#but I would fight a war for Uncle Wayne

[roosterbox]

Tumblr: Hey check out this tag we thought you might like!

The tag: #Wayne Munson

Me: *wipes tear* oh tumblr, you really DO understand me

[steddieasitgoes]

written for @eddiemonth Day 7 Prompt: Wayne

note: this one is in Wayne's POV and it's a little different than how I usually write, but it means the absolute world to me, so I hope you all enjoy it!

read on ao3 | link to my ao3 Eddie Month series

Wayne Munson remembers the exact moment he found out he was going to be an uncle. 

It was a frigid January morning in Hawkins. The heater in the Munsons’ trailer had stopped working a week before, and Wayne had been too busy working days and taking night classes at the junior college in the next town over to fix it. 

His mama had said she would call Al to come help, but Wayne knew the odds of him stopping by were slim to numb. He had better things to do than check in on his mother and younger brother. Things like keeping the Hawkins police department busy with his petty crime schemes and treating his latest girlfriend with little to no respect. A packed schedule in Al’s eyes. 

So, when Wayne stepped out of the trailer that January morning, bundled in his worn winter coat, he nearly tripped and fell on his ass when he spotted Al on the hood of his car, leisurely smoking a cigarette. 

“Evelyn is pregnant,” Al said between puffs of smoke. “She’s keeping it. M’gonna be a pa.” 

A range of emotions washed over Wayne at that moment. Anxiety for Al and Evelyn and their unborn child. Al wasn’t exactly father material, and it’s not like they had a dad to learn from. Happiness for their family and the joy a new baby would bring the Munson’s. Worry, mainly for Evelyn and the baby, but also for Al and how something like this was going to affect the small gains he’d made that year. 

But mostly, and Wayne would never tell anyone this, he felt jealous. 

Wayne was the one who babysat the neighbor kids when they were younger to make a quick buck while Al schemed. Wayne was the one who always waved to babies in the grocery store line. The one who always snuck his coworkers’ kids candy at the annual Fourth of July BBQs. And remembered to send well wishes home on their birthdays. 

Wayne was the one who loved kids. Who wanted kids. But would never, ever get to have kids for reasons he was too ashamed to admit most days. 

Unlike Al, who would have let the jealousy fester into something nasty, Wayne choked it all down and gave in to the happier emotions. Promising to be there for Al and Evelyn and his new nephew. 

A promise he kept for all nine months of Evelyn’s pregnancy (going on midnight craving runs when Evelyn moved into the Munson trailer after getting kicked out of her own house and then nervously pacing the maternity ward on Halloween night when she finally went into active labor after three false alarms). He kept his promise for the entire first year of Eddie’s life. Helping with feedings and changings. And anything else he could do. 

Wayne was the one to drive Evelyn and Eddie to the hospital the first time he caught a cold and wouldn’t stop coughing. He was there the first time Evelyn fed him mushy baby food that Eddie ended up spitting up all over the place. He saw Eddie roll over for the first time and crawl. He was even there for Eddie’s first nonsensical word — a bastard version of “mama” that sent Evelyn into hysterics and had Al rolling his eyes. 

Wayne was ready to be there for all of Eddie’s first, but then fate reared its ugly, no-good, wicked head, and suddenly, Wayne was being shipped off to boot camp to fight in a war he spent the last three years protesting against. 

But his birthday was called, and Wayne had no choice but to suit up and fight. 

Well, no, that’s not true. 

There was one way to get out of the draft. 

But the thought of admitting to having homosexual tendencies was more terrifying than dying overseas. So, he kept his mouth shut and went and did his time. 

Five years to be exact. 

Five grueling, traumatic, waste of his youth years. 

Most importantly, five years without his nephew. 

Eddie was six, almost seven years old, when Wayne finally made it back home to Hawkins. Unruly curls, just like Wayne once had before the military got involved. Big brown eyes that, despite only being 7, he knew how to use to get him out of trouble. And a brilliant, imaginative mind that captivated Wayne the moment he scooped Eddie into his arms after coming home and Eddie asked, “Ma, who is this bald guy? And why is he trying to squeeze the poop out of me?” 

Wayne knew he’d never get those five years back, but he promised himself to try and make up for them every chance he got. And so “Waynesdays” was born. 

Every third Wednesday of the month, Wayne would spend with Eddie. Sometimes, he’d show up at Evelyn and Al’s trailer early in the morning to pick Eddie up before he went off to school. With Evelyn’s permission, Eddie would ditch and they’d spend the day uncle-nephew bonding. Other times, Wayne would be waiting outside the gates of Eddie’s school, ready to whisk him away as soon as the dismissal bell rang. 

(“Uncle Wayne, Uncle Wayne,” Eddie would shout, running into Wayne’s arm with enough force to send them toppling into the grass. The falls weren’t great for Wayne’s war-torn body, but he never complained. Nothing a frozen bag of peas and a cigarette couldn’t fix the next morning.) 

Whatever the case, the third Wednesday of every month was dedicated to them. 

The first few years, it was simple things. Wayne would take Eddie out for ice cream before stopping at the library. They’d spend hours walking up and down the aisles. Wayne telling Eddie stories that rivaled the books on the shelves. They’d go antiquating — a hobby Wayne inherited from his own mother that Eddie seemingly inherited when he took an interest in Garfield merchandise. 

(“He’s just so fat, Uncle Wayne!” Eddie laughed, squeezing the plush belly of a Garfield stuffed animal. “I want to be fat like him one day! Don’t you?”) 

As Eddie got older, their adventures stretched beyond the Hawkins city limits. Wayne took him to Indianapolis at least twice a year. Introduced him to music. Took him to see movies at the fancy cineplex in the city that sold a tub of popcorn bigger than Eddie’s head. He even promised to take Eddie to the colorful bar they always passed as soon as he turned 21. 

(“But that’s such a long time away,” Eddie had whined, grubby fingers pressed into the glass of the window as he peered inside. “Are you sure I can’t go in there now? They have an arcade machine! Those are for kids!”)

In the summers, Waynesday because Waynesweek. 

When Eddie was younger, they spent the week camping. Two sleeping bags side by side in a tent. They’d trade imaginative stories around a campfire and roast marshmallows until they were burnt to a crisp. The trips were hard on Wayne at first — bringing back memories of the war. But seeing Eddie smile and roll around in mud without a care in the world was worth every sleepless night. 

(“If I catch the frog, can I bring it home?” he shouted one summer, arms already elbow-deep in the swampy puddle. “I promise to take care of it!” 

“M’sure you would, boy,” Wayne said, cigarette between his lips. “But your ma would kill me if I let ya bring a frog into r’home. You know she’s afraid of ‘em.”)

Eventually, Eddie grew out of camping, and then their summer weeks were spent lounging in the trailer. They’d go days without leaving, living off of the groceries they stocked up on on the first day of Waynesweek. The couch always had a permanent butt dent after those weeks, but Wayne loved them all the same. Especially the ones that were spent hunched over board games and later hunched over scribbled-out notes and too many-sided die as Eddie explained some new, complex game to him. 

(“Okay, Uncle Wayne, so now that you made it to the fortress wall, you have to roll this one,” he said, passing Wayne a hexagon-looking dice. “And then whatever you get, we multiply it by the number here, and then if it’s high enough, you get to come inside.” 

“Now how come you can do multiplication in this game, but your ma says you got a bad grade on your last math test?” Wayne asked, brows raised as he rattled the die in his hands. 

“‘Cause school math is boring!” Eddie said, rolling those big brown eyes of his. “There’s no dragons in Ms. Tabbot’s class. Just boring old numbers!”)

Waynesday was a tradition Wayne held so near and dear to his heart that even after Evelyn unexpectedly passed away, Al landed himself permanently behind and Eddie ended up moving into Wayne’s trailer, he still kept up. 

Sure, things got a bit more complicated between them now that they saw each other every day, multiple times a day, with no breaks. They sure got on each other nerves a bit more.

(“Dammit, Eds,” Wayne cursed, tripping over a pair of Eddie’s boots thrown haphazardly in the middle of the hallway. “What’d I say about leavin’ these things lyin’ ‘round. They’ve got a home, put’m there.” 

“Fine,” Eddie groaned, coming out of his bedroom to pick up the shoes. “But then stop leaving your half-drank coffee cups in the bathroom! Why are you even taking it in there?”) 

And they fought, like most children do with the authority figures in their lives. 

(“That’s the second time Hop has let you off with a warning,” Wayne tsked, stalking behind Eddie as they climbed up the few steps to the trailer. “Neither of us are gonna be too nice if it happens again.” 

“You make it sound like I was stealing. I ditched one class. It’s no big deal.” 

“Those grades of yours say otherwise.” 

Eddie growled, rolling his eyes as he tore through the kitchen cabinets, looking for a snack. “This again? My grades are fine, Wayne. Okay. Stop worrying!”)

Sure, things were tough at times, but they also learned some important things about each, too. Things neither one of them thought they’d ever share in common with someone in Hawkins, Indiana. 

(“Where ya going, boy?” Wayne asked one night a few years ago when he walked into the trailer to find Eddie shoving random things into a duffle bag. The same duffle bag that Wayne had carefully placed in the backseat of the truck all those years ago when he picked up Eddie for the final time. 

“M’leaving,” Eddie said through gritted teeth. “And don’t even try to stop me, Wayne. Trust me, you’re not going to want me anymore.” 

A million and one things ran through Wayne’s head in that moment. Had Hopper caught Eddie ditching school again? Had he got his hands on that letter from Al ,Wayne had been hiding in the junk drawer? Was Eddie in some kind of trouble? Bigger trouble than ditching school and smoking pot at the quarry?” 

“Boy, what are you talkin’ about?” Wayne asked, stalking over to where Eddie was currently shoving tape after tape into the duffle bag. “M’always gonna want ya ‘round.” 

Eddie scoffed and kept his eyes trained on the tapes. It was easy for Wayne to see that Eddie was barely holding it together. The tapes shook in his hands and his growing hair did little to shield his red-rimmed eyes. 

“Eddie,” Wayne sighed, slowly lowering himself to the ground despite the protests of his body. “Come on, talk to me. Whatever it is, I’ll help you.” 

“You—you can’t. Not with this,” Eddie said, violently shaking his head. And then, in a moment of bravery, Eddie lifted his head and looked Wayne square in the eyes and said, “I’m gay, Wayne. Okay? That’s why m’leaving. And don’t even—“ 

Wayne cut Eddie off before he could finish whatever insult or wrong assumption was sure to follow. He pulled Eddie into his arms, tucked the boy’s head into the crook of his neck and held him tight. The same way he did all those years ago when he had to be the one to tell the boy that his ma had passed. And Eddie cried. Then and now. Big, fat, hot tears that soaked Wayne’s shirt. 

“Eds, boy, look at me,” Wayne said later when Eddie’s sobs had subsided into a steady stream of silent tears. “You ain’t going nowhere, okay? And you ain’t alone either. I know what you’re goin’ through. M’like you, too.” 

“Y-you, you’re gay?”  

“Yeah,” Wayne said after a painfully long moment. It was a truth he had never let himself think too much about. But now, sitting in the presence of his nephew, who was more like him than he originally thought. Well, now, Wayne thought it was time to accept that part of him. Especially if it would help his nephew. “Yeah, boy. M’gay.”)

So, yeah, living with Eddie full-time had its ups and downs. But no argument, even the ones that lasted days because they were both too stubborn to apologize, was going to stop them from celebrating Waynesday every third Wednesday of the month. Nor was Eddie’s newly minted twenty-year-old selfless heart that worried way too much about Wayne. But he can’t really fault the boy for that.

(“Wayne,” Eddie had sighed just last month. “We really don’t have to keep doing this. You should be able to rest on your one real day off of the month.” 

“Nonsense boy,” Wayne said, shooing Eddie off with the back of his hand. “Only thing I want to do on my day off s’spend time with you. Unless you’re too busy for your old uncle now.” 

Eddie snorted, shaking his head. “You know I always have time for you.”

“Good.” Wayne smiled. “Then get that boney ass of yours over here and let’s watch that movie you picked up before I get charged another late fee.”) 

Nothing had ever come in the way of their Waynesday tradition before, and Wayne sure as hell wasn’t going to let something break the tradition now.

“Hey, boy,” Wayne says, settling himself on the worn visitor chair in Eddie’s hospital room. “S’the 16th. Know what that means, right?” He pauses and waits for Eddie’s answer, which he knows isn’t coming. It’s been almost a month since he last heard Eddie speak, twenty days since he stumbled into Hawkins Memorial to find his nephew hooked up to machine after machine. But Wayne’s not giving up hope. Not even close. He’ll be sitting here ’til the cows come home.

“Yep,” he says eventually, patting Eddie’s IV-covered hand. “It’s Waynesday again. I’ll tell you what, time sure is gettin’ faster and m’getting older.” 

The steady, rhythmic beats of the machines keeping Eddie alive echo off the walls of the too-white room. Wayne listens to them for a moment, a weird sort of peace washing over him. S’long as they’re beeping, my boy’s still here, he thinks. 

Sighing, he reaches into the small backpack at his feet. The one he’s been carrying back and forth from the hospital when Eddie’s friends come to take the morning shift. He pulls out a blanket, shaking it out before draping it over his own body. And then he pulls out a worn paperback book. 

“Now, I know it’s been a while since we had one of those readin’ days you loved so much, but I thought maybe we could bring’m back,” he says, carefully opening the pages of the book. His hand traces down the first page, past the sticky finger stain of Eddie’s youth. “You best be patient with me, Eds. Y’know these names always trip me up. But m’gonna give it my best, okay?” 

Wayne pauses again, waiting for a response he knows he’s not going to get. And then he takes a deep breath and brings the book closer to his face. “In a hole in the ground there lives a h-hobbit.”

Eventually, the words start to blur together. Sentences turning into one long, giant word. And then, soon after, the letters start to blur too, until Wayne’s eyes are drooping and the book falls from his shaking hands into his awaiting lap. 

It’s not long after that Wayne’s soft snores fall into a steady rhythm with the beeping of Eddie’s machine. 

Beep. Snore. Beep. Snore. Beep. Snore. 

And so it goes for several hours until—

Beep, beep, beepbeepbeepbeep. 

Wayne shoots out of the chair, wobbly feet struggling to find their footing as he turns to the bed. Eddie’s lying there, like he always is, except this time, his big brown eyes stare back at him. Full of life and love and fear as he reaches a weak, shaky hand up to claw at the tube shoved down his throat. 

He doesn’t remember calling for the nurse, but they rush into the room in an instant. Circling Eddie’s bed like an animal stalking its prey. Its minutes of chaos. Nurses running to fetch doctors. Machines beeping erratically. Alarms blaring. Orders being shouted left and right.

Someone is crying, Wayne thinks, as his ears cut through the cacophony of noise when he’s pushed into the hallway. Oh it’s me, he realizes as he reaches a hand up to his tearstained cheeks. 

And then, just as quickly as it started, the chaos dies down and Wayne is let back into the room. Just Wayne and Eddie. Alone. Alive. Together. 

He doesn’t wait a moment longer and wedges himself onto the small hospital bed next to Eddie, wrapping his arms around his frail nephew. 

“D-d-did I miss it?” Eddie stutters out.

With a gruff laugh and a tearful glance at the watch on his wrist, Wayne turns to Eddie and smiles. “No, son, you made it just in time.” He twists his arm, showing Eddie the watch. The big hand points almost completely at the 12. The smaller hand settled perfectly over the 58th tick. 

“Our streak continues,” Eddie whispers before his eyes flutter shut, and his body falls into its first machineless slumber in twenty days. 

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

I mentioned in the last part (the part before that?) how I was leaving on the 15th… I’m not. I’m leaving on the 13th. This fic will be on hiatus until at LEAST the 8th of January, but I WILL come back! This is my baby and I’m not going to abandon it.

Part 1 | . . . | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41

Okay,” Robin says, and somehow just that is enough to soothe Steve. “We know how to fix this, Steve, but you need to focus. Can you focus?”

He takes a breath, feels it shake on the way out. “Yeah. I can focus.” He squeezes his free hand, clenches then releases, clenches then releases, startling when he feels something against his hand.

Eddie offers him a half-smile and a shrug, and Steve manages the expression back, taking his proffered hand and squeezing gently. Thank you, he thinks, and somehow he knows Eddie understands.

He and Robin talk for a few minutes, about how to do this, and he ends the call feeling slightly more confident than before.

“Okay,” he says, as much for Eddie’s benefit as his own. “We need her favorite song.”

Eddie bites his lip. “I’m guessing you don’t know it?”

“No, but I know someone who should. Do you happen to know the Hayes’ number?”

Eddie laughs. “Yeah, their middle kid, Ronnie? She’s our drummer.” He recites the number, and Steve punches it in, waiting eagerly.

“Hayes residence.”

Steve doesn’t really recognize the voice, so he tentatively asks, “Ronnie?”

She hums. “To some people, sure. Not to you. It’s Veronica.”

Steve winces. “Sorry. Veronica.”

Eddie narrows his eyes, then grabs the phone before Steve can say anything else. “Ronnie, be nice,” he whines, then laughs. “Yeah, yeah. Hey, there is actually a reason we called, though. D’you think Cassie knows Alli’s favorite song?” He covers the receiver and whispers to Steve, “‘Should I Stay or Should I Go,’ The Clash.” Back to the phone he says, “Thanks, Ron. I gotta go but I’ll talk t’you later, ‘kay? Yeah, you too. Bye.”

Steve turns to Allison, who’s beginning to float. “Shit,” he whispers. “C’mon, you gotta- d’you know the song?” He asks, clambering onto the counter to get closer to her.

“I know a little bit of it,” Eddie admits.

Steve nods. “Just… please. Whatever you know, sing.”

Eddie nods, and then Steve starts. He sings the first verse, then Eddie joins in, and Steve starts whispering to her. “C’mon, Al. You gotta fight, please. I just got you back, c’mon, I can’t lose you again. Not this soon. I won’t let him have you, Al, but you’ve gotta fight too.”

Just after they start the second verse, Allison drops to the ground. Steve yelps and scrambles down. “Al!”

“Bubba,” she murmurs, and he collapses into her.

“Thank God,” he murmurs. “Holy shit, Al, you’re okay. You’re okay.”

“I’m okay,” she agrees, clutching onto him just as tightly. “‘M here, bubba. You got me.”

He finally lifts his head and sees Robin, El, and Wayne standing in the entryway of his kitchen.

Evidently, Eddie sees them at the same time, because he yelps, “Wayne!” As he scrambles across the kitchen to hug his uncle.

“Hey,” Steve manages from his position on the floor, halfway on top of Allison.

Robin smiles, steps forward, and offers him a hand, which he takes with a grateful smile. He helps Alli stand after.

“So best I figure,” Wayne says, “You’re in a war and the enemy just made his next move, so your timeline’s moved up now.”

Steve sets his jaw and nods. “Just about.”

Wayne nods. “Your friend here said somethin’ ‘bout shootin’?”

Steve studies him for a moment, then nods. “You a good shot?”

“I was in a war, son, I’m as good as anyone else here.”

Steve nods and offers him a hand to shake. Wayne does, then asks, “So why don’t you tell me why my nephew is suddenly singing your praises?”

Eddie flushes and buries his face in his hands. “Wayne!”

Steve chuckles. “That’s actually a pretty long conversation, sir. How about some coffee?”

“Coffee would be great,” he nods. “And it’s Wayne, none’a that sir crap.”

Allison grabs his wrist before he can move. “Steve,” she murmurs. “That’s what you’re fighting? And have been?”

Steve nods, and she pulls him into a hug, tears pricking at both their eyes. “I’m gonna tear him apart,” she grits out, squeezing Steve until his back cracks. He squeezes her back just as hard.

“Okay,” he whispers, pulling back. “Go get a Walkman. Play your song on repeat. We don’t know why, but it helps.”

Alli chuckles. “Of course it does, it’s music.” She ruffles his hair and steps back, and suddenly Steve misses her like a limb.

“Robs-”

“I’ll go with you,” Robin volunteers, linking her arm with Alli’s and giving Steve a significant look. “C’mon.”

“That works,” Alli says, “I’ve been wanting to get to know you.” They both grin, and suddenly Steve is terrified to see them together.

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[xhoneygirlxx]

Woman

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

summary: all the phases of your relationship with Eddie. Based off of the song 'Woman' by Mumford and Sons.

warnings: reader and Eddie are both in their 20's. talks of bad upbringings, bad relationships, reader gets cheated on. swearing, fluff, angst, smut. 18+ MINORS DNI. if there are any grammar errors, no there's not :) the ending feels rushed so lets not talk about it.

a/n: hi guys i'm honey and this is the first time I've written something since I was 15. I'm not new to this fandom but this page is, so I hope to write more things over time. Please be kind to me or else I'll cry.

The golden rays of the sun filter in from the open window, cascading a pretty glow into the bedroom. A gentle breeze flits through the room, carrying the songs from the birds in the trees. Eddie’s not too sure what time it is, how long he’s been awake, or if he even fell asleep, all he knows is he’s been staring at you. He knows how creepy it might be to do so, he just can’t help it. How beautiful you look shimmering in the morning sunlight like some sort of religious being, a true picture of a goddess laid beside him - his own personal Aphrodite. He marvels at you like you’re a painting on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. His eyes trace over your features, soaking them all up so he can remember you like this for the rest of his life. Everything about you is perfect, a statue carved from marble by Michelangelo himself.

He’s intoxicated by the scent of you, the vanilla soap you used the night before when you took a shower after work, filling his nose with every breath he takes. His fingertips slowly drag along your skin as he maps out the slope of your body. His touch is featherlight, too worried that his calloused fingerprints will ruin the softness of your skin. He always wonders how you manage to be so soft all year round, albeit knowing you always moisturize, he likes to think it’s all you and not some expensive ass lotion.

Your hair is a bit messy from being tossed and turned on all night, and yet it has never looked so perfect to him, he would never mention it to you knowing you’d scoff in disagreement. Every once and a while, your eyebrows pull together or your lips twitch. He likes to think you’re dreaming of him.

Eddie is one hundred percent sure that if it wasn’t for the steady rise and fall of your chest and the soft snores falling from your lips anchoring him to the bed, he'd ascend into the clouds above. Eddie Munson is not a religious man, but he thanks whatever God is up above for sending an angel like you to him. He never understood the people who hand out pamphlets about religions, devoting their whole being for their God, but now he does because he’d do it for you. The poor son of a bitch would build churches and museums in your honor, scream from rooftops, move mountains, and ultimately sacrifice himself for you. Even if it’s sacrilegious to pray to a statue of you, he’d do it every day and night, asking for salvation. No, he wasn’t a religious person but for you, he would be.

