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roanniom · 2 years

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Show Me - Part 2

Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: After hooking up with your best friend Eddie, you’ve continued to explore what he taught you. He asks you to tell him about it during a late-night phone call.

Word Count: 4.6k

Note: In this AU Eddie and Reader are both 18.

Read Show Me Part 1 Here

Warning: NSFW, 18+ ONLY, phone sex, dirty dirty talk, some angsty feelings but it’s light, masturbation (male and female), friends to lovers continuation, drug use and discussion of drugs

“You’re in trouble now, pretty girl.”

Your head snaps up at Eddie’s words. So do the heads of the rest of the members of Hellfire, your shared friends. The friends who also have never heard Eddie call you ‘pretty girl’ in public. The friends who don’t know that you spent last Saturday night with their dungeon master between your thighs.

“Is that you speaking, Eddie? Or Argon the Terrible? Either way, someone’s getting a slap in the face.” You give him a pointed look over his DM shield. His smirk widens.

You both know he hadn’t been speaking as an NPC. He was goading you directly. And in front of everyone. Something you two had agreed not to do. If you were closer to him you would have kicked him under the table. Instead you just glare.

“It’s a little bit of both,” he dares to say with a shrug. Then he throws a menacing hand up. “But Argon the Terrible does think your skin will make a beautiful pelt. So what say you? Fight or flee?”

You and the boys spend the rest of the session engaged in combat that has Eddie running through a litany of characters and accent, on his toes all evening until you finally defeat him and he lets out a theatrical cry of anguish. He crumples to the floor and the boys pile onto him in a heap, laughing and cheering out their victory. You hang back watching him roll around with all of them. Taking in his massive smile and his kind eyes and the love and care he demonstrates with each of them in turn. At one point he looks up and makes eye contact with you, smiling over Lucas’s head. You can’t help it - your grin reaches epic proportions.

Once everyone has said good bye for the night, it is just the two of you left in the dusty parking lot. It is customary for Eddie to drive you home after Hellfire meetings, but there’s something about being alone together that has your skin goosebumping as you settle into his van.

The ride is quiet. Or as quiet as it can be with Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath playing at top volume through the speakers. Neither of you say anything until you’re rolling to a stop in front of your house.

“You promise you weren’t going easy on us today, letting us win that battle?” you ask in the space left over when he turns off the music. Eddie shifts in his seat to look at you, suppressing a mischievous grin.

“Whatever gave you an idea like that, pretty girl?”

You reach out to swat at him but he grabs your hand in his, holding into it. You look down at the rings on his fingers where they press into yours.

It’s been three days since that night in his bedroom. Three days and you haven’t discussed it once. In the morning he’d acted the same as ever, so you had done the same. The morning sunlight and the cold slap of soberness sapped away any lingering sexual tension, leaving you just with the feeling that something was different. Something had changed in some irrevocable way.

It was a Sunday and your parents were getting back to town, however, so you had to high tail it out of there quick. You didn’t see Eddie again until Monday, and though your glances were charged, there wasn’t a moment that you were alone together. You had extracurriculars after school that evening, and work at the local diner the night after that. Not to mention that Eddie had a few deals to attend to.

You tried not to think too much of it. What did you expect? For Eddie to touch and make you feel things you had never known you could and then for the two of you to ride off into a magical sunset?

You would hurt your own feelings if you admitted your answer to that question.

So now, three days later, sitting in your driveway with Eddie holding your hand, you feel like you’ve never been more unsure of something in your entire life.

You’re about to say something when Eddie’s thumb starts rubbing circles into your knuckles. It makes your stomach flip and you glance up at him only to find his eye boring into you.

“You know, I - ,” he begins. However, a light flips on in the living room window and you scramble to get out of his van.

“I gotta go - I’ll call you!” you toss over your shoulder as you make your way outside, leaving Eddie alone and a little confused in your wake.

~*~

Now you sit in your bed with the phone hidden with you beneath the covers. You’d quietly grabbed it from the hall after your parents had gone to sleep, pulling it so that the electrical wire fit under your door. You finger the dials to try and work up the courage to call Eddie up.

Why had you said you’d call him? You never call him. You always see him - what’s the point in calling when you could just bike to his trailer in a few hours time.

But your fingers are moving of their own volition and soon an expectant ring sounds in your ear.

“Hello hello, Munson estate,” comes Eddie’s answer crackling to life over the line, a bastardized approximation of a British accent coloring his voice. You bite your lip and smile at his customary greeting.

“Yes, may I please speak with the young Master Munson?” you respond, chewing on your fingernail when you realize the innuendo now laced in the formality. Eddie, however, does not miss a beat.

“He was out on a fox hunt but perhaps I can find him mulling about - Edward?” There’s a dramatic scuffle on the other side of the phone and you can practically see Eddie dropping to the floor and crawling back to the phone. “Hello? Yes, hello?”

“The help called you by your first name. The impertinence!” you say shrilly, not wanting the bit to be over quite yet. Because when it’s over you’ll have to face the real reason you’re calling, and you’re not sure why that is just yet.

“They did? Well I never!” Eddie replies, getting a big laugh out of you. Once your giggles subside, he speaks again - normally this time - and you can hear the smile in his voice. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you say back, suddenly shy.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure?” He’s not going to make it easy on you. Not going to do that thing he so often does where he blusters through a conversation, shouldering the weight of it and forging ahead with his own subject matters. No, he’s leaving it up to you.

“I was just…I just wanted…it’s not like there was anything I really needed to say,” you admit, a lot more stuttery than you would have liked. “Is there anything you need to say?”

“You called me, remember?” he points out, refusing to take the bait.

“Yeah, that’s true.” You trail off and let the silence hang. You pray to the telephonic gods that Eddie will take pity on your awkward soul and help you out here by changing the subject.

“Want me to…pick something to talk about? Since you seem to have no agenda for this meeting?” You can tell he’s trying really hard not to laugh at you and you appreciate it.

“That would be lovely.”

“So have you been practicing?”

“Practicing what?” your brow furrows as you wonder what he could mean.

“Practicing what I showed you.”

Your heart jumps into your throat and your stomach lurches. So you’re going there. Not the way in that you would have guessed, but you’re crossing that line. You have the option to cower away from the subject - to pretend it never happened and hobble towards a tenuous status quo - or you could approach it head on.

You choose the latter, but flip it on him.

“You mean have I been touching myself?” you ask boldly, inwardly celebrating that your words come out strong. You hear a huff on the other line.

“That’s exactly what I mean, princess.”

You’re silent for a moment, nodding but not yet answering in a way that he would be able to hear until -

“Yes. I have.”

A groan pushes into you through the speaker and it makes your whole body feel on fire. You imagine him laying out on his bed, phone cord equally straining from where he’d dragged it into his room. What does he look like right now? You close your eyes and try to imagine him in your mind.

“And?”

“And what?”

“How does it feel? Are you converted to the ways of pleasure yet?” he asks, tone still light and jokey as ever in spite of the fact that his voice now has a slightly huskier tinge.

“I’ll be honest. I think I’m all in on it, yeah,” you say with a laugh. His joins you over the phone.

“You hedonistic strumpet.”

He has you rolling your eyes and giggling even from a distance.

“I’m sure I could say the same about you.”

“Me? No. I’m innocent as the fresh fallen snow,” he says back wickedly.

“Oh yeah? How many times have you jerked off today?”

“Three,” he replies without missing a beat. “What about you?” When you hesitate he tsks. “Don’t get shy on me now, princess.”

“I haven’t…today.”

A beat.

“Do you want to?” Eddie asks. You twirl the phone cord around your finger.

“I mean, I still plan on it, yeah.”

“Want any help?” He says it nonchalantly. As if he’s offering to help you with homework, which you both know he’d never do because he already cheats off yours every day.

“Eddie you can’t come over now. My parents are asleep down the hall.”

“I didn't say anything about coming over,” he replies. Your heart skips a beat and you settle deeper into your pillows.

“What exactly do you have in mind then?”

“We could…talk about something sexy,” he says vaguely, sounding as if he’s reaching for a topic. As if he hadn’t expected you to play along and now as to go through with something for which he wasn’t prepared. The hesitation has you laughing and melts some of your nerves. You forget that you’re on a more even playing field these days.

“Oh yeah? What’s something sexy, big boy?” Eddie’s answering chuckle is low.

“I forgot. You think I’m big. Too big even.”

Blood rushes in your ears as you remember flashes of the moment when you commented on his size. You were on your back with Eddie on top of you, his body between your legs. Your thighs fall open now beneath your blankets and you’re sorely disappointed to feel just how empty the space is between them without him.

“What did you think about?” you ask then, trying to distract from the way your body is reacting.

“What did I think about when you said I was too big? That you were perfect,” Eddie replies with a laugh.

“No. What did you think about when you jerked off each time today?”

You hear silence on the other line for a second as Eddie’s laughter dies down.

“You,” he says simply when he speaks up. You hold your breath waiting for him to continue and he hums. “That can’t be surprising, Princess.”

Your heart stutters at his low voice. Honesty. That seems the best route.

“I hoped you thought about me,” you whisper into the receiver. Eddie let’s out an incredulous laugh.

“I used to think about you all the time when I had little more than my imagination to go off of. You think I made you cum and then I quit you cold turkey?”

“Eddie…” you try to chide, but you really can’t. Because your smile is wide and he can most certainly hear it through the phone.

“Just saying it like it is, Princess.” You imagine him shrugging, an equally big smile on his face. You twirl the phone cord around your finger thoughtfully for a moment.

“When you were thinking of me…what was I doing?”

Eddie groans at the question and the sound shoots straight through your body. The hand not holding the phone covers you breast, squeezing before ghosting a finger over your nipple through your shirt, imagining what it would feel like if he were here doing it instead.

“You were undoing me piece by piece, Princess.” He sounds a little less composed than before.

“How?”

“Fucking ‘how’ - Christ,” Eddie laughs, repeating your question. “Little things. Some it was normal stuff you already do. Bending down. Rubbing your ass or tits against me as you walked by.”

“I do not do that,” you practically cry out indignantly though your mind quickly flashes back to the story he told you about watching WarGames together. You can hear Eddie tsking immediately.

“Oh but you do. You really do. And I’ve had all the inconvenient boners in inconvenient places to prove it.”

You inhale sharply but stay quiet. Silently willing him to continue on, which he does.

“But some of it was a little more risqué.”

“Oh risque was it?” You giggle, teasing his word choice and moving your hand to play with your other breast. You feel the rustle of fabric in the distance and a soft thud and imagine he just stripped off and discarded his jacket. Like he’s settling in. Getting comfortable.

“You took off your clothes for me. One thing at a time. Made a real show of it.” His voice is huskier now and you’d give anything to see him at this exact moment.

“And you liked the show?” You ask, allowing your hand to slide down and cup the mound between your legs.

“I came three times today thinking of you under me. So I believe that’s a ‘fuck yes’,” Eddie clarifies with a chuckle. There’s another rustle - sort of like friction on denim - and your heart rate picks up. But Eddie keeps going. “What about you? You said you’ve been practicing.”

“Well I’ve been thinking about…your hands.” You find yourself biting your lip as you allow yourself to be honest. As you do so your own hand slides underneath your shorts and panties, fingers sinking into your already wet folds. “They’re so strong and…” you take a deep breath. “They felt so good inside me.”

Another groan issues from Eddie’s side of the line and you let your finger swirl around your clit.

“Yeah? You still thinking of my fingers inside that tight pussy?” He says it seriously and it is so hot you almost combust. But you’re also experiencing a rush from doing something so inappropriate that you let out a heady giggle.

“There’s the porn dialogue again.” You’re aware of how breathless your words come out. The fact that they are slightly higher pitched.

“You fucking love it, Princess. Don’t act like me talking about your pussy right now isn’t making it so wet you can’t stand it.”

“Jesus Christ” you breathe out. One finger sinks into your hole while you use the index finger on your other hand to continue drawing circles on your clit. “Yeah but it’s not the same.” It’s almost a complaint. Almost more whine than statement.

“What’s not the same?”

“M-my fingers.”

“Are…are you touching yourself right now?” The incredulous sound of his voice has your hands freezing their movement.

“I…I thought that’s what we were doing…” you reply, suddenly self conscious. Embarrassment begins to rise like heat in your body but Eddie is quick to clarify.

“That’s what I hoped we were doing but - fucking Christ I didn’t think you’d actually want…how wet are you?” He’s flustered and you imagine him running a distracted hand through his wild hair.

“I’m really wet, Eddie.”

“Fuck,” is all he says in response. The sound of a zipper and more shuffling on the other line and suddenly you can’t breathe. You picture him laid out on his bed, the phone pressed to his ear while he takes himself in his own hand and strokes.

“Are you hard?”

“Baby I’ve been hard since the call started. Right now I’m trying to keep from losing my mind.”

“I thought you already came three times today,” you tease, relaxing deeper against the bed and renewing the motion between your thighs.

