#none of them believed for a second that eddie was dead

[steveshairychest]

5 years he's been in hiding.

5 miserable years he's had to go by a different name, wear different clothes and tell a different story to everyone he meets. He's been James, Frank, he thinks he even went by Dustin at one point. He's had long hair, short hair, he's been bald. He had a beard for a while and taught music in a small music store, but he shaved it off after a week because all he saw in the mirror was Wayne, his uncle, his family, the man he abandoned.

For 5 years, he's been everyone but Eddie Munson.

The government told him he couldn't be Eddie anymore.

"Eddie Munson is dead." They told him; they even had the death certificate to prove it. "Don't come back to Hawkins. Keep moving. There are still people looking for you." Was the last thing they said to him before dropping him off with a wad of cash in some town he's never been to before.

He'd asked for the date at the front desk of a motel, and they'd told him April 20th. Eddie had crumbled down to his knees and cried, he'd cried so hard the motel clerk asked if she should call someone, asked if he was alright.

"I'm fine." Was his broken reply. He'd taken the key for his room, curled up on the uncomfortable bed, and didn’t move for days. He wasn't alright. He'd been in a government hospital for what he thought was a few days but was actually over a month and then released into the world like some rehabilitated animal. He didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. Fuck, he didn't even know if they all made it out of the upside down. All he knew was that he was alone. And that he couldn't go home. Ever.

He'd eventually gotten over himself and made some kind of life for himself.

It took him a few tries to find something that stuck, something that felt sort of like himself. Every few months, an ungodly amount of money appears in his bank account. The formal bank statement says it's from an estranged relative. Eddie knows it's not. He knows it's the government's way of buying his silence. His expensive rent and struggle to find a job is the only reason he doesn't send it all back to them.

He's lived in his current place for a year now, which is a new record for him, but he's got no friends. Well, he has acquaintances, people he can laugh with every now and then and go out for drinks with, but no one who knows him. No one who knows why he wakes every night screaming, no one who understands why he flinches when the lights in the bar flicker, why he hates the sound of people cracking their knuckles and why his hands shake whenever anyone mentions the scar on his face.

It's late at night when he's covered in sweat and his throat is raw from screaming awake from a nightmare, that he really misses his friends, his family, the people that he went through hell with. He's not allowed to call them, not allowed to send them letters or visit. He's not even allowed to know how Wayne is doing. It hurts. It hurts so much. He can't even look at himself in the mirror anymore because he's aged, and he's slowly starting to look more and more like his uncle.

But his friends are a little harder to escape, it's like parts of them have found him and are trying to haunt him, trying to remind him that he can't be a part of their lives.

Just last week, he walked by a book store and saw a brand new fantasy graphic novel on display in the window, 'written by Mike Wheeler & illustrated by Will Byers' was displayed on the bottom of the cover in gold letters. He's never bought a book so fast in his life. He's read it front to back 3 times already.

He can't even watch the news in peace because they were doing a news story about a small town basketball player who's made it to the big leagues and is winning everyone's hearts with his skills and bright personality. Eddie had cried and wished he'd been there to congratulate Lucas, wished he could have been there to tell him how proud he was.

Even Nancy is haunting him. Her news articles get delivered to his front door every day in the paper and most of the time the articles aren't even sad, but he cries at his small dining table alone, his breakfast cold and his coffee filled with his tears.

He misses his friends. He misses them so much and it's eating him alive. It feels like he's lying on the ground of the upside down all over again, tiny little mouths ripping away at his flesh except this time it's happening from the inside. Each time he's reminded how far away he is from his friends, a small piece of him is eaten away.

He doesn't know how much more he can take.

And then something odd happens. He gets a postcard and it's addressed to him, the real him; Eddie Munson.

The handwriting is hard to read and some words have been crossed out but the name signed at the bottom of the card pulls a sob from Eddie's throat and has him almost crumbling on his doorstep.

I'm sorry I took so long. I'll see you soon.

From Steve Harrington.

[moonchildreads]

don't you know what the night can do?

summary: you call for help in the middle of the night and eddie comes to your rescue

pairing: best friend!eddie x reader

tags/warnings: mdni. technically a college au? depression, abusive relationship (not eddie, he's a sweetie), talks of potential homelessness, no SA happens but eddie thinks it did for a second before it's cleared up (again, it does NOT happen, but since it could be triggering consider this your warning), hurt/comfort, happy ending!

wc: 2.8k

a/n: i was supposed to post this yesterday but upon rereading it i realised it was me trauma dumping so i rewrote a significant portion of this to make it into it's own thing. i hope it brings you as much comfort for you as it did for me, and if you are in a situation like reader is, please seek help. i believe in you and i am rooting for you 🖤

Now's the time when it's down to me and you Spread these wings, we'll be flying

It’s already late when the phone rings and he’s immediately shoving his feet into his sneakers, rushing out the door of his apartment and into his van. It’s even more late when he parks across the street and decides against waking your entire building up by ringing your doorbell. Hurriedly, he searches his glove box for that little spare key you gave him for emergencies - the one that has a big metal ring and a tiny plastic tab with your name on it. He lets himself in, the storm outside in the sky and inside your head getting worse and worse every second that ticks by.

Eddie finds you slumped against the small table where your phone rests, the receiver still in your hand, and he knows. He knows something terrible has happened and it doesn’t matter that he’s been anticipating it ever since you told him you’d begun dating that asshole classmate of yours because nothing could have prevented his heart from shattering the moment he sees you.

You’re a lifeless looking doll, devoid of any emotion and feeling. He’d fear you’re actually dead if he couldn’t see your chest rising and falling slowly.

“Sweetheart?” he says, lowering himself to where you’re sitting and trying not to spook you. “Are you okay?”

“Huh?” you say, almost surprised when his eyes come into view. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, baby, of course I’m here,” he shuffles closer to you, but still doesn’t touch you.

Eddie swears he can still feel your arms around his neck sometimes, how your hands always used to find his, and how your legs would tangle on the couch all the time. You don’t like to be touched too much these days. He misses your warmth.

“Are you okay?” he repeats.

“Cold.”

“You’re cold? Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“NO!”

Your voice rings loud in the quiet apartment, your eyes locking with his in a fiery yet terrified stare. What are you so afraid of? Eddie takes in your appearance and it’s clear that you’ve been crying, though he doesn’t really understand why. He peers into the hallway that leads to your bedroom, searching for answers though he finds none.

“I- I’m sorry… I made a mess,” you explain, deflating once more. “I was upset and the sheets, they… they’re not on the bed anymore.”

“That’s okay,” Eddie says. “We can put them back on.”

You afford him a movement that barely registers as a nod and he thinks he hasn’t seen duller eyes in his entire life, except for when he used to look into the mirror when he was younger. You shouldn’t feel like that, not if he can help it. He raises up onto his knees, still keeping his distance but signaling that it’s time to get up.

“It’s late, sweetheart. Come on, you need to get some sleep.”

“Can… can I get a hug first? Please?” you whisper, your face contorting into a pitiful sight.

Eddie doesn't say anything before he pulls you into a tight hug, his arms shielding you from anything and everything that might be trying to hurt you. He lets you bury yourself into him, lets you crawl underneath his skin and bones, become a part of his very soul and he holds you tighter whenever you exhale another heavy breath.

He waits and waits with his ass turning into ice on the harsh linoleum floor of your kitchenette area, and he doesn’t let go before you do because you once read to him that you should always hug kids until they let go first and he still hasn’t forgotten about it. A booming thunder shakes your windows and Eddie feels as though the storm has moved inside your home. You are no longer a kid, but right now you remind him too much of himself when he first went to live with Wayne, and so he keeps holding you until you pull away first.

"I really needed that, thank you," you smile up at him, but it doesn't reach your eyes. He takes it as a win anyways, because you haven’t smiled in a while and Eddie has always loved your smile.

"You can have as many hugs as you'd like, sweetheart. Why don't you go take a shower while I get your bed ready, huh? You can leave the door open if you want, I’ll be here."

You follow him into your hallway, eyes full of tears at his words. He might be the only person in the world that knows you better than you know yourself, and you don’t take that for granted. You take a hot shower and rub at your skin with your washcloth until it's raw and sensitive and cleansed, and when you come out wrapped in your fluffiest towel Eddie says nothing about the fact that when he walked into your bedroom, he could tell that you’d ripped your bed sheets off the mattress somewhere between a nervous fit and calling him in the middle of the night. There’s a new set, clean and smelling like your favorite fabric softener, and he’s laid out your most comfortable sleepwear at the end of your bed.

Eddie throws your used sheets into the washing machine and gets it started while you get changed, and when you're done you fish out a pair of his pajama pants and a shirt he left behind what feels like eons ago. He thanks you, almost surprised to see you have those clothes and it dawns on you that he doesn’t remember he gave them to you, because you haven't had one of the movie nights where he used to wear them in a while now. When you're both ready for bed, Eddie lifts your covers for you and tucks you in, laying next to you on top of the duvet.

"You can get in if you want," you say, and it's clear you want him to do it.

Eddie thinks he'll never be able to say no to you, so he gets in without you having to ask twice. You are quick to shift closer to him once he gets under the sheets and he takes the hint to put his arms around you, bringing your head to his shoulder and tangling his legs with yours. It’s been ages since he’s held you like this and he’s not going to start complaining about it now - not when you’re right back where you’ve always belonged.

"I have to move out by the end of the month," you mutter, starting to explain the night's events.

"That sucks. You’ve been house hunting yet?"

"No. I found out today and I was hoping Matt would help."

"And he didn't," Eddie says, knowingly.

"He didn't," you confirm. "I asked him to come over earlier because I was upset and he said he’d be here for dinner."

"You cooked?" he hums, petting the back of your head.

"Yeah. I made, uhm, lemon chicken? It wasn't very good."

You've always been a wonderful cook, at least in Eddie's eyes. You don't have a lot of recipes you can whip out from under your belt upon short notice, but the ones you do have are some of his favorites. The chocolate chip cookies he has to hide from Wayne, the chicken noodle soup you bring over when he’s sick, the banana pancakes that always went along with his scrambled eggs and bacon when he used to sleep over. You've never made lemon chicken for him, but you're good at following a cookbook so he thinks it mustn't have turned out inedible.

By now Eddie has learned that "it wasn't very good" means "Matt didn't like it". He doesn’t understand why that piece of shit is dating you if never likes anything you do. Hearing you repeat the things he says to make you feel bad makes your best friend want to dig through your fridge for the leftovers and eat them all just to prove to you that your boyfriend is wrong.

"I think I have to break up with Matt."

Your words make Eddie's head turn. Of all the things you could have said tonight, this was not something he ever imagined. He could have sworn you'd date Matt until he'd decided he'd had enough of you, or you'd marry him and he'd have to sit in the front row watching that fucking guy sap you of your life force for the rest of your days.

Eddie is haunted by the sound of your vacant voice when you'd asked him to come over. At the forefront of his mind he can see it all in loose pieces: the disarray in your bedroom, your obsession with being clean, Matt not being here after you said he’d come over earlier for dinner. He waits for you to paint a clear picture, hoping he won't have to break your boyfriend's nose (or worse) when he sees him around.

"Did he hurt you?" Eddie asks, heart sinking.

"I don't think he likes me anymore," you say, breaking down. Eddie shifts closer and holds you while you shiver. "He, um… he said I can't live with him if I can't find a place before I have to move out of here. A-and when I got upset because I don't want to be fucking homeless during my last semester, he- he tried to distract me with sex."

"What the fuck."

"I t-think he only came o-over ‘cause he wan- he wanted to get laid," you admit between hiccups. "And when he- he couldn't g-get it, he just left.”

"Sweetheart, fuck, I'm so sorry. He's such a fucking asshole," he lets you sob into his arms, the tears coming out of your tired eyes rivalring the downpour outside hitting your windows.

“He- he wouldn’t even hug me. I was crying and he just stood there! He doesn’t care about me being homeless, he- he doesn’t care about me at all!”

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay. I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” he says gently, and you want to believe he’s telling the truth but you don’t. You can’t.

“It’s not. It’s not okay,” you try to move away but he follows you, heart chasing after yours.

"What do you mean, baby?" he brushes a tear away from your face as you both sit up.

“I- I don’t know what’s wrong and I’m just… there’s nothing in here,” you say through your teeth while you grab at your shirt frantically, scaring him with the rough motion. "I feel so empty and I think- I know there's something really wrong with me, Eddie. Something has to be wrong. I’m not normal.”

"Hey, no, no, there's nothing wrong with you," he pulls you into him once more, not letting you run away from him again. "Sweetheart, I promise you, you're- you're not empty, what are you even saying? You're full - you're so full. You're full of love, a-and kindness, and if that son of a bitch is making you feel like you're not full then, I don’t know, dump his ass! He's mean and pathetic, please don't- don't break yourself into a million pieces for someone who doesn't deserve you."

"I don't feel full, Ed."

