Eddie Munson X Female Reader - Blog Posts

Smoke Signals Masterlist

Eddie x Fem reader - Grumpy!Bartender!Eddie x Shy!Reader

Relocating to the small town of Knife’s Edge in hopes of leaving your old life behind and starting brand new solves all of your problems, right? Wrong. It only creates more and one of them may live right next door. Side effects may include blaring music at 3AM, a scowling neighbor, and one too many shots of tequila on several occasions. (That The Bourbon will not be comping.)

-All chapters with smut will be marked with a *

Ch. 1 - Damn Mailbox

Ch. 2 - Dainty

Ch. 3 - Two Old Fashioneds

Ch. 4 - Boiling Point

Ch. 5 - Cold Eggs

Ch. 6 - Sugar

Ch. 7 - Halloween

Ch. 8 - Sweet as Apple Pie

Ch. 9 - Blue Eyes

Ch. 10 - A Chemistry Lesson

Ch. 11 - TBD

(Future chapters TBD)

apocalypse

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Model! Reader

warning: language and adult themes

events of upside never happened.

The first time Ethel saw Eddie perform live, it was from backstage, tucked in the shadows where no one could see her. The energy of the crowd was electric, a thousand voices screaming his name, hands reaching, desperate for even the smallest piece of him. But he was untouchable, all sweat and leather and raw power, his guitar a weapon, his voice a battle cry.

She should have expected it, but still, it knocked the breath out of her.

She wasn’t the only one watching. There were others—groupies, roadies, industry people—but none of them saw him the way she did. None of them knew the boy beneath the stage lights, the one who got nervous before every show, who doodled in the margins of hotel notepads, who laughed until he was breathless over the dumbest jokes.

When the set ended, when the last chord rang out and the lights dimmed, he practically ran offstage, his chest heaving, hair wild with sweat. And the second he saw her, standing there with her arms crossed and that half-smile he was starting to crave, he grinned.

“How’d I do?” he asked, voice rough, still caught in the adrenaline.

She took a step closer, trailing a fingertip down the collar of his leather jacket. “You were alright.”

He scoffed, pulling her in by the waist, pressing his lips to hers. “Liar.”

She laughed, and then he was kissing her, his hands slipping beneath the thin fabric of her dress, fingertips pressing into her skin like he was afraid she’d disappear. The noise of the venue faded, drowned out by the pounding of their hearts. It was reckless. Addictive.

Later that night, curled up in the dim glow of his hotel room, she traced lazy patterns on his bare chest, the sound of his slowed breathing filling the silence. “You’re kind of unreal, you know that?” she murmured.

He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her wrist. “You make me feel real.”

And just like that, she was his favorite addiction.

Tejano Blue

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Model! Reader

warning: language and adult themes

events of upside never happened.

They didn’t plan on seeing each other again.

But a week later, Eddie was in a different city, a different hotel, the air thick with cigarette smoke and the hum of a mixtape playing from his Walkman, when his hotel phone buzzed.

Ethel: you left your lighter in my coat. guess that means you owe me another late night.

He grinned at the note, thumbing the paper before grabbing the rotary phone beside his bed and dialing the number scrawled at the bottom.

“Hello?” Her voice was warm, like honey melting in tea.

“Guess I do,” he said, smirking into the receiver.

The next time they met, it was on the rooftop of some high-rise, the city stretched out beneath them like spilled ink. She was wrapped in a leather jacket way too big for her, one of his, even though she swore she wasn’t cold. Eddie watched as she lit a cigarette with the stolen lighter, the flame flickering against her face.

“You stole that,” he said, watching her take a slow drag.

She exhaled smoke into the night, eyes glinting. “Finders keepers.”

He laughed, shaking his head, then tugged her closer by the lapels of his own damn jacket. “Gonna have to take it back, then.”

She let him kiss her. Let him press his hands to her waist, fingertips tracing the silk beneath the leather. Let him memorize the taste of nicotine and something honey-sweet on her lips.

They sat on the edge of the building, the city sprawling beneath them like a glittering ocean. He played a song on his acoustic guitar, one he hadn’t finished yet, and she hummed along, swaying lightly, her bare knee pressed against his. When the night deepened, she fell asleep on his shoulder, and Eddie just sat there, staring at the skyline, knowing he was in deeper than he’d meant to be.

Eddie thought maybe, just maybe, he was in trouble.

Champanges Coast

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Model! Reader

warning: language and adult themes

events of upside never happened.

Eddie Munson was a rockstar now. The kind who had stadiums chanting his name, who grinned from magazine covers with rings on every finger and a cigarette hanging from his lips. But some things never changed—he still played his guitar like he was exorcising ghosts, still laughed too loud, still never really believed any of this was real.

Then he met Ethel.

She was the kind of beautiful that felt like an accident, something effortless and wild, like ink bleeding into water. An up-and-coming supermodel, fresh off the Paris runways, with sleepy eyes and a voice like a sigh. They met at some party neither of them wanted to be at—dim lights, neon flickering against velvet walls, the smell of expensive perfume and liquor hanging in the air. Eddie had been lingering by the bar, nursing a whiskey on the rocks, when she walked past him, draped in something silk and barely-there, and smirked like she knew a secret he didn’t.

“Not your scene?” she asked, leaning beside him, her presence electric.

He snorted. “What gave it away?”

She shrugged, taking a sip of her cocktail. “You look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

“Not anywhere,” he said, and he didn’t know why he said it, but the way she looked at him made him feel like maybe he meant it.

They ended up sneaking out together. Ditching the party for the city streets, where the air was cold and sharp, where they could breathe again. The neon signs buzzed above them, painting their skin in flickers of pink and blue. They walked with no real direction, just the sound of their footsteps on wet pavement and the occasional flicker of a passing car. Eddie told her about the first time he played in front of a crowd, how he was shaking so bad he thought he’d drop his guitar. She told him about the first time she walked a runway, how the lights were so blinding she felt like she was floating.

“Still get nervous?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Every damn time.”

She grinned. “Me too.”

They ended up in some tiny 24-hour diner, sharing a plate of fries, Blondie playing softly on the jukebox. She slipped off her heels, stretching her legs across the cracked vinyl booth, her bare foot nudging against his under the table. He could still smell her perfume, something floral and sweet, and when she laughed, it curled around him like cigarette smoke.

“You’re not what I expected,” she said, tilting her head, watching him like she was trying to figure him out.

“Oh yeah? What’d you expect?”

She smirked. “More… rockstar.”

He scoffed. “Trust me, sweetheart, I’m plenty rockstar.”

“Mm.” She pretended to consider. “I don’t know… I think you might just be a boy with a guitar.”

Eddie leaned in, smirking right back. “Lucky for you, I’m both.”

And maybe it was the late hour, or the cheap diner coffee, or the way her eyes held the city lights in them, but when she reached across the table, lacing her fingers through his, Eddie Munson, rockstar, completely forgot about the rest of the world.

Hate myself for loving you!

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Rockstar! Reader

warning: language and adult themes

enemies to lovers (slow burn)

events of upside never happened.

face claims for Miranda and Mark are Maryl streep and robert di naro

border/lace credit to @benkeibear

the songs mentioned and lyrics are current songs. they ARE NOT MINE. i will be listing the songs in a separate post. but imagine whatever song in a rock/metal sound.

1989!

“absolutely fucking not.” Eddie scoffed as he glared and Mark, Corroded Coffins manager. The rest of the guys stayed absolutely quiet. “and why not Munson? mind you ever since you two started out they’ve always been on top of us no matter what! so what could possibly make you not want to make a song together! you both play the same genre so what the fuck is the problem now Munson?” Mark said as he glared at Eddie. “Problem is they are a fucking disgrace to rock music! simple.” Eddie said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“fuck no!” y/n said as she stared at Stacey in complete disgust, The girls looking over at y/n knowing the exact reason for her outburst. “and why not?” Miranda asked raising her eyebrows at y/n which wasn’t a good sign. “because… we always top their songs on the charts! we’d be doing them a favour if anything.” y/n said as she crossed her hands over her chest. Miranda wasn’t convinced. she knew there was a reason. but she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

“he threw a whole tantrum, said that he refused to sing with a bunch of disgraces to the rock world as he put it” Mark said over the phone as Miranda walked down the halls of their record label, walking back to her office as her assistant followed her. “threatening wouldn’t work….” Miranda mumbled as she moved to sit on her chair, behind her desk “i’m all out of ideas Miranda.” Robert huffed as Miranda rubbed the bridge of her nose “i’ll call you back Mark” Miranda said as she ended the call and stared at the frame on her desk. a picture of all the girls when they won their first grammy.

Eddie walked out the building and rolled his eyes as their cameras began flashing. it was a well known fact all over the world that Eddie munsons biggest enemy was paparazzi. they annoyed him too much. he put his glasses on before walking over to his car, pushing through the large crowd as he made it inside his car and drove off, not giving a fuck who was where. he just wanted to go home and relax. he took a glance at his glove box. knowing exactly what he’d hid in there. when he moved to open it he took a glance back at the street only to press on the break

1986!

Eddie ran through the hallways of hawkins, in his first, was a paper. hes going to graduate. the most important thing right now was to find her and tell her that he’d done it. that he’d passed. he’d gotten to her locker right when she did, he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around before slamming his lips against hers as she let out a fit of giggles. once he put her down he looked at her as he wore the biggest smile she’d ever seen on his face. “what?” y/n giggled as she licked her lips, wiping off her red lipstick from Eddie’s face.

“i’m fucking graduating. i passed!” Eddie smiled as he handed y/n the paper, she grabbed it her smile soon after copying the same one he had on his face. “you did it! i’m so proud of you!” she smiled as she hugged him tightly. Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist again as he felt her arms around his neck. he took in her scent as he kissed the side of her head. “and since i did, i’m taking you out for dinner and then a lovely two course desert back at my place” he teased as he bumped their noses, causing y/n to smile as she gave him a peck “i’m not apposed to the idea” she smiled before watching as Dustin ran over to the two

“watch it ya fucking asshole!” y/n yelled as she had pulled Robin back from getting run over, therefore their coffee landing all over the road. the girls were too caught up in making sure they were ok that they hadn’t noticed who the driver was. Eddie had noticed who he almost ran over, his face fell for a moment before he hit the gas and sped off. y/n glared at the car from the back cursing under her breath “i hate new yorkers.” y/n said as Robin chuckled “if you haven’t realised we are new yorkers” Robin said to which y/n rolled her eyes

“you wanna get another coffee?” Robin asked as y/n shrugged “sure, the asshole ruined mine anyway” she said as she put her hands back into her leather coats jacket as she and robin walked back into the store. Eddie gulped as he’d realised who he almost ran over, he rubbed his chest as he felt it tighten. their time together bringing tears to his eyes. it was all his fault. she hated him and it was his fault. she would never believe him. he missed her. ached for her. Eddie turned the radio on in hopes of it changing his mood. but he was met with her voice booming through the stereo. it was the song that made Glass Army the band that it is today. the song came out right after Corroded coffin released their first single, Vampire. which was dedicated to y/n. “up next! Glass Army’s hit song, I don’t care!” the radio host said as the song started.

Eddie remembers vividly the first time he heard the song. the hurt in y/n’s voice in the recording. which was kept in. it was her response to Vampire and Eddie knew it, because the cover of Vampire was a polaroid of y/n’s hand on Eddie’s guitar. her face didn’t show, it was just her hands around the neck of his guitar. they took the picture after y/n jokingly got long nails with bats on them for their prom. they looked great and that’s why Eddie took the picture, she had slipped on all his rings too. but the cover image to i don’t care was a bunch of polaroids, on fire. one of the polaroids were of Eddie’s old van and their tree carvings. of course, the E in the picture was burnt out but Eddie knew.

1986!

y/n giggled as Eddie inspected each nail “that’s so fucking cool baby” Eddie chuckled as y/n smiled, moving to peck his lips before grabbing his hands and slipping his rings off, if this was in any other instance with someone else, Eddie would’ve caused a scene at his rings being taken, but it was y/n. he’d give her his soul and organs if she asked. y/n laid on Eddie’s bed as she grabbed sweetheart from next to her, placing it on her as she wrapped her hands on its neck in a way to show off her nails, Eddie grabbed his camera and snapped a bunch of pictures.

Wayne smiled as he heard their giggles through the walls. Eddie put the guitar and camera aside before he climbed on top of y/n, his hands on either side of her head, his lips ghosting hers as she stared into his eyes. their lips connected as they moved to the rythme of ‘still loving you’ by the scorpions in the back. “you know i love you?” Eddie muttered against her lips as her lipstick smeared off, she nodded kissing him again as she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him close “i know ed’s…i know.” she muttered back

HAPPY SEASON 4 DAY!

it was one year ago today, that i’d fallen in love with Eddie Munson and Joseph Quinn, who would soon become the people who’d save me from many things. it was exactly one year ago today that my favourite show came back to me to give me one hell of a good year with a amazing summer to follow. i was in my worst at the time, all it took was to watch my comfort show to begin to find comfort in eddie, realising just how much i relate to him, especially with how i’m perceived at school. eddie munson saved me and joseph quinn did too. they both managed to make me feel like maybe everything was worth something, that maybe things aren’t that bad, that yk it’ll get better. they were there for me when no one was and i don’t regret a thing about falling in love with the both of them. n ik it’s corny as shit n cringe as shit. but i’m never felt safer then i do when i watch eddie or joseph on screen. it’s like a huge bubble of emotion just bursts into me and makes me feel contempt 🫀💗

Holding her back

Eddie Munson x reader warnings: strong language, real angsty, mentions of sexual things, no happy ending. yes, I am an evil fuck.

summary: Eddie feels like he's holding y/n back, and that's where the demise of their relationship starts

authors note: all the young adults are in high school, and so are the party members, Joyce and hopper are together, Billy isn't a pimple on anyone's ass. The upside down never happened. and yes ur dad is Pedro pascal. have fuuun masterlist

something that humoured Eddie was how no one batted an eye when they see Carver and his group of rats gang up on Eddie, and that's exactly what was happening. just another day for everyone, while Eddies got a black eye, a cut on his lip and possibly a broken nose with all the blood coming from it, Eddie did hit back, but he was one on five, he'd manage to get one down, another would come back up. they were getting their dignity back after Eddie had beaten them up a few days back. "you know whats a real big shame, freak? that pretty girlfriend of yours, y/n. She's got a bright future ahead of her, but do you think shell really achieve anything with you by her? fuck no" Jason said as Eddie pushed him away from him, leaning his body against the wall behind him as he wiped his bloody nose before Eddie knew it, he was on the ground while Andys foot hit against his stomach over and over again, before they'd decided to leave him alone, but what hurt the most wasn’t the kicks or the punches. it was the fact that deep down, eddie knew they were right, that Eddie was holding y/n back from amazing things, he knew that the tiny voice in his head that he would ignore was right. Eddie wasn’t good enough for y/n, no matter how hard he tries, he’s just a phase in her life he needs to get her out of, but how could he leave her? the love of his life was y/n, he felt sick just thinking about how hurt she would feel, he knew deep down that he was holding back.

….

y/n had been waiting for Eddie at his trailer with Wayne, her dad needing to take an extra shift meant y/n all by herself, so she grabbed the left overs from the lasagna she’d made, making sure she left some for her dad, and made her way to the Munson trailer. “Eddie’s mom” y/n mumbled as Wayne handed her Polaroids of a woman who looked similar to Eddie “yep, she was beautiful, my boy got everything from her, even his wild hair he can’t seem to brush” y/n chuckled as she looked at the picture, Eddie looked just like her “he’s got her eyes” she said as she smiled noticing the ring on her finger, it was the ring Eddie had given her for her birthday

y/n handed Wayne the picture back before the door abruptly opened, revealing a rather pissed off Eddie. both Wayne and y/n shot up from their seats “Ed’s what happened to you?” Wayne asked as y/n walked up to him, placing her hands on his face as Eddie moved away from her “Ed’s what happened?” she said looking at him “nothing, i got into a fight” he mumbled keeping his eyes on the floor, as he bit the inside of his lip “come on, we need to clean you up” y/n said trying to wipe the blood from his lip before he moved away “man, get off me will you?” he spat glaring at her before he walked off into his room

“boy get back here!” Wayne said as he heard Eddie bedroom door slam shut, y/n stood there shocked before she turned to Wayne “he probably wants to be alone it’s fine” she said giving Wayne a small smile before she moved to grab the empty places on the table, putting them in the plate as Wayne helped her clean up. once they were done, Wayne had gone out for a smoke while y/n went to check up on eddie “Eddie? can i come in?” she asked, before opening the door, as Eddie sat on the floor with a cloth on his lip, he took a glance at her before he looked away “what?” he mumbled moving the cloth away to look at the blood

“i got you food, its lasagne” she said walking in as she closed the door, sitting next to him as she placed the plate down as well. “you wanna tell me what happened?” she asked as she looked at him “i don’t have to tell you everything” he said looking at her “stop getting all up into my shit.” y/n face fell as she nodded, Eddie’s never once spoken to her that way. she nodded before she looking at around “Wayne showed me a pictures of your mom, she’s really seems prettier in ever picture i see” Eddie sensed the hurt in y/n’s voice, he knew he was starting to hurt her

“listen i’m tired, i wanna go to sleep, can you just go home and i’ll, like, call you i guess?” He said looking at her as y/n furrowed her eyebrows confused “Eddie, did i do something?” “god, not everything revolves around you, y/n. i get it you’re my girlfriend but that does not mean we have to hangout all the time” y/n gulped as she bit the inside of her lip “sorry, it’s my fault that i’m trying to be a good girlfriend. and i’ll go home, don’t worry” she said getting up as she walked out the room, grabbing her jacket and bag before heading out. Eddie rubbed his face as he got up, moving into the bathroom to get the first aid kit out, and clean his face up.

….

y/n had set up the table, three plates, like every morning. she hummed along to the Elvis record she had on, soon finishing up the pancakes and placing the plate of them in the middle of the table. “y/n?” Nick had called out as he walked down the stairs “in here!” y/n said as she poured coffee in the three glasses she’d put on the table, Nick walked in and smiled at her “morning” he said as he sat down yawning a-bit “morning, what time did you get home from your shift?” she asked handing him a glass of water, a habit they’ve had since Nick always forgets to drink water.

“around three, you were asleep when i got home” he said beginning to smear chocolate all over his pancake “did you eat the leftovers? i took some for Wayne and Eddie and left out some for you since i knew you’d get home hungry” “yea i did” he said his mouth filled with a mixture of pancakes and chocolate “Munson not coming for breakfast?” he asked nothing Eddie’s empty chair at the table “i’m not sure, he wasn’t in the best mood when i saw him last night, he was… all beat up, just really sour” y/n said as she sat down, grabbing a pancake and doing the same as Nick did “i’ll just keep some aside for him, and after school i’ll give them to him” she mumbled taking a sip of her coffee

as Nick nodded “so i was thinking tomorrow night, we could go out pick a movie out, and have a movie night, I’ve got tomorrow off” he shrugged as y/n swallowed her food nodding ”just saying i am not watching top gun maverick again, i think i can recite the entire movie scene for scene” she said as they both chuckled “it’s a good movie besides if i let you pick the movie it’ll just mean i’m either watching dirty dancing or pretty in pink” “hey you cried watching pretty in pink!” “i did not!” “did so!” she laughed as she then looked at her watch

“shit Eddie’s late” she said finishing off her pancake before drinking the rest of her coffee “You go ahead to school and I’ll clean up, need a ride?” Nick said wiping the corners of his mouth with a napkin “I do, You sure you've got the time?” “yea I’m sure, I’ve got a couple hours before my next shift,” he said as y/n got up helping Nick clean up before grabbing her backpack, swinging it on her back as Nick tied his work boots, getting up once he was done, grabbing his keys. both of them getting in the car and driving off. .... y/n pulled out her chemistry textbook out of her locker, to place it inside her bag, she hadn't seen eddie for the last two periods. she was lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Robin who was staring at her concerned "you okay?" the blonde asked as y/n looked at her, clearing her throat "yea yea, its just Eddie, he's acting off" she said closing her bag as she closed her locker, locking it as her and Robin walked off to Chem "have you seen him today?" y/n asked, concerned about her boyfriend. "no but during lunch, ill call up steve and ask if they're hanging out, you know Eddie, he'll ditch a day of school to get high with king steve" y/n hummed in agreement as the two made their way into class, something was off and y/n knew it. Eddie was sat in the back of his van, a joint hanging from his lip, as Robert plants voice rang through his headphones, the ones y/n had gifted him along with the cassette player for his birthday, his eyes set on the song journal in front of him "fucking shit" he mumbled, closing the journal and throwing it next to him as he took a deep drag from the joint, letting the smoke into his system, maybe it would help drown out Jasons voice and y/ns, the anger and hurt that laced it last night. he's going to do it, today. he'll break up with her and just support her from the side lines, where she wouldn't know. after a few more minutes of sitting and string at the carpet of the vans back area with Zepplin filling his head, Eddie stopped the tape as he took the headphones off, opening the door to his van and setting out, throwing the joint on the floor as he put it out, grabbing his journal and stuffing it in the mess he calls a backpack, zipping it uo and swinging it over his leather clad shoulder, closing the door and locking the van, before walking inside the building and heading to the drama room. .... part 2 here!

part 3 here!

Masterlist

Hawkins 68.8

Pairing: Eddie Munson x f!reader

Word Count: 15.9k

Content: Fluff

Summary: When Eddie Munson starts paying attention to the host of Hawkins best radio station, he finds himself transfixed with a mystery. Who is Radio Girl?

**Hiya! I have an idea for a really heartbreaking epilogue to this little one shot. Let me know if you're interested! I hope to have more stuff coming out soon.**

______________________________________________________________

"HEY THERE HAWKINS! Boys and girls, ladies and gents, preppy snobs and the rest of you normal folk, it's a lovely 30 degrees on this Manic Monday morning. So, I suggest a sweater or jacket unless you're expecting help from that 'special' someone. If you're hoping to be late for work or school, take Addams Ave. Seems a log truck has tipped over, or maybe God's playing Lincoln Logs. Either way, a great way to waste forty-five minutes on your morning drive. Well, that's all the news for this sleepy town at the top of the hour. It's 6am, March 3rd guys. This has been your best friend, nagging mother, annoying little sister, girl in the hall, fantasy mystery girl starting off your morn by opening your mind. Let's get back to the music! Here's Van Halen..."

Thundering drums shook the floor of the trailer. The vibration was enough to start lulling him back to sleep. Crashing symbols finally jerked the boy fully awake, half scaring him to death. Eddie was surprised to find it more appealing than his usual wake up call from his Uncle. One thing was sure, his blood was pumping now. He found himself humming along as he got around for school. The older man was making breakfast, both looking tired from his late shift and pleased thanks to the radio.

"This station is alright," Wayne noted, turning the music down now that Eddie was awake. That was high praise from the man.

"Better than what you usually wake me up with," Eddie chuckled and listened, fully amused, as his Uncle grumbled about how disappointing it was that no one listened to Johnny Cash anymore. They shuffled around one another in a familiar rhythm. Plates were filled with eggs and toast. Coffee was poured. Songs began to switch in the background, never something Eddie recognized but not overall terrible. Better than anything the other radio stations around Hawkins played.

"I like the girl," Wayne commented when his plate was finally clean.

"What girl?"

"The one who hosts the show. C'mon Ed, you're smarter than that."

Eddie sighed, pushing the food around on his plate. "Oh. I always tune out the announcers. It's not like anything they say will matter for me."

"Well that's a load of bull. I know you don't exactly like it here, but maybe there are some things worth hearing about." Wayne was always trying to get Eddie out into the town. Eddie assumed it was because his Uncle wanted him to get a job or a life outside of his interests. It never occurred to him that Wayne might want his nephew to be seen as the good kid he actually was. But before Eddie could argue, Wayne was turning up the volume once more.

"That was Burning Down The House, Talking Heads. This short little break is to remind folks that Cookie Season is almost over! Only a few more weeks left to order those tantalizing, hip widening, good for the soul, Girl Scout Cookies. Hawkins Troop 815 will be down by Bradley's Big Buy from 4 to 5pm, Monday through Thursday. Ring the station for more direct information and help those girls get to summer camp!

And of course we can not forget that Spring Break is on the way. Hawkins YMCA, in conjunction with the Public Pool, are hosting free swimming lessons for kids four to eight. Jerry and Gina want to thank all the listeners who got out and donated to make this opportunity possible.

Last thing gang, Hawkins High and Middle School will be  doing a book drive starting at the end of March. They want to get the word out to you fine people early to put it on your calendars! All books will be split between the Elementary, Middle, and High School. Get some forgotten books into the hands of an excited kid. We're taking everything from textbooks to comic books, so get to boxing!

That's enough of me. Thanks so much for this special request song, may it remind you of your dwarvish homeland while on adventures dear Nog."

So many things surprised Eddie that he wasn't sure what to latch onto. For one, his uncle was smiling a great deal. Two, the radio announcer was a girl. Three, she'd just mentioned Dustin Henderson's Dungeons and Dragons character as the person who sent in a special request. And four, Dio was playing on the radio. Rainbow in the Dark. So many thoughts raced through his head, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He didn't have a lot of time to ruminate on things before his uncle was lecturing him again.

"Like that girl. See son, you've got so many things goin' on that you can take advantage of. Sure they'll need help at that book thing that's coming up. You like to read. Could be a good time."

"Not sure they'll like havin' me. My grimey fingers getting all over the books," Eddie sighed, pushing away his plate. His mind was still on overdrive about the announcer.

"Never know 'til ya ask. Plus you could learn a few things from that show. This morning, right when I was getting off work, there was a whole talking section about the detriment of societal structures. Something about how school popularity contests are taking away from the real purpose of group education. Didn't mean a ton to me, but sounded like something you'd agree with." With that, Wayne ruffled the boy's mop of hair and drug himself to the couch to sleep.

For a moment, Eddie sat perplexed at the small kitchen table. The music surrounded him, comfortable and familiar. His foot absentmindedly tapped along while his thoughts raced out ahead of him. He didn't think any girl at Hawkins High would openly defy the popularity caste system. And she had to be a student, she knew Henderson. The only person that kid knew outside of the school was Steve Harrington. Eddie was lucky that the radio volume was still up, or else he would've stayed locked in his thoughts when the most important announcement was given.

"Alright people, coming up is our non-stop hour of rock. You know what that means! It's 7am. See you all on the other side."

If it wasn't for that, Eddie definitely would have been late for school.

***

"Phew. Right, okay. Set the cassettes in the player... timer on for automatic switch over..." You felt the sting of stress in your forehead as you concentrated on the machines. Though you'd set this up over a hundred times at this point, the process always offered a heavy wave of anxiety. Even the thought of dead air was something you couldn't allow; it had happened once and the police had been called - someone thought you were having some emergency. Luckily the old sheriff didn't hold it against you. Even more luckily, Mr.Clark had done all the talking and you didn't have to face the terrifying prospect of directly communicating with anyone new.

"All set?" The teacher poked his head in the door.

"All set."

"Good because you'll have to book it," The man swung open the AV room, more like closet, door and waved a frantic hand.

You followed his prompting, throwing your bag over your shoulder and rushing down the hall.

"Thanks Mr.C!" The call over your shoulder stopped him by the side door, him needing to head back across the parking lot to the middle school.

He gave a wave, accompanied by a reminder, "Don't forget Kaminsky is helping you lock up today!"

A brief nod was all the response you had time for. The crowds had already thinned, allowing for faster travel in the hallways. By the time the bell rang, you were non-discriptly slipping into your seat. Incessant chatter rattled around the classroom. It was easy to let the white noise lull your sleep deprived body. A sudden rapping on your desk brought you back to reality. Ahead of you, a stern looking older man was forcing together fluffy gray eyebrows. The look was harsh, but the words he muttered were layered with a kinder tone.

"Take a nap in study hall y/l/n, not my class."

"Sorry Mr. Kaminsky," Your hands brushed through your hair as you gave a sheepish smile. The tiniest relaxation of his brow confirmed he wasn't truly upset.

Conversations dwindled to hushed whispers as the man took command of the room. Cool sunlight flushed the blackboard, chilly air penetrated the window panes and seeped through your clothes. Now shivering and scribbling pencils accompanied the rhythm of murmurs around you. Staring at your own notes, you couldn't help but focus in on the gossip around you over the repeat introduction of Newton's laws.

"I couldn't believe it! That freak took up the whole lesson yesterday asking questions about ... I don't even remember... like narration something? ...Basically how a book should like, be structured to make sense. We spent the whole lesson! Like, excuse me psycho, but some of us want to just get the answers for the test and move on."

"Ugh. If that devil worshiper thinks anyone's gonna care about some freak story he comes up with - he's even crazier than he acts."

"Bet it'd be some like, horror thing. Like a sacrifice manual."

The conversation dissolved into cruel snickers. Your expression had tightened, frustration building in your chest. Still, the lack of sleep had left your mind unprepared to hold back your sharpened tongue. "Yes, because having a genuine academic interest in something must be a mark of the beast. Everyone knows shopping is close to godliness."

"What?" The girl behind you shrieked. Your pencil ripped a gash across the page, eyes widening a fraction and jaw clenching closed. You held your breath and silently gave thanks for Mr.Kaminsky handling his classroom.

"Miss Charmichael! Is there something confusing about Newton's Laws of Motion?" The old man's tone was just as harsh and biting as your own. You had to bite your lip harshly to keep from laughing.

"N-no! Y/l/n said something and-"

"Has anyone here ever heard Miss y/l/n speak out of turn?"

Suddenly your face was burning. It seemed particularly cruel of the teacher to embarrass you whilst dealing with the bratty girl behind you. But, you guessed it was fair - seeing as you had been talking during the class. The classroom was uncomfortably quiet under the hawk-like eye of Kaminsky. However, he actually seemed to want an answer this time, refusing to move on with the lesson while his question was unfulfilled. Truthfully, you were close to confessing just to get out of the discomfort.

Then someone came to the rescue.

"Y/l/n talk in class? Never."

You couldn't help but crane your head around, glancing past the obnoxious girls behind you to the lab table beside them. There, sharing a mischievous smile, was none other than the 'freak' Charmichael was talking about: Eddie Munson.

He locked eyes with you for a second. An incredibly brief flash of a softer, yet guarded look passed over his features. You quickly turned back to face your desk. The last thing you wanted was any more attention.

"First question you've answered in my class Mr.Munson, and correctly too. May this nice turn of events continue." Kaminsky nodded and returned to the lesson.

Your notes, however, were no longer focused on the laws of motion. Instead, a new radio discussion was taking shape on the page.

***

Eddie's day was starting off better than he'd expected. Good music thanks to his Uncle and this new Hawkins radio station, having y/l/n stick up for him before class could even begin, and the mystery of this radio jockey to keep his mind occupied. Y/l/n had quickly evaded him when he tried to say thank you. The poor girl's face went white. Her grip on a particularly thick collection of Poe stories tightened. She offered only a hasty nod before disappearing down the hall. Her doe eyed expression had brightened his smile even more. He couldn’t help it, she was positively adorable. Eddie hoped he hadn't scared her.

His thoughts didn't linger there much longer as a curly headed fiend dropped into his seat. The cafeteria was crowded and loud, but Eddie was too focused to let anything other than the mystery take hold of him. Dustin Henderson had the answer to his question and he was going to get it out of him no matter what.

"Man, everyone is so testy today. I kid you not! Mrs.Click is totally out to get us. I dropped my pencil and she chewed my head off. I -" Dustin rapidly rambled, organizing his lunch before cutting himself off with a large bite.

"Great. Who's the radio girl?"

Dustin nearly choked. Mike stiffened, shooting a look at Lucas before shoving his own lunch in his mouth. Apparently having a full mouth was the first safe guard to not answering Eddie's question.

"Who are you talking about?" Lucas gave a lackluster performance.

"Well I'm not sure, that's why I asked. Woke up this morning to an energetic voice giving out a special request song to Nog. Figured that few people knew of that guy, so you have to know her. Right Dustin?" Eddie kept eyeing the boy, leaning forward to help increase the pressure.

"I- uh, psh, I dunno what you're talking about. Eddie, man, dude, there's no way I know about someone you don't know about."

"Wow. That was crap." Mike's voice was deadpan.

Dustin, immediately, fought back, "Thanks Mike! You're really helping out here. Think you could do more than sit on your ass? Party sticks together man. Coulda backed me up!"

The two boys began bickering animatedly. Eddie sighed, shaking his head before ultimately intervening.

"That's enough. I don't care who tells me. I just want to know how you three losers know this radio girl."

Lucas, Mike, and Dustin shared looks of concern. Then, their shoulders slumped in and Eddie knew he'd won.

"We know her from AV club," Mike answered slowly.

"You're in another club?" This took Eddie off track for a moment.

The boys nodded. Mike continued, "We did it mostly in middle school. But y-... our friend, she was the only member for years so she came over and helped us out when Mr.Clark started it up again."

Before Eddie could ask his next question, Lucas was already answering it. "We can't tell you who she is, man. She's like, really really shy. Even though she's older than us, she was terrified the first time we met her."

"Seriously. She's great, awesome, stupid smart, but meeting you would probably kill her." Dustin shook his head.

"Are we talking about the same person? The one who apparently gives radio shows calling out how dumb popularity is and plays decent music? She's shy?"

"Deathly dude. Why do you think she runs a radio show?" Dustin looked at Eddie as if he'd just cheered over a nat one.

Lucas continued to flex his emotional maturity, calmly and clearly stating the situation. "She has a hard time talking in front of people. That was why she joined AV club in the first place. It's a lot easier for her to communicate over the phone or walkie. Somehow it got her excited enough to start the show. We give her requests and she uses our D&D names so no one knows it's her."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so you can't just go asking around and trying to figure it out, okay? It's like a big deal. She'd totally be hounded every day. No one can know. And dude, imagine being absolutely terrified of talking to people and then loud mouth of the school Eddie Munson shows up trying to talk to you. It'd scare you to death." Mike interjected.

"I'm not a loud mouth!"

"Eccentric then," Dustin rolled his eyes.

"You do realize this makes me want to figure it out more, right?" Eddie sighed, clearly frustrated by his friends.

"You can either track her down and cause her to panic, or you can leave her alone and keep the best radio station in Hawkins going. That's up to you man," Dustin shoved a finger into Eddie's shoulder.

Their table sat in an awkward silence for a moment, no one quite sure what to say after the freshman had dressed down their fearless leader. Everyone seemed lost in thought.

"I'll leave it alone... for now," Eddie relented. "I'd never want to scare anyone."

"You're not scary!" Dustin squealed, now overcome with guilt from playing into the rest of the school's view of him.

"We just mean, like you're an excitable guy and talk loud and that would totally make her feel insanely shy." Lucas explained.

"Let's- let's listen! The show's on now!" Mike suggested.

"How? It's lunch?"

All the boys smiled softly and shrugged at Eddie. It was clear they enjoyed holding some information over their dungeon master.

"She's just that good," Dustin beamed.

***

"Today's Lunchtime Layout is an offshoot of the Five AM Free Meeting. We're continuing to look into the current state of education. Parents and teachers alike are in an uproar over the low testing scores. If you're looking for a way to bolster education, here's your sign. Lunchtime Layout proudly presents... How Music and Art helps your kids more than Sports -"

You heard your voice switch off from one of the tables as you passed by. Focusing on the surprisingly decent lunch on your tray allowed you to hide the smile that crept onto your lips. It was funny to see the athletes pissed off. They were too stupid to understand that almost none of them could score a scholarship with just their atheletic performance, which just proved your Lunchtime Layout even more. Still, somewhere in the cacophony of voices, your own could still be heard. At least someone thought you were still worth listening to.

