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isimpfortoomanypeople · 2 years

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Winter blues- Eddie Munson x ex Gn reader

Part 1

You thought that you found the perfect person, the one person who would love you no matter what. But why did he turn around and break up with you out of the blue? Returning back from winter break was always going to be hard but you didn’t expect for it to be this hard.

Warnings: smoking, depression, negative self talk (the reader calls themselves pathetic in this) anxiety, alcohol, car crash, mentions of injury, angst, mentions of cheating, mentions of drugs and Eddie being a dick but not as much as the first part. Angst with a happy ending and the reader ends up dating someone at the end, I think you can predict who

A/N: thanks for all the love and for helping me write the ending of the this fanfic, I hope that you all like it. You all didn’t want Eddie back and I mean fair enough he was an asshole. Also Chrissy isn’t the villain in this, mostly because I met the actress and she called me cute and pretty so I stan Chrissy lol, also I’m 5’4 and she was smaller than me so that was my reference for her being short in his. I’m glad that you like the songs to listen to so I recommend ‘if you can’t hang’ by Sleeping with Sirens for all of it, ‘Lent’ by autoheart and ‘tequila wine’ by oliva O’Brien till the 7th break. Then ‘a little of your time’ by mae muller, ‘cinnamon girl’ by Lana del ray and ‘line without a hook’ by Ricky Montgomery till the end. I non stop wrote this over the weekend, I love the angst in this and the ending too. I’m from the U.K. sorry if some parts sound overly British, apologises for all spelling and grammatical mistakes as I’m super dyslexic, enjoy

“God I hate him” you sighed resting your head on Gareth’s shoulder as he passed the cigarette that was pressed to his lips to yours.

“You and me both, remind me again why I can’t slash the tyres in his van?”

Taking a long drag, letting out a smile allowing your body to further melt away on to his shoulder.

“As much as I’d love that, it’s technically vandalism and the last thing I need right now is you going to jail” you gently laughed.

It was moments like these that you were extremely thankful, like someone out there was looking out for you enough to land you someone like Gareth in your life. You couldn’t of asked for a better friend, you knew that he had your back no matter what. At this point you were genuinely convinced that he’d help you hide a body, but then again with the whole Eddie situation that may become a reality. Maybe Eddie finally did something right? as he brought you two together, you truly were as thick as thieves.

Gareth was the first person you called as soon as you felt like you weren’t being eaten alive by the darkness of your sorrows. When you recovered the very little strength you could muster after having your heart that wasn’t only just trampled on but tore into so many pieces you doubt you could ever put them back together again. You shakily dialled the second number you knew off by heart.

It didn’t take much for Gareth to run as fast as he could to your house. All you needed to do was croak the words “Eddie was here”, and that was all it took for him to throw down his drumsticks and told his younger sister that he had an emergency he needed to attend to. And Gareth stuck to your side the moment he arrived, offering you a shoulder to continue your crying on and to once again help to pick up the remains of your heart off the wooden floor.

Your bedroom filtered into a comfortable silence with the voice of Joan Jett softly filling in the spaces that the silence left open. The room glowed in the golden hues of the early sunset for the sun graced you with some comfort that this wretched day is soon drawing to an end.

“Are you going to the party this Saturday?”

You snorted at even the mere suggestion that you could function enough to attend such a thing, the thought of painting on a fake plastic smile and pretending that you weren’t seconds away from fading away into the abyss of depression, you could barely do the basics of human survival such as eating and sleeping never mind a party.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Come on Y/N, do you really want to spend your last year in high school saying that you allowed some prick who couldn’t even pass senior year two times to stop you from being a normal teen? Or do you want to say that you went to the wildest parties before you fuck off to some well respected college? And you’ll think ‘I remember that Gareth dude, he was alright too bad I forgot about his stupid ass” Gareth joked, tickling your sides with his fingers forcing you into a fit of laughter, this was the first time you smiled in two weeks. You curled to your side, swatting away his arms to protect yourself from his attack, leaving you scarlet red and out of breath with laughter

“As if I could forget about you” you breathlessly spoke between gasps as you started to get your breath back. “You’re stuck with me forever you asshole”

He smiled at you, drawing his hands away from your sides and held them up in surrender. Just thankful that he made you smile, for he believed that you deserve nothing more than to be happy. “I wouldn’t want it any other way, so is it a yes?”

“Only if you’ll stop attacking me!”

“Of course”

—————————————————————————

You stared at yourself in the mirror, touching at your face drawing back the fleshy part of your cheeks showing the purple bags that had doubled in size, you pressed your lips together trying not to fall back into a million pieces. Trying to convince yourself that this wasn’t a mistake you getting ready tonight.

Staring back at this person you barely recognise anymore, their eyes don’t even look the same anymore, only embers remains telling you that the resident left a long time ago leaving a lifeless hollow in its place. Your eyes became glassy you wanted to scream at yourself for allowing you to leave your bed, as depression convinced you that all you needed to do was crawl into your blanket covered coffin and lie there till it would all be over, as that’s what you deserved! As why would Eddie leave you!

This was definitely a mistake!

Your thoughts was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Are you ready..” Gareth’s words trailed away as he saw you in a state of utter distress. Yes he has seen you at your worse but you looked so lifeless it’s scary

“I’m going to sit this one out Gare” you mumbled barely looking him in the eyes, the faster you could close the door, the faster you could allow yourself to be consumed by the deathly grip depression had on you.

The reality that Eddie has been cheating on you truly hit you like a truck the moment Gareth closed the door. You felt so alone drowning in your tears, feeling so inadequate for Chrissy was so perfect, everything you were not. Maybe Eddie didn’t want to be seen with someone so pathetic as you?

You couldn’t shake this vice like grip depression had on you, it was the reason you hid away. Kept it away from Gareth for you already burdened him once he didn’t deserve it again.

“No you’re fucking not!” He spoke with so much force it shocked you both into silence by his sudden outburst. He let out a sigh and took a second to compose himself, to calm himself down before he spoke again. “ I love you Y/N you’re my best friend, but I can’t stand to see you destroy yourself over someone who isn’t worth shit. I know it hurts but he isn’t worth this, I want one night to become a reckless drunken mess with my best friend, so please come if not for yourself do it for me?” He pleaded his eyes looking into yours becoming more and more glassy as each second went by, he wanted you to see how much your pain was hurting him too.

—————————————————————————

You threw back your third shot while chasing it back down with god knows what was in that punch bowl, it smelt like straight ethanol but at this point you welcomed the burning sensation it left down your throat as it brings the promise of forgetting.

You slumped against the wall gulping back the lethal punch as if it was water, you felt the small buzz of intoxication creeping into your brain like a welcome friend.

Gareth was taken away from you by Jeff, he looked at you as to say ‘I can stay here if you need’, but you laughed saying that he needs to enjoy the last remainder of his high school parties, even though especially now that you wish that he had stayed.

Sighing as you felt like you could actually relax for the first time in two weeks, as your mind melted away into a blur, you finally felt the break up slipping away from your mind, bringing out the smile that you thought you had lost

But like all good things that happen to you it was bound to come to an end

Fuck my life!

Who should walk in? No other than the most sickening couple of Hawkins high.

Eddie walked in with his fingers laced through Chrissy’s, she placed her perfectly glossed lips upon his before she was whisked away by a couple of her cheerleading friends.

You watched as Eddie put his hands in the back of his Jean pockets, his eyes looking around the room, his posture slumped looking far from his usual environment.

Upon his eyes searching the room to find a familiar face he could find, so he wouldn’t have to spend the night alone waiting till his girlfriend became too intoxicated so he had to drive her home. His eyes found yours, you rapidly moved your eyes away from his for it felt like your eyes were on fire, blinking rapidly to douse the flames he caused

Eddie felt a pang of guilt gnawing at his consciousness upon seeing you, actually seeing you, not acting upon cowardice by refusing to look at you like he did during your last encounter. His heart broke as the consequences of his own actions finally hit him and it hit him hard. Fuck did he really do this to you?

You looked gaunt, you looked sickly pale almost unrecognisable from the person he use to love

You felt your anxiety making your heart rate increase in quick successions till it was palpitating. Yep you definitely needed to drown the painful memories of Eddie into too much booze till they became hazy

You down your 2nd drink like it was water cringing at the acrid aftertaste it had, it somehow gotten stronger since your last drink. Pouring yourself another you heard an all too familiar drunken laugh

“Y/N, oh my god!, how are you?” Chrissy smiled as she ran up and hugged you with so much force it caused the drink you were ladling to spill.

“Hey Chris” you forced out with a fake smile, so fake that it took every muscle in your body to hold

“You didn’t answer my question silly” she slightly slurred bopping you on the nose, she fell into a fit of giggles which made you question how much she had to drink, yet again if you were her height it wouldn’t take you a lot to get drunk either.

God it was getting hard to swallow down this anger you were feeling, you knew it wasn’t Chrissy’s fault but if you were faced with the person your ex chose over you, there definitely would be some resentment towards them

“It’s going good, how is your boyfriend?” You didn’t mean for the words that fell off your tongue to be so bitter, but the buzz of alcohol blurred the filter that lay between your brain and your mouth

“It’s going good with me and Eddie?” She puzzled over your sudden standoffish behaviour, yes you rarely spoke but you never had anything against each other either, so why were you being so mean?

The third drink started to slur your thoughts so that very limited filter you had moments before disappeared entirely

“How long have you been dating?”

“3 weeks, why?”

“Well because for the first week of your relationship, I was still dating him!” You spat out chugging back the rest of what was in your solo cup, looking up you saw Chrissy looking back at you with wide eyes and her lips trembling

“What?”

“Eddie cheated on me with you when he got bored with me, so I’d start running now chris if I was you before you waste 6 months on him like I did” tears started to brew at your eyes during your anger fuelled outburst, you couldn’t help but feel some guilt over the words you uttered. For this anger was meant for Eddie not for the strawberry blonde cheerleader in front of you, she did nothing wrong except love the same boy you once did

“Y/N, I’m so sorry” she cried, wiping away the tears that smudged her perfectly winged eyeliner, “I promise you I wouldn’t of dated him if I knew, he told me that you broke up. God I’m such a bitch!”

“Chris-“

But it was too late, she ran off out of the kitchen holding her half full cup of punch , leaving you to realise what you’ve just done.

You and your stupid mouth!

You ran out towards the living room following the teary eyed cheerleader in sight

Shit! Shit! Chrissy please don’t do anything stupid!

“What the fuck!” You heard Eddie shout.

You turned and saw his shirt covered in chrissy’s remaining punch, his eyes furrowed in shock over what just happened

“That’s for telling me you were single when you weren’t, fuck you I thought you weren’t like the rest” she shrieked capturing all the attention from the room, someone even turned down the stereo to direct everyone’s attention to drama about to unfold.

No one could predict what was about to happen next, as her perfectly manicured hand slammed its way across Eddie’s cheek leaving an angry red mark in its place

“We are over!” And with that she stormed away with her crew not following too far behind

You stood in complete shock. 100% Eddie deserved it, in fact you were jealous you didn’t do it first. But also because you didn’t think she could pack such a punch

Your eyes met Gareth who couldn’t hold back his laughter, now you definitely was glad that you were able to be convinced in to coming tonight

—————————————————————————

“I can’t believe she would slap him like that” Gareth howled out clutching his stomach as he recalled last nights events

“I’m sad it wasn’t me who did it” you chuckled wiping away the tear that fell from laughing so hard

“Never say never, I’d pay good money for you to beat the ever living shit out of him”

“At that point Gare I think it might be called a snuff film as there’s no way he’d make it out alive”

You both laughed till your abdomens hurt, you were both on the way back from family video, deciding that watching the exorcist and eating pizza was the only way to soothe your remaining hangovers

“That it might be- HOLY SHIT Y/N-“

The rest of Gareth’s sentence turned into fuzz like the static you got when you were trying to get your tv to connect to a station.

Everything happened in slow motion, you clutched at the wheel trying to stop your car that was rapidly skidding out of control on the black ice you couldn’t see.

The ice throttled you at full speed towards the trees not too far ahead

Your vision started to fade in and out of consciousness, your sight started to fade. You could see the faint outlines of a tree inches away from your face, broken glass from your windscreen glistening with blood in the harsh winters sun, before your world slowly faded to black

—————————————————————————

Gareth sat in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room, adding more to the discomfort he felt after being in a car crash. He bit his nails, trying to numb the anxiety that made him feel like he was going to pass out.

No matter how many nurses told him to go home and they’ll call him once they had any more news. But he couldn’t leave especially when his best friend could be dying, the guilt was eating him alive, like his body was caving in. He escaped with a few cuts from the windshield spraying glass shards over his face and a few broken ribs which the doctor told him would heal, while you? He doesn’t know, wishing that it was him in your position as at least then he’d know that you would be alright

He had nothing to distract him, only his own thoughts to plague him for surviving, for not needing the surgery you had to undertake. He hated feeling so useless, there was nothing he could do to reverse what had happened. God he hated this

Oh you got to be fucking kidding right now!

“I’m here to see Y/N L/N” by the reception stood a very worried looking Eddie, his eyes red and glassy. The way his chest moved in quick successions showed that he dropped everything and ran straight here.

The receptionist pointed Eddie in the direction of where Gareth was sat . Eddie gulped as he approached the seats for Gareth was glaring daggers into his skin, piercing his flesh for hurting you and having the audacity to show his face.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Did you really think that when you phoned Jeff about not making it to rehearsal, that he wouldn’t tell me?”

Eddie sat a few seats away from Gareth and ran his fingers through his hair, he looked distraught as more tears flooded down his face.

“How are they?” He asked looking at Gareth in the eyes, his voice shaking with fear. “Look I know that you hate me, but I still love them-“

“That’s bullshit” Gareth scoffed, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes, he almost wanted to start applauding Eddie for he was putting on quite the show. The tears was truly convincing, Eddie should really consider acting

“No its not-“

“You broke up with them with a pitiful excuse for them to then find out that you’ve been cheating on them, wow Eddie you’re truly living up to the Munson name” Gareth spat, yes it was a low blow to bring up Eddie’s bastard of a farther but right now Gareth was seeing red

“Fuck you!” Eddie growled his nostrils started to flare. Gareth better reign it in otherwise Eddie would have no control over what he may do next

“Why do you care about them now? where were you when they actually needed you? Probably putting your tongue down the throat of Chrissy Cunningham, you’re only showing up now because you want to be seen as this good person. But no Eddie, I know you, you’re full of shit, you’re fucking pathetic”

“Well considering you’re picking out the flaws in everyone, what about you mr perfect? You stay in the background till you disappear, you’re that uninteresting that people couldn’t give less of a shit about you. You had no life so you had to copy my own, you’re a damn carbon copy of myself it’s laughable. Maybe that’s why your dad left you because he was so ashamed of having a low life for a son-“

Eddie’s words was cut short by Gareth’s fist colliding with his nose, Eddie froze momentarily in shock that he didn’t hear the sickening crack, only when he felt blood pouring into his mouth did he register that Gareth had punched him.

Gareth stood glaring at Eddie, his fist still out stretch, his knuckles starting to turn red. Pressing his lips into a thin line as his brain was a fury of blazing flames, he wanted nothing more than in this moment than to make Eddie leave here in a hearse.

Eddie slowly sat back down, his eyes still wide clutching at his blooded nose, what the fuck just happened?

“I’m sorry” he mumbled “that was too far”

Gareth didn’t respond, he turned his back to him. Slowly counting to ten to cool himself down before he did something he’d regret, he thought of you and that you need him here not in the back of a police cell

The atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Both boys froze in utter shock over the events that happened moments prior

“But I did mean what I said earlier” he sighed, his voice breaking with sorrow, he couldn’t lose you not yet. “I still love them, fuck i really love them. I stupidly threw what we had away and I’m paying for that every single day, me and Chris both had the same shared trauma that no one else could understand so we both found comfort in each other, so I stupidly kissed her. Fuck! I hate myself”

Gareth slowly turned around to face him, his facial muscles dropping the tension it was holding earlier. He swallowed thickly

“You realise that is far from an excuse right?”

“Yes I do, I don’t deserve them, I know I don’t, but I could lose them and I can’t live if that happened” Eddie’s voice cracked, the dam that held the full weight of his despair came flooding through, resulting in him curled up in a pool of tears.

Gareth sat next to him, he knew he shouldn’t take pity on him but when you were friends with someone for years, it was hard to let them go that easily.

“We were driving and their car skidded on ice and we were hurled towards these trees, I remember them trying to stop the car but it was too late. Next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital bed and being told that they’re in surgery. I’m sure that they’re going to be fine, you know Y/N they’re as tough as nails” Gareth gently chuckled defusing the tense atmosphere that felt like it was suffocating them both.

“I really fucked it up with them haven’t I?”

“To be honest with you, yes you have”

“I’m sorry Gare I wish this could of all been different, I wish that I hadn’t screwed up, but that’s all I’ve ever done. It’s what I do best, I was a coward and like always I ran away” Eddie croaked wiping away the stray tears on his freckled cheeks.

“Eddie, I don’t know why you’re telling me this, it’s Y/N they’re the one you should be saying this shit to” Gareth took a second to breathe before the atmosphere became heated again, he ran his fingers through his hair trying his hardest not to yell at the brunette boy beside him. “Look I’ll call you if I hear any news, but you’re quite possibly the last person they want to see right now, and if you mean what you said to me right now you’d go home and speak to them when they’re better”

—————————————————————————

You cringed as you adjusted yourself to lay more comfortably on the hospital bed. You couldn’t describe the excruciating pain that flooded over your body, imagine a knife stabbing and twisting all over your body again and again, nothing relieved the agony you were feeling, the cocktail of pain relief you received did jack shit. You couldn’t breathe without your muscles spasming in pain.

The doctors informed you that you were involved in a car crash that left you with a broken leg, several broken ribs and a concussion that you will be kept in over night for them to keep monitoring the severity of it.

This was the last thing you needed right now, well at least the physical pain would help to distract you from the emotional pain

“Hey” you turned to see a very bruised looking Gareth holding one of those crappy bears you could buy at a card shop, that held a heart saying ‘get well soon’ on it.

You smiled at him, just glad you know that he is okay, laughing at the gift he got you. But the laughter further aggravated the stabbing sensation in your ribs, so the smile was soon replaced with a frown.

