Sold my soul to Marvel And dunder Mifflin🕷🕸🖨

“Please, honey. You know what you’re doing is wrong.” He whispered as he looked into your eyes with desperation.

“What?” You laughed nervously. “What are you talking about?”

“The Dark Hold. You told me you’d never use it. What happened?”

“How do you know about that? Who told you?” You asked as you started to grow angry.

“No one told me.”

“Then how do you know?”

“I know everything you know.” Peter said with a sad smile. You looked at him in confusion so Peter reached forward and put a hand on your cheek. You melted into his palm and wrapped your hand around his wrist as tears came to your eyes.

“Oh, honey.” Peter said softly. “You know I’m not real, don’t you?”

Your eyes immediately opened and you were staring at your bedroom ceiling. You blinked a few times until it settled in that you were in your bed, dreaming, and not actually with Peter. Your bottom lip began to tremble until you covered your face with your hands. You rolled over and silently sobbed into your pillow. You gripped the pillow after a minute and threw it across the room on a fit of rage. Your whole body shook with one as you punched your fist into your bed over and over until you collapsed onto the bed.

“It’s not fair.” You whispered through your tears. “It’s not fair.”

Once you calmed down enough to get yourself out of bed, you left your cabin to tend to the apple blossom trees outside. You walked along the trees and clipped at the orchids until you felt someone staring at you. You turned and saw Dr. Strange in the distance, sending a pit of despair to your stomach. You blinked back a few tears and looked away but still heard him approaching.

“Hey. I thought I might find you here.” Dr. Strange said as he caught up to you. You looked at him for just a moment before turning away.

“You found me.”

“How have you been since I saw you last?”

“Not great. I’ve been alone.”

“You don’t have to be.” He said, making you look at him with an unamused expression.

“Don’t I? Who do I have, Steven? Tell me. Tony’s gone. Nats gone. Steve’s gone.” You listed before sucking in a sharp breath to keep from breaking down. You were quiet for a minute and looked down at the ground.

“Peters gone.” You said quietly.

“Right. I’m sorry.” Dr. Strange said, regretting suggesting that you didn’t have to be alone. He had said it to comfort you without realizing you didn’t have any other option.

“Why are you here?” You looked up at him and shrugged.

“I wanted to offer my condolences. I know I saw you at the funeral but I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to say.” He said, sending shivers down your spine at the mention of the funeral, Peters funeral. You thought back to the cold air of the funeral home, the smell of the flowers as you lingered around Peters closed casket, and the uncomfortable shoes you had on all day that pinched your feet. You blinked back a few tears before wiping your face.

“Like what?” You asked and went back to your gardening.

“That I’m sorry I couldn’t save him.” He said, bringing you to stillness. You stared at the apple blossom in your hand for a long time until the tears in your eyes made it too blurry to see.

“It was your spell that brought all those people into our world. Your spell brought that flying green heathen after him.” You said through gritted teeth without turning to look at Dr. Strange.

“The spell went wrong. It was never supposed to pull those people into this world.” He said in a soft voice. He wasn’t making excuses, just trying to explain to you that it wasn’t on purpose.

“But it did. And because of you, I had to watch him get chopped in half by Norman’s glider. That never should’ve happened. And it never would’ve happened if you didn’t fuck up your spell and bring those people into this world. He’d still be here if it weren’t for you.” You shouted as you whipped around to see him. Dr. Strange looked at you for a minute and nodded his head to show you that he understood where your anger.

“I know. You’re right. I’m so sorry. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come.” He said with a sympathetic smile.

“No. You shouldn’t have.” You sniffled and turned back around.

“There was one more thing I wanted to speak to you about.” He said after a beat of silence, making your stomach drop.

“Whats that?” You played dumb.

“The Dark Hold. It’s gone missing. Have you seen it?” He asked you. You gulped and kept your back turned as you continued to snip your apple blossoms.

“You already know the answer to that.” You said quietly.

“Y/n-“

“Don’t.” You cut him off. “I’m not giving it back.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way, Y/n. You could give it back now and end this before it gets out of hand.”

You were quiet for a minute as you stared at the apple orchid in your hand. You eventually reached your hand up and turned it, making the apple orchid dissolve into a the red hex you were really standing inside. Your apple trees became barren and crooked and the blossom in your hand became the Dark Hold. You and Dr. Strange were silent for a moment as you both stared at the book.

“Every night, I have the same dream.” You began. “Peter is alive and he’s with me and we’re happy. And every morning, I wake up to the same nightmare. I’m here and he’s still dead. It’s not fair. I need to be with him. I deserve to be with him. The Dark Hold is going to help me do that.”

“I understand how you feel, but this is breaking all kinds of rules.” Dr. Strange warned you.

“Oh really? You know how I feel? You lost the love of your life?” You asked with a smile that was seething with anger.

“I’ll have you know I just watched the love of my life marry another man.” He said simply. You stared at him for a minute before letting out an angry laugh.

“Are you kidding me?”

“It’s true. I just went to her wedding-“

“She is still alive!” You cut him off. “She is not with you because of things you did and decisions you made. Peter isn’t with me because he is dead. Do you really think you can compare your situation to mine?”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Dr. Strange said quietly. You felt guilty for yelling at him but you were angry that he tried to belittle your feelings.

“You have no idea how I feel.” You said in a calmer tone. “You can see Christine anytime you want. If I want to see Peter, I’d have to be dead too.”

“Or use the Dark Hold. But I see you’ve already figured that out.” He said with a little sass in his voice.

“Why did you really come here? You clearly already knew what I was doing.“

“I came stop you before that thing completely takes you over.” Dr. Strange said and pointed to the Dark Hold.

“This thing has saved my life. It has given me a second chance to see the love of my life.”

“I know you think this what you want, but it isn’t. Trust me. This isn’t healthy, Y/n, and it’s not going to end well. You need to grieve him and move on. You can’t use this thing to bring Peter back. It’s not gonna work. Think of the cost.”

“What cost?” You scoffed and started to form a wispy red ball in your hands, just out of sight of Dr. Strange.

“It’s corrupting you. I can see it already.”

“You don’t know me. You don’t know what you see.” You growled and threw the ball of your powers at him. He went tumbling to the ground and watched as you opened the Dark Hold flipped to the page about Dream Walking.

“Don’t do it. Think about the consequences.” Dr. Strange protested when he saw what you were doing.

“There can’t be any consequences when I’ve already lost everything.” You said and started to wave your fingers around as a trail of red wisps of energy followed them.

“I know you miss him, but this isn’t the way to deal with your grief. Not only is Dream Walking dangerous, it is highly illegal. You could be killed for this.”

“I was already killed. The day I buried Peter.” You said lowly as you continued to craft your spell.

“If you keep going the way you’re going, you’re going to rack up a lot of enemies.”

You stopped conjuring your spell for a moment to look at Dr. Strange. He took a step back from you when he saw the mischievous look in your eyes.

“So that’s how this works? You break the rules, you become the hero. I do it and I become the enemy. That doesn’t seem fair.”

“I did what I had to do for the greater good. I was protecting your reality.”

“But you didn’t protect me. You took away the only thing I had left.”

