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BROKEN RECORD

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || stranger things || seasons two - four

SUMMARY: Lyra Hargrove had to grow up quickly, constantly adjusting to unwanted changes. The hardest was moving to Hawkins, Indiana after her father remarried to keep up a facade of a happy family. Weeks into their new life, Lyra notices Max acting secretive and avoiding everyone. She soon discovers that Hawkins is linked to the Upside Down, a dangerous, demonic version of their town. Joining the monster hunting club brings more secrets, lies, and potential heartbreak.

WARNINGS: friends to lovers, second chance romance, cursing, angst, stranger things violence, some talks of blood and gore

A/N: I do not own any of the stranger things characters only Lyra and her storyline as well as any other OC's that I create. Please do not copy or translate my work; paraphrasing is still copying! As always, thank you for all the support in my writing, I appreciate every single one of you! 🥰

➩ SEASON TWO

➩ SEASON THREE

➩ SEASON FOUR

SEASON TWO ➩ BROKEN RECORD

Eddie Munson x OC!Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: a new year typically means a fresh start. Well, not for Hawkins. New dangers arise, secrets and lies emerge, and new residents must confront hidden truths. Navigating these challenges, will uncover deeper connections and face even greater threats, testing bonds and resilience.

chapter one: new neighbors, new nightmares

chapter two: unforgettable encounters

chapter three: if darkness had a son

chapter four: problem child

chapter five: trick or treat, freak

chapter six: rock n’ roll dream

chapter seven: the awakening

chapter eight: thunderstruck

chapter nine: hells bells

chapter ten: cherry flavored

chapter eleven: maneater

chapter twelve: one step forward, three steps back

chapter thirteen: made for lovin’ you

CHAPTER ONE: NEW NEIGHBORS, NEW NIGHTMARES

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || WC: 1.9K

A/N: i told myself I wasn't going to write another story yet here we are!this series has been in the works for a VERY long time, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I loved writing it! beautiful divider by @dreamland-gallery <3

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HAWKINS 1984

“This place is such a complete shit hole!” Billy Hargrove huffed throwing himself down onto Lyra's bed completely disregarding the clothes that lay neatly organized on top of it. "Not even three seconds of being here and you're already complaining." Rolling her eyes, she shoved her brother who completely disregarded her.

"Quit pouting," To which Billy rolled his eyes. "Just sucks that we have to go to school tomorrow, figure we'd have a few days to adjust." Lyra thought aloud all while trying to redecorate her new room. "Neil doesn't care about that. Or that he completely flipped our lives upside down." Lyra shrugged.

"Max and Susan aren't that bad," She defended. "Besides, I think It's nice to have a little sister." She smiled organizing her cassettes. "I have to disagree." Billy muttered under his breath smirking, which ultimately earned him a pillow being thrown in his direction.

"Shithead." Just as Billy was going to retaliate there was a knock on Lyra's door. "This place sucks." Max muttered sitting on the chair on the opposite side of the room. "At least you two have that in common." Lyra smiled, pointing between Max and Billy who were already glaring at one another.

"You can't tell me you like it here?" Lyra shrugged. "I haven't really decided, but I know that I will not miss California's beaches." She shuddered. "Plenty of beaches here if you ask me." Billy sassed directing the statement towards his step sister who in turn flipped him off.

"Both of you, play nice." Neither of them said anything, instead occupying themselves with Lyra's surrounding items. Max reached for a snow globe on the nightstand, turning it over in her hands, watching the faux snowflakes settle over the miniature cityscape of Seattle inside. Billy fiddled with a stack of vinyl records, flipping through them without really seeing the covers.

Both their movements deliberate, a silent barrier in the already stifling room. The tension was a palpable entity, squeezing the space between them with invisible, yet forceful, hands. Neither dared to breach the silence, each moment stretching into eternity, filled only with the quiet shuffle of objects and the loud unspoken words that refused to surface.

Lyra looked between her sister and the obvious grimace on Billy's face and decided to break the awkward and rather suffocating tension. "You know what," She spoke gathering Max and Billy's attention. "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving." She emphasized her point with a hand on her stomach. "I saw a diner a couple of miles from here."

Lyra immediately nodded agreeing to Max's suggestion quickly discarding the pile of clothes that lay unsorted in the corner of her closet. Before Billy could refuse, shutting down the redhead's idea Lyra was quick to grab his wrist trying and inevitably failing to haul him off her bed. "Come on, I'll even buy you a milkshake." Lyra pouted tugging harder on Billy's forearm.

Almost as if contemplating his options Billy held Lyra's gaze, his face void of any emotions which made the blonde exaggerate the pout that decorated her face. She let out a triumphant cheer fist-bumping Max. "Can I drive?" Billy couldn't help but snort at his sister's question. "Nice try." He scoffed.

"You can only win one battle with him." Lyra muttered, swinging her arm around Max's shoulders as they followed after Billy. "Where do you three think you're going." The booming voice of Neil Hargrove questioned, which made a shiver run down all three teenager's spines. "Heading out to a diner Max pointed out on the way here." Lyra explained with an exaggerated sweet smile and added a cheery tone to her voice.

"Have fun girls," Susan Mayfield nodded approvingly. "Your sisters' will be in the car, don't you dare drive like a maniac," Neil's venomous eyes bore into Billy's. "Understood." He spat sternly in order to get his point across. "Yes sir." Billy responded curtly. "We'll be back later." Lyra's sugary voice cut in, quickly opening the front door and ushering Max and Billy through before waving at her father and stepmother.

"You can have shotgun." Max muttered as Billy unlocked his Chevrolet Camaro. As the car roared to life, Lyra nodded appreciatively at the AC/DC tape that blasted through the speakers. "Don't forget you owe me that milkshake." Billy declared, pulling out of the driveway. "A promise is a promise." She winked, grinning widely at the small smile that threatened to break out on her brother's lips. Lyra took that as another win. 

