Letâs Give âEm Something to Talk About
Pairing: Eddie Munson x Femme!Henderson!Reader
Summary: Y/N Hendersonâs relationship with Eddie puts her at odds with Jason Carver and co.
Warnings: Reader uses she/her pronouns, bullying/harassment, slut shaming, allusions to sexual content (nothing sexual actually happens), Jason being a prick, swearing, Reader is Dustinâs sister but no physical descriptions are used and you can read it as an adopted sibling if you want, I think thatâs it but let me know if I missed something
A/N: Alright, this is the first Fic Iâve ever posted on here. Iâm honestly a little nervous, but hopefully you enjoy. Iâll probably end up posting this on my Ao3 too so Iâll link that at some point.
âIâm gonna miss youâ, Eddie whines as he leans against the locker next to yours.
âItâs one classâ, you reply as you swap out your English textbook for history, âthatâs, what, an hour?â
âActually I have Davisâs class next so it feels more like three hoursâ, Eddie says.
You snort. Mr. Davis has probably been around since the dinosaur era, and if there were to be a competition for most boring teacher at Hawkins High, he would win it hands down.
âItâs not funnyâ, Eddie teasingly pouts, âI might actually die of boredom.â
âAs much as I would hate for that to happen, Iâve got my own class to get to, so unfortunately youâre on your own for now,â you reply.
âAlright well, please tell the rest of Hellfire Iâm going to miss themâ, he tells you, âand feel free to wear that black skirt of yours to the funeral. The tight one. Itâs what I wouldâve wanted.â
You roll your eyes affectionately before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
âYouâre so dramaticâ, you say, âIâll see you later.â
âIf I survive that longâ, he calls. You shake your head before turning the corner and heading into your history classroom.
âOkay, classâ, your teacher, Mr. Price announces once the bell rings, âIâve written some questions on the board. Youâll find the answers in Chapter 5 of your textbook. Write them down and turn them in by the end of class. You may work with a partner if youâd like.â
You pull your textbook out of your bag and flip to a clean sheet in your notebook. You donât have any friends in this class, so you figure you may as well just do it yourself and get it over with. That is, until a voice startles you as youâre about to start reading the first page of the chapter.
âHey, Y/N. Do you wanna work together?â
You blink up at the source of the voice and are pretty sure you must be hallucinating. Thatâs the only explanation you can think of as to why Jason Carver would be asking you to be his partner.
The two of you have been in the same grade since Kindergarten and you can't think of a single time in all those years that heâs directly acknowledged your existence. The closest thing you have to a connection with him is that your little brother is friends with one of his new Basketball recruits, but you kind of doubt he even knows or cares about that. Thereâs a few members of his little posse he could be asking to work with him, so you have no clue why heâd be asking you of all people. But, you donât have anyone else, so you shrug.
âSure, I guessâ, you say.
âGreatâ, he smiles, moving to sit down next to you.
âIâll get started on number 1â, you suggest, âmaybe you can do number 2 and weâll compare?â
âSureâ, he says sweetly. Youâre honestly getting a little freaked out by how friendly heâs being.
You both do your agreed upon work, and then switch off to show each other your answers.
âSo?â you ask when heâs finished reading yours, âdoes that seem right?â
âYeahâ, he replies, âyouâre good at this. You ever thought about being a tutor?â
âOh, no, not reallyâ, you say.
âSee, I just ask because our youth group has this program where some of us older members help the younger kids out after school and stuff.â
âOh, thatâs coolâ, you tell him, not really engaged the conversation. It all sounds well and good, but you really arenât interested in being a tutor at the moment.
âYou know, the church has a lot of great programsâ, Jason continues, and youâre not sure what any of this has to do with the Byzantine empire, which is what youâre supposed to be discussing.
âThey do a lot of outreach, a lot of stuff to help people who have lost their way.â
âLost their way?â you inquire, a small part of you beginning to understand whatâs actually going on.
âYeah. You know. Made bad choices, got mixed up with the wrong people.â
âUm, I think we should just get back to the assignmentâ, you suggest, uncomfortable with the discussion and not wanting it to go any further.
âLookâ, Jason sighs, âwhat Iâm trying to say is, I donât know you very well, but you seem like a nice girl. Iâd hate to see you go down a bad path.â
Okay. You get it now, and itâs starting to piss you off.
âThank you, but Iâm doing just fineâ, you insist.
âYouâve been hanging around with Eddie Munsonâ, Jason says, as if itâs some scandalous secret and not just you spending time with your boyfriend, âyou really shouldnât do that, you knowâŠâ
You stare at him, a little dumbfounded he would just up and say such a thing to you.
