#this is for Eddie say hi to Eddie everyone

[tubeon]

:D

[mrsmnsn]

I Got My Love To Keep Me Warm🎄✨❣️

summary: It’s your first time spending the holidays with your boyfriend and his uncle and it’s nothing but the perfect Christmas.

warnings: guys it is only a very fluffy christmas special, i hope you enjoy it. the reader and eddie are dating btw (if that counts:))

wc: 1.8k

Happy Christmas :)

————————————————————————————

You woke up with a freezing foot pressing against your own feet. You squint and hear a giggle from the boy next to you. “I’m going to put my cold hands on your butt Eddie, get off.” You said with a grumpy tone and still waking up.

“No you won’t, cause if you do i’ll put my cold hands on your boobs. I’ll have to take my revenge.” He teases you but still places his hand on your cheek and smile at you like the sweet guy he is. “I’m sorry that i woke you up like that i couldn’t resist-“ You playfully push his hand and his face making him grab you tight into a hug, a way to keep you still. “I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to help me with some chores today, all christmas chores… What do you say?”

You open your eyes but you only see Eddie’s neck since he’s pressing his cheek on your forehead while he hugs you tight. “Christmas chores? Tell me more” Eddie knew you were going to be intrigued, you had that christmas spirit, always excited for ‘the most beautiful time of the year’.

“Well, my uncle is going to a christmas tree farm because, even though we don’t have a lot of money to put up with a big tree, Wayne have a friend from his old days that works in one of those farms and got a nice price on a nice tree.” As Eddie explained you got up on your elbows to listen to his story carefully. “So, while he goes there to pick up our tree, you can come get the ornaments with me so we can decorate later and also go to the grocery store to buy some ingredients for those recipes you wanted to make.”

You’re smiling without even noticing. Now you really woke up and were ready for everything. “That’s great Eds, of course i’ll go with you! You just described a perfect day!” Eddie also was smiling without even noticing now. He loved when you got all excited about the things you truly loved.

So you two got dressed and went on your little Christmas adventure. First you take the ornaments in the self storage Wayne keeps the things that don’t fit in the trailer (he recently got to pay the rent thanks to Eddie’s help and his hard-earned money), and they made the place look bigger. You took the two medium boxes and went to the grocery store that wasn’t that far away. The place was crowded, of course it would be, there were only two days left until Christmas.

“Do we really have to get those ingredients?” Eddie said looking at the big line of people inside the store. It was probably going to take a bit more than thirty minutes.

“We don’t have to, but without them i can’t make those desserts.” You replied a bit annoyed that everyone got the same idea as you. “But come on, it’s gonna be worth it i promise!” You pull Eddie into the store.

————————————————————————————

When you got home, it was already afternoon. Wayne was already outside the trailer with the tree, cutting some twigs that expanded way too much. “Hey you two, what took you so long? Was it too hard to find the boxes?”

“Wayne you’re not gonna believe what happened there!” Eddie got out the van and started to tell the story excitedly. “I mean, we took only ten minutes to find the boxes, the real fun was in the market. The place was crowded, we started to get the missing ingredients when a lady tried to-“

“EDDIE! I told you… I told you not to say anything to your uncle.” You tried to mumble to him and your cheeks got red with embarrassment.

“What happened?” Wayne asked a bit concerned for the discrepancy in your reaction and Eddie’s.

“I’m sorry mr. Munson I- I was just… There was just a bit of a hustle in there because another woman tried to take the last container of cinnamon powder that was already in my hand and that was the most important ingredient in the recipes i wanted to make. So I got a bit carried away and-“

“She put the woman in her place, it was metal!” Eddie interrupted you and you cover your face with your hands.

“Eddie don’t be that dramatic, i was rude, yes, but only you and the lady heard what i said. I tried not to be too scandalous. At least she heard me and went her own way.” You got so stressed, the only thing you wanted to do is go back to your plans on making your christmas chores.

“I probably helped you scare her away. I gave her my bad guy look.” Eddie made that face again and you couldn’t help but fall into laughter. He was happy that he could pull a smile on your face after so much stress.

“That’s a story huh. It’s fine, just be careful with those type of ladies here in town, they not very nice.” He said giving you a small grin. Before Eddie could take you inside he stopped you again. “And hun’, you can quit the whole mr thing, you can call me Wayne, a’ right?” And you just replied with a grin and nod.

After that you just got back to your plans. You called your mom to let her know you were fine. Your family was spending Christmas at your grandparents house and you asked them if this year, you could spend the holidays with your boyfriend and his uncle. Miraculously they said yes. Now you were here, spending your first Christmas with Eddie (and also the first time you spent more than three days together) and you couldn’t be more excited. Everyday was being better than the one before.

————————————————————————————

In the next day, the tree was all pretty and colorful on the little corner of their living room. You spent the day making dinner (a tradition of theirs, a simple dish, mac n’ cheese, which you also offered to make) and the classic desserts, the gingerbread cookies and your cinnamon rolls. Of course, the moment you started to bake, Eddie offered to help. So it’s been like this the whole day, you trying to teach Eddie how to cook. You could only laugh in each five seconds.

“Stop laughing you dork, help me!” Eddie said laughing his ass off too. He was trying his best and, it wasn’t so bad, it was just funny.

“Come on Eds, do it as i said.” You contain yourself and take his hand, helping him mix all the ingredients together. You could feel his heavy sight on you. “You have to concentrate.”

“I’m trying.” He recomposed himself and started to mix again. “You’re not helping though.”

“What? What am i doing?”

“Besides of laughing at my face at every five seconds…” You giggle at him “You’re way to pretty with your hair up like that, wearing my shirt and with flour all over your face.”

“What?” You run your hand on your face and it was actually dirty. Eddie was laughing at you, so you take your time to tell him how pretty he was. You take a bit of flour and throw it at him. He stoped, too stunned to speak and then open a mischievous grin. That meant ‘run’.

Regretting instantly, because Eddie always takes those jokes very seriously, you start running around.

“Wait, Eddie wait! Don’t turn the room into a mess.”

“You started it. It’s just life babe, when you do something, there’s a consequence.” He’s laughing too and you run outside, avoiding the possible big mess inside the trailer. But when you open the door you’re surprised by the cold breeze and the snow falling down.

You just stop to look around and up the sky to feel the snow on your skin. It was really really cold, but it was amazing. You feel Eddie behind you, remember what you were playing before, but his hands were free and were wrapping around your growing cold body. It felt like you just stood there for a second, but maybe you were there for a little longer.

“Isn’t it amazing?” You speak and your chin trembles. Eddie turns you to him so he could embrace you into a warm hug. “You’re so warm. And you’re smelling like gingerbread cookies.”

“I hope that’s a good thing.” He chuckled

“It is. You smell like home.”

After that, You finish all your chores, take a very warm and needed shower and you stay our little christmas together. You three have dinner first and now, voted by Eddie and Wayne, you should come spend every christmas with them because it was the best mac n’ cheese they’ve ever eaten. You talk about things from your year, the ups and downs, your favorite moments, all that while you prepared the goodies to watch a classic christmas movie, something that Eddie came up with. One of his favorite things to do if he was honest, he used to do that on halloween but he brought that tradition to christmas too, to add a bit more to your special night together.

If they ask you, it was a perfect christmas day. You loved every second of it, specially because you got to spend your favorite holiday with your favorite person. By the middle of the movie you were sleeping on Eddie’s lap. When he realized, he felt something inside him, a warm feeling contrasting with the cold weather that he was growing accustomed to more and more and he could never get tired of it. While looking at you, a million thoughts passed through his head but the main thing was, he was sure that he never wanted to let you go. He loved you to much to even think about it.

“What’s on your mind kiddo?” Wayne asked as if he was reading his mind. He was actually, but he was reading his expressions, full of love looking down at your sleeping body.

“Nothing…. Just think i really got lucky. There’s no way i would get her without a bit of luck.” He tried to make a joke up that uncomfortable moment he got caught.

“I think that she’s the one Ed. And I mean it.” Wayne said bringing Eddie’s attention to him. “It’s pretty obvious to anyone who’s out watching you guys as i did the last couple of days. The way she treats you like you just gave the world to her, the way she looks at you like you’re her prince. It’s special Eddie and it doesn’t happen twice. You know it.”

Eddie is stunned. He didn’t disagree with what his uncle said, but to have someone telling him that you’re feeling the same way he is, that it is visible…. it really caught him. He was overwhelmed even. To have his feelings reciprocated in the same intensity.

“I think so too Wayne.” Eddie turned back to look at you. “Shes my girl. Shes the one.”

[heart-eyed-love]

Charms

Summary | Eddie has a small gift for you before you both leave for Christmas break

Contains | Fem!Reader, Friends-to-Lovers, Cursing

Word Count | 1.2k

An | Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates, this is coming out late :( but I hope everyone had a good day!

It was the last day before Christmas break, and you were more than relieved to say the least. You need a 2 week break away from this shit hole. And while you had your friends, you still needed a break from this place.

You were gonna go visit some of your family members during the break, not the plans you had originally hoped for, but in your opinion just about anything was better than this school.

You had slightly brought up to your friends in passing that you were gonna be out of town during break, but it wasn’t something you had necessarily thought they’d care to remember. And it wasn’t something you’d be offended about them forgetting either way, you knew something you tend to fade to the background of settings.

So that afternoon, as you shoved all the books and papers you’d no longer need in your backpack over this break back into your locker, you let yourself sigh in relief as you now held a significantly lighter backpack.

“Hey…” The voice sneaks up behind you, causing you to jump. And when you turn to look at the source and smirking Eddie comes into view.

“Hi?” You answer back, raised brows at the boy in front of you, “What’s up?” You ask, shutting your locker as you do, and he can’t help but take notice of the jangling of your charm bracelet he knows all too well.

“Oh you know, nothing much. Excited to get out of here?”

“Yeah, I mean, who isn’t? It’s school… so I’m pretty sure everyone is eager to get out of here… aren’t you?” You ask back, looking up at the boy in front of you. Even after hanging out with him and the hellfire, you still feel a little awkward around him.

“Oh yeah totally, I’m gonna spend my whole break probably getting high, and doing jack shit, you know, basically the whole point of the break for me, right?” He’s all smirky and it’s so distracting when he gets like this… well when he gets like this with you. You never completely got used to the times where you’re the center of his attention.

“Yeah, right… Sounds nice…” You nod softly as you throw your backpack over your shoulder.

“It will be… if you weren’t going out of town I’d invite you over…” He’s hasn’t necessarily gone shy but he’s not as confident as he normally is and it’s throwing you off a bit. And If what he says is true, and he’d really like to invite you over, you’d take that over this trip to see a few family members who don’t necessarily give too much of a shit about you. But no. Now you have to miss out on the one thing you’ve always wanted.

“That sounds a lot better than having to go hang out with a bunch of family members who don’t even know who I am…” You chuckle slightly to yourself, and he smiles sweetly back at you and you can’t help yourself from feeling distracted from the look on his face.

“Yeah? Well that’s kinda why I came over here…” He pulls his back from his shoulder and unzips it, digging through it for a second, before pulling out a poorly wrapped box. A small bow sitting on top of it. Your brows raise in question, “Uhm… I got you something… you know, for Christmas.” He smiles.

“Oh shit, really? I- I didn’t get you anything….” You feel bad immediately, you had no idea he was gonna get you a gift, if you had you wouldn’t allow yourself to go all out for him like you always truly wanted.

“Oh no! No, don’t worry about it… it’s more like just so you don’t forget about us while you’re gone…”

“Forget about you?”

“Yeah, you know… Hellfire… me.” He smirks. To be quite frank he didn’t give a shit about Hellfire in this stance, forget about them all you want just don’t go forgetting about him.

“I’m only gonna be gone for like 2 weeks, if that.” You say with a teasing laugh, that has the soft smile reappearing on his face, and you don’t notice it, but his face heats up.

“Yeah, well here anyways…” He hands the box with a shrug.

You grab the box from him with a smile, “Do you want me to open it now?”

“Yeah, go for it…”

You pull the nicely tied bow from the top, leaving only the terribly wrapped box, and you couldn’t help but feel a swarm of butterflies. It was cute. He was cute. “Sorry, apparently I’m shit at wrapping.” He chuckled lightly.

“It’s alright.” You smile up at him, before looking back down to ripping the paper off the gift and a small box is now in front of you, Eddie grabs the wrapping paper from your hands for you, shoving it into his backpack.

You open the box and a small charm is revealed to you, it’s a small black bat. It’s beautiful, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted in a charm. It reminds you more of Eddie than the rest of the boys and you can’t help but like it more for that fact.

Eddie inspects your face as you look at the charm. He saw it at the mall while he was trying to find something for Wayne and for some reason he just needed to get it for. But damn, for some reason this small piece of metal was more expensive than he thought it needed to be.

But whatever it was for you anyways.

“You like it?” He asks, slightly nervous at the lack of words coming from you.

You look up from the charm in the box and see that smidge of fear in his face, “What? Oh my gosh! Yes, of course!” And the smile you love so much graces his face, “I love it, thank you, Eddie.”

“I’m glad you like it… thought it would go nice with all the other ones you have…” He lets his fiddle with the charm bracelet on your wrist, and you blush a tad bit at the feeling of his fingers against it.

“I really do…” You watch as the hallways drain of students and you know your time with him is limited, your bus is gonna leave soon, “My bus is about to leave… but thank you again, Eddie. It means a lot…”

“Yeah, of course… Uh, I mean I could drive you home if you want? Are you leaving today?”

“Oh, uh… No, we’re leaving tomorrow. Like ass crack of dawn.” You roll your eyes.

“Damn, first day of break and you’re still having to walk up early?” He laughs, and you can’t help but smile at the sounds.

“Right? That’s what I said, she just told me to get over it so it looks like I’m waking up early… but uh, yeah… a ride would be really nice…” I nod with a shy smile.

“Sweet, follow me…” He leads you out to his van, one you’ve seen time and time before but only ever rarely been in it. Definitely never just the two of you. He opened the van door for you and everything.

You were definitely gonna come back from break with a gift of your own for him.

[reginamillls]

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

"-and with our final Christmas Mystery. One year ago today, LAFD Firefighter Thomas Kinard went missing-"

Buck is quick to turn off the TV, not wanting to hear anything more from one of his exes talking about the other one.

It hurt still, a year later, to find out that Tommy had gone missing on Christmas Eve, and that no one had reported him as gone until the 28th. It hurt that Tommy had been alone enough that no one noticed it, it hurt that even a year later, Buck was still hoping for some kind of Christmas miracle that he would come back.

Most people assumed he was dead. California wouldn't declare him as dead until he was missing for five years, but search efforts have gone down. He's heard all the theories, that Tommy was one of the Serial Killer's first victims, that he had flown off and crashed somewhere, that he moved away with out telling anyone -

That he was a lonely man who just decided Christmas was too much.