Benny's Burgers was completely swamped for a Sunday afternoon. The neon sign buzzed and flickered, casting a warm glow on the chrome exterior of the diner. As the door swung open, a bell chimed, and the scent of sizzling burgers and fries wafted out. Inside, the black and white checkered floor gleamed under the fluorescent lights, reflecting the red vinyl booths that lined the walls.

Each table was adorned with a mini jukebox, the selections filled with the hits of the decade—synth-pop, rock, and new wave tunes that would occasionally burst into life when a patron dropped a coin. Waitresses in pastel uniforms and white aprons glided across the floor, balancing trays laden with milkshakes topped with whipped cream and a cherry, club sandwiches stacked high, and blue-plate specials.

The sputter and hiss of the grill provided a comforting backdrop to the hum of conversation. At the counter, patrons sat on swivel stools, elbows resting on the Formica surface, as they chatted with the cook who flipped pancakes with a practiced flick of the wrist. The walls were adorned with memorabilia—movie posters, album covers, and neon signs advertising ice cream sundaes. The air was filled with the clinking of cutlery, the clatter of dishes being stacked, and the occasional laughter that erupted when stories were shared.

Lyra didn't hesitate to slide into the booth after Max, her gaze immediately drawn to the laminated menu propped against the condiment rack. The pages were a collage of vibrant images and bold text, each dish vying for attention. The pages were a feast for the eyes, adorned with images of juicy steaks, glistening with a perfect sear, and platters of golden-fried fish accompanied by lemon wedges and tartar sauce. She pondered over the pasta section, where spaghetti tangled with meatballs in a rich marinara sauce, and fettuccine ribbons lay draped under a creamy Alfredo.

Max wasted no time in reading the menu over her shoulder as Billy slid in across from them, peering over his menu. The fluorescent lighting overhead glinted off the glossy pages, illuminating the colorful photographs of towering burgers and milkshakes crowned with whipped cream. Max's finger paused over a picture of a blueberry waffle. Billy, on the other hand, seemed drawn to the heartier options, his attention captured by the 'Lumberjack Platter' with its promise of eggs, steak, bacon, and french fries.

Their eyes danced across the pages, occasionally darting up to the specials board that hung above the counter, chalked with today's date and the promise of homemade cherry pie. The server arrived, pad in hand, ready to take their order with a smile on her face. With a final glance at the menu, they each nodded, having made their silent selections. The server's pencil scribbled across the paper, capturing the details of their choices before she whisked away.

"Gross." Max grimaced kicking Billy under the table which he returned. "For the record, this is not behaving." Lyra scolded. "She started it, I was just finishing it." Before Lyra could intervene, Max beat her to it. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't drool over our server before she even brought out the drinks." Billy scoffed avoiding his sister's smirk from across the table.

Not even a second later, the waitress had returned balancing three drinks in her hand. "Here you folks go, two strawberry milkshakes, and one chocolate, your food should be out shortly." She assured paying extra attention to Billy who was giving her a flirty grin. "Thanks, sweetheart." Billy winked leaving the girl a giggling mess. As soon as the waitress left, Max turned to Lyra as if to prove her point.

"You should be used to this, Max." Lyra shrugged having grown accustomed to her brother flirting. Before she could take a sip of her milkshake, Billy reached across the table beating her to it. "What the hell!" Lyra huffed trying to take the glass cup back from him. "You said you'd buy me a milkshake." He stated matter-of-factly. "You have one right there." She pointed to his untouched chocolate milkshake.

"Forgot I like this one better." He shrugged plopping the cherry in his mouth. "Asshole." Lyra cursed taking his chocolate milkshake in retaliation. "Hey shit-bird," He taunted gaining Max's attention. "You know what they say if you can tie a cherry stem with your tongue, right?" He smirked, enjoying the fact that he could get a rise out of her.

Just as Lyra was about to scold him once more their waitress came around the corner of the kitchen and set their designated plates in front of them. With yet another flirty smile and wink from Billy promising that all of their orders looked correct, they finally dug into their meal. As they started eating in silence, the delicious aroma of their food filled the air.

The silence between them was broken only by the satisfying crunch of their fries. Despite the tension, the food was too good to ignore. As the last bites of their meal were finished and the plates cleared away, the tension that had built up seemed to dissipate with the satisfying end to their meal.

Lyra couldn't help but steal another sip of her strawberry milkshake, her sweet revenge for Billy's earlier comments. Billy simply just shook his head with a smirk, knowing better than to comment again. Their waitress returned, placing the bill neatly on the table, her pen tucked behind her ear and a professional smile on her face.

"No rush, whenever you're ready." She smiled, before turning to attend to another table. Billy immediately reached for his wallet. "I thought I was the one paying for the milkshakes?" Lyra teased holding back her laugh at the look of deep offense written on her brother's face. "I got it." Lyra just rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips, knowing this was just another chapter in their ongoing banter. 

Max rolled her eyes noticing Billy scribbling his number on the bill. Making it a personal mission to hand it straight to their waitress. "Y'all have a lovely rest of your night." She gushed pocketing the bill as if it were a trophy after noticing what had been scribbled at the bottom. "Thanks, doll." Billy purred, his grin morphing into a suggestive smirk upon seeing the color of the girl's cheeks redden the longer he held eye contact.

"That's our cue, Max." Lyra gagged linking her arm with the redheads. As the trio made their way out of the diner, Lyra was completely oblivious to a curly-haired boy with a pair of dark chocolate eyes sitting in the very back corner booth following her every movement, feeling quite envious of the dirty blonde's muscled arm around her shoulders leading her to a Camaro he could only dream to afford.

CHAPTER TWO: UNFORGETTABLE ENCOUNTERS

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || WC: 1.6K

A/N: lyra and Billy have arrived at hawkins!! Anyone else think Jonathan is criminally underrated? I know this chapter was kinda boring and a filler chapter for what's to come. I'm so excited to write the famous Halloween episode! Eddie and Lyra scenes coming soon!

