Take Me On [Chapter 1]

Take Me On [Chapter 1]

Your first day at Hawkins High sees you paired up on an English assignment with the apparently infamous Eddie Munson. With a heart still aching from the circumstances of your move, you eventually come to find that this unexpected partner of yours might be exactly what you’d been needing.

CW - Eddie x fem afab reader, strangers to friends to lovers, sort of a slow burn but probably not too much of one, angst, fluff, eventual smut, non-Vecna AU cause I just want our boy to be safe dammit, Eddie and the reader are 19 and 18 respectively, Eddie is soft but can initially be kinda prickly as a result of his social status, smut tags will be updated with further warnings once smut occurs

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There was a sea of faces stretched out before you and not a one was the least bit familiar.

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𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you make eddie strong in his weakest moment // aka a quick fix it fic for that rotten ass finale

You could see it happen, just meters away from you. Just far enough that you couldn’t do anything but scream his name as you watched him get swarmed by the bats. Even though your limbs were heavy with exhaustion and your legs protested, you ran to him, using your modified trash can lid as a shield and spearing the fuckers away. You couldn’t focus on anything but Eddie, lying prone on the ground, and you swung your arm and stabbed a bat right through the heart. 

The bats dissipated, and you were left alone with Eddie. Even though you felt like absolute shit, you knew that he was in worse shape, gashes on his sides and throat. You instantly abandoned your weapons and knelt down beside him, and you pulled his head into your lap. “Munson?” you whispered, and his eyes flickered as he looked at you. He was not doing too good. “Hey, there’s my guy. We’re gonna get you help, okay?” 

“No,” Eddie mumbled, his voice gurgling a bit. “I can’t—” 

“Yes, you can,” you told him. “We’re gonna stand up and go back to the trailer, and we’re gonna get you help. You don’t have a choice, Ed.” You tried to control the shaking in your voice, because it was obvious to anyone that Eddie was in bad shape. But, if you got to the trailer, you could send Dustin to get help, and everything would be okay. 

“I can't,” Eddie insisted, his eyes wide. “I’m done for.” 

“Like hell you are!” you exclaimed. “I-I, Eddie, there are people that need you! Dustin needs you, Max needs you, I need you! Y-You can’t just go and give up when there are people who need you! I know it hurts, Ed, I know it does, but you have got to hang in there. Okay?” 

Eddie shook his head, and you chewed your lip. He was right, and you knew it; he couldn’t make it to the trailer, and you weren;t nearly strong enough to carry him. He was going to bleed out and die right here in the Upside Down. You tried to think of something, anything, to do, and you nearly missed Eddie reaching up towards you. He tucked a little bit of hair behind your ear, almost a loving gesture, and he mumbled, “I’ve always loved you.” 

“Oh, whatever,” you sniffled. You couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. “Deathbed confessions…” 

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded. “Since the first day I met you, I knew I was going to marry you. I could just feel it.” 

“Really?” you whimpered out. You held him close, smoothing back his hair, and you watched as Eddie nodded again. 

“Really,” Eddie replied, blinking slowly. 

“W-Well, why didn’t you ever tell me?” you asked. The more you touched him, the more your clothes stained with his warm blood, but you didn’t care. You just had to keep him talking until Dustin came for you. When Dustin showed up he would be able to help you limp Eddie back to the trailer, and everything would be fixed. You knew it wasn’t that simple, but your plan needed to be simple to avoid your head exploding. 

“I was scared,” Eddie told you. His hands shook as he gathered up yours, holding you tightly, and he shook his head. “But I’m not scared anymore. I love you.”

“Jesus,” you uttered. “Eddie—”

“Don’t say it back if you don’t have to,” Eddie told you quickly. “I-I don’t want to hear you say it unless you mean it.” 

“I love you,” you whispered to him. Your chest heaved with a heavy breath, and you watched Eddie’s do the same. That was the deepest breath he had taken since you had had him in your arms, and, as you examined him again, you saw that the trickle of blood from his neck had nearly fully stopped. Did you…? There was no way. Did talking about you make Eddie grow more resilient? Did you make Eddie stronger?

“Glad to hear it,” Eddie said, and your heart lifted. He was trying to be funny. He was trying to be funny for you. 

“Um,” you started, wiping the tears hastily from your cheeks. “Y-You said you wanted to marry me?” 