"That’s okay, we can work on it," Eddie says, confidently. "And I’m not gonna let you be homeless, I swear. You can move in with me until you feel ready to start house hunting!"

"What if I never feel better?"

"Then we’ll live together forever,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and you know he means it.

"Ed-"

"Babe. I'm serious. One hundred percent. You can even have my bedroom, I don't care."

"And where are you gonna sleep, huh? Don't be stupid."

"Wayne slept in the living room for like a decade and he's still kicking, I'll survive."

You turn in his arms so you can look at him. Eddie looks back at you with his warm eyes and mischievous smile firmly planted on his face. He’s so special to you. And luckily for him, you've never been able to say no to him either.

"When is your lease over?" you ask, wiping your tears and feeling suddenly determined.

"Uh, after you graduate I think?"

"I’ll move in with you but don't renew it. Let's find a new place."

"Yeah?" Eddie grins. "You wanna be roommates? For real?"

"I think- I think it could be good for me," you raise your hands and squish his cheeks. I think you could be good for me. "I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you."

"Me too," he says, gaze softening.

He knows it's not your fault Matt has taken over your life, not when he's conditioned you for the past year to depend on him for everything. Eddie also knows he himself has been the source of many of your fights, and while it hurts to see you cry every time Matt gives you the silent treatment until you apologize for something you didn't do, your adamant refusal to cut your best friend off your life makes him incredibly proud of you.

As much as you've stood up for Eddie throughout your lives, you've never been good at standing up for yourself. He thinks it’s time he starts standing up for you too.

"You, um," Eddie starts, grabbing your wrists to pull your hands away from his cheeks and onto his lap. "You really are gonna break up with him though, right? Because I don't think I can pretend like everything's cool with the guy when he keeps hurting you like this."

"No, I know. I can't keep going like this anymore. There's... there's so much stuff you don't even know, Ed. Sometimes he really scares me," you confess.

"He hasn't, like… hit you or anything, right?" his throat constricts.

"No, but he says things... weird things. He's so mean sometimes,” you huff, finally getting rightfully angry. “He got mad for no reason the other day and said that the only time he felt I loved him was when he got sick and I stayed with him during Spring Break. I spent an entire week taking care of him and then when he gave me the fucking plague, because of course I got it from him, Robin had to take care of me because he was sooo busy."

"He's such a goddamn loser, he totally held you hostage ‘cause you had plans that didn’t involve him for once. I knew he had a problem with us going to Steve's cabin, he’s never liked any of us!”

"Also he says I humiliate him in class because I think I'm smarter than him. Like it’s my fault his grades suck.”

"You are, though," Eddie says, grinning.

“Huh?”

"You are smarter than him. You have always been the smartest of us all."

"No, I’m not,” you scoff. “Nancy was valedictorian."

"Be real, you didn't want that shit anyway."

"No, I really didn't," you giggle softly. "I was too busy running around town with you and Jonathan.”

“Those were the good days,” he snorts. “We totally made Hopper age in dog years.”

After the laughter ends, you two look at each other and know that something has changed tonight. Something that was slowly veering off track got violently course-corrected, and you let yourself feel hopeful for the first time in a very long time.

You’ll go to sleep in Eddie’s arms and wake up to the smell of him frying bacon. You’ll whip your banana pancakes from thin air and you’ll start deciding together what you want to sell, what you’ll put in storage and what you’ll take with you once you move out of your place. You’ll talk about your finals coming up and Eddie’s new job, and he’ll do the dishes while you call Nancy, who’ll call Jonathan, who’ll shake Argyle up, who’ll call Eden, who’ll call and wake up Robin, who’ll yell at a sleepy Steve to get up, who’ll then call you to ask when they should be coming to help you lug all your stuff into Eddie’s van.

And Matt won’t call all weekend, because he doesn’t care about you, but you will never know that because you’ll be getting drunk at Robin and Steve’s while Eden tells you about a two bedroom apartment that a classmate of hers is vacating after graduation, and everyone else will make bets on how long it’s going to take for you and Eddie to notice that you won’t actually need two bedrooms.

But for now, with eyes that hurt from crying and limbs that feel heavy with a tiredness you’ve been carrying for months, you feel a little less empty because you know that no matter what the future holds, you’ll always have Eddie by your side.

thank you for reading!

[hotluncheddie]

For the @steddie-spooktober day 19 prompt : zombie

rated: T | cw: none | tags: post s4, Eddie Munson has a crush on Steve Harrington, Steve is giving

📼📼📼📼

Eddie knocks on Steve’s door at exactly 7pm, precisely when he said he would.

Partly because he’s been looking forward to watching his favourite film again all week. And, well, mostly because he’s been looking forward to watching his favourite film alone with Steve all week. He set enough reminders and planned his day ahead so he’d be right on time.

Steve opens the door a few seconds later, soft and glowing in his glasses and yellow sweater.

Time alone with Steve is still something Eddie can’t really believe is real. Let alone when the guy listening to his rants and actually, genuinely seems interested in what he has to say.

‘Hey Ed’s.’ He says and Eddie bows slightly, presenting his prized VHS of ‘Night of the Living Dead’, the one he found in Indi months ago and hasn’t stopped being obsessed with since.

‘Come on in then.’ Steve smiles at Eddie’s seriousness, walks him towards the low cozy light of the den with a hand on his lower back. ‘I’ll just get us a soda.’ He says softly, leaving Eddie to put the movie in and sit with the tingles that are travelling up his spine.

‘So this movie is, like, a big deal then?’ Steve asks as he comes back in and sits down. Handing Eddie a coke.

‘It is a big deal! He reimagined and reinvented a whole genre of horror. It’s like, it’s actually culturally significant yeah?’ Eddie says, swinging his coke around and darting his eyes around the room.

He looks to his side. Steve staring at him with his head resting in his palm, little smile on his face. ‘Go on.’ He says.

‘So yeah.’ Eddie swallows and shifts, tugging at his shirt. ‘It was released in the 70’s along with some other movies like Pink Flamingos by John Waters and fuckin Eraserhead and Rocky Horror Picture Show dude. Seriously weird shit. And they travelled around and screened late at night. So basically only freaks and weirdos went to see them. But that was perfect because these movies were made by and for freaks and weirdos, you know?’ Eddie finishes, buzzing with excitement.

‘I know now.’ Steve says softly, still looking at Eddie with his little please smile.

Eddie blinks, feeling too hot under Steve’s gaze. ‘Yeah so, anyway, it’s super important that you watch this, I mean you work at Family Video and Halloween is next week. You gotta know the fundamentals Stevie.’

Steve nods and Eddie watches his hand as he presses play. They both relax back against the sofa, Steve scooting a little closer and putting his arm across the back cushions. Eddie tries not to act weird. Tries to focus on the movie, he loves this movie.

But he can feel the heat radiating off of Steve’s chest. Can hear his breathing and smell his cologne.

He can feel his horrendously huge crush for the guy banging at his rib cage, begging to be let free.

But, it really is his favourite movie, so it engrossed Eddie in the end, the thrill of the story unfolding in that little wooden house never gets old.

But then the soft flannel of Steve’s pyjama pants is pressing against Eddie’s jeans. And Steve’s warmth is getting closer, the arm on the sofa shifting to around Eddie’s shoulders. ‘I know you said it was a horror but, it’s kinda spookier than I expected.’ Steve whispers to Eddie in the near darkness. So close now he’s sure Steve must be able to feel the rapid beat of his heart.

Eddie almost pulls away. Too afraid by the potential, by the what if of it going all wrong, of everything he has with Steve falling apart in his fingers. But he’s seen Steve on a battlefield, he’s seen Steve by his bedside in hospital. He’s seen steve in so many ways, and each one is the bravest thing he’s ever known.

So, Eddie decides to be brave too, he leans in close and wraps a protective arm around Steve’s waist. ‘I got you.’ He says, serious. ‘Won’t let the zombies hurt you.’ And he watches Steve’s smile grow, teeth glinting in the light of the television.

Eddie’s cheeks are on fire. But there’s no place he’d rather be, as Steve settles with his head on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie holds on for dear life.

‘Night of the living dead’ is definitely the best movie ever made.

📼📼📼📼

Tag list : @scoops-aboy86 @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @pearynice @marvel-ous-m @thecatkingsthrone

@cheesedoctor @chickensinrainboots @chameleonhair

[anarcoqueer1994]

My Steddie T4T headcannon for the gender Euphoria.

Eddie moved to Hawkins right before his freshmen year to live with Wayne.

He is AFAB but when he moves he sees this as his chance to present how he wants, including binding and packing and dressing in masculine clothes. Wayne doesn't understand but he doesn't need to. He loves Eddie and whatever makes him happy. He even signed Eddie up for school under Edward Munson, not his dead name.

He passes for years and no one knows he is Trans except Gareth, Jeff, and Doug.

When he is attacked and almost dies during Springbreak, its Steve that carries him out of the Upside-Down.

Through the blood, no one else notices, but Steve accidentally sees through the torn up clothing that Eddie is not cisgendered.

Steve doesn't say anything because it's not important and not his (her) place to out Eddie. Steve just is focused 9n saving Eddie.

There is alot of damage to his torso including to his breast tissue. Eddie takes this as a silver lining basically opting to get it removed instead of reconstructing.

During the next few months Steve and Eddie get closer as they heal together. Steve never let's on that they know Eddie's secret bc Steve believes it's Eddie's choice to come out.

Meanwhile as this is all going down, Steve is have their own crisis.

For years, Steve has felt weird...off. Steve has always gravitated towards girls but not just because Steve is attracted to them...but because part of Steve was jealous.

Steve wants the soft curves, wants to be seen as pretty and delicate, loves feminine things...Steve wants to be a girl.

But Steve didn't think that was possible, so they leaned into their more traditionally masculine interests, it's not like Steve didn't like cars and sports.

But every once in a while, Steve let themselves wear pretty light lip gloss and soft perfume, always too subtle to notice.

But then Steve found out Eddie's secret and something clicked for in their head.

Steve knew Eddie was AFAB but that didn't change the fact that Eddie was a guy.

So maybe Steve wasn't a guy...maybe it didn't matter that the world decided they were a guy because of the parts they were born with.

Steve didn't have to want to be a girl because She was a girl.

And that thought brought comfort to her but still terrified her to come out. Everyone thought she was a guy, she didn't pass like Eddie.

So she took baby steps, told Robin first. Of course Robin was cool with it and when It was just the two of them in the Harrington mansion, she was able to wear some more feminine things she wanted to wear and felt gorgeous and happy.

As she and Eddie get closer, it becomes obvious they are more than friends. Eddie is the second person she tells. She figures he deserves to know if they are going out.

Of course Eddie doesn't care and finally tells her that he's Trans. Stevie reveals that she knew but didn't want to force him to come out.

It makes Eddie love Stevie more.

As years pass, Stevie eventually starts presenting more feminine in public and its hard but Eddie is by her side. Their friends now all know about both of them.

Steve loves pretty dresses and even early on when she didn't pass, none of her friends let her feel ashamed.

As time goes on they both start hormones.

In the 90s, Eddie surprises her by saving up secretly to pay for her to have top surgery as well.

They love each other so much.

And they both live happily ever after.

Edit: I removed a part bc even though I didnt intend to, there was an accidentally transphobic implication, and like being trans, I don't want to cause any harm to others in my community. Steve and Eddie are a straight couple in this h, there was no need to put quotes around straight.

@gayboysteve I genuinely appreciate your comment.

[bloodibambiidoll]

Purple Houses and Paranorman

(Single!Dad Eddie Munson x Single!Mom Reader)

Summary: Eddie asks you and Oliver to go to a special screening of Paranorman with him and Charlotte. WK: 3.9K

Series Masterlist My Masterlist

Warnings: Basically none, modern AU, mention of a dead family member (readers aunt), There’s like one second where Eddie is checking reader out and his thoughts get a little carried away, readers son has a speech delay, reader is implied to be alternative and have tattoos but I don’t talk about it much besides her outfits, fluff fluff and moreee fluff. But as always my blog is 18+MNDI

A/N: So I might have gotten a tiny bit carried away talking about the house, it wasn’t something I originally planned out but it kind of just came to me as I was writing, I’d like for them to all live there together eventually. I’m trying to make it a lil slow burn but I suck at that so hard so we will see how much longer I can go without making them kiss LOL. Also I said these were blurbs and this is almost 4K sooo Oopsie. As always my requests for these guys are open and feedback is greatly appreciated.💜💚

Your phone vibrated and the screen lit up, the contact reading “Eddie🎸🦇” you smiled to yourself before pushing the green accept button.

“Helloooo Edward, what can I do for you on this fine autumn morning?”

“Hey weirdo” He let out a laugh, one you’ve grown to find comfort in over these last few weeks. “What are you and Oli up to today? The theater is doing a special showing of Paranorman and I was wondering if you guys would wanna go with us later?”

“What’s in it for me?” You joked.

