alicia eve thorne

She sat on the unmade bed, picking up one of his Hellfire Club t-shirts from under the bedside table. She felt the tears build up in her eyes as she put the t-shirt to her face, inhaling his scent that was left on it.

There was so much of it.

He was here, in the scent of his clothes, in the chaos of his records, in the clutter on the floor. He was present in the cigarette smoke soaked up in the walls, in the stains on the mattress that he would joke about not knowing the source of, but she knew they were just beer. She knew he would forget the cans on the bed and the beer would spill when he played the guitar, jumping on the bed, giving the most metal concert known to mankind with nothing but the posters on the walls as his audience.

Yes, the guitar.

It hang on the wall, just as he left it. She came up to it. She slid a finger across it, collecting the dust that started to settle on it. It was probably the first time the guitar ever got dusty. He would play it all the time. With a sad smile, she recalled him calling the guitar his sweetheart.

She put a hand on it, covering the strings which shook a little, making a quiet buzz sound. It felt as if she was feeling its heartbeat.

She envied it. It was so unaware. So clueless, so calm. Did it make any difference to it, that it was just hanging on the wall and not being played? Did it miss his touch as much as she did?

“He’s not coming back, you know,” she whispered to it, her throat clenching.

Saying it out loud made it feel too real.

She slid down the wall to sit on the floor, tears now streaming down her face as she still held on to his t-shirt, squeezing it as if it was a teddy bear. The images flashed in her head again, even though she tried so hard to push them out, she’s been trying for days now.

Maybe Steve, Robin and Nancy were right. Maybe she shouldn’t’ve come here. She’s been avoiding it for so long… but something called her here. She had to. She didn’t know what for, exactly. But she had to.

A light knock on the door shook her out from her thoughts. She looked up to see Wayne peeking through the door. He didn’t come in. She knew he hadn’t ever since it happened.

“You okay?,” he asked.

“As okay as it gets lately, Mr Munson.” She gave him a soft smile that he returned.

“Whatever should we do with this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Should we… leave it all as it is? Or should we clean it up? He would probably want his friends to have some of this stuff, and you, obviously, and some things we could donate…”

Before he could finish, she burst out crying. She hid her face in her hands, trying to conceive the ugly whimpers that came out of her, but she couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“Oh, Cath, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t…”

“No, no, Mr Munson, it’s fine.” She tried to sound as convincing as possible. “We do need to talk about it. It’s just… so…”

“Fresh,” he finished.

“Yeah.”

The silence was filled with two heavy breaths and the sounds of sniffing.

“I’ll leave you for a bit longer. Let me know if you need anything, yes?”

“Thank you, Mr Munson.”

As Wayne closed the door, she gathered all her strength to stand up. She scanned the room once more, noting more details.

The D&D books. The Club members would love them. They are going to need a new master. Maybe his notes in the books would help.

She knew he left them. Notes. He would always get to reading and planning the campaigns with a pen in his hand, jotting down ideas, adding his own share to the textbooks. “Sometimes they’re so closeminded,” he’d say. “This could be done in so many different, better ways,” he’d comment. She never played, but she knew that with his creativity and insight his games were amazing.

Irreplaceable.

There were other books, too. The entire Lord of The Rings trilogy, the beautiful, leather-bound edition. It was one of his most prized possessions. He would read her his favourite passages out loud as they laid in bed at night, her head on his shoulder, none of them wanting to sleep just yet. She loved to hear how smooth his voice got whenever he was reading, his storyteller’s nature making him a perfect narrator.

If anyone was to keep these books, it would be her.

It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right to think about giving these things away. They were all right here, just where they belonged. They belonged to him. This place was sacred. It was his room, his safe space, his chapel. It was so… normal. As if he was about to open the door, toss his jacket on the chair, pick up the guitar and lay down on the bed, on the mattress that knew his shape so well. As if the room was about to be filled with the sound of the guitar playing, him practicing for the next gig, or practicing a new song he heard and loved, or, maybe, composing something of his own.

But it was awfully quiet now, and empty, and it was getting cold, no warmth of his breath, of his smile to warm the room.

They’ll have to do something. Eventually. It couldn’t remain like this, a sanctuary, a constant remainder, his things on display, collecting dust. She couldn’t keep fooling herself. Leaving it like this won’t do anything.

He won’t come back.

She laid on the bed. She had no more tears to cry, they were all already soaked up in his pillows. She stared at the ceiling, the light of the lamp above her blinding her a bit.

She was so numb that, at first, she didn’t notice the light flicker.

Only when the lamp made a loud, buzzing noise, did she realise what was going on, and immediately sat up. She stared at the lamp, her heart coming up to her throat, anxiety building up in her stomach. It could be very, very bad. It could be…

Her breath stopped as she realised what she was looking at.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Pause.

Long tap.

Long tap.

Long tap.

Pause.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Short tap.

She was standing now, right under the light, looking at it in disbelief. She held her head, trying to process what was going on, trying to figure out whether this was really happening or if it was just her head playing tricks on her, her grief already driving her crazy.

“Eddie?!,” she let out a scream, realising she sounded like a madwoman.

But then the sequence repeated.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Pause.

Long tap.

Long tap.

Long tap.

Pause.

Short tap.

Short tap.

Short tap.

S.O.S.

“I say we all go, but only one of us actually goes to see him. The rest of us wait outside so that this one person can calm him down and we only all go when he’s ready”, Robin said. “And, given that, as Steve noticed, Eddie barely knows me, him or Max, it’s either Dustin or Julien who has to… deal with him.”

You froze, hearing your name. You started to breathe faster, hoping none of them notice your nervousness.

“I suppose he trusts you more. You know him way longer.” Dustin’s words were exactly what you were afraid to hear. You looked at him, hope in his eyes. You knew he cared for Eddie. So much.

And it wasn’t like you didn’t care for him too. Of course you did. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You were worried, worried sick about him. It was just that… you didn’t know how to tell them that the thing about him trusting you might not be true anymore.

“Do you think you can do that? Talk him down a bit?” Max asked and you forced an encouraging smile.

