#and her helping eddie study would be worse i stand by this

[momotonescreaming]

Unpopular opinion, but I don't think that Eddie and Nancy would get along. If she tried to help him study she'd get frustrated that he wasn't getting it, that he was getting distracted so easily, that he wasn't learning the same way she does, and she'd just end up angry with him. She'd look at him like she was trying to explode him with her mind. Eddie would think she's a priss, and stubborn, and a bad teacher. Instead of actually helping him learn she's trying to brute force the correct answers out of him. Who does she think she is, Ms O'Donnell?

[andvys]

Wicked Game E.M.

Warnings: 18+, minors don't interact! angst, slightly mean!Eddie, enemies to lovers, smut, Eddie calls reader names, choking, Eddie spits in reader's mouth, masturbation, unprotected sex, jealous Eddie, jealous reader, Eddie calling himself freak, hurt/comfort, Eddie calls reader ‘bee’, it’s a nickname he gave her

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Summary: Your best friend Steve and his new friend bring someone into your life that you just can't stand, Eddie Munson. He teases you, he says mean things to you and as foolish as you are, you still desire him- just like he desires you.

Word count: 12.5k+

Note: @take-everything-you-can , thank you for this amazing request. I hope you're gonna like this one, I loved writing it!

stranger things masterlist

Tagging some people who might be interested 🥰 @littledemondani @wroteclassicaly @corrodedcorpses @mysticmunson @aftermidnightwriting @bimbobaggins69

-

You and your best friend come as a package deal, wherever one goes, the other follows. There is not a single day you spend without each other, you do lunch breaks together, he comes over to hang out even when you’re busy studying or doing homework, you help him get ready for dates and he helps you pick out outfits for parties, when he’s sick, you take care of him and vice versa. You adore him. You are pretty sure that you will move in together if neither of you find a partner till then. 

You grew up together and always stuck to each other’s side. 

When your best friend found a second best friend, you were scared that you would lose him but luckily, that wasn’t the case, he didn’t leave, he didn’t abandon you like others would do after making new friends. You would always be his number one and he made that very clear and she became your best friend as well. Robin is amazing, you adore her just as much as you adore Steve. She is funny and sweet and you love spending time with her but you can’t stand her ‘forever’ best friend, Eddie Munson. 

That man had it out for you ever since he laid eyes on you, you don’t know what it is about you that makes him so mad but he never fails to make you feel irritated and angry. Eddie is not malicious in any way, he is no bully. He just makes his dislike for you very known. He teases you, makes sly and snarky comments, glares at you before you even turn to look at him. 

That was before your best friend became his best friend. 

Now it’s so much worse because not only do you have to tolerate him at school, you also have to tolerate him in your free time. 

While Robin is always sweet and supportive of you. 

Eddie is grumpy, mean and annoyed with you. 

You don’t know where it had all started, you can’t even remember if you ever even talked to him before he chose to hate you, all you remember is the cold shoulder he only ever gave you. 

You do wonder why he dislikes you so much, is it because you come from the popular crowd? Maybe. But Steve used to be the most popular guy in school and Eddie still gets along with him and likes him. Is it because you have wealthy parents? Because you live in a big house, wear fancy clothes and have a nice car? Possible. But Steve has it all too and he never gets shit from Eddie. Or are you just an unlikable person to him? Now, that would make you sad because that would mean that he would just hate you for the person you are, he would hate you for your personality, for being you. 

But then things take a small turn after a party at Steve’s place. You see a little deeper into his mind. 

“What’s with the scowl on your face, bee?” Eddie asks as he gets so close to your face that you can smell the disgusting beer and cigarettes. 

“Ew, get off,” you scowl as you push him away, “and stop calling me that, nerd.” 

Eddie hasn’t strayed away from that nickname ever since you had been stung by one when you were all out at the lake, you kept swatting away the bee that continuously made it’s way back to you, you called it annoying and hissed in pain when it had stung you. Eddie laughed at your demise, ‘you’re a bee too, annoying and ready to attack’.

He smirks, flicking your hair, he moves back and plops down on the bench beside you, he follows your gaze, he can’t even help but scoff when he sees what you’re looking at. 

Steve is talking to the girl that stood him up a week ago, calling off the date because of her upset stomach but then you and Robin ran into her at the store, she was with a different guy, he hugged her from behind and kissed her neck while she was picking out snacks, not looking sick at all. 

Eddie rolls his eyes, “jealous huh?” 

You scrunch your face up, tearing your eyes away from Steve, you turn to look at Eddie, “why would I be jealous?” 

He shrugs, leaning back, he blows smoke into your face and smirks when you begin to cough. 

“Because you’re in love with Steve.” 

A loud laugh falls from your lips, earning a few looks from the other partygoers who spend the night out in the garden rather than the crowded house. 

“I’m not in love with Steve,” you snort, shaking your head as your eyes flicker with amusement. 

It’s not the first time that someone assumed that you are in love with him or that he is in love with you. You get mistaken for a couple, all the time, sometimes you play along just for the fun of it but you and Steve are not into each other, at all. It has always been purely platonic between you two, there’s no feelings on his part and neither on yours. You are best friends, platonic soulmates. 

“Yes, you are,” Eddie says. 

Rolling your eyes, you sigh, “what makes you say that?” 

“Because you’re super close and you are fiercely protective of him, like in a way where you can just tell that you’re in love with him.”

“That’s such nonsense,” you scoff, “I’m protective, yes.” 

He nods, shrugging. 

“Because he is my best friend! One who got hurt by a girl he used to love, he got his heart broken, twice! I don’t want it to happen again, he deserves better.” 

Eddie thinks about your words, searching for something in your eyes, for a moment, you think that he believes you but then he shakes his head. 

“Yeah, you’re still in love with him.” 

You scoff, crossing your arms over your chest, you lean back, “okay well, then you’re in love with Robin.” 

Eddie laughs loudly, throwing his head back. You glare at him, growing irritated by his presence. 

“You’re funny, bee.” 

“Why am I funny? I mean, you’re just as close as Steve and I are,” you shrug. 

His brown eyes twinkle with amusement, he leans in closer. You ignore the way his cologne makes your head spin or the way his eyes flicker down to your lips or the way he– ‘Stop!’ you tell yourself. 

“Robin doesn’t swing that way, remember?” 

A breathy laugh leaves your lips and you smirk at him, “yeah but you do, right?” You ask, raising your eyebrows, “just because she isn’t into you or into men in general, doesn’t mean that you can’t have feelings for her. Unrequited love is a thing, you know that right?” 

His eyes darken, smirk falling from his lips, his expression hardens, he eyes your face slowly, nodding after a moment of silence, “yeah, it’s a thing. I know that,” he mumbles under his breath, bitterly. He clenches his jaw and looks away. 

You furrow your brows as you stare at his side profile. There’s something deeper behind his words, you know that but you choose to ignore it. 

“So, you are in love with her, huh?” You ask, smirking in satisfaction when you realize that you have successfully used his own teasing against him. 

He scoffs, putting his cigarette between his lips, he stretches his arm out behind you and looks up at the sky, “no, I’m not in love with her.” 

“Am I supposed to believe that?” 

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” you nod, shrugging, “well, then you gotta believe me that I’m not in love with Steve.” 

He snorts at you, “right, okay.” 

Placing your palms on the bench, you take a moment to look at him. It’s a hot summer night, the heat forced him to leave his beloved leather jacket at home or probably in the van. He wears a muscle shirt, some band logo you don’t recognize on the front. You let your eyes roam, eying his belt, you wonder if he had bought it that way or if he added the cuffs himself– wherever he got them from, either way, it looks good. He plays with the loose strings on his dark jeans, you notice a new ring on his middle finger, you look up, your eyes land on his pale neck. Squeezing your thighs together, you lick your lips and blink, pulling yourself out of your thoughts, your eyes meet his– he caught you staring. 

A smirk pulls at his lips, he eyes your flustered face, whether you realize it or not, you’re biting your bottom lip and squeezing your thighs together– oh, it seems like he found something new to tease you about. 

“Are you checking me out?” 

For the first time, you have nothing to say, nothing to fight back with, no snarky remarks or comments left for you to give. Instead of saying something, you scoff and roll your eyes at him before you jump up and walk away, leaving a satisfied Eddie behind. 

The next time Eddie sees you, you barely even look at him or acknowledge his presence and it pisses him off. It’s no secret that you don’t like him, you let him know any chance you get. You roll your eyes at him, you snap at him and refuse to sit next to him, even when it’s the only free seat left. Eddie takes it as a rejection, he thinks you are repulsed by him and by anything he does. 

A part of him assumes that you think he is gross, after all, that’s what the girls at school say about him. They assume that he is unhygienic, that he doesn’t look after himself, that he doesn’t shower or washes his clothes and that’s why you refuse to sit next to him. 

Eddie was always an observer, a very good one, except when it comes to you. You refuse to sit next to him because his cologne makes you dizzy, in a way it shouldn’t because Eddie hates you, you shouldn’t like anything about him, you shouldn't have any positive feelings for him. 

Eddie thinks you laugh and giggle at the jokes people make about him, not knowing that you always defend him even when he still hates you. 

“Eddie,” Robin hisses, nudging his shoulder. 

“What?” He grumbles, still staring– glaring at you and your stupid smile as you look through the polaroid pictures you have taken with Robin earlier when you went out to a big flower field to take pretty pictures. 

“Stop looking at her like you’re trying to make her disappear.” 

“Maybe that’s what I’m trying to do,” Eddie shrugs as he reaches for the bag of M&M’s, opening the bag and putting the candy into the bowl that Steve had put out on the counter. 

Robin rolls her eyes, groaning in annoyance, “you know, if you just tried to get along with her, things could be so much easier.” 

Eddie hates the way his heart skips a beat when you throw your head back in laughter after Steve had whispered something in your ear. Jealousy rushes through him when Steve comes up behind you and lays his chin on your shoulder, looking at the pictures with you. 

Robin knows her best friend very well. She knows that he doesn’t hate you or dislike you in any way, he is intimidated by you, by the feelings he could have if he just let them in. Eddie had crushes before but they were all lighthearted ones, he, himself didn’t even take them seriously, he just admired that person and then moved on a few days later but you? He always had a thing for you, even before Robin befriended Steve, and you and Eddie were forced into each other’s lives. He always looked at you differently but compared to his other crushes, he never let you become one or at least, that’s what he made himself believe. You are more than just a crush. 

“Why me? She’s the one who’s being a bitch.” 

Robin scoffs, laughing at her best friend, “you’re not serious right now, are you?” 

Eddie’s brown eyes flash with annoyance, “I am serious.” 

Robin runs her fingers through her short hair, “you’re such an idiot, Munson.” 

He scrunches his face up, tearing his eyes away from you and Steve, he turns towards his best friend, “why am I an idiot?” 

“Because you’re the one who’s always being mean towards her for no reason, you act like a damn child who can’t deal with the crush he has on that one girl,” she says in a hushed whisper, glancing at you to see if you or Steve are looking, “you’re my best friend and I love you dude but grow up, you’re 20 for fucks sake!” 

Eddie raises his eyebrows at her, he’s not even hurt, just amused and surprised. 

“Oh and if you haven’t realized it yet, the thing you’re feeling whenever you look at her and Steve, it’s called jealousy,” she smirks as she grabs a few of the snacks they have prepared, “Steve is truly just a best friend, they’re purely platonic, with a capital P, like you and I,” she says, pointing between them, “but when she actually starts dating someone, imagine how you’ll feel then. So, you better get that stick out of your ass and start treating her the way you actually want to treat her.” 

She leaves him standing in the kitchen, smirking to herself when she notices the flustered look on his face. She knows that he likes you, just like Steve knows that you like Eddie. You’re both too stubborn to realize it. 

“Are we ready for movie night, or what?” Robin asks as she places the snacks on the table. 

“Yes!” You say, clapping your hands together, you start collecting the polaroid pictures. 

“What are we starting with?” Steve asks as he gets up to put the tape in, “the shining or the evil dead?” 

“Both are gross,” you shudder. 

“Aw, does the princess need protection?” Eddie asks as he walks into the living room. 

Steve chuckles, smirking at Eddie while you roll your eyes. You get up and walk past him with the pictures in your hand, you put them back in your little backpack, not noticing that you have left one on the floor. Eddie’s eyes fall on the picture, putting the bowl of M&M’s on the table, he bends down to pick it up, it’s a picture of you, it’s a little blurry but still sharp enough for him to see all your beauty. Your smile is bright, your eyes are squinted, the sun is shining down on you, making your skin glow. You’re wearing the same little sundress you’re wearing right now, flowers are tucked into your hair. Eddie can’t even help but smile, his heart beats a little faster. 

You are so beautiful. 

“Alright, let’s watch the movie!” Steve says, startling Eddie, who quickly puts the picture into the backpocket of his jeans, looking around to see if anyone has noticed anything but no one did. Steve settles on the couch, Robin plops down next to him, giving him a knowing smirk. Steve nudges her shoulder as he reaches for the bowl of popcorn. 

Eddie shakes his head, sighing. They are plotting something, he knows, they are. 

Sitting down on the other end of the couch, he leaves the spot next to Robin for you, already expecting you to complain about sitting next to him. To his surprise, you sit down next to him without a single complaint. 

Eddie is a little surprised. 

“Do you want cuddles, bee?” Eddie smirks. 

You roll your eyes as you look at him, “from you? No thanks.” 

He chuckles, “aw, come on, I’ll keep you safe.” 

“I’m not even scared.” 

Lies. 

As much as you love horror movies, some of them just scare you. You flinch at every jump scare, hide your face behind your hands and use every possible excuse to leave the room, whether it is to get snacks or having to use the bathroom and as though the darkness in Steve’s big house isn’t bad enough, it also starts storming outside. The winds are heavy and the thunder is loud, it begins to rain harder and harder. 

Your knees are pulled to your chest and you opt to look out the window instead of the TV screen, just as one of the characters starts screaming, Eddie pokes your waist, startling you. 

“Eddie!” You shriek, slapping his arm, you glare at him as he starts laughing at your reaction. 

“Eddie!” He mimics, pouting at you. 

You roll your eyes, clenching your jaw. 

“Leave her alone, Munson,” Steve chuckles as he throws some popcorn at him, some of it landing in your hair as well and your cleavage. 

Eddie snorts, looking down at his chest, he picks up some of the popcorn and pops it in his mouth, “thanks, I was just about to get some popcorn.” 

You shake your head when Steve throws more at him, ducking out of the way, you pick out the ones in your hair. Eddie snatches them out of your hand, “give them to me.” 

You furrow your brows, watching him eat them. 

“You want this one too?” You joke as you reach for the one that got stuck in your cleavage. 

His eyes widen, a smirk tugging at his lips, he looks into your eyes and you can already see the mischief, the kind of smile that tells that he is up to no good. He leans closer, instead of taking it with his fingers, he opens his mouth, waiting for you to place it on his tongue. 

You swallow nervously, your hand moves out of instinct, placing the sweet treat on his tongue, you gasp a little when he wraps his lips around your finger. 

What the fuck?

Your eyes widen, heat rushes to your cheeks and once again, Eddie forces you to squeeze your thighs together. His lips feel hot against your skin and he looks into your eyes as he licks your finger, you can’t help but wonder what it would feel like to feel his lips on other parts of your body, to feel his tongue on your clit and his ringed fingers inside of you as he looks up at you the way he does right now. 

Eddie smirks, he knows what he has done to you. He pulls away, feeling satisfied enough, for now. He leans back against the soft cushions and places his hand on his chest, looking back at the screen, he acts like nothing even happened, while you are left a blushing mess. 

You blink and stare at him in disbelief, goosebumps litter your skin and your heart beats fastly in your chest. As you come back to reality, you suddenly grow incredibly embarrassed, knowing that Steve and Robin most likely watched it all happen but when you turn to glance at them, you notice that Robin is fast asleep and Steve’s eyes are glued to the TV, though the smirk on his face tells you that he saw it all. 

For the rest of the night, you sit there with a flustered look on your face, waiting for it to be over.

The following weeks, Eddie continues to act the same way, mostly. 

He is still mean, snappy and annoying but on top of that, he added his teasing. You know it’s only to humiliate you, knowing that he can make you blush, that he can make you feel something other than anger towards him, he can see the way you react to his subtle touches and suggestive comments. A part of you thought that he would be less rude after realizing that he can get a different kind of rise out of you but you thought wrong, if anything, he becomes meaner and meaner and it all takes an unexpected turn at Tina’s annual Halloween Party. 

Eddie only came reluctantly, he never liked parties and only ever came to make money or to accompany his friends. Steve and Robin are on the dance floor, throwing back drinks, laughing at their own jokes and dancing with a group of drunk and giggling girls. 

Eddie rolls his eyes as he looks around, recognizing some jocks from school with their cheerleader girlfriends who give him nasty looks. He clutches the can of beer tightly against his chest, he tries to entertain himself by looking at all the different costumes but not even that will distract him from the awful music, the annoying people or you. 

You are wearing a fairy costume, a really exposing one. Clad in a short sage green dress, a tight corset, wings that are littered with rhinestones and glitter, heeled boots and a tiara, you look more beautiful than ever, magical. 

Eddie’s heart fluttered in his chest when he saw you as him and Robin waited for you and Steve. He was actually frozen in place and awestruck and so was the guy, you are heavily flirting with right now. 

Your back is pressed against the wall, you’re giggling and smiling at the guy in front of you, his hand is placed against the wall next to your head, he ducks down a little, leaning closer to you so he can hear you better over the loud music. 

Eddie clenches his jaw, anger flooding through his veins the longer he watches you flirt with the jock he can’t remember the name of. 

He puts his other hand on your waist and leans in to whisper something into your ear, you bite your lip and nod causing more anger to rush through Eddie. He can’t stand this, the sight of some asshole touching you, playing with your hair and making you giggle. 

Eddie grips his drink tighter, enough to almost crush it. He watches you with darkened eyes. 

The guy takes your hand and begins to pull you away, the blush on your face is deep and you fight the smile off your face, you don’t even acknowledge Eddie’s presence as you walk past him, hand in hand with the other man who leads you towards the stairs. 

Eddie feels incredibly angry. 

It’s the kind of anger he had never felt before. 

He knows exactly what will happen once the jock has you all to himself and Eddie can’t stand the thought of it. The fire inside of him becomes unbearable, he can’t let it happen. He slams the can of beer on a nearby table and follows you, stomping after you angrily. He pushes some drunk guy out of his way who stumbles back, slurring some curse word at Eddie who doesn’t even bother to look at him. Before you can even take a step further, Eddie reaches for your hand and pulls you back. Your hand slips from the other’s man’s grip and you stumble back into Eddie’s chest, yelping. 

Your confused face meets his, your lips part when you see the anger in his eyes. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” He asks, sounding like a man, possessed. 

You furrow your brows, “w-what?” 

Your new friend turns around, looking between you and Eddie. 

“Get lost,” Eddie snaps at him, glaring at the jock, not bothering to look back, he just pulls you along with him, rolling his eyes at your protests. 

“Eddie!” You slap his arm, “let me go!” 

He only shakes his head, walking towards the entrance with a determined look on his face, he opens the door and pulls you out with him. Shutting it behind you and standing it front it so you won’t be able to get back in. 

“What the hell is your problem!”

“What were you doing with that guy?” He asks, completely ignoring your question or the angry look on your face. 

He irritates you in the worst ways possible.

“That’s none of your business, Munson!” You yell, “why do you even care?” 

Eddie avoids eye contact, he looks down at the ground instead and sighs. 

“You do know that he just wants to fuck you, right?” He mumbles. 

“Yeah, you do know that maybe I wanted just that?” You retort, throwing your hands up, “if you haven’t noticed, I don’t really have a boyfriend, oh and might I add that it’s probably your fault?” 

To hear that you wanted to hook up with some random guy, some jock, makes him feel sick but to hear you saying that you don’t have a boyfriend because of him makes him smirk, he can’t even fight it off, not even when he looks up at you and feigns annoyance, “why me?” 

You roll your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest, you can’t even feel the breeze on your exposed skin, you are too angry to notice anything. 

“Every time a guy even looks my way, you’re there, scaring them away! And god forbid someone even comes close to me or touches me in any way!” 

You are fed up with him and his stupid actions. 

You know why he is doing it, he wants to see you miserable and you are miserable, he knows that. He can see the longing looks in your eyes whenever you see a cute couple out on the streets, the sad smiles that pull at your lips whenever you see a guy getting his girlfriend flowers, taking her out on dates or even something as simple as opening the door for her and placing his hand on the small of her back. 

You crave intimacy, you crave having someone to call your own, being someone's favorite person. Yeah, you might be Steve’s favorite person, his girl but you won’t be forever, someday he is gonna meet that one girl that he will drop anyone and anything for, even you and when that happens, you won’t have anyone. 

You aren’t lucky in the dating department, at all. If it isn’t Eddie scaring the guys away, then it’s you, doing it for him. 

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” You ask, “I know you hate me but god, when I hate someone, I stay away from them, why can’t you do the same for me?” 

Eddie frowns at your words, his eyes flash with guilt when he sees the tears in your eyes, you aren’t just angry this time, you’re also hurt. 

“Maybe I was just protecting you,” he shrugs. 

You scoff at his words, shaking your head, you pinch the bridge of your nose and close your eyes for a moment, “protect me,” you mumble, “right, am I supposed to believe that?” You ask as you look back into his eyes. You struggle to read him. Eddie’s walls are so high up, you can’t even sneak a peek. 

He nods, “yes, the guy is a jock, bee.” 

“So?” 

“He would just hurt you!” He says angrily, taking a step forward, “he would get his dick wet and leave you with nothing, then he would brag about it to his friends and I can assure you, that guy doesn’t even know how to make a girl cum, I did you a favor.” 

You raise your eyebrows, tilting your head, “do you?” 

He blinks. 

“What?” 

“Do you know how to make a girl cum?” 

He blushes at your words, drawing back a little, he straightens up and chuckles, “of course.” 

You lick your lips, looking him up and down. Eddie must be one of the only ones without a costume, you wonder why he isn’t wearing one, that guy is in love with his fantasy game, there is no way that he is no fan of Halloween and costumes. 

“Right,” you snort. 

“You don’t believe me?” He asks as he steps even closer to you. 

You shrug, “nope, I don’t believe you.” 

One moment, he was standing feets away from you and suddenly, he is right in front of you. Dangerously close. You have to tilt your head to meet his eyes and when you do, your heart skips a beat. His eyes are dark, pupils blown as he sneaks a look at your lips. 

You can smell his cologne, his aftershave, him. You would never tell him that but he drives you crazy, he makes your stomach flutter, he stays on your mind for too long, sneaking his way into your thoughts when you touch yourself at night. 

Eddie reaches his hand out to touch your face, he cups your cheek and lets his thumb rest on your bottom lip. Just like the night at Steve’s place, your breath hitches in your throat and you grow incredibly flustered. 

“Do you want me to show you?” He whispers. 

Your eyes widen, a small gasp falls from your lips. 

What? 

No way, did he just ask you that? 

He is playing with you, isn’t he? 

By now he knows the effect he has on you. He knows that you blush when he is around, he knows that you feel something when he touches you, he knows that you can’t get him off your mind. He knows it all and he decides to use it against you, he knows that he can humiliate you, he knows that he can hurt you and it brings him enjoyment. 

The smirk on his face and the amusement in his eyes tells you all that. Internally, he is making fun of you, he is satisfied that he ruined your night and as though that isn’t enough, he now uses your attraction towards him as a weapon, to laugh about you later on and make fun of you with his band buddies.

You slap his hand away, your brows draw together and your nervous stare turns into an angry frown, “don’t touch me, asshole.” 

Though he is a little surprised, he still chuckles. 

You shake your head and step away from him, turning around, you don’t even bother going back inside to let your friends know that you’re leaving or to get your jacket, you just want to be away from him. 

It’s late and it’s cold, you are scared to walk through the empty streets alone but you are too stubborn to back around. 

“Hey!” 

You roll your eyes at him and continue to walk. 

“Where are you going?” 

You don’t bother to answer, you hug yourself tighter to shield yourself from the cold, blinking away the angry tears. The streets are empty, aside from the many cars on the side of the streets, you walk past Steve’s car, suddenly regretting the decision to walk away and choosing to walk home alone, on Halloween night.

You hear his footsteps though and as much as you hate to admit it, you do feel at ease knowing that he comes after you. 

Eddie rolls his eyes at your silence but he admires the view in front of him. Your dress is a thin and flowy one, it swats from one side to the other with each step that you take, the wind causes it to lift up a bit, exposing your naked skin. Eddie almost growls at the side of it. 

“Bee!” 

“Stop calling me that, you dick!” 

Eddie snorts at you, your insults never hurt him, if anything, they amuse him. When you look at him with anger in your eyes and snap back at him, you look cuter than ever. He picks up the pace and just as you pass his van, he grabs your arm and pulls you back, smirking at your little yelp, he slams you against his van and steps in front of you, caging you against it. 

It’s dark and yet he can see the nervous and shy look in your eyes, he can see the way you tense up and press yourself against the van as though it will make you feel him any less against you. 

“Will you stop running away from me?” 

He places his hands on your waist, touching you in such a gentle way that it makes your knees buckle, almost. You look into his dark eyes, growing more and more irritated. Why can’t he just let you go? Why can’t he just stay out of your goddamn way? Why does he have to make things so hard for you? 

You hate him. 

“Will you stop sticking your nose into my business?” You ask angrily as you place your hand on his chest to push him away, as though you will find the strength to, “will you stop following me around just to piss me off? Seriously, what do you get out of this, huh?” 

Eddie shrugs, the smirk remains on his lips, he eyes the scowl on your face, the flash with irritation in your eyes, he looks down at your chest, watching the way it rises up and down heavily. 

“It’s fun to see you like this.” 

You clench your jaw and scoff. 

“It’s fun to ruin my life?” 

Now it’s his turn to scoff, he rolls his eyes at your words, “you’re so dramatic.” 

"Oh, am I?" You mumble. 

He nods, his grip tightens on your waist, butterflies flutter in your stomach and you despise it. You despise the emotions he causes you to feel. 

“Yeah, I ruined your life because you didn’t get to fuck that jock?” He snorts, narrowing his eyes at you, “you are dramatic, bee.” 

You close your eyes and lower your head, shaking it as you take deep breaths. 

“You are so annoying.” 

“Hmm, what was that?” Eddie whispers, placing his finger under your chin, he tilts your head up, “say that again.” 

You swallow nervously, not opening your eyes just yet, you lick your lips, “you are annoying.”

“Why?” 

“Why?” You laugh in disbelief as you open your eyes to look at him. He is staring at you with curiosity on his face, tilting his head as he waits for your explanation. 

“You gotta be kidding me,” you scoff, pulling your hand away from his chest, you wrap it around his wrist instead and force his hand away from your face, “is that actually a serious question?” 

He purses his lips and nods, “yep.” 

“You’re an asshole, Eddie!” 

He rolls his eyes, “yeah, you said that before.” 

“Yeah and you don’t believe me! You treat me like shit–”

“No, I don’t!” 

“Yes, you do, Eddie!” You exclaim, “you say mean shit all the time, you make dumb comments and tease me and then act like nothing ever happened!” 

“Tease you how?” He smirks, completely ignoring the rest of your words. 

You squint your eyes, huffing angrily. Is he actually clueless or does he just want to see you so angry and embarrassed? Either way, he always gets what he wants. 

“You sucked on my finger and then you acted like nothing happened!”

Your angry pout makes his heart soar. 

“That’s what you’re so upset about?” He chuckles. 

His smirk causes the outburst of anger, you finally push him away from you. There is absolutely nothing amusing about this situation, at least not to you. 

“Wipe that smirk off your goddamn face, Munson! I can’t stand when you do that!” 

“Did you want me to do more than that?” He asks. 

“You wish,” you scoff, “you think I want you?” 

If you didn’t know any better, you would say that hurt flashed in his eyes but that can’t be, right? Why would he be hurt by anything you say? 

He chuckles bitterly and nods to himself. 

“No,” he mumbles, “I know you don’t want me. A fancy little princess like you wants someone like that jock, you want someone who will buy you shit, someone who will spoil you, take you on dates to Enzo’s or whatever, someone you can take home to your rich parents, someone you won’t feel embarrassed to be with, someone you can be seen with, someone you will have that ‘perfect’ future with.” 

Confused, you stare at him with a frown on your face. 

Eddie’s anger comes out of nowhere the way it always does. 

“But sweetheart, none of them can give you what you need.”

“W-What do I need?” You ask, waiting for him to continue. He watches the way your eyes flicker down to his lips before they meet his eyes again.   

“They can’t touch you like you crave to be touched, they can’t kiss you like you wanna be kissed, they can’t fuck you like you wanna be fucked, they can’t treat you like you deserve to be treated.” 

Your breath hitches in your throat, your lips part in surprise, your heart begins to pound against your ribcage. 

Eddie somehow made his way into your personal space again. He is close enough for you to feel his breath on your skin. 

“You need someone to put you in your place, you need someone to be rough with you, someone who can treat you like the little slut that you are,” he says, gripping your face in his large hand, “I see the way you look at me when you think that I’m not paying attention, I can see the way you squeeze your thighs together when you look at my hands, I bet you wonder what it would feel like if I touched you, huh? I bet you touch yourself and think about me, about my hands, about my fingers in your tight little pussy.” 

Your eyes widen, heat rushes to your cheeks, you are too overwhelmed to keep your eyes locked with his, so you look down. 

Eddie smirks but it’s a dark smirk, a bitter one. 

“Bet you are disgusted by yourself, huh?” He spits as he grips you tighter, “thinking about fucking the dirty town freak, I bet you hate yourself for wanting to ride my dick, that’s why you’re always such a bitch to me, right?” He asks angrily, “you take your anger out on me because you can’t stand yourself for wanting to fuck me?” 

You shake your head. He is wrong, so wrong. He is no dirty freak in your eyes and you are not disgusted by him, you are disgusted by yourself for wanting someone who hates your guts so much, not for who he is. Eddie is amazing to his friends but unfortunately, you aren’t one of them. 

You never hated Eddie, at least not until he forced you to hate him. 

“No.” 

“No?” He murmurs as he leans even closer to you, “you don’t think about me?” 

You shift, looking up at him with a shy expression, you don’t bother answering, your silence gives it away. 

You do think about him. He knows it. 

You hate the way he looks so sure of his words, the way he thinks that he has you all figured out, the way he thinks he knows everything about you. 

“Get away from me, Eddie,” you say with a shaky voice and an unsure voice, you both know that you don’t want it, you don’t want him to get away. 

He licks his lips as he stares down at you. The look in his eyes makes you cower back a little, it makes you feel nervous but also flustered. Eddie raises his hand up to your face, he tucks your hair behind your ear and leans down, surprising you by pressing a gentle kiss to your shoulder. 

Your lips part and you hold your breath. 

“Why?” He whispers as he kisses you again, higher this time, “scared that you will fall for the town freak?” His fingers play with the thin material of your dress, pushing it a little aside so he has more access to your shoulder, he presses his plump lips back against your shoulder, kissing you again and again, “scared that you will hate yourself for it?” 

You can’t even utter a single word, too many emotions rush through you. You are confused about this, you are angry about his words but you are also aroused and yes, you do hate yourself for it but not for the reason he thinks. 

His hand grips your waist, he pulls you flush against him and you gasp when you feel his bulge pressing against your stomach. Eddie attaches his lips to your neck, “scared that no one else will wanna touch you after the freak fucked you? What would they think if they already knew that you are fantasizing about it? I bet they would think you’re disgusting–” 

“God, shut the fuck up!” 

You push him away from you with force, your breathing is heavy, just like his. Eddie looks a little surprised by your sudden outburst, rejection crosses his features, his brows drag together and he opens his mouth to speak, probably to say something hurtful after you just pushed him away like that, he wants the upper hand but you won’t let him have it, not this time. 

“Just shut up,” you repeat. 

He presses his lips together in a straight line, he is tense, his eyes hold a combination of hurt and anger. The tension between the two of you is thick. Nothing else but you both exist in this moment. You don’t hear the faint music from the ongoing party, you don’t feel the cold wind on your exposed skin, you don’t hear the rustling of the leaves but you hear his heavy breathing, you hear the pounding of your heart, you feel the pull towards him. 

Eddie waits for you to say something, to do something. A part of him expects you to slap him for kissing you without permission, the other part expects you to hurt him with cruel words but neither of those things happen. 

You stare at him for what feels like forever. Your eyes flicker to his lips and back to his eyes, your stomach flutters and your knees feel weak, you’re angry but you also long for him. 

Fuck it. 

You take a step forward and look into his awaiting eyes. 

Fuck it, y/n.

You grab his face and pull him down, you close your eyes and slam your lips against his. Eddie’s eyes widen, he stares at you in shock and confusion. You are kissing him. You are kissing him! And your lips feel as soft as he always imagined them to feel like. His heart begins to race. 

Kiss her, idiot! He tells himself. He cups your cheeks and pulls you closer, closing his eyes, he finally kisses you back and if this isn’t the best feeling in the world then he doesn’t know what is. 

You slide your hands down to his neck, holding him tightly as you deepen the kiss. Eddie parts his lips, allowing you to slip your tongue past his lips. He moans at the feeling, his skin and his lips tingle, he already feels addicted to your touch. 

The kiss is nothing but passionate, it’s soft and gentle but you want more, you want to feel him closer and closer, you slide your hand down his stomach and wrap your arm around his waist, pressing him tighter against you. He moans at the feeling, his heart flutters. 

Eddie walks you back and slams you against his van, earning a whimper from you. You kiss each other until you are both short of oxygen and gasping for air but even as he pulls away, his lips keep touching yours. You breathe into each other’s mouths, keeping each other close as your eyes lock again. 

He wants you, you can see it in his eyes. 

This time it’s him who initiates the kiss, he slams his lips roughly against yours causing you to let out a loud and needy whimper, you can feel him smirking against your lips. 

This kiss is rough and angry. Your lips smack loudly against each other, your teeth clash but neither of you care, you pull his hair and make him growl. He digs his ringed fingers into your waist as he pushes his knee in between your thighs. 

“Eddie,” you gasp as he starts kissing his way down to your neck. 

“Yes?” 

“I know you hate me,” you whisper as you close your eyes and put your hand in his hair, holding onto his curl as he begins to suck on your sweet spot. 

No, he doesn’t hate you. How could he? Instead of telling you this, he keeps quiet, choosing to continue kissing you. 

“Show me.” 

“Show you what?” 

“Show me how much you hate me,” you whisper, “please.” 

Eddie opens his eyes and he pulls away from your neck to look at you. He can see the look in your eyes, the intrigued and needy one. 

You want him just like he wants you. 

“Are you sure?” 

For a split second, you see a different side of him, a soft one, a caring one. 

You nod. 

He grabs your jaw, tilting your head up so you are forced to look at him, “I need words, sweetheart.” 

You nod again, “yes, I’m sure.” 

Without wasting another second, Eddie unlocks his van and pushes you into the back, closing the door behind him. He fumbles around in the dark for a moment until he finds the switch that turns on the little light.

Looking around, you raise your brows, feeling a little impressed by the lack of the mess you expected. A few pillows are laying around, blankets, even a few comics. You know that he and Robin used to go to the drive-in movie theaters a lot but you can’t help but wonder if he ever brings other girls in here. If he brought the pillows and blankets here just for them so they can feel comfortable. You wonder how he treats them, does he tease them like he teases you? Does he kiss them like he just kissed you? Is he mean to them? Or is he sweet to them? Does he treat them better than he treats you? 

Suddenly, you feel yourself frowning and growing insecure and unsure. Do you really want to fuck the guy that hates you with a passion? 

But you never answer your own question. Eddie grabs your face and pulls you back in for a heated kiss. You kiss back without a moment of hesitation. 

His scent, his taste, his touch, you are addicted already and you feel the hatred for yourself growing. You don't know that he feels the same about you, that he loves the way you taste, that he loves the way you smell so sweet, you don't know that he just loves you.

You push his jacket off his shoulders while he fumbles with the wings on your costume, surprising you by taking them off carefully so he doesn’t break them. Something about the way he parts from the kiss, to put the wings down gently, makes your heart flutter. 

You blink, forcing yourself to look away from him. You take the tiara off your head and place it on the ground as well, reaching for the zipper on your dress– “stop, let me.” Eddie mumbles as he reaches around you to undo it. You stare at him, admiring the way his brown eyes shine so beautifully beneath the dim light. He pushes your dress down to your stomach, his eyes flickering with something you cannot read. 

“Fuck,” he mumbles as he eyes your lacy bra, your boobs, your soft skin, “you’re so sexy,” he breathes, forgetting about the hate he is supposed to show to you, “so beautiful, shit..” 