“Oh are you bragging now? You’re lucky smug sounds hot on you.” Eddie laughs. You can hear him by now. Hear his hand on his cock in a steady slide of skin on skin.

“I’m just happy I can have an effect on you.”

“You have no fucking clue, do you? The effect you have on me.” His breathing is labored and you feel your own pick up. A wonderful, taut tension starts pulling in your abdomen.

“I…I wish that was my hand on your cock.”

“Fucking hell,” Eddie cries out with exhasperation as if you’ve wounded him instead of turned him on more. It gives you courage to go further, all while sinking another finger inside of yourself.

“Or my mouth.”

Eddie abruptly grits out your name and you feel your hips buck up against your hand.

“Last week you couldn’t even talk about touching yourself and tonight you have your fingers in your pussy and you’re trying to make me bust.” He sounds distantly proud and you can’t help the thrill that runs down your body.

“Well you inspire me, Eddie.”

“Fuck I like hearing you say my name.”

“I’ve said it a hundred times, Ed.”

“Sounds different when you’re turned on.”

“Eddie.” You try it on for size and he moans into your ear through the phone. Your pulse is pounding in your ears and in your pussy and your fingers curl up onto the sweet spot you’d found while exploring and thinking of his hard cock the night before. It makes you let out a little cry.

“I’m gonna need you to hurry up and cum. Alright?”

“Eddie?”

“Yeah?”

“I want to cum.” You’re feeling squirmy and impatient now. When he’d touched you, you found the edge very quickly. Under your own unpracticed fingers you’re chasing the floaty feeling he’d so easily achieved in you.

“I know, baby.”

“I…I have two fingers inside me,” you let him know. He lets out a guttural groan of agony.

“Want to see you.”

“I want to feel you.” You’re long past discomfort or awkwardness now. You’re getting more and more frustrated as your climax nears.

“If I was there, Princess, I’d make you feel sooo good right now.” His words make you even more frustrated. It comes out vocally in the form of a whine. You’re almost upset that this is happening over the phone rather than in person. Eddie seems to sense it. “Just keep talking to me, baby.”

“This is the harder part,” you mumble. You hear Eddie’s hand speed up on his cock and he barks out a laugh.

“You’re telling me.”

“No, I mean…ugh.” You’re giggling at his words but still your finger works frantically at your clit, your brow furrowed in concentration. “It’s hard to make myself…cum.”

“Fuck, Princess,” you hear his motion pause and imagine him squeezing the base of his dick to stave off his orgasm. “You’re doing a pretty good job with me.”

You let out a laugh that sounds too breathy to your own ears. A new surge of wetness coats your fingers as you consider the effect you’re having on him.

“You’re better at touching me, Eddie,” you whisper. He full on moans in response and you hear his stroking resume, faster now.

“If I was there I’d kiss you. Up and down your whole body,” he says with renewed conviction. You picture it in your mind’s eye. Try to approximate the weight and pressure of him on top of you, the drag of his lips against your skin. You moan and he continues. “I’d kiss that sweet spot on your neck. That spot you wanted me to keep on sucking. I wouldn’t stop this time.”

Your breathing hitches and the coil inside you tightens dramatically.

“I’d suck and bite until you were all marked up. Till you were writhing under me, still begging for more.”

“Eddie.” You say his name. Not as a question or as a reproach but as a statement. The punctuation to a gasp. The fingers of one hand are pumping in and out of you at a rapid speed now, your other hand rubbing mindlessly at your bud.

“I’d suck on that sweet spot until the mark was so big and so dark that you couldn’t hide it. Everyone would know you were getting it good. Everyone would know someone was treating you right, pretty girl.”

“You, Eddie,” you correct his vagueness. Your eyes are shut tight, your head positively cricking as you keep the phone balance between your shoulder and your ear, your hands bringing you almost all the way to the edge. “You’re treating me right.”

“Nobody would assume it’s me,” he contradicts with a huffing laugh. His labored breaths have turned to full on pants at this point, accentuated with the staccato sound of his hand on his cock. “Everyone knows I’m just your freak friend, Princess. Beauty and the fucking beast.”

“You treat me right, Eddie,” you correct him again, shaking your head though he can’t see you. “Y-you’ve always treated me right.” Your voice breaks around your words and Eddie looses a moan.

“Fuck, princess. What are you doing to me?”

“What am I doing to you? What are you doing to me?” you laugh incredulously. “You’ve turned me into some…some…”

“Hedonistic strumpet?” Eddie offers, making a call back to his earlier assessment of your newfound debauchery.

“You’re an asshole,” you whimper without an ounce of menace. You’re too close. Laughing and talking to him like this - touching yourself like this while he’s there on the other line - has got you right there. So near the edge.

“And you’re a fucking wet dream,” he replies, hoarse. “You know that I can hear you? I can hear how wet you are for me.”

“Oh god,” you exhale, your eyes shooting open and you stare blindly at the ceiling.

“How am I going to be able to sit next to you tomorrow and pretend like everything’s normal when all I’ll be able to do is remember this sound? Jesus H. Christ.”

“Fuck, Eddie.” Your fingers rock to a stop inside you and your hips stutter.

“Have to keep pretending like you’re just one of the guys. Which you’ve never been because you’ve always been just this…this fucking forbidden fruit. Fuck.” He’s rambling now. Babbling and it isn’t making sense at all. Both because it is nonsense and because you’ve lost the ability to comprehend words. You’re so overwhelmed by his voice and the vision in your mind that you have of his hands on his own body moving in tandem with your own. “I just…I just fucking want you. I need you so bad, princess.”

“Then have me.” Your voice is weak and laced with everything you’re not saying. Everything neither of you are saying as you both continue to dance this dance. Eddie moans and the guttural sound coming from so deep within him is what does you in. You unravel and your hips buck against your hand as you cry out. “Eddie!”

“Are you cumming? Is that you cumming?” His voice is so urgent and raw but all you can do is nod, though he can’t see it. Your desperate pants confirm his suspicions and he curses under his breath. The sound of him fucking his fist intensify. “So fucking unfair that I can’t see you right now. Can’t believe you wouldn’t let me come over.”

“Fuck…that was…oh fuck,” you give him a shaky laugh as you start to come down from the orgasm, your entire body still pulsing.

“Ughhh you sound so good. I just…fuck.” You hear the same frustration in his voice which had been so prevalent in your voice just moments ago. You know he’s equal parts turned on, disappointed, and impatient. You stretch out like a cat, feeling relaxation seep into your muscles.

“Eddie…are you going to cum?” you ask weakly. It’s a silly question, not really tinged with teasing. It’s pretty genuine and doesn’t even really sound as dirty as the words would imply. And suddenly Eddie is calling out your name through the phone. You imagine his hips thrusting. Imagine cum coating his stomach and hand. Again you get that phantom urge to taste him. To put your mouth on him and receive everything he has to give. To shock him and make the pleasure last that much longer for him.

You hear him flop back onto his bed and breathe heavily into the receiver just as your blood starts fizzling again from your flight of fancy.

“Maybe there’s a reason you’re forbidden fruit,” he says when he starts to catch his breath. “Feels illegal to cum that hard.”

“Since when have you cared about something being illegal, Eddie Munson?” You nuzzle your head into your pillow, keeping the phone pressed between your pillow and your ear.

“You got me there, princess,” he chuckles. You hear rummaging and then the click of a lighter. A hiss indicates an exhalation of smoke. “Speaking of illegal, I have a new shipment of that stuff you like. What do you think? I come get you, we get high and I fuck you the way I should have fucked you in the first place?”

A thrill runs through your body and you feel your recently slowed heart rate skip back up in record time.

“I have to go to sleep, Eddie,” you chide, though there’s humor - and regret - apparent in your tone.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying,” he replies good naturedly and you can hear his massive grin. “Fuck, I came so hard I could probably knock out right now anyway. What the fuck is in your voice? I should bottle that up and sell it, it’s a fucking drug.”

“I could say the same about you. Since when have you sounded so sexy?”

“I’ll pretend I never heard you say that since I’m in a band and have always sounded sexy,” he jokes.

You stretch again and in doing so inadvertently glance at the clock which makes your eyes widen.

“Shit. It’s so late.”

“Yeah, it is,” he agrees, but he makes no attempt to close out the call. Your heart pinches with fondness. You don’t want to be the one to end it either but you have to, squeezing your eyes shut.

“I’m gonna go…”

“Princess?” he calls out and your heart clenches.

“Yeah?”

“There’s that party down by the lake this Friday. That burnout Roger from Chem has his parent’s place to himself. Are we going?”

You two make appearances at parties together all the time. You’ve always been practically attached at the hip, other than when he has to do deals, and even then sometimes you tag along if you know the customer. But you aren’t sure if the “we” in his question is the same “we” as always or if it implies a different level of togetherness. Your throat itches to ask, but you swallow and just answer simply.

“Yeah I’m game.”

“Knew you would be,” he replies and yet again you hear his smile. A second stretches out and you feel like he wants to say something else. You feel the urge to say something else yourself, but you settle on the easier option.

“Good night, Eddie.”

“Good night, princess.”

~*~

Taglist (this is a mix of people who asked specifically to be tagged and people who begged for a part 2, please let me know if you would like to be added or taken off the list!): @ sunkissed-babygirl @ lovely-pineapples @ ohhersheybars @ marcs-grant @ itswormtrain @ short1989 @ took-me-hours-to-steal-those @aphr0d1teh @ andrea-the-perverted-fangrl @ fruitsaladtree @ pandorablackthorn @ greeneyedsuccubunny @ stardust-galaxies @indiffrents @ fanofmanystuff @ marsh-melows-blog @ katsukis1wife @ spookyreidd @ bluetreecloud20 @ tarosin @ impossible-potatoe @ pennamesgame @ dracoola98 @ dickfacemcshitboner @ marvelnbangtanslut @ weed-gummy @ emieg92 @ greeneyedsuccubunny @ novativee @ wotthefckuwantluv @ k222wa @ indiffrents @ babywitchbitch33 @ monimickell @ starsxmoonsx @cowboy-kylo @theoncrayjoy @millenialcatlady @sacklerscumrag @ liaharrington @ lovely-pineapples @ milos-dump @ hugmedin @ disappointmenttomyfamily69 @ itsatrashfire @ took-me-hours-to-steal-those @ that-girl-named-alex @ alohastitch0626 @ carlya65 @ i-love-strangerthings @ i-love-strangerthings @ your-local-theater-kid @ imagine-all-the-imagines @ jupiter1608 @ kittenxo-xo @ lanadelreyspepsicola @ lainternettuale @ marauderssimpcuzwhytfnot @ insidxangel @copycatkillerfics

#Eddie Munson x reader #Eddie Munson smut #Eddie Munson x you #Eddie Munson/you #Eddie Munson/reader #stranger thing #Eddie Munson fanfiction #Eddie Munson imagines #Show Me fic #Show Me Part 2 #eddie munson x fem!reader #fem!reader

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bequeerbehappy · 9 days

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I don't think we can find a song that depicts Will and Mike's relationship as authentically as 'Me and Michael'

Will would have had a love-hate relationship with this song

#Byler #Will byers #mike Wheeler #stranger thing #just look at these poor little boys

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steddieasitgoes · 4 months

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@steddiemas Day 26: Second Chances and/or Fake Dating

Tags: Past Steddie, Second Chances, Christmas Angst, Happy Ending Guaranteed, Hurt/Comfort, Christmas Presents

wc: 2361 | Rating: G

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

It’s mocking him.

The stupid watch in its stupid box is mocking him.

He just had to open the drawer in search of a new guitar pick and stumble upon the stupid gift.

It should have stayed there forever.

Shoved into a dark corner and pushed out of his mind.

Just like Steve did to him a few months ago.

But no, there it is.

Mocking him.

Eddie’s not even sure why he bought the thing in the first place. It’s not like Steve’s lacking in the watch department. The guy regularly wears a Hamilton and he swears he spotted a Rolex tucked away in his nightstand one night a few months back. There’s no way Steve would even consider swapping one of his watches out for the cheap thing sitting in the box on Eddie’s nightstand.

At least, that’s what Eddie is going to keep telling himself until the gnawing feeling in his gut pisses off.

Honestly, he wants to kick past Eddie in the balls for the splurge. Three whole paychecks went into this damn watch and now it's going to sit in a box and haunt his drawer for the rest of his life because it was a final sale item.

“You know,” Max says, startling him from his reprove. “You could just give him the watch instead of trying to blow it up with your eyes.”

She’s leaning against the door frame of his bedroom. Arms crossed tight across her chest, pigtail braids thrown behind her. Her eyes gleam with disinterest that Eddie knows is just part of her act. He appreciates her commitment to the bit, even when she’s willingly over at his house for the guitar lessons she asked for.

Eddie feels like he’s been caught red-handed because he has been. It’s no secret that he and Steve called it quits a few months ago, but they’ve both kept the kids mostly out of it. Sure, they ask a million and one questions when they get the chance, but Eddie hasn’t caved and from the amount of nagging still going on, neither has Steve.

