#jealous!joe | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

archivequinn · 7 months ago

Text

the bond between us eddie munson x female reader

Summary: You go back to the town you had to leave to go to university, but the town wasn't the only thing you left behind, you go to the place you least want to be for a date and there you run into your ex-boyfriend Eddie Munson. ao3 link Words: 5,147 Warnings: bleeding, injury part one | part two (completed)

Looking from the outside, the Hideout bar in the small town of Hawkins was a place that had seen better days. The wooden facade, a sign hanging down from the weight of the snow, and the red paint peeling at the corners. Near the door, a dull yellow neon sign flickered “Hideout” in a dull flash of light.

When you stepped inside, the nostalgic and somewhat sad atmosphere of this place immediately hit you in the face. The smell of tobacco permeated the place, combined with the slight creak of walking on the old wooden floors. A few bare lamps hanging from the ceiling provided a warm but insufficient light.

The long wooden bar counter behind the stools was blackened with time, the surface streaked with water rings left by glasses. On the walls hung a few faded rock posters and plaques of pool champions from a local tournament.

A few silent alcoholics were seated at tables in the corner, drinking their glasses down. With their worn coats and tired expressions on their faces, they seemed in no hurry to spend another winter evening here. A homeless man sat at the back table, slowly puffing on a cigarette and watching the snowflakes flutter outside the window. A few people gathered around the pool table, joking and waiting for the next game. A group of people were sprawled on stools, raising their cheap beers in the air, smiling at each other and chatting. Some of them turned to the stage, staring at the microphones placed next to the guitar amps as if waiting for the next performance.

You took a deep breath, sat down on one of the stools and looked at the clock on the wall behind the bartender who was wiping the glasses with a clean cloth. It was almost seven in the evening, less than ten minutes before the date was due to start.

You smiled and shook your head at the bartender who asked if you wanted something to drink. “I'm waiting for someone,” you replied shortly. You were feeling a little uneasy, being here of all places to meet made you feel uneasy. In fact, just being back in this town made you uneasy in itself.

You remembered the day you left this damn town to go to university. You had to leave not only this place, but the love of your life. Eddie.

Now you had graduated and you were back home. For the first few weeks you spent time at home with your family, you spent every evening with them, as if to make up for all the times you couldn't see your friends. You always felt like asking about Eddie, but you preferred to keep it inside. You thought that if you ever got the chance, you might mention his name in conversation, or that your friends would mention him.

They said he'd been dating a girl for a while, and I think you heard that after he broke up with her, he hadn't been around much. He never went to college, he was still living with his uncle in the trailer park, he was fixing cars and Steve said he was pretty good at it.

The first thing you asked was, “Does he still play guitar?'' Robin was the one who answered that question.

“He hasn't touched it since you left...''

This sentence was like a flame burning your throat, preventing you from swallowing. “What about his dreams? He was going to leave this damn town to make records, to become a famous guitarist like his dream...'' You couldn't put the thoughts that came to your mind into words. Because you knew the answer.

And deep down inside, you knew your friends blamed you for leaving Eddie when you left. But they were too nice to tell you that.

But what else could you do? You both knew a long-distance relationship wouldn't work.

Having to break up with Eddie was like a wound in the center of your chest that still wouldn't heal. It seemed like a simple “obligation” to everyone else, but only you and Eddie knew how complicated it really was. Going to university was a dream, your dream... but it was also an inevitable path, shaped by your family's pressure. It seemed the only way out of this town, the only way to make a future for yourself. Eddie, on the other hand, had never felt like he belonged in the world outside Hawkins. He had grown up in the trailer park, learned about life with his uncle, and even his dreams had been shaped within the confines of this town. His dream was to become a famous guitarist, yes, maybe that was just a fantasy for him. A dream he knew he would never achieve.