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Lyra knew that Billy was a sucker for attention. However, this was certainly not the way she expected to arrive at her new High School. As if from a scene in a movie, heads turned to his sleek, dark blue Camaro pulling into the parking lot. The music blaring from the car speakers adding to the anticipation. As Billy parks the car, out steps Max, Lyra following close behind. "Have a good day at school, Cherry." Lyra smiled handing Max her skateboard and watching her skate away.

"She better not be late." Billy chastised throwing his cigarette bud on the ground. "You just love to make an entrance don't you." Lyra scoffed playfully reading Billy like an open book. As Lyra leaned over to get her backpack from the backseat, Billy immediately noticed the amount of male attention she was attracting. Not liking it one bit.

Completely oblivious, Lyra swung her backpack over her shoulders ready to get the awkward introductions out of the way. "Where do you think you're going?" Billy questioned glaring at his sister. "To the main office, we have to pick up our class schedules." Lyra looked at him as if he had grown two heads. "Wearing that," He gestured to the Def Leppard cropped top.

"I don't think so." He tsked pulling a black leather jacket from the trunk of his car. "It's your shirt. I stole it from your closet." She deadpanned giving him the meanest glare she could muster. "Just put the damn thing on." He insisted, throwing his leather jacket in her direction. For the sake of not wanting to argue knowing how stubborn and hot-headed he was she did as he asked. "Happy?" She grumbled sarcastically. "Ecstatic." He retorted with an eye roll. 

It was getting harder and harder for Lyra to ignore the whispers and blatant stares that they were both receiving upon walking toward the main office. She knew that both males and females found Billy attractive.  With his tall, muscular frame, perfectly styled blonde hair, and confident swagger, he exuded an air of mystery and rebellion. Billy's presence has certainly made an impression, and the tension in the air is almost tangible.

On the other hand, Billy was scowling at anyone who dared to look at Lyra for more than five seconds. There was a reason why he had handed her his precious leather jacket. He had no problem knocking out any dirtbag who so much as looked at his sister with lustful intentions or even dared to wolf whistle in her direction. Both siblings made their way to the administration office, where a sign reading "Class Schedules Here" hung crookedly on the door.

Inside, the room was filled with the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the faint smell of copier ink. The walls were adorned with bulletin boards showcasing upcoming events and motivational posters that seemed to promise endless possibilities. A table near the entrance was stacked with neatly arranged packets of paper, each labeled with a different grade level. Lyra and Billy exchanged a glance before reaching for the pile designated for seniors.

Their fingers brushed against the smooth, cool surface of the schedules as they slid one out from the stack. With schedules in hand, they stepped aside, allowing other eager students to grab their own. They unfolded the papers, revealing a grid of classes, room numbers, and teacher names. "Intro to Psychology." Lyra muttered assessing her first class of the day. "What about you?" Billy shrugged handing his sister his class schedule. "Who cares, I'm ditching."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Just don't get caught." Billy scoffed, nonchalantly checking out the cheerleaders who walked by. "I'll see you later." Walking off to find her locker, she was surprised to see Billy hot on her trail. "You let me know if anyone bothers you." Billy declared leaning against the locker next to his sisters. "Easy, Hellraiser," She taunted spinning the dial on her locker and managing to open it on the first try. "I can handle myself. Have fun ditching." With a mischievous grin, Billy sauntered off, leaving Lyra to face her first class of the day.

Thankfully, Lyra's psychology teacher did not bother to introduce her as the new student in front of the whole class. She exhaled a silent sigh of relief and slipped into the back of the classroom, her teacher's eyes only briefly acknowledging her presence before returning to the lesson at hand. Gratitude washed over her; there would be no standing in front of the class, no spotlight to amplify her discomfort, and no need to articulate the reasons behind her and her brother's abrupt transfer during the final stretch of high school.

She settled into an empty desk, the cool surface a welcome barrier between herself and the sea of unfamiliar faces. The hum of the fluorescent lights overhead mingled with the murmur of her classmates, creating a cocoon of anonymity. Lyra's heart rate steadied as she realized she could blend into the background, at least for now. As the teacher dove into the intricacies of the human mind, Lyra allowed herself a moment to observe her peers from the safety of her peripheral vision.

No one spared her more than a cursory glance, and that was just fine with her. Here, in this small corner of the world, Lyra could be just another student, her story tucked quietly away beneath the layers of adolescent complexity that filled the room. Luckily the lecture went by smoothly, after a few notes and intricate doodles scrawled in her notebook the school bell rang, signaling the end of class. She quickly grabbed her book bag, making a mental note to stop by her locker to exchange her books.

"Hey," The voice of one of her classmates, Tina, she recalled interrupts her thoughts. "You're new, right?" Instead of saying something snarky and borderline sarcastic, Lyra chooses to instead nod awkwardly. "I'm throwing a Halloween bash tomorrow, hope you can make it." Lyra flashed her a faux smile taking the orange flyer from her hand. "Oh, and feel free to bring that sexy boyfriend of yours." Lyra couldn't hold back the look of disgust that made its way onto her face.

"Billy's not my boyfriend, he's my brother." Tina's smile only grew. "Good to know." Lyra took that as her cue to leave shoving the flyer into her bag and giving the curly-haired brunette another fake smile. The school halls are buzzing with the energy of students rushing to their next class. Amidst the chatter and locker slams, Lyra navigates her way through the crowd. That's when she spots them—a huddle of muscular athletes, their letterman jackets a stark contrast to the sea of regular high school attire.

They're looming over a brunette boy whose back is pressed against the cold metal of the lockers. His eyes are wide, darting around for an escape that doesn't exist, his hands fumbling with the straps of his backpack. Lyra's steps falter for a second, taking in the scene. The boy is practically shrinking under the weight of the athletes' sneering superiority. One of the jocks, a tall guy with a smirk that's all teeth, is leaning in too close, his hand raised reaching for his camera.