From the time Eddie was born, the cards that were dealt to him were just unfair. His mom and dad never loved each other, always screaming and fighting every day creating a war zone instead of a household. After his mom left and his dad was shipped off to prison, his Uncle Wayne took him in. Although he and the older man loved one another, they never really said it, only ever showing it by doing little things for each other. Every father’s day he’d save up money from doing odd jobs around the trailer park to get Wayne a new mug. Wayne always picked up new patches for Eddie to sew on to his clothes or guitar strings anytime he had the extra cash. It was unspoken but they knew they loved one another like father and son.

When he got to high school, girls never looked his way and if they did they never wanted to keep him. Doing whatever they could for a deal on some bud and leaving. It became a routine for the metalhead, he’d get off, they’d get cheaper weed, and they’d go their separate ways. Eddie knew he was disposable and that was fine with him. Hell he was used to it by now, his parents didn’t want him, the girls at school and the hideout didn’t want him either, but he had Wayne and his friends. That's all he needed. Until he met you.

It was a shitty September day, the kind of shitty where it’s nothing but gray clouds and no hint of the sun. Leaves had started to die away, slowly falling one by one just to be picked up and whirled around by the wind. The chill of the air started to colder by the time Eddie had left work. If the weather wasn’t miserable enough, the customers he’d dealt with definitely were. One by one they crept into the shop, complaining about popped tires and arguing over wait times. Also, it didn't help that the garage was getting colder with the changing weather. No matter how many layers he wore, it never subdued the throbbing pains in his back and knees. Yeah he had a pretty shitty day but it wasn’t something a new book and a cold one would fix. When he approached the small bookstore on Main Street, he could feel the relief wash over him. Making his way over to the new release section, he picked up what he had been looking for.

He was busy reading the back cover of the book to notice you walking down the aisle. To be fair, you should have been paying more attention to where you were going, but the books in your hands had your attention, stopping you from seeing the cute man that you were close to coming in contact with. With a loud thud, your bodies collide causing you to drop the books you’d been holding. Eddie immediately bent down, picking up what had been dropped, too busy apologizing for being in the way to even see who he was speaking to. Then he heard your voice, so saccharine and smooth it knocked his breath from his chest. Finally moving his gaze to you, he was blinded by the light you had brought in. To this day he jokes about it, telling you how you’re the personification of the sun on a cloudy day. He’s sure he made a fool out of himself with the way he tripped over his words and blushed too hard any time you spoke. It didn’t matter though, because you’d giggle and he’d redden more and more. That day Eddie left the bookstore with his new book and your number clutched in his palm.

September 20th, 1987, that was your first date and that date would be seared into Eddie’s brain for the rest of his life. He called you earlier that week asking if you’d want to get coffee, and you were quick to agree. Never being on time for anything in life, Eddie made sure to arrive twenty minutes before you planned on meeting. To say he was nervous would be an overstatement, he was a god forsaken mess. Knees shaking with every passing second, palms sweating from pure anxiety. Ever the gentleman, he ordered you a coffee, something the barista had whipped up after he told them he didn’t know what you liked. Taking a seat near the window, he instantly regretted guessing your order. God what if she doesn’t like it? What even was it? Cinnamon, caramel, peanut? Oh Jesus, you were probably allergic to nuts. Good going Munson, you just killed your date, he thought to himself.

Before he could throw the drink away, the bell above the door chimed. When he looked up, he swore the gates of heaven opened up. The pretty white dress you wore swayed with the small breeze that followed behind you. You’d look heaven sent. When your eyes met his, you lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree, a big smile etched on your face to prove it. You were so pretty and it made his heart beat out of his chest. He’s sure he looked like a total goof, like a giant puppy excited to see their owner coming home. All the thoughts he had in his brain, the opening line he had thought up to say to you, had all been thrown out the window.

By the time you had made it to him, he had been standing up. Before you could reach for a hug or handshake, his arm shot out with the cup of coffee he had bought you, the same one he was about to throw away twenty seconds ago.

“I um, I got you a coffee.” His cheeks turned pink as he handed you the cup. Then all the thoughts of your possible nut allergy came back. “It’s cinnamon caramel peanut or something. If you don’t like it I can get you a new one.” You laughed and he didn’t care if it was at him or with him, because he would do anything to hear it again.

“It’s perfect, thank you.” You smiled again. “It’s a cinnamon dolce latte, by the way.” He tilted his head in confusion, wondering how on earth you knew that. When you turned your cup to show the black sharpie, he dipped his head in pure embarrassment but then you giggled again and he didn’t feel as bad.

The two of you sat in the corner by the window for what felt like hours, talking about anything and everything. Eddie told you about his job at Frank’s garage, about his friends and uncle Wayne. The metalhead turned bashful when he mentioned his D&D group, but he was quickly relieved when you told him how cool you thought it was, always wanting to play yourself as a kid but your brother never wanted to teach you how. He told you about his sweetheart and his band, how he used to think he’d be a rockstar one day. With every little detail he told about himself, you looked at him with such adoration and it made his heart squeeze.

He sat and listened as you told your story about packing up your car and leaving your old life behind. You needed a new start you told him, one where you could truly be happy. Once you’d gotten here, you found a cozy little house on Biel Street. Apparently the man who sold it to you, is the nephew of the woman who runs the floral shop in town. Within a week you’d gotten the job. It was definitely a change up from your old life, switching out pencil skirts and kitten heels for your office job to jeans and sneakers for your new laid back one. City life was definitely different from the small town you’d chosen but it’s what you needed.

You’d recently ended a two year relationship with your shitty ex and even if it didn’t seem rational at the time, you quit your job and moved on. He didn’t push much on the topic of your ex and neither did you but you made sure to reassure him that you were over the whole situation. Eddie learned that you had a brother living in Chicago and your parents had long moved to Florida after they retired. The metal head made sure to make mental notes of every single thing you told him. How you won’t talk in the morning until you have a sip of coffee, how you like to annotate your books even if it’s frowned upon by others, and that you hope to get a cat one day.

He walked you to your car that night, even though it was twelve feet away from his own. The look in your eyes was the same way he felt, neither of you wanted to leave. Trying to drag out the minutes as long as you could, you leaned against your car door fiddling with the sleeves of your cream colored sweater.

“I had a really good time Eddie,” sincerity dripping from your words. You looked so stunning standing there, highlighted by the moon and glow of the street lights.

“I did too,” blush creeping up from his neck to his cheeks, “I hope I’m not being too forward, but would you like to go out again sometime?” He hoped you didn’t hear the nervousness in his words.

“Yeah,” you said sweetly, “I’d really like that.” You beamed up at him and he was a goner.

That night, you kissed him.

No drug could give him the same high the way your lips on his did. On the drive home, his cheeks ached from how much he grinned. When he got into bed that night, he stared up at the ceiling forcing his brain to play out the events over and over again.

“She kissed me.”

__

The heat coming from the Harrington’s fire pit wraps the backyard in a blanket of warmth, beating off the nipping bite of the mid October breeze. The sky above is clear of any clouds to hide the small twinkle of the stars, the moon hanging high above the backyard. The leaves fall from the trees in red, orange, and brown piles. You and Eddie had been seeing each other almost every other day since that first date. It had been a month to be exact, not like Eddie was counting the days or anything.

For the past couple of weeks, you had been the discussion of every conversation he had with his friends. They wanted to know when they’d get to meet you, if you guys were officially dating, what you were like. Honestly, he kicked himself the first time he brought you up because he knew there would be thousands of questions to follow. Eddie knew that it was because they cared for him, wanting to make sure that whoever he had been seeing had their seal of approval.

So when Steve mentioned having a bonfire last weekend, he knew it was a secret ploy to meet you. You talked about wanting to meet his friends, yet he was terrified at the idea of you meeting the gaggle of idiots. Dustin would probably bring up some embarrassing memories, like how he shot coke out of his nose at lunch that one time. It made his head spin with every embarrassing thing that he’s ever done in his life, all the things that would pop in his head at random times that made him full body cringe.

The minute he brought it up to you though, you jumped up and down excited that you’d finally get to meet them. He knew he couldn’t say no to you, especially when you had that look of giddiness. Eyes big with elation, infectious smile, clapping your hands together, kind of excitement. God, he could never say no to you.

Now you’re here and you can’t be any happier. Eddie stands across from you, separated by the dancing flames of the fire. He’s standing with a beer in his hand, the story that Robin and Steve are telling becomes background noise. He’s honed in on you, on the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. Max and El are talking to you about something he can’t hear, whatever it is you’re drinking it right up. Butterflies dance in his stomach at the sight of you. You’re enjoying the people that Eddie enjoys, and it fills him with so much pride. His favorite people are getting along, all in the same space. If his nine year old self could see this backyard right now, he’d be blown away. Everyone here cares for him, and he cares for them, something that he never thought he would have.

“It’s kind of creepy to stare ya know,” Steve’s voice cuts through Eddie’s internal monologue. The long haired man takes a swig of his beer trying to pretend like he didn’t just get caught like a child with their hand in the cookie jar.

“I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about man,” he mutters out. Avoiding any eye contact with the people in front of him, taking interest in the sight of his scuffed up reeboks.

“Oh man, Munson’s got it bad,” Robin butts in. Heat from embarrassment creeps up Eddie’s face. He hopes no one notices, ready to blame it on the warmth of the fire beside them.

“Guys stop it,” Nancy chimes in, “I think it’s sweet.” The brunette sends him a small smile. The metal head sends her one back in a small thank you.

“Never thought I’d see Eddie Munson have heart eyes over a girl,” Robin mumbles over her red solo cup. Dustin nods in agreement.

“Yeah it’s kind of gross, to be honest.”

“Shut it, Henderson,” Eddie hissed, “besides, there’s nothing wrong with having heart eyes for my girl.”

He looks over the group and he’s met with silence and wide eyed stares. Raising an eyebrow, he turns to see what’s caused everyone to suddenly shut the hell up. When he turns his body, he goes rigid with the sight of you. When did you get over here, you were just talking to the girls on the side of the fire. He wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole. He just called you his girl and you weren’t even boyfriend/girlfriend yet, at least you never officially talked about it. He can’t read you and it’s scaring the ever living shit out of him.

After what feels like an eternity, he sees it. The way your eyes glitter, how you're biting on your lower lip fighting off the impending grin that’s due to break out on your face. Your arms wrap around his body, and you snuggle into him. His heart starts to beat again, this time it feels like it’s beating too fast.

It doesn’t take long for the group to move on to another conversation, slowly forgetting the awkward pause that just happened. Eddie’s mind races, scrambling to find the words to say. It doesn’t matter because you’re speaking before he can.

“I like that,” your voice is soft when you say it, yet he can still hear it. He glances down at you and you’re already craning your neck to meet his brown eyes.

“Yeah? And what’s that?” He’s surprised how cool he’s being for someone who just embarrassed himself in front of a whole group of people.

“Being your girl.”

__

After making it official, Eddie pondered the thought of you meeting Wayne. He knew it needed to happen, he just didn’t know how to go about it. This was all new to Eddie, he never had a girlfriend so he never had to worry about this kind of thing. So for the past week he practiced how to go about asking you, reassuring you it was okay to say no if you thought it was too much too soon. He had the perfect plan, he’d ask you when you were having movie night at your place, casually bring it up over dinner, and go from there. It was a good plan, but Eddie is an idiot and he can’t help but fumble when he’s around you. His palms were sweating and his knee bounced at an obnoxious rate, if you noticed you never mentioned it. He doesn’t even realize he said anything until your chewing stopped, going completely wide-eyed. The first thing he thinks of doing is running, bolting for your front door leaving you in the dust, but then you kiss him. All the anxiety leaves his body the minute it happens.

At first he thought it would be simple, invite his uncle over next weekend and order take out for the three of you. Then you scoffed, telling him you would die before you would have his uncle eating take out when you had a perfectly good stove. That whole week, you’d call him after work asking what his uncle liked and disliked, if he had any allergies or personal preferences. Out of the pair of you, you were more enthusiastic about the whole thing, and it made his worry subside. However, your enthusiasm slowly became overthinking every small detail.

Music blasted on your radio, loud enough he could hear from behind your front door. When you failed to answer the knocking after a minute or two, he let himself in. That’s when he found you standing on tiptoes, feather duster in hand, reaching for the picture frames on the mantle hanging above your tv. Your hair was pulled up into a bun, frizzy and damp from sweat. Your shirt sleeves were rolled up to your elbows and one of the legs of your sweatpants had been awkwardly pulled up higher on your calf than the other. Your usually clean apartment looked even more sterile now, walls looked brighter, and the air smelled even more clean than before. When you had called him earlier to ask if he was still staying the night, you mentioned that you had taken the day off to have a personal day. He thought maybe you’d relax or go shopping, he did not imagine you taking the day off to sit and clean every square inch of your house.

Leaning on the door frame, he took this time to quietly admire you. The way you sang the words of whatever Madonna song was playing, how your hips swing to the music, how you wipe your brow every once and a while when a sweat bead drips down. He can’t help but feel giddy when he watches you, heart growing bigger and bigger, like the grinch, with every second that passes. He wants to pinch himself sometimes because he is so lucky that he has you. You’re so fucking beautiful and you chose him, even though you could have anyone you wanted, you still chose him.

You jump almost ten feet in the air like some cartoon the minute you notice his presence. It makes him laugh and you clutch your heart trying to catch your breath.

“Babe, what the hell? You gave me a heart attack,” you walk over to your stereo, turning it down to an acceptable level. You set your duster down on your coffee table and make your way over to him. Rolling down your sleeves and trying to push down all the frizziness of your hair, he takes notice that you're shy, like he’s not supposed to see you like this.

“Sorry baby, I knocked but you had that god awful music playing,” there’s no real malice behind his statement. He makes his way over to you, making sure to take his shoes off first. He pulls you into a hug, relishing the way his face fits in your neck. “Hi baby,” his voice vibrates off of your skin. You're the first to pull away and he misses your warmth.

“As much as I want to hug you, I’m a disgusting mess,” you complain.

“Ex-cuuuse me, ma’am, but you are no such thing,” he gasps, placing a palm over his heart acting as if you wounded him. His little act pulls a snort from you and it makes him beam.

“What’s all this anyway,” he questions, “Don’t tell me you did all this work when you took the day off.”

You shrug your shoulders, trying your hardest not to look too bashful, “I wanted to clean for Sunday. Ya know, make a good first impression on your uncle.” His chest swells with pride at the thought of you doing all this just because you’re meeting his uncle.

“My sweet girl,” he coos, “You didn’t have to do all this. Your house is already spotless as it is.” Your face rests in his palms, your shoulders dropping with ease at the action.

“I just want it to be perfect,” you whisper and he melts. If he was being honest, he could cry over the whole thing. No one, especially a girl, has ever done something so thoughtful for him. The last time a girl has ever done anything relatively nice for him, was in sixth grade when Stacey Leannski gave him a pencil when he forgot his.

He grins, shaking his wild curls, “Babe, I can assure you that Wayne is going to love you, washed walls or not. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to curl up on that lovely couch of yours and watch Grease for the millionth time,” He jokes, you roll your eyes swatting at him. You agree, but only after you take a quick shower to rid yourself of the sweat and grime of the day. He accepts, telling you he’d order pizza while he waits.

Now showered and pizza devoured, the empty box sitting on your table to prove it, you two sit in the glow of the television in front of you. You’re sitting side by side, head resting on his shoulder, your attention on the movie. He feels overwhelmed by you, you're taking over all of his senses and he’s not sure how to handle it. The scent of whatever you used in the shower floods his nose, the heat of your body burning into his side, the softness of your bare legs on his, it’s all too much and he feels like he’s going to explode.

Eddie isn’t a virgin, far from it, so he knows what it’s like to burn with that desire, leaving your house after heavy makeout sessions, foot to the floorboard racing to get home to take care of the situation in his pants. Albeit not having sex yet, which he was one hundred percent fine with, he definitely felt aroused by you. Christ, you were the face of all his fantasies when he was in the comfort of his own home, hands down his pants, your name falling from his lips in quiet chants. This wasn’t that feeling at all, this was something completely different and it terrifies him.

He’s shaken from his train of thoughts when he notices the weight of your head on his shoulder is gone. He turns his attention to you, you’re all bright smiles watching Frankie Avalon serenade Frenchie. His eyes fall to your lips as you mouth the words, plump and pretty enough for him to kiss you. The illumination from the tv falls around in a halo like way, hair still damp from your shower, your shirt two sizes too big, you look ethereal like this. For a second the world goes quiet, time seems to pause, it feels like it’s just the two of you, and that’s all that matters to him at this very moment. That familiar ache returns, this time it’s stronger. The beat of his heart is erratic, the sound muffled in his ears like there's big clumps of cotton in them. His breath hitches, and his eyes bug out with realization. This isn’t an overwhelming feeling of arousal, oh no, that’s not what this is.

This feeling is you, picking and carving away at his heart, hollowing out a spot for yourself. This is you pouring yourself into his veins, circulating yourself through his bloodstream. This is you squeezing the air out of his lungs, sucking it right out of him for yourself. This feeling is you branding yourself on his soul, leaving your mark on him for the rest of his natural born life.

That night, he didn't get any sleep. He’s too busy with the feeling of your body pressed to him, the warmth of you seeping into his skin. Even with the heaviness of his eyes he can’t seem to shut off his mind, too busy thinking about how in love he is with you. He’s not sure when he’ll tell you this, but he hopes when he does, you feel the same way.

__

Eddie was going to jump into the nearest traffic if he had to spend one more second in the grocery store. The lights were starting to get too bright, the music a little too loud, and he swears it wasn’t as packed in the store when you got here - which was like an hour ago, but who’s counting. He wanted to say something, he really did, but when he gazes over at you he can’t bring himself to burst your bubble. Your bottom lip sits between your teeth while you hold two different cans of vegetables in your hand, eyes bouncing back and forth between the two labels. You looked so adorable standing there, it almost makes him forget about wasting his whole Sunday morning there. Almost.

“Baby,” he coos, “Just pick one, yeah? I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Ringed hands wrap around your waist, pulling you into him as he rests his head on top of your own. You sigh, pulling your body away from his, too soon for his liking.

“I know you said your uncle doesn’t like green beans but I’ve never made a stew with peas before. I mean I know you can use both, I just, I don’t know,” you ramble, pouting your bottom lip out and it takes everything in not to kiss you stupid.

“Wayne is a grown man, he can pick around them,” Eddie reassures you. He spots the look of hesitation on your face. Before you can argue your next point to him, he wraps his arms around your waist once again. “I promise you, he will love it no matter what. Now stop worrying that pretty little head of yours and let's get a show on the road, I have a hot date to get to,” He bops your nose and you blush. “There she is,” he says, “There’s my girl.”

“Okay but,” you put more emphasis on the last word, “If he hates it, I’m blaming you,” You playfully scowl at him. Placing the can into the cart, Eddie grins at you in victory, “That’s okay babe, I can handle the old man for ya.” You roll your eyes at him and he pretends like he doesn’t see the small crack of a smile growing on your face.

Eddie was right, like he knew he would be, Wayne loved your cooking and even better, he loved you. Wasn’t so shocking to be honest, you’re a wonderful person and everyone you meet instantly falls in love with you because of it.

The air of the night is a lot cooler than before, the sky much darker now that the sun had been replaced with the moon. The store bag filled with leftovers you packed for Wayne, rustled in the wind. The two men make their way to the truck, even though Wayne told his nephew multiple times he did not need to be walked out, the younger man ignored him and followed him out anyway. Not much is said between the two, Eddie overthinking what he would say to Wayne. Obviously he knew he needed to thank him, not only for coming, but for not embarrassing him.

“I just wanted to uh, thank you. Ya know, for coming over and stuff. Really ‘ppreciate it.” He fidgets with his rings. Eddie’s not sure why he’s so awkward saying a simple thank you, this was the man who raised him for heaven’s sake.

“ ‘re welcome kid,” Wayne gruffs out. Reaching for the handle on his truck, he places the bag of food on the bench inside. There’s another small pause as he reaches into the pocket of his old scuffed up carhartt jacket, pulling out his pack of reds.

“You love ‘er don’t cha?” He lights the cigarette that sits between his lips, taking a long drag and letting out a small cloud of smoke. The question makes Eddie’s eye’s bulge out of his head. He’s a blubbering mess, tripping over his own words not knowing what to say. His cheeks burn harder when his uncle chuckles.

“I taught ya well son,” Wayne slapped his hand on his shoulder, “treat her right, ya hear? She’s too good of a girl, don’t wanna see you breakin’ her heart.” Eddie nodded dumbly to Wayne's words.

While Eddie makes his way back into your home, he mulls over what the hell just happened, he just got the shovel talk from his own uncle. When he opens the door, he’s met with the sight of you. You’re standing at the sink, that adorable little dress you wear moving with you has you sway back and forth, humming a tune. His uncle's words ring out in his head. There was no way he would ever break your heart, he knows he never could.

__

The colder weather of winter makes its way across Hawkins, leaving trails of snow in its path. As cold seeps into your home, so does Eddie’s things. His shampoo bottles, deodorant, some of his clothes residing in the space in your drawers and closet that you’d left for him. He hadn’t officially moved in, it just seemed easier if he left some clothes over when he’d stay the night.

Your limbs tangle beneath the fortress of blankets that lay on top of you. Hushed voices and quiet laughter fill the room, like two small children sharing secrets at a sleepover. Eddie savors the feeling of your fingertips tracing lines onto his skin.

“Did I ever tell you the full story of why I moved?” You keep your attention to the tattoo that sits on his chest. He answers with a shake of his head, muttering no. Eddie knew the story you told him was a half assed attempt at pushing the subject away and he was never going to push you for the real reason, knowing one day you would do it when you were comfortable enough.

You take a deep breath, readying yourself for what is to come. “Well, as you know I have an older brother. My parents, they were really big with supporting him, ya know? Like they were always going to his baseball games, pouring all the attention on him.” You force yourself not to meet Eddie’s gaze, opting to trace random things on his exposed chest.

“He’s the golden child, the apple of their eyes, and then there’s me. I wasn’t anything special, just kinda there. Anyway, they were never really worried about me because as they said, I always had the option of marrying rich,” a dry laugh escapes your throat, “While my brother, he had something going for him. He was a star baseball player, and they knew he’d make it big. But then he got injured and couldn’t play anymore.”

“When my brother decided to work for an engineering company in Chicago, my parents felt like there was nothing left for them to do, so they retired and packed their shit. They just left me there, and it hurt for a while, I mean I was out of school by that point but still. The idea of them not wanting to stay for me, that shit fucked with me.”

Before he knows it, the light blue pillow case that sits under your head is now stained dark blue with your tears. Eddie’s seen you cry before, just last week you cried while watching The Breakfast Club, but this was not the same thing. Fat, heavy tear drops, rolling down your face, snot leaking from your nose, kind of crying. The sight itself makes his own chest constrict and all he wants to do is wrap you up in the biggest hug.