Eddie nodded. “Not one of those big, embarrassing weddings,” he told you. His voice cracked and broke, but he was talking, and that was enough. Keep him talking until Dustin came to your aid, that was the plan. “I always imagined that you wouldn’t want a real wedding, just something small… Am I right?” 

You nodded. “I hate weddings,” you admitted, and Eddie chuckled weakly. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I figured.” 

“Tell me more,” you told him quickly. “Tell me a-about, like, how did you know?”

“Sometimes you just know things,” Eddie said, and he paused to cough. Blood stained his lips as he coughed, but you could see color returning to his cheeks. He was going to be alright, you could feel it. “I saw you, and Gareth said something about you being new, a senior and all... You smiled at me, and I fell head over heels. I just knew.” 

Now, your tears were for a different reason. You actually remembered the moment well, the first time you met Eddie. You had been roaming the lunchroom on your first day at Hawkins High, and you had already felt like an outcast, starting a new school as a senior, and then you saw the badass devil illustration on a boy’s shirt. You had looked up from the shirt to see the face, and those moonish brown eyes were already looking at you, and you had given him a friendly smile. Eddie had then come over and introduced himself, said some line about “You look lost”, and offered to let you sit at his table with him and his friends. And the rest was history. 

Since then, you had lost count of the amount of times that you went over to Eddie’s trailer to watch a movie, to help study, to paint D&D figurines. Eddie was your best friend and you were his, and suddenly his pining made sense. He would let you borrow his clothes when you slept over, he always saved the last bite of his lunch for you (the man made a mean ham sandwich, what could you say?), and he held doors for you and offered you his hand to stand up and sit down. At the time, you thought it was him being a good friend and a gentleman, but it was so much more. He loved you. 

“Eddie,” you said softly. You didn’t know exactly what to say, so you let your words fail you. Instead, you leaned down and softly kissed his bloody lips, not caring about the mess. To your delight, Eddie lifted his hand up and lightly touched your face as he kissed back, and you felt your stomach flip. He was going to be okay. 

“Is this a pity kiss?” Eddie asked, his lips still against yours. “Like, ‘you’re dying. Let me kiss you goodbye’?”

“Does it feel like one?” you asked, lifting your face from his. “How do you feel?” 

“Not great,” Eddie admitted. “Everything hurts… Bastard bats. Those fuckers aren’t metal at all.” 

Finally, you laughed, and you saw Eddie smile. Everything was okay. Eddie was cracking jokes, getting stronger by the second. You quickly called out for Dustin— “Dustin! Come here, I need help!”— but you turned your attention back to Eddie without missing a beat. “Maybe marriage is rushing it,” you told him, and Eddie nodded in agreement. “I say we both have to graduate first—”

“Not that far away,” Eddie told you, and you jokingly rolled your eyes. 

“We should probably date for a while first too,” you added, and Eddie nodded again. “But, sure, Munson. I’ll marry you.” 

“Sick,” Eddie said, and he coughed again. “Here comes Henderson.”

“See?” you told him, sniffling away your tears. “Everything is alright.” 

"Why did I ever doubt you?"

Y/n: I can’t believe we’re stuck in this room together

 Eddie, throwing the key out the window: Truly unfortunate

“Why the hell would you say something like that?”

Eddie Munson x reader

summary: instead of the shitty ending we got, he’s gonna live in this fic. you’re welcome<3

warnings: mentions of blood and injuries, crying, trauma, major angst and fluff, language.

a/n: writing is something that is so fun and spectacular. you can create and imagine anything you please. so for me, eddie lives on! and I’m going to continue to dream and write about him! you were a hero eddie, it was your year. thank you for making my life brighter. we love you big boy❤️

“Just promise- promise me y-you won’t lose your- yourself, okay? You have to- live. You have to live, y/n.”

“Shut up! Stop talking like that! You’re going to be fine, Eddie!”

Dustin squeezed your right hand, the slow beeping of Eddie’s bedside vitals being the only thing heard. The room was crowded, everyone slumped in seats, Steve and Robin crouched on the floor. Everyone had tears going down their faces, but you couldn’t shed any.

“We have to get him to a hospital! Dustin- Dustin help me! Steve! Where’s Steve we need him!”