Clattering your tray next to Robin, a girl from your band class, you let yourself be content in her conversation. Robin could always talk enough for the both of you - it's part of what made her a good friend.

"D'you think that Kaminsky is an alien? I wouldn't be surprised. The way he runs things feels so foreign, weird. I swear I heard him speaking another language the other day. Just out of the blue! Like he forgot English. That's some alien crap, right?"

You chuckled, as always finding Robin amusing. "It's Polish. His family's from Poland, they escaped to America because of World War II. Thought you would recognize it since you supposedly speak Russian."

"Okay we'll circle back to that in a minute because you just said three full sentences. In a row. At lunch," Robin was very surprised. You must've still been tired.

"Don't get used to it," You teased before starting to eat.

She returned to her theory stating that instead of an alien, Kaminsky could be a secret agent posted here in Hawkins to ensure that Russians didn't take control of the town - cause 1) clearly the Russians would need control of Hawkins, Indiana and 2) the Polish hate the Russians right?

You weren't so sure about that, but continued to let her babble. It was hard to miss that your own voice was still cutting through the crowd. Most people had turned off the discussion, not willing to let their popularity status be questioned by a random stranger. But there was someone listening. And before you could stop yourself, you were scanning the room for the sound.

Dustin Henderson looked right at you and then immediately away. That boy couldn't be more obvious if he tried. An eyebrow raised as you waited for him to flick his eyes back to you. With a simple nod you directed his attention and gave a small excuse to Robin.

"Vending machine. Want anything?"

"Yoohoo if they have it."

"You do realize that you can get actual chocolate milk in the cafeteria, right?" You couldn't help but scold her a bit.

"I see nothing wrong with Chocolate drink," She chuckled, shooing you away.

Rowdy conversation attacked your ears as you slipped through the lunchroom practically unnoticed. Irritated grumbles from the basketball team caused you to quickly skirt their realm of influence, coming up to the vending machine just behind the curly haired kid. Dustin pretended to be thinking.

"You don't have any change, do you?" You rolled your eyes.

"Didn't expect to have a secret spy mission today," He retorted.

"Well, you tell me what you're acting so squirrely about and I'll get you whatever you like." You knew bribery would do wonders. Afterall, you were bribing him to be on your side.

"Even... Reece's Pieces?"

"You heard me, Henderson."

"We were listening to the show."

"See I gathered as much. Why did you stare at me, dummy?"

"Couldn't help it. Eddie was asking and-"

"What?"

You whipped Dustin around to look at you, fear being held just behind your stony countenance. The poor kid cowered for a moment before recognizing this similar frustration and hanging his head in shame. You moved him out of the way and bought the candy and a soda. With strict gestures, you handed the package out to the boy. Your words were stringent, "Please, just... Dustin I-I can't-"

"I know. We have your back. Swear."

A bit of a smile tickled the corner of your lips. At least you could always count on these dorks.

"Thank you. Oh, and let me know if they ever get that new microphone in at Radio Shack."

And then, just as you were turning to leave, you fully registered what Dustin had told you.

"Wait... Eddie Munson?"

***

Eddie was perplexed. It seemed to be the theme of the day. He drowned himself in the words coming through the walkie ahead of him. An inspiring speech, a clear concise argument built off of interviews and sound science, as well as a complete and unyielding passion held Eddie's attention tightly. He'd never heard anyone speak so candidly. He'd never thought anyone could validate his interests with such fervor and true excitement. In the crowded, painfully loud cafeteria, all Eddie could hear was this radio voice.

When the boy turned to comment to his friends, Dustin was missing. Eddie couldn't help but look for him. He was nearly back at their table, candy pouring into his hand. The boy downed a handful, a smile appearing on his face.

"Where did you get that?" He barked.

Dustin's eyes went wide before offering a clearly fake shrug. "The vending machine, dummy."

"You never have money for the vending machine. Why'd you even go up there?" Lucas eyed him. A blatant look of 'stop asking' was shared. It didn't take long for Eddie to connect the dots.

"She's here?"

The three boys were struck with fear. They began clamoring over one another, desperetly trying to keep Eddie from doing anything rash, reckless, or downright stupid. He'd never seen them beg like this before. It reminded him that just minutes ago they were telling him to back off of the radio girl, to not stress out their extremely shy friend. At least he could trust their loyalty - seeing them rabidly snapping at him proved as much.

He held a finger up to his lips. "I'm just surprised is all. I haven't even looked around the room yet -" Though the more he fought his curiosity, the more he wanted to give into it - "Just let me listen to the rest of this. Okay?"

He pulled the walkie closer to him, getting distracted by the conversation again. The band teacher was explaining how all students involved in a musical pursuit within the school, on average, scored higher on math testing. Radio girl then added that students involved in theatre or vocal music tended to achieve higher standards in English and Literature in comparison to non-artistically involved students. Eddie was blissfully unaware of the younger boys watching him, cataloging every tiny nod and slight smile at the girl's words. They didn't miss the subtle disappointment that wrinkled his forehead as the segment came to a close. Nor did they miss the sparkle in the boy's eye when the Live at Five Q&A segment was mentioned.

***

Eddie sped home that afternoon, immediately turning on the radio and sitting ceremoniously by the phone. As soon as the number was laid out for callers, he dialed at lightning speed. His leg bounced rapidly as the line rang over and over. Eddie almost hung up when a few other people got answered before him. It was stupid to be waiting on some unseen person to answer a question he hadn't even come up with yet. Why was this such a big deal anyway? He was acting irrational and-

"Hey there, you're on the air! What's your name?"

Eddie froze. Sure he'd just imagined it, he went back to waiting. The radio hissed, empty.

"Hello? Anybody home?"

"Yes! Hi! Hello!" He nearly jumped out of his seat. His own voice echoed back to him.

"Phew, thought I'd lost ya there. What's your name?"

"Um, Ed-ward. Edward."

"Well, Edward, what's your question?"

Eddie wasn't sure what was going on. He hadn't thought this far ahead when it came to talking to, finding this radio girl. Luckily, his mouth was already running ahead of him. It had offered a fairly thoughtful question.

"Your discussion earlier talked about the academic success of artistic and musical students. I'd consider myself those things, but I haven't done well in school at all. What should I do?"

"Hmm." The girl's voice was soft, pressed as tightly to his ear as he could get it through the receiver. "Okay... do you test well?"

Eddie was surprised. He didn't think he was going to be answering any questions. "Uh, yeah. I guess so?"

"And do you happen to be heavily dedicated to a few, highly specific creative endeavors?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with it?"

"Edward, my friend, I have a possible answer to your question. The fact is, most artistically gifted students have a difficult time being successful in school. Current curriculums don't satisfy the creative instinct nor the competitive drive. Seeing as you hyper focus and test well, I'd wager you have some sort of Attention Deficit Disorder. Now, I'm not a psychologist, but the chance is high. It would explain how commonplace studies don't interest you and therefore your focus turns to more satisfying pursuits such as music and stories. Most artistic types are what psychologists call, neurodivergent. Basically, our brains don't work the same as other peoples. That's why normal methods don't always work for you. Things that can help include making games out of studying, imploring methods to keep you working - reward systems."

Eddie seemed transfixed. Other than the kids, no one ever deigned to speak to him as an equal. Classmates looked down on him, condescended to him. Teachers either did the same or spoke over his head. Who the hell was this girl? Before their conversation could continue, a strange and angry tone buzzed through the radio and phone.

"Hang on there. Stay on the line," The girl said into the phone. Then her voice was loudly coming through the speakers again. "Thanks for the question! That was the signal for our music break folks. We'll be back with more questions after this."

Laid back guitar riffs filled the empty space her voice left behind. Eddie hung onto the phone, not willing to hang up but unsure he'd heard her correctly.

"Hey, still there?"

He'd heard her correctly. Eddie wasn't sure why he was so nervous. It felt like a delicate situation, music in the background as he now conversed with the girl off the air.

"Y-yeah, I'm still here."

"Good. I just wanted to say... you're not stupid. Whatever you have going on, just know that. Okay?"

Eddie was frozen again.

"Edward?"

He smiled at her using his full name. No one ever did that. He wasn't sure why he'd given it except it made him feel less like 'Eddie the freak'. He didn't know who she was and she wouldn't know who he was. It felt right. Dramatic irony even.

"Thank you, Radio Girl." He couldn't help but smile.

"Anytime."

***

Eddie was howling. Tears were forming in his eyes and he had to gasp to catch his breath. A chorus of giggles continued on the other end of the line. It was a killer sound. For the fifth afternoon in a row, his right ear was glued to the phone. Somehow their discussion of reader engagement had turned into a chat about Dracula, which had then dissolved into campish, drawn out, terrible jokes. Still, they were both laughing.

He'd slowly figured out things about the girl. She was in fact a student at Hawkins, likely a senior as she was taking the few advanced classes the school offered. He was certain they even had classes together: English and Physics to be exact. Radio Girl loved high fantasy, having nearly gone to tears discussing Arwen's plight of troth to Aragorn - a fact that surprised Eddie with a weak-kneed response. Even more than high fantasy, she adored gothic literature. He could remember the exact English project she'd done, detailing the history of the gothic writer's 'party'. A near thirty minute presentation discussing how Mary Shelley, her husband, and Lord Byron created both Frankenstein and Vampires over one hang-out. Hearing her talk about it again had pulled every memory back.

Except, of course, who she was.

"It just is so damn funny that Polidori and Bram Stoker thought Lord Byron was so damn dramatic that he'd be the perfect person to shift the vampire character to. I love the idea of this overly dramatic dude being considered a supernatural creature ‘cause he dislikes people and pulls chicks left and right!"

"I can't imagine Dracula any other way. Dude, when I learned about who Byron based vampires on, I nearly wet myself. That dude was scary. I prefer dark, mysterious man who's so hot women let him kill them."

"Well, it is killing them with a dramatic flair. So I kinda see the appeal." Radio Girl was still laughing. Joking around as if they were long time friends.

A sneaky smile tugged at Eddie's lips, "You find dramatics appealing?"

There was a bit of silence, the girl either confused or flustered at his question. But her wit seemed to regain itself, "I find all dramatics from dark, mysterious men appealing. Did you not know I'm a renaissance woman reincarnate?"

He laughed again.

"But back to the point from, wow, fifty minutes ago - make sure your friends feel invested in the story. You have to help them get attached to the characters you are writing about. Make the characters' hopes and dreams their hopes and dreams. Get your friends on the characters' side: have them love the loved ones, sidekicks, etc. just as much as the characters do. That way when the bad guy steals the main character's one chance at... I don't know, bringing their parent's killer to justice, your friends feel just as betrayed as the character does. Make it hurt, man."

"Was that a Batman reference?" Eddie teased. In truth, he was deflecting from the overwhelming grip she had on his chest. The kids weren't lying when they'd told him about how eloquent she was over the phone or radio. He couldn't imagine her stumbling for a phrase as she apparently did in real life. Every word out of her seemed to be an instant masterpiece.

Eddie could listen to her talk for hours, and had every day since he'd first paid attention to her show. They’d gone back and forth, Eddie hiding his D&D campaign as a story he was writing - still keeping their identities vague. He needed more puzzle pieces before revealing himself.

"What part of 'I find dark, mysterious, dramatic men appealing' don't you get?"

Their laughter echoed in his ears, but her words began to replay in his mind. Maybe he would be able to tell her who he was. After all, some people would say he was dark, mysterious, and dramatic-

"EDDIE! C'MON MAN! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO START FIFTEEN MINUTES AGO!" Mike Wheeler's voice cut through the thin walls of the trailer.

"Edward? Is that-" Radio Girl's voice had shrunk significantly. A slight waver shook his name.

"I'm really sorry. I forgot about this thing with my friends and they've been waiting. Talk tomorrow. Bye Radio Girl!" He slammed the phone down on the receiver. The door to the trailer whipped open, Eddie peering down in frustration at the Hellfire Club outside his door.

Mike grumbled to himself as he ignored the glare, "The least you could do is let us in on time since we had to do this here instead of school."

"You just interrupted an incredibly important phone call, Wheeler. If you want death, I am more than happy to oblige." Eddie snapped back.

Instead of the fear Eddie had anticipated, Mike, as well as Dustin and Lucas, had the biggest grin on his face. The three kids tried to cover their snickers. Eddie only got more frustrated.

"Oh, we know about your phone calls," Dustin hummed. "Heard you call in every night this week and ask a question. Seems like Max was right."

Mike groaned, "Man, I owe her five bucks."

"What are you talking about?" Eddie offered his most intimidating look. They all got their acts back together. It didn't last long. They could help but send shit-eating grins his way as Lucas answered.

"Max said she heard you talking to a girl on the phone. Apparently you're a noisy neighbor. I recognized that our friend was mysteriously absent during the hour of rock. No ads, no track listings."

"That's not-"

"Don't even lie. We just heard everything." Mike grinned. The whole group, not just the freshmen, began mocking Eddie's recent laughs and compliments and comments to the Radio Girl. Each time he tried to stop them, they got worse. He was tamping down a heavy blush as much as he could. He was glad to think of her nonetheless. And to be reminded of her advice.

The campaign tonight? He was definitely gonna make it hurt.

***

The calls became a habit. For two weeks, 'Edward' would call in for the Q&A. He always seemed much more prepared than your usual callers. His questions were thoughtful, not just asking for a restating of what had already been said. He also seemed to be perfectly placed in the call line, redirecting your attention and lightening your mood after particularly aggressive or rude individuals. When your classmate inspired discussion on narrative structure came out, Edward had had so many questions that you had him call back. Your music hour was exactly that, the boy on the other side of the phone dragging you into passionate conversation that kept you from even giving track listings out. The next ten days followed the same pattern. You found yourself pleased at his consistency. That pleasure became an excitement, an anticipation. By the time you noticed the change, you were considering opening the phone lines in the morning in the hopes that he'd call.

In a worried haze, you wandered through the crowded halls. Crystal clear chimes of the bell meant nothing to your furiously thinking mind. If you'd slowed yourself down, you would have realized that you were about to walk directly into the closed doors. But you were processing a mile a minute and were lining up the perfect shot. It was by grace of the universe alone that someone stopped you.

"Hey! Watch out!"

You blinked. Your nose was an inch away from the glass. Stumbling back, you felt your heart pounding in your chest. A pair of hands lightly landed on your shoulders, a slightly blurry figure coming into focus. Soft, sweet brown eyes blinked at you. They were filled with worry and the tiniest glint of humor. It would have been funny to you too if you weren't about to freak out.

"Hate to break it to ya y/l/n, but you can't walk through walls."

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

You weren't sure how a coherent sentence came out of you. Especially not one that made the boy ahead of you laugh. It was ironic, being kept out of harms way by Eddie Munson only to have him drop a massive bomb in your life. And he didn't know it at all. But that laugh? You knew that laugh very well.

With ease, your mind pieced together a puzzle that should have been obvious: Edward "Eddie" Munson.

***

"You WHAT?"

"You heard me."

"How did this happen?"

"It's not my fault! It just happened!" Exasperation strained your voice. Robin looked at you, gaping. All she could offer was disbelief.

"Things like this don't just happen y/n! You've just been what, conversing with some metalhead on the daily? When? What class? Because I've never gotten more than two sentences out of you in a row. Do you even have a class together? How do you know him? True, Steve and I know of him ‘cause of the twerps, but that doesn't explain you. I mean, how, how, do you of all people get into conversations with Eddie Munson? To the point that you're clearly flustered about it?"

A long, stringent sigh escaped your lips. An overwhelming blush covered your whole body. "Well, you may not believe me if I tell you."

"Then come up with some sort of proof. I mean, this is insane-" Robin was about to go into another rant.

"I have a way. But you have to swear not to mention this."

"Why?"

"Because my how is unbelievable and the proof of it comes in the form of three kids."

***

The AV room seemed a lot less impressive when you were going to have guests. The recordings were going to plan, finished homework laid strewn atop your backpack, and dust sat in little sweeped piles just cleared from the heavy machines. Large headphones hung around your neck while a pre-recorded ad played over the radio. Music would be going when people arrived. There'd be time enough to hush their voices, prove your point to Robin, and likely enter the most embarrassing conversation of your life when Dustin, Lucas, and Mike asked why you were revealing this secret to your friend.

The phone rang, an odd occurrence so early in the morning. You thought about letting it go to the machine, but the nerves of the coming confession had you going on muscle memory.

"Hello?"

"Oh, you're there! I mean, of course you are the show is going. I-I just didn't expect an answer this early."

"Ed-ward?"

Without warning your heart was thundering in your chest. You blinked back the surprise. Everyone you knew was on the way at this very moment. You had to get off the phone with Eddie and calm down.

With Eddie.

It was the first time you'd thought of him that way; using a colloquial title, nickname, something that made you feel closer than over the phone companions.

"I was just hoping to leave ya a fun message, say good morning. Thought it might be a nice idea. Ya know. Just a normal, non-creepy, morning wake-up call... er... greeting. Wanting to ensure a day of merriment for you dear lady! And now I'm going crazy. Anyway, I won't see you around the school or I will. Who knows?! Think I should hang up now lest I verbally vomit some more-"

"E-Ed-ward?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I hope you have a good morning too."

Goodbyes were offered softly, a rosy blush burning your face. With a sturdy click, the next tape began to whir. The last one before you needed to take charge of everything again. The headphones around your neck buzzed with rock. You realized you’d been snuck in more metal than you used to. You hoped Eddie appreciated that, knew it was for him. What was supposed to be your next discussion topic turned into a gushing dorkfest as your pencil drug silly little hearts across the page. 

The door swung open with a loud squeal. You shook in your chair, surprised and irritated. The group filed in, Dustin quickly grabbing the door and slamming it shut. His eyes had gone wide looking down the hallway. A tiny click told you he’d locked the door. Words stoppered in your throat, making it difficult to swallow and impossible to speak. Mike and Lucas were jammed into a corner, looking far too big for the space. Dustin offered a big smile, leaning his full weight against the locked door. And Robin stood, gangly and confused next to another person. When you finally registered the last person, you thought you’d throw up.

“Steve insisted. Sorry,” Robin glared.

“I don’t mean to pry. I just got interested when everyone started in together. I hope this is alright. I can totally leave if you need,” The boy offered with a shrug. You couldn’t form words, just shook your head to indicate he didn’t have to leave.

If you could have predicted your own death, you assumed it’d be something like this; being stared at by strangers while your insides clawed themselves to bits. How you were going to explain yourself was a complete mystery. Had you thought about the consequences of being in front of a group of people and having to speak, you never would have said anything to Robin. The lump in your throat felt rock solid as you swallowed. Your heart hammered against your chest - so much for calming down before they arrived.

“Y/n? You good?” Lucas spoke quietly. You shook your head.

“So why are you here anyway?” Mike asked. His blunt question bounced off Robin like it was nothing.

“Well little miss can’t speak over here has gotten herself into a situation and needs my help. However, I need some clarification on the circumstances. Thus this weird robot closet,” Robin smarted back.

“I-I,” You tried to speak. You felt faint but wired, light headed but completely amped. The choked sound that came out of you redirected everyone’s attention, their eyes on you. That was so much worse.

Steve questioned, “Is she alright?”

“Hey, maybe we should... Uh-, let's turn around. If we don’t look at her it’ll help,” Lucas piped up. That kid deserved all good things. The relief was immediate.

“Thanks Lucas.”

You weren’t sure how to begin at first, just filling your lungs with air to ease the shakiness of your hands. Eventually, you began the painful process of explaining. “S-so you’re all… all here- and S-s-steve? - all here because Robin knows s-something. A-and she needs… Robin needs context. And proof. So… so um… you- you guys are the proof. Yes.”

Everyone stayed quiet, waiting for you to continue. You thought you heard a rustle outside the door but wrote it off as some strange sound from your headphones. The music was still going. You had time.

“I… I am the one that hosts Hawkins 68.8.”

Robin whipped around, eyes wide, mouth agape. “Seriously?”

“She’s not lying!” Dustin yelled over his shoulder.

“Dustin, don’t yell in here,” You sighed.

“There’s no way.” Robin spoke. Steve agreed with her. Suddenly the two people around your age were arguing with the freshmen, snapping at one another and growing louder. The room was much too small for this many people. And the music was beginning to wind down. You only had about twenty seconds before you were live.

“SHUT UP!”

Everyone turned to look at you. Silence hung tight in the air. You motioned a zipper over your lips and put on the headphones. The ragtag team stood motionless as you flicked on the red ‘On Air’ light and rolled towards the microphone. With a simple turn of a dial, the music playing on the radio filled the room. It slowly faded as you adjusted your own microphone volume.

“HEY THERE HAWKINS! Just letting you know that it’s 7am. Unless you’re playing hookie, it’s time to get out that door and on the road. Speaking of on the road, there’s been an accident on Lakeview Road that is blocking traffic. Hope you're ready to rock this morning. This one goes out to my favorite trumpet player. Robin, happy Friday.”

Blondie blasted through the speaker. You shut off your mic, set up the next few tracks, and finally cut off the light. Still, it stayed silent.

“Holy shit.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on Robin’s face. You sent her a measly shrug.

“So, you’ve obviously been doing this for a while. When… when did…?”

“Only a couple weeks ago.”

“And, on the air?”

“No… no. Not really. Like answering questions, yes. Full, really great conversations, all off air.”

“Wow. So you didn’t know who it was, not at all, until-”

“Yesterday. Yep.”

“What are you talking about?” Dustin whined, clearly voicing the opinion of all the boys in the room.

“Nothing!” You and Robin nodded at one another.

“Bullshit.”

“Dustin, language man!” Steve scolded the boy. “Clearly this is a private, albeit interesting conversation. So let’s all just leave the two girls alone.” He went to the door, allowing Dustin to open it a fraction. Steve stepped out, waving the boys along. All they did was shove him out and slam the door.

“This is about Eddie, isn’t it?” Dustin offered the loudest whisper imaginable. The blood in your body ran cold everywhere except for your face, which you were sure was burning to the touch. All three boys began furiously discussing with one another, Dustin mostly repeating ‘I knew it!’ and Mike grumbling about owing someone some money. Defeated and irritated sighs bonded you and Robin together.

“You twerps want to explain how you know about all this?” Robin took charge.

“Eddie can’t hide anything from us.”

“Totally transparent.”

“He just came into school one day and was on a mission to figure out who you were.” You nearly puked at the thought. Lucas continued, hoping to help you keep from tipping over, “But we were adamant that he leave you alone. Never told him who you were. He totally doesn’t know.”

“Usually he drops this kinda stuff, gets bored. But he didn’t with you… that’s when we noticed he was asking to listen at lunch every day and calling into the show after school,” Mike’s eyebrows nearly touched his hair. His desperate attempt to keep from cracking a smile at your expense was admirable even though it was a complete failure.

“Dude’s got it bad. Hundred percent,” Dustin beamed at you. At least someone was enjoying the situation you were in.

“You’re sure about that? What do you babies know about it?” Robin came to your defense. “You can’t just say that if you aren’t sure.”

“I am sure! Y/n! Robin is-”

“Dustin, shut up.” Lucas sighed. “You figured it out while you were talking to Eddie yesterday?”

You nodded.

“Duh. You’re like, the smartest. Eddie couldn’t put two and two together if he tried. He’ll never know.” Dustin was laughing to himself.

“He stopped me from walking into the wall. I made a joke and he laughed. That’s how I figured it out. And I had thought I’d heard Mike at one point, on the other end of the line. It was faint, but now I know it was you.” You quietly explained.

There was another ruckus, the boys and Robin hollering over one another. It was clear that they were all surprised. In truth, you were too. You couldn’t believe that two times you’d gotten yourself into a situation where Edward Munson was saving you from harm's way and enjoying your sarcasm. You could barely believe that you’d spent nearly two weeks talking with him every night. But here you were, a blushy mess just thinking about it all. Your normal embarrassment around people was gone and replaced with a new kind.

“So you’re telling me, you, you, interacted and talked in person with Eddie Munson without exploding?” You nodded. Mike continued, “And he didn’t immediately figure out it was you?” You shook your head.

“What an idiot,” Dustin shot the boys a look of disappointment.

“Don’t say that. It isn’t true.”

Everyone turned to look at you again. Robin gave you that look of pity reserved solely for friends feeling hopeless in romantic endeavors. You’d shared it before many times. You took the silence to give out the host farewell. Dustin, sweet as ever, helped get everything set up for the school day. Mike and Lucas quietly conversed with one another. Robin, sneaking a peak at your notes, gave you a wide-eyed look. You warned her with as good of hand signals as you could.

“You know…” Lucas began, “Eddie is really a nice guy.”

“Yeah! Y/n, he’s into a lot of the stuff you like. And he’s always looking out for us.” Mike added, clearly trying to talk up his friend. There wasn’t a need.

“I know,” You replied simply.

Again all eyes were on you. This time, there was nothing to distract from the clear fondness written all over your face. It was just as much of a surprise to you as it was to everyone else. Shocked glances flicked around the room. For once, you were the only person willing to talk.

“Robin’s right. It’s not smart to make assumptions. I mean, Dusty, you thought Steve and Robin should date and clearly they’d never work. It isn’t a big deal. He has no clue who I am… which is good! You know? This way we never have to meet in person and… and I-I can’t mess it up …Let’s not be late for class.”

Very quickly, you stuffed your homework into your backpack. You nodded to them, pushing the door open. It was heavy, likely a little stuck at first. But you shoved your way out nonetheless and held the door open as everyone filed out. The boys surrounded you, an odd act that made you realize they weren’t little anymore. The keys clicked the lock on the door and you headed off into the school, strange gaggle of friends following behind you due to their complete confusion. Each step led you further and further into terror. 

Why had you told them?

***

Eddie couldn’t see her. He’d just barely heard her and only for a few words each time. The complete embarrassment he felt from her answering the phone, from him calling her from the front office, and then noticing Dustin with Harrington and Robin in the school was the final straw. He had to know who she was. He followed them, getting shoved from entering what he now realized was the AV room. Steve Harrington had sent him the lamest look when he got kicked out. And then, on top of it all, he’d been sitting at the door with his ear pressed against it when they tried to leave. He’d been nudged out of the way and just when he thought he’d finally get to see Radio Girl, the freshmen were waving him off. Their wild gestures ending as they swiftly barricaded the girl from view.

Aside from thinking how cute and short the girl must be, Eddie was devastated. He’d narrowed down his search from every girl in school to those he had English and Physics with. The list was quite short now and left him feeling dismal. There wasn’t a single person it could be that he genuinely liked in real life, except y/n y/l/n - she was nice. At least, she’d never openly been mean to him. She’d defended him in class once with quite the sharp wit actually. But she always seemed scared to death to talk to him.

Sitting outside the now locked AV room, Eddie couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for himself. Two weeks. He’d been trying and failing to figure the Radio Girl out for two weeks. And nothing. He could hear her morning announcement in his head again, muffled through the heavy wooden door. And the crystal clear command she’d used to quiet everyone in the room. He knew her voice. Hell, he knew everything that she’d ever said to him. He knew her love of The Fall of the House of Usher and her hatred of The Raven. He knew she only liked strawberry ice cream when it was in neapolitan. He knew how she would gasp if she laughed and lost her breath. How could he not know her sitting in the same room as him? Walking down the same hall?

That thought brought him back to reality. She was right down the hall. Before the group could disappear around the corner, Eddie was running towards them. Radio Girl was still blocked from view, but he saw the kids abruptly stop and halted himself. He padded forward, trying to keep quiet.

“Guys, I… I know that you’re excitab-able and all… and-and you prob-obably… you wanna talk abou-about well… you know. B-bu- but… but… please, just don’t say any-anything. I have a friend now. One that gets to really talk to me. He… he would b-be so disappointed finding out it’s me. I’m not getting any hopes up… not yours… and-and not mine either.”

The way the girl’s voice shook broke Eddie’s heart. He knew it was his Radio Girl, but she barely resembled herself now. He could hear the echoes of other student chatter, the growing crowd and secret conversation likely pressing her into a corner of herself. Lucas had said she was awfully shy. Her sighs were fully defeated. Whatever she had been discussing with them, she’d already lost. Memories of her perfect soliloquies, descriptions and stories, all their private conversations flooded his mind. Eddie couldn’t imagine anyone being disappointed in her, whether or not she was frightened to speak in person. All he wanted was to wrap his arms around the girl and help her feel safe - the way she did when she hid behind the phone. He’d love to see her smile while hearing her laugh. He’d love to see the look in her eyes, whatever color they were, as she wistfully waxed about a story. His body had decided before his mind that he was going to go right up to her.

He didn’t get that far.

As if sensing him, Dustin whipped around and barreled right into him. He was talking at a rapid pace and Eddie had to grab onto the lockers to not fall over.

“Hey Henderson. Oh Christ,” The wind was nearly knocked out of him. Dustin was still chattering on. “I can’t understand you, doofus. Slow down.”

“Do you like the radio girl? Why do you keep calling her? Have you figured out who she is? When were you going to tell us that you were talking to her every day? For hours! What do you know about her? Why were you following me? What is your deal Eddie? What is it?”

The string of questions got more pushy the longer Dustin went on.

“Okay, okay, okay! Chill out, dude!” Eddie held his hands up in defense. “I followed you because I was confused about you guys with Harrington and Robin. Then you slammed the door in my face and I realized you were in the AV room.”

“And the other stuff?”

Mike’s voice scared Eddie shitless. Where had the little creep come from? Getting his bearings, Eddie noted Lucas had joined them as well. It was going to be a long morning.

“We’re waiting!” Dustin’s sing-song voice hit a sour note. They all seemed very frustrated with him.

The older boy sighed, tugging at his hair and mentally cursing himself for going along with the antics of three fifteen year olds. Nonetheless, he answered, “Well, I know she goes to school here. She’s a senior - no underclassman is self-loathing enough to take the advanced history class early. She likes Poe, Frankenstein, Dracula, dark romance stuff - but The Curious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is her favorite. …Thinking about it, it is fitting… She’s a hell of a strategist. That session where Kas and Vecna kidnapped all the people you previously saved? Her idea. I… well, I started calling her to ask questions. I mean, her talk show stuff is seriously thought out, so interesting and I couldn’t help but wonder about it. And then she was so sweet, told me to call back since she didn’t have time for all my questions. We just got into the habit of it. It’s insane. You weren’t kidding when you said she was smart, but she doesn’t treat me like a complete idiot. Not at all like anyone here. I know she broke her arm twice, in two different places. I know we have to be in the same English class… I swear I’ve heard her talk about gothic literature in person. And she’s in my physics class too - was complaining about Kaminsky’s homework. Girl can curse. It was so funny. She’s so funny. And her laugh? Huh, um, yes. Anyway, yeah I guess I’ve kept calling cause it’s fun. She’s fun. I don’t know. It’s nice to talk to someone without them treating me like a freak. I don’t know man, I don’t know. This morning she was playing Ozzy and Dio and Iron Maiden and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to talk to her again. How stupid I have to be to not see her and immediately know, there’s my girl. I couldn’t help when I saw you guys cause I thought that maybe, just maybe if I could see her that I’d be able to get her out of my head. Get on with normal life. But hell, at this point it’s a lost cause and I don’t want anything but her in my head. I feel crazy. I can’t go after her. Partially cause you three keep getting in the way, partially cause if she knew it was me she would probably freak out, and partially because she seemed so scared just talking to you guys. Yes, I heard. At least the part just now in the hall. And I don’t think I could stand causing her to feel that way.”

Eddie was pretty sure that was the longest he’d talked without being interrupted aside from campaigns. The silence in the hallway now was palpable. Even with students rushing by to get to class, the emptiness around the group of boys continued to echo. Eddie felt tired. He felt like he’d just dumped out two weeks worth of thoughts; that his brain was accepting the release and ready to rest after carrying it all for so long.

“So he likes her,” Lucas stated matter-of-factly. It wasn’t even directed to Eddie.

“No shit,” Eddie mumbled, starting to notice heat creeping up his neck.

“You called her ‘my girl’,” Dustin snickered. It earned him a firm slap on the arm.

“Should we tell him?” Mike asked.

“What?”

“I think we could?” Lucas shrugged.

“Tell me what?”

“Depends. Do you think she’ll be more upset if we tell him? Or will the pros outweigh the cons?” Dustin offered.

“Just tell me you idiots!”

“Impatient,” Lucas scoffed. “I think we have to tell him.”

“It’s on you if she gets upset!” Mike held his hands up, wiping away any guilt he might find later.

Eddie began to growl in frustration, “If you three don’t tell-”

“She knows it's you.”

Eddie stared at Lucas. The heat from his neck took over his whole head, burning his ears and face. They had to be kidding. There was no way. He hadn’t given any indication. Never mentioned Hellfire, or his band, or went by Eddie. How did she figure him out so easily when she was still a complete mystery?

“Apparently, she thought she heard me over the phone one time… probably when we had that session at your place and I- uh- I interrupted your call. But she wasn’t sure until she made you laugh,” Mike explained.

“What?”

“Eddie, man, she made you laugh. Recently! Like, yesterday,” Dustin chuckled, shaking his head as the older boy’s face screwed up in confusion.

“So, she figured out it was me?” Was all he could squeeze out. His mind raced, going back over the previous day as best he could. He had to remember. She’d been right there and he’d missed her.

“Yep. And yet she was mysteriously missing from last night's hour of rock again,” Lucas added, scuffing his shoe on the floor as if the information was boring. But he was right. They’d talked for hours and she knew it was him the whole time.

Before he could get anything else out of the kids, the bell was screaming at them. As much as he was hoping to throttle information out of the sneaky little bastards, he refused to miss class. He was going to figure out who she was. Today. Starting with Physics.

***

Five minutes into Kaminsky’s class Eddie had rounded the corner from hopeful to hopeless. Every time he sized someone up, wondering if they were his Radio Girl, something would prove him wrong. He was certain he’d heard all the possible voices during roll. Nothing. The gloom and doom of failing so swiftly pushed him down in his seat. He moped the whole class. And though he frequently felt eyes on him, when he turned to look, no one was looking his direction. At least he wasn’t alone in his agitated state - y/l/n had been wringing her hands and bouncing her leg the entire class.

Kaminsky dismissed the class after the bell cried out. Homework was offered, a few students held back to chat with him. Eddie, scuffing his sneakers on the floor, missed his classmate blushing as he passed. He set his focus on the wrong thing, searching the hallway with an eagle eye, scouring every face for the proof he was looking for. Desperate ears waited for the voice he longed to hear.

By the time he did hear it, he was halfway down the hall, surrounded by people and the ability to find the girl gone.

“Thank you Mr. Kaminsky. I’ll be fine on my own tonight. Have a good weekend!”

Eddie whipped around. The boy got shoved back and forth. When his eye caught the door to the physics classroom it was completely empty. A frustrated groan slipped past his lips, fists clenching and head dropping down. A sea of confused students milled around him, avoiding the quiet outburst. Though he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to look up. Somewhere, likely walking past him at that exact moment, his Radio Girl was slipping through his grasp. How badly must she think of him for not recognizing her? He hoped she didn’t blame his lack of recognition on herself. She was amazing, all the time. Eddie was just so focused he couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

“Eddie!”

The boy sighed, looking up to find Mike waving him over. Questions about Hellfire rained down. Eddie had to shake his head to refocus. His fixation on Radio Girl had distracted him from the campaign tonight. He’d finished it already, with the girl’s help of course, but he couldn’t help his embarrassed feelings over being caught unprepared.