At least they’re on the same page about that.

Still, Max is a perceptive kid, maybe even worse than Dustin and that’s saying a lot.

Besides it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who a semi-expansive watch would be for.

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

“Yeah, okay,” she snorts.

Pushing off from the door frame, she saunters into the room and straight for the box. She’s faster than Eddie is, snatching it before he has time to process that she’s even after it. There’s no use in trying to pry it out of her hands, a fact she is firmly aware of since she plops down next to him on the mattress without even bothering to keep the box out of reach.

It takes a bit of shimmying for her to get the lid off but when she does she lets out a low whistle. “Damn, Eddie. This is gorgeous.”

“I guess,” he shrugs, pulling a strand of hair to his lips. “But what do we know about watches? It could be shit!”

“Maybe I’m a watch connoisseur. You don’t know me.”

“I think a watch connoisseur would own at least one working watch and judging by how late you’re always running despite that thing on your wrist I don’t think you do.”

“You know Steve’s been running late a lot lately?”

Christ this kid needs to work on making her transition more subtle, he thinks. There’s no way he can let her turn into another Dustin. Erica already has that title on lock and Eddie can’t put up with three of them. He just can’t.

“Nice try, Red. Steve has never been late a day in his life now that he’s a certified babysitter extraordinaire.”

“He has! Dustin, Lucas, and I were waiting outside Palace Arcade for ten minutes last week and yesterday we were stuck at the Wheelers for an entire hour before he finally showed up.”

“I’m sure he was just working. Picking up holiday hours.”

“Yeah that’s what I thought, but Robin said he’s been late picking her up too.”

“Well that— that just doesn’t sound like Steve.”

“Yeah, well, it’s like you said. It’s hard to be on time without a working watch and Steve hasn’t been wearing his for weeks now.”

Eddie didn’t become the best DM Hellfire has ever seen without knowing how to craft a good trap or two and this smells entirely too fishy for his liking. Steve just so happens to be watch-less the minute Max spots the watch box on his nightstand? No way. Not a chance in hell.

The alarm bells are blaring in his head and he’s not going to fall for it.

Absolutely not.

Besides, if Steve did lose or break his watch, Eddie knows he has an entire drawer of them to choose from. And even if they all happened to be stolen in some brazen home robbery (which would have been all over the Hawkins Post and local news so he knows that hasn’t happened), Steve could stroll into any store that sells watches and get a replacement without batting an eye.

So, no.

Eddie is not going to hand deliver the watch to Steve like some rejected knight in shining armor.

He’d rather stare at the stupid box for the rest of his life than have to stare into those stupid hazel eyes and pretend he’s still not in love with him, even though he tore his heart out and crushed it into a million pieces.

⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚

Eddie wakes up on Christmas morning to the quiet pitter-patter of rain hitting the roof and Wayne’s horrendous snoring. There’s a chill in the air and he rolls over to yank the extra blanket he keeps thrown over one of his amps in the winter when his eyes land on the offending white watch box.

The same stupid box that refuses to get shoved back in the drawer it came out if two weeks ago.

Jesus H. Christ.

He can’t keep living like this. Waking up every morning to that stupid box takes him back to the first few days of their break up. When Eddie would stir awake hoping it was all a bad dream only to open his eyes to an empty, cold, bed and an ache deep in his chest not even his best-rolled joint could soothe.

Waking up to Steve’s absence was one thing, but waking up to a constant reminder of it in the shape of a stupid Christmas present Eddie bought specifically for him is a whole new level of hell.

One he refuses to spend another minute suffering in.

Jesus, fuck if only the thing didn’t cost so damn much he’d throw it in the garbage. But he can’t in good conscience through a $75 watch in the dumpster so he hastily gets dressed instead.

He leaves Wayne a note, promising he’ll be back soon, and yanks his keys from their spot in their junk bowl. Tossing the box onto the passenger seat, he shifts the van into gear and heads in a direction he hasn’t visited in over a month.

⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚ ⌚

“This is stupid. This is stupid. So, fucking stupid,” he mutters to himself as he stomps his way up the Harrington’s puddle-ridden driveway. If he catches pneumonia because of this little stunt he’s going to be so pissed.

He has two options once he finally reaches the front door. He can knock, face Steve and hand him the gift himself and maybe, if he’s lucky, make Steve feel as shitty as he made Eddie feel when he unexpectedly called it quits. Or, he could leave the watch on his doorstep and hope that Steve stumbles upon it before it gets stolen by a potential Christmas thief.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to decide because the red door opens revealing a disheveled Steve.

He looks like complete shit. Eyes bloodshot and puffy, skin pale and lacking that gorgeous sun-kissed look Eddie fell in love with. His hair is flat where it should be swoopy and there are a handful of strands sticking straight up at the crown of his head.

Clearly still in his pajamas judging by the ratty Hawkins High shirt and the oversized gray sweatpants, Eddie lets his eyes drift to Steve’s left wrist. He expects to find the same Hamilton perched there like always. Proof that Max was pulling his leg two weeks ago with her little scheme.

His wrist is empty though, aside from the strap of a gift bag that dangles from it.

“Oh,” Steve says. “S’you.”

“Yeah, it’s uh, me.”

His breath is rancid, too. So much worse than the morning breath Eddie is intimately familiar with since they made a habit of fooling around the minute they woke up. It smells like stale air, Peach schnapps, and eggnog. A fucking tragic combination as far as Eddie’s concerned. Judging by Steve’s greening face, he’d agree too.

“If you’re going to hurl please do it in the push and not on me,” he grimaces, watching as Steve whips his body to the side to do just that. “Christ.”

“M’sorry,” Steve says, resurfacing a moment later with pink flooding his pale face. “I, uh, made some bad choices last night.”

“You could say that again,” Eddie mumbles. His right hand twitches in the air desperately wanting to reach out and run down the length of Steve’s back like he knows he likes when he’s hungover. But the weight in his left hand is the reminder he needs to keep away.

He’s not here to offer him comfort.

He’s here to offer a final parting gift and that’s it.

“M’glad you’re here.”

“You are?” Eddie asks, already cursing himself as his heart skips a beat.

Steve nods. “Was coming to see you actually. To give you this.” Fidgeting with the string of the bag, Steve finally gets it off his wrist and into his hand before extending it out for Eddie to take.

“Oh,” Eddie says, hesitantly reaching for the bag before raising the box in his own hand. “I, uh, sorry it’s not wrapped, but I got you something too.”

“Really?”

Eddie shouldn’t look, but he’s never been one for listening to rules. Even his own. So he steals a glance and feels all the air leave his body. Gone is the dissolved man from moments ago. In his wake is the Steve he fell in love with. Soft smile and shining eyes. Sunlight cast a halo around his head. Those full lips are pulled apart and rounded in that stupid confused look of his that always manages to destroy Eddie in the best way.

Even in this state, he’s beautiful.

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t expect you to buy me something after what happened.”

“Yeah, well, lucky for you I did my Christmas shopping in October before you broke up with me so…”

“Eddie,” Steve sighs, reaching a tentative hand out. “I—“

“Don’t,” Eddie says, pulling away. “Whatever you’re going to say, just don’t, okay? It’s hard enough being here right now. Can we please just open our gifts and go on our way.”

“Is that what you want?” Steve asks, voice bitter.

“Don’t put this on me,” Eddie scoffs. “This is what you wanted.”

“No!” Steve shouts. “It’s not. I didn’t want any of this. I just—“

“I have to go,” Eddie snaps before racing to his van.

He can’t do this. Not on Christmas when Wayne is waiting for him and not ever. Steve’s never going to love him the way Eddie needs to be loved and he is tired of compromising what he needs for others.

But there’s something keeping here. Something beyond his shaking hands from inserting the key into the ignition and driving away for good. Something that looks an awful lot like Steve Harrington running after him, an open box discarded behind him, and the watched help closely to his chest.

Dammit.

“Eddie! Eddie wait!” He yells, loud enough that he’s going to wake the whole goddamn neighborhood if Eddie doesn’t shut him up.

Despite all the alarm bells in his head, he swings the car door open and hops out of the van.

“Steve. I really don’t have time to—“

“I love it,” Steve shouts before colliding into Eddie’s chest, sending them both stumbling backward. “S’perfect.”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Eddie mumbles, trying his best to free himself from Steve’s embrace. “I know it’s not as fancy as your other watches. S’just trash like me.”

“It’s not trash and neither are you,” he says, holding him firmly. “I owe you an apology. A massive apology.

“I let my past relationship drama convince me that you were going to wake up one day and realize you were wasting your time with me and I knew I wouldn’t be able to survive you walking out on me so I did it first.

“And it was wrong of me. So fucking wrong. I regret it every second of every day. And I understand if you really want this to be the end of us, I do. But if you’d give me another chance I promise to spend every second of every day making it up to you.”

Eddie doesn’t believe in Christmas miracles, but if he did, he’s pretty sure the universe is granting him one right now. That or he’s dreaming. A quick pinch to his thigh confirms the latter isn’t happening though which can only mean one thing… Steve wants him back. He wants him back and he regrets leaving him in the first place.

“Every second of every day?” Eddie asks eventually breaking the unbearable silence.

“Every second of every day,” Steve breathes. “And I’ll never forget because I’ll have this watch to remind me.”

Eddie groans shaking his head. “You just had to make it cheesy, didn’t you?”

“You know you missed it.”

“I did, Stevie. I really did.”

#steddiemas #steddie #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #steddie angst #steddie fluff #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington ficlet #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson ficlet #stranger thing #stranger things fic #dani writes

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kylacxie · 1 month

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SAME ENERGY?? also the bomber is PEAK

the CHOKEHOLD the first photo had on me almost 2 years ago. i am soo ready for the new season.

#stranger thing #st5 #stranger things #will byers #stranger things hc #st5 theories #byler #<<target audience #sort of #i just am a byler girlie

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tbmunson · 10 months

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Escape - Gareth Emerson x Reader pt.2

Summary: You attend Corroded Coffin's practice and feelings are confessed.

Warnings: Talks about diet, talks about absentee parents... A little steam but not much, yet.

Word Count: 5,619

Notes: Honestly this is less slow burn than I intended, but we're not there yet. Thank you guys for your patience in my writing. I'm a perfectionist and I like to make sure everything is done right

Taglist: @depressedacidtest @nana90azevedo @alanamarie @lizzziekatt and of course @ashes-writing Bestie you are the love of my life. Thank you so much for always being there and helping me. You're amazing.

1 / 2 / 3

Once you’d gotten up to your room last night you did as you promised and called Gareth. Though it had been a short conversation, you learned a little more about him, like he actually enjoyed watching his sisters and he volunteers to watch them on Friday’s because, and you quote, “I’m their best friend, they don’t need some random teen that doesn’t know or care about them to watch them.” That line made you smile a little.

Gareth picked up on how much you enjoyed watching his sisters too and that made it harder to convince himself that you were too opposite and it would never work. Once he hung the phone up by the kitchen door he went up to his room to get ready for bed. His eyes went immediately to the pile of clothes at the end of his bed. More specifically, the pale pink bra. He stood frozen in the doorway of the room, just looking at it. Many thoughts raced through his head, the most prominent being you’d been in his shirt without a bra on for the last hour and a half, as if his previous fantasy needed anymore fuel. He let out a shaky breath and stepped over to the heap, debating on what to do with it. The perv in his brain told him to pick it up, keep it, and never give it back. You left it after all. The rational part told him to fold your shirt, put it in his chair, and hide the bra under it so he wasn’t tempted to let the perv part win.

He went with the second option, although the feeling of the silk and lace between his fingers had the perv side going insane. He still put the bra into the folded cotton and went to bed.

Gareth was woken by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door. He knew his parents took his sisters to Lori’s gymnastics competition in Indianapolis so he wasn’t sure who it could be. “Yeah?” He called out, which was answered by the door swinging open and a smug looking Eddie walking in.

“How was your date, Emerson?” He quirked a brow as he walked across the room to sit in the chair.

“Whoa! Don’t sit there!” Gareth jumped up and made it over to the chair to move your clothes from it.

“I sit on your clothes all the time in that chair.” Eddie rolled his eyes at his friend and finally sat down.

Gareth settled at the end of his bed and held the neatly folded fabric up. “Not mine.”

Eddie’s brows raised but what dropped his jaw was the bra falling out of the cotton. “Dude! Did you guys..?”

Gareth scrambled and grabbed the item in question before shoving it under his comforter. “No! No, we didn’t. She uh, she helped give the girls a bath and got splashed. I gave her one of my shirts.” And he knew he shouldn’t have said it because as soon as the words left his mouth Eddie’s face split into the biggest grin Gareth had ever seen.

“You gave her the Crue shirt, didn’t you?”

Gareth turned so red that he was practically glowing like the neon signs around town.

“Didn’t you?” Eddie prodded, leaning closer with the most shit-eating grin he’d ever had.