“Please listen to what I’m saying. I saw millions of endings in millions of universes. Peter loved you in all of them. You are together and in love in an infinite other universe. Just not this one. Isn’t that enough?”

“No. It’s not enough. Not for me. I need to be with him in this universe. And you won’t stop me.” You said and turned back to the book.

“Maybe not. But I’m hoping I can reason with you so you can stop yourself.”

“I am never going to stop. Not until I find a universe where he and I can be happy forever.”

“Please, think about-“

You cut him off by throwing another blast of your powers at him before hovering into the air.

“Goodbye, Dr. Strange.” You said and flew off into the red sky.

When you landed, you took out the Dark Hold and started to continue your spell to Dream Walk. You did as the book said and soon felt yourself fading into another universe.

Your counterpart in the other universe felt a cold wind blow by her as the lights started to flicker. She gasped and ran to her bedroom in fear, tripping and falling over her own feet. As soon as she hit the ground, you entered her body. You blinked a few times and looked around at the unfamiliar house you were inside of before getting off the floor. You were inside a small cottage in the middle of an autumnal forrest, a shark contrast to the city life you were used to. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and frowned a little. Your hair was cut to a length you never had it before and you were wearing clothes that didn’t fit your style. You didn’t feel like you at all, but you supposed it would be unlikely for all your variants to have the same sense of style. Your heart ached for Peter so you moved through the house until you found in the kitchen. His hair was buzzed and he was humming a song you had never heard before, but it was him. You took as deep breath as a smile tugged at your lips.

“Peter?” You said breathlessly.

“Baby? Is that you?” Peter asked and turned around. As soon as he made eye contact with you, his smile dropped.

“Peter.” You smiled in disbelief and walked towards him with open arms. Before you could touch him, Peter stepped back.

“Who are you?” He asked in fear.

“What? It’s me. It’s Y/n.” You laughed in confusion.

“No it’s not. You don’t walk like that. Or talk like that. Your cadence is off. And your posture is totally different. What’s going on?” He asked and looked around for the you he knew. You were stunned to silence for a moment at all the things he had picked up on until you realized his spider senses must’ve gone off once he saw you.

“Nothings going on, Petey. Just come here. I want to hold you.” You pleaded and walked towards him again. Peter stepped away from you before breaking into a run and going to the backyard.

“Baby? Are you out here?” Peter called out and started to search for you.

“I’m right here.” You said as you ran after him.

“No you’re not. You’re not my Y/n.” He shook his head and ran from you again. You ran faster and stood in front of him to block his path.

“Yes I am. Or, I could be. Please. Just give me a chance.” You pleaded and tried to touch him away. Peter ducked away from your touch and took off running.

“Baby? Where are you?” He cried out.

“Peter! Get back here!” You shouted as you chased him into the forest.

“Baby! Are you out here? Shout if you can hear me.” Peter yelled into the woods. You caught up to him but he tried to run away, so you used your powers to keep him in place. You carefully lifted Peter off the ground in a red wisp of your powers and brought him over to you. Peter struggled against your forces but couldn’t break free.

“Please don’t hurt me. I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sorry I said you weren’t the real Y/n. We can pretend you are if you want. I’ll do anything. Just please don’t hurt me.” Peter pleaded as tears started to fall down his face. Your mouth opened in surprised and you felt yourself tear up as well.

“What? I would never hurt you. Ever. No, no Peter, I love you. I didn’t come here to hurt you. I just wanted to see your face again. Do you really think I’d hurt you?” You whispered in disbelief. He stared at you for a minute as you gently set him back on the ground.

“Where’s my Y/n?” He asked in a quiet, desperate voice.

“I could be her, Peter. Please. You won’t know the difference.”

“Yes I will. I know my girl like I know the sound of my moms footsteps coming down the stairs. I know her down to the look in her eyes and you don’t have it. You’re not her. I know the difference.” Peter insisted. You were taken aback by this and stopped using your powers completely.

“Your mother? You’ve seen her lately?”

“We go to my parents house every Sunday for dinner. My Y/n loves it since her parents…” Peter trailed off suddenly and looked at you sympathetically.

“What? What about her - my parents?” You asked him.

“They died in a car crash a few years ago. Didn’t that happen to you too?”

“I don’t have parents in this universe?” You whispered and took a step back from him.

“Is that where you came from? Another universe?” Peter asked curiously. You didn’t even hear him since you were too busy thinking about your options. You didn’t know if you could successfully dream walk again, but this Peter didn’t seem to want you. And even if he grew to tolerate you, you didn’t have your parents in this universe. This universe no longer seemed like the answer you’d been searching for.

“I have to go.” You said suddenly and started to walk away.

“Wait, please. Where’s my Y/n? What did you do to her?” Peter gently caught your arm to bring you back.

“I didn’t hurt her. I promise. I’m so sorry. I’ll fix this.” You assured him.

“Okay. I believe you.” Peter nodded and gave you a long, sad look.

“Why did you want to see me?” He asked after a beat of silence. You sucked in a sharp breath and Peter immediately nodded her head.

“See, I know that face. You have that face in common. It’s the same face I saw the night her parents died.” Peter said in a gentle tone. You looked down at the ground and started to cry, only stopping when you felt Peters hand on your shoulder.

“I love you in every universe, you know that don’t you?” He said in a soft voice. He then pulled you into a tight hug and let you cry into his chest. You hugged him as hard as you could and inhaled his scent, which differed from your Peters. Still, you accepted his embrace and held him close.

“I’ll fix this. I won’t bother you anymore.” You told him and ran back into the house without looking at him. You passed by the mirror again and this time, you saw someone else. Peter was right when he said you didn’t carry yourself the same way as your variant did. Her face rested in a different expression than yours naturally did and she had much better posture. You could see the fear in her eyes and reached out to touch the mirror.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say to you. This isn’t me. I don’t know who this is.” You admitted to her.

“Are you using the Dark Hold?” She asked you in a shaky voice.

“Yes. I am.”

“To see Peter?”

“Yes. To see Peter.” You told her. Her expression softened and she nodded in understanding.

“I forgive you for this. If I lost him, I probably would’ve done the same thing.” She said, bringing tears to your eyes once more.

“Thank you.” You whispered.

“For what?”

“Your mercy.” You smiled at her body leaving her body.

You tried to wake up in your own body, but instead possessed another version of yourself. You found yourself sitting in a big comfort chair in what looked like a nursery. You heard a small gurgle and looked down to see a baby in your arms. You gasped and started it instinctively rock the baby, making her open her eyes. But when you looked into the babies eyes, you felt nothing. This baby didn’t feel familiar to you at all. You felt no maternal responsibility towards the child and instead felt like you were holding someone else’s baby. You didn’t remember finding out you were pregnant and how you told Peter. You had no memory of the day she was born, her first word, or even what her name was. She looked like she was yours, but she wasn’t yours. You quickly put her back in her crib and left the room. When you walked down the hall, you saw photographs of days you had no recollection of. The entire house was covered in someone else’s memories. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and nearly fell over. You were about ten years older with graying roots and crinkles by your eyes. You had no memory of growing up and experiencing the rest of your life, and yet there you were. You immediately turned away from the mirror and kept walking down the hall.

