#wheeler!reader

you loved your brother. really, you did. he was a pain in your ass and an unarguable shithead most of the time, but he was- also unarguably— your favorite person in the world. and unfortunately, he was your copy and paste in a younger, taller, lankier, male form. “do you even know how much you would owe me? to be spend my friday night in your high school, joining the end of a campaign i don’t even know anything about…” mike held his hands out to stop you, eyes pleading for you to please hear him out.

“i’ll buy you literally whatever books you want—“

“you don’t have any money.”

“i’ll…..do all your chores for two weeks!”

“you’re already doing that, for when i snuck you and dustin into that r rated movie.”

“i’ll give you half of my allowance!”

“i’m worth more than fifty cents…”

“i’ll watch all your shows with you, without complaining! i’ll go see your gross chick flicks– you can drag me shopping, you can—“

you narrowed your eyes, daring him.

“yes…” mike knew he had almost gotten you. you were the pathetic ninteen year old who’s best friend was her fourteen year old brother, who was likely even less nerdy than you. “i swear to you… i cross my heart.” you crossed your arms and sighed.

mike had gotten you. oh, damn him… you likely would have caved anyway. but mike agreeing to watch your less nerdy, occasional romance shows and movies, proved he really was desperate… even more surprising than his offer, he ran forward and hugged you, “thank you for not making me have to ask lucas’s sister…” you shook your head and eyed him, “yeah, yeah… let eddie know you’ve found an alternate.”

“you’ll like eddie! he’ll like you! it’ll be a great time—“ mike’s voice faded as he nearly sprinted into the other room, not bothering to say thank you, but showing it in his enthusiasm and the rare, genuine hug.

you weren’t sure if hellfire required your renaissance era dress and corset, or if you could stick to your ripped jeans, fishnets, old band t that now looked like a family heirloom and your tried and true boots. the obvious answer was to ask mike, the eddie and hellfire expert. mike eyed the dress, moved his gaze to your more usual choice and said nothing, but he smirked. “hold on—“ he disappeared into his room and reappeared with a second hellfire shirt, that you had no idea even existed. you took it, eyeing him speculatively, “i’m not wearing this… i’m not an official member, i don’t want to get crucified for flying your colors…” “crucified for flying our colors?” mike stared at you in amusement. “yes. i’m not an official member, i’m not wearing the shirt.”

dustin was practically vibrating with energy when he dove into the back seat of your car. “dude! you got your sister to come! this is gonna be awesome…” you huffed slightly and rolled your eyes, “i think you both forget that it’s me who played dnd with all of you little shits first. that i did in fact, teach you all how to play… and had to read the instructions the first time.”

“the original dungeon master and storyteller…” mike just look at you proudly.

dustin smacked mike playfully, grinning now, eyebrows raised slightly, “he’s gonna love her.”

mike just glanced at him, something amused and mischievous behind his eyes. you had a very sneaking suspicion the two of them were conspiring, but what else was knew…

the parking lot was packed and you were begrudgingly reminded of senior year, where you were still the odd one out and couldn’t wait to hey then hell out of there. and now you were back, all to finish a hellfire campaign for your brother and his dnd club… it was nice to see that people still showed up in droves, to watch a ball get thrown through a net. you followed mike and dustin, starting to feel rather stupid and insecure now, for being a nineteen year old girl joining a high school dnd game. you weren’t embarrassed by it. no, you didn’t exactly get embarrassed… but the thought of hanging out with teenage boys was what scared you. you didn’t quite have a good track record with boys. at every school dance you attended as a chaperone— for the middle school or elementary school— and your date was always mike or one of his friends… mike had el now, lucas had max, so it remained will or dustin.

you followed mike through the familiar halls, thinking that maybe if you had started a dnd club in school you might have graduated with a few friends. mike pushed open a door and you had to squint to properly see anything, “welcome to hellfire…” dustin was grinning, pushing you through the door before you could change your mind. the door closed and four guys had seemingly stopped breathing. they just stared at you, mouths hanging open, apparently in shock to see someone of the female species.

oh god…

“we found an alternate.” mike was pulling you forward by the wrist, ignoring your pleas and hisses to not parade you around. you stopped just in front of the table, now very self aware and feeling like a zoo animal. “you didn’t have to get all dressed up for us, little girl.” the comment struck you so suddenly that you were momentarily stunned to silence. you crossed your arms, stepping towards the guy you already didn’t like. he stepped back, clearly frightened by you. you hoped to god that wasn’t eddie. “her getting dressed up would have been her wearing her medieval dress and corset. and maybe bringing her sword…” all four heads turned to mike in disbelief, “you have a sword?” one of them looked impressed. “i do. and i know how to use it… it’s not something guys usually get to see though…” your lip twitched into a smirk and the boys were once again speechless. you highly doubted they had experience with girls, given they spent their friday nights the same way you did and the the presence of you had rendered them all speechless and made their brains short circuit. mike was just watching you proudly, “you want her or not?”

the closest one, who’s mouth did not still hang open, muttered to himself, “i’ll take her…” mike, dustin and you all turned to look at him at the same time and he covered his mouth. the head of the table kicked him and you bit back a laugh, “you know how to play?” the head of the table still had not spoken, so it was him you turned to rather than the other idiot who answered the question. “i know how to play…” there was something in the way you said it that made his eyes narrow. still saying nothing, he turned to dustin, questioning.

“she knows how to play…” dustin was grinning, as if you were a secret weapon for them. god, no pressure. “she’s a level seventeen rogue. she sneaks up on any enemy and kills them before they even know she’s there. she can solve any problem you have, wins every fight and looks pretty while doing it…”

you rubbed your face, glancing at dustin with a wince. you patted him on the shoulder, silently appreciative, wishing they would stop talking you up.

“level seventeen?” now the head of the table had finally spoken, eyeing you up and down like he was trying to figure out what you were, “wheeler… where the hell have you been hiding her?” your mouth twitched up into a smirk and you met his eyes. “she doesn’t leave the house much…” now he stood up, disbelieving but increasingly intrigued, “this…. is your sister?”

“that’s my sister.”

“wait—“ one of the lackies stared at you, “i thought wheelers sister was…a priss?” you spun around, “that’s my other sister. and please stop talking about me like i’m not here. you want me or not?”

dustin and mike turned to the head of the table, to who you already had assumed was eddie. he was smirking, eyes still on you, “we want you…” you shrugged your jacket off and sat down. two of the unknown members dove in on either side of you and you slowly turned to face them. you were not going to be the object of gaping and staring all night.

“so do you actually listen to the band on your shirt, or did you just buy it because you thought it was cute?”

dustin coughed and mike straightened up, looking greatly forward to the verbal slaughter that was about to ensue. if this was his attempt at flirting, dustin had done a better job at eight…

you glanced down at you led zeppelin t-shirt. you glanced back up. the guy’s amused smirk vanished, now looking like he was about to get scolded by his mother. you didn’t say anything for a moment, just staring at him, wondering what possessed his small brain to ask you that question. you glanced back towards the table and set your figure down. you took a deep breath and sighed, tilting your head just slightly before turning back at the still gaping male, “do you know what the thing between your legs is for, or is it still just a decoration?”

the guy jumped back, now scowling. dustin and mike were howling with laughter, oooing and smiling smugly. unknown members three and four we’re doubled over. and eddie was silent, tongue tucked against his teeth, smirking like he had never seen anything like you before. his eyes were on you, amused, intrigued, almost fond. he held his hand out to you, still smirking, “welcome to hellfire.”

you had learned unknown two, three and four’s names were jeff, gareth and doug and you had been right about eddie. you would catch him glancing at you occasionally, though he tended to wait until you were deep in thought, concentrating on the game in front of you. dustin and mike exchanged several glances throughout the night, not as nearly as smug as they had been, but now amused that you had seemed to catch- and hold- eddie's attention.

eddie had created an impressive campaign; you would be sure to tell him, if you ever actually beat it... you stood in the huddle, now feeling more stupid than you had the rest of the evening. these idiots had you in a full sweat over a damn board game. “i have two critical hits left. i can’t do shit!”

“none of us can do shit! we’ll never be able to roll a perfect twenty. i can’t even take another step, with how low my health is—“

“mike, what do you have?”

“i don’t have shit!”

“we’re so screwed.”

“we have to forfeit. we have to retreat…”

you glanced over your shoulder. eddie was propped up in his chair, smirking in amusement, glancing at the ceiling, hand cupping his ear as if he was mocking you. you groaned. cocky bastard. “we are not retreating. most of you won’t even be able to retreat! dustin and gareth will have to be carried, mike only has one good leg and jeff and doug are dead!”

mike watched you speculatively, the smallest smile of pride on his face, “you want to go for it…” dustin shook his head, hands on his head like they truly were risking life and limb, “you’re insane! you’ll never beat him with just the two of you— even if mike can roll something high, he doesn’t have enough power left to make a dent. you would have to roll a twenty—“ you shot dustin a glare, warning, “dustin… when have we wheeler’s ever backed down from a challenge?”