“Stop talking, Ed.”

“I knew it!” Eddie yelled as he pointed and pushed himself back into the chair excitedly, his boot clad feet stomping the floor repeatedly.

“Fuck off. Where are Jeff and Grant? Aren’t we supposed to be practicing?” Gareth stood and walked over to his closet.

“We’re supposed to be practicing at 12. It’s 11.” Eddie pointed to the alarm clock on his side table.

Gareth groaned and flopped back onto the bed. “Then why are you here?”

“Gareth, I'm nosy. And more than that, I like to prove I’m right. I told a certain someone we were practicing today and that she should come by.”

As if on cue the doorbell rang, signaling someone’s arrival.

“I hate you.” Gareth grumbled, getting out of bed again. He opened the door and just about had to pick his jaw up from the floor.

You stood there in the shirt he’d given you last night, only now there was a knot tied in it just above your belly button. You’d paired it with a pair of jean shorts that were cut dangerously high and a pair of white sneakers. What caught his attention the most was the red plaid bandana wrapped around your head to keep the baby hairs that fell out of your bun at bay. It was the same red plaid of his battle vest. “Morning, sleepy head.” You smiled, lightly glossed lips shining in the sun.

“Morning.” He replied almost breathlessly.

Eddie came up behind him and smirked. “Nice shirt, short stuff.”

You beamed and looked down. “Thanks. Gareth let me borrow it. My mom won’t let me have one because Crue is ‘unholy’ or some shit.”

Gareth couldn’t see your eyes roll due to the sunglasses on your face, but he knew they had by the tone in your voice. “You actually listen to them?” He was surprised to say the least.

“There’s a lot that you don’t know about me. I’m more than short skirts and pom poms.” You reached out and patted his chest as you stepped into the house, brushing your body with his as you did so.

Gareth tried, he really did, to keep himself at bay. He was unsuccessful. “I need to go shower. Eddie, entertain, please.” He was pleading, which gave Eddie an ungodly amount of satisfaction.

“Yeah, of course.” Eddie’s face was taken over by a shit-eating grin.

Gareth groaned and walked away. He regretted giving you the shirt and even more so, asking Eddie to hang out with you because who knew what he was going to say.

“Eddie, what am I doing here so early? He obviously just woke up.” You asked as you settled onto the sofa.

Eddie shrugged, sprawling himself over the recliner. “Figured I’d give you two some extra time together. Get to know each other more, for the project, of course.”

You knew he was lying, or at least not telling you the full truth. You thought about calling him out on it, but you also didn’t want to be wrong, let alone have Gareth hear that you liked him. “Thanks, buddy.” You replied sarcastically, rolling your eyes.

The two of you sat silent for no more than a minute before you spoke again.

“Can we smoke later?”

“The Princess of Hawkins partakes in the devil’s tobacco?” Eddie raised a brow at you, honestly stunned at the request.

You laughed and shook your head. “Never have, but I think it’ll be fun. I hear it lets your true self out and I kind of want a reason to get some heavy shit off of my chest.”

“Gonna let your secrets spill, Princess?”

“I don’t have secrets, just things not everyone knows.” You replied, picking at your nails before looking up to Eddie’s smirking face. “Grow up Munson. You’re not right about everything, okay?”

“But I’m right about this.” He replied, pushing himself to stand so he could walk into the kitchen. “Can I get you a drink?”

You rolled your eyes and got up to follow him. “You’re smug, you know that?”

He laughed as he grabbed two cups from the cabinet. “I can afford to be smug, Sweetheart.”

“Just don’t say anything else about it.” You rested your elbows on the counter and watched Eddie scoop the ice into the cups.

“So, I’m right and I can’t say anything about it.” He pretended to think hard about it before speaking again. “Fine, but you're both stupid and blind.”

“You really know how to make a woman swoon, don’t you Munson.” You pushed off of the counter and grabbed one of the cups. “It’ll happen if and when it’s supposed to. Don’t meddle in it.”

“I won’t, but it’s so obvious, just so you know.”

“What’s obvious?” Gareth walked into the kitchen scrubbing his head with a faded blue towel.

Eddie glanced at you before looking at Gareth. “The Princess's crush.”

“Munson.” You glared at him, eyes squinted in a way that dared him to say another word.

Gareth nodded and walked through to drop the towel in the laundry room, leaving you to glare at Eddie until he returned. “Well, that’s her business.”

“See!” You more or less yelled, glad Gareth wasn’t going to press for details.

Eddie rolled his eyes and jumped up on the counter as he mumbled something about “blind and delusional” under his breath.

It was your turn, again, to roll your eyes.

Gareth walked back out and rested against the counter as he looked between the two of you. “Well it looks like you two had a great time. Scowling is usually a good sign right?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, frown turning up into a smile and eyes lighting up. “Yeah, absolutely. He just thinks he’s right all the time.”

“Oh, I know exactly what you mean, Doll.” Gareth chuckled, sending you a smile that made you melt.

Before anything else could be said the front door swung open and the two other members of Hawkins most metal band walked in.

“My men! We ready to get started?” Eddie asked, drawing all of the attention to himself.

Grant and Jeff share a confused look which made you laugh a little. It was obvious that they hadn’t expected you to be sitting on the kitchen island with Gareth leaning next to you.

Gareth, who gained bravery by his friends' presence, pushed himself up and rested his hand on your thigh. “Ready?” He asked, giving it a quick squeeze.

You swallowed down the whimper you wanted to let out and nodded.

Gareth gave you another squeeze before offering you a hand to help you down, which you took before mumbling a small “Thank you” to him. He rested his hand on the small of your back to lead you to the detached garage where their practice was held. “There’s a couch if you wanna sit.” He nodded to the old floral couch that had no doubt been in the house previously.

“Thanks, Gare.” You smiled as you stepped away from him. You settled onto the couch as he and the boys took their places to start practice. You watched Gareth twirl the drumstick in his hand and subconsciously squeezed your thighs together, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Eddie.

“So I think we can start with the cover of Live Wire. Yeah?” Eddie looked around as the boys nodded in response.

You loved that song, it was the one you played and danced to alone every time your parents were out. You bobbed your head and mouthed the words along with Eddie but your eyes stayed on Gareth, watching the sweat glisten off of his cheeks and nose and how his hair bounced as he headbanged along.

Gareth felt your eyes on him the whole time which encouraged him to do his best to impress you, making this one of the best practices they’d had in a while.

Once practice was over and they started packing up Eddie watched Gareth walk over to the couch, pick your feet up and sit with your feet in his lap. Gareth rested his hand on your shin, rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin. “I think you’re our good luck charm, Princess. These fools haven’t made it through a practice without a fuck up in weeks.” Eddie smirked, carefully carrying his guitar case out of the garage.

“I’d be happy to watch you guys anytime.” You replied before turning your attention to Gareth. “You were amazing, Gare. Watching you is fun, the way you get so into it. Like nothing else matters. That’s passion.” You wanted to tell him how attractive it was, but you held off on that for the moment.

“Thanks. I love it. It gets the emotions I don’t know how to express out in the open somehow.” He squeezed your leg, something you could get used to for sure.

You giggled and sat up to scoot closer with your legs still over his lap. “That’s really deep. I’m glad you have a way to express everything on the inside. It gives me an idea for our project.”

“Yeah? What’s that?” He reached over with his other hand and tucked a loose hair behind your ear.

“Well, I think most people are going to just do something that shows the other person. I think we should do ours to show we’re the same, but we present differently. Like on the outside you’re this scary metal head that’s into the dark and scary stuff and doesn’t care about anything but on the inside you’re sweet and funny and caring. And I’m the opposite. On the outside I’m all sunshine and rainbows and happiness but on the inside I like all the same dark and scary stuff you do. So I propose that we do paintings. Mine for you would be dark around the edges and as it fades into the middle it gets lighter and happier. And yours for me is the opposite. I’ll be all dark on the inside but it gets lighter and brighter as you go out.” You explained, waving your hands and changing your face in ways that Gareth thought was absolutely adorable.

“That sounds really great. We could do actual rainbows for the color and fade it all into each other and use the whole scale from lighter pastel shades to the darker ones.” He replied, hand resting on the side of your thigh close to your knee, far enough down to be respectful.

You squealed and threw your arms around him. “That’s genius. I was thinking we would just use our favorite colors but that gives it so much more depth! Like every color provokes an emotion and no one feels the same all the time. I just know ours is going to be the best.” You hadn’t even realized that in the process of hugging him you had drug yourself more into his lap, in turn making his hand slide up your thigh. When you did realize it, you made no move to separate or create any kind of distance.

Gareth didn’t either, he instead looped his free arm around your back to keep you close. “You’re the genius, Doll. You came up with the idea, I just built on it.”

You looked up at him and smiled before resting your head on his shoulder. “Stop it. I’m not good at taking compliments.” You mumbled before hiding your face in his neck.

He chuckled and rested his head on yours. “Hey, the truth is the truth.” It’s all he could think to say that wasn’t over stepping any imaginary boundaries that might be set.

The two of you were so wrapped up in each other that you didn’t notice Natalie’s car driving by or the way she was watching you cuddle up to Gareth. But Eddie noticed. And he watched her drive by, flipping her off when she noticed him.

“Well, Princess, looks like your cheer buddies are gonna hate you on Monday.” He stated as he walked into the garage, seeing what Natalie must have seen to cause the twisted look on her face.

You lifted your head and dragged one of your arms from around Gareth’s neck. “Fuck ‘em. There’s five weeks left in the school year and I’ll never see those uppity bitches again.” You replied with yet another roll of your eyes. It was one of the habits you’d picked up from the cheer team and the only one you didn’t mind. Attitude could be a great asset.

“Whoa, Princess, those are some really mean words. Didn’t know you were so angry.” Eddie teased lightly.

“I’m just sick of being told what I can and can’t do. Who I can and can’t hang out with.” You sighed, resting your head once again on Gareth’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be, Doll.” He pulled you the rest of the way into his lap and held you as the other two members joined you in the garage.

“What’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Jeff asked, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

“My parents will be getting home with the girls soon. They’re gonna throw a fit to show me the routines so I’m stuck here. You guys are welcome to stay and hang though.” Gareth said, resting his chin on your head. The scent of your shampoo was intoxicating to him.

Grant and Jeff shared a look.

“Yeah I think we’ll go hit up the mall for a little bit and come back later. You coming, Ed?” Grant asked as Jeff fished the car keys from his pocket.

“Yeah, but we’ll come back for Princess’s first smoke sesh tonight.” Eddie said as he reached out to flip the hoop in your ear.

You raised your hand and flipped him off, which caused Gareth to laugh a little.

“Sounds good.” Gareth then looked down at you. “You staying or going?”

“I’ll stay. I’d love to see the girls and we can start on the project since we have an idea.” You replied with a smile before turning your attention to the other guys. “You guys are really great, by the way. Like I know the people I hang out with are assholes to you so I’m thankful you didn’t just write me off with them.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. You stopped them from coming after us more times than we can count. We knew you weren’t like them.” Jeff said, twirling the keys around his finger.

“Yeah, you hung with who you did for survival. It’s not like you were the one chasing the freshmen down in your car.” Grant stated, which caught your attention.

“I’m sorry, what? Who chased them down in their car?”

The guys shared a look, one that said he probably shouldn’t have said that. “Jason, Andy, and I think Tiffany and Natalie were in Jason’s Jeep last week and the freshmen were biking home.”

You nodded, deep in thought about what exactly you would say come Monday morning practice. None of it was pretty.

“I think on that note, we’re gonna head out.” Eddie clapped his hand over Grant’s shoulder and the three of them walked off towards Jeff’s car.

“You didn’t tell me about that.” You said softly, turning to look at Gareth.

“I know, but the kids didn’t want anyone to know. It hasn’t happened again, and if it had I promise I would have told you. The kids were embarrassed, I think.”

You nodded and moved to stand, only Gareth’s grip on your hips tightened and he pulled you back down, making you giggle a bit. ”Gare, we gotta go get the painting stuff.”

His arms wrapped around you, keeping you pressed to him. “I know, but this is really comfortable.”

You couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, Eddie had been right. Maybe Gareth did like you. Maybe it would be okay that you liked him. You laughed when he buried his face into your neck and relaxed into him.

The two of you stayed like that for a moment, thoughts buzzing around your heads about the other.

You ran your hand down his arm before you slipped your fingers through his. “You know once the girls get here we aren’t going to be able to go.” You hummed into his ear as you squeezed his hand in yours.

“I know. They’re gonna take you away from me.” He mumbled into your neck. He felt the way your lips morphed into a smile against his ear. “But I bet you like them more, huh? It’s not like you cut up my food for me last night.” He teased, snuggling into you a bit more.

His voice vibrated against the sensitive part of your neck causing you to sucks in a fast breath, which he didn’t miss. “I would have fed it to you if you'd have asked.” You moved so your lips were against his ear. “I’d do anything if you asked.” You smiled, hoping more now than ever that Eddie was right and not just saying it.

