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gravedigginbbydoll · 10 months

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It's Never Just Coffee

Rockstar Eddie x F! Reader Angst Blurb

AN: Hi. I've been having a rough time lately but I cranked this one out to release some angst and pain. Inspired by Coffee by Chappell Roan (take a listen). Thanks to @eddies-house for indulging me and encouraging me to write this. Enjoy.

CW: Pain, heartbreak, sexual content, making love, allusion to being used, F!MC experiencing depression and heartbreak and anxiety, extreme loneliness, toxic relationship, repetitive cycles, angst no comfort.

You sighed, staring at your phone. Four months. It had only been four months. The stupid bright red landline was a blaring reminder of tonight; your heart squeezed at the memory of the conversation you had just a few days ago. He had been gone on tour, leaving you in your heartbreak, your sleepless nights eventually fading after three months. The pain was beginning to subside to a dull ache. Of course, as soon as the wounds began to heal, he wandered back into your life. It wasn’t like you were strong enough to say no. Despite the anger you tried to build up, all you felt was the gut-wrenching sickness of unrequited love. Of yearning. You looked back at the mirror in front of your desk, adjusting your makeup.

It’s a mistake.

We shouldn’t meet.

Not at Enzo’s.

You ignored the nagging voice in your head, your heart tugging at the idea of those soft brown eyes. The glint of his silver rings. Your hands shook as you grabbed your bag and bit your lip. You dressed up, sure. But it was just to make him realize what he lost. At least, that was what you were telling yourself.

You headed to the door, glancing around your sad and lonely studio apartment, swearing to yourself you’d come back alone.

But your heart knew it was a lie.

You walked up to the counter at Enzo’s, gave the name on the reservation, and eventually sat. You ordered a bottle of wine despite the voice in your head scolding you as to how bad of an idea it was. You sat there, feigning confidence, despite feeling like your heart was out in the open. You sip on the alcohol, recalling the last time you and him were at Enzo’s.

You were meeting his Uncle Wayne, and everything was going swimmingly. Up until he suddenly was leaving for a meeting with a producer, claiming this was ‘the one.’ You two ended up in a screaming match outside the restaurant, and he left you in the pouring rain. Wayne drove you home, apologetic over his nephew’s outburst.

You’re pulled out of the memory when a waitress comes over, asking if you are still waiting for the rest of your party. You look up, heart sinking. Of course, he was late. You nod, a sad, soft smile on your lips as you recheck your watch. The waitress gives you a sad but knowing look and leaves you be. You wait a few more minutes, sighing when it reaches thirty minutes. You’re about to leave money for the wine and leave, standing up, when a teasing voice rings through the air.

“What, couldn’t handle the idea of seeing my ugly mug again?”

You looked up, heart-stopping in its tracks. You had hoped that after all the ugliness that ensued, you would see his true colors. He’d be hideous to you. But of course, he wasn’t. His eyes were mischievous as ever, a warm shade of brown that filled you with fluttering nerves. His grin was as boyish and charming as usual, his dimples clear as day. His hair was up in a bun, messy curls framing his face. Unlike the old Eddie you knew, he wore appropriate clothes for Enzo’s and not ill-fitting borrowed button-ups from Wayne. He had an expensive watch on his wrist, a subtle marker of the changes in his life.

You smiled softly, knowing the action didn’t meet your eyes. It couldn’t. You couldn’t push down the way your heart soared at his familiar rasp, his mannerisms as he sat down, and even his stupid jokes. It hurt how you knew; you knew he had a restless leg angled out from under the table to not shake it.

You shouldn’t know so much about someone who should be a stranger.

You should leave.

But you don’t.

Eddie is nothing but charming. He buys a bottle of expensive and sweet white wine, then offers to pay for your dinner. You let him despite your gut telling you not to. He was still every bit of a storyteller, describing in detail every crazy thing that happened on the small tour. He gives updates on Corroded Coffin’s latest projects. You drink it all in, the alcohol loosening your mind and maybe your control.

Two hours later, you were still seated at the table, leaning into his every word, wishing you were here under different circumstances. He kept randomly interjecting on your gorgeous appearance, and your inebriated mind started believing his words.

You were giggling at a story he’s told about Gareth fainting at the sight of a fan’s boobs when Eddie’s face suddenly turned sincere, and he reached for your hand. You let him grab it (foolishly), eyebrows furrowed at the change in his demeanor.

“You know…I sincerely fucked up, doll. And I don’t think I ever said it…but I’m sorry. You truly deserved better.”

You blink at him a few times. Your heart seems to tug at your mind, dragging it toward Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. You smile a sad smile and wave him off, trying to be stronger than you are.

“We both made mistakes. It’s fine.”

He smiles softly at you, his eyes a bit sad, as he shakes his head.

“Yeah, but I lost the treasure. You.”

He laughs humorlessly, swirling the wine in his glass, clearly taking up after the Californian producers he was around these days, seeing as old Eddie rarely drank anything other than cheap beer.

“All because I was a fucking coward and couldn’t admit I loved- love…you.”

He looked up at you through thick lashes, his cheeks pink. Your heart felt ripped in half. Your eyes watered as you bit your trembling lip and looked away, breathing slowly. The breaths are shaky.

Eddie grasped your hand and tugged you out of the seat, leaving an absurd amount of cash on the table and helping you to the door. You felt yourself melt into his familiar touch, and your soul weep. God, you had missed the warm touch and the smell of his spicy and sweet cologne, the rumble of his laugh against your back…

He holds your hand, walking with you around town. Somehow, he makes dingy Hawkins shine so much brighter. You walk the old town square, leaning against him as he softly talks to you, voice whispering how much he missed you. You mumble back the secrets you swore you’d never spill. How much you missed him. How proud you were of him. How you were worried he would replace you with some leggy blonde in California. He laughed at that one, pecking your forehead.

You shivered in the cold Hawkins night breeze, knowing that it was not that cold, and Eddie had already draped his leather jacket over you, and it was a mistake because it would lead to-

“Wanna get out of the cold? You could show me your cute little studio.”

That.

You entered your sad apartment, still tipsy and stumbling against Eddie. You turned on the lights and feel your cheeks heat. It was embarrassing how raw this place made you feel. Eddie could see your bed…your kitchen…your bathroom. You suddenly were aware of how dangerous this was and tried to turn to Eddie to maybe give an excuse for how tired you were.

He was looking down at you, eyes full of longing, gaze on your lips. His voice was strained as he kept fighting to look into your eyes, but his own continued to drift down.

“Can I kiss you?”

You bit your lip, your stomach flipping as your heart twisted in pain, but you felt in your bones that you wanted nothing more in the world. You nodded weakly, giving in.

Eddie crashed his lips to yours, his hands cupping your face. He kissed you like he needed you for oxygen like you were intoxicating. And god, if you didn’t crave it. If you didn’t melt, bring your arms around his neck, tugging at his roots and making him moan. He continued to kiss you, and every time he pulled away for a breath, he left you breathless. He wrapped his arms around your waist, continuing to kiss you and eventually peppering kisses down your neck, mumbling how much he missed you. You whimpered and pawed at him, eyes watering. You wanted nothing more than this. This was home to you. His touch. His gaze. His warmth.

He backs you up into your bed, hands under your dress and touch burning you. He leans in to kiss you when you put a hand to his chest and pant, stopping him. He looked concerned before you gazed up at him, knowing you were opening your chest and leaving your heart vulnerable to any damage. You didn’t learn.

“Make love to me,” You whispered, voice thick with emotion.

Eddie’s gaze softened, cupping your face and leaning in to press his forehead to your own. He nodded wordlessly before kissing you and touching you gently, lifting your dress over your head. His lips were everywhere, gentle yet bruising kisses, marking you his. He mumbled how much he loves your thighs, your stomach, your shoulders…He softly touched and kissed you before letting you take off his shirt. He quickly removed his own pants to focus on you, muttering praises and making holes in your heart with every sentence.

“You’re so gorgeous.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I’m sorry I let you go, love.”

“I love you, I love you, I love you. I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to say it before.”

By the time he’s entered you, you’re crying softly as he kisses away tears, still muttering ‘I love you’s and holding you tenderly. He thrust into you at a slow but toe-curling pace, his forehead against you as he praised you, telling you how perfect you are for him, how good you feel, how he was stupid to let you go. You clutch at him, crying and muttering back, kissing him again and again, your heart twisting in your chest, the heartbreak unbearable.

You felt an overwhelming sensation of heartache, pleasure, and yearning all build up, your tears flowing faster as gasps and moans leave your mouth, Eddie’s breath against you, his lips at your neck. He continues to mutter how good you are for him and how good you feel, your body trembling beneath him at the confessions. Eventually, the two of you reach a high, your cries warbled in a raw throat, his grunts growing more animalistic and desperate. You felt the pressure build-up, stuttering out declarations of love over and over. Eddie chased your high with his own, tackling your mouth with bruising kisses and whispered affection.

You felt him finish in you, the familiar feeling of fullness and his release making you shudder. You laid there for a moment as he collapsed on you, staring up at the ceiling with a blurry gaze. You felt as though you were back there, briefly, before it all went downhill.

Eddie got off of you slowly, delicately kissing your nose before pulling out of you, the two of you collectively whining at the loss of contact. He got up, headed to your bathroom, and returned with a warm and damp rag, cleaning you up gently. He then threw the rag in the bathroom sink, headed to your kitchen, and grabbed you a glass of water as you shakily got up to use the restroom, heart racing. You returned to the bed, and he held the glass for you, letting you drink as he softly caressed your hair.

After a minute of quiet yet soft gazes and gentle touches, Eddie pulled on his underwear, crawling into your bed and holding you. Your heart felt like it could soar, even with all the pierced holes. You had felt your breathing slow, and your eyes grew heavy as you were lulled into a sense of security and familiarity you had longed for.

You woke up to your alarm on your phone, eyes fluttering open in confusion. You looked at the bedside table, your alarm clock flashing in the dim room. The sun was just peaking through the windows, the light making you slowly wake up. Your memory was jolted with the reminder of Eddie, Eddie, in your bed. But as you had stretched, glancing over to the other side of the bed, it was empty. You sat up slowly, head swimming with confusion and heart sinking increasingly by the minute.

You glanced around before seeing the note left on your coffee table. Still naked from the night before, you get up, wrapping yourself in a robe, before grabbing the letter. You open the paper, hands shaking at the first sentence, the rest of the words swimming as a sob escapes your throat, your gut twisting as the familiar pang of heartache joins you once again.

I’m sorry.

Six months pass, holidays come and go, and friends are cautious to be gentle with you. You never told anyone what happened that night, but figured they knew. You knew it was obvious how you avoided magazines with his face plastered on them and ignored the posters and billboards for his latest tour. Dodged any reminder, including avoiding Wayne Munson’s regular Tuesday grocery trips in Hawkins, even though it required you to use more gas, as Hawkins only had one grocery store. You were extra cautious.

It was spring, the flowers blooming, and the weather was warming up. Your heart wasn’t healed by any means, but you were slowly shaking off the numbness and pain. You had been invited to Robin’s birthday, deciding to go despite the inkling feeling that something may go wrong.

You showed up at the Harrington house, and Steve greeted you with a warm hug. He ushered you into the backyard, tables set up, and people mingling. Robin tackled you with a hug, making you laugh, the sound still unfamiliar in your own ears. She was wearing a goofy paper crown that Will had made out of paper mache, the small detail making you smile.

You walked around, greeting everyone and hugging them. You were grateful that you didn’t see a familiar mop of brown curly hair, knowing he was probably busy promoting the debut album and first international tour. You slowly loosened up a bit more, chatting it up with Nancy and joking over the kids (who are now in college) and how much they’ve stayed the same despite the years. Your heart feels a little lighter.

You’re sipping on some punch with Nancy and Robin, laughing at Dustin and Mike tackling each other, their antics amusing you. You felt your heart sink when you heard a gasp, and your eyes caught a flash run through the backyard to tackle the two younger boys, the laughter clear as day. Your chest squeezed, and you turned your back to the scene, excusing yourself to the restroom.

You walked as fast as you could, breathing picking up as your body trembled. You entered the downstairs bathroom, hands clutching at the counter and biting your lip to keep it from shaking. You couldn’t fathom why he was here or who invited him and knew it was selfish to run off like that. It was Robin’s day. And you had shown up knowing he was still friends with some of your friends. You knew Nancy and Robin had been upset with him regarding the nasty breakup, but Dustin worshiped him. And you knew Steve had probably invited him, polite and friendly. No one except Nancy and Robin knew about the breakup and what happened; the ordeal was too painful and embarrassing to retell.

You breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm the wavy breaths. You needed to show him you weren’t shattered without him. That you weren’t broken to pieces. You splashed your face with cold water, thankful for the waterproof makeup you were sporting. You stayed in the bathroom a few minutes more before heading out to the backyard, ignoring him. You walked towards El, sitting with her and talking about her classes, smiling as she described her University, ignoring the intense gaze across the backyard.

You walked around, chatting and keeping your gaze away from the culprit of your heartache. You were quick to excuse yourself when he showed up to join whatever conversation you were in. By the end of the evening, you were exhausted, and your wounds were fresh. You hugged Robin and waved to the rest, heading out, thankful now that you had walked. You could maybe get some fresh air and-

“Wait.”

The hair on your neck stood up, and you turned, unable to ignore the man before you. He was more filled out, with hair in a low bun and curls less messy. New black lines joined faded ink, and his clothes seemed to fit him better. Gone were the hand-me-down clothes and small-town boy. He was still devastatingly beautiful. His eyes were smudged with black eyeliner, and a few piercings decorated his ears and nose, really elevating his look. You swallowed, faking a smile.

“Oh. Hi, Eddie.”

He gave a sheepish smile, cheeks tinged pink. “Can…I mean, can we go for a walk?”

Your smile faltered as you felt your brows pinch together, nerves picking up. “Well, I don’t-”

“Just a walk. In the small park by the middle school. I know how much you love the willows over there.”

You swallowed, trying to will the words ‘no’ out of your mouth but look at his eyes. Those brown, warm, and welcoming eyes. They were pleading. They were…your deathbed.

“Ah…Al-alright. Sure.”

He beamed at you.

You were walking together at the park, being quieter and more cautious this time. Eddie continued to charm and dazzle you, but now your wounds were better guarded. He seemed to pick up on this and frowned, brown eyes full of hurt and guilt.

“Y/N?”

You smile weakly at him, looking up politely.

“Yeah?”

He turned his entire body to you and sighed, eyes sorrowful. So…soulful.

“I- I’m sorry I fucked up. I… I thought I was doing what was best for us both. I’m a horrible man and never around, and I always leave you hanging and so- I mean, I know it’s not an excuse- But the letter- I’m sorry. I should’ve been less of a jackass. I just-” He runs a hand down his face and sighs, looking at you with sincere eyes.

“I’m a dick. I’m sorry.”

Your smile faltered. Fuck. It would’ve been easier if he ignored it. You could fester, pout, and be angry if he missed the mistake. You could walk away. You could-

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” He insists, eyes sincere and glassy. “I’m… I’m trying not to become my dad. I just…I lose my mind around you. You’re so beautiful and enchanting and…I always want you, doll.”

The rasp in his voice. The need. The…absolute…weakness…of you. You look up at him and smile sadly, eyes stinging with unshed tears.

“I always want you too, Eds.”

You shivered and looked up at the willow tree you two were beside, the carved wood familiar. It’s your tree. Eddie walked up, his smile bittersweet, tracing your crudely scratched initials and heart. He looked 10 years older.

“Remember this?”

You held yourself, memories flooding your brain. You tried to avoid digging a more prominent grave, knowing this would lead back to your bed again with one wrong move. You simply nod. Eddie retraced the heart, voice distant like he was chasing the memory.

“We were 16. You swore no boy would ever like you…which was ridiculous because you were adorable. But anyway…you swore they wouldn’t. And I said, ‘Why don’t we get them to pay attention? You’re off the market now! They’ll come running like dogs!’. I was, of course, lying. I just wanted to pretend you felt the same way. So I carved into this tree, making you laugh and shake your head. And it only took stupid Tommy Delwood asking you to prom two years later for me to finally get the guts to tell you I wanted the stupid tree to not be a lie.”

Your stomach twisted at the story, lip trembling. Of course, he’d tug at your heartstrings. Of course, he’d rip off your faux armor. You were crumbling with every word, every memory of what once was.

“Of course, I continued to be a coward and idiot. And…ever since losing you… I came to this tree. Everyday. Why? I don’t know. Maybe to remember an easier time. Maybe to wish I never broke your heart. Maybe I wish I never had you so I wouldn’t know how badly it hurts to lose you. I just… This is the one place that keeps me going in Hawkins.”

He looked at you, tears streaming down his face, eyes rimmed red. Your heart shattered, waves overtaking your eyes, and bitter pain filled your lungs. He smiled weakly, biting his lip.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I want to get better. I want to be better for you. That’s why I keep leaving. I’m trying to work out issues with this therapist and fix all my shitty habits and problems. I know it’s unfair, and I’m weak and keep… coming back. But I need you. I- I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore- just…give me some time?”

You felt your heart rip violently, your tears a constant flow. Thorned roses tightened around your veins and lungs, sharp tips ripping into flesh and muscle. Your lips tried to tug up with no success.

Eddie sighed in reply, pushing off the tree. His eyes were sad, and his body slumped an inch shorter. He smiled weakly.

“Let me walk you home?”

Eddie and you walked home in relatively silent steps; the only sound on the journey was your faint breaths. You reached your studio, frowning at how dark it is, the town of Hawkins eerily quiet. Against your best judgment, you open your door and let Eddie in. You don’t realize your mistake until he sits on your couch, eyes still tinged with red as you hand him a coffee just as he likes. He takes the four sugars and one cream coffee, sipping slowly. Your heart seemed to be puppeting your mouth this time around.

“It’s dark out,” You mumble.

“Y/N,” Eddie warns, eyes swimming with caution and guilt.

“You left your truck at Steve’s. He’s probably asleep.”

“Y/N,” Eddie sighed, running a hand down his face and voice strained.

You turn around and head back into your bathroom, starting to get ready for bed. Eddie’s still sipping on the coffee when you return, eyes rimmed red and glassy. He avoids your gaze.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Even if I want you… Even if I need you.”

You nod and turn out the light suddenly, getting under your covers. You smell Eddie’s aftershave and feel his arms wrap around you.

“Only a cuddle, okay?”

You nodded, breathing slowly. Maybe you were stronger.

You found yourself under Eddie minutes later, panting and clawing at his back as he pounded into you over and over for hours. He was kissing your cheeks and lips, rambling his love for you over and over, holding you tightly yet somehow tenderly. He kept making you see stars. By the end, you felt sweaty and spent like a hole in your chest was exposed.

Eddie was kind as always, cleaning you up and smiling, his demeanor less sorrowful. You two cuddled until you fell asleep and lulled off into a dreamless rest.

You woke to empty sheets, and you felt lifeless.

No note.

No goodbye.

You were a fool.

