#the girl's been miserable since season 1 i can't help but wish for her to get out of it already

[smileygoth]

The Outlaw Torn - Part Four (Stranger Things)

Yeah I'm resurrecting this one again (fnar) - I can't help myself, I know I should stop before it gets shit but I'm having too much fun running with this idea! I'll have a whole season 5 script done at this rate! KAS THEORY / VAMPIRE EDDIE is everything!!

Find parts 1 to 3 here!

CW: spoilers for the season 4, some mild swearing, that's about it.

Word count: 2,661 words.

Image courtesy of Netflix.

“God, Steve, I swear if you do not cheer up, I will strangle you myself!”

Steve lifted his eyes from the beer bottle in front of him to Robin’s exasperated face. “Sorry,” he said flatly. “I guess I’m just not feeling it tonight.”

“You haven’t been ‘feeling it’ any night for weeks,” Robin retorted. “Ever since…” She trailed off, her cheeks colouring, then continued in a rapid babble. “I mean I get it, we’ve all been through some major trauma and our lives have changed forever again, but I really think that if you would just try to have a little fun, you might start to feel better.” She looked around the crowded kitchen, where high schoolers mingled with older kids and took full advantage of the unpoliced alcohol on offer. Music was blaring in the living room and she could see bodies moving in time to the beat through the open doorway. Bowls of chips and snacks and cans and bottles littered the countertops in the kitchen and were being plundered remorselessly by the people struggling to hold conversations over the voices of everyone else. “I mean, there are plenty of hot girls here and you haven’t even spoken to any of them!”

“I’m not in the mood,” Steve replied.

“You’re always in the mood!” Robin argued. “You’re like, permanently on the lookout for Miss Right!” When Steve just scowled, she sighed and dropped her voice. “You’re not still thinking about Nancy, are you? I know I was encouraging you two to you know, revisit your old romance, but she’s clearly chosen to stay with Jonathan, so…”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Give it a rest, Rob.” He paused, winced at the harshness of his own tone, then added, “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault. I just … You’re right.”

Robin’s expression grew sympathetic. “Talk to me,” she urged, reaching out to put her hand over his.

Steve took a deep breath. “Well, you’ve got Vicky now,” he began, “And that’s great, it really is, but it just reminds me that I’m still stuck on my own. You have Vicky, and Nancy has Jonathan, and I’m alone.”

“Well you’re never going to find someone if you stand there looking miserable all the time,” Robin said gently.

“I know. But…” Steve groaned and shook his head. Lifting the bottle in his hand to his lips, he took a big swig, emptying it, then set it aside. “I never told you,” he said. “Eddie said something to me while we were in the … the other place.” 

Robin said nothing, but leaned forward, allowing Steve to talk quietly.

“He said that … Well, he said a lot,” Steve said with a small smile, “But what he essentially said was that … that he thought Nancy still had feelings for me. ‘True love’, he called it. And I guess I got that stuck in my head, and I just thought that Nancy would … Choose me.” His voice dropped at the end , so quiet that Robin almost didn’t catch the words. “I really think I love her, Rob, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“Steve,” she said sadly. “I wish you’d told me sooner.”

He shrugged. “You’re right though,” he went on. “She’s made her choice. Moping around feeling sorry for myself isn’t going to help. I should be trying to get over her. Move on. Have fun.”

Robin shrugged. “It’s got to be better than being miserable,” she replied. Her eyes fell on something behind him, and she smiled. “No time like the present, right?”

Steve frowned. “I guess. Why?”

“There’s a girl over there who is de-vouring you with her eyes right now.”

Steve froze. “Is she cute?”

Robin gave a thoughtful hum. “She’s … not your usual kind of conventionally cute, she’s kind of got a bit of a waifish charm, but … yeah, she’s cute.”

“Waifish charm?” Steve glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. “Oh, I see.” He turned back and swiped a fresh bottle of beer. “Screw it. Back on the horse, right?”

“That’s my boy,” Robin beamed, giving him an encouraging punch on th shoulder. “Go have fun.”

Spinning on his heel, Steve tried to recover some of his old swagger, one hand rising to check his hair as he headed over to the girl. As Robin had said, she was pale and bright-eyed, giving her a fragile, almost ethereal look. But she was dressed in a cute dress and she had a drink in her hand, and she was watching him with a hungry look and a shy smile that didn’t quite go together. As he reached her her smile widened, revealing white teeth. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” Steve replied. “So my friend says you’ve been watching me.”

The girl dropped her eyes bashfully. “Maybe,” she replied. “Maybe I’ve had a crush on you for ages, and maybe I was working up the courage to come over to you.”