“Ummm you get to spend time with your bestfriend and do something Halloween related, which I know you love.”

“Bold of you to assume you’re my bestfriend.” You laughed, knowing he definitely had become the best friend you have but still wanting to fuck with him a little.

“Me? I’m talking about Charlotte, you are her new self proclaimed bestfriend and also you do her hair better than me, apparently. Can’t believe my own daughter likes you more than me.” He sighed dramatically and you could practically see him faux fainting.

“Awww I love her, she’s my new bestfriend too. Verdict is still out on her dad though.”

“WOW I can’t believe you would betray me like this, I thought you loved me.”

“Don’t worry, you’re better at playing monster than me apparently sooo I think we are even. What time do you want to go?”

“I guess we can call it even, for now. How about around two? Gives us a few hours to get the goblins fed and ready to go.”

Jokingly teasing each other had become the norm for you and Eddie, easily falling into flirty banter since the day you met.

“Okay, perfect.”

“Want to meet us there? Or I can come get you guys and we can ride together.”

Something you had noticed about Eddie is how perceptive he was. He picked up early on that you’d avoid going places you’d have to drive especially if you’d never been there before, which in those first few weeks was essentially everywhere. So he always offered to pick you and Oliver up whenever you all did something together.

“Could you pick us up? If that’s okay.”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if it wasn’t okay, babe.” Babe, was something he only started calling you recently but it made you giddy every time.

He was also constantly reassuring you that he didn’t mind helping you when you needed it. He knows how hard it is to do this alone so he was always offering to do anything to make things easier on you. Even if it was something as small as picking you and your son up for a movie. At first you declined his help every chance he offered, used to doing things alone, not wanting to burden him. But he’s told you over and over how he doesn’t mind, that it makes him happy to be able to help you.

So who could blame you if you had developed a not so small crush on him? You tried not to, but he was all kind gestures, big brown eyes and chunky jewelry. So how could you not? It’s not your fault it was like he was your dream come to life. You weren’t positive but you were pretty sure he felt the same. Hugs started lingering just a little longer than they should have, hands started brushing when you followed behind your rowdy children on evening walks, the cute little pet names he would always call you that made your stomach flip, the kisses on the cheek you had started giving each other.

So after you got Oli ready you gave him his tablet and spent a little extra time getting ready. You did your hair in your favorite style and added just a tiny bit more makeup than usual, both turned out perfect. But now you were standing in front of your open closet, staring at it like the perfect outfit was just going to jump out at you.

The October chill had set in throughout Hawkins, the days still sunny but the breeze cold, not quite bone chilling like in mid December, but cold enough that you needed some layers. You were also going to be sitting in a movie seat for two hours even if they were the reclining ones you didn’t want to spend that amount of time sitting in jeans.

After trying on several outfits, you ended up deciding on a black long sleeve skater dress, the neckline scooped just enough to make your boobs look nice. You layered some thigh high socks and leg warmers before pulling on your boots. You grabbed a plain zip-up just in case you got cold in the theater and gave yourself a once over in the mirror.

You couldn’t deny the fact that you looked good, and you hoped Eddie would think so too. He had never seen you this dolled up, usually wearing more comfortable clothes and simpler make-up.

You felt butterflies erupt in your stomach, a mixture of emotions going through you. Excitement to see Eddie was in the forefront, but the nervousness was lingering in the background. Are you reading things wrong? Is it smart to get involved with someone that your son has already started to form an attachment to? You took a deep breath, checking your hair one last time before shaking your head as if it would erase those feelings like an etch-a-sketch, willing yourself to enjoy something for once.

When you decided you were as ready as you’d ever be you got on Oliver’s shoes and jacket before grabbing your purse and taking him outside on the porch to wait on the swing. You smiled to yourself as you looked at the porch you spent many summers drinking lemonade with your aunt. The various wind chimes that hung moons and stars and zodiac symbols chime in the mid October breeze.

You loved this house, it belonged to your late aunt who left it to you in her will when she died. It was beautiful but eccentric, kind of like your aunt herself. It stuck out among the many suburban style houses in your neighborhood. It was a late 1800s Victorian style home, with beautiful arches and various types of windows, a wrap-around porch, and a beautiful backyard with a garden that your aunt cared for until the day she couldn’t anymore. You and Eddie had planted pumpkins back there with the kids in her honor, she’s the reason you love them so much after all. They were almost ready to be harvested and carved, a Halloween movie on in the background and the smell of pumpkin seeds baking in the oven.

But what really made the house stand out was that your aunt had it painted a deep purple color, the shutters and roof black, matching the porch. The door was black but it had a beautiful stained glass window in the middle of it, depicting the same kind of crescent moon and stars that dangled from the wind chimes. Inside there were four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and family room that held a mixture of her old and your new furniture, and your favorite part, the kitchen. It had been updated since the house was built, but still held a vintage feel. Your aunt had the cabinets and drawers all painted the same purple as the outside of the house, wallpaper with those same moons and stars adorned the walls. The only modern thing about it being the fact that she had replaced all the appliances with shiny new ones.

It was a lot of space, too much for just you and Oliver. But you couldn’t bring yourself to sell it, some of your happiest memories were spent here. So you decided you’d take this opportunity and get the fresh start you’ve been needing. You didn’t have much keeping you back home anyways. You and your mom weren’t particularly close but when she found out your aunt left you everything, not just the house, but her money too, she was furious.

Now that you’ve settled you know it was the right choice. Oli started school and despite his struggles with communication he was thriving in class, you got a job at a local diner where you made pretty decent tips, you had this beautiful house, and last but not least you had Eddie and Charlotte.

•

A large smile stretched across Eddie’s face when he turned down your long driveway and saw you and your son sitting on the porch. He loves your house, he used to drive by it when he would deal to the rich kids in highschool and always admired it. But when you stood up his jaw actually dropped. He had never seen you in a dress before, you always looked beautiful but right now you were fucking radiant.

He got out of his SUV to help you get Oliver’s seat in and you were even more breathtaking up close.

“Wow. You look… wow.” Eddie shamelessly lets his eyes wander your form for a moment, his cheeks turning red when he reaches that little sliver of skin between your socks and your dress.

“Thanks, babe. You’re not so bad yourself, I guess.” You repeated his words from earlier back to him and he cackled.

“Ha ha veeerry funny, brat.” He stuck his tongue out at you.

“Reaaaal mature, nerd.”

“Hi Eddie!” Oli ran over to hug Eddie’s legs and smiled triumphantly, having recently gotten his new friend's name down.

“Hey little dude! How’s a going?” He gave your son a wide smile while he affectionately ruffled his hair.

“Where Char?” He tilted his head to the side, more concerned with where his friend was than answering Eddie’s question.

“She’s in the car buddy, you wanna to say hi to her while I get your seat in?”

He just nodded, grabbing your hand and dragging you around to the other side of the car where Charlotte was, knowing he’s not supposed to walk down the driveway without holding hands.

Eddie couldn’t help but watch you walk away, internally groaning when he saw that same sliver of skin from the back. The dress is long enough to cover your ass, but not by much and he can’t help but imagine flipping the skirt of it up and-

“Eddie? Are you gonna put the seat in the car or are you just gonna stand there and ogle me?”

You couldn’t help but tease him when you turned around and he was just standing there holding the car seat with his mouth hanging open.

“Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah- yeah sorry.” His face turned beat red and he turned his back to put the seat in to try and hide it, but you saw it. At least you know he thinks you look cute, mission accomplished.

Once the kids were all buckled and ready to go you got in the passenger seat and flashed him a smile. He turned towards you and reached under your seat, his leather jacket covered arm going across your thighs where your dress rode up. You tried to act like your heart wasn’t beating a thousand miles a minute whenever you were this close to him, hopefully succeeding.

But Eddie caught the tiniest little squeak that came out of the back of your throat when he first touched you. Feeling satisfied with himself that he had any kind of affect on you because you made him feel like he was in highschool with a crush on a girl he didn’t have a chance with. But you were constantly showing him that maybe he did have a chance with you.

He pulled a bag from under your seat, plopping it in your lap.

“Me and the princess stopped at the dollar store and got your guys’ favorite candy. I figured since the movie theater candy is like crazy expensive we could get the candy before and get popcorn and drinks at the theater.” He said it so casually, like it wasn’t a big deal that he remembered you and your son’s favorite treats. But to you, it was. Every single time you saw him he gave you another reason to fall for him.

“Wow, thank you Eds. That’s really thoughtful of you.” You smiled at him sweetly, the kind of smile that made him feel like he was going to melt into a puddle in the driver's seat.

“Of course Darlin’ anything for my favorite dude and my favorite girl.” He smiled back at you, the kind of smile that reminds you of sunshine that you wanted to bottle up for a rainy day.

He put the car in reverse and of course he had to put his hand on the headrest of the passenger seat while he pulled out. You just wanted to tilt your head up and kiss his wrist where his jacket rode up. You wanted to be close to him so badly, you’ve been trying to find the courage to ask him to hang out, just the two of you but you keep psyching yourself out. You didn’t have anyone to watch Oli anyways and if he wanted that he never hinted at it. Always suggesting things for you to do with the kids. Which you love, having someone think of both of you the way Eddie does is something you’ve never really had. But what you wouldn’t give for just a few hours alone with him, no kids, just being yourselves. But maybe he didn’t want that?

Eddie glanced over at you as he turned onto your street, you were staring out the window, chewing your lip that way you always did when you were thinking hard about something. Usually something that was upsetting you, so he did what any good friend would do and reached across the center counsel to grab your hand.

You whipped your head around at the feeling of his larger hand engulfing yours.

“You okay?” He ran his thumb over the top of it before intertwining your fingers. He had never held your hand before, and you felt your insides grow warm at the feeling. His palm was surprisingly soft against yours, but his fingers were calloused from years of playing guitar and working on cars. The juxtaposition of rough and smooth was more soothing than you ever could’ve imagined.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just got lost in thought for a second. Thank you for checking on me.”

You smiled at him sweetly, squeezing his hand in yours. Expecting him to let go after he knew you were alright but he just held on tighter. One hand on the wheel, the other in yours, hidden from the kids by the center console.

“DADDYYYYY! I want an icee, a blue oneeee!” Charlotte said in a sing-song voice.

“Okay baby, we can get a blue icee.” Eddie smiled at her in the rearview mirror and she clapped her hands in triumph.

“Oli, do you want an icee?” His eyes moved over to the other side of the backseat as he addressed your son.

“Yuuppp! Blueeee!” He said in the same sing song tone as his friend. He was always parroting her and saying things she said back to her and it warms your heart. He’s come so far with his communication skills since he started school and started spending so much time with Charlotte, you couldn’t be more proud of him.

Eddie held your hand up until he parked the car and took the keys out of the ignition. Squeezing it before placing a quick and sneaky kiss on the back of your hand, giving you one of those goofy smiles you love so much and exiting the car like he didn’t just make a bomb filled with butterflies go off in your stomach.

You got the kids out of their seats and walked into the movie theater, Charlotte and Oliver insisting on being in the middle so they could hold hands too. Eddie showed the guy at the ticket booth the barcode on his phone that had the tickets on it since he insisted on paying for everyone.

“Icee! Icee! Blue!” Oli jumped up and down as he pointed at the machine spinning the different colored slushy ice.

“Yeah baby, I’m gonna get you an Icee.” You chuckled at how cute his excitement was, letting him drag you toward the concession stand with Eddie and Charlotte in tow.

You ordered two small and two large blue Icees and a large popcorn. You go to pull your wallet out of your purse to pay since Eddie bought the tickets but you feel a large hand on yours, pushing it back down.

He already had his card out before you even open your purse, handing it to the woman behind the counter.

“Eddie… you paid for the tickets, it's the least I can do.”

“Nope. My treat.” A triumphant smile spread across his lips and he sent you a wink.

He always did this, paid for you, drove you, brought you little things he saw in the store that reminded him of you or Oli. It’s not like you didn’t have money, your aunt left you plenty of it and you had your job at the diner. But you knew Eddie did well for himself, he had told you some about his childhood, how he grew up with very little and he didn’t want his daughter to ever feel like he did as a kid. So after he finally graduated he and his uncle opened their own mechanic shop. It was fairly successful, their lower prices and more efficient work times drawing in and catering to the less wealthy people of Hawkins.

“Dada I have to go potty!” Charlotte tugged on Eddie’s hand, pouting toward the bathroom sign that was on the way to your designated theater.

“Alright sweets, let’s go potty. Oli and your bestie will go get our seats.”

She shook her head and pouted, looking at you with big round brown eyes, asking without verbalizing, something you’ve became an expert at understanding after having Oliver. Ever since you had all started going on outings together more often she had been asking you to take her to the bathroom. She had hardly ever gone in the girls room, always having to have her dad take her, so after you took her that first time, she always asked.

“Do you want me to take you potty honey?” You smiled at her sweetly, titling your head toward the bathroom.

