#shines through onto eddies face and he looks up and blinks a bit and then the shot is buck reaching his arm through to eddie and eddie

[pxrxcxa]

You're being mean 

✶ One shot

Pairing | Eddie x Female reader 18+.

Post summary | After a disappointing hookup, Y/n develops a crush on Eddie when she can't stop thinking about what he'd be like in bed instead, wondering if he's as rough around the edges as everyone says he is.

What to expect | Eddie being a dominant, selfish ass. 18 + so minors DNI.

Post Warnings | Pure Smut 18 +, rough M oral sex, orgasm denial, F masturbation, choking, consensual forcing & degradation.

Word count | 3.1 K Word Count.

As always, any & all comments/reblogs are most appreciated - Take care, P. x 🌻

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Authors Note | A bit out of my comfort zone, I don't think that Eddie is actually anything like this but I wanted to write something angry lmao. I hope you enjoyed it, P.x 🌻

I swung my feet in the air as I lounged across Nancy’s frilly pink bed spread, listening to her drone on about Steve Harrington, nodding and umming in the right places as her voiced faded into background noise, flipping mindlessly through a trashy magazine filled with perfect models that crushed my self-esteem. 

“So who’s yours y/n?” My eyes flashed to hers as a blush crept up my face, embarrassed as I realised I lost track of where she was up to.

“Huh?” I smiled sheepishly as she let out an exasperated sigh. 

“Your crush? Who is it, I told you mine? Pay up, it’s only fair.” I chewed on my lip as I stared into the shining brown eyes of my best friend as she sat on her bedroom floor, regret flooding through me as I hesitated to tell her. We were in our junior year at high school, and while Nancy had drooled over the King of Hawkins High along with the rest of the lower class, I had set my sights on someone even less attainable than Steve. 

I’d already gone down the route of boring basketball players. Personally, I felt that I could have lived without the four inches and twenty seconds, my last hook up leaving me woefully unsatisfied. As I paid more attention to Eddie’s random and chaotic outbursts out school, the more I wondered if he was that animated in all aspects of his life. 

There was just the small issue of Eddie seeming to not even notice my existence though, and my petrifying fear of approaching him, my tongue turning into butter anytime I got close to him.  

My heart thudded against my ribs painfully as she waited for my answer, I twisted her sheets around my fingers as Mrs Wheeler popped her head in through the door, offering us snacks. I rolled over to stare up at the ceiling as the door shut softly, closing my eyes as I whispered. 

“Eddie Munson.” I murmured; a breath flew out of Nancys’ mouth as she sprung up onto the mattress next to me.

“Who?” She screeched, eyes widening in shock as I peered at her face. 

“Eddie.” I said louder, watching her carefully for her reaction, she bit her lip as she stared at me like I was crazy. 

“Really?” A small smile spread across her face as she realised I was serious.

“I don’t know, there’s just something about him.” Eddies dark eyes popped into my mind, each time they met mine sending a shiver of fear and longing through me. 

“Huh.” She sucked her cheeks in and leaned back against her bed frame, watching me carefully.

“What?” I asked defensively, wrapping my arms across my chest. 

“Nothing.” She shrugged, a mischievous look dancing behind her eyes.

“No, what?” I demanded, snatching the schoolbook from her grasp as she picked it up to avoid my gaze.

“He’s just so… rough.” My face betrayed me as Nancy squealed, slapping my knee. 

“Oh…my…god. IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE INTO?” I buried myself into the mound of pillows, peaking through the cracks as I watched her blink in shock, her mouth hanging open wide.

“Well… Mike is in his club, maybe you could get him to introduce you!” She shouted excitedly, leaning forward to shake my shoulders. 

I laughed as her contagious energy made me grin. “Nance… no. He wouldn’t be interested in me.” My smile slipped from my face as I fiddled with my hands in my lap. 

“Why not?” She snapped, I faltered on the brink of admitting my insecurities to her, shame running through me over my jealousy towards her natural beauty, she wouldn’t understand even if I did try to explain.  

“He glares at me every time he catches me staring.” I muttered, telling her half of the truth. “I don’t think he likes me very much; he always looks angry whenever I see him.” My mind snapped to the thought of him stalking past me in the hallways at school, staring straight through me as I shrunk under his glare. 

“I think that’s just him, y/n.” She soothed, looking at me with pity. 

“Hmm.” I half-heartedly agreed, wanting to move past the topic. 

“You can take Mike and the others to their thing tonight!” I sighed as she clapped her hands together excitedly, knowing it was useless to try to argue with Nancy once she set her mind to something.

I fiddled with the hem line of my jumper as I followed Mike and Dustin down the dark, empty school hallway, my nerves hitching up with each heavy footstep that echoed off the grey lockers on either side of me. I followed in tightly behind Nancy’s brother as they casually strolled through the drama room door, shouting over each other as they gushed about fake monsters. 

Eddie sat at the head of the table, low burning candles throwing sharp shadows across his attractive features as he twisted his ring across his bony fingers.

He didn’t look up as Mike cleared his throat beside me. “Uh Eddie, this is-“ 

“I know who she is.” He snapped, leaning back in his chair as his eyes flashed up to stare at him, Mike shrunk under his gaze, his voice trailing off into a whisper.

“Uh, yeah. She’s interested in DnD…” I dug my nails into my palm as his words sounded fake even to my ears.

“That’s not what she’s interested in.” His deep voice cut across the thick air, I blushed as his eyes shot daggers up at me through his long eyelashes. I shook as he scowled at me, his dark, deep-set eyes staring unblinkingly. Mike and Dustin shot me a confused look as I stuttered over my words. 

“Well spit it out.” Eddie glowered at me, raising his eyebrows mockingly at me. My lip trembled as he glared, laughing as I stood frozen at the end of the table, tugging at my shirt nervously. 

I spun on my heels as tears brimmed in my eyes, the detestation in his voice piercing through me as mortification washed over me. I knew coming with the kids tonight had been a bad idea, but I’d let Nancy talk me into it, letting her dress me up and paint my face with her makeup. I shouldered my way through the wooden door and stalked down the hallway back to my car, letting the cold night air of the autumn evening dry my fallen tears as I leant against the hood of my car. 

An hour passed. And then another as darkness well and truly settled around me, before I heard the thundering footsteps running down the hall. Mike and Dustin flew through the doors, quickly followed by the rest of their club. They stopped on the sidewalk as their mouths popped open in surprise at the sight of me. 

“Oh, we thought you’d left. Uh…” Mike clapped his hand around the back of his neck as his eyes turned towards the entrance of the car park, a pair of headlights cutting through the darkness. “I called my dad to come get us.” 

He stumbled as Eddie pushed past him, a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he pulled his jacket on over his defined shoulders, he rolled his eyes as he noticed me huddled in my sweater, pulling his lighter from his pocket and jogging lightly over to his van as his knotted curls flowed out behind him. I groaned as I pulled my hands from across my chest, annoyed at myself for wasting my time, and looking like a fool for it. 

Mike and Dustin waved goodbye and shot me apologetic smiles as they slid into Mr Wheelers car, as anguish and embarrassment turned in my stomach. Eddie had humiliated me tonight, with a sudden surge of anger that launched myself off the cold metal of my car, and across the empty car park, I decided that I couldn’t sink any lower so I might as well get a few shots in since he clearly couldn’t care less about me or my juvenile crush.  

I shouted out after him as he reached up to pull himself into van, Eddie narrowed his eyes dangerously as he turned to watch me storming over to him. 

“Hey.” I shouted, my loose hair whipping wildly around my face as I spurred across the asphalt.  

“What.” He snapped, pulling his smoke from his mouth and breathing a heavy cloud into my face, I coughed and waved the haze away as it stung my eyes. 

“What’s your problem?” I demanded, planting my feet squarely in front of him so he couldn’t escape. Eddie’s eyes ran up and down my shivering form, my anger dimming as cold air brushed my skin. 

“You think I don’t know what you want? You really think I don’t notice you staring after me like a lost puppy? Your silly little crush is so obvious, I’m embarrassed for you.” He twisted his thick brows as he grinned, staring into my eyes as I grasped for a reply. 

“I uh-“ my body tingled as he watched me flounder. 

“Uh Uh Uh” He mocked me, rolling his eyes when I flinched. “You’re such a child y/n, go home.” His jacket ruffled as he spun back to tear open his driver’s side door. 

“Hey! I am not a child.” I stepped forward with my fists balled at my side, not sure what I was planning, just my irritation at his words urging me on. 

He twisted back so suddenly that his closeness caught me completely off guard, his body inches from mine as the smell of cigarettes and cologne made me recoil. I stopped breathing as I watched his tongue slide over his pink lips, the corners of them turning up into a smirk. 

“Oh please y/n. You can’t even look me in the eyes.” My cheeks flamed as I avoided his gaze, the truth in his words calling me out painfully. His frizzy curls bounced as he shook his head, the suffocating smell of tobacco spilling over me as he pulled his van door open. 

My hand flashed out to curl around the leather across his elbow, his arm tensing as he felt my touch. His flaring eyes met mine for a split second before he reached out to grab my waist, spinning me around to slam into the side of his van. He knocked my foot to the side with his, so my legs spread wider, pushing himself into the gap between them. 

“You think you’re grown enough to handle me y/n?” I wasn’t sure if it was the doubtful, teasing look in his eyes, or my anger at his rudeness, but a foreign confidence took over my body as I dug my nails into his arms hard enough to draw blood. 

He smiled as I stared up at him angrily, his five o’clock shadow bristling across his jaw. He strained as a half-smile pulled up the corner of his mouth, slowly bringing his lips closer to mine as my knees shook, he stopped as he got close enough for me to practically taste him, the lean contours of his towering body pushing in deeper against me.

“This does not mean I like you. I just like to have fun.” 

He cocked his head to the side as I considered his words, I had a moment to gulp before he shoved me harshly along the panels of his van, stumbling slightly as his rough hand guided me to the back doors, my breathing sped up as he pulled me against his chest, the coarse fabric of his leather jacket pressing in against me as he tore the door open behind me, knocking me to the floor as he climbed in after me. 

My heavy breath echoed around us as he slammed the door shut, dousing us in darkness, I fumbled back on my elbows as his shining eyes moved closer to me, crawling backwards up to the front seats, the exposed metal beneath me digging into my palms. 

“If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you.” His grin deceived his serious tone as his eyes devoured me sprawled below him, shaking with excitement as I waited for his next move. 

Fear shot through me as he lowered himself to his knees, his hungry eyes never leaving mine as he forcibly wrenched my legs apart, my heart hammered loudly in my chest, doubt flickering through my mind as my body betrayed me. I squirmed under Eddie’s touch, he calloused hands leaving behind a trail of fire along my bare skin. 

“We’re really going to fuck here. What if someone sees us?” I caught my lip between my teeth as Eddie reached up to tear his shirt hastily over his head, fondling his boner through his dark jeans. 

“What makes you think I’m going to fuck you?” I froze as his words stabbed through me, shame pulsing through my mind as I searched his face to see he was serious. Eddie grinned as he lowered himself to hover over me, his hair tickling my chin as it fell in waves around us. 

“Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t enjoy it y/n. I can tell how much of a whore you are.” Heat buzzed through my body as I ran my eyes over his bare chest, soaking up parts of him that I had only imagined. 

“Take your clothes off right now.” He growled as I lifted my hands up to trace the muscles in his arms. He leant back to give me some space as I quickly wriggled out of my sweater and short skirt, my shivering skin glowing in the moonlight seeping through the windshield. His expression darkened as I laid back, he reached his hand out to explore my body, tearing my bra down my chest roughly to expose my breasts. His eyes shot up to my face as I gasped.

“I’m going to ruin you.” 

“Then why are you still talking?” 

He buried his head into my chest as his sharp teeth bit into my soft skin, his large hands wrapping around my sides, constricting around me until I struggled to breathe. I gasped as he pulled on my nipples, nibbling until they became hard, his hand snaked between my legs to rub roughly at my clit, my back arched up into his hand.  

“Suck on my fingers.” His arm moved up across my jaw as he forced me to open my mouth, shoving his hand down my throat as far as they would go until I was gagging, Eddie looked at me from where he hovered just above my panties, to smirk at me. 

“Look at you, all hot and bothered, you’re so fucking wet over me.” I moaned against his palm as his other hand pressed a long finger into me, curling up inside me mercilessly as I writhed madly from the pleasure. He pulled his drenched fingers from my mouth to wrap around my neck, squeezing until blind spots burst across my vision, his dark silhouette leaning up over me as he pumped his arm between my legs, snarling into my ear as I choked out gasps. My legs shook as the hot burning feeling twisted in my lower abdomen, he laughed as he felt me clench beneath him. 

“Not yet.”   

He sat up, pulling me with him as he forced me on my knees, his dexterous hands undoing his belt swiftly, my breath tumbled from my lips as his cock fell from his pants, barely having time to breath as he twisted his hand in my hair, guiding my mouth towards him. His fingers moved to my chin to force my lips apart, his free hand moving to brush my wayward hair away from my face as I wrapped my hand around him, I ran his tip long my parted lips, his precum making it slip back and forth easier. As soon as the first inch slipped past my mouth, he gripped the back of my head with both hands and shot forward, spit dribbling from my mouth as he forced himself deeper into my throat, I gagged as a tear escaped the corner of my eyes, Eddie’s moans filling the van as he pulled back and thrusted into my mouth, faster and faster until he shuddered and his hot cum poured over my tongue, dripping down my throat as he stroked my neck. 

His face was flushed as he pulled back to look down at me, wiping the corner of my mouth roughly, leaning me back down against the floor. 

“Swallow. All of it.” I closed my eyes as his words sent a shiver through me, silently obeying him. His cock was still hard as he stroked it, his eyes glued to my face as I licked my lips. 

 “Touch yourself.” I settled in against the rough metal beneath me, tracing the outlines of my chest, down along my soft stomach until I felt the lacy fabric of my panties. I held eye contact with him as I slipped my hand beneath them, rolling my hips as I rubbed my sensitive spot with slow circles. My eyes fluttered closed as my hand faltered, pleasure shooting through me.

“Open your eyes.” He snapped gruffly, his chest heaving as he stroked his cock faster, his eyes gleaming as he watched my body shake. My hand stopped as I gasped, my legs twitching. Eddie sighed heavily as he reached forward to knock my hand away angrily.

“Fucks sake, do it right y/n.” I moaned and reached down to grasp his arm to steady myself as he rubbed faster than me, trapping my clit between his finger tips as he rolled it back and forth, setting a pace that made me scream out in pleasure, quickly hurtling me towards an orgasm. Without missing a beat, he switched his index finger for his thumb on my clit so he could slide it inside of me, curling it back and forth as I shook.

“There we go.” He jerked his dick fast as my back arched further off the floor, shaking violently as heavenly light burst through me. My hair stuck to my mouth as I moaned, Eddie’s hand fucking me through my waves of pleasure.

He scoffed at me as I slumped against the floor, holding his hand out almost lazily towards me as I looked up at him through heavy lashes.

“Here, lick it off like the dirty slut you are.”

“I’ll admit, you’re a lot more fun than I’d thought you be. Try not to let that go to your head.” He grinned at me over his shoulder, as he sat off the edge of his van with doors propped open, letting cold air swirl around us as he pulled his shirt over his head and shook his hair out of his collar.

“Why didn’t you want to fuck me?” I whispered as frustration flamed in my eyes again, crossing my legs and bringing them to my chin as I watched his back tense. The feeling of being used settled in my stomach uncomfortably as the lust left my body, leaving a dirty feeling behind.

“I didn’t have a condom. And if you wanted that lovey dovey shit y/n, you shouldn’t have come to me.” He jumped down from the back of the van, nodding his head towards me.

“You gotta go. I got shit to do” 

“We should probably leave anyway, before we start a scandal.” I gathered the fabric of my clothes against my chest, crawling across the floor so I could stand up to get dressed.

“Don’t act so innocent when we both know where your mouth was two minutes ago.” He lit up a cigarette as he turned away from me, my hand hovering in the air as I silently asked for help to get down.

“You’re mean Eddie Munson.” I stumbled as I jumped down lightly onto the road. He turned to smirk at me, blowing a cloud of smoke in my face.

“Never said I wasn’t sweetheart.” 

Part 2

Also Readers - if anyone is looking for a slow burn Eddie x y/n, check out my Opposite Ends series.

Copyright © 2022 by P.McCann.

All Rights Reserved.

#eddie munson fan fiction #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson headcanon #stranger things 4 #eddie smut #stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie x you #eddie fluff #eddie fanfic #eddie munson smut #eddie munson angst #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #stranger things s4 #eddie munson x oc

[penny00dreadful]

Comeuppance - Part 2 - Complete

Part 1 AO3

Dustin scoffed in offence. “I’m smarter than you, you know.”

“I know,” Eddie said through only slightly gritted teeth, “but that doesn’t mean you’re a grown up. You're sure you have all the relevant information? You know everything there is to know and there's no way this could go wrong?” 

The little shit was gonna have to learn one way or the other that he couldn't keep sticking his nose in where it didn't belong.

Teenager or not it was going too far and Eddie had fucking enough of it. These kids had spent so long crash landing in government affairs and coming out unscathed, they seemed to think they were invincible. They seemed to think that consequences didn’t exist for them. 

They seemed to think consequences couldn’t exist for them.

Well.

Time for a fucking lesson, kiddos.

Dustin looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the world. “Of course I do.”

“Alright.” Eddie nodded, turning back to his trailer and pulling himself back up onto the roof. “If you’re sure. Now scram. I gotta get back to my sunbathing.”

He watched them all grumble, somehow believing themselves the smartest kids alive but somehow missing the barely concealed beemer, hiding behind Eddie’s van.

“Those little fuckers are getting too big for their damn boots, I swear to god.” Eddie seethed, flopping back down next to Steve who had been trying to keep his laughs silent this whole time. 

“I think they just want what’s best.” Steve smiled over at him, brushing Eddie’s bangs out of his face while Eddie huffed.

“There’s a way to go about that and when the people in question have told them repeatedly to stop meddling, it no longer becomes wanting what’s best, it becomes wanting to be right.”

“They’re young.”

“Yes, they’re young but they’re not stupid. Or ignorant. They’re young but they’re not fucking toddlers who can’t understand why mommy and daddy aren’t living together anymore. And I refuse to continue to let them act like that. It’s borderline sociopathic.”

“Okay, I think that’s going a bit far-”

“Is it? Is it, Stevie? Really?” Eddie rolled his head to the side and plucked the joint from Steve’s mouth. “They don’t care about your feelings on this matter, nor do they care about Nancy’s. You heard them, they hadn’t even considered whether she even wanted you back. Like she was just some cardboard cutout in the shape of a woman who’d go wherever they lead. Have they even met her?”

He looked back up at the bright blue sky, a few dusty clouds drifting past and took a large inhale, holding it deep into his lungs, hoping it would help to chill him out, but it was doing nothing for him. 

“And they’re walking all over you and your feelings. What you might want wasn’t considered and it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be considered. I’m just fucking sick of seeing it. It’s not happening. Not anymore. Not on my watch.”

Eddie continued to huff and puff, quite literally, in the silence that came after, glaring at the passing clouds like this was all their fault. He just couldn't believe the audacity of these kids, acting like Steve or Nancy weren't even sentient, just pieces to be moved on a chessboard.

He was still sulking and rigid and probably steaming out of his ears when he felt a hand on the side of his face. His head was tugged to the side and then Steve’s mouth was on his in a kiss so gentle and chaste and sweet, in stark contrast to how firmly Steve was now gripping the back of his head to keep him close. Every inch of tension immediately melted from his body.

“You’re so good to me.”

“I-” Eddie could only breathe out, a little dazed. “I’m really not. It’s just basic decency, to be honest.”

“Okay, then you’re basically decent to me.”

“I try my best.”

“My knight in shining armour.”

“I’m never the knight.”

“Well you are now. And you are to me. Always have been.”

Eddie blinked at him, sure that Steve could feel the thudding of his heart through his neck. Given the way he was nuzzling his nose into Eddie’s pulse and brushing his lips against his skin with small little kitten licks, he probably could.

Steve moved up, hovering right over Eddie’s ear. “And how does my knight feel about getting his dick sucked?”

“Pretty- pretty good. Yeah, pretty good.” He stuttered out, breathy and oh so eager.

“Good. But you’re gonna have to get down off this roof first.”

Eddie's descent was far less controlled this time, he nearly fell on his ass in his mad scramble to get back inside and into his bedroom, Steve following slowly with a lazy grin on his face.

Both Steve and Eddie knew that they had to strike before Dustin was able to do anything and potentially fuck everything up. 

The first person they brought in was Robin, though that was less of a calculated move and more that she could tell just by looking at Steve that something was brewing. 

He and Steve were supposed to be waiting for Nancy’s arrival at the trailer before they breathed a word but Robin had barely taken a step inside before it was all out in the open. 

So now the three of them were waiting for Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle to turn up.

The six of them had a weekly standing date on Sunday evenings to chill the fuck out and while Eddie would have preferred to smoke the fuck up, Robin hated smoking of any kind.

And the smell stuck to everything. 

So instead they usually ate the fuck up.

Argyle had taken it upon himself to be the resident weed baker of the group and he, Nancy and Jonathan usually arrived together.

It was kind of hilarious how the kids had never considered that the older teens talked regularly and therefore, that Eddie could spill their secret plan.

He was pretty sure the kids thought they all just sat at home alone, twiddling their thumbs and waiting around for the kids to call them up for the next get together or when they needed a ride.

Like they didn't have their own lives, or their own connections. 

Like they needed the kids around to even see each other casually.

It wasn’t exactly like the six of them were the best of friends and Eddie’s trailer was definitely too small to host all of them, but they made it work. 

It was the best place to meet up. Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle each lived with one of the kids in the Party. The kids called around unannounced to Steve’s house all the damn time, which was another thing Eddie needed to talk to him about. And Robin’s parents would have inevitably ended up eating some of their brownies, whether they knew what was in them or not, Eddie couldn’t say. But he didn’t want to take the risk.

The trailer was still a risk. Max and Eddie’s trailers were close enough together that she could easily see them all coming and going and she had. 

Eddie knew she had.

She’d been outside feeding the neighbours dog once when they’d all arrived. 

The rest hadn’t noticed, but Eddie had seen her look directly at them.

He’d been on edge for days afterwards, expecting to be chewed out by Dustin or Mike or any of them for ever dare thinking that they could hang out without the kids, but the bitch-fest never came.

He’d sent her a questioning look when it became clear she hadn’t said anything and she’d just glared at him, like he was being stupid to even ask if she’d spilled the ‘secret’ that shouldn’t even have to be kept a secret.

Well, okay then.

Immediate respect and trust gained there.

By the time the other three were pulling up in front of the trailer, Robin was pissed the fuck off.

Turned out, last time Dustin had tried to shove her and Steve together she’d snapped at him, bitching him out for guiltless manipulation and she had thought she had gotten through to him, considering he didn’t try again.

But now it was obvious he had just set his sights elsewhere.

Eddie had opened his front door, gesturing Nancy, Jonathan and Argyle in with a wide sweep of his arm and a smile. Nancy had barely opened her mouth to greet all of them when Robin stopped her pacing and declared to the newcomers “I’m mad!”

Nancy closed her mouth and blinked. “Okay.” She said slowly. “Who are we mad at?”

“The children.” Robin answered with a twisted up face. “Little fucking gremlins.”

Jonathan sighed, pulling six plates down from their cupboard in the kitchen where he and Argyle were dividing out a Tupperware container of brownies.

“What did they do this time?”

“They’re meddling little fucking…” Robin stood in front of Eddie’s couch, blowing a raspberry through her lips, trying to find the right words. “Meddlers.”

“Very articulate there, Birdie.” Steve smirked.

“Don’t talk to me right now, Harrington.” She pointed at him. “I’m mad on your behalf.”

“Alright, alright.” Jon walked forward with two plates, handing one off to Steve and then Robin. “Why don’t we chill out first,” he said to her, gently, “and then you can give us all the details.”

“I think we’re gonna need to work out the details before we have any of these.” Eddie said, picking up his own plate with a delicious looking brownie complete with rainbow sprinkles and settling himself on the floor against Steve’s legs, who was up on the couch.

“We can pause the brownies for a few, my dudes.” Argyle smiled, dropping to the ground, right next to Eddie. “No rush, they’ll keep.”

Nancy folded herself down into the couch on one side of Steve where Robin threw herself down on the other side, nearly taking Eddie out with her knee and accidentally driving her elbow into Steve’s side.

“I did nothing to you!” He squawked, jabbing her back.

“When do you not do something to me?” She retaliated, reaching for his hair. Steve grabbed her by the wrist and Eddie knew if he didn’t put a stop to this now, they’d never get back on track.

Between the four of them, Eddie, Nancy, Jon and Argyle had all learned the only way to break up a squabbling match between Steve and Robin was to make a sudden loud noise and the two of them would startle like cats.

At one point each of them had attempted to get in the middle instead but that only led to them getting caught in the crossfire.

He put two fingers in his mouth, pushing his tongue back and whistling so loud it set off the Murphy family’s dog outside.

Steve and Robin jumped back as if they’d been shocked but Eddie didn’t give them a chance to protest.

“Back to your original question, Jonathan.” Eddie continued on, even though he felt a short petulant little tug at one of his curls. He was pretty sure it was Steve pouting, but it could have been Robin as well, he didn’t know. He was already turned away. “They are attempting to set Steve up with someone. Again.”

Jonathan and Nancy practically rolled their eyes into the back of their heads. They’d heard it all before, they’d been there for the rants even before Eddie had joined the group. Argyle just smiled, looking between Eddie and Steve.

“That seems unnecessary. Unless you two are looking for a third to which I say more power to you, broskies. But should you be involving a child?”

“We’re not looking for a third, Argyle.” Steve’s hands were idly playing with Eddie’s hair. “The kids don’t know we’re together, remember? The children are involving themselves.”

Eddie nodded, leaning back a little against the grip and trying to get Steve to start scratching him.

“So tell the little dude you’re happy being single.”

“Tried that. Didn’t work. Henderson is convinced that everyone needs to be paired off to be happy. And there’s no convincing him otherwise once he thinks he’s right.”

“Who’s he trying to set you up with?” Nancy asked, turning to Steve.

“You, actually.”

Her eyebrows disappeared underneath her bangs. “Me?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “Exactly. Says we’re perfect for each other.”

Nancy scoffed. “In what universe?”

Steve shrugged. 

“We tried that already and it didn’t work out. How is Dustin hypothesising that it will work out this time around?”

Eddie turned, throwing his arm across Steve’s thigh to lean on. “I think he’s been a bit mind melted by movies and tv shows. And I think Mrs. H reads those romance novels. I mean, the two of you are the stereotypical couple and it always works out for them, so why couldn’t it for you?”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Nancy scowled, throwing a hand up in exasperation. “Maybe because I’ve blown up the two romantic relationships I’ve had with people in this room? Because I haven’t been able to be soft since 1983? Because I don’t know who I am outside of monster hunting anymore and being single and fucking off to college is the best way to find that out?”

“And because of this one.” Steve put in, giving Eddie a light tap on the head that he frowned at.

“And because of that one.” Nancy conceded, tapping him on the head as well.

“Okay, so what are we doing about it?” Jonathan asked from Argyle’s side.

Eddie sat up a little straighter. “I have a plan.”

Steve tugged on a lock of Eddie’s hair again. “He has a plan.”

“Well, okay then." Nancy's face told him she was already taking minutes in her head. "Fill us in.”

“Telling the kids to stop isn’t working. Hasn’t been working. So we’re gonna make them stop. Act like we don’t know this is going on behind our backs. Frustrate the shit out of him when it doesn’t work and when he starts to escalate, which we know he will, then we strike. Because we don’t know exactly what he has planned yet, we can’t make any solid plans ourselves. We need to be malleable. We need to be able to change tactics for whatever they come up with.”

“So for now, what? You want us to just go along with it whenever he…” Nancy cast her eyes around, trying to think. “Whenever he locks us into a closet or something?”

“For now, yeah.” Eddie nodded. “You don’t have to act like it’s working, just pretend you don’t know what’s going on. Stay friends. It’ll piss him the fuck off. And when he starts to get more dramatic about it, then we do too.”

“And how will we find out he’s getting more drastic?”

Eddie grinned, holding up the walkie talkie. “They’re very smart kids, but they’re not very clever. They seem to think they’re the only ones who know how to use these. They conspire all the time on them.”

Steve nodded. “They switch stations.”

“They switch between the same two stations and always announce it before they do because they want to stick to ‘proper protocol.’”

“Okay but here's the thing…” Steve dug his fingers into Eddie’s hair and Eddie could tell it was a need for touch, a self soothing motion that had driven it, so he tipped his head to the side, resting his cheek on Steve’s knee and giving him more access. He could feel Steve winding his curls around his fingers, almost nervous. “I think one last opportunity for them to back off wouldn’t go amiss. Just before we start fucking with them. It would make me feel better.”

Eddie exhaled, his body slumping back into Steve’s grip. He’d love to say no. He’d love to tell Steve that there was no fucking need. The kids had opportunity after opportunity to stop. They’d been told so many times that this was none of their business and to stop sticking their nose where it didn’t belong.

But he could never say no to Steve. If it was something that would make Steve more comfortable with the whole thing, Eddie would give it to him.

“Okay. One last chance for them to back off.” He conceded. “But when they don’t listen, then we move forward.”

“You know what helps with brainstorming, my friends?” Argyle lifted his plate into the air with a giant smile on his face. “Brownies.”

Eddie was pretty sure brownies and Little Shop of Horrors wouldn’t be the big help Argyle thought it would be but he was a little too wound up at the moment and needed to relax. 

“Okay,” Eddie nodded. “Brownies. Little Shop of Horrors. Scheming.” He picked his own brownie up and took a giant bite.

Under different circumstances, trying to purposefully destroy the plans of a fifteen year old and make sure they failed would feel downright scummy. But under these circumstances it was kinda satisfying.

Dustin had decided to fuck with Eddie’s man again. After repeatedly being told to stop. So the kid dug his own grave, really. He’d been given plenty of chances. Steve had tried his best to convince the kid he was happy where he was in life and if the little defeated slump to Steve’s shoulders was anything to go by, it hadn’t worked.