“I sure hope I can,” you said, trying not to let your voice shake.

“Are you guys close?” Steve asked in a weird tone.

“Why, Harrington, you jealous?” Dustin laughed.

“Oh, shut up”, Steve rolled his eyes. “Asking for… the mission’s sake.”

Dustin mumbled something that sounded like a very convinced ‘sure’.

“I… I suppose you could say that”, you answered Steve’s question.

Why did you feel the need to lie to them?

You all got in Steve’s car. The whole ride you just stared out the window, trying to calm your nerves. It made you feel a weird sense of guilt, to be nervous now. Eddie was being accused of murder, he most likely witnessed something from the Upside Down kill Chrissy. Who knows what horror has played out right in front of his eyes? He was hiding, running from the cops, from the jocks trying to get him, hell, maybe from whatever creature got Chrissy. He must be scared for his life. Hell, you didn’t even know if he was fine. What if he was hurt? What if, while you were taking forever to figure out where he was, he was out there, bleeding out? Or worse, what if he was already…

No. He was fine. He must have been. Your heart ached, thinking about how, if he… if he was really gone, the things you said to him last time you saw him would be the words he took with him to his grave.

You were stupid. So, so fucking stupid. You promised yourself so long ago you wouldn’t be saying things you didn’t mean. Yet you did.

Pushing him away felt like the right thing to do. You thought it was better for both of you if you never saw each other again. That it would make things easier, so much easier. So that’s what you told him. Now, that the reaper was around the corner again, all of this felt so irrelevant. Who the fuck cared what other people thought, who the fuck cared about school, about obligations, about all the things that made you think you were better off alone?

All you could count on was that he would still want to listen. And that he was still there to listen.

Steve parked the car and you saw a house that looked as if it was abandoned. No lights were lit, but you knew it didn’t mean he wasn’t there. Of course he wouldn’t have the lights on. He wasn’t stupid.

“Julien, you ready?” Dustin’s voice barely reached you, your heavy heartbeat muffling your ears. “Jules?”

“Yes, sorry”, you snapped out of it, grabbing your bag.

“Do you have your transmitter?”

You just waved with the device before putting it in your bag.

“Good. You go there, talk to him, and when he’s ready, you call for us, yes? We’ll discuss. We… we’ll figure it all out”, Robin reviewed the plan. It was hardly a plan, really. But a starting point, definitely. And that was better than nothing.

You left the car, catching the last encouraging looks from the group. It got dark already, the air crisp, the wind making you regret not wearing something warmer. You tucked down your skirt and held the sleeves of your sweater, making your way towards the house.

If this whole town was forgotten by God, he must have wanted to forget this place with some special passion. The stairs to the front porch creaked as you made your way up them, using your flashlight to see where you were going. You looked into the house, dirty windows making your light barely pass inside.

“Eddie?” you said, probably not loud enough, knocking lightly on the glass. You knew it would have to be a miracle for him to hear that, but your guts were squeezing at the thought of making a louder sound.

You knocked a couple times more, hoping that somehow he’d react to that. You made your way around the house, looking through and knocking on every window of the building. Nothing.

You were about to get your shit together and just storm into the house when you noticed a small shack. The house was near the lake so Rick must have kept a boat and probably some fishing equipment there. Definitely a less obvious choice for a hideout than the house near the road.

“I don’t think he’s in the house, but there’s a shack down near the lake, I’m gonna check it”, you said through the transmitter.

“Okay. Be careful.” You heard Steve’s voice.

“Always am”, you said melodically before putting the device back in your bag.

The moist ground made squelching noises as you walked down to the shack. There were no windows to check. You just had to get inside.

The doors creaked and the sound felt incredibly loud in the eerie silence of the night. You looked around the shack, scanning it with your flashlight. It did, indeed, hold the fishing equipment: rods, oars, nets, life jackets. In the middle, there was a boat, covered with a tarp.

“Eddie?”, you tried again, a bit louder, now that you were in a closed space. Your hands were shaking as you walked around the place, placing your steps carefully on the screeching wooden floor. “Eddie, please—“

You couldn’t finish. All of the sudden you heard the tarp rustle and before you knew it, the flashlight fell out of your hand and you were being pushed onto the wall. A strong body pinned you to the wooden surface and you felt something cold and sharp on your neck. A hand squeezed your arm, keeping you in place.

“Eddie, Eddie, please, it’s me, it’s Jules”, you said, panic barely letting the words come out of your mouth, the sharp object scratching your neck as you spoke.

Eddie was staring at you with no recognition, pure fear in his eyes, his left hand on your arm, his right hand holding what you now realised was a broken glass bottle. He was breathing heavily, his nostrils wide as he scanned your face.

“Julien?” Your name fell out of his mouth, his brow furrowed.

“Yes, it’s me, it’s Julien. I’m here to help you, Eddie, please, I’m not going to hurt you. Please, put the bottle down.”

He took a few more seconds before he dropped the bottle. You squeezed your eyes as the glass shattered on the floor, the sudden noise triggering the panic that still hasn’t let go of you. His grip on your arm loosened as he took a step away, only now letting you take a deep breath. You watched as he leaned his back on the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. You kneeled next to him carefully as he stared into the void in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice weak.

“I had to find you. I heard about everything and I was worrying sick about you.”

“How did you know I was here?” He finally forced his head up to look at you.

“I didn’t. I did some… research. This seemed like the most probable hideout for you. I had some help”, you answered. He nodded lightly. You were glad he didn’t ask more questions about that now.

“I didn’t do it”, he said all of the sudden.

“What?”

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t… kill… her. I didn’t kill Chrissy”, he said as if it ached him to just say those words out loud.

“Of course you didn’t”, you exhaled.

“And why are you so quick to believe me?”, he snapped. “You heard the fucking news. She was found in my house, there was no one else there, and me? I ran like a fucking coward! I basically fucking confessed!” He threw another bottle you didn’t realise he was holding across the room, the shattering sound making you jump again.

“Eddie, please calm down. I believe you, because I know you.”