“Mommy?” You heard, making you stop in your tracks. A five year old came out of their bedroom and stood in front of you in the hall. Once again, you felt nothing towards the kid. They were cute and even looked like you, but they didn’t feel like your kid. You felt the same way you felt when seeing any other kid out in public, which was basically nothing.

You knelt down in front of the child and reached your hand out to touch their face.

“Hi, sweetie. Where’s your daddy?” You asked them.

“In the kitchen.” They told you in a voice you that sparked no recognition. You nodded to thank them before walking into the kitchen. You saw Peter there, looking older just like you did. This Peter had a beard and was missing his left arm below the elbow. You stared at it in disbelief for a moment until he turned around. He jumped a little, as if his spider senses hadn’t alerted you that he was there.

“Hey, honey. Did you get the baby down?”

“What happened to your arm?” You blurted, immediately slapping your hand over your mouth afterwards. Peter laughed a little and gave you a strange look.

“An infected spider bite when I was 16. But I told Benji it fell off because I didn’t eat my vegetables.” He said with a teasing smile.

“Benji?” You asked.

“Our son? Perhaps you’ve met him.” Peter chuckled. “Are we playing a game right now where we forget everything we know? Because I would love if you forget that it’s my turn to make dinner tonight.”

You laughed as well, then felt an intense sadness wash over you. He had Peters sense of humor, but the dad version. It made you sad that you hadn’t gotten to see Peter become the man you saw in front of you. You didn’t get to grow old together like you wanted to. You were just plopped into this timeline with two kids you didn’t even know the names of and a Peter that didn’t seem to have any superpowers.

“Are you okay, hon?” Peter asked when he noticed the pensive look on your face.

“No. I mean, yes. But I have to go.” You said and swiftly left the room. You stumbled over your own feet and fell to the ground when you felt yourself leaving this body. Your vision started to turn black in the corners until you lost sight completely. When your vision came back, you were in a new place. You looked down at your hands before running to find a mirror. This variant looked the most like your usual self, giving you high hopes for what it meant for Peter. You rushed to find him and ended up bumping into him in the hallway.

“Hey. You’re back early.” He chuckled as he caught you. You looked up into his eyes and felt your heart stop. This Peter looked exactly like the one you had lost. The last time you saw Peter alive, he was bruised and bloody from fighting the green goblin. This Peter still had joy in his eyes as he looked down at you with a kind smile. You put your hands on his chest and felt his heart beating beneath his old flannel shirt. Your bottom lip began to shake so you stepped forward and hugged him as tightly as you could. He hesitated for a minute before hugging you back, sensing that you needed it.

“Woah. What was that for?” Peter chuckled and tried to pull away, but you clung on. You were too upset to speak, and Peter sensed that, so he stroked your hair and let you cry into his chest.

“What’s wrong lover? Why are you crying?” He asked in a softer tone. You picked yo ur head off his chest and looked into his eyes as a realization filled them.

“You’re not from here, are you?” He asked you.

“No.” You admitted. “I’m not.”

“So it’s true? The multiverse is real?” He asked with an excited smile.

“Yes. It’s real. It’s all real.”

“Wow! So you can come another universe? How did you get here? And how will you get back? And…” Peters smile fell as he suddenly trailed off. The tears in your eyes and the way you hugged him gave Peter a bad feeling in his stomach.

“And why did you come here?” He said after a beat of silence.

“Because I missed you.” You said through a sad smile.

“You missed me? Aren’t we together in your universe?” Peter asked as he instinctively wiped your tears with his shirt. You were hit with the scent of his cologne and sighed in relief.

“We were.” You said as your eyes fell down to the ground.

“Oh.” Peter said sympathetically. “What happened?”

You slowly looked back up into his eyes and Peter got the hint. You didn’t need to say anything for him to know his variant was dead.

“Oh.” He said again, quieter this time. Your eyes flicked to the web shooters on his wrists for just a second, but he still caught it. He looked down at his web shooters as well and realized what had happened.

“I died as Spiderman, didn’t I?” He said without looking up from his shooters. You reached forward and took his face in your hands to make him look at you.

“You died a hero. You saved thousands of people, but I just couldn’t…” You trailed off and gave him a tight smile.

“But I couldn’t save you.” You said quietly and looked away from him.

“Hey.” Peter said and tilted your face up to look at him.

“Did I die in a cool way?” He asked, making you laugh.

“Do you really wanna know?”

“Absolutely. Was it really epic? Did I get eaten by a dinosaur or something? Or, oh my God, were we on the Titanic? Did I die on the Titanic?”

“I’m from another universe, dummy. Not another time. We weren’t on the Titanic.” You laughed at him.

“Damn. Then how did it happen?” Peter asked. You looked at him for a minute as you silently relived the moment you watched him die. You remembered the look on his face, the forever frozen look of fear that didn’t fade even after his heart stopped. You remembered the sound of his body hitting the ground. You remembered your throat still hurting by the day of the funeral from how much you had screamed. Before you could give Peter an answer, he retracted his question.

“You know what? Don’t tell me. It’s probably better if I don’t know.” Peter said with a sheepish smile, one that made your knees feel weak.

“I’ve really missed your smile.” You said softly as you stared into his eyes. Peters face filled with sympathy as he put a hand on your shoulder.

“As much as I’d love to have you stay, you know you have to go home.” He said in a gentle tone. You started to tear up as you looked at him, knowing it would be the last time.

“But you won’t be there.” Your voice cracked. “What am I supposed to do without you? Where am I supposed to put my hands? I can’t go back to a universe that you’re not in. My life doesn’t make any sense without you. We weren’t finished yet. I love you. I still love you.”

You were fully crying now as Peter silently listened to you speak. You needed to get all these emotions out one last time while you knew he could hear you. When you were finished, Peter wiped your tears away before pulling you into a long kiss. You shut your eyes and let him kiss you for the very last time. When he pulled away, he smiled softly as he rubbed your cheek with his thumb.

“It’ll pass.” He told you, and you knew he was right. You both sat with those words for a moment until you knew it was time to leave. You gave Peter one last look as you started it cast a spell that would put you back in your own body.

“Know that you’re loved.” Peter said to you just as you left that universe.

When your eyes opened, you were back in your cabin. The red hex that previously surrounded it was gone and it was now just a small wooden cabin in the woods. You went outside and used your powers to fly off until you reached the Sanctum Sanctorum. The doors opened for you as you went up the steps and you looked around until you found Dr. Strange in his library.

“Oh. Hello.” He said when he saw you in the doorway.

“Hey. Sorry I threw my mind powers at you.” You said sheepishly as you walked up to him.

“You know, I’ve had worse thrown at me.” He chuckled a little. You nodded in understanding before making the Dark Hold appear out of thin air.

“What’s this?” Dr. Strange asked nervously when he saw the book.

“It’s for you. I didn’t want to destroy it but I couldn’t keep it around either. I thought you should take it.”

“Thank you. I’ll make sure it goes where no one can ever be tempted by it again.” He said as he moved his fingers in a circular motion until the book disappeared. You felt a pinch of sadness when you watched it leave, but you knew it was for the best.

