#Furniture Hoppers Crossing

[punjabfurnitureau]

Enhance your living space with our versatile Multi-Shade Center Table, combining functionality with style. Crafted to elevate any room's aesthetic, its dynamic design seamlessly blends various hues for a modern flair. Experience the perfect fusion of practicality and elegance for your home.

[preetfurniture]

https://preetfurniture.com.au/

[removalistontherun2]

Swift Moves: Werribee's Premier Movers

Looking for reliable furniture removalists in Hoppers Crossing? Our removalist service ensures seamless relocation with professional care. From packing to transportation, trust us for a stress-free move. Swift and efficient, we handle your belongings with utmost care.

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 78

Part 1 Part 77

Eddie always thought he’d be in jail before all this hard labor bullshit starts. Still, here he is, chipping away at the cold earth with a shovel Mama Byers stole from Merill’s shed. And it’s all to save the same man who’s busted his balls more times than he can count.

But Steve had pointed, and Eddie’d started digging. 

He’s sitting now, criss-cross as he stares down at the ground like he can see through it, feet crossed, and t-shirt on backwards. Eddie had thrown it over his head as Steve walked out of the house, while While stuffed his sockless feet into his tennis shoes as best as he could. It’s not right. He’s not right. 

Eddie can still feel the thread tying them together, but it’s brittle now, obvious next to the nylon still twined between Eddie and Will. 

Steve’s barely there at all.

He’s always lived in an empty house, been an empty house. The thing inside him is just the first to take up residence – to fill the vacancy. 

Eddie wants his empty house back.

He’d spent a year watching Steve blossom, filling that emptiness with laughter and cooking and someone to come home to. Eddie’d helped Steve move in, rearrange the furniture in his mind and feng shui that shit until the sun was always shining. He’d seen the curtains begin to open.

It’s jarring, now, to look into his eyes and see the glassy windows of an abandoned home. 

So Eddie does all he can; he digs. The hole grows bigger and bigger, growing at the same rate as the blister on the side of his right thumb. He takes turns with Mama Byers, her lithe frame hiding surprising strength. 

She’s the one at the mantle when the shovel strikes air. She pushes it down hard, gasping as it falls straight through, clattering somewhere below with the dull thud of metal on packed earth. 

“Well, shit,” she says, staring down at the far-too small hole in the earth, just big enough to lose a shovel in. 

Eddie peers down with her, eyeing the loosened sides and the distance of the drop. “Think we can stomp the rest out?”

“I don’t think that’s–” Mama Byers starts, but Eddie’s already stomped down.

The dirt crumbles easier than he expects, like all it wants is to tumble down into the unknown with the shovel. Eddie’s whole foot goes through, and he tumbles down with it. 

It’s not far, but he lands on the handle of the shovel, feels it reverberate up his spine. He closes his eyes against the pain, groaning as he rolls away from the impact site. 

“Eddie?” Will and Mama Byers both call down to him. He opens his eyes to look up at their worried faces, haloed by the dim gray of the November sky. Steve doesn’t make an appearance, but he can still dimly feel him up there.

“I’m fine!” he calls, hoisting himself onto knees and hands and hoping it’s true. 

His ankle twinges as he gets it under him but it holds his weight as he levers himself upright. He barely even notices the pain because then he sees him: Hopper. He’s on the ground, and he’s not moving, as the vines writhe around him.

“Shit!” Eddie cries, rushing over and dropping down next to the man. “Shit, shit, shit!”

He says it like a mantra, barely noticing Mama Byers calling down at him, demanding he tell her what’s happening. 

Eddie yanks at the vine, trying to wrench it from the man’s throat with little success. He sobs when Hopper croaks out a quiet, “knife.” It’s the first sign of life the man’s shown and Eddie will take it with both hands. 

“Where?” Eddie cries. “Where is it?”

“It’s there!” Mama Byers calls. She’s collapsed on the ground, winded from her own fall into the tunnel. Eddie follows her pointing finger to his right.

He lurches for it as Mama Byers crawls up to take his place holding the vines away from Hopper’s windpipe.

Eddie saws at the vine around his neck, around his torso, around his wrists. He loses time to hacking away, barely noticing the viscous black blood that oozes out of it and splatters his clothes, hands, face. 

All he knows is Steve’s barely there at all anymore, and this is the same fucking thing that had slithered down his throat

 and made its home inside him in the first place. 

He can hear Hopper coughing, Mama Byers calling his name, but it’s all muffled, like he’s under water. Like he’s still in the Harrington pool, drowning. Like he never made it to the other side. 

Maybe he didn’t. 

Maybe he’s still down there, sucking down chlorine like it’ll quench his thirst. At least down there, he’d had a hold on Steve. But, now, he can feel the tether turning to ash in his mouth. He’s so thirsty. He wants to swallow the world.

“Munson”

He keeps hacking away at the vines, like they’ll stop strangling Stevie. Like this will be the thing that saves them.

“Eddie.”

Like they’re what’s strangling him, smoke and helplessness clogging Steve’s esophagus and making a home within him. 

“Kid!”

There are warm hands gripping his wrist, hard. Warmer than Steve’s been. Eddie looks up, and Hopper’’s staring at him, ragged and dirty and panting, but alive. Eddie looks down at the wrist he’s holding. Hopper’s knife is clutched hard enough that it hurts. 

“You got them,” Hopper says, voice that soothing, gruff timber he uses on little kids, and victims. “You can let go.” He squeezes Eddie’s wrist before loosening his hold and running his thumb up the veins of his inner wrist. “You saved me, kid. You did good.”

It hurts when he drops the knife, tendons protesting the change of position after he knows how long clenching down. Hopper drops his wrist, clasping his shoulder and squeezing that instead. “You did good,” he says again, and then again, like that’ll stop Eddie’s shaking. It doesn’t.

Eddie nods, still looking down at the knife. His hand clenches on air. He feels bereft, so he pulls on the threads that bind. One made of titanium, and one made of dust he can barely feel at all. 

He jerks his head up at the ceiling, straining his neck to see Steve and Will’s faces. He needs to know that they’re both still there, waiting for him to come back. That Steve’s still Steve, waiting for Eddie to save him. 

Steve’s always dying. Eddie’s always trying to save him. 

But Steve’s not there at all. 

There’s just dirt, only a shovel as proof of the morning spent digging a hole. Digging a grave for them to disappear in. 

“No, no, no!” Eddie cries, scrambling up. 

“Munson, what–”

“He’s gone!” He lurches forward, grabbing for the shovel, like he can somehow dig his way back. He hears Mama Byers gasp as he pushes the shovel up into the dirt. It doesn’t give. He pushes harder.

“Eddie, sweetie.” Mama Byers says, reaching up to pat his shoulder. “Will’s got him.” 

Will’s got him. Will, who’s bright light he can feel at Steve’s side, just above. Will’s got him.

Eddie drops the shovel on a sob, still looking, up, up, up.

“But how are we going to get out of her?” Eddie asks. No one answers because no one knows.

Digging a hole and escaping a grave are two very different things. 

Like the answer to a prayer Eddie would never send up, there’s a shout behind him. “Go!”

Eddie spins, and there’s a man in a Hvac suit, with a gun pointed straight at him. He stumbles back, feels Mama Byers’ steadying hands on his lower back. 

“Get out of here!” the man calls, voice muffled through his helmet. He gestures with the butt of his gun behind him. “Go! Go!”

Eddie flits by him, keeping as much distance as the small tunnel will allow just as something inhuman begins shrieking behind him. 

He doesn’t hesitate anymore. He bolts, Mama Byers and Hop hot on his heels, visions of Demogon’s on his heels pushing him faster. 

He passes more suits and more guns, and keeps going. The ground begins sloping upward toward the light of an open tunnel. He stops for a second, shocked by an end to the darkness.

The safety of right-side-up is steps away. The warmth of light and air and his people are so close, he can almost taste it. 

That’s when the screaming starts, from a voice he would know anywhere. Even like this. Even loud and wretched with pain. 

Eddie runs toward the sounds of his angel screaming. 

Part 79

Taglist: @deany-baby @estrellami-1 @altocumulustranslucidus @evillittleguy @carlprocastinator1000 @1-8oo-wtfbro @hallucinatedjosten @goodolefashionedloverboi @newtstabber @lunabyrd @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @manda-panda-monium @disrespectedgoatman @finntheehumaneater @ive-been-bamboozled @harringrieve @grimmfitzz @is-emily-real @dontstealmycake @angeldreamsoffanfic @a-couchpotato @5ammi90 @mac-attack19 @genderless-spoon @kas-eddie-munson @louismeds @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @pansexuality-activated @ellietheasexylibrarian @nebulainajar @mightbeasleep @neonfruitbowl @beth--b @silenzioperso @best-selling-show @v3lv3tf0x @bookworm0690 @paintsplatteredandimperfect @wonderland-girl143-blog @nerdsconquerall @sharingisntkaren

[corrodedseraphine]

easy | one shot

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: "But Eddie has a girlfriend!" Dustin said first. "He does?" Adam asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I do?" Eddie muttered under his breath trying to understand what was going on. "Yeah, he is dating my sister y/n!" Will continued. "They're so in love with each other it's disgusting." Dustin rolled his eyes.

Everything would be fine if it weren't for the fact that neither you nor Eddie were informed in advance of the fact that you were a couple.

It promised to be a very interesting week. angst/fluff and almost smut (making out in the bathroom), friends to lovers

In this AU Joyce didn't move to California, but Argyle is there in Hawkins because he is too cool to erase him just like that.

TW: mention of injuries, blood, murder, drugs

the one shot is also avaliable on ao3

9 591 words

When I first got the idea, I thought it would be a very short and pleasant story. As standard, it turned out quite differently!

I know I said this fanfic wouldn't be related to any song, but as I was writing I was listening to one of my favorite songs about love Safari by Piotr Zioła on loop and couldn't resist adding elements of it in there.

eddie munson masterlist | general masterlist

"Here are my favorites!" Wayne said entering Eddie's room with a big cardboard box.

"Please let me tell Dustin that you called us that, this little shit will lose his mind." Robin grinned.

"He knows it. This is my uncle and sometimes he loves you guys more than he loves me." Eddie replied with a mouth full of pizza. 

You were sitting in the Munsons' new apartment. After the huge compensation Eddie got from the government, they decided to give up on the trailer park and find a place where power failure and lack of hot water would not be on the agenda. You, of course, helped them with the moving out. Unfortunately, Eddie's condition was not the best so with the carrying furniture and cardboard boxes Steve, Jonathan, Argyle and Hopper helped Wayne. You, Robin, Nancy and Joyce took care of painting the rooms, but now it was time to eat to strengthen yourselves before continuing. You sat in a circle on the floor, since you hadn't yet had time to assemble the table. Suddenly there was the sound of a telephone in the apartment. Wayne went to answer it and returned after about 10 minutes with a worried expression on his face.

"If it weren't for the fact that the police chief is now sitting across from me I'd think I'd messed something up again." the younger Munson joked, to which Jim just rolled his eyes.

"We'll have visitors next week." sighed the old man.

"Who?"

"Remember aunt Theresa and her son Adam?"

"Jesus, no!" his reaction spoke for itself.

"They want to come for a week."

"So at the moment when we live in a trailer and can barely afford anything they don't want to know us, but when we suddenly get a lot of money and a new apartment they feel like suddenly renewing family ties?" he asked with disgust in his voice.

"It's only a week Son, you'll survive."

"Nope. I won't survive. Hopper you don't have a free cell for a week? I'll be much better off there than in their company."

"Don't be dramatic, kid." he replied.

"Joyce! Have mercy on the victim, store me for this time in your basement, you won't even notice I'm there," he whined. "I just got you out of the hospital, the doctor said that I am categorically forbidden to do any extreme activities!"

"How can a family visit be extreme?" Steve asked.

"When you meet them you'll understand."

You finished eating and everyone went back to their duties, but you went to help Eddie with changing the bandages. From the very beginning you were the only person he allowed in, because you handled him most delicately of all. You knew that Wayne was trying his best, however, Eddie always dramatically confirmed that everyone else wanted him to die in pain.

He sat on the edge of the tub as you cleaned each wound in turn. He hissed in pain from time to time, each time you heard it you sent him a slight smile whispering that it would be over soon and everything will be fine. When each wound was thoroughly cleaned you moved on to applying the ointment.

"Why do you dislike your family so much?" you asked while rubbing the ointment into his cheek.

"They have always considered themselves the best of the family, just because they have money. They love to brag about it, if they could they would wear badges that say 'we're fabulously rich, sucker,'" he said rolling his eyes.

"That doesn't sound too good." You sighed.

"I'll be hearing all week about how worthless I am. Too stupid to graduate from high school on the first try, too controversial looking to get a good job... The list goes on, if I were to list everything we'd have to sit here until night."

"Hey, look at me." you said grabbing his chin and turning him so that he was looking straight into your eyes. "You're not worthless. You saved the world, Eddie. You saved us all. The only worthless thing that exists is your hopeless aunt's words, do you understand?"

"You saved me, too. More than once." he whispered surprised with your words.

"I would have done it a second time without hesitation."

When you found yourselves in the Upside Down after passing through the gate at Lover's Lake the Demobats took you as their target. Without a second thought, Eddie rushed to your rescue when one of them wrapped its tail around your neck. Later, while Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and Robin dealt with Vecna together the two of you and Dustin were supposed to distract the monsters. Unfortunately, Eddie had no intention of listening to Steve and feeling a surge of courage he cut the line when you and Dustin returned to the trailer on the good side. That didn't stop you from jumping after him. You don't know if it was the adrenaline or the despair that overwhelmed you when you saw him that made you and the others able to get him back out the other side. The option of getting out of hell without Eddie simply didn't exist for you.

"I just... I don't want Wayne to be ashamed of me. I don't want him to listen to all the crap they say about me because I know he cares. He tries not to show it but I can see it. And that's the worst part of it all."

"Wayne loves you. And I know he would do anything for you. It's normal that when someone talks nonsense about people we love it upsets us. Remember when you had to pull me forcibly away from Craver who was bullying Will? I thought I was going to tear him apart then. I probably would have if it hadn't been for you."