Living in Hawkins was not easy, it never was. You always bounced back, though, whatever the menace that decided to curse the town that season. But this, vecna, everything. It was different this time, and not just for you. Your eyes were glued to the floor, your lips parted as you breathed. There was a feeling in your body that you didn’t understand, a heaviness in your heart.

You were completely traumatized. You’d never seen so much blood, his wounds ripped open from violet claw and teeth marks. His beautiful, shiny white teeth had been stained red. You couldn’t get his face out of your head, smiling up at you from your lap.

“I love you so- so much. You- you’re so beautiful.”

“Dustin, help me carry him! Come on, Eddie, you’re gonna be okay! Shh, it’s alright.”

Violent coughs had smacked you in the face, his mouth spewing blood that made you sob. It had all happened so fast, as cliche as it sounded. You kept replaying every moment in your head, thinking maybe, if you pinched yourself hard enough, you’d wake up from the dream you were having.

He had screamed in pain as you and dustin dragged him to the doorway to your world, and you cried and cried, apologizing profusely. But, you had been running on adrenaline, both you and Dustin, and it made carrying him easier.

No one had spoke for nearly an hour, and despite the glum faces, there was reason to celebrate. Eleven had defeated Vecna. Joyce and Hopper were back. Hopper was alive. Max was hurt with several injuries, but she would be okay. Her and Lucas would be okay. You glanced over to Mike and Eleven, where she rested her head on his shoulder. God, everyone had gotten so much older.

And despite all this happiness, Hawkins’s victory, Eleven’s victory, you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“I’m not g-going to make it, y/n. put m-me down, you can’t carry me. dustin make her-”

“No, I’m not leaving you here, dammit! I won’t! We’re almost there, Ed’s, just hang on, honey.”

You had physically exhausted yourself with your strength, Dustin too. You gulped, your eyes going up to his bed. He looked so pale, so cold. His hair was wet and matted with his blood. The nurse had cleaned him some, but it didn’t help much. He was going to be fine, the doctor said, and it was all because you had gotten him to the hospital just in time. He was near bled out when you had arrived. But you wouldn’t believe it until you seen his opened his, his pink lips curling into a smile.

And it wasn’t like you were trying to take away the spotlight from everyone, but they hadn’t seen it, besides Dustin, who still clung tightly to your hand. They didn’t hear his screams, how terrified he looked despite his smile. Their hearts didn’t break, yours did. Eddie was still alive, yes. Your best friend, your lover, and it was the greatest gift god had ever given you, but your heart was shattered by agonizing trauma.

“You hungry?” Dustin’s voice dragged you away from your thoughts, and you blinked tiredly as you turned your head to look at him.

The poor kid was exhausted, and you seen the look on his face that yours held. No one else’s had it, just you two. You shook your head. Eating was the last thing you wanted. “No.” You whispered.

“Me neither.” He sighed, looking at his friends. “You think Eddie will need anything from the trailer?” He spoke to everyone, gaining their attention. “I mean, he’s going to be here for a while.”

“I could go,” Nancy spoke up, her bushy hair wild and bright with crimson colors. “What should I bring, y/n?”

The attention was on you then, and you pushed out a squeaky breath. “I, uh-” You looked over at Eddie, your sweet, sweet boy. You blinked tiredly, a lump building in your throat.

Dustin’s eyes bore into yours, and he patted your knee, letting go. “I’ll go with you, Nance. I know what he’ll want.”

It wasn’t till a half hour later, did Eddie make his sign of life. The room was dead quiet, and you heard it, that little whine that was undeniably his. Everyone’s eyes snapped up to him, and you sat up, your breath in your throat.

“Eddie?” Mike shot up, going to his side. “Eddie, can you hear us? It’s me, Mike!”

You stopped breathing, your fingers squeezing the arm wrests as everyone watched with anticipation. Another groan, a twitch of his arm, and then- “Wheeler?”

Everyone cheered at the sound of his cracked, hoarse voice, going to his side. You watched as his eyes peeled open, those beautiful brown eyes that you loved so much. You seen how quickly life replenished in his face, the color already coming back to him, and Steve helped him in a comfortable sitting position.

But you couldn’t get up and run to him. You couldn’t cheer along like they did. You felt like fainting, truthfully. Your face contorted into tears, your body hunching over as your hands covered your face, your elbows resting on your knees. The relief you felt was too overwhelming for you to do anything else, so you just sat there and cried.