So if the kid wanted to fuck with his man, he’d get fucked with in return.

Plus it wasn’t like Dustin couldn’t have figured out what the two of them were by now. They’d slipped up a few times and the kid had nearly walked in on them once or twice.

But watching Dustin get more and more irritated when Steve and Nancy only continued to be friendly together was ridiculously enjoyable. Especially as he watched Dustin practically force them together, no matter the clear signals the two were giving off that they didn’t exactly want to be stuck together, away from everyone else in the cinema.

Eddie sat next to Dustin with popcorn on his lap, giggling away as he watched Steve a few rows down, shift uncomfortably in his seat.

They’d seen this movie already. Gone on a date here only last week and Steve had told him after that he couldn’t remember a single thing about it, forever only being able to associate this movie with the feeling of Eddie’s mouth on him in the back of the dark and empty room. 

Now he practically snorted out loud, earning a glare from Dustin. He retaliated by firing another piece of popcorn at Dustin’s head and  continued to watch Steve uncross and cross his legs again while Nancy gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“He told me ‘alcohol is a social lubricant, it shouldn’t be that hard.’” Eddie repeated, raising his voice over the din at The Hideout and making air quotes with his fingers.

Steve nodded, not really paying attention to what Eddie was saying apart from staring at his lips like he couldn’t wait to devour them, but that was to be expected.

Eddie had just come off stage after fingering and thrusting and grinding into his guitar for a full hour, Steve’s eyes glued to him the entire time while Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle and Robin all chatted amongst themselves. The four of them all knew that trying to draw Steve’s attention away when his boyfriend was playing on stage was a lost cause.

Usually Eddie and Steve hung around for a polite amount of time afterward but it was never that long. Nothing got Steve more horned up than Eddie performing on stage and if they didn’t want a quick and dirty in the bathroom or the back of Eddie’s van then they needed to get back to a bed before Steve snapped and tackled him wherever they happened to be.

Road head had happened more than once when Steve’s patience was worn particularly thin. Not that Eddie was complaining. 

Eddie always made sure to park his van in the shadows of The Hideout, never quite sure when Steve would lose the run of himself and press him into the nearest surface, the two of them thriving off the risk.

Maybe the Upside Down had fucked with them a little more than they were willing to admit.

Eddie had Steve in his lap, exactly where he needed to be. The only place he ever needed to be. Sitting in the driver's seat of his van, Steve’s hands in his hair and his tongue in his mouth, digging so deep it was like he was trying to taste his stomach acid. His body was bouncing up and down in these tiny little movements, humping himself against Eddie’s body and using him like a pillow in between his legs to chase his own pleasure and god Eddie loved it.

He loved being used by Steve, just as much as he loved taking care of him, gently whispering to him as he cried out his own release, kissing away his tears or turning him into a hazy mess by keeping him on edge for as long as he could handle it.

He loved it. He loved him and if he was good right now, Steve would give him the orgasm of his life once they got home.

Which is why the two of them groaned in frustration, breaking their kiss with great heaving breaths when the walkie crackled from the passenger seat.

“Kas, this is Dart. We are still waiting on an update. Over.”

Eddie shook his head, trying to pull Steve’s lips back to his own. “Ignore him baby, ignore him.”

Steve shook his own head leaning back a little further. “We can’t ignore him, he’ll just keep going until he’s answered.”

Eddie slumped down in his seat, well aware his over exaggerated pout was probably a little on the ridiculous side.

Steve pouted with him, a little mocking, a little mean and he gave Eddie a kiss on the top of his nose.

“Hellooo? Kas?” Dustin sing-songed. “Kas. Earth to Kas. Oooover.”

“Answer the walkie. Tell him I was too busy watching you and I’ll bend you over the bathroom sink. Right in front of the mirror, just like you wanted.”

"You mean just like you wanted."

"Yeah." Steve leaned in, practically breathing over Eddie's lips as he growled out. "Just like I wanted."

All of the air left Eddie’s lungs in one fell swoop, one big whoosh, like he’d been punched (in a good way).

He kept eye contact with Steve, completely powerless to tear his gaze away as he fumbled blindly for the walkie and brought it closer to his face.

“Kas to Dart.” Eddie responded, swallowing, trying to get his breathing back in check, Steve’s gaze burning into his own. “Plan’s a bust. Sorry.” He paused for a second, almost forgetting what the kid was waiting for. “Over.”

The answer was immediate. “A bust?! How could it have been a bust?! Did you make them sit together? Over.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded, still trapped in honey-brown eyes. “They sat together. Over.”

“Were they drinking? Did you make sure they were talking? Did you play, like, love songs like I told you to? Over.”

Well. 

If the way Steve had been looking at him as he played Grinder and Hell Bent For Leather, rolling his hips against his guitar and getting borderline indecent on stage was anything to go by… they were certainly a type of love song.

“Yep. Over.”

“Then what the fuck went wrong?! Over!”

Eddie shifted in his seat, trying to adjust so he was a tad more comfortable. It was a completely innocent movement, or it was supposed to be, but Steve’s eyes fluttered for just a second and his mouth pressed thin, trying to keep any noise from spilling out. 

Eddie’s lips slid up into a smirk and that was probably the reason he was so flippant with his next answers.

“Dunno, Dart. Maybe I was shredding too hard. Stevie boy couldn’t keep his eyes off me. Over.”

“Jesus Christ Kas, that’s the exact opposite of what we wanted! Over.”

“Yeah well, I gotta go. I think I can hear Stevie coming.”

He didn’t even bother to say ‘over’, but he could hear Dustin’s scream of indignation in the second before he switched the walkie off.

He tossed it into the back of the van before all but bodily throwing Steve into the passenger seat and turning the key in the engine.

“Jesus Christ, Eddie.” Steve muttered, adjusting himself until he was more comfortably sitting. “Give a guy some warning.”

“Sorry baby.” Eddie said, peeling out of the car park. “I’m needed in front of a bathroom mirror.”

“Eddie, we need you to flirt with Nancy.”

Okay.

Okay.

So not only was this kid trying to fuck with his man, now this kid was trying to manipulate his man by bringing in some competition? He was, in his own mind, trying to get Eddie to lead Nancy on? And Eddie was just supposed to be cool with that?

Because even if all of the older teens knew that Nancy wouldn’t believe a single flirtatious word that came out of Eddie’s mouth for multiple reasons, Dustin didn’t.

Dustin was willing to take the risk that Nancy might catch feelings or that Eddie might or that Steve could end up jealous and hurt or that neither Nancy or Eddie caught feelings and it was just awkward all around. Awkward and probably friendship destroying.

This was the fucking escalation he knew was coming.

No time for an older teens meeting now, Eddie would have to hope they’d just play along until he could implement as many DM skills into Dustin’s downfall as Steve would allow.

“Hey Nance.” Eddie greeted her, putting his back to Henderson and trying to ham it up as much as possible. Nancy was smart. She’d get that something was going on. “I'm glad you decided to come today. Don't know what I would've done if I had to go without seeing your pretty face for much longer."

He could feel the silence that descended over Steve and Robin but he didn’t dare turn, knowing Henderson’s eyes were tracking every micro movement. Though out of the corner of his eye he could see the amusement in Steve’s eyes as he watched his boyfriend attempt to fake-flirt with his ex-girlfriend.

Eddie grimaced a little at the bewildered look on Nancy’s face and he circled his index fingers around each other, silently telling her to go with it.

She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Thank god for that.

“Just a pretty face?” She asked, blinking rapidly.

“Oh, of course not, Lady Wheeler. Everyone knows you’re more than just a pretty face.”

Nancy grabbed his arm, giving it a little squeeze almost as if to say well done.

“Dunno if I could say the same thing about you.”

Eddie pulled out one of his oldest flirting moves, clutching at his heart and stumbling back a few steps. “Oh! The Lady Wheeler has wounded me most grievously!”

Steve rolled his eyes so hard his whole head moved.

Eddie didn’t think Robin had blinked this whole time. Or closed her mouth.

“Oh, stop it, you.” Nancy swatted at his arm. “You’re still pretty.”

Eddie gave her a little pout. How sweet.

He could practically hear Dustin grinding his teeth behind him and he thought he could freak the kid out even more. Even if that meant breaking one of his own rules.

“Would you care to join us?” Eddie asked, sweeping his arm out towards the table where the rest of the Party who were all staring, fucking flabbergasted. 

“I’ve heard this arena of play isn’t unfamiliar to you.” He continued, lowering his voice and leaning in close to Nancy but still loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’ve even heard you used to get into costume for the kiddies. You into a bit of roleplay, Nancy?”

Steve gave Eddie a look, motioning him to dial it the fuck back. Which was definitely fair. If he had been anyone else other than Eddie at that moment Nancy would have probably kicked him in the nuts. And the glare that told him exactly that would happen if he didn’t slow down.

Steve had a little frown on his face and Eddie knew he’d be making it up to him tonight, at least until his jaw started to get really sore.

So he left her off with a wink that was directed at Steve more than her, seating himself behind his DM screen and trying not to smile at the looks all the kids were giving him.

“Did you have fun?” Steve asked him from the couch.

Eddie hung up the phone, having just spent the last twenty minutes talking to Nancy, listening to her attempt to gush about him to him, all the while making sure that Mike was in earshot.

“Mhm.” Eddie smiled, practically skipping over to Steve’s side and throwing himself down in his lap. “I’ve never been so flattered before in my life.”

Steve hummed, running his hands up Eddie’s thighs, bringing them around to tuck into his back pockets and pulling him forward until they were pressed together. “Do I not compliment you enough?”

“I don’t know.” Eddie shrugged, trying to keep his air of nonchalance as Steve began to nose up his neck. “Why don’t you remind me?”

“Why don’t you tell me what the competition is first?”

Eddie lifted his hips, just a little, to take the pressure off, to tease, even as he gripped at Steve’s shoulders and leaned back. He loved the feeling of Steve holding tight to him. Loved knowing that Steve would never let him fall, no matter how far back he went. Loved when Steve would pull him back down with an aggressive yank.

He leaned forward, coming to a stop just a hair's breadth away from Steve’s mouth.

“Operation White Picket Fence, sound off.”

Eddie slumped down in Steve’s hold.

“The timing on these fucking kids, I swear to god.”

“This is a Code Orange, I repeat this is a Code Orange. Over.”

Steve kissed his cheek with a smile. “You and Nance made that call knowing you were gonna get a reaction. What did you expect?”

Eddie shrugged. “I dunno. Ten more minutes?”

“You think we would’ve been done in ten minutes?” Steve asked with raised eyebrows.

“If we wanted to be.”

“Yeah, but did you want to be?”

“No.” Eddie sighed. “No, I didn’t want to be.”

“Okay, let’s switch to our backup channel just in case he checks in. Over.”

“See this is what I’m talking about.” Eddie reached over to grab the walkie, relishing in the feeling of Steve’s big hands keeping him steady. “These little shits think they’re the only people who could possibly be listening in. Think they’re the smartest fuckers in the world.” He turned the dial on the walkie, tuning into the kids super-secret backup channel. “This is practically how you all intercepted the Russians.”

"We'll tell Kas to stop. Maybe get him to start talking up Babysitter instead. Over."

"I don't want to see my s-Emerson get hurt over this, Bard. Besides, Kas is way better than Babysitter anyway. Over."

“Oh, now they’re worried about someone getting hurt? That’s rich.” Eddie scoffed.

“And Mike’s letting his crush on you slip again.”

“Uh, pretty sure his whole deal is because he has a crush on you, sweetheart.”

"But they're not meant to be! And Kas doesn’t even like her like that! Babysitter and Emerson are meant to be! We'll just have to regroup. Start pushing them harder or something. Over!"

“Is he fucking serious?” Eddie jumped up out of Steve’s lap and stormed over to the phone. “Fine, if the kid wants another escalation, I’ll show him a fucking escalation.”

He snatched the phone off the wall, punching in the Henderson home number. It only took a few rings before it was picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mrs. Henderson. It’s Eddie-”

“Oh hello, Eddie dear. How are you?”

Steve left the walkie on the couch, where they could still hear it in the background and made his way towards Eddie, leaning on the wall next to him.

Eddie tipped the phone away from his ear, holding it between the two of them so they both could hear.

“I’m doing just dandy, Mrs. H. Thanks for asking. Hey, is Dustin in? I gotta talk to him about some campaign notes.”

“Let me go grab him for you, he’s just in his room.”

“Thanks.”

Eddie listened as the phone was gently set down and watched Steve watch him, quirking his eyebrow in question, asking what’s the plan?

Eddie just shook his head and rolled his eyes, telling Steve without saying it out loud that he was fucking done with this shit.

“Hello?” Dustin’s voice was already half accusatory

Eddie smiled, ready to put on a whole body performance and maybe trying to piss the kid off, just a little. “Hey Dusty-Buns.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“But it’s so fun!” Eddie was already waving his hands around. “Listen, I need to talk to you about this whole Nancy and Steve thing-”

“Good, because I need to talk to you about it too. You gotta dial it back, man.”

Eddie paused, even going so far as to put a confused look on his face. “What do you mean?”

“You’re getting in too deep with her, you’re starting to pull her attention away from Steve and that was not a part of the plan.”

“Yeah.” He sighed, chewing his lip. “I’m not sure if I can really do that…”

“Wha- why? Why, Eddie, why?!”

“I dunno, man.” Eddie shrugged, taking Steve’s hand in his and meeting his eyes. “I kinda like her.”

“No! Nonononono! You can’t like her! You’re not allowed to like her, why do you like her?!”

Not allowed?

Not allowed?

Who the fuck did this kid think he was?

“What do you mean I’m not allowed?” Eddie glared down at the phone. “And as for why, have you met her? You used to have a crush on her!”

“Yeah, when I was a child, you can’t be serious about this, Eddie.”

“I’m super serious about this, Dustin.” Eddie spat back, giving Steve’s hand a little squeeze. “I like her. I want to ask her out.”

“Jesus Christ this was not part of the plan!”

“And I didn’t want to be a part of the plan from the start!” Eddie decided to remind him because apparently the kid had forgotten. “You forced me into it! I told you it wouldn’t work.”

“It will work. It still can work! We're still doing this whether you like it or not. I’ll see you at Steve’s tomorrow. Don’t do anything stupid in the meantime!”

“Dust-!”

Eddie stared open mouthed at the phone, the sound of Dustin slamming it back down ringing through the kitchen.

“That little fucking-” he took the neck of the phone in both hands, squeezing and shaking it, “-demogorgon!”

Steve pried the receiver from his hands, placing it gently back in its cradle.

“Guys. Things just got so much worse. We need to come up with a new plan before tomorrow.”

“So,” Steve drew the word out with a hand at Eddie’s back, “clearly he’s not getting the message.” 

Eddie sighed, resting his elbow on Steve’s shoulder and rubbing his eyes. “No, he’s not getting the message.”

“Well,” Steve nodded, picking the phone back up and beginning to dial. “It seems it’s time for the final act, then.”

Robin was pacing up and down in front of Steve’s couch.

“I’m nervous!” She said, grabbing at her hair.

“Why are you nervous?” Eddie asked, tracking her with his eyes from his position across the room. Nancy was sitting beside him, barely checked in, using any spare time she had to go over her flash cards for college, even though she didn’t start for another couple of weeks. They’d asked her if she wanted to put a stop to this, give her the freedom to stress just about college, rather than college and this but she’d just glared at all of them.

“You don’t even have to do anything.” Eddie continued.

“Yeah, but I have to be here. I don’t have the acting chops for this.” She pointed at him. “You know that. You remember what happened in Much Ado.”

“That wasn’t that bad.”

“I knocked over the wall during your gulling! You were supposed to be eavesdropping while badly hidden and then boom!” She smacked her hands together. “The garden hedges suddenly collapsed because I tripped over my own feet!”

“Oh, it was fine.” Eddie waved his hand. “No one noticed.”

“Everyone noticed! And it was fine because you played it off! I wasn’t even supposed to be on stage!”

“Birdie.” Steve grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her towards the couch, pushing her down. “You’re going to be fine because you’re going to sit there and say nothing.”

Robin huffed. “It’s impossible for me to say nothing, you know that.”

“I know, that’s why I got you this.” He plucked a lollipop from the coffee table, handing it to her. “When you hear them coming, stick that in your mouth. If you start to talk it’ll remind you to not talk. Just concentrate on that.”

She stared at the lollipop then looked back at Steve. “You’re giving me a pacifier.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“You know, there’s something to be said here about a man telling a woman to sit down and shut up. I’m only giving you a pass because it’s you.” She scowled, even as she took a seat.

“Wow, thanks Rob.” Steve rolled his eyes and patted her head. “Now you just sit there and look pretty.”

She fired the lollipop at him and he caught it with a raised arm, barely even trying and Eddie wanted to climb him like a tree.

Steve threw it back and even though it landed gently in her lap, she still attempted to catch it with flailing limbs like she was trying to deflect an arrow.

"Look alive." Nancy tucked her flash cards back into her purse and glanced out the window. “Here they come.”

The kids were cycling down the road towards Steve’s house, bickering amongst themselves, slowly getting closer.

“Come on then, my sweet little sugar muffin.” Eddie said, throwing his arm over Nancy’s shoulders as she stood. “We’ll put on a performance worthy of Shakespeare.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Eddie frowned. “My spicy pepper?”

“No.”

“My little prickly pear?”

“Gun or a blunt object, take your pick.”

“Alright,” Eddie held his hands up, keeping an arm around Nancy’s neck while Robin unwrapped her lollipop and stuck it in her mouth. “I hear you, loud and clear.”

“So how do you want to start-?” Steve began to say but was cut off as everyone in the room jumped when Eddie decided to project as loudly as he could.

“We have come to inform our friends of our torrid love affair!”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Really? Really?” He asked, raising his own voice. “That’s how you’re gonna start?”

While they weren’t arguing, it would certainly sound like it from outside.

“We cannot help it! Our passions have simply taken over us!”

Steve sighed, hands on his hips. “Okay, fine.” He muttered before getting loud again. “I can’t believe you would do this to me!”

Just in time too as the kids slammed through the front door, barging in like they owned the place.

Well shit, Eddie thought. Time for a show.

"Steve, please! I thought you'd be happy for me!" Eddie shouted back, waving his free arm around. Honestly, he’d given better performances than this and Steve was trying his best.

"Happy for you? How could I be happy for you when you're stealing Nancy away from me!"

Nancy glared at Steve from Eddie’s side and the grimace he gave in return said sorry.

“I’m sorry Steve but-”

“You’re supposed to be my friend Eddie!” 

Friend. That still ticked him. Friends didn’t have other friends tongues up their-

Nope. Stop. This was serious business. Could he not go five minutes with Steve in the same room without getting stupid horny over him?

“I am your friend! But you can’t expect me to ignore the pull of true love!”

“True love?” Nancy asked. Like she was saying Really? You’re going that far?

And well… Eddie never really knew when to stop pushing, did he?

“That’s right. True love, shnookums, my precious little rainbow cupcake.” When Eddie booped her on the nose, she dug her nails into his side hard and he had to put all his effort into not reacting.

Dustin was staring around at them like they’d all set his fucking house on fire or something.

“This is a complete betrayal! I don’t know if I can ever look at you the same way again, either of you! In fact, I don’t think I can look at you anymore at all!” 

Steve had to turn to face Robin to hide his grin from the kids and Robin just chewed on her lollipop, trying not to react.

“I don’t think there’s anything more I can say to you two. I never want to speak to you again! I never want to see you again!” Steve cried, hamming up the drama in a way Eddie knew was adopted from his own mannerisms and Jesus Christ he was so in love. “Go on, run away together and leave me behind! I wash my hands of you two.”

Eddie sighed. “That’s too bad Steve, I’m sorry this is goodbye forever, never to see each other again, never to interact or even ask the kids about one another in passing. This is truly a terrible, irreparable breaking of the Fellowship, never to be fixed!”

Okay.

Maybe they’d gone overboard on the drama a tad, but who could blame them? 

Dustin certainly looked like he was taking it all seriously, wide eyed and open mouthed as he and Nancy turned to face him.

“Eddie.” Dustin whined. “What have you done?”

Excuse me, the fuck?

“What have I done? I did nothing but follow my heart, struck down by Cupid's arrow!” Eddie sent the full force of his glare at the kid. “What have you done, Dustin? You started this.”

“This wasn’t the plan, Eddie! This wasn’t the plan!”

And now Steve was coming over, interrogating Dustin and Dustin was fucking arguing back like he wasn’t the one in the wrong, looking between all of them with something like realisation on his face. 

"Wait."

He was staring between Steve, Eddie and Nancy, finally connecting the dots.

"Personally, I think I pulled off 'straight' rather well." 

Being into girls wasn’t the issue, being exclusively into girls though? Pretending he wasn’t undressing Steve with his eyes every time he looked at him? 

That had been the real challenge. 

Steve was pouring his heart out, trying to get Dustin to understand why everything he’d done was so fucked up, but the kid was just looking for an escape route.

“Eddie?”

Like hell.

“Don’t look at me, I am not on your side here, Henderson. I told you how this would end when you first approached me and you wouldn’t listen.”

“But you were bluffing! There’s no way you could have known he wouldn’t want this! You don’t know Steve that well.”

“What happened to 'you're a friend his own age', huh? You’re still assuming you know everything without a complete picture. There’s a glaring puzzle piece you’re missing out on because, and I’m sorry I have to say this, you don’t look at things objectively like a scientist should. You let your emotions run you and again refuse to see past the end of your own nose.”

And even then, even after all of that, Dustin still wanted to demand answers out of them.

“What could I possibly be missing?” He pouted, petulant and childish.

“Oh no, you don’t get to bully that information out of us." Eddie said. "If you were meant to know, then you’d know. But you don’t get to decide what secrets people do or don’t tell you. Part of being a grown up is understanding that.”

“But why… why wouldn’t you tell me something like that?”

“This. This is why, Dustin." Steve answered, running a hand through his hair. He was getting more and more stressed by the second. While he spoke, his shoulders were becoming tenser, his face was becoming harder and Eddie knew that he was going to need a little while to recover after this. He’d be so emotionally drained and all Eddie wanted to do was scoop him up and take him away from everything, from all this.

Let him live his life outside the kids, outside Hawkins, be young again. Be carefree. 

Even after all this, explaining to Dustin why this was so fucked up, he was still trying to deflect. Bring in the other kids in a hope his consequences would be lessened.

Fat chance.

Then he had to go and make that one last comment.

“So that’s it? You’re happy being single? Really?” 

Eddie wasn’t even really feeling angry anymore. Just so incredibly disappointed. He put a steadying hand on the small of Steve’s back, out of sight and Robin’s hand came to join his not long after when Steve said “You still don’t get it.”

Dustin tried to defend himself one last time, but they were all done with him. At least for now.

While Nancy corralled the kids back outside Robin lifted her head, speaking to the two of them, the only two left in the house. 

“So that went…”

“As well as we could have hoped?” Eddie asked, taking Steve’s hand in his. 

Steve just shrugged, turning away from the two of them in the empty echoey house and silently making his way upstairs and Eddie felt his heart crack.

Steve loved those kids, so for something like this to happen, such a big fallout… it must be killing him.

And he was probably blaming himself for everything. 

“What do you think?” He asked Robin. “Give him a few minutes or wait for him to come down?”

“We’ll give him a few minutes. I’ll go up to him then.”

Eddie nodded, watching the top of the stairs like Steve was still visible, standing there. “I think I might take him away. Just for the weekend or something. Take him to Indy. Have some fun.”

“And show him that he could get away from all of this, permanently, if he wanted to?”

“Maybe.” He finally managed to tear his eyes away from the stairs and back to Robin. “You’re coming, if it ever does happen. We’ve got a spot on the floor of the van with your name on it.”

“Wow, thanks.” Robin rolled her eyes. “What if I fuck off to college?”

“We’ll fuck off to college with you.”

Robin tried to bite down on a smile, punching him in the arm as she passed.

“What a fucking sap.” She muttered, disappearing upstairs while Eddie went to the phone, ready to order his weight in pizzas.

In the following weeks, Eddie got to watch as Steve slowly began to open up to the idea that maybe he didn’t need to be one of those who was born, lived and died in this shithole of a town. 

The kids, though they had leaned on him an awful lot, mostly whenever he could do them favours, were starting to come to terms with the fact that they had legs.

Steve had refused every single request for a ride. He privately let Eddie know that of course he’d go out for them if it was an emergency but it never was. 

This was a small town and they had bikes.

They should never have been able to get away with those demands in the first place.

The first time it happened, they couldn’t believe it. They almost believed Steve had gotten into an accident rather than follow through on his refusal to come get them.

Which led to anger.

Which led to Steve freezing them out for a solid two weeks. Not talking to them. Not interacting with them at all.

Until they learned he was a human with his own feelings and not a robot they could all walk over.

They’d been getting around on their own before they met Steve and they’d be getting around on their own after. 

It didn’t take long after that for them to come back with their tails tucked between their legs.

Eddie had been having the time of his life, spoiling the shit out of his boy, taking him out to the city every chance he got and sometimes even further.

Just adventuring in the van as far as they could conceivably go before Steve had to be back at work and Eddie had to be back so Wayne didn’t lose his damn mind.

They’d gotten the travel bug and they refused to share about their adventures with the kids, no matter how much they bugged them for it.

Dustin was incredibly subdued.

It got better as time went on but it wasn’t until nearly a month later that Steve, cuddled up on Eddie’s couch, revealed that Dustin had called over earlier that day out of nowhere with a long handwritten letter that he’d been working on for a while.

The kid had read it aloud to him, having to pause multiple times to calm his tears so he could continue, but he got through it.

Steve hadn’t even bothered to hide his own tears from the kid.

It was slow going, but they were healing.

Steve had sworn that the contents of the letter were between the two of them and he’d never break that promise.

Dustin had stayed the night and things were getting better.

Eddie snuggled down, pulling Steve in tighter to his chest and couldn’t help but smile. The kids were learning to be more independent from Steve, no longer using him as a glorified taxi. 

Steve was learning to love himself more, not allowing himself to be walked all over.

And they were planning.

Planning for a future. Their future.

Away from the soul sucking presence of Hawkins and everything it had taken from them. 

Eddie couldn’t wait.

Part 1 AO3

@augustjustice @estrellami-1 @starman-jpg @hallucinatedjosten @pizazzmcjazz @hallo-spaceb0y @goodolefashionedloverboi

Big thanks as always to @hbyrde36 for her magnificent beta work and to the STWG for their motivation.

#steddie #steve x eddie #stranger things #eddie x steve #steddie fic #stranger things fic #fanfic #penny00dreadful #steddie fanfic #ao3 #dustin henderson #the party #comeuppance #pennys anniversary event

[ghosttotheparty]

love me softly p8

tags from @variousothershit on part seven bc it made me laugh out loud (i think eddie would allow it bc he’s in love)

They dance until the song ends, and the next one begins, swaying with their arms around each other, their hands linked. Steve makes Eddie twirl, and Eddie blushes, his cheeks flushing with heat when he stumbles and Steve giggles.

The next song ends.

Another begins.

There’s noise out in the hall, loud voices singing and laughing, and they keep dancing, hidden away in the dim light of the bedroom.

“We’re so bad at this,” Eddie says, laughing when Steve ducks his head to twirl, their fingers tangled. Steve laughs again, pulling him close, his arm over Eddie’s shoulder.

“We’re doing great,” he says easily.

Their eyes meet. Steve’s are shining in the light, and Eddie falters, gazing at him. He’s so pretty. Eddie wants to say it out loud.

Steve’s lips part like he’s going to say something, and Eddie realises they’ve both fallen still, just standing with their arms around each other, with their fingers still tangled. But before Steve can speak, the door bangs, and they jump apart.

“Someone’s getting laid,” a voice says outside, laughing, and Eddie’s face floods with heat as he glances at Steve, his heart pounding. “There’s probably a room upstairs, come on.”

There’s a moment of silence between them before Steve clears his throat awkwardly, rubbing his cheek.

“Uhm.”

His cheeks are pink, and even in Eddie’s nervousness he feels a rush of something. Not quite satisfaction, but close.

“I should probably…” Steve says, hesitating, gesturing vaguely to the door.

“Yeah,” Eddie says nodding. “Uhm.”

Someone’s getting laid.

His face flushes with heat again, and he moves past Steve to where the tin lunchbox is sitting.

“Here.” He rifles through it, finding a small baggie of weeds and he turns, tossing it to Steve catches it, perplexed. “We can say we were dealing.”

“Oh.” Steve looks at it, his cheeks still pink. “How much?”

Eddie suppresses a smile.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

Steve stares at him, his eyes wide and shining, and Eddie tilts his head fondly, shutting the lunchbox.

“…Okay.”

Eddie smiles at him, watching him fidget with it for a moment before he picks up the lunchbox and heads to the door.

“I’ll see you ‘round, Steve.”

“Wait—“

Steve moves forward, catching Eddie’s wrist before he can reach the lock, and Eddie’s eyes widen at the sudden close proximity, glances over Steve’s face.

“Uhm,” Steve hesitates, holding Eddie’s wrist gently. “Do you— Do you wanna, uhm… Come over this weekend?”

Eddie raises his eyebrows.

“You’re inviting me to your palace?” he teases.

Steve scoffs.

“Yeah,” he says. “I like hanging out with you.”

Eddie’s chest hurts. He exhales, and Steve’s fingers are suddenly hot against his skin.

“Okay,” he breathes.

“Saturday?” Steve asks.

“Uh, yeah.” Eddie blinks. “Uh, my— my uncle works nights, and we were gonna have dinner before he leaves. Is it cool if I come over after that?”

“Yeah,” Steve says softly, smiling. “‘S cool.”

“Okay.”

They stare for a moment longer before Steve seems to remember that he’s holding Eddie’s wrist, and he lets go, glancing at their hands.

“I’ll see you then?” Steve asks, and Eddie nods, melting a little bit. He wants to lean in and kiss him.

But he doesn’t.

On Saturday Eddie is riddled with anxiety, pacing and fidgeting as he cleans the trailer. He changes his clothes three times, finally settling on a pair of ripped jeans and an old KILL ‘EM ALL t-shirt, with a few silver chain necklaces and his rings. He ties his hair back after getting annoyed with it brushing and tickling his neck and face.

