, bunny."
"I try," you said with a mocking bow. You straightened up and joined him on the floor once again and began to eat.
Just like at the drive-in, he made snarky, sarcastics comments under his breath and kept a running commentary going. And just like at the drive-in, you didn't mind one bit. You discovered you loved hearing his voice.
"Thumper is so cute," you said with feeling, staring at the screen with a smile. The little bunny just melted your heart, he was adorable. You watched as he tried to get Bambi on the ice.
"Eddie can be Bambi," Gareth said thoughtfully. "He's as clueless as him. Besides Bambi looks almost high in some scenes—"
"Don't say that!" You chided with a laugh, "he doesn't not. He's a baby deer. He's supposed to be clueless. And Eddie isn't as spacey as a baby deer."
"Oh please, I've known him for years," Garqeth dismissed. He pointed at the screen where Bambi was struggling on the ice. "That's exactly what he gets like on skates. Haven't managed to convince him to ice skate though," he said with a dejected sigh.
"I'll skate with you," you volunteered, just to watch him light up. You smiled at how happy it seemed to make him. God he was just precious. Just like Thumper.
Gareth didn't say anything as his eyes returned to the TV screen, but he did settle back into the couch. His arms crossed and he looked pleased.
You took a drink from your half empty bottle. But just as you tipped it back, swallowing a mouthful of the bitter liquid, Gareth decided to speak.
"I like you. A lot. Romantically," he said, turning to look at you.
You choked, immediately setting the glass down on the table, coughing harshly, trying to dispel the liquid you accidentally inhaled. "Jesus Christ," you croaked between coughs.
Gareth reached over to pat and rub your back. "Interesting reaction," he said, his shoulders shaking with ill-concealed amusement.
"Shut up," you scowled, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. "You're an ass, Gareth Emerson. I could have died!"
"And that would've been a shame," Gareth said mournfully. "So?" He asked.
"I'm starting to rethink my feelings about you," you said sourly, rubbing your chest.
Gareth shoved you.
"Wha—Gareth! Not helping your case right now," you exclaimed, sitting up from where you dramatically fell over. "You have a crush on me?"
Gareth nodded.
You grinned. "Okay, well, good. Because I have a massive crush on you too," you said happily. "Probably from when I first saw you. Y'know, I think the hair is what sold me. And then your personality. Is that shallo—"
Gareth leaned over to claim your lips with his. You eagerly pressed forward, kissing him back without hesitation.
You groaned into the kiss as he licked into your mouth, lips parting with no resistance. You reached out to touch him, your hand buried in his hair, tugging gently.
Gareth pulled away soon after that, a lazy smile on his face, his cheeks red. "My new favorite hobby might be kissing you now," he breathlessly confessed.
"Yeah," you agreed, feeling drunk off his kiss alone. "Yeah—we should, uh, we should definitely do that again."
Gareth grinned, "take me out to dinner first."
You gestured to the food between the two of you, "excuse me, what would you call this? Technically, if anything, this is our second date," you pointed out.
Gareth seemed to have no wiseass comment for that and he instead kissed you again.
---
Like all good things, the night eventually came to an end. Gareth drove home (you two decided it was fine since he only had a beer) and that was the end of the night.
You went to bed dreaming about him, because that's how hard you'd fallen for him. And now you had him. You were now dating Gareth Emerson and honestly? You could not have been happier.
The next morning, you were woken up by a blaring horn. You very nearly fell out of bed, half asleep as you got up.
You jumped when the horn honked again and you groaned, muttering swears under your breath at being so rudely awoken.
You got to the door and threw it open, still in your pajamas and glared at the car. You realized it was Gareth's. "What the fuck!?"
"Hey, bunny," he called out of his open window with a delighted cackle. "come on, come on. Let's go," he urged, "we have places to be!"
"Why are you so excited to go to school?" You asked, crossing your arms. "I'm not even dressed!"
"Who said anything about school?" Gareth smirked. "Hurry and get dressed. We have places to be," he repeated, enunciating his words with another obnoxious beep of his horn.
"Fine, fine! Stop honking, my neighbors already hate me!" You exclaimed, whirling around and heading back inside. But before you closed the door, Gareth loudly honked one last time.
You rolled your eyes and went to get dressed. A little embarrassed at being seen in your pajamas, but you got over it quickly.
You headed out of your house dressed for whatever it was Gareth was up to. You got in the car, and were greeted with a sweet kiss. And when he pulled away, he was smiling. "You look good," he said and stepped on the gas.
You lurched forward and scrambled to get your seatbelt on. "Where are we going?" You asked, staring at him expectantly.
