Oh, Baby.

oh, baby.

Summary: You and Eddie raise a baby… however, you’re not a couple and the baby isn’t real. Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader [WC: 7k ] Warnings: takes place at the beginning of season 2, language, maybe part 2? I’m so nervous to post this. Quick Links: Masterlist

"And this," Mr. Allen walked up and down each row with the most serious face. Everyone else, all the students, were plagued with potential trauma at the preface of the assignment; "this is your only priority for the next week—including this weekend and the next."

You felt a cool breeze waft as he walked past your desk, continuing on foward as Steve Harrington audibly protested his instruction. The supposed "King of Hawkins High" wasn't impressed with having to take care of a child… well, a plastic one at that.

"Mr. Allen," he began from his spot in the second row from the door. All you could see was the brown poof of hair that he had become notable for. "I don't see why we can't just start this on Monday. We've got plans… there's a football game tonight!"

There were a few agreeing hums, mostly from the said football players in the room, but it wasn't as though they would be taking part in the assignment when they were on the field. Their partners would be left alone to deal with an unpredictable toy while they tossed pigskin for three hours for fun.

"And besides," Steve continued as Mr. Allen walked back to the front of the room, setting the baby down on his desk and grabbing two plastic bowls he had scavenged from home, "Halloween is next weekend! I bet we all already have plans…"

Steve turned around in his seat and looked around the room. He saw his peers watching him carefully, some in support and others in vague concern that he would get them in further conflict by having the task take up the whole month instead of a week and a half. He glanced over you hoping that being Nancy's childhood friend would spur a call within you to support him but alas, you would not give him the satisfaction.

In the back of the room, Steve's eyes landed squarely on one sole person. He chewed on his lip before turning around.

"Hell, I bet even Munson's got plans. You know we're all busy when he's actually doing something."

At that same moment, Eddie Munson had been sitting with his legs extended through the empty chair in front of him and his arms crossed against his chest. Even if he didn't want to be there in the slightest, Steve Harrington going on a tangent in the middle of senior health class at intrigued him. And when his name slipped past the hair's lips, Eddie's face contorted. Eyes narrow and slightly offended. The new kid, Billy Hargove, laughed as he twirled his pencil. He had been there for two weeks and had swept Eddie’s weed supply clean in a matter of days.

Eddie actually didn't have plans other than Hellfire on Friday, but he couldn't say that out loud. In fact, he didn't say anything. He had an inkling someone would call him to deal at whatever party everyone was going to, but unless it happened, he was staying in and getting stoned himself.

Everyone's head turned toward him and he forgot the real reason he didn't skip that hour. They were all judgemental. He was an oddity to them. You even glanced over your own, three rows in front of him and to the right.

When he caught your gaze, you were the only one to look at him like a real human being, a person, not a freak. Just simple curiosity because everyone else had. You gave him a tiny, empathetic smile before turning back around and he found himself staring at the back of your head after it happened. It made his heart skip a beat.

"Mr. Harrington," Mr. Allen placed one of the bowls he was holding onto Steve's desk, "Nothing's changing. I've conducted this role-play for ten years and it is not changing because you, or anyone else in this class, has plans that don't fit the lifestyle of what it means to be a parent."

He pointed to the bowl before placing the other on a girl named Lisa's desk, "Steve, you pick the boys and Lisa here will pick the girls," he turned his attention back to the room as Steve ran a frustrated hand through his hair. A couple of the girls around you groaned, whispering to one another that the system was rigged because they knew they could no longer pick their partners.

"No picking partners. I'm letting the magic bowls choose them for me. No debating, no arguing. I don't care if you think your partner is bad or not, you will complete this task together. Who knows," he laughed at the looks of the students, "maybe you'll find a new friend through all of this."

“Go ahead, Steve,” he ordered, leaning against his desk with ankles crossed and an amused smile playing at his elderly lips. Glasses perched near the end of his nose, Steve huffed at him and tucked his hand away into the bowl and ruffled the slips of paper.

And like luck, Steve Harrington pulled his own name first. Eddie smiled in satisfaction at that–knowing that there was a chance Steve would most certainly be paired with someone he didn't want after he called him out in class. He hoped Billy would have the same fate too. Hell, everyone who looked at him like he was a fucking Martian from planet Mars.

The irony that Hargrove listened to the same music, smoked the same dope, and drove his car just as recklessly but remained at the top of the food chain at Hawkins High hadn’t escaped Eddie. Girls liked Billy; he played basketball, gave them cheeky smiles, and certainly did not play a fantasy game for fun. He was the antithesis of Eddie’s existence–but a bully and raging asshole too. Billy Hargrove was a piece of shit and it had taken Eddie two days in class to figure that out.

“And Steve will be paired with…” Mr. Allen waited for Lisa to mimic Steve’s draw and she unfolded the paper.

Lisa drew Tammy Thompson's name which could have been worse for Steve. It took 3 minutes for Steve to pull Billy Hargrove's name who was then paired with Kennedy Walker, the school's future valedictorian. The look on the poor girl’s face was sadly hilarious. Hargrove winked at her and she turned such a shade of red that she looked like a balloon. But before Eddie could ponder what an interesting pair that made, Steve sighed and pulled another name from the bowl.

Steve crinckled the thin strip of paper in his hand before tossing it onto his desk, "Munson," he looked at Mr. Allen who nodded as he did with each name.

"And the lucky partner?" Mr. Allen had to have been joking except there wasn't an ounce of teasing in his words. Lisa picked the name out of the bucket and unfolded it with her candy red nails. Then, she laughed. Her eyes crinkled at the side from what you could see as she sat in the first seat beside the door. She looked over her shoulder, directly at you in her line of sight and smiled like a wicked wench.

"Y/n L/n." Shit.

A few of the girls giggled, a couple of the guys whistled which had bristled the compass within you south. You didn't care that you had been paired with Eddie because of what people thought of him–the primary reason they were all bemused with the pairing–but rather at the possibility that he couldn't give two-shits about the assignment. It may have only been October but you had already caught him before two different classes being chastised by teachers for not doing his work. If he kept it up, they said, he wouldn’t graduate with his class.

"Off the hook, ladies," one of the girls on the cheer squad laughed, "Y/n's got him."

Lunch could not have arrived fast enough.

You rushed to the front of the line, grabbed your tray, and made a straight shot for the table you had taken an unassigned assigned seat at. Nancy wasn't there when you arrived so you just picked at your food, rolling the grapes in the small section they had been dumped into and watched the entrance like a hawk. Your leg bounced under the table with a tinge of nervousness, but the aggravation of failure was starting to eat you alive and it had only been an hour since Mr. Allen screwed over your grade. Slowly, the lunch room came to life and Nancy held her calculus book in one hand and purple lunch bag in the other.

Even she had a sour look on her face. Lips pursed and brow furrowed, her hand tightly clenched around the bag as the small gold promise ring from Steve shined in the harsh lighting of the room.

"You'll never believe who Mike gave my number to," Nancy huffed as she sat down; her lunch bag filled scarcely with a peanut butter and jelly and a bag of cheetos. She had four sticks of cut up celery that you gagged at, not understanding how she could enjoy the stringy vegetable for fun.

"You'll never believe who I was partnered with for Allen's baby project," You stopped pushing around your food and she looked at you with heeded interest, her eyebrows drawn together and her wide eyes concerned.

"You first," you pointed a finger at her as she shifted in her seat. The others at the table started to sit down and engage in their own conversations–you had totally forgotten about watching the doorway to the lunchroom. "Keith?"

"From the arcade! The one who always," she scrambled her hands in front of her in frustration before letting out a groan, "he's always got his dirty fingers on the buttons and offers the kids soda way past a normal time."

There was not a day that went by where you did not think that Nancy Wheeler lived with the silver spoon, nay, stick, up her ass.

"All because of someone who broke Dustin's record of Dig Dug. Who does that!?" Nancy unzipped her bag and sure enough, a PB and J with a bag of cheetos as a side with sticks of celery tucked in a plastic baggie.

"Maybe he's just playing matchmaker…" You stabbed a grape and popped into your mouth with a smile. "Steve was being an annoying shit in class today, so maybe, just maybe, you should be searching for someone else."

"When isn't he like that?" She laughed, "He's Steve Harrington for God's sake."

"Well, I think he's to blame for the luck I had in class today."

"Luck? You were just on the verge of complaining," she glanced quizzically at you, looking over your shoulder when a paper ball went flying in the direction of the table. "left," she said and you tilted to the left as the wad went flying past both your heads and ended up by the science club's table. It was a daily occurance. "So, who's your partner?"

"Eddie Munson."

Nancy stopped trying to open the bag of cheetos. "What?"

"Be glad you're not a senior yet, Nance… this project is going to be the death of me, I swear," your head found a home in your hands as you pushed the tray away from you.

"I'm going to fail it! There is no way I can get an A without a capable partner and then what? Will I have to repeat senior year because I failed health? HEALTH?" You exclaimed.