“The fuck’s goin’ on with you, Eds?” Wayne asks while Eddie is making dinner.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re fidgeting like a sinner in church, boy. What’s going on?”

“Uh.” Eddie sighs, scooping food onto a plate from the pan, his cheeks flushing. “Nothing, really.”

“Mhmm,” Wayne hums dryly, obviously not believing him.

Eddie sits at the table with him, a leg drawn up onto his chair, and he pokes at his food for a moment. Wayne is looking at him as he eats, waiting patiently.

“I’m going to a friend’s place tonight.”

“Gareth?”

“No,” Eddie says, his cheeks flushing, looking up at him across the table. “Uh, his name’s Steve.”

“Steve,” Wayne repeats. “He from school?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s he like?”

Eddie looks away, back at his food. His cheeks flush again.

“He’s real sweet.”

He takes a bite of his food, glancing up at Wayne, who’s staring at him knowingly.

“That right?” Wayne says gently.

“Mhmm.”

“How’d you meet?”

“Uh, guess we never really met,” Eddie says with his mouth full. “Like, formally.” He pauses to swallow. “But we had detention together a while back and kinda… hung out.”

“Is he nice?”

Eddie suppresses a smile.

“Yeah, he’s real nice. Leaves little drawings in my locker ‘nd shit. It’s cute.”

“You got yourself an artist?”

“He’s not—“ Eddie hesitates, his cheeks hot again. “He’s not mine.”

“You got yourself an artist.”

“Whatever, Wayne.”

Wayne pecks his forehead before he leaves as Eddie is washing up, tells him to have fun and be safe. Eddie just blushes again.

The drive to Steve’s is longer than Eddie remembers. The lights are on when he gets there, over the front door and upstairs, and Eddie hesitates, taking a sharp breath and exhaling slowly before he rings the doorbell.

It takes a few seconds before Steve opens it, looking soft and lovely in a red sweater and a smile, and Eddie melts.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Steve beckons him inside with a head tilt, and Eddie enters, his eyes widening as he looks around.

“Your majesty,” Eddie teases, his hands shoved in the pockets of his unzipped hoodie. Steve scoffs, closing the door.

It’s big inside. The ceilings are a mile away, and there are stairs leading up to it, abstract, expensive-looking paintings lining the wall. Eddie turns in a circle as he follows Steve to the living room, spinning to look around. He catches a glimpse into the kitchen. It’s bright.

“Holy shit?” Eddie says, laughing when he looks around the living room. There’s a conversation pit. Eddie’s never seen one before. “You ever fall in?” he asks, gesturing toward it with a jerk of his chin.

“Oh, yeah. Probably got a fuckin’ head injury when I was little.”

Eddie laughs, scrunching his nose, and Steve smiles at him.

He waits while Eddie looks around, carefully stepping around the pit so he doesn’t fall in. There’s more art on the walls, simple framed abstracts in red and yellow and blue. Eddie’s smile falters, and he searches around, eyeing the mantle under the television, the bookshelf. There aren’t any kinds of family photos anywhere.

“Is it… weird if I say it doesn’t look like anyone lives here?” Eddie asks, finding Steve leaning against a wall.

Steve shrugs, his hands tucked behind his back.

“‘S just me, so… You’re not really too far off.”

Eddie blinks.

“Your parents don’t live here?”

Steve sighs, shrugging again.

“They’re in and out. Usually on business trips or, like, vacation.”

“They don’t take you on vacation?” Eddie asks with a raised eyebrow. Steve just shakes his head.

“I wouldn’t go even if they offered.”

“Jesus.”

“They, uh, started leaving me home when I was a kid,” Steve says. “As soon as I was old enough to use the stove myself.”

Eddie stares at him, his heart splitting a little bit.

“That fucking sucks.”

Steve shrugs.

“Sometimes I forget I even have parents.”

“That’s sad, Steve.”

Steve shrugs again.

“When you were a kid,” Eddie says, complaining, looking around again, imagining a tiny Steve in the conversation out. Drawing with broken crayons. “Do they even know you?”

“Nah,” Steve says softly. “I got secrets.”

Eddie looks at him. There’s an almost mischievous glint in his eye.

“Consider my interest piqued,” Eddie says, and Steve grins before he beckons with a head tilt.

“C’mon.”

Eddie follows him, pausing to kick his shoes off at the door when he notices Steve’s just in mismatched socks, holding onto the railing as they go up the wood stairs. It’s dimmer upstairs as Eddie follows him down the hall.

“Uh.” Steve turns before he opens the door, pointing at Eddie so his finger touches his chest. Eddie’s breath catches in his throat. “Before we go in, you’re not allowed to judge me for the wallpaper.”

Eddie’s brows furrow, and he smiles hesitantly.

“…Okay?”

“My mom picked it when I was, like, nine, and I’m not allowed to change it.”

“Not judging,” Eddie sweats, holding his hands up in surrender before Steve sighs and opens the door. “Oh my god.”

“What did I say?” Steve says accusingly, but he’s laughing, watching Eddie look around at the horrific plaid walls.

“Not judging, not judging,” Eddie defends himself, hands still raised. “Well, that’s not true, I’m judging your mother.”

“That’s allowed.”

“Okay, good.” He finishes looking around, grinning. There are clothes on the floor and on the desk chair, and books and papers scattered across the desk, and the blankets on his bed are tossed aside messily. “So these secrets I’ve heard about…”

Steve grins, sitting on the edge of his bed. Eddie’s chest tightens. He wants to kiss him.

“Look in the closet.”

Eddie narrows his eyes, moving over the closet, and he opens it slowly, suspiciously, listening to Steve giggle behind him.

When it’s open, his eyes scan over the hanging clothing before they find the bottom of the closet, cluttered with canvases and a shoebox of paint tubes, and a guitar.

Eddie’s eyes widen, and he looks over his shoulder at Steve, who’s watching him shyly, almost nervously.

“Can I?” Eddie asks, reaching down to a canvas, and Steve nods.

“Go ahead.”

Eddie plops onto the ground, eliciting a soft giggle from Steve, and pulls the canvases out of the closet, looking at them, wide-eyed.

Most of them are abstract, but not in the way the paintings in the stairway and the living room are. They’re expressive, loud and passionate and so full of Steve that Eddie forgets the breathe. He looks through them slowly, gazing at every detail, every brushstroke and smudge and speck of paint, setting them aside carefully, gently.

“That one’s you,” Steve says abruptly when Eddie looks at one, and Eddie looks up at him. “It’s, uhm.”

“Explain?” Eddie questions, looking back at the painting. It’s full of dark blues and blacks and soft smudges of white and yellow and red, intense and heavy but somehow calm. At first glance, Eddie thinks it’s the sea.

“I was…” Steve’s cheeks flush red, and he scratches the back of his neck. “I was thinking about you. When I made it. Is that— That’s weird, I— I’m sorry, it’s—“

“It’s not weird, Stevie,” Eddie says gently, his chest aching. “It’s fucking beautiful.”

“Okay,” Steve says softly.

Eddie gazes at the painting for a little while longer, wondering when Steve did it, how long it’s been sitting in the dark of his closet.

“What are you gonna do with them all?” he asks, setting it aside carefully to look at the next.

“Don’t know,” Steve says. “Probably just keep them all there until I move out and get my own place.”

“You should cover every single wall with them,” Eddie says. “When you get a place.”

“You think?”

“Fuck yeah.”

He puts the paintings back as carefully as he can when he finishes looking through them.

“You play guitar?”

“Little bit.”

Eddie grins and picks up the guitar carefully, crawling over to hand it to Steve, who grimaces and takes it.

“Play me something,” Eddie demand, smiling up at him as he sits cross-legged on the floor again, his back to the closet. Steve sighs heavily, sliding his fingers down the frets, and Eddie watches eagerly as he starts to play.

“The Cure?” Eddie asks when Steve stops, grimacing again as he falters.

“Uh, yeah.”

Eddie nods approvingly.

“Is that allowed?” Steve asks.

“Yeah, ‘course. You can like what you like. Metal’s not for everyone.”

“Even if it’s Toto?”

Eddie shrugs, and Steve laughs, raising that eyebrows.

“You liked that song at the party, though.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you…”

“Okay, it wasn’t horrible,” Eddie says, cheeks flushing. Steve cackles almost evilly, looking up at the ceiling and Eddie falls in love a little more. He’d listen to Toto every day if he got to see Steve’s eyes sparkle like this.

“Alright, come on,” Steve says lightly, standing and kicking Eddie gently as Eddie looks up at him from the floor. He puts the guitar back in the closet, but forgets to shut the door.

Steve is different when he’s not at school. Eddie noticed it the first night they spent together, sitting by the quarry in the van, how light he seems when he isn’t surrounded by his douchey friends, how he sits differently, how he breathes differently.

When they sit in the conversation pit to watch a movie, Steve sits with his legs pulled up onto the sofa the same way Eddie does. He has an absent sort of smile gracing his lips, looking vaguely content in a way Eddie’s never seen him before.

Eddie looks away, pressing his lips together and letting his head fall back against the sofa, looking briefly at the ceiling. He’s so fucking beautiful.

They’re both quiet while they watch the movie, and Eddie is barely paying attention, instead focusing on the sound of Steve breathing, and the small distance between them. (Steve moved closer a little while ago, shifted slightly as he set his chin on his knee. Eddie wanted to scream.)

His cheeks flush with warmth when the characters in the movie lock eyes. A boy and a girl, staring intently at each other, the lighting dim and warm. He glances away from the screen at Steve, whose eyes are trained on the movie.

The air feels tight. Like Eddie could cut through it.

The characters kiss after a moment, slowly and gently and lovingly. Eddie’s chest hurts.

“Sometimes I—“ Steve’s voice says quietly, roughly. “I think that isn’t for me.”

Eddie looks at him, eyes wide.

“Kissing?” he says lightly, making Steve scoff. Girls?

“No, just… Romance. I guess.”

Eddie blinks, looking back at the screen. They’re still kissing, arms around each other, the boy’s fingers in her hair.

“Why?” he asks.

Steve sighs and shrugs.

“Nobody’s worked out,” he says. “Feels like they’re all… looking for something I’m not.”

Eddie swallows, biting his lip and picking at the hole in his jeans.

“Maybe you’re… not looking in the right place,” he says softly.

He keeps looking at the screen, watching the boy lift the girl onto a table without pulling away. The girl is smiling.

Steve is quiet for a few seconds before Eddie feels the sofa shift, and Steve’s hand gently touches Eddie’s chin, pulling to make Eddie face him, and before Eddie can even realise how close he is, he’s kissing him.

Eddie gasps, pushing forward to kiss him back briefly before Steve pulls away, holding Eddie’s chin gently. His eyes are wide, reflecting the movie and the soft golden light of the lamp across the room, and Eddie stares at him.

“Woah.”

Steve blinks, his eyes flicking back and forth between Eddie’s.

“Did I misread that?” Steve asks anxiously. His hand is shaking.

“No,” Eddie says sharply, dropping his legs and shifting to face him. “No, no, you— I just— I just wasn’t expecting that, but I—”

“Was it okay?” Steve asks in a small voice. He looks like he might cry.

“Jesus, Steve,” Eddie breathes, reaching up to touch his face, pressing his palm to his soft cheek. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long, I…” He shakes his head. He looks at Steve’s lips. He can still feel them on his own.

“Really?”

Steve’s eyes are glistening, and his voice breaks, and Eddie doesn’t want him to cry. He reaches up with his other hand, cradling Steve’s face tenderly, and he nods.

“I have such a fucking crush on you. Christ.”

Steve laughs weakly, hunching his shoulders, and Eddie leans in to kiss him again, squeezing his eyes shut as their mouths crash together, tilting his head and gasping when they part.

“Eddie,” Steve says breathlessly, his eyes still closed, holding Eddie’s face.

“Yeah,” Eddie whispers, pushing Steve’s hair back, tracing a line down his neck lightly. “You okay?”

“I’m so okay,” Steve says softly. “I’ve never been this okay.”

Eddie grins at him, leaning in and kissing him softly.

“Can I…” Steve starts, pausing to bite his lip, his cheeks pink.

“What?” Eddie prompts softly, nudging their noses together.

“Can I sit on your lap?”

“Jesus. Yes, come here.”

He pulls at Steve’s hips, and Steve beams, sitting up and swinging a leg over Eddie’s lap so he’s straddling him. Eddie’s heart is pounding in his chest.

“Never thought I’d make it to Heaven,” he murmurs, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist, and Steve shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

“You’re so dramatic.”

“Can you blame me?” Eddie asks, sliding a hand over Steve’s back. “Got the prettiest boy in Indiana on my lap.”

Steve’s smile falters. He’s tracing lines over Eddie’s jawline, down his neck.

“You think I’m pretty?” he asks softly, shyly.

Eddie exhales. Gazes up at him. He vaguely hears the movie in the background, but he’s too focussed on the way the soft lighting in the room is making Steve’s stray hair shine like spun gold, on the way his eyes are shining like they’re glass, like he’s a painting that belongs in a museum.

“I think you’re fucking stunning, Stevie,” he says softly. Steve’s cheeks flush pink.

Steve pulls him into a kiss by tugging on his necklaces. Eddie is glad he wore them.

part nine

read the whole thing on ao3

taglist: @dazedandinked @vecnuthy @mareydi @thekingandthejester @michael-the-angelo @mackdaddyofheimlichcountyy @confusionocturne @three-possums-playing-human @narcissist-era @snailcosworld @axltheedaddy @thing-a-ling

#!!!!!!!!! #lmk if you want to be tagged in part nine <3 #i’m also working on a longer fic rn ab steve’s trauma and i’m v excited ab it lmk if you wanna be tagged in that too!! #also looking for ideas for some art i wanna make i’m in a slump and feel like i haven’t drawn in ages if you any ideas my inbox is open <3 #help me pls <3 i feel i may die <3 #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #steddie #steddie fanfic #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #love me softly

[grrlsoft]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ genius of love : eddie munson

summary : while grounded, your beloved boyfriend Eddie comes to visit you, but still can't resist from getting you into trouble.

pairing : Eddie Munson x gn!reader

author's note : obligatory soft eddie fanfic....im sorry i just love him and he deserves sweetness :( i feel like he would rlly enjoy spending soft nights with his sweetheart u know... *bites my hand off*

(also most of my fics r song inspired so this one draws inspo from genius of love by tom tom club !!)

warnings : sort of suggestive at points, but generally sfw. lots of kissing. eddie is a big softy. also typos perhaps.

this fic is spoiler free !!

the rain outside is loud, thundering against the tiled roof of your house as you lie in bed. you're snuggled up under your white bed sheets, eyes drooping with sleepiness as the warmth of your blankets beckons you into a soft and sweet dreamland. you pull them up all the way to your nose and you inhale the comforting scent of laundry detergent. 

your Tom Tom Club record spins quietly in the corner of your room, drowning out some of the rain. you listen to Tina Weymouth's lovely voice and slip into sleep, but a sudden clink against your window rips you away from your trip to a blissful slumber. 

you blink a few times and turn your head to gaze at your window, another soft clinking sound meeting its glass barrier. you groan, untangling yourself from your sheets as you step onto the carpeted floor of your bedroom. you stumble over to your window and open it, the cold night air blowing harshly against your face. you don't dare to stick your head out the window any farther, unless you'd like to get rained on. 

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, will you let down your hair?" a familiar voice calls to you. 

"my hair isn't long enough for that, you dork," you reply, making your annoyance clear. you receive a chuckle in return.

"Eddie, how many times have I told you not to throw rocks at my window?" you say as you look down onto your front yard, your boyfriend's lanky frame apparent in the darkness. 

he had made an unfortunate habit of doing this. instead of using the front door, like a normal person, he would pick apart your pebbled walkway and throw rocks at your window to get your attention. it reminded you of a fairytale, as if you were a princess locked away in a tower, Eddie being your knight in shining armor to come and rescue you (although slightly less romantic). you liked that he wanted to see you, sure, but his means of doing so we're…inconvenient. 

"they're not even that big, it won't break anything," Eddie calls up to you, his ever present grin plastered on his face. you roll your eyes. 

"you're so annoying," you huff. you don't want to show any excitement in regard to his visit.

"tell me about it when I'm not getting rained on. can I come in?" he asks you, and you reluctantly oblige. 

you watch with the slightest bit of nervousness as he skillfully climbs the tree on your lawn, jumping onto the small ledge just outside your windowsill. he carefully steps through your window and closes it behind him, finally turning around to face you with an all-too-pleased expression adorning his handsome features. 

"ta-da," he exclaims as he spreads his arms out wide, bowing. you shake your head and bite back a smile. 

"I'm getting better, huh?" he says, shaking the water off of himself like a dog after a bath, "I didn't even fall this time."

"whatever you wanna tell yourself, Munson," you sigh.

all he does is smile and you know that you can't really be angry with him. the sentiment behind his visit is too sweet. 

"let me go get you a towel," you break the momentary silence, walking out into the hallway, "you're dripping all over my carpet." 

"oh, my sincerest apologies," you hear Eddie say and something compels you to think that he's not really sorry. you wander back over to him and throw the towel into his arms. 

"what are you doing here, anyway?" you ask him as he rubs his face against the soft fabric. you know the answer but you want to ask him anyway.

"wanted to see you," he answers with no hesitation, not even bothering to look at you. your cheeks heat up slightly at how sure his words are. 

"Eddie, do you not understand how being grounded works?" you quirk a brow at him and he finally looks back up at you, "I'm not supposed to see anyone. especially you." 

"well, those are your mom's rules, right?" he puts his hands on his hips and you nod, "and guess what? you're mom's not here." 

"it doesn't magically disappear like that, Eddie," you say and he shrugs. he tosses the towel you handed him onto the floor and wanders over to you, grazing his hands along the sides of your arms. you shiver. 

"would you like me to leave?" he queries smugly.

"...no," you answer reluctantly and he smiles.

"thought so."

you do enjoy his company, that's something you're certain of. there isn't a day that goes by that you don't want to spend with him - spread out on his mattress in his trailer or watching MTV on your couch. he is comforting. he feels like somebody that you could spend the rest of your life with (you had been secretly meaning to tell him that, but it was far too embarrassing).

"you're still soaking wet," you murmur as you observe his rather damp state, "take your shirt off." 

Eddie raises his eyebrows at you and you already know what he's about to say. you brace for impact as his mouth drops wide open.

"oh, how very forward of you!" he exclaims and you flush, averting your gaze from his large, brown eyes. 

"Eddie, that's not what I-" you stammer awkwardly, your eyes flitting from him to the floor, "I just don't want you to get sick." 

"sure, sure that's what you meant," Eddie smirks impishly, leaning down to whisper in your ear, "I think you're just asking me to strip." 

"I am not!" you almost yell, and Eddie laughs at how red your face has become. you want to push him away, but Eddie's gentle touch against your hip distracts you from doing such a thing. he grins at you and tugs his shirt off, leaving you to gaze at his bare chest, littered with tattoos. 

"like what you see?" he waggles his eyebrows at you and you scoff, looking away. you do, why wouldn't you, but he doesn't deserve to hear you say such a thing. not when he's acting like this. you like to leave him begging for more sometimes.

your attention is refocused when you're suddenly pushed against the side of your bed, Eddie's arms lacing around your frame. you open your mouth to say something but Eddie silences you with a kiss. his mouth is warm and his lips are rough, like usual. he presses his nose against your own and runs his hands up and down the sides of your body, tugging at the fabric of your night shirt. submitting to his wishes, you loop your arms around his damp neck and pull your lips away from his. you stare into his pretty brown eyes, feeling like you could get lost in them forever. 

"missed you," Eddie mumbles, his voice so quiet you can barely hear him. your eyes close as his thumb strokes the skin of your stomach. it grazes the band of your underwear and you stifle a gasp.

"you'll see me tomorrow. I'll be ungrounded then," you whisper, trying to ignore his attempts to take your clothes off. Eddie frowns a little and lays you back onto your mattress. 

"I know," he says, his gaze wandering over your figure, something he can't help but do, "but it's different when we're at school." 

"there's always after school, you know," you reply sympathetically. he doesn't seem satisfied with your answer.

he marvels at how pretty you look, your hair all spread out on your blankets and your large eyes, like little moons, that gaze up at him cautiously, expectantly. he takes in the beautiful whole of you and you can't help but feel as if you're being studied, like a little thing under a microscope. you clear your throat and turn your head away from his scrutinizing stare.

"you've got a nice side profile," he comments randomly, his words enough to draw your focus back to him.

"you think so?" you blink. he nods.

"yeah. sweet face, too," he replies with a flirtatious wink.

your cheeks burn crimson as you smile at him and he leans down to kiss you again, harsher this time. his hands graze your neck and tangle in your hair. 

"you're not so bad yourself," you say in-between the slow movement of his lips. Eddie chuckles at your teasing response, his teeth bumping against yours for a brief moment. he climbs on top of you, caging you between his arms and pressing you into your white duvet, but his lips don't leave you until he finally needs to breathe. he pulls away, leaving the two of you desperate for oxygen. you stare up at him, at his bare chest and many tattoos and perfect hair, heaving. his eyes are half-lidded and filled with a look you know all too well. 

"you're so damn pretty," he says, a frequent compliment of his, and his eyes don't leave you. you smile gently and spread out your arms, beckoning him into your embrace. he obliges your wordless request and leans into you. he nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck, sighing deeply. 

you listen to the rain and your Tom Tom Club record keeps spinning. you close your eyes as you feel Eddie's heartbeat against your chest, the moment so blissful and sweet that it's better than any dream you could've had while asleep.

"you feel nice," Eddie murmurs against your neck, his hot breath tickling your skin, "warm." 

you hum in response and comb your fingers through his frizzy, brown locks. he moves his face to gaze at yours, a dreamy and loving look in his eyes. he ghosts the tips of his fingers across your cheek, bringing you into a kiss once more. he mumbles soft I love you's under his breath and you make a small noise of satisfaction when he bites your bottom lip. his hands go up your shirt once again but the sound of the front door opening downstairs ruins the sensuality of the moment. 

"shit," you hiss suddenly, and Eddie pulls away with a confused look on his face. you turn your head away from him, listening to your mother's keys jingle faintly. 

"shit, my mom's home," you say frantically, attempting to sit up with Eddie still on top of you. 

"the hell is she doing getting home now?" Eddie questions, seeming to not realize the seriousness of your situation. 

"she works late nights and-" you splutter, "Eddie you have to go!" 

"what? why?" he questions, nose to nose with you. you feel overcome with the sudden urge to smack him, forgetting the sweetness of his demeanor before. 

"because my mom will kill me if she sees you here! you were the one who got me grounded in the first place!" you explain, panic apparent in your eyes.

"I could just hide in your closet-" he tries.

"Eddie, if you don't leave, I swear to God I'll be the one that kills you," you threaten. 

Eddie draws a long sigh, pulling his shirt back on and stepping backwards towards the window. he opens it and shimmies his way through, his eyes still locked on yours. you meet him between its white frame, disappointed that your visit had ended so soon. if anything, you wanted him to spend the night. 

"I love you," you say suddenly, gently. Eddie's eyes soften as he looks at you, becoming soaked with rain once again. 

"shit, sweetheart, I'm crazy about you too," he grins his familiar Eddie grin, the one you're so obsessed with, "and I would stay here and whisper sweet nothings to you forever, but I am getting drenched and I don't want you or your mom to kill me." 

all you can do is laugh but you're quickly silenced when your mother barges into your room. you flip around to face her, your heart in your throat. 

"(y/n)?" she says. you blink owlishly at her.

"hi mom," you squeak out, fumbling with your shorts. she looks at you for a long while, gaze flitting from your figure to your window.

"what are you doing with your window open?" she asks you. you open your mouth to say something, then turn around, half expecting Eddie to still be there. 

but he isn't. he had gone as soon as he had come to you.

you let out a long sigh of relief and turn to your mother with a shrug. 

"I, uhm, forgot to close it, actually." 

"well, make a habit of doing so. you're gonna bleed the house of all its warm air, otherwise," she says, then exits your room with a quick goodnight. 

you stand in front of your window for a long while and then finally get back into your bed, sighing from the night's ordeal. you already miss the feeling of Eddie, his lips against yours and his hands stroking your skin. your Tom Tom Club record continues its spin, and you close your tired eyes as Tina Weymouth says that he's the genius of love.

you sink into your covers, fully agreeing with her.

#MORE EDDIE HAHAHA #anyway uhhh i love. this boy. so much #eddie munson #eddie munson stranger things #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #katherine's fics ∘˚˳° ♡

[swiss-mrs]

Chapter Four: Day and Night

Life Eternal Series

Eddie Munson x Rockstar!POC!Reader

Word Count: 5k

*Masterlist, Series Warnings, Additional Series/Reader Info, and Posting Schedule.*

Chapter Warnings: Slow Burn, Domestic Duo, Mentions of Anxiety and Fear of Heights

All writing is in second POV, but No Use of Y/N

The next morning, Eddie wakes to the shining of the sun through the curtains, the sliver of light hitting him perfectly on the eyes. He groans as he regains consciousness. He goes to move his head and spare his eyes from the sunlight but realizes his face sticking to something. He squeezes his eyes shut before forcing them open, blinking a few times to adjust them to the world around him. He soon remembers how he fell asleep. He must’ve passed out while he was writing lyrics. The pages of his note book were now glued to the side of his face. He lifts his head and pulls the book off his cheek, moving it to the side before slamming his face back on the blankets below him. Eddie then registers the smell of breakfast being cooked and muffled noises coming from the kitchen. He moves his head to the other side to look towards the bathroom door. With sleepy blinks, a lazy smile finds its way onto his face. He rolls over onto his back with a groan and a stretch. His body aches from the odd sleeping position, but he ignores it, sliding off the bed and onto the floor. He kneels next to his still open suitcase and grabs the generic brand toothbrush and toothpaste still in its new packaging. Wayne bought him these new for his trip.

Eddie stands slowly, stretching again when he reaches the top. He lazily makes his way to the bathroom, accidentally knocking his shoulder on the door frame and letting out a whiny groan as he makes his way in. After he finishes his morning routine, he heads back to the room. Just as he makes his way out of the bathroom, a knock raps on the bedroom door. “Eddie?” The sound of your voice puts a jolt of electricity in his body. He’s over at the door within two seconds. He swings the door open, startling you with the unexpected burst of energy. You look up at him with wide eyes.

“Goooooood morning, sunshine.” He says with a minty fresh smile, drawing out the ‘O’s in ‘Good’. You let out a small laugh, drawing your brows together in confusion.

“Buenos Dias, Senor Munson.” You reply with a skeptical smile. “You seem wide awake.”

“What can I say? I’m a morning person.” He lies. You squint up at him with a teasing smile.

“It’s nearly 12:30 in the afternoon.” You reveal with a chuckle. You turn on your heels and head back towards the kitchen. “I just figured you’d still like breakfast when you woke up.” Eddie can’t help but smile as he watches you walk away, despite the obvious white lie he was just caught in. He’s quick to follow, jogging up to close the distance between you two.

“Soooo, what’s the plan for today?” He asks. Once you both round the base of the stairs, Eddie finds two plates sitting on a small table with two chairs in a little breakfast nook outside the kitchen. You motion for him to take a seat, which he ignores and continues to follow you into the kitchen and up to the fridge.

“Well, after breakfast” You grab a drink carton from the fridge before closing the door and turning to Eddie. “I’ll expose my not-so-secret, secret home studio to you,” You wiggle your brows, “Then we can get to work.” You finish, walking around him and heading back to the table with your breakfast and empty cups. Eddie follows closely behind you, quickly moving to pull out your chair for you before you can take a seat. You give him a suspicious look, but the smile growing on your face is difficult to hide. He pushes your chair in as you go to take a seat. “Thank You?” You say, a bit confused at his manners. He quickly goes to sit across from you, accidentally bumping his knee on the table leg. You both reach to grab the glasses on the table to make sure they don’t fall. Once the table and everything atop it stops shaking, you both go back to your conversation.

“This is exciting.” He says without acknowledging his clumsiness. You let out a laugh.

“Uh-huh.” You agree.

“Bone apple teeth.” He mimics before lifting his fork and digging in. You shake your head with a smile and follow his lead.

That was the last mundane conversation you two had for three days. After breakfast, you two had cleaned the dishes like you had done the night before, then went straight to the studio. Turns out the door next to the guest bathroom that was across the hall from his bedroom led down into the sublevel of your house. Your basement studio setup was like a dream for Eddie, an assortment of instruments all over. His favorite was your guitar wall. Though some were practical to have, different acoustics and electrics to produce a specific sound, there were some that were just for show. You’d gone through and gave him the details of each one, because he asked. The white and cream Stratocaster was one of your most prized possessions. You’d gone on about it being a treasure. It was just like Jimi Hendrix’s iconic guitar. You desperately wanted to get a Rusan Cloud guitar like Prince’s in Purple Rain, but you couldn’t bring yourself to spend upwards of eight grand on it. “In the grand scheme of things, it might not be that much, just growing up with nothing changes your perspective on a lot. I’m still a bit stingy with my money.” You’d laugh.

Once you two got started, there was no stopping, even bathroom breaks were few and far between. Naps were all taken on the couch or leaned over on the desk in the office chairs. The chemistry between you two made making music so easy. It took so much pressure off of your shoulders and brought back all the fun you were missing. By the end of that third day, you had recorded two new songs, written and demoed three, and finished tweaking six others that you’d narrowed down to from the original batch of songs you presented.

This last 30 minutes of going back and forth on the computer was the first time there’d been an actual silence between you two. Eddie let out a huge sigh and stretched so far that it caused his chair to squeak in protest. He leans back, starting up at the ceiling and swiveling side to side in his roller chair. “These last couple days have been an experience of a lifetime, you have no idea.” You laugh, still staring at your computer screen, messing around with the sequence of different tracks.

“I agree. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me already.” With your eyes still trained on the computer, you could hear the squeaky protests of Eddie’s chair again. His sudden presence behind you causes you to jump.