Eddie doesn’t notice the emotions in your eyes, the lingering sadness and the insecurity. You distract yourself by kissing him again and again, reaching for the hem of his shirt, you take it off of him. He throws it behind him on the floor. 

You place your hands on his pale chest, taking in the sight of his tattoos, you feel the urge to kiss every single one of them. 

Eddie admires the way you look at him, the way your lips part and your eyes flash with emotions. He touches your cheeks, moving your hair out of your face. You look up at him with big eyes, “touch me.” 

He smirks, “don’t have to ask me twice.” 

He pushes you down carefully, making sure that you lie your head on the pillows, your back meets the soft cushions and you sigh as you feel his cold hands on your stomach, you’re almost too shy to look up at him but when you do, your heart stops. 

Eddie stares down at you in awe, he bunches your dress up on your waist and eyes you up and down, from your pretty face to your chest, your stomach and your clothed pussy. He pushes your legs apart and settles in between them, putting your legs over his, he spreads you open and stares at the wet spot on your pink panties. 

“Fuck,” he growls, all his blood rushes to his dick, as though he wasn’t hard already, he feels himself growing harder, “I’m gonna ruin your pussy, baby.” 

Your cunt clenches around nothing, you take in a sharp breath as his eyes meet yours, “take your bra off,” he orders. 

You bite your lip, pushing yourself up on your elbows, you do as he said, pushing the straps of your bra down first, you watch the way his eyes darken when you reach behind you to unclasp it. You blush, feeling yourself getting shy under his gaze. 

“Show me your tits, pretty girl.” 

You hate him, you hate him so much.

You throw your bra to the side and lie back against the pillows.

He grips your thighs tightly, eyes flashing with hunger, “perfect fucking tits,” he murmurs as he slides one hand up to touch your boobs. 

“Eddie,” you whimper. 

He adjusts your legs, wrapping them around his waist, his clothed dick brushes against your pussy, making you both moan in pleasure. He leans down to kiss your chest, taking one nipple in his mouth, he begins to suck on it. 

“Oh.. Eddie,” you moan as you throw your hand in his hair, “i-is that how you treat people you hate?” 

He chuckles against you, pulling away from you, he gives you a suggestive look as he sits back up, he shakes his head at you, “just you, baby,” he says. 

“Touch yourself.” 

You blink. 

“What?” 

He looks down, bringing his hand to your aching pussy, he touches you over your panties, rubbing your clit teasingly, smirking at your little whine. 

“Touch yourself or I won’t fuck you.” 

Perv. 

You swallow nervously, slipping your hand down your stomach, you close your eyes and touch yourself over your panties, spreading your legs wider, you start rubbing your clit. 

“Open your eyes,” he demands, catching you off guard by smacking your ass. You gasp and open your eyes, seeing the dark look in his eyes makes you even wetter, “look at me when you touch yourself.” 

You nod. 

“Show me how you touch yourself when you’re all alone, baby. Tell me what you think about.” 

A shiver runs down your spine. You always thought about this, about him. It’s hot to see him so rough and dominating but a part of you hates that he gets to have all the control. You push yourself up a little and bring your hand up to his lips, looking into his curious eyes, you smirk, “spit on them.” 

He raises his brows, eyes flashing with surprise. He does it without questioning you. Spitting onto your fingers.

“Thanks,” you mumble. You push your panties to the side and touch yourself with your spit covered fingers, letting out a loud moan as you run your fingers through your wet folds before you begin to rub your aching clit. 

Eddie’s dick twitches in his pants as he watches you. 

“Such a pretty pussy, fuck,” he grunts, fighting the urge to bury his face in your cunt. 

“You wanna know what I think about when I touch myself?” 

“Yes.. fuck, yes. I wanna know.” 

You smirk at him. You won’t give him what he wants, you won’t let him hear what he wants to hear. Why should you? He is gonna treat you even worse when this is over, why should you give him the truth? 

“I-I think about Steve,” you moan as you push a finger inside of you, “I think about my best friend fucking me with his big fat cock.” Lies. You think about him fucking you, you think about him splitting you open, you think about him eating you out, fingering you with his rings on, making you his slut. 

Eddie’s smirk falls from his face, his eyes darken. 

You add a second finger and push it in and out of your wet pussy, moaning at the feeling, “I think about him making me cry as he takes me from behind, as he– fuck.. as he slaps my ass and does whatever he wants.” 

You are lying, he knows you’re lying. The look on your face tells him that but he still grows angry and jealous. 

You fuck yourself on your fingers, throwing your head back in pleasure as you move them in and out, “I think about riding his dick, about how he would cum inside of me and fill me up until I’m–” 

“Shut the fuck up, you little whore,” Eddie growls, grabbing your wrist, he slams it against the floor and replaces your fingers with his, pushing his long and thick fingers into your hole. 

You gasp loudly, squeezing your eyes shut as you finally feel his fingers inside you, finally getting to feel what you always dreamed about.

His other hand grabs your cheeks, squishing them together roughly, “I told you to look at me!” 

Your stomach clenches as does your cunt, your mouth waters at the feeling of him spreading you open. 

“Open your eyes, brat.” 

You open your eyes to look at his angry ones. You have never seen him this angry before. You should be scared, you know that. But instead you feel yourself getting more needy, more wet, more aroused. You moan even louder than before and grind back against his fingers. 

“Now tell me the truth,” he says through gritted teeth as he starts to fuck you with his fingers, “who do you think about?” 

You push yourself up on your elbows to watch him, to see how they move in and out of you. 

“S-Steve.” 

He slaps your cheek lightly causing you to whimper. 

“Liar,” he grunts, he leans over you, wrapping his hand around your neck, he slams you back down and looks into your needy eyes as he continues to slam his fingers in and out of you. 

“Eddie,” you whimper.

“That’s right,” he grunts, “say my name.” 

He adds a third finger, thrusting them in and out of you. His fingers reach deeper than yours, they reach the spot that you can’t, his rings and the coldness of them just bring more pleasure to your body. You lose yourself in the feeling, you close your eyes despite him telling you not to, your lips part and you chant his name like a prayer. You arch your back in pleasure, tears well up in your eyes. 

Eddie stares at you, he watches the way your chest rises up and down, the way you flinch a little when his hand leaves your neck to touch your boob, to play with your nipple. Your stomach tenses up, your pussy clenches around his fingers, you are so wet, he can feel your juices dripping down his fingers, the squelching noises and your moans just make it all even more erotic. 

You whimper his name so beautifully. 

“Eddie, please.” 

“Please what?” 

“I wanna cum,” you please, “please let me cum.” 

A devilish smirk appears on his face, “oh, you’re gonna cum, baby.” 

His words should intimidate you, they should leave you feeling nervous but instead they make you crave him even more. 

Eddie leans down and as you feel him shifting, you open your eyes to look at him. He picks up the pace, fucking you harder and faster on his fingers as he presses his tongue against your sensitive clit. 

“Oh fuck! Eddie!” 

“Mhmm,” he hums against you, looking up at you as he licks your clit, “taste so sweet.” 

You spread your legs wider for him and push your hand in his hair, tugging at his dark curls. 

“I can feel you clenching around my fingers, baby,” he murmurs against you, “you wanna cum for me? Do it.” 

It doesn’t take long for you to reach your high, you cum around his fingers just as he tells you too, you moan loudly, gasping for air but Eddie doesn’t stop there, he pulls his fingers out. He throws your legs over his shoulders and before you can even react, he buries his face in your pussy, slipping his tongue into you, he moans loudly. 

“Eddie,” you whine as you watch him through blurry eyes, his rough hands dig into your thighs as he holds them wide open, his eyes are closed as he eats you out, “oh my god.” 

Eddie loves the way you taste, the way you sound, the way you feel, the way you beg for him. 

“Feels so good…” 

He loves knowing that he is the one making you feel so good. 

He opens his eyes to look at you, you’re staring at him already, barely able to keep your eyes open, you hold onto his hair so tightly. A single tear slips down your hot cheek. 

“You taste so good, sweetheart,” he breathes, smirking at you when he spits on your clit before he places his thumb against it. 

Your eyes roll back and you throw your head against the pillows, you try closing your legs but Eddie is stronger than you. 

“P-Please..” You sob, pulling at his hair even harder causing him to growl in response. He flicks his tongue inside of you and presses harder against your clit and before you know it, you cum again. 

Tears run down your cheeks, you are so sensitive already. 

“No more,” you whimper as he continues to lick your pussy, “please.. I just want your cock.” 

Eddie smirks at you, pulling away, he sits back up. 

Your heart flutters as you look at him. His cheeks are flushed, his curls are messy, his chin is glistening from your juices, saliva dripping down his chest. 

You look so fucked out already, sweat coats your forehead, your breathing is heavy and you push your thighs together as you look up at him. Eddie unbuckles his belt, pushing his jeans and boxers down just below his ass, his dick slaps against his stomach.

You push yourself up on your elbows, biting your lip as you stare at him, “do you want me to suck your dick?” You ask as you reach your hand out to wrap your fingers around his thick cock, you lick your lips, pre cum is rolling down his length and it takes everything in you not to take him into your mouth. 

Eddie hisses at your touch, his eyelashes flutter. 

“Do you want to fuck my face?” You ask, innocently. 

He growls, eyes darkening, he shakes his head, “next time, baby. I need to be inside of you,” he says. 

“Condom?” You ask. 

He closes his eyes, cursing at himself, “I don’t have any.” 

You raise your brows, “what do you mean, you don’t have any?” 

“It means I don’t have any!” He snaps at you. 

“Don’t you use condoms when you fuck?” 

A loud laugh falls from his lips, he opens his eyes, shaking his head, “when I fuck? Sweetheart, I don’t get laid very often. I have a whole unopened box of condoms at home,” he snorts. 

“You don’t fuck girls in your van?” 

“Y/n, the last time I fucked someone, I stole a condom from Jeff and no, I don’t fuck girls in my van.”

Relief floods through you, here you thought that he was fucking girls in his van and getting laid every weekend.

Wrapping your legs around his waist, you pull him down against you, catching him by surprise. He presses his hands against the floor and looks down at you. 

“And I’m not really into fucking random girls,” he adds. 

Your eyes widen a little, “am I not a random girl?” 

He chuckles, shaking his head. 

You could never be a random girl. 

“No, you’re my enemy,” he says before he slams his lips against yours. 

You whine against him and kiss him roughly, digging your feet into his ass, you pull him even closer until you feel his cock rubbing against your pussy. He moans in pleasure, gripping your hips tightly. 

“Fuck me, please. I don’t care about the condom, just fuck me,” you murmur against his lips, holding his neck tightly, “please.” 

“Are you sure?” He asks, eying your expression, slowly. 

You nod, “very sure.” 

Eddie pecks your lip softly. For someone who wanted to fuck you, he sure is a little soft with you. 

He leans back, staring down at you in awe, he grabs your waist, licking his lips. You watch him, looking at the way he wraps his ringed fingers around his cock, he slides it through your wet folds, teasing your clit with the tip. 

“Shit,” he shudders, “you’re so wet. All for me, right?” 

You bite your lip, furrowing your brows as you gulp, nodding. 

“Say it’s all for me,” he demands. 

“It’s for you,” you whine, “all for you, asshole!” 

He chuckles darkly, shaking his head at you. You open your mouth again but before you can say anything, Eddie grabs you tighter and in one motion, he thrusts into you, earning a loud gasp from you. 

He whimpers at the feeling of your tight walls, leaning down, he buries his face in the crook of your neck. 

“Fuck…” You whimper, wrapping your arms around him, “Eddie.” You clench around his cock and hold him tightly. 

“You’re so tight and wet,” he grunts against your shoulder, “‘m not gonna last long if you keep clenching around me like this.” 

“I told you to show me how much you hate me, Eddie,” you breathe, digging your nails into his back, “so far you’re not doing a good job.” 

Something inside of him snaps, he pulls back, placing one hand around your neck, he puts the other one on the pillow next to you. He glares at you. 

“You’re a brat, you know that, right?” He growls as he begins to thrust into you. 

You gasp at the feeling, taking a deep breath. 

“Always getting on my goddamn nerves,” he grunts as he tightens his hold on your neck, he pulls out and pushes back inside of you, roughly. “You have no idea how many times I wanted to do this.” He thrusts deeper, rougher, faster. “How many times I wanted to fuck your needy little pussy and watch you cry for more.” 

You look down, watching the way he fucks you roughly on his cock. He moves his hands down to grab your hips with both hands. 

“Look at me, baby,” he moans as he starts to pound your pussy, “look at the way you’re taking my cock.. Your pussy was made for me, you were made for me.” 

The knot in your stomach tightens, the fire inside of you burns. You feel him in your stomach. You wrap your legs tighter around him and throw your hand back to wrap it around his wrist, “fuck me harder!” You beg, despite the overwhelming sensation in your bones. 

“Harder?” He chuckles, “I’ll give you harder, you little brat.” 

He enjoys the way you squirm under his body, the way you struggle to take his big cock and yet ask for more. For a moment, he just watches you, he watches the way his cock disappears in your body, the way your juices drip down on the blanket beneath you, the way you throw your head back in pleasure and cry for him, the way your boobs bounce as he ruts into you. You are struggling, your moans are getting high pitched, tears are streaming down your face as you move your head to the side. 

“Feels so good, Eddie,” you whimper. 

His mouth waters, his stomach clenches as your pussy flutters around his dick. He moans desperately, closing his eyes for a second as he feels himself getting closer. He leans down, grabbing your face, “look at me,” he whispers, “open your eyes and look at me.” 

You grip his wrist tighter and open your eyes to look at him, your breathing stutters as you see the way he looks at you, there is something in his eyes you haven’t seen before but you decide to ignore it. 

“Open your mouth and stick your tongue out.” 

Your eyes widen but you do as he says, opening it, you stick it out for him and maintain eye contact. 

He grabs your chin, smirking at you before he spits in your mouth. 

Now, if anyone else had done that to you, you would spit it right out and slap them across the face but something about him doing it to you makes you clench even harder around him, the moans you get from him make you shiver. 

“Fuck, you like that huh?” He mumbles as you swallow it, he pats your cheek, “you filthy little slut.” 

“Mhmm, I like it,” you smirk and pull him down for a kiss. 

You can feel his dick twitching inside of you, his thrusts are getting sloppier and his moans are getting louder and more desperate. You kiss each other roughly and hold each other tight. His chest is pressed against yours, he pulls his wrist out of your grip to hold your hand instead. 

You jolt as you feel his fingertips on your clit. 

“Cum for me,” he mumbles against your lips, “cum on my dick.”

You moan loudly as you cum around him, you scratch his back as you dig your nails into his skin causing him to groan loudly. You clench hard around him and pull him even closer. 

“Baby.. fuck.. fuck,” he whimpers against you, “I’m gonna cum,” he warns, unsure of where you want him. 

“Cum inside me… ‘wanna feel you, Eddie.” 

His heart flutters and his eyes widen as he looks down at you, “you sure?” 

“Mhmm, please…” 

“Fuck… okay.. shit, baby,” he whimpers as he picks up the pace again, “you want me to breed you, huh? You want me to fill you up with my cum, shit.. I will. I’m gonna leave you dripping for days.. I’m gonna make you mine.” 

Mine. 

“No one’s ever touching you again,” he moans, “gonna– oh fuck…” He grunts as he places his fingers back against your clit. 

“Eddie!” You sob, squeezing your eyes shut as you feel an even stronger sensation in your lower belly. He drills in and out of you in such a rough way, you can’t even feel your legs anymore or the tears that stream down your cheeks all you feel is him. 

“I know you got one more in you, baby,” he grunts, kissing your lips, “cum with me.. one more time.” 

“I can’t!” You sob. 

“Yes, you can, I can feel it, you’re getting tighter around me, just let go for me.” 

You can’t even help it, you bite his shoulder and cage him in against you with your legs. He grunts in pain and whimpers in pleasure, he thrusts into you once, twice– “cum with me!” 

You let go and cum around him as he releases inside of you, filling you up with his seed. 

He whimpers into your neck, holding you tightly as he moans at the feeling. His hips stutter and he finally falls against you. You’re drooling on his shoulder, whimpering at the feeling of his twitching cock inside your pussy. Eddie breathes heavily, not pulling out just yet, he slumps against you and presses lazy kisses on your shoulder. 

“Fuck,” he sighs with a grin on his face that you can’t see. 

You’re barely able to keep your eyes open, letting go of him, you drop your arms to your sides and close your eyes. 

“I can’t feel my legs,” you whisper. 

Eddie smirks, “guess I fucked you good, huh?”

You roll your eyes but can’t help but smile, “guess so…”

“What do you mean ‘guess so’?” He scoffs as he pulls himself up a little to look at you, “you came four times, you brat.” 

“Should’ve made that five times,” you shrug. 

Eddie shakes his head at you, though he can’t help but smirk, you’re a mess. Your hair is disheveled, your cheeks are wet from the tears, your body is hot and shaking from all the orgasms he just pulled out of you. 

Grabbing your cheeks, he turns your face towards him, “does that mean I get to make you cum again?” He smirks. 

You lick your lips, staring at the spot on his shoulder that you dug your teeth in, you reach out to touch it, “if you want to,” you shrug, acting like it means nothing to you. 

“If I want to?” He asks, “what about you, do you want to?” 

You are too scared to show him that you do but right now, he isn’t scared to show you how vulnerable he can be. His eyes that usually only ever hold anger for you, hold nothing but hope, it confuses you a little. 

You furrow your brows, “I-I don’t know,” you whisper, unable to look into his eyes any longer, you push him back, “get off, please.” 

He shakes his head and cups your cheeks, “no, look at me,” he demands, softly. 

You blink, swallowing nervously as you look back into his eyes, “you got what you wanted, Eddie.” 

“What do you mean?” He frowns. 

“You fucked me, put me in my place or whatever, now you can move on to someone else.” 

He scoffs, “is that what you think of me?” 

You shrug, looking at him with uncertainty in your eyes, “can you blame me?” You whisper, “you treat me like shit.” 

His eyes flash with guilt, he nods to himself. Without another word, he pulls away from you, pulling out with a hiss, he puts your panties back in place and puts his boxers and jeans back on. 

He fucked up, he knows it. Eddie always struggled with the feelings he had for you. Robin was right when she called him immature for treating you like this– the girl that he secretly loves. He hoped that this would change something but he thought wrong, if anything, he had made things worse for himself, knowing that he got to have you this once and probably never again, breaks his heart. 

Eddie hates himself at this moment. 

You glance at him as you put your dress back on, not bothering with your bra. Eddie’s hair is a mess, his cheeks are still red, his shoulder and neck littered with bite marks from you. He blinks fastly, as though he tries to blink tears away, it makes your heart clench in your chest. You want to pull him back into your arms and kiss him. Is it a good idea though? Probably not. 

You fix your hair and smooth out your dress. Eddie puts his shirt back on, sniffling quietly. 

Tears well up in your eyes as you remember all the times that he made you feel bad, all the times he pissed you off and made you angry, all the times he made you feel insecure, yet nothing, absolutely nothing made you feel worse than this. 

You leave. You get out of the van on shaky legs, placing your feet on the concrete floor, you blink the tears away as you step away from the van and from him. Now you feel the cold wind and the lonely feeling inside of you. You don’t wanna go, not after you had a taste of what it could be like if he just loved you. 

You halt in your tracks, closing your eyes, you take a deep breath. 

You can’t walk away, not from him. 

You turn back around and just as you take a step forward, Eddie suddenly jumps out of the van with a panicked look on his face and tears in his eyes. Surprised by your presence in front of him, he stares at you for a moment before he reaches out to grab your waist, you let him pull you closer, “please don’t go,” he whispers, “give me a chance, sweetheart. I'll fix things between us, I will, I promise, I will."

He pleads with his eyes and holds you tightly against him, afraid that you will disappear any moment. 

Your heart stutters and your knees almost buckle. 

“I-I know I fucked up but please–”

You kiss him for the hundredth time tonight and wrap your arms around him. He responds instantly, kissing you back softly and pressing your back against his van just like before, only this time, the kiss is sweet and filled with longing. 

“I’m crazy about you too,” you admit. 

“You are?” He asks. A smile tugs at his lips, happiness crosses his features. 

“Yeah,” you whisper. Placing your palms against his chest, you peck his lips again, “and I never think about Steve,” you mumble, cringing at the words that you have given him before, “he is my best friend and I never ever wanted him and he doesn’t want me either, Eddie.” 

He believes you. 

“I always just wanted you,” you whisper. 

His heart soars at your words, his gaze softens, he could melt right there and then, “do you still want me?” 

“Yes,” you whisper, “do you want me?” 

You look shy and uncertain of your words, you’re about to look down and break eye contact but he stops you from doing so, tilting your head up, he kisses your lips, “more than anything, sweetheart.” 

“Shit.” 

Robin smirks at Steve who holds your jacket in his hand. 

“I think you owe me 50 bucks.” 

Steve rolls his eyes as he watches you and Eddie making out against his van, “no, I don’t. We don’t know who made the first move.” 

Robin laughs, crossing her arms over her chest, “I’m saying she did, so..” 

Steve shakes his head, “no, Eddie was the one who made moves on her all this time, it was definitely him.” 

“You know what?” Robin tears his eyes away from you and Eddie and looks back at Steve, “I bet they’re gonna keep this a secret.” 

Steve smirks, shaking his head when he sees Eddie picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder, taking you back to his van. 

“Yeah and they’re definitely gonna slip up in the next two weeks.” 

Robin shakes her head, “no, y/n can keep a secret, I’m giving them three.” 

“Let’s bet on that then.” 

“Okay,” Robin nods, “let’s make it 100 bucks.” 

Steve sighs, “alright then, say goodbye to your money, Buckley.” 

“You wish.” 

[denim-mixtapes]

Showstopper

And I know it's just a phase, you're not in love with me, but if you wanna piss off your parents, baby, that's alright with me.

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Fem!Reader Word Count: Just over 15k Summary: Dreading going home to strict parents over Thanksgiving break, your good friend Eddie Munson offers to tag along and pretend to be your boyfriend to get under their skin and take their focus off of you. Over tense dinners and pointed conversation, you seek comfort in his closeness, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. (Based on the song 18 by Anarbor) Warnings: NSFW 18+ SMUT, Minors DNI or I'll stub all your toes. Tense family dynamics, strict/overbearing parents, idiot friends to fuck buddies, teasing, fingering, oral (both f & m receiving), squirting, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, forced orgasm if you blink, unprotected sex (DON'T DO THAT, STUPID), an stupid amount of pet names (baby, sweetheart, princess, sweet thing) instead of Y/N. I think that's it but lemme know if I missed anything!

[Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] <- Coming Soon! [AO3]

a/n: I meant to post this on Thanksgiving, but it...got away from me as you can tell from the word count. Sorry for the delay and for the long lead up before the actual smut but I hope yall enjoy!!

The first time you met Eddie Munson, you threatened him with pepper spray. 

Okay so maybe it was actually hair spray, but the threat was there. 

He had walked into your dorm room unannounced, and in a moment of panic you completely forgot you had a roommate that could potentially have visitors. All you knew was that you were alone in your dorm, and then without any preamble or warning, there was a mysterious man with long hair, dark features, and wrapped in leather letting himself in. 

And he believed you at first, he really did, held his hands up in defense and stepped back out into the threshold with wide eyes and an apologetic ramble. Until he noticed that your trembling hand was not clutching a can of mace, but a travel sized bottle of Aqua Net, shaking just as much as you were. 

He couldn’t help but laugh. 

He still stayed back, knowing that you were not his intended target and surely you must be nerrvous, but dropped his hands to lean on the door frame, his whole body shaking with laughter. Despite your initial fear, his humor was contagious. The once intimidating man who stood tall and broad was hunched with laughter, his eyes wrinkling around the edges when his smile widened. You couldn’t help but soften and lower your arm, chuckling a little (albeit nervously) along with him. 

“Yeah, killer,” he laughed, voice low and smooth, “put that thing down before you hurt someone. Or worse, make ‘em crispy.” 

“I– panicked,” you admitted, defeated. Then, standing taller again, trying to keep your defenses strong, “but what are you doing walking into random girls' dorms?” 

“Uh, Buckley,” the stranger pointed to your roommate’s side of the room. “Robin Buckley? She lives here, right?” You nodded. “We’re friends, I’m meeting her for dinner and she told me to come on up when I got here. She said you’d be in class.” 

Huh. You’d have to talk to her about warning you before she let just anyone walk on in unannounced. 

“Canceled,” you mumbled in explanation, then gestured to Robin’s bed. “Uh I guess I won’t make you sit out in the hall. You can wait for her here.” 

A wide, toothy grin spread over his features and he approached you with big, thankful eyes shining under the fluorescent overhead lighting. A hand outstretched, he replied, “appreciated. ‘M Eddie.” 

And so began a blossoming friendship. Over the rest of your freshman year, Robin introduced you to more of her friends. You didn’t have trouble making your own friends, per se, you had a few classmates who you would grab lunch with between classes and a couple study groups, but the people your roommate introduced you to just clicked with you. You heard all about her girlfriend Nancy, though she was off in Boston at Emerson, so you only ever spoke to her when Robin had her on speaker phone. Everyone else just kind of came along naturally. You were attending school far from home, but within reasonable distance from Robin’s hometown of Hawkins, so even though Eddie and her best friend Steve weren’t attending college anywhere, they often found themselves on your campus to bug your roommate (and by proxy, you). 

By the end of your first year at school, you were confident you were part of their crew, and you were happily signing up to room with Robin once again the following year. 

Which is what brought you here. 

You’re laying in bed, feet thrown up against the cinder block walls and your head hanging over the edge, Robin mirroring you on her own bed. Steve has long since gotten dizzy and sat upright next to Robin, and Eddie called you all ridiculous from the get go and chose to lay on your bean bag chair between the three of you. 

“What the fuck am I gonna do,” you moan, scrubbing your hands down your face in defeat. 

“I’m sure it’ll be okay, babe,” Robin assures, though you know she is just blindly trying to comfort you. 

“Okay,” Steve leans forward, elbows on his knees and squints at you. The effects of Eddie’s special cookies are hitting all four of you hard, all of you lazy and sluggish and a little less cohesive than your usual state. “Explain to me again what the problem is? It sounds like your mom just wants you home for Thanksgiving.” 

Sitting up slowly and trying to ignore the head rush you get from being upright once again, you gripe, “that is the problem. I went to school across the country from home for a reason. I’m already going back next month for winter break and I want to be there…as little as possible. So I was hoping I could work through Thanksgiving break like last year.” 

“No dice?” Eddie asks from his spot on the floor, even though you swear you’ve gone over this with all of them three times by now. 

“No,” you grumble, “last year I worked in the caf, so it was no problem, they were open all break for students staying on campus This year–” 

“The library closes over break.” Robin cut you off to supply. 

You only nod pitifully, slumping back into your stack of pillows with a hmph. You’re aware that you’re being dramatic, but you’ve grown accustomed to your life away from home. Away from watchful eyes and curfews at 19 years old and sharp comments about your wardrobe that honestly, could be much, much worse. The last thing you want to do is return home and be treated like a child again. 

Eddie’s fingers wrap around your ankle comfortingly, but he hits a ticklish spot and you kick at his hand lightly, laughing all the while. 

“Home is really that miserable, huh?” He asks quietly. Not prying, not judging, just pondering. 

“I have a dad who still treats me like I’m seven and a mom who keeps trying to set me up with members of her church in hopes that they’ll ‘lead me back down the right path’…what do you think?” 

Your three friends mumble a series of one word replies all at once. “Yikes.” “Barf.” “Christ.”

The conversation moves on after that. Robin and Steve arguing about Back to the Future, something they always seem to go back to when they’re high. She told you once that they saw it in theaters the first time they smoked together, but the way that neither of them could keep a straight face told you there was more to the story. You half listen, grumbling to yourself and counting the browning ceiling tiles above you. 

Your mattress dips and you look up to see Eddie grinning at you behind a curtain of hair, sitting cross legged on the spot next to you. 

“What?” You ask through a laugh, eyeing him briefly before going back to the task at hand, the ceiling tiles. 

He nudges you with his knee, trying to get your attention. “You know what you should do?” Your response is no more than a hum adorned with a question mark, but it prompts him to continue. There’s a gleam in his eye when he goes on, “somethin’ wild. Show up at home with a tattoo or bright purple hair. Or a tongue ring! Something to push their buttons and shock ‘em a little.” 

Eddie Munson always has a way of turning your mood around. His joy is infectious. If he’s laughing, you’re not too far behind him, and it’s always been that way. Likewise, he’s quick to follow when you dissolve into giggle fits, his demeanor and pose always mimics yours, just like now when he ends up on his back beside you, legs dangling sideways off the edge. 

You end up passing ideas back and forth for a few minutes. 

“Teardrop tattoo,” he says, snorting. 

“A pentagram.” 

“You could shave one side of your head.” 

“Or my eyebrows.” 

“Get tattoos where your eyebrows used to be. Something classy like…hail Satan.” 

“Or Daddy’s girl,” you sputter, unable to hold back the raucous laughter any longer. 

Eddie joins you, practically cackling with how sudden it is. “I think that’s it. That’s the one.” 

And then it hits you. Something still just as shocking as showing up with a tattoo, but much less permanent. It’s right in front of you, it has been the whole time. You sit up suddenly enough to get Steve and Robin’s attention and grin wildly down at Eddie. 

It’s his turn to mumble out a soft, “what?” enraptured by your sudden intensity.

“I think I’ve got something better. Something that won’t cost me hundreds of dollars or my future chances at employment.” 

“Go on,” he urges. 

“You come home with me.” 

From the other half of your room, Robin and Steve shout their confusion in unison, but Eddie just sits up to mirror you, mischief etched in his smile. “How bold of you, sweetheart. You know, I’m surprised it took you this long to ask.” 

“No- shut up,” you laugh, shoving at his shoulder lightly. “I’m serious. You just told us earlier your uncle has to work on Thanksgiving. Come back to my parents with me. You’ll get a home cooked meal, all the fixings, really, my mom goes crazy. I mean this with all the love in my heart but if I bring home a guy like you?” You giggle, “my dad’ll lose his shit.” 

“You flatter me,” he chuckles. Then, smirking, “you askin’ me to be your fake boyfriend, sweetheart?” 

“I– yeah.” 

“Hell yeah,” he nods, “I’m in. When are we leaving?” 

Robin throws a pillow at you, missing terribly but still getting your attention. “What the fuck just happened?” 

—

As promised, as soon as your last class on Tuesday let out, you loaded up your car and headed to Hawkins to pick up your boyfriend-for-the-week. He’s waiting for you outside his trailer, leaning heavily against the stairway railing, ankles crossed, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He doesn’t have much by way of luggage, just a tattered olive green backpack hanging off of one shoulder that he throws in the back seat alongside your prim camel colored leather duffel bag. 

When he slides into the passenger seat he leans into your personal space, drawing out his greeting with a smug smile. “Hi, darling.” 

“Hey,” you greet, palming his face and lightly shoving it away. “You ready?” 

Eddie Munson practically pouts at you. “What, no hello kiss?” 

“Can it, Munson,” you chide before shifting your car in gear. “You’re not on the clock yet. We still have a four hour drive before you’re officially the boyfriend.” 

“I’m just saying,” he shrugs, “it’ll be a hell of a lot more believable if we have a little practice beforehand. I mean- we’re going to have to put on a show, right? A good actor doesn’t go in blind. They run lines. Rehearse. Don’t want you freezing up in shock when I plant one on you in front of dear ol’ Dad for the first time, do we?” 

He’s leaning into you again, speaking with a kind of intensity only Eddie can, and it makes you shake your head. 

“Okay, well, I’m kinda busy driving at the moment. I’ll get back to you at the next rest stop.” 

The first stretch on the open road is spent concocting a story. How you met, how long you’ve been together, things that might come up in conversation. Something not far from the truth, so that you could keep your stories straight, but embellished a little where you needed to. He supplies the story for your first date, dinner at a diner and live music somewhere on campus. You raise him dinner at a dive bar and listening to cassettes in the back of his van. He calls you diabolical. 

At your first stop, about an hour in for gas and snacks, he offers to drive until the next stop and you pass him the keys with a soft smile and a hurried kiss to the corner of his mouth. It’s fleeting, over before it’s even started because it stuns him, and you skip away to the passenger side feeling way more smug than you have any right being. 

“Who were we worried about freezing up, again?” You asked over the roof of the car, ducking at the last second when he throws a balled up napkin at you. 

For this portion of the drive, you take the opportunity to get to know one another. Favorites and firsts, pet peeves and guilty pleasures. Some things you knew already after a year of friendship, the little things like favorite bands and movies, but you knew you needed more than that to be a believable couple. You learn that he loves the smell after it rains and that even though he hates raisins, he loves cinnamon raisin bagels because they remind him of his Uncle Wayne. He learns that your favorite color changes with your mood, about your irrational fear of revolving doors, and the exact number of blankets you absolutely need in order to fall asleep (though he had his suspicions, he’s seen you make your bed before). 

Over your game of twenty questions, his hand wanders from the wheel to the gear shift, the movement subtle because he’s always talking with his hands, and eventually it lands hesitantly on your thigh. You pretend not to notice, but bite back a smile and catch yourself flushing in the reflection of the window nonetheless. 

After another hour or so of driving you make him pull over for a bathroom break and offer to take the wheel again when you’re done. You make to take the keys from him, but he’s quick to hold them over his head, just out of reach. 

“Hey!” You complain, now your turn to invade his personal space to try and steal the keys back. “It’s my car. Let me take over!” 

You’re suddenly hyper aware of how close your faces are when a slow smirk spreads over his lips. “Now, baby, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I made you drive when I’m right here, fully capable?” 

“Damn, Munson.” You snark, “we’ve been together all of two hours and you’re already trying to turn me into a passenger princess?” 

“Maybe I am.” His free hand wraps around your waist, landing at the small of your back to pull you just a little bit closer, closing the gap between you. You let out a small yelp of surprise that Eddie quickly swallows, his lips landing on yours harder and more insistent than the last kiss you shared. Your shock wears off quickly, leaving you leaning into his embrace with a happy hum in the back of your throat. Just as he swipes his tongue over your bottom lip, you’re made aware of your surroundings when a passerby clears their throat. When you pull away and catch a glimpse of his face, you’re certain you’re going to have to get used to that damn smirk. It seems to be his natural resting face since you asked him to do this, and god if it doesn’t suit him. “I kinda like that term,” he mumbles, emphasizing the new pet name as he ushers you around to the passenger seat, repeating it back into your ear with a hushed breath, “princess.”

You’ll have to get used to all the blushing too. 

With a lead foot and a hand absent-mindedly tapping along to the radio on your thigh, Eddie manages to shave a half an hour off the rest of the drive, and before you know it and without another rest stop, you’re directing him off the highway and through the cozy streets of your small hometown. You managed to give him a run down on all of the relatives he could possibly meet this weekend. Who to watch out for and who to actually play nice with (really, it’s just your parents to look out for), names and how they’re related to you as if there would be a quiz at the end of Thanksgiving dinner. Hell, knowing how overprotective your parents are there very well could be. 

It’s silent when he pulls into your parents driveway and cuts the engine, so quiet you fear he might hear your heart beating rapidly against your ribcage. Staring down the house, the walkway seems to stretch out longer than you remember. Your heart leaps into your throat. 

“Hey.” Squeezing at your knee where his hand is still resting, Eddie’s voice is sincere. When you turn to look at him, his eyes are soft, encouraging. He lets his head rest back against the seat with a thump and smiles. “I know I’m here to piss off your parents, but I’m still your friend, too. I’ll be right by your side all weekend, if it ever gets too much, just say the word and I’ve got you, okay?” 

You’re not sure where this burst of sentiment came from, but you’re grateful for it. His words wrap around your heart and squeeze, and you blink back the tears they bring. Though you’ve had fun planning to torment your family, there was still a weight on your chest every time you thought about going home and Eddie, ever observant, could tell. 

“Kay,” you say softly, mouthing an even quieter thank you. Then, leaning across the center console, you brighten up. “Run lines one more time before the big scene?” 

It’s a bold request, a little selfish, partly because you want to stall a little longer but frankly, you just want to kiss him again in the safety and comfort of your car. Where it can be just that, a kiss. You want another moment all to yourself without the watchful eye of your family, and without the obligation of having to prove something.

He kisses you lazy this time, hands framing your face, lips dragging slowly against yours like he has all the time in the world. Like he’s stretching out this moment so you don’t have to face the next one. Your eyes flutter shut and you reach for him clumsily over the console, clutching onto the lapel of his leather jacket like he was going to float away if you didn’t. 

You don’t want to admit it, but you could get used to kissing Eddie Munson, charade or not.

When you part ways and reluctantly make your way inside, Eddie insists on carrying both your bag and his own. You try to argue but he has none of it. You let yourself in the front door and call out a greeting. 