"You won't fail," she conceeded. Placing the snack onto the table, she reached out and patted the side of your arm. "If it really gets bad you can always ask Steve."

"He's partnered with Tammy Thompson. There is no way he'd help me with what Allen said about these babies."

"What did he say? Where is the doll anyway?"

"Eddie's got it. Maybe I'll never see it again if I'm lucky," you removed your hands from the table and folded them in your lap as you told her the assignment requirments and what Mr. Allen had said to expect about the baby. As you talked, she picked at her food and the fruit off your tray as some of the girls from newspaper filled the seats around you.

"At least it doesn't actually, you know, pee or anything."

"But the sensor doesn't know that it isn't real. I don't even know how he got dolls so advanced… I had a flour baby when I was a kid and this is as close to a real baby as possible except it doesn't blink."

"Creepy," she mumbled before picking the bag back up.

"Very," you agreed and took a second to glance around the room. Some of the partners were already facing their first challenges. A few were trying to quell the crying, a couple sat together planning their week out so they could work together and have equal time, but when you looked at the table that normally held Hellfire, Eddie wasn't there.

"They all laughed when my name was called," Nancy's head quirked back up at you, "I don't care that he's my partner; that's not why I'm complaining, but this isn't going to be an easy week."

That was the truth—you didn’t care that Eddie was your partner because as a person, Eddie was not as bad as everyone labeled him to be. He was actually, in an admission that you’d take to your grave instead of tell Nancy, fairly handsome and interested the hell out of you. It was the work ethic and motivation that concerned you.

"People are just mean, Y/n," you nodded in agreement, "you just need to focus on the assignment and if you're lucky, like you always are," she peered into your soul with that jealousy, "everything will go swimmingly."

Nancy Wheeler knew she spoke too soon when the doors to the lunchroom flug open with flair. She jumped and turned around in her seat when she saw your soul escape from your eyes.

"Hey! Mama!"

Jesus Fucking Christ.

He was holding the doll by its back leg, letting it dangle from his hand as if it were that black, metal lunchbox you convinced yourself had drugs tucked away in it. Eddie was looking directly at your table as though he had been searching for you for hours.

“Did he just—“ Nancy cut herself off as she watched him make his way toward the table. A group of preps flipped him off on the way and he gladly returned the bird with glee.

“He just called me ‘mama.’”

You put an arm defensively covering your face, shielding your eyes away from him as the Hellfire table furthered his amusement by cackling at him. Nancy whipped her head back around to you and felt the embarrassment roll off.

“It’s only a week,” she reminded you, “only about a week.”

Eddie’s feet landed at the end of the table and the girls at the end went silent. He was standing there, holding the doll by its hind leg, and quirked his head to the side. His eyes were entertained at the way you had blocked yourself away from him. The call of ‘mama’ making your skin crawl and elating him from far away. He could push a few buttons without feeling bad about it.

“You embarrassed of me, L/n?” He feigned hurt, “what’s our kid gonna think when he learns his parents don’t get along?”

“It’s a doll, Munson,” your hand that had been blocking your face hit the table hard. “It has no memories and will certainly, never, ever, grow up.”

“If Allen heard you say that he’d give us an F,” he walked around the table and took a seat beside you, legs spread as they caged you in from the side and he plopped the baby on the table with a thud. It’s head face down on the table as its poorly drawn on strands of hair faced the ceiling. He was wearing double denim. A jacket filled with pins and patches, a chain hung from one loop of his pants to another and the red flannel he wore underneath it was left open to reveal a t-shirt for a band you had never heard of—holes littered the neckline that sat beneath a silver chain.

Across from you, Nancy sat rigid as she watched the way Eddie’s eyes watched you. A small smile playing on his face as one of his hands found themselves in his lap and the other elbow perched on the table beside the doll.

“We should probably talk about this, huh?” He asked, surprising you by actually wanting to talk about the assignment. You turned your head and looked at him, eyes bemused by his willingness to do so. Eddie recognized that, scoffing and reaching inside of his jean jacket to grab a pack of cigarettes before tapping one out. He slipped them back in and stuck the one he plucked from the pack between his lips.

“You know,” he glanced at you, then Nancy, then back at you, “when a teacher tells us we have to work together, I don’t expect to do all the talking.” He lit the cigarette with a puff and the girls at the end of the table began to complain. No one was allowed to smoke in the cafeteria—only the teachers lounge and well, that was reserved for teachers.

“How do I know you actually want to talk about this?” You countered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you turn in an assignment before.”

“You been takin’ notice of me, L/n?” He smiled wide, grabbing the cig with two fingers and tapping it onto the floor. “If you wanted to talk to me you could just do it, ya know? Don’t need to stare at me.”

“Wheeler,” he looked at Nancy who drew her brows together, the tight contortion of her face judging him without words. “You know your friend has been watching me? Should I put an add in the paper for a bodyguard to protect me from my stalker?” Nancy didn’t reply because she had never held a conversation with Eddie before. She didn’t understand his humor, let alone the levity of his words as he blew smoke in her face and sat next to her best friend like a suave Casanova.

“Eddie,” you sighed, letting your gaze drift around the cafeteria and caught a few interested stares along with way. One teacher, Ms. Kirch–the freshman biology teacher with a hard-on for students willing to press her buttons—was walking around the perimeter on the other side. If she saw Eddie smoking, they’d both make a scene.

“I know you think school’s a joke but I’m not failing this just because you don’t want to do it.”

“Who said I don’t want to do this?” He furrowed his brows, shaking his head at you as he put the cigarette back to his lips. The red burning as he breathed in.

“Oh I don’t know… you’re attendance record, report cards, all previous group projects that I’ve never seen you show up for.”

“Those are all Ms. O’Donnell’s,” he defended, pointing a finger at you, “She’s a bitch and has it out for me.”

“I just want to know for sure that if we do this together, I won’t be left to do all the work at the end.”

Eddie saw the honesty in your eyes as you admitted it. He never truly understood what it meant to be an academic because it felt superficial. The attachment to good grades and praise that he never got, so, naturally, he never comprehended. You were a good student—a good person, rather. When he heard your name called after his and the snickers that followed, Eddie was reminded of the fact that you didn’t treat him like a ‘freak’ but a person. And hell, there was a first time for everything when he wanted to try something new. Completing a project because his partner didn’t treat him like dirt? Eddie could at least try it out.

“Why do you think I’m here?” He tapped the cigarette and the ash fell to the floor again. “If I’m going to graduate, I’ve gotta get this done too.”

You nodded slowly in observation. Eddie did not appear to be lying. That blasé attitude he had walked in with gradually decreasing the more you talked. Glancing again at Ms. Kirch who was directly across the room from you beside the table of jocks, the details of the week would be limited to a few seconds before she came charging over and causing a scene. You turned to the small stack of one notebook and history textbook that laid next to your tray. Ripping a paper out of it, you stole the pencil from Nancy’s stack and wrote down your address on it.

“Here,” you handed it to him and he looked over it with a smirk, “that’s my address and phone number. Kirch is going to bite your head off in a minute and we don’t have time to go over all the details so if you’re free later, stop over after school and we can divide everything out.” He knew where you lived. Three doors down from Gareth—his friend and band mate and also, another one of Hawkins’ finest on their way to repeating their final year of school and he was only a sophomore.

“Your parents aren’t gonna beat my ass or anything when I get there? I know I have a bit of a…” he clicked his tongue, tipping his head to the side, “reputation.”

The shrug you gave did not ease his concerns right away. However, the comment that followed made him realize that actually attempting to complete this project with you was a good thing. Maybe luck was finally giving him a chance.

“Not everyone in this town thinks you’re a freak, Munson,” you gave him a small smile, pointing your own finger to one of the buttons on his jacket, “besides, my dad’s favorite band is WASP. I think he’d like someone to talk about it with—even if just for a second.”

He smiled and Nancy Wheeler was taken aback by the scene in front of her. Seven minutes ago, you were in distress with the idea that Eddie Munson was going to be the worst partner imaginable and the cause of failure in senior health class. Now, you were offering him kind smiles and an invitation to your home with so much as his own words being enough to convince you that he wouldn’t leave you high and dry with an unpredictable doll.

Eddie grabbed the doll by its leg again, ready to escape before Kirch made her way but you could already hear her footsteps coming barreling your direction.

“I’ll take it now and bring it over later,” he nodded, sticking the cigarette between his lips again and letting it dangle there, “we should probably give it name instead of referring it as an ‘it.’”

“Mr. Munson!” That shrill voice made him cringe.

“Think about it. We’ll talk about it later, yeah?” He rose his eyebrows at you as if asking you to agree. You nodded, giving a small ‘yeah’ in response before he shot out of the seat.

“Mr. Munson, smoke outside if you must! Do you not understand the rules of this school?”

Behind you as he stood, Eddie turned toward Ms. Kirch. He let out a puff of smoke between his lips as her hand batted the fumes away from her face. The doll hanging on its one limb and swinging left to right as Eddie taunted her.