“We’re a great team, superstar.” He says, one hand on the back of your chair and the other resting next to you on the desk. You sneak a quick glance up at him. Even sleep deprived and in desperate need of a break, he still had a determined look in his eye. He was still beautiful. Your head whips back to your computer screen at that thought. Did  you just call him beautiful? Still beautiful? Your heart pounds in your chest. He was so close that you could feel his warmth. You desperately needed a shower. How the fuck does still he smell so good? Still? Girl, get yourself together.

“Play this real quick.” He points to the screen, knocking you back to reality. You relax your furrowed brows, not realizing you brought them together. He had no idea you were experiencing such inner turmoil. You click a few things on screen before playing the clip he asks. He takes a step back to turn and start pacing the room, listening intently with his eyes closed. You turn in your chair to face him as he walks back and forth, studying the music. You lean back and just let him focus, waiting for what he’s going to say. He uses his hands to follow the music and your vocals. His brows furrow like he’s concentrating really hard. He stops in his tracks. You could practically see the wheels turning in his head. He snaps, opening his eyes and turning to you. You raise your brows and wait for what he’s going to say. “Here!” He says, and you quickly pause the song as he silently instructs. He takes two long strides up to you to lean back over and point at the computer again. “Can we add a little more here? Like I need a guitar solo or some extra vocals or something.” You look up at him with a small chuckle.

“Of course, whatever you want, big guy.” You raise a brow and swivel your chair back to face the computer. Eddie looks down at you through the corner of his eyes, smirking a little at the pet name.

You two continue working through another night. This time when you see midnight roll around, you stop what you’re doing and spin your chair around to face Eddie. You stop and bite back a smile. He was leaning back in his chair and spinning in circles while staring up at the ceiling. “I think we should call it good for now.” He stops abruptly in his chair once he’s facing you. He leans forward a bit, swaying dizzily. You give him a few seconds to gather himself.

He lifts his head up to look at you once he’s better. “I think we still have a few more hours before we’ve reached burn-out.” You shake your head and stand up, making your way over to him.

“We don’t want to reach burn-out.” You say. He looks up at you with wide puppy eyes. You put a hand over his face and push it away gently. “No, no, no. Don’t try it.”

“Try what?” He faces innocence. You glare down at him.

“You know what. Those eyes aren’t working this time. Come on. It’s time we get out of this basement.” You say. He tries to give you sad eyes again, adding an extra pout for good measure, but you turn on your heels. “Nope!” you start walking up the stairs, “Come on.” He whines dramatically but follows anyway. Once you reach the top of the stairs and hear Eddie’s footsteps catching up with you, you speak up again. “We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow, so you better get some good sleep.” You turn to him and start walking backwards down the dimly lit hall. He cocks his head and gives you a curious look.

“Are we not continuing on the album tomorrow?” You shrug.

“Nah, I have some surprises for you. It’s gonna be another busy day, but different.” You reach the doorway to his room and lean on the door frame, just like you did three days ago. “We’ve already spent four out of your seven days here cooped up in my basement-”

“I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else.” He interrupts with a smug grin. You roll your eyes. He leans on the door frame across from you, mimicking your cross armed posture. “Now, what’s happening to-”

“Ah, ah, ah. I just told you.” You cut him off and stand up straight. “It’s a surprise.” You say sternly. “Now, go on. Off to bed. Tomorrow is a big day ahead.” You state, lifting your head confidently with a knowing look. Eddie squints at you as if he’s trying to read your mind. You two have a stare down before you lift yourself off the door frame and turn your back on him, walking down the hall and hedging up the stairs, Eddie’s eyes following you the entire way.

“Goodnight, superstar!!” He yells obnoxiously. You turn to lean over the railing.

“Goodnight, rockstar!!” You yell, matching his crazed energy. You two smile at each other before disappearing into your respective rooms.

》》》

This morning, actual morning, Eddie woke up before you. He looked at the bedside table to check the time, 10:07AM.  He got a full nine and a half hours of sleep. He doesn't remember the last time, if ever, he had slept so well. The combination of minimal sleep over the last 72 hours and the large luxury bed might’ve had something to do with it. Eddie rolls out if bed elicited for the day. He didn't know what was coming, but he knew it was going to be spent with you, and that was good enough to make him move with purpose.

He made sure to take extra care during his morning routine. He changed into his best jeans, put on some socks, and was in the middle of trying to decide between band shirts when he heard light footsteps pattering down the stairs outside his door. He quickly grabs a shirt without looking and rushes to the bedroom door, slipping an arm through a sleeve as he walks. “Morning, beautiful!” Just as you reach the bottom of the stairs, the bedroom door swings open. You jump, startled and turn to the direction of Eddie’s voice. Your eyes widen and you immediately avert your eyes to the very interesting blank wall just next to the door frame.

One thing you were not expecting to see this early was the half naked torso of Eddie fricken Munson. Your freshly awoken form could not properly function under these circumstances. Your expression couldn’t go unnoticed. Eddie smirks playfully, leaning against the door frame with crossed arms once he’s done putting on his shirt. Without another glance, you continue on your path to the kitchen, “Nice shirt.” Eddie’s eyes quickly look down at himself, now his turn to be flustered. Proud and loud on his chest was one of your band’s t-shirts. He bites back a smile with burning cheeks.

He is quick to follow your slow moving form to the kitchen, hopping up to sit on the island as you make your way to the fridge. “Sooooo,” He starts, swinging his legs back and forth like a toddler, “What we doin’ today?” You start to gather some ingredients out of the fridge.

“Well,” You start with your back still facing him, “We’re gonna get in a quick breakfast. Then in about,” You turn to squint at the oven clock for the time, “an hour and a half, we’re going to get picked up.” You close the door and turn to face the island, laying out your ingredients. “We’re going to be taken to an undisclosed destination, and your best day ever begins!” You say enthusiastically cryptic and start preparing your breakfasts. Eddie’s brows draw close, and he squints, pointlessly trying to enter your mind. Instead of breaking, you only tilt your chin up and give him an unwavering grin. He only glares harder before sighing and admitting defeat. Your grin widens, and you playfully widen your eyes at his lack of success, scrunching your nose. Eddie can’t help but let out a small laugh at your cute, maniacal expression. He is starting to get used to this little morning routine.

The next hour and a half goes by with ease. You two spent that time eating breakfast and goofing off. You prepared yourself for the day and dressed yourself in your favorite black pants, a matching black t-shirt and a biker jacket. You put on your most comfortable black shoes and headed down the stairs to meet a waiting Eddie. He was lounging out on the couch in your living room tossing one of your miscellaneous trinkets up in the air and catching it before it fell on his face. “All ready.” You say, announcing your presence. Eddie catches the trinket in his hand once more, turning his head to look at you. He pauses, arm still up in the air from his last catch. His brows shoot up ever so slightly. He watches you in awe as you close in on him. You give him a small smile. ~beep beep~. The short honks of a car out front interrupts his focus. You break eye contact to look towards the source of the sound before turning back to him, giving him a smile. “So it begins.” You start walking away from him and towards the front door, “Come on, lazy bones!” You call. Eddie is quick to hop to his feet, putting the trinket down on the coffee table in front of your couch and following you out the door. You both head to the all black vehicle in your driveway and get in.

“Headed to the city, yeah?” The driver asks through the partition. You lean forward and give him a smile.

“If you please, Danny Boy.” Dan, a driver you’ve come to trust, throws you a smile over his shoulder back at you.

“You got it, sweet cheeks.” You lean back in your seat with a smile, buckling up. Dan closes the partition, and you look over to Eddie. He’s giving you a curious look. “Dan’s my go to driver whenever I need to go into the city. He’s the best.” Eddie raises his brow.

“Going into the city? We’re going into the city for something?” You give him a huge grin.

“Yeah.” You shrug sheepishly. “For your best day, I figured we could have a proper New York day. I know you’ve never been before, and you talked about how badly you wanted to experience the city for-ev-er when we would talk on tour. What better tour guide than yours truly?” You say with a small smile. Eddie returns your small smile with a huge toothy grin. He leans his head over like a puppy in love, resting his head on the cushion next to your shoulder.

“You’re the best, you know.”

“I know.” You reply with a growing grin, his smile contagious.

You two spent the drive from your home to the city enjoying each other's company and jamming to the low volume tunes, you two whisper singing to one another, Eddie playing air guitar every so often. “Here we are!” Dan announces, pulling over for you both to get out at your first destination.

Eddie leans over you a little to get a better look at what's outside. “A bus stop?” You chuckle a little, opening your door to get out. 

“Thanks, Danny!”

“No problem, kiddo! Just give me a ring when you're ready to go!” Eddie scoots over to get out the same way, closest to the sidewalk. You hold the door open for him as he gets out then close it behind him. Eddie looks up at the tall buildings all around. Dan drives off, and you just stand next to Eddie as he takes in the wild bustle of the inner city. You throw on some dark shades, more so to obscure your face a little. You bring down a hand on Eddie's back, grabbing his attention. You whips around to face you, his expression of wonder and overstimulation calming to one of security and adoration. You give him a small smile.

“You ready for your formal tour?” You ask, motioning widely to the big red, double decker bus that pulled up. Eddie looks up at the bus behind you, that star dazed look returning.

“Just for me?” He asks in a dramatically high pitched voice. You let out a laugh.

“Royal treatment.” You lead him one to hop on the bus. You both find seats together at the open top to ensure the best views. The first “stop” is a drive through Time Square.

Even though you have a tour guide, you can't help but quietly add in your little bits by leaning closer to Eddie and telling him about the time you did this, ate that, shopped there. No matter how small, Eddie always gave you his full attention. Your shoulders were practically glued together in the small seats, so the way you leaned in even closer to him when talking made his heart race. “Ooo, come on. This is our first stop.” You say, hopping up to make sure you guys make it off in time, Eddie running quickly behind. One you two are of the bus, you throw your arms up to motion to the tall building in front of you. “Welcome to the Empire State Building, Rockstar!” Eddie is amazed by the sheer height of the skyscraper. You grab his hand and lead him towards the entrance.

The further up the elevator you go, the more Eddie starts to bounce in excitement and the more quiet you start to get. The doors separate and you two finally reach the platform. It's incredibly chilly so high up, the wind whipping hair like mad. Eddie is quick to run out and take in the view. You slowly trail behind him, careful to stay as close to the center of the building as possible. Eddie nearly walks a full lap around with you tailing him. You watch with a nervous smile on your face as Eddie goes over to one of the viewing points, looking through the binoculars. He calls out to you, “Come over here, superstar! You gotta see this. It's crazy!” He backs away just long enough to look over his shoulder at you then immediately goes back to looking. You left out a soft laugh and shake your head. When you don't meet him at the edge, he looks back up from the binoculars and turns to get a proper look at you. He has a bright smile on his face, but as soon as he sees you it falls ever so slightly. His brows draw close the tiniest bit and his head tilts. He walks away from the edge and closes the distance between you two. He reaches out for you, putting his hands on your arms and looking deep into your eyes. “Hey, you okay?” He asks, concerned.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” You lie, “I've seen it before. Go on! This is your day! I want you to enjoy all the city has to offer.” You give him a smile, but he sees through it. He raises a brow with a knowing look.

“It's our day. You are what makes this enjoyable.” He throws an arm around your shoulders and starts walking with you, away from the edge. “I can get a pretty awesome view from here too.” He gives you a wide grin. You two continue to walk back around to the elevators at a leisurely, cautious pace, enjoying eachothers company. Eddie takes in the view from all sides as you walk. The weight of his arm on you ground you and provides a sense of security, so much so that you're able to enjoy the view as well, kind of.

After the Empire State, you two take a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty. It's just as cold as just as windy on the water as it was on the building, but it gave Eddie good reason to initiate physical touch and gave you good reason to lean into him.

You made sure to take photos of and with Eddie every big so you made sure you two could cherish these moments forever. For lunch, you took him to your favorite pizza restaurant, Margarita's. “You can't come to New York without getting a slice of pizza.” you'd tell him. You luckily got a good picture of him first bite. Absolutely mind blown. You two had stopped a few more times to ensure he got in all the tourist spots. You even made a stop at a jewelry “making” store that allowed you two to put together your own necklace with a small assortment of charms that reminded you of one another.

As the sun sets, you two now found yourselves waking through Central Park, sharing dumplings and sesame pancakes. “This has been such a great day.” Eddie says with full cheeks. You laugh at him, mouth equally stuffed. You swallow your food before replying.

“The best day, wouldn't you say?” You say with a sly grin. He gives you a close mouthed smile as he chews, nodding, chuckling a bit. You two continue to walk around the park until you've finished eating. You find a trash can to throw away your wrappers and take a seat on a bench.

Eddie throws his arms behind to rest of the back of the park bench, perching up his right ankle into his left knee. You're seated with your hands in your lap at his right. Both of you sit and people watch, gazing out at the park around you. A few moments of comfortable silence go by before Eddie leans his head back to stare up at the warm sky. “You know, superstar, you sure know how to treat a guy to a great time.” You scoff with a smile.

“I don't just treat any guys.” You reply, leaning into the bench and resting your head back to look up with him, your head slightly resting on his arm. Eddie looks at you through his peripheral before going back to gazing at the sky with a goofy grin on his face.

“I'm special?” he asks, grin evident in his voice.

“Yeeeuuup.” You draw out, popping the P at the end. Both of you are now grinning like idiots up at the sky.

As the sun starts to turn the sky into an angry orange, you give Dan the call to pick you guys up. When you finally make it home, you exit the car giving him thanks. “Yo, kid.” He says before you can walk away. You walk to the driver's side window.

“Yo, old man.” He scoffs at you, sucking his teeth. You give the balding, beer-bellied man a teasing smile.

“Nevermind, asshole.” You chuckle as he continues, “I just want to wish you a nice night. I'm glad you're back in town, safe and sound. It was nice seeing ya, baby girl.” He says like the caring uncle he is. You give him a genuine smile.

“It was nice seeing you, too, Danny. Thank you for the ride as always. Get home safe, and tell the girls I love them!” you wave, walking the rest of the way up the driveway with Eddie.

“I will! You gotta find time to come over for dinner. The missus misses you!” You shouts through the now rolled down passenger window.

“I'll give you a ring!” you shoot back.

“Take care and remember to wrap it up, kids!” Dan yells as he drives off.

“Assface!” you yell back. though he's already driving away, you could still hear the faint sound of his loud cackle. Eddie chuckles beside you. “Sorry bout him. He's you know…” You unlock the door and start waking in, “a bit much.” your face a heated a little at the implied actions Dan yell halfway across your lawn.

“He's not wrong.” Eddie laughs. Your eyes widen but it goes unnoticed as Eddie has already passed you and made his way to your living room couch. “Don't worry about it. He seems like my kind of people.” He plops down in the couch with a loud oomf. “Man, today was awesome, but my feet are numb.” You turn to lock the door behind you and chuckle.

“Told you it was gonna be a big day.” You walk over to his sprawled out figure on the couch, throwing one of his long legs off. “Don't get too comfortable. Get changed. We're having a movie night to finish it off.” You walk away, heading towards the stairs. You hear Eddie getting up with a dramatic groan, footsteps dragging behind you.

“What movie are we gonna watch?” he asks, curiously.

“One of my favorites.” You say with a grin, turning to glance over your shoulder at Eddie. He tilts his head, stopping at the bottom of the stairs once you start to ascend them. “Get in some pjs and you'll find out soon enough.” He groans.

“You always have to string me along?” He pouts like a baby.

“You always have to be so impatient?” you throw back playfully, disappearing into your room.

You both get changed into your pajamas and get some snacks and drinks going. “Can I know now?” Eddie moans out like a toddler.

“Just look at the screen.” you say just in time for the title screen to pull up.

“You like The Dark Crystal?!” Eddie asks loudly, surprised at the movie choice. You chuckle, giving him a curious look. 

“Yes, you've seen it?” Eddie scoffs.

“Like a million times. It’s a classic!”  He boasts. Your face lights up at his reaction. You rush to the couch to plop next to him. He has his legs kicked up on the extended portion of the L shaped couch and one arm draped against the back of the couch and the other resting on the arm rest. You lean against him and bring your feet up to hug your bent knees. Eddie's face warms at the feeling of you cuddled up against his side. You press play on the title screen, and it begins.

The opening credit song gives you chills, filling you with nostalgia. You couldn't stop yourself from whispering along to the opening monologue. Eddie peers down at you. Regardless of how many times you've seen the movie, the magic of it never dies. The wondrous expression on your face can attest to that. Eddie's face breaks out into a wide grin, and he takes over, joining you in reciting the words in his best narrator voice. As soon as he starts, your attention is immediately brought to him. You find him looking down at you as he talks. It makes your heart flutter, and your face breaks out into a huge smile. That look, that wide-eyed innocence, admiration. That look brought him to his knees. There was no doubt in Eddie's mind that you were his person. He'd do anything you'd ask of him, anything to keep you in this space, feeling warm, happy, secure. From that moment on, he knew. You're his everything.

Tag List (OPEN) :

@starmilks

@ali-r3n

@madelynraemunson

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #joseph quinn #eddie munson x black!reader #swiss fics #life eternal swiss fic #eddie munson x rockstar!reader #eddie munson x rockstar reader #rockstar eddie munson #eddie munson x rockstar oc #rockstar!eddie munson #rockstar!eddie x reader #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson swiss fics

[helloheyhihowdyheya]

Figure You Out | pt. 2 of 2

Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Part One

Masterlist

Summary: You'd always had a far-away adoration for Eddie Munson, though you never could quite make sense of him. And when you offer to help him pass biology by tutoring him, you tell yourself that it's only to help him graduate. Totally.

Word count: 8.3k

Warnings: More flirting, tiny bit of angst. Fluff on top of fluff. Reader being a bit oblivious. Eddie has low self-esteem :/ Biology pun.

A/N: Ahh!! It's here!! Thank you for reading the first part of this story, and I hope this ending lives up to it. I'm really happy with how this turned out. Please let me know what you think!! <3

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There he was, Eddie’s face finally before you with a look that you knocked the breath from your lungs. With teeth chattering and your eyes blinking water off your eyelashes, all you could do was reach a shivering hand out to him without a second thought.

His fingers, void of any rings to brush against your hands, wrapped around yours in an instant as you choked out, “Hi Eddie.”

It seemed your quiet voice knocked him out of his trance as he pulled you inside a second later, his hands coming up to your face, turning you this way and that. “Why… What are you doing here? Did you bike here? It’s pouring out.”

“You’re telling me,” you joked, earning a disbelieving laugh from him. Your own laugh came out rocky from your shaking. You reached up to grab his hands placed firmly on your cheeks, the two of you standing close, fingers entwined and breaths mingling.“I’m fine, Eddie.”

His furrowing eyebrows shadowed his soft eyes, his hair swishing as he shook his head. “Why are you here?”

The pocket of space the two of you shared had felt private, away from any outside judgments, but At his question, your body suddenly felt too claustrophobic next to his, his hands too hot against your skin. Your feet took an abrupt step backward, letting his arms come to rest by his side with a smack. Just your shallow breathing and the drumming of the rain filled the air between you. Maybe he wasn’t as upset about what your parents did as you thought…

“I, uh– You missed our tutoring session,” you told him, your eyes focused downward as you picked at your fingernails. “And the test is tomorrow…”

He let out a quiet scoff, though it didn’t feel as mean as you thought it would. You glanced up at him to see him run a wet hand through his hair, his other resting on his hip. He began to ramble, his steps pacing back and forth in the small area. 

“So that’s why you biked here in the rain? You could’ve gotten hit if a car didn’t see you, or– or wiped out on the wet pavement. Can’t you get pneumonia from doing this? Oh my god.” He moved to help you take off your jacket, ripping his flannel from where it was tied around his waist, helping your shivering arms into it. “We need to get you warm and dry, and we need to–”

“My parents told me what they did,” you said, your voice coming out quicker and louder than you meant. The red of his flannel shined bright in the soft lights of the living room, the soft material wrapping tight around you. 

His face mere inches away from yours, he whispered out a wispy, “Oh.”

You just raised your eyebrows, silently asking him to say more, not trusting your voice to ask him if… 

If what? If he was even upset at not hanging out with you anymore? If he still wanted to tutor? If he saw any of this as more than? The fluttering feelings in your chest wanted to believe he did, especially at how his eyes took in every bit of your face, the heat from his body radiating onto you in crashing waves.

But he took a step back, blowing out a sharp breath of air. And you weren’t sure your body could take any more of this back and forth as he looked away, staring at the droplets racing down the windows. He turned back, every part of his soul facing toward you. “So that’s why Ms. O’Donnell said those things?”

Your shaking muscles looked for any bit of warmth, begging for the little bit it had to come back, but that drifted from your attention as you asked, “What did she say to you?”

His hands fiddled with his shirt before rubbing a palm across his mouth and down his chin, unable to stay in one place for long. “Just that, uh, she didn’t think it was a good idea for you to tutor me anymore. That she’d keep an eye on us to make sure. And honestly?” he asked, his eyes trained on you as you nodded, making raindrops splatter across your skin and the carpet.

He cleared his throat, letting out a slight groan. “Honestly, I thought it was you that said something to her.” A bitter laugh left his lips, so sour it left your stomach twisting.

For a second, your vision unfocused as you let his form look a bit fuzzier, trying to concentrate on his words. Pressing your mouth tight and wrapping your arms around your body, you let out an unhappy sigh, unsure how he could think that. 

“Like I could regret you, Munson.” You stared at him but had to avert your gaze when his eyes connected with yours. Your feet rocked back and forth as a long breath escaped your lungs, a whisper leaving them. “I’m so sorry my parents did that. I left dinner to come here as soon as they told me.”

His rumbling laugh made you jump a little, both of his hands resting on his hips now. “You don’t say…” he said, jutting his jaw out and looking you up and down. 

With the symphony that played the crescendos and staccatos of his voice back to its usual practice, the air felt easier between you, and a giggle came out of your mouth, but it was interrupted by your chattering teeth. It seemed his mind had been so overtaken by the possibility of you forever wishing him out of your life, because he finally remembered your drenched state and the now soaking flannel clinging to your body.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I’ve got extra clothes you can borrow, and a hot shower!” he called to you while literally running to his room and throwing open drawers. When he brought out some pajamas for you to wear, you finally noticed his own clothes he wore: an Iron Maiden shirt and dark blue flannel pajama bottoms.

You let out a silent “aw” at him as he handed you the clothes, though the word quickly stuck in your chest as your eyes dragged up his hands to his forearms and biceps. In that moment, you realized you had yet to see him in just a t-shirt in all this time.

Bringing your eyes back up to his, deliberately choosing to ignore any smirk on his face, you instead said, “Thank you, Eddie.” You paused, staring at him as your throat grew a little tighter. “Would… it be okay if I stayed over tonight? I don’t think I’m ready to face them.”

You couldn’t quite read the look on his face in the few moments that passed, the loud pounding of your heart distracting your mind. Finally, he gave a few fast nods, his eyes wide. “Of course, yeah.”

Trying to suppress the giant smile threatening to show, you ducked your head as you padded toward the bathroom, softly shutting the door behind you with a long sigh. Stripping your wet shirt and pants felt nice, and stepping into the hot water of the shower felt even nicer. You let the droplets run down your neck and soothe every goosebump littering your skin.

You weren’t sure how many minutes had passed by the time you shut the shower off and dried yourself, grabbing his clothes and putting on a pair of light blue boxers first. You raised your eyebrows, pleasantly surprised at how soft they were. Part of you knew to not think about it any further – that imagining stealing his clothes as his girlfriend would just make you sad. But the other part of you wanted to fantasize of going to school wearing his sweatshirts and cuddling in his pajamas every night to match him, especially when seeing the Black Sabbath shirt and red flannel pants he gave you.

The thoughts didn’t get too far as you finished dressing and hanging your wet clothes when a few quiet knocks rapped against the door. Eddie’s muffled voice called from the other side, and you saw a smile form on your face in the foggy mirror just at hearing him. “Hey, dinner’s ready, if you want any.”

You opened the door, your fingers patting your hair dry as you walked out, coming face-to-face with his shy look. “You made dinner?”

He took a few steps backward to the kitchen, his soft words saying, “Yeah, well you said you left during supper, so I made our favorite…”

Your heart swelled at his generosity, emotion rising up your body until you saw what he’d set up. A skipping laugh came out, your hand resting against your chest as you took in the plates of pasta, as usual. But his lighter was sitting in between them, lit and the flame waving back and forth, next to a cup of wet flowers and leaves – a makeshift bouquet suited perfectly for Eddie.

And it felt fitting for the situation the two of you found yourselves: both in pajamas, little drops of water still dotting your skin, and Eddie nervously readjusting the table setting until it looked just right.

While he finished getting everything ready, you went to his phone, saying, “I gotta call my parents… before they get anyone to start looking for me.” Eddie just nodded, but brushed a hand on your arm as a sign that he was there for you, and the warmth it left behind on your skin lingered while the phone rang. You let out a long sigh when your mom answered, grateful to hear her voice rather than your dad’s, though it still brought an edge to your chest.

She was pleased to hear that you were staying at Nancy’s house and promised to calm your father down before you returned home the following afternoon after school. Her quiet apology caused a pang in your heart, and you weren’t sure where that left the two of you, but as you glanced to Eddie from the corner of your eye, watching him quietly hum a song you recognized from riding in his van, you couldn’t bring yourself to worry just yet.

After hanging up, you immediately called Nancy to play her part in case your parents asked around. You were ready to beg her, but when you told her what had happened, she readily agreed and even got Mike in on the lie. Thanking her and promising to watch that new horror movie in theaters with her, you hung up, a heavy breath leaving your lips.

Eddie beckoned you over with a gentle smile to the small table, and you couldn’t help but love the way the tiny flame cast soft shadows onto his cheek, accentuating his smile when your eyes connected. You pretended the heat from the lighter was what made your cheeks warm.

Bringing the pasta to your mouth, you thought it tasted better tonight than other days. But you couldn’t help but notice that the minutes you spent away from each other let unspoken tension creep back in, feelings of uncertainty still hanging between you. Your brain couldn’t stop the words “I’m really sorry” from being blurted out of your mouth, guilt and embarrassment fueling your apology.

He had been staring at his plate but looked up with those doe eyes at you, letting a beat pass before he reassured you. “It’s okay, really.” Another pause, a crackling sigh. “And I’m sorry for ditching you… and keeping the Hellfire boys from saying anything,” he said, waving his fork around with a scoff. “I just didn’t want your parents to hate me, or you. But it’s become sort of the ‘norm’ for me these days I guess, so I don’t blame your parents.” As he mumbled the last part out, his face hardened into a scowl.

“Well I do. That was scummy of them, and you don’t deserve that, Eddie. Whatever names or stereotypes they have against you, they’re a load of bullshit, and I’ll fight anyone who says different.” You weren’t sure whether you’d really fight someone, but your heart couldn’t take seeing him hurt like that again.

He tilted his head, almost like a confused dog looking at you. He gave you a single nod, a soft grin gracing his face, right next to a bit of spaghetti sauce on the corner of his mouth. “God, how did I land the best tutor there is?”

“Eddie.”

“Maybe it was a blessing from Satan for all my devoted worshiping…”

Willing yourself to repeat your earlier action, you forced a hand out to rest atop his despite the restless butterflies torturing your stomach at his question. You wanted to say that people were wrong about him, that you didn’t care what your parents think, or that there was no way he could be a bad influence when he made you feel so at peace. But you just squeezed your fingers around his and muttered, “I’m serious, Eds.”

With raised eyebrows and a smirk, he squeezed your hand back. “Eds?” He shook his head, looking around the kitchen before training his eyes back on yours with a laugh. “How do you go from threatening violence to saying that?”

Your gaze trained downward, you shifted your food around on your plate, hoping he’d someday believe the words you said about him. With a huff, you asked, “Are you even hearing me?”

He grabbed another forkful of pasta to shove in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, like he was mulling over the taste of your words. Finally, he said, “Though, I guess if you’ve gotten used to my mediocre cooking, I think I can get used to your adorable nickname.”

Rolling your eyes, you finished your spaghetti and at least took a little solace in knowing that you confused him just a little, perhaps just as much as he confused you — that he couldn’t tease out your hidden feelings buried deep into your soft touches, reassuring words or breathless “hello!” every time you saw him. Though, your worried thoughts kept you from really seeing how he was staring at you now, or how he smiled at you when grabbing your plate to clean up.

Your full stomach and the warmth caressing your body in these dry clothes made a yawn escape your mouth as you began to help him. Wordlessly, the two of you drifted through the kitchen to tidy everything up, like you often did nights you stayed late at his home. 

He quickly turned on the TV for background noise while you cleaned; you let out a sigh, knowing anything would be better than the soundtrack of your too-loud thoughts. The living room lit up as the glow from some animated show appeared. As the title screen came on, it read “Dragon Ball” in fun letters. With a ducked head and airy groan, he changed the channel, saying, “Uncle Wayne must’ve been on that channel. I’ll switch it back to my usual one.”

As he changed it, “Golden Girls” came onto the screen, Eddie’s eyes looking wide when they connected with yours. You looked down at the plates you were scrubbing food off of, failing to suppress a laugh.

“Hey. Not a word about this, ‘kay? Especially not to the boys.”

You just nodded, pressing your mouth tight. It was a good show, you didn’t blame him for watching it, but you did love the way you effortlessly made him flustered. You couldn’t decide, though, if that was better than how comfortable you made him, as the two of you finished up and slowly moved toward the couch to watch the show together.

Eddie flopped onto it, leaning deep into the cushions with an arm laying across the top of the backrest. “C’mon, sweetheart. As much as I love staring at ya, you’re blocking Golden Girls,” he said, a smirk on his face.

Your eyes flicked between his eyes and the spot he wanted you to sit in, nestled directly into his side. That empty space called to be filled, like it was the perfect shape for you to fit. But you weren’t sure you could be that close to him if he was just flirting with you, saying these remarks like they didn’t jolt your heart at every word.

Hesitant steps carried you to the couch, your body tentatively sitting down with his arm and leg just barely touching you. You nearly jumped when he said, “Here, let’s get you a blanket. Need you all warmed up again.” He moved briefly to grab a soft blanket from the other side of the couch, his arms wrapping it around your body. 

