Ah, yes. My third Tumblr blog

He pulled away, a sheepish grin adorning his lips. All you could think was how wrong it felt, how strange it was to know how he tasted of smoke and the pizza the pair of you inhaled earlier, back when everything was normal and he was just your best friend. 

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do that." He huffed a small laugh. You couldn't register his words, mind occupied by the fact his hand was still cupping your cheek, the calluses on his fingers grazing your skin. 

"Y/N?" 

Your chest was getting tighter. The one safe haven you had was now shattered. All you could do was overthink the small moments - the times you leaned your head on his shoulder tiredly, falling victim to sleep clouding your judgement, the times you whispered secrets in his ear, unaware of how your breath on his skin made him go wild, the times you stole the cigarette from his lips, taking a deep puff yourself because you were far too lazy to light your own. 

Your mind reeled. You felt yourself struggling to breathe. His touch once soothing your racing mind felt like acid and it burned. 

You pulled your head out of his grasp. You slowly sat up, unconsciously turning your body away from his. 

A deep frown was etched into Eddie's brows. He reached forward, his hand ghosting your shoulder before he pulled it back to his side. You prayed he would comfort you; you wished he didn't go near you again. 

"Y/N?" You felt the mattress shift beneath you, footsteps getting closer. Immediately you dropped your gaze, staring intently at his battered trainers. "Are you okay?" 

You merely nodded, trying to suppress the lump in your throat. You heard him sigh. 

A sudden urge to flee consumed you. You needed to escape, to breathe the fresh air, to give yourself time to wrap your head around what happened. You were ashamed to admit you wanted to run away from the situation, to never speak of it again and go back to the way things had been twenty minutes ago when you were oblivious to how he felt. 

"I just remembered... My mom." You stood up suddenly, rushing to the door. Eddie danced out of the way, his hand rubbing his face as he watched you retreat, his voice calling out when your hand landed on the door latch. 

"Do you need a ride?" You shook your head. You saw how his face fell even further, his voice timid as he treaded carefully. "Are... are we okay?"

You plastered a smile on your face, pushing down the negative emotions. "Sure! I'll see you on Monday." 

You bolted out of the door, pace quickening until you reached the edge of the trailer park. You couldn't contain the tightness in your chest anymore, collapsing to your knees in the prickly grass. Your breaths left you in ragged huffs as you felt as if the whole world was collapsing around you. 

How long had you not seen it? How long had he been secretly pining, devoting himself to every word and action of yours? How long had his adoration you mistaken as a close friendship go unnoticed? 

Before you could comprehend what was happening, you slammed your hand into the grass, pounding the ground and releasing animalistic grunts. There was no going back from this. 

You tried to think of a way you could explain your reaction without hurting him, but without exposing yourself. It got harder to breathe as you realised - there was no way you could explain what happened. No matter what web of lies you spun, you couldn't protect the both of you. 

The area around you suddenly lit up. Instinctively you lifted a hand to protect yourself from the bright headlights, ducking your head and praying the stranger couldn't see the puffiness of your eyes. 

A loud slam echoed the silence around you. Quick footfalls approached you, the very cause of your conflict crouching down in front of you. 

"Do you seriously think I'd let you walk home in the dark?" 

You dropped your hands, looking at him from the top of your lids. He was sending you a gentle, but sorrowful smile. He didn't pry into why you were sitting crouched on the floor, or why you had grass stains on your hands, or why your eyes were red raw. 

You looked at the hand he was offering out, taking a beat to respond. It was like he could read your mind, dropping his hand and standing upright. 

"Look, please just let me drive you home. I couldn't live with myself if something happened." He placed his hand on his chest dutifully. "I've got no ulterior motives, scouts honour." 

A small snort slipped past your lips unsuspectingly. It surprised even yourself. "You were a scout?"

"Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to protect." 

The pair of you shared an amused look, and for a moment it felt like nothing ever happened. The reality hit you quickly and the atmosphere rapidly returned. Sensing the change in mood, Eddie jumped back in. 

"We don't have to talk. Just let me take you home." 

A surge of relief coursed through you. After everything that happened, he was still your friend. You were terrified the rejection would have ripped you apart.  

You nodded, pulling yourself to your feet. You barely noticed how Eddie's lips parted into an o, almost as if he was surprised you took him up on the offer. Just as he always did, he opened the passenger door for you, waiting until you had strapped yourself in before shutting it softly. He was behind the wheel in an instant, turning the key into the ignition. The loud blare of Dio assaulted your ears. He panicked, quickly turning down the volume. 

The drive carried on in silence. The only noise you could hear was the constant whirring of your thoughts - he was your best friend, he deserved to know. You wanted to tell him, you knew he would accept you. Except a niggle of doubt was in the back of your mind, worry taking root. 

The car pulled to a stop. You’d arrived at your house. You knew this was where you needed to get out, yet you couldn’t move. Eddie waited for you to leave, watching you subconsciously grip tightly onto the seat belt. If you held on any tighter, you would rip it from the car itself. 

"We need to talk." You whispered, eyes trained on the floor. 

He waited for you to carry on, gaze fixed on you intently. You swallowed thickly  trying to push down the fear that was trying to suffocate you. The weight on your shoulders was threatening to buckle you, to keep the secret locked tight forever but you were done with hiding. 

"You're my best friend Eddie, a brother. I love you." You sucked in a deep breath, fighting against the film covering your eyes. "I can never love you the way you want me to." 

It was almost like you could hear him deflate. You heard as he slumped against the leather seat, and you could picture him gnawing at his bottom lip like he always did during difficult conversations. 

"Okay." He breathed out. 

"It's not because of you, it's me. You are perfect, and I wish I could love you like that," your breath hitched in your throat. You recalled all the times you prayed to be different, to change, to abolish the abnormality from your body. You remembered all the times you told yourself that girls can find other girls attractive, lying to yourself as your gaze fixated on happy straight couples who could express their love openly, wondering what if. In all the scenario's you'd pictured, where your hand was holding another, you never saw the hands of a man. You saw the hand of a woman. And no matter how hard you tried to shift that image in your mind, to force a man in its place, you never could. Because you knew you could never love a man the way you ache to love a woman. 

But god you were fucking tired. You were tired of engaging in gossip about love and boys, tired of shoving your true self further and further down until you were nothing but a shell. You were exhausted from panicking when a girl met your eyes, terrified they could sense you were looking a beat too long. The mere thought of pretending anymore left you drained. 

“You just can’t love the freak.” Eddie muttered. His words drove a knife through your heart, and before you knew it you were spinning towards him, grabbing his hands in your own. 

“I love how you stay true to yourself, even if you get called a freak for it. I’m actually kind of envious.” You swallowed the lump in your throat. As much as your heart pounded in your chest, fear striking your every nerve, you felt the weight on your shoulders lighten slightly as the words started to tumble out. “The reason I can’t love you like that…”

You sucked in a deep breath. You took a moment to savour your friendship, thinking back on all of the memories you shared together. Mocking the basketball team. Starting food fights in the cafeteria. Nights spent at the Hideout, where he snuck you drinks with his fake ID. Simply sitting besides each other, him planning his D&D campaigns and you reading. You remembered all of the good, praying that there would still be more to come. 

You fumbled to find the words, brain short circuiting. Doubts started to plague your mind, and before you could let the anxiety overwhelm you, you blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You have a penis.” 

