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𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖆 𝖛𝖎𝖗𝖌𝖎𝖓

“stupid fucking hollywood satanist bitch!”

stranger things x jennifer’s body!au

part 1, part 2, part 3 - “stupid fucking hollywood satanist bitch!”

future warnings: cursing, blood, mentions of murder, unnerving reader - future , manipulation - future , complete change in behavior for reader (not yet), nancy from the craft except here her name is cirice, reader wears glasses for the time being, the girls from the craft, let me know if i forgot any!

a/n: this chapter’s gonna be long, since it switches between the reactions of the rest of her friends seeing her on the news, her pov, and so forth.

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hawkins, indiana | 9:49 a.m | saturday, november 23, 1985

your pov:

you walked, and walked, and ran a little, then walked some more before you finally broke into tears. you were covered in blood from head to toe- (your hair especially ruined, which you were a little more peeved about than the blood if we’re being honest)-both over and under your clothes-there were a million rips and holes in your shirt from the fucking knife cirice used to-

“fuck! cirice! oh that goddamn cirice. stupid fucking hollywood satanist bitch! ooh i’m gonna kill her ass!” you seethed, suddenly angry, before going back to despair.

“where the hell am i even going anyways.” you sobbed, dropping yourself down in front of one of the tall trees in the forest. not even wanting to acknowledge the fact that it started pouring.

now see, you weren’t oblivious to what happened last night, in fact you even remembered a few things that you’re pretty sure you weren’t even alive for.

you had killed alice, scarlett, and cora, well eaten them really.

“oh. my. gosh. am i a cannibal!?” you cried even harder at the thought before abruptly stopping. “well is it technically cannibalism if i’m not human anymore? i mean there’s no way that i can be human…oh whatever, at least i’m still alive.” you sniffed.

“why is it, i can remember all the shit that happened, except for where the hell eddie’s jacket went! ‘m practically freezing my tits off out here.” you mumbled to yourself, before falling asleep.

hawkins, indiana | buckley household | 6:58 a.m

robin wasn’t a morning person by any means necessary, but for some reason, on the weekends, she found it much easier to be awake in the earlier hours than she did during the rest of the week. and her and steve didn’t even have to work this weekend! what luck!

so there she sat on her couch, getting ready to indulge herself in a marathon of pink panther before she’d head over to your house to hang out and hear about that scary band’s performance. halfway through her humming the theme song, the program was cut off by the news.

“ohh, come on! you ruined the flow news-man.” she grumbled trying to change it before realizing that every channel was the same thing. she got up to get some more cereal, not really paying it any mind - being that she thought the news was depressing of course - until she heard your name.

the scene in front of her left her jaw unhinged, she didn’t know what to say, at all. she had always seen documentaries of people saying “i had just seen her the day before and she was perfectly fine, everything was normal.” but she had never imagined that she’d even have to imagine herself in the same situation- and she dealt with russians for goodness sake!-

before she could run to her room to get dressed- because the news said that your were missing, and not that you were dead, so of course robin was going to look for you- her doorbell rang incessantly. she ran over to it hoping it was you but instead finding steve, still in his pajamas, with the most freaked out look on his face, she had ever seen.

“oh my god robin she’s missing! she’s missing and those girls are dead, and she was with them and she’s missing!”

“well then come on steve!” she stopped him, dragging her out of her house and to his car, pajamas be damned, they were going to find their best friend.

hawkins, indiana | wheeler household | 7:15 a.m.

mike was sleeping so well. one could even say amazingly. so to have that sleep ruined by a cacaphony of noises he couldn’t put together in his hazy state, pissed him off, a lot.

between hearing nancy sobbing in her room, and a clatter of things falling around, the phone ringing off the hook, his walkie having a bunch of voices yelling over each other, his mother speaking on the phone in a teary-eyed ramble, and his father running about looking for hunting gear, mike really did think he was still sleeping.

“okay, what the hell is going on?” he began, going into nancy’s room, he stopped short when he saw her checking one of her guns before bursting passed him, and running down the stairs, apparently not even seeing him.

“what?!” he hadn’t been this confused since, well he didn’t know when but he was extremely confused.

walking back into his room, he found his walkie still going back and forth between the voices of his friends going back and forth making him grumble and decided to pick it up.

“okay, what the hell is going on!? why is everyone acting so insane?!”

“y/n’s missing!” they all said simultaneously before it just went quiet. like literally everyone stopped talking.

“huh?!” before he could say anything else, the phone started ringing again, this time he picked it up.

“hello?” he sighed.

“mike! the news said y/n’s missing!” will’s voice said through the phone. “have you guys found her yet?!” el’s voice chimed in.

“guys, i just found out and- wait, how did you guys know?” he asked incredulously, truly believing that if he closed his eyes tight enough he would wake up.

“it’s on national news! three of the girls from that band that went to hawkins were murdered last night, and y/n was with them! only her and the lead singer were reported still alive, but missing!”

“oh, god. okay, we’re looking for her, we’ll call you when we find her!” he hung up, getting dressed, before running downstairs.

he was pedaling his bike out of his garage, before he was met with the faces of his friends waiting for him at the end of the driveway.

“do you think it’s another demogorgon?” lucas asked, as they all began to bike to where max saw on the news it had happened.

“judging by the way it looked, it must’ve been a real hungry demogorgon. there was barely anything left of them!!” erica exclaimed.

“wait, you guys saw it!?” mike asked.

“yeah, they showed their bodied on the news. it was so gross. my mom was still throwing up when i left.” max said.

by the time they finally got to the woods, it had started raining- pouring really.

“not to be a downer or anything but this doesn’t remind you of anything?” lucas said cautiously, as they had now been walking through the woods, calling your name, for the past almost- three hours.

“yeah, i thought it too, but i didn’t want to say anything.” mike sighed.

“what are you guys talking about?” max asked.

“when will went missing three years ago, we came out to these exact woods looking for him, except it was night time, and it was raining, but instead of finding will, we found el.” dustin explained.

“oh.” max and erica said simultaneously.

“do you guys think whatever did it is still in these woods?” lucas asked.

“for our sakes, let’s hope not!” erica sighed, before jumping when she stepped on something only to find that it was glass.

“wait…those are glasses?” dustin asked, picking them up.

“oh god, those are y/n’s glasses!” lucas said, beginning to pace.

“okay, that doesn’t exactly mean that.” mike started. “yeah, the adrenaline probably got to her and she’s just running around without them.” dustin added, hopefully.

the kids knew better than anyone that you were clumsy as can be, and your glasses falling off wasn’t new. but they also knew that you would never just leave them around, constantly reminding them how expensive they were when you were crawling around looking and sounding like velma when searching for them.

“uh, where did max go?” lucas cut off the silence, when he looked up seeing that she was no longer with them.

“..shit. max!” dustin yelled out, as they all began to walk around looking for her.

“guys, over here, i found her!“ she yelled back.

as they ran over, to where she was, which was much farther than they thought, they saw her kneeling in front of a tree, staring in horror at something.

“is she alive?” lucas asked, as they all stood in front of you staring at you. your eyes were closed, you were covered in blood and dirt, no jacket on, and your shirt had a million rips in them.

“y/n? y/nnnn.” mike asked poking you with some stick he found.

you awoke with a sudden start, looking around frantically before realizing who was in front of you. before you could say anything however you were trampled by a bunch of kids, in a group hug.