“You asshole, don’t make me laugh it hurts” your voice raspy from the pain and only just waking up 30 minutes prior.

“Excuse me for bringing my friend some joy over the shit we just went through” he quipped sitting down on the chair next to you, placing the bear on the bedside table. You jokingly rolled your eyes at his comment. “How are you?”

You gave him another glare, what is it with this boy and stupidly obvious questions?

“I know, stupid question”

“Well apart from being in the worst pain imaginable I’m living so I suppose it could be worse

“Even going through near death, they still don’t miss the chance to attack me with their words” he chuckled, he looked at you taking in every part of you, he smiled forever thankful that you survived. “I’m just glad that you’re okay”

“You too Gare, when I woke up I was so scared that something really bad had happened to you. After everything I’ve been through I couldn’t loose you too, I just can’t” your eyes started to well up at even the thought of losing him

“Hey” he cooed wiping away the tear that fell with his thumb, “I’m not going anywhere you’re stuck with me for life”

“What happened to your hand?” You asked with concern upon seeing the grazed flesh on his still red knuckles.

“I punched Eddie”

“What!” You exclaimed looking at Gareth with narrowed eyes, checking if you heard him right

“He came here earlier, I phoned Jeff saying that I wouldn’t make it to band practice tomorrow and he must of told Eddie. I told him to fuck off and that he wasn’t wanted here, he brought up shit about me and my dad so I punched him” he said nonchalantly, like this is something mundane that you would expect to had happen while you were unconscious.

“I’m sorry Gare, but I’m also pissed that I didn’t get to do it first. God Chrissy gets to slap him, you get to punch him, save some of the Eddie abuse to me” you weakly laughed trying not to upset the aching muscles

“Hey no one has killed him yet, you could be the first”

Gareth spent three hours by your side, it should of been two but the nurses took pity on you both, plus the hospital was pretty quiet so having him stay another hour wasn’t hurting anyone. You were pretty sure that they believed you two to be dating but at the sake of having your best friend at your side for another hour, you were more than happy to let them believe whatever they wanted to.

Before he left he told you what Eddie had told him, which left you with the heavy question looming in the air, something for you to over think when you were kept up till the early hours of the morning

What the fuck are you going to say to Eddie?

—————————————————————————-

You were discharged the morning after as all your vitals seemed stable, with no sign of brain damage or memory loss indicating that your concussion was only mild. Leaving the hospital with three different bottles of medication and your right leg tightly wrapped up in bandages.

You spent the next week on bed rest, it felt so tedious. Sure the pain subdued and you could move without feeling like your were being burnt alive, without the sharp pains of your broken ribs pressing into your sides with each breath.

But you felt like you were dying a slow painful death not by any physical pain but the boredom was fucking torture. There’s so many repeats of your favourite tapes you could take before bohemian rhapsody made you want to claw at your ears, the only thing that could distract you and it was hard to admit was homework that Gareth brought you every day. Who would of thought that trigonometry would bring you any form of joy?

You heard a gentle knocking at your doorway, you sat upright smiling at the door in anticipation of Gareth’s arrival, but your sweet mood turned sour very quickly when the person emerged from behind the door.

With a broken leg and doctor’s proscribed bedrest there is no way you can escape him, great!

“Hey” he spoke with nerves making his voice become unsteady, he swallowed thickly and placed a bouquet of red roses beside your bed.

“Hey” you replied coldly staring outside your window, maybe if you pretended that he wasn’t there he’d take the hint and go away?

Eddie looked wounded by your icy reply, it made his stomach drop further. He started to twirl his rings as his anxiety was making him shake, his rehearsed speech he practiced saying to you in his mirror went out of the window leaving a blank space in his mind.

“I’m sorry”

You felt your jaw stiffen, trying not to scream at him simply because you didn’t have the energy to do so, you were having an internal battle. The part of you that still loved him was rising to the surface, telling you that he was saying everything that you wanted to hear but you had to push this part of you down, it made more of your muscles tensed up during this emotional tug of war.

Don’t you dare even look at him right now!

He sighed, his leg bouncing up and down in an attempt to fight back the raging anxiety that flooded through his every nerve.

“I was stupid, I thought that because we went through the same shit that no one else could get, that Chrissy was a better match for me. Which is the worst mistake I made as I lost the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was a fucking coward who hurt the only person I have ever loved, I have spent every day haunted by my regrets, I was jealous of your friendship with Gareth that I yelled at you as I saw someone who was doing all the shit I never did, someone who is caring and loyal and not a lying cheating douche like me. When I found out that you were involved in that car accident my whole world stop because I finally realised that you were my whole world, I know that sounds cheesy as shit but I knew that I couldn’t live without you. I fucked up and I still love you Y/N-“

“Eddie you hurt me, like really fucking hurt me. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat I felt so inadequate compared to her. I mean look at her for Christ sake! Head cheerleader, the golden girl of Hawkins how could I ever compare to that!” Your voice started to break as you choked back your tears that were threatening to spill, “you cheated on me, you through away 6 months without so much as an excuse”

You looked over at Eddie his eyes glistening as he sobbed silently, his cheeks damp with fresh tears.

“I’m really sorry Y/N, I don’t deserve you. I just wanted you to know that I love you and I’ll spend the rest of my days regretting ever letting you go”

“Eddie” you sighed trying your hardest not to cry as he didn’t deserve you wasting another tear on him, you spent weeks morning your relationship and hurting yourself in the process, while he got to live without so much as a single mark. “I do still love you, but I can’t go back to you. I spent weeks crying my heart out while you was with Chrissy, you don’t get to come here now and tell me how much your hurting. I deserve someone who is going to treat me right, who is going to make me a priority and is not going to cheat on me the moment things become hard. I can’t let you in and allow you to hurt me that badly again. There’s a part of me that wishes that this could all be different and we could just drive out to lovers lake like we used to do, but I just can’t do that to myself again. I’m sorry Eddie, but you have to let me go. We could possibly be friends some point in the future but right now I don’t think that we can, well at least not at the moment.

Eddie wiped away his tears, he weakly smiled at you, he was trying his hardest not to beg you till he was red in the face for you to take him back. Because he knows that you deserve someone better than him as much as it pains him to admit

“Look after yourself okay?”

“You too Eddie”

When he closed your door you finally allowed those tears to fall.

—————————————————————————-

“What did you say?”

“I told him that I still loved him, which unfortunately is still true, but I couldn’t go back to him not after how badly he hurt me”

“Are you going to be-“

“I swear to god Gareth Emerson if you ask me if I’m going to be okay I’ll literally punch you so hard in the jaw that you won’t be able to ask me that again” you threatened jokingly throwing a pillow at his face

“Ow! Jesus Christ, I can’t even be a supportive friend these days” he rolled his eyes throwing the pillow back in your direction.

“You know that you don’t have to visit everyday right?”

“Are you sick of me already” he jokingly asked with his hand clutched to his chest dramatically, which caused you to snort at his theatrical response

“I mean don’t you have better things to do than to look after me?”

“You know that I don’t” he quipped making you roll your eyes at the way he can turn a sweet moment into a joke in a matter of seconds.

“I love you Gare”

“Love you too Y/N”

——————————————————————————

You unwrapped the candy bar Gareth had brought you, as before he called, he stopped to buy your favourite snacks. While you were listening to the mix tape he made you after you complained that Queen was giving you a migraine from hearing it on repeat non stop.

You stared at the bear he brought you, laughing silently at the memory from the hospital,

He couldn’t hide his distaste for you naming the bear con short for concussion, which at the time you found hilarious but that was when you were high on the 7 different drugs the hospital gave you, so that was the pitiful excuse for the awful joke made.

The guitar riff of ‘I was made for lovin’ you’ started to kick in, echoing across your walls the voice of Gene Simmons singing ‘I can’t get enough of you darling, can you get enough of me?’ it made you realise something-

Oh fuck! You were in love with Gareth!

No, surely not! Right?

He was your best friend, he was the one right by your side no matter what, he stayed over night the night Eddie broke up with you to make sure were okay, he was the one you could always confine in, he would make you smile till your cheeks ached, and he came over every day to check up on you- shit!

You didn’t know whether to scream, laugh, cry or all of the above. What an overused romantic trope , falling in love with your best friend. You couldn’t be anymore predictable if you tried.

You didn’t know what to do with this emotional revelation, push it down in hopes that the feeling melts away in the pit of your stomach acid? Hoping that you don’t regurgitate the awkward feelings to Gareth then he tells you that he doesn’t feel the same way, then you’ll enter this bottomless pit of depression unable to climb your way out of it, till you have to move state.

The anxiety was muddling your thoughts till they became a string of nonsense, convincing you that the world was going to end for feeling this way. Maybe the best way is to avoid these feelings and hope that they fade away, like this was a phase you were feeling because you were lonely and longing for the comfort a relationship brought you.

That was the only logical thing to do, right?

—————————————————————————-

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, nothing… why do you ask?” You laughed nervously, internally cringing that you couldn’t lie for shit especially in front of Gareth. If you could keep Gareth distracted for long enough surely he’ll forget why you’re acting so strange. Was the room suddenly increasing in temperature? and was the walls always so closed in?

Gareth looked at you with a furrowed brow, looking at you side eyed. He was far from convinced at your poorly executed way of hiding the nerves that tied your stomach into knots and your brain racing at top speed.

“Yeah, ‘cause that was believable. You haven’t spoken to me since I arrived and you keep on chewing at your lip that it’s now bleeding and you keep on tapping your hand to your thigh. So don’t bullshit me Y/N what’s wrong?”

“It’s just that I have a lot on my mind” you spoke in such a fast pace that you doubt that he had even registered a single word that you just said. For when you were nervous, the nerves force your words out as soon as they popped into your brain, needing to fill the silence and not caring about how coherent your sentences sounded

“Did you say yes to Eddie?”

This was only the logical explanation Gareth could conjure up, for you always told him everything. He saw you at your worse, he even had to hold your hair back as you vomited from smoking weed for the first time when you believed that your limit was higher than it truly was.

“God no!”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s nothing-“

“Just tell me-“

“I’m in love with you damn it!”

The silence that followed was deafening, it felt like the air was sucked out of your lungs making it hard to breathe. You felt sick, praying to whatever was above to strike you down so you don’t have to exist in this reality anymore. Burying your face in your hands feeling your cheeks burn as you were drowning in your own embarrassment, you’ve dug a hole so big you can’t escape from.

Do you ever think before opening your mouth!

“Y/N?”

“Gareth don’t!” You snapped not wanting him to talk further as you knew what was about to happen next, and you think you’d rather die than to hear Gareth list off the reasons why he didn’t like you back. “Just leave, I shouldn’t of said anything”

“I love you too”

You lifted your head out of your hands, blinking rapidly did you hear him properly?

“What?”

“Why else did you think I put ‘I was made for lovin you’ on your mix tape?”

“God you’re such a sap” you laughed out loud, letting relief wash over you. Your heart started to race as you couldn’t stop blushing like an idiot.

“Yeah but you love it clearly” he smirked, he leant into his impulse, the thing that he has been craving to do for weeks.

He pressed his lips upon yours, it was a sweet gentle kiss. It felt perfect, all the longing and pining over people who treated you like shit melted away into the background for now you know what their kisses was supposed to feel like. This felt right like your life was leading up to this moment.

You use to roll your eyes at poets and romantic films as they made you nauseous, selling love to be this grand beautiful thing something that would change your world for the better. But it’s hard to believe that when love had left you with so many knives in your back, you started to wonder that love was an illusion something made up, so they can sell valentines cards. But now you know what people meant when they spoke about love, for once in your life you finally found someone who truly loves you and you truly love them back.

A/N: I hope that you liked it, I was going to be mean and put it in three parts but I couldn’t do that to you. Some people may not like that they ended up with Gareth but it made so much sense, I’ve been on a Gareth obsession lately and Gwydion has a hold on me lately, could be because I’m Welsh and he has the most Welsh name ever. I’ve got more fics on the way, this was my first and definitely not my last gender neutral fanfic :)

Tag list:

@sebastiansstanswhore @protecteddiemunson4vr @simp4rengoku @hllfrclb

#stranger things angst #stranger things eddie #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fanfiction #eddie the freak munson #eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson x yn #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson x gn!reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson angst #gareth stranger things #gareth emerson #gareth emerson x y/n #gareth the great #gareth emerson x reader

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toomanyfandomsimfanvergent · 1 year

Note

Gareth Emerson x Harrington! reader where r meets Gareth through Steve's boyfriend Eddie?

I'm kind of confused? Gareth dating Steve's younger sister, okay, that part is a yes. I will totally do it!

Gareth Emerson x Harrington!Reader

Steve and Edie were 'really good friend's. That was what they said. But they looked at each other a bit longer, and Steve no longer went on dates.

He claimed he had given up. Not wanting to start another relationship that was pointless other then sex. Steve and Eddie were dating. They just haven't said so yet.

You weren't going to pressure Steve to admit he wasn't completely straight. He claimed he likes boobies, but you think he likes a bit of cock to.

You were going to Hellfire club right now. Eddie was going to drive you home. You usually waited for him to finish up his campaigns.

And then Steve and Eddie would wait until they thought you were asleep, for Eddie to drive back and then they sneak off together.

Steve would always have slightly red eyes. Definitely from having been high the night before. And you heard him sneaking back in the wee hours of the morning.

"Eddie?" You say as you walk in hellfire club to see Eddie and some of the other members packing up. He smiles and waves you over.

"You're early, I'm almost ready," Eddie says with a smile. You see a boy with curly brown hair that has a light pink tint on his cheeks. And there was, of course, Dustin and Mike.

"Yeah, I got out early. That's what happens when you are Mrs. O'Donnell's favorite student," you say and Eddie groans.

"She just likes you," Eddie says and waves dramatically around. He picks up another mini figure.

"Sorry that I show up to class. And don't bomb every test, oh or I don't completely skip the home work," you smile and Eddie gives you a second glare before he smiles painfully.

"I get good grades, I am present in class, and I actually do the homework," Eddie teases. You smile as you thought of the perfect comeback.

"Sorry that I'm not a third time senior," you reply and Eddie scoffs.

"Yeah, no I walked right into that one," Eddie says and puts his hands up in defiance, "You win this time, little Harrington."

You wink at the curly haired boy who has a blush. He was cute, you couldn't deny that. He blushes and walks over to you.

"I'm Gareth," he says and you both walk over to the other side of the room, away from eddie. Dustin covers and gets Eddie going on some new topic. He mouths a 'you owe me'.

"I'm Yn," you say with a smile. You both engage in some fairly basic small talk until Eddie yells for you to go.

Once he starts driving he starts talking, "You fancy Gareth the Great?" Eddie teases. You groan and reply.

"You fancy my brother," you say. Eddie's jaw drops and he starts to make some smart ass reply, "I know. I hear you pull up to the house every night once you idiots think I'm asleep. I see the way you look at each other, and I hear Steve sneak back into the house," you say with smile.

"How long have you known?" Eddie asks with a sigh, but you don't miss the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Six months," you dead pan. Eddie groans again and mumbles something. He notices you didn't quiet hear him and he repeats it.

"I said Harrington and I are shit at hiding from little Nancy drew," Eddie says and you groan he wasn't funny.

"No, no, no, Gareth." Eddie remembers the previous topic. You groan again, you had a tiny crush. Tiny. It wasn't even worth talking about.

"He's cute okay," you say and Eddie smiles. He pulls into your driveway and gets out. You raise your eyebrows and wink before saying something else, "I want his number and I won't tell Steve that you admitted to dating," you say Eddie sighs.

"Deal," he says and gives you the number. You smile and run up to your room. You were going to call him, you were going to be brave.

You dial the numbers and here his voice ask who it was.

"This is weird but it's Y!n, I bribed Eddie for your number," you say with a little laugh. He laughs back and replies.

"That's cool, and you obviously know who I am," you hear how nervous he was.

"Um, cool... pick me up on Friday? 7?" You ask.

"Um, yeah," Gareth replied a little to fast. He gets nervous.

"Cool," you say and give him your address. You both say cool a few more times before hanging up.

You run downstairs to tell Steve and Eddie the good news, "DISGUSTING," you yell. Eddie and Steve were making out on the couch.

Steve jumps back and falls off the couch with a large blush. Eddie has a satisfied smirk on his face and winks at you.

"I got the date," you say and walk over to them as Eddie helps Steve up. Eddie high fives you. Steve looks curious, Eddie just winks at him and presses a kiss to his nose.

You gag and run back up the stairs. It was better when they were painfully shitty at sneaking around you. You would be much better if you were really trying to hide a boy, or girl.

______________________________________________

You smile as Gareth presses a kiss to your lips, you giggle and kiss him back. You look quickly and see that Eddie's van was pulling up, Steve and Eddie would be back.

They would most likely sneak into Steve's room, and you and Gareth would have to leave. The sounds they made were unholy.

You smirk as Gareth half pushes you onto the bed, you smile and kiss him even harder. You both get entirely lost in each other's lips.

Steve and Eddie pause in the doorway of your room before slowly backing away. They weren't going to disturb.

Fuck that, "YNNNNNN GARETHHHH," Eddie screams and you both jump apart. You fall over the side of the bed and Gareth does to.

"ASSHOLES," you yell as you both get up. They were in fact assholes. They had to disturb you, THEY HAD TO

"Get lost," you say and they leave the room and shut the door. You hear a warning of using protection (Eddie) and a warning of stranging you if he hears one moan (Steve)

It was perfect. You both smile at each other as you laugh over the unseen circumstances. It was funny. If you walked in on Steve and Eddie you would want to die. They walk in you and laugh.

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!! I write for a ton of characters so check out my pinned post for details!

#gareth emerson x y/n #gareth the great #gareth stranger things #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson #steddie #steddie fanfic #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson fluff #Gareth Emerson slow burn

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ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 5 ● g.emerson

warnings

heavy public displays of affection / idiots in love + bicker like an old married couple tropes at play, bullying -because we're merely taking a small break from Jason and Co and their bullshit, underage drinking / mentions of 🍃, mentions of an Ouija board and it's use ( this chapter only ) reader is female but vaguely characterized, absence of sci fi elements.

word count

4483 exactly. Welcome to part 5, babes.

y'all are gonna get so fucking tireddd of my attempts at a slow burn and the bullshit that goes with i s2g.

summary

continued from ( here )

You're falling in love with your best guy friend Gareth after you've moved to Hawkins. How will this go for you?