Steve smiled. “Well, now you don’t have to,” he said. “So what’s your name?”

“Debbie,” the girl replied.

………..

Eddie leaned against the wall behind him and took a long drag on his cigarette. It didn’t really do anything for him any more, but old habits died hard. Looking at the sky, he saw from the position of the moon that some time had passed. He supposed that by now, Debbie was off doing the job he had given her. Now he had to do his. The problem was, he was having a little trouble getting himself to do it.

To his right was the darkened window of Dustin’s bedroom. Where he stood pressed against the wall, Eddie knew he couldn’t be seen, but that didn’t matter since Dustin was asleep. Eddie knew this because he could hear his slow breathing through the slightly open window. He’d never been to Dustin’s house before, but he’d given him rides home after DnD games before, so he’d known where to find it. It hadn’t been hard finding the right window either, since the moment he got close he could smell Dustin’s scent almost pouring out of it. The boy’s presence was all through the room inside. And that was what was giving him the trouble. The smell of him was bringing back memories of those last few days. The days when Dustin had become more than just one of his DnD buddies. When he’d led the mission to save Eddie from the cops. When he’d hugged him at Skull Rock so tightly he’d thought his ribs might crack. When they’d goofed around making weapons and his biggest complaint had been that Eddie might wedgie him. 

When he’d held Eddie as he died. 

‘I love you, man…’

Eddie’s lips tightened around his cigarette as the echo of his own words came back to him. He’d meant it. That dorky little know-it-all had saved his life, and would have tried to save it again (which was exactly why he’d cut the blanket rope behind him - though he’d still found a way to come running). He didn’t really want to do this.

BUT YOU WILL, a low voice in the back of his mind growled. His voice.

With a heavy sigh, Eddie dropped his half-smoked cigarette and crushed it beneath his sneaker. Then he turned to the window and peered inside. The curtains were drawn, but carelessly, a wide gap left between them which gave Eddie an ample view into the room. He saw the messy desk, the shelves cluttered with books and plastic figures and pots of pens and pencils and notebooks left open to some scrawled thought or idea. He saw the dim blueish light from the terrarium on top of the bureau. He saw the narrow bed and the curled-up figure inside it. Curly hair spread across the pillow, face slack and related in sleep. Hands just beneath his chin, fingers curled around … What was that? A rag?

Eddie narrowed his eyes and looked closer. His keen eyesight made out a familiar black and white pattern on a worn piece of fabric. One he’d last seen the night he’d died. His bandana.

Something seemed to let go in his chest, and he recoiled from the hurt with a low groan. He wanted to cry. He wanted to punch the window and shatter it, punch the wall into pieces, punch the voice in his head until it fell silent and never ever asked him to do anything ever again. His hands balled into fists at his side. I won’t do it, he thought. Resolve flooded through him like a balm, and he took a step away from the window.

A sudan white-hot lance of pain shot through his head. Gasping, he stumbled, hands clutching at his head, fingers sinking into his thick brown hair. YOU WILL, the voice silently boomed. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO DIE … AGAIN. Hot agony spread through his torso as he felt the old wounds tearing open again.

“Alright, alright, alright, I’ll do it,” he whimpered. “Just stop. Stop.”

The pain receded, slowly. Like before, in its aftermath Eddie felt a strange detachment. He stepped up to the window again and looked through. The boy in his bed was just a boy, the bandana clutched in his hands just cloth. He tried to conjure back the memories his scent had evoked and couldn’t. All he could think of was that this was the boy who had abandoned him in that awful place, alone, to die. 

Inside, Dustin stirred, his eyes blinking open. He looked around, confused. “Mom?” he called quietly. “That you?” He listened for a beat, then when the silence remained unbroken he shrugged and laid his head back on the pillow. Before he could fall asleep again, Eddie lifted a hand and rapped gently on the window with one knuckle. Dustin’s head shot up again, and this time he looked straight at the window. Eddie knocked again, and with a cautious glance in the direction of his close bedroom door, Dustin climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. Eddie’s bandana lay forgotten on his pillow.

When he pulled the curtains wide and looked out, Dustin’s face contorted in shock and disbelief. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped, and the colour drained from his face. 

“Hey, Henderson,” Eddie said softly, giving him a lopsided smile. After a second when Dustin didn’t reply, he added: “Think this the first time I’ve seen you lost for words.”

Dustin shut his mouth and swallowed. “Eddie?” he whispered. “Am I dreaming? You’re supposed to be dead!”

“You’re not dreaming, and I got over it,” Eddie replied. “You gonna let me in so I can explain, or are we gonna whisper through the crack in the window all night?”