Eddie’s brows lifted comically. He stared at you blankly, the words processing. You saw the moment it dawned on him, his mouth opening in an o shape. You dropped your gaze away from him, preparing yourself for what was to come. You steeled yourself for the hurtful words, you tense your muscles in case you needed to run away. You waited for an onslaught of hatred, only to be greeted with silence. 

“Please say something.” 

“I’m just thinking of all of the times I made you feel like an outsider.” Eddie wiped a hand across his face. “All of those stupid comments about boyfriends, me kissing you… It must have made you feel, well, like a freak.” 

“Eddie, it’s okay -” He cut you off abruptly. 

“No, it’s really not. You must have felt so alone. I’m so, so sorry.” 

Eddie’s words brought a film of tears to your eyes. You did nothing to hold them back, letting them run freely down your cheeks. 

“Have you told anyone else?” You shook your head. “Thank you, for telling me.”

A small bubble of laughter bloomed in your chest. You were just so relieved. He was still your best friend, and you had a lighter burden to carry. This time the words were more thought out as they tumbled out of your mouth. 

“I’m gay.” You didn’t realise the pressure it eased off your chest to say the words aloud for the first time. You looked at Eddie, a shy smile adorning your face. His lips curled up, his features matching yours. He didn’t think of you any differently. The only thing that would change in your dynamic is when talking about your love life, Eddie would use the pronoun she instead of him.

It would take some time before things felt normal again. Eddie needed time to process his feelings, you needed time to become more comfortable within yourself. It didn’t happen overnight, but one day, you formed your own new normal. There were still movie nights and food fights and getting high, except now you would speak more freely about the hot girls in the horror movies and Eddie would ask for serious advice about dating women.

You knew the pair of you didn’t fit the mould. A self proclaimed freak and a lesbian were sitting on the edges of society. But you didn’t care, because the moment you proclaimed to your best friend that you were a lesbian you tasted freedom for the first time in a long time.

stranger things masterlist

The two of you had gone through a continuous cycle of passing greetings and talking during projects and longing stares on his part before he finally made a move.

“You’re Y/N, right?” He had sidled to your desk, leaning forward with his hands behind his back. He would claim it was just a pose, but, in reality, he didn’t want you to see the sweat that had slowly collected on his palms.

You looked up from the journal you were writing in. Closing it, you placed your pen - black ink, Eddie noted - on top, perfectly centered. Directing your full attention to him, you nodded your head. 

The look you gave him had Eddie wiping his hands down the back of his jeans. He held your gaze for a few moments before you raised an eyebrow, and out came his stuttering reply. “Eddie. That’s my name. You probably knew—” He coughed into his fist, attempting to fix the crack in his voice. “Sorry.”

He wore a bashful expression, which was something that didn’t usually pair with the brunet. Sensing his nervousness, you tilted your head, offering a gentle smile that set Eddie’s nerves on fire. 

Then you spoke six simple words that changed the trajectory of your relationship from mere acquaintances to something more.

“Did you want to work together...?”

…

It was math. Math is what led to his downfall.

Eddie stared down the glaringly big F written in red ink on his paper. He never liked red ink anyway; it was too harsh. He preferred black more. Squinting his eyes and rubbing them, the brunet attempted to find a different outcome each time. 

No matter how hard Eddie tried, he felt he could never get it together. His expression soured - pinched eyebrows, pouted mouth, and squinted eyes. And that face was present during lunch and garnered concerns.

“Hey, Eddie, you all right, man?” Gareth asked, noting his lack in the ongoing conversation. Eddie had been uncharacteristically quiet since lunch started.

The brunet shrugged, and his leather jacket tightened around his arms as he crossed them over his chest. Wayne was never hard on Eddie. He might try to steer him in the right direction, but for the most part, he was supportive. Though his uncle hadn’t outright voiced his grievances, Eddie couldn’t help but feel that he was disappointing him.

“He failed O’Nealy’s test again,” Jeff answered for him while taking bites out of his sandwich, receiving an annoyed look from Eddie. Gareth whacked him on the side of the head with a disapproving gaze. “What?” The former nodded towards Eddie and widened his eyes. The latter then caught on and attempted to alleviate the situation. “But it’s not that bad, man. We all do bad sometimes.” 

“Yeah,” Dustin piped in, “I totally screwed up on my Spanish test. Have a D in there, and at this rate, I’m not sure I’ll even pass this semester. It gets easier, Eds.” The boy grinned at his friend, patting him on the back.

While his words were meant to comfort him, they had the opposite effect. It just made him feel worse.

His gaze settled on the bustling cafeteria. People were talking, eating, playing their instruments and-

And then, there was you.

It was like tunnel vision; the only thing in sight was you. Your headphones were on - walkman on the table next to your tray. You picked at the food with a slight grimace. Okay, so Eddie wasn’t the only one who didn’t like whatever supreme the cafeteria served up every now and then.

As if sensing him staring at you, you looked up from your uneaten food. Your eyes searched the cafeteria for your stalker when they landed on Eddie. He sent a salute, to which you gave a small wave of your hand.

When he could only offer a minute smile, your face furrowed, much like his after receiving his grade. You tilted your head and gave him a thumbs up.

Eddie shrugged, resulting in your thumb turning sideways then pointing downwards. He squinted his left eye, both hands pointing his thumbs down. He brought his thumbs together in an explosion as he slumped in his seat.

You frowned, and Eddie felt infinitely worse because, man, did he hate seeing you down. Even more so because of little ole him.

You stared at the food on your tray, worrying your bottom lip. Eddie could see the internal turmoil and ignored the reassuring words of his friends, excusing himself from the table. “Be right back.”

“Ed-” Dustin blubbered, calling after his friend. “What the hell?”

Eddie left his friends wondering what was going on with him as he weaved through the walking, talking people to your table. You were still looking down, foot tapping to the music playing in your ears.

He sat at the table, and you flitted your gaze to him, the furrowed look on your face still present. Placing your headphones around your neck, you relaxed, a relieved smile appearing.

“Hi.”

It was like the previous worries and disappointments, and all other bullshit vanished. Eddie let out a breath of air, tension dissipating from his body. He grinned, resting his cheek on his palm, “Hi, there.”

…

Something was going on with Eddie. He was distant. He'd been bailing and came up with shitty excuses why he couldn’t make meetings or hang out.

The little sheep voiced their concerns, only for Jeff to munch on a bag of chips, waving a dismissive hand. “Boys, boys, calm down, shall we?” He paused, washing away the salty taste with a swallow of Coke. “Sorry to break it to you, but this is just something Eddie does. Get used to it.”

While the comment lessened their worries the tiniest bit, it didn’t do a thing for Dustin. So, like a good friend and because he could be very nosey at times, he convinced his buddies to join him on the expedition that was the mystery of Eddie Munson.

The next time Eddie bailed, which happened to occur just a few days later, they followed. Now, Dustin was discrete. It wasn’t that hard to remain inconspicuous, especially with Eddie’s loud meandering through the halls. 

Then Eddie turned a corner, and Dustin lost sight of him due to a group of gossiping kids blocking his view. He hurriedly grabbed his walkie-talkie, whispering into it in case Eddie was near. 

“I’ve lost the target. Over.”

There was static on the other end as Dustin anxiously awaited a reply, which was an exasperated sigh from Lucas. “One job, Dustin. You had one job. Over.”

Dustin rolled his eyes, making a face at the communication device. 

“Well, I wouldn’t have such a difficult time if you weren’t so busy sucking faces with Max. Happy you two made up, but God.”

“Oh, screw you-” Lucas started with another retort, but before he could utter it, Mike beat him to the punch.