( my summaries are shiiiit and traaash omg man )

taglist

-- if you want to be tagged in my stranger things works, please go ( here ) and add yourself. Or lmk and I'll add you. if you're not on my taglist, i won't tag you.

@tbmunson you knew I was going to tag you in this, we love our grumpy drummer sm. you're my inspiration bestie and I luhh you.

@allelitesmut

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@littlestarfighter03

@just-a-blue-nerd

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about + rules

The sound of the local rock station follows you out to the deck as you throw open the French doors and make your way out, arms loaded down with pizza boxes. Edith rushes over, taking some of the boxes to sit them on the dining table. Adeline tears her eyes off of the abandoned house next door and sniffs the air. “Ooh! Pizza.”

“Yeah, obviously.” Edith taunts, with Adeline flipping her off as she climbs out of the pool and wanders towards you both. Maria wanders back into the house and grabs the bottle of rum you were all passing around as you watched MTV. She pauses in the open doorway and leans against the frame as she takes a sip from the bottle and burps. Edith glares. “Fucking rude, Mar.”

Maria flips her off too. As you all grab a slice or two of pizza, you make your way over to the edge of the pool and seat yourselves. Staring up at a darkening sky as Bon Jovi plays in the background.

“How do you live next door to that monstrosity?”

You shrug at Maria’s question and take a bite of your pizza. “For starters, I tune it out.”

“How? Place is massive.” Adeline speaks up, shifting her gaze to you. She holds out the rum bottle and you take it, turning it up and grimacing at the way the alcohol burns it’s way down your throat. You hand the bottle off to Maria and glance over at the house next door.

“Easy. I just don’t look at the damn place much.” you answer after a few seconds.

Edith speaks up quietly. “Girl.. Was Gareth Emerson hugging you in the cafeteria earlier?”

You can feel your cheeks flame up and you take a few bites of your pizza. It’s a clumsy attempt to get out of answering, but when Maria and Adeline glance your way expectantly, you laugh softly and lean back a little. “Yeah. Why? I mean, I’m pretty sure he was just being nice because he could tell I cried or whatever.”

“That guy is not a hugger normally.”

“And.” Edith is sitting up, finishing off her slice of pizza so she can reach into the box sitting behind her on a cushioned lounge chair to grab another, “And, he looks at you. A lot.”

“Have you seen her staring at him though. It’s cute, okay?” Maria laughs, turning her attention to you. “Your whole face lights up.”

“Does not.”

“Does so!”

“Do you like him?”

You bite your lip and stare down at bare legs. “I do. But.” you counter, going quiet, “we’re friends.”

“Girl, he almost called you babe.”

“Probably a mistake, Edie.”

“Mistake my ass, ___.” Edith laughs and takes the bottle of rum from Adeline, taking another long sip. She grimaces and shakes her head, passing it over to Maria. Then she locks eyes with you. “And he kept calling you bunny during lunch.”

“Because he always does that. I eat salads at school because I don’t trust anything else, it always looks questionable.” you laugh and shake your head. Splash your feet around in the water a little bit.

“Or.. hear me out..” Maria starts, laughing softly, “He likes you. Like.. a lot. Like enough that last week, when you wore that plaid skirt that kinda looks like the plaid vest thing he’s always wearing, I watched him, with my own two eyes, as he was staring so damn hard he almost walked straight into the girls bathroom.”

“He did not.” you laugh and shake your head. “You’re lying.”

“And the sexual tension.” Adeline fans herself before taking a bite of her pizza. “Don’t even get me started there. All the lingering looks. And the way he makes himself taller and leans in doorways. He’s always touching you too.”

“Okay, one.. That leaning thing is sexy.” you fan yourself and giggle and this makes your three friends burst into laughter as they share a look. “Two, he’s not always touching me?”

“Girl, oh my goddd. He is.”

“He totally is. Like.. the way he grabbed you by the hips in the hallway on Monday?”

“Yeah! To pull my dumb ass out of everyone’s way, Mar.” you counter, shaking your head. And you’re sitting, you’re thinking about everything your friends seem to be hinting at.

There’s a logical explanation for nearly all of it and you know this but deep down, maybe a tiny part of you wishes that weren’t so. That you had just some small -but sure, sign that the way you felt was mutual and you could stop fighting the way you feel as hard as you’ve been fighting it.

“Okay, well.. He’s always sharing his french fries with you at lunch.”

“So? Friends share food. I offered him my salad, he just refuses to take a bite.”

“I’ve caught him staring at your ass, totally zoned out. When we were all in gym last week?”

You nearly choke on the bite you’d just taken. “You’re full of shit, Adi.”

“Am not, ___.”

“You are!” you’re laughing as you reach for the bottle of rum again, pouting when you find that it’s empty. “Who drank all the rum?”

“We all did, woman. We’ve been drinking the same bottle since about 5.”

“Oh. Oh yeah.” you rub your face. The alcohol has your face on fire, the tips of your ears burning. And you’re giggly now. So are your friends.

“Y’know, if we gave a shit about everyone else at Hawkins High, your house would be killer to throw a party at.”

“Parties get busted by like 9 around here though.. Right?” you question, making Edith laugh and shrug. “Depends. If Chief Hopper is the one on duty, he’ll let ‘em go a while.” and she’s gazing in the direction of the backyard of the house beside yours on the opposite side. “Hey, those kids go to our school! They’re freshmen.”

You glance over and spot Dustin, Mike and Will all out in the Wheeler backyard. You wave at Mike and he waves back.

“Dustin, Mike and Will. I think they’re in Hellfire.” you answer, the long burp following has your friends laughing. You pull yourself up off the cement pool surround and you grab a box of pizza, wandering over to the fence separating your backyard from the Wheeler backyard.

“Hey! Psst!”

Mike looks up from where he’s got the board for their last minute three person DnD campaign set up on the picnic table. He sees you just barely peek over the fence so he pulls himself up and wanders over. “Yeah?”

“Have a pizza, kid. My friends and I, we.” and you’re slipping a little, this has your friends laughing and you’re laughing too. You hold up a finger and duck down, pulling the bucket you were standing on onto level ground, then you pull yourself back up. “We ordered too much, little dude.”

Mike takes the pizza and raises a brow at you. “Are you guys drunk?”

You snort in laughter. “What? Us? No. Absolutely not, little dude.”

The bucket’s slipping again and you jump down.

Mike, Dustin and Will all gaze at the fence and then share a look before going back to setting up their usual weekend campaign. And a few seconds later, Bob Seger is echoing off the night, accompanied by the sounds of loud laughter.

Mike shakes his head, laughing to himself. “They do this every weekend. One weekend, she had a slip and slide set up.”

“Dude, where are her parents in all this?”

“Barely home. Kinda like Steve’s?” Mike shrugs it off. Dustin chuckles. “Gareth’s into her.”

Will speaks up. “She likes him too. She sits near me in creative writing and we had to write letters we’d never send. She wrote hers to Gareth.”

“Oh really?” Dustin muses, “Did you see what it said?”

Will chuckles. “It was uh.. Dirty. Sweet but dirty. She balled it up and tossed it in the trash at the end of class.”

–

“Dude, why don’t you just go for it? She basically admitted she was into you. I mean..” Jeff’s laughing because the joint they’re all passing around is starting to get to him. It’s starting to get to everyone, they’re all laughing about anything and everything. Gareth takes the joint from Jeff and takes a long drag, feeling instantly that he’s made a mistake when he starts to cough. He passes it off to Ethan with an annoyed glare. Then he flops back to lay on the concrete as he stares up at the dingy ceiling.

“That’s not how this works, Jeff. You know that man.”

“Dude, that’s exactly how this works, Gareth. You’re just a little bitch.” Jeff argues, sitting up. Staring over at his friend with an amused smirk. “You could’ve invited her to watch us jam tonight.”

“Her friends were coming over. Sleepover. They do it every weekend.”

Eddie chuckles. “You still could’ve asked her. They could’ve come too.”

“She’s busy, dude. Jesus.” Gareth flips Eddie off as Eddie mimics what he’s just said. “She’s not into me like that.”

“She wears a plaid skirt that just happens to match your vest, man. And she wears it a lot lately, come to think of it.”

“Ooh, the one that bounces a little when she walks. I like that one. A lot..” Gareth admits, doubling over as a laughing fit hits him. “Her fucking legs.. Ahhh.” he rubs a hand over his face and takes a few deep breaths as the laughter dies away. Then he shrugs. “She happens to like that skirt?”

Eddie, Ethan and Jeff still haven’t recovered from the tangent he’s just gone on about your skirt. Ethan is practically wheezing that he’s laughing so hard but he manages to get words out at last, “She’s always huddling against you whenever the hallway is too crowded or there are a lot of jocks in it. Girls don’t do that unless they feel safe, Gareth.”

“He’s not wrong, man.” Eddie speaks up. “And she’s always looking at you, then when you look up, she looks down.”

“I’m telling you, man. She’s into you. She’s not just your friend like you’re assuming.” Jeff’s got his eyes locked on Gareth intently. “She admitted it.”

Gareth grumbles, shakes his head. “She didn’t say it.”

“She didn’t have to, buddy. The implication was there when she didn’t immediately react to what Molly Fletcher said in the hallway today.” Eddie rubs a hand over his face and shakes his head. “By Ozzy, you are the single most infuriatingly stubborn asshole I’ve ever known, Emerson.”

“Fuck you, Munson.”

“You wanna fuck somebody alright. And we all know who it is.” at Ethan’s outburst, the three of them have doubled over laughing. “The sexual tension is killing me, man. Watching you two.”

Gareth coughs for a second or two and then he flips Ethan off. “There’s no sexual tension. It’s.. It’s not like that, Ethan. Everything isn’t always about sex, idiot.”

“True..” Eddie muses, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Look, what we’re trying to say here is you gotta do something, man.”

“You have to.”

“We only have a few months left until grad, dude. Do you really wanna look back ten years from now and wonder what might have happened?”

“Well no, but..” Gareth’s staring at his hands. Twisting the ring he always wears around on his finger. “I’m telling you, she’s not into me. Girls like her never go for us. We all know it. Besides,” he pauses, taking the joint from Jeff and taking a hit or two, “Everything you guys are saying all has a perfectly good explanation.”

“It does, but.. Have you seen the way she looks at you? And she’s always touching you. She’s not really a touchy person, either.” Jeff points out calmly. “Just think about it, man. She fucking tackle hugged you when she came back after missing those three days. Tackle hugged. Not just a normal hug.”

“And it kind of looked like she had her legs around your waist at one time during that, by the way.” Ethan points out. Gareth glares at him a second or two, “First of all, what the hell are you doing staring so hard?”

Ethan shrugs. “The whole school saw it happen, Emerson. People are starting to assume you guys are a thing.”

Gareth’s a little stunned by this. Then he remembers that at one point last week, a girl named Hayley from one of your classes -Creative writing, she was talking to you while he was standing there and Hayley mentioned something about “Oh, well your boyfriend is welcome too.” as she nodded at him. And he didn’t think anything of it then, but you didn’t rush to correct Hayley.

And it’s not the first time this has happened in the short time you’ve been getting to know each other, either. Now that he’s thinking about it.

As the sliver of hope that maybe you feel the same way about him starts to grow, he has to fight ten times harder just to keep it from happening.

“We’re right about this and you know it, Gare.”

“There’s no way. I’m telling you guys.” Gareth argues, but he’s sitting there and he’s replaying everything that’s happened since the first time you talked to him in the hallway. And if he were a more hopeful person…

He can’t entirely say with 100 percent certainty that maybe his friends aren’t onto something.

“Are you finally getting it? Tell me you’re gonna do something.”

Gareth rubs his reddened face and takes a very shaky breath. “ Okay, even if it were true.. What the hell do I do, huh? I don’t know how this shit works.”

–

You’re not entirely sure whose bright idea it was to whip out the Ouija board but it’s currently sitting on top of the coffee table with you and your three best friends gathered around. “This isn’t a good idea.” you mumble.

“It’ll be fine. As long as we stick to the harmless questions.”

“And say goodbye to close the session.” Maria speaks up from where she’s sprawled out on the sofa.

“As long as we ask it stuff about our future. Like for example, will ___ ever get brave enough to finally pull Gareth Emerson into the supply closet at school and kiss the hell out of him? Because ___ you stare at his lips so much. And it’s not the dark ages anymore. There’s absolutely nothing stopping you from making the first move, girl.”

“I’ll do it when you tell Eddie Munson exactly what you said about him earlier today in the bathroom.” you stick out your tongue as you say it. Maria takes a sip from the new bottle you’d all opened after wandering in from the heated pool out back. You gesture for the bottle and she leans forward, nearly falling over onto the table.

Giggling. You take the bottle and take a small sip, passing it off to Edith as Edith closes her eyes and breathes in and out. “Okay. Here we go.”

Kate Bush is playing softly on the stereo.

“Is there anyone here with us?”

The planchette doesn’t budge. The four of you let out a collective ragged breath. The lights flicker a second or two and all of you are tensing up.

“Did you just make the lights flicker?”

The planchette feels warmer. And with everyone’s hands on it, it attempts to move but it goes still.

You kind of have a feeling at least one of your friends are behind it moving, and you laugh. “Funny. You guys are hilarious.”

“I didn’t..”

“I didn’t do it either.”

“Me either.”

“Can you make the lights flicker again?”

The second Edith asks the question, the lights go dim and less than half a second later, they brighten again.

“Can you tell us why you’re here?”

You shoot Edith a warning look. And you’re kind of scared, after all, you do have to spend most of your time in your parents house alone in it. With a murder scene right next door, abandoned. And maybe you are a little more scared about it than you thought.

But one of them has to be making the planchette move… Right?

Adeline speaks up. “Is it getting colder in here to you guys?”

“A little.”

“Maybe it’s just the thermostat. Let’s go look. We can bring that box of Twinkies in here too because I’m a little hungry.” you pull yourself up off the floor and the lights throughout the house go off all at once as the rainstorm that drove you all in from the pool kicks up another notch, thunder rolling outside. You shriek and the instant you stub your toe on a piece of furniture, you’re swearing and flipping off the piece of furniture.

“Okay, we’re done here. Goodbye. Session is over.” Edith springs off the floor, the planchette hits the board on the tabletop with a clatter and this is how the four of you wind up huddled together in the kitchen, staring at the basement door intently.

“The breakers are downstairs.”

“Mhm. Right, well.. I’m not going down there.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Guys.” you laugh a little. “It’s just the storm.”

“The lights flickered when we were asking questions, ___.”

You take a step towards the basement door and you’re about to reach for the handle when a loud clap of thunder has you jumping and screaming. And the four of you share a look. “We could um.. We could call somebody.”

“Like who, Adi?” you question, gazing at her with a hand on your hip. “My parents are both gone on separate cruises.”

“Well.” Edith mumbles, “You do have Gareth’s number.. Right?”

“ I do, but I’m not.. What the hell would I say, huh? Hey, Gare, we were playing with a Ouija board and now every single noise scares the living shit out of us? Be serious, Edie.”

“Or.. we could get out of here and go over there. Hawkins is small, we could totally find them.”

“It’s almost midnight.” you point out.

“Guys?”

“What?” the three of you answer Maria in unison. She’s staring out the panes in the French door. “I think I saw a light on over at the Creel house.”

“What? No way. That place hasn’t had electricity since the fifties or something.” Adeline shoves her way through you all to stand at the door beside Maria. Then she sees it too, for a split second in the upstairs window.

“We’re being babies right now.”

“No, we’re not. And I vote we all get in my car and go… Somewhere.”

“Or.. Hear me out. We could grab some flashlights and go over.”

“Are you insane, Adi?” you’re gaping at her when she suggests going over. Adeline shrugs. “There has to be an explanation.”

“Yeah! We shouldn’t have played with that damn thing because now for all we know, we unlocked something.” Maria’s pacing. Edith glances at you. “Screw it. I’m calling someone. You’ve got a phone book, it’s not hard, it’s not like there are a thousand Emersons in Hawkins.. Or Munsons.”

As soon as she blurts this out, you and your friends all share a look.

You walk over and take the phone out of her hands. “Give me that. I’ll call Gareth. He’s probably sleeping, I can’t believe we’re all such big babies.”

You dial Gareth’s number and you wait. And wait.

He finally answers, voice thick with sleep. And the storm kicks it up another notch, the clap of thunder making all four of you release ear-splitting screams as Maria stands and says “Yeah, that’s it. I’m outta here.”

“You’re the one who said it’d be fun to play with that damn thing!” you whine.

Gareth’s sitting up in bed at his house now and he’s yawning. “___? What’s goin’ on?”

“My friends and me we were..” you hiccup, “Playing with a Ouija board.”

You can hear him grumbling on his end of the line. Gareth rubs his forehead and jumps a little himself when a loud clap of thunder makes his bedroom window rattle. There’s a long enough pause that he asks, “Still there, bunny?”

“Y-yeah.” you answer after a second or two.

“Okay, I am not seeing shit. There is a light on upstairs at the Creel house. It was on a little longer this time.” Adeline calls out from the kitchen window. “Everyone else’s lights are out though, so maybe we didn’t release the spirit of a killer or a demon or some shit.”

Gareth’s snickering to himself. Until you scream at the thunder as it cracks loud. There’s static on the phone lines, he’s straining to hear.

“You’re scared, huh?”

“This isn’t funny, Gareth.”

“It’s actually kind of hilarious.” Gareth’s teasing, he can’t help it. On your end of the line, you pout a little.

Adeline and Edith have both just left and this leaves you all alone in your parents big and empty house. “Those little shits! They all bailed.”

Gareth chuckles quietly. “Breathe for me, ___.”

You take a deep breath or two, pacing your living room and scowling at the phone when the cord is starting to wrap around your body. You take a second to breathe -and untangle yourself from the phone cord- and Gareth speaks up quietly. “You alone? Like.. totally alone, bunny?”

“Mhm.”

