#eddie.

even when you became more ‘teenage girl’ and less ‘kid that came over that also happened to be a girl’ and outgrew D&D, finding your place with the rest of the academics of hawkins high, you didn’t snub eddie while he donned the freak title. but hawkins high’s social hierarchy was polarizing, drawing you and eddie to two opposite points at lunch every single time.

he never held it against you, never even told the rest of the club that he kept your D&D folder safe beneath his bed.

how could he, when you’d come over to his cramped trailer every chance you got? you knocked on his storm door right after dinner, the same familiar beat that you made up as kids to let him know it’s you and no one else.

“it’s friday night, shouldn’t you be at some party in loch nora?”

you rolled over enough to hang your head over the bed to meet eddie’s gaze with a raised brow. you plucked the joint of his hand to take a hit without breaking eye contact. “you tryna kick me out?”

his heart jackrabbited at the sight of you suddenly so close. he’s grateful for his room’s low lighting; it concealed the redness that bloomed at the top of his cheekbones and the tips of his ears.

(if his uncle could see him now, flustered as all hell by you and your stupidly gorgeous face. wayne had caught onto his crush on you before he even figured it out himself).

“no… ‘course not. just wanted to make sure i wasn’t trapping you here.”

your eyes rolled as you laid back onto the mattress, watched the smoke as you exhaled. “i’m fine, eddie. i’m not the princess trapped in a tower like in one of your campaigns.” he turned red at the subtle jab.

“did gareth tell you?”

he’s rewarded with a giggle from you, a sound only you make when you’re high. “yeah. the famed princess guinevere… sounds a lot familiar like my old cleric that you helped me create back in middle school. heard she’s been the consistent NPC in your campaigns recently.”

he groaned and took the joint from your hand to take a bigger hit, cheeks hollowed out before holding it in as long as possible.

his head spun delightfully and his mouth felt dry and loose all at once. he raised his arm up for you to take the joint as he basked in the slow waves that crashed throughout the inside of his skull. when your fingers brushed along his, his heart flip-flopped in his chest.

“the guys loved it. it’s a nice change when the goal’s to save a damsel in distress.”

“yeah? do you see me as a damsel in distress, sir eddie?”

he took upon an accent, shakespearean and playful. “of course not, your highness. a damsel you may be but never in distress.”

you giggled and scooted back towards the edge, head dropping down to gaze at eddie on the floor. his puppy dog eyes were red, a dopey smile curled on his lips. “even if i was in distress, i trust you to save me every time.”

time slowed down to the both of you when you guys get like this, thick and syrupy around you. your hand came down to stroke his jaw, very much like a princess would to her own loyal knight.

“i would, you know.” eddie’s voice rumbled in his chest, low and sweet just for you as he dropped the accent. “i make jokes about being a coward a lot, and i probably am, but… i wouldn’t run away from danger if you were in trouble.”

the sincerity in his tone floored you and something about the weight in his words had your hand trailing down his jaw, down to his chest while you still leaned above him on the edge of the mattress. he’s still beneath you on the floor while his heart sped a hundred beats a minute beneath your palm.

“eddie, your heart…”

“—is yours.” he finished your sentence without any of his usual dramatics. the words slipped out of his mouth before his brain could even catch up, thick and raw with such earnestness that you didn’t let yourself brush it off. instead, you paused and waited for elaboration, wondering what ruse could the boy you’ve had a crush on for years mean with two little words.

the moment stretched on and he doesn’t take it back.

“it’s always been yours, sweetheart,” he whispered. the clarity in his red eyes surprised you. eddie munson may be high off his fucking rocker but it doesn’t take any truth away from his sudden confession.

“eddie, don’t mess around.”

your whisper sobered him and he sits up without warning, his nose brushed against yours with his sudden movement. all of a sudden, there’s only centimeters of space between you two.

“i’m not joking. this isn’t the weed—well, it is, it’s the only thing keeping me from freaking the fuck out, but i mean it. i didn’t think i said it out loud but i’m not taking it back. you don’t have to say anything, if you wanna just be friends, that’s cool too but—mm.”

your lips silenced him with a firm kiss to his lips. it took him a second but he warmed up eventually, smiled triumphantly against your mouth before he’s devouring you in seconds.