“Yes! Please! I like going to the girl potty room!”

“Alright little dude, looks like it’s you and me with the snacks and the seats. They have lady business to attend to.” He grabbed the drink carrier from your hand, guiding Oli to walk in front of him into the bright colored double doors that led to dimly lit theater.

You stood outside the stall while Charlotte used the restroom, “standing guard” as she called it.

“Have you ever seen Paranorman before?” You asked her as you helped her wash her hands.

“No but my daddy said it’s a lot like Coraline and I love Coraline so I hope I will like this one too!” She smiled at you in the mirror.

“I’m sure you will, Oli loves it!” You helped her dry her hands before leading her out of the bathroom and into the theater to find the boys.

“Mommmmyyyy! Sit!” Oliver patted the seat on his left, signaling for you to sit down next to him. Charlotte sat to his right and to her right sat Eddie.

You knew you wouldn’t be able to sit by him before you even got here. But he felt like he was a world away with two reclining seats between you, it made you miss the old movie seats, at least then you’d be close enough to reach behind the kids to hold his hand over their heads. You missed his hand in yours the minute he let go, it still felt empty now even as you held the large cup filled with sugary blue slush in your hand.

The movie went as smoothly as it could’ve with two five year olds. You had to shush them both more than a few times and twenty minutes in, Oliver had to go to the bathroom, Eddie took him, he liked going in the boys bathroom just as much as Char liked going in the girls.

When it ended you corralled the kids back into the car, Eddie offering to drive through McDonald’s on the way to your house to get the kids happy meals and they cheered.

The ride was filled with small talk, jokes, and all four of you singing along to different songs on your playlist because Eddie even let you pick the music in his car. He never let anyone pick the music, it didn’t hurt that you had good taste.

When you were a few minutes from your house, just like before Eddie reached over to grab your hand. You took it instantly, intertwining your fingers and looking over at him with a shy smile.

“I had a lot of fun today, thanks for coming with us.” He glanced over at you at a stop sign, his smile sweet and his eyes filled with affection.

“I did too, thank you for inviting us. Next time I’m paying though.” You ran your thumb along his, the soft gesture contradicting the teasing tone in your voice.

“Yeah, we will see about that sweetheart.” He sent you a wink as he turned onto your street, giving your hand one last squeeze before getting out of the car to help you with the seat.

He got Oliver and his seat out of his car, you grabbed your son's hand and he held onto the car seat as he walked you a few feet to your door. He sits the seat down on the porch before turning to Oli and asking him for a high five, he happily obliged, even offering to bump knuckles with him in return.

“I really did have fun today, I love hanging out with you guys, it’s nice… to have someone else to do things with.” Eddie rocked on the balls of his feet with a bashful look on his face.

“It is nice, I’m glad we have you guys. I love spending time with you, both of you.” You were sure the smile on your face was lovesick and dopey but you couldn’t bring it in yourself to care. “The pumpkins are almost ready to harvest, would you guys want to come over and carve them next weekend? We can put a Halloween movie on, make some popcorn, make a whole thing of it.”

“I’d love that, and I’m sure she would too. It’s a date.” His eyes widen as he realizes his choice of words and you can tell he's about to correct himself so you cut him off.

“It’s a date.” You nod, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him into a hug that he immediately reciprocates, his arms wrapping tightly around your waist, his chin resting on the top of your head. You give him a final squeeze before pulling away and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“Goodnight Eddie, get home safe.”

He was beat red with a flustered look on his face, you had kissed him on the cheek a few times now, but something about this felt different, more intimate.

“Goodnight sweetheart, sleep tight little dude!!” He waved at Oli before giving your forearm a squeeze and walking back towards his car. You sigh as you watch him drive away, knowing you’ll be counting down the days until next weekend.

Taglist: @comic-harley @yujyujj @witchwolflea @ali-r3n @bmunson86 @ineedtosusoutmyreadinglist @sheneedsrocknroll92 @melodymunson

[munsonshire]

After Battle

Pairing: Eddie x reader Warnings: Mention of blood, healing, and scars Masterlist

Patching Eddie up after the bat attack is such an odyssey

With all the blood and such you only have time to put some pressure on hus wounds before he passes out

You and Dustin pick Eddie up and try to carry him through the gate, you are able to thank to the fact that Steve, Robin, and Nancy showed up.

You all decide to not take him to the hospital because it is better to keep Eddie's identity secret, it's better to let them believe that he is dead

Steve is the one with the most knowledge on wounds and how to treat them, thanks to all the beatings that he's taken so he tries his best to stabilize Eddie the best he can

The first two days are pretty rough, Eddie keeps going in and out of consciousness, screams in pain when he awakes, and has cold sweats

None of the young ones think that he's gonna make it past the second day, Steve and Robin start to lose hope and Nancy is already thinking of what to do with the body, but not you, you keep cleaning his bandages, reading to him and basically being there with him

Luckily, on the second day the group from California, Joyce and Hopper arrive to Hawkins. They inmediately ask about what happened and get told about Max and Eddie, while the kids go to visit Max at the hospital Joyce and Hopper go to Steves house, where Eddie is staying at the moment. Hopper, after seeing Eddies condition decides to ask for a favour, being the former chief of the police he had a few contacts, after some explaining and a lot of money (that the gobernment had gave them some time ago to stay quiet) he convinces one of the doctors from the hospital to check Eddie out. They end up making a little hospital room in Steves guest room.

Finally, Eddie starts getting better, he wakes up, and there's lots of crying sone between you too, and more when Dustin arrives.

When Eddie gets told what happened and that he barely survived he's so amazed, he barely remembers running toward the demobats.

He gets bedrest for at least 2 weeks, meanwhile, you're on bandage change and wound cleaning duty, after all, you're basically the only person that Eddie trusts and the only one that he lets near him.

The scarring is pretty bad, he knows it's bad and that makes him self-conscious but you try to assure him that they aren't that bad, that when they fully heal they would be pretty metal.

If he flinches when you clean his wounds he's quick to soothe you down and tell you that it's okay.

When they are finally healed you make sure to kiss them every night

[ladykailitha]

If I Rescue You, Will You Rescue Me, Too? Part 2

The Corroded Coffin boys are here and ain’t down with Eddie have to share a room with Steve fucking Harrington. (Don’t worry they come around, just some faster than others.)

Part 1

*

Steve woke up to the sound of two heart monitors beeping in rhythm to each other. He moaned and he could feel that there was someone holding his hand.

“Steve?” Robin asked.

His eyelashes fluttered and he could blearily make out her face. “Robs?”

She reached over the guardrail and pressed a button repeatedly. Two nurses came rushing in.

“He’s awake!” Robin told them excitedly.

The first nurse started taking readings on all the machines he was hooked up to while the other came over with a cup of ice chips.

She pressed the cup to Steve’s lips. He gasped when the cold ice hit his mouth and then slid down his throat. He greedily drank more until she pulled the cup away.

“How are we feeling today, Mr Harrington?” the first nurse asked.

“Steve,” he insisted. “Mr Harrington makes me feel old.”

Robin giggled. “You are old.”

“Steve, then,” the nurse said with a smile. “On a scale between zero and ten how would you rate your pain? Zero being none at all, five being it hurts a lot and I can deal with it, and ten being kill me, kill me now.”

Steve laughed. “Um...I’d say a four. It hurts but not a lot, a lot, if you know what I mean.”

The second nurse twisted a little nob on the equipment and suddenly Steve felt a rush of relief.

“That should help,” the first nurse said. “The doctor will be in in about ten minutes to go over your prognosis.”

Steve nodded. The two nurses left and he looked at Robin. “How’s Eddie?” He hadn’t bothered to ask the nurses because they would have told him he wasn’t family and not given him a damn thing.

She stood up and pulled back the curtain. There on the other side was Eddie still asleep with an older man clutching Eddie’s hand to his lips.

The man looked up for the first time and saw them watching him. He cleared his throat and stood up.

Steve watched as the man walked up to him.

“I’m Wayne Munson,” he said, introducing himself. “And you saved my boy.”

“Steve Harrington,” Steve replied and stuck out his hand.

Wayne smiled. “I know who you are, son. This girly and about a half dozen feral children have been telling me all about you.”

Steve blushed. “I’m sure they’re over-selling it.”

Wayne raised an eyebrow. “I really don’t think they are.”

“Is he going to be okay?” Steve asked, looking over at Eddie. He looked so small. So...dim. The Eddie Munson Steve had gotten to know in the Upside Down was always so bright and animated. But there was none of that now.

“Oh yeah,” Wayne said with a grin that Steve recognized even if it was a little strange seeing it on another face. “He woke up before you did.” He jutted his thumb at his nephew.

Steve grinned back. “He always did have a flare for the dramatic.”

Wayne’s grin softened to a warm smile. “That he does. The first thing you should know is, he would want you to know is that the government pulled their cover up bullshitery and he’s been cleared of all charges. He’s a free man. And they’ve given me the name of a good lawyer in case I wanted to sue the town for orchestrating that witch hunt.”

Steve let out a sigh of relief and all the tension that was in his body melted away. “That’s really good news, sir. This town will never believe it but that’s good to hear.”

Wayne chuckled. “I think they just might.”

Steve frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You know what close-minded assholes love more than an outsider to hunt?” Steve shook his head. “A venerated hero to topple. They placed the blame on the dead Carver kid.”

Steve blinked as his eyebrows crept slowly up his forehead. “Jason is dead?”

Wayne nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“Shit.” Steve reached out for Robin’s hand again and she took his, giving it a squeeze.

Wayne grasped the guardrails of the hospital bed and breathed out slowly through his nose. “They said that he killed Chrissy because she was flirting with Eddie. Then killed Patrick when he refused to continue to hunt him. After all Andy’s witness statement could go for Jason as much as it could my boy.”

“And Fred?” Steve asked in morbid curiosity.

“Attacked by the same animals that got Ed.”

Steve stared at him in stunned silence. “So now everyone thinks that Jason riled up the town to hunt Eddie because he was the real killer?”

Wayne hummed. “Right in one, kid.”

Steve started laughing hysterically.

“Oi!” Eddie called from the bed next to him. “Fucking noisy neighbor. I’m trying to sleep here.”

Steve smiled. “Good to see the bats didn’t suck out all your snark.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow at Steve. “I have an unlimited supply.”

“It’s a Munson family trait,” Wayne agreed.

Steve buried his head in his hands. “Oh god, I don’t think I can handle two of them.”

Robin patted his thigh. “How do you think I felt the last three hours? It was horrible!”

Eddie and Wayne laughed.

“I like your new friends, Ed,” Wayne said with a grin. “Not that your old friends weren’t great. These two are funny.”

“And we aren’t funny?” Jeff said from the door. “You wound me!” Behind him Brian and Gareth were also making dramatic gestures.

“Guys!” Eddie cried. “Hey!”

The three of them shuffled in and they glanced at Robin and Steve warily as they passed them.

Eddie saw Gareth’s bandaged hand. “What the fuck, man?”

Gareth grinned. “Further proof that Jason Carver was the real villain. The dude tortured me to try and find out where you were.”

“Holy shit!” Eddie cursed. “That is messed up.”

They shifted nervously. “Lucas was with him.”

Steve and Robin’s heads snapped their direction.

“Seriously?” Robin squeaked.

Jeff looked over at her and nodded sheepishly.

Eddie reached out and grabbed Jeff’s wrist. “He was trying to lead them away from me but they caught on too quickly.”

Gareth gulped. “You sure?”

Even Steve and Robin were waiting on bated breath.

“Yeah, he told me,” Eddie said. “He was here earlier. He’s–he’s the reason Jason is dead.” He waved his hands wildly when he saw the stricken expressions on everyone’s faces. “He didn’t kill him or anything. Jason came looking for me at the Creel house and found Max and Lucas and Erica. Jason went crazy and started spewing a bunch of hateful shit. So Lucas punched him and because Jason was unsteady on his feet when the earthquake hit, he tumbled out the window to his death. Lucas was pretty broken up about it.”

“Poor kid,” Gareth said. “I guess it goes to show that you can’t be a nerd and jock. You can’t straddle that line and have it turn out well for anyone.”

“That’s bullshit,” Steve said. “Lucas can be good at sports and play D&D. He’s was trying protect his friends. And I hope this doesn’t kill his love for either.”

The room became deathly silent.

Brian turned to Steve. “What are you doing here, Harrington?”

Steve looked down at his hospital gown in confusion. “Being treated for the same animal bites as Eddie?”

Just then the doctor bustled in. He stopped short when he saw the large crowd at Eddie’s bed.

He cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon, I need to speak to the patients regarding their care. Would you be so kind as to step out for a moment? Just a moment. You’ll be able to speak to your friend after I am done.”

Jeff and Gareth shared a glance, but Brian bristled.

“Why do we have to go?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of chest. He wasn’t a small kid by any stretch of the imagination.