“What do you do with it?” You asked without ever taking your eyes off where the book had been.

“With what?”

“The love you still have for Christine. Where do you put it now that you can’t give it to her?”

“Oh. I’m not really sure. I guess I give it to everyone else. I try to love the people I love just a little harder.” Dr. Strange said with a sad smile. You nodded your head and looked down at the ground as hot tears spilled down your face.

“I’m afraid that I’m going to love him forever but we will never be in the same room again.” You cried and buried your face in your hands. You heard Dr. Strange get out of his chair and walk over to you. There was a hesitation, then a pat on your back.

“It’s okay to be scared. As long as you don’t let that fear turn you into something you’re not.” He told you. You wiped your face free from tears and gave him an appreciative smile.

“Peter would say the same thing.” You nodded.

“I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry you don’t get to be with him.” Dr. Strange said softly as he rubbed your back.

“It’s okay.” You said with a sad smile. “At least he visits me in my dreams. I still get to see him when I fall asleep.”

You left the Sanctum Sanctorum after that and went back to your cabin. After the day you had, you just wanted to go to sleep and forget your troubles. You got under your covers and pulled them over your head to fully block out the world and soon felt yourself drifting off the sleep. In your dreams, you were opening a door to your old apartment and Peter was sitting at the kitchen table with two cups of tea in front of him.

“Hey.” He smiled. “I was waiting for you.”

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He knows he’ll get ahold of them in due time, but for now his priority is giving best friend a shoulder to cry on. To tell you that there are other fish in the sea. So he pulls you into the trailer, takes you to his messy room where he sits you down and talks you off the ledge.

It’s when he tells you a corny joke and you give him a watery smile that he feels something ping in his heart. Even with your cheeks blotchy, snot down your nose and eyes swollen you’re still so beautiful.

He doesn’t realize he says it until it’s too late.

You don’t know if it’s because of the fresh wound to your heart or the way Eddie is looking at you. He’s giving you the comfort you needed. The warmth of his love radiating off to you. So you do the unthinkable. You think about it in the moment and later that night it keeps you up as you ask yourself why you did it. But when Eddie takes your face into his hands, wipes the tears from under yours eyes with the pad of his thumbs and tells you that he’ll always be there for you, you lean in and kiss him.

Eddie doesn’t kiss you back. He freezes. And when he doesn’t reciprocate the affection you’re yanked back into the reality of what you’re doing and you pull away.

You’re quick to get embarrassed. Tell him you’re sorry and that you can’t believe you just did that. You can’t stand to see the look on his face so you get up to leave but Eddie snaps out of his shock and grabs your hand before you walk out the door.

He’s okay that you kissed him. He’s shocked. Thrown off. But he’s okay.

He tells you not to leave. That it’s nothing to be embarrassed about it. And you want to bury yourself in a hole but he simply pulls you back in for a hug telling you not to worry about it. He gets it. You’re upset and you need comfort.

You only cry harder into his chest while he runs his hand up and down your back, his other cradling your head into him.

He calms you down just like he always does. A movie is put on and you find yourself wrapped up in him crying off and on. He wipes your tears each time.

The kiss isn’t mentioned.

But later that night when you fall asleep in his arms, he thinks about how soft your lips felt against his. How bright your eyes shine with tears behind them.

He feels that tight feeling in his chest come back again. It doesn’t cross his mind that that feeling he gets in his chest is the start of him falling in love. He just tells himself he’s doing his best friend duties.

He’s just your best friend. One that wishes to kiss you again. And not freeze up.

————

You don’t realize you’re in love with Eddie Munson until he sings your favorite song. He has a gig starting up in a few hours and you’re sitting on the stage with him. No one is there except the bar tender, the owner counting cash in the back, and the rest of the member of Corroded Coffin that are smoking to get rid of the pre show nerves.

It’s been a few months after your breakup and the both of you have been inseparable. You were before you started dating, but once you got into your relationship your friendship had came second in your life. Not the proudest moment, but Eddie never once faulted you. Eddie was quick to take his role again and you were happy to be back by his side. It just felt right. He tells you he sticks close to you because he doesn’t want to deal with your crying anymore, makes a joke about how he likes to be your metal head in shining armor.

But it’s just a cover up because he doesn’t know how to tell you he’s scared of the day you start dating again and leave him in the dust. He tells himself to count the days because he’s sure they’re not going to last.

Especially now as you sit on the edge of the stage looking up at him with pure admiration in your eyes. He tells himself it’s because he’s the only friend that’s stuck by you during this time.

“I have a surprise for you,” he sits across from you with his guitar in his lap. You smile at him leaning back on your arms. Both of you are comfortable in each other’s presence. The pressure to be yourself is never there and it just feels right.

You ask what he has up his sleeve and when he plays the opening chords of your favorite song you beam with happiness. It’s the little things that count.

He’s not the best singer so he tells you to sing along with him. You join in not caring that the both of you are off key. The chorus of the song makes up for you as you scream the lyrics.

The both of you never taking your eyes off each other. His fingers effortlessly hitting every chord as the two of you lose yourselves in the music.

And when the song ends, he raises the guitar from his lap and catches you when you fling yourself forward wrapping your arms around his neck. Eddie’s laughter fills your ears as he crashes to the floor with you clinging to him but neither of you care. He’s happy to have you with him.

“You finally learned it!” You unwrap yourself from him and sit next to him. He continues to lay down, resting his hands on his stomach letting the last of his laughter out. A comfortable silence falls between you as you look at each other.

His hair is spread out on the floor, a strand stuck to his face. He makes the ground look like he’s laying on a king sized mattress with how relaxed he is.

The stage lighting hits the back of your head perfectly making you look like an angel as he looks up at you.

“I can’t keep buying you the same cassette tape. I figured you could get it live from your favorite future rock star.”

You can’t hide the happiness from his gesture. He watches the way your eyes crinkle. Then he glances at your lips. The memory from a couple months ago crossing his mind.

Neither of you have mentioned the kiss after you left his trailer that night. Eddie figures you have forgotten about it. But as you lean over and tuck a piece of his hair from his face you can’t help but get lost in his eyes when they flicker up to yours. Your hand falls down to his chest where they linger over to his clasped on his stomach. His pinky is the first to wrap yours with his. The two of you playing with each others hands.

You don’t know why but you feel yourself get small under his gaze. Ever since you’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to feel Eddie Munson’s lips you haven’t been able to forget about them.

You wish you could kiss him. But you tell yourself best friends don’t kiss. But the way he looks at you, it makes you feel like you’re the only person in the world. Best friends memorize each other’s favorite songs. But best friends don’t look at each other the way he’s looking at you.

He’s helped you the past couple of months find yourself again. Bring the light out that had been dimmed by those who didn’t deserve to shine it in the first place. He’s remained a constant in your life when you were told you would only get temporary.

He’s always been there. And you believe he always will be.

It’s right there in that moment when you realize you love him. You can’t picture your life without him. You want to tell him.

And you feel like you should. But when the loud laughter of his band mates break the silence you snap back into reality. You can’t be in love with your best friend.