“Ms. Kirch,” he swooned, a few amused giggles sound from the tables around you as your head tipped over your shoulder, Eddie’s eyes flashed to yours as he played into her hand. “If you wanted to compliment my ability to break those so-called rules, you could at least sound excited to say it.”

“You put that out right now or you’ll be spending after school in detention and it’s going straight onto your record!”

“On my record!?” He laid his free hand on his chest, slowly backing up from where he was standing. Eddie was going to bolt because the old woman wouldn’t run after him. “Ms. Kirch, you know how much I respect my record,” he shook his head dramatically, hair vibrating with the shake as the bud sizzled again. “But, I have plans tonight so…”

The cigarette fell to the floor from his lips, cooling against the white tile as she went to protest. Eddie’s shoe squished it, extinguishing it, and once his foot lifted from the flattened cig, he ran. Ms. Kirch walked no more than two feet as brief laughter erupted in the area—sure they all made fun of Eddie and ostracized him from normal high school life but hell, if he didn’t bring a bit of joy to them when he pissed off the old lady that watched them all like a hawk in their most free period. A chuckle slipped out of you and she turned to you with a glare.

“Do you find this funny, Ms. L/n?”

She smelt like stale flowers and her lipstick was pearled in some spaces on her lips. Kirch was haggard and growing older every day.

“No, ma’am,” you shook your head at her and turned back around. Nancy was sitting with wide eyes, scared of the woman who lingered for a moment behind you before running off to find a janitor to clean up.

“Shit,” Nancy muttered quietly.

“What?”

“He’s deranged, Y/n. Deranged.”

“It’s only about a week, right, Nance? Only about a week.”

And that week would be the most interesting week of your life.

Eddie came over as he said that afternoon after school. At your kitchen table before your parents got home from work, you both devised a plan on how to go about taking care of the doll—and as Eddie had asked, you tried to think of a name but that was harder than it proved to be. He said the first thing that popped into his head and that was unfortunately, Bilbo.

Bilbo. A doll named after Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit was the baby you had to take care of together.

It did not even matter that the doll was plastically formed with female anatomy because he said: “What’s in a name, anyway? It’s just a doll.”

So, Bilbo it was.

And Eddie offered to take it for the night because he had Hellfire on Friday’s when you had nothing, therefore you could swap in the morning and you’d go about the plan when the weekend arrived. The plan, however, was more than what you had originally believed needed to take place for the assignment. Nancy called you Thursday evening after Eddie had left to complain that Steve would be spending all of his free time helping Tammy with the doll and was blowing her off until Halloween—a whole week later. You hadn’t fully realized that what you and Eddie had planned to ensure that you’d both pass health this semester was essentially spending all of your time together [sans Tuesday when his band played at The Hideout and Friday when he had Hellfire].

You slept well Thursday with those thoughts lingering in the back of your mind. Nancy’s concerns were her concerns. She had confided in you that she and Steve were having issues anyway, so one more nail in the coffin did not appear to be as detrimental as she complained it was. If Steve and Nancy were on their final string, the end was imminent. When you woke on Friday, the first thing on your mind was how the night had gone for Eddie and if what Mr. Allen said was true about the babies, had he had an absolutely awful night being a ‘parent’ for the first time?

That question was answered rather quickly as you entered the hallway at seven-thirty.

“Mary! You can’t just leave me with the thing!”

“I am not taking it tonight!”

“It wants food and there’s no way to feed it!”

There were ‘couples’ fighting at every turn. As you passed Tammy Thompson’s locker, Steve looked like he wanted to pull his hair out.

“I can’t do it! I can’t do it!” He complained to her as he held the baby on his hip. It was a sight. Steve in his tight jeans and blue jacket, striped polo, to have a doll perched on his hip like it was real. Everyone was taking it seriously which made the entire situation feel less awkward and daunting.

You reached your own locker, twisting the combination while trying to snoop on Steve’s conversation five lockers down on your left.

“This thing never shuts up! I got no sleep last night and I don’t think I’ll even be able to go to the game tonight because I’m dragging ass!”

“Steve, come on…” Tammy trailed off because she had to sing the national anthem and could not bring the doll with her. But she should have—the doll could probably sing better than her.

“It’s not fair, Tammy!” Steve’s voice began to dwindle as he looked around and noticed people staring at him. He locked eyes with you over Tammy’s shoulder and sighed heavily.

Suddenly, the textbooks and folders in your locker became interesting—far more interesting than all the arguing going on in the hallway. Mr. Allen had made everything difficult intentionally. Splitting up groups so one person cared for the doll at a time before each group realized they couldn’t do it alone. The tactic was good, great even. The responsibilities of childcare and parenting obvious to those who had terrible nights and to those who hadn’t had realized it yet, the feelings were inbound.

As was Eddie. Charging down the hallway after barely hitting a gaggle of kids heading to the middle school in the parking lot and the doll, Bilbo, once again hanging from its hind leg as it swung. He called out your name so loud that even Steve had shut his mouth and stopped talking to Tammy. Eddie had one of those bad nights too. He strode right up to the side of your locker and had a crazed look on his face.

“What the fuck!?” He exclaimed, bags under his eyes. You couldn’t answer the question because you weren’t sure what had gone on.

“What?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’!? This thing,” he held it up like a captured possum, “kept me up all night with its relentless screaming and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off!”

“I don’t think you can turn it off,” you commented, grabbing your science book and folder as your bag hung from the hook. “That’s not the point of the project. The point is to learn how to care for it, not turn it off.”

“Well,” he laughed cynically, “we were given a devil child. Literally the spawn of goddamn satan because it doesn’t want to be cared for.”

“I thought we weren’t calling it ‘it’ anymore. Bilbo, remember?”

“Bilbo is too kind of name for this thing. It’s Lucifer… fucking… Sauron!”

“I can’t get on-board with Sauron,” you bit back a smile at his suffering, “But your duty is over now, right? Just leave Bilbo with me and we can meet up tomorrow and swap.”

“You’re not going to be able to do it alone,” he said it honestly, like he was terrified of the watermelon sized piece of plastic. You glanced around the hallway and saw all the partners having conversations similar, but all the same different, like the one you were having with Eddie. He was having an internal battle with himself—realizing that he actually had to do this and that when looking back on his own life, if this is what having a child was like, he could not imagine how his parents got through high school having him at sixteen. He had just turned eighteen and could barely keep it together and it was a doll named after a character from a children’s book.

“Do you not believe I can?” You questioned him yet he shook his head, taking note of the things in your locker instead of looking at you.

“That thing is a monster and if it’s not waking you up, it’s eating away all your free time. If it’s not eating away at your free time, it’s taking up all the time spent doing things that matter. It sucks the joy out of life without even taking a real breath.”

“Those are harsh words, Munson,” a sigh left your lips as you gripped your locker door. He was looking at the two Polaroids that were stuck on the door with tape. You and Nancy on the Fourth of July and then you with a group of little kids a few Halloween’s back dressed as character’s from Star Wars. You were hugging a curly haired Han Solo that had no teeth. “But maybe you just don’t have the parental touch that it needs.”

“What are you saying?” He narrowed his eyes, “That I’m neglecting Bilbo’s needs?”

“Maybe,” you shut your locker, “But either way, you have Hellfire and I agreed to take ‘em off your hands today so,” you grabbed Bilbo from him and perched him like Steve had perched his doll. Something stuck inside Eddie in that moment. It was a goddamn doll and he was sleep deprived, so he conflated his bubbling feelings of whatever the hell spurred inside of him to that. You looked cute holding the doll like that.

“We can talk about it tomorrow, alright? If anything needs to change, we have time to discuss it. Don’t get all worried.”

Eddie shook his head, running both of his hands through his hair and over his bangs before bringing them back down.

“You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, mama.”

And then he walked away. You didn’t know what you were getting yourself into, but, certainly it couldn’t be as bad as he was making it because sometimes, people could be dramatic—and Eddie Munson was the dictionary definition of the word. Always had been, always would be, and maybe, he was playing with the truth.

For three hours it had gone swimmingly. Bilbo made no noise.

But the minute Mr. Grosso put the Spanish test on your desk, the doll wailed so loud it made a girl scream from the other side of the room and you missed the test because it cried for thirty minutes in the bathroom before you could calm it down.

You swore you could hear the popping of his muffler three miles away. The blinds on the living room window comically split into two by your fingers, you peered out in anticipation you had gone to sleep feeling. Not quite butterflies but a nervous, anxious energy that kept you tossing and turning through the night. Along with Bilbo—the baby had kept you tossing and turning to the point where you felt crazy.

When you got home, you realized that the doll had smelt like weed and cigarettes but the distinct smell of Eddie’s cologne tried to cover it up. He had sprayed that doll with so much liquid that it had become ingrained into its clothes and soft body. You ripped off the onesie it was wearing and dunked it in the laundry immediately. And again, for the first few hours you managed to get your homework done for the weekend without much interruption until your parents got home.