“I ended up getting a really good job at this company in the city. I was so proud of myself too, I was making a lot of money, and I had my own place. I ended up meeting Paul, my ex, at the bar one night. He was charming, handsome, and dressed well, so I thought he was safe. It was good for a while, really it was but looking back it was so bad, Eds. Like you wouldn’t believe the shit I put up with, but yeah I found out he was using some of the money I had hidden to buy his girlfriend gifts. That was only part of it but that was the straw that broke the camel's back, I guess. Anyway, I found out when I found him fucking her in his bed and the next day, I packed my shit and left. God, I guess you do end up like your parents after all, huh?”

When your eyes meet, the flood you had been holding back finally breaks. Without a second thought, he’s holding onto you as you sob into his neck. You never told him the full story on Paul, but what you did tell him, he wanted to find the guy and beat the piss out of him. The idea of someone, let alone your own parents treating you the way they did breaks his heart. He wishes he could take the pain away from you, he’d carry the weight of it on his own back if he had to.

Eddie’s not sure what to say or if you even want him to say anything, so he doesn’t. His hand pets the top of your head, soothing you, like a mother does to her baby. A flashback pops into his own head, him as a child in his bed, crying because his parents fought again. The memory of his mom coming in and rocking him, the way he’s doing now, easing his tears with a slow song. So he does the same for you.

Slowly, the vice grip you had on him eases up, and your sobs reduce to small hiccups. He doesn’t stop until he hears your breath even out. When he’s sure you're sleeping, he takes a second to appreciate you, for bearing your soul to him, removing the barriers that blocked him out. He vows to himself that night, that he will protect you from anything and everything for as long as you both live.

__

The glow of the Christmas tree lights reflect off of the living room window. Outside, small flurries rain down, coating the ground in layers of white. The scent of hot chocolate and cinnamon fill the small living room. It looked like an elf had thrown up everything jolly in your home, littering every square inch in something holiday themed.

Eddie wasn’t a big holiday kind of guy, never really having a reason to go all out for them when it was just him and Wayne. He thought you were going to have an aneurysm when he told you, with the way your face twisted up. You were quick to tell him that you’d be more than happy to have him over to celebrate, have his uncle join in the morning, and then meet up at Steve’s to have dinner with the group. Eddie wasn’t too thrilled on the idea, not because he didn’t want to spend it with you, but because he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford a bunch of gifts. Albeit you reassured him that you didn’t want anything, he couldn’t help but feel like you were lying to make him feel better. It wasn’t until he realized that you were not doing this just for him but you were doing it for both of the lost childhood you had, he agreed.

The two of you sit across from each other by the tree. Small boxes and bags hid underneath the fake branches, sitting pretty in the light of the colorful bulbs that hang. The uneasy feeling settles in his stomach when he looks at them. The amount of gifts that sit with your name doesn’t hold a candle to all the things that sit underneath for him. It was decided that you’d pick gifts out for each other and open them at the same time. Doubt fills his brain, but it’s quickly shut off when he sees you with the box he placed in your hands. You shake the small box back and forth, tongue poking out in concentration trying to figure out what could be underneath the paper.

Over the next few minutes boxes and bags are passed back and forth, paper ripped to shreds, and piled of gifts surround the both of you.

Beside you sit your pile of opened presents. The Cure’s ‘Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me’ album, a pack of colorful fuzzy socks, your favorite candy, a new mug with a black cat painted on it, Fannie Flags novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe’, along with highlighters and new pens for annotating.

Eddie’s pile isn’t as neat as yours, all haphazardly thrown next to him with care. A pack of new socks because he never seems to have one's without holes, a pair of new work boots, a new Metallica band shirt, a sketchbook and pencils for his D&D doodles, a bottle of Calvin Klein’s ‘Obsession for Men’, Anthrax ‘Among the Living’ album, and a pack of guitar picks.

“These are perfect, thank you baby.” A dimpled smile appears on Eddie’s cheeks. Leaning over to reach you, placing a chaste kiss on your lips.

“You’re welcome. I love everything you got me. I promise not to finish my book too fast.” You joke. There’s a sense of pride written on your face. He’s not sure why he was so nervous for this, when he’d get to see you like this, truly like a kid on Christmas morning.

He can’t relish in the feeling too long, when he sees you grabbing a hidden present from under the tree. You hand him the small box, the red ribbon mocking him from where it sits in his hands.

“Sweetheart, you didn’t have to get me anything else, I thought we said-” before he can finish, you tut his response away, waving your hands for him to stop. “Shush, it’s nothing big I promise. Now open it.” He can’t refuse when you look at him like that, cheshire grin shining brightly at him.

He pulls the ribbon off, letting it slowly fall to the floor. Opening the box, he’s met with a golden shine. A key sitting in a bed of tissue paper, confusion is written on his face when he pulls it from its place, the box falling to the floor with a small thump. When he looks up at you, the once confident look you had is now replaced with a meek expression.

“I just thought, ya know since you’re here all the time it’d make sense for you to have your own. I just want you to have it in case I’m not here or something.” Your statement trails off. Before you know it, he’s tackling you in a hug. Wet sloppy kisses are placed on your face and you swat at him, giggling telling him to stop.

“This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me, you know that?” He’s hovering over you. You beam up at him, wrapping your finger around one of his curls.

“You say that, but you still haven’t gotten your last gift.” You tease and he sits up, letting you up from your position on the floor.

Standing up, you hold your hand out to him. As you pull him along to your room, his heart is in his throat. He burns with embarrassment, feeling like an asshole because you’ve gone above and beyond for him and he has nothing for you in return. When you make it to your room, you gently push him on the edge of your bed, making him sit down. You nudge your way in between his legs, craning your neck down to meet his eyes. Before he knows it, the giant sleep shirt you were wearing is now on the floor, leaving you in the prettiest thing he’s ever seen.

You stand there, red lace hugging your body, every curve he’s dreamed of seeing, are now in arms reach. He’s sure he looks like an idiot, drool falling from his mouth, Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. You were such a sight to see, standing there, shy as can be, looking like a wet dream.

“You can touch me, Eds.” It takes him a minute to realize what you just said to him. He slowly lets his hand reach out from you, tracing the intricate detailing the lingerie that sits on your body.

Standing to full height, he kisses you, so soft and slow. When you reach your hand down to brush over the front of his groin, it picks up a notch. Gnashing teeth and tongue, he feels like a feral animal and if he doesn’t do something soon, he’s going to bust in his pants like a teenager. He takes his time laying you down on the bed, too scared that you might break if he goes any faster. The clothes he wears are starting to become too suffocating, constricting his every movement. His clothes are off in a flash, sitting next to yours on the hardwood floor.

Eddie thinks he’s lost his goddamn mind, he must be having a realistic wet dream or something, because there is no way on earth this is happening. He’s waited for this moment for the past two months, imagining every single detail, but nothing would prepare him for the real thing. He’s hovering above, looking down at his perfect girl, wrapped in the prettiest dainty ribbon of sorts. Eyes going crazy trying to get every single detail memorized, scars, birthmarks, dimples - he wants to learn it by heart.

“ You‘re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” He doesn’t just say it because you’re half naked underneath him. He says it because you are the most beautiful woman he’s ever had the pleasure of meeting. No playboy model, no random hook up, no groupie could hold a candle to the beauty you have.

“You’re the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen,” You look up at him through your lashes, puffy red lips stretched into that Colgate smile he loves so much.

He wants to hold those words with him for the rest of his life, lock them away for safekeeping. You have no idea what you do to him, how much you mean to him. You’ve dug your way into his life, flipping it completely upside down, and unlocking a side to him he never knew he had.

“I’m so fucking in love with you, sweetheart.” It’s out there, piercing the air like bullets from a starting pistol. Eddie’s the most vulnerable he’s ever been, giving you his heart on a silver platter. You’ve got him in the palm of your hand, able to crush his soul at any moment.

Reaching your hand up, you cup his cheek, rubbing your thumb along his cheek. He’s bracing himself for rejection, ready to tuck tail and run, but it never comes.

“Good, because I’m so fucking in love with you, Eddie Munson.” His eyes search your face, waiting to hear you tell him it was all a joke. He doesn’t, instead he sees you, just as vulnerable as him. Just two scared people of being hurt, letting their guard down, opening up themselves in the most raw way.

“You’ll still love me in the morning?”

“Always.”

For the first time in his life, he makes love - hands cradled together, foreheads touching, sweet nothings being shared. He doesn’t even notice when he starts crying, not until you wipe away the tears staining his cheek. He would be embarrassed but this is you, the girl who’s stolen his heart and invaded his whole life. When it’s over, you hold him, whispering sweet praises to the metal head.

When the morning light peaks through your curtains, you’re still there, holding onto him like you did when you fell asleep. You didn’t leave, didn’t regret the words that were shared between the two of you. Your promise rings in his head - always.

__

The bitter cold of March couldn’t beat the icy atmosphere in the car. No matter how many times Eddie called your name you refused to answer, turning your body more and more towards the window. Eddie knew something happened, he just didn’t know what. The night started off fine, meeting with friends to get food and drinks, big laughs and stories passed back and forth at the table. At some point something happened and you weren’t laughing anymore. Your big smile and bright eyes are replaced with a look he’s never seen before. He tried to get you to talk, begging you to just say something, only to be met with a scoff and crossed arms.

Pulling up to your house, you didn’t even wait for him to shut off the car to exit the car, slamming the door hard enough to make Eddie flinch in his seat. He wanted to puke, he hated this, he hated that he didn’t know what was making you so angry and he hated that he didn’t know how to fix it. Releasing a big puff of air, he follows you inside where he’s met with more slamming doors.

He doesn’t want to bombard you, so he decides to wait in the kitchen, where he starts to pace back and forth. He feels like he’s eight years old again after the first time he’d ever gotten in trouble at school, sitting outside the principal’s office in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, watching the clock go by as he waits to be called back. Although he’d get used to the feeling over time, he would never forget that first time, the way it felt when his stomach knotted up, shaky hands and trembling legs.

He hears the familiar click of the bathroom door open and he freezes, your figure ascends down the hallway, shuffling your feet along the wooden floors. Your hair you spent hours on styling to perfection is now thrown into a bun, your mascara now leaving black streaks on your face from crying, the outfit you took forever to pick out is now replaced with a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt.

Eddie watches as you reach for a glass from your cabinet, filling it with water from your faucet. At that moment he thinks it’s better if he keeps distance by staying in his corner of the kitchen, not wanting to approach you and scare you off. Screaming and yelling, that’s what he’s used to, standing in the middle of the battle front, dodging bullets left and right. Hurtful words being spat, so sharp and full of toxins, ready to leave scars after all the dust settles.

Silence, that was the real killer. It was the calm before the storm, the thickness in the air that made it harder and harder to breathe. It’d sneak up behind you, wrapping its hands around your throat, and slowly squeezing the oxygen out of your lungs. It was the uneasy feeling you get right before you head into the woods at night. It was able to sweep the rug out from under you, pulling you further and further into the darkness to no point of return.

He wants to say the right thing to you, he wants to mend the damage that’s been done, wrap you up in bandages and make it all better. He wants to pull you into shelter from the storm going on inside your brain, to hold on to you for dear life so that you don’t get sucked up in the twister of your thoughts. It’s written all over your face, the hurt, the anger, it’s all there for him to read - like a clue being left behind for him to find. There’s a war starting up inside of you, he can see the smoke signals from here, calling out for help. He wants to break in and stop it from happening, but he can’t - the brick wall that he worked endlessly at to break, is now back up again. This time it’s harder to tear down.

Although he’s never been the first in the firing line, Eddie’s armed and ready for the first hit. It feels like one of those western movies his uncle Wayne used to watch - two cowboys, guns drawn, ready to fire any second. The biggest showdown known to man is happening right here, in the small yellow kitchen of your home. There would be no shoot out this time, no knife-like words to leave damage, no wounds to heal. This time, you’re the first to put your gun down, wave your white flag in surrender.

You don’t tell him you hate him, you don’t tell him to get out and to never come back, you simply hug him. It throws him for a loop, the ticking time bomb that stood before him, defusing itself right before his very eyes. The rain that clouded over him is now washed out by the chirps of the birds, sun pushing its way to be seen once again. There is no fight to be won anymore, there is no mass destruction left in the wake of battle, left to be cleaned for another day.

He can feel the shaking of your body, vibrating with the cries you muffle in his shirt. The situation might be over, but you are still wounded from before, begging for some kind of mercy.

“Baby, you gotta tell me what’s wrong. Tell me how to fix it.” He can smell the hair spray that sits on your hair, from where his nose rests. His big hand soothing you, rubbing over the cotton shirt that drapes your back. He means the words he says to you, he wants you to let him in again.

Your answer is hard to understand, obscured by the fabric of his shirt where you’ve shoved your face to hide.

“Sweetheart, you gotta speak up so I can hear you,” He coos at you. His sweet tone coaxes you out from your hiding spot. Pulling your face from the comfort of his chest, you peer up at him.

“Please don’t leave me.” It sounds so dejecting when it falls from your lips, like you're begging him with everything in you. It breaks his heart to see you like this.

There’s some parts of your brain that Eddie hasn’t explored yet. The darkest corners of your mind, so dark you’d need a flashlight, decorated in dust and cobwebs. All the secrets you’ve yet to reveal to him, filed away, locked behind a door - the key thrown somewhere for him to find. Eddie knows there’s parts of you that you don’t want him to see, too scared he’d criticize you the way people before him did. That was the thing though, he never would, no matter how scary or fucked up you thought you were.

“Honey, I’m not going to leave you, okay? S’just - I need you to tell me what’s going on, tell me what happened.” He’s pleading with you, trying to pull it out of you. Whether it gets him any further or not, it doesn’t matter, he just wants you to see he’s trying, trying for you.

“Will you still love me in the morning?” You’re retreating, going back behind that big brick wall. As much as Eddie wants to scream and shout for you to stop hiding, he knows that the storm within is at bay, at least for now. So he lets you retreat, lets you rest knowing he’ll be back hammering, no matter how long it takes.

“Always,” It’s hushed, quiet like the small flurries that fall outside of the window. Plump lips meeting the top of your head. Eddie knows he’s not getting any more out of you, both too winded and tired from the events tonight.

Cracks and fractures left behind from the people before him, it’s going to take time, he reminds himself. So many times you had told him it was best if he runs away, there’s too much damage and he deserves someone better. He thinks you’re wrong, you are someone better, you just can’t see it. You don’t see what he sees, the girl he fell in love with, he wishes you could because you’re the best thing that’s ever graced this fucked up planet. He’d plant you in front of the world’s biggest mirror if he had to, but he knows that you’d still only see half of what he does. So for now, he’ll keep reminding you until he’s blue in the face. Always.

[steddieas-shegoes]

This is for the request from @mogami13 : Werewolf den mother steve being seduced to be eddie's mate which they wrote a post on found here. My post is not related to theirs, but you should ABSOLUTELY go read it and let them know if you want more!

This was so out of my comfort zone and it shows to me, but I wanted to try. Hopefully it does not disappoint! - Mickala ❤️❤️

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything you think you know about this town is wrong.

The raspy voice of Eddie’s mother on her death bed echoed in his head often over the years.

He was nine when she died.

She died before explaining what she meant.

When he moved in with his Uncle Wayne, he got an explanation in the form of a wolf suddenly running into his room, biting his shirt, and dragging him outside.

As he stood on the back porch, heart racing, he realized the wolf was his Uncle Wayne.

He didn’t know how he knew, he just did.

He watched as Wayne disappeared into the trees for a few minutes, unsure if he should follow or not. He assumed Wayne would have waited for him if he was supposed to, so he stayed put.

When he came back, he nudged Eddie to sit on the step, and rested on the porch next to him.

They stayed like that for a while, Eddie fighting sleep as much as he could.

Finally, Wayne stood up, moved to part of the porch that was hidden from neighbors, and transformed back.

Eddie just stared, flabbergasted.

It was one thing to just know the wolf was Wayne and another entirely to watch the transformation.

Wayne walked back inside, probably to put some clothes on, and Eddie followed slowly.

They talked for hours, almost until dawn, about the history of the town, the history of their family, how Eddie would have his transformation when he hit puberty. How his mother got sick because she wasn’t able to transform anymore due to an injury his father gave her years before.

“When we can’t become our true selves regularly, it hurts every version of us. Drains us. It’s important you let this part of you out. I can’t lose you like I lost her.”

He told Eddie about how he spent a decade trying to convince his sister to move in with him instead of Eddie’s father, that it would be harder to leave when Eddie was born.

And it was.

She never left. She got hurt. Then she got sick.

Now she was gone.

———

Eddie loved being able to transition whenever he wanted.

Wayne told him stories of other families in the area that would only do so once a month, on the full moon, how stereotypical, to keep from dying. They didn’t let their kids run in the woods, or curl up in a cuddle pile. Sure, Wayne and Eddie didn’t make much of a cuddle pile, but it was perfect the way it was.

The Harringtons were an example.

According to Wayne, they hid the fact that they were even wolves from everyone else. The strangest part, according to Wayne, was that their son, Steve, had a very delayed transition. Most wolves have their first transformation when they hit puberty, but his didn’t happen until he was 16. They didn’t know what finally made it happen, but Eddie hoped it wasn’t anything that would make him sick like his mom.

When he told Wayne that, Wayne smirked.

“Worried about Steve Harrington? Who are you and what have you done with my nephew?”

Eddie slapped his arm, but couldn’t ignore the blush on his cheeks.

So what if Eddie had a little, tiny, baby crush on Steve Harrington? Who didn’t? He was hot, he was popular, he was athletic.

Maybe he hung out with some of the worst bullies in the school, but he never actively bullied anyone.

It’s not like anything would ever happen. Steve wasn’t into guys and Eddie was probably the farthest thing from his type he could get.

————-

When he met Dustin Henderson, he knew immediately he had to protect this kid at all costs.

High school was a fucking war zone and he was the weakest link, it was clear to anyone with eyes.

But he came with a couple other kids, Mike and Lucas, who probably would be fine if they just kept their heads down and got involved with the right things.

Hellfire Club wasn’t the right thing, at least not if they wanted to be popular or even just remotely average.

But they insisted they wanted to be a part of it, that D&D had been their lives for so long, and it was the only way they could kind of stay connected to their friend Will, who’d moved before school started.

It took him too long to realize they meant Will Byers, the boy who got sick like his mom, but somehow survived. He couldn’t transform anymore, but would lead an otherwise normal life.

He welcomed them into the club, made everyone else already in it welcome them, explained that it was important for Freshman to get involved so that the upperclassmen had someone to pass it all down to.

Eddie was going off the assumption that he’d graduate, that all of them except Jeff would graduate.

But when spring break happened, he didn’t find it in him to care nearly as much about graduating. He just needed to survive.

————

When he woke up in the hospital, he felt instant dread.

He was alive, but at what cost?

Wayne was asleep in the chair next to him, Dustin asleep in the chair at the end of his bed, and Steve fucking Harrington was sitting next to Dustin, watching Eddie.

They were clean and changed, so it had to have been at least a day since his whole world nearly ended.

“How long?” His voice was barely even a whisper, but Steve must have incredible hearing.

“Four days,” he whispered back, probably trying to avoid Dustin and Wayne waking up.

Have they been here the whole time? Wayne couldn’t miss that much work, he’d get fired. And Dustin. Dustin’s just a kid. His mom must be worried.

Steve couldn’t possibly have sat here for four days. His parents would lose their shit.

“I’ve made them go home every day to shower and eat, try to sleep in a real bed. Told them I’d call if anything changed.”

So Steve had been here the whole time.

That explained the bags under his eyes.

“Eddie? You awake?”

Wayne’s sleepy voice made him turn his head. He let out a pained groan, his whole body resisting any movement.

“Stay still. You’ve got a lot of stitches holdin’ you together. Let me get the nurse.”

Wayne hurried out of the room, Steve watching them with a small smile.

“He’s been worried. I don’t think he’s slept more than a couple hours since he first got here.”

“Dustin?”

Steve looked over at Dustin, worried frown on his face.

“He thinks it’s his fault.”

“What? How?”

Eddie could ignore the pain pulsing through his veins for now. He had to understand how Dustin could possibly think any of this was his fault.

“He thinks if he’d jumped back through sooner, you wouldn’t have lost as much blood. Or that if he’d come up with a better backup plan, you never would’ve had to do it at all. We’ve never been this close to losing people.”

Wait, people, plural?

“Max?”

Steve stood up and came closer to his head, keeping his eyes on Dustin to make sure he didn’t wake up.

“She’s still in a coma. They don’t think she’ll come out of it.”

So she wasn’t dead, but she might as well be.

Eddie fought the tears welling up.

“Mr. Munson! Wonderful to see you awake.”

Steve and Eddie both jumped, Eddie letting out a hiss as he felt a searing pain along his side.

And then Dustin was awake.

“Eddie? Eddie!”

He was crowding in next to Steve, ignoring everyone else in the room. His eyes were wide and teary, and Eddie knew if Dustin started crying, it’d be game over for him.

“Hey bud. Doing okay?”

Not the right thing to say. Dustin let out a sob and collapsed against Steve, who wrapped his arms around him to hold him up.

“I’m just gonna bring him outside for a minute while you get checked over.”

“No!” Dustin exclaimed, pulling away. “I can’t leave him, Steve! Please.”

“Dustin, it’s okay. He’s okay. They have to check his bandages and we’ll be just around the corner.”

Steve looked at Eddie and silently asked him to reassure Dustin. He could do that. He was tired and in pain, but he could do this.

“I’ll see you in ten minutes, okay? Just take a lap, grab me a soda or something.”

“Sir, I don’t recomm-“ the nurse started, but was waved off by Wayne.

“Ten minutes?”

“Ten minutes.”

“Okay.”

Dustin let Steve lead him out of the room, Wayne following to close the door behind them.

“Alright, just have to check your vitals and do a pain assessment,” the nurse started. “This probably won’t be fun, but I’ll need to check the wounds on your legs and sides.”

Eddie nodded and let her get to work.

It hurt. Everything hurt.

But Wayne was holding his hand, and Dustin was coming back with a soda for him, and Steve was here for some reason.

He’d almost been eaten alive by demon bats, he could survive this nurse checking him over.

————

As soon as he was out of the hospital is when it started.

Dustin always found reasons to have Steve come with him to visit.

First, it was just because he was his ride, Claudia having to work a bit more because many of her coworkers had left town after the “quake.”

Then, Steve would stick around because Dustin insisted he wouldn’t stay for long and he didn’t want Steve to have to make two trips so quickly.

Which was kind of bullshit, Eddie and Steve both knew it, because Steve actually only lived about 8 minutes from Eddie and Wayne’s new trailer.

But they let him get away with it.

Eddie liked having another adult around. None of his friends from high school were allowed to talk to him, so it was pretty much just the kids and Wayne for the last two months.

Steve would sometimes even bring Robin, who Eddie would probably be in love with if he liked women at all.

Especially when she came out to him while Dustin was making sure the kids cleaned up the table after a campaign.

“What’s up with you and Steve?”

“What do you mean?”

