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This Chapter is NOT the final chapter - I needed to split it in two because else would've gotten too long, so Chapter 16 will be the final chapter of this series. I hope you enjoy it! - Love, Kiki ๐ค ย
๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ | ย Eddie Munson x female reader
๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ | ย THEN. Youโre the only survivor among the Mind Flayerโs victims, thanks to your friends - but after the Battle of Starcourt, you find yourself adrift in a sea of nightmares. Until an encounter in the woods with Eddie The Freak Munson offers an unexpected life line and turns your world upside down.
NOW. Four months have passed since the winter night you walked out of Eddieโs trailer and his life for good. But when the mysterious headaches and nightmares return full-force and something wicked stirs in sleepy Hawkins, starting a witch hunt against Eddie, you realize that there are two things in this world ย that might be more persistent ย than youโd thought: Evilโฆand love.
The story is told in two timelines: the past (after the Battle of Starcourt) and the present (during the events of season 4).
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ | angst with a happy ending (I PROMISE!!!), fluff, smut, it turned into a fix it fic for ST4
๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ | SMUT (you need to be 18+ to read this story!), angst with a happy ending, attempted assault, bullying, canon-typical violence ย
There was only silence in the world around you, frozen in time.
Where the tune of Eddieโs heartbeat should have been thrumming against your ear.
Silence, broken only by the soft rustling sound of a thousand wings in the air as the swarm of bats continued their circular flight around you and Eddie.
With your eyes closed, it almost sounded like the wind rustling the leaves in the crowns of the trees around the clearing, the day Eddie had danced with you to the tunes of I Remember You. The day heโd almost kissed you. Sunshine painting streaks of caramel in his chocolate-colored curls, making his umber eyes glitter, the warmth of a thousand suns shining within them as heโd gazed at you.
Take me, too, you wanted to scream at the bats. Why donโt you take me, too?
Because Vecna didnโt want you to die. He knew that you living while Eddie wasnโt, your heart beating while the melody of his had forever been muted, was the cruelest fate he could have chosen for you, the perfect punishment.
The day the Mind Flayer โ Vecna โ had gotten you, at the old steel mill, the darkness possessing your body, numbing your muscles and senses and mind, was nothing compared to what you were feeling right now, curled up against Eddieโs side, your head resting on the spot below his collarbone, his blood still warm as it soaked your hair and mingled with your tears.
Agony and numbness. An eternal, abysmal ocean of it, drowning you within.
As the numbness spread through your body and soul, the black mist of the powers youโd stolen from Vecna nestling closer against your mind like a cat sensing your distress, so powerful yet so powerless against the force that was death itself, you pressed your face into the crook of Eddieโs neck, the side where the bats hadnโt ripped away his skin with their teeth, and wept your silent tears into his soft curls tickling your cheeks.
Your fingers brushed against the soft silk of your green ribbon still tied around Eddieโs wrist.
Taking you back to the moment your path had crossed Eddie Munsonโs for the first time.
[Friday, September 2nd, 1983. THEN.]
You were nervous. So, so very nervous.
It was a game day โ your first game day as a cheerleader, and the whole day had felt as if someone had strapped your nerves onto a never-ending roller coaster ride.
Hawkins High had turned into a sea of green and orange and white, like every game day. you were wearing your cheerleader uniform for the first time.
The effect had been instant.
People had been smiling at you in the hallways. Some youโd never talked or even seen before had greeted you by your name in passing โ and when Stacey Campbell had passed you by without batting an eye, without a single malicious word, without shoving her elbow in your ribs or pushing you aside, the little green skirt and matching top of the Tigers cheer uniform like battle armor turning you invincible, the bullied little middle school girl inside had taken a few moments to realize nobody was ever going to lock you up in a supply closet ever again.
By the time you entered the cafeteria and plopped down at the table Nance and Barb were already lounging at, your gaze flitted to Nancy, who was wearing the most non-Nancy outfit youโd ever seen her in โ sheโd donned a Hawkins Tigers shirt, and a green-and orange ribbon was holding her chocolate-colored hair in a high ponytail.
โKing Steve Harrington has asked her out on a date tonight after the game,โ Barb explained with a smirk, and Nancyโs beam widened
โYou look stunning,โ Nancy grinned, giving you a once-over.
โWait โ Steve Harrington,โ you echoed, โThe Steve Harrington?โ
โHow many Steve Harringtons do we know?โ, Barb chuckled, taking a swig of her apple juice. โWhich means Nance is going to be a princess.โ
You placed your elbows on the table, leaning a little closer towards Nancy, the euphoria youโd felt moments ago replaced by worry as you followed your friendโs surreptitious gaze over to the table where the basketball team had assembled โ to Steve Harrington, the teamโs captain, who was currently busy raking a hand through his admittedly luscious curls, before you said, โNanceโฆyou know Steve is aโฆโ
Nancyโs dreamy expression vanished as she met your stern gaze.
โHe was with Becky Brown last week,โ you said, โAnd with Amy Miller the week before.โ
โDonโt forget Hannah โโ
โI get it,โ Nancy interrupted Barbโs interjection. โI get it, okay? But I think he really likes me.โ
โUntil he got in your pants and moves on to the next nudge in his belt,โ Barb said.
โListen,โ you said softly, placing your hand over Nancyโs on the table, โWeโre not trying to talk you out of dating him โโ
โYes, we are.โ
You threw Barb a warning sideways glance, who gave you a little shrug.
โWe just want you to be careful, Nance. Thatโs all. Just be careful, okay?โ
There was a beat of silence, before Nancy gave you a little nod, and the smile returned to her face โ albeit less radiant than before and a little frayed at the edges โ before she exchanged a glace with Barb and said, โWe got something for you.โ
โFor me?โ
โJust a little something. Itโs your big day, after all.โ
With a smile, Barb pulled something from her backpack, placing it on the table in front of you. It was a little box of robins-egg blue velvet, just the size to fit into your palm.
โOpen it,โ Nancy urged with a smile, and you obliged โ and your own smile widened as you opened the boxโs lid and your eyes fell on the thing inside.
Nestled on tissue paper, there was a hair ribbon, the soft green silk a color of the most vibrant dark green. Much prettier than the standard-issue scrunchie of the cheerleading uniform holding your hair back right now.
โWe thought it would be nice, for you to have a little lucky charm,โ Barb smiled as you let out a little squeal, already jumping from your seat to hug your friends.
โWant me to help tie it into your hair?โ, Nancy grinned, and you gave a happy little nod, already moving to pull the scrunchie from your hair as Nancy shuffled in her seat beside you, gesturing for you to turn your back to her.
When she was busy tying the ribbon into your hair, your gaze scanned the crowd in the cafeteria, and a little laugh bubbled from your lips. โI canโt believe it. Nance is going on a date with Steve the Hair Harrington himself and Iโm an actual cheerleader.โ
โIโll stay the nerd who makes sure you both keep your feet on the ground,โ Barb chuckled, righting her glasses, โSo you wonโt forget to stay humble with all your newfound fame.โ
โDone,โ Nancy announced, and you turned to look at your friends.
โHow do I look?โ
โLike the most beautiful cheerleader to ever have graced these sacred halls,โ Barb winked, and you struck a little pose to make them both giggle, before your face turned serious again.
Freshman year had been calm, uneventful. Peaceful. But sophomore yearโฆ
Just like the September sun shining outside was losing some of its summer-brightness, the late-summer air already laced with a cool breeze as the first leaves in the patch of woods behind the sports field were changing their vibrant green into shades of yellow already, you could feel change in the air.
As if something was going to end.
Childhood, maybe.
And all of a sudden, you were scared to lose them, those two girls youโd grown up alongside, sisters more than best friends at this point. That the tides of life would pull you apart, send you afloat on different routes like pieces of flotsam to carry each of you to shores too far apart from another to ever cross the ocean opening up between them.
โLetโs make a promise,โ you said suddenly, โThat no matter what happens, weโll stay together.โ
โYou really know how to be optimistic,โ Barb quipped, โNot very cheerful of you.โ
โI mean it,โ you pressed, stretching out your hand into the middle of the table, โPinkie-swear. None of us gets left behind. No drifting apart. Not for a guy, not for anything. Weโll stay together, whatever happens. Okay?โ
โPromise,โ Nancy said with a smile, hooking her pinkie around yours, Barb joining in with a soft grin of her own, โI donโt plan on going anywhere.โ
โEighty-three,โ you grinned. โItโs going to be our year. I can feel it.โ
For a heartbeat, the three of you stayed like this, pinkies hooked.
