El

“Love me forever or not at all, 

End of our tether, backs to the wall.

Give me your hand, don’t you ever ask why, 

Promise me nothing, live ‘til we die.” 

Love me forever - Motorhead

Thursday (cont.) 

Nina: “I love you.” 

[Eddie’s strumming on the guitar ceases, his fingers frozen in shock. His heart races in his chest, his breathing stilled. He looks up slowly from his guitar.] 

Eddie: “You… what?”  Nina: [grinning] “I love you.” 

[Eddie blinks, the corners of his lips beginning to curl up into a smile.]

Eddie: “You.. love me.”  Nina: “I do.”  Eddie: [trying to be casual, looking back down at his guitar, shy] “That’s cool.” [he looks back up at Nina who she sits with her eyebrows raised, a smile on her face, waiting patiently. He leaps up and grabs her in his arms, spinning her around as she laughs loudly. Eddie presses kisses all over her face when they stop spinning] “You love me!” 

[Nina strokes his face lovingly, looking at him with heart eyes.] 

Nina: “I do.” [Nina strokes his face lovingly, looking at him with heart eyes] “I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am for you. You’ve been so good to me, Eddie. I love you.”  Eddie: [Grinning widely, almost giddy] “I love you.” (shyly) “Can I kiss-”  Nina: “-Kiss me.” 

[They both smile wider and hold each other closer. Eddie’s arm wraps around Nina’s back and presses her against him, his other hand moving her fringe from her eyes. He looks down at her and his eyes soften, eyes flitting from her eyes to her lips. His eyes glitter with honeyed happiness and his breathing is heavy as he savours the moment. He leans down, his hand cupping her cheek, and kisses her softly on her lips. Their eyes flutter shut as they hold each other, Nina’s hands holding the sides of Eddie’s neck. She can feel Eddie’s racing pulse under her fingertips and she smiles into the kiss. They pull apart and rest their foreheads on each other. Eddie lets out an exhale he doesn’t know he’s been holding.] 

Eddie: “God, I’ve missed kissing you.” [he rubs his thumb along her bottom lip] “Missed your lips.” 

[Nina holds Eddie’s neck firmly and kisses him again, for longer this time; Eddie hums happily as she does. She carefully walks Eddie back to the couch, gently pushing him down onto the worn cushions, and straddles his thighs. He looks up at her in surprise, breath halting, eyes hopeful.] 

Eddie: “Are you sure?”  Nina: [kissing him again] “I’m sure.”  Eddie: “I- fuck,” [Nina kisses along his jaw and down to the protruding vein on his neck, leaving an open mouthed kiss over his pulse, he gulps] “We shouldn’t, not until you’re healed.”  Nina: “I’m healed, Eddie. I feel good.” [Eddie looks at the bruises on her neck guiltily, Nina diverts his attention back to her eyes] “You make me feel good, Eddie, I want to feel good.” [She pulls her top off over her head, leaving her in just her bra, he groans softly under his breath] “It doesn’t hurt like it did, please, I want you to make me feel good.” [Taking Eddie’s face in her hands, looking at him deeply in the eyes, biting her lip at the sight of Eddie’s kiss-bitten lips] “I love you. You make me feel whole.” [stroking Eddie’s jaw] “Love me, Eddie, make me whole.” 

[Eddie looks for any doubt in her eyes and finds none. He holds her by the back of her head and brings her to him, her body now flush against his, as he kisses her passionately. His tongue enters her mouth and she moans softly, grinding her hips forwards against Eddies, he holds her hip tightly with one hand, the other still cradling her head.] 

Eddie: [as they pull apart for air] “I’ve missed you so much.”  Nina: “I’ve missed you too, mon amoré.” 

[Eddie looks at her with pure adoration in his eyes; his cheeks flushing at the new term of affection. Nina grinds forward on Eddie’s lap again and he moans, shuffling down the couch to allow Nina more room. He looks up at her, eyes full of desire, lips parted as his hands cradle her hips, encouraging her to continue. She begins to grind forwards in a slow rhythm, Eddie studying her face as her eyes widen with lust. Nina’s shorts begin to ride up and Eddie slips his hands underneath the fabric, grabbing handfuls of her ass as she grinds over him. He feels his stomach tingle and his cock harden in his joggers.

He leans forward and kisses Nina again, their tongues licking each other. Nina sucks the tip of his tongue and he groans, his brows furrowing, eyes closing and he mutters another “Fuck” quietly as he rocks up against her, becoming desperate.]

Eddie: “Can I…” [his hand goes to her chest, his fingers stroke along her bruised side, reaching her breast] “Is this okay?”  Nina: (breathless) “More,” [she puts her hand over Eddie’s, encouraging him] “I want more.” 

[Eddie’s hand moves to her back and after some fumbling, manages to unhook her bra. He slides it down her arms gently and throws it across the room, eager to see Nina. He leans back, taking in the sight of Nina on top of him, bare, and forces himself to breathe normally. He leans forward again, kissing along her collar bone gently, presses feather-light kisses on her neck, she shudders at the feeling. He takes one breast in one hand and squeezes, the other breast now in his mouth, his tongue licking circles around her nipple. Nina whines and grinds harder as Eddie uses more pressure, eagerly wanting to hear more of Nina’s moans and whines.]

Eddie: [Mumbled into her chest] “Up.” 

[Nina raises her hips and Eddie pulls down her shorts, throwing them across the room again. He pulls her back onto his lap, grip firm and trembling with excitement. His lips go to her breast again as he fondles them, his free hand plays with the fabric of Nina’s underwear that covers her ass. He pulls back, breathless, and looks up at Nina. Her cheeks are flushed, her breathing laboured, lips red and puffy. Maintaining eye-contact, his fingers trail down Nina’s stomach, to the band of her underwear, and slip underneath. Eddie relishes in the way Nina’s eyebrows pull together and her lips part with anticipation as she watches Eddie’s hand glide into her underwear. Eddie gulps eagerly as he slides his fingers through her slick, his cock jumps in the tight confines of his joggers. He pulls his hand out of her underwear and brings his two fingers to his lips, taking them into his mouth and sucking. His heart beats faster with longing, relishing the taste of her on his fingers. Nina’s chest heaves as she leans forward, taking Eddie in a searing kiss. 

Eddie’s fingers slide back into Nina’s underwear and strokes through her folds again. He catches her clit, causing her to gasp into his mouth, he then begins to rub gentle circles on it. She whimpers, fingers tangling in Eddie’s hair, causing him to groan. She grinds forward onto Eddie’s hand and Eddie moans louder, his free hand holding her hip now encouraging her to continue grinding on his fingers. With each grind forward, Nina’s core grinds over Eddie’s throbbing length, causing Eddie’s head to swim with need. Eddie’s arm now tightens around her back, pulling her safely close to him, as he flips Nina from his lap onto the couch.] 

Nina: “Wo-oomft!” [Nina lands on the couch, blinking in surprise, as Eddie pulls down Nina’s underwear. Once discarded, Eddie’s tongue finds Nina’s clit with practiced ease] “Oh god!” [Nina’s head flops back onto the pillow as Eddie hums happily, nuzzling his tongue left and right against Nina’s clit, popping off with a wet sucking sound]  Eddie: (darkly) “Missed this pussy so damn much.” [he hums happily again as he licks through Nina’s folds, drinking in her essence. Nina’s legs are restless over Eddie’s shoulders, her whimpers and moans only spurring Eddie on more] “Thought about this pussy every goddamn night.”  Nina: (breathless) “Yeah?”  Eddie: “Fuck yeah.” [He slowly slides two fingers deeply into Nina, causing her to moan brokenly, her hips rising from the couch] “Those damn panties nearly killed me.” [he twists his fingers in the rhythm that he knows Nina likes, he grins when she throws her head back into the cushion again] “Never want to be apart from you again.”  Nina: “Never, oh god, Eddie!” [eagerly, desperate] “Did you get yourself off over me, baby?”  Eddie: [smirking, increasing the speed of his fingers] “Every fuckin’ night, princess.” [looking at Nina writhe on the couch with pure lust] “Not as good as the real thing,” [he sucks on her clit with a wet pop] “never as good as the real thing.” [his eyes darken as he watches Nina tremble on the couch, skin glowing in the warmth of the setting sun] “You look like a fuckin’ goddess.” [He dives back into Nina’s pussy, flicking her clit with his tongue, Nina’s hands threading through Eddie’s hair desperately.] “Can’t get enough of you.”  Nina: [rushed] “Eddie, Eddie baby, oh fuck! Eddie, Wait!”  Eddie: [stopping his movements, concerned] “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”  Nina: (giggling) “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom.”  Eddie: [laughing softly] “Shit, yeah.” 

[Eddie pulls Nina up by her forearm and pulls her into him. They giggle and kiss, Eddie’s hand holding the back of her head as he steals kisses from her. They grab their discarded clothes and run excitedly to the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind them.]

Eddie: “Lay back for me, angel.” 

[Nina lies back on the bed and crawls up to the pillows, Eddie hovering over her as she does. Nina leans forward to undo Eddie’s belt, Eddie gently pats her hand away.] 

Eddie: “Nuhuh, this is for you. Wanna make you feel good.” 

[He grabs both of her ankles and uses them to guide her legs apart. He kisses her ribs, stomach and thighs, gently stroking the gap between her thigh and mound with his fingertips as he does.] 

Eddie: [eyes glued to Nina’s face]  “Gonna take care of you.” 

[Nina shivers under his touch and he smiles against her skin. He kisses down her mound until his lips meet her clit again and she sighs happily, her body relaxing into the sheets. His fingers gently slide into her once again and she moans softly, her fingers gripping onto the sheets.] 

Nina: “You don’t- ah- you don’t have to, baby,”  Eddie: (hungrily) “I want to.” [watching his fingers slide in and out of her, her arousal coating his fingers] “Gods, I want to.” [he kisses her clit again] “Let me love you.”  Nina: [Eddie sucks on her clit, licking over it afterwards] “Jesus I’ve missed this, Eddie, mmm…”  Eddie: (proud) “Feeling good?”  Nina: (dreamily) “Yeah, really good.”  Eddie: “Look at me, Angel.” [Nina looks down at Eddie between her thighs; his hair ruffled, cheeks flushed and eyes blown with lust, and groans, closing her eyes and tilting her head into the pillow. Eddie playfully slaps her hip, causing her to look at him again.] “Nuhuh, eyes on me, baby.”  Nina: (whimpering) “Wanna cum, Eddie.”  Eddie: “Patience, princess.” 

[Nina moans at his words and threads her fingers through Eddie’s fringe. Eddie hums happily, eyes closing in bliss, licking roughly over her clit and weeping hole. When Eddie feels Nina shudder, he turns his attention to her entrance, his tongue teasing the circumference of her. She gasps and tightens her grip on Eddie’s hair, causing him to grunt. He watches dreamily as Nina’s body rolls onto his face, her hips chasing the sensation of his tongue, her eyes never leaving his. Her hand slides up her chest and grasps at her breasts, playing with her nipples. Eddie moans at the sight and plunges his tongue into her. Her back arches off the bed and she now grips the bed sheets.] 

Nina: “Fuck… Eddie, oh Eddie, God!”  Eddie: (lustfully) “Right there, angel?”  Nina: “Yes! Oh yes-mph- fuck Eddie, oh!” 

[Eddie uses one arm to gently press Nina’s restless hips to the bed, his forearm lying flat over her hips, his thumb rubbing heated circles on her pulsing clit.]

Eddie: “You gonna be a good girl and cum for me?”  Nina: “Yes- oh god yes- don’t stop Eddie please!” [Eddie plunges his tongue deeply inside her again, licking every part of her, his thumb pressing firmer on her clit] “Oh fuck baby, yes, oh!”  Eddie: “Lemme feel you, babygirl.” 

[Nina lets out a cry as she climaxes, her chest rising and falling harshly in shuddering breaths as her legs shake around Eddie’s head. Nina’s arms cover her face as her orgasm waves through her, her hips chasing Eddie’s tongue. 

Eddie watches, victorious, a smile on his face as he watches Nina whimper and writhe. She pulls Eddie away from her by his hair and he hums and keens into her tight fist, licking his lips and staring at her lustfully. 

Eddie kisses his way up her body passionately, grasping and pawing roughly at her curves. He gently kisses over the bruises on her ribs, then moves to the valley of her breasts and licks broadly over her nipple. He bites at her nipple gently and Nina gasps, whimpering as she drags him up to her lips.

Tears spill from her eyes and roll down her cheeks onto the pillow.] 

Eddie: [noticing, immediately concerned] “Hey, hey, are you okay?” [looking between her eyes and trembling lip] “Was it too much? Did I hurt you?”  Nina: (breathless) “Eddie… Eddie, I’m okay.”  Eddie: (worry thick in his voice) “You’re crying.” 

[Nina smooths over his cheek, looking at him adoringly, tears still running down her cheeks.] 

Nina: "It's good, Eddie, I’m good.” [running her thumb over his bottom lip] “They’re happy tears. I’m crying because I feel good. Because I’m in love.” 

[Eddie cracks a small shy smile and strokes the hair away from Nina’s face. When Nina finally smiles back at him, his smile turns into an uncontrollable grin. He scatters her face with kisses and she giggles, hands holding either side of his head. She makes Eddie look at her.] 

Nina: “I love you, Eddie.” 

[Eddie pauses, savouring the moment.]

Eddie: [heart thumping hard in his chest, eyes golden in the dusk sunlight] “Say it again.” 

[Nina places a hand on Eddie’s chest and gently guides him onto his back on the bed, straddling his hips. Eddie lies propped up on the pillows, unruly curls over the plaid linen, and looks at Nina with love and adoration.] 

Nina: (softly) “I love you, Eddie.” [her lips kiss under his ear, he shudders, his hands stroking the small of her back. They settle on her waist, his eyes flutter shut.]  Eddie: [pawing at her, breath coming out laboured] “Please, aga-”  Nina: [kissing down his neck] “I love you, Eddie.” [she kisses along his collar bone and gently sucks, leaving a bite on his chest. He whines and grasps harder on her waist, his body curling towards Nina] “I love you,” [she kisses over his peck and licks his nipple, his mouth falls open to an ‘o’, one hand cupping the back of her head] “I love you,” [she moves to his scarred side and gently presses kisses over the red scars, Eddie’s eyes flutter shut] “I love you,” [she kisses down his happy trail and his eyes open again. He watches Nina, entranced, as she hovers near his throbbing length.]  Eddie: “Nina, fuck-” [his cheeks and chest are flushed red, lips parted in awe] “Baby, you’re killing me here.” [his hips rise, his clothed cock now brushing against her lips, she presses a kiss on it] “Need you so bad baby, please.” [Eddie gasps as Nina presses another longer kiss over his cock, it jerks at the touch and he whines] “Fuck, please, touch me.” 

[Nina pulls down Eddie’s joggers to his knees and Eddie kicks them off eagerly. She looks at his strained length in his plaid boxers, the wet patch of precum spreading at his cocks new freedom. His twitching head peaks out of the top of his boxers and Nina licks along the weeping head, he lets out a huff of impatience, his free hand fisting the covers in anticipation. 

She pulls his boxers down and takes his cock in her hand, heavy and throbbing. She moves her hand up and down slowly a few times and Eddie’s eyebrows hide under his fringe, his thighs tensing. She kisses his tip and licks over again, taking it in his mouth.] 

Eddie: “Oh, ngh, I-” [Nina looks up at him] “You have no idea how much I want you to do that, but I don’t wanna hurt your throat.”  Nina: (smiling coyly) “You sweetheart.” [Eddie flushes more] 

[She moves up to straddle his thighs again. She takes his length in her hand again and works him up and down and he moans loudly.] 

Nina: “So sensitive, baby.” [Eddie’s hips thrust into her touch, whining] “You missed me this much?”  Eddie: “So much,” [She rubs her thumb in circles repeatedly along the underside of his tip, he jerks into her touch, abs tensing repeatedly] “So fucking much, god-ngh- baby please, fuck!” [he grabs her by the wrist to halt her movements] “This is gonna be over real quick if you keep doing that.” 

[Nina giggles and resettles herself on Eddie’s hips.] 

Nina: “Want me to go slow, my love?”  Eddie: (desperate) “Please.” 

[Nina takes his cock in her hand and nudges his tip inside. Eddie’s breathing stills with anticipation, eyes entranced on the way Nina sinks down on him. Once fully sheathed on him, his eyes go back to Nina’s, who is watching him lovingly. He gulps.] 

Eddie: [voice wavering and thick] “Forgot how fuckin’ heavenly you feel.” [he runs his hands over her breasts, squeezing softly] “Jesus H Christ.”  Nina: “Feel good?”  Eddie: “So good.” [looking up at Nina almost angelically, eyes golden, lips pouty and needy] “Love you.”  Nina: “Love you too, handsome.”

 [Eddie breaks into a bright grin, Nina giggles.] 

Eddie: “Hey, don’t you start laughing again, you know what happened last time,” [Nina laughs at the memory] “Nina!” [She hides her face in his neck to muffle her laughter, Eddie shakes his head, unable to hide his grin] “God damn it!” [Nina leans back. Eddie gently brushes her hair from her face and her laughter gently stops. She looks down at Eddie and smiles softly at him. They look at each other for a moment, entranced and smiling at each other as they lie whole, as one. Eddie’s smile turns cheeky as he grasps at her neck, pulling her towards him.] “Kiss me, woman.” 

[Nina leans down and kisses Eddie slowly and sensually, her hand cupping under his chin to tilt his head. Eddie hums with content, licking at her bottom lip as he pleads for entrance. Their lips move in sync, occasionally curling up into a smile at the sound of each other's moans of content. Nina slowly rises her hips and Eddie sucks in a breath, hands squeezing the flesh of her hips. Eddie whimpers as she sinks back down, eyes doe-like and desperate. Nina relishes in the sound and continues to repeat the movements.] 

Eddie: (whimpering) “Holy fucking shit,” [gasping as Nina sinks back down again] “Jesus, Nina.”  Nina: (airily) “Missed this so much.” [she pushes back on Eddie’s chest with her palms to sit upright, resting her hands there as her back arches, her hips lifting and sinking down on him. ] “God, Eddie…”  Eddie: [watching Nina in awe, eyes dark and wanting] “Ride me, baby.”  Nina: [smirking] “Y’sure?” 

[Nina smiles coyly as she lifts her hips up and down in an unrushed tempo with a deep grind.  Eddie’s eyes widen, gulping as he watches how her breasts bounce and thighs slap against his own, his cock twitching as he presses deep inside her tight wet walls.] 

Eddie: [stuttering, amazed] “Shit -  holy fuckin-oh! Shit Nina-“ [gulping again] “That feels good, oh god-“ [eyes squeezing shut] “Slower baby please, you’re- fuck.”  Nina: [stroking his face softly] “Relax, baby…” [riding him slowly, his breathing coming out in slow panting now] “Better?” [Eddie nods, mouth open in awe]  Eddie: [laughing shyly, embarrassed] “Don’t think I’m ready for you to do that yet.”  Nina: [smiling sweetly] “It’s okay, baby, just teasing you.”  Eddie: “Blowing my mind, more like.” [more confident now] “I heard it feels good for you if you do it like-“ [taking control of Nina’s movements by guiding her hips with his hands] “-this.” [Nina shudders and bites her lip, Eddie’s face lights up with excitement] “Yeah? Feels good?” [Nina moans and nods in response, grinding harder on Eddie, causing him to choke on his words] “Shit-!” 

[Nina grinds forward on Eddie and rolls her hips back, using Eddie’s shoulders as leverage. Nina begins to whimper as her clit moves against the thatch of dark hair at Eddie’s base.] 

Nina: [smiling coyly] “You been reading more Teen Vogue?”  Eddie: (smugly) “Just trying to keep my girl satisfied.”  Nina: [grinning] “It’s working-oh!” [Eddie interrupts Nina by rubbing her clit in circles with his thumb, grinning] “Really working baby.”  Eddie: [biting his lip, grunting at Nina’s deep grind] “Gotta keep my girl happy,” [bucking his hips up to meet Nina’s grind down, Nina lets out an “Oh!”] “Wanna take care of you, Angel.”  Nina: “Keep doing that, baby.” [Eddie and Nina’s movements sync together, they both groan] “Fuck- oh!”  Eddie: [grunting, a sweat forming on his brow] “Like that?”  Nina: [moaning] “Yes! Oh fuck yes! Oh!” [whimpering] “Oh God, Eddie, just like that!” 

[Eddie groans as he feels Nina’s arousal drip down his length and balls. His chest is red with exertion, the tendons in his throat appearing as he gulps as his thrusts speed up.] 

Eddie: (whimpering, brows furrowed, lips parted in awe) “Oh god, Nina I think I’m gonna cum…!”  Nina: “Yes! Oh fuck Eddie, oh baby I’m gonna cum! I’m so close, Eddie!” 

[Eddie holds Nina’s hips tighter and doubles his efforts,  thrusts harder into her, Nina’s body trembling above him. He groans as he feels Nina clench tightly and drip around him. He feels that soft spot inside her and angles his cock to push against it repeatedly, Nina’s mouth falls open in a silent scream, Eddie’s jaw tightens as he groans, biting his lip to stop him from climaxing.] 

Nina: “Baby! Baby! Oh!” [she feels her orgasm begin to roll through her suddenly, she throws her head back in pleasure] “Fuck, Eddie!” [her legs tremble, her fingernails grip into Eddie’s shoulders causing several deep groans] “Oh my god, oh my god-!”  Eddie: [eyes squeezing shut] “Fuck! I can fuckin’ feel you-“  Nina: (whimpering) “Oh god!”  Eddie: [through gritted teeth] “-Can feel you grippin’ me so tight-“  Nina: “Oh!”  Eddie: [throwing his head back into the pillow as Nina tiredly rides his length] “Can feel fuckin’ everything!” [his breathing is heavy, heart beating out of his chest] “Gonna cum baby, gonna cum!”  Nina: “Eddie! I’m-!” [she groans as she clenches tightly, gushing over Eddie’s throbbing length] Eddie: “Shit!” 

[Eddie thrusts deeply into Nina as he feels her clench impossibly tight around him, her orgasm drenching his length. He groans, loud and unfiltered, as he cums hard inside Nina, spilling deeply inside her. His hips rut into her in short thrusts as his body curls in towards Nina’s until he’s whimpering and oversensitive. Once done, he flops tiredly on the bed, exhausted. Nina sits tiredly on his lap, barely able to keep herself upright.] 

Eddie: “C’mere, baby.”

[Eddie pulls Nina down to lie on his sweaty red chest. He wraps his arms around her, grounding her by gently tracing patterns up her back with his calloused fingertips. He can’t fight the wide grin on his face. She hums tiredly as she plays with the sparse hairs on his chest, smiling softly at the heavy thrumming of his heart.] 

Eddie: “That was… Wow.” [Nina giggles tiredly, nuzzling into his chest]  Nina: (sighing happily) “Yeah, it was.”  Eddie: “Do you need anything? Water?” [Nina shakes her head no, eyes falling heavily] “No no, you can’t sleep yet, you gotta go pee, you’ll get a UTI if you don’t!”  Nina: (mumbling tiredly) “I’m gonna take that copy of Teen Vogue and beat you over the head with it.” [Eddie snorts with laughter]  Eddie: “Scooch over, lemme clean you up.” [Nina groans and clutches Eddie tighter, Eddie chuckles softly and strokes her hair] “Five minutes baby, I’ll be right back.” 

[Eddie slides out from underneath Nina and walks to the bathroom on shaky legs. He smiles at the butterflies in his stomach and wobbly legs, knocking into his dresser tiredly. He grabs a cloth from the bathroom and wets it in the sink, washing himself down. He rinses it and walks back to the bedroom. He smiles again at the sight of Nina lying naked in his bed, her leg hitched high showing the curve of her ass, his sheets wrapped around her loosely.] 