“If you wanna come over..” he suggests, going quiet. Wanting to punch himself in the throat because he’s suggested it. And he can’t stop thinking about everything he was made aware of and how much he wishes that just once, it’d be true.

“Gareth, your parents would flip.”

Gareth pulls himself out of bed and he starts to slip on the jeans he wore earlier. “I’ll come t’ you.”

“Gareth, it’s storming out.”

“You live what.. Two? Three blocks away? Think I can walk that far in a storm.”

“Lightning, Gare.” you protest.

“Do you wanna sit there alone all night or not, huh?” Gareth argues back, grumbling about how stubborn you are as he looks for his old flashlight and a t-shirt that isn’t dirty and waiting to be washed.

“Okay, alright.” you realize that Gareth’s made his mind up and one way or another, he’s coming over, no matter how much you protest. And you want to feel awful about calling in the middle of the night and waking him up, but there’s a bigger part of you that’s just glad she won’t be all alone in her parents house in the middle of a bad storm.

And you’re frustrated, because you know if you let yourself get used to this, even a little, when he decides you’re too much to deal with and ditches you like others in the past, like your own parents do now, it’s going to be so hard to go back to the way things were before you opened up.

“I’ll be over in ten, okay?”

“Okay. I’m sorry, Gareth. I should be used to this, I just… don’t like storms and then we went and got tipsy and thought playing with my old Ouija board was a good idea for some reason.” you’re rambling and it’s kind of cute. He chuckles quietly. “It’s fine. I wasn’t sleepin anyway, I hate storms too.”

You hang up with Gareth and you’re pacing your living room, jumping at every noise you hear. The emptiness of the house has taken on a creepier feel and the more intense the storm outside gets, the more it feels as if the walls are closing in all around you. When you happen to look out the French doors leading to the pool, you see a flash of light in one of the upstairs rooms at the Creel house for just a split second and then it’s gone.

The door is being knocked on. You hear Gareth call out to you through the other side and you rush over, throwing it open.

“There’s someone in the Creel house.”

Gareth doubles over laugh and he shakes his head. “There’s not.”

“It’s not funny. I saw the lights.”

“You saw headlights from a passing car on the mirror up in the attic.” Gareth explains, stepping into the house. You shut and lock the door behind him and for a few seconds, you’re body to body. Gareth steps closer.

You’re shaking. Gareth notices and he pulls you into another awkward hug. Smoothing his hands over your hair, letting his fingers catch in a few thick curls. “Hey. It’s just a storm. And I promise you, bunny.. There’s nobody at the Creel house. I know, okay? I got dared to go up to the attic.”

You look up at him and take a deep breath or two. You’re breathing in the scent of him and using that to calm you down a little. And you’re laughing softly. “You.. you saw the mirror in the attic, right?”

“Mhm. It’s sitting in the window. So whenever a car goes past at night, the headlights reflect off.” Gareth’s got you sitting down now, you’re leaned against his side. And he’s teasing you a little for freaking out, but the entire time this is happening, he’s also trying to wrap his head around the fact that you called him.

Not one of your friends parents, not your own parents. You called him.

His mind is blown.

“I’m an idiot, oh my god.” you’re laughing sheepishly. Gareth shakes his head. Comes out of the daze he’s in and looks at you. “You’re not. You were scared. It’s okay.”

“I woke you up for no reason. Literally everything that happened when we were playing with that damn board had a rational explanation.” you raise a hand and palm at your face. “I’m sorry.”

“Will you stop apologizing? It’s fine. I wasn’t really sleeping anyway.”

“Okay. I owe you. I owe you so big because you shouldn’t have come out in this shit.” you mumble, getting lost in his eyes. Or the way each split second flash of lightning illuminates his face just enough that you can’t help but stare at his mouth, helpless.

You shove the overwhelming urge to do something dumb like go for it and kiss him to the back of your mind and you take a few very long and shaky breaths as you lean against him. Feeling calmer.

“I didn’t mind. I wanted to,okay?” Gareth speaks up after a few seconds. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to. This place is fucking creepy at night. I don’t blame you.” Gareth admits after a long pause.

“It really is… Thank you.”

“It’s not a big deal.” he shrugs, fighting off a yawn.

But to you, it is. Because he didn’t have to do this. The fact that he has done it, well.. It’s only made you fall even harder.

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson imagines #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson fanfic #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x yn #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #<- warnings | mutual crushes friends to lovers PDA ● mentions of w**d and alch. ● fluff #<- warning female reader in use | vague characteristics ● a personality + long thick curly hair + nicknames or petnames #fandom ( stranger things ) | season ( four ) au + no upside down | character ( g. emerson )

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ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 7 ● g.emerson

warning

heaaavy kissing / saliva shared. petnames (bunny, sweetheart, angel), PDA, a lil angsty but sweet, there is/will still be bullying, confrontations, smoking/ w**d / alch + parentless house parties cos teen drama/romance, total absence of sci fi plot and no deaths. 1 through 3 did not happen, either. Gareth is aged to 18 so.. season 4 = his senior year.

<- reader/you is female, with female parts, clothing/personality/hair/petnames and nicknames. this is self indulgent, when is it not with me, and i am.. not even a little sorry either.

word count

2762 exactly. for any missing context part 6 <- click to read.

summary

He pulls you onto his lap and you lock eyes, swallowing down a huge lump the second it starts to build in your throat. “Gareth?” you question, confused.. Because it hasn’t quite clicked for you.

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here <- click to be taken to the doc and added. if you're here for eddie/steve or other characters and you don't want to be tagged in my Gareth writings, please lmk.

@tbmunson bestie. babes..babeeee. i love you sooooo much and i really hope you're having a good day today. also, this may be hella fluffy, oops rip. your daily reminder that you inspire me.

@littlestarfighter03

@nana90azevedo you are toooo sweet, omg. your comments had me giggling and kicking my feet and you don't know how much they mean to me, you really do not. thank you!

@allelitesmut

@chaoticcancer

@caravelofthesun

@dylanwritesgood

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@slyisbehindyou

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about + rules

You’re settled in on the sofa with a stacked plate of grilled cheese and Sprite. Young and The Restless is just starting but you can’t pay attention, your mind won’t just shut down like you want it. You keep thinking about what happened at school this morning. And it’s not even the rumors -or Molly choosing something you told her, a traumatic time for you, to use against you and hurt you when it’s not even true.

It’s the fact that no thanks to these stupid rumors starting up all over again, you’re almost absolutely certain that by the time Gareth Emerson hears them, he’s going to write you off like so many others in the past.

And you don’t even blame him, it’s not like you were a thing. You wanted to be with him. Everything feels a little better when he’s around. But now, you think to yourself, that’s likely not going to happen.

You take a few shaky breaths and wipe your eyes.

“I’ll get her back.” you mumble.

You’ve only just taken a bite of the sandwich and it’s like sandpaper in your mouth but you refuse to just not eat. You’ve just tossed the sandwich back onto the plate for now when you hear a vehicle door slam shut.

,, probably just the lady next door.” the thought comes and you turn your attention back to attempting to follow the storyline of the soap opera, sipping your Sprite. And you don’t even realize you’re crying again until you feel the warmth of tears slipping down your cheeks again.

The silence in the house is almost oppressive right now. It’s crushing.

A little too thick, a little too much. You’re overthinking everything.

The door’s being knocked on and you jump a little at the burst of sound as it intrudes.

“Damn it, guys.” you mumble as you slip off the couch. You’re not even bothering with the formality of actual clothing because you’re at least 90 percent sure that it’s just Mari, Edie and Adi because they called earlier and even though you told them you were fine a thousand and one times, they said they’d come over later. After school.

So you’re not expecting to throw open the door to your parents house and find Gareth Emerson standing on the other side. Leaning in the doorway, filling up the frame.

“G-gareth?”

His cheeks are on fire and he doesn’t have the first fucking clue what to say. But he knows you’ve been crying, from the looks of it, you’ve been crying since you walked out of school earlier. He steps up to you, pulling you closer by the hips. “ ‘S okay.. C’mere, bunny.” he’s quiet. Coaxing you right into his arms which he wraps around you. You break. And you’re crying all over again, soaking the white part of his Hellfire shirt in inky mascara tears. All he does is stand there and hold you, hands moving up and down your back to soothe you.

You’re choking up as you tell him everything, all of it. Including every single rumor that went around about you at your old school so he’d have context as to why you’re so upset right now.

“Hey.. Shhh.” Gareth coaxes, gripping your jaw to make you look up at him because even though it’s killing him to see you this upset, he wants you to know that he doesn’t believe anything Molly’s been saying to anyone who will listen all day. He had a grand speech well-planned and rehearsed on his way over, but.. He’s in front of you right now and that’s all gone out the window.

,, She loves you, man. Do somethin’. Fix this.” the thought comes and it’s what prompts him to pick you up, step into the house as he’s holding you in his arms. You’re deposited on the couch and he goes back to your front door, shutting and locking it.

You’re still making an attempt to process why he’s even here to begin with, Hawkins is really, really small.. Surely he had to have heard everything Molly started up all over again -or some twisted and over the top version of it. He seats himself on the sofa again and pulls you close. Lets you lay your head on his shoulder. And for a long pause, minutes that drag out to hours it seems, you both sit there in total silence. You’ve calmed down just a little, he can hear and feel the way your breath has leveled out.

“You’re missing lunch, Gareth.” you mumble quietly. He glances down at you and shrugs. “It’s not a big deal. They were having that congealed whatever anyway.”

“O-oh.” you stammer around the O and take a shaky breath or two. And you can’t take it anymore, you have to ask the question.

“You uh.. You’re here. And still talkin’ to me.” you go quiet, the question you were about to ask falling flat because you got halfway there and you realized that maybe you don’t want the answer after all.

It clicks for him then. The one thing you were most afraid of. Probably a big reason you left school walking after you got out of the principals office earlier. And normally, he wouldn’t even let himself have the teeniest sliver of hope but he heard you say everything you did out of your own mouth this morning.

You’re in love with him.

And he’s in love with you too.

It’s something he’s still trying to get his head around, even now as he sits here in your living room.

His hand raises, rests against the column of your neck. The pad of his thumb rolls over your cheek. “I didn’t believe her.”

You blink. “You..” you go quiet. The relief washes over you in waves and you’re shifting around in his lap. Trying to get comfortable without invading his personal space too much because you’re just so afraid to do anything that might mess everything up right now. Gareth’s hand lowers and both arms wrap around your body, pulling you against him completely. He keeps his arms around you and you lean your head against his shoulder, your nose nuzzled into the side of his neck.

You don’t mean to blurt it out when you do but it comes out anyway. “The worst part about all of this was that I was afraid you would believe her and I…” you go quiet because you stop yourself when you realize you’re probably just about to say too much. Your face hidden in his neck, you can feel the way his pulse is beating strong and steady and you focus on that. Calming yourself down.

“You what, bunny?” Gareth asks after a second or two of trying -and failing, to pull himself together because the way you’re melted against him while sitting on his lap is definitely having an effect right now and the last thing he wants is to make things weird or awkward. “C’mon. You can tell me anything, okay?I-I mean it.”

You nod. Sit up a little and now you’re staring down at the way your bodies connect as you sit in his lap. “I didn’t wanna lose you.. Because of this. I’m..” your breath catches in your throat before you can get anything else out and Gareth raises a hand, gripping your jaw so you have to look at him. “You’re..” he prompts quietly, “Just say it.. Please?”

“ I’m in love with you.” you mumble, swallowing hard as you say it. “You don’t.. Like.. you don’t have to feel the same way, it’s okay if you don’t, really, I–” your words are cut off because he leans in, his mouth collides with your mouth, a thick pink tongue splitting your lips to massage alongside your own after he’s ran it over your teeth. One of his hands leaves your hips and tangles up in the thick mess of hair on your head, tugging your mouth deeper until you’re breathless and he’s panting, trying to catch his breath without breaking the kiss because right now, it’s the last thing he wants to do. “What if I wanna, bunny? What if I feel that way too, huh?”

“You.. you do?” your words are swallowed by the slow and steady deepening of the kiss and as the shock starts to wear off, you both pull apart to breathe and stare at each other. Wild eyed and breathless. You raise a hand, settling it against the column of his neck as you continue to try and process what he’s just said.

It changes everything.

Unless he doesn’t want it to, you think to yourself, the thought makes you frown just a little and he picks right up on the little frown, leaning forward, into you. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin, it’s just I..” you laugh at yourself. ,, do not push this. Just let it happen. Stop trying to push for more. “

You shove the thought out.

“C’mon.” he coaxes, “Talk to me, beautiful girl.”

And he’s doing it again, he’s making you look him in the eyes. And it’s him, you can’t keep anything from him, it’s nearly driven you crazy to keep your feelings hidden the past few weeks. You swallow hard. “I wanna be.” you trail off because it’s so hard to blurt it out right now. “Your girl.” you finish softer, voice barely a whisper. But he hears it and he shifts the way he’s sitting because he’s trying not to have a raging boner in the middle of a very delicate situation because he wants all his focus to be on you and what you need right now.

“You..” he’s trying to process. He feels like he could fly, what you’ve just said is everything he wants too. His hands slide up and down your sides before settling on your face. His forehead meets yours and he chuckles quietly, cheeks burning hot, a feverish blush covering his entire body. “ You wanna be my girl? All mine?”

You nod. You can feel your skin burning. You shift in his lap because you’re trying to get closer, you’re trying to get ready to hide your face in the side of his neck again. But then he’s guiding your mouth back to his own, greedy. Hungry. A kiss filled with teeth as they nip your lips and tug until you feel aching, bruises raise to the surface of your soft pout. As the kiss breaks, he pulls away and he’s just staring at you. Quiet. Trying to process everything because today has been a whirlwind.

“You are, bunny.” he mumbles at last, leaning into you all over again. His forehead against yours and big blue eyes fixed intently on you. Your hand raises, fingers clutch against the front of his Hellfire shirt, gripping to pull him in even closer, his mouth deepening the kiss, his tongue massaging yours lazily. You’re giggling quietly through the last of your tears.

“I think everybody ganged up on Molly. She left cryin.” Gareth mutters against the crown of your head when the kiss breaks for a while and you settle in against him. You look up, nodding. “I should’ve just punched her this morning.”

“But it’ll be okay now, alright? I mean that.”

You take a few shaky breaths and you nod because you know. He isn’t lying. He does mean it.

He’s probably the only person you actually feel like you can trust.

“Gare?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” he’s staring down at you, a pounding heart and the only thought in his brain is that he’s the definition of a lucky bastard. He caresses your cheek and you open your mouth only to close it several times. You’re frustrated with yourself, he can tell. Your cheeks are pink. He leans down to press a kiss against your hairline. “Just say it, ‘s okay.”

“C-can I come with you? You know… to your Hellfire thing? Don’t wanna be..” you start to say you don’t want to be alone but it’s still very much ingrained deep in you that you’re pathetic if you need someone, a holdover from all the times you’ve had to tell yourself that just to keep from trying to reach out, trying to let people in.

“Course, bunny.” he answers and you smile up at him. The two of you settle in, the television becomes mostly background noise until Gareth leans forward, reaching out for the remote you’ve sat on the low table in front of the sectional, bringing you with him as he leans. You give a weak laugh and he kisses the bridge of your nose. “How d’ you even watch this crap, angel?”

You shrug. “General Hospital is better but Helena, that bitch was on today and she annoys me so..” you laugh softly, the laughter dying away as soon as you realize blue eyes are locked on your lips and he’s leaning in all over again.

“I’m never gunna be able t’ stop doing this.” he says it as if he’s apologizing as his mouth meets yours and you sigh into the kiss, your mouth falling open to accommodate his tongue’s invasion easily. “I’m never gonna want you to stop.” you admit, breathless.

–

The door to the drama classroom opens and Eddie chuckles to himself. “You finally make it, Emerson?”

“What the hell happened?” Mike Wheeler asks, fuming to himself about having to wait to start the campaign as Gareth flips him off and takes his usual seat at the table after he’s dragged up a chair so you can sit beside him.

“Everything okay?” Eddie asks, gazing at you in concern. You smile and nod. Just the slightest hint of color creeps into your cheeks. Doe eyes settle on a few telling marks on both your neck and Gareth’s neck and he locks eyes with Gareth to mouth, “Finally?”

You’re toying with the necklace he slipped onto your neck and Eddie catches sight of light glinting off of the silver skull, nearly choking.

He nods to Gareth, calls his name when he realizes Gareth isn’t actually paying attention. “Emerson, hey.. C’mere, man.”

Gareth wanders over to the side of the classroom Eddie’s standing on, staring out the window.

“What?”

“She’s wearing your necklace. Wanna explain? Did you fuck? What happened?”

“Later, man. But no. No, we didn’t, okay? But..” Gareth chuckles quietly. “She is my girl. Mine. So none of that stupid flirty shit, alright?”

Eddie chuckles, and he’s snickering until he sees the stern warning look in his best friends blue eyes. “Her little friend the future librarian.. Uh.. she’s more my speed, dude.”

Gareth nearly chokes at this and he’s gaping. “Since when?”

Eddie blows out an exasperated breath and he’s stammering, he’s grumbling and he’s tugging at his hair. “We uh.. We may or may not have had words earlier… I-In the hall. She was goin’ t’ go into the bathroom and kick in the stall door on Molly before she left. Maybe I calmed her down. Either way, I physically prevented Molly’s murder and Edie, she uh.. She was not happy about it. How’s somethin’ so cute so goddamned murdery, dude?”

Gareth’s doubled over laughing by now because of all of the group, Eddie Munson is the last person one would think gets flustered easily, but here he is. Face all flushed, stammering over his words. Frustrated beyond belief. “Oh, it’s bad bad.” Gareth says it as he stops laughing.

“Fuck you, Emerson.”

“Can we start the damn campaign now?” Mike Wheeler is frustrated.

“Keep your goddamn pants on, kid.” Eddie replies, giving the black haired boy a stern look. Gareth sinks down into the chair beside the one he dragged over for you to sit in and you lean in against his side, resting your head on his shoulder as you sit in on the beginning of a new DnD campaign.

And from what you’re seeing, it definitely looks like a fun game. You’re just not entirely sure you’d ever be able to come close to grasping the complex rules and the thought of an entire character you’d have to come up with, well.. You know you couldn’t do that.