They were utterly amused with the project and kept repeating that it was good for “skill building and responsibility.” You rolled your eyes and told them what Eddie had said about his night, expecting the same for your own and sure enough, it was like walking through the pits of hell.

Bilbo’s journey, Frodo’s journey… neither of them had the same horror of the screaming baby doll sitting on your comforter at two in the morning. Hour after hour, all you wanted to do was cry because it wasn’t responding to any of the tactics you had used when you would babysit. No rocking, no shushing, no gentle strokes, and just as the others complained in the hall, you couldn’t change its diaper or feed it. The solutions to ease it’s complications were non-existent.

Eddie rung you at eleven thirty saying he’d be over ‘in a bit’ and you stood at the window in your living room while your dad watched TV and your mom cooked lunch. The doll laying quietly on the sofa beside him for the first time in a half hour.

“So,” your dad cleared his throat as the program changed at noon, “what’s Eddie Munson like as a partner? I know his uncle Wayne from the plant.”

“He’s fine thus far,” you muttered, not tearing your eyes away from the window.

“You know this doll smells like a skunk.”

“It’s weed, dad,” you said so casually his eyebrows rose, “and it’s Eddie’s, not mine. And no, I don’t smoke.”

“I wasn’t going to ask,” he laughed but he would have. Not that he cared in the slightest if you did, that was all mom. Mom cared about reputation and manners and whether or not you’d have yellow teeth by the time you’re fifty. “But is he treating you alright?”

“What do you mean?” You looked away from the window and back at him, “We’re not really a couple, you know. It’s just a project,”

“I know, I know,” he clarified, waving you off like you had taken the comment too seriously, “as a partner. Not making you feel uncomfortable or anything?”

He might know Wayne, but the label of ‘freak’ extended beyond school. Eddie Munson flew around town in his beat up van playing his metal music at the highest level, smoked and loitered outside of stores, and very frequently, jested with the people of Hawkins to amuse his merry band of oddities.

“Eddie’s a good guy, dad,” you lamented, “so what if he likes metal and plays D&D.”

“D&D?”

“Yeah,” you furrowed your brows at him, “what did you think he did? He literally named the doll after Bilbo Baggins.”

“I thought Hellfire was…”

“What the mothers at the grocery store say it is?” You scoffed and turned back to the window, Eddie’s van turning the corner at the end of the block. “It’s a D&D club. I told him he’d probably get along with you too so try not to accuse him of worshiping the Devil, ‘Kay? That’s like… the furthest thing from the truth.”

He just nodded as you defended Eddie, a little smile on his face because he knew you so well. You were a good kid, a smart kid, but oblivious sometimes. If Steve Harrington had been your partner and he inquired about Steve’s role as a partner, you would have rolled your eyes and ended the conversation there. Eddie pulled into the driveway and you grabbed the baby off the couch, marching to the door. Opening it wide, he hadn’t even exited the van before you were standing there. Split between the wooden door and the glass one, pumpkins littered the small deck and a wreath rested on the door behind your head.

You had a cute house. It was simple and friendly, something his trailer was not. Eddie saw you standing there with a flat face and Bilbo in your hands and he laughed in his car. You could see his elated face burst with laughter; it irritated you but you couldn’t help thinking the sight was special. How often he had been smiling and laughing in your presence and a little butterfly sprouted in the pit of your stomach.

Eddie tossed the keys between his palms as he lazily approached the door, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Looks like someone had a rough night,” he commented a few feet from you as you unlocked the glass door and propped it open. “Didn’t believe me when I said it was Satan?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you lied, putting on a face for him to prove you could handle the stress of taking care of a plastic doll. “Bilbo was a saint. Slept through the night.”

Eddie reached the door, holding onto the silver handle so you could let go.

“Yeah?” He questioned, “tell that to your face, sweetheart. You got no sleep and you look like you walked through Mordor.”

“Do you always reference Lord of the Rings or is it just to prove you read?” You squinted your eyes at him.

“One, I do read,” Eddie entered your house and stood across from you in the small doorway. The doll separating you, he looked down, you looked up. “And two, Bilbo likes it when I talk about familiar things,” He gave a wide, toothy smile before grabbing the doll out of your hands and moving into the entryway.

“You know, this kind of feels like how I’d imagine kids of divorce feel.”

“Like being pawned off by their parents every other day because rules told them to?” You shut the door behind you, pressing it closed with the thud. You pointed to his shoes and directed him to take them off to where a mat sat beside the wooden table with a mirror hanging above it.

“Mhm,” he hummed as he slipped them off. He was wearing matching socks. “Poor ‘lil Bilbo Munson-L/n… separated by the rules written on the back of Mr. Richard’s history test.”

You scoffed, walking past him and down the hallway as he struggled with his right shoe. In a matter of seconds, his socked feet patted against the wood flooring and caught up with you.

“My parents are home so don’t be weird or anything,” you muttered and he caught himself nodding at the direction instead of responding with the sarcastic remark because of the way you said it. ‘Don’t be weird or anything,’ as if he was not already labeled that way or saw himself as ‘weird.’ Yes, Eddie was unique and full of a million things you weren’t sure fit a narrative of ‘normal,’ but it didn’t mean he was weird. He was just Eddie.

You rounded a small archway that revealed a living room and an older man sitting on the couch watching the tv. His eyes left the screen and met Eddie’s—who was immediately more reserved than he had thought he’d be. He was nervous, suddenly. Standing in your home, with your father in one room and mother in another, with the task of caring for a baby together looming over his head like a cloud. It was ridiculous and confusing but all the same exciting and challenging for him.

“This is, um,” you glanced at Eddie to put him on the spot. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out at first. He was holding the baby like a real baby and moved it to extend his hand to your dad.

“Eddie. Eddie Munson. Thanks for letting us use your house,” he said as cool as he could. Your dad looked at his hand, taking not a second later to grip it strongly and shake it.

You noticed the way Eddie’s eyes lit up at being welcomed. His hesitancy dissipating as your dad asked him a question, yet all you could do was watch him. The feeling was odd. Watching Eddie interact with your father was like watching a significant other be terrified to meet the parents for the first time. It was terrifiying how quickly that idea not only came to your mind, but felt normal.

Conversations between the two of you before being assigned partners had been totaled at three.

And now Eddie Munson was talking to your dad about their shared connection to Wayne Munson in the middle of your living room.

And for some reason, the sight of it was something you wouldn’t be mad about becoming a normal occurrence.

“I hear you play D&D?” He asked Eddie who glanced at you, already looking at him, before nodding and turning back to your dad. He hadn’t expected you to have talked about him at all.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“You know,” Rising from the couch, “She babysits some kids that play it. They’re quite the rambunctious bunch but have nothing on that… what did you say its name was?” He asked you, but Eddie answered at the same time you did.

“Bilbo.”

He laughed, repeating the name as he turned toward another archway that led to the kitchen and tipped his head in that direction.

“We never had to do a project like that but I think it’ll do you both good.”

Your mom was standing in the kitchen making grilled cheeses and stirring tomato soup on the stove. She turned her head over her shoulder and gave Eddie a smile. He returned it as his eyes flicked all over the space. He took in the pictures on the wall, the types of plates your family used, the way the sink had a window overlooking the backyard and there was a dog outside on a leash laying on the brick patio. Eddie didn’t have this life. He walked to the patio door and looked out at the yard.

“You gotta pretty nice house here, L/n,” he mumbled as you came to stand beside him. His fingers digging into the plush body of Bilbo as a bit of his hardened shell began to tell him he was out of place.

“It’s nice, yeah,” you admitted, “but it’s a carbon copy of all the houses in this neighborhood.”

He hadn’t put two and two together and noticed the layout was similar to Gareth’s down the street.

“You con your parents to be nice to me too?” He glanced at you as if looking for a conspiracy. That somehow, nothing in his life was this easy. That there was a superficial reason talking to you came easy; that there was a mysterious reason your parents accepted him even if he wore a leather jacket and Motörhead t-shirt and a spattering of rings on his fingers. You weren’t necessarily friends in any way, but he felt comfortable. He looked into your eyes and felt secure because of what? Kindness? The noticeable attention of a girl finally making him soft?

“No,” you said honestly, “just told them a bit about who you were. That’s all. Are you going to stay?”

“Stay?”

“I just thought,” you felt your mouth go dry with his question. Perhaps you were being too forward or not thinking clearly because the sight of him being domestic with a doll had awakened a sleeping giant inside of you. His big, brown, cow-like eyes scanned over your face as you stuttered. “I just thought it’d be easier for both of us the longer we did it together.”

“Oh,” was the sound that escaped between his lips and you immediately began retracting you words. Your parents watched the two of you from the other side of the counter with knowing looks in their eyes.

“It’s fine!” You laughed nervously. “You don’t have to stay. I was just shooting the shit, you know? I’m not trying to keep you from your plans or anything… my mom makes a real mean gc and—“

“—I’ll stay.” Eddie cut in and you stopped rambling, letting the words fall from your lips as he nodded. “I want to stay.”