“I am going over sensitive medical information,” the doctor said curtly, “that under law can only be given to the patient or to someone they have deemed by signature on a legal document to share such medical information with.” He lowered his glassed and looked Brian square in the eye. “Now do you want to comply and come back in a few minutes or do you want to be escorted out of this hospital by security and not allowed back inside unless under medical duress?”

Jeff tapped his shoulder. “Come on, man, let’s go. It’s just standard procedure. They did they same thing when my cousin Ally had her appendix out.”

Brian went begrudgingly but he did go. Robin followed them out. She wasn’t old enough to sign legal documents yet, her eighteenth birthday a month a way. So she couldn’t supersede Steve’s parents being his medical contact.

Yet.

Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6 Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12 Part 13 Part 14  Part 15 Part 16 Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20

Tag List: @anaibis​ @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1​ @zerokrox-blog​ @carlyv​ @artiststarme​ @swimmingbirdrunningrock​ @gregre369​  @itsall-taken​ @goodolefashionedloverboi​ @chaoticlovingdreamer​ @maya-custodios-dionach​ @messrs-weasley​ @val-from-lawrence​ @plyerice27​ @thedragonsaunt​ @chaoticlovingdreamer​ @sapphirecobalt-1​ @a-little-unsteddie​ @i-must-potato​ @danili666​ ​ @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog​ @justforthedead89​ @whalesharksart​ 

[roseworth]

hi tumblr user roseworth im desperately trying to figure out how old rose and eddie were by the end of their tenures in tt03 / how long they knew each other and it is... difficult especially because sooo much happened dc-event-wise during tt03. do you have any canon sources or noncanon thoughts on their ages beyond eddie being 17 in part of tt03 and rose being 14(?) when lilli dies ^_^

hiiiiii <3 unfortunately i dont have a great answer for this bc. comic timelines. but ill do my very best

so for rose the only time we get anything about her age in tt03 is in issue #0.5 (when she gets taken by slade) when it says that lili and slade met 18 years ago

so i assume that makes rose ~17 when she join slade (since lili would've been pregnant for 9 months after this)

we also get this panel saying that lili died 18 months before rose joins slade, putting her at around 15 or 16 when lili dies. iirc she was 14 when wintergreen sees her for the first time, so we can assume a year went by between wintergreen meeting lili and lili's death (if tt03 is to be believed! but deathstroke 1991 (annual #4) mentions that shes 14 when her mom dies)

anyways this also means that roy hired her as a live-in nanny when she was 16 years old which is really funny to me. but none of that matters; point is she was 17ish at the start of tt03

this is just my personal headcanon but i assume that the time between titans/yj graduation day -> infinite crisis is around a year, and if rose joins up with slade a little after graduation day then shes with him for just under a year

HOWEVER if we go by what slade says in nightwing #112, rose has only been with him for a few months

so based on that, rose is 17 (probably closer to 18) when she leaves slade

then infinite crisis happens and we skip to a year later! so shes 18/19 now. we dont get any specifics on her age but just for funsies we can assume that shes at least 18 since shes smoking and cyborg doesnt have a problem with it (he confiscates her alcohol but not her cigarettes), and the tobacco age in california in 2006 was 18

THEN it gets complicated. i dont have a source for this but i think theres supposed to be a year between oyl -> final crisis, making rose 19/20 by fresh hell (the secret reason she got kicked off the teen titans was because she wasnt a teen #adulthood)

also in fresh hell, she orders alcohol at a bar in canada (in the northwest territories where the drinking age is 19) so theoretically that makes her at least 19. though she never actually gets the drinks because she gets in a fight 2 seconds after this so she doesnt get carded so who knows!

from there. i dont have much. i assume that a full year doesnt go by from fresh hell to the end of the universe (if anyone knows how long bart & kon were dead for that might change things, but i assume we're not given any exact info on how long it was), so i would put rose at ~20 right before the new 52 happens!!

as for eddie, ill use the same tt03 timeline that i used for rose

like you mentioned, hes 17 in tt03 #42 (for reference rose is 18/19 at this time)

he didnt join the teen titans that long before this, we see him asking to join in 52 #51, which is like a week or two before tt03 #34 (the first tt issue after oyl) so its safe to assume that eddie is 17 when he joins the team

anyways after #42, i dont think we get any mention of his age? which is honestly kinda weird since his age is Very Important given that hes selling his soul to neron at 20. we should have an eddie's age tracker at all times

if we assume that hes 17 when he joins the teen titans and oyl -> final crisis is 1 year, then hes right around 18 or 19 when he dies

when he loses his powers then tries to make another contract to get them back in tt03 #68, kid eternity mentions that he'd have "a few years of superheroing," so him being 18 around this time makes sense

then he dies in #74 </3 no mention of his age anywhere but id say hes right around 18 when he dies

take all of this with a grain of salt bc a lot of this is just me making up timelines. but i personally think rose is 15 when her mom dies, 17 when slade takes her, 18 when she leaves slade, and 19 as of tt03 #34 (oyl). and eddie is 17 when he joins the team and 18 when he dies!

[inklessletter]

What if the scene in the woods turned up a little bit differently? What if-

"I guess I got a little jealous, Steve," Eddie said nonchalant, clearly looking for a reaction. Steve looked at him with a confused expression on his face. "Because I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude."

Steve looked down, frown on his face. Eddie kept going.

"Rich parents? Popular? Chicks love him? Not a douche? No-"

"Wait, what?" Steve stopped on his track.

"I mean, you know," Eddie did a gesture with his hand, as if it was self explanatory.

"No, no I don't. None of those things are true."

"Uhm, did you forget that we went to the same high school, King Steve?" Eddie joked. Steve huffed a humorless laugh.

"Yeah, well. It's all bullshit," Steve spat the word. "Maybe we remember high school a little differently. I was the worst version of myself when I was popular. Then I decided I wanted to be a better person, and all my friends disappeared. I went to my graduation alone, and I mean, alone. Not even my parents showed up, since I barely graduated, and I had no acceptance letter. I had no friends there. I was not popular, I was useful, until I stopped being of use," Steve scoffed.

Eddie didn't dare to speak.

"Oh, and yeah, because of that, my parents cut me off. Yeah, my family might have money, but I've been working my ass off since I was sixteen in summer jobs because my father has been rubbing in my face everything they do for me and I still keep disappointing them," he said. Steve knew he was rambling, and maybe he should stop, but he was down hill no breaks now. "I came back from the hospital after fucking Hargrove gave me a concussion and migraines for life, and the first thing my father said to me was how much of a pussy I was for having lost a fight, and that they were absolutely not paying the hospital bill, so I owed them three grands for that," Steve took air, and he dropped his volume. "I saw your uncle defending you. He loves you," he mumbles. "You're richer than me, believe me."

"Ah, and for the chicks love me thing?" he stopped, and so did Eddie. Steve pointed Nancy a few steps ahead, "Wheeler over there, I used to think she was the love of my life. We dated for a year, you know. Senior year. She dumped me," he looked Eddie dead in the eye, and he could swear he could see the pain in his face. "She called bullshit everything we had, and I had to accept that. I've been looking for what I thought we had in almost every girl in Hawkins, and all I can find are girls that are infatuated by that King Steve reputation I had, and that's--that's the real bullshit," Steve said and his lip trembled. "And I'm having a hard time coming to terms that maybe I am not meant to be loved how I thought I could be, so, no, Munson. Don't get this confuse you," he points at her again, "this upside down shit is what keeps us orbiting around each other. Trauma." Steve took a deep breath. "But no. Chicks don't love me."

They locked gazes for a second.

"They never did."

Steve looked down again and resumed his way. Eddie could not.

"Still jealous of me?"

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Hiiii Cal 💕💕💕💕

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮

-❤️🪐

HI SATURN!

30 for 🌊:

---

Buck stops short, blinking at Eddie with empty confusion.

“It doesn’t matter who you are!” Eddie says again, calmer. “Not to me.”

“It sure seemed to,” Buck reminds him.

Eddie shakes his head. “I was shocked, Buck. Evan. Whatever. I was in shock.”

The muscles in Buck’s jaw twitch.

“I was shocked that such a thing could even be possible, and shocked that things weren’t the way I understood them to be,” Eddie continues. “I let myself see so much of our relationship as getting you back, and that’s my fault. I was hurt, maybe, that I’d been misled by this… Other Buck. But… But I love you. I want to keep loving you. I know it’s early, I know I hurt you, but please let me try.”

Buck takes a shaky breath. 

“You won’t,” he says after a moment.

“I won’t?” Eddie scoffs, incredulous. “I’m standing here in the middle of a hurricane for you. What do you mean I won’t try?”

“No,” Buck shakes his head. “I mean, you won’t keep loving me.” 

“You don’t know that,” Eddie replies angrily.

“I do,” Buck says, voice tight. He wipes his eyes. “I tend to disappoint people. And I’m not the man you thought you wanted.”

---

15 for 🚨:

---

They don’t really get around to talking about it. Not properly, anyway. And Eddie recognizes that this is largely his fault.

Every time they sit down to have a serious conversation about their changing relationship dynamic, it ends in bed. Partly because, Eddie knows, he is too nervous to bring up the will. He knows he should have focused on the will first, sex second in the proper order of things. But he’s neglected to do so, and the cat’s out of the bag, and the sex is fantastic. It’s really, really hard to choose a potentially uncomfortable conversation over sex. Especially after having none of it since breaking up with Alan. 

Eddie is nervous of the will conversation for one reason alone, and it’s a selfish one. A really selfish one. No part of him thinks Buck would refuse Chris. Out of the question. But, maybe Buck would refuse Eddie. 

Maybe he’d say of course I’ll be there for Chris, but in the interest of doing so, we shouldn’t be together.

---

30 for 🔮:

---

When Bobby opens his eyes again, lucidity returning to him, he notices three oddities in succession. First, he feels completely fine. Better than fine even; more like he is entirely unburdened by the usual troubles of having a human body. Second, he’s standing up. He doesn’t remember standing. Third, he is outside, in the sun, on a quiet, suburban street he doesn’t recognize, flush with verdant gardens and perfectly trimmed hedges. 

For a moment, Bobby wonders if he might be dead. Another heart attack, maybe? A brain aneurysm? What a shame to die in this way. He thinks of the way it will hurt the people he loves. He thinks of how much more time he had wanted with them all. 

Bobby is beginning to feel awash with an intense grief he can’t quite name, when something changes his perspective. Something he doesn’t quite understand. A voice, actually.

“Maddie, let’s get going!” 

Maddie? If this is Heaven, and Bobby is dead, then there is no good reason for anyone to be calling out for Maddie Han. He doesn’t know any other Maddies. Not that, of course, Maddie wouldn’t be present in Heaven if the worst happened. Just, he has no reason to believe she’s dead. Unless everyone died. That would be considerably worse than what he had thought. 

Bobby turns in the direction of the voice. Towards a wide driveway in front of a big, grassy lawn. There’s a U-Haul self-moving van parked in the driveway and a young man in the driver’s seat. Bobby thinks he looks distantly familiar, though he’s not sure why. 

“Maddie!” The guy calls again. “We don’t want to be stuck in rush hour.”

[weresilver]

These three parts make for a nice chapter, I think, so they have been posted to AO3! Future chapters will probably be longer. Here we are on part 3. As promised, season 4 events. Have fun! [Part 1] – [Part 2] – [Part 4]

@madaboutmunson @lamburrito @benjaminrussell @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @dijkstraspath @swiftiebuckleys @spectrum-spectre [Let me know if you want to be tagged!]

Pin a String to My Chest – 3

The spring break from hell

Of course, none of this was what Eddie had expected to happen. He'd known, on some level, that things weren't okay with Chrissy, but he didn't think he would ever see someone murdered by a freaky, evil mind-controlling wizard from another dimension.

Not that he had known that was the case that Friday.

That night, the only thing he'd known was that she died an impossible death in the middle of the Munson living room.

He panicked.

And he ran.

Eddie really hoped, after he managed to catch his breath at Rick's boathouse, that his uncle could forgive him for running.

Then he was found. Dustin, his own little sheep, and Buckley, band nerd. Max, his new neighbor. King Steve Harrington himself.

And even though their explanation was absolutely insane, it… it helped that they believed him. His only hope became seeing his uncle at all, forgiveness or not, no matter what the old man thought.

Nancy said, a while later, that he believed in him. That he'd been the first to deny that Eddie could have done any of it.

The relief he felt was huge, but it was tainted by the second impossible death he had to witness.

With Jason right there, the city's golden boy who'd never do wrong, who the fuck else would believe in him?

Then there was a whole parallel dimension that might as well have been hell, flesh-eating bats, visions of the villain's origin story and said hell bleeding into their world with a vengeance, and finally a plan that could just get them all killed.

Sure, why not? These people are absolutely insane, but fuck, he could really come to care about them. Even Harrington, which at any previous point of his life would've seemed extremely unlikely.

But, well, he wouldn't begrudge someone's character development.