“Do you now?”, he smirked, a sad laugh escaping his lips. “Why do I have a mere memory of you saying that you wish you didn’t?”

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. You knew this was a bad idea. You should have told Dustin to come. Whatever distance the two of them had would be way easier to get over with than… this.

“Eddie, now’s not the time…”

“Oh, no, I think this is a perfect time for that”, he said, standing up. You slowly stood up too, watching him now walk around the shack nervously. “Because you know what? All this shit going on, literal people dying in front of my eyes, some weird ass satanic shit happening to a poor girl that just needed a distraction, shit that would be fucking wild in DnD, let alone in real life!” His voice was shaking as he started to scream the words out, kicking whatever was in his way. “People thinking not only that I killed her, but that I’m a fucking spawn of Satan of sorts, I mean, hell, who the fuck knows, maybe I am fucking possessed?” A wild, fake smile grew on his face, madness in his eyes. “That groomed fucking boyfriend of Chrissy’s and his disgusting crew now being on a fucking hunt for me probably, and my uncle, my poor uncle being told I did it, and I can’t even fucking go back and talk to him.” His voice went softer. “All of this, Julien, all this fucked up shit happening and yet what I think about here, being alone in this nasty, dark place, hiding for my life, is you.”

He finally stopped walking around nervously and just stood there, looking at you as your heart froze. Tears formed in your eyes as you noticed the pain written all over his face.

“Eddie, I—“

“No, Julien, I don’t want to fucking hear any of this again. Just go, okay? I can manage. I’ll be fine. I’ll… run. That’s what I do now. Maybe we do have something in common after all”, he said with a bitter smile.

“I didn’t mean any of it”, you said, putting all the power you had left into your voice.

“What?”

“I didn’t mean a word of what I said to you that day. I don’t think we’re better off alone. I don’t think we shouldn’t see each other. I don’t think we’re bad for each other. I— I don’t”, you spit the words out before anything could stop you from saying them.

Eddie furrowed his brow, confusion in his eyes as he just stared at you, lightly nodding his head.

“Why would you say that now?”, his voice cracked. “You really think you can just, what, manipulate me to trust you again? What is this, Julien, you have some fucked up case of saviour complex or what? I told you, I’ll be fine, you can stop feeding me lies…”

“These are not lies, Eddie”, you interrupted him. “I thought it would be easier this way, because I got scared, because I cared for you so fucking much that it started to hurt, because I was convinced it could never work and I just couldn’t bear the thought of us being friends anymore, because I was fucking in love with you!”

You own words shocked you and you went silent as the echo of you confession filled the room with indescribable tension.

“You’re going to be the death of me”, he whispered, making his way slowly towards you. “I was dying by your side every day, loving you from the distance, convinced you’d never want more, only for you to prove it to me, prove that you want nothing to do with me.”

Your breath stopped.

“Loving me?”

“Yes, Julien, fuck, yes, loving you. But I could never say anything. I was just deteriorating, watching you distance yourself from me. You’re my doom, only I still stayed, I chose to love you still, so it’s my fault, really… You’re not killing me, Julien, you’re… you’re my slow-motion suicide.”

He was only a step away from you now and you could see fire burning in his deep, brown eyes, his jaw clenched and nostrils moving fast to the rhythm of his breath.

“Why… why wouldn’t you say anything?” you just whispered.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

Your breaths were the only thing disturbing the silence now.

“I guess we’re both just fucking cowards” you let out a sad laugh.

He looked you deep in the eye, as if thinking deeply about something, a glimpse of hope on his face before he said:

“Well, in that case, I’m done being one.”

Before you could catch the meaning of his words his lips crashed with yours. Only the initial shock prevented you from kissing him back immediately, but as soon as you understood what happened, you returned the kiss, both of you holding onto each other for your dear lives, as if it was the only thing in the world right now, just the two of you, finally doing what you both wanted for God only knows how long.

His kiss had you out of breath, but none of you dared to let go for a second. He held your cheek, as if afraid you’d want to back away. Your hand travelled up to his head, your fingers tangling in his hair as his free hand explored your body down, brushing your waist, going down to your ass, his thumb going under the material of your skirt. His touch, the slight brush of cold from his rings made you shiver.

“This is not how I imagined it would go”, he breathed out.

“What do you mean?”

“I never imagined us fucking in a nasty old shack”, he said and you could feel his smile against your cheek as he now proceeded to kiss your face, your chin, going down to your neck.

“That implies you did imagine us fucking”, you laughed.

“Hell yeah I did”, he grinned.

“What did you imagine then, if not the shack?” You forced yourself to speak properly as his kisses reached your collarbones. You looked down, the sight of him kissing you, praising your body, with your hand still in his hair, making the tension build in your abdomen.

“I imagined riding you on my bed, making you scream for the whole park to hear… I imagined you spread on the table in Hellfire Club, completely at my mercy, like an offering ready for a ritual… I imagined us fucking in an empty classroom while we skip classes, you bent over the teacher’s desk” he enumerated, putting the images in your head. “I imagined eating your pussy at the back of my van, then you sucking me off, then you laying down, letting me cum inside you”, he kept going, breathing heavily, each confession coming from in between the kisses.

He looked up at you, as if suddenly snapping out of a trance. “I’m a fucking creep, huh?”

You just smirked.

“I imagined you tying me to my bed, gagging me with that sweet little bandana of yours so that my parents don’t hear us as you fuck me senseless, I imagined your hand on my throat. I always imagine your tongue and fingers on my clit as I touch myself”, you said, returning the favour, kissing down his chin.

“You’re a little freak too, aren’t you, Jules?” he grinned before taking off your sweater with one, smooth move, smiling as it revealed nothing under it.

“They’re gonna have to hunt us both down”, you said, getting rid of his jacket, following it with his shirt. “Because I ain’t ever leaving your side again.”

As if to prove this confession, you kneeled down, carefully, your last remaining piece of reason making you make sure you don’t kneel on any of the shattered glass. He looked down at you, his hand now in your hair as you undid his belt, taking his pants down to his ankles, quickly making his boxers follow. His cock was now right in front of your face, hard and ready, making a little smile appear at the corner of your mouth.