Then, your stomach rumbled.
โOkay, I should get my lunch,โ you announced, getting up from the table.
There was no line anymore at the serving counter, and even the cafeteria woman smiled at you when she placed the lunch on your tray, and your smile widened at the sight of the bowl of strawberry Jell-O for dessert. Your favorite.
With feathery steps, you returned to your table, the lunch tray in your hands, as you felt the tug of your new silk ribbon loosening, your hair coming lose, and the tray clutched in your hands you froze mid-movement to whirl around and scan the ground for the ribbon โ as someone bumped into you. Hard.
And the tray was pushed against your chest, peas raining all around you like confetti and strawberry Jell-O spilling all over the shirt of your cheerleading uniform as you let out a startled gasp.
For a few heartbeats, you stayed frozen in place, staring down at the huge red stain of Jell-O decorating the once white fabric of the shirt of your brand-new cheerleader uniform, right at the center.
Your head snapped up, meeting a pair of startled brown eyes.
โShit,โ the guy breathed.
In the sea of orange and green and white, he stood out like a black sheep among a flock of white ones โ though he would have stood out anywhere even on a regular school day.
He was clad in black. Black ripped jeans, black shirt, the name on it that of a band youโd never heard of, flashing out from beneath the lapels of his black leather jacket โ and his hair was so long that it spilled over his shoulders, a mess of wild dark curls brushing his collarbones, curly bangs falling into his forehead to frame his pale face, his features caught in a mask of silent dread as he stared back at you with the most stunning eyes youโd ever seen.
They were a dark brown, like burnt sugar, or whiskey; and wide with shock.
โIโm โ sorry,โ he said, the softness in his voice and the shock on his face not matching the menacing exterior.
He wasโฆhandsome.
In that strange, roughed up way.
You wondered how youโd never noticed him before. Probably because you were a sophomore and he wasโฆa junior? Or a senior, even? But still, with a look like that, youโd have definitely remembered if youโd seen him before.
And he was obviously waiting for you to say something.
โItโs okay,โ you breathed, a slow smile tucking at your lips to your own surprise, โI was thinking the shirt could use a bit more color.โ
And the shock vanished from the guyโs face before his lips curved into a timid, surprised smile.
It was the most radiant smile youโd ever seen โ and your heart did a weird little somersault in your chest. It felt like that feeling in a roller-coaster, right before the drop.
Feeling warmth creep into your cheeks, you grabbed the tray with your spilt lunch a little harder and turned to go, as the guy called out, โWait! You, uh, lost your โโ
You whirled back around to face him, just as he cut himself off and bent down to pick something from the floor.
And with that shy, radiant smile still on his lips, he extended his hand, your new green silk ribbon in his palm.
Youโd completely forgotten about the ribbon, the very reason youโd stopped and heโd bumped into you.
โOh. Yeah,โ you breathed, switching the tray to one hand to reach out with the other. โThanks.โ
When you took the ribbon from his palm, your eyes never leaving his dark ones, your fingertips grazed his skin.
The touch was fleeting, less than the brush of a feather, but it sent a jolt of electricity through you and sent your heart on another roller coaster ride.
The ribbon in one hand, the tray in the other, you turned and walked away, cheeks burning and rallying all your willpower not to throw a glance over your shoulder to see if he was still standing there, staring at you โ and you didnโt need to, because you could feel his gaze still on you, burning at your back.
โWhat was that?โ, Barb inquired when you placed the tray with your ruined lunch on the table before you plopped back down in your seat.
โNothing,โ you smiled.
โThat was Eddie The Freak,โ Nancy said.
โWait, you know the guy?โ
โItโs hard to miss him.โ
โI heard heโll have to repeat his senior year,โ Barb said, her voice taking on a conspirational tone.
So he was a senior. Two years older than you, or one and a half? Was he eighteen already?
Why did you even care?
โYou probably havenโt seen him before because heโs a slacker,โ Nancy mused, โNo wonder he has to repeat senior year. By the time we graduate, heโs probably Hawkins High inventory.โ
You made an unintelligible noise in response, before you threw a glance back over your shoulder.
He was gone. Vanished in the sea of green and orange and white heโd emerged from.
Your gaze flitted down to the green silk ribbon in your palm, thumb flicking over the soft fabric as you remembered that jolt of electricity shooting through your nerves as your fingers had grazed his palm.
And you couldnโt help but wonder, for a brief little moment, whether Eddie The Freak had felt it, too.
[Thursday, March 28th, 1986.
ONE MINUTE PAST MIDNIGHT.]
Eddieโs gaze wasnโt resting on the crimson D&D dice in his palm anymore โ it was locked on the vibrant dark green color of the silken ribbon youโd tied around his wrist, catapulting him back to the day heโd first met you.
Not in the woods, but in the cafeteria.
He hadnโt forgotten a single second of that brief, shared moment, the radiant smile youโd given him.
But it was only now that he realized the ribbon which had come loose and fallen from your hair that day, fluttering to the ground to make you turn and bump into himโฆit had been this very same ribbon.
It hadnโt simply always come back to you โ it had brought Eddie to you, as well. Or you to him.
Because hadnโt you bumped into each other that day in the cafeteria two years ago, hadnโt you given him one of those smiles that turned his insides into jelly and made his heart do backflips any cheerleader would have been proud ofโฆEddie wouldnโt have started to search for you in the crowded hallways, eager to catch a glimpse of that beautiful smile again and wishing to see it directed at him once more.
And if he hadnโt spent so much time looking for youโฆhe wouldnโt have seen you disappear into the woods that night last September when he was waiting to do a drug deal in the Hawkins High parking lot. He also wouldnโt have seen Jason following you.
Back then, Eddie had followed because heโd thought you needed help, that you were running away from Jason.
How could he have guessed that you hadnโt even noticed Jason because youโd been running from another monster, one which was torturing your mind?
The very same monster watching Eddie now, with those disturbing forget-me-not-blue eyes.
In the time Eddie had stared at the ribbon, he had grown โ from the little boy into a man in his early thirties.
โHenry Creel,โ Eddie said.
Henryโs smile was even more unsettling than before, matching the honeyed timbre of his tone as he assessed softly, โYou know who I am.โ
โAnd you know who I am.โ
โEdward.โ
Eddie flinched a little at the sound of the name.
It didnโt escape Henryโs notice.
โEdward. A good, classic name. Yet, you despise it with all your heart. Because it was your fatherโs choice.โ
Eddie remained silent, lacing his glare with all the hatred for this human-turned-monster in front of him that he could muster.
Henry, Vecna, chuckled again. โYou donโt want anything to do with the man who sired you โ but I wonderโฆwhy?โ His voice morphed into a dark croon. โDaddy would be so proud of you. Look whatโs become of you, hm? Your third attempt to graduate. A drug dealer, following in your old manโs footsteps. Known by the police long before they started hunting you for murder. Stealing that camper, just like he taught you. Poor little Eddie. The only thing youโve ever been proud of running away from โ only to realize the path has led you right back to where you were always supposed to end.โ
Henry tilted his head as he waited for Eddie to reply.
It reminded Eddie of a cat stalking a mouse.
Thatโs what he was. A tiny little field mouse dangling in this beast of preyโs claws.
He wouldnโt give Henry the satisfaction of showing a reaction to the taunts, of letting himself be goaded like that. Eddie was dead. And Henry Creel was nothing but a schoolyard bully. Heโd dealt with this kind of person his whole life.
โCat got your tongue, curly-head?โ, Henry taunted, his voice as sweet honey as if that could somehow conceal the evil abysses of those unsettling eyes.
โWhat do you want me to say?โ Eddieโs fist tightened around the crimson D&D dice, its plastic edges digging into his palm. โGoldilocks.โ
Eddie hadnโt thought he had it in him, this sass in the face of evil.
But where panic had resided in his chestโฆthere was only rage left. Fury.
โAre you done?โ, Eddie inquired, schooling his expression into an unreadable mask matching Henryโs. Because Henry Creel might have been the dungeon master of this gameโฆbut Eddie refused to play along.