“never… even when you should.”

mike took your hand, smiling like you had won the key to the world, “we fight…”

“we fight.”

you and mike turned, both staring at eddie like it was a dare. “vecna awaits… what’s your move?”

your lip twitched up just slightly, way too confident and way too invested in this damn game, “we fight…”

dustin and the others began to chant, fight, fight, fight, and all of it really added greatly to the unnecessary adrenaline you felt. eddie looked even prouder than mike, giving you a remarkable stare and dipping his head in respect, “wee wheeler, you’re up. what is your fate?”

mike died instantly, but he went out like a hero. he would be greatly remembered and his best friends would carry his name the rest of their– possibly very short– lives. d’artagnan the artificer— dustin— had used his final, minuscule roll to remember and honor his fallen friend. he had gone out fearlessly, after all.

all eyes turned to you and you should not feel this much stress and pressure for a damn high school club, as a graduated nineteen year old. eddie lifted his eyebrows, still staring at you with that impressed, amused smirk, “perfect twenty and vecna falls… your move, mi’lady.” you grabbed the twenty sided die and there was a collective intake a breaths. you narrowed your eyes and scooped up the dice. you tossed them in your hands, holding your breath. you shifted your hand slightly, towards mike and dustin. they both blew on it, just to humor you. you let it go, closing your eyes as the die bounced across the table.

as stupid as it sounded, you couldn’t look. they were all relying on you and that damn twenty sided piece of plastic for their end of a school long campaign. there was a roar and cheers and mike and dustin were both grabbing you and shaking you in excitement. eddie was screaming, hands in the air, announcing the fall of vecna. much to your dismay and horror, you were lifted up by the entire party. they were chanting your name, cheering and screaming. you were set down, grabbing onto a proudly beaming mike, before you fell while being set back on the floor.

eddie was still staring at you, and for the first time you became very aware of yourself. your tight, ripped jeans, your messy black hair that you had never quite figured out what to do with, the fishnets under your jeans that your dad had nearly had an aneurysm over, and the black combat boots mike had bought you for christmas five years ago. you certainly did not look like the typical male gaze, and that was exactly why eddie had not been able to look away.

“i knew bringing you was the right call.” you ruffled mike’s hair— something you had done his entire life, that he still begrudgingly allowed, only giving you a brief glare for messing up his hair. “you’re welcome, kid… i think you would have been lost without me.”

“oh, they so would have.” eddie had stopped beside dustin, glancing around the room before turning his attention back to you, “jeff blames it on female presence… throws off the vibes and balance of the party… makes everyone lose their focus…” he tilted his head slightly, still eyeing you. mike narrowed his eyes just slightly, sensing something the two of you were quite oblivious to.

you smirked just slightly, “is that so? well. seems like they could use all the help they could get. i noticed that the two i have trained and raised myself were the last two standing…” eddie glanced over to dustin and mike with a fond smile, “are you claiming them as your padawans?” your lip quirked up, amused, “definitely. taught them everything they know, except for how to dress.” mike and dustin glared at you for this, but you ignored them, “quite the campaign, by the way…” eddie’s eyes sparkled, “quite the roll.”

your mouth twitched up just slightly and you were greatly aware of how close he was to you. there was a very small swelling in your stomach and heat began to rise in your cheeks. you knew exactly what this cursed feeling was, even though the last time you had ever felt it was for steve harrington in third grade.

“do you like pizza?” you said it to eddie with that same small smirk, before glancing around the room to include everyone.

“who doesn’t like pizza?”

“exactly my thought, dustin… let’s go.”

mike glanced at dustin, surprised and delighted, trailing behind you suddenly, “what? really? now? what about mom? she wants me home by nine thirty!”

“i can deal with mom, mike… she’ll never be that upset if you’re with me.” even though you were the black sheep child, you were the most responsible and had proven it time and time again. they knew you would never be careless with mike and they knew he would never be better looked out for with anyone in the world.

“man, i love your sister so much.” dustin caught up with mike and you held back a smile. silently, trailing behind you like he knew you would lead to trouble, eddie couldn’t agree more.

your feet were up on the booth across from you, legs stretched out under the table, saving the spots for eddie and dustin who had gone to get drinks. mike was staring at you, eyebrows raised, waiting for you to acknowledge him.

“what? what is that look for?”

“the elephant in the room.”

“there’s no elephant in the room, michael…”

mike raised his eyebrows further, pulling his straw up and down against the cup as he looked at you in disbelief, “okay… so how about the eddie in the room?” your reaction had been immediate and you cursed yourself, “what?” the disbelief was too thick in your tone, “what are you talking about?”

mike gave you his typical unamused, disbelieving, sassy expression. his lips stuck out slightly, eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest. “oh, don’t give me that look!” mike just raised an eyebrow in answer, “fine. i’ll play stupid… i’ll pretend i didn’t see the way you were looking at each other and visibly undressing each other with your eyes—“

“mike!” you glanced around and desperately hoped no one was near by to hear that.

“i approve. and you could use a hobby and get out more… just please keep the face sucking to a minimum around me.”

you gaped and choked out a shocked, uncomfortable laugh, “mike! shut your mouth!” but you were blushing now and couldn’t force away the smile spreading over your lips. damn your brother and his perceptiveness and how he knew you way too well… mike was just smiling, looking at you with a soft expression similar to the one he would give you when he was younger and got anything he wanted from you. he was still just smiling, and you knew it was a silent way of saying how happy he was for you.

“you’re getting ahead of yourself.” you sipped your coke and eyed him skeptically, still slightly amused and still blushing. mike’s expression didn’t change.

“what did we miss?” you lowered your feet and dustin slid in across from mike, looking between the two of you like you were guilty of something. “why does mike look like he’s been given the key to something spectacular…”

that was a rather accurate description.

“he’s excited to go see his girlfriend in california, over spring break.” mike nodded, eyeing you once more, silently reminding you that he could easily out-embarrass you right now.

“that’s right, wheeler… you and your lady are long distance…” eddie eyed him in amusement, reaching for another slice of pizza.

“she is real.”

“i never said she wasn’t…”

you knew he was teasing, but you still cracked a smile, “she is real. and a lot cooler than him.” mike didn’t argue. “they’re perfect for each other. it’s adorable, really...”

“can anyone be perfect for another person?” eddie looked to you now, and you straightened your spine. you truthfully had never actually thought about it. you had never had a boyfriend and until four hours ago, you hadn’t even held any semblance anywhere near real interest in anyone in the male species. “i don’t know.”

“well, do you believe in soulmates?”

“of course there’s no such thing as soul mates—“ mike kicked dustin under the table, to shut him up, “ah! son of a—“

“i think soulmate doesn’t always mean romantic. i think it can be a group of best friends or even siblings. i think it’s just whatever person completely compliments you and makes you feel like everything’s gonna be okay.”

“so you think your brother is your soulmate?”

“well, no— i don’t know— i think it can be different things. but i don’t believe in soulmates only being romantic because i know not everyone will find someone.”

eddie was staring at you like he was trying to translate some ancient language. and you just kept rambling, oblivious to the way he was looking at you, and the way dustin and mike had now both clued in on the very obvious thing in the air.

“i don’t think soulmate is the right word. i think it’s just whoever your person is.”

“your person?”

“yes, your person. the first person you think of for anything. mine is mike, mike’s is eleven, dustin’s is you or steve—“

eddie glanced away to look at dusting fondly, not letting it show just how much the kid meant to him. eddie glanced back at you and fell silent, still just watching you. dustin had turned red but he didn’t argue. you glanced back at eddie once your rambling had stopped and were nearly startled by the way he was looking at you. stupidly, you didn’t know why he was looking at you. you had nearly sabotaged his entire game, you didn’t know when to shut up, and you were much too like your brother, who he already knew well. eddie didn’t look away though, even as you did, cheeks hot and eyes darting anywhere else to break the tension.

“i gotta ask…”

the pizza had been taken care of much quicker than vecna, and eddie was now leaning forward with his chin on his knuckles. “you do actually listen to led zeppelin?” you quirked an eyebrow, smirking just slightly. you had thought that was obvious. your mouth twitched into a smile and you let yourself meet eddie’s gaze again. you stood up, deciding that maybe he could find out that answer for himself.

mike and dustin followed you, while eddie just watched you go, head spinning, smirk spreading on his face, “goodnight, level seventeen...” you stopped briefly, noting the tone of his voice. it wasn’t final. it didn’t really sound like a goodbye.

you quirked your lip up and spun around, giving eddie a similar curtsey to the bow he had given you earlier, “let me know if you ever need help slaying any dragons…” eddie sank back into the booth, heart pounding, the smirk still on his face because he knew his entire world had just been catastrophically shook.

your mom was waiting at the door, not quite angry, but leaning towards exasperated and maybe frustration. “i left a note…” your tone was innocent, shifting your jacket to your shoulder as you braced the door open with your hip. mike and dusting squeezed in past you, both looking guilty but not sorry. “he was supposed to be home by nine thirty! it’s almost ten thirty…”

“i know… blame me. we went out for pizza afterwards.” she opened her mouth to argue and you held your hand out, “i knew it was late and i didn’t want you to worry about dinner.” she looked to dustin and opened her mouth again.

“if i took dustin home, we would have been even later! his mom knows he’s here and they’ll go straight to bed.”

karen narrowed her eyes, looking at you with a mix of pride and exasperation. you smiled softly, “we had a good time… i’ll miss him while he’s gone.” she just sighed, shaking her head and walking back upstairs.

you smirked just slightly, turning to eye the boys, who looked at you with awe and amazement. “can i borrow you, next time i’m in trouble with my mom?” you ruffled dustin’s hair and snorted, “sure. i’m great with disappointed mothers… go straight to bed. don’t make me a liar…” you were always a smooth talker. you were not a liar.

dustin had tagged along to the airport. nancy had left early for god knows what reason. while dad woke holly up and carried her to the car, you were left in charge of making sure mike had everything. you were the only one brave enough to go in his room. he and dustin were both barely conscious as you stepped inside, both still in the clothes they fell asleep in.