Eddie put his hand on the wall to steady himself as the mere sight of you kneeling down for him made his legs weak. He swung his head back as you started teasing him, your tongue touching his tip ever-so-slightly.

“Fuck, Julien—“

“So impatient already”, you smirked, intentionally making the vibration of you voice tease him even more.

“I’ve waited months for this, god damn it, don’t you call me im—“

He didn’t finish as you put his dick in your mouth, words escaping him in a breathy moan. You started to slowly work him up and down, one of your hands joining by his base, the other squeezing his thigh. His grip on your hair tightened as your moves became faster.

You looked up to see him with his head still back, his hand desperately trying to hold on to something, scratching the wall next to you. He let out another moan as your hand, previously exploring his thighs, now slightly squeezed his balls. His sweet sounds made you need to rub your thighs together, the pressure becoming too much to hold in.

As if he couldn’t fight it anymore, he started to move his hips to the rhythm you imposed, making his dick hit the back of your throat. You gagged as he went faster, his hand in your hair speeding your moves too.

“Fuck, Julien, you’re sucking me so good, way better than I could ever imagine…”, he gasped. “But I— I don’t want it to be that simple”, he breathed out. “I wanna come inside you.”

He let go of your head and you let his cock slide out of your mouth. You stood up and he brushed your face with his hand, smearing the mixture of spit and pre-cum all over it. He then licked your neck, up to your chin, collecting some more liquid with his tongue.

He kicked his pants off of his ankles before he pushed you back, leaning you against a wooden table in the corner. He brushed all the stuff laying on it with his hand, making the clutter hit the floor. The sound of breaking glass filled the room again.

“I would fuck you on the floor, but hell, it’s way too nasty, even for freaks like us”, he laughed before lifting you by your hips, sitting you down on the now objectively clean surface.

“The table will do just fine”, you responded, grinning.

He lifted your skirt, teasing your pussy through the thin material of your panties.

“So wet for me”, he whispered against your skin as his lips made their way to kiss your chest, nagging at each of your nipples, slightly biting and pulling as his fingers massaged you, pushing the material more and more to the side. Finally, both his hands slid your panties down before he held your thighs, squeezing them, the rings probably leaving scratchy marks on your sensitive skin. You spread your legs as he lined his dick with your entrance, teasing you by brushing it up and down.

“For fuck’s sake, Eddie—“

“Well, look who’s impatient now”, he grinned before pushing himself into you. The feeling of him inside you made a moan escape your mouth as your eyes travelled up. He, too, made sweet noises as he started to impose a pace. Your legs wrapped above his ass as you desperately wanted to feel him closer, feel him more. Your hand went to grab the back of his head again, loving the feel of his locks as your hips thrusted harder, making the two of you work in perfect rhythm. You both kept going, the wood of the table squelching under you, the noise accompanying your moans and whimpers.

Eddie’s hand travelled up your body, cupping your breast, then higher, to your throat. You breathed in sharply as it tightened around your neck. He pushed you down, making you now lay on the table, not stopping his thrusts. His hand, squeezing your throat, pinned you down, making the sensations cloud your mind.

“Say you’re sorry”, he said suddenly, his voice definite.

“Wh-what?” you mouthed more than said, his hand barely letting any air into your throat.

“Say you’re sorry for running away from me”, he clarified. “Say you’ll never do that again. Say you’re mine.”

His thrusts became harder and his hand kept squeezing your throat, the intense emotions taking over him. There was anger in his eyes, anger, desperation and lust as he waited for you to respond, his face making you believe he was ready to punish you if you didn’t obey.

“I— I’m so— sorry”, you said, your voice weak, barely making any noise as you struggled through the tight grip he had on your neck, his rings burying deep into your skin. “I— I’ll never— I’m yours, only— only yours.”

He threw his head back, as if thriving in your confession. His moves were so fast and deep that for a split second you thought that maybe a demon of sorts did, in fact, possess him. But, shit, if the devil was this fucking good, you’d gladly burn in hell.

“Ah, fuck, I can’t—”, he whimpered, his grip on your neck now loosened, but his hand still there.

“Come on, fill me up”, you groaned. He didn’t have to hear it twice. Your voice his last straw, he came to his release, his cum exploding inside you. The warm feeling drove you closer to the edge.

Taking just a second to catch a breath, he slid out of you, leaving you dripping with his cum from in between your legs, your pussy desperately wanting to tighten around something.

“I quite liked one of those little fantasies of yours, you know”, he said, suddenly making his way back to where his pants were. Your body trembled when he reached to a pocket of the jeans and picked up his bandana. “What do you say we test it out?”

You licked your lips, the thought of him doing what you imagined him do so many times making you shake with excitement.

“Use your words, princess. As long as you still can.”

“Yes, please”, you managed to say, your voice shaking.

“Good girl”, he grinned as he approached you, folding the bandana into a flat strip. “Open up”, he ordered and you obediently opened your mouth. He brushed your lips with his thumb before he put the material in your mouth, tying it at the back of your head tightly. You struggled to swallow as he made sure the gag sits well. “Very well”, he smiled, looking at you as if you were a piece of art he just finished creating. “I’m gonna make you regret you can’t beg.”

Before you could digest his words, he pushed you back down so that you were laying on the table again, your legs spread before him. You bit down on the material as he started to kiss his way down your body. Your hand went to grab his head, wishing to guide him exactly where you needed him.

“Ah, nope”, he let out a dry laugh, grabbing your wrist. He took the second one too and placed your hands above your head. “You keep them there or I stop. Understood?”

You nodded, grabbing the edge of the table.

“Words, princess”, he gave you a vicious smile.

“Understood”, you tried saying, the bandana muffling your voice almost entirely.

“That’ll do”, he said, your struggling voice clearly working miracles on him.