“I’m losing it,” He mumbled to himself.

Mike patted his arm, offering a smug smile with his shrugging shoulders, “Yeah. You haven’t once realized that you and Radio Girl are gonna be in the same place all night.”

“Holy shit!” Eddie beamed, nearly jumping. “She’s closing up by herself. I heard her tell Kaminsky!”

Together, in quiet excitement, the two boys rejoiced at the elder’s good luck. He’d be suave, they decided, casually walking out of the drama room at the exact right time. Mike assured him that girls loved that stuff. Eddie’s mind drifted to the Radio Girl’s admission of her preference for the dark, mysterious, and dramatic. He’d be a total gentleman. Swoon worthy. He’d be high on a destructive game of D&D and it’d be perfect.

“Where’s Henderson? You gotta tell the rest of the club to come battle ready. I’m gonna be on top of the world boys!” Eddie cackled. His yo-yoing emotions were toying with him. No girl had ever held so much control over him - especially without knowing. The childish giddiness of adolescent love had thrown him out of whack. Now, despite his earlier hopeless droning, he was soaring. It was this happy-go-lucky burst that sent him spinning around, searching the emptying hallway for the curly-headed kid.

If he thought his heart couldn’t beat any faster, Dustin was animatedly talking at a girl as she placed books in her locker. Eddie immediately recognized the brightly colored title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As if wanting to supply him more proof, the girl handed a pack of Reece’s pieces over her shoulder. Dustin snatched them gratefully. He must have mentioned something exciting, the girl stilling before whipping around.

There she was.

Time seemed to slow. A bright, lively look lit up her face. Her shoulders were relaxed, her chin lifting with certainty. And then, the final knife in his chest, she smiled. Eddie stood there, unwilling to stop himself from soaking in every moment he was in her presence. He didn’t mind how oblivious he’d been.

Eddie audibly sighed, leaning back against the lockers and watching the interaction. Dustin was yanking a large box from his backpack. The girl’s delicate hands snatched it with intensity, her grin only growing. The bell cut his reverie short. He watched as she tousled the younger boy’s hair and waved him off to class. And then, Eddie watched the transformation take place. The mask was taken away and replaced with the secret identity. The once confident frame curled around a set of books and notebooks. Starry eyes were downcast, hidden from his view. Something within him ached to run right up to her. It all made sense. She could barely stand to talk in class. The teachers loved her - likely due to the value she attributed to their work. Now that he thought about it, he had seen her sweet face nodding along as the kids pestered her. Even better, two times - two - she had revealed herself. Two wonderfully witty moments that, while she likely hadn’t meant to share, he had been privy to. She’d been sitting two feet away from him the whole time. Eddie’s eyes shamelessly followed her down the hallway, his smile spreading ear to ear.

Y/n had pulled a total Clark Kent on him.

***

A rapid, jolting knock shook the door. Soft music hummed through the concealed room. Steady fingers gripped the knobs on the sound board, adjusting the gain as a louder song faded in. Another knock echoed through the room. The wheels of your stool creaked as you rolled over and flicked the lock with a loud click.

“I told Dustin I’d be fine. I don’t need anyone to help me lock up boys,” Your voice carried as you headed back to the desk. Another knock came, this one more tentative, and you noticed the person on the other side didn’t take advantage of the unlocked door. The music drifted off, quieter as you set down your headphones, and stood hesitantly on the other side of the door. Your heart pounded against your chest. The pads of your fingertips grazed the wooden door, hesitant as your mind wandered to one sole thought.

“Edward?”

You weren’t sure what you were expecting. There was a chance your voice hadn’t even carried through to the other side.

“Hey Radio Girl.”

Your heart seemed to stop up your throat. Eddie Munson was on the other side of the AV Room door. You weren’t sure what to say. The terrifying thought of the door opening kept you silent. It wasn’t a worry you needed to hold onto - Eddie would never take advantage of you. Before you could respond, he was already talking a mile a minute.

“I just want to tell you that I won’t be able to call tonight. I, uh, I have a meeting tonight. A club thing. I didn’t… I didn’t want you to think that I was blowing you off.”

Fondness spread through every inch of your body. How you could have ever felt nervous around him, you couldn’t understand. A goofy grin was pulling across your face. You leaned into the door, forehead resting against it. “Shame you’re gonna miss out on all the calls today. Sure I’ll get some real invested folks in your stead.”

Eddie laughed. Your smile only brightened.

“Don’t go snatching up some new person with lots of questions. I want my spot when I call back.” You could hear him smiling too. It felt so good to hear his voice without all the static. And though your hand hovered over the doorknob, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to open it. Just evident enough in the back of your mind, the nagging voice reminded you that you would be a disappointment to him.

“Doubt anyone else would indulge my dorky conversations.”

He laughed again.

“Well, don’t be late on my account,” Nerves began to take root once more. “I don’t want to keep you from anything important.”

“Oh believe me, if this wasn’t a promise to the kids then you’d never get rid of me,” He was chuckling. It buzzed through the door, warm against your chest. Silly dramatic daydreams filled your mind and before you knew it, the boy was saying goodbye.

“B-bye!” You called out. Embarrassment colored your face at your outburst. Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything but giggle. You were giggling. Nothing could take away the quiet excitement buried deep in your chest. Not embarrassment, not worry, nothing. Eddie Munson had had the chance to burst through your door, find out who you were and make his judgment. But he didn’t. He didn’t take the unlocking door as an answer to his knock. He had waited; waited to see if you would open the door.

Maybe, just maybe you could open that door the next time…

You just hoped he knocked again.

***

Eddie was about to knock when the teens yanked him back. Their whispers echoed through the darkened, empty hall. They were furious, fussy, frantic in their desire to help set everything right. He was sure their nervousness was starting to rub off on him.

“Why is he wearing a cape?”

“Cause it’s cool!”

“It’s stupid!”

“I have to agree, Henderson this is a bit much.”

“Give him his jacket back.”

“Not the vest. Just the jacket. You said she said dark and mysterious right?”

“Y-yeah but-”

“No vest. It’s too light. Stuff it in your bag.”

“Oh that’s good! Maybe you can offer it if she’s cold. Nice, nice.”

“Get that stupid thing out of here!”

“It totally would’ve worked.”

Dustin grumbled as he stomped back through the hallway, long black fabric trailing behind him. Eddie brushed the boys off of him, hands waving them away. Bright smiles and thumbs up were offered as he was left alone in the hall. They’d ended the session early - partly because Eddie had nearly killed their entire party and partly to ensure that he didn’t miss his shot with y/n. The amount of times that Mike Wheeler had drilled into him that he only had one chance to make this work equaled the amount of knots tied in Eddie’s stomach. Knowing no one could see him, he practiced how he’d stand. He leaned on the lockers in different ways, shifted his weight from foot to foot, and tried stilling himself. Nothing worked. His energy outweighed everything else, his knees practically shaking as he paced back and forth in front of the door. It was as if he had to move. His body not knowing what else to do with the crashing waves of emotions roiling through his chest. But then his ears perked, the confirmation that y/n hadn’t left yet coming muffled through the door.

“That was… and… one of… and a favorite of mine…”

Eddie found himself crouched by the door again, ear pressed firmly as the faint music began to play. It was almost nine. Radio Girl - y/n - always said goodnight at nine. They’d stayed up talking later than that many times. Eddie wondered if it’d been a burden, staying so late at the school every night just to talk to him. He hoped it wasn’t. Soft guitar drifted through the door. A smile twitched at his lips. In an easy adjustment, he rested his back against the door, head nodding along softly.

“It’s one of your favorites, right?”

Eddie jumped. A small snicker whispered past his ear.

“Sorry. Pretty sure I just gave you a heart attack. I- uh… I heard voices in the hall and I guessed you might be out here.”

From the sound of it, y/n had joined him on the other side of the door. Her voice was so close, like she was mirroring his position. He imagined her knees pulled up to her chest, hair shifting around her face as she pressed her head back to the door. Maybe her hands were just at the edge of the door; their fingers mere centimeters from touching if he slipped his back. His breath felt thunderous, invasive and unwelcome in the silent hallway. He needed to calm down. He needed to say something back.

“Hope I didn’t intrude,” He squeezed out.

He could hear her laugh, light as a feather, “Oh the intrusion was blaring. Whispering? In a hallway? Outside a closed door? You ought to know better.”

“Guess the mysterious entrance is out of the question now, seeing as I’ve blown my cover,” He whined, gauging her reaction.

“Giving up that easily? Oh, I’m ashamed. Don’t tell me you of all people didn’t think of a back-up plan!”

Eddie perked up. He couldn’t help it. She hadn’t said no to his idea. Hope fluttered, a relentless bird in his chest, pushing his next words out in a yelp.

“I never said I hadn’t thought of a dramatic one!” His grin could have lit up the whole school. “However, I did happen to relinquish my cape.”

Her laughter reinforced his resolve. “You had the option of a cape and you didn’t choose it? Amature hour, Munson.”

Eddie was too gregarious to notice the slip. “Damn. Can’t believe Henderson was right. He’s gonna be such a shit about it.”

“Oh absolutely.”

 And then the lightbulb went off. Though he’d been told that y/n knew it was him, he’d been skeptical until now. But she’d said his name, a smile evident in her voice. And Eddie was desperate for her to do it again.

He cleared his throat, mind wildly searching for the right thing to say. “By the way, I think you’re in need of a ride. The terrible trio were so frantic ‘cause Harrington was waiting on them. Mike said something about the teachers giving you a ride… and I may have overheard your conversation with Kaminsky…”

It was silent. Alarm bells rang out in Eddie’s head. He was sure he’d just screwed up the whole situation. Y/n would think he was a complete creep and never speak to him again.

“A young, helpless girl being escorted home by a man she’s yet to meet face to face?”

Eddie winced.

“Sounds dark and mysterious to me.”

He could tell she was tentative, but it was definitely her way of saying yes.

“R-really? You’d let me give you a ride?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Now she was teasing him.

“No! Just playing hard to get. Dark mysterious men let the ladies come to them… right?”

Incredible laughter shook the door. Her giggles played a light tune. Eddie let it drown out everything else. If she’d ever played it over the radio, he had no doubt that everyone would fall in love with her in an instant.

“You know, I have absolutely nothing to disprove that logic,” Her words came out shaky; part laughter, part sigh. A hole opened up, silence spreading between them. Eddie’s immediate concern that she was changing her mind was quickly eased. “Not to mention I’m starving. The teachers never really want to stop for something. Think I could convince a dark, mysterious, dramatic figure to grab a bite?”

Eddie sat dumbfounded. His wide eyes softened the hallway around him, blurring everything all at once. He replayed the moment in his mind, forcing himself to make sure he’d actually heard the girl correctly.

Had y/n just asked him out?

***

DID I JUST ASK HIM OUT? The thought pounded against your brain over and over again. What had you been thinking? Not a single word had been spoken since. At least thirty seconds of dead air had gathered around the two of you. From inside the AV room you had no way of knowing what was going on in Eddie Munson’s mind. Was he even still sitting there? You were sure he’d left. Realizing how incredibly presumptuous and ridiculous you had been, you shoved away from the door. On your feet you paced, and fixed a few tapes. You packed your things only to find, as usual, that there was only one way out of this broom closet of a space. It occurred to you that maybe you could pile things up and fit into the air vents. The first two attempts to reach it failed and a beep on the cassette player reminded you you still had obligations left.

You weren’t exactly sure how you were going to get through a sign-off. Not after clearly striking out in your first and only attempt of asking someone out. You wished you’d wasted that blunder on someone who didn’t matter, someone who wouldn’t leave a gaping hole in your life by disappearing. The fact that Eddie Munson had garnered such a spot within your regard was a testament to how special he was. You could only come to one conclusion: You screwed up.

“H-hey there Hawkins. That-that was Mötley Crüe with Home Sweet Home. Speaking of, the sky is dark, the hour is late, and it’s time to say goodnight. Music will carry you through till tomorrow. Tune in at 5am for the weather report. Night Hawkins.”

Fingers tugged at your face, your hands dragging down your frustration and pulling you into yourself. That was your worst sign off in years. You slowly cut off all the equipment but the broadcast relay and the nightly cassette tower. It was eerily quiet. Your gaze drifted to the door. And, without meaning to, unable to stop it, the most defeated sigh fell from your lips. It ached in your chest. At least the walk home would offer a distraction.

“You know, I was terrified of not being able to shut up. All throughout school, since like the first day of kindergarten, I just couldn’t be quiet. Couldn’t sit still, always had something to say. And it freaked me out constantly. No one could talk to me cause I just kept blabbing. So, obviously, it didn’t help me make many friends. And it got me in tons of trouble. Not only would I be a constant interruption, but I had no filter. So literally anything in my mind came out of my mouth. Called my third grade teacher a grizzly bear and got in-school suspension. Which, if it hadn’t been for the teacher falling asleep, I surely would have stayed there forever cause I still couldn’t stop talking. When middle school came around, I’d figured out I could whisper to myself and get caught less. Thinking about it now is so insanely creepy. Some buzzcut kid whispering to themselves in the corner of the room? No wonder people think I worship the devil or some shit. I guess it was around junior year that I figured out I could just chat with myself in my head. I hold fake conversations with people a lot, try out voices and dialogue for campaigns, win my argument with Henderson from lunch, stuff like that. Until recently, I’ve never had the skill of listening outside of D&D. But for the past few weeks all I’ve wanted to do is shut up and listen. Of course, the one time that I need to come up with a response I go completely blank. And you probably think I’m some jerk who ignored what you had to say. I just feel like you should know that you- you shouldn’t be nervous to talk to me. Cause if you wanna not talk I’m sure I can talk enough for the both of us. But if you do want to, I’d be totally down to listen. I mean, hell, you’ve been all superhero secret identity-ing me for days and as soon as I realized it I lost all my cool. But of course y/n y/l/n is a secret badass. I mean, killer smart, flies under the radar, has surprisingly witty retorts whenever needed. Literally pulling a whole Clark Kent on all of Hawkins and-”

As soon as you’d opened the door, the floodgates opened with it. Leaning on the doorframe, hands wildly gesturing, Eddie Munson captured your entire attention. He was still there. Taking in his words, you held back a blush as best you could. It was very uncommon for you to be this close to the boy, the last time being when you figured out he was your mystery caller. Up close you could take in the wonder in his eyes, the overexertion in every expression, his unfairly sweet smile that came packaged with dimples. Your heart was bursting at his confession, his desire to make you comfortable winning you over instantly. It didn’t hurt that his leaning over you had you weak in the knees.

You wanted to respond in some elegant way. Show him his efforts weren’t in vain. Maybe even charm him so as to forget your earlier blunder. However, what came out didn’t exactly meet your expectations for your first real face to face conversation.

“Clark Kent? Really?”

The slight look of concern on the boy’s face melted away. In its place, an enchanting smile bloomed. You couldn’t help but reciprocate a small one of your own. With a tentative reach you waited for a handshake.

“H-hi, I’m y/n y/l/n.”

In a charming fashion only he could pull off, the curly headed boy turned your handshake into a romantic gesture, cradling your hand to his lips. “Edward Munson, dear lady.”

***

The buzz of the neon ‘open’ sign filled the space between Eddie and y/n. It exemplified the charge he felt. He kept looking over the menu, eyes dancing across her partially hidden face. Every part of him was begging for another close look into her eyes. What had often been a fleeting glance in his direction had become a soft, starlit gaze that held him transfixed.

Her quiet laughter had spurred him on, his antics fueled by adoration. She’d listened intently as he chattered on. The small, precious smile never left her face, even when she was too nervous to look at him. She’d bobbed her head with the music, he teased that the host must have good taste. The drive had left him wondering if he’d talked too much. But her lips never downturned and he didn’t miss the looks she thought were secret. He was sure they had been in the past, but now that he knew? There was no way he’d ever miss one again.

“What can I get for ya sweetie?” The older waitress gave Eddie a crinkly smile before looking at the girl. Y/n went wide eyed. To his pleasure, she looked right at him. The tension in her brow relaxed and he watched the transformation, in reverse from the last time. She blossomed like a rose.

“I’ll have a double cheeseburger, extra bacon, grilled onions, with fries and a chocolate milkshake. Oo! Could I also get some ranch?”

“You’re killing me y/l/n,” Eddie mumbled to himself. He nodded to the waitress when she asked if he wanted the usual.

“What?” The girl eyed him when they were left alone. All he could do was smile, shaking his head and covering his face with his hands. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing… It’s just… it’s you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Eddie heard the tiniest shift in her voice. It yanked his heart into his throat. She had no clue the effect she had on him. Since he’d truly heard her, y/n had turned him into a puddle. “I, uh, I feel like Aragorn when he first met Arwen.”

His concern at freaking her out was unfounded. When he got the courage to look up at her, she was blushing heavily and fighting a smile. Once again she was having a hard time finding words.

“Something to say?” Eddie teased.

“Yeah,” She finally mustered, taking a deep breath and flashing him the sneakiest grin, “Shut up.”

The food arrived, their conversation finally finding its pace. The once quiet diner was full of laughter. Every inch of Eddie’s body felt light with wonder, abuzz with electricity. Crackling static initiated the shifts between songs. Their conversation had meandered for hours, requiring an extra helping of fries, a second milkshake, and a stolen cherry. Cool evening air seeped through the windows chilling the leather seats. Tiny hills and valleys appeared on y/n’s arms, tiny shivers sliding easily up and down her spine. Eddie fought the urge to reach out and pull her tight, warm her up. But things were too delicate. Anything he did could cause the moment to collapse around him.

Then she touched his arm.

In truth, it was to put money in his jacket pocket for dinner. She said she couldn’t let him pay when she’d eaten half the restaurant. Their waitress made a point to tell him he’d found a good match. All he could do was nod and leave a great tip. The night air chilled them to the bone and when y/n shivered just outside the safety of the diner, Eddie jumped at the chance to offer his coat. The heavy leather jacket sat large on her shoulders. Eddie wasn’t sure whether or not the cold or his gesture dusted pink across the girl’s face, but he accepted it nonetheless. He scrambled to help her into the van, jumping in himself to blast the heat.

***

The drive to your house was both too long and too short. Too short because you desperately wanted the night to keep going - fearful that you’d wake up tomorrow to find that you’d dreamt the whole thing. And too long because you were positive that you’d not picked a bunch of love songs for the late hours, and yet here they were playing on your station. Everything was labeled with the date and you’d picked them out days ago. You were certain you didn’t pick the songs. You didn’t play this much lovey-dovey stuff except for Valentine’s Day. Still, three songs in a row now had clearly been love songs. It caused your face to burn. Nimble fingers gripped at the cuffs of Eddie’s jacket around your shoulders as you aimed to shift your thoughts.

Specifically trying not to focus on the incredibly sweet and attractive boy humming along next to you. Eddie brought the van to a halt, muttering his understanding at your quiet directions. You hoped he didn’t notice your reddened complexion. It didn’t help one bit that I Want To Know What Love Is was scoring the goodbye.

“Th-thank you for bringing me home.” You offered a delicate smile, “I had a lot of fun.” Your hands felt clammy and you resisted the urge to look at the boy next to you for more than a few seconds. It wasn’t a date. No one had acknowledged the date-like nature the outing had. When Eddie hadn’t mentioned it or teased about it, you were certain he didn’t see it in the same light as you. All you had to do was make it out of the car and into your house without fumbling. You’d stay friends, your now certified crush would be deeply hidden, and you could go on as if you hadn’t fallen head over heels for someone via a few phone calls. Just as your hand touched the door, you heard it. Unmistakable and deadly.

Dead air.

And it wasn’t Eddie. It was the radio. You were certain that you’d set everything up correctly.

“What's wrong?” Eddie noted your hesitation, big brown eyes offering sincere concern.

“Dead air? I set everything up before we left. Everything was in order. It was all labeled and…”

“-it. Hello Hawkins. Just a… few technical difficulties. Mike! We’ll be right back with, uh, rock and stuff… for fu-”

“SH! The mic is on!”

“H-Here is… is… Foreigner! Yep. Foreigner!”

You heard the distinct click of the microphone, the silent buzz, and finally another track began to play. As your mind raced, shivers took over your arms and legs. Thoughts raced through your mind and frustration began to build, winding tightly into your shoulders.

“I’m gonna kill them.”

Eddie took the words right out of your mouth. You looked over to him and watched his lithe fingers rub circles into his temples. His brows knitted together. If you hadn’t been so irritated yourself, you would have allowed yourself to melt at the way he scrunched his face up in frustration. When he finally turned to look at you, an unmistakable blush had risen across his face. The thought occurred to you that he’d offered you a ride home so the boys could have a crack at the radio station. It didn’t make complete sense, as you would have allowed them to try if they’d asked, but you couldn’t help the worry.

With a weak smile, he threw that concern out the window, “I’m so sorry. I… well, it seems that the brats have taken it upon themselves to… help. I’ll kick the crap out of them if you want. This wasn’t part of the plan at all.”

“Plan?”

Eddie’s blush deepened. You could feel yourself begin to match, your cheeks setting afire. His sheepish smile did you in, “Well, I… oh man… I’d planned on surprising you after the sign off. Pull a whole dark and mysterious gentleman thing. I- uh, I’ve just really liked our calls and was thinking it’d be nice to spend time together in person. And-”

“And in true Dracula fashion, you somehow got me to do the asking out for you?” You teased.

“You asked me out?” Eddie looked shocked. Though, the glint in his eye told you he was just as in on the joke. You couldn’t stop your giggles. He continued, “But it seems the boys thought that we needed um… a better score for the evening. Decided to put on every romantic song you have in that closet it seems.”

“You really need that much help, Munson?” The teasing wouldn’t stop spilling out of you. You couldn’t help it. You were overflowing with a fondness that felt neverending.

“That depends…” He hopped out of the car, walking around to let you out. Eddie took his hand in yours and guided you slowly to your front door. You looked at the door with dismay before turning back to the much more interesting character beside you. “I had a really good time with you tonight y/n.”

The chill of the air brought your two figures together, huddled closely under the glow of a yellow porchlight. His dimples were back, situated just so next to his heartwarming smile. It was hard to look away, so you didn’t. Your sigh, however, was kept to the quietest possible release. Muffled singing could be heard just over his humming engine - the radio still playing love songs. You’d already forgiven the rugrats. It was easy to forgive almost anything with Eddie Munson holding your hands ever so softly. His thumbs swiped over your knuckles.

“I really like your jacket. I think I ought to get one just like it,” Eddie changed the subject. You suspected it was just an excuse to touch you more, his hands sliding along his jacket that hung over your shoulders. You didn’t mind at all.

“I’d give you this one, but I’m actually quite partial to it,” You beamed.

Eddie chuckled, head dipping down to look at your face more closely, “I can understand. You make it look good.” He was spurred on by your blush, suddenly gentle as he detailed your beauty. His voice, a whisper in the night, took hold of your chest and left you breathless. A calloused hand softly brushed your cheek, you leaning in to meet it with an unabashed certainty. “I’ve never looked forward to anything more than hearing your voice. I’m serious about not finding any other phone partners. I doubt I could make it a day without listening to you.”

“Now you’re just being nice.” You shook your head, “You can’t seriously want to hear me chat every minute of every day.”

“You’re right,” He grinned, mischievous as ever, “Sometimes I want to do this.” Smooth and steady, Eddie pulled you flush to his chest. One hand tilted your chin up to him, the other resting snug on your lower back. His lips brushed over yours, tentative and sweet. And then in one moment of impulse, you kissed him back. It was intoxicating to hold him. After weeks of being held only in conversation, the physical sensation sent tendrils of sparks dancing across your skin.

“Okay, full honesty, I may want to do that more than just sometimes,” He snickered, nose brushing up against yours as he pulled away. A smile spread across your face, wider than a mile. “But I should, uh, I should ask, would you like to go out with me? On an official date next time?”

“Oh Eddie,” You shook your head, unable to stop the teasing, “You know I only answer questions between five and seven pm.”

He laughed and you soaked it in. It was better than anything you played on the radio.

“Alright, alright,” He gave you a sneaky look.

“So… you’ll call me?” You grinned.

“Absolutely.”

You raised to your tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips and nudging him towards his van. “Good, because I’m dying to answer.”

strange love- e.m

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female!Reader

Summary: eddie has a date, with someone who isn’t you. you’re less than thrilled about it

Warnings: ANGST, jealousy, unrequited love, eddie being clueless, cursing, mentions of vomiting, me knowing nothing about D&D (i’m sorry but it deserves a warning), eventual best friends!-to-lovers!

Word Count: 4.6k

A/N: alright y’all this is the imagine i had talked about a few days ago and as someone who loves these kinds of fics, i’m quite proud of myself. also i apologize for my lack of knowledge about D&D, eddie would definitely be disappointed, but i had a friend read it over and he thinks it makes sense so we’re going with it! i hope you all enjoy :)- sava

part two

“Well hello everybody!” Eddie exclaims, scaring half the Hellfire lunch table with his presence. You hear groans and curses fill the table as Eddie laughs at the reactions he pulled from his friends. You just sit in the seat that’s located on the left of his, laughing at his usual antics, but curiosity begins to strike when you take a look at Eddie.

His face is bright and shiny, his smile stretching from ear to ear as he sits down with his lunch, pulling out some pretzels to munch on. You take in the other details about him, how his hair looks actually kept up and how he doesn’t reek of his usual pot smell, but of…cologne? You had no idea who it was that was sitting next to you, but it sure as hell wasn’t Eddie Munson.

“What’s got you so happy today, Eds?” You ask, nudging him with your elbow. He flashes you a big smile, pretzel bits showing along with his pearly whites. He looks adorable as ever.

“Well I’m glad you asked, sweetheart. I, Eddie Munson, have a date tonight,” he announces. Your heart does a summersault at the nickname, his nickname he always uses on you, before you fully process the second part of his statement, making your breathing stop for a moment. What the fuck?

You didn’t make this fact known, but you were crushing on Eddie…hard. The two of you have been close since your middle school days, having really connected with his band Corroded Coffin playing at the school talent show and approached them afterwards to share your appreciation. It’s been history ever since.

But it wasn’t until your freshman year of high school when you started crushing on Eddie. You had been having a hard time at home due to your parents divorce, and your father winning full custody meant you moved into the same trailer park Eddie and his Uncle Wayne lived in, the two of you growing closer than before now that you only lived a few doors down. You and Eddie would spend most of your nights together anyway, and one particular night your freshman year, you felt these butterflies flutter around in your stomach as your head rested against Eddie’s shoulder watching Sleepaway Camp, your and his favorite movie that you’d watch at least once a month together. Since that day you had kept your feelings hidden from him, not wanting to ruin things between you and your best friend. You thought the pain of not having him in your life at all outweighed the pain of being stuck in love with him, and that was a fight you’d be willing to battle.

“W-what? W-with who?” You ask, trying to cover up your slight stutter with a cough.

“Okay so you remember our latest show at the Hideout? Well with more and more people starting to show up as of recently, we’ve been getting some fans. And this girl, her name is Shirley, gave me her number and I thought ‘What the hell?’ and rang her up yesterday,” he explains to you and everyone at the table, the freshman not being able to help their curious little selves. 

“That’s cool Eds,” you reply back, trying with all your willpower to remain neutral and shove the emotions you were actually feeling down deep inside.

“Yeah. We’re actually hanging out after Hellfire. She even said she might swing by, she’s been curious about the game a little. At least, that’s what she told me,” he tells you, causing you to drop your fork and look at him. He shoots you a weird expression at your reaction.

“Oops, sorry. But uh, I thought you weren’t allowing non-members into the meetings anymore?” You ask, your eyebrow raised.

“That’s true, but, as Dungeon Master, I’ll make an exception this one time. Who knows, maybe she could become an honorary member. She’s really cool, Y/N. You’d get along with her great,” he tells you as he clasps his hand on your shoulder. 

“I seriously doubt it,” you mutter lowly, hoping your close proximity to Eddie didn’t allow him to hear. As if a saving grace occurred, the lunch bell rang and you jolted up from your seat, collecting your trash. You could see Eddie eyeing you from your peripheral. One thing there is about Eddie, he’s observant as hell. You’d usually applaud and commend it, but in cases where you were trying best to hide your feelings, you absolutely hated it. Sometimes you wondered how you were able to get away with him not knowing how you truly felt, but all the more relieved that he didn’t.

“Hey sweetheart? Is everything okay?” He asks you. You quickly turn to him with a slight smile and nod, before rushing towards the trash can that sat behind him.

“Yep, all good. Just gotta go tend to some newspaper stuff. I’ll see you at Hellfire!” Your words moving as fast as your legs as you bid the table goodbye until your meeting tonight, practically sprinting towards the newspaper room, where you’d spill your feelings to one Nancy Wheeler in your secluded gossip corner.

Nancy was one of the only people who knew about your crush on Eddie. The two of you have been super close since you started high school, and even more so with all the shit that’s happened with the Upside Down that started when the two of you were sophomores. Plus, with her brother now joining the Hellfire Club, she asked you to keep an eye on him, especially with everything that’s already happened in Hawkins, but you really didn’t blame her for that.

Stumbling down the hall with your backpack sliding off your shoulders, you open the doors to the newspaper room and see Nancy’s head pop up from her collaborating with Fred. You walk down the stairs calmly while giving her a pleading look, nodding your head towards the corner the two of you have your major discussions at. She gives you a small nod before returning to her conversation with Fred.

You unpack your bag and begin working a bit on the paper while you wait for Nancy. You were trying your best to remain calm, focussing on your breathing so you didn’t get worked up more than you were when you started talking with Nancy. Your mind had a habit of working against you, running a hundred miles a minute coming up with the absolute worst scenario of every situation you encountered. You didn’t need to be thinking doubtfully about your friendship with Eddie, but you physically couldn’t help it.

How could Eddie have a date with someone and not tell you sooner?

The two of you were best friends, he always told you when something great happens to him immediately after, and you do the same with him. Living just a few doors down, you had that luxury of always being near the person when you celebrate your wins, or comfort one another in your losses. So him keeping this from you until the next day? It definitely hurt, in more ways then one, and you didn’t quite understand it. Would you still be upset about it? Absolutely, so that bit didn’t matter much. You just wanted to know why. Why he’s choosing to date someone now, after being single for so long. Why he-

“Hey, I’m here. Sorry, I was working with Fred on the basketball story,” Nancy tells you, pulling you out of your zoned-out state.

“No worries,” you say, your voice residing somewhere distant. You feel a slight kick come from under the desk, prompting you to look down for a second, before bringing your eyes up to see Nancy, who shoots you a look of concern. Nancy too, was very observant, from what you’ve seen over your friendship the past three, nearly four, years. The people you surrounded yourself with the most were some of the most observant people in Hawkins, which was both a blessing and a curse. You sigh, turning slightly closer to her, ready to confess.

“Eddie has a date tonight,” you whisper softly. You watch her jaw open, as shocked as you were. At least, hoping in the same sense that you were, and not in a negative way. You never really knew about Nancy’s stance on Eddie, whether she liked him or not. The way you talk about him all the time you would think she’d be sick of it all, but never stopped you from spilling your secrets out to her.

“No way! With who?” She whisper-yells, scooting closer to you. You watch over her shoulder at Fred and some others looking your way, so you fake working on a spread, signaling Nancy to do the same.

“Some girl that came to their gig at the Hideout on Tuesday. I didn’t see it so it must’ve been when I went to the bathroom,” you continue to tell her while fake focusing on the piece of paper in front of you. Your entire demeanor suddenly became deflated, saying it aloud and hearing it from yourself. All becoming so real.

“That’s crazy. Are you okay, Y/N?”

“No, but what can I do about it? He and I aren’t dating, so I have no room to say who he can or can’t date,” you answer. You peak over at her and see her looking you dead in the eye, to which you couldn’t blame her. Even you didn’t believe what you were saying.

“Yeah, I know. He said she might stop by Hellfire, and, Nance, I have no idea how I’m supposed to get through the meeting tonight if she’s there,” you tell her. She reaches out and squeezes your hand and you give her a tight-lipped smile. 

“Hey, if you think it’ll help, I can pick you up from Hellfire tonight and we can chill at my house for a sleepover. Junk food, distractions…I can even invite Robin and see if she’ll pick up some tapes after her shift at Family Video tonight,” Nancy suggests. You eyes widen in excitement and nod, truly needed a night where you don’t talk or think about Eddie. Just a night with your girls.

“That would honestly be the best, thank you Nance,” you tell her. She flashes a warm smile your way and scoots a bit away from you.

“Perfect. I’ll pick you and Mike up at 9 after I get Robin from her shift, if she’s free. It’ll be fun,” you tells you. You agree and continue working on your spread, excitement flowing through your body at the thought of a fun night ahead, even with the dread buried in the pit of your stomach at the thought seeing Eddie tonight at Hellfire with a woman at his side. A woman that wasn’t you.

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

Running down the halls and towards the room behind the theater, you look at your watch and try to pick up the pace. You had lost track of time in your efforts in avoiding Eddie by doodling some drawings in the sketchbook that you kept on you at all times, which in turn made you late to Hellfire, something you never did. But in your defense, you usually had Eddie giving you a ride to and from the meetings. Today was not like the rest. Walking through the threshold of the meeting room, you give yourself a few moments to catch your breath.

“Sorry I’m late, I-“ you began to say, but were interrupted by giggling coming from Eddie’s throne. You see a girl with strappy heels and a short, short dress leaning against it playing with Eddie’s brunette fringey curls. That must be Shirley.

“Oh good, you’re here. We almost started without you,” Dustin exclaims, his goofy smile appearing on his face.

“Yeah, I doubt it,” you tell him, throwing your bag in the seat closest to him and ruffling his hair, him protesting and swatting at you in return. You notice out of the corner of your eye Eddie giving you a confused look, then looking towards your usual seat, which remained empty. It was no secret that you had your own seat in Hellfire, right next to the Dungeon Master himself, but today, you knew it was best to keep your distance. Didn’t want to interfere with his date and all. 

“Alright, now that everyone’s here,” Eddie pauses, giving you a look. You chose to just look at the table in front you to avoid eye contact. “Lets start.”

Dustin is the first to roll the dice, and everyone around watches as the campaign for the week begins. You try your best to pay attention to the game in front of you, but keep getting distracted by the amount of giggling coming from Eddie’s throne, due to himself and Shirley. They were acting like those couples you and Eddie would make fun of in the halls that were practically fucking in the halls of Hawkins High, and you’d always make fake sick sounds as you passed by them. Now that he’s acting those same people right in front of you and the rest of the club, you felt yourself growing sick, for real this time. 

You stood to the side as you watched Shirley climb in Eddie’s lap, draping herself all over him and her lips ghosting over his ears as she whispers little things in his ears, and the reactions he gives to her words make you want to punch a wall. Not in anger, but in jealous. The green eyed monster had awoken inside you, and you felt yourself getting riled up at the thought of them continuing this act throughout the rest of the meeting. The worst part of it all? You knew this isn’t where the night ended for them, and you could only imagine what other kinds of plans they had up their sleeves.

“Y/N, you’re up,” Mike whispers to you, snapping you out of your small jealousy-induced trance. You take the dice from Gareth and shake the dice in your cold hands a few times, before tossing them on the table.

6.

You didn’t have enough health to pull any big moves. No luck to play the hero tonight. You sigh and slump your shoulders as the rest of the group lets out an annoyed groan. You were completely off your game for the night and you knew with how observant the club was, they could tell. But luckily for you, they didn’t press you about any issues you may be having. 