So instead, you chose the other three words that have been on repeat since the day you showed up to his trailer with heartache in your hands. The same three words that he’s grown used too.

“Thank you, Eddie,” you whisper.

Eddie doesn’t say anything. He just gives you the same smile he always does when you tell him that. You stand up and give him your hand to help him. He raises from the ground being careful not to kick his guitar in the process.

You take your place at a table watching as his band assembles on stage. He throws you a wink placing his guitar around his body before he’s telling the band to take their places.

But the time they finish up practice the bar is almost ready to open. Eddie is pumped up on adrenaline. You’re lost in your thoughts about how you could have fallen for him.

————

When Eddie Munson finally realizes his feelings for you it hits him hard. It comes to him in a dream. One where you’re down the aisle walking towards him. Ready to take his hand and spend the rest of your life with him.

But then it turns into a nightmare. It’s no longer him meeting you down the aisle. It’s a different man. Specifically, it’s the one that you were going on a date with in a matter of hours. The two of you exchange vows while Eddie tells you he’s not the one for you. You don’t hear him as you say I do. Eddie feels like his heart has been ripped out of his chest and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop his heart from breaking.

Eddie wakes up with sweat across his chest. The picture of you kissing another man is embedded in his mind. The heel of his palms dig into his eyes trying to get it out of his head.

The small argument you and Eddie had plays in his mind. You telling him about your upcoming date, him immediately shutting you down.

Eddie simply told you to be careful. That he was worried you were getting into the dating field to fast. But it was all just excuses to get you not to go out with another guy. Eddie couldn’t take seeing you through another heartbreak caused by a man that didn’t deserve your time.

You told him that you weren’t getting younger. He told you to stop settling. You got offended and he was hurt. So he left your house telling you he wishes you realized you deserved better.

He tries to go back to sleep.

He plays guitar.

Smokes a few cigarettes.

He tells himself he’s crazy.

Why did he dream about marrying you? Marriage has never crossed his mind, but the thought of doing it with you didn’t seem so bad. The feeling in his chest is back, this time stronger. It doesn’t hurt. It just feels like his heart is swelling. He always got it every time he thought of you.

The way your nose crinkles when you smile.

The belly laughter that fills his ears when he tells a stupid joke.

The way your eyes light up every time he calls you his doll.

Everything about you just makes him feel alive in the dead society he lives in.

And then it hits him.

Was he in love with you?

He can’t be in love with you.

But why can’t he picture his future without you?

So he paces his room until Wayne opens the door asking him why he’s still up.

Eddie looks terrified but tells his uncle he’s sorry and will keep the noise down.

But, Wayne is no longer concerned about the lack of sleep caused by his nephew. The look disgruntled look on Eddie’s face scares Wayne but he knows there’s something his nephew needs to get off his chest.

Wayne pulls the chair out from the desk Eddie has pushed up against the wall. He swipes the shirts laying on it to the ground and makes himself comfortable telling Eddie to have a seat. Eddie paces around for a few more moments until he finally takes a seat on the edge of his bed.

Wayne thinks Eddie’s about to tell him he got a girl pregnant. Or maybe he’s about to tell him that he did something and has to go on the run. His uncle hopes it’s the first rather than the latter, but he still braces himself for whatever mess his nephew has gotten himself into. He’s ready to help bail him out and support him as he’s always had.

“How do you know if you’re in love?”

Wayne freezes. He doesn’t know if he heard Eddie right.

It’s a question Wayne wasn’t ready for. But one that he never thought his nephew would ask. Eddie always comes to him for advice. It’s something he’s always done. It’s something he’ll always be honest about. So he thinks about the question. Eddie watches his uncle think about it and after five minutes he gives up. Not even Wayne could answer the burning question keeping Eddie up.

Eddie is just about ready to tell Wayne to forget his question. To tell him it was stupid anyways and he’s being an idiot. But, Wayne surprises the both of them when he speaks up.

“You know you’re in love when you know how to cook their eggs in the morning.”

Eddie’s eyebrows raise in suspicious. He was hoping for Wayne’s glory speeches. The ones that Eddie believes the whole world needs to hear. Not that.

“What?” Eddie’s confused. How does cooking an essential breakfast item determine your love for someone? Wayne doesn’t even eat them.

Wayne smiles. He knows Eddie is confused. It sounds crazy. But it’s the truth. Wayne thinks about the woman that’s giving him a reason to provide Eddie an answer. He’s no longer an older man giving an explanation to a boy in love. He’s back to the young boy in his 20’s giving the world to the only girl he ever loved.

“You just know, Eddie.”

Eddie watches as Wayne looks down at his hands getting lost in his words.

“The flaws that they hate about themselves will become your favorite features. The quirks about them that annoy you? You’ll learn to deal with it because you rather have something to work out rather than walk out on.”

Eddie doesn’t interrupt. He just listens. Wayne thinks about the ways he figured he knew he was in love.

“You know you’re in love when they’re the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing on your mind before bed. They’re the one when you know that even on your worst days they’re the one you want to comfort you even if that’s the last thing you want.”

Wayne thinks about how he spent half a checks worth on carton of eggs. They were her favorite meal to wake up too. He didn’t know how to cook. But he taught himself. The attempts came out horrible. But he tried it again and again. Trying to perfect for her. Getting sick off of eating the bad batches.

But Wayne did because he knew she loved to wake up to sunny side eggs. So he cooked it for her every single day up until the day she got into the accident and never made it back for another morning breakfast. Despite him not ever eating eggs, only making them for his nephew, the egg theory had reasoning.

“They’re the one when you know how they take their eggs because you want to be the one spending the rest of your life making them.”

Eddie looks at Wayne and sees the sorrowful look on his face. It takes him a moment to realize what Wayne is saying.

He gets it now.

It’s not about making eggs.

It’s the gesture and meaning behind it.

Wayne let’s a pregnant pause linger before he asks the question that Eddie knows the answer too.

“Do they know how you like your eggs to be made?”

Eddie knows his uncle is asking the deeper meaning.

Do you know if you’re in love with him?

Eddie doesn’t have to think twice about it. Yes.

He recalls the way you turn to him for everything. How he knows your deepest secrets. He knows he’s the first person you go to on your happiest days and saddest moments.

He remembers the way you look at him. How you make him feel like he’s the most important person to you.

How you curl up into his chest after a long movie night and smile when his hair tickles your face.

How you always think of him and get him his favorite candies when you come across them.

He remembers the way you look at him. How you make him feel like he’s important.

Best friends don’t look at each other the way you look at him.

You’re in love with him.

That’s all Eddie needs to hear and he’s jumping up and grabbing his keys. Wayne tries to stop his nephew, reminding him that’s it’s half past midnight but it goes on deaf ears.

And that’s how Eddie ends up outside your house. Knocking on your door until you’re opening it with fury in your eyes. You didn’t even check to see who could be on the other side of the door. Too upset by the person who woke you from your slumber.

You open the door and see Eddie. He visibly relaxes seeing you and you’re opening the door wider.