She looked nervous. Were they a secret for some reason?

“Like, if you’re dating, you should just tell everyone. Pretty sure everyone thinks so anyway.”

Robin let out a loud laugh.

“Dude, no. We are obnoxiously platonic. Trust me.”

“Kinda hard to believe when you do everything together. You finished his sentence yesterday.”

Robin rolled her eyes.

“I’m super gay, Eddie. Not interested in Steve even a little bit.”

That…should’ve surprised him more, actually.

“So you’re just best friends?”

“Yeah, I mean, we’re pack, ya know?”

“Oh! You’re…” Eddie started, using his hands to pretend he had claws.

“No, actually. But I helped Steve get more comfortable with his whole wolf thing when his parents wanted nothing to do with it. My cousins on my dad’s side are wolves so it wasn’t really a secrecy problem.”

Eddie had kind of forgotten that there was any secrecy left. All the kids were wolves, so they openly talked about it often. He hadn’t really thought about the fact that any of them might not be.

“Have you done it since everything happened?”

“Uh. No. Owens said I had to heal completely before I tried.”

“Haven’t you been healed for two weeks?”

Eddie was silent.

“You’re scared.”

It wasn’t a question and he wasn’t going to deny it. He was scared.

He was scared that he wouldn’t be able to, sure. But he was even more scared that he’d face the same sickness his mom had, that Will had but managed to get through. He knew he wouldn’t be as lucky as Will, though.

“Would it be easier if you had someone with you the first time?”

“Maybe. Wayne offered, but I don’t want him to see if it goes wrong.”

“What about Steve?”

“What about Steve?”

“He could stay with you when you try. He’s good in emergencies, especially if you end up hurt. He knows everyone so even if he couldn’t help, he could call the kids or Wayne or hell, Claudia. And I know he hasn’t spent much time with just you, but I think he wants to and doesn’t know how to do it.”

“She’s right,” Dustin said from the doorway.

“Why the hell were you listening to a private conversation?”

“Is it really private if you’re talking at a normal volume in a room where anyone can come and go at any time?”

“Watch your tone,” Eddie replied.

Dustin was right though. And so was Robin.

“I don’t wanna bother him.”

“Steve’s not gonna be bothered. He loves taking care of people! He’s basically our mom.”

“Jesus, dude, I’m not your mom,” Steve said as he walked into the room holding more trash than Eddie remembered there being on the table.

“You’re saying that holding a pile of trash that the children should’ve been cleaning up,” Eddie said with a smirk.

“Well, they’re getting distracted and I don’t have all night.”

“Spoken like a true mother.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but Eddie could see a small smile on his face. He was proud to be considered their mom.

“Eddie’s got a favor to ask, Steve.”

Eddie glared at Dustin.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“He’s lying. He needs someone to be with him when he transforms for the first time since, ya know, everything.”

Eddie glared at Robin now, too.

“Oh. Sure. When?”

“Uh. You really don’t have to. It might not even work. Don’t want you to waste your time.”

“It’s not a waste of time. We can try tomorrow after my shift if you want?”

Dustin was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement and Robin was hiding a smirk behind her hand.

“Yeah, okay. If you’re sure.”

Will started to walk in the room, then walked right back out when he felt the tension pouring from Eddie.

All the kids had done plenty of meddling, helping Dustin find reasons for Steve to always be around Eddie.

El and Max even convinced Steve that Eddie needed him to sit next to him at the diner when they had breakfast because he couldn’t cut his pancakes alone.

Which was fucking ridiculous and Steve actually believed it. Eddie would’ve been more annoyed if he wasn’t completely endeared by the fact that Steve hadn’t even asked him, just grabbed his fork and knife when they were brought to the table and started cutting them.

He didn’t stop him.

It was kind of nice to be taken care of.

So if he could have more of that for something like this, maybe he could just let it happen. No embarrassment, no arguing.

“Sure. See you at 9:30 tomorrow night?”

“I’ll be here.”

“Cool.”

————-

Eddie was a nervous wreck.

For all of Dustin’s meddling, he suddenly had no interest in helping Eddie through his anxiety.

He tried calling him three times, every time going to voicemail. He tried calling the other gremlins, same thing.

So they were all in on this, Dustin was just the boldest one.

He was nervous about the actual wolf part, definitely.

But he was nervous that Steve would be there. He would see him at his most vulnerable, possibly even worse if he couldn’t even change any more.

When he told Wayne about what he was doing, he just smiled and said “you’d know if you couldn’t, son.”

So Eddie waited for 9:30. He paced inside. He paced outside. He took a shower that he didn’t even need. He sat on the couch, twiddling his thumbs. He stood by the window watching for Steve to show up even though he knew he wouldn’t be there early.

He was a mess, plain and simple.

He could feel his heart thrumming with anticipation.

And then headlights flashed through the front windows and Eddie was opening the front door before Steve was even out of his car.

“Hey Eddie. You ready?”

How did he look so good coming from work? Still in his stupid vest, hair tucked behind his ears. A little sheen of sweat on his forehead because the AC was out at the store and the ride here wasn’t long enough to cool off in his car.

It was so fucking unfair.

“Eds?”

Jesus, okay. He had to get it together. Seriously.

“Yeah! I’m good. I’m just a little nervous. Don’t wanna end up bleeding out in the backyard,” he laughed nervously.

“Is that a possibility?” Steve asked, his voice choked and wobbling.

“Sorry! No. I don’t think so. I think I’ll be fine. Honest.”

Steve visibly relaxed and Eddie kind of hated himself a bit.

Dustin was the one who told Eddie about Steve being the first to get to them in the Upside Down, how Steve performed as much emergency care as he possibly could with Nancy helping before carrying him through the gate.

How Steve had been covered in more of Eddie’s blood than his own by the time the ambulance arrived.

How Steve didn’t sleep for nearly 48 hours because he wouldn’t leave Eddie’s side, half convinced he’d imagined rescuing him.

Eddie shouldn’t joke about bleeding out when the man who had to watch him nearly do so before was his only help tonight.

“Where are you doing this?”

“Uh. Back porch has a lot of space that neighbors couldn’t see. And then the woods are right there after.”

“Should I…um…stay human?”

“Yeah, just in case.”

Steve nodded and followed Eddie as he led him through the front door.

“Want a drink or anything? I have water, or beer, or…that’s it actually. I can run out and get you something else though if you want. You’re probably thirsty. Been a long day. I’ll be right back-“

“Eddie. I’m fine.”

Steve’s hand was on his shoulder. Warmth flooded through Eddie, his body relaxing under the touch.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Eddie led them out the back door and over to the side of the porch hidden from view.

Steve turned away while he stripped off his clothes and left them on the floor for after.

He took a few deep breaths and let his body relax.

He could do this.

It was natural.

One moment, he was considering telling Steve it wasn’t gonna happen, the next he was a wolf. He was so busy relaxing into the feeling, he didn’t notice Steve moving closer.

Until Steve’s hands were cupping his head, his fingers gently scratching at his fur.

It felt good and Eddie couldn’t help the low growl he let out.

“Feel okay?”

Steve still looked worried behind the unreadable look on his face.

Eddie nodded his head once.

He stood there, kind of afraid to move, kind of wanting to stay here just to keep Steve’s hands on him, kind of dying to run.

His human form was clumsy, could barely walk in a straight line sometimes without tripping over his own feet. His wolf form could run through trees at a speed most people couldn’t even fathom.

But Steve had his hands on him.

“You’re so beautiful.”

Oh.

Oh.

“I mean, you always are. It’s just. I’ve never seen anything like you.”

Eddie wasn’t sure how long he could stand there taking Steve’s compliments. He knew Steve was still new to the wolf thing, maybe had never even properly seen another adult, so he tried not to let it mean much.

But Steve looked so earnest.

And then his hands moved to his neck, running his fingers through the fur there.

He paused suddenly, letting out a small laugh.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe Dustin was right.”

He felt Steve’s finger circle a spot near his shoulder blade, right where he knew he had a shock of gold fur instead of the dark brown that covered his whole body.

“I know I’m staying human tonight, but I have a spot of dark brown fur in the same spot. But the rest of my body is gold like this. I’ll show you next time.”

Next time, next time, next time.

“Dustin said that makes us soulmates.”

Of course Dustin said that.

But then he remembered his Uncle Wayne telling him about a spot he had in his fur for over a decade, a black circle instead of the gray of the rest of his body.

How his Uncle Wayne told him that he believed his soulmate had the same kind of spot, but gray.

How his spot disappeared randomly and he never got any explanation.

How a few years ago, he’d found out his high school sweetheart had died tragically in a car accident right around the time he lost the spot.

How he never put much stock into soulmates until then, but was now a firm believer.

It felt impossible. It had to be impossible.

“Oh my god.”

Steve’s hands dropped and Eddie whimpered.

“Sorry,” Steve mumbled as he rested his hands back in Eddie’s fur. “I just realized. The first time Dustin tried to convince me to come to D&D was after the first time he saw my wolf. That little shit’s been trying to set us up for almost a year!”

Eddie huffed out a breath of disbelief or an attempt at laughter, he wasn’t sure.

“And Robin! She’s been trying to convince me to hang out with you since you came home from the hospital.” Steve pulled away and started pacing as Eddie watched. “The kids are all in on it. That’s why they always find reasons for me to stick around when you’re around.”

Steve plopped down on the floor, back to the wall of the house.

Eddie trotted over, plopping down on the floor next to him and placing his head in Steve’s lap.

He nudged his nose against Steve’s hand, wordlessly asking for Steve to pet his head.

He got the message.

“You don’t wanna go run?”

Eddie sighed against his lap.

“You could. I’ll be here when you get back.”

He didn’t want to. Not alone.

Maybe he could convince Steve to come with him to the lake next time, go for a run in those woods together.

Steve rested his head back against the wall.

“Do you believe in mates?”

He wasn’t really sure at this point. Maybe they were real, maybe they weren’t. Maybe Steve was his, maybe it was just a weird coincidence.

He nodded his head once.

“Do you think we’re mates?”

Eddie considered it.

He was part wolf. He was attacked and almost eaten to death by demon bats not that long ago. An evil half monster half human had nearly destroyed Hawkins.

So, yeah, they could very well be soulmates.

He nodded his head.

Steve curled himself inwards, letting his head rest on Eddie’s.

“How long are you staying like this? I kinda wanna kiss you.”

Well, he kinda wanted to kiss Steve too.

He pulled away and focused on what it would feel like to kiss Steve.

As soon as he was human again, he planted himself in Steve’s lap, not even caring that he was naked.

Steve looked at him, amused grin in place.

“You survived.”

“Worried I wouldn’t?”

“Maybe a little.”

“Soulmates, huh?”

Steve’s face was a cherry red, and Eddie was pretty sure he’d never been so in love.

He gripped Steve’s face between his hands, a mirror image of what Steve had done when he was a wolf.

“Can you believe Dustin wanted a dad so badly, he set his mom up like this?”

Steve snorted.

“Not his mom.”

“Sure about that? Didn’t you just punish him by taking away rides to the arcade for two weeks because of his attitude?”

“So?”

Eddie just raised his brows at him, smile widening as Steve shrugged.

“Okay, fine! Are you gonna kiss me or just keep teasing me about my favorite kid?”

“Oh, you want a kiss? From me?”

“Please.”

How could Eddie resist when he was asking so nicely?

Eddie’s kissed a lot of people. Girls in school, guys at the bar, Jeff once when he was really drunk.

But not a single one of them compared to this one.

Or any of the kisses they shared after.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Stuck Between a Jock and a Metalhead

Summary: Nancy, on a whim, decides to visit Steve at Scoops Ahoy, which leads to her overhearing confessions from Steve that leads her to think about the decisions she's made. A few days later, she decides to come back. She finds him being hit on by the town freak. What's a girl to do? Oh, get stuck in a freezer with the both of them.

Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve - Chapter Thirteen - Chapter Fourteen - Chapter Fifteen - Chapter Sixteen - Chapter Seventeen - Chapter Eighteen - Chapter Nineteen - Chapter Twenty - Chapter Twenty-One - Chapter Twenty-Two - Chapter Twenty-Three - Chapter Twenty-Four - Chapter Twenty-Five - Chapter Twenty-Six - Chapter Twenty-Seven

@nightmareglitter

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nancy walked through the door and was immediately pulled into her mother's arms. Wayne and Claudia were in the living room, saying their goodbyes and talking to the Sinclairs. She had hoped that they would be gone by the time they got back to her parents' house. She knew that Wayne was going to freak out about what Eddie had done for her. It seems odd that it was only this morning that they had gotten pulled into the Upside Down. It seemed much longer than that and now it looked like Tommy Hagan as well as his boyfriend had been pulled into all of this.

"Oh my God, your face," Karen sobbed.

"Mom, I'm fine. Steve has it worse," Nancy said, and Karen gasped before going over to Steve. "Mom, gently."

She smiled as Karen pulled Steve into a hug before hugging Eddie as well. Ted came over to Nancy and pulled her into a hug. He cradled the back of her head and kissed her hair.

"I'm fine, daddy," Nancy said.

"You may be fine, but I am not," Ted replied.

Suddenly, Holly bounded down the stairs with a bag and her doll in her arms.

"I'm ready to go, mommy," Holly said.

"What's happening?" Nancy asked.

"I'm going on a special trip with Aunt Claudia and Uncle Wayne," Holly said. "I love Uncle Wayne! He's funny!"

"He sure is," Eddie grinned.

"And I'll be taking Erica to Sue's parents," Charles said.

"That's bullshit, why does Lucas get to stay?" Erica asked.

"I can't drag him away from Max nor do I want to," Sue sighed. "I just need to know that one of my children is absolutely safe. It's bad enough that I have to worry about Steve and Lucas."

Nancy watched Erica study her mother for a moment before accepting the fact that her mother needed to depend on her to stay safe. Erica sighed.

"Alright, fine, but I'm going to complain the entire time," Erica said.

"I except nothing less," Sue said pinching her cheek and hugging her. "Thanks, baby, I know how hard you're trying to hide the fact that you're worried too. We're going to fight like hell to make sure we come back to you."

Erica hugged her mother tightly, sniffingly. She hugged everyone else before she went off with her father. Nancy had noticed that she had lingered a bit longer with Lucas and Max.

"You're both staying?" Nancy asked her parents.

"We argued about it and debated with ourselves, but we just can't leave you guys, especially with Mike somewhere out there," Karen said. "We trust Wayne and Claudia to look after Holly."

"May I ask why Tommy Hagan is here?" Ted asked.

"Jason and his crew got out of jail. They came after us at the hospital," Nancy replied. "They would have killed us if Tommy and Lily hadn't showed up in time. They had guns and they were ready to kill Eddie."

"Now, where did they get the guns from?" Ted asked.

"Probably from the War Zone," Eddie said. "Just outside of Hawkins. I've been there before."

"Let me guess, with Al?" Wayne asked, and Eddie looked guilty for a moment.

"Anyway, they saved our lives and Eddie's. Lily caught them up on the way over here," Nancy said. "I think they're still in the disbelief stage."

Walter was a man of few words, a shy man who saved his words for the people who were important to him. Tommy had said so many times in his phone calls and letters sent to the apartment. He was even more silent than Tommy had described, not even leaning to whisper in Tommy's ear. Tommy was just as silent as they both thought about what Lily had told them. To be honest, as much as it would have pissed her off before about people not believing them, Nancy realized now that it was a normal reaction when people heard shit like this. You really couldn't believe it until you saw it, and even then, your brain tries its very best to make shit up in order to protect you from the trauma.

"You okay, son?" Wayne asked Eddie.

"I'm fine, Uncle Wayne," Eddie said.

"Do you need me to - "

"No, you need to get Aunt Claudia and Holly out of here," Eddie said. "They need you more."

Wayne pulled Eddie into a tight hug before doing the same with Dustin and Steve. Claudia burst into tears before pulling Eddie into her own arms and giving him kisses before moving on to the others. Claudia hugged Nancy tightly.

"Keep them safe," Claudia said as she kissed her cheek. "And yourself too, dear."

"I promise," Nancy said.

"Bye, Nancy," Holly said.

Tearfully, Nancy scooped her little sister into her arms, wondering when or if she was ever going to see her again. Eddie and Steve thought the same thing, too, because they suddenly joined in on the hug. She eventually had to let her go, though, and set her back down.

"Stay safe," Nancy said tearfully.

"Don't worry, Nancy, I'll protect Uncle Wayne and Aunt Claudia," Holly said.

"We don't doubt that you will, darling," Wayne chuckled as he took her hand.

Claudia's eyes twinkled at the sight of them, and Nancy smiled. She was definitely picturing them having a little girl. Eddie smiled and rested his head on top of Nancy's as they watched them leave.

"I definitely feel better now that I know that they're in good hands," Eddie said.

Once they all left, Nancy took a mental headcount of everyone in the living room. Lily and Agent Stinson were leaning near the door. Tommy and his boyfriend were sitting on the fireplace. Robin was once again wedged between her parents, but she wasn't complaining this time. Ted had one arm wrapped around his wife as she stood behind the recliner that Dustin was sitting in. Sue was sitting on the other couch with her son, Max, and Susan. Fourteen. Add Nancy, Steve, and Eddie that made seventeen. Nancy moved to the middle of the room and cleared her throat. Everyone's attention was now on her.

"We have to go back to the Upside Down," Nancy said.

Like she thought they would, everyone exploded into anger and confusion. It was mostly the parents. Nancy rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and waited for them to calm down. She shared a pleading look with Steve. He walked over to her and stood by her side. He whistled loudly and clapped to get their attention. Everyone quieted down.

"Everyone should listen to what Nancy has to say before yelling," Steve said.

"Thank you, baby," Nancy said. "Look, I know we don't like it, but Vecna needs to be defeated before he gets to Max. This isn't just about her anymore. This is about the entire town, the world. There isn't a choice here if we all want to continue to live. He has to be stopped. I know right now we don't have the power, but we have to at least try, right? If we don't do everything that we can to stop him then there's a greater chance that he wins."

"Okay, but how would we even get one chance to stop him? He's going to see us coming," Robin said.

"Unless he doesn't see us coming," Dustin said.

"How would that happen?" Steve asked.

"Well, if he's like El then there's a chance that he has the same weakness, right? When El remote travels, she's in the same weakened state as Vecna," Dustin said. "We go after him then."

"How would we know when he does that?" Robert asked.

Max stood up, drawing everyone's attention. Susan looked at her daughter curiously.

"We draw him out," Max asked.

"And how would we do that?" Susan asked, guessing what Max was going to say next.

"We use me as bait," Max said.

"NO!" Susan yelled out and stood up.

"You don't get a say in my decision, mom. I'm sorry but you don't. No one does. This is my choice, and this is our only chance without El to save the world," Max said.

"It shouldn't be you," Susan said, tears welling in her eyes. "It should be me."

"None of this should be happening. This is going to work and when we do make it out of this, we're going to have plenty of time for you to make it up to me," Max said.

"I love you so much," Susan said and hugged her.

"I love you too," Max said.

"We're going to need a lot of weapons," Nancy said.

"Well, Eddie mentioned the War Zone," Ted sighed. "And we have plenty of vehicles."

"I let Wayne take my car, and he gave us the keys to his truck," Karen said.

"The War Zone it is," Nancy said, and her eyes widened as everyone stood up. "I guess everyone's going with."

The War Zone was exactly what Nancy expected it to look like, a perfect place for rednecks and survivalists. It was exactly what they need, and she hoped that since the jocks had already stopped there, that they wouldn't run into them again. They were piling things into the cart when Steve's eyes spotted something, and his eyes lit up. He grinned as he held up a bullet belt.

"I don't think I'm going to pull that off," Nancy said.

"No, for Eddie," Steve said. "They would look great on his hips."

"What's for me?" Eddie said as he walked away from Dustin and Lucas.

"This. I'd be so metal," Steve said.

"God, I love it when you talk metal to me," Eddie said. "Do it again."

"The first time you started playing Master of Puppets, I couldn't look away from your hands. The way you played. . .it was so hot. . .so metal," Steve said, biting his lip as they moved closer. "James Hetfield's got nothing on you."

"Woah, I was totally into it until you said that," Eddie said. "I've got nothing on James Hetfield."

"Well, it's a good thing that he said that. You guys do realize that this is the most conservative place in Indiana?" Nancy asked. "As hot as that was. Steve's right, that bullet belt is going to look totally hot on you."

"Like I'm your very own Eddie doll," he cooed at them. "I have to get this now."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Steve blushed.

"It's a must," Eddie grinned. "It's going to go great with my pink fuzzy pajama pants. Ooh, Steve!"

He grabbed a brown leather jacket and shared a look with Nancy.

"For you?" Steve asked.

"For you," Nancy and Eddie grinned.

"Alright," Steve said and pulled it on. "What do you think?"

"Oooh."

"Very hot," Nancy said.

Suddenly, Robin came up to them wearing a red beret. She plopped a matching one on Nancy's head.

"I got one to match with my sister," Robin said and bumped her hip with Nancy's.

"Are we playing dress up here? I thought we were getting weapons," Ted said as he passed them by.

"Dad!" Nancy exclaimed, but she was grinning.

"Busted," Eddie said, cackling.

"No, but he's right. We should focus," Nancy said.

She looked over to find Robin and Steve striking a pose with each other like they were models. They finished by standing back to back with their arms crossed. Eddie wolf whistled while Nancy giggled. Idiots. They continued with their original goal, Eddie leaning on the cart with Nancy's arm through his while Steve and Robin discussed their potential future in modeling.

"And here I thought he was going to reopen Otis's salon," Eddie said.

"He still is, and he could do both if he wanted to," Nancy said.

"That's true. You know, Jerry's talked about selling the music store one day. I mean not now, but one day, and I think if I started to really save up, then it could be mine one day," Eddie said.

"That's nice. Maybe I'll take over the Hawkins Post, make it more balanced," Nancy said.

"Me owning the music store, you owning the Hawkins Post, and Steve owning the salon. . .hell, I think we can work together to make this town a little less conservative. . .through the power of love!" Eddie grinned.

Suddenly, Steve popped his head in between them.

"Then, one day, we get an RV, pile up the kiddos, and take them anywhere. Maybe up the coast to California, and we can teach them how to surf," Steve said. "Kind of had that dream when I was little, I was hoping to share that with someone I loved someday."

"It sounds very nice," Nancy said.

"And very doable," Eddie said.

"God, I want that," Nancy said.

"Me too," Eddie said.

Once they bought the weapons, ammo, and gear, they packed it all up before heading back to her parents' house. They quickly got to work to plan and make the preparations that they would all need to head into the Upside Down. They gathered ammo, loaded guns, and made spears and shields. The spears and shield would be for Eddie, Dustin, and Agent Stinson. Steve would be wielding his bat as well as an axe. Robin and her parents would also carry a spear as well as handle the bag with the Molotov's. Ted had his own rifle and a machete. Tommy would be continuing to wield the bat and carrying some Molotov's. Walter also had a shield and a machete, but they also had several bottles of hairspray along with several lighters. Everyone was dressed in thick vests with hoods and hats to protect their faces as Nancy started going over the plan again.