“O-Okay, um,” you looked into those brown eyes a second longer than you should have before peaking past him and to your parents who tried to appear occupied with cooking. “Eddie’s gonna stay for a bit, if that’s fine.”

“Yeah, hun,” your mom kept her back turned to you and stirred the pot. “He’s always welcome.”

Always welcome.

He had to have hit the lottery with this one. A good, pretty partner and a space to escape to that welcomed him without judgement? He was either in the first circle of Hell or ascending to peace yet his feet were planted on the ground—not a foot from your own.

Eddie spent the entire afternoon there. When the sun fell and the moon rose high, you yawned on the floor of your basement and he knew that it was far past a normal time to spend sitting around, laughing and trying to sooth the inexplainable outbursts of Bilbo. His face hurt from the stupid smile that he couldn’t wipe from his face once the two of you had figured out that the doll had sensors under its arms and swaddling helped stop the crying until another unexplained outburst required attention.

When he walked to his van with the doll swaddled in his arms like a real baby, he turned back as he opened the door and shot one last look to the house where you were still standing to bid him goodbye. Eddie didn’t want to leave. He felt his heart squeeze when you gave him a small wave, illuminated by the yellow lighting of the hallway behind you. Shit. He got into the van and sped off before pulling into Gareth’s driveway and pounded on the door.

You shut the front door and with a lock, your dad turned off the tv in the living room before walking into the hallway to meet you there. Both headed to bed, he put an arm around your shoulders and squeezed.

“We gonna talk about that or no?” He asked.

“About what?”

“That!” He laughed as you felt your face heat up. Rising on the Kelvin scale, you felt a spotlight shrink itself onto you. “You gotta little crush there, darlin’ and to be frank, I think he might too.”

“Dad!” You complained, jostling out of his grip and walking more quickly toward your bedroom. “I don’t like Eddie!”

“Yeah, sure you don’t,” he chuckled as you pushed opened your bedroom door and slammed it closed in embarrassment. “But really, you do.”

Eddie pounded on Gareth’s door for three minutes but no one was coming to the door. Desperate, he put his ear to the wood and heard the distinct thumping of drums echoing throughout the house and contemplated for a moment. He could keep knocking and draw the attention of the neighbors and get the cops called on him for suspicious behavior, or, he could go around to the back and knock on Gareth’s window in hopes that it was closer and louder.

He jumped off the stoop and made for the window. Inside, Gareth was head banging as he played Iron Maiden on his drums and had a literal lava lamp reflecting off the symbols. Eddie put his fist to the glass and waited for a break in the beats to thump. Gareth jumped, a scream emitting from his mouth as his sticks went flying across his room and Eddie waved a hand at him from the other side.

“What the fuck, man?” Gareth opened the window and nearly shivered at the cool, October air. “Why are you here? The cops after you?”

“I just spent eight hours in Y/n L/n’s basement taking care of a goddamn baby and eating her mother’s food.”

“Shit,” Gareth laughed, “that sounds like a fuckin’ dream if you ask me.”

“It’s a nightmare, Gareth. A fucking nightmare.”

“Why?” The floppy hair Gareth had been sporting fell into his eyes as they contorted in confusion. “She’s a nice girl. Her old man helps mine when the cars busted.”

“Of course he does!” Eddie pushed off the windowsill and put his hands above his head, breathing in deeply.

“What? He threaten you or something?”

“No, they were,” Eddie’s face scrunched as if it pained him to say the word, “perfect.”

“Then…” Gareth motioned with his hand for Eddie to continue.

“That’s it! They were perfect! She’s perfect, man!” Then, he let a slew of curses leave his mouth and disappear into the night sky. Gareth laughed, letting a long ‘ahhhhh’ direct itself toward the guitarist.

“Eddie Munson,” he leaned into the beside table by the window, “in love with the girl next door.”

“FUCK!” Eddie yelled with his hands in his hair.

And he still had a week left to take care of Bilbo with you.

a/n: just a soft little blurb i whipped up like five seconds ago, i wanted something with eddie trying to connect with the reader’s blackness so i found this cute!

paring: fem!black!reader x eddie munson

word count: 644

you’re laying on your boyfriend’s chest with his arms wrapped around your torso, his right hand palming your bottom sweetly. you’re relaxed, your eyes struggling to stay open when his hand moves from your bottom to your back, rubbing slow circles on it. his free hand is taking a drag of a blunt, in which he lowers and brings to your lips. you inhale sharply and he smiles when he sees your pink lip gloss stain on the tip of it.

“can i ask you something?” eddie asks, flipping you so that your stomachs are touching each other’s. he lifts your chin to look at him and you nearly pass out. 

“mhm,” you slur, giggling at how funny he looks. he’s got two cornrowed braids flowing down his head that you persuaded him to let you do earlier. 

“can i touch your hair? i-i mean, it just looks really soft and it’s so pretty, and if you don’t w-want me to touch it that’s fine, i mean no disrespect-”

you bring a finger lightly to his lips, and his eyes ogle at you from above as you smile. “yeah, yeah of course you can touch it. just don’t mess it up.” 

he giddly claps his hands and combs his thick fingers through your pressed hair. he kisses the top of your head, “so pretty ‘n soft, baby. gosh, you’re perfect.”

you swat his hand away jokingly, “you’re gonna mess it up!” 

“sorry.” 

“i’m just playin’, you dork.”

eddie nods his head fervently, “yup, right. i got that.”

he continues to play with your hair ever-so gently for a few moments, twirling it around his fingers. he’s careful not to trap any in his rings and you smile hard at his kind gesture. he plays around with it, feeling how soft and moisturized it is, forming it into tiny coils. you can tell he has more questions, so you urge him to ask them. he clears his throat,

“so, when you’ve got braids,” he starts, not taking his eyes off of you, “how’s it so long? i mean- ugh, shit, am i saying something wrong? ‘m sorry if i am, angel.” his hand cups your cheek and you shoot him a dopey smile, booping his nose.

“gosh, you’re such a cutie. and it’s not all my hair, of course. they take other hair- weave- and braid it in with my own.”

you can’t help but stare at your boyfriend. he looks so cute- his little nods of understanding, the way he’s eyeing you down, listening to every word you spit out and taking it in.

“mhm, got it,” he nods, “a-and the shower cap you wear to bed-”

you interrupt his statement with a laugh that bubbles up your throat loudly. you clap your hands in amusement and humor, but eddie’s serious. his shoulders bump down in embarrassment and his hands fly to his face to cover his blush. you bring them down and stare at him. 

“eds, you’re so clueless, it makes me wanna kiss you.”

“i’m sorry!” he puts his hands up in surrender, “i just wanna know about my girl, i’m sorry i don’t know much.”

“it’s okay, my handsome boy,” you smile, “it’s called a bonnet, by the way. why would i be sleeping with a shower cap on?” 

he laughs at that, and you lift yourself up and straddle him on his lap. his hands fly to your back, bringing you closer, allowing him to pepper kisses on your neck and cheek. “tell me more, princess.”

“well, it protects my hair. if i don’t wear it, my hair will break off, and it won’t be healthy.”

he smiles at you in genuine interest and brings his right hand up to stroke your cheek with his thumb. “i love you and your shower cap.”

you giggle, “i love you. but baby, it’s still not a shower cap.”

Pilot

Disclaimers: Someone calls Y/N some bad things including something fatphobic, Steve is a sloppy drunk and dealing with his own stuff, the gang is very awkward (let me know if there’s anything else) also this is 5286 words so be prepared for that

Robin lays on the couch, miserable and sobbing into her pillow as Portrait of a Lady on Fire plays on the flat-screen. This has been her everyday all day routine for the past three days.

“What have you done?” A horrified Steve asks a very remorseful Eddie. 

Robin’s phone rings as ‘Mom’ crosses the screen. She blows her nose before answering. “Hi, mom…. No I’m ok…. Really. I’m fine…. No, I’m not watching sad lesbian movies…. Uh, no. I don’t think so….” Nancy walks by, getting Robin’s attention. “Hey, are you gonna murder me ‘cause you’re a stranger I met on the internet?” She asks.

Nancy nods. “Yes I am,” she answers in all seriousness. 

“She says no.”

Nancy glares at Eddie as she enters the kitchen. “Idiot.”

“No. Look, I’ve gotta go, okay?… Alright, I love you…. Bye.” 

“We are in this situation because of you.” Nancy jabs her finger into Eddie’s chest.

Robin starts punching the couch and pillow. “I. hate. your. stupid. face. Casey. I love you!”

“Get us out of it,” she declares as she starts to make herself a sandwich.

“You know, besides the movie being played over a million times in the past three days, it’s really good.” Steve says in between bites of an apple. “I love the use of a slow pace because it’s used to emphasize how—”

“Y/N seems to be doing just fine.” Eddie cuts off Steve before he can go off.

Robin starts quoting the movie. “Forgive me. Your mother returns tomorrow. Ugh! They just want to be together!” Robin starts crying again. 