“boys!”

they both scrambled to their feet, shrieking and falling out of bed or slipping on their sleeping bag on the floor.

“mom’s going to kill you! are you at least packed?” mike shouted at you to get out and you ducked to avoid the pillow he threw at you. “i’m packed! i’ve been packed since wednesday!”

you huffed and watched dustin and mike grab mike’s things and haul ass to the car. you rolled your eyes, holding back laughter. dustin was saying expletives with every step, rushing to the car, insuring he would not be the reason they were late. karen warned dustin to watch his language and you wondered when she would remember who she was talking to and when she would realize he was incapable. everyone piled into the car, dustin mumbling, “sorry, mrs. wheeler” like a scolded puppy.

mom had not wanted to go in to the airport, deciding it was much better if she waited with holly in the car. “be good, michael! or i swear this will never happen again!” mike held his hands up innocently, giving you the slightest mischievous smile. you knew he would never do anything you wouldn’t do. mike gave holly a quick, awkward-forced-sibling hug and begrudgingly allowed mom to squeeze him and kiss his head. you trailed behind mike, he and dustin deep in conversation. mike stopped outside his gate, turning to look at you with a anticipating expression. “have fun… do not do anything i wouldn’t. give will a hug for me.” mike pulled you into a hug much more willingly than he had everyone else. “don’t forget about us, and make cool california friends.” dustin nudged him playfully and mike shook his head, “not a chance.”

“try not to be too lost without me… i’ll only be gone for a week.” you scoffed but you knew you would be bored without him. mike grabbed his bag and stopped, glancing back at you, “oh, and you should go for it with eddie. you need something to do…” you gaped at him, ignoring dustin’s snorts and laughter.

“goodbye, mike.” was all you said.

you were much more pathetic than you thought. on the third day without your brother, you were sitting at the bookstore with dustin. dustin had made fun of you the entire drive there, scoffing that at least mike had such a cool best friend that had similar hobbies to you and tolerated you. you did not come of with a smart response to him because he had been the one asking you to take him, knowing you would have spent the entire rest of the time mike was gone, at home, reading.

“do you mind if i go to the gaming section?” you glanced— just across the store— and eyed dustin skeptically, “you will be literally one hundred feet away from me. i’m not going to drop dead if you aren’t here to entertain me.” dustin smirked slightly, “if you’re sure…” you shook your head as you watched him disappear.

you side stepped a very sweet looking but very unobservant old woman, cringing slightly as you inhaled a strong whiff of her perfume. your stack of books teetered dangerously and you shifted to quickly catch them. you lifted your elbow frantically to steady the stack and ungracefully, mortifyingly, met someone’s stomach. there was a grunt and a gasp of air. you swore, all books now falling on the floor.

“i am so sorry!” you whipped around, now tripping over the pile of books. your breath caught as you saw who you had just extravagantly elbowed in the stomach. “eddie?”

shit.

eddie’s eyes snapped to yours, his brief pained and startled expression softened to a smirk, “well, well! she’s deadly in dnd and in real life.”

you scoffed, smiling slightly, “i am so sorry… i didn’t even see you.”

“i take offense to that…”

“no— not like that. i mean you’re easy to notice— i wished i would have seen you— i mean–“

holy shit, you were never this chatty and now you couldn’t seem to shut your mouth.

eddie just smirked, crossing his arms, tilting his head slightly at you. watching you stutter and stumble over your words like it was the highlight of his day. you cursed again, letting your head fall in defeat, “nevermind— i’m sorry…”

“don’t be.” that damn smirk again, “if i had to get elbowed in the gut by someone, i would chose you one hundred times over.”

oh, god you were blushing. eddie noticed you were blushing and his smirk grew. and now you were just staring at him like a damn idiot. eddie’s eyes dipped, “you dropped your books.”

oh right—

eddie was teasing; he was enjoying the way you were looking at him and how easily he could make you blush. you stared at him for a second more before dropping your eyes in a panic. eddie bent down and started collecting them, no longer hiding his amusement. he stacked them neatly in his arms and eyed you.

“thank you…” you held your arms out but eddie did not offer them back to you. you narrowed your eyes, gaping slightly, “oh, you do not have to carry those—“

eddie just glanced at you, “i got it...” you opened your mouth to argue but he held his finger up playfully to shush you, “wouldn’t want you tripping and falling into any other men…” his lip twitched again and you did not miss the suggestion in his tone.

oh he was trouble. and you knew he was going to be even more trouble… you wanted him to be trouble… god, you wanted him to come crashing into your life and upend it completely…

“eddie!”

holy shit, you had completely forgotten about dustin…

“henderson? who let you out of your enclosure?”

“actually i escaped and then forced her to go out into the world with me.” dustin motioned to you and you rolled your eyes. you glared at him, waiting for him to finish being obnoxious— he didn’t. “she’s rather reclusive, after all… and with mike being in california, i figured i would take her daily sunlight exposure into my own hands.”

“very noble of you to keep her out of trouble. while you were away, however, she sucker punched me and put me in a headlock until i agreed to carry her books.” you gaped at eddie and he gave you the quickest, most perfect smile you had ever seen.

dustin glanced between the two of you and smirked just slightly. the chemistry and thing between you must have been obvious to everyone on the world too— perhaps there was even a blinking neon sign above your heads. dustin nodded, clicking his tongue sadly, “she is quite scary… you really do have to be very careful around her. she’ll catch you off guard.”

eddie set your books on the counter and stepped back, leaning back slightly as he hung back with dustin, while you paid, “oh, she catches you very off guard… i think i’ll need to be very careful…” dustin smirked, glancing back at eddie, who had not taken his eyes off you.

you tucked the books under your arm and returned to the still patiently waiting boys. “are you two conspiring?”

“something like that…” dustin held back his smirk.

“did you attack any other poor sucker while paying for your smutty romance novels?”

you snorted and then covered your mouth. the attacking part was much less amusing than the smutty romance part.

“smutty romance novels? oh, for sure.” you pulled the books out from under your arm, individually, naming them with a huff, “mists of avalon, fevre dream, the gun slinger, ender’s game and— the entirety of hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy… also a new copy of jurassic park because mike took mine and to kill a mockingbird because i’ve read it so many times that it’s shredded.”

eddie tilted his head, “spectacular…” he knew you were nothing like anyone he had met when you completed obliterated his dnd campaign the first time you filled in, and now your reading taste had proven to be just as interesting and varying as you.

“why, thank you.” you bowed slightly, smirking.

eddie passed all of the books you had stacked in his arms while contradicting him on your reading material. his eye dropped to your twilight zone t-shirt and he smirked again, realizing you were much more similarly aligned than he would admit. you smiled at him once more, “bye, eddie. thank you. again… and i’m sorry…”

you headed for the door, but eddie spoke before you got “goodbye, trouble… let me know if you ever need someone to carry your books… or to fall for…”

you halted, stopping dead in your tracks. dustin glanced at you, smirking with a thoroughly amused, devious expression. you knew if you turned around you would do something stupid. or say something even stupider… you bit your lip, fighting against yourself and reminding yourself you had never been the type to ever get butterflies over anything— especially a guy. dustin raised his eyebrows slightly, eyeing you speculatively, like you were the biggest idiot in the world. you suddenly couldn’t think of anything to say. not that could counter your blushing or play off the butterflies in your stomach. you started walking again and dustin elbowed you. you hissed, snapping your head towards dusting, “you little shit—“

“hey, eddie—!“ dustin ducked as you swung for the back of his head, spinning back around before you could grab him. “we’re going to the arcade after this. then ice cream… you should come.”

eddie glanced at dustin, narrowing his eyes. his eyes shifted to you, who ducked your head in embarrassment, chewing your lip anxiously. eddie didn’t miss the red on your cheeks, or the faintest smile on your lips, but he also did not want to over step or scare you off. “oh, i don’t—“

dustin was already walking towards him, grabbing his shoulders and now marching eddie towards the door and you. you sighed to yourself, making a mental note to call will and tell him he was definitely your favorite friend of mike’s.

you cursed, laughing despite yourself, as you once again lost horrifically. “i swear i am actually good at this normally!” eddie clicked his tongue and frowned, “i believe you, trouble. you’re just not as good as me…” you scoffed, shooting him a playful, disbelieving glare, “evidently not.” eddie laughed, eyes lighting up as he did. god, for the way he was dressed, he sure smiled and laughed a lot. you were still too naive to accept that it was just because of his present company. you huffed and leaned back, “i surrender.”

“you? accepting defeat so easily?”

you smiled innocently, the corner of your mouth in a smirk, “only because i’m out of quarters.”

eddie returned your same expression and slid his hand in his pocket. he furrowed his eyebrows and sucked in a breath through his teeth, “well, shit. so am i…”

you scoffed, laughing in slight amusement. eddie joined you, shaking his head.

“i’d better find dustin. kid might start a tab…”

you stopped short, looking around slowly. there was a very obvious lack of curly hair tucked under a hat in the building.

“you looking for henderson?”

keith appeared in front of you and you flinched. god, you hoped he didn’t ask you out again…

“i— yes?”