“jesus, we thought you were a goner!” mike sighed.

“speak for yourself. but seriously, what even happened?” erica, asked.

“was it a demogorgon?” lucas asked.

“or the mind flayer?” dustin added.

“are you okay?” max asked.

“no, uhh it’s a long story, no and no, and yes i’m fine.” you answered all of their questions.

“y/n? i swear i just heard her voice?!” you heard a voice in the distance scream.

“steve?” dustin exclaimed incredulously.

“dustin?” robin’s voice was now heard.

“robin?” erica exclaimed too.

“erica?” now nancy’s voice was heard, they finally found you guys.

“nancy?!” mike yelled out.

“what the hell are you guys doing here?!” steve exclaimed, the older kids not having yet seen you, being that the younger kids were still covering you.

“we were looking for y/n! i’m assuming you guys were doing the same?” max asked.

“yeah! what do you mean were?” robin asked.

“i’m right here.” you sighed, beginning to stand up as the kids got off of you, before being knocked back down by nancy, steve, and robin.

“well i guess i’m not getting up at this point.” you tried to joke but was cut off by nancy’s crying in your shoulder.

“i’m so sorry! i should’ve just went instead! first barb, then almost you!” nancy sobbed, nearly cutting off your airways with the way she was squeezing your neck. thankfully you didn’t need them at this point.

“nancy, stop. i’m okay, and it isn’t your fault.” you started sternly, making her look at you. “nobody knew this was going to happen, and even if they did, i would’ve stilled preferred it’d be me over you, over any of you in fact, so you can all stop with the self-blame game, alright?” you said, looking over all of them, spotting their guilty faces.

“holy shit! the whole town’s looking for you two right about now! we need to get you to the front of the woods.” dustin exclaimed.

“what?”

“shit, yeah. you were on national news y/n! will and el called asking if we had found you yet.” mike added.

“oh god, what about my parents!? has anyone heard from them? my mother’s probably having an aneurysm right about now!”

“uhh, i think my mom was talking to her when i left this morning, i heard her crying through the phone.” nancy added.

“wait a second, what about eddie?” lucas asked, gathering your attention.

“what about eddie? have you seen him, today?”

“no, i mean wasn’t he with you last night?” he corrected.

“no, uh not after the performance, i went with the girls and was supposed to call him.”

“so long story short, everyone thinks your dead right now, so can we get a move on, please?” erica chimed in.

as you all trekked towards where the news and police were, at the edge of the forest, you heard someone screaming your name.

“y/n! fuck, i knew you were still alive. what the fuck happened!? why did you disappear from my house this morning!” eddie asked, after he ran and practically tackled you to the ground, in the tightest hug he’d ever given you, and he hugged you pretty tight after he found out you were at starcourt when it burned down, getting there before your parents had when it happened.

from the second eddie had yelled your name, everyone, from wayne and your parents, to the police, to the news crew’s attention was on you. eddie just so happened to get to you first. but even now with the reporters, crowding the both of you, the police trying to stop them and your parents trying to get through both the police and the news teams, to get to you, you were only focused on eddie.

he continued to ramble on and on, about how your parents were freaking out, how he had been freaking out, and how he was 110% sure that he saw some dude walk into the woods with a harpoon gun. but you were still hung up on one of the first things he said.

“you saw me this morning?” you asked, incredulously.

“duh! you were in my room acting all ominous ‘n shit! gave me back my jacket, and then you left, saying that your mom was picking you up!” he exclaimed, confused as to why you were confused.

before either of you could dwell on it any longer, your mother pushed a reporter out of the way, and lunged at you actually tackling you to the ground into a hug, rambling incoherently into your neck as your father attempted to soothe her hugging you as well.

“oh my baby, when i saw your face on the news this morning i practically died!” she sobbed.

“see hon, i told you our little girl was strong.” he soothed, holding you both close to him.

you were overwhelmed with all the attention on you. between your friends hanging around, your parents- specifically your mother crying and rambling in your ear, wayne and eddie, all the reporters and cops trying to ask you questions at once, and at least 10 news cameras pointed at you, you didn’t really know what to do. thankfully you didn’t have to do anything. all the noise around you blurred out and you couldn’t decipher any of the words being thrown at you anymore, even if you tried to.

because through the crowd around you, you spotted an ambulance, sitting there waiting to take someone to the hospital. and sitting in the back of said ambulance, was the one and only cirice taylor, staring right back at you, eyes swollen and doubled in size as she attempted to take you in.

she was the last thing you saw, before everything went black and you promptly passed out.

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a/n: the story hasn’t even heated up yet 😭 i need her to start killing more people and acting weird already 🫤.

tag list : @harrys-tittie @snoopysavv @munsonlvrr @sarcasmismyonlydefense24 @monztrous @spidermxnkey @baconlillies @spicynoddels @tsumamibaddie @miiikkeey @nopetoohighforthat @dreamtogether2000 @maxisreal @bxrn-thxs-wxy-90five @charleetheefictionalfucker @missdforever

i love zombie aus so much like-

What if like it’s the start of the whole Z thing and people are packing getting outta dodge. And Eddie comes to get Reader who doesn’t realize what’s going on? 🥺

yes let's get this party started tysm for ur request!!! zombie!au | eddie comes to get you at the start of the apocalypse ♡ fem!reader

You're lying on the floor in your bedroom when you hear wheels screeching against asphalt outside. It's a scorching hot day, too hot to want to move, and the floor feels much cooler than anywhere else. You can't bring yourself to get up and investigate, lazing over the wooden floor practically lackadaisical.

You wonder if it's your roommate coming home from her vacation, though why she'd be driving like a lunatic is anyone's guess.

"Always so dramatic," you murmur to yourself, distracted from the book you've held in hand. You let it fall flat to your chest with a huff.

Another screech, louder than the first. You raise your brows and gaze toward the open window as a door opens and promptly slams.

Then, with enough urgency to have you heart in your throat, Eddie starts to shout your name. None of his usual care, only your name on repeat and a hammering at the door downstairs. You live in a simple three bedroom home that's been converted into two apartments, so if he wants to see you he has to wait, or do as he's doing now — harass your downstairs neighbours. They must let him in, because by the time you've scrambled to the window he's not outside the door.

Your name up the stairs. His thundering footsteps.

You throw open your bedroom door and race down the hall to meet him.

"I'm coming, Eddie!" you call, and then add, "It's okay!" for good measure. He sounds freaked.

He hears your voice and stops shouting.

Your hands tremble as you turn the key the wrong way. His shouting has given you a horrible dose of anxiety, worried maybe someone's been hurt. It's the kind of urgency that comes with emergencies — you're expecting to open the door and have him drag you out to the hospital.

"Hey, baby, what's the matter?" you ask as you pull open the door.

Eddie doesn't even look at you. He pushes past you, the roughest he's ever treated you outside of play wrestling, and your hips bump the sideboard behind. Everything rattles.

"Come and help me," he calls.

He bursts into your room. You follow, chest pounding staccato under your hand. "Help you what? Eddie, what the fuck?"

"There's these-" He throws his gaze over his shoulder at you, brown eyes usually so soft sharpened by panic, by a need to move. "We have to get the fuck out of here."

You stare at him. "What happened, baby?"

Eddie gets wound up by everything. Little things sometimes blow really big, and he can't articulate what's bothering him so he just starts yelling.