"To be honest, you were terrifying, I was scared as hell," he laughed.

"If necessary I'm ready to defend you from your crazy family too. I just need to grow my nails so I can claw out their eyes better." you answered. When you saw the smile light up his face as well, you felt your heart skipped a beat. You meant it in all honesty. You would do anything for the people you love. He didn't need to know that you loved him in a little different way than the rest.

When the ultimate day arrived Eddie was sitting in his room with Dustin and Will working on the details of the next D&D campaign. This was to be Will's first time as Dungeon Master for the whole group so Eddie, as always, eagerly offered to help. They were fiercely discussing the final boss fight when the door to his room swung open gently and Wayne showed up in it.

"Hi Uncle Wayne." Dustin and Will said simultaneously.

"Hi boys. Eddie? Our guests have arrived." As soon as the last word left his mouth the door swung open wider allowing his aunt inside. There was a look of displeasure on Wayne's face at the fact that she had walked in there as if it were her own room, but he didn't comment. Immediately after her, her son Adam walked in.

"Hello, Edward!" she said in an overly high tone, looking around the room with a judgmental gaze. "Why don't you give an old aunt a hug as a greeting?"

"I'd love to, but unfortunately the doctor has forbidden me to have close contact with other people." Eddie replied in a flat tone causing the younger boys to snort quietly with laughter.

"Hm... I see you still haven't grown up. Adam threw away all his toys the moment he started high school."

"These are not some toys, they are needed for our campaign." He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Are you still playing that satanic game?" interjected Adam.

"It's not- Yeah, you know what? Yes, I play the satanic game all the time. Actually, I'm the leader of the cult now, and these are its scary members Dustin and Will. Before you say anything, yes, I am bringing the Hawkins youth to the dark side of power to worship Satan with me." Their visit had so far lasted only five minutes and they had already made Eddie think about how much more fun it was to be ripped to shreds by demobats.

"Alright." Wayne interrupted his dramatic speech before things got too far. "Why don't I show you the rest of the house and the neighborhood?" Without a word they left closing the door behind them.

"Dude, they're awful." commented Dustin.

"Are you still playing this satanic game?" Will began to mock Adam.

"This is going to be the worst week of my life." The metalhead rubbed his face with his hands.

For the next few hours, Eddie didn't leave his room for a step, knowing that the enemy was sitting right behind the wall. He tried to focus on Will's campaign but anxiety and nerves didn't help him one bit. When the doorbell rang around the apartment all three of them left the room knowing it was Hopper. However, they didn't expect it was Aunt Theresa opening the door for him.

"Good evening officer!" she said. "My name is Theresa Munson, is something wrong?" A confused Hopper sent Eddie a questioning look, to which only the latter rolled his eyes.

"Nothing happened, I-"

"Did Eddie get into trouble again? I know he's been in trouble with the law several times before," she sighed. "Edward I'm sure what you did was not intentional right?" She didn't let him get a word in edgewise.

"What the fu-" Eddie didn't have time to finish when Wayne came out of the bathroom.

"Jim! How are you?" he said shaking Hopper's hand.

"Good." he replied still somewhat surprised. "I came to pick up the boys."

"Oh, so you're not here after because of Edward? What a relief!" his aunt interjected.

"Unbelievable!" Eddie exclaimed, banging his head against the wall.

"I'm just worried that you'll follow in your father's footsteps! Look at you, tattoos? torn clothes and that satanic music you listen to? That doesn't bode well, does it, officer? If you don't change something about yourself you'll never find any girlfriend or a good job."

It was a punch below the belt. Mentioning his father was crossing the line. Seeing Eddie clench his fists and the knuckles on his hands turn white Will and Dustin sent each other a communicative look.

"But Eddie has a girlfriend!" Dustin said first.

"He does?" Adam asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"I do?" Eddie muttered under his breath trying to understand what was going on.

"Yeah, he is dating my sister y/n!" Will continued.

"They're so in love with each other it's disgusting." Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Come on boys, we have to go." Hopper said, interrupting this bizarre exchange of words. "Your mother will kill me if we don't get back before dinner."

With that, the two teenagers left them all in shock, including Eddie. After they left, he quickly locked himself in his room thinking about the situation. Apparently you are a couple now. How should he behave around you now? He didn't know what to do with all this. These two little bastards had just put him in a game of pretend relationship with the girl he wrote all his love songs about. On the one hand, it was a great opportunity for him to finally make a move on you. On the other, he was paralyzed by the fear that nothing but rejection awaited him.

"You can pick the place." Hopper said as soon as they got into the car.

"What place?" asked a puzzled Will.

"Where I can bury your bodies when y/n finds out what you've done."

"Oh come on! Everyone knows very well that she has a crush on him!" Dustin exclaimed.

"They're both only have eyes for themselves, we're just helping them finally do something about it." Will tried to defend them. "Just helping!"

"Even if it's true what you're saying, they should come to it by themselves, not by your wild ideas," he sighed. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm not going to get involved."

And Jim was right. As soon as you found out what they had done you were furious, yelling at them that they had no right to decide for the two of you and put you in such a strange situation. However, it was too late. Locked in your room, you nervously played with your fingers while looking at the phone standing on the bedside table, not knowing whether you should dial the number to the Munson's house and explain the situation. Apologize for the behavior of these little shits and hope that your relationship will not worsen because of it. Plunged into your thoughts, you didn't even hear the knock at your door. After a moment of unresponsiveness on your part, Jonathan and El entered the room.

"Will told us what happened." began Jonathan slowly, sitting down next to you. El wordlessly followed him. "You know very well that they didn't mean a bad thing," he said.

"You can come in too." You sighed still looking at the door. After a moment, your younger brother emerged from behind the wall and, not knowing what to expect, walked slowly into the room.

"I know that a simple apology is not enough!" he began to defend himself. "But this aunt is really awful person! She started comparing him to his father, she thought Hopper had come to arrest him, or God knows what! She said he would never find a girlfriend, so we wanted to help him a-and then this idea came to our minds! At firs it didn't seem so bad. We thought...I am really sorry y/n."

"It's okay." you said quietly and you extended your hand towards him. "I forgive you." He ignored you hand and hugged you tightly with a relief. 

"Eddie didn't protest, I think he liked the idea." he said quietly and you smiled.

Despite the fact, that thinking that Eddie liked the idea of being your pretended boyfrend for a week made you feel very warm you weren't able to stop thinking about what Will have just told you about his aunt's behaviour. She compared him to his father? Your blood boiled inside you. No one had the right to say such a thing, and you set as your goal to make sure it wouldn't happen again. At least not on your watch.

All Tuesday from the very morning you could not sit still. Lessons went on mercilessly, still thinking about the situation into which you were embroiled. When you told Robin about it at lunch she looked quite excited saying that finally something would happen between you two. She was the only one who knew how you truly felt about him and from the very beginning, she was trying to persuade you to finally do something more than rambling to her about your feelings. In her opinion, Eddie should be the person to actually listen to it. The longer you thought about it the more you had to admit that the excitement was getting to you as well. Yet you still didn't know what Eddie thought about it.

When the final bell rang, you quickly ran out of the school, got on your bike and headed toward Munson's apartment, stopping by a bakery on the way. Once there, you took three deep breaths and knocked on the door, which Wayne opened a moment later.

"And who do we have here?" He asked with a smile.

"Hi Uncle Wayne." You said answering with the same. "Is Eddie home?"

"I don't know where else he could be, come in." He let you in. "This is my sister Theresa and her son Adam. And this is y/n," he said as you walked deeper into the apartment. They were both sitting on the living room couch watching TV.

"It's very nice to meet you!" you said in an over-sweetened tone.

"We are also pleased to meet you." Replied a somewhat puzzled aunt.

"Did I hear my favorite Bayers?" Eddie leaned out of the room with a broad smile. Seeing his reaction you took it as permission to take it a step further.

"It's good to know that my little brother hasn't stolen that title yet." you laughed walking up to him. "Hi, Teddy." You kissed him on his healthy cheek. Not expecting it, he fossilized for a few seconds but after a moment he woke up.

"Hi baby." he said, smacking you on the forehead. "I see you've already met my wonderful family?" he added with a hint of sacrasm.

"Yes, Wayne introduced me." you confirmed. "Did you change the bandages today?" you asked wanting to change the topic.

"Not yet." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So here's the plan: First we'll change your bandages, then we'll take care of the school notes I brought you." you announced "Ah! I almost forgot! I was also at the bakery on the way, and I brought your favorite doughnuts."

"I told you she was the best." he said proudly looking his aunt straight in the eyes. Wayne watched you from afar with a smile on his lips. Pretend or not - it was nice to see you in such a position.

When you disappeared behind the bathroom door, free from the prying eyes of his guests, you breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you..." he said quietly. "For playing along."

"Will told me about what you heard from her. I thought instead of clawing her eyes out right away we'd show her how wrong she is. If you don't mind, of course."

"Of course I don't. I was afraid it would be you who would mind. Those little shitheads hadn't decided anything about it with me before."

"So since neither of us has anything against it..." you said. "You told them I was the best?"

"Of course, and it wasn't even a lie!"

It took you more than two hours to come to grips with the notes. If Eddie had dispensed with his dramatic episodes the time would have been about half as short, but you were in no hurry. Sitting behind the closed door of his room nothing changed too much, your relationship from the very beginning was very good and full of laughter that reached the eavesdropper Theresa and her son. After finishing his study, Eddie played you some new songs he had written in his spare time. Three of them were related to each other telling the adventure of fighting the worst kind of evil, which was full of throwing fireballs, manipulating thoughts and knife-sharp fangs tearing skin. The fourth had no words yet. That, at least, was the version for you. The piece of paper with its words was tucked deep in the closet along with the rest he had written thinking of you. So that it would never see the light of day.

As dinner time approached Wayne called you into the living room where you helped set the table and get a few things ready. Eddie accompanied you, watching as you casually moved around the space talking and joking with his uncle. Feeling a pleasant warmth on his heart, he thought if it could stay like this forever. The way you jokingly patted his hand when he tried to snack, or when you pretended to be a princess in distress unable to open a jar, so he as a brave knight would come to your rescue. Such behavior was not something new for you, but this time as a wonderful addition, from time to time he could steal a little kiss from you on the cheek, forehead or tip of the nose, or without hesitation hug you from behind when you were standing at the counter cutting vegetables for a salad. You then leaned gently against his frame, creating an enclosure of safety around you. You both tried desperately to remember the feeling you had then if it was about to disappear as quickly as a soap bubble.

"So how did you two meet?" Theresa asked as you all sat down at the table.

"Eddie was friends with my twin brother, Jonathan, so it was only a matter of time before we met." you replied while putting food on your plate and then doing the same only with Eddie's portion. "I must admit that from the very beginning he had something about him that caught my attention." You continued.

"Interesting." she hummed. "Edward, how's the situation at school?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to finally get out of high school? You know you won't be young forever." she paused briefly. "Adam is studying in New York. He's one of the best, he's getting a scholarship."

"That's great." you commented, not wanting to drag the subject further.

"And what are your plans after graduation?" Adam turned to Eddie with a contemptous look.

"I don't know, at this point I'm just trying to get better." He shrugged his shoulders without taking his eyes off the food.

"Eddie is great with cars!" you blurted out. "Before the accident he used to work for a local mechanic, he really appreciated him." You placed your hand on his, which was lying on the table. When you squeezed it gently he looked at you and sent a slight smile showing a dimple in his cheek.

"Well, yes, but without education you can't find a good job," he said.

"I believe that if someone is good at their craft they don't need any high degree at all to succeed. And Eddie is the best, and I'm sure that as soon as he finishes high school this year he will be very successful." Your voice was still kind however this time a hint of firmness could be sensed in it.

The rest of dinner passed in silence. When you had finished eating you helped to clear the table and wash the dishes. Then it was time to go home.

"My mother and Jim are hosting an engagement party this Friday. She said to tell you that you and Adam can also feel invited. It's going to be great fun, right Eddie?" you said already standing at the door.

"Of course sweetheart." he replied with a fake smile hating the idea of them being there with all his heart.

For the last time that day you placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Although it was gentle Eddie felt as if your lips were leaving a permanent mark there, which imprinted all the way on his heart.

The rest of the week looked similar. Except for the day of Hellfire, you came to him after school bringing notes and spending the rest of the day together. You could get used to such a course of events, unfortunately, when Friday came you felt nostalgic about the fact that this could be the last of the days like this. Theresa and Adam were going home Sunday morning which meant that these were also the last days to enjoy Eddie's closeness. Feeling a weight in your chest, you got off the bike and headed toward the apartment. You didn't expect Adam to open the door for you. He was shirtless. You immediately felt extremely uncomfortable and wanted to turn back but he stopped you.

"Wayne and Eddie went to get some groceries, you can wait for them inside." he said smiling broadly.

"Thanks." you muttered and squeezed past him in the doorway.

"I just finished doing my home workout. You know, we have a gym at the university, so I go there every day, I can't stop." He winked at you coming closer. Responding nothing with a quick step you walked to the living room and began to unpack the contents of your bag. In addition to your notes after school, you entered the store and bought the new figures for D&D that Will kept talking about that they would need for the new campaign. You carried the notes to Eddie's room, then sat down on the couch in the living room and began spreading out the figures and paints on the coffee table. Adam never took his eyes off you, watching your every move making you feel increasingly nervous.

"Do you play this stupid game too?" he asked, sitting down next to you.

"I participate in campaigns from time to time." You replied shrugging your shoulders. Not wanting to lean on the couch as his arm was stretched across the backrest, you aimlessly moved things from one place to another, making you not notice how close he was to you. It reached you when you felt his hand on your cheek. Surprised, you looked in his direction and immediately jumped away standing up on your feet.

"What the hell are you doing?" you shouted.

"Oh come on, don't you wanna mess around? It will be a while before they come back from the store." he said getting up from the couch.

"Jesus, no! Have you lost your mind? What made you even think that I might want something like that?" 