“Seriously, guys? Dustin, try to find him. And Lucas, he’s right. Quit making out with your girlfriend.”

“You’re one to talk, Mike. You’re like surgically attached to El.”

Dustin ignored their bickering, tucking his walkie in his bag, and continued his search for Eddie. After no luck, Dustin was about to give up and call it a day when he passed by the library.

He seriously doubted Eddie would ever set foot in a library unless it was for research on the next campaign. Nevertheless, it was one of the few places Dustin hadn’t checked, so he decided to try.

He was weaving through the bookshelves when he heard a boisterous laugh. Well, it was more of an extremely loud cackle, but back to the point. There was only one person who, if caught dead in a library, would dismiss the library's main rule.

Dustin emerged his head around a bookshelf and spotted something odd. It wasn’t his friend’s poor attempts at containing his laughter or the judgy looks from the librarian and the very few patrons. It was who Eddie was sitting with.

Dustin had seen you around before. Now that he thought about it, you and Eddie were around each other a lot. But you were someone he barely heard say a word, and yet there you were, sitting next to a person fighting for first place in the loudmouth competition.

The little sheep directed his gaze back to Eddie, who was now poorly containing his snickers with the hands covering his mouth. Your wide eyes stared at Eddie as you peeked over the textbook, hiding your face. Dustin thought you might berate his friend and give him a proper scolding. He attributed the shaking of your hands to anger. It was safe to say he wasn’t expecting what happened next. 

Quiet giggles erupted from behind the giant book in your hands. Dustin then realized that the shaking wasn’t you trying to contain your anger but your laughter. Eddie’s boisterous cackle increased in pitch, and the two of you were howling in amusement. Dustin didn’t even know what got you both so riled up. 

It was highly amusing for him for two reasons. For one, it was nice to finally see a genuine smile on his older friend’s face. Two, you, probably one of the quietest people he’d ever seen, were laughing like there was a tickling contest going on with his loudmouth friend. 

When both your and Eddie’s cackles reached an alarmingly and annoyingly pitch to the other patrons, the librarian stood from her desk and strode over to you two with intent. Her glasses were set on the tip of her nose as she looked down. Though her eyes were mostly obscured, you, Eddie, and Dustin could see she was glaring harshly.

“Munson. L/N. Do not enter my library if you plan to disturb the creative and peaceful ambiance in place.” Eddie tried to take her seriously; he really did, but she pronounced ‘ambiance’ as ‘am-be-ense’, and with one look at your rolled, quivering lips, he was a goner. 

Eddie’s shoulders shook, and he wrapped an arm around his stomach to quell the ache from trying to contain his overwhelming laughter. He inhaled sharply, attempting to control his breathing. He cleared his throat and looked to the librarian with the most serious face he could muster. “We are so very sorry for our apparent misconduct. You see, sweet Y/N here offered to tutor me because my math scores aren’t exactly the best. And, maybe you didn’t know, but I’m hoping to become a comedian one day, so I tested my jokes out on her. It seems it worked, dontcha think?”

Despite the scolding he was receiving, it was so like Eddie to make the whole thing into a joke. The librarian looked as though she actually believed him, making the entire situation even funnier. And to really egg it on, you spoke up, nodding along. “He’s just so hilarious.”

They were just four words, and it was just a joke, but you gave Eddie a genuine smile, and Dustin watched as his friend’s face lit up. He swung an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. “Again, we are so very sorry, and we will be leaving now. After all, what comedian needs good math scores?”

The librarian huffed and pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose before she began to scold them again.

Dustin was tapped on the shoulder. Lucas and Mike stood behind him with annoyed looks on their faces. “What the hell, Henderson? We kept trying to contact you, and you didn’t-” Lucas began ranting, but before he could continue, Dustin slapped a hand over his mouth. He was met with a raise of the boy’s eyebrows. Dustin used his free hand to raise a finger to his mouth, effectively telling him to shush. He then used that same finger to point to where you and Eddie were.

Just as Dustin’s face had, the boys’ faces morphed into a pleasant surprise. They, too, had seen you around, and to see you so close with their very loud friend was the kind of plot twist they only saw in movies or in a D&D campaign.

“Holy shit,” Mike whispered, a slow grin spreading across his face as the trio watched you and Eddie leave. The brunet’s arm was wrapped around you as the two of you quietly snickered with each other. “Eddie has a girlfriend.”

...

It didn’t take long for the rest of the group to hear about you and Eddie. Those kids sure could talk. After much nagging on his friends’ part, Eddie asked you to accompany them to a movie night they hosted at least once a month (more if everyone’s schedule aligned). Now you’d heard of these infamous movie nights, and while you appreciated that he wanted you to meet his friends, you weren’t sure about going.

But he had begged, and boy, Eddie was a good beggar. He’d pouted his lips and used his puppy dog eyes on you, but you still persisted. Then he fell to the ground, claiming that death would overtake him if you left him hanging. And finally, you caved. 

You were friends with Eddie. Just Eddie, no one else. You were sure his friends were good people, but you liked things the way they were. And, for the most part, they were nice when they weren’t hounding you with questions as soon as you walked in the door.

“Your name’s Y/N, right?” That took you back to the day life changed, and school wasn’t as shitty anymore.

Before you could answer, not that you wanted to, another question was thrown your way. “How do you know Eddie?”

“Are you two, like, dating?”

Someone, Dustin, who you recognized from Eddie talking about him, nudged the interrogator. They raised an eyebrow, confusion settling on their features. “What?”

“You can’t ask people stuff like that, Mike.” So that’s his name. 

“I’m just asking. It’s not rude or anything. They were like all over each other.” Mike cast a glance over to see you inching towards the door. “Not like she’d tell me anyway," he leaned over to Dustin, attempting to whisper. “I think she’s mute.”

“She’s not mute, genius.” Eddie swatted Mike on the back of the head. “You’re scaring her.”

The boys’ eyes widened before they turned, blubbering out apologies. Their overlapping talking made you more anxious, and you subconsciously took another step back, meeting Eddie’s chest.

“Sorry about them,” he said, tilting his head down and sending you a sympathetic grin. “They’re morons.” The last bit was directed with a harsh glare, making the boys cower. Eddie was mostly playful, but angry Eddie was not one to be trifled with.

They were reprieved of Eddie’s scolding when the door opened, revealing Steve and Robin. One by one, the rest of the group trickled in, and you found yourself overwhelmed by the increase in number. 

You were nervous, and rightfully so, but everyone had been surprisingly nicer than you expected. You answered questions with one-worded answers, and when they sensed you were uncomfortable, they were quick to lay off, which you greatly appreciated. Though, maybe Eddie’s side eye had something with it. You weren’t sure.

After the night was over, and your social battery was severely drained, Eddie offered to take you home, feeling guilty that you had to arrive on your own. 

His van needed repairs, so it sat outside his trailer as the two of you began your trek home. Thankfully, you lived near Mike’s house, and it wasn’t much of a walk.

“So…” Eddie began, drawing the word out. “What’d you think?”

You hummed, taking your eyes off the sidewalk to send him a questioning gaze. Eddie shrugged, not meeting your eyes. “You know, my friends. What’d ya think of ‘em?”

“Oh,” you said, which wasn’t much of a response. Though Eddie was eager to know what you thought, he didn’t press, simply allowing you time to form your thoughts. “They’re… nice, I think.”

Eddie cackled, his laughter seeming to echo through the empty street. “You think? I know what you mean, though. They’re a handful.”