“Alright, alright.” Eddie rubs his hands over his face as he forms a plan. “Ok, I’ve got this.” He walks over to the couch and kneels next to Robin’s head. “Hey, Robin. I’m just gonna…” He turns the TV off. “There we go.” 

“Hey,” she weakly says in between sniffles, “this is a really good part.”

Steve gives Nancy a nod, a part of him wanting to finish the movie. 

“I know, but maybe we take a break from the gay masterpiece and talk a little.”

Robin sits up and nods, folding her legs under herself. “Okay.”

“How about you come out with all of us tonight? We’re going to a fancy club where you’ll be able to meet new people. Get yourself out there.”

Robin hesitates. “I don’t know.”

“You’re not gonna get over this if you don’t put yourself out there.” 

“I… I guess you make a good point.”

“For once,” Nancy mutters.

“Exactly!” Eddie jumps up on the couch. “You’re gonna get yourself all dolled up and decked out. And we’re gonna hit the town and find you a rebound.”

For the first time in three days Robin smiles. “Okay.” She nods. “Okay, yeah.”

“Fuck yeah!” Eddie cheers. “There we go.” 

Robin breaks out in a small song. “She’s going out to find a rebound. Nothin’s gonna stop that girl tonight!”

Nancy’s eyebrow raises. “Did… did she just make up a theme song for herself?” 

“I’m gonna fix this.” Eddie looks over to the others. “I’ll fix this.” He jumps off the couch and runs to his room. “Be ready by seven, girl!” 

Robin detaches herself from the couch and runs to her room to decide on what she’s going to wear. 

Meanwhile Y/N comes back from walking Yasmeen. As soon as she lets the dog off her leash they head to the kitchen for some water. “Hi, Yasmeen!” Steve swoons as he pets her. “Who’s a good girl? You are! Yes you are! Did you get a good walk?”

Nancy rolls her eyes at the display of affection.

“If you keep that up she’ll be sleeping in your room instead of mine,” Y/N says as she grabs a bottle of Gatorade out of the fridge.

“Aaaawww, do you wanna cuddle, baby?” Steve coos as Yasmeen licks his face. 

“She sniffed some other dogs’ butts on our walk, so you’re gonna want to be careful where you let her lick.” Y/N pets Yasmeen behind her ear getting her to pant. 

Steve immediately recoils as Nancy starts to laugh. “Oh, ew!” He runs to the sink and runs his face under water then gargles with it. 

“C’mon, girl.” Y/N smugly smiles as she walks to her room only to see Robin throwing clothes everywhere. “S’goin’ on, love?” Y/N clears some of the clothes off her bed to sit while Yasmeen lays next to her.

“I’m going out tonight.” Robin holds up different tops in front of the mirror not liking any of them. “Gonna try and forget about… well… you know.”

Y/N nods skeptically, folding her hands in her lap. “And whose idea was this?” 

“Eddie’s. He’s gonna try and get me a rebound.” Robin starts mixing and matching tops and bottoms. 

“Aaahhh, cool. Cool cool cool cool cool.” Y/N slowly backs out of the room, quietly closing it behind her as Robin tries to accessorize. She walks across the hall to Eddie’s room and pounds on his door. “Munson!”

He opens it to a very unhappy Y/N. “Hey, sweetheart,” he says, awkwardly leaning against the door. “What can I do you for— what can I do for you?” He quickly corrects himself. 

Y/N stomps into the middle of his room with her hands on her hips. “A rebound, Munson? Really?”

Confused, Eddie closes his door. “Uh, yeah. Ya know, a rebound to get her mind off of Cassy or whatever her name was.”

Y/N sucks her teeth, shaking her head and pacing around the room. “Ok, I get that it’s only been a few days and you don’t know Robin like I do, but she can’t do rebounds.”

“Can’t?”

“She’s too sensitive. She can’t casually sleep around. She just doesn’t have it in her. Not to mention that she’s a lesbian and they basically mate for life.”

“Like swans.” Eddie has a stupid grin on his face at his revelation.

Y/N hesitates for a moment. “Yeah. Like swans. Look, Robin’s gonna be crying before her rebound can even ask “your place or mine?”, and then she’ll be worse off. And are you really prepared to live with an even more compromised Robin?” 

“Well, how was I supposed to know that‽”

Y/N shakes her head and gets real up close and personal to Eddie. “Look, you’re gonna watch over her tonight. And if she gets hurt, I will rearrange your insides on the outside. Do you understand me?”

Eddie’s heart beats faster at Y/N’s close proximity. “Ok, one, you’re being very mean and that kind of turns me on. And dos, if you’re so worried about her, why don’t you come with us?”

Y/N rolls her eyes. “Because I have to work tonight.”

Now it’s Eddie’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re always working, though! You can take some time off to have some fun with your grieving friend and new roommates!”

Y/N rubs her lips together. “Do you ever think that maybe work is how I distract myself?” She asks, averting her eyes to the ground.

‘Shit’. Now Eddie feels bad. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”

“Yeah, you didn’t.” Y/N smirks. “I’m fucking with you. Besides, you’ve only known me for four days. My next day off is tomorrow. I can’t help that you have bad timing.”

Eddie lets out a sigh of relief then chuckles. “That was really mean. I actually felt like a dick for a second.”

“Only a second?” Y/N’s smirk turns into a small smile.

Eddie laughs in response. “Okay, fine. I will watch over Robin and make sure that she has a good time. For you, princess.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“You’ll kill me and dump my body in the Manhattan river. I’ve got it.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

A moment of silence goes by as the two take in their proximity. Neither makes a move to step back, waiting for the other first. Realizing that Y/N isn’t going to let up, Eddie takes a step back. “You smell really good, you know that?”

“Oh my god,” Y/N mutters as she exits his room.

Eddie smells the air around her, it smelling a lot better than the rest of his room. “Damn.”

Loud music pumps through the speakers as the group  takes a seat at their table. “Isn’t this place awesome‽” Steve yells over the music. “It took me three weeks to get us an in!”

“Why couldn’t we just go to the Stye?” Eddie groans as he looks over a very fancy drink menu.

“The Stye is a hell hole of drunkards and stains!” Steve scoffs. “Its name is literally a bacterial infection!”

Eddie is almost offended. “It’s practically home!”

Steve leans over the table so he doesn’t have to shout as loud. “Please, you just like it because there’s cheap beer and you can sell drugs there.”

“Hey, you think the record shop pays enough to pay the bills?”

Robin leans over the table. “Wait, you sell drugs?”

Eddie nods enthusiastically. “Sure do! Have been since high school.”

‘Ohhhhhh nooooooo’, Robin thinks to herself. ‘Not good’.  

“Why? You interested?”

Robin shakes her head. “Uh, no, no I’m good. But like—” she moves closer to Eddie so she can whisper— “like cocaine and ecstasy and stuff?”

Eddie nods. “Pretty much anything you need.”

“Cool, cool cool cool cool cool.” Robin nods along with her words. “Just maybe don’t tell Y/N. At least at first.”

Eddie, Steve, and Nancy share a look. 

“Does she, like…” Steve hesitates, “have a problem?”

Not wanting to overstep her boundaries Robin flips her head side to side as she thinks about what to say next. “Yes and no. She um… she should just get over this breakup before she knows she has easy access to heavy drugs.”

Not wanting to press further Eddie pushes the conversation in a different direction. “Honestly, Y/N doesn’t seem like she’s at all affected by the um… the breakup… situation.” He’s not exactly sure how to put it. “Were her and whats-his-face not that serious or something?”

“Y/N just doesn’t show her emotions on the outside.” Robin isn’t exactly sure how Y/N‘s feeling because she doesn’t ever talk about her feelings.

“That makes sense.” Nancy leans forward onto the table on her forearms. 

Robin’s eyes dart down to Nancy’s exposed forearms as the sleeves of her button up are rolled up. Suddenly realizing she’s staring, Robin quickly looks back up to Nancy’s face. “Yeah, Y/N’s more of the drink in silence type, ya know?”

“Hi there!” A waitress approaches their table. “What can I get you three?” 

“I’ll take a daiquiri.” Steve gives the waitress a dazzling smile that she ignores.

Nancy refrains from rolling her eyes as she raises her pointer finger. “Can I get a mojito, please?” 

“And can I get a rosé please?” Robin asks as politely as she can. 

The waitress finally turns to Eddie who feels out of place in such a fancy club. “Uh, I’ll have whatever beer’s cheapest.” Eddie shrugs, rubbing his knuckles under the table. “On tap,” he quickly adds. 

With a nod the waitress tells them, “I’ll have that right out.” She walks away as the four then continue to wait for more than half an hour for their drinks. 

“Beer does not take this fuckin’ long to pour.” Eddie groans, laying his head face down on the table. 

“What did I say?” Steve shifts to face everyone. “It’s a really popular place! We’ll probably get our orders soon though.” He’s not even sure if their orders will get to them tonight. 

Nancy glares at Steve. “How soon is soon?” 