Adam was wrong. Eddie and Wayne returned from shopping, but you were so preoccupied with the situation, and your voice was so loud that you didn't hear the door open. Eddie, seeing you with his half-naked cousin in the living room, felt his heart suddenly get very heavy. He was just turning to leave the apartment and not look at it when Wayne grabbed him by the arm and with a hand gesture showed him to be quiet and watch what would happen next.

"So you're saying all this talk about having a crush on him when he was just your brother's friend is true? You fell in love with a trailer trash who worships Satan? The scars are turning you on?" he smirked. "A better Munson is now standing in front of you, baby, don't waste this opportunity."

"Don't you fucking dare to say one more word!" He crossed the line. It wasn't even about how he behaved toward you. You were too concerned about what he called Eddie. "I tolerated your and your mother's snarky behavior just so I wouldn't make Wayne uncomfortable. But since he's not here now I'm happy to answer your questions. Even homeless Eddie would be much better than you. You don't measure up to him you damn asshole! I don't care about your expensive car you are so enthusiastic about, I'd rather walk everywhere my whole life than get in it. I don't give a shit about your apartment in New York. I would have had a better life homeless under a bridge. And yes, I loved Eddie when he lived in the trailer, I loved that he made me feel at home there, trailer or not I fucking love him so you have to remember that the next time you talk shit about the person I love nothing will hold me back anymore. I will make you regret it for the rest of your miserable life. I'm disgusted with you. I'm disgusted by how self-absorbed idiot you are and how your ego blows the scale. And you are right. You're damn right that these wounds are incredibly attractive. Do you know why? Because they remind me that my Eddie is a fucking hero! You don't even realize how many lives he saved back then! So yes, he and his scars are the hottest in the world and definitely much more hotter than your pathetic gym routine." The words flew out of your mouth like bullets. The shock on his face encouraged you even more but then you heard the door slam.

"Adam?" the voice of Wayne made you tighten your lips into a thin line and take a deep breath.

"Y/n! Good to see you!" he said bringing in the shopping bags.

"Hi Wayne." you said getting the nicest and the calmest tone you could afford at that moment.

"Sweetheart!" before you had time to respond Eddie with a quick step and a wide smile on his lips was already at your side. What you didn't expect, however, was what came next. He cupped your face and kissed you. Eddie was kissing you. You experienced a three-second shock and then completely surrendered to the kiss by placing your hands on his chest. His nose gently touched your cheek, you felt its tip was cold. Yet his lips were burning. Even though the kiss was brief, you felt as if your soul had left your body and had travelled to a completely different dimension. Was it a dream? If so, you didn't want to wake up.

After Eddie heard what you were saying, he felt he had to do it. Many times he saw you defending your loved ones from all kinds of attacks. You weren't afraid to cover Will with your own body when Vecna tried to get him, so verbal attacks were not a problem for you. You also handled this one very well. More than once he had the opportunity to witness this. Now you were doing it for him. This awakened completely new feelings in him. He was sincerely touched and happy. In that moment you gave him something he had not felt since Wayne took him in. He felt wanted and loved. Even if it was pretended at that moment. Nothing could take that moment away from him, so he decided to take a risk. The risk definitely paid off. He enjoyed every second of it. The satisfaction was also a bonus. He wanted to show "the better Munson" that you were his. As if what you said wasn't enough. He wanted the kiss to be a seal saying she is perfect, and she is mine. Damn, he wanted you to be his so bad.

As if nothing ever happened, you sat down on the couch with Eddie and took up painting. You didn't say a word about your exchange with Adam, and Eddie pretended he hadn't witnessed one of the best moments in his life. Painting took you a lot longer than you expected. Plus more because every now and then you glanced in his direction focusing your attention on his mouth as he told you more details of the campaign. Could you have become addicted to something you had only tasted once?

"They are being chased by a pack of wild mutant lions so they run into an old hut where the master of nightmares is waiting for them." He tells you while gesturing with his hands. You're interested in what he's saying, but damn did his lips always look this beautiful? "Earth to y/n!" he yelled clapping his hands.

"Shit, sorry, I zooned out." you woke up suddenly. "So what exactly is it about the master of nightmares?"

"He throws you into a vision that replicates your greatest fears," he said.

"And what is Eddie the Banished's greatest fear?"

Losing you. That was his first thought. "Y'know it will probably be bats." he cuckled and winked at you.

"I am so sorry Eddie, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, clam down." he said, yawning.

"You're tired, I should go."

"No, stay." he grabbed your hand. "I mean... if you want to of course, I thought you'd wait until they're dry to take some home for Will."

"Oh, sure." a smile crept onto your lips on its own as you accepted the proposition. Lips. You had a feeling you never thought about that particular body part as often as you did today.

"We can chill a little in my room." he suggested. You knew perfectly well what he meant.

"You know very well that I won't agree to this kind of chilling." You crossed your arms over your chest. "Those strange doctors have made it very clear that until the traces of the Upside Down are out of your system for good, there is no question of smoking anything."

"But- please! Have mercy on my poor soul." fell to his knees in front of you making you giggle.

"Don't you dare use those puppy dog eyes on me Munson. It's for your own good." you said softly and tenderly stroked his cheek with your thumb.

"You heartless woman." he faltered, laying his head on your lap.

"Okay, I am able to bear the weight of those words." you chuckled. "There are many other ways to relax, you know? We can listen to music, or read."

"Will you read to me?" he asked raising his face toward you. Big chocolate button eyes glared at you. His face looked so innocent. Rarely did anyone get a chance to see it, since Eddie almost always wore his mask. The fact that he didn't have it with you made you feel very special.

"Come on, adventure awaits!" you helped him stand up and walked to his room. After a moment of deliberation and dithering about whether you should read The Hobbit for the millionth time, you decided that this time it would be some new fantasy book that Wayne had bought Eddie while he was still in the hospital.

"Wayne won't mind that I'm staying this long?"

"Of course not. Besides, we still have some time before they come back."

"We have plenty of time before a pack of wild lions reaches us?"

"And before one of your worst dreams hunts you down" He replied and patted the bed indicating for you to lie down next to him. With that, you began to read, but after a short time you both began to get sleepy. The dim light of the bedside lamp, the warmth that eminated from the two of you, the comfort and peace that you felt in each other's company succulently lulled you to sleep. When you heard a quiet snoring in mid-sentence you looked at its source with tenderness in your eyes. Feeling your own eyelids getting incredibly heavy you put the book aside. Just five minutes. You thought and, moving closer to the boy, allowed yourself a small nap.

It was not as small as you thought.

"Yes, Joyce, you have nothing to worry about." Wayne said. "They were already asleep when we got home, I don't want to wake them up. Yes, I'm sure. They will manage, they are adults. Yes, it won't be a problem for sure. Okay, bye. See you tomorrow." Eddie lazily opened his eyes and rubbed them with one hand. He listened to his uncle's words looking on in disbelief that you were still here. And much closer than before he fell asleep. He brushed your hair away from your face as gently as he could so as not to wake you up.

"Hey, kid." Wayne whispered. "I talked to Joyce, she can stay."

"Thanks, Wayne."

The man smiled and winked at him, closing the door behind him. Eddie took the blanket that lay at the other end of the bed and covered you. In your sleep you turned your back to him and he took the opportunity to embrace you becoming a big spoon. Feeling you move even closer and snuggle into him he thought his heart was about to explode. Your back touched his abdomen causing a slight pain in the areas of the still healing wounds, but this pain was bearable. Besides, it was nothing compared to the happiness he felt. 

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the cracks in his blinds and his watch indicated the unmercifully early hour Eddie sighed unhappily. He had never been one of the early birds, and there was no promise of change in that regard. When he opened his eyes he remembered why he was actually sleeping in his clothes. You must have turned in the night because now your face was facing his. You kept one hand under the pillow and the other lay on his side. He wanted to close the gap between you and wake you up with a kiss like in one of the cheap rom-coms, but he didn't know if he could let himself do that. Kissing you in front of his cousin was justified, since you were going to pretend to be a couple, you had to be convincing, but wouldn't doing it when it was just the two of you be too much? He was weighing all the pros and cons when he noticed your eyes slowly open.

"Good morning Eddie." you said stretching.

"Good morning, panda." he replied in a whisper. You looked at him questioningly, and with his thumb he lightly rubbed the black mascara marks under your eyes that must have formed there overnight.

"Oh, shit." you said while covering your face. "'m sorry." you muttered and sat down on the bed.

"Don't be, you look cute." So cute I want to kiss you again and again and... again. His brain didn't let go recalling these visions every now and then. Instead, he simply told you that if you wanted to dress up you could borrow something from his closet. Since your top was a bit sweaty after the sleep, you agreed by taking one of the Hellfire shirts and went to quickly get yourself cleaned up in the bathroom. Then you waited for Eddie to shower and get dressed and helped him with his bandages as you always do. You had seen him shirtless countless times, but now that he was sitting in front of you on the bathtub in only loose sweatpants you were overcome by a feeling that you only allowed yourself in the privacy of your room by fantasizing about your friend. You were afraid of the fact that these fantasies were now at your fingertips, and before you could stop yourself your hand actually moved toward him. Eddie, as if in a trance, equally enchanted by the moment, watched your every move. Your fingers gently traced a path on his body. Starting with a healthy cheek, continuing on his neck, shoulder and then chest.

"Do you like what you see, sweetheart?" he said, unable to catch his breath.

"Very," you whispered biting your lower lip.

"I like what I see, too." He confirmed by pushing your hair off your shoulder. He imitated your movements. Starting by gently brushing your face, neck and arm which was slightly exposed by the fact that his shirt was too big on you. Your breathing became faster and faster as you rested your forehead against his. His hands quickly found their way to your waist pulling you as close to him as he could. And then you kissed him. No matter how close you stood to each other until your lips were joined the gap was too huge. Initially shy and tentative sparks ignited a fire. The desire that had been bubbling inside you for a long time exploded. Still kissing you, he got up from the tub pushing you toward the wall so that you were trapped between it and him. Trapped? You were not going to escape even if you were to burn in this fire. As he laid wet marks on your neck you sank your hand into his curls. The temperature was hotter than hell when you felt his hands go under the shirt you were wearing. His lips returned to yours as he pressed his body against yours and you felt how hard he was. You thought you were going crazy.

"Eddie..." You didn't control the moan that spontaneously left your mouth.

"Yes, Angel?" he asked pulling away from you. His eyes were darker than usual but on his lips was the same smile as always. The same dimple-showing smile that made your knees weaken.

"Please." That was all you could get out of yourself before you put your hands on his neck pulling him close. This time he was the one who moaned right into your mouth and started to roll up your shirt to take it off. And then a fire truck arrived. A huge bucket of icy water to extinguish the big fire between you. A big downpour called Theresa.

"Hello? I think you've already finished changing the bandages! Some people need to use the restroom!" she shouted, knocking quickly and hard on the door. Of course she was eavesdropping. Of course she was doing her best to squeeze in where she wasn't needed. Eddie moved away from you and unlocked the bathroom door. Visibly angry, he passed his aunt without a word and went to his room to get dressed. He was definitely uncomfortable with the fact that they could see his wounds. When he returned, he noticed you in the hallway putting your shoes on. Seeing his sad expression you smiled slightly.

"I have to go help my mom get everything ready for tonight's party." You explained grabbing his hand. "But don't miss too much, we'll see each other in a few hours, right?"

"Yeah." one corner of his mouth lifted

"See you later." In farewell you kissed him on the cheek and left the apartment. Leaving him alone with thoughts of what the hell  just happened.

When you got home, you didn't have much of a chance or time to think about the morning's events. You and the rest of the household threw yourselves into the whirlwind of preparations. You sat with Mom and El in the kitchen while Jonathan and Will helped prepare the garden, carrying chairs and tables there. After some time, Steve and Eddie also came to help. Because of his condition, Eddie stayed close to you in the kitchen and Steve went to help set things up in the garden. There was a kind of tension between you and the metalhead, but it wasn't bad. All the time you were sending each other glances and smiles. When you handed him vegetables to cut, his fingers brushed yours. The tiny gestures created a kind of attraction between you, which was terribly hard to resist. Despite everything, you did not bring up the subject of what happened just a few hours ago in the bathroom.

The party was going on at its best, Hopper and Wayne were sipping beers while keeping an eye on the meat on the grill, and right next to them at the table sat Joyce, the Sinclairs, Mrs. Henderson, Jonathan, Will, Eddie, and Theresa with Adam, who today was being extraordinarily, suspiciously nice to Eddie. Shouts and laughter came from the other end of the garden. Together with Dustin, El, Robin, Argyle and Steve you were playing fresbee, while Lucas and Max cheered you on from the sidelines. The disc flew out of your hands almost every time though you didn't give up. Seeing your persistence Eddie couldn't hold back a smile.

"Eddie!" shouted Will. "Are you even listening to me?" he rolled his eyes.

"Of course! You were talking about the new campaign."

"Yeah! What exactly?" Silence and the Dungeon Master's reddened face was the only answer he got.

"Will give him a break, you can see that something else is on his mind." interjected Jonathan. "Or rather, someone?"

"Is that someone our sister?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." he muttered while covering his face with his hair.

"So, Theresa! How is life in New York for you, life in the city must be very interesting!" the voice of Joyce caught the attention of all three so they turned their heads towards the aunt.

"Oh, it is! It's also very hard. It's hard to maintain the role of the Munsons, who have not followed in the family footsteps." she laughed artfully. "Fortunately, we're doing great with Adam."

Eddie's leg began bouncing under the table at an incredibly fast pace.

"What does that mean?" Joyce asked a visibly confused.

"Our family doesn't have a very good reputation, as you well know. Not many of us are able to get out of a miserable life in a penny trailer or avoid owning a police cartorette." She sent Eddie a quick glance, through which he knew he was about to receive the final blow. As his aunt continued, his leg began to move even faster, which did not escape the Byers brothers' attention. They both sent each other somewhat frightened glances but did nothing, waiting for the situation to unfold. "When we found out that Eddie was wanted for murder we were immediately horrified that he had followed in his father's footsteps-" she didn't have time to finish when Eddie stood up abruptly looking at her. Father. A word that caused even more pain than the pack of demobats tearing through his body.