He discussed it with you for hours. “You're leaving me here,” he once said, his voice cracked, his eyes full of sadness mixed with anger. “I don't belong in your world and you don't belong in mine. You'll understand that better when you go to university.” At that moment you couldn't fight him with the words that were stuck in your throat. Because he was right. Eddie was living a very different life, one that could never coincide with your career goals. While you'd be in the campus libraries, full of books, he'd be fixing old cars in the grease-smelling workshops of Hawkins.

But what hurt the most was watching Eddie quietly give up on his dreams. “We can find a way out together,” you said, almost pleadingly. But Eddie shook his head from side to side, averting his eyes as his hair fell over his face.

“My place is here. Your place is... somewhere else. It would consume us both, you know that.” His sarcastic tone, always taking things for granted, was gone. It was replaced by the voice of a tired, accepting man.

Eddie said he couldn't imagine you every morning in another city, in another life. “How can distance be enough when even Hawkins isn't enough?” he said, smiling bitterly.

You knew in your heart as you left him behind: The separation wasn't just a physical distance. When you left Eddie that night, you took a part of him with you forever. And Eddie had done the same.

So what were you doing at the Hideout now? Yes, you were waiting for your first date with a guy named Josh, but you wondered why it had to be here. When Josh suggested to meet there, you couldn't say no, because what were you going to explain to him, “My ex-boyfriend used to play there all the time, and even though he doesn't play there anymore, I'm not over him, so that bar has a special meaning for me, I can't go there”? That would be the worst impression you could give on a first date.

You turned around slowly as you heard someone calling your name, that familiar voice bringing a familiar face with it. It was Gareth, Eddie's friend from the band and the matchmaker who made you two become a couple in the first place. Seeing him here made your heart race, you thought, if he's here maybe... maybe. The possibility that because he was here, Eddie might be around here somewhere made your stomach twist in knots.

You put a warm smile on your face and hugged Gareth, “What are you doing here? I thought you were out of town,” Gareth said as he hugged you back.

''Yeah, I've been back for a couple weeks now. I uhm, graduated,” you explained. Your eyes were scanning the bar quickly, the mere thought of Eddie being here made you want to throw up from anxiety.

“I'm glad to hear that,” Gareth said as he sat down on the stool next to you. ”So, what's up? Where are your friends, are you waiting for someone?''

You nodded as you took a sip of water. “Actually, I have a date, I'm waiting for him,” you said, and it felt like you had been punched in the stomach, like it was a crime to say that. You thought Gareth would be angry about it, after all you had caused his friend to be miserable for months. But it had been years, hadn't it?

Gareth nodded his head as if to say he understood and smiled. “Alright, I'll be on stage in a bit, nice to see you again, hope you have a good time on your date.'' After patting you on the shoulder, he took the beer the bartender handed him and walked away from you.

Looking after Gareth, you took a deep breath and began tapping your fingers nervously on the surface of the table.

Just then, the cold air hit you in the face as the door opened and a man stepped into the bar, wearing a brown leather jacket and an expensive scarf that looked like it had been bought in a luxury store. His blond hair was styled like something out of a hairdresser's advertisement and his bright blue eyes looked arrogantly around him. It was him. Josh. Even before he said his name, you knew who he was.

When Josh noticed you, he walked over with a wide smile, as if he was the only one lighting up the room he was in... or so he thought. “Hey, you're just in time, too!” he said, his voice filled with a squeaky cheerfulness.

“Yeah,” you said, with a forced smile, ”I've been here a few minutes.”

Josh made an almost implicit gesture for you to get up from the stool. “Great, great. Let's move over there, the light's a little too bright here. I'll find you a better seat.” Before you could understand what he was saying, he placed his hand lightly on your back and guided you to a darker corner of the bar.

Josh gestured exaggeratedly to the waiter as he sat on the opposite stool. “Two margaritas for us! But please... make sure you cut the lemons right. I had a very bad experience at a bar last time.” His tone was more like a lecture than an order. It was impossible not to notice the patient but obviously irritated expression on the waiter's face.

“Well, actually I don't want a margarita, a water will do for now,” you said, interrupting his arrogant order. Josh cocked his head to the side and looked at you as if you had said something strange.