โOh, but I havenโt even started yet, little songbird,โ Henry crooned, in this calm, low voice that was so deeply upsetting, โHow am I supposed to call you, if Edward is not to your liking?โ
As if on cue, there were voices in Eddieโs head, a chorus of whispers chiming and chanting all the ugly names the kids at school had given him over the years. The adults, too, oftentimes.
Trailer park trash. Sewer rat. Weirdo. Freak.
Eddieโs hands flew up to clamp over his ears, drown them out.
But amidst the ugly choir of voices calling him names, there was another one, soft and loving. Your voice, as beautifully familiar as the words on the pages of his worn-out copy of Lord Of The Rings, piercing through whatever malicious spell Henry had cast over him.
The way Eddieโs name sounded on your lips when you laughed, when you called out for him in greeting, your eyes lighting up. When you paused in between kisses to tell him you loved him โ
โDo you know what it means, your name?โ, Henry drawled, placing his hands on the back of the carved Dungeon Master throne. Eddieโs Dungeon Master throne. But Eddie wasnโt the one calling the shots anymore.
โIt means protector.โ Henry chuckled.
โYouโre dead,โ Eddie hissed. He was still surprised he wasnโt trembling like a leaf.
But he knew where the rage was coming from.
It was all the bottled-up fury for what Vecna had done to you, to Max, to all the others, and to him. Eddie had never felt so much rage in his entire goddamn life.
Henry chuckled, a soft sound that travelled through this unnatural, abysmal darkness surrounding the two of them.
โThe little thief seems to be a little liar, too. Youโve lost. Your friends will die. And the ground is swallowing Hawkins as we speak.โ
No.
If Henry was telling the truth โ
A gentle breeze brushed Eddieโs cheeks, and something appeared at the side of the table.
Another wooden chair, less intricate than the Dungeon Masterโs throne at the head of the table.
And chained to the chair by writhing black creepers that wrapped around her wrists, clamped over her lips to mute her, over her eyes โ
โMax,โ Eddie breathed.
He should have known that something horrible would await him when Henry didnโt move to hold him back.
But all rational thoughts were drowned out by Eddieโs panic as he darted towards Max and ripped away the vines covering Maxโs mouth, the creepers falling away far too easily.
โEddie?โ
It was a broken whisper, a stir of the air more than an actual sound.
โY- yeah,โ Eddie breathed, โItโs me. Iโm here, Max. Right here. I got you, red.โ
He moved on to the vines covering the girlโs eyes, his nails digging into the slick black tissue of the creepers covering her eyes โ and it took all of Eddieโs willpower to bite back the scream lodged at the back of his throat as the vines finally fell away, revealing Maxโs eyes.
White as the floating spores of the Upside Down, weeping blood.
โItโs so dark,โ she half-whispered, half-sobbed. โItโs so dark. Why is it so dark?โ
It sounded so unlike the little redhead.
So forlorn andโฆbroken.
โWhy is it so dark?!โ
โWeโreโฆโ Dead. Weโre dead, and youโre blind. He couldnโt tell her that. But he couldnโt lie, either. He couldnโt tell her everything would be okay.
โDead,โ Henry finished the sentence.
No, Eddie wanted to scream. Weโre not dead.
But Eddie knew Vecna was telling the truth. He remembered it all. The agony, the blood. His eyes finding yours for one last time, one last I love you.
And if Max was deadโฆthe wall between worlds had crumbled away.
VecnaโฆVecna had won.
And his monster slayer, the brave new family heโd found, his uncle and his friends in Hellfire, the entire goddamn town of Hawkinsโฆthey were in horrible danger.
A choked, broken sob ripped from Maxโs lips as those blind eyes, wide with terror, tried to find him.
โIโm here,โ Eddie soothed, panic subverted by all his senses screaming at him to protect as he moved to rip away the creepers tying her wrists to the chairโs wooden armrests. โIโm here, โkay? Youโre not alone, Max.โ
โEdward the protector,โ Henry drawled. โAlways looking out for the โ how do you call them? Lost little sheep? Are you a shepherd, Edward? Or are you just another of those lost sheep, hiding beneath the fur of a wolf? I thought weโd settled that youโre a runner, not a fighter, hm? A coward, not a hero.โ
It was hard to block out Henryโs words, mingling with Maxโs broken whimpers as Eddie tore and ripped at the creepers tying the girl to the chair. He could hear the soft splash of water indicating Henryโs soft footsteps as he drew closer and closer, until his voice chimed up from right behind Eddieโs shoulder, close enough for chills to race down Eddieโs spine.
โI have seen your heart, Edward Munson. Iโve seen your doubts. Your insecurities, the parts you so desperately tried to hide away from the world. Now itโs only fair of me to share my little secret with you, hm?โ Henry leaned in, closer, so close that Eddie felt his breath stirring his curls as the man-turned-monster whispered, โIt was me who brought your monster slayer to you.โ
Eddieโs head snapped up to meet the eerie forget-me-not-blue of Henryโs gaze.
His head was tilted to the side like a curious catโs as he waited for Eddieโs reply.
โYouโre a liar.โ
โI am many things,โ Henry chuckled, โBut a liar? No.โ The feline smirk on his lips widened. โI put all these hallucinations in her head, you know that already. Drove her into madness. And right into your arms. You know, to hit her where it hurt the most, to take something as valuable from her as sheโs taken from meโฆshe needed to possess something so valuable at first. And who would have been a better choice than the boy who has been pining for her for so long? All your longing glances in the hallways when she was passing by. During lunchbreaks while you were sitting at the other side of the cafeteria, wishing it was you who was graced with those smiles. Wondering whether youโd ever get to know what made her laugh so beautifully. I drove her right into your arms, Eddie. And now I took you away again.โ
Eddie knew exactly what Henry was doing.
Sewer rat. Trailer trash. Weirdo. Freak.
Henry had seen right into Eddieโs heart, all the doubts and insecurities heโd locked in there like a swarm of bats in a cave, and now he was using them like he had used his swarm of monster bats.
And the deeper Eddie had fallen for you, the more heโd doubted.
If you donโt trust yourself, trust me. Thatโs what heโd told you yesterday. Thatโs what Eddie would do now. He didnโt trust himself. But he trusted you.
Rising from the floor, Eddie positioned himself between Maxโs slumped form in her chair and Henry, who was still waiting for Eddieโs reply to his cruel taunts.
โI liked you more when you were just a rotting corpse in an old attic, you know,โ Eddie hissed, fury conquering fear. For now. Eddie felt it would only be a temporary sentiment.
But Henry only chuckled.
โWho was there who ever really loved you, Eddie? Mommy, who preferred her pixie dust over her own son? Daddy, who hoped youโd drown and spare him the trouble when he threw you into the water of the bayou to teach you to swim? Your uncle, who was forced to take you in because there was nobody else who would have wanted you, like a flea-infested stray kicked away from the front door?โ
โMy uncle loves me.โ
โAnd did he choose you?โ
โHe would,โ Eddie breathed, โHe did.โ
โHe chose to not suffer a guilty conscience for the rest of his days. Or do you truly think it was Wayneโs dream, to raise a kid that wasnโt his own because his good-for-nothing brother didnโt care enough to do it himself? To be stuck working through the nights to provide for a kid he never even wanted to raise?โ Henry took a step closer towards Eddie, closing the remaining distance as Eddie froze in his spot, hackles raised but holding his ground as he kept himself placed between Max and the monster.
โShe loves me,โ Eddie breathed. โShe chose me.โ
โOh, she did. And at what cost? She wishes sheโd never met you. โI will always, always come back to youโ. Thatโs what you promised,โ Henry drawled, taking Eddieโs hand in his icy ones as his fingers, strangely elongated, toyed with the green silk ribbon youโd tied around Eddieโs wrist as he added, โAn empty promise.โ
โSo thatโs what you do with your almighty powers?โ, Eddie said quietly, pulling his hand out of Henryโs icy grasp, โStalking people in their most private moments like some perv?โ
The unsettling smile grew.
โAll your anger will not change the fact that you failed her, Eddie. Your monster slayer. And all the rest of them.โ
Henry raised his hand.