“What are you doing here?” You ask. Anger melts watching the way his chest heaves up and down. Worry takes over. The argument you had earlier crosses your mind. Surely, he wouldn’t be here in the middle of the night to continue it. So you ask the important question. “What’s wrong? Whose hurt?”

Eddie just shakes his head.

“Don’t go out with that dork.” Eddie watches as your eyes scrunch together. You’re confused why he’s here at almost one o’clock in the morning telling you not to go on your date. Any sane person would be.

But Eddie isn’t sane. So he continues looking like a mad man.

“I can’t let you risk another heartbreak.”

Eddie doesn’t give you a chance to question him as he steps forward and takes your hands into his. They’re sweaty, but you don’t pull away. You don’t mind them.

“I didn’t mean to be a jerk about your date earlier. But you don’t deserve to give your heart to another asshole that’s going to take it for granted.”

Eddie squeezes your hands into his. He never looks away watching as your breath hitches.

“I want to be the one that you go to bed with. Be the first person you see in the morning. I want to sing you all of your favorite songs and memorize the bad ones that I hate just because I love to see you smile. I want to be the one you turn to, not because I’m your best friend.”

He stops for a minute letting his words process. You have to remind yourself this isn’t a dream.

“I want more than that. I know you do too.”

You know what’s coming next. The way he licks his lips and stops to think over his next words let’s you know everything is going to change.

“Hell, I don’t even know if I deserve you. But I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that I do.”

The three words you’ve held onto are about to come. The reservations of ruining your friendship with Eddie is gone. You’re done holding it back. You watch as he presses his lips into a thin line. A habit he’s done before thinking things over. Eddie lets out a breath and he shakes his shoulder back. He’s ready to tell you regardless of the outcome. He can’t lose you to another douche that doesn’t care about you.

“I love y-“

Eddie doesn’t get to finish his sentence as you push yourself forward and kiss him.

You feel him freeze. Your eyes squeeze shut feeling the disappointment begin to take over when he doesn’t reciprocate. It’s when you tell yourself to pull back that you feel his arms wrap around your waist and pull you closer.

His hands make their way to your face when you pull back. You watch as his eyes slowly open with a big smile on his face. He holds your face in between his hands stroking your cheek with his thumb.

“To think it only took a white lie about me going on a date to get you to make a move,” you grin at him.

He shakes his head at you ready to tell you that’s awful but you pull him in for another kiss.

This time he doesn’t freeze up.

“As I was saying,” Eddie says in between the kiss. “Before I was rudely interrupted.” He pulls away causing you to laugh. “I love you, sweetheart.”

You wrap your arms around his neck. You kiss him again because you can.

“I love you too, Eddie.”

You slide your hands down from his neck and take his into yours.

“Now, that we established this can we both go to bed?” Eddie laughs as you take him inside. Neither of you would have sex tonight. There will be time to make up for that.

Instead, you take him to your room and you both lay down. Your head in his chest, his hands stroking your back. The two of you sleeping soundly. In the morning you wake up to find Eddie in your kitchen.

he glances at you while replying, one hand waving to reiterate as he focuses on his driving at the same time, “the company sent out an email in august about the event, the details about what time we’ve to be down in the lobby tomorrow is all on it.”

“a master at coding but you can’t remember a simple time,” you tease quietly as your fingers scroll along the pad to reach the month. keys sighs before replying, “i’m good at numbers.” with a grin hidden behind your finger, your lips mutter through your skin, “time is just numbers in an organised manner.”

“okay, anything outside of finding that email isn’t important to you, okay? just look for that email and i’ll worry about everything else.” you snicker at keys tempered state, “god, you’re so annoying sometimes,” he continues, mostly to himself.

after a few minutes of email hunting, your mind breaks it reverie from the screen and towards the dash in front of the wheel when there is a sudden ticking noise. “what’s that?” you ask, looking to keys who you can tell has been silently freaking out. the car begins to slow down slightly but keys assures, “i said anything outside that email isn’t important to you, did i not?”

“well, i’m really sorry but to me it sounds like the car is breaking down, that’s pretty hard to ignore,” you quip back, causing him to kick his foot off the floor, hazard lights flicked on while he uses one hand to steer to the side of the winding road. “ah, fuck.”

“did we just run out of gas?”

“no, just a pit stop.”

“on an empty tank?”

the arguing continues through to the long path, suitcases dragged behind your frames. keys in clear frustration after phoning a repair company which couldn’t come out until tomorrow and the company event to which you now struggle to make. the same laptop you were previously scrolling upon the pad now stuffed inside keys’ laptop bag and hauled across his body.

he follows you, directions upon your phone leading to the nearest bed and breakfast place which can shelter you both from the evening air for fresh minds the following morning. but the moment the small cottage-style building is in sight, keys is picking up his speed and willing to take control of the situation.

the shoulders which previously held high now slump, letting go of his suitcase upon the words of the elder receptionist by the counter, “there’s only one available room.”

you laugh weakly, shaking your head as your shoulder bumps into keys, facing the woman with a smile, “by any chance, does this room have two beds?” she looks over her thin glasses, a sweet smile on her face while her pen pauses across the page, “afraid not, my dear.”

keys sighs, ‘one things after another’ he thinks while taking the room key from her hands. you follow him up the flight of stairs, third floor up, and while keys keeps his exhausted expression, he still grips your suitcase from your hands once he’s reached the top, more than willing to help.

he tries to ignore the rapid beat of his heart, he really does. however, it’s always quick to fail. you listen to his deep inhale, body frozen as keys watches the bed in front but you’re quick to shut the door behind you and fall atop the patch-sewen duvet with a flop.

there goes his heart again.

keys thoughts of sharing a bed with you have proven too nerve-wracking for him to deal with, so he chuckles while trying to casually stroll both your suitcases into the room and talking, “guess you’ve claimed the bed.” keys’ looks as your pretty gaze falls from the ceiling, chest rising up and down from the heavy lifting of suitcases, hair sprawled atop the cottage themed duvet.

you lift your head from the middle of the bed to look at him puzzled, “what do you mean? you’re not sleeping here?” keys shakes his head, gazing around the room before landing on the small window which shows the sky quickly growing darker as night creeps in, “i’ll take the couch.”

there’s a small, straggly sofa in the corner of the room, fitting to be sat on when bored and not for someone who’s particularly tall like keys’ to sleep upon and guaranteed a good night’s rest at that.

“no you won’t.”

“what’s that?” keys turns from standing in front of the window to face you again, now sitting up and watching him expectantly, “it’s a freezing october night, you’ll get hypothermia!”

he smiles, with a slight teasing tone but trying to ignore the sweating of his palms when he replies, “listen to you sounding like you suddenly care about me.”

while keys is awkwardly laughing, trying to keep it light and funny, your expression is more serious when you reply, “i always have, you know that.”

there’s a shift. keys’ nervous laughter dissipates when you both look at one another, tension building as he replays the words you just said and watching your sincere expression.

“alright.”

either of you are silent for a moment longer, keys unable to pull his gaze away from your face as you look over at him so sweetly, so softly that he can feel his heart hammering his chest at this point. his glasses fall down the bridge of his nose slightly but he’s far from adjusting them as he’s unsure with what to do next, who makes the first move?