Eddie: “C’mere, baby.” [Eddie lifts up her leg gently and wipes her clean, she jolts at the cold cloth] “Nearly done.”  Nina: “Come back to bed, baby.” [she pouts and reaches out for him. He tosses the cloth and lies back on the bed, Nina crawls over and lifts his arm, snuggling into his chest.] “Thank you.”  Eddie: (cheeky) “You thanking me for sex now? How the tables have turned.”  Nina: “I’d make some smart ass comment if you hadn’t just turned my legs to jelly.”  Eddie: (grinning smugly) “Mission accomplished.” 

[A peaceful silence fills the room. Eddie strokes Nina’s hair as she hums happily at the affection.] 

Nina: “Eddie?”  Eddie: [looking down at her, softly] “Yeah, baby?”  Nina: “Promise me something?”  Eddie: “Shoot.”  Nina: “Promise me you’ll love me, even when I’m hard to love.” 

Eddie pauses to himself. She loves me. She’s let me in, he thinks. She’s letting me love her. 

Eddie: [pressing a kiss on her forehead] “Always.” 

Friday / 11am / Eddie’s trailer 

Eddie: [coming out of his room, still in his pyjamas, voice thick with sleep] “Nina? What are you doing?” 

[Nina doesn’t hear Eddie enter the kitchen. She is cooking breakfast in Eddie’s kitchen in her underwear and his t-shirt, dancing along to the loud music on the radio. Eddie watches her, amused, as she shakes her hips to ‘Enjoy the Silence’ by Depeche Mode, swaying from side to side, flipping her hair as she flips the pancakes in the pan. Eddie watches her, smiling. She looks so happy right now, he thinks. I hope I wake up to this every morning. She turns to the counter and gives Garfield a lick of butter from her finger, before becoming acutely aware of Eddie watching her from the doorway.] 

Eddie: [louder this time] “And you tell me off for feeding Garfield rubbish.”  Nina: [clutching her chest, then laughing] “Jesus Eddie, you scared the shit out of me!” [worried] “I wasn’t too loud, was I?”  Eddie: (teasing) “Not at all, I’m just jealous I missed out on your super cool dancing.”  Nina: [extending out her hand, smiling] “Dance with me?” 

[Eddie smiles and takes her hand, spinning her around like a ballerina as she laughs loudly.] 

God, I’ve missed this laugh. 

[He pulls her close to her chest as they sway from side to side.] 

Nina: (smiling) “It’s not really a slow dance song.”  Eddie: [grinning like an idiot] “I don’t care.” 

Nina looks him deeply in the eyes, smiling, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. She rests her head on his shoulder as they sway back and forth in the kitchen. 

I want to make you this happy always, Eddie thinks, his heart thumping in his chest. 

Sunday / 7pm / Nina’s bathroom

Nina: “Eddie, will you come and check the back for me please?” 

[Eddie walks into the bathroom. Nina is standing in front of the mirror, dye brush and bowl in hand. Her hair is plastered with thick black dye. Eddie blinks with surprise.] 

Nina: [chewing her lip] “You hate it, don’t you?”  Eddie: [looking her up and down shamelessly] “Just when I thought you couldn’t be any hotter, here you are.”  Nina: “Have I missed any at the back?”  Eddie: “Hmm, only a little bit.” [he takes the brush and paints the hair dye onto the back of her head, tongue sticking out with concentration] "Nearly done, turn for me.” [Eddie grins devilishly as Nina turns around] “Missed a bit!” [Eddie paints Nina’s nose with the black dye, Nina’s eyes go wide with disbelief and her jaw drops, Eddie cackles]  Nina: (appalled) “Eddie! That’s permanent!” [Eddie laughs loudly and runs away, Nina wipes at her nose furiously] “Oh, you are so dead!”

Monday / 2pm / Nina’s bedroom

El: [holding up a black t-shirt] “What’s a ‘Thrasher’?”  Nina: [looking up at El, smiling] “It’s a skateboarding magazine.” [Max’s head shoots up from the photo album she is flicking through] “My ex-boyfriend  gave it to me.”  Max: [going over to the box El is rifling through] “That’s so cool! Can I have it?”  Nina: [grinning at Max] “Sure, help yourself.” 

[Eddie and Robin come through the door, takeaway bags in hand.] 

Robin: [twirling Nina’s black hair around her fingertip] “Oooh, liking the hair, bestie!” [Nina turns around, smiling] “Woah, what happened to your nose?”  Nina: [rolling her eyes] “Don’t ask.” [Eddie smiles sheepishly at Nina]  Robin: [snorting] “You look like you’ve been to a child’s face painting party.” [Eddie laughs loudly then slaps his hand over his mouth to cover his laughter, his eyes twinkle with amusement as Nina scowls at him. Robin giggles and turns to Eddie, muttering under her breath] “Hand out the drinks before she kills you, Eddie.”   Eddie: [Handing El a large cup] “One strawberry milkshake for El,” [handing Max a cup] “One chocolate milkshake for Max,” [handing another cup to Nina] “One peach ice tea for the beautiful lady,” [he presses a kiss onto her cheek, she blushes] “One iced coffee for Robin,” [handing her the drink, she smiles and bows a polite ‘thank you’] “And one Coke for Eddie.” [He smiles happily at himself, gulping his drink]  Robin: [sipping her drink] “How’s the unpacking going, ladies?”  Nina: “Just this last box and then I’m done!” [looking over to El and Max whose boxes they were unpacking lay upside down, their contents lay splattered over the floor] “Same can’t be said for Max and El’s boxes.” [they smile sheepishly at Nina]  El: “Look at all this cool stuff Nina gave us!” [El is wearing a funky patterned shirt two sizes big for her, and gestures to another pile of clothes she’s been given]   Robin: “You’re giving away your stuff?”  Nina: [shrugging] “I have no use for half of it anymore.” [looking at Eddie who is slurping his drink and rifling through some boxes, oblivious to her loving gaze] 

I have everything I need right here, Nina thinks.

Eddie: [laughing, to Nina] “Can’t say I can imagine you in any of these shirts, darling.”  Nina: (dismissively) “I was clearly going through an identity crisis.” [looking at El and Max fondly, who are looking through her photo album] “They’re going to a better home.”  El:  [pointing at a page] “Who is this?”  Nina: [taking the photo from El’s hands] “Let’s see.” [looking at the photo, smiling] “Oh, this is from when I came to stay for the summer!”  Robin: “Oh oh oh, let’s see!” [looking at the photo] “Awh, it’s us at the diner!” (thoughtful) “Man, his pancakes were the best.”  Nina: [reading her handwriting at the bottom] “Hmm, Summer ‘82, we must have been around your ages.” [Nina ruffles El’s hair as Robin ruffles Max’s, both Max and El huff and flatten out their hair.] Max: “That’s so weird, doesn’t the boy in the background look like Eddie?”  Nina: [squinting to see] “I don’t know, it does a bit! But with shorter hair.” 

[The photo is of Robin and Nina sitting in one of the diner booths, the boy behind photobombing with his tongue out.]

Nina: “Eddie, look at this.” [handing him the photo] “Doesn’t this look like you?” Eddie: (confused) “That’s ‘cause it is me!” [smiling at the photo] “Where did you find this?”  Nina: [standing by his side] “It’s been in my photo album for years! How weird is that!” [smiling] “You would be pulling a funny face in the background, dickhead.”  Eddie: [smiling at the memory] “Wayne and I used to go to the diner all the time when I was young. He used to get me breakfast at the end of his nightshift. I’d cycle over to the diner every Saturday morning.” Nina: “Look at you with short hair, you look so cute!” [Eddie blushes] “Little baby Eddie.”  Eddie: (soft) “Isn’t it weird that we met each other before we had even spoken?” [looking at Nina fondly]  Nina: [looking at Eddie fondly, soft] “Yeah, it is.” 

Like fate, they both thought. 

Robin: “Is this the last box then?”  Nina: “Yep, she sent them all over.” [looking around the room] “I thought there would be more stuff, but I guess not.”  Robin: “Are you okay?”  Nina:“In all honesty? I feel good.” (smiling) “I have you guys, and that’s more than enough for me.” 

July 4th / the funfair / Hawkin’s field 

Nina: [smirking] “Alright wise guy, let’s see what you’ve got!” [Eddie smirks back and hurls a plastic ball at the coconuts, sending three of the six coconuts to the floor] “Oooh, not bad for an amateur!” Eddie: (cocky) “Amateur, ey?” [He throws one ball in the air and catches it in his hand, Nina swoons at his cocky confidence as he throws the ball at the coconuts again, knocking two of the remaining coconuts on the floor] “How’s that for an amateur?”  Nina: (teasingly) “Only one ball left Eddie, don’t fuck it up!” [Eddie scoffs and hurls the ball in the air, knocking the last coconut over; Eddie excitedly leaps and punches the air, Nina cackles]  Eddie: (joyful) “Yes!” [turning to Nina, smug] “Who’s the best? Me, I’m the best!” [Nina rolls her eyes but can’t hide her grin] “Which ridiculously tacky bear do you want, princess?”  Nina: (shy) “For me?”  Eddie: [smiling, fond] “Of course, who else?”  Nina: [shy, twirling nervously, pointing at the top row] “The red bear on the top row.”  Eddie: (teasingly) “Red? That’s very colourful for you.” [Nina shoves him playfully, he turns to the bored carnival worker and gets his attention] “One red teddy bear for the lovely lady.” 

[The carnival worker hands Nina the bear and Nina grabs it, cuddling it tightly under her neck. Eddie can’t help but admire how cute she looks, cuddling the bear that’s almost the same size as her.] 

Nina: (shy) “Nobody has ever won me anything before.” [looking at Eddie lovingly] “Thank you Eddie.”  Eddie: [walking side by side, hand on her hip, kissing her temple] “Anything for my girl.”  Nina: “So, what’s next?”  Eddie: (teasingly) “I believe someone owes me a go on the Gravitron since I won someone such a wonderful gift.”  Nina: (mock annoyance) “Fine! But that’s the last time you get to use that against me, you’re not holding Mr Teddie against me my entire life.” 

‘My entire life’, Eddie thinks, she wants me in her whole life? His heart beats harder at the thought.

Eddie: (amused) “Mr Teddie? That’s what you’re calling it?”  Nina: [smirking] “Teddy spelt I-E, like Eddie.” (amused) “Get it, Teddy, Tedd-i-e?”  Eddie: [laughing, trying to hide his blush, flattered] “You’re too cute for your own good. Got me wrapped around your finger.”  Nina: [pulling Eddie next to her, walking with their pinkies interlocked] “I try.” [looking around at the carnival] “So, Gravitron next, then it’s time for the fireworks!” [Eddie looks down at their linked pinkies and smiles]  Eddie: (shyly) “There’s something I wanted to ask you… I was going to wait till later, but I wanna do this now.”  Nina: [clutching her teddy, unaware] “Shoot.”  Eddie: “Nina, look at me.” [he spins her around so they’re face to face] “Okay, here it goes.” [He takes a deep breath, she looks at him with raised eyebrows] “You’ve changed my life for the better, and now I can’t imagine my life without you.” [she looks at him with parted lips, eyes wide, he touches her cheek lovingly, rambling nervously] “And I know we’ve said that I’m yours and you’re mine, and I know I’ve taken too long to ask, but… Iwaswonderingifyou’dbemygirlfriend?”  Nina: [tearing up] “Oh Eddie!” [She leaps in his arms, bear included] “Of course I would!” [Eddie spins her around lovingly, kissing her face repeatedly as she giggles. He places her gently back on the floor, she looks at him with adoration, brushing the hair out of his face, smiling widely] “Took you long enough.” 

Graduation 

[Nina scans the crowd nervously as she waits for her name to be called by Principal Higgins. She smiles and cheers from the line as Robin, Jonathan, Nancy and Steve collect their diplomas. When Eddie walks the stage, the Hellfire Club and Wayne go wild, shouting and cheering loudly, whooping from the crowd, ignoring the funny disapproving looks from the other students. Principal Higgins gives Eddie a pat on his back, much to his surprise. Eddie sticks out his tongue and makes devil horns with his fingers as the flash of the camera goes off. 

When he’s standing back in line, his eyes eagerly find Nina, and he gives her a thumbs up and a cheeky smile. Nerves fill Nina’s stomach as her name is called and Robin and her family, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, El, Max and the Hellfire Club cheer loudly as she walks the stage. Eddie cheers the loudest out of everyone, whooping and hollering as her heels click on the stage. 

Once the ceremony is over, Nina is left standing alone as everyone individually waits for their family photographs. Nina stares at feet awkwardly. She feels an arm wrap around her waist from behind and turns around, confused.]

Eddie: “C’mon, picture time.”  Nina: “Wha- I didn’t get any pictures?”  Eddie: “I know, so you’re getting one with me.”  Nina: [in awe] “Are you serious?”  Eddie: “Didn’t think I’d let you graduate without getting a picture with me, did you?” 

[Eddie drags Nina in front of the camera. He swishes her around and dips her dramatically in front of the camera as she cackles. Eddie plants a kiss on her cheek as she throws the graduation cap in the air. The flash of the camera goes off.] 

Graduation Party / Steve’s house

Nina: “Hey stranger.” [sitting beside Eddie on Steve’s front porch swing, handing Eddie a beer] “What are you doing sitting out here by yourself? It’s your party in there!”  Eddie: “Just thinking.”  Nina: [smirking] “Oh no, that’s dangerous.” [Eddie rolls his eyes, smiling and blushing] “What’s up?”  Eddie: (thoughtful) “Just been thinking how insane the past few years have been. What with last year and the whole incident-“ [Nina nods, trying to understand] “And then failing the year, second time in a row, and then this year and meeting you and graduating.” [bringing the bottle to his lips] “It’s just mad.”  Nina: “Good mad or bad mad?”  Eddie: “Can there be a good mad?”  Nina: “Sure. Like, full of adrenaline and shit.” [Eddie nods, thoughtful, with a small smile. Nina takes his hand in hers, smiling] “Come on, it’s too early for deep drunk Eddie, it’s time for happy Eddie.”  Eddie: “Stay here with me, five more minutes.” [Nina smiles and cuddles into his bicep, pressing a kiss on his shoulder] “Remember when we sat here at Steve’s study group?” [Nina smiles at the memory] “I was so nervous to talk to you. Still am sometimes.”  Nina: “Really?”  Eddie: “Yeah. And now look at us.” [he looks at her and grins, taking her hand in his, kissing her knuckles] “Best thing that’s ever happened to me.”  Nina: (blushing) “You’re sweet. And drunk.”  Eddie: “I’m not drunk at all, actually.” [sighing, peaceful] “I just can’t believe I actually graduated.”  Nina: (teasing) “Is that what’s got your knickers in a twist? Are you having an almost-adult life crisis?”  Eddie: [ignoring her teasing] “For some reason I never thought I’d graduate. But look at me!” [Nina smiles brightly at him] “I can get a better paying job now! I can get a house! I can- we can travel!” [looking at Nina shyly from behind his beer bottle] “We can travel, if you want?”  Nina: “Well I don’t know about you, but I think New York sounds like a plan.” [taking a sip of her drink, nonchalant, teasing] “You can tag along if you’d like.” [Eddie grins, shoving her playfully] “We can go anywhere we want now.”  Eddie: [looking at her dreamily] “Yeah, we can.”  Nina: [clinking her glass against his bottle] “Onwards and upwards, baby.” 

August 27th / Eddie’s 21st birthday / Eddie’s trailer

[Eddie stretches his hand out across the mattress, feeling for Nina’s presence. He moves his hand around a few times, feeling the warm patch of the bed, but no Nina there. He lifts his head up, hair ruffled by sleep, barely awake.]

Eddie: (tiredly) “Nina?” [there is no response] “Baby? Are you there?” [Eddie huffs and plants his face back into the pillow; grumpy to be awake and his girlfriend gone] 

[The door opens quietly and Nina shuffles into the room, holding a chocolate cake with 21 lit candles awkwardly poked into it.] 

Nina: (gently, quietly) “Eddie, are you awake?” [she prods at him with her free hand] “Eddie, wake up!” [Eddie groans, faking sleep, pulling the pillow over his head, Nina laughs] “Wake up, birthday boy!” [Eddie groans louder, unmoving from under the pillow] “I’ve got you a present!”  Eddie: [springing to life, grabbing Nina and throwing her on the bed beside him] “Gotcha!” [Nina squeals as she is thrown onto the bed, trying to quickly move the cake and lit candles away from Eddie]  Nina: (shouting) “Eddie! Fuck!” [the cake lands on Eddie’s pillow, covering the bedding in chocolate frosting, the lit candles burning the pillow case] “Shit, Eddie, the bedding is on fire!” 

[Eddie’s eyes widen as he flaps about panicking, now much more awake than previously. Nina panics too but thinks fast and grabs the water bottle from the bedside, soaking the now ruined pillowcase.]

Eddie: “Oops.”  Nina: (dryly) “Oops? Oops?! I’ll give you an ‘oops’ Munson, come here!” [She leaps on him, straddling him, poking at his sides; he can’t contain his laughter] “I spent all damn morning making you that cake and you’ve ruined it!”  Eddie: (sheepishly) “Sorry.”  Nina: (dryly) “Good to know you’re good in a crisis.”  Eddie: (cheekily) “I think you’ll find it was your fault actually, darling.”  Nina: (gobsmacked) “Excuse me?”  Eddie: [matter of fact] “I woke up and you weren’t there.” [smiling at her smugly as she’s sitting on top of him in his clothes] “Got excited thinking you’d come back to bed.”  Nina: [smiling] “You’re an asshole.”  Eddie: [smirking] “Can’t blame a man for wanting to wake up next to his girlfriend on his birthday. “  (cheekily) “You’ll just have to make me another cake.” [Nina’s jaw drops in amusement] “Birthday boy gets what he wants, after all.”  Nina: [amused, shaking her head] “You’re lucky I love you, dickhead.”  Eddie: (fondly) “I am.”  Nina: “I think we need to buy you some new bedding.”  Eddie: [licking the cake off his finger] “If it’s any consolation, the cake tastes delicious.” [flirty, pulling her down onto him] “Not as delicious as you though.”  Nina: (amused) “Eddie, we’re not having sex on the dirty bedding.”  Eddie: [smirking, kissing her neck] “Not like it can get any dirtier.” 

An hour later 

Nina: [rubbing her wet hair with a towel, giggling] “Think I’ve still got cake in my hair.”  Eddie: (smirking) “Happy birthday to me.” [Nina rolls her eyes, throwing her towel at him]  Nina: “Come on birthday boy, time to make you another cake.” 

[They spend the afternoon in the kitchen baking Eddie’s birthday cake. Eddie stands pressed up behind Nina, chin resting on her shoulder as he watches Nina put together the mixture, occasionally sticking his finger in the batter much to Nina’s amusement. They dance along to the music on the radio in a little love bubble. 

As the cake is cooking in the oven, Eddie has Nina sit on the counter top, himself standing between her parted thighs as they kiss slowly, cuddling wrapped in each other’s arms. 

Nina lets Eddie decorate the cake, both of them laughing at Eddie's poor attempt at icing. Nina once again lights the 21 candles on the cake and sets it out in front of him.] 

Nina: “Make a wish baby.”  Eddie: [warmly, looking at Nina lovingly] “I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for.”  Nina: [smiling brightly]  “Then wish for nothing to change.” 

[Eddie closes his eyes and purses his lips to blow out the candles. A gust of wind blows through the window, blowing out the candles for him.]  

A/N: I have LOVE LOVE LOVED writing this for you. That brings Vol I to an end, and Vol II is coming in October 2026. So I’m going to be on a little break until October, however the whole of Vol II will be posted weekly so HOPEFULLY there won’t be massive gaps in between chapters! However, I will be adding some mini chapters in between about Nina and Eddie’s summer adventures! 

“Take me down to the river

And bathe me clean.

Put me on the back of your white horse,

To ride, all the way to the chapel, 

Let you wash all over me.” 

Family Tree - Ethel Cain 

Continued from previous chapter...

Robin: (panicked) “What do you mean, Nina’s gone?”  Eddie: (dryly) “Look around, Rob, can you see her anywhere?” [slumping onto Nina’s bed, head in hands, devastated]  Robin: “Why did I leave her, a known flight risk, by herself?” [hitting herself in the head with her fist] “Stupid, stupid, stupid!” (Voice full of worry) “Oh god, I hope she won’t do anything stupid.” 

[Eddie’s eyes go wide with fear, his heart thumps anxiously and he gulps. He grabs his coat] 

Robin: “Where are you going?!”  Eddie: “To find her!” 

[Eddie arrives at the field where Nina and himself sat the night after the Hideout. He groans as he arrives at their spot and finds nothing but the rumbling thunder approaching him, a dark, rain filled cloud, almost guiding him like an omen. He stomps his feet in frustration and cries out. He’s already been to every spot he could think of, except one. 

The sky is dark over Lovers Lake. Eddie runs through the trees surrounding the lake, the branches whipping against his jacket. His heart races against his ribcage, fear twisting in his stomach. 

He finally approaches the clearing, panting and out of breath. The sky is black around the lake except for the summer fireflies. The moon is hidden by the thunderous clouds above, the rain now heavily pelting against his skin. The rain ripples in the water, making Eddie’s vision blurred. He wipes his sodden face and can faintly make out Nina’s red hair in the water.] 

Eddie: “Fuck.” 

[Nina’s shoes are neatly placed on the end of the dock. Nina has drifted out far past the wooden dock, now into the middle of the lake. Eddie can faintly make out her body on top of the water, mixed with leaves and pond weed in the dark lapping water. 

He sprints down the dock, his heavy cargo boots making the splintering wood quake under his steps. Panting, his eyes never leave Nina, whose head is still submerged underwater.] 

Eddie: “Fuck.” [running his hands through his wet hair, stressed] “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” 

The memory of Jason and his friends chasing Eddie in Lovers lake comes to mind as Eddie notices the small boat by the side of the pier. 

Eddie: [calling out, terrified] “Nina!” [her head is still under water] “Nina!” 

The memory of Steve being dragged under water by the hive mind interrupts his panic, a cold chill shakes his heart. 

Eddie: “Fuck it.”

[He shakes off his boots, fumbling with the wet laces under the pouring rain, his fingers slipping on the leather. He rips off his jacket and throws it down on the dock.

He looks down at the black lapping water, his heart pummeling in his chest.] 

He remembers swimming down, down, down to the bottom of Lovers Lake, through the gateway into the Upside Down. 

[He looks out at Nina, her body now floating again on the surface of the water. Without hesitation, he dives into the cold water, the lashing rain stinging his skin.

He bursts out of the water, gasping for air. Shaking his drenched hair from his eyes, he begins to swim over to Nina. Eddie can hear the splashing of water and the rush of blood in his ears. 

Come on, Nina, come on, don’t give up now, Eddie thinks. 

Eddie: “Nina!” [He swims closer to her, taking her arms in his hands, and drags her upright] “Nina!” [Nina coughs and splutters, looking at Eddie with wide, fearful eyes] “What are you doing?!”  Nina: [wiping her wet face] “I-I-“  Eddie: [furious] “What are you doing out here?!” [softening, a hard lump in his throat] “I, I thought you-“  Nina: [Holding Eddie’s forearms, they are locked together]  “I’m fine, I’m okay Eddie.”  Eddie: “I thought-” (he chokes up, emotional and angry again, holding Nina’s arms tight in his hands) “I thought you’d drowned! What do you mean you’re fine, what are you doing, we’re in the middle of a storm! You just left- you ran out! We’ve been looking for you for hours, what are you doing here?!”  Nina: (small) “You told me to come here when I get scared.” 

[Eddie deflates, tears rimming in his eyes when he sees Nina’s broken expression. Her face is a ghostly grey, her lips blue, her eyes puffy and red, matching her neck which is now turning purple. Eddie brushes his thumb over her brow bone gently.] 

Eddie: “Come here.” 

[Nina comes closer to him and he wraps his arms around her. They float in the water in each other's arms, Nina sobs into his neck, Eddie looks at the sky to disguise his tears in the rain.] 