As he tucked in every single inch of it to ensure it was snug, you couldn’t help the giggles that escaped your mouth at the cocoon he was turning you into. Between laughs, you said, “Eddie, I’ve already warmed up. I’m okay.”

He had finished securing the blanket around you and sat back in place, bringing a hand around your shoulder to pull you into his side. Your brain slowed its worrying for a second at how nice it felt being this close, and you couldn’t even bring yourself to hate the way his hair tickled against your cheeks.

“Oh, actually the doctor called while you were in the shower. Yeah, she said that cuddling is the best way to gain your health back,” he said, turning his head to look at you, your faces only breaths from each other. “Sorry, I don’t make the rules.”

“And Golden Girls was part of that as well?”

“Of course. There’s nothing that the healing words of Dorothy can’t fix.”

You let out a snort at his words, never getting tired of his dumb jokes. And your laughs continued as you two watched the show. Being pressed against his body, you thought your cheeks would be on fire and your stomach shriveling in on itself, but his fingers drummed against your blanketed arm and his heart softly beat against your head where it laid on his chest. His gentle inhales and exhales turned your laughing into soft sighs as your eyes blinked slower and slower with each passing minute.

A couple more seconds, and you would have nodded off entirely, but he shook your arm until you blearily opened your eyes and stared up at him, giving a soft, “hmm?”

Shaking his head, he said in a soft whisper, “God, you are going to kill me…” 

He shifted his body, moving you to sit up so you wouldn’t fall asleep. “Hey, sweetheart, we gotta get to bed. Well, couch for me. Either way, it’s gettin’ late.”

A quiet groan came from your throat, the sound of it stretching long as you scrunched your face tight. He patted a hand against your leg as he told you, “C’mon. I’ll even carry you to the bed if you need. We can’t be late tomorrow.”

“Since when did you start caring about getting to school on time?” As the words left your mouth, you finally looked at him and couldn’t quite care anymore to hear the answer as you studied him. The soft glow of the TV laid gentle shadows across his face, the light dancing along his cheekbones.

He stood up in an abrupt motion and turned the TV off before holding his hands out for you to grab. “Since you started staying over, and I need to get you to class on time.”

Snaking your limbs out of the blanket he’d wrapped around you, you reached up and took his hands, his fingers brushing back and forth against your skin. They felt a bit calloused, but he squeezed tight. It should’ve felt weird or life-changing for your school-girl crush, but it seemed right as the two of you walked back to his room hand in hand.

“Eddie?”

“Yeah?” he said, turning to look at you for a second while stepping over piles of dirty clothes.

You forced down a hard swallow, the intense gaze of his eyes not making the words come out any easier. As he turned on a lamp next to the bed, you sat on the edge of his mattress, crossing and uncrossing your ankles. “You know, I think I might be feeling a bit sick again.”

A flash of concern crossed his face before he grabbed his blankets and placed it around your shoulders, asking question after question. “Are you cold? Do you need medicine? I think Wayne has some in the bathroom. More food?” He placed the back of his hand on your forehead, checking for a temperature. “I don’t know how this works. I don’t think it’s warm?”

You let out a breathy laugh and shook your head, your heart softened by his concern. With a sigh to steel your nerves, you spelled it out for him. “If you’re sleeping on the couch, we’re not really following the doctor’s orders…”

Bringing your eyes to look up to his, you saw his mouth form a silent “oh” as he nodded. A goofy smile adorned his face, and a vibrating warmth exploded in your chest. He looked ethereal in his pajamas basking in the soft lamp light, his honey eyes eclipsed by his cheeks scrunching high. And the idea that the thought of sleeping next to you made him look this way, an air that felt more beautiful than ever, was almost too much to hold within you.

All this ran through your mind before his legs finally moved under him, his arms wrapping around your shoulders as he tackled you backward, your back falling against the mattress. Your laughing bodies shook against one another in his sheets. He pulled back and let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t believe you made me concerned for your health,” he said, pointing a finger at you. “Never again.”

Despite his words, he flopped against the mattress right next to you and rubbed a hand down his face. His arm reached up and over, beckoning you into his side once again, which you took while snuggling deeper under the covers, your head just barely peeking out from the blankets. “Well, if that’s how you feel, Munson, then there’s no need for you to be here. The doctor’s orders clearly mean nothing to you anymore.”

His eyes locked onto yours the whole time he reached over and shut the lamp off, your vision just barely able to follow his figure in the dark. He settled beneath the covers, his body heat radiating onto you in soft echoes, your eyelids already beginning to feel heavy again.

In a quieter voice, he said, “You know, you’re lucky you’re so loveable, or you’d be sleeping on the couch right now.”

Your head rested against his arm, your face so close to his, which pointed up toward his ceiling. The frantic thoughts in your mind begged you to analyze what all of this meant, if it meant anything to him. But as his breaths lulled you closer to sleep, all you could muster was a muttered, “Are you this flirty with all the girls?”

You’d been thinking it for a while now, never quite able to unweave his comments that suggested something more. But his hand that wasn’t holding you close to him came down to your arm, his fingers drawing shapes along your skin. It wasn’t long before your body stood on the cusp of unconsciousness when you just barely caught Eddie’s whispered words.

“It’s just you. Always has been.”

– –

The first trickles of morning awareness were filled with loud voices and metal music. It took a few slow blinks awake and the bed shifting behind you to realize it was a radio alarm clock going off, but it definitely wasn’t yours.

The voices clipped short with a thunk and the bed ceased its moving, an arm coming to wrap around your waist. In the newborn silence of the morning, just sounds of steady breathing and the occasional bird outside, your mind caught up.

With the events of last night drifting back into place, your eyes widened with the realization that it was Eddie situated behind you, his warm body pressed up against your back and arm pulling you close to his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.

You looked around at what you could see from your position, just the wall and a few posters, but that didn’t stop you from searching them for a way out of this. Was this an accident? Did Eddie mean for this? You were sure he could feel the way your heart pounded, or hear the questions racing through your head.

With a grainy voice still tired from sleep, you whispered, “Eddie?”

“Hm?” he hummed back, his mouth seemingly muffled by the pillows. When you shifted to try and see him better, he glanced up at you with only one eye open. His hair was all over the place, though it still surrounded his face like a halo. 

He looked at first like he was going to ask what’s wrong or see what you had to say, but a soft smile overtook his cheeks, both eyes opening to take you in. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

His lovely words were laced with a rumbling sleep voice, and its intimacy made you look away. “Good morning.”

“How’d you sleep?”

The question shouldn’t have made you smile so hard, but the domesticity of it caused a fluttering in your stomach. Truthfully, you hadn’t woken up once in the night, something that left you with a lot of thoughts. “Really well, Eds. How’d you sleep?”

And as he took a second to ponder this, perhaps boiling down his own answer like yours, you saw how close your bodies were. You were wondering if this moment meant anything, whether even thinking about it too much would change your friendship, when he flopped onto his back with his arms behind his head, saying, “Slept like a goddamn baby. You know, minus the shitting and crying part.”

Like that, with your body shaking with giggles and his face lit up with a stupid grin, the moment was over. Two parts of you swirled back and forth, fighting over one another on whether you were sad or relieved about it. 

You turned to fully face him and pushed a hand against his chest. “Okay, that’s a mental image I didn’t need. Get up so I can get ready.”

His face dropped just a little as he wrapped his fingers around the hand on his chest, giving it a light squeeze before throwing back the covers. 

You wished you could say the morning dance around each other was graceful and as natural as the rest of your time there, but something weighed over you two. With stuttered steps when getting around him or frantic shushing when realizing Wayne was still asleep in the living room, it made whatever feelings that had developed in the last 12 hours magnified.

Dressing in your clothes from yesterday that had thankfully dried overnight and using a spare toothbrush Eddie had given you, you didn’t look all too terrible given your hectic night and lack of preparation for a sleepover.

You were thankful as you exited the bathroom to see him holding a pair of Eggo waffles hot and ready for you, another one already stuffed in his mouth. He wore his usual skinny jeans and already adorned his jacket-vest combo. Mouthing “thank you” and taking it, you walked to the door with quiet steps, cringing at the loud creaking of the door and afraid you’d disturb Wayne’s sleep. 

But Eddie marched right past you and shoved the door open, shoes loudly clomping against the floor. You followed him, barely catching the door before it slammed against the frame and glared at him while he dug his keys out of his pocket.

He brushed his hair from his face with his arm, letting out a long yawn, which he soon filled with waffle. Through bites of it, he said, “What? Wayne’ll sleep through anything after a long shift.”

A huff escaped your mouth, the only noise besides his jingling keys in the early morning air. “Well that might’ve been nice to know when I was sneaking around in there!”

“Yeah… but it was funny watching you tiptoe for no reason.”

Except for rolling your eyes, you ignored his giggling and smirking, instead sitting down on the steps, the wood creaking beneath your body. With waffles in one hand and your other digging into your backpack for your notes, your fingers found your notebook with drips of water coating your skin. You pulled it out to find most of the pages wet, your writing smearing across the paper.

“Are you serious?” You looked through the rest of your things, and while most of the damage was minimal, you couldn’t believe you hadn’t noticed the rain that’d soaked through your backpack. Though you didn’t say anything, in the back of your mind, you blamed Eddie for keeping your attention busy.

He sat down next to you and peered over your shoulder, examining it this way and that. “That’s okay, you can just look at mine,” he said while pulling out his notebook.

With a quirked eyebrow, you turned to face him, a silent question on your face. He twisted his mouth and shrugged, saying, “Hey, you’re looking very judgy for someone who ruined her notebook the night before a big test.” With a teasing smile, he followed with, “And for a boy, no less. What are we going to do with you?” He gave a few tsks and shook his head.

You held up your hands in surrender. “You’re right. Though that is some big talk for being the boy I ruined my notes for,” you said with a laugh. “Now let me see them. I am still your tutor, Eddie.”

He pretended to adjust imaginary glasses resting on his nose, fingers flipping through the pages of his notebook littered with his messy handwriting. “Wow, look who’s asking for whose notes, huh? How the tables have turned…”

Nudging him with your elbow, you just sighed, resting your head on his shoulder while you read it over. You subconsciously nodded along, refreshing yourself with the topics you were going to be tested on today. The sun was still rising into the sky, though you could already feel its warming spring heat. Only a light breeze passed through, rustling the grass below you.

You could’ve stayed there for longer, sitting in a silence that was only comfortable because it was with Eddie, but he spoke up, his voice slightly timid. “You know, I’ve been studying by myself this past week…”

You lifted your head with a wide grin to stare at him. “Yeah? How’d it go?”

He looked away with a sigh, but a smile was plastered on his face. “It was alright, though it was not nearly as fun without you, if I’m being honest.” You felt your eyes crinkling as your face beamed at his words, but at the very pleased look you wore, he nudged you. “Okay, don’t go getting a big head because of this.”

“I just can’t believe I’m the one that got Eddie Munson’s ass in gear to graduate. They’d said it could never be done,” you teased. He shook his head, his eyes studying the ground with a laugh. But your smile slowly lowered as you studied his face for a moment. “I really hope you know you’re smart, Eddie.”

At that, he let out a loud laugh, his hand coming to rest on his chest. Glancing to you for a brief second, he said, “You’re great at tutoring, fantastic really, but lying? Not so much, sweetheart.”

“I’m serious,” you laughed, though it sounded a bit hollow. “You understand the concepts, you can grasp the material. You just gotta apply yourself.”

“Oh boy, you sound like every teacher I’ve ever had.”

You rested a hand against his knee, hoping he could somehow feel your sincerity through the touch. “Sorry, I don’t mean to. I just see that you’re really smart, and it’d be a shame if you didn’t do something with it. Just because you don’t excel in school doesn’t mean you’re not smart... It just means you care about other things more than school.”

“Yeah, like what? Heavy metal? That’ll get me far in life,” he said, rolling his eyes. It made you want to roll your own, but the teasing grin on his face wouldn’t let you take your gaze off of him.

“I’ve seen the way the kids talk about you as a DM, especially Dustin. You’re an incredible storyteller,” you said before chewing on the inside of your mouth, contemplating whether you should sing every praise you had for him. 

He raised his eyebrows, resting his chin on his fist with his entire attention on you. All you told him, though, was, “I’m just saying, Eddie, you get that there’s more to life than acing tests on the Pythagorean Theorem.” 

“That’s not going to be in the bio test, is it?” You were about to jokingly take back everything you just said when his cheesy smile came back, and you should’ve known he was joking, as usual. “I’m just messing with ya. But, uh, thanks… I guess not too many people share your opinion.”

And he still hadn’t taken his warm eyes off of you, his sincere gaze scrambling your thoughts. All you could do was look down at the notebook and mutter out, “Of course. Now, we should probably get back to studying lipids for the test.”

You heard the smirk in his breathy laugh, and you almost regretted glancing back to him because of the storm raging in your stomach, but his unwavering look of something kept your eyes on his. 

Wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue, he said, “You know… speaking of ‘lip’ids, have I ever told you how much I like yours?” His eyes repeatedly glanced down to your mouth, and suddenly, feeling your body subconsciously pull toward his, you became aware of how close the two of you were.

Your feelings caught in your tight throat, all you could do was laugh it off, though it came out scratchy. “You like my lipids?” you asked, raising your eyebrows. With his chin still sitting atop his knuckles, he nodded, his top teeth resting against his bottom lip. You had to turn it back on him or you were going to combust.

“Well, that’s very nice of you to say.” You swallowed, staring right back at him. Trying to refocus the conversation, you quizzed him, “And what exactly are lipids, Eddie?”

But the smug bastard, his darkened eyes refusing to budge, didn’t miss a beat or break his gaze on you once. “They’re building-block molecules that provide structure and store energy for the body. Now,” he breathed, moving his hands to rest on the sides of your face, his body moving even closer, “If I could ask a question… Can I kiss you?”

Your whole body screamed at you to nod, say yes, kiss him first, but your heart clenched, keeping your tightening muscles still for a moment. “Eddie?” you whispered.

“Yeah?” He shifted back a second, almost as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to look at you or be closer to you.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Right now?” he sighed, and it could’ve sounded judgmental, but not from him, not in his soft voice. “Christ… yeah, of course. Anything.” His forehead came to rest against yours, a look of concern on his face.

Your anxious thoughts took over as you spoke. “I– I just need to know that you’re not doing this for fun or being flirty because that’s who you are,” you sighed out in a single breath, your eyes unfocusing as they stared downward. “Just… that this means something more for you too.”

His thumbs resting on your cheeks stroked back and forth as he let out a soft, rolling laugh. And you couldn’t help but smile and laugh along because he looked so content. Still, with a shaky hand, you tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ears as he said, “Sweetheart, do you know how hard it was to sleep next to you ‘as a friend’? Harder than any biology test I could ever take.” He shook his head, that strand of hair coming loose again as he said, “You know, for the smartest person I know, you sure are a bit dense sometimes. Yes, this means everything to me.”

You tried to let out a scoff at his teasing, but your too-wide smile kept your mouth open. Your heart filled with the way happiness looked so good on him, and maybe you should’ve been a tiny bit offended, but Eddie just erased every worry you had. His presence and words alone put your body at ease, like the fingers that soothed along your skin. 

“And as long as this isn’t some pity-thing you have going on, which can be my only reasoning as to why you started tutoring me in the first place, I’d love to kiss you right now.” His eyes searched yours, the brown irises shimmering in the morning sunlight. Any teasing or flirting was gone, his self bared open for you to reject or resign yourself over to.

As your fingers danced along his arms, all you could say was, “Please.”

And who was Eddie to deny you?

Your body leaned forward, the magnetic pull of him unable to resist. He touched his lips to yours so gently, you almost thought you imagined it. But the long curve of his smile against your mouth was unmistakable, even more impossible to ignore when he surged forward, nearly knocking you backward with his enthusiasm. The notebook clattered to the steps as his chest pressed against yours, the weight of his body heavy and vibrating. As you righted yourself, the kiss deepening while you somehow moved even closer, one of your hands fisted in his shirt, the other lightly tangling itself at the nape of his neck.

With a dizzying head, you weren’t sure how long he’d had his mouth on you, the all-encompassing feeling of Eddie the only thing your mind could focus on. Your thoughts stumbled as he pulled away for only a moment, looking at you like he wasn’t sure you were real. His lips looked pinker than before, just barely parted as soft breaths breezed past them, and then they were on you again as he dove back in. Despite his frantic movements, his hands moving from your face to your waist to your arms before back to your face, this kiss was gentler, allowing you to feel every bit of his lips against yours.

Your mind wanted to think about a million different things, whether you were kissing him right or what this meant for you two. But his mouth moved against your own, the feeling of Eddie erasing anything in your brain except for him. Every lingering touch of his, every wink, every flirtatious word held this behind it this whole time? As his nose nudged your own and the intoxicating smell of him flooded your senses, you couldn’t believe you hadn’t been doing this sooner.

It was only once your mind eventually caught up on what was happening that you sat back, needing to breathe for a minute. Eddie also sat back, resting his hand behind him, your body already missing his. Your eyes at least got to run along every part of him, wanting to finally unashamedly take him in, but you didn’t get to stare at him too long as he brought his lips to the skin of your cheeks, your forehead, your chin, your nose until you had to push him off, giggles tumbling from you.

As the sun shined down on both of you, the light of it bathing his hair into a warm halo, you could have stayed on that porch step for the rest of the day, or week if it was an option. He raised his arm, inviting you to be right next to his side. This time, you took it without any pause, your head fitting perfectly into the crook of his neck, your hand resting against his chest as it rose with  erratic and deep breaths.

Before you could process everything that had happened, you glanced down and saw the blinking numbers of the watch secured around his wrist. You were late. “Oh god, Eddie. We gotta go,” you rushed out with a pang in your heart, beginning to untangle your limbs from his.

You shoved your soggy notebook into your backpack and ran to the passenger side of his van while he went to the driver’s side, muttering some upset words under his mouth. The doors slammed shut and music blasted as the two of you took off toward the school. The van rumbled along the road and around potholes, and you weren’t sure if your chest was fluttering from being late or from actually kissing Eddie, the feeling of his mouth on yours still lingering.

You continually reached over to grab his wrist, twisting it so his watch pointed at you. And he let you without one complaint. As you neared the school, you let out a long sigh at seeing you would make it on time, but only barely. You rested your head back against the seat, musing aloud a thought that probably should’ve stayed in your head. “Did that really happen?”

Turning just slightly to look at him, you saw his soft smile, mostly to himself, as he thrummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “Yeah… I finally kissed you after all this time.” He shook his head, making his long hair sway back and forth with a glazed look in his eyes. His finger pointed at you, though, as he said, “And you kissed ‘Eddie The Lover,’ baby.”

With a groan, you placed your head in your hands and said, “Can I take it back, actually? I’m suddenly having second thoughts.”

“Nope! No take-backs. You’re stuck with me,” he told you, and his gleeful face was contagious as you peeked your eyes between your fingers.

As the two of you screeched into the parking lot and slid into a spot, your heart feeling impossibly full, you practically jumped out of the van. Your feet moved in a blur, speed walking toward the school and only slowing slightly to let Eddie catch up to you. 

At the front door to the building, his feet walked in step with yours, and he huffed out, “Jesus, if you didn’t just swallow my face, I’d think you were running away from me.”

“I did not swallow your face. And I know you liked it anyway,” you said back as you walked through the nearly empty halls, dodging around the stray student or disapproving-looking teacher, to Ms. O’Donnell’s room. 

He muttered, “You got that right, sweetheart.”

You tried ignoring the way his words warmed your cheeks and instead focus on the test, but the look he gave you right before entering the classroom definitely did not help. All you gave him was a whispered “Good luck” as you sat down at your assigned seats, thankful Ms. O’Donnell wasn’t in the classroom just yet. 

But she walked into the classroom a few seconds later, and you did your best impression of a girl that wasn’t obsessed with the boy her parents alerted her teacher about. 

She scarcely greeted the class before beginning to pass the tests out, one of the last ones of the year, so Eddie’s grade really depended on this one. Part of you worried he would be too distracted on what the two of you did to concentrate on the test, though another part of you didn’t exactly hate the idea of you distracting him so much.

As soon as the paper was in front of you, the hour passed in a blur, your hands scribbling your answers down. On certain questions that you knew you covered with Eddie, memories of him popped up, clouding your thinking for only a moment. A question about lipids made your pencil stutter and you glanced to him, the seared feeling of his lips making yours burn.

Weeding through his distractions, you finally finished. When you were done, you couldn’t help but look at him as you turned in the paper. You could just barely see the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth while he wrote down his answers, the minute hand on the clock ticking down to the end of class. But he abruptly stood up before the end, the sound of his chair scooching back screeching into the quiet classroom. 

He didn’t seem to care though as he slapped the paper onto Ms. O’Donnell’s desk. His clothes swished around him as he turned and looked as if he was about to give you a thumbs up, right in front of the teacher that could snitch to your parents. Your eyes widened only a bit, and he quickly switched to raising his hand to brush his hair back, looking like a Farrah Fawcett commercial. 

Your body jumped when the bell rang a moment later, everyone beginning to pack up their things. Trying to casually walk out and not rush to Eddie, you waited until you turned the corner to ask him in a rushed breath how he thought it went. 

The two of you walked through the halls, his hand wrapped around yours despite teachers that might see. You relished in feeling the cold of his rings once again flush against your fingers as he said, “Honestly? As long as I passed, which I think I did, I couldn’t care less about goddamn biology.”

Despite the happiness swirling throughout your body at him doing well on the test and so boldly showing the two of you off together, your head turned to look at him, your jaw dropping a little. “But Eddie, you’re finally studying and doing homework!”

A smile grew across his face, his hand swinging yours back and forth. “That was before I got the girl of my dreams. How can I care about anything but that? Especially biology,” he said, then leaned over to whisper in your ear. “Unless it’s your biology we’re talking about.”

He gave a wink that normally would’ve been obnoxious, but the intense look in his eyes made any smart remark die in your throat. 

And though he made his usual suggestive comments, over the next week, he sat back and waited… waited until you were comfortable with doing anything physical, even cuddling. 

Each passing day of his efforts to make sure you were okay at all times warmed your heart, and it only grew when Thursday came around again. You had the day off from working on the newspaper, so you walked to the theater room to sit in on Hellfire Club’s session. 

The boys greeted you, Dustin even standing to hug you with a wide smile. They’d grown to love your presence there, even if you didn’t always say much. Lucas said it was because it made Eddie go softer on them.

And speaking of that devil, you didn’t see him as the boys set everything up. You made conversation with them, talking about Mike’s critical failure in his first ever session with Eddie, which left you in a fit of laughter, when the man himself burst into the room.

The doors swung open, clanging against the wall, as he announced, “The she-witch took forever to grade, but I demanded my test back this afternoon!”

“Demanded?” Dustin asked, an accusatory tone weaving through his question.

His raised arms unceremoniously swung back against his sides, and with a huff, he said, “Fine, I humbly begged for it back early. But read it and weep, boys! And lady. Love of my life. Savior of my graduation.”

He came closer and nearly shoved the paper in your face, a bold “82” with a “B-” next to it written neatly at the top. 

The boys erupted into cheering while you walked to him and threw your arms around his neck. “I never doubted you for a second,” you said, before whispering, “Eds.”

Eddie looked right at you, his eyes focused on yours like no one else was in the room, a hand snaking to your lower back. His grin never left his mouth as he declared, “Boys, this calls for a celebration. If you would please excuse us…”

And he brought the piece of paper in front of your faces to shield from view as he inched forward. The noises of the boys pretend gagging and throwing paper scraps at you made laughs escape, but Eddie didn’t care as he pressed his lips against yours, his arm bringing you impossibly closer.

When he finally pulled away, leaving your lungs empty and head spinning, his hair surrounded the little space you two had made. You could have sworn he breathed out the quietest “I love you” as he stepped away, but you didn’t have time to process it as he brought a hand down to slap your butt, forcing a soft yelp from your mouth.

With a loud laugh, he took his place on the throne and began weaving his story for the players, but not before reaching an arm out toward you, guiding you to sit on the throne’s armrest. Between the playful pull he gave to bring you closer and the soft pushes of his fingers fisting into your shirt, you still weren’t sure you’d ever figure out Eddie. But as he leaned his head to rest against your shoulder while the boys talked to each other, his eyes immediately looking up to find yours with a softness you’d grown to love, you couldn’t find yourself to care about much else.

Even biology.

--

@fandom-geek17 @aedicn @gallimaufrea @edsforehead @stiegasaw

A/N: Thank you so so much for giving my writing a chance. I'd love to know what you thought of it in the notes <3 Love you guys

#Eddie Munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson stranger things #stranger things #joseph quinn #eddie munson fluff

[enbyeddiediaz]

no but @amourbleue 's post abt them being seperated during the blackout got me thinking. it got me thinking loves. and I touched on it in my tags on her post but. eddie and michael being trapped together and buck and bobby trapped or working together.

Michael has been in a position similar to eddie before, closeted dad with feelings for someone who isn't who you're with. they get trapped somewhere together, elevator perhaps, and eddie's trying to get them out but nothing's working so eventually he and Michael just sit on the floor. eventually they get to talking, catching up, asking how eddie's recovery is going, how is david doing, etc. and eventually there's a lull and maybe eddie is thinking abt how buck's call is going since they split up for efficiency and internally he's going "man I wish I was with Buck rn" and gives a little sigh and michaels like "soooo who are you thinking abt to get you to sigh like that" and eddies like "oh, just buck. I was wondering what he's doing on his call right now" and michaels like "oh?" and eddie just starts talking abt buck and how he wishes he was out there with him bc he loves his job but he likes it best when he's at buck's side and he just wants to make sure he's safe and then he starts talking abt their family time with Chris and the entire time michael is sitting there like [knowing gay silence] and then he's like "so you and buck are....?" and eddie blushes bright red and goes "j-just friends, he has a girlfriend" and michael just hums and goes "but is that all you want to be?" and eddies confused and tilts his head and goes "what?" and michaels like "well it's just the way you talk about him, it sounds like you're in love with him" and eddie says "what? no that's-" and then a beat. "oh shit" he says shakily. and michaels just sitting there like "congratulations on your queer awakening" and eddie just leans his head against the wall of the elevator and goes "holy fuck I'm in love with buck" and then "that explains a lot" and then spills it all to michael and michaels like "eddie I don't want to be rude but. you're dense as fuck" and eddie puts his head in his hands and whines "I knooooow" and then kinda desperately "it's just. he's buck, how could I not?"

now for bobby and buck. bucks been ansty abt eddie being back at work bc he keeps seeing eddie falling to the street and bleeding out. bobby picked up on the anxiousness and can guess the source pretty easily. and now that they've split up to be faster, buck is a bit more jittery. not enough to affect him on the job but enough that bobby notices. so he starts talking "you know, when Athena came back to work last year after the incident, I was worried about her all the time. it was like I was tense all the time unless I had my eyes on her to make sure she was safe" and buck is like "ok????" bc he hasn't quite connected the dots yet, and then bobby goes "it's eddie's second week back, right?" and bucks like "yeah????? oh" and bobby just nods and bucks like "but that's different, athena's your wife, eddie and I are just..." "just what, buck?" "well it's...he's..." and he isn't quite sure how to put it into words and says "he's eddie" and they're chugging away and bobby j's considering his next words and then settles on "you remember what you told me after he was shot? that you were just the guy standing right in front of him that couldn't do anything to help him?" and buck nods. "well. that's how I felt listening over the radio with athena. I didn't have to wonder what life would be like without her, I felt it in that moment. and I knew I never wanted to live like that" and at this point bucks breathing has gotten a little unsteady, having nothing to do with the call, and he says "what are you trying to say bobby" softly, with a shaky voice. "you love him, buck." bobby says gently. "n-no, I can't I'm with taylor, bobby I can't be in love with him, I can't-" and he's breathing heavy now, and bobby goes "buck, you gotta breathe" and his breath evens out and he looks bobby in eyes, eyes wide as saucers and goes "oh my god I'm in love with him" and bobby just puts his hand on bucks shoulder and goes "I know, son. and I also know that you'll do the right thing about it." and they finish the call and make their way back to reunite with the team.

the second buck and eddie see each other coming, the both freeze. they stand. they just look at each other, maintaining eye contact. bucks breath hitches and eddies is shaky. everything around them stops and they think at the same time "it's him. it's always gonna be him" and then the moment breaks when bobby calls them over for another call

#im rambling again beloveds #i think we deserve to see flustered eddie. as a treat #every time i have an idea im like 'maybe i should write fic' and every time im like 'maybe later' #i would put this under a cut but. i dont know how to do that #wait i can google it #AHAHAHAHAH I DID IT #no wait hold on what if buck and bobby are getting them out of the elevator and its in between floors and buck gets the doors open and ligh #shines through onto eddies face and he looks up and blinks a bit and then the shot is buck reaching his arm through to eddie and eddie #looking up at him illuminated #i got distracted by the olympics ajdnsnjd #when i finally break and start writing fics its over for you bitches #PARALLEL LOVERS SHOT TO 3.06 AND 4.13 WHEN #just think of how charged it would be with confirmed pining from both sides..... #buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #michael grant #bobby bash #911 #911 fox #911 on fox #s5 speculation

[kitkatpancakestack]

Train

My beloved, I have combined your two prompts of Train and Unkempt <3

“Dad.”

Eddie glances to the side as Christopher shuffles up beside him, blinking owlishly through his glasses. “Hey, buddy. You just get up?”

He nods, stifling a yawn.

“How’d the bed sleep?”

“Mm, not as good as home, but I liked it.” He sags against Eddie’s side, and warmth blossoms through Eddie’s chest as he wraps an arm around his son’s shoulders. “How come we’ve never been on a train before?”

“You know, the opportunity just never came up.”

“Mm.” He looks around then, surveying the nearby spaces of the train car. It’s still pretty early, and there are only a couple families and solo stragglers occupying the dining area. “Where’s Buck?”

Eddie winces, recalling long late into the night of tossing and turning and listening to the arduous whistling of Buck trying to breathe. “He’s not feeling so good, mijo.”

“What? But it’s his birthday! We’re going to Seattle!”

“I know, and he might feel up for some adventure in a couple days, but for now he just needs a little rest, okay?”

Christopher pouts, but nods. “If you say so.”