One year later, you were in California. It was fall, and the absence of the dramatic change in leaves made your stomach twist with longing. You were here for new beginnings. No more walking the graveyard of your relationship with Eddie. No more following your family blindly and being a people pleaser.

You had left in the dead of night, driving across states, surviving off of cheap dollar menus at the drive-thru. You knew Eddie spent most of his time in California, but the state wasn’t Hawkins. It was big enough that you would likely never see each other.

You could pretend like you were healed but the wounds never set right. Scars were left over your heart, and small holes were in your armor. You couldn’t hang out with any of your old friend group; too much connection to the man who ripped you to shreds. Robin and Nancy shunned Eddie and never brought him up, but you knew that wasn’t fair to them. They shouldn’t be in your silly drama regarding your love life. You distanced yourself until you left, only leaving a note to let them know you were safe and leaving for California’s warm breezes.

You had settled into a small beach town in southern California, the breezes cool and the sky blue. You were staying in a tiny house, lacking your personality. But you took it day by day, visiting shops and cafes nearby, taking long walks on the shore. Some days, just sitting by the beach and writing in a journal. You had no phone. No friends. You were a blank slate.

You were working at a small bookshop, satisfied with the slow pace of life. Some days, you’d sit full of numbness, lonely in your seclusion and voluntary exile. But then you remembered how little you knew of yourself. You couldn’t remember what life was like before him.

Your favorite color was the shade you thought looked best on Eddie. Your favorite movie was the one you’d seen together on your first date. Your favorite book was the one you had spent time and time again recalling to him. Hell, even your favorite foods or hobbies involved him in some way. It wasn’t his fault. You’d let yourself be consumed by him. He was a brilliant star, and you were engulfed in his shadow, even as young teens. You just wanted to relearn about yourself.

Sadly, fate was a cruel mistress.

You had made a new friend, a girl at your job who was bubbly and sweet and loved alternative music. She was quick to try and pull you out of your shell and take the ‘sad, mopey mystery girl’ to a show near Los Angeles. You agreed despite your gut telling you no.

Ironically, Eddie wasn’t part of the concert.

On your way back from the trip, you bumped into the new shiny celebrity that your ex-lover had become. You were scanning the shelves for a snack at a gas station with your new friend and her boyfriend. You reached for a bag of sour gummies (your favorite), only to have your hands brushed by another, only much more calloused and masculine than yours.

“Oops! My bad,” A chuckle rumbled from his chest.

Your heart sank quickly.

You’d recognize him anywhere, no matter how raspy or grown the voice sounded. You kept your gaze on your shoes, dropping your hand and trying to turn away; you mumbled out an ‘it’s fine,’ hoping he didn’t recognize you.

He stopped in his tracks.

He grabbed your hand, turning you gently as he lowered the sunglasses covering warm brown eyes. It didn’t matter that he had on sunglasses, a bun with a bandana covering his signature curls, or even that he was at a gas station that was a speck on a map. He was still him.

“Y/n?” He asked, voice raw with emotion, eyes swimming with sorrow and longing.

“Steve told me you disappeared. Just left a note, and… no one’s heard from you. I visited. Couldn’t get anyone to tell me where you’d gone- I…,” He swallowed, eyes glassy as he continued to look you up and down. You felt the first bout of fear, sorrow, and desperate longing that you swore off months ago. You were glad for the emotions, but…you almost wanted the numb loneliness and hurt to sink back into your bones. You didn’t think your heart could take another wound.

“I, I just can’t believe you’re here… Ar-are you okay? Is everything okay? I-” He stopped his rambling momentarily, breathing and sighing, soft tears rolling down his cheeks. Your heart squeezed as your mind raced.

No. No. Not again. We cannot do this again.

“I…Can we go get coffee or somet-something? Everyone’s worried sick and- I know I don’t deserve- but…,” He was wringing his hands and fidgeting with his rings, a nervous habit he had since he was a teen. “I just-”

Your heart was racing as you smiled sadly. You felt your mouth open as you willed the words out, your insides twisting in sorrow and your heart seeming to sink below the ground. But somehow, your mind took control. For once, you left him speechless.

“It’s never just coffee, though, is it?”

Eddie stared at you in shock, eyes knowing and shoulders slumping as his tears flowed still, brows pinched. You smiled sadly and waved softly, heading out the door with your friend and climbing into the car. You leaned your head against the window, staring at the rundown building, Eddie staring out the window through the aisle. Your heart seemed to sink deeper as your stomach twisted, but some of you felt lighter.

No more mourning. No more giving everything to get nothing in return.

You were on your own. But you were free.

232 notes · View notes

juniperskye · 6 months

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I Can’t Be Your Friend.

Sneak Peek: Eddie and you do something that alters the state of your friendship. You realize that being his friend hurts too much now. **The events of season 4 did NOT happen** Bold are Eddie’s thoughts; Italics are reader’s thoughts.

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

Angst/Fluff/implied Smut

Word count: 2473

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, implied smut, drug use (marijuana), explicit language, idiots in love, Steve’s absent parents, mention of underage drinking. Let me know if I missed any!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

Tonight was going to be amazing! Steve had invited everyone over for a summer kickoff party, there would be pizza, swimming, beer, and good company. Robin and you had gotten to Steve’s early to help set things up, pizzas were on the way, and you were just waiting for everyone to show up now.

First to arrive was Nancy, she had driven over with Mike, Lucas, Max, and Dustin. They had come bounding in with arms full of chips and soda, piling them recklessly on the coffee table. The younger kids were arguing about who got the bathroom first to change.

You couldn’t help but laugh and roll your eyes as you made your way to the door, letting in the next group. You had assumed it would be Johnathan, Argyle, and the rest of the kids, but instead, Eddie was standing in the doorway.

“Hey Eds!” You smiled.

“Hey! How’s my best girl?” Eddie pulled you into his arms and lifted you slightly as he spun you around. “I’ve missed you dude.”

“I’m good Eds. I’ve missed you too!” Your heart clenched slightly as he placed you back on your feet.

Your relationship with Eddie had always been like this. You were best friends, but sometimes, things were done or said that seemed a bit more than friendly. You’d stayed more nights with Eddie this last year than you did in your own home. Robin had pestered you about the status of your relationship with him to which you’d always reply; “We’re just friends, he doesn’t see me that way”.

“So, I know the kids are here, but I brought a little something special for us. I figured we could go to the van, take a few hits then come back in.” Eddie said wagging a joint in front of you.

“Eddie!” You hissed, covering the joint. “You can’t just pull that out. But yes, give me fifteen minutes.”

Eddie tucked the joint back into his jacket pocket and watched as you made your way over to Steve, Nancy, and Robin. Robin gave you a knowing look and you brushed her off. You were all catching up for a bit, laughing at the nonsense the kids were getting up to. Eddie was the one to open the door for Jonathan, Argyle, El, and Will. As they all walked in, Eddie came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your head.

“You ready?” Eddie whispered.

You nodded and let him lead you outside to his van. Climbing in the back, you made yourself comfortable amongst the pile of blankets and pillows, all the while, Eddie lit the joint and placed it to his lips. After a few quick puffs and one long drag, Eddie passed it to you. The two of you passed the joint back and forth for a bit before it was nearly gone.

“Do you want the last hit?” Eddie asked.

“Nah it’s cool, you take it.” You leaned your head back.

“We could always share it.” Eddie said with a sly smirk.

“Okay.” You blushed.

Eddie took a long drag, holding it in as he moved towards you. He brought his lips to yours, only separated by a few millimeters. Your lips parted in a gasp, and he blew the smoke into your mouth. You inhaled sharply, allowing the smoke in. Your mind felt hazy, and you were starting to wonder if it was the weed or the lack of space between Eddie and you. Eddie met your eyes and pulled back slightly, clearing his throat.

What the hell was happening?

The two of you made your way back into the house and took turns changing into your bathing suits. You rushed outside and went to sit on the steps of the pool with Robin and Nancy. Each of whom gave you a pointed look.

Eddie made a stop in the kitchen to grab you a coke and an orange soda for himself, he then made his way outside. He sat the two cans in front of where you were sitting with the girls, the next thing you knew he was jumping into the pool, splashing the three of you, eliciting screeches from you three.

He surfaced and swam over to you, settling himself between your legs which were dangling off the step. His chest pressed against yours as he reached behind you to grab his soda. Your breath was caught in your throat.

Had he always been this beautiful?

Who were you kidding. Of course he had.

The night went on like this. The kids swimming, playing a ridiculous game of Marco-Polo, Steve grilling hamburgers and hotdogs, Eddie treating you like far more than a friend.

Now you were all crammed in Steve’s living room, some movie playing in the background. You couldn’t remember the name of it because you were far too distracted. When you had come into the living room, all the good seats had been taken, and instead of letting you sit on the floor, Eddie had pulled you into his lap and wrapped his arms around your middle.

You had been sitting like this for about half an hour before he made the suggestion.

“Do you want to go back to my place?”

This typically wouldn’t have sounded like a line, but given everything that had occurred today, you couldn’t help but feel like his words held deeper meaning.

“Okay.”

He led you into the trailer, just like any other time you’d been here, only this time there was a tension hanging over you.

More like sexual tension.

Jesus, get a hold of yourself.

Entering Eddie’s room brought forth a wave of anticipation, you couldn’t help but feel like something was about to happen. Eddie walked over to you and handed you one of his Iron Maiden shirts and a pair of his boxers.

It’s now or never.

You locked your eyes on Eddie’s as you slowly removed your tank top and shorts, leaving you clad in only your bathing suit. Eddie took a sharp breath and pulled his shirt over his head. Up until now things felt as though they’d been moving in slow motion, then all of a sudden things switched to fast forward.

Eddie lunged towards you and locked his lips onto your own, your hands finding his curls, his finding the ties to your swimsuit. His lips tasted like orange soda and nicotine, he was addicting, and you knew you’d never be able to give this up.

Eddie woke up and glanced over to see your naked form curled up in his bed. He couldn’t believe it, the two of you had taken that leap, this would change everything between you.

This could change everything.

I can’t afford to lose her.

You stirred awake, noticing your lack of clothing, and taking note of the discarded clothing on the floor.

So that really did happen.

This could change everything!

“Hey.” Eddie said quietly.

“Hey.” You blushed.

You sat up holding the sheet to your chest and turning to meet Eddie’s gaze. Something was off about his expression, he seemed somber, and you were terrified to find out why.

“So, uh…” Eddie turned, breaking eye contact. “We should just forget this ever happened; you know. So, it doesn’t fuck up our friendship.”

Please say you don’t want to forget about it.

Of course he doesn’t want me.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Of course she doesn’t want me.

You stood and quickly began pulling your clothes on and gathering your things. There was this loud ringing in your ears and you’re sure Edie was calling your name, but all you knew was you needed to get out of there.

You were halfway home before the ringing stopped.

How could you be so stupid.

Then the tears started. Not only had your heart been broken by the man you loved, but you also lost the one person you’d want to hold you while you cried.

“Dude what is up with you? You’ve been super weird since Steve’s summer kick-off party.” Robin pestered.

“Yeah she’s right, plus Eddie’s been extra bitchy, which usually only happens when you haven’t seen one another in a while. I thought for sure you guys were gonna hookup that night.” Steve ranted.

Your face turned a bright shade of red and you let your gaze fall to your lap. You knew you weren’t exactly being discreet with your avoidance of Eddie, but you didn’t’ think they’d call you out directly.

“Holy shit! You two had sex!” Robin shouted, smacking you on the arm.

“Ow! Yes, we did. And it ruined everything. The next morning, he suggested we just forget it ever happened.”

“What? No way, Eddie’s head over heels for you. What happened?” Steve asked.

You explained to Steve and Robin the events of the night and they both concluded that it made no sense. They were both convinced Eddie was in love with you.

This was when Steve and Robin came up with their plan. They would get you and Eddie together before summer ended.

“Steve, this isn’t working. She is declining every invite to hangout; she has gone as far as driving over and leaving if she sees the van, and even calling everyone to be sure if Eddie was invited.” Robin said throwing herself on the couch in defeat.

“That’s it! We will invite her over for a movie night, just the three of us. Then after she’s here, you go to the other room and call Eddie and invite him over. That way nobody will be able to tell her that he’s invited because he wasn’t.” Steve explained.

“Hey guys!” You called entering Steve’s house.

“Hey! How have you been? We haven’t seen you in a while.” Robin pulled you into a hug.

“Sorry about that, I just…I can’t bring myself to face him yet. I’ll get over it, I just need time.” You said.

Steve came in, greeting you and pulling you to the living room to help him pick a movie. He threw a wink over his shoulder to Robin. She rolled her eyes and made her way to Steve’s dad’s office ready to make the call. When she came to the living room she played it off as a trip to the bathroom.

Things were going well, they felt like old times, save for the hole in your chest in the shape of one, Eddie Munson.

Speaking of which.

“Hey guys!” Eddie greeted, entering the house.

“Guys, what the hell.” You said threw gritted teeth.

They both looked at you with guilty eyes. You shook your head and told them you needed to go. Grabbing your bag you went for the door. It took everything in you to not look at him.

“Hey, where are you going?” Eddie called after you, following you outside. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. You’re dodging my calls, your canceling plans, you’re literally leaving as I showed up to hang out.”

“Eddie, I can’t do this right now. I need to go.”

“So what? That’s it?” He had never sounded so defeated.

“Eddie, I…”

“Is this because of that night? C’mon you’re my best friend, you’re just gonna throw that all away?” He grasped your hand in his own.

“That’s the problem Eddie, I can’t be your friend anymore. Everything is different now.” You shook your head, pulled your hand from his grasp, and took off walking back home.

Eddie walked back into the house and immediately receive a slap to the back of the head from Robin. She and Steve proceeded to explain to Eddie how he had messed the whole thing up and how him suggesting you just “forget it ever happened” had led you to believe that he didn’t care about you.

Initially he didn’t believe them that you had feelings for him, but after they literally spelled it out for him, he realized what an idiot he had been.

“I’m gonna need your help.”

The plan had been a pretty difficult one, Eddie needed Robin and Steve to convince you to come over again for an end of summer bash and after the last time, he was sure you’d say no.

Robin had explained to you that after your conversation with Eddie, that he definitely wouldn’t be coming. She told you that she asked him, and he had declined. It was then that you agreed, but not without a pang of guilt filling your chest. You couldn’t stand the thought of hurting Eddie. The look on his face when you told him you couldn’t be his friend had been haunting you.

The day came and you drove over to Steve’s, shocked that the only car in the driveway had been his. You parked and let yourself in.

“Steve? Where is everyone?”

“Hey! I’m in my room, and they’re on their way I figured you could come early so I could see how you were doing.” Steve said.

You walked into his room and noticed he was seemingly searching for something, he was scrambling around his room, swiftly moving to his dresser as you made yourself comfortable on his bed. You looked over at him just in time to see a mess of curls enter and Steve pulling the door closed. You heard the lock click and the distinct sound of a chair being pushed against the knob.

“What the hell is this?”

“I needed to find a way to talk to you and you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Eddie, let me out.”

“Not until we talk. Look I fucked up that night, I suggested that we forget about it and that was stupid.” He exclaimed.

“Eds, look, I just need time…these feelings will go away eventually. I don’t want to lose you as a friend, but how am I supposed to be around you when I’ve tasted your kiss and will never get to experience that again?”

“I don’t want your feelings to go away. Truth is, I only suggested it because I thought there was no way you could love me back.” Eddie explained.

“You love me?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Eddie pulled you into a gentle kiss, wrapping his arms around your waist. You let your fingers get tangled in his hair. There were whispered apologies between kisses and you two only broke apart when the two of you needed air.

“How would you like to go get some dinner?” Eddie asked.

“I would love that!” You replied.

With that, Eddie walked over to the bedroom door and began knocking, shouting to Steve that he was safe to let you guys out. His knocks sped up the longer it took for Steve to release you both.

“Harrington, hurry up! I gotta take my girlfriend on our first date!”

513 notes · View notes

juniperskye · 2 months

Text

It had to be You.

Sneak Peek: Modern Day AU! (kinda think late 90’s early 2000’s) Running into your ex at your mutual friends’ engagement party, that was something you had expected and were mentally prepared for. Him looking that damn good and the chaos that ensues…you were not expecting. Flashbacks are bolded.

Eddie Munson x Artist! Fem Reader

Angst/ Fluff (at the end)

Word count: 2301

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! My blog is 18+, minors DNI, explicit language, past relationship, mention of reader having a troubled past, Steve, and Nancy are together in this (they work ok…sorry not sorry), nobody is dead!, no use of y/n, lovers to enemies to lovers, Eddie is unnamed until the end...idk I felt that it worked for this story (despite you knowing it's him), let me know if I missed any!

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

You were elated when you got the call. Steve had called you to let you know that he had officially done it, he had asked Nancy to marry him! You knew he was planning it, hell, you helped him pick the ring for her, you just didn’t know when. You expressed your excitement and congratulated the happy couple asking them about the possibility of an engagement party. Nancy had let you know they weren’t planning one but would love it.

You immediately begun planning the party, creating an evite and curating the perfect guestlist. You called Enzo’s to see if they could accommodate a party of this size. Once that was confirmed and booked, you made sure to call in some reinforcements.

You had called Robin, Chrissy, Max, El, and Dustin. Chrissy had stayed in Hawkins; she went to the community college there and now teaches at Hawkins high. Max, El, Dustin, along with some of the others (Will, Lucas, and Mike) were finishing school at Indiana University, Robin had gone to Butler, and currently resided in Indianapolis. Nancy and Steve had recently moved back to Hawkins after finishing school in Chicago, Nancy was offered an editing position at the Hawkins Journal.

You on the other hand had been living in New York City ever since graduation. It hadn’t happened exactly as you had planned it…which is the exact reason you were nervous to return to Hawkins.

“We’re gonna graduate, then we will pack up the van and hightail it out of here babe.”

“I was thinking New York. You know…that way you can pursue your music, and I can pursue my art.” You replied.

“That sounds perfect baby! Just a few more weeks and we can go.” He grabbed your hand and the two of you laid back against the pillows in the back of the van.

**One Month Later**

You pulled up to the trailer with your car packed full of your belongings. You were ready to get to New York and start your life! You were even more excited to start your life with him. You stopped the car and made your way up the steps, knocking gently.

“Hey kiddo.” Uncle Wayne greeted.

“Hey Wayne! Is he ready to go?” You asked.

“He better be, with all the noise he was making. Head on back.” Wayne gestured for you to go down the hall.

“Babe! Are you packed and ready to…” your voice trailed off as you entered his room, noticing the severe lack of moving boxes or suitcases. “What the hell? Why aren’t you packed?”

“I uh, I don’t think we should go.”

“What do you mean? We’ve been planning this for months; you were the one who always said once you graduated you would get the hell out of here.” You shouted.

“I know, but I just, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I can’t just leave Uncle Wayne, and who’s to say we don’t get to New York, and everything goes to shit? At least here we know things work.” He challenged.

“We’ll never know if we don’t try. Also, we’re stronger than that, just because we move doesn’t mean this is automatically falls apart.” You replied.