âYou canât be seriousâŠâ, you say.
Jason leans in to you, a deadly serious expression on his face.
âIâve heard about guys like him beforeâ, he tells you, âI know the stuff theyâre into.â
Yeah, so do you. Itâs tabletop role playing games, which is about the least nefarious activity you could possibly think of. Jason clearly doesnât see it that way, though, because heâs still going on.
âAnd I know they like to lure innocent people like you into their little organizations. Iâm telling you, Munson is bad news. You should stay away before you get hurt.â
You seriously have to hold yourself back from laughing right in Jasonâs face. Youâre not sure what reality heâs living in, but it clearly isnât the same one you are. Last weekend, you and Eddie had watched Terms of Endearment and heâd started to cry (well started tearing up at least, even sniffled a little, though he vehemently denied it). Thereâs not a single situation in which you can ever imagine him causing you intentional harm.
âOkay, you know whatâ, you say, âI think Iâm gonna finish the rest of the assignment alone, thanks.â
Jason grabs your arm gently but firmly. âIâm serious, Y/N. Heâs dangerous. Stay away from him before you end up hurt or killed.â
Youâre really not sure what the most offensive part of all this is. Itâs either that Jason thinks that somehow Eddie Munson, your lovable dork of a boyfriend,is secretly an evil Satanist cult leader, or that youâre apparently too stupid or naive to make that kind of judgment for yourself. Maybe itâs that he volunteered to work with you on an assignment and acted all friendly with you just so he could get this opportunity to preach to you about your supposedly âdangerousâ lifestyle. Heâs never given you the time of day before, after all.
âI donât know what it is you think you see in him, but I promise you itâs not going to end well.â
You snort. Is he, what, jealous or something? Heâs got a girlfriend, after all, and plenty of other girls whoâd be willing to take her place if she were to leave him. Itâs kind of sad that heâs apparently so insecure that the mere thought of Eddie Munson getting female attention is enough to have him losing his shit like this.
âWhateverâ, you spit, âjust leave me alone.â
He glares at you, but ultimately turns his attention to his textbook and doesnât speak to you for the rest of the class.
You happily shove the encounter out of your mind once the bell rings. Youâre perfectly content with the social circle you keep, and youâre not going to let some jock with an inflated sense of self importance change that.
Jason apparently doesnât do the same because he spends lunch glaring at you from his table. Granted, him shooting disgusted looks in the general direction of the Hellfire Club is a regular occurance, but today heâs making it obvious his ire is directed specifically at you.
âWhat the fuck is his problem?â Eddie asks.
âI dunnoâ, you shrug, âheâs just an asshole.â
Eddie peers at him for a moment and you can see a familiar glint of mischief twinkle in his eye. Before you can comment, heâs dramatically pushing himself to his feet and sauntering over to Jason and company.
âWhat do you want?â Jason demands.
âCouldnât help but notice you staringâ, Eddie says, âjust wanted to let you know that Iâm flattered, but unfortunately you arenât really my type. Sorry.â
âFuck offâ, Jason barks, âdisgusting freak.â
âDonât take it too hardâ, Eddie says, giving him a joking pat on the shoulder before making his way back over to you. You stifle a laugh at the indignant look plastered on Jasonâs face. Eddie shoots you a proud grin and you shake your head affectionately. Jason clearly doesnât know shit about âguys like Eddie.â
The next few days pass by uneventfully. Jason doesnât try talking to you again, which youâre thankful for. Wednesday starts out normally, you go to history, and Jason roundly ignores your presence. Then you have to go to your next class, which is gym.
Definitely not a favorite of yours, and you donât even have Eddie in your class to ease the pain. You make it through your warm ups, and then the coach has you split up to practice your volleyball serves. Everythingâs going well until Andy, one of Jasonâs buddies, approaches you out of nowhere.
âHey, Hendersonâ, he says, a smirk on his face, âyou think you could score me some weed?â
You look at him, confused. You donât get involved in Eddieâs side hustle, so youâre not sure why heâd ask you.
âOh, I just figured you probably get a good discountâ, he goes on, âI mean, thatâs why you let Munson fuck you, right?â
You freeze in shock, your cheeks starting to grow hot. You canât say youâre used to people making comments about your sex life, especially not to your face.
âI mean, I gotta sayâ, Andy continues, a cruel glint in his eye, âI didnât take you for a slut. But come on. Spreading your legs for that freak? Jesus, thatâs sad. You know, Iâd be happy to show you a good time, since youâre so desperate for it.â
You can only stand there, mouth agape. Sure, youâve gotten a gross comment or two from a male classmate before, but nothing like this. You certainly have never been called a slut before. You try to formulate a response, but you canât come up with one. It doesnât matter anyway, because the coachâs whistle rings out, signaling for you all to hit the changing rooms. You dash out of the gym, more than pleased to be away from Andy.