But it’s fun to watch your boyfriend.

At the thought, your heart’s fluttery all over again.

Gareth Emerson is your boyfriend.

This is.. Not how you saw the day ending, not at all.

#gareth emerson #gareth the great #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson fic #gareth emerson imagines #gareth emerson x fem!reader #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x yn #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #<- warning | see above but also kissing/pda/saliva + use of petnames #fandom ( stranger things ) ● season ( 4 - complete no sci fi au ) ● character ( g. emerson )

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ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

ˢᵗʳᵃⁿᵍᵉʳ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍˢ ● ᵍᵃʳᵉᵗʰ ᵉᵐᵉʳˢᵒⁿ

…. 18+ only, there is adult themed content on this blog. Please read all warnings before reading a work… Your media consumption is your own to control, not mine. All readers are gn or female.

.... writer does not give permission for her work to be uploaded to any other site, forum or medium -especially not wattpad, with or without her consent, answer will always be no... don't steal it if you didn't write it...

My taglist is here. My rules/about is here. If you have a question, want to request something or just want to chat/scream/vent, the askbox is open ; anon is toggled on/off daily depending on my mood. it stays off more than anything due to requests being closed.

☁ - denotes angst and/or hurt-comfort | ♡ - denotes fluff | ☠ - denotes adult content that is not sexual in nature, ie drugs, death or violence | ♥ - denotes adult content that is sexual in nature | ☼ -denotes comedy and humor | ☂ - denotes any relationship other than a romantic one ie familial or platonic or friendship | ☻ - denotes a self insert and/or heavily characterized reader since apparently people want to be warned when this is the case lol | ❃ - denotes the use of an original character in a work so if you don't like it, don't read. | ♕ - denotes writers personal favorite work | ✍ - work in progress | ✌ - work completed and/or abandoned.

All the works I have posted so far for can be found below the cut. Happy reading!

– Ashes, your friendly local bimbo and queen of chaos and fuckery.

NSFW ALPHABET

nothing yet

FLUFF ALPHABET

nothing yet

NSFW HEADCANONS

nothing yet

SFW HEADCANONS

nothing yet

ONESHOTS ● DRABBLES ( y/n )

♥ fantasy ( kinktober 22 ) | suggestive ● see content warnings ft female!reader | gareth can see into your bedroom window.

♥ reality ( kinktober 22 ) | suggestive ● see content warnings ft female!reader | you go to a corroded coffin gig to reveal your crush on gareth, making his dreams a reality. sequel to fantasy can be standalone.

♕♥ bites ( kinktober 22 ) | suggestive ● see content warnings ft female!reader | teasing turns a little steamy, a makeout.

♕♥ higher ( kinktober 22 ) | suggestive ● see content warnings ft. female!reader | a smoke sesh with Gareth turns flirtatious and suggestive.

♕♡ hayride ( flufftober 22 ) | fluffy af ft female reader | you go on a hayride with Gareth Emerson.

♕♡ leaf piles ( flufftober 22 ) | fluffy af ft. female reader | your son plays with your husband Gareth in the leaf pile he's raking.

ONESHOTS ● DRABBLES ( oc )

nothing yet

AESTHETICS ● SOUNDTRACKS

nothing yet

FICS MASTERLIST

the new girl | one ● two ● three ● four ● five | a classic tale of boy meets girl.. kind of.

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson imagines #gareth emerson fanfic #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x yn #stranger things ● gareth emerson #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #<- warning adult content.#-- if there isn't a mention of fandom/character on my about or a masterlist for fandom/character i don't write them. just an fyi.#fandom ( stranger things ) | season (4) | character ( gareth emerson )

65 notes · View notes

ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 6 ● g.emerson

warnings

angst / friends to lovers / idiots in love, bullying ( it's gross and I do not support it btw) and confrontations also high school drama and some mean girl shit here, mentions of alcohol/w**d and smoking, eventual filth, jealousy (a former friend of reader), rumors..

<- you/reader are the new girl in hawkins. you/reader are female and have female parts + a certain vibe (rich girl / 80's grunge rocker groupie ) as well as nicknames and a petname. this is a self indulgent baby. let me live lmaooo.

word count

3211 exactly. For missing context, see ( part 5 ). All previous parts are linked on their posts going backwards.

summary

-- you're the new girl in Hawkins. gareth is the boy who has caught your eye. but there are obstacles. can they be overcome?

(( ope. we have a cliffhanger maybe. ))

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist is here if you'd like to be added, please click the bolded. or tell me, i'll add you. if you're on my tags for Eddie/Steve or others, please disregard this lmk if you want me to not tag you in Gareth fics.

@tbmunson bestie.. babes.. babe.. hear me out.. neither of us were expecting this chapter to go down but.. drama? and gareth. I love you omg, you're my inspiration.

@nana90azevedo I'm so glad you liked this. I love his character, tbh. Thank you so much!

@littlestarfighter03

@allelitesmut

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@just-a-blue-nerd

@music4life42

@slyisbehindyou

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about + rules

“ I saw him going into her house late Friday night. And then they left together Saturday morning. Pretty sure she fucked him because she’s been all about him since she started school here.”

Andy’s watching you and Gareth play fight over something across the parking lot. Gareth has you over his shoulder and he’s spinning you. You’re laughing and it’s loud. And when Molly says it, everything comes to a grinding halt. He turns to look at her. “You think they fucked?”

“Pretty sure of it, actually… I thought you’d.. Wanna know.” Molly’s shuffling her feet. Doing her best to look appealing to the stocky jock. Mirroring the way she’s seen you act around Gareth recently. Because she feels like if it worked for you… Maybe it’ll finally work for her. Maybe Andy will finally see her, standing in front of him. Hoping, praying and dying for a chance to be his girl.

“That all? You can go now, Moo.” Andy gives her an annoyed look and waves his hand away from him dismissively. “Go on. Go back to your little losers club.. Oh wait..” he feigns just a seconds worth of a sympathetic cringe, “They turned on you.”

“She caused it. I.. Andy, please?” she’s giving him a begging look and it’s one he finds pathetic. He chuckles. “You really want me, huh?”

“Yes.”

Andy steps closer. Staring down at the shorter girl. “I wouldn’t be with you if you were the last girl on Earth and I didn’t have a choice. You’re gross. Get lost.”

Molly’s shoulder slumps and the tears are stinging in her eyes. And as she rushes away somewhere, probably to cry, Andy turns his attention to you again. “She’d sleep with that, hm? She won’t want him anymore if I show her what a little bitch he is.”

Meanwhile, you’re trying to keep your bag of Doritos away from Gareth. And it was working, but then out of nowhere, he hauls you over his shoulder, in a show of strength that surprises you and turns you on, leaving you wet in seconds. Your breath hangs in your throat and Doritos fly from the open bag, scattering on the gravel. “You made me spill ‘em, Gareth.” you’re pouting as you try to look over his shoulder at him. Gareth is chuckling quietly. Face all red because he normally isn’t like this. But spending the weekend with you established these little… habits. And he knows that it’s Monday, that you’re at school now and maybe you don’t want him to keep at it with the playful way he started treating you, but he just can’t stop himself.

His fingers squeeze at your thighs and he bites back a groan. “You’re the one not sharin ‘em, bunny. You know I like Doritos. C’mon, just give me a few..”

“Fiiiiiine.” the word leaves your mouth in a whimper instead of normally and you want to melt right into the ground when it does. You slide down his body and hold out the bag to him, pretending to pout. “You know you probably left a handprint on my ass.”

Gareth nearly chokes on the chips he’s just reached into the bag to take because out of context.. His face burns even hotter. You step up into him and before you even stop to think that this is school and he might not want you doing it, you slip your arms into the warmth of the jacket he’s wearing over his plaid vest and Hellfire tshirt and you rest your forehead against his collarbone. Gareth’s breath hangs in his throat. And it’s about this time that Eddie, Jeff and Ethan finally see fit to arrive at school.

“It’s so chilly.” you pout up at Gareth when you’re finally not blushing too hard to look him in the eyes. “I didn’t wanna come today, y’know. We could’ve just blown it off and gone to my house.”

“Bunny, you gotta come. It’s school.”

“Unfortunately.” you’re still pouting and Gareth laughs, shaking his head. Eddie meets his gaze over your bent head and he’s rubbing his chin, amusement playing at doe eyes. “You two are cozy.”

“He’s warm. I’m not lettin go.” you answer without glancing back, your voice muffled by the front of Gareth’s plaid vest. Eddie snickers quietly. Looks at Gareth and mouths the question, “Are you really sure you want to die on the hill that she doesn’t like you, Emerson?” as he nods to you and the way you have your face resting against the side of his neck. Gareth gives Eddie a warning look and slips a handful of chips out of your bag, munching on them.

Jeff’s trying so hard to resist the urge to double over laughing because he has… Never seen Gareth this flustered. Nor has he ever seen Gareth attempt flirting in any way,shape or form except the rare stolen glance at his various hallway crushes over the years past. He clears his throat. “Are we interrupting something, man?”

Gareth flips Jeff off, gives him a warning look because he doesn’t want any of this to come to an abrupt end. You grumble about him constantly moving just when you get comfortable again and he laughs. “I told you to go to sleep before midnight.”

“You did.” you pout a little. “But I didn’t wanna.”

Gareth laughs, shaking his head. “Dunno what I’m gonna do with you, bunny.”

You shrug. You almost let it slip that you can think of more than a few things he could do with you but you manage to keep the thought safely in your head.

“What the fuck is he doing, staring over here?” you’ve lifted your head and caught Andy staring at the way you’re melted into Gareth to stay warm in the early morning chill. You scowl, stick out your tongue and raise your middle finger. “Take a picture, dipshit. It’ll last longer.”

But then you realize that it’s not just Andy staring. Because now Molly’s new little friends are all looking right at the two of you. And she gives you this hurt and angry look and you roll your eyes.

–

“She’s a slut, I’m telling you. When she’s done with Gareth, she’ll sleep with your boyfriends too. That’s totally why she moved here in the first place. I mean, she said it was just because she had to, but it was because everyone at her old school hated her.” Molly’s telling Anna, one of the popular girls who’s actually nice to her on occasion.

And it’s not true and Molly knows what she’s saying isn’t true.. But she doesn’t care. She’s just that jealous. That tired of everybody else getting everything she wants. Tired of being a target for endless teasing, everything from her weight to her sister dropping out at 16 because she got pregnant.

“Did she say she wanted to sleep with Chance?”

“She’s not gonna announce it, Anna, be smart.” Molly rolls her eyes. “She’ll just do it.”

Anna’s watching the two of you across the parking lot and she wrinkles her nose in disgust. “It’s just.. That’s gross? Who the fuck sleeps with Gareth Emerson, ew?”

“Poor guy is going to be crushed when she gets tired of him and leaves him. How do we know that she didn’t hook up with Andy when she first moved here, get tired of him and now she’s so mean to him..” Molly knows what she’s doing could backfire on her in a big way, but she’s got the attention of two of the three most popular girls in school.

Chrissy rolls her eyes. “How do we know it’s not just Andy being gross though? Because he is and we all know it.” and her gaze lingers on Molly thoughtfully. She’s sort of sensing what Molly is up to, after all, Molly’s exactly the kind of girl who will do anything to get what she wants. Including make up a lie.

,, she did this once already when we were kids.” the thought comes and as Molly’s saying more and more, Chrissy speaks up. “Why do any of us care about any of this again? I mean… if Chance sleeps with her, that’s on him.”

“But I don’t want him to sleep with her before I give it up.”

“If you were going to lose him, Anna..” and Chrissy is not getting a good feeling at all. Because Anna’s the one who always overreacts when she panics and Molly’s using it to her advantage, if she wasn’t sure about it ten minutes ago when Molly started telling them all this for no reason and with little to no context behind it, she’s sure about that now because of the warning glare Molly gives her when she speaks up and attempts to assert a little reason and common sense into the situation.

“I don’t wanna risk it. I’m gonna talk to her.”

Anna starts to walk towards where you stand with Gareth and his friends, as well as the three girls you’re always with.

“___, I need to talk to you.”

You raise a brow but you step away from Gareth, following Anna over to the picnic tables.

“Molly told me about you. If you think I’m gonna let a little slut like you sleep with my boyfriend… My ticket out of Hawkins at the end of the year.. You’re wrong and stupid.” Anna’s words have you laughing. Until you happen to see that she’s dead serious and then you look over at where Molly’s standing and your stomach sinks.

You know what she’s up to.

You rub the bridge of your nose. “What’d she tell you, Anna?”

Anna tells you exactly what Molly said and your fist clenches. “The hell is her problem?” you shake your head. “I don’t want Chance. Or any of those idiots, okay? Molly told you that to start something. Because she’s pissed. Andy won’t give her a backwards glance unless he’s being insulting or a total dick.”

“So you didn’t sleep with Andy?”

You nearly choke. “Huh?”

“She said that she thinks you slept with Andy when you first moved to Hawkins. But then you got bored and now you’re being mean.”

“Absolutely not. I’d light myself on fire if I had to choose between Andy and death.” you shake your head. Your stomach is churning and with a threat of a repeat of your old school and the bullshit you went through there hanging over your head, you shake your head and laugh bitterly. “I should’ve known not to say anything about the damn rumors.”

“Just leave Chance alone.” “I don’t fucking want him. Are you fucking blind? Do you not see me attempting to be with somebody?”

Anna gapes at you. “You.. you actually want that freak?”

“He’s not a freak. And yes. Yes I do.” you admit, going quiet. “I want him. Like.. I think I might be in love with him.” and you’re feeling worse now because you just have a feeling.. Everything is gonna end up like it was at your old school. And by the time the rumor mill puts in it’s days work, Gareth’s not even going to be able to look at you without being totally disgusted, assuming every wild and crazy thing that gets said is true.

Because that’s how it always goes.

What you don’t realize is that Anna’s not the only one who heard your little confession.. Or any of the other things Anna asked you about. Or your answers.

–

Gareth is frozen, rooted in place. And he’s listening intently, getting angrier and angrier on your behalf with everything Anna seems to be accusing you of. But when she asks you if you really want him, he’s tempted to walk away. Because he feels like he’s better off not knowing the answer, he doesn’t want to hear you laugh.

But he can’t walk away.

When he hears you answer her question, it’s like everything going on around him disappears. His brain is frantically trying to process what he’s just heard you say out of your own mouth. And even hearing you say it doesn’t stop those pesky pessimistic little voices from taunting him that you have to be lying, maybe you don’t want to tell the truth because there’s the risk that he’ll find out.

This could be a long con, after all.

And he could’ve gone on believing it until you tell Anna totally unprompted that you think you might love him.

“Fuck.” the word slips out quietly and his hand settles against thick curls as he takes a very shaky next breath. Anna’s walking away now and you slip off the top of the picnic table, glaring at where Molly stands in anger.

Your fist clenches and unclenches.

Gareth is still making an attempt to process what he’s just heard you say so when you rush past him heading straight for Molly’s direction, he doesn’t try to stop you.

“Oh shit.”

“Okay, I think we need to get over there.”

“Or.. hear me out.. We could let ____ kick Molly’s ass. We could let her learn a lesson this once.”

“What lesson, Adi? That she can’t be an ugly person on the inside and the outside? She needs to pick a battle?” Edith asks.

“Edie, that was mean. And she’s not ugly, no one is. She just has a really nasty attitude.” Maria and Adeline say it in unison.

“She’s a bitch. Remember when she pulled this shit in second grade and got Chrissy in trouble? Because Chrissy was nice enough to invite her to her birthday party but then every time she tried to include her, Molly was just mean about it? Yeah, she deserves every single second of this.” Edith points out calmly.

Molly turns around and spots you, smirking. “Speak of the devil.”

You shove her back as soon as you’re within reach. “Go on, Molly. Tell everybody all at once. Right now. Let’s get this over with. Let’s settle your problem.” you’re shoving her again because you’re furious… and hurt. Because you told them about the rumors in the first place because you thought you finally had friends you could trust.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Lying bitch.” you’re going for your earrings. “Come on, Molly. Tell everybody else what you told Anna. Like you think it’ll fucking bother me.”

“Ladies! In my office, Right now.” Principal Coleman calls out as soon as he spots the brewing confrontation. Molly shoves you back and she’s glaring at you. “I hate you.”

“You’re a bitch.” you shove her back. She raises her hand to slap you and you catch her wrist in your hand.

“Now, ladies.” Principal Coleman’s patience is wearing thin, you can hear it in the man’s voice. You turn and walk away, shoving through everyone to walk into the building. And you’re at least eighty five percent sure that the second you’re done in his office, you’re going home.

Because you’re not going to sit around and let it happen again. And you’re really not interested in spending an entire day fighting, either.

–

“Gareth? You okay, dude? What the fuck happened?”

Gareth rubs his hand over his face. “Shit.”

“What?”

“We need context, man.” Jeff speaks up.

“She..I.. There’s no way. She told Anna she thinks she loves me. I need a fucking minute, guys..” Gareth finally grumbles.

You shove past everyone and disappear into the building and Gareth takes off after you because now that it’s all sinking in for him, he’s well aware that you’re probably already assuming the absolute worst outcome. Because you’re similar to him when it comes to that.

–

Class has already started by the time Principal Coleman finally gets to the bottom of what happened outside. And you’re just glad the hallways are empty and you don’t have to look anybody in the eye. You can just slip out quietly.

And you do. Fuming and wiping away tears as you make your way back to your parents house. Because you’re angry and hurt, all in one.

The thing that bothers you the most in all this is that you were finally starting to feel happy. You were working up the nerve to write Gareth a letter and slip it in his locker. You were this close to having friends..

“And now I know why I don’t trust anybody. It’s my own fault, I never should’ve told them anything in the first place.” you shake your head as you step into your parents house and toss your backpack at the floor, bending down to toe off your shoes.

–

Gareth hasn’t been able to stop thinking about what he overheard you tell Anna that morning for the whole day. And lunch rolls around. He’s waiting outside the classroom for you to come out because he’s slowly working up the nerve to bring it up. To tell you he heard what you said. To tell you he feels the same.

The door opens and Edith walks past. When she spots him leaned against the wall and waiting like usual, she doubles back. “Do you know where ___ went? I haven’t seen her since this morning..”