Christmas music filters in from the back of the house alongside the smell of your mom’s famous baked spaghetti. “In the den!” Her voice calls out from the same direction as the music. Toeing off your shoes, you gesture for Eddie to follow you through the halls and into the den. It’s the picture of your childhood, exactly as you remember. Your dad is hidden behind the newspaper, houseshoes propped up on the coffee table. In her armchair facing away from the door, your mom is curled up with a book, reading glasses perched on the end of her slender nose. She feels your presence and greets you without looking up. “Hi honey! Give me just a second to finish this paragraph and I’ll get up, give you a big hug.” 

Eddie’s presence is solid against you, warm, and his firm hand at the small of your back is a constant reminder that he’s there within reach. You try to speak up, to introduce him, but your throat goes dry, and soon enough your mother is tossing her book on the coffee table and standing to greet you. 

“Sorry honey, I – oh, hello!” She’s shocked, clearly, but still keeps a polite, tight smile. “Who’s this?” 

Prompted by her comment, your dad folds down one corner of the newspaper to glance up at you. His poker face isn’t as great. You can see the glare flash across his features before he folds the paper and stands. When he says hello to you, it's with a bright smile and a tight hug, but the second he addresses Eddie, his demeanor chills again. 

“Guys this is Eddie,” you introduce, reaching behind you to take his hand. The words feel clumsy on your tongue, but you manage to play off the stutter as nerves. “My boy– my boyfriend.” 

You could hear a pin drop. 

In the silence that follows, you begin to rethink this entire plan. You suddenly feel so small, back in your childhood home and under the intense stare of your parents (though your dad’s eyes are definitely more trained on Eddie’s every move than your own). But you didn’t come all this way and drag your friend all this way to back down now, so you take their stunned silence as an opportunity to turn in Eddie’s hold and grin at him eagerly, mouthing the word showtime. 

He takes his cue, cupping your cheek in a warm palm and dragging you toward him to close the little distance between you. It feels different this time, like he has something to prove. He’s insistent, leaning into you hungrily and nipping at your lips with a wicked chuckle under his breath as he retreats. He stands at full height again to finally address your parents. 

“Thanks for having me, sir,” he quips, and he salutes, actually fucking salutes, much to your father’s outrage. Then he turns a charming smile on your mother, “ma’am.” 

His kill-them-with-kindness attitude and sickeningly sweet fake politeness has you biting back a laugh, but nobody in this room is paying an ounce of attention to you. 

Thank God.

The rage in your father’s voice is unmistakable, the heat of it pours from him in waves when he responds. “I would say it’s my pleasure but I don’t remember inviting you, son.” You’re afraid to look too closely, but you’re almost certain the vein on his forehead is fit to burst already and you’ve only just arrived. 

“Honey,” your mother pipes up, putting a calming hand on her husband’s arm, though you can hear the strain in her voice as well. “When you called and said you were bringing a friend who had nowhere to go for the holiday I…well I thought it was going to be Robin.” 

“Oh, no,” your lips press into a line, and without thinking, you reach out for Eddie’s hand for support, breath hitching at the bite of cold metal from the various rings he’s always sporting. “Her family is big on holidays. Never miss one. But…” Giving Eddie’s hand a tug to pull him closer to you, your other hand comes up to rest on his shoulder, giving it a gentle pat for good measure. You ham it up, laying your head on his shoulder with a dreamy smile as you continue. “Eddie’s only family is his Uncle Wayne, and he’s going to be workin’ a double on Thursday. I couldn’t just leave him behind with a frozen TV dinner for Thanksgiving of all days.” 

Though strict, you know your mom isn’t made of stone. She can’t resist a sob story and she’s a sucker for any holiday, so despite the concern in her eyes and a husband fit to start screaming any moment, she smiles and nods. 

“Of course, honey,” Her voice softens, though her guard is still up. She turns her pointed smile on Eddie and gestures to the door, “the guest room is already made up for you, and it would be a shame to spend the holiday alone, so we’re happy to have you, Eddie.” 

The sound you make is somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. “Mom! That’s hardly necessary. I’m an adult, I’m perfectly capable of sharing a bed with my boyfriend.” 

Eddie quirks an interested brow at you but you roll your eyes in dismissal. 

It’s not that you want to share a room with Eddie. If you’re being honest, you haven’t really put much thought to the sleeping situation. It only makes sense that he would take the guest room…but you also know that if the goal is to get under your parents’ skin, this is the way to do it, so you give a petulant whine and a huff for good measure. 

It’s your father who speaks up this time, pushing forward and deliberately between you and Eddie to break your embrace as he makes his way toward the stairs. “Absolutely not,” he doesn’t look at you as he speaks, only stops near the door to pick up both of your bags and continue up the stairs. “You are nineteen, just barely. That may make you an adult on paper but you are still my child and a guest in this house so you’ll do as I say.” Passing your childhood bedroom, he drops your duffel at the door with a scowl and moves two doors down to the guest room where he throws Eddie’s knapsack even harder onto the bed. “And we don’t know this punk from Adam. You’re lucky we’re letting him stay at all, so be grateful for what you have, which is only two doors separating you.” 

Ever the peacemaker, your mom steps in and clears her throat. “What your father means is that we would just both be more…comfortable if – for this trip – Eddie stayed in here. Right, Dear?” 

Your father sighs, “yes, yes, that’s exactly it.” 

“Anyway,” she tries to move past it, like she always has, sweeping his anger under the rug and trying to move on before there can be any more unpleasantries. It’s one of the things you hated most about being home, the fact that she so clearly agreed with most of his conservative and overprotective views but tried so hard to make it seem like she was on your side. She moves in to give you another tight hug. “We’re so happy you’re here, honey. Dinner will be ready soon, why don’t you two get settled in and then meet us in the dining room?” 

You thank her softly and a little insincerely, and the pair of them retreat back down the stairs, allowing you to let out the breath you’ve been holding. 

“Jesus Christ, I get what you mean.” Eddie Mumbles, and you only groan in agreement, falling gracelessly onto the edge of the bed with your head in your hands. The bed dips as he joins you, and soon enough you’re both laughing softly at the absurdity of the situation. “Hey,” he nudges your shoulder with his own, “you’re killing it.” 

“Hardly,” you snort, “I feel like I’m a kid again. It just…this all sounded fun in theory but I forgot how small they make me feel.” 

“All the more reason to keep on keepin’ on. C’mon, I want to see how many more times we can make that vein in his forehead pop.” A reassuring arm wraps around your shoulder and shakes you lightly until you let out a soft laugh. “There she is! Nice touch demanding that I stay in your room, by the way. Really! If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you actually wanted me to.” 

“You’re an idiot,” you giggle, standing up and stretching out your tired limbs. “Come on, let’s go eat.” 

The rest of the night goes rather uneventfully. It’s tense, for sure, but the initial shock has worn off and by the way your parents are acting, you’re certain they managed to sneak in a drink each while you were upstairs. The conversation over dinner is mostly focused on you, how your semester is going and how much you like your job. You ask them about their careers, about family members you haven’t seen in a while. Eventually your mother’s need to be seen as polite prompts her to include Eddie in her questioning, but she keeps it mild for now, asking how he liked the drive to your hometown and if the food was to his taste. 

After dinner your mom offers coffee and a movie, but the long drive and your early alarm for school this morning are an easy enough excuse to retire early and get a good long night’s sleep before the rest of your family arrives tomorrow. 

When you part ways in the hall at the top of the stairs, he stops you with a hand on your wrist and a mischievous grin. 

“What?” You laugh, looking down the stairs, “You want a goodnight kiss now, too? They’re not watching.” 

“Here,” he replies, reaching for the back collar of his tattered Black Sabbath t-shirt and pulling it over his head effortlessly. He hands the shirt over to you and gives it a little shake, “wear it down to breakfast in the morning, yeah? It’ll drive them crazy.” 

You thank him as you take the shirt from his hand and smile, trying your best not to let your eyes linger on his exposed skin, pale and littered with tattoos, some you’re just now seeing for the first time. With a blush and a shake of your head, you bid him goodnight and retreat to your bedroom. 

—

The morning of Thanksgiving brings another early wake up call, but it’s hardly a surprise. Holidays have always been this way, up at the crack of dawn and helping in the kitchen all day since you were old enough to snap green beans. It’s not all bad, some of your best memories are with your mother and aunt in the kitchen. Cooking together almost made you forget how unbearable it was to be home. 

It goes as it always does, the two of you still in your pajamas, getting the more annoying and time consuming prep out of the way before anyone else wakes up. When your dad joins you in the kitchen, already fully dressed and sporting a tired scowl, you make the coffee while your mom pauses to throw the breakfast casserole she’d prepared the night before into the oven. You’re like a well oiled machine, and you work together so well that she almost doesn’t notice your choice in sleepwear. 

Almost. 

“Honey, why don’t you go upstairs and change into something a little more appropriate?” She suggests coolly. “I can hold down the fort until Aunt Ellen gets here.” 

“Aw,” you pout softly, pouring your own cup of coffee. You know why she’s urging you to change, and it makes you want to push the issue even further. “But we always stay in our pajamas until Grandma’s on her way! Even Aunt Ellen brings her comfies to cook in and a change of clothes for dinner.” 

“You and I both know that is hardly your typical sleepwear, dear.” Your father grunts from behind the morning paper. 

Although she bristles at his blunt choice of words, your mom looks at you with concern, clearly agreeing with him. 

You only huff, watching the creamer swirl as you pour it into the darkness of the mug. You’re about to respond when a pair of warm hands wrap around your waist from behind, making you jump. 

“I think you look killer,” Eddie chuckles at your surprise, his head nestling into the crook of your neck to press a kiss just behind your ear. “Y’wear that thing better than I do, Sweetheart.” 

Head bowed, you roll your eyes at his theatrics but hug his arms closer around your stomach, turning in place to wrinkle your nose at him, a hint of jest in your tone when you greet him. “Good morning, baby.” 

His eyes flick past your shoulder to your parents to be confident they’re looking (of course they are), then with another dark laugh drops his head to greet you with a feverish kiss. It’s too much for a simple good morning, utterly indecent the way his tongue slips past your lips without permission, and his hands drop to your hips to turn you further into his embrace, until one of your parents – you couldn’t care less which one – clears their throat and startles you apart. 

Your face is hot when Eddie smiles brightly, hitting you with a wink and a cheerful, “mornin’.” He mumbles a soft, “gonna go for a smoke, be right back,” into your ear, and then louder, calling over his shoulder as he walks toward the front door, cigarette dangling from his lips, “smells delicious already, ladies, I can’t wait!” 

You’re feeling quite smug at their stunned silence, until the door slams behind him and takes the breath from your lungs with it. You grip the mug so tightly your knuckles turn white, and the quiet from behind you turns deafening. 

It’s your mom that breaks it first, talking in a hushed tone that she must think you can’t hear, despite only being a few feet away. 

“He smokes?” 

“Are you surprised?” Your dad quips, “look at the kid. I’m surprised you can’t smell it on him.” 

“Oh, come on. Don’t be cruel. I’m just as unhappy about this as you are but there’s no reason to be rude.” 

That’s when you jump in, the scoff on your lips is almost as natural as your breath. “You guys know I’m right here, right? You are being rude, both of you.” 

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry.” Her voice is more patronizing than remorseful. “But truly, what is it that you see in that boy? He seems nice enough I suppose, but he’s not what I would have hoped for you at all…and he’s so crude.” 

That’s exactly what I see in him, you think, the ability to get under your skin. 

“And what would you have hoped for me? Hm?” You press, arms crossed over your chest and hip cocked against the counter. “Some ivy league robot who only cares about your approval? Who I have nothing in common with? Why does it matter?” 

“Oh, well, I–” 

The phone on the wall wails, cutting her off, and a glance at the clock tells you that it must be your aunt calling to say she’s on her way. 

“Saved by the bell,” you mumble as she goes to answer the phone, then spit, “I’ll go change so I don’t embarrass you.”

Back in your room, you decide there’s no point in changing twice, so you pull out the outfit you’d packed for dinner. It’s rather mundane, just a corduroy skirt and an oversized sweater, something you’d normally wear to a family gathering, but the skirt is quite a bit shorter than you’re used to wearing, and instead of the modest tights you would usually pair with this kind of outfit, you opted for some plush over the knee knit socks. 

You take your time getting ready, feeling slightly guilty for leaving Eddie to his own devices downstairs, but he’s a big boy, he can handle himself. You need a few extra moments to cool down and collect yourself before more family shows up. 

There’s a soft rap at your door as you’re finishing up your makeup with a thin layer of lip gloss and you sigh. 

“I’ll be down to help in a minute!” 

Except it isn’t your mom on the other side as you’d expected. Eddie’s voice is gentle when he calls, “It’s me.” 

You let him in with a soft, apologetic smile. “Hi.” 

“Hey,” he smiles, looking appreciatively up and down your form. “I take back what I said earlier. This look is killer, you look great.” 

You brighten, flushing at his praise and taking in his own change of outfit. Nothing fancy by any means, just like you suggested when he asked about dinner attire. The same torn black jeans he wears often, a threadbare and bleach stained Metallica baseball tee, and his signature battle vest overtop. Hair clearly adp purposefully untamed, he’s decked out in his usual accessories. Thick, heavy rings on his fingers and a black bandana stuffed in his pocket, he’s even gone the extra mile and smudged a little eyeliner on his water line. You’d be lying if you said he didn’t pull it off. 

“Thanks,” you breathe, playing with the cuffs of your sweater absent-mindedly. “You look…disheveled.” 

He laughs at your choice of words, but takes it in stride, doing a quick spin and taking a dramatic bow as you laugh along with him. “Thank you, thank you, I’m only following your expert direction.” 

The neck of your sweater scoops low when you sit on your vanity stool to zip up your boots, slipping off of one shoulder delicately, and Eddie’s gaze burns as it follows the movement. He doesn’t try to hide the fact that he’s staring as he perches himself on the edge of your bed, his lopsided smile only growing when you giggle out a soft, “what?” 

“I have an idea,” he beckons you toward him with a jut of his chin, “come here.” Though you furrow your brow in confusion, you cross the room to stand in front of him. Instantly, his hands reach out to take yours and hold your arms out wide so that he can take another good look at you. You pretend not to notice that his gaze lingers at the bare skin of your thighs on display, then pauses again at your exposed shoulder. He tugs on your hands until you’re even closer, standing between his legs with a curious look in your eye. Hands dropping to your hips, he noses at your neck, breath tickling your delicate skin as he continues,  “you know what might make this outfit even better?” 

“Better?” You question, reaching to tangle your hands in his hair, knowing exactly what he had in mind. “Or just more scandalous?” 

Eddie’s lips ghost against your skin as he says, “darling, who said it can’t be both?” 

It's cruel, you think, as latches onto the soft skin just over your pulse, nipping lightly and then soothing the sting immediately with his tongue. Cruel that this is all an act, that your friend Eddie Munson wouldn’t be adorning you with love bites if it weren’t for this stupid plan to piss off your parents. Cruel that you can’t separate fact from fiction as he sucks a deep bruise into the flesh just above your collarbone and your grip on his hair tightens, an involuntary whimper caught in your throat. 

He pulls back to admire his work, pursing his plush lips with an appreciative hum. One hand leaves your hip to rest on your neck, thumb pressing into one of the fresh bruises there, pride shining on his face when the action makes you shudder. 

There’s no way he doesn’t notice how red you’ve gone but he doesn’t mention it, only smiles brightly and ushers you toward the door with an encouraging, “break a leg down there, kid.” 

Only then do you realize the commotion downstairs. The boisterous voice of your Aunt Ellen as she helps your mom in the kitchen, the sound of thundering footsteps as her kids play tag in the halls they definitely shouldn’t be running in. 

Eddie keeps a tight hold on your hand behind you as he follows you down the stairs, but you’re squeezing his right back, suddenly even more nervous now that some of your extended family has arrived. 

Your heart pounds through greetings, through quick hugs and happy hellos and nervous introductions. It hammers in your chest even harder when Eddie’s hand slips down to rest on your ass as he politely chit-chats with your uncle. This is the plan. This is what you wanted. So why are you so nervous? It doesn’t calm down until some time later, when your cousins convince Eddie to join them outside for a makeshift game of hockey in the iced over driveway. Your dad and uncle sit in the dining room chatting over scotch, while the rest of you return to cooking. 

“So Eddie seems nice,” Aunt Ellen says with a smile while you peel potatoes with her at the kitchen island. There’s no sarcasm in her tone, no ulterior motives. It seems as though she means what she says, and it's a comforting contrast to the harsh words and sideways glances you’ve been getting from your parents. “You two kids meet at school?” 

Outside the window, the hockey game has dissolved into a snowball fight, your younger cousins ganging up on a solo Eddie. You realize you’re staring, zoned out as he easily picks up the youngest to use him as a human shield, unable to stop yourself from smiling as your cousin giggles and brings Eddie down with a smashed snowball right to the face. You can practically hear his dramatics through the window as he mimes a wounded heart and dramatic battlefield death. 

“Kinda,” you hum, shaking yourself from your daydream and smiling back at her softly. “He went to highschool with my roommate, Robin. Their hometown is a lot closer to school than here, so I got to know a lot of her friends pretty early on.” 

You try not to elaborate too much, but your blush betrays you.

“You had it bad, huh?” She teases. 

“I…might have developed a big dumb crush pretty quickly.” Not entirely a lie.

“Well it must have worked out well for you, huh? Seeing as he’s here and all.” 

“Yeah,” you chuckle, “Mom and Dad aren’t too thrilled about it.” 

She shrugs, wrinkling her nose at you and leaning in to whisper, “to be honest, this could be good for them. They need to loosen up a little, maybe this’ll push ‘em in the right direction.” 

You snort, “you’re telling me.” 

“You could make it a little easier on them though,” she chuckles, gesturing to her own neck not-so-subtly, “maybe show them his good side before you try to intentionally rile them up.” 

Rolling your eyes, you throw a potato peel at her and shake your head. You had the feeling going into this that if anyone was going to find you out, it would be your aunt. Though much to your relief, she seems to still believe you’re actually together, so maybe you can keep the act going through the rest of the weekend. 

She gets pulled away when her cell phone rings, most likely your Grandma calling to ask your parents address despite the fact that they’ve been hosting thanksgiving here since you were born, and in the blink of an eye her seat is taken by your mom. Her arms are folded on the table in front of her, ignoring the pile of potatoes that still need to be done and eyeballing your own paring knife pointedly until you slow to a hesitant, confused stop. 

“Honestly, young woman, I don’t know what’s gotten into you.” She scolds, voice hushed but harsh as ever. 

With a roll of your eyes, you answer, “if I didn’t think you’d kill me I would say you know exactly what’s gotten into me.” 

“Enough!” She looks over her shoulder to ensure that her outburst wasn’t heard and that your aunt is still occupied. God forbid anyone realize she’s experiencing any emotion that’s less than pleasant. “I don’t care how much you care for that boy or how you act at school but right now you are back under our roof and you’ll carry yourself with grace.” 

“But-” 

“No buts.” She hushes to a whisper as your aunt approaches again, “now go put on some makeup or a turtleneck before Grandma gets here or your father notices, because I assure you he would not be nearly as kind as I.” 

“Yeah,” your chair makes an awful screeching sound as it scrapes against the floor as you stand. “Because you’ve been so peachy keen.” 

—

Halfway through Thanksgiving dinner, things are going swimmingly. Eddie seems to get on great with the rest of your family, which somehow only seems to upset your parents even more. He talks music with your uncle when he comments on his tee shirt, and compliments you and your mom on the cooking no less than five times, thanking her profusely for the meal, and chats excitedly with your cousins about DnD when they ask about the tattoo of a D20 on his forearm. They’re all eating up his attention, but your parents only sit in silence, observing. 

It isn’t until your grandma asks him about school that you finally get a reaction out of them. She had unknowingly uncovered the ace up your sleeve without either you or Eddie having to bring it up and you’re downright thrilled to see where this goes. 

You’ll have to thank her later. 

“Oh, uh, no ma’am.” Eddie chuckles. Confidence puffs his chest as he grins knowingly, stealing a peek at your mirrored expression from the corner of his eye. “Wouldn’t you believe it, I’m shit at school?” He pauses for everyone to balk at his bold wording. “Who would’a known, right? I’m the picture of a 4.0. Anyway, to answer your question, I just graduated in June, so I’m taking some time to focus on my band.”

His age had already come up in conversation, so it was only right for your uncle to assume, “oh, well, well school isn’t for everyone. What’s important is that you made it through. What was your degree in?” 

You clear your throat uncomfortably, ducking your head to hide the smile threatening to break out. 

“High school, actually,” Eddie snickers, “took me three senior years, but I did it!” 

Silence takes over the room once again, even shocking your extended family. You could hear a pin drop, and you do hear your dad choke on his turkey. 

Acting oblivious to their shock, you prompt, “tell them about your band, baby.” Giddy smile plastered on your face, you reach out for his hand and address your family again, “they just booked a consistent gig! How exciting is that?” 

“I’d hardly call Tuesday nights at the Hideout exciting, but you gotta start somewhere, right? Plus,” he drops your hand in lieu of resting his on your thigh, his grip warm and familiar. Turning another wily smirk on you he adds, “we’ve got at least one fan who won’t miss a Corroded Coffin show. That’s what counts, right?” 

Leaning across the table to pester you more quietly, your mother hisses, “I thought you had study group on Tuesdays.” 

“I do!” You defend, “we just…meet at the Hideout.” 

In reality you’ve only been to one of Eddie’s shows, the first one at the Hideout that they played as a tryout, and you had a damn good time. But you do have a study group that meets on Tuesdays, regrettably not at the Hideout but in the common area of your dorm building and even more unfortunately, right when Corroded Coffin is about to go on.

 You can’t stop yourself from smiling at their shock. Every little thing he or you say to surprise them makes it a little more amusing. 

Last night their anger felt overbearing, casting a shadow over you, made you feel small. But the more you catch them off guard, the less they say, and the more you want to laugh at the surprise and disgust in their eyes.

Dessert brings pumpkin pie, coffee cake, another round of drinks, and more inquiry from your aunt. She even managed to slip Eddie one of her husband’s beers, much to the disapproving glare of your father.

“Eddie,” she hums, grinning at him over the rim of her wine glass. “Were your ears ringing earlier? We were gossiping about you.” 

“Oh yeah?” He asks, a sly smirk and a raised brow pointed your way.  He leans back in his chair, right hand reaching out to rest once more on your thigh under the table. He tilts his head even further toward you, “all bad things, I hope?” 

“Aunt Ellen was asking how we met,” you smile sweetly, licking away the remnants of cool whip on your dessert fork. 

His eyes darken as they follow the motion and his hand creeps higher, pinky finger stroking at the hem of your skirt absent-mindedly as he speaks. You fight to keep your breath from getting caught in your throat at the cold bite of his rings against your flushed skin. “Oh I see,” he hums, then, his attention snapping back across the table, cutting through the tension you both just created, “did she tell you how she tried to hairspray me to death?” 

“She didn’t,” your grandma exclaims, “please do tell!”

“So I’m planning on meeting my good friend Robin for a nice meal, right? Sounds like a nice evening! Except…”

You try to stay engaged in the conversation, to tell your side of the story, you really do– but the weight of his hand high up on your thigh is distracting. It’s hard to focus on much else, especially when he kneads gently in time with his elaborate storytelling, his thumb caressing the rolled hem of your thigh-high socks and stroking the skin just above it. 

Why, you can’t help but think. You’re the only ones seated on this side of the table, and sheltered from view by the tablecloth. There should be no reason for him to be touching you like this when there’s nobody to see it happening. You wonder if he knows there’s no point, but then his hand creeps even higher and his fingertips slip under the edge of your skirt and into the crease where your thighs press together. This time you can’t stop the stutter in your breath and he notices, smiling at you wickedly, tongue darting out to wet his lips. He knows it’s affecting you, and even worse he’s trying to get a reaction out of you. 

But he just keeps on talking, stealing the show.  

The story of how you met melts easily into the previously fabricated story of your first date, and so on. The stories just keep flowing. That’s the thing about Eddie, he could be reading you the instruction manual for a toaster, but the way that he tells stories is captivating. The way he speaks of your first date, and then of your first anniversary (something you hadn’t discussed on the drive, but damn it if he wasn’t quick on the draw with it) has your family on the edge of their seats. Your aunt listens with glee, but your parents are horrified at the thought of him taking you to a dive bar for dinner or staying overnight in your dorm. Whether they like it or not, he knows how to command a room. 

When things start winding down, after goodbyes are said to your Grandma, you’re rescued from having to do the dishes when your cousins talk you into a game of Monopoly. Eddie picks your favorite piece, but relents quickly when you send him a pout and opts for the thimble instead. 

“So what are you, a $100 on Free Parking family, all taxes on Free Parking family, or a boring family?” Eddie asks, digging out the loose bills in disarray at the bottom of the box.

“Better,” you hum, “you boys know where the stash is, d’you mind?” 

Your cousins laugh, the eldest pulling a bag of halloween candy out from under the coffee table you sit around. “Already on it, cuz.” 

Watching as he dumps a few pieces into the middle of the board, you grin. “Perfect.” 

—

After a rousing game (where Eddie absolutely made fun of your candy pot right up until he landed on Free Parking and won it), your extended family starts to pack up to make the hour’s drive home. You say your goodbyes, Aunt Ellen whispering a reminder to go easy on your parents into your ear when she hugs you tightly. Eddie high fives your cousins as they pass, and shoots them a devil horn gesture as they make their way to the car. You swear you hear your dad mumble under his breath about him corrupting them, but bite your tongue. 

You barely made it back to the den to start cleaning up the board game when the knock comes at the door – their car won’t start. It’s cold and it’s dark and without hesitation your mom offers them shelter for the night. 

“The boys will have to sleep on the pull out in the den,” she muses quietly, thinking out loud. “It’s not much but they’ll be comfy there. Ellen, you guys can take the guest room.” You crack a smile as she keeps talking, mentions that your dad and uncle can take a look at the car when they’ve had a good night’s sleep and the sun is up, and Eddie catches your eye with a mirroring grin. 

“I’d be happy to look,” he offers, drawing both your parents’ attention. They’d forgotten about him in their plan. “I’m no professional, but my uncle and I have lifted parts from enough junkers to know my way around an engine.” 

Your mom looks between you and the boy next to you, brow drawn together in concern. “Oh, I’m not sure that’s the best–” 

Cutting her off, you rest your hand on Eddie’s elbow and smile saccharine, “that’s so kind of you, Eds, thank you.” 

He knocks your hand from his arm in favor of wrapping it around your shoulders, curling your body into his side and kissing your temple with a loud smack! His grin is downright smug when he says, “looks like I’ll be bunking with you after all, huh, Princess?” 

“Lucky me,” you mumble, turning away quickly to hide the rapidly forming flush in your cheeks. “Um, hey, can you help my dad with the pullout? It sticks. I’ll go change the sheets in the guest room.” 

“You got it, baby,” he smiles good-naturedly. “Where can I help, Dad?” 

As you walk away, you can hear the exasperation in your father’s voice as he informs the boy that it would be in his best interest to call him Mr. or Sir, and you can’t help but giggle at the stuttering response Eddie gives. 

You’ve tossed Eddie’s bags into your own room and stripped the sheets from the guest bed by the time your mom meets you in the guest room with fresh sheets. You quietly make the bed together until she speaks up. 

“I’m sure you find yourself so lucky to have gotten what you want,” she muses, tucking in the top sheet on her side of the bed a little more harshly than necessary. “But under no circumstances does this mean you can take advantage of my kindness. I was not about to let our family go without a place to stay for the night so you may have found yourself sharing a room but I expect no funny business.” So casual in her cruelty, she emphasizes where she needs to but otherwise her voice is calm. 

“Right,” you snort, “because the mood is so perfect with my parents down the hall and aunt and uncle in the next room.” 

“I’m only saying, that boy is changing you. You’re acting so differently since you brought him ‘round and I-” 

You cut her off, throwing the pillow you just put a new sham on back onto the bed violently. “I care about that boy,” throwing air quotes when you repeat her words, “and if I’ve changed, it’s only because he showed me what it’s like to be cared for in return!” The words flow from you freely, without much thought. You’re reacting with what you know will hurt right back, but you’re also speaking from the heart. Even just being friends with not only Eddie, but Robin and Steve as well, has built your confidence and taught you plenty about love and support, even if it was just platonic. 

Her voice drips with condescension when she replies, “Honey. Do you truly think a boy like that has good intentions with a girl like you? He drinks, he smokes, he’s skipping college and doesn’t have a job because he’s in a rock band for Pete’s sake. I’m just worried about you. Guys like that only want one thing.” 

With your back to the door you don’t notice Eddie approaching, and he hovers just outside the door and out of your mom’s view. He doesn’t want to eavesdrop, but he could hear your shouting match from downstairs, and he wanted to be close by if you needed a comforting word or pep talk.  

“What’s that, Mom?” You argue, arms crossed tightly over your chest. “Sex? Who’s to say we haven’t gone there already? And what could you do to stop us from fucking all night tonight? We’re both adults. We could go at it for hours, under your roof, right down the hall from you and technically all you can do about it is kick us out. Oh well!! We’ve got a car and a couple hundred bucks between the two of us, we could swing a motel for the night. The point is, it could happen anywhere, so wouldn’t you rather know that I’m safe at home and not sharing a wall with drug addicts and prostitutes down at the Motel 6?”

She’s silent for a long moment, both of you unmoving and staring angrily at each other. 

“...You’re not actually going to have–”

“OF COURSE I’M NOT, Mother,” you groan, “and do you think I would tell you if I was!? God, I knew bringing him here was a mistake. Don’t worry, we’ll be out of your hair first thing in the morning. I’m not going to bother staying the rest of the weekend in a house that makes me and my boyfriend feel unwelcome.” 

Suddenly very reminiscent of your high school days, you stomp away with an exasperated groan, brushing past Eddie in a fury and you couldn’t even begin to care in the moment to ask how much he’d overheard. You were hot in more than one sense of the word, livid at your mother’s attack, blood boiling at the fact that even she – who has always been more lenient and quick to defend against your father – could think so lowly of Eddie without even giving him a chance. You know that’s the point. You know you brought him here specifically to get a rise out of them, but God, this was so much worse than the stunned silence and speechless stuttering you were expecting. 

With every step closer to your room, the need to get out of this damn outfit gets stronger. Despite your aggravation, every brush of your skirt against your thighs brings your mind back to dinner and Eddie’s curious touch, the gentle squeeze as his fingertips brushed at the crease of your crossed legs, the casual nonchalance as he kept talking even though he knew exactly what he was doing. 

It's annoying, really, how easily he infiltrates your thoughts and without even trying distracts you from your rage. Only, now he’s all you can think of as you slam the bedroom door and rifle through your suitcase. By the time you start the shower, you’ve moved past wondering why he was touching you like that when it didn’t benefit the plan, and when you strip down and step under the steaming spray you’re more than curious how far he’s willing to take this. You have to admit after shouting about how much sex you were going to have with him tonight, you’re starting to wonder how much of a possibility it could be.

Would he actually touch you? Let you touch him? He was eager to paint your skin with possessive marks earlier. Was he just that committed to the bit, or did he really just want to? 

Would it be so bad if he did? 

As much as you want to draw this shower out, slow, careful caresses of your skin as you touch yourself the way you imagine a certain guitarist might, you decide it’s not the best idea with a houseful of family. Soon enough you’re toweling off and feeling less angry than before, though no less frustrated. 

When you make it back to your room, there’s an open copy of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and a weathered journal laid out on your bed, suggesting that Eddie had been hiding out there, however he’s nowhere to be found. You manage to get your hair most of the way dried by the time he comes back in, the faint scent of smoke and fresh snow billowing behind in his wake. The stick of a lollipop he won in your game of Monopoly earlier juts out from between his lips. 

Smiling softly in greeting, you expect him to beeline back to his notes, but to your surprise he turns your way and leans one hand on your vanity. The other comes to rest under your chin, urging you to look up at him. He smiles back, bigger, encouraging. His lips are tinted pink from the candy and he even nods a little when your own smile grows, as if he could tell that your first wasn’t that genuine. 

“Y’okay?” He murmurs, thumb stroking absently at the sharp of your jawline. “It’s been fun messing with them, but that screaming match must’ve been a lot.” 

“Yeah,” you mumble, “I’ll get over it, but are you okay? You were the one she was insulting.” 

He waves off your comment casually, a wrinkle in his nose and the hint of a laugh in his voice. “I’ve been called worse, and in her defense, we are trying to make me look bad.”

“I guess, but I still didn’t like hearing her speak about you like that,” you chuckle and stand, scooting the stool back in order to wrap him in a hug. After a brief pause, you mumble into his neck, “... and thank you. For checking in.” 

Eddie’s hands squeeze where he holds your hips fondly, and he pulls away from your embrace just enough to get a good look at your face. His eyes shine beneath his furrowed brow, impossibly deep brown in the low light of your room, they search your face for any hint of distress, and when he’s confident you’re telling the truth, only then does his gaze land on your lips. You swallow thickly, blink slowly, try to convince yourself you’re making this up. He pulls the lollipop from his mouth, slurping obscenely as he does.  There’s nobody around! He has nothing to prove! So then why is he leaning in? Why do you let him, and lean up onto your toes to close the gap? 

Quiet takes over the room as Eddie’s eyes fall shut, followed quickly by your own. You gasp gently, but lean into his kiss eagerly, the hand around his shoulder reaching up to tangle in the mess of curls at the base of his neck. His lips meld with yours, working you over in a deep and tender kiss that makes your stomach flip. It’s soft. Familiar in a way you wouldn’t expect. 

It might be your favorite one yet. 

He tastes distinctly of cherry and leftover tobacco, lips sticky with sugar and oh, so delicious. 

When he breaks the kiss he doesn’t go far, lips traveling to press sweetly at your temple for a fleeting moment. 

“What was that for?” You ask, breathless. “There’s nobody else around?” 

Eddie hums, “maybe I just felt like it.” Taking in your choice of pajamas, he grins even wider, “kinda like you just felt like wearing my Sabbath shirt again, I’m sure. Did you mean what you said back there?” 

Stalling, you pluck the candy from between his fingers and take a moment to savor it. Sure, it’s a little bit of a tease, the way your tongue darts out to lick it salaciously before taking the whole thing in your mouth with a soft hum, but it’s payback for both times he’d gotten you worked up earlier today. By the look on his face, payback is a bitch. 

“How much did you overhear?” 

“Oh, you know…” his hand trails up the length of your forearm, enveloping your own, only to take the sucker back from you and toss it into the bin, forgotten already. “Just the part about us going at it for hours.” Hands on either side of your face, he crouches until he’s fully in your space, lips just a hair away from your own. “How it was going to happen no matter what.” You feel his smirk more than you actually see it, and your breath gets caught in your throat. His hair curtains around you, tickling at your neck and shoulders.This can’t actually be happening – right? His thumb drags lightly at your bottom lip, “that we were gonna fuck all night?” 

“I– I didn’t know you were there.” You stutter out, afraid to admit anything more than that. 

“...Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.” 

You don’t. Instead, you find yourself falling forward, colliding once more in a clumsy kiss. You stand slowly so that he doesn’t have to crouch, never once letting your lips leave his. It’s an intoxicating contrast to the last kiss, all bruising pressure and teeth and tongue and desperation. He licks into your mouth without asking permission, though you would have given it freely anyway, and his hands creep downward on your body, caressing your waist and falling to rest on the swell of your hips, squeezing gently. When you surge up onto your tiptoes to kiss him deeper, he notices the wobble in your legs and shifts, hooking his hands on the backs of your thighs and lifting you to rest on the edge of your vanity. You gasp in surprise at his boldness, at the strength you didn’t know he possessed, and break the kiss in the process. 

“You know, I was hoping you weren’t all talk,” he beams with pride, taking in the sight of your bite swollen lips and chest heaving with ragged breath. Placing a hand on either side of your hips, his head drops to mouth hungrily at your neck, giving the same attention to the opposite side he had earlier, pulling at the neck of your stolen tee-shirt to suck another bruise into your collarbone. In between passes of his tongue and nips at your sensitive skin, he keeps talking. Eddie Munson does not know when to shut up, not even now. “Been wanting to get my hands on you since we met,” he mumbles into the hollow of your throat, you can feel another smile pressed to the skin there, “somethin’ about being threatened by a sweet little thing like you…” working his way back up to find your lips, he basks in the small noises coming from the back of your throat. “...really does it for a guy.” 

“Oh yeah?” You tease, hooking a finger in the collar of his shirt and tugging, but before you can continue the thought, the vanity beneath you gives an awful creaking sound under your combined weight. Giggling, near mortified, you bite your lip and shift your eyes toward the bed, “you wanna…?” 

“Thought you’d never ask,” he jokes in return, helping you down from your perch and crossing the room. He shuffles up toward the headboard, pulling an old teddy bear from under him when he leans up against it and raises his brow at you. 