“oh, he left.” you opened your mouth but keith pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket in answer, “he left you this note.”

you did not ask— or try to think about— why the paper was slightly damp.

‘ called steve to pick me up.

have a nice date

— d.h. ‘

you snorted, “that little asshole…” eddie peered over your shoulder, now grinning like an idiot, “i really love that kid…”

you eyed eddie, only mildly irritated— at dustin— “mhmm… he’s adorable.” your voice was flat, deadpanning.

“is…it a date?”

shit. it almost was…

shit.

“no…” your eyes shifted to eddie and he was visibly disappointed for a moment. he shook it ofd quickly, still eyeing you like he wanted to say something.

“for it to be a date, you would have to ask me first.”

eddie’s disappointment and anticipation vanished; his expression softened, eyes traveling your face and pulling a small, almost shy smirk, “and if i did ask you? would you say yes?”

eddie had leaned in, now much closer and making your height difference much more obvious as he leaned down slightly. your breath caught, mostly from his sudden intensity and piercing eyes. you forced yourself to breathe and attempt to keep any sort of composure as you spoke, “i guess you would have to ask me…”

eddie’s smile spread, eyes shifting, darkening just slightly; like he couldn’t stand what you did to him and how much you made him work for everything so far— as if he hadn’t had you stuttering and blushing mere hours ago, in a bookstore. eddie leaned in further, now inches from your face, arm stretched out just above your shoulder, leaning up on the arcade game behind you, his chest nearly pressed against yours.

“tomorrow night… dinner. with yours truly.” his lip twitched up, “this time, dustin isn’t the one asking…”

your mouth curved into a smile despite trying to remain casual, “yes… i’ll be there.”

eddie smiled, somehow having some form of smirk for every occasion, “wonderful. i’ll see you tomorrow, trouble.”

you felt breathless, your heart now catching up to what the rest of you was doing, now sending you into panic mode. you had a date. you had a guy that you could actually see yourself dating. you snapped your attention back to eddie and away from the building panic. you just smiled— widely, genuinely, big enough to hurt your cheeks. you nodded in agreement, watching eddie part ways at your car and return to his van. he paused as he climbed into his drivers seat and glanced back at you, “no backing out, trouble! you still owe me that ice cream…” you bit your lip and smiled,“wheelers don’t back out of anything… and we never joke about ice cream.”

“there you are!” karen was opening the door before you got to it, “i was beginning to think you got kidnapped!” she had a fair reason to worry— you very rarely left the house without mike, and almost never stayed out past nine. “did you have a good time with dustin? i see you bought more books!”

right, dustin! you had almost forgotten that you left with him… “i did, mom… um, yeah— just some that i’ve been wanting to pick up…” she eyed your stack with a slightly nervous expression— it was all very different from her smutty romance novels she read in the bathtub. “i love that you read so much.. but i do wish you would utilize our library…” you shrugged, smiling sweetly, “some books you just have to read over and over… it’s just not the same.” she didn’t argue, just watched you with a small sigh, “mike is on the phone for you. told me he would wait for you get home…”

you nearly tripped on your way to your room, taking the steps two at a time. you dropped the books on your nightstand and bellyflopped onto your bed, diving for the phone.

“mike??”

“did you kiss him?” your brother sounded perfectly casual, the slightest hint of excitement in his voice.

“what!? who— mike! did you talk to dustin?!”

there was laughter on the line and you knew immediately the conversation was not private. you cursed quietly, exhaling through gritted teeth. “i did not kiss eddie.”

“you sissy.”

“michael—“ your tone was warning and greeted with more laughter. “get me off speaker phone.”

there was a click and mike’s breathing was much closer, “you miss me yet?”

“not as much, now.”

another snort, “what time is it at home? nine? you were out awfully late, young lady…”

you rolled your eyes, “stop talking, or i won’t let you read any of my new books.”

mike fell silent, paused for a moment, before, “what’d you get?”

you bit back an amused laugh, “stephen king, hitchhiker’s guide, a few new ones…”

the conversation went on much too late, but if he was home, and not out with friends, most nights were spent hanging out with mike on your bed, ranting or reading or discussing teenager problems and watching the twilight zone. when your watch beeped eleven, and there was a shout from joyce on the california line, you yawned.

“i should probably go. joyce wants to show us this really old movie…”

you suspected it probably wasn’t that old and it probably wouldn’t be his thing, but you did not want to keep him any longer from his girlfriend and will.

“mike?”

“yeah?”

“i think i could really like eddie...”

“i think you already do…”

he was right and you hated it.

mike spoke again, softer, “i think it’s good...”

“i think it’s terrifying.”

you had changed your outfit four times. you had been so desperate and tense you had almost asked nancy for help. you came to your senses rapidly and realized asking her or your mother would mean telling them you had a date, which would mean you had to tell them with who, which meant you would have to let them in on your wondrous guy that was eddie. holly sat on your bed, watching you throw clothes around with a raised eyebrow. “you have a lot of black clothes…”

“yes, holly.”

“are you goth?”

“no, holly. and why do you know that word?”

“kids at school…”

you just sighed and went back to your bed to sort through the already approved maybe outfits. holly shifted slightly, watching you with increasing concern.

“is this for a guy?”

you stopped, looking to your little sister with a warning expression, “do not say anything to mom or nancy.”

holly’s smile spread across her entire face and she threw her arm over her chest, crossing her finger over her heart and miming a key locking over her lips.

you huffed, eyeing her. holly shifted closer to you, watching you fondly, “will i get to meet him?”

“no… not— not yet…”

possibly never.

“you should wear the purple wranglers.”

“the purple wranglers?”

“with the black t-shirt that’s low cut… and your boots.”

you raised your eyebrows slightly, wondering when holly had started becoming a small future teenage girl and how long you had before she too would start asking to borrow your things. she had been right. bless her eight year old fashion sense, the outfit was giving exactly what you needed. confidence, mostly— but also reminded you that your body wasn’t appalling to look at and actually did look halfway decent. you finished your makeup and stared at yourself in the mirror.

“you look pretty…”

you ruffled holly’s hair and smiled, “thanks, kid.”

holly jumped off your bed and moved for the door, “have a good date. i will cover for you…”

you were exceedingly grateful that eddie had picked a diner, instead of somewhere fancy and of high social expectations. you sat across from him, feeling ridiculously anxious and absurdly self conscious. you had spent practically the entire day with him yesterday and now you could barely form a sentence. he was still watching you, posture tense, eyes slightly strained, looking very unlike eddie.

“i’m sorry… this is— this isn’t really…”

oh no, it had been a mistake.

“i’m not really good at this… um, dates— sitting and talking in front of people… i’m… i’m sorry.”

“i’m sorry— i’m not being any help at all with this…”

“no! you’re great. you’re really, really… god—“

“i don’t think i’m any good at this either…”

eddie stuck his lip out slightly, glancing around, shifting slightly. “hey, do you want to just get out of here?”

“what?”

and just forget the date?

“come on… i have a better idea.” eddie took your hand, dropped enough money to pay for the two drinks and started pulling you towards the door. you followed him without a second of hesitation. his hand was warm against yours, pulling you along enthusiastically with a mischievous smile.

one hour later, you sat on the roof of his van, legs crossed underneath you, red slushie and gas station snacks between the two of you. you were laughing, talking to each other like normal people, once again finding that comfortable, flirty banter.

“this is better…”

“i told you… dating feels like such a spectacle…”

it honestly did… between the handful of dates you had been on and the way you heard girls talk about how much their boyfriends spent on them and how fancy the dinner, you wondered why it was even worth it. the radio played in the background and you closed your eyes briefly. you almost laughed when you heard the song.

eddie looked at you with a puzzling expression, lifting an eyebrow, “not a fleetwood mac fan?” you shook your head, smiling widely, “it’s not that. this song just… it’s complicated.” eddie narrowed his eyes, setting his drink back down, “well, now you’ve gotta tell me.”

you eyed him, “landslide is me and mike’s song. i know siblings don’t normally have a song… but this one just seemed to always be everywhere. my first school dance, i didn’t have a date, so i brought mike. it didn’t matter that he was three years younger. this song was playing while i was getting made fun of for dancing with my brother. mike came along and just started dancing with me.. he was this little ten year old flipping off the entire auditorium of middle schoolers.”

eddie snorted, “that sounds like wheeler.”

you shook your head with a fond smile, “i really just don’t know where he gets his personality and attitude from…”

eddie raised his eyebrows, “oh, no, it’s a total mystery to me too…” he watched you, eyes softening, holding his breath slightly.

“the night mom was at the hospital to deliver nancy, it was on the radio… i think that was the first time the lyrics actually settled in. it wasn’t going to just be the two of us anymore and i think that scared both of us. obviously our relationship is fine… i think if anything, younger siblings only made us closer.” you shook your head, realizing you were drifting off topic, “anyways— it’s just always somehow present. like any bad day when i’m driving around… and i wonder if things actually do get better and move forward— it just feels like a sign, that it’s playing now…”

eddie leaned in slightly, “a good sign?” his eyes were so soft you worried you may melt. you shifted slightly, no longer so afraid to be near him.

“a very good sign…”

you knew the look eddie was giving you. it was the first time that look didn’t fill you with dread, nausea and the overwhelming urge to run.

“i should warn you, i’m not very good at this…”

you watched him blankly, waiting for him to give context.

“i’ve never really been a relationship person…”

oh.