Gareth picked his head up and looked down at you. “All I have to do is ask, hm?”

You nodded and opened your mouth to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of a car coming into the driveway. “Well, looks like we missed our opportunity for a quick escape.” You chuckled, moving just enough to get off of his lap and settle next to him. You didn’t miss the pout on his face when you moved.

He laughed at the joke and watched the girls run from the car, yelling about how Lori’s team won their division and showing off her sash.

“Ooh! You look fancy with that, girly. Why don’t you show me your favorite trick!” You beamed at them.

Lori took her sash off and handed it to you before showing you back walkover.

“Wow! That was perfect, baby doll! What about you, lil bit? Are you in gymnastics?”

Clara perked up at her new nickname and nodded before she did a cartwheel.

“You guys are so good. You’re way better than I was at that age.” You smiled as they climbed onto the couch.

Gareth watched you with pure adoration.

“Can you do tricks?” Clara asked, looking up from her spot on your leg.

You smiled and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. “I actually can. I do gymnastics on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. It helps with cheerleading.” You replied, watching the girls' faces light up.

“Can you show us something? Please!” Lori asked, latching onto your hand.

As much as you would have loved to, the jean shorts you were wearing were so tight, you thought you wouldn’t be able to move properly. “I can’t right now because I’m not wearing the right clothes, baby doll. But when Gareth and I get back from the supply store, I’ll show you a few things. I promise.” You held up your pinky to her.

She wrapped hers around yours and smiled. “Okay!”

Gareth slipped his hand behind your back and rubbed his thumb up and down the exposed skin between the shirt and your shorts. “Why don’t you guys let us go ahead and go so we can come back faster? Huh?”

“Okay bubby!” Clara said, sliding down from your lap and reaching out for her sister's hand, which Lori took.

“We’ll see you guys in a little bit!” You called after the girls as they made their way inside.

Gareth, against his better judgment, wrapped his arms around you and settled his chin onto your shoulder. “You’re so great with them. They love you.” He said in a low voice that sent chills down your body, which he noticed and smirked at.

“I love them too. They’re the sweetest kids.” You replied, resting your hand on his.

“I love them, but I can’t wait to have my own, you know?” His hand subconsciously rested on your stomach for a moment as he pulled his hands back.

You watched him stand up, lost for words for a moment as images of Gareth and your kids playing in the yard swam through your head. “You want a big family?” You asked, taking his hand that was waiting.

He nodded, letting you pull yourself up. “Yeah, four or five, maybe more. There’s just something about taking care of another person, showing them how to be people that gets me.” He looked down at you, a soft smile on his face. “What about you?”

You nodded, resting your hands on his shoulders to keep yourself up. “Yeah, I want a huge family and a job so I’ll always be around. My parents are always gone on business and I never get to see them.” You explain, with a bit of a somber look.

“You’re going to be an amazing mother one day. Any kid would be lucky to have you, Doll.” Gareth instinctively wrapped his arms around your body and rocked you a bit.

You buried your face into his neck and fought the urge to kiss the skin under your lips. “Thanks, Gare.” You slowly pulled away from him and smiled. “You ready to go?” You asked as you gripped his hand in yours.

“Yeah, Doll. Let’s go.”

***

Once the two of you finished gathering the supplies you decided to go back to your place to paint since it would be quiet.

“So, the spare office is my studio. Upstairs, end of the hall to the left.” You said as you opened the door. “I’ll grab us some snacks and bring them up.” You smiled as he looked around.

“I’ll go get set up. See you in a bit.” He almost stepped up to kiss the top of your head, but he caught himself. He went up the stairs and into the room you’d directed him to. Paintings and drawings hung around the room. He took time looking at each one, stopping on a pencil drawing of him. He smiled, knowing that you’d looked at him long enough to draw him.

You made your way into the room with a tray of small sandwiches, grapes, and a sleeve of Oreos. “It’s probably not the best combo, but it makes my brain work.” You followed his eyes and blushed. “Oh, um…”

Gareth turned and smiled at you. “It’s really good. When did you do it?” He reached out and took the tray for you.

“Last year, chemistry. I finished an exam early and the way the light was hitting you was perfect. I’m sorry if that’s creepy.” You cringed a bit, clutching the Oreos tighter.

“It looks great. You got my good angle.” He said, looking over at you.

“Thank you.” Your voice was small, timid.

“What’s wrong?” He stepped over and put his hands on your upper arms.

You scanned the floor and shrugged. “I guess I’m just not used to people telling me my art looks good. When I was a kid I’d show my parents and their response was usually ‘That’s nice honey.’ and then they would go back to whatever they were doing. It’s just different I guess?” You explained, bringing your eyes to finally meet his. “Plus, I don’t want you to think I’m some weirdo for drawing you.”

Gareth couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped at your last comment. “I’m flattered you decided to draw me. You have a real talent for this stuff, Doll. You just have to find the right people to appreciate it.”

You smiled up at him and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Thank you.” Everything inside of you was telling you to kiss him, but you stopped yourself.

“Any time, sweet thing.” He couldn’t have stayed like that for hours, your body pressed against his, your scent lingering around him.

“C’mon, let's get started on these canvases.” You smiled as you hesitantly pulled back.

He nodded and let go of you to empty the bags filled with tubes of paint, brushes, and palettes.

“Do you mind if I put on some music? It helps me focus.” You looked over at him from next to the small stereo.

“Yeah, go ahead.” He was organizing the tubes so that it matched the color wheel, making it easier to grab what was needed. He was a little shocked when Quiet Riot started playing through the speaker. “She just keeps getting better and better.” He mumbled as he watched you bob your head to the beat as you began setting up the canvases on easels.

“Come on, feel the noise. Girls, rock your boys. We’ll get wild wild wild.” You sang under your breath as you measured the canvas, looking for the exact middle. When you marked it, you worked your way around making lines that lead from the middle to the edge, to make sure the brush stroked wouldn’t look wonky and crooked. When the lines were done you grabbed an Oreo and marked where the colors would fade into one another and transition from darker to lighter.

Gareth sat back and watched you, deciding that he would marry you on the spot if you would have asked. The focus on your face, the attention to detail, the mumbling of one of his favorite bands, even the Oreo that was between your lips and you figured your next mark, it was all driving him crazy in the best way.

“Do you want me to mark yours too?” You asked, peering over at him to see him leaned against the desk with his arms folded over his chest, eyes on you.

“Uh, yeah, if you want. It’ll probably be better, like if we want them the same, you know?” He was nervous that you’d just caught him staring, you didn’t seem to mind as you agreed and went to work on the second canvas, following the marks from your own.

Once you’d finished you walked over to the desk and grabbed one of the sandwiches. “Lunch break, then we’ll get started.

Gareth chucked and grabbed one of his own. “Good, I thought you were just going to have Oreo’s for lunch.”

You laughed and shrugged. “Wouldn’t have been the first time. My diet isn’t the best.” You replied with a smile.

“Mine either. Honestly, last night was going to be pizza, not that Benny’s is any healthier, but that’s on you.” He joked, making you roll your eyes.

“Fine, next time I’ll bring salad and water.” You replied with a teasing smile.

Next time. You wanted there to be a next time. “You can bring whatever you want as long as you come back.” He replied before popping a grape into his mouth.

“I’ll come back anytime you want me to.” You don’t know what made you brave enough to say it. Maybe it was the fact that it was just the two of you, or maybe it was because you were tired of keeping your feelings at bay and you just wanted to know how he felt.

“You could live there if you wanted to, I wouldn’t mind. I know the girls wouldn’t either.” He reached over and grabbed your hand, which you took and let him pull you close.

“You mean that?”

“Yeah, Doll. Can I be honest with you?”

You nodded and looked up at him.

“I like you. A lot. I have for a really long time. I’m sorry if that makes this weird.” He looked down at your hands that were intertwined with his.

You smiled and let go of his hands, which scared him until he felt your hands on the side of his face. “Thank god. I was gonna go crazy if you didn’t feel the same way.”

His eyes darted up, looking at you, trying to figure out if this was some joke. “Are you serious?”

You rolled your eyes and pulled him to you. “I’m serious.” You whispered, your lips brushing over his.

He grabbed your hips and pressed his lips to yours, savoring the feeling of the kiss along with your hands slipping down his neck and around him, bringing him closer to you.

You felt his tongue lick across your bottom lip, prompting you to open your mouth at the same time his hands slid around your hips and settled into the back pockets of your jean shorts. You whined into his mouth when he squeezed the fat of your ass.

He pressed kisses down your jaw and onto your neck before latching on at the base and leaving a mark that wouldn’t be easily hidden.

“What are you doing?” You asked, words coming out in a rushed breath.

“Making sure everyone knows your mine.” He answered as he pulled back to examine the mark.

You reached up and smiled when your fingers slid over the tinder part. “I thought they would get it when they saw me kissing you in the halls, but I can go for this too.” You giggled, letting that hang drop down to his chest, the other arm was still hooked behind his neck.

“Yeah? So you wanna be my girl, officially?” His hands migrated from your pockets to your sides, thumb running over the exposed skin.

You nodded and moved to stand on your tiptoes to give his nose a kiss. “Yeah, I do. I always have.” You replied.

“Honestly, I didn’t think that I’d thank Mr. Greely for anything, but I think he deserves a gift or something.” Gareth stated, taking your hand from his chest and slipping his fingers between yours.

“Yeah, I think he does.” You smiled, laughing as Gareth used his hold on your hand to spin you around. “What are you doing?”

“Just seeing what my girl looks like all the way around.” He answered, scanning over you with a satisfied smile.

“Your girl. I like the way that sounds.” Your hand rested on his hip and your eyes flickered between him and your hand. “We would get started, yeah?”

Gareth nodded, mouth gaping open. He was shocked when you pulled away and walked over to the canvas. “Oh, right. Yeah. Let’s do… that.” He took a few deep breaths and followed you to his so you could explain your vision for the pieces.

#stranger things gareth #gareth stranger things #gareth the great #gareth x reader #gareth emerson #gareth emerson x reader #gareth emerson x you #gareth emerson imagines #gareth emerson smut #Gareth Emerson fanfic #Gareth Emerson fan fic #Gareth Emerson fanfiction #Gareth Emerson fan fiction #stranger thing #stranger things fan fiction #stranger things fan fic

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dem-obscure-imagines · 2 years

Text

The Happily Ever After

Steve Harrington x Reader x Eddie Munson

Just the Three of Us | Relocated | What We Were Waiting For

Fandom: Stranger Things

Prompt: “Here’s my proposition; What you receive: all of my love and affection + a cake of your choosing. What I receive: part four of just the three of us. Pretty solid deal I think.”

Note: I do indeed think that’s a pretty solid deal. I’ll take a red velvet cake if that’s cool with you. Here is the long-anticipated Part 4! Sorry it took so long, but uh…Volume 2 put a little wrench in my motivation…Love you guys lots. Take care of yourselves during these trying times.

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, swearing, poly fluff.

Word Count: 5.2k

Reader is: female, from the future

It was too early in the morning that your alarm clock rang, blaring from the nightstand somewhere behind you.

You groaned and shook your head. “What time is it?”

“It’s Ren Faire day, princess.” You felt a kiss on your nose and a warn hand on your face, opening your eyes to find Eddie’s face right in front of your own, his curly hair a messy bed head, as it usually was in the mornings.

You gasped, remembering suddenly.

“You nerds get up really early for these things, huh?” Steve chuckled, his face pressed against the back of your neck. You loved the way his voice sounded in the morning, all deep and gravely. His arm tightened a bit around your waist as he pulled you back against his chest.

“We’re dedicated to our craft, Harrington.” Eddie smirked, scooching forward and effectively trapping you in a boyfriend sandwich, his arm arcing over you to touch Steve. “And I, for one, can’t wait to see our preppy little boyfriend all dressed up today.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Steve shook his head. “I can’t believe you two talked me into this.”

“I can.” You and Eddie both said at the same time.

“Jinx.” You whispered, Eddie’s eyes gentle while they lingered on your features.

“They still do ‘jinx’ in the future?”

“They still do ‘jinx’ in the future.” You confirmed.

“Cool. Well, you jinxed me, so I think that means I owe you a kiss.”

“Those aren’t the rules I’m familiar with, Munson.” You tilted your head, an amused grin tugging at your lips.

“You know, if you wanna kiss our girlfriend, you can just say that.” Steve pushed the hair off of your neck and kissed your cheek before trailing kisses down your jaw. “Because I know I do.”

“Yeah, let’s go with that.” Eddie smirked, kissing Steve’s cheek, and then his lips before moving on to yours.

It was complex, how these little make-out sessions worked between the three of you, but you loved every minute of them. Eddie’s lips explored yours, his hand between your head and the pillow, fingers in your hair, gently scratching your scalp. Meanwhile, Steve was, no doubt, leaving a loving little bruise on your neck, his lips careful, but firm.