“Wait.. she wasn’t in class? Shit.” Gareth rubs his hand over his face and takes a deep breath or two. “She probably left.”

“Why? Molly’s a lying bitch and everybody knows it now because me and that cheerleader, Chrissy? Yeah, her.. We told everybody the whole story in homeroom. Because Molly needs to learn to keep her fucking mouth shut. The girls got so mean she left crying, dude..”

Gareth grimaces. “Yeah, but so did ___.”

Edith rubs her face. “Probably because she thinks we’re all gonna believe the bullshit, man. Because she pretends she’s tough and everything, she really isn’t.”

“I know.” Gareth answers, dragging a hand over the back of his head. “I’m going over there.”

“After school. Give her time to calm down a little.” Edith gives him a grateful look. “I’m gonna get Adeline and Maria, we’ll go call from the payphone. Because if she thinks for one second she’s going to ditch us to deal with the assholes in this place, she’s wrong. I’m going to give her a piece of my mind.”

Gareth laughs. “Yeah.. do that.”

“Hurt her, Emerson, I’m breaking your knee caps.” Edith calls out to him before walking away, rushing down the hall to catch up to Maria and Adeline, your other friends.

“Your girl left, man. She slipped out after she left Coleman’s office. I was gonna stop her but she looked pretty pissed.” Eddie speaks up from beside him. Gareth nods. “Don’t blame her.”

“You should probably go.”

“I’m going. I’m going after school though because I think she needs space… And I’m still wrapping my head around.. You know..”

“Don’t be a pussy, Emerson. Go.”

Gareth mulls it over. Eddie speaks up. “I’ll stall the meeting this afternoon,dude.”

“But we literally just told Wheeler and Henderson we weren’t postponing for that Sinclair kid.”

“And we’re not postponing. We’re just starting a little later.” Eddie shrugs. “Go already.”

“I’m going.” Gareth takes off for the doors at the end of the hall that lead out to the parking lot.

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson imagines #gareth the great #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x fem!rich girl reader #gareth emerson x yn #my writing ● gareth emerson #<-warnings | bullying / confrontations and mean girl behavior ● friends to lovers / affectionate and heavy PDA ● see above #<-warning | female reader ( clothes/hair/outfits + personality #<- use of a nickname/petname ie.. bunny #fandom (stranger things) ● season ( 4 - total au ) ● character ( gareth emerson )#-- listen this chapter came out in a way i was not prepared for.#-- and it's a cliffhanger. because now i need to figure out what i wanna do next.

61 notes · View notes

ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 3 ● g.emerson

warnings

swearing, bullying / jason and his merry band of idiots, awkward flirting -and that whole 'bicker like an old married couple' vibe- mutual crushes, typical high school bullshit, tbh.

word count

3844 ish. y/n series, welcome to part 3, ig.

summary

( continued from here ) you wind up going back to Gareth's house after school. more fluff -and light teasing, a little banter back and forth, ensue.

taglist

to be added go ( here )

@tbmunson - bestie I know you love this man so you knew I was tagging you.

@allelitesmut

@dylanwritesgood

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about / rules

His right leg bounces and his eyes are glued to the classroom door expectantly because now that he knows you’re in at least one of his classes, it’s given him something -just a small thing- to look forward to during the school day other than Hellfire. He’d die before admitting it, of course.

You finally wander in just as the bell is ringing. You can feel the weight of someone’s stare as you fling yourself down into your seat, still laughing about a conversation you were having in the hallway with Edith, Adeline and Maria.

Just to be sure he’s in class and he hasn’t like… skipped or gone home or something, you turn slightly in your seat, eyes scanning the classroom until they settle on Gareth’s seat in the back. It’s when you find him already staring that you can feel your cheeks flame hot.

And as you’re tearing your eyes off Gareth reluctantly, you can hear Andy hiss your name from across the room. After the third time, you’re officially well past annoyed with this. So you glance over at him and slow pop a bubble with the gum you’re chewing.

The third string basketball player who sits behind you leans in slightly. “Andy wants to know if you’ll meet him after class. Said to tell you he thinks it’s a smart idea.”

“Ask him if hell froze over in the last five hours? Tell him I’d rather die.”

The third string basketball player chuckles. “You’re missing out on a huge opportunity.”

“With him?" you glance back at Andy and surprise, surprise, the idiot is staring straight at you, you roll your eyes and flip him the bird before turning your attention back to his messenger to continue with, "Nah.” you give a dismissive hand wave at Andy as you pop another gum bubble and roll your eyes a third time before turning to face the front.

You can feel Andy staring harder now as if he's willing you to turn back around and pay attention to him right now, this second and you’re annoyed about it. You should be used to it, he’s done it non-stop since your first day at Hawkins High. You’re tired of it at this point.

The teacher calls roll and when your name is called, you utter a very bored, “Present.” without even looking up from the sketch you started earlier.

“You have five minutes to choose a partner for our project.” the teacher’s announcement has you scanning the classroom.

Towards the back of the class, Gareth tenses slightly. Nobody ever chooses him for a partner unless it’s Jeff, Ethan or Eddie. So he assumes that it’ll remain this way. Mostly to keep himself from noticing what’s going on around him -because it does bother him a little- he turns his attention to the issue of Rolling Stone he brought to school with him.

You frown a little. Because staring back at Gareth isn’t doing anything. It’s not giving him the hint you want to convey. But then you stop and you think about it. Why are you hinting at him to be the one to ask you to work together? Why can't you just do it yourself? What's honestly stopping you from asking first? Or just going over, pulling up the empty seat beside him and working with him without asking?

The thought prompts you to stand and you gather your notebook and textbook, making your way to the back of the classroom. Andy grins right up to the exact second it sinks in that you’re not about to cave in and ask him to work with you.

Gareth nearly jumps out of his chair when you tap his shoulder. You blow a big bubble with gum you’re not even supposed to have and you’re sitting in the chair you’ve dragged over while he was zoned out, gazing at him with a look of amusement. Expectantly. An amused gleam in your eyes as you watch Gareth piece together what's apparently happening. He grumbles -because of course he does, it's a habit you're beginning to notice, he's like a perpetually grumpy old man and it's so endearing that it does little to nothing to dissuade the crush you may or may not be getting on him-.

The teacher calls time on choosing a partner. As she begins to take note of who is working with who, Andy’s staring at you in frustration. You happen to notice it when you glance up.

“Stop staring over here, shitbird.” you grumble quietly, dragging your middle finger down the bridge of your nose.

Andy’s annoyed. Glaring at Gareth.

Gareth shrugs and gives just a hint of a smirk before turning his attention to you. As you both read through the information packet you’ve been handed by the teacher, you bite your lip and twist a curl around your finger. His eyes catch on the movement for a second or two and you can feel him staring despite the fact that you’re not looking up to confirm.

You’re dreading part of the assignment because it’ll involve exposing Gareth to your family at some point. And this is something you try to avoid doing with anyone normally because you can’t even stand to spend much time around any of them, especially not when your parents are fighting or your oldest sister is home for a break from her fancy college back home. Your older sisters are all bitchy and your parents are... A little too concerned with keeping up appearances and carrying out their chosen affairs while working and traveling nonstop and just being absent from your life as much as possible. You're the daughter who doesn't fit their mold. You're the one who gives them constant headaches with her loud music and her secondhand clothing or the way you're always sneaking out, blowing off their stupid fancy dinner parties to sit out on the roof of your house and smoke. You're the one they can't beat into submission via threat of disappointment and they gave up trying to care long ago.

Because they can't be bothered. You don't serve any of their selfish purposes, so they view you as a waste of time.. Or this is how you feel and this is exactly why you avoid exposing anybody you might care even a little about to any of them. It's the biggest reason you're already dying to get your diploma and officially be all alone like you've unofficially been for years.

As you're pondering all of this, Gareth is poring over the information packet and he's brainstorming what needs to be done in order to get this finished as quickly and painlessly as possible.. Because now that he knows he'll have to introduce you to his family, he's dreading it. There's so much his mom can -and probably will- tell you about his childhood that will inevitably embarrass him. And she won't do it on purpose, but she just loves him so much that she thinks every single little anecdote from his childhood is something she needs to share with everyone. So, he's seeing what a disaster this might turn into in his mind already and he's dreading it.. But true to form, he decides that the best way to proceed is to get the dreaded part over with and behind him.

So, he speaks up, clearing his throat to get your attention.

“We can uh… We can start on it tomorrow night if you want. Since my mom’s not working nights at the hospital for once and my stepdad will actually be around.” Gareth mumbles quietly. Making himself smile despite the fact that yes, he is dreading what his mom will choose to blurt out about him while he has you present.

You grin and nod. “Yeah!”

Then you rub your forehead. “It might be a little trickier to do mine.” you warn. “Vera and Thomas are always out of town. Or working.”

Gareth’s brow raises. "Vera and Thomas?" he questions, confused. You laugh. “My parents, Gareth.”

“Oh. Right.” he almost asks why you call them by their first names but he stops himself. It’s not his business and he’s not trying to be nosy, either.

The bell to end class rings a few minutes later and as you’re gathering your books to walk out of class, Andy makes his way over. He’s blocking the aisle so that neither you or Gareth can leave and he’s glancing from you to Gareth.

“What? What the hell do you want, Andy?” you snap.

“You didn’t hear me call your name?” Andy asks, shifting his backpack from one shoulder to the other. "You coulda worked with me. Now you're stuck with this freak, dollface." he shoots Gareth a dismissive look and turns his attention back to you. Expectant. Waiting on an answer.

“Oh, I heard you. I was ignoring you, smooth-brain. Move.” you go to shove past Andy to walk out of the classroom but Andy steps in your way all over again and he nods to Gareth, “So what… you’re just gonna work with that loser? You want to work with him? But why, dollface? I'm clearly the better option here, I mean.. c'mon.”

You laugh and roll your eyes. “Yep." the p pops and you tilt your head slightly, blowing another bubble with your gum as you look up at him, "He's not a loser. The only loser I see is standing right in front of me, right in my damn way. Move, Andy."

There’s a humorless gleam in your eyes because you’ve had enough of Andy and his friends. Frankly, you’re confused as to why they seem to think that your choice not to become part of the popular kids is a mistake.

After all, when your parents dragged you and your older sisters to that country club thing after you first moved to town so they could schmooze with who’s who of Hawkins society, you were the one who made it no secret that you had absolutely no desire to hang around. And each effort made to talk to you that night was rebuffed as rudely as you could possibly be.

“Your mom asked mine to make sure I showed you around and made you feel welcome.”

You roll your eyes. Gareth’s brow raises and you tense slightly, sucking the bubble you were about to pop back into your mouth. Gareth picks up on your tension but he doesn’t say anything.

“See, here’s the thing, Andy.. I have no desire to spend any time with you. Or any of your little friends, dude. Just because our parents happen to run in the same circles doesn’t mean we’re automatically friends. I can’t be any more direct when I tell you for the thousandth time that you’re wasting your time, man. Get lost.” you say it and you go quiet.

“But.”

“She said get fucking lost.” Gareth is standing taller. Stepping up to Andy, this puts you wedged between the two of them until Gareth pulls you out of the way and puts himself in front of you and he’s sneering and calm. Making himself taller as he glares at Andy. “I’m tired of saying it, man. Surely you’re not that fucking dumb.”

Andy steps up to him and he’s glaring. “You’re the one who needs to stay away, freak.”

You roll your eyes and clear your throat, stepping between the two. You give Andy a shove and he stumbles back. “Call him a freak again, pea-brain.”

You shove past Andy and you pause at the classroom door, looking back at Gareth expectantly. Gareth grabs his books and as he walks past where Andy’s still standing, he lunges just a little. Growling at Andy and laughing when he can see the fear as it registers in Andy’s eyes because Gareth knows… He knows exactly where Andy’s mind went just then. And maybe it shouldn't, but the fact that Andy is still scared of him, even a little bit.. This makes him feel just a little bit of power in an otherwise powerless situation.

As the two of you step out into the hall, Gareth speaks up. “What was all that about?”

You roll your eyes and rub your forehead. And you tell yourself that no thanks to this project, he’s gonna figure it out sooner or later, so the best thing to do is tell him now and get it over with. “The rest of my family are all disgusting and snobbish, okay? They’re members of that stupid country club? And apparently, when they dragged me to some goddamn dinner earlier this week, that idiot assumed I’d just blend and fit in with them like some good little girl. So did his friend Jason. Joke is on them, I'm not into all the bullshit that comes along with people as a whole.”

Gareth picks right up on the fact that there’s a lot you’re leaving out. And he can look at you and tell that even talking about it bothers you. It upsets you and annoys you, he can see it in your eyes. He steps closer before he can stop himself. “So that’s why Andy keeps bothering you?”

“Mhm. Because apparently, our mothers decided it’d be cute if we dated when they talked over stupid mimosas. And apparently, Andy agreed, despite the fact that I quite literally laughed in his face and walked away every single time he approached me.”

Gareth can picture it in his head and he chuckles quietly. When he bites his lip, you’re staring at the way his teeth catch against it and you’re distracted. He snaps his fingers in front of your face to get your attention and he’s snickering. “Space cadet.”

You flip him off and laugh softly. “Grump. C’mon. We better get out of here before the braindead brigade spots us. I’ve had enough of the idiots for one day. More than enough, actually.”

The two of you wander out into the school parking lot and Gareth makes his way over to where he’s parked his truck in it’s usual spot beside Eddie’s van. He watches as you wander up to the sidewalk and start to walk.

And he grumbles to himself, clenching and unclenching his fist as he tries to talk himself out of what he knows he’s about to do. As he catches up to you, he’s grumbling with every step he makes. He’s telling himself that it’s not a good idea, especially in light of what he knows about you now, but he can’t stop himself from doing it. He taps your shoulder.

You turn around and you slip the headphones off your ear, pausing the cassette in your Walkman. “Yeah?”

“Do you, uh.. Do you want a lift? Looks like it’s gonna rain soon.” he glances upward and you follow his gaze. And the sky is a stormy gray. And you don’t really want to get soaked walking home.

“I don’t want to be any trouble.” you start, but he’s shaking his head. And the first few drops of rain start to fall, prompting him to speak up. “Just c’mon. It’s not a big deal.”

“Okay, grouch. Sheesh.” you laugh and give him a little smirk. You catch up to him as he’s walking back over to his truck because you needed just a few seconds to process the fact that not only did he find you at lunch today, but now, he’s apparently going to give you a ride home.

Today was a good day. A great day, actually.

As he opens the passenger door to his truck and you climb in, you brush against him and he swallows hard. Once you’re settled into your seat, he reaches into the truck and pulls the seatbelt across you to fasten it.

“The seatbelt is a piece of shit.” he explains quietly as he lingers in the open passenger door and you’re both just kind of..staring at one another. You laugh softly and raise a hand, fluffing at thick hair. “It does, hm?” you practically purr the question and you laugh again when you see the way his face immediately turns as red as the plaid in his shirt.

“Yeah.” he stammers. And he’s quick to shut the door and make his way around the truck, getting into the driver seat. As he’s backing out of the parking space, he slips an arm behind the headrest to your seat and he’s looking back, barely turned around and there’s something so hot about the way he’s backing out his truck that you shift and squirm on the bench seat a little while staring at him intently.

“What?” he laughs when he asks the question as he merges with traffic. You shrug, choosing not to answer.

“Hey..” you reach out and lower the volume on the radio after a minute or two, “Would you mind if I… Nevermind, it’s dumb.” you laugh softly and shake your head but Gareth speaks up. And he’s using that firm tone again. “Say it.”

“Fiiine.. I was going to ask if you’d mind if like..” you’re fidgeting with the baggy sleeve of your oversized black cardigan. And you can’t just look at him which is frustrating for you because you are.. More familiar with having total control of yourself and all situations you find yourself in. So the way you feel around Gareth is all new territory for you.

“Can I come back to your place for a few hours instead?”

Gareth nearly chokes on the gum he’s chewing. “Huh?”

“Nothing.” you back out of the question you’d asked him and shake your head, choosing to stare out the passenger window. Gareth is stunned silent for a few seconds. Then he takes a deep breath and speaks up. “You’re probably gonna be annoyed… if you came to my house instead, I mean. I’ve got four little sisters. Love ‘em to death but they’re a handful.”

You give him a little grin and there’s just something about the way you laugh softly and your eyes get brighter when he mentions his little sisters that makes you even prettier to him. And without any hesitation, you answer in a rush, “Anything is better than going back to the viper pit I call home right now. Plus, I love little kids, man.”

Gareth chuckles and he shrugs. “Okay, well.. I warned you. We can go ahead and ask my mom the questions we need to ask for that thing we were assigned.”

You nod and smile. “Yeah.”

The rest of the drive is silent, only the sounds of the radio fading in and out as you stare out the passenger window and wish you were a lot better at conversation than you actually are. Gareth pulls to a stop behind a station wagon at a nice and modest little house. As he puts the truck in park, three little girls come rushing out the door and straight for his truck.

Gareth chuckles to himself and glances over at you as he gives a mild shrug. “I warned you.”

“It’s fine, Gareth.” you smile. As you get out of the passenger side, one of the little girls notices you and rushes over. And she’s talking a mile a minute, this makes you laugh and you get down to her level.

“Hey cutie! What’s your name, huh?” “Lily!” she’s grinning ear to ear as she looks from you to her brother, who is picking up the two youngest sisters, one on each hip. “Are you Gareth’s girlfriend?”

You laugh softly. “No, but.. Can I tell you a secret?” and she grins, nodding so hard that her curly hair bounces. “Mhm! I won’t tell anybody! I keep secrets so good!”

“I bet you do, cutie..” you laugh again. And while Gareth is pushing open the front door to the house, you watch him intently. Dazed just slightly. You finally tear your eyes off of him and fix them on the little girl again and you lean in to whisper into her ear, “Your brother is sooo cute. And I wouldn’t mind being his girlfriend. So maybe one day, okay?”

Lily nods and smiles. “I won’t say a word.”

“Good.” but you have a feeling that sooner or later, at some point, it will slip out. And you’re honestly not bothered by this one little bit.

You pick up Lily and rush into the house just as the rain really starts to pour.