"Okay. Phase one: we meet Lucas as the playground. He'll signal Max, Sue, and Susan when we're ready. Phase two: Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her which'll put him in his trance," Nancy said.

"Phase Three? Me, Eddie, Agent Stinson, Tommy, and Walter draw the bats away," Dustin said.

"Four," Robin said. "Ted, Karen, Steve, Lily, Nancy, my parents and I head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and . . . flambe."

"Nobody moves onto the next phase until we've all copied," Nancy said. "Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

"I don't know why you're looking at me, sweetheart," Eddie said. "You know me, I'm no hero."

"Your dream, remember?" Nancy said. "I think we're getting closer to it. I think it's here."

"I won't be a hero, I promise, I'll do everything that I can to get back to you as long as you do the same. The both of you," Eddie said taking her hand and Steve's. "If anyone's more likely to make the sacrificial play, it's you two. Isn't that right, General Nancy?"

"I can't believe my dad told you that nickname," Nancy groaned and glared at Ted.

"It's cute. You were his little general," Eddie grinned.

"Let's move out," Nancy said.

"Yes, sir!" Steve and Eddie saluted.

"Idiots," she said affectionately.

Nancy, Eddie, Robin, Steve, Dustin, and Robin's parents took Nancy's car. Steve let Susan, Sue, Lucas, and Max to take his car. Everyone else would be following Nancy to the Hendersons'. By the time that they had moved out, night had fallen which felt ominous to Nancy. Steve was in the seat next to her while Eddie sat in the back with Dustin while Robin was once again wedged between her parents. As much as Robin had complained about it, Nancy knew that Robin was really grateful for their presence. As they drove to Dustin's, Nancy couldn't help but think of Mike and Holly. She hoped they were safe. They were doing this for them. . .for all of them.

Here we stand

Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two

Sleepless nights

Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you

Chapter Twenty-Nine

[mydarlingbat]

I know in Batman Arkham Knight a lot of individuals perceives the Joker as making Batman weaker, and trying to destroy Batman. Me i saw it a whole different way. There's a lot of acts that can have you befuddled in the game. I've always viewed the Joker as someone actually trying to help Batman in this particular game. I don't see how any one could not actually see it. In the Batman Arkham Knight game. the Joker taunts Batman a whole lot throughout the game, and we know Bruce Wayne was having dreams about murdering his family, and it was just brutal. The gas scarecrow begun to use on the dark Knight bought the Joker back to life in Batman's head, and now Bruce Wayne is basically hallucinating, though let's bounce back to this subject. The Joker keeps Batman balance in theses games. He really does. I mean they're times Batman almost loses control, and he's there to provoke him, tell him to make the wrong decision, so he doesn't. In the comic the war of Jokes and riddles Batman easily is about to murdered riddler without a second thought. The Joker sticks his hand out and stops him from committing that act. the Batman confirms that the Joker is only reason he's the way he is, and why? Because the Joker makes Batman want to tussle though it harder, so he won't become like him. Batman fear is becoming like the Joker in a way that helps Batman not to kill. The Joker taunting Bruce, and telling him I'm going murder your family after I take over your body, and kill innocent civilians. That makes Batman push even harder to fight through this, because he doesn't want to become like the Joker, and The Joker vexing him, announcing all theses vile things he's going to do with his body. it causes Batman to fight and not stop. He's pushing Batman limits, and that's how's he makes Batman stronger in the game. Even if Bruce is not aware of it. In the Batman Arkham game Batman is ready to die at the beginning of the game, and who's pops up the Joker. Alfred continues to tell Batman "this is what scarecrow wants" but Batman still stays knowing he might die. Alfred says "you're out of time, " and Bruce says "goodbye Alfred." It's not like he really care about dying anymore. He's not fighting harder enough, but the Joker shows up and tells him "sure you reduced the blast, but we still gotta make it out of here practically. The Joker gave Batman the strength to do it, but this is not the only way the Joker helps, but we're just elaborating on this particular subject.

Also When Batman almost gives up when he thinks barbs has shot herself in the head. and Alfred tries to get him though it, and comfort him. It's not working. Also In the wiki we know Batman is thinking about giving up, but the Joker comes and taunts Batman. Telling him "let uncle j take over. no more pain. " The Joker continues to say things, and Batman gets an idea and realize he can't give up. The Joker being so evil reminds Bruce that he does not want to become like the Joker. The Joker is Batman fear, and that keeps him balance, knowing if he gives in, that the Joker might kill his whole family, even Gordon said without the Joker I don't know if Bruce is going to be alright, or he's going to go off his rails. When Batman thought he was punching Jason Todd even though he had no idea it was him. It was the Joker's face that causes Bruce to stop. The same thing happened in Batman Arkham City. Batman was punching and punching Mr freeze's face, but the only thing stops him is the Joker's face. Batman having that fear helps Bruce. The Joker even warns Batman throughout the game. He's actually trying to help him. He even say things that are actually nice to Bruce sometimes, but every time Bruce is getting weaker the Joker is there to taunt him a whole lot. To remind him of his failures. At the end of the Arkham Knight the JOKER gives Bruce a full picture of how the world would look if he took over, and Batman finally grasping the reality of things. He does comes through, and stops the Joker's once and for all, but mentally. When Batman finally let's go. You can see the sadness on his face, and then it goes back to an angry expression. which lets you know he was sad that he had to let that part of him go. He might not want to be like the Joker, but he still deeply cares about him. It's just a theory though. I'm not saying the Joker desire is to help Batman this way, but it does.

[ellaelsinore]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 6th: Crush | You Could Start A Cult - Niall Horan | Sincere

It was no secret to Eddie that Steve was beautiful, it wasn’t a secret to anyone who had eyes. The secret was that Eddie found him more than beautiful, would go to war for his stupid face, and his stupid hair and his stupid, stupid hands.

read on ao3

The sound of aluminum cans hitting aluminum siding reverberated through the trailer park.

“How many points is that worth?” Eddie crushed another can and lobbed it at the porch, aiming for the light next to the door. He missed.

“We were supposed to be keeping score?” Steve leaned back in the lawn chair, long legs crossed in front of him, left arm lazily resting behind his head. They’d been out there for hours now, drinking and sharing a joint (or two, who was counting really?), tossing empties over the top of the trailer and giggling like kids. They had started in the heat of the day, settling into a routine, alternating who grabbed the next six pack out of the trailer, talking about everything and nothing until the sun started to set behind them.

“You were!” Eddie tossed the next can right at Steve’s head, which of course he caught one-handed.

“I think we’re even Eds.” Steve knocked back the rest of his beer and stood up. “C’mon, we should probably clean up before your uncle gets back.” He held out a hand to Eddie, waiting patiently for him to take it. Eddie looked up from Steve’s waiting hand to his face, lit softly from the golden hour light.

It was no secret to Eddie that Steve was beautiful, it wasn’t a secret to anyone who had eyes. The secret was that Eddie found him more than beautiful, would go to war for his stupid face, and his stupid hair and his stupid, stupid hands. Eddie’s crush had simmered since Vecna, when he shoved Steve against the wall of a dirty boathouse with a broken bottle to his throat, close enough that his adrenaline-addled brain was marked with the scent of Steve, expensive hairspray and something warmer that Eddie couldn’t place, had memorized, unintentionally, the curve of his lips, the bump in his nose from too many fights lost.

Eddie tried to keep it under wraps, especially as he died in Dustin’s arms and then again in Steve’s, but now that he was vaguely healed, Steve was making that more and more difficult. He’d attached himself to Eddie’s side, even going as far as alternating hospital shifts with Wayne, charming the nurses into letting him stay the night past visiting hours. He said he had nothing better to do, but Eddie didn’t truly believe him. Now he rarely left Eddie alone, showing up at the trailer before Wayne left for work, sleeping on the floor as Eddie slept in the only comfortable position he could find on the couch, the only place that didn’t pull his stitches. He showed up, every day, first with movies and snacks, then games when Eddie was feeling up to playing and then beer and smokes when Eddie got cleared to return to his regularly scheduled programming. Eddie thought Steve would vanish once he was cleared by the doctors, but he was equal parts shocked and thrilled when he woke up the next morning to Steve making eggs in the trailer’s tiny kitchen, joking with Wayne over coffee and positively beaming at Eddie when he joined them.

Steve was a constant in his life now and Eddie was drowning in it.

“Alright,” Eddie grabbed Steve’s hand and let him lift him out of the lawn chair. “Geeze, when did you get so responsible?”

“Probably when you died and left me the oldest member of the party.” Steve hadn’t let go of his hand.

“You didn’t need to be the oldest to get those kids to follow you.” Eddie let himself be pulled into Steve’s chest, heart in his throat as he looked up into hazel eyes sparked with gold. “You could start a cult, and they would all be on board.”

Steve smirked, resting his forehead on Eddie’s, his free hand on the small of Eddie’s back, sending flames licking up Eddie’s spine to his cheeks. He closed his eyes and intertwined his fingers with Steve’s, their hands still trapped between their bodies. “What about you, Eds?”

“Stevie.” It came out more reverent than he expected, but sincere nonetheless. “I’d follow you ‘til there’s no tomorrow.” The kiss that followed was like nothing Eddie had ever experienced, bliss and relief mixing in a chorus of “about time’s” from his brain to make Eddie feel like this is where he finally belonged. “Anywhere you go, I’ll be,” he whispered against Steve’s lips.

“I won’t go anywhere, Eds. Not while you’re here.” Oh, Eddie would fight kingdoms and monsters for this man to never leave his side.

[rontra]

isn’t Helena Wayne CTDE edition from a different universe. Which of the dc canon Helena Waynes are from another universe. is it only #3? Is it all of them?

HREHBGFBH okay so i omitted the actual like Lore Details about her in the other post bc it was mostly about the Out-Of-Universe Timeline but YEAH THAT TENDS TO HAPPEN ... its like... god

THE ANSWER IS YES!!! AT LEAST 2 OF THE 3 ARE FROM A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE SOMEHOW including the one CTDE Helena is taking from. god you know the drill by now. the rest of the post is optional details (+ your other abhorrent ask)(❤)

ok just to do this Quick And Dirty (And Don't Fact Check Me On This) style. do NOT @ me im already fighting for my life as it is. and some of this is probably wrong . but

Helena Wayne I - back in the day dc was like "(eyebrow raising emoji) our ww2 veteran guys are getting kinda...Old...." so they more or less split the Ye Olde versions of the characters out into their own earth so A) they could continue having their lives and times in the retirement home dimension while DC could have Newer Fresher stuff to play with in the "main" universe--and B) it'd explain how the legacy guys could still exist and show up in current stuff alongside newer incarnations of the same ideas. the DC Classics realm (home of the golden age) and the DC New Shit realm (home of the silver age) if you will

over in the DC Classics Realm (not its actual name) (it's "Earth Two" actually) lots of the old heroes have like children or proteges of some description, since they're Older And All That. some of us are trying to retire! so in the Earth Two dimension after catwoman serves jail time for her crimes (LOL) she and batman get married and retire and raise helena wayne-

so helena wayne I is indeed from "Earth Two" and she's besties with power girl who also lives there. characters could pretty freely visit each other across the realms using like a teleporter device thingy so it wasn't really a big deal at this time. the Old Guard and Current Guys would team up all the time. it was chill

(Catwoman Dying is the incident that makes her pick up the Huntress Thing and later on Old Batdad Dies As Well, so helena wayne I is officially ORPHANED🗣 and when she's visiting the DC New Shit realm she calls the other (younger) batman "uncle bruce" and that's very cute to me.)

then a building falls on her and the entire multiverse collapses as we mentioned before

Helena Wayne II - keep in mind its been 25 years realtime and we're in a completely new arrangement of the entire dc multiverse at this point, but helena II and power girl are from an "Earth 2" where all the guys are older, uhm,

CRUCIALLY HOWEVER Earth 2 is under siege by planet fucking apokolips and you can't just freely hop between the realms from any ol teleporter. so when helena II and her government assigned kara get thrown out of their home earth they can't just go back. in this version they're stuck on the other earth together as the only two bitches from their earth. and navigating that + figuring out how the fuck to get back to "Earth 2" (which last they saw was on fire and exploding due to apocalypse war) occupies the bulk of their initial run. their storyline gets way less good once they figure it out and go home but that's how these things tend to go isnt it

anyway in this incarnation, she's Robin first! then catwoman dies (doomed to go first i guess) and a bit later batman explodes during the apocalypse war thing. once she gets stranded helena II picks up the Huntress Thing. so she is also OFFICIALLY ORPHANED 🗣

she calls the other (younger) batman "not-dad" which is a little less cute but she also off-hand mentions that superman was her godfather which raised a few questions for me personally. did clark kent present you at baptism or is he just like your Secular Godfather

as you can see this is overtly the version CTDE Helena is borrowing material from (trapped in a realm with helena wayne!!) but technically yes both I and II are from a "different" earth, just, one has free travel and is chill while the other one doesnt and is exploding, MDSHJBGFS

Helena Wayne III - time traveler. as far as i know she's probably from the same earth, just the future? i'm gonna be real i'm not as versed in her material (and there isn't a lot of it atm either). but the future she comes from doesn't exist anymore due to her actions, so she IS stranded / doesn't have a place to go back to. she IS a continuity anomaly who "shouldn't exist" but i THINK she only traveled through time and not dimensions. MAYBE. i DONT KNOW IF THATS TRUE

anyway her batman got murdered before she left. i think catwoman was still alive im not actually sure? but anyway this helena's future ceased to exist, so is that technically being orphaned? shes Existentially Orphaned. the Timeline That Created Her is dead. anyway she calls batman "dad" :)

to address your other question,

BE QUIET!!!!!

but yeah ❤ well her not-dad but i doubt that helps. hope this answers your questionHBJFDF

[powderblueblood]

🎵+ Eddie pls

send me 🎵+ character name and i’ll write a lil blurb inspired by a song from their playlist (you can also request songs and i will do my level best. god is a dj and i'm god)

▶ THIS YEAR - THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

six cylinders under the hood crashing and kicking, aha! listen to the engine whine or eddie takes the van out alone for the first time and feels free

an: some younger!eddie angst for your nerves!!! i love writing about the Munson Men so i hope u enjoy this anon word count: 1k

Keys land with a coolness in Eddie's outstretched palm, sweaty and warm, blood pumping under the skin like a crimson whirlpool.

"I'm not about to argue with you any more, son," Wayne mumbles, shoulders slouched in surrender, "You wanna cruise around in that deathtrap, that's on you."

Eddie's mouth opens to bark out yet another instance of but it's not gonna be a deathtrap when I'm done with it! and recount all his promises of becoming a bonafide grease monkey, taking all the necessary measures to make the van good as new.

The van. His van.

He drops the argument, since Wayne's suit is always a good one to follow, and closes his fist around the keys. He's won this round. A ball of fire begins to ignite in his chest and if he's not totally hallucinating, Wayne, grumpy old Wayne, is fighting back a smile.

"I'll stay the speed limit, I swear."

The fuck he will.

"The fuck you will."

Eddie's guffaw echoes in the empty doorway as he trips over himself, running outside the trailer to embrace his new four-wheeled glory. Well, not new-- far from new, of course. She's a girl with a lotta miles on her, showing up and out in the paintwork he's going to make sure he manicures. She's no Impala but she is a Chevy, a beautiful broad-assed 1971 Chevy.

She's got the same birthday as Killer by Alice Cooper and Eddie is head over heels in love with her.

Eddie is also an incredibly reckless driver, so something this hardy is necessary. Evel Knievel over here would turn a Beemer into a pretzel soon as look at it, as evidenced by the Beemer he almost rams into while he's gunning it into Hawkins.

"Fucking watch it, freak!"

Eddie flings his head out the window as Alice keens from the stereo (that big, bumping, beautiful stereo) and wags his tongue in the direction of an irate Steve 'The Hair' Harrington, who'd just got that new set of wheels for his birthday. Eddie knew that--everyone knew that--because he wouldn't stop peacocking it around the parking lot at school.

Well, compared to Eddie's ol' beauty, that fucking thing was puny.

"Eat my dust, pretty boy!"

He cruises down the main drag of Hawkins, marveling at his view from the driver's side. His elevated seat. His hands clutching the wheel. He even tosses a gentlemanly salute to a young mom and infant daughter that crane their necks to stare at him rolling on by.

Ladies.

See this, this is what it's all about. He's finally got the war machine he deserves. His ticket to the open road, his getaway car out of dodge, his method for hauling assloads of equipment around (once Ronnie gets that drum head fixed). Even his--dare he even think it--chick magnet.

Chicks love dudes with cars. Chicks like dudes with vans even better, because there's room in the back. Privacy. Shit like that is hard to come by when you spend most nights sharing a trailer with your aging uncle whose night shifts keep getting cut.

Not-- not that Eddie is exactly drowning in missed opportunities, but should the opportunity ever present itself, he'll be ready.

He's sourcing a shag carpet.

Eddie makes a couple more turns around town, even cruises by the school for good measure-- you never know which cheerleaders are hanging around after hours.

The most important thing is he feels completely unshackled in the confines of this van. Totally impenetrable. This is a space that he doesn't feel guilty taking, a space he doesn't feel odd or inferior in. Motherfucker, this is his all his.

He slows down his speeding on purpose when returning to Forest Hills, as if Wayne doesn't already know he's assaulting those gas pedals.

He slows down as he approaches the Munson trailer. He slows, and slows, and slows, and whines to a halt where Al Munson slaps both hands on the front of the van.

"Hey, kiddo."

Al Munson, his father, has been locked up in Blackburn Correctional in Lexington, Kentucky for the past eight months. Eddie's forgotten what for, or he didn't care to listen in the first place. Al Munson was not supposed to be out for a long, long time.

Al Munson always manages to find a loophole.

He reaches through that loophole, and he takes and takes and takes.

Eddie holds his breath.

"What, your old man doesn't get a big hello? Maybe a congrats on flyin' the coop, jailbird?" Al laughs and it's warm like the whiskey he sometimes lets Eddie drink with him. Al laughs and the fucking nightingales sing, the world shakes, everything becomes technicolor except the cloud hanging over Eddie's head.

Because, as Eddie so observantly notices, Al didn't come here with a car. He probably walked his ass all the way to Forest Hills, or hitched with some poor sucker he buttered up with stories and cigarettes and charm.

Wayne lingers in the doorway of the trailer. He can't meet Eddie's eyes.

He knew this was the one thing I had going for me. He knew this was the one thing I had left. The only thing that's mine.

Except the papers for the van don't say that. The papers say Al Munson.

He was supposed to be gone for so much longer that Eddie had hoped he'd forget about the van. About Hawkins. Maybe even about him, once and for all, and Eddie could inherit the only truly good thing his shitheel father ever had going.

Al, while remarkably charming, is not a man with a lot of patience. He slaps the side of the van-- not hard, but smart. "Out of the chariot, Ed," he commands. "Let's go, boy. I gotta jet someplace."

It occurs to Eddie that he has an opportunity on his hands right here. A massive fuck-you type opportunity. He could just peel out. Throw the finger to Al, and to Wayne for betraying him and not warning him about this in due time. Speed off. Take off for Indy and figure it out from there. He's got a full-ish tank of gas.

The one thing he's missing is his father's charm. He won't get far without it. It's the kind of thing you can't say no to.

No one says no to Al Munson.

Eddie, Eddie with his hair growing long around his ears and his seized shoulders and his cloud hanging heavy with rain over his head, is not about to start now.

"Just warming her up for ya, pops."

[ghosttownwherenoonegoes]

HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO @fandomohana , who is an absolute ANGEL. She's so wise and kind and gentle and she's been such a sweetheart to me and others. I'm so grateful you're here, Christina, and I hope you enjoy!!!💞💞💞

Summary: you struggle to understand how or why Eddie loves you and Eddie struggles to understand how you can't see he's head over heels for you. Fluff, comfort.

TW; negative self-talk, negative self-belief, low self-esteem, crying, not believing you're worthy of being loved, relationship doubts and insecurities. THIS IS ONLY AN X READER FIC IF YOU ARE CHRISTINA!!!!

Eddie, your sweet beloved Eddie, knew you.

He knew you, perhaps better than anyone. You had a level of understanding with Eddie that you hadn’t ever been able to find in another before him, and you were certain that you would never find it in another after him, either.

Eddie Munson was it for you, just as you were it for him.

It sounded simple, in theory, you and Eddie against the world (with Uncle Wayne standing before you, his arms folded, his piercing blues daring the world to fuck around with his kids and find out what would happen) and it felt simple in practice, too, or it should…

… but sometimes the thoughts screamed much too loud. They crashed through your mind like a symphony of destruction, causing devastation and despair in their wake as the hurricane blazed through you and ripped to shreds everything you knew about yourself. All of your hopes and dreams became grief and nightmares, everything you wanted became everything you thought you would never have, and you ended up beating yourself up, tearing yourself to shreds over things which you knew Eddie would tell you he loved you for.

The sweet metalhead absolutely adored you. From the first moment he had ever laid eyes on you, he knew that his life would never be the same again. You complemented his life, you made it better just by being in it, and it broke Eddie’s heart every single day when you had to endure feeling like the opposite was true.

Today was one of those days.

Just like always, Eddie knew how you were feeling with just a look. He knew how your mind was trying to poison you against yourself, and how you were fighting like hell to stop that from happening. Raging a war against yourself was one thing, but winning it was quite another. You survived each and every day, you faced yourself every morning and you won every night, and Eddie knew that you were the most metal ever.

His Christina, with the gorgeous long hair which he so adored to run his fingers through and to help you maintain, the beautiful eyes which held all the love in the world in some moments but then all the pain in the world in other times, the big heart which would be larger than Hawkins if someone dared to quantify it (an impossible task, he would wager), the kindness and compassion which extended out to others even when you were suffering in silence… you were an angel. A total fucking badass, too.

A fighter. A warrior. His sweetheart. His girl.

His.

“Oh,” Eddie cooed gently as he sat down beside you on the worn sofa, springs dug uncomfortably into his back but he didn’t leave because he wouldn’t leave your side for anything or anyone, “I know that look, sweetheart.” He wrapped an arm around you, his fingers splayed across the plush of your shoulder so that he could touch as much of you at once as he possibly could, “c’mere. You’re safe here, I promise.” Eddie pressed kisses to the apple of your cheek, his lips drying your sticky cheeks damp with tears, his full lips soft and pillowy against your own as he laid traces of his love and affection for you anywhere and everywhere he could reach. He never solely relied on words to reassure you when you had doubts and insecurities about how someone like Eddie could love someone like you, no. Eddie was a man of principle, a man of action, and so he kept you tucked tightly into his side. “I’m here, Christina, and I’m not going anywhere. I know you can’t see it right now, but…” Eddie paused, frowned as he considered his next words, “You’re the bats to my Ozzy, the cereal to my spoon, the guitar to my amp, the Sam to my Frodo, the food to my hobbit, the… manual to my figurines, the…” he gesticulated wildly with a hand, looking for the words to conjure out of thin air. He snapped his fingers when he found them, the same way a magician finishes with a flourish. “You’re the Christina to my Eddie.” He nodded, satisfied.