"Hey, Byers, who are you spying on today?" One of them jeers, snatching the camera strap. Lyra watches as he tries to grab his camera back, but the jocks are playing keep away, laughing at his attempts. Without missing a beat, Lyra strides over with a palpable determination. Her presence shifts the air, and the jocks' attention snaps to her, their mockery momentarily forgotten. The boy seems to hold his breath, his eyes meeting Lyra's for a fleeting second. Lyra stands her ground, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

"Beat it assholes." She challenges them, her tone laced with a confidence that belies her status as the new kid. The athletes, caught off guard by her boldness, falter, their facade of invincibility cracking. The standoff is brief but intense, and as quickly as it begins, it ends. The jocks, with a roll of their eyes and a huff of annoyance, back off. They throw a final, warning glance at the brunette boy before they disperse.

Their egos bruised but not quite ready to admit defeat. Lyra offers a hand to the boy, helping him regain his composure. He's visibly relieved, his gratitude evident as he adjusts his camera strap and mumbles a shy "Thanks." She nods, a silent pact forming between them. "Don't mention it," Sticking her hand out she takes the moment to introduce herself.

"Lyra Hargrove." Shuffling the strap of his camera over his shoulder, he meets her halfway shaking her hand. "Jonathan Byres." With the final shrill of the warning bell Lyra gives him one last smile before walking toward the opposite end of the hallway. "Nice to meet you, stay outta trouble, Jonathan Byers." And with that, both teens disappeared into the sea of high schoolers.

CHAPTER FOUR: PROBLEM CHILD

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || WC: 1.8K

A/N: THE TENSION!! You guys better get ready for this one’s it’s a long bumpy ride! Sorry this was another filled chapter for y'all, much more to come in the next couple!! Completely worth the wait I promise!!

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The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a dull orange glow over the nearly deserted high school parking lot. The only sounds were the distant hum of the freeway and the occasional rustling of leaves in the cool evening breeze. Billy paced back and forth like a caged animal, his boots scuffing the cement, his face twisted in a scowl. "Where the hell is she?" He bellowed, the veins in his neck bulging with each word, his patience fraying like a worn-out rope.

He and Lyra had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for Max to show up. The empty spaces around them echoed the emptiness of his patience. "Would you relax?" Lyra's voice cut through his frustration with the sharpness of a knife. She reached out with a swift flick of her wrist, plucking the cigarette from between his clenched teeth and crushing it under her shoe with a satisfying crunch.

Billy's jaw clenched tighter, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "I specifically told her not to be late again," He growled, his fists balling up at his sides, ready to unleash his anger on something, anything. Lyra, unfazed by her brother's growing rage, let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. She leaned against the hood of the car, her arms folded across her chest, her expression one of bored annoyance at Billy's antics. She knew Max would show up eventually, and Billy's temper tantrum wasn't going to make her appear any faster.

Almost as if on cue, Lyra caught sight of Max's red hair skating towards them. Lyra locked eyes with her sister, a knowing look passing between them. With a subtle nod in Billy's direction, she silently communicated that he was on the verge of exploding like a ticking time bomb. Max approached the Camaro, her hand hesitating over the door handle, bracing herself for the inevitable confrontation.

"You're late again," Billy's voice boomed, reverberating through the tense air as Max neared the car. She remained calm, her voice steady as she explained, "Yeah, I had to get catch-up homework." Billy scoffed dismissively, his impatience palpable. "Jesus, I don't care. You're late again, and you're skating home. Do you hear me?" Max, unfazed by his empty threat, climbed into the backseat without a word. Lyra shot Billy the fiercest glare she could muster, determined to protect her sister.

"If she skates home, I walk with her. Understood," She threatened, throwing his own words back at him before getting into the car herself. Wanting to diffuse the tension, Lyra changed the subject. "How come you didn't dress up, Max?" She asked, noticing the multitude of middle schoolers in Halloween costumes as they left the school parking lot. Max looked at her sister as if she had sprouted two heads. "Halloween's lame."

Lyra couldn't help but retort, "Tell that to your Michael Myers mask hanging in your room." Max huffed, "I wasn't about to wear a costume to school like some nerd. Besides, it's for later." Lyra nodded, earning herself a puzzled glance from Billy. "I'm taking her trick-or-treating, then I can come meet you at that Halloween party," Billy simply shrugged, nonchalant about the change in plans.

"Fine by me." Lyra could sense the brewing storm behind his casual facade, the calm before the inevitable outburst. Within the span of a heartbeat, Billy's voice, laced with disdain, broke the short-lived peace. "God, this place is such a shit hole." He muttered under his breath, his words a toxic whisper in the confines of the car. Lyra didn't miss a beat, her response sharp as she caught the tension in Billy's jaw from the corner of her eye.

"So you've said." She retorted, challenging the negative energy he exuded with every clenched muscle. Max, jumped to the town's defense, her voice a blend of innocence and conviction. "It's not that bad," She insisted, only to be met with Billy's scornful chuckle. Billy's gaze found Max's in the rearview mirror, a challenge in his eyes as he powered down the windows with a flick of his wrist.

"You smell that, Max?" He asked, taking in a deep, mocking breath. "That's actually shit. Cow shit," He declared as if his senses were the ultimate arbiters of truth. Lyra, unimpressed by his dramatics, shook her head, refusing to play into his narrative. "I don't see any cows," Max stated, her logic unassailable in its simplicity.

Billy's retort was quick, a jab aimed at the unsuspecting high school population. "Clearly you haven't met the high school girls," He sneered. The silence that followed was a testament to Billy's inability to tolerate the absence of reaction, his need for engagement as palpable as the tension in the car. "So what, you like it here now?" He prodded Max, searching for a crack in her armor. Max's head shook, a silent ripple in the charged atmosphere.

"Then why are you defending it?" Billy pressed, unable to let the matter rest, his voice a mix of curiosity and confrontation. "Billy, drop it," Lyra warned, sensing the tension escalating. "Sure sounds like she's defending it," He persisted. Max deadpanned, "It's just that we're stuck here." Billy, quick to respond, shot back, "You're right, we're stuck here. And whose fault is that?" Lyra, trying to defuse the situation, intervened.