"Don't-" he began in a shaky voice. "Don't you dare mention him. Don't you dare call that man my father, you understand." he tried to be calm. In truth, with all his might he wanted to be self-controlled now, but it all seemed too much. All week he had bravely endured everything she said about him. But now when she did it in front of everyone he cared about, when she did it in front of your family, pulling the strongest card in the process he couldn't stand it. Wayne and Hopper became alarmed and walked closer to the table, but that didn't stop him. "This man is nobody to me. A stranger. A fucking sperm donor nothing more. He is a murderer. He killed my mother, and your sister. His last name is Davis. Not Munson." He felt something tighten in his throat. Something making it difficult for him to breathe. "My father's name is Wayne Munson. He raised me, he changed my last name, so don't you ever dare call that man my father again." Saying all this, he looked her straight in the eye. He wanted to make sure she understood every single word he said. Feeling tears come to his eyes and he quickly turned away walking into the house. He couldn't afford to cry in her presence. That's why it wasn't until he was in your room that everything he held inside gave vent. Angrily, he grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it with all his strength onto the floor then sat on it himself while leaning against the bed. He took the pillow cuddling his face into it. As the smell of your scent filled his nostrils even more tears flowed into his eyes. Like tentacles full of venom, thoughts of Aunt Theresa being right wrapped around his mind. He thought he wasn't worthy of you. Maybe she was right that he didn't have a good future ahead of him. If he couldn't provide it for himself how could he provide it for you as well? How could a freak hated by the whole city be worthy of someone as wonderful as you? He felt like screaming. At that moment he hated himself even more than his aunt.

"I thought I'd find you here." Hopper said as he entered the room and sat down next to him.

"Yeah?" Eddie earned a smile while wiping away tears.

"Actually, I think that would be everyone's first thought."

"So obvious."

"Listen... I shouldn't say this, but your aunt is really insufferable. Don't worry, okay? Everything she said was one big bullshit."

"Looking at how many times I rode with you in the police car I wouldn't agree," his words were bitter and full of sadness.

"I know you Eddie. I admit that at some point you were not on my list of favorites, but later I got to know you from a different side as well, and I have to admit that Wayne did a great job raising you."

"Wayne is a great guy," he said.

"So are you." Seeing Eddie only nodding in the negative, he sighed heavily and continued. "I know the man your aunt was talking about. And you are nothing like him. You almost died protecting my kids. You are a hero. And you make one of my daughters damn happy, so as far as I'm concerned you're one of the best people I've met in this messed up life."

"You think I make her happy?" the wall of sadness was shot through with tiny hope.

"Very happy. That's why I don't even want to dig into why she came home in your T-shirt today."

"That- it's not what you think," he began to explain.

"I said I don't want to hear about it. Besides, she came back today very smiling. I haven't seen her like that in a long time."

"Eddie what happened? Jim?" when you noticed that Eddie had disappeared from the table you asked Will where he had gone, and he only said that towards the house, without giving you any details. Moments later you found him sitting on the floor with Hopper. His eyes were a little puffy and red, and you knew he had been crying. You were afraid that Hopper might have said something that led to this, and as if reading your mind he raised his hands in a defensive gesture.

"I didn't do anything. Your boy just felt a little worse, you know yourself how wounds can sometimes give you a hard time."

Hearing this seconds later you were on your knees next to Eddie. "Do you need painkillers? Maybe you need to rest? You can stay here and sleep." With concern in your eyes, you watched his eyes become even glassier. "What can I do to help you, Eddie?" without a word he pulled you close with a hug. You were his safe heaven. He knew that with you he could be vulnerable. "Eddie, I don't want to hurt you, I don't want your wounds to hurt you even more." You said quietly scared that such closeness could inflict more pain on him.

"I don't care 'bout them," he muttered into your hair.

"Come down to us when you're feeling better, we'll be making a fire soon to toast marshmallows." Hopper said, leaving you alone.

The two of you sat cuddled together for some more time. When you returned to the rest of the party, you didn't leave his side for a moment, making sure he was feeling fine and everything was okay. The rest of the evening passed peacefully, especially when you all sat around the campfire listening to the melody of the acoustic guitar that "slays dragons."

When the day of salvation arrived and the intruders left the Munson kingdom Eddie could breathe a sigh of relief. Even Wayne admitted that their visit was too much to bear and they deserved a rest. Still, Eddie could not rest. Staring at the ceiling, he wondered what your relationship would look like now. Will you forget everything that happened? Such as how close you were to each other? He tried everything to clear his head. Playing his guitar, writing songs, planning campaigns, drawing- nothing. Completely nothing was able to pull his thoughts off track. Countless times he approached the phone and was already almost grabbing the receiver but chickened out at the last moment. At the point when he could no longer handle himself he sat down on the couch with Wayne and they watched TV in silence. But whatever was playing on it didn't help. Then he heard a knock on the door. The thought crossed his mind that maybe it was his aunt who had returned, which in itself made him feel sick. Fortunately, it was you. Although the look on your face didn't indicate that you just came here to hang out. You were nervously biting your lips and your eyebrows crinkled together as you played with your fingers.

"Eddie, we need to talk." you said when he let you in and without a word you went to his room.

"What's wrong? I know pretending to love me for a week was hard, but I didn't think it was that hard." he tried to joke.

"Shut up!" you exclaimed. Your lower lip began to shake and tears came to your eyes. You had thought about the course of this conversation many times before coming here, but you didn't expect to be so carried away by your emotions. Seeing his surprised and then somewhat hurt look made you feel terrible for having erupted like that. He deserved an explanation. He deserved the truth. He didn't deserve yelling at him, for sure.

"I'm sick of how badly you talk about yourself. I'm sick of how you think you're not worth loving, because- because loving you is easy, Eddie! The easiest." you began, feeling like you were about to die of nerves, but you came here with a purpose and you were going to fulfill it. "I want to love you the way you deserve it. And you deserve the purest, the most honest and the strongest kind of love in the whole world. And I know that if you only let me, I will be able to give it to you. But I want you to know that I will understand if you don't feel the same way about me," the last words passed through your throat with extreme difficulty. You were ready to take the risk. A broken heart was a better option than keeping your feelings for him hidden. Especially since you had the opportunity to see what life at his side might look like. It looked like a dream. And you have to fight for dreams.

"You know I'm not the best at talking about feelings." he sighed. "So I'll use a little help," he said taking a couple of D&D figures in his hand and sat down on the bed. You sat down across from him. "If this were one of the campaigns I would say that a very important part was when Eddie the Banished and Y/n Golden Heart had a battle that lasted a week with two, extremely nasty monsters," the figurines portrayed a small fight scene. " After the monsters were gone they both met, in King Harrington's palace in the lobby, just by the door. Not feeling like feasting, they sneaked out and climbed onto the roof of a small shed that was nearby. Under the cover of night, they felt like they were the only people in the world. The night was beautiful. And the fact that evil was not lurking just around the corner gave it an added charm. The wind gently rustled between the trees, the hushed sounds of the feast could be heard in the background, and they were so immersed in a conversation they had created that they forgot about everything else. They talked about comets, about the next adventure that awaited them, about anything they wanted to talk about. The stars in the sky shone brighter than usual. They heralded the beginning. A good beginning." He grabbed your hand. It was a little sweaty because he vas nervous but you didn't care about it at all.

"How do you know it's a good one?" you asked quietly sniffing and feeling that you were calming down. You've always known that Eddie is amazing at storytelling, but this was the first time it involved something so sensitive.

"As the first shades of orange appeared in the sky and the sun gently began to illuminate his companion's face, Eddie the Banished realized a very meaningful matter."

"What kind of matter?" you waited impatiently for the continuation.

"From the very beginning as soon as y/n Golden Heart appeared in his life he couldn't stop thinking about her. He couldn't remember anything because all his thoughts were directed only toward her. At first he thought she charmed him with a bunch of curses, after all she was the most powerful witch in the kingdom. Because of this, he thought, he felt a constant need and desire to always be by her side. Having once been under the influence of the fumes created by the powerful herbalist Argyle, he wondered what kind of magic it would take to reduce him to the size of a rat, so that he could hide in a pocket in her robe to be by her side for a few moments longer." He laughed, and you dreamily listened on. "His life was like a hurricane. It rushed dangerously with unimaginable speed bringing with it a lot of destruction and dangerous changes. But despite the hurricane, he waited for a warmer front. That morning when y/n the Golden Heart closed her eyes and smiled slightly feeling the warm rays of the sun surround her face, he realized that she was the warmer front. They had survived a lot, rescued each other by pulling out of fires and getting out of rivers, defeated the scariest monsters in the kingdom. And they were together. They never left each other's side. It reached him that his feelings were not caused by curses. What he felt was stronger than a curse. It was love. Simply put, he was in love with her, and to his last breath he wanted to be with her."

"Eddie..."

"Yeah?"

"How many points do I have to roll to kiss you right now?" hearing this sentence from your mouth he knew that nothing more was needed for his happiness, so without hesitation he joined your lips together.

Eddie was right that this was the beginning. A very good beginning.

taglist: @i-me-mine

[sweetsweetjellybean]

TW: Smut-tacular 3 way smut. Angst. NSFW. 18+

AN: See end of chapter

Beta'd by @superbcoffeedrinkersubparwriter

Series Masterlist Fic Menu

Last night, you dreamt that you were an acrobat wearing a costume made of white silk inlaid with diamonds that reflected the light and made you shine. Step after careful step, your slippered feet moved along a tightrope stretched high above the earth. Somehow you knew as long as you held your breath, you could make it, you wouldn't fall. A crowd gathered below you yelled things you couldn't understand. The rope creaked, and your lungs screamed for you to breathe, but you were only halfway across, and your fate became clear - you would either suffocate or fall. 

Your lungs still ached with that long-held breath as you walked down the stairs that morning in search of Steve. It was time to step off before you fell. The main floor is quiet, and you thought maybe you were home alone until you caught a glimpse of Steve through the kitchen window.  

"Hi," you say, coming out of the sliding glass door onto the back deck. The usual tidy space was in upheaval. Patio furniture that had been uncovered and scrubbed clean was now drying in the warm sun. There are gallon jugs of chemicals and cleaning tools on the cement apron surrounding the in-ground pool. Steve was in board shorts and a tank top using a long net to skim the debris out of the water.

"Hi," he gives you a quick glance before returning to his task. Some drenched whirligigs and bits of leaves get scooped up in his net before he empties it out into a silver trash can he has waiting.

"Going for a swim?" Your tone is light and breezy, a contrast to the butterflies rioting in your belly.

"Well, I thought if I can't give you the ocean, at least I can give you a pool." His thoughtful gesture only makes this harder.

"It's still a little cold, isn't it?" 

"It's heated," he shrugs before moving toward the house and connecting a garden hose to the spigot.

"Steve, I think we should talk," you blurt out, twisting your fingers.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything," he keeps his back to you as he moves around, dropping the hose into the pool. 

"No. I really think-"

"There's nothing to say. We're friends, right? That's what you came out here to say," he asks as he crouches down to open the cover of the pool filter.

"Yeah, we're friends," you say almost hesitantly. 

"I don't want to hurt you or Eddie. Yesterday, I just got a little carried away. I stopped..we stopped before anything happened. So we can..move on, yeah?" 

When he is met with your silence, he abandons his task and joins you on the deck, where you stand with your eyes lowered, studying the texture of the gray boards. 

"Hey, none of this is your fault," he says, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind your ear, "It's me. I just need to…." He trails off and crosses his arms over his chest, "I want you to be happy while you're here. Hopper said you should hear from Enzo soon, and I'll start volunteering at the shelter again during the day. Let me know when your shifts start, and I'll give you a ride if you need one, okay?"

"Yeah, alright. Thanks, Steve," you say, turning back into the house. He returns to the pool to continue with his project. Everything is as it should be, but the disappointment washing over you confuses you even more. 

Steve was right. The phone rang the following afternoon, the voice of a harried older man letting you know you could start work the next week. It was just three shifts to start, but Enzo would schedule you for more once you were trained. The evening shifts would mean relying on the boys for rides since walking late at night wasn't a sensible option. 

"White tops, black bottoms. The men wear ties, girls wear skirts. Got it?" The older man with the Dallas mustache explained as you followed him around the busy Italian restaurant. Candles sat atop the crisp white table linens that covered every table, casting a soft glow on the brick walls and polished wood. 

"Yes, Mr. Enzo," you replied, trying to commit his whirlwind instructions to memory.

"Just call me Enzo. Forget the mister. Now, this is Leigh." He stops in front of a petite girl with dark hair cut in a sharp bob. She smiles kindly at you as Enzo continues, “She is going to show you the ropes. Stick with her tonight, and you'll be on by yourself for your next shift, learn the menu. Yes?" After you answer with a nod, Enzo departs for the kitchen, leaving you with Leigh. 

"Don't worry, you'll get it," she reassures. "There's a way we're supposed to do things, but I'm going to show you the easy way. You'll be a pro by the end of the night. You graduated last year, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," you say as she hands you a stack of menus and some silverware wrapped up in napkins.

"Lucky. I'm still a junior," She says with a sigh. Leigh takes you through table settings and the wine list, and you spend the rest of your shift shadowing her as she takes care of her tables with efficiency and a warm manner. It turns out Enzo's wasn't that different from any other restaurant you've worked at. Sure the menu and table settings were fancier. But in the kitchen, the wait staff still bitched about their tables while hanging halfway out the backdoor sneaking in a quick smoke between filling glasses and serving plates and the cooks still found a way to turn every request into something raunchy while leering at your boobs. By the night's end, your first-day jitters had disappeared, and you felt confident enough to work on your own.

"You have my number. Let me know if you need a ride or if you ever want to hang out," Leigh calls to you as you wait for Eddie to pick you up at the end of the night. 