“Like you?” You weren’t facing him anymore, but Eddie could tell you were smiling as he heard the lilt in your voice. He was about to show how greatly offended he was at your insinuation when you spoke again. “I just- Maybe they don’t like me?”

“Are you kidding me?” Eddie scoffed, “Everyone adores you, Y/N.”

You gave him a quizzical look, shrugging as you picked at the loose thread of your jacket. “Maybe not everyone-”

“At least I do.”

“You- what?”

Eddie looked bashful, cheeks tinting red as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Even if they don’t love you, which they totally do - by the way, I do.”

“You adore me?”  

“I mean-” Eddie coughed into the crook of his elbow, stumbling over his words. “You’re you, and it isn’t hard for anyone to love you- I mean adore you, and-”

You rolled your lips to hide your smile. You didn’t know why Eddie was so nervous, but the bashful look suited him well. “Thank you.”

...

It was another day of math class. Well, math was every day, but that was beside the point. Today was the day. Eddie was finally receiving his test grade. Though the two of you had gotten kicked out of the library numerous times, you managed to teach him. He all but hoped that he remembered some of your passed-on knowledge.

Eddie watched the clock tick as the teacher passed out the graded tests. He thought it would help ease his anxiousness, but it only worsened, and when O’Nealy laid his test on his desk, he thought he had failed.

Much to his surprise, he not only passed but scored two letter grades higher than usual. And this time, the red ink wasn’t as harsh; it was as welcoming as the black. He wouldn’t be making all A’s anytime soon, but a C with his track record was something he was proud of. He was so proud, in fact, that he went to search for the one person he wanted to see his accomplishment. 

As always, lunch came around. Eddie joined his friends in the cafeteria, but his sights weren’t set on them. They were focused on a special someone whose opinion impacted him more than others. So he looked and looked and looked. And, yet, you were nowhere to be found. 

He didn’t know where you were. You always sat at the same table, in the same seat. Over time, he discovered that you enjoyed familiarity. He was happy that he had become a constant in your life because you were the same for him.

After another minute or so, he resigned, hoping he’d see you later.

But later came, and you still hadn’t appeared. You two had an unspoken deal. If you hadn't seen each other during the day, you would meet by the library at the end of it. Eddie had waited for you to show, but you never did. He figured you hadn’t made it to school today, but after asking around, you had been here.

So, where were you? Had you been avoiding him? Eddie tried to rack his brain as to why you wouldn’t want to see him, and then a light bulb flickered. He said he adored you, which was practically like saying he loved you. But wait, he had said he loved you. Not directly, but still. 

The brunet facepalmed before repeatedly smacking his palm against his forehead, garnering some concerned looks from passengers in the hall.

“You’re such a goddamn idiot, Munson,” he muttered. “Always ruining shit.”

“You can be an idiot sometimes,” said a teasing voice beside him, “but you’re definitely never ruining… sh-shit.”

Eddie flipped around to see you standing there, all gentle smiles and teasing eyes. You were holding something behind your back, and when he leaned forward to investigate, you shuffled back. “Not so fast, Eddie.”

“Y/N, what are you doing here? I mean, not what are you doing here because it’s not that you can’t be here. But you’re here and-” Eddie was rambling, so you used your free hand to signal for him to take a breath. He did so only to start again. “It’s just- I didn’t see you at lunch, and someone said you were here. So I was just worried, I think. So I was just wondering- hopefully, this doesn’t sound creepy. I was just worried about you, but you’re here now, so I shouldn’t worry now, should-”

Your hand covered his mouth before he could continue. You looked up at him with widened eyes and raised eyebrows. “Eddie, calm down. Please.” You waited for him to take a second breath before speaking again. “I was just busy.”

“Oh, so, you’re okay?” You nodded, trying to recall how much he used the word ‘so’. (It was a lot.) “Well, great. That's great - you being okay, I mean. Not you being busy. Not that being busy isn’t great, and- I’m totally rambling again, aren’t I?” You nodded again, a mirthful expression on your face.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, looking bashful all of a sudden. Even though he looked awfully adorable with flushed cheeks, you hid your grin, not wanting to embarrass him further.

“You were looking for me?” You inquired, attempting to steer the conversation in another direction for his sake. It worked as he began nodding and reaching into his back pocket for something. He produced a piece of paper in his hands, and you raised an eyebrow, curious.

He flashed the paper in front of your face until you caught sight of the C+ written in red ink right at the top. Your eyes widened as you sent a shocked look to Eddie. The brunet shrugged, playing it off like it was no big deal.

You beamed up at him, resulting in a bright smile of his own because if you were happy, then so was he. You clapped your hands together, smiling proudly, and it was clear as day to everyone around that you adored him.

And you did. A lot.

...

Eddie was moping. He had spent the past two weeks sulking and pouting with such a gloomy expression that one might think the world was ending. Well, for him, it certainly felt that way.

That one day you were busy turned into the days you were so busy that couldn’t hang out with him. You always found an excuse for what was occupying so much of your time. Despite that, Eddie could see right through you. You weren’t a liar, but you sure were lying about this, and Eddie couldn’t help but feel it was his fault.

So, naturally, though his friends tried to cheer him up, the only comfort he sought was yours. The only problem is it’s hard to seek comfort from the person you hardly ever see. He didn’t know when he’d become so dependent on you. He could spend the rest of his life sitting with you in silence. It would be the best moments he’d ever experience.

But now, surrounded by his friends, their chattering and laughing voices, he longed for the tranquility - the solace he found in you.

Eddie was throwing the occasional “mhm” and “yeah, right” into the conversation to make himself seem engaged when, in reality, he couldn’t take his mind off you. Every time he attempted to steer his thoughts back to whatever his friends were talking about, they always found their way back to you.

“Hi.”

Eddie's brows mushed together as he shook his head as though that would scramble his brain back together. Was he so hung up on you that he was imagining your voice?

“Are you in there?”

Okay, there was no way he was imagining it for a second time. The brunet raised his head to his left before turning to his right. So he hadn’t imagined your voice the first time? You were very much there, and- wow, you looked pretty with that slightly confused look as you awaited his reply.

“H-hi,” he stuttered out, suddenly sitting up straighter. “You- uh- you’re-” He saw your nose scrunch as you tried to hold in amusement. “Sorry. You’re here.”

You nodded, bemused. “I am.”

“Hey, Eds, your face is a little red. You okay, bud?” Eddie flipped around to face the speaker. Dustin stared back at his friend with an annoyingly smug grin. He wasn’t the only one of Eddie’s friends to notice how he lit up when he saw you.

“Pretty sure he’s fine,” Jeff said as he shook the crumbs from the bottom of his chip bag into his open mouth. He continued with a mouthful of potato chips, “He always gets a little nervous when she comes around. Wonder why.”

Gareth shook his head, facepalming as Jeff once again said things without thinking. Eddie glared at his friends with a face even more flushed than before. They never ceased to embarrass him.

“...cute.” You’d barely uttered the word, but everyone’s attention was suddenly directed to you. Dustin grinned widely before asking you to repeat yourself. If they thought Eddie’s embarrassed expressions were amusing, yours was hilarious.

“I- um-” You shifted from foot to foot, willing their eyes to look at anything other than you. “I was just-”

“You think he’s cute?” Dustin questioned with the most shit-eating grin you had ever seen. 

“I mean, of course, I do. Well, not in the way you’re thinking. It’s not that I don’t think he’s attractive because have you seen him? But I say that in the most non-romantic way possible. He’s cute when he gets embarrassed. It’s just funny, really.” You finished your ramble with a huff. 