"Hey," She coaxed, placing a gentle hand on Billy's forearm. "It's nobody's fault. Let's think of Hawkins as a fresh start." But Billy shrugged her off, his patience wearing thin. "What did you say?" He taunted Max's words pushing him to his breaking point. "Did you say it's my fault?" He gritted. However, Max shook her head, and Lyra, hoping to redirect Billy's attention, interjected. "She didn't say anything, Billy. Let's leave it alone." But Billy's stubbornness got the better of him.

"Max," He eerily taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "You know whose fault it is, say it!" Frustrated by the silence, he impulsively stepped on the accelerator, causing both girls to jump in surprise. "Billy, slow the car down," Lyra urgently warned, but he only responded with a taunting smirk. From the backseat, Max's eyes widened as she spotted three of her classmates riding their bicycles just a few feet away. "Billy, please slow down," Max pleaded, her voice laced with anxiety.

Lyra echoed her plea, "Billy, there are kids on the road, slow down!" Reveling in his cruel game, he taunted, "Oh, these your new hick friends? I guess you won't care if I hit 'em, then. What do you say, Lyra? Do I get bonus points if I get them all in one go?" Lyra shook her head in disbelief. "No, Billy, stop! This is not funny. They're kids, for fuck's sake!" Ignoring their pleas, Billy pressed down harder on the accelerator, tapping his fingers to the rhythm of the song blaring from the stereo, completely oblivious to the danger he was causing.

Just as he was getting dangerously close to the three kids on the road, Lyra took matters into her own hands. She reached in front of Billy, grabbing the wheel and forcefully turning it in the opposite direction, away from the kids. The screeching of tires and Billy's laughter filled the air as both Lyra and Max turned in their seats, relieved to see the boys escaping Billy's wrath in the nick of time. Exhaling sharply, Lyra could feel the heat of anger radiating through her as she caught the smug, self-satisfied smirk plastered across her brother's face.

It was one of those grins that knew exactly the kind of turmoil it was stirring up inside her. "Pull the car over, now," Lyra demanded, her voice laced with a sharpness that made Max jerk in surprise. The tension in the car was a palpable force, thick and heavy. Max had seen Lyra and Billy go at it with their usual sibling quips and jests, but this... this was a whole new level of hostility. "Max, stay in the car, please." Lyra's command was firm, leaving no room for argument.

As soon as the car came to a stop and she stepped out, slamming the door with a force that echoed down the street, she rounded on Billy. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?" Her words were like daggers, each one thrown with precision and enough venom to let Billy know that this was no ordinary squabble. This was something deeper, and Lyra was not about to let it slide. Billy's voice was a storm of indignation, his words crackling through the air like thunder. "I was teaching that brat a lesson," He fumed, his face a mask of twisted fury.

But Lyra, with a cold, incredulous laugh, countered his rage with a sharp dose of reality. "No, this was absolutely not necessary. I get that you're upset at god knows what, but nearly running over three teen boys is not going to help you feel better!" Her voice was thick with scorn, her disbelief at his actions painting her tone. She watched his jaw clench, the muscles in his neck tense as she added fuel to the fire. "Look, I get that you're upset about moving here, but scaring the shit out of Max isn't going to help."

The words tumbled out of her mouth with a venomous edge, her frustration with the situation reaching its peak. Billy's retort was swift and sharp, a verbal lashing that cut through the tense air between them. "What the hell do you know about what's going to make me feel better?" His words were a slap in the face, and Lyra recoiled, her heart racing, her breath catching in her throat. The hurt from his words was a physical blow, leaving her feeling wounded and exposed.

For a fleeting moment, as Lyra's pained expression registered, Billy's cerulean eyes softened, the stormy sea within them calming. "Lyra—" he began, his voice a tentative whisper against the howling wind of their argument. With a raised hand and a shaky breath, she silenced him. "Just get us home," Her voice a mere echo of her usual strength. And with that, she turned away, leaving the words unspoken and the air still charged with the remnants of their clash.

Billy's heart sank as he watched Lyra get back into his car, her retreating figure a painful reminder of the damage he had caused. Deep down, he knew he had gone too far, but his stubbornness held him back from offering an apology. As they made their way back home, the silence weighed heavily upon them. Billy's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, regret mingling with his stubborn pride. He wanted to make things right, to mend the fractures in his and Lyra's relationship, but the words caught in his throat, trapped by his own stubbornness.

CHAPTER SIX: ROCK N' ROLL DREAM

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || WC: 4.6K

A/N: now without further ado, the chapter everyone has been waiting for, I made sure to make this chapter a long one!! Enjoy! 🤭

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A rollercoaster of emotions were swirling through Lyra's mind. In the past twenty-four hours, she had felt so many unprecedented feelings that had been suppressed for years, bubbling up to the surface like a shaken soda can ready to explode. Memories of happier times mixed with the current turmoil, creating a chaotic storm within her. She knew that Billy hated change, clinging to the familiar like a lifeline. But the more time they spent in Hawkins, the longer he became unrecognizable to her.

Lyra remembered the days when Billy was her protector, always looking out for her with a fierce loyalty. But now, his actions were more erratic and unpredictable. She could see the anger simmering just beneath the surface, a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. The small town of Hawkins, with its eerie stillness and lurking shadows, seemed to amplify his inner demons, turning him into someone she could barely understand.

The weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future pressed heavily on Lyra's shoulders. She felt a pang of guilt, wondering if there was something she could have done differently, some way to reach out to the brother she once knew. The howling wind snapped her out of her inner turmoil as she hugged the leather jacket closer to her body so that it would provide some much needed comfort and warmth that she desperately needed. The cold air bit at her cheeks, turning them a rosy shade, and her breath formed small clouds in the frigid night.

She took a second to distract herself by analyzing Tina's backyard. The yard was a spectacle of Halloween creativity. Fake cobwebs stretched between the trees, glistening in the moonlight, and plastic skeletons hung from the branches, swaying gently in the wind. Teenagers from Hawkins certainly knew how to throw a rager. However the decorations and trash that littered the yard weren’t the only thing that caught Lyra’s attention. She was quick to noticed a shadowy figure completely isolated from everyone. The only indication that she wasn't out there alone was the amber glow of their cigarette.

Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness she noticed that he was wearing a costume she definitely recognized for the first time all night. He was dressed in tight black jeans, a leather jacket adorned with metal studs, and a wild mane of curly hair that framed his face. Without thinking too much about it, her feet carried her over to the stranger, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Kirk Hammet." The stranger in question nearly spat out the beer he had taken a swing from.

He swore he was hallucinating, that is until his eyes met Lyra's. "W-What?" He spluttered trying to wrap his head around the fact that a pretty girl knew who he was dressed up as. "I like your costume, bold choice."  The stranger chuckled nervously, running a hand through his curly hair. "Well if the shoe fits." He gestured to himself theatrically. "Thanks, not many people get it. You into Metallica?" His voice was a mix of surprise and curiosity, the kind that made Lyra feel a little less like an outsider in this sea of unfamiliar faces.

"Yeah, you could say that," She replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of pine and the distant laughter of partygoers. Breaking the silence, Lyra watched as the long-haired stranger reached behind him to grab a metal lunchbox, its surface adorned with stickers of various rock bands. "So, you interested in some of the devil's lettuce, sweetheart?" He asked, shaking it comically, the contents rattling inside.

Lyra couldn't help but scoff, her breath visible in the chilly air. "You're a dealer?" She raised her brow in question, her curiosity piqued. "Only the best in Hawkins," He smirked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Eddie Munson at your service." He bowed theatrically, his wild curls bouncing with the movement. Lyra chuckled, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie in his presence. "As much as I appreciate the offer, that's more my brother’s vice rather than mine," She replied, her voice tinged with amusement.

Eddie's face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Shit, I'll make myself scarce then," He said, pretending to tip an invisible hat before turning to leave. But before he could take a step, Lyra reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm. The contact was brief, but it sent a jolt of warmth through her, grounding her in the moment. "Wait," She said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't have to go." Eddie's eyes softened, and he nodded, taking a step closer.

The night seemed a little less cold, and the world outside Tina's backyard felt a little less daunting. Breaking the silence, Lyra watched as the long-haired stranger, Eddie Munson, settled down beside her on the weathered bench. The wood creaked under his weight, adding to the symphony of crickets chirping in the background. He leaned back, his eyes scanning the star-strewn sky above, a thoughtful expression on his face. "So you're the new girl I've been hearing so much about." He concluded putting two and two together. His voice was low and smooth, carrying a hint of curiosity.

Lyra shrugged, turning to face him, her eyes reflecting the twinkling stars above. "What gave it away?" She questioned, her tone light but her eyes searching his face for an answer. "Well," He started holding up his finger. "For one I've never seen you around, and I'd remember someone with good taste in music." And two," He held up two fingers. "Gossip travels fast at the hellhole that is Hawkins High." Lyra chuckled softly, the sound blending with the distant rustle of leaves. The air was cool, but the warmth of their budding conversation kept the chill at bay.

Eddie's eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and genuine interest, making her feel oddly at ease. "So, you got a name, or am I going to have to call you sweetheart all night?" He teased, his smile widening. "Lyra," She replied, her voice steady but soft. The name felt like a bridge between them, a small but significant step towards familiarity. Eddie nodded, as if committing her name to memory. "Lyra," He repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. The way he said her name made it feel like more than just a formality; it felt like the beginning of something new and unexpected.

"You got another cigarette on you, Eddie?" Lyra questioned teasingly, quite confident that she knew the answer. "You wound me," He muttered, digging the pack out of the inside of his leather jacket. "Never leave home without it, even if I promised my uncle I'd quit." He pulled out a cigarette and handed it to her, the silver rings on his fingers catching the faint light from the porch. Lyra took the cigarette, feeling the cool paper between her fingers. The smell of tobacco mixed with the earthy scent of the night air, creating a strangely comforting aroma.

Eddie struck his lighter, the brief flare of light illuminating his face before he held the flame to her cigarette. She inhaled deeply, the smoke curling up into the night sky, blending with the misty breath of the cool evening. Eddie leaned back, his own cigarette dangling from his lips. "You know," He said, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "My uncle's always on my case about these things. Says they're gonna be the death of me." He chuckled, a sound that was more resigned than amused. Lyra watched the smoke drift away, her thoughts momentarily lost in the swirling patterns.

"Yeah, well, sometimes it's the little rebellions that keep us sane," She replied, her voice tinged with a quiet defiance. She glanced over at Eddie, noticing the way his eyes softened, as if he understood more than he let on. The night seemed to stretch on, the silence between them comfortable and unforced. "So what's your story?" Eddie asked catching Lyra by surprise. She raised her brow in question urging him to continue. "You don't drink or smoke weed, but you smoke tobacco and ride a motorcycle," He thought aloud, his tone carrying a hint of admiration. Eddie's gaze met hers, and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world.

“Don’t forget, I also like metal,” She added with a smirk, the edges of her lips curling into a playful grin. The sound of distant laughter and the rustling of leaves filled the air, but their focus remained solely on each other. “Right, how could I forget,” He teased, making Lyra smile, her cheeks flushing slightly in the cool night air. After a beat of silence, almost as if Eddie was trying to figure out exactly what to say, he finally spoke. "You're interesting," He concluded, his voice filled with genuine curiosity and admiration.

This made Lyra let out a chuckle, the sound light and melodic, blending seamlessly with the rustling leaves around them. "Says the resident metalhead - drug dealer," She sassed back, motioning to him and his metal lunchbox, which he always carried with an air of nonchalance. "Touché," He smirked, taking a long drag out of his cigarette, which was almost out. "I gotta ask, how'd you even get into metal in the first place?" Eddie questioned. "Well," Her eyes flickered with nostalgia as she thought back to her childhood.

