strange love- e.m
Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female!Reader
Summary: eddie has a date, with someone who isnât you. youâre less than thrilled about it
Warnings: ANGST, jealousy, unrequited love, eddie being clueless, cursing, mentions of vomiting, me knowing nothing about D&D (iâm sorry but it deserves a warning), eventual best friends!-to-lovers!
Word Count: 4.6k
A/N: alright yâall this is the imagine i had talked about a few days ago and as someone who loves these kinds of fics, iâm quite proud of myself. also i apologize for my lack of knowledge about D&D, eddie would definitely be disappointed, but i had a friend read it over and he thinks it makes sense so weâre going with it! i hope you all enjoy :)- sava
part two (coming friday, july 22nd)
âWell hello everybody!â Eddie exclaims, scaring half the Hellfire lunch table with his presence. You hear groans and curses fill the table as Eddie laughs at the reactions he pulled from his friends. You just sit in the seat thatâs located on the left of his, laughing at his usual antics, but curiosity begins to strike when you take a look at Eddie.
His face is bright and shiny, his smile stretching from ear to ear as he sits down with his lunch, pulling out some pretzels to munch on. You take in the other details about him, how his hair looks actually kept up and how he doesnât reek of his usual pot smell, but ofâŚcologne? You had no idea who it was that was sitting next to you, but it sure as hell wasnât Eddie Munson.
âWhatâs got you so happy today, Eds?â You ask, nudging him with your elbow. He flashes you a big smile, pretzel bits showing along with his pearly whites. He looks adorable as ever.
âWell Iâm glad you asked, sweetheart. I, Eddie Munson, have a date tonight,â he announces. Your heart does a summersault at the nickname, his nickname he always uses on you, before you fully process the second part of his statement, making your breathing stop for a moment. What the fuck?
You didnât make this fact known, but you were crushing on EddieâŚhard. The two of you have been close since your middle school days, having really connected with his band Corroded Coffin playing at the school talent show and approached them afterwards to share your appreciation. Itâs been history ever since.
But it wasnât until your freshman year of high school when you started crushing on Eddie. You had been having a hard time at home due to your parents divorce, and your father winning full custody meant you moved into the same trailer park Eddie and his Uncle Wayne lived in, the two of you growing closer than before now that you only lived a few doors down. You and Eddie would spend most of your nights together anyway, and one particular night your freshman year, you felt these butterflies flutter around in your stomach as your head rested against Eddieâs shoulder watching Sleepaway Camp, your and his favorite movie that youâd watch at least once a month together. Since that day you had kept your feelings hidden from him, not wanting to ruin things between you and your best friend. You thought the pain of not having him in your life at all outweighed the pain of being stuck in love with him, and that was a fight youâd be willing to battle.
âW-what? W-with who?â You ask, trying to cover up your slight stutter with a cough.
âOkay so you remember our latest show at the Hideout? Well with more and more people starting to show up as of recently, weâve been getting some fans. And this girl, her name is Shirley, gave me her number and I thought âWhat the hell?â and rang her up yesterday,â he explains to you and everyone at the table, the freshman not being able to help their curious little selves.Â
âThatâs cool Eds,â you reply back, trying with all your willpower to remain neutral and shove the emotions you were actually feeling down deep inside.
âYeah. Weâre actually hanging out after Hellfire. She even said she might swing by, sheâs been curious about the game a little. At least, thatâs what she told me,â he tells you, causing you to drop your fork and look at him. He shoots you a weird expression at your reaction.
âOops, sorry. But uh, I thought you werenât allowing non-members into the meetings anymore?â You ask, your eyebrow raised.
âThatâs true, but, as Dungeon Master, Iâll make an exception this one time. Who knows, maybe she could become an honorary member. Sheâs really cool, Y/N. Youâd get along with her great,â he tells you as he clasps his hand on your shoulder.Â
âI seriously doubt it,â you mutter lowly, hoping your close proximity to Eddie didnât allow him to hear. As if a saving grace occurred, the lunch bell rang and you jolted up from your seat, collecting your trash. You could see Eddie eyeing you from your peripheral. One thing there is about Eddie, heâs observant as hell. Youâd usually applaud and commend it, but in cases where you were trying best to hide your feelings, you absolutely hated it. Sometimes you wondered how you were able to get away with him not knowing how you truly felt, but all the more relieved that he didnât.
âHey sweetheart? Is everything okay?â He asks you. You quickly turn to him with a slight smile and nod, before rushing towards the trash can that sat behind him.