“is it too early to take a nap?” you suddenly ask, breaking the silence filled with romantic tension that you both are too scared to threaten and take a step towards. you fall back against the bed, shuffling yourself and wriggling to the top of the bed, head lulled against the fresh pillows and keys’ wants to kiss you then and there.

he shakes his head, clearing his throat while fixing his glasses before swinging the laptop bag strap over his body and sitting it against the sofa, “i could do with one myself.” with a tired giggle, you manoeuvre yourself under the covers, uncaring of your attire while patting the empty space next to you as an invitation.

keys’ is glad that the arguing is long gone, too tired and filled with infatuation to keep up with the act that he totally doesn’t think about how cute and caring you are on a daily basis. sliding his open shirt off to leave him in his graphic tee and his khaki-coloured trousers, keys doesn’t hesitate to join you.

awkwardly, he stares at the ceiling in a lame attempt to seem casual and comfortable, he keeps his glasses on and awaits for you to fall asleep, trying his best to ignore the feeling of your warm arm pressed against his.

you seem too comfortable, too warm. sighing to yourself contently and the scent of your vanilla shampoo too close and tempting, keys wants to wrap himself around you and never leave, forget this god-awful event tomorrow with other geeks who just want to talk games and numbers when he could stay here in your company instead.

“walter,” you say into the quiet room, him now noticing how darker it already is from the nightly sky as dinner-time arrives in the late-autumn season. you never say his proper name, always ‘keys’ like everyone else, and he likes the way it falls from your lips, daring to ask you to say it again.

“hmm?” he asks, glancing to his side to watch you while you enquire. however, you don’t talk. keys only watches as you shift, turning over onto your side so you can coddle into him, arm across his stomach and pinching his waist while your head falls into the side of his neck.

he feels entirely warm, warm heating of your breath and limbs holding yourself against him and warm hearted from the exchange. keys reacts by ushering his arm underneath you to pull you further against him, your nearly atop him and one leg slots between his as you cosy further into your friend from work.

now daring to be more.

for a while it keeps to that, keys overwhelmed with the feeling and believing your now asleep in both your tired and cuddled states. but your nose tickles his neck as you run it across his freckled skin to look up at him.

keys follows, chin tilting as he looks through his glasses lazily and runs across your beautiful features. you’re too close to him, the vanilla shampoo too overwhelming and your lips too kissable this close up that the second your gaze flits to his own, keys is leaning down to connect them together.

desperate lips move against each other, an uncountable length of pining feelings mushed into one long and loving kiss as keys revels in the feeling of you kissing back. he’s addicted, you just as much when your tiredness lifts into a hazy feeling of pure warmth and happiness, teasing remarks which left those same lips now kissing one another long forgotten and merely flirting attempts in hiding how you both really felt.

keys shifts, lightly guiding you to be more comfortable against the pillows, the overwhelming feeling of his kindness when you drown in the soft pillow matching the pink pillowy lips of his, smiling against yours in disbelief.

he pulls back to allow air to fill in each of your lungs, not wasting another second of his lips away from you when they fall to your neck to press some sweet pecks against while you breathe deeply, hands running across his askew hair strands with a cosy laugh filling the room when you say, “well, the one bed thing shouldn’t be an issue anymore.”

with a laugh, keys meets your face, nose bumping yours clumsily while you both giggle before connecting your lips in another kiss, something you could quickly get used to.

⤸

taglist form . the library . all blurbs

He seemed nice, an outcast which allowed fellow outcasts to feel a sense of belonging, he was loud and outgoing and Y/n could mostly pick up each conversation, even tables away from him. Even though Y/n was sure if she went over, asking to spend time with them, Eddie would let her. However, she was still far too nervous.

Dustin and Mike offered on numerous occasions, Y/n growing close with the pair and their friends due to the many times they berated their older babysitter at work, forcing conversation with the pretty co-worker. Y/n always declined the offer, the wild eyes and large grin of Eddie Munson, not to mention his tattoos and booming don’t-care voice and attitude, was intimidating to say in the least.

He's smiled at her in a couple of occasions, shouting Dustin over in the midst of a conversation and sending her a curious look, his lips never faltering. Y/n would always watch as Dustin approached him and Eddie would hold her gaze while nodding over, clearly asking Dustin about her.

So, Mike had to practically drag Y/n out the driver seat when she parked on gravel just meters away from Eddie’s trailer. Originally more than happy to help Steve out, since he asked her to drive them instead because Keith asked him to stay late at work. It was quickly turned into bundles of nerves when Dustin told her where they wanted to be dropped off.

Eddie’s house.

“Coming?” Mike had asked when they unbuckled their seatbelts, and frowning confused when Y/n just stared at the empty trailer. Him and Dustin exchanging shrugged looks once they exit and Mike was suddenly opening Y/n’s side of the door to pull her out.

“Oh, it’s okay. I can just wait in the car.”

Mike shakes his head, holding Y/n’s wrist to guide her out the car while she watched Dustin loudly knock the front door, shouting the older boy’s name. “Eddie’s trucks gone, he must be out. If he came back and saw you sitting alone in the drive, he would probably shout at us for it.”

“Eddie? Mr Munson?” Y/n listens as Dustin continues to shout, her and Mike walking up the steps behind him. And to Y/n’s horror, Dustin lets out a ‘hmm’ before opening the unlocked door.

“Dustin!” Y/n exclaims when they walk through, “what? they aren’t home.” Y/n stands by the door, watching as Mike trapses into the living area to sit down on the couch comfortably while Dustin turns back to her, “you can’t just walk in, that’s breaking and entering.”

Dustin chuckles, clearly unfazed, “it’s only Eddie— hey, why are you always so jittery?” his voice changing into a rushed tone when he notices the way her leg shakes. Y/n ignores him as she steps in a few paces, looking across the area while Mike makes himself content by flicking through the tv channels through the chunky box, “why does he leave his door unlocked anyway?” Y/n murmurs to herself.

Dustin kicks the door shut behind Y/n and she stands awkwardly with her hands wrapped around herself when Dustin starts digging through the drawers by the small hallway. “Now you’re stealing?” Y/n’s tone a bit lighter and teasing as she tries to calm herself down.

Eddie wasn’t home, so she didn’t have to talk to him.

Still, Y/n’s heart flutters at the thought of him.

Dustin rattles through the drawers, tutting or shrugging disappointedly before making his way to the next room, Y/n following him to notice that he had stepped into Eddie’s bedroom. “Uh— Dustin. I— I really don’t think you should be going through his things,” Y/n watched as he raided his bedside, knowing he probably keeps personal belongings within.

He doesn’t hear, or chooses to ignore, muttering to himself as things clatter beneath his fingertips, “he doesn’t hide his stash very well, look at this! More weed!” Dustin exclaims but quickly cuts himself off when he glances at Y/n. She stands at the doorframe, flitting her eyes across his room and the details around it, feels too forbidden and abnormal to step into Eddie’s room, not when they haven’t even had a conversation before.

“Why do you look like you’re lost? You can come in, y’know? Eddie isn’t hiding in the closet to scare you,” Y/n sighs at Dustin’s words but steps into the carpeted room, allowing Dustin to continue his hunt while she looks across the posters on his wall, mostly Metallica but a few other rock bands.