Taking the stuffie from his hands to throw it across the room with a soft glare, you settle into his lap comfortably, one knee on either side of his hips. His hands land on your own hips and pull you closer to him roughly with a soft, amused huff. He kisses you like it's his last chance, hands firm on your hips holding you in place where you can feel his cock, half hard with interest pressing against you. 

You kiss him for what seems like hours. For all you’re concerned it could have been. Eddie consumes you, the scent of smoke and leather engulfing you and invading your senses. It’s a scent so perfectly Eddie, with a little sweetness and a little bit of something dark, just like how he kisses. Sweet pecks and soft caresses of his lips against your jawline immediately followed by lewd, wet passes of his tongue and sharp, stinging bites. He kisses hard and messy, unabashed, fingers squeezing at the meat of your ass and pulling your hips harder into his.

This time when he kisses down your neck, he doesn’t stop at your neckline. He pulls at the shirt collar, carelessly stretching it past the point of no return in favor of uncovering more and more of your unexplored skin. Cold fingers prod at the skin of your lower back, making you squeal and grind harder against him, heat pooling in your center. 

Your position is making you hyper aware of just how wet you are, your panties sticking to your lower lips with it as you rut against his clothed length. Your hand stays firm on the back of his neck, nervous and unsure how far to take this, but Eddie clearly knows what he wants, his own hands exploring. Not an inch of your body goes unnoticed as he caresses you, light fleeting touches here and there followed by rough, possessive hands, kneading at your curves hungrily. He’s taking his time learning what makes you tick. Thumbs brush featherlight over pebbled nipples through the worn material of your shirt, drawing another breathy moan from your lips. Though he grins in satisfaction, looking up at you with a mix of admiration and provocation. 

“Careful,” he murmurs, gaze falling on your chest as he seeks out the hardened buds again and pinching, cocky smile only growing at the responding whine you let out. “Don’t want anyone to hear you, pretty thing. Or did you forget where we were?” 

Not one to go without a fight, you grip his jaw and turn his face back up toward yours, “shut up and put your mouth to good use, baby.” 

He smirks at the pet name, capturing your lips once more and turning you both until you’re laying back against the mattress. Eddie hovers over you, staring, eyes raking over you briefly before he makes his way down your body, stopping at the waist of your sleep pants with a happy hum. He traces the elastic teasingly before hooking in and pulling them down, tossing them out of the way carelessly. You press your thighs together when he does, and he tuts disapprovingly, thumb caressing the crease between your thigh and hip. 

“Aw, sweetheart, you’re not gettin’ shy on me now, are you?” He teases, gently coaxing your legs back open, chilled air hitting the damp cotton and making you shudder. Lowering himself so that he’s eye level with your clothed cunt, he smirks, “that’s what I thought.” 

You expect him to rid you of that layer as well, but he doesn’t, not yet. Instead, he noses at the growing wet spot, inhaling deeply and giving a dramatic, gleeful sigh. He’s not so cruel to keep teasing you though, quickly mouthing at your pussy through the thin material of your panties. The added friction is unbearable, pleasure settling low in your belly as he licks broadly at the wet spot with a low groan, pointed tongue finding your clit surprisingly quickly. Pulling back briefly, he admires the way that the material clings to you, now wet with your slick and his saliva, the soaked cotton hides nothing. He murmurs something about “isn’t this a pretty picture?” and reaches out to touch you, fingers stroking over your clothed cunt in a rough drag, but the way your blood is rushing in your ears you barely hear him. 

When he finally peels the ruined panties off of you, you prop yourself up on your elbows to get a good look at him between your legs. His hair’s a mess, disheveled by your hands running through it, bangs pushed back from his forehead from his efforts. His lips are kiss swollen and red from the cherry candy, pulled back tight over an eager grin. He licks his lips, eyes glittering as he stares down at you, utterly enraptured. He looks at you as though you were his last meal, like you were the most delectable treat, and it makes your stomach flip.

He dives back in, tongue gliding between your lips easily and circling your clit once, teasingly, before retreating back down to your entrance. With a huff and a repressed squeal, you drop back onto the bed, hand flying to tangle in his hair as he tongues at your hole eagerly. Nose bumping your clit with his efforts, he laps at your juices until you’re whining for it, a weak little “please,” falling from your lips. Any other day he would tease you. A quipped please what, what do you need? But he senses your desperation and relents. 

“So wet, sweet thing,” he chides, reaching out to drag two fingers through your dripping folds and pushing them into you without warning, forcing the air from your lungs. You bite your lip in an effort to keep quiet, only letting out the softest whimper when his thumb joins in, rubbing at your clit lazily. “Tell me, are you always this eager?” 

“When some asshole’s been teasing me since dinner, yeah,” you quip, throwing an arm over your eyes to hide your embarrassment. 

“Oh, I’m an asshole?” Eddie asks, scissoring his fingers and leaning down to lap at your nub, suckling lightly until your thighs tremble and your pussy clenches down on his fingers. “Do you even know what you were doing to me at dinner?” His pace quickens, fingers drawing obscene, wet sounds from your cunt as he pumps them faster. Resting his head on your thigh to watch as his fingers disappear in and out of your dripping entrance, he continues, “The way you were lickin’ that fork clean after dessert should be illegal. Had me wonderin’ what else you could do with that tongue, I just had to level the playing field.” 

He strokes at that spot deep inside you right as his lips wrap around your clit once more and you swallow a groan. 

“Fuck, Eddie,” you whimper, hips moving on their own accord, canting down to meet his eager ministrations. “Right there.”

He almost sounds pitiful as he coos, “I know, baby, I know.” 

He continues to work at your g-spot, languid, repetitive strokes that bring you closer and closer to the edge each time. Pressure builds in your pelvis, an unmistakable ache in your limbs as you tense up. He can tell you’re close, the fluttering of your walls around him and thighs caging his head in firmly. If he minds, he doesn’t let on, only doubling his efforts and adding a third finger as he thrusts back in. You’re getting close, but words are hard to find when he’s smiling so pretty at you and those long, thick fingers stroking deep within you with a come-hither motion. 

“Eddie, I’m– fuck, you gotta–” 

“That's it, Princess,” he encourages, leaning back on his heels to get a good look at you. Your whole body flushed, his tee shirt rucked up on your chest, your fingers curled in the bedspread beneath you. With his fingers still buried inside you, he reaches out with the other hand to abuse your clit, quick, messy back and forth motions that are absolutely maddening, just on the edge of too much. “C’mon, sweet thing, come for me.” 

There’s nothing you can do to stop your body from obliging, bearing down as your orgasm rips through you, your release coming from you in waves, splashing over his hands and the bedsheets between you. Your fingers go numb as you white-knuckle the bedspread, toes curling and mouth hanging open in a silent scream as he works you through your orgasm. 

Though he gives your oversensitive clit a much needed break, to your dismay, he doesn’t let up on fucking his fingers into you, gazing down at the mess you made in awe, a lopsided grin on his face. “You didn’t tell me you're a super soaker, sweetheart. What a pleasant surprise.” 

“I–” you try to interject but gasp at his unrelenting fingers. “I’m not usually.” 

“Oh?” 

You’re too embarrassed to admit it again, so you only shake your head, flushing even deeper under his scrutinizing stare. It’s all too much, you’re oversensitive and spent already but god that doesn’t mean you don’t want more. 

“Please,” you start, reaching for his wrist to still his motions. You aren’t above pouting when you say, “let me return the favor.” 

“Uh-uh, sweetheart,” his grin is downright evil, “not yet…I wanna see you do that again.” 

You weren’t sure that was possible. Hell, until a few moments ago you didn’t even know you could squirt at all, let alone twice in a row. But he’s determined, and he’s already kept you teetering on the edge since your first orgasm, so it doesn’t take much. He speeds up again, hand curling to cup your cunt with his efforts, and the slick slip-slide of your previous release gives him the perfect traction to continue the onslaught of attention to your overstimulated clit. Your hips can't decide whether they want to twitch away from the attention or grind down into it, ultimately going with the latter, much to Eddie’s satisfaction.

Ducking his head, he sinks his teeth into the swell of your inner thigh, relishing in the way the pain makes you clench around him yet again. 

“You got another one in you,” he encourages, “I know it.”  

And he’s right.

The coil in your belly has been threatening to snap as soon as the last orgasm dissipated, his constant attention on your g-spot enough to send you over the edge again, but it’s not until his lips latch onto your clit one more time, the delicious drag of stubble against your inner thighs a whole new sensation, that you let loose. Gripping onto fistfuls of his curls again, you take note of the wild growl the action draws from him as you spill onto his tongue, your release puddling under you and soaking into the sheets. 

“Shit, Eddie, stop, I–” You pull at his hair lightly to get his attention, “s’too sensitive.” 

Despite your complaint, he grins happily and crawls back up your body, taking the hem of your shirt with him and pulling your last bit of clothing off of your body before capturing your lips in a deep, languid kiss. The distinct taste of Eddie, of tobacco and sugar and your own release is intoxicating, and you sloppily make out with him until you can no longer taste yourself on his tongue. You can’t help but giggle as you pull away. 

“You still with me?” He asks gently, damp fingers brushing through your hair, though you have no energy to care about the mess. 

“Yeah,” you mumble, “just needed a second.” Reaching down to palm at the achingly hard bulge in his pants, savoring the moan he swallows, you tease, “I feel a little underdressed, here.” 

“By all means,” he hums, turning to fall on his back beside you, a cocky smile dancing on his features, “be my guest.” 

You follow suit, sitting up to straddle his lap again, lifting the hem of his shirt up and over his head. Peppering his skin with the same attention he showed you, you take your time nipping and sucking and adoring his newly exposed skin, appreciating your favorite mark (an angry looking, deep purple bruise forming just above his demon head tattoo) with a bitten lip and smug smile. He looks ruined and you haven’t even touched him yet, not really, and you take pride in the way his head lolls against the headboard, eyes heavy-lidded and crinkled from his smile,  pupils blown as he watches your every move. As you rake your nails down his chest (an act that pulls yet another deep growl from within his chest), you cant your hips down against his. The drag of denim against your bare pussy is almost too much, on the brink of both pleasure and pain in your overstimulation, and the way that it makes you shudder has his cock twitching with interest. 

Scooting down his legs, you lay between them lazily, twirling your finger around the button of his pants and savoring the impatient noises he’s clearly trying to hold back. You decide he’s been too kind to you already to deserve anymore teasing, so you make quick work of unzipping his jeans and freeing his aching member. He helps you shuffle them, along with his underwear, down his legs and as soon as you get a good look, your mouth starts to water. Flushed at the tip and weeping, it’s the most enticing thing you’ve ever seen. 

Leaning in to catch the bead of precum on your tongue, you moan at the earthy taste and let your eyes fall shut. Eddie swears above you and that only eggs you on, reaching out to take his length in one hand, you give it a long, broad lick from base to tip and around the head before taking it into your mouth, reminiscent of the way you’d enjoyed his lollipop earlier. (If you’re being honest, you much prefer this to candy). 

“Shit, sweetheart,” he groans, leaning up on one elbow to get a good look at you and burying his free hand in your hair. “Just like that–look so perfect like this.” 

He babbles as you suck him off, an incoherent string of desperate phrases that all circle back to one common theme – how good you look with his dick in your mouth. His praise goes straight to your throbbing core, more slick dribbling from you with every word. You find yourself clenching down on nothing, feeling suddenly empty without Eddie’s thick fingers there.

You pull off of him with a satisfying pop, beaming with pride as your hand works him over in your absence. 

“Do you ever shut up?” You tease, cupping his balls lightly with your free hand before ducking to take one into your mouth. 

He chokes out his response, “not often,” sighing as you take him back into your mouth, your tongue running over the thick vein that runs up the underside of his shaft. “But you’re gettin’ close… Get up here.” 

Pulling you off of him by the hair, he urges you back up the length of the bed. Propped up against your mess of pillows at your headboard, he pulls you back to hover over his lap and drags the head of his cock through your wet folds teasingly. Capturing your lips again, he licks hot into your mouth, positioning your hips square over his waiting member, but leaving it up to you to seal the deal. 

You sink down onto him slowly, inch by thick, delicious inch, savoring the stretch and the slight burn that comes with it. Even with proper preparation, he’s big, and fills you to the brim when you finally settle into his lap, his cock fully sheathed inside you. 

Drawing a shaky breath, you wrap your arms around his neck and press your forehead to his, all sweaty bangs and shared breaths. He gives you a moment, pressing a gentle kiss high on your cheekbone and lingering there until you thread your fingers into his hair again and give an experimental roll of your hips. Both of you share a groan, breathing each other in as you slowly start to move. 

It's like a dance; you push, he pulls, moving together like you’ve rehearsed this a million times. You feel impossibly full as you bounce on his cock, lewd, wet sounds coming from where you’re joined, and the pressure builds in your stomach once again. 

Eddie’s hands fly to your hips, guiding your movements and holding you in place to fuck up into you without restriction. Unable to hold back, an involuntary moan tumbles from your lips and you fall forward, biting into the crook of his neck to stop yourself from making any more noise. He hisses at the sting and his hips stutter, but if he’s more affected than that he doesn’t show it. His hips continue to piston up into you, his cock forcing tiny little hiccuping noises from your throat as you clamp your eyes shut. 

“Yeah baby,” he encourages, pulling your hips down for a particularly harsh drag, the wiry hair at the base of his cock tickling at your clit from the force of it. “Y’can’t stay quiet, can you? Even now?” Reaching between you, he circles your still sensitive nub with his middle finger, kissing you to swallow the sounds you make as he spreads two fingers over your puffy lips, prodding at the taut, stretched hole where he thrusts up into you.  “Christ, if you sound this fuckin’ pretty when you’re trying to keep quiet I can’t wait to hear you when you aren’t holding back.” He speaks low in your ear, his voice impossibly deep and his words go straight to your core, zapping like static over your skin. “You’d like that, huh?” He prompts, tugging at your earlobe with his teeth, “wanna make you scream my name.” 

You lift your head to kiss him, if only to shut him up, and whimper into his mouth, eyes screwed shut, but give him what he wants with a soft whine of “Eddie,” against his full lips. 

“I guess whining will do for now. Look at you, messy thing,” he’s unrelenting on your clit now, swift, circular motions made jagged by his stuttering thrusts. He’s just as close as you are, if his jerking motions and labored breathing tell you anything. “You gonna come on my cock? C’mon sweet thing, I wanna feel you.” 

“I don’t– I can’t, ‘s too much,” you babble, lost in the way his cock drags over your inner walls and the insistent swiping of his fingers at your clit. It’s so good but it’s all too much, and you’re certain if you have another orgasm, it’ll be the end of you. 

The hand that isn’t buried in your cunt comes up to hold your chin, forcing you to look at him as he says, “sure you can, baby, c’mon,” then after a surprisingly tender kiss pressed into your lips, he demands through lidded eyes, “come for me, princess.” 

Even if you didn’t want to, your body obeys, the pleasure licking up from your core and spreading through your limbs like fire. Your skin burns, your cunt spasming with the force of it, and when you force your eyes shut, forehead pressed against Eddie’s in exhaustion, you swear a tear leaks out. 

He groans, the fluttering of your walls triggering his own release, pulling you into a hard, toothy kiss to dampen the sound he makes. He pulls out just in time, splattering your stomach with his seed and already you’re mourning the loss, feeling impossibly empty but sated nonetheless. 

Your mouths hang open against one another, sharing damp, hot breaths for a few moments as you come down from your high. 

“Fuck,” you sigh, rolling off of his lap to lay beside him, a delighted little chuckle falling from your lips. 

“My sentiments exactly,” he muses, turning on his side to brush the mess of your hair behind your ear. With a kiss to your temple and a soft, “wait here,” he rolls away, pulling on the first pair of pants he can find (which just so happens to be your pink snowflake pajama pants) and looks both ways before stepping out of your room and toward the bathroom. 

As you wait for him to return, you can’t help but return to your thoughts from earlier. 

Would he touch you? 

Yes. 

Would you really mind if he wanted to?

Fuck no. 

What does this mean for your friendship? 

Fuck off, don’t worry about that right now. Enjoy the moment. 

Soon he’s back with a warm washcloth that he uses to gently clean you up, taking care around your sore, red center, and then mops up his spend with a surprisingly delicate touch. In the other hand he has another fresh set of sheets, which he holds up with a snarky smile. 

“When your legs work again we can change these out,” he teases, “seeing as you ruined the ones on there now.”

Running a hand down your face, you blush. Even after everything, you blush at his remarks. “Shut up.” Giggling, you hop down from the bed and pull on his discarded boxers and the now stretched out Black Sabbath shirt before helping him change the sheets. 

In the end, you decide that it’s not worth it to finish out the weekend at home and set an alarm to get up before any of your family. It’s far too early for either of your liking, but it’s a necessary evil. 

When the car is loaded up and you drop into the passenger seat, it feels natural when Eddie’s large hand lands on your thigh. The sun is just starting to rise in the rear view mirror, and you’re eager to get a move on, but not before properly thanking him. 

Leaning over the center console, you press a kiss to his cheek, then again to his lips when he turns to meet your affection. You sigh, a dumb smile plastered on your face as you breathe your first full breath all weekend. “Thank you, Eds.” 

“Hey,” he chuckles, squeezing your thigh happily, “I’ll help you piss off your parents any day.” One more longing kiss, his lips sliding against yours without urgency, without anything to prove, just an exchange of affection between two maybe-more-than-friends who don’t have any roles to play anymore. He bites your lip as he pulls away, winking, and throwing the car into drive. As he drives away he laughs again, fixing you with an adoring stare. “My little showstopper.”

[unclewaynemunson]

Steve's dad was a grade A asshole. At least, that's what Steve thought ever since the first time he got in trouble for drinking beer with Tommy and Carol instead of studying for his Spanish test – which he ended up failing spectacularly.

His dad was strict, kept going on and on about how Steve should work harder, shouldn't expect to get everything handed to him on a silver platter just because they had money, that the world was unfair but that he shouldn't take advantage of that fact.

It was infuriating. They fought a lot, all through high school, but after Steve graduated, it got even worse. He vividly remembered the day he got rejected for Tech, all his chances to actually get into college out of the window. He knew that his dad knew the dean, knew that he was only one phone call away from getting in - a phone call his dad refused to make. Mr. Harrington had been stubborn as ever, with his whole spiel of hard work and honesty and refusing to partake in nepotism.

And the worst thing about all of that? The fact that his father was right. The fact that Steve had indeed prioritized being keg king and getting into Nancy Wheeler's panties over good grades, convinced that his father's connections would be his safety net anyway.

So yeah, Steve hated his father when the man made him get some shitty job at the mall and work for his income like Mr. Harrington himself had done before he got to where he was now. The man was an asshole, obviously.

Until Robin. Until he saw from up-close what it meant to be poor, to have to climb that ladder that he had been on top of only because of the lottery that was birth. So during the months after summer 1985, he and his dad slowly but surely started growing closer again. Mr. Harrington helped him with new college applications, helped him think of good alternatives in case college simply wasn't for Steve anyway. Mr. and Mrs. Harrington welcomed Robin into their house with open arms, along with Steve’s odd gang of middle schoolers, relieved to see that their son had finally stopped caring about status and started valuing true friendship and loyalty instead. And when Robin was worried about telling her parents that she was a lesbian, they told her that she'd always have a place in the Harrington home, if she needed it.

'I'm proud of you, Steve,' Mr. Harrington said when they were reminiscing Steve's old high school days together during the Christmas break. 'And I'm sorry if I was too hard on you sometimes.'

'No, I get it now,' Steve was quick to say.

'I just needed to do everything in my power to make sure you wouldn't take for granted what we have. I told you often enough how things were for me growing up – I worked my ass of to get us where we are. I needed you to grow up kind, and humble. But I always loved you, you know that, right?'

'Yeah, I know that,' Steve answered, quietly. 'Love you too, dad.'

1986 came around and before he knew it, it was March and he was standing pressed against the wall of Reefer Rick's boathouse with a broken bottle to his throat. After the end of the world, his parents rushed over to the hospital as soon as they could and they took turns keeping Steve company at Eddie's bedside while they all waited and waited and waited.

Two months later, he found himself sitting opposite of his parents at the kitchen table, his hands trembling and Robin by his side as he told them that he was in love. And they smiled, told him that they saw this one coming since before Steve was even seeing it himself; that they loved him and that they thought Eddie was a wonderful boy and that they'd love to welcome him in their family.

That same night, Steve thanked his father. Because he knew that if it wasn't for Mr. Harrington trying to steer him towards kindness instead of arrogance time and time again, he would never have grown up to fall in love with Eddie Munson.

[cream0fwheat1998]

The Parts Only We know Ch.1

part 2

Bully!Dark!Eddie Munson x Reader

*Intimidation, more serious bullying (no wedgies cause that shit is cringe), non-Con (eventually), abusive/toxic-ish relationship*

It's gotten worse, y/n thought looking at the bluish-purple bruise on her leg. She dug through her clothing drawers and pulled out a long pair of pants. Even though a skirt would make more sense considering the warm weather, a skirt would also bring her unwanted attention.

With her parents still asleep, she took light steps around the house and gathered her supplies. She took her seat on the bus and listened to her Walkman alone. The bus ride to school is the only time of day she'd feel peace because once she stepped off the bus, she switches to survival mode all because of Eddie Munson.

Y/n swerved through the hallways while trying to hide her face. She avoided him all day and even though they were both seniors they didn't share any classes. A tap on y/n's shoulder made her jump and squeal like a mouse.

Robin put her hands up in defense, "Woah it's just me! Are you alright?" She asked, squeezing Y/n's shoulder to comfort her.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much last night and my advanced classes have been kicking my ass." Y/n admitted.

"I won't be much help but if you need a study partner I'm here for you. Also sorry Steve and I didn't pick you up this morning." Robin continued walking by y/n.

Y/n took no offense, she actually had her own license but didn't have a car. Her dreams of an independent morning commute were dashed when her parents saw her slipping grades and decided that if she couldn't handle schoolwork, she wasn't mature enough to handle a car.

Y/n shrugged her shoulders and continued looking side to side for a tall, brunet man who wore lot's of rings. She thought she saw glimpses of him, shadows of his figure in the corner of her eyes, the top of his head behind large groups of people or his laugh in the midst of all the hallway chatter. It's like, on the days where she couldn't find him anywhere, his essence the devil permanently attached to her back.

After school, Robin dragged y/n into the woods to watch some friends play some nerd, fantasy game. D&D, and it sounded kinda fun but she didn't have time for games these days.

Closer to the abandoned lunch table, farther away from the school, she could hear yelling. People arguing about scores, dice rolling and lore. But what made her stop was the man standing at the head of the table.

Eddie lifted his head to see Robin and his favorite plaything walking his way. He smirked at the way y/n stopped frozen in her tracks, daring herself not to come any closer.

"Ah, come on y/n! I don't bite!" Eddie yelled, gesturing for the girls to observe the game. Robin laughed at Eddie but Y/n knew he was lying. Eddie Munson DID bite and scratch and hit and hurt her many times over the years.

The campaign ended with a win for the freshmen nerds. Eddie clapped and hugged his friends; Eddie was anything but a poor sport. Everyone shuffled off after Nancy dragged Mike away because she had to drive him home.

Steve and Robin offered to drive me home but before I could accept, Eddie put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him.

"I'll drive her guys! See you later." Eddie jingled his keys and waved his friends off.

When no one was around, Y/n was pushed against a tree. Her bag fell on the ground with its' contents scattered amongst the dead grass and dirt.

"You think you can avoid me the whole year huh?" Eddie accused Y/n, giving her a slap in the face.

Cupping her burning cheek, y/n turned her face away from Eddie's predatory gaze. "I'm sorry Eddie...." She said.

Eddie was in a forgiving mood and sighed, backing away from Y/n just a little. His heart ached to see her avoid eye contact with him but she did this to herself. She needed a reminder if his rules.

"Can you look at me? Please?" Eddie asked, cupping y/n's chin with his fingers.

Hesitant, y/n glanced up with her sweet, innocent eyes. Something about them made Eddie feel vulnerable, weak and under her spell. Whore magic, he decided.

With a chuckle, Eddie said, "You've caught me in a good mood. I'll forgive you this time with minimal punishment this time but if I catch you hiding from me in the hallways again, I'm gonna drag you by your hair into the closest broom closet and force my cock in your mouth. Understood?"

Y/n felt her eyes cloud with tears but forced herself to hold them back; she knew how Eddie felt about crying and didn't want to make the situation worse.

Y/n nodded, "Yes Eddie, I won't hide from you anymore."

Eddie didn't let go or her chin but got closer and kissed her forehead. He let her chin go and gave her a pat on the head, "That's my good girl. As for your punishment, you should walk home but give me a call so I know you got home safe." Eddie said walking from the woods leaving y/n there to pick up her stuff and wonder what Eddie had in store for her this year.

[thruheavenandhighwater]

Everything [part three]

[[PART ONE]] [[PART TWO]] [[PART FOUR]] [[PART FIVE]] [[PART SIX]]

Pairing: Robin Buckley/ Female Reader

Retested By: NA

Word Count: 2,409

Summary: The promise of a new school year brings a harsh end to your perfect summer and threatens your friendship with Robin.

Robin Buckley Masterlist

Stranger Things Masterlist

Series Masterlist

~~~

Summer turned to fall faster than anyone would have liked. The heat was still there, allowing you to pretend for one last day that summer would be never ending. But when the sun set and you left Robin's house in the front seat of Nancy's car, you couldn't help the ball of dread that settled in your stomach on the drive home.

"At least it's senior year," Nancy said, trying to pull you out of your silence. "As long as you don't pull an Eddie you'll be done with school in nine short months."

She was right, as usual. But you weren't upset about having to go to school. You actually liked school. And you looked forward to carpooling with Robin each day. What you were dreading was the finality of senior year. This time next year you'd be a high school graduate. You'd be prepping for courses at the community college and probably still trying to decide what to do with your life.

The carefree fairytale of this summer was ending. The endless days at Steve's pool were over. Driving around with Robin and Nancy well into the middle of the night was over. Being able to see Eddie's band play every Tuesday at the local dive was over. Sure, you'd still be able to do those things sometimes. But the joy of teenage impulsivity had dwindled each day the calendar crept closer to the first day of school.

You and Robin were the last two of your group still in high school. Eddie had finally gotten his act together the last half of the previous school year and managed to graduate by the skin of his teeth on his second try. He always said it was thanks to Nancy and Jonathan for kicking his ass into gear. But you all knew it was all him. As soon as someone other than his uncle believed in him, he could do anything.

Robin picked you up in her mom's car. Bowie played quietly from the speakers as you drove across town. "I'm not ready for this," Robin sighed as she drove. "I want it to be summer again."

You agreed silently. You didn't trust yourself to speak. You were afraid you'd reveal just how much you were not looking forward to senior year and make her mood worse. And there was nothing you could think of that would be worse than dulling Robin's beautiful shine, even by accident.

When you found each other at lunch you could tell Robin's day was not going well. She was slouched even further down in her seat then normal as she picked at a bag of potato chips in front of her.

"What's up?" You asked quietly, nudging her with your elbow as you reached to grab a chip from her bag.

She groaned, dropping her own chip back onto the table. "I hate senior year."

"And why do you hate senior year?" You probed gently.

"AP history is gonna kick my ass, the syllabus was, like, 100 pages long." She started, crossing her arms over her chest. "I got seated next to the most annoying kid in band. Oh, and the AC in Click's room isn't working so have fun with that."

"Oh, honey," you cooed. "It's only the first day. It'll get better." You placed your hand on her knee under the table. You had to admit that you were shocked when she jerked her leg away.

She stood from the table and quickly gathered her trash. "I'm uh…" she started as she backed away from your table. "Library. Going to the library." You started to stand, ready to join her. But she quickly stopped you. "Just gonna grab a book and head to study hall." She told you. And then she was gone. And you were left alone in the middle of the cafeteria.

The ride home that afternoon was quiet. But it wasn't the comfortable, calming quiet you were used to. It was awkward. Robin's hands were tight on the steering wheel as she stared through the windshield. You pressed yourself as far into the passenger side door as you possibly could. Your touch earlier had scared her and you didn't want to risk doing it again. So you sat in silence, stiff as a board against the door.

You spent that evening in your room. Completely alone and shut off from your parents. Your mother had asked what was wrong when you told her you weren't hungry at dinner time. You didn't even try to come up with an excuse. She mumbled something about public schools being a breeding ground for germs on the other side of your bedroom door before you heard her footsteps retreat down the hallway.

You rolled over to lie on your back on top of your comforter. You were in the same position you'd been two months ago, the night you and Robin had secretly shared a bag of rainbow colored candies after Nancy fell asleep. You stretched your hand out to the side. It came to rest in the spot that Robin had fallen asleep that night, her body curled so tightly against yours. Tears pricked painfully at the backs of your eyes as you slowly moved your hand over the soft fabric. You weren't sure what exactly you had done to cause Robin's reaction at lunch, but you were determined to never make that mistake again.

The rest of the week was much the same as the first day. Robin would pick you up, you would try to make conversation, and you would pray to whatever God would listen that you could undo whatever it was you had done. She no longer sat next to you at lunch, instead opting for the opposite side of the table. Your conversations were surface level at best. School, homework, her work schedule. You'd even resorted to asking how her parents were just to get something out of her.

You decided not to go to Nancy's house on Friday. It had been decided over a week ago that the three of you would have your inaugural girls night of the school year at her house that night. But you just couldn't do it. You'd made things weird with Robin. So when she called to confirm what time she'd pick you up you had your mother tell her that you weren't feeling well.

"Why don't you want to go to Nancy's?" She asked after hanging up. "You always have fun with those girls."

You sighed as you walked away from her. Your feet took you slowly down the hallway and into your quiet, dark bedroom. And that was where you spent your night.

Monday at lunch Robin seemed chipper. You had a glimmer of hope that whatever had happened last week was forgotten. Ancient history. But the moment she sat down on the opposite side of the table and started telling you about her day, that glimmer was snuffed out unceremoniously.

"So, Joey kinda asked me out," she told you with a smile. Your heart sank to your stomach. You felt your throat go dry instantly at her words. The smile she wore as she tore open a bag of Cheetos was enough to bring you to tears.

"Who-" you started, your voice catching in your throat. You took a drink of the school provided milk and cleared your throat before continuing. "Who's Joey?"

"He sits next to me in band."

"Last week you called him the most annoying kid in band."

She shrugged and popped a Cheeto into her mouth. "I don't know," she started as she chewed. "I guess he's grown on me."

Now it was your turn to make an abrupt exit from the lunch room. But you didn't have time to sloppily gather your trash before bolting away from the table. You didn't even know where you were going. You just had to be away from there. Away from her. Never in a million years did you think you'd ever be running from Robin. But here you were.

You found yourself outside of the library. Tears started to rain down on your cheeks as you opened the heavy wooden door. You made your way to the far back corner of the library. A corner that nobody uses. You sat down, your back to a shelf as your shoulders heaved with sobs. You knew you were being loud in the one place you were supposed to be quiet. But you didn't care. It didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter in that moment.

A few hours later, after sixth period, you ran into Robin in the hall. You stopped her, touching her arm for just a moment to halt her quick pace. "I gotta stay late after school," you told her. Your eyes were trained on your tennis shoes as you spoke. "So just head home without me. I'll walk."

"I don't mind wait-"

"Don't worry about it." You cut her off. "I can walk." And with that you turned to walk away from her toward your next class.

You didn't want to walk away from her. You never wanted that. From the moment you met her all you could think about was how to get near her. Not in a creepy way. But in a "you have the most immaculate energy and I want to be around you forever" way. But knowing that she was going to be going out with some kid named Joey was too much for you. Even his name seemed to make you angry the more you thought about it.

That night you called Robin and told her that you wouldn't be needing rides to and from school anymore. You lied to her, which you hated. But you hated the truth even more. You knew that you couldn't tell her that you were so desperately in love with her that the idea of Joey having his dirty little hands all over her at the movies made you physically sick. You couldn't tell her that seeing her with him might just be enough to kill you. So you lied. You told her that your mom was going to let you use her car from now on.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly. "Thought you liked riding with me." She sounded almost hurt over the phone.

"Yes," you answered. You felt your chest tighten as you spoke. "Just makes sense this way, in case I have to go in early or stay late again."

She agreed hesitantly. You wanted to scream into the phone. But instead, you simply told her that you weren't feeling well and had to get to bed.

You felt lonely as you stood at the bus stop on the corner the following morning. There were half a dozen middle schoolers standing with you, but you felt lonely. You wanted to be in Robin's car. You wanted to listen to Bowie or Springsteen as she tapped her fingertips on the steering wheel. You wanted back what you had shared this summer. But as you stood a few feet away from the rest of the small group waiting for the school bus you knew you would never get that back.

When the bus arrived you climbed on behind the middle schoolers and walked to the back of the bus. Slouching into the old seat, you rested your head against the window with a sigh.

The bus smelled weird. Like vomit and Tang. You hated it with every fiber of your being. Combined with the dark pit in your stomach, you thought that this has to be the worst day of your life. You'd lied to Robin to avoid her and now you were being punished by having to ride the worst public school bus in the world.

This was how it had to be, you decided. You couldn't fix whatever had happened with Robin last week. You couldn't go back and relive your perfect summer. You couldn't tell her that you loved her.

So you accepted that this was how it had to be. You on the bus instead of riding with Robin. The sounds of younger kids yelling at each other instead of Robin's favorite music.

The old bus lurched to a halt outside of the high school. The brakes screeched, drawing the attention of almost everyone who was outside the school. You silently hoisted your backpack over your shoulder as you stood to exit the falling apart vehicle.

You threw a glance over your shoulder as you shuffled forward. You looked forward at the green backpack of Gary Bryant in front of you before your head snapped to the side. Her blue eyes were opened wide beneath her blunt bangs.

You halted, your feet gluing themselves to the black rubber mat that ran along the length of the bus. Your eyes focused on hers. Her jaw fell, her mouth gaping as she looked at you through the dingy bus window.

"Move it," a boy groaned, pushing your shoulder harshly. You mumbled an apology as you tore your eyes away from the girl whose eyes had drawn you in since the moment you met her.

Your feet felt like cinder blocks as they carried you ever closer to the door of the bus. You wanted to run away. Or disappear. You just didn't want to have to face her once your feet were on solid ground.

She came to you as you disembarked. Her hand found your arm, her fingers wrapping lightly around your wrist in an attempt to stop you. She spoke your name just above a whisper as you pulled yourself free.

"Gotta get to class," you told her. You allowed your eyes to meet hers for just a moment. You'd never seen Robin look hurt. The way her eyebrows knitted tightly, her lips parting as she tried to speak again. "Bye, Robin." You sighed as you turned to walk away.

You listened for the sounds of gravel displacing beneath her old high tops. But she didn't move. You turned back for just a moment. Your resolve started to fade when you did. She just stood there, hands raised to her sides.

With a small wave, a wiggle of your fingers in her direction, you were gone. You hated to walk away from her. You hated that you couldn't even tell her why. This was how it had to be because somehow you had changed everything.

~~~

I'm not gonna lie to ya, fam this one was hard to write. This part, more than any other in this series, touched home for me. This part is based on what actually happened in my own experiences. Happy endings, sadly, aren't a guarantee. Sorry for a bummer chapter. Hope you'll stick around for the rest of the story anyway!

Feedback is always appreciated! If you'd like to be tagged in future Stranger Things fics, please let me know!! Have a good weekend!!

Tag List: @oo0lady-mad0oo @uncrownedqueeen @alonezz @goawayrvse @messuhp

[c-estmabiologie]

Pangs (Candela Obscura fic)

I'm still obsessed with Arlo. Another character study based on where I thought the her Bleed Scar was going for a little while. Spoilers for episode 2.

CW: body horror, cannibalism (mentioned, lightly implied)

Also on AO3 ! Usually Arlo didn’t leave the bath until the suds had vanished and the water had gone cold. Today, though, she was restless; steam had still been curling off the water’s surface when she’d gotten out. She was standing in the middle of the bathroom, leaving footprint-puddles on the marble. 

There was still a towel draped over the chair from when Auggie had bathed earlier, not getting any drier with the steam from her own bath filling the room. Auggie. They’d had a lovely time this afternoon, picking out new suiting.

It was nice to have a friend. 

