Falling for the Freak - Eddie Munson Fix-it Fic Chapter 05
Hello hello! I had to take a day off from updating because I was seeing Big Time Rush in concert! (They were amazing btw and I was seated next to an Eddie Muson fan <3) Anyway, here we go! Chapter 5!
CHAPTER SUMMARY: Get ready for some fluff! Itâs coming your way! As the reader realizes she never exchanged numbers with Eddie, she wonders when/if sheâll ever see him again. When she finally does see him again, things start to get a bit interesting.Â
Life got kind of quiet after the fall Harvest Festival. I kept up a steady pace of going to class and working as many hours that I could at Family Video. Dustin was busy with school and Hellfire Club. He really seemed to have found his place at Hawkins High.
Every once in a while I would spend my free time with Robin or Steve. Sometimes I even hung out with Nancy Wheeler. I hadnât seen Eddie since the morning after the Festival. I heard about him a lot from Dustin. Dustin seemed to worship the guy, much to Steveâs dismay. If Dustin ever brought Eddie up in front of Steve, his expression would turn sour and he would try to change the subject. Sometimes I thought about asking Dustin for Eddieâs phone number, but then I felt kind of pathetic about needing to ask my fourteen year old cousin for a guyâs number. I wasnât even sure what I wanted to say to Eddie. I just felt this interest in getting to know him better.
As it was creeping closer to Halloween, I had pretty much given up hope that I would ever see Eddie Munson again. I was busy working and studying for my midterms. I had a horribly long paper due for my English class. The course was focused on the deeper meaning of monsters in literature and media. We had spent the first half of the class studying wearwolves and vampires and their representation throughout classic novels and films. For our midterm paper we could write about anything related to these two monsters. I prefered vampires, but I had not a clue of what I wanted to write about.Â
It was the day before Halloween when I found myself standing in the horror section of Family Video staring at our copy of Nosferatu. I was the first one in for the afternoon shift and I figured that gave me dibs to pick the afternoon movie. If was going to write about vampires, I figured a good place to start was one of the earliest appearances of one on screen.Â
I had just put the tape into the VCR when Steve and Robin entered the store. Robin was excitedly talking about someone named Vickie. They both waved as I fiddled with the tv.
âWhatâs the movie for this afternoon?â Robin asked, tugging on her green work vest.
âNosferatu,â I said. âItâs a horror movie from the 20â˛s.â
âWhatâs the deal with the sound?â Steve asked. âDid you forget to turn the volume up?â
âNo,â I said, joining him behind the counter. âItâs silent,â
âYou put a silent movie on?â He asked, rolling his eyes. âCome on, we should be watching something thatâs actually scary, itâs the day before Halloween,â
âThis is scary,â I said. âAnd I want to see it for one of my classes,â
âThe only thing thatâs scary about this is how bad it is,â Steve sighed. âIâm picking the next movie.â
About thirty minutes went by and then the door opened. I looked away from the movie for a moment and saw Eddie Munson standing at the front counter. I felt a little smile creep onto my face and I waved. He gave me a nod and then leaned forward on the counter.
âHey there,â he said.
âI was just beginning to think I was never going to see you again,â I said, approaching him.
âYou think about me often?â he asked, a smirk forming on his lips.
âNo,â I said. âI just hear about you a lot from Dustin and it dawned on me that I hadnât seen you since the Festival,â
âYou mean when you crashed in my van?â Eddie chuckled. âHowâd that work out for you by the way? I see your aunt didnât murder you,â
âI somehow got away with it,â I said. âNo murder was needed,â
âGood,â Eddie said, âbecause me and the boys have got a gig coming up and I was thinking you could show me some of your sick stage moves,â
âWait,â I said, setting my hands down on the counter. âYou, Eddie Munson, are coming to me to ask for help on how to perform?â
âPathetic, I know,â Eddie sighed, dropping his head. âBut I canât think of anyone better to go to,â
âItâs a good thing flattery works for me,â I said.Â
âSo how about tonight? Seven? Your place?â Eddie asked, standing up straight.