"We have to go. We have to- I already got some shit in the van, but you need your clothes, and we need food."

"Food?"

That's what clues you in. That and Eddie's complete lack of respect for your wardrobe. He throws the door open and grabs all of your clothes. Party clothes, knit wear, stuff you haven't worn in years.

"What are you-"

"We'll take it all. You can get rid of what you don't want after."

"Tell me what's happening," you demand, foot tapping.

Eddie turns to you, takes you by the shoulders, and frowns. "You trust me. I know you trust me. Pack your things, things you can't live without. Pack them now." He finally cracks, sees the panic on his face mirrored on your own. "There are fucking monsters out there."

You want to laugh because it's an unconvincing concept. Monsters, like you're in a movie, like you're in one of his make-believe fantasy games..

"Eddie-"

"Pack your things."

Eddie almost dives under your bed to grab your backpack, forcing it into your hands. His aren't shaking like yours, but they're frenetic. He moves like he might grab your wrists and then leaves your bedroom entirely.

You take a step to follow him.

"I'm serious! Pack your shit! We have to go," he yells. The kitchen door creaks open. Your fridge unseals and there's a great scraping sound like all the shelves are being pulled out. This continues onto the cupboards; cereal shook like rain on wood, the metal clunk of heavy tin cans, the metallic clash of the cutlery drawer being pulled against its stopper.

You bite your lip hard in an attempt to force yourself back to reality, but there's no reality to go to. There can't be monsters. It's not something that would happen.

"This isn't a funny joke," you say angrily, too quiet for him to hear. You repeat yourself as you walk down the hall and into the kitchen, which he's all but trashed. "This isn't a funny joke. This is mean. I don't know if you had a bad fucking whitey or you've been reading too many of those weird books, but this isn't funny."

Eddie only turns to look at you where he'd been searching your kitchen cabinets when your voice cracks.

"I'm not joking."

He says it absolutely.

You let him lead you back into your bedroom. He takes the backpack from your hands and opens it wide, offering you the two sides so he can tip your underwear into the bag. Socks and panties fall all over the floor and he grabs them without a joke, or an oggling, or even a salacious, smarmy smirk.

"Reefer Rick calls me this morning. He says, Eds, you know that fucking rabies thing they had in Detroit? I told him I didn't know what the fuck he was talking about."

Eddie moves to your nightstand, grabs all your meds and keepsakes and stuffs them into the bag.

"He says okay, but you heard about martial law in Russia, right? I said don't be a fucking asshole, everyone has. Martial law because of the virus, the virus that was making people hostile? That shit is real. They had it in Russia, they had it in China, they have it here. Michigan, Illinois, the people are going fucking crazy and eating each other, baby."

He's moved now to your t-shirts. He doesn't bother putting them in the bag, just has them in a pile on the ground. He adds your trousers. He doesn't bother with your skirts.

"What else do you need?"

You stare at him.

"We have to leave, sweetheart," he says desperately. "If it happens in Ohio or Kentucky, we're fucked. We'll be trapped."

"If what happens?" you ask miserably.

"It's a sickness. Rick says it's a sickness, and he said they fucking killed some guy in Indianapolis who had it. I turn on the radio and-"

Somebody starts screaming in the apartment downstairs.

Eddie pales. You grow incredibly still.

"Carry as much as you can," he says. "If we can, we'll come back."

Eddie grabs the box of pilfered foods from the kitchen and you follow him down the stairs.

Whoever's screaming won't stop. It's a chilling sound. Loud, repetitive screams. Eddie holds his finger over his lips and he looks so domineering you can't help it, you start crying then and there. He inclines his head to the door, listening for movement, and when there isn't any he walks straight past the apartment door and to the main building door.

He opens it and gestures quickly for you to leave. You walk fast out of the door and down the single step. Eddie's van is still running on the curb.

You open the door and climb in, slamming your head against the roof in your hurry. Eddie shoves the box of food at your feet and runs around the hood. He gets in, he closes the door, and he waits.

You lock your door. You lean over Eddie to lock his and can't make yourself sit back down.

He takes your face into his hand. He isn't gentle, but he's far from cruel.

Eddie scrubs away your tears with his thumb.

"Do you think we should go see what's..." you begin to ask.

He looks like he wants to say no. It's shocking. It hurts, thinking that Eddie wouldn't go make sure someone's okay. But you find yourself too scared to do it yourself, and you realise he's afraid. You're both petrified.

"We have to," you whisper.

"I have to keep you safe." He speaks an inch from your face.

"She's not... I mean. She's not dangerous. She's scared. What if it was me?"

"But it's not you."

"If," you say slowly, brain numb with overstimulation, "it were me. And somebody could help me. Wouldn't you want them to?"

You've no clue what's wrong or why she's screaming. These monsters he's talking about, she probably just saw them on TV.

Eddie nods. "You stay here."

"Idiot," he chastises, taking your hand.

You let him get out of the car and wait a few seconds before you follow. He glares at you and stops. You both stand there for a moment, willing one another to do what the other wants.

"I'm not gonna let you go alone."

You look down at your joined hands and squeeze his fingers. You take a very deep breath.

-

requests are open if you want more of this au! ♡

omfg this concept ?!?!?!? i absolutely love it !!!

The Nightmare Begins

Steve Harrington x Reader; The gang and Freddy Krueger

Word Count: 3163

Prompt: Storm

Warnings: My blog is 18+ regardless so minor DNI. Mentions of murder, child murders, cutting into skin, mental torment, arson, demonic deals, murder by arson, shady dealings, nightmares, light fluff and angst, the gang being the gang, established relationship between reader and Steve.

A/N: This is my first piece for Screamtober 2022. A big thank you to @cuddlykillers and @bride-of-jason-voorhees for the prompt list, it’s a great set for inspiration. I have toyed with theories around Freddy Krueger and Stranger Things for a while and wanted to link the two, so I hope I’ve done it justice. Freddy is probably my favourite horror character so doing this was a lot of fun.

As always, my work is not beta read and all my mistakes are my own. I do not give permission for this to be posted elsewhere either. Please feel free to like, comment and/or share. Feedback is always welcomed especially as this is a newer type of fan fiction for me. Who knows, if it works well I may use Screamtober to add some of Freddy’s battles against the gang. Enjoy!

Large intimidating flames danced against the backdrop of the indigo velvet sky. Seeping through the walls as it overtook the building, the fiery arms climbed, engulfing the building fully. Screams filled the air, painful ghastly shrieks that ripped at the core of those stood outside witnessing the horror. The sickly scent of burning flesh invaded the nostrils of orderlies and patients alike. Pennhurst Mental Hospital’s secure wing for the criminally insane was alight. It was as though Hell was claiming the building, with Satan on a mission to take the souls of those damned patients and the staff who mistreated them.

Senior warden Anthony Hatch stood in stoic observation. He knew that tensions were high between the orderlies and senior staff. Talks of strikes over pay deals that were pittance for the job they did. Especially in that section of the hospital. Some of the most dangerous people in the state of Indiana were kept in the high security wing. Now it was up in flames, orderlies and patients trapped in the concrete and iron structure. He knew that this would result in fatalities, the exits hitting auto lock once the alarm was triggered. Hatch closed his eyes listening to the symphony of horror, his smirk almost undetectable. He promised the board that this nonsense with the orderlies would be taken care of, even if it meant there were casualties. He didn’t let on that there would be a ‘tragedy’ leading to the death of so many people. They were just mere details to him. It cleared the way for progress; he would highlight flaws in the building and the government would happily pay towards a more modern development to prevent such an event from occurring again. This was progress for Hatch, even if it meant stepping over people to get there.