Nina: (sobbing) “I’m sorry, Eddie, I’m so sorry!”  Eddie: [holding the back of her head] “I know sweetheart, I know.”  Nina: “It hurts, Eddie, I’m in so much pain!” [Eddie looks down at her bruised neck and gently touches it, swallowing his tears] “No, Eddie, it hurts! My heart, it hurts, I can’t feel like this anymore, I can’t! I’m exhausted, I need this to stop!”  Eddie: [looking back at the shore, concerned] “We need to get you out of here.”  Nina: “I’m in pain, and I can’t keep my head above water, I just want to drown it all out!” [Eddie’s grip on her arms tightens] “I can’t do this anymore Eddie, I can’t, I don’t want to feel like this anymore, I don’t want to go through this all over again! ”  Eddie: “I know baby, I know.” [He takes her face in his, making her look at him, her red eyes meet his fearful ones] “Let me take you home.”  Nina: [fighting his grip, tormented]  “I was supposed to be better, I was getting better!”  Eddie: “I know.”  Nina: (panicked, clutching Eddie) “Please don’t leave me, Eddie, please, I was getting better, please don’t hurt me too!” 

I wish I could fix this, Eddie thinks. 

Eddie: “Never.” [he pulls Nina close again, wrapping her into him as he swims them both closer to shore] “I’ll never leave you, I’ll never hurt you. You’ll never feel like this again.”  Nina: (sniffling) “You promise?” 

[Eddie awkwardly holds out his pinkie finger whilst swimming back to shore, Nina lets out a sad laugh and links pinkies with him.] 

Eddie: “We’re gonna get you home, get you a nice bath, and we can work through this, okay?”  Nina: [mumbled into his neck, sniffling] “Okay.” 

[They arrive at the shore. Eddie helps Nina out of the water, her limbs cold and sore from being in the water. He helps Nina stand and grabs his jacket and their shoes,. He puts his jacket over her shoulders as she shivers.] 

Eddie: “Let it out.”  Nina: (numbly) “Wh- what?”  Eddie: “There’s nobody around, and nobody will hear over the storm. It’s just you and me. Let it all out.”  Nina: “Really? Right now?”  Eddie: “I’m right here.” 

[Nina drops to her knees,  emotionless. Slowly, her streaming tears turn to hysterical sobbing as sadness takes over her whole body. 

Her fingers grip into the sand on the shore as she lets out a guttural, raw, distraught wail, her body shakes from her grief. Eddie kneels beside her in the wet sand, stroking her wet hair out of her face, resting his forehead against her temple. He links his fingers through hers in the sand. She grips onto him tight. 

She cries until she can no longer. Eddie scoops her up in his arms and carries her bridal style back to his van.] 

Previous chapter: Nina wakes to find her Mom frantically cleaning the house. Nina leaves the house to meet up with Dylan and they go surfing, discussing the atmosphere between Nina and her Mom. Dylan comments that Nina seems different, and is proud of her. Nina returns home to find her Mom drunk and has forgotten about their planned movie night. Nina dodges her Mom and hopes to hide away in her room. Her Mom catches her packing her suitcase and the two begin arguing. Nina finally lets out her repressed feelings towards her Mom, which enrages her. The two get physical and Nina runs. Her Mom catches her, pulls her down the stairs and chokes her. Nina manages to escape and barrackades herself in her room. After some time, Nina packs her bags and leaves the house for the last time. She bumps into Ryan at the beach, who is ignorant towards her state, which solidifies her goodbye to California. Nina waits a gruelling time in the airport for a flight home to Hawkins. She rings Eddie but her voice breaks and she chickens out. She finally gives in and rings Robin. 

Chapter Twenty One (part one) - Family Tree

“Take me down to the river

And bathe me clean.

Put me on the back of your white horse,

To ride, all the way to the chapel, 

Let you wash all over me.” 

Family Tree - Ethel Cain 

Eddie’s Trailer / 10AM / Thursday 

Eddie paces back and forth around the living room, looking at the phone intermittently, almost willing it to ring. The rain hits hard on the roof of the trailer, heavy droplets of rain streaming down the windows. 

Fuck it, Eddie thinks. 

Eddie strides over to the phone and dials Robin’s number. He twists the cord of the phone around his fingers with one hand, whilst chewing the skin of his thumb on the other. He exhales and inhales sharply as he waits for her to pick up the phone. 

Eddie: [tapping the phone nervously] “Come on, pick up, pick up.”  Robin: “Hello, who is this?”  Eddie: “This be Eddie. Have you heard from Nina? She was meant to ring me on Tuesday night as she didn’t and I’m getting worried.”  Robin: “Eddie-“  Eddie: (rambling, stressed) “I know, I know, I’m just being paranoid, but she was meant to ring me on Tuesday and then I thought I’d gotten the days wrong so I waited all day yesterday and she didn’t call, and now she hasn't tonight either, what if something really bad has happened and she needs help and-“  Robin: (slowly) “Eddie… Nina is here. She came home this morning.”  Eddie: (shocked) “W-What?”  Robin: (quietly) “She came home early this morning. We picked her up from the airport.”  Eddie: (hurt) “Why didn’t she tell me? Is she okay? What’s happened? Can I come over?”  Robin: (unsure) “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  Eddie: (heartbroken) “What? Why? Robin, what’s going on?”  Robin: (quiet, torn) “She doesn’t want to see you yet.”  Eddie: (hurt, tearing up) “What? What have I done? I-“  Robin: (rushed) “Nothing! You’ve done nothing Eddie. She’s just not in a good way. She doesn’t want you to see her like this, her words not mine. She wanted you to see her when she’s feeling better. Again, her words, not mine.” [sighing, worried] “She’s not doing so well right now.”  Eddie: (determined, worried) “I’m coming over.”  Robin: “Eddie-“ 

[Eddie hangs up the phone. Robin sighs and rubs her temples, stressed.] 

[20 minutes later]

Robin is waiting by the front door as Eddie drives onto the house’s driveway. She’s pulling at her t-shirt nervously. Eddie rushes out of the van door, slamming it behind him. He looks up at Nina’s window, the curtains are closed. He looks back at Robin, who looks at him sympathetically. 

Eddie: “What happened?” [looking past Robin to the closed door, praying to see Nina on the other side] “Is she hurt? Sick? Was it her Mom?” [Robin looks uneasy, unable to get a word in] “It was her Mom, wasn’t it?”  Robin: “Eddie, wait-” 

[Eddie bypasses Robin and enters the house. Nina’s suitcase is sat, unopened and unmoved by the front door. He walks up the stairs, two steps at a time, until he’s outside of Nina’s room. The door is closed. He takes a deep breath and gently knocks on the door. There is no answer.] 

Eddie: “Nina? It’s me.” [he hears movement from behind the door.] “Can I come in?” [there’s silence] “I’m coming in.” 

[Eddie opens the door. The light from the hallway pierces the pitch black room. The curtains are closed, no lights on in the room, just the sound of the record player scratching quietly in the corner. His eyes land on Nina, curled in a ball in the middle of her bed, the covers high over her shoulders.] 

Eddie: “Nina? It’s me, baby. Are you okay?”  Nina: [slowly flipping around in the bed, peeking out at Eddie, eyes squinting from the bright light] “Eddie? What are you doing here?” [her voice comes out quiet and croaky] Eddie: “I’m here to make sure you’re okay.” (almost annoyed) “I haven’t heard from you in days, I was worried.”  Nina: [hiding behind her duvet in shame] “I’m sorry.”  Eddie: (annoyance gone, only concern) “Are you okay? Are you sick?”  Nina: (turning on the bedside light, avoiding eye contact) “I’m fine.” 

[There is a pause. Eddie’s eyes race over Nina, trying to deduce the situation. Nina avoids Eddie’s gaze, tears welling up at the sound of his voice. Eddie enters the room and closes the door behind him. He cautiously walks over to the bed and pulls at the covers.]

Eddie: “Move over.”  Nina: [turning back over in the bed, back facing Eddie] “Go home Eddie. I want to be alone.”  Eddie: [still not in the bed, unsure, but determined] “I don’t care. Move along.”  Nina: “I don’t want you to see me like this. I’ll call you.”  Eddie: (determined, stubborn) “You don’t have a choice. Move over.”  Nina: (disbelief) “Excuse me?”  Eddie: “Something has happened and you’re not okay, and I’m going to be here with you until you’re ready to talk about it.” [He walks to Nina’s record player, putting her ‘Fleetwood Mac’ album on from the start, Nina hides a small smile.] “Come here.” 

[Nina huffs but opens the covers and lets Eddie in the bed. He shuffles down to get comfortable. He extends his arm out, waiting expectantly for Nina to curl into him. Nina finally gives in and slowly turns over, resting her head on his chest. She breathes in his cologne and sighs heavily, soothed somewhat by his scent. Eddie frowns with worry at her sigh, and rests his hand on her head, stroking her hair.] 

Nina: (small) “What if I’m never ready to talk about it?”  Eddie: [after a pause, cautious] “Then I’ll be here regardless.” 

[They sit in comfortable silence for a while.] 

Nina: (apologetic) “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was home. I didn’t want to worry you.”  Eddie: (unsure) “It’s okay.” [pause] “Are you okay?”  Nina: [pause] (quietly) “No, I don’t think I am.”  Eddie: [pause] (insecure) “Do you want me to go?”  Nina: (quickly) “No! No. Stay with me, please. Don’t go.” 

[Eddie smiles a soft smile. Nina now clings to Eddie, not wanting to ever let go. For the first time in days, she relaxes, her mind calming.] 

Eddie: (softly) “Light on or light off?”  Nina: (small) “Off please.” 

[Eddie turns off the light and lies with Nina in his arms, stroking her hair and back comfortingly, until she falls asleep. He presses a gentle kiss on her head as her breathing becomes heavy with sleep, Eddie’s own breathing now shuddering with nerves and uncertainty.] 

[1 hour later]

[Nina murmurs in her sleep, flinching at her dreams, the blanket over her shoulders too tight around her neck. She pulls at the blanket, tugging at it, gasping for breath.] 

Nina: [choking, mumbling in her sleep] “No, please, no.” [pulling at the blanket] “Please, don’t.” [thrashing] “Don’t hurt me, please.” [shaking, louder] “Please!”  

[Eddie jolts awake when Nina thrashes and kicks his leg, taking a minute to come to from his sleepy state, before looking at her concerned.] 

Eddie: “Nina? Are you okay?” 

[Nina coughs violently, clutching her throat, eyes screwed shut. Her eyes burst open, red and sore and panicked, her hands scratching at the red skin of her throat.] 

Nina: “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!”  Eddie: [concerned, stroking Nina’s arms soothingly] “It’s okay, you’re okay!”  

[Nina bolts upright in bed, coughing and spluttering and choking. Tears leak from her eyes and her breathing is fast.] 

Eddie: “Nina, are you alright?” [he touches Nina’s shoulder and she flinches, eyes wide with fright, body trembling, she throws herself off the bed and onto the floor with fear] “Nina?”  Nina: [panting, tangled in the sheets] “Please don’t hurt me.”  Eddie: (confused) “Hurt you? I’d never hurt you.”  Nina: [backing herself into the corner of her room] “You’re going to hurt me.”  Eddie: (hurt) “Nina?”  Nina: [now shouting] “Oh god you’re going to hurt me, stop, get away from me!”  Eddie: (pained) “Nina!” [shouting down the hallway] “Robin!”  Nina: [kicking her legs, wrapping her arms around her head, curling into a ball] “I can’t do this, I can’t do this! Please don’t hurt me!” Eddie: [throwing the covers off himself, crouching down to Nina who whimpers and sobs] “Do what? What baby, I don’t understand?”  Nina: [body violently shaking, the room spinning, her breathing out of sync and distressed] “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!” [scratching at her throat] “Make it stop!”  Eddie: [noticing the marks on her necks] “Nina… What happened to your neck?”  Nina: [screaming] “Eddie, make it stop!”  Robin: [bursting in the room] “Eddie? What’s going on?”  Eddie: [eyes flicking between Nina and Robin, terrified] “I don’t know what’s happening, Robin, what’s happening?!”  Robin: [rushing to Nina’s side] “I think she’s having a panic attack.” [to Nina] “Breathe Nina, breathe! In and out. You’re okay, you’re safe.” Nina: (weakly) “Help me, Rob, make it stop!”  [Robin coaches Nina’s breathing, Nina’s breathing remains shaky as she tries to copy Robin, tears flowing heavily from her eyes as she sobs]  Eddie: (helplessly) “What can I do? How can I help?”  Robin: “Get her a glass of water, please?” 

[Eddie looks at Nina concerned and then leaves the room. He returns to the room with a glass of water in hand.]

Robin: “And what time is it?”  Nina: [looking at the clock with blurry eyes] “It’s 1:20pm.”  Robin: “And what’s the date?”  Nina: “Erm…” [laughing shakily] “I have no idea.”  Robin: [tucking Nina’s hair behind her ear] “That’s okay.” [Running her fingers through the fur rug on the floor] “Feel this, it feels nice, doesn’t it?”  Nina: [running her fingers through the soft rug, breathing calming only slightly] “Yeah, it’s nice.”  Robin: “Tell me five things you can see which are red.”  Nina: [looking around the room] “Erm… the lampshade…” [looking at her bookshelf] “The Bram Stoker’s Dracula book.” [smiling sadly] “The photo frame…” [looking back at her lap, playing with the tattered corner of her blanket] “I can’t see anything else.”  Robin: (comfortingly) “Good, good. I would say four things that are orange or yellow but your room is almost as gothy as you are, it’s like the batcave in here.” [Nina laughs lightly and Eddie finally smiles, studying the interaction between the two] “Four things that make you smile.”  Nina: (small) “My bunny…” [Eddie reaches over and hands Nina her bunny and the glass of water, Nina gives him a small tired smile] “The photos of us from the arcade, my plants, and the photo of me and Eddie.” 

[Eddie looks over at the small photo she had framed sitting on her bedside table. It’s the first photo they took together when they were in the caravan. Eddie smiles at the memory.] 

Nina: [breathing calmly, in and out, taking a sip of water] “I feel a bit better now, thank you.” Robin: “It’s okay.” [trying to make Nina laugh] “Bet you’re glad I got an A in psychology now, aren’t you?” [Nina laughs, wiping her tears with her sleeve, her bunny tucked in her arm. Robin notices the  darkening marks on Nina’s neck, unsure whether to comment] “Is there anything I can do?”  Nina: (embarrassed) “I’m okay, I promise.”  Robin: “Okay.” [she strokes Nina’s hair comfortingly] “I’m down the hall if you need me.” [Robin gives Eddie a soft smile and pulls the door ajar.]  Eddie: [after pause] “Is there anything I can do?”  Nina: [avoiding eye contact] “Could I have some more water, please?”  Eddie: (gently) “Sure.” 

[Eddie leaves the room, glass in hand. He walks into the kitchen and fills the glass full. He soaks his hands under the cold water, washing his face with it. He exhales nervously and grabs the glass, walking up the stairs. 

He enters Nina’s room. It’s empty.] 

Eddie: [calling out] “Nina?” [he knocks on the bathroom door] “Nina?” [Robin appears from her bedroom door] “Nina?”  Robin: “What’s happened?”  Eddie: (quietly) “She’s gone.”  Robin: (confused) “She’s what?”  Eddie: “She’s gone!”  Robin: [walking down the hallway determinedly] “Gone? Pft, she’s not-” [Nina’s bedroom door swings open to show the curtain’s opened and the window wide] “Gone.” [she looks at Eddie uneasily] “Well, shit.” 

Taglist: @soph342

Chapter Twenty - When I Was Young

“It's the worst damn day, (It doesn't hurt that much)

Of my life,

I made a mess today, (It doesn't hurt that much)

I'm alright. (It doesn't hurt that much)”

When I Was Young - Blink 182

Tuesday / 10AM / California. 

[Nina walks down the stairs to find her Mom cleaning in the living room. Music is playing softly from the stereo. Her Mom sprays the side table with polish and scrubs the table clean.] 

Nina’s Mom: “Morning, sweetie.”  Nina: (surprised) “Morning, Mom.” 

[Nina looks around the room; there’s pillowcases and throws dumped on a pile on the floor, video tapes piled high on the coffee table, the hoover haphazardly propped against the wall.] 

Nina’s Mom: “Just doing a bit of spring cleaning! A fresh clean home for a fresh clean me!”  Nina: (uneasy) “That’s great, Mom.” [tiptoeing around her] “Do you need any help?”  Nina’s Mom: “Don’t be silly, it’s fine! Gives me something to do!” [she discards the polish and opens the side table drawer, dumping its contents out and polishing inside it] “Aren’t you meeting up with Dylan this afternoon?”  Nina: “Yeah, um, I’m meeting her in an hour.” (rushed) “But I can rearrange that if you want me to help?”  Nina’s Mom: [engrossed in cleaning] “No no, go, have fun!” [moving on to another drawer, discarding the contents] “Take all afternoon if you have to!” [nonchalantly] “Say, why don’t you go by the shop on your way home and pick us up some snacks and we can have a movie night? We haven’t done that in a while, have we?” 

[Nina looks over at the tall pile of videos, then back at her Mom, whose back is still to Nina.] 

Nina: (hopeful) “You’d want to?”  Nina’s Mom:  “Well I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to, would I?”  [There is a quiet pause.]Nina: “What film would you like to watch?”  Nina’s Mom: [occupied] “You can choose, pick your favourite.”  Nina: (hesitantly) “We haven’t watched ‘When Harry met Sally’ in a while…”  Nina’s Mom: (loudly, clapping her hands together) “Oh, I love that film!” [Now facing Nina] “When you’re back from surfing we will order a pizza and have snacks and watch ‘When Harry met Sally’, it’s a date. Oh! And don’t forget my popcorn, sweet-”  Nina: (smiling softly) “Sweet, not salty. I remember.” 

4pm / the beach

[Dylan and Nina are sitting on their surfboards, their legs dangling either side in the cool blue water. The sky is overcast and the waves begin to roll in heavier than before.] 

Dylan: (surprised) “She wants a movie night?” (snorting, chewing back her bitter tone) “Man, how screwed are you.”  Nina: [swaying her legs through the water]  “Hey! Don’t be like that! She’s trying!” [looking at Dylan, unsure] “Isn’t she?”  Dylan: [arms up, dismissive] “I’m just saying, I’m pretty sure a lion can’t change its spots.”  Nina: (snorting) “Leopard, a leopard can’t change its spots.”  Dylan: “Whatever. You know her better than anyone else.” [Nina chews her thumb, nervous. Dylan senses her anxiety] “Maybe it’s her way of apologising, y’know, making up for lost time.” 

Twelve years of lost time, Nina thinks bitterly. Nina forces her doubt away.

Nina: “I think…” [she ponders for a moment] “I think whatever happens will happen, I can’t worry about it now. I’ll just have to take it as it comes.” 

[Dylan looks at her, blinking with surprise. Her surprise turns into a smirk.] 

Dylan: “Damn, Hawkins’ counsellors must be dope as shit. Either that or that dick you're getting is straightening you out real good.”  Nina: (Embarrassed) “Dylan!” [Dylan cackles as Nina splashes her with water.] “Not cool, man.”  Dylan: (chuckling) “Sorry, I’m sorry!” [straightening out] “I’m going back to college on Thursday.”  Nina: (reserved) “I know.”  Dylan: “Think you’ll survive without me?”  Nina: (softly, nodding to herself) “I… I think so, yeah.”  Dylan: [smiling] “I’m really proud of you, y’know.” [Nina looks at her, confused] “Hawkins, and this Eddie dude, they seem good for you. I dunno, maybe it’s the change of scenery or lack of pain in the ass mom,” [Nina chuckles] “But you seem good. You seem… well, who you were always meant to be.”  Nina: (touched) “Thanks, Dyl. It means a lot.” 

[they both begin paddling towards the shore] 

Dylan: “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Nina: “I’ll try, I just find it hard, y’know-”  Dylan: (interrupting) “I know, it brings it all back to you. Well, if you’re ever in the neighbourhood, or I dunno, you bring this handsome Eddie home to visit,” (Nina blushes red) “Make sure to drop by.”  Nina: “I will.” [they begin to walk in opposite directions. There is a sense they are saying ‘Goodbye.’] “See you around, Dyl. Take care.”  Dylan: [watching Nina walk in the other direction, sighing] “See you around, Nina.” 

    5:30pm / Nina’s house 

Nina: [calling into the living room] “I’m home!” [when she hears no response, she calls up the stairs again, to no response.] “I’ve got snacks! Popcorn and peanut M&Ms, your favourite!” [She hears a smash coming from the kitchen, and walks to the kitchen to find her Mom. She is holding a bottle of Vodka, half empty, the glass smashed on the floor. Nina’s heart feels heavy with disappointment] “Oh.”  Nina’s Mom: “I’m just having one, just to settle me. All that tidying has worn me out.”  Nina: [quietly, not wanting to rile her] “Okay.” [she puts the groceries on the counter] “I got your popcorn.”  Nina’s Mom: “What for?”  Nina: [heart sinking] “For the movie night, I thought we-”  Nina’s Mom: “It’s far too late for movies, it’s almost 6pm.”  Nina: (carefully) “I thought we were going to watch movies and get pizza for dinner…”  Nina’s Mom: (snappy) “Well you came home late. I’ve been waiting.”  Nina: (reserved) “I was as fast as I could. The bus took a while.”  Nina’s Mom: (angrily) “Fine, fine, we’ll watch the damn movie!” 

[Nina’s Mom moves to the couch in the next room, bringing the bottle with her. As Nina carefully follows her, she looks around the living room which is trashed. She moves some of the pillows and books off the corner of the couch and cautiously perches on the edge. She repeatedly eyes the door, planning a quick exit.] 

Nina’s Mom: [moving the piles of magazines off the coffee table in search of the television remote] “Ignore the mess, I’ll sort it tomorrow.” (muttering to herself) “Turned the whole damn place upside down trying to find the keys for that flaming clock, that tick tick ticking is driving me insane!” [Nina looks at her confused but her Mom continues before she can respond] “Oh! There it is!” [Her Mom leans over the side table to reach for the remove, the bottle of vodka slips off the side, Nina catches it before it lands on the floor. Nina’s Mom lunges at her and snatches the bottle off her, dropping the remote on the floor.] “Give that back!” 

[Nina blinks, heart frozen with fear, and passes the bottle back. She sits uncomfortably on the couch, tears welling in her eyes.] 

Nina: (voice quivering) “I think, um, I think I’m going to skip movie night, Mom. I’m not feeling too good. I just need to lay down.”  Nina’s Mom: [scoffing] “Oh, typical, first she kicks up a fuss about movie night and now she doesn’t want to!”  Nina: [standing up, slowly backing towards the door] “We’ll do it another night, I promise, I just don’t feel good.”  Nina’s Mom: [muttering] “Fine, suit yourself.” 

[Nina is now in the doorway.] 

Nina: “Is there anything you need before I go upstairs?” 

[Nina’s Mom grabs another glass, hidden down the side of the couch, and tops it full of vodka. Nina’s eyes wilt with sadness.] 

Nina’s Mom: “Stop fussing, I’m fine.” 

[Nina sighs and scoops up the broken glass in the kitchen with her hands, carrying it to the bin. She washes her hands in the sink, removing the small dusty shards of glass from her skin. The motion feels all too familiar to her, but she pushes it out of her mind.

Nina creeps up the stairs, trying not to get the attention from her Mom, closing the bedroom door shut behind her. She sighs a shaky breath and pulls out her suitcase, looking around the room for things she forgot to pack the first time she left. 

Get me out of here, Nina thinks.] 