âYep, all good. Just gotta go tend to some newspaper stuff. Iâll see you at Hellfire!â Your words moving as fast as your legs as you bid the table goodbye until your meeting tonight, practically sprinting towards the newspaper room, where youâd spill your feelings to one Nancy Wheeler in your secluded gossip corner.
Nancy was one of the only people who knew about your crush on Eddie. The two of you have been super close since you started high school, and even more so with all the shit thatâs happened with the Upside Down that started when the two of you were sophomores. Plus, with her brother now joining the Hellfire Club, she asked you to keep an eye on him, especially with everything thatâs already happened in Hawkins, but you really didnât blame her for that.
Stumbling down the hall with your backpack sliding off your shoulders, you open the doors to the newspaper room and see Nancyâs head pop up from her collaborating with Fred. You walk down the stairs calmly while giving her a pleading look, nodding your head towards the corner the two of you have your major discussions at. She gives you a small nod before returning to her conversation with Fred.
You unpack your bag and begin working a bit on the paper while you wait for Nancy. You were trying your best to remain calm, focussing on your breathing so you didnât get worked up more than you were when you started talking with Nancy. Your mind had a habit of working against you, running a hundred miles a minute coming up with the absolute worst scenario of every situation you encountered. You didnât need to be thinking doubtfully about your friendship with Eddie, but you physically couldnât help it.
How could Eddie have a date with someone and not tell you sooner?
The two of you were best friends, he always told you when something great happens to him immediately after, and you do the same with him. Living just a few doors down, you had that luxury of always being near the person when you celebrate your wins, or comfort one another in your losses. So him keeping this from you until the next day? It definitely hurt, in more ways then one, and you didnât quite understand it. Would you still be upset about it? Absolutely, so that bit didnât matter much. You just wanted to know why. Why heâs choosing to date someone now, after being single for so long. Why he-
âHey, Iâm here. Sorry, I was working with Fred on the basketball story,â Nancy tells you, pulling you out of your zoned-out state.
âNo worries,â you say, your voice residing somewhere distant. You feel a slight kick come from under the desk, prompting you to look down for a second, before bringing your eyes up to see Nancy, who shoots you a look of concern. Nancy too, was very observant, from what youâve seen over your friendship the past three, nearly four, years. The people you surrounded yourself with the most were some of the most observant people in Hawkins, which was both a blessing and a curse. You sigh, turning slightly closer to her, ready to confess.
âEddie has a date tonight,â you whisper softly. You watch her jaw open, as shocked as you were. At least, hoping in the same sense that you were, and not in a negative way. You never really knew about Nancyâs stance on Eddie, whether she liked him or not. The way you talk about him all the time you would think sheâd be sick of it all, but never stopped you from spilling your secrets out to her.
âNo way! With who?â She whisper-yells, scooting closer to you. You watch over her shoulder at Fred and some others looking your way, so you fake working on a spread, signaling Nancy to do the same.
âSome girl that came to their gig at the Hideout on Tuesday. I didnât see it so it mustâve been when I went to the bathroom,â you continue to tell her while fake focusing on the piece of paper in front of you. Your entire demeanor suddenly became deflated, saying it aloud and hearing it from yourself. All becoming so real.
âThatâs crazy. Are you okay, Y/N?â
âNo, but what can I do about it? He and I arenât dating, so I have no room to say who he can or canât date,â you answer. You peak over at her and see her looking you dead in the eye, to which you couldnât blame her. Even you didnât believe what you were saying.
âYeah, I know. He said she might stop by Hellfire, and, Nance, I have no idea how Iâm supposed to get through the meeting tonight if sheâs there,â you tell her. She reaches out and squeezes your hand and you give her a tight-lipped smile.Â
âHey, if you think itâll help, I can pick you up from Hellfire tonight and we can chill at my house for a sleepover. Junk food, distractionsâŚI can even invite Robin and see if sheâll pick up some tapes after her shift at Family Video tonight,â Nancy suggests. You eyes widen in excitement and nod, truly needed a night where you donât talk or think about Eddie. Just a night with your girls.
âThat would honestly be the best, thank you Nance,â you tell her. She flashes a warm smile your way and scoots a bit away from you.
âPerfect. Iâll pick you and Mike up at 9 after I get Robin from her shift, if sheâs free. Itâll be fun,â you tells you. You agree and continue working on your spread, excitement flowing through your body at the thought of a fun night ahead, even with the dread buried in the pit of your stomach at the thought seeing Eddie tonight at Hellfire with a woman at his side. A woman that wasnât you.