Victor sat, backed up, against the wall, he could feel the heat intensifying. He knew what was happening and that his time was coming. Others had been set free from their ‘prisons’ to try and help get the doors open but it was all for nothing as, one-by-one, they succumbed to their blazing murderer. The screams and smells all heightened by Victor’s blindness meant he could tell how close he was getting to his end. Known for curling up or rocking and singing to himself, Victor displayed none of that and rose to his feet, standing tall.

“We made a deal, a promise. Yet you went back on it!” he shouted out. His head moved swiftly from side to side, hoping to sense the presence. “We gave you our word, we did what you asked, and you took her from me!” he paused again. His mind cast back to when he was working as a school janitor in a suburban town in Springwood, Ohio. He and Virginia were struggling to live on his salary with a young child and one on the way. That’s when the dreams started, something dark offering him financial stability and a good life in exchange for the souls of the young. When he confided in Virginia, she told him to take the chance. It began shortly after. She made him the glove with knives, he fine-tuned it and every two weeks a child was lured in by Virginia offering cookies and milk. That’s when Victor would strike. Killing swiftly and then burning the bodies in the school incinerator, blood offered to the menace in his dreams.

The tally of children missing was causing distress and anger among the residents of Springwood. The police began to take the case more seriously and Victor was arrested after being seen talking to one of his last victims. However, there was not enough evidence to convict him. The parents threatened mob justice and Victor fled with his family to Hawkins, Indiana. Virginia had come into money, left to her by her uncle. They changed their names from Krueger to Creel. Virginia had always been known as Veronica Krueger but now she was Virginia Creel, Victor cast off the dark baggage he carried under the name Freddy Krueger as he became Victor Creel and young Harry Krueger became Henry Creel. This led to a series of events that landed Victor in Pennhurst.

A shadow emerged from the flames. Victor menacingly grinned as he sensed the shadow.

“My side of the bargain was not met, I will accept that, but I offer you eternal revenge with the power to hurt others where they cannot be saved – inflict mental pain on them and take them in their sleep. It’s time for Freddy to return and cast off the weak shell known as Victor Creel. Will you take this offer?” A sinister white line resembling a smile spread on the face of the shadow. Victor simply nodded as the flames ravaged his skin, his body almost melting in the fire. The deal was done.

Lightning tore through the night sky in Hawkins, thunder bellowing as rain fell heavily. Everyone was rushing from Steve’s car and Eddie’s van into Steve’s house to avoid getting wetter than they already were. Steve put the lights and heating on as the gang filed in. Y/N was about to enter the house and threw her hood back as she stood on the porch, her hair dripping at the ends. She felt an eerie motion in her gut, one that you get when something isn’t right. She turned to look around wondering if there was someone watching them. The sky was illuminated by a lengthy flash of lightning, its long pattern etched in the darkness – she shielded her eyes from the glare and sighed feeling relief seeing no one around.

“You ok Y/N?” Steve asked coming out and startling her. He placed his hands on her shoulders to steady and comfort her. The panic in Y/N’s eyes was completely out of character, Steve’s concern heightened at the expression she held.

“I… erm,” she looked around again before glancing back up at Steve, “it’s nothing” she conceded not convincing Steve and stepping away from him to enter his house. He placed his hands on his hips quickly scanning the surroundings trying to gain some clues as to why Y/N was so unnerved. Not seeing anything suspicious, he shrugged to himself and went inside.

Sitting in the living room, everyone was eating pizza and conversing while the television was on in the background. Robin’s eyes widened as the breaking news interrupted the sitcom nobody was really watching. Following her line of sight, Max sat up properly and turned up the sound. Silence fell upon the group as the reporter spoke.

‘As we stand here at Pennhurst Mental Hospital, you can see the chaos ensuing behind us. The high security wing is engulfed in flames. Firefighters have been struggling for the last hour to try and contain it, but their efforts have been futile so far. Senior Warden Anthony Hatch has issued an immediate statement expressing ‘deep horror’ as there are orderlies and patients trapped in there with little chance of survival. One of the patients in this wing is psychotic murderer Victor Creel, who horrifically killed his family, in 1959’…

The sound was turned down, the realisation that this couldn’t be good if a Creel was involved hit them. Their silence was such that you could hear a pin drop and it was making Eddie feel uncomfortable because the quiet had never been his friend – not when it meant he was alone with his thoughts.

“Are we going to talk about this? I mean this is serious shit” he voiced. Robin pressed her lips into a thin line; this was bad for them especially knowing that Vecna was regrouping somewhere.

“We need to stay vigilant” Robin’s voice was timid as she directed her look at Dustin. He nodded and pulled out his walkie talkie to contact Mike, El and Will. Max slid down from the sofa to the floor next to Lucas and Erica. They were due home in an hour, but she didn’t want to leave the cocoon of safety this surrogate family had all built between them.

“We’re back to being on high alert vigilance then” Eddie sighed.

“Do we never get a reprieve? When do we get to be normal kids?” Lucas complained. Feeling uneasy, Y/N hunched forward lightly to disguise her emotions, but Steve knew her body language too well and sat next her pulling her into a hug.

“So what’s the plan?” Erica quizzed not wanting to be a sitting duck.

“Get as much information on Creel as possible to piece together why Vecna has gone down this route” Dustin aired casually as he continued to view the silent report.

“You think he is sending a message?” Max asked.

“He’s playing games, he hated his father” Robin mused.

“So he’s saying what? – ‘I killed my father, now all bets are off and I’m coming for you’” Steve asked keeping his arms wrapped around Y/N who was yet to speak.

“What if it’s something else? Something darker? Every time it’s a new thing we are dealing with” Lucas asked.

“Vecna said he created it all” Max reminded; it prompted them all to think on unsuccessfully.

An hour later Steve left with the younger ones to drop them home. While Eddie was teaching Robin how to play Dungeons and Dragons, Y/N started cleaning the dishes in the sink. She still couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced out of the window absentmindedly and nearly dropped the plate in shock. In the driveway, a man stood there (if you could call him that), his skin was all shrivelled, bubbled and burnt. The whites of his eyes were a contrast to his skin and the shadows that his dark fedora cast upon his face making his grin more menacing. His tattered red and green jumper hung quite loosely on his frame adding to his creepy appearance. He was staring directly at her and waving mockingly, the purposeful movement of the finger blades on his gloved hand filled her with absolute dread – it was almost like Vecna’s hand (more reminiscent of a claw). Y/N wanted to step back and look away, but it felt like her feet were glued to the spot she was in. A haunting sound of girls singing began to permeate the air.

1, 2 Freddy’s coming for you,

3, 4 better lock your door

5, 6 grab your crucifix

7, 8 better stay up late

9, 10 never sleep again

Y/N screamed as a hand landed on her shoulder, she turned around to see Robin and Eddie there. Both showing concern for her.

“Jesus Y/N, you gave us a fright” Eddie chuckled.

“Me – you snuck up on me” she replied.

“We called you several times, so we came in her. Eddie thought Vecna was striking again as you didn’t respond” Robin explained.