You hop in the shower in the locker room, take a few moments to shake off the discomfort of the interaction. Youâre not entirely successful in that endeavor, because it keeps playing in your mind even after youâre dressed and making your way back into the hallways.
You have no idea where the hell Andy came up with all of that. At this point, itâs common knowledge that you and Eddie are dating, but you donât know where this idea that youâre sleeping with him for drugs came from. It couldnât be further from the truth.
âHey, Beautifulâ, youâre distracted from your thoughts by Eddie, who comes happily bounding over to you. His face falls when he sees the look on your face though.
âIâm fineâ, you say. Something about the idea of telling Eddie about what happened leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Itâs embarrassing, and you definitely donât want him to feel like itâs somehow his fault that Jason and Andy are giving you a hard time.
Besides, it doesnât matter. Once again, nothing they say about you or Eddie is true. You canât let some stupid jocks get to you.
Honestly, you probably couldâve been okay, if that was the end of it. Unfortunately, things only get worse the next day.
As you make your way to your seat in history, you catch sight of Amber and Samantha, two cheerleaders who like to hang around Jason and the others, whispering as you walk by.
You ignore them, figuring youâre being paranoid and they probably arenât even talking about you, but when you sit down, Amber turns and looks you right in the eye.
She raises her voice then, clearly intending for you to hear what sheâs saying.
âI hope sheâs gotten testedâ, she tells Samantha, âI canât imagine what nasty shit the Freak is passing on to her.â
You take a deep breath, turning away from her.
It doesnât matter, you tell yourself, itâs not true.
âI hope the drugs are worth it,â Samantha says.
You clench your jaw as you slip into your seat. It shouldnât bother you so much. It's not true, and even if it were, who cares what Amber and Samantha have to say about it?
Youâre dating Eddie because you like him. You like the way heâs always joking around and making you laugh, you like that he makes a point of looking out for Dustin and his friends, you like the way he looks at you with those big puppy dog eyes and flashes that mischievous grin. Cheap access to his drugs has never even crossed your mind.
You shouldnât concern yourself with what they say, you know that, but hearing your name in connection with âslutâ grinds at you.
During gym class, you do your best to avoid Andy, because everytime he notices you looking at him, heâs making some suggestive gesture at you. You donât bother telling anyone about it, since Andyâs on the basketball team and the coach would probably take his side.
In the hallway, you accidentally bump into Patrick from the basketball team. You mutter an apology, which he accepts, but his girlfriend gives you the dirtiest look youâve ever seen.
âDonât talk to herâ, you hear her tell him as you walk away, âsheâs a slut.â
All of the gossip has put you in a foul mood by the time you get to your second to last period of the day, which happens to be study hall.
Like always, itâs in the cafeteria, with you and a bunch of other students of varying grade levels all sitting around doing your homework. Technically, youâre not supposed to talk, but the teacher in charge is way too underpaid to worry about enforcing that, so you can usually get away with conversation as long as things donât get too rowdy.
Youâre not taking advantage of that today, rather trying your best to distract yourself by actually doing your homework. Youâre halfway through summarizing Act 3 of Hamlet when you hear someone say your name.
Youâre confused when you look up to find Lucas standing there. Technically, youâve known him for years, but itâs not like youâve ever associated with him outside the time he spends with Dustin.
âWhat?â you ask, a little meaner than you mean to.
âI just thought you should know thatâŠwell, I think Jason has been going around saying things about you.â
Of course. You shouldâve known Jason was behind this. Jason fucking Carver. Captain of the Basketball Team. Active member of the local church. Son of one of the most respected families in Hawkins. Heâs clearly used to people listening to whatever he has to say. Apparently, his ego couldnât handle you dismissing his comments about your relationship with Eddie.
Jesus, youâd always known he was a bit of an asshole, but this is a level of pettiness youâd never expected, even from him.
âDonât tell him I told youâ, Lucas adds, âbut I just thought you should know.â
âThank youâ, you say. Youâre definitely glad to have that piece of information.
The next day, you storm into Mr. Priceâs classroom with righteous fury coursing through your veins. You bypass your desk and instead march straight up to Jason.
He pauses his conversation with Andy and Samantha when he sees you approach.
âWhat the hell is wrong with you?â You demand.
âExcuse me?â Jason asks.