Maybe he could do something different himself. Something… better. His job — and Dustin's — was to distract the bats, lure them away from the Creel house long enough for the Vecna Slaying Team to kill him, then get out of the Upside Down.

He would do his very best, he'd decided. He'd do it well, loud, and in style.

Master of Puppets was an easy decision.

Just as easy as sending Dustin back through the gate and turning back around.

If he was going to run one more time, might as well do it in the opposite direction; keep the bats away from the gate and from Dustin.

Draw attention to himself then run with it. Literally.

It didn't work every time. It didn't work back in his first senior year, when Hagan was dumped by Steve, and it certainly wasn't working now.

Never handled crowds that well, he thought a little hysterically when the bats dropped dead all at once, as if feeling overwhelmed in a tiny space full of people could be compared to being eaten alive and bleeding out.

He didn't have room for much thought after that, the pain too all-consuming to focus on much of anything else.

At least… At least Dustin would be safe. He'd look after Hellfire, the kid was passionate enough.

Never change, Dustin Henderson.

But… he would, wouldn't he? This wasn't—

The kid wasn't supposed to come back. He wasn't supposed to see him die.

I love you, man.

But at least, there was some truth in all the bullshit he'd just said.

[dicktozier]

By tomorrow we'll be lost amongst the leaves

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Close after canon Eddie lives AU

Steve and Eddie are hanging out a lot. This time they decide to go for a drive and then end up in a motel room for the night with their new-formed bond moving into something more than friendship.

Alternating POV

From the fic:

By some miracle, Eddie had not only survived the onslaught of demobats, but he had been acquitted of murder charges. Dustin tried to explain to him that with their knowledge of the Upside Down and Russia (??), they had their bribery. Then with the Police Chief, Jim Hopper, coming back from the dead they had their connections. With the state of Hawkins, it was more believable that there was something out there that was a little more dangerous than a kid that liked to listen to heavy metal. Out of everything that had happened so far, Eddie found it most unbelievable that he had managed to avoid prison time. 

Well, almost everything.

The fact that Steve Harrington had hung around his hospital bedside while he was recovering was the most unbelievable thing that had happened in his life so far. 

Eddie knew Steve Harrington before all of … this . He and Steve had their share of passing in the halls at Hawkins High. They even had a class together here and there. Eddie could see Steve’s charm. He had eyes, after all. It helped Steve get away with a lot more than it should have in school. Eddie could remember Steve being a total shithead for the majority of his high school career. Steve might have laughed sometimes when Tommy H called Eddie a freak or something equally as annoying, but Steve had also once picked up Eddie’s walkman when some dick from the basketball team knocked it out of his hands in the hallway. 

Aside from that, Steve was clearly not that guy he had been known as in high school deep down. Eddie was willing to give him a chance, especially since Dustin thought he was awesome and Eddie trusted Dustin’s judgment. Mostly. Then there was the fact that they had experienced another dimension together. That sort of sealed a bond.

None of it really explained why Steve had been sticking around in his hospital room. Dustin was too battle-worn to ride his bike anywhere at the time, so Harrington was Dustin’s ride. That didn’t explain why Harrington would continue to hang out in Eddie’s room when Dustin left his room to visit Max’s. The first time it happened, Eddie hadn’t said anything about it to Steve. He thought that maybe Dustin had asked Steve to stay behind and keep an eye on him. None of them knew what demobat bites might result in, after all.

The second time, Eddie watched as Dustin asked Steve if he was coming upstairs to see Max, and Steve had just shaken his head. Eddie had pretended that he wasn’t eavesdropping, but also, like what else was he supposed to be doing? He pretended he was interested in changing the channel on the TV in the corner of his room rather than listening. When Dustin had left the room, he felt Steve looking at him. Eddie had finally said something, and teased Steve about being broody. Then Eddie felt guilty about it when Steve said he was worried about Max. Steve claimed that he didn’t want to talk about it, so Eddie left it be.

Part of Eddie felt guilty for being alive and conscious. Another part of Eddie was thankful for it. If what had happened to Chrissy had happened to Max, Eddie just didn’t see how she was going to recover. And Steve still didn’t want to talk about it. Not that Eddie could blame him. The shit was bleak and so was the state of their shitty town.

.

Thick rows of trees rushed by the windows of the car faster as Steve put his foot on the gas to speed up. He wasn’t showing off . Okay, maybe he was showing off a little. It was the sound of the guitar shredding that was egging him on as it blared through the speakers, the adrenaline of everything that had happened over the last month still bubbling under his skin and the desperate desire for an escape of some kind. Steve didn’t know how he ended up in the car with Eddie Munson, but here he was, driving down the backroads for fun with Eddie in the passenger's seat.

“Slow down, Harrington.” Eddie said loudly, over the music he had talked Steve into playing in the car.

“No.” Steve said, eyes darting over to Eddie as he tried not to grin.

“Remember Stevie, I’m on the path of the straight and narrow, not wanting to be involved in any more mishaps, including reckless driving.” Eddie called.

“I’m the driver. You won’t get in trouble.” Steve said.

“Trust me man, I would somehow get into trouble. You see the way those fucking pigs look at me.” Eddie said.

Steve released his foot a little. “Alright, alright. I’ll wait until we’re further out of Hawkins.” Driving around Hawkins was sort of impossible because you never knew where a road was ending.

“That a boy.” Eddie said.

Steve felt his neck get hot. He didn’t have a remark to make. Instead, he moved his hands to both hold onto the wheel tighter.

Eddie reached to turn the volume up even louder.

It had taken Eddie weeks to start healing from the insane demobat bites that had nearly killed him. Steve could relate to that a little, though his damage wasn’t nearly as bad as Eddie’s. Steve never would have thought in a million years that Eddie Munson was someone he would be relating to, defending and hanging out with, but shit , he was sort of Steve’s best choice after Dustin.

Read more

[guessimabasicnerdgirlnow]

So add that to the other equally likely possibilities of:

V survived the acid because you know, acid doesn’t kill symbiotes and they already survived something they shouldn’t have in the first movie (rocket explosion)

V’s main body was destroyed but they are still alive in the small piece they left in the bar, which was in the lab

V did die but remember what the codex does? It can bring one back from the dead! V brought Eddie back in the first movie, Eddie can repay them now. Yeah yeah the codex was supposedly destroyed but was it really??

None of this is new, I know, but I hadn’t written down the possibilities before and it feels like this is the time for it

I haven’t rewatched the movie yet, so there are some things I don’t know for sure, mainly the two tubes thing. I was pretty sure that the tube with the goo from the bar was the same one Teddy took that turned out to be Agony, while my sister told me there were two of them and Agony came from a tube that was already in the lab when the scientists stored the one from the bar

(I still believe in some goo being left behind in the MCU in No Way Home but it could of course be retconned or maybe it was clear in the original scene that it was left in Sonyverse. I have no excuse for not having checked it already)

But not all possibilities depend on a second tube, or even the cockroach, and honestly?

A sequel would be great, but even without a sequel I think it’s clear they are alive somehow I WANT THAT MILKSHAKE BACK

It has probably been said before but

The military guy was very quick to tell Eddie that V was gone forever

He was not in area 51 as far as I remember. He wasn’t directly involved in the events, he wasn’t there to see it. And he is not one of the scientists, who are the ones that best understand symbiotes (and even so their knowledge is limited by the small sample and short time)

He is a military, and he doesn’t want these secrets to leak. He is the least trustworthy source possible. Wouldn’t he say that anyway, no matter if it was true or not, to keep Eddie away from this story?

These were all thoughts I had when seeing the scene for the first time, before even seeing the cockroach, but most importantly before knowing about Flash being there

Of course V could find Flash in a more natural manner but if they want to go with a more comic accurate Agent Venom then not only is V alive but the military know and have them, and lied to Eddie so he would not try looking for them

[fitzells]

an unedited, unrequested steve blurb. set in episode 9 so season 4 spoilers below!

Your nimble fingers tremble as you sort through the piles of donated clothing, the plethora of sounds from the busy crowd swarming you from where you stand in the centre of the gymnasium. Your head is all over the place, fatigued and somehow simultaneously hyperactive as you try to piece together the mess of what had happened over the course of the last few days. The last few months. The last few years. All of the above.

Just vaguely, you can make out Steve’s voice; he’s standing beside you, constantly leaning over your body to reach towards the boxes of clothes cluttering the table beside you. Everytime he reaches over, you catch a waft of his cologne; it calms you. You’re not really sure why you can’t listen to him, why you won’t listen to him. He hasn’t done anything wrong, you’re not upset with him. You just wish that time could stop for a moment.

Eddie’s dead, Max is comatosed, the ground holding your entire town together was split open for reasons you can’t say out loud without sounding like a total maniac. Everything is a mess, a complete and total mess, and you can’t escape it. None of that is Steve’s issue, so why can't you just turn to talk to him? Everyone else seems fine; Steve’s still looking out for everyone, Robin’s still making quippy remarks, Nancy’s still as neat and put together as ever; even Dustin, who was forced to watch his new found hero die in arms only two days ago seems to be holding it together better than you. Why were you such a mess?

Sure, you’ve always felt as though you had a strong bond with Max. The urge to protect her from all possible forms of harm had been looming ever since you met her; she was your kid sister, blood or not. Eddie and you seemed to click upon first meeting, you never really knew him in high school; you wish you did. Even though you didn’t know the guy for that long, he might’ve been one of the greatest people you had the pleasure of knowing. He was a good person, and an even better friend. You hate that everyone’s formed their own opinion of him, you hate that he can’t defend himself, you hate that you can’t tell them the truth.

“Hey.” Steve’s jean clad hip nudges your own, eyebrows furrowed as he peers down at you. “You okay?”

No, not okay. I’m not okay. None of this is okay. How are you holding it together so well? “I’m fine.”

He nods slowly, not believing you for even a second. He doesn’t want to push it, you’d only shrug and brush it off. “You want me to come over tonight? I know your parents are out of town, figured you might not want to be alone.”

And you don’t want to be alone. You really truly don’t. In fact, you want Steve to come over and stay with you because the mere thought of having to spend another night alone with your thoughts in that empty house in this eerie town makes you want to hurl. Yet, the thought of him having to watch you when you become the anxious, emotional wreck that you seem to morph into everytime you get more than ten seconds alone makes you even more nauseous.

“Uh.” You pause, sweeping a hand over your forehead as you fold the last pile of clothes from one box, sorting them into sections and placing a fresh box filled with garments on the table in its wake. “I need to get some things for Max from her trailer and bring them to the hospital. Her mom wants me to bring some things for when she wakes up.” If she wakes up.

“I’ll probably stay at the hospital until late.” You continue, placing a yellow blouse in the section labelled ‘womens’. “So…”

Steve gnaws down on the inside of his mouth. Why don’t you want him around? You’re struggling, and it seems as though the last person you want to see is him, when you’re the person who’s been holding him together since this whole thing happened.

“Can I go with you? To the hospital— and the trailer. I know you don’t like driving in the dark anymore; and I don’t really want you to go over there on your own.” He’s rambling, he knows he is. He sounds like an idiot; why is he panicking? He’s your boyfriend, he’s allowed to care.

Please don’t shut me out, he thinks to himself. His eyes pierce holes into your temple as he watches purposely avoid his gaze.

“Erm—“ Your voice wavers, cutting yourself off. You feel like you’re about to cry, because he’s so perfect; so caring and kind and loving and you’re here self sabotaging because you don’t want to burden him. You’re driving yourself crazy and worrying him sick. “I don’t—“

You look at his face, the way his eyebrows are knitted together, the way his under eyes are darkened, the way his right arm is hovering in the air because he wants to pull you in close to him but doesn’t want to smother you. Your eyes water. “Actually, yeah. Yeah, I’d really like that.”

“Yeah?” His face lights up, he tries to bite back the grin on his face but he can’t stop it; he’s getting through to you. You nod. Your tears fall. Great, now you’re crying.

He coos at you, heart aching as your face crumples and you wrap your arms around his neck, burying your head in the crook. He sighs, one strong hand around the back of your head to support you, the other wrapping around your waist to keep you close to him.

Across the room, Robin gazes over at you. She gives Steve an encouraging thumbs up, and he shoots her a weak grin, before he’s pressing gentle kisses against your hairline. It’s almost pathetic to you how easy it is for him to ease your worries. Not everything is fixed, you know that; but having him around makes things a lot easier.

The crowds around you don’t seem as loud, the room doesn’t seem as small, you can breathe again. So can he.

“Steve?” Your head’s nudged against his chest, hands still clutching the fabric of his cotton shirt. He hums. “Can you stay over tonight?”

He lets out an airy chuckle, pulling you in close to him. “‘Course I can.”

(this is literally just me venting about how i feel about s4 ending and steve giving me the comfort i needed bc i’m not ok sorry bye)

[cicimunson]

Last Night on Earth

Summary: Eddie shows up at your after being named a murder suspect. He’s a mess and talking out of his head about spending his night on Earth with you.