“I…” Y/N looked out of the window, but he was gone. “There was this… thing, man. I don’t know, he was just there. He had blades for fingers. It looked like Vecna’s hand”

“Was it Vecna?” Eddie quizzed with worry.

“No, he… he wasn’t Vecna” Y/N sighed. “It sounds stupid, I know” she conceded. Robin put a hand on Y/N’s shoulder comfortingly.

“After what we’ve all seen, nothing is stupid. Was there anything else that you saw or noticed about him?” Robin tried to coax.

“There was this sound of girls singing, little girls like they were playing in a schoolyard. I can’t quite remember but it was something like 1, 2… erm… Freddy’s coming for you, I think” she tried to recall. They all jumped as Steve opened the front door. He stopped in the kitchen doorway confused as to why all 3 of them were so jittery and waiting to be filled in.

The clock struck midnight; Y/N cuddled up to Steve in bed. He had been trying to calm her since he’d gotten home. He pressed his lips to her forehead softly in a supportive kiss. They didn’t need words to explain how they felt, their connection ran much deeper than that. The quietened actions, ashen look on her face, constant need for hugs and nervousness at every sound told Steve all he needed to know. He pulled her closer to him and let her melt into his hold. Quietly, he began to sing their song to her:

Babe I'm leaving I must be on my way The time is drawing near My train is going I see it in your eyes The love beneath your tears But I'll be lonely without you And I'll need your love to see me through So please believe me, my heart is in your hands And I'll be missing you

You know it's you, babe Whenever I get weary and I've had enough Feel like giving up You know it's you, babe Giving me the courage and the strength I need Please, believe that it's true Babe, I love you

For the first time that night, a genuine smile bloomed across her face as her boyfriend sang with a goofy grin on his face. He kissed her softly and promised her that he was there no matter what and it was the reassurance she needed in order to try and sleep.

Eddie tossed and turned as he slept on the couch, Robin turned over on the other couch as Eddie mumbled something incoherent.

“Eddie I’m trying to sleep” she complained as she tried to get comfortable yet again.

The fog seemed to deliberately obscure Eddie’s vision. Despite this, his other senses were heightened. The footsteps grew louder, hair stood on the nape of his neck. That feeling of complete dread filled him. The shrill sound of metal grating against metal was met with a wince by Eddie, he swallowed a gulp as a silhouette appeared in the fog – a figure of what could be described as a man in a fedora and with a claw for a hand – he called Eddie’s name ominously, his tone eerily dark and foreboding.

“Who are you?” Eddie called out bravely despite his brain telling him to turn and run. The figure laughed in response as he showed off his razor fingers, moving them slowly. The steps towards Eddie were deliberate.

“Introductions later Mr Munson. I hear you’ve been a busy boy” he taunted. Eddie remained wordless, not sure how to respond and Freddy picked up on this. “I mean my son already terrified you. Don’t you remember?” he asked pausing and pointing over to Eddie’s right. Chrissy Cunningham stood there looking worse than a zombie in Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. She was pointing to Eddie, accusing him of letting her die. He turned to run and hit the wall of chest of his unknown assailant.

“Here’s Freddy!!” he grinned parodying The Shining. Eddie used all his might to shove Freddy back as he swiped at him. The razored glove tore through the Hellfire t-shirt like a hot knife through butter, the tips nicking at his stomach in the process and drawing droplets of blood. Screaming out for help and in pain, Eddie tried to run and escape his attacker to no avail as he tripped over some vines on the ground. Freddy was over him in an instant, holding him in place by his throat. Eddie was begging for him to let him go while trying to fight him off.

“Oh I’m not going to kill you… yet. The chase hasn’t been as much fun as I hoped” his laugh was almost a deep cackle, “Or maybe I will. But let me leave a message for your friends” his features turned more sinister as he started scratching on Eddie’s chest using the blades to write. The pain was excruciating as Eddie cried out to anyone and everyone for help.

He was woken up by Robin, Y/N and Steve, all shaking him. He looked pale and frightened. Worse than when he was hiding after watching Chrissy and Patrick die. His breathing was ragged as he tried to make sense of the dream. It felt real, too real. He looked under the blanket at his chest and coiled into himself in horror – the shirt was hacked to pieces. It was real.

“Eddie… Eddie, what happened?” Steve’s calming tone helped Eddie settle down a little.

“This… this… this thing – he attacked me. He had a glove with knives for fingers” he explained looking directly at Y/N who would understand what he was saying.

“A red and green jumper and a fedora, his face all mangled” she spoke, and he nodded. Steve’s brow furrowed.

“Is this what you’ve been scared of all evening sweetheart?” Steve asked Y/N. She confirmed it with a quiet nod and Steve moved to wrap his arms around her, feeling the sudden urge to protect her.

“There’s more” Eddie announced revealing his shredded shirt and the cuts on his abdomen and chest as he removed his top. The name Freddy Krueger etched in Eddie’s chest in crimson drying liquid had them all gasping in fear. “He told me that Vecna is his son”

“How is that possible?” Robin asked, “Victor Creel was Vecna’s father – Nancy and I visited him” They were about to speak when the heard Dustin calling a code red on the walkie talkie. None of them felt they could move as they just listened to him.

“Guys this is a code red, I repeat a code red. I had a nightmare about this creepy dude with knives for fingers and I woke up with my bedding slashed. I got a message from Suzie too and it’s disturbing. Vecna’s father was a serial killer called Freddy Krueger. He changed his identity to Victor Creel and moved to Hawkins. It seems he’s back and working with his son. Max has been taken to hospital. Lucas said she had a nightmare and was left bleeding heavily from what looked like five knives across her back and side. We’ve got trouble on our hands” he confirmed breathless. Robin took the walkie talkie to speak with Dustin while Y/N sat next to Eddie with Steve hugging her from behind. Eddie ran his fingers over the cuts.

“It looks like we’re in for another fight, I was kinda bored anyway” Eddie joked. Steve chuckled but could feel how tense Y/N was. She knew he was different; they knew very little about him and he didn’t look like he belonged in the upside down either.

“I guess we had better gear up for another fight” Steve sighed. The sound of tormented laughter filled the room scaring them all. They heard a scratching sound and Robin tapped Steve’s shoulder frantically to get him to look at the wall. Words were rapidly being scratched into it:

You think you’ve got what it takes? I’m nothing like my son.

I AM ETERNAL!

His haunting message left them unnerved. This was going to be a fight like something they’d never faced before…

@cuddlykillers @bride-of-jason-voorhees @jobean12-blog @boxofbonesfic @mollygetssherlockcoffee @steveharringtonarchives @steveharringtonscarkeys @steveslittlesunflower @hawkins-high86 @hawkinsindiana @hawkinsdirtbag @fujiihime @aidinniram @tumblin-theworldaway @ladytarantula @angelulls @kristin813 @heyyimmisunderstood @selfdeprecatingnerd @protecteddiemunson4vr @frankie-mercury @harrington-love @expominds @flirtyandnerdyy @tomsvenom @dullsocietyy @greenteaandsagetea @funicidals @untitledarea @just-kinda-bored-blog @superfan-things @variant-lokitty @ronanceing @katetothemoon @syntheticavenger @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog

YOURE GOING TO JAILLLLLLL FOR THIS 🏃🏾‍♀️😭😭😭

every eddie munson x fem!reader fic ever

Angel of the First Degree - Chapter 4: Starcourt

Eddie Munson x Chubby & Inexperienced!Reader 4322 words A sneak peek at what to expect from this fic here

Previous Chapters: 1 - Valium; 2 - Carrie; 3: Honey

Warnings: Anxiety; fatphobia including internalised; drug use; bullying; body issues; discussion of body function and fluids; period shame/stigma; disclosure of sexual assault (chapter 2); disordered eating and thoughts of food; shitty/abusive/critical parents; no beta; warnings updated each chapter

Synopsis: When Eddie Munson finds you in the midst of a panic attack, it is the beginning of something. A fic featuring body and sex positivity, Eddie in a dress, soft small moments, scary big truths, and all the usual special feelings you’d expect from one of my stories.