Buck didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't not just wonder what the hell happened. No one had heard from Tommy since the break up, and Buck didn't reach out - he was trying hard to just enjoy the Christmas season (the one they had made plans for together) and he wanted to reach out to Tommy more than once, but he always just threw himself into another activity not to.

The last time anyone saw Tommy was in a bar just before closing on Christmas Eve, 2024. Walking out into the dark streets. Alone.

After that? Total mystery. Tommy's house showed no signs of a break in, and he had gotten a ride to the bar that day, so his truck was safetly parked in his driveway. He had off on Christmas (had taken off to be with Buck) and his captain was the one to report him missing.

The police came and questioned him, wondering if he had anything to do with it. Buck had to explain their breakup, and the rest of the 118 had backed him up. Athena ended up stepping in at the end, and the investigation moved on from Buck.

Four days later, Buck had a letter from a law firm that stated that Tommy's house and all of his posessions were given to him.

It just made Buck think that maybe Tommy really had ran away?

Why did he leave everything to Buck?

Why didn't he say goodbye?

Buck chose to believe he was still alive out there somehow, he had to. Just because they were broken up, didn't mean that Buck wanted Tommy to be gone. He hoped that every new lead would lead somewhere, even when everyone else seemed to lose some faith.

There's movement and Buck wakes up to see Amelia wide awake, her head looking out of the bedroom into the living room. She jumps down and runs out, and that's when Buck notieces that the lights in the hall are on.

He knows for a fact, that he turned them off.

Buck gets up and grabs the wooden baseball bat that Tommy had in his closet and holds it carefully. After he had been given the house and Tommy's cat as well, Buck had made the decision to move in. He had been given some brows at doing so, but Buck had wanted Tommy to still have his house if he came back.

When he came back.

Amelia isn't one to be brave around strangers, so her running into a possible break in had alarmed Buck more then the hall light. Eddie had a key to Tommy's place too, but Eddie was with Chris tonight and at this late hour, they were both most likely asleep.

There's movement, louder then anything Amelia could make and Buck spots a large shadowed figure bent at his chistmas tree.

He swings the bat.

The bat smashes against the man's back and splinters.

"What-"

Amelia howls and runs away, and the figure straightens up. He's tall, as tall as Buck, and built to. The jacket he is wearing is red, with white fur on the cuffs and the lapel. There's a red hat on his head -

"Santa?" Buck asks, dumbfounded.

"For a while yeah-" Santa says, but it isn't Santa, or at least, he wasn't just Santa.

"Tommy?"

"Merry Christmas Evan."

Tommy's hands were up in the air, his blue eyes darting to the splintered bat still in Buck's hands and Buck drops it.

"What-" Buck asks and Tommy snaps his fingers and the lights come on in the living room. Buck blinks against the harshness of all the lights being on and he blinks a few times to adjust. In that time Tommy had lowered his hands, and Buck looks.

And stares.

Because it is Tommy, Buck would know his voice anywhere, along with his deep blue eyes that are looking at Buck warrily.

There's been some changes though.

For one thing, Tommy was wearing a Santa Suit. A high quality one in a rich red color that looked like it was hand made and not from a halloween store. There were sturdy black boots on his feet and a leather sack at his side, but that had only been what he was wearing. The real change had been his hair.

"You have a beard-" Buck blurts out. And it was a full beard. Salt and pepper, though a little heavier on the salt. Tommy's hair was the same, and yet he didn't look any older.

Buck had discovered a few grey hairs when they had been dating, had even imagined a future where Tommy looked like he did standing before Buck, he just expected that it would have happened in a few years.

"Comes with the job," Tommy says, rubbing at the beard. "I was told it was mandatory-"

"What the fuck?" Buck interupts, voice sharp. The shock of seeing Tommy again was quickly turning into anger.

"Please, let me explain?" Tommy asks and before Buck can answer Amelia has come back into the room and is pawing at Tommy to lift her up, and Buck notices just how exhausted Tommy looks.

"Sure-" Buck answers because once upon a time, Tommy allowed him the same and Buck can return the favor.

What comes next is a crazy tale of Tommy finding a man after he fell off the roof and the man begging him to put on his coat and finish the night. It's a story filled with impossible things like magic and elves and talking polar bears. Giant reindeer and Christmas abilities that Tommy is actually afraid of. If it was anyone else but Tommy, Buck would have believed it all to be a lie.

"-I'm just a temporary replacement," Tommy says. "I need to find the real next Santa tonight, or I'm stuck with this job and I'm not meant to be that person Evan," Tommy says warily, hand's in his magically greyed hair. Just sitting here now, Buck can see that it's more white than it had been an hour ago.

"Why did you come to me?" Buck asks. His ex-boyfriend is Santa Claus and he hasn't been dead this whole time but had been stuck in the North Pole and he had a Lawyer Elf give Buck his house and his cat because he knew they were safe with Buck, and he was on a desperate mission to find the next true Santa. He had magical gifts that he couldn't always control, a whole army of mythical creatures that shouldn't exist, and physically was almost like a Christmas super hero. He had all of this plus a deadline of Christmas morning to worry about. Buck didn't actually think Tommy needed him at all.

So why was he here?

"I told you, that I can hear what everyone wants for Christmas," Tommy says, and he taps the side of his head. "And you-" Tommy swallows and looks up at Buck, and he's looking at him like he did before they broke up, with a fondness that made Buck feel whole.

"You wanted me."

Buck's breath hitches.

He can't even deny it, not when all he wanted this whole year was for Tommy to come home.

"What happens if you can't find the new Santa?" Buck asks, changing the subject away from himself and how even over a year later, he still wanted Tommy. Tommy, thankfully, doesn't switch back to what they were talking about before.

"Then I become Santa," Tommy says, and he sounds desperate and his eyes are scared.

"Okay," Buck says and he stands up from the couch and takes Tommy's hand.

"Lets find Santa."

[acowardinmordor]

I think when Steve gets Vecna'd, Eddie adds together what he knows about the situation and comes to a logical conclusion. To him at least. He knows that Steve came here asking for heavy drugs and high quantities. He knows that Steve was sounding a hell of a lot like 'sleep' meant something worse.

He knows that Steve is X, and that means all of the horrible things that Eddie knows X thinks about himself, the guy in front of him thinks that too. He knows that Steve, ever since the letters stopped, has been upsetting the freshmen by being distant and cold.

The only assumption he can come up with is that Steve already took something, and it's hit. Or it's causing a reaction. Or its a bad trip.

He has no hesitation about touching him, immediately checks his breathing and his heart rate. It sorta, kinda seems like an overdose, a little bit could be an allergic reaction, but Steve is trembling like he's scared, and his body is stiff. Those explanations don't make perfect sense, so he watches for something that would mean it IS medical, and heads towards his better guess.

Bad Trip.

Steve is high, and is in a bad brain place, and that means he needs to be grounded. Music helps, right? When he was on that bad trip with Rick after his first senior year, Rick put on one of Eddie's tapes, and talked to him. Calm shit. Encouraging shit.

Eddie fully ignores the flickering lights - electrical gets weird in the trailer sometimes - and grabs the mixtape he made for X, and shoves it into his sorta fucky boombox. It's a mix of X's favorite songs, and the ones he mentioned in his own letters. He doesn't know if Steve ever listened to them, but that tape is the only thought he has.

Gets it playing, and grabs hold of Steve's arms. He knows that Steve stopped talking to him. Since Steve knew who he was, and Eddie didn't know who X was, it means Steve probably doesn't care if Eddie wants him to be okay.

Eddie talks about how everyone else feels.

He tells him about how protective Dustin is. How angry Lucas gets anytime anyone says a bad word about Steve. How Eddie has never seen Robin smile so much. How no one judges him for needing to repeat a year. Everyone knows about how hurt he got, and everyone gets it. No one thinks worse of him for it.

He knows his voice isn't exactly calm and soothing, but the longer this insane eye-flutter, non responsive thing goes, the more terrified Eddie is.

"Steve, please, please, it's okay. Just find your way back. try to breathe, try to feel your body, and you'll be okay. I know - I know I've been an asshole to you. I know, okay. But the boys, Robin, shit, fuck, Steve, I need to apologize for shit, so you gotta slow down your breathing. Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real. I promise it's not real, okay? Come back to the real world and I can get you feeling better, I promise. Steve? Steve?"

He doesn't notice at first that Steve is starting to float. He's too focused on his face, the way his eyes are still rolled back. He lets go before he can notice his own hands rising with him. Shits too real, this isn't just a bad trip, he needs help, he needs an ambulance, a cop, anyone that can actually help Steve.

He has the phone in hand, and is about to dial when he turns back, needing to keep looking at him while he begs someone to come fast. He sees Steve in the air.

One step closer, then another. He keeps trying, another whispered sentence or three. But the lights are going crazy, and the music is staticky, the dialtone is screaming, and suddenly Steve is flattened to the ceiling, arms pulling slowly to the sides.

Eddie runs.

Leaves the door swung open as he throws himself into his van. His hands are shaking and he's hyperventilating too hard to notice Max Mayfield sprinting across the road, up the stairs and into the trailer. He's pulling away, when Max screams as Steve falls.

He hears the scream, he hears and feels the heavy thump of a weight hitting the ground. He knows what that sound must mean.

Eddie runs.

Behind him with the tape still playing, Max holds onto a terrified Steve, who has trickles of blood on his cheeks, and bruises blooming on his arms.

Steve, alive, cursed, who immediately asks if Eddie is safe.

[lizzie-boo]

Christmas Party

Steve Harrington x Reader

Ficmas Day 9

Summary: When your best friend Steve overhears you joking with Nancy it changes the course of your friendship forever.

Words: 1.2k

A/N: Happy last day of ficmas. I wanted to write 12 stories but that never happened. Honestly, though, I'm really happy with writing 9 becuase I never intended to do ficmas at all this year. Divider by @saradika-graphics

“Are we sure this is a good idea, what if someone calls the cops?” You ask, still not fully onboard with the idea of throwing a Christmas party. 

“Don’t worry it’s just for our group of friends plus if the cops get called we’re fine. Remember Chief Hopper is Jonathan and Will’s stepdad and he’d never bust them for having a party,” Steve reassures you as he hands you another box of decorations. 

Removing the lid from the box you grab out a couple strands of garland and begin to place them around the living room. Steve follows behind you stringing up lights as he goes. 

“You’re sure we won’t get in trouble?” 

“It’s just a casual Christmas party, not a rager I promise. Plus half the people coming are practically children. It’s just gonna be us hanging out and eating snacks for a few hours.” 

You knew Steve put his old habits behind him years ago but you were always nervous he would revert to his old ways. That this party would snap him back to who he used to be and what would start as an innocent group hang out would spiral into the party of the century. The fears that if he went back to his old ways he would drop you and you would be without a best friend once more rattled around your brain. As his words finally sink in you let your shoulders relax.

“Plus, Dustin is bringing Suzie and I don’t want to scare her off. He seems to really like her so as surrogate mom I need to make a good impression,” Steve jokes and the last of your reservations disappear. 

You continue to joke and talk as you finish putting up the last of the decorations. Every so often stopping to sneak a glance at your best friend wondering if there would ever be a chance for the two of you to be more. 

The doorbell rings right at seven and you make your way to the entryway. You open the door for Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin ushering them in from the cold. Nancy pulls you into a quick hug as Jonathan offers a quiet hello. 

“So where is the dingus?” Robin asks as she wiggles her eyebrows at you. 

Pushing her shoulder lightly you respond, “He’s in the kitchen finishing up getting snacks ready.” 

“I’ll go help him,” Robin announces before rushing off to the kitchen. 

“I’m guessing this means you haven’t talked to him about how you feel yet,” Nancy says as she loops her arm with yours and pulls you into the living room leaving Jonathan to get the door for the kids. 

You take a seat next to her on the couch. “I don’t wanna screw up what we have. He’s my best friend. Why risk losing him when I can just stay his friend forever and at least have him in my life.” 

Nancy pats your arm giving you the same sad look her and Robin use everytime they bring up the topic and you and Steve being something more. You reach out and tap her nose breaking the awkward tension forming. Just then the kids, Jonathan, and Eddie file into the living room taking up all the available seats. 

Glancing over your shoulder you look for any sign of Steve or Robin, wondering what is taking them so long. Turning your attention back to the room you smile at Eddie as he tries to mediate a fight between Lucas and Dustin about what Christmas movie everyone should watch. 

Steve and Robin make their way toward the living room right as Nancy leans over, “Maybe some alone time with Eddie could help you forget about your feelings for Steve,” she jokes. 

“I don’t doubt that, he could probably make me forget my own name,” you joke back, bumping your shoulder into hers and you both laugh. 

Behind you Steve shoves the tray of snacks he’s holding into Robin’s hands and rushes back into the kitchen needing some time to think. Robin takes it in stride and sets it on the coffee table with a loud thud. 

“I think I hurt my wrist carrying the tray. Do you think you can go help Steve with the rest?” Robin asks as she plops down on the couch between you and Nancy. Before you can even answer her and Nancy are already chatting away about something one of the kids said. 

Pushing off the couch you make your way into the kitchen to find Steve with his palms pushed against the countertop. His head hangs and his eyes are screwed shut. The sight of him sends a pang of panic to your chest. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask as you place a hand on his back. 

“Do you actually wanna fuck Munson?” he bites out as he curls a hand into a fist. 

Your hand drops to your side as quickly as your mouth falls open. You hadn’t realized that he heard your joke. If you knew he was standing there you never would have said anything. 

You take a moment to assess the situation before settling on your response, “It was just a dumb joke between me and Nancy. Plus I never said that I wanted to fuck him, just that he would probably be good at it.” 

“So you don’t wanna get under him?” His tone is gentler this time as he turns to look at you. 

“No, never. It was just a joke.” You run a hand along his arm hoping to calm him down so you can head back to the party in the other room. 

His hand reaches out and grabs your free hand holding you in place. “So do you still want to forget about your feelings for me?” His eyes search yours as if he’s trying to figure out what you are going to say. 

“Only if you want me to,” you whisper, now realizing the space between you had lessened. 

He drops your hand, stepping in to cup your cheek. “That’s the last thing I want baby” he mumbles before crashing his lips to yours. Your hands tangle in his hair as your lips move in sync. Taking a step back he presses you into the counter. The cool press against your back sends a shiver down your spine and you tug at his hair in an attempt to deepen the kiss. 

He pulls back and you drop your hands to his shoulders. You both take a moment to catch your breaths. He shoots you a smile before hoisting you onto the counter. Your legs instinctively wrap around his waist and he wastes no time diving back in for another kiss. 

This time when he pulls away it’s to trail a line of kisses down your neck. He works his way back up and gently nips at your earlobe causing you to let out a moan that you try to muffle with your hand. His lips press against your ear and he whispers, “The only one who is allowed to make you forget your name from now on is me.” You pull him back into another searing kiss completely forgetting about the party in the other room. 