“long term and serious are not words i would use to describe my…past…”

oh…

“but you…” he tilted his head, eyeing you like he was studying, “you are something else entirely, aren’t you?”

“am i..?” your breath caught, eyes on him, feeling like suddenly the entire universe had shrank down to just you. until this moment, you had never understood teenagers and their hormones. you didn’t understand why they pinned each other against lockers like they couldn’t bare to be separated for a second longer. you didn’t understand the way they would exchange saliva and suck on each other’s necks without ever wanting to do anything else. you couldn’t comprehend the primal like need for constant kissing and endless sex, or even the appeal of boys in general. but right now, all you wanted to do was kiss him.

but then eddie was kissing you and you realized that you had never had a proper kiss in your life. your heart pounded in your chest, heart rate increasing as if it were preparing to launch into space. your head spun, eyes practically rolling into the back of your head from the feeling of him against you. your hands found his arms, sliding slowly along the groove between his elbow. you needed to steady yourself— you held onto him like he was the one thing keeping you to sanity— really, it was the opposite.

eddie’s arms slid around you, hands resting gently on your waist. as good of a kisser as he was, he was still taking it slow– he didn’t want to mess this up, he didn’t want to scare you. you, however— felt like you were breathing for the first time. your head spun as you deepened the kiss. your hands moved from his arms, up, moving to his chest, frantically grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer. you didn’t want him to pull away. you didn’t want his hands to move from your back. your fist full of fabric tightened, desperate. eddie’s breath caught, he hesitated just slightly. clearly your desperation was not subtle. his eyes found yours softly, making sure your hand on his chest wasn’t a silent attempt to push him away. he knew it probably wasn’t by the way you were pulling, instead of pushing; but he still needed to be sure he wasn’t messing this up.

eddie smirked just slightly at your wild expression, finding it rather enjoyable that you were as easy to get breathless and worked up as you were to make blush. you pulled him with you, keeping your mouth against his in a slow but heavy and needy rhythm. your back hit the roof of the van and eddie threw an arm out to catch himself before settling completely on top of you.

“inside would be more comfortable for you…”

“inside smells like weed…”

he laughed against your lips, not pulling away as he spoke, “sorry… i probably do too.”

you just shook your head, stroking your fingers through his hair, “not as strong… kind of like it on you.”

you were dizzy, when the kissing finally relented. you realized with alarming clarity that this was what it was always supposed to be like. the flirty and playful banter, the occasional glances, the way your body reacted violently every time eddie laughed or smiled or gave you that damn smirk.

“sorry if this wasn’t what you expected… it wasn’t your average..first date.”

you almost laughed at him, “my average first date has sucked. you did us both a favor…”

eddie actually laughed, “yeah. yeah, mine too…”

you shifted, the weight of the evening falling heavy on you. your nerves creeped back in, now sitting awkwardly after the brief— likely mindlessly prompted— make out. you had done it so casually— it had felt so natural and raw and… good. he felt so natural to you. he wasn’t pretending to be something else. he wasn’t talking himself up, disregarding your interests or your side of the conversation. he was just eddie. he kissed you because you both wanted it, and you had been the one to drag it further than one kiss.

“can i see you again?”

eddie was back to smirking, eyes soft, still taking you in as if he would spend the rest of his life trying to get used to you.

you smiled to yourself, glancing up at him, finally sitting up, stretching slightly as you slid back to the front of the van, “you’d better…”

“tomorrow? i have band practice around eleven, but after—“

“tomorrow is good…”

you sipped the rest of your slushie, not having realized how much energy kissing actually took, when done properly.

“is it a second date?” he normally wasn’t in to labels, but with you he wanted to be on the same page.

you tilted your head, humming softly, “it could be a date…” you weren’t sure you needed another date. you thought adding date to what tonight was had almost ruined it.

“it could…”

“it could be a hangout… but not between friends.”

eddie’s lip twitched, “it could be.”

your eyes shifted, nudging him softly, “so it’s just a hangout.”

“but not between friends.”

“no, of course not.”

eddie tilted his head again, just staring at you, “you’re exceptional… i really never saw you coming, wheeler.” the usual smirk was not present, as he just took you in.

“always happy to have the element of surprise, munson.”

“you certainly did…”

you slid off the top of eddie’s van, hand in his as he steadied you as you landed on your feet. eddie held both your hands in his and then, to your absolute utter disbelief, eddie kissed both of your knuckles, never taking his eyes off you, smiling devilishly, “goodnight, my lady. until tomorrow…” your heart flipped, stomach somersaulting, smile betraying that you ever once had a single subtle, badass, indifference towards anything ever.

“you were out late.”

you smiled into the phone, huffing slightly, “were you timing me?”

“something like that…”

“how’s california?”

“very different from hawkins… how’s eddie?”

you smiled just at the name, “very different from hawkins.”

“holy shit, i can hear you drooling.”

“i’m not drooling! i’m just smiling…”

“i’m glad you’re happy. i can tell you’re happier.”

you really loved your damn brother. but now wasn’t the time to get emotional… you were turning into a mushy teenage girl over this spring break…

mike was quiet for a moment, yelling something to will or el, followed by a laugh, “did you kiss him yet?”

you scoffed, realizing his sweet, sappy side was over. your not immediate answer, or a sharp exhale of his name, made him continue, “gross, you did! on the first date! who are you?!”

you snorted, “it’s kind of different with him. i don’t know, i never–“

“gross.” you could hear the playfulness in his tone. it was as if you hadn’t caught he and el locking lips in the basement on multiple occasions.

“mike…”

“sorry, i’m finished… good different?”

you shifted, “terrifying different. i no longer things boys are gross or a waste of time.”

“wow... congratulations, you might have grown up. or i think adults call it puberty.”

you actually laughed this time, “only took me nineteen years, right? and a lot of bad dates and even worse kisses…”

“i think it only took eddie…”

even scarier.

“our song was on the radio…” you said it like it drove you crazy; like it was almost too much of an obnoxious joke.

“you’re kidding. tonight? when?”

“ummm right before i lost my mind slightly and almost stretched out his shirt.”

“holy shit…”

you sighed, not being able to convey it better, yourself, “holy shit…”

eddie shifted his guitar over his shoulder, watching impatiently as the band seemed to forget every note they’ve ever played. the drums were too loud today. every song sounded bad, every note sounded like it didn’t fit.

“hold up—“ gareth looked exhausted, “today just may not be our day.”

“your day. personally, i have sounded great.”

“no, eddie is right. his guitar is somehow better than usual today.”

“maybe that’s the problem. he’s too good…”

“too good?”

“yes. you’re making the rest of us look bad.”

“oh, am i?” eddie sighed, “i didn’t realize my ability to hit the right notes would effect yours. there’s no g sharp in this song, by the way—“

“i didn’t play g-sharp! that was c flat.”

“if you think that was c flat, that explains a lot about our success this entire time…”

“what the hell is that supposed to mean? and why are you being so much cockier and better than usual today?”

“thanks for the compliment…” eddie smiled sweetly, “maybe i slept a full eight hours.”

“or maybe….. he had sex!” jeff was pointing at him like he was identifying a murder suspect.

“i did not have sex.” eddie didn’t think he would still be standing after that. you already wrecked him in enough other ways; he was in no hurry to find out what new ways you could so easily ruin him— or maybe he was… two nights— and most of three days in a row with you already made his head spin, yet he still couldn’t get enough of you.

“is there a girl? did you mess around with another girl? are we going to have to write this one a song?”

“something like that. no song, though…”

eddie knew none of these idiots could find enough words good enough for the terror and wonder and extravagance that was you. truthfully, he was barely keeping it together not talking about last night and you and how he had never in his life felt the way he did right now. how all you really did was talk and eat gas station food on his van and mostly innocently kiss for a few several— at least thirty— minutes. how the next day you wandered through record stores discussing music taste and realizing you hated the same bands, how you bonded further over an oreo milkshake and then a few more kisses. how you were the only person he felt comfortable around, how his cheeks hurt from smiling and smirking at you and how at one point he thought he was having a heart attack but it was actually just because you were looking at him in a way he had never been looked at before.

“whatever, man. she isn’t here to impress, so stop outplaying us.”

eddie held up his hands innocently, not feeling particularly guilty.

“do we know her?”

“oh, you’ve met her… not sure you liked her much. you did at first, then she practically stomped on your testicles— not fully metaphorically.”

there was a groan of a guitar string and then silence. all members were now looking at him with horrified expression.

“it’s not wheeler’s sister.”

eddie was already smirking, expression devilish and guilty.

“please tell me it isn’t that— that…”

eddie shifted his guitar to his back and stood up, “that what?” his voice was warning, despite the smirk on his face.

“dude. she could rip your heart out and then eat it.”

eddie sighed, dramatically, really laying on the slight swoon, “i know…. and i would let her.”

“man— seriously. she’s like..the scariest, most terrifying person i’ve ever met.”

eddie just smiled, shaking his head slightly, hand over his heart with a faraway, dreamy smile. his thoughts exactly…

“are you talking about me?”

there was a collective gasp and one or two frightened shrieks. you tilted your head, smiling in amusement, asking the question as if it had been the highest compliment you had ever received.

eddie nearly jumped over the speaker set up, rushing to greet you, with a quick kiss. he didn’t think before doing it, it was just the only thing that felt right. “what are you doing here? i mean— i’m happy to see you, gorgeous. but how did you find me?”