Somewhere during your rant, you’d covered your face in embarrassment, which though it slightly muffled your words, everyone at the table could hear it clear as day.

“Wow, I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you talk,” Mike said in astonishment. The other chimed in agreement, and you suddenly wanted to melt into the floor. 

“I think,” Eddie began as he reached up to remove your hands from your face. “I think you’re cute, too.”

“Oh.” You wished you could muster more words, but as you looked down, you realized Eddie was still holding your hands, and you could feel your cheeks warming.

“Don’t sound so surprised, sweetheart. You’re a knockout.”

If there was any doubt that you and Eddie didn’t have feelings for each other, it was crushed by how you stared at each other. 

“Are you two going to start dating now?” Dustin asked as he ate a spoonful of chocolate pudding. “I’ve been waiting for a while now.”

...

BONUS:

“Hey, Y/N?” Eddie asked one day when you two were hanging out at his trailer. Over time, you began sharing your spaces, each place made special with memories. 

You hummed in acknowledgment as you turned your attention away from the TV to him. “You know when you were busy for a couple weeks, and we couldn’t hang out?”

You nodded, unsure where he was going with this. In retrospect, though you weren’t around each other, that incident led to you dating.

“What really made you busy?” You opened your mouth with an excuse when he interrupted. “And don’t say anything other than the truth.”

You huffed, crossing your arms and turning away. You don’t know why you suddenly felt so shy about it. “I was… researching D&D…”

“You were?” Eddie probed, curious as to why you wanted to know about the game.

“You were just spending so much time with me and not with your friends, and I felt bad,” You explained. “So I figured if I understand how to play, maybe you could hang out with them and me without having to choose.”

Eddie didn’t respond, so you slowly turned back to face him. He was grinning so widely that the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Aw, man, you’re stealing my heart.”

“Well, I do adore you,” you mumbled quietly, pressing your hands to your face to quell the blossoming heat.

“I adore you too,” Eddie said before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Now, are you ready to commence in an intense game of D&D?”

“I don’t know if I’m ready for intense just yet,” you said, slightly concerned at the gleam in his eyes.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll go easy on ya.”

The boys mumbled eagerly amongst each other, stealing looks at the pages to see what it all meant. After shuffling the deck twice, you fanned the cards out in front of Gareth, asking him to choose three more.

Eddie sat quietly at his seat at the head of the table, not even offended like he would’ve been had they not noticed his presence like this on a regular day. Gareth’s eyes widened in excitement as Jeff nudged his shoulder to pick.

He looked up to you nervously, hesitant to touch the cards. “C’mon, don’t tell me Hellfire’s too scared for tarot.” You tutted teasingly.

Eddie smiled at the jest while Gareth laughed and wiggled his fingers above the cards. “No way, L/n, haven’t you heard? We run with the devil.”

The table erupted into laughter at Gareth’s response, Eddie’s unmistakable chuckle finally making his presence known to the crowd at the other end of the table. The boys turned their attention to Eddie immediately.

“Don’t stop on my account, please,” he said with a flourish of his hand. This was the first time he made eye contact with you, a moment he’ll never forget. At this, you nodded and accepted Gareth’s three cards he quickly selected.

You look them over one by one and set them down with the original card. You look around the table theatrically, rubbing your hands together. “Very interesting, indeed!” The boys laughed as you flipped through the book, double checking two card meanings.

“So what does it mean??” Gareth asked with quiet eagerness.

You point to the Knight of Pentacles, “This is you,” then move to the next card, the Knight of Cups, “This with your card could represent matters regarding your…love interest… there is one, right?” You raise your eyebrows knowingly.

Gareth seemed to blanch on the spot. “Tell me, Gareth, are you competing for the attention of a girl deemed…unattainable?” You ask with a crinkle in your brow, looking over the other two cards. He fumbled for words and looked to Jeff and then Eddie wordlessly, knowing they know about his need to win the heart of a certain little flautist in the school band.

You notice all the people that had left the cafeteria, only leaving a few stragglers and the full Hellfire table. Taking that as a sign to speed up, you point at the last two cards: the Lovers and the Seven of Pentacles.

“Basically what I see here is that you’ve been planting these little seeds with this girl, talking with her here and there, maybe a compliment or two? Anyway, this other guy may make you feel inferior or like his gestures land better with her than yours, but your slow and steady approach is going to bode well for you in the long run, as long as you’re patient and put in the effort.” You nod, keeping eye contact with him as he nods furiously.

You spot a teacher’s aid marching towards your table with determination, and swiped all the cards up to tuck in your bag quickly, followed by the large book.

“Alright, pack it up, lunch is over.” He said with a bite in his tone. The boys shuffled to get their trays bused and their books and remaining papers in their bags. Eddie took his time standing from his seat with a stretch, purposely lingering to see what your next move is.

The aid, seemingly satisfied with the panic he raised in the freshman, strolled out of the cafeteria, leaving the two of you alone. “You just made his year. Maybe even his life if it works out.” Eddie shrugged, approaching you slowly as you zip up your bag.

You smile warmly at him, “I hope so, he seems really sweet.”

“Oh, now that would probably be a big blow to his ego, you know? Pretty girl calling him sweet?” He hissed at the end shaking his head. For the first time in this encounter, your confidence faltered a little at the passive compliment.

“I, uh, I should get to Spanish.” You manage as you walk past him. His eyes follow you through the door, sending you an “Adios!”, which makes you blush a bit.

Eddie officially inviting you to the Club after you receive backlash for hanging around them and your public interest in the occult.

After sitting at the Hellfire table a few times, it becomes your regular spot, because let’s face it—if the Hellfire Club is deemed untouchable because of their shared love of a fantasy game, your interest in tarot would be treated the same.

You sit at the table with a huff in your now regular seat. The boys collectively sneak looks at you, noticing the lack of your usual upbeat attitude while you tentatively pushed your mushy peas around your tray.

Gareth is the first to break the tension, scooting his chair to the other end of the table to speak to you. “Hey, man, why the long face? Peas got you down?” He joked. A small smile flashed across your face as you looked up to address the table of friends.

“If only it were the peas.” You say with a smile and shiny eyes, keeping the tears at bay. You let out a shaky wry laugh at yourself.

“People started calling me ‘the Witch’ fairly recently.” You shook her head. “At first I thought it was funny, but then came all the rumors about how I spend my free time making sacrifices and talking to satan. And then when I came to school this morning, someone wrote ‘Hellfire Slut’ on my locker.” You roll your eyes to downplay the tears that have fallen. “and then that Carver prick has been going around saying he saw me dancing naked and covered in blood under the full moon the other night. What is this shit, ‘The Crucible’??” You look around with disbelief and the table shares stifled laughter, trying to respect your feelings.

You didn’t realize how easy it is to laugh at the bullshit happening to you when you have a group full of friends to laugh at it with you, and thankful you were experiencing it now. You slowly erupted into a fit of giggles through the tears finally falling from your face, followed by the rest of the table laughing with you.

“And look at you now, Goody Carver saw you with the devil.” Gareth said nodding to Eddie, who made his favorite goofy demon face, flicking his tongue and growling like a maniac to make you laugh and wipe your eyes properly.

“The people in this town reject what they can’t comprehend, sadly, if it’s any consolation, no one at this table thinks of you like that,” Eddie glances around the table as everyone nods in agreement. “It gets easier with time, but I think this means we have ourselves a new member to officially invite, don’t we gentlemen?” Eddie asked as he stood from his seat with raised brows, zeroed in on you. The group nodded supportively, admiring how the once broken look on your face blossomed into one of gratitude.