âSo youâre inviting yourself over to my house?â I asked. âWhy canât I just come to your place?â
âMy place is a bit cramped at the moment,â Eddie said. âCome on, Iâll bring pizza,â
I thought about it for a moment. âWell, if youâre going to flatter me and bring pizza then I guess I can let you come over,â
âGood,â Eddie said, smiling brightly. âIâll see you then,â
He started to walk out with a confident air about him.
"Wouldn't you be needing my address?" I called.
Eddie stopped in his tracks. He turned slowly around and came back to the counter.
"Would you be so kind as to give me your address, sweetheart?" Eddie asked, a mildly irritated look on his face.
"Oh I guess," I said, giggling to myself. "And I told you not to call me that,"
The rest of my shift felt like it went on for ten years. I was out at six, but the three hours between when Eddie left and when I clocked out seemed to drag by at a snailâs pace. When I finally left, I sped home on my bike as fast as the two wheels could carry me. As I pulled into the driveway, I stepped off my bike and let it fall to the ground. I made my way inside and into my bedroom.
I saw my reflection in the mirror I had leaning against one of the walls and cringed. My hair was a frizzy mess, I was sweaty, and worst of all, I was still wearing my Family Video vest. I yanked it off quickly and began digging through my dresser to find something different to put on. I found a pair of jeans and an old David Bowie shirt to throw on. My hair was hopeless. As I tried to brush it, the frizz just got worse. I sighed in defeat as I heard a knock at the door.
Aunt Claudia opened it and I heard a surprised âOhâ come from her, quickly followed by a âHow may I help you?â
âHi Mrs. Henderson,â I heard Eddieâs deep voice say. âMy name is Eddie Munson-â
Before he could go on any further, I heard Aunt Claudia cut him off. âOh youâre Dustyâs friend!â she said excitedly. âHe talks about you all the time. Oh, but heâs not here, sweetie, heâs staying over at Mikeâs tonight,â
âIâm actually here to see Y/N,â Eddie said.Â
âOh,â Aunt Claudia said. âIâll go get her then,â
I glared at my now ponytailed hair in the mirror, wondering why I cared so much about what I looked like in front of Eddie Munson. Before my aunt could reach my door, I opened it, stomping out to go meet Eddie. I nearly ran into Aunt Claudia.
âHoney thereâs a boy here to see you,â she said, âitâs Dustyâs friend from that Dungeons and Dragons club heâs in,â
âI know,â I said, giving her a soft smile, âI was expecting him. He wants me to teach him how to lead his band,â
âI heard that!â Eddie called from the front door.
âI wanted you to!â I called back.Â
Barefoot, I padded my way down the hall until I reached the front door. I saw Eddie standing there on the front porch, clad in his dark jeans and leather jacket. Underneath his coat I could see his Hellfire shirt peaking out. In his hands he held a large pizza box. I snatched it from him and turned to Aunt Claudia.
âWould you like any pizza before we go outside?â I asked.
âThatâs ok kids,â my aunt replied. âIâve got some pasta cooking on the stove,â
âOk,â I said, âWeâre going to be outside,â
âOkie dokie,â she said with a smile.
I stepped outside with Eddie and led him to the overhang in the driveway where Aunt Claudia parked her car. Even with the car parked there, we still had more than enough room to practice. I set the pizza down on the hood of my auntâs car and pulled out a slice. Taking a bite, I leaned against the car and looked at Eddie.
âSo what exactly do you want me to help you with?â I asked.
âWell,â Eddie said taking out a slice of pizza for himself, âIâve always got my guitar on me on stage, so Iâve always had an excuse to not really know how to move around on stage, but weâre starting to think about some tunes where we donât really need more than one guitar,â
âAnd now you need to move without your instrument?â I asked.