He continued down, his kisses reaching your thighs, his lips sucking your skin, surely leaving bruised marks behind. Your breath was heavy as you fought your urge to touch him, even more so when his fingers slid across your folds. His two fingers teased your entrance before sliding inside, making another muffled noise fill the room. His lips now went to your clit, his tongue licking and massaging your most sensitive part, sucking on it as his fingers worked you fast from the inside. You were practically screaming into the black material when he added the third finger, his hand and mouth working you perfectly. You whimpered when he rested his free hand on your lower stomach, pressing slightly.

“What is it? You wanna cum?”, he asked teasingly.

“Yes, please—”, you tried saying, but what came out was a desperate cry.

“Oh, I’m sure you can hold it a little longer”, a devilish smile grew on his face as he went back to working you with his tongue. Your body arched as tears started to fall down your face, the sensation too much to hold in. “Just a little longer.”

A primal cry escaped your mouth, the bandana now soaked with your spit as you held the edges of the table, your whole body trembling.

“Please, Eddie, fuck—”, you tried saying, miserable noises coming out of you.

“Very well. Cum on me, you little slut”, he said, burying his face in your folds again. Your pussy tightened around his fingers once more as you finished. He licked you, gathering your cum with his tongue as he took his fingers out of you, straightening up.

“Such a good, good girl”, he praised as he leaned over you, kissing your chest, his face wet with your cum. “You can now touch me.”

Your hands reached for him desperately, cupping his face as you rose to sit. Eddie’s skilled hands untied the bandana, taking it out of your mouth. As soon as it was out, you leaned in for a kiss.

It was now soft, long and passionate. As if you both wanted to seal this, make it last, make it real.

“I did mean it now. With my whole heart”, you whispered.

“Mean what?”

“That I’m yours.”

A soft smile grew on his lips.

“I’m not letting you do it alone, Munson. I won’t let you go down.”

He brought you in for a hug.

“The two of us against the world it is”, he said.

The two of you. Yes. Wait, no. It’s not just the two of you!

“Fuck!”, you exclaimed.

“What?”, he asked, half amused, half shocked as you jumped out of the table and started to nervously pick up your clothes.

“Get dressed”, you breathed out.

“No need for modesty now, love, we just—”

“Remember when I told you I had some… help?”, you asked and he nodded. “Well, that help came here with me. They’re waiting in the car for me to… talk to you and… calm you down.”

“Well, that you certainly did”, he smirked.

“They’ll be worried sick why it’s taking so long—”

As if summoned, you suddenly heard an aggressive knock on the door.

“Julien, I swear to God—”

“Dustin!”, you said, opening the door. “I was just about to call you guys…”

“Henderson?”, Eddie said, surprised. You turned around to see that he only managed to put on his pants, still buttoning them up.

“Eddie, man, good to see— why the fuck are you half naked?”, Dustin suddenly retreated from his way to hug him. “And why the fuck are you both all greasy and sweaty?”

“Well, you know how these thigs go, running from authorities and shit. Fucks you up, man”, Eddie said, giving him a dumb smile.

“Sure… well, find something to cover up, dude. We gotta talk about how we gonna get you out of this shit.”

“Appreciate that, man”, Eddie gave him an awkward thumb up as he pretended to have a hard time finding his t-shirt.

“Whatever took you so long anyway?” Dustin looked at you suspiciously. “We tried reaching you on the transmitter, but you wouldn’t answer. We were worrying sick, I would have barged in here way earlier if it wasn’t for Robin…”

“We got caught up…”

“In the conversation”, Eddie finished for you. “Took her a minute to, you know. Calm me down.”

“I see.” Dustin didn’t look convinced. “Anyway, since you’re good now, I’m gonna go get the rest”, he said, making his way out of the shack.

As he closed the door behind him, you both burst out a childish laugh. You quickly made sure that there was nothing left in the room that could have revealed the characteristics of you calming Eddie down.

“We gotta fight whatever that is, Eddie. We gotta save the world, ‘cause, hell, I refuse to let it end now that my life has only just begun.”

The bell rang and Paige watched as Chrissy picked up all her things and left clumsily in a hurry. She stormed out of the classroom too, determined to catch her.

“Chrissy, please, talk to me!” Paige said when she finally caught up to her in the corridor, slightly out of breath.

The girl turned her head, her blonde ponytail swinging as she gave her friend a sad look.

“Please, Paige, just let me be,” Chrissy responded.

“I can see something’s wrong, Chris. I know what you’re doing. You wouldn’t be reaching for these if everything was okay…”

“How do you know? How do you know, Paige? Maybe I’m just… trying things, huh?”

“Is it because of him?” She ignored her suggestion, trying to remain calm, but her voice started to crack.

“Are you serious? You’re bringing Jason into this?”

As if saying his name out loud was some kind of spell, the athletic boy appeared from around the corner, wearing none other but his basketball team’s jacket.

“You okay, honey?” he asked, wrapping his hand around Chrissy’s waist. Paige couldn’t help but notice the slight shiver that went through her friend’s body when the boy touched her.

“Yes, baby, all good. Paige was just leaving,” Chrissy said, smiling falsely.

“Good to see you, Paige,” Jason said before pulling the girl towards him and leaving.

Paige wasn’t stupid; she knew he didn’t mean that.

Tears forming in her eyes, she left the school and sat at a bench, hiding her face in her hands. How could she help someone who didn’t want help? Or, maybe, she should ask – why did she want to help her so bad?

Deep down, she knew the answer to the second question.

She sat in the afternoon sun, trying to think. What else could she do? Could she…? No. One more possible solution came to her mind, but no. No way. She couldn’t do that. She promised herself she’d never…

She looked up to see a small group of kids in matching t-shirts. She recognised three freshmen, Wheeler, Sinclair and Henderson. The boys were chatting and laughing, heading out of the school’s side entrance. They didn’t have to come closer for her to know what their black and white t-shirts said.

Hellfire Club.

Paige took a deep breath. She really, really didn’t want to do this. She did so good avoiding him all this time and she knew this could ruin her inner peace she finally managed to achieve.

But Chrissy was leaving her no other choice.

She stood up and walked in the same direction the boys have come from. Having entered the school, she headed to an abandoned room in the basement. She knew the club used it as a meeting spot.