“dustin…”

eddie would probably thank henderson later. you slid your arm around his ribs and leaned in to his kiss, heart once again racing. you glanced over the truly terrified looking band member and smiled sweetly, wiggling your fingers at them in mock greeting. one of them visibly flinched and you snorted, “i see i left an impression.”

“they seem to think you’re going to rip my heart out and eat it. maybe like a vampire queen…”

god, you could lean fully into this spectacular— absurd— facade they had painted you in. you tilted your head slightly, snapping your teeth at them, in exaggerated threat. all three took a step back and you snorted, shifting your gaze from the band members back to eddie. you bit your lip and held his chin, “not you.” you ran your thumb along his jaw and he visibly stopped breathing, momentarily forgetting that you were leaning into the joke and nearly dropping to his knees, “you, i would have much more fun with…” you ran your tongue over your top teeth and eddie’s mouth fell open.

there was a cough from behind you and eddie attempted to pull himself back together, “right— well, i’m gonna go.” he reached for his guitar, forgetting it was over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on you, still not breathing fully. he stumbled as he walked, unplugged his amp and nearly knocking over the clash drum. gareth caught the drum and stared at eddie wide eyed, not even questioning his sudden departure.

“good luck, man…” he sincerely meant it.

eddie glanced at him, posture rigid, eyes wide, “you may never see me again.”

eddie also sincerely meant it.

“i um… my trailer is really crappy. it’s not.. i’m not sure you’ll— i mean, it’s kind of embarrassing.”

you frowned at him, not wanting him to feel ashamed or embarrassed of where he lived. “eddie…”

“it’s not that i don’t want you to come over—“

“eddie… it’s okay.”

he looked visibly relieved, “sorry… i’ll have you over. i’ll just clean first. my uncle works nights, so—“ he cut himself off. he almost said ‘so we’ll have the place to ourselves’ but he didn’t want it to be like that. it wasn’t like that with you. he didn’t ever want you to think it was— that he was just interested in sex, that was implying anything or trying to pressure.

“mike comes home tomorrow…”

“oh.. right.” eddie wasn’t sure if that would change the amount of time you had been spending together— or if mike would just become a third wheel.

“we can go to my house.”

“oh—“ he was very much hoping to not meet parents for at least a while longer.

you read his mind, “my parents are probably already asleep…”

“perfect.”

you had many thoughts about sneaking a boy into your room. between two nosey sisters and a very light sleeper mom, it could have been one of the dumbest things you ever did. you chose to believe that the karma gods sensed that your intentions were not currently sexual and that was why you made it to your room and locked the door with no one appearing.

eddie paused in your doorway, slowly looking around. “damn…” you winced, smiling to yourself, “yeah… it’s…. it’s something.” your four shelves of books, the ridiculous stuffed dragon that took up most of your bed, the plastic ivy you had strung across the ceiling and walls, the dnd game sitting on your floor, still uncontinued with mike– the sword that hung over your bed, which eddie was now gaping at.

“honestly, i thought you were joking.”

you smirked, “i never joke about swords.”

“no, clearly… or dragons.” he turned to survey the various dragon figures and pictures throughout your room. his eyes settled on the giant stuffed one on your bed and for a second you expected a comment or tease.

“who is your friend?” poor black dragon was so well loved he no longer looked as royal and respected, but well-cuddled and tired.

“that’s pippin. mike got him for me when he was six. he doesn’t leave my bed…”

eddie looked at you like he was very much fighting the urge to say something that would het him hit. really, he was coping with the fact that you were both, the most adorable and most terrifying person in the world to him. he patted pippin’s head, and looked at you with a fond smirk, “very noble. every queen needs their guard dragon.”

your room, eddie realized, was possibly the best place he had ever been. it reflected you perfectly. every corner and spare inch mixed with all the things that made you you. your books, various plants, rock, metal and every fleetwood mac album sat on the bottom shelf. various gems and rocks decorated your shelves, alongside dnd pieces, dice and varying sizes and types of dragons. your closet overflowed with clothes. lots of black, brown, grey, white and a few flashes of color— including a pair of purple pants eddie recognized immediately. band shirts hung on the back of your door, both obscure and popular, but all sitting on your record shelf. you were definitely the coolest person eddie had ever met.

you sat on your bed, sighing as you stretched your legs out. “well?” eddie had to force himself to stop surveying your room, noticing something new every second, “well?”

“as far as girl’s rooms you’ve been in, how would you rate it?”

eddie exhaled slowly, “oh, top one for sure. yes, definitely…” he gave you a charming grin, amused at your disbelieving expression, “of all the….one girl’s rooms i’ve been in, that girl’s room is the best.”

“what?! no, way. you’re just trying to look innocent for me…”

he laughed, holding his hands up, “definitely not innocent, sweetheart… but your room has been the first. most of my…. rendezvous…. have been in bars, the van, or shamefully, an alley—

you had stopped smiling, “you’re kidding.”

“afraid not…”

“none of your girlfriends nave ever—“

“oop, there’s your problem—“

“what?”

“yeah, never got that far.”

“what?”

“the whole boyfriend thing… not on my resume.”

you just stared at him, never actually feeling more seen.

“i’ve been on dates, i’ve done lots of things, but it’s always just been once— after a date, or maybe because they were just after drugs—“

“damn.”

“yep…” he was still smiling, glad to know you were not yet repelled by him.

“shame, really… they didn’t know what they were missing.”

eddie scoffed, “actually, i think they did.”

you patted next to you on your bed and eddie sat, “their loss. i’ll proudly be the one to finally promote you to boyfriend.”

eddie’s breath caught, eyes widening slightly as he looked at you.

oh shit. you had labeled it. you has said he was your boyfriend without actually communicating it with him first.

“oh, fuc— i didn’t… eddie…”

you had scared him. you had scared him and now he was going to freak out and you had ruined everything.

but eddie didn’t freak out. he was smiling. not just his infuriating smirk, but a real, big, genuine smile. you just stared at him. waiting for him to say something, or maybe run out the door—

instead, eddie just kissed you. softer than usual. not urgent and gentle enough to be casual. it felt anything but casual. it wasn’t hot and heavy, but you still felt more need and warmth than you had before. his thumb was on your chin, soft but firm, “i accept my promotion… and i will fill it with honor.” you smiled, leaning in to kiss him again. you both sank back onto your mattress, both smiling and laughing softly, shifting to move the giant dragon out from underneath you. eddie tucked his arm under your head, shifting to look down at you before kissing you again.

you shifted, bringing your knee up, head already spinning as he tucked himself between it and your still stretched out other leg. “you’ll tell me if you want to stop?” you nodded, sliding your fingers through his hair, pulling him down, closer. “i don’t want you to think this is what i expect to happen every time we hang out… i don’t expect anything. i don’t want you to feel pressured…”

“eddie…”

“yes?”

“shut up and kiss me.”

“yes…”

you shifted, laughing slightly as eddie’s nose brushed against your skin. for once, lips and teeth on your throat hadn’t made you panic and shove someone away. eddie hesitated at your intake of breath, lifting his eyes to you again, “you okay?” you nodded, breathless, smiling. eddie’s mouth curved up into a smile and he kissed your lips once. “changed your mind yet?” you tilted your head, questioning. “about my new title?”

you sat up– so quickly that eddie had to jump backwards— staring at him in silence. he really wasn’t kidding and you realized that despite all of his experience and constant smirking, he really had never had anyone that deserved him… that actually made him feel how he had made you feel. “eddie…” you shook your head, “i’m not going to do that. i haven’t felt like this about anyone… don’t think you’re going to get rid of me so easily.”

eddie just looked at you, eyebrows raised, not fully believing you. you didn’t wait for him to argue, surging forward, lips crashing against his before he caught his breath. his arms snapped around you, pulling you down with him with a smirk. you straddled him, committing his wide eyes and wild, deeply intrigued and interested expression to memory permanently. you started kissing him again, slower, now making sure you were the one in control. eddie had no complaints to the arrangement— practically limp beneath you, aside from his arms around your back, keeping you in place.

“i don’t think you heard me… you’re not getting rid of me.” eddie opened his mouth, but instead of words there was a sharp intake of breath and then a moan. you smirked against his skin, flicking your tongue once more against his neck before sucking. you had no idea what you were doing, but evidently you were doing it well. eddie’s hand had tightened around you, fingers tightened around your ribs. after several seconds, eddie squirming underneath you with numerous, muffled noises.

you pulled back, still latched on as you did, smiling, admiring your work proudly. you had never left a hickie. but now you felt quite good about yourself. “see?” you stroked your thumb over it, “all mine…”

eddie was breathless, eyes wide, but smirking like he was the one in control, “possessive little thing, aren’t you?” you bit your lip, grinning at him. he put his arm around you again, as you settled against his side, still smiling. you went right back to talking, as if that hadn’t just happened— and as if it wasn’t a new thing that you were both still getting used to.

you reached out to turn off your alarm, groaning softly. you shifted, almost forgetting that you weren’t alone. you flinched, nearly panicking, before remembering that you had done nothing wrong. you both still wore the same clothes from yesterday; none of them shed, except for shoes and eddie’s jacket draped across your chair. you had slept exceptionally in his arms. you hadn’t even remembered dozing off, and you were thrilled that eddie couldn’t have gone home without you driving him. you kissed him, softly, pushing his hair out of his face. “i have to pick mike up…”

eddie shifted, eyes opening onto you softly, “morning, gorgeous…” god, you would never get used to him…

you had run to mike before he had even seen you; scaring the hell out of him and successfully alarming any other pedestrian near by. you hugged him tightly, nearly knocking him over.