[saveyourblood]

Roll the Dice (Buddie x Reader)

Summary: Buck makes a humming noise, rubbing his lips in thought. “I could do it.” You and Eddie share a look. Eddie is the first to test the waters. “Do what?” “Give someone a lap dance.” The one where you're best friends with Buck and Eddie, the three of you are drunk, and the topic of lap dances comes up.

Word Count: 2.4k Prompt (from @happyhauntt): buddie and reader are hanging out and drinking maybe and maybe they're watching magic mike as a joke or they had a call to a strip club earlier that day and buck asks reader who they think would give a better lapdance, buck or eddie, reader bluescreens and they both give a demonstration. A/N: This was such a fun write! Thanks for letting me steal your idea, Ollie! You can find their work on AO3 too. :^) Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone! Warnings: Spice (not smut), drinking, mentions of vomiting

It started with beer. 

Well, it started with the boys drinking beer. 

You’ve never been a big fan of beer. You’ll occasionally indulge in something on tap at a fancy bar, but other than that, it isn’t your drink. And that cheap shit that Buck buys at the corner store? Absolutely not. 

So, it started with the boys drinking beer and you drinking a canned cocktail. 

See, Buck may have bad taste, but he has a good heart. He always has a 6-pack of cheap beer in his fridge, but since you started coming over, you notice he always has a 12-pack of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. You know he doesn’t drink them; he buys them for you. 

You really don’t drink that much, in terms of both frequency and amount. It takes a singular drink for you to feel a nice buzz, and really, that’s all you need. You’ve never had the desire to get blackout drunk, and more than three drinks gives you a raging headache in the morning. 

You were only going to have one, maybe two drinks, just like you usually do. 

But then Eddie found the fucking tequila. 

“Where’d you even get that?” you giggle. You'd be embarrassed by the sound if you were even a little bit sober. Thankfully, you’re halfway through your second can, and any sense of embarrassment is filled by the warm pool of alcohol in your stomach. 

“Maddie made margaritas the night I moved in,” Buck says, raising his beer bottle to his lips. 

The boys are both on their third beers, but between the lower alcohol content and their stronger tolerances, they aren’t as drunk as you are. Hopefully, the tequila will even the score. 

“Where did she buy it?” Eddie laughs as he inspects the bottle. 

It’s cheap: you can tell that much by looking at it. It’s a 1.75 liter plastic bottle — not exactly top shelf. You expected nothing less from Maddie, since she doesn’t strike you as a girl who sips high-end tequila. No, she’s more like the girl who makes way too strong margaritas and bullies her brother into taking shots in the kitchen. 

Buck shrugs. “Grocery store, probably.”

Eddie starts looking through the cabinets. “You got a blender?”

Buck snorts. “I have shot glasses.”

“I’m not doing shots,” you laugh. “Tequila shots and I have… a bad relationship.” 

Eddie gives you a look. “What type of relationship?” 

“Whatever type ends in me throwing up in someone’s sink.”

Buck tips his head back and cackles. “You did that?! You?!”

“I just graduated from the Academy and went out with some classmates to celebrate,” you explain, cheeks flushing as you smile. “It started with bar hopping and ended with tequila shots at someone’s house.”

“Sounds like it actually ended with you throwing up in someone’s sink,” Eddie points out. 

“And you’re trying to make it happen again!” You accuse as Eddie continues scouring the kitchen. “Shame on you, Diaz!”

“Hey, it would be nice to see the most professional member of the 118 get a little crazy,” Buck says. 

You snort again. “I’m the most professional member of the 118?”

“Professional isn’t the right word,” Eddie says, finally finding a cocktail shaker. 

“Formal?” Buck proposes, looking to the other man. 

Eddie hums in consideration as he fills the shaker with ice, leaving the tequila on the island. “Classy?”

Buck shakes his head. “No, that’s not it either.”

Eddie sets the shaker, now filled with ice, on the island. He then opens the fridge door and comes back with lime juice. “Proper?”

“Proper,” Buck agrees, leaning his hip on the island. His body is turned towards Eddie, watching him as he pours the ingredients into the shaker. 

“Proper,” you echo, your lips wrapping around the word as you say it. “How exactly am I proper?” 

“I don’t know,” Buck says after taking another sip. “Just… the way you carry yourself, I guess.”

“How specific.”

Buck flicks a beer cap, previously sitting on the island, at you. You try to catch it, but it slides off the table before you can catch it. You flip him off. 

“Not so proper anymore,” Eddie remarks. 

The tequila takes you by the hand and leads the three of you into Buck’s living room. You’re on your second margarita on the rocks, courtesy of Edmundo Diaz. The boys decide to take two shots each, back to back, and simply watching them kind of made you sick. 

“You are so full of shit!” you yell. 

You don’t know much at this moment, other than the fact that you’re completely and entirely drunk. Not wasted, not blackout. You’re in that sweet spot where you’re sober enough to know that you’re being obnoxious but too intoxicated to care. As someone who normally presents as ‘proper’ (apparently),  it’s a combination akin to fire and kerosene — absolutely ruthless. 

“I am not!” Buck laughs.

Buck claims he’s never had a lap dance, and you don’t believe him for a second. 

You’re not entirely sure how you got on this topic. It definitely didn’t start like this, that you’re almost entirely most likely probably sure of. It had something to do with the ‘old partners’ discussion. Or maybe the ‘craziest night out’ swapping of stories. It’s hard to tell — you’ve cycled through several topics tonight, and you’ll be lucky to remember half of them. 

“Eddie, do you believe him?”

Eddie chuckles as he raises his hands. “I’m staying out of this one.”

Like you or Buck would let that happen.

“What about you, hotshot?” Buck asks, cocking an eyebrow. “You ever had a lap dance?” 

Eddie’s eyes narrow slightly, almost like he’s sizing up Buck. It makes the alcohol in your belly burn a little warmer. 

“Once,” Eddie eventually answers. 

You turn your head to the side like a curious dog. “Oh?”

“Do tell,” Buck says, leaning forward. 

“It was at my shitty excuse of a bachelor party,” Eddie explains, taking a sip of his fourth beer. “One of my friends in Texas insisted. We went out to a strip club, he paid for it, and… that’s it.” 

“He paid for it,” you echo. “What a gentleman.” 

Sitting in the armchair, Eddie gently kicks your leg on the coffee table. You giggle, pulling both your legs back onto the couch. Buck, at the other end of the couch, puts his feet in your lap. 

“You’re being awfully quiet,” he observes. “Have you?”

You snort. “Have I ever had a lap dance?”

“Or given one.”

You press into the nailbed on one of Buck’s toes using your thumb. He yelps and pulls his legs back. 

“Half an hour ago, you were calling me ‘proper.’ Now, you’re asking if I’ve given someone a lap dance,” you recall. You turn to Eddie. “Can you believe him?”

“Absolutely not,” Eddie says as he shakes his head. “...Have you, though?”

Buck cackles as you kick Eddie’s leg. 

“I’ve never given anyone a lap dance,” you answer loudly. “I almost got one, though.” 

Both the boys raise their eyebrows.

“Do you remember that call we went on a few months back? To a male strip club?”

“Yeahhh,” Buck says. At some point, he replaced his beer bottle with the tequila bottle, which he’s now cradling like a baby. “What was that place called? Thirsty?”

“Just Thirst, I think,” Eddie remarks. “The one where a dancer rolled his ankle, right?”

You nod. “One of his buddies offered me a dance for being such a great first responder.”

Buck smiles and takes a swig of the tequila, wincing as it goes down. You nudge his knee, then pull your fingers towards yourself, gesturing for the bottle. Buck’s smile looks a little more cocky, but he hands the bottle over anyways. 

“You didn’t accept, huh?”

You sip a  little more of the tequila than you should. You can’t help it — it goes down so easily, leaving nothing but fuzzy warmth in its wake. You’ll regret it tomorrow, but for now, you’re basking in it. “Not really my thing.”

“Not even for the story?” Eddie asks. 

“You don’t get to be the ‘proper’ one by doing something ‘for the story,’” you counter. 

Eddie makes a face of contemplation as he reaches for the bottle. “Fair.” 

“You are really hung up on that word,” Buck notes. 

“It was… surprising, that’s all,” you chuckle. 

Buck makes a humming noise, rubbing his lips in thought. “I could do it.”

You and Eddie share a look. Eddie is the first to test the waters. “Do what?” 

“Give someone a lap dance.” 

You can feel your face get hot. You swallow the lump that suddenly took residence in your throat. 

Meanwhile, Eddie laughs. “You’ve never gotten a lap dance, but you think you can give one?” 

Buck shrugs, leaning one elbow on his knee. “Why not? I’ve seen Magic Mike.” 

“You’ve seen Magic Mike but never gotten a lap dance,” Eddie continues after taking a swig of liquor. “That makes sense.” 

You reach for the bottle, which Eddie grants you. You take a long drink, gulping a few times. Pulling the bottle back, you use your thumb to wipe your bottom lip. “Do your worst, Buckley.”

He turns his head to stare at you. He huffs out a laugh, looking at you the whole time. “What?” 

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” you continue, leaning back in the couch. You prop one arm on the back and the other on the armrest, the tequila bottle hitting the end table in the process. “You’ve never given a lap dance, I’ve never gotten one. We’ll pop each other’s cherries.” 

You’d never say any of this sober. Shit, you’d never say any of this two drinks in. You’re in so much deeper than that now; between the margs and the sips, you’ve had at least 6 shots. You can practically feel the alcohol in your blood. It’s hot, thick, and wanting. 

You're 100% throwing up in Buck's sink tomorrow.

You blink, and Buck is on top of you. His hands press into the back of the couch, holding his weight so he can be face-to-face with you. If the booze in your veins is hot, then his breath on your lips is fucking scalding. 

He lifts his hips and brings them back down in a rippling motion: he’s grinding on you. You giggle, high-pitched and shameless. You move your hands to cover your mouth. You can’t wrap your head around the idea that this is actually happening. 

Buck sits up straighter in your lap. He’s careful to keep his weight on his knees, which are on either side of your legs. He puffs his chest before rolling his shoulders forward and his ass backwards on your thighs in a fluid motion. You can feel the friction of his pants on your bare legs. You thank your past self for choosing to wear shorts. 

He gently takes your wrists, moving your hands from your mouth to his chest. He’s fully clothed, so you’re dragging your hands down his sweater. Still, you can feel the rippling of his muscles under his shirt. You throw your head back in laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of it, but you know the burning in your stomach is no longer entirely thanks to the liquor. 

“Not bad,” Eddie critiques from his seat. 

You laugh harder. 

“What, you can do better?” Buck challenges. 

Eddie narrows his eyes again before smirking. He pushes himself out of the chair, shooing Buck away with his hand. 

Buck raises his hands in surrender, turning on one knee before flopping on the couch beside you. 

“This isn’t happening,” you laugh, shaking your head like you’re trying to wake yourself up from a dream. 

You’ve had a crush on both of them since the first time you saw them. How could you not? They are completely and utterly gorgeous men. When you realized how funny and caring they both are, it just sealed the deal. You never, in your wildest imagination, pictured yourself in a situation like this with either of them, let alone both of them. 

Not that you’re complaining, of course.

Eddie takes Buck’s place, only he’s towering over you since he’s standing instead of sitting. He puts his hands on your sides, trailing down to your thighs. You shudder under his touch, hoping it isn’t noticeable. The way the corner of his mouth turns up tells you that it’s definitely noticeable. 

Eddie’s hands reach your knees, which he loops his fingers under. In a swift motion, he pulls your legs up and presses his body against yours. You yelp in surprise and wrap your legs around his back, somehow pulling him closer. 

His hands move to your back, and he picks you up. You yelp again, astonished by the ease he can lift you. You shouldn’t be so shocked, considering his career. When his grasp moves from your back to your ass, though, he’s no longer Firefighter Diaz; he’s Eddie, the man you have a crush on. And the man who’s currently holding your ass. 

Eddie turns on his heel and carefully lays you on Buck’s coffee table, which makes you cackle again. Your laughter dies in your throat when Eddie places himself over you again. Your chests are touching, as are your noses. 

You look into Eddie’s eyes, and it’s as if you can suddenly read his mind. “Dancers aren’t supposed to kiss the clientele.”

Eddie smiles again. It’s the kind where only one corner of his mouth curls up, and his lips shift to the side. “Good thing I’m not a dancer.”

His lips meet yours, and it’s nothing but heat. He tastes like a mix of cheap beer and tequila, and if you weren’t already, you could get drunk off of it. Your tongues meet and separate like lovers on a dance floor. When you’re out of breath, you wonder if you could suck the air out of his lungs, just to keep you connected to him for a little longer. 

Eddie pulls away first, his chest heaving desperately for air. 

“You lose,” Buck remarks. 

“How did I lose?”

“It was a competition?” you interject. 

“It’s called a lap dance,” Buck points out. “That wasn’t in her lap.” 

Eddie rolls his eyes fondly. They eventually settle on your mouth. “Eh, I think I won.” 

[lady-lostmind]

A Gift for Steve Harrington

Written for @steddiebingo Twelve Days of Christmas Prompt: Gifts

Rating: T | WC: 830 Thank you @oh-stars for betaing!!

Eddie has never been great at giving gifts. He tries. He wants to give the people he loves good gifts. But he’s not exactly flush, ever, and as creative as he is it’s not really make gifts creative. Hence Wayne’s mug collection, which has turned into an inside joke more than anything. Wayne doesn’t even use mugs that often. Always carries his work thermos around. But Eddie still buys every ridiculous mug he finds at the thrift store and stashes them away for Christmas and birthday gifts. 

The point is, Eddie is at a loss. He’s the luckiest son of a bitch to have ever lived because he landed fucking Steve Harrington of all people and it’s their first Christmas like together, together and he has no clue what to get him. 

He knows things that Steve likes. Obviously. He’s obsessed with the guy. Hangs on every word that comes out of his mouth. But Steve likes…fancy shit. Like shit Eddie wouldn’t even know where to attempt to find. His shampoo isn’t in the hair aisle at the grocery store. He has no idea where he shops for clothes since Eddie gets all of his clothes at the thrift store. The mall is probably a good guess but he hates going to the mall, and he wouldn’t even know where to start if he did. He could try to buy sports stuff but he’s not confident in his ability to keep the teams straight and he’s pretty sure buying the wrong team is a big no-no. So, he’s stuck, and desperate. Because fuck all if he’s going to lose Steve Harrington because he can’t buy a fucking Christmas present. He has to find something good. Something thoughtful. Something that shows he can be a good boyfriend. Something that says thank you for letting me see you naked. Because he honestly doesn’t know how this is even his life and he has to hold onto this perfect specimen of a man. 

Eddie groans, shoving a sports shirt back on the rack and stomping his way toward the exit. He’s running out of time but nothing seems right. Nothing is good enough. Nothing is– Eddie freezes as he walks past an aisle of picture frames. He hesitates, feeling like this is too easy. But he knows Steve would love it. He loves anything that has a little thought behind it. Eddie backs up and goes down the aisle, feeling ridiculous for not thinking of this sooner. He chooses carefully, taking his time picking the perfect frame and when he gets home he digs through his little box of mementos looking for–

“Aha!” Eddie snags the ticket stubs from the bottom of the box and stares at them fondly before positioning them on the corner of his favorite picture of him and Steve and then sealing it all behind the glass in the frame. 