“I say so. Now, how about some breakfast?”

They end up splitting a stack of pancakes and pile of bacon. They talk about school and their planned adventures in Seattle, and he regales Eddie on a compendium of facts that sound regurgitated from Buck’s mouth, but it makes him smile. He likes seeing bits of Buck poke through Chris, carving out little holes where the sun shines through. Tiny reminders of the person Eddie is privileged enough to be able to raise his son with.

After about twenty minutes or so, Eddie stacks their plates and wipes his hands. “Alright, buddy, I’m gonna go check on Buck, okay? You can hang out and watch the scenery, but don’t leave this car. Got it?”

Christopher offers him a sharp salute. “Yes, sir!”

He laughs and ruffles his hair, and then tiptoes back into their bedroom. He’d sprung for the deluxe package. His city worker’s salary had balked at the price tag, but it was Buck’s birthday, and Buck didn’t have a lot of big birthdays growing up. Eddie felt empowered to make up for every single year he went without, so the decision hadn’t been a hard one. It was difficulty to regret, anyway, with a full-size bed and another off to the side, completely accessible, along with free room service.

Unfortunately, the birthday boy in question could not, at present, enjoy it.

Eddie drops onto the bed by a Buck-shaped lump under the covers. He smooths his hand over the hill of a shoulder, down the slope of an arm, settling into the valley of a hip.

“Hey, baby,” Eddie whispers, hand reversing course and slowing to a stop by a tuft of blond hair peeking out of the blankets. “How ya feeling?”

Buck shifts slowly onto his back. Dazzlingly blue eyes peer up at him beneath hooded lids. His hair is an unkempt mess of curls splayed out over the pillow. “Bad,” is his dry response.

Eddie grazes his fingertips along Buck’s throat. “Still hurt to swallow?”

“Little better.”

His fingers move from the thin skin of his throat to the clamminess over his forehead. “Still have a headache?”

“Just congested, I think.”

“Hm.” Eddie traces the curve of Buck’s cheekbone with his knuckle, and Buck’s eyes flutter shut as he leans into the touch. “I’m sorry you're sick on your birthday.”

Buck shrugs, an action restricted by the blankets wrapped around his body. “S’okay. I’m here with you guys.”

“Doesn’t feel like a fair trade.”

Eddie’s joking, obviously, but Buck’s eyes snap open and tunnel passed Eddie’s defenses, all the way to his soul. “Of course it’s a fair trade,” he says, and his hand escapes the confinement of the blankets to push Eddie’s fringe away from his face, snare his fingers in the hair, hold him in place. “You guys are worth it every time.”

There it is again, a prickling buzz in the corner of Eddie’s skull. I’ll never know how to carry the love you give me. It runs through his head at least once a day, whenever he feels the heat of Buck’s presence at his side. But, that’s his own thing to figure out, and he's learning, bit by bit, how to permit himself to carry it.

“Where’s Chris?”

“Looking at the scenery. He’ll be in when he gets bored, which should be any moment now."

Buck laughs, and the sound is thick and throaty and congested, but so, so beautiful. “Lie down with me then. Just for a minute.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, but there’s no heat behind it. He’s got his two favorite boys with him, they’re on a train to Seattle, and all he wants to do is bury his face in his boyfriend’s neck, here, where it feels like the chaos of LA can't touch him. So he lies down, and he closes his eyes, and he presses his nose against the underside of Buck's jaw, and for once in his life, he takes a damn minute.

#kitkat writes #buddie #one word prompts #outlandishgal

[zashizawa]

to be loved and to be in love

read on ao3

Looking back on it all, Buck would say that it was all Chimney's fault. Not his at all. Just Chimney's.

Okay, maybe just a little bit his.

"I'm telling you, everybody backs out of truth or dare eventually. Everybody," Chim announced confidently, leaning against the island as Bobby and Buck made lunch behind him.

Hen was sprawled on the couch in the loft and scrolling on her phone, but she raised a pointed brow at her friend's words. "That's because with you it's just dare or dare," she shot back.

Chimney scoffed. "Nobody ever chooses truth! Watch this," he hooked his thumb over his shoulder and then turned, facing Buck. "Buck, truth or dare?"

Buck, who'd been in the process of pulling a pan of lasagna out of the oven, froze, his eyes widening. "Dare," he said without hesitation, and then grimaced as the heat began to soak through the oven mit, quickly setting it down on top of the stove.

"See!"

"Chim, I don't think any of us have any more dark secrets to reveal to you," Bobby pointed out, closing the oven door that Buck had forgotten to, shooting the younger man an exasperated look.

"I don't ask that bad of questions," Chimney defended, pouting, and before the team could respond with every bad question he'd ever asked, he looked to Buck again.

"I dare you to--"

"Oh, God," Hen muttered.

"Shush! Buck, I dare you to. . ." The man flicked his gaze around the station, and locked his eyes onto his target, smirking. "Kiss Eddie."

Hen promptly choked on her own spit, and Buck made an unintelligible squeak of shock. Bobby sighed heavily, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wha--No! No way!" Buck looked frantically over to where his best friend was approaching the loft stairs, unaware of what was going on.

"You have to!" Hen cried, turning unnaturally on the sofa, her eyes wide. "It's truth or dare, Buck, you gotta do it," she demanded, and Chimney nodded along, beaming.

"B- What-?"

"Do it! Do it, Buck," Chim practically begged.

"C'mon, you're not a coward are you?" Hen challenged, a smirk forming on her lips.

And then, unexpectedly, a determined look formed on the blond's face. "Oh shit, did we break him?" Chim whispered loudly, but he didn't take his eyes off of Buck, who was striding toward the stairs with confidence.

Eddie, who had just reached them, offered a grin and a, "Hey guys--" before Buck was in front of him and planting a kiss on his lips.

Startled, Eddie nearly tripped over his own feet, but it didn't take long for him to return the kiss with vigor, his hands coming up to frame Buck's face. For a few seconds, it was funny.

And then. . . they didn't stop kissing.

Chim blinked slowly, inching towards Hen. "Is this-- Is this like voyeurism?"

Hen threw her head back in laughter, smacking her friend on the arm hard, and that was what finally made Eddie and Buck break apart.

Eddie's eyes were wide and his lips were swollen. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish multiple times, making strange, choked off noises. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Hen and Chim quite literally wheezing with laughter, tears shining in their squinted eyes.

"Oh my God," Hen cried, her hand over her heart as she gasped. "He dared you to kiss him, not suck the life out of him!"

And just like that, whatever hopeful, maybe happy look on Eddie's face smoothed away, his expression carefully blank. "That was a dare?" He asked softly, swallowing.

"I--Uh, yeah. It--I'm sorry," Buck stammered, his eyes equally as wide. Eddie swallowed once, took a breath, and then spun on his heel and walked away.

Buck watched him go with a hurt expression on his face, his shoulders sagging. "I thought. . . I thought he'd want. . ." He trailed off, his lips pursed, and Hen could swear his eyes were shining.

Sympathy flooded all of their faces, and Chim shuffled over to him, squeezing his arm comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Buckaroo. We all thought he would too."

Taking a breath, Buck offered a watery grin to show there weren't any hard feelings, and he left too.

"I really did not see that coming," Chimney announced to Bobby and Hen.

Hen looked guiltily to the ground, and Bobby just sighed, going back to working on the food. "I messed up, didn't I?" Chim asked.

"We messed up," Hen corrected, shaking her head with a sigh.

-

It was clear the rest of the shift that tension was high between Buck and Eddie, both of them avoiding the other at every turn, and when they had to work together, they wouldn't meet each other's eyes. It broke Buck's heart.

He should've known Eddie didn't love him back. Buck had never, never loved somebody like he loved Eddie, and with the way his life went, he should've just known it was too good to be true. And yet, he'd let Chim and Hen's crowing get to him, had let himself get hyped up, had let himself hope.

Only for it to be stamped out when Eddie turned and walked away. And now he sat in the locker room, their shift having ended minutes ago, and he just didn't know what to do. Eddie wouldn't even look at him.

The thought of losing him--losing Christopher--made his hands tremble. He couldn't have cost himself his family over a stupid kiss. He couldn't have.

Yet, when Eddie appeared in the doorway and spotted him, only to immediately tense and turn around, it felt like all the confirmation he needed. Still, he held on. "Please," Buck whispered, voice shaky.

His best friend froze where he'd been about to stalk off. "Please," Buck repeated, "can we just talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Eddie denied, voice as stiff as his back.

"Eddie."

Finally, the man turned back to him. "It's- It's fine, Buck. You don't have to-"

"I do have to say this," Buck said, shaking his head and dropping his gaze to the ground to hide the fact that his eyes were shining with tears. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I kissed you." He drew a shuddering breath, trying not to let his voice break.

"I won't- We can just pretend it didn't happen, it doesn't have to change anything. I'm so sorry, Eds, I know you don't feel that way about me, I shouldn't have-"

The blond's tangent was cut off by Eddie releasing a strangled squeak. It sounded strained enough that Buck's wet eyes snapped up to meet Eddie's. He looked confused and slightly hopeful. "What do you mean, I don't feel that way about you?"

Buck's eyes widened, mirroring his confusion. "Y-You didn't want- You walked away. You don't-" He stammered for a few seconds before he clammed up, his eyes wide and his hands fidgeting in his lap. His heart pounded in his chest.

"Of course I want-" Eddie cut himself off, brows pushed together as he studied the other man. "You said it was a dare."

And all the confusion left Buck at once, his expression smoothing incredulously. A startled laugh tore from his throat, the corners of his lips tugging upward. "You thought I didn't-?"

"I thought you didn't-"

"I thought you didn't-"

"I do!" They cried in unison, and then they laughed. The next moment, Eddie was crossing Buck's space and pressing another kiss to his lips. This one without any shock or hesitation.

When they pulled apart seconds later, they were grinning stupidly at each other. "I do. Love you, that is," Buck said finally, voice soft and content, his hands loosely on Eddie's hips.

"And I love you. Shouldn't we be saving the 'I do's for a later date?"

Buck barked out a laugh. "Presumptuous, are we?"

"Probably shouldn't be, considering this pretty stupid misunderstanding," Eddie admitted, brushing his thumb over Buck's birthmark.

Beaming, he pulled Eddie in for another kiss, and he knew they'd be okay.

(Standing outside the locker room, a sulking Chimney handed a twenty to Hen. "Idiots," she huffed affectionately.)

#evan buckley #911 #eddie diaz #buddie #buck x eddie #911 fox #911 fic #chimney han #hen wilson #bobby nash #yeah i still cant tag #911fic

[leedongwook]

Under Pressure

My thoughts and wishes for 4x13 Buck and Eddie get both targeted by the shooter 

(Sorry this is not beta-read so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes hope you can still enjoy the fic :))

There‘s an annoying ringing in his ears and Buck really needs it to stop. He tries to move his head around but stops when he feels something hard and cold rub against his cheek. He feels cold and it’s dark.

Why was it dark? Wasn‘t it in the middle of the day? Right, his eyes are closed, but why? What has he been doing again?

Suddenly there are loud noises around him and Buck's getting even more annoyed that he can’t get his eyes to open. He wiggles his toes and moves his fingers. It takes a couple of more seconds, but he‘s finally able to open his eyes a bit.

The light is too bright and it blinds his eyes. He blinks again because his vision is still blurry.

He really needs to get up, he feels so cold. He awkwardly tries to shift his body, when a searing pain rips through his side and makes him stop moving. He hears someone groan and realizes it’s himself. His side is throbbing and he feels like throwing up.

What on earth had happened?

He drags his left arm downwards to his side and realizes something wet and sticky on the ground.

He notices the smell now. Is that blood?

"- uck!“

He moves again and the pain running through his side snaps his focus back and his eyes fly open. The sun is shining bright in the sky, he can see that now. It's May and it should be warm, but Buck can’t stop shaking.

"Hey, Buck! Don’t - don‘t move ok! Stay still.“

Buck turns his head towards the voice, he can hear clearly now. Still, a bit blurry, Eddie’s face comes into his view.

" Ed- die? What? Where 'r we?“

"Please Buck, don’t move. The shooter is still somewhere out there."

The shooter?

There’s a plopping sound right next to him and Eddie cries out.

Buck looks over to Eddie and only now realizes that Eddie is lying on the floor. Just like him.

Eddie’s breathing hard and he holds his right hand to his shoulder. It’s red and a small river of blood is trickling over his knuckles, down his arm. His sleeve is already tainted in red. Buck follows the red line on Eddie's arm and finds more blood on the floor.

Oh my god, Eddie’s been shot.

"Eddie, you are shot? Eddie!“

Eddie looks at him in pain, then slowly shuffles over to where Buck is lying. Buck tries to move too, but there’s this sharp pain in his side again and it takes his breath away. He starts coughing which causes his side to scream out in pain even more and it's really getting on his nerves.

"Buck, you need to breathe, please breathe. You need to put pressure on your side. Do you understand? Gah, Buck, please.“

Eddie’s got tears in his eyes and his head falls back onto the concrete in frustration.

"What? Why? Eddie, I don’t... I ...“

What does Eddie mean? Why does he need to put pressure on his side, it’s hurting him enough already.

He looks down on his body and almost has to throw up again when he sees his white shirt painted in red. His fingers crawl wander along on the concrete and he can feel the wetness on it. He moves then over to his side and he touches the places where the blood seems to come from.

He screams and doesn’t know how to breathe anymore. Ok, this doesn't look too good. Something's really wrong.

"Buck, calm down, please. Put pressure on your side, I think it’s a through, and through. You need to stop the bleeding. Come on, snap out of it.“

Eddie’s voice fades away and Buck sees dark spots dancing on the edges of his vision.

"I - I can’t, I can’t. Eds I'm sorry.“

He's breathing heavily now, face pressed against the concrete. The ground smells like blood and dirt and Buck gags.

"Please, you need to try. You need to stop the blood flow.“

Buck blinks his eyes open again and looks over to his friend who had rolled onto his side and still holds his own shoulder. His hands are redder than before and Eddie’s face looks pale and sweaty.

They need help. They need help now.

“HELP! PLEASE HELP!”

Buck screams or he thinks he does. His throat hurts and feels dry.

Buck feels himself fading and he knows he needs to put pressure on his wound. He can’t get himself to move around though, so he tries to get his hands under his side, to stop the bleeding.

He can’t get his hand under his hip, it hurts too much and so he just lets it flop down on the ground next to him.

He’s gonna die here, on the street, because he can’t help himself. What a firefighter he is.

He closes his eyes again and drifts for a few seconds.

Suddenly there’s pressure on his side, fingers digging into his wound and the increasing pain makes his eyes fly open again.

Eddie’s face is right in front of him now and he’s got tears running down his cheeks, dripping into the red sea of blood underneath them.

"Don’t you dare check out on me, Buck. Don’t you dare!"

Buck chuckles at that, it’s ironic, that he’s back at being hurt again, back at worrying people. It seems like it’s the only thing he can do.

He doesn’t want Eddie to worry again, doesn’t want to see him sad.

“Come on, Buck stay with me!”

Bucks lips feel numb and he wants to say so many things, but he’s just mumbling incoherent things. He can't think straight.

“-ot gonna leave you, Eds.”

Eddie pushes harder on his wound and he moans out loud again.

“You’re a good friend, Eds. Best friend. I love you.”

He slowly moves his fingers over to Eddie’s face and strokes gently at his cheek, leaving a bloody trail on it.

Buck feels like they’re lying here, on the street, for hours and nothing happens.

Eddie just looks at him with tired eyes. The pressure of Eddie’s hand on his side lessens and his fingers slowly slip away and Buck can see his friend closing his eyes. His hand falls off his own shoulder and comes to rest next to his head.

“Hey, you're not checking out on me either, Eds. You still owe me a revanche at the ps4 game, you cheater.”

“I - I don’t cheat Buckley, you’re just so bad in playing this game.”

They both chuckles, but Buck starts coughing and he tastes blood in his mouth.

“Sorry Buck, I'm sorry I can't - I can't ... anymore..."

Eddie’s hand slips from holding onto Bucks' side completely now and he can feel getting soaked with more blood. He’s not shivering anymore though, and he knows this is not a good sign.

“It’s ok Eddie, it’s ok, thank you for holding on.”

Eddie’s eyes close and his chest barely moves. Buck feels the darkness overcome him too when suddenly there’s movement around them.

“Buck!!!! Eddie !!!!! Wake up?! Come on stay with us!!! COME ON!!!”

Buck's eyes are barely open and he slowly lifts his hand towards Eddie.

Please, please, help him please! Help Eddie.

Someone grabs his arm and rubs a hand over his sternum to rouse him. He feels too heavy and tired though and lets darkness pull him under.

At least they can help Eddie now. They need to help Eddie.

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

“You know, you could really open your eyes now, kid.”

Buck groans and moves his head around on the pillow. Why can’t he just sleep in for once? He’s not having a shift today, is he?

“You’re scaring us a bit there, Buck. Especially Eddie here is a bit of a nervous wreck, so if you please could open those blue eyes for us.”

Eddie? Why is Eddie worried? Isn’t he with Chris?

Buck becomes restless and tries to shake himself awake. He wiggles his toes which makes his hips move and then there’s this weird dull pain in his side that makes him stop moving.

He grips at the fabric of his bedsheets. They itch and feel cold.

His side throbs in pain again. Ok, something's not right.

He hears a whimper and realizes it’s him. He fights hard and peels his eyes open. It’s too bright and he can feel the sun shining on his face. His eyes roll around and he sees the white lights, white ceiling and the white blanket resting on his chest.

There’s a hand holding his arm.

“There you are, kid. How are you feeling?”

“Not my bed, Cap?!”

Bobby chuckles and squeezes at his arm.

“No Buck, not your bed, unfortunately.”

Buck groans and lets his head flop back onto the too hard pillow. He hates hospitals.

“Why am I in hospital, Bobby?”

Bobby’s face goes serious and Buck can see red lines under his eyes. He must have been worried too then.

“There was a shooter, who targeted LAFD members. Do you remember that?”

Buck swallows hard. He needs something to drink. He nods absently. He does remember the threats someone made. But he never thought they’d actually do this. Who would do this?

“You - you got shot. They hit you in your side. It was a through and through, thankfully no important organs but you lost so much blood because we couldn’t get to you sooner.”

Buck looks at Bobby and he can see the sorrow in his eyes.

“And Eddie.”

Hearing Eddie’s name Buck's mind starts to go into overload, pictures of the incident flashing before his eyes. The cold floor and blood, there was so much blood. Eddie’s bloody hands and tears.

Oh my god, Eddie was shot too.

Buck almost jumps out of his bed, but Bobby stops him. The injury on his side isn’t happy about his sudden movement and the pain increases immensely so he need needs to close his eyes for a bit and tries to steady his breathing. After some seconds Buck feels the pain subsiding a bit again.

Okay. Moving around is not a good idea at the moment. Noted.

He opens his eyes again and grabs at Bobby’s arm.

“Where is Eddie? Is he ok? Bobby, where is he?”

“Calm down, Buck. Eddie is alright. Look.”

Bobby moves his head towards the other side of Buck's bed and Buck's eyes follow it. Slumped, in a way too uncomfortable chair, is sitting Eddie. His head is resting on his chest. His breath comes out steady and he’s got a good color on his face. His shoulder is bandaged and in a sling.

“Also a through and through but the bullet knicked an artery. Thankfully he was able to stop the bleeding for a bit.”

Buck remembers how Eddie crawled over to him and put pressure on both of their wounds.

“He saved me. He - he rolled over to me and pushed on my wound. I wouldn’t be - I ...”

Buck's eyes swell up and tears run down his cheeks.

Bobby gently rubs at his shoulder.

“He did yeah. He didn’t let go.”

Eddie suddenly coughs and his eyes blink open. He looks around and his eyes land on Buck. He straightens his body and shuffles closer to the bed. He puts his hand on Bucks hand.

“Hey, you’re awake. It’s about damn time.”

Bobby lets go of Buck's shoulder and moves towards the door.

“I’m gonna call Maddie and let her know you’re awake. She’s going to want to see you.”

Buck nods and looks back at Eddie.

“Eds your shoulder. Are you ok?”

Eddie smiles and scratches at his head.

“I’ve had worse.”

Buck rolls his eyes but takes Eddie’s hand into his.

“Oh shut up, you been whining like a baby about your shoulder.”

Eddie laughs.

“Says the one who couldn't even stop his own bleeding huh.”

His friend's face turns sad though and tears spill into his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re ok, Buck. I'm so glad.”

Buck squeezes his hand gently.

“I’m glad you’re ok too. Thank you for not letting go, Eddie.”

Eddie smiles.

“Got your back. remember?!”

“Yeah.”

Buck feels tired again and leans back on his pillow. The movement jostles his wound again and pain flares up.

“Oh, man getting shot sucks.”

Eddie chuckles.

“Right? It does. But hey, Chim and Hen are gonna have to do our chores for the next couple of weeks while we can watch and order them around."

Buck laughs out loud.

“Yeah, that we can do.”

#911 #911 fox #911 fanfiction #evan buckley #eddie diaz #bobby nash #s04e13 #haleysfics #my writing #tw: gun violence #tw: blood and injuries #hurt/comfort #buck whump #eddie whump #my fics #haleys fics

[soulwillower]

heather • richie tozier

(richie tozier x reader)

[based off the song heather by conan gray]

requested:   OMG I HAVE AN IDEA IDK IF ITS GOOD AND IDK WHY IM TYPING IN ALL CAPS BUT CAN U DO A FIC WHERE LIKE ITS BASED OF YHE SONG HEATHER BY CONAN GRAY WHERE THE READER AND RICH HAVE BEEN BEST FRIENDS FOR SO MANY YEARS AND HAVE FEELINGS FOR EACHOTHER BUT THERE BOTH SO OBLIVIOUS- SO WHEN RICHIE LIKE GETS A GF ONE DAY THE READER JUST WHSKWHDIWHWIW IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT LIKE AT THE END THEY REALIZE THEYRE IN LOVE. SORRY IF ITS TOK SPECIFIC. LOVE U. IM RUNNING OUTTA CHARACTERS 

warnings: swearing, mentions of underage drinking, themes of cheating but no actual cheating, angst, fluff at the end, unedited.

thank u guys so much for being so patient with this fic <3 love u all so much!

[losers + reader are  18+ in this.]

4.4k words

(also, this fic starts with a flashback and idk if i like this style, but lmk if it works) 

♡

the persistent beat thudding in your ears seems to do nothing more than dim your already low mood as you sip on lemonade by yourself in someone's basement bar, sitting on an uncomfortable metal barstool and leaning your head heavy against your chin.

these days, it seemed as though the world was painted in gray.

you look around almost lazily; bev and ben went outside in the snow a couple minutes ago, stan just took a girl upstairs - you're left alone now, because mike and eddie had to study for their exam and bill was feeling under the weather. and richie, as usual, was late.

there's almost twenty other people in the room right now, but you have no desire to speak to any of them. you've been trying to have fun tonight, but you're just having a hard time, feeling distracted and unable to stop thinking about wire framed glasses and a certain bright smile.

your wandering eyes halt your thoughts as a girl in your class - heather perez -  catches your eye from across the room, her hair falling in natural curls that makes you sigh in envy. she smiles and waves at you warmly, gesturing for you to come and sit with her. you swallow and look down into your cup of dreary, graying lemonade as you try not to think about how you look in comparison. she's so fucking pretty. you look back up and shake your head with a friendly smile, faker than a plastic flower, and nod to the bathroom. she shrugs and smiles, turning back around.

she was too sweet, it hurt.

her naturally dark hair, long and wavy, her smooth dark skin, her laugh.... but suddenly, your head snaps back up after recognizing a familiar sight on heather's figure.

-is that richie's sweater?

your heart thumps and churns in the most unsavory way as all the breath leaves your lungs in one swift exhale. you feel sick to your stomach and your hand falls to hit the counter to stabilize yourself, the lemonade sloshing out of the cup slightly. but you pay no mind. heather's wearing richie's sweater...

you know that sweater really well. it's definitely his, and for some reason that makes you want to cry.

you blink and force yourself to suck air into your lungs as you look around quickly, anywhere but at heather perez wearing richie tozier's sweater, with all the stripes and patterns and the rough polyester material. you're not sure why you're so caught off-guard, you knew that heather perez was maybe-kinda-sorta seeing your trashmouth. he'd mentioned it in passing a few times and you've not been able to keep it off your mind as bev and bill whisper to richie about it in the halls or during hangouts when you were laying in stan's lap pretending not to hear it.

it hurts, though. holy hell, does it hurt when richie turns the corner and the typical, 'hey, richie!' choruses through most of the people in the basement - and yet his eyes are just set on her.

it hurts even worse when you make eye contact with him and he smiles at you, nodding in greeting and calling a "hey there, toots!" over the thumping of the noise before turning back towards heather.

your heart thumps erradically as you eye him sliding an arm around her shoulders easily, pulling her into his tall lanky frame,  crushing your chest and deflating your trembling heart. heather's head falls onto richie's shoulder and you shiver, feeling colder than you've felt in so long. the lemonade you force to your lips tasting like stale water as the sight of richie pinching heather's shoulder and thumbing his own sweater on her frame make you feel empty.

even now, weeks later, you remember how it felt. you sip on the boiling tea and immediately burn your tongue, making you swear as you stare out your window, the snow falling around your house in the dark making you feel an odd, empty kind of peace. that fucking sweater.

you haven't talked to richie in almost a week and a half - he got in trouble the night after the party and his parents took his phone away - at eighteen years old, his parents took his phone - so that he could 'spend time with family' (a task that made you chuckle to yourself when bill had explained it to you about twelve days ago).

it's winter break, though, and you've been missing the last piece of your eight-person puzzle the last few times you've hung out with your friends. it feels empty without richie's boisterous shenanigans, snarky looks and goofy comebacks... you feel really embarrassed for missing him so deeply.

tears well up in your eyes as you think again about his damn sweater, the one that heather was wearing, the same one he'd given you not even three weeks prior.

"well look at you." richie says with amusement trickling through his voice like melting icewater through a calm creek.  you spin towards him with a grin eclipsing your face as you shrug around his sweater, pretending not to smell his strong scent and pretending not to feel the immediate comfort it gives you.

"you know, for as dumb as it looks, i kind of like it." you tease, brushing some hair back from your eyes as the sweater sleeves fall back down past your hands. he laughs, eyes not leaving you for a second.

"shit, doll. keep it." he says, sounding serious. it makes you pull a face at him, starting to lift it slightly over your head to return it to its rightful owner.

but he shakes his head, hands gently gripping your arms and halting your motions, subsequently setting your heart on fire. his lips are set in a gentle grin as he shakes his head again. "it looks so much better on you."

it's spoken simply, in such honestly that it makes you blush nearly immediately. in fact, you're so flustered that all you can do is shove him a bit, stuttering out a quiet, "shut up, richie, you- i - okay, whatever."

it makes him chuckle as he takes the soft blow of your hands against his shoulders, deftly running his hands through his curly locks as he shakes his head. "you're adorable, kid."

you're lucky he'd turned around to gripe around on his messy bed for his laptop, because the stupid grin you're sure is painting your face is enough to make you dig your own grave and then hand him the shovel. if only he knew how much you liked him.

you didn't keep the sweater after that night, though. at the time, you'd told him it was because it was putrid; that the colors and patterns were a sin to man and that you'd never be caught dead wearing it out. he laughed the whole time because you had literally worn it to the store with him it with him that same day. but now, you'd give anything for richie to give you that sweater again, to feel that polyester inseam fall against your stomach and your arms and chest, like a huge richie hug (without all the bones and the cologne and the caffeine-pulsing heartbeat - so not a real richie hug, but as close as you could get to the real thing without actually just having it).

god, you like him too much. you rub your face with your palm, the moisture from the tears that had accidentally escaped your eyes smudging against your face. you're tired, almost - it's like an empty, heartbroken exhaustion that sags your shoulders and chokes your throat and makes you zone out for minutes at a time. one thought overwhelms you right now, so as you see a car's headlights shine out your window through the falling snow, you don't even notice it.

you just wish you were heather.

you've tried to hate her. really, you have - you figured maybe, just maybe, if you were able to rant to bev or eddie about how much of a bitch heather is, how she's terrible to richie and how boring she was, maybe you could justify the heartbreak in your chest.

but god, she's so perfect. heather, with her shiny hair, bright smile, her flawless mind and caring heart. she's, as far as you're concerned, an angel. of course richie would choose heather, who wouldn't?

the other day at that party, you'd tried your hardest to ignore your intrusive thoughts, but you can't help feeling like it would all be better if heather didn't exist. and even that thought alone hurts your heart, because you remember the smile on richie's face when he looked at her, swathed in his sweater and floating around the room like a beacon of light.

and you could never, ever in good conscience take that from richie.

you almost laugh at how absurd it is - now you're talking to yourself while you stare out the window, half asleep, dreaming of freckles placed just like constellations and crooked noses, of jawlines that jut out and long, lanky fingers; of loud, chipping laughter and beat up high-tops with cuffed corduroy pants.

"y/n?" a voice behind your door makes you jump a bit, unsettling your already disconcerted bones. you’re imagining him, now? you laugh into your scalding mug for a second, but after a double-take at the doorway you find the angel himself to be standing there with a perplexed look.

"richie, what're you doing here?" you ask, rubbing your eye to make sure no tears are left. he looks troubled. "i knocked, but nobody answered. so..." he says with a shrug, and you ned, tucking a leg under yourself and nodding.

"what are you doing, toots?" he asks, backlit by the hallway light. and then you finally can see what he's wearing, and you almost laugh at your own misery.

but you don’t laugh, your brain short-circuiting as you feel the knife twist further into your abdomen. the stupid fucking sweater.

“-um, nothing. y- did you get that back from heather?” you try to deliver the line as smoothly as possible, but by the look on his face, you did a real shit job at that.

“what?” he asks in an exhale as he shakes snowflakes from his hair and shoulders, closing your door as he walks towards you and falls to sit next to you on your windowsill seat.