âYeah,â he said, sheepishly. âItâs just so awkward. I donât know how you did it so well,â
I felt heat rush to my cheeks at his compliment. âI donât try to think about it too much. I usually just try to feel the music. And donât over-do it. Less is more in my opinion,â
âLess is more,â Eddie said as he chewed on his pizza. âCould we practice with some music? Do you have a boombox?â
âYeah, thatâs what I figured weâd end up doing,â I said. âI grabbed it and brought it out here before you came over. I figured we could listen to some stuff and see what happens,â
âSounds good,â Eddie said and then paused, seemingly deep in thought. âI really liked what you did during the Blondie tune. It looked really smooth,â
âLetâs start there then,â I said.Â
I walked over to the boombox that sat on the ground in the corner. I had a stack of mix tapes next to it and began to shuffle through them until I found the one that had âHeart of Glassâ on it. We listened to the songs on the tape before our desired tune came on as we finished our pizza. As the song came on, I began my lesson.
âSo, when you hear this, whatâs your first instinct?â I asked. âHow do you want to move to it?â
âThatâs the thing,â Eddie said, âI donât know when I donât have my guitar,â
âWhat would you do if you had your guitar?â I asked, feeling the rhythm of the music start to infect my body.
âI donât know,â Eddie said. âProbably start head banging,â
I chuckled. âOk, so do that,â
He shyly started to move his head to the beat. I took a step closer to him. âWhat if you used more than just your head? Like, get your shoulders and hips into it too,â
âMy hips?â he asked, looking up at me.
âYeah,â I said, a smile growing on my mouth. âCome on this is like the sexiest groove you might ever hear in your life, you have to use your hips,â
I watched and stifled a laugh as Eddie desperately tried to add his hips into his movements. He looked terribly awkward and uncoordinated. I also felt that he was moving too fast.
âTry just moving on the big beats,â I said. âYouâre on every beat right now. Just go like every other. One and three,â
âOne and three,â he nodded but didnât move.
âMunson,â I sighed, âare you actually going to make me do this all for you?â
âI donât know how to do this!â Eddie groaned. âThis is why I play guitar!â
âRelax,â I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. âJust watch me,â I said and restarted the song.Â
I began by getting the rhythm into my body. Then I started to sway my hips back and forth. As the song picked up, I started to move my arms all around me. I felt free dancing to the song. I had never felt so unaware of myself in front Eddie before. It felt incredible. Then I remembered that he was watching me and that I needed to teach him something.
âYou see how my hips are loose?â I asked. âMove yours like that.â
Eddie continued to struggle. I lost my patience and stepped up to him until we were face to face. Without my stilettos on, I suddenly realized the height Eddie had on me. My head barely came up to his collarbone. I seized his hands and placed them on my hips.
âDo you feel how the movement is really coming from my waist?â I asked. âAnd itâs more like a figure eight motion than a sway from side to side,â
Eddie stared down at my hands over his and nodded slowly. I eventually moved my hands to his hips so I could guide his movements. We moved like that until the instrumental break came in the song. I stepped out of his arms and began to dance around to the music.
âAnd whenever you have a break like this just have fun with your movements,â I said, âLet the music tell you what to do,â
âHmm,â Eddie mumbled, watching how I moved intently.
I was starting to feel flushed knowing that he was staring at my body so closely. âIs this making sense to you?â I asked.Â
He nodded. âYeah,â Eddie said. âThis is helping a lot,â
âMost definitely,â he said, cocking his head to the side.
We kept working on how to move through different kinds of songs. I let the tape play as I tried to share my wisdom with him. Every once in a while we would take a pizza break and catch our breath. It was starting to get dark when the final song of the tape came on. It was âI Want to Know What Love Isâ by Foreigner.
âThis song!â Eddie cackled, tossing his head back. âYou have this song on a mix tape!â
âYeah, whatâs wrong with it?â I asked.
âItâs ridiculous!â he said.
âBy ridiculous you mean fantastic,â I said, elbowing him.
âNo,â Eddie said, âI mean ridiculous.â
âYouâre just scared of it because itâs a slow song and you donât know how to perform it,â I said, crossing my arms.
âShow me then,â he said.