He shrugs as he starts to look around. “Maybe we should get out on the dance floor and move around, ya know? Dance with some strangers, meet some people.”

“Who are you looking for?” Robin tries to look in the same direction but doesn’t see anybody looking back at the table. 

Steve’s body stiffens as he becomes defensive. “No one.” He averts his eyes to the table then his phone as if there’s something very interesting on it. 

Robin leans close to Eddie. “Did I say something?”

Eddie shakes his head. “No. His name is Billy. Him and Steve have known each other since high school, and it’s been messy ever since.”

“Oh.” Robin thinks for a moment. “I didn’t know that Steve was…”

“Bi. Yeah.” Eddie nods, looking around at the dance floor at the various attractive people dancing as he’s completely bored out of his mind. “But, I mean, we’re all a little gay.”

“Oh!” Robin says pleasantly surprised. “So you’re also…”

“Pan and gender-fluid. Yeah!” 

“Oh, awesome! And Nancy she’s uh…?”

Eddie guffaws. “Yeah, no. She’s straight…. Maybe.” He squints as he leans into Robin. “I’ve had my suspicions for years though.”

Robin nods, sparing a glance at Nancy. They make eye contact and Nancy gives her a small nod and smile making Robin quickly look away. “Ah.” Is all she can muster up.

A small smile graces Eddie’s lips. “Yeah, she’s got some pretty gay forearms, ya know?”

Now a blush creeps onto Robin’s face. “Yeah.”

Eddie purses his lips before he nudges Robin playfully. 

“Sup, losers.” Y/N appears at their table dressed in a very revealing outfit. Everyone stares, not knowing where exactly to put their eyes. “Scoot over.” 

They all snap out of their trance quickly shuffling over so she can sit. “You uH—” Eddie clears his throat. “You made it.”

She nods, adjusting herself in the booth. “Yeah, well, I don’t exactly trust you all with my baby, so I thought I’d leave work early and join.”

Before anyone can say anything a new waiter appears with everyone’s drinks and a couple plates of appetizers. “Hi, everyone! So sorry about the wait.” He starts putting down their orders. “We’ve got some complimentary sliders, garlic fries, and shrimp cocktail. Again, so sorry about the wait, this first round and the appetizers are on us. Is there anything else I can get you all?”

Y/N’s eyebrow quirks up. “How long were you guys waiting?” 

The look on the waiter’s face makes a cause for lies all around the table. “Oh not that long.” “Just a few minutes.” “Only a little bit.” “A couple of minutes.”

Not wanting to push further Y/N nods and lets it go. “Thank you, Gabriel.” She gives him a sweet smile. “And can we get a banana split sundae with four cherries, please? Two on the bottom, no stems, and two on the top with stems?”

Gabriel nods quickly, trying to remember everything as if his job depends on it. And it does. “Yes, of course. We’ll have that right out.”

“And, is Jay back yet?”

This time Gabriel shakes his head. “No, not yet, but I will let you know when he is.” With another nod, he rushes off towards the kitchen.

Nancy is the first to speak up. “What the fuck was that?”

Y/N simply shrugs. “I know the owner.”

“You know Jay Wickham‽” Steve almost screams at the thought.

“Oh!” Robin connects the dots. “‘Jay’ Jay?”

Y/N chuckles, smiling to herself. “Yes, Rob. ‘Jay’ Jay?”

“Wait, who’s Jay?” Eddie’s words come out quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. It gets very curious looks from everyone. “I just… I was just wondering,” he mutters, beginning a small chug of his drink which he blames for the color rising to his face. 

“He’s one of my sugar daddies,” Y/N casually answers.

Steve and Eddie choke on their drinks while Nancy’s jaw almost drops to the floor. 

“Oh, like— you— you….” Not knowing how to finish his sentence, Steve starts drinking.

Y/N’s posture straightens, quickly getting defensive. “Y’all got a problem with sex work?”

A resounding “no” in different forms comes from everyone. 

She loosens up a bit at everyone’s genuinity. “Good.” 

“Well—” Robin raises her glass— “ pink wine makes me slutty. Cheers.” 

Despite the out of place declaration everyone cheers to that. “Woo!”

“And cheers to not getting black out drunk tonight and hooking up with toxic booty calls!” Nancy points a look directly at Steve who avoids eye contact. 

“WOO!” Everyone except for Steve cheers this time. 

Forty five minutes in, everyone is varying levels of tipsy and Steve is gone. Not only is he drunk off his ass he’s also grinding on someone else’s. No one is quite sure how Steve got up on stage, but he’s there now and he’s not coming down. 

“I didn’t know Steve was so flexible!” Y/N laughs as she watches Steve’s attempts at pole dancing. 

“He’s not.” Eddie leans into Y/N’s side. “He can just put his legs over his head cause he’s a whore.”

Y/N laughs even louder. So much so that people look at her funny. “That’s the funniest shit I’ve heard all week.” Y/N doesn’t know if it really is the funniest thing she’s heard all week or if the shots are finally getting to her. 

Eddie’s not sure if it’s the alcohol or the low lighting but he moves even closer to Y/N’s warmth like a moth to a flame. “Now you’re just humoring me.”

It’s way too hot in the club for Y/N even with the little amount of clothes she’s wearing. She can practically feel her makeup melting off at this point. And even though Eddie’s wearing a leather jacket, and his face is red from the alcohol, he’s still leaning so close that Y/N almost has to put him on her lap. 

Against her better judgment and under the guise of alcohol, Y/N makes a not so smart decision. “What if I am?” Her voice deepens and her chest presses into him. 

Normally, guys like Eddie would further the flirtation. Maybe lean into Y/N’s neck or put a hand on her thigh. Instead, Eddie flushes redder than Y/N’s lipstick and recoils. “Uh— I uh— well that’s actually really—” he clears his throat— “really… nice of you?”

Surprised and not knowing where to go from here, Y/N is thankful when Robin walks up to the table. “Y/N, our song is playing! Let’s go!” Robin pulls Y/N onto the dance floor and away from Eddie as ‘Mercy’ by Kanye West plays. This is not Y/N and Robin’s usual ‘Everywhere I go’ or even ‘Goodies’.

“What’s up?” Y/N sways her body to the song, trying to get a reluctant Robin to dance with her.

“What’s up? What was my number one rule about moving into the loft?”

Y/N sighs and rolls her eyes. “Don’t sleep with anyone. Got it.”

“Besides, Eddie seems really nice and you’d eat him alive.”

Knowing that Robin is probably right, Y/N shrugs and nods. “Fair enough.” Y/N grabs Robin and pulls her deeper onto the dance floor. “Ok, no more trying to get laid or flirting. We are going to dance!” She gives Robin a spin and the two start dancing. “Dance!”

Well, Y/N is dancing, and Robin is… well, she’s doing Robin.

The night comes to a forceful end when Steve gets so drunk that he can barely stand. 

“It’s only been fifteen minutes,” Robin says, astounded. 

“Goddammit.” Nancy sighs. “Eddie.” She gestures for him to get Steve but Y/N steps in. 

“I’ve got this.” Y/N walks over to where Steve is hanging off the guy he’s been feeling up for the past half an hour. “Hey, Stevie, it’s time to go.”

“Woah woah woah—” the guy gets in between Y/N and Steve— “where do you think you’re goin’?”

Y/N steps up to the guy who’s got almost a foot on her. “Excuse me, asshole?”

Eddie, Nancy, and Robin quickly run up to the scene. “Hey, what’s goin’ on here?” Robin quickly tries to diffuse the situation, knowing where this is going. 

“This bitch here is trying to ruin our fun.” 

“Excuse me‽ Bitch‽ No, I’m gonna fuck this cunt up.” Y/N starts taking her earrings off as Robin vehemently shakes her head. 

Eddie gets in front of her. “Hey, look,” he tries to reason with the guy. “Our friend here—” he gestures to Steve— “is not exactly in a position to give consent anyways. So, we’re just gonna get him home and you can enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Yeah, well, I was already enjoying my night before you all showed up. So, we’re gonna continue here and you all—” the guy steps up to Eddie and gives him a push with each word— “can fuck off.” 

“Look, man—”

“Bro, do you wanna fucking go right now?”

Y/N can’t help but roll her eyes. “Hey, asshole—”

“I’ve got this, Y/N.” Eddie quickly intervenes making Y/N even angrier. “Let’s not make a scene in this nice club, alright?”

“Hey,” Steve speaks up, “I’m— I’m good g—” hiccup— “guys.”

“See—” the guy gets chest to chest with Eddie— “your boy’s good.”

Robin shakes her head. “He really isn’t.” 

Everyone looks at her, making her shrink back.

“Can we just drop this?” Nancy gets behind Eddie. “How ‘bout we get you a beer and call it good, alright?”

“Get your bitches in line, man.” The guy shoves Eddie into Nancy making the two stumble.

“That’s it.” Y/N steps in front of the two and shoves the guy back. “Fuck off, dickless! We’re taking Steve and if you’ve got a problem with that then we’re gonna have a problem, got it?”