"Surprise," he replied. After a few moments, he gave in. "We're going on a date. Double date. I told Eddie, sorry," he said, glancing over at you, tapping the steering wheel again.
"No, don't apologize," you said quickly, "it's fine. But uh, last I checked, Eddie was single. Painfully so," he said.
Gareth began to smile, "well it seems like we're not the only one who got serious last night," he said, "Eddie and Steve are a thing. But it's supposed to be a secret."
"How is it a secret if we're going on a date with them?" You couldn't help but ask.
"It's a secret date," he answered. "Eddie was looking for a new spot to deal after he almost got busted, and found a good place for a picnic," he explained.
You wondered just how long the two of them spent on the phone last night. It was an amusing thought to picture them gossiping over the phone.
"Okay," you said, satisfied with the answers you'd gotten and glad to know he hadn't spontaneously decided to murder you with an axe out in the woods.
The drive was mostly quiet, with metal music playing through the speakers.
Eddie and Steve were already there when the two of you arrived. You had to take a little hike through the woods to get to them though, which didn't really help your axe murderer theory.
But you eventually found Eddie and Steve in a small clearing. They were sitting on opposite tree stumps, a large one between them. That's where they had the food set up.
"You're late," Steve called when he laid eyes on you both.
You smirked when you seen him and sent a knowing look between him and Eddie. "What'd I say?" You asked.
"Y/N wasn't even awake when I went to get them," Gareth threw you under the bus, sitting right on the ground and reaching for the food.
"Traitor," you muttered, sitting opposite of him on the ground, internally grimacing about having to get the dirt out of your clothes later. "He was being obnoxious and kept honking!"
"I told you to stay away from him," Eddie said around a mouthful of food. "But does anyone listen? No," he said.
"Nothing new," Steve replied.
Eddie glared.
You reached for your own food with a smile. You could get used to this. This was so much better than being stuck in class all day.
And hey, you even got a very pretty looking rock from Gareth at the end of the date. He had disappeared for about half an hour and returned soaking wet, but with two rocks in his pockets that he waded through a creek for.
He gave you one, and kept the other.
You never got rid of the rock. It stayed with you always, even when others joined your collection. That first rock held so much more significance to you.
Even years later, that rock remained your most prized possession.
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Can you please write me something for Gareth from Stranger Things, like something sweet Gareth x reader
I'm sorry for how long it took me to get to this, I feel like I've barely had time to write these day :(
But! I hope you enjoy this :) ik I enjoyed writing it
(Also in my head, this is what they were dancing to, originally I wanted it to be Nothing Else Matters by Metallica, but it was released in 91 :/)
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Word count: 1.3k
Pairing: Gareth Emerson x Reader
Warnings: none
Request Here
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Soft music drifted through the room, settling a calm atmosphere across the house. You didn't get peaceful moments like this often, not when you were so busy with Dustin all the time. The boy was a handful, constantly full of energy. You loved him, but sometimes it was nice to enjoy the silence without his incessant chatter.
"The sink is overflowing, sunflower," Gareth's voice murmured as he came up behind you, one hand on your hip and the other stretched in front of you to turn the faucet off. Once that was done, it dropped down to your hip. He squeezed gently, hooking his chin over your shoulder.
"Sorry," you said, a pleasant warmth curling in your stomach at his touch. You looked down at the sink full of water that was indeed, nearly overflowing. You sighed, removing your hands from the oddly comforting warm, soapy water and straightened up with a soft groan. The dishes could wait. Maybe you could get Dustin to do them once he got home.
"What's wrong?" Gareth asked, his body beginning to sway along to the music still flowing from the radio. "You were really zoned out."
"Enjoying the quiet," you confessed, shaking your hands to try and dispel the water, though it didn't do much considering the moisture was up to your elbows. "It's only like this on D&D nights."
Gareth hummed and you could feel the curl of his lips as he turned his face to bury in your neck. His lips pressed to your skin, not a kiss, just a grounding pressure. "He's very loud on D&D nights."
You ruefully smiled, "is that why you're playing hooky?" You casually teased, closing your eyes as you began to sway with him. You didn't blame him, every first Sunday of the month, Hellfire ran long. They started at around ten in the morning, and didn't finish til maybe ten at night, sometimes midnight if the campaign was particularly interesting.
"Maybe I just wanted to spend my evening with you," Gareth replied, affectionately biting down on your shoulder before he straightened up. He used the hold on your hips to turn you around with a smile.