“i thought you gave her that sweater.” you say and he raises a brow, “yeah, like two weeks ago.” he says slowly, eyeing you. he adds, “she obviously didn’t need it after that.”

you frown, “did she need it then?” you didnt try to sound bitter at all, but your voice comes with more of a sting than you’d anticipated.

as always, richie meets fire with fire. “it was twenty fuckin’ degrees out, she was wearing a tank top.”

you don’t know what to say so you just stare out the window with a quick huff, crossing your arms. "why does it matter? it's a sweatshirt." he mutters. "i was just being nice to her."

you nod, pain twisting around in your stomach. he's right, it's just a sweater. but he gave it to her, because he likes heather better.

“what’s up with you, kid?” he asks, gentler this time.

“don’t call me kid, richie.” you say sharply, not meeting his eyes. “and there’s nothing up with me.” you know you’re being difficult, but you really don't have the energy to argue with him right now.

it’s quiet again, and the silence is even more awkward. you take another scalding sip of your tea. 

“um, y/n... is this because of heather?” he says after a bit. you feel the tension that the acknowledgment brings as it hits you in the thick, cold air. richie’s tapping a rhythm on his thigh, so you can tell he feels it too.

"richie." you say weakly, your voice coming out too quiet, too obviously broken and exhausted. "i cannot do this. please don't do this right now"

he blinks at you, eyebrows furrowed. "sugar, i'm so lost right now."

you decide to change the subject. "-why'd you come over?" you ask, actually looking at him then immediately regretting it. he looks hurt and confused, like a lost puppy.

"oh. um, i just need to tell you something.it's about heather, too." he sounds anxious, and you roll your eyes, looking down at the tree outside your room as wind blows powdery white mounds off its branches.

“can this just wait until tomorrow?” you whisper. doesn't he get it?

it's quiet and for a moment you believe that he's going to leave it, to not bring up the obvious jealousy brewing in your chest. but he breaks the silence too soon.

"i tried to kiss her." he says and you immediately look towards the door, the most immediate escape possible. 

your breathing gets heavy; if you have to hear this, you know you'll admit your feeling to richie, and you don't want to do that to him. but you have a suspicion that he already knows.

"richie, i'm so, so glad to see you. and that you like heather. really, i am. but- it's not a good time. i'm not- i'm not okay." you say, voice thick as tears well behind your eyes.

richie’s eyes widen almost comically as you make eye contact and his hands immediately find purchase on your arms, his thumbs rubbing in the way that he has done ever since that one foggy summer you spent in the sewers. "y/n/n, what's wrong, sweetheart?" he asks, watching sadly as a tear slips from your cheek. it breaks your heart when he calls you sweetheart, and you shake your head.

you can't tell him the truth - that you love him, so instead, you mumble, "i've missed you. there's a lot going on, and i just really need you."

he looks guilty as he pulls you into a warm hug, one that takes you off guard but that you return gratefully. "you've been too busy spending time with heather and with your parents, and i understand that, i just - you know, i miss you." you say, voice muffled as your cheek is squished into his shoulder. he sighs shakily, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. “i know i’ve been with her a lot, i’m sorry sugar.” he mutters. 

it feels like you’re both holding something back from the other. 

"i wish i were heather." you say against his shoulder, knowing richie’s completely unaware of the depth of your statement. but he pulls back and stares at you, an unknown look on his face. you open your mouth to say something, but you're cut off before you can get anything out.

and his lips fall against yours lightly, almost as if they’re ghosts against yours. his presence feels fleeting. 

you barely close your eyes and press closer to him before you snap out of it, jerking backwards with wide eyes.

richie’s eyes fall open too as he looks at you questioningly. your heart is thumping heavy as you shake your head, more shocked than you thought ever possible. “what?” he asks, as if he’s surprised you’re not kissing back.

you give him a sad, broken look. you think you’ll cry as you mutter, "why would you ever kiss me? i'm not - i'm not nearly as pretty as her, i'm just-"richie suddenly looks like he might get sick, his face paler than usual as the steam from your tea dwindles idly between you. he cuts you off. "-why are you - why are you saying all these things y/n/n-”

“heather. you like heather.” you say frantically, trying to remind him so you dont have to live through this fresh faced heartbreak twice as painful if he kisses you again. 

but richie shakes his head, and your confusion skyrockets just as much as your heartbeat."no. a-amy asked her out." he says breathlessly. "-she said yes."

you blink, pulling even further away as it dawns on you. "wait. so... so you only want to see me after the girl you wanted finds someone else?" you ask, watching as the smile gets smacked off of richie's face so quickly you think it may give him whiplash. "wait, no-" he starts, but you shake your head.

“richie, do you understand how hurtful that is?” you say, voice heavy as you try not to let tears fall.

he shakes his head, eyes glossing with tears as he gapes at you, “n-no, y/n-“

“fuck, richie. i know you know about my feelings for you. how could you do this? i’m not heather, i’m reminded that every time i’m in the same room as the two of you. she’s had you completely mesmerized for the last month, you can’t just use me to distract yourself.” you say, your tea completely forgotten as a tear escapes your eye.

he shakes his head, looking at you with an emotion you don’t have the energy to decipher. “leave, richie.” your voice is broken and it shakes as you look away from him.

you’re not sure what you were expecting, but when richie stands up silently you dont even look away from the window. you see him wipe his cheek in your peripheral before he sighs quietly and walks out of your room, shutting the door quietly.

you cry openly as you hear your door shut downstairs, your hands shaking as you cover your face, your shoulders shaking with sobs. you make it under your covers just as you hear a car engine sputter outside, your heart empty and lips still tingling as the feeling of richie’s lips linger on yours. you groan into your pillow and let out another sob, your eyes squeezing in agony as your heart feels like it’s ripping in two.

because even if they’re not together, richie still likes her.

why couldn’t you be heather?

you cry until you’re asleep, your now cold mug of tea resting on the windowsill as your phone charges next to you and snow swirls in the dark sky.

when you wake up the next morning, your headache is nearly blinding. you feel like crying more as you remember last night. you roll over and rub your eyes, unlocking your phone groggily.  

but you check your notifications and your heart immediately stops as you see a missed call from richie at 3:49 in the morning last night, and a voicemail left a minute later.

well, you guess he got his phone back.

your fingers tremble as they hover above the play button, feeling like you may vomit from anxiety - the message he left is two minutes long.

closing your eyes, ready for even more heartbreak, you press play and hold the speaker to your ear.

“um, y/n.” the voicemail starts off, and you’re already tearing up because richie’s voice is full to the brim with anxiety and he’s not using his usual nicknames for you. 

“uh... okay, i- i know it’s four in the morning, and you’re probably asleep - god, i hope you are, and that you’re not ignoring me. not that i dont deserve it, but i just want you to get good rest. uh, a-anyways. fuck,” there’s an awkward pause and you’re holding your breath.

“you know i’m not good with phone calls or voicemails-“ his rambling just adds to your anxious feeling, but you think if you don’t listen to this, your anxiety would eat you alive.

“- fuck, i don’t know how to say this. kind of ironic, i guess, since i’ve been thinking about saying it like every day for probably more than a year- okay, i’m... god, spit it out, trashmouth.” his voice gets thicker and you can hear the emotion as he takes a shallow breath.

“y/n/n, you make my hands shake. i swear, my heart feels like it’s going to backfire and explode when we touch... and it scares me so fucking bad.” you feel your heart halt in your chest, the air leaving your lungs.

you keep the phone pressed tightly to your ear as richie’s recorded voice goes on.

“-fuck, y/n. i’m terrified. sometimes i think.... like, whoever created me... they designed me just to be yours. and... it’s not in the same way i feel about bev, or bill, or eddie-“ his voice breaks as he sniffs on the other end and it dawns on you that he’s crying. “-you’re you. you’re y/n. i tried to like heather as more than just a friend. but...” it’s silent for a second.

“i just kept comparing her to you. i do that with everybody. i think i’m broken. i love you so much that it hurts.” he’s crying enough by now that it’s leaking into his speech; he’s hiccuping, stuttering slightly, his inflection changing as you can almost picture the tears rolling off his thick eyelashes and onto his rosy cheeks.

“-and i can’t sleep right now knowing that i hurt you like this. i can’t believe that i let you think of yourself as lesser than heather in any way-“ he sobs quietly in the recording and takes a stuttering breath. "i can’t believe i put myself before you. i’m such a shitty friend. i should’ve been giving you my stupid fucking sweaters the whole time.” 

tears are pouring out of your eyes as you sit up, ripping the comforter off your legs. you’re pulling on socks and your shoes as you continue to listen to richie’s voicemail.

“i’m sorry that i kissed you, and i’m sorry that i dragged you into this m-mess, that i used heather as an excuse to ignore my feelings for you. i-i love you so fucking much, and i’m just so scared of hurting you. i’m so sorry that i hurt you, y/n.”

you have to see him.

“-and, um, i’m sorry i left this voice message. this is probably the worst way to find this out but i figured that it would be easier for us to ignore if it wasn’t in person- y’know, because you don’t have to respond. just- now you know. that i’m sorry, and that i don’t expect you to forgive me or want to speak to me for a while. i just- i need you to know that you’re so loved, y/n. and that you deserve so much better than me.

“so, um, okay. i’ll let you sleep now. b-bye.” he whispers the end and then the line cuts dead.

you’re left with shaking breath and tears in your eyes as his voice rings in your head. you try to take in what he’s just said, but you think you’re about to pass out.

how can richie love you back?

you brush your teeth almost aggressively as your heart beats erratically in your chest and then you’re suddenly flying down the snowy road towards the tozier’s house.

you realize too late that you look completely awry, hair unbrushed, eyes puffy and swollen, shoes untied as you knock on the front door of richie's house.

went opens the door, richie’s younger sister sat on his hip as he smiles at you, "y/n! long time no see. richie's upstairs in his room."

you smile at him in thanks, too rushed to say anything to him or munch. then you’re all but sprinting up the stairs, only feeling the anxiety as you throw open the door to his bedroom. 

you're relieved that he's laying in his bed, surrounded by pillows and fluffy comforters as he jumps from the noise of your arrival.

when he sits up, neither of you say anything. his eyes are red and rimmed with tears, a heartbreaking sight as his lower lip trembles slightly. you're sure you look the same as you take a step towards his bed, your eyes not leaving each other's for a second.

he looks incredible, still. 

"y/n..." he whispers finally, his eyes wide. "did you get my message?" he says, lips tilting in a stupid, forced smile. his voice holds no humor in it's sad thickness, though, and you sigh as you look down to the carpet.

you shake your head, "can you not joke for a minute, rich?"

he laughs wetly, standing up fully and although he towers at 6'0, he looks so small. "i can try, doll, but then i'll start to cry a lot, and that's just not what anybody wants-"

"richie." you say, effectively ceasing his rambling. it's cold in his room, bright white from the snow outside, and silent. he looks at you with huge eyes and a red nose.

but you don't know what to say. you’ve spent so long wanting to be heather, but now you've found out that richie's loved you this whole time. it hurts, but you can't wait another second being away from richie. 

you launch yourself towards him, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down to your mouth.

this time, the kiss is warm, unexpected again but much more loving. it's a kiss that tastes like tears and love and trust, and all you can feel is richie as his hands find purchase on your cheek and back, pulling you so close to him that you can feel is rapid heartbeat.

he pulls back to mumble against your lips, "i'm so sorry." you shake your head, pressing another kiss to his and loving the feeling of richie against you finally. "i love you." you say, feeling his grin against your mouth.

"i love you so much." he says, pulling you lightly to fall onto his bed with him and tickling your sides.

you laugh lightly, swatting at his prodding fingers. "please stop crying." he whispers, laying above you with a small smile. you roll your eyes, "you stop crying rich." you retort, and he shakes his head, one of his tears falling onto your cheek. you jump from the feeling and wipe it away, sniffling a gasp and pulling him into a tight hug, his legs tangling with yours.

“i’m sorry.” he mumbles. you cup his cheeks so his lips pucker out and you smile at him, whispering, “i forgive you, rich. i love you.” and then you place a soft kiss to his lips and he kisses you back enthusiastically.  he pulls back and hugs you again, burrowing himself in your neck. 

"i didn't think i'd ever get you." he says, muffled by his face in your shoulder. "thank you for trusting me. i love you so much." he kisses your collarbone lightly and your fingers play through his curls lightly as you smile, eyes closing. you're so tired.

"i love you more, richie."

you fall asleep with richie curled up beside you, his breath light on your chest and arms clutching you against him. you fall asleep with richie’s lips on your neck, his legs entangled with yours. 

you fall asleep contently, knowing that you no longer have to wish you were heather.

tag list: @gabiatthedisco @blisshemmings​ @stenbrozier​ @simplesammyx​   @brxken-heartsclub​ @clownsloveyou​ @moon-shine-baby​ @daughter-of-the-stars11  @trashedfortozier​ @oceandog13​ @finnskindofwoman  @kait-tozier @upamongthestarss @fiantomartell @beverlyparkerr @beauregard-s @diorbubs @leighjaenikhowell @cowbellies @deepestofwaters  <33

#richie tozier x reader #losers x reader #losers club x reader #jewish richie tozier #bill denbrough x reader #stanley uris x reader #beverly marsh x reader #eddie kaspbrak x reader #ben hanscom x reader #mike hanlon x reader

[buckactuallys]

Eddie Diaz Week Day 2: “This is nice.” + soft

Buck/Eddie, 1.1k words. read on ao3.

Eddie blinks awake to darkness. Slowly, he catalogues where he is - a streetlight outside and the stovelight left on in the kitchen casting just enough light to identify the shadows in his living room. The softness of the couch underneath him, just one spring digging into his back a little uncomfortably. The heavy, warm weight on top of him.

Eddie blinks again and lifts his head just enough to see Buck’s head pillowed on his chest, an arm slung across his stomach and one leg pressed between Eddie’s. His own arm wrapped around Buck’s shoulders, fingers resting against his skin just below the sleeve of his t-shirt. Tangled up, warm and comfortable.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep. They’d worked a 24-hour-shift and went home together to spend all afternoon with Chris. They’d helped with his homework when necessary, played a game, Eddie had done a load of laundry and Buck had made dinner. They’d watched an episode of Chris’ current favorite cartoon and had done bedtime together the way they always did when Buck was over. Once Chris was down for the count, Eddie and Buck had settled on the couch with a beer and valiantly tried to follow whatever was happening on Dateline, but there was none of their usual guessing along, and Eddie had felt himself slipping. The only reason he was dragging it out instead of just turning off the TV and going to bed was the press of Buck’s shoulder against his and his unwillingness to put any distance between them.

Now, the TV is off, the red stand-by light blinking, so is the lamp beside the couch - which means it’s past midnight, which is when he set the timer to turn it off - and there isn’t even an inch between his and Buck’s bodies.

Eddie doesn’t know how they got from sitting up to this position, even if they’ve been asleep for two or more hours, but he’s not complaining. It’s way more comfortable than sleeping sitting up, and he doesn’t see himself ever complaining about getting to be close to Buck. Still, they can’t stay here all night, especially not after a long and gruelling shift. Their muscles will be sore tomorrow anyway, they don’t need to make it worse with a cramped night on Eddie’s couch.

Slowly and softly, he drags his fingertips back and forth on Buck’s biceps, watching the way Buck’s eyes move behind his eyelids as he starts to wake up. He purses his lips for a moment and Eddie can’t quite look away as they slowly form a smile, a small but content one. Buck hums, his eyes still closed, and his arm tightens around Eddie’s middle.

“This is nice,” he murmurs, words the slightest bit slurred from sleep. Eddie keeps stroking his arm and lifts his other hand to card it through Buck’s hair, humming in agreement.

He’s well aware that this isn’t something he would do with Chimney, or any of the other friends he’s ever had. But he’s also well aware that those can’t be compared, because he wasn’t in love with any of them. Buck, though - he’s everything. He’s been there for Eddie through everything, he loves Christopher like his own, he knows and understands Eddie to a degree no one else does and has stayed anyway, ugly parts and all. He’s the best friend Eddie has ever had, and he’s so much more too.

Holding Buck like this just feels right, meant to be, even if he hates himself a little bit for even thinking something so cheesy.

Buck shifts a little and finally opens his eyes with a mesmerizing slow blink, catching Eddie staring before he has a chance to hide the feelings that are surely showing on his face. Then again, there’s probably no point in hiding anything, not with the way they’re currently pressed together - and Eddie isn’t sure he still wants to hide anyway.

Because Buck is meeting his stare head on, eyes reflecting the light from the kitchen and Eddie’s feelings. Reflecting them, reciprocating them.

Eddie smiles, and Buck echoes that too, pushing up onto his elbows so he’s half hovering over Eddie. Eddie’s hand slips to the back of Buck’s neck and stays there, holding him gently.

“Hey,” Buck whispers, and Eddie strokes his thumb along Buck’s hairline, feels him shiver against his body.

“Buck,” he starts, and then Buck’s mouth is on his, gentle as he is with everything, and Eddie’s hand tightens at the back of his neck as he kisses him back.

It’s only a few seconds, just a soft press of lips, before Buck pulls back and Eddie makes a small sound in the back of his throat that isn’t a whine, opening his eyes to find Buck grinning at him.

“So I take it that was okay?” he asks, pressing a kiss to Eddie’s chin and looking at him with big blue eyes.

Eddie rubs his thumb over Buck’s cheekbone, brushes his birthmark and the soft skin underneath his eyes with reverent fingers, watching Buck’s eyelids flutter shut again.

He rolls them over so Buck is sandwiched between the back of the couch and Eddie’s body and follows his fingers with his lips, kissing all over his face until Buck starts laughing and pulls him even closer, hiding his face against Eddie’s neck.

“I love you,” Eddie breathes out, his lips pressed to the top of Buck’s head. He can feel Buck smile against his neck, the puff of air as he lets out a quiet laugh.

“I didn’t peg you for such a sap, Eds,” he teases and Eddie pinches his arm for it.

“Shut up.” He sounds unbearably fond to his own ears and Buck lifts his head again, grinning at him.

“You know I love it,” he says. “I love you.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, hushed. He thought so, yes, but to hear it - that’s a whole other story. Looking into Buck’s eyes though, there’s no doubting his words. Eddie doesn’t know how he got this lucky.

He initiates the kiss this time, letting it linger and pressing Buck back into the couch cushions. 

They make out like that for too long and not long enough, lazy and unhurried until their kisses turn sleepy and Eddie tugs Buck off the couch and to his bedroom by the hand.

He wants to keep kissing Buck for the rest of forever, but they can take a break for tonight. Eddie already can’t wait to kiss him in the morning sun shining through his blinds, and against the kitchen counter while they’re making breakfast for their family, and after they’ve dropped Christopher off at school, and every chance he gets after that. 

He falls asleep wrapped around Buck with a smile on his face.

#eddiediazweek2021 #eddieweek2021 #buddie #buddie fic #911 #911 fic #pia writes

[heresathreebee]

Waters Brackish and Briny (four)

[Ralph Lamont X Female Reader]

Summary: the first of many strange and unusual occurrences to come in your new home. Previous Masterlist Next

Tags: 15+ | 2k words | hauntings, an argument, physical intimidation 😬, secrets, crying

AN: hey remember there were ghosts in Things Seen and Heard? Personally I hate angst so sorry y'all 😔 I will NOT leave it here for long

SECOND WEEK

Ralph went back to work and the house became empty once more. Empty except for yourself and the house. And possibly a rat or two. You set up traps and finished moving the furniture in the downstairs rooms into place. The previous owners left a decently conditioned upright piano behind when they moved. A few scuffs on the legs and a toy soldier in the strings, but perfectly playable and barely out of tune. Nothing a little warm up couldn't change.

You ate lunch on the piano bench, glaring at the unfinished archway leading to the solar room. Should you sweep first or measure the windows to be fitted for panes? Do you want regular clear glass or some stained glass? Get crazy with it? 

You waste a couple hours playing basic melodies and manage to squeeze in time to do all the measurements for the windows before 3 pm. You take down the paper on the floor most window holes and sweep the dust and leaves and branches outside. You mop till the hardwood floor shines but you hate the white beech wood and add varnish to the To Do list. 

You ring up the Vayle boys you met the day you unloaded your furniture. "Hey Eddie! I was planning on making something for you and Cole as a thank you but I need some supplies first." 

It rained in the afternoon and Ralph came home with mud on his pants. "Baby what happened? Did you fall?" 

Ralph looked supremely annoyed. "One of the kids took a tumble and grabbed me for support. We both went down." 

You know he's in a sour mood but you can't stifle your laughter. You coo at him, looking over the damage to his suit. He's got mud caked on the seat of his pants and flecks of it as high as the back of his neck. You help him strip as much as appropriate with guests in the house. 

Your husband sniffs the vanilla scent from the air and looks at you incredulously. "Did you make cookies?" 

"Yeah," you said, "for Eddie and Cole." 

The boys waved at your husband from the kitchen counter. He gives a lustless wave back and trudges upstairs in his under things. You tip the boys with the rest of the cookies in an old dish and send them on their way home. 

You open your bedroom door to find Ralph butt ass naked and on his knees looking for something. 

"We should do this more often," you tease. 

Ralph looks up and raises an eyebrow at you then notices the position he's put himself in. "Now's not the time for jokes: do you know where the luffa is?" 

You cross your arms. "Well it's not under the bed…" 

"Helpful." Ralph climbs to his feet and his nose bumps yours. "Where. Is. The luffa." 

"Behind the bathroom door on a hook." 

"Why?" Ralph takes three steps towards the bathroom, then quickly retraces them and this time his forehead collides with you none too gently. "And not saving me a cookie? Uncool." 

"Open your mouth." His eyes go dark for a second and you roll yours. "Do it." 

You plant the last cookie in his mouth and flop onto the bedspread. "Go. Shower. I'll clean up the kitchen." 

The house creaks at night. Sometimes the sounds make the hair on your neck stand on end, but you simply squeeze Ralph and drift back to sleep. In the haze of a dream you think you hear something small and glass break a few rooms over but you can't hold onto your memories for long like this. 

Except tonight there is more than sounds. Beneath the smell of your body wash on Ralph's skin, something tickles the back of your throat. It's acrid and raw pulling you from the fringes of sleep into reality fast. You sniff the air and the scent seems to grow ten times stronger. It's like… it's like… 

You shake Ralph by the shoulder. He doesn't stir an inch. The smell is so strong you're choking on it. You grab Ralph and shake him like a doll until he bursts into wakefulness. 

"What? What?!" 

"Do you smell that?" 

"What?" His eyes are completely unfocused, face pinched in annoyance. 

"It smells like…" you turn on the bedside lamp much to his dismay. "It's like gasoline or something." 

Ralph growls and rubs at his eyes. "Exhaust fumes maybe. Ralph! We have to get up– we have to get out!" 

Somehow you manage to drag him out of bed and down the stairs. The smell gets weaker but it's still there burning in your nostrils like actual fire. Your eyes search frantically for that yellow orange flicker in every room to no avail. It doesn't ease your fear. 

"Come on." You push Ralph outside and the man almost falls off the wrap-around porch. His eyes are glued shut, legs shaking as he stands, and trapped in that sleep state. 

You rack your brain for ideas. Is the car on fire? Should you check the garage? Do you have a working fire extinguisher? There's one in the garage by the door but you doubt it's up to date. 

"Ralph baby please wake up, I need you…" 

You cling to his arm and he manages to crack one eye open. "The fuck is going on?" 

"Something's wrong," you stutter, "I think he's here."

Ralph opened his other eye and looked at you. His head swiveled to and fro over his shoulders, trying to peer out into the dark cover of night to find anyone lurking in the dark. His grip on your arm is tight, almost hurts. He looks back at you, puzzled. 

"Where?" 

You didn't know where, in fact you don't know why you said that. He had no idea where the two of you were. For all you know he might not even be a he at all. You've never met them but you're haunted by them. 

You shake your head and focus on the danger of now. "Fumes. I woke up and it smelled like exhaust fumes in our room." 

"I didn't smell anything," Ralph says. 

You growl. "I did. We need to call someone, we can't go back in the house. What if it's filled with gas and there is an open flame somewhere?" 

Ralph looks around then tries to walk past you towards the door. You catch him with a look of disbelief. 

"Did you not just hear a single word I said?!" 

Ralph sweeps your bruising grip from his arm. He keeps walking but he never breaks eye contact with you. He's definitely awake now. 

"If there's fumes, it's coming from the garage. Lord knows you're not going to let me look knowing that," he says stepping past the threshold into the mud closet next to the kitchen, "so we need to call someone." 

He picks up the phone from its cradle and dials 9-1-1. "Unless you have some secret satelite phone hidden in the barn, I'm all ears on how we call someone…" 

He's right. He's being an asshole about it but he's right. You can smell the fumes as you step in, desperate not to be far from him no matter what happens. Ralph plucks the housecoat from the hook by the door and fits it around your shoulders. You didn't realize you were shivering. 

The sheriff comes out tonight and it's half past 2 am. You and Ralph are waiting outside, a reasonable distance from the house in case an explosion was imminent but it never came. Sheriff Laughton brought a fire team and they searched the house. 

Travis–  as he asked them to call him– asked a few meandering questions. Ralph held your hand and answered as many as he dared, looking to you for the questions you could answer better. They both noticed your thousand yard stare but said nothing. 

Travis came back with the fire team and a long, befuddled face. "They checked over every inch of that house and didn't find anything except a broken lightbulb in the laundry closet." 

Ralphie did not return your gaze, instead he asked. "Nothing at all?" 

Travis scratched his head. "If there was something, it's gone now. I might have your cars looked at just in case, there's a mechanic about 10 miles yonder I can give you directions to." 

Ralph's hand smoothed over your shoulder to try warming you up. "No, no that's OK, I have a mechanic right here." 

You slap his chest for teasing you but your weak smile falls not a moment later. How can that be? They found nothing? Had you imagined the whole thing? But it had felt so real… 

By the time you brought your mind back to the present, you found Ralph had moved you to the kitchen and offered Travis a cup of coffee for his troubles. The fire team was packed up and driving off the property, leaving only the sheriff's cruiser out in that empty night. 

"Ralph," you whispered over the sink. "I think we should call Reagan…" 

"No." 

You blinked. He hadn't even taken a second to consider it, just… dismissed you out of hand like you were an annoyance. You crossed your arms over your chest and glared. 

"If you won't, I will." 

Ralph beat you to the phone and blocked your path, you glimpsed Travis standing awkwardly in the door but paid him no more than a passing thought. 

This was about to get ugly. 

"I. Am not crazy." You keep your voice low but the quiver of anger still seeps through. "I know what I smelled. It was real. If you're not going to ask for help, then fine, but do not stand in my way because of your pride." 

Ralph had that look in his eyes– the dangerous look. "Oh, honey, no… I told you– we are not calling Reagan." 

He kept shaking his head minutely, like it was the only thing keeping him from screaming. "That's final. I mean it, baby. I will lock you in that fucking basement if you touch that phone. I will burn this fucking house down before I let you even look at that dial." 

Your jaw hit the floor but before you could protest, Ralph had your arm in a death grip as he began to drag you out into the hallway. He was probably trying to push you to the bedroom but his out of character threat had rocked you. 

"Let me go," you growled, "Ralph! Stop it!" 

Travis called out to you two and you tried to wipe that innate look of fear from your face. Ralph seemed to snap out of it a bit when he realized you weren't alone and he finally released your arm. It didn't stop him from bending over you until his nose brushed yours and in a growl commanded you to go upstairs. 

Now is not the time to cry. Crying right now feels like weakness. You're not sad– you're fucking furious with him right now. But you're not about to make a bigger scene in front of this cop, so you push past him and head for the stairs. 

The blood racing in your veins is making your face hot and head pound. You can hear Ralph follow you up shortly, likely to continue the argument further but you are beyond listening at this point. You turn just in time to see him look at you funny– why are you mad?-- before slamming the door so hard you hear the wood around the lock almost splinter. 

He doesn't try the door. The light of the hallway goes out and you listen to him sigh as he heads for the couch to sleep on. You throw yourself onto your bed alone and cry into your pillow until exhaustion takes you to a dreamless black sleep.

Tag list: @werwulfy @fundamentally-lazy @escape-your-grape @go-commander-kim @mimiscappinisideblog

#alex brightman #ralph lamont #ralph lamont x reader #angst #black reader insert #three bees writing #🐝🐝🐝✒ #things seen and heard au #ghost house au

[ghosttotheparty]

love me softly p17

part 16

Linda is already hugging Steve by the time Eddie gets to the front door.

Steve is laughing softly, hugging her back as she gushes to him, Eddie won’t shut up about you, you’re all he talks about, and Eddie lingers back, his face flushing with heat. Steve’s eyes meet his. They’re shining brightly.

“Hi, honey,” Eddie greets softly when Linda finally lets him go. She goes back to the kitchen, sending them a fond look as Steve approaches Eddie.

“Hi.”

“Alright?”

Steve drops his backpack to the ground and falls against Eddie, hiding his face in his neck. Eddie hugs him gently, sliding his arms around his neck.

“You okay?” he asks softly.

“‘M tired,” Steve mumbles. Eddie tightens his arms.

“Let’s go to Gareth’s room. His floor is comfy.”

“Is that the floor you were laying on when you hit your head on his bed?”

“…No.”

Steve lifts his head, smiling, and he reaches up to touch Eddie’s cheeks, tilting his face down so Steve can kiss his forehead gently.

“C’mon,” Eddie says softly, kissing him chastely before he takes his hand and leads him down the hall.

“Hey, lovebirds,” Gareth greets from his desk.

“Hi, Gareth,” Steve says lightly, watching Eddie collapse onto the floor and sit against Gareth’s bed. “What‘re you working on?”

“Statistics. I wanna die.”

Eddie snorts, holding a hand up to Steve, and Steve takes it, setting his bag aside and sitting next to him.

“You have Murphy?” Steve asks.

“Yeah.” Gareth turns around, straddling the back of his chair and looking at them, his arms crossed over the top of it. “He’s such an asshole.”

“He really is,” Steve agrees. “I don’t think he should have gone into teaching, he doesn’t know how to work with kids.”

“I think if anyone told him that, he’d a conniption.”

“Yeah, his head would explode.”

“Are you good at statistics?” Gareth asks as Eddie is pulling a notebook out of his backpack.

“No, I’m shit with numbers. Tommy’s better than me.”

Gareth sighs heavily.