“Where is she? My girl?” Eddie beamed, looking up at everyone’s faces. “Y/n, is she here-" He was interrupted by a sob, your sob, and everyone quickly followed the sound. He cocked his head to see around everyone, and then, he saw you. You were in the corner of the room, your hands covering your face, and you were unapologetically sobbing to yourself.

His bright eyes creased at your figure, and he awkwardly tried to set up, biting his lip as a sharp pain went through his stomach. Robin was the first to read the room, and she softly patted Steve’s shoulder, and the quietly ushered everyone out of the room.

“Y/n?” He smiled softly, his voice full of love. He wanted to see your face so badly. You kept crying though, steadily in your hands as you listened to his voice.

“You gonna look at me, sweetheart?”

You sniffled loudly, your hands shaking as you peeled them away from your face. His eyes softened even more at you. You looked at the ground for a few more seconds, and then you batted your eyes up to him. Your heart soared at his beautiful face.

“Hey, you,” He said playfully, tilting his head. He wasn’t clueless to realize you were crying tears of joy, even though there was much more to it.

You could only look at him, your chest heaving as tears fell down your face. You felt on the verge of a panic attack.

“You know,” He raised his brows. “If you really wanted me gone, you could of pulled the plug.” He chuckled, teasing as he nodded to the electrical wires around him.

You choked on a sob, turning to face the window as you shook your head. “Why the hell would you say something like that?”

His smile dropped at the sound of your voice. It wasn’t just tears of joy, you sounded legitimately upset. Your voice was about as hoarse and cracked as his was, and he noticed the tear tracks that fell down your neck. “Sorry, I shouldn’t of said that.” He licked his lips, frowning when you didn’t look any better. “Hey- hey, honey, come here.” He rushed smoothly, wincing as he sat up.

You obeyed blindly, sniffling and whimpering as you shuffled to his bed. You stilled right beside him, and he looked up at you. “You can touch me, you know,” He said slowly, acting as if you were a baby deer. “I won’t disappear, kiddo,” He chuckled, reaching out to brush his hand against your arm.

The touch was enough to melt you. You nearly fell atop of him, your face burying itself in his chest, your arms wrapping around his shoulders, knees smacking against the floor.

“Whoa, hey,” He wrapped his arms around you. “It’s okay, I’m here, baby.” His muscles aches and spasmed at the weight of you, but he held you tightly anyways. You cried into his chest, your hands fisting his shirt. You reached up and grasped his face, sobbing as your eyes locked into his.

“God,” You cried, resting your face against his. “Oh, god, Eddie.”

“I’m alright, y/n,” He grabbed your chin. “Calm down, take a breath. I’m fine.” It was alarming how much you were crying, how upset you were.

His other hand softly petted the back of your head, his thumbs circling your cheek. “I’m alright.” He pressed a soft kiss against your lips, drinking in your whimpers.

“I’m guessing you missed me then?” He chuckled, closing his eyes.

“I want us to leave, Eddie.” You sniffled, grabbing his face, whimpering at his features. He was still alive, you told yourself. “I can’t- we can’t stay here, Eddie, please. Please-”

“Woah, woah, what?” He sat up, looking up at you. “What are you talking-”

“I can’t.” You sobbed, your voice cracking heavily. Your hand clasped over his heart, shaking your head. “No more, Eddie. We can’t keep- I don’t want to live here anymore! It’s too dangerous, and I can’t-”

He looked at you with wide eyes, his hands resting on your arms. “Y/n,”

“I can’t live without you.” You said more quietly, voice coated with traumatized tears. “Eddie, I was so scared. I still- I’m still scared, I don’t wanna l-loose you! Please, tell me we can go! Please,”

“Okay, okay, shh,” He grabbed your face. “Calm down, shh, it’s alright.” He pulled you close, holding you as tight as he could. He realized know just how traumatized you were. Really, he had trouble remembering all about what happened. He remembered the pain, and the sound of both your screams. He remembered how stubborn you were as you dragged him through the upside down with Henderson. “Y/n, I’m alright, you hear me? I’m here, you’re here. We’re alive, sweetheart. We’re okay.”