Praying that he was still there and trying to keep her breath steady, she stood before the door, raising her chin in order to look more confident. Doing her best to contain her shaking hands, she knocked on the door and opened it without waiting to be invited in.

“Now which one of you losers left something?” the raspy voice said.

She didn’t respond. She entered the room, scanning it with her eyes. It was cluttered with old furniture, decorated with random cardboard cut-outs. The big table in the centre was covered with a patterned cloth, On it, there were notebooks, drawings, figurines and dice. A big book laid on the furthest end of the table, right in front of a solid, wooden chair that kind of resembled a throne. The whole room was only lit with candles held by standing, gothic candleholders scattered all around the room. She thought about how long it must take to light them all.

The boy was in the back of the room, kneeling on the floor with his back to her. He was holding a guitar, tuning it, she figured. She knew he sometimes liked to bring it to school to practice if he got a free period or if he went to a band practice right after classes. Right now, he was so focused on the beloved instrument that he still hasn’t turned around.

“I said, which one of you…” he sighed, deciding to check who came in.

“Eddie,” she said finally.

The boy froze mid-turn, stroke by her voice. She still couldn’t see his face, his profile covered by his brown curls. After what felt like hours, he carefully put the guitar down and slowly rose, finally turning to face her.

His dark eyes were shimmering in the candle light as he opened them wide, staring at her.

“Paige,” he basically whispered. He blinked a few times, as if trying to snap out of it. “Didn’t know you were into dungeons and dragons,” he said, forcing his playful smile back, “could’ve told me earlier, we just finished today’s session…”

“That’s not what I’m here for,” she said as calmly as she could.

He furrowed his brow. “I thought you said you were done with it.”

“I am,” she said, “but…”

“And that you never wanted to see me again. Isn’t that what you said?” his fading smile twitched as he made his way towards her. His hand was sliding along the edges of the chairs as he walked past the table, his rings making clicking noised as they rubbed against each other. “You said it was all my fault, didn’t you? And that my face reminded you of all the fucked up shit you’ve done? Isn’t that what you said to me, Paige?”

She gulped loudly. She knew she shouldn’t have come here.

“This was a mistake,” she spitted out, turning away towards the door.

“Ah, hell no,” he said, catching her arm. She twitched as his hand squeezed her wrist, making her turn again, now standing face to face with him. His nostrils were moving fast, breathing nervously. “Tell me, then. What are you here for?”

“I shouldn’t have come.”

“But you have. Now tell me why.” The smile was nowhere to be seen now as his voice sounded demanding, eyebrows frowned in a determined look.

“It’s… it’s about Chrissy,” she let out.

“Chrissy?” he asked, genuinely surprised. His grip on her wrist loosened as he backed away a little. “What the hell do you have to do with Chrissy?”

“I’m her friend,” she said.

Why did it feel like a lie?

“Didn’t know Chrissy could be friends with anyone who’s not wearing one of those tacky cheerleading outfits twenty four seven,” he snorted.

“I know she’s been buying from you,” she said, ignoring his comment. He looked at her attentively, resting his hand on his hip.

“Is that so,” he chuckled. “Maybe she has been. I still don’t know why you’d see me about it.”

“I cannot talk any sense into her. She won’t talk to me,” she said, feeling the tears forming in her eyes again. “Something’s wrong and she’s choosing the wrong solution.”

“Sorry, love, but this still doesn’t sound like a me problem,” he leaned against one of the chairs.

“I want you to cut her off. Don’t sell her anything anymore,” she said, trying to sound as definite as possible.

It wasn’t easy keeping the straight face, though, as Eddie burst out laughing.

“Paige, the hell you on about? You think you’re gonna magically make you friend’s problems disappear if you convince her drug dealer to refuse her service?” he asked, clearly amused by the situation. “And it’s you talking, Paige. You, who couldn’t go a day without the Special K not that fucking long ago–”

“I don’t need you to remind me about my mistakes…”

“Oh, but I do, don’t I? You said it yourself back then. Just my face makes you remember,” he grinned viciously. “Do I repulse you that much, Paige? Is this the face you see in your nightmares?” he kept laughing coldly.

“Eddie, I–”

“No, no, Paige, you listen to me now,” he made his way up to her again. She started to back up, but that only resulted in him now pressing her against the door. “I’m not the fucking villain, love. I’m not the monster. I’m not forcing anything on anyone, I’m not making anyone buy shit from me, hell, I’m not even suggesting anything to anyone. I only sell if they come to me. It’s not the drugs that come first, it’s whatever messy shit she got herself into that made her believe this is what will help her. And shit, if you want to know, I did try to talk her out of it. But I’m not a fucking therapist, Paige, and I’m not her fucking mom, and fuck, it’s business for me, so of course I’m selling the fucking drugs to her! And you know what I think? I think you wanting her out so bad is just your fucked up way of dealing with your own unresolved fucking issues!”

She flinched slightly as he practically yelled in her ear. He stayed like that, each hand pressing on the door from each side of her, encasing her. He was breathing heavily, looking deep into her eyes.

“You’re right”, she said quietly.

“What?”, his voice cracked, clearly not expecting such an answer.

“Of course I shouldn’t fucking blame you. I’m… I’m desperate, Eddie. I don’t know what to do,” she looked down.

“Hey, hey, look at me” his tone has gone softer as his hand reached for her face, lifting her chin. “You can’t help someone that doesn’t want to be helped. You didn’t make it out because someone made you. You stopped because you wanted to. All you can do is show her that it’s worth it”, he smiled.

She took a deep breath. His smile made little creases form just above his mouth and under his eyes. The brown irises now seemed warm, comforting… how come she’s never considered his perspective?

“You know, Paige, for what it’s worth, I’m kinda glad you felt the need to confront me. I lowkey missed seeing that pretty face of yours,” he smirked.

“Did you now?” she asked, a soft smile winning over her confusion.

“Don’t get me wrong, love. I was happy for you when you came clean. I was happy to see you do better. But that little vicious devil on my shoulder wished you kept needing the stuff. Needing… me,” he said, playing with his hair, covering his little smile with it.