âI know youâve been starting rumors about meâ, you tell him, âwhat exactly is your problem, Jason?â
âMe? I donât have a problemâ, Jason insists, âI just think itâs fair the men of Hawkins High get a warning about your âextracurricularâ activities.â
You can feel heat flood your cheeks.
âYouâre a dick, Jason!â you hiss.
âYou know, Y/Nâ, Jason retorts, âI actually feel bad for you. I mean, no decent man is ever going to want you when they find out youâve been giving it up to some trailer trash freak.â
âYou donât know what youâre talking aboutâ, you snap.
âBelieve me, I know exactly what happens to girls who hang around with filthy, Satan-worshiping scumbagsâ, he says, âand you know what? Iâm not going to feel sorry for you when theyâre finding your body dumped in the woods.â
âWhateverâ, Jason shakes his head, âIâm not gonna take the attitude from some little slut.â
Youâre not fully in control of yourself during what happens next. One second youâre standing there listening to Jason degrade you, the next your fist is connecting with his face.
He stands there, stunned for a moment, before opening his mouth to say something. He doesnât get the chance though, because Mr. Price gets to it first.
âMs. Hendersonâ, he gasps, âMr. Carver, what on earth is going on here?â
âShe punched me in the faceâ, Jason spits accusingly.
âI-IâŠIâm sorry IâŠâ
âEnoughâ, Mr. Price sighs, âI want both of you going to the principalâs office right now!â
Youâre in deep shit. That much is immediately clear. You punched Jason Carver in the face. Itâs not like you even claim it was self defense, since he didnât do anything physical to you.
âSoâ, Principal Higgins sighs, âtell me what happened again?â
âShe punched me in the faceâ, Jason hisses.
âYesâ, you sigh, âbut he called me a slut.â
Principal Higgins rubs his temple, processing the information. Meanwhile, Jasonâs gaze is fixed firmly on you, his eyes full of hatred.
âMr. Carverâ, Higgins says finally, âthat is not appropriate language to use in regards to another student. You may go back to class, but I better not hear about something like this again.â
Jason stands and marches out of the office, as if he has a right to be pissed about Higginsâ scolding. You suppress the urge to roll your eyes. Of course he gets a slap on the wrist. Nobody wants to punish the star basketball player. Youâre certain that if it were anyone else, Eddie or Dustin or one of the other Hellfire Club members, they definitely wouldnât be getting off so easily.
âNow, as for you Ms. Hendersonâ, Higgins says, âwe do not allow for any sort of violence in this school. However, in all your years at this school, you have never had to receive any form of discipline. So Iâm willing to be flexible here. Normally, something like this could be grounds for suspension, but since this is your first time, I say itâs two weeks detention after school starting next Monday. Does that sound fair to you?â
Not really, no, but you canât say that.
âYesâ, you reply instead.
âAlright. Good. Now go back to class. And Ms. Henderson, I sincerely hope I wonât have to see you in my office again.â
Youâre in a bad mood when Mr. Priceâs class finally ends. Youâve gone your entire high school career without getting a detention and now youâve ruined that over some pompous dick bag. Speaking of, Jason has been staring daggers at you since you returned to class, and is continuing to do so even now as youâre leaving.
Thereâs a tense, awkward moment where you both stand there in the hallway, glaring at each other, but itâs broken when the force of a body colliding with your back almost takes you off your feet. Jason is forgotten when a pair of arms wrap around your waist from behind.
âEddieâ, you huff playfully.
âHowâd you know it was me?â he asks as you turn around to face him.
âCause you canât keep your hands to yourself, Munsonâ, you reply.
âDonât blame meâ, he replies, âyou know Iâm powerless to resist your charms.â
Before you can reply heâs pulling you close and beginning to press kisses to your cheek. You know the two of you are making a scene, and on any other day you might be a little self conscious about it, but today youâre just glad to have him around.
His kisses stop suddenly and you realize heâs stopped because heâs finally noticed Jasonâs hateful glaring. Unfazed as always, he just flashes a cocky smile and gives Jason a mocking impression of a friendly wave. Jason makes a face like heâs wishing for both you and Eddieâs violent deaths.
âGeezâ, Eddie comments, âhe looks pissed.â
âUm, yeah, probably because I punched him in the faceâ, you mutter.
Eddieâs eyes widen in obvious surprise.
âHe had it comingâ, you add, âhe was being a Dick.â
You know you donât have to defend yourself to Eddie. He knows better than anyone how nasty Jason can be.