“Water? God, you can't be serious,” he said with a mocking laugh. “Relax, we're not here to party, but we can make the first date count, right? Tell me, are you having any fun?”

For a moment lightning flashed in your head. You had already gotten annoyed with him from the very first sentence. How could he be so cocky? You crossed your arms on the table and stared at him, inwardly looking for ways to escape.

“Yeah, I don't usually have to drink to have fun,” you said, a little teasingly. Josh took it as a joke and tried to laugh, but even his laugh was insincere.

“Oh, okay. I think you're serious. You know, people usually find me extremely funny. I mean, not just because of my looks,” he said, smoothing his hair with his hand. “I guess you've noticed that too.”

“Sure, I noticed,” you mumbled, but your eyes were searching for Gareth and the others without realizing it. You felt like you were going crazy if you spent any more time with this man.

As he talked, it was like a part of your soul was dying, you could have been on the most boring date in the world.

“I mean,” Josh continued, twisting the lemon wedge in his hand, ”Hawkins is a small town, isn't it? I hate being here. Imagine, people are born and raised here and never get out. I think you were born and raised here too, weren't you?”

With that sentence, his discomfort grew. Eddie's face involuntarily flashed before your eyes. You knew that Eddie had always felt inadequate because of people like Josh. Instead of answering him, you kept silent, because if you opened your mouth, the anger you were trying to hide behind your words would show.

Just then Gareth's voice was heard on stage. “Okay everyone, tonight we're going to get a little nostalgic! We're going to play one of the ‘Corroded Coffin’ songs. You used to be with us every Tuesday at Hawkins. Maybe some of you will remember our songs and sing along, who knows?”

Gareth's voice pulled you back to the real world. In the dim lights of the bar, you suddenly stopped breathing. Your heart's beating like crazy. If Gareth was on stage... Eddie.

Gareth gripped the sticks of his drum kit and sat on the drum seat, you knew the other members of the band, you had spent enough time with each of them. Eddie and the others used to go on that stage when you were still here and with him. You always watched them from the front. You listened to Eddie playing his guitar, looking into your eyes, as if you were the only one there.

But now Eddie wasn't on stage... And it felt like something was missing. Like something was wrong, like the last piece of the puzzle was missing.

Josh continued to talk about himself, as he had for the last hour. You were staring at the stage, listening to the songs you once knew by heart being played again, remembering the lyrics with each note. You remembered how each note made you feel. The whole thing was passing before your eyes like a movie, and when your song started playing, you felt your eyes fill with tears. Everything seemed blurry, everything seemed to feel sorry for you.

You stood up, grabbing your bag. ''I'm sorry Josh... I almost forgot something I had to do... Uhm, I have to go...'' you said.

Josh didn't seem convinced. “Oh, yeah? I can give you a ride... I've got a car outside the door.” he offered.

You shook your head quickly. “No need, I'll go,” you insisted.

“It's cold and the snow is falling faster. I'll give you a ride,” he said as he put a few dollars and a tip on the table and stood up.

“No,” you said shortly.

“Do you really have to go?” he said, this time in a slightly sarcastic tone. “I mean, I put a lot of work into planning tonight, and you could at least be a little... I don't know, grateful for that, right?”

Josh's words froze you in place. Your eyes quickly turned to him. “Grateful? What are you talking about?” you said, your brow furrowed, your tone sharp.

“I mean, after all, I spent my time and energy to get here,” Josh said, spreading his arms wide, putting his arm behind your back and leaning in close enough to press you into your chair. “You need to spend more time with me here. After all, don't you want to get to know me? Or... maybe you're being too coy.”

You were startled when his arm came close enough to pinch you. “Pull your arm away!” you said sternly, but Josh just grinned.

“Oh, come on, don't be so scared. I'm not a bad guy. I brought you here because I thought we could have a nice evening,” he continued. This time his voice was more sarcastic and disturbing.

“Let me go,” you said again, this time sounding more nervous. But Josh took these words as an invitation instead of a threat.