Chapter Summary: Quality time. Acts of service. Words of affirmation. Gift giving. Physical Touch. All the languages of love are here and accounted for.

When you were in Eddie’s room, it was like there was no line between where your body ended and the universe began. You were at peace, not monitoring yourself and your body for a million and one inconsequential things.

How do the rolls of my belly look like this? Was that a dumb thing to say? Is there snot in my nose? How much space am I taking up? Is my armpit hair peaking out? Did that laugh sound weird? Should I have shaved my legs?

You just existed in the moment, and the moment was always, completely… Eddie.

Eddie learning to play Metallica songs while you drew pictures of monsters the lyrics made you think of; he stuck them all on his wall with push pins, a collage of your creations growing. Eddie getting high while you watched, instructing him to put his head in your lap, close his eyes, and let you braid his hair. Eddie practicing for the new Hellfire campaign, bouncing around the room doing voices and movements different from his own. Eddie holding out grabby hands to you, begging for cuddles while you watched horror movies until curfew.

It was easy to lose whole days in that room, and you let it happen regularly and happily. It was significantly better than being at your house, where your parents were growing angrier at your distance from them, which they wrongly assumed also meant your grades were slipping.

“That is… Drumroll, please,” Eddie said in his best game show host voice. You drummed your pencils on the kitchen bench of his trailer. “CORRRRRECT! She’s done it again, ladies and gentlemen. The perfect test score!”

Eddie made every practice test like that. Fun. Engaging. Memorable. It anchored your learning to semantic memory. The more time you spent with Eddie, your already good grades were getting even better.

He read your essays, adding tips from when he’d been in that class. Just because he had failed didn’t mean he was dumb. He knew what the teachers wanted; he just lacked the motivation to give it to them. He got you from an A- to an A+ in English, his creative flair helping to give all your pieces that extra special thing teachers loved.

Your parents didn’t want to hear about it though. They barely tolerated hearing Eddie’s name at all. Any evidence that disproved their preconceived idea of him was banned from conversation. Things were becoming tenser with them, which meant you spent more time at Eddie’s, which continued the cycle of shitty parenting and avoidant behaviour.

None of it mattered when you were alone with Eddie.

When you walked side by side, he would lace his fingers between yours or wrap an arm around your shoulder. At the cafeteria table, Eddie’s leg would hook around your ankle. Sometimes he’d reach out and tap on your fingernails like he was playing the piano. Best though, was always going to be being together in that bedroom.

Sitting on his bed, he’d pull your legs over his and hold them. When you sat at his dresser doing school work, he’d sit at your feet and lean against the chair just to be close. The melodies he played then were always soft and always came from his acoustic guitar.

When you got sleepy, he’d tell you to nap, then hold you close as a big spoon should. He was careful where he placed his hands, knowing it would take one wrong move to make your self-consciousness snap back in an instant. So, he’d often just hold his arms off you a little bit and twinkle his fingers, his mute way of telling you to put him where you wanted him.

Eddie kept an eye on the time, never letting you be late for curfew because he knew the wrath it would result in. Even when you protested, even when he had to wake you up, and even when you tried to hide tears, he would usher you out to his van and take you home, feeling like shit the entire way.

Eddie wanted you to fall asleep in his bed and not have to wake until morning.

He wanted you to look in the mirror and see what he saw.

The thing he couldn’t stop thinking about though, the thing he couldn’t help picturing all fucking day, was kissing you.

When your focus was elsewhere, he’d study your lips. The cupid bow. The way you sucked your bottom lip in when you were anxious or concentrating. The lip balm you used that was meant to be unscented but he swore was vanillary.

He was a man possessed by a singular thought and it was getting ridiculously distracting. He wanted you to be ready but he wouldn’t know when that was unless he asked you. So, that’s what he’d do. Eddie decided on a course of action and plotted it out in his mind, all while watching you politely listen to Dustin and Mike try to convince you that their respective girlfriends were better than the other’s.

“Um… They both sound really cool,” you offered.

“No, but El is like, a superhero,” Mike repeated for the sixth time.

“Nobody knows what that means,” Gareth said from across the table.

“Suzie has long curly hair, huh? Huh?” Dustin said, elbowing you like you’d know what that was code for. You just shrugged at him. “You love people with long curly hair!” Dustin clarified, annoyed that he had to spell it out. He pointed at Eddie, who was lost in his own ‘I’m gonna kiss her so much’ plans.

You looked over your shoulder at Eddie, smiled at the far-off expression on his face, then turned back to the freshmen. “I just… don’t really… want to compare girls like that. Can’t they both just be the best?”

Dustin groaned and Mike pushed his lunch tray away dramatically.

“They’re probably not the best,” Gareth said, making the freshmen freeze and glare. “I mean, what kind of girls would date you losers?”

A trail mix and potato-tot fight ensued.

…

Starcourt Mall 2.0 was not the destination you expected to arrive at. Looking over at Eddie, you cocked your head in confusion.

“Trust me,” he said.

“You literally were going on about how you’re glad it burnt down the other day,” you reminded him. There was a speech about how all the shops in the mall were part of the man’s plan to make everyone look the same. Dress the same. Eat the same. While Eddie didn’t walk on tables to make his point, it was all very dramatic.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but it got me thinking. They rebuilt, so maybe, you know, different stores,”

“Okay, that’s… fair…”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Eddie said. “I promised a special date and now we’re at the mall. But-”

“Trust you?” you finished for him.

Eddie grinned and nodded. He jumped from the van and came to open your door, something he did religiously. Sometimes he’d say an accompanying ‘my lady,’ or just bow at your service.

As you walked through the mall hand-in-hand with Eddie, you took stock of how the mall had changed. Before the fire, you’d go there all the time. When you were with other cheerleaders, the group of you were a force to be reckoned with. People would scatter out of the way, afraid of being targeted by way too cool teenage girls. It was more about being there and being seen, rather than the act of consumerism. Although, new lipstick and dresses were often purchased, and often at the command of Hayley.

You didn’t miss that, but as you walked by the book store, you remembered quiet Sunday afternoons with Chrissy. Picking out romance novels and giggling over pages when they got steamy. Sometimes you missed her, but required to pick between you and the rest of the cheer squad, Chrissy chose the path of least resistance.

 “So, I don’t think you were listening, had your head buried in Pet Sematary-”

“It’s really good!” you chimed in.

Eddie smiled. “I thought you’d like it. But the other day, when Wheeler was talking about his kid sister, you weren’t paying attention?” He waited for you to confirm, which you did. “Good, so, he said his mum made him take her here. I know it’s like, for kids, but it’s kind of fucked up when you think about it. And it’s cute. So I thought it was, I don’t know, representative… Of us,”

“We’re… cute and fucked up?” you asked, trying to figure out what the hell he could be talking about.