You sobbed into his chest, your hand resting at the back of his neck. “Don’t ever leave me.” You cried. “Swear it. Swear you won’t leave me again.”

Despite all of this, he’d never felt more confident. Finally, in his life, he didn’t run. Sure, he got torn up in shreds, but he didn’t run. He was a hero, and it was his year. You made it his year. “I swear it.”

heart's day

Eddie Munson x fem! Reader

Summary: your closed heart and wandering eyes leave you completely oblivious to the true feelings of your best friend.

A/N: loosely based off of the song 'people watching' by conan gray and of course, 'love of my life' by queen. enjoy!

warnings: none, besides mentions of fear of intimacy and heartbreak. a little angst, but fluff, fluff, fluff!

february 14, 1986.

the day everyone dreamed and dreaded. the student government had decided to dress the halls with paper hearts and various baby cupids. they had even put up a small station where they sold chocolates and roses so you could send them to someone along with a heartfelt note.

your eyes caught sight of the many students lined up, a few cheerleaders giggled with one another while guys muttered to their friends as they helped them word out their confessions on a slip of pink paper.

you remember what it was like when you all were in middle school, passing out Valentine’s Day cards you had made in class, as you chatted with your friends you couldn’t help but notice the boy who sat at the back of the class, desk devoid of any cards, and despite his carefree disposition, you could still feel the downcast in his eyes as he watched other kids get their own cards. not being one to be a bystander to someone’s troubles, you reached into your bag to fetch a pink piece of card stock you were saving to give to your then crush, but that didn’t matter now. swiftly, you had managed to cut it into a heart and write a sweet message before standing up and walking towards him. you had smiled at him, one of the most genuine smiles he had ever seen, and that was the start of your friendship with Eddie Munson.

the two of you were like two peas in a pod, practically attached at the hip, inseparable throughout the rest of your middle school days. then, high school came, and you were swept away by the more upbeat, bubbly crowd of cheerleaders and boisterous band kids Eddie knew you were better suited for, while he stayed more on the sidelines. even so, he was still very much a part of your life. whenever you needed comfort or to take a moment to break away from the expectations your newfound popularity pressured you into, you always made your way back to him.

“Helloooo, earth to (y/n)!” a voice came, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Oh I’m sorry, what were you saying, Robin?”

Robin rolls her eyes at you, as a joke, of course. you and Robin had grown closer throughout your time in band, sharing secrets, passing notes and snarky little jokes as you both pretended to listen in class.

“I was thinking.. maybe I should give someone a little something this Valentine’s Day? Or would that be weird and completely ruin whatever chance I have of a friendship with—“ she started to ramble, words running out her mouth a mile a minute before you put a hand in her shoulder, shushing her.

“You’ll be fine, Buckley. We treat each other to milkshakes at that diner every Valentine’s Day anyway, so it’s not like it’s super out of the blue for you to give her something, if you don’t want things to get weird then don’t make it weird.” you chuckle as you passed by the object of Robin’s affections: Vicki. Robin waved her hand to say hello, to which Vicki smiled at, beckoning her over.

Robin looked at you. “Is it okay if I—?”

you shake your head, a wide smile on your face as well as a knowing look in your eyes.

“Have fun, Robin.” is all you say before turning around and headed to class.

as you took your seat, you couldn’t help but notice the students who came in, girls with entire bouquets of roses and assorted flowers in their hands, each one more extravagant than the last, boys handing over heart shaped chocolate boxes to the girls they liked, while some of the students on the committee that involved the anonymous letter confessions wove in and out of the classroom with their deliveries.

once class was over, you headed to the lunch table you usually sat at, finding Robin and Vicki in rapid, excited conversation. sitting down, your gaze flitted across the room, watching and listening to the conversations around you.

“So did it hurt?” a boy asked, the question obviously leading to the cheesiest pick up line in the world, but the girl he was talking to only twirled a piece of her hair around her finger, all flirty.

“What do you mean?”