–

Eddie is nervous. He tugs on his rings and his leg bounces uncontrollably as he watches Robin hand gifts out to everyone from under the tree. What if he’s wrong? What if Steve wants a nice gift? What if he thinks it’s weird Eddie kept the tickets? What if he thinks it’s lame to give him such a cheesy couple gift? What if it’s way too early in their relationship to give him something so sappy? What if– 

Eddie holds his breath as Robin grabs Steve’s gift and scoffs at the wrapping, rolling her eyes at Eddie. “Newspaper, Eddie? Really?”

Eddie shrugs and catches Steve's little smirk as Robin hands the gift to him. Steve looks over at Eddie and smiles before starting to rip the paper off. Eddie chews on the side of his thumb, waiting for Steve’s reaction. He turns the frame over so he can see it and gasps.

“Eds is this–” He looks up and locks eyes with Eddie. “Are these from our first date?” 

Eddie can feel his face flush bright red. He tugs a piece of hair in front of his face and nods, unable to answer with his stomach so tied up in knots. 

Steve looks back down at the frame, rubbing his thumb over the tickets. But he doesn’t say anything else. Just stares. Eddie spirals thinking he absolutely fucked up. Steve hates it. He hates the gift and now everything is going to be ruined and–

Steve finally looks up and there are tears streaming down his face and– great. His gift was so terrible and off the mark he made his boyfriend cry. Good job, Eddie. Really great–

Steve launches himself into Eddie’s lap and plasters their mouths together, holding onto him tight. Eddie can taste the saltiness of his tears on his lips and is very– confused. He pulls back, looking at Steve with wide eyes. “So, you…like it?”

Steve huffs out a wet laugh, his eyes crinkling in that way Eddie loves when he really smiles. “I love it, Eds. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” 

[harrywavycurly]

You’re Not Alone: An Eddie Munson Blurb✨

CW: Language, one tiny mention of death

A/N: I don’t know where this came from but I mean that’s how it is sometimes, so hopefully yall enjoy! ✨

Summary: Eddie doesn’t want to be lonely on Christmas and it’s sort of your job to make sure he’s okay✨

Eddie can feel as if someone watching him as he crosses the street towards the mechanic shop he calls work, he looks over his shoulder and pinches his brows together when he finds the street is empty minus a few random people walking on the sidewalk doing some last minute Christmas shopping. He shakes his head trying to rid himself of the feeling and runs a hand through his hair while he reaches into his back pocket for the keys to the shop so he can unlock the office door, just needing to run in and grab his check and make sure Eric put all his overtime in. Eddie let’s out a sigh when he enters the empty shop, everyone being off for the next few days for Christmas making the usual loud office eerily quiet as he makes his way over to Eric’s desk to grab the envelope with his name scribbled on it.

“He writes like a toddler.” Eddie laughs at the soft voice that comes from behind him as he holds the envelope in his hands.

“I know he says it’s because he’s left handed but that’s total bullshit.” He explains while opening it up to make sure all his hours are on the check but then it dawns on him that he’s alone in the shop, or at least he should be.

Eddie suddenly he feels a chill run down his spine as the envelope slips out of his hands and lands on the floor by his feet. He slowly turns his head to look over his shoulder and his eyes go wide making his eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline when he sees someone standing right behind him. He takes a step backward making him run into Eric’s office chair causing him to almost trip over his own feet, he places a hand on top of the chair and one on the filing cabinet Eric has behind the desk as he tries to catch himself from falling all while never taking his eyes off you.

“You’re panicking aren’t you?” You ask as you watch him look around for something to defend himself, when he grabs the three hole puncher off the top of the filing cabinet you let out a sigh and place a hand on your hip. “I’m not a threat okay? I’m just here so you don’t have to be alone that’s all.” You attempt to explain but Eddie just ignores you as he grabs the object and holds it in a tight grip as if it’s a baseball bat and he’s ready to swing on you at any moment.

“Yeah well I don’t mind being alone.” You narrow your eyes at him in a glare as you reach into your back pocket. “Woah what-what are you doing? Hands where I can see them alright?” You roll your eyes as you pull your phone out and Eddie lets out a sigh of relief that it’s not something you can use to murder him. Eddie watches you mess around on the device and before he can ask what you’re doing he feels his stomach drop to his ass as his own voice fills the small space.

“How does everyone have someone to be with during the holidays and I’m stuck here alone? Even Harrington has a girlfriend…this fucking sucks.”

You watch Eddie’s face go pale as his arm that’s holding his makeshift weapon lowers as he listens to his own voice saying something he only thought and never said out loud while in the privacy of his own home. You lock your phone and slide it back into your pocket and take a small step towards him so you can bend down and pick his check up off the floor.

“It’s okay to not want to be alone for the holidays.” You reassure him with a soft smile as you hold the paper out for him to take. “And lucky for you I’m free until New Years.” Eddie quickly snatches his check from you with his hand that’s not holding the hole puncher and shoves it into the pocket of his well loved leather jacket.

“Who the hell are you?” He asks in a voice that’s barely above a whisper as he looks you up and down and he swears he’s seen you before but he just can’t quite put a finger on where.

“Oh I’m actually your neighbor.”

“My neighbor? Like you live next door to me?”

“Exactly.”

“No one lives next to me? That-that house has been abandoned for years.” You smile and shrug as you look down at your feet.

“Abandoned by the living maybe-”

“Holy fuck are you a ghost?” You laugh at his outburst and look up to find he has finally put the hole puncher down on the desk having decided you’re not really a threat to him.

“Don’t you remember meeting me? The day you moved in?” Eddie raises an eyebrow at you as you take another step towards him but this time he watches as you reach your hand out for him to take and when he hesitates you just wiggle your fingers and give him a soft chuckle. “I don’t bite Eddie come one just take it.” You tell him making him give you a sideways glare as he reluctantly reaches his hand out and places it in yours.

He feels a weird tingling sensation go up his arm as a memory begins to replay in his mind, it’s of the day he moved into his current house. He’s unloading a box from the back of his van and he hears a voice, your voice calling out to him from the house next door and when he turns to look you’re standing on the porch waving and shouting something about welcome to the neighborhood. And in true Eddie fashion he’s a little stunned that someone who seems so warm and nice is actually talking to him so he just offers you a smile and a nod before he takes the box in his hands into his house. You let go of his hand and he’s back in the current moment, but now with memories of him seeing you randomly all over Hawkins swirling around in his head.

“Holy shit.”

“See? Not a ghost.”

“But-but how? The house next door is rundown and the windows are busted.”

“Rundown? That’s a little harsh coming from someone who has an old drum set on his front porch.” Eddie’s cheeks go pink as you bring up his cluttered porch that does indeed have part of an old drum set from the band he was in during high school sitting on it, he just doesn’t have the heart to get rid of it so he uses the bass drum as a table to hold his ashtray when he goes out for a smoke.

“Sorry but I just don’t get how it’s possible for you to live there?” You rub your lips together and quickly look over your shoulder towards the office door before looking back at him with your hand held out.

“It’s easier to just show you.” For some reason this time Eddie doesn’t hesitate to take your hand, it’s as if he knows deep down you really won’t hurt him because you’re his neighbor so if you wanted to do him harm you’ve have plenty of chances over the last year or so he’s lived there. You smile as you interlock your fingers with his and turn to lead him out of the office and onto the empty sidewalk outside the shop. “I’ve always been around and you’ve always felt me you just haven’t really known about me until today that’s all.” You try to explain as the two of you walk down the street towards the neighborhood you both apparently live in.

“But you’re not human?” He questions as he looks around to make sure no one is near to hear him ask such a silly but also extremely important question. You laugh and shake your head as you give his hand a firm squeeze, the cool metal of his rings feeling nice against the warm skin of your hand.

“I’m your guardian angel Eddie.” You feel him stop walking as the words slip out of your mouth. You turn to look at him and see he’s already staring at you with wide eyes and his mouth slightly hung open. “Normally we don’t make ourselves known to those we are watching but you just-I don’t know? You just seem to need me in more ways than just the usual things like making sure that bike on Main Street last week didn’t crash into you when you were walking back to work from the coffee shop.” He quirks an eyebrow at you when you mention the bike incident that happened to him last week.

“That-that was you? It only missed me by like half an inch.”

“Yeah sorry normally I’m way quicker than that but I got distracted by-”

“Oh great my guardian angel is easily distracted.” His voice is only slightly teasing as he lets out a frustrated huff and runs his free hand over his face.

“Did you die? No you didn’t. So I’d say I still did my job just fine thank you very much.” You snap as you turn and begin walking again making him have no choice but to follow you since you still have his hand in yours.

“Part of what I do is ensuring you’re not miserable and that’s why I decided to appear to you today because you don’t want to be alone and the truth is Eddie you’ve never actually been alone. I’ve always been there.” He doesn’t know why that information makes him feel somewhat at ease, knowing that even at his lowest times when he felt the most alone you were there even if he just didn’t know it but he could always somehow feel it.

“How long have you been looking after me?” You turn the corner and begin walking down the street the two of you live on as the question you were dreading falls from his mouth. It’s not that you don’t want to answer his question it’s just that you don’t want to make him sad and bringing up his dad will do just that, but you also can’t lie to him either.

“Ever since Wayne died.” You don’t look at him as you answer, you just continue down the street and smile when you see some houses turn their Christmas lights on as the sun has begun to go down making the sky a darker shade of blue. “It was his request actually. To have someone look out for you and to make sure you were okay.” You add in hopes it will help lift his mood knowing his dad loved him enough to want to make sure he was okay long after he was gone.

“Yeah that sounds like him.” He says with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he always figured it would be his dad looking out for him not someone who looked like they could’ve graduated high school with him and has a kind smile and a cute laugh.

“I can’t believe you think my house looks rundown.” You mumble as the two of you finally make your way to the end of your driveway. Eddie looks up and feels as if his eyes are messing with him when he sees a house that’s fully decked out in colorful Christmas lights, not a single window broken or shutter falling off, a car parked in the driveway and most importantly a welcome sign hanging on the front door in the shape of a gold star with wings.

“This can’t be real.” You ignore him as you practically drag him up to your front steps as his eyes bounce around trying to take in every detail because he swears this house looked nothing like this just this morning when he was on his porch having his coffee.

“It’s always been real you’ve just had your blinders on until now.” You let go of his hand so you can unlock your front door. “Feel free to make yourself at home.” You instruct as he slowly takes a step inside your house, a feeling of pure warmth and ease hits him in the chest as you wiggle off your jacket and hang it on your coat hanger next to the door.

“Is this uh breaking any angel laws or anything?” He follows your actions and takes his jacket off and hangs it next to yours on the hanger before he looks and sees you’ve wondered off into your kitchen that’s giving off an extremely cozy feeling making him drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

“Nope this is fine.” Is all you say as you begin taking things out of the fridge while Eddie looks around, he notices you went all out on the holiday decor and wonders if you think he’s lame for not even having a tree.

“What are we about to do?” He questions as he watches you go into your pantry and grab a few things and place them all on your kitchen island. You smile when you look up at him and he feels his face get flush at the intensity of your stare.

“We Eddie Munson are making Christmas cookies.” And with that Eddie just nods as he begins to put his hair up in a bun while you turn around and get the oven ready, and you know he might be a little confused and will possibly wake up tomorrow thinking this was all a dream but for tonight you can feel good about the fact he won’t be lonely on Christmas and if he chooses to believe in you, he won’t have to be lonely ever again.

[oneforthemunny]

also really thinking about how nye specifically is mafia!eddie’s holiday.

like all the eddie’s in my head have a holiday and mafia!eddie screams nye.

picturing him having a party, probably rents a place out or maybe rick has an annual one for all his closest guys. it’s so obnoxiously over the top, dressed to the nines, cocktail attire.

it’s so fancy and posh and the first time you go you’re beyond intimidated. all the black jack tables, and waiters with silver serving trays, and a string quartet playing in the corner stage. eddie assures you it’s not that serious, that it gets more fun as the night goes on.

and it does. the more liquor flows, champagne flutes emptying one after the other, it does get more enjoyable.

you and eddie make your way out to the garden closer to midnight, when everyone else is too enthralled with everything else going on to notice.

he’s got his jacket around your shoulders, took it off the second you both stepped outside and you shivered.

eddie brought you out to see the fireworks that go off at midnight, or so he says.

at midnight, when the loud cracks of the fireworks drown out the cheering from inside, eddie has you pressed against a marble pillar, sloppily kissing you, tongue slipped in your mouth so you can taste the whiskey he’s had. and you know he brought you out here for this, so he can kiss you how he wants to without worry that others are watching.

or so he can grab at your ass while he does so, feverishly kissing down your jaw and towards the nape of your neck.

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | December 16th-22nd 2024

So close to Christmas guys!!! I can't wait to spend the break reading fic and making recs for you guys!!

(By the time I post this (late), it's gonna be December 24th so Merry Christmas and happy holidays to those who celebrate!)

Complete

i'll be home for christmas by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Post-S8A, Christopher comes home, Christmas | 1,5K | General): Christopher had messaged, two weeks ago, and said he didn’t want to spend Christmas in Texas. He’d said his grandmother doesn’t decorate the house right, that she won’t let him put popcorn garlands on the tree, that she’s trying to tell him snickerdoodles aren’t Christmas cookies. He’d said he wants to come home. Or— What he’d said was, can i come and spend christmas with you?

you gotta walk before you crawl by Wildehack (tyleet) / @wildehacked (Future fic | 1,5K | Teen): “Hey,” Buck says, nudging Eddie with his socked foot, Danny Ocean monologuing on the tv. “Why don’t we ever go to poker night anymore?” 

until we're grey and old by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Established Buddie | 1,5K | Teen): Or—he had been good at it. He had been able to go weeks without questioning Eddie’s presence at his side. And then Eddie had kissed him, soft and out of nowhere in the warm glow of his kitchen. The dishwasher beeped, startling them apart, and on Eddie’s face, a blush and a grin competed for purchase. Buck blinked, and Eddie raised his eyebrows in question, and Buck kissed him again in response. Eddie leaned into him, and Buck— Buck can’t stop thinking about the fact that everyone always leaves.

All I Want For Christmas... by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Christmas, Post-S8A, Eddie goes to Texas, Getting Together | 3K | General): “So…I don’t think we’re gonna make it back for Christmas.” Buck closes his eyes and takes a breath, letting the full impact of Eddie’s words hit him for a second. “Y-yeah, man. Of course. I totally get it.” He swallows, “Your family is there, anyways.”

Last First Kiss by songbvrd/ @songbvrd (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 3K | General): Buck tries to say goodbye. Eddie isn't ready.