The tone of completion, like Eddie had just revealed some great truth which was now totally and finally out in the open, filled your ears, and it told you everything you needed to hear to let yourself believe this day that what he said was true; Eddie was of the absolutely unshakeable belief and knowledge that you and he were not only two complementary wholes, but he couldn’t think of anything much to define the both of you as a couple because you were so perfectly unique that you were your own descriptors. Only true love cannot be explained, only felt.

“I love you, Eddie.” You sniffled, trying to simply enjoy the moment as the thoughts screamed at you that this was it, enjoy it enjoy it it won’t last he won’t stay you’ll be alone again -

But Eddie sensed your thoughts once more because he knew, he always knew, and he seized your lips in a bruising kiss, his expression of love for you as demanding as it was generous as he took and gave in equal intensities. Your head swam, your toes curled, your thoughts quietened, and just as you totally fell into Eddie, he broke the kiss; he chose instead to pepper your face with kisses to dry the remaining tears and to soothe away any persistent thoughts as best as he could. If he could have reached inside your mind and literally smoothed them away, he would have done it without hesitation, but this was the best he could do.

“I love you too, Christina. Don’t believe otherwise because the words aren’t mine, ‘kay?”

At least for the rest of today, you believed him.

Tomorrow would be a gamble, but that was okay because Eddie wouldn’t let you face it alone. Eddie and Christina against the world, with Uncle Wayne guarding the front, was the way it would always be for the three of you. Once a Munson, always a Munson, and family sticks together.

[deliriumsdelight7]

Hellcheer and Rumbelle crossover AU?

Oh you fight DIRTY. I like you. OUAT season 1 AU. Let’s do this!

1.) In the Enchanted Forest, Chrissy is the youngest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Eddie the poor soldier who finds out where they were going every night.

2.) Eddie was conscripted into the Ogres War. He deserted, and was on the verge of being caught and executed when Rumpelstiltskin appeared and cursed him with invisibility for seemingly no reason. In reality, Eddie’s uncle made a deal with the Dark One to keep his nephew safe. Rumpel, understanding both Wayne’s fear of losing his boy and Eddie’s anger at being abandoned by his criminal father, waived his normal price.

3.) Chrissy was the most rebellious of the twelve sisters. When an invisible Eddie followed them to the neighboring castle, Chrissy was the only one who could sense him. After three days of getting to know one another, they share True Love’s Kiss, which breaks Eddie’s curse. The two get married and live happily until the Dark Curse strikes.

4.) In Storybrooke, Eddie is known as the town freak. Desperate to leave the town and make a name for himself, something always stops him from crossing the town line. And Chrissy, once the most rebellious of her sisters, is held under her parents’ thumb. When Emma comes to Storybrooke and the curse begins to weaken, Chrissy begins to rebel. Her mother speaks with her good friend, Mayor Mills, who suggests that Chrissy have an extended stay in the asylum hidden in the hospital basement.

5.) Through trial and error, Chrissy realizes that there’s a gap in the wall that allows her to speak to the occupant of the neighboring cell: a girl with a foreign accent, who doesn’t remember who she is or why she’s there. When Eddie works with Storybrooke’s new sheriff to find Chrissy, Chrissy tells Emma about the girl in the next cell. This leads to Belle being released from her cell early. Mr. Gold, learning that his lost love is still alive, offers her a safe place away from Regina.

The story would probably continue from here with cursed Storybrooke Hellcheer and Rumbelle, but that’s a start.

[strangerhottotties]

Grease and Grunge Part 1 - E.M. and B.H.

Chapter Summary: You have your first date with Eddie. Billy finds out and you get into your first fist fight (kind of). I promise next chapter will actually involve the summer camp.

Warnings: Smut, 18+, kissing, grinding, these kids running right for third base, vaginal fingering, blow jobs, fist fights, Billy being a possessive douche but also kind of sweet.

Author's Note: I now have a clean house... and my wedding invites have been sent out soooo... Let's be more productive. Thank you guys so much for being patient. It's been a wild week for me and I'm about to go sleep like the dead. This was a little rushed because it's been nearly a week and I've had a ton of things thrown at me. It's not as good as I would like but I can always go back and edit it later.

Prologue

Eddie's trailer wasn't scary to you when you pulled into the driveway. There was a homey feeling. Nostalgia rising in your chest at the multiple trailers you'd grown up in throughout your life. A bubbling familiarity sinking into your gut at the relief that it wasn't some rich kid's house.

The phantom taste of hose water hit your tongue at the sight of it. Late summer mornings of orange sunlight streaming through your dewy windows flutters in your memories, and you smile up at the metal siding.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Eddie asks, turning down the Black Sabbath he'd turned up six minutes ago only to yell over it. His expression gives you hesitant curiosity. He was preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

"When I was six, my neighbor, Mrs. Holdings - she would always bake pumpkin treats for the kids. This looks like her trailer. It reminded me of her overgrown garden bed filled with lily of the valley. The two springs we lived there; the whole park would smell like them for weeks." You hum, giggling. "Dumb right?"

When you look away from the imaginary garden, Eddie's eyes soften, and he sinks against the steering wheel quietly for a moment. When he breaks out into a laugh, his hands excitedly tap the steering wheel. "No, absolutely not dumb." He unbuckles and scoots closer to point at a trailer in your window. "Gerold, over there, he's an old World War II vet. His wife past a few years ago but she used to plant these big ugly yellow flowers to match the yellow on her trailer. I used to go sit down wind because in the summer she'd wash everything they owned by hand and the soap she used smelled like my grandma." The smiles you pass between you are filled with more breathless laughter.

"How often do you have cats out here?" You ask, eyes lighting up.

"All the time. I bet you're the girl that's always setting out cans of cat food for them, huh?" You shrug and give a guilty look.

"I love the purrs," you whine out and he scoffs. "My mom never let me keep any. Didn't want the mess, ya know."

Eddie nods at you, sighing. "Wayne caught me bringing home a possum once." Initially, your jaw drops before you burst into side splitting laughter. He jumps out of the van and heads around to open your side for you. "Come on, chuckles," he hums affectionately.

"How'd you catch it!?" You demand, hopping out and you look up at him as he closes the door.

"They're really slow," he offers. "I just kind of picked it up as it was hissing and then it pretended to die so I just brought it home. My uncle was convinced I was going to get rabies." You start laughing again, head tilted back. You heard the gravel crunch beneath his feet and fingertips brush up your arm. "You like that story?" He hums.

You glance up him, sobering at him standing so close. More of the cologne that floated around his van swims around you now. His brown eyes twinkle and crickets' chirp. "Yes, it's a very a sweet story." You admit.

"Yeah, girls love stories like that. Why?" He hums.

"Hmm.. that's a really good question." You bite your lip and squint up at him.

"Is it the personality? Goopy, lovesick things?" You offer him a shrug.

"I can see it, see you. Maybe it's me thinking of little Eddies," comes your response. It's when his eyebrows raise that you start to stumble. "I- oh, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, sweetheart," he chuckles deeply at me. "It's good to know I'm not the only one moving quick."

"What's that mean?" You squeak out, face flushing and you wonder if he can tell in the dark.

"Because this whole conversation I've been wondering if it's too early to kiss you." You let out a breathless noise when your back hits the cold exterior of his van. You didn't realize you'd leaned back against it.

"O-okay," you breathe. Eddie grins, leaning closer. His eyes hold yours with their intensity alone.

"You've got really pretty lips," he murmurs just before he presses his mouth to yours. His were warm, slightly damp, and soft. Eddie gives a softer groan when your mouth parts under the slow swipe of the tip of his tongue. It's not intrusive. You follow his lead, hesitantly tasting him back.

You shouldn't even be standing outside, even if it was dark kissing him. The idea is terrifying. But Eddie tasted like something you'd never had. He tasted like mint and cigarettes and... something subtle and nearly sweet. It was good. It was fantastic. It made you lean up against him and crane your neck back to press as close as you could.

It felt hazy and too warm all at once. Your heart raced in your chest at his slow kisses. A distant noise has you breaking away to look. A scrapping?

Red catches your eyes and your heart leaps into your throat. A girl, preteen and familiar on her skateboard is riding by, staring right at you. You recognize her as the one that rode to school in Billy's car. She rolled her eyes and sent Eddie the bird. "Get a room!"

"Move along, cabbage patch!" He shouts, waving her off.

"That's Billy Hargrove's sister," you hiss, hands clenching his shirt.

"Yeah? And?" Eddie demands.

"Can we go inside?" You whisper.

"Yeah," he replies, "come on in." You can tell by the weird look he gives you, that he definitely noticed the way you'd handled that little panic. You follow him up the porch quickly. His living room is the first thing your greeted with. "So, you got a problem with Hargrove?"

"Uhhh, kinda. Yeah," you respond. "He just... has kind of screwed with my head all year." That caught his attention.

"You know he lives like two trailers up, then, right?" Your eyes widen and you shake your head. "Was he your boyfriend?" He prompts further.

"No, he just... it's not a big deal. I just... I don't know - it's weird. I've never even been on a date. He just sits behind me in Spanish. Kind of a jerk."

"Okay," Eddie nods, "I get it. Do you... wanna work on the project?"

"Yea," you sigh in relief, whole body sagging. The project was neutral ground. The project you could handle.

"Cool, have a seat I'll set everything up," he insists, and you drop down onto the sofa as steps out. With so much happening in the last couple minutes you allow yourself to process, re orienting.

The whispers of Billy concerned you. Not the physical ones, just the ghost of his words haunting you. Brushing over your skin and leaving behind a slimy residue. All week long you'd had the same dream of him climbing through your window and you're unable to rouse yourself from sleep. You've been subjected to his nocturnal seduction every night for four days now.

This grip he had on you, somehow a part of Billy was even there for you first kiss. The idea doesn't bother you as much as you want it to. It doesn't inspire rage or even annoyance - instead, worry gnaws at your lip and the groinal response strangles you in its hold. The primal part of you that liked to ignore logic coos over the possession. You're unaware that Billy would even care this much.

Eddie trots back into the room. His dark eyes holding space for you. "I'll order a pizza," he chirps and washes away the gritty, dark streak Billy's hold has on your mind. The smell of his cologne floods you when he drops beside you on the couch and the spot in your head that's usually full of anxious Billy thoughts melts.

Instead of the rigid ice there is only you wanting to taste Eddie's tongue again.

"What toppings do you like?"

Here, you think, here you could find yourself for ages. Eddie's normal chatter had settled. Your entire project lay completed, filed away with stunning effectiveness. Objective complete, Eddie produced his horror story as promised. You half expected a show in his living room like he usually did in class.

Big arm flourishes as he gave personality and voice to each of his characters. A dramatic retelling of his epic tales - never dull, as he acted out some of these scenes. Witty humor and raunchy jokes sprinkle most of his stories.

Tonight, however, you think you like this way better. Eddie had tucked you into his side, arm twisted across your shoulders as his fingers stroked soothing circles on your arms. Tonight, Eddie didn't flop to the floor with his deaths. Tonight, his hair tickled the side of your face when you tucked your nose against his throat.

His cadence settled, he rumbled in an almost whisper. Voice low and rich, it was like the perfect pairing to a fine wine. His story crept on suspenseful tightropes.

His body was warm and with your belly so full of the pizza you'd both munched through your project with, you were completely relaxed. Especially when your ear pressed against his shoulder, and you could hear the racing beat of his heart.

And as much as you loved listening to his work your mind was floating dizzyingly above you, dangling out of reach of your fingers, replacing the empty space with Eddie's lips.

You can't help yourself when the little goblin that lives in your head stirs awake. Eddie's voice stutters when your fingertips stroke the fabric of his Iron Maiden shirt he's currently wearing. He tries to continue after a moment, obviously not minding the attention too much. You settle there for a moment, just memorizing the way it feels to touch him.

Don't peel that wallpaper, a dying part of you cries.

The voice between your legs is crying, though. It's seeped into your entire being. A bone deep arousal that's hard to ignore and makes your head spin.

You'd never noticed that his belt buckle was a set of handcuffs and wondered slightly at it. Your fingers stretch across a little lower, drifting over the planes of his stomach under your bold direction. "Eddie," a voice calls and it takes you both a second to realize it was you. He pauses, eyes raking over you. He had a dazed expression you didn't quite understand. "I really like your story, but you... you might have to start over." His eyebrows shoot up at your words, mouth parting in pleasant surprise.

"What, you getting a little distracted over there?" A grin seeps across his face, lazy and nearly sleepy. He drops the papers on the floor, letting the flip and flutter across the carpet.

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" You gasp and lean forward, reaching across him. Eddie's snatching you around the waist and you squeak when you're being pitched back. Your hair halos around your head on the cushion as Eddie leans over you.

"It seems the lady would like a different type of entertainment, I shall deliver." Eddie's knee slots between yours as he lowers himself above you. Fire barrels through your body, humming with excitement.

"Eddie," you call quietly, and he catches your serious gaze.

"Yes?" The way he's staring at you is molten. Setting every nerve you have on fire, one of his hands braces himself up above you.

"I should tell you," you breathe out steeling lungful of air. Nervous for how he might react for the next words. "I like you, but... next month I'm leaving. I took this summer jobs so... I don't want you to get your feelings hurt."

Eddie bursts into this amused giggle that startles you. Not furious like he thought. "Wait," he gasps, "you mean to tell me your just wanted to go out with me for a date or two?" He laughs harder when you nod hesitantly. You want to flee suddenly, unsure how to interpret his response. "So, what was your plan here?" He insists on continuing, eyes glittering with something dark and dangerous. "Were you trying to just get in my pants?" He obviously doesn't mind the notion.

After a moment, you nod again, and his eyebrows raise higher on his face. "I just want to... try a few things... is that alright?" Eddie is stunned into an elated silence it seems, a daze holding him before he groans, and you can feel it run the length of your chests pressed together.

"Is that alright? Baby," he pleads, leaning his mouth down to brush against yours. He adjusts, hands roaming down your side. The silence extends, just you both panting softly as his fingers slide over your thighs. When his fingers drift, he leans to reach and secure them behind your knees. He finishes what he was saying as he draws your legs up to frame his hips. "How can I serve the lady, tonight?"

Leaning up off the cushion, you chase his mouth wordlessly, fingers fumbling for a hold on the front of his shirt. His heat seaps through both of your clothes. His mouth burns yours when he sears you with his kiss.

"I wore the skirt," you plead quietly into his mouth. Eddie's reaction is nearly violent.

His hips snap against yours and he grinds his jeans against your panties, hard. His groan threatens to rattle you. It probably would if you weren't arching and crying out at the sudden blinding pleasure.

"You did wear the skirt. Just like I asked you to. What a good girl, making such pretty noises," Eddie praises in your ear, rocking his hips into yours. It felt so good to grind your hips back against him. "You just want me to make you feel good, right?"

You nod furiously against the couch, eyes squeezed shut as he narrowly rocks his hips.

"Mmm, you deserve it."

You needed more friction; you decide as you throw your hips into his and grind hard. Your clit rubs jeans, and it makes you whimper pathetically. Completely lost to the sensation.

"I can give you my fingers," he pleads. "Or my mouth. Want me to make you feel good with that, sweetheart?"

"Kiss me, Eddie," you whisper. "Please, kiss me." He wastes no further time, this time the kisses aren't as slow, there's more fire to it. Eddie is more eager to kiss you so it's not as graceful as next to his van. Slightly sloppy, lips muffle moans as you tangle up on his couch. Continuously rolling your hips together on the couch in search of the friction.

Every kiss was getting hungrier, every thrust met with more desperation than the last as the two of your rutted against each other. The blind way you both tangled was proving to be a frustrating affair. More fire building low in your belly when you took breaks to catch your breath Eddie gasped dirty things in your ear, moaning as you felt the bulge of his cock rub against you.

"Eddie," you gasped out, tugging on his arms, "Can I please have more, please?"

He gives a stuttery groan. "Of course, pretty girl. Ask me anything just like that and I'm toast. Can't say 'no'. Like some kind of fuckin' spell." Eddie pushes himself off you much to your dismay. But your body starts shrieking in a different way when he slides your skirt higher with a naughty grin.

Your knees snap together without you thinking. You flush when he freezes and arches his brows up. "Sorry," you pant.

"Don't apologize," he responds immediately. No hesitation. His thumb rubs a soothing circle on your thigh. "Have I gone too far? Do you want me to back up?" You bite your lip and shake your head.

"No, just... don't laugh. It's just... my mom always used to say, 'Good girls keep their knees together in a skirt so no one sees up it'." Eddie's eyebrows bunch together, and he seems to think hard.

"Aren't you trying to rebel here?" He prods. "Isn't that why you snuck out to fool around with Eddie 'The Freak' Munson?" A sheepish smile spreads on your face. Slowly, you part your legs.

"As lame as it sounds, I really, really hate getting in trouble. It makes me physically sick." Eddie breaks into a grin above you.

"Are you sick to your stomach now?" You shake your head. "Good," he hums, "because you've been very, very good for me tonight." Eddie holds your gaze with his own very serious one. Like he was testing to see if that was the key.

He hit the hammer on the head. You give him another nod, an affirmation of epic proportion. Eddie's fingers move slow, mostly so he doesn't spook you. It feels so nice though. You let your eyes drift shut as his fingers slither up your bare thigh. "You're really wet," he hums letting his thumb swipe over the front of your panties as he passes. "Do you touch yourself?"

"Yes," you whimper softly.

Eddie groan stutters again. "Can I touch?"

"Please."

A finger hooks in your panties to pull them to the side. The cool air caresses you. "That's a pretty pussy," he promises, and he starts a knuckle right at the top of your seam and begins dragging it down. All of your noises up until now mostly revolve around panting, breathless little noises as you tilt your head down to watch him touch you. He looks up at you as his middle finger circles lazily around the opening to your cunt. You meet his gaze with fluttering eyes and then he sinks to the knuckle with his ring finger too and a violent moan rips out of your throat.

"Shiiiit!" You cry out, head thrown back.

"Gooood fucking girl, let me know how good I make you feel, yeah?" He pumps his fingers slowly, filthy mouth spewing. "So fuckin' wet. Listen." Around your moaning you can hear exactly what he's referring to.

You're legs shake when he curls his fingers into a spot you've never reached. "Ah! There, Eddie, right there!" He giggles to himself but abides by your request.

"Can't wait to hear you cry that on my cock. So tight, you want more? Let me give you more." A third finger nudged its way inside from the rest and your knocked flat. It's very nearly too much. Already a familiar tightening building. "Oh my god, does that feel good? Oh fuck, listen to that, baby? Has your pussy ever felt this good?" You can't even respond with anything other than pornographic moaning. Your legs shake harder when his other hand drops on the front of your pelvis, pushing you down against his rutting hand, his thumb quickly homes in on your clit and he's merciless.

You're loud. So loud it might hurt his ears, but it only takes a few short seconds of this before you're cumming harder than you ever have in your life. He gently rocks you on his fingers on your way down and as you settle like snow against his sofa, you think about the wallpaper.

It doesn't just feel like peeling. No, you set the room on fire.

"You okay, sweetheart?" You burst into weak giggles, lax against the cushions.

"Should I be concerned with how good you are at that?" He snorts into the air and leans over to kiss your neck. You sigh, tilting your head to give him better access.

"No, you should be elated that you have great taste and I'm good at it instead of leaving you high and dry." You give a breathless giggle as he rocks his erection against your leg.

"Let me return the favor?" You ask. Eddie leans back.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." Eddie chuckles over at you, eyes dilated with his lust.

"I'll never turn that down without good reason."

You slide out from under him. You were drunk on the endorphins. Eddie sits up at your prompting and then his eyes widen when you sink onto your knees. "Oh shit, for real?" He demands and when you nod, he's shucking his pants and boxers down.

It takes you a moment because for the first time in your life you are face to face with an actual erection. You had plenty of advice from Nancy. You'd seen medical depictions but this... was more than you were expecting.

You weren't expecting quite so much... you weren't expecting to like the sight so much. Especially the reddened tip that something clear was beading up with at the tip. Veined and hard, you watched it bounce of its own volition and gasped in a delighted way.

"You like that trick?"

"You can move it?"

"Yeah," he snorts.

"That's cool," a genuine laugh has Eddie tilting his head back to laugh.

"If you think my dick's cool than I cannot compl- OH FUCK! You're really going for it!" He gave a strangled moan as your darted your tongue out to taste the clear fluid at his tip. It was a curious, dirty action. One with more innocence than he knew what to do with. You try to recall the tips Nancy had mentioned when you questioned her over spring break at Steve's pool.

Go slow, try to avoid teeth. Nancy said they weren't the most fun - something you did to get them off when you didn't want to go all the way. But this, looking up through your eyelashes at him, you can't comprehend how you're not supposed to enjoy this.

Because above you is a boy absolutely falling apart at the simplest touches of your mouth. His eyes desperate as you pull the tip into the heat of you. He's shivering with it. He tastes like salt and some kind of Eddie brine. Maybe if it was more potent it wouldn't be good. Maybe if you weren't so turned on by just the sight of his red cheeks and vulnerable expression it wouldn't taste divine.

It's sealing it to you. A searing heat burning the taste of Eddie into your mouth. He lets out this loud cry, head dropping back as he babbles when your head bobs and you lave your tongue across him. His hands are fisting in the cushions. The little moan you give as you sink your mouth further around him, slurping at the drool that threatens to escape your lips has him nearly thrashing beneath you.

It sickens you in a good way. Or a very, very bad way. Good girls don't shouldn't kiss on the first date and here you are, moaning like a whore at the knees of a third time repeating senior because you love how cock tastes evidently. You want a punishment. You need it.

A hand fists into your hair. It's not tight enough to hurt, only enough for you to glance back at him. "Holy fuck, do you like that?" You hesitate but nod around his cock, careful not to clip him with any teeth. Then his head tilts back again and he mutters something you nearly don't catch.

"God is a woman."

Should that line work? No. But it scalds your skin and suddenly your ravenous for his taste. You want to see how far you can fit him in your mouth. He's babbling and whimpering under the new excitement you feel. Good girls didn't matter when Eddie Munson seemed to think that your mouth was made for sucking cock. It sure as hell felt like it when he bumped the back of your throat.

Your hands reached out to touch his balls and he jerked up with it.

"Christ! I'm gonna fuckin' cum if you don't stop!" His hand tightened in your hair, gently guiding you back and forth on his cock.

Mom always said it was rude to talk with your mouth full, but Eddie Munson certainly didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to really appreciate the way 'Please?' was muffled by his cock. He let out cry similar to how you did, spittle flying as he arched his back off the couch. His cries sounded just lovely as something hot and thick spilled into your mouth.