"When you have a brother who blasts it 24/7, it tends to grow on you." She could almost hear the distant echoes of guitars and drums coming from Billy's room, the relentless beats becoming the soundtrack of her formative years. "Besides," She smirked to herself, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Axl Rose's ass looks amazing in leather." She snickered, recalling the posters that she had admired everyday on the walls of Billy's room. "Jesus H. Christ," Eddie groaned, falling backwards on the wooden bench dramatically.

"You're one of those girls." Lyra scoffed, teasingly shoving his shoulder. "You know if you're ever interested in hearing some live metal music sometime and giving your ole’ Walkman a break, my band and I play at the Hideout on Tuesdays." He suggested, his voice carrying a hint of hopeful excitement. "Why does it not surprise me that you're in a bad." Lyra thought aloud, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Eddie was about to give her a witty remark when she interrupted, her curiosity piqued. "Let me guess, with your theatrics, you're the lead guitarist too?"

"And lead singer most nights." He announced proudly, puffing out his chest a bit. The pride in his voice was unmistakable, and Lyra couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. "So you're one of those guys." Lyra teased throwing his words from earlier back at him. Eddie couldn't help the smile that made it's way on his face. There was absolutely no way that a pretty girl liked metal and appreciated his humor. "Maybe I could get your number and-" Only Eddie didn't get to finish his sentence. A sudden loud crash from a nearby alley interrupted him, causing both of them to look in that direction.

Hearing the commotion of "Ooos" coming from inside the house made goosebumps arise on Lyra's skin. That could not be good. The night air felt suddenly colder, the chill seeping into her bones as she tried to gauge the situation. "Duty calls?" Eddie asked, immediately noticing Lyra's shift in demeanor. His voice was gentle, yet tinged with curiosity and concern. Lyra turned to give Eddie a remorseful look, wishing she could stay in his company longer. The warmth and ease of their conversation had been a rare comfort. "I'm so sorry,” She apologized, seeing the disappointment swimming in his chocolate doe eyes.

“I just have a feeling that my brother is somehow involved and we have a curfew," She explained, her voice tinged with frustration and a hint of regret. She could feel the weight of responsibility pulling her away. "No biggie sweetheart, just get home safe, alright." Eddie replied with a reassuring smile. His calm and understanding demeanor was a stark contrast to the chaos she anticipated inside. "Thanks, Eddie," She smiled, grabbing her helmet. "It was really nice to meet you." With an affectionate squeeze to his bicep, Lyra ran inside to see what all the commotion was about, her heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and the lingering warmth of their brief connection.

Upon entering the house, which was now even more trashed than when she arrived, Lyra maneuvered herself through drunken bodies to try and find the source of the commotion. The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and the sound of loud, off-key singing mixed with laughter still filled the room. She carefully stepped over broken glass and discarded cups, her eyes scanning the chaotic scene for any sign of trouble. She let out a breath of relief seeing as Billy was nowhere to be seen, yet she worried that was a bad sign too.

The last time she saw him, he was already on edge, and his absence now could mean he was getting into even more trouble elsewhere. Those thoughts were quickly put on pause as someone from behind crashed into her. She clutched onto her shoulder, hoping that her hand could relieve the sting before turning to give the drunk partygoer a piece of her mind. "Watch where you're going!" She hissed, only she was taken aback due to making eye contact with 'King Steve'. The same person her brother was face to face with hours earlier.

Upon noticing his disheveled hair and red-rimmed eyes, Lyra momentarily felt bad for yelling. Steve Harrington wanted nothing more than to snap back at the blonde girl in front of him, but decided against it. Instead he shook his head, his expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion, and made his way to the front door without another look back. “Asshole.” She muttered stretching out her aching shoulder and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the residual anger. Suddenly, she heard a slurred curse behind her, "S-Shit!" Spinning around, she saw a drunken girl stumbling, her eyes half-closed and her movements unsteady.

Lyra quickly stepped forward, just in time to steady the girl who looked like she could pass out any second. "Woah, are you okay?" Lyra questioned, her voice softening with concern as she looked into the girl's glazed eyes, trying to gauge her condition. The girl's makeup was smeared, and her hair was a tangled mess, suggesting she had been through quite an ordeal. "I'm f-fine," She slurred, her words barely coherent. Yet Lyra could tell by her disheveled appearance and the way she swayed unsteadily that she was far from fine. The strong smell of alcohol lingered around her, her clothes were wrinkled and slightly damp a red splotch staining the white material.

"Let's get you some fresh air, okay?" Lyra suggested, trying to guide her towards the door. She placed a supportive arm around the girl's shoulders, feeling the cold sweat on her skin. Yet before Lyra could direct her outside, a familiar voice interrupted. "Woah, Nancy, what happened?" Jonathan Byers questioned, his eyes widening with concern as he took in the scene. He stepped closer, his brow furrowing in worry. A moment of realization seemed to cross Nancy's face before she looked at Jonathan, her voice barely above a whisper. "Steve's bullshit," She muttered, her words thick with emotion and fatigue.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked like she had been crying. Jonathan frowned, his worry deepening as he glanced between Lyra and Nancy. "I need to get her home," He announced, taking a gentle but firm hold of Nancy's forearm. He began to steer her towards the front door, his grip steadying her as she stumbled slightly. Nancy's breathing was shallow, and she leaned heavily on Jonathan, her head drooping as if the weight of the world was pressing down on her. "Let me help you," Lyra insisted, her voice filled with concern and urgency as she followed closely behind Jonathan. She reached out to support Nancy's other side, her hands trembling slightly with worry.

The trio moved slowly through the crowded room, weaving between groups of people who were oblivious to the unfolding drama. As they reached the front door, the cool night air rushed in, bringing a momentary sense of relief. The stars were faintly visible against the dark sky, and the distant hum of traffic provided a soothing backdrop. Lyra could feel the tension in Nancy's body begin to ease slightly, but she knew they still had a long way to go. She glanced at Jonathan, who nodded in appreciation, his eyes reflecting the same concern and determination that she felt. Together, they guided Nancy outside, hoping that the fresh air and the quiet of the night would help her recover.