Nina’s Mom: “What are you doing? Why are you packing all your stuff away?”  Nina: (panicked) “I- I,”  Nina’s Mom: [repeating] “Why are you packing all your stuff away?”  Nina: [gulping down her nerves, not turning around, folding some clothes into a suitcase] “Just making a start on packing some stuff.”  Nina’s Mom: “Why are you doing that?”  Nina: (wary) “I said I was going back to Hawkins when you were feeling better.”  Nina’s Mom: “No you didn’t.”  Nina: [hands trembling, concentrating hard on folding the clothes, voice gentle] “I did, Mom. When we spoke on the phone, when you were in rehab.”  Nina’s Mom: (accusingly) “So what? That’s it? I have one drink and you’re ready to run away again? That’s not very supportive, Nina.”  Nina: “That’s not one drink, Mom.”  Nina’s Mom: “You’re keeping tabs on me now?”  Nina: [frustration boiling over, slamming the clothes down] “It’s not just one drink, it’s twelve damn years worth!” 

[Nina and her Mom stand staring at each other in shock. Nina’s eyes are wide with fear and Nina’s Mom’s narrow with anger.]

Nina’s Mom: “And where are you planning on going? Back to Indiana?”  Nina: (resilient) “Yes.”  Nina’s Mom: (snide) “Great, I’m sure Mel loves that, she’ll think I’m not taking care of you, that I’m a shit mom!”  Nina: “You’re not taking care of me! You never have!” [she closes her eyes, cursing herself] Nina’s Mom: (accusingly) “Excuse me? What did you say?” Nina: “I, I’m just frustrated,” [clutching her temples, wincing] “I’ve got a pounding headache,  I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.”  Nina’s Mom: (angry, venomous) “Typical Nina expects the world to revolve around her, perfect little Nina can’t accept flaws in anyone! Let me tell you something darling, you aren’t so perfect yourself.”  Nina: [tearing up, rubbing her head] “I’m sorry, please stop, I said I’m sorry.”  Nina’s Mom: [She grabs the pictures off Nina’s walls and throws them at her] “Always think about yourself and nobody else. I’m fresh out of rehab and right when I need you the most, you abandon me! God, when did I raise such a selfish daughter? You haven’t even asked me how rehab went!”  Nina: [laughing bitterly] “I’m selfish?!” [exploding] “The only reason you were in rehab is because the court made you! And I left last time because you pushed me down the stairs! I was missing for days and you didn’t even come looking for me! That’s selfish!”  Nina’s Mom: [after pause, startled] “You tripped, stop being dramatic.”  Nina: [furious, hot tears streaming down her face, she wipes at them angrily] “The neighbours rang the police on you! I had to go to the hospital! They thought I’d broken my ribs!”  Nina’s Mom: (dismissive) “You’re being ridiculous.”  Nina: (tugging at her hair) “You know what’s ridiculous, Mom?! I thought if I came back here we could work on our relationship, that we could be like every other mother and daughter, that things could be normal! I’m tired of running away from you! I came back here after you’ve hurt me time and time again and I don’t ever get an apology!” Nina’s Mom: (enraged) “Don’t speak to me that way! I’m still your mother!”  Nina: [tears streaming, voice hoarse from yelling, slamming her books into the suitcase] “And I am your daughter!” [There is a tense pause. Nina is not backing down.] “I am your daughter! You’re supposed to love me!” [Nina shoves her clothes carelessly into the suitcase] “Each time I come back I’m hoping and praying that things have changed and it's clear it's never going to.” [tears spill off her chin and she sighs] “I can’t do this anymore, I need to go Mom.”  Nina’s Mom: [jaw clenching] “If you leave, you can never come back.”  Nina: “I think that might be for the best...” 

[Nina’s Mom’s mood changes from anger, to surprise, to fury. She blinks, watching Nina in shock, then marches over to the suitcase and dumps the contents of it upside down on the floor.] 

Nina: (frustrated) “What are you doing?! Stop!”  Nina’s Mom: “You’re not leaving me, you can’t leave me.” [She grabs Nina by the arms, hard.]  Nina: “Mom! You’re hurting me, get off!” [she digs her nails into her Mom’s hand] “Let go of me!” [she manages to remove her mom’s hand from her now red wrist.]  Nina’s Mom: “You can’t go, I won’t let you.” 

[Nina’s chest pangs with fear. They both look at each other, like cat and mouse. A chase is about to begin. 

Nina runs as quickly as she can down the stairs, skipping a few steps at the bottom to race into the kitchen. Nina’s Mom is slow behind her, bumbling down the stairs in her intoxicated state. Nina grabs her bag from the kitchen table, running around the other side of the table as her Mom enters the doorway, creating distance between the two. They dodge each other as they run around the table, like children playing tag. Nina manages to run past her Mom, running towards the stairs. 

Nina is almost at the top of the stairs when her Mom’s wrist wraps around her ankle. Fear twinges in Nina’s stomach as her mouth salivates with nausea. 

Nina’s Mom tugs and pulls fiercely, causing Nina’s feet to slip out from under her on the stairs. She lands harshly on the hard floor; her knees and arms taking the brunt of her weight, her chin scraping on the carpet. She slides down the steps, her bag being thrown in the air, her diary flying out of her bag and sliding under the bed in Nina’s room. Her belongings are scattered around, a violent confetti in the air. 

The air is knocked out of Nina’s lungs on impact, her teeth and jaw aching from hitting the step hard. Her body feels numb yet burns at the same time.

For a moment, everything goes quiet and blurry. Nina’s ears begin to ring as her eyes fog with tears. She blinks and swallows hard, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth making her feel sick. 

Nina’s head aches but she begins to focus as her Mom turns her over by her throbbing wrists. Nina’s breath catches in her throat as her Mom’s hands wrap around her neck, pressure firm and unyielding. Nina gasps, coughs and splutters, eyes red and alive with fear, like a deer staring down the barrel of a gun. Her hands flex to claw and scratch at her Mom’s relentless strength, Nina’s nails tearing into her moms skin in an attempt to remove her hands from her throat. 

Nina’s Mom: [wrapping her hands around Nina’s throat] “Such an ungrateful child, what did I do wrong to have a child like you?”  Nina: [raw] “Stop!”  Nina’s Mom: [tightening her grip] “I’ve had enough of you too, did you ever think of that? I’m sick of you moping around, always feeling sorry for yourself.”  Nina: [terrified] “Mommy, please!” 

[Nina’s Mom is unmoving, her face contorted in anger and resentment. Before the last of Nina’s strength begins to fade, Nina kicks up her legs, kicking her Mom harshly in the gut. Her mom stumbles backwards and Nina forces herself up to run. 

She sprints up the stairs and locks the door, her vision a complete blur, relying on muscle memory alone. Terror-stricken, she pushes her drawers in front of the bedroom door, blocking her Mom from entering. Nina hears her Mom bound up the stairs and winces, bracing herself for her Mom’s entry. The door opens partially but is thankfully blocked by the drawers, Nina backs herself onto the bed, clutching the bed covers tightly under her fingers to ground herself.] 

Nina’s Mom: “Nina! Nina let me in!” [The door and drawers thump from the force of her Mom’s shoving, Nina trembles with fear] “Nina! Let me in! I love you, let me in! I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry!” 

[Nina tunes out her Mom’s shouting and pleading as she slumps on the bed, clutching her throat and gasping. She breathes in shuddered gasps with the crackle in her lungs and burning hot pain in her throat. She lies on the bed, tears streaming from her eyes as her Mom relentlessly pounds on the door. 

She lies, numb and gasping on the bed, motionless in shock.

Memories come flooding back to her: being pushed down the stairs, the flashing lights of the ambulance siren, the ache in her spine, the shatter of her favourite vinyl as it collided with the wall, the warm blood spilling down her neck, the unfazed look in her mother’s eyes as the police officers take her away in handcuffs. Nina’s vision blurs, the room spins and her head pounds as years of repressed memories haunt her, overwhelming her, choking her. She lies down and hyperventilates, trembling, clutching onto the bed for stability. 

She lies there for what feels like hours, staring blankly at the bare ceiling of her bedroom. 

Nina looks out of her bedroom window. The sky is beginning to go dark. She looks at her alarm clock, reading 7:30pm. She thinks of Hawkins, of Robin and Eddie and their missed phone call, and feels her chest crumble. 

Nina listens carefully for the sound of her Mom’s retreating footsteps and breathes a sigh of relief when she hears her Mom’s stereo play loudly downstairs and the living room door closes. Time seems to go in slow motion. She sits on the edge of the bed, looking at the wall. She can’t bring herself to leave just yet. 

Nina picks herself up and ghosts towards the bathroom adjoining her bedroom. She winces at the bright fluorescent light, blinking into the mirror. When her eyes unblur, her bottom lip trembles with sadness at her appearance. Her hair is clumped and messy and her skin is red and blotchy. Her eyes are bloodshot and swollen, tears still streaking her cheeks. Her chin is raw and scraped with blood. She chokes back a sob when she looks at her neck, the prints on her neck already reddening and bruising, nail marks deep near her hairline. She covered her hands over her mouth to muffle her sobs, struggling to catch air and hold her bodyweight up. 

When her panic finally subsides, she grabs a makeup wipe and tissue and begins to clean her eyes and scraped chin. She grabs her toiletry bag from the side and carelessly scoops all of her belongings inside, not caring if they’re neat. She walks on wobbly feet and picks up her suitcase and carefully repacks it. 

On the landing of the stairs, she picks up her scattered belongings which were thrown from her bag. The diary remains forgotten about under her bed. Nina drags her suitcase down the stairs. She looks back up the stairs, contemplating, before going up the stairs and taking her surfboard. She struggles out the front door; suitcase and surfboard under her arm, and looks for her Mom one last time, hoping, praying that it was all a dream, that her Mom is sitting sober on the couch waiting for their movie night, but the booming music plays through the house. 

Nina brings out her keys from her bag and takes her house key off the chain, leaving it on the table by the door. Looking around one last time, she leaves her childhood home, not looking back. 

Nina walks to the bottom of her driveway. 

‘I have everywhere and nowhere to go’, She thinks. 

She gulps down her tears and walks down the street. She remembers the pathway where she played hopscotch with her neighbours as a child, the gnarled tree branch she tripped over and cut her knee which her Mom tended to, the lamp post she had her first kiss against. She blinks and pushes forward, leaving the street. 

The streetlamps begin to flick on as the sun begins to set, the red sky soothing compared to Nina’s burning neck. She sits patiently, numbly at the bus stop, waiting for the bus. She watches mindlessly as people walk and drive by. The air is warm and alive and smells of coconut and candyfloss. 

She struggles on the bus, bumbling with full hands and heavy bags, dishing out what change she has to the driver. 

Bus Driver: [looking Nina up and down] “Rough night, darlin’?”  Nina: (smiling sadly and snorting) “Don’t know the half of it.” 

The driver lets her on with a knowing nod. 

As she sits on the bus to the village centre, she watches the shops as she drives past them: remembering her first date in the American diner, the first record she bought with her own money at the vinyl store, the arcade Robin and Nina spent all summer in when she visited. She sits motionless on the bus, blinking goodbye to the town she grew up in.

A kind older gentleman helps her off the bus with her heavy suitcase and surfboard. Nina smiles politely and says thank you. 

Nina walks along the beachfront, the wheels of her suitcase clacking against the wooden pier, towards “the Sun Shack”. The outside is decorated with buckets and spades, sunglasses, and has a stack of surfboards outside. 

The windchimes tinkle as Nina opens the door. The shop is quiet. Nina presses the bell on the counter. 

Ryan: “We’re closing!”  Nina: “It…” [Nina clears her throat, trying to speak louder] “It’s Nina.” [Ryan’s head appears behind the door, confused] “Hi Ryan.”  Ryan: “No shit! Nina! How’ve you been?” [oblivious to the redness of her eyes] “Long time no see! Shit, what have you been up to?”  Nina: “Not a lot. Listen, I’m-”  Ryan: “Why does your voice sound like that?”  Nina: “Got a sore throat. Look, I’m moving-”  Ryan: (interrupting) “You’re moving?”  Nina: [clearing her throat]  “Well, technically I already left, but came back. Anyway, I’m wanting to sell this…” [gesturing to her surfboard] “How much would you give me for it?”  Ryan: (taken aback) “You’re selling your surfboard? But you love this thing!”  Nina: (emotionless) “No need for it anymore. How much?”  Ryan: (reminiscing) “Remember when we all went to that beach at Santa Monica and you fell into that rockpool? And the lifeguard had to rescue you? That was so funny!” Nina: (deadpan) “Hilarious. How much-”  Ryan: (interrupting again) “How’s Dylan doing? I haven’t seen her since she left for college!”  Nina: (frustrated) “She’s fine, I saw her earlier today. Listen, I really need to sell this-”  Ryan: “Tommy was asking about you the other day, I’ll have to tell him you’re back! He owes me twenty dollars, I knew you wouldn’t make it outside of California.”  Nina: [gritting her teeth then softening her jaw, breathing sharply] “Don’t bother, I’m not back, I was never here. Ryan, the board, how much?”  Ryan: “I can buy it off you for $250.” Nina: (exasperated) “But it’s worth nearly triple that.”  Ryan: (smirking) “I’ll add on $50 since I’m feeling super generous.”  Nina: [huffing in annoyance, wanting the conversation over with] “Fine.” [taking the cash into her purse, smiling politely at Ryan] “Thank you.” 

She watches as Ryan picks up the board and carries it away. She blinks back the tears as she says goodbye to her beloved board. She turns on her heels and walks towards the door, suitcase in hand. 

Ryan: “See you soon Nina, don’t be a stranger!”  Nina: (to herself) “Not likely.” 

Nina sits on a bench for a while, waiting for a coach to the airport, watching the world go by. The bus arrives at 9pm, and gets to the airport at 11pm. When she’s sitting comfortably on the bus she puts her headphones over her head and tries to listen to music, attempting to lull herself to sleep on the long coach journey. Her whole body is tense and alert. Unable to relax, she stares at the pattern on the back of the coach seat in front of her, eyes heavy but mind reeling. She slips the headphones off her head and around her neck and whimpers, forgetting about the soreness of her neck. It now hurts to swallow. 

Nina walks up to the woman behind the counter at the airport. She attempts to speak, but no voice comes out. After clearing her throat, she tries again: 

Nina: (croaky) “Excuse me, when is your next flight to Indiana?”  Woman 1: [not looking up from her computer] “The next flight to Indiana is tomorrow at 10am, the fare is $400.”  Nina: [looking at her purse, biting her lip] “Can I pay $300 in cash and $100 on card please?”  Woman 1: (politely, clearly bored) “Of course.” [she looks up at Nina and sees her appearance; tear-stained cheeks, red eyes, red fingerprints on her throat] “Are you okay, doll?”  Nina: (smiling sadly) “I’m okay thank you.” [trying not to cry, overwhelmed] “Just want to go home.”  Woman 1: (unsure) “Do you need any help? Is there a parent here with you?”  Nina: [tears threatening to bubble over] “No, just me. Is American Express okay?” 

The woman smiles politely, eyes watching Nina warily, taking her passport and card. Nina checks in her luggage, smiles politely and says ‘thank you’ and sits in the airport cafe. 

There Nina waits the gruelling eleven hours until her flight back to Hawkins. Occasionally she slumps in her seat, exhaustion hitting her hard, but she picks herself up and forces another cheap coffee down her sore throat. The burn of the coffee reminds her of where she is, what’s happened, bringing her back to reality; stopping her from slipping away like a ghost. 

Nina looks at the world wide clock on the airport wall. Midnight California time, 3AM in Indiana. The tears start to flow again as she craves being in Eddie’s safe arms, in Robin’s comforting presence, anywhere but here. 

Nina becomes aware of the concerned looks of strangers she is receiving, and runs to the airport bathroom. She locks herself in a bathroom stall, wiping her tears angrily. She breathes deeply, trying to calm herself, before walking out the stall to the bathroom sink. She splashes cold water on her face and wipes the smudged mascara from under her eyes. Her face is puffy and red, and her neck is scalded with the red handprints of her mother. 

She quickly walks to the airport gift shop, trying to find something to cover her neck. She finds a scarf from the shop, unreasonably priced, but it’s the only thing she can find to cover her marks. She reluctantly parts with her money and covers her neck, ignoring the concerned look from the cashier. She picks up a California trucker hat for Wayne too. 

Just six hours to go, then you can call Robin. 

Maybe I should call Eddie too, to let him know I’m okay.

Just five hours to go, then you can call Robin and Eddie.

But I’ll cry if I hear Eddie’s voice,

Just four hours to go, then you can call Robin. 

But Eddie will be worried about you, you should call him,

Just three hours to go, then you can call Robin and Eddie.

Eddie doesn’t need to deal with your bullshit, it’s bad enough you’ve roped Robin into this. 

Just two hours to go, then you can call… someone? Robin, call Robin.

Eddie is your boyfriend, he’s expecting your call.

Just one hour to go, then you can call Robin and Eddie.

Heads or Tales to ring Eddie? 

Heads, ring Eddie, Tales, don’t ring Eddie.

Heads, ring Eddie.

Just half an hour to go, then you can call Robin and Eddie. 

Nina dials Eddie’s number slowly, clutching the piece of paper with his number on tightly in her hand. 

Eddie: “Hello?” [Nina goes to speak but her voice cracks] “Hello? Is there somebody there?” [all that comes out of Nina’s mouth is a squeak] “Hello?”  Wayne: [In the background of the phone call] “Is that her? Did she ring?”  Eddie: [to Wayne in the background] “No, it’s not her.” [Nina’s heart breaks, wanting to speak, but can’t find the courage] “Must be a wrong number.” [to Nina on the phone] “Call back if you need anything, stranger.” [Eddie puts the phone down]

Tears roll down Nina’s cheeks. You’re a coward, she thought. 

Nina dials Robin’s number using the last of her change. 

Nina: [voice croaky] “Robin, it’s Nina…” 

AN: Yeah its a rough chapter, my bad.

All comments, likes, shares etc are really appreciated, thank you :)

Chapter Nineteen - Matilda

“You can let it go, 

You can throw a party full of everyone you know, 

And not invite your family ‘cause they never showed you love, 

You don’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up.’ 

Matilda - Harry Styles 

Tuesday / 1:30pm / Lou’s Diner, California 

Nina and her Mom are sitting in a quiet diner situated on the strip of shops by the shoreline.  Gentle 60’s music is playing overhead, the pastel walls and tacky leather seats contrast the tense mood. Nina is looking out of the window at the surfers vacating the water, the grey clouds overhead bring them in to land. The sea begins to become choppy and hostile. Nina’s Mom is finishing her meal and drinking her black coffee as she speaks to Nina. Nina drags her attention back to her Mom at the sound of her voice. 

Nina: “Huh? What, sorry?”  Nina’s Mom: “You’ve changed your hair.”  Nina: [pushing the uneaten pancakes around on her plate] “Yeah, I did. I fancied a change.”  Nina’s Mom: [with her mouth full] “Why did you change it? It looked so much prettier your natural colour.”  Nina: [shrugging] “I always wanted red hair. I thought, "why not.”, y’know?”  Nina’s Mom: [looking up at Nina for a moment, then back down to her coffee] “It makes your eyes look brighter, I guess.”  Nina: (half-heartedly) “Thanks.”  Nina’s Mom: “So, tell me, what’s life like in Hawkins? How’s school going?”  Nina: “School is finished now.”  Nina’s Mom: (stung) “Oh-”  Nina: (rushed, diffusing) “But it was good! Was weird being the new girl for a while, but yeah, it was good. I’ve made a good group of friends, with Robin, you know Robin, obviously…” [she trails off awkwardly] “And, er, I met a guy, his name is Eddie-”  Nina’s Mom: “Your grades?”  Nina: [stumped, then continuing] “I don’t get them for a few weeks. Actually, my graduation is next month, I was wondering if you wanted to come…”  Nina’s Mom: “One thing at a time.”  Nina: [hurt, but nodding understandingly] “Right, you’re right, of course, sorry.”  Nina’s Mom: “Stop apologising all the time.”  Nina: (stunned) “W-What?”  Nina’s Mom: “Stop apologising all the time. You’ve apologised five times since we’ve got here, you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, don’t say sorry if you don’t mean it.” [looking down at her plate, softer now] “It’s me who should be apologising.” [Nina’s mouth parts slightly with shock, she sits stunned.] “My therapist said the first step to recovery is acceptance. So here I am, I accept that I’ve made mistakes, but that’s in the past now, and now I’m fixed and I can put it behind me and we can go back to normal. Right?” [grabbing Nina’s hands, Nina sits silently] “I’m going to really try Nina, I am.”  Nina: “O-Okay.” [smiling softly, holding her hands back] “Okay, Mom.”  Nina’s Mom: [dropping Nina’s hands, going back to her knife and fork] “So, tell me about this guy.”  Nina: (blushing) “He’s called Eddie, he’s a good friend of Robins. He’s really sweet, I think you’d really like him. He’s really good for me.”  Nina’s Mom: “So how are you going to make this long distance thing work?”  Nina: (sputtering) “W-what?” [she chokes on her milkshake]  Nina’s Mom: “For God’s sake Nina, get your words out.” [she shoves some napkins in Nina’s direction]  Nina: “I’m…” (carefully) “I’m not coming back to California, Mom.”  Nina’s Mom: (snorting dryly) “So what? You’re going to stay in Hawkins for some guy you’ve only known for five minutes?”  Nina: (frowning) “I’m not staying just for Eddie. I have a life there, I’m happy there.”  Nina’s Mom: [matter of fact] “You were happy here too. Friends, a good job, good grades. Why Hawkins?”  Nina: “I wasn’t happy, not really.” [Nina’s Mom looks up at her, taken aback, shocked. Nina continues bravely] “I was surviving here. It wasn’t a life.” (firmly) “I’m happy in Hawkins.”  Nina’s Mom: [pause] “Well, I think it’s a big mistake.” [looking up at Nina, trying to gauge her reaction, pressing forward] “I mean, where are you going to stay? You can’t stay with Robin and Mel forever and you barely know this Eddie guy, you’ll be out on the street!”  Nina: (dryly, to herself) “Wouldn’t be the first time.”  Nina’s Mom: “What was that?”  Nina: “Nothing, nothing.” (sighing) “I haven’t got it all figured out yet, Mom, but I will.”  Nina’s Mom: [matter of fact, lips pursed] “Well, don’t come crying back to me when it doesn’t work out.” 

[Nina looks at her for a few moments, hurt. She swallows the lump in her throat.] 

Nina: “I won’t.” [Nina and her Mom look at each other sternly] “I promise.” 

Tuesday / 3:30pm / Family Video, Hawkins 

[Eddie sighs dramatically, spinning around on the swivel chair behind the counter, pouting and fiddling with the bobble head dolls. Steve rolls his eyes and groans with annoyance, throwing the cleaning cloth down on the counter, looking at Eddie with glaring eyes.] 

Steve: (exacerbated) “I swear to god, man, if you don’t stop sighing, I’m going to drive to California and bring Nina back myself.”  Eddie: [heading on the counter, still pouting] “I’m just bored. It’s not about Nina. I can do stuff without her.”  Steve: “Then why aren’t you doing them?” [Eddie shrugs nonchalantly, Steve scoffs] “Yeah, right, you’re practically pouting. Each time the door bell rings you’re looking for her at the door like a puppy waiting for its owner.” Eddie: [dismissing Steve’s rant, moping still] “I thought Robin was supposed to be here today.” (embarrassed) “And I don’t miss Nina, it’s only been like, two days, jeez, I’m not that bad…”[ trailing off, looking at Steve] “Am I?”  Steve: (smug) “Oh..! I see what you’re doing! I get it now!”  Eddie: “Huh? What?”  Steve:  (teasing) “You’re missing Nina so you’re hanging around here to beat your craving. You’re trying to get a second hand Nina high.”  Eddie: (scoffing, lying) “Am not.”  Steve: “Are too. You’re pining for her!”  Eddie: (dismissive, embarrassed) “I am not! I’m just… bored.”  Steve: [with his hands on his hips] “So bored that you’d rather hang around here all day, which by the way, you’ve never done a day in your life until now, than do the other million things you could be doing!”  (dramatic, sassy) “I know, I know, ‘nothing is fun without Nina’, ‘I can’t watch that movie without Nina’, ‘Nina always liked watching me paint’, Jesus, why don’t you go and bother Robin, you’re both moping without Nina, go and do it together and let me work in peace? Okay?”  Eddie: [slumping off the stool, heading towards the back room] “Somebody hasn’t had their coffee this morning.” 