“je— what are you gonna do if i’m ever gone for more than a week?”

“go with you.”

you took his bag, keeping your arm around him. you stopped, lifting an eyebrow, “why do you smell like weed?”

“jonathan has a new friend… he’s….” mike paused, looking at you, “why do you smell like weed?”

your lip twitched up and mike rolled his eyes, “he’s here, isn’t he?”

“no idea what you’re talking about.”

but you were smiling too much to be believable.

“oh, you’re new boyfriend? the one you’ve not stopped talking about every night on the phone…”

“oh, has she?” eddie was smirking, arms crossed, head tilting, looking at you with a teasing expression.

“it’s been a little annoying, really. no offense, but i think i might be tired of hearing about you.”

“oh, totally don’t blame you. i get tired of hearing about you, too.”

both tones were playful but you were blushing with the real thing.

“did you keep her out trouble?”

“oh, no… i really tried. she’s just out of control.”

“oh, i know. she’s a bad influence on me.”

“you know, i think she may be a bad influence on me too.”

you rolled your eyes, looking between the two, knowing this would inevitably now be your daily life.

There are a few things you’ve learned about dating Dustin Henderson.

One: he’s loyal to a fault. The kind of boy who remembers your favourite cereal, who waits to walk you home even when it’s an extra fifteen minutes out of his way.

Two: he’s so dramatic. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes because his emotions arrive at full volume whether he means them to or not.

And three: jealousy looks utterly ridiculous on him. But, endearingly enough, it’s kind of part of the package.

Still, you wouldn’t change him for the world.

You and Dustin have been together a little under a year now. The beginning was messy in all the ways dating your twin brother’s best friend tends to be. Sneaking around, dodging Mike’s suspicious glances, pretending that the flirty banter was just another round of friendly teasing. But eventually, even Mike noticed that Dustin’s smile lingered a little longer when you were in the room, and your laughter came faster when he was around.

It hadn’t even been a confession when you two made it official. Just a late night, the two of you lying in the grass behind your house, fireflies blinking between you, when he’d said, “You know you’re my favourite person, right?” And you’d said, “You’re mine too,” and somehow, that was it. Since then, you’d been you and Dustin.

You all grew up in the same loop of friends. Will Byers had been one of those constants, the soft-spoken one who’d spent countless hours in your basement with Mike and the others. You’d been friends with him as long as you could remember, and it always felt natural to talk to him.

But recently? You and Will had gotten closer than usual.

After he moved back from California, there was a quiet weight to him, a gentleness that made you want to listen more, stay longer. You started hanging out one-on-one sometimes, offering opinions on his drawings or helping patch together D&D campaign ideas when Mike lost interest halfway through. It wasn’t romantic. It never could be. Just an easy friendship.

Unfortunately, your boyfriend didn’t get the memo.

──────────────────────────

It’s a lazy Saturday at the Byers’ house. The gang’s half here: Mike rummaging through his backpack, Lucas and Max cuddled up on the love seat, and the rest of you sitting in around the coffee table, prepping for the next campaign.

The air smells like pencil graphite and chips. You sit cross-legged on the rug beside Will, leaning over a parchment map spread across the table. He’s shading the outline of a swamp while you sketch in winding paths.

Across the way, Dustin’s sitting criss-cross, pretending to be absorbed in his radio kit.

The key word being pretending.

“Okay,” Will says, leaning closer, “if the party heads into this tunnel here, they’ll end up trapped in the Vine Lord’s maze. Unless they roll high enough on perception.”

“Brutal,” you say, smiling. “Mike’s gonna love hating this.

Will laughs softly, eyes bright. “That’s the idea.”

Behind you comes a sharp clang of metal hitting wood. You glance over. Dustin’s hunched forward, frowning at a tool like it owes him an apology. A muscle jumps in his jaw.

“You good there, Dust?” you ask, amused.

“Peachy,” he says without looking up.

Will pauses mid-shade, brow furrowing. You offer a tiny shrug and turn back to the map, but Dustin’s next sigh is loud enough to make even you, who’ve spent years living with Mike’s dramatic tendencies, cringe a little.

Will catches the look on your face. “Should I, uh, go grab something from the kitchen?” he whispers.

“Nah,” you answer, half under your breath, “he’s fine. Probably.”

But Dustin’s movements keep getting tenser, screwdriver clinking against the table. The silence stretches until you finally say, lightly, “You sure nothing’s wrong?”

He shrugs, expression carefully neutral. “Nope. Totally fine. Just some people having a great time together. For hours.”

You blink, taken aback for half a second, and then realize exactly what’s happening.

Oh. He’s jealous.

You fight the urge to laugh, mostly because poor Will has immediately gone stock-still beside you, very clearly wishing he could vanish. Instead of saying anything, you give Dustin a long, slow look; the kind that says, we’ll talk about this later.

Then, with practiced calm, you turn back to the paper. “So,” you say brightly, “root tunnels or mud tunnels?”

Will exhales, relieved. “Root tunnels, definitely. They’re harder to escape.”

Dustin mutters something that sounds vaguely like “great choice” under his breath, and you bite the inside of your cheek trying not to grin.

The tension doesn’t lift completely, even when Mike swings by an hour later demanding changes to the map, or when everyone finally starts packing up. Dustin’s smile has that faint twitch to it, the one you’ve grown to know as the one that means he’s overthinking but pretending not to.

So you let him be. At least for now.

──────────────────────────

It’s early evening by the time you and Dustin leave Will’s place. The air smells faintly like rain and warm pavement. You both walk in easy silence for a while, the kind that usually feels comfortable. Except tonight, the quiet stretches thin.

You steal a glance at him. He’s scuffing his sneaker along the curb, eyes on the ground. You can tell he’s trying to act normal, but the way he hasn’t made an effort to gush over some new idea he has gives him away.

“Okay,” you say finally, nudging his side. “You’re awfully quiet for someone who spent half the afternoon sighing loud enough to make the entire party question it”

He lets out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah… I might have had a moment.”

You raise an eyebrow. “A moment?”

“A mild, temporary lapse in judgment fueled by jealousy and bad communication,” he recites like it’s a line rehearsed in his head.

You laugh despite yourself. “Wow, you’ve been workshopping the phrasing since we left.”

He smiles faintly, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I just… saw you and Will together. You were laughing, talking, sketching stuff and it looked so easy. And I started thinking about how he gets you in a way I don’t. He’s quiet, introspective, artistic. I’m loud and talk too much and can’t draw a straight line to save my life.” He sighs. “Sometimes I worry you’ll wake up and realize I’m a lot to handle.”

It hits you right in the chest, that soft, honest vulnerability that Dustin hides behind humor when things feel too big.

“Hey,” you say gently, bumping your shoulder against his. “Let me tell you something, because clearly you need reminding. You don’t have to compete with Will. You two are basically brothers, Dustin. He adores you, and besides…” You glance sideways, a teasing smile creeping in. “For what it’s worth, Will’s more interested in my brother than me.”

That makes him stop in his tracks. “Wait… Mike?”

You grin, trying not to laugh outright. “Obviously.”

He stops in his tracks, mouth falling open. “That… explains so much, actually.” Then, shaking his head with a little laugh, “God, I’m blind. I owe Will like ten apologies now.”

“Pretty sure Will's used to you being dramatic by now," you tease, stepping closer with a grin.

Dustin groans, rubbing his face with both of his hands.

“Dustin… I like quiet people, sure. But they don’t make me laugh until I can’t breathe. They don’t show up at my door when the power goes out just to ‘make sure the upside down isn’t stirring again.’ You’re chaotic. You feel everything fully, which can be both a blessing and a curse sometimes. But that’s what I love about you.

He meets your eyes then, and the tension melts clean away, replaced by that lopsided grin you’ve adored since the first time he used it to get out of trouble.

“Well,” he says after a moment, “just so you know, jealous meltdown mode comes from a place of deep, passionate love and-“

“A smidge of stupidity,” you finish for him, giving him a cheeky smile.

He chuckles, hand brushing yours until his fingers slip perfectly into place between. “Exactly. Wait, did you call me stupid?”

You squeeze his hand, giggling. “That is not what I said, and you know it.”

You keep talking after that. About music, about how weirdly grown-up everything’s felt lately, about how Mike’s been driving you both crazy sharing one too many conspiracy theories again. The rhythm finds its way back between you, familiar and easy, like it always does.

By the time the lights from your house flicker into view, you’re laughing again. Dustin drapes his arm around your shoulders, pulling you a little closer.

Ah, Robin Buckley, the light of your life. You had met Robin a while ago when she and your sister started hanging out for some unknown reason. You two started secretly dating shortly after. No one knew about the two of you, not Nancy, not Mike, not your parents. It was completely a secret to them. You knew Steve knew about Robin, but she never told him about you.

You loved Robin with every ounce of your heart (not that you had said those words yet), but you could feel her being distant ever since the massive quarantine. You two were still going strong, though it was hard for you to be open when you could tell she wasn’t. 

Then it happened. The worst-case scenario that would only happen in your nightmares. Your little sister was missing, and your parents were both in the hospital. 

You had come home from work a mere moment before the demogorgon slashed your mom’s throat.

“Mom!” You rushed to where she was lying down as the monster grabbed your sister. 

Holly screamed your name, “Help!” she exclaimed.