But now, she was alone again, naked and dripping in front of her mirror, the condensation wiped away so she could take a good look at herself. She craned her neck to see exactly how far the dead grey flesh crawled up her throat. Her blouse collar could still take care of it, mostly, but she’d have to be careful. No more occult rituals if she wanted to still be presentable. (Lately, much to her family’s chagrin, she found herself caring less and less about respectability, less and less about the costs that might come with frequenting the grimier parts of the city and keeping company with people who would never even dream of setting foot in Briar Green. The currency she held by being from the Black family was undoubtedly helpful, even with the fussiness of her connection to the Eastons and, by mere association to Eddie, their disappearance...but she thought that, perhaps, she might have to find a new sort of social cachet. It had been so bizarre to have to explain about Eddie earlier without everyone in the room already knowing him and trying to remember him as best as they could. Arlo tried to remember him at least three times a day so that she could be sure she was remembering him best of all: how his hair stuck up in tufts no matter how it was brushed, how his teeth looked when he laughed, how he would rub the skin behind his ear when he couldn’t think of something to say. Sometimes those three things formed a touchstone and tufts - teeth- ear was all she could remember, instead of remembering Eddie as an entire person. But if she had at least that she could be somewhat grounded. She couldn’t explain any of that to the Vassal and have them understand. Anyway.)

No more occult rituals if she didn’t want to feel how else the Bleed might change her. Her greyed hand had been unchanged for years; she hadn’t even imagined that it could change, become worse than before.

“You should definitely do something about this,” she said to her reflection. You should cut your hand off. Before you become a monster. 

She looked at her hand, at the void that ripped her palm open. Would the rest of her become the same, hollow and unfillable? What would happen once it reached her heart (or her mind)? Would some magick keep it beating (thinking)? Would she have to become some new creature? The idea left her cold. She didn’t want to become a skin filled with void. A monster.

A gurgle resonated from deep within her and she pressed her hand to her stomach. She was hungry and it wasn’t a usual sort of hunger. Her stomach had been complaining with the same simple, gnawing need she’d felt when she’d examined Mr. Ferris’s hand, and that had only grown when she’d taken on the Gredarn demon in the sewers. She’d thought the bath would have helped more; hot water and bubbles and thick, fluffy towels had always been curatives before for whatever ailed her after working a case, but not this time. Her arm couldn’t seem to get warm. Her body couldn’t seem to forget.

She’d brought her occult text with her to read in the tub — not an unusual pastime for her — but she hadn’t stayed in long enough to desire to read. Now, with damp fingers she turned the pages in her book until she found the entry again. The passage on Gredarn was short, just references to feeding and Oldfairen folk tales. She flipped to the next page and back again, but she hadn’t missed anything the first time. There was nothing to tell her what to expect next from having connected with it so deeply.

Her stomach growled again. The demon had consumed people . It had absorbed flesh and limbs and people fucking in their hotel rooms. She couldn’t do any of that. But she was starving, and if she was hungering like it was, would she develop a taste for human flesh? The idea terrified her, but still she poked her tongue out and licked the palm of her hand, testing. Her skin tasted like salt and soap and it was not unpleasant, but neither did it spike the pressure in her gut. Curiosity spurred her to lick the palm of her right hand, too, to see if it tasted of bleed or death or anything . The tip of her tongue tingled with how she imagined incandescent lights might taste. She inspected her tongue in the mirror for any tell-tale signs of Bleed, but it looked pink and alive.

She’d have to find another way to test the edges of her craving.

--

Where am I?

Seconds crawled by as she got her bearings. She was outside and she was still in Briar Green, that much she could tell immediately, but she was barefoot in the garden of someone else’s estate. She remembered deciding to go out — a constitutional to ease the teeth gnashing in her belly — but she’d been certainly wearing boots when she’d left home. She had a vague sense that she’d spent some time tailing a stranger in broad daylight for no reason other than that her gut had told her to, but she had no idea what had become of him or when she had decided to let that quarry go. (She did not think she’d done anything to him except follow him, but her teeth felt fuzzy and her tongue tasted sour. Her ungloved hand felt like it was filmy with grime, like something might be cakes under her fingernails, but it looked clean enough. She mustn’t have done anything because she was still so, so very hungry. Anyway.) The grass around her was tall and prickly underfoot. As she walked toward the house, she realized that the windows were boarded up. She was at the Eastons’. 

The realization gave her pause. It was better, she thought, to look forward. Closure could only be in the future, after all. It wasn’t in an empty home, and certainly not this empty home. But still she found herself climbing its steps and testing its door just in case it was unlocked.

She hadn’t been inside since that day when the portal had opened up and taken Eddie from her. Every room she wandered into looked like a storm had blown through it. Glass and porcelain was shattered, rugs were tossed, floors and tabletops were chipped and gouged. She picked her way through carefully, sometimes stopping before putting all of her weight into her step so that she wouldn’t cut her foot open on something broken.

She tried to see everything through the eyes of her past self: this was where she and Eddie had sat many times and talked for hours. This was where she had taken meals with his family. This was where Eddie’s mother had given her a cameo as a welcome to the family after their engagement had been announced. This was where she had imagined a very different future. 

But this was also where he had been taken from her. And because of that she was a different person now. 

Could I have saved him? she thought, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last. Years of studying occultism had so far told her that she could not have, but maybe that was just because she hadn’t read the right text yet, or studied the right ritual, or spoken to the right person who just happened to know why and how portals yawn open and suck people away.

She pushed her sleeve up to check her detector: everything was soaking with Bleed. Even after all this time. 

She was still so hungry. 

--

As she crept back toward her rooms she could hear her parents’ voices drifting out from the sitting room. 

“—And that young man she brought home looked like an overgrown urchin. I didn’t realize we were in the habit of clothing the local riff-raff.”

“Don’t be ungenerous. We raised her to be a philanthropist after all.”

 “We raised her to be a credit to the family name.”

Arlo didn’t need to hear any more. She still believed in who she was, but she found it admittedly challenging to be a person in the way that it was expected. She fidgeted with the fingers of her glove. The easy thing to do would be to blame what had happened to Eddie, and her parents would accept it regularly. They saw Eddie as a good man from a good family and that their daughter had been happy with him. Losing that sort of happiness would change anyone. But if she was being honest, it was really everything that had happened after that had shaken apart how she understood the world and her place in it. She knew what she was supposed to do, she just couldn’t seem to do it anymore.

“Auggie is my friend,” she burst out, surprising herself as much as her parents.

“Arlo! We thought you were out!” Her father said, at the same time that her mother sputtered, “Arlo! Where in God’s name are your shoes?”

Arlo tucked one foot behind the other, as if that would hide their nakedness.

“He’s a part of my Circle. We do a lot of good work.” That was about as much as she could explain to her parents about Candela Obscura. They thought it was a social group.

“Of course, darling,” her mother said, more composed this time, “but you know you needn’t work.”

“It’s the sort of work that’s no work at all. You know: charity work. Philanthropy.” Sacrificing some part of your soul to kill monsters was certainly charitable if you looked at it sideways. Certainly more generous than just giving money.

“Yes, and your  …Circle has helped you so much since the incident—” Arlo smiled. No one ever seemed to be able to call it anything but the incident , a term that she felt tidied up the horror that it had been too neatly. A crashed car is an incident. An uncovered affair is an incident. A portal filled with demonic entities that sucks away your loved ones and renders your flesh dead should be given a different name, but it was just another incident because no one else who had witnessed it remained. Anyway.

“—You’ve been holding up so well,” her mother looked down at her hands instead of into Arlo’s face. “I was just telling your father how beautifully I think you’re doing.”

Arlo kept smiling, unsure if she was supposed to thank her mother for the lie and pretend that she believed it. 

“I’m going to have a bath drawn. My feet are dirty.”

--

In her second bath of the day, she stared at the ceiling, memorizing the patterns in the plaster. It was dull and beautiful at the same time.

The ache in her stomach wasn’t getting stronger, but neither was it going away. She soaked in the tub, thinking of what she could tear to pieces if she were a monster. (Maybe it would be a relief.) If the feeling didn’t go away, she wasn’t sure she could keep it a secret.

She imagined telling Auggie. He’d be the easiest to tell and the one she’d like to tell the least. Because he was such a sweet boy, and because she was certain he would still be sweet to her even if she were a hideous thing. 

If she told Charlie she’d wrap an arm around her like a mother. Tell her that everything would turn out fine, even if they both knew it wouldn’t. They’d find a way to approach fine as well as humanly possible. 

She couldn’t tell Howard. He would be fascinated. He would just treat her like an experiment. But maybe what she needed was the experimental. It wasn't ideal, but if the rest knew he'd have to know, too.

Anyway.

Arlo waved her hands through the bathwater, one pink and one deathly grey, and decided that this time she would let the water grow cold with her in it. 

[damon-loves-pie]

You’ll Always Have Me. Part 2.

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!reader.

Word count is about 1,900 words.

Warnings: 18+, character is 18+, abuse mention, crying.

Summary: (Y/N) wants to get her items from the apartment but needs help so she goes to find the boys to ask for some assistance. 

Author’s note: This is kind of a filler chapter, I’m sorry that it kind of sucks in comparison to the next chapter I’ll publish. I just wanted to get something posted before I go on vacation tomorrow. I already started the next chapter though and I’m really excited to finish and post it! Defiantly has a cute side to Eddie! As always please comment and heart letting me know what you think! 

I promise the next chapter will be better! 

You’ll Always Have Me Masterlist

Writing Masterlist

Two weeks, you though as the celling above you catches your eye allowing for your daydreaming. Two weeks since you arrived home at your mom's. Studying the fan above you, thinking back to the events of that first night. The events being Brandon smacking you like a rag doll, Eddie standing up for your honor, and you having to tell your mother everything. The thought of it making you feel queasy like you were reliving the moment again.

Dustin had helped you bring the kids in that night, laying them down in your room while you went to find your mom who was sound asleep. Your mom was confused to see you waking her up so late in the night, worried something horrible had happened to one of the kids. Turns out she was right, something bad did happen to a kid, her own.

You cried so hard in her arms that night, feeling like a little girl again as she held you. This pain was worse than when you would scape your knee outside, and unlike then she couldn't just put on a Band-Aid on this. This pain felt like you swallowed a match and set your insides on fire. Your mom cried with you, knowing her little girl was hurt and had been hurt by the hands of another.

Your mom rubbed your hair, fingers against your scalp, just letting you let it all out. She never liked Brandon either just like Dustin but both of them wanted you to be happy. In her opinion he never seemed man enough for you, and always seemed to be quick tempered even back then. She wasn't going to let her little girl feel stranded though because of his mistake, plus she loved having the babies around. So she made sure you knew you could stay there however long needed, hell you could stay there forever if you wanted because she too didn't want to be alone.

You wipe your eyes, cleaning the tears that had formed while you were thinking. You still haven't been back to the apartment since leaving that night. All of your things,  and the kids things still there in the apartment that gave you nothing but trauma. You needed to go back, you managed to grab the kids a decent amount of clothes but only a few items for yourself that night.

I can't get everything by myself, nor do I want to, you thought sitting up. Your hands run though your hair pulling slightly, stressing about how you should go about this. Maybe the boys could help you? If they won't then you would have to get your items slowly since you started working last week down at your local grocery store as a closing stocker. Your mom claimed you didn't have to and could just focus on finishing this semester, but you refused. Your kids were your responsibility to provide for.

Glanding over at the sleeping angels next to you, you smiled softly before getting up to find your mother. The smell of food cooking filled up your nostrils, letting you know where she was. "Morning (Y/N), coffee is made." She smiles, hearing you walk into the kitchen. Shaking your head no, you lean against the counter before speaking. "I'm good mom, I was actually wondering if I could ask you for a favor?"

"Anything sweetheart, what is it?" She turns towards you, ignoring the meal she's cooking. You know your mom would do anything for you and the kids. Hell your mom would keep the kids and claim them as her own if you asked her to, she loved  the little babies. But it still made you nervous asking her for help, you wanted to be able to do this all by yourself. You sigh, reminding yourself it's okay to ask for help.

"I want to get my stuff from the apartment before work on Monday and I was wondering if you would be okay with watching the kids while I go ask for some help today to get my things tomorrow." You tell her, grabbing a piece of bacon off the plate next to her. "(Y/N) you know I would watch the kids anytime, go see about getting your things." She shoos, moving her spatula at you, motioning you out of the kitchen. "I love you mom," you smile kissing her head. "I love you too baby, more than anything." She smiles as you leave to get changed.

The clock read a quarter before 12, lunch has always started at 12 you remembered. You have a little time to make it there, starting your engine and pulling out of the drive towards the high school. You hate to ask Dustin and his friends for help, but if you're being honest you don't have many friends who live in Hawkins anymore. They all spread out across the Midwest leaving this little town as soon as they could.

You found out how Dustin knew Eddie within the first few days of being home. Turns out that was because he's been held back since your class graduated. You wanted to say you were surprised, but knowing how he was when you would spend time with him you weren't. You two weren't ever close but defiantly had smoked together a few times since middle school. It has been nice seeing him around with Dustin actually, other than being around Brandon you haven't been around people your own age since graduation. You had only been gradated for a month when you found out you were pregnant and kind of separated yourself from everyone.

If you're being honest you don't even know why you got with Brandon in the first place. Yeah he was cute, and was sweet at first but that quickly changed.  You should of left before you ever became pregnant. He himself was also an outcast like Eddie, not really fitting into anywhere. But he was also the bad-boy that everyone wanted, another dealer in your school when you guys were in high school. 16 year old you loved that, that the hot older senior wanted you.

You sighed, pulling into the school parking lot, bringing back memories. The days of volleyball practices, skipping school, and the times you would come out for a smoke. You spot Eddie's van, making yourself smile slightly. Yeah it's a little weird he's still in school, but at least he's wanting his degree. Brandon dropped out before graduation because he knew he wasn't going to pass and hasn't done anything since then. That's one of the few many differences they had. You pull up next to the van, 11:55 the clock reads letting  you still have 5 minutes till lunch starts.

Lighting a cigarette you step out of your vehicle, leaning against it's frame. What if the boys say no? It's not like any of them owe you anything, and it's not like you can afford to pay them anything or much if they help you. You are only working 4 days a week, 5pm to 11pm till you get your degree. Having weekends to do school work and spend time with your babies since you in class Monday through Thursday.

"Henderson, you stalking me?" Eddie shouts, pulling you out of your thoughts. You turn to him, seeing him smile, blowing smoke out of his mouth. God she looks beautiful he thinks, seeing your hair shine as the sun reflects off it. "I just couldn't get enough Munson." You smile, taking another drag as he approaches you, shaking his head. "What actually brings you here (Y/N)?" He asks curiously, leaning against your vehicle. Your eyes wonder at him in all of glory. Hell fire shirt and black pants, just looking unapologetically himself making you blush as your eyes meet his.

"Uh, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?" You ask shyly, scratching the back of your neck. The boy smirks, having just noticed you checking him out. Messing with you he comments, "Ahh, you were hoping you could hop aboard the shaggin' wagon huh? Look there's no shame-" You laugh pushing him lightly, "No, Munson that's not why I'm here." Both of you grinning as you shake your head, taking another drag. "Then why else would you be here, next to my van?" He jokes, placing a hand over his heart. His eyes shining as he smiles at you, happy with your presence.

"I was wondering if you and the boys could help me tomorrow morning to grab my things from the apartment? I-I- understand-" Eddie cut's you off placing a hand in front of you, "(Y/N) I was wondering when you were gonna ask." The boy had been waiting for you to pop the question the last two weeks. Actually it was something him and the boys already discussed not long after you had gone inside that night. He pulls his cigarette to his lips, "I'll talk to the boys, we'll be there for you." He speaks, exhaling as you watch his lips.

"Thank you so much Eddie," You sigh in relief taking one last drag of your cigarette. "It's no problem, really (Y/N)." He assures you, watching as you put your cigarette out on your vehicle before shoving it into your pocket. This little action causing his lips to pull up into a smile slightly, realizing there was so much more to you than he knew. You hated to litter, you knew it would end up in a landfill anyway but it made you feel better to know you weren't the reason the roads were littered with debris. Watching you do so sparked Eddie's interest in you more as he puts his cigarette out, tossing the butt into his pocket as well.

"You don't like littering either?" You question, smiling slightly. Eddie nods, knowing damn well he did it just because you did. "Yeah, we only have one Earth right?" He shrugs coolly. "Yeah we do," You nod, staring at the boy not really believing a guy like Eddie would care. He seemed to fidget under your gaze. "You've never done that before, haven't you?" You raise your eyebrow, as red glow comes across the rocker's cheeks. "Uh-yeah-no. No I haven't, but if I'm being honest I never thought about it till now." He admits, circling one of his many rings around his knuckle. You shake your head, bumping your shoulder with his as the bell in the school rings letting both of you know lunch was over.

"I should let you get back to class huh?" You sigh, turning back towards the boy. Both of you glace at the school, not ready for the conversation to be over. "Yeah, I should get going if I plan on actually graduating this year." Eddie agrees shyly, adjusting his jacket. Hoping you didn't view it as lame or weird that someone you guys age was still in high school. "No shame in it Munson, I'll see you later." You assure him opening your door.

"See you later Henderson," Eddie beams happy with your response, watching as you close your door. He waves you off, pulling another cigarette out not quite ready to head back to class. Inhaling he realizes he will probably never toss a cigarette on the ground again.

-------

Hope you enjoyed!

Tag list- @beebslebobs @girl-obsessed-with-things @thesundrop @vulcrum332 @cutiecusp @dudalinda12345 @quinnxmunson @alltheficsiwant @bunnyrhe​ @emma-stewart-hemmings​

[kriffingstars]

eddie munson; knight

pairing : eddie munson x reader request : Okay so could you do an Eddie Munson x F!Reader where the reader is shy and kind of nerdy and so she gets bullied a lot by people and so one day, Eddie stands up for her and then they start talking and Eddie puts the charm on and makes the reader fall in love with him? Please? warnings : bullying, violence, injured reader a/n : sorry this took so long anon, i really wanted this to be absolutely perfect!

eddie isn't exactly some knight in shining armour

in any sort of fight or flight situation he's out of there

it just isn't in his nature to scrap with people (physically at least)

doesn't mean he can't though. have you seen those rings? he can do a lot of damage if he really wants to

he doesn't get involved in shit unless it's for a good cause

"someone's got to stand up for the freaks,"

the hellfire club is made up of misfits he's sort of collected brought together over the years

he just wants to make sure no one ever feels alone, or like he was made to feel when he was younger

he'd seen you around school a lot

generally, you kept out the way of others but you always had your nose stuck in a book

you didn't ever seem unhappy

quite the opposite actually, you seemed most content in your own company

he just assumed you didn't want to be distracted from your studies or anything like that

he didn't realise how wrong he was

not until you came into english with a fresh red bruise on your cheek

the teacher had questioned it but you just said you fell and didn't catch yourself because you were carrying too much stuff

that was the first obvious sign that something was wrong

the next time he sees you, he finds out exactly where that bruise came from and it's not from you falling over

they're from jason fucking carver

the asshole has pushed you over onto the floor, your books everywhere and you’re clutching your wrist in obvious pain

him and his laundry basket posse are laughing as they carry on walking

and then he's coming to your defence, and now jason is bleeding and the bruises on his face are going to be a lot worse than yours and eddie is so glad he remembered to put his rings on this morning

you don't hear what eddie says but by the time you collect your senses jason is long gone and eddie is crouched in front of you, gently checking over your wrist

i definitely think eddie’s pretty good at first aid

he’s clumsy asf so had to learn to patch himself up

he's also been bullied his whole life so he's just learnt to do it himself by this point

it’s a handy skill so have, and he’s definitely glad he knows what he’s doing as he’s gently wrapping your wrist in a support so you don’t hurt it even more

he’s flashing you a boyish smile, definitely not one that you’d expect from him

and he’s jabbering on about god knows what but it’s helping to put you at ease so eddie’s going to continue

he’s always thought you were attractive but holy shit you’re even better close up

like he always has but you’re eyes are just so much more gorgeous closer up

and your perfume is so intoxicating

from that point on, you join the collection of misfits

you still spend lunchtimes in the library

but you’ve started sitting with the hellfire club a couple of times a week

dustin takes one look at you and is like, yep, i like her

it takes a while to warm up to the others but between eddie and dustin they make sure you never feel out of place with them

being the two most academic ones in the group you often end up talking science

you let dustin have your old notes, which you didn’t have to do but you wanted to be helpful

he didn’t even ask but when you pop down a beautifully neat notebook full of all your freshman year science notes and explaining that there were some more advanced stuff that secured you that a* grade

normally someone like yourself would intimidate eddie

and even though you’re basically a genius, you’ve never once made him feel stupid

this is when eddie starts to notice that he might be falling in love

it starts off with him just thinking about how kind and thoughtful and pretty you are

and before he knows it he’s staring at the back of your head in class just enjoying the view

he starts trying to do small things to get you to realise that he’s interested in you

carrying your books to class

offering you lifts, so now he takes you to school even though it’s out of his way (he never tells you that)

shouting back at jason and the basketball team whenever they insult you

this boy has got it bad

pining to the max

he turns the charm up by 3000

if he makes you blush then he’s content

and before he realises he’s spending all the time thinking about you

he see’s a flower ‘wow y/n would like that’

hears a good song, ‘better write that down. i could put it in a mixtape’

speaking of mixtapes this is definitely how eddie tells you he likes you

inside the case is a note with every song on it and why he’s added it to your mixtape

there’s some doodles in there as well

and at the very end of the note it just says

i hope this tells you how i feel about you

he slips it in your bag at lunch when you’re engrossed in conversation with the boys, suggesting some strategies for their upcoming d&d session

it’s the most nerve wracking thing waiting for you to find it

what if you don’t feel the same

he’s sitting in the van at the end of your driveway waiting lost in his thoughts, going over all the reasons why you don’t like him back

he doesn’t even realise you’re there until you’re opening up the passenger door

eddie can’t quite compute what happens next

because you’re leaning over, grabbing a fist full of his hellfire shirt and kissing the living daylights out of him

which is so unlike you

you’re the shy, keep your feelings to yourself kind of person

and you just don’t do that

it’s a messy clash of teeth at first

but soon it turns into a sweet and loving kiss

eddie’s hands resting on your waist

yours cupping his face

from this point on eddie can't get enough of you

he's reminding you how much he likes you everyday through actions

his love language is definitely words of affirmation so hearing you tell him how amazing he is, and how unbelievably lucky you are to be with him is just the best thing in the world

at first he's nervous to be around you at school, he gets so much shit that he doesn't want to isolate you even more for dating him

it's also partially coming from a place of insecurity as well, deep down part of him thinks you're embarrassed to be seen dating him

this is definitely baggage from a previous relationship

it wasn't as serious but someone he was seeing had called him their dirty little secret and that had really stuck with him

so when you sit yourself down next to eddie in the cafeteria, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek like it was so normal he melts

eddie 'heart eyes' munson is back in full force

he's got the biggest, shit eating grin on his face as he entwines your fingers together

it's subtle, and not overtly in anyone's face, but it's not something people would miss either and that means the entire world to eddie

in that moment he definitely thinks 'they're the one'

[eddie-van-munson]

eddie munson x fem reader, the reader gets hurt/has a injury but has a high pain tolerance and kinda has the attitude of it will be fine if that makes sense. Eddie sees it (maybe when she is buying off of him or something) and helps her take cafe off it cause its actually a bit worse than she though 🤷‍♀️

Warnings: Cuts and Bruises, Bullying, Cursing, Very Brief Mention of the Reader being Groped by a Bully, Drug-use (Weed).

***********

"Holy shit. What the hell happened to you?"

You sighed, your brows furrowed, "Hello to you, too."  

"You got fucked up." The leaves crunched beneath his feet as he slung his backpack onto the bench of the picnic table.

"I did. Are you going to sell me drugs or not?"

He toyed with one of his dark curls as he chuckled, looking you up and down. "You're actively bleeding all over yourself. Forgive me if I'm a little concerned."

You swiped your nose on the sleeve of your shirt, which only succeeded in smearing it across your cheek.

Eddie winced, "Who the hell messed you up so bad?"

You rolled your eyes, "Take a wild guess."

"Carver?" His face hardened, forehead creasing when you shrugged.

"One of his goons grabbed my ass in the parking lot after school, so I hit him."

Before you could protest, Eddie was wandering over to hold your face in both hands, tilting your chin up and down to study your various cuts and bruises. "Looks like he got a few hits in, himself."

You scoffed, "You think this is bad? I'm fine. Go find curly-top. I wouldn't be surprised if he's missing teeth."

Eddie gave a loud laugh as a smile tugged at your lips. It stung, and he easily noticed you fighting the urge to cringe at the feeling.

He gave a long exhale, thinking to himself, and shook his head. "I'll tell you what, Bruiser. You come back to my place and let me get you doctored up, and I'll give you a 50% discount, hm?"

You gave him a look, "What's in it for you?"

"Absolutely nothing. You're robbing me blind, you little shit." He mussed your hair, throwing his bag over his shoulder and grabbing his lunch box. "Now, c'mon."

**********

You hadn't realized Eddie lived right down the road from your trailer until now, but you really should've known. Your mom was always complaining about your neighbors being reckless drivers and playing their music too loud. Hell, that had Munson written all over it.

It was a cozy little home. Messy as hell...in the perfectly charming sort of way you'd expect Eddie's place to look.

"Do you live here alone?" You called to him as he searched the medicine cabinet. Your fingers traced the embroidered words etched across the front of a baseball cap, just one out of the large collection of them displayed across the walls. You couldn't remember ever seeing Eddie wear a baseball cap.

"No. My Uncle lives here too. He works late at the power plant." You glanced towards him at the sound of a box hitting the floor, turning just in time to see a handful of band aids fluttering around him in the air like confetti. He grabbed them up quickly and stuffed them back in the box as you giggled at the scene. He fought a smile, "Shut up and go sit on the counter."

You obeyed, jumping up and wiggling back to sit comfortably on the Formica. Eddie propped open the kit he'd found beside you, shuffling through it messily.

"Alright, Tiger. Let's get you cleaned up first so we can see just how bad you got your ass kicked." You rolled your eyes at him, giving him an incredulous look as he grabbed a clean washcloth from a drawer by the stove. He washed his hands first before soaking the cloth under warm water and wringing it out. His hands left little wet marks on your jeans as he pulled you towards him by the back of your knees, standing between your legs.

"I want you to tell me if it stings too bad ok? Red light system." You couldn't help but feel touched by the concern in his big brown eyes. You nodded, giving him a grateful smile.

Had you known letting Eddie Munson play nurse with you would make your heart go all achy with love, you might have decided the cheap weed wasn't worth it, but here you were, his hands cradling your face tenderly as his pretty features focused on you. You tried not to stare, but it'd been so long since you'd gotten personal attention like this. The only way you could manage to keep from ogling him was to let your eyes flutter shut entirely.

Eddie felt like he was on cloud nine. Even through the bruises and cuts, you looked perfect. So pretty and malleable for him as he cleaned you up. His pulse sped as you relaxed, eyes growing heavy under his touches.

"Eddie?" You cooed softly as he swiped a thin trail of blood from your neck.

"Hm?"

Your lashes fluttered against your cheeks, "Why're you taking care of me?"

He hummed, "Because I've gotten my face beat in at least twice by every member of Carver's immediate friend group."

"Yeah? You got someone patching you up too?"

He chuckled as he tossed the bloodied washcloth into the sink, blowing a cool stream of air over your face to dry your angry red skin. "Not exactly."

Your eyes opened, brows raising. "So you just give half-priced weed out to everyone with shiners?"

"Nah. I don't make a habit of that." He smiled, rifling through the red box for an alcohol swab. "I've just got a soft spot for you."

You blushed, though he couldn't see it behind the bruise on your cheekbone. "Why's that?"

There was a long pause as he finally found what he was looking for, tearing the package open. "You've got a pretty face, princess. Hate seeing it all wrecked."

You gave a soft laugh as Eddie showed you the alcohol pad as a warning, his brows raising with question. You gave him a nod and clenched your jaw as he held you still, carefully gliding it over your more open cuts. It stung, but you sat still for him just the same. Eddie cringed as your expression tightened with pain, quickly finishing his work so he could toss the swab and soothe the burning.

"That's it. Hard part's over." He dragged his thumb up and down over your jaw soothingly, fanning your skin with his free hand. "You alright? I know that hurts like shit."

"I'm pretty tough."

Eddie laughed sweetly, "Hell yeah, you are." He wandered over to the fridge, grabbing an ice pack for the bruises as he spoke. "Wayne used to spray me with Bactine when I'd scrape my knees. I lost my shit every time. I cried like a baby." 

"Oh my god." You gave an amused smile at the thought of Eddie as a child, even more crazy and energetic than he was now. You kicked him lightly. "I bet you were a nightmare as a kid."

He gave you innocent doe eyes, "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're a nightmare now." He kicked  you back, giggling at your good natured teasing. You sighed, "I bet were a cute kid too, though. Too cute for your own good."

He smiled as he wrapped the ice pack in a clean dish towel. "And what makes you say that?"

There was a long silence, both of you daring one another to say when you both were thinking. Because you're cute now. Finally, you gave a shrug in response, which made Eddie laugh loudly.

He watched your expression as he carefully held the ice to the bruise that spread up to your temple. "How's that feeling? Any pain?"

You shook your head, biting your lower lip until the feeling slowly faded and your cheek numbed. The room was comfortable and quiet as he doted over you. He watched your face carefully for any sign of hurting, taking care of each purple mark until the swelling was gone and any remaining pain had dulled out.

"Alright. That should keep them from getting any darker."

You smile, fondly. "Thank you, Doctor Munson."

He snorted, "Don't say that. I'll get turned on." A loud laugh escaped you, head tilting back a little as Eddie's face split in a grin. "I've got a thing for damsels in distress."

You scoffed as he stuck a band aid down over the worst of your scuffs. "I am not a damsel in distress."

He frowned, looking up at the ceiling as if he was considering this. "You definitely are."

"I am not!" You crossed your arms indignantly.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with letting a big strong man carry you off into the sunset and make it all better, sometimes." He wiggled his brows, teasingly. "You don't always have to slay the dragon."

"No. You know what, Munson? I think you're the princess in the tower!" His jaw dropped, as if you'd just smacked him across the face. "That's right! I'm the knight in shining armor, here!"

Eddie paused, thinking it over. "Wait...That's actually kind of hot! I like that! A lady knight?

"Mhm. Returning from battle so that a  beautiful healer can nurse me back to health with his gentle hands!" You gave him a proud look, your chin raised with ego, but Eddie only blushed.

"You think I'm beautiful? And I have gentle hands?" He glanced down at his ringed fingers, studying them

You shrugged, "Shit, absolutely. You've got really nice hands. And you're pretty as hell."

Eddie knew for a fact he was bright red. He scratched his neck, chuckling, "You know what? Why don't you take the half ounce for free."

***********

[eddiefkmunson]

Tutor

Eddie Munson x gn!reader

A/N: English is not my first languages so there can be mistakes.

Word count: 1.8k

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It was first period and you were currently seated at the back of Ms. O’Donnell’s class, speaking of your teacher, she was stood at the front of the classroom writing something about her lesson on the chalkboard. Your pen scribbled across your notebook as you quickly took notes of what your teacher was writing down. As one of the top student in your class you couldn’t afford to let your grades slip and worked hard to maintain them, as well as in school as at home you were constantly studying and revising for upcoming test and classes. It’s not that you wanted to study all the time, you were just working hard to get a chance at a scholarship for a great university hawking’s high was giving out, your family would greatly benefit from not having to pay for an expensive university. So that’s why you always tried to pay as much attention as you could in most of your classes.

It was nearing end of class, so you started checking if you wrote everything down. As your eyes scanned over the paper you noticed you forgot a part, so you quickly added it to your notes before the bell rang. In your haste you hadn’t noticed ms. O’Donnell turn around and adres the class. “That concludes all for today’s lesson, I want all of you to read chapters five and six by Friday.” A series of groans came from your fellow classmates at your teachers statement. The bell rang shortly after that, but even before you could stop your writing and put your books away ms. O’Donnell spoke again. “Ms. L/N, Mr. Munson, would you two stay after class, I would like to talk with the both of you about something important.” As you looked up from your desk you ignored the weird stares from the students around you, instead your eyes met with a brown pair that was staring at you from across the room.

Eddie Munson, a well known name around school but not a well known person by most. You had noticed Eddie around school before, It was difficult not to. His loud personality and eccentric fashion stale stood out at Hawking’s High but that’s not why you noticed him. You had always found Eddie attractive, His pretty eyes and gorgeous hair had stood out to you the moment you first saw him. But the more you admired him from a far, you found out that weren’t the only things attractive about him. The way he treated students who didn’t quite fit in with the ‘norm’ at your school or even tho the jocks and other students bullied and picked in him, he always tried to keep a smile on his face. After noticing all those small details about him, you couldn’t help to let your interest in him grow. It was fair to say that you had a crush on the him and that’s why you broke the eye contact before the already forming blush on your face got even worse. You instead focused your attention on collecting your stuff and making your way to the front of the class. Eddie also took his stuff and made his way to come stand next to you in front of ms. O’Donnell’s desk.

“Since mr. Munson is repeating his senior year yet again I would like for you L/N to be his tutor for my class. It’s your choice if you want to but I think mr. Munson would greatly benefit from it.” She said to you in a calm tone, she was now waiting for your answer. You looked from her to the boy standing beside you, his eyes were wide if he wasn’t expanding this. Before you could answer your teacher, he spoke up. “Who said I even wanted a tutor?” He questioned. “I didn’t say you wanted one Munson, I just said that you would greatly benefit from it.” She answered him and quickly got a response back. “Yeah like she even wants to tutor me.” He said while rolling his eyes and turning away from you and ms. O’donnell. “Calm down a bit Munson, why don’t we just ask Y/N instead of making assumptions.” They both turned to you awaiting your answer. You would love to tutor Eddie but by the way he was acting you weren’t quite sure if he felt the same way. “I would gladly be his tutor miss, if he wants me to.” You turned to look at him, expecting him to turn down your offer. Instead a small smile appeared on his face. “If she’s alright with it than so am I.” You both looked at each other and his smile grew even more. “Ok, I’ll hope to be seeing better results then on your next’s tests Munson. You two can go now.” She dismissed you both, so you packed your backpack and made your way to the hallway with Eddie follow not long after. The door closed behind the both of you, leaving you in the empty hallway alone with Eddie.

“Eddie I really need to get to my next class, could we maybe meet in the library at lunch and discuss some more about the tutoring?” He looked at you for a second before replying. “Wait, you were serious in there about wanting to tutor me?” You saw disbelief on his face but you didn’t understand why. Maybe you were friends with a couple of the popular students at school and you had good grades but that didn’t mean you didn’t want anything to do with Eddie. “Yes I was serious, why wouldn’t I be?” Did he really think I was just another person trying to mess with him? That wouldn’t be a good first impression if that’s what he thought of you. “It doesn’t matter, look I’ll see you at lunch alright.” He gave you another smile before turning around and presumably walking towards his own class. You let out a sigh of relief, that must mean that he at least doesn’t hate you, right? Well, it doesn’t really matter at least you could talk more during lunch, you couldn’t wait.

As lunch rolled around you made your way to the library. You saw Chrissy Cunningham at her locker, she has been a great friend of yours since you started school at Hawking’s High. She was different from all the other cheerleaders and that’s why you became such good friends over the years. She saw you walking down the hallway and called you over to her. “Hi Y/N would you like to sit with me and my friends at lunch today?” She often asked you this and you always like to do so but today you had different plans. “I would like to Chrissy but I need to meet someone during lunch today.” You told her, this caused her to get rather curious. “Oh and who is this mystery person you’re talking about?” She looked at you with a small smirk awaiting your response. She was one of the few who actually knew about your crush on Eddie Munson and she would be happy that you could finally talk to him, so you told her. “OMG, really Y/N I’m so happy for you, is this some kind of secret school date?” She said while laughing. “No, no sadly it’s not, ms. O’Donnell has asked me to tutor him and I excepted. I’m just happy I can be close to him and help him, maybe he will even like me back after this.” Chrissy smiled at you before telling you that he would be a fool if he didn’t like you back. “You better hurry then sweetie, you shouldn’t keep him waiting.” You looked your watch noticing that lunch has already started 5 minutes ago. “Shoot, thanks for the talk Chrissy!” You quickly spun around and continued your walk to the library, chrissy’s giggles were heard behind you.

Arriving at your destination, you scanned the area looking for Eddie but he was no where to be found, so you just took a seat at one of the tables and started eating the lunch you had brought. A couple of minutes later you heard the library doors open and upon looking up you saw Him entering the room. He scanned it just like you had done and when his eyes fell on you he smiled and made his way over. He took the seat in front of you and set his bag down. “I’m sorry I am late, one of the members of Hell Fire had a question about our next D&D campaign and I couldn’t just let them stand there.” He said while also taking out his lunch. “I understand, it’s totally fine.” You said while giving him a small smile. “So about the tutoring, where would you prefer to do it?” He asked you. For you it would be easier for him to come to your home, you had lots of study meterials and books at home but you didn’t know if he was comfortable with doing that. You decided that it wouldn’t be harmful to at least ask. “Most of my materials and books are at my home, so if it isn’t an inconvenience or you are uncomfortable with it, maybe we can do it my house? I’m sure my patient wouldn’t mind.” You looked at him, hoping that he would agree. He nodded his head smiling at me. “That’s fine with me, do you need me to bring anything?” “Just a couple of notebooks and pens would be nice but I’ve got the rest covered.” The rest of lunch was spent with the both of making plans for meeting up on Mondays and Fridays for tutoring and getting to know each other. It was nice finally being able to talk with him but nice things never last long. Before you knew it the bell rang signaling that lunch was over.