“Yeah. Basically. Um, and I checked, you know, that we could do it. That it wasn’t literally only for children,”

“That we could do what?”

Your question was timed perfectly as you walked around a corner and arrived at a brightly lit store with rainbow colours painted on the walls.

“Build a bear!” Eddie announced.

The shop was more of a one-room workshop. To the right was a wall of soft toys, teddies and cats and puppies and some creatures you didn’t recognise. Below them were bins full of, well, the skins of the soft toys. You watched a kid pick one up and take it over to a girl sitting at a big machine full of fluffy teddy stuffing. The stuffing was rolling around in the machine, warm and alive.

“I’m gonna name mine Angel,” Eddie said, pulling you into the store.

“You’re right… This is kind of fucked up,” you mused, holding the skin of a brown highland cow teddy in your hands.

Eddie nodded, making a half giggle half snort sound as he pulled a baby pink and horrifically hollow cat out of a bin.

“Hi! Welcome to Build-a-Bear. My name is Kasey and I’ll be your bear builder today. Have you chosen a pawsome friend to join your family?!”

Kasey was full of pep on the outside but you figured she was probably dying on the inside. Maybe that’s why she was at your sides so quickly – any chance to serve someone other than a screaming six-year-old.

“You don’t have to… like… do the whole thing,” you said to her.

Kasey shrugged. “It’s honestly easier than trying to have a genuine conversation every time. I used to work at McDonalds. This is way better,”

“But no free fries,” Eddie joked.

Kasey looked at him with the dead-eyed vacant expression of a retail worker. “There were no free fries. Anyway, that your pick?” she asked him, pointing to the pink cat. Eddie nodded. “And you’ve got Longhorn?”

“That’s his name?” you asked, looking at the dead cow in your hands.

“They’re all Longhorn, until you know, you name it,” she answered, leading you to the stuffing machine. “We’ll fill them up then you can put whatever you want in there.”

Eddie had his cat filled firmly, so she would sit in a cute pose on one of his guitar amps. Yours was much more soft, floppy and cuddly in your arms.

“These are their hearts,” Kasey said, handing you each a small red pillowed heart. “Next, we do the Build-a-Bear heart ceremony. Shake it up in your palms to bring them to life. Rub their hearts on your forehead so the bears will be smart.”

You weren’t sure if she was serious, but Eddie was already smooshing the heart into his head, so you copied him.

“Rub your cheeks, so the bears will be cheeky. And on your back, so they'll always have your back. Lastly, over your hearts, so they’ll be full of love. Now they’re ready. Put them inside,”

“Wait. Here. Have mine,” Eddie said, pushing his heart into the open stitching of your cow.

“Then here,” you replied, gifting his cat your heart.

Kasey pulled at the threading of the teddies and sewed them close. She directed you to where you could pick an outfit for them.

“Holy shit. These bears have better career options than me,” 

“I don’t see a rockstar outfit though,” you said looking at the uniforms and clothing on offer. You walked away from Eddie to where you spotted a tiny leather jacket.

When you reconvened at the counter, Eddie’s cat was dressed in a denim jacket, much like the one you were wearing. He grinned at your own choice, taking it and making it kiss the cat.

“Oh my god,” you squealed, snatching the toys from Eddie. 

You put the bears on the counter, and let Eddie pay for them.

“You get a birth certificate,” the woman at the counter said. She pulled two pre-printed pieces of paper out and handed you both a pen.

You watched Eddie write ‘Angel’ in his best handwriting in the blank space on his certificate.

Looking down at your own, you thought. Obviously, you had chosen the highland cow for his messy mop of hair and big brown eyes, but you didn’t really want to name him Eddie. With no other nicknames, you had to brainstorm quickly. ‘Hellfire’ seemed fitting, and when you glanced at Eddie, the smile on his face was all the reassurance you needed.

Eddie thanked the bear builders and handed you Hellfire while putting Angel under his arm. “I’m hungry,” he said, taking your free hand and walking from the store.

Eddie had learned not to politely ask ‘are you hungry’ or ‘do you want something to eat’ because you would always say no. If he hid his care for you under a cloak of his own needs, you’d usually follow his lead. His second trick was dubbed sharing is caring.

“Do you wanna share some nachos?”

“Yeah, ‘kay,” you replied, sitting at the food court table Eddie had placed Angel on.

“You look after the children,” he said with a shameless smile.

Alone in the middle of a place that used to mean something so different to you, you felt strange. Kind of spacey. By the time Eddie returned, the biggest plate of nachos you had ever seen put on the table, you were zoned out.

“I got extra guacamole. ‘Cause you love avocado,” he told you. Eddie hated avocado, so he rotated the plate so the green was closer to you. “Hey. You okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning your expression, then the food court.

“Yeah. Just thinking,”

“Good stuff?”

Nodding, you replied, “Yeah.”

You used the plastic fork to eat a solid portion of the food. Eddie used his hands and went through a pile of napkins. You accepted his offer to share his milkshake, and you let him down half your Dr Pepper in return.

“You’re quiet,” he said as you made your way back through Starcourt to the parking lot.

“I know… I'm okay though,”

“What’s happening? Up here?” Eddie motioned to his own head, kind of circling it like he was drawing a halo.

“Uh… I don’t really… know. It’s weird. I’m like… A bit spaced out. But in a good way? I’m not really thinking anything.”

Eddie thought for a second. “I don’t wanna alarm you, but could you possibly be just… you know, happy?”

“Eddie. I’m happy a lot,” you said defensively enough that he knew he was on to something.

“Yeah, I know, but like, maybe you’re just... really here. Right now. In this minute.”

Eddie stopped at your side of the van and held your hand as you stepped up into the passenger seat. You took Angel from him, hugging her and Hellfire to you.

Your nose tingled and tears pricked at the sides of your eyes. Eddie stepped closer, the height difference between you removed by your seated position. You sat back a little and watched him look at you carefully. He was waiting for you to say something, but you couldn’t. Words would get stuck behind the lump in your throat.

A small nod was all you could offer, but for Eddie, it was poetry in motion.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispered.

The food in your stomach flipped and your teeth clenched together with anxiety. You were entirely freaked out, but you had never wanted something so desperately before. Again, all you could do was nod. He asked if you were sure. Somehow, you managed to squeak out, “Yes.”

Eddie carefully closed the gap between you, pushing his forehead against yours. Your eyes closed immediately and you took a sharp breath in. Eddie ran his nose along yours, waited for you to breathe out, then gently pressed his lips to yours. Before you could think to move, his lips were gone, but he hadn’t moved away.

Eddie’s hands came to cup your face. He kissed you again, lingering a little longer to let you catch up. You kissed back. It was awkward and sweet and you didn’t know what to do because the only other time you’d been that close to someone was a drunk Andy, who mostly just mashed his teeth to yours and tried to make you swallow his tongue.

This was nothing like that.

“You good?” Eddie asked, not moving away from you. 

“Yeah,” you replied, staying still in his hands.

Eddie kissed you, letting you grow a tiny bit bolder, parting your lips against his and waiting for him to do the same. Although you were still a burning ball of nerves, there was something almost second nature about kissing Eddie. It wasn’t that you knew exactly what to do, but you knew whatever you did, it would be right. You couldn’t fuck it up.

“Can we go home?” you asked after the fourth and fifth kiss.

“Yeah, Angel. Let’s go home.”