“I can’t go, why don’t you understand that? It’s not going to work. We can stay here and build a life. I have a job at the garage, and you can paint here.” He huffed.

“Well, I can’t stay here.” Your gaze drifted to your feet. “Hawkins is too small, we were destined for something bigger, which is why I need to go to New York.”

“So that’s it then? You’re just gonna leave?” He muttered.

“No. You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to make me feel guilty for following through with our plans. If anyone should feel guilty here it’s you for tricking me into thinking that you were actually going to come with me. But instead, you’re bailing on me, just like everyone else.” You bellowed, quickly making your exit.

That day you had left for New York and didn’t look back. You had travelled to Indianapolis and Chicago to visit your friends, but you hadn’t stepped foot back in Hawkins since then, and you really weren’t looking forward to it.

You spent the next week coordinating with everyone, in hopes of planning the best engagement party for your friends. You guys worked on decorations, who would get the happy couple to Enzo’s on time. And in just two weeks, you’d find yourself standing in the nicest restaurant in Hawkins Indiana.

“Oh my gosh, you look gorgeous!” Chrissy squealed, jogging over to embrace you.

“I could say the same about you! Congratulations by the way.” You beamed, gently caressing Chrissy’s now prominent bump.

Chrissy and you caught up with one another, and as the others arrived you greeted everyone and began decorating. Pretty much everyone had arrived except for Robin, she had been the person you assigned to get Steve and Nancy to Enzo’s.

You had been placing the last floral centerpiece on its designated table when you heard his voice. Loud and boisterous as always, greeting Dustin, and the other boys as he made his way back to where you were setting up.

“When was the last time you spoke to him?” Max inquired.

“The day I left for New York.” You replied, shaking your head as you straighten out the vase.

“You know he came to New York.” Dustin mentioned, having butt into your conversation. “It was about six months after you left, he went to the studio you were renting and saw you painting, he said that he didn’t want to mess anything up for you and that he wanted to make something of himself before he saw you again.” Dustin concluded.

You couldn’t help the look of shock that took over your features. “It doesn’t change anything. He made his choice.” You said with a sense of finality and walked away.

Fifteen minutes later, Robin entered the restaurant with Nancy and Steve trailing in behind her. The room erupted in cheers for the newly engaged, the two of the were passed from person to person for a warm embrace. There was nothing to do but smile at the radiant glow that the two of them wore. The longer you were surrounded by all this happiness, the tighter your chest became, you needed air.

The minute you reached the exit, you felt relief, the cool night air surrounding you, finally allowing you to take in a deep breath. You took a few steps away from the exit and leaned up against the brick building.

“Was the cheerful mood suffocating you too?”

You’s recognize that voice anywhere. It was once something that made you swoon, but now it felt like a knife to the heart. You wanted nothing more than to run far away and hide forever. You had really hoped that by the time you needed to confront him, you’d have already moved on and started a new life.

“I didn’t realize someone was out here. I’ll just go.”

A hand gently gripping your wrist stopped you. Your head whipped around, fully ready to tell him off, but the look on his face stopped you dead in your tracks. He wore an expression that you were very familiar with. It was the same one that stared back at you when you looked in the mirror. Sunken eyes, dark circles, dull looking skin, clearly missing that glow that your best friends currently wore.

“Please just talk to me.” He pleaded.

“I have nothing to say to you.” You murmured.

“Then listen. Please, I have something I’d really like to say to you.” He released your wrist and his gaze shifted up his eyes begging you to stay.

“You have five minutes.” You didn’t have it in you to hold back the eyeroll.

“Thank you!” He hollered. “Okay sweetheart, where do I begin? I um, the reason I didn’t go to New York with you was because I was scared. And I know that sounds like some bullshit excuse, but I mean it. I was terrified that we would get there, and you would become this successful artist and I’d just be like this bum that was holding you back from being great. I just figured that if I stayed here that I’d have the band and the job at the garage, and nothing would have to change. Only everything changed, the guys graduated and went off to college, the band broke up and worst of all, you were gone. I really fucked it all up, which is why I worked so hard to make something of myself.” He explained.

“Dustin told me you came to New York. Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked.

“When I saw your studio, I saw you working on this piece, it was a big charcoal piece, and I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t want to fuck things up for you more than I already had.”

“The charcoal piece, it uh, it was. Did you see what the piece was?” You pressed.

“No, I didn’t. I bet it was great though. Sweetheart, I uh, can I show you something?”

“Okay.” You nodded.

He led you over to a motorcycle, he grabbed the helmet and went to put it on and turned toward you, offering you the spare. You glanced from the helmet to his face, and he offered a subtle nod. You placed the helmet on your head, and he reached up to tighten the chin strap for you. You let out a sharp breath at the contact, releasing a cough to try and cover it.

The two of you rode through the city, stopping in front of a garage you didn’t recognize. The logo was in large red letters outlined in white. A bright contrast of the black painted brick. He assisted you off the back of his motorcycle and led you into the building.

“This uh, this is my shop.”

“What do you mean?” You asked.

“So, uh after high school, I kept selling for a while, saving up my money. Then Rick got picked up and sent to prison. So, I got the job at the garage, I worked as many hours as possible, putting in the work. Anyway uh, I got pretty close with the owner and he uh, he left me the place when he died two years ago.” He replied.

“This is great. I’m really happy for you bub.” The nickname slipped out faster than you could comprehend.

“I have something else I’d like to show you.”

“Okay.”

This time, he drove you through a neighborhood you recognized from your youth. It housed beautiful (affordable) family homes, the ones that you had imagined raising your family in. These were the homes you still visualized when you pictured your future. And he was the man that you woke up next to in these images.

When he pulled into the driveway of one of the homes you were confused. He had always expressed his distaste of these homes. You had always known that the reasoning behind his upset was that it was the childhood he was robbed of.

Once you were dismounted his bike, he ushered you to the front door, gesturing for you to enter. Your breath caught in your throat as you looked around the home. You couldn’t help but notice all the details in this particular home, it had a large bay window with a window seat, a big open kitchen, and a breakfast nook.

“What is this?”

“It’s not done, I still have some work to do. But Wayne has been helping me put in all the things we had talked about. Upstairs we put in a clawfoot tub, and we’re working on the flooring.” He gushed.

“This is all a bit much, I uh, I…” Before you could finish, you were out the door and desperately trying to catch your breath in the front lawn.

“Hey, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’ve been working on myself, trying to be better for you. I was gonna come to New York when the house was finished and talk to you and ask you to come home.”

“Bub, this isn’t home anymore. Hawkins isn’t my home. It never was. That’s why we planned to go to New York. Ugh! I just…fuck! You bailed on me; don’t you get that? You did the one thing that I begged you not to! You broke your promise and you let me believe that I meant nothing to you.” You sobbed.

“Sweetheart, I know I fucked this up before, but please give me another chance? I will spend the rest of my life trying to make this all up to you.” He begged.

“It’s my turn to show you something. Drive me back to Enzo’s.” You demanded.

He drove you back to the restaurant and pulled up to your car per your request. You dragged him to the trunk and opened it to reveal a folded-up canvas, a box of your art supplies and a photo storage box. You reached into the trunk and grabbed the folded canvas, slowly opening it to reveal the piece you had been working on when he had come to New York. When you opened it completely he let out a breath.

“It’s me.” He whispered.

“They all are.” You stated.

You opened up the photo bin to unveil hundreds of photos of your work, all varying portraits of the man in front of you. You looked down to your shoes, watching as you dug your toe into the gravel parking lot.

“You see, I realized something through my art. Hawkins isn’t my home. But New York isn’t either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Eddie, you’re my home.”

Let me know if you want to know what happens next!

156 notes · View notes

juniperskye · 5 months

Text

Why are you in my head? Pt. 2

Sneak Peek: Eddie and you are soulmates. The legend of soulmates is that you start to hear one another’s thoughts around age 16 – not all the time, but when you’re feeling a strong emotion. It simply flows out of you and into the other, the legend also states that the closer you are, the more you can hear them. **The events of season 4 did NOT happen** I did also use some of the dialogue

Bold are Eddie’s thoughts; Italics are reader’s thoughts. (mind you, they are essentially hearing both sets of thoughts)

Eddie Munson x Fem Sunshine! Reader (Soulmate AU)

Fluff/Angst - Part 1 Part 3 Part 4** Part 5

Word count: 2255

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, explicit language, no use of y/n, fem reader, mentions of drugs/sale of drugs/drug use, arguing, mentions of Eddie’s drug addict parents, teeny tiny glimpse into reader’s past, let me know if I missed any!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

So, I have 3 more parts mapped out for this story, making it 5 total parts. Please, Please, PLEASE let me know if you want it!!? I would love to write it.

Holy shit.

You both let out a quiet chuckle.

All at once, colors were brighter, smells were sweeter, touches were softer. Everything came together in that moment; you couldn’t believe it. Here he was.

Before either of you could introduce yourself, the bell rang out, signaling that lunch was over. How long had you been standing here? Looking at him, seeing him for the first time, it made time stand still.

Don’t go. Not yet.

Neither of you made a move to leave. The cafeteria was slowly emptying around you, the reality of this moment creeping in. The second bell ringing brought you out of your thoughts, you looked into his eyes again and pulled back slightly.

“Shit! I can’t be late on my first day!” You hissed.

“Oh god O’Donnell is gonna kill me!” He facepalmed.

“You have O’Donnell this hour too? Also, you seem to be late to her class a lot.” You giggled.

“You’re in O’Donnell’s right now?” He questioned.

You nodded in confirmation. A grin took over his face, he grabbed your hand and began speed walking to her classroom. As you came up to the door, he looked over at you and nodded.

“Follow my lead.” He whispered.

You walked into the classroom, and everyone fell silent. Mrs. O’Donnell looked over at the two of you, and judging by her expression, she was less than impressed by your tardiness.

“Eddie Munson. I told you that if you were late to my class one more time I would be forced to fail you.” O’Donnell croaked.

“Mrs. O’Donnell, I understand that, but I couldn’t possibly let our new student wander the halls aimlessly.” He explained.

She looked at you, awaiting some sort of confirmation. When she was met with an enthusiastic nod from you, she finally relented. She looked down at her attendance chart and took note of the new student listed on it.

“Welcome to Hawkins High. Now both of you have a seat. Don’t make tardiness a habit.” She bit.

Eddie gestured for you to go first toward the back of the room. Once seated, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you. You couldn’t help the blush that crept its way onto your cheeks. His stare was keeping you from concentrating on Mrs. O’Donnell’s lecture about the debates you’d all be writing and then acting out in a week. You had no clue what the topics were, and you only hoped that she had put all the information on the handout that had been passed back to you.

God you’re so cute. I am so glad it’s you.

A giant shit eating grin enveloped Eddie’s face and you realized he must’ve heard that thought. You realized that you knew his name now, thanks to Mrs. O’Donnell, but he still didn’t know yours. You decided to pull out a pen and your notebook so you could write it down for him.

You caught his attention as you scribbled your name onto the paper, making sure to add a tiny heart next to it. You folded the paper up and passed it to him. If you thought his smile had been big before, well you were wrong, because you were sure this one would split his face in two.

A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

Your face immediately heated and turned bright red. You just had to make it through a few more minutes, then this class would end, and you get to really talk to Eddie before your next one. Only a few more hours and you might actually get to spend some time with him.

You had called your parents after O’Donnell’s class to let them know you’d be getting a ride home with a friend. You didn’t want to tell them that you had met your soulmate just yet, you figured you should get to know him a little bit first.

When that final bell rang you all but ran out the front doors of the school. Eddie had told you to meet him at his van. As you glanced around the parking lot you could see the cliques, jocks hanging out by fancy sports cars, theater kids sitting on the picnic tables in the courtyard, and the Hellfire boys, well, they were loitering around Eddie’s big beat-up van.

His face lit up when he noticed you, that’s when you ran towards him. As you neared closer, he opened his arms and you leapt into them. He spun you around once before letting your feet land back on solid ground.

I want to kiss you so bad.

Please kiss me.

With that, Eddie leaned down and captured your lips in a sweet kiss. Eddie’s friends whooped behind you, which caused you to blush. You could see the confusion on some of their faces.

“Guys! This is her; this is my soulmate!” Eddie announced.

“Holy shit dude!”

“No way.”

“How much did you pay this girl to fake it for you?”

“Dude she’s way out of your league.”

“That’s awesome man!”

Eddie’s friends all spoke at once, it was hard to understand what any of them were really saying. But the gist of it was that most of them thought you were joking. You figured that his friends probably messed with him like this a lot, perhaps this was how their friendship was, lots of joking and messing around. Your heart hurt a little that his friends would assume you guys were lying, but you figured he’d tell you if it had upset him.

“Guys I’m serious! This is her, we met at lunch!” Eddie exclaimed.

“Hi.” You gave a small wave.

Eddie’s friends were bombarding the two of you with questions, faster than you could take in. It was pretty overwhelming, the way they were all talking over one another. Eddie was spitting out answers as fast as they were throwing questions, and your mind could not keep up.

This is…ok. Woah. Slow down. What is happening?

“Hey guys, I would love to sit and chat with you, but I think I am going to take my soulmate here out for a drive.” Eddie said, as his hand moved to your lower back, and he led you to the van.

“Thank you.” You whispered.

“You don’t have to thank me; I could hear how anxious you were. They can be a lot, especially when you’re not used to being around them all the time.” He laughed sheepishly.

“I appreciate it either way. The whole shared thoughts thing really comes in handy!” You huffed a laugh.

Eddie put his hand out to hold your as he drove you to wherever you were going…you should probably ask him where he is taking you.

That night, you and Eddie were out well passed curfew. You had talked about nothing and everything. You shared all your favorite things, your hopes and dreams, your deepest secrets. Sharing with Eddie was easy. Talking with him was like breathing, it came naturally – you guessed that was the whole “soulmate” thing at play.

It had been one week since that night and honestly, things had been really good. Eddie picked you up for school (he had yet to meet your parents yet), you sat with Eddie and the Hellfire guys at lunch, he walked you to your classes and waited for you at his van after school.

Things were perfect…or so you thought.

Soulmates had this sort of stereotype behind them. People always said soulmates didn’t fight, that the shared thoughts sort of helped to clear things up before they escalated to a full-blown argument. Things were meant to be easy, simple even. It was the fault of this stereotype that the argument threw you off guard.

The thought had slid into your mind during your last class of the day. You were sitting in history, listening to Mr. Warner drone on and on about a war, you were too distracted to remember which one it had been.

Two pre-rolls and a small baggie of shrooms…shit I gotta meet her in 5 minutes!

What the fuck is that about? You couldn’t help the upset feeling creeping into your veins. Pre-rolls had to be weed, and shrooms? Was Eddie buying drugs? And who is the girl he is meeting to get them from? Your mind was racing with all kinds of questions, you felt guilty about being mad at Eddie, but why would he keep this from you? You two had shared so much with one another in the last week.

When the final bell rang, you took your time getting your things from your locker and then slowly made your way to Eddie’s van.

As you approached it, you noticed a severe lack of brown curls. Your stomach sank, realizing that he still must be with her…whoever she was, buying drugs.

Why would he keep this from me?

The thought had hit Eddie like a freight train. He immediately kicked himself, he knew he should have told you about this side hustle of his, but he was scared you would judge him…but now you’d found out because his thoughts are so fucking loud and he’s a total jackass for keeping it from you.

He made quick work of the deal, it had been with some random theater girl and her boyfriend wanting to enjoy their weekend.

Eddie practically ran to his van to meet up with you and he noticed the far off look you were wearing.

“Hey baby!” Eddie reached to pull you into a hug.

“Hi Eddie.” You returned his hug with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

“Let’s go for a drive yeah? I want to talk to you about something.” Eddie suggested.

“Oh, yeah, okay.” You nodded.

The two of you got into Eddie’s van and he drove you to the clearing by the lake. There was a heavy awkward silence for a bit, your thoughts just circling round and around in your head. And judging by the look on Eddie’s face, he was clearly experiencing the same thing.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Eddie started.

“Okay…” You waited.

“I realize that a thought of mine may have made its way to you. A thought that had to do with something I have neglected to share with you yet. Listen sweetheart, I uh, I deal. It’s just to make some extra cash, ya know, to help Uncle Wayne out and to save until I have enough to get the hell out of this place.” Eddie rambled on.

“Wait a second. You’re the one dealing the drugs?” You asked.

“Yeah…did you think I was buying?”

“Eddie, you sell drugs? That’s illegal! I don’t understand, you could get a different job if you want to save money. Why would you do something so reckless?” You questioned.

“Woah. What the hell. I know it’s illegal, but I’m smart about it and didn’t you hear me? I am doing this for Wayne…and for us! Dealing makes me way more money than flipping burgers at big boy or renting out movies to asshole pre-teens. You’re my soulmate, I thought you’d at least try to understand!” Eddie snapped.

“Eddie, you purposely kept this from me. Which just proves to me that you know that this is wrong. I know that other jobs may not make you as much money, but at least they’re legal and don’t run the risk of you being sent to PRISON. Because that is where you would end up if you got caught Eddie. Prison! Did you ever stop to think about what that would mean to the people who care about you. To your uncle Wayne, to Dustin, to me? How could you be so careless?” You waved your arms as you spoke, growing more and more frustrated.

“Jesus. Of course you don’t get it!” Eddie sighed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You couldn’t believe him right now.

“You were born with a fucking silver spoon in your mouth babe. You have never wanted for anything. Your parents are well off and you have always gone to good schools with new supplies and a nice backpack. I mean fuck, your parents moved you here, set up this incredible room for you, bought you a car, and still ask you what you need or want. I live in a trailer and before that, I was growing up in an even smaller trailer that my parents were doing and selling crack out of. I am doing what I have to, to make sure I am set up when it comes time for me to leave Hawkins.” Eddie was practically yelling by the end of his rant.

You sat there, your mouth opening, then closing again. You weren’t sure what to say. Eddie had clearly gone through some really difficult shit that you hadn’t been aware of, but he was also assuming that your life had been perfect, which couldn’t have been further from the truth.

This conversation had truly made you feel sick to your stomach. How was this meant to work. How was Eddie meant to be your soulmate if he thought so little of you. And how were you meant to be his soulmate if you couldn’t agree with what was obviously a part of his life. You clearly had a lot to think about and you couldn’t do that right now, not with the tension that was beginning to suffocate you in Eddie’s van. So you did what you thought best.

“Take me home please.” You whispered.

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juniperskye · 5 months

Text

Why are you in my head? Pt. 3

Bold are Eddie’s thoughts; Italics are reader’s thoughts. (mind you, they are essentially hearing both sets of thoughts)

Eddie Munson x Fem Sunshine! Reader (Soulmate AU)

Fluff/Angst - Part 1 Part 2 Part 4** Part 5

Word count: 2583

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! My blog is 18+, minors DNI, explicit language, no use of y/n, fem reader, mentions of drugs/sale of drugs/drug use, arguing, mentions of Eddie’s drug addict parents, mention of post-partum depression, mention of child endangerment, mention of child death, mention of murder, mention of suicide, mention of foster care, let me know if I missed any!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story

I miss you so fucking much. How could you think so little of me. I’m sorry. You just don’t understand what it’s like. You don’t even know me. We’re soulmates, of course I know you. Our thoughts weren’t shared until we were both teenagers, you know nothing about how I was brought up. Can I see you? Please.