[Eddie walks through the beaded curtain to find Robin. As he walks past the X-rated movies in the dimly lit section of the store, an actress who looks very similar to Nina catches his eye on the cover of one of the movies. His eyebrows raise as he picks up the cover and reads the back. He tilts his head and squints as he looks at the actress on the cover. His expression turns sour, Not good enough to be Nina, he thinks. Christ, I need help, I’m seeing her everywhere. 

Eddie goes to put the film back just as Robin enters through the beaded curtain of the store. 

Eddie flushes as he fumbles the film at the last minute, it flying clumsily in the air, he catches it and puts it back awkwardly.] 

Eddie: (embarrassed) “I was just, uh, looking.”  Robin: [approaching Eddie and the film, turning her head and squinting] “Looks a bit like Nina, from a distance.” [Eddie hums in agreement] “Nina’s tits are better though.”  Eddie: (mindlessly) “Yeah, they are.” [shaking away his thoughts] “I mean, wait-”  Robin: (interrupting) “Steve says you’re pining.”  Eddie: (sighing) “Yeah, I am, I guess.” Robin: (glum) “Me too. I hope she’s doing okay.”  Eddie:  “It’s pathetic, I know, but every time I see something cool, or hear a new song on the radio, or have an idea for Hellfire, she’s the first person I want to talk to about it, y’know?” (blushing) “Am I acting crazy?”  Robin: “You’re not acting crazy.” (smirking) “You’re in love.”  Eddie: (dryly) “I’d usually have some form of witty remark to backhand you with, but unfortunately my brain is broken and Nina’s all I can think about.” [Robin snorts and shakes her head smiling] “She’s gotta be alright, right? She’d call if she wasn’t, wouldn’t she? Maybe I should call her.”  Robin: “She’d call, I’m sure of it. Well, eighty percent sure of it.”  Eddie: [fiddling with his rings nervously] “Yeah… me too.” 

Wednesday / 5pm California time /  8pm Hawkins time. 

Nina: “So tell me everything, how’s Hawkins?”  Robin: [groaning dramatically] “So damn boring.” [Nina laughs] “Same old, same old here. Work is dead as per usual, Steve is useless at doing anything other than flirting with every girl that comes through the door, with a current zero percent success rate.” [Nina laughs again] “The hobbit children harass us at work every other day waiting for some nerdy film to be released, but other than that, nothing new!”  Nina: “And how are Ozzy and Garfield?”  Robin: “The vet's appointment went fine, they’re in surprisingly good condition all things considered, we’ve got some flea and worm treatment for them and they need to be back in a few months to be neutered! The very pretty vet said that they’re a bit underweight but at the rate Eddie is fattening them up, it shouldn’t be a problem!” Nina: [rolling her eyes, smiling] “What’s he feeding them now?”  Robin: [laughing] “I caught him feeding Garfield the butter off his toast this morning, and Ozzy is taking to eating cardboard boxes.”  Nina: [smiling at the thought] “Damn it, Eddie.”  Robin: “You should have seen him Nina, Ozzy keeps sitting on his shoulder like a parrot, and Garfield follows him around the trailer everywhere he goes.”  Nina: (trying to hide how homesick she feels) “That’s so sweet!” (after a quiet pause) “I miss you guys already.”  Robin: (cautiously) “How’s Californian life?”  Nina: “The weather is ridiculously hot, but it’s nice to be in the sunshine again.”  Robin: (amused) “Avoiding the topic, as usual.”  Nina: [laughing] “What can I say, I’m pro at it now.” (thinking carefully, quiet) “Things are okay. Not brilliant but bearable.”  Robin: “Is she giving you a hard time?”  Nina: [subdued, trying to make light of it] “Wouldn’t be my Mom if she wasn’t.” (changing the topic) “But won’t be for too much longer and then I’ll be back.”  Robin: [laughing] “You’ve been gone three days and you’re already counting down the days till you come back.”  Nina: (amused) “You know I can’t stay away from you for too long.”  Robin: (smiling at the memory) “This reminds me of before you moved here, how we used to talk on the phone every Sunday.” Nina: (teasingly) “And now you can’t get rid of me.”  Robin: “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Keep in touch, okay? I’ve been worried.”  Nina: (unsure) “I will, I promise. I’ll call you on Friday?”  Robin: (smiling) “Sure. Speak soon, bestie.” 

[Nina laughs and says goodbye. She hangs up the phone and dials Eddie’s number.]

Wayne: “Munson residence, who’s calling?”  Nina: “Hey Wayne! It’s Nina, is Eddie there?”  Wayne: “Nina! How’s California life?” [Eddie hears Wayne say Nina’s name and jumps up from the couch, trying to take the phone off Wayne] “Is the weather nice?”  Eddie: [whiny, wrestling with Wayne who holds the phone away from him] “Wayne, give me the phone!”  Wayne: “Edward, behave! I’m talking here!” (Amused, joking) “I’m sorry about that Nina, my Nephew has terrible manners!” [Nina hears Eddie curse in the background and laughs]  Nina: (smiling) “California is lovely, thank you for asking Wayne.”  Wayne: “Anytime! Bring me back a souvenir, will you?”  Nina: “Of course!”  Eddie: [grabbing the phone off Wayne] “Sorry about that, Wayne wouldn’t give me the phone.”  Nina: (teasingly) “Who said I was calling to talk to you? Maybe I was trying to call my best friend Wayne.”  Eddie: (deadpanned) “Very funny.”  Nina: (amused) “You know I like older guys, maybe I’m having Wayne on the side.”  Eddie: [trying to be unimpressed but too amused at the thought] “That’s just gross. You’re weird.”  Nina: “You love it.”  Eddie: [heart eyes] “I do.” [Nina giggles] “Even when you joke about fucking my uncle.”  Nina: [blushing] “The heart wants what the heart wants.”  Eddie: [shaking his head, smiling] “How are you, sweetheart?”  Nina: [sighing] “I’m okay, I guess. Missing you weirdos already.”  Eddie: (sadly) “I miss you too.” (cautiously) “How's things with your Mom?” Nina: “We’re getting on well. Civil. Diplomatic.”  Eddie: (sarcastic) “That’s big of her.”  Nina:  (sighing) “Don’t start, I’ve already had Robin lecturing me, I don’t need you to too.”  Eddie: “Okay darling, I’m sorry. I just worry about you.” [Nina hums down the phone, Eddie continues, smiling] “Though you’ll be happy to know that Pillow Nina, Garfield and Ozzy have taken over your side of the bed, you’ve been replaced, sweetheart.”  Nina: [fake annoyance] “Those little shits.” (realising) “Wait, pillow Nina?”  Eddie: [scratching his neck awkwardly] “Yeah, I uh, was struggling to sleep so I found one of your t-shirts and put it on the pillow.” (rushes to explain himself as Nina giggles) “But Garfield and Ozzy like it too, and I’m not being weird with it, just cuddling it!” [Nina laughs harder and Eddie smiles at her] “I like the company. We miss you.”  Nina: ”That pillow better not be wearing my underwear!” [Eddie laughs loudly, making Nina smile softly] “I wish I had company, my insomnia has been shit ever since I came home.”  Eddie: (worried) “You okay?”  Nina: [lip wobbling, she coughs to clear the tears in her throat] “Yeah, I’m okay. Just tired.”  Eddie: “Not long till you’re home darling.”  Nina: (joking) “You counting down the days too?”  Eddie: “I am.” [looking over at the calendar on the kitchen wall, the three X’s through this week] “15 days and counting.”  Nina: (heart warmed) “You’re so sweet.”  Eddie: (teasingly) “Don’t tell anyone, I have a reputation to keep up.”  Nina: (smiling) “Your secret is safe with me, baby.” 

Saturday / 8pm California time / 11pm Hawkins time. 

Nina: “Hey honey.”  Eddie: (giddy) “Nina! Hey baby, how are you doing?”  Nina: (fake enthusiasm) “I’m good thank you! How are you?”  Eddie: [rambling, excited] “I’m great thank you! Oh, you should have seen it Nina, at D&D yesterday I got everyone’s asses, nobody saw Vecna coming back again! You should have seen it, I had Dustin in tears and Mike having a mid-teen crisis!” [Nina smiles at the thought] “And at band practice this morning I finally nailed that solo! Are you proud of me?”  Nina: [smiling fondly] “So proud of you baby.”  Eddie: [eager, playing with Ozzy in his lap] “Work was dull this afternoon but I got an early finish so I’m just hanging with the boys. I’ve taught Ozzy how to play fetch, I even found him a little bat toy to play with! How was surfing today?”  Nina: (sighing, feeling at peace hearing Eddie’s voice) “Good, it was so nice being back on the water again. I didn't realise how much I missed it. Was nice having a catch up with Dylan too.”  Eddie: (envious) “We’ll have to find a beach for us to go to. We could all take a weekend trip somewhere! El and Max have been asking after you, they came in to work today wanting to hang out with you, I may have heard them call you their ‘cool older friend Nina’. Nina: (smiling widely) “Really?”  Eddie: (laughing) “Yeah man, they love you, they’re almost as excited about you coming home as I am.”  Nina: “That’s sweet, that really cheered me up.”  Eddie: (worried) “Cheered you up? What’s wrong?”  Nina: (lying) “Nothing honey, I’m okay.”  Eddie: (not convinced) “Are you sure?”  Nina: (unsure) “Erm… I think so, yeah. Just a bit blue today.”  Eddie: [getting comfy on the couch, listening intently] “Want to talk about it?”  Nina: “I’m just… nostalgic and not in a good way. Being back home is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” [choking up] “It’s bringing back a lot of feelings and memories I wasn’t prepared for.”  Eddie: [slumped, saddened] “I’m sorry baby.”  Nina: [smiling sadly] “Don’t apologise, it’s not your fault. Hearing your voice has really cheered me up.”  Eddie: “I miss you.”  Nina: “I miss you too.”  Eddie: “I wish I could hug you.”  Nina: (small) “I wish you could too. I’m sorry I haven’t spoken in a few days, things have been a bit chaotic here.”  Eddie: [nodding understandingly, then realising Nina can’t see him, remembers to speak] “It’s okay. I know you’ve been busy.” (confessional) “I’ve thought about you all the time.”  Nina: (smiling) “Me too, Eddie. I keep seeing places I’d love to take you, maybe one day we could take a trip here.”  Eddie: (surprised) “Really?”  Nina: “Really. Just me and you.” [now rambling happily] “There’s this amazing ice cream shop by the beach that you’d love, it does the most amazing chocolate ice cream! And there’s this really cool rock bar I used to go to that I know you’d like, we’ll have to go there too. And then maybe one day we could go rock-pooling, the beaches here are amazing.”  Eddie: (fondly) “I’d love that.” (smiling) “My little mermaid.”  Nina: (blushing) “Shut up! So cheesy.” [Nina’s Mom shouts something down the stairs that Eddie can’t make out, Nina’s happy mood becomes more subdued] “I’ve got to go Eddie, Mom needs me. I’ll call again on Tuesday?”  Eddie: (concerned) “Sure baby. I hope you’re okay.”  Nina: [chewing her lip] “I will be when I’m home.”  Eddie: “Are you really okay?”  Nina: (rushed) “I’ve got to go Eddie, I’ll speak to you soon, bye baby.” [Nina hangs up the phone]

[Eddie looks at the phone after Nina hangs up, blinking. He doesn’t know how to feel. He puts the phone back on the receiver and sits with his guitar on his lap, mindlessly strumming the chords, his mind elsewhere.

Nina hurriedly puts the phone down and runs up the stairs, trying to avoid her Mom. She pushes her bedroom door closed and lies on her bed; pulling the covers over her head, hoping the flooding memories invading her mind will subside. They don’t.  

Next Chapter : Chapter Twenty - When I Was Young

‘All the leaves are brown, 

And the sky is grey. 

I’ve been for a walk, on a winter’s day.

I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.

California dreamin’, on such a winter’s day.’ 

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas & The Papas

Monday /  the Airport / 10:40AM 

Auntie Mel: “And you’ve got your passport?”  Nina: [patting herself down, joking] “Shit, I knew I forgot something.”  Auntie Mel: (deadpanned) “Very funny.” (worried) “And you’ll call one of us when you land?”  Nina: “I will, I promise.”  Auntie Mel: “And call us if anything goes wrong? Or if you need any help?”  Robin: “I think she gets the picture, Mom.” Nina: [hugging Auntie Mel goodbye] “Thank you for everything, Mel. I’ll call when I land.” [walking over to Robin, pulling her into a hug, tearing up] “This is stupid, I’ll be back in a few weeks, I don’t know why I’m crying.”  Robin: [crying but ignoring her tears, sad laughter] “I’ll make sure Eddie doesn’t accidentally kill the cats.”  Nina: [wiping her tears, smiling] “No feeding them lasagne, I don’t want to come home to an overweight cat.”  Robin: [laughing] “I can’t promise anything, El keeps trying to feed Garfield Eggos.” [Nina laughs, Robin touches her arm, concerned] “Please keep in touch. Especially with… you know. Just keep in touch.”  Nina: [solemn] “I know. I’ll keep in touch.” [pecking Robin’s cheek] “Bye bestie.”  Robin: [wiping her cheek in disgust] “Ew, gross. I thought we didn’t do the whole ‘showing emotion’ thing!” [Nina rolls her eyes and walks through the terminal gate] “Bye! Call me when you land!” [quietly to herself] “Good luck Nina.” 

Eddie’s trailer / 10:40am 

Eddie is sitting looking out of his bedroom window, watching the planes fly in the sky. Ozzy is sitting by his shoulder and Garfield is biting Eddie’s toes. He huffs as he drags a shoelace across his bed, Ozzy leaping from his shoulder to pounce on it. Eddie looks up at the clock and sighs.

Eddie: [glum] “There she goes guys, Nina is boarding her plane right now.” [sighing] “At least I’ve got you two for company.” [pause]  “Should I be offended Nina didn’t ask me to drive her to the airport?” [tilting his head at the kittens, as if waiting for their response] “Nah, she wouldn’t want to be a bother, even though I took the day off to take her.” (Worried) “Should I have offered to take her? That’s what boyfriends do, right? What do you guys think?” (Sarcastically) “Great, now I’m asking for relationship advice from kittens, what have I become?” [Laughing at himself] “If anyone could see me right now they’d think I’d gone fucking nuts. This is the least cool I’ve ever been.” [picking up Garfield who tries to paw at his face] “You are pretty cute though.” [cuddling Garfield into his neck] “Since it’s just us fellas I can be honest, I think if Nina had asked me to drive her to the airport, I would have cried like a wimp saying goodbye. Probably for the best.” [looking at the clock again] “I miss her already.” [picking up Ozzy too, both kittens in his arms] “What do you think boys, do you miss your momma? I think you do.” (thoughtful) “I hope she’ll be okay. She’s got to be, right?” 

7pm / California / Nina’s childhood home. 

(7pm California time / 10pm Hawkins time / 3 hour time difference) 

Nina has been standing outside the house for ten minutes. 

The air is warm and thick, despite the sun beginning to set. The house remains unchanged from the outside, besides the overgrown lawn. 

Nina looks at the pavement below her feet. She imagines the chalk hopscotch she drew as a child. The wilting flowers remind her of the bouquets she’d pick for her Mom, which she’d put in a glass on the table when she cooked them both dinner. 

Nina blinks a few times and gulps. She shakes the thoughts away and approaches the front door. She finds the spare key, hidden under a novelty garden gnome in the plant pot, and unlocks the door. 

As she opens the door and drags her suitcase through the entrance, the smell of home fills her nose. It both comforts her and makes her feel nauseous. The lights are off, cloaking the house in a dull grey tint. The only noise is the gentle repetitive ticking of the clock. 

Nina flicks on the light and closes the front door. She traces her finger across the cabinet in the living room, filled with childhood photos, her finger collecting dust. A leftover pizza box discarded on the coffee table, now mouldy, overwhelms the room with its pungent smell. Nina gags. A smashed glass on the floor, the glass and its sticky contents tarnishing the pristine wood. 

Pinching between her eyebrows, Nina sighs. She walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge door. The fridge is empty except for a bottle of expired milk. 

Nina: (deflated, talking to herself) “Guess I’ve got to do a food shop, and clean as well, huh?” [She slams the fridge door closed. She rests her head on the fridge door. After letting out a deep exhale, she turns on her heels and picks up the phone. She chews her thumb nervously as she hears the phone ring out.] “Come on Eddie, pick up.” [the phone continues to ring out, Nina’s heart sinks] “Damn it.” [the voicemail button beeps, Nina clears the lump in her throat] “Hey Eddie, it’s me. Just letting you know I got home safe, though some little shit in front of me kept throwing nuts at me the entire flight, I kept finding peanuts in my hair.” [laughing awkwardly, scratching at her arm] “I’m guessing it’s late back in Hawkins so I’m sorry if this wakes you up. So yeah…” [she twirls the phone cord around her finger, hoping Eddie will hear her voice through the answering machine and pick up, he doesn’t] “Things are normal here. I’m gonna go grocery shopping and do a little tidy this evening so everything’s nice for when I pick Mom up tomorrow.” [homesick already] “I hope you and the boys are doing well. Robin said to tell you she’ll pick them up on Wednesday morning for their check up. But I guess you already know that.” [trying to hide her disappointment, voice cracking] “So hopefully I’ll speak to you sometime in the week. I- erm, yeah, bye.” [about to put the phone down, moment of realisation] “Wait, I almost forgot, check your backpack! Okay, Goodnight.” [Nina hangs up the phone sighing, and begins to walk back into the kitchen to clean when the phone rings] “Hello?”  Eddie: (rushing) “I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise! I had a cat related emergency.”  Nina: (amused, mood instantly brighter) “A what?”  Eddie: “Ozzy kinda got stuck inside my guitar.”  Nina: (bewildered) “He what?!”  Eddie: “He’s fine now! I bribed him with treats and he came out. No harm done.”  Nina: (appalled) “Eddie!”  Eddie: “He was just exploring!” (joking) “Ozzy was definitely the right name for him, he’s got metal in his veins.” [Nina laughs] “How was the flight? Did you get home okay?”  Nina: (teasing) “Well if you heard from my voicemail, I was harassed the entire flight by a six year old and a bag of peanuts.” [Eddie laughs] “And I got a taxi home. Expensive but not too bad.”  Eddie: (worried) “Nobody free to pick you up?”  Nina: (nonchalantly) “Nah, but that’s okay. Everyone is most likely busy.”  Eddie: [squinting his eyes, suspicious] “You didn’t tell anyone you were coming home, did you?”  Nina: [chuckling dryly] “Am I that predictable?”  Eddie: (smirking) “Yes.”  Nina (smug) “Bet you won’t predict what I’m going to say next.”  Eddie: (enamoured) “What?”  Nina: “Go look in your bag.”  Eddie: [tickling Ozzy under the chin] “Why do I need to look in my bag?”  Nina: (smirking) “There’s a gift for you. Go look.”  Eddie: “Okay, wait right here one sec.” [Eddie sets the phone down on the kitchen side and moves the kittens who are wrapping around his feet] “‘Scuse me, guys, I’ve gotta move.” [Nina smiles at Eddie talking to the kittens. Eddie shouts from the bedroom, Nina can hear from the distance] “It better not be a snake or a spider or something, that would be the meanest gift ever.” [Nina snorts with laughter. Eddie unzips the bag.] “Oh fuck.” [Heavy footsteps become louder as he picks up the phone again] “You kinky girl.”  Nina: (smirking) “Do you like them?” 

[Eddie has in his hand the red underwear Nina wore the other night, as well as two Polaroid photos. One of her in the red lingerie set, the other the photo they took together in the caravan. Eddie smiles, biting his lip, blushing.] 

Eddie: “Love ‘em.”  Nina: (flirty) “Just something to keep you going while I’m away, perv.”  Eddie: (aroused) “You know, there are other ways of keeping me going while you’re away.”  Nina: (amused but totally contemplating it) “Eddie, I'm not having phone sex with you.” Eddie: (faking annoyance) “Damn it.” [Nina giggles, Eddie smiles at her laughter, heartstrings being tugged] “Not even a little?”  Nina: [rolling her eyes, joking] “The Russians are listening, remember?”  Eddie: (awkward) “You don’t know the half of it.” [Nina laughs, Eddie forgets it and moves on. He looks in his bag and sees a copy of Stephen King’s The Shining] “What’s the book?” Nina: “You said you wanted to read more, I thought you might like that one.” 

[Eddie opens the cover of the book to find a note on the first page saying “Hope you enjoy it, from Nina x”]

Eddie: “You remembered. Thank you.” [He leaps back on the seat and twirls the phone cord around his finger, giddy to be talking to Nina] “Got any plans for being home?”  Nina: “Might be having a catch up with some friends at the weekend but at the moment, just spending time with Mom, what about you?”  Eddie: [tickling Ozzy under the chin] “Hideout tomorrow, work Wednesday and Thursday, D&D Friday, working on the weekend. Same old.”  Nina: “I’ll call you on Wednesday when you’ve finished work?”  Eddie: [smiling] “I look forward to it.”   Nina: “Speak soon, Eddie.”  Eddie: (teasing, charming) “Y’know, this is the part of the phone call where you say “Bye Eddie! Love you!””  Nina: [rolling her eyes but can’t hide her grin] “Hey, I gave you red lace underwear, be happy with what you’ve got.” [Eddie cackles with laughter down the phone.] “Goodnight, handsome.”  Eddie: “Goodnight, Nina. Call me if you need me.” 

[Nina hangs up the phone, smiling to herself. She walks to the kitchen and pulls the cleaning supplies out from under the cupboard and brings them through to the kitchen. 

She decides to put on some music as she cleans. Pressing on the stereo, the first track plays. Her peace is shattered as memories come flooding back to her. The painfully loud stereo plays the songs her mother listened to when she drank, unintentionally becoming a soundtrack to her broken childhood. Nina leaps over the coffee table and turns down the thumping music, clicking the stereo off. She looks around brokenly and sighs. 

Maybe this won’t be as easy as I thought, Nina thinks. 

Midnight 

Nina lies awake in her bed, the white crisp sheets tangled around her legs. The warm breeze from the open balcony doors does nothing to cool down the heat in the room, the air is thick and humid. The thick net curtains blow in the breeze, floating in the room like a ghost. 

The red light of her alarm clock strains her eyes. The numbers mock her. The ticking from the clock downstairs adds to her irritability as it echoes through the eerily quiet house. 

Nina thrashes to the other side of the bed. She pulls the pillow close to her face, burying her head in it. It smells of stale laundry detergent. Nina craves the scent of her cotton sheets and Eddie’s cologne.

The cicadas in the background seem to get louder and louder as the time presses onwards. 

Nina throws the covers off her legs and huffs in frustration. She swings her legs around and sits on the edge of the bed. She stands up and walks over to her bookcase. She runs her fingers along the spines of her books, now collecting dust. She blows off the dust and pulls out a book from the shelf; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. She carries it over to her suitcase, still unpacked, and places it in there. 

She walks around again, looking at the photos and posters on the wall. She reminisces over childhood photos of her and Robin, and photos of her and her friends at the beach. 

Almost in a trance, Nina passes through the balcony doors and stands in the bright white moonlight. She looks up at the sky, watching the twinkling stars and ethereal moonlight.  The lapping of the sea can be heard from nearby. 

Nina retreats, like the sea, into her room again. She walks down the corridor and into her Mom’s room. She walks around the room. A photo of her mom and Aunt Mel receiving their diplomas is hung proudly on the wall. A baby scan and a photo of her mom holding baby Nina are both framed on the wall. 

School photos of Nina from nursery, primary school and secondary school are lined up neatly on the shelf. The photos stop at the age of 8. Nina strokes the cheek of her younger self through the glass photo frame. 