“When you fell from heaven, because wow are you an angel.” he says as she bursts out laughing, nudging his arm before giving him a peck on the lips. it really wasn’t funny, but she burst out in laughter because she liked him enough to think all his jokes were funny.

another girl a few tables from you gushed to her friends about how long she and her now long distance boyfriend had been together. “Almost 49 months, guys! And look: he even sent me something all the way from New York!” she squealed along with her friends.

a boy and a girl walked past you, the girl rolled her eyes at him as he teased her about how she acted when she first met his parents during winter break at Christmas dinner. despite the look of annoyance in her face, you noticed the affection in her eyes as he laughed, the two were still holding hands.

you watched as Jason, golden boy of the the school, gifted his girlfriend, Chrissy, a ring. a promise ring, engraved with the date they first went out together. the entire basketball teased him, as well as Chrissy’s cheerleading friends, asking them when the wedding was going to be or how many kids they’d have.

Chrissy shakes her head, smiling as she admired the ring. “We’re not engaged!” she laughed.

finally, you pulled your eyes away from the various happenings that surrounded you and focused your attention back to the table.

you saw the way Robin looked at her, with utmost, unconditional care and affection, you wondered how dense Vicki could be. they were talking about the class they just had.

“Yeah, that’s why I like you so much, you’re so much smarter than me.” she laughs, before clearing her throat, realizing what she had just said.

but Vicki only laughed at the compliment, shaking her head. “No, not really..” she rubbed her neck bashfully.

you could only watch them, reminded of the countless stories that Robin had told you about the two, how one time she had a sleepover at Vicki’s house, talking about their hopes and dreams until four in the morning.

you smiled, genuinely happy for them. but you couldn’t help but feel an ache in your heart as you saw everyone falling in love.

everyone except you.

sure, there was the occasional cute guy who’d ask you out, someone would flirt with you now and then, but nothing ever permanent. nothing long lasting. just silly summer flings and temporary feelings.

you don’t know why or how, but one way or another you had managed to find yourself on the tables near the track field, in the woods. in an attempt to clear your mind of any thought that passed through it.

you loved love, you loved seeing other people in love. you loved on your own terms, told your friends you loved them, shared your love with animals, your love for your hobbies, books that transported you to other worlds, lyrics from music that spoke to your soul. love was in you and all around you.

but it was hard for you to get attached, hard for you to love someone in that way. you didn’t know if it was simply the fear of being abandoned, of being left behind because you weren’t good enough, fear of the hurt and the aftermath of an eventual break up that led you to be this way. or maybe it was the fact you had seen your siblings’ own heartbreaks, how gaunt their faces would get after nights of sobbing into their pillow, vowing to yourself you’d never allow yourself to go through that. or maybe you just didn’t like anyone, maybe you didn’t even have a soulmate, maybe you were just meant to be alone. after all, it was you who cut people out like tags on your clothing.

you had a habit of pushing people away, especially if they got too close, fearing what they would do when they truly got to know you, flaws and all the uglier parts of yourself you kept locked up hidden deep inside your chest.

your friends, your real friends, were few and far in between, only ever being able to count them on three fingers.

still, you couldn’t help but feel so empty, so monotone and bland. you wanted to feel the overwhelming emotion people described when they were in love. you want the swarms of butterflies in your tummy, the quick beat of your heart against your rib cage, you wanted the soft kisses, the gentle touch of hand on your waist, to intertwine your fingers with someone and feel the warmth of their hand.

you wanted that more than anything.

“Wasn’t expecting you to be here, of all places, weirdo.” came a voice you were all too familiar with.

“That’s rich, coming from you, wacko.” you chuckle as he draws closer to you, settling down on the bench in front of you.

“Saw you spacing out there earlier, got anything on your mind?”

of course you couldn’t hide anything from him. he knew you practically inside out, from the secrets whispered to each other in the dead of night by the lake, sharing your dreams under the stars, to the many times he made you cackle with laughter as you both danced around and banged your head to the beat of Eddie’s music.

you sigh, not knowing what to say.

“I just, I was just thinking about what it would be like to love someone the way other people did.”

“Woah, never took you for the sappy type,” he snorts, as you flick him on his forehead, earning a small ‘ow’ from him. “No but seriously, you okay?"

“Yeah, I am. It’s just, I was looking around the whole time today, watching everybody be all lovey dovey, and I guess I started to think about what it would be like to care for someone so much like that, to actually love someone.” you say, though you might have been right in front of him, Eddie could tell that your mind was far away from where you two were.

“What about that guy you were basically head over heels for? Didn’t you love him?” Eddie joked, wiggling his eyebrows in an attempt to make you laugh, to no avail.