Thoughts between soulmates were shared more frequently when experiencing high levels of stress, primarily during long periods of separation after meeting, or fighting.

“Hey bug, Eddie’s on the phone for you.” Your dad knocked lightly on your door.

“Tell him I don’t want to talk to him!” You hollered up to your dad.

Since your fight with Eddie, one week ago, your parents had noticed your very apparent, sour mood. You really had no choice but to tell them that you had in fact met your soulmate and had been hanging out with him non-stop. Your mom had been thrilled for you; she had wanted to know everything about Eddie. Your dad on the other hand, he was furious. He clocked the tear tracks that ran down your cheeks the second you walked in the door, and he wanted Eddie’s address so he could kick his ass. You had assured him that it wouldn’t be necessary, that no matter how upset you were in the moment, in your heart you knew the two of you would be able to work things out.

“Sweetie, maybe you should take his call.” Your mom suggested.

“Maybe you should butt out!” You shouted back.

You were immediately filled with regret. Quickly making your way up the stairs you threw open your door to come face to face with your parents.

“Mom, I am so sorry.”

She pulled you into a tight hug, her hand gently brushing at the hair on the back of your head. She always did this when you hugged, and it always brought a warm comfort throughout your body.

“It’s okay. I know that you are upset. Maybe you should try talking to him sweetie, it might make you feel better.” She suggested once more.

“Okay, I guess you’re probably right.” You nodded.

“Well, that’s good because he is on his way right now.” Your dad informed you.

“What? Dad! A little warning would be nice! He doesn’t live that far, and I have to get ready!” You started scrambling down the stairs into your room to get ready.

Your parents chuckled, remembering what it was like to be that young and new in love.

A knock at the door had you sprinting up the stairs and practically shoving your dad out of the way so you could get there first. You weren’t quite ready to have Eddie meet your parents, especially since you aren’t currently on the best of terms.

You opened the door with just enough room to slide out of the house. You took note of Eddie’s disheveled appearance, he had bags under his eyes, his hair looked especially frizzy, and his skin didn’t have its usual glow.

“Hey.” He said sheepishly.

“Hi.” You replied.

“Did you uh, did you want to go sit in the van and talk?” Eddie said gesturing to where it was parked at the end of your driveway.

You nodded and the two of you made your way to the vehicle. He wanted so badly to pull you into his arms and kiss all this pain away, but he knew that it wouldn’t be that simple, he had made some snap judgements and said some hurtful things to you. He knew he needed to apologize and that the two of you still had a lot to learn about one another.

“Baby, I am so sorry. I said some awful shit to you, and I shouldn’t have. I just, I am so used to having people judge me. For how I look, for where I live, who I live with, the people I hang out with, the music I listen to, the field of work I’m in. And I know that you weren’t judging me, that you were just looking out for me because you care, but baby I couldn’t help but let those past feelings eat me alive when you were talking to me.” Eddie explained.

“Eddie, I appreciate you apologizing. I’ve had time to think about things too and I can understand how my reaction could have come across as judgmental. Eddie, my dad is a cop, I have heard what happens to people when they’re caught with a little bit of weed in their possession, but if you were caught selling it, or something worse. Eddie I can’t lose you. Not when I have only just found you.” Tears were running down your face at this point.

Eddie scooted closer to you on the bench of the van, he brought his hand up to cup your cheek, gently brushing away your tears with his thumb. He leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to your lips. When you two broke apart, he leaned his forehead against your own, his hand brushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I am so sorry baby. Please forgive me?”

“Eddie, before I can forgive you, I need to know that you don’t really think of me like that. I may come from a well-off family now, but there is a lot you don’t know about me and I just – I need to know that you don’t see me as some privileged brat.” You begged.

“Sweetheart, no! I don’t think of you that way. I am so sorry! I don’t even know why I said that. It’s like a defense mechanism. I know that there’s so much I don’t know about you, and I hope that you will trust me enough to tell me everything there is to know about you.” He rushed.

You were both startled by a knock on the window. Looking over at the passenger window, you were mortified to see your dad standing there, giving you and Eddie a small wave. He then gestured for you to roll the window down. You visibly cringed as you began cranking the window open, mouthing an embarrassed apology to Eddie.

“Dadddd…what do you want?” You whined.

“Your mother sent me out here to let you know that dinner is ready. She also wanted me to ask if your friend here would be joining us.” He explained.

Your eyes darted over to Eddie. You were trying to decipher his expression, was he as horrified as you were? Was he intrigued by the idea of meeting your parents.? Was he ready to flee and never return?

Would you want me to stay?

You couldn’t help but smile. His thought was timed perfectly, this soulmate thing definitely had its perks.

Of course I want you to stay! I just don’t want them to scare you off.

“If it’s alright with you sir, I’d like to stay for dinner.” Eddie looked at your dad, who replied with a curt nod.

“I can’t believe you’re a Metallica fan! I just finished learning Master of Puppets on my guitar!” Eddie gushed.

“That’s a tough song, I bet you had to practice for weeks!” Your dad indulged Eddie.

This is so embarrassing! Your dad is so cool!

Your mom laughed at the exchange between the two men and she and you cleared the table. She gave you a knowing look and nodded towards your room.

“Why don’t you two go watch a movie, your dad and I can clear the rest of this up.” She suggested.

“Only if you’re sure.” You asked, gaze shifting from your mom to your dad.

“Door stays open.” Your dad pointed towards you.

With that you grabbed Eddie’s hand and led him down to your room, being sure to leave your door open, per your dad’s request. As you descended the stairs, Eddie’s jaw made its way to the floor. He was amazed by your room, you had records hung on the walls and ceiling, one of your walls had an incredible photo collage, with photos of you, your friends and family throughout the years, and below that were stacks of books next to a small desk. He’d have to ask you about who all these people were. You also had a projector screen that you clearly used for movies.

“This is amazing! You read J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King? And these records, this is so cool, I would never want to leave if this was my room!” Eddie exclaimed.

God, like you could get any hotter.

“Yeah, my parents are pretty cool about letting me express my creative freedoms or whatever.” You shrugged.

You couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in your stomach, Eddie had talked about how you got everything you’d ever wanted, and this made that seem true. If only he knew.

Things had continued on pretty well with you and Eddie over the next few months. You guys had grown closer, trusting one another with the heavier secrets of your lives. Eddie had told more in depth about his parents. His mom had gotten hooked on drugs thanks to his dad, who was quick to put hands on Eddie and his mom when he was under the influence – which seemed to be more often than not.

You had wanted to tell Eddie about your past too, but the timing just didn’t seem right. Every time you went to share, something came up, or you were trying to avoid it coming across as you are one-upping him and his trauma.

Things aren’t always what they seem.

Eddie had dinner at your house once a week, and you’d traded off whose house you’d go to after school each day. Nothing physical had transpired between the two of you other than a few heavy make out sessions. At each other’s houses you had fallen into a routine, at yours you would either watch a movie or read, at his you’d either watch a movie, listen to music, or help him with his campaigns.

Tonight happened to be dinner at your house, your parents had suggested ordering a pizza tonight and playing Monopoly. Eddie had enjoyed nights like this, your parents had been extremely welcoming of him. He had appreciated that they didn’t judge him, not once in all the time he has known them. They had been warm and kind and accepting.

Your dad had bonded with him about his taste in music and had shown an interest in Dungeons and Dragons. Your mom talked to him about his future and his dreams of being in a band, but the reality of him probably becoming a mechanic. Your mom had told him that he should pursue music as long as he had something he could fall back on should it not work out. She told him that he could achieve his dreams as long as he worked hard at it.

These conversations, these dinners, these nights with your family had been amazing, they had also been painful for Eddie. He couldn’t help but feel hurt that he didn’t get to have a childhood like this, that he had to get his ass beat by his dad while his mom was strung out on the couch. He hadn’t been removed from their custody until he was about 10 years old, that’s when child services pulled him from their care and moved him in with Wayne.

Wayne had grown fond of you immediately; he had seen how Eddie had changed immediately after meeting you. He had been happier, which meant the world to Wayne. All Wayne had ever wanted was for Eddie to have something good in his life and here you were. You and Wayne were buds and it filled Eddie with a sense of pride that his uncle approved of you.

Now if only things could stay simple like that forever.

Eddie and you had finished dinner and a game of Monopoly at your house. You were planning to go to Eddie’s after to watch Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. After pulling up in front of the trailer, Eddie made his way to your side of the van and pulled you out of the car. You giggled as he kissed you and the two of you stumbled into the living room.

He made his way to the kitchen to grab drinks for you both and he began popping some popcorn.

“Sorry about my parents tonight. I know they can be super lame.” You huffed out a laugh.

“What do you mean? Your parents are great!” Eddie said.

“No, I know, but they act so goofy. It’s embarrassing.” You shook your head.

At least you have parents.

“Jesus Eddie.”

“What? I didn’t…oh shit. Babe I’m sorry. It’s just, you should be thankful that you have parents who care about you. Not all of us are that lucky.”

“I’m not that lucky Eddie! Fuck! How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me!” You sighed.

“Then tell me! Please, enlighten me as to how your two wonderful parents can be so bad!” Eddie egged you on.

“THEY'RE NOT MY PARENTS!” You shouted at him, then took a deep breath. “Eddie, they’re not my real parents.”

Eddie sat a looked at you, mouth agape, speechless. You could tell that he was waiting for you to continue, but you needed a moment to collect your thoughts. You had to explain everything, this conversation could change everything.

“My parents, Eddie, they did some horrible shit. Neither of them had any other family, my mom she uh, she had post-partum depression, she wasn’t doing well, for a long time after my little sister was born. I guess that had caused my dad to seek comfort elsewhere, I was only six when all this happened. But uh, my mom she uh she left my sister in the bath alone, my sister slid down into the water and drowned, she was only 8 weeks old. When my dad came home and found her, he was furious. Eddie he killed my mom, and then he killed himself. I ended up in foster care and bounced from home to home until I was twelve, until they took me in.”

“Sweetheart. I, I am so sorry. I don’t, I’m not sure what to say.” Eddie whispered. “But uh, you said. You had mentioned that your mom told you bedtime stories about how her and your dad met.”

“My mom now, she would tell me how her and my dad met, every night until I finally started sleeping.” You explained.

The nightmares made it impossible. I couldn’t stop seeing the blood.

Eddie crossed the room and pulled you into his arms. He couldn’t believe that he had been so stupid this whole time. You had been silently telling him that your life wasn’t all that perfect, that though now, it seemed good, it hadn’t always been. He needed you to know that he was here for you, no matter what.

I’ve got you. I will always have you baby.

A sob escaped your throat, ripping through the silence. Eddie held you; he laid you with him in his bed, his hand brushing through your hair gently, whispering sweet nothings to you.

I haven’t told anyone that story. Nobody, ever. Not even my parents. Your secret is safe with me. You are safe with me. I love you sweetheart. I love you Eds.

Tag List: @sashaphantomhive

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juniperskye · 5 months

Text

Why are you in my head? Pt. 4

Bold are Eddie’s thoughts; Italics are reader’s thoughts. (mind you, they are essentially hearing both sets of thoughts)

Eddie Munson x Fem Sunshine! Reader (Soulmate AU)

Fluff/Smut - Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Word count: 2070

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! My blog is 18+, minors DNI, Smut, explicit language, no use of y/n, fem reader, unprotected sex (wrap it up people), Also reader doesn’t go to the bathroom after (always go to the bathroom after sex guys), let me know if I missed any!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

Since you had shared your past with Eddie, things had been really good. It had truly been this big ugly thing just looming over you and now that it was gone, this whole soulmate thing was finally starting to feel like everyone had explained.

Since that night, Eddie and you were inseparable, you spent nearly every waking second together. You had initially worried that his friends would grow sick of you pretty quickly, but thankfully that hadn’t been the case. They had actually seemed quite fond of you.

Eddie had explained that they all liked you because you were just so lovable, but his friends had clued you into the truth behind their fondness. It could all be chalked up to the fact that you brought baked goods for everyone at lunch every Friday, you stood up for them similarly to Eddie, you were willing to chauffeur the younger kids around, and Eddie hadn’t been so hard on them in Hellfire since you’d been around.

Speaking of Hellfire, you were super excited because tonight was the first night you’d be sitting in on a campaign. You had wanted to sit in before, but Eddie had asked that you hold off for a while. He had told you that there was a new campaign that he had been working on and he wanted it to be the first one you witnessed!

This campaign would span over a few weeks of Hellfire Club meetings, but the gist of it was that the guys’ characters were trying to take down an evil ruler, there were quests along the way.

You went about your day as usual, going from class to class. Eddie utilizes his free period on Fridays to set up the theater storage room, but then he made sure to meet you at your locker to escort you.

As you approach your locker you see Eddie standing there waiting.

Ugh you’re so freaking hot!

I can’t wait for you to finally see me be the Dungeon Master!

You couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as you finally came face to face with him. He pressed a sweet and sloppy kiss to your lips and slid out of the way so you could put your things in your locker. After doing so, Eddie slipped his hand into your own and led you down the halls to the room.

“Are you ready for this baby?” He questioned.

“Yes! I am so excited to see you in your element!” You gushed.

“Okay! Just uh, I can get a little intense, so…just be prepared.”

“What? You, Eddie Munson, intense? You could never!” You feigned surprise.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough! Let’s do this!” He laughed, nudging you into the room.

Eddie led you over to a chair sat right beside his throne at the head of the table. He gestured for you to sit down beside him and began organizing his notes as the boys began filtering in. The noise level rose significantly as each boy arrived. To anyone else, this would’ve been headache inducing, but you’d grown so accustomed to it that it was like white noise at this point.

You watched with careful eyes as Eddie’s nimble fingers flipped through pages and pages of notes for this campaign. Your breath caught in your throat as he passed a sketch of a beautiful heroine, she was ethereal, and the sketch drew you in.

She’s beautiful!

She’s you.

Your eyes flashed upwards to meet Eddie’s gaze. He held a finger to his lips in a shush signal and sent a wink your way. Next thing you knew he was commanding the attention of the rest of the group and informed them it was time to begin.

You were in complete and utter awe. Eddie was incredible, the way he commanded a room and just became the dungeon master. You couldn’t quite believe what you were witnessing in this moment. And even more so, you couldn’t believe what you were feeling. Especially in the apex of your thighs.

Eddie and you hadn’t slept together yet, you had talked about it, how neither of you were virgins, but you both had wanted to wait until the timing was right. And well, if this is how your body was going to react to him, then you were hoping that night would come sooner rather than later.

“And…That’s a MISS! So sorry my friend. You guys should discuss how you’d like to proceed.” Eddie Exclaimed.

Why is this turning me on? What the hell is wrong with me?

Eddie’s gaze shot over to you, he immediately noticed how flushed your cheeks and chest were, how your eyes were glazed over and your breathing was slightly labored. He couldn’t believe it; you were turned on by him being the dungeon master. In this moment he knew exactly why you were his soulmate.

You like that baby?

Your eyes met his, mortification flashing across your face. Eddie was quick to place his hand on your thigh to put your racing thoughts to rest. He gave you a subtle nod and leaned in close to whisper in your ear.

“It’s okay baby, as soon as we’re done here, I’ll take you home and take care of you.” He nipped your earlobe.

Eddie hollered at the group, prompting them to make a choice so they could continue the campaign. He told them they were nearing a good stopping point for the evening. And everything after that was drowned out by the growing arousal within you.

It felt like hours before the campaign ended. Before the guys were finally packing up their shit and Eddie was practically dragging you to his van.

He couldn’t get you guys home fast enough. Everything was moving so fast and while you were excited for this to finally be happening, you wanted to savor it.

We should slow down. Fuck. I don’t want to rush this.

“I was thinking the same thing.” You whispered.

Eddie pulled back and smiled at you. He grabbed your hand in his and slowly led you to his bedroom. The two of you sat on his bed and began making out, it was full of passion and love.

Eddie’s kisses began trailing down your neck as his hands began roaming your figure. Your hands moved up to tug at the curls hugging the nape of his neck. You couldn’t help the growing wetness between your thighs, Eddie was truly skilled with his mouth, and he hadn’t even made it to where you were most desperate for him. The effect he had on you; you were sure it was due to the fact he was your soulmate. It had never felt this wonderful before, it had never felt this right.

Ugh. I need you so badly.

“All you had to do was ask sweetheart.” Eddie whispered against the planes of your skin.

He gently laid you back on his bed and you moved to take your shirt off. He pulled back to follow suit and before you knew it, your clothes were in a heap on the floor, leaving you in your panties with Eddie’s fingers toying with your slit. Eddie was down to his boxers, and you were palming his bulge through them.

Jesus, I feel like I’m 13 again…about to bust because of a little friction.

You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped you. Eddie stopped his movements and brought his gaze up to your own.

“You heard that then.” He asked.

“It’s okay Eds, I uh, I can’t believe how good this is either.” You smiled.

Eddie nodded at you and captured your lips in a kiss. He wrapped his arms around you and the world began to fade away. You had heard rumors about sex with your soulmate, but that’s all they had ever been until now. In this moment, everything you had ever heard about sex with your soulmate seemed to be an understatement.

Eddie gripped his shaft and directed it into you, pushing in with own swift thrust. Your eyes rolled to the back of your skull and a moan ripped through your body. Eddie’s cock had been larger than any other you had taken before, in that initial thrust alone he had slammed into your g-spot, and every thrust after hit it again and again.

Eddie continued on like this, his stamina seemed never ending, the light that shone in from under the sheet covering his window had long since faded. The sounds outside had switched from children playing to crickets chirping.

Eddie pressed his forehead against your own your breaths intermingled as another orgasm ripped its way through your body. Eddie caught your cry with a kiss, his own moan dying as your lips met. Eddie’s thrusts began to slow along with your heartrates. Eddie turned the two of you, so you were on your sides facing one another, his cock slipping out as it softens within you.

You nuzzled your nose into Eddie’s neck, the smell of his skin lulling you into a deep sleep. Eddie held you close, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

I love you Eds.

I love you baby.

The morning sun is what woke Eddie, he looked over to where you were laid out sleeping. You were face down, your hair was cascading over the pillow, the sheets bunched around your hips. Eddie ran his fingers gently over your spine, he had been in awe of you. You were stunning even after multiple orgasms and a night of sleep; you were laid here next to him looking absolutely breath taking. You began to stir, and he couldn’t help but smile at you.

“Good morning Eds.” You grumbled.

“Good morning baby.” He responded, “Did you want to shower really quick then go grab breakfast at Benny’s?” Eddie asked you.

“Mmm, that sounds amazing!” You smiled at him as you stretched your arms.

Eddie got up, leading you to the bathroom as he got the water started, he pulled two towels out from under the sink and told you to sit tight while he went to get a glass of water for the two of you to share.