“Let me go? Oh, I see...” he said, leaning closer to your face and gazing into your eyes. “You actually like it, don't you? This little 'coy' game. Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm good at figuring out girls.”

Just then, as your whole body froze, a voice from behind you made you hold your breath.

“You're also good at blowing your chances, apparently.”

Someone tapped Josh hard on the shoulder. Josh's expression changed. Frowning, he turned around to meet Eddie's stern gaze. The anger on Eddie's face made it feel icy even inside the bar.

“Who the hell are you?” Josh asked, giving Eddie a condescending look. But Eddie's smile held no warmth; it was more like an approaching storm.

“I'm not an asshole like you, that's for sure,” Eddie said, his voice deep and menacing. Then he turned to you, a soft but worried look in his eyes. “Did he touch you?”

Josh interjected, his voice loud and confident enough to drown out Eddie's question. “This isn't about you, man, leave us alone.”

Instead of answering, Eddie suddenly grabbed Josh by the collar. He easily lifted him off the floor and shoved him hard into one of the bar's tables. The chair tipped over as Josh fell to the floor, several people standing around you recoiled in horror. Eddie leaned over Josh and whispered in a cold voice.

“You will not bother her again. In fact, you will never set foot in this bar again. Do you understand?”

But Josh didn't seem like the type to give up that easily. He put his hand on Eddie's collar and stood up quickly. “You think you're gonna scare me? Get out of the way, you fucking bastard!” he shouted, and then he punched Eddie hard. As the punch connected with Eddie's jaw, the loud thud inside the bar momentarily froze the whole place. A thin trickle of blood trickled down Eddie's lip as he took a few steps back.

But instead of pausing, Eddie became even more enraged by the impact. The rage in his eyes was now uncontrollable. He quickly wiped his cheek and took a step toward Josh.

“I warned you,” Eddie said. There was such determination in his voice that you could see Josh was scared.

Eddie moved quickly and punched Josh hard in the stomach, then, without missing a beat, struck him a second time. This time his fist connected with Josh's jaw and he staggered back to the ground. But Eddie didn't stop. He pounced on him, grabbed him by the collar and delivered another blow to his face. “You're learning the price of bothering a woman,” Eddie said, his voice growing more determined with each blow.

Josh tried to stop Eddie with his hands, but Eddie was giving him no chance. Within seconds, Josh's face was covered in blood. Those inside the bar looked on, horrified by the fight, while Gareth got up from the stage and prepared to try and pull them apart.

Eddie took one last look at Josh's face and pushed him hard to the floor. “If you ever cross me again, I'll make you regret it,” he said.

Josh staggered to his feet. His shirt was soiled, his face bloodied and his pride shattered. “You'll pay for this,” he mumbled, but his voice couldn't hide his fear. He walked quickly to the door and left the bar.

Eddie took a deep breath and sat up. Blood was still seeping from his lip, but he didn't seem to care. When he turned to you, the anger was gone from his gaze, replaced by a familiar warmth.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

You nodded and put your hand over your heart. A few minutes later the waiters were picking up the fallen stools and the chaos inside the bar had slowly subsided. People were back in their seats, chatting, and a few people were still discussing what had happened in whispers.

You turned to Eddie and took a deep breath. The adrenaline was giving way to shame, especially as you felt the stares around you. “Everyone's staring at us,” you muttered, your eyes drifting to the floor.

Eddie shrugged, as if he didn't really care. “Let them look,” he said, smiling slightly. But even the small grin on his face disappeared instantly because of the cut on his lip and he groaned slightly.

Just then Gareth came up to you with an ice pack. There was a slight look of concern on his face as he handed it to you. “Here. That should help a little,” he said. He paused for a moment, turning to Eddie. “I have to get back to the stage, but are you... are you all right?”

Eddie nodded his head as if thanking Gareth and gave a slight smile. “I'm fine. Don't worry.”