The guy gives a cocky smile and nods. “Sure, Miss Piggy. Step back before you hurt yourself.”

“Woah!” Everyone goes to back Y/N up but she holds her hand up stopping them.

“If you wanna go we can fuckin’ go. I will rock your shit, bitch!”

“Bring it, bitch!” The guy shoves her hard enough to make her step back.

Eddie goes to step in but Y/N’s fist collides with the guy’s face before he can do anything. Much to everyone’s surprise the guy goes down. The club’s patrons now turn to the scene. “Y/N!” Robin scolds her, holding her back before she can do anymore damage. 

“Holy shit!” Eddie holds his fist over his mouth. “How did you—”

“We’re going home!” Y/N goes for a jaw-dropped Steve and easily throws him over her shoulder.

“Ooh!” Steve giggles uncontrollably. “Strong man!”

“We got a problem here?” One of the bouncers walks up to the group.

Y/N shakes her head. “Nah, we’re good, Dennis.”

The man realizes who she is and nods. “Sounds good, Y/N.”

Nancy and Eddie look at Y/N with complete shock and awe. 

“Let’s go.” Y/N makes towards the exit as the others follow.

Once they’re outside Eddie starts bouncing around excitedly. “Oh, that was so awesome! He was like “bitch!” and you were like “cunt!” and then you just fuckin popped him in the face! Holy shit, that was amazing!”

Nancy nods in agreement. “That was really cool, not gonna lie.” 

Robin only shakes her head, not as enthused as the others. “You didn’t need to escalate that, Y/N.”

“I did what needed done.” Y/N whistles for a taxi and gets Steve inside. 

“You were like Batman back there.”

Y/N can’t help but guffaw. “Batman wouldn’t have stooped to punching some random asshole. I’m more like Marc Spector. A little insane and very much willing to punch dickholes in the face.”

The entire ride home is filled with Eddie praising Y/N and Steve agreeing and giggling like a little school girl on Y/N’s lap.

Once they’re all in the loft Y/N tucks Steve into bed after making him take some ibuprofen. “We’ll get you some coffee and toast in the morning, okay, bub?”

Steve nods and burrows into his bed. “Thanks, mom.”

Y/N smiles and kisses his forehead. “No problem, babe.”

“Wait, did he— did he ever text me back?” Steve goes for his phone, but not before Y/N can take it from him. “NOooOo.”

“Yeah, no more mistakes tonight. You can get this back in the morning when you’re sober.”

“But—”

“Uh uh, babygirl. No phone. Sleep.” She puts her hands on her hips to assert herself.

Too drunk and not having the strength or brain capacity to argue at this moment he gives up.

“Good boy.” Y/N pats his head making him smile. She makes sure he’s all comfortable then quietly exits. “The baby’s asleep!” She announces, throwing her hands up in victory.

“Woo.” Nancy and Eddie tiredly cheer.

Robin stays silent, her and Y/N making eye contact for a moment, then she storms off to their room. Y/N lets out a long tired sigh while cracking her back. “Yup. Gonna be paying for that one.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Nancy stares down their door. 

“Eh.” Y/N shrugs. “I’ve got some anger issue stuff.”

Eddie leans forward onto his forearms, “That’s it?” 

“Weeeell, there used to be cops involved, and mandatory community service and AA, and some EA bullshit— anyways it was a whole thing, but that’s in the past now.”

Eddie and Nancy look at each other with much confusion and some worry. “Well, I’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight.” Y/N plops down on the couch.

“Nonsense.” Eddie shakes his head and stands up. “A lady deserves a bed. Especially if that lady is as badass as you are.” He gives her a deep bow.

Y/N’s face feels hot, but she shakes her head of the flusters. “I’m not gonna take your bed, Eddie.”

Nancy sees the beginning of an argument she doesn’t need to be here for.

He shakes his head not taking ‘no’ for an answer. “C’mon, princess, let’s get you up and into bed.” He goes to reach for her but she shakes her head. 

“If I’m gonna sleep in your bed you are too.” 

Nancy refrains from retiring and immediately sits back down suddenly interested. 

Eddie’s face goes red again. “Oh— uh— like— like both of us in the same… bed?”

Y/N slowly nods, not sure why he’s being so skittish. “I’m not gonna do anything untoward if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

Not liking where this is going Eddie quickly shakes his head. “No, no no no no. I’m just— I’ve just— I’m completely fine with it. I just wanna make sure you’re fine with it.”

Y/N exchanges a glance with Nancy. “Nance, you gotta queen dontcha?”

Before Nancy can reply Eddie cuts in. “No, it’s fine!” He says all too quickly. “I’ll go make up the bed and everything— it’ll be all good.” 

“Well.” Y/N stands up. “I’m gonna take a shower.” She heads off to the bathroom.

“Yeah!” Eddie yells after her. “You go take a shower, get all relaxed—” Nancy gives him a weirded out look— “You do you, girl!” He brings his voice down to a shouting whisper. “I don’t know what I’m saying anymore! The words just won’t stop coming out of my mouth!” He goes on to yell more at Y/N. “Get it nice and steamy, girl!”

Nancy throws a pillow at him to shut him up.

He barely catches it. “Thank you.”

Nancy nods. 

“Shit! My room’s a shit sty! Where’s the Febreze?”

“Where it always is.” Nancy points to under the sink.

Eddie throws the pillow back on the couch and runs to the kitchen to rummage for the Febreze. 

After Y/N’s shower she grabs her robe and gets “ready”. Quick shave, body butter, then perfume. Yes, she’s technically betraying her and Robin’s agreement but Eddie’s really cute, and he wouldn’t take this too seriously. Right?

She knocks on Eddie’s door only to be interrupted mid knock as he quickly opens the door. “Hiii—” Eddie’s voice trails off as he sees the girl in only her bathrobe. “Hi.” The second ‘hi’ is much more quiet.

Y/N gives a little wave. “Hi. By the way, do you by any chance have a double XL shirt and some boxer shorts or something I could fit into?”

Eddie stares for almost too long before he answers. “Uh, yeah, yeah. I’ve got— I’ve got some— some clothes.” He clears his throat, looking up then down, then back at Y/N’s legs. 

Y/N gives him a moment to stop staring, and when he doesn’t she speaks up. “Can I come in?” 

“Oh yeah!” He steps aside. “Yeah, come on in. I’ll get you those clothes.”

Y/N nods stepping inside. There’s an overwhelming smell of Febreze and even some incense has been lit. These are all good signs until Y/N gets to his bed. Oh. “I see you’ve built up a barricade.” She points to the lump in the middle of the bed that will keep them separated the entire night.

“Oh, yeah. I just… I thought to do that, ya know?” Eddie wanted to make sure that Y/N would be as comfortable as possible. 

Y/N nods, almost a little insulted that Eddie would need a physical barrier to keep her from invading his space. “Ya, thanks.” 

Eddie hands her an old Metallica shirt. “Here.”

It looks big enough for Y/N. “Yeah, thanks. And the boxers?”

“Oh yeah.” Eddie nods and looks through his drawers. “Cause ya need pants to sleep in, right?”

“Well, I need some underwear.”

Eddie freezes up at the mention of Y/N not currently wearing anything under her robe. Of course she wouldn’t be because she just got out of the shower. The shower where she had to get naked to get into. Then she would get all wet, and she’s all naked and— “Uh.. yeah… yeah… that’s… uh huh.”

Y/N’s toes dig into the carpet as she starts to get the feeling that maybe she’s making him uncomfortable. 

‘Don’t think about her naked… and certainly don’t think about her naked and wet,’ Eddie thinks to himself. ‘You’re just gonna make her feel uncomfortable. And things are already tense. Why are things already tense? Why are you being so weird about this, Eddie‽’ “Found some.” He hands her some boxer briefs. 

They’re a much larger size than Y/N would’ve thought that Eddie would ever own. “Woah, where’d these come from?” 

Eddie shrugs. “Uh, well, I got them from Spencer’s and they were too big.”

“So, why didn’t you just return them?”

He shrugs again. “I uh… it’s just like uh a hassle and an entire process that you have to go through. And I don’t want to put retail workers through that, so I don’t… I just… I just keep the stuff.”

Y/N nods slowly, unconvinced. “Ok, yeah.” 

The two stand in a tense and awkward silence before Y/N looks around the room. “So, uh, do you wanna watch or…?”

“Oh, right!” Eddie turns around and covers his eyes. 

‘Wow, he even needs to cover his eyes’. Y/N shakes her head as she disrobes and changes. “You’re good,” she says flatly once she’s done. She gets into his bed, the overwhelming smell of Febreze only getting worse under the covers.

“Yah, ok.” Eddie can feel the tension only worsen like she’s somehow mad at him. He’s mostly hoping that he got rid of the fart smell and crumbs in his sheets. ‘I really should wash my sheets more often’. He gets under his sheets, thinking that maybe he might’ve used too much spray. 

The two are back to back as they fall asleep, both their thoughts spiraling throughout the night. 

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