“You… you never said that”, she squinted her eyes suspiciously.

“Of course I didn’t. How was I supposed to tell you I’m crazy about you with that douchebag boyfriend of yours watching my every step?”

She couldn’t believe it. How has she never noticed his feelings? Noticed… him? She looked at him now, that damn little smile on his face, his hair with a gold glow thanks to the candles surrounding them, his slim fingers fidgeting with the rings. She looked deep into his dark, enchanting eyes and before she could regret it, she said:

“Well, good thing he’s not around anymore then.”

It only took a few tense seconds before Eddie leaned in and kissed her, pressing her back to the door. His hand cupped her face as she kissed him back, a wild, desperate kiss, as if they’ve been holding it for way too long.

He stopped only for a second to back up and look at her face, searching for the unspoken answer. She saw the same shock that she imagined must have been written all over her in his eyes. None of them expected this. None of them knew if it was right. But that moment, they both new it was too late to stop. Seeing his awaiting expression, she just nodded lightly.

“Fuck, Paige,” he murmured before kissing her again. She sighed as his kisses went down her cheek to her neck, to her collarbone. He bit the skin on the collarbone lightly as she put her hand in his hair, tangling her fingers between his locks. He grabbed her, turning her around and, still kissing, led towards the table.

“Maybe I would, in fact, like to try DnD,” she said as he swept the mess from the table with his hand, making the books and figurines clutter the floor, and lifted her to sit her down on it.

“Oh yeah?” he smirked, “that’s perfect timing, actually. We finished the session right as we were about to make a sacrifice.”

“A sacrifice?” she laughed as his kisses kept going down her cleavage.

“Yes, a sacrifice, to the god of war, Tempus, you know. We have a big fight ahead of us”, he said in between the kisses as he started to unbutton her shirt.

“And what were you going to sacrifice?”

“Why, a virgin, of course”, she could feel him smiling against her chest. He finished unbuttoning her shirt and took it off of her, tossing it on the floor.

“I’m afraid I won’t do then”, she smirked.

“No worries, love, that’ll be just fine”, he said as he reached to the clasp of her bra. “I think the god will forgive us. Besides, the ritual includes… well, blaspheming the victim beforehand anyway.”

Something about the way he said that made a shiver go down her body. She could feel the pressure in her abdomen as he took of her bra and made it follow the shirt to the floor.

“Eddie…Eddie, fuck, the candles,” she gasped as her eyes followed her clothing. The shirt landed way too near one of the candleholders.

“I know, it’s quite a turn on…”

“Eddie, my shirt is on fire,” she said, somehow laughing. His eyes went wide as he stopped to look in the direction where he tossed it.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit,” he cursed, noticing the shirt was, in fact, catching fire, slowly but surely. He jumped, stepping on the shirt repetitively to make the fire go down. She just sat on the table, watching with amusement.

He picked up the shirt, now dirty and with a whole on the back.

“I… I’m gonna give you something to wear later,” he chuckled.

“Worth it, I’d say. I do really like the candles,” she smiled.

“Very well then,” he walked up to her again, “where were we?”

He kissed her on the mouth once more, grabbing her breast, making a soft sound escape her lips right into his. She helped him rid of his Hellfire Club t-shirt, this time making sure it lands safely on the floor.

She gasped as he took each of her wrists in his hands and laid her down, spreading her arms on the table. He crawled on top of her, looking her in the eyes.

“You sure you’re into this?”, he asked, his breath warm. And while the remaining pieces of her reason were still screaming to get up and leave, she smirked. “Yes, master. Let’s not make the god wait any longer.”

A wide grin lit up his face, childish excitement about her playing along mixing with the obvious intense emotions he felt right this moment.

“If at any point I do something you’re not into, if I go too far, you tell me right away, yes?” he asked, his face serious, and somehow, that only made her want him more. She felt the pressure building up in her as she thought about what he might have in mind. She nodded, making his eyes lit up with a smile.

“Very well,” he said, crawling back to the floor, “gotta make sure the offering doesn’t run then.”

Before she could digest what he meant, he opened one of the chests and took out a piece of rope. She didn’t move, her chest rising and falling fast as he came up to the other end of the table.

“So obedient already, left your arms spread as I made them,” he muttered. “Good girl,” he whispered just above her face. He then took one of her hands and placed a soft kiss on her wrist before wrapping it with rope. The rough material scratched the sensitive parts of her skin as he made the knot tighter. He put the rest of the rope under the table and then wrapped the other end around her second wrist, immobilizing her in this exact position, arms spread wide like a victim on the offering table. The thought of being completely helpless, completely at his mercy turned her on even more.

He came back around, standing between her legs. He climbed his way up again, kissing down from her chest, sucking gently on her nipples, going down her abdomen. As he unbuttoned her pants, she felt the need to touch his hair again, wanted to tangle her fingers in them, lead his head where she wanted it, where she needed it the most right now. Eddie’s knots were solid, though, and the movement only resulted in the rough rope pinning harder into her skin.

“So needy,” he chuckled, noticing her movement. “Gotta be patient, my love. Master has to do everything just right.”

He took off her shoes, slid down her pants along with her underwear, leaving her completely naked on the table. He then took one more piece of rope and did the same he did with her arms, but with her ankles. Limbs spread, she felt open and defenceless… and she couldn’t wait to see how he uses it.

 She looked at him as he stood, staring at her, as if devouring the sight of her spread before him. His chest rose and fell quickly as he brushed his hair back with his hand.

“Even or odd?”, he asked all of the sudden.

“What?”

“Choose. Even or odd numbers,” he clarified.

“Um… odd,” she said.

“Very well,” he grinned as he bent down and picked up a dice from the floor. “Even, Tempus is not happy with the sacrifice and I let you go. Odd, Tempus is happy and we proceed.”

She held her breath as he tossed the dice right between her legs, the object nearly making it to her most sensitive part. She couldn’t see the dice, so she watched Eddie lean over her to read it.

A mischievous smile grew on his face. “It’s an eleven.”