Characters/Pairings: EddiexFem!Reader

Warnings: Hella smut and I also hurt myself with the angst at the end.

Word Count: 3.2k+

You cut off the TV in disgust, ignoring your parents’ protests.

“They’re wrong. Eddie isn’t like that at all! He’s not in a cult, he’s not a devil worshiper, and he’s certainly not killing people!”

“Y/N, the dead girl was found in his house. There’s an eyewitness that saw him kill that boy at the lake. Maybe you don’t know your friend as well as you think.” Your mom reaches out to take your hand but you snatch it away from her.

“Jason is lying, mom. He’s always had it out for Eddie and his friends. I can’t believe everyone is falling for this, it’s total bullshit!“

"Young lady, that kind of language is unacceptable.” Your father gives you a stern look. “I understand you’re upset, and I’m sorry that your friend is in trouble, but from what I can tell, he got himself into it all on his own. Now, stop arguing with your mother and go to bed.”

You fly up the stairs and slam your bedroom door, flipping it off.

Of course they don’t care what I think. I know Eddie, and this isn’t true. None of it is.

You slip off your jeans and throw on an oversized t-shirt before climbing into bed. You toss and turn for what feels like hours.

I just hope he’s okay. Please, God, let him be okay.

You had met Eddie through a mutual friend when you were looking for some weed for a slumber party. You kept buying from him after that and the two of you had struck up a friendship of sorts. You’d watched his band play a few times and hung out at his place when you felt too high to drive home. Sometimes he would take you to your house and then pick you up to get your car the next morning. He was a good guy. A little wild, a little edgy, but mostly, he was sweet. At least to you.

You’re slowly drifting to sleep when there’s a sharp knock at your window. You bolt upright in bed, not sure if you actually heard anything or if your mind is playing tricks on you. You wait a few seconds and hear it again.

What the hell is that?

You slowly climb out of bed and sneak up to the window, peering outside, and nearly scream when you see Eddie’s face pressed against the glass. He must have climbed the trellis underneath.

He put a finger to his lips and motions for you to let him inside. You raise your window and grab him by his shirt, yanking him in.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Munson? If someone sees you-”

He pulls you to him and slides his hands down your back, letting them rest on your ass..

What is he doing?

You push at his chest. “Eddie, I don’t- Jesus, you smell disgusting. What is that?”

He chuckles. “Lake water. Dirt. Who knows what else? Just ignore it.” His hands stroke up your back once more.

You shove at his chest. “Ignore it? It’s making my eyes water. Go take a shower, please. You can use my bathroom.”

Thank God I have my own bathroom. Imagine my parents seeing Eddie Munson in the hall.

You push him through your bathroom door. “Scrub your ass, dude. I’ll find you some clean clothes.”

You rummage through your drawers and closet, coming up with a pair of sweats you sometimes slept in and an oversized t-shirt.

This will have to do. Honestly, those clothes of his need to be burned.

Almost half an hour later, Eddie emerges from the shower, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Your eyes roam over his body and you gasp.

“Eddie, what happened? You’ve got bruises and scratches all over.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters, really.”

“What are you talking about?”

He shakes his head. “Not important. What is important is that it’s most likely my last night on Earth and I’m gonna do something I’ve been wanting to do for months.”

“What’s that?”

He lets the towel fall to the floor. “I’m gonna fuck you stupid, Y/N.”

What did he just say?! And yes, please.

He pulls you to him and takes your shirt over your head. “If you wanna turn me in, now’s the time to yell for Mommy and Daddy. Otherwise-”

He fists your panties and yanks, effectively disintegrating them. You gasp.

This man is going to ruin me.

“What’s it gonna be, Y/N? You gonna yell for them…or yell for me?”

You’ve never been so turned on in your life. You have a million questions for him, but for now all you can do is nod. “Come here, Munson.”

He grins wickedly and shoves you back onto the bed. You gasp as he slides a finger inside you and roughly pinches your nipple.

“Eddie…”

“You want another one?” He eases a second digit in. “You may need a third if you’re gonna be able to handle me.” He slaps your tit and you yelp.

“Quieten down.” His hand slides up to your throat. “Mommy might hear you.”

Ass.

“Shut me up then, if you think you can.”

His grip on your throat tightens and he plunges a third finger into you. You wince as you’re stretched to the point of pain. “Tap my arm if you want me to stop.” He squeezes your throat harder, his fingers pressing on your pulse point.

Why would I ever want him to stop?

He removes his fingers from you and licks them before holding them out. “Taste yourself. You’re fucking delicious.” You open your mouth and suck on his middle finger. He groans and slides downward, biting the underside of your tit. “I’m gonna bruise every inch of you.”

His grip on your throat eases off as he becomes distracted with nipping your skin, sucking a spot here, biting a few inches away. He travels up to your neck.

“What will you tell people, when they ask why you’re all marked up? Will you tell them you let the freak murderer have his way with you?”

You shake your head. “You’re not a murderer. I know it’s not true.”

“Do you?” He looks up and his eyes bore into yours. “Everyone else thinks I did it. Why don’t you?”

“I just know. You wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

He chuckles harshly. “I’m about to hurt you, baby.”

“Then do it.”

“You want me that badly?” He rolls his hips and his cock grazes your clit. “I wish I’d brought my handcuffs. The dirty things I’d do to you while you’re tied up beneath me.” His hands are still roaming your body, his nails leaving scratches on your sides and belly.

Handcuff me? Yes, please.

You gesture to your robe hanging off your bedpost. “Use the sash.”

“Fuck, say no more.” He sits up and reaches for the robe, slipping the sash from the loops. “Give me your hands.”

You stick them out in front of you and he quickly ties them together, pulling the sash so that it bites into your wrists just a bit. He ties the other end around a top bedpost.

“I knew you would look so fucking hot like this. I’ve thought about it ever since that night you fell asleep with your head in my lap.”

“Really? You never said anything.”

“Didn’t want to freak you out. But seeing how I might not be around after tomorrow, I thought I better act on it tonight, if you’d even let me.”

“What are you talking about? Why do you keep saying that?”

He shakes his head. “Shh, stop distracting me. I’m trying to lose myself in you for a little bit.”

He slides down the bed and leaves little bites along the way, moving between your legs. You spread them eagerly and he sucks a dark red spot on your inner thigh.

“I wonder if I could do my initials. Or at least an E.” He sucks another spot, then another, going a little higher up your leg each time.

“How about S, for slow?” You taunt, withering beneath him. “I want your mouth on me.”

He chuckles against your skin. “My mouth is on you, can’t you tell?”

“You know what I mean.” You thrust up against your restraints.

“Hmm, I don’t think I do. Maybe you should tell me.” He looks up at you and grins. “What can I do for you, Y/N?”

Cheeky fucker.

“You can untie me so I can strangle you.”

He blows on your clit and you moan.

“That’s later, baby. What are you wanting right now?”

His tongue flicks against you.

Damn it, he wins.

“Fuck, Eddie, lick my clit. Please.”

He winks, fucking winks, and then does as you ask. When he sucks your clit and hums, you have to bite your lip to keep from crying out.

There’s no pattern to his tongue movements, it’s all over the board. You groan and he shushes you. “Great, I forgot where I was. Now I have to start over.” He teases.

“What the fuck are you doing down there?” You manage to gasp. He pulls away once more and chuckles.

“Spelling Y/F/N Y/L/N loves Eddie Munson, of course.”

“You are such an ass.”

“Oh?” He cocks an eyebrow at you. “Should I stop?”

“Eddie….” You whine.

He tweaks your nipple and resumes his work on your clit. Your hips lift off the bed and you clench your teeth, willing yourself not to yell out as your orgasm hits you. You can feel Eddie’s lips smiling as your whole body tightens and releases in pleasure. He continues licking and fingering you as you come down from your high, flushed and blurry-eyed from its intensity.

He stretches out beside you, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “Do you want me to untie you now?”

“Yes, please. Wanna touch you.”

He releases the sash and you roll on top of him, pinning his hands above his head.

You lean down to kiss him, then back away when he gets close, once, then twice.

“I’m going to spank the shit out of you if you don’t let me kiss you.” He threatens.

“Maybe later.” You kiss his chin and then take his earlobe between your teeth. When you travel downwards and bite his shoulder, his hips buck upward. You squeeze his wrists even tighter, working your way down his chest.

“Bite me, baby.” He urges. “Make it hurt.”

You clamp down on his chest, right above his heart. “Fuck, mmm.” He grunts. “Again.”

You move lower and do the same, this time sucking and leaving a large hickey.

“Tit for tat, Munson.”

When you kiss down to his stomach, you hesitate above a rough looking bruise.

“Keep going. I want you to bite every bruise you see. Mark over them.” He urges.

I don’t want to hurt him, though.

You shake away the thought and do as he says and feel his cock swell even more beneath you. “Mmm baby, just like that.”

You work your way down and take him into your mouth. His breath catches and he lets out a low hiss, his hands coming down to fist your hair. When he thrusts his hips you force back a gag and open your mouth wider.

“Make it sloppy.” He grunts. “Spit on it.”

Your eyes start to water as he fucks your mouth, so hard and fast you can feel the back of your throat starting to bruise. He moans and murmurs your name over and over. Just when you’re about to tap his arm because you can’t take anymore, he releases your hair and tugs you upward, then flips you underneath him.

He rubs against you, pulling your legs around his waist. “Lock your ankles.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” You retort.

He scowls. “Mouthy little thing. Maybe I should shove my cock back in there, shut you up.“

"Do it then.” You rake your nails down his back.

“Nah, there’s somewhere else I wanna put it.”

He pushes his dick into you. You clap your hand over your mouth to keep from crying out. He smirks knowingly, pulling out painfully slowly, then rams back in.

You whimper and he shoves your hand from your mouth, leaning down to drop a kiss on your lips. “You good?”

“I’m peachy, you?”

“That’s it.” He pulls out of you and grabs your waist, flipping you onto your knees. You barely have time to catch yourself with your hands before he’s delivered a hard slap to your ass.

“Not so loud, my parents are downstairs!”

He slaps your ass again and plunges back inside you. “Fuck, Y/N, my handprint on you is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

You clench your thighs. “Eddie, stop blabbering and fuck me.”

“That’s the plan.” His hips bones are going to leave bruises on your ass, if his slaps didn’t.  His hands slide under your body and he tugs on your nipples, rolling them between his fingers.

“You’ve got perfect tits, you know that? I’ve dreamed about fucking them.” He rolls his hips in a circle. “I’ve dreamed about fucking you until you were a whimpering mess for me.”

He slips out of you once more and sits on the bed with his legs extended out, pulling you into his lap. You reach between your bodies and guide him back into you, wrapping your arms and legs around him.

His face is buried in your chest and he kisses, licks, and bite you while you move up and down on him. “Ride me.” He mumbles. “Fuck, baby, you take my cock so well.”

You lean back and catch yourself on your hands. Eddie’s hand runs down your stomach and finds your clit once more, circling it lazily.

You feel your body tightening up once more and Eddie speeds up his pace, knowing you’re about to cum for him again.

“Eddie….Eddie…” You moan.

When he presses down on your clit, you’re undone. Your orgasm hits you hard, it makes your eyes well up. You can’t support your weight anymore and you fall into the bed. Eddie kicks his legs out behind him and moves with you as you fall, never slowing his pace. He swivels his hips and you grab his ass, your nails biting into him as you urge him to keep going.

“Oh God, Eddie, don’t stop. Please, please.”

He closes the space between the two of you, laying on you with his arms tucked under yours, gripping a shoulder with each hand. His pelvic bone is pressed right against your clit. He continues his sharp thrusts, making sure to hit your clit with every stroke.

“Fuck, Eddie, I’m gonna-”

“I know. Again. Come for me.”

Your legs start shaking. You arch your back and clench around him. When you cry out, he covers your mouth with his.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” You bite his bottom lip as you come again, your hips bucking wildly.

“Y/N, I’m close. Do you want me to pull out?”

You can’t even form the word “yes” in your mind. Your body is throbbing and aching, coated in sweat from the both of you.

“Fuck, Y/N, I’m gonna come.” His thrusts become sloppy and his head falls back, his eyes closing. You manage to push against his hips with yours and he understands, pumping into you a few more times before pulling out and shooting his load on your stomach. “Fuck, Y/N, oh God, fuck.” You slap a hand over his mouth. He moans a few more words into your palm before dropping down on the bed beside you.

You lay breathless for what seems like hours, your heart pounding in your chest. Eddie slips out of bed to pick his discarded towel up from the floor, using it to wipe your stomach clean. He disappears into the bathroom and returns moments later with a warm washcloth, which he runs between your thighs.

“We made a hell of a mess.” He chuckles. “I knew we would.” He slides back into the bed with you.

You reach for his hand and lace your fingers through his.

He tucks his other hand behind his head and stares at the ceiling.

“Do you have to leave soon?”