"Thanks, I will," you wave as she heads to her car. Most of your friends left for college after graduation, and it's nice to meet someone new. The sound of Eddie's van precedes its arrival. The loud engine and equally loud music halt when he pulls up to the curb. He bursts out of the driver's door and sweeps you up into his arms, lifting you off your feet, and you squeal as he swings you around before kissing you like he hasn't seen you in days instead of hours.

"What's all this?" You ask breathlessly. 

"I've got big news, my love. But first, I want to hear about your first day," he says while opening the door and helping you into the van. 

"It was good, but I want to hear your news," you say, caught up in his excitement. 

"Okay. Hold on." He runs around the side of the van and climbs in his seat, "are you ready?" He asks with a smile like a kid on Christmas morning. 

"Yes. Yes. Tell me already," you say, bouncing in your seat.

"Okay. You are looking at the lead guitarist that will be playing with his band at the,” Eddie drums his fingers on the dashboard before continuing, “Metal Showcase Showdown." He says the name like a wrestling announcer, complete with echo.

"Ohmigod!" Stretching across the center console, you wrap your arms around him. For the last two years, corroded Coffin had been trying to get a spot in the showcase. It's a huge annual event at a club in Shelbyville. The winners walk away with a regular gig, a cash prize, and bragging rights.

"That's so amazing. I'm so proud of you," his cheeks tint apple-red at your praise, "I can't believe I'm going to be the girlfriend of a rockstar. That is unless you decide to trade me in for one of your groupies."

"Hmmm," he closes one eye and sticks out his tongue as he taps his chin with one finger. Narrowing your eyes, you give his arm a playful slap as he holds his hand up. "Just give me a minute. I'm picturing the groupies."

That earns him a few more slaps as your mouth drops open in a huff. He catches your hand mid air and kisses your knuckles. "I'm kidding, baby. You're the only one I think about." He reaches out and runs his hand along your jaw. His big doe eyes turn soft, and you can see yourself in their reflection. "After the earthquake, I crawled through hell, and my only thought was getting back to you." 

His words leave your chest aching, and you crawl across the console into his lap, covering his mouth with yours. The memory of the unbearable pain when you thought you'd lost him is still fresh in your mind. His name was a constant prayer on your lips as you cried yourself to sleep at night. But he's here, flesh and blood, with scars that remain a mystery but are easily forgotten with his soft lips moving over yours and the evidence of his passion growing under your lap. 

"Let's go home," he says, breaking the kiss. With one more sweet press of your lips, you move back into your seat as he starts the van and pulls away from the curb.

"Eddie, will you still want to move if things are going well for the band?" You ask tentatively, not wanting to rain on his parade.

"I don't know," he shakes his head as he keeps his eyes on the road, "I'm just trying to get through the rest of high school. Everything else feels too far away to think about. You don't need to worry. We won't win anyway."

"Hey, don't talk like that. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't believe you could win," you say, placing a hand on his thigh, "I was just thinking we can't stay at Steve's forever. If we're staying in Hawkins, we should think about getting our own place."

"You're not happy at Steve's? It's a hell of a lot nicer than anything we could afford."

"I know, but eventually, we will wear out our welcome."

"Look, baby, he's a friend. You've seen the guy. He was almost catatonic before he got laid, and I need a place to live. Wheeler and Buckley would be having kittens worrying about him if we weren't there. If you don't like living in a mansion with a pool, for free I might add, you could always move home for a little while."

"You don't want to live with me?" You ask quietly, pulling your hand away and looking out the window. Eddie hadn't actually asked you to move in. Steve was the one that extended the offer after you had spent a few nights there.

"That's not what I'm saying," he sighs, "I'm broke. I owe Wayne money. I got Rick breathing down my neck. Sales are slow because the cops are still keeping an eye on me. I'm drowning in schoolwork. Then there's the band and the club and you to keep happy. I can't keep stacking more on top of all this shit."

"Okay, I'm sorry," your face is hot, and unshed tears sting your eyes. 

"I might as well tell you now that the band's going to practice more to get ready for the show. I know that's going to mean less time together for a while. Can you cut me a little slack for the next few weeks?" He asks, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips. Nodding your head, you swipe at your eyes, trying to calm yourself before the dam bursts. 

"Good girl. I love you."

♡♡

Hugging the throw pillow to your chest, you sit in the dark living room with the tv providing the only light. Your hands are sweating, and your muscles tense as you watch Bruce Willis run around trying to get his life back from the doppelganger that has taken over.

The big quiet house feels empty with Eddie and Steve gone during the day as you wander from room to room, straightening up as needed, gathering laundry to wash, and making up the beds. Eventually, you end up in the kitchen, where you pull out a few ingredients from the fridge and begin to prepare a few meals so that the boys can have something that will heat up quickly while you're at work. The tedium of the last few weeks has given way to loneliness. Sadly, the best part of your day has become the short ride to work, where Eddie's attention isn't occupied with school, music, or campaigns. Even though you are proud of him for following through with his commitments, you can't help but feel you are falling further and further down his list of priorities. When you're finished cooking, you seal the food in Tupperware and put it in the fridge. The containers from yesterday's meals sit clean in the drying rack. Despite Steve's protests against being looked after, he eats the dinners you leave for him. He has made himself scarce whenever Eddie isn't around, choosing to spend time in his room or out of the house, and you miss him.

"What are you watching?" Steve asks from where he's standing just behind the couch, causing you to jump out of your skin.

"Jesus. Holy shit," you say with your hand over your heart, trying to calm down, "I think I almost peed my pants."

"Sorry," he says, trying to hide his laughter, "Watching The Twilight Zone in the dark, huh? You're brave."

"Turns out not so much," you toss the throw pillow at him, and he catches it easily.

"No Eddie tonight?" He tosses the pillow back onto the couch. 

"Nope. Band practice. The showcase is coming up." 

"Ah," He shakes his head, understanding. He hovers hesitantly in the entryway before he coming further into the room. "What did you do with your day off?" He asks, taking a seat on the edge of one of the overstuffed armchairs that flank the couch.

"Not much," you answer, pulling your knees up to your chest and crossing your arms over them, "I made some of the chicken and vegetables you like. I can heat it up for you if you want?"

"I already ate…but I'll have it tomorrow for lunch. Thank you for cooking."

"Sure." 

The narrator's monotone voice wraps up the first half of the show. "A man who lost himself...and found himself...on a lonely battlefield, somewhere...in the Twilight Zone."

"There is still the second story left. You could watch it with me? Protect me from all the scary things in the dark?" You ask, hopefully.

"I’m meeting Robin. Just stopped home to change." He says, standing and pointing back towards the door. 

"Oh, okay. Maybe next time. Tell Robin hey for me," you look away from him, turning back towards the tv, trying to hide your disappointment. He stands there for another moment before moving towards the stairs. He's doing the right thing, the commendable thing, but your heart can't help wanting him. His footsteps fade on the stairway as you try to focus on the screen and not the boy upstairs.

As if he times it perfectly, the commercials are just finishing when he plops beside you wearing sweats and an old t-shirt. "I thought you were going out?" You bite your lip to hide the smile threatening to give away how happy you are to have his company.

"I'm tired," he says, keeping his eyes on the tv, "Besides, I don't want to have to clean pee off the couch."  

Laughing, you bump his shoulder with yours. Circling his elbow with your arm, you lay your head against his shoulder as the announcer appears on the screen. 

"Is this okay?" You ask softly.

"Yeah. It's okay."

"Good morning, beautiful," Eddies whispers early the next morning, his lips lightly brushing the shell of your ear.

He hadn’t been home when you had gone to bed last night. After finishing the episode plus one more curled around him, Steve walked you to your room like the end of date. The two of you lingered in the hall thinking of things to say to keep each other there longer. Eventually saying your good nights before falling asleep in your cold, empty bed alone.

But now you're floating in that dreamy place between wake and sleep. Laying almost on your stomach with your left leg hiked up, the t-shirt you put on last night bunched up around your waist, Eddie’s warm chest pressed against back and his deft fingers stroking softly between your legs.

“Hmmm, Eddie,” you moan softly, eyes still closed, already incredibly wet, your body responding before your mind could catch up. “I’m here,” his breath fans over your jaw. Warm pluses of sleepy arousal radiate from your core, traveling through your body, making every brush of his smooth skin against yours feel electric. Clutching the sheets and blankets to your chest, your hips start to move, grinding against the very ready, very hard cock pressed against your ass. 

“Fuck baby, kiss me,” his mouth desperate for a taste of yours. Turning your head, his lips find you. His tongue dips into your mouth, sliding against yours in a slow wet kiss. The tiny cry that bubbles from your throat is muffled by his mouth as two fingers push into your slick channel, him giving you what you need before you can ask for it. His fingers pump in and out of you dragging against your spongy walls before gliding slowly through your folds to circle your clit, lighting you up like a sparkler before sliding back down, spreading your slick to the tight ring of your ass, and then up to repeat the process. 

"Eddie, shit…I need this…need you," you whine, reaching behind you running your hand up and down the velvety skin of his cock earning you an impassioned groan. 

“I know you do,” he helps you out of your shirt and rolls you on to your back. His beautiful face hovering over you and you realize just how long it’s been but now he’s here, sleepy eyes drunk with desire, lips berry red and swollen from kissing you.

“You are so fucking sexy,” you softly murmur while trailing your hand over his tatoos and lower down the expanse of his chest. His cheeks glow cupid-pink only adding to the effect. “Me?” he chuckles, returning your touch, letting his fingers drift over your hard nipples, “Do you know how much I want you? How much I always want you?”  He dips his head, wetly nipping down the column of your neck. 

“Show me you,” you rasp as his mouth closes over your breast, sucking, his tongue swirling over your nipple. Wandering fingers work their way into your heat, one breaching the tight ring of your ass while two others fill your pussy. Your hips roll, working him deeper inside you. He’s everywhere, filling you, tasting you, worshiping at your altar, pleasure flames through you and you lose control wantonly moaning.

“I need to fuck you.” He growls, his voice rough and strained as his mouth returns to yours sucking in your bottom, gently biting to remind you to answer. "I want you.. Eddie…please fuck me,” you helplessly whimper as pulls away leaving you empty and desperate. Knowing what you both want, you roll to your belly and lift your hips. Looking over your shoulder, you watch as he pumps himself, his eyes trained on your glistening pussy. “I can’t go slow. I’m sorry,” he warns as he lines himself up at your slick entrance. The need for each overpowering any rational thought. He drives into you in one smooth stroke, both of you crying out at the way you fit together. He thrust forward as you work your hips back, meeting each other in a frenzy. His hands run up and down your back, the tender touches a contrast to the hard deep thrusts of his dick, setting you ablaze inside and out as he moves in ceaseless rhythm, both of  you flying towards release.”I’m close,” your inner muscles tighten as that exquisite pressure builds deep inside you. 

"I can feel it, baby," his fingers move to circle your clit, sparking the fuse that has your orgasam exploding through you. A few more thrusts, and he's pulling out of you working himself through his release, spilling his thick, rich cum onto your back. You collapse onto your stomach enjoying the aftershocks and he drops down beside you a grin stretching across his face. Laughing, you lean over and press a small kiss to his cheek.

"I love you," he tells you, as he wipes your back with your discarded t-shirt. He's giving you a few more soft kisses when you hear a door slam and footsteps moving down the stairs. "I think we woke up Steve," Eddie says, pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose, "Let's clean up, and after breakfast, I'll make you dirty all over again."

Turning off your blow dryer, you study your hair in the mirror, smoothing down any stray locks. Deciding you're pleased with the results, you leave your room to join Eddie for breakfast. The sound of Eddie and Steve talking and laughing in the kitchen brings a smile to your face as you descend the stairs. Their conversation continues as you enter the room. Reaching into the cabinet, you grab an empty mug and fill it with the coffee that sat waiting for you in the half-full pot. When you join them at the table, Eddie's hand moves to your leg, and Steve doesn't so much as glance in your direction. 

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you." Eddie gestures to the bowl in front of him containing a small amount of colored milk and a few stray Froot Loops, "I'm gonna go smoke. Do you want me to stick some bread in the toaster for you?"

"Yes, please," you reply as you bring the mug to your lips and blow a little steam off before taking a sip. He drops a kiss on your head and stands to start your toast before heading out the sliding door. 

"Do you have plans today?" You ask Steve, keeping your voice light, trying to make conversation. But he doesn't answer you. He stands, taking his empty plate with him. 

"I'm sorry." 

Your words stop him mid-stride. He pauses for only a moment, keeping his back to you. His head lowers and shakes from side to side. 

"What are you sorry for?" The harsh tone of his voice startles you more than the plate breaking into pieces as he throws it into the sink. 

Your lips part but no sound escapes them. The emotions rampaging inside won't let you settle on a thought. 

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," his voice returns to even and normal as he picks up the shards and moves them to the trash, "I'm going to be late tonight. Don't bother with any dinner for me." Without another word, he leaves you alone. 

The new greens of spring are giving way to the vibrant deep hues of summer. There wasn't a cloud to be found in the clear blue sky, and the weather report on the radio promised a full day of perfection. The golden sun feels like a kiss against your skin, its warmth heating you from head to toe as you recline in your two-piece on one of the loungers Steve had set around the pool. Pushing the mirrored aviators higher on your nose, you look beside you at Leigh, lying on her stomach, flipping through a magazine. Deciding the weather was too good to enjoy alone, you called and asked her if she'd like to come over before her shift started. 

"All I'm saying is that Andrew would have been a much better match for Claire than Bender. I mean, how long do you think that's going to actually last?" Leigh muses.

"Don't be such a cynic. It could work out. Besides, Andrew and Ally are cute together." 

"Hello, ladies," Steve says as he slides the glass door shut behind him. Your eyes take in the sharp cut of his muscled shoulder before following the light trail of hair starting below his belly button and disappearing under the hem of his low-slung swim trunks.

"You're home early," you say, grateful that your sunglasses hide your ogling. No matter how often you see this man shirtless, the sight of his bare chest makes your throat dry. It doesn't help that you know the feeling of the bristly hair that covers his pecs rubbing against your skin. 

"It's too nice of a day to be inside," he walks between the loungers to set his Raybans on the table next to you, and you feel his eyes move over your body before he turns toward Leigh. "Hi. I'm Steve Harrington," he says, extending his hand to her.