The scream which ripped from Maxโs lips made Eddie whirl around to the little redhead, to the creepers which had ripped her out of the wooden chair, dragging her towards the pillar rising from the darkness behind her like the trunk of a tree, her blind eyes white as she screamed and Eddie darted after her, hands clasping her small ones, so cold in his own as he tried to pull her out of the vinesโ unrelenting grip.
To no avail.
Eddie fell backwards as with a final tug, Maxโs hand slid out of his grasp.
โNo,โ Eddie cried, scrambling to get up from the ground, but it was too late, anyway.
Max was pinned to her pillar, the black vines creeping over her mouth to mute her wails as Henry stepped in front of Eddie, blocking his path to the redhead.
โIn the end, you never managed to protect anyone, Edward The Protector,โ the monster teased softly. โThe town is hunting your lost sheep down for their affiliation with you. The boy you wanted to protect from the mockery and scorn you faced yourself? He will die, just like the rest of all the others whoโve come so foolishly to this realm to kill me. And the girl you so desperately wanted to protect, gave your lifetime to add a few more seconds to hers โ your monster slayer?โ
Henry raised his hand anew, cold palm brushing over Eddieโs eyes too fast for Eddie to take a step back and shrink away from the freezing touch, and his vision slipped, the void and the D&D table, Max and Henry, gone as images invaded his mind like a swarm of paper planes.
For a few seconds, Eddie couldnโt make sense of what it was Henry was showing him, flitting shadows and swirling splotches of white.
Until he realized that he saw a fragment of the world from birdโs eye view.
Batโs eye view.
He saw what the swarm saw, locked into the hivemind.
They were drawing circles in the air like those plastic horses on a carousel at the fairground. And in the center, as frozen and still as the scene in a polaroid pictureโฆ
There was his monster slayer.
Slumped on the ground, curled up against his side.
It would have looked almost peaceful, like a couple taking a nap in the grass under a star-splattered night sky.
Only that the grass was dead and soaked with blood, a dark pool of it, and that there were no stars in the eternal dark skies arching over the Upside Down.
Only winged monsters.
There were spores drifting down to catch in your hair, in his own dark curls, on his lashes as Eddie met his own unseeing gaze, trained skywards at the fluttering swarm.
The way your eyes were squeezed shut, silent tears streaming down your cheeks, your face nuzzled into the curve between his shoulder and neck and your hand resting on the silk ribbon tied aroundโฆit shattered him into a million pieces.
โSheโs as dead as you are, Edward,โ Henry cooed, snapping Eddie back out of the hivemind, umber eyes meeting forget-me-not-blue ones. โThe moment your heart stopped beating. Sheโs dying, with every second she sobs over your body. Crumbling away. Piece by piece, like dandelion seeds scattered in the wind. If I offered her to erase her memories of you, do you think she would agree to the deal? Better off to never have met you at all?โ
As much as it hurtโฆEddie would want you to agree. Just forget him, move on. Live the life youโd never gotten to live.
โThatโs what Iโm offering you,โ Henry crooned now, taking Eddieโs hand to press something into his palm.
The crimson D&D dice. Eddie mustโve let go of it when heโd tried to free Max.
โPlay a little game with me, Eddie Munson. If I winโฆwell, I already did.โ Henryโs smile turned cruel. โBut if you win, I will grant you one single act of kindness. If you win, I will take away your monster slayerโs pain. I will free her of the heartbreak and grief over your loss that will cast the darkest of shadows upon the rest of her days, however many of those might be left.โ
Henry stepped closer, index finger locking under Eddieโs chin to force him to hold the gaze of those cold eyes.
โHow?โ, Eddie breathed.
โIt is quite simple, little songbird,โ Henry crooned. โIn factโฆit was you who sparked the idea.โ
Before Eddie could recoil, Henry raised his free hand โ and with the tap of his index finger on Eddieโs forehead, the darkness of the void shifted.
Gone were Max and the D&D table.
Replaced byโฆtrees.
Sunlight was filtering through the crown of the trees surrounding him, making Eddie squint in the sudden brightness as the leaves rustled in the gentle autumn breeze which carried the scents of burning firewood, the chill heralding another freezing Indiana winter while the warmth of the scorching summer of 1985 was still clinging to the air.
Eddie knew this wasnโt real. A memory, as if Henry had scoured his mind like one would a video store. And the memory heโd picked was one of the happiest Eddie possessed.
He knew exactly which memory it was.
Eddie was standing in the middle of the woods, in the little clearing, right beside the picnic table.
And there was music.
All around, weaving with the autumn air and the rustling leaves, Eddieโs favorite song.
โRemember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sands - I remember you.โ
And there you were. Eyes sparkling in the golden rays of the afternoon sun as you smiled while Eddie watched himself twirl you across the carpet of fallen leaves.
โAnd through the sleepless nights, through every endless day.โ
โIt hasnโt always been your favorite song,โ Henry drawled from behind Eddie. โBut it was, after that day.โ
โI wanna hear you say, I remember you.โ
Just when Henryโs calm, dark voice chimed up from behind again, it dawned on Eddie what the monster with the forget-me-not-blue eyes was offering him.
โI will erase you from her memories, Edward.โ
โThatโs not in your power,โ Eddie breathed, tearing his eyes away from you and him, caught in your own little world, whirling around to face Henry.
โI told you, I am many things. But I am no liar.โ
Eddie could see the truth in those forget-me-not-blue eyes.
A cruel game, befitting for a cruel Dungeon Master.
โItโs up to you, Edward. She will forget you,โ Henry continued in his low, gentle voice so opposed to the malice of his words, shining in his unsettling eyes, as the colors of the woods started bleeding away, the tunes of the song fading until the darkness of the Void, the D&D table and Maxโs slumped, lifeless form chained to the pillar were back. โShe will move on and find happiness. Or she will remember you, the way you died in her arms while she was forced to watch. One more demon to haunt her in her sleep, in every waking hour. Oh, the irony, that after all Iโve put her through, the thing that broke herโฆโ Henry smiled, โWould not be me, but her love for you.โ
Eddieโs mind flitted back to the moment youโd been caught in Vecnaโs curse, the words which had spilled not from his lips but his heart.
โAnd even though it hurts like hell to even think of you with someone else, you need to wake up now so you can find this person you can do all these things with and share your life and be happy with, okay? โCause no matter how fucking much it destroys me to know that this beautiful smile of yours will be for someone else, that youโll crack Yoo-Hoo jokes and watch movies and discover the world and build a life and dance and laugh with someone else, you need to come back to do all these things, monster slayer.โ
โHow will you decide, Eddie? Haunt her โ or try and set her free?โ
Eddie had meant those words. Every single one.
And he still did. Of course he did.
A single tear rolled down his cheek as he opened his fist to stare at the dice nestled in his palm.
And with newfound determination, Eddie lifted his gaze to meet Henry Creelโs.
โLetโs play.โ
***
One hand laced with Eddieโs, your other hand wrapped around the guitar pick dangling from the necklace Eddie had given you. The edges of the smooth plastic were digging into your palm as you clutched it like a lifeline.
But there was nothing that could save you from drowning in the abyss that had opened up in your chest.
That was the first guitar pick I ever had, did you know that? With that thing, I learned to play guitar. It was a shitty old acoustic guitar my uncle got from a yard sale. The guitar pick was part of the package. Itโs been my lucky charm ever since and I guess it worked because Iโm here, with the girl of my dreams who, for some weird reason, loves me back.
It wasnโt supposed to end like this.
Youโd fought so hard to rewrite Eddieโs stars, his story. Write him a happy ending instead of a tragic one.
And still, it hadnโt been enough.
Get up, you wanted to scream at Eddie. You need to get up. Please, please, please get up.
But Eddie wouldnโt.
He would never again play guitar, smile softly in concentration as his slender fingers pulled the strings. He would never again play D&D and plan campaigns while drinking bottle after bottle of Yoo-Hoo. Heโd never again scribble little doodles on the edges of his school notes and books, tongue poking out as he focused. Heโd never again read Lord Of The Rings or watch Star Wars, laugh about Dustinโs jokes or dream up worlds and characters in this beautiful, clever mind of his.
He'd never graduate.
Never live the life heโd wanted to live.