You grabbed the broken bottle from next to your mother and went to attack the monster, but it simply roared in your face and dragged your sister into a huge, gaping, glowing hole in the wall.

You were left too shocked to speak. You were barely breathing, so shakily and so shallow that you could’ve knocked yourself out if you weren’t so goddamn scared.

“Mom!” you cried, now kneeling beside her. “Mom, just stay with me, okay?” 

Then Nancy got home with your brother’s girlfriend, El (who you knew was missing). 

**

Robin rushed to the hospital when she heard the news, and the second you saw her, you burst into tears.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” she mumbled when she pulled you into a tight hug. You didn’t care about your siblings finding out; you didn’t care, you just needed to be as close to Robin as possible.

“They can’t die, Robin,” you sobbed. “They can’t fucking die!”

“I’ve got you,” she mumbled as she rubbed her hand up and down your back comfortingly. The people around you were too busy to notice the long embrace you two shared, and when you finally did break away, Robin stayed close by you.

The more the people around you talked the more you realized what they had been hiding from you.

“What the hell?” you suddenly exclaimed, gaining everyone’s attention. “Seriously, what the actual fuck are you all talking about?” You were fuming at this point. “You’re trying to tell me you guys knew about this, about what kind of monsters were living in Hawkins, and you decided to, what? Ignore it!?”

“Look,” Nancy sighed. “We understand if you’re upset-”

“Upset? No, Nancy, I’m not upset, I’m fucking terrified.  Terrified of those monsters out there, and pissed as hell because you didn’t tell me anything!”

**

You had calmed down a little; you were still in the waiting room. You regretted going off like that, even though you had every right to be pissed.

“Can we talk?” you asked Robin, dragging her into a private area. “First, I’m sorry for yelling. Second, I’m still so mad at you and the others for not telling me. But especially you, Robin.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You should’ve told me! Do you not feel like you can be honest with me?”

“Of course I feel like I can be honest with you!”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

She looked into your eyes as you started back at her.

“Because…” she started, “I love you.” There was a massive pause as you digested her words. “And it’s because I love you that I’ve been lying through my teeth to protect you. But I see now that was selfish of me, and—”

You kissed her. With your lips sealing hers shut, she didn’t say another word.

“I love you, too,” you whispered when you pulled away. 

“While we’re on the topic of confessions, I have one more thing,” she said. “Steve has kinda…well, not kinda…he’s figured us out.”

Then the lights began to flicker profusely, enough for you to walk over to the breaker and start flipping switches—yet nothing worked. You wanted to ignore it, really, but the noises got louder. So much ruckus from above, you tried to piece it together without peeking. Footsteps directly above you distracted from anything you could hypothesize. Stomp, stomp, stomp—

Then you heard screams.

You raced up the stairs, flung open the basement door, and found a scene chilling to the bone. A creature in the kitchen—towering, human-like, no face, slimy, horrifying. You held your breath and your eyes darted to your mom and sister. There was your mom standing between Holly and the creature, soaking wet and holding a shattered wine bottle. "Stay away from my daughter!" She yelled, lunging at the beast in front of her. Frozen in place, you watched as she attacked this monster, believing she may have injured it enough to put it down and save her kids.

Holly locked eyes with you across the room, panicked like she was crying to you for help. And once the monster swiped at your mother and knocked her to the floor, you felt you had to. "Mom!" You screamed as she landed on the linoleum floor and began to bleed profusely. You ran toward Holly and tried to grab her, save her from whatever was here to hurt you. Maybe you could outrun it, get out the door and just never stop. But the moment you stepped between the monster and your sister, you felt a sharp jab to your back and gasped in pain.

It felt hot, and you looked down just before the claws of the monster were pulled from your abdomen and opened your wound fully. Blood began to stain your shirt and trickle down to your pants as you slowly fell to your knees while Holly's screams filled your ears. She grabbed your face and tried to keep you upright, talking to you as your ears rung. You couldn't save her as the monster took her by the arm and opened a glowing red portal in your living room, you were helpless.

You turned around and saw your mother struggling to grab the phone, trying to call for help. You were struggling to breathe, to move, and here she was crawling on the floor in a puddle of blood you had began to contribute to. You tried to move and help her, but quickly realized you could do no such thing as you collapsed to the ground and looked at her with tears in your eyes. She tried to comfort you, her child who'd been fatally injured beside her. She tried to speak, but no sounds came. She mouthed words of comfort as you both lie on the cold floor—the lights were no longer flickering, it was quiet now. You made out a few words, she said your name, she loves you, hold tight. Then her eyes closed and she stopped talking, and you were all alone.

So many thoughts crossed your mind as the room got darker—or it was your eyesight. You fought to keep your eyes open, you reached for your mother's hang and held it tight. You asked these questions to yourself as you put pressure on the massive hole in your stomach. What was that monster? Why did it take Holly? Where did it go? Where was your dad? Was your mom going to make it? Was an ambulance on the way? Would you survive this?

You heard the front door open and slam into a wall, footsteps approach, and your older sister appear above you. She looked frightened, something you hadn't seen in her in quite some time. Her hands hovered above you as she tried to figure out what she could possibly do in this moment, she spoke to the girl in tow behind her and you moved your head slightly to see her run through the portal the monster opened.

"Y/N? Y/N, can you hear me?" Nancy asked and you nodded. "Can you talk?"

"It hurts." You stammered out. "Monster...got Holly."

"My friend is going to find her." Nancy assured, reaching over to grab a kitchen towel to hold over the gaping hole she could see. She had no idea that the entrance wound was on the other side of your body, she thought she'd be able to stop the bleeding. "Y/N, everything's gonna be fine, okay? We'll get you to the hospital."

"Nancy...it's too deep." You explained weakly. "All the way through. I...I'm getting tired." You saw her shake her head, she grabbed your face and brushed the hair from your forehead.

"No, don't say that. Eyes open, on me. Just focus on breathing, okay? Mom and you are going to make it. I'm not going to let you die!" Nancy's voice cracked and tears began to run down her face. Your hand left your mom's and you reached for your sister's hand instead, barely being able to grasp it. "Y/N, you will not die on me. I can't let you die!" She scrambled for more supplies and shoved towels beneath you and you groaned in agony, then pushed your abdomen down to stop the bleeding on either side.

"I can't...breathe. I'm just...weak." Your shallow breaths wouldn't inspire her to give up, nor you tilting your head back instead of looking at her. You closed your eyes and spoke softly. "I'm sorry I can't hold on any longer. It's not your fault."

"It is! It is my fault!" She shouted, startling you enough to open your eyes back up and fight a little harder. "Y/N, I knew about the monster! I knew there was a plan to hurt you all! I was on my way to stop it, I thought I could make it in time! I'm sorry! It's my fault, so you can't die! Not today!" She looked at you, seeing the color drained from your face and your mother just as close to death beside you and began to noticeably shake. Nancy lost concentration, she stopped holding your wound and cradled your head instead.

"I don't understand." Your voice faintly surfaced. "You knew?"

"It's complicated. I wish I could explain the whole thing." Nancy replied, holding you close.

"I don't want to go. I want to stay with you." You told her and she wiped your tears.

"I'm right here." Your sister assured you. You coughed, causing more damage to your injuries and getting blood on your cheek as it came up your throat. As you faded out, Mike ran inside and saw you there on the floor in her arms.

"Y/N!" He screamed and fell to your side, out of breath from his journey. "Y/N, wake up!"

"Mike..." You whispered. "I'm gonna miss you guys." You felt his hands on your stomach, he was going to try and save you just like Nancy did. You knew it wouldn't work. You heard sirens in the distance and shivered. "I wish it wasn't...this soon. I don't want to go." The words shook your siblings to their core as you went limp, both in denial you'd let go. Both of them sat in a pool of you and your mother's blood and urgently ran to the paramedics to try to save you.

The paramedics checked your vitals, you lost too much blood. Mike and Nancy couldn't help but watch in horror as you were zipped into the body bag and carted away on a gurney, along with your parents who had severe injuries but were still holding on. The ride to the hospital was brutal, Nancy and Mike held onto each other tightly and sobbed as they recounted what had happened. Nancy wondered if she gave up too soon, she should have pushed through instead of comforting you. Mike thought he'd be able to save you if he were faster. They thought if their parents made it they'd fault them for your death. You were so young, you didn't deserve to die. Nancy kept thinking about Barb, how someone else died because of her. She tried to hard to keep you with her and now you were heading for the morgue. "It's my fault..." She whispered to Mike and he tensed.

"What?" He asked.

"I should have told them. Y/N should have known what we were fighting. If they were prepared, it wouldn't have happened." Nancy began to rationalize, and Mike's reddened eyes looked up at her in anger.

"Don't say that. I don't want to hear that." Mike argued and pulled away from her. He noticed her clenched jaw as she stared at her mom in front of her. Barely holding on, but she was there. Why couldn't you hold on for just another few minutes?

It was Lucas who took the radio and told the Party. "We're at the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler are in critical condition. Holly was taken by the Demo. Y/N...didn't make it."

Joyce broke into tears and pulled Will into a hug he couldn't escape. Jonathan and Steve put their differences aside for just a moment out of respect for you. Robin stepped away to cry for you and Lucas sat in silence in the waiting room. Nancy and Mike stared blankly at the floor and Lucas wondered what could possibly be going through their heads. All he knew for certain is they'd be plotting their revenge.