“I’ve never been in love, not seriously.” you say, barely above a whisper as you stared out into the distance.

Eddie cocks his head at you, concerned.

you lift your legs up the bench so you were hugging your knees, resting your chin atop your knee as you sighed.

“I guess I’m just sick and tired of people watching.” you mutter.

but while you were stuck watching the world, you were completely blind to the pair of the warm brown eyes that looked at you with so much softness and affection it made his heart melt.

call it cliche, but he was hopelessly and utterly entranced by you. you, the chatty, bubbly girl from his fifth grade class, marching your way towards him with the first and only valentine he has ever gotten from a girl. you, with your bright laughter and cute snort whenever Eddie made a joke or poked fun at you were music to his ears.

he admired everything about you, how despite the hell of high school you had managed to retain your humanity, your kind and loving nature. he admired your skills, talents, he loved seeing your eyes glitter with excitement as you talked about things you were passionate about.

he would always be there for you, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen as you lamented all your feelings due to all your pent up angst.

“You wanna hang out after class?” you asked, sitting up properly.

Eddie blinks rapidly for a moment, snapping himself out of his thoughts before nodding. “Why wait until after class?” His eyes glinted with mischief.

you snickered. “Alright, fine. Can’t stand being in a classroom full of mushy gushy teenagers anyway.” you stood up, and the two of you walked towards the parking lot where his van sat.

as you buckled your seatbelt, you turned to him. “Where to?”

he sucks in a breath, tapping on the steering wheel in deep thought before snapping his fingers, turning to you.

“It’s the day of love, right? Why not spend our day by Lover’s Lake?” he teased.

you roll your eyes, despite the laughter that erupts from your throat. “Fine by me, just get me outta here.”

….

once the van pulled up by the lake, you and Eddie sat on the edge of the docks, swinging your legs back and forth as you took a sip of beer from the six pack Eddie had.

you winced before letting out a small burp, to which Eddie scoffed at.

“Weaaak.” he teased, before taking a swig from his own drink and releasing and even louder belch.

you cry out in laughter, hitting him on the arm. “Ew! Eddie, how can anybody be so gross and impressive at the same time?”

he shrugs. “What can I say, I am a man of many talents.”

you giggle again, leaning your head onto his shoulder. that was how you showed your affection, given the rarity of you ever doing so. you had always been afraid of being vulnerable, afraid that once you opened your heart up to someone they’d take advantage of you and leave you in the dust.

but it was never the case when you were with him. you could always be your most authentic self with Eddie, flaws and all. he always stood beside you, welcomed you with open arms whenever you had a rough day.

he was your best friend.

still, a part of you couldn’t help but notice your quickened heartbeat whenever he’d wrap and arm around you, the incessant bouncing of your leg as you waited for him in anticipation at the spot you two would meet, nor could you help the swell of pride in your chest whenever you saw him perform the most insane guitar solos.

however, true to your nature, you kept it all buried within you, under all the other fears and secrets you refused to let out.

a tender silence sat in between the both of you. saying nothing while doing nothing, while it sounded like a boring activity to people outside looking in, it was never boring to you. not when you were with Eddie.

“Do you think we’ll ever find love?” you ask, randomly, completely out of the blue, and the question somewhat takes Eddie aback.

“Well with my handsome looks and amazing personality I think I’m just too good for the people in this town.” he jokes sarcastically, but instead of laughing like you always did, you just smiled at him.

“Yeah, you are.”

those three words could put Eddie into cardiac arrest.

in spite of his reddening cheeks and pulsating heart, he laughs it off, plays it cool and rubs the back of his neck nonchalantly. he mumbles a thank you, the only words he could muster from his mouth.

you look up, it was getting dark and the wind started to pick up. damn this winter cold.

you blow hot breath into your hands and rub them together as the air turns from cold to glacial.

“Jesus, it’s freezing.” Eddie curses as he stands, holding out his hand to you to help you up.

“Holy shit your hands are cold!” he exclaims.

“Sorry.” suddenly, you sneeze.

“Okay, come here.” he pulls you in, grips your hands in his own warm, calloused ones, blowing hot breath into them.

“Th-thanks.” you utter, slightly flustered at your sudden closeness to him.