“What’s your move, Lady Y/N?” Eddie asks you, his smug look making your skin crawl. Usually his dramatics during the game always wowed you and you’d join in, but it was hard to take in anything he was saying or doing with the leech that was attached to his hip.

“I…retreat,” you say, taking a step back from the table and Mike is quick to take the dice and roll for himself in order to save the campaign. You walk over to the seat you set your stuff in and take the sketchbook out you’d been busy with before the meeting and begin to draw.

“Do you know where the closest bathroom is, rockstar?” you hear Shirley ask. You mentally groan.

“Sure thing. Y/N, can you show her where it is?” Eddie asks, turning to you. You place your sketchbook back in your bag and stand from your chair. Flashing Eddie a fake smile, you nod and begin to walk towards the door, the sound of Shirley’s heels clicking behind you filling your ears.

The halls are quiet as you make your way to the bathroom around the corner. 

“So you and Eddie, you’re best friends right?” Shirley asks you as you continue your journey to the bathroom.

“Yep, since middle school,” you answer.

“Oh that’s cool! I’m gonna be honest, I was a little worried when Eddie told me he had a girl best friend. I always think guy girl friendships are weird and don’t last. They usually always end up dating in the end or ending the friendship because one likes the other, and the other doesn’t feel the same way. At least, that’s how I see them,” she rambles. You slowly nod and point out the bathroom, her thanking you and doing a fake little run inside.

Pressing your back against the wall outside the bathroom, you can’t help but think on the words she said, the thoughts of you and Eddie ending your friendship lingering and seeping into every fiber of your body. It’s the exact reason you kept your feelings deep down and hidden, but would that work out in the end? Are you putting yourself through the pain and heartache for nothing?

The bathroom doors opens once more and she comes out.

“Thanks for waiting for me. I’m really excited to hangout with Eddie after your club ends,” she tells you. 

“What exactly do you two have planned?” You ask, your curiosity getting the best of you. Part of you didn’t want to know, but your brain was screaming at you to find out.

“Nothing special. We’re gonna go back to his place and hangout, maybe smoke some. He also mentioned something about watching a movie…Sleepaway Camp? Have you heard of it?”

You froze.

Did she really just say that?

She stops and turns to you, giving you a look of concern. You felt the world around you starting to spin, the feelings from everything starting to come up.

“I-um, I’m sorry, but I-I’m not feeling too great right now. The theater’s in there, but I’m gonna go outside and get some air. C-Can you tell someone to bring my stuff out to me when everything ends?” You ask, your voice shaking as you lean against the wall for support. She gives you a nod and scurries inside the theater, leaving you to bolt out the doors of the school and towards the parking lot. 

You bent over and held onto the railing by the stairs that spilled out into the parking lot, convincing yourself you needed to wretch. The feelings clouding your brain were mixed, swirling together in a nasty mixture that you weren’t sure how you’d describe to Nancy and Robin. The feels of hate and sadness blurring the lines and becoming one as you stood outside, wishing you had your jacket to protect your from the harmful feelings and the cool March temperature. 

Sitting on the stairs with no luck on spewing your guts out, you let out a sigh and hug yourself in a pathetic attempt to warm up a bit. Your body grew cold rather easily, something that was always an issue, but the solution, or rather the two, were inside. You kept your jacket on you at all times, even despite the temperature being hot, because you never know when you might need it. In the event you forgot your jacket, Eddie would either lend you one of his, or just wrap himself around you, rubbing your arms with his big ring-clad hands to get you in a good place. You always welcomed that comfort. It felt nice being so close to him, even if he may not feel the same.

Your pity party is interrupted by a car pulling into the lot and parking right by the stairs. As the window rolls down, you see Robin pop her head out in a cheerful manner, but soon her features soften when she takes in your sour expression and sad body language. 

“What happened?” Nancy asks from the driver seat. You rise to your feet with a sigh and walk over to the car, leaning inside through the window.

“More like what didn’t happen,” you respond, shaking your head and shrugging. 

“Did that girl show up? Nancy filled me in on everything when she picked me up, so I have a ton of movie choices for tonight,” Robin rambles.

“Yeah she showed up. And they were being gross and lovey-dovey all night. Made me want to puke,” you explain. You feel Robin’s hand touch yours in an attempt to comfort you, to which you place your other hand on top of hers and give it a pat.

“And what prompted you to be out here instead of inside?” Nancy asks. 

“Well first off-“ you begin, but hear laughter coming from behind you as the school doors open. You turn and see everyone laughing and walking together, the meeting drawing to an end for the week and you let out a soft sigh. Everyone goes in different directions, with Jeff, Gareth, and Dustin going off in one direction, Eddie and Shirley going towards their van, and Lucas and Mike coming towards you guys. Mike nor Lucas had your bag in their hands, which made you worried that you’d have to go all weekend without your supplies and homework.

“Wait, Y/N, where’s your stuff?” Robin asks. You shrug your shoulders and turn to the side, Eddie standing by Nancy’s car. You see his unreadable demeanor comes closer to you, his eyes fixed on yours as he holds out your bag to you. Taking it, you sling it over your shoulder and slide over as he kept walking closer to the window you once hung out of.

“Wheeler, you might if I borrow Y/N for a sec before you take off?” He asks. You watch Nancy nod and Eddie leads you over away from her car, out of ear shot of both Nancy and that crew, and Shirley, who’s waiting at Eddie’s van. You both just look at each other for a moment, you not really knowing what to say.

“Thanks for grabbing my-“

“What’d I do?” He asks you, his voice sounding neutral. You look towards the ground and swing back and forth on your feet for a moment, trying to think of a reasonable excuse for your behavior today.

“Nothing,” you reply, your eyes glued to the ground.

“You can’t even look at me, Y/N,” he says, looking down to try and catch your eyes. You let out a huff and look back up at him, trying to get this conversation over with, which was something you never wished with Eddie.

“There’s nothing wrong, okay? I promise,” you tell him. Now it was his turn to huff, added with a kick to the ground. You could see that you’re irritating him, and if you were him, you’d be irritated as well. But today was not your day, you just needed time away from him and try to bury the feelings you had towards him even further down. Take the weekend and recoup. Not to mention, his date was merely a hundred feet away and waiting for him to go back to your place and watch a movie together. Your guys’ movie.

“Y/N, please, I know you better than anyone. Can you please ju-“

“Eds! Are we going soon?” Shirley yelled from the van.

Ouch.

She just used your signature nickname for him.

What else did they plan on taking from you today?

“Soon sweetheart, I promise,” Eddie yelled back.

Double ouch.

Now he was using your signature nickname.

“You know what Eddie, just go, she’s waiting on you. Have fun watching Sleepaway Camp,” you tell him. Shit, why’d you just say that.

Your mind was starting to think before your mouth, the feelings that have been brewing the entire day bubbling to the surface and taking over the part of your brain that had rational thinking. That green-eyed monster was started to show her true colors. You turn on your heel and begin to take off towards Nancy’s car, when you feel Eddie grasp your wrist, stopping you.

“Wait, Y/N, how’d you know we were watching Sleepaway Camp? Did she tell you that?” He asks. You sigh and shift towards him.

“Yeah, we talked in the hall. But it’s not big deal Eddie, just go,” you say, not understanding why he was so determined to make things right between the two of you right now? Yeah, the two of you hated leaving things in a bad place, but you never pressed him about anything he was super upset about or just didn’t feel like talking about, and usually he was the same with you. Maybe today was not destined to be in the cards for you after all.

“You’re jealous,” he says matter-of-factly. You scoff and cross your arms, trying to add another layer of defense between you and your fragile heart that was about to break loose with all these feelings. You were starting to lose your resolve, and you weren’t sure how much longer you’d be able to hold yourself together.

“I am not jealous!”

“You are totally jealous! Jealous that I’m spending time with someone, a girl, who isn’t you. Don’t worry, Y/N, you aren’t being replaced, I’ll always make time for you,” he tells you, thinking he’s helped, when really, it only hurt more. Like he thought he’d have to pencil you into his life.

“It’s not that Eds-“ you begin to say, but his laugh cuts you off.

“Then what is it then? You mad you don’t have a ride? Or-or-or upset that we’re watching Sleepaway Camp?” he pesters you. You could feel yourself getting really worked up and uncomfortable, wanting to just jet off to Nancy’s car and ride far away from this conversation.

“Oh wait, do you like me or something Is that it? Do you have a big ol’ crush on me?” He asks mockingly, making you freeze. “Just tell me what’s wrong Y/N, please.”

You hesitate.

Fuck.

You. Fucking. Hesitate.

“N-no, I don’t have a crush on you,” you say, brushing it off with a weak laugh. You see Eddie himself freeze, looking at you with a deadpan expression. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Wait, Y/N…you have a crush on me?” he asks. That was definitely an understatement. You swallow down a breath that wasn’t able to escape, your body beginning to shake in fear.

You see the way his entire demeanor changed when he realized. The dramatics you so desperately loved stopped all together, replacing it with a scared look. Scared that it’s true and he had to let you down? Scared that he didn’t feel the same way? Scared it was you, of all people? That familiar feeling of wanting to throw your guts up began to boil in the pit of your stomach, your chest tightening as you continued to stare Eddie down like a dear caught in headlights, the silence booming throughout the parking lot. You couldn’t handle this, not tonight. You’ve already had the shittiest day possible, you need to escape before you lose your best friend forever.

You take off in the opposite direction, towards Nancy’s car as you hear Eddie calling after you. The tears were brimming your eyelids, desperate to fall and let every emotion you’ve been bottling up all day to come out in a flood. You open the car door and hop inside, practically shoving Mike in the middle.

“Drive Nance,” you say, shooting them a pleading look.

“Wait, Y/N, what happened?” Robin asks.

“Nancy, can you please drive away, now,” your voice raising as you plead. Nancy responds by changing the gear and stomping her foot on the gas pedal, making your escape out of the parking lot and away from Eddie Munson, who you can see still standing in the empty lot watching you leave. You let out a shaky breath as you turn and face out the window, hot tears rolling down your cheeks and sobs racking your body as you all make the journey to the Wheeler’s house.

i hope y’all enjoyed! comments, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated! :)

Eddie Munson x Reader

Mechanic

Summary- When Y/N's truck breaks down on the side of the road in Hawkins, she calls a mechanic, who happens to be Eddie Munson, and he comes to her rescue.

Trigger warnings- talk of injury, cussing

Word count-2.3

"No, please no, not now!" Y/N cries as her truck comes to a sputtered stop. She drops her head onto her hands that rest on the steering wheel, willing herself not to cry. Her day could not get any worse. A strange noise made the girl raise her head from her hands, seeing the engine emitting black smoke from under the hood. Spoke too soon, Y/N thinks to herself.

The upset young adult throws her truck door open, stepping out of the vehicle, but not before popping the hood open. She walks to the front of the truck and opens the hood to look at the damage. She props the hood on the hood strut, waiting for the smoke to clear so she can get a better look at the engine.

The girl has some knowledge of cars, only learning how to fix some problems because of her truck. The truck was older than her, meaning she got it from her parents before they moved halfway across the world, but not before mentioning all the problems the old vehicle has, just as they were walking to the plane, stunning the poor girl.

"Stupid piece of shit! Shoulda scraped you with the rest of dad's shit vehicles!" Y/N yelled at the truck, kicking the tire while she ranted. In turn, the truck let out a whine, almost as if it was replying to the flustered girl.

She went back to looking at the engine, sticking her hand down into the heart of the truck, but quickly pulled it back when the hot metal burned her hand, leaving a nasty red mark on the back of her hand. The girl kneeled down, her hand still sitting on the truck where the hood sits. Her left hand rested over her eyes as she took deep breaths, trying to figure out what to do.

Deep in thought, the girl didn't hear the sound of the hood strut snapping in two, causing the heavy metal hood to fall, landing on her burned hand. Y/N cried out as she shot up from her kneeling position, opening the hood as fast as she could to get it off her hand. Once it was finally off, she cradled her clearly broken hand to her chest, letting a single tear fall down her face.

Y/N slammed the hood closed, cussing under her breath as she got back into the cab of her truck, cranking the key with her left hand, seeing if by some miracle the vehicle would start, but to no avail. The truck sputtered slightly before going silent, refusing to turn on. Y/N sighed, looking at her surroundings, and seeing a gas station not very far up the road. She grabbed the keys out of the ignition, picked up her wallet, and exited the truck, slamming the door with force, making the metal groan when it hit the frame. Y/N didn't even care, she just started her walk to the gas station, cradling her hand to her chest.

When the angry young woman got to the station, she saw a pay phone, walking into the building to ask the clerk a question. "Welcome to John's quick stop gas station and cafe, how can I help you?" The older clerk asked from behind the counter when Y/N stepped up.

"Yeah hi. Do you have the number for a mechanic in town? My truck broke down, then decided it wanted to break my hand with the hood. Someone reliable would be preferred, please." She said, resting her hand on the counter. The sixty-something-year-old clerk gave her a worried smile, before she wrote something down on a sticky note, handing it across the counter.

"This is the best shop we have in Hawkins, but ask for Eddie Munson, he won't charge you an arm and a leg to fix your car. Payphone is right out there. Come back inside when you get off the phone and I'll get you something for your hand darlin'." The sweet clerk said to the younger woman, smiling sympathetically at her. Y/N smiled at her, walking out to the payphone to call the number on the paper.

Y/N dialed the number, putting the phone up to her ear, waiting for someone to answer.

"Greasy hands car mechanic, this is Eddie speaking." Y/N heard a deep voice say on the other end.

"Yeah, is this Eddie Munson?" She asked in her best phone voice.

"Sure is, sweetcheeks. What can I do for you today?" The guy said on the other end.

"Yeah, my truck broke down and I need a mechanic. I was told you're the best in town. Do you think you could come out and tow my truck for me?" She asked, hoping the clerk was right about him not charging tons for a fix.

"Sure can. I just need your location and name and I'll be out with a tow truck in no time." 'Eddie' said to Y/N, causing her to sigh out in relief. She proceeded to give him her location, thanking him before hanging the phone up. Y/N then walked back into the gas station, smiling at the clerk as she disappeared into the back, only to emerge a few seconds later with an ice pack for her hand.

"Go on and get yourself a drink and something to eat, it's covered darlin'." The clerk smiled at Y/N, shooing her to find something she liked in the store.

"Thank you so much. You're so sweet." Y/N said when she found what she wanted. As the older lady turned around, she fished some money out of her wallet, placed it on the counter for her, and walked out the door to sit and wait for this 'Eddie' guy to show up.

"Oh, you sneaky little thing!" The clerk said once she turned around and saw the money on the counter, but nonetheless put it in the cash register.

~*~

Y/N sat on the tailgate of her truck, eating the sandwich and drinking the soda she grabbed, watching the different cars drive by.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only half an hour, she saw the tow truck pull up, backing up to her truck to hook it up. The driver's side door opened, and out stepped a guy not much older than Y/N, walking over to her. He had long, curly hair that just hit his shoulders, framing his face perfectly. He wore a grey uniform, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing a bat tattoo on his left arm.

"You must be Y/N?" He asked, receiving a nod from said girl. "I'm Eddie. What seems to be going on with this thing?" He asked, walking to stand in front of Y/N to talk.

"I'm not sure. It just died on me. I just replaced the carburetor and fuel line less than a month ago, so it's not that. I'm not sure what it could be, to be honest." Y/N said, looking at Eddie as he nodded his head.

"Well, let's get it back to the shop and I'll have a peek at it for you." The long-haired man said, smiling lightly at Y/N. She nodded her head, letting him do his stuff.

Once the truck was hooked up and in position on the back of the tow truck, Eddie told Y/N to get into the passenger side. She did as told, closing the door and buckling her seatbelt. Eddie got into the driver's seat not long after, starting the vehicle up and putting it into gear.

Neither Eddie nor Y/N talked for a while on the way to the shop, sitting in silence, the only sound coming from the tape Eddie had put into the tapedeck on his drive over. Y/N sat, still cradling her injured hand to her chest, trying her best to stop the throbbing pain she felt in it. Eddie noticed this, and questioned her about it.

"What'd ya do to your hand?" He asked, taking a quick glance at the girl next to him.

"Oh, I'm pretty positive I broke it. I was looking in the engine earlier and stuck my hand down into it, but got burnt so I kneeled down with my hand still on the truck, and the stupid hood strut snapped in half, causing the hood to fall on my hand. I shoulda scrapped the piece of shit a long time ago." Y/N replied, snorting softly at the end.

"Well, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital or something to get that looked at?" Eddie asked, concern lacing his deep voice.

"Nah, I'm fine. I can wait a while." Y/N simply countered, gently resting her hand down on her jean-covered thighs.

~*~

"Well, it looks like the alternator and a few spark plugs went out. I took a look at the rest of the engine and the oil filter and water pump are going out. The engine looks like it's about fifty years old, so everything is running on its last legs. I would suggest a whole new engine at this point." Eddie said to Y/N, gauging her reaction.

"What happens if I don't do the whole new engine?" She asks, standing at the counter, looking at Eddie, who stood on the other side, behind the counter. She was watching Eddie with interested eyes, her eyes scanning his face, down his neck then back up, looking at the bun he had thrown his hair into when he got back to the shop.

"Well, if you don't replace it, everything is just going to keep going out, giving you problems, making it harder for the truck to run until it just stops altogether like it did today." Eddie explained, waiting for the girl to reply.

"If I replace it, how much are we talking it'll cost?" She questioned, scared of his answer.

"We're lookin' at around three grand. But that's with new everything. The whole engine will be brand new, right from the factory." Y/N eyes widened, a heavy sigh falling from her lips. She rubbed her left hand on her forehead, thinking everything over. "But, I can make a couple calls, see where you can buy a new engine at the best price here in town. I know a few people that will give me a good price on one." Y/N nodded her head, Eddie pulling out some papers from a filing cabinet behind him, and starting to write on them

"Alright, I guess we'll have to do that, I don't have much of a choice here. When can you start on that?"

"I'll have to call a few people and as soon as I do that, and determine where the engine will come from, it will take about a week, two at the most to get it in, swap the engines out and tune the new one to your truck. I can work fairly quickly once the engine gets here. I can start today, pulling the engine out and seeing what I can save from it to maybe sell, get you a little bit of cash from what is salvageable, scrap the rest of the engine and get money off of that too. Let me finish this paperwork and I'll do that. Do you have someone that can pick you up, take you to get that hand looked at?" Eddie asked, pointing his pen at her bruising hand.

"Um, no I don't have anyone. I was just moving here when my truck broke down. I don't know anyone here. Do you have a phone book I could use to call a cab?" Y/N asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"No, I'm not gonna make you call a cab. It's actually passed quitting time for me, this is all overtime. I can take you to the hospital and take you to your place after." Eddie explained, smiling up at Y/N, making butterflies erupt in her stomach. Said girl nodded her head, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks.

~*~

"Alright, what's your new address so I can drop you off?" Eddie asked once Y/N got back into his van from the hospital, a dark blue cast on her right hand.

"Um, you can just drop me off at a motel, I don't actually have a place to live yet." Y/N said, a blush once again creeping up her cheeks.

"What? I can't let a pretty girl like yourself stay in a random motel here! You can stay with me. My uncle works nights so he's not home at night and sleeps through the day when he gets home, so he won't mind."

"No, I can't let you do that. I'll be fine in a motel, you've already done so much for me." Y/N said, giving Eddie a very faint smile.

"Please, I insist. It would make me feel better knowing such a beautiful girl like yourself is safe at my place, not in some creepy ass motel in the middle of town. Just let me take care of you. I mean, after all, you're making my paycheck with your broken-down truck. It's the least I can do. Please?" Eddie begged, trying to convince the girl in front of him. If he was being totally honest with himself, he just didn't want to let Y/N go, he found her incredibly beautiful and sweet. He wanted to get to know her more, maybe take her on a date. But he wouldn't admit that out loud.

"Okay, I'll stay at your place. But you have to let me cook for you. It will be my way of saying thank you, even though it's not much. And I won't take no for an answer!" Y/N said, a smile pulling on her lips. Eddie nodded his head, agreeing to what she said, deciding it wouldn't be so bad to have a homecooked meal instead of the same microwave meals he has every night.

"Yeah alright. I can live with that. Now, if you're going to be living with me, I need to know a bit about you. Tell me about yourself, pretty lady." Eddie said, looking over at the girl next to him, a smile of his own on his lips. Y/N looked down, her smile widening as she shook her head, starting to tell Eddie about herself.

• The Bird

• Eddie

• Hands

• Smile

• Tattoos

• DND

• Cafeteria

• Hellfire

• Just Eddie 2.0

← Main Masterlist

About You

(Mid-Late December 1984) Chapter 2: The Dance 

Eddie Munson x female!harrington!reader

Chapter summary: A month has passed since the breakup and both you and Eddie have decided you can’t stay apart. However, pride and anxiety seem to have other plans. An awkward school dance might help make a breakthrough in your relationship though... 

Word Count: 6.9k 

series masterlist here

Chapter warnings: 18+ minors DNI for mature themes, angst, smoking (reader), adult language, angst, partying, underage drinking (reader and co.), 18+ suggestive content (not smut just like sporadic, vague mentions of suggestive themes), anxiety, fluffy convos, 

A brick wall made jarring contact with your nose as you rounded the corner of the deserted Hawkins High halls.  Disoriented, you stumble backwards only to be held in place by a pair of steel arms- preventing you from causing any further injury to your persons in the process of reacting to the initial assault on your nose.  Without opening your eyes, you already know who is holding you steady- you’d know the grip on your arms anywhere.  These arms have wrapped around you many of times; to comfort you, to protect you, to pleasure you.  

You open your eyes and find Eddies eyes searching your face and body frantically for any serious damage while locking you in his iron grip.  “Holy shit- y/n I’m so sorry sweetheart are you alright?”  He questioned quickly and apologetically.  

A blush creeped up your neck at the term of endearment as you stepped back from him- needing air between the two of you in order to think straight.  Your arm gripped your chest and the painted concrete wall beside you, providing support to settle your rattled nerves.  

“Yea I’m okay.  Free nose job I guess.” You chuckled, moving your hand from your chest to lightly tap at your nose and feel for anything out of place.  Eddie stifled a belly laugh at your optimistic comment- successfully putting his anxieties to rest.  

“Are you sure I don’t need to drive you to like the hospital or something?”

“I think walking would be a safer option than you driving.”

He clasped his hands together and jabbed them at the center of his chest, pretending to knock the air out of his lungs as he stumbled backwards, “Low blow.  Truly, you wound me.” You giggled as you stooped down to pick up the backpack you dropped in the flurry of the impact and lift it onto your shoulder.  

“What are you doing here so late?  Don’t you know the weirdo’s creep out at night?” he teased at you wiggling his fingers in your face.  “Oh, I’m well aware. I’ve recently had an encounter with one and he damn near broke my nose.”

“Hey, I said I was sor- “

“But I’m a big girl, I can handle them.  Also, I had cheer practice, so I had to stay. I should be asking you why you’re here mister.” You squinted your eyes at him in curiosity.

Eddie crossed his arms and leaned his side against a row of lockers in an effort to look nonchalant, “I think we both know why I’m here.”

You arched your eyebrow, “Stalking me?”

“You wish, weirdo.”

“Coming from the chronic detentionee.”

He rolled his eyes and giggled as you popped your hip out dramatically to the side and rested you hand on top of it in a display of annoyance.

“What were you in for this time?”

“I may or may not have stolen some test answers out of Mrs. Woodhouse’s desk. During her planning period.  And got caught.”

Sighing, you threw your arms up in the air, “Eds!” 

“Hey, you said you wanted me to graduate!  How else am I supposed to do that!” He pushed off the lockers and walked over to the opposite side of the hall, opening his conveniently placed locker, and pulling a pack of cigarettes out.

Your arms dropped back to your hips, and you stroked your chin feigning being deep in thought.  “I’m not sure maybe you could, oh I don’t know, study?”

He craned his neck around to give you a side eye, “Come on, y/n.  Let’s be realistic here.”

You giggled at his antics.  As he lit up a smoke- the warm blanket returned.  It had been a couple of weeks since your last interaction with each other when he gave you a ride home from the party you attended, yet this banter was endlessly more effortless.  You were once more confident around one another.  A comfortable silence returned to envelop the two of you, the playful conversation easing the once tense atmosphere between the you both.  He crossed the hall back to you and extended his hand out, offering you a puff of the cigarette.  

It felt too intimate; putting your lips where his were moments before. However, you couldn’t stop the flutter in your chest or yourself as you reached for the smoke. While you made the exchange, he breathed out the smoke and began elaborating.

“You wanna know the worst part?”  “Oh, do tell.” You pleaded, overexaggerating your interest in his predicament.

He smirked as you took a deep inhale, filling your lungs with the calming depressant that dulled the ever-present ache in your bones for the man who stood in front of you.  

“Woodhouse has taken a particular pleasure in trying give me the hardest time possible.  In order to not flunk the semester, she’s making me run music at the middle school’s dance.” He whined taking the cigarette back from you.

Your face twisted into a confused expression- one that Eddie thought made your look adorably puzzled.  “You’re volunteering at the Snow Ball?” “More like I was volun-told to oversee music. Totally ruining my street cred.” He chuckled out darkly and filled the space between you with the potent smoke from his lungs. Giggling, you retorted back, “Well a little birdie told me all the cool kids are doing it. So, I think your cred is safe.”  

Eddie stared back at your secretive expression, willing you to elaborate on your comment.  You motioned to your mouth and zipped it shut, twisting a phantom key at the corner of your lips, and tossing it behind your shoulder.  “You’re kind of the worst you know.”  Your shoulders shrugged upwards, “Enjoy the crime, you do your time.”  

“Okay Billy Idol.” He scoffed.  

“You knew that?” a twinkle in your eye appeared as it occurred to you, he recognized a line from your favorite artist.  He copied your previous actions and pretended to lock his mouth closed, tossing the key behind his shoulder as you once did.

Silence ensued.  Eyes drank up the sight of each other.  Brains formed phrases you desperately wanted to speak but couldn’t bring yourself to. Arms tingled to entwine yourselves in each other’s beings, noses craved each other’s scents, and ears yearned to once more be graced with the timber of each other’s voices. Infinite longing, silently vocalized into the small space between your bodies and the smoke that lingered by your mouths.  

“You need a ride home?”

“That’s alright, Stevie is probably waiting outside.”  

“You better head out then.  Wouldn’t want to keep the prince waiting.” You rolled your eyes at his snide comment, his disdain for your brother’s popularity peeking through ever so slightly.  

“Alrighty then.  See ya.” You awkwardly waved your arms at him and hiked the strap of your backpack further up the expanse of your shoulder.  As you trekked down the long corridor to the large, glass, double doors, you felt the familiar tingling you got only when his eyes were on you.  

At the doors, your eyes caught an image in the reflection of the hallway lights on the glass- an image of Eddie planted in place with his eyes glued to your form as you glided away from him.  Longing in his eyes and a visible ache in his heart.

You thought for a split second that he might come after you or call out, but then nixed the idea from your mind.  

He broke up with me.  He doesn’t miss me; he just misses the attention.  I can give him attention.  I will give him attention until he doesn’t want mine anymore.  

You push the door open and flee to the comfort of Steve’s presence and the warmth of his car.  Leaving Eddie alone, with no company except for his anxious thoughts.

 _______________________________________________________________

“He did not!” you shrieked at the story your brother relayed to you.  The smell of popcorn drifted through the house and butter clung to both your fingers.  The movie you were supposed to be paying attention to went unwatched in favor of gossiping.  “I swear to God y/n.  He grabbed his hands in front of him-“Steve demonstrated as he described, “-and his shoulders touched!”  

“I know he doesn’t have collarbones, but I’ve never seen it in action.”  

“It was the strangest thing I’d ever seen.  But the kid is kinda cool.  He asked me if I’d drive him to that dance next week.”

“Aw, that’s sweet Stevie.” You pinched at his cheeks with your greasy fingers as he swatted them away.  

“I know I know, I’m a saint.  What can I say?”  

“You still gonna take me too?  Or will I be third wheeling on this playdate of yours?”

He rolled his eyes at your mocking and agreed to transport you along with his newfound sidekick.  

“I found out that Eds is gonna be there.” “Gonna be where?” “At the Snow Ball.”

A pause.

“Voluntarily?” You both chuckle. “More like he was volun-told.”

“And you found this out how?” “I may or may not have run into him yesterday and it just came up.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“I don’t really know.  I caught him staring at me when I left and I swear he even looked sad, but I feel like it was just wishful thinking.  I’m kind of nervous to dress up all nice in front of him, even if he doesn’t care.” You explained while pulling the pillow that decorated your families couch from behind your back and into your lap.  You anxiously fiddled with the decorative fringe at its corners. “We both know he still cares y/n. I’ve seen the way he ogles you at school.”  Steve retorts at your dismissive comment.  

“I get it- I just don’t know what’s going on in his head. Does he regret it?  If I ask him, will I just embarrass myself in putting the idea out there?  Do I even want to get back with him after he couldn’t trust me?  Or, he might still think I cheated on him with Hargrove!”  A gagging noise emerged from your brother’s throat at the mention of his rival’s last name.  

“I told you that you shouldn’t have talked to him after school, of course the prick would try to make a move.  You’re too nice for your own good.”

“Not helping here Steve.”  “Right, sorry.”

“There’s just so many factors that I’m not sure he can even overlook to get back with me.  I wish we could talk about it, but it feels like I’d ruin the common ground we’ve found if I do.  I can’t lose him completely Stevie.”  

Your brother sighed and reached towards the coffee table to grab a fist full of popcorn.  He popped a few into his mouth, munched, and contemplated your situation. “Maybe you don’t need to talk about it. Maybe you can drop some hints or plant some seeds in his brain and see what he does.  Almost like, testing the waters.”

“Steve, that’s like kinda brilliant.  How did you come up with that?”

“Oh, you know me.  You are currently in the presence of Hawkins High’s local Cupid.”

“Oh yea?  And how’s Cupid’s own love life going?”

Steve threw a few pieces of popcorn at your face, getting tangled in your hair as you pulled the pillow up too little too late to block his attack.  “Off topic, back to you!”

The siblings bantered back and forth like a pair of gossiping hens for the rest of the night.  2 more batches of popcorn were made, the kitchen was made sticky from a shaken can of soda- resulting in a very irritated Mrs. Harrington and an assumed Mr. Harrington-, and another movie went played yet unwatched.  

You and Steve parted ways a little before midnight. As you settled into your bed, your head swam with thoughts of your Eddie.  The image of his toothy grin painted across the back of your eye lids and welcomed the darkness of sleep with you.

 _______________________________________________________________

You yearned for the smell of last night’s buttery popcorn.  Or any smell that wasn’t beer, vomit, or sweat.  You weren’t particular.  

You sank into the couch, red cup in hand, as you sullenly sipped from the spiked punch.  

Second party in a month.  Never thought my social life would come to this- forced interaction with drunk adult toddlers.

You spied your friend Dina- the culprit who insisted you come out tonight- stumbling her way towards the couch out of your peripheral vision.  You sprung up from your seat, abandoned your drink haphazardly on the lamp table to your right, and caught Dina in your arms before she collapsed onto the suspiciously stained couch.  “I think you’re ready to go home Dina.  Who drove you here?”

“May-May!” She shrieked out.  “Who?”

“May-May!” Dina sang into your ear- blowing out your eardrum in the process.

You held Dina as she swayed around in your embrace and tried to decipher her drunken rambling.

“Oh, Mabel!” “Mabel!” Dina agreed with the vigorous shake of her head.  

You scanned your surroundings and found a friend lounging in a chair on a few feet away from the couch- close enough to hear you call out over the music. “Andy!  Can you come watch Dina while I get her ride?”  Andy swung his head around, his fluffed up brown hair shaking around his head at the motion along with the tiny, silver, dangle earring that reacted the same.  His eyes scanned the scene in front of him and his eyes focused in with determination, “Of course, I won’t let her out of my sight.”  Andy arose from his chair and sat on the couch, leaving room from Dinas drunk form to collapse next to him.  

“Thanks man.”  He made an army saluting motion with his hand, then you turned and walked into the thick of the party to find Mabel.  

After 15 minutes, an awkward bedroom interruption of Mabel and her boyfriend Denis, and convincing Dina to stop petting Andy’s hair, the lot finally got Dina into Denis’ car.  

“Thanks for helping again, Andy, I owe you.”  You closed Dina’s door and patted his shoulder in appreciation.  You averted your attention from Andy’s from retreating into the house at the sound of Denis poking his head out of the driver’s side window.  “You gotta ride home y/n?” he questioned cautiously.  

You shoved your hands into the pockets of your jacket and angled the top half of your body to see Mabel in the passenger seat.  “I can find someone to drive me, you’ve got your hands full with Dina.” Mabel shook her head vigorously and insisted you join your drunk friend in the backseat.  “Plus, I don’t know where she lives,” she added, ”and I don’t think she is any position to give us directions.”

“I thought you drove her here?”

“Yea, but she came over to my house then Denis picked us up.”

A thought crossed your mind for a fraction of a second.  Dina lives in Forest Hills.  Eddie lives in Forest Hills.  Dina lives directly across from Eddies trailer. Your heart skipped what felt like multiple beats at the thought of possibly seeing him, but then you came back down to Earth and realized the probability of you interacting with him tonight was astronomically low.  

It’s Friday night, there is no way he is home.  

Yet your stomach still got butterflies at the thought of being in proximity to the trailer where everything ended.  A place you once frequented multiple times a week.  A place you felt safest in.  A place you have not been in at least a month. You swallowed your nerves and glanced at Denis, eyeing him for permission to accompany them on their journey to Dina’s house and inevitably adding a stop to drop you off.  

Denis smirked at you, thinking your lapse in response was an effect of the alcohol, “Just get in the damn car.”  You giggled and stuck your tongue out at him, making your way around the car to enter the backseat where Dina greeted you with a burp in your face that smelt of vodka and stomach acid.  

Definitely not buttery popcorn.

________________________________________________________________

Eddie lounged in the comfort of his room.  Another Friday night, another night alone.  It was a slightly warmer than usual December night, creating the perfect opportunity for Eddie to leave his bedroom window ajar; a beautiful breeze filling up his space and lungs.  Silently, he scribbled down notes and ideas for his next Hellfire campaign- ever since that unfortunate November evening, Eddie has found himself with excessive amounts of free time and no choice but to fill it or be left in a spiral of despair and self-loathing.

Without warning, a voice drifted into his room that had not entered since the aforementioned night.  It was so crystal-clear Eddie was concerned for his own sanity; either he had started hearing voices- your voice- in his head or you were somehow hiding in his closet. Neither of his theories yielded correct when, after discarding his busy work, he found your voice originated from outside his bedroom window, somewhere in the shadows of the trailer park he lived in.

There you stood, the streetlight you stood under creating a halo affect around your head and hair, infecting the air around you with your laugh.  To your left was a raven-haired girl he knew to be one of his neighbors, Dina Rodriguez, and a dear friend of yours.  She had her arm draped around your shoulder like she couldn’t stand without you- and after observing for a moment, Eddie realized she couldn’t.  Supporting Dina’s left arm was another member of your squad, Mabel Myers; her boyfriend Denis “something-or-other” trailed behind the group of girls like a bodyguard.

It appeared Dina was either drunk off her ass or high out of her mind- he is familiar with both situations intimately- and it was the duty of you three to see your friend home safe and sound.  She lulled her drooping head to the right and muttered another comment into your ear that sent your laughter exploding from your chest and flooding his ears again.  As you tossed your head back in hilarity your eyes caught his gazing at your from across the street through his window. Immediately turning red, Eddie turned around and rushed to his bed- desperate to dive back into his campaign and distract himself from the colossal embarrassment that was being caught by you.