“What are you looking for, anyway?” asks Y/n, fingers pushing down the edge of his Mötley Crüe poster, the paper worn at the tip and slightly creased. “Eddie took one of my dice, need it back because Lucas wants to play d‘n’d tonight after his game,” Dustin responds, moving to the other side of Eddie’s bed to look under it, thinking it may have fallen underneath.

Y/n listens to Dustin’s fumbling, the low sound of the tv in the next room as Mike waits, eyes scanning across the intricacies of the room belonging to the boy Y/n had growing a strong likeness to.

“Do you not like Eddie?” asks Dustin, his movements freezing after his sudden thought, turning in his crouched position to look up at Y/n, “what do you mean—?”, “you’re always jumpy when he’s around or change the topic when we bring him up. Did you know, the reason we ask you to the table every single week is because Eddie keeps telling us to ask, even when we tell him you still say no?”.

“I—” Y/n stutters over her words, unsure with how to respond. Was it really Eddie that wanted her at the table? “Every. Single. Week. And even when we come back without you, he just says ‘well, our next mission for next week,’ each time, he really wants you to sit with us.”

Y/n shakes her head, sighing and scrunching her eyes in disbelief of Dustin’s words, “it’s not that I don’t like him, it’s just— I’m just new, didn’t know he would want me there.” Dustin turns away after she fumbles, continuing to look through Eddie’s things.

“Well, he does.”

They fall into a silence, Y/n replaying Dustin’s words around her head, knowing Eddie was the one who sent the boys over each time. She knew Eddie was warm-hearted under his metal-head exterior, why else would he start a club filled with fellow outcasts? But she was still in shock that Eddie took notice in the fact she could use a group of friends.

Her eyes land on a guitar, beautifully varnished and hung up by the mirror at the wall, Y/n’s finger gently trails up to hover around it without actually touching, the black splotches around the deep burgundy red inviting.

“This is gorgeous,” Y/n states into thin air, eyes unable to tear from the instrument that Eddie obviously took care of, another reason to like him. “You play?” asked Dustin as he gives up, standing from his spot to dust off his trousers, watching Y/n near-touch Eddie’s precious guitar.

“A little,” Y/n replies, “I learnt when I was younger,” she continues with a small smile, the response emitting a smirk upon the younger boy’s lips as he thinks to himself. Dustin wonders whether it’s actually a good idea, I mean Eddie isn’t here, he decides.

“Dare you to play it.”

Y/n looks away, eyes widening when she looks to Dustin, “oh, no! it’s his guitar, I can’t.” The curly hair twists when Dustin shakes his head, “’m sure he would mind.” His innocent grin plasters across his face, gums visible and eyes barely open as they scrunch, Y/n narrows her eyes hesitantly upon his words, unsure whether to believe him but shrugs it off before gently holding the guitar to take off the stand.

She places it over her, strap diagonally across her back as Y/n holds Eddie’s guitar close to her, scared of damaging it in any way. Her fingers lightly drum the strings, her other fingers holding cords along the neck of the guitar as she starts a tune.

It wasn’t too loud, the electric guitar not connected to a box to heighten the noise but loud enough to bear through the expanse of the trailer. Awakening a panicked Mike as he bounds across the trailer towards the noise, closing the bedroom door behind him, “what are you both doing? You’re gonna get us killed!”.

Y/n’s confused at Mike’s reaction, Dustin shrugging him off while happily watching Y/n play a song through the strings of Eddie’s ‘sweetheart’. Mike watches with his mouth agape and hair askew as he holds the sides of his face in fear. Dustin’s shocked in a different way, clearly amused by the way Y/n can play.

However, both boys jump at the sound of the front door. Unknowing that Eddie had entered his front door merely moments ago to the sound of his guitar being played, the door loudly slamming before his voice cuts into the air, “I do hope that was just a figment of my imagination.”

The boys match expressions, terrifyingly looking at one another while Y/n’s drum stops against the strings, letting go as Mike tries to usher the guitar over her body to put back on the wall, the stings battering and making more noise in the process as he fails, Y/n frozen on spot.

“Henderson, I know it’s you, you little shit. My rule, my one rule!” they can hear his feet stomping, and Y/n’s eyebrows furrow while she averts his attention to Dustin, nudging his arm, “you said he wouldn’t mind!”

“Yeah, I lied.”

“Henderson! what’s my one rule?” Eddie snaps from the other side of the door, pushing it open abruptly, causing the handle to slam against the other wall and rattle a few things across his dresser.

Eddie’s angered expression drops when his eyes land on Y/n’s frame almost instantly, her eyes wide and scared, hands raised to hover over the guitar in what looks like attempts to look like she didn’t mean to put it on or play it.

Which, with those two around, she probably didn’t.

Y/n’s fingers are trembling nervously, her eyebrows pulled tightly and Eddie is immediately regretting his incensed manner. Wishing he hadn’t shouted so immediately, but he knew if he was aware his pretty crush was in his trailer, he wouldn’t have.

He also would’ve cleaned it up earlier, had he known.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know, I— uh, I—” Y/n eyes gaze at Eddie’s, watching him nervously as he walks towards her, silently. She pulls the guitar strap over her frame while having a kind hold against the neck of the guitar, passing it over to his awaited, extended hand. 

“You were pretty good, actually,” Eddie states, lowly. Walking back to the mirror to position his guitar back on the stand, “a few hiccups here and there, but sounded good.” Y/n feels her cheeks warm, embarrassed all over as she tries to contain her expression, “thank you.”

Eddie turns back over, gaze back on Y/n, unable to tear for too long. Not when it’s finally the first moment they’ve had a conversation. “No one touches my sweetheart though,” Y/n nods to Eddie’s words, trying to ignore the way the pet name settles across her stomach, butterflies floating as she fails to stop her imagination running in yearn of Eddie calling her that.

“I’m sorry, Eddie. I really didn’t mean—” a small blush of red arises Eddie’s cheeks from the simplicity of his name falling from her lips, the first time, and spoken so softly that he interrupts her rushed apology.

“It’s all good. It’s these dudes that will get the mean and scary Eddie later. Never you, my darling,” Eddie states with a quick wink, smirking as Y/n eyes widen, eyebrows flickering from his words. Suddenly, the quick wish for Eddie to use a pet name for her was met almost immediately after.

Mike watches with a disgusted look, shaking his head before speaking up, “wait a minute, why me? I didn’t do shit.”

Eddie doesn’t respond to him, eyes still glimmering towards Y/n as he tilts his chin upwards when he speaks, “wanna stay for a while?”. He lets out a breathy laugh when Y/n nods, shyly with a small ‘okay’ high and nervous.

She follows him out the room, Dustin and Mike faltering as they step behind, Dustin leaning towards Mike to respond his previous question, “unless your Y/n, he doesn’t care.” They listen to the way Eddie offers to teach Y/n more, since she hasn’t played in years, and watches the way they both start to converse in the way each of them had wished for at the start.

In the end, little did Y/n know, Eddie was just as smitten as she was.

⤸

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