The young man who had chosen to be kind when the world had shown him so much scorn, whoโd kept his softness when he so easily could have let the cruelty heโd faced sharpen his edges, whoโd tried so hard to make the best of the cards fate had dealt him because heโd wanted to be better than whatever his father had tried to make of him. Eddie, whose warmth had never been extinguished by the coldness the world had shown himโฆhe was gone.
Just like that.
Because Vecna had taken him away to punish you.
Eddie had been your sun to light the day and the moon to illuminate the night and the stars to guide you through the dark.
And with his light forever snuffed out, there was only eternal darkness left.
Spreading through your chest like the Mind Flayer had all those months ago, freezing and tar-black and abysmal.
And all the power youโd ripped away from Vecna, stolenโฆit wasnโt enough to bring Eddie back, put the light back into those beautiful umber eyes which had always shimmered with so much warmth and kindness. Eyes which were forever hollow and unseeing now, trained at the sky bleeding crimson lightning, framed by the dark cloud of the swarm of bats still flitting around you in circles.
And finally, the scream which had been building in your chest, in the darkness where your heart had beenโฆit ripped free.
Of anguish and grief and loss and pain.
So much pain.
Clawing at your insides, ripping you apart as your voice filled the silence of the Upside Down.
And a shriek answered.
And another, and another, a chorus of anguished screeches answering your scream from all around you.
Your eyes flew open and you angled your head, your cheek still resting against Eddieโs collarbone as your gaze locked on the sky above.
Through the veil of your tears, it took a moment for you to realize what it was you were seeing.
Fire.
Hailing from the skies like falling stars.
***
โThe rules are simple,โ Henry smiled as he slowly sunk into his Dungeon Masterโs throne at the head of the table. โYou roll the dice three times. If you land a twentyโฆyouโve won. If notโฆโ
Henry raised his hand, and the darkness of the void all around them dissolved, making room for colors.
Well, one color.
Red.
The deep, dark color of fresh blood spilling from a deadly wound replacing the abysmal black, tinting the fog covering the ground and the sky arching above, empty save for a low full moon.
Nope. Not a moon.
The display of aโฆclock.
And all around, like the columns holding the roof of a cathedral, pillars shot out of the ground like Maxโs had done, stretching towards this crimson sky, patterns of black creepers writhing around them like coils of snakes.
And on each pillar, there was a body.
Eddie had seen these images before, of broken limbs like the branches of trees, of bloody black holes where eyes had been and dislodged jaws gaping open in eternal, muted death cries.
They were all here, just like you had told him when youโd woken from your trance.
All of the souls Vecna had reaped.
If heโd still been able to throw up, Eddie would have retched his guts out.
But he couldnโt avert his gaze from Chrissyโs empty eye sockets staring back at him.
You left me there, she seemed to scream at him. You ran and left me there.
He tore his gaze away, spinning in a circle, to the pillar behind him โ but it was empty.
It took Eddie a shellshocked moment to realize that this empty pillarโฆit was meant for him.
Because no matter if he won, as soon as the last dice had been thrown, Eddie would take his place in Henryโs collection of stolen souls.
Just like Max, he realized.
Locked up in this place forever.
But if Eddie could make sure to give you a chance to be happy againโฆhe could take this fate waiting for him.
And if he found a way to get Max out of hereโฆ
He opened his palm, taking the crimson D&D dice between his thumb and index finger as another horrid realization hit him.
Eddie didnโt need to turn the dice to know.
โThereโs no twenty,โ he breathed. โRight?โ
***
It took a split second for you to realize those werenโt falling stars hailing from the skies all around you.
It were the bats.
Their wings and fluttering tails had caught fire, set ablaze by your tormented mind, the reeling darkness youโd ripped away from Vecna.
Leathery wings devoured by flames as they fell from the skies all around you, their tormented screeches filling the freezing half-dark of the Upside Down, one after the other, more and more until they rained down like a shower of shooting stars.
Bringing you back to the night on the roof of Eddieโs trailer, when youโd first kissed.
Iโve never seen a goddamn shooting star in my life.
If only they were shooting stars, hearing your desperate wish.
But no shooting star in the world could give you back what youโd lost.
No, you couldnโt put the light back into those beautiful dark eyes.
Couldnโt put his light back into the world to combat the dark.
And amidst this eternal night in your chest, there was a spark of fury.
Of wrath.
Not a lifeline, not exactly. But a tether, nonetheless.
You held on to it, clutched it tightly.
No, you couldnโt put the light back into Eddieโs eyes to chase away this darkest of nights.
But you could set the darkness on fire.
Vecna had taken everything from you.
And now, you would take everything from him.
***
With his frozen smile still on his lips, Henry Creel tilted his head, the softest of chuckles filling the void.
โWitty little songbird. A dungeon masterโs skill, one might say.โ
He waved his hand, and when Eddie glanced back at the dice in his palm, it showed a twenty, black numbers on crimson.
But it didnโt matter whether Eddie rolled a natural twenty, he realized.
Because even if heโd make true of his promise and erase Eddie from your memoriesโฆHenry would never let you go. Heโd haunt you for the rest of the days โ and those would be numbered.
Henry would make sure to youโd pay for stealing from him.
Eddieโs breath caught in his throat.
And that was the moment it finally clicked, the final piece of the puzzle he didnโt even know heโd been searching for falling in place.
Stealing from him.
Jesus H Christ.
That was it.
Stealing meant taking something away, something that would be gone.
Stealing some of Henry Creelโs powersโฆmeant heโd have left less of them left for himself.
Thatโs why he was so furious with you.
You hadnโt only stolen from him โ youโd weakened him.
How the fuck had Eddie been so blind? How had he not realized this all along?
When he glanced up at Henry now, it was as if a theater curtain had been lifted, revealing a glance at what had lain behind all the time.
Henry wasnโt sitting on the Dungeon Masterโs throne simply because he could or wanted to.
He was sitting there because he had to.
Because he was injured.
And in pain, it dawned on Eddie.
Pretty good at covering it up, but Eddie could see the strain on Henryโs face, the grey pallor on his milky skin, the exhaustion beneath the malice in his forget-me-not-blue eyes.
Henry Creel was hurt.
Yeah, Eddie was dead.
But he wasnโt gone yet.
Eddie didnโt know what he was now. A ghost, the fragment of a soul staying behind because he couldnโt let go as long as the love of his life was still in danger. Or a memory, maybe, like a blurred polaroid picture, forever frozen in this timeless realm. An angry, heartbroken spirit whoโd never find rest because his monster slayer, the girl he loved more than anything was suffering, trapped in a place he could never reach to wrap his arms around her and whisper that all would be okay.
It didnโt matter either way.
Eddie would never be able to come back to you. But as his hand wrapped around your green silk ribbon tied around his wrist, Eddie realizedโฆhe might be able to make sure Henry would never be able to get back to you, either.
Maybe, Eddie could deal the final blow himself, from within.
Make sure the monster would never be able to lay a hand on you again.
That had always been what Eddie had tried to do, after all โ protect you.
He only needed a plan.
Fast.
His eyes never leaving Henry Creelโs, Eddie threw the dice for the first time.
The sound of it, rolling across the wooden D&D table towards Henry in his throne, sounded too loud in the eerie silence of the void. But then again, there was no point in fearing to draw attention to any monster which might roam the darkness at the edges of Vecnaโs lair when the most monstrous thing was watching him with his piercing forget-me-not eyes.
When the dice came to a stop right in front of Henry, Eddie didnโt need to take a glance to see it hadnโt landed on a twenty.
Henryโs smirk was telling enough.
โWant to try again, Edward?โ
Hell yes.
Letting his fingertips trail over the polished wooden surface of the gaming table, Eddie walked towards the head of the table and Henry, still lounging in the throne that had once belonged to Eddie, to grab the dice for his second throw.
To get close enough.
Just as Eddieโs fingers wrapped around one of the little figurines discarded all across the wooden surface, a motion behind Henry caught his attention.
And for the fragment of a heartbeat, Eddieโs eyes locked on a pair of hazel ones.
Heโd never seen her before, but he didnโt need to โ heโd heard so many stories about her that he felt like he already knew the girl with the buzzed hair and the nosebleed meeting his gaze above Henryโs shoulder, frozen mid movement as she reached out to the creepers keeping Max muted and pinned to her pillar.