âShow me how to do it,â Eddie said, âGo on, isnât that why weâre here? Teach me your ways,â
âFine,â I said, âbut if you have an existential crisis because youâre going to start enjoying a Foreigner song thatâs not my fault,â
I started the song over and decided to go full ham with my performance. I stood in front of Eddie as he leaned against my auntâs car. I held myself as if I was performing and I began lip syncing to the song. I held my hand out as if I was holding a microphone. Eddie chuckled as I dramatically performed the song. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket and held it up, waving it back and forth above his head. As I hit the chorus I couldnât help myself, I had to sing it for real. Eddie burst out laughing at my over the top performance. When I got to the next verse, he put his lighter away and crossed his arms over his chest. Eddie wore a toothy smile as I approached him. I started to serenade him with the second verse. He tried his best to ignore me as I moved more into his personal space. As I built up to the second chorus, I really started to get into it and pumped the air with my fists. Just as I was taking in a breath to belt out the second chorus, Eddie jumped up and grabbed my wrists. Before I knew it he was screaming the lyrics at the top of his lungs.
âI knew it!â I yelled, jumping up and down. âI knew you had to like this song!â
âJust shut up!â Eddie said, shaking his head and laughing.Â
Eddie released my wrists and slipped his hands onto my waist. I wound my arms around his neck as we both shouted the rest the chorus together. Eddie had a dopey grin plastered on his face and I was certain that I was wearing one to match. We swayed back and forth together until the song came to a close. Then we just stood there in each otherâs arms.Â
I could feel my heart begin to race. My cheeks started to burn as I looked up into Eddieâs face. His eyes were the darkest brown I have ever seen - almost black. In the dim night light it was hard to differentiate between his pupils and his irisises. Eddie stared down at me and licked his lips before biting down slightly on his lower lip. My eyes were drawn to his mouth. His lips were a light pink and looked incredibly soft. I was suddenly desperately aware of the feeling of his hands on my waist. With my arms around his shoulders, my t-shirt had started to ride up slightly. The tip of one of Eddieâs thumbs was just barely brushing a strip of bare skin above the waistline of my jeans. It burned so strongly I thought it might leave a mark. His shoulders felt firm underneath my hands. I could feel the muscles underneath his jacket and it took everything in me not to squeeze down on them. The ends of Eddieâs fuzzy brown curls tickled my hands. I wondered what it would feel like to take a handful of those curls into my fist and pull. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat as Eddie started to move closer to me. Just as his head started to turn down slightly towards my face, I heard the front door open.
âY/N!â Aunt Claudia called. âItâs nine! You know the rules!â
Eddie and I jumped away from one another. âWe were just finishing up,â I replied. I turned to Eddie and added, âNo guests over past nine,â
He nodded in understanding. Eddie gave my aunt a wave and called âThanks for have me, Mrs. Henderson!â
âAny time, sweetie!â she replied and then closed the door.
There was an awkward silence between Eddie and I after that. I couldnât really bring myself to look up at him again. I stared at his shoes as he kicked nervously at the cement.
âSo uh,â Eddie started. âI should go,â
âYeah,â I said, finally looking up at him. âUm, thanks for the pizza,â
âYouâre welcome,â Eddie said, âThanks for teaching me some of your moves,â
âAw youâre not gonna call me sweetie like your aunt?â Eddie teased.
âOnly in your dreams,â I said, rolling my eyes.
âFor now,â Eddie smirked.
âGet out of here, you dumbass,â I said, giving him a playful shove.Â
âIâll see you,â Eddie said. âHopefully a little sooner than last time, now that I know where you live,â
âOk,â I said, nodding. âI look forward to it,â
âLater,â he said, and then strutted over to his van.Â
I watched as Eddie unlocked the car and got in. Soon enough loud metal music was blaring out the windows. He rolled down the passenger window and gave me a wave before he sped off down the street. I watched from my place in the driveway until Eddie disappeared around the corner.
I heaved a sigh. âI am so fucked,â I muttered.
Previous Chapter: Chapter 04
Next Chapter: Chapter 06
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