"Oh, I know who you are," she says, sitting up to grasp his hand. Her cheeks bloom scarlet, and by the dumbfounded look on her face, one would think it was Emilio Estevez shaking her hand instead of Steve.

"This is Leigh," you tell Steve since the girl is too flustered to give him her name.

"It's nice to meet you, Leigh," he says, giving her a wink.

"Leigh works with me at Enzo's. She's a junior in high school," you say, ignoring the annoyed look that Leigh gives you for pointing that out. 

"Oh yeah? You must be happy that the year is almost over," he says, stepping onto the diving board, "I know Eddie is." He not so subtly reminds you that your boyfriend is also still in high school. With near-perfect form, he dives in and starts swimming laps back and forth across the pool.

"This is his house? You live with Steve Harrington?" Leigh asks you in an excited whisper. 

"Yeah. He's giving us a place to stay for a while," you shrug.

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

'I don't know. Maybe," you try to keep the irritation out of your voice as you watch Steve's long body slicing through the water.

After a few more laps, he pulls himself up the ladder. The water runs off his body, highlighting his fair skin dotted with freckles. He pushes his hair back as he walks over and takes a seat at the end of your lounger, dripping cool water on the heated skin of your legs. 

"If I had known they had such pretty girls working at Enzo's, I'd be eating there more often," he says, flashing Leigh a devastating smile. She giggles in response. 

"I'm going to get something to drink," you say, getting up and slipping on your sandals, not wanting a front-row seat to whatever this is leading to. 

The air in the house feels cool after being in the sun. Your flip-flops slap against the tile of the kitchen floor as you walk to the fridge and take out the pint of strawberries you had washed earlier. Biting into one, you let the sweet juice fill your mouth before taking a glass out of the cabinet and filling it from the tap. Steve comes in a minute later with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

"She's thirsty," he says in the way of explanation as he pulls two glasses from the cabinet. 

"I bet," you mumble, nibbling on another strawberry.

"What was that?" He asks, leaning over to snag one of the berries for himself. You're rendered temporarily speechless as you watch his lips close over the sweet flesh of the berry, leaving the crown between his fingers. 

"Nothing," you say, shaking your head to clear it. He moves to the fridge and pulls out a pitcher of lemonade to fill the glasses. 

"Think I should ask her out?" He takes a butter knife from the drawer and cuts a few strawberries to add to the glasses.

"Do whatever you want," you say, sipping your water, "it might be weird since I have to work with her, though." 

He can see right through your flimsy reasoning and doesn't even try to hide his cocky smile. He's about to say something else when the slider opens, and Leigh comes in from the pool. 

"I didn't realize it was so late. I have to leave for work," she says, grabbing the tote she left on the island earlier. She moves closer to Steve, "Do you want my number?" She asks him, batting her lashes, trying to look coy.

"Sure," he says, pulling out a pen and the pad of paper usually used for grocery lists from the drawer next to the sink. "It was nice meeting you," he says, taking back the pen once she's finished.

"Likewise," she says, walking backward and almost tripping," Thanks for inviting me. I'll see you at work." She waves to you as she leaves the kitchen. Steve waits to say anything else until he hears the click of the front door closing. 

"She's pretty cute, yeah? She certainly seems…eager," he says to you, smiling. 

"Who's eager?" Eddie asks, entering the room. He must have passed Leigh on her way out. 

"Leigh," you say flatly as he gives you a quick peck on the lips. 

"Oh yeah? You gonna ask her out? I say go for it, Harrington. The girl's a fox."

"What?" You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms over your chest. 

"Come on, baby. You know you're gorgeous, but I still have eyes," he says, trying to explain.

"She's hot, right?" Steve asks, raising his eyebrows and chuckling.

"Definitely," Eddie says, throwing an arm over your shoulder, "How well do you know this girl, baby? Maybe we can invite her next time we want to...spice it up."

Steve chokes on his lemonade, and you can feel the blood rushing to your face and neck. Fury. That's what you feel about his proposal. 

"I have an idea," you say, knocking Eddie's arm off your shoulder, "how about you two fuck yourselves and leave me out of it."

You can hear both boys giggling as you stomp up the stairs and slam your door.

"He's scorching hot. You are so lucky. You have no idea," Leigh says, practically swooning as she follows you around Enzo's with a stack of menus and hearts in her eyes.

"Yeah. Lucky me," you grumble, collecting the tip and stacking the dirty dishes from your last table onto a tray. It was an oddly quiet Friday night, leaving the staff plenty of time to dish, and apparently, you are on the menu. Twice now, you've approached the swinging kitchen door hearing laughter and excited murmurings from inside, but as soon as you cross the threshold, all conversation comes to a halt. Everyone is suddenly busy and unwilling to meet your eyes. 

"He hasn't mentioned me at all?" Nothing I'm going to tell you about. 

"Nope. Sorry. You know, Steve's just my roommate. I'm trying to focus on my boyfriend," you say in a clipped tone, adding a smile to soften your words. Picking up the tray, you start toward the kitchen.

"Yeah, I guess you would be," she says from behind you.

"What does that mean?" You ask, turning to face her. Her mouth snaps shut, and her eyes go wide. She hugs the menus to her chest while her face turns three shades of red.

"Just tell me, Leigh," you say impatiently, balancing the tray on your hip.

"Well…I don't think this," she stutters, her eyes looking everywhere but at your face. "Everyone is saying…now that everyone knows Eddie didn't kill Chrissy. They're wondering what they were doing together. That's all."

"Is that what everyone's gossiping about?" You ask, rolling your eyes and continuing to the kitchen with Leigh right behind you. The kitchen goes as quiet as a church as soon as you enter. Sighing loudly, you unload your tray. 

"Everyone knows that Eddie sells. That's not news," you say loud enough for the rest of the kitchen to hear, "Obviously, she wanted some weed," not one person in the kitchen looks up, even though they're clearly listening. Grabbing a bottle of cleaner and cloth, you leave the kitchen to finish cleaning your table.

"Hold this," you pass the cleaning supplies to Leigh who is sticking with you like a bad penny. Carefully, you fold the soiled table linens, so the crumbs don't fall to the floor. 

"It's just that..Eddie sells to people in the woods or out of his van, but no one's been to his place before." 

She's not wrong, and it's been on your mind since Eddie's return. At first, you were just happy to have him back, but he refuses to answer any questions about Chrissy or where he had been, or how the heck he wound up being best pals with Steve Harrington, and you don't know what to think.

"I don't know, Leigh," you trade the wrapped linens for the cleaner, "there was an earthquake. Everything was crazy. Why don't you tell me what happened?" Pausing, you wait for her response. 

She steps closer and lowers her voice,"They think Eddie and Chrissy were having an affair, and Jason found out. He caught them at Eddie's trailer, and he killed her. Then he tried to kill Eddie, but he got away, and Jason killed himself."

Bile rises in your throat, as you set down the cloth and cleaner with shaking hands. Your chest and neck heat, and you pause long enough to be sure your voice won't break as you answer. 

"He wouldn't do that. He loves me." 

"Of course, he wouldn't. It's just gossip," Leigh says, placing her hand on your arm. Her assurances sound sticky sweet, but they sour as they reach your ears.

"Can you finish for me? I need the ladies' room."

 Without waiting for an answer, you leave her with the mess. After turning the lock, you slide down the back of the closed door until you're sitting on the tiled floor, ignoring how gross it probably is. A few weeks ago you never would have entertained the idea that Eddie would ever cheat on you, then again you would have never entertained the idea of cheating on him. Despite whatever you feel for Steve, you have no doubt that you love Eddie, and he loves you. But now you understand how quickly feelings can be kindled and how a fire can quickly get out of control. The watch on your wrist tells you the restaurant will be closing in ten minutes, enough time to pull yourself together before Eddie picks you up. The cold water you splash on your face calms your heated cheeks and as you study your reflection in the mirror you wonder if maybe you deserve this. Or maybe he does.

"Are you sure I can't give you a ride?" Leigh asks for the tenth time. 

"I'm sure. Eddie will be here any minute. You don't have to wait," you say, crossing your arms across your chest, standing on the very edge of the curb while looking up and down the deserted street and rechecking your watch. 

"That's what you said forty minutes ago," she points out, "maybe he forgot?"

"He didn't forget. He has Hellfire tonight. He's just running late," the irritation inside you's bubbling like a pot about to boil over. It's clear Leigh's offer is more about her wanting to see Steve than her concern for you. 

"Oh, yeah. That's like a board game, right?"

"Something like that," setting down your purse, you use both hands to run circles on your temples.

"How old is Eddie?"

Before you can say something you may regret, a maroon BMW smoothly pulls up to the curb in front of you. Without another word to Leigh, you round the passenger side and climb into the waiting car. Steve gives her a little wave as he drives off toward home. 

"When did he call you?" You ask Steve after a few minutes of quiet.

"I dunno, about fifteen minutes ago," sinking back into the soft leather seat, you shake your head, "You know how they get when they're playing."

"Don't defend him," the passing lights fade in and out as you study his profile while his eyes stay fixed on the road. 

"Okay, I won't."

♡♡

"Will you come talk with me for a bit?" you ask, tipping your head to the side.

Steve flips the switch, lighting the foyer of the otherwise dark and quiet house. He drops his keys in the small stained glass bowl on the wooden console table just behind the door. A quick, sympathetic smile crosses his face as he lifts the strap of your heavy purse off your shoulder and places it next to his keys. He looks as worn out as you feel. 

"Nah, I'm going to go up," he hitches his thumb toward the stairs before resting his hands on his hips.

"Just for a few minutes," you tell him, grabbing hold of his hand, "Come on, I'll make us some tea," he lets you pull him into the kitchen and makes himself comfortable leaning against the counter as you fill the kettle from the tap. 

"How are things at the shelter?" the blue flame pops and comes to life as you adjust the knob on the cooktop before setting the kettle to boil.

"People are getting what they need. Most of the families have been set up in temporary housing. Soon there won't be much to do but serve meals," he chews thoughtfully on his lip as he watches you move about the kitchen. 

"That's good, right?" 

"Yeah. Definitely. What about you? How was your night?" 

"It was slow," the earthy sweet aroma of the herbal tea hits your nose as you lift the lid of the cardboard box, "Leigh was driving me crazy. She wouldn't stop talking about you," he stays quiet but one side of his mouth lifts into a smirk, "Are you hungry? I can make something to eat?"

The kettle begins to whistle, and you move it to another burner and turn off the flame while you wait for his reply. 

"You don't have to take care of me."

"I like taking care of you," steam rises out of the mugs as you pour the hot water from the kettle over the tea bags. 

"You're good at it. But I shouldn't get used to it," he runs his hands through his hair, "I'm always getting myself into these impossible situations with girls. The ones I take out, they're never right for me. And the ones that I like, I'm never right for them. The first week you were here, and I saw you with Eddie, I thought that's it. That's what I want, someone to give a shit, you know?"

"Steve, plenty of people give a shit. Nancy, Robin, me," you explain, placing your hand on his bicep.

"You have no idea of the irony in that statement," he chuckles and shakes his head.

Moving closer, you slip your arms around his waist, your thumb brushes against his belt loop, and you rest your head against the solid mass of his chest, listening to the thumping of his heart, "I care about you.. so much."

His chest expands as his breathing deepens, and his arms close around you, one big hand tangling in your hair, tipping your head back. His eyes work like a key in a lock, opening your heart so he can climb inside. 

"Not the way I want you to." 

"You're wrong," you shake your head, the truth slipping out so easily.

"It doesn't matter," he says, pulling away. His hands fall to your shoulders to gently loosen your hold. 

"No," panic builds as the word escapes, reminding you of that afternoon you begged him to stay. Knowing now, as you did then, if he leaves, it will be his last goodbye.

"We can't," his grip on your shoulders tightens, and he shakes you, trying to get you to understand.  

"I just want to be close to you. Please," the high pitch of your cracking voice sounds desperate, even to your own ears. 

"It's too hard," pain is visible on his face as he reaches back to unwrap your fingers from where they are digging into the skin of his back. 

Without a second thought, you stretch to your tiptoes and press your lips to his. Tears burn behind your closed eyes, and your heart pauses its beat in the loud silence of the moment, waiting to see if he'll return your kiss. His strong thick fingers smooth over the soft skin of your neck until his thumbs can angle your jaw. A low noise rumbles from his throat, and his decadent mouth opens to you. The kiss begins deep and delves further as he takes control. His plush lips work to taste every curve and dip of your mouth while his tongue slides against yours. Soft hmms and hums float on the air that escapes your hungry mouths as the desperation increases, and you pull him closer. His hands drift down your neck and move lower, lightly grazing your breasts before settling on your waist, where he's tugging the hem of your shirt free from your skirt and inching it up your stomach.

The creak of a heavy door slamming has him pushing you away and turning to face away from where Eddie is entering the room. Picking up your mug of tea, you sip the lukewarm liquid trying to hide your swollen lips. 

"What the fuck? Am I interrupting something?" Eddie asks, his eyes darting around the scene in front of him. 

Placing your mug on the counter, you walk around him without a word heading toward your room with the sound of his heavy footsteps behind you.

"You're mad at me?" Eddie asks incredulously once you shut the door to your room. 

"I'm not mad. I'm disappointed," you say, tucking a leg underneath as you sit on the bed and grab a pillow holding it in your lap like a shield.

"Jesus Christ. Thanks, Wayne," he paces back and forth while he scrubs his face with his hands, "Just because I was a few minutes late?"

"It's not because you were late. It's because I can't rely on you."

"Oh, but you can rely on Steve? Is that why the two of you jump apart and stop talking the minute I come in the fucking kitchen?"

Relief washes through you that he hadn't seen more, "This isn't about Steve. It's about you and me. I'm tired of being the only grown-up in this relationship," you say, keeping your eyes downward. The guilt you haven't even begun to process doesn't wipe away the fact that you and Eddie have problems that have been stacking up.