Eddie looked over into the living room to see Wayne fast asleep on the pull-out couch. Eddie smiled to himself, this is his family right here, you and Wayne.

Once you and Eddie had finished showering, he led you back to his room to get dressed. He wore his usual black pants with a silver chain, a Metallica shirt, and his jacket. You looked over at him as you slid on your jeans and clasped your bra.

Where is my shirt?

“Is that it over there?” He pointed to a blue shirt crumpled over on his side of the bed.

“Thanks!” You reached to grab it. “Uh Eddie…”

“What’s…?” Eddie looked over at you and then the soiled shirt that he’d clearly used to clean the two of you up last night.

Shit!

“Sorry baby, let me grab you a shirt to wear!” He offered.

Ooh! Please give me that iron maiden one you wear all the time, it always smells like you.

Eddie smiled and reached into his closet to pass you the shirt you’d subconsciously asked him for. He slipped out of his room and let you finish getting ready for breakfast. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed Wayne sitting at the table sipping coffee while reading the paper.

“Morning Wayne!” Eddie greeted.

“Morning son. Is your girl here?” Wayne asked.

“Oh uh, yeah. She stayed over, is that okay?” He asked.

“Of course it is son. Just make sure her parents are okay with it before it happens and be safe.” He warned. “She’s a good kid Ed. I can see how happy you two make one another.”

“Yeah, I really love her Wayne. I uh. I’m gonna marry her.” Eddie confessed.

I am gonna make her my wife. As soon as I can.

My answer is yes Eds. Whenever you plan to ask, know that I’ll say yes.

Eddie’s face turned a bright shade of red as you came up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist, pressing your cheek to his back. You glanced over his shoulders to see Wayne sitting there.

“Good morning Wayne!” You smiled “You ready to go Eds?” You asked innocently, your stomach growling. “Uh, yeah babe. Let’s get you fed!” He laughed.

Tag List: @sashaphantomhive @silky-luxe

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juniperskye · 6 months

Text

Like I Talk To Myself.

Sneak Peek: Being the new kid in school has Jason and his asshat friends saying some horrible shit to you. In attempt of being your white knight, Eddie finds out that it’s not Jason and his goons who you need to be saved from. Eddie’s POV. Indented section is a phone call (italics are Eddie and bold is Wayne)

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

Hurt/Comfort

Word count: 2004

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, language, reader is clinically depressed, mentions of abusive home life, description of injuries from abuse, bad medication management, self-deprecation, suicidal thoughts, mention of self-harm, description of injuries related to self-harm. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF THESE THEMES ARE TRIGGERING TO YOU!!! If I missed any, let me know!

That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

The new girl had been here for nearly two months now. I had tried really hard to hide how into her I was, but the guys pretty much guessed it the second they saw me checking her out. She was different than the girls here in Hawkins, she kept to herself, not pursuing the usual popular guys. Truthfully he hadn’t seen you attempt to pursue anyone in your time here.

She was in my math class and every day she would come in with her head down, hood up, and quickly find a seat in the back. She’d end up doodling most of the class, like she was right now. The bell ringing startled her, I really wanted to reach out and comfort her, she seemed like she needed it.

I exited the classroom right behind her, only to watch Andy slam right into her. Her books went flying all over the hallway and Andy started yelling at her.

“Watch where you’re going you stupid bitch.” Andy roared.

“Woah Andy, back off. You ran into her!” I had no idea why I was interjecting.

“Oooh I get it! The freak found himself a freakette.” Jason chimed in.

“No, that’s not…” I stuttered.

“I don’t give a shit. Just keep that bitch on a leash, or next time, I’ll kick your ass.” Andy barked.

I looked back to see her scrambling to grab her things and make her way out the doors that lead to the football field. Jason and his idiot friends had been treating her like this since she arrived. They had initially tried to get in her pants and when she refused they called her things like prude, virgin Mary, but then it escalated to slut and whore. And now their name of choice had been bitch.

I made quick haste of following her, something in me just needed to make sure she was okay. As I moved to trail her, my foot made contact with something. I glanced and recognized it immediately as the notebook she’s always carrying. I picked it up and a few pages fell out, leaning over to grab them, my breath escaped me. The words and images scrawled on these pages were dark.

I picked up the pace and saw that she was headed to the picnic table in the clearing. I wasn’t far behind, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t startle her, so I called after her, just as she was sitting down.

“Hey!”

“What do you want?” She snapped.

“I uh, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Plus, I wanted to give this back to you.” I explained.

“Did you go through this?” She accused.

“No, but some of the pages fell out and I did see them…you’re not gonna go through with it are you?” I asked.

“Dude, that is none of your business. It’s not like anyone would miss me anyway.”

“I would.” I mumbled.

“You don’t know me.” She said.

I moved to sit next to her on the bench, sure to leave her enough space. Being this close to her, I could see how her skin looks dull, her cheeks sunken in, her hair looked brittle. In front of me was a girl who was going through a really hard time, and I wanted to do anything in my power to lift some of her burden.

“I don’t know much about you, but I’d really like to. I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Jason’s torture.”

“Eddie, if they think that they can make me cry more than me, they’re wrong. It’s my voice in my head telling me I’m better off dead. Not Jason’s, not Andy’s, mine.” She explained.

I was speechless, I truly couldn’t believe that she felt this horrible. I had seen this girl and the amazing things she was capable of; she had silently helped others in her time here. She would loan out a pencil if it was needed, she had given her lunch to a kid who couldn’t afford it, hell, she had pulled a kid out of the way of Andy in the hall just last week so they wouldn’t have to endure what she did today. She was such a good person and he wished she could see it.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” I asked her.

“I guess…you already know way too much about me.” She shrugged.

“In your notebook, I saw something about you hurting yourself…is that true?”

She looked down at her hands, resting in her lap. I was fully expecting her to tell me off and walk away, I had clearly pushed a boundary. But instead, she reached for her zipper, pulled it down and slid her jacket off her shoulders. She folded it neatly and placed it on the table, revealing her arms to me. A choked noise escaped my throat as my eyes roamed over the number of scars that littered her arms. There were scars that were clearly from cigarettes, other burn type scars and a bunch of neat parallel lines that varied in color. Some were white and obviously healed, some were raised scars from the depth, and some were red and recently scabbed over.

“It’s bad. I know.” She shook her head, a tear falling and landing on her jeans.

“Hey, there is no judgement. I just, I am curious to know why.” I replied.

“Why? I don’t…I’ve never been asked that before. I mean my parents treat me like shit, my dad likes to fight when he’s drunk. And my mom, she belittles me every chance she gets…she thinks depression is a joke and that I am making things up. Even after being diagnosed, she still thinks I am trying to get attention, she withholds my prescription from me sometimes.” She paused, she looked surprised at herself that she’d been able to vent freely.

“Honestly Eddie…by inflicting physical pain, I am able to shift my focus to that instead of the emotional pain. It allows me this release of all the horrible shit I am feeling after dealing with school or home.”

I looked at her, gently reached up to brush a strand of her hair back and then grabbed her hand. I locked eyes with her again, to make sure she was okay with this, and when she nodded subtly, I brought her wrist to my lips and placed a light kiss there.

“I just want the pain to end Eddie.” She sniffled.

“I know that things are really shitty right now, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it’ll get better, but I do know that there are steps we can take to improve it little by little and I want to help you do that if you will let me.”

*Two Months Later*

I had just gotten to school and made my way to her locker and waited, just as I had done every day for the last two months. I had promised her that I would be by her side in any way I could, and I wasn’t about to break that promise. Only, today she didn’t show. Maybe she was running late…right? I headed off to English and hoped I would see her in third period for math. When she wasn’t there, I knew I had to find her.

I left the school and drove straight to her house; I couldn’t stomach the thought of what I might find. I didn’t want to drive without knowing if she was okay, but I also couldn’t waste any more time.

I didn’t take the time to park, leaving the van diagonally in her driveway. Rushing over to the door and throwing it open.

“Hey peach, you here?” I called out, hoping she’d be sick on the couch, but when I was met with silence I made my way to the stairs, taking them two at a time. “Peach?”

I heard a quiet sob come from the bathroom and began knocking.

“Hey peach, it’s me. Can I come in?”

“No Eddie, go away, please.” She cried.

“You know I can’t do that, not until I see you’re okay.” I pleaded.

The lock to the door clicked after a moment and I quickly opened the door. The sight I was met with was one I never wish to see again. She was sat on the bathroom floor in a tank top and shorts, drops of blood were pooling on the tiles below her. Only it wasn’t of her own doing, she had a black eye, split lip and eyebrow, a sizeable cut across her cheek, and bruises littering her arms and legs.

“Peach. Who did this to you?”

“Eddie…”

“Peach. Who. Did. This.”

“My dad.” She sobbed, dropping her head into her hands.

I had to take a deep breath to calm myself. My vision was tinted in crimson, rage filling my being. I knew I needed to keep my cool though, I didn’t want to upset her anymore than she already was.

I looked at her and asked her if I could help clean up those cuts. She nodded and let me lift her to the countertop. I cleaned and bandaged her cuts and helped her to her room, I told her to lie down and went to grab her a water and some Tylenol. Once in the kitchen I grabbed the phone, dialing home.

Hey Wayne…I need a favor. My friend, That girl you call peach? yeah peach. Are you with her now? Tell her I said hi! I will Wayne. She uh, she needs a place to stay. Eds we shouldn’t get into other people’s business…plus she’d have to stay in your room…and I don’t want any funny business under my roof. No, I know. Wayne it’s bad. She can stay here. Okay, thank you.

I made my way back to her room and handed her the water and Tylenol. I didn’t know how to suggest to her that we pack all her stuff and get her out of here, but I know I needed to. She deserved to be in a home where people loved and cared about her…not stuck here in this hell her parents have created for her.

“Hey peach…”

“Eddie…”

“You go first.” I suggested.

“I um, I know it’s a big ask…but do you think maybe I could…you know what never mind.” She shook her head.

“I called Wayne when I was downstairs. I asked him if you could stay with us, and he said yes.” I explained.

“Really? Thank you Eddie!” She sniffled and pulled me into a hug.

“Let’s get you packed!”

After gathering her things, we made our way out to the van. She left a note for her parents explaining that they didn’t need to worry about her, not that they had before. And we headed back to the trailer. Wayne came outside to help bring her things in as we pulled up, when he saw her face, he glanced at me and gave me a short nod. We got her things inside, and I helped her unpack some of her stuff.

Wayne ordered us a pizza and bid us goodnight as he left for work. I let her shower first and then after we’d both showered and brushed our teeth, we got into bed. Only after she told me it was unacceptable for me to sleep on the floor.

“I gave him the finger.” She whispered.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“He was yelling at me and calling me names. I uh, I gave him the finger and told him to go to hell.” She explained.

“You did?”

“Yeah.” She chuckled “I’m not going to tolerate being called useless, stupid, or being told I am too hard to love. Not by them and not by me. Not anymore.” She turned over and smiled at me.

I couldn’t help but smile back. She was so easy to love, and I couldn’t wait to show her that.

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juniperskye · 7 months

Text

Chewing Gum

Summary: Eddie gets gum in his hair, so Steve takes him to his favorite salon to get it out. The events of season 4 did not happen.

Eddie Munson x Hair Stylist (Fem)Reader (she’s kind of sunshiny emo lol also she’s described to have colored hair, tattoos, and piercings)

Fluff

Word count: 1474

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, no use of y/n, language!, Jason Carver being an ass, half assed salon info, let me know if I missed any!

not edited - please be kind. Requests are open and feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

Jason Carver is a dick. He treated Eddie and the boys like shit and went out of his way to make sure they knew they were “freaks”.

Eddie saw Chrissy get bumped by one of the other basketball players. They were messing around in the halls like a bunch of Neanderthals and Chrissy got struck in the crossfire. She was body checked into a locker and her books went flying.

“Here.” Eddie offered Chrissy her science book that had slid across the hall.

“Thanks Eddie.” Chrissy smiled.

Eddie nodded back to her and moved toward his homeroom, but not before Jason stormed over, purposely bumping Eddie in the process.

“Let’s go babe.” Jason said, pulling Chrissy along with him.

This had been a pretty tame reaction from Jason…or so Eddie thought. Eddie made it through homeroom and history no problem, it was when he got to lunch that all hell broke loose.

“Woahhh dude! You have gum in your hair.” Garreth said to Eddie.

“HA HA very funny Garreth.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Oh shit! Ed, man he’s not joking.” Dustin informed the older boy.

With that, Eddie reached to the back of his head and brushed his hand over his hair. As he shifted from the top of his head down towards the nape of his neck, he felt the sticky wad of chewing gum, causing his curls to tangle up.

Laughter erupted across the cafeteria, as Eddie’s gaze shifted to the disruption his eyes met Jason’s who shot him a smirk and a wink. Further proving Eddie’s theory that the asshole that was Jason Carver had, in fact, been the culprit of this incident.

“Eddie, I could call Steve, his hair guy could probably fix you right up.” Dustin offered.

“Hell no. The last thing I want to do is get help from Steve.” Eddie scoffed.

“We could just cut it out.” Mike shrugged.

“Fuck it. Call Steve.” Eddie conceded.

Dustin and Eddie made their way to the school’s payphone. Dustin was quick to dial the number and explain the whole situation to Steve once he picked up. Steve had offered to take Eddie to his hair guy, but only if Eddie asked nicely and said please…which he reluctantly choked out over the phone.

“I’ll come pick you up.” Steve told Eddie, before hanging up.

Fifteen minutes later, Steve pulled up to the school in his burgundy BMW, yelling at Eddie to “hop in”. The drive started off in an uncomfortable silence. This was the first time Eddie had hung out with Steve alone, not that they were hanging out.

“So, listen Eddie, nobody, and I mean NOBODY, knows that this is where I get my hair done and honestly I’d like to keep it that way.” Steve explained.

“Okay…you’re freaking me out. Where is this place?” Eddie said as he looked around the unfamiliar neighborhood.

“Just up here on the left.” Steve said, pulling up in front of a hair salon.

Eddie initially felt confused, he figured that Steve would go to a barber, like any other guy from school, but this actually made a lot of sense. Steve cared about his hair the way any girl would and he’s very particular about it so naturally he would go somewhere that would take better care of his hair.

As they made their way up the curb, Eddie was able to get a better look of the inside. It was painted mostly black but there were bright pops of hot pink and teal around the place. There were pink velvet couches and those smiley face daisy pillows strewn about them. There was only one employee in the place, and she was currently blow drying some girl’s hair.

Eddie’s eyes scanned the hair stylist, you were beautiful you had pink streaks in your hair, dark tattoos littering your arms and a nose ring. You took Eddie’s breath away.

“Steven Harrington you better not be back here to ask me to cut your hair shorter. You made me take so much off last time and I still haven’t gotten over it!” You shrieked.

“Would you relax! I’m not here for a haircut, I’m here with my uh, my friend.” Steve said, glancing over at Eddie.

“Hi Steve’s friend! Oh, my goodness your hair is beautiful! Please don’t tell me you want me to cut it off!”

Your theatrics were making Eddie’s heart sing. The compliment had him blushing.

“God no! I don’t want to cut my hair, that’s actually why I’m here.” Eddie exclaimed.

“He got gum stuck in his hair.” Steve replied waving him off.

“I didn’t get shit stuck in my hair. That asshole Jason Carver spit gum in my hair.” Eddie explained.

“Ugh the Carver boys are all terrors. I remember being a sophomore when Michael Carver was a senior and if he wasn’t the biggest douche bag, then I don’t know who was.” You said, shaking your head. You shifted your gaze over to where Eddie and Steve were sitting. “Wait a minute! I know you, Eddie Munson, we had freshman English together!” You said, reintroducing yourself to him.

“I knew you looked familiar!” Eddie smiled.

You told him that you’d be with him in just a minute, you wanted to get your client finished up and checked out. He watched in awe as you effortlessly sectioned and styled her hair, led her over to the register and cleaned your station quickly. He noticed you gathering a few things, which he could only assume would be for him.

“Okay come over and sit!” You gestured to your chair. As Eddie made himself comfortable you began explaining what you were going to do. “So, I am basically going to load your hair up with oil which should allow the gum to slide out. I will wash your hair after too, so you don’t leave here looking like a greasy mess. I have a reputation to uphold!”

“Okay, thanks.” Eddie said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

“If you want I can trim your hair too, just clean it up, make it so your bangs aren’t in your eyes so much.” You offered.

“Oh um, that would be great but I uh, I don’t have any…”

“It’s on the house Eddie. Just a favor for a friend.” You said quietly.

Eddie nodded slightly and you got to work, slipping on some gloves, and pouring the hair oil into your hands. You started working it into his hair, really targeting the areas around the chewing gum. Slowly but surely the gum started to untangle itself from Eddie’s chocolate tresses. Once the gum was completely out, you led Eddie over to the shampoo bowl and proceeded to wash his hair. You couldn’t help but smile down at the soft expression he wore on his face. His eyes had fluttered shut and you thought he truly could have been asleep the way his face was relaxed. After washing, conditioning and finally rinsing his hair, you gently grasped his shoulder.

“Eddie, you ready for me to cut your hair?”

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Eddie said, carefully getting up and heading back to your chair.

Eddie sat and you and him chatted back and forth as you trimmed his hair. You had made sure to communicate through every part of the process, which products you were using and why, the way you were cutting his hair and adding in some natural layering to help with the bulk, trimming his bangs a little shorter than he was used to so they wouldn’t be too long so quickly. You pulled out the hair dryer and attached the diffuser, explaining what it did to Eddie and letting him know that blow drying definitely isn’t necessary for him to do.

Steve couldn’t help the shit-eating grin that plastered its way on his face at the interaction playing out before him. He had never seen Eddie sit still this long or listen this intently to anyone. Steve couldn’t help but think that Eddie had better thank him for bringing him here.

“Alright Eddie you are all set.”

“Thank you so much, seriously! I really appreciate it and I don’t think my hair has ever looked or felt this good.” Eddie said, admiring your handywork.

“Of course! And by the way if you ever get gum in your hair again, peanut butter or cooking oil can get it out, it just takes a bit of work.” You explained. “But know that you can always come here, and I can help too!” You couldn’t help but mentally facepalm.

“Yeah. That sounds good! You know, I would need your number…you know to get a hold of you..” Eddie smirked.

He couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of thanks toward Jason Carver…he had brought you into his life, all with a piece of chewing gum.

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juniperskye · 26 days

Text

Bangin’

Summary: I’m back with more hair stylist reader!!! Eddie finally graduated from Hawkins High and moved to New York City. There was definitely a culture shock, but he was finding it easier to fit in there than back in Hawkins. The one thing he was having trouble with however, was his hair management. His neighbor in the trailer park, Ms. Sweeny, used to cut his hair for him, but now living in a new city…he needed to find a good salon. The events of season 4 did not happen.

Eddie Munson x Hair Stylist (Fem)Reader (she’s kind of sunshiny emo lol also she’s described to have colored hair, tattoos, and piercings)

Fluff

Word count: 977

REQUESTS ARE OPEN - not edited - please be kind. Requests are open and feedback is welcome if it's constructive!