“I love you.” You murmured to both of them.

“I love you too.” Steve whispered behind you, sealing his words with one last kiss on your cheek.

“As do I.” Eddie kissed your nose, looking into your eyes for a long moment before finally sitting up. “Ugh, I’m so excited.”

***

“Baby, will you do my eyeliner?” Eddie asked once the three of you were relatively ready to go pick up the others for the Faire. The king of Hellfire was dressed as a warlock-leaning pirate captain. He looked very Jack Sparrow, despite the fact that Jack Sparrow did not exist yet. His costume consisted of a billowy black shirt with a deep v-neck, held loosely together at the top by thin, crisscrossed strings. As usual, his fingers were adorned with his signature rings. He had a few accessories attached to a brown leather belt that hugged his hips, and on his head, there was a wide-brimmed pirate hat to match, a few beads and gemstones attached to it that you’d helped him sew on.

“Yeah, one second.” You called over your shoulder as you adjusted Steve’s costume. You and Eddie had talked him into a ranger-esque costume, complete with a cape and a quiver full of arrows. It was notably less intricate than Eddie’s, but you were lucky to have gotten him to wear it at all. He was, however, wearing some leather archery gloves, along with a small brown satchel to put his wallet and keys in.

Meanwhile, you were dressed as an elven princess, your costume fairly simple due to the short notice and your lack of supplies from the future, but you were wearing a layered purple skirt, a peasant top, a corset, a jeweled circlet around your head, a pair of pointed ears, and, of course, one of Eddie’s rings around your finger.

Steve grinned down at you, amused, as you fiddled with the strap of his quiver, adjusting it so it sat comfortably against his back.

“How does that feel?”

“A lot better. Thank you.” Steve leaned forward and kissed your cheek. “You know, I had my doubts, but this might be fun.”

“Will be fun.” You corrected.

“You look great, Harrington.” Eddie smirked. “But I still miss that dorky little sailor costume you used to wear.”

Steve chuckled, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. “Oh god not the sailor costume.”

You raised an eyebrow. “When did you wear a sailor costume? And follow-up question: where might I find pictures of you wearing such a costume?”

“Ugh, Munson, see what you’ve done?”

Eddie laughed maniacally. “Ah yes, all according to my evil plan.” He leaned closer to your ear and whispered, “I’ll show you later. I’ve got them tucked away somewhere safe.”

“I look forward to it.” You said, putting the finishing touches on Steve’s costume before turning your attention to Eddie, who was sitting on the couch, manspreading shamelessly, an eyeliner pencil in his outstretched hand. He gave his thigh a pat, inviting you over.

You walked over and sat in his lap, his arm wrapping around your waist to support you. You admired him for a moment, that handsome face of his.

“What?” He asked, amused, his voice little more than a whisper as his arm tightened around you slightly.

“You, Eddie Munson…are so hot.”

As soon as you said it, Eddie’s cheeks began to redden. He laughed, embarrassed. “Pfft. I don’t know about that.”

“No, no, no, she’s right.” Steve said, sitting next to Eddie on the couch. “She always is.”

“Well I can’t argue with that logic.” Eddie accepted, relaxing against the cushions, his free hand taking Steve’s.

You adjusted your position on his leg and gently took the hat off of his head, handing it to Steve. Eddie stared up at you with stars in his eyes, waiting in anticipation for you to finally put eyeliner on him.

“Close your eyes.” You murmured, and he did so. Then, carefully, you drew eyeliner onto the edge of his eyelid. “Do you want them kinda smoky, or a more solid line?”

“Smoky.” He answered, his voice quiet.

“Cool.” You nodded and gently smudged the line with your pinkie finger, giving him a smokier look. Then, you repeated on the other eye. “Now look up.”

He tilted his head back.

You giggled. “No, like, open your eyes and look up with them.”

“Oh.” Eddie opened his eyes and then looked up at the ceiling.

Even more carefully this time, you traced his lower lash line with the eyeliner and then smudged it expertly. His eye twitched a little bit, but for the most part, he managed to keep them steady.

“All done.” You told him, sliding the cap back onto the pencil and leaning in to kiss him.

“Lemme see.” Eddie set you in Steve’s lap and got up to look at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Holy shit!” He emerged wearing a brilliant smile. “Princess, this looks awesome. Thanks.”

“Any time.” You smiled, an arm draped around Steve’s shoulders.

Steve guided your face to his, kissing you softly. You reached up and cupped his cheek with your hand, keeping him close as his lips explored yours.

“I love you,” he whispered it like he was telling you a little secret, his brown eyes incredibly warm, sparkling as he admired you in your costume.

“I love you too.” You replied, going in for another quick kiss before getting up off of his lap and getting the rest of your things together.

Sometimes, you looked at your boyfriends, really looked at them and remembered where you were, when you were. Today, you were in 1986, all dressed up for a Renaissance Faire. A few months ago, this would have been little more than a distant daydream, a passing thought, and now it was your daily reality.

“You okay?” Eddie waved a hand in front of your face when he noticed you zone out.

“I’m fine.” You nodded, taking a step closer and wrapping an arm around his torso while Steve draped an arm over the both of you. “Great, actually. I’ve got my boys, we’ve got some great costumes, and we’re going to have an awesome time.”

Steve grinned and kissed your forehead. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

***

The three of you picked up Robin, Dustin, and Nancy, planning to meet the rest of the group at the faire grounds.

“Cool costume, (Y/N).” Dustin complimented. He was wearing some Paladin gear that looked like he had made it himself.

“Thank you!” You smiled. “I usually go as a tiefling rogue, but all my ren gear is in the future, so…starting from scratch, I suppose.”

“Babe, what’s a tiefling?” Eddie asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

You paused for a long moment. “Are…are tieflings not in DnD yet?” You asked, dumbfounded.

“They’re from DnD?” Dustin asked. “Oh my god, I love when you talk about future stuff. What are they like?”

“They’re like…demon people, kind of. Cool demon features, red skin, horns, that sort of stuff. They’re insanely popular in every DnD group I’ve ever played in.”

“That sounds fucking awesome.” Eddie grinned, taking your hand. “Do you know when they pop up?”

“No clue. But I guess it has to be sometime between now and fifth edition.”

“FIFTH EDITION?!” Dustin asked, his eyes just about bulging out of his head. “Holy shit!”

You chuckled, shrugging. “Yeah.”

Nancy watched you, her big blue eyes curious. She was also wearing a princess costume, but hers leaned more fairy-inspired than yours did, complete with a flower crown and brighter pastel colors. Robin, who was dressed in a Robin Hood-inspired outfit, had helped Nancy with hers, too.

“What’s it like?” She asked quietly.

“What’s what like?” You asked, sitting on the bench seat in the front of the car, crammed quite comfortably between Steve, who was driving, and Eddie, whose fingers were drumming a steady rhythm against your thigh.

“You don’t have to answer this, but…isn’t it weird being here?”

“Oh.” You thought for a long moment. “Well yeah, sometimes. Every time I almost get used to things, I find out something else I’m used to having won’t be invented until like the nineties or something. And that’s…tricky, I guess. But I love it here. And you guys are all great and super nice. I’ve got a great support system here.” You squeezed Steve’s hand and he squeezed it right back. “And besides, pretty much everyone from my generation idolizes the 1980s.”

“This is news.” Steve raised an eyebrow, looking at you briefly while he was stopped at a red light. “Really?”

“Yeah, definitely. A lot of people my age are obsessed with ‘80s music and the aesthetic. Some of the fashion is coming back, too. Lots of the movies are still really popular, some of them getting remakes. And also, they’re making a lot of new movies that take place in the ‘80s, too.”

“Remakes?” Robin asked.

“They made an all-girls Ghostbusters a few years back. It got a lot of hate, but I liked it. The Ninja Turtles come back around every five years or so with a new something.” You chuckled. “There’s a lot of others, too, I just can’t remember them all off the top of my head.”

“An all-girls Ghostbusters…” Robin whispered, smiling. “Awesome.”

“Hey Steve, are we almost there?” Dustin asked from the backseat.

“Almost there.” Steve nodded, putting his blinker on before taking a turn.

“I can’t wait.” Robin grinned, fixing up her makeup with a little mirror in the back seat.

“I can’t believe we’ve never been to a Renaissance Faire before.” Dustin chuckled, shaking his head. “It took your awesome girlfriend from the future to open our eyes to it.”

“You’re welcome, Henderson. Glad I could introduce you to the nerdy wonderland hiding right under your noses.” You chuckled, leaning your head against Eddie’s shoulder.

He turned his head and pressed a kiss to your hairline, and you could feel his lips curl into a smile. “Our costumes are gonna be even better and cooler next year.”

“Definitely.”

***

It didn’t take long to get the rest of the way there. The people standing at the entrance of the parking lot, which was really just a big grassy field, directed you where to park amongst the rows and rows of cars that were already there. Dustin used his walkie talkie to figure out where the others were parked, and then you all started walking towards their vehicle.

When you found them, the other half of the group were sitting in the back of a large yellow pizza van, putting on their garb as quickly as they could. You recognized pretty much everyone who was there. You’d been introduced to each of them at your birthday party do-over and they all seemed nice, as far as you could tell. The only exception was the addition of Argyle, Jonathan’s friend from California. Already you could tell he had good vibes.

“Is this the girl from the future I keep hearing about?” He asked as soon as he laid eyes on you, one of your hands in Steve’s and the other in Eddie’s.

“I’m (Y/N). You must be Argyle.”

“Nice to meet you. I think it’s super dope you have two boyfriends, by the way. I wish everyone got two soulmates. More to love, you know?”

This caused you, Eddie, and Steve to all laugh a little. You nodded. “Yeah, I think so, too. Totally lucked out with these two.”

“(Y/N), did you bring any safety pins? My zipper broke.” Will said, motioning to the back of his wizard costume, which was hanging open haphazardly.

“You seem pretty crafty; I told Will you might have some on you.” Jonathan admitted, shrugging.

“Well you were correct.” You said, opening the bag hanging at your hip and quickly producing a safety pin, carefully using it to join the ends of Will’s robe. “I can help sew a new one on later. Or I could help make you a new one. Totally up to you.”

“A new costume might be nice.” Will contemplated.

Once that was handled, Steve wrapped an arm around you, pulling you to his side and Eddie’s hand found its way into yours again, his ringed fingers lacing between your own. He pulled your hand to his lips, littering a few kisses there on the back of it.

The large hoard of nerds you’d acquired started walking towards the front gates together. Nancy handed out the tickets and made sure you each had one, and then you walked through the domed archway into what felt like another world.

Right at the entrance, there was a tall Maypole with dancers wrapping ribbons around it while music played in the background. Almost everyone you encountered was dressed up as though they were straight out of a fantasy novel. Vendors were selling food and drinks, costume pieces and ornate jewelry, homemade candles, artisan soaps, and so on and so forth.

“Holy shit…” Eddie murmured, looking around at everything.

“Hey you three.” Robin said, grabbing your attention, her Polaroid in hand. “Smile!”

She snapped a photo of the three of you, handing it to Steve once it printed out the front of her camera. He shook it idly while it developed before showing you and Eddie.

“Oh my god that’s so cute.” You smiled. “Thank you, Robin.”

“Any time.” She grinned.

Everyone kind of split off, agreeing to meet at twelve to grab something to eat together before going their separate ways. You, Steve, and Eddie stuck with the other older members of the group: Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle, and Robin.

For a while, you browsed the racks of costumes. Eddie looked at a very ornate pirate jacket while Steve tried on a few flamboyant leather hats.

“What do you think of this one?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

“I think you look hot in all of them, babe.” You said, walking up to him.

“Oh you think so, do you?” He grinned, hugging you to his side and pressing a kiss to your lips.

“If you want one, we’ve still got about four and a half months on my fancy card.” You reminded him.

“I don’t know what I’d do with a hat like this, princess.” He chuckled, taking it off of his head and putting it back on the rack where he’d found it. “But, uh, I think our boyfriend found something he likes.” He glanced over at Eddie, who had tried on the pirate captain coat and was admiring his reflection in the mirror.

You snuck up behind him, a mischievous look on your face, and wrapped your arms around him from behind.

“Oh! Hey.” He grinned and made eye contact with you in your reflections. “What do you think?”

“I think it suits you, Captain Munson.” You kissed his cheek. “If you want it, I’ve got my Gold Card on me.”

Eddie thought for a long time, quiet. He had that same look on his face he got every time you tried to buy him something. “You’re serious.”

“Of course I am.” You assured him.

“It’s pretty expensive.”

“I know.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I’ve got unlimited funds for the next four-ish months. We may as well use them.”

Eddie slowly smiled, laughing a bit before meeting your eyes. “Well I can’t argue with that logic, now can I?”

You walked to the counter with him and bought the jacket before reuniting with Steve outside the stall, where he was chatting with Argyle, whose long hair was now braided with several flowers woven into it.

“Woah, cool coat!” Argyle complimented.