Dustin’s hands reached up to open the window wider. Then he paused. Conflicting emotions sped across the young boy’s face, and he looked carefully at Eddie, the hope in his eyes tinged with concern. “Wait,” he said slowly. “You … You died, Eddie. Like, right in my arms. You were dead. How are you here?”

Eddie frowned. “Not happy to see me?”

“No, Eddie, of course I’m happy to see you,” Dustin quickly replied. “But … How?”

Sighing, Eddie pantomimed looking over his shoulders. “Dude, can I explain it to you inside? I don’t want anyone seeing me. I’m still technically wanted for murder, remember?”

Dustin hesitated. “Well…”

“C’mon, Dustin, man,” Eddie whined. “It’s me!” He plucked at his t shirt with one hand. “Hellfire, remember?”

Dustin glanced back to his desk, where his own Hellfire shirt was draped over the back of the chair. When he looked back, his eyes were wide and tearful. “Eddie…” he said. “I love you and I’m so happy to see you, but … You gotta admit that this is really weird…”

This was taking way too long. Eddie’s temper snapped like a bowstring. Unable to stop himself, he slammed one fist against the window and snarled: “Let me in, you little shit!”

Dustin recoiled in horror as Eddie’s eyes momentarily blazed red and his lips curled back to reveal sharp teeth. “What the…?” He stumbled away from the window, hands groping for something, anything to use as a weapon. All he found in reach was his Hellfire shirt. “Your eyes, Eddie!” he cried. “Your teeth! What the hell happened to you?”

Eddie chuckled. “Hell. Yeah, that’s about right.” He let all his pretense at being the old Eddie drop. “What happened is that you left me in that place, that … hellscape … and he found me and did this to me! Now let me in or I will rip your fucking head off when I get hold of you!”

Dustin winced, tears spilling from his eyes. Then the fear in his face turned into confusion. “The window’s open, Eddie,” he said. “Why didn’t you just climb in?”

Eddie paused. He looked at the window, then back to Dustin. “I … I don’t know,” he admitted. “I just…” He curled his fingers around the edge of the window and pulled. His pointed nails rasped against the glass, but it didn’t move. 

Dustin’s eyes widened. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed. “You can’t, can you? I have to invite you in! I know what you are! You’re a goddamn vampire, just like in the movies, Eddie!” 

Eddie slammed his fists against the window in frustration and snarled. “I’m warning you, Henderson!”

Dustin flinched away again. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I left you there. I’m sorry I didn’t get to you in time. I never wanted to leave you there, I swear. But my leg … I couldn’t get you out.”

Eddie’s keen ears picked up the sound of Dustin’s mother in the hallway. He pointed a sharp-nailed finger at Dustin. “I’ll be back, you little traitor,” he spat. “Just wait and see.”

He stepped back into the darkness, melting into the shadows cast by the trees. Dustin ran to the window and pulled it wide. “I’ll find a way to fix this, I promise!” he yelled. Then his mother was in the room, admonishing him for making so much noise, and Eddie slipped away into the night.

His mind and body were in turmoil. He was so mad at Dustin for not letting him in, his gums ached with the desire to rip his scrawny little throat out. But he was also confused at why he hadn’t been able to get inside - hadn’t even thought to try until Dustin had pointed it out. His stomach roiled with anger and shame - anger at having failed and shame at how he’d spoken to the boy. He was still just a kid, after all. 

And he’s Dustin - my Dustin.

The memories were starting to creep back in. Dustin yelling over the DnD table. Dustin sitting with him at lunch, beaming at him as he told whatever dumb story was in his head that day. At Skull Rock, hugging him til his ribs ached. He pushed them away irritably.

“Like the movies, my ass,” he muttered. Nothing had gone to plan tonight. He wondered if Debbie was doing any better with Steve. If she wasn’t, the plan was basically dead in the water - tomorrow Dustin would certainly tell all his friends about his encounter with ‘Vampire Eddie’, and none of them would let him get close. If they didn’t get Steve in the Club tonight, there was no way he’d get to the others. And no way to get to Eleven.

He strode back into the forest, back toward Skull Rock. No matter, he thought. If Plan A failed, there was always Plan B. The idea brought a smile to his face. 

“You like movies, Henderson?” he said to himself, his smile widening to a sharp white grin. “Just you wait. I’m gonna go full Salem’s Lot on this shithole town.”

Somewhere overhead, a bat shrieked. Eddie started to laugh.

[sylhea-raemi]

At professionals now why is there no kaidou rui i thought he's supposed to be the knight who's always by mari-hime's side

rewatching yumeiro patissiere again and realizing some moments can be a bit silly lmao