Nina sits on her Moms bed. She opens the drawer of her bedside table and finds a half-drunk bottle of Vodka. She takes the bottle out and closes the drawer. 

She opens the wardrobe next. She frisks the pockets of all the coats in the wardrobe. She finds another bottle in a coat pocket and puts it next to the other one. She looks under the bed and is relieved when she can see clearly through to the other side. 

She walks down the stairs and into the kitchen with the bottles in hand. She puts them on the kitchen table as she opens all the cupboard doors, raiding through them. She finds another bottle hidden in an unused casserole dish and adds it to the collection. 

Once she’s searched the whole house, she stands in front of the kitchen table, deep in thought. She picks up the bottles one by one and pours the contents down the sink. She throws the bottles in the outside trash and returns to bed. 

She lies in bed, still awake. The moon peeks through her curtains, calling to her. She stares at the ceiling instead. 

Frustrated, she pulls herself out of bed again. She changes into different clothes and grabs her shoes, putting them on as she walks down the stairs. She closes the front door behind her and walks into the night. 

After a short walk, Nina welcomes the feeling of sand between her toes again. 

The sound of the crashing waves soothe her restless soul. Nina walks along the beach in the moonlight, flipflops in hand, breathing a sigh of relief as the waves lap at her feet. She sits on the rocks by the shore and rests her head on her knees. 

She looks at the moon above her, bright and glowing. She blinks slowly, thinking of Eddie. 

Nina: [to herself, fiddling with her fingers] “I, er,” [she runs her fingers through her hair] “I guess I didn’t bring my diary with me, so you’ll have to do.” [she looks up at the moon again]  “Hi. God, this feels weird. But it's nice to have someone to talk to, I guess.” [she swallows hard] “I guess tomorrow- well, today if we’re being technical about it- today’s the day I get my answers.” [she chews on her fingers] “I’m gonna pretend I’m not going crazy with nerves and talking to the moon ‘cause of it. Yep, totally normal. Average normal day for Nina.” [running her hands over her face] “Christ, I’m losing the plot.” [she swishes her feet through the water] “It’ll be okay. It’ll work out alright, right?” [staring off into the distance] “Then why do I feel like I’ve made a terrible mistake?” 

[The air goes deadly silent around her. The lapping of waves muffle out the cries of cicadas and buzzing of streetlights, but do nothing to mask the whisper of a voice calling Nina’s name.

The hairs on Nina’s back stand up in fear, goosebumps erupting on her skin. Her head snaps around to look behind her, only to find no one behind her.] 

Nina: “This was a mistake.” 

Eddie’s bedroom / Hawkins / 3AM 

[Eddie lies in bed, tossing restlessly in his sleep. The white moonlight highlights his sweaty body, his sheets clinging to them in the uncomfortable heat. He grumbles and moans, causing Ozzy and Garfield to lift their sleepy heads to look at Eddie questioningly.]

Eddie dream sequence: 

Eddie is standing behind Nina in the bathroom of his trailer. She is brushing her teeth tiredly, unaware of Eddie’s presence and looks of adoration. He looks in the bathroom mirror, only to see Nina in the reflection, his reflection is not there. He frowns and steps forward, reaching for Nina. 

She spits blood into the sink and looks up into the mirror, seemingly looking straight through Eddie, blood dripping from her mouth and eyes bloodshot red. Her face swollen from tears, her face and body now purple and blue, almost bruised from the cold chill taking over the bathroom. 

Nina: “Why did you leave me behind, Eddie? I thought you loved me?” 

Eddie goes to open his mouth, “I haven’t left you, I’m right here. I do love you Nina, so much.” But no words come out of his mouth, only a puff of cold breath as the temperature drops in the now freezing bathroom. He feels his throat crack, his jaw tense, his teeth ache. 

Nina turns around now, looking at Eddie, who still isn’t in the reflection of the mirror. 

Nina: “Where are you, Eddie? I need you. Come find me.” 

Eddie reaches out to touch Nina but his hand goes straight through her. 

The mirror shatters behind Nina, turning her into dust. 

The sound of cracking bones. 

The red meteor streaks disappear into the red sky of the Upside Down. 

The wailing of hounds over the lapping of waves fill Eddie’s ears. 

The flipping of pages of a book in the wind. The pages stop and blood spills from the centre of the book. 

Nina: (whispered) “Come find me, Eddie.” 

End of dream sequence* 

[Eddie sits bolt upright in bed, gasping for breath. He clutches his chest, nails digging into his clammy skin, trying to ground him back to reality. 

He winces, the scars across his ribs and torso burn and ache. 

Ozzy and Garfield let out a small “burr” sound, tilting their heads at him questioningly.]

Eddie: “It’s okay guys, I’m okay.” [he looks down at the scars, touching them cautiously with his fingers, remembering the blood there from last summer, and flinches.] “I’m okay. It was just a bad dream.” 

[He looks over at the alarm clock, the lights flashing 03:00am, and sighs. He swings his legs around off his bed, Garfield and Ozzy rising from their bed to wrap around his ankles as he walks through the trailer. 

He sits on the couch and flicks the television on. ‘The Lost Boys’ film is playing on the fuzzy screen, causing Eddie to think of Nina and smile. He picks up his weed stash and tiredly rolls a joint, licking along the paper as Ozzy and Garfield headbutt his ankles for affection.]

Eddie: “No treats after midnight, Momma’s orders.” [he strokes Garfield’s head and he meows] “Sorry kiddo, no can do.” [he puts on his slippers and walks out the door] “Be right back, no mischief you two.” 

[Eddie walks out into the trailer park and sits on the bench under the canopy. He lights the joint and takes a deep inhale, looking up at the moon as he exhales. His attention is stolen from a loud crash coming from one of the neighbouring trailers. Eddie looks around to see the lights on in Max’s trailer. He hears another crash, the raising of voices shouting something indecipherable, and the slamming of the front door. Max storms out of the house, red faced, huffing and jaw clenching. She stomps over to the bench where Eddie is sitting and slumps down next to him.]

Eddie: (cautious) “Same as usual?”  Max: [she sighs] “Yeah.” [She rubs her face angrily, hiding her bleary eyes, Eddie notices regardless] “You? I haven’t seen you out here in a while.”  Eddie: “Yeah, same as usual.”  Max: “I guess I should know better than to ask for a drag.”  Eddie: [grinning] “You’re right, you should know better.” [Max rolls her eyes] “I told you, when you’re eighteen.”  Max: “Sixteen.”  Eddie: “Eighteen.”  Max: “Sixteen.”  Eddie: “I don’t think you know how bartering works.”  Max: “Yeah I do, I annoy you until you give in and let me try weed for the first time.”  Eddie: (grinning) “When you’re eighteen, sure.” Max: “You’re no fun.” [Fiddling with her jumper sleeves] “Same dream as usual?” Eddie: (sighing) “Nope, graced with a brand new one this time.”  Max: (cheeky) “Oh, exciting! What’s it this time, Vecna riding on a demo-horse like the headless horseman? Vampire spiders the size of cars? Man sized rats eating your toes?”  Eddie: [chuckling] “Your imagination scares me.” (Pondering) “I should include vampire spiders in my next campaign.”  Max: “Stop deflecting.”  Eddie: (sarcastic) “Woah, who swallowed a dictionary this early in the morning?”  Max: (scowling) “It’s a thesaurus dumbass, and shut up and spill.”  Eddie: “It had Nina in it.”  Max: “Ew, gross, I don’t need to know about your wet dreams-“  Eddie: “Not like that!” [He tried to hide his blush as he thinks of the red lace underwear] “She, uh, she disappeared. Couldn’t hear me, couldn’t see me, she thought I left her there.” [Max looks at him with confusion and sympathy] “In my bathroom.”  Max: (confused) “She disappeared in your bathroom? What did she do, get sucked down the plughole or something?”  Eddie: “Yeah, she, uh, she was brushing her teeth. And I was there watching her but she couldn’t see me, I didn’t exist, and there was all this blood, and she was asking for help, but when I went to help her, she disappeared.” (Sighing) “And a bunch of other shit that doesn’t really make any sense.”  Max: “Sounds like she doesn’t need you, she needs a dentist.” [Eddie snorts dryly]  Eddie: “Yeah, you’re right.” [he looks up at the moon again, gulping.]  Max: “Don’t overthink it, it’s just a dream, remember?”  Eddie: “Right. You’re right.” [swiping his lighter and keys off the table.] “Wanna stay on the couch again? Lost Boys is on TV. Ozzy and Garfield might cheer you up.”  Max: [looking at her home, the loud music audible from where they’re sitting, she frowns] “Yeah, please.” [Eddie and Max walk back to the trailer] “As long as Wayne doesn’t wake me up by accidentally sitting on me again.”  Eddie: [shrugging his shoulders]  “If it’s any consolation, he said you were very comfy.” [Max shoves him as they walk to the trailer, laughing] 

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know its a bit of a filler chapter but please let me know what you think!

Comment to be added to taglist :) please reblog, like and comment if you like this chapter!

“I’d steal a hundred kisses before you say goodbye, 

And make a hundred wishes in the name of you and I, 

‘Cause what we have is secret, so don’t let no one  know, 

The past can’t come between us if we both just let it go, 

Todays the perfect day, todays the day I tell you, Oh, if you ever walk away, 

Then I would die right there for you.” 

A Hundred Kisses - She Wants Revenge 

Saturday / 9am / Eddie’s bedroom

[Eddie’s eyes flutter open at the feeling of something gently tugging on his hair and the sound of soft giggling behind him. The sound of Nina’s quiet laughter makes a small, tired smile creep on his face. He begins to roll over.] 

Nina: (rushed) “Don’t move!”  Eddie: (confused, half-asleep) “Wh-what’s going on?” [His face is half muffled into the pillow underneath him]  Nina: [giggling softly, warm] “Ozzy is lying on your back. I think he’s trying to make a nest in your hair.” 

[Eddie carefully peers over his shoulder to see Ozzy sitting near his shoulder, biting and tapping Eddie’s unruly curls.] 

Eddie: (sleepy) “Mornin’ lil’ fella.” 

[He reaches over his shoulder and picks up Ozzy who protests. Eddie rolls over onto his back and places Ozzy on his stomach. Ozzy jumps up and down excitedly and Nina giggles. Eddie looks over at Nina and smiles fondly, eyes shining with love and adoration.] 

Eddie: “Where’s Garfield?”  Nina: (softly) “Here.” [she lifts up the covers slightly to show Garfield is curled asleep in the crook of her neck under her chin. Eddie’s smile widens, eyes twinkling.] “Come for cuddles with his momma.”  Eddie: [smirking] “Thief, he’s stolen my woman.”  Nina: [snorting] “You’ve got me all mornin’ darling, there’s enough to go around.”  Eddie: (cheeky) “You’d think you’d have learned from the Haribo incident that I don’t like sharing.”  Nina: [squinting her eyes] “Maybe don’t sit on the cats until they can’t breathe, Eddie.”  Eddie: “I won’t.” (Mischievous) “As long as there’s cuddles to go around.”  Nina: (grinning) “You’re being very cute this morning.”  Eddie: (sweetly) “I’ve woken up without an alarm to two fluffy balls of love and my woman next to me, not a lot to be grumpy about right now.”  Nina: “I was thinking, I’ll drop you off at work later on, it’s on the way to the vets anyways.”

[Eddie groans] 

Eddie: (faux-annoyance) “Had to ruin my good mood by mentioning work.”  Nina: [rolling her eyes] “Your shift isn’t for another four hours.”  Eddie: (pouting) “Still, spoil sport.” [petting Ozzy’s head] “Won’t I need the car to drive home?”  Nina: [matter of fact] “I’m picking you up after work. We have plans.”  Eddie: (faking nonchalance) “Oh, those secret plans you were on about yesterday but haven’t told me about yet? Completely forgot about those.” [Nina giggles] “Do I get to know what we’re doing?”  Nina: “Nope!”  Eddie: (pouting) “Unfair.” (Pondering) “Is there anything I need to bring?”  Nina: “I’ve got it all sorted.” [tapping him in the nose with her finger] “Don’t you worry bout a thing. Some thermal underwear might be useful.”  Eddie: [groaning] “Ugh! You’re so cruel. You know I hate surprises.”  Nina: (softly) “You’ll love it, I promise.” 

11pm / The Record Store 

[Eddie is heaving heavy boxes of records from the storage room into the store front, humming along to Def Leppard mindlessly. Nina enters through the door, not closing it fully. Nina lingers in the doorway, watching Eddie with a soft smile on her face. 

Nina lingers on the way Eddie’s sleeves are pulled up to his elbows, the muscles and veins in his strong forearms flexing as he carries the boxes. He bends down to put the box on the floor and Eddie’s shirt rides up, exposing the bottom of his back. Nina’s eyes flicker over his tense muscles and broad shoulders. She finally closes the door, the chimes on the door signalling her entrance. ]

Eddie: (excited) “Ahh, there she is! My darling, the apple of my eye, my sun and stars, my wonderful girlfriend has arrived!”  Nina: (teasing) “Someone’s in a good mood this evening!”  Eddie: “Just excited to see my beautiful girlfriend.” [he pulls her into him by her waist] “Plus you’re like the fifth customer we’ve had in here all day, I’m so conversation starved I could hump your leg.”  Nina: (dryly) “I love the way you flirt.” [Eddie snorts] “Good news! The vets appointment went great, we have two surprisingly healthy little boys, all things considering! Robin is absolutely in love with them, she has volunteered her cat sitting services as Auntie Rob whenever we need. Oh! And I found out this morning that I got an A in my art exam! And as one of many tokens of my appreciation, these are for you! Catch!” 

[Nina throws a box of cookies in Eddie’s direction, which narrowly misses his head. He manages to dodge them and catch them.] 

Eddie: (teasing) “Not an A in Sport, I see.” [running to Nina’s side] “You got an A?! That’s my girl!” [Eddie throws Nina over her shoulder and spins around wildly, causing Nina to giggle happily.] “I’m so proud of you!” [He puts her down and grabs the cookies, shoving one in his mouth. His speech is muffled.] “You didn’t have to get me cookies.”  Nina: [stealing a bit of Eddie’s cookie] “Yes I did, I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for making me do my coursework.”  Eddie: (teasingly, wiping crumbs off his face) “You flatter me. I was using that time for vital D&D campaign planning. Oh, and staring at your tits and your funny concentration face the entire time.”  Nina: “Rude, my concentration face is adorable. The tits? I don’t blame you.” [tapping Eddie’s nose, Eddie smirks] “And it is most deserved. I don’t think you’ll be complaining when you see what I have planned.”  Eddie: (interest piqued, teasing) “Oh really? What do you have planned? More tokens of appreciation?” Nina: (smug) “That would be telling wouldn’t it? It might involve a cheap bottle of wine and red lace underwear.”  Eddie: [aroused, pulling Nina back into him once more] “Well, I was vital in making sure you passed your assignment.”  Nina: “You nearly ready to go?”  Eddie: “Yeah, I just need to lock up and I’m ready.”  Nina: (half-joking) “I’ll bring the car around, Madame.” 

11:15pm / Outside the Record Store

Eddie: (dumbfounded) “What the hell….”  Nina: [approaching in a small RV caravan, whooping loudly out the window] “Yeah baby! Look’it!”  Eddie: (shocked) “It’s a… caravan. You were serious about thermal underwear, huh?”  Nina: [hopping out the driver's side of the van, slamming the door behind her] “Do you like it? I rented her for the night.”  Eddie: [surprised] “It’s… different. Not at all what I was expecting.”  Nina: (worried) “You don’t like it?”  Eddie: (unsure) “I do! I do. I’ve just, uh, never camped properly before. Except once when I was seven, but I busted my lip on the torch and ran home crying to Wayne.” Nina: (joking, nervous now) “Not scared of coyotes, are you?”  Eddie: [laughing] “We’re staying in there? Overnight?”  Nina: (Small) “I thought it would be fun, something new for us to do, together. Away from Wayne and Robin and Mel. Just us.” (disappointed) “Forget it, it was a stupid idea.”  Eddie: (rushing, worried) “No, Nina, sorry, I sound ungrateful, this is amazing! Thank you. Just unexpected!” [brows furrowing] “The last time I was in a caravan it was under very different circumstances.” 

[Nina cocks an eyebrow in response.]

Eddie: (sheepishly) “I kinda borrowed it from a neighbour.”  Nina: [lips pursed, unamused] “You stole it, didn’t you?”  Eddie: [hiding behind his hair, cheeky smile on his face] “Kinda.”  Nina: [rolling her eyes, amused] “Not surprising.”  Eddie: “What about the kittens?”  Nina: “Robin jumped at the chance to spend time with them.” [laughing] “Think we might have to split custody for them with her.”  Eddie: (still unsure) “So… Camping!” Nina: (excited) “I have a whole big thing planned, come!” [Nina pulls Eddie excitedly by his arm, Eddie rolls his eyes but can’t help but grin.] 

[Eddie sits in the passenger seat as she turns the engine on and drives. They drive for a while, the mixtape Eddie made her playing through the stereo, until they arrive at the Junkyard in Hawkins.]

Eddie: (confused) “You brought me to… the junkyard?”  Nina: [leaving the caravan, running to the passenger side, opening the door and taking his hand in hers] “Do you trust me?”  Eddie: [looking at her lovingly] “I trust you.”  Nina: “Okay, close your eyes.” 

[Eddie exits the caravan and lands on the soft grass. He exaggeratedly puts his hands over his eyes, causing Nina to giggle. Nina grabs a picnic basket and blanket from the back of the caravan.] 

Nina: “Follow me.” [Nina takes Eddie’s hand in hers.]  Eddie: “Okay, but if you walk me off a cliff, I won’t be happy.”

[They walk a little further up the hill. Nina lays the picnic blanket over the highest part of the hill. She sets down the basket and looks around, making sure everything is in order.] 

Nina: (chewing her lip, nervous) “Okay… open!” 

[Eddie cautiously removes his hands from his eyes and blinks slowly, gasping at the view before him. On top of the cliff, they look down over the city of Hawkins; aglow with the flicker of lights from the streets and houses. The sky is dark besides the twinkling of stars, glow of the moon, and the halo of warmth surrounding Hawkins.] 

Eddie: “Nina, this is… wow.”  Nina: (nervous) “Do you like it?”  Eddie: (dumbstruck) “Wow… this is… amazing.”  Nina: [smiling] “Told you.” [Sitting down on the blanket, patting Eddie to sit with her] “Here, come sit with me.” [Nina pulls out a cheap bottle of wine from the basket and two coffee mugs] “Can I interest you in a drink?”  Eddie: “Allow me.” [He pops off the lid and fills up the mugs. They take a sip, the tepid wine refreshing in the summer heat.]  “I’m sorry for doubting you, this is beautiful.” [looking at Nina adoringly] “You’re beautiful.”  Nina: (shy, blushing) “Shut up and drink your wine.”  Eddie: “What’s all this for?”  Nina: “To celebrate you graduating this year.”  Eddie: (touched, soft) “Wow… thank you Nina.” [He turns his face to avoid eye contact, tearing up, laughing gently to hide his emotions] “This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done to me.” Nina: “Told you I’d make it special.” 

[Nina pulls out a variety of snacks and sandwiches from the hamper.]

Nina: “Chocolate covered strawberry?”  Eddie: [flirty, heart racing] “Pulling out all the stops tonight Nina, you trying to seduce me?”  Nina: (equally flirty) “Why? Is it working?”  Eddie: [eyes her fondly] “Man, I love y-“ [catches himself, choking, eyes wide] “-Your flirting technique. Strawberries! I love your strawberries. The chocolate- it’s nice.” [completely flushed, embarrassed.]  Nina: [smiling widely at Eddie, amazed, eyes glittering with amusement.] “You’re so adorable when you ramble.”  Eddie: [flustered] “Shut up and kiss me.”

[Eddie pounces on Nina, kissing her deeply and passionately. Their teeth clash as they both smile into the kiss. He leans her back onto the grass, slipping his tongue into her mouth, one hand on her neck, the other holding himself up above her. Nina sighs happily into the kiss, fingers tugging in Eddie’s hair. 

They separate for air. Eddie gently brushes Nina’s fringe out of her eyes, gazing into them lovingly. He blinks softly at her, eyes flickering down to her lips, running his thumb over her bottom lip.] 

His heart beats hard in his chest. You are the most beautiful creature on this earth, Eddie thinks. 

[A repetitive beeping interrupts his thoughts. Eddie leans back in for another kiss, but Nina stops him.]

Nina: “It’s my alarm, wait- Eddie!” [Eddie kisses Nina’s neck as she tries to wiggle from his grip, giggling.] “Come on, I want to show you this!”  Eddie: (distracted) “Show me what?”  Nina: [tugging on Eddie’s hair, pulling him away from her neck, he groans quietly] “Any minute now, look!” 

[Eddie turns around to see the sky. The sky's alight with meteors skimming through the night air. They crackle and fizzle into the red horizon. Eddie’s jaw slackens, blinking slowly in awe. He turns to see Nina, looking up at the sky, studying her reaction to the illuminated sky.] 

Eddie: (dumbstruck) “Wow… Nina, that's.. wow. Amazing.”  Nina: (softly) “Saw it coming on my calendar. Thought I’d get us front row seats.”  Eddie: “I can’t even find the words.”  Nina: (teasingly) “Eddie Munson, speechless? That’s a rare sighting in itself.” [Eddie hums in response. Nina watches his reaction, rambling nervously] “I kept thinking of dumb ways we could celebrate your graduation and the longer I left it the more stressed I got and then I thought this could be kinda perfect, y’know?” (Thoughtful) “Beautiful, isn’t it?”  Eddie: “Yeah…” [turning to watch Nina, who is now looking up at the sky] “So beautiful.” [He smiles and looks back up at the stars. Eddie notices Nina shivering and pulls off his jacket and drapes it over her arms. She rests her head on his shoulder, sighing with content.] “I love it. Thank you.” 

[They sit in peaceful silence for a while, watching the meteor shower light up the atmosphere.] 

Nina: (quietly) “I’m not ready to go home yet.”  Eddie: “I’m not ready for you to go home yet, either.” (sad) “I said I’d come with you.”  Nina: (chuckling sadly) “You can’t, you have work.” Eddie: (stubbornly)  “I would have taken the time off.”  Nina: (gently) “I think this is something I’ve got to do by myself.” 

[Eddie hums, deep in thought.]

Eddie: (wary) “You’re definitely coming back though, right?”  Nina: (smiling) “I am, you aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”  Eddie: [pouting, with sad eyes] “I’ll miss you like hell.”  Nina: [turning to face Eddie, trying to be lighthearted] “It’s only a few weeks. Then I’ll be right home to you.”  Eddie: (muttering, grumpy) “Few weeks of hell.”  Nina: [nudging Eddie playfully] “Come on, it won’t be that bad.”  Eddie: “It will, I’ll be lost without you.”  Nina: (gently) “Yeah me too.” [after a long pause] “Does it make you worried that we’re so attached to each other?”  Eddie: (immediately, confidently, fuelled by wine) “No. I think anything as good as what we have can’t have any downsides. We’ll have fights and doubts, sure, but I’m sure of my feelings for you.” (Quietly) “I’ve never felt like this about someone before.”  Nina: (quietly) “Yeah, me too.”  Eddie: (curiously, insecure) “Really? Not even with ex boyfriends?”  Nina: (confidently) “Nope. Nothing like this.” [Shying from Eddie’s gaze] “My past relationships were kinda mundane, y’know, felt like I was going through the motions, together for the sake of it.” [struggling to find the words] “Just two people being together so we weren’t alone. But with you…” [pressing a kiss on his shoulder] “I’m just so happy. All the time. Safe. You make me feel safe.” [looking at him fondly, hearts in her eyes] “I feel like we were meant to find each other.” Eddie: (dumbstruck in awe) “Nina… I lo-“  Nina: [putting her fingers on Eddie’s lips] “Don’t say it yet. Not when I’m leaving. Say it when I come back.”  Eddie: “But-“  Nina: (small) “I might not be the same person I am now when I come back. Being home changes me.” [struggling for words again] “I don’t like that version of me. She’s weak and pathetic and broken.” (struggling) “When I come back… I might not be who I am now. I like who I am now, who I am with you. You bring out the best in me. You all do. But I don’t want you to say it and then you take it back when you realise I’m a wreck.”  Eddie: (quiet) “I would never take it back. And I don’t think you’re a wreck. I think you’re brave.”  Nina: [smiling, heart warmed] “I know you do. But if you still feel that way when I come back, after you’ve seen my baggage, then you can say it. I’m giving you a ‘get out of jail free’ card.”  Eddie: (scoffing) “I don’t need any damn card. I want you as you are. I said I’ve got arms, you can share your baggage with me. We’re in this together.”  Nina: [tearing up, hand in Eddie’s hair, pulling him to her, foreheads touching] “For what it’s worth, Eddie…I do too.” 