“Thank you by the way for wanting to tutor me, like ms. O’Donnell said this will really help me.” He said while standing up from the table and grabbing his bag that he left on the ground. “No need to thank me, consider it as a favor.” You also got up, stuffing your lunchbox back in you bag before slinging it over you shoulder. “Well then I own you one.” He was about to leave when something came to mind. “Eddie wait, I totally forgot to give you my address.” You got a pen out of your backpack and took his hand without thinking about it, you quickly scribbled your address on top of it before putting it back from where it came. “I’ll see you on Friday” you said, before leaving the library. What you didn’t know is that your actions left a blushing Eddie Munson behind.

A/N: If you liked this, could you let me know if I should make a second part. :)

[owletwriter]

Welcome to Hawkins

CHAPTER 4

Summary: Stranger Things and The Upside Down, they're both fictional, right? But what if it wasn't? What if somehow, someone comes across a gate and ends up in not only the 80s...but in Hawkins?

Slow-burn Eddie x Reader / Eddie x OC, Robin x Friendship!Reader

Disclaimer: Don't own the rights to any characters except the ones I created for this story.

Hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 5 | CHAPTER 6 | CHAPTER 7 | CHAPTER 8 | CHAPTER 9

-----------------

No words. Absolutely no words are in my head as my mouth tries to produce sound and I just stare into the metalhead's large brown eyes. His expression goes from concern to confusion and I desperately try to say something…anything at all to save myself from this awkward situation.

Steve saves me by speaking to him, "You should watch where you're going, Munson."

His attention pulls away from me and smirks at Steve saying, "Well if it isn't Harrington. You just can't stay away from this place, can you?"

"Whatever." Steve remarks as he rolls his eyes and then says while gesturing with his hands, "Can you move?"

Eddie slides to the side holding the door open while doing a dramatic half-bow and replies, "As you wish." Steve walks in first after scoffing at the action and then Robin follows giving him a small crooked smile. I'm left there slowly passing Eddie with my head down and before I do completely, I hear him address me as, "M'lady." As a reflex, I turn and see him now standing straight smiling down at me which causes a reaction of whipping my head back forward. I hear him starting to walk away. Stop being an idiot and say something! I internally berate myself.

Finally I gather my courage, spin around and vocalize as loudly as I can in this moment, "Eddie!" I grab his attention facing me once again and then I tell him, "Th-Thanks…for helping me up."

He replies, "No problem. See you around…" Eddie does another small bow and adds, "…M'lady." A hand grasps my arm pulling gently and I turn to see Robin, first glancing at Eddie who is now walking away, then me.

"Come on, Steve the cranky-pants is waiting." Robin says while motioning over to him tapping his foot with his hands on his hips. Nodding, we enter the school and I lead the two down the hallways to the closet. My hearts racing and there's a bundle of nerves in my gut, but it's not from treading speedily down the halls or the anticipation of a gate being in the closet again. I play back in my head what had happened only a few minutes ago and how I became a blob of a person. I had an assumption of how I would react if or when I saw Eddie, but nothing like that! I've had crushes before and I would be nervous, plus I'm naturally shy, but…it was just turned up to a hundred when it only goes up to ten! I contemplate to myself reflecting on my actions.

Once we take the final turn, I snap out of it and present to them the closet with a game show gesture saying in a monotone voice, "Tah-dah." We all stand in front of the door studying it silently.

Steve leans his head a bit in my direction asking, "Are you sure this is it?"

"Yep." I say emphasizing the "p" on the word. He steps forward and reaches for the handle.

"Hold on!" Robin exclaims and we look over at her while she starts to ramble, "We don't know what'll happen if we open this door. What if it's there now and we get pulled or sucked in? We could all travel into the future or, or even worse, we'd go back into the past like the 50s or earlier. Maybe even during the time dinosaurs were around."

"Robin!" Steve shouts to stop her rant and then reassures her, "We won't get sucked in, that doesn't happen with these gates."

"Yeah, I just stupidly walked through it." I comment slightly embarrassed.

He grasps the doorknob and says, "So long as we keep enough distance, we should be fine." We all prepare for whatever might be in the closet and with a count of three, Steve rips the door open. Our tense postures immediately ease when we see nothing is there. "Well, that was anti-climatic." He comments moving forward to inspect the inside of the closet.

"This is a good thing though, right? No gate, no problem." Robin adds to the conversation.

Placing his hand on the back wall searching for any sign of something there, Steve replies, "Yeah, but we need to keep an eye out." He spins in my direction asking, "You're a hundred percent sure that this was the closet you came out of?"

Nodding, I respond while crossing my arms in front of me, "It's not something I would forget."

Steve stares at the wall in the closet before speaking, "We should look around…in case there might be another one."

"As much as I would love to go running around the school, we're going to be late for work." Robin chimes in next to me.

He steps out of the closet, shuts the door and faces the two of us stating, "This is more important than us missing a shift, Robin."

"Yeah, but I mean I've been around the school all day and haven't seen any glowing red lights. Plus, we should do it when no ones in the building and honestly I really can't afford to miss a shift right now." She replies trying to convince Steve.

Pondering for a moment glancing at the two of us, Steve sighs before answering, "Fine…but we're doing it tomorrow and it might be a good idea to have some help to cover more ground."

Robin claps her hands together exclaiming, "Great!" She then starts to shove him in the direction we came in continuing, "Now that we're not currently in emanate danger, let's go before we're late for work." She calls back to me to follow while carrying on with leading Steve out of the school.

We head back to the car and get in driving off to the store known as "Family Video" where the two in the front work. I preoccupy myself by letting my eyes glaze over while viewing stores, houses, and people passing by. Since I was just at the school, I was able to allow myself the privilege of believing that maybe this isn't real, that I'm maybe in a coma. I have a strong imagination, but my mind can't create this much detail on such a large scale. Not only did I actually travel back in time to the 80s, but somehow I'm in some…alternate dimension where the show is real! I pause my thoughts for a moment because we reach the store.

We all get out and while the two of them bicker about who has the keys to open the door, I watch from the car. Should I tell them about the show? I feel like time travel is already a stretch and if I tell anyone, they might just think I'm crazy. I don't think I have to anyway, since there's nothing going on that was in the show. If they're working here, it means this is after the events that took place at the mall, so nothing will happen for a while and I'll be back before anything happens…I hope. I finish my thoughts when I see that they finally enter the store and I go in as well.

An overwhelming amount of nostalgia encompasses me as I take in the interior of the store. It takes me back to when I was growing up where my parents, brother and I would go to Blockbuster to select a movie to watch on Friday nights. I actually remember the first time I watched "Coraline," which to this day is still a classic. Speaking of classics, I'm currently surrounded by them as I walk around reading some of the titles like, "The Breakfast Club," "Clue," and one of my all time favorites, "Back to the Future."

"You know that one?" Robin asks from behind as I hold the VHS in my hand.

Without much thought I say, "Oh yeah, this is a classic and the second one is really awesome too!" I catch myself clasping my hand over my mouth. Spinning around to look at Robin, my eyes land on her smirk.

Grabbing the tape and inspecting it she says, "It is a great movie. Good to know this'll be one of the classics…and the second one will be too." I can tell with the expression on her face that I trigger her curiosity and then bombards me with questions about the future.

I refuse to answer anything and try to keep a straight face when she starts to ask "yes or no" questions. Steve interjects in an effort to shake Robin off of me, but by asking for evidence about me being from the future. This then leads to the same exact thing I did with Robin at the school which involved showing my phone, taking a picture with it, and presenting said picture along with my ID. Customers finally come in to browse around and purchase movies. I assume that the discussion about the future finally ends, but as soon as the customers leave, Steve is the one to get the ball rolling again and Robin gladly follows along.

After a few hours of doing my best to avoid revealing anything from their interrogation and having breaks when customers enter or Robin decides to do some homework, their shift ends. Closing up the store, Steve and Robin both give up and apologize for the hounding. They even promise to never ask again. However, I glare at them suspiciously and can only predict that I'll now have the duo ask about the future at random points, so I'll keep my guard up.

On the drive to Robin's house, I once again zone out and half-listen to Steve talking to Robin about a girl named Heidi. I'm a bit excited to see her house because it's never been shown on the series. There's actually not much about Robin's life outside of the school and her job, so I'm curious to discover what it's like. After about another ten minutes, Steve pulls up in front of a house. Robin and I get out of the car waving our good-byes to Steve as he drives off to his home. As I walk up to her house, it's actually pretty similar to Nancy's, but slightly smaller. The interior also has the same architectural structure as the Wheeler's house, so I assume that the town, for the most part, all have similar designs, just different sizes.

The place has a warm feeling to it and my attention draws towards Robin when she comments, "My mom will probably be home soon. I'll show you my room and give you something to wear for the night. While you change, I'll let her know about you."

"What are you going to tell her?" I ask as we make our way upstairs.

She steps into her room and says, "How about…your parents are away for the week and you need a place to stay while they're gone?"

"That could work." I tell her as I take the moment to really observe Robin's room. She has a window on the opposite side of her door and her full-size dark brown-framed bed is against it and the wall to the right, so it's in a corner. Next to the bed is a mini dresser with a lamp emitting a warm light, at the foot there's a large wooden chest and across from the bed is a closet on the left wall. There's a desk with a small lamp, that most likely helps Robin when studying, next to the closet. I then face the entrance of her room to see that on the right side of it, behind the door, there's a medium sized bookcase and on the right, is a bureau that Robin is currently rummaging through with a rectangle mirror above it. All the furniture is in a dark brown color, similar to the bed frame and the walls are an off-white with posters placed around the room. There are a few clothes hanging on the desk chair and on her dark gray bedspread. I decide to push the clothes to the side and sit on her bed as she tidies a bit.

"Sorry about the mess. Wasn't exactly expecting to have a roommate today." She comments as she grabs the clothes from her bed and tosses them into the closet.

I chuckle at the action, "No, no, it's totally fine! Your room is nice."

"You're lucky that you didn't see it a few days ago." She rebuttals finishing up and then grabbing a shirt with a pair of shorts in her bureau. Robin and I go silent when we suddenly hear some noise coming from downstairs. Tossing me the clothes she says, "Here. I'll go talk to my mom now." Closing the door, I'm left alone in her room.

I change quickly out of my outfit and breathe a sigh of relief to be in some fresh comfy clothing. I walk over to the mirror and notice polaroid photos around it. Some are of her together with her mom, a few with Steve in their sailor outfits, and one or two of people I don't recognize. Staring at myself, the first thing I notice is that my hair is a mess and my makeup is smudged. Oh man, maybe today they were just gawking at me because I'm a hot mess. I surmise while concentrating on tying my hair up in a messy bun. Then, grabbing a tissue from my backpack on the floor near the bed, I try to wipe off some of the makeup. Stepping back to check how I look now, it's much better and I also notice who's on the shirt I'm wearing, David Bowie.

"Very nice." I mutter to myself. The door knocks and I walk over to open it to see Robin with two plates of food in her hands with a glass tucked in each arm. I immediately help her taking a plate and glass.

"Thanks. I almost fell up the stairs with these, but I made it." Robin proudly states and then says, "I hope you don't mind leftovers for dinner." We sit on her bed and start to eat.

After taking a sip of water I ask, "How did it go with your mom?"

"Oh, you're good. She's totally fine with it." She responds nonchalantly with food in her mouth.

"Thanks for all the help, Robin. I don’t know what I would've done without you." I tell her genuinely grateful for everything as I finish the dinner she gave me.

She finishes hers as well and takes my plate standing up saying, "Seriously, no problem. It's not every day that I get to help out a time traveler." I chuckle at her response and then Robin leaves to put the dishes in the kitchen. Once she returns, I'm shown where the bathroom is and I'm given a spare toothbrush. As I brush my teeth, Robin changes into her nightwear and does the same once I'm done. We both call it a night after the long day we both had. "Hey…what was up with you and Munson?" She asks me out of nowhere as we get comfortable on her bed.

That catches me off guard and the faint feeling of nerves in my gut from earlier resurface as I stutter, "W-What are you talking about?"

"The guy you bumped into earlier and made you fall on your butt." Robin reminds me in more detail like I haven't replayed the moment in my head repeatedly and then goes on to say, "He was his usual self, but you were completely out of it. Do you like…know him from the future?"

I clear my throat while tucking my legs under the blanket and try to causally respond, "No, I don't…I just uh…just uh…"

After lingering too long on coming up with an excuse, I see Robin's face morph into one of realization and excitedly exclaims pointing, "You like him!" Before I can even say no, she continues, "Oh my god! You totally have a crush on Eddie."

"No, no, no, no…no! I don't even know him and I hardly said anything to him." I quickly reject caught off guard by her assumption and I'm now flustered.

Robin still has that giant smirk on her face shaking her head and replies, "Oh, you totally do. You had like a…love at first sight movie moment!"

I sigh knowing she won't drop this now and just say, "Even if I did, which I don't…it doesn't matter anyway because I'm not staying here. I'll eventually go back, so there's no point."

"True…" She admits with her enthusiasm deflating a bit, but then says, "…but it kind of makes it more romantic, don't you think? A love that traverses time."

I finally lay my head on the pillow stating, "I think you're getting ahead of yourself there, Robin."

She joins me in laying down after turning off the lamp and now quietly replies, "Maybe…but if you're only here temporarily, why not take advantage of it and have fun? Make it a memorable experience."

"I don't know…maybe." I mumble staring up at the ceiling.

"Think about it. Night, Kate." Robin says before turning her back to me to fall asleep.

Sighing I reply, "Night, Robin." I flip on my side to get more comfortable. Maybe. Is the last thought in my head as my eyes shut and I drift off into a deep slumber.

-------------------

Likes, Comments, & Reblogs are appreciated!

Also I have an Etsy Store with my artwork!

-------------------

Taglist!

@edenstarkk @fentyreligion

[funnylittlelad]

Shelter From The Storm - steddie

Page Two

<< Page One | Series Photo Album | AO3 | Page Three >>

summary: “I’m good, nothing new really. Honestly… Is it weird to say I've been worried about you?” He laughs nervously.

Steve’s heart races in his throat. Eddie has been worried about Steve? That means Eddie would have to be thinking about Steve. Just like Steve has been thinking about him.

“Depends on why you’re worried,” he answers lightly.

Eddie’s dark eyes shift away from Steve momentarily as his mouth opens attempting to form an answer. His mouth shuts as he exhales through his nose and shifts his eyes back to Steve.

“Jack’s been talking about missing you and Max was telling me about the hours the quarry is making you pull. Been meanin’ to call, but I- uh- I don't actually have your number and taking it from the files felt weird,” he explains, glancing away every few seconds.

Steve gives him a feather soft smile. His eyes dart down to Eddie’s lips for a split second. So quick, Eddie isn't sure he saw it at all.

“Are we friends or something, Munson?” Steve teases.

wc: 13.7k

series notes/tags: Steddie Dadfic, single dad!Steve Harrington, Music Teacher!Eddie Munson, girl dad Steve, Jewish Eddie, Steve's parents are The Worst, mentions/talks about past abuse, complicated family dynamics, pretty Steve-centric, implied past suicide, talks about illness and death, Fluff, angst, mutual pining, slow burn.

The quarry very quickly proves to be worse than the lumber yard. At least at the lumber yard, Steve could get out before eight. At least he had wiggle room to see Jack. Now, he’ll go in unsure of when he’ll be getting off. It’s awful, but he needs the income. 

“Just tough it out until you can find something else. We’re here to help in the meantime,” Hopper told him one night.

Steve had come to pick up Jack so late she had fallen asleep waiting for him. Her little sleeping form brings an ache into his bones. He didn't get to say goodnight or tuck her in. Hell, Steve’s lucky to see her in the morning at this point. Not seeing Jack is honestly draining the life out of him. It’s starting to show in Jack too. She’s acting out more, getting frustrated easier, and not communicating her needs as well. Steve is at a loss. If he tries to work less, he won't be able to pay the bills. If he doesn't work less, Jack is the one suffering the consequences. He can't win. 

He’s at the grocery store as he contemplates his inevitable doom. Jack is with Grandma and Grandpa Buck, where she’s been since school let out. Steve just knew it would be easier to get the shopping done first. He’s searching for the last box of store-brand Cheerios when Eddie spots him.

There's a self-indulgent moment where Eddie takes in the beauty marks present on Steve’s hip where his shirt is pulling up as he bends to look at the back of the shelf. His shirt is gray and sweat-stained, his work pants are covered in dirt and dust, and his hair is messier than Eddie has ever seen it. It’s been a couple of weeks since Eddie’s seen Steve. Ever since he started his new job, which he’s clearly just coming from. Surprisingly, there’s no mess of red rushing around Steve’s legs or toward Eddie. It’s just Steve. Eddie goes to tap him on the shoulder, but Steve stands right before he can. 

Steve turns while reading the box of cereal in his hand and knocks right into Eddie. He would’ve toppled over entirely if not for Eddie grabbing him by his arms to steady him.

“Whoa, easy there, tiger,” Eddie chuckles at Steve’s startled expression.

Steve relaxes the moment he registers Eddie’s voice. He drops the box into the basket on his arm and offers Eddie a tired smile. Eddie sends back a warm smile as he drops his hands from Steve's arms.

“I haven't seen you in a while. How’s everything going?” Eddie asks, studying every inch of Steve he can.

Steve frowns.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I haven't been able to be the one to drop off Jack and pick her up. It’s not that I don't want to. This new job has me working pretty much non-”

“Steve,” Eddie interrupts the other man’s instant explanation, “it’s alright. Most parents don't even come into the store, they just send their kids in.”

He watches Steve’s relief flood his features. He just nods at Eddie with a tight smile. 

“So?” Eddie pushes.

“What?”

“How are you,” Eddie can't help chuckling more. 

Pink blooms across Steve’s cheeks. He’s about to give the generic I’m good, how are you? when Eddie’s dark, searching eyes pull the truth out of him. 

“I’m fucking exhausted,” he sighs.

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up in pleasant surprise.

“Yeah, no offense, but you look like you just crawled out of a grave, man,” Eddie comments with a crooked smile.

Steve huffs a laugh, shakes his head, and glances down at his shoes. He feels strangely vulnerable here in front of Eddie without Jack. He feels exposed on the frontlines.

“How is Jack doing in her lessons?” He asks, taking the focus off of himself enough to feel comfortable.

Eddie notices but doesn't stop it.

“She’s amazing. Best student I have and I’m not just saying that because she’s my favorite either. Actually, I was talking to Gareth the other day. I think we could get her started on piano too. Picking it up when you know guitar makes it easier. If she's not into the keys we can try another traditional string instrument since she seems to really like those,” Eddie rambles excitedly. 

Steve’s eyes widen into two vats of liquid honey. A smile creeps up onto his lips as Eddie talks, seemingly just as excited about Jack’s potential as Steve is. 

“Piano? Would you be able to fit both in one lesson?” 

Eddie pauses to level him with a confused stare.

“No, no, they would need their own lessons, but she’s at the store often enough anyways. I figured it wouldn't take anything extra on your part,” he explains. 

“And her scholarship…,” Steve trails off insecurely, not sure how to ask.

Eddie offers him a soft, reassuring smile.

“Don't worry. She’s got a full ride to Mordor Music Academy.”

Steve nods with a deflating sort of relief. He’s truly so fucking grateful for Eddie Munson.

“How are you doing?” Steve asks.

Eddie grows bashful.

“I’m good, nothing new really. Honestly… Is it weird to say I've been worried about you?” He laughs nervously.

Steve’s heart races in his throat. Eddie has been worried about Steve? That means Eddie would have to be thinking about Steve. Just like Steve has been thinking about him. 

“Depends on why you’re worried,” he answers lightly.

Eddie’s dark eyes shift away from Steve momentarily as his mouth opens attempting to form an answer. His mouth shuts as he exhales through his nose and shifts his eyes back to Steve. 

“Jack’s been talking about missing you and Max was telling me about the hours the quarry is making you pull. Been meanin’ to call, but I- uh- I don't actually have your number, and taking it from the files felt weird,” he explains, glancing away every few seconds.

Steve gives him a feather-soft smile. His eyes dart down to Eddie’s lips for a split second. So quick, Eddie isn't sure he saw it at all. 

“Are we friends or something, Munson?” Steve teases. 

Blush races across Eddie’s face.

“I was thinkin’ we could be, yeah,” he shrugs. 

“Tell you what,” Steve looks down at the scarce amount of groceries in his basket, “Help me finish shopping and you have my permission to take my number from your files.”

“Do I have permission to call it?” Eddie raises his eyebrows at Steve.

“Yes, you have permission to call it,” Steve laughs. 

Eddie holds his ringed hand out between them.

“Got yourself a deal, Harrington.”

The metal of his rings nips Steve’s hand as they shake on it. 

“Awesome, because I told Robin I’d grab her tampons, but I didn't realize it would be more complicated than buying diapers,” he sighs.

Eddie barks out a laugh that lets butterflies loose in Steve's stomach.

“Don't you have a daughter?”

“Yeah, but she's six!”

Eddie shakes his head playfully. He scoops the basket out of Steve’s hand and loops his arm through it. He leads Steve to the aisle they need. After ten minutes, they decide on a box based on Eddie’s personal opinions on which is best for nose bleeds. It works the same way, right? Eddie asked, to which Steve shrugged.

The basket doesn't end up in Steve’s hands again the rest of the time. He’s simply in charge of grabbing what he needs while Eddie carries it and attempts to make him laugh. It’s not hard. Steve’s laughter is heard more than the ambient music being played. Eddie even brings the bags out to Steve’s car, completely forgetting the milk he was at the store to get in the first place. Steve still has the same BMW. Except now the backseat is littered with children's books, toys, snack debris, and a couple of pairs of little shoes instead of the bras of his one-night stands. 

“Hey, Steve,” Eddie says carefully after Steve closes his trunk with his groceries inside.

He looks curiously at Eddie, eyebrows knitting slightly. There are about fifty different things Eddie wants to say at this moment. He wants to tell Steve that it's okay he's tired. He wants to tell him he can see how hard he’s trying and he admires him for it. He wants to tell him that he never has to worry about Eddie thinking he’s a bad father. That's impossible.

“Take care of yourself for me,” he says instead.

“You first,” Steve replies with a fondness that leaves Eddie’s head spinning the rest of the day. 

Eddie begins checking in once a week. He always asks if Steve needs anything, and how he’s doing, and gives him updates on Jack’s piano progress. She’s catching on even faster than Eddie or Gareth anticipated. The calls prop Steve up and help keep him going. Especially the days Jack is being extra difficult, which is happening more and more the longer Steve works at the quarry. As weeks grow into months of unreasonable hours and a dead-tired Steve, Jack acts out and grows angrier.

“No,” she protests one night. 

Steve wants to cry; he's getting so frustrated. It’s been a fight to get her to go to bed for thirty minutes. Steve picked her up in her purple pjs from Hopper and Joyce, but she was far from ready to go to sleep. 

“Princess, we really need to go to sleep. That way we can be well rested for tomorrow,” he tries to reason. 

She stands on the back of the couch, back pressed to the wall. Her arms are crossed and her face scrunches in a way that's annoyingly familiar. He hates when she turns his face on him. 

“Will you be here when I wake up?” She asks.

Steve swears he can hear something tear open inside of him.

“Auntie Nance will be here-”

“No,” she shouts, “I don’t want Auntie Nance! I want you!”

His eyes burn with the threat of tears. How can he make her understand? How can he tell her he wants desperately to be the one who shares her morning with her? Even if he did explain why he couldn't say no to the work right now, she wouldn't care. Rightfully so. Jack is six, she doesn't care about whatever is stressing Steve out. She just wants her dad. 

“I know, baby, I know. I want to be here, I do-”

“No, you don’t!” She cries, effectively shattering Steve. 

“What? Of course, I do.”

“If you did then you wouldn't leave!”

Steve heaves a sigh. He runs a hand over his face as the other holds his hip. Her little face is red and tear-stained now.

“Jack, I’m really sorry, but it isn't that simple. I love you and I want to spend every minute of every day with you, but right now I can't do that. Please, let’s just go to bed. I’m gonna do my best to be here for dinner tomorrow, okay?” He pleads softly.

“Promise,” she demands, “Promise you’ll be here.”

He’s close to breaking. He’s close to sobbing at her feet and flat-out begging her to not make this harder than it is. That would be irredeemably selfish of him. He knows that. Jack is a child, she's allowed to be selfish. Especially when her whole life has been disturbed so much. She just misses her dad. God knows her dad misses her more than fucking anything.

“I- I can’t, Jack.”

Her face contorts into hurt-fueled fury. Steve has never seen so much emotion in such a small body. Then she spears him through the heart. She absolutely and completely eviscerates him. 

“I wish Eddie was my daddy, not you!”

The entire world goes quiet around him as the tears fall. Breathing is out of the question. Somehow, Steve wants to both hug and kill Eddie Munson. He’s glad his daughter has someone she feels that safe with. He hates that it isn't him right now. 

“Okay, it’s time to go to bed. Let’s go,” he pushes out past the silent stream of tears down his face. 

She shakes her head.

“Jack, let’s go.”

This time she stomps her foot.

“No, I want Eddie! I don't want you!” She shouts.

“Jacqueline Beatrice Harrington,” Steve snaps, “We are done having this conversation before we hurt each other’s feelings. We’ll try again tomorrow, okay?”

She doesn't say anything. She slides down off the couch and stomps away into the bedroom. After she slams the door, Steve allows himself to fall back onto the couch. He cries into his hands, feeling defeated and exhausted down to the bone. Jack doesn't want him to be her dad. That's his worst nightmare. He doesn't want his dad to be his dad. If Jack feels the same, what does that make him? Little sleep is had that night. He spends hours tossing and turning in the dark considering if keeping his job is worth this. When he finally does fall asleep, it's by measuring out the rhythm of Jack’s snores.

The next day a few people mill about Mordor Music. Eddie sits lazily behind the counter flipping through last month’s issue of Rolling Stone. Max isn’t in today, leaving him to do the boring stuff. He doesn't even drag his eyes away from the magazine when the phone rings. He just reaches over, fumbles around for a moment, and picks it up. 

“Mordor Music, we can't carry the ring, but we can carry you to good music,” he answers with a customer service flavor of brightness.

“Eddie?” Steve's voice responds.

The magazine is down on the counter in an instant. Eddie is pin-straight and alert.

“Yeah, what’s up? Is Jack okay?”

“Jack’s fine. I really hate to do this, but I don't have anyone el-”

“What d'you need?”

“Robin was supposed to get Jack, but she got called into work and everyone else is busy so I didn't know who else to call-”

“Steve,” Eddie cuts through Steve’s rambling, “What do you need?”

“Jack is at the station with Hopper. He was able to pick her up from school, but she can't stay there. Would you be able to bring her to the store?” He asks.

“She just got out of school? Do you want me to bring her home instead?” 

“You don't have to do that. I’ll try to get out before you go home, I swear,” Steve promises.

“Doesn't she have, like, homework and stuff? I can bring her home and stick around until you get back. It's no big deal,” Eddie assures him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, don't sweat it. Does Hopper have a key I can borrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll call and let him know,” Steve sounds utterly soothed.

“Alright, I’ll be over there in fifteen.”

“Eddie… You’re really saving me right now. Shit, you've been saving me. Thank you,” Steve’s voice comes through the receiver warm and genuine. 

It nearly turns Eddie into a puddle. 

“Yeah, ‘course. It’s Jack,” he says like that explains everything. 

When talking to Steve, it certainly does. In fact, to Steve that small two-word sentence says everything. They bid a quick goodbye, not the right way despite Eddie’s efforts. He could hear Steve’s boss in the background, so he wasn't going to push it. Eddie looks around the people in the store and makes a decision. He climbs up onto the counter, scuffed-up Docs squeaking on the Formica. His hands cup around his mouth in a makeshift megaphone.

“Hey,” he bellows out to the store, “Store’s closed, get the fuck out!”

Walking into Hawkins Police Station feels like stepping into the Twilight Zone. Eddie’s been hauled in a few times on some light possession that he got warnings for and some trespassing that he didn't. A little truancy sprinkled throughout. The old woman at the front desk gives him a distasteful look.

“Can I help you?” She asks.

“Yeah, I’m here to pick up Jack from Hopper,” he tells her.

That's all he needs to say. A familiar little Eddie! rings out through the station. 

“Uh-oh, I hear trouble,” Eddie beams. 

He gives it a moment before seeing Jack come racing from Hopper’s office. She has on a tie-dye t-shirt and denim shorts. Her hair is in fiery twin braids that sit on her shoulders from beneath a backward blue baseball cap. Eddie catches her when she launches herself into him and lifts her. She attaches herself to him easily. 

“Munson,” a gruff voice greets. 

Eddie looks away from his favorite menace to find Hopper standing with his arms crossed. For a moment, Eddie feels like a caught teenager again.

“Hey, Chief, long time no see,” he offers a shy smile.

Hopper takes him in. All the ways he's different. All the ways he’s not. 

“I s’pose that's a good thing. You stayin’ out of trouble then?” He measures Eddie’s reaction carefully.

“Yes, sir.”

Hopper nods.

“You know who to call in an emergency, right, Jack?” The man asks, never taking his stern glare off Eddie. 

“You, Hop,” she answers.

“And what number do you call to get me?”

“911 because they'll tell you where to find me,” she recites dutifully.

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause you're the police boss!”

“That’s right, sweetheart.”

Hopper’s eyebrows twitch upward to send the message home to Eddie. Eddie swallows the newfound lump in his throat and gives a short nod of understanding. Hopper’s eyes turn much softer when they land on Jack. He points a finger at her.

“You behave for Eddie, alright?” He orders.

Jack giggles, cracking the rest of Hopper’s exterior. A smile forms beneath his mustache.

“Bye Hop!” 

“See ya, sweetheart.”

Eddie doesn't think about the fact that he still has his shit van. He doesn't think about how there are no benches in the back and certainly no car seats of any kind. He doesn't think about it until Jack is looking up at him as he scratches his head trying to decide what to do. Ultimately, Jack ends up in the middle of the front bench buckled to all hell. Eddie manages to get the passenger seat belt and the middle seat belt around her. Then he drives to the address Steve gave him, never going faster than twenty miles per hour. 

Steve gets home at half past eight. He’s tired, dirty, and smells, but that gets erased momentarily when he walks through the door. Eddie is sitting cross-legged on the floor, back to the couch, with Jack curled on his lap, and a patchwork quilt wrapped around both of them. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood plays on the TV. Both of them are entranced by the soft-spoken man. Steve takes the opportunity to look around the apartment and imagine what Eddie might see. 

He finds the dishes gone from the sink, Jack’s toys put away, and the garbage bag replaced. There are even a few pictures of baby Jack on the wall that are straightened out. All things he’s been meaning to do, but just didn't have the time or energy for. Fifty tons get lifted from Steve's shoulders at the realization that Eddie cleaned. 

“Hey,” he greets the two of them softly.

Jack’s dark eyes go wide and she hides in the blanket. Eddie flashes Steve a smile that makes Steve want to fall into pieces right there. Eddie leans down and murmurs something to Jack. Then he angles his ear to hear her, nodding. He says something else before looking at Steve again, who watches intrigued.

“Jack told me you guys had a fight last night,” Eddie informs Steve, “She told me she said some mean things that she feels really bad about. So, she’s gonna come out and apologize, but she wants to make sure you aren't still too mad to talk.”

Steve takes a seat on the brown couch next to where the two of them are on the floor. It might not be the best time, but he really wants to kiss Eddie right now. He looks so cute and domestic all wrapped up with Jack. His big doe eyes watch Steve expectantly. 

“I’m not too mad to talk,” Steve answers. 

Jack slowly appears. All Steve can see is Eddie's bust and Jack's head sticking out from the quilt. Her eyes shine like ink as she fixes Steve in a sad, apologetic stare. If he hadn't forgiven her immediately when it happened, he definitely would have forgiven her based on that look alone.

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, Daddy. I just miss you. I don't love Eddie more than you,” her little voice says quietly.

A wavering smile pops onto Steve’s lips. His eyes flash to Eddie, who is giving him an encouraging smile. He can tell Eddie helped talk her through her feelings by how he's watching. Eddie nods with proud eyes as she speaks. 

“I forgive you, princess. I miss you too. I know things suck right now, but I promise I’m going to find a job that doesn't keep me away from you,” he says softly, but earnestly. 

Jack crawls out of Eddie’s lap. Her foot gets caught in the quilt for a second. Eddie untangles it for her. She climbs into Steve’s lap and squeezes him tight. He squeezes her right back, taking in her coconut and lavender scent. The immense weight of the world is lifted from Steve’s back while in her embrace.

She spends the next half hour telling Steve all about her evening with Eddie. Turns out, cleaning was part of her apology. Eddie taught her that actions speak louder than words, but that words are still important too. Something that earns Eddie a lovely little smile from Steve. At nine Steve tucks Jack into bed. 

Eddie is hovering when Steve closes the bedroom door quietly. He nervously plays with his rings. Steve offers him a tired smile.

“So, she told me what she said to you. Steve, I’m so sorry-”

“Don’t be,” Steve holds up a hand to stop him, “She’s a kid. She’s going to say things she doesn't mean. It might have hurt like a bitch, but I know it was just a lot of bunched-up emotion.”

Eddie nods slowly in consideration. There's a sort of amazed fog that settles in his eyes for a moment as he takes Steve in.

“I really can't thank you enough,” Steve says. 

“You really don't have to,” Eddie assures him.

“Let me make you dinner sometime. It’s the least I can do,” Steve insists. 

Sparks fly in Eddie’s chest. A shy smile crawls onto his face.

“Yeah, alright. You owe me dinner, Harrington,” he agrees, poking Steve in the chest. 

“You know where to find my number to set up a day,” Steve jerks his chin up at him slyly with a teasing smirk.

Eddie chuckles despite his ears going pink. A moment of silently drawing out the goodbye passes. Steve’s every sense maxes out when Eddie pulls him into a hug. It’s quick, but firm. He smells like the store. Aged records, polish for all the wood instruments, and a cinnamon-like spice that just permeates the air in there. Steve wonders if that part is Eddie alone, a part discernable from the store. A part that Steve can pick out and identify. 

“Take care of yourself for me,” Eddie says into Steve’s ear.

Steve’s face is wonderfully blotchy when Eddie steps back. He has a cute dumbstruck look about him.

“You first,” he breathes. 

Eddie is gone, leaving Steve with a pounding heart and no oxygen in his lungs. 

Jack doesn't stop asking if Eddie can come over again. Realizing he could exist anywhere, not just Mordor Music was eye-opening for her. It gets to the point where Steve has started calling Eddie just so Jack can say goodnight. At first, that's where it began and ended. Then Eddie started staying on the phone after Jack’s five-minute goodnight. 

“I gotta say goodnight to your daddy too, don't I?” He says to her on the third night.

“Daddy, Eddie wants to goodnight you,” she announces and shoves the phone at Steve. 

He takes the phone from her, placing one last kiss on her forehead.

“Hey,” he says into the receiver as he exits the room and closes the door.

“Hey,” Eddie exhales like the sound of Steve’s voice knocks the wind out of him. 

“So, you wanted to goodnight me?” Steve says playfully.

“Can't go to sleep without it,” Eddie replies.

“Alright, go ahead then.”

“What, you don't have a funny little saying to tell people goodnight you can share?” The smile in Eddie’s voice is infectious.

“Nope, you’re the one that wanted to goodnight me. Show me what you got.”

“Oh, you want to see what I got, big boy?” 

Steve is so very happy this conversation is happening over the phone. He’s sure he’s glowing red like a stoplight. His skin is buzzing and his stomach does funny little flips. 

“Real mature,” he croaks. 

Eddie’s laughter rings out like a song written just for Steve. 

“You’re not gonna help me out even a little ?” It’s clear Eddie is just dragging out the call at this point.

Steve has no intention of stopping him. Most of his conversations with Eddie happen over the phone now. He knows too well how hard hanging up is.

“No,” Steve chuckles, “You wanted to goodnight me, so goodnight me.”

“Okay, you gotta stop saying it like that,” the amusement is clear in Eddie’s voice.

Embarrassment floods Steve's entire system. It's like plunging red hot metal into a bucket of water.

“Sorry, force of habit,” he mumbles.