"The only grown-up…are you fucking kidding me?" he asks with a red face. He's never yelled at you before, and you can't stop the tears from slipping past the rims of your eyes. His voice wavers as he tries to hide his emotion, "I've got responsibilities coming out of my ass here. I don't need this shit from you. You and Steve can play house together. I'll go sleep in my fucking van."

The sound of the door slamming echoes through the house. Slumping forward, you cry into the pillow you've been clutching. Eddie's pillow. Tears soak through the material, and you inhale his scent, tobacco, shampoo, and a hint of old spice. He'd never been perfect, but you loved him anyway, the nervous boy sitting in the diner ordering pie he didn't want-just to be close to you. A short time ago, you thought you'd lost him for good, and now you're giving him up so easily. 

Before you can convince yourself letting him go is the right thing to do, your hand is on the doorknob, and you're running down the stairs. Pausing for only a moment as you reach the front door. Steve stands in the hallway, the air between you full of unspoken words. Turning away from him, you open the door. The pavement is cold and rough under your bare feet as you chase the taillights of Eddie's van down the driveway. But you're too late, or so you think, until brake lights blink on and the van comes to a stop. The driver's door opens, and Eddie steps out to catch you, wrapping you tightly in his arms. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," both of you say, speaking over each other. And you are, for so many things. Things you'll never tell him about.

"Where did we go, baby? We don't feel like us anymore. I'm losing you," he confesses, his voice thick and cracking. 

"No. No. I'm here, and I love you," you cry, pressed against his cheek. 

"Don't give up on me," he pleads.

Your hands grasp the sides of his face, moving him back so he can see your eyes, "I won't. I promise I won't," he pulls you tightly against him, and as you stand there while he slightly rocks you, you hope it's a promise you can keep. 

♡♡

Part 6

AN: Thanks for sticking with this story. I hope to wrap this up in maybe 2 more parts. OC Leigh was a tip of the hat to my good friend @loveshotzz. Congrats on your big milestone, kitten! Thanks for all your help. A big thanks to the rest of the squad all the late night ideas and read throughs. @myobmaya @boomhauer

♡��

Tag List @boomhauer @onlyangel-444 @breehumbles @myobmaya @arsenicred @kiki17483 @stolen-in-moonlight @sometimesamysometimesjo @ladybug0095 @sammararaven @tlclick73 @munsonology @totally-bogus-timelady @katelyndestini95 @munsonswhore86 @kelsietilley-blog @figmentofquinn @champagne-glamour @ilovecupcakesandtea @bimbobaggins69 @munsonsgirl71 @sidthedollface2 @eddiessweetheart86 @miarosso @micheledawn1975 @eddiescorrodedcoffin86 @takeitsteddie @tiannamortis @sllooney @manda-panda-monium @prestinalove @sunfl0wern1kk1 @pbeckn26 @yogizzz @justmeandmymeanderingthoughts @samunson83 @spidey-fez @loving-and-dreaming

[c0rvusx2]

Roomies

Toji x GN!reader

Note: Small little Drabble lol. The Toji brain rot is real.

Genre: Crack/Fluff idk

Imagine it, [Name], a dimension hopper, accidentally bumps into Toji during one of his assassinations.

“Who the hell are you?” The green eyed man huffs, stuffing his weapon back into an intestine-looking creature. “Nooooo one you need to worry about, haha!” [Name] awkwardly chuckles, picking themselves up from the ground and scrambling away.

They swear it was an accident, stumbling over their words after taking a tumble from having their legs swept from underneath them.

“An accident? Do I look like I was born yesterday?” He snaps, adding pressure to the foot he had placed on their back. “Uh- no? But I’m not lying- fuck I can’t breathe-“ They wheeze out.

Luckily, [Name] being the incredibly intelligent person they were, accidentally let it slip that they weren’t from this world right before the buff man on top of them broke a rib. This raised several doubts from the raven haired man.

“Hah, funny joke kid.” He barked out a laugh, lightening the pressure before pushing back harder. They coughed, “Not- a joke. In… my bag-“ [Name] winced.

Without letting up his foot, he snorted as he bent down to grab the (f/c) and black colored messenger bag. His frown deepened a bit as his calloused hands began to shuffle through their belongings.

“The hell…?” He mumbled to himself as he eyed the strange items. The first thing he had grabbed was their wallet. In one of the slots was an ID card, the words and information that would normally be on a typical Japanese citizen’s ID were materializing, taking form into a name. “Akutami, [Name],” He raised a brow. “Akutami? Not my style but okay,” They mumbled, thinking that the ravenette wouldn’t hear. But of course, he did.

The other items held in by their wallet was a fat stack of Yen (which the bastard pocketed) and a house key? Peaking through each pocket he saw some other sort of money, a cell phone, and other useless trinkets. The man eyed the house key and had a moment to think.

“Yo kid,” He tapped his foot, the same one that was placed onto their back. “Not a kid,” They snapped under their breathe. The green eyed man huffed again, “Let’s make a deal, yeah? I don’t kill ya, and you let me stay at your house.” They turned their head, looked him dead in the eye, and said, “The fuck-“

The asshole unfortunately didn’t have a place to stay tonight, so it was good luck that he didn’t need to go through the hassle of hooking up with some bimbo to get a night of sleep. Long story short, they reluctantly had to bring the man along to their new house—which had suddenly appeared under their name in the records.

“So… what’s your name?” They called out, addressing him as he walked behind them. It took a minute for him to respond, and it almost made [Name] pray to the gods that a piano would fall from above and strike both of them to end the awkward silence. ”Fushiguro… Toji,”

[Name] reluctantly let him in, the hulking man squeezing through the entrance and glancing at the furniture. They whistle in awe, spotting a nearby coatrack and hanging their bag up. Toji plops himself on the couch, already flipping through the channels in search for some entertainment.

Time passes and they’ve settled into their new lifestyle, getting used to the Japanese mannerisms and the strange roommate. It was a lucky break that there was an extra bedroom (and they thanked the big guy at the top for most likely seeing into their future).

“TOJI, YOU BETTER NOT HAVE GONE GAMBLING AGAIN YOU BASTARD,” [Name] stomps out of their room, crossing their arms and frowning at the ravenette who was chowing down on some cup noodles. “God Dammit, it’s only 7 AM! Leave me be,” He grumbled, setting down his chopsticks in the cup to raise the volume on the TV. “I’m the one who pays for most of this shit, use your own money to gamble!” They snap back, snatching the remote and lowering the sound. “I didn’t gamble it,” he sneered, “I payed a prostitute with it,” “THAT’S NOT ANY BETTER!?”

“Alright, what do we say to the door dash guy this time?” “Absolutely nothing-“ “No, we say, “Thank you,” and then hand a tip,” “Don’t they already get paid? Do we really need to tip-“ “Yes because we have enough change,”

“Do you really need to drag me back home?” [Name] sighed, their legs dangling from Toji tossing them over his shoulder. He huffs, “If I didn’t, we would’ve been stuck at the animal shelter for 2 more hours.” ”I didn’t even get to choose!” “Believe me when I say we don’t need a pet.” There’s silence for a moment before a cheesy smile creeps onto their face. “Aw are you jealous that I’ll spend more time with the pet more than youuuu?” “Hell no!” He promptly drops you right on the spot.

Bro I don’t know how to feel about this 💀💀💀 Didn’t take too long to write but Toji feels so OOC 😭

I feel like I should’ve done more roommate content but I’m too lazy 💀💀 If it gets enough attention I might do Pt. 2.

Not proofread 🤡

[post-modern-prometheus]

will byers studio art major constantly in the art building, experimenting with different mediums, staying in studio until the sun comes up and he realizes he’s been in there all night. who doodles comics of himself and his friends and their amusing drunken nights out. who rolls the worst blunt in history despite being good with his hands. who walks around with paint splatters and clay stains all over his backpack and button ups and the bottom of his docs. who collects random objects and pieces of broken furniture for his apartment.

mike wheeler english major who sticks a notebook in his back pocket and a pen behind his ear and goes to parties and stands in the corner, writing lines to poems that he vows will never see the light of day. who starts a shitty grunge band and writes songs with bad chord progressions but lyrics that make u wanna rip your teeth out. who gets crossed and recites the wasteland in-between heaving in the grass. who doesn’t own a single pair of shoes besides his best up black chucks. who wears striped t-shirts and black jackets and sunglasses at night. who always has a beat up paperback of a queer coded classic in his messenger bag and his emergency copy of howl.

el hopper education major who goes a little insane at the freedom. who leads the puke and rally mantra. who is a master at shotgunning. who shaves her head a month into freshmen year because she thinks it’s cute and she wants to take back her life and not let her past govern the way she lives now. who wants to help kids who feel the way she did in high school. who tapes every single tangible memory she has onto her wall so she is constantly surrounded by friends, even when she’s alone. who covers her bed in stuffed animals and pillows and blankets.

dustin henderson double theater and physics who says he doesn’t have time for anything besides studying and rehearsal but is the first to offer to host the pregame. who constantly forgets not to wear open toed shoes to lab and breaks his back with textbooks. who doesn’t flinch at shots and has a certain affinity for jungle juice. who won’t shut up about his second major. who gets his friends into the theater kid parties and has the most rizz imaginable with stem girls.

lucas sinclair pre-physical therapy major african american studies minor with a basketball scholarship who’s at the top of his class and a starter on the team. who’s pretentious art friends never miss a game. who won’t smoke cigarettes with the others because those things can kill you ya know. who treats every class like a runway and won’t waste a day for a fit. who somehow doesn’t need sleep. who has declared war on the dining hall food.

max mayfield who can’t on a major because she really feels like she hasn’t truly lived yet. who skates around campus and is an absolute menace to pedestrians. who flirts with guys for free drinks then brings them back to share with lucas and el. who always has a pack of cigarettes on her, but never a lighter. who prefers whiskey above anything else. who instigates fake fights with mike on walks back from house shows and ends up on his back.

the party in college!!!

[stankycowboy]

continued from x

He admired her aggressiveness, it showed spunk. Looking from @mslangermann to the pan and back he snorted, stepping through into the apartment, hands in pockets, looking around as if any of the accoutrement would catch his eye.

“Ya, but she ain’t there”. He tried for aloof, but there was clear disappointment on his face. “Folks at the bar don’t take too kindly to me, so I figure if anyone else might know, and have a vested interest in gettin’ me on my way”, looking slyly through his bangs he grinned, “why I expect it might be you”. He bent forward to peruse the few objects atop a table, whether he was truly invested was difficult to perceive.

“Until you help me”, he slowly crossed to close her curtains, “maybe I’ll keep you company”. With the gusto of one delighting in being a pest, he hopper over the top of her couch and flopped down onto it; even the furniture giving a groan of complaint at his presence. Severen arranged himself comfortably upon it with the arrogant air of one completely at peace with being a frustrating nuisance. Kicking his boots up onto her table, his wolf emblazoned spurs left a noticeable divot along the edge; like bite marks— a permanent sign of his intrusion.

[punjabfurnitureau]

Crafted with timeless elegance, our white and black wooden dining table seamlessly blends sophistication with versatility, making it the perfect centerpiece for any dining space. From intimate gatherings to lavish feasts, its durable construction and striking design ensure both style and functionality for years to come.

[blueskiesandstarrynights]

📓

ok, so I know you're not in this fandom, so I apologize in advance, but this au has taken over my brain and I haven't written a single word yet so-

Hopper-Byers Firestarter au. Hear me out.

Joyce and Hopper are a couple teens strapped for cash and are offered a chance to participate in an experiment for 200 bucks. They figure what's the harm, they've got a 50/50 shot of just getting an injection of distilled water, and if they do get the drug they'll probably be tripping balls for a few hours before they go about their merry lives. Right? Wrong! lol

There's something wrong. They're both given the drugs, but Joyce swears she saw one of the test subjects claw at his eyes, smearing his blood soaked hand on the chart above him. She swears she has a whole conversation with Jim, sharing everything and nothing all inside their heads.

They've both been given powers, and a few years later, they'll have been the only ones not dead or driven insane. He has minor telekinesis, and she's able to push people into doing or agreeing to what she wants.

Time passes and the two grow closer and a few years later there's a ring around their fingers and Joyce is pregnant with her first. The problem? They're being watched. They don't always know how or even particularly who, but the why is clear- the scientists want their lab rats back. So they plan in secret. Gather resources, vet doctors as safe, research locations, and slowly start selling furniture over the course of months. One day, they gather all their belongings in Jim's truck and set off. They spend months on the road, crashing everywhere they can and taking the long route while crossing at least 10 state lines to shake the government tail they've acquired. They're terrified they'll never shake them and Joyce will have to give birth on the road, but finally they arrive at their intended destination with no one following them- a tiny town in bumfuck Indiana where no one would think to find them.

They're still looking over their shoulder and checking for anyone else following them, or bugs planted in the house, but for the first time in years, they feel safe enough.

Years continue to pass and the two realize something about young Jonathan- he seems or have inherited some form of telepathy from them, meaning whatever fucked up drugs are in them that changed who they are can be passed down. They talk with him, making him feel safe and loved, while also warning him of what could happen if he wasn't careful.

Fast forward a bit and Jonathan's three now and Joyce is pregnant again, this time with twins. Hopper and Joyce are both overjoyed and terrified. Anything could happen and moving around is so much harder with three kids, two of them being newborns. They ramp up their paranoia and frequency of checks for government tails.

They think they're in the clear, but when Joyce gives birth in a hospital they checked multiple times, little Will is the only survivor of the two, the other twin tragically dies in childbirth 😔

Don't believe that? Neither do Joyce or Hopper. Publicly, they cry and grieve, but quietly, they dive into research to find out what really happened to their little girl.

Unfortunately, their efforts are put on hold as they realize Will has some kind of electrokinesis. which is a major problem for a baby. every time he was hungry or threw a temper tantrum, sparks would fly and he would short out anything from the lamp to the whole house if he wasn't careful.

years pass, and we pick up when Will is 12 and Jonathan is 15 in 1983. At this point, Hopper is convinced their unnamed girl really is dead, and Joyce's faith is starting to waver as well. They've spent many years following trails, having even taken the boys away one summer to trace a lead that led nowhere. There was one close call a few years ago where a couple suits tried to take Joyce while Hopper was at work, but she defended herself and by the time Hopper came home, he scared the shit out of the suit enough to leave them be and lie about how the mission went. What followed was an intense and heated debate, but they ultimately decided to stay in Hawkins.