“Never woulda thought I’d be desperate for Tommy Hagen to show up at my place.”

Steve laughs quietly. Eddie looks over at him, flipping his notebook open, and his eyes flick across Steve’s face. His smile is soft, his eyes just barely sparkling, and the light from Gareth’s overhead light is dim, but bright enough to make him glow a little bit. Steve looks at him.

“What?”

Eddie shrugs.

“‘M in love with you.”

Gareth groans obnoxiously as Steve smiles, and Eddie looks up at him. He’s dropped his head to his arms, his hair falling down like a curtain.

“You guys are insufferable,” Gareth says, looking up.

“Bigot,” Eddie says dryly as Steve snickers next to him.

“I’m not a bigot, I’m single.”

Steve is laughing now, giggling beside Eddie. Eddie just sticks his tongue out at Gareth.

Eddie leans against Steve as he works on his homework, tapping his feet on the floor and humming along with the music Gareth has playing from the cassette player.

Steve plays with his hair while he works, his fingers combing through it carefully. Somehow it helps Eddie focus, like Steve’s fingers are tugging his thoughts from his skull. Steve and Gareth talk a little bit, misting bitching about Murphy.

Eddie only looks up when he hears Tommy’s voice in the doorway.

“Hey, uh. Your mom said I could just come in.”

“Oh, thank God,” Gareth says dramatically, and Tommy blinks.

“Not the reaction I was expecting.”

“I’ve been third wheeling this whole time,” Gareth complains. “I’m in physical pain.”

A laugh bursts out of Tommy, and he looks over at Steve and Eddie. Eddie grins.

“My purpose in life is to be annoying.”

“I’m aware,” Tommy says dryly.

“Also Steve said maybe you can help me with statistics,” Gareth adds.

“Oh, yeah, sure.”

Gareth moves to the floor as Tommy rummages through his backpack, and Eddie sits up as Gareth explains what he’s stuck with and complains about Murphy’s lack of teaching skills.

Eddie sets his notebook and pen on his lap and stretches his arms up, groaning quietly before he lets one of his arms drape over Steve’s shoulders, pretending to be subtle. Steve laughs quietly and leans against him.

“You okay?” Eddie asks quietly, pulling Steve’s hair back. Steve nods, letting his head fall to Eddie’s shoulder.

“‘M tired.”

“I know, baby.”

Steve sighs, shifting closer, his eyes fluttering shut. He draws his knees up, curling into a ball against Eddie, tucking one hand between them and setting the other on Eddie’s belly, holding his shirt in a loose fist. His head shifts to Eddie’s chest, and Eddie carefully pulls his necklaces out of the way.

“You gonna take a nap?”

“Maybe,” Steve mumbles.

“You’re gonna fall asleep to Twisted Sister?”

Steve exhales sharply, too tired to laugh.

“‘M gonna fall asleep to your heartbeat.”

Eddie blinks.

“Oh.” His throat gets tight. “Okay.”

He keeps working as Steve dozes off, and he can feel the moment Steve falls asleep, can feel his body relax and go heavy, can feel his head shift as he nuzzles into Eddie’s chest. Eddie wants to tell him he loves him, but he wouldn’t hear it. (He probably would say it anyway if they were alone.)

Steve’s hair is soft between his fingers, and his breathing is steady, and even as Eddie works slowly through short answer questions and listens to Tommy explain statistics to Gareth, he feels like he could cry with how in love he is. Steve feels warm beside him, and small, like he shrinks down every time he lets himself be vulnerable like this, small enough to fit in Eddie’s chest.

Eddie sets his notebook aside when he finishes, and he carefully slides his hand over Steve’s. Steve sighs, pressing closer, his arm sliding farther across Eddie’s torso.

“Jesus, that makes sense,” Gareth says, his voice dripping with awe. “You ever think about being a teacher, Hagen?”

Tommy laughs lightly, shaking his head.

“Professor Hagen,” Eddie quips quietly. “Gotta ring to it.”

Tommy and Gareth both look over and find Steve asleep, cuddled against Eddie.

“How is he asleep right now?” Tommy asks, wide-eyed.

“He’s used to me playing metal all the time,” Eddie says fondly. He rubs Steve’s forearm gently. It’s soft.

“Are you turning him into a metalhead, Eds?” Gareth asks fondly. Eddie grins.

“He likes Judas Priest.”

“Nice.”

“What’s Judas Priest?” Tommy asks hesitantly. Gareth looks at him and grins excitedly, which makes Tommy recoil slightly in fear, but he still watches curiously as Gareth dives for the basket of tapes that’s stored under his desk.

Linda comes in as Gareth and Tommy are looking through the tapes.

“Uhm.”

They all look up at her. She’s holding a bowl of fruit.

“I thought you were doing homework.” She raises an eyebrow at Gareth, who blinks.

“We finished?”

“Hm.”

Her eyes find Eddie and Steve, and her expression changes, softens, before she places a hand over her heart.

“Ain’t he pretty, Mrs Gareth’s Mom?”

Tommy mutters Mrs Gareth’s Mom under his breath, and Gareth complains, “He’s been calling her that for, like, five years.”

“Very pretty, Eddie,” Linda says lightly. She flicks a grape at Gareth, who lets out a quiet indignant noise, catching it against his chest.

“Finish your homework,” she tells him.

“I did,” he says adamantly. “Tommy helped me with statistics.”

She looks at Tommy with grateful relief.

“Aye, thank you.” She tosses him a grape too.

“Your mom’s pretty cool,” Tommy says when she leaves.

“She’s something.”

Tommy keeps looking through the tapes, murmuring band names to himself. It occurs to Eddie that Tommy has had zero exposure to any of this except the Satanic stereotype, and that he doesn’t look particularly judge-y right now. Just curious.

“Megadeth?” he says after a while, raising an eyebrow. Eddie grins. “That sounds ridiculous.”

“Steve likes them,” Eddie says.

“He does?” Gareth asks, raising his eyebrows.

“Yeah, we made out to Peace Sells once.”

Gareth blinks, and Tommy looks at Gareth, probably because he doesn’t know how to react.

“How?” Gareth says, clearly judging. Eddie shrugs as best he can without moving Steve.

“We were distracted.”

“Alright,” Tommy dismisses, tossing Gareth the Megadeth tape. “Show me.”

Gareth beams.

They listen to music for a while, talking and laughing and teasing each other, and Eddie listens happily. After a while Steve stirs, pulling Eddie closer, pressing his face against him, and Eddie looks down at him, murmuring a soft, “I got you.”

“Wha’s time?” Steve mumbles sleepily. Eddie runs his hand down Steve’s arm and lifts his hand a little bit, looking at his watch.

“Almost seven.”

Steve groans, pushing his face against Eddie before he sits up.

He squints over at Tommy and Gareth talking, smiling softly before he squints started Eddie. Eddie touches his chin.

“You okay?”

Steve just looks at him for a moment, his eyes shining with an odd sort of blankness that Eddie doesn’t think is just his sleepy state. Eddie tilts his head, runs his thumb over Steve’s skin.

“‘M fine,” Steve says quietly before Eddie can ask again. He looks at his watch, pulling away from Eddie, and Eddie drips his hand. “Should probably go.”

“Can I walk you to your car?”

Steve seems to hesitate before, “Yeah.”

Tommy and Gareth say goodbye, and their eyes linger on Steve as he leaves. They seem to see it too.

Linda stops Steve on his way out, and he inhales as he turns to look at her, like he’s steeling himself, but she just puts a Tupperware container in his hands and tells him he can come back any time.

Steve looks at the container as he heads outside.

“That’s how she shows love,” Eddie says. “Feeding people.”

Steve smiles softly.

Eddie watches as Steve puts his bag in his car.

“Hey,” he says quietly. Steve looks at him. He looks tired. The setting sun is golden on him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Steve says. Eddie looks at him.

“Steve…”

“I’m fine, Eddie.”

Eddie blinks, almost startled. It’s not like he said it meanly, or angrily, but he still… snapped.

Eddie looks at the ground awkwardly, not knowing what to say, or what to do. Steve is quiet, and Eddie almost expects him to just get in his car and leave, but after a moment, Steve’s fingers find Eddie’s.

Eddie looks up at him, and Steve looks back almost intently, lacing their fingers and squeezing tightly like he’s trying to tell him something he can’t say out loud. Eddie squeezes back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Steve says. Eddie nods. He wants to kiss him, but just holding his hand is risky out here. Steve’s eyes flit across his face. “I love you,” he says softly.

“I love you too,” Eddie whispers. Steve stares at him, leaning forward slightly before he stops himself, taking a breath, and Eddie smiles, squeezing his hand.

Gareth is sitting upside down on his bed when Eddie goes back inside. Tommy looks up at him.

Eddie sits in the floor again.

“Is Steve, like…” He pauses, looking up at Tommy, who looks like he knows what Eddie’s going to ask. “Okay?”

Tommy sighs.

“Yeah, he just… gets like that when his parents are in town.”

“Like…”

“Tired,” Tommy says. “All the time. Distant, kind of. He won’t talk about it, but after they leave he goes back to normal. Gets better.”

Eddie nods and looks down, touching the carpet on the floor.

“He’s gonna be okay, Eddie,” Tommy says gently.

Eddie nods again.

read the whole thing on ao3 tagging: @thehumblefigtree @seths-rogens <3 comment to be tagged in part 18 :)

#dont! worry! #also i finally have the rest of this story plotted out #its going to be 22 chapters and an epilogue that I've already started writing and is already longer than anticipated #god bless #very stoked ab this #sorry updates are taking longer im working on so much stuff and uni is actually uni-ing now #rip me #anyway love u guys #mwah #steddie #steddie fic #steddie fanfic #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things #stranger things fanfic #love me softly

[flowerfan2]

A Wonderful Christmastime

Klaine, 1600 words, A03.

Summary:   Sometimes being up in the middle of the night together is an act of love.  A moment of holiday peace for Kurt and Blaine.

Note:  This fic incorporates the first seven words of Klaine Advent 2020 (abashed (a classic fic word if ever there was one), brake, careless, dispensable, event, farm, and gray).  It also marks my sixth (non-consecutive) year of writing for Klaine Advent.

The inspiration for the story came from a conversation with @mildly-allergic-to-life  and is a gift for her - I hope you like it!   Thanks also to my wonderful beta,    @perryavenue.

********

Blaine snuggles deeper into the blankets and turns over, reaching out to pull Kurt against him – it’s chilly on this December night, and he knows Kurt’s feet will be cold, but he doesn’t mind.  Sadly, his hand flops onto their soft flannel sheets without finding his husband.  Moments later, Blaine’s half-asleep brain registers the sound of Kurt’s voice through the monitor and he smiles despite the late hour.

He drags himself out of bed and steps across the narrow hall to Taylor’s room.  Kurt is lying on the floor next to her crib, singing quietly with careless grace, one hand resting gently on their baby’s back.

“Hey,” Blaine whispers.  “How long have you been in here?”

Kurt twists his head to look at Blaine.  “Most of the first act, and part of the second, but I skipped some of the songs.”  He glances at their daughter and back at Blaine.  “Legally Blonde is inspirational, but not entirely age appropriate.”

“Come to bed, you must be exhausted.”

“I can’t,” Kurt says.  “Every time I take my hand off her back she wakes up.”

“Bring her with you,” Blaine says.  Since they brought their newborn home six months ago this has been the topic of constant debate in their house, and with everyone they know, who all apparently feel qualified to share their opinion on how to get babies to sleep.  They waver back and forth between keeping her in bed with them and trying to get her to sleep on her own, and various compromises in between.  (And as they told Tina, who insisted that their very lack of routine was the problem, maybe as long as the three of them are happy and healthy she should just keep her opinions to herself.)

“You have rehearsal all day tomorrow,” Kurt says.  “You need to rest.  I can stay here, I don’t mind.”  Kurt has built himself a little nest on the floor out of a spare quilt and throw pillows, and he’s wearing his fluffy slippers on his ever icy feet, but he still can’t be all that comfortable.

“I’ll sleep better with the two of you in our bed,” Blaine replies.  Kurt shrugs, and accepts Blaine’s hand as he reaches down to help Kurt up.

As predicted, Taylor blinks her gray-blue eyes open as soon as Kurt stops touching her, but Blaine scoops her out of bed and nuzzles her little face before she can make a noise.  When he looks up, Kurt is gazing fondly at the two of them.

“She has your eyelashes,” Kurt says, and Blaine grins.

“She’s a baby, they all have eyelashes like this.”

“That’s a lie, she has the best eyelashes of any baby ever.  And she’s definitely going to have your enviable curls,” Kurt goes on, touching the still wispy dark hair on their daughter’s head.

“If she does, you’re in charge of hair care.”

“As if I’d let you get your gel anywhere near her.”  It’s a running joke, but Blaine is serious – his hair looks so much better now that he let Kurt take charge of his products.  Of course, these days he’s lucky to catch a shower before running off to rehearsal, let alone have time to style his hair, but that’s another story.  Taylor comes first, and no amount of bedhead is going to change that.

Back in their own room they slide under the covers, carefully settling Taylor between the two of them, Kurt reaching across to lay his hand on Blaine’s waist.  There’s a soft reddish glow to the light, coming in from the Christmas decorations in their living room.  It feels peaceful.

“So what made you choose Legally Blonde to sing tonight?”  Blaine asks, keeping his voice quiet as Taylor settles back into sleep.  “With all the Sondheim you’ve done lately, I would have thought you’d have picked one of those.”

“I know, right?” Kurt replies.  “I think it started because I had the part about the department store stuck in my head.”

“First take a deep breath, take it all in.  Feel all the halogens warming your skin,” Blaine sings.  

“I always loved that song.  I mean, who would have thought there’d be a song about how amazing it feels to walk into the fragrance section of a department store?” Kurt says reverently.

“Right?”

“Don’t tease, you know I’m serious about the value of personal service for some things,” Kurt says.  “Websites are good for certain products, but you can’t discover your personal scent on your computer.”

“Did you know that Harry Gordon Selfridge started putting the perfume counter by the front doors in part to cover up the, um, less pleasant odors outside?”

Kurt frowns.  “No, but if that’s true, it makes sense.  I figured it was just to entice people into spending money on scent while they were on their way in looking for clothes.”

“That too.”  Blaine sighs.  “So, what made you think about department stores?  Have you been worrying about holiday shopping?  Because we said we were going to go easy on that this year.”  He inclines his head towards the baby lying between them.  They love their child more than either of them can express, but she is a money pit, and they have had to revise their current budget several times to identify dispensable items.

“I think it was more that I’m so used to searching the web for deals at night…” Kurt breaks off and glares at Blaine, “and no, I was not online shopping just now.”

Blaine smirks.  “I know.  Your phone is still on your nightstand.”  For the first few months of parenthood Kurt had spent way too much money keeping himself awake during midnight feedings by scouring the web for deals on fabric and craft supplies.  After a frank review of their credit card bills, Kurt had agreed to put the brakes on his nighttime online shopping sprees.

Kurt taps his finger against Blaine’s hip.  “I may have purchased a few items yesterday,” he admits, abashed.  “But they were all for Taylor.  Mostly I just send my dad and Carole links.  If we leave them to their own devices who knows what they’ll buy her, and they’re happy to farm out the task to me.”

They lapse into silence, listening to the even, soft breaths of their little girl, who has finally loosened her grip on the silk-trimmed blanket she can’t bear to be without.

“I do understand the urge,” Blaine says.  “Like wanting to stop and shop for unnecessary plastic objects…” Blaine says, a snippet of another song passing through his brain, and Kurt looks at him questioningly.  “You know, from Nanci Griffith’s intro to that song, when she talks about the need to go into a Woolworth’s and buy unnecessary plastic objects?”

Kurt gazes at him, charmed.  “No, I don’t know that one.”

“It’s called Love at the Five and Dime.”  Blaine hums it for a second, remembering driving in the car with his mom, singing along.  

“Rita was sixteen years, hazel eyes and chestnut hair.  She made the Woolworth counter shine.  And Eddie was a sweet romancer, and darn good dancer, and they'd waltz the aisles of the five and dime.”

”And they'd sing -  "Dance a little closer to me Dance a little closer now Dance a little closer tonight Dance a little closer to me 'cause it's closing time and love's on sale tonight at this five and dime."

The melody is soft and sweet, and Blaine does his best to echo the singer’s gentle, swinging style.

Kurt rubs his thumb along Blaine’s hip.  “That’s really pretty.”

“I’ll play it for you sometime.  She does this neat thing where she plinks her guitar string to sound like the ‘ding’ of the elevator. I think it would work on the piano.”

“It’s a nicer shopping song than the Legally Blonde one,” Kurt says.

“It’s about love, not shopping, really.”

“So is the Legally Blonde one,” Kurt insists.  “Elle is taking Emmett shopping for clothes so that he has exactly the right look to give him the confidence he needs.  That’s an act of love.”

“I know.”  Blaine smiles at Kurt, thinking of all the hours they’ve spent selecting outfits, Kurt never failing to offer his opinion on what Blaine should wear for an audition, or an interview, or some other career defining event.  Kurt always does everything he can to help Blaine feel prepared to face the world, and Blaine appreciates it more than he can say.  

“Anyway, I like the song,” Kurt says.  “Sing some more.”

Blaine smiles and sings the rest of the Nanci Griffith song.  By the end, the hand Kurt had rested on Blaine’s hip has gotten restless, and is moving enticingly towards Blaine’s ass.

“Honey?”  Blaine asks, catching Kurt’s eye.  “Is me singing about shopping turning you on?”

Kurt runs his hand back over Blaine’s hip, then walks his fingers up Blaine’s chest over his pajama shirt, his touch light and teasing.  He catches Blaine’s gaze.  “You should know by now, you singing about anything turns me on.”

They both look at Taylor, who is sleeping deeply now, her whole body lax.  They obviously can’t get intimate with her lying in between them, but…

“Wanna go fool around by the Christmas tree?”  Blaine asks, grinning.

They extricate themselves from the bed carefully, arranging the blankets just the right distance away from and around their daughter, and creep out to the living room.  Kurt takes an afghan off the couch and spreads it on the floor.  They lie down together, gazing at each other under the twinkling lights, until Blaine pulls Kurt into a fervent kiss.  

At one point they roll a little too close to the tree, and they freeze, giggling, as Kurt re-positions a sparkling ornament so it doesn’t fall on them during an inopportune moment.  And if Blaine has a bit of tinsel in his hair come morning, no one minds a bit.

End notes (sorry, I seem to have a lot of notes for this little fic)

The songs mentioned are Nanci Griffth’s very lovely Love At The Five And Dime, and Take It Like A Man from Legally Blonde.  I really also wanted to work in the Barenaked Ladies ode to shopping, too, (just called Shopping) but it didn’t fit.  Title is from Paul McCartney’s song A Wonderful Christmastime, covered by the Barenaked Ladies on their holiday album (which is great and includes some really fun Hanukkah songs too).

Note also that Blaine and Kurt are also tired of people asking about their baby’s name, as well as poking their nose into her sleeping habits.  They picked Taylor because it’s gender-neutral and they like it, and not because Blaine knows the words to every Taylor Swift song.

#Klaine Advent 2020 #Klaine Advent: grey #Klaine #Klaine fic #@mildy-allergic-to-life #Holiday fluff #10 Years of Klaine

[wenttworth]

At this point, Eddie’s prowess at sneaking out was basically legendary amongst what was left of the Losers.

His mother never really recovered from whatever had happened that summer he broke his arm--the details were fuzzy enough even when they compiled all the information together--and even now at sixteen he felt more like a preteen under her thumb. But, she slept very deeply. More than that, she slept deeply in the living room with the TV turned on, clear the other side of the house from Eddie’s room.

He kept his door cracked open and tried to read comics, finish off that last bit of trig homework he was bashing his head against, and waited for her bear-like snores to start.

They started, and he held his breath for a few seconds before carefully clambering out of his window, finding the trellis and locking his toes in it to start the precarious trip down. He was dreading the moment the trellis finally gave up and broke apart under his weight, almost expected it to now, when it was more important than ever before that he get out of that house, but it didn't creak any more ominously than before and the snores continued their rhythmic lull through the open window.

He'd stashed his bike in next door’s bushes on his way back from school so he didn't have to open the screechy garage door, and before long was free with the wind blowing back against his face. It was sharp enough even in what should be a mild March to make his eyes sting. At least, that was what he told himself to explain the prickle in his eyes.

He would be able to make the trip to Richie’s house blindfolded and backwards, after almost ten years of shipping himself between the two houses, either accompanied by more of the Losers or alone. When he pushed himself, he could get there in eleven minutes. Just enough time to really feel the sinking of his stomach at this probably being the last time he made the trip.

As usual when arriving at Richie’s after dark, he avoided the doors and started the climb up the porch to Richie’s window. More a precaution than anything else--the Tozier’s wouldn't have minded if he stayed over, but it would also be the first call Sonia would make if she discovered he was missing.

He tapped on the window when he made it up, his arms straining from the effort and slightly miffed that Richie hadn't already opened it in preparation, but there was no answer. Eddie’s heart dropped somewhere in the region of his ankles and he hissed Richie’s name, tapping a little harder. Surely he hadn't been so stupid as to get the date of the move wrong, and surely Richie hadn't made plans with anyone else his last day in Derry.

“I swear, motherfucker, if you're not here--”

“Eddie?”

The voice came from above, and Eddie looked up to see Richie’s familiar mess of curls and oversized glasses peering at him from over the lip of the roof. “What are you doing up there?” he asked, still hanging for dear life onto the windowsill.

“Best seat in the house, shweetheart,” Richie crooned. Sorry, Boghart crooned.

Eddie rolled his eyes hard. “Whatever. Help me up.”

His hand reached down, and Eddie gripped his forearm as Richie helped hoist him up. He panted once he finally managed it, lying on his back and staring up at a crystal clear night sky. “That should not have been so hard. Fuck. I'm only sixteen and I already can't do a pull-up.”

Richie shot him an amused look and pulled a drag from his cigarette before answering. “You're a runner, Eds. Not a body-builder.” He punctuated the remark by slapping Eddie’s thigh hard enough to make him yelp, and Eddie retaliated by slapping his arm just as hard.

“Don't call me that, dick.”

Richie laughed with his whole body when he really got going, his head dipping forwards, his shoulders hunching in as they shook. Almost like he was trying to hide his laughter from the world. So different to when he waited for a reaction to his jokes, when he would stand straight with a proud grin on his face. Eddie still memorised it. Who knew when he would see it again.

“That's not a cigarette,” he finally said, when Richie had put it back to his lips for another drag.

“That it ain't, Eddie, my darling.” He shrugged. “Figured this was the best time to buy weed for myself, you know. Seeing as I'm skipping town tomorrow. Do you want some?”

Eddie wrinkled his nose, and Richie winked. “Didn't think so. But you know. Must be a gracious host and all that.”

“You're a shitty host,” Eddie said automatically. “Where are your parents? Surely they don't approve of you getting high on a roof.”

“No, they usually make me choose between getting high and getting on the roof,” Richie said, sincere enough that Eddie couldn't quite tell if he was joking. “They went out with friends. I figured you would be over at some point so I pretended I was...depressed about leaving or whatever.”

Eddie pulled his knees up and shifted on the tiles to try to find a more comfortable position, even as he kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, at the water tower that still made his palms sweat whenever he walked past it, for whatever reason. “Are you? Depressed about leaving, I mean.”

The harsh laugh that ripped through Richie’s throat was so unlike him that Eddie jolted. “Fuck no,” he said in a low voice.

Eddie’s vision blurred, and he tried to swallow around a lump in his throat. He'd been sad when Stan and Bill had left, even more so as he waited for the letters and postcards they'd promised that never arrived, but it was nothing compared to now, knowing that this was likely the last time he would see Richie. Richie may have been loyal here, in a small town with nothing and no one, but he would find his people in Chicago. He would find people better suited to his exuberance and who could fire his jokes back on him with much more wit than Eddie ever could. The last thing Eddie could ever expect was that he could hold onto this friendship that had defined so much of his life.

“Derry’s not for people like…” Richie paused, before breathing out harshly. “I don't belong here,” he finally continued, looking down at his lap.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? Because they'd always belonged with the Losers, with each other, and yet they were being splintered apart piece by piece, nothing more than another piece of luggage.

It wasn't until he felt tears burning tracks down his cheeks that Eddie realised he was crying, and he didn't even think about being embarrassed about it until Richie gave him an alarmed look, gripping his hand and lacing their fingers together. He didn't say anything, instead watching Eddie with wide eyes as his blunt kept letting a trail of smoke whisper through the air.

“I can't believe you're leaving me here, man,” he finally said, wiping his cheeks quickly with his free hand. “Who the fuck am I supposed to cheat off of in trig.”

Richie smiled at him, biting his lip hard and his eyes shining with so much affection that Eddie could barely meet them. “You've still got Ben in our class.”

Eddie shook his head. “Ben’s not you,” he admitted in a whisper.

Richie was still. Probably the most still Eddie had ever seen him, and any other time Eddie would have been relieved at the sudden calm. He cleared his throat, before lunging for the blunt. “Give me that,” he muttered as he yanked it from Richie's hand, though he made no move to even suggest that he would have stopped him. He took a deep drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs and hoping it would start acting quickly.

Richie blinked dazedly as Eddie handed it back to him, before narrowing his eyes. “Eds, that was way too experienced.”

Eddie shrugged and waited for Richie to take another drag before stealing it from him again.

“No. No, no, Eds.”

“Fuck off,” Eddie said around the blunt.

“Have you...have you smoked before, Eddie?”

Eddie blew the smoke in his face in lieu of an answer, and Richie broke into delighted laughter. “No, that's not fair, Eds, I wanted to be with you the first time you got high! How did it even happen?”

“You don't get invited to every party, dumbass,” Eddie said.

“And you do?” Richie asked. His pupils were wide as he leaned in.

“More than you, apparently.”

Richie gave a dramatic sigh, falling back against the roof (muttering ‘ah, shit’ as he lost a few inches down the slope) and covered his eyes with one hand. “I don't know how I can recover from this betrayal. To think mine own Edward Spaghedward didn't invite me as his date to those parties.”

“What did you just call me?” Eddie asked, half contemplating pushing him the rest of the way off the roof.

“They were probably just worried that I would steal all the girls from them.”

“Ah, that's definitely it,” Eddie said, injecting as much sarcasm as he could in his tone.

“No, no, it's true, Eds. Whenever I'm around girls it's like...woah, I'm only one man, and sure there's a lot of me to go round, like, so much Eddie, you have no idea, but also my dick very firmly belongs to your mother so there's that--”

“I will push you off this roof, Richie.”

He thankfully stopped, though he was still giggling to himself like a school child.

They finished the rest of the blunt in silence, and Richie started rolling another as soon as it was done. Eddie watched his long fingers work at it, dexterous and sure in a way that made his mouth feel dry. Probably the smoke.

“You want to know something?” Richie said quietly after the first drag. His fingers lingered against Eddie’s when he handed it over to him. Eddie almost shook his head, but instead he shut down the panic that was building somewhere above his diaphragm and waited. “I asked my parents whether you could come with us. Like, genuinely asked whether it was a possibility that you could come live with us. Instead of…” he didn't continue but Eddie understood well enough. “I don't think they believed me when I said how bad it had got. You know. Since…” Words failed him then, though Eddie understood when he was talking about. Not what, never what, other than brief flashes of pure terror and then pure courage. But the ‘when' was The Summer of the broken arm and…

He couldn't complete the thought, and shook his head to clear it.

“But you can come for the summer, if you want,” Richie continued, forcing hollow cheer.

Bill and Stan had said the same before they left, to no avail. But it had to be different with Richie. It was Richie, dammit.

“Yeah,” Eddie said, not really trusting himself to say anything more. There was something wet on his cheeks again, although he wasn't entirely sure if he had just started crying again or if he just hadn't stopped. Richie hadn't let go of his hand in that time.

He hesitantly raised his free hand to Eddie’s cheek, and when Eddie didn't move away gently brushed his thumb over his cheekbones, wiping the tears away.

He was leaving tomorrow. Leaving to be what felt like an entire galaxy away. Some other family would be here, some other kid would be in Richie’s room and hide things under that one loose floorboard and spy the etching the Losers had scratched in another floorboard hidden under the bed. Eddie could blame a lot on this, or the weed, or some shit like how romantic it was to sit together under the stars like this for what he did next, but honestly, he simply wanted to.

He leant in and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to Richie’s mouth, pulling away a few centimetres when Richie froze. He stared at Eddie for a few seconds as Eddie waited for him to yank back in disgust or push Eddie away, but instead he cupped Eddie’s jaw and pulled him in to kiss him again.

It did feel...a little awkward. He wasn't too sure what to do with the hand that wasn't clasped in Richie’s own, and finally settled on placing it on Richie’s thigh. He wasn't too sure whether he should keep his eyes closed or not--every instinct in him was screaming to keep a look out. He wasn't too sure how to react when he felt Richie’s tongue against the seam of his lips, though Richie’s groan when he let him press it into his mouth made a self-satisfied shiver of pleasure travel up his spine. Richie’s hand went to grip his waist, his own went to Richie’s hair, some instinct or memory reminding him just how much Richie liked his hair being stroked.

In the end, Richie pulled away first, keeping their foreheads together and breathing hard in the space between them. He made a small, plaintive sound when Eddie pulled him in by his hair to steal another kiss.

“Eddie, I…” he stopped himself, screwing his eyes shut tight, before wrapping his arms around Eddie's shoulders and pressing his face against his hair. He was trembling, his breath shaking as he pulled air in and out. Eddie put his palm on his chest to feel his heart thud against it, quick and hard. Almost as quick and hard as Eddie's.

He waited until it had calmed to a more normal pace, before picking up the blunt from where Richie had dropped it, and the Zippo lighter from the breast pocket of Richie’s top before lighting it, ignoring how his hands were shaking as he did so.

“That was my first kiss. Just so you know,” Eddie said as conversationally as he could manage. He cast a sideways look to Richie, who blinked away the dazed look in his eyes before smiling wryly.

“Mine, too,” he admitted, before taking the blunt back from Eddie.

#reddie #eddie kaspbrak #richie tozier #it #it chapter 1 #it chapter 2 #stephen king #my writing