He nods. “I shouldn’t even be here. But something big is going down and I just thought…I didn’t want to die without being with you, at least once. I know that sounds cliché and lame but you’re all I’ve thought about the past few days. Well, that and not getting caught or killed.”

You sit up. “I don’t understand. No one’s going to kill you, Eddie. Maybe if you talk to the police, this whole thing can get cleared up.”

He sits up too and wraps his arms around you. “It’s bigger than the police. I can’t tell you what’s going on, but just know that being wanted for murder is kind of near the bottom of my list at the moment.”

How is that at the bottom of his list? What else is going on?

“Eddie, please, talk to me. Maybe I can help.” You plead and he shakes his head.

“I don’t want you to worry about me. Honestly, it was selfish for me to come here. I just couldn’t stay away.” He reaches out and tucks your hair behind your ear.

Why do I feel like he’s saying goodbye?

“Eddie, let me help you. I know I can help.”

He kisses you. “You’ve got to let me go, Y/N. There is nothing anyone can do.”

You watch helplessly  as he rises to his feet and dresses in the clothes you’d gotten together for him.

Why would he do this? Why would he come here, make me feel this way?

“Do you maybe have a bag for my dirty stuff?”

“Closet. Blue bag on the left.” You refuse to look at him as tears spill onto your cheeks.

He comes back out of the bathroom with his clothes, flinching when he sees you crying.

“I’m sorry. I knew this was going to hurt you. I’m such a selfish prick.”

You don’t respond as he kisses the top of your head. “I really am so sorry. If I make it through the next couple of days, I’ll try to come back. I promise.”

You say nothing as he walks to the window. He looks back over his shoulder at you longingly.

“Will you kiss me goodbye, at least?” His tone is almost pleading.

You shake your head.

“Y/N…” He trails off. “Love you.”

He’s killing me.

“Fuck, Eddie.”

“I do.”

“Stop.”

“Please don’t hate me for this, Y/N. I want to tell you what’s going on, I swear I do. But the less you know, the better. Trust me.”

“I could help.”

“I know you could, baby. But I can’t risk anything happening to you. The guilt would eat me alive.”

I’ve got to let him go.

“I love you too Eddie. Please just go.”

“I’m gonna try to come back. Just, don’t wait for me. If something happens, I don’t want you sitting around wondering if I’m going to reappear.”

You meet his gaze evenly. “I won’t.”

He gives a slight nod and slips out the window.

You sit silently until you’re sure he’s gone and then sob openly.

[sunshinereddie]

trick or treat!

a sequel to my neibolt au fic, to build a home! happy halloween!

______________________________________________________________________

“I don’t know about this, Eddie.” 

“Oh come on, Stan, don’t be a party pooper.” 

“I’m on Stan’s side for this one, guys. I don’t think it’s a good idea.” 

“Wh-wha…what are you t-t-talking about? We’ll bluh-bl-blend right in!” 

“That’s easy for you to say, Billy- you’re not the one with real fire on your head! No one will believe that this is just a costume.” 

“Well, maybe you could wear a hat-”

“Fabulous idea, Rich, then my hair and my hat will be on fire-” 

Eddie let out a loud, frustrated breath that quickly silenced the conversation between his friends. “Would you all just stop for a minute?” He whipped around, turning away from the bathroom mirror he had been using to fix his shirt collar. Six ghosts stood behind him, all of them crammed into the small hallway outside the bathroom on the second floor of the abandoned house on Neibolt Street. 

Most boys Eddie’s age spent their free time down at the park playing soccer, or in the arcade trying to get a new high score on Street Fighter, or in the new comic book store in town, reading all the copies of Spiderman and Superman they had. 

Eddie Kaspbrak, on the other hand, spent most of his time in the old abandoned house of 29 Neibolt Street- a place where most boys his age only ever came near if they were dared to. And while Eddie had once been just as terrified of that house, that fear was now just a distant memory. It had been a year since Eddie had discovered the secrets of the house, and what was once dread brewing in his stomach when he would look up at the broken down and rotten exterior of the building when he had first moved to Derry, was now comfort and warm sense of belonging, as he played hide and seek in the maze of rooms and talked to his new friends for hours after school. 

Richie Tozier floated into bathroom, passing straight through the wall and taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub beside Eddie. “Yeah, Eds, tell them they’re being scaredy-cats for nothing!” 

“It’s not nothing, Richie,” Stanley Uris countered. His body stood leaning against the doorway of the bathroom, and in his hands he held his decaptitated head, which was glaring down at Richie with narrowed eyes (Eddie had learned that Stan preferred his head and his body to be separated- he said he liked to give his shoulders a break every once in a while). “I mean, what do we do if someone gets too close? How do we explain ourselves? What happens when Richie throws his bugs at people like he always does? What about if someone knocks into me and my head falls off? Holy shit- what if Beverly sets someone on fire?!” 

“Hey, I’ve learned to control it!” Beverly said, the orange flames on her head shooting up. Mike and Ben, who were standing the closest to her, flinched back. 

“Beverly won’t set anyone on fire, she hasn’t had an accident in almost three months,” Eddie reassured Stanley. “And we’ll be careful, to make sure no one runs into you, Stan. And I already made Richie promise that he won’t throw any of his bugs. Right, Rich?” 

Richie held up a hand over his heart. “Swear on my life.” 

Stanley rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that means a lot coming from a dead guy.” At that, Richie picked a maggot from his cheek and launched it at Stanley. 

Eddie sighed- he hadn’t been expecting the night to be so… challenging. 

It was October 31st, 1990, and Eddie had spent the past week trying to convince his ghostly friends to come trick or treating with him. Richie, Bill, and Ben had been on board right away- even though they knew they wouldn’t be able to eat any of the candy they collected, none of them had been trick or treating since before they died, and they had spent the week buzzing about it. Beverly, Stanley, and Mike, on the other hand, hadn’t been as stoked- and Eddie could understand why. Even though it would be Halloween night and everyone else would also be dressed up as ghosts and zombies and monsters, some of the ghosts of Neibolt House worried that their “costumes” would stick out too much. 

Eddie pulled off the plastic vampire fangs he was wearing to speak more clearly (the fangs were an amazing addition to his costume, but they did make it awfully difficult for Eddie to speak properly). “Look, guys, I get that it’s scary going out,” he said, in a gentle voice that very much contradicted the scary-vampire costume he was wearing. “But I promise, it’ll be fun! And we won’t even be out for very long- I have to be home by nine, anyways. So, whaddaya say?” At his friends’ silence, Eddie added on one more thing, “Besides, last Halloween, Henry Bowers totally kicked my ass and stole the candy I had been collecting for an hour. If I run into him again this year, I’m gonna need some terrifying ghosts to scare him shitless.”

At that, Beverly and Mike smiled. Eddie looked to Stanley, who was still thinking it over, until he finally lifted his head back onto the stump of his neck and blew out a breath. “Alright, I’m in,” he said, with a small smile. 

“Me too,” Mike said. 

“Me three,” Beverly said, the flames on her head burning a bright orange. 

Richie shot up from the bathtub, letting out a loud, cheering whoop as he did a loop-di-loop in the air. “Hell yeah!”

Eddie smiled widely as his friends broke out into conversation again, thought this time it didn’t consist of arguing- only excitement, as they spoke about which houses they remembered gave good, full-sized candy bars and how they were going to be the scariest-looking kids in town. He stuck his teeth back into his mouth and turned back to the bathroom mirror to continue getting his costume ready; he had bought a tube of fake blood from the Halloween store, and had to paint it onto his face in the most vampirish way he could think of. He thought back to when he had gone to see that scary vampire movie a few weeks earlier, and tried his best to copy how the monster in the movie had looked. Eddie wasn’t nearly as spooky-looking as his friends, but he didn’t care about that. He didn’t care about which house gave the best candy, or even how much candy would end up in his bag by the end of the night.

All Eddie cared about was that he was going to get to spend one of his favourite nights of the year with his best friends. That was the best thing he could have asked for. 

By the time Eddie had finished up with his costume, the sun had almost completely set, the sky now shades of orange and red. When Eddie stepped out onto the front porch of the house, there was a cold breeze in the air, and Eddie was starting to wish he had listened to his mother and brough a coat to wear. But, he was quickly warmed once again as Richie stepped out beside him, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. Richie’s ghostly hand might have been cold, but seeing the wide grin on his face was enough to warm Eddie’s heart. “Come on!” he said, as he floated down the stairs and Eddie stumbled down behind him. “We gotta get started before all the good candy’s gone!” 

Eddie laughed as the rest of the ghosts trailed out of the house behind them. “What are you so eager for?” he asked Richie, having to speedwalk to keep up with his pace. “You can’t even eat the candy you get.”

“I know,” Richie said, his head doing a full 180-degree-turn on his shoulders to look back at Eddie, while his body still faced forward. “But you can! And I know that your mom doesn’t let you buy candy, only that gross sugar-free crap that tastes like dirt, so we gotta get you stocked up on candy until next Halloween!” 

Eddie’s eyes widened, and he felt his cheeks heat up. “You’re gonna give your candy to me?” 

Bill laughed from beside him. “Well, duh,” he said, showing off his mouthful of sharp teeth as he smiled. “Wha-wha-what’d you thu-th…thi-think we were guh-gonna do with it?” Eddie hadn’t put much thought into it, and the realization made his blushing face grow even warmer and his smile grow wider. 

Richie let out a snort of laugher and gripped Eddie’s hand tighter. “Come on, let’s go this way,” he said. “I know exactly where to start.” 

And he did. Richie took them to a house owned by an old lady, with eyesight bad enough to see the ghosts just as children in costumes, and with a heart big enough to give each of them two full-sized candy bars. The seven of them travelled from house to house, their pillowcases growing heavier and heavier and their enjoyment of the night only increasing as the night went on. Eddie had always liked Halloween (after all, what was there not to like about getting free candy?), but he had never spent a Halloween night like this before. He had never had a group of friends quite like this before, who could make him laugh so hard that he shot juice out of his nose, and who were always there for him after a bad day at school, who he always knew would warmly welcome him into 29 Neibolt. 

Eddie looked over to Richie, who had been walking right at his side all night, and nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, Richie” Eddie said softly. 

Richie took a break from scaring the group of little kids who were passing by them to look over to his friend. “I only promised that I wouldn’t throw bugs at people,” he said defensively. “You never said anything about general scaring.”

“That’s not what I was going to say.” 

“Good, ‘cause I ain’t stopping. So, what’s up? Want another Kit-Kat?”

Eddie shook his head. “No, if I eat any more candy I think I’ll barf,” he said. 

“So… what is it?” 

Eddie thought for a moment, looking around at the rest of his friends. They were all busy in their own conversations, comparing the treats in their bags. Eddie turned back to Richie. “Thanks,” he said. “For coming out with me tonight. It means a lot.” 

The threads stitching his lips together stretched thin as Richie grinned widely, throwing his arm around Eddie’s shoulders. “ ‘Course, Eds!” Richie paused, and Eddie watched as Richie’s smile softened from that goofy grin of his to a more genuine smile. It was a smile that Eddie had only seen a handful of times during their friendship, but he knew well enough what it meant. Richie leaned his head down against Eddie’s shoulder, and lowered his voice so that just Eddie could hear. “Thanks for not forgetting about us,” he said. 

Eddie kept his smile, though it was wavered by a small wave of confusion. “What do you mean?” 

Richie shrugged. “Well, it’s just… I don’t know. Sometimes when you don’t come around to the house for a few days, I think… I sometimes wonder when will come the day that you’ll move on. That you’ll make new friends and…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but he didn’t have to. Eddie knew exactly what he was talking about, and it broke his heart. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Bev and Bill and Stanley and Mike and Ben, I love ‘em loads, but… you’re my best friend, Eds.” Eddie didn’t miss the way Richie’s voice cracked slightly at that last part. 

“Hey,” he said, shrugging Richie’s head off his shoulder. When Richie didn’t look at him, Eddie reached out and grabbed his hand. It was cold as ice, but Eddie held on tight. “I already told you before,” he went on. “There’s no way I’m forgetting about you. Not ever, got it?” 

Though Richie’s eyes were a complete milky-white, Eddie could still see the joy returning to them as Richie’s smile grew once again. Richie’s chest puffed out in confidence, and the stitches on his mouth seemed like they were about to break open at the size of the smile on Richie’s face. “Good,” he said firmly. “ ‘Cause if you do, I’ll-”

“You’ll haunt my ass forever,” Eddie finished for him. “Yeah, I know.” 

The two fell into laugher just as Beverly, a few feet in front of them, turned and called for them to catch up. “Come on, slowpokes!” she said. “Mike says there’s a place around the block that’s giving out ice-cream sandwiches!” 

The two boys didn’t have to be told twice. Richie grabbed Eddie’s hand, and Eddie laughed as his short legs stumbled along to keep up with Richie’s speedy floating as they caught up with the rest of their friends.