“Y/n L/n,” Eddie said, approaching you from around the table to kneel before you. “Would you do this band of outcasts the absolute honor of joining our party as our Druid?” He asked with his fist over his heart like a pledge.

You look to the other boys reaction at the proposal, all wearing eager looks and nodding vigorously. “If I say yes…” you started, causing Eddie eyebrow to quirk up questioningly as you leaned in slightly. “Do I get one of those cool shirts?” A smile spreading across your face, as a matching one made its way onto his. “Oh, absolutely.” He nodded seriously, offering his hand to shake.

After another moment, you take his hand and shake it gently but held on as tight as he did. “Welcome to Hellfire.” He said with his killer smirk.

Dude would have to know the story behind every card, especially the ones that look the coolest like Death, The Tower, the Ace of Cups, the Knight of Swords, etc.

He’d probably get a few ideas for campaigns that way, just asking you to draw cards for him to arrange into a story. But also used that as an excuse for more time spent after school together.

I could see it really inspiring him to the point he spends a whole long weekend cranking out a new campaign, and once he hits a block he’d either call you, or better yet show up at your window asking for some input no matter what time it is.

After he gets over the initial intrigue of the archetypes, I think he’d want to delve into how tarot works.

Hearing you talk about intention and energy and the universe amazes him like a Tolkien story. You offer to lend him books and resources to do his own research but he’s adamant about listening to you and your perception of the universe and it’s inner-workings as if you wrote it all yourself.

For a while, you feel like you may talk too much around him, that maybe he just indulges you because you’re friends and he doesn’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you that you monopolize conversation.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

One evening after Hellfire, Eddie asks you to stay behind under the guise of needing assistance cleaning up. You both quickly get the board put away, along with the long table and chairs belonging to the drama department.

Eddie grabs two sodas and sits down on the floor next you, offering one out as he takes a sip of his own. You take it, giving a small thanks before popping the top. “I was wondering,” Eddie blurts, taking you by surprise. “uh, if you’d read my cards for me… if you wanted to!” He finishes.

You set your drink down with a smile and reach for your bag to grab the deck. “What kind of question is that, Munson? Of course I wanna read your cards.” You laugh and shuffle the deck.

Eddie looks on with intrigue, the worn cards cascaded back and forth between your hands. “Anything on your mind specifically? Or you just wanna see what they say?” You ask with eager curiosity. Eddie looks back and forth between your eyes with admiration that goes by unnoticed.

“I’d like to see what the universe has to say.” He says with a nudge to your shoulder. Feeling a blush creep up your cheeks, you turn your face forward to the deck in your hands again. You fan it out in front of you, feeling the number two on your mind. Leaning into your intuition, you pick two cards up from opposite ends and flip them over to reveal the Knight of Wands and The Page of Cups. Your eyebrows raise as you look to Eddie.

Eddie wears a matching expression though he has no clue what’s happening so far. With a small breath you pick one last card from somewhere in the middle of the fleshed out pile, turning it over to reveal the Lovers. “Oh my,” you say quietly, with both hope and jealousy flooding your system.

“I think I know what that one means, huh?” He chuckled. “Well, you are the Knight of Wands, obviously,” you start to explain. “Why ‘obviously’?” He asks with potential offense taken.

You roll your eyes jokingly and finish your explanation, “So the suit of Wands represents fire, and The Knight of Wands is someone very passionate, someone outgoing, on a mission, like out there, maybe a little immature..” you say dragging out the last words of the sentence teasingly as his eyes widened and his lips pressed into an embarrassed line. “Alright so it is obvious.” He said with a shrug and smirk.

“What about the Page?” He asked quietly, somehow closer than before. He picked up the cards to examine them, focusing in on the Page of Cups’ appearance. She held a chalice that contained a happy little fish peeking out at her, and wore long flowing robes of white and blue.

“So Knights tend to represent someone young like a teenager living in their masculine energy whereas Pages are most likely a young person in their feminine. So chances are it’s about a girl.” You force out a chuckle. Who wouldn’t want a reading like this? You should be happy for him.

“Okay, so, what do cups and fish have to do with her?” He asked, quietly teasing her as he gazed at the curtain of hair between them. You turn to meet his eyes again, “the Cups, which is water, represents our emotions and the different phases of how we all end up dealing with them through life. Pages can signify news, this one more specifically is tied to romantic news with this young Page.” You nudge his shoulder to avoid looking at him longer.

“So the Page of Cups. What’s she like?” He asked, already certain you’d be describing yourself since you’re the only girl in Hawkins that’s managed to steal his attention in many years.

You pause for a moment, narrowing your eyes at the card. “Hold on let me consult the book.” You mumble and unzip your bag wider to unsheathe the brown book marked Tarot down the spine.

Eddie looks on as you flip through the pages almost expertly, knowing where different sections are by heart. You finally land on the Page of Cups’ character description. “Artistic, intuitive, poetic, possesses a sweet disposition, empathetic, and immature—“

“Ahh, so you’re finally getting a taste of your own medicine, huh?” He smirked down at you. Your breath hitches in your throat as you turn to meet his eyes again. “I suppose so, yeah.” Your eyes glimmered as they searched his face.

“Is that what we are? Fire and water?” He whispered, closer than he’s ever been before, surely close enough to hear how bad your hear pounded against your chest. Your brain forgot how to respond, all of your focus was on Eddie; his words, his proximity, his smell. You nervously turn your head to face forward, giving a slight nod; not being able to stand looking at his face for one more second without falling apart into a pathetic whimpering mess.

“So it’s either forbidden for me to touch you, or we balance each other out, is that right?” He whispered into your hair as he took a deep and quiet breath, sending the sweet scent of your conditioner through his senses, driving him wild. Eddie wasn’t looking for an answer, he was certain he had you exactly where he wanted you.

“Either way… I need you.” He whispered in your ear, sending a quiet shiver down your spine. With this revelation, you turn to him and he immediately engulfs your lips with a tender and passionate kiss, his hands cup your face pulling you into him more.

You fumble forward without breaking the kiss, the cards long forgotten and scattered on the floor where you sat. You lean into him—your hand lands on his knee as your other finds the side of his face to brush stray curls out of the way, settling to cradle his jaw.

It was a feeling unmatched by anything you’ve felt before. You’d kissed guys plenty of times, though they always left you feeling unsure; not great, not bad. But this was different. Eddie’s kiss left you buzzing.

One of his hands moved around your waist to pull you into his lap, fully. You, like a rag doll, flop down where he directs you with ease. Your other hand slides up and around the back of his neck, much to his delight as he lets out a soft but irresistible moan.

You only break the kiss when you’re almost gasping for air like the fish in the Page’s Cup. Your grip on each other only allows you to enough space in-between you for your noses to graze. “So what do you say? Let me be your Knight?” He asked with nervous eyes closed.

Before answering you brush your nose back and forth against his, his brown eyes fluttering open. “I’d be honored to be your Page, Sir Edward Munson.” You said with a warm smirk and traced his chin with your thumb.

“Such a nerd.” He joked as you snakes your arms around his neck to get more comfortable, keeping your closeness. You scoff, “Says the King of the Nerds himself.”

“Thought I was a Knight?” He asked, feigning confusion just to push your buttons. You roll your eyes and move to get up, but Eddie just pulls you in for a tight bear hug before laying you back to prop himself up and cage you in. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be.” He whispers earnestly, stars shining in his eyes as he hovered over your face. You could feel his necklace grazing the hollow of your throat which left the skin feeling tingly.