Gareth looked at Eddie for a few more seconds, then glanced in your direction, patted him on the shoulder and returned to the stage. Guitars and drums echoed through the bar as the band regrouped and prepared to play. But no longer could they drown out the pounding of your heart.

You gently took the ice pack gently and pressed it to Eddie's bleeding lip. Eddie flinched involuntarily and tried to pull back, but you didn't let go. “Stop,” you said softly. “At least let me take care of this while you put up a big fight for me.”

Eddie's gaze stopped on you, the anger long gone from his eyes. A strange embarrassment had taken its place, but he said nothing. As you cleaned the blood from his lip in silence, you finally couldn't resist and tried to speak. “I didn't know you were here. If I had known...”

Eddie interrupted, trying to avert his eyes from you, but finally he looked at you and took a deep breath. “Wouldn't you have come if you'd known?” he said, his voice more calm and vulnerable than you expected.

You parted your lips to answer, but Eddie kept talking. “I know... I heard you were back in town but I didn't dare to see you. I didn't know what to say, but... I still wanted to see you, so... I watched from a distance.”

Surprised, you put down the ice pack and looked at him. “You watched from a distance?”

Eddie tilted his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I don't want to sound like a stalker,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “But yeah. Ever since I found out you were here... I guess I've been following you like a shadow, watching you from a distance, not bothering you. I don't know, maybe I didn't have the courage to see you again. Maybe I thought that if you saw me here... you would run away.”

You felt your heart squeeze at this confession. Eddie's voice was so honest and vulnerable that it was hard to look him in the eye.

You pressed the ice pack to Eddie's lip again and leaned a little closer to him. “Eddie...” you whispered. “Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you come to me? You could have talked to me. I wouldn't have run away.”

Eddie looked you in the eye, but this time he didn't run away. “I don't know. Maybe I didn't think I deserved it. I didn't have anything right to say to you. But... seeing you was enough. Seeing you happy... Anyway, you were telling that idiot that you had to leave... Can I drop you where you're going? I don't want him to get in your way.’’

''Uhm... I made up a lie to get rid of him. But I'd better get back home... It's been a long night.''

The moonlight glinted off the thin layer of snow that had just fallen, and it looked as if the ground was covered in a silver blanket. Eddie was walking a few steps ahead of you, his hands in his pockets as usual, but his shoulders were much broader than they had been. This difference caused your eyes to involuntarily drift to his back and silhouette. You immediately averted your eyes, but you couldn't control where your thoughts were going.

Eddie suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at you. “Are you still cold?” he asked, his voice soft yet protective.

You tried to smile at him, but your lips felt numb from the cold. “No, I'm fine,” you said, but you didn't sound convincing.

Eddie shook his head from side to side, as if expecting this answer. “Let me put this jacket to good use,” he said, and in one motion he took off his leather jacket. You couldn't help but notice the moment when his arm muscles peeled away from his jacket. This whole car mechanic thing... it had definitely worked for him.

When he handed you the jacket, you tried to protest. “But I thought you'd be cold too...”

“Stop arguing with me,” he interrupted, smiling slightly. He gently placed the jacket on your shoulders and straightened the collar. “Do I look like I'm cold?”

He was right. It was impossible not to notice the muscles under his thin black shirt. His shoulders looked wider, his arms thicker and his back stronger. The boy who years ago had played songs on the bar stage with his guitar was now a different man. There was something about Eddie; maybe the years, maybe the hardships he had endured had made him more attractive. But one thing was certain: This man was too good looking for any girl in town to refuse.

“Thank you,” you whispered, inhaling the faint smell of leather and cigarettes in the jacket. Eddie's scent... it filled you with something familiar and nostalgic.

Eddie shrugged, but there was a look on his face that said he was studying you. “If you hadn't gone on dates with idiots like that, you'd be sitting in your warm house and you wouldn't be cold,” he said, his eyes seeming to focus on a point on the horizon, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Even if I don't go on dates with idiots like that, I'm still being watched by stalkers somehow, right?” you said, tilting your head and mocking him slightly.