After the meteor shower

Eddie: “Wanna go inside? It’s getting cold.”  Nina: [jumping up, excited] “Sure. Onto surprise number 3!”  Eddie: [packing up the leftover picnic, rolling up the blanket]  “You didn’t have to do all this, you know, it must have cost a fortune.”  Nina: (sincere) “I wanted to. I wanted tonight to be special, a going away present almost.”  Eddie: (joking to hide his insecurity) “Are you sure you’re not leaving me?”  Nina: (rushing) “I promise you Eddie, that was bad wording on my part. I just- I want to show you how much you mean to me.” 

Nina opens the caravan’s side door, showing the small room. It has a double bed, a small kitchenette, a fridge, and a tucked away bathroom. 

Nina has decorated the cupboards above the bed with twinkly fairy lights, and turns on the record player for background music. Eddie enters the caravan first, then Nina. 

[Eddie looks around in awe, looking back at Nina lovingly. Nina smiles widely.]

Eddie: “What’s all this?”  Nina: (shy, heart beating fast) “I was thinking tonight could be the night we.. y’know.” (Too embarrassed to say it)  Eddie: (eyes wide) “T- tonight?”  Nina: “Well, yeah, if you’d like. But if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine too! We could just fool around.” (Now nervous) “I just wanted your first time to be special, y’know, just having our own space for the night.” (Joking) “Didn’t want Wayne to walk in while you're inside me again.” [Eddie chokes, mumbling “Fuck” under his breath and Nina’s eyes go wide] “Oh god, why did I say that?”  Eddie: [laughing hysterically] “You’re an idiot!”  Nina: (embarrassed, hiding) “Shut up, I’m trying to be romantic here.”  Eddie: (teasing) “By bringing up Wayne walking in on us having sex?”  Nina: [blushing harder, bright red] “Stop!”  Eddie: [sobering up now] “It’s very romantic. Consider me romanced.” [pulling Nina back into him, kissing her temple]  Nina: (honest) “Plus, I wanted our first time to be special too. Something worth remembering.”  Eddie: “Our first time would be special regardless, I'm with you.” [Pauses] “But I warn you, I will last about 15 seconds.”  Nina: (teasing) “Now who’s being romantic?” [presses an innocent kiss on his lips] “Don’t worry honey, we have all night.” [Nina goes to deepen the kiss but feels Eddie’s apprehension, she pulls back gently.]  Eddie: (quietly) “Can… Will you dance with me for a bit?”  Nina: (fondly) “Of course.” 

[Nina turns the music on the record player louder. Eddie takes Nina’s waist, nerves disappearing when he looks at Nina’s warm gaze upon him. She gently wraps her hands over his shoulders and they both sway to the music; “A Hundred Kisses” by She Wants Revenge. They both feel content in each other’s warmth and presence. 

Eddie’s lips rest on Nina’s temple, he inhales the scent of her hair; his eyes closing with peacefulness.]

Eddie: [confessing, so in love] “This is nice.” [Nina hums in response] “I think I want all my dances with you.”  Nina: [pulling back, smiling, teasing] “Are you asking me to prom, Eddie?” 

Not the first dance I had in mind, Eddie thinks. 

Eddie: [doe eyed] “Any dance you’ll give me.” [Nina smiles and kisses him softly.] 

'Shake of the rain and dry off, and come inside tonight, 

You don’t have to feel alone, you don’t have to be, love,'

Nina: [amused, still swaying in his arms] “I can’t imagine you in a tux. You’d probably have a leather one with studs or some shit.”  Eddie: (mock offence) “Excuse me, I scrub up well I’ll have you know.”  Nina: (loving) “I don’t doubt it.” 

'You’ve got the prettiest face that I ever did see, 

With eyes so sad like songs I swear I’ve known.' 

Eddie: “Speaking of surprises, I got you one.”  Nina: (taken aback) “Really? What is it?”  Eddie: “I bought you plane tickets to California.”  Nina: (shocked) “Eddie! Those must have cost you a fortune!”  Eddie: [concern hidden in a joking tone] “Well since you wouldn’t let me drive you and I’m not letting you drive yourself that far, you didn’t really give me any other option.”  Nina: “You’re a sweetheart. Thank you. I’ll pay you back.” Eddie: “No, you won’t.” [Looking around the caravan, smiling] “You’ve done all this for me, it’s the least I could do.” 

[They stand and sway to the music, Eddie peppering kisses into Nina’s hair and temple.] 

'And I hope to God that you’re not pretending, cause if you are, 

I swear I don’t know what I’m gonna do.'

Eddie: “My heart’s beating like a mile an hour.”  Nina: [head resting on his chest] “I know, I can feel it.” [she rests her hand over his heart] “Are you okay?”  Eddie: “I’m good, great, brilliant actually, yeah I’m good.” (flustered) “Sorry, I’m rambling, I’m just nervous.”  Nina: [stroking his face] “There’s no reason to be nervous baby, it’s just us.”  Eddie: (embarrassed) “I know, but what if I cum too fast, or-“  Nina: “Eddie, it’s your first time, I’d be insulted if you didn’t cum fast.” [Eddie snorts with laughter] “And I promise, it’ll be amazing. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.” [Eddie grins cheekily, about to interrupt, but Nina stops him] “And I know you want to, what I mean is, don’t overthink it. We’ll take it slow.”  Eddie: [nodding slowly] “Slow, yeah, slow. Slow is good.” [looking down at Nina] “We’ll go slow.” [looking at her lips, his own part naturally] “Slow is good for me.” 

'But I promise you that I’ll be good to you, 

If you promise that you’ll try to love me too, somehow. '

[Eddie takes Nina’s face in his hands and tilts her head up to look at him. He smiles softly at her and kisses her deeply; sighing happily at the taste of her on his lips. 

Nina’s hands stay on Eddie’s shoulders, wrapping either side of his neck; letting Eddie take control of the pace. 

Eddie spins Nina around and walks her towards the edge of the bed.] 

Eddie: [voice thick with want] “Lay down for me, sweetheart.” 

[Nina lies back on the bed and crawls up it; her head lying on the pillows. Eddie kneels over her and lies between her legs. 

Eddie catches Nina’s lips once again, kissing her until they’re both breathless. He grabs Nina’s thigh and pulls her leg over his, his fingertips tracing her skin, leaving goosebumps under his touch. 

His hand slides under her dress and he bites back a moan as he feels the lace of her underwear against his fingertips. He rubs his thumb across the lace, his breath coming out in heavy pants.] 

'I’d steal a hundred kisses before you say goodbye, 

And make a hundred wishes in the name of you and I.'

Eddie: [smirking, hiding his arousal] “Is this surprise number four?”  Nina: (flushed) “Maybe you’ll have to take a look yourself.” 

[Eddie bites his lip as he pulls up the bottom of her dress, hands skimming her skin until he reaches her underwear. He shamelessly stares at the red lace, half lidded, breath coming out in shuddering gasps.] 

Eddie: (hazy, aroused) “Wow…” [his fingers trace over the red lace]  Nina: (coy) “This what you had in mind?”  Eddie: [his pointer finger strokes over Nina’s most sensitive area where a wet patch has formed, Nina gasps] “Better, so much better.” [looking back at Nina’s face; his eyes dark with lust] “Can I see it all?” 

[Nina slides the straps of her dress off her shoulders as Eddie grabs the bottom of the dress, pulling it over her head. Eddie holds back a groan when Nina lies before him in her lingerie.]

Eddie: (softly) “Fuck.” [His hand skims the skin on her stomach; the corners of his lips turning into a smile as he notices Nina shiver] “You’re so beautiful.” 

‘Cause what we have is secret, so don’t let no-one know.

The past can’t come between us if we both just let it go. '

Nina: “Kiss me.” 

[Eddie cups Nina’s face and kisses her passionately; his hands roaming Nina’s body, memorising every curve of her body. Eddie’s hellfire shirt is pulled over his head and thrown into the corner of the room. Eddie’s lips trail to Nina’s jaw, nibbling in her ear, kissing that spot on her neck that steals her breath. 

He lies Nina back fully on the bed, hovering over her, as he kisses across her chest, his large hands grasping at her breasts through her bra. He attempts to unhook her bra several times but struggles, causing Nina to stifle her giggles.] 

Eddie: “Shit, this bra is like fuckin’ Fort Knox.” [frowning] “Turn around, let me see this damn thing.” 

[Nina giggles but obliges, letting Eddie look at the bra clasp. He finally releases it and Eddie breathes a sigh of relief.] 

Eddie: “Fuckin’ finally.” [he pulls the bra off her shoulders and throws it into the corner of the room. He goggles at her chest, mouth watering] “Much better.” [he grabs one breast roughly in one hand, gently squeezing as he wraps his lips around the nipple of the other. He gently bites down on the nipple and Nina hisses, her back arching under his greedy touch]  Nina: “Fuck, Eddie…” [her head rests softly on the pillow as Eddie’s hands roam wildly. He cups Nina’s pussy over her underwear and Nina keens, whimpering at his touch.] “You’re wearing too many clothes.” 

'Today’s the perfect day, today’s the day I tell you, Oh, if you ever walk away, 

Then I would die right here, for you.'

[Eddie quickly unbuckles his belt and his jeans, shimmying them down his legs. Nina’s mouth waters at the sight of Eddie’s thick length- now half hard and twitching in his boxers. His jeans are discarded with the rest of the clothes.] 

Eddie: “There’s… there’s something I want to try.”  Nina: [tracing his jaw] “Tell me.”  Eddie: “I’d, er…” [He blushes when Nina looks at him with a raised eyebrow, curious] “I’d really like it if you’d ride my face.”   Nina: [with wide eyes] “Really? You’d like that?”  Eddie: “Yeah… I saw it in a movie,” [Nina smirks and Eddie flushes more] “Thought it was pretty hot.”  Nina: (teasing) “What kinda movie?”  Eddie: (blushing red) “Shut up.” [looking at her with desperate eyes] “Would you?”  Nina: (unsure) “I’ve never done that before.”  Eddie: [now even more turned on] “I’d love to be your first.”  Nina: “What if I’m heavy?”  Eddie: (bluntly) “I’d happily die suffocating between your thighs.”  Nina: [rolling her eyes] “Such a romantic.” [she bites her lip, contemplating] “You’ll tap my thigh if it’s too much?”  Eddie: [scoffing] “It won’t be enough.” [Eddie slaps Nina’s ass, making her yelp, he smirks] “Up you go.” [As she climbs out from underneath him, Eddie pulls down her underwear, throwing them onto the floor] “Bye bye pretty underwear.” 

[Nina straddles Eddie’s waist and cautiously climbs up the bed, her hands resting on the wall in front of her to stabilise herself. She rests her knees either side of Eddie’s head, thighs framing his face.] 

Nina: “Like this?”  Eddie: [gulping, eyes wide, desperate] “Oh yeah, just like that.”  Nina: “What do you want me to do?”  Eddie: (hungrily) “Nothing baby, just stay like that.” (Cheeky) “Bon Appa-fuckin-tite.”  Nina: “You’re such a dor-oh!”

[Nina is interrupted by Eddie; whose hands wrap around her thighs as he dives in; licking long thick stripes with his tongue through her folds.

He hums with content as he laps at her clit, relishing in the way she coats his tongue and her body begins to relax; her shoulders becoming less tense and her head tilting back, soft moans and gasps leaving her bitten lips.

He notices her breath hitch as he kisses and sucks on her clit, smiling proudly as her body shudders. 

Her bottom lip trembles as his tongue traces the circumference of her entrance, her hand weaving into Eddie’s curls to keep him there.] 

Nina: “Jesus, Eddie…”  Eddie: [mumbled into her] “Yeah baby, like that?”  Nina: (whimpering) “Mhm…” [she gasps when his tongue probes in, teasingly licking inside her] “Oh!”  Eddie: (darkly) “Look at me.” 

[Nina looks down to see Eddie; wide eyed, cheeks flushed, hair wild; ravenous. Her breath quickens and tugs slightly on his hair, causing Eddie to hum happily. 

She cautiously relaxes her body, putting her weight more on Eddie, causing his eyes to roll back, the grip on her thighs tighter. Seeing Eddie’s reaction she relaxes more; arching her back, her chest pushing forwards, head tilted back making her hair fall off her shoulders, moaning softly as she grinds her hips backwards and forwards gently over his tongue. She stills as she hears a deep groan come from Eddie underneath her.] 

Nina: (worried) “I’m sorry, am I hurting you?” Eddie: “Not at all.” [he gives her a reassuring spank on the ass] “Keep at it, woman.” 

[Nina smiles as she gently grinds up and down Eddie’s tongue, using his face at her own pace. Her whimpers turn to moans, as she becomes more determined in her pace, Eddie’s tongue pressed flat over her clit. Eddie’s hands reach up and paw at Nina’s breasts, watching her nipples perk as he toys with them.]

Nina: “Feels so good Eddie.”  Eddie: “Yeah? You like riding my face baby?”  Nina: (breathless) “Yeah.” 

[Nina lifts one leg up, resting her foot on the bed as she half-kneels on the mattress, allowing her to change the angle and pressure of Eddie’s tongue. Her grip on Eddie’s hair tightens as she grinds herself roughly over Eddie’s tongue. Her moans become louder, her legs trembling with anticipation.]

Eddie: (roughly) “Look like a goddamn goddess.” 

[Eddie’s hands move from her tits to her ass, squeezing and grabbing her cheeks as he moves her over his tongue. 

He absentmindedly rocks his hips into the air; his neglected cock craving friction. He feels Nina begin to tremble as she clenches around nothing, so moves his tongue back inside her entrance, groaning when she chokes back a guttural moan.] 

Nina: (whimpering) “Eddie…baby, I’m close.”  Eddie: (blissed out) “Good girl.” [Nina moans in response, high pitched and desperate. He can’t help but touch himself to the sound, squeezing and rubbing his throbbing cock over his boxers.]  Nina: “Fuck, oh baby, I’m gonna cum, oh my god…! Oh!” [Nina throws her head back in a silent scream, her thighs quivering as she stills on Eddie’s face, but Eddie licks her through her high, groaning as he feels her unrelenting orgasm release on his tongue, her fingers fisting tightly his hair.] “Eddie, oh fuck, Eddie! Oh my god! Baby, please! Jesus, Eddie, no more, I can’t! Fuck!” [Nina used Eddie’s hair to pull him away, climbing off his face and flopping backwards on the bed, breathless.] “Oh my god.” 

[Nina lies in a blissed out haze, panting for breath on the bed beside Eddie. Eddie lies with his eyes closed, satisfied, licking his lips. His hand reaches out and searches for Nina’s hand, who finds it and interlocks their fingers.] 

Eddie: “Was that okay?”  Nina: “You’re getting way too good at that.” [Eddie chuckles and squeezes Nina’s hand]  Eddie: [smug, eyes closed, resting his head on his hands, his elbows bent behind his head, content] “Glad you think so, ‘cause we’re definitely doing that again.”  Nina: (coy) “Only if I get to return the favour.” 

[Eddie’s eyes peel open. He looks down to see Nina lying down next to him, head hovering over his thigh, her wide eyes blinking up at him. Her lips ghost the band of his boxers, her warm breath on his skin causing him to shudder.] 

Eddie: (softly) “Fuck…” 

[Nina kisses along the band of his boxers and onto his hip bones, her nose nuzzling into his happy trail as she does. Eddie’s breathing becomes uneven, his hand gently cupping the back of Nina’s head, encouraging her as she showers him with kisses. 

She kisses lower, her lips tracing his clothed cock, now straining under the thin material. Eddie whimpers at the feeling, his fingers now sliding into her hair. Nina looks up at him with wide eyes and dilated pupils as she presses a firm kiss and a kitten lick over the dampening material, causing Eddie to let out a soft groan, his eyes screwing shut.] 

Nina: “Can I?”  Eddie: (throaty) “Please.” 

[Nina’s fingers tease along the edge of Eddie’s boxers, her painted fingertip dipping under the waistband. Eddie huffs and pushes his head back into the pillow, his fingers flexing by his side, the other hand tightening in Nina’s hair.]

Eddie: (desperate, breathless) “Please, Princess, please.”  Nina: [batting her eyelashes] “As my love desires.” 

[Eddie visibly sighs with relief as Nina delicately pulls his boxers down. His breath comes out in shallow pants as she kisses over his twitching length, licking along the pulsing vein on the underside of his cock. Eddie gasps as she picks up his cock and rubs the underside of his head with her thumb, his legs spreading on reflex. They make deep,  fiery eye contact as Nina drools onto Eddie’s throbbing pink end; Eddie gulps as she swirls his leaking tip in her spit stained palm. 

Eddie begins to shudder, his bottom lip trembling as Nina works his cock in her palm, her wrist twisting in a way that sends his mind reeling and heart racing. He becomes restless in the bed, soft whimpers and moans leaving his pretty pink lips.]

Eddie: (whimpering)  “Nina… fuck, Nina.” 

[Nina finally takes him in her mouth, causing Eddie to throw his head back in a groan, his hand fisting the sheets in self restraint. Nina settles herself between Eddie’s legs and hums with satisfaction as she feels bursts of precum lay on her tongue when she swirls her tongue around his end. Eddie’s breathing becomes shallower still as he watches Nina with hooded eyes, biting his lip to contain his whines.

When she slides Eddie further into her mouth, Eddie moans louder, unbashful, tugging on her hair as he enters her throat. Nina’s eyes become lazy with pleasure, pupils dilated, humming happily again with the feeling of Eddie’s tight grip on her head.] 

Eddie: (voice gruff) “You like that, sweetheart? When I pull your hair?” [Nina hums again and looks up at Eddie with watery, wide eyes, the vibrations of her moans tingling Eddie’s cock in an electrifying way] “My dirty girl, such a good girl.” [she moans again, taking him down the back of her throat, gagging slightly] “Oh fuck, baby!” [Nina bobs her head up and down several times, torturously slow for Eddie’s liking, taking his balls in her hand and massaging them gently] “Holy shit, Nina, oh fuck! M’gonna cum if you keep going like this…” [Nina doesn’t stop but looks up at him and bats her eyelashes] “Don’t wanna cum yet angel, wanna make it last.” 

[Nina pulls off him with a pop and Eddie’s hand goes slack in her hair. He lets out a breath he doesn’t know he’s holding, his whole body relaxing from the buzzing of adrenaline coursing through him. She peppers little kisses and kitten licks over his throbbing cock.] 

Eddie: (hoarsely) “Nina… C’mere.”

[Nina climbs up the bed, Eddie taking her hand to help her up. Nina pulls Eddie into a deep kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He leans over her slightly, pulling her leg over his waist, groping and stroking every inch of her skin. She moans softly into the kiss and drops her head back onto the pillow, Eddie kissing down her neck and chest, leaving love bites on her breasts for only them to see. 

They pull apart and look at each other intensely with wide eyes, knowing something magical is about to happen.] 

Nina: [whispered on Eddie’s lips, fingers tracing his cheek] “Are you ready?”  Eddie: [breathless] “Yeah.” [thumb pressing into her bottom lip,  suddenly nervous] “How do I, I mean, where do I-“  Nina: (softly) “Do you want me to go on top first? Is that easier?”  Eddie: [looking at her lovingly] “I, erm, yeah, is that okay?” [nervous] “It’ll still feel good for you?”  Nina: [pressing a kiss on his lips] “It’ll feel amazing, baby.” 

[Nina shuffles out from under Eddie and gently lies him down on his back. He looks up at her with awe filled eyes as she straddles his hips, hovering over him.] 

Nina: “This okay, handsome?”  Eddie: [releasing a content sigh] “Perfect.” 

[Nina leans forward and kisses Eddie. His hands find either side of her neck and caress her shoulders, her breasts, down the sides of her body and rest on her hips. Nina smiles as she feels Eddie grip her hips and tremble against her lips as she presses down on Eddie’s crotch, her wet folds sliding along his hard length.] 

Eddie: (mumbled against her lips) “Nina, please baby, wanna feel you, wanna be inside you.” 

[Nina hums in agreement and picks up Eddie’s cock, sliding it through her arousal. Eddie can’t help but watch, biting his lip as he sees his hard cock leak precum onto her puffy clit, making her even wetter. He grabs her hips tighter, his breathing becoming heavier.] 

Eddie: [stroking her hips to encourage her to move] “Nina, baby, please,” [Nina nudges his tip inside her, Eddie grips her hips hard, softly groaning] “Oh, fuck!”  Nina: (softly, satisfied) “Yeah, I know.”  Eddie: [breathless] “Go slow for me, baby, please.” 

[Nina slowly slides down his length, relishing in Eddie’s reaction as his jaw goes slack and his eyes go half lidded. His body erupts in goosebumps and  he lets out a puff of air as she sits comfortably on him, feeling his full length in her.] 

Eddie: “Jesus Christ, Angel, you feel amazing.” [head sinking back into the pillow, eyebrows furrowed] “Fuck.” [Nina giggles and strokes his hair out of his face] “Christ Nina, don’t laugh, I can feel everything.” [Nina giggles harder, Eddie grips her hips harder but smiles at her laughter, trying to restrain himself] “Seriously Nina!” [Nina laughs harder, leaning forward to kiss his chest and neck, Eddie’s chest goes pink with frustration] “I will cum in like, five seconds if you keep doing that.”  Nina: (lovingly) “Sorry baby.”  Eddie: (mumbled) “Just gimme a minute.” [he strokes Nina’s sides, looking at Nina up and down biting his lip] “You look incredible like this. You feel incredible.” [stroking Nina’s breast, mouth watering as he gazes at where the two meet, he closes his eyes to control himself] “You’re so t-tight and, god, so warm.” [swallowing deeply, breathing deeply] “Feel’s so fucking good.” 

[Nina leans forward again to press her lips on his, Eddie hums happily and threads his fingers into her hair, holding on tightly as he slides his tongue into her mouth.] 

Eddie: “‘m ready now.”  Nina: “Just tell me how you want it, baby.”  Eddie: [between kisses] “Nice ‘n slow, princess.” 

[Leaning forward, hand either side of Eddie’s head, Nina raises her hips slowly and brings them down back again, repeating the slow movement a few times.] 

Eddie: [quietly, voice deep, eyes closed] “Oh, god.”  Nina: [continuing her slow movements, sighing contently] “This feel good, honey?”  Eddie: (mesmerised, dazed, mumbled) “So good, fuckin’ perfect.” [Nina hums with satisfaction and keeps moving her hips slowly] “Grippin’ me so tight, I can feel fuckin’ everything, Jesus.” [gripping her thighs, leaving nail marks on her skin, her movements speed up slightly] “Christ, baby, need you to kiss me.” 

[Eddie pulls Nina down and kisses her heatedly, tongue licking into her mouth as he holds onto her tightly, desperate for more. She continues her steady slow motions with her hips until Eddie grips her ass hard, his chest heaving with anticipation and want. Nina moans as Eddie pulls her hair, biting her lip eagerly. She changes the movement of her hips; still slow up and down on his length but takes him deeper and harder, rotating her hips as she moves, causing Eddie to moan unashamedly. Nina lets out a whimpering moan at the feeling of Eddie’s hard length gliding through her slick walls, now pressing into her most aching parts, making Eddie’s eyes shoot open, eager to hear her moan again. 

