*｡LOVING HEART*｡ﾟ

When she smiled at him, he felt it like one of Cupid’s arrows to his heart. He was surprised his pupils hadn’t turned cartoonishly heart-shaped, themselves, his smile widening as she spoke. “You never have to be nervous – you couldn’t bother me if you tried.” Eddie laughed then, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip. “I was hoping you’d come… you know, you made my whole night? Maybe my whole weekend.” He pushed open the door that led from the main part into the back where their bunks were. It wasn’t nice or new or elaborate by any means, but it was pretty cool. “C’mon, it’ll be a quick tour, then we can sit and catch up.” He reached his hand out for hers then, smiling sweetly. “Do you want my autograph, Chrissy?”

“You could always come by my place, if you wanted. There’re picnic tables in the park… a shitty little playground, might be fun.” He suggested with a lupine grin as he settled in front of her. He could tell, though, that something was still amiss. Often, Eddie wished he could crawl into her brain – just to see what she was thinking. “You alright?” He asked, opening up his handy-dandy lunch pail to produce a bowl, some weed, and a lighter. “I’m here to chase all your worries away, Chrissy Cunningham. Join me…”

Eddie looked at her with that dopey smile, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he led her through the back and over to a refreshment table. It was their first stop before heading to the bus. “We got a couple more weeks after one… or two? Yeah, I think two days off, so, you could’ve caught us somewhere else, but it would’ve been further away.” I would buy you a plane ticket, he doesn’t say with his words but with his eyes, with his intent. “Uh, yeah, actually, I think there’s a hotel pretty close to this venue that we got a few rooms in. If there’s not one open, I’d be happy to let you have my bed, I could crash with Jeff or Mitch or Gareth.” He offered her that sunny smile again, grabbing a bottle of water before leading her further back, out the back door and over to the bus which was already on and waiting. The air inside was cool, and Eddie was grateful for it. “You’re lucky?” He asked, looking over his shoulder with that lupine grin. “I’m lucky. I’m so glad you came. Did I say that already?” He asked as he stood in the center of the main part of the bus. “Did you want a tour?”

“  even  if  they  are,  ”  breathes,  chin  propped  up  proudly.  “  hardly  a  chance  you’ll  ever  see  me,  like,  begging.  ”  jaw  clenched  at  the  thought.  just  might,  if  she  really  has  to.  would  just  prefer  it  not  going  down  that  route.  hadn’t  ever  stooped  so  low  and  doesn’t  have  the  intention  to  make  this  a  first.  “  more  interesting  ?  ”  tries  to  think  of  something  but  she  falls  short.  how  could  anything  be  more  interesting  than  what  she’s  done  ?  “  fine,  whatever.  ”  still  doesn’t  seem  like  she’ll  get  much  assurance  that  he  won’t  say  anything.  “  a  secret  for  a  secret.  ”

Eddie had hoped she would come, but he had been uncertain. He’d given her a few different dates, and they all passed without any sight of Chrissy. He figured it was hard for her, maybe it wasn’t her scene, and that was okay, but he was always a little disappointed. As the music faded, however, and he finally had a moment to hear, he thought he caught her voice in the crowd. Looking down at her, Eddie brightened immediately and reached his hand out for her. It wasn’t like they were super famous, there wasn’t much distance between him on the stage and her in the crowd, but she would need his help to get on or backstage. He hoisted her up once she had his hand, and he smiled down at her when she was in front of him – suddenly just a little self-conscious of all the sweat rolling down his body. The lights were bright. “Hey…” He said. “I’m so glad you came… c’mere.” He put his hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the back so he could hear her better. “I can’t believe you came all the way out here.” He couldn’t hold himself back, he leaned in and hugged her – quick because of the sweat, but his grin only widened. “You wanna stay and hang out for a while? We have tomorrow off…”

💌 stranger things’ starters

“I guess I meant what style?” Eddie continued, smiling at her. He figured it would probably be for the contemporary individual, someone who fit the norm. It would be the best business model, after all. He listened to her intently, like every word she said really mattered – because it did. “That’s… that’s actually really sweet. Do they get along well? Is it a match made in heaven?” Maybe he wanted to know more about Chrissy’s homelife, more about her. She was growing more interesting by the minute. “My parents met at a truck stop.” The thought of it made him laugh, and he shook his head. “Far less romcom material.” More like the beginning of a psychological horror. “I’m willing to put in the work, Chrissy! I’m worried about you. You have to really put yourself into it, ya know?”

“Classy daywear, I suppose?” Chrissy had never thought about what style her parent sold in the store, because, well, it was more or less the only style she knows. It’s very hard for someone like her to imagine wearing something she made herself, something completely unique, and it only makes her feel more admiration towards Eddie. “Nothing out of the ordinary, really.” Chrissy’s smile flickers for a second, and in her eyes appears something that reassembled a lot like doubt. But just as it came, it left, being instead replaced by a soft laugh. “They have been together for more than twenty years, so...” Chrissy replies, as if that was the right answer, the one she has already memorized and said a million times already. Then, her smile gets a little softer, her eyes a little more honest. “And I mean, I think any first meeting can be romantic, no matter where it was. What makes it romantic is the people in there, more like the place itself, don’t you think?” The conversation shifts, and suddenly Eddie is asking her if she’s willing to really commit to it. Is she good enough? “Now I’m really curious about it, after everything you told me. Maybe we can try once, and afterwards you tell me if I’m made of the right material to play it.”