âMy, my, Fair Lady Hendersonâ, he smiles, âI dare say that was very Metal of you.â
âYeah, well, Higgins didnât think soâ, you reply, âI got two weeks detention for it.â
âOlâ Higgins never did have a sense of humorâ, Eddie says, âbut from where Iâm standing, youâre basically a hero.â
âHell yeahâ, Eddie tells you, âJason and his goons have been making our lives miserable for years.â
You canât help but smile at that. Youâre definitely not happy with the dayâs events, but knowing Eddieâs on your side makes it a little more bearable.
On Monday you begrudgingly make your way to Mrs. Clineâs room for your first day of detention.
âMs. Henderson?â she asks when you walk in.
âYeahâ, you say, a little embarrassed.
âWonderfulâ, she says, checking your name off of a list in front of her, âplease take a seat.â
Thereâs only two other people in there with you, so you just pick a seat as far from them as possible and sit down.
âAlrightâ, Mrs. Cline says, âlooks like everyoneâs here exceptâŠâ
You look up in surprise to see Eddie come walking into the room.
âAh, yes, Mr. Munsonâ, Mrs. Cline says dryly, âwhat a surprise. Please take a seat.â
You know that Eddie isnât a stranger to detention, but itâs weird that he didnât mention anything to you when youâd told him about it. He walks over to the desk next to yours, looking way too pleased for someone whoâs about to serve a stint in detention.
âWhat are you doing here?â you ask.
âOh, you know, got caught vandalizing the boyâs locker room during free periodâ, he tells you.
âFridayâ, he says with a satisfied smirk.
You frown. This mustâve happened after the whole Jason thing on Friday which meansâŠ
Which means Eddie did it knowing that you were also going to be in detention.
âEddieâ, you say, âdid you get detention just because I did?â
âI couldnât let you have all the fun, could I?â he grins.
You canât help but smile along with him.
âMr. Munson, Ms. Hendersonâ, Mrs. Cline calls from her desk, âno talking during detention.â
Eddie mimes zipping his lips and waits until Mrs. Cline looks away before giving you a playful wink. You stifle a giggle.
You donât know Jason all that well, but youâre pretty sure he would never dream of landing himself in detention just to keep his girlfriend company. Youâve never seen him make a scene in the middle of the hallways to get her to smile. Thatâs the thing about this that really gets under your skin. Jason and the others donât know shit. They think that just because Eddie doesnât fall into their narrow definition of âacceptableâ, he must be scary and dangerous. They think that just because youâre not afraid of him, you must be dirty and corrupted. Theyâre too close-minded to look closer and see that Eddie is the sweetest boyfriend you could ever imagine, that you spend time with him because he makes you happy. Theyâd rather write him off as a freak and you off as a slut than accept that maybe their perception is wrong.
Youâre far from being a violent person, but you canât say you regret what you did. Jason deserved to be put in his place, and itâs not like you did any serious damage to him anyway. Youâre glad you stood up for yourself, for Eddie. Youâve probably tacked âpsycho bitchâ onto your already unflattering âwhoreâ reputation, but at this point, youâre not sure you care. If being a freak means you get to spend your days with the love of your life, you will gladly accept that label.
After the designated two hours are up, Mrs. Cline dismisses you all.
âWell, that wasnât so badâ, you say as you and Eddie start making your way through the hall.
âNahâ, he replies, âI mean itâs boring but itâs not bad.â
âDonât get me wrong, Iâm definitely not planning on having to do this againâ, you continue, âbut itâs bearable.â
âIâm sorry, by the wayâ, he adds.
âJason and the others. Theyâve been giving you a hard time, right?â
âYeahâ, you shrug, âit is what it is. Not your fault.â
âI mean it kind of isâ, Eddie replies, âtheyâre only doing it because youâre dating me.â
âEddieâ, you say, âJasonâs an asshole, okay? Thatâs not on you. If he canât handle our relationship, then fuck him.â
That gets a grin out of Eddie.
âYou know, youâre getting to be quite a rabble rouser, Hendersonâ, he jokes.
âIâm learning from the bestâ, you tease back.
Eddieâs smile widens. He follows you out to your car and then presses a soft kiss to your lips.
âSee you tomorrow, Sweetheartâ, he says and then heads off to his van. You watch him go, butterflies still lingering in your tummy from the contact.
If youâd actually had any doubts about Eddie, they wouldâve disappeared in that moment. That feeling, itâs a one of a kind thing. No oneâs ever managed to give it to you before, and youâre not sure anyone else ever will. You love Eddie. He loves you. Heâs sweet, and silly and he treats you right. If your peers want to believe a bunch of bullshit about you two, then let them. You know what you have, and youâre not going to let them ruin it for you.
Grinning to yourself, you hop in your car, put the Black Sabbath tape you borrowed from Eddie into the player and head home.