What follows at this point is what I'm hoping to make as a combination of s1 of st and the plot of firestarter. They do find out el's alive and theirs which I cannot wait for because hell hath no fury if you've messed with Joyce Byers' kids. I also have this specific idea that Will and El are psychically linked, but I'm still trying to figure out the details of that. I'm still working out how I wanna do a lot of this, and I'm really sorry if the way I phrased some of this may come across as unappealing but this won't stop rotating in my head I'm obsessed and I haven't even finished the book. If you've made it this far and have any questions I'm more than happy to answer them considering I want to be able to expand this.

[removalistontherun2]

Efficient Furniture Removalists Hoppers Crossing - Quick & Reliable Service!

Looking for furniture removalists Hoppers Crossing? Our team offers quick and reliable service for all your moving needs. With years of experience, we ensure a hassle-free moving process. Contact us today for a stress-free relocation experience!

[upholsterycleaningwerribee]

Transform Your Furniture: Upholstery Cleaning Services in Hoppers Crossing

Upholstery cleaning is an essential part of home maintenance, especially in bustling suburbs like Hoppers Crossing. With families leading busy lives, furniture often takes a beating, accumulating dirt, stains, and allergens over time. Ensuring your upholstery remains clean not only enhances the appearance of your home but also promotes a healthier living environment. This article delves into the importance of upholstery cleaning and why professional services in Hoppers Crossing can be a game-changer for your home.

Why Upholstery Cleaning is Crucial

Health Benefits

One of the primary reasons to prioritize upholstery cleaning is the significant health benefits it offers. Upholstered furniture can harbor a variety of allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, and mold spores. These allergens can contribute to poor indoor air quality and exacerbate respiratory issues, allergies, and asthma. Regular cleaning helps eliminate these harmful particles, ensuring a healthier home environment for you and your family.

Prolonging Furniture Life

Upholstery represents a significant investment in any home. Over time, dirt and grime can wear down the fabric fibers, leading to tears and fraying. By maintaining a regular cleaning schedule, you can preserve the integrity of your upholstery, ensuring it lasts longer and continues to look good. This not only saves you money in the long run but also keeps your home looking well-maintained and stylish.

Enhancing Aesthetic Appeal

Stains, spots, and general dirt can make even the most expensive furniture look unappealing. Clean upholstery significantly enhances the aesthetic appeal of your home, making it look fresh and inviting. Whether you're hosting guests or simply enjoying your living space, clean furniture contributes to a pleasant and welcoming environment.

Benefits of Professional Upholstery Cleaning in Hoppers Crossing

While there are various DIY methods available for upholstery cleaning, professional services offer distinct advantages that are hard to match.

Expertise and Experience

Professional upholstery cleaners possess the expertise and experience needed to handle different types of fabrics and stains. They are trained to identify the appropriate cleaning methods for various materials, ensuring that your furniture is cleaned effectively without causing damage. Whether your upholstery is made of delicate silk, durable leather, or synthetic blends, professionals know the best techniques to use.

Advanced Cleaning Equipment

Professional cleaners in Hoppers Crossing use advanced cleaning equipment that can achieve a deeper clean than standard household tools. These machines can remove embedded dirt, allergens, and bacteria that regular vacuuming cannot reach. High-powered steam cleaners and specialized solutions ensure a thorough clean, leaving your upholstery looking and smelling fresh.

Time and Effort Savings

Cleaning upholstery can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive task, especially for large or heavily soiled items. Hiring professionals saves you time and effort, allowing you to focus on other important tasks. The convenience of having experts take care of your upholstery cleaning means you can enjoy clean and fresh furniture without the hassle.

Safe and Eco-Friendly Solutions

Many professional upholstery cleaning services in Hoppers Crossing prioritize the use of safe and eco-friendly cleaning solutions. These products are effective in removing dirt and stains while being gentle on your furniture and safe for your family and pets. By choosing professionals who use green cleaning methods, you contribute to a healthier home environment and a more sustainable planet.

Tips for Maintaining Upholstery Between Professional Cleanings

Even with professional cleaning, it's essential to maintain your upholstery between services to keep it looking its best.

Regular Vacuuming

Regular vacuuming helps remove surface dirt and prevents it from becoming embedded in the fabric. Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean the surface and crevices of your furniture.

Immediate Stain Removal

Address spills and stains immediately to prevent them from setting into the fabric. Blot any spills with a clean, dry cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible, and use a mild detergent solution to gently clean the area. Always test the solution on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure it doesn't damage the fabric.

Use Protective Covers

Protective covers or throws can help safeguard your upholstery from spills, stains, and general wear and tear. These covers are especially useful for high-traffic areas and homes with children or pets. They are easy to remove and wash, making them a convenient way to keep your furniture looking clean.

Rotate Cushions

Rotating cushions regularly can help distribute wear evenly, preventing certain areas from becoming more worn out than others. This simple practice can extend the life of your upholstery and keep it looking uniform.

Conclusion

Upholstery cleaning is a vital part of maintaining a clean and healthy home in Hoppers Crossing. By investing in professional upholstery cleaning services, you can ensure your furniture remains in top condition, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your home and promoting a healthier living environment. Additionally, following simple maintenance tips between professional cleanings can help keep your upholstery looking its best. Don't wait invest in upholstery cleaning in Hoppers Crossing today and enjoy the benefits of clean, fresh furniture.

[carpatecleaning]

End of Lease Cleaning Hoppers Crossing

As the lease on your property in Hoppers Crossing approaches its end, the inevitable task of end-of-lease cleaning looms ahead. While it might seem daunting, thorough and meticulous cleaning is crucial to ensuring the return of your full bond amount. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of end-of-lease cleaning in Hoppers Crossing, providing you with valuable insights and practical tips to make the process smooth and successful.

Understanding the Importance of End-of-Lease Cleaning:

End-of-lease cleaning is not just a courtesy; it's a contractual obligation. Property managers and landlords expect tenants to return the property in the same condition as when they moved in, barring fair wear and tear. Failing to meet this standard may result in deductions from your bond, leaving you with a smaller refund than anticipated.

Creating a Cleaning Checklist:

A well-organized cleaning checklist is your roadmap to success. Break down the cleaning tasks into specific areas, including the kitchen, bathrooms, living spaces, and bedrooms. Consider the following areas when creating your checklist:

Kitchen:

Clean all kitchen appliances, including the oven, microwave, and refrigerator.

Wipe down countertops, cabinets, and backsplashes.

Remove grease and grime from the stove and exhaust fan.

Clean the sink and faucets.

Bathrooms:

Scrub and disinfect the toilet, bathtub, shower, and sink.

Clean mirrors and wipe down all surfaces.

Address any mold or mildew issues.

Ensure proper ventilation and cleanliness in exhaust fans.

Living Spaces:

Dust and clean all surfaces, including shelves and baseboards.

Vacuum and/or mop floors.

Address any stains on carpets or rugs.

Clean windows, window sills, and blinds.

Bedrooms:

Dust and clean all furniture, including wardrobes and dressers.

Vacuum carpets and clean under the bed.

Wash curtains or blinds.

Wipe down light fixtures and switches.

Professional Help vs. DIY:

While many tenants choose the do-it-yourself route to save money, hiring professional end-of-lease cleaning services in Hoppers Crossing can have its advantages. Professionals are experienced in meeting the high standards set by property managers and landlords. They have the expertise and equipment to tackle stubborn stains and ensure every nook and cranny is thoroughly cleaned.

However, if you opt for a DIY approach, make sure to allocate sufficient time for each task. Enlist the help of friends or family members to make the process more efficient. Investing in quality cleaning supplies and equipment will also contribute to achieving professional-level results.

Dealing with Carpets and Flooring:

Carpets and flooring are often focal points during end-of-lease inspections. Follow these tips to ensure your carpets and floors leave a lasting impression:

Carpets:

Vacuum thoroughly and consider professional steam cleaning.

Address any visible stains with appropriate stain removers.

Repair any damages, such as loose threads or snags.

Hardwood or Tiled Floors:

Sweep or vacuum to remove dust and debris.

Mop with a suitable floor cleaner.

Pay attention to corners and edges where dirt tends to accumulate.

Final Touches and Inspection:

As you approach the end of your cleaning journey, focus on the final touches that can elevate the overall presentation of your home. Consider the following:

Check for Repairs:

Fix any minor damages, such as nail holes or scuff marks on walls.

Replace any broken or missing fixtures, such as light bulbs or blinds.

Garden and Outdoor Areas:

Ensure the outdoor spaces, such as gardens or balconies, are tidy.

Remove any weeds and trim overgrown plants.

Final Inspection:

Conduct a thorough walkthrough to catch any overlooked areas.

Use your initial condition report as a reference.

Take photographs as evidence of the property's condition.

Conclusion:

Mastering the art of end-of-lease cleaning in Hoppers Crossing requires meticulous planning and execution. Whether you choose to tackle the task yourself or enlist professional help, the key lies in attention to detail. By following this comprehensive guide, you can increase the likelihood of receiving your full bond refund and leave your rented property with pride and satisfaction. Remember, a well-maintained and clean property not only satisfies contractual obligations but also reflects positively on your reputation as a responsible tenant.

[khbathroomandkitchenrenovation]

Laundry Renovation Hoppers Crossing

Homeowners looking to renovate their homes mostly look for renovating their kitchens or bathrooms, as well as, their living room and bedrooms. Laundry areas go unnoticed as they are looked upon as mere utility spaces that don’t require being attractive.

At KH Renovations, we believe that even a simple laundry design and renovation can have a huge impact on the way this space will look, feel and function. We follow a custom approach to all our projects because the needs of smaller homes are different from pricier plush laundry designs or commercial laundry designs.

WE PROVIDE SEAMLESS LAUNDRY RENOVATION FROM START TO FINISH Beginning with the initial design process, you need to consider various things including flooring, colours and the style you need, as well as, the equipment you plan to keep there, storage requirements and the available space. These are only the essentials and there could be many other considerations as well. This helps you to picture your laundry renovation and you can customise them to make things work for you or look better.

At KH Renovations, we’ll handle your laundry renovation from initial design to completion stage, so you don’t have to worry about anything. Our experts will draw a design sketch of the renovation, giving you an exact view of how your laundry room will look like. However, it is designed according to your needs, giving you complete creative control. Then, our expert and professional team of contractors will manage the work for you. Upon completion of work, you’ll get a brand new laundry space that will make you delighted.

We have significant experience, skill and creativity to offer solutions that will boost the practicality of your available laundry space, as well as, make it aesthetically appealing.

WHY IS LAUNDRY RENOVATION ESSENTIAL? Laundry rooms don’t get much attention; they are less visited and cleaned places where often old boxes and junk is found lying. Thus, laundry renovation is vital to infuse freshness and it will provide you with the following advantages as well:

Better Storage Space: With innovative storage space, you’ll get more space to store things. Stunning Modern Laundry: By renovating your old laundry, you’ll have a stunning modern laundry where you’ll enjoy spending time. Better Functionality: When renovating laundry, you can play around with the design and use the space wisely to get a more functional laundry space where you can position your laundry equipment and furniture in a way that opens up space. Enhanced Safety: Renovating your laundry makes it safer because it includes creating a cable management system to avert electrical wires from protruding, and fitting a more hard-wearing and slip-resistant flooring. Enhanced Energy Efficiency: We help you to choose washing machines and dryers having exceptional energy ratings that will help save you money on your monthly energy bills. We also install energy-efficient lighting in the room, which adds to your savings.

[duscarasheddinn]

I'm writing a story where the main setting is based on the TARDIS from Doctor Who. Except that while it's skilled at traveling between planes of existence and universes, its time travel is more limited. It can send people inside of it into the past, but they're intangible while they do so and thus cannot interact with the past. To return to the present (which moved on without them), they simply have to wish to do so. As for traveling to the future, this can only fast forward time, something one-way.

The problem is that I'm not sure what to do for the interior even though I still want it to be bigger on the inside.

The first one would have the only room in it be a console room like the Traveler one in the New TARDIS Mod for Minecraft 1.16.5, but with the hallway blocked off by a touchscreen manual five meters wide and three meters tall, flanked on either side by the Temporal Laboratories from the unrelated TARDIS Mod for Minecraft 1.7.10 (with a Hopper on top, batteries that recharge and last for an infinite number of charge cycles to either side of the lab, and an eight cubic meter bamboo crate that the labs feed into).

The second one would make the console room, left room, right room, and back room squares that would be eight by eight in Animal Crossing. Using what real-world acres translate to, I've decided that it would make each of those rooms thirty two meters by thirty two meters. I'm American, but I know that's over a hundred feet long. The basement and second floor would combine the biggest size in New Leaf with their sizes in New Horizons to make them ten wide by eight long (so that would make them thirty two meters long and forty meters wide). And the attic would take after the one in Wild World and be twenty four meters wide and twenty meters long. Besides the attic, each room would have at least one table, chair, closet that opens via doors, and drawers that open as such, all arranged so that, if the door to the exterior was south, green furniture would be to the south, yellow furniture would be to the west, red furniture would be to the east, and orange furniture would be to the north.

The third one would make the console room the same Traveler one mentioned above (which is a rough circle with a diameter of twenty one meters), but while the position of rooms would be the same, one side would have a machinery workshop that'd be twelve meters wide and sixteen meters long but have a lower level, the other side room would be a workroom that'd be a twelve meter by twelve meter square, the library in the back (where the touchscreen manual would be) would be an imperfect circle twenty seven meters long and twenty six meters wide, the storeroom in the basement would also be twelve meters long by twelve meters wide, the second floor laboratory (where the structures I mentioned for the first one would be in this idea) would be twenty meters long and eighteen meters wide, and the attic would also have a distress bell and be a twenty six meter by twenty six meter square.