You sat and pondered on a witty response, and he could feel it coming which sparked excitement for him down low. You smiled and tucked some hair behind his ear, stroking his cheek tenderly while you’re there. “I like everything you are.” You whisper looking at his plump lips.

“Nothing,” your voice sounded small as you offered him a meek smile, but he knew you better than that, “just zoned out.”

“Just zoned out,” he leaned his body towards yours and gave you a knowing little smile. He dropped his voice so only you could hear him, “or were you thinking about me touching you? I saw you staring at my hands, sweetheart. I know you like them.”

“Eddie,” your entire face felt like it was on fire as your mouth dropped open nervously, “n-no. I told you, just zoned out.”

“Okay,” he brought his hand to your face, gently stroking your cheek to allow you to feel the cool metal of his rings. Before you could protest any further, he pressed a quick kiss to your forehead, “my sweet girl.”

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you quickly looked around at the rest of the table. Lucky for you, they were all engaged in their own little conversations and hadn’t paid any attention to you or Eddie. It wasn’t that you didn’t want his affection - his very open affections - but you were just…shy. You hated the idea of any attention being cast on you unless absolutely necessary. And yet, Eddie still made you feel like the only thing in the world that mattered.

The bell soon rang, and you let out a small sigh of relief as you grabbed your backpack to head off to your afternoon classes. His fingers wrapped around your wrist as he gently held you back, “Eds?”

“See you tonight?” he asked softly as the thought of your movie and pizza date night caused an excited shiver to run down your spine. You nodded happily and the smile on his face was enough to make you melt, “I’ll be at yours at eight, yeah?”

“See you then,” you kissed his cheek once you made sure that no one was paying you any attention, “bye for now, love.”

“Bye for now, baby.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Cuddled up in bed next to Eddie had to be the best thing in the entire world. You were tucked under a warm, fluffy blanket, leaning against the headboard of your bed as you watched a random movie he had picked out. The pizza had long been gone, the empty box sitting on the floor next to your bed. You were leaning up against him and he had one arm draped around your shoulders. 

Every once in a while, you would steal a glance at his hand, tempted to take it and hold it, and to lace your fingers in with his. You just couldn’t bring yourself to do it; what if he didn’t want to hold your hand? What if he was perfectly fine just like this?

Almost as if he could read your mind, he pulled his arm from around your shoulder and put his hand on the top of the blanket, reaching for your hand and enveloping it in his much larger one. His hand was warm and soft, despite his calloused fingertips from years of playing the guitar. He was watching your reaction, watching as the smile spread across your face. 

“Hey,” he brought your hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to your knuckles, “you can just take my hand next time. No need to be shy, pretty girl, I’m already yours.”

“I know,” you peeked up at him and found that he was watching you with a soft expression, a mischievous little twinkle in his eye. You never pushed too hard or too far, but Eddie always gave and gave and gave. He was never shy about showing you any sort of affection, either verbal or physical. But there were times when you just craved his touch, wanted to be connected to him somehow. Your own awkward timidness kept you from doing so. But tonight you felt different - more bold - and decided to push your own limits a little bit. 

You dropped his hand and shifted slightly so you were sitting and facing him. There was a curious look in his eyes, but he remained silent and didn’t push you. Instead, you leaned in and put your hand on his face before kissing him. Hard. It took by surprise for just a moment before he kissed you back, matching your languid pace and letting you be in control. 

What had started off as saccharine and gentle quickly turned into much and your kisses were slowly becoming more heated, both of you breathing heavily, and you were positive that he was moaning ever so slightly into your mouth. 

Unable to stop yourself, you crawled into his lap, settling your hands on his shoulders while his settled on your waist, under the hem of your shirt and on your soft skin. He surprised, pleasantly so, by you taking charge and taking what you need. When you were both breathless with chests heaving you pulled back for a moment and looked into his eyes, “Eddie.”

“May I?” he trailed his fingers along your jaw and down your neck before delicately wrapping his hand around your throat, just enough so you could feel the slightest bit of pressure. You nodded and his lips were back on you in a split second, trailing from your jaw and down the sensitive skin of your neck, nipping and sucking to leave the faintest of marks. He knew you’d hate having such obvious exposed ones, but he knew that you wouldn’t mind a few that were hidden just for the two of you. 

He felt your hands grip his shoulders more tightly, and he was smiling against you. You couldn’t hold back the soft, quiet little moans that bubbled up, your whole body feeling it was on fire. Before it got too far, you moved a hand to his chest and gently pushed him back. He stopped immediately and checked to make sure you were doing okay, “baby?”

“Everything’s fine,” you promised, gently carding a hand through his messy waves, “but I…Eddie…I-I want to be in charge tonight. I-if that’s okay?”

“Yes,” his answer came through in a heady breath as he nodded. He was trying not to completely combust underneath you, “fuck yes. Take what you need, sweetheart. Don’t ever hold back from asking for what you need.”

You were practically beaming at him before moving down his thighs and pushing him to lie back down, “I love you, honey boy.”

“I love you.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The doorbell rang and almost caused you to jump out of your seat. You’d been invested in your book, and home alone, lost to the quiet stillness of the morning. You swallowed your bite before hesitantly walking to the door, looking through the peephole. When you didn’t notice anything, you slowly opened the door…and a small bouquet of flowers was pressed in front of you.

“Surprise,” Eddie moved them to the side so you could see his face. You instantly felt tears pricking at the back of your eyes at the gesture, slowly talking them from him. He could see your eyes grow glossy and immediately wondered if something was wrong, “d-don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No,” you promised as you gently kissed him, “you didn’t upset me at all. It’s just…this is so sweet, Eddie. No one’s ever gotten me flowers before.”

“Never?” you shook your head as he tutted gently, “well, I am absolutely going to make sure to change that. The prettiest girl deserves the prettiest flowers.”

“And they’re daisies,” you touched a few of the petals gently, “I love daisies.”

“I know,” he looked so happy, “you told me once. I don’t think you meant to specifically tell me, but you mentioned it in passing.”

“And you remembered.”

“‘course I did,” he kissed your forehead, “and I’m hoping you’re still free today because I have a whole day of fun planned for us.”

“Yes,” you bit the inside of your cheek, trying to contain the sheer happiness that he provided. He was like your own personal ray of sunshine, “yes.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It was a hot summer day, and the two of you, along with the friends you’d made including Steve, Robin, Nancy and the small gaggle of children, had decided to spend the day at the lake. You were spread out on a big, fluffy towel, eyes closed as you let the sun warm you after swimming in the cool water for what seemed like hours. 

You felt the towel move slightly as someone plopped down next to you. There wasn’t any need to even look over and see who it was - you already knew it was Eddie. He remained silent, but you knew he was studying you intently, “take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

“What a shame I didn’t bring the polaroid,” he feigned exasperation before he leaned over you, “think of all the pretty pictures I could take to add to my private collection.”

“Eddie,” you opened one eye to find that there was a wicked grin on his face, “behave yourself, we’re in public!”

“You’re no fun,” his tease was light as he leaned down to quickly kiss you, “have you put on sunscreen?”

“Yes,” you promised, “before we went swimming.”

“Well that was hours ago, and you need to reapply it,” he reached into the bag you’d brought along and fished out the bottle of sunscreen. He was always looking out for you, always making sure you were okay before even thinking about himself, “come on, baby. Sit up.”

“Eddie,” his name was a pathetic whine as you held out your arms so he could pull you up, “help me, please.”