“No, no, it- it’s cute. Just, it’s hard to take you seriously when you talk like that.”

The smile that takes over Steve’s blushing features is inevitable. There's no fighting it even if he wanted to. 

“You think I’m cute, Munson?” He teases lightly, his heart fluttering like a hummingbird. 

He hasn't felt like this since he was a teenager. Deep down, Steve knows nothing can come of him and Eddie. Steve is a single dad with no time. Eddie may be a year older than Steve, but he’s young and single and owns a business. Why would he want to be tied down to the mess that is Steve Harrington and a kid that isn't his? Steve just wants to enjoy the feeling of the chase before Eddie eventually escapes his grasp entirely. 

“Jack had to get it from somewhere, right?”

“I’d argue that it came from her mom,” Steve chuckles.

Conversation is too easy with Eddie sometimes. Things will slip out before Steve can think about the implications. 

“You've never mentioned her mom before. I mean I knew her from school, but you don't talk about her,” Eddie comments softly.

Steve’s eyes go wide when he realizes. He tries not to think about Sarah. The conversation about Sarah being free to go her way was lost once Jack was born. Steve didn't want her for the help, he wanted her to stick around so Jack could have something close to a normal family. Something better than he had. She made it abundantly clear she wanted nothing to do with him or Jack. It really only hurt him for Jack. She deserves two parents that love her. Steve tries to give her enough for two, but he can't help feeling like he’s failing.

“Uh- yeah, she’s not really in the picture. Hasn't been since the delivery room. There’s never much reason to talk about her,” Steve explains awkwardly. 

“Jack doesn't need her anyways. She’s doing perfectly with just you.”

Again, the implications go over Steve’s head thanks to Eddie’s sweet comforting words.

“Well, she has you too now.”

The beat of loaded silence lodges a lump in Steve’s throat. He swallows quickly, trying to recover.

“I- I mean she has everyone, y’know. Rob, Hopper, Max, but she… she has you too now.”

Eddie lets out a nervous chuckle.

“Right, yeah, ‘course she does,” his voice sounds strained.

“Eddie, are you al-”

“Hey, I still have to goodnight you. Don't distract me,” he teases, but it feels a little forced. 

“Uh- yeah, alright.”

“Dream something sweet for me, yeah?”

“Guess I’ll be dreaming of you then.”

“Steve…”

Steve squeezes his eyes shut, preparing for impact. He gets ready for Eddie to tell him to back off, that he doesn't feel that way about him, or that he thinks they should pull back from each other.

“Stop being so hard on yourself, okay?” Eddie’s voice is impossibly soft.

Steve melts into a puddle. 

“I’ll do my best.”

The next time Robin and Eddie hang out Eddie is a disaster. He hangs upside down on Robin’s couch in her kitschy little apartment. His hands cover his flushed face as Robin watches with an amused smirk from the armchair across the way. Her legs are folded beneath her and her hands play absentmindedly with a Rubik’s cube.

“What am I gonna do, Rob?” Eddie groans into his palms.

“I dunno, tell him how you feel?” She deadpans.

“Not a chance,” he scoffs, removing his hands to look at her.

“Why not?”

Eddie sits up but lifts his feet onto the cushion. His arms rest over his knees. 

“Don't you think he has enough to worry about without adding his daughter’s music teacher’s crush on him?” He questions. 

“Not when he also has a crush on said music teacher,” she replies evenly.

“That doesn't change the fact that he’s going through a tough time and a new relationship when he can already barely see his kid probably won't help,” he points out. 

“So, what then? Are you going to wait until he’s not going through a tough time?” 

“Yeah, I guess so,” he shrugs.

Robin sighs and puts the completed Rubik’s cube down on the coffee table between them. She sets a thoughtful, sympathetic gaze on him.

“Eddie, look, if you plan on waiting for Steve’s life to calm down or hit the brakes before you tell him how you feel… You’re going to end up waiting forever. He’s a single dad and he has been since he was eighteen. None of the past six years has been easy, or calm, or- or even peaceful. Hell, his parents kicked him out the day Jack was born! If you wait for all this shit to blow over, you're just gonna watch new shit blow into its place,” she keeps her voice gentle, delivering the reality of the situation carefully. 

The corners of Eddie’s mouth tug downward. He thinks of Steve trudging through the last six years weathering storm after storm, shielding Jack from the inclement weather with his body. The people around him have lent him cover, umbrellas, food, and water to keep them going. Eddie doesn't want to simply provide him with assistance. Eddie wants to weather the storms with them. He wants to break the clouds with his own two fists and cease the rain altogether. It’s a terrifying feeling.

“After he finds a new job I’ll tell him. I want him to focus on making time for Jack right now. I know how hard it's been on both of them,” he decides out loud. 

Robin smiles softly at Eddie. He’s everything she knows Steve needs. So much so, that he’s putting Jack first like she’s his own. Robin could hug him right now. So, she does. Eddie and Robin end up in a hugging pile on her couch. 

The next time Eddie sees Steve in person is Hopper’s birthday. He hasn't called to set up that dinner because he knew if he did he wouldn't be able to help himself. Robin drags him to the little celebration, not that it's too hard to get him there. She picks him up because she has Jack strapped into her booster seat in the back of her sedan. Of course, Jack begs Eddie to sit by her. Of course, Eddie obliges. They spend the entire ride discussing what flavor they hope the cake is. Eddie wants chocolate, but Jack wants Strawberry.

When they enter the house, Eddie has to bend at the knees so Jack doesn't knock her head where she sits on his shoulders. Her little hands hold onto his hair as she giggles madly at her new height. The younger members of the party have split off to El’s room, which isn't a surprise. Jonathan and Argyle are having a passionate discussion about chip flavors on the couch. Nancy is helping Joyce set out snacks. Hopper was watching football but stood upon their arrival. 

Eddie only lets Jack go so she can latch onto Hopper for a birthday hug. The hug doesn’t last long. She starts to squirm and Hopper has to relinquish his hold. Jack runs down the hall calling for El so they can play knights. 

“Is- uh- is Steve gonna be here?” Eddie asks the room, failing at acting casual. 

Joyce and Nancy exchange amused smiles. Robin rolls her eyes beside Eddie and plops herself down on the couch. 

“Yeah, he’ll be around later. Probably after dark,” Hopper responds as he rests back in his armchair. 

“I can bring you home and leave Jack here, though. So you don't have to wait here with us all night,” Robin offers, knowing she won't have to leave this spot.

“Don’t worry about it, I don't mind,” he waves her off. 

Eddie excuses himself to go say hi to the kids. He creeps down the carpeted hallway with the intention of scaring them. Until he’s right outside the cracked door and he can hear Jack’s voice talking. He pauses upon hearing his name.

“I really like when Eddie is around. Daddy always smiles more,” she comments somewhat offhandedly.

He feels like someone has his heart in their grip and is squeezing. Eddie has heard that kids notice everything, but Jesus Christ. 

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” Max replies, voice riddled with mirth.

“Are Steve and Eddie dating?” El asks curiously.

“I don't think Eddie would date someone like Steve,” Mike says. 

Eddie is ready to be offended but never gets the chance.

“I mean, Steve was a jock. That never really leaves you. Eddie is actually cool,” Mike adds.

“If they were dating I would know,” Dustin chimes in causing Eddie to roll his eyes with a smile, “They’re just too stupid to see they like each other.”

“They need to just kiss or something already. You should see them at the store. They get so caught up in each other it’s like I’m not even there. Besides, clearly, he’s good with Jack,” Max speaks up again sounding exasperated.

A few mumbles and sounds of agreement ring out.

“Is Eddie really ready to be a dad, though?” Mike asks with uncertainty.

“Are you kidding?” Max scoffs.

“Dude, let’s be honest. He’s been a dad since he met Jack. It was like paternal love at first sight- like-” Dustin snaps his fingers a couple of times as he thinks, then once more in success, “Dad at first sight!”

“I think Eddie would be an excellent dad,” El adds, warming Eddie's heart. 

“Eddie can be my dad?” Jack pipes up sounding entirely astonished, yet confused. 

A chorus of curses as they all remember Jack’s presence. She’s a sneaky one that knows to keep quiet while the grown-ups talk about grown-up things when they forget she’s there.

“Do you think Eddie would DM for us sometime?” Will asks.

“Are you really thinking about D&D at a time like this?” Lucas questions.

Eddie decides against scaring them. Instead, he pretends he only just got to the door. It isn't long before a ruckus can be heard from down the hall. A few muffled raised voices, some thuds, and then Jack’s delighted giggle. Hopper looks at the rest of the young people littering his living room. 

“We all agree something’s going on with Eddie and Steve, right?” He checks lazily.

“Oh, definitely, dude,” Argyle answers. 

When everyone looks at him curiously, he blinks back blankly for a moment. Argyle is around Steve and Eddie objectively the least. He splits his time between California and Indiana for school. Turns out, he’s not as dumb as he looks. 

“What? My gaydar is off the charts,” he contends as he looks at them with his perpetual smile.

“Don’t say gaydar,” Hopper grumbles and turns his attention back to the television. 

“I wouldn't say it's off the charts,” Robin snorts. 

“Oh, really?” Argyle questions, sliding his eyes over to Nancy and then back to Robin.

Robin’s eyes become wide as saucers. Her face goes crimson. When she risks a glance at Nancy, the elder Wheeler is saying something to Joyce over the dining table. Nancy must feel Robin’s eyes as she spares a look over. She smiles when she catches Robin staring, only making Robin’s current state worse.

“Okay, maybe it is off the charts,” she mumbles to herself.

Steve gets there after the cake is done. It was vanilla, to Eddie and Jack’s disappointment. Pretty much anyone who doesn't live in the Byers-Hopper household was gone except Robin, Eddie, and Jack. El, Will, and Jonathan already went to bed. When he arrives he finds Robin chatting with Joyce over coffee at the table. Hopper leans against the counter listening in, but enjoying being part of the background as he eats more cake. He sees Eddie and Jack and everything else falls away. 

Eddie is on his back on the couch, his hair pulled into a ponytail with a scrunchie. Jack is laying face down on Eddie’s stomach, her head turned so Steve can see her cute little face, and her own hair pulled into a ponytail with a scrunchie. Both of them have yellow frosting coloring the corners of their mouths. Eddie’s arms circle Jack securely as they snore together. He didn't even know Eddie would be here, but god is he happy to see him.

Hopper meanders over to where Steve is lost staring at Eddie and Jack. He nudges Steve’s arm with his elbow, giving him a small start. Steve smiles at the only real father figure he’s known. They take each other into a firm embrace.

“Happy birthday, Hop. Sorry, I’m so late,” Steve says quietly.

Hopper pats Steve on the back a couple of times before pulling away. 

“Don’t be sorry. Just glad you were able to swing by at all,” he assures him. 

“I wish it could be for longer, but,” he shifts his eyes to Jack briefly, “I should get her to bed.”

Hopper nods in agreement, looking over the two sleeping on the couch. A small chuckle rumbles in his chest but makes no sound through his closed-lip smirk.

“I can't believe she lets him hold her,” he comments with a touch of petulance. 

“I know. They’re something else, those two,” Steve says smiling as he watches them breathe in tandem. 

He takes comfort in the sight of their moving chests. Hopper watches Steve watch them. The kid has it bad. After seeing Eddie with Jack, he can't say he blames him. 

“I’ll let you wake them up. I know how she can get,” Hopper gives him one last pat on the shoulder.

Steve watches him walk back to his post. Robin throws a small wave from the table, which Steve returns. Figuring out how to extract Jack from Eddie is impossible. Steve eventually decides he just has to move Eddie’s arms. When he gently takes hold of one of Eddie’s warm wrists, Eddie’s face scrunches up. He tries to carefully move it, but Eddie only tightens his grip around Jack. His eyes blink open in confusion. 

Dark doe eyes find Steve’s soft features above them. Eddie’s face relaxes into a sleepy smile.

“Hey,” he whispers. 

“Hey,” Steve whispers back, “I kinda need my kid.”

Eddie looks down at Jack’s sleeping form. 

“I can bring her out to the car. Might be easier to not wake her up,” he says.

Steve thinks about it for a second before nodding. Robin, Hopper, and Joyce follow them out to Steve’s car. Eddie very carefully places Jack in her seat. Steve quietly directs him on how to buckle her in properly. Once Jack’s head lolls into an uncomfortable-looking position Eddie peels off his flannel and bunches it up. He sticks it between her head and shoulder to prop her up in a way that hopefully won't hurt her neck. They close the door as quietly as they can. 

“D'you want a ride home?” Steve offers Eddie.

He almost says yes before remembering Robin.

“Robin was actually gonna bring me,” he answers.

Steve’s eyes bounce around their surroundings curiously before landing back at Eddie full of amusement.

“Robin left.”

Eddie’s head whips around, sending his hair flying. Sure enough, Robin was in her car starting it up. She waves with a large smile as she peels out. He looks back at Steve with his mouth agape. Steve can't help laughing, which brings a smile to Eddie’s face. They say their goodbyes to Hopper and Joyce. Steve gives Joyce a son-like kiss on the cheek.

“Take care of yourself for me,” he tells her.

She smiles at him.

“You first,” she responds.

Steve and Hopper exchange nods. Climbing into the car without waking Jack is a carefully executed task. Eddie whispers to tell Steve how to get to his apartment. It’s on a decent side of town, in a small complex they built about a decade ago. Squat uninteresting architecture and wooden balconies face them. Steve parks the BMW in a spot Eddie says is in front of his building. He nods toward the window to signal speaking outside.

The air takes chunks out of Eddie’s bare arms, but he doesn't even consider going back for his flannel. He meets Steve around the front of the car, standing in the headlights. No words are exchanged, Steve just begins shucking off his tan work coat and hands it over to Eddie. Eddie takes it tentatively, asking if Steve is sure with his eyes.

“I run hot,” Steve shrugs.

Eddie takes the coat. It’s so thick it feels like he’s swimming in it, but it also encapsulates him in Steve’s scent. A musky, woodsy thing layered with vanilla. He warms up quickly. 

“Thanks for the ride,” Eddie says.

“It’s no problem,” Steve waves him off. 

Eddie studies him for a moment. He can see how tired Steve is. It’s practically rolling off of him. 

“How was your day?” He asks.

“Long,” Steve answers, “but getting to see you always makes it better.”

“Yeah?” Eddie flashes a smile.

“Yeah, you’re funny to look at. It gives me a good laugh,” he teases. 

Eddie rolls his eyes and gives Steve’s shoulder a playful shove. Steve chuckles. His eyes travel all over Eddie. He drinks in the Docs, the dark jeans, his coat sticking out like a sore thumb amongst all the dark colors, and how Eddie’s hair is still pulled back allowing him to see his face unobscured. There's still some icing on the corners of his mouth. Steve thinks he could spend an entire shift at the quarry taking in Eddie’s face, probably even longer. Right now, his eyes fall to his own work boots. 

“You and Jack were kind of adorable to look at sleeping on the couch together,” he says. 

“It’s easy to look adorable with Jack helping out,” Eddie shrugs with a smile, his hands stuffed in Steve’s coat pockets.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“Hey,” Eddie taps Steve’s boot with his own.

Steve looks back to Eddie’s concerned face.

“Everything okay? You doing alright?”

Steve smiles adoringly. Eddie’s mouth dries at the sight.

“Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right decision,” Steve admits with a shaky breath.

Eddie’s eyebrows furrow.

“What d’you mean?”

“With Jack… Sometimes I wonder if she wouldn't have been better off with someone else. Someone who can feed her without working a job that never lets them see her,” he elaborates.

“Whoa, where is this coming from?”

“I guess seeing you two together got me thinking. I mean, she has so much love and support, but it doesn't feel like it's enough. I’m trying so hard, but I just don't think it's enough. I’m afraid I can't give her what she needs,” his voice is hushed by the end, nearly swallowed by emotion.

The thoughts tumble out of Steve's mouth before he even knows that's how he's been feeling. Once he says it he knows it's true. Eddie's rings are colder than usual against the base of Steve’s neck. His other hand cradles the side of Steve’s face. Steve leans into the touch, hungry for human contact.

“Steve, there is no one in any universe that could raise Jack better than you. You’re the best fucking dad I've ever seen. Jack’s the best fucking kid I've ever met. I mean, shit, I actually want to hang out with her! I don't know how to make you see it, but you're good at this. You’re really really good at this,” Eddie tells him earnestly. 

It feels like Steve has a gut full of pop rocks. He wants to lean forward and close the inches between them. He wants to entangle himself in Eddie Munson and intertwine him irrevocably in their lives. He doesn't. If there’s one thing Steve won't do, it’s drag someone into his mess. 

“Y’know I was afraid that I would hate her,” he says instead.

“Who? Jack?”

Steve nods.

“When she came out looking so much like Sarah, after what Sarah said, I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to look at her,” he explains softly.

“What… Did Sarah say?” Eddie asks hesitantly.

Steve frowns, but the truth comes easily. It always does with Eddie.

“I had told her she didn't have to be involved in Jack’s life, but once Jack was born… I just wanted her to have a normal family, a normal life. Sarah wasn't interested, though. She told me we ruined her life, that she regrets ever sleeping with me, and that she wished Jack was never born. I know she was probably just trying to make sure I didn't try again, but it… it fucking hurt hearing her say that about our kid- my kid .”

“Jesus,” Eddie breathes, “Fuck Sarah.”

Steve chuckles and nods in agreement.

“What made you not scared anymore?”

A nostalgic smile takes over Steve’s face.

“The first time I fed her. The whole thing: holding her, feeling her drink from the bottle, and burping her. Even though she ruined my shirt with her spit up. It was my first time really feeling like a dad and I loved it. How could I hate the reason I’m a dad in the first place?” He sounds so content as he recounts the story. 

“Lucky for you she ended up being a riot on top of that.”

Steve smiles and nods, raising his eyebrows briefly as if to say she sure is, isn't she?  

“That probably has more to do with Robin than me,” he says.

Eddie’s grip on him firms up a tad. His whole face sets sternly.

“Why do you do that?” He asks. 

“Do what?”

“Every time I say something good about Jack you start insisting it's because of someone else and not you. The way I see it, though, that's all from you. I find pieces of you in everything she does and says.”

Steve gets a sort of dumbstruck look about him. 

“Thank you,” he breathes because it's all he can muster.

The smile that crawls onto Eddie’s face seals the deal. Steve fucking likes Eddie Munson. He's enthralled by him. He never wants to be without him. All feelings that are much too big for him to take on after a fourteen-hour shift. 

“No need to thank me, Harrington. I’m just tellin’ you the truth. Hey-” Eddie presses the top of his forehead to Steve’s so he has to look at him through his eyelashes, “dream something sweet for me, yeah?”

Steve smiles, eyelids drooping as the proximity intoxicates him. 

“Guess I’ll be dreaming of you then,” Steve replies, voice low. 

“See ya there, big boy,” Eddie drawls.

Then he’s gone. Steve is left with nothing but the cold and the image of Eddie’s shrinking form as he jogs to his apartment building. He throws Steve one last smile before disappearing into the building. With a sigh, Steve gets back in the car. Jack is still sound asleep. It isn't until he’s home in bed that he realizes Eddie still has his coat.

Mornings with Jack are the best. Getting to sleep in is great, but waking up is better. Their room isn't grand by any means. Jack’s little bed is pushed against one wall while Steve’s is pushed against another. The closet and most of the dresser are occupied by Jack’s clothes. Her toys are tossed into her toy chest. Four different size wall decals of bats stick to the wall next to her bed. She found them in the dollar section around Halloween last year and fell in love. He couldn't say no to her pleaaaaaase. Now she refuses to take them down because they remind her of the intro to Scooby Doo Where Are You? and a little stuffed fruitbat she has.

When Jack gets up before him, she climbs into his bed. He always wakes when he feels the bed sink, but keeps his eyes closed. She goes to start shaking him. Once her hands meet his shoulder, Steve shoots up with a graaah! and snatches her. She shrieks which turns into laughter as Steve tickles the life out of her in his lap. After she’s sufficiently tickled he lets her tackle him back into the bed with a smile. 

“Cuddle time!” She declares happily. 

Steve chuckles but agrees. They could both use some cuddle time right about now. She essentially disappears into his chest, he strokes her back the way he knows soothes her no matter the situation and revels in the feeling of his daughter’s love. Moments like these are when he stops doubting. He stops seeing only the ways he’s failing. His attention gets drawn to everything he's doing right. At least, everything he must be doing right to warrant such a sweet girl’s affection. It isn't long before she's once again snoring, bringing a content smile to Steve’s face.

The phone starts to ring from the bedside table. Steve fumbles for it before it wakes Jack, but he ends up wishing he didn't. His boss needs him to come in. One of the other guys got injured on the job. He tries to say no, he really does. It’s to no avail. He’s their last resort. 

“Fuck,” he whispers to himself once he hangs up. 

He runs a hand over his tired face. Is a lazy morning sleeping in with his kid really too much to ask for? She looks at ease sleeping on him. It breaks his heart to have to go. It aches so deep Steve wonders if the ache was always there. He manages to successfully extract himself without waking Jack. He pulls his comforter over her little body and goes out to the living area. 

Steve calls everyone. Everyone. No one can come to watch Jack. No one can come to get her in time for him to leave. Steve is fucked. He sighs on the couch, staring at the phone in his hand, and makes a decision. A decision he never wanted to have to make, but that he knows he can. 

“Yeah,” Eddie answers, voice thick with sleep. 

“Hey, I’m really sorry to wake you,” Steve greets softly.

“Is everything okay? Is Jack okay?” Eddie asks immediately, sounding more alert.

A fond smile grows on Steve’s lips. Eddie always asks about Jack when he hears unexpectedly from Steve. Something that makes Steve’s heart soar.

“Jack’s okay, but she's actually why I’m calling…”

“What d’you need?”

Steve gets a rush of Deja Vu. Eddie is so quick to offer his help.

“I got called into work and no one else can watch her today. If it's too much, I get it, you really don't ha-”

“Pass up a whole day with Jack? Are you crazy? When should I come over?”

The relief is tangible on Steve’s body. Watching Jack for a few hours is much different than an entire day. He was afraid Eddie would be hesitant or that even asking would be too much. Eddie shows up not too long after wearing Steve’s coat and a smile. He offers the coat back, but Steve refuses because it looks better on you anyways. He shrugs the coat back on with pink cheeks. Before he does, Steve notices Eddie’s usual Mordor Music shirt is replaced by an old band one that Steve swears he remembers from high school. There's a dark long sleeve layered beneath it.

“I can't even begin to tell you how amazing you are for this,” Steve tells him by the door. 

“I wouldn't stop you from tryin’,” Eddie smiles teasingly. 

Steve rolls his eyes playfully.

“Remember, everyone’s numbers are-”

“On the fridge, I know.”

“Right, and she needs-”

“To eat breakfast and take a bath. Steve, I got this. I promise.”

Steve spends likely too long studying Eddie’s face. Every softly rounded feature, the shape of his unfairly plump lips, and those giant coffee brown eyes that are so much like Jack’s. He nods, no doubt in his mind that Eddie does indeed have this handled.

“I know. I know, you’ll do great. I’m gonna do everything I can to be home by six.”

“I’ll be waiting in an apron with a piping hot dinner,” Eddie smiles, inching into Steve's personal space.

Steve doesn't move to reinstate the space. He accepts Eddie’s intrusion effortlessly.

“Aren't I supposed to be the one making you dinner,” he points out.

His playfulness only partially masks the edge of hurt from Eddie’s failure to call. Eddie pouts dramatically. 

“What, Harrington, not into the whole dutiful housewife thing? Woulda pegged you for the type back in school.”

Steve chuckles because Eddie is right. In school, he was the type to be into the whole dutiful housewife thing. He honestly feels silly for it in retrospect. Now, all he really wants is a partner, whatever shape that may take. He just wants someone to tackle life with. 

“Yeah, well, back in school I was. I think I grew out of that when Jack was born. Grew out of a lotta things when Jack was born,” he says with a shrug. 

“Did you grow into anything new?”

“If you want to know my type you can just ask,” Steve teases, looking through his lashes at where Eddie’s boyish smile is angled toward him.

“Alright, then, what's your deal, Harrington? You still chasing after the Nancy Wheelers of the world?” He asks playfully. 

Steve can't help breathing out a small laugh.

“No, I think I've gotten my fill of that. I dunno if I can really pin down a type, but I seem to have a thing for curly hair,” he smirks.

Eddie straightens out automatically. His wide eyes bore into Steve. He clears his throat before pushing forward.

“You do?” 

“Look at my track record. There’s Joann Rogers in eighth grade, big curly hair. Then Sarah the summer before senior year. Nancy, the first month or so of senior year before we knew Sarah was pregnant. Enough flings in between to earn me a reputation. And now… Well, I don't think it's something that's changed much,” he becomes less confident by the end.

And now you was so close to falling from his lips. He almost wishes it had. Eddie looks like he’s short-circuiting either way. His watch beeping reminds Steve he’s meant to be heading to work. The apartment is so much harder to leave now that both Jack and Eddie are in it. He goes to say his goodbye the right way, but Eddie must read it on him. Like always, he beats Steve to the first line. The only one to ever do so. 

“Take care of yourself for me,” his voice is low, silky in a way that sends shivers across Steve’s skin.

“You first,” Steve answers breathlessly. 

Eddie allows himself to take in the bedroom when he quietly steps inside. He hasn't seen it before. The room makes his heart clench. Eddie feels a little dumb for not realizing Steve and Jack share a room. He knows the one door is a closet. He knows the other is the bathroom. How did the fact that there are only three doors escape him? It looks mostly like Jack’s room with the exception of Steve’s bed pushed to one corner. 

In a few short years, he knows Steve will be sleeping on the couch to give Jack her own room. Just like Wayne did for Eddie. Even if it hurts his body after hours of labor. Just like it did to Wayne. It strikes Eddie how similar a situation Steve has found himself in compared to Eddie’s childhood but in his adulthood. Only, he isn't experiencing it from Eddie’s perspective. He’s experiencing it from Wayne’s. Wayne didn't have nearly as much help. Eddie makes a mental note to call him later. Maybe visit the trailer tomorrow. It’s always been easier for Eddie to find time to get to Wayne than the other way around. Not that Wayne doesn't try. Eddie just usually likes to make his life easier by being the one to make the short trip.

He spots Jack in Steve’s bed. She looks so cozy curled up under his big hideous plaid comforter. Eddie doesn't want to wake her. He told Steve he would get her routine done, though. Steve had warned him that she’ll sleep until the afternoon if he doesn't wake her, regardless of when she went to bed. Jack runs on her own clock unless someone is there to keep her on track. Her eyes blink open when Eddie gives her arm a little shake. She looks around confused for a moment before her eyes land on Eddie. Her eyebrows knit as she rubs the sleep from her eyes.

“Eddie?” She asks in a tiny raspy voice. 

“G’morning, princess,” he says tenderly.

Eddie expects her to ask where Steve is. He expects her to get a little mad that her dad had to leave when she thought he would be home. She doesn't, though. She just crawls into Eddie’s lap and nuzzles into his chest. It's so cute he could die. He scoops her up and carries her to the kitchen. There's a small table with three chairs around it against the wall below a framed image of Steve and baby Jack. He sets her down on a chair with a cushion on it that he can assume is meant to help her reach the table better.

“What’d’you want for breakfast, sleepy head?” He asks, using his folded forearms to lean against the empty chair across from her.

Jack looks at him strangely. Her face contorts into something similar to what Eddie looks like when he's asked to do Geometry.

“I always eat dinosaur soup,” she tells him as if he should know.

Eddie chuckles lightly.

“I think I’m gonna need you to help me out a little. What’s in dinosaur soup?” 

“Dinosaur eggs,” she shrugs, throwing a tiny bit of attitude like she doesn't know why Eddie is asking her.

It causes him to blink at her in confusion for a moment. He chalks it up to her being upset Steve is gone and pushes forward.

“Okay… yeah, sure, I guess that makes sense for something called dinosaur soup. Uh- is there anything else in it?” He tries.

“The mushy cereal.”

That makes the lightbulb turn on above his head.

“Oh!” He exclaims in excitement. 

He quickly raids through the small number of cabinets to find a box. He finds it above the fridge and holds it up for her to see triumphantly. She nods like it's a business meeting.

“Dinosaur soup,” she confirms.

Eddie makes her a packet of dinosaur egg instant oatmeal. It’s normal brown sugar oatmeal with the addition of little dinosaur eggs scattered about. He serves it to her with a cheerful bon appetit. She hunts down the little dinos that hatch from the sugar eggs first and then shovels the oatmeal into her mouth once she can't find any more. The entire time Eddie receives strange glances and confused eyebrows from her.

“What? Do I have something on my face?” Eddie asks after catching her eyes a dozen or so times.

She shakes her head no.

“What is it then? Why d’you keep looking at me like that?” 

Her eyebrows knit in a way that makes Eddie see Steve. He’s seen this expression countless times now. That look tells him the gears are turning behind her eyes but she isn't sure if she can ask. She does ask, as she always does, and the question nearly floors Eddie.

“Are you my daddy now?”

His eyes have likely never been wider. His mouth opens and closes a few times struggling through the shock. How the fuck is he supposed to navigate this? How is he supposed to navigate it over breakfast?

“Uh- n-no, your daddy had to go to work for a little bit. I’m just watching you like Auntie Rob does,” he answers. 

Her eyebrows furrow further.

“But you’re dressed like him,” she points out.

Eddie looks down at the coat he’s still in. His face lights up red as he stumbles over his words some more.

“Well, y-yeah, I’m wearing his coat, but I’m only borrowing it. Why do you think I’m your daddy now?” 

She shrugs and pushes her oatmeal around a little.

“Dusty said you can be my daddy, but if you're my daddy then does that mean daddy isn't?” Her lip starts to tremble.

Everything clicks in Eddie’s head. He could kill Dustin. She woke up and had Steve. She went back to sleep, woke up again, and found Eddie in Steve’s clothing. With Dustin’s words floating around her head, no wonder she’s been so confused. 

“Oh, sweet girl, no. Dustin didn't mean that. Your dad and I, we… we’re just really good friends. Your daddy will always be your daddy. No one can change that,” he assures her.

“Could you be my daddy too?” She asks with wide wondering eyes.

Her eyes are so dark Eddie can see his reflection in them. He looks totally flustered. 

“I- uh- I-I don't know,” he answers honestly. 

“Are you only allowed to have a daddy and a mom?” 

“Jesus Christ, you really have a lot on your mind this morning,” Eddie mumbles mostly to himself, running his hands over his face.

Jack just blinks at him, waiting for an answer. Eddie feels like a train barrelling full steam ahead toward a collapsed bridge. Is this how Steve always feels?

“Well- no, some people have two moms or two daddies. Some people only have one and some people… don't have either,” he cringes at himself.

This really doesn't feel like a conversation he should be having with someone else’s kid. It definitely isn't one he knows how to have. 

“Oh,” a thoughtful expression takes over her features, “okay.”

Eddie waits for more, but she finishes eating quietly. He watches her, seeing fragments of everyone who loves her in her movements and expressions. Everyone, but himself. It admittedly hurts more than he’s expecting. He spends a lot of time with Jack between her lessons and Max bringing her in for her shifts at least twice a week now. At this point, Jack might know their inventory better than he does. She seems to like him, he thinks. So, why isn't he represented in her repertoire of other people’s habits?

Bathtime isn't a complete nightmare. Eddie keeps nervously asking her what’s next and how Steve does it. He’s touched to see some of the products he told Steve about lining the tub. He finds a normal hair brush next to all of it, causing him to frown. Without much thought, he digs through the bathroom drawers until he finds a wide tooth comb. He knew Steve had to have one with the way he does his hair. Jack is calm when he washes her hair. Eddie takes note of what products are missing and adds them to his own mental grocery list. 

“You have a shirt for your head?” He asks her.

“Shirts are for your body, silly,” she giggles in response.

Eddie can't help smiling and chuckling along. He runs to the bedroom and grabs one of Steve's clean plain shirts. He uses it to wrap up her hair. She lets him curiously, loving the end result.

“It's like a beehive on my head!” 

Then came the hard part. Getting her out of the tub. She doesn't want to budge. She wants to continue playing with her bath markers, the only time she's allowed to write on the wall. Eddie would be happy to let her, but she’s already going pruney and he has to get to the store eventually. He ends up wrapping her in a towel and throwing her over his shoulder kicking and screaming. He doesn't like it, but it works. 

“I’m mad at you,” she grumbles and turns away from him, still wrapped in her towel.

She looks like a little soft-serve ice cream cone standing in the middle of the room between the beds. It never ceases to impress Eddie how clearly and freely she can articulate her feelings. It’s just one thing in the big book of things that makes Steve the best dad ever. 

“I know, I’m sorry. We gotta get you dressed, though. Don't you wanna go play music?” He entices.

She looks halfway over her shoulder. Eddie raises his eyebrows at her and tucks his chin in with big eyes. He stands across the room near the dresser pushed against the wall. Beside it are wooden sliding doors he knows must be the closet. 

“No scales?” She checks.

Eddie chuckles and shakes his head.

“No scales, cross my heart,” he promises and draws an x over his heart with his finger 

This wins her over. She seems to forget she was mad at Eddie at all. Now, Eddie just has to figure out what to dress her in. He tries to think about past outfits he’s seen her in. He doesn't want the mismatched messes Robin throws together, nor the mini-me outfits Max creates. He wants it to look like Steve dressed her because that’s when she looks the most like herself. 

“How does your daddy usually dress you? Does he pick out the clothes or let you pick?” Eddie consults Jack. 

She simply shrugs. Eddie sighs.

“Alright, I guess I’m just gonna do it my way,” he mumbles to himself.

He digs through the closet and Jack’s drawers in the dresser to come up with options.

“Which shirt?” He holds up a black crewneck and a green long sleeve with a graphic of a t-rex just in case dinosaurs are a theme today.

She points at the crewneck. Eddie nods and puts both down on Steve’s bed, the crew neck off to the side. He repeats this process with her pants, socks, and shoes. She ends up in the crewneck, a medium-wash pair of jeans, and her black vans. They seem to be her favorite. When he’s done he examines the outfit and decides to add something. He pulls her Mordor Music shirt over the crewneck to layer it. She beams when she sees the final product.

“Now I look kinda like you!” She exclaims happily.

Eddie chuckles and agrees. Next is the part he’s really been dreading. Her hair. Jack sits on the closed toilet while Eddie collects the products he needs. He adds some styling products to his mental grocery list. The good news is there’s a leave-in conditioner and curl cream. 

“Okay, I dunno how daddy usually does your hair, but I’m probably gonna do it a little differently. If I promise you it won't hurt, will you sit still for me?” He calmly bargains. 

She considers him for a moment. Eddie is about to start bribing when she nods in agreement. Maybe it's because his hair is so similar to her own, but it feels nice that she trusts him. He takes the t-shirt off her head, allowing the still-sopping wet mess that's her hair to fall down. She giggles as it covers her face. Eddie gets to work by first detangling her hair with the detangler and his fingers. They move gently through her hair, carefully pulling apart every knot he comes upon without causing her to even flinch. Then he combs the leave-in conditioner in her hair. Her eyes go wide when the comb glides effortlessly through the locks. 

“It didn't hurt,” she says.

“I told you it wouldn't,” Eddie smiles.

“Can you always do my hair?”

“I wish I could, princess. I can teach your dad how to do it this way, though. No more painful knots for my girl,” it slips out.

His face goes red as he processes what he said. My girl. Except, she isn't his girl. She isn't his kid. Eddie tells himself he just got swept up in the role. He got carried away. That's what it is. It isn't a hole she’s filling that he didn't even know was there. It isn't the absolute certainty that he would do anything for this little girl. It’s definitely not the way he feels about her dad and the fantasies he falls asleep to of the three of them walking through the park. Jack is always between Steve and Eddie as they hold her hands and swing her on a count of three as they walk. It isn't any of that, though. He just got carried away.

She laughs at the funny sound her hair makes when he scrunches the cream into it. When he’s done he steps back and holds out his hands with a ta-da! It still has to dry, but he can already tell her hair is the most defined and moisturized he’s seen it look. Everything is going great. Jack let him do her hair. She’s fed, bathed, and dressed. All he has to do is get her strapped into her seat and-

Eddie freezes in his tracks as he looks for his keys. Her seat. Eddie doesn't have a seat. He doesn't even have a backseat for a booster seat. Shit. He cringes as he turns to look at Jack. She stands behind him, waiting to go play her music. Okay, Max, he thinks. She should be out of her appointment by now. He hates having to call her for help, but he can't drive Jack all the way to Mordor Music in his van. 

“‘Sup, Freak,” she answers on the third ring. 

“Would you be able to give me a ride into the store?” He asks without prelude.

“What’s wrong with your van?”

“I can't put Jack in it.”