She threw back her head as he put his lips on her body again, this time kissing the inside of her left tight, squeezing the right one with his hand. She felt the rings lightly scratch her as his hand went up and down, making his way closer to her entrance. His hair tingled her and suddenly the knots bothered her again, she wanted to touch him, lead him… but there was something about not being able to do that that made her enjoy the otherwise unpleasant sensation on the rope pinning into her skin.

A slight moan escaped her lips as his mouth made it to her hole, kissing and licking gently.

“Fuck,” she sighed as she felt his tongue inside of her. As his mouth was exploring her, one of his hands continued to pleasure her thigh and the other he put flat on her abdomen, right above her vulva. His thumb made it to her clit, rubbing it in a way that made the rope now get tighter on her ankles as she struggled to stay in place. His mouth and hand, working her in tandem, were bringing her closer and closer to the climax.

“Shit, princess, you taste so good,” he muttered, his voice slightly vibrating against her folds. She didn’t keep her moans in anymore as he replaced his thumb with his index and middle finger, working her at a speed that took her breath away.

“Fuck, you’re so good,” she couldn’t help but say.

“I play the guitar, baby, them fingers are well trained in treating a lady,” he smirked and, as if to prove his point, he added the ring finger, pleasuring her like she never knew one could be pleasured before.

“I– I’m gonna come,” she whimpered, her back aching.

“Yes, cum for me, princess.” His words alone made it impossible to hold any longer. She reached her climax, releasing herself with his head still between her thighs.

“Do you think… do you think the god is content?” she panted. He rose and the sight of his face, her liquids on it, glimmering in the candle light, could as well make her come once again this very second.

“We’ll have to check,” he said. He picked up the dice again. “Even or odd?”

“Odd again.”

“Even, he’s not and we have to figure out how to please him. Odd, he is and the ritual is completed.”

This time he tossed the dice on her stomach. It rolled unevenly, stopping near her chest.

“That’s an eight,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Apparently Tempus isn’t satisfied easily.”

“I think I know what he might like,” she said.

“Oh yeah?” he smiled. “Well then, why don’t you show me?”

He didn’t bother untying the rope from her limbs, he simply picked up a knife that, for whatever reason, was laying around all the other clutter, and cut the knots, leaving her with pieces of rope around her wrists and ankles like bracelets.

“Go up to the chair,” she said, getting up, looking him in the eye.

“Oof, I like that tone,” he grinned, walking up to the solid, wooden seat. She stood in front of him, her hands making their way to his leather belt. The chains attached to his jeans jangled as she pulled the pants down along with his boxers. They revealed his dick, hard, impatiently awaiting to be taken care of.

“Sit,” she demanded. “The master deserves his throne.”

He said nothing as he sit in the chair, grabbing the armrests. She took two longer pieces of rope that remained after he cut her bonds, now using them to tie his wrists down to the armrests of the chair.

“Fuck, princess,” he groaned, stretching his ringed fingers, as if adjusting to the bonds. She looked into his eyes as she slowly kneeled down, her hands resting on his thighs. He let out a loud hiss as she grabbed his dick by its core, circling it with her fingers gently before leaning in to touch the head of it with her tongue. She smiled against his skin as she saw him struggle. She knew he must have felt exactly what she had felt before, wanting nothing else but to touch, to guide, the underlying need for control fighting with the electrifying feeling of obedience.

He threw his head back as she worked him faster, just like him before, using both her mouth and hand, pressing her nails of the other hand into his thigh, squeezing it as he let out sweet noises. Her rhythmical moves made his body arch, sweat making his locks stick to his forehead.

“I– I wanna come inside you,” he cried out.

“Do you think Tempus is gonna like it?” she asked playfully.

“Screw that son of a bitch, I’m gonna like it and you’re gonna like it,” he said, out of breath.

“Works for me,” she smiled, untying his hands. As soon as the bonds were off, he grabbed her, wildly, greedily, basically tossing her on the table again.

He held her hips as she spread her legs, allowing him to enter her. She let out an uncontrolled moan, now feeling his length inside her, and moved her hips as he pushed in and out, making them work together in perfect rhythm. His hand made its way up her body, cupping her breast, squeezing it lightly. It then climbed up her neck. She gasped as he placed his fingers around it, in places that felt just right, and started to squeeze. She felt the tension rise up in her body once again as he looked her deep in the eyes, his hand choking her, pressing points on her neck she didn’t know could feel so good. The slight scratching of the rings only made it better and she whimpered, fighting for breath in the sweet agony.

“Fuck, you’re so hot, princess,” he said. “I’m coming,” he groaned as his body shivered and, moments later, his cum erupted inside her. Not taking his hand away from her neck, he touched her with the other one, working her to help her come once again. As she reached her release too, she laid down on the table, her body weakened, exhausted in the best way possible. Her legs felt soft and she felt like she would collapse now if she tried to stand up, so she just laid there, breathing heavily, liquid dripping from in between her thighs.

She stared into the ceiling as she felt soft kisses on her body. She looked up to see Eddie untie the knots on her ankles, kissing the skin that was underneath them as if trying to soothe the irritation. He did the same with her wrists. Finally, as he made her sit up, he placed a few kisses on her neck, right in the places where his fingers were pressing.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, now damp with sweat. As his face was just a few inches away from hers, she could admire the candle light glimmering in the deep, warm eyes of his again. He was looking at her in awe, nostrils moving and chest rising as they both still tried to get their breaths intact.

“I don’t have to throw any dice to know we both fucking won this round, didn’t we?” he smirked.

“Hell yeah, we did,” she smiled.

They stared at each other in silence for a second, but, somehow, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

“I don’t want you to go,” he said suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m afraid you walk out that door and regret all of this. That you close that door and I don’t see you in forever again.” His eyes were wide as he stroked her hair with his fingers.

“No way, Munson. You’ll see me alright,” she smiled. “Don’t you have more sacrifices to make?”

“I think there are a couple of gods I wouldn’t mind having on my side,” he smirked.

“I’ll be back,” she claimed and kissed his lips, a long, soft kiss. “But for now… your princess has another quest ahead.”