Eleven.
The girl with the superpowers.
And it seemed sheโd managed to get those back just in time.
Even with this split-second glance, Eddie could tell that Eleven was as weakened as Henry.
Blood was dribbling from her nose and onto her white shirt, and exhaustion shone in her eyes, the shadows underneath dark and deep.
No matter how sheโd gotten here, it dawned on Eddie that she wouldnโt be able to save both Max and him.
And if Henry discovered her, she might not even be able to save herself.
There was the spark of an idea in Eddieโs panic-dazed mind as the thought which had taken root there only seconds ago grew into a fully-fledged plan.
A crazy one. Batshit crazy and really, truly reckless, bordering on stupid โ but there was the sliver of a chance that it might actually work.
Grip tightening around the D&D figurine as he let the sleeve of his leather jacket slide down a little further, over his fist, the surprisingly sharp edges of the miniature monster digging into his palm, Eddie quickly focused back on Henry as not to betray the arrival of help.
He knew exactly what he had to do.
Buy more time for one final time, divert the monster so the girl with the superpowers could save Max.
And then, Eddie would kill Vecna right from within.
Set you free of Henry Creelโs grasp.
To live.
Graduate.
Go to the beach.
Find peace.
Move on, and find happiness.
Thatโs what Eddie wanted for you. Thatโs what heโd fight for even in death.
It was strange, that he didnโt have a heartbeat anymore yet he could feel it racing in his chest, roaring in his ears. Tremors were shaking his hands and making his bottom lip tremble, that stupid fucking quirk he couldnโt control forever giving him away as he bit his lip to stop it from giving him away this time, keep his eyes locked on Henryโs, dark umber against forget-me-not-blue.
Eddie reached the head of the table, his other hand, the one not holding the figurine reaching to grab the dice โ
And with a suppressed roar of rage, Eddie attacked.
A sickening squelch filled the air alongside Henryโs uproar of pain as the little figurine in Eddieโs hand hit its mark in the manโs left eye, black blood splattering over Eddieโs face as he stumbled backwards, away from Henry.
The D&D figurine was stuck in his eye, right in the center.
It was a Mind Flayer figurine, all of its spidery legs buried in Henry Creelโs eye socket as more black blood gushing out of the wound to spill on his immaculate white dress shirt, turning it less-immaculate in a heartbeat.
โNew game idea,โ Eddie breathed, โTag. Your turn, goldilocks.โ
***
It felt like sleepwalking as you untangled yourself from Eddie to kneel on the dead grass, the blood pooling all around in a puddle. Eddieโs blood, already cold.
There was still the ghost of one of Eddieโs sunshine smiles lingering on his lips.
It was fitting, you thought.
The boy whoโd always made sure to keep his smile no matter what was thrown his way, whoโd always tried to make others smile whenever he could, whoโd given you back the laughter youโd been so sure the Mind Flayer โ Vecna โ had stolen for good, had walked into death with one of those soft smiles, because the last thing heโd seen had been you.
Your hands folded over his own, fingers lacing with his as you tilted your head towards the skies, towards the burning bats hailing down all around you like falling stars, their agonized death cries filling the air.
It was hurting Vecna.
You could feel his pain through that strange, lingering connection of darkness, that bond tying you to him and him to you like a shackle.
The darkness youโd stolen from him nestled closer in your mind, your grief shared by this weird companion. A part of you, and yet holding a consciousness of itself.
You would hurt Vecna.
You would make him pay.
Your eyes fluttered close.
One last time, you told the darkness. Help me one last time.
***
It felt like all the times Eddie had run away in his life had led to this moment, prepared him to run when running was what he needed to do right now to draw Henry away so the girl with the superpowers could save Max and Eddie could kill Henry and save you.
He raced past pillars decorated with broken, tortured souls frozen in their final, muted death screams, empty eye sockets watching as he darted past.
Eddie knew he might be one of them soon. Or would he? What would happen if he managed to kill Vecna in the monsterโs own mind? Would he stay here, trapped forever in this horrible place filled with death and misery and pain, like a firefly trapped in a jar?
It didnโt matter.
The only thing that mattered was that he killed Henry and made sure the monster would never ever lay a hand on you again.
As long as he knew you were safe, Eddie was ready to accept whatever fate awaited him.
But to kill Henry, he needed a weapon.
Something, anythingโฆ
But there was nothing here. Only death and broken bones and creeping vines writhing as they lashed out in attempts to grab his ankles and restrain him, their movements strangely distorted, like those of a drunk. Something was hurting Henry, slowing him down. Some injury Team Crit Hit had managed to deal.
Like a hare on the run from the fox, Eddie zigzagged between them, past the maze of pillars, stumbling blindly through the fog which seemed to grow thicker with every step until it swallowed Eddieโs ragged breaths and the sound of his combat boots on the ground.
Just as he threw a glance over his shoulder, to check whether Henry was still following him, something crunched beneath the soles of his boots.
Eddie didnโt know what it was that compelled him to stop. But he did. Maybe it was something he could use as a weapon.
Blood roaring in his ears, Eddie bent down, his fingers searching the thing heโd stepped on, hidden by the fog covering the ground and the world all around him, reaching for him in tendrils that curled around his legs like creepers.
There. Something cold and sharp bit into the tips of his fingers before his hand closed around it.
A razorblade. A rusty old razorblade.
โEddiiiiieeee,โ a sing-song voice drawled from beyond the impenetrable fog.
โNo,โ Eddie breathed.
It couldnโt be.
Not here.
โCโmere. Be a big boy, huh?โ
The last time Eddie had heard this voice, heโd been a kid, cowering in the corner of the camper as the policemen had dragged Richard Munson away. His father.
โEddiiiieee. Stop hiding. Iโm gonna find you anyways, I always do. Letโs just get this over with, hm?โ
And just like that, Eddie was four years old again, scared and hiding from his father and his razorblade and the stench of cheap whiskey that always seemed to linger in the air around him like a little cloud.
โYou donโ wanna look like a girl, do ya, Eddie? Donโ wanna look like mommy? Lemme cut these ugly curls.โ
No. Please, please donโt. Eddie squeezed his eyes shut. โNot real. Itโs not real,โ he whispered, shrinking away from the voice piercing through the fog, โHeโs gone. Heโs locked up and this isnโt real. Itโs a trick. Not real. Not real โโ
โYou wanna look like mommy, huh? You wanna look like that ungrateful bitch?โ
Eddie let go of the rusty razorblade as his hands shot up to cover his ears, lock out all those ugly memories while he sunk to the ground, letting the fog swallow him.
His father had never hit him. But heโd hated Eddieโs curls. And when heโd drank enough of his magic potions, heโd sometimes grabbed a razorblade to shear them off, the cold metal biting into Eddieโs skin, sometimes drawing blood with how much his fatherโs hands were shaking as he got worked up. Spitting out horrible things about Eddieโs mother.
โGo away,โ Eddie breathed, the first tears of panic spilling down his cheeks as he cowered there, between the pillars, the silhouettes of broken limbs reaching through the fog like the branches of naked trees in winter. โGo. Away!โ
โStole my good stuff to od โn left me with her lilโ mutt. She was a whore, ya know? Wouldnโa surprised me if you werenโt even mine but weโre gonna make a real Munson outta ya, boy. Now, hold still. Lemme cut these ugly curls right off โn then weโre good, yeah?โ
At the edge of his panic, Eddie knew it wasnโt real.
That Henry Creel was playing his sick little mind games, burrowing into Eddieโs darkest memories, drilling deeper and deeper until he hit a vein, black oil spilling and poisoning everything else until the only thing left was panic, freezing, devouring panic.
Pressing his hands firmer over his ears, as if that would help drown out that voice that lived inside his head, freed from its cageโฆsomething grazed Eddieโs cheek.
Soft silk, a dark, vibrant green.
Your ribbon, tied around his wrist, conjuring up the love shining in your eyes when youโd tied it into a little bow-tie, both of you still beautifully immersed in the afterglow of what youโd just done, heartbeats in perfect synchrony forming a duet to match the connection between your souls.
Monster slayer.
Like a light switch being flipped, there were other memories flitting to the surface of Eddieโs mind to combat the ugly ones.