Warnings: My blog is 18+, minors DNI, no use of y/n, half assed salon info, let me know if I missed any!

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

Eddie let out a huff of air in attempt to blow his bangs out of his eyes. His hair had been pulled back into a low messy bun, to keep it out of his face while he moved stage equipment for tonight’s show.

He had moved to New York six months ago after finally graduating from Hawkins High. The big move hadn’t come as a surprise to his friends back home, they all knew that Eddie was destined for greatness. The day he left, he made a promise to Garreth, Jeff and Grant, letting them know that the band wasn’t dead, and he’d be waiting for them to join him in the city when they graduated. That same day, Wayne handed Eddie an envelope, letting him know he had been saving it to ensure Eddie could get by until he had a steady job.

Wayne had pulled Eddie into a tight embrace and they both sniffed, ensuring to keep themselves composed. Refusing to shed any tears. They had separated, shared a curt nod and then Eddie got in his van and drove off.

New York had been everything he had dreamed of, the hustle and bustle of the city was far more his speed than that of suburban Hawkins. He had gotten a job at this bar; it was a few blocks away from his apartment and they had needed someone to bartend and help out with the bands that played there. Eddie had jumped at the opportunity, and he had mentioned his band upon his employment.

The owner of the bar had told Eddie to get him a demo tape and that he would decide if they would play there. He’d been overjoyed when the manager expressed interest after hearing the tape, telling Eddie that as soon as his friends got to NYC they’d have a place to play.

But that was still a few months off. Until then, Eddie would have to make himself useful at the bar. Which is how he currently found himself setting up amps on the stage for tonight’s show. The bar was pretty warm, heating had kicked on to combat the chill from outside. Which is exactly why Eddie had pulled his hair into a lazy bun, only now it wasn’t the heat that was getting to him, but his unruly curls that framed his face.

“Hey man, once the stage is set, you’re good to go for the night. I appreciate you coming in on your day off to help.” Carol, the bar manager, informed Eddie.

“Thanks Carol!” Eddie said, blowing his bangs out of his face once more.

“Cutting Edge.” Carol said.

“What?” Eddie questioned.

“Cutting Edge, it’s a salon over on Bleecker. The hairstylist there can fix up those bangs.” Carol informed as she walked to the back office.

“Hey, thanks!” Eddie called after her.

Once the stage was all set up, Eddie grabbed his stuff and made his way over to Bleecker. He walked past an assortment of restaurants, shops, barbers, until he found your salon. Tucked between Joe’s pizza and The Paw Spa was a tiny salon, on the front window painted in clean white letters were the words “Cutting Edge” with a pair of scissors painted below.

As Eddie entered, a small bell rang out from above the door. He looked over to see two hair cutting stations and two shampoo stations, there was a narrow hallway that seemingly led back to additional space. The salon was designed using mostly black and white accents, checkered floors, bright walls, polaroids lined the wall behind the front desk. In the pictures, Eddie took note of the incredible haircuts and colors that the patrons in the images wore.

“I’ll be right with you hon.” Your warm voice called out over the buzzing of the clippers.

“No rush, thank you.” Eddie replied.

He watched as you faded the sides of this guy’s haircut. The top had been longer, curly and blue, but you had brought the sides in with a perfectly blended fade. As you turned the chair Eddie noticed the design you had lined in his hair. He was in awe of how meticulous you had been in your work.

That is when his gaze shifted to you. You took his breath away, with your black and pink hair, your septum piercing and the tattoos that littered your exposed arms.

“Alright Theo, your total today is, $15. Thank you so much for coming in!” You greeted.

“Thank you! The cut is great, and the color has been holding up well. I’ll call you to schedule a root touch up soon.” Theo suggested before making his leave.

“How can I help you?” You greeted Eddie, finally noticing how handsome he is.

“I uh, I just need a trim. My hair is in my eyes all the time and it’s driving me insane.” Eddie explained,

“Absolutely! Come on back and have a seat.” You gestured to your station.

Eddie sat and you asked him a few questions to gauge how short he wanted his hair. You had inquired about the last time he had a trim and what his current haircare routine was. Once you’d started cutting his hair, he’d been able to ask you a few questions. He’d asked about your taste in music, how long you had been in New York, and how you got into hair.

By then you were done with his hair, and he couldn’t help but feel saddened by the fact that it was over. He wanted to keep talking to you, it had been so easy, he didn’t want it to end.

“Are you done for the evening?” Eddie inquired.

“I am, I just have to close up.” You explained.

“Would you want to come see this band at the bar I work at?” Eddie offered.

“I would love to.” You smiled.

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juniperskye · 10 months

Text

Expectations

Summary: Reader has no place to go, so she and her son, James, move in with her aunt Claudia and cousin Dustin. She gets a job at a record store and befriends a girl named, Robin. After a few too many drinks at some dingy bar, Robin introduces reader to none other than Eddie Munson. After a lust fueled evening, the reader finds herself in the same position she was in just 4 years prior…would things be different this time, or would Eddie let her down too? (Kids name is James – I didn’t want it to be filled with y/k/n and James is the name of the vocalist/guitarist from Metallica *this comes up in the fic* and ex’s name is Ryan…just popped in my head, sorry!) The events of season 4 did not happen, Argyle and Chrissy are in the friend group, honestly the upside-down isn't mentioned at all!

(mechanic) Eddie Munson x (single mom) Henderson Reader

Angst/Fluff

Word count: 11,685 (I am so sorry)

Warnings: No use of y/n, anxiety, mentions of past abusive relationship, mentions of having cut off toxic familial relationships, mention of pregnancy and birth, allusion to sex (NO smut), PTSD, language, drinking, mention of menstruation, panic attack, hospitals, let me know if I missed any!

Not edited - please be kind.

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

*Phone rings*

“Who the hell is calling at this hour? *Picks up the phone* Hello?”

“Aunt Claudia, I’m sorry for calling so late, I-I just…I didn’t know who else to call.” You rushed out.

“Honey what’s wrong? Is it James?” Claudia questioned; voice laced with concern.

“James is okay, I um, I…we need a place to stay.”

“I’ll get the guest room set up for you, do you need me to come and get you? Where’s Ryan?” Just her saying his name had you flinching.

“I um, I’m leaving Ryan. Aunt Claudia h-he…” Your voice trailed off. “I have my car though.”

“It’s okay honey, just get here safe.”

You appreciated the fact that Claudia didn’t push you for more information. You had a feeling she knew what you were going through…no one in your family ever explicitly said what happened to your uncle, just that he “wasn’t around” anymore. You had always been close to your aunt Claudia despite not being blood, but after her divorce from your uncle and your parents cutting off all contact with you when you got pregnant, Claudia and Dustin were all you had left.

You made quick work of packing up your car and getting James situated in his car seat. You got in, started the car and began backing out of the driveway. You gasped as you caught a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror. You had a split lip, a gnarly bruise forming on your right cheekbone, dried blood coming from a cut in your hairline (when did that even happen?). You took a shaky breath, hissing from the pain you felt in your ribs. Looking back up, you see Ryan emerging from the house, running toward the car.

“You stupid bitch! You think you can just leave me? Nobody is gonna take care of you and that boy like I do.” He screamed.

You hit the gas and took off down the road. James was crying in the back seat, and you tried to comfort him as you drove. You hadn’t expected Ryan to be up. After he “disciplined” you, as he called it, he got wasted and passed out on the couch, you had grabbed a bag for you and James, got them packed up and called your Aunt Claudia. He had put his hands on you before; grabbing your arm or wrist a bit too tight, roughly turning your chin towards him if you looked away during an argument, but never like tonight. Tonight, he had hit you, kicked you, shoved you into the edge of the counter. But the worst part is, he had done it in front of James and when you didn’t take it silently like he’d demanded, he’d threatened to “discipline” James next. You’d taken the remainder of his beating silently as hot tears burned their way down your cheeks; you’d rather be dead than have Ryan put his hands on James.

The drive to Hawkins was only about two hours. Most of it was spent in silence, James had fallen asleep, and you didn’t want to risk playing any music and disturbing him. You felt relief as the “Welcome to Hawkins” sign came into view, only a few more minutes and you’d be safe.

“Dustin, go outside and help her with the bags. Don’t make any comments about how she might look.”

“Mom! I shouldn’t even be awake right now…what even happened?” Dustin grumbled.

“Don’t ask questions and just go!” Claudia scolded.

“Alright! This is such bullshit…she’s an adult, she can carry this stuff herself – HOLY SHIT YOUR FACE!” Dustin shouted in surprise.

“Shhhh! James is sleeping!” You waved your hands at Dustin frantically.

“Dustin what did I just say?!” Claudia said as she slapped the back of Dustin’s head.

“Ow! Sorry.” Dustin said as he rubbed his head.

“Oh dear, let’s get you inside and clean you up.” Claudia said as she inspected your face further.

You grabbed James from the backseat as Dustin and Claudia grabbed your bags from the trunk, they’d placed them all in what was now your room. You gently laid James down on the bed and went back to the kitchen. Claudia was waiting there with a first aid kit. She patched you up without a word. You could tell she knew, and if she didn’t, she didn’t ask. She told you that you and James were welcome to stay with them as long as you needed and that she would take you to get some groceries and other necessities tomorrow. You told her that you were going to get a job and that way you wouldn’t have to be there for long and she waved you off, assuring you that you were more than welcome there.

*One Week Later*

You had gotten a job at a record store, thankfully the owner had just lost an employee as they went off to college. Their loss was your gain. They had flexible hours, and you had a love for music, it had really all worked out. It had been a while since you worked, Ryan having kept you isolated from everything the last year of your life. The mundane tasks this job had to offer put your mind at ease.

“Welcome in!” You shouted as the bell above the door alerted you to a customer entering.

“Hi there! Are you new around here?” A lanky girl with short dirty blonde hair questioned.

“Oh um, yeah I guess, I’ve visited Hawkins a bunch, but I only just recently moved here.” You explained.

“Cool! I’m Robin. I’m looking for the new Metallica record.”

You told her your name and turned to grab one of the new records from the stack on the back counter.

“You listen to Metallica?” You asked her, giving her a quick once over, you were sure she had never willingly listened to metal music.

“Oh! No, not really. I am picking it up for a friend of mine, he has to work and so he asked if I could pick it up since I have the day off.” She told you.

“That’s nice of you! Your total is $8.98.” You rang up Robin’s purchase.

You were silently hoping that this interaction would continue or that maybe she’d ask you to hang out sometime. You desperately needed adult friends seeing as the only person your age you’d been around as of late what Ryan. Robin had seemed pretty cool, she obviously had cool friends since she was buying the Metallica record for one of them, and who knows, maybe Robin would invite you to her friends and you would be able to rejoin society.

“So, I know we only just met, but your new to town and I would love to take you out…not like on a date or anything! I just mean like as friends, if you’d want. If not, that’s okay too, I’d understand since we’re strangers and all, but I just thought…”

“Yes! I would love to hangout.” You cut Robin off – God this girl could talk.

“You would? Awesome! Sorry I ramble, pretty much all the time. A friend of mine, he plays in a band at this dingy bar called The Hideout…a group of us were going to see them play tonight, you in?” Robin asked.

“That sounds awesome, should I meet you guys there?” You answered without thinking.

“Um, what time are you off? Maybe Steve and I could come pick you up on our way over there.” Robin glanced at her watch.

“I get off around seven thirty.” You replied.

“Okay, perfect! Steve and I will meet you out front then! See you later.” Robin skipped off.

“See you then!” You called after her.

“Shit.” You muttered to yourself.

You’d have to call and beg Aunt Claudia to watch James tonight. There was absolutely no way you were going to miss out on a night with people your age, drinks and live music.

Apparently, you didn’t need to beg because Claudia had been more than willing to look after James for the evening, claiming she needed time with her “grandson”. You supposed that Claudia was the closest thing you’d have to a mom and James would have to a grandma given the current situation. You were so grateful for how accepting she had been of you and James.

Checking the clock, you realize that it is almost time for you to head out. You decided to run to the restroom to refresh your makeup prior to meeting Robin and Steve outside.

Once you were happy with your look, you walked through the shop, bid the closer goodnight and headed out the front door. Glancing around you saw Robin with her head stuck out of the passenger side of a burgundy BMW.

“Hey girl!” Robin shouted as the BMW rolled to a stop.

“Hey Robin, thanks again for inviting me.” You said as you climbed into the back seat of the sedan.

“Absolutely! This is Steve, by the way.” Robin gestured towards the brunette in the driver’s seat.

He turned and offered you a small wave and a half smile. He was good-looking, there was no denying that, but he was the traditional type of good-looking. Like, everyone knows he’s hot, including him. This guy was definitely the prom king, captain of every sports team, voted best hair, blah blah blah…at his high school. And again, while you can’t deny that he was handsome…but he was most definitely not your type.

“Hey, thanks for driving tonight! It has been a while since I have hung out with people my age.” You mumbled out.

“Yeah, it’s no problem. Robin said you’re new to town?” Steve questioned.

“Oh, um, yeah, I guess. I have family here, so I used to visit a lot in the summers. But I only just moved out here last week.” You told him.

“You look really familiar…Like I’ve seen you before. Who’s your family?” Steve asked.

“Oh! I’m not sure you’d know them; my cousin is quite a bit younger than us.” You started…

“Don’t be so quick to shut it down, Steve here plays mom to like 50 of Hawkins adolescents.” Robin laughed.

“His name is Dustin, Dustin Henderson.”

“WHAT? Henderson is your cousin! No wonder you look so familiar, I bet I’ve seen your photo hundreds of times. The one of your high school graduation hanging in the living room. And there’s one of you and a little boy, is that your brother or something?” Steve surprised you.

“No, that’s um, that’s my son. Sorry I didn’t say anything earlier Robin, it’s just that I really wanted to spend some time with people my age. People are usually quick to write me off once they find out I am a single mom.” You said, your gaze falling to your lap.

“Hey, first of all, it’s badass that you’re a single mom. Second of all, that doesn’t change the fact that you seem super cool, and we want to hang out with you!” Robin reassured you as Steve nodded in agreement.

“Thanks guys.” You smiled shyly.

You tried your hardest not to tear up at Robin’s words. It seemed silly to be so emotional about something so simple…but Ryan had really made you believe that people would want nothing to do with some young single mom who had a child with no dad. Ryan claimed that him taking you and James in, a little over a year ago, was the best thing that would ever happen to you. For a while you thought he was right, that there was nothing better for you out there, but then the abuse started, and you knew you needed to get out of there.

“So how old is he?” Steve asked.

“James is three. He already acts like a teenager though I swear!” You laughed.

The ride had continued on like this, Robin, Steve and you asking one another questions to get to know each other.

*At The Hideout*

Robin had been generous, calling this place dingy. This bar was filled with smoke and old men, clearly the establishment’s regular cliental. There was a small group of people who looked to be about ten years your senior, they looked like teachers or something and another group was huddled over by the makeshift stage to the far right in the back of the bar.

A small brunette girl smiled at Steve and Robin and waved us over. As we made our way to them Robin pointed out the different people and gave me their names, Jonathan, Nancy, Argyle, and Chrissy. She had explained that the friend that you were all there to see was Eddie.

You had all made small talk while you waited for the band to come out. You were thankful that Robin and Steve hadn’t brought James up to the rest of the group. They were giving you the chance to tell everyone when you were ready and that meant a lot to you.

After about 15 minutes of chit-chat, the band made their way out. There were cheers throughout the bar, mainly from the group you were with. That is when you saw him…Eddie, as Robin had kindly pointed out. Now he was your type. Untraditionally hot, he’s the type of guy with tattoos and piercings, long hair and dresses in all black, he doesn’t outwardly admit that he’s drop dead gorgeous, hell he might even deny it…but you know he is.

You had to inwardly scold yourself for staring the way you were and thankfully, after a quick glance around the group, nobody seemed to notice other than Steve. He smirked and gently bumped his shoulder with yours, leaning over to tell you something.

“He’s single, and you’re totally his type.” Steve whispered in your ear.

“No way. Single mom to a three your old definitely doesn’t seem like his type.”

“Hey, give it a chance. He might surprise you.” Steve encouraged you.

You blushed and looked back to the stage, it hadn’t been long, but you could tell that these people were going to be good friends of yours. Already so kind, accepting, encouraging. It had been a complete 180 from the last few years of your life. Losing your parents all because they couldn’t handle having a “whore” daughter, friends walking away because “every time we hang out you have your kid with you”, and then there was Ryan, the man who broke you down to nothing and gaslit you into believing you deserved nothing more. In just an hour you’d already felt the warmth and love you had been missing out on and desperately seeking.

Lost in thought you felt a nudge to your rib, pain seared through you as you fought to hold in a cry. A concerned look flashed across Robin’s face as she noticed your discomfort.

“Sorry, I was trying to get your attention and you looked totally spaced. Are you okay?” Robin questioned.

“No, Sorry I’m good. I just uh, I have an injury from before I moved here.” You explained.

“Oh shit, glad you’re good though! I was trying to get your attention because Eddie is totally checking you out!” She squealed.

“What, stop. No, he’s not.” You blushed profusely.

Sure enough, he was indeed checking you out. Normally you would have shied away, unable to hold his gaze, but he was so captivating, you never wanted to look away from him.

The band played a total of seven songs, and you were pleasantly surprised at how talented they were. They had been covers of songs by different metal bands like Metallica, Dio and Iron Maiden. Metal was one of your favorite genres, so you had really enjoyed yourself, the handsome front man definitely made that easy.

With the band’s set being done, the guys made their way over to your group. Robin pointed out the rest of the guys, Gareth, Craig and Liam. They were nice, but not enough to draw your attention away from Eddie.

The two of you played this game of cat and mouse throughout the first round of drinks, shared glances, smirks, a wink here and there from Eddie. Steve was definitely catching on, he cleared his throat and suggested that he and Robin fetch another round for the table, thus vacating the seat next to you. Eddie was quick to move into Steve’s seat, he threw his arm up and around you on the booth and he leaned in close to your ear.

“Steve tells me your new to town, if you want, maybe I could show you around some time.” Eddie’s breath was hot on your neck as he spoke lowly into your ear.

Robin and Steve returned with more drinks and the night went on. Eddie continued whispering into your ear with his arm thrown over your shoulders. He’d ask you questions about your favorite genre of music, if you’d like the band’s set, but he’d also throw in flirty comments like that he thought you were pretty, and your skirt looked nice or that your hair smelled good. He was doing a good job of keeping a blush on your cheeks. You continued on like this for the third, fourth, and fifth round of drinks before you started feeling extra bold.

“Hey, about that tour, I’d think I might take you up on that sometime.” You tried to keep your face straight as Robin and Steve not-so-subtly gestured towards you and giggled.

“I know a great place we could start…you wanna get out of here?” Eddie offered.

Your eyes shot to his, surprised by how forward he was being…you weren’t sure if a one-time thing was what you were wanting, but you also were nowhere near ready for anything serious. You slowly nodded at him; you didn’t want to live with the regret that would surely follow declining his offer.