Eddie beamed, showing it off proudly. “It was a gift bestowed upon me by Princess (Y/N) of Hawk’s End.”

You laughed. You loved when Eddie’s DM voice came out.

“What do you think, Harrington?” Eddie did a little spin.

“I think you make one hell of a pirate captain, Ed.” Steve smirked before adding playfully, “Might even get me back in that old sailor costume.”

Eddie gasped and put his hand over his heart. “Promise?”

“We’ll see.” Steve shook his head, chuckling.

Eddie walked up to Steve, his fingers playfully hovering near his face before pulling him in for a kiss that Steve gladly reciprocated. It was adorable, how affectionate they were with each other. For both of them, touch was one of their main love languages, so physical affection was a big part of your relationship with them. Not that you minded at all. It was nice. It was nice being cared for by your two favorite people in the world.

“Now we’ve gotta find a cool new costume piece for you, big boy.” Eddie kissed Steve’s nose and Steve blushed, grinning.

“Better get looking, then.” Steve replied.

“It says on this map there’s a mead tent.” Robin read from the map she’d picked up at the gate. “And a mermaid? And a fairy garden!”

“What’s mead?” Argyle asked.

“It’s like honey-based wine. It’s pretty sweet, but they make it in a bunch of flavors and it’s pretty good.” You answered. “My favorite is blueberry mead.”

“You know a lot of things, future girl.” Argyle noted, nodding. Yeah, he was probably baked, you figured. After spending a little over a month dating Eddie, you’d recognize that smell anywhere. “Thanks for sharing your knowledge.”

You laughed. “Any time.”

“I think we should check that out.” Steve noted. “It’d give me some time to sober up before I’ve gotta drive us back.”

“You like wine?” You asked, amused.

He shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “On occasion.”

“No wonder Dustin calls you Mom.” Eddie joked, giving Steve an affectionate nudge.

“Well I wanna go see the mermaid.” Robin said. “Looks like the mead tent is on the way.”

“Perfect.” Steve took your hand in one and Eddie’s in the other, starting to lead the rest of the group over to the mead tent.

***

By the time lunch rolled around and you joined up with the kids again, you were still a little buzzed from the mead tent.

“Woah, Eddie, cool coat!” Dustin complimented.

“Doesn’t he look great? A total pirate captain.” Steve grinned, his arms wrapping around Eddie’s waist from behind and kissing him on the cheek.

“Are you…drunk?” Dustin asked, his eyes narrowing at you and Steve slightly.

You giggled. “A little. We found a mead tent.”

“They’re both lightweights.” Eddie whispered very loudly, earning an elbow to the chest. “They’ll sober up once we get some food in ‘em, though.”

“What’s mead?” Mike asked, holding hands with Eleven.

“The nectar of the gods, brochacho.” Argyle declared. “I have been changed at this Renaissance Festival.”

Once you all caught up with each other and shared the things you had found, the rest of you started browsing the food stalls. Steve made a beeline for the giant turkey legs while you located something more palatable at one of the other storefronts.

There weren’t many places to sit and eat, so your whole group sat on the back benches at one of the live shows.

Steve held up his turkey leg proudly and took a bite, nodding immediately. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.”

“Can I have a bite?” Eddie asked, curious more than anything.

Steve nodded and held the leg closer to Eddie, who took a bite from it.

Eddie chuckled, shaking his head a bit as he chewed. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have finished that whole thing. That’s…a lot.”

“Yeah.” You nodded, taking a bite of your veggie burger. “I usually share one with my friends back home because it’s too much for any one of us to finish on our own. They’re good with barbeque sauce, though.”

“That’s a good idea, princess.” Steve grinned, dabbing some barbeque sauce onto it before digging in again. “You’re right. You’re always right.”

“That seems to be the pattern lately, yeah.” You chuckled.

“You want a bite?” He offered, his eyes earnest.

“Don’t mind if I do.” You took a little bite before turning your attention back to your own meal. Once you were finished eating, you looked at Steve, who still had a little barbeque sauce clinging to the corner of his lip. “Babe.”

“Hmm?” He hummed, looking over at you, oblivious.

“Come here.” You beckoned him closer and he leaned in, those gorgeous big brown eyes gazing into yours. You led his lips to yours and kissed him softly, pulling away after a few moments before telling him, “You had some BBQ on your lip.”

Steve laughed sheepishly and looked at you. “Well did you get it?”

“Yep.” You pecked his lips one more time before getting up to walk your trash to the garbage can. When you made your way back to the group, Eddie was reaching out for you, his fingers wiggling needily. You grinned and sat in his lap, his arm wrapping around you.

“Can I get a kiss even if I don’t have BBQ on my face, princess?” Eddie asked, his features mischievous.

“You can have a kiss any time you want, Captain Munson.” You tilted his chin up towards you and pressed a long kiss to his lips.

Once everyone else was finished, you all started walking around the faire once more, browsing the various stalls, shopping for odds and ends. In one of the other costume stalls, Eddie stuck a very kingly crown on Steve’s head, mostly as a joke, but the look Steve gave himself in the mirror while he was wearing it was enough to make you bust out your Gold Card.

And then, when you all were about finished exploring, you stumbled upon a psychic’s shop. Immediately, you felt a pull you couldn’t explain.

“A psychic?” Eddie asked, reading the sign. “That’s cool.”

“I…I think I’m gonna get a reading.” You decided, walking inside, Steve and Eddie not far behind you.

Steve browsed the little crystals for sale out front while you walked to the counter and booked a reading. And as soon as the psychic was ready, she beckoned you beyond the beaded curtains to her table while Steve and Eddie waited out in the storefront for you to be done.

The psychic was an older woman, probably around fifty or sixty. She had reddish hair pulled back into a bun. Her fingers were adorned with rings and bracelets, her nails painted gold. She had a kind twinkle in her eye, like she knew things she wasn’t supposed to. Although, you supposed, that was kind of the whole point.

“So you want a stone reading today, eh?” She asked, collecting said rocks from the table’s surface. Some of them were crystals, others were bones or pieces of bones, there were a few runes, and some rocks that looked as though she’d found them outside somewhere.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“There’s some nervous energy about you, dear. Is this your first reading?”

“The first in a while.” You nodded. “I had a friend who used to do them for me before I…uh, moved.”

“Mmhmm.” She hummed, setting the pile of stones in your hands. “Breathe with me.”

You both took a deep breath together.

“And now, you can release them.” She said, motioning you for to drop the stones on the table. She looked them over for a long moment, taking in the information they gave her based on the way they fell. “You’re not from around here, are you? From quite far away. Somewhere you can’t get back to.”

“Right, yeah.” You nodded, a chill running down your spine.

“But you don’t feel lost, do you? I see a little uncertainty here, but…” She smiled softly. “Your soulmates are here.”

You smiled. “Yeah, they are.”

“They love you a lot. I can tell that much.”

“I love them a lot, too.”

She laughed. “Well that’s good.” She paused, looking over the stones. “You’re pretty financially stable now, yes?”

“Yes.” You nodded.

“I’m still seeing a new job for you on the horizon, but not for a while. Maybe…a few months from now.”

You were in awe. That was when you were planning on getting a job, about a month before your Gold Card would expire.

“Let’s talk about those soulmates, shall we?”

“I’d love to.”

“Well, there’s two, for starters.” She laughed. “You’re one of the lucky ones, it seems. One of them is giving me very…paternal, protective energy. He’s…athletic. Maybe not currently, but he played sports at one point in time. He’s…he’s been hurt in the past. Someone who he really cared about betrayed him, but he doesn’t feel that way with you. It’s a different kind of fear. You got here pretty abruptly. Part of him fears you’ll…well, that you’ll disappear as quickly as you came.”

“Woah…”

“You won’t.” She reassured you quickly. “We’ll…we’ll get there, though. Now the other one, he’s something else, isn’t he? I’m getting some strong musical abilities here. He’s a bit of a rebel, an outsider. He has tattoos, yes?”

“Yeah.” You chuckled. “Plenty of them.”

“Thought so. He’s very creative, though. An impressive storyteller. He treats you well. They both do. There is, however, something they’ve been keeping from you. It will come up in due time, but just know that they’ve been waiting to tell you for a reason.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t push them. It’s nothing that directly affects you, rather, something in their past.” She paused, taking a breath and looking into your eyes. “Speaking of pasts…I didn’t think you’d recognize me, and it’s alright that you don’t, (Y/N), but there’s a reason you came into my stall today.”

Your heart raced and you stared at her, waiting for the recognition to kick in. And then, all at once, it hit you. “Oh my god, Iris?”

“In the flesh.” She smiled, reaching for your hand, which you gladly gave her, tears welling in your eyes.

“What are you—how are you—?”

“A few months after you vanished on your twenty-first birthday, I vanished on mine. Went back to the 1950s to live with my soulmate, Lydia. She’s running the register out front.” She told you, chuckling softly and shaking her head. “I always knew you’d gone off to 1986 but it snuck up on me after all these years.”

“How did you know? What did they tell you?”

“The Commission told all of us, your friends, where you’d gone and why, told us not to make too much of a fuss about it, but it was hard to just move on like nothing had happened.” She teared up a little. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” You both stood up and walked into each other’s arms, crying.

“I know you’re still afraid you’ll wake up back home, that all of this will be a dream, but it’s not. You and your soulmates are going to live happily ever after. You’re going to put down roots together, start your new life here. I know you’re going to be so happy with them for years and years and years. And every once in a while, you better come visit me.”

“Oh I will. I promise.”

“Good. Now, how would you feel about introducing me to these boys of yours?”

***

Iris, unsurprisingly, got on with Steve and Eddie very well. She trusted them with you. And now, she knew you were in good hands.

It had been a weird and wonderful day, and now, you and the rest of the group were heading towards the car to go back home. On the way there, though, you pulled Steve and Eddie aside for a second.

“Steve, Iris…told me you’re…she said you’re scared that I’m gonna…disappear.” You told him, causing him to stop in his tracks. You and Eddie stopped walking too, standing under the canopy of trees arching above you as people in Renaissance garb passed you.

“Well, w-well yeah, it’s always kinda…in the back of my mind.” Steve admitted, taking your hand and fiddling with your fingers. “I don’t know, I just…everything is so perfect and I’m just afraid that one morning I’ll wake up and…”

“Hey, look at me.” You said softly, reaching up to touch his cheek, tilting his face towards yours. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” You felt tears brimming in your eyes and reached for Eddie’s hand with your free one. “I…honestly, I was kind of afraid of that, too. But…Iris said that’s nothing to worry about. When I came here, it was a one-way trip.” You looked at Eddie, who was in tears, too. “You’re both stuck with me, alright? Forever.”

“P-promise?” Eddie asked, a lump in his throat.

“Promise.” You whispered, a tear slipping down your cheek, only to be wiped away by Steve’s thumb, his warm hand cupping your face. He pulled you against him, tugging Eddie closer with his other arm, the three of you huddling there together on the dirt path in your Ren gear, holding each other close.

And little did you know Robin was a little ways up the path, snapping yet another picture of the three of you with her Polaroid.

Part 5?

#steve harrington x reader x eddie munson #steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger thing

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morganski-19 · 8 months

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Things I Won’t Say When I'm Sober: Part 3

part 1, part 2, part 4

It’s dark when Steve wakes up. He’s not exactly sure why he did. For once since his world got flipped upside down, he had a nice dream. Or didn’t dream at all. But whatever it was, it was the kind of thing he woke up from and didn’t immediately want to grab the bat that rests under his bed. Not that he could this time anyway, he wasn’t even home.

He isn’t even home. Freaking out, he falls out of the peacefulness as his heart starts rapidly beating. This wasn’t his room, these weren’t his house. If anything were to go wrong nothing was near him to even grab for a weapon. Nothing for him to protect himself from the bad.

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, the room starts to make more sense. Light is softly streaming into the room illuminating the posters on the wall. The lingering smell of weed starts to filter in as the familiar ache in his bones returns. Memories of the previous night come streaming in as he relaxes back into the bed.

Steve isn’t in some government warehouse being tortured. Steve isn’t in the upside down. He isn’t in a crumbling mall or tunnels set ablaze or even the Byers’ house as a monster falls from the ceiling. No, Steve is in Eddie’s room, sleeping in his bed because he got too high to drive home. He is safe.

A groan comes from the other side of the bed, followed by some words Steve can’t understand. He rolls over to find Eddie facing his way, hair all messed up and covering his face. An urge comes over Steve to push it away, uncover his face, and be able to see it in the dark. That way he could look at Eddie the way he wanted to, just not with the fear of being caught. Eddie was a deep sleeper anyway, Steve once saw him be able to sleep through a movie night with the kids. If he could sleep through that chaos, then he could sleep through anything.

Before Steve could even do that though, more groans and noises slipped out of Eddie’s mouth.

“Not- Not me. Not me.” He muttered, louder this time, his voice shaking like it did in the boathouse.