I took a little journey to the unknown by 42hrb/ @exhuastedpigeon (Hurt Eddie, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): Eddie groans, his tongue feels too big for his mouth and his thoughts are moving slowly, like they’re trying to wade through pudding and getting stuck on the way to his mouth. “I-it’s okay, you don’t have to talk,” Buck says and the comforting warmth is back on Eddie’s hand. The only thought that rings clearly through his head is that Buck’s hand is safe. Buck is going to keep him safe. “Just - can you squeeze my hand if you’re awake?” That feels nearly impossible, his body feels like lead, heavy and useless, but for Buck he can try. He focuses and squeezes as tightly as he can - it’s not very tight, but that doesn’t seem to matter when Buck lets out a long breath and then a choked sob.

It's a mystery (that I would pick you 10 out of 9 times) by paleredheadinascifi (Online Dating, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): Tex: Can you overshare something to make this less embarrassing? Firehose : Absolutely. I’m telling people I downloaded this app to get over my ex but really I realized I have feelings for my straight best friend Or, Eddie downloads a gay dating app and hits it off with a suspiciously familiar mystery man (it's Buck).

🔥Light, Dark, Light Again by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Getting Together | 5K | Teen): “Anyway, it’s not a big deal; it happens to everyone at some time or another here. Like Ravi with Buck. Or like Bobby with me,” Bobby shrugs his shoulders at the group while Buck gapes at him. “Or Buck with Eddie when he first started,” Chimney nods at the final pair, inhaling another slice of pizza into his huge mouth, unaware that five sets of eyes were now locked onto him. He opens his eyes and pauses. “What?” It takes a moment, but it finally clicks in Chimney’s head. “Oh, fuck,” he flashes his eyes to Buck in terror, wide-eyed, and Buck truly loves the guy, loves him like a brother, but sometimes he wishes Chimney wasn’t his actual brother because Maddie has clearly shared this little Buck fact with Chimney Can’t-Keep-A-Secret-To-Save-His-Life Han, and it’s not like Buck can kill Chimney because he’s Jee’s dad and it’s just – Great. This is great. *** Or Buck fell first, Eddie fell harder, and it makes them both look stupid.

Buck, Bothered and Bewitched by bellabrady (Animal Transformation, Getting Together | 6K | Not Rated): Eddie looks back down at the dog. “Buck?” he asks slowly, feeling slightly insane. Immediately, the dog barks again, more enthusiastically this time, like he’s voicing his agreement to Eddie’s question. The dog — Buck — starts wagging his tail as he tries to walk in Eddie’s direction, but he’s so uncoordinated due to not being used to having four legs that he somehow ends up forgetting to move his front legs and stumbling over them, leading to a very inelegant fall that has him almost faceplanting onto the floor. “Yeah,” Hen says with a small huff. “That dog is Buck, alright.”

emails i can't send by heartbeatdiaz/ @lonelychicago (Post-S8A, Getting Together | 6K | Teen): “Jee, what have you done?” Buck groans, trying to unsend the emails that are— used to be in his drafts. The emails that he's written to Eddie and that were never supposed to see the light of day. The emails Jee somehow managed to send while Buck wasn't looking. No, no, no. or; buck should've known better than to let his email account open and then give his computer to a toddler to play with.

The Twelve Days of Buckmas by paleredheadinascifi (Post-S8A, Eddie goes to Texas, Christmas | 6K | Teen): 12 days. 12 gifts. 12 letters. 12 times Buck delivers a Christmas miracle all the way to El Paso. Or, two giant boxes turn up at Eddie's new front door. Buck isn't going to let a few states stop him from spoiling his favourite Diazs.

(we tried) we said we'd keep in touch by withmeornotatall/ @chronicowboy (Post-S8A, Christmas, Getting Together | 7k | Teen): "Yeah, they were pretty pissed about the Christmas arrangements I made for me and Chris, but it was his idea, so..." And Buck can practically see the smile curving onto Eddie's face, can perfectly conjure up the exact tilt to his mouth, the stretch of his lips, the joy alighting in his eyes, could even pick out the exact HEX code of pink in his cheeks from a colour picker. "That's great, Eddie." A matching smile creeps across his face. As selfish as Buck may be, he answered the phone after every breakthrough with Chris, every blowout with his parents, every time Christopher turned him away. This is why Eddie had to leave. At least, somebody's having a happy Christmas. "What are you up to?" "Nothing much. Missing you," Eddie says, and he says it like it's all they've been doing. Buck almost believes him.

🔥 housed by your warmth by hispolestar (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Getting Together | 10K | Explicit): Buck’s never been wanted, not really. That’s the truth of his existence, at the end of the day. Born as a saviour only to fail. Neglected by his parents, left by his sister, the only person to make life worth it back then. When he finally, finally decided enough was enough and ran away from home, he thought, stupidly, that being the one to do the leaving might mean that he’d stop being doomed. It doesn’t. Because now Eddie’s leaving. And it’s worse. It’s so much worse, infinitely worse, in ways Buck can’t quite comprehend. If Tommy leaving was a blow to his self esteem, Eddie leaving – it’s nothing short of an atomic bomb, leaving nothing but dead plants, rotting carcasses and devastation in its wake.

🔥 Promising Light by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S8E8: Wannabes, Time Travel | 20K | Mature): Buck and Eddie fall asleep drunk and in separate rooms after the night of Buck and Tommy's breakup. They wake up seven years later, in an unfamiliar future, only to find out that they're married.

🔥 take what the water gave me by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Mermaid Buck, Trans Eddie, S2-3 | 20K | Mature): New transfer to the 118, Eddie Diaz, has a secret. And upon getting to know his coworker, Buck, who is also hiding something, he begins to suspect their secret is the same. He's wrong.

🔥should we talk about the weather by trysetmeonfire/ @try-set-me-on-fire (Drift Compatible Buddie, S5-6 | 20K | Mature): And then, in Los Angeles, 2018, Eddie had met Buck. Then, huddled over a man with a bomb in his leg, Eddie had needed gauze and Buck’s hand had moved. Then, in the parking lot bathed in the light of an ambulance on fire, Buck had inhaled and Eddie's lungs expanded. And, well, that was that.

🔥 can’t fight the moonlight by coldbam/ @coldbam (Werewolf Buck, Canon Divergent | 21K | Explicit): “Apparently I stole his very special mug,” Eddie says, not bothering to hide the sarcasm. “I know you guys keep saying he’s all bark, Buck’s a real sweetheart, but I'm starting to worry you all just have terrible judge of character,” Eddie half-jokes. He sighs, rubbing at his eyes. “What the hell is his problem?” “Full moon tonight,” Chimney says with a smirk, chewing his gum like he’s proud of himself for that joke. * Or, everyone works at a wolf sanctuary and Buck is a werewolf.

🔥Risky Business series by taegyungie (Post-S8E6: Confessions, Getting Together | 2 works | Complete | Explicit):

Cure for Martyrdom (PWP | 4K | Explicit): "Simple pleasures, right?" "Right." Or, Eddie and Buck have a couple beers on the couch.

Lament for the Living (Eddie Sexuality Crisis, Near Death Experience | 23K | Explicit): Eddie's shadow dwarfs him by a long shot, so he swings upward and keeps on boxing. Eggshells, headstones, shipwrecks - Eddie fights for the things he loves.

WIP

🔥 Finding Mr Christmas by JJK/@trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Canon Divergent, Reality TV, Christmas | 7/10 | 40K | Teen): "Welcome to Finding Mr Christmas! You’re all here chasing the same dream, to star in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and over the next few weeks we’re going to be putting you through your paces to see which of you has the most star quality and that ‘it’ factor that makes you shine above the rest." 🎄🎄🎄 An AU where Buck and Eddie meet as contestants on Hallmark's Finding Mr Christmas competition (and fall for each other).

[trainer-from-unova]

master of puppets

𖤐 bandom blog: @princess-lvcifer 𖤐 english ao3 𖤐 spanish ao3 𖤐 edits 𖤐 kofi 𖤐

ship: eddie munson x f!reader

summary: where you play d&d with the hellfire club as a substitute

a/n: shameless self insert and retelling and lots of metallica references / i wrote this in summer 2022 / english isn't my first language

cw: none

word count: 2.8k

She was in the school canteen during break time, sitting at the table where she and her friends always sat. She was listening to the conversation her friends were having, when suddenly, something, or rather someone, caught her attention, and not just hers and her friends', but that of everyone in the lunchroom.

Suddenly Eddie, the boy she liked, jumped up on the table where he was with his friends and started shouting and addressing people in the lunchroom.

"...As long as you're into band...!" he said, looking at the musicians in the high school band. "Or science...!" he said, looking at the scientists. "...or parties" he said looking at the revellers, and one of them gave him the finger, but it was obvious that he didn't mind at all. "Or a game where you toss BALLS INTO LAUNDRY BASKETS...!" He said even louder, putting his hands to the sides of his mouth and looking at the members of the basketball team.

Someone screamed "Loser!"

"You want something, freak?" asked the team leader. Eddie put his hands on his head, index fingers raised to resemble demon horns, and stuck out his tongue and made funny noises.

She laughed in amusement. She didn't know him well, but he was clearly outgoing and didn't give a shit what other people thought of him, and she loved that in a man. He was also her type physically: long and curly dark hair with fringes, tight jeans torn at the knees, silver chains, skull rings, rock and metal band t-shirts, black leather jacket, denim waistcoat.... And to top it all off, he had a lovely smile and common tastes with her.

Occasionally they would talk, if nodding to each other in the halls of high school and saying "Cool t-shirt" when they were both wearing rock and metal band t-shirts counted as talking.

"Is that your man?" asked her best friend as she gave her a dirty look, to which she nudged her to shut up and stop looking at her like that. She didn't want anyone inappropriate to know that she liked him, not because she was ashamed of him, but because she didn't want him to know, especially not like that.

"Yes, it is, and shut up."

The leader of the basketball team decided it would be a waste of time to fight with Eddie, he simply whispered "Prik" and sat back down in his seat.

"...what's KILLING THE KIDS!" he said as he ran around the table, jumping down to yell at a passing teacher, scaring her and pinning her against a pillar.

Some cheerleaders were passing by and he stepped aside and let them pass with a wave of his arm, and she wished she was one of them.

He said something else but she couldn't hear him over the distance between their tables and all the noise in the lunchroom, and she saw him sit back down in his seat and start eating, though within a minute she heard him yell "Shut up."

And then she saw him get up again after a few seconds. Not that she looked at him constantly, but she had him in her field of vision, so she couldn't help looking at him. That she sat where she sat because of that? Maybe. So she could use it as an excuse, if someone caught her looking at him too much.

He was talking to his younger friends, and pointed to the older ones. Then he pointed to himself with both hands. Then he started fidgeting excitedly, pulled his finger out looking at nothing, raised his fist and started moving around the lunchroom excited and laughing. He was a restless ass.

He crouched down between his smaller friends and put his hands on their shoulders. Then he grabbed them by the back of the collars of their t-shirts, which were Hellfire Club by the way, and walked them down the main aisle of the lunchroom.

He scanned all the tables in front of him starting from his left, gesturing for them to look in the same direction as him. Their gazes met, and she nodded at him, trying to contain her smile. He did the same, though more subtly because he was busy saying God knows what to those kids, but he also smiled back.

The hours at school always pass too slowly, but especially on Fridays. She and her friends were about to leave the school to go to the house of one of them and spend the rest of the afternoon there, when they were stopped by Eddie's younger friends.

"Do you play Dungeons and Dragons?" asked the boy in the cap.

"We need a substitute at the Hellfire Club," said the other boy.

"Yes, we do play," said ________'s male best friend.

"Really?" asked the boy in the cap, surprised and happy at the same time.

"Great!" said the other boy.

"The problem is that we have a game this afternoon too..."

"Oh fuck."

"She can go," said _______'s female best friend, pointing at her. "She knows how to play but she never plays," which was true, the games seemed ridiculously long and she got bored, so when her friends were playing she stood to one side, eating snacks while watching TV or flipping through magazines.

They wanted to ask about it, but it wasn't the time for that, it was the time to beg her to go with them. Even if she didn't know how to play, it was good enough for them.

"Can you come? Please."

"Eddie will kill us if we don't come with a substitute for our friend Lucas, who can't come because he's playing in the basketball game tonight."

"Of course, of course. No problem, don't worry."

The time came and she was a little nervous, to be honest. Mike and Dustin, as those boys were called, escorted her to the place where the game would be played, in the high school theatre.

"We're all here!" Dustin said.

"We're bringing a substitute!" Mike said.

Eddie's heart stopped. Was she really going to be Lucas's substitute? Did they know Eddie liked her and brought her here to screw with him and get on his nerves as revenge for not wanting to cancel the game that day? He will kill them.

"Hello, everyone," she waved, looking at everyone one by one.

She was trying her best to hide her nerves. Not only was she nervous about being with Eddie, but maybe he, and not just him, but the rest of his friends as well, didn't want to play with girls, considering them inadequate. Mike and Dustin were nervous too, they didn't know how Eddie and the rest would take it if the substitute was a girl.

They looked at _______ and then looked at Eddie, looking for a reaction, a response to his presence. He was the leader, the Dangeon Master.

"The warriors bring a princess!" he said, getting up and going to her direction. He took her hand, leaned down and kissed it, making her blush and scream inwardly like mad. "Do you play Dungeons and Dragons?"

"My friends, but they're busy this afternoon with their game. I'm the only one who doesn't play, but I know. I hope I'm not disturbing..." she whispered.

"What are you talking about? It's a pleasure to have you here, and even more so in need of a substitute. Welcome to the club," he smiled.

"Thank you," she said, calmer now.

"The hooded cultists chant "Hail Lord Vecna"..." said Eddie in a whisper, very serious and concentrated, looking at each one, "Hail Lord Vecna..." They turn to you, hands, remove their hoods..." he said, gesturing as if he himself were wearing a hood and taking it off, "You recognize most of them from Makbar, but there is one you do not recognize... His skin shriveled, desiccated... And something else... He is not only missing his left arm...!" he said, pulling his left arm behind his back, "BUT HIS LEFT EYE!" he shouted, covering his left eye with his right hand.

"No, it can't be!" cried Mike, holding his hands to his face.

"Vecna's dead!"

"He was killed by Kas!!" said Mike.

"So it was thought, my friends, sooo it was thought. But Vecna," he said, picking up a figurine, "LIVE!" Eddie's passion for the game was both admirable and adorable. "You are scared, you're tired, you are injured... Do you flee Vecna and his cultists? Or stand your ground and fight? Come on." Everyone was confused and undecided, still processing the sudden and unexpected information. They decided.

"I say we fight, to the death," said Dustin.

"To the death," said Mike.

Everyone, including her, started shouting "To the death," and Eddie laughed. It was what he wanted to see. Besides, he saw her laugh too. What he didn't know was that he had caught her smile.

"Time-out, time-out!"

Everyone got up from the table and gathered in a circle to discuss the game, shoulder to shoulder.