Eddie threw his hands up in the air. “I never watched your house. I'm not that kind of stalker, okay?” he said, the sarcasm in his voice a little defensive.

And then he continued. “Besides, you're lucky I was there. I don't want to watch stupid Josh get in your way again. He'll probably lose more teeth next time.”

You started laughing too, but at the same time you felt grateful that he was making such an effort to protect you. Eddie continued to walk beside you, occasionally glancing at you to make sure everything was all right.

“By the way,” he added after a while, ”it's all his fault that guy treated you the way he did. The way he spoke to you... It was unacceptable. If he tries to get close to you again, he'll find more than me.”

You felt your heartbeat a little faster at Eddie's protective attitude. Even after all these years, Eddie's devotion to you seemed unchanged. It was both frightening and strangely comforting.

When you came to a familiar corner of town, Eddie paused for a moment. “This is it, isn't it?” he said, nodding toward your house.

“Yes,” you said, nodding slightly. But you didn't want to say goodbye to him. There was something in you that wished this moment could last longer.

When the door opened, you were a little disturbed by the silence from inside. As you stepped inside you realized that Eddie was still waiting behind you. You turned to look at him and saw a hesitant look on his face.

“Anybody home?” Eddie asked, running a hand through the back of his hair and tugging at a lock of curly hair. It was an indication that he was a little nervous.

You shook your head from side to side. “No, no one's home. My family has been out of town for a few days. It's just me...” Your voice trailed off, but then you gathered your courage and continued. “If you want... you can come in and have a coffee. I mean... it's quite cold outside and you gave me your jacket.”

Eddie cocked his head and gave a light laugh. “I don't know, I don't want to be a bother. I mean... Tonight was weird enough...”

“Eddie,” you said, determination in your eyes. “It's just a coffee. Nothing weird. And... seriously, I'm not going to leave you out after you've helped me so much.”

Eddie hesitated for a few seconds, then shrugged and stepped through the doorway. “Okay, but just a coffee. I promise I won't bother you any more.”

“The kitchen is this way,” you said with a slight smile as you led him towards the kitchen.

Eddie was leaning against a corner near the counter, and you were putting the kettle on for the coffee. “Still drinking it with sugar?” you asked, your eyes flicking to his face for a moment.

Eddie smiled. “More of this 'do you drink with sugar' talk? You still don't recognize me?”

You laughed, this familiar conversation had taken you back to warmer and happier times in the past. Just as you reached for the sugar jar, Eddie bent down to pick up the glasses and your arms collided.

“Oh, sorry,” you said and stepped back slightly, but Eddie moved at the same time and you collided again.

Eddie put on his familiar wry smile. “I guess we're still pretty clumsy, like the old days.”

You rolled your eyes. “Well, it's your fault. You shouldn't have stood so close.”

But Eddie didn't answer. His eyes locked on yours for a moment, then his gaze slowly dropped to your lips. Suddenly the kitchen became a much warmer, much more intimate place. Your heart began to beat faster.

“Eddie...” you whispered, but your voice was barely a breath.

Eddie's hand was resting on the counter, his body pressed a little closer to yours. When his eyes refocused on yours, his expression was mixed. There was both eagerness and a kind of timidity.

“If you want to stop me...” he said, his voice low, almost a murmur. “Now is the time.”

But you didn't say anything. In fact, you didn't even know what to say. It was as if everything had stopped; all you heard was your own breathing and Eddie's approaching presence. Your eyes closed involuntarily as you felt his nose touch yours.

Finally... his lips lightly touched yours. It was so gentle that for a brief moment you wondered if it was real. But then Eddie's hand reached around your waist, pulling you to him, deepening the kiss. This kiss carried all the intensity of that moment, all the longing, all the emotions that had been hidden for years.

Your fingers involuntarily gripped the hem of Eddie's shirt. As you inhaled deeply, his scent - the faint smell of cigarettes, his leather jacket and that timbre you had always recognized - completely overtook you. For a moment the world was just that moment.