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Running down the halls and towards the room behind the theater, you look at your watch and try to pick up the pace. You had lost track of time in your efforts in avoiding Eddie by doodling some drawings in the sketchbook that you kept on you at all times, which in turn made you late to Hellfire, something you never did. But in your defense, you usually had Eddie giving you a ride to and from the meetings. Today was not like the rest. Walking through the threshold of the meeting room, you give yourself a few moments to catch your breath.
âSorry Iâm late, I-â you began to say, but were interrupted by giggling coming from Eddieâs throne. You see a girl with strappy heels and a short, short dress leaning against it playing with Eddieâs brunette fringey curls. That must be Shirley.
âOh good, youâre here. We almost started without you,â Dustin exclaims, his goofy smile appearing on his face.
âYeah, I doubt it,â you tell him, throwing your bag in the seat closest to him and ruffling his hair, him protesting and swatting at you in return. You notice out of the corner of your eye Eddie giving you a confused look, then looking towards your usual seat, which remained empty. It was no secret that you had your own seat in Hellfire, right next to the Dungeon Master himself, but today, you knew it was best to keep your distance. Didnât want to interfere with his date and all.Â
âAlright, now that everyoneâs here,â Eddie pauses, giving you a look. You chose to just look at the table in front you to avoid eye contact. âLets start.â
Dustin is the first to roll the dice, and everyone around watches as the campaign for the week begins. You try your best to pay attention to the game in front of you, but keep getting distracted by the amount of giggling coming from Eddieâs throne, due to himself and Shirley. They were acting like those couples you and Eddie would make fun of in the halls that were practically fucking in the halls of Hawkins High, and youâd always make fake sick sounds as you passed by them. Now that heâs acting those same people right in front of you and the rest of the club, you felt yourself growing sick, for real this time.Â
You stood to the side as you watched Shirley climb in Eddieâs lap, draping herself all over him and her lips ghosting over his ears as she whispers little things in his ears, and the reactions he gives to her words make you want to punch a wall. Not in anger, but in jealous. The green eyed monster had awoken inside you, and you felt yourself getting riled up at the thought of them continuing this act throughout the rest of the meeting. The worst part of it all? You knew this isnât where the night ended for them, and you could only imagine what other kinds of plans they had up their sleeves.
âY/N, youâre up,â Mike whispers to you, snapping you out of your small jealousy-induced trance. You take the dice from Gareth and shake the dice in your cold hands a few times, before tossing them on the table.
6.
You didnât have enough health to pull any big moves. No luck to play the hero tonight. You sigh and slump your shoulders as the rest of the group lets out an annoyed groan. You were completely off your game for the night and you knew with how observant the club was, they could tell. But luckily for you, they didnât press you about any issues you may be having.Â
âWhatâs your move, Lady Y/N?â Eddie asks you, his smug look making your skin crawl. Usually his dramatics during the game always wowed you and youâd join in, but it was hard to take in anything he was saying or doing with the leech that was attached to his hip.
âIâŚretreat,â you say, taking a step back from the table and Mike is quick to take the dice and roll for himself in order to save the campaign. You walk over to the seat you set your stuff in and take the sketchbook out youâd been busy with before the meeting and begin to draw.
âDo you know where the closest bathroom is, rockstar?â you hear Shirley ask. You mentally groan.
âSure thing. Y/N, can you show her where it is?â Eddie asks, turning to you. You place your sketchbook back in your bag and stand from your chair. Flashing Eddie a fake smile, you nod and begin to walk towards the door, the sound of Shirleyâs heels clicking behind you filling your ears.
The halls are quiet as you make your way to the bathroom around the corner.Â
âSo you and Eddie, youâre best friends right?â Shirley asks you as you continue your journey to the bathroom.
âYep, since middle school,â you answer.
âOh thatâs cool! Iâm gonna be honest, I was a little worried when Eddie told me he had a girl best friend. I always think guy girl friendships are weird and donât last. They usually always end up dating in the end or ending the friendship because one likes the other, and the other doesnât feel the same way. At least, thatâs how I see them,â she rambles. You slowly nod and point out the bathroom, her thanking you and doing a fake little run inside.