Eddie got up, grabbing your hand and dragging you behind him. Looking over, you see Steve and Robin nodding at you in approval. Eddie said something to his bandmates before dragging you out of the bar and over to his beat-up van. The two of you drove around in Eddie’s van for a bit while he pointed out a few spots around town. You made some casual small talk until the van came to a stop near a small lake.

“You know, I don’t really do this. Hooking up with girls I’ve just met I mean.” Eddie said nervously.

“I don’t either, honestly, I shocked myself when I agreed to leave the bar with you. Not because you’re not attractive, you totally are, just because I don’t do this sort of thing.” You cringed at how ridiculous you sounded.

Eddie looked over to you and broke out into a grin, before you both started laughing. The two of you sat and talked for a bit, you mentioned that your past hadn’t been the best and that you came to Hawkins to be close to your family. Eddie had told you that he also had a tough past and that for a long time he had yearned to get out of Hawkins, but now he didn’t mind it, he had his uncle and friends and now he had…his voice had trailed off. He knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to say he had you, you had only just met, but he was really enjoying your company and he felt a spark there. Judging by the way you were looking at him, you were feeling it too.

He slowly started to lean in, meeting your lips in a gentle kiss.

“Just take a right here.” You gestured.

“Okay. I hope you know I had a lot of fun tonight. Do you think maybe we could go get something to eat sometime?” Eddie asked.

“It’s that house there on the left. And yeah, I’d really like that.” You blushed as you looked down to your lap.

“Wait, this house here? This is Henderson’s house.” Eddie gave you a questioning look.

“Oh, you know Dustin too? He’s my cousin.” You explained.

“Fuck. Henderson is gonna be pissed.” Eddie muttered.

“What are you talking about? Dustin’s just a kid, his opinion of who I spend time with is not his business.” You said, letting out a frustrated breath.

“No! I didn’t mean it like that, I just, I don’t know. He’s a buddy of mine you know, and now I’ve slept with his cousin. I just don’t want it to be weird.” Eddie tried to clear things up.

“What’s weird is one, your friends with a fifteen-year-old and two, you’re implying that you are going to tell him we slept together.” You scoffed.

“Okay hold on, he joined my D&D club at school and I kind of took him under my wing. And I most definitely will not be telling him about tonight.” Eddie looked at you, hoping not to have ruined the entire evening.

“Okay, that’s actually pretty sweet that you looked out for him, he’s a total dork and definitely needed someone to keep an eye out for him. Also, that’s cool that you have a D&D club, I remember when I first introduced Dustin to it, he was so into it!”

“Wait, you are the one who got Dustin into D&D? That’s freaking awesome!” Eddie exclaimed.

“Yeah, we can talk about it more over dinner! I should probably head inside though.” You sighed.

“Okay, I’ll call you!” Eddie said as he leaned in and kissed you once more.

*Two Months Later*

Eddie and you had never gotten that dinner. You were disappointed to say the least, Robin and Steve had made it seem like Eddie was this great guy who was totally interested in you, and for one night, you had believed it. Part of you was convinced it was because you were related to Dustin, another part of you wondered if he had somehow found out about James. But the worst part of you, one that you so desperately wanted to push out, told you that you just weren’t good enough.

Despite the supposed lack of connection between Eddie and yourself, you’d grown very close with Robin and Steve. You had shared with them the horrors you had endured that ultimately led to you moving to Hawkins. They expressed their care for you and held you as you cried through it. They truly had become some of the best friends you were sure you’d ever have. The three of you got together frequently for movie nights, swimming at Steve’s house, dinner at your aunt’s, you were finally starting to feel like an actual person again. Unfortunately, things couldn’t stay this good forever right…

You had been avoiding your friends for the last week or so. You hadn’t felt amazing and in hopes of saving them from whatever illness you were clearly coming down with, you told them to keep their distance.

Robin, however, she didn’t care that you might be sick.

“Hey! Dustin let me in on his way out!” Robin called as she made her way down the hall.

“Hey, what are you doing here? I told you I was sick!” You tried to keep your distance.

“Girl, I am not even worried about it. What I am worried about though is how badly I need to pee!” You could hear Robin’s giggles as she made her way to the bathroom down the hall.

“Ughhhh Shit! Hey, do you have a tampon?” Robin yelled through the door.

“Yeah, they’re under the sink…” Your voice trailed off; you were trying to do the mental math as to when you’d had your last period. Your thoughts were buzzing through your mind, missed period, nausea, fatigue, tender breasts…

“Oh, fuck!” You said as Robin walked back into your room.

“What, what’s wrong?” Robin Asked.

“Mommy. Mommy!” James came running into the room and slammed into your legs.

“Hey baby, how was lunch with nana?” You asked as you scooped him up into your arms.

“It was fun! We had ice cream!” He told you, as if the sticky chocolate residue caked on his cheeks wasn’t a dead giveaway.

Robin smiled at your interaction with your son. Over the last two months she and Steve had spent quite a bit of time around him. She looked at you, and then at your son. She thought about your odd comment and all at once, she put the pieces together. You saw the lightbulb appear above her head.

“Robin don’t!”

“You’re pregnant!”

“We need to get to the pharmacy.” You said, while grabbing your keys.

You, Robin and James made your way to the car, you got James all strapped into his car seat and began driving over to the pharmacy. Robin told you to run and grab the test while she got a drink for you and to meet her in the bathroom.

You rushed through the pharmacy, gathering everything you needed before checking out and making a beeline to the bathroom. While you took the test, Robin sat with James, as you exited the stall you saw them playing patty cake and you couldn’t help but smile.

“How much longer?” Robin asked impatiently.

“Um, one minute and thirty seconds. Shouldn’t I be the one freaking out?” You asked.

“I know sorry! I’m friends with a lot of guys okay, this doesn’t happen often.” Robin chewed at her nails.

“It’s time…” You glanced over to the test.

Two lines. Positive. Pregnant. You were fucked, what would Claudia think? Oh shit…Eddie was going to flip.

As you drove home with James and Robin, you talked about breaking the news to Claudia. You knew that you’d have to tell her now. She knew you too well and you owed her complete honesty seeing as she took you in. Robin suggested that you go in and talk to her while she took James to your room to play with his toys and with a deep breath you agreed.

“Aunt Claudia?” You called out.

“In the Kitchen!” She returned.

You made your way into the kitchen as Robin led James back to the room as you’d discussed. You looked at your aunt and felt the tears stinging in your eyes. You weren’t sure what you’d do if she kicked you out. She and Dustin truly were the only people you had, other than Steve and Robin now.

“Sweetie what’s wrong?” Claudia questioned.

“I messed up, real bad aunt Claudia.” You cried.

“Oh, honey it can’t be that bad, just talk to me, tell me what happened.” She said as she pulled you into a hug.

“I-I. I’m p-pregnant.” You sobbed.

You could feel Claudia sigh, definitely displeased with the situation, but what shocked you was when she hugged you tighter, pressed a kiss to your temple and reassured you everything was going to be okay. She asked you a few questions like if you knew the guy, how you’d found out, if you’d called a doctor yet. She helped you schedule an appointment and made a few other calls. She did give you a lecture on the importance of safe sex and she threw in something about you going on the pill once this baby arrived. But ultimately she had your back and you let out a sigh of relief, grateful to have someone who actually cared about you as your “guardian” for all intents and purposes.

*Later that night*

“So, don’t hate me, but I called Steve.” You could see Robin cringe as she told you, fully expecting your wrath.

“Robin! What the hell? I don’t want everyone to know about this. I am so screwed; Claudia is going to kick us out and I’m going to have to figure out how to tell Eddie that I have a son and that I am pregnant now and ugh!!! I was just starting to feel like things were good and settled.” You ran your hands over your face, sighing.

“Holy shit you’re pregnant?” Steve huffed in disbelief.

“How did you get in here?!” You shouted.

“The door was open, but hey Robin said you were having a hard time, so I brought all the good stuff, cheese pizza, chocolate, potato chips and coke!” Steve rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.

“Well then, I guess you can stay. Thanks Steve.” You smiled at him.

The three of you sat in the living room watching movies while you pigged out on all the food Steve had brought. James had long been asleep laying next to you on the blankets you’d laid out on the floor. Robin had just dozed off, her quiet snores only just disturbing the quiet.

“You know, if Eddie doesn’t want to help you out with the baby, you have us. We will always be here for you. And I don’t know, I care about you and James is a really good kid and I, well, ugh. What I am trying to say is, I would step up and be there for you if he didn’t, that is, if you’d want that.”

“Steve you are the sweetest, I really appreciate you and if it comes to it, I might just take you up on that offer.” You couldn’t help but smile at his little outburst.

Somewhere within the next thirty minutes, you and Steve had both succumbed to your exhaustion. What inevitably woke you was an impatient knock on your door. You got up quietly and walked over, opening the door to expose Eddie.

“Oh shit, hey. I uh-I was looking for Dustin.” Eddie said looking anywhere but your eyes.

“Oh, uh hey Eddie, I don’t think he’s here. I think he stayed over at Mike’s.” You tried to push the door closed as much as you could to hide the sleeping figures in the living room.

“Look, about that night, I’m sorry. I know I should’ve called but I just got in my head about you being Henderson’s cousin and all and how much I liked you. I don’t know it just all happened so fast. I’ve wanted to talk to you for a while now, and I kinda thought I would be able to today since I had to come get Dustin…but then I saw Harrington’s car in the driveway.” He sounded disappointed.

“Yeah, um Robin and Steve came over and brought dinner and a movie for us to watch, we ended up falling asleep. We didn’t have plans they just sort of showed up, I hadn’t been feeling well so they were trying to help.” You were quick to explain.

“Oh okay, well can I come in?” He asked.

“I’m not sure it’s really the best time…” You looked over your shoulder briefly.

“Mommy, mommy!!” James came walking over to you, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

You bent over to pick James up and propped him on your hip. You looked over to Eddie and you could almost see the gears turning in his head as he processed James calling you mommy, the fact that you looked nearly identical and that you were here now standing in front of him with a child in your arms.

“You uh, you have a son?” His eyes scanned James’ face.

“Eddie, does it really matter? Now really isn’t a good time.” You tried to brush it off.

“You lied to me?” He looked for any sort of expression in your eyes.

“Look Eddie, I didn’t lie, it just wasn’t something I was going to blurt out that first night. Maybe if you had called like you said you were going to, I would’ve told you at dinner, but that never happened. So, if you would excuse me.” You tried to shut the door, but Eddie blocked it with his boot clad foot.

“Hey, wait, can we please just talk. I know I messed this all up, but I want to make up for it. I’ve been stupid throughout this whole thing, and I just want to start over.” Eddie pleaded.

“Eddie we are way past starting over.” You huffed.

“Please.” Eddie was relentless.

“Fine. Let’s go to the patio.” You urged Eddie to follow you.

Eddie took note of Steve and Robin each asleep on their respective couches as well as the blanket bed laid out on the floor, presumably where you had slept last night. The thought of you and Steve having grown so close left a sick feeling in his stomach.

You closed the sliding glass door quietly and set James down, prompting him to go play in the yard. As he waddled off, you sat in one of the plastic lawn chairs, gesturing for Eddie to do the same. As you watched Eddie sit, you tried to get your thoughts organized. Maybe you should just tell him now, just rip off the band-aid and get over it, at least this was Robin and Steve would be here to support you if Eddie had just walked out.

“Look Eddie, before you say anything there’s something I should tell you.” You started.

“Go ahead…” Eddie waited.

“A lot happened that night, you and I-we talked about so much. I told you about all that stuff that happened with Ryan, why I moved here. I hadn’t felt that comfortable with another person in a long time. And then you just didn’t call and look I can handle it if all you wanted was a hookup, but you had me believing that you cared and that you really wanted to go out again. Anyway, if you want nothing to do with me after this that’s fine, I have no expectations for you, but I-I…shit. I’m…” Your head snapped over in the direction of James, he had fallen and scraped his knee and was now crying as he called to you.

You got up and rushed over to him, pulling him into your arms so you could inspect the injury. All the commotion had woken up Steve and had him rushing outside to you. As he passed the threshold he scanned the backyard, taking note of Eddie awkwardly standing clearly unsure of how to help and then over to you sitting on the ground in your pajamas with your son sitting across your lap as you rocked him comfortingly.

“What happened, are you okay bud?” Steve said, kneeling by your side.

“I fell, my knee is bleeding!” James cried.

“Shhh, baby it’s okay, we will go inside and get you all cleaned up okay! I can get you a band-aid with the trucks on it, the ones you picked out with nana.” You cooed at him.

“You know what might help James, we could get a popsicle! The cold might feel good on your knee there.” Steve suggested.

“Okay! Can I eat the popsicle mommy?” James looked at you with bright eyes.

“Of course, bub.” You pressed a kiss to his hairline.

“Here, I got him. Let’s go get you all cleaned up!” Steve said as he picked James up.

“Thank you.” You said quietly as you glanced over to Eddie.

Steve and James made their way inside and you could hear Robin questioning what happened as the door slid shut. You made your way back over to the chair you’d previously occupied and slumped into it. Dragging your hands down your face.

“Sorry about that.” You apologized.

“Don’t be. I’m sorry, that should be me! I should be the one that is here and knows you and James like that. God I really fucked this whole thing up and I feel like such an idiot. Would you please consider giving me another chance?” Eddie looked at you with sad eyes.

“Even after all that, you still want to try this with me? Even though I have a kid…Eddie I need someone who is going to stick around. I can’t just have someone in mine and James’ lives if there not going to be there for good.” You explained.

“I want to be here. I talked with Dustin, and I told him that we had met and that I had feelings for you, and he was thrilled! I didn’t share any of the details, but I knew that part of me would never be able to do this if I hadn’t talked to him first. And I know he’s just a kid, but he’s my friend and I couldn’t just go behind his back. After I explained everything to him he smacked me in the head and told me I needed to pull my head out of my ass and make it up to you. Which is what I intend to do, so please, would you give me another chance?” Eddie looked at you with those big brown eyes…you had to tell him.

“Before I answer that, there’s something you need to know.” You hesitated.

“What is it? Don’t tell me your dating Harrington!” Eddie sounded slightly accusatory.

“What no! I’m not dating Steve; he and I are friends! But Eddie, I am pregnant.” You couldn’t bear to look at him.

“What? You-you’re pregnant. And that would mean, it’s mine?” He looked to you for confirmation.

“Yes.” You nodded slowly. Lifting your gaze to him, you were finding it hard to gauge what he was thinking.

Something flashed in his eyes, it looked like fear, then maybe hope, but they landed on what looked to be rage and you could feel yourself beginning to panic. Eddie stood up out of his seat and turned away from you, placing one hand on his hip and the other over his mouth.

“Fuck!” He shouted as he kicked over the plastic lawn chair, turning back towards you.

That’s when he saw it, your breathing had sped up significantly, a sweat had broken out across your skin, you had lost all color and when he reached towards you, you flinched away from him. He was mentally cursing himself for scaring you. He knelt down beside you and spoke softly:

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. Can you take some deep breaths for me?” He was sure to keep an appropriate distance as to not spook you even further.

You nodded at him quickly, trying to control your breathing.

“Good, you’re doing such a good job sweetheart. Can I touch you, is that okay?” His voice was warm and soothing.

Once again you nodded, you hand slowly reaching for his. He grabbed your hand, bringing it to his heart and nodding at you. With his other hand he rubbed small circles onto your back, modeling the deep breaths he wanted you to replicate. And as you returned to equilibrium, he sang more praises into your ear.

“That’s it, good girl. You did so good sweetheart. It’s okay.” He gently pulled you into his arms and you hugged him back fiercely.

“I’m really sorry I scared you. I want you to know that I would never hurt you, I know that trust is a hard thing to give, but I will work for it everyday if you’ll let me.” Eddie spoke into your hair.

Pulling back slightly to catch his gaze you wondered aloud:

“You still want this? Eddie, I’m a mess – if anything, this just proves that. I have a three-year-old and a baby on the way, are you sure?” You looked into his eyes questioningly.

“Look I am beyond terrified here, and I am pretty sure my uncle is gonna smack me senseless when I tell him, but I have known from the moment I laid eyes on you, that you were different, and I needed to be with you.” He smiled, pulling back so he could see more of you.

You smiled back at him, and he gently wiped the tears from your cheeks. You leaned into his touch, and he leaned in for a sweet kiss. Maybe things would be okay after all.

*Three Months Later*

Things were not okay. Wayne had a conniption when Eddie told him you were pregnant, even more so when he found out that Eddie had practically ditched you for nearly two months after the conception. You and Eddie were constantly bickering, trying to figure out how to do this right.

You had gotten into a pretty big argument when he had suggested you get married. It had gone back and forth, him saying it was the right thing to do and you coming back with the fact that you two really didn’t know one another.

You had ultimately worked things out, but the current topic up for debate was where you were going to live. Claudia wanted you to stay with her, her reason being that she could help you and it’s good to be close to family. Wayne had suggested that you get your own place, informing you that there were some nice, affordable apartments that he passes on his way to work each day, he even offered to go with you to look at them. You and Eddie had talked about it and could quite come to a decision. It was too soon for the two of you to move in together, but it would be really nice to have a mutual space to raise your child together, especially if you were going to build a relationship with one another.

You had been lost in thought thinking about what you were going to do, where you were going to live and how things would affect James when a knock on the door pulled you from your thoughts.

“Honey, Eddie is here!” Claudia called you.

“Okay, be right there.” You shouted back to here, pulling a sweater over your head you made your way to the door.

“Drive safe you guys, and I can’t wait to hear about the scan when you guys get back for dinner!” Claudia hugged you.

“Thanks aunt Claudia, we will see you tonight.” With that you made your exit.

Eddie was taking you to your appointment, you had held off on finding out the sex of the baby because nobody could agree. Robin and Steve thought you should wait and let it be a surprise, Claudia and Wayne thought you should find out to be able to plan more effectively, Dustin and all the teens thought you should have a party and tell everyone together. So, to try and appease everyone you were going to have a dinner party at Claudia’s house and announce the sex to everyone.

As you climbed into Eddie’s van, you could practically feel him buzzing beside you. His van was another topic that would need to be discussed – definitely not safe for car seats or children.

“What are you so excited about? You’re also super early Eds, the appointment isn’t until one.” Pointing to the clock on the dash that currently posted 11:30 am.

“I know, but I think I found us a place!” He flashed you his signature Eddie grin.

“Really? Where?” You were skeptical.

“Forrest hills, and before you say no, just come and see it with me first!” Eddie knew you too well at this point.

“Okay, I will check it out with you…is that where we’re going now?”

“Yes! I scheduled an appointment, I figured we could go see the place, grab a quick bite, then go to the doctor…is that okay?” Eddie looked nervous.

“Eddie, that’s great. Thank you.” You grabbed his hand to hold the remainder of the ride.

As you pulled up to the trailer park and around to the necessary lot, you were at a loss for words, it didn’t even look like a trailer home, the place was beautiful. Eddie brought the van to a halt and looked over to you, he was pretty pleased with your reaction so far. You would’ve never guessed what was to come next. Eddie reached over, grabbed your left hand and slipped one of his rings onto your ring finger.