He heard the door to Dina’s trailer open and close and the sound of your voice disappear behind the thin trailer walls.  After a while, he heard nothing but silence in Forest Hills and assumed you had fled the park with your friends after settling Dina in.  Eddie should know by now to always expect the unexpected when it comes to you, because a few moments after he figured you’d left there was a light tap noise at his window.  At first, he ignored it, choosing to remain focused on his campaign. Yet again, another light tap hit his window.  And a few more second after that, a tiny pebble landed on the open page of his journal he wrote in on his bed.  His eyebrows pinched and he picked up the stone to inspect it.  These shenanigans had your name written all over then, and his heart swelled.

Stone still trapped between his index finger and thumb, Eddie approached his window and opened it further to come face to face with your flaming cheeks.

“Were you throwing stones into my room?” He questioned with a smirk on his face, holding up the pebble and launching it back out his window and onto the gravel below.  

“I’m sorry I have terrible aim.  I meant to hit your window.” You rubbed the back of your neck embarrassedly.

He narrowed his eyes at you, “You stalking me or something?”

You blush at his reference to your last conversation, “You wish, weirdo.” You stuck your tongue out at him.

He cocked his head to the side and rested his hands on the sill of the window, “Coming from the girl who was throwing stones at my window.”

You planted your hands on your hips and raised your eyebrows at him.  “Coming from the guy who was watching me like a creeper from across the street.”

It was now Eddies turn to blush profusely.  “I was hoping you hadn’t seen me.” His eyes flitted to the ground where your white sneakers made contact with the gravel road of the trailer park.  

“I was hoping you wouldn’t see me either.  Didn’t wanna disturb your night.” You shuffled your right foot against the dirt and sent up a gust of particles that had you stepping back slightly as to avoid the cloud.  “Yet here you are, causing a ruckus that would have your mother clutching her pearls.” Eddie chuckled grasping at the guitar pick necklace that dangled across his collarbone, resting atop the black, fitted t-shirt he wore- mimicking a shocked lady.  Your cheeks once more flushed at the insinuation your presence was an intrusion while muttering another apology.  You ran your hand through your hair, a nervous tick Eddie noticed both Harrington siblings had developed over the years.  

Eddie caught his flunder. “Oh, no I didn’t- I wasn’t saying that- erm.. What’s up with Dina?” he tried to change the subject.  

You smiled sheepishly, “One too many hits.  A few too many shots.  And after emptying the contents of her stomach on the ride of the road a few miles back, everything seemed extremely funny to her.  Don’t go hiking around marker 15… it’s not pretty.”  

“Rock on party animal.  Are you okay?”  Eddie asked quizzically.  “Am I okay? Yea.  Am I sober? For the most part.” You giggled.

“You okay to get home? I can give you a ride.”

“It’s okay, Denis is our DD.”

“Ah, I see.  Wait, are they still here?”

“Yea, they are right over there.”  You jammed your thumb behind you at the red hatchback humming at the entrance of the of the trailer park, stalled in place and- apparently- waiting on you.  

“Then what are you doing Y/n?  Don’t hold them up.” Eddie gestured to the car. You zipped your windbreaker up farther and crossed your arms on your chest. You made brief eye contact with the boy in the window before flicking back away to the oh-so interesting weeds growing at the base of the trailer home.  “I’ll get out of your hair in a minute, I just- I guess I just wanted to say hi.”

Just planting some seeds. Testing the waters.  Wondering if yours still in love with me as deeply as I am with you.

Your eyes reached his again, checking for his reaction, only to meet his glassy eyes.

He muttered a soft hello as he leaned further out his window.

You muttered a soft hello back as you stepped towards the opening.  

Eyes locked; hearts pounded in sync.

Then, an ear-splitting car horn shattered the moment, alerting you two that you were not alone. You jumped out of your skin and Eddie almost hit his head on the top of the open pane.  You both laughed awkwardly at the intimate bubble that had burst around you and you shuffled backwards.  

“I better jam.  Later.”

He didn’t respond.  He held his eyes on you and waved his hand back and forth- a reluctant goodbye.  You jogged to the car and stopped when you were about halfway. Suddenly, in a flurry of movement, you raced back to the windowsill.  

Eddies jaw dropped as you approached him.  Eyes locked; hearts pounded in sync.

“My dress will be blue.”

Bewildered eyes peered at half-sober ones.

“Do with that what you will.”

Seed, planted.

Once again you jogged back to the car, but this time you entered the car and exited Forest Hills trailer park.  

________________________________________________________________

Eddie had a horrible habit of being late to almost everything.  Corroded Coffin had to be at the Hideout at 7:30?  He’s showing up at 8. School starts at 8:45? He’s showing up at 9. Hellfire is right after school? He’s showing up 20 minutes late.  

It’s just how he rolled. His overactive mind usually distracted him from his original intent- making arriving on time a seemingly impossible task for the frazzled metal head.  What he lacked in punctuality, he tried to make up for speediness in travel- an Eddie-ism that has nearly sent you into cardiac arrest on multiple occasions.

Eddie had never been on time for nearly anything in his life, much less early.  Yet here he sat in the back of his van, music low, back doors open, cigarette lit, and 10 minutes early to the mandatory set up for the dance.  

Eddie was early, for the first time in this life, because of you.  Because of your little comment, whispered to him through his windowsill in the dead of night.

My dress will be blue.

He swore he melted into a puddle of lovesick-Eddie-mush as soon as Denis’ car exited the trailer park. That was not the comment he expected you to leave him with that night, but he was nonetheless grateful for it.  He couldn’t leave his trailer early enough that night, it seemed.  He wanted to see you as soon as earthly possible, adorned in a blue gown.  Now, he was excited to sit in the stupid gym, listening to stupid pop music, surrounded by stupid middle schoolers. Because he would be rewarded with the sight of you in a beautiful blue dress.  

As he smoked through his cigarette, he let his mind wander.  He wondered what shade it would be, light or dark.  He wondered what length it would be, long or short.  If it would be tight, showing off your figure.  If it would show your shoulders or your cleavage. What you would be wearing underneath it.  He shook his head, trying to rid himself of thoughts that would only lead to sorrow when he saw you in your beautiful blue dress and wouldn’t be able to take you home with him after the dance.  How he wouldn’t see the blue of the dress drown underneath the leather of his jacket that you would wear if you got cold. How he wouldn’t be able to feel the fabric of the garment under his hands as he held your waist, guiding you down the hall of his trailer and into his room. How he would never see that beautiful blue dress crumpled up on his bedroom floor.  

Eddie felt like such a pervert, but he couldn’t help himself.  You were his kryptonite, his eternal temptation, and he would never be able to stop himself from wanting you- or loving you.  He stepped out of the back of the van and flicked the butt of the smoke stick on the ground, stomping it out under his heavy boot and ridding himself of fantasies of you.  He decided he would have to settle for just admiring you and your beautiful blue dress from afar tonight, shut the doors to his van, and started towards the entrance of the gym.  

*******

Half listening to Mrs.Woodhouse explaining the “do play” and “do not play” songs, Eddies eyes wandered the sparkling, silver gymnasium for you.  You had yet to arrive, which caused anxiety to swirl in his chest and make his blue tie feel more like a noose, slowly choking him.  After getting the run down about the music, Eddie meandered over to where an acquaintance of his, Jonathan Byers, set up his camera.  They chatted about the dance, school, life- until Nancy Wheeler appeared next to the pair of boys and tucked herself under the older Byers sibling’s arm.  

Eddie excused himself from the conversation, happily obliging to the new couple’s silent desire to bask in their honeymoon phase, alone.  

Eventually the dance commenced, and you still had not darkened the doorway of the gym.  A steady stream of middle schoolers entered, blood pumping, hearts racing, and hormones ranging- and Eddie occupied himself by spinning records of mindless pop songs.  

You stepped into the gym right out of Eddie’s fantasies.  There you stood, coat in hand, adorned in gold jewelry and the dress he had pondered about for the past few days.  

You were a breath of fresh air, filling his lungs and igniting the anxiety in his belly, as the music thumped in his ears in time with his racing heart.

Your dress was the perfect shade of dark, navy blue and came down to your knees.  It covered your shoulders with puffy sleeves that capped at your elbows, accompanied by a square neckline that highlighted your collarbones and the dainty gold necklace that sat upon them.  Your earring swished around and bounced off your cheeks and jawline as you swung your head around to the music at the same time as observing the room.  

Your eyes met Eddies for a split second before darting away.  His chest sank at the dismissal until your eyes immediately darted back to his, realizing you’d skipped over his face and commenced a double take.  

Your eyes digested the sight of him in a sky-blue tie, crookedly hanging from his white-collar shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, displaying his tattoos. A smile erupted on your face as you comprehended his appearance.  He was in a sky-blue tie.  A blue tie.  The beam of your smile was enough to send the butterflies in your stomach fluttering to Eddies.  You shyly brought your hand up and gave an enthusiastic wave to the boy, but turned to dash towards Nancy before he could return the gesture.  

A moment later a small boy with extremely poofy hair walked through the entrance and sought his friends out in the bustling crowd, as many had done before him that night.

You reached the punch bowl and rounded it to stand on Nancys left, giving her a quick side hug.  

“You look gorgeous y/n!”  

“Me? Look at you!  I feel like my eyes are about to pop out of my head- that dress looks amazing on you!” She blushed at your compliment and even deeper so when her eyes made contact with Jonathan’s from across the room. “And I don’t seem to be the only person who has noticed.” You tease her, the exchange not going unnoticed by you.

She rolled her eyes at you and shoved you playfully with her hip, not before you swiped two cups of punch and sauntered away.  As you left you heard a boy ask Nancy what was in the punch.  She chuckled to him and replied, “Pure fuel.” You giggled to yourself, the joke- too- not going unnoticed by you.  

A small smile settled on your face as you approached the music booth, clutching a cup in each hand, and walked up the platform to Eddie.  

The booth sat behind the speakers that filled the gym with music, making the space Eddie sat in unexpectedly quieter than the rest of the dance and nixing the need to shout to be heard.

“Total rager, isn’t it?”

Eddie looked up at your sly smirk, quickly soaking up your presence.  “Oh yeah totally.  This’ll be the talk of the playground for weeks.”

You giggled, “I told you all the cool kids would be at this shindig!”

Eddie rolled his eyes and slumped back into this chair; arms settled on the crease of his thighs.  “Oh yes, Hawkins Highs resident freak and 200 middle schoolers.  A shindig of epic proportions.”  

“Hey, don’t forget about the co-captain of the cheer team! Or am I just chopped liver?” you raised your eyebrow at him playfully.

In a daring mood, and propelled by the beat of the music, Eddie couldn’t help but flirt shamelessly, “Not in that dress, you aren’t.”

Your cheeks rushed red, and you looked down at the flats adorning your feet, willing yourself to gain composure.  You forced your eyes up again and settled into your hip, preparing your response.

“Well, I see you got my hint then.  About the color.”  You pointed to your own neck with your index finger, still wrapped around a punch filled cup.  “Although I don’t think you really matched it right.”

“Hey, you said blue! Not what kind! S’Not my fault you didn’t specify.” Eddie accused while reaching down to the crate of records next to him, ready to cue up the next set.  

“And here I was trying to be nice and bring you punch.  But, if you’re gonna be a jerk then I guess I’ll take myself and my beverages elsewhere-“

“Wait, wait, hold up. Don’t go.”  He pleaded.  You turned back around from where you had started away, eyes locking too intensely for such a public space.  Eddie pulled himself out of his momentary lapse in composure, “I’m very thirsty.”

You half smiled. “And?”

“And I’m sorry.”

“For?” you waved your arms around in a circle, feigning confusion, and tousling the liquid around in the cups.

Eddie narrowed his eyes at you and you mirrored his expression- serious about your teasing. “For being a jerk.”  

“Now that wasn’t so hard now was it!”  You stepped back towards him and extended your arm towards him, offering the cup in your hand.  As the cup exchanged between you two, fingers brushed slightly against each other. Eyes locked, then looked away- unable to process the intensity of each other’s stares.  A moment passes before you noticed that the music had stopped.  

“Eddie.” “Yea?” “The music.”

A moment.

“What?”

“Mr. Munson!”  Mrs. Woodhouse shrieked a few feet away from the booth.  Pulling you both from the locked gaze you held.  

“Oh shit- “Eddie choked out while frantically changing over the record.  You snicked under your breath, holding your cup to your lips to hide behind as you stifled your laughter.

“Think it’s funny getting me in trouble?” he glared at you out of the side of his eye as finally spun the track.  “Only a little.”  You held up your thumb and index finger in front of your face.  

Your eyes caught on the watch the adorned Eddies wrist, the time setting an alarm off in your mind. You placed your cups down on the table next to Eddies untouched punch and started off on your mission.  “Hey I gotta go.”

“But you just got here. Where are you going?”

“I just- I have something- someone… this thing I gotta do.” You stammer out to him through your anxious smile, concealing your urgency.  

Eddies heart visibly sank. The secrets, the stammering, the lack of explanation- all brought him back to that night.  That November night.  The worst night of his life.   While he was upset that the situation had not lessened any to allow you to tell him about it, he would not make you feel guilty for a second time about having to put it above both your feelings- he would not make the same mistake twice. He understood this was your obligation. And he let you go, just like that night.

“Oh okay.  Come back if you want.”

You smiled at him and nodded your head slightly, leaving him alone behind the booth and entering the sea of students trying to impress one another by step touching and bouncing up and down to the rhythm of the songs playing.  

Disappearing through the doors of the gym and into the night, you entered the freezing air for a moment to approach the police truck parked in the lot.  Inside awaited your ward for the night, El.  Hopper entrusted you with watching after her until he came back at the end of the night to retrieve her- wordlessly exchanging a thank you to you as Eleven climbed out of the truck and embraced you in a tight hug.

Arm slung around her, you guided her into the dance, took her coat and paid for her ticket.  You accompanied her through the door and gave her hand a squeeze.

El looked up at your gentle smile and returned it.  “What now?” she softly questioned, unsure how to conduct herself in such a new and public environment.  “Go have fun,” you whispered in her ear, “And enjoy yourself.  You deserve this.”  El blushed slightly, turning her face to scan the crowd.  A soft smile took over your lips as you watched her scamper towards Mike- their relationship reminding you of Eddie and yourself at the start of your relationship, last year.  You tucked her coat over your arm and made your way to the bleachers covered by reams of long silver streamers, stashing it away next to yours.  

Eddie watched as you reemerged from the stands with the poofy-haired boy in tow, as he wiped his eyes. You dragged him towards the dance floor and proceeded to dance with him, until he was chipper and bouncing around to the song with you.  Your beautiful blue dress reflected under the lights, and Eddie swore in the moment, you looked like an angel.  A real-life angel, sent down to Earth to brighten up the lives of everyone around you.

“Don’t look now, but that group of girls over there keeps looking at you.” You muttered to Dustin as you continued to dance.  His steps faltered as he comprehended what you said, and a radiant smile broke across his crooked teeth.  “Really?”

“Really.  Now don’t let anybody get you down.  Not tonight, not ever.  Got it?”

The younger boy nodded his head and twirled you around.  

“Don’t look now, but the guy at the music booth is totally checking you out.”  

You felt your heart sprout wings and flutter off, joining the butterflies in your stomach.  Your throat went dry as you questioned, “Really?”

Dustin smirked, “Really.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you and made a Chewbacca sounding noise with his tongue.  You cringed at the uncomfortable sound effect and after a beat curtsied to Dustin.  He bowed back to you and the two parted ways, leaving you free to make your way back to Eddie.

***

The dance ranged on in front of you and Eddie, like a battle unfolding, but did not burst the bubble you had created for yourselves.  After rejoining him, you fell back into a natural conversation filled with ebbing emotion beneath both of your surfaces, coded flirting, and semi-awkward sips of punch.

“Who was that girl you walked in?”

Your heart stopped and your hands grew clammy.  You had no idea how to explain the supernatural girl to Eddie and her cover story had completely fled your mind in that instance, the inquiry catching you completely off guard.    

“I… well she- um,” you stammered out in a hopeless search for the right words to string together. Eddie saw your distress, he understood. No matter how hard you tried, you could never conceal your emotions around Eddie, he had always and would always be able to read you like his favorite novel.  In a desperate attempt to rid you of your anxieties, he shifted the question.  “What’s her name?”

You took a deep, yet shaky breath in. “El.” You breathed out.  “She’s um… she’s not from around here.”  

“Then how do you know her?” You mind scrambled for an explanation. “Well, I… She… She’s Mike Wheelers girlfriend, so…” your mind and mouth wouldn’t let you elaborate past that.  Eddie nodded his head in understanding and dropped the topic.  He didn’t know what she had to do with everything, but he knew this El girl was involved with what you couldn’t talk about. And that was enough information to satisfy him.  

The rest of the night was filled with Eddie playing your song requests and laughter filling the space between you both.

***  

Eddie sat in his van and watched as you guided the skittish girl to a truck, with the poofy haired boy following closely behind.  After seeing her inside the vehicle, you and the middle schooler made your way past his van to enter your brother’s car a few spots down from his van.  

In a rash decision he could hardly process before performing it, he leaned his head out of his rolled down window and called your name.  Your head whipped around at the beckon, and you left the younger boy on the journey to your brother’s car in favor of approaching his.  

When you were close enough to hear, and far enough away from the boy to be overheard, Eddie spoke.

“Thanks for keeping me company tonight. I… I had a really nice time.”

You blushed intensely at the profession and returned the sentiment, “So did I. Like I said, I miss talking to you.” A lopsided smile spread across your face, and you turned to leaved, the fabric of your blue dress swishing around you.

“Y/n?”

You turned back around, with a hopeful look in your eye.

“You… You look beautiful tonight.”  

Eddie swore if your cheeks became any redder, you would turn into a tomato.  

Wordlessly, you skidded back to your brother’s car and opened the passenger door.  You looked back once, made searing eye contact with Eddie, then entered the car cabin and closed the door.

The seed was sewn, and it grew.  The water was tested, and it was warm.  

And for the first time in a long time, you both slept soundly.

About You

(Late November 1984) Chapter 1: The Car Ride

Eddie Munson x female!harrington!reader

Chapter Summary:  In the weeks following the breakup, it’s been hard to not be in contact with Eddie.  You let your desires get the best of you. 

Word Count: 4.2k 

series masterlist here

Chapter warnings: Angst, smoking (reader), nightmare, mention of panic attack or sorts (just reader experiencing triggers), partying, +18 for general mature topics and content

You felt like you were suffocating.  It was a sensory deprivation and overload all at the same time.  

Your goggles were clouded from the particles that floated freely around your head.  You had no idea what that stuff was, and it scared you that it surrounded you like a cloud.  The makeshift mask covering your mouth, nose, and ears felt like it was preventing any kind of airflow to your lungs, making them burn.  It was dark all around you, no sense of direction, and the croaking from the hound like creatures seemed to echo around the tunnel making it impossible to tell where it was coming from.  

You screamed for somebody, anybody, to help you- but your voice was trapped in your throat.  

You leaned against the wall of the small tunnel and sank to the ground, squeezing your eyes shut. Hands clamped over your ears and head between your legs to try to stop the world from spinning.

Suddenly a hand settled on your shoulder blade and your head jerk up.  

There, in all his glory, was him.  Him with his halo of dark curls that framed his face perfectly.  Him with his worn leather jacket that was surprisingly soft and smelt like home.  Him with his snarky smile that made him seem like he always knew something you didn’t. Him with his heart full of love and head full of songs.

“It’s just a dream y/n.”

He knelt to your level and pulled your face into his hands.  He slid the goggles off your eyes and down to hang around your neck along with the bandana mask that was previously suffocating you.  His face was so close to your own that if you moved forward even an inch your lips would brush.  

“You’re perfectly safe. You can wake up.”

And with that command, your eyes drifted open and made contact with the soft light spilling into your room.  You smiled and shuffled down into your sheets as the memory of him was still firm in your mind.  You let yourself revel in the phantom sensation of his lips close to yours before reality hit you.  Like, it did every morning.

The reality that he was not yours anymore.  That he would not be driving you to school.  He would not kiss you at your locker before 1st period.  And since its Tuesday, he would not be driving you to watch a Corroded Coffin gig at the Hideout tonight.  

Ignoring the melancholy that had taken root in your bones for the past few weeks, you rise from your bed and begin another monotonous day.  

Steve and you made your way to school, arriving much earlier than usual.  Steve still hadn’t gotten use to not having to pick up Nancy on the way and this threw off your schedule a bit.  As you pulled into the lot- one of the first ones there for the umpteenth time this week month- Steve sighed to himself.  

“Well, this essay will not write itself.  Sure you don’t wanna keep me company in the library?”

“We both know that’s code for wanna fuck around so I can avoid my responsibilities, Stevie.”

You both chuckle as he swats your shoulder and reaches for his backpack in the back seat.

“Always a ray of sunshine y/n.  You’re still the one whose gonna proofread it for me out of the goodness of your heart.” He crooned to you while stepping out of the car.  

“The weathers nice so I think I’ll read on the bench till class.” You give him a half-hearted smile.

He gives you a small sad smile.  He is well aware that Eddie and you would frequent that bench before school almost daily.

“Old habits die hard.” You admitted and shrugged, the urge to defend your somewhat pathetic behavior bubbling up in your chest.  

You grab your backpack and exited the car in a fluid move that had you gliding towards the picnic bench towards the side of the parking lot.  Once arrived, you rifled through your bag to find your favorite book and Walkman.  A slow melody filled your ears as you dive in, forgetting your surroundings and circumstances.  A craving burrowed into your bones right alongside the melancholy, though.  

It’s a craving for him.  The craving for the comfort he brings.  A craving for home.  

An insatiable craving that cannot seem to be quenched.  You have unfortunately found comfort in smoking, however.  The smell of the cigarette envelopes you in the aroma of him- lulling the buzz in your body for him.  

Yet, of course, last night you had used your last smoke and not had time to buy another pack before school this morning.  So, you sat on the bench with your book clenched in your cold hands, bending the pages, as the craving consumed your body and left you with not a thing to do about it.

So, it was going to be one of those days.

Just as the buzzing settled to a low hum, a screeching broke through the music playing in your ears. The sound of Dio clashed unsettlingly with the Tears for Fears song in your ears and a rickety van pulled into its usual spot in the lot.  As he pulled into his usual spot in the lot.  The sight of his van brought thoughts of him like a tsunami in your brain. You clenched your book even harder, as if it were the only thing keeping you anchored to earth during this assault of memories on your psyche.

So, it was really going to be one of those days.

He put the vehicle in park and you watched the van as it thrummed with energy.  You felt akin to the car.  Thrumming with energy but unable to move anywhere.  

You knew you would regret the ultimate hurt the decision you were about to make was going to bring you, but you couldn’t find enough cons to out way the pros in your mind.  

I need a cigarette. I know he will have one.  I have been going mad not talking to him or seeing him.  Just one conversation will hold me over for a while.  Who cares if I have a breakdown afterwards- the high of the moment is going to feel so good.

Before you could even really decide, your legs were already moving you away from the bench and towards the van you know so well.  

Before you could even really decide, your hand was coming up to knock at the glass window of the driver’s side door.  

Before you could even really decide, you were jerking him awake from his cat nap in the driver’s seat before a long day at school.  

It took him a moment to calm down from the initial scare of the knock startling him awake.  Once he realized who was the perpetrator of the knock, his pulse picked up again.  

Eddies eyes widened and he blinked in disbelief at who was standing in front of him, and he frantically rolled his window down to destroy the barrier between you two.  

You both stared into each other’s eyes for a minute before daring to break to silence.  You found a frail voice in the back of your throat and whispered out a small hi to him.

He took in the sound of your voice, ringing like a bell and replenishing his frazzled mind before greeting you back.  You look down to your feet awkwardly before looking back up to him.

“I know this is weird but I- I was wondering if you didn’t mind me bumming a cigarette off of you?” you mumbled out.

“I- well- You smoke?” he stuttered out.

“Recently yea.” His eyes darkened understanding the implications of your words.

“Well, I- um yea. I’ve got one.”

He turned to his glove compartment and shuffled around for a moment.  The black shirt he worse stretched across the expanse of his back and highlighted his muscles moving under his luscious skin.  

You’d been practically drooling by the time he turned back around with a cigarette in hand.  He reached out to hand you the smoke stick as you extended your arm and met in the middle.  Your fingers brushed each other’s as you made the exchange- lighting your skin on fire.  Even the smallest amount of contact had you wanting to jump into the car right through the window and hold him so close that you would fuse together.  

“Thanks.” You mutter out as you hold it between your fingers, rolling it anxiously.

You slowly, and very awkwardly, began to turn around and back away from his van when it seemed that neither of you were going to say anything else.  

Make her stay, make her stay, make her stay His mind rattled.

“Well, um, do you need a light?” Eddie offered up as he sensed you about to leave.

“Oh I’m- actually I’m good I’ve got one in my bag.”

“Right cool.”

“Thanks though.”

“Yea no problem.”

You both stared again.

“So, um I guess how- “

“Don’t ask me how I’m doing Eds.  I think we both know the answer.”

“Then it’s good thing I was gonna ask how long you’d been smoking.” He halfheartedly chuckled out.

Your heart dropped into your stomach as tears welled up into your eyes.  Of course, he wasn’t asking you how you were.  He broke up with you, he doesn’t care.  

“Oh right. It’s been like- wow I don’t know this is so embarrassing I can’t think,” you chuckle to yourself while gazing down to the asphalt under your feet.  

Eddie could tell you were in distress; he could read you like a book.  Regret flooded his body over his snide comment that reduce you to this stuttering mess in front of him.  Desperately, he tried to backtrack.

“No but I want to know that too- I just figured you wouldn’t wanna talk about that.  I figured you wouldn’t wanna talk to me period.  I can’t believe you’re here and speaking to me.”

“Neither can I.  My feet just kind brought me here.”

“I miss talking to you. I mean it’s weird going from talking to you every single day to not at all.”

“I miss talking to you too.”

You both knew what you really meant.

Eddies hands toyed with the rings that adorned his fingers, twisting and fidgeting with them in an attempt to release the anxiety in his chest.  

After you walked out of his trailer that night, he knew he made a mistake.  He let his issues get the better of him and it finally messed up the best thing in his life- you.  He knew he shouldn’t have pushed you to tell him and trusted you to explain everything eventually.  It was evident that this was not something easy you could tell him.  They way you were pleading with him that it wasn’t safe for him to know yet and the look in your eye made it apparent to him, only after the fact, that this was serious.  Something major happened, and it messed you up.  This was bigger than you or him.  And rather than being there for you when you needed him to pick up the pieces, he broke you apart further.  

“Maybe we could… like… talk then? Sometime?”  

You sucked in a breath and pause.  Debating. Weighing your options.  Deciding if the heartbreak is worth it.  

“Eventually yea.  I’d really like to.” You give him a meek smile. A beam of hope.

“Good. Cool.  Whenever, no rush.” He means it.  You believe him.  

________________________________________________________________

The week flew by uneventfully.  That’s how they seem to be as of late.  You wake up, you go to school, sometimes you’ll have cheer practice after, you go home and go to bed.  Rinse and repeat.  You’ve only just now finally found the will to start engaging with your friends again. Nancy was there for you as best as she could- but it was difficult when she couldn’t enter your house in fear of coming face to face with Steve.  

But this week seemed to be a little different.  After your encounter with Eddie, you could feel his eyes on you everywhere you went.

You could see his subtle glances towards you in English and you could feel his stare across the lunchroom. His watchful eye ignited something in you that you hadn’t felt for what seemed to be an eternity.  It was hope.  Hope that he would wave to you in the hallway.  Hope that he would pass you a note.  Hope that he would offer you a cigarette.  But it was also anxiety.  Anxiety that he would watch you silently until he graduated in the spring- assuming he finally graduates this time.  Anxiety that he was waiting for the perfect moment to tell you he had moved on and was letting you go.  But you would take the bittersweet emotions over the numbness that inhabited your body like a parasite.  

The end of the week drained you, however.  

You jogged the sidewalk of your neighborhood, an afternoon exercise ritual you tried to participate in as often as possible.  You found the adrenaline and endorphins of the activity helped to unfog your mind and raise your spirits.  

Every so often, the setting Sun would brush your eyes, momentarily blinding you.  As you rounded the corner of Shirley and Maplewood, the Sun obstructed your vision harshly, making your surroundings impossible to perceive.  It was in this instant that Mr. Berkley’s dog, Flash, decided it was the perfect moment to bark as loudly as he could at your movement.  

The sound of the growl startled you, and as your spotting vision flickered towards the black hound, your temporary blindness comprehended the dog and something it wasn’t.  A creature.  The kind the kids found in October.  The kind from the tunnels.  

For a split second you brain told you This is a demo-dog.  You are in danger.  If it’s this close to you, you’re already dead.

The scream that ripped from your chest was instinctual and piercing.  The tears that sprung from your eyes were involuntary and violent, just like your collapse to the ground.  

You registered what had happened, picked yourself up, and jogged off with tears in your eyes before Mr. Berkley or a neighbor could exit their houses to question you and your seemingly bizarre behavior.  

Maybe I’ll give running a break you decided.

And stay away from dogs.

________________________________________________________________

The weekend brought better fortune.  You made an appearance at a party with your friend, Chrissy, but didn’t stay long.  

“I think I’m gonna head home Chris.” You muttered into her ear as you found her smushed against a wall in a pack of cheerleaders and basketball players, all rambling on overzealously about the typical gossip and trying not to puke on each other.

She looked into your eyes and understood.  Your social battery was drained.  You had no more energy left in you to pretend that you were okay.  You had no more energy left to pretend that you weren’t praying to every force in the universe that he would walk through that door and take you away.  But he didn’t and he wasn’t going to.  

She pulled away from the huddle of drunken teenagers and hugged you close.

“Hey, you did good.  A whole hour!  Now that’s what I call progress.” She gave you a radiant smile and you returned it with a limp one of your own.

You stalked out of the house with your head down as to avoid getting roped into any conversation. Once on the safety of the porch, you finally rose your head all the way up to the sky and breathed in the chilly night air.  You wrapped your jacket tighter around your body and reached into your pockets to put on your gloves.  As you reached in your hand was met with a crinkled cylindrical stick.  You removed it from your pocket and there in your palm rested the cigarette Eddie gave you.  

After the conversation that one morning, you completely forgot about the cigarette- leaving it unsmoked.  You put it in your mouth and reached into your purse to find your lighter.  A minute of hopelessly rummaging through it informed you that it was not on your person.  

“Dammit Stevie.” You muttered, taking the cigarette out of your mouth to have it lazily relax between your index and middle finger.  

You recalled just how your lighter was taken from you forcefully by your brother on the night of the tunnels.  They needed fire to ignite the gasoline and to complete the mission you involuntarily sacrificed it in the process.  A shudder passes through your body- not from the chilly night air.  You closed your eyes and leaned upon the banister of the porch to steady yourself.

A voice drifts towards you, carried out of the dark expanse of the night in front of you by the winter wind- rescuing you from the dark memory, “Finally need that light?”

Your eyes snap up. Emerging from his beat-up van was the man you’d been praying to see all night.  You heart skipped a beat, and it took you a moment to respond.  “Oh um, yea I guess I do, now.”  

He slinked towards you in that way in only Eddie did.  His body moved fluidly and confidently, almost feline like, as he approached your shivering figure on the doorstep.  He produced a metal lighter and ignited the cigarette you had placed back to your lips. You muttered a thank you and took the first inhale as he clinked the metal contraption shut and stuffed it back into the pocket of his leather jacket.  

He paused a moment and watched you.  Eddie always liked to watch you do trivial things like washing dishes, taking notes, or riffling through your bag.  He appreciated your existence and observed you like the most fascinating creature in the world.  His breath left his body at the sight of your lips wrapped around the smoke stick, a sight he’d never seen before, and tilt your head to the side to expel the air.  

After a beat you worked up the courage to break the silence.  “So, what brings you to this neck of the woods?”  He smiled at your question.  “My services were required.  Donnie promised me double for making a house call.” “I see I see.” You nodded your head awkwardly.  

“Are you leaving?”

“Yea I’m not really in the party mood.  I was just about to walk- “

“Walk?” He interrupted you. “Y/n you were not seriously about to walk home from here.”

Your eyes rolled, “It’s like a mile and a half.”

“Can’t Steve come get you?””

“He’s busy and I’m fine.  I’m a big girl and I walk home by myself.” You insisted laughing at his franticness.

“It’s pitch black out.” “It’s 7:30 Eds.”

His voice hitched in the back of his throat at the sound of his nickname.  He decides to potentially cross a boundary that exes shouldn’t cross.

“Let me drive you home. I’ll be 5 minutes just enough to drop off with Donnie, get my cash and get out.”

You hesitate.  “You really don’t have to do that.”  “I would sleep better tonight knowing I didn’t leave you trek across dangerous lands all by your lonesome.”

“This is Lock Nora Eddie. It’s more Hundred Acer Woods than Mirkwood.”  You chuckle out.

You both laugh at your remark.  Then the silence creeps back in.  But it’s not awkward this time.  Its comfortable like a warm blanket had been wrapped around the two of you.  You look into his eyes and discover the seriousness to his request.  

“Only if it’s not an inconvenience.”  

“You’re never an inconvenience y/n.”

Silence.

“Wait here and finish up. I’ll be 5 minutes.”  

He enters the house and takes the warm blanket with him, leaving you alone again on the freezing porch with a half-burnt cigarette in your fingers.

************

The car ride brought on the strongest bout of déjà vu you’d ever experienced.  Apparently, nobody had been a passenger since the breakup because the seat was still in the perfect position for you.  The music he usually blasted was reduced to a low hum that drifted throughout the cavernous car and his driving was abnormally slow and safe- as it always was when you were present.  

The moment was a perfect replica of so many late-night car rides, except your thigh lacked his strong grip on it and his face was now replaced with an anxious grimace instead of a content grin.  

You swallowed the lump in your throat and willed yourself to speak.  “So, how’s Wayne?”  

Eddies body relaxed into his seat as your voice filled his ears.  As he basked in your presence, he reminded himself that he might not have another opportunity to talk to you in such an intimate setting ever again or at least for a long time- so he needed to man up and respond.  

“He’s good but tired. He picked up a bunch of late shifts for his buddy whose wife had a baby- but the extra cash is nice.”  

“He ever figure out where he left is tweedy bird mug?”

Eddie grinned at the memory of the three of you ransacking the slovenly trailer for any sign of his uncle’s precious yellow mug.  “Yea he brought it over to a neighbor while sharing a smoke and left it.  Damn near cried when they called saying they had it.” “That man and his mugs.” You giggle out.

“How’s Steve?  Heard Wheeler and him split.” Eddie cautiously inquired hoping to not drudge up any undesirable topics in the little time he had with you.  You closed your eyes and sighed at the thought of your brother’s pain.  “Yea it’s been difficult for him.  He just doesn’t know what to do.  He was sad about it and he still loves her, but he’s moved on from the initial heartbreak and he’s left in this sort of limbo right now. It’s stressing him out- and on top of that he’s trying to figure out colleges and what his plan for next year is.” You admitted to him in a word vomit- try to avoid the nitty gritty details of the breakup seeing as his situation mirrored yours and Eddies.  