Not of rough hands gripping his neck, forcing the razorblade across his scalp, dark curls falling to the floor all around him as he sobbed โ but of your hands, gently combing through his curls when youโd washed his hair in the shower only twenty-four hours ago, your touch nothing but loving.
He needed to save you.
Gritting his teeth against the voice of his father still piercing the fog, Eddie pushed himself back on his feet.
Get a weapon.
Pierce Vecnaโs heart.
That was the plan.
Heโd done that a thousand times. All those years of playing D&D, as a player, as a Dungeon Masterโฆheโd defeated evil so many times.
He could do it again.
One last time.
And as if the control Eddie taken back over his mind and senses, reigning in his terror, was the key, the fog was lifting, his old manโs voice fading with every step Eddie took forwards, towards the looming silhouette ofโฆof a hallway.
A houseโs hallway โ a winding staircase leading up into nowhere.
And beside the staircase was a door.
An old one, made of wood and inlaid with a window of stained glass, a bouquet of crimson roses at its center.
The door youโd opened. The door youโd seen that night last November.
Shivers raced down Eddieโs spine as his eyes scanned the place.
โLittle songbird,โ a second voice, Henryโs voice, travelled through the air, a drawl, almost teasing in its tone, threat laced within.
Gritting his teeth, Eddie stumbled towards the staircase.
It was broken in places, some of the wooden struts of its banister sticking out like toothpicks.
โDo you truly think you can run from me, Edward? You might be an even bigger coward than I thought.โ
Grim determination guiding Eddieโs movements, he ripped out one of the wooden struts, the polished surface cool against his clammy palm, the end of it splintered into a sharp tip.
It looked like a stake ready to be driven through a vampireโs heart โ and for a split second, he remembered the joke heโd cracked in the trailer only an hour ago.
Guess Iโm Kas The Bloody-Handed now.
It was befitting, in a way. Kas had killed Vecna.
And so would Eddie.
โRun away, little songbird,โ Henry drawled, his voice morphing, growing dark and distorted like the signal of a walkie running out of batteries. โThe catโs coming to play with you.โ
Clutching the wooden stake, Eddie raced away from the the door with its creepy stained-glass roses, back into the labyrinth of pillars, careful not to glance at the mutilated, stolen souls of Vecnaโs victims decorating them.
โIโm going to rip out your feathers, little songbird.โ
His voice was eerie, haunting, reverberating through his lair.
Careful not to touch the creepers writhing lazily on the ground like coils of rattlesnakes, Eddie wove his way through the maze, deeper and deeper towards the source of the voice.
Towards Vecna.
โIโm going to snap your wings and make you sing with pain, little songbird.โ
Eddieโs heart was racing so loud that he feared its wild thumping would give him away.
His back pressed against the nearest pillar, Eddie waited, fighting to suppress his ragged breaths, listening โ
โFound you.โ
Eddie whirled around.
Henryโs eye, the one Eddie had pierced with the figurine, was gone.
An empty socket was glaring back at him in its stead to match the lifeless souls strapped to their pillars all around.
The remaining eye was filled with hatred.
And so, so much bloodlust, the sneer twisting Henryโs lips barely visible because his skin had grown grey, starting to rot away from his face.
It almost looked likeโฆlike burn marks.
When Henry raised his hand, fingers grown into spidery claws, Eddie moved.
There was a wet squelching sound as the sharp end of the broken stake pierced the monsterโs chest, sinking into rotting skin like a knife cutting through butter before Eddie let go of it, stumbling backwards and away from Henry, his back hitting the nearest pillar as the one remaining forget-me-not blue eye locked on him.
Eddie waited for Vecna to scream, to dissolve, fade into particles like the ones floating through the air of his realm of monsters โ
But Vecna just smiled.
And Eddie knew that heโd lost.
โOh, little songbird,โ Vecna crooned, his voice distorted like the chime of the broken clock in the skies as his hand โ his claw, fingers grown spindly and elongated like the legs of a spider, wrapped around the stake to pull it out of his chest.
The wood made a dull thudding sound as it clattered to the ground.
Freezing, wet creepers wrapped around Eddie from behind, ensnaring his wrists, his ankles, wrapping around his chest as they pulled him flush against the pillar to mirror the other souls Vecna had collected, a muted scream of pain lodged at the back of his throat as Henry stepped closer.
โDo you want to know why didnโt work?โ
The nauseating stench of burned flesh made bile rise in Eddieโs throat as the disfigured claw gripped his jaw, sharp fingernails digging into Eddieโs skin as the cruel smile on Henry Creelโs face widened.
โI donโt have a heart anymore, little songbird.โ
---
๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ | This was NOT the final chapter! Chapter 16 will be the final one, and it will contain smut. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT DUE TO THE NEW TUMBLR SETTINGS, YOU'LL ONLY BE ABLE TO SEE AND BE ALERTED TO CHAPTER 16 IF YOU HAVE THE DEAFULT SETTINGS HIDING MATURE CONTENT TURNED OFF! To see mature content, you need to turn on "show mature content" in your tumblr settings, else the content will be completely hidden and the tag won't work either. Chapter 16 will be posted next weekend ๐ค
monster slayer lying there with eddie's body because she literally can't keep going if he's not in this world...
vecna using eddie's memories of being terrified of his father and past abuse against him but being freed by the memories of how much monster slayer loves him...
eddie trying to protect monster slayer without knowing monster slayer is trying to avenge him while she doesn't know eddie is trying to protect her...
i can't, it's too much, it's too beautiful, i can't-
*me, waiting for chapter sixteen, listening to i remember you on repeat*
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๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ | ย Eddie Munson x female reader
๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ | THEN. Youโre the only survivor among the Mind Flayerโs victims, thanks to your friends - but after the Battle of Starcourt, you find yourself adrift in a sea of nightmares. Until an encounter in the woods with Eddie The Freak Munson offers an unexpected life line and turns your world upside down.
NOW. Four months have passed since the winter night you walked out of Eddieโs trailer and his life for good. But when the mysterious headaches and nightmares return full-force and something wicked stirs in sleepy Hawkins, starting a witch hunt against Eddie, you realize that there are two things in this world that might be more persistent than youโd thought: Evilโฆand love.
The story will be told in two timelines: the past (after the Battle of Starcourt) and the present (during the events of season 4).
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ | angst with a happy ending, fluff, smut
๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ | SMUT (in the later chapters, so you need to be 18+ to read this story!), angst with a happy ending, attempted assault, bullying, canon-typical violence ย
๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ | 8 k
๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ | bullying, mentions of attempted assault (Those are the chapter warnings. There will be lots of smut in the later chapters so please only read this if youโre 18+ years old!)
With the police lights flashing in the blushing light of sunrise, like fireworks illuminating the hoard of cops buzzing about the Munsonsโ tailer, the surreal sight of poor Chrissy Cunninghamโs broken body carried away in a black body bag like trash, you made a decision. โWe need to go. Now. We need to find Eddie before the cops do.โ
There was a beat of shocked silence, broken only by the buzzing static sound of RT units and the clamour of voices while the cops started carrying around cardboard boxes of โ of what, exactly? Evidence?.
Max and Robin stared at you as if youโd gone completely batshit crazy, before Max echoed, โFind him? Where would we even start? Heโs on the run.โ
โI mean, if he didnโt hijack or steal a car on the way, heโs on foot,โ Robin assessed, โThat means he canโt be very far yet but he could be hiding in the woods or โโ
A funny/fluffy little story for today. I hope you enjoy it! - Love, Kiki โก
๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ | Eddie Munson x female reader
๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ | While youโve been cancelling dates to secretly learn D&D and surprise Eddie, the worried little voice in Eddieโs mind starts coming up with its very own reasons for why you might be avoiding him. Itโs a good thing that not all misunderstandings end in disaster. Based on this request: reader is trying to learn d&d stuff to suprise eddie but she has to cancel a bunch to do it and eddie is scared that she found someone better with a happy ending
๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ | fluff, humor, angst if you squint but with a happy ending
๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ | 2.7k
๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ |ย fluff, humor, angst if you squint but with a happy ending. Not beta read.
โHOLY SHIT!โ, Dustinโs startled yelp rang through the quietness of the Hawkins library, followed by the dull thudding noise as the books heโd been holding were falling to the floor when he jumped a step backwards, and your own pained gasp as one of the books landed on your little toe with astounding precision.