“Wha-What are you doing?” You tried to pull your hand away from Eddie.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t another half-assed ploy to get you to marry me, I just read that couples tend to get a better deal on homes. I figured us pretending couldn’t hurt. We should’ve brought James though, really seal the deal.” Eddie explained.

“First of all, I can’t believe you did so much research on all this. Second of all, we will not exploit my son Eddie!” You fell into a fit of laughter at how ridiculous this all was.

The trailer had everything you wanted and more, it had three bedrooms, which meant James and his sibling could each have their own while Eddie and you shared. It felt crazy to think about the two of you sharing a room and living together. The kitchen was spacious, which excited you, you loved to cook! The living room had just enough space that you could comfortably host your friends. You were feeling really optimistic.

“Oh my gosh, Eddie, this place is so beautiful, and it would be perfect for us, but can we really afford it?” You looked at Eddie only to see him wearing a shit eating grin.

“Perfect for us?” He nudged your arm gently.

“Stop it, yes for us! Now back to my question.” You rolled your eyes.

“Well, I think we can afford the monthly rent, we just might need some help for the deposit.” He explained.

“I have some savings, but maybe we could sit down with Claudia and Wayne and talk about it. I think it is a really good option for us.”

“Alright guys, how are you doing? Any pain, discomfort, changes since I last saw you?” The doctor asked.

“We’re good, no pain or discomfort, everything is pretty much the same.” You replied.

“What about the pain you were feeling the other day?” Eddie chimed in.

“That was just an ache, I brought it up at the last appointment, it’s just my body making more room for the baby.” You informed him.

“Ah yes, that is very normal. Back pain and achiness in your abdominal area are common as your body makes accommodations for the baby. Speaking of which, are we ready to find out the sex?” The doctor looked between you and Eddie.

“Yes, we are ready.” You smiled up at Eddie.

“Alright, well let’s start with the heartbeat. It’s strong and steady, just as we would expect. And as for development, we appear to be right on track.” She went through the different points of the appointment.

Eddie and you shared a look with misty eyes, just happy to have such a healthy baby.

“And here we are, okay, alright you are having a – “

*At the Dinner Party*

You couldn’t stop smiling. Everyone had dressed up for the occasion, well, at your request anyway. You had wanted this to be a formal dinner party, good food, nice plates, candles, and a more formal dress code.

Eddie looked over at you from his spot on the couch, he had insisted that you were glowing, coming up on your sixth month of pregnancy. You personally felt that you looked huge, everything was swollen, your hands, feet, stomach, hell even your face looked swollen. You shook your head from the thought and began looking around at all your loved ones.

Dustin, Will, Mike and Lucas were sprawled out over the love seat, talking about Eddie’s latest campaign while Max and El were sitting on the floor below them laughing. Nancy and Johnathan were sitting outside with Argyle. Steve and Chrissy were looking pretty cozy together sitting across from Robin and Vicky on the chairs in the living room. Claudia was cooking dinner in the kitchen and Wayne and Eddie were sitting on the main couch with James. Your heart had never felt as full as it did in this moment.

“Alright everyone, dinner is ready!” Claudia called out.

The dining room table certainly wasn’t big enough for all the people who had gathered with you guys tonight, so Wayne had been kind enough to bring in a folding table and some chairs to expand the seating. As you all found your seats, Eddie placed his hand on the small of your back, his way of letting you know that he’s there with you. Claudia had placed the last dish on the table and gestured for everyone to be seated. Eddie and you had remained standing at the head of the table, ready to announce the gender. Eddie got everyone’s attention by clinking his knife against his glass, gazes quickly shifted towards you.

“I’d like to start by thanking everyone for being here today, knowing that you all care about us and this little bean means the absolute world to us. It hasn’t been long since I have been here in Hawkins, but in that time, my family has grown, new friends have been made and I just, I feel so incredibly lucky that this little girl is going to have so many aunts and uncles to spoil her rotten.” You looked up into Eddie’s eyes.

The group collectively cheered hearing it was a girl, Eddie walked over to James, picking him up and bringing him back over to you. You pressed a big smooch onto James’ left cheek while Eddie pressed one onto his right cheek. The two had bonded so much in the last three months and it was the sweetest thing you’d ever seen.

“Hey bubba, you’re gonna have a little sister soon.” You told him.

“A sister! When is she coming?” James said moving one of his little hands to your stomach.

“Well bud she should be here in a little more than three months.” Eddie said.

“Is she my birthday present?” James asked and the group erupted with laughter.

“No baby, you will get a whole birthday party with presents all for yourself before she gets here, okay?” You brushed his hair back.

“Okay!” He smiled and leaned his head onto Eddie’s chest.

“Let’s eat!”

Throughout dinner, multiple topics were brought up, the name of your little girl, when the baby shower would be held and where, who the godparents would be as well as where you would be living. Eddie and you shared a look at that question, making a silent note to talk to Claudia and Wayne about that after dinner. Everyone helped clean up afterwards and goodbyes were shared as people began making their exit.

“Ms. Henderson, Wayne, could we talk to you guys about something?” Eddie got their attention.

“Oh, of course.” Claudia said, ushering you all to the living room.

“So, before the doctor’s office today, we had another appointment to go to.” Eddie started.

“Did you guys go to the courthouse?” Wayne accused.

“Oh God, no, we will definitely inform all of you prior to any sort of nuptials.” You clarified.

“We um, we went and saw a place today. It is in Forrest Hills, and I know that you both mentioned wanting something better for us, but it’s brand new, has three rooms, and it would be close to both of you, so we wouldn’t have to worry about not seeing either of you often. And the best part, we’re pretty sure between both of our jobs, we can afford it. We would just need some help until she can get back to work.” Eddie gave them all the information you had put together prior to this conversation.

“It sounds like you guys have really thought this out.” Wayne muttered.

Claudia wore an expression that you couldn’t quite read. It almost looked like she was fighting an internal battle, unsure of how to proceed with whatever she was inevitably about to share.

“Sweetie, I have something I need to tell you. Your dad called me a while back.” Claudia looked incredibly guilty.

“What? I mean, what did he want?” You reached for Eddie to ground yourself.

“Honey, he misses you. He wanted to know how you were and I told him you were doing good, that you were thriving here. I um, I may have mentioned that you were expecting again, and well, he started sending letters.” You couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth.

“Letters? Aunt Claudia, why didn’t you tell me? What did the letters say?” you were in disbelief.

“Well, the letters were him explaining himself, apologizing, wishing you well, but that’s not all, I guess he had an account set aside for you, from when you were a child, that he has continued to put money into, and he sent over all the information for you to access it. He has also set up a college fund for James and he’s gone ahead and set one up for the baby as well.” Claudia reached for your hand.

You were in shock; you hadn’t heard from your dad in about 3 years and 5 months. It had been that long since he and your mother had kicked you out after you’d informed them of your pregnancy. You glanced up at Claudia and you could tell she had only kept it from you to protect you. She cared like that.

“Sweetie, the reason I am telling you all of this is that he has enough money set aside for you that you guys should be able to move into this place with no worry, and plenty of money left over to continue saving.” She explained to you.

Eddie and you couldn’t believe it, you guys would be able to move in together and you’d still be close to everyone you care about.

*One Month Later*

You were officially six and a half months along in your pregnancy and boy were you feeling it. You were exhausted all the time, and your back and feet were pretty much always killing you.

On a lighter note, you had officially begun moving into your place with Eddie. Wayne and Claudia had helped immensely, Wayne managed to get Eddie a new more family friendly van and Claudia had gotten you a bunch of furniture for the house. People who were close to you had donated old furniture to you guys too. Nancy’s mom gave you guys her couches since she had gotten new ones, Joyce gave you a bed for James – Will had grown out of it. Hopper had given you pretty much everything you could need for a kitchen since he and El moved in with Joyce and they didn’t need two of everything.

Things had been moving far faster than you would’ve liked, you felt like you couldn’t catch your breath, but just a few more months and things would settle. Eddie had stepped into his new role as a significant other and parental figure beautifully. He truly had been so amazing with James, part of you thinks that he really grew close with James after you’d informed him that his namesake is derived from none other than the lead vocalist to Metallica. But seriously, Eddie had grown fond of James, and he knew just how to be there for him. It made the image of your future much clearer, you, him and the kids in your perfect home.

You guys had talked about names for the baby and had finally settled on something, which was exciting. Eddie had suggested announcing the name at the baby shower that Robin was throwing for you next month, but you insisted on waiting until she was here to tell anyone, explaining that when you see her, your minds might change as yours had with James. He admitted to not having even thought about that and eventually agreed to wait.

*Three Weeks Later*

Eddie had been instructed to keep you out of your house until 2:30 pm. Robin had told you she wanted to hold the baby shower at your house for two reasons, one being that you wouldn’t have to drag all the gifts home and two being that it could double as a housewarming.

Given that instruction, Eddie made sure to take you and James out for a late breakfast, then to a few shops. He wanted to take you to the bookstore so you could pick up the novel you’ve had on hold. He also wanted to stop by the only baby store in town to pick up the car seat and the crib. His last thing on the list was to take James to the toy store, wanting to make sure he has a special part of this day too.

After making all those stops you turned to make your way to the car before Eddie grabbed your hand.

“Hold on just a second, there’s one more place I would like to go.” He stated.

“Okay.” You looked at him questioningly.

Eddie picked James up, putting him on his shoulders and you linked your arm through his. He led you down the street a little further and then turned into this little park. The flowers were all in bloom and the sight was truly breathtaking. Different shades of green, white, pink and yellow strewn through a small garden area within the park. Beyond the trees lining the entrance way there was a white garden bench. Eddie motioned for you to sit as he took James off his shoulders, returning him to the ground. James climbed up on the bench to sit next to you and Eddie took his place on the other side of him.

“So, I know things for us didn’t exactly start off great, but I am really happy with where we are now. I just, things with you have proven to be everything I have ever wanted. I have always questioned whether or not I would be a good dad, since my old man was a deadbeat, but you have convinced me that I am not him and that I am capable of this. Now, sweetheart I have messed this up twice already and I won’t do it again. Will you marry me?” Eddie asked as he pulled the small velvet box from his pocket.

Tears were already falling as you nodded year head yes and broke out into the biggest smile. James was clapping, he leaned over and hugged you and then looked at Eddie.

“Mommy, is Eddie daddy now?” James asked.

Eddie had just slid the ring onto your finger. Your eyes shot up to his in surprise and you gave him a look, silently asking if it was okay for James to call him that. Eddie gave a subtle nod and so you replied to James.

“Yeah baby, Eddie is daddy now.” You kissed the top of his head.

Eddie checked his watch and cursed under his breath.

“We gotta get back babe, Robin is gonna be pissed.” Eddie told you.

“Language Eds!” You hissed.

You guys rushed back to the car, each of you holding one of James’ hands getting him settled in and driving back home. You could hardly park there were so many cars outside. You could hear the chatter as you walked up the few steps to your door.

Eddie pushed open the door and a chorus of surprise rang out. The decorations were a combination of engagement party and baby shower things, ring and baby bottle balloons. A simple “congratulations” banner, pink cups and gold forks. It was truly wonderful. You guys played silly baby shower games, ate some food and opened a bunch of gifts, after things had died down a bit, the boys carried in the crib and Wayne helped Eddie install the car seat.

*One Month Later*

Eight months. You were eight months along and it was killing you. You wanted this pregnancy to be over, it wasn’t that you’d had particularly bad symptoms or anything like that. This pregnancy had really just been killing your feet and back and despite what the doctor tells you, you were convinced that your little girl was going to be 15 pounds.

You were heading to work; this was your last week before you took leave. Your boss had been pretty cool, allowing you to sit on a stool behind the counter during your shift, he made the mid shift employees do the majority of the restocking and he’d fought the owner to allow you a lengthy maternity leave despite you only being employed there eight months.

Eddie had left for work before you, he had been taking on extra shifts at the garage trying to save up a little extra and get the last few cars he’s been working on done before he takes a short leave from work. After he left, Claudia arrived to pick up James, she had been watching him from time to time, and when she couldn’t Steve, Robin, Chrissy, Dustin, Max and El all took turns watching him. Thankfully he will be four soon and come September you’ll be able to get him enrolled in preschool. Your mind was all over the place this morning.

You were going through one of the new releases boxes when you felt it. The unmistakable pain of a contraction. You checked the clock so you could keep an eye on the timing of them. About an hour later your boss noticed how you pressed your hand into your side and the audible hissing sounds you were making.

“Hey, that is the third time in the last fifteen minutes that you’ve made that sound. Are you good?” He questioned.

“Um, yeah. I’m good, it’s probably just false labor. That can happen when you get towards the end of your pregnancy.” You told him, ending with a gasp as your water breaks.

“Oh, shit dude. Who can I call for you? 911?” He looks more panicked than you feel.

“No, can you call the garage, Eddie is working. If he doesn’t answer, call my aunt Claudia.” You instruct him.

The guys at the garage informed you that Eddie had stepped away for lunch, and Claudia hadn’t answered the home phone, which had you assuming she had taken James out somewhere. You thought about who you could call, and you realized that your friends would either be working or be in school. There was one person who you knew would be home and available to take you.

“Could you call Wayne Munson?”

About six minutes later, Wayne’s truck sped through the parking lot of the record store and came to a screeching halt. He came into the store frantically and searched for you.

“Over here Mr. Munson.” You called him over.

“Oh kid, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Wayne. Now, how you doin’? Let’s get you to the hospital okay?” Wayne said as he helped you up and out to the car.

Wayne got you to the hospital pretty quickly, he continuously reassured you that everything would be okay, telling you that he would call everyone as soon as you got settled. He even checked you in once you’d gotten up to the desk. A nurse came over and took you to a room, giving you a gown to change into and getting all your paperwork filled out and wires hooked up. While this was all happening, Wayne had taken leave and went to the payphones to call Eddie and Claudia first and foremost.

Eddie had never run so fast in his life; he was rushing through the halls trying to get to you in time. He had been moving so quickly that he missed the crowd of his friends and family sitting in the waiting room.

“Jesus son, slow down! She’s in room 206.” Wayne called out to Eddie.

Eddie could only nod, he couldn’t believe that this was happening, tonight you would bring your daughter into the world, and he couldn’t wait. It was James who snapped Eddie out of his haze. James had wandered over and wrapped his tiny arms around Eddie’s legs. Eddie bent over and picked James up, he could tell that James was tired by the way he tucked his face into Eddie’s neck.

“Where’s mommy?” James mumbled.

“Oh, buddy I’m gonna go see mommy okay. She’s gonna bring us your little sister tonight.” Eddie patted James’ back softly.

“But it’s not my birthday yet!” James whined.

“I know bub, but your sister wanted to be here for your party, so she decided to come a little early.” Eddie tried to reason with the three-year-old.

“Okay daddy.” James seemed content and Eddie passed him back to Claudia.

He looked around at everyone, smiled and then ran to your hospital room. He arrived just as another contraction ripped through you. As the door flew open, you looked over and saw Eddie standing there, a mess in his work coveralls.

“Oh, thank God you are here!” You seethed through gritted teeth.

“That’s right, I am here sweetheart, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He made his way to you.

Before he could make any sort of contact with you and nurse stopped him, prompting him to go clean himself up, while handing him a set of scrubs and a bar of soap. She shooed him away and towards the bathroom. He made quick work of changing and used the bar or soap to scrub up to his elbows. He used the hair tie on his wrist to pull his hair up into a bun and made his way out to you. It was perfect timing as the hospital staff had gotten you all set to be moved to the delivery room.

“Are you ready Eds? This is it.” You looked at him, doubt flashing in your eyes.

“I am so ready sweetheart, let’s go meet our daughter.” He spoke as he grabbed your hand.

Thirty minutes later, your baby girl was placed into your arms. Eddie and you had both cried. Eddie cut the umbilical cord, the nurses took her to clean her off and take her feet and handprints, as well as her measurements. You were cleaned up as well and they took you back to your room.

“So how do you feel about the name we picked…still like it?” You asked looking over to Eddie who was sitting holding your newborn against his bare chest.

“I think it is perfect.” He replied.

You pressed the call button for the nurse and when she arrived you let her know you were ready to fill out the birth certificate. She brought in the necessary paperwork and allowed you guys to fill it out. Before the ink was even dry, Eddie was placing your daughter back in your arms, throwing the scrub top back on and heading to the waiting room, he let them know that they would all be allowed in soon, but that James needed to meet his little sister first. James walked in at Eddie’s side and when he saw you he hurried over to your bedside wanting to be lifted up. Eddie lifted him and placed him in the middle of the bed, just to the side of your legs. James’ eyes glistened with what could only be described as love. He looked up to you and smiled.

“Mommy, she’s so pretty. Thank you for my sister.” James whispered to you.

This had you and Eddie both smiling. You reached over and caressed James’ cheek. Looking at Eddie, you nodded signaling him to invite everyone in. Eddie went back to the waiting room to tell everyone to come into your room. They all filed in, some even dragging in chairs from the hallway. There were oohs and ahhs from everyone in the room, they were fighting over who got to hold her first. You called Wayne over.

“Wayne, would you like to meet your granddaughter?” You looked to him for an answer.

He sniffed and wiped his eyes before making his way to you. Gently taking her from your arms and stepping back towards Claudia.

“Sorry aunt Claudia, you can hold her next. Wayne drove me here and has been waiting out there the longest, so I thought it was only fair.” You tried to justify your decision.

“Sweetie it’s okay! But yes I do definitely get her next!” She said.

She was passed around from person to person, the room was comfortably quiet as everyone took in her beauty. Once she had finally made her way back to Eddie and you, you looked around. Once again, you were so incredibly thankful for all of the wonderful people you had in your life. You felt so lucky.

“Alright, is everybody ready?” Eddie posed the question to the room, and after a collective nod, he continued. “I would like to formally introduce you to Stevie Elena Munson.”

If Wayne hadn’t been crying before, he definitely was now. He walked over to Eddie and clapped his hand down on his shoulder and reached to give your hand a squeeze.

“That’s a nice thing you’ve done there. Ed, your momma would be so happy that you’re using her name.” Wayne wiped his face once again.

“We wanted to honor her, plus it was easy given that Elena is such a beautiful name.” You informed him.

“So where did you get Stevie then?” Steve asked, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

“Oh no, not from you dude. Sorry. We got it from Stevie Nicks. We wanted to keep the music theme going.” Eddie broke the news to Steve.

Steve’s face fell, but only for a moment.

“Steve don’t worry, we have good news for you too. Could you and Robin come over here please?” You motioned to your bedside. Once they made there way over you continued; “We would like the two of you to be the godparents for Stevie.”

The pair of them were elated, thanking you for your trust and mentioning their plans to spoil her. Robin included a few panicked questions along the way. Conversation continues amongst everyone and the warmth within you only continues to grow, knowing that you are surrounded by people who you love and that give you love in return. They had all certainly raised your expectations for the love you feel you deserve.

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