Letting go of you and stepping back made Eddie ache in a way he’d never felt. He knew it was a love-adjacent feeling, so he didn’t fight it.

On the ride home, you held Angel and Hellfire and tried to not giggle madly.  

…

“I’m serious, Ed, this is not bad at all,” Wayne said, looking in disbelief at the bowl of butterscotch pudding in front of him.

“It’s just sugar and flour,” Eddie dismissed.

10:00 pm was fast approaching and Wayne was due to leave for his night shift at work. Eddie, bored and caught up on homework, found an old recipe book shoved in the back of a kitchen cabinet when he was looking for something sweet. He followed the instructions and produced a more than decent pudding while Wayne woke and got ready.

They ate the dessert together, then Wayne bid his nephew goodnight.

It was a Wednesday night, the week after Build-a-Bear Saturday. You’d spent the rest of the day together in Eddie’s room, figuring out how to kiss each other in a way that would make your knees wobbly and Eddie’s entire body go rigid.

Every moment without you since then was torture. Monday’s classes sucked. Tuesday’s classes sucked. That day’s classes, yep, sucked. Making the pudding was really a welcomed distraction.

“Alright,” Eddie said to himself after ten minutes had gone by and he was still sitting at the kitchen bench staring off into space. He got up and moved the dishes into the sink. He looked at them and they looked back.

The phone rang. Eddie was thrilled. He could pretend the call made him forget to do the dishes.

“Greetings and salutations. You have reached the Munson residence. How may I direct your call?” he answered. Eddie knew the sound of your crying too well. The small sniffles on the other end of the line made all the joy evaporate from him. “Angel? Baby, what’s wrong?”

Standing in a phone booth a couple of blocks from your house, you started to really cry. Of course, he’d know it’s you without you even having to speak.

Eddie let you cry for less than a minute before coaching you through some deep breaths. He said your name a couple of times, then asked where you were. He told you to walk another block over, to where there was an all-night liquor place, and wait for him there.

The guy behind the counter at Hot Shot Liquor watched you sit on the curb outside the store and curl up into yourself. He was going to go out and ask if you needed help, but decided it was none of his business.

As soon as you saw Eddie’s van come around the corner, you were up. He tore out of the driver’s seat and held you tightly when you threw yourself into his arms.

“You’re okay. S’alright. I got you,” he whispered, repeating himself with small changes to sentence structure and word order.

When he felt like you could stand on your own two feet, Eddie pulled away from you just enough to see your face. He put his hands in the sleeves of the Anthrax hoodie he was wearing and wiped your face free from tears, snot, and spit.

“Let’s go home, yeah?” 

You nodded, looking at him through clumped-together eyelashes.

Eddie held your sad face in his hands and studied you for a second before leaning in and kissing you gently. Immediately, you kissed him back, deepening the kiss and adding a needy intensity that Eddie embraced in full.

You had thought kissing was a nice thing. It was about romance and fluffy feelings. But standing under a flickering neon 24/7 Liquor sign, cold and scared, you found out that kissing was now a necessity. You needed it. You needed to feel Eddie’s mouth against yours. You needed to feel like he wanted you like you wanted him. It was about romance, sure, but a feral kind of romance.

“Come on,” Eddie whispered when you both came up for air, his hands still holding you. You nodded into him but made no attempt to move.

He held you for a few more moments, then walked you around the van and helped you up. For the entire drive, he let you keep one of his hands between yours, not letting go to turn corners or park.

Eddie was back at your door to lead you inside. The trailer was warm and smelt good, that was all you really registered. Eddie pulled you along into his room, where you sat on the edge of his bed. He knelt in front of you.

“What do-” Eddie stopped mid-sentence to change his approach. “Do you know what you need? Or what you’d like?”

You looked at him, your eyes still filled with tears. Although you tried to think, tried to help him help you, your mind was all static and emotion. The best you could do was shrug, which you felt dumb and useless for but it was truly all you could do.

“That’s okay. Um, how ‘bout…” Eddie was thinking, his eyes darting around his room for inspiration. He remembered then; he had a surprise for you. Something special in his stockpile of gifts. “Do you want to change into something more comfy?”

Eddie stood and made his way over to where clothes were shoved haphazardly into a set of drawers. You watched him, hoping he wasn’t going to try to offer you any of his own wardrobe. Your cup size alone meant none of Eddie’s t-shirts would fit. If you thought of the size of his thighs compared to yours, you’d vomit.

“Because it just so happens that I got something for you,” Eddie said, his back still to you. “Has to be a secret though. The guys are so fuckin’ precious about the goddamn shirts, if they know I’ve given you one, they’ll lose it.”

Eddie turned around and held up a Hellfire shirt, the same as his, but in your size. Actually, maybe two sizes bigger.

“Figured you’d just wear it here, maybe for when we have our Saturday siestas, or whatever. Whatever you want,” he explained as he handed it to you. “I got it made bigger so it would be extra comfy.”

Your brain was short-circuiting.

Your silence was terrifying Eddie. Wayne had warned him that getting clothes for you would be risky. It involved guessing your size, which Eddie knew was a particular insecurity you had. Had he fucked up?

Eddie crossed his arms across his chest as he waited. Still, silence. He moved one of his hands to his face so he could chew on his fingernails.

“If it’s stupid-”

“It’s not stupid!” you almost yelled, cutting off Eddie. As you spoke you stood, too excited to be self-conscious. You moved to be in front of Eddie’s mirror, threw off the jacket and t-shirt you were wearing, quickly replacing it with the Hellfire shirt.

It fit exactly how you’d want it to and it smelled like Eddie. How long had he been keeping it hidden away in those drawers?

You felt different. It’s like the shirt was magic. Somehow, you didn’t fucking hate your reflection, even with the puffy eyes and messy hair. You kicked off your shoes and decided to go all in, unzipping and pulling off your jeans before you could think about it too much.

Eddie watched all of this in awe. He watched you look at yourself and smile. It was a proper smile. You looked at him then and he swore to god he was going to love you forever. He was going to fucking burst if he didn’t tell you.

“I love you,” he said, the words falling quickly from his mouth.

“I love you too,” you replied. It’s the easiest thing you’d ever said.

After warmed up butterscotch pudding and a debrief about how your parents had crossed the line between controlling and cruel, you cuddled up in Eddie’s bed. The radio was on in the background, turned down enough to be ambient more than clearly audible.

“This okay?” he whispered, his fingers ghosting down your back and along your bare thighs. You nod into him, pressed a kiss to his collarbone. It was more than okay.

Next Chapter - 5: Buzzkill

End Note: Build-a-Bear didn’t open until the late 90s, but I am pretending it was founded in like, 1985-ish, because how perfect was it?

As always, reblogs are king on Tumblr, and the only way content gets seen and shared. Comments and feedback make my entire fucking week.

Fic Taglist: @ajeff855 @b-barnes04 @eddie-munson-is-a-sweetheart @nerd-squad-headquarters @word-wytch @harrys-tittie

All Eddie x Reader By Me Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @munsonlives @sweetpeapod @depressooexxpressoo @thorfemmes @hawkins-high @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl

after 40,000 years i’m finally gonna post chapter 3 of “we’re going to summer camp bitches!” and another part (not the season 3 part 2 chapter 🫤) of eddie/steve x platonic! (007) experiment! reader between today and tomorrowwwww 🤭🤭🤭