Pressing your back against the wall outside the bathroom, you canât help but think on the words she said, the thoughts of you and Eddie ending your friendship lingering and seeping into every fiber of your body. Itâs the exact reason you kept your feelings deep down and hidden, but would that work out in the end? Are you putting yourself through the pain and heartache for nothing?
The bathroom doors opens once more and she comes out.
âThanks for waiting for me. Iâm really excited to hangout with Eddie after your club ends,â she tells you.Â
âWhat exactly do you two have planned?â You ask, your curiosity getting the best of you. Part of you didnât want to know, but your brain was screaming at you to find out.
âNothing special. Weâre gonna go back to his place and hangout, maybe smoke some. He also mentioned something about watching a movieâŚSleepaway Camp? Have you heard of it?â
You froze.
Did she really just say that?
She stops and turns to you, giving you a look of concern. You felt the world around you starting to spin, the feelings from everything starting to come up.
âI-um, Iâm sorry, but I-Iâm not feeling too great right now. The theaterâs in there, but Iâm gonna go outside and get some air. C-Can you tell someone to bring my stuff out to me when everything ends?â You ask, your voice shaking as you lean against the wall for support. She gives you a nod and scurries inside the theater, leaving you to bolt out the doors of the school and towards the parking lot.Â
You bent over and held onto the railing by the stairs that spilled out into the parking lot, convincing yourself you needed to wretch. The feelings clouding your brain were mixed, swirling together in a nasty mixture that you werenât sure how youâd describe to Nancy and Robin. The feels of hate and sadness blurring the lines and becoming one as you stood outside, wishing you had your jacket to protect your from the harmful feelings and the cool March temperature.Â
Sitting on the stairs with no luck on spewing your guts out, you let out a sigh and hug yourself in a pathetic attempt to warm up a bit. Your body grew cold rather easily, something that was always an issue, but the solution, or rather the two, were inside. You kept your jacket on you at all times, even despite the temperature being hot, because you never know when you might need it. In the event you forgot your jacket, Eddie would either lend you one of his, or just wrap himself around you, rubbing your arms with his big ring-clad hands to get you in a good place. You always welcomed that comfort. It felt nice being so close to him, even if he may not feel the same.
Your pity party is interrupted by a car pulling into the lot and parking right by the stairs. As the window rolls down, you see Robin pop her head out in a cheerful manner, but soon her features soften when she takes in your sour expression and sad body language.Â
âWhat happened?â Nancy asks from the driver seat. You rise to your feet with a sigh and walk over to the car, leaning inside through the window.
âMore like what didnât happen,â you respond, shaking your head and shrugging.Â
âDid that girl show up? Nancy filled me in on everything when she picked me up, so I have a ton of movie choices for tonight,â Robin rambles.
âYeah she showed up. And they were being gross and lovey-dovey all night. Made me want to puke,â you explain. You feel Robinâs hand touch yours in an attempt to comfort you, to which you place your other hand on top of hers and give it a pat.
âAnd what prompted you to be out here instead of inside?â Nancy asks.Â
âWell first off-â you begin, but hear laughter coming from behind you as the school doors open. You turn and see everyone laughing and walking together, the meeting drawing to an end for the week and you let out a soft sigh. Everyone goes in different directions, with Jeff, Gareth, and Dustin going off in one direction, Eddie and Shirley going towards their van, and Lucas and Mike coming towards you guys. Mike nor Lucas had your bag in their hands, which made you worried that youâd have to go all weekend without your supplies and homework.
âWait, Y/N, whereâs your stuff?â Robin asks. You shrug your shoulders and turn to the side, Eddie standing by Nancyâs car. You see his unreadable demeanor comes closer to you, his eyes fixed on yours as he holds out your bag to you. Taking it, you sling it over your shoulder and slide over as he kept walking closer to the window you once hung out of.
âWheeler, you might if I borrow Y/N for a sec before you take off?â He asks. You watch Nancy nod and Eddie leads you over away from her car, out of ear shot of both Nancy and that crew, and Shirley, whoâs waiting at Eddieâs van. You both just look at each other for a moment, you not really knowing what to say.
âThanks for grabbing my-â
âWhatâd I do?â He asks you, his voice sounding neutral. You look towards the ground and swing back and forth on your feet for a moment, trying to think of a reasonable excuse for your behavior today.
âNothing,â you reply, your eyes glued to the ground.
âYou canât even look at me, Y/N,â he says, looking down to try and catch your eyes. You let out a huff and look back up at him, trying to get this conversation over with, which was something you never wished with Eddie.