Gareth glances out of the kitchen as he hears the front door bang shut. He turns his attention back to his mother as she works on assembling a lasagna for the night’s meal. “Mom, c’mon.. None of the embarrassing stories, please?”

Mrs. Emerson laughs softly and glances up at her son as she spreads shredded mozzarella cheese over a layer of pasta sauce. Just to tease him a little, she asks with a laugh, “You mean like the time you took your clothes off in the supermarket and refused to put them back on?”

Gareth frowns. “Mom, c’mon.”

She fluffs at Gareth’s hair. “Would you relax, kid? I won’t tell her any of that stuff right off the bat.. That’s for later down the line. Not a first meeting. You must really like this girl.”

He shrugs. “Still trying to figure that out.”

His answer has his mother raising a brow. And she listens as Gareth explains the entirety of his day to her, peeking out of the kitchen and into the living room a time or two just to catch herself a glimpse of the girl who has her son so up in arms right now.

And when she sees you, she smiles to herself. Because she can see exactly why her son’s on pins and needles right now, you’re a pretty girl. And you’re currently sitting in the middle of the living room floor, coloring quietly with three of his four sisters, the way your bell bottom jeans have fallen away from your raised legs exposes the mismatched Halloween novelty socks you’re wearing on either foot.

“Mom, stop.”

“Stop what, sweetie?”

“Staring at her, oh god.” Gareth steps in front of the door to block his mother’s view and he finds himself doing the same, watching as you color with his little sisters and all of you are laughing about something that’s happened on Tom and Jerry, which his little sisters were watching while his mom cooked.

“Now who’s staring, hm?” his mother gives him a teasing smirk as she nudges him out into the living room.

Gareth wanders over and flops down onto the couch, clearing his throat. “You guys need to let us concentrate, okay? We’ll play with you later.”

“Really?” “Can you read to us instead, Gare? Like ya usually do?”

“With the voices!”

You smile as you look up and lock eyes with him. As his sisters take their dolls and coloring books and bolt back up the stairs, you sit up and stretch, moving up to sit by Gareth on the sofa. He catches sight of your one orange and one purple bat and ghost sock situation and he chuckles. “Get dressed in the dark today?” he asks. You give him a light shove.

“Ha.” you poke out your tongue, “I deliberately chose to wear these specific socks.”

“You did, huh? Well I hate to tell you… Halloween is a whole month away.”

“Not for some of us, Gareth.” you pout a little and fold your arms, blowing at some hair as it falls down into your eyes. He reaches for the remote and you sink back into the overstuffed sofa, resting your head against it. “Ugh, your sofa is so soft, man. The one Vera picked out of that stupid interior design mag feels like a fucking brick.”

Gareth chuckles. “Make yourself at home, I guess?”

You raise your middle finger at him as you close your eyes to rest them for a few minutes. “I’ve gotta remember to wear my glasses. It’d be easier if maybe I didn’t loathe them entirely.” you muse aloud, making Gareth snicker. “Glasses can’t help you see if you don’t wear them, space cadet.”

“Yeah well.. When I do wear ‘em and you see ‘em, you’ll know exactly why I selectively choose to forget them most of the time.” you raise your head and you’re staring at him all over again. Gareth is flipping through the stations on the tv set and he’s trying to pretend like he doesn’t feel you sitting beside him. Watching him intently.

But he finally just can’t take it a second longer so he puts down the remote after he’s stopped on MTV. “You’re staring.”

You lean in a little bit. Nodding. And you’re not bothering to hide the fact that you were staring at him because there’s no point to do so. “And? I can’t look at you?” you pout a little. Gareth nearly chokes on air and he can feel his cheeks burn yet again. “Well, yeah, you can.. Just don’t get why you’d want to.” he mumbles this last part a lot more quietly but you still manage to hear enough to know what he’s said.

“Because I do, okay?” you answer before you can stop yourself. And now, he’s the one staring at you. Leaning in a little. One of his sisters comes down the stairs and you spring away from each other just a little on the sofa, sharing a look.

“We should um… The questionnaire.” you manage to mumble as you try again not to get lost in bright blue eyes. Gareth nods in agreement. “Yeah. We should probably get that done. My mom, she’s in the um.. The kitchen.”

“Awesome. So let’s go ask her the questions.” you grin as you say it and he laughs, nodding. As he stands, he holds out a hand to you but you bite your lip and pout. “But it’s so comfy, I kinda don’t wanna get up now.”

He grabs hold of your hand when you reach up for his and he pulls you off his sofa and straight into him, purely on accident. And you both kind of linger close for a few seconds. Staring.

Wordlessly, you raise a hand and give his hair another little fluff before stepping away. Making your way into the Emerson’s kitchen.

Leaving him to stand in the middle of the living room and take a few badly needed seconds to pull himself together while wondering if this entire day has been one long fever dream that he’s going to wake up from at any second. And then, he’s frustrated with himself for feeling disappointment when he realizes that if today has been some sort of fever dream it’s one he doesn’t want to wake up from just yet.

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson fanfic #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x yn #gareth emerson x reader #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #stranger things ● gareth emerson #<- warnings | swearing ● awkward flirting and serious mutual crush vibes ● female reader ( long curly hair + black sabbath t shirt )#fandom ( stranger things ) ● season ( 4 ) ● character ( gareth emerson )

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ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 2 ● g. emerson

warnings

swearing, bullying , jason carver / Andy, awkward flirting, Gareth using a firm tone, you all know that tone ashes will die on the dominant hill obvs, he is and y'all are sleeping on that shit, a little splash of 'bickering like an old married couple despite literally just meeting' and a big ol' dash of mutual pining. reader is female with long and curly hair, no other physical traits mentioned beyond that. why yes.. yes i am hellbent on reviving his tag. listen he's my grumpy lil drummer dude i can't just let it die.

word count

3657 exactly. Part Two... for now.

** if you guys were to hint you want more... this could /possibly/ be arranged... maybe.**

summary

continued from ( this post )

Gareth can't get you out of his head so he tracks you down. Maybe you're a little flirt and maybe.. just maybe.. he's into it.

taglist

-- if you want to be added to my stranger things taglist again, please go ( here ) to add your name otherwise I don't tag.

@tbmunson - bestie you knew i was tagging you. this is about our boy.

@allelitesmut

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about + rules

He hasn’t seen you since that morning. Not that he’d ever admit he was actively looking in the first place, but.. It’s as if you got his attention with your antics that morning and you promptly vanished off the face of the earth.

By lunch, he’s described you to at least three different people and all he’s gotten are blank stares. Questioning glances.

That is, until he talks to Anna, a girl in his English class, the class he has lunch during.

She just laughs. “What do you want with her anyway, Gareth?”

Gareth shrugs because he doesn’t even really know the answer to the question she’s just asked. Parts of him want to make sure he didn’t imagine the whole thing. Other parts of him are curious about him.

“If she’s not out behind the cafeteria with the other smokers, she’s in the art classroom… I think.” Anna answers after a few seconds. Gareth walks out into the hallway and he tells himself he’ll leave it alone. He tells himself if you wanted to be found, if you wanted to see him again, you’ll bump into him first.

But as he passes the Art classroom, laughter and the sound of Fleetwood Mac drifts out into the hallway and draws him to a stop at the door. He’s leaning in the doorway and blue eyes scan the classroom. He’s perplexed because he doesn’t see anybody out front.

In the back of the classroom, you’re sitting on a low bookshelf, essentially vibing to Silver Springs as your friends talk back and forth about some party being held out in the woods on Friday night.

When the most powerful part of the song begins, you glare at Molly and Edith, silencing them with your gaze as you start to belt out the lyrics.

I'll follow you down til' the sound of my voice will haunt you

Give me just a chance

You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you

Time cast a spell on you, but you won't forget me

I know I could've loved you, but you would not let me

I'll follow you down 'til the sound of my voice will haunt you

“Holy shit!”

“Belt it.”

“Girl.. why are you not in choir? We need a singer. It’s a dire need..”

You’ve got your head thrown back and you’re just belting the lyrics at the top of your lungs without a care in the world. Your feet swing and the heel of your platforms beat light against the cabinet below the counter you sit on. Your eyes are closed through this, you’re just feeling the song.

Gareth hears you belting out the song towards the back of the classroom and he’s torn for a second, hesitating in the open doorway. He knows he should walk away, go to lunch and stop looking for you in crowds like he has been most of the day. Common sense tells him that if you wanted to be found, he’d have seen you at least once in the hall by now.

He comes to a stop as he catches sight of you and three other girls he recognizes from various classes he’s had with them over the years and he gets to watch as you thrash your head around and sing “I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you.” with your head thrown back and your eyes squeezed shut as if you’ve felt every single line in the song playing.

Adeline spots him and nudges another girl, Molly.

“What do you want, Emerson?”

At the mention of his last name, your eyes pop open and you lower your head, locking eyes with Gareth Emerson, the boy from the hallway this morning. You give him this grin that starts at one corner of plump red stained lips and slowly, lazily, it spreads to the other. “Oh hey, there’s my hero!” somehow, your grin gets brighter.

And there’s this playful twinkle in your eyes that has his cheeks on fire. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and gives a little wave. And the amount of sass in that little gesture has you laughing soft, the sound makes him smile before he even realizes that it’s happening and he’s doing it.

You slip off the counter and saunter over, stopping still in front of him. “It was too loud in here, huh?” and you’re giving him this coy little pout as you say it, your fingers walking up the front of his plaid and lingering on the Van Halen patch that’s coming loose at a corner.

Gareth’s brain is frozen, words will not leave his mouth.

“If it’s too loud in here, he could’ve just kept walking.” Molly gives Gareth a scathing glare. Gareth rolls his eyes at Molly and he starts to respond with his own sarcastic comment, but instead, he just lets it go.

“You’re uh.. You’re really good.. At singing, I mean.” Gareth manages to mumble at last. You shrug it off and laugh softly, all while shaking your head. “Am not.” and after you toy with the loose corner of the Van Halen patch just a second longer, you make yourself look up at him. Bite your lip a second or two. Blue eyes fix intently on the way you’re biting your lip. And the little playful pouty thing you’re doing.

He has the passing thought that you’re flirting with him but as quick as the thought comes, he’s shoving it out again. Because no girl in her right mind flirts with one of the school freaks.

“It’s the song. It’s a spell. Or so I’ve heard.” you want to punch yourself in the throat as the words leave your mouth. The goal here was to come off as mysterious. Rebellious. Unbothered. Untouchable by the typical high school bullshit you’re forced to endure day in and day out.

Gareth chuckles quietly. It covers up the groan that almost comes when he realizes that apparently, in the space of seconds, one of you or the other has stepped much closer and now, as a result, your bodies are brushing against each other and all he can smell is strawberry and decadent vanilla as it hangs in the air between you both heavily.

“A spell, huh? That’s uh.. Interesting.” he can’t think of anything else to say. Meanwhile, Molly, Adeline, Edith and Maria are pushing past, hurrying to the door of the classroom to escape the thickening tension in the air.

“We’re going to lunch.” Molly announces. "The air is.. weird in here now." “So go to lunch.. You guys don’t like.. Need your hand held to do it.” you laugh, waving them away dismissively. Molly gives Gareth one last scathing glare and Gareth returns the glare without hesitation. And you catch the little glare, laughing softly to yourself about it. “Molly’s a pill.”

“Yeah, that’s uh.. That’s one way to put it.” Gareth mumbles, wanting the floor to open and swallow him whole when he says it. You’ve got your eyes trained on the front of his plaid shirt and you’re lightly clutching at it with your fingers.

You’re wearing red nail polish, he notices, and it’s chipping. Kind of makes him think you have a nail-biting habit. Wisely, he doesn’t say this out loud.

“You’re not going to eat?” he asks quietly.

You wrinkle your nose. “Depends. Smelled like road kill and shit when I walked out into the hallway a few minutes ago.. If they have salad?” you tilt your head, giving him a hopeful little look as you say it. Gareth clears his throat and shuffles his feet, redistributing the weight from one foot to the other.

He’s not a tall guy, not even slightly. Nearly every guy in school towers over him. But somehow, the fact that you come up to the center of his chest..does something to him. Something he’s better off not thinking about a whole lot, but it goes without saying.

“You smell really, really good. Clean.” you want to kick yourself when you realize you’ve said it out loud, in a dazed tone at that. Gareth snickers but his cheeks burn up all over again. He raises a hand and your eyes catch on long and thin fingers and you bite down on your lip and watch as thin fingers tangle in thick curls. His hair looks like it’d be soft to touch and every part of you wants to know if this is the case or not.

But the pause is awkward and lingering and it’s driving you crazy. And even though you don’t want to step away from the guy, you know that sooner or later, you’ll have to. You nod to the classroom door in front. “So uh… Food? You mentioned food?”

“Oh.. yeah. I did.” he wants to punch himself in the face. ,, This shit, man.. This shit is why you never really attempt socialization.” the thought comes and he shakes his head, annoyed with himself.

As the two of you wander out into the hallway, Jason Carver and his friends happen to be walking past. And naturally, Jason can’t just let him walk by without trying to regain the upper hand.

“Hey.. why don’t you let one of us show you around school, little girl?”

“Novel idea here, but why don’t you go fuck yourself, ape?” you retort, all with the sweetest smile you can manage on your face and one hand wound in your thick mess of long and wild hair. “Gareth can show me where things are.”

Gareth smirks as he happens to lock eyes with Jason and sees Jason seething in it.

As they start to walk away, you can’t resist what comes out. “You should’ve knocked him unconscious this morning with the book.”

But his only takeaway from any of this is somehow, you already know his name and he has not one clue what yours is. As the two of you approach the Hellfire table, Jeff nearly chokes on the sip of Tab he’s just taken. And Ethan is quick to grab another chair, shove it next to Gareth’s as he gives Gareth a shit-eating grin. You flop down in the seat and Gareth takes his usual chair.

“Hi.” you’re greeted by curious gazes from around the table. And you’re not the best at dealing with more than one or two people -smaller groups, at a time, so… You just kind of sit there, one leg tucked beneath you and your shoes resting below the chair you’re sitting in. You drag your spoon through the Trix yogurt you’d grabbed in the lunch line. And as you raise the spoon to your lips, Jeff speaks up, giving Gareth a pointed look.

“Are you gonna introduce your new friend, Gare?”

You laugh. “He would if he knew my name.” you’re only teasing, of course. Gareth grumbles, it’s something sarcastic about you being the one who’s been talking to him for nearly fifteen minutes by now and not one time have you introduced yourself and you snicker even more.

“Aww, you’re just a total grump, huh?” you say it in this overly teasing tone that both Ethan and Jeff pick right up on and they’re sharing a look across the table.

“My name is ___. Call me whatever though, really doesn’t matter.” you shrug and dig your spoon into your yogurt.

“Hey, don’t you live in that house right next door to the Creel house?” Mike asks as he gazes at you. You laugh and nod. “What’s the deal with that place anyway, huh?”

“Uh, well for one, it’s haunted.”

“That shit’s not real, Ethan, grow up.” Gareth grumbles, rolling his eyes. “It’s just abandoned. Guy lost his mind and murdered his entire family. Ghosts do not exist. The house isn’t haunted.”

You cringe. “Ick. Alright then.” you take another bite of yogurt and Gareth’s gaze lingers on the way the spoon disappears between your lips. And just to tease him a little, you laugh and ask, “How do you know ghosts don’t exist though, Gareth?”

“Because they just don’t.” Gareth argues back. Leaning into you like you’ve leaned into him. You pout a little and shake your head. “Maybe they do, though. Do you have proof they don’t, Gareth?”

“Science? Logic?” Gareth argues back, taking a bite of his cheeseburger. You burst into laughter and take one of your napkins, dabbing at the corner of his mouth. “You uh.. Ketchup, dude. You had ketchup.”

Dustin speaks up next because if he doesn’t, the tension between you and Gareth will choke them all. “So.. where’d you move here from?”

You laugh. “New Orleans, actually.”

“And that explains the accent.” Gareth mumbles, mostly to himself. You give him a light shove and roll your eyes. “Hey, mister. You have one too. Trust me. You guys sound just as weird t’ me, hon.”

It hits Jeff that you’re wearing a Black Sabbath tee shirt and he chuckles. “Sabbath fan, huh? You don’t look like the type.”

“Why the hell not?” you ask, pouting and laughing softly as you quickly explain that you were only joking just now. “But seriously, now I’m curious. What type do I look like?”

From behind you, Andy from your homeroom -and a serious thorn in your side since the first day you started Hawkins High, let it be noted- speaks up. “The type of girl who shouldn’t be sitting with these freaks. You don’t belong over here at their table, sweets.”

“I dunno, man.” you glance up at Andy over your shoulder and roll your eyes, “ Kind of feels like I’m better off sitting here than anywhere near you. Call them freaks again, jackass. I dare you.”

“You do realize that this is the opposite of fitting in, right? And you wanna fit in don’t ya, doll?”

“Ew. Disgusting.” you grimace as he calls you a doll for the thousandth time in a week. “Why are you even over here, ugh.. Go away.”

Mike is snickering when he leans in to whisper into Will’s ear, “This is amusing.”

“It is.”

As all this happens, Gareth is sitting beside you, fist clenching tighter and tighter around his fork. When Andy opens his mouth again to say something, Gareth turns halfway in his seat so that he’s facing Andy and he can look in his eyes. “Look, asshole. She said she doesn’t want to talk to you. Maybe fuck off already? Or are you really that bad at taking hints?”

You swallow hard and shift in your seat when Gareth takes on the firm tone and tells Andy to get lost. You’re leaning against Gareth’s side just a little because someone’s come over to the table to talk to Jeff and Ethan and they squeezed in between where you’re sitting and where Jeff is sitting, so this forces you to get closer to Gareth just to make space. As your soft hair brushes against his arm, Gareth grips the edge of the table in front of him.

“What’d you say to me, you little shit?” Andy’s leaning down. Trying to get in Gareth’s face and you roll your eyes before speaking up. “Well, my question is answered.”

Andy’s gaze settles on you and he chuckles. “What? Who the real man is? Clearly it’s me, darlin.”

“No, I was actually wondering if you’re all as equally smooth-brained as that other idiot Jason. Now I know. Yes. You are.”