"Guys, I hate to say this, but we've got to flee."

"I concur."

"Yes, we're getting the shit kicked out of us, but... Didn't we say to death?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"That wasn't literal."

"Vecna just decimated us. We can't kill him with two players."

She turned her head slightly and looked at Eddie, and he nodded at her as he did when they passed each other in the high school hallway, and she smiled at him and turned back to pay attention to the conversation.

"You too? He only has 15 hit points left, don't be pussies"

"Pussies? Really? 'Cause we're not delusional?"

"Hey," said Eddie, getting everyone's attention, which is what he wanted. "If I may interject, gentlemen... And princess," he winked at _______, making her bite her lip to keep from grinning like a fool from ear to ear, but it was hard for her to behave he acting like that. "Whilst I respect the passion, you'd be wise to take Gareth the Great's concern to heart. "There is no shame in running". Don't try be heroes. Not today," he smiled, "'kay?"

"...One sec," said Dustin, and they all turned to discuss, "What do you think, Mike?"

"How many hit points do you and ______ have left?" he asked.

"12," they both answered at the same time.

"It's risky as hell" said Mike, "but you're the ones on the battlefield... So it's your call."

"What do you say, _______?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, ...right?" she asked a little confused.

"Yeah, screw it" Dustin said, and they all turned to look at Eddie, "let's kill the son of a bitch."

"The chances of success are 20-to-1!"

"Never tell me the odds" said Dustin, holding up his index finger, "give me the D20" he said to Eddie, and Eddie did as he was told and threw it to Dustin.

He threw the dice and rolled an 11.

"That's! A! Miss!" said Eddie, grinning from ear to ear and shaking his head.

"No!"

"Shit, shit!" He was so irritated that he even threw a can of soda.

"Not to pressure you, but.... It's up to you," Mike told _______.

She was scared, it was a lot of pressure. She knew how much this game meant to everyone here, and now it all depended on her and her luck, which she felt was usually not very good. She looked at Eddie, and he nodded. That comforted her, gave her the confidence to go on and move forward.

She took the dice and locked them in her hands as she shook them to shake the dice. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Please!"

"Come on, please!"

And then she threw it. She felt that as she waited for the die to fall, roll and stop, life was in slow motion.

"20!"

Everyone screamed with excitement and clapped their hands together. Eddie couldn't believe it either, he thought they were all dead.

"That's why we play!" he said.

With the game over, there was nothing more to do there, so they packed up and headed for the exit of the theatre, but when Eddie didn't follow them, she stopped and stood there.

"Shall I help you pack up?" she asked as she approached him.

"No need, don't worry," he said as he put the things in his backpack, "you've helped enough. Thank you. I hope you've entertained yourself at least a little," he said as he zipped up his backpack.

"Yes! You make it very interesting," she said as she picked up two folding chairs and put them back in their places.

"Me?" he said as he approached her to take the chairs out of her hands and not let her help him pick them up. She grimaced in annoyance but went on her way to get more chairs.

"Yes, you put a lot of passion into it, it's nice to see someone happy doing something they love," she said as she approached him, where he had left the folding chairs he had just taken out of her hands, while he went to pick up the remaining ones, plus his throne and the table.

"Oh, you're going to make me blush!" he said, turning to look at her as he walked backwards towards the rest of the furniture, while covering his face with strands of hair.

"And you haven't thought of putting on some music to set the mood? Something like... Master of Puppets?"

"What a great song, for fuck's sake!" he said excited, laughing and clapping his hands.

It was the first time they were talking so much and they were happy. Besides, they were alone, and in a dark place with dim, coloured lighting.

"I'm learning to play it on the guitar," he reported.

"Let's see when I see you play something."

"Whenever you like," he felt like telling her that he could touch whatever she wanted, with a double meaning, but he didn't dare be so obscene, especially with her. He didn't know how she would take it.

They went on packing up the theatre and left it together, walking and talking in the corridors.

"I think we won," she said, referring to the high school basketball team as she took in the atmosphere outside.

"It looks like it. Is someone coming to pick you up?"

"Yes, I have to call my mother to come," she said, pointing to a phone box.

"If you want me to drive you home, or wait with you for your mother to come and pick you up here," he said the second option, assuming she probably wouldn't want to be alone in his car with him.

"The first option is fine," she said to his surprise.

They went to the car park and got into Eddie's car.

"Do you want to listen to something?" he asked before starting the car.

"What do you have?" she asked.

"Metallica, Megadeth, Dio, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden..."

"Metallica. Which album is it?"

"Ride the lighting," he said.

"Wow, my favourite!" she smiled.

"Yes? Mine is Kill 'em all," he said as he inserted the cassette.

"I love it too, I consider it better than Ride the lighting," she said while the intro of Fight fire with fire, the first song of that album, started to play, "because Ride has songs I don't like and I like absolutely all the songs on Kill, but I like the songs I like on Ride much more compared to the ones on Kill. Do you know what I mean?" she laughed nervously.

"No, can you explain it to me again, please?" He said jokingly as he started the car, making her smile even more. "Where am I taking you, princess?"

She showed him where her house was and on the way they sang the Metallica songs from the cassette they were listening to.

"It's in that house," she said, pointing to it, and he parked in front of it. "Well, then.... Thank you so much for letting me play with you guys, for bringing me here... For everything."

"Thanks to you. Mm, could I have your phone number, by the way...?" he asked a little nervously. "For when you want to meet me to see me play, or we can also meet sometime to listen to music and sing together. This has been fun."

"Yes, perfect! I was about to ask you the same thing, actually."

Eddie pulled out a black ink pen and a random piece of paper from the glove compartment and handed it to her. He noticed her smile as he wrote down her number, he wanted to memorise it.

"Here you go," she said, handing him back the pen and paper.

"Thank you."

"Can I have yours too, please?"

"Sure," and he wrote down his number on the paper and tore it up, handing the piece with his number on it to her.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Well, then..." She unlocked the passenger door and opened it. "My pleasure," she said as she got out of the car and waved goodbye, "I'll see you around."

"Same here, princess."

[sebastienlelivre]

if we make it through december (we'll be fine)

bucktommy | fix-it | 3k words | rated G (ao3 link in the source)

Buck was exhausted, 48 hours covering Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because everyone deserved to have time to spend with their families, and sure, the Buckley-Han-Wilson Christmas Extravaganza had probably been the best party ever, the person Buck had wanted, had planned on spending Christmas with had decided Buck wasn't worth it. But now he was left with four days off after a rough shift and unused, sad-looking Christmas decorations dotting the loft. He dumped his duffle bag at the door and tugged one strand of garland down that he didn't even have the energy to bundle up to be packed away as he dropped it on the island.

Buck pressed his hands against the edges of the island, head bowed, letting the exhaustion seep into him. He could fall asleep standing up, he was that tired, but a knock on the door made him lift his head. His eyes were narrowed in confusion when he went to answer it, Hen and Chim and Bobby were on shift, Eddie was, as far as Buck knew, settling in quite happily in El Paso. There was no one else....

"Oh," he breathed as he looked through the peephole and took an involuntary step back at the sight of Tommy on the other side of the door.

Buck hesitated, just for a moment, before he reached out and opened the door just as Tommy seemed to be stepping away, his expression sad, scared, and just as tired as Buck felt.

"Ev-...Buck," Tommy said, turning, his hands gripping a small, brightly wrapped present.

Buck blinked, frowning, and he greeted in return, "Thomas." Tommy's eyes narrowed at that before shaking his head slightly.

"I. Um. I was working yesterday, but...," Tommy said as he pressed the present in his hands closer to Buck. He exhaled, his shoulders deflating a bit more. He seemed smaller to Buck, his shoulders curved in like it was intentional, and Buck looked down at the present. He shook his head, looking back up at Tommy. "I bought it before...before," and there was a hesitation there, like Tommy couldn't bring himself to actually say what happened.

"Before you blew up our relationship?" Buck supplied, his eyebrows lifting slightly like he was actually helping.

"Yeah, yes," Tommy said, rubbing the back of his neck as he practically breathed the words. He pushed the present at Buck again, but Buck didn't take it. Instead he reached out, his hand grabbing Tommy's wrist and tugging him forward almost through the doorway. Tommy was off balance, and he stumbled, but his hand came up to grip Buck's other arm to steady himself. Once Buck was sure he wasn't going to fall, he pulled Tommy the rest of the way into the apartment, shutting the door behind them both. He took the present from Tommy's hand and set it on the island next to the discarded garland. "Bu-...."

"I'm going to bed," Buck said, cutting off that stupid name from Tommy's mouth, the sound of it still made his skin crawl, and he moved toward the stairs up to his bedroom. "Sleep on the couch, I've got an inflatable mattress in the closet if that would be more comfortable."

"Buck," Tommy protested.

He turned to face him, shaking his head. "When you stop calling me that I'll listen to what you have to say," he explained, "But I've been awake for two days straight, and, I think, you have too?" Buck looked at Tommy until he nodded slightly in agreement. "You are going to be here when I wake up, and we are going to talk."

Tommy exhaled, looking around for a moment before he shook his head. "We'd both be more comfortable if I leave. I'll...I'll come back and we can talk all you want."

"No," Buck said, his voice firm, as moved away from the stairs and toward the coat closet. He pulled out the pillow and the blanket from where they had shoved them after Billy Boils, and he pushed them into Tommy's arms. "If you leave," Buck took a breath that shook before he continued, lifting his chin and trying to steady himself, "Then that's it." He met Tommy's eyes evenly. "If you leave, then don't come back, I won't answer the door." He nodded slightly before turning and trudging up the stairs.

Buck focused on stripping down, on grabbing his own sleeping clothes, and trying not to listen for movement downstairs. He pulled the blankets on his bed back and slid inside, curling on his side with his back to the stairs.

He fell asleep, comforted by the fact that he hadn't heard the door.

The loft was completely silent when Buck woke up. He checked his phone and saw it was just before noon. Barely six hours of sleep, and it wasn't nearly enough. He held his breath, listening closely, and very, very faintly, he heard movement in the lower level. Buck let out that breath, laughing a little, mostly out of relief. He had worried...worried that his ultimatum had been too much, that once again Tommy had decided that he wasn't worth the trouble. He rolled out of bed, heading to the bathroom to pee and wash up before grabbing a hoodie to stave off the cold of the loft. He made his way to the stairs, and sat down half way down as he watched Tommy moving silently through the kitchen.

He was dressed in just his undershirt and his underwear, having stripped off his henley and jeans to sleep, and Buck watched him move around the loft as he felt a happy warmth settle in his belly. He had missed this, missed waking up to this, and the fact that it wasn't his hit him suddenly, his heart clenching and tears stinging at his eyes. He shook his head and pushed himself to his feet moving down to sit at the island.

"You don't have to cook," Buck said finally as he watched Tommy stir the pot.

Buck watched Tommy take a deep breath, not turning around as he said, "What else was I supposed to do? I thought about taking down the decorations, but that's...."

"Not your place," Buck finished, and Tommy turned slightly before nodding just a little. "Probably couldn't do it quietly anyway." Tommy shook his head as he turned and poured Buck a cup of coffee, and he watched in silence as Tommy prepared the coffee exactly how Buck liked it, and the domesticity of that made his heart hurt even more. He placed the cup of coffee in front of Buck just as Buck got to his feet and went back upstairs without a word. Tommy called out his name as a question, the name that set Buck's teeth on edge, but Buck ignored him as he dug around in his dresser for the gift he had bought just after Halloween when he thought things were great, when he thought things were going so well, and he carried it downstairs.

It was unwrapped, still in the white box it had been packed in when he bought it, and he set it down on the island next to the present Tommy had bought. Buck shrugged slightly when Tommy turned and looked down at it in confusion, "You weren't the only one who shops early."

"Evan," Tommy said, the word coming out in a breath.

"So you do remember," Buck replied, and Tommy exhaled at him, shaking his head and turning back to the food. Buck stayed silent, watching the movement of Tommy's muscles as he worked, and finally he broke the silence with, "You didn't give me a chance."

"Buck."

"Thomas." Tommy took a deep breath, turning the stove off as he turned around, leaning back against the counter. "You left, and you didn't give me a chance to respond. I mean, I-I should have followed you. I should have argued. Right then I should have...I should have done something."

"I. I don't know that it would have mattered," Tommy said. His hands were pressed hard against the counter, the knuckles turning white, and Buck wondered if he was having the same difficulty staying away, but that was a pipe dream almost certainly.

"Because you hate me now," Buck said, and he tried to make it seem like a joke, like it was self-deprecating, like it wasn't serious, but that was the truth of the weight that had settled on Buck since Tommy had left. Buck had done something, and now Tommy wanted nothing to do with him.

"I don't hate you, Buck." See? He couldn't even say Buck's name right.

"Thomas," Buck interrupted, and Tommy exhaled at him.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"It's your name, isn't it? Since we're not using nicknames anymore."

Tommy took a deep breath, looking up at Buck and then looking away, shaking his head. "'Buck' is your nickname."

"Yes," Buck said, pointing his finger at Tommy for emphasis. "And you're not supposed to call me that."

"Evan," and once again Tommy breathed his name, and yes, it sounded like Buck was annoying him, but it also sounded fond, and for a moment, Buck just let that warmth, that fondness, settle into him.

"There you go," Buck said, stepping around the island to lean back against it, not quite right in front of Tommy but close.

They stood there in silence for a long moment, and Buck didn't mean to, but his breathing matched Tommy's for several seconds before Tommy finally took a breath to speak. "Your apartment isn't big enough for two, Evan." Buck looked around in confusion, shaking his head, but Tommy held up a hand to cut off any protests. "My place isn't any better, you have an entire life here, I have an entire life there, it wouldn't fit."

"We could have talked it out! We could have discussed what we need two of, what we don't, we could have talked about getting a different place, we could have talked," Buck argued, taking a step forward before forcing himself back to press his back against the island. "But you didn't give me the chance."

"I couldn't." Tommy's smile was sad when he lifted his head to look at Buck.

"I always do this. I-I'm too much, I do too much, I go too fast, except...." Buck took a deep, but shaky breath, before he continued, "I don't actually, I've never been this all in." He moved closer to Tommy and didn't back away this time. "But you...I love you so much that I want everything."

"Evan," Tommy said, but Buck shook his head.

"I want to live with you, I want to get married to you, a-and have kids," Buck waved his hand, laughing as he shook his head, "Adopt kids, but I want a family with you. And I've never...." Buck smiled, breathlessly as he trailed off, "I've never wanted that with anyone. Until you. Not even Abby, just you."

"That's the problem, Evan."

"It's not a problem, Tommy, it's really not."

Tommy rubbed a hand over his face. "It will be." He nodded slightly before he looked down. They fell silent again, Tommy's words hanging between them. "You thanked me for gay marriage, Evan." Tommy shook his head again, looking up at Buck. "I asked Abby to marry me the year that was legalized, I was still too terrified to be myself, and you...." Tommy swallowed deeply, and he offered a very small smile that didn't entirely reach his eyes, "And that moment, you stopped looking at me like I was your boyfriend. You thanked me for legalizing our ability to get married, and you were looking at me like I-I was some kind of gay Yoda."