“Alright,” he snorted in amusement before gently pulling you into an upright position so you were sitting next to him, “you wanna put it on or do you want me to?”

You looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to either of you. You gave him a shy smile before pushing the bottle towards his hand, “I don’t want to miss any spots.”

“Sure,” he hummed in amusement as he poured some of the lotion into his hands, letting it warm up momentarily before starting to work it onto your skin. He put a layer on your legs, tickling them as he worked his way up - an accident, he lied - before working it into your arms. He stopped for a moment when he got to your chest, his hand slowing for a moment, “baby-”

“It’s okay, Eddie,” you whispered, “nothing you haven’t touched before.”

“Look at you, little minx,” he shook his head before continuing his ministrations, gently working it into your skin. And maybe lingering slightly longer than necessary near your breasts, which only caused you to dramatically roll your eyes, “you started it!”

“Mhmm,” you shifted so he could get your back, almost shivering under his gentle touch. He’d mapped out every bit of your skin many times before, with his hands and with his lips, and knew exactly how to touch you and what parts made you weak. By the time he was done, you were biting the inside of your cheek to keep from moaning out loud, “there you go. Now you definitely won’t get sunburnt.”

“Cheeky,” you turned back so you were facing him, leaning in to kiss him softly, “you have no self control.”

“It’s not my fault you like when I touch you so much,” he raised an eyebrow at you, causing you both to laugh, “pretty girl.”

“My turn,” you grabbed the bottle before he could protest. He watched with an amused grin as you dribbled the lotion directly onto his skin before taking your sweet time to work in. You were trying to take your time but also trying not to get too lost in him. You could count each little freckle on his chest, tracing your finger over his tattoos, and took probably longer than necessary at the waistband of his swim trunks, where the dark trail of hair disappeared. You could feel him shudder under your featherlight touch, “what’s the matter, honey boy? Is it too much?”

“You’re doing that on purpose…”

“And?” your voice was sticky sweet as you dabbed a little bit on his cheeks and nose before kissing him lightly, “is it too much? Are you getting shy on me now?”

“Nope,” he insisted meekly to which you only made a small sound before covering his back. You remained silent, listening to the changes in his breathing with each little touch of your hands until you were all finished, “you realize I’m going to get you back for this, right?”

“Is that a threat?” you whispered in his ear, “don’t seem very scary to me.”

“Oh, it’s on,” he insisted right back. He liked you like this, unafraid and unbothered with anything else. It was a good look on you, and he was glad to be the one to help bring it out in you, “I love you.”

“I love you, Eds.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

School assemblies might have been the worst thing ever. Everyone gathered together for a waste of time…but at least you were able to get out of class for a little while. You were sitting on the bleachers next to Eddie, hand resting on the hard plastic next to his. His own hand, so large and warm, was just close enough so that his pinky was brushing against yours in a silent little display of affection. Every once in a while you chanced a little glance at your hands and it brought a smile to your face. 

As you listened to whoever was talking drone on, you zoned out again, thinking about the main thing that was on your mind as usual. Eddie. Before thinking too much about it, or letting your overthinking get the best of you, you flipped his hand over and put yours on top of his before entwining your fingers. He didn’t say anything, but you could see the smile on his face growing as he squeezed your hand back. 

Before too long, you could feel a few curious glances being cast your way, before they turned back and started whispering. This was why you didn’t like attention and preferred to stay out of the spotlight. But you also knew that you couldn’t just let people continue to make you feel like this. There was no reason for it.

You leaned forward toward the one of the girls you’d seen gawking, and gently tapped her shoulder, “is there a problem, Sarah?”

Her face contorted in surprise at your question; you weren’t usually one to confront anyone else. She raised an eyebrow before looking at your hand in Eddie’s. Ahh. Of course, “didn’t know you were dating the town freak. Did he force you into his cult since you’re too pathetic to say no?”

“What the fuck is your problem?” you hissed at her, “you don’t even know him. What has he ever done to you? Besides sell you the weed you like?”

Her cheeks reddened at your words, and she looked around to make sure no one had overheard, “keep it quiet!”

“Why?” you asked, “so you can continue to act like a huge bitch? I don’t think so. You don't know him or anything about him, how can you even say anything when you have no clue?"

“You know, you're a lot more likeable when you're quiet,” she rolled her eyes before turning around, “before you fucked the freak. Maybe it's good that you found each other."

You’d pulled your hand from his, and had clenched into a fist. The sheer fact that she was choosing to be so horrible, along with so many other students, just because Eddie happened to be different from the norm was infuriating. You weren’t one to condone violence, but the temptation to just smack her across the face was high. You could just do it…it would be all too easy.

“Hey,” he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of your head before whispering so just you could hear, “it’s okay. Don’t worry about them - fuck ‘em.”

You turned to face him and let your hand relax and unclench before reaching up to touch his cheek. He sighed into your touch which only caused your heart to melt even more. You were so in love with him, “okay. But I hear one more thing and someone’s ass is getting kicked.”

“There’s my girl.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

You knocked on his door, rocking back and forth on your heels in excitement. It had only been a few hours since you'd seen him, but that didn't mean you hadn't missed him. You listened for his footsteps and as soon as he opened the door you almost knocked him over in a giant hug, "my honey boy! I've missed you."

"We've been apart for maybe five hours," he tenderly cradled your face in his hands before kissing you with a series of soft pecks, "I missed you too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he nudged your nose with his before pulling you inside, "I picked up pizza for dinner, hopefully that's okay?"

"More than," you agreed before throwing off your sneakers and flopping onto the couch.

"Did you…wanna stay the night?"

"Depends," you gave him your best doe eyes, "can I steal some of your clothes?"

"Anytime."

"Then yes," you grinned happily, "I mean I would have said yes either way, but I like wearing your clothes. They always smell like you."

"I hope that's a good thing…"

"Of course," you were spread out on the couch, watching him bounce around the kitchen to grab everything for the pizza, "clean linen, your cologne, and cigarettes. All you.”

“You’re weird,” he shook his head in amusement as he brought over two plates full of pizza, “I think I’ll keep you around. I like it.”

“Very funny,” you moved over so he could sit next to you. As soon as you took a big bite, you could feel his eyes on you. You chewed quickly before swallowing and looking at him sheepishly, “it’s rude to stare, Munson. Something on my face?”

“No - well yes - here,” he used his thumb to wipe away a bit of sauce from the corner of your mouth, “that’s not why I was…you were ready to beat that girl down today. For me.”

“I dunno if I would have really done anything,” you shrugged him off as he looked at you with what could only be described as heart eyes, “it just made me mad. They all judge without knowing you, and so many other people, without even getting to know them. It's so stupid and annoying. And it feels stupid and petty to get annoyed over that but…I'm just tired of it. I hate - you know I hate all the unnecessary attention- but I'm not going to let people walk all over me, or you, or our friends, you know?"

He was smiling now, grin so large he could contain it, "you know its pretty hot when you get all protective. I like it. Should get you all bothered more often…"

"Eddie," you stuck your tongue out at him before setting your plate down and taking his as well. He didn't stop you as you pushed him down on the couch before you straddled his waist, "is that really what you want?"

"I mean…I'm not opposed to this," his hands were skimming along your thighs as you leaned down to kiss him. Before you could pull back, he gently tugged you closer, "you know I love you, right? Like always, not just when you're all…feisty. I love every version of you, every part of you."

"I know, my honey boy," you nuzzled your face against his, "I love you too, every version of you too - who you were, are, and will be." 

"Kiss me?"