“You’re a mouthy little bitch, aren’t you?” Andy pops off, glancing at Gareth as he nods at you, “You might want to tell your girl to watch her mouth when she’s talking to me.”

The fork Gareth’s gripping in his hand snaps and when he speaks up it’s calm. Deathly calm. “For the last fucking time.. She told you to get lost. Get lost or you won’t like what happens.”

Andy realizes that the last time he’s seen Gareth this angry, it was 7th grade. Right before Gareth Emerson beat his ass in front of everyone at the park in town after school. And he smirks to save face. “Like you’re gonna do somethin’, freak.”

“He already did, idiot. Or did you forget 7th grade?” Ethan speaks up, amusement glinting in his eyes as he fixes them on the jock. Andy tenses up, flinching as if he’s been slapped. Jeff chuckles. “Our point exactly, man.. Save yourself and go.”

Andy walks away and you let out a ragged breath. “Finally. I thought he wasn’t gonna leave.”

Gareth fixes blue eyes on you. “You need to stop antagonizing them, damn it.” and the firm tone he chooses to use has Ethan and Jeff sharing a look, their brows raised because they’ve never really heard their best friend use that particular tone before. You pout a little and take a sip of your juice box, finishing it off. “‘Kay. Fine.. So I can just stab him in the eyeball with my fork next time?”

“No! Just leave those fucks alone, alright?” Gareth tries to but he can’t hide the slightest hint of panic when he has the outburst. Or the firm tone he’s used yet again.

You pout a little. “Fiiiiine.” you drag out the word and blow at hair as it falls into your face, muttering in a quieter tone, “Killjoy.”

“Look. You don’t know them like we do, alright? Just trust me. Antagonizing them is not a good idea.”

“He’s not wrong. They chased me and my friends home after school one day like they were going to run us down on our bikes in Jason’s Jeep.. and they were all laughing about it. Sane people don’t do that.” Dustin explains before going quiet.

As Eddie Munson saunters over, Gareth’s entire body tenses up. Jeff spots Eddie and calls out with a laugh, “You finally drag your ass to school, Munson?”

Eddie nods at you and mouths to Jeff, “Who the hell is she? Why is she sitting here?” and Jeff mouths back that he’ll tell him later.

Eddie’s smirking though, and there’s a mischievous gleam in doe eyes. “Gareth? You gonna introduce us to your new friend, man?”

You’re covertly slipping french fries off of Gareth’s plate like you’ve been doing for the better part of two minutes when Eddie clears his throat to get your attention. Gareth gives you a dirty look for helping yourself to his fries and you stick out your tongue at Gareth before glancing over at Eddie where he sits. “Yeah?”

“So.. do you have a name, sweetheart?”

“ ____. Call me whatever, though. Except sweetheart.”

Eddie chuckles. Rubs his chin thoughtfully as he glances from Gareth to you and smirks at Gareth. Gareth glares at Eddie, daring him to start his usual teasing and torment shit that he always does in these situations. Eddie merely shrugs.

“Sabbath fan, huh?”

“Noooo.. I just thought the shirt looked cool.” you deadpan, popping the top on your can of soda as you hold Eddie’s gaze and smirk. Then you grin and nod. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.. Yeah. They’re only my fourth?” you’re pausing, holding up your fingers and mumbling band names under your breath before grinning, “They’re my fifth favorite band.”

“Wait.. you named off all metal.”

“And?” you don’t miss a beat. “Something wrong with that?”

“Not at all.” Eddie shrugs. As soon as you’re preoccupied with a conversation Jeff starts with you about your old hometown and the lack of things to do there, Eddie leans into Gareth and chuckles. “Interesting..”

“What?” Gareth raises a brow, glaring at his best friend. “What’s interesting, Eddie?”

Eddie only laughs and shakes his head. “Nothing, Gare. Nothing at all.”

“I hate it when you do that shit, fuckhead.” Gareth rolls his eyes and grumbles.

“Lies. You love me, man. You know it and I know it.” Eddie chuckles. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully as Gareth turns his attention back to you. Eddie smirks to himself as he sits and watches Gareth watching you while you’re not looking, carrying on an animated conversation.

You talk with your hands a lot.

The realization has Gareth chuckling to himself.

,, She’s fucking stunning.. But the stunning girls don’t go for freaks.” the reminder wipes the little smile he had right off his face.

Someone mentions Corroded Coffin and your eyes light up. “You guys have a band?” you’re suddenly staring at Gareth intently, drawing him out of his own battle with pessimism. “No way.”

Gareth shrugs. Smirks a little. “I’m the drummer, actually.”

“Oooh.. I thought you were a drummer.”

You want to kick yourself when you say it.

Because he hasn’t noticed you in the last class of the day.. But you noticed him two days ago. Kind of hard not to when his go to habit when he’s bored and pretending to pay attention is to drum his pens softly against the top of his desk. You’d noticed him when you were trying to look around, see who kept making the little sound you were hearing behind you.

“How?”

“We uh.. We have 7th together. You drum your pens when you’re bored.” you pout a little as you say it too. Gareth’s mouth opens and then closes again.

“Wait.. you’re in my 7th class?”

“Mhm.”

“How’d I not know that?” he chuckles quietly. You shrug. “To be fair, I can be really quiet when I choose.”

“Uh-huh, right.”

You flip him off playfully.

The bell to end lunch rings and the two of you stand up at the same time. Pushed to a close proximity as you begin to migrate towards the area designated to put away lunch trays. You don’t move away, you move closer instead. Because there’s so many people and so much noise and maybe.. Just maybe.. Even if you’d never admit it, Gareth Emerson being beside you makes you feel just a little less aware of the crowd and the noise and all the things that freak you out.

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson fanfic #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x yn #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #<- warnings ● bullying swearing awkward flirting and mutual pining... kinda..#<- warning. female reader ● long curly hair + black sabbath t-shirt.#fandom ( stranger things ) ● season ( 4 ) ● character ( gareth emerson )

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ashes-writing · 1 year

Text

stranger things ● the new girl pt 4 ● g.emerson

warnings

a little angst. bullying / mentions of how shitty some people can be. reader has kind of a crappy -read lonely, homelife, 'idiots in love / bicker like an old married couple trope, fluff, PDA - hugging, hurt comfort, flirting, confrontations and occasional fights, drinking, mentions of weed -probably-, eventual filth, maaaybe.. female reader warning, kept her vague though, aside from clothes/basic personality/hair and the fact that she's a rich girl + anti popularity for reasons unknown.

word count

2264 exactly. welcome to part 4, babes, ig.

y'all are gonna be tired of my bullshit holy shit. because this might actually be a slow burn kind of thing..

summary

continued from ( here pt 3 ) being the new girl isn't fun. but you're starting to become friends with Gareth now and you're also starting to realize that you want more.. traash my summaries are traaash man.

taglist

-- taglist is ( here ) if you want to be added to it, lmk or add yourself! :)

@tbmunson - you knew I was going to tag you because we love our drummer sm. You inspire me so much bestie. I hope you like this.

@allelitesmut

@chaoticcancer

@dylanwritesgood

@just-a-blue-nerd

@littlestarfighter03

other links

masterlist ● gareth's masterlist ● about + rules

You roll your eyes when you spot Andy making his way over to your locker. Beside you, Molly speaks up. "I don't know why you're so annoyed, I mean..c'mon. He's popular and hot."

"I'm pretending I didn't just hear that come out of your mouth, Molly. He's a disgusting prick." you whirl around just in time to keep him from touching you by tapping your shoulder. You're smirking up at him. "I was just talking about you, Andy."

He steps closer and you grimace, stepping away. "Yeah. I was telling Molly here that you're a disgusting little prick."

"Bitch."

"Thank you. I'll take that compliment." your smirk grows.

Molly speaks up. "Well I think you're handsome." She steps closer to Andy and he cringes. "Gross. I wasn't asking you, Moo."

You and Edith share a look and roll your eyes at the way she's so quick to throw herself at a guy who consistently calls her a cow or moos when she walks past him in the hallway. When Andy calls her a cow, she looks crushed. Embarrassed. You step between them with a hand on your hip and Edith does the same. "Fuck off, shrimp dick."

"Aw, cmon. Don't be like that. Give me a chance."

"Is he fucking brain dead?" You mutter to yourself before speaking up again,"Yeah, we're not doing this. Cmon,Molly. You don’t have to take his shit. We're leaving now."

You and Edith grab her by the arm and drag her away, turning down the hall that the art class is on so you can wait for the room to empty and hang out with Maria and Adeline like usual.

As soon as you're standing off where you think you are out of earshot , you look at her in concern after smacking her upside the head. "Seriously? You want the guy who treats you like shit?"

"Maybe he'd stop. Maybe I could get to him."

You grimace. "Those assholes never change. They grow up and get meaner."

"At least I'm not all in love with some little loser freak." Molly glares at you, folding her arms over her chest. You laugh. And you step closer. "Wanna repeat that, Molly? Call him- or his friends freaks one more time, Molly.."

You're angry now, stepping up to Molly as you shake your head at her in disappointment. "Know what? I'm done. Done. At least he doesn't treat people like shit. None of them do from what I've seen."

"You heard me." Molly steps up to you and she's got this bitter look on her face, shaking her head as she continues, "Y’know, I don't understand you, ____. You could have it all. And what are you doing?" she pauses, shaking her head at you. "You're such a dumb bitch. I'd kill to be in your situation. Do you know what I deal with, ___?"

"No. But do you know what I deal with, Molly?"

"What could you possibly go through, huh? You’re beautiful. You're smart and at least boys look at you like they want you and its not just to humiliate you. You have a big house." She pauses, taking several ragged breaths, "Your parents let you do whatever you want and they're never around to butt in. If you don't wanna come to school, nobody's forcing you, I mean..didn't you miss like 3 days just because you weren't in the mood to be here?"

You laugh bitterly. "Yeah. I guess I really have it made. Fuck you, Molly."

You storm off and shove through the handful of students who have overheard the entire thing. In your haste to get away and cool down, you completely miss the fact that three fourths of Hellfire -Gareths friends Jeff, Eddie and Ethan, have all overheard the entire thing and most importantly, what they didn't hear was you, rushing to deny any accusations Molly made about the way you feel about their best friend Gareth.

Which goes a long way in making the three of them realize that you're not being put up to being nice so one of the assholes can turn it into a cruel prank later. It makes them realize that they were right, you were holding back a lot whenever you were around them with Gareth lately. But it wasn't for the reasons they thought.

Edith processes what's just happened and she turns on Molly in disgust. "Y'know.. I'm starting to realize how ugly your bitterness makes you. Find another way home after FHA this afternoon." and she turns to scramble down the hallway, colliding with Eddie Munson in the process. "Either of you see where ___ went?"

"She bolted. I think she's outside or the bathroom. What the fuck was all that?" Eddie asks, gazing at the Edith in concern. "Molly's been jealous of ___ since she moved here. Because she likes Andy. And Andy likes ___ but she hates him. So that, sir.. that was Molly Fletcher making a real dumb decision because I'm done."

Eddie chuckles. Tugs at the collar of his Hellfire shirt when she refers to him as sir because he's…not expecting it to have the impact it does. Edith speaks up again. Quietly. "Could you, um.. I need to get by you?"

"I scare you real bad, huh?"

"Nope. Just that I need to get to her." Edith holds his gaze and Eddie steps out of the way, letting Edith take off to find you.

Meanwhile, you're in the girls bathroom and you're sitting on the floor with your knees to your chin because everything Molly said got to you. Made you think about exactly why you have a hard time making friends. Why it's so damn hard to open up easily. You feel bad for her and you know she catches hell but it just makes you so angry that she didn't even hesitate to turn on you and Edith when the two of you were trying to get her out of a bad situation.

The door opens and Edith peeks in, hissing your name. "Back here, Edie."

"Found her, Adi."

Edith, Adeline and Maria wander in.

"You okay, ___?"

"Fuck that bitch. If she wants Andy let her have the damn prick."

"Holy shit, you guys.. Eddie Munson is kinda like.. pretty."

You laugh and you're quick to jam the heel of your hands into your eyes to stop the tears. "Guys, she's probably just saying that because they always bully her so bad.."

"Girl." Edith smacks the back of your head lightly. " Aht.Aht. what we aren't doing is giving her shit a free pass anymore. She was foul."

"What Edie said, ___. She's been jealous of all of us at one point or another, we just kept trying because everyone else was so horrible to her." Maria holds out her bag of chips to you.

You reach in, getting a few out for yourself. "I'm just so mad. But then I stop and think about it and I feel bad for her."

"Yeah, don't."

"She's been a total brat lately. Don't waste the time and don't let her get to you, girl."

"You good?"

"I guess."

"C’mon. I'm starving and I'm going to eat lunch in the actual cafeteria for once. She can suffer."

Maria and Adeline pretend they can't pull you up and it makes you laugh. You stop by the mirror and grimace. "The one day I don't have my damn makeup bag with me, I'm gonna spend the day with runny mascara."

"It'll be fine, girl. It's actually kind of hot."

"It's not, I look like shit."

"Hot shit though. Fuck everybody else, alright?"

You nod.

And as the four of you are bracing yourselves to go into the cafeteria after the huge scene Molly made, Eddie, Ethan and Jeff have all sat Gareth down at the Hellfire table and they're telling him what he missed while he was talking to a teacher about extra credit.

"Wait.. what happened?"

"Well, Andy cornered __ like usual. And ___ was a smartass, like usual.." Eddie trails off ad Gareth goes off on a tangent about how many times he's told you to stop antagonizing Andy. Eddie clears his throat and reaches out to stop Gareth from getting up, "I wasn't finished. Sit the fuck down, Emerson."

"Okay, what else happened?"

"Molly Fletcher tried to hit on Andy I guess. And he did that shit, calling her a cow?" Jeff grimaces and Eddie continues, "So ___ and that librarian looking chick, the kinda hot one, they got her off to herself. Trying to be friends. That kinda blew up and the next thing we know, ___ and Molly are in each other's faces and Molly unloaded on ___, dude. When she said something about us, ___ got in her face and kinda shoved her a little. But get this." Eddie pauses dramatically, just long enough that Gareth is giving him a dirty look, "Well?"

Eddie chuckles. "I'm getting there, man."

"So get there already, man."

"Molly went off, said something about her being into you, man and ___ didn't exactly deny it."

Gareth blinks. "Huh? Look, is ___ okay or not?"

"Dude you're missing the big picture here. ____ basically admitted she likes you..without admitting it."

"No she didn't, that's not how that works, Munson. Is ___ okay or not?"

"She's upset right now…some other shit got said by Molly and ___ was tearing up when she ran past me." Eddie admits. "The short version is this man.. we were wrong about her."

"I fucking told you guys she wasn't gonna turn into one of them. Where did she go?"

Jeff notices you as you slip into the crowded lunch line with your friends and he nudges Gareth. "There she is."

Gareth is heading over to talk to you and Eddie stops him. "They can sit with us. If they want to."

Gareth gives him the thumbs up and makes his way up to you, tapping your shoulder.

You whirl around, the glare on your face softens when you find yourself body to body with Gareth. "Hey."

"Hey. How'd it go with Mrs. Lane?"

"She said if I write a stupid fucking paper I'll get the credit." he answers, stepping closer to you because your eyes are still red from crying. He tilts your chin when you look down to make you look up at him. "You okay?" he asks in concern.

You shrug. "Its dumb, grump."

"What happened?"

"Molly's a bitch. She probably doesn't wanna talk about it." Adeline answers, gazing at Gareth. "It was pretty bad."

"Adi, what the hell? It's not a big deal."

" She shouldn't have said the stuff she said. In front of everybody in the hall." Edith responds, "Stop defending her. Some people don't deserve it."

"Edie, they treat her like shit. Some people don't just shut down like me." you coax, giving Edith a pleading look.

"Stop being nice. She doesn't deserve it."

"They're right ba– shit, ___ I meant.." Gareth wants the floor to open up and swallow him. Edith catches on to what he almost called you and nudges Adeline and Maria. "We're gonna go find a table."

"Okay."you call out after them.

You turn your attention to Gareth, you heard his almost slip up but you're torn between happy and trying to tell yourself you misheard.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing." you lie about it because you don't want to bother him with your bullshit. Because you really like him a lot and you're not taking the risk of doing anything that will mess up your friendship.

"She said something, you cried. Try again, ___." Gareth coaxes, pulling you against him gingerly.

"Fine." you take a deep breath or two and then you tell him everything, all of it. Including why it bothered you enough to make you cry.

"Shit." he grimaces as you finish, " Fuck her for that."

You shrug, "I'll live, Gareth. It just..stirred some things up."

"Yeah. Kind of sounds like it." he lets you go reluctantly and if it weren’t for the teacher giving him serious stink eye, he wouldn't have.

You frown a little once he's let go because you miss the way it felt to have him hugging you. "Hey, if you wanna sit with us, ___, you can."

You nod. Your friends are all giggling, Edith even gives you a thumbs up as you walk past to sit. And by the end of lunch, Eddie has gotten so tired of having to shout from the Hellfire table to your friends table that he gets annoyed, stands up and makes a big show of dragging that one over to the end of the Hellfire table and gesturing to it, "Okay, now we can all yell up and down the table..like civilized people."

"Boo." Edith is taunting him, giving him a thumbs down. Eddie flips her off and everyone laughs. You pick at your food a little and Gareth notices. "Thought you liked salads.. yknow, I'm starting t' think you're gonna turn into a bunny on me."

"Bite me, grouch."

"You probably taste like lettuce, bunny. I'm good." Gareth teases.

"Oh haha. Think you're so funny,huh?" you flip him off, and pick up your fork, stabbing a few pieces of lettuce. "Better?"

"It'll work." Gareth shrugs, taking a bite of his own food and grimacing as he shoves his plate away. "What is this shit?"

You laugh. "You picked it."

"Eat your salad, bunny. Then if you're lucky, you can have some of my fries."

#gareth emerson #gareth emerson fanfiction #gareth emerson imagine #gareth emerson fanfic #gareth emerson x yn #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x you #<- my writing ● gareth emerson #<- warnings | bullying/swearing confrontations ● see other warnings above #<- warning | female reader ● vague characterization ( hair/clothes/rich!girl )#fandom ( stranger things ) ● season ( 4) ● character ( gareth emerson )

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