“Man, that’s tough.  I can’t even think about my plan I just gotta see if I can make it through this semester let alone graduate or go to college.” Eddie chuckled out in a lighthearted jest.  “Eddie- “

“I know I know y/n the whole shpeal about my potential.  I get it and I really thank you for believing in me, but I’ve got bigger fish to fry than fucking high school right now.”

“What could be more important than trying to pass Eds?” You questioned him exasperatedly, gazing upon his profile- eyes transfixed on the road.  “I can think of a few things.” he snuck a glance at you out of the corner of his eye only to be met with the sight of your cheeks dusted in a red hue- like a polaroid developing in front of his eyes.  Your gaze returned to the road and you both stared at the inky night that stretched before you.  

“I just want the best for you Eds.  I get it’s not my place anymore, but I can’t just stop caring about you and being invested in your life like flipping a switch off.  That’s not how it works.”  You muttered defensively about your intrusion on his plans.  “You don’t have to be sorry for caring about me y/n and certainly don’t have to ever stop.”  

The car stopped moving. His statement shocked you so deeply you didn’t even realize you’d arrived home, his van parked at the edge of your lawn.  The lights illuminating the windows of your home we warm and inviting- beckoning you to come inside and escape the unpleasant car ride you’d endured if only to be in Eddie’s presence for a split second.  Your hand wrapped around the handle of the door, and you craned your neck around to peer at his face.  You were met with an expression you’d never seen cross Eddies face before- it was one of a thousand words all trapped within the confides of his body: chest, brain, mouth, lungs, tongue.  

You couldn’t discern a single thing he wanted to tell you, but you understood none the less.  You turned the corners of your mouth upward in a petite smile and thanked him for the ride.  He shook his head up and down wordlessly and tried to pin you to your seat in the van with his gaze.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and you exited the car- swiftly and quietly, leaving Eddie alone yet again.  

He couldn’t understand what brought him to this moment.  How he let his emotions get the better of him.  How he let you get away from him.  How he let you just walk out of his van without pleading for forgiveness and a second chance.  All he knew was that the world would not be right until you were back and his arms, and he vowed to himself that he would reconcile with you if you would have him; just as soon as he worked up the balls.  Which might take a while.

He sighed, rubbed his eyes in an irritated manner and put his van in drive, steering himself away from you and towards the isolation of his empty trailer.  

Alone again.

________________________________________________________________

So excited for the next chapter (it’s truly so long get ready) :)))))

About You

(Early November 1984) 

Prologue: The Split 

Eddie Munson x female!harrington!reader 

Chapter Summary:  Eddie confronts you about where you have been.  When you cannot provide an answer, the worst case scenario happens... 

Word Count: 1.7k (this is probably the shortest chapter lol)

 series masterlist here

Chapter warnings: Angst, breakup, aggressive Eddie, cheating allegations (not true)

Your heart dropped to the trailer floor- ripped in two halves.  

The statement your boyfriend just produced felt like he has thrust a knife into your chest, removed your heart, and ripped it in two.  You wished the bed you sat upon would swallow you whole.  Your eyes welled up and obstructed your view of him leaning on the dresser across the room from you as the words he spat reverberated in your brain like a harsh melody.  

“If you can’t trust me enough to tell me then I just… I don’t know if I can be with you.” Eddie hesitated as the weight of his words and the gravity of the situation dawned upon him.  He crossed his arms on his chest and stretched the red flannel he was wearing across his biceps.  It was a defensive stance that reflected his uncomfortable and frazzled state- yet you couldn’t help but recognize how beautiful he was as he did the simple action, no matter how inappropriate the circumstance was.  

You dragged your thoughts away from that of Eddies effortless beauty and pulled your sweater over your hands.  Using the heel of your palm, you wiped the quickly drying the water from your cheeks.

You weren’t crying because you were sad, not even because you were angry.  You cried out of frustration.  Helplessness seeped through your skin and your stomach churned at the fact there was nothing you could say or do to fix the situation.

You cried because he was right.  If you couldn’t tell him what happened, he couldn’t stay with you.  You couldn’t say why you disappeared for a week straight. Why you were talking to that douchebag Billy at school.  Why you have cuts and bruises splattered across your beautiful body like paint. Why you have ignored him except for the unavoidable places like class and lunch. 

“Eddie please,” you plead- no, beg, “Don’t do this.  I just can’t, not now.  Eventually I will I just-”

“Trust me y/n I don’t want to.  This-“ he welled up- a mirror image of the girl standing across from him, “I don’t think you get how much this is destroying me.”

“Then don’t!  Just give me a little while, please- just until things settle and die down- “

“What does that even mean!” he yelled exasperated, pushing off the dresser to close some of the space between you.  His shoulders were hunched like the conversation was physically weighing him down. “Die down? What things? Just tell me where you were! If you can’t tell me that then I have no choice but to assume you- “he stalled.

Eddie’s glassy eyes looked into yours with unprecedented intensity.  Pleading with you to prove his suspicions wrong.  To put his worries to rest and ease his fracturing mind.  

Billy Hargrove was a sorry excuse for a boy- much less a man.  The thought of the misogynistic asshole making Eddie insecure was vile, yet you couldn’t dispel his anxieties.  You wanted nothing more than to cut down the thought and provide an alibi- dispelling all worries from the guarded boy’s sensitive state.  But your alibi was too horrific and legally classified to disclose to your boyfriend, so Eddie had to stay out of the loop.  

Eddie didn’t believe you cheated, but his sad and clouded mind could not come to another conclusion. He did trust you.  Implicitly so.  But Eddie just couldn’t believe his luck.  Getting you to be his girlfriend in the first place, keeping you for so long with so many other eligible options for you to choose from, and you loved him? In his mind, the tables had to turn at some point- and here it was.  

“I wasn’t with him.  I would never cheat on you, Eddie.  I love you.  I need you like I need oxygen- it kills me you think I would ever want someone else.” You whine to him.  

“Then prove me wrong, y/n! Let’s look at the facts.  He’s been hitting on you all year.  I find you and him in a corner at Tina’s Halloween party- “

“He cornered me! Could you not see how relieved I was when you pulled me out of there?”

“-You go M.I.A. for like a week and when you finally resurface, Darren tells me he finds you consoling him behind the gym!  What the fuck is up y/n!”

“Darren doesn’t know what the hell he saw!  Please Eds you have to understand-”

“Then enlighten me y/n! Look me in the eye and tell me you weren’t with him when you disappeared.  Tell me you don’t like him.”

You match his intensity. You leave the bed, meeting him in the middle of the room, and close the gap that separates the two of you- grasping his face in your hands and palms cupping his cheeks.  Your eyes burning with insistence into his melting chocolate ones.  

“I wasn’t with him.  I love you, teddy.  I can’t even- god I can’t even think about someone else.”

He grabbed at your wrists and paused a moment.  He believed you.  He loved you too.  But it wasn’t enough to erase the betrayal.  “Then where were you.”

You closed your eyes and leaned your forehead against his.  You understood why he couldn’t let it go.  Eddie told you once that it felt like he repelled commitment; his parents dumped him with Wayne as a child, most of his classmates avoided all interaction with him, and his teachers all gave up on helping him a long time ago.  But then you came along.  A raft in a raging sea.  A blanket in a merciless winter.  So, you could understand why this broke him.  You were the only shred of light left and if you abandoned him too- he feared he would be left in the dark.  Permanently.  

What you couldn’t do- is tell him what happened. You couldn’t explain that your best friend’s little brother and friends found a bald-headed girl in the woods last year that unlocked a secret world which paralleled Hawkins but was infested with monsters of unimaginable horror.  You couldn’t tell him that the boy you babysat, Will Byers, started seeing a shadow monster in the sky and accidentally blipping into that ghastly netherworld and was somehow connected to said shadow monster that had intentions to take over the boy, the town, and probably the world. You couldn’t tell him that the reason you went off the grid was to team up with your friends and focus on taking down this ominous evil. You couldn’t tell him that Billy's little sister was a part of the motley crew that banded together to take down this monster which caused Billy to come looking for said little sister.  And you certainly couldn’t tell him that you were talking to him behind the gym at school to see if he was alright after taking a bad beating from your brother and recovering from an involuntary drugging by his sister- your kindness getting the better of you.  

So, you didn’t.

“I just can’t explain it. Yet.”

Eddie inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.  He pulled your hands from his face and separated your foreheads from each other. He looked into your eyes- his own begging you to change your mind and not force him to make this choice.  

When your face projected that you were cemented in your decision, he became cemented in his.

“Then come find me when you can.  Until then, I think we- “He stopped as tears left his eyes and found purchase in the shag carpet of his bedroom floor.  He found his voice again and finished his sentence, “We need to be done.”  

He let your arms go and they fell limply to your sides.  You couldn’t feel them, as they dragged your shoulders down.  You couldn’t feel the tears that streamed down your cheeks onto your neck and collarbone.  You couldn’t even feel the floor beneath you- like the news pulled the ground out from under you.  That’s why you can only assume you floated to the front porch since you didn’t feel your legs pull you away from Eddies bedroom where he sat on his floor in a hysterical ball.  

You don’t remember the fight after he said you should break up.  You don’t remember the pleading and begging and shouting from both parties.  You don’t remember calling your brother to come pick you up from the trailer you once considered a second home.  

“I thought he was driving you home. Its only like 6?”

“Stevie, please. Just- just come get me.”

“Oh… okay then.  I’ll be there in a little bit.”

You don’t remember how long you sat on Eddies front porch with misty eyes and a trembling body from the crisp November night air.  

But you will never, ever forget the sound of Eddies muffled sobs of anger through the thin trailer walls, or the look on his face as he watched you climb into Steve’s car through the window in his room- pure anguish and immediate regret.  

Steve gripped the steering wheel, knuckles turning white, as he too saw Eddie visibly distraught through the window.  Only after he slowly pulled out of the Forest Hills trailer park and turned onto the main road, did he finally break the silence.  

“You okay?”

“No.”

You figured there was no point in lying.  Steve always found your bluntness amusing, even as children.  However, the low morale of the car ride has him unable to find the humor in your comment.  

“Do you feel like talking?”

“No.”

You both breathed for a second.  There was no need to talk.  It went unspoken.  You both knew what just happened and you both knew that the next few months were going to be rough.  Grueling. Torturous.  But you had Stevie to help.  So, you wouldn’t be alone.

But you both knew he wasn’t who you wanted by your side.  Who you needed by your side.  

He wasn’t Eddie.

Steve’s heart ached at the state you were in.  The streetlights turned his passenger window into a mirror, reflecting a vision of you with puffy eyes and silent tears racing down the hills of your cheeks.  

Meanwhile, it was like your life was flashing before your eyes.  Memories of you and Eddie filled your head and ripped you apart.  Picnics in the back of his van, private concerts in his room, stolen kisses in yours, strong arms that held you together when it times got hard.  

He came and made everything right.  Now, he has left.  And everything is wrong.

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

This is my first story so be kind to it!  I just love writing as a hobby and stranger things (*cough Eddie cough*) and thought I’d take a try.  :)))))

About You

Masterlist 

Eddie Munson x female!Harrington!reader (Y/N used)

Series TW: panic attacks, 18+ generally mature content, trauma, angst, partying, smoking (cigarettes), drinking, (in editing in case I missed anything)

In the aftermath of the events of season 2, Eddie confronts you about why you ignored him for a week and basically went missing.  You can’t tell him to protect him.  Angst ensues. 

*Eddie is not very understanding at first, but rightfully so and I feel it’s in character so... 

Prologue: The Split 

Chapter 1: The Car Ride

Chapter 2: The Dance 

Chapter 3: The Party 

Chapter 4: The Rift

Chapter 5: (in progress)

Chapter 6: (in progress)

~This is my first story so be kind to it!  I just love writing as a hobby and stranger things (*cough Eddie cough*) and thought I’d take a try.  :)))))~

Eddie Munson brain dump because I have too many thoughts to keep contained: Mild NSFW. MDNI

-He has the best hugs. You know the ones where you feel completely safe in their arms? Like nothing bad can happen as long as they're holding you? His hugs are like that.

-This boy is so starved for affection. We saw the way he gave Chrissy a discount just for being nice to him. Anytime you say something sweet or give him a gentle touch he just fucking melts.

-Aftercare king. He can get a little mean when he's in dom!space but afterwards he treats you like a goddamn queen.

-Speaking of queen, absolutely calls you stuff like Princess, Honey, Sweetheart. Refers to you and his guitar as 'his girls'.

-One time, you call him "dungeon master" jokingly but it turns out he really likes it. After that he always makes you call him "master" whenever you're fucking.

-Loves fucking you so good that you cry. At first, he was scared, thinking he hurt you (too much) but once he figured out the tears are a good sign he can't get enough of them.

-Has plenty of experience from the girls in Hawkins wanting to get some strange but has never actually been a relationship before you.

-You can never decide what he's most talented with, his tongue, his fingers or his cock. No matter what he's using, you're coming at least three times before he lets up (unless you've been bad and he's denying you orgasms.)

-Is an absolute dom but secretly gets a thrill and thinks it's ridiculously hot on the rare occasion when you take control.

-The mouth on this man is absolutely filthy. Once he knows you're into both degradation and praise he literally will not shut up when your fucking. Even when he's beyond words he's got the most beautiful moans and grunts.

-His hipbones and happy trail have you changing religion. Forget communion, you've got a new god to get on your knees to worship.

-Will make a point to kiss every part of your body that you're self-conscious about. Seriously, if you've got a hang-up about so much as your fucking fingernails, each one's getting a smooch.

-Fucking adores really sloppy blowjobs with just a hint of teeth.

-But he loves giving head even more than getting it. Eats pussy like a starving man getting his last meal. Would have you sit on his face all day if you let him.

-Loves marking you. Hickies, love bites, bruises shaped like his hands. Wants anyone who so much as glances at you to now that you're owned.

-The first time you get together, you're teasing him, telling him he isn't mean. Saying something like "You're such a sweetheart, the only time you can even pretend to be mean is when you're dungeon master." Eventually he gets fed up and pins you to the wall by your neck. He can feel your throat bob against his palm and you choke out, "I don't think this is having exactly the effect you intended it to, Munson." And when he looks down and sees you rubbing your thighs together the smirk on his face is pure sin.

BAHAHAHHAA "HI, I'M HOMEWORK."

💛💛💛💛💛

Ok I have to be honest I am a sucker for scenarios where Jason has a crush on y/n but she's dating Eddie. Eddie getting to rub it in jasons face is just so satisfying. Idk maybe I just really love Eddie and really hate Jason. Soooo I was wondering if I could request that. Maybe Jason is always flirting with her and Eddie is finally just like “fuck it” and kisses her right in front of him?

Tysm I'm in love with your writing btw ❤️❤️❤️

You were sitting with your friends on the lunch table, when you felt a heavy hand land on your shoulder. You look up, already starting to smile at the idea it was Eddie, only to come face to face with Jason Carver. The smile freezes. "Oh. Uh. Hi, Jason," you said, and took a sip of your CapriSun to cover your awkwardness. "What can I do for you?"

He smiled at you, and you swallowed thickly. "Well," he said, shifting his weight. "It's the big game tonight, and I was wondering if you'd like an invite to the afterparty. It's at mine."

You blinked. "What, on a Tuesday?"

"Um." He stared at you. "Yeah?"

You bit your lip. "I dunno, Jason. It's a schoolnight. I've got plans, too," you added. "I've got to do homework. Yeah." You nodded twice. "Mrs. Bryce is on my ass. Maybe next time, then?"

"Definitely next time," Jason responded, and winked at you. "Just you and me, I promise." When he left, your friends closed ranks around you, howling at what had just happened. You caught Eddie's eyes above their heads -- he was watching you, chin in his hand.

"What was that all about," he asked, walking you out of the cafeteria. "Jason wanted to recruit you to his Bible study, or something?" He tucked you hair behind your ear and twisted so he was leaning against a locker, watching you fumble.

"I think," you said slowly, piecing together the encounter in your brain, "he asked me out."

Eddie slipped against the locker. "What, like a date?"

"No, like a multi-level marketing scheme," you retorted, and flipped your hair over your shoulder. "Yes, like a date, Eddie." He crowed, punching a fist in the air. "Uh. That's not the reaction I was expecting."

Eddie grinned, pulling you into his arms. "That asshole has been a stick up my ass for almost my whole life," he exclaimed. "Finally I have the high ground."

You looked at him drily. "What am I, chattel?"

He cooed, pressing your cheeks together between his palms. "Just the prettiest chattel this side of the Mississippi, babygirl." He snuck a kiss from you. "Aw, princess. This made my week. Nothing could make this better."

--

"Okay," Eddie huffed against your mouth as he pressed you up against the hood of your car, "this could definitely make my week better. Get my lawyer to scratch that from my record."

"Oh my god," you muttered, pulling him between your legs. "Literally, shut up."

"Shutting up."

Eddie threaded his hands through your hair, tugging it gently until your mouth opened against his, sticking his hands in the pockets of your jeans and grabbing. "Eddie!" you gasped, wrenching your head back. "Quit it, we're in school."

"Mmm," he mumbled, nosing at your neck. "It's technically after hours." That was true. You were picking him up from Hellfire, taking him back to yours for dinner with your parents, like you did every Tuesday night. "Is a school still a school if it's not operating as a school?"

"I dropped AP Philosophy," you whispered, entirely too focused on how his hands were snaking up your back. "So I have no idea."

"I don't really care," Eddie agreed, "but we can totally have a Socratic debate about it la-aaaaah the fuck?"

He was hauled away from you by his collar, arms flailing at his assailant. Jason. "The fuck are you doing here, freak?" Jason spat, before turning to look at you. "Hey. Is he bothering you?"

"Uh," you said, intelligently. "No?"

Jason blinked. "Wh-- you? What are you doing here?" he asked you, staring. "I thought you said you had to do homework?"

"Hi," Eddie said, dangling from Jason’s iron grip. "I'm homework."

Your favorite song

[first chapter] [second chapter] [third chapter] [fourth chapter] [fifth chapter]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains season 4 spoilers! Not any vol2 spoilers tho. The summary is for the entire series. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I really got emotional writing a certain scene and I suggest you to read it while listening to some sad love songs lol

(Also let me know if you have any ideas about which song should be the reader's favorite song!)

Word Count: 2.9k

What to Expect: Reader x Eddie Munson, Jason Carver, Confronting Jason and defending Eddie, Reuniting with Eddie after a long time, Fluff and angst at the same time, Dustin and Eddie being heartwarmingly cute, Eddie caring for the reader and comforting her, Some romantic moments, Others finding out about the reader's problem and more!

As Steve’s car disappeared into the woods, you made your way to Jason. When he saw you approaching, he put on a little smile and greeted you with a swift nod of his head. He looked like a mess with all of his clothes soaked up and he seemed like he didn't sleep all night. 

‘(Y/N)! What are you doing here?’ He asked curiously, tilting his head. It was obvious that he was shocked to see you there. Only two types of people would’ve been there; weed addicts or people who would know where Eddie was this whole time.

‘Jason, hey… You good? What happened?’ You asked, trying to avoid his question while putting on a sincere, worried look on your face.

‘Answer me first, sweetie.’ He said in return, he was still smiling but now it was a fake, forced one. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

‘I’m sorry…  I don’t understand.’ You answered, frowning. You were trying to appear clueless. You also hated the nickname but you couldn’t let him get to you and show your anger, not now.

In an attempt to close the big distance between the two of you, he took a step forward and tried to be closer so that you would feel intimidated by his tall, muscular frame. You didn’t move even though you felt a wave of fear washing over you. 

‘C’mon, tell me.’

‘...Fine.’ You sighed.

Then you rapidly took a look around, especially at the police cars and tried to seem like you were embarrassed about what you were going to say next. Seeing you in distress, he looked at where you were looking and turned to you, whispering:

‘Wait, are you here to… buy drugs?’ He furrowed his brows and you hummed in response. 

‘Damn, didn’t know you were a fucking junkie, (Y/N).’

‘Well, you got me!’ You exclaimed as you put both of your hands up high, accepting the ‘defeat’... This guy knew exactly how to annoy you.

‘You don’t seem like the type to smoke weed and be a fucking coward. That’s awful.’

‘Well Chrissy didn’t either, did she?’ You blurted out. Being fed with Jason’s bullshit, you wanted to give him a piece of your mind. 

‘What did you just say?’

‘Don’t you dare talk about her that way.’ He was now gritting his teeth, angry at the thing you said and continued,

‘Where did you even get this ‘Rick’ guy’s number? From the school’s freak?’ And with that, he stopped talking. He was trying to get a reaction out of you.  

‘Oh, the D&D club leader? What was his name… Ethan? Edward?’

‘They call him Eddie. He is a fucking cult leader. I saw him last night, he was hiding in here. When he saw us, he tried to escape. I was with Patrick when that loser ran away. We were right after him, so close to capturing him when, when Patrick…’

He was having a hard time explaining what happened. But you understood what went down in a matter of seconds: Patrick was also cursed by Vecna and it was too late for him now.

‘I’m sorry about what happened Jason, it must be really tough.’ 

‘Are you really now? Insulting Chrissy like that… She wasn’t like any of you freaks.’

‘Look Jason… I’m trying to be understanding here… But you’re making it really hard. Stop calling us names. Not everyone is living the dream life you’re living, prince charming.’

‘You’re calling this a dream? My girlfriend and one of my best friends are dead. Because of that satanic cult leader.’ He said in disgust.

‘Satanic? He just likes to play a fantasy game, he doesn't worship the goddamn satan.’ You hissed, now it was your turn to grit your teeth. You couldn’t stand his attitude towards Eddie.

‘Why are you defending him?’ He asked and slowly started to put the pieces together:

‘...Steve dropped you off here, didn’t he? I saw some other figures in the back of his car. He was really close with the Henderson kid, what was his name… Dustin, right?’ 

‘Oh what now? You’re gonna go after King Steve with your little ducklings? …Good luck.’

‘(Y/N), you wouldn’t wanna do this. We just want to know where Eddie is. Help us out and I might find a way to return the favor...’ He said, grinning. You felt as if you were going mental.

‘Even If I knew where Eddie or Dustin was, you wouldn’t get a single word out of my mouth. You hear me? Not even a single word.’

‘Don’t make this harder than it should be. You wouldn’t like the consequences.’

‘Oh I would love to see you try, Carver.’

                                                                           ****

As you finished the conversation, you heard a car engine rolling up. It was, of course, Steve. Not wanting to risk the kids, he didn’t come near you. Instead, he parked right beside where the forest started and got out of the car. 

After getting out and seeing you standing so close to Jason, he got worried and locked his eyes on him. You turned back, only to catch him glaring at Jason. With that, you gave Jason a look of warning and went to Steve’s car.

When you got in the car, you noticed that Dustin looked so relieved. You were about to ask what happened when Lucas questioned you, about what happened between you and Jason. 

You started telling them everything as Steve drove off into the woods. After a few minutes, you filled them in with all the details and turned back to the passengers seat: Dustin was overjoyed with happiness. It has been a few days since you last saw him this relaxed and happy.

‘Guys.. Is he okay?’ you asked. 

‘Dustin, just tell her the news.’ stated Robin, giving him a little shoulder blow because she was sitting in between him and Lucas in the backseat. 

‘Okay okay. (Y/N), you ready to hear the amazing news?’

‘Is it about… Eddie?’

‘Bingo.’ 

                                                                      ****

As Steve parked in an unknown place, you got out of his car and started to gather your things. When all of you were ready to go, Steve volunteered to lead you to the destination. He said that the place was his speciality and it was: Skull Rock.

A few minutes earlier in the car, after being so curious for the longest time, Dustin told you that Eddie called them from a construction worker’s walkie-talkie. At first, it was hard for you to digest the information but later, after your talk with Jason you started to understand what happened. 

Apparently, Eddie only told Dustin that he was at Skull Rock, that he needed help and on a special note, that he missed you.

Hearing Dustin say all of that made you feel over the moon. You were so happy to hear that Eddie finally reached out to you guys and that he was okay and safe. But even if you heard him say all of that, you had to see him for yourself as soon as possible. 

And now, you were following Steve into the woods while he and Dustin were arguing about whether or not you guys were going in the right direction. Dustin kept telling Steve that you were going in the wrong direction and that they were going to get lost according to his compass. 

After a few minutes of listening to Dustin nagging, Steve couldn't take it anymore and said: ‘Look, I made this place famous okay? I know where it is, so just follow me and trust me Henderson.’

You didn’t know where this infamous Skull Rock was and apparently, none of you knew it other than Steve so you followed him, hoping that he was true. At that point, Dustin didn’t have a choice but not to follow him so he took his place right behind him and let him guide you into the forest. 

While taking a stroll down the forest, you thought to yourself that Eddie was indeed, waiting for you guys there. He probably didn't have anything to eat for a day or two, so you packed all the snacks and stuffed them into your bag earlier. But oh crap! You forgot the six packs at Hendersons’.

Luckily, you knew how to make up for it.

After a long walk in the woods, you finally made it to the Skull Rock. It was a huge rock that looked like… a skull. How surprising. 

Your eyes were searching the spot like crazy for a sign of Eddie, the six of you were looking everywhere but none of you seemed to find him. 

As you began to lose hope, you turned back to Dustin only to see Eddie jumping to the ground from the top of the big rock.

When both of you locked eyes, it almost felt as if the whole world stopped spinning. Almost felt like everything lost its meaning besides Eddie. Your lover was standing right in front of you, safe and sound. After all this time, seeing him brought tears to your eyes, tears of joy. Although he looked like a mess, you didn't care.

He was looking into your eyes so deeply you once again remembered how much you loved his doe brown eyes. His beautiful brown curls, his denim ‘Dio’ jacket on top of a leather one, the metal chain hanging off of his pants never looked so good and like home to you. 

You never thought someone could’ve felt like home, but he did. 

When Dustin saw how surprised you were, he slowly turned back and found Eddie standing there, staring at you. Without giving it much of a thought, he ran to him and hugged him, hard. 

Eddie was taken aback by his action and you were really surprised this time, if you weren’t this much before. Understanding that he had no choice other than to hug Dustin back, Eddie patted Dustin’s shoulder and returned the hug. 

When Eddie returned his hug, Dustin snuggled up to him and you heard a sniffling coming from him. 

Eddie had a neutral face when Dustin hugged him at first, but after hearing him try to cover up his crying, he couldn’t help but have a little gloomy smile on his face. Knowing that he meant so much to Dustin made his heart melt and he hugged him tighter for a few more seconds before letting him go. 

When you saw that scene unravel right in front of you, you couldn’t help but get more emotional. They had such a great, brotherly bond and you’ve never been aware of it like this before.

And the big moment finally came: After a few seconds of sharing a meaningful gaze, he started to walk towards you. There was kind of a big distance between the two of you and you didn’t want to wait any longer, so you started to run to him. 

Seeing you running towards him, he opened his arms to his sides and flashed you a smile while a teardrop fell down his face. 

Finally after a few steps, you jumped into his arms and buried your face in his chest.

He immediately wrapped his arms around you and placed his head on top of yours, sniffing your hair. He loved the way you smell, you brought so much comfort and happiness to him than you could’ve possibly imagined. 

‘Eddie, I was- I was so scared that something… might’ve happened to you.’ You said, not breaking apart, still holding him as close as possible. You were a sobbing mess, feeling tears streaming down your face and staining his denim jacket.

‘Well, I was scared too but… I’m here now.’ He mumbled and hugged you tighter. You swore you could’ve held onto him for the rest of your life. After a few more seconds, he broke apart and started nudging your chin with his thumb until you were looking him in the eyes. 

‘Hey hey hey, wipe those tears baby.’ He said, putting a strand of hair behind your ear with his free hand to see your beautiful face better. All you could ever do was to weep quietly while looking into his eyes with love and sadness.

‘I love you, (Y/N). Don’t you ever forget that.’ He said for everyone to hear and with that, his lips were on top of yours. It wasn’t anything intense or sloppy, it was more like a tender and gentle kiss. You were holding each other close, your arms wrapped around his neck and his wrapped around your waist, drawing you in.

As you broke apart, you whispered ‘I love you too Eddie.’

Not being able to open your eyes after the kiss, you wanted the feeling to linger. You were both an emotional mess but at least you got your happy ending, for now…

‘Where’s my ‘I love you’, man?’ Dustin yelled, in a playful yet surprisingly serious way. His eyes were still teary.

‘I love you too, Henderson. C’mere.’

                                                   ****

After the three of you came back to your senses, it was time to discuss a new plan. During Steve and Dustin’s argument about where the Skull Rock was located, Dustin thought that his compass was broken. But later, he understood that wasn’t the case: There was another source that was more powerful out there which made the compass show north in its direction. 

A brainstorming session after, Dustin said that it could be another gate to the Upside Down and that you had to check it out as soon as possible. In the meantime, he made Eddie agree on coming with the rest of you. 

‘...So uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently. I ran. And I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor… but The Shire is burning. So Mordor it is.’

Dustin started to jump cheerfully and had this huge smile on his face. Though, the rest of you were pretty clueless about what Eddie just said. So he thought he had to clarify himself:

‘I’ll come with you guys. It’s better than hiding. Doesn’t even fit a Dungeon Master anyway.’

After some time, everybody was ready to leave Skull Rock when you heard a strange noise. 

...A grandpa clock ticking to be precise. You felt a shiver run down your spine and turned your back, only to see one. It looked so real.

Thinking back about the things Max told all of you, you couldn’t help but to stare at the clock, eyes wide open with terror.

‘(Y/N), baby, what’s wrong?’ Said Eddie as he put a hand on your back. He was the first person to realize what was going on with you.

You didn’t hear him talking to you because you were spaced out; After seeing the clock, you lost the concept of reality and the knowledge of what was real or not in a matter of seconds. So when you felt his touch, your heartbeat quickened and you thought you were going to lose your mind right there and then. 

‘Jesus Christ!’ You exclaimed, turning to Eddie. 

‘Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.’

‘...You guys don’t see it, do you?’ You added, looking around frantically between the clock and the others. While doing so, you saw Eddie’s pale face and the worried expression he had which made you realize that you were once again seeing a vision. 

You were still at the Skull Rock, everyone was now starting to gather around in a circle. 

You immediately switched your gaze to Max only to see she had the same worried look on her face with a little bit of confusion. She quickly took off her headphones and gave all of her attention to you, asking: 

‘(Y/N)... Why didn’t you tell us?’

‘I didn’t want to burden anyone… We were working on so many other things-’ 

‘How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?’ Nancy asked.

‘I don’t know, I always had nightmares but the headaches and visions began not too long ago.’

‘She told us that she saw a grandpa clock so... unfortunately she doesn’t have much time. Mine happened 24 hours later after seeing it.’ Added Max, a pained expression covering her face. 

You knew eventually that you were going to be a victim of Vecna but you never thought that it would happen this soon.

When you heard the words that left Max’s mouth, you felt as if your legs couldn’t hold you any longer and you looked around for a rock to sit on. Luckily there was a log of wood near you so you carefully sat on top of it. 

Eddie was next to you while you were standing and after you sat down, he sat right next to you, close. Your knees were brushing against one another and he reached his hand out to hold yours.

The warm sensation of his hand brought you some comfort and you flashed him a grateful little smile. He was still worried and when he saw you smiling, he felt a tiny bit of relief. 

‘What can we do to save her from that… fucker’s curse?’ Eddie asked, growing impatient because of the urgence of the problem.

Although he was scared, he didn’t want to make you feel more anxious than you already were so he started rubbing your thumb with gentle motions. 

Kate Bush’s song still being heard through her headphones, Max replied:

‘(Y/N), what is your favorite song?’

                                                        ****

Thank you so much for reading chapter five of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it is appreciated. Also If you’d like to be added to the taglist, let me know.

 Stay in tune for the next chapter <3 

taglist:

@theold-ultraviolence @eyesfullofstars311 @unatempesta-dipensieri @nobody-000 @silky-luxe @fuckthisandrock @studysims

@your-momahoe316 @dan-the-space-man @mosf13 @httpjiikook @shinydixon @sadenchiladas @liv0679 @jungwoo-siwa @jaazzsblog @m-i-1-0 @plk-18 @eddies-gf @witheringawayagain

@theoreticslut @kbakery @edsrealgf @theloveablesociopath @slicksquids @da-disappointment

Your favorite song

[chapter I] [chapter II] [chapter III] [chapter IV]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains spoilers! If you haven’t watched S4 I wouldn’t recommend reading this fic. Maybe you could save it for later? The summary is for the entire series, not only for this chapter. I highly recommend you to check out the previous chapters! I try to follow the plot as strictly as possible but there are certain changes. Hope you enjoy it. There isn't any volume 2 spoilers.

Word Count: 3.5k

What to Expect: Reader x Eddie Munson, a nightmare about Eddie, takes place during the 'Dear Billy' episode with some changes... read to find out more!

Spoilers below cut, you have been warned!

After Max found out that she was going to die tomorrow, she couldn't sleep. Instead, all she ever wanted was to write letters to the ones she cared for the most. Or to the ones she wanted to say something for the last time. She knew that she didn't have much time left so she wanted to leave others something that they could cherish after she was gone.

While Nancy and Robin were choosing their ‘academic looks’ for tomorrow upstairs, you helped them pick some of the pieces they were going to wear. As much as you wanted to stay right beside Max, she was too busy with her letters and didn’t want to talk to anyone. And as a result of that, you were now listening to Steve whining about always being the goddamn babysitter. 

‘Nancy, does Robin look like an academic scholar to you?’ He asked while looking at Nancy, moving his eyebrows up and furrowing them, asking the question seriously.

Then immediately, you heard Robin saying ‘Oh my god it has a little ballerina in it!’ while holding a small music box, showing it to you and the others. 

‘Robin it’s not the best time-’ you quickly whispered. You were sitting on Nancy’s bed so you were close to Robin. She heard you and quickly but clumsily, she closed the cute little box and put it where it belonged. 

Steve was looking in Robin's direction and he rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at how Robin always ended up partnering with Nancy when he could’ve spent that time with her. He turned to Nancy once more to check if she was sure of the decision she made... She was.

‘Maybe not right now but when she wears this, she will be.’ Nancy smiled and turned to the rest of you. She was holding a preppy, pastel colored flared top and a long skirt. She also had some jewelry for Robin which fitted with the whole vibe of that look. Robin looked at Nancy in disbelief and tried to protest her but she also knew she didn’t have another choice.

After deciding Nancy’s look too, you all kicked Steve out of the room. ‘Oh so you guys are gonna change now? Well I uh, I can turn around and wait.’

‘Steve… leave this to us girls, okay?’

‘Oh okay… Well, I’ll just go and check up on the others.’

‘Let me know if you guys need anything.’ He said as he walked out of the room. Robin got up from the bed and followed Steve to close the door behind him. She was saying ‘Yeah yeah we will, just go now.’

As she was closing the door, Steve turned to his back and tried to stop Robin, his hands on the door. ‘You know I can use my charm Nancy!’ He yelled.

‘STEVE DO US A FAVOR AND GO BABYSIT THE GODDAMN KIDS!’ Robin shouted as she closed the door shut to Steve’s face. 

You looked at Robin and saw the amusement in her eyes. She was trying to hold back her laughter because Steve was desperately trying to be close to Nancy. You also tried not to laugh and you guys were now having a kind of staring contest to see who would break out laughing first. 

But neither of you lasted another second as you started to give up and laugh loudly. While you guys were busy having fun, you noticed that Nancy was giggling, she had a little smirk on her face. She was trying to hide it but she wasn’t very good at it.

All of you stayed at the Wheelers’ house that night.