“Alright, come on, let’s get you home before you freeze to death.”

as you both slip into the van, Eddie suddenly curses, a quiet “shit” flying from his mouth as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

he shakes his head. “Forgot my lunchbox!”

“The one with the w—“

“Yeah the one with the weed.” he says before he turns back and makes his way towards the docks.

you chuckle to yourself. typical Munson behavior.

you decide to put on some music, opening the glove compartment to search for a tape you and him could rock to. as you shuffled through the mess, you stumbled across a piece of card stock.

it’s color had faded over time from a bright pink to one of pastel. you recognized your old, scribbly writing from middle school.

you smiled at the memory, brushing off the fact that Eddie had somehow kept that memento for over seven years, that was, until you stumbled upon a certain cassette tape.

you furrowed your eyes as you looked at the title. in the big, scrawled out handwriting you knew to be Eddie’s, was your name.

impulsively, you set the tape into the sound system.

soft sounds of piano keys being played started to pour out the speakers, followed by the gentle strum of a guitar.

while it was completely different from what Eddie usually listened to, you recognized it as one of your favorite songs.

Love of my life, you’ve hurt me

it all comes pouring back to you. your first heartbreak, the reason why you kept your distance from everyone, the reason why you kept your emotions in. but you remember Eddie.

You’ve broken my heart, and now you leave me

you remember how he held you in your arms as you cried over a stupid boy who you saw go out with another prettier, more popular girl.

it was a shame you couldn’t see Eddie’s own heart break as he watched you cry and sob over a boy that never even deserved you.

Love of my life can’t you see?

while you carefully observed the world around you, you were completely oblivious to the boy who thought of you as his world.

suddenly, you turned to your left, hearing the door open.

“Sorry about that I—“ he paused, hearing the music, then gazing at you, whose eyes were glossed over, wide with surprise, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but with a knowing look all the same.

“Where— uh, whatcha listening to?” he says, chuckling nervously in an attempt to keep his composure. that tape was meant to be how he would have confessed his feelings for you, he stowed it away though, promising to himself that he’d do it, he’d man up and just do it someday.

“Eddie,” you say, slowly. “Do—do you like me?”

Eddie sucks in a breath, shaking his head. “Is it that obvious?” he chuckles, again. this time at himself, for letting his feelings get in the way of this beautiful, wonderful friendship you both shared. idiot, he thought to himself. did you really think you could ever have a chance with her?

all his doubts are pushed away as you take his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers the way you wished you could.

too busy watching the world, too busy being jealous of what others had when all you could ever want was right in front of you.

you lightly stroke the back of his hand with your thumb as you smile. your hand slowly moves towards his face, cupping his cheek ever so gently, tracing his smile lines.

Eddie swallows, every fiber of his being screaming at him to just throw all caution into the wind and lay his lips on yours.

finally mustering up the courage, he opens his mouth to speak.

“(y/n), I—“

you grin. “Just kiss me.”

and he does. and you kiss him back.

years of pent up emotions suddenly come flooding out as your lips move with his.

after some time, you pull away to catch your breath. Eddie’s eyes looked directly into yours. while your gaze would often drift to somewhere even farther away as you spaced out, you wouldn’t dare to lose your focus lest you forget the warmth in his brown eyes.

“I really like you, you know.” he whispered, your foreheads touching.

“I really like you too.” you admit. years of fearing affection and intimacy dissipate. you had nothing to be scared of, this was Eddie, the same Eddie who brought you your favorite candy as he snuck into your window when you were grounded to help cheer you up, the same Eddie who played you your favorite songs on the guitar just so you could sing along.

he was the same sweet boy he was that day you handed him that valentine.

and you were still the same girl who loved with her entire being, to the point that she was incapable of being unkind, the amazing girl that Eddie had come to know.

he was still your Eddie, and you were still his (y/n).

no need to watch the world, when your world sat right in front of you.

no more desire to go people watching, when your favorite person in the whole world was always at your side.

no cause explain to me why steve, nancy and robin got choked out for like 40 minutes & got off scot-free

meanwhile eddie gets tickled by a bat & has his shit rocked like WHAT?

ALSO keep in mind the same thing happened to steve earlier that season & all nancy had to do was give it a little kiss & slap a bandaid on it and he was perfectly fine

like eddie if you needed someone to kiss your booboos better why didn’t you just ask me 🙄