Buck blinked at him. "I don't know what that means." Tommy looked at him in confusion, and Buck snorted. "Star Wars, right? I fell asleep during the first one so Chim didn't bother with the rest," he explained with a shrug, and then he waved the words away with a hand. "That wasn't...." He looked up at Tommy, and he actually took a step forward and didn't immediately step back. "I was trying to point out that maybe it was too fast, but I wasn't....I was trying to make sure you didn't feel pressured."

"You never pressured me, Evan," Tommy said, finally taking his hands off the counter and stepping forward as well. "But I could see everything very clearly. We would settle in together, and that would be the catch. You would be settling. You would eventually want something else, someone better, and that would break me." Buck opened his mouth to protest. "It would, Evan. I was already in love with you, and the longer it went, the deeper I would fall, and...." Tommy trailed off with a laugh that sounded bitter. "I'm barely making it now."

"You love me too?" That wasn't the important part, and Buck knew that, and the breath Tommy took in response was the only answer he needed. "Do you know what I want? What I really want?" Tommy creased his forehead in confusion, but he nodded in encouragement for Buck to continue. "I want people to stop making decisions for me." He stepped closer to Tommy. "You decide I don't know what I want, Eddie and Hen, even Bobby, they all decide I can't text you, and my own sister says I just need to meet someone special to get my mind off you, but I've already met someone special, someone I want." He looked at Tommy, tilting his head slightly. "It's not settling, not for me."

"Evan."

"I've dated a lot of women, Tommy, and yeah, you're my first boyfriend, but I don't need to date anyone else to know what I feel, what I need, what I want. And that's you, and yeah, maybe in two years or ten, we break up, but I could die on our next call, or your helicopter could crash, or the entire state falls into the ocean and we never get to say goodbye," Buck offered a small smile when he said that, "But I meant what I said. It's better to be together than to ever be apart." Tommy took a step toward Buck again, and Buck moved to meet him, reaching out to take his wrist. "There's always going to be a chance for heartbreak, Tommy, I can't promise otherwise, but it's worth it isn't it? This?" He gestured between the two of them. "Us, we're worth it, yeah?"

Tommy turned his wrist, sliding his hand through Buck's grip until he was clutching his fingers gently. "Evan, there's still....I'm not a good person."

Buck shook his head. "I know how it was before, how you were before with Gerrard, you've become a better person." He used Tommy's hold on his hand to pull Tommy closer to him, close enough he could feel the body heat of him. "We've all got work to do on ourselves."

Tommy turned his head slightly so that his nose nuzzled against Buck's temple. "Are you suggesting couples therapy, Evan?" Buck couldn't really tell if he was joking or not, but he shrugged anyway.

"Maybe," Buck said, lifting his head to nuzzle against Tommy's chin. "Maybe we need to start over." Tommy pulled back to blink at him, and Buck smirked a little. "Hi, I'm Evan Buckley, I've only recently figured out I'm bisexual, and you're really hot," he said, laughter in his voice, and Tommy rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. "I still owe you a beer."

That got a laugh out of Tommy finally. "We're not going to Miceli's again."

"I've got pretty good Lakers tickets though, if you're interested, it's on New Year's Eve, so you may already have plans," Buck offered, angling his mouth up to press a kiss to Tommy's jaw.

Tommy took a breath, turning to study Buck for a moment. "No, there's no plans," and Buck smiled at that. "That can't be our first date, though, that's too big."

"You're already cooking for me," Buck offered, and he laughed when Tommy gave him a look. "Dinner, then, tonight. Not Miceli's, there's a new sushi place that opened not far from the station, I've been wanting to try it."

Tommy chewed on his lower lip for a moment before nodding. "Okay. We'll start over." He tugged on Buck's head, moving him just a few inches closer. "We'll go slower this time. We'll actually talk about everything we should have talked about before. We'll even go to therapy, or I will and you can come too if the doctor calls for it?" Tommy lifted his eyebrows in a question, and Buck nodded. "Okay, then," and that got him a bright, happy smile, and Tommy's breath caught at the sight.

"I love you. I should have said that before I asked you to move in, I know, and I'm going to say it as often as I can. I'm saying it now before we go on our first date again so you know that I am in this," Buck said, stepping as close to Tommy as he could, his body pressed against Tommy's. "I will not run, and this time...this time I will chase you if you run."

Tommy looked at him then, just breathing as he reached up and traced a finger over Buck's birthmark and down his cheek, before he nodded. "I will hold you to that," he said as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Buck's, sealing the conversation with a kiss. Buck pressed closer, letting out his breath against Tommy's mouth as he did. He moved back from Tommy then, keeping hold of his hand as he pulled him toward the stairs. "Evan," Tommy protested.

"We both need more sleep," Buck replied. Tommy tried to stay still, but Buck was determined and he tugged Tommy close again. "Just sleep, we'll both keep our clothes on, I swear it."

Tommy huffed a laugh and allowed himself to be pulled forward.

[r4fe-cam3ron]

SPECIAL EDITION | CHRISTMAS (BABY, PLEASE COME HOME) — truck driver!e. munson x reader

w; truckdiver!eddie au of course :D, does not follow st, mentions of pregnancy and sickness.

an; MERRY CHRISTMAS! this is my gift to you guys - i hope everyone has a safe and wonderful christmas. stay warm <3 thank you for all of your support!

An agitated huff leaves your lips when a - luckily - plastic ornament falls and bounces close towards the flannel couch. You stare at it dejectedly, walking closer towards the couch. Bending at the hips, you let out a small sound and wince before standing once again, hands landing on your belly. 

“You, little sir, better come soon.” You had till February until Grayson was welcomed into the world. Maybe you could wait a couple more weeks until he popped out.

You stare at the ornament quietly, pouting. It’s silly, getting upset over something that had slipped from your hand and rolled near the couch leg. And you would not call Wayne to walk out into the snow just to come pick up some plastic ball. 

Turning, you decide to plop down near the phone. Your feet prop onto the coffee table in front of you, your eyes landing on the television that plays some sort of commercial for JcPenney's. 

You groan when it comes on, turning your head towards the hallway and stare at the open door. You needed to wrap the last few of Eddie’s presents before he came home. 

He didn’t like leaving you - especially when it’s hard for you to even get up in the morning, let alone being sick every time you fix something to eat. 

Plus - it’s Christmas. Who wants to work on Christmas when you can spend it with loved ones instead? 

The phone ringing quickly catches your attention - you’ll get to wrapping after this phone call, knowing he couldn’t talk long. Reaching over, you quickly press the phone onto your ear. 

“Eddie?” 

“Hi, Mama. How are you?” The name is meant to be endearing, a scoff leaving your lips every time he calls you that jokingly. You need to get used to it was his excuse. 

“I’m okay. About cried over an ornament falling and rolling towards the couch,” You lean your head back. You can hear cars passing by. “This kid of yours is getting in the way.” 

“Well, he is my son,” You can hear the grin in his voice. “I’m sorry I’m not home though. Why didn’t you call Wayne to help put up the rest?” 

“And make the poor man trek through his snow and wind? No way. I’m not doing that to Uncle Wayne,” You shake your head to yourself. “Are you wearing a hat?” 

“Wh— Oh, yeah.” 

“Gloves?” 

“Mhm.”

“What about a scarf and your big, puffy jacket?” Your eyes squint suspiciously at the ceiling. 

“Sure.” 

“Edward Munson.” 

“Uh-oh,” He chuckles. You swore you could hear the chattering of his teeth over the phone. “Full government name. I’ve been bad, huh?” 

“You should not be standing outside in…probably only a flannel, small jacket, some combat boots, and whatever skinny jeans you packed,” You huff. “I don’t want you getting sick.” 

“I'm not going to, sweetheart,” He sounds soft, you could almost drift off to sleep and take a small nap. Wrapping presents. “If it makes you feel any better, I do have the beanie on.” 

“You need the other things on. Not just that,” You grumble. “Promise me you’ll put them on when you get into that truck.” 

“Okay.” 

“Promise me, Eddie.” 

“Okay. Okay. I promise.” He gives in. 

Your lips pull into a grin, nodding to yourself. You had won — again, of course. “Okay, great. Thank you,” You say. “One more question - how is it?” 

“Eh, it’s okay. Roads are a bit backed up since everyone’s traveling home for the holidays,” You frown and glance down at the magazine on the table, tugging at the hem of your shirt. You’re quiet for a moment until Eddie speaks up once again. “Where’d you go, sweetheart?” 

You glance towards the television when a song suddenly starts playing, your bottom lip pushing out slightly. It was one of your favorite Christmas songs - Christmas (Baby, please come home) by Darlene Love. 

The upbeat, happy song that usually had you dancing and giggling now has you tearing up from the words. “I’m here.” 

“What's wrong? Why are you—”

You let out a watery laugh, pressing the tips of your fingers into your forehead as your eyes shut. “I’m fine…I just miss you and this song is making it worse.” 

“The one you like?” 

“Mhm…” You stare at the television. “I’ll let you go, honey. Please, please, please put your jacket, gloves, and scarf on when you get into the truck. And be safe - no road rage either.”

“Me? Road rage?” 

“I’ve known you for 12 years, Eddie,” You deadpan. “Even when Wayne would drive us somewhere, you’d yell from the backseat.” 

He grumbles mostly to himself, but you smile softly. You miss his grumbling. “Okay,” He gives in once again. “I love you. Stay warm, okay?” 

“Okay…you too,” You say, turning towards the table. “I love you. Bye.” 

“Bye, sweetheart.” 

The line goes down and you place the phone back on the receiver, huffing as you scoot your way off the couch. You grab the remote, clicking the television off. Standing, you walk into the kitchen, yelping at the cold tiles and jumping slightly. Spotting Eddie’s slippers, you quickly walk over and push your feet into them before walking back to the fruit bowl. 

You grab a tangerine, the scissors, and tape before making your way into the bedroom. Sighing, you eye the flannels you’d picked out for him and some of his favorite cologne. You place a slice of fruit into your mouth, before settling onto the bed.  

—

Hours had passed, Eddie’s presents had been, not so delicately, placed under the tree. The warm colorful lights make the tinsel shine and you smile sleepily at how cozy everything feels - especially when you snuggle onto the couch with a heating pad and blankets, a couple of pillows pushed under your back. 

You’d made some sugar cookies as well - Grayson, of course, had a sweet tooth. So you had to make them. They're cooling on a plate in the kitchen now. 

You’d turned out the main lights, allowing the trailer to just bask in the warm glow of Christmas lights. The television was playing A Christmas Story - one of Eddie’s favorites and you feel bad for even watching it without him. The volume was down a couple of notches, the wind outside could be heard through the window - the chill of the air sneaking inside making you shiver slightly and pull the blanket higher under your chin. 

You’re comfortable. 

So comfortable you finally drift off after a long, hard day. 

You’re woken up by something brushing against your cheeks, eyes slowly opening. Your vision is a bit blurry and your neck hurts and you can distinctly feel drool slipping past the corner of your lips. Blinking away the heaviness, you can finally make out the wild curls and Eddie’s dimples. 

“Eddie?” You mumble. He chuckles, nodding. He did as he promised - put on the winter clothes you wanted him too. He slips off his gloves, and reaches a hand up, brushing the drool from the corner of your lips. 

“It’s me, sweetheart.” 

“When did…what?” You’re still confused, believing this was truly a dream and it was fake. There was no way Eddie was home, now, in front of you, looking at you as if you’d hung the moon and the stars in the night sky. 

He laughs softly. When you blink once again, his hands grip your cheeks softly, pressing a kiss to your lips. His plush lips were slightly chapped and freezing. You shiver slightly. 

He pulls away and grins at you. You can’t help but think about how cute he looks in that puffer jacket - the fur around the hood had a bit of snow slowly melting into it. The black beanie he wears tapers down his curls to his cheeks, covering his fringe and a bit of his brows. You know his hair is about to look insane. 

“How did you make it home so early?” You reach for him, pulling him close. He smells of his faded cologne and syrup with a hint of hot chocolate. 

“I broke a couple of laws,” He teases, hand landing on top of your stomach softly, thumb sliding back and forth slowly. “Kidding,” He quickly says when he catches the look you give him. 

“I was going to stop at a hotel about an hour ago, but realized how close I was. I decided to go ahead and come home to you because I missed you way too much to stay away any longer.” 

You press a kiss to his cold cheek, draping the blanket over him and pulling him even closer - as much as you could. He lets out a small laugh, kicking his shoes off. 

“You should’ve taken those off by the door.” You mumble, eyes sliding close once again when his fingers lift from your stomach to trace along your cheekbones. 

“I should’ve,” He whispers softly, now tracing above your eyebrow. “But you looked so cute and I had to give you a kiss,” You hum softly. 

“I also got you some hash browns.” His finger trails down the slope of your nose slowly before tracing over your lips. He smirks when one of your eyes open, peeking over at him. 

“Hash browns, you say?” 

“Mhm,” He nods. “Maybe some warm waffles as well.” 

“Have I told you I loved you?” 

“Once or twice.” He shrugs with a cute grin. 

“How about that I’m in love with you?” You open both eyes now, ready to demolish some greasy food. 

“Hm, that’s a new one I think,” He stands from the couch and walks towards the kitchen. He grabs the to-go plates and the cup. He makes his way back, holding them out. “Chocolate milk.” 

“Oh, yes,” He smiles as he watches you grab the food from his hands. You take a sip of the thick chocolate, groaning. “That’s so good. It’s the best chocolate milk I’ve ever had.”

He leans closer and presses a kiss to your forehead. “I know, baby. That’s why I got you some,” He lifts once again. “I’m gonna go stand under some hot water for a couple of minutes. You need anything?” 

You think but shake your head. “No, I’m okay. Thank you, honey.” 

“Okay. Shout if you need anything.” 

You nod and uncover the food, grabbing the plastic fork. Smiling, Eddie walks away, grabbing a sugar cookie as he passes. He steps into the bedroom, flipping on the light. 

“Eddie!” You shout, causing him to trip over his feet. He quickly runs out of the room, stumbling to a stop. 

“What? What is it? What happened?” 

You grin, watching his chest heave as his eyes glance around. “I just wanted to remind you to put your boots by the door.” 

He stares at you before squinting his eyes. “Was that necessary?” He walks over and grabs his boots, walking towards the door and placing them on the small rack. 

You shrug innocently, taking a sip of your chocolate milk. “You said to shout.” 

He hums softly, walking back towards the bedroom. “You’re lucky I love you!” He grabs some clean pajamas and a towel. 

“I am very lucky that you love me!” You call back. Eddie smiles and shakes his head as he closes the door. 