                                         ****

After Nancy and Ms Wheeler made sure everyone had a blanket and a pillow, Ms Wheeler said good night to everybody and got out of the living room in order to go to her bedroom.

When Nancy heard the cracks coming from the stairs, she understood that her mother was far away from them. Without wasting another second, she turned to Steve, Lucas and Dustin and told them that they had to keep an eye out for Max. 

Anything could’ve happened to her in a matter of seconds and none of you wanted that. So in order to prevent it or at least discover it before it's too late, Nancy thought of watching over her. 

Even though you didn’t know how to protect her from an invisible murderer-monster, you knew she would feel safer with other people around her.

And it was up to the guys to watch over her. You normally would’ve stayed with them but Nancy invited you to her bedroom and you couldn’t turn down a more comfortable sleeping environment. Robin was going to sleep in Nancy’s room too. 

Everyone said good night and the three of you headed upstairs. After a little walk down the hallway, you reached the bedroom and got settled, getting ready to sleep. Just after you, Nancy and Robin sat down on Nancy’s bed and they started to go over their plan for tomorrow one last time, before sleeping.

They were trying to keep it quiet but Robin wasn’t really good at whispering. You didn’t mind it though. After the visions and the horrible nightmares you had for the past couple of days, you didn’t want to be alone in the dark. So needless to say, you were happy about the company.

                                         *****

And after you had a much needed quality sleep, tomorrow came.

You woke up feeling the tingling and warm sensation of sun rays on your face. It was early in the morning; the sun was shining and the birds were chiming. It seemed like it ought to be a good day. At least, you hoped that way but life had other plans for all of you.

While you were still under your blanket, yawning and trying to get rid of the foggines that was covering your brain due to just waking up, you heard Nancy rushing out the door. 

She went downstairs and walked to the living room quickly to check on Max and the others. You stood up and went to the bathroom to wash your face. A few minutes passed and you heard Robin calling your name for you to come to the living room.

You rapidly went downstairs and joined the others. Everyone was packing their things and were ready to go. Nancy and Robin were going to the asylum as planned and Max wanted to drop off some of her letters to her house so Steve was going to drive the kids there. 

And while the others were busy with all of that, you were going to go to the supermarket to grab Eddie some snacks… and maybe a 6 pack. They promised to go back to the shack and check him in the evening if everything worked out perfectly. So you had to be prepared in case you got to see him.  

                                         ****

After shopping, you wanted to reach out to Eddie and tell him that you got him the six pack he desperately wanted. Though unfortunately, Steve and Nancy got the walkie talkies and you didn’t have another option other than Dustin’s setup if you wanted to talk to Eddie. So, you went to Dustin’s house to try out your luck. 

With a paper bag full of snacks and beer cans, you knocked on the Hendersons' door. A few seconds passed and you knocked again. Hearing nothing but a distant car engine noise, you started to grow impatient. You knocked one more time and yelled,

‘Ms Henderson, are you at home? 

‘HELLO? Anybody?’

It was clear that she wasn’t at home. But you didn’t give up, you weren’t planning on it. So, you wandered around the house and found Dustin’s bedroom window. You needed something to step on in order to reach the window and get inside. Luckily, there was a mini ladder in the backyard of their neighbor.

You swiftly skimmed around and saw that no one was nearby; Hendersons’ neighbors must’ve been at work and there was no one in plain sight. 

Then, with the adrenaline rushing, you quickly moved over to their garden and grabbed the little white wooden ladder, placed it underneath the window and climbed up.

When you grabbed the hems of the window, you put all the pressure on your hands and jumped inside, landing on the floor. When your body met the floor, there was a big noise. A noise big enough to alert Dustin’s cat. You quickly stood up.

You’ve been at Dustin’s house dozens of times by now and you tried to pet Tews in every chance you got. A year or two ago, their first cat Mews died and in order to open their house to a new cat and try to fill the emotional gap, they adopted the cute little Tews.

‘Hey baby.’ You whispered gently and Tews came closer to you, rubbing himself onto your legs. You quickly crouched and started to pet him. Hearing the lovely purrs he makes made your heart melt. 

You continued to pet him a little longer and as far as you could tell, Tews was very happy with his current situation. As much as you wanted to spend more time with him, you had to speak to Eddie. 

It’s been a long time since you two last talked and you desperately wanted to hear him. Hear him saying that he was safe and happy. 

You didn’t know all of Dustin’s ham radio setup but luckily you knew the basics. He has taught you about it when you asked what it was the first time you were in his house. 

You weren’t actually curious about how it worked but when he started to tell you all the details about it, you knew you had to listen to him because he was so happy to teach it to somebody. You couldn’t stop him after you saw the excitement in his eyes.

And this one time in Family Video Parlor, while he was telling about his day to Steve, he mentioned that he taught you about his radio.

‘See, (Y/N) is way cooler than you, Steve. You never wanted to learn about it!’

‘Woah woah woah woah… Henderson?’ He looked hurt, placing a hand over his heart as if he had been stabbed. 

‘Don’t sound so surprised Steve, he’s right. She is definitely cooler than you.’ Added Robin.

You chuckled at the sight in front of you; Steve was furrowing his eyebrows and his mouth was agape, looking confused and a little sad. He was definitely putting on a show. 

In the meantime, Dustin was looking directly in his eyes, challenging him and smiling brightly than ever. These little moments brought joy to your life.

                                        ****

After setting the radio and controlling all the buttons, you braced yourself and touched the voice button. 

‘Munson, can you hear me?’

No sound. 

‘If you can hear me, please say something Munson. This should be working.’

Still no answer.

You tried again.

‘Eddie, please answer me… EDDIE!’

After yelling, you heard nothing but Tews’ little meow. You couldn’t comprehend what was going on. You did everything like Dustin has shown you. You checked all the buttons again, fearing the worst;

What if Eddie got caught? What if the police found him? Or worse, what if Jason and the others found him? You didn’t want to let the bad thoughts consume you but it was late. You were already scared.

You felt your vision getting blurry as your eyes began to water up. You looked around the room in an attempt to clear your head but suddenly, there was this painful ache in your heart, your throat burning. 

You didn’t know what to do. For a few seconds, you blankly stared at the wall in front of you, trying to come up with an idea. Then you thought of communicating with the others so that you guys could make a plan and go see him sooner.  

You were trying to change the station in order to reach out to Dustin’s walkie talkie. You did the last adjustments and you were ready to go. 

‘Dustin? Dustin please tell me you copy.’

‘(Y/N)? How?’

‘I uh, broke into your house but that's not important right now.’ 

You tried to ignore the lump in your throat and continued: ‘I can’t reach out to Eddie and I’m worried, like really worried.’ 

‘...Are you sure you checked all the buttons? Maybe you made a mistake-’

You knitted your eyebrows as you felt a couple of tears streaming down your cheek and tried your hardest not to break into tears. 

‘Dustin look. I controlled them over and over again. I didn’t make a mistake. We have to go to the shack as soon as possible, I need to know if he’s alright.’ 

‘Maybe he is busy with something (Y/N). We’re here at the graveyard right now, Max is sitting in front of Billy’s gravestone, reading her letter to him.’

‘Once she finishes, we’ll come pick you up and go to the shack okay? I promise. But us coming to you, it could take a while.’

‘Dustin please, you don’t understand. We have to check up on him as soon as we can. We could be too late.’

For a while, Dustin didn’t give you an answer and you didn’t hear anything from them. Not even a single noise. 

‘Dustin?...DUSTIN.’

You heard a distant voice, you figured that it belonged to Lucas. ‘DUSTIN SHE’S FLOATING! ...FLOATING!!’

‘...Oh sHIT SHIT SHIT!’ Dustin exclaimed. His voice was higher than usual, meaning he was really scared.

‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN FLOATING? DUSTIN WHA-’

‘(Y/N) GOTTA GO TALK TO YA LATER.’

                                           ****

After talking to Dustin, you had so many questions but you didn’t have anything to do. Your hands were tied and this waiting was going to drive you nuts. 

Hoping that Nancy and Robin found a way to beat Vecna, you laid down on Dustin’s bed and drifted off to a small nap without realizing. Turns out, after all that mental exhaustion you desperately needed a rest. 

Even though your nap was small, the dream you saw had a long lasting effect on you even after you woke up. 

In your dream, you were in the same exact position, laying down on Dustin’s bed in their house, Tews snuggling up to you. For a second, you looked so peaceful.

But this moment didn’t stay for long. After a few seconds, you woke up to a gunshot sound that had just flared. The noise came from somewhere close, as if it happened in the backyard of Hendersons’. 

You quickly but carefully stood up, trying not to wake the cat up. First, you looked outside from the living room window but you couldn’t quite tell who those people were at first glance. But there were two people, one on the ground who was fighting for his life and the other was holding the gun towards him. 

You rapidly made your way to the backyard door and opened it. When the guy with the gun heard the noise, he started to run, escaping the backyard. 

You yelled at the guy for him to turn back, so that you could understand who it was. But when the sleepiness wore down, you understood everything perfectly. It was Jason.

So, that meant that the person who was shot would be… Eddie. You quickly turned your gaze towards the guy on the floor. And it was him. Gasping for air, his torso covered in blood, a single tear streaming down his left cheek.

You ran to him, almost throwing yourself at the ground beside him. Your hands immediately cupped his face and his gaze turned towards you, leaning into your touch.

‘(Y/N)?’ He looked deeply in your eyes and forced a smile. It was obvious that he was in pain. You tried to keep your composure for a little bit, trying to look brave for him.

‘Eddie, Eddie you’re going to be okay. I promise baby, I promise everything is going to be alright.’

You dropped your hands and looked around for Dustin, Steve… For anyone. But unfortunately, there was no one. It was only you and him.

‘I’m sorry. Sorry for puttin’ you through hell. You didn’t deserve it.’ He hardly said while gritting his teeth. Your heart broke at his words.

‘No Eddie, none of it is your fault. This is not goodbye, you hear me? We’ll get you to the hospital and-.’

‘I love you (Y/N).’ he whispered.

And a tear fell down your cheek. He already accepted his fate and now it was your turn to accept the hard reality.

‘I love you too Eddie.’

                                          ****

You woke up in cold sweat as you heard Steve’s car roll in. You couldn’t comprehend where you were for a long minute or two. That was one of the worst nightmares you ever had in your entire life. Seeing someone you truly love die in your arms…

You heard the lock of the main door opening and Dustin yelling ‘(Y/N)! We have so much to tell you!’ If it wasn’t for Dustin, it would’ve taken you much longer to grasp the reality. It was just a nightmare, you thought to yourself. None of it was real. 

‘D-Dustin! I’m here with Tews.’ you exclaimed and they followed the sound of your voice. 

When Steve, Lucas, Dustin and Max came to the room, Lucas said, ‘You won’t believe what happened…’ and they all turned to Max. She looked distressed, tired and she had her headphones on, listening to Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. 

While all of the gaze was turned towards her, she was trying to avoid eye contact, her arms were crossed. But eventually, she started to tell you about what just happened to her minutes ago and the others joined her, telling the story from their point of view. 

                                          ****

After learning all the stuff about Max escaping Vecna with the help of her favorite song, you felt a certain comfort. If something were to happen to you, at least you knew what to do; You had to listen to your favorite song and stick to your happiest memories. When you thought back of all of the happy memories you had, there was always a certain person popping up in all of them: That person was none other than Eddie Munson.  

You were still debating on whether to tell the others about your symptoms or not when all of you heard a knock on the door. It was Nancy and Robin. When they saw Max safe and sound, they felt a wave of relief washing all over them. 

After everybody catched up on the latest news in a detailed manner, you finally filled everyone in about Eddie. How you couldn’t reach out to him and that it has been a couple of days since you guys last saw him… That you missed him and that you were worried about him. And finally, they all agreed to go to the shack to look out for him. 

                                          ****

A long car ride after, you were finally at the shack. But there was a problem: Police cars were everywhere. Your breathing started to fasten at the sight that was being displayed right in front of you. You all momentarily froze, trying to understand what was happening. 

Steve was the first one to get out of the car and seconds after, he was followed by you. As soon as you got out of the car, you saw Jason, all wet and wrapped up in a blanket. He was talking with one of the police chiefs. 

You instantly turned to Steve, only to find out that he was looking at you with worry in his eyes. You returned him the same look and your eyes went back to Jason. Still talking with the chief, he felt your eyes on him and fixed his gaze towards you. You’ve never been fond of him -although he didn’t know that- and all this ‘hunting’ thing and the nightmare you just saw, were not helping the situation.

After locking eyes with him, you politely flashed him a little smile. He didn’t know you were close with Eddie and you thought that you could use that to your advantage. Talking to him could’ve helped you understand where Eddie was. You quickly returned your gaze towards Steve and mouthed ‘Go and leave him to me.’

He said ‘No I can’t leave you with this guy.’ 

You quickly moved to Steve’s side and whispered to him so no one else could hear you: ‘He shouldn’t see Dustin and Lucas. Don’t you remember what Lucas said?’

‘...What about you?’

‘He doesn’t know I’m close to Eddie and I have a plan. Don’t worry, just drive somewhere safe and be alert in case he calls.’

‘On it.’ He turned to the car and opened the door, putting one foot in.

‘Oh and Steve?’ He turned to you.

‘Yeah?’

‘Come pick me up 15 minutes later.’

****

Thank you so much for reading chapter four of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it is appreciated. Also If you’d like to be added to the taglist, let me know.

(Sorry that it took me so long to publish this chapter. All I have to say for myself is: Fuck you Duffer Brothers. Certain someone is still alive and well. Also I plan on keeping this series longer than I planned. Let me know your thoughts!)

 Stay in tune for the next chapter <3 

taglist:

@theold-ultraviolence

@eyesfullofstars311

@unatempesta-dipensieri

@nobody-000

@silky-luxe

@fuckthisandrock

@studysimsx

@your-momahoe316

@dan-the-space-man

@mosf13

@httpjiikook

@shinydixon

@sadenchiladas

@liv0679

@jungwoo-siwa

@jaazzsblog

@m-i-1-0

@plk-18

@eddies-gf

Your favorite song

[chapter 1] [chapter 2] [chapter 3] [chapter 4]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains spoilers! If you haven’t watched S4 I wouldn’t recommend reading this fic. Maybe you could save it for later? The summary is for the entire series, not only for this chapter. I highly recommend you to check out the previous chapters! I try to follow the plot as strictly as possible but there are certain changes. Hope you enjoy it.

Word Count: 3.9k

What to Expect: Reader x Eddie Munson, Dustin being Dustin, Getting to know more about reader’s trauma with her parents (verbally abusive elements take place so if it is triggering for you then don’t read the fic pls), Reader seeing visions just like Chrissy and Fred’s etc.

Spoilers below cut, you have been warned!

After Dustin said, ‘That’s what we’re gonna find out.’ he started to give a speech about bravery and courage. ‘Guys, I know this is going to be tough but we have to stand tall and overpower the supreme evil: Vecna. We just have to make plans and act accordingly if we want to learn more information and conquer his throne… SO WHO’S WITH ME?’

No sound. You were all looking at each other, trying to calculate your chances of winning this war. In the meantime, Dustin was looking at all of you with wide eyes and open arms, waiting for someone to say something. You could see the expectancy in his eyes. As you were still looking around the room, he became more frustrated. He turned to Steve and said,

‘Steve, you’ve done this THOUSANDS of times. You saved our lives and risked yours over and over again. I’m asking you to do it one more time.’

‘...’ Steve was hesitant. He knitted his eyebrows.

‘AW C’MON MAN!’ Dustin shouted and wasted no time, turning to Eddie:

‘What about you, the almighty dungeon master?’

‘Dustin… you know I’m a wanted man, right?’ Eddie replied. Dustin was growing impatient.

‘Max?’ He asked to the girl next to him. 

‘Nope.’

Lastly, he turned to Robin. 

‘Robin, sweet Robin. I know I can always count on you… right?’ 

Robin was looking around the room, trying to act like she was clueless. When she heard her name coming from Dustin’s mouth, she turned to him and said ‘What? I’m sorry I wasn’t listening. 

Only then, Dustin snapped.

‘No guys COME ON. You’re joking right? You have GOT to be joking !’

After seeing his crazy movements and the way he was strolling furiously around the room, Max started to laugh, she wasn’t able to hold her composure anymore.  

Dustin turned to Max, not being able to comprehend anything. ‘What are you laughing at!?’ He said, his voice cracking in a funny way when he highered the pitch of his tone. Unable to stop laughing at how funny he looked, Max said ‘I’m sorry-’ and continued to laugh a little more.

Becoming more angry than ever, Dustin stopped his little stroll and walked in front of Max. He looked at her straight in the eye… then pulled a strand of her hair. He was acting like he was in a huge fight but it was more like a scene you would normally see in a comedy movie. When Max started to yelp in pain, Steve yelled ‘Hey HEY HEY!’ and stepped between the two of them. He pulled Dustin away from her but he was still trying to get a hold of her, squinting his eyes and mumbling some words under his breath while pouting. 

Steve grabbed his shoulders and steadied Dustin, telling ‘Henderson, HENDERSON STOP. We were just messing with you. Of course we will fight whatever this is, together. And I gotta save your ass a couple more times because you clearly can’t.’

‘Also, what the hell was that? Apologize from Max, dude. That wasn’t cool. Like, super not cool.’ Steve shook his head in disapproval, being overly dramatic the way he always did when it came to Dustin.

Dustin turned to Max, hands clasped together in front of his body. He was looking at the ground and he sighed, ‘I apologize Max.’ He was looking like a guilty little cat, with his tail between his legs. All of you were laughing at the view in front of you now.

‘Sorry Dustin, what was that? Couldn’t hear you.’ Max replied with a grin on her face. She already heard what he said but she was just enjoying the moment.

                                                        **** 

You were now in Steve’s car with the others, except Eddie of course. After the little prank they did to Dustin, everybody thought That it was better to divide into two groups: Nancy and Robin were going to go to the local library to find more information while Max, Dustin and Steve were going to the school's guidance counselor in hopes of finding a reason to Chrissy's murder. 

While they were sorting out the groups, you asked ‘Hold on, so Nancy is going to help us too? That's awesome!’ You liked her and more importantly, Steve liked her. You knew he had a crush on her from the beginning and you always teased him about it. You were now doing the same thing, looking at Steve with a smug smirk on your face from the rearview mirror. When he heard the excitement in your voice and saw that silly little smirk on your face, he couldn't help but to put a smile on his face. Oh by the way, Dustin liked to tease him too, like a lot.

‘Steve loves Naancy, Steve loves Nancyyy…’

‘Okay shut up Henderson.’ He was already done with Dustin’s nagging. He hoped that Dustin would shut up but on the contrary, you listened to Dustin saying the same thing over and over again for the rest of your ride home. At least the ride wasn't that long. 

When Steve got closer to your house, he slowed down and asked: ‘You sure you don't want to come with us?’

‘I've got school work to do but I'll catch you guys later. Good luck!’

And after all the good goodbyes, they drove off and disappeared into the woods.

                                                                   **** 

The thing you said about school work was actually a lie. After the nightmare you saw last night, you wanted to be alone. You didn't want to go back to your house but you had nowhere else to go. So, you gathered all your courage and now you were standing in the front yard. All the memories you had in that house, the good and the bad came rushing into your head. But it wasn't like what you feared. It was more like a sweet, nostalgic feeling. 

As you opened the door and took a step in, you finally understood how much you have missed the place. Everything was perfectly in its place. There was even a little layer of dust covering the surfaces of the objects you had laying around in your house. You quickly climbed up the stairs, rushing to get inside your bedroom. 

When you opened the door of your bedroom, you felt this big wave of nostalgia hit you like never before. Your favorite stuffed animal was right next to your big, fluffy pillows and after the night you stayed in the shack with Eddie, you definitely needed a comfortable bed to sleep on. It was getting dark and at that moment, all you ever wanted was to sleep in your bed, surrounded by the feeling of familiarity. 

You immediately switched on the lights, opened your wardrobe and grabbed a pair of pajamas. You then closed the curtains and started to change; you sat on your bed and untied the lace of your shoes. While you were trying to get rid of your shoes quickly, you heard a voice calling your name. 

It was a low-pitched man's voice and it almost sounded like a grunt. ‘(Y/N)’ he said. Hearing the tone of his voice sent shivers down your spine. As your mind started to wander whose voice could that be, the deep voice called out your name once again. It sounded like it was coming from downstairs. So you slowly put down the pair of shoes you had in your hands, got up from the bed and without hurrying, you made your way to the door of your bedroom. You reached for the handle of the door. Once your fingertips touched the handle, the lights in your room started to flicker. 

You’ve experienced shortage or other electrical problems before but this was nowhere close to your older experiences. While the lights were still flickering, you thought of opening the curtains to check if your neighbors were having the same problem. But when you took a step back from the door, the lights started to flicker wildly and a voice called out your name again. But it wasn’t the same deep voice that you’ve heard a few seconds ago. It belonged to your mother. 

Her sweet, silky voice was now coming from just outside of your bedroom, behind the closed door. You turned to the door and slowly grabbed the handle, waiting to hear more from her. You felt like your mind was playing games to you but at the same time you were trying to be as cautious as possible because there was something off, clearly. Although you thought you were dreaming or worse, seeing yet another nightmare, you were fully conscious of your actions and you were able to feel the coldness of the metal door handle.  

‘Honey, my hands are full! Please open the door for me so I can get insiide!’ She sounds so real, you thought to yourself. What if it’s all real? What if she’s right here, behind the door?

While you were deep in thoughts, you didn’t make a single move or a noise. You heard your mother’s voice once again, then again and again. Each time, she was growing more frustrated. You were able to tell that by the sound of her voice. Then she stopped talking.

And the deep manly voice started to talk again: ‘(Y/N), you can’t escape from your past. It’s time for you to face it!’ With that, the lights started to flicker one last time. All the flashing and confusion made you feel dizzy and your head started to spin. You turned your back against the door and you slowly collapsed to the floor. You were on the verge of crying when suddenly, you heard your mother’s voice one last time. 

This time, there was no sign of that sweet little voice you heard earlier. It was now filled with hatred and disgust. She was calling you names and saying verbally abusive things to you… Just like the way she used to do back then. 

‘You are a fucking coward (Y/N). YOU HEAR ME? YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN. You are NOTHING but a disappointment in our eyes. Don’t you EVER forget that!’

And just like that, you were crying. Crying from fear, confusion, sadness. But it was mostly anger. All this time, you tried to remember the happy moments you had with your parents before the mall fire but the bad memories always overcame them. You tried to remember them as good people but the way they acted towards you, the pain they left you with always seemed to stick, no matter how hard you tried to forget. Of course you loved them but… There was always going to be a ‘but’. 

As the voice kept getting louder and louder after each word, you started to cry even harder. While you were on the floor sitting, you brought your knees closer to you and slightly lowered your head, keeping it between your legs. You were shaking your head, yelling ‘No, no, no, no, NO!’ repeatedly. You wanted to escape but it felt impossible.

                                                                      ****

After the horrible hallucination or whatever it was you had last night, you woke up on the floor with a terrible headache. You tried to remember what happened after you started to cry and yell for help but you couldn’t seem to remember anything. I probably passed out, you thought to yourself. 

You got off the floor, quickly went to change your clothes and went downstairs to get a painkiller. You didn’t want to dwell on last night but it was haunting you, you needed to tell someone about it. Or would have they thought that you were going crazy? 

You tried to leave these thoughts behind as you walked out of the house and started to look around for your old trust-worthy bike. In hopes of being able to distract yourself, you hopped on your bike and headed to Wheelers’ house. You thought of spending alone time with Nancy as she was one of your closest friends. 

But to your surprise, Steve, Dustin, Max, Robin and Lucas were there too. When you knocked on the door, Mrs Wheeler opened it and greeted you with her charming usual smile. At first she was surprised to see you but she welcomed you sweetly and let you in. While you were making your way to Nancy’s bedroom, Mrs Wheeler asked if you had your breakfast and said ‘If you hadn’t, feel free to join us! I’ve made some pancakes and I know you’ll love ‘em!’ You kindly declined her offer and passed by the kitchen. As you were passing by, Mr Wheeler saw you and he sighed loudly, saying ‘Great! Another kid!’ 

You acted like you didn’t see nor hear him. He was always in a grumpy mood so it wasn’t anything unusual. You were thinking about what he said, so clearly there were others inside. You were still walking when suddenly you saw everyone gathered around Max in the living room. 

Her face was more pale than usual, it was as if she saw a ghost or something. She was telling a story, one that made everyone go silent. They saw that you came but none of them made a noise. Nancy made a quick small move to you to come and sit with them silently. And you did as she wanted. 

Max was trying to appear as normal but it was obvious how frightened she was from the way she was acting. You knew her for some time now and whenever something bad happened to her, she tried to hide her feelings the best she can and tried to look stoic. You wondered if she finally decided to open up about what she had been through after Billy’s death but she was talking about something else: About her death.

                                                         ****

A few minutes passed and you started to understand what was going on. Also when Max finished telling her story, they made a small recap for you:

After they dropped you off, Steve’s group went to Ms. Kelley’s house and Max tried to talk to her about Chrissy but she was so strict about students’ confidentiality so while she was distracted, Max took the keys to her office and ran back to Steve’s car. After a small ride to the school, they broke into the office and looked at Chrissy and Fred’s patient files. After investigating a little, they found that Chrissy and Fred were showing the same symptoms before they were found dead. 

Until this point, everything seemed somewhat normal but after this, things were starting to get stranger. When they found the same information on both of the files, Max said that she started to realize she was having the same troubles as they did. Constant headaches, a (preferably) fresh trauma, seeing weird hallucinations, trouble sleeping etc.

When you heard her say those things, you started to feel tense. You were having the same problems as they have had too. But Max wasn’t done talking so she continued and you didn’t say anything. 

After they found the information they needed, she said that they started to pack their things in order to leave the office. As they were packing, she claimed that she heard a voice. A deep, manly voice calling her name. She said that the source was coming from the hallway and the others seemed to not care, so she left the others and went outside alone to look at what was happening in there. When she got out, she heard a noise -she quickly made an imitation of it for you to understand it better- and saw a big ancient grandfather clock at the end of the hallway. The same voice called out her name once again.

Then suddenly, she stopped talking. Her eyes began to get watery, she looked like she was in pain. She was trying so hard to be brave, that was very typical of Max but was it really necessary in a situation like this? It almost seemed impossible to you. 

After steadying herself a little, she looked at each one of you in the eye. She was having a hard time trying to find the right words. Later, she explained the timeline of what Chrissy and Fred went through and when exactly those things happened to them. Lastly she said, ‘I don’t know how much time I’ve left but looks like I’m gonna die tomorrow.’

Everyone was devastated and none of you seemed to have an answer nor a solution for her. Your heart was breaking. You could’ve done anything in your power to save you from this curse but you were not able to do anything at that moment. None of you were.

And it was time for Robin and Nancy to share the news that they had. They said that they looked at old newspapers and searched their headlines about supernatural things happening around Hawkins. They claimed that they searched through them for hours and finally, they found a headline with Victor Creel in it. Turns out they’ve read the article and thought that this man could be very helpful. He was also the guy Eddie’s uncle mentioned in a previous interview she did with him, Nancy stated. He said that Victor used to do the same thing to his previous victims and that she had to find a way to talk to him. And she added that Robin and her thought that he was the only person who could’ve helped them, even though he was a cold-blooded serial killer. 

‘Isn’t he locked up somewhere?’ Lucas asked genuinely.

‘Yes, in a mental asylum to be exact.’ Robin stated.

‘Uh how are you guys going to-’

‘We’ll find a way, don’t worry about it.’ said Nancy. 

                                                                     ****

After the discussion, everyone was now dealing with other stuff: They were either spending time with Max, trying to spend time with her and not leave her alone in case something happened to her or they were making a plan to reach Victor Creel. 

You felt really sorry about Max, but you couldn’t help but wonder about your own situation. You were afraid, confused and you felt all alone but you didn’t make a sound because you simply didn’t want to draw any attention to yourself when Max’s situation was far more urgent. 

Deep in thoughts, you heard a faint noise coming from under one of the couch pillows. You simply made your way over to the source of the noise, not sure if you were seeing one of the visions again. You slowly flipped the cushion over, trying to be as careful as possible but you saw a walkie talkie under it. You sighed in relief as you took it in your hands. You were waiting for another noise from the person who was at the end of the line. 

‘Henderson… Wheeler? ANYBODY?!’ 

It was Eddie. From the sound of his voice, you could tell that he has been waiting for an answer for a long time. He sounded really frustrated and annoyed. You wondered how long he has been trying to reach out to one of you guys. So you wasted no time and touched the button to speak up. 

‘Eddie hi, it’s me.’

‘Ah, (Y/L/N), my personal favorite last name out of all the others I’ve been saying.’ He said with a gentle tone. Then quickly added:

‘For the PAST COUPLE OF HOURS.’ and continued, ‘You guys are coming, right? I’m kinda short on supplies here and I’m on the edge of having a mental breakdown because of staying here all by myself.’

‘Also, I missed you… like a lot, actually. Aand if you ever get a chance, please say hi to my guitar. My baby must’ve been so lonely.’ 

‘Okay easy now, Munson.’

‘First of all, we are kinda dealing with a lot right now and it could take a while for us to come to you. Also it would be better if we explain it to you in person. Other than that I missed you too and unfortunately I can’t go anywhere near your guitar because the inside of your trailer is considered a crime scene, you remember that?’

‘Uh I KNOW, goddammit!I just want to show her to you.’ You giggled a little at how cute he sounded when he was frustrated. 

‘I will meet her someday Eddie, I promise. Don’t worry about it now, okay? Just be safe.’

‘Okay now that I have your promise, I don’t want anything else. Although I can have a 6 pack. I know it’s not the best time to drink beer but-’

‘Just stay inside and we’ll try to come as soon as we can, okay? I’ll try to grab a 6 pack for you but I can’t make a promise about this one.’

‘Eh, I tried. See you soon, sweetheart.’

‘See ya Munson.’

                                                                    **** 

After your small talk with Eddie, you gathered everyone together and said what he wanted to say to the others: He needed a food delivery soon and wanted you guys to visit him. Although he wanted you guys near him, the others have already made other plans. Nancy and Robin were going to go to the asylum to talk with Victor Creel and Steve was going to babysit the kids. They left it up to you whether you wanted to go to the asylum or not. 

You were really worried about Max and wanted to spend time with her if these times were going to be her last. With time, pain brought you two closer, because of the mall fire. You tried to talk to her about her feelings and be there for her but she always had this barrier between her and the others. Though you always made sure she knew that you were there for her and she appreciated it no matter what. So you stayed with Steve and helped him babysit Dustin, Max and Lucas. 

While you were staying at the Wheelers’, you had no clue about what was happening to Eddie.  

                                                                     ****

Thank you so much for reading chapter three of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it is appreciated. Also If you’d like to be added to the tag list, let me know.

(I’m guessing that there will be two more chapters.)

 Stay in tune for the next chapter <3 

tag list:

@theold-ultraviolence @eyesfullofstars311 @unatempesta-dipensieri @nobody-000 @silky-luxe @fuckthisandrock

@studysimsx

@your-momahoe316

@dan-the-space-man

Your favorite song

[chapter one] [chapter two] [chapter three] [chapter four]

Summary: When Vecna’s curse affects you, someone who doesn’t consider himself as a hero outside of D&D comes to save you with his amazing guitar skills, playing your favorite song to save you from it.

Author’s Note: Heavily follows the plot and contains spoilers! If you haven’t watched S4 I wouldn’t recommend reading this fic. Maybe you could save it for later? This chapter is mostly the reader spending alone time with Eddie. Also the summary is for the entire series, not only for this chapter. Please read the first chapter before reading this one! And if any of you are wondering how long this series is going to be, I unfortunately don't have an answer to that right now. Hope you enjoy!

Word Count: 3.7k

What to Expect: Eddie Munson x reader, Reader doesn’t believe in supernatural things before she does, Detailed story telling about reader’s trauma and a nightmare that is connected to it, Eddie comforting and taking care of the reader, Really sweet moments with Eddie and more. Oh and also the usage of the nickname 'Sweetheart'.

Spoilers below cut, you have been warned!

After Dustin ran away, he came back just as fast and said, ‘Okay as fun as it was, we have no time to lose.' and continued,

'So about Hawkins being haunted; What I’m about to tell you can be a little difficult to understand…’ He said and told you all about the 'Upside Down' and the demogorgons, a little girl with superpowers etc. It was difficult to understand, like he said. You never believed in supernatural things before.

Eddie was handling it better because he experienced one of those supernatural-murder things first hand. Though he was still confused about the monsters since he didn't saw any involved in Chrissy's murder. Not that he could see any, at least.

After Dustin and the others finished explaining what was going on, Robin lastly said 'Look Eddie, (Y/N), I know they sound delusional right now but trust me, they've experienced it before. More than once actually. Like, a LOT.' She was speaking faster now, the way she did whenever she was talking more than she should have. 'I've experienced it before too. Theirs was more smokey, dust related and mine was more in a human-flesh typa thing but... yeah.' She stopped talking with a small smile on her face, understanding that she had to shut up from the way Steve looked at her.

                                           ****

You and Eddie asked some questions that you wanted to ask about this strange parallel world. After your little Q&A session ended, you started to brainstorm about Chrissy's murder. From what they have told to the both of you, some dots finally started to align in your head but you guys were nowhere near to solving this case.

After a few minutes, Eddie and Dustin started to talk about D&D. They were talking about a character named Vecna and its curse. Turns out Vecna was a strong character who did curses on the D&D players' characters and 'It' was famously known by all the players. All of you except Dustin and Eddie were confused about why they were talking about the game right now.

But the more they talked about it, the more similarities there were between Vecna and whatever invisible creature you were facing at that moment. So, they decided to name the invisible murderer after that game character, Vecna.

When the talking came to an end, everyone was tired from all the adventure that they had today and it was getting late. Eddie and you were still talking about the news that you have just learned. The rest of the group on the other hand, started to grab their belongings. They were ready to go home and get a good night's rest. When all the others gathered around the door, ready to walk out, Steve said 'Hey (Y/N), you're not coming?'

Ever since you lost your parents, you didn't want to go back to your house. It didn't feel like home anymore and it brought you nothing but sadness. After that mall fire, you spent the night at your friends' houses. The ones who allowed you to stay at their place changed from time to time since you couldn't have crashed at their place for too long; It wouldn't have been appropriate. You knew you had to go back home and face the truth but you didn't feel ready yet.

'I can't go back to Ashley's house again, I've been staying over at her place for 3 days already and I haven't had a chance to talk with anybody else. Can I stay with one of you guys tonight?' You asked, feeling a little ashamed.

Without leaving others a chance to talk, Eddie asked:

'Why don't you stay with me tonight? I know it won't be the comfiest night of your life but I don't wanna stay here alone with my own thoughts.'

You turned to him and calculated your option. Staying the night with Eddie actually didn't sound like a bad idea. Sure, he was a wanted man and there was no bed in the shack so it was going to be uncomfortable. But you were going to be alone with him, it was a perfect chance to get to know him better. So you said, 'That's a great idea, I'll stay with you.'

The others were surprised at how fast you were going but they were also really happy. You had this crush for months now and you two were finally spending time together. And him having an interest in you too was a cherry on top.

They were a little worried about you staying in the shack though; Jason could've find both of you and you could've gotten into trouble too because of Eddie. Although they were worried, they respected your choice and promised to bring you guys some food for tomorrow. Then, they left.