โWhat is wrong with you?!โ, Dustin half-gaped, half-hissed as both of you stared at each other like two deer in the headlights, and you leaned against the nearest shelf as you waited for the pain in your foot to subside.
โAt least Iโm not throwing books at people.โ
โThen you should stop sneaking up on people.โ
โI wasnโt sneaking,โ you quipped, meeting the librarianโs annoyed gaze with an apologetic little smile of your own above Dustinโs shoulder, โI was lurking.โ
โI thought you were the Demogorgon.โ
โGee, thanks,โ you deadpanned. โAnyway, I need your help.โ
โI was wondering whether youโd ask, to be honest. I donโt think Iโd be the best tutor but for senior class math, but my skills should suffice.โ
โI โ what?โ
โMath. You were talking about math tutoring, werenโt you? I mean, youโll graduate in a few weeks and Eddie said you were failing miserably.โ
โDid he, now. Wow. Thatโs rich coming from the guy who copies my homework.โ
โThatโs what I said, too,โ Dustin grinned.
โBut no. Not math. I need you to teach me D&D.โ
Donโt know what it is about today, but I really miss my high school years. Clothes were crazy, hair was crazier. Music was off the hook. Madonna. Duran Duran. The Cars. The Cure. Vintage Van Halen. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Mixtapes and video rentals. MTV playing music videos 24/7.
No but imagine Eddie making you a mixtape and he has zero idea if you'll even like it because fuck Hawkins is full of people who associate rock music with devil shit. But not you. Not Eddie's girl.
Omg I loved this so much I needed to turn it into a drabble, I hope that's okay!
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฅ
๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ | Eddie Munson x female reader
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ | 800
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ | none, just fluff
โKeep your eyes closed!โ, Eddie softly chided, his breath tickling the side of your face as you felt him wave his hands in front of your eyes to check if they were truly closed.
โYouโre truly the master of building suspense,โ you laughed.
โA Dungeon Master through and through. Itโs gonna be worth it, thoughโ, Eddie crooned, and you could feel the mattress dip as he settled on the bed behind you.
โNow keep your eyes closed and stay still,โ he instructed softly.
โHmm,โ you drawled with a grin, โVery kinky today, are we.โ
Instead of a reply, you felt him move behind you, a soft, indistinct rustle in the air โ before something was gently placed over your ears. Headphones?
You nearly jumped out of your skin when the first notes of a guitar riff blasted from the headphones on full volume, before Eddie called out, โSorry! Sorry. Didnโt mean to rev it up like that.โ
The volume was tuned down as the lead singerโs voice started to drawl the first few lines of the lyrics, the music swelling like a tide.
Fell in love with a country girl, morning sunshine
She was up from a nether world, just to bust another soul
Shuffling closer to you, Eddie started to hum along, the smooth, dark timbre of his own voice lacing beautifully with the song, running over your senses like honey.
Her eyes were an endless flame, holy lightning
Desire with a special name, made to snatch your soul away, yeah
Drawling along, the lyrics floating through to room and weaving into the tunes that seeped from the headphones, Eddie inched closer still, his fingers slowly tangling in your hair at the back of your head as he brushed the strands away from your neck, and your eyes fluttered closed as you could feel the soft press of his lips on the column of your spine, trailing tender kisses up to the nape of your neck, his breath prickling on your skin as he set fire to your nerves.
You angled your head, the vibrations of Eddieโs voice as he softly sang along racing through your body, each kiss, each brush of his fingertips over your skin like an invisible tattoo you wanted to carry on your body for the rest of eternity.
In dreams I think of you
I don't know what to do with myself
Nuzzling his face against the crook of your shoulder, Eddie pulled you closer, until your spine was pressed flush against his chest, and with his breath tickling over your skin, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the pounding of his heart against your spine and his voice mingling with the song that seeped from the headphones, you listened, let it sweep you away.
Only when the last note floated in the air, the soft click of the tape being paused snapped you out of that beautiful trance.
โThat was amazing,โ you breathed, pulling the headphones away and angling your head so you could give Eddie a gaze over your shoulder, his mesmerizing dark eyes already on yours as if heโd been anxiously waiting for you to say something.
โYeah? The song or the kisses?โ, he asked.
โBoth,โ you smiled. โCouldnโt get enough. Was that Black Sabbath?โ
The smile Eddie gave you would have been enough to light up the whole town of Hawkins for a week. He nodded, and you slowly untangled from his embrace so you could fully face him. Loud, unapologetic, outgoing Eddie suddenly lookedโฆnervous, almost anxious, as if heโd been afraid you wouldnโt like the song.
โI loved it, Eddie. I really did. And your voice โโ God, that voice. It was like the song of a siren, drawing you in, like silk on your bare skin. โIโd love to hear you play. On a real gig, I mean.โ
His face lit up. โReally? I mean, you donโt have to. If itโs not your taste, I totally get that โโ
โEddie,โ you said softly, taking his face in your hands, โDo I need to beg?โ
โI mean. If you want to,โ he winked, before crashing his lips on yours, and your hands flew up to comb your fingers through his messy dark curls and deepen the kiss.
โGod, I really hoped youโd say that,โ he breathed when he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. Eddie was far too humble to brag about his guitar skills or his singing voice, but you knew he was proud of these talents. And he had every right to be.
โSo, wanna come to our gig on Saturday? To The Hideout?โ
โIโll be in the first row.โ
When Eddie kissed you again, you could feel his soft smile before he whispered against your lips, โItโs cute that you think there even will be rows. But Iโd pass on a gig in the Garden as long as youโre there, cheering for me.โ And from the way he kissed you, you knew Eddie Munson was telling the truth.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
โ Live Streamingโ Interactive Chatโ Private Showsโ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch โข No registration required โข HD streaming
Okay, Iโve fallen hard and fast for that man so have this little story. I hope you enjoy it! - Love, Kiki ๐ค
๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ | Eddie Munson x female reader
๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ | Youโd been pretty sure Eddie Munson didnโt reciprocate your feelings - until the Upside Down gets you, and Eddie gets to prove that he might be brave after all. (Takes place during episode 7 when theyโre at Loverโs Lake
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ | bantering, humor, angst with a happy ending, fluff, Eddie in full protective rage mode while being absolutely soaked
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ | 2.5 k
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ | a bit of blood, canon-conform violence
If you enjoyed this, please consider commenting and/or reblogging to help me share my content! ๐คย
โItโs a fricking stupid idea.โ
โYeah. You already said that,โ you sighed.
โWell, Iโm gonna say it again and again and again until theyโre back up here.โ
You couldnโt pinpoint the exact reason why Eddie Munson was making you that furious right now. He just did. With his messy hair and radiant smiles and twinkling eyes and the way he made you laugh like no one ever did before. And the way he totally didnโt reciprocate the feelings that had taken roots in your heart when youโd bumped into him in the cafeteria two years ago, giving you that radiant smile that had even back then made your heart burst into a flurry of butterflies when heโd first graced you with it. The feelings which, in the past four days, had begun to grow into more than a simple crush.
Youโd spent these past days bickering in that way that always left your mind reeling as you tried to make out whether he was flirting with youโฆor if that was just the way he was. Flirtatious. Outgoing. Adorable and kind.
And right now, all these pent-up feelings you were harboring for Eddie Munson, the worry about him and the rest of your friends, combined with his stubborn desire to wait it out, got the best of you.
With a glance towards the tiny figures of Robin, Max, Lucas and Dustin at the shore in the distance, whoโd agreed to stay behind while Nancy, Steve, Eddie and you had climbed into the boat and paddled out to find the portal, you made a decision.
โThatโs it,โ you announced, shoving Dustinโs still whirring compass into Eddieโs hands as you rose from your seat, the boat swaying precariously, โIโm going after them.โ
โNo,โ Eddie said, pointing his finger at you, โNo, no, no, no more jumping! Why the Hell are you all so fond of jumping into that blasted lake? Itโs like youโre painting a neon bullโs eye on your back! What are you, a lemming?!โ His voice had risen a few octaves with panic as he watched you shrug off your own jacket, thrusting it at him with a glare that could have frozen Hell.
โYou could have jumped in as well to see if theyโre okay,โ you said. โItโs been โโ