It was a surprising flavor, not exactly one you hated regardless. Your automatic reaction was immediate, swallowing the salt back. Pride swelling inside you. Your cunt throbs weakly, crying for more as you try to imagine what it would feel like for him to be finishing beside your womb instead of your tonsils.

He flinches as you try to pick back up again.

"Woah, woah, shit, slow down! Ohhhh, that's sensitive, baby. That's so sensitive, right now. Just spit for now, baby." He gently pushes you back from his twitching cock.

"But I already swallowed it." Eddie's eyes fly wide in shock the moment your voice breaks the air.

"You swallowed it? Fuuuck," he whines, rubbing his hands down his face.

"Was I not supposed to?" You whimper in horror, worried about some miscalculation.

"No, no, no!" Eddie quickly mends. "That was just... crazy fucking hot. So fucking hot." Then he's sliding off the couch completely and dragging you to the floor beneath him. "You did so fucking good, a complete natural."

"Really? I was good?"

"Fuckin' perfect." Relief spreads through your chest as he sinks against you, mouthing at your cheek and jaw lazily. "I'll have to pay you back next time."

Tonight, when you fall asleep in a sleeping bag in Robin's room, somewhere around three in the morning, you don't dream of Billy. It's still the same dream, but this time it's Eddie. You meet him with an eager mouth instead of terror like you did Billy. It's a sweet dream.

Everything is perfect, you think as you close your eyes. The smell of Eddie's cologne and the vague scent of the bowl he smoked in the back of the van last night was a homey scent already. Two weeks, three dates, five classes you ditched, and you were already dreading the idea of parting with Eddie for the summer.

The tender touches, the stolen glances across the cafeteria, and notes left in your locker. When you dreamed at night, you dreamed of Eddie's lips and the wallpaper burning away. Flames licking up the walls around you as you lay unburdened and rolling in heat of them.

With no real project to work on, you mostly listened to Eddie strum his electric guitar, talked about music and made out. With his uncle working second shift often, the two of you often found that the other's mouth was a welcomed feeling. It was usually filthy, and Eddie's words were usually just as filthy as Billy's had been at school. Now, when Billy muttered quiet jabs at you, you were too busy of replacing the imagery with the metalhead to be as affected by it lately.

Billy had noticed, you think. You could see the growing confusion when you weren't hiding as much as you did before. In your own little form of revenge, you took Billy's words and use them on Eddie. Tainting those words in colors of dirty sheets and pot. Of goofy smiles and carefree tomfoolery.

It felt so endless, like this was how it always had been. Your friends liked it, despite they're teasing. Liked the gossip. Steve was eager to know about your reaction when you told Nancy how good Eddie was at 'making out'. He'd heard the tone and pretended not to listen.

Tonight, you crack the window on the van in order to listen to the crickets and the buzz of neon at the gas station. You're painted with bright blue and red as you peak an eye open and watch Eddie meander the isles inside. You'd turned down the Black Sabbath tape he'd jammed into the stereo when you both decided that you could spare a trip to the gas station to get snacks after he ate you out for two hours in the back of his van instead of studying for your AP Biology final your supposed to take tomorrow.

You cross your legs in his front seat, aware of the wet leaking below due to the fact he'd stolen your underpants like a degenerate. You could see just a hint of them peeking out of his back pocket when he'd slipped into the store.

A car squeals into the parking lot when he's checking out. You don't think too much of it. You don't look to see who's climbing out of the vehicle. If you had, you'd have dipped into Eddie's back seat to avoid being spotted. But the basketball team notices you before you notice them. You freeze when Eddie trots out with a plastic bag filled with snacks. He doesn't pay them much mind as he jumps into the van. But you don't miss the gawking.

"Shit," you breathe, "we should get out of here."

"Already, ready to go again?"

"Half the basketball team just spotted us." Eddie throws you a casual shrug.

"Could be any girl hanging out with me. Definitely not you." You crack a small smile at his reassurance, and he gets ready to pull away. But you look back and your gut turns. Something not sitting right with you. The group of students in varsity gear are lingering on the edge of the sidewalk. One student with brassy curls strides towards the payphone and your left with the gnawing feeling growing in your stomach.

The ride back to his trailer is short. Like always, you glance to make sure Billy's Camero wasn't in the drive. It never was.

Unfortunately, tonight it was. Fate was plucking its strings it seemed. "Don't worry about him, he'll leave for work here soon." You glance at your friend and nod before you both climb out. "Do you want me to take you home soon?" he asks as you lead the way up his front porch.

"No," you promise him, smiling and twisting to where he stands, shorter than you for once. "Not tonight."

"You wouldn't be suggesting what I think you are," he taunts, stepping closer.

"I'm not spending the night," you laugh, leaning onto his chest. Eddie had this way of making you feel drunk on his humor. Already sinking against his arms despite the nightmare that would ensue if Billy, just two structures away, could see clear as day if he just peeked out a curtain.

"Boo, you're no fun."

"I beg to differ," you whisper, and he grins, sweeping you down to kiss him, climbing up higher and backing you towards the door slowly. You bump your back into the door frame, lips locking tenderly.

The sound of an engine in the distance catches your attention. The loudness of it growing quicker than normal. Someone hits there breaks and it makes Eddie straighten in your hold. He pulls away as a green Chevy Blazer throws dirt behind it on the way up. Although you didn't recognize the vehicle, you certainly didn't feel right about this. Both you and Eddie are slowly drifting further across the porch to watch.

"Get inside," Eddie murmurs lowly. "Go, please."

You pass him a look of disbelief. "Eddie?"

"Please."

"No," you finally affirm. Eddie gives you a big sigh of frustration.

The car squeals to a stop, raining dust and debris down around it. In the front seat is Jason Carver. The guy that your mother had once mentioned looked like a respectable young man. When you finish college, that's the boy you should search out. He didn't look so respectable right now, stumbling out of his car.

His normally slicked back hair was falling in his face. There was a look in his eyes like he was coming unhinged. "HEY, FREAK! DOES CHRISSY KNOW YOUR FUCKING A WHORE TOO!?" Your mind doesn't understand the taunt.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, Jason. Get the hell out of here before you get your ass kicked." Eddie snaps.

Movement catches your eye and when you affirm that someone's trotting across, their yard, you feel sick. Billy is slinking to his vehicle, not even looking up as struts to the driver's door. Maybe you had time to still duck inside.

"Is this what you do? You sell drugs to girls, and they finally lower their standards enough to fuck you?"

"Look, I have a job. That job is to sell. Chrissy bought pot off me a couple times, you got a problem with that, talk to her." Jason stomped up the porch to mirror the position you and Eddie had been in not even sixty seconds ago on his front steps. Your heart races as Billy slides in and goes to start the engine on his Camero. But you see his smooth moments freeze as he makes eye contact with you.

It all changes in that moment, because after a whole two seconds, he's climbing right back out and marching across grass.

Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck.

You did not foresee this going well. "Jason, go home," you demand. Both of them snap their attention to you. They get the terror of your expression and then you glance back at the guy twice either of their sizes who's nearly halfway there already.

Jason scoffs when he sees Billy, eyes glittering like something wasn't quite right in his head.

"Uh oh. It looks like the consequences of your actions are coming. See, Freak? This is why you stick to your own kind. Trash." Jason sneers.

"Get the fuck out of my face, before you taste your own blood," Eddie rumbles back.

"You're not going on that date with Chrissy."

"Date?" The word is plucked right out of your heart before you can stop it as Billy finally makes it close. He's not watching the two who are tense. It's only you.

Eddie meets your gaze, a conflicted expression. "She asked me out today." Oh. You gut twists with jealousy, but this relationship was never intended to extend past this month. The best by date blinking at you with bold lettering, just days away.

"Wait," Billy starts, scoffing, a stunningly cold look petrifying you. "I heard Munson was running around with someone. Has it been you?" he demands.

"See, the girls here are-" Billy rolls on Jason, snatching the back of his jacket to jerk him off the steps and onto the ground next to him. You gasp.

"Shut the fuck up, Carver. I didn't fucking ask you."

"Billy! Don't get violent!" You crack out, pulling his attention back to you. "There is not going to be any fighting!" Billy releases Jason's jacket and climbs the steps up to you. Eddie starts to slide between you both, but you push a hand against his arm to shove him back.

"Answer my question. Are you dating Munson?" He asks slowly. You tilt your chin up to defy Billy, feeling far less bold than you were being.

"No." Billy starts to smirk, looking like that panther all over again. The wallpaper had burned away to the studs and that sly fucking look made you want to smack him. You wanted nothing more than to knock him down a peg or two. The urge drowns you.

"But I did blow him."

The silence is deafening as Billy's smirk slips right off his face. He passes Eddie a look that's hard to read. He's thinking violent thoughts, you can see that. So, you step closer as he tries to slow his breathing.

"Uhhhh, I think that was the wrong fucking thing to say," Eddie mutters. You catch the horrified look from him at the taunt.

"All that talk," you toss to him, making those big blue eyes snap back to you, "Every. Single. Dirty jab you threw at me?" You promise, "I tried on him. I'm not just some 'Golden Girl' fantasy." Billy leans in, even on the step below you, he's at eye level. His words are even, cold.

"I'm giving you one opportunity," he starts with a near whisper. "If you do not start making your way across the park and into my car in the next minute, I'm going to pop Munson's testicles like balloons. Then you're never going to come over here again. You want someone to fuck you, you come to me, got it?"

"You know, what?" You start, squaring your shoulders and moving past him, down the steps. "Fine. But I will go celibate before I ever fuck you, Billy." Jason glowers at you. "Go home, Jason."

"What are you gonna do about it, whore?" He snaps back. Billy moves faster than you expect, in Jason's face before you can even react.

"You call her that again, see what happens?"

"She just told you she's been blowing Munson and you're defending her?" Honestly, it surprised you too. There was something about Billy in this moment that didn't scare you. It excited you in a way you'd never been. Yes, arousal, but more than that. You felt safe.

"She's mine. Regardless of what she's done, she's mine. And you insult her, you insult me." Well, that didn't seem healthy. Despite that fact, it sent blinding arousal through you.

"She'll leave you, just like Chrissy left me for him."

"Maybe because you're an impulsive dickhead." You snap. Jason leans down towards you with fury painting his eyes and you tighten your fist.

"Maybe it's because Chrissy is as big of a whore as-" Chrissy Cunningham was literally the sweetest girl you'd ever come across and the fact that Jason was running his mouth about her was more than enough to send you into a full-blown rage. Until the pain in your hand pulled you back.

That was when you realized you'd just decked Jason Carver.

He was swinging at you already and you were bracing for impact when Billy's fist sent Jason completely sideways. He looks to you, almost as if for confirmation.

"I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend," Eddie hisses to you. Eyes huge.

"He's not." You say at the exact same time Billy snaps out the same time. You glare at each other mildly. "Oh, so you harrassing me in Spanish? That's what that is? That's some shitty dates." Billy rolls his eyes at you and you all glance down at Jason.

"Your hand. Does it hurt?" Eddie asks, moving to your side.

"My wrist," you murmur, holding up your hand for him when he reaches for you. "I didn't know punching someone hurt so bad." Billy doesn't even have to glare at Eddie to get him to give the space beside you up.

"That's because that was a shitty punch," he growls. "You let your wrist snap with it. Next time, squeeze your fist as tight as you can, it'll keep you from breaking it." Billy's fingers prod at your wrist.

"I'll grab some ice," Eddie grunts and jogs inside. You watch him go and then stare up at Billy, who's legitimately testing your wrist. You wince when he bends it too far and he stops.

"Sprained it, you'll be fine."

"Thanks," you murmur. Billy glances up at you, still furious.

"You get that ice, and we go. That's it. No more Eddie."

"He's my friend." Billy's hand sudden tunnels into your hair and he jerks your head back forcing you to look up at him.

"You don't blow your fucking friends." You had no rebuttal for that. So, silence fell over you both. When Eddie appears, you pass him a look and he passes you a hopeless one back. His apology clear on his face.

Billy snatches the ice away. "Get moving," he orders.

"Fine." There's no venom.

You just leave Jason Carver lying on the ground in front of his Blazer.

It's fifteen minutes into your lecture and the reality of the situation has sunken in. There's no way your mom won't hear about this sometime soon. You just pray it's not until next week, after you leave for camp.

You barely listen to Billy as he drives. Hell, you don't even think he knows where he's going at this point.

"I don't fucking get it," Billy sighs, dropping his hands to the steering wheel. "You've just got a thing for dirtbags, huh?:

"Excuse me?" You demand. Now that he's finally got a reaction from you, you can feel him sink his hooks in.

"Eddie a fucking dirt bag, so am I. You didn't even punch him until you heard him call Chrissy Cunningham a whore but not when he called you one."

"Chrissy didn't have anyone there to defend her."

"She also wasn't there to hear it."

"Well, Eddie is not a dirtbag and neither are you so stop it." Your words silence him finally and you lean your head back against the seat.

"What makes Eddie so fucking saintly?" He demands at last, seething again.

"He's pretty fucking good with his fingers for starters," you jab.

You lurch against the seat belt when he hits the breaks. "That's fuckin' it." He snarls and you gasp as he's fish tailing his Camero into an empty field nearby. "Get out."

You gulp, when he takes his own order and climbs out. You hesitantly follow, your shoes sinking into the softened earth slightly as you shut the door and follow him to the front of his car. "I leave in a week," you tell him. His head snaps toward you. "That's why I went out with Eddie. Because I'm eighteen and up until a few weeks ago I hadn't even kissed before! Because I'm the good girl! Always the good girl!"

Billy's right in front of you, teeth bared, eyes wild instead of dead. "My good girl," he snaps. His hands cup your face and drag you close.

"Billy," you plead, "I can't help it."

"Can't help what?" Confusion clouds those blue eyes when your vision blurs with tears.

"I want to be good so bad. I want to be a good girl but sometimes I just..." Your lip wobbles and you find yourself fisting his jean jacket. "Being a good girl. It's... it's miserable and when my mom finds out..." Your head falls back, and you take slow breaths to calm down.

"What's so miserable about being a good girl?" Billy prompts. "The good grades?"

"Because it's never enough for my mom." It's the stroking fingers that make you shutter. "It felt so good to do what I wasn't supposed to," you whimper. "I've been suffocating under everything, and I just need it!" You feel his hand drift down to pull you against him. Billy's cologne is all around you, making your head fuzzy like it always does with Eddie.

Suddenly, the tears are stopping, and the familiar pit of hunger is back. All of your worries and fears are evaporating like they always do with Eddie too. You can't think. You just feel. You feel hungry. You feel needy. You feel his pounding heart beneath your palms when you spread them across his chest, under his jacket.

"What are you doing, sweetheart? You're not getting yourself out of trouble with this." You snap back, aware that you were getting lost in those impulses all over again.

"Sorry," you say, trying to retreat. Billy frowns at your small voice. "I didn't mean... can you... can you just drop me off down the street from my house?"

Billy doesn't respond, too busy figuring out what was going on. The lightbulb comes on and he's moving you all at once to the hood of his car. "Fucking hell," is all he says before pressing his mouth to yours.

You whole body shrieks at the touch, falling right back into the impulses you were just trying to fend off. Instead of pushing at him like you were supposed to, you were dragging him into you. It was far more aggressive than it ever had been with Eddie. Billy tasted like mint toothpaste and cigarettes.

His fingers dig into your sides, as you work to pull at his jacket. He's quick to peel it off. When his hands land back on you, they're sliding up your thighs, pushing your skirt up. Your bare cunt exposed quickly as he breaks away to peek down. It makes you wonder if your panties are still in Eddie's pocket. "You..." Billy takes a deep breath to try and stablize his breathing. "Your wrong you know," he hums.

You frown at him, brain too muddled to figure it out on your own.

"Sex," he hums, "it's natural. It's not bad. It's good. Even when your bad like this," he gestures with his thumb sliding easily through your folds. "You're still a good girl," he amends. "It's why I like you so much." The air is stolen from your lungs. "Way too good for me. I'll wait for you to come back."

His tenderness sends you into full blown tears, you don't have the mind to stop as he slides down over you, slinking away. It takes you a moment before he cocks your legs further apart.

Right about one thing, you think to yourself as his lips latch to your clit, Billy Hargrove likes to use his mouth.

G+G Taglist: @music-is-all-i-need @devilcherryhot @hauntingtherosebush @simp4mullets @theelephantroom4 @dumbmarvelchick @your-local-rockstar-simp @holyfanficbooksgeek @shittypunkbarbeque @psychoticbirb @im-bout-to-pass-otutt @sameyessblue @boopmedaddy @animeboystuff @santaatemypuppy @bdudette, @slutforbillyy

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I think something's going on with my tag list??? Did they change something?

[alrightieaphroditie]

'86, baby | e.m. *:·ﾟ✧ back to masterlist

pairing *:·ﾟeddie munson x female!reader wc *:·ﾟ1.3k warning *:·ﾟnothin besides eddie munson getting what he deserved :) an *:·ﾟi know i literally posted yesterday but last night i was really in my feels about eddie and how he never got to graduate... so this is my attempt at a lil fix-it fic where our favorite dungeon master finally walks across that stage <3 mostly unedited, so if any errors jump out, please let me know! any and all feedback is loved and appreciated, and if you have an requests for fics or blurbs or anything please let me know!

synopsis *:·ﾟgraduation night at hawkins high, and eddie munson is finally walking across that stage.

the sun hung low in the sky, casting a pink and orange glow over the hawkins high football field. the air was humid with the promise of rain that night, and the flies were being extra aggravating as they took advantage on the whole town being outside. you swatted at one flying in front of your face with the graduation program they handed out at the gates before using it to fan yourself again. even in a simple sundress, you felt your legs sticking to the metal foldout chair that you were sitting in, could feel the beads sliding down your temple. if they didn't get this show on the road soon, you'd be a puddle in your seat by the time eddie crossed the stage.

you wouldn't change any of this for the world, though. couldn't imagine being anywhere else tonight. eddie's uncle, wayne, was sitting next to you, his long legs stretched out in front of him with his feet crossed at the ankles. his cap was pulled low over his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest, and you weren't sure, but you thought he might have fallen asleep. not that you could've blamed him, though. he had worked a long shift at the plant that lasted well into this morning, but, like you, there was nothing that would've stopped him from being in these seats tonight.

the event had started about an hour ago, and principal higgins was still droning on and on about how proud he was of the class of '86. how dedicated they were, how strong. you sat up in your seat a little, straining your neck to catch of glimpse of eddie. all the graduates were sitting on the left side of the field, their family members and close friends on the right. you could just barely spot him sitting in the middle, his wavy fair turning frizzy from the heat. he had his head down, and you could imagine him twisting his rings around his fingers. he told you earlier that he wasn't nervous, but you could tell that wasn't quite the case when he was silent on the drive over. when eddie munson went quiet, he was waging a war in his head. more often than not, he was fighting back the belief that he didn't deserve this.

another twenty minutes passed (by this point, you couldn't even lift your thighs from the seat. you were convinced they had somehow melded to the metal) and the teachers on stage finally stood up, adjusting themselves into a line next to higgins. they began announcing the names one by one, each student walking up the side of the stage, grabbing their diploma, shaking the hands of all the teachers. butterflies filled your stomach as the names went by alphabetically, getting closer and closer to the 'm's.' you were so immensely proud of eddie. there had been too many nights where he contemplated giving up, just dropping out. nights where he didn't think it mattered that much, it was just a damn piece of paper from a small school in the middle of nowhere, anyways, he'd say.

you spent those nights with him wrapped up in your arms, telling him that he'd regret it if he didn't at least try. eventually, he always agreed with you, and then you would start helping eddie study for the rest of his classes. you knew he had it in him, believed that fact more than anything else, but he had a hard time believing it himself. that was something that you and wayne had tried working on together, bringing up his confidence. eddie didn't talk much about what his parents were like, but there was no doubt in your mind that they were the reason he thought so negatively about himself. and it made you want to hunt down the people who ever made eddie munson believe he was anything less than extraordinary.

with every name being announced, groups of people would stand and cheer, clapping politely for an appropriate amount of time before sitting down for the next group to do the same. though it was just wayne and yourself on the field, you knew that in the stands behind you, there was a group of people just waiting to cheer eddie on. dustin henderson, mike wheeler, lucas and erica sinclair, max mayfield, steve harrington. the kids had made banners and signs and were eagerly awaiting the moment they could hold them up, the moment they could cheer their heart out as their friend walked across the stage.

finally, higgins reached the 'm' section, and you slid to the edge of your seat, clutching the program in your hands as you anxiously waited for eddie's name to be called. you watched as his row stood up, making their way to wait for their name to be called by the side of the stage. once he was in line, eddie turned his head, his eyes looking through the people sitting in the crowd, looking for you. when his big brown eyes met yours, a bright smile lit up his face, and you grinned so hard you thought you might strain something. you gave him a thumbs up, a gesture he reciprocated, and finally, just finally, it was his turn to walk on stage.

"edward munson," principal higgins announced, barely finished speaking before the sound of cheering silenced him out. wayne had stood up, clapping his hands and whistling loudly as he proudly watched his nephew stride over to the podium. you were pretty sure there were tears in his eyes. you knew there were tears in yours, though, as you clapped and screamed and jumped up and down. behind you, you could hear the yelling of eddie's friends, all banging their feet against the rafters of the bleachers and shouting as loudly as they could.

in typical eddie fashion, he took his time walking across the stage, strolling to a stop just before principal higgins. with a shit-eating grin, he snatched the diploma out of the principal’s hands, raised both hands to flip off not only higgins but every other teacher standing up there, and turned to jump off the front of the stage. he held onto his graduation cap with one hand while he ran over to you, narrowly avoiding stepping on people's feet as he rushed to your side.

you squealed as he lifted you up, wrapping his arms around your waist and spinning you around. the tears were fully flowing from your eyes now as you grinned, cupping his face between your hands, and kissing him hard. you felt wayne move behind you, reaching his hand out to affectionately jostle the top of eddie's head. "eddie munson, i am so unbelievably proud of you." you said against his lips, causing his laugh lines to deepen. he pulled away, still holding onto you, and threw a fist into the air, fingers clutching the diploma so tightly that it will never be pristine again.

"told you guys this was my year! '86, baby!" he shouted at his friends in the bleachers, who all whooped in acknowledgment, raising their own fists and cheering. his grip turned into a hug, and you clung to him as his face fell into the crook of your neck. it was quite the spectacle being put on, and without a doubt, every individual at the ceremony was watching, most likely judging. judging you, judging your friends, judging eddie. but you didn't care. they could watch all they wanted, but they'd never realize just how much this night meant. how much hard work went into this, how many nights he spent staying up late trying to cram for a test. how hard he fought to beat people's assumptions. to prove he was more than being his parents’ son.

this was eddie munson's moment. he had walked across that stage once and for all, and to hell with anyone who ever thought that this boy wouldn't make it.