Once they got into the car and disappeared into the forest, you started to look around. There was nothing but boat related stuff in the shack, obviously. But you were looking for a little pillow or an extra blanket. Once you understood that there were none, you turned to Eddie. He was watching you all this time, with an amused expression on his face.

'What are you doing?' He asked.

'Looking for something ...comfy to sleep on.'

'In this shack? Good luck finding it, sweetheart.'

That nickname he just called you made you blush. You didn't want to give in so easily but it was hard. You turned to him, trying to look annoyed. 'There's gotta be something we can do. What about we take some pillows from Reefer Rick's place?'

                                             ****

After you sneakily took two pillows and a big blanket, you went back to the shack. You two were like ghosts, you didn't make a single sound while going in and out. After you came back to your hiding place, Eddie turned to you and said,

'Okay so tell me about yourself.'

'What do you wanna know?'

'Hmm... like how was little (Y/N) in middle school?'

You chuckled at his question, wondering why he asked this out of all the others he could've asked. It was a sweet and caring question though, so you liked it. As you started to think about all the memories, it felt like such a long time ago. And it was actually. But you didn't want to grow up. You didn't want time to pass quickly. Especially right now.

After you told him all of your stories, the good and the bad ones, it was his turn. He told you about how his head was buzzed and he was in a band group. Then, he told you about the talent show that they took a part in. Talent shows have never been your thing so you couldn't remember that day. He helped you remember it by giving you a little theatrical show. He told you about the magician guy with the bunny, mimicking to get the bunny out of the black magician hat.

Eddie was so good at acting and he absolutely knew how to lighten up the room with his charm and funny sense of humour. You were cracking up while he was giving you a show, even he was laughing at himself for being this silly. You were having an amazing time. Then he continued with a talented girl who painted a little amazing canvas and the cheerleader team. He did a little move, copying the moves they made during their performances. Then he remembered Chrissy.

His playfulness was now replaced with an emotionless expression. He was looking at a distant view, deep in thoughts. You immediately went next to him, looking at the same direction. You were standing side by side now, looking at the sky which was full of stars.

'Look Eddie, It's not your fault. None of it is your fault.' You said, placing a hand on his back, occasionally moving it up and down to reassure him. Eddie didn't want to look you in the eyes. 'Maybe I could've done something to prevent it...'

'No don't do this to yourself, please.' You forced him to turn to you, to look at you straight in the eye. 'You couldn't have known what was right, we still don't know what 'Vecna' truly is and what it wanted from her... You could've gotten yourself killed, Eddie.' You said, feeling the tears beginning to form in your eyes.

'Hey hey hey, no I'm right here. C'mon now c'mere.' He said, almost in a whispering tone while opening his arms widely for you to hug him. You closed the distance between the two of you, waiting for a moment for him to pull you in closer. After his hands found its way down to your waist, he wrapped his arms around you and you laid your head on his chest. The feeling of his arms around you, squeezing your body lightly made you feel safe. It was a really beautiful and comforting feeling you have never experienced before, not like this.

You stayed like that for a while until Eddie broke the silence by saying 'As much as I'd like to spend the whole night cuddling like this, we better get some sleep. You never know what tomorrow holds for us.'

                                           ****

Before going to sleep, you and Eddie had trouble figuring out where you should sleep. Since you two only found one blanket, it wasn't going to be easy. But you also had another problem. Like what if someone came to the shack looking for Eddie in the middle of the night? You sleeping on the ground wouldn't have caused any problems since people didn't know that you two were close. Also sleeping on the floor would've been more comfortable than sleeping in a small boat.

And also neither of you wanted to take things faster than it should've been. You had so much time ahead of you, right? So, Eddie was going to sleep in the boat, the boat cover was going to be on top of it just to be safe and you were going to sleep on the floor. He gave you the blanket and helped you form your little 'bed'. After that, you laid down and he kneeled beside you, placing a small kiss to your forehead.

'Goodnight sweetheart.'

'I love that nickname.' you chuckled, feeling the burn in your cheeks and the butterflies in your stomach.

'Goodnight Eddie.'

                                            ****

Some hours went by while the two of you slept peacefully.

Then, in your dream, you saw your parents. They were waving at you, calling your name. They looked so happy and …alive. You thought that it was real. That you were there, with them. As the time went by, you understood that it was a memory. A memory from your middle school times actually. It was the first day of middle school, you were so excited to go back there and hang out with your friends. You have spent an amazing vacation and you wanted to share it with them. 

It was a beautiful sunny day, the sun was shining brightly in the sky. You were getting ready as your mother called you from the living room saying ‘(Y/N), come on honey you wouldn’t want to be late to your first day of school, right?’ You said: ‘I’m coming mom!’ and rushed outside, with your backpack on your hand. Your mother helped you get into the car and your father started the engine. It was nice to have them drop you off at school. You felt safe with them.

After a short amount of time, your father parked the car in front of your school and all of you got out. You were so excited, ready to go to your new class. You grabbed your backpack and your mother helped you to put it on. When you were all set, you started to walk towards the main door of your school. You were halfway there when your parents shouted at you, calling your name saying ‘Have a nice day at school (Y/N), we love you so much baby!’ You turned to them and saw that they were waving hands, looking happier than ever. You returned the smile and waved at them before going in. 

And your vision started to blur, your sight becoming worse. You couldn’t see anything because of the smoke that was covering your vision. You started to understand where you were: in the mall, during the goddamn fire. There was smoke everywhere and all you could hear was the sirens of the ambulance and the fire engine. You were searching for your parents, trying to look everywhere but it was impossible. It was getting harder to breathe and you thought like you were being strangled. After a few seconds, you saw a fireman running towards you. He looked so worried and he yelled ‘I’m here okay? I’m going to get you out of here as soon as possible!’ You were a little relieved but you were still worried about your parents. Although you were struggling to get oxygen, you were shouting: ‘MOM! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU?’ You kept repeating to shout until you felt like your lungs were burning…

‘Mom, Dad…’ you were murmuring in your sleep. It was obvious that you were seeing a nightmare. Eddie started to hear your voice as it kept getting louder and louder. He immediately jumped out of the boat and ran next to you. In the process, he accidentally hit his foot on something, something rigid. He couldn’t see what it was because there was no light. He cussed to himself, saying ‘Shit shit shit.’ But thanks to that little accident, he was now fully awake. 

After he sat down next to you, he saw that you were shaking. You were sleeping in a place where a ray of the moonlight hit you, illuminating your face. There were little beads of sweat on your forehead and you were squinting your eyes, hard. He was in a shock but he knew he had to hurry. So, he grabbed your shoulders and started to shake you slowly. He didn’t want to make a wrong move, that's why he was acting carefully. As the time went by, your voice kept getting louder. ‘MOM, DAD!? WHERE ARE YOU!’ He started to shake you firmly now. ‘(Y/N), Wake up! Wake up (Y/N), wake uup!’ 

And then, you woke up. For the first few seconds, you started to look around the room, trying to figure out where you were. You were still shaking a little, eyes wide open and mouth agape. Eddie was still holding your shoulders, trying to ground you. You were close to a wall so he grabbed your pillow and put you in a fowler’s position. When your eyes finally met, you felt relieved. 

He was talking to you in a soft tone, almost whispering: ‘It’s over now (Y/N). You’re here, I’m here. You’re safe with me.’ And urged you to come closer to him. Once again you closed the distance between the two of you, hugging him tightly as if holding him loosely was going to result in him fading away. His long, untamed hair was on your forehead, mixing with your sweaty hair. You wanted to stay there, like this, in his arms for as long as you can. You thought that he was going to back away to give you a little space but he didn’t. He held you in his arms and you nuzzled up against him.

When you finally came to your senses, you started to talk slowly, your bottom lip trembling: ‘I saw this nightmare before. It literally haunts me and I can’t escape it.’ You were now sitting in front of each other, looking at each other’s eyes. He gave you an understanding look, his eyes observing your face. 

‘You were screaming ‘Mom and dad’ repeatedly, I don’t wanna cross a line but would you like to tell me what happened?’ 

‘If you want to, tho. No pressure.’ He said, trying to look nonchalant in case you didn’t want to talk about it. 

‘No, it’s fine. I will tell you about it.’ you said and told him all about that day. When you finished telling the story, you also added ‘I’ve been having these ongoing headaches recently and occasionally I’ve been seeing the same nightmare. But I don’t remember experiencing it this badly before.’ You lowered your gaze, you were now looking at the blanket. Your hands were on top of it and without realizing, you started to play with your hands like you did whenever you got anxious. 

‘I’m sorry (Y/N)...’ He said, frowning.

You quickly added: ‘That’s why I’ve been staying at my friends’ house for some time now. Going back home makes me aware of the reality we live in -as if I ever get a chance to forget- and rubs the harsh reality in my face.’ 

‘I understand.’ He said, unable to form any convenient phrases. Instead of turning this into a therapy session, he abruptly said: ‘Well, I am not going into that small boat again! I’m going to sleep here, next to you.’ He was never good at comforting someone or talking about feelings. His coping mechanism was to use sarcasm and that pretty much explained everything. No one really expected anything from him when it came to reassuring someone with the help of using words. He tried to keep things light hearted and as playful as possible, trying to distract the person from their own dark thoughts. 

‘But what if they see you from the window?’

‘Let them, I don’t care. You need me right now’ 

‘Aand I refuse to go back to that boat, folding in half just to fit my ass into that small space.’

And when he saw that you were smiling again, he felt warm inside. Seeing you all miserable when you were having that nightmare was one of the worst things he had to experience but it was now all in the past. 

He immediately stood up and went to get his pillow, running funnily just to make you laugh. And it was working, you were laughing. All the sadness in the air slowly disappeared and both of you were grateful for that. After he got his pillow, he quickly returned to your side and you scooted over to give him some space under the blanket. For a second you two remained still, not quite sure what to do with your hands and all of that. 

‘Uh, this is kinda awkward isn’t it?’ Eddie said. ‘Like, what are we supposed to do now?’

‘Well, we could cuddle if you’d like..’

‘Ah yeah sure.’ he said quickly, in an awkward-Eddie way and turned to your side. You two found the most comfortable position to cuddle and after a few seconds, he started to play with your hair, running his hands through it as you both slowly drifted off to sleep. 

                                                      ****

When the morning finally came, you felt the warmth of a ray of sunshine on your face. You slowly opened your eyes and saw Eddie sleeping right next to you, having a peaceful little smile on his face. As you were yawning and getting ready to say good morning to him, you heard the door of the shack opening loudly. 

You immediately freaked out and saw some figures standing on the doorway. You were ready to wake up Eddie when you saw a figure approaching inside. Turns out it was Steve. He yelled ‘FOOD DELIVERY’. At that moment Eddie literally jumped on the floor and instantly tried to cover himself with the blanket, not making any noise. After his drowsiness went away, he understood that it was Steve who was yelling like crazy on a peaceful morning. ‘Ah, what beautiful a way to wake up!’ Eddie exclaimed, his voice filled with annoyance. It was probably the crack of dawn, he thought to himself. 

‘Hey! Morning sleepyheads.’ said Max while getting inside, holding a paper bag full of snacks. ‘Heyy..’ you said, still having that raspy morning voice. ‘You guys know what time it is?’

‘It’s 13.46.’ Dustin stated, checking his watch. Eddie and you were both shocked. You guys said ‘What?!’ at the same moment, earning a laugh from the others. ‘Guess you got a good night’s sleep guys’ said Robin, unaware of all the shit you went through in the middle of the night last night. You managed to say ‘Yeaah, right..’

                                                     ****

After you two had a breakfast -which was dry cereal- ; Robin shared the news. She said that the police were definitely looking for Eddie and that there has been another murder just like Chrissy’s. They said the murdered guy’s name was Fred Benson and that he used to be a member of the school’s newspaper team. ‘What does Vecna want from highschoolers?’ You asked genuinely. None of you seemed to have an answer to that but it was obvious that there was a connection. One that you couldn’t figure out for now. 

And Dustin said, ‘That’s what we’re gonna find out.’ confidently. 

****

Thank you so much for reading chapter two of the series!

If you like this part, let me know by liking, reblogging or even leaving a comment. All of it and feedbacks are appreciated. Also if you want to be added in the taglist, let me know!

Stay in tune for the next chapter <3

taglist:

@theold-ultraviolence

Rock star eddie, you're his drummer. One of his songs requires moans in the background. He wants it live. Wear special panties during show, boom live moans or if that's too much maybe just has you in the sound booth since he doesn't want some random chick's moans, the grand finale is the sound of you coming during the climax of the song 👀

Glitter Girl

Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Reader

Based on Glitter Girl by Dixie Dragster (Eddie's song in the fic)

A/N: I was editing this and I was like ugh this is ass, but then I got to the smut and I was like okay this is good actually lmao. This is my attempt at not answering a request with an overarching storyline like I did here, but this still ended up being about 4.6k Thank you for the request it was very slutty, perfect for rockstar!eddie.

Word Count: 4.6k

Warnings: SMUT 18+ mdni!!! unprotected sex, PiV sex, masturbation (fem), voyeurism, ass slapping, cum eating, oral sex kinda (fem rec), cum swapping lol, kinda dirty talk, edging, talk of fingering, audio recording sex, some feelings

My asks are open, come talk to me about Eddie!!!

Masterlist

You came into the studio looking for Eddie, finding him next to the band’s producer, Jared, at the soundboard. 

Gareth had left a message on your machine saying Eddie needed some more backing vocals for the new song. The song was a little different from what the band had done before—more eccentric, more glam-rock—but Eddie said it would be a blast to perform live so you didn’t mind, always up for making the shows more electric. 

Eddie told you he wrote the song in two hours after the insane New Year’s Eve bash the band threw at a club. You remember bits and pieces of the party—glitter falling at midnight, spitting a shot of vodka into Eddie’s mouth, making Gareth give you a lap dance, watching Jeff motorboat a bottle girl. Definitely one for the books.

But as daybreak neared and guests began drunkenly shuffling home, the night became a little clearer in your memory—leaving you and Eddie covered in glitter and confetti, giggling about how he’d be finding that shit in his hair forever. Three days later, he played the song for you and the rest of the band.

You laid down the drums for the song last Friday and your vocals the following Monday. Eddie had told the band it was a wrap, but it seems he’s changed his mind—deciding something was missing, rendering the song incomplete in his eyes. 

Music is the only thing he’s ever been picky about, the one area where his usual chaos shifts into precision. It’s like he develops a Type-A personality just for that. 

When he hears the door open, Eddie looks up to see you walking in, tattered jean shorts and an old band tee hanging loose on your body. He waves you into the room, ushering you over to the soundboard with him and Jared.

“Hey! Glad you got my message, sorry about the game of telephone. Apparently there’s no landline in this fucking place.” He exclaims, throwing a pointed look at Jared—like the poor guy owns the building and has a say in its architectural decisions. 

You huff at his attitude, tilting your head, giving him a reprimanding, deadpan stare. Eddie loves to give the guy a hard time, much to your chagrin. It’s only because Jared’s genuinely the nicest person all of you know, especially in the LA music scene. 

“No problem, although I am confused because I thought we finished everything.” 

You watch as Jared starts fiddling with some buttons, getting the sound booth ready. 

“Yeah, okay. See, I thought it was good–great even!” He obfuscates, “But then I had this idea…and now I wanna see how it’ll sound, and you’re the only girl…” 

Your brows furrow as a confused smile overtakes your face. It sounded like he said a whole lot of nothing just now, and what does being the only girl in the band have to do with anything?

“What are you talking about?”

“Okay, force my hand,” he groans dramatically. “I think some moans would sound really fucking cool on the R–O–C–K part.” 

He says it so fast, you have to take a moment to replay what you heard in your head to understand. Nervous for what you’ll say, he’s shoving his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and eyeing you intently. You hesitate, gauging whether he’s serious or not, but he doesn’t back track. 

“Alright, I mean–,” you gesture to him, deferring, “you’re the musical genius.” 

It’ll be a little weird moaning in a sound booth by yourself, having poor, innocent Jared monitoring the levels and Eddie coaching you, but if it’ll make the song even cooler—you’re in.

Eddie appears shocked at your deference, he really thought he’d have to run down the list he made of why it would be sick as fuck. He’s suddenly feeling very thankful to not only have a talented female drummer, but one who appreciates his artistry as much as you. 

“Really?”

Shrugging, you respond, “Yeah, if you think it’ll sound cool. I trust you.” The last part is so simple but it makes him grin, excited that you’re down for this.

“Yes! Thank you!” Rushing to hug you, he lifts you off your feet in a bone crushing embrace.

When he sets you back down, you’re laughing at the child-like giddiness written all over his face. Jared lets you know the booth is ready for you, heading in there you stand behind the microphone, placing the headphones over your ears so you can hear the backing track and cues. 

Jared counts you in over the master microphone, hearing the metronome. you nod your head to the beat, keeping time. When the part approaches, you stand up straight, breathily moaning the letters, spelling out ‘ROCK.’ 

Once you’ve done it, Jared cuts the music, turning on the soundboard mic for Eddie to give notes. You watch through the glass window as he leans down, sounding less than satisfied. “Okay…that was good, um–let’s take it from the top, okay? Gimme a little more oomf.”

Nodding your head—only slightly understanding what he means—you begin keeping time with the metronome again. You do it about three more times for him before Eddie starts running his hands through the roots of his hair, clearly frustrated at your inability to portray the tone he’s looking for. 

“Eddie, I’m sorry. I don’t know what you want me to do differently.” You don’t mean to be so difficult, honestly not comprehending what’s off about your performance. And he’s not being very helpful with his notes, you’re pretty sure you’re all out of ‘oomf.’ You’re certain the last two renditions are as oomf-y as he’s going to get from you.

He shakes his head, curling his lips into his mouth, “No, it’s–uh, hold on.” 

The sound from outside the booth cuts out, you watch as Eddie leans down to Jared telling him something. The guy looks at him, appearing to ask him something before Eddie nods his head, then the guy stands up and leaves. You frown at the sudden exit, Eddie sits down into the command chair, clicking the microphone back on and leaning in. 

“Okay, so I asked Jared to take five. We’re gonna try this again, but—hear me out—do you think you could–,” he hesitates, working through how to make his request. “How about this, what if you—okay, this is gonna sound insane–”

Losing your patience, you speak up, “Eddie, just spit it out!” 

“What about if you touched yourself? While you–you know, did the vocals…,” his words come out stilted, eyes squinting like he’s expecting you to blow up at him for his outrageous request. 

Instead, you just laugh. He’s got to be joking, that’d be insane! Your eyes widen when he doesn’t laugh with you—just curling his lips inward again.

“Eddie, you can’t be serious…,” you shake your head incredulously. “Just get a porn star, or something, if you want real moans.”

He clearly rejects that sentiment, shaking his head and holding his hands out in front of him like he’s presenting at a business meeting, “No, I don’t want just any girl on this track! Plus, there’s like legal shit I don’t even wanna touch with a ten foot pole.”

Scoffing, your jaw agape, “What, and I’m easier?”

Frantically shaking his head, placating hands held out in front of him, “No! Of course not!” His voice lowers to a nervous mutter, but it still comes through loud and clear in your headphones, “I just think the muse should be on the track, that’s all.” 

Your brows draw together, jerking your head back in confusion. “You wrote this song–about me?” He’s never written a song about anybody other than random hookups. Most of his songwriting is inspired by life stuff anyway. Not even his best friends got songs written for them, but he wrote this for you—about you? 

When you think about the lyrics, your face heats up—to be seen in that way, to be romanticized like that…You had no idea he felt…things…for you. But now the way he stuck to your side at the party makes sense. 

Usually, he’s all over the groupies and the women throwing themselves at him, he’s a gluttonous guy—he likes to have them all. But that party was notably different, he even took you to breakfast after the wild night, making you laugh as he shook more glitter from his hair into the pancakes he ordered. 

Eddie shrugs, very clearly trying to seem passive, “Well, yeah, you’re my glitter girl.” He voices the nickname like it’s obvious, like it’s an endearment—he did put ‘my’ in front of it. 

Huffing out a fond laugh, smile growing on your soft lips, you nod, “Fine. But you can’t watch, okay, perv?” 

You tease him, but the thought of him watching is far too overwhelming for you. You just found out he feels a certain way for you. Unsure if it’s just fondness, care, like—love, even? No, that’d be preposterous. He’s your friend! Lead singer of one of the top bands right now, and you’re his drummer! You’re just like one of the guys—at least that’s what Gareth always says. 

Now you’re not sure what you are—to him, at least. But you know you couldn’t handle him watching you do something so intimate. 

He nods his head vigorously, “Yeah, of course! How about this, I’ll turn around and you–do your thing.” 

Nodding at his earnest face, you move to unbutton your shorts. Shaking your head in disbelief that this is happening, you watch as he turns around. 

“Although, to be clear—I do still need to listen to make sure I–,” he pauses, unable to choose better wording, “like–what I hear, I guess. Sorry.” 

You huff, rolling your eyes at his poor choice of wording. “Yes, Eddie, I know. Don’t look!” 

Raising his hands in surrender as his back is turned, “Let me know when you want me to start the track.” He wants to give you enough time to work yourself up—for lack of better words. 

Taking a deep breath, shaking the nerves out of your body, you reach into your panties. It isn’t the best angle with you standing so you quickly turn around, pulling the stool up to the mic, adjusting the equipment to your new height as you sit on the edge of the wooden seat. Propping your foot on the rung of the stool, you spread your thighs, reaching back into your panties to gather the wetness at your hole. 

Thankfully, Eddie is hot enough to get you going any time you see him—his long, dark curly hair, obsidian eyes, the contrast of black tattoos on pale white skin. Today, he’s wearing an old Dio band tee he cut into a muscle shirt and a pair of ripped black jeans. 

Every time he leaned over the soundboard—reaching to fiddle with some controls—the gaping armholes of his shirt gave you a perfect view of his biceps, his body. It had you pressing your thighs together. Yeah, you’re good to go just looking at him.

Spreading the wetness across your folds as much as you can in the confines of your shorts, you bring your soaked fingers to your clit, catching the little nub just right, making your breath hitch. When your breath turns shallow and you’re biting your lip to withhold moans, you look up to see a hunched over Eddie through the glass. He looks like he’s straining, turned around with clenched fists, gnawing on the white knuckles. 

“I’m ready.” He jumps into action at your breathy comment, reaching behind him for the button, starting the metronome track. 

His strained posture doesn’t unfurl, in fact it looks like he gets even more stiff as you do the part. Circling your clit for maximum pleasure, you moan out the letters, stopping completely with shallow breaths as you wait for his notes. 

Leaving your shorts unbuttoned, you remove your fingers, resting your arm on your thighs as Eddie turns around with a hand over his eyes. 

“I’m decent,” you breathe, letting him know he doesn’t have to feel around the soundboard blindly to shut the track off. 

Letting his hand fall, blown eyes take you in as he clears his throat, pressing the ‘on’ button for the microphone. “T–That was–good, uh, yeah, good,” clearing his throat again. “I think–okay you’re gonna hate me for this—and I swear, I’m not doing it on purpose—but when I was blind, I accidentally pressed the wrong button, so I recorded none of that.” 

He bares his teeth in nervous expectation for your anger, but you just let out a shaky sigh, rolling your eyes. Par for the course with Eddie. 

“Okay, fine. Just–start recording, then close your eyes this time, okay?” 

“Yes. Yeah, I’ll do that, I’m sorry!”

Since you’re already worked up, you tell him to go ahead and start the track right off the bat. Precisely following your directions, he starts the track, quickly hits record, and swivels his chair to face the couch against the wall. 

You do exactly the same thing as last time—running your index and middle finger through your folds before bringing it to your throbbing clit. You’re working yourself close to the edge, but never surpassing it as you moan the lines.

The notes you receive from him make you want to strangle him, he looks awfully jumpy, continuously letting his hand fall into his lap below the soundboard where you can’t see it. “That was good,” he says lightly, like it’s a consolation compliment.

The frustration of touching yourself with no orgasm at the end is getting to you, you grit out an annoyed, “Eddie!” 

“I’m sorry! There’s something off about it! You know? Like it’s too–I don’t know…,” he stops to think as you huff your chest, imagining exactly how you’d run out of this booth and strangle the singer. “It’s missing that oomf,” he repeats, as if that perfectly describes why your performance is not hitting.

Oh, you’re going to kill him. You’re going to skin the fucker alive. “You said that already!” 

“Wait! I think I know what it is,” your eyes widen as he pauses, raising your eyebrows expectantly. 

“Please, feel free to share with the class,” you bite, thoroughly annoyed at this point. 

“How exactly are you touching yourself?” He asks the question so casually like he’s asking you which football team you’re supporting in this year’s Super Bowl, like he’s an engineer trying to figure out the faulty cog in the machine. 

You throw your head back, eyes on a god you know isn’t watching, praying for enough strength to spare your bandmate from your fiery fury. You laugh—sharp, incredulous. “Oh, we’re doing this?” Resigning yourself to the present situation, you answer without shame—your frustration is far too overpowering. “Okay, I’m rubbing my clit.” 

He shakes his head, unruly curls shimmying with the gesture, “No, see I want like–a thrusting oomf, you know?” He’s wagging his finger like he just cracked the case, grinning, “See, I knew something was missing!” 

“Okay, well, I’m not gonna finger myself for you, Eddie.” You’ve given him enough, plus you know from experience—your own fingers are not going to give him the ‘oomf’ he’s looking for.

Eddie pouts at your rejection, jaw on the floor like an indignant child being told ‘no.’ 

“Why not?” He’s practically whining and you tilt your head at him in disbelief that this is the ‘man’ so many women drop their panties for. 

“Because! Why don’t you do it,” you argue. 

His pout is gone as he shrugs his shoulders, nodding his head, “Okay.” 

“Wha–,” you’re thrown off by his response, but you watch him hit record and you hear the metronome start in your ears as he joins you in the booth, unbuttoning his jeans. 

“I didn’t mean–what the hell are you doing?” You look at him like he’s lost his mind—because, honestly, he has. What exactly is he doing here? Freeing one ear from the headphones, you wait for his—sure to be interesting—explanation.

“You want me to do it,” it’s half–question, half him telling you what he got from that exchange. 

Shaking your head, lips parted in awe at his absurdity, “No! I mean like–you do the moans yourself if you’re gonna be so picky about it!” 

Disappointment clear on his face, he leaves his jeans unbuttoned, “Well, nobody wants that!” 

Laughing at his absurd comment—you, you want that—you shake your head, “I don’t think me fingering myself is really gonna sound good–”

“I beg to differ,” he snorts, eyes shooting to your wet fingers.

Giving him a reprimanding look, you add, “You know what I mean.”

“Okay, but what if…I did help you,” he implores, it’s like he’s bargaining for your pussy. 

“Eddie, you can’t be serious,” smiling at him, waiting for him to crack, but all you see is wide, earnest eyes. “You really want this?”

You’re mainly asking about how badly he wants the song to reflect his vision, but you realize the question takes on a whole new meaning with what’s on the table. 

Nodding his head frantically, “Yes, it means a lot to me!” 

Sighing at his genuine desire to make the song he wants, you let out a subtle nod. “Fine,” you pause as he pumps his fist in victory, “But don’t be weird about it.” He immediately collects himself, bringing his energy from ‘kid who just won a sweepstakes to Disney’ to ‘solemn mourner.’ It makes you crack a smile. 

You can hear the metronome of the song repeating in your ear, you watch his quickly widening eyes as you shimmy your shorts down. A raised eyebrow alerts him he should be doing the same, you put the second pair of headphones onto his hair, flattening a line into his poofy hair. He starts removing his black jeans as you turn and adjust the microphone even lower, nearly at the level of the wooden stool. 

When you turn back around, you see his hard cock, standing at attention, his shirt still on—same as you, not bothering to remove the article of clothing because that’d require removing the headphones, which was too much work at the moment. His eyes are lust blown as he looks down at your half-naked body, shallow breaths moving his chest. 

“Cute,” you quip at his stiff cock, admiring the jump you get for the compliment. He’s not the first naked man you’ve seen and knowing him—his ego is already enormous. He doesn’t need to get another worshipping compliment on how pretty and big his dick is, he has the groupies for that. You always try to keep him in check, this’ll be no different. 

Clearly, you had him remove his pants for more than just fingering, but he wants to make sure. “So you don’t want me to finger you?” 

Snorting, you shake your head, “No, if you want this to sound good, it’s gotta be the real deal.” You’ve built up enough frustration that you’re giving him creative directions now, if he’s intertwining music and pleasure—he knows music, and you know your own pleasure. “And you get one take, got it, rockstar?”

Eddie sucks in a breath at the title, nodding his head, “Yes, ma’am.” 

“Good. And it’s recording?” 

Another nod. 

You smirk at his uncharacteristic silence, turning around to rest your elbows on the seat of the stool, making sure the mic stand is right in front of your face. 

“Fuck,” he mutters, the view of you bent over, chest down, ass up—presenting your pretty pussy to him—has his dick jumping, twitching with need. He moves forward, caressing the junction of your hip, squeezing the fat of your ass.

You can’t help but hum at the feel of cold metal rings on his large hands, you’re so worked up you’re practically dripping for him.

He gathers himself enough to remind you the metronome is repeating, meaning you need to pay attention for the cue to the letters. 

“Just fuck me already,” you’re almost whine, rolling your hips to jut your pussy out more. 

“Holy shit,” he groans, grasping his cock and rubbing it up and down your wet folds. He nearly curses at the way your lips almost suck him into your greedy hole, the way you’re pulsing, trying to lure him into your warm, wet heat. 

He teases just a little more, gathering as much of your wetness onto his cock as he can. When you whine, wiggling your hips back, trying to catch the head and slide him in—he decides to put you out of your misery. 

With a strong grip on your hips, Eddie thrusts in harshly, fully sinking his cock into your tight cunt. The sudden intrusion has a cross between a moan and squeal erupting from your throat, you thought he’d go slow—boy, were you wrong. He has to take a minute to steady his breathing, wishing away the impending orgasm. His body is curling over you, chest moving with stuttering breaths. 

You’re so aware of his pelvis and thighs against your ass, how snug his cock is in your hole. Relishing the feeling of him balls deep inside you, you feel so full. He’s so thick, it’s driving you up the wall. Your pussy is gripping him like any moment he’ll pull out and leave you gaping.

“Oh, fuck, sweetheart,” he huffs. “Holy shit–best fucking pussy I’ve ever felt.” He’s babbling, gone completely out of his mind at the way your walls squeeze his poor cock in a vice grip. You mewl and whine at the compliment, so turned on from all the edging, you just want him to start moving already. 

“Move–please, move! Fuck, Eddie,” you draw out his name, sounding pitiful and fucked out already. 

He starts thrusting at a bruising pace, you feel every ridge and vein, you’re not even trying to temper your moans. Barely hearing yourself over the metronome anyway, you let him know just how good you feel. 

Eddie reaches up, shoving one earphone off so he can hear your noises. All the moaning, mewling, and whining only spur him on. He’s breaking a sweat railing into your cunt, relishing the sound of skin slapping. 

You hear the song start over again, knowing the cue is coming up, you try to draw your brain back from your needy pussy long enough to moan the letters. Apparently, you didn’t sound desperate enough because Eddie slaps your ass, eliciting a high-pitched yelp from your throat. 

“Again,” he grits, reaching around to messily rub your clit through your shared juices. 

The song is short so when it loops back around, you’re at the very precipice of an orgasm. 

“Please–Eddie, please let me cum! Oh god, I need it, please!” 

He groans when your walls suffocate his cock, needy and pulsing, on the very edge of the most mind blowing orgasm you’ve ever had. 

“Be good, and I’ll let you,” he grunts, slapping your ass to cue you in. When you open your mouth to moan out the letters he starts vigorously yanking your body back onto his dick, meeting his already jarring thrusts. Ever the musician, he times each shove of his hips with the ticking metronome. 

His hard cock knocks the air out of you as you moan every letter, sounding fucked out and desperate by the time you spell ‘ROCK’ fully. 

Once you know you’ve done your part, you wail out in pleasure, “Oh god!”

Slapping your ass particularly hard, he urges you to cum, “Cum for me, baby. Lemme feel that fucking pussy choke my cock, give it to me, honey.”

The slap sent you over the edge and his words had you floating among the stars. You’re crying out in pleasure, absolutely beside yourself. Barely aware of the loss of rhythm, he shutters and jerks, drawing your attention with an urgent, “Where do you want me, baby?”

Feeling full and needy, you whine, “Inside! Please, Eddie, gimme your cum–I wan’ it so fuckin’ bad!” 

He stutters out a string of curses, pumping rope after rope of warm cum into your greedy cunt. Slowing to a stop, he hunches over you. You can feel his hot breath against your shoulder blades, the softs wisps of his hair tickling your back. 

Resting your chest on the stool, you let your mind come back down to earth. He moves to pull out but you reach behind to grab his hips, holding him to you. 

“Hold on–jus’…wanna feel you still.” You’re exhausted, voice sounding utterly spent. 

“Holy shit,” he breathes out in disbelief, thanking whatever is out there that he got to experience what he’s dreamed about for so long. Not to mention, the way you don’t want his cock to leave your pulsing pussy. He shudders as your walls twitch with aftershocks. 

Eventually, he has to pull out, his soft cock no longer able to stay in. His heart rams against his ribcage at the soft whine you let out as he pulls out, he’d keep you stuffed forever if he could. 

You don’t move, even though you’re free to. Staying bent over the stool, your pussy still captivating him as he looks down to see his load slowly inching out of your hole. Admiring the way the cum moves like molasses in the hot summer, he thinks about how many songs he could write just about the view of your gaping hole—still spread open from his girthy cock.

Since you don’t seem to be moving anytime soon—just resting on the stool, relishing his attention—he kneels down, spreading your ass cheeks. Leaning in to lick up the cum dribbling out of your hole, he makes sure to thrust his languid tongue in, scooping out the delicious, tangy combination of juices. A loud moan escapes your scratchy throat, not expecting such raunchy affection after everything that just transpired. 

Once he gathers the juices, letting them pool on his tongue, he stands up. Reaching around your neck to pull you up, your back to his front, feeling his now half-hard cock against your ass, he spreads his hand on your jaw, effectively pushing your head to the side. He wraps his free hand around your pelvis as he thrusts his tongues into your open, panting mouth. You moan at the feeling of him swapping spit and the mix of cum into your waiting mouth. Messily kissing you, his tongue dominates your mouth, not letting your head go as he grinds against your ass. 

When he pulls away leaving you breathless, you eagerly lick your lips, swallowing all the swapped spit and cum, humming at the taste. He lets you turn around in his hold—facing him, moving both hands to rest on your cheeks, leaning in for another firm kiss. Your eyes are lust blown, he’s panting, bobbing his head closer for another kiss. The kiss you’re wanting doesn’t come, though. Instead, he plants a sweet, chaste, smooch to the corner of your mouth. 

“Will you go on a date with me?” 

You huff out a laugh, eyes squinting with giddy humor at the backwards order of events. “Yeah.”

He grins at your hazy eyes, kissing you again. 

Pulling away, your eyebrows knit with concern, “I think we just accidentally made an audio sex tape.”

“A sex mixtape,” he quips, unworried. 

“Poor Jared, he’s gonna have to isolate my vocals over all the ass clapping,” you giggle. 

“Eh, that perv will love it.” 

A/N: Please like, comment, and reblog if you enjoyed it! Especially comments because they let me know I’m doing things right!!! Because right now I’m going a little coocoo crazy, judging my writing probably too harshly. Idk, y’all tell me what you think