As Eddie holds her hips and cautiously thrusts himself up to meet Nina’s movements, Nina lets out another moan, head tilting back to look at the ceiling. Her nipples harden and body erupts in shivers.] 

Nina: (softly) “Fuck, Eddie.” [Eddie gives another thrust, eyes enamoured in Nina’s reaction] “Just like that baby, that’s it.” [Eddie moans softly at her words and becomes more confident in his movements. Nina moves her hands to rest on Eddie’s chest for balance, using them to lift and drop her hips with more fever] “Feel so deep in me, Eds.”  Eddie: (groaning) “You can’t say stuff like that, you’re gonna fuckin’ kill me.” [he raises his thighs with his feet planted on the bed to push Nina further into his chest and grips her waist hard, becoming determined, pressing himself deeper and harder into her. His lips latch onto her breast and he sucks; his eyes closing with pleasure.] “Love these fuckin’ tits. You look so fuckin’ perfect on me like this.”  Nina: “Oh god, yes Eddie, keep doing that.” [smiling with content, matching Eddie’s steady pace] “You’re doing so well, baby.” [Eddie whimpers at her praise, gulping at the sound of their skin connecting, his brows furrowing with desperation.] “Feels good.”  Eddie: “Faster angel, please.”  [Nina moves faster up and down his length, breasts jiggling in Eddie’s face, making Eddie’s eyes roll back. The wet unholy sounds of their sex leave Eddie frenzied, a series of frantic moans and whimpers leaving his lips] “I’m close already baby, c’mon, want you to cum with me.” [Nina moans and her legs begin to tremble, Eddie takes control and thrusts harder and faster to take her over the edge] “Dying to feel you cum around me.”  Nina: [breathless, moaning repeatedly] “Oh Fuck, honey, I’m nearly there, just wait for me, oh!” [throwing her head back, nails digging into Eddie’s chest, he groans through gritted teeth, his chest reddening and neck veins protruding] “Yes Eddie, there, right there!”  Eddie: (determined) “Right here?” [resting on one forearm; he wraps his other arm around her back to pull himself up to meet her, pulling her down on his cock, his head buried in her neck, panting] “Right there, princess?”  Nina: (loudly, panting) “Fuck, Eddie, yes right there, oh god!”

[Eddie kisses and bites at her neck, Nina wraps her arm around his neck and pulls tightly on his hair, he moans wildly. The delicious stroke of Eddie’s thick long length against her walls and deep inside her causes her to clench around him, her body gleaming with sweat, her mind dizzy with the impending orgasm.]  

Eddie: “Shit, Nina, oh god I can feel you clenching around me,” [he thrusts deeply and roughly into her, sweat dripping down his back, his movements becoming wild and animalistic. His thrusts punctuate his words with gritted teeth.] “Can feel your fuckin’ pulse, holy shit! Cum for me, please cum for me Angel, need to feel you fuckin’ cum.” 

[Nina’s eyes roll back as she lets out a broken moan, clenching around Eddie again. Eddie groans at the feeling, watching Nina’s face contort with pleasure through hungry eyes, starving off his orgasm to watch Nina’s. 

Eddie feels Nina convulse around him, her head lulling back to look at the ceiling as moans become louder and more frequent, her hands grasping, grabbing and scratching at Eddie; almost as wild as him.] 

Nina: (desperate, panting in his ear) “Baby, I’m- oh fuck!” [her orgasm begins to tears through her, her body tightens, legs shaking and body trembling] “Eddie!”  [Nina bites down on his neck, hard, to silence her sounds of pleasure. Eddie groans at the feeling, his body trembling despite his relentless thrusting. Eddie continues thrusting through her orgasm, relishing the way she crumbles on top of him. When he feels Nina’s orgasm break, he throws his head back, shaking.]  Eddie: [whimpering, practically cross-eyed] “I can feel you dripping down me baby, my g- oh!” [Eddie cums inside her with a deep groan, body tensing in on himself with the intensity of his orgasm] “Fuck!” [Eddie slumps back on the bed with a deep, guttural groan, breathless and dazed.]

 [He pulls Nina down onto him, her head resting in the crook of his neck as she catches her breath. She lazily presses kisses along his neck as they both lie in each others arms.] 

Eddie: “Christ, that was amazing.” [Nina hums in agreement, exhausted.]

[After lying in each other's embrace  for several minutes, Eddie pulls Nina close to him and sits them both up, Nina’s chest pressed against his tightly, both in each others arms, their sweaty foreheads pressed against each others. ] 

Eddie: (softly) “That was amazing. Thank you.”  Nina: (giggling) “Did you just thank me for sex?”  Eddie: (embarrassed) “Um, yes?” (Shy) “You know what I mean.”  Nina: (gently, whispered) “I do.” (Warmly, brushing the hair out of his eyes) “Thank you, too.” 

[They both sit and look deeply into each other's eyes for a few moments, an unspoken ‘I love you’ shared between them.

Nina climbs off him and lies down next to him on the bed. Eddie strokes Nina’s hair lovingly as they lie tiredly together, Nina’s head on Eddie’s chest. Nina absentmindedly plays with the short tufts of hair on his chest, basking in the afterglow.] 

Nina: “Was that okay for your first time?” [all Eddie can do is nod, mind melted by his orgasm] “Are you happy?”  Eddie: [smiling so wide] “So happy.” [wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her forehead, his heart hammering in his chest] “So fuckin’ happy.” [Nina smiles and kisses his chest, closing her eyes peacefully] “I’m so glad you were my first.”  Nina: [voice cracking] “Really?”  Eddie: [grinning] “Yeah.” [using his fingers under her chin to tilt her head up] “Best night of my life.”  Nina: (coyly) “Best night of your life so far.”  Eddie: (in his own world, almost high) “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”  Nina: [smiling, now by his side on the pillow] “What do you mean?”  Eddie: (lovedrunk, heart thumping in his chest) “Having you as my girlfriend. I just can’t believe I got so lucky. Eddie Munson, the freak, got his dream girl.”  Nina: (teasingly) “Who knew Eddie Munson, the freak, would be so soppy?”  Eddie: (worriedly) “Is it too much?”  Nina: [kissing his forehead] “Not at all, cause I know it’s just for me.”  Eddie: (smiling) “It is.”  Nina: (teasing) “Even though you still haven’t asked me to be your girlfriend yet.”  Eddie: (sarcastic, teasing) “First you say don’t say ‘I love you’ yet cause you’re leaving then you complain about me not asking you to be my girlfriend, Jesus, make your mind up woman.”  Nina: (smirking) “Touche. I am a walking contradiction.”  Eddie: (cheeky) “I like it, keeps me on my toes.” 

[Eddie looks out the window above them at the black night sky, tainted red with the streaks from the meteors. He sighs happily.] 

Eddie: [confessional, rubbing Nina’s side as she curls into him] “I think we should stay here forever.”  Nina: [content, drawing circles on his chest with her nails] “We should.”  Eddie: “We should go away for a weekend, just me and you.”  Nina: (joking) “Get laid once and you’re ready to elope? Damn, I’m good.”  Eddie: (blushing) “Fuck off.” (Concerned) “Was that good for you?”  Nina: [grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat] “It was amazing, Eddie.”  Eddie: (giddy) “Really?” [Nina nods] “Is it always like that?”  Nina: (smirking) “No, no it’s not.”  Eddie: (disappointed) “What do you mean?”  Nina: “I mean, like, that was like movie sex. Like, mind-blowing, earth shattering, ‘I wanna quit my job and stay at home and fuck all day’ sex.” [Eddie blushes red. Nina looks at him and smirks] “‘Nobody else will ever compete’ kinda sex.” [Eddie’s heart races] “You did good, soldier.”  Eddie: (sarcastically) “Years of solo training have trained me for this task, Captain.”  Nina: (cheeky) “It’s Lieutenant, actually.”  Eddie: [shoving her playfully, smiling] “Shut up, you’ve turned my brain to mush.” 

[Nina moves Eddie off her to stand up, Eddie whines at the loss of contact.] 

Eddie: “Where are you going?”  Nina: “To get my camera.”  Eddie: (cheeky) “Ooh, kinky.”  Nina: “Not like that, perv.” [Lying down beside him again with her polaroid] “We need a picture to remember this. We have no pictures together yet.” 

[They take a picture lying back on the bed; their bodies covered by the sheets, their cheeks pressed against each other as they smile widely for the photo. Their cheeks are pink and glowing, radiating love and warmth. Eddie holds the camera in Nina’s hand and presses the capture button for a second time as he bites Nina’s shoulder and tickles her side, causing her to laugh hysterically. 

The photo comes out a bit blurry but Eddie is smiling into her shoulder as Nina is captured mid laugh. Eddie reminds himself to steal the photo to put in his wallet for later. 

Eddie sets the camera aside and kisses Nina’s tummy, stroking her sides softly, running his fingers up and down her skin, watching the goosebumps form.] 

Eddie: (breathless, excited) “So, er, how long till we can go again?”  Nina: (surprised, laughing lightly) “Are you serious? You’re recovered already?”  Eddie: “Deadly serious.” [his eyes rake over Nina’s glowing form, mischievous] “Can’t look like that lying next to me and expect me not to want to go again.”  Nina: (grinning) “You’re insatiable.”  Eddie: “Can’t help it.” [his lips curl into a smile as he kisses along Nina’s collar bones, licking her salty skin] “You bring out the worst in me.” 

[Nina grins as Eddie climbs up Nina’s body, his hands either side of her head as he looks deeply into her eyes, mouth parted.] 

Eddie: “Can I?”  Nina: “Yes.” 

[Eddie grabs a pillow from behind Nina and she looks at him confused.] 

Eddie: “Heard it helps find the G spot.” [He lightly taps Nina’s hips and she raises them, allowing Eddie to slide the pillow under her lower back / bum.]  Nina: (teasing) “More teen vogue?”  Eddie: (grinning) “Just want to be satisfactory for my girl.”  Nina: (smirking) “More than satisfactory, baby.” 

[Nina spreads her legs for Eddie as he kneels between them. Eddie can’t take his eyes away from Nina; her flushed cheeks, hazy eyes, soft smile, shimmering skin, pert breasts and look of adoration.

He kisses down her breasts, over her stomach, licking as he goes. He kisses over her hips and playfully bites them, causing Nina to giggle. 

Eddie’s gaze lowers to her pussy and he hardens with want, looking at their cum, his cum, leaking out of her.] 

Eddie: [clearing his throat, gulping, aroused, hot] “Wow.”  Nina: “Hmm?”  Eddie: [sliding his fingers through Nina’s drenched folds] “There’s so much cum.”  Nina: (seductively) “Mmm, made such a mess of me, baby.”  Eddie: (cheeky, nipping at her neck) “If I’ve done my job right.” [Nina giggles in response, Eddie clears his throat, suddenly nervous] “Where, um, where do I put my hands?”  Nina: (cheeky) “On me, if I’m lucky.” [Eddie grins and his nerves soften] “Try here, baby.” [Nina helps adjust Eddie’s hands on the pillow behind her head] “Experiment, see what’s comfortable for you.” 

[Nina watches the look of concentration on Eddie’s face with a soft fond smile, his tongue sticking out as he shuffles from hand to hand, getting comfortable. His eyes shamelessly look over Nina’s body before meeting her eyes again; excitement and love in his gaze.] 

Eddie: “Is this okay?”  Nina: (gently) “Perfect.” 

[Nina sighs peacefully as Eddie grabs his hard cock and slides it through her drenched folds, rubbing his reddening end over her clit, causing her to jolt slightly. Eddie bites his lip as he pushes the tip in, letting out a quiet moan as he enters her. 

Eddie slowly pushes himself in, his breathing becoming heavy and Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he feels Nina’s tight walls around him. When he’s all the way inside he lets out a sigh of relief, the fire in his belly burning hot once again, his toned stomach tensing. Nina lets out a gasp as Eddie presses deep inside her, her nails digging into his biceps.] 

Eddie: (worried) “Are you okay? Am I hurting you? Shall I stop-?”  Nina: “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re just bigger than I’m used to, please, I wanna feel it.” [She grabs his ass with her nails to keep him in place.] “Wanna feel all of you.” [looking deeply into his eyes] “Don’t stop.” 

[Eddie moans softly at her words and kisses her roughly, Nina’s hands wrapping around his neck. Eddie agonizingly slowly pulls out all the way, only to slowly push back in. Nina’s eyes roll back as Eddie kisses her, his lips swallowing her trembling moans.] 

Eddie: [mumbled into her neck] “Jesus baby, you feel like heaven, holy shit.”  Nina: (hoarsely) “Fuck, Eddie...”  Eddie: [Eyes wild, pushing into her and pulling out, only to push back in deeply again] “Does that feel good?”  Nina: (whimpering) “So fucking good. More baby, please, I need more.” 

[Eddie continues to push deeply inside Nina as a torturously slow pace, causing Nina’s nails bite into the skin of Eddie’s broad shoulders as he slowly rocks into her and he hisses, gritting his teeth together.] 

Eddie: (moaning softly) “Keep doing that.”  Nina: “What?” [smirking] “This?” [Nina glides her pointed nails down the slope of Eddie’s shoulder, he harshly sucks in a breath and buries his head in Nina’s neck, biting down gently on her shoulder.]  Eddie: (groaning) “Yes, that.”  [he bites onto her shoulder again, his words muffled] “I like that. A lot.”  Nina: “Noted.” [Nina scratches down his back again and Eddie groans, one of his hands moving from beside her head to grasp tightly at the bedframe]  Eddie: (pussydrunk) “Think I want to be inside you for the rest of my life.” [Nina giggles and Eddie accidentally thrusts deeper in her] “Nina, what did I tell you about laughing, Jesus!” [He looks up from Nina’s neck to her grinning at him, trying not to laugh] “You’re the devil, woman.”  Nina: (mischievous) “You love it.”  Eddie: [staring into her eyes, still rocking deeply into her] “I do.” [staring at her lips] “Think I like having you under me as much as I like having you on top of me.” [thrusting harder and a bit faster now, Nina’s previous amused expression turns to lust] “Can see your pretty face more.” [Nina’s pupils dilate and her mouth parts as Eddie rocks deeper into her, a whimper escapes her lips] “You’re all mine like this.” [Nina moans softly and spreads her legs more, allowing Eddie more room.] “You like me saying that, don’t you?” [Nina whimpers and nods, eyes fixed on Eddie’s face as his pace picks up, his breathing becoming ragged, voice gravely] “‘Cause you are, you’re all mine, and I’m all yours.” [Nina lets out a gasp and holds her legs up and open for Eddie, her hands under her knees to keep her legs apart] “Keeping your legs open for me, baby? Good girl.” [Eddie smirks victorious as Nina moans, her breathing becoming heavy and desperate.] 

[Eddie grabs onto Nina’s legs and wraps them around his waist, resting himself between them as he thrusts deeply into her.]

Nina: (moaning, clinging to Eddie, his guitar pick necklace knocking her chin) “Eddie, faster, please…need more…”  Eddie: (eagerly) “Yeah?” [His other hand pushes him up higher on the pillow, the other still gripping the headboard, it begins to knock off the wall of the caravan] “Like this?”  Nina: (gasping) “Yes, just like that!” [Eddie’s faster paced thrusting knocking the air out of her lungs] “Oh my god, Eddie!”

[She begins to lift her hips from the bed in time with Eddie’s thrusts, their impact causing an even deeper penetration, his hips stutter and he groans, gripping the pillow under Nina tight. He manages to refocus and their movements sync again, the sounds of their hips smacking echoes in the small room, Eddie bites down on his lip hard at the wet unholy sound.] 

Eddie: “You feel too fuckin’ good, I can’t, fuck, Nina…” 

[Eddie pushes her thighs further back to press against her chest, his hands replacing Nina’s in holding behind her knees to keep her pinned to the bed as he thrusts faster into her, becoming wild and animalistic in his pace] 

Nina: “Fuck, Eddie, oh my god!”  Eddie: [panting] “Feels good baby, doesn’t it? Can feel you gripping me so tight, Jesus Christ, c’mere!” 

[Eddie releases Nina’s legs and manhandles her by the waist and drags her body up to him; she arches her back off the bed as he roughly ruts into her like an animal in heat. 

Eddie’s eyes darken with lust as Nina’s tits bounce from the force of his thrusts. Nina buries her head in the pillow behind her, hands fisting the pillow as she clings on, moans being punched out of her in time with Eddie’s thrusts.]

Eddie: (darkly) “Play with your tits for me, princess.” 

[Nina obliges and grabs her breast with one hand, whimpering when she plays with her nipple. Eddie groans and snaps his hips harder, grinding his hips upwards to change the angle, causing Nina to clench around him.] 

Nina: (panting, whimpering) “Eddie… Eddie baby, I’m gonna cum!”  Eddie: [eyes alight] “Rub your clit for me, sweetheart.” [Nina’s hand slides down between her legs and rubs fast desperate circles on her clit, causing Nina to pant harder, her brows furrowing, jaw slack. Eddie bites his lip with concentration, studying Nina’s face as her legs begin to twitch and her pussy clenches around him] “Such a good girl for me, hmm?” [Nina moans loudly, rubbing circles faster, Eddie watches her as his cock punches in and out of her, he groans] “Such a good fucking girl, all for me.” Nina: “Yes! I’m your good girl!” [her legs are spasming in the air] “Eddie I’m gonna squirt, holy fuck, Eddie!-“  Eddie: [looking at the ceiling, in heaven] “Oh fuck, I can feel!” [He slaps Nina’s hand away from her clit; leaning forward with one arm beside her head, he’s now hovering over her once again, the other hand rubbing on her clit, growling] “C’mon baby, gimme it, lemme feel it, show me what it’s like, fuckin’ soak me!”   Nina: [trembling, sweating, desperate] “Eddie I’m gonna cum, Eddie I’m gonna cum, holy fuck, baby-! Oh!” [She throws her head back, her mouth parted in a silent scream as her legs rise in the air, trembling, her toes curling] “Eddie!” 

[Eddie is forced out of Nina’s pussy as she clenches tightly. Eddie sits on his knees between her legs and  watches in awe as she squirts, soaking her pussy, his cock, and the bed underneath them. His body is on fire with want, he gazes up at Nina who is shaking in the bed, gasping for air.] 

Eddie: (lowly, gulping) “Holy shit…” [He watches as Nina’s shaking subsides, body drenched in sweat. He gently strokes her cheek, she hums softly in response] “You okay there, Angel?”  Nina: (panting) “Yes… fuck yes….” [She looks up at Eddie kneeling upright between her legs, hard neglected cock alert, his face flushed and glowing] “Come here, want you to finish in me.”  Eddie: “Are you sure? You won’t be sore?”  Nina: “Probably, but I don’t care.” [she grabs him and pulls him forwards, his eyes wild as she grabs his cock, eager to get him back inside her] “Cum in me, please…”  Eddie: “I don’t need to finish- oh fuck!” [Nina jerks him with one hand and massages his balls with the other, Eddie bites his lip] “Fuck, okay, tell me if it’s too much.” 

[Eddie grips his length and pushes back in, Nina winces. Eddie goes to pull off her but Nina encourages him by wrapping her legs around his waist again.] 

Nina: “Please baby, want you to finish in me, wanna feel it.”  Eddie: [pushing back in] “Yeah?”  Nina: “Yeah.” 

[Eddie ruts into Nina frantically, chasing his release at a wild animalistic pace; his previous conviction gone. Nina looks at Eddie with a deep, passionate gaze, her mouth parted as Eddie groans and flexed above her, desperate to cum.] 

Nina: (darkly) “Wanna feel your cum drip out of me baby,” [Eddie’s pupils dilate, his chest heaving] “Want you to fill me up,” [Eddie groans, thrusting faster] “Take me as yours.” [Eddie gulps, the veins in his neck protruding as he thrusts harder and faster into Nina, at his breaking point.] 

[His hands move from beside her head to clutching her upper arms, his face buried in her neck as he grunts and thrusts quickly and deeply into her. Eddie gently bites down on Nina’s neck, trying to quieten the series of pants and groans he makes. Nina lies underneath him in a state of total euphoria, body on fire with pleasure.] 

Eddie: “Nina, Nina, fuck,” [The rolling of his hips become frantic, determined, desperate] “‘m gonna cum, ‘m gonna cum, fuck, baby.” [his hips snap harshly and Nina whines] “Gonna fill you up, gonna make you all mine! Oh fuck! Baby! Oh!” 

[Eddie cums inside her with a deep groan, his chest reddening and stomach tensing, flexing his toned stomach. He slumps on top of Nina with a huff, breathing heavy and exhausted.] 

Eddie: [mumbled into her neck, kissing her all over] “Thank you,” [kiss] “Thank you,” [kiss] “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” 

[Nina smiles tiredly and threads her fingers into his damp hair, scratching lightly on his scalp. He hums happily and nuzzles into her, not caring about his full weight on her.]

Eddie and Nina stay awake for most of the night and early morning: laughing, talking and sharing stories, with the occasional intermission of sex. Their bodies lay tangled together in the sheets as the warm morning sun shines through the foggy caravan window. 

Nina is staring out the window, watching the sun rise over Hawkins. The red streaks from the meteor have faded but still remain, the sun stealing the focus as it cracks over the horizon. Nina blinks, sighing softly to herself. 

She turns to face Eddie. Eddie is fast asleep on the thin pillow, Nina smiles at him lovingly. She moves his fringe from his eyes and presses a soft kiss on his forehead, then falls asleep peacefully next to him, in each other’s arms. 

Hours pass as they sleep in their serene embrace. 

Nina wakes first. The sky is blue and the birds tweet outside.

[Nina glances at the clock. 12 noon. They’ve slept the morning away. She turns to face Eddie. He’s lying with his back to her, tangled in the sheets.] 

[Nina traces her nails across Eddie’s shoulder, across his shoulder blades, and down the curve of his back.] 

Eddie: (sleepily) “That tickles.”  Nina: (softly) “Time to get up, honey, we’ve slept the day away.” [Eddie yawns and rolls over, grabbing Nina and pulling her into him, humming contently as his eyes flutter shut again.] “We’re going to Steve’s, remember? Dirty dancing?” [Eddie hums again, not listening, breathing Nina in as he clutches her tightly, not wanting to move] “We’ll be late.”  Eddie: (muffled in Nina’s neck) “Good. Wanna stay here, with you.”  Nina: [grinning shyly] “Come on, we promised.” [Eddie groans into her shoulders]  [Eddie pulls back and finally looks at Nina. He smiles softly at her and strokes her cheek with his thumb.]  Eddie: “Hey, you.”  Nina: (softly) “Hey, baby.” [Eddie blushes and hides his face behind the pillow, heart fluttering.] “We’ve gotta get up, we’ve gotta go to Steves, then I’ve gotta go home and pack.” 

Eddie’s heart sinks into his chest. The realisation of Nina leaving for a month dawns on him. He tries desperately to hide the hurt on his face. 

Eddie: [rubbing his thumb over her lip] “Give me five more minutes.”  Nina: (whispered) “Okay.” 

[They lie facing each other in the sheets, looking at each other lovingly. They blink slowly at each other, legs tangling together, the sound of their gentle breathing and the birds tweeting outside calming them in their serene atmosphere. Neither of them want to move. 

The afternoon is spent at Steve’s house; the whole gang playing in his pool, laughing at Steve and Robin’s failed attempts to do the Dirty Dancing lift. 

Despite the amazing night he spent with Nina, Eddie can’t help but feel jealous that he’s spending her last day here sharing her with everyone rather than alone with her. His heart feels heavy knowing she’s going away for a while. 

He shakes off his feelings and joins in with the fun, not wanting to ruin the memory of Saturday night.

Eddie watches Nina walk into her house on Saturday night, waving goodbye as she closes the door. Nina rests her head on the closed door as Eddie drives away, fighting back the tears. Eddie gulps down the lump in his throat and drives away. 

Sorry once again for the super slow uploads! Please let me know your feedback on this chapter :)