You were used to his biting habit by now, it was strange, yes, but you were used to it. It was one of the ways he showed affection. You tugged the stretched out neckline of your t-shirt back up so it wasn't hanging off your shoulder anymore. "You spend all day with me," you countered with an easy smile.
"No, I spend…four hours of the day with you," he said with an honest to god pout. "Stupid senior schedule," he sourly mumbled under his breath, glancing away from you. He suddenly cocked his head to the side and began to smile.
You arched a brow at the sudden change in attitude, "what?" You asked, intrigued as you turned to see what had captured his attention.
"The song," Gareth said, humming along as he swayed along to the tune, his hands still on your hips, gently moving you in time with him to the rhythm of the song. "When Gwyn was younger, we'd dance in the kitchen like this. By some crazy coincidence, this song always played. She would stand on my feet and we'd spin around," he said with a fond smile.
Gwyn was his eight year old sister, he's been taking care of her for years because their parents were never home, too busy for their own kids. According to him, she was at a friend's house for the night, which is why he was here so late.
You smiled at the soft expression on his face and leaned in to kiss him, his lips plush under your own. He kissed you back with equal softness, pulling away after a self indulgent moment.
He smiled, moving one of his hands to grab yours, extending them out. His other hand moved higher up, resting under your shoulder.
You arched a brow, genuinely impressed as you caught his train of thought. You held his hand and fixed him with a mock serious look, waiting a beat longer before stepping forward with your left, unable to contain the grin when he followed and stepped to the right.
"I didn't know you knew how to dance," you murmured, squeezing his shoulder gently as your feet carried you around.
"Wedding," Gareth responded with an indescribable expression on his face, a cross between admiration and pride. "Why do you know how?" He squeezed your hand gently.
You began to rotate once you landed back where you started, twirling around the kitchen with Gareth, a permanent smile on your lips. You laughed once you realized he was counting steps under his breath and leaned in to selfishly claim his lips once more.
He kissed back immediately without a hitch in his footwork and you continued to move in sync with each other. You squeezed his shoulder again, licking into his mouth and swallowing the groan that escaped him.
The song ended and your dancing slowly came to a stop, too enamoured with each other to continue. The hand on his shoulder found a place in his thick curls and you ran your fingers through them.
Gareth nipped at your bottom lip when you finally pulled away for air, shamelessly smiling as he pressed his forehead to yours.
You kept your eyes closed as some pop song began to float through the kitchen, more upbeat than the last, though you didn't pay much attention to it.
"I love you," Gareth mumbled, pressing his lips to yours once more.
You hummed a response, already kissing him back—
"I'm home!"
You flinched at the sudden loud voice, followed by the telltale sound of the doorknob smacking into the wall that you just fixed because Dustin threw the door open and put a hole in it.
You groaned quietly, dropping your head to Gareth's shoulder, "Dustin I swear to god if you put another hole in that damn wall," you growled.
Gareth laughed obnoxiously, wrapping his arms around you and squeezing. "He's never gonna learn," he mused as the door shut just as loud.
You knew that, but still.
"Why are you here!?" Dustin demanded, meaning he had walked into the kitchen and seen Gareth. "Eddie said you were sick! You look fine! He made me and Mike find a sub! Again!" He screeched in all of his fourteen year old fury.
You sighed softly. Well the quiet was good while it lasted. You separated from Gareth and turned around to stare at Dustin, who was evidently still hyped on adrenaline from the campaign. Good, he can use it to finish washing the dishes.
"I was sick. Now I'm better," Gareth deadpanned, walking forward to flick Dustin on the forehead, "I'm gonna go, sunshine."
"Gross, dude. Don't call them that in front of me," Dustin said with a shudder and a disgusted expression. "Y/N, do you have to date him?"
"Yes, and you have to do the dishes," you replied, following Gareth so you could walk him out. You plucked the hat off of Dustin's head and ruffled his curls, "you have fun?"
"Yep," Dustin said with a smile, "I'll tell you later," he promised before turning around to start on the dishes left in the sink.
You left Dustin's hat on the counter and walked with Gareth to the door. You hovered inside, not keen on going out barefoot in the cold.
"See you tomorrow," he said, tucking his hands into his pockets, shivering at the cold air nipping at his skin.
"Bye, my love," you said quietly, leaning in for a chaste kiss. The unmistakable sound of glass breaking interrupted the two of you, and you groaned quietly.
Gareth laughed, kissing the tip of your nose, "have fun with that," he teased before turning around and walking to his car.
"I'm sorry!" Dustin screeched from inside and you rolled your eyes. You shut the door and went to see what the damage was.
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