âThereâs nothing wrong, okay? I promise,â you tell him. Now it was his turn to huff, added with a kick to the ground. You could see that youâre irritating him, and if you were him, youâd be irritated as well. But today was not your day, you just needed time away from him and try to bury the feelings you had towards him even further down. Take the weekend and recoup. Not to mention, his date was merely a hundred feet away and waiting for him to go back to your place and watch a movie together. Your guysâ movie.
âY/N, please, I know you better than anyone. Can you please ju-â
âEds! Are we going soon?â Shirley yelled from the van.
Ouch.
She just used your signature nickname for him.
What else did they plan on taking from you today?
âSoon sweetheart, I promise,â Eddie yelled back.
Double ouch.
Now he was using your signature nickname.
âYou know what Eddie, just go, sheâs waiting on you. Have fun watching Sleepaway Camp,â you tell him. Shit, whyâd you just say that.
Your mind was starting to think before your mouth, the feelings that have been brewing the entire day bubbling to the surface and taking over the part of your brain that had rational thinking. That green-eyed monster was started to show her true colors. You turn on your heel and begin to take off towards Nancyâs car, when you feel Eddie grasp your wrist, stopping you.
âWait, Y/N, howâd you know we were watching Sleepaway Camp? Did she tell you that?â He asks. You sigh and shift towards him.
âYeah, we talked in the hall. But itâs not big deal Eddie, just go,â you say, not understanding why he was so determined to make things right between the two of you right now? Yeah, the two of you hated leaving things in a bad place, but you never pressed him about anything he was super upset about or just didnât feel like talking about, and usually he was the same with you. Maybe today was not destined to be in the cards for you after all.
âYouâre jealous,â he says matter-of-factly. You scoff and cross your arms, trying to add another layer of defense between you and your fragile heart that was about to break loose with all these feelings. You were starting to lose your resolve, and you werenât sure how much longer youâd be able to hold yourself together.
âI am not jealous!â
âYou are totally jealous! Jealous that Iâm spending time with someone, a girl, who isnât you. Donât worry, Y/N, you arenât being replaced, Iâll always make time for you,â he tells you, thinking heâs helped, when really, it only hurt more. Like he thought heâd have to pencil you into his life.
âItâs not that Eds-â you begin to say, but his laugh cuts you off.
âThen what is it then? You mad you donât have a ride? Or-or-or upset that weâre watching Sleepaway Camp?â he pesters you. You could feel yourself getting really worked up and uncomfortable, wanting to just jet off to Nancyâs car and ride far away from this conversation.
âOh wait, do you like me or something Is that it? Do you have a big olâ crush on me?â He asks mockingly, making you freeze. âJust tell me whatâs wrong Y/N, please.â
You hesitate.
Fuck.
You. Fucking. Hesitate.
âN-no, I donât have a crush on you,â you say, brushing it off with a weak laugh. You see Eddie himself freeze, looking at you with a deadpan expression. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
âWait, Y/NâŚyou have a crush on me?â he asks. That was definitely an understatement. You swallow down a breath that wasnât able to escape, your body beginning to shake in fear.
You see the way his entire demeanor changed when he realized. The dramatics you so desperately loved stopped all together, replacing it with a scared look. Scared that itâs true and he had to let you down? Scared that he didnât feel the same way? Scared it was you, of all people? That familiar feeling of wanting to throw your guts up began to boil in the pit of your stomach, your chest tightening as you continued to stare Eddie down like a dear caught in headlights, the silence booming throughout the parking lot. You couldnât handle this, not tonight. Youâve already had the shittiest day possible, you need to escape before you lose your best friend forever.
You take off in the opposite direction, towards Nancyâs car as you hear Eddie calling after you. The tears were brimming your eyelids, desperate to fall and let every emotion youâve been bottling up all day to come out in a flood. You open the car door and hop inside, practically shoving Mike in the middle.
âDrive Nance,â you say, shooting them a pleading look.
âWait, Y/N, what happened?â Robin asks.
âNancy, can you please drive away, now,â your voice raising as you plead. Nancy responds by changing the gear and stomping her foot on the gas pedal, making your escape out of the parking lot and away from Eddie Munson, who you can see still standing in the empty lot watching you leave. You let out a shaky breath as you turn and face out the window, hot tears rolling down your cheeks and sobs racking your body as you all make the journey to the Wheelerâs house.
i hope yâall enjoyed! comments, likes, and reblogs are greatly appreciated! :)