[batmanlovesnirvana]

Some random Battinson!Bruce Wayne headcanons :

- awkward as heck but at the same time not- it depends on the situation and the person

- sassy

- extremely stubborn... he inherited it from his darling mama

- had a Star Wars phase when he was 9

- he was really spoiled but his parents always lectured him to be thankful and to value everything

- he was very popular in middle school and was liked by everyone, and had a lot of friends

- but he was still an introvert and liked his alone time too

- teacher favorite

- after his parents death, he became a loner

- he didn’t want to talk to any of his friends anymore

- had a lot of fights at school

- Alfred was fed up everytime the school would call

- doesn’t like small talk, he goes straight to the point

- absolutely love car races ( it’s actually canon in the prequel book)

- has a passion for mecanics ( also canon )

- his fave car is his grandfather corvette obviously ( the one we see in the movie at the funeral scene )

- did actually date as a teenager but it was never that serious, he was more focused on his project for gotham

- was a straight A’s student without trying

- his fave subject was chemistry

- look a lot like his mother but also his father at the same time

- he inherited his mother jawline and hair

- and his father eyes and nose

- was really close to his grandparents from his dad side

- they died when he was seven so he doesn’t remembers but judging by the pictures on the fireplace he seems to really have loved them

- they were the one who named him according to Alfred

- never knew anything from his maternal grandparents other than the fact that they were dead way before he was born

- for severe unknown reasons he didn’t really see much of his mother family, apart from his uncles and aunts.

- Kate is his fave cousin but that’s not new

- have a lot of distant cousins but most of them live in Europe

- but he was really close to his family in general, they used to have a lot of gatherings

- all stopped when his parents died...

- didn’t mind being an only son bc he had his cousins

- but secretly used to beg his mom for a sibling ;)

- his comfort smell is his mother perfume ( lavender )

- and Alfred cookies ofc

- his comfort clothing is his father Harvard sweater

- he used to call his mother ‘mummy’ or ‘mama’ and his father ‘papa’

- sometimes he goes to their room, untie the chains, and smell the perfumes of his mom, or her favorite cardigan that still to this day have her scent

- have a few of his own suits, most of them are his fathers

- fave sport is soccer don’t ask I just have a feeling lol

- he was always fascinated by his family history

- his father used to tell him a lot of the family Wayne history and each time, he listened cerefully and begged for more

- i mean if he wanted more he could’ve gone to their library, but the way his father used to tell the tales of his great grandparents and ancestors always had much more of a personal touch. and his voice was very soothing

- he's actually a descendant from the English royal family ( again canon )

- his mom was a great gardener and always took care of her plants

- her favorites were lilies of the valley and bethlehem star

- she says it’s because they made her think of his father and the other him

- Lily of the valley : sweetness and purity of heart

Bethlehem star : symbol of hope and happiness

- Martha also loved art and fashion

- she used to paint

- she was really a fashion icon in Gotham

- so he was always elegantly dressed as a child

- His father was the opposite

- his tie was always crooked and didn’t know how to dress correctly even when his was younger, the maids used to scold him because of that

- he remembers how each morning Martha used to do his tie for him when needed and scold him but he would always cut her with a kiss

- i mean he worked in a scrub bc he was a surgeon

- and when he’s at home, he always wore his pyjamas and robe

- Bruce wear it sometimes

- He is absolutely like his father in term of fashion and if it wasn’t for Alfred he really wouldn’t care

- his father was passionate by photography and books

- Bruce remembered how his dad used to take photos of his mom and him

- the tower is, more specifically the library, filled with pictures of his family but mostly his mom and him lol

- he was always amazed about his parents love for each other

- he dreams of having a love like they had

- he actually is very romantic

- he inherited it from his dad

- he promised himself that if he will ever marry someday, he would propose with his mother ring

- Alfred used to give him sweets before dinner discreetly

- Play chess a lot with him

- he never wins

- Dory was his mother personal maid

- she was one of the midwives when he was born ;)

- she was the one who taught him how to cook

- because yes he knows how to cook, it’s a common skill to have

- i know everyone says that he’s a cat person but he gives me more of a dog person idk why

Might do a part two...

[portaltothevoid]

For Whom the Bell Tolls - Chapter Five - Veteran of the Psychic Wars

Pairing: Eddie Munson x OFC (Kat Ramsay), sequel to Foolin’

Summary: Eddie and Kat have a heart to heart about when she had to deal with these symptoms before. Afterwards, she tries to show Eddie exactly how she feels and what happened. She gives her uncle a call to explain how the severity of the issues in Hawkins has increased.

Warnings: established relationship, unhealthy coping mechanisms, insecurities, hard drug use mentioned, dialogue heavy

Word count: 4.1k

Chapter song: Veteran of the Psychic Wars by Blue Oyster Cult

Tag list: @munchabunch @madaboutmunson2​ @michele131​ @riffcrusader​ @prettyboyeddiemunson​ @idiot-parade

Eddie slammed his van into park, turned it off, and let out a sigh as he sat there for a moment. The deals took longer than expected. That happens sometimes. People from the party clique get chatty with him when they’re high enough. Usually he politely finds a way to excuse himself, but today he found himself dragging his feet to get back home. Case in point, he was still sitting in his van, just staring at his trailer.

He didn’t know what to expect. It’s not that he didn’t trust Kat, it’s that he couldn’t bear to see her go down the road that so many other people in and around his life did. Not only that, he’s heard the stories and rumors of what goes on at Hollywood parties. The unknown of what he would walk into spiked his anxiety.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on it. He started nodding his head while chewing on his bottom lip. Releasing the steering wheel, he hit it once, not out of anger, but as a way to psych himself up. Having gathered enough strength, he exited his vehicle. As he walked up to the front door, he could hear the thumping beat of whatever Kat was jamming out to grow louder. 

Kat was somehow doing a mixture of headbanging and dancing as she was vacuuming the living room area when Eddie walked in. Her soundtrack for her cleaning extravaganza was inspired by her flashback of her party days. It wasn’t until she turned around to perform the air guitar to the solo in “Looks that Kill” by Motley Crue that she noticed Eddie. In her state, she had practically forgotten about their fight as her eyes lit up when she saw him. 

He looked around, almost in disbelief, at his home. He hadn’t even been gone an hour.  Wayne’s mugs had been dusted. The sink was glistening and empty with no dishes in sight. A light lemon scent nestled itself above the smell of stale smoke that stuck to the walls. The floor in the kitchen looked brighter and somehow glistened. 

“Eddie!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. After shutting off the vacuum, she trotted over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Okay so I promise I didn’t move any piles of anything. Well, I mean, I did, so I guess that’s a lie. But I swear, I put it in the same exact spot it was in after I cleaned. Um, except for the dishes though. Those I put away. I feel like it smells a little better, don’t you? You aren’t mad at me for cleaning, are you? I just, I couldn’t sit still and I just thought it would be nice to, ya know, spruce the place up. Just a little. It smells better in here. Not that it smelled bad before! It didn’t!” She was talking a mile a minute. It took Eddie a couple extra seconds to even process what she was saying. Despite it all, she seemed… happy. Not too happy, just normal albeit hyper.

“Can you, uh, turn that down?” he asked.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry,” she said as she went to turn off the music. 

“I… I’m not mad that you cleaned…” he spoke with hesitation in his voice.

“Oh good. I was a little worried, but I couldn’t stop. The bathroom’s clean too,” she nodded. “And,” she pointed at Eddie, “I’ll have you know, I didn’t even have a bump. I’m not gonna need one. This was enough,” she nodded again, this time triumphantly. “Jesus, you have no idea. It’s like there’s this quiet in my mind. Like… like it’s just me in here.” She tapped the side of her temple, before she started singing, “Nobody else can bind me, Take a good look around me, Now I’m breaking the chains!” Emphasizing the last three words, she punched the air with each syllable. “I fucking sound like I should be in Pennhurst. Christ,” she let out a breathy laugh.

When she burst into song, Eddie couldn’t help but shake his head and let out a small chuckle of his own. “I’m, uh, gonna go sort this out, ‘kay?” he said as he held up the black lunchbox. “You just, uh, finish doing your thing…”

“Okay!” she said with such elated enthusiasm. “Mind if I put the music back on?”

“Knock yourself out,” he responded as he shook his head. Before he was in his room, the music was back on and she continued vacuuming. He took his time sorting his money and going through what he had left over from tonight’s party, which was just a couple baggies of special K. He tucked those away in a lockbox in his desk drawer. One of his personal rules was that he never kept the harder drugs he sold in the lunchbox unless there was a planned sale after school or he was dealing at a party like tonight. Usually he hurried through this process, but tonight he really wasn’t in any rush. Kat seemed perfectly content with the cleaning job she bestowed on herself so, really, what was the harm in procrastinating a bit?

She seemed to be doing okay. She was functional and, based on the quick glances he stole at the coffee table when he first got back, she really didn’t take much from the bag. Did he make assumptions about her past and jump to conclusions? Sure he did, but it was because of his own history. Since she had the first nightmare, Kat hadn’t been the same girl he met a little over half a year ago. Her increasing anxiety was palpable and as much as he tried to bury himself in this last campaign, even he was starting to sense that something was afoot in Hawkins.

Over and over and over again the same thoughts kept cycling through Eddie’s mind. Yes, she could handle herself. He was sure she knew her limits. He knew she never fully wanted to lose control. Christ, the girl had superpowers. She didn’t need him; she just wanted him around. He’d never cared about anyone like he cared for her, so just having to sit back and watch from the sidelines… It gnawed at him. The only thing he could do was try to understand. If he couldn’t physically stop her pain and hunt down her demons, at least he could be her rock. The one solid thing in her life that she could always depend on. 

He was torn away from his thoughts when Kat poked her head through his doorway. At the pace she was talking, her words all but blended together when she said, “Hey, so, um, I’m kinda done with everything out there. I cleaned the outside of the fridge. I really hope you aren’t insulted, I didn’t–”

“Why would I be insulted?” He cut her off.

“Um, I don’t know? Because you’d think I thought this place was dirty or something. Like in a repulsive way, not in, like, the place just needed a deep cleaning kind of way. You know, spring does start next week. So, it’s like I did your spring cleaning for you already!”

“Sweetheart, it’s fine, really. A little, uh, surprising to come back to that, but I mean, it needed it. Wayne’ll probably be happy about it when he gets home,” he said with a reassuring look in his eyes.

“Okay, good. I don’t like upsetting you. So I wanted to make sure. Can I, uh… Do you mind if I hang out in here? With you?” She mustered her best puppy dog eyes for him. 

“I’m done with all this. We can go into the living room, watch a movie or somethin’.” He started to get up and leave his room. Kat broke out into a giant smile and giddily clapped her hands before she went to turn off the stereo and set up shop on the couch. “What was with the music choice? You haven’t listened to that in a while,” Eddie inquired, trying to make conversation to keep her buzzing mind occupied. 

“Well, I was thinking about the first time I did that,” she pointed to the bag on the coffee table, “and Nikki showed me. And I missed home. Or maybe not home. Just when I went through this without the nightmares. So I thought I’d listen to that.”

“Nikki? As in…?”

“Nikki Sixx, yep. Like the time after a WASP show, him and Blackie would look out for me like I was the little sister of the group,” she recalled with a fond smile. “I mean, mainly it was Blackie. Nikki would get way too fucked up. When they brought out the heroin, that was my cue to leave. Definitely not touching that shit. Ever.”

A brief lull of silence fell between them. Eddie furrowed his brows at her words. “Kat… you know I just worry about you, right? Earlier I was just–” he started until she cut him off.

“I know. I know it’s serious shit. And I know I didn’t tell you everything. Not because I didn’t want to, just… I just couldn’t. I mean, it’s heavy shit. And I’m not used to having someone to talk about everything with. It’s just way easier to keep it to myself and get through it. Which is totally wrong to do to you. Like, I see that now.” While she didn’t outright say it, her expression was apologetic.

“I’ll be honest, some of the sorceress shit you got going on, I can’t really wrap my head around? But that doesn’t mean I can’t try. Or that I won’t. I’ll listen.” He took her hand in his. “You aren’t alone anymore. You have me. Always.”

She took her hand back only so she could wrap him into a hug. “I love you,” she mumbled into his neck.

“I love you, too. In case that wasn’t apparent,” he lightly chuckled.

Kat swung her legs around, resting them on top of Eddie’s, making herself comfortable as she nestled into his side. “You know how I said I went through this before?” she asked.

“Mhm,” he hummed.

“It… it’s weird. Like… I think this would be the third time something like this happened. I just thought it was something to add to the list of things I thought were wrong with me. But…” She grabbed his hand as she trailed off and started to fidget with his rings. “This time, it feels…serious. Ugh, I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Just start at the beginning. When was the first time it happened?” he encouraged.

“Um… right before I turned sixteen so November of ‘83. When it started it was really bad, but then it kinda tapered off. Just the headaches lingered. You know what’s the weirdest part about it? Music was the only thing that helped. Like, when I would go to shows or work them? I felt fine. That’s how I know it’s gotta be connected to whatever was going on at the lab.” 

“Is it reverse brainwashing?”

Kat let out a short laugh. “I don’t think so. It was less brainwashing and more like making us super spies, which I still can’t figure out how it all could even be related.”

Eddie looked around with a pensive expression mirroring how he was trying to connect the dots in his mind. “Were there other times when it was really bad?”

“It was the end of June in ‘84 that I did coke for the first time. It didn’t get really bad until that fall, like around Halloween. Again, weird, because it was pretty much exactly a year from when this all started. And that was my second go of junior year too. I was hanging on by threads. The drugs mellowed me out during class though and then I was always listening to music in between, so somehow I managed to scrape by. It slowed down again, but this summer? It was so bad. Luckily I used Fourth of July parties as an excuse to, uh, cope. Til I fucked that up and my father found out,” she paused to roll her eyes. “Nothing he could really do though, because it was already set that I was coming here. Right before that though, the headaches and stuff were gone. Then when I was here, I actually forgot about them until now. So… I dunno, I just feel that it’s gonna be really, really bad,” Kat sighed as she started chewing on the inner corner of her lip.

“Okay, I think you might be right about the lab connection, I just have no idea how. Hear me out though. You’ve heard how really weird shit happens here, right?” Kat nodded in response, leaving the floor for him to continue. “I wanna say it was like the first week of November in ‘83 when the Byers kid went missing. I can’t remember what I told you about that, but the government literally covered it up. They said he was dead, but he wasn’t, because they found him, like, a week later? Then this girl a grade below me went missing. A year later was when we found out she was actually killed at the fault of the lab. That’s how it got shut down.”

“That’s how it got shut down?” Kat asked, shocked by the news.

“Yep. Some investigative reporter got a confession out of someone from there and the whole place was axed. It’s abandoned now. But it gets weirder. Fourth of July this year there was a fire at this brand new mall that just opened. A lot of people died. The fire was after hours though. And sure the mall is a big place, but the people that died were random. Like one guy from my grade – you know the redhead that lives in the trailer kind of across from me?” Kat nodded again. “It was her brother. He was an absolute prick. Bought a lot off me, but he was a prick. Anyway, there was no way he would have been at the mall at that time. He woulda been at some party getting absolutely fucked up. I don’t know if it’s connected to the lab, but why else would they have to cover up something again?”

“And those were all the times my headaches were the worst… Wait, Eddie, remember what happened at the pumpkin patch?”

“Uh, yeah, you were really freaked out, because…” His face lit up as he realized the connection. “You had a nightmare! You saw that thing you’re seeing now, right?”

“I touched that weird, dead vine. And it brought me into what I remember now is, like, the void. It was reaching out to me then. Only now, it’s talking to me. It was like touching the vine made it realize I was back.” Kat’s stomach dropped like she just started a descent on the world’s tallest roller coaster. She got up and went straight to the stereo. It took a few moments of shuffling through Wayne’s box of tapes, but she eventually found Blue Oyster Cult’s Fire of Unknown Origin to replace the Motley Crue one already in there. She pressed play and returned to sitting in the same way she was before. 

“Blue Oyster Cult?”

“Yeah, I didn’t have time to go look through yours for something. Plus I really just love this album.” She gave Eddie a half smile. “You know I don’t only listen to metal. It’s my favorite, but I listen to other stuff too. You should try it sometime,” she laughed as she playfully nudged him in his side.

A light silence fell between the two with just the music in the background, both lost in their own thoughts until Eddie broke it. “Hey what’s the void?” he wondered.

“Oh, um… Well, it’s this place I can go to in my mind and, like, I can see where people are and what they’re doing,” she said sheepishly, almost embarrassed by how it sounded. “It was… It was one of the last things I was working on… when I was at the lab.”

“I don’t really get it. You… mind travel?”

“Like if I’m at home, in my room, I can go into the void and I can see exactly what you’re doing. Like I could hear you practicing for example and freak you out by then calling you and asking why you decided to practice that song. I think, I don’t know, I always had this feeling though if I knew the person they could sense me around. They wouldn’t really know it was me, but they could feel someone watching them sort of thing? Like I said… They wanted us to be super spies.”

“You’re rad as hell, you know that?” he said as he lightly ruffled her hair which made her giggle.

“I can show you, I think. You want me to try?”

“I mean only if you want to, if you’re up for it.”

Kat got up and shut the music off again, only to turn the radio on until all they heard was white noise. “Can I see your bandana?” she asked as she sat cross-legged on the couch. Eddie handed it to her and she tied it over her eyes like a blindfold. She took a deep breath and started to concentrate, falling into the white noise. 

“So what happens now? Am I gonna see you floating the cor–”

“Eddie, shut up. I need silence.”

“Oh, right, that makes sense. Sorry.”

She took a deep breath again and let mind quiet as much as it could until she felt herself fall. Her feet landed in a never ending pool of blackness. She was surrounded by darkness. Then she focused on Eddie. Eventually his couch came into view.

She watched him watching her. It was weird to see herself. He was looking at her so intently with so much concern. She walked right in front of him and put her hand on his arm. 

“What the… How?” He whispered as he felt some sort of electricity where she was touching his arm.

‘I think I can show you what I’ve been seeing,’ he heard her say in his mind. 

“This is fucking wild. Uh, yeah, show me. I wanna know. I wanna understand.” She focused her energy on speaking to him in the void instead of narrating what was happening, so her words appeared in his mind. With his response, she knew it was working and even surprised herself that she could do this.

In the void, she stood in front of him. Eddie heard her deep breath beside him. Gently she placed her hands on his temples. She could see him look her in the eyes. He could feel her essence in front of him even as she was physically beside him. Closing her eyes, she pulled up the images of her nightmares from her mind. She drew on her own emotions that surrounded them. As she applied pressure to his head, she felt the memories course through her and flow into him.

Eddie’s eyes snapped shut as he felt himself free falling backwards into nothing. As much as he wanted to escape the feeling, Kat’s energy kept him in place. Eventually he found himself in places that seemed familiar, but were nothing like they seemed. 

First, she took him through her times in LA. He was in her memories. He could feel everything that she felt from the pounding ache in her skull to the relief she felt at shows and at the parties. Then, he saw himself, which was a trippy thing to experience. These weren’t memories though. He was now in her nightmares. Actually seeing how everyone changed from laughing faces to deaden eyes, his stomach dropped. Her most recent one sent chills down his spine. 

Kat stepped away from him. Slowly she brought herself back into her own body. She pulled the bandana away from her eyes to meet Eddie’s which were glossy with tears threatening to fall. “Kat…” he whispered as he reached for her. “I had no idea, I had– I’m so sorry,” he muttered, holding her.

“There’s no way you could have known,” she whispered back, wiping the blood from her nose. “But now, now you know.”

“How? How are you… How the hell are you even functioning?” he asked. He couldn't even hide his complete shock and near terror in his voice.

“I barely am. I mean, I wouldn’t really call doing coke again totally functioning. Self-medicating, maybe,” she gently scoffed. His grip around her tightened. “Eddie, I’m gonna be okay. Whatever happens, I’ll be able to handle it…” her voice was slightly unsteady enough so that Eddie caught on. He knew he wasn’t the only one she was trying to convince with that sentiment.

As he sat there trying his best to soothe her, to show her it was safe, he couldn’t ignore the fear that gripped him by the throat. This was far, far bigger than anything he could have even imagined she was going through. It was one thing when he was playing D&D. There, he was unstoppable. But this? This was real. That figure, he could feel it from her nightmares. Somehow, somewhere it was waiting. He wasn’t sure if it was just waiting for Kat or to strike its wrath on the whole world. He felt inadequate. He felt defenseless. He felt utterly powerless.

Every alarm in his body was going off and telling him to run. As he looked down at her as she pressed herself against him, he vowed to stay by her side. He would stay and fight and he would fight only for her. 

– – – – – – – – – –

Kat sat at the kitchen counter, wringing her hands, waiting for her aunt to get home. The constant feeling of dread was consuming her. She couldn’t stand idly around, waiting for this… this thing to make the first move. There had to be something she could do.

Eventually she heard her aunt enter. She greeted her niece happily, but when she saw Kat’s serious demeanor, her face fell. “Honey, what’s wrong?” she asked with such concern.

“I need to talk to Hank. I– I’m having nightmares again. And they’re… they’re getting more and more intense. I just– We need to find 011. It’s just… Things are going to get bad. Like, end of the world bad.”

Linda didn’t press Kat for more information or ask any questions. She went straight to the phone to get Hank on the line. The look of concern never left her face. Soon enough, she handed the phone to Kat.

“What’s going on, Kiddo?” he asked.

“The nightmares are getting worse. That thing is getting more… confident. Look, I know weird shit has been happening here. I know the lab was active until two years ago. My headaches are back.”

“I know, I know. I’ve been trying to get your Uncle Sam to tell us where he sent 011.”

“You know Sam is too soft! We need 011. I can find her, you know. This shit is only going to get worse.”

“Kat, I know. I keep trying to tell him, but he says we need to wait. It’s not time yet. 011 still needs time before she gets her powers back.”

“What? She doesn’t even have her powers?! Who is he to decide if we wait or not?! I am telling you, this is going to be horrific. People are going to die. I just… I don’t know what it’s planning, but I know it can’t do whatever it’s doing and spare people’s lives.”

“Look, I’ll try to talk to him again. I’ll tell him 001 is trying to get to you through the nightmares.”

“Wait, 001? That’s who… oh my god…” Kat was left speechless as she pieced everything together. The man from the first nightmare she had at the beginning of the month. The power that she had felt. The evil she picked up on from the vines at the pumpkin patch. 

“Yes, 001. That’s why I tried to go slow bringing your memories back. There’s a lot to all of this.”

“I don’t care how you do it, just… Get 011 back in the game. I can’t do this alone.” Without waiting for his response, she hung up the phone. She had thought talking to him would have put her at ease, even if it was just slightly. Her feelings of dread and apprehension weren’t solely in the back of her mind anymore. They were consuming her.

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