“Wait, you have Jack?” 

Eddie’s eyes move to Jack’s dark curious ones. 

“Yeah, why is that so hard to believe?” He questions defensively.

“Steve just must've been desperate this morning, that's all,” there's a shrug in her tone.

“If you're suggesting I’m not fit to watch a kid, I’ll have you know-” 

“It’s not that, you dummy. It’s because Steve actually really likes you. Asking you to watch Jack for a couple of hours is a lot different than handing her off for the entire day. He probably agonized over it for thirty minutes,” she explains. 

“Can you come get us or not? Or swap cars with me for the day?” Eddie diverts the conversation back to the task at hand.

He doesn't want to dwell too hard on Steve actually really liking him. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there in five. I’m assuming you're at Steve’s?”

“Yep. Thanks, you're a lifesaver.”

“I know.”

He hangs up and goes to happily tell Jack Max will be picking them up. Except Jack is no longer there. He spins around looking, but she’s nowhere. Where could she have gone? And right now? 

“Jack,” Eddie calls.

No answer. He peers under every table that could fit her. Nothing. He checks the bathroom and then the bedroom. Nothing. She’s seemingly disappeared. Panic begins to rise in Eddie’s chest despite knowing she couldn't have gotten out of the apartment. He calls her again, hoping to hear a shuffle, a giggle, literally anything. Silence clouds the apartment. Eddie begins checking everywhere. Even in the dumb places she couldn't be like the cutlery drawer. Just to be extra sure. 

Max beeps to announce her arrival, but Eddie doesn't hear it. He’s too busy panicking and ripping the cushions off the couch, loudly ordering Jack to come back out. A quick, loud knock on the door startles him. He frantically whips it open to see an equally startled Max.

“Whoa, what’s going on?” She asks.

“I can't find her.”

“What?”

“Jack! Sh- She was there and then it was like I blinked and now I can't find her! She couldn't have left, right? She has to be in the apartment?” His desperation can't be hidden. 

Max holds out her hands in a signal for Eddie to calm down. She has an amused little smirk on, which aids in the process. If she’s not panicking then he doesn't need to be either. 

“It's okay, she does this. She’s testing her limits with you,” she assures him.

“What?” 

She gestures for him to step aside and let her in. He does so, watching her close the door loudly.

“She's been weirdly difficult, maybe giving a little bit of an attitude?” Max raises her eyebrows. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“It's your first time watching her. She’s seeing what she can get away with, seeing where the boundaries are.”

Eddie is surprised to find himself a little annoyed. She’s been giving him trouble on purpose. Jack has been testing him. Jesus, have I been passing? he thinks. Has he been handling everything right? 

“Alright, menace,” Max calls out, “You have five seconds to reveal yourself before I call the Boogeyman on you.”

Eddie gives her a questioning look. She shrugs. It works, though. Jack comes speeding out of the bedroom. She slams into Max and hugs her. Max chuckles and hugs her back. Eddie sighs and runs a hand over his face. 

“Your hair looks so pretty!” Max compliments.

“Eddie did it!” She tells her excitedly.

Max gives him an impressed smile-nod combo. After everything, they end up ten minutes late to opening. Which means ten minutes late for his first lesson. He apologizes profusely to the annoyed mother who was waiting with her pre-teen son. When she spots Jack behind the counter with big headphones on as she bangs away on electric keys her face softens into understanding.

“Difficult morning?” She asks, nodding toward Jack.

Eddie glances over his shoulder at her. He sighs and nods.

“You can say that.”

“How old is she?”

“Six. She’ll be seven in April,” a smile appears on his lips as he talks.

There’s really no need to specify when her birthday is. It's late October now, but it's hard not to share everything he knows about Jack. She’s amazing and everyone should know. 

“I remember that age. Can never tell when a tantrum is around the corner,” she chuckles.

“She's usually really good. Fairly tantrum-free, but… I guess every kid has their day,” he shrugs.

“They certainly do. When mine had a bad morning around that age, I would offer them peanut butter and apple slices,” she tells him.

“Peanut butter and apple slices?”

“Yeah, it takes them a little to eat, so they have a minute to sit with their emotions. Plus, it's crunchy and sometimes just crunching really loud on something makes them feel better.”

Eddie nods, intrigued by this random knowledge she's sharing.

“What do you do now?” She asks.

The question catches him off guard. Frankly, it confuses the hell out of him. 

“Uh- I run this place and teach music to-”

“No,” she laughs and shakes her head, “I mean with your daughter when she has a bad morning.”

An entire ocean’s worth of emotion washes over Eddie. Your daughter. Why do two words feel like they hold a universe of meaning? His entire being aches with the fact that he can't claim her. He can't take any credit for any part of her. She’s just this really amazing kid whose dad he’s head over heels for. Knowing what he knows about her mother, he wishes he could be what makes up the other half of her. Not someone who wanted nothing to do with her, but someone who is completely crazy about her and wants to watch her grow. 

“Oh… Um, well, this morning I bribed her with the piano when she didn't want to get dressed,” he says weakly. 

He knows he should correct her, but wouldn't that just complicate the conversation more? The woman smiles in amusement and nods.

“Been there.”

She says goodbye to her son and finally leaves. Eddie catches Max’s eye as he goes by. She definitely heard. She hears everything in this place. An inscrutable set of her eyebrows makes it clear she heard. He frowns, shame settling into his gut. 

Steve comes in with a tired smile half past six. Max sits and Eddie stands behind the counter. Jack is rolling around a set of Eddie’s dice on the floor. He throws Eddie an inquisitive glance.

“She likes’em,” he shrugs.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Upon hearing Steve, Jack zooms up and over to him squealing. Steve is poised to catch her when she launches into him. She wraps herself around him like always. 

“No worries, she wasn't any trouble. Well, after scaring me half to death this morning,” Eddie says with a smile. 

Steve arches an eyebrow at her. Eddie can't see her face, only the curls bouncing on the back of her head. He does see Steve's deadpan stare at him, though.

“What?”

“She’s been spending too much time with you,” he states. 

“What?” Eddie guffaws. 

“She just did this annoying little smile you always do when you’re caught doing something, but you think it's funny.”

“That's specific,” Eddie scoffs in disbelief.

“No, with you that's a pretty common look,” Max interjects boredly. 

Something lights up in Eddie. Jack made one of his faces. One of his signature smiles. He becomes light as air. Maybe he can take credit for a bit of Jack, no matter how minuscule. He can look at her and say there! That part’s me! That part of this amazing little person comes from me!

Eddie talks to Steve about the day on the phone later that night. This way Jack is asleep and they can talk uninterrupted. He tells him about the tantrum, the hiding, and the dinosaur soup conversation. He hesitates when it comes to her asking if Eddie was her new dad. What if it just hurts Steve’s feelings? There's history to consider. 

“She- uh- she asked me this morning if I was her new daddy,” he chuckled nervously.

“Oh,” is all Steve says.

“I think she was just confused because of something stupid Dustin said and then I was wearing your coat. After that she asked if you're only allowed to have a mom and dad…,” he trails off, anxious to say his response.

“What did you tell her?”

Eddie sucks his bottom lip in with his breath. He exhales and swallows his nerves.

“I told her some people have two moms, or two dads, or just one, or neither. I’m really sorry if I crossed a line,” he rushes out.

“Why would you have crossed a line?” Steve sounds confused.

“I dunno… you know how some people get.”

“And you think I’m some people?” There’s a teasing edge to the question.

Eddie rolls his eyes but smiles.

“No, I don't. I really don't.”

“Good. Thank you, for answering her honestly like that. I try to be as honest as is appropriate with a six-year-old,” Steve says.

“Honesty’s the best policy.”

Each word hangs in the air as if taunting them with their irony. Honesty’s the best policy unless that means being honest about your feelings apparently. 

“I got an interview next week,” Steve tells him.

Eddie’s heart races with all the possibilities.

“Where?”

“Nothing fancy. Custodian work at the community college, but the hours are set. They're normal. The pay is better. There are benefits. It could be really good for us, Eds,” Steve sighs hopefully. 

Eddie tries not to cling to those particular words. It could be really good for us, Eds. He knows Steve doesn't mean him, but he wants him to. He wants him to so badly.

“That's amazing, Steve!”

“Yeah… and if I get it I could take a couple courses, maybe start working towards a degree,” he suggests timidly as if he fears Eddie's criticism.

“I think that sounds like a really good idea,” Eddie replies honestly and excitedly.

“Yeah?” Steve’s smile is clear as day in his voice.

Eddie’s own smile widens at the sound.

“Yeah, absolutely! If you need someone to watch Jack while you go to the interview, I’m happy to do it,” he offers. 

“You’re too good to me, Munson,” Steve chuckles bashfully.

“Nah, I’m not good enough to you, Harrington. You deserve more than I can give you.”

The words have an unintended impact. Steve wonders if that means he was right. Eddie may like him, but he doesn't want to be with him. He doesn't want to be with Jack. Steve feels his heart shred in his chest. It doesn't come as a surprise though. After all, who would really want a single teen dad?

<<Page One | Series Photo Album | AO3 | Page Three>>

[jerseygirllll]

bittersweet cherries I e.m CHAPTER 3

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 1.5k

summary: small flashback between eddie and aurora, conversation with her mother about eddie, dustin tells aurora to go to eddie to talk to him

a/n: idk how to structure this chapter, but I think it worked out well anyways, I hope yall enjoy it :)

________

“Come, Eddie. You have to try it on once before graduation! We have to check if it needs to be hemmed!” Your argument had been going on for an hour, and Eddie wasn’t letting up.

“Did you just call me short?!” He scoffed, flipped his hair, and walked off. 

“Babe, please. Just put it on so I can check the length.”

“Noooo!”

“I’ll give you a kiss if you’ll put it on.”

“Really?”

“No, Eddie. Just put the gown on, pleaseee.”

“No kiss, No gown, darling.” He teased me. 

“Please, Eddie”

“Nooooo!”

“Why not?”

“Because… It's bad luck.” Eddie finally sat down on the couch. “It’s gonna jinx my chance.” 

Over the last year, you worked with Eddie to ensure he didn’t have to army crawl to graduate. You ensured he understood the subjects well, helped him with some projects, and studied with him tirelessly every night. He was very proud of himself when he got his first B, and Wayne hung it up on the fridge. It later got replaced by his first A- which you, Wayne, and Eddie all celebrated that night with a little dance party.

Although it took him a long time to graduate and people always made fun, he is still very proud. He never thought he could do it, especially not without you. He owed this to you. But he was still his peculiar self, and it had to be done his way. 

“Bad luck? Sweetie, who told you that?” 

“No one did. I guess I’ve just convinced myself that if I put that gown on, my chances of graduating will go away.” You sat next to him on the couch, curled up with your legs providing an armrest for him. He hung his arm against you, lightly tracing circles on your leg. 

“Eddie, I promise you that trying on the gown won't ruin your chances. Nothing can ruin your chances because you worked hard and earned this.” Your hand held his trying to comfort him. “If anyone tries to get in the way, I’ll kill them.” 

He laughed, “Sure, sure you will, Rory.” 

“Please. Just for me? Let me make this day perfect for you. I need to check the length, Eds.” Hoping he would let you if you pleaded some more. 

“Fine,” You cheered, “But I don’t wanna see.”

“Deal.” Dragging his butt off the couch and into his room. You helped him with the sleeves and zipped up the long green gown, tracing your finger against the orange piping. 

Eddie wasn’t looking; however, you were. He was standing in front of you in his high school graduation gown, something he never thought he’d be able to wear. A tear escaped you as you checked him out. 

“Rory, please hurry up. This thing is hot as shit.” 

“Hold on one second. I just need to pin it.” You took a pin and folded it over the fabric's edge that was too long. Readjusting it to make sure it was even on both sides. “There ya go! You can take it off now.” 

________

After only seeing Eddie’s van when dropping Dustin off, you felt worse. You wanted to turn the car around and go back to him. Instead, you were too afraid. Nerves would’ve taken over your body and made you unable to move. So instead, you acted like a coward and drove back home. 

“Mom? Where are you?” You kicked off your shoes and put your hoodie on the hook. 

“My room, sweetie!” 

She was in there folding laundry. You moved to sit on the bed next to her and started folding the towels. Doing things with her was always comforting because she would never make you talk. Dustin, oh, she should drill into him because he's her Dusty-Bun. But she never forced you to talk about anything. She knew if you wanted to, you would speak up, giving you the option to speak on it. 

“Do you think you could do something for me, mom?” placing the folded towel on the pile, “Could you somehow get Eddie to come here tomorrow?”

“Aurora, are you ready to see him? You haven’t even seen the rest of your friends yet.” 

“I know, but I think I have to make things right with him before anything else.” Your mind was a wreck trying to figure out the words you would say to him. “I need to, mom. I miss him too much.”

She scooted closed and pulled you into a hug. Immediately you started to cry on her shoulder. “I’ll call him, okay? I’ll ask him to pick up Dustin or something. Does that work?” All she felt was you nod against her. 

“Aww, sugar, I know you will make things better with him. The two of you are meant for each other.”

________

When Dustin got home from Hellfire later that afternoon, he wasn’t as jacked up as you thought. You have vivid memories of him coming through the front door, cheering and rambling on about whatever troll or monster he slayed in the game. 

Today he went straight to his room and didn’t come out until dinner. 

You worried that because he saw Eddie, he might have been in an uncomfortable position. Last night, when you guys were recapping on what had happened while you were away, Dustin mentioned that Eddie often asked if he had heard anything from you. Dustin's conversation with you probably made him more nervous about speaking with Eddie. You felt awful because of this. Dustin and Eddie were close, and you didn’t want to come in between them. 

“Hey, Dustin,” You leaned against, “how was Hellfire? Did the campaign end?”

No response.

“Dusty? Did you hear me?” You questioned him once more before moving closer, sitting next to him on his bed. The both of you faced his scattered desk, which had piles of work on it, sheets from D&D, or assignments from Physics. The occasional leftover snack bag was hidden under some of the piles. 

He sniffled, which made your heart break. “Talk to him.” His voice cracked as he said it. Dustin wasn’t the most emotional person in the world. Sometimes they just got too overwhelming for him.

“What?”

“He needs you. You need him. Please, I’m begging you. Go talk to him.” 

“Dustin…”

“No, Rory, you have to. I told him we hadn’t heard anything after he asked, and you could see the tears forming in his eyes.” The image of Eddie crying alone made your whole body limp. You felt sorry for making him feel like that. You felt terrible. “I don’t care if it ends up with the two of you grossly making out or in a huge verbal fight. You just need to go to him.”

You laughed at his comment of you making out, but he was too serious to even laugh at it. “Okay, look. I had asked mom earlier if she could somehow get Eddie over here tomorrow. I figured that if he came here, I wouldn’t be able to run away as easily. I know I need to talk to him, but I’m still scared to.”

“Rory, you’re my sister. I want what is best for you. And I honestly think that Eddie is what's best for you. I never saw you as happy as you were when you were with him. I might be an annoying younger brother, but I care about you.” Everything he said warmed your heart. 

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll be there with you when you see him. Is that okay?” Dustin offered. 

All you did was nod in response. You pulled your brother into a tight hug, not caring how hard you squeezed him. 

After you released him from your grasp, you took a moment to think. 

“Let’s go now.” You stated. In a way, shocking you and Dustin at the same time. 

“What? Isn’t mom having him come tomorrow?”

“You’re right, Dustin. I need to go to him and I wanna go now. Grab your jacket, it got colder.” 

You left the room, going into yours to freshen up your look. Did you really care that much? No. But you had been crying earlier, and your conversation with your mom made you tear up some more; as a result, eyeliner was smeared under your eyes, and the mascara you had on stained your cheek. You quickly put on your red converse and met Dustin at the front door. 

“Mom, we're going to grab some snacks and a movie! We’ll be back in a bit!” She waved the two of you off with her monologue on being safe and not getting too much sugar. Her words were cut off by the door slamming. 

The air at gotten colder, as you figured. The two of you piled into your car turning the heat on as soon as you got in. 

“You ready?”

“I think so.” The car backed down the driveway, and you drove towards Forest Hills trail park. You didn’t have a plan as to what you would say to him. His reaction alone was still worrying you. It was a rough year for the both of you being separated from each other. For years, you were always together. Either at school, in the woods, in his trailer, or with your friends hanging out. You had never really experienced not having Eddie in your life until you left. With everything Dustin told you, it seems that Eddie wasn’t his best self without you here. 

[bitches-who-write]

you guys said in other posts that Henry and Patrick likes to scare. can you write a story on a reader whose naturally jumpy and scares way to easily. maybe a story about what they do to her? if you can make it reaally scary and teasy I like that. your guys writing is out of this world. thanx

Your wish is our command!

Scaredy Cat

Description: Reader is easily scareable/jumpy. Henry and Patrick take full advantage of this. Featuring Belch & Vic (Spinoff of our haunted house fic)

Word Count: 2,979

Warning: Suspense, Terror, Foul language,

We hope you enjoy this story as much as we enjoyed writing it. It’s our longest post yet so we’re feeling proud!! It definitely brings on Halloween Vibes for those of you who are as obsessed about Halloween as we are!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Everyone knows Eddie Kaspbrak is a nervous kid but Y/N, Eddie’s sister is even more of a scaredy-cat. Henry and Patrick could smell your fear a mile away. It’s the day before Halloween and the town of Derry is celebrating their annual haunted house attraction. Typically the last walk-through is at midnight, but Henry and Patrick have an alternative plan for their easily scareable victim.

It’s the middle of the afternoon and all anyone at school can talk about is how terrifying the haunted house attraction is going to be. I sit at an empty cafeteria table alone working on my history homework when suddenly I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I practically jump out of my skin, already feeling on edge from all the Halloween talk. I abruptly turn around to face whoever is behind me. To my surprise, it is Patrick Hockstetter and Henry Bowers. I shiver feeling the mixture of Patrick’s cool metal rings and callused hands slide down my arm, gently caressing my sides. I try to lean forward to escape his unwanted embrace, both of them still snickering from my startled reaction. “Holy shit dude, you weren’t kidding she is worse than her wimpy brother.” Henry chortled. I look up at them with a confused expression which only makes Patrick look even more satisfied. “That's right Y/N, I’ve been watching you...studying you....taking a few notes.” Patrick takes a dramatic pause, grinning before continuing; “ I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about you. Like what your fears and phobias are, and what scares you the most- which is a lot coming from you.” Henry chimes in “We noticed the way you glance over your shoulder when you’re all alone, and how you quickly turn on a light when you get home so you’re not in the dark for long.” My eyes widen in shock, realizing they’ve been stalking me without me even knowing it. I finally mustered up the courage to speak but unfortunately for me, my voice dripping from uncertainty and apprehension; “What do you guys want?” With a playful smirk, Henry grabs a chair and turns it so the back of the chair is facing me, resting his arms over it as he sits down. Patrick takes a seat directly next to me but slings his arm around my side, trapping me against him and the table. Henry, never breaking eye contact, finally speaks up first. He licks his lips before leaning in close, his voice full of malice, “We just want to spend time with you. Be ready by midnight we’re picking you up.” They both begin to stand up and walk away but Patrick slowly turns back towards me, “Oh and Y/N... that’s an order.” With that, they both exit the cafeteria leaving me trembling in fear.

I anxiously get ready knowing they will be here in another 10 minutes. I told my mother I was spending the night at a friend's house. Eddie had already gone to his sleepover at Richie’s house so I couldn’t even warn him about my whereabouts for the night. As I finish getting ready, I can’t shake the uneasy feeling that I’m being watched. I chalk the feeling off thinking I’m just being paranoid at this point. I walk into my closet to grab a jacket. When I reach for the pull string to turn on the light, of course, the lightbulb is dead- just my luck. I begin to slide each jacket down the rack trying to find the one I want when suddenly something-or someone grabs my wrist causing me to scream in terror. I pulled my wrist back with such force that I stumbled backwards falling on my ass. I try to scoot back to get away from whoever is now slowly approaching me. The tall dark figure slowly emerges from the dark closet, stepping into the light of my bedroom. My eyes widened in both panic and shock seeing Patrick standing there with an eerie smirk plastered on his face. In a mocking tone he says “You ready princess? It's time to go.” Still sitting on the floor with my back up against my bed, I then feel someone squeeze my sides from under the bed. I let out another blood-curdling scream as I jolt forward frantically crawling towards Patrick now, not knowing where to go anymore. I distinctly hear Henry’s laugh from under the bed sounding satisfied that his little prank was successful. “Fuck, it’s a good thing your mom is such a heavy sleeper.” He says in an arrogant tone. Patrick flashes him a knowing smirk adding to Henry’s observation. “Yeaaah. I’m sure those pills probably helped, too.” This made both guys laugh hysterically. “What?! What did you do to my mother?!” I ask in utter disbelief and confusion. “Ohh calm the fuck down, she’ll be fine she’s just having a good...rest.” Patrick says now guiding me by my shoulder towards the door to leave the house now.

We walk out to a blue car sitting outside the front of my house; Belch in the driver seat, chuckling. After about a 15 minute drive, we finally arrived at our destination. I had no clue where these two psychos were even taking me up until now. I look up and see a nightmarish haunted house attraction. However, for a place that is so popular in Derry, especially the night before Halloween- not a soul is around. I hesitantly step out of the car; Belch giving me a big taunting smile from his place in the car. “Good luck, Y/N” and with that, he sped off.

I try my best to be brave but my facial expression and voice says otherwise. My eyes nervously look around taking in the scenery, the palms of my hands are sweaty, and I feel a lump in my throat as I try to swallow. “W-W-Where is e-everyone? Why is n-n-nobody here?” I instantly begin to blush as they laugh at my shaky, nervous voice. Patrick’s smirk begins to grow into a wider smile as he becomes giddy in excitement, unable to stand still in one place. He jumps in front of me, facing my direction as he holds my shoulders. I glance over at Henry who is looking over at us with a knowing smirk. “That is the best part...you’re gonna love it Y/N; It’s gonna be a scream!” I continue to feel uneasy since Patrick still hasn’t answered my question about why no one else is here. Finally, Henry speaks up. “Let’s just say the Bower’s gang gets special treatment when it comes to getting what we want. Now we have the whole place to ourselves.” My stomach sinks realizing they probably terrorized the poor workers into closing the attractions. Patrick grabs my hand forcefully pulling me into the makeshift haunted house building. I tried to dig my heels into the ground to stop us but that obviously didn’t work as he is much stronger and taller than myself. Even if it did work, Henry would be right there to catch me so there is no use in trying to escape them.

Henry takes the lead opening the black curtain into the house, revealing a long dark corridor. The only light source illuminating the path was from the moonlight. I look up at Patrick who is on my left side. With pleading eyes I begin to mouth the words ‘no’ over and over again at him. He just smirks and shoves me forward. I clutch onto Patrick's arm as the three of us venture down to the first room...a Medical Experimentation Chamber.

As I walk into the room I frantically begin to look around at my surroundings. The room is dimly lit yet there are disorienting strobe lights flickering, blinding me. I squint my eyes to focus on my surroundings better. It looks like there's a lot of twists and turns ahead. I see medical tables equipped with thick straps and buckles for restraints. Alongside these tables is medical equipment that looks dented and rusty...or is that blood?. In addition to the visual distractions, there are deafly loud sound effects of patients screaming and the sounds of surgical tools being played on a loop. I was so distracted by my surroundings that I didn't notice Patrick trailing behind me. He proceeds to pick me up from behind and lays me down onto the medical table. Henry walks over and holds me by my arms and legs so Patrick can strap me in. They both back away from me laughing as I see someone enter the room. The man that walked in was dressed as a surgeon in all white, I could see he was covered in blood. My eyes widen in hysteria as I notice his facial features. His eyes were very sinister, his nose looked as if it was broken with a gashed cut on the bridge of his nose with a jagged hack job of stitches. My eyes began to fixate on his mouth which was spread wide and sewn into a gruesome smile. His teeth were jagged and sharp. As he leans down towards me, lowering his surgical tool; I begin to scream and thrash against my restraints. Suddenly everything becomes pitch black and the deafening noise vanishes. The only noises left in the room were the sound of me screaming and crying along with Henry and Patrick laughing their asses off. The room became dimly lit again as Henry began to undo the restraints. As he works to unbuckle me I frantically look around trying to find the surgeon who was just in here, but suddenly disappeared. I sat up slowly trying to compose myself although my body is trembling excessively. Patrick gave me no breaks as he continues to push me forward towards the next room...The SlaughterHouse.

As we walk into the next room, I am desperately holding onto the back of Henry’s shirt begging to go home. I can hear him chuckle  arrogantly as he feels me gripping his shirt. Patrick whispers in my ear from behind, his hands placed firmly on my hips, “But the fun is just getting started princess.” I take a deep breath before asking no one in particular, “Can someone hold my hand? ..Please?” My voice filled with terror and practically pleading. They both look at each other at the same time, laugh and respond with a mocking as they imitate my voice- “noOoO.” I look down at my feet feeling so small until I can hear what sounds like metal clanking together- echoing louder and louder. I completely stop dead in my tracks, my legs feeling so wobbly as we enter a room with hooks. So many hooks with prosthetic pigs hanging on them! I hear Patrick from behind me chuckle and say in a taunting sing-song type voice, “Come on Y/N~ keep moving.” Henry looks at us, laughing in amusing sporting that same smirk that never left his face. Henry slowly approaches me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. His voice is low and cold, “ Hey Y/N ever wonder what it felt like to be a pig hanging on a hook?” My eyes widen as he says this and I quickly try to make a run for it but Patrick is fast to grab me before I could. He begins to carry me over to Henry effortlessly despite my squirming. Patrick puts me down then shoves me into Henrys chest. Henry then picks me up and places me on one of the metal hooks, putting a hole in my favorite black jacket. I begin crying..again this time sobbing uncontrollably as I struggle to say, “G-Guys this r-r-really isn't f-funny. I wanna gah-g-go home now. Get me d-down pleasee!” They both laugh at my breakdown and begin to walk out of the room. Patrick peeks his head back in, “Just hang there for a sec princess, we’ll be right back ~” Henry chimes in “I wouldn’t give the butcher a hard time if I were you. He hates when you struggle...” I hear them laugh in the distance as they walk off again. That's when I heard it...that's when I heard the sound of a chainsaw and heavy footsteps charging towards me. I scream so loud I start to lose my voice a little, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. A man that looks well over 6ft tall with broad shoulders walks in. He looks like he came straight out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. At this point, I’m bawling my eyes out, screaming and desperately calling for Henry and Patrick’s help. Although realistically I know the chainsaw has no blade on it, it’s still equally terrifying. The butcher brings the saw somewhat close to my face. I wince, closing my eyes tightly as the strong scent of gasoline invades my nose, along with a faint musty smell coming off the chainsaw, as well as the man in front of me. I brace myself for the impact which never came. I opened my eyes to see the man lowering the chainsaw instead. I let out a sigh of relief thinking he is going to let me down but instead he pulls out a blindfold. At this point, I can literally hear my heartbeat pulsating through my ears. I’m trying to kick aimsley now that can't see anything. That’s when I feel someone grabbing at my legs. My blindfold drops down as I see Patrick looking up at me with his famous smile. Henry begins to get me down as he mockingly says, “I told you he hates it when you struggle, didn’t I?”

I am violently shaking from adrenaline to the point that they have to keep me upright, sandwiched in the middle of them both. I look at them and ask between sobs, “Are we done yet? Can I go home now? Please?” Henry condescendingly pats my head as if I am a child while Patrick chuckles and says, “We have one more room to complete and you’re their special guest...they kept vacancy just for you!”

As we exit the slaughterhouse we suddenly are displaced into a parking lot. A rush of confusion washes over me. Patrick just said there’s still one more room left, why are we outside? I shiver out of fright as Patrick rubs his hands up and down my arms, his head tilted as he looks at me with a teasing smirk. Henry nudges me and points up to a sign which reads “Motel” with a crooked red light flickering. It reads ‘Vacancy’. The makeshift motel looks runned-down and absolutely filthy. Henry and Patrick lead me to the front office. Opening the creaky wooden door on a spring, I walk in cautiously. I quickly become distracted by several different TV scenes that display [fake] murders taking place in the motel rooms by masked men. Blood-curdling screams fill my ears, making me even more thrown off guard. As I look around the office more, Patrick takes 2 long strides towards the front desk and rings the silver bell that is placed on the corner of the desk. I jump, flinching as he looks at me smirking. “I don’t think anyone is home.” He says in a sarcastic voice. Henry shoves me forward towards the back room now. He kneels down and opens a trap door. He looks up at me, “Ladies first.” Patrick snickers behind me as I cautiously started entering the crawlspace on my hands and knees. As I am crawling forward in the dirt ground, I feel Patrick smack and grab my ass causing me to jump, hitting my head in the cramped, narrow space. Patrick lets out a satisfied laugh. “You know, your ass is your only redeeming quality princess… that and your fear.” This earns a laugh from Henry, as well, who reaches under Patrick and grabs my ankle  unexpectedly; pulling me back. I let out a little yelp and eat dirt. They both start laughing again. Finally, we reach the end of the crawlspace. Patrick reaches over me and pushes up on the door to open it. I feel Patrick lift me slightly so I can pull myself out. I take note of my surroundings. That underground path lead us from the motel office, to now one of the bedrooms. As I straighten myself out, Henry and Patrick follow closely behind, climbing out of the craw-space, as well. Before I move forward I made the decision to grab Patrick’s hand despite what he said earlier about hand-holding.

Patrick looks down at me smirking but doesn't say anything. In fact, he actually holds my hand back, intertwining his fingers tightly between mine but I can tell there’s an ulterior motive behind his actions. The door handle to the motel bedroom begins to violently shake and jiggle. The door slowly opens revealing two men wearing masks. They are headed right towards me, their long legs approaching quickly. I try to back up but sadly I was still holding onto Patrick... or should I say he is holding onto me. At this point, Patrick picks me up and literally throws me onto the bed. The weight of his body is holding my legs down. As I’m struggling against Patrick, Henry walks over and holds my arms tightly above my head giving Patrick a better hold of my legs. The two masked men walk over and one of them pulls out a knife. Unlike the chainsaw from earlier, this was a very real and very sharp knife. In a taunting way, the masked men walk over slowly- one going to my left and the one with the knife going to my right. I begin to scream but it is quickly muffled by the man on my left covering my mouth. My anxiety takes over now, not able to take any more scares. I begin to see black slowly starting with my peripheral vision as it slowly covers the rest of my eyes. I begin to drift into unconsciousness. The last thing I head was the laughter of 4  recognizable guys and the muffled talking of Henry, Patrick, Vic, and Belch.

I woke up in my bed, the sun glaring down on my face. I sit up slowly, trying to remember how I even got here. Last thing I remember was being held down by those assholes in that terrifying motel room. I get out of bed and begin to stretch when I notice something hanging on my closet door. I hesitantly walked over to my closet seeing a note stuck to the door. The paper note was help up by a knife.. the same knife from last night! My breathing becomes shallow and hands shake as I read over the note. Still feeling jumpy, I jump when I hear Eddie’s and Richie’s loudmouths enter the front door. I bring my attention back to the note which reads~

I can’t get your screams or your scared face out of my mind. How about we try to recreate them in the bedroom? -Patrick

You’re my number one target now..scaredy-cat - Henry

[tails89]

Quiet comfort

Pre-buddie - G - 1.1k

@sicktember day 4: headache

Read on AO3

Buck is not someone Eddie would ever describe as quiet. 

The younger man is always talking. He talks through dinner, he talks through movies. More often than not, he’s dropping seemingly random facts about whatever thought has crossed his mind in that particular moment. Eddie is one hundred percent convinced that if Buck were to stop talking, he’d combust. The only time he’s ever truly silent is when he’s sleeping.

Which is why it’s so odd when Eddie steps out of the bathroom and can’t immediately pinpoint Buck’s location by simply listening out for him. 

They’re at hour fifteen of a twenty-four-hour shift, but most of the team is still up. They’ve just returned from a structure fire at an apartment complex that took up most of the evening, so Bobby is in the kitchen cooking despite it being almost eleven PM.

Hen is sitting on one of the couches, a textbook open in her lap while she studies. Ravi and Chim are sitting in front of the TV with a few other guys watching a movie, but Buck is suspiciously absent from the rec area.

Eddie tries not to dwell on it. Buck’s probably taken the opportunity to shower after that last call out. He’d been drenched when another crew’s probie hadn’t been paying attention to where he was aiming the hose. Luckily, Buck had only caught the edge of it and hadn’t been subjected to the full pressure of the spray. He’d brushed it off while the probie had caught an earful from his captain.

Still, Buck hasn’t appeared by the time Bobby serves up his famous baked mac and cheese and that’s just not like him.

“Where did Buck go?” Chimney asks, when Eddie finally brings it up. “I haven’t seen him in ages.”

“He was down in the bunkroom,” Hen says, closing up her book. “He said he had a headache.”

Eddie exchanges a glance with Bobby. Despite being a chatterbox, Buck was tightlipped when it came to discussions about his health, often unwilling to admit when he was feeling less than one-hundred percent. The fact he’d admitted the headache to Hen was a big red flag.

“I’ll go check in on him,” Eddie offers, beating Bobby to the punch. “Save some for us,” he says, shooting Chim a pointed look as the paramedic reaches for the serving spoon.

It’s dark when he enters the bunkroom. It takes a moment for Eddie’s eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when they do he spots Buck sitting up on the bed in the far corner of the room.

“Buck?” He reaches for the lightswitch on the wall beside the door.

“Don’t turn it on.” Buck’s voice is tight, and Eddie let’s his hand drop, picking his way across the floor to avoid tripping over anything hiding in the shadows.

“Hey.” He keeps his voice low and sits on the edge of the bed beside Buck’s crossed legs. “Hen said you’ve got a headache?”

Buck nods, his face pinching with the action. His eyes are closed, like even the thin shaft of light from the hall is too much. “Yeah, I’m okay. She gave me something, I’m just waiting for it to kick in.” He falls silent again, pressing his thumb into the space where the bridge of his nose meets his left eyebrow.

“Why don’t you lie down for a bit,” he suggests. “It’ll give the meds time to work and I’ll make sure someone saves you some food.”

“Can’t,” Buck mutters, his throat bobbing as he swallows thickly. “Makes it worse.”

Eddie winces in sympathy. He hates seeing Buck in pain like this, but there’s not much he can do beside’s wait. He goes to stand and leave Buck in peace to rest when a thought occurs to him. Maybe there is something he can do.

“Here.” Before he can overthink it, Eddie takes Buck’s hand, pulling it down into his lap. 

“What are you doing?” Buck asks, squinting down at their hands. He tugs half-heartedly against the grip, but Eddie holds his hand firm.

“There’s a pressure point,” he explains softly, keeping his voice low. “Right here.” He applies a firm pressure against the webbing between Buck’s thumb and index finger, holding it for a few seconds before massaging small circles into the joint. “It’s supposed to help relieve headaches.” He keeps up the movement, switching back and forth between Buck’s hands. “It’s not too much pressure?” he asks, nervous when Buck makes a small noise.

“It’s nice,” Buck replies, his expression losing some of it’s pinched look as he relaxes. “Where’d you learn to do this?” He’s moved beyond one and two word sentences, so he must be starting to feel better.

“I read about it somewhere.” Eddie keeps his voice low and continues to massage Buck’s hands. “Tried it out with Chris one time when he wasn’t feeling well. Now he demands it if he ever gets a headache.”

It’s not the same though. There’s something intimate about sitting here in the dark with Buck, their fingers tangled together. There’s something about the way it feels so natural, like their hands are meant to fit together like this.

And Eddie’s thought about it. A lot. He’s spent countless hours wondering what it means when he looks at Buck and his heart just swells with longing. He’s spent sleepless nights replaying their every interaction of the day trying to decide— had Buck been flirting or was it his normal cheerful, friendly self?

“Yeah, well now he’ll need to line up behind me,” Buck jokes. He’s staring down at their clasped hands like somehow they hold all the answers and when he glances up there’s a faint flush to his cheeks.

“It worked then?” Eddie releases Buck’s hands and shifts back along the bed to give Buck some space to uncross his legs. “You’re feeling better?”

Buck stares down at his hands for a beat longer, then shakes it off, glancing up at Eddie. “Yeah, painkillers are kicking in. And, y’know—” he rubs a thumb over the spot Eddie had been massaging. “—thanks.”

“C’mon.” Eddie holds out a hand to help Buck up. “Everyone’s probably finished eating by now, but I’m sure Bobby saved us some of his mac and cheese.”

“Wait, Bobby made mac and cheese?” Buck bounces up from the bed, herding Eddie towards the doorway. “Is it his baked mac and cheese? With the breadcrumbs?” He’s still squinting a bit against the harsh fluorescent lights, but he’s also talking again— rambling on about some obscure cheese fact— so Eddie knows everything is going to be okay.