“Merry Christmas to me.” He whispers to himself. 

| tags — @oceanblvd111 ; @ali-r3n

| please do not copy my work! comments, feedbacks, reblogs, & requests are welcomed and greatly appreciated! ❅

| border — @/silkholland

[rocknrollsalad]

rating: gen cw: drinking/getting drunk, high society expectations, cranky steve and robin, period typical homophobia tags: no upside down au, rich kid steve au, steddie and Buckingham double date, chirstmas parties, Eddie learns whats in eggnog word count: 2412

-

written for the steddiemas prompt "eggnog" but it's a good week late, another victim of the plague I caught lol

“You better go collect your man,” Robin whispered, having appeared out of nowhere.

Steve hissed, “Stop calling him that.”

His eyes darted around the room, both to make sure he wasn’t heard. Robin was right, he hadn’t seen his boyfriend (who was definitely not his date tonight) in a while. Probably not a good sign.

“Well he is,” she scoffed.

“You are supposed to be my date, that’s the cover story. For you and for me. Doesn’t really work if you go around talking about how I really brought Eddie.”

It shut Robin up for a second, just long enough for Steve to enjoy the victory, before she said, “Tell your parents to stop being so uptight.”

Except the counter to that was the same as it always was. “And yours are so cool about it.”

Probably not the round and round Robin wanted when she walked up here on some high horse. One she had no business climbing on. She knew Steve was always a little extra stressed at these stupid dinner parties and that tonight was going to be worse. Instead of being supportive, it was almost like she was trying to sabotage things.

They could talk about it later. Right now, Steve apparently had to go find Eddie because there was no way Robin was saying that for fun. He was doing something. Probably making a run for it…which was smart. Steve could, at least, show him the best escape routes and let him know he didn’t take it personally.

Especially because it was a lot harder for Steve to make that run for it anymore. Ever since they’d brought him in from the kiddie room (which was actually the garage), his moves were tracked. Sure he wasn’t sharing one sad, toppingless pizza with a bunch of kids he didn’t know anymore but at what cost? At least the garage had video games…and no one talking about investments or how he should have gone to college.

Steve went off to find out what was going on with Eddie. Robin, in her endless helpfulness, decided to stay put and give no direction. It left Steve to go from room to room, asking everyone he could. No one had seen him. Something that was maybe a good thing? This meant he wasn’t standing on expensive furniture telling some amazing and elaborate story that would be wasted on these stuffy assholes.

Things got so desperate, Steve asked his mom if she’d seen Eddie. She always knew everything that was happening at these parties. Yet she hadn’t seen him. It seemed unlikely and a quick segue into tired reminders to not cause a scene. This one came with the bonus lecture of not ignoring his date because “no respectable woman is sidelined for a friend, dear.”

And nothing proved more that Steve’s mom didn’t see everything. Not only would he and Robin stick by each other through anything, she wasn’t even his actual date. Though, Steve did have to admit the only people in the world who believed they weren’t dating were them. Probably Chrissy and Eddie but sometimes Steve wasn’t so sure.

Moving on from his mom before he got roped into some mind-numbingly boring discussion, Steve ran into Chrissy. She was Eddie’s date who was really Robin’s date and had been folded into the group shenanigans. Which meant Steve was so ready to drag her into this quest. If he couldn’t have Robin, he could at least have help.

“We’ve lost your date,” Steve sighed, trying not to freak out yet.

“What do you mean?” she asked, instantly jumping to freaking out.

Steve linked their arms together and continued walking on, trying to think of where else he’d hide out. “Robin came up to me and told me to go collect my man. I thought he was doing something embarrassing but, like, I can’t find him. Do you think he’d leave?”

“No,” she cooed. “He’s been so worried about this night, there’s no way he’d leave you. He wouldn’t.”

Something that would have been so much more flattering if Steve had any fucking clue where the guy was.

“The garage!” Steve said, realizing the one place he hadn’t looked.

Chrissy didn’t say anything, just picked up her pace and they sped off toward the kiddie party. Of course. it was in the detached garage. Heaven forbid the kids breathed in the others, dad’s cars would lower in value at the mere thought.

So they barged through the door and onto the familiar path, still arm and arm, laser-focused on the only place it made sense for Eddie to be.

Before the door closed behind them, the soft exclamation of “Steve” was sung out and Chrissy and Steve both leaped into the grass, barely holding back screams as the voice startled them.

Steve easily moved Chrissy behind him as they both looked for the source of the voice, rather than some creepy old guy or party crasher, it was the exact person they were looking for. Both of them let out a matching, but quiet, exclamation for finding Eddie.

He was sat on a stone bench, leaning against the house, and smoking. Not only was he well hidden by shrubbery but Steve had expected to find him indoors. He needed that last glimmer of hope that Eddie was still at the party. And he hadn’t exactly left so that was…something?

“Hey man,” Eddie drawled out.

Steve’s eyes narrowed but he turned to make sure Chrissy was stable and had recovered from the little fright neither of them was going to speak about.

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Chrissy said.

Resigning to her point, Steve nodded and went for the “what she said” shrug.

“I’ve been ri-ight here, baby.”

“He’s drunk,” Chrissy and Steve whispered to each other.

“Oh no!” Eddie cried out, dropping his head back. “Who told you?”

“I think you did, champ,” Chrissy laughed.

This probably wasn’t great. Steve went into panic mode immediately, ideas on what to do next sped through his mind followed by the consequences of each. A drunk Eddie was less likely to keep up the ruse, one he and Robin had organized so carefully.

It wasn’t time to come out, yet. Steve knew that time was rapidly approaching. Each and every day he had to lie about who he was with or what he was doing was another stab in the chest but at The Harrington Christmas Soiree? That was not the time. If they could just get into the new year, Steve would come clean, and probably get disowned, but at least it wouldn’t go down for “trying to steal the spotlight”.

Chrissy rubbed her hand between Steve’s shoulder blades. He had to be thinking awfully loudly right now. Where was Robin when he really needed her?

“I didn’t mean to,” Eddie pouted.

Steve watched Eddie pat around the bench and his own clothes, looking for his lighter. It was such a distinct move but it brought in this creeping feeling of normalcy with it. They’d done this before. Both drunk and sober.

As he had many times before, Steve reached into his pocket and got his lighter. Once he was close enough, he shielded the flame so Eddie could re-light his cigarette. Which he did with ease. The smoke billowed from Eddie and cleared both of their heads.

“How’s that work, though?” Steve asked. He then turned to Chrissy and leaned in a bit. “Could you go find Robin, remind her not to gloat, and maybe get a glass of water? In that order of importance.”

“She’s not going to gloat,” Chrissy said but it’s already an apology. They both know the truth. It’s part of Robin’s charm but it’s always extra annoying in moments like these.

“That’s the spirit, let's hope for Christmas miracles.”

They share a giggle that they’ve earned by being as close to Robin as they are and Chrissy disappeared back inside. Steve sat down next to Eddie and moved his hand so Steve could take a quick drag off the cigarette. He’s going to need it…or some of whatever Eddie had.

“Alright, what’s the story then?”

“Have you ever had eggnog,” Eddie asked. A question that feels wildly off topic but, again, he’s a little drunk so a coherent sentence is a great start.

“Yeah, it’s disgusting.”

“No-ooooooooo. No. Look, listen, I mean. It’s not. You’re wrong. Wayne makes it all the time,” Eddie leaned in closer, a hand cupped over his mouth as he whispered. “Every year.”

“Yeah, my parents do too. It’s nasty. The one in the punch bowl is the one you want.”

“Au contraire, that one has alcohol in it and I’m supposed to behave,” Eddie has his finger raised, wagging in the air like a cartoon teaching valuable life lessons.

“And so’s the eggnog.”

“Mmmmmm, no. I think I’d know that.”

“I…actually, yeah. I’d have thought you knew that too. Wait, so how– you know you’re drunk now, right?”

“Yeah but, ya know, we’re not telling Steve. He’s going to make me sleep on the couch for a whole week.”

“Sure,” Steve pressed his lips together and nodded. This was ridiculous and he kind of wished Eddie was just giving some rambunctious nerd speech. “But how’d you get drunk then?”

“Sabotage, obviously. The Harrington’s don’t want the heir to their throne with a commoner like me.”

“So they spiked your drink?”

“Totally.”

“Somehow complimentary you think they’d waste liquor on that,” Steve shrugged and he snatched Eddie’s pack of cigarettes to light one for himself.

“So it was Robin!”

“More believable actually. No, it was the eggnog.”

“There’s not alcohol in eggnog, Wayne wouldn’t give me it if there was.”

“Because you have to put it in, which my parents do.”

In a different situation, this would be funny. Steve might even find a way to laugh about it later but the guilt simmering in his chest for not teaching Eddie about which drinks had liquor is too strong to enjoy the laughable way his boyfriend accidentally got drunk.

All the solutions Steve had run through didn’t fit the situation anymore. They were likely both going to have to leave. Or worse, Eddie and Chrissy were and that’d ruin so many people’s nights.

Before he could think of a way to save everyone’s good time, Chrissy returned. Robin right behind her. Steve quickly stamped out the cigarette like Robin wouldn’t see and stood to talk to them.

He filled them in on the whole eggnog situation. It earned the appropriate level of laughter but once it subsided, they started trying to actually solve the problem. Eddie sat content on the bench, watching them adoringly as they worked out his fate. Steve had to give it to him, he was a very happy drunk.

“Hey, psst, hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,” Eddie said as they were finalizing some plans to get him upstairs to Steve’s room and full of coffee.

“Oh my god,” Robin said, trying to shut him up.

Steve walked over, leaning into his space so he wasn’t towering over him. “Yeah, man. What’s up?”

“I just need you to know-”

“Oh boy.”

“I came in with a smoking hot blonde but she’s not really my date.”

With all the patience in his body, Steve let out a sigh that was every bitchy comeback he had rolled into one sound, and said “Yup.”

“You’re way better.”

“You didn’t even commit to that. At least hit on me. Ugh. Can you just be cool for like two more minutes?”

“Cool? Yeah? Yeah! I can be cool for so many minutes. Two, ten, six, eighty. I’m good at it.”

“You’re not, so we better do something quick.”

“We should fool around is what we should do. This place has to have so many rooms. I didn’t even peek in half of them.”

Steve turned around and looked at the girls, “I think we gotta leave.”

“You can’t leave your own family Christmas party,” Robin said.

“I’ve done it so many times. Chrissy and Eddie have to go because Eddie’s sick. You and me can work something else out.”

Eddie stood up and leaned on Steve. “You should have some of that eggnog. I guess they make it with alcohol here.”

“Will you stop acting like we don’t know each other!” Steve scrubbed his hand over his face.

Robin sucked her teeth, “Might be for the best, he won’t blow anyone’s cover that way.”

“But he’s being so obnoxious about it,” Steve groaned.

“Good thing he’s the only one being obnoxious,” Robin said, crossing her arms over her chest.

A pose Steve mirrored, “What do you suggest then?”

“Let him sleep it off. He’s right, there’s plenty of rooms here and all we have to do is tell the truth for once. He didn’t know there was alcohol in the eggnog.”

“I didn’t know. I gotta tell Wayne though, it’s way better this way.”

“Who doesn’t know,” Steve groaned. Not frustrated at Eddie for not knowing, not really, but stressed out by the situation and that had to go somewhere.

“What if,” Chrissy said with her shoulders pulled up to her ears. The meek injection spoke to her nervousness but she got everyone’s attention. “We joined Eddie?”

Eddie, who was draped on Steve’s back with an arm over his shoulder and idly rubbing Steve’s chest, hummed in approval. The comfort of Eddie’s weight had Steve forgetting everything they were supposed to be hiding as he melted into the comfort and contact.

Still, he and Robin voiced matching sounds of confusion.

“It’s not embarrassing if the ‘kids’ got drunk. It’s our first time here, they almost expect us to overdo it so…let’s overdo it. Eddie won’t be the one who didn’t know this or that, we’ll all just be young adults doing what’s expected of us.”

Steve pondered the plan. “We couldn’t go wild.”

“It’s not a frat house,” Robin said for Chrissy.

Eddie gave a soft “Yeah” that Steve knew was meant to mock Robin but came out like agreement.

“It could work.”

“It could be fun!” Chrissy cooed, jumping up and down a few times. Maybe they all needed to take the edge off here.

The hand that was on Steve’s chest now held his cheek as Eddie kissed the other one.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go have some fun,” Steve groaned, doing his best to act like he hated this.

“Finally!”

[eddiazx]

the bolter part 3 (last) - evan buckley x reader

part 2 here!

"BUCK!" You scream, pulling aside the pieces of the ceiling away, trying to get to him. The air is smoky, and with the adrenaline pumping through you, you continue to toss heavy pieces of debris to get to Buck.

Eventually you see his face, smudged with soot but otherwise, he is breathing, he is okay, and he is alive. You pull him upright, putting an arm underneath his arm to rest on his lower back so that he can lean on you. You walk the both of you out the crumbling building, where Hen and Chim run over to check the two of you out.

The ride back to the firehouse is quiet. Everyone is bone-tired, and Bobby directs Buck and you to hit the showers and catch up on some sleep before the bells go off again.

You're drying your hair with a towel when Buck enters the bunk room. You avoid his eyes. Just because you did your job and helped him doesn't mean he was automatically going to act chummy with you. Or so you think.

"Hey." Buck's soft voice cuts the silence.

"Hi." You respond, surprised, but just as softly.

"Thank you. I owe you one." Buck says, stretching out his palm for a handshake.

You stare at his hand, knowing where it was last night and what it was doing. You kind of hate the civility. You kind of want him to hug you instead, to have his large frame pressed against yours because there were a few minutes today where you really thought his heart had stopped beating. But this was your doing, it was safer this way.

Was it though?

Despite your internal conflict, you slide your palm into his and shake his hand with a fake smile.

Buck, perceptive as he is, notes the war of emotions on your face. "Are you okay?"

You let out a watery chuckle, and try to joke, "I should be asking you that."

Buck doesn't crack a smile, his blue eyes continuing to implore your face.

With a sigh, you sit down on one of the bunks with Buck following suit. "I could've lost you out there."

"But you didn't. You saved me."

"I was scared out of my mind, Buck. I... I couldn't imagine losing you, of all people."

"Why? Why me, specifically?" Buck questions, his voice barely above a whisper, his body inches away from yours on the bed.

"That night... it was amazing. It scared me how good it was. You made me feel so much and I guess I did what I usually do when I"m scared."

"Run." Buck finishes for you.

"I don't want to do that though. I don't want to run anymore." You brave a look at him. Before long, your chin is tilted up with his thumb and index finger, and you feel Buck's lips on yours.

The kiss was everything you needed it to be; loving and intense and all-encompassing, just like Buck.

A clearing of the throat startles the two of you apart.

Eddie grins at the two of you from the doorway. "Well, that's one way to welcome someone to the team."

As you groan, Buck chucks a pillow at Eddie, who only laughs before he leaves the room.

Buck intertwines his fingers with yours. "So you'll stay?"

"Yeah, Buck. I'll stay."