It was a nightmare. Steve could only guess what it was about, but he was sure he’d had many of the same. After what they went through, it was hard not to. If it were like one of Steve’s, it could be really bad. Or it could be just okay enough that it would fade away in a few seconds.

“Stop. I didn’t do it.” Eddie says again, almost like he wants to scream it.

Hearing it makes Steve’s heart pull. He should wake him up, take him out of this misery, and hold him in his arms until it all went away.

“It wasn’t me!” Eddie screams now. “I didn’t kill her.”

Steve’s reminded of the screams he would yell out in the night after Starcourt. Screaming that he worked for Scoops, hoping that would make them stop. That the pain they put them through would stop. He’d have dreams and flashbacks to that moment more than he would ever admit. He knew what it was like to be stuck in the moment. Even though Eddie’s was different, that didn’t mean it was any less traumatizing.

“Just stop hunting me,” Eddie says again, almost like he is retreating.

He can’t take it anymore and reaches across the small gap between them, shaking Eddie’s shoulder. “Hey, Eddie. Eddie wake up,” he whispers, trying not to startle him.

“I didn’t-” Eddie whimpers again, slowly waking up. “I didn’t do it.”

“I know you didn’t, man. I know. You didn’t do it.” Steve breathes. “Wherever you are, you aren’t there right now. You’re here with me, Steve. And I believe you. You didn’t do it, I know.”

Eddie lets out a shaky breath as he opens his eyes. “Steve,” he whispers, reaching out a hand to touch Steve’s chest.

“Yeah, I’m here man,” he responds, ignoring the spark that ignited at the touch.

“Where are we?”

“In your room. Your new room. We’re in your bed. Remember last night? I got so high you wouldn’t let me drive home so you made me sleep in your bed. And Robin, she’s here too. Out there on the couch sleeping. We’re safe here, you’re safe. You’re safe with me.”

Eddie’s eyes meet Steve, tears slowly filling his eyes. “I didn’t do it. They didn’t believe me. How-.” He blinks as a tear rolls down his cheeks. “How could they think I could do that to another person?”

Part of Steve’s heart breaks at those words. Knowing Eddie now, it was hard to think that he could ever hurt someone like that. Sure he’d say some things he didn’t mean from time to time, but ever really hurting somebody, that wasn’t Eddie. And he wasn’t violent, chose to fight with his words rather than his fists. Even in high school when Steve would hear about fights, it was never Eddie who threw the first punch. He was always the one fighting back.

Before Steve can even get a chance to respond, Eddie shoots up, rubbing at his face. “This is so stupid. Why did this have to happen now, when you’re here? It was fine, I was fine.”

“Eddie,” Steve interrupts, sitting up as well.

“This is so embarrassing. You don’t have to deal with me like this, I don’t need your pity. You can just go, I’m sure the high has worn off by now. Buckley is probably up from all of the screaming and-”

“Eddie,” he interrupts again, pulling Eddie’s hands away from where they were violently rubbing his eyes. “I’m not leaving.”

“Even after you just saw me-”

“Having a normal reaction to a nightmare based on the insane amount of shit that you just went through a few months ago. No, I’m not.”

Eddie blinks a few times at Steve in disbelief. “Even after I’ve just probably woken you up and scared the shit out of you.”

“Even then. And you didn’t wake me up, I already woke up.”

“From what?”

“Nothing really. I just woke up and heard you muttering in your sleep and thought it might be a nightmare. I waited a second, sometimes they can disappear fast. But it didn’t, so I woke you up.”

Eddie starts playing with his fingers, circling one of his fingers as if his ring was there. “Thanks,” he mutters, avoiding Steve’s gaze again.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I was just,” Eddie looks up at the ceiling. “It was different from my other nightmares. Most of the time I’m back at the trailer when it happened or swarmed with the bats again. Sometimes Dustin is in her place, or mine, and then I can’t save either of them. Or it’s Buckley or Wheeler or one of the other kids or … or you. And every time I can’t save them.”

Steve leans forward, trying to see Eddie better. “But this time.”

“This time, I was at the boathouse when Jason and his shithead goons found me. They caught me before I got to the water and started beating me up. I-I couldn’t get them to stop.” Eddie chokes up as a few tears roll down his cheeks again.

“Eddie,” Steve says without anything else to follow. Instead, he reaches out and pulls Eddie into a hug, ignoring the thoughts in his head telling him that it’s too much. He doesn’t care right now. Eddie falls into him, leaning into Steve’s touch and letting himself be held.

“I thought they were going to kill me,” he sobs into Steve’s chest.

Steve doesn’t know how long they sit there like this and he doesn’t care. He would sit there forever with Eddie like that if that’s where he wanted to be. Eddie acts all tough as if what happened didn’t bother him. That the mobs of people calling him a murderer and a satanist were just a bunch of fakes following the word an insane teenager. But deep down, those words cut and fester and Eddie’s let it build up. Steve can tell that he has.

So if Eddie feels safe enough to let it all go, to finally feel what he should feel about the situation, then Steve’s not going to stop him. It would only add to the cruelty that has been handed to Eddie if it did.

Eventually, Eddie’s sobs start to fade as Steve leans them back down on the bed. Eddie is still wrapped up in Steve’s arms but almost falling back to sleep so Steve doesn’t care. Instead, he keeps holding him until his breath starts to deepen and the tears stop streaming down his face.

Steve can’t help but think to himself that he wants this all of the time. Not the nightmares or the crying. But the feeling of warmth of Eddie against his skin. His arms holding Eddie close and not want to let go. It feels like the most right thing in the world.

He thinks back to earlier that night. How fast he jumped away from Eddie, ashamed of being so close to him. Now he can’t even understand what he was thinking. How can he be ashamed to be close to Eddie when this feels so right? When this feels more right than anything in his life in the past few years.

For the first time in a while, Steve feels content. Happy even. Not just with the world around him, but with himself. Like everything he’s been afraid of faded away and he’s just sitting in this moment. He isn’t afraid anymore. Of himself at least. If liking Eddie makes him feel like this, then there can’t be anything wrong with it, can it?

another part coming soon!!

Tag list (lmk if you want to be added or removed): tag list: @imfinereallyy @estrellami-1 @paintsplatteredandimperfect @overhillunderhill @renaissan-vvitch @ashwagandalf @sirsnacksalot @lorelei724 @emly03 @super-cosmic-library @rozzieroos @dolphincliffs @henderdads @abyssal808 @evergreenprose @demolvr @steddiehyperfixation @stedumpsterfire @ent-is-indecisive @steddierthings @makeadealwithdean @kas-eddie-munson @extra-transitional @lunaticmarunatic @steveharringtonmilf @cardboardqueen @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @panicatthediaz @ellietheasexylibrarian @hallucinatedjosten @awkwardgravity1 @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @its-a-me-a-morgan @messrs-weasley @dreamlandforever @stevesbipanic @inmoonywetrust @sani-86 @aellafreya

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger thing #fic #multiple parts #hurt comfort #nightmares #getting together #soon #steddie ficlet #steve harrington ficlet #eddie munson ficlet #steddie fic #things i wont say when i’m sober

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wormdebut · 13 days

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LET DOWN AND HANGING AROUND (CRUSHED LIKE A BUG IN THE GROUND)

Ahoy! This is my first VERY LATE ficlet for @corrodedcoffinfest ! My absolute bad for being so late, but BOY am I HAPPY TO BE HERE!

Warm Up Prompt One: Taxed. Word Count: 1000 (scrivener says 1000 Wordcounter says 979. IDK Man, it’s within limit), Rating: T, Pairing: None, CW: Swears, Smoking, Angst Tags: Eddie, Gareth, Jeff, Freak

----

October 1987

They've been at this for fucking years. Eddie feels like a fucking girl scout.

'Well hello there Mr. Music Man, would you like to buy a box of shitty garage band metal?'

Except they weren't fucking shitty. All of the guys had been working their assess off, writing, playing shows, shitty gig after shitty gig after shitty gig.

But they haven't managed anything. Nothing, zilch, nada.

They had a small crowd showing up at the Hideout, and the owner, Benny, started letting them play not only their usual Tuesday but because Eddie had been helping him with placehe was letting them play Saturday nights now too, which was great because while he appreciates the likes of his uncle and Wayne's best friends on Tuesdays, there were almost twenty people every Saturday night and that was something.

They also had a standing gig at a bar in Indianapolis at least once a month, lately they've been playing The Barrel every other week and Eddie thought--he thought--that that would get them somewhere.

The guys were fucking exhausted but Eddie kept pushing because they could do this. Corroded Coffin was great. They were great and somebody was going to see that…right?

Eddie saw what they had. He did. But the guys--

"C'mon Ed, we can't keep sneaking Gareth into bars forever. I think we need to--maybe consider other options or--" Jeff rambles. They were supposed to be practicing but Jeff Williams had to swoop inwith his stupid common sense bullshit. Jeff motherfucking Williams is one of the best guitarists Eddie has ever had to the privilege of listening to, but Jeff wants to go college like a real boy!

Gareth cuts him off, "It's just the two bars man, and I have a fake, if I need it anyw--"

Would you look at that, it's time for Freddy to cut in. "Yeah, but you're three feet tall and have the face of a newborn child."

Gareth shoves at Freddy's chest. "Oh fuck off, man. At least I'm not a virgin!" He yelps and great. This is great.

Now the band is fighting, again, because Jeff wants to go to College, Goodie is a Virgin, and Gareth is short.

Eddie just want to play music.

If they all want to yell, Eddie can yell louder. "See. Do you see what happens when you start talking about 'other options' Jeff? Chaos--and not the fun kind!"

"See, Eddie--this is the fucking problem with you. All you care about is your music, your dream, It's all about you!"

Jeff is yelling at Eddie, Gareth and Freak are rough housing, how did this even happen. All Eddie wants is to do something. Be something. He believes in this, in Jeff, and Freddy and Gareth, in the band.

And he gets that everyone is taxed, tired. Eddie is fucking exhausted. Gareth is trying to not fail his senior year. He gets it, he does, but-- "You know what, Jeff?" His voice breaks, and isn't that fucking humiliating? "Some of us, don't have college as an option. Did you ever consider that?"

Eddie leans over and grabs his cigarettes from the table, before shoulder checking Jeff as he leaves.

——

What’s the fucking point? Eddie puts everything into lyrics that people probably don't even know, all of them spend hours writing and harmonizing, making sure chords make sense, just for everything to be a pipe dream. They haven't taken a break for anything. It's either work or school or Coffin Shit. They haven't played D&D in months. They've just been doing this.

But it's all Eddie has. How the hell was he ever going to get out of shitty ass Hawkins, if it wasn't this way? He didn't exactly ace his finals--even the third time around. Honestly? He's pretty sure they just let him pass, to get him the fuck out of there.

He lights up what feels like his eighth cigarette--it's not, it's his second--and stares out to the empty street. They use Gareth's garage to practice…for being as straight laced as she is, Ms. Emerson sure does believe in the band.

Dottie Emerson and Eddie. God dammit, maybe Jeff is right.

He should go back, he should go back and apologize, and let this go. He has the job at the Hideout, he can save and maybe move to Indy--play an acoustic at some bars or…something.

God, he's just so tired of this shit.

He finishes his cigarette, and tries to breathe. Breathe in--hold--breathe out--he doesn't realizes Jeff until he taps his shoulder.

"Hey." Jeff says, quiet. Eddie, just nods, grabs his pack and offers a cancer-filled olive branch. Jeff takes it.

Eddie doesn't say anything. Doesn't want to, doesn't know what he should say.

So Jeff does. "I'm sorry, Ed. I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm just fucking tired man, we all are and I do want this, I do, but it's fucking scary." Eddie turns, watches Jeff blow out smoke. "I got accepted to IU, did you know that?"

Eddie blinks. He did not know that. "No, you hadn't mentioned it."

Jeff turns to look at him, "I didn't want this to happen."

Eddie closes his eyes, takes in a deep breath. In--hold--out. "You should go." He forces a smile, watches as Jeff's eyes shine for a moment--no wonder he had that silly crush on him his second senior year, but it was only for like a week, leave it alone--before he srunches his face up, Eddie can't help but laugh. Jeff always does that, when he's stressed. It makes him look like a rabbit.

Jeff goes to speak, but Eddie cuts him off. "Let's do this Halloween show, it'll be our going away gift to our tens of adoring fans."

Jeff laughs at that, nods, and pulls Eddie into a hug.

Everything will be fine, with or without Corroded Coffin.

#worm brain #everyone buckle up cause I'm determined to knock all of these out #they will follow a story line BUT also stand alone #so note that even though eddie thinks this is the end thats a big fat lie #Steve is out there somewhere #and so will Corroded Coffin being famous as fuck #I promise #eddie munson #stranger thing #stranger things ficlet #pre steddie #cause BOY WILL THEY BE HERE #Corroded Coffin #All the boys. They are all here and they be fighting #corrrodedcoffinfest #worm coffin verse

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