As they reached Jonathan's car, Lyra was quick to pull his passenger car door open so that he could gently place Nancy inside without much of a struggle. Nancy slumped into the seat, her eyes half-closed, as Jonathan carefully buckled her in, making sure she was comfortable and secure before shutting the door softly. Turning to Lyra he fiddled with his fingers, his eyes darting around nervously. "I, um, saw your brother passed out by the tree on the side of the house," He informed her, his voice tinged with concern. She was unable to stifle the eye roll, knowing that dealing with Billy was going to be a challenge.

Lyra couldn't help but roll her eyes, the exasperation clear on her face. The image of her brother sprawled out under the tree flashed in her mind, adding to her already mounting stress. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come, while Jonathan gave her a sympathetic look, his hands now resting on the roof of the car. "I'll take care of it," She sighed a hint of exasperation crossing her face. "Get home safe," At her words he nodded, giving Lyra a reassuring smile. He jumped into the driver's seat of his car, the engine roaring to life as he turned the key. With a final wave, he drove off into the night, leaving Lyra to deal with Billy. She watched the taillights disappear around the corner, the weight of the night's events settling heavily on her shoulders.

Taking another deep breath, she turned back towards the house, her footsteps echoing softly on the gravel driveway. The porch light flickered, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance with the wind. She hoped that Billy wouldn't be too far out of it, but as she neared the side of the house, her hopes were quickly dashed. Sure enough, just as Jonathan had said, Billy was sprawled out, nursing a bottle of god knows what in his hand. The smell of alcohol hit her before she even reached him, a pungent mix of whiskey and stale beer. As she reached him, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust.

"Jesus, Billy, you smell like a bar. How much did you drink?" She muttered, crouching down to his level. She gently pried the bottle from his hand, her fingers brushing against his clammy skin. The night was far from over, and as she helped him to his feet, she knew that the real challenge was just beginning. "K-Keg King." He slurred, a sloppy smile spreading across his face. For a brief moment, he seemed proud of himself, but the smile quickly faded when he caught sight of his sister's hardened expression. The disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable, and it cut through his drunken haze like a knife.

"Keys," Lyra demanded, holding her hand out, her voice firm and unwavering. She wasn't in the mood for any of his usual antics. Her patience was wearing thin, and all she wanted was to get him inside and away from any more trouble. Billy fumbled in his pockets, the sound of jingling keys breaking the tense silence. Finally, he pulled them out and dropped them into her waiting hand, his head hanging low in shame. Lyra clenched the keys in her hand, the cold metal biting into her palm. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before wrapping an arm around Billy's waist to support him. They stumbled together towards his Camaro, the gravel crunching under their feet in the quiet night.

"You can't keep drowning your problems in alcohol." Billy's head lolled to the side, his eyes half-closed. "I'm fine." He mumbled, his words barely coherent. Lyra shook her head, guiding him into the passenger seat and buckling him in, only taking her eyes off of him to throw her helmet in the backseat. "This isn't fine," She said softly, more to herself than to him. She walked around to the driver's side, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. As she started the car, she glanced over at Billy, who had already drifted off to sleep. She sighed, the weight of responsibility settling heavily on her shoulders.

Just then like a bucket of ice water being dumped onto her, she realized that she and Billy had come to the party separated. Her eyes darted to the spot where her motorcycle was still parked a few feet away, gleaming under the streetlights. There was no way she was about to leave her prized possession in someone else's driveway overnight. "Shit," She muttered to herself, fighting the exhaustion that was beginning to cloud her mind. She needed to formulate a coherent plan, but her brain felt sluggish and uncooperative. The thought of abandoning her bike gnawed at her, but so did the idea of leaving Billy alone in his current state.

Almost as if someone was answering her thoughts, Lyra spotted the familiar unruly hair of Eddie Munson, a few feet away throwing his metal lunchbox into a van. This was her only chance. "Stay in the car." Lyra demanded throwing the drivers seat open. Hearing those words, Billy woke up from his drunken slumber, sitting up straighter and fumbling with his seatbelt. "But-" Lyra's harsh voice cut him off. "Billy I mean it!" She all but growled, her patience snapping. "Stay. In. The. Car." With those final words she slammed the door to his Camaro shut leaving no more room for argument.

"Eddie, wait!" She called out, sprinting towards him, her heart pounding in her chest. Eddie turned, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw her approaching. "Lyra? What's going on?" He asked, concern etched on his face. "I need your help," She said breathlessly, glancing back at the car where Billy was slumped. He followed her line of sight, his brows furrowing momentarily. "I need to get him home, but I drove my motorcycle here. Is there any way, and of course if you don't mind, can we store my motorcycle in the back of your trunk? Just for tonight I promise I'll-" Yet her rambling was cut short. "Hey," Eddie coaxed placing his hands on her shoulders reassuringly.

"Slow down." He spoke softly, his touch grounding her in the moment. She could feel the warmth of his hands through her jacket, a stark contrast to the chill of the night air. "Go grab your motorcycle, I'll make room in the back of my van, okay?" His words were a balm to her frazzled nerves, and she nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She watched as Eddie moved with purpose, his movements quick and efficient as he opened the van's back doors and began rearranging the clutter inside to make space. Eddie started to move the band's supplies around, carefully stacking amplifiers and drum kits to one side, making sure nothing would topple over during the ride.

He meticulously placed guitar cases and mic stands, his hands moving with a practiced ease that spoke of many nights spent loading and unloading gear. The van, once a chaotic mess of cables and equipment, began to take on a semblance of order under his diligent care. Not feeling confident enough to answer, she simply nodded again, her eyes following Eddie's every move. She could see the determination in his eyes, the way his brow furrowed slightly as he focused on the task at hand. It was a small gesture, but in that moment, it meant the world to her. The sight of Eddie’s methodical movements and the sound of equipment being carefully arranged provided a strange sense of comfort, making her feel that everything would be okay.

As Eddie continued to rearrange the band supplies, Lyra made her way to her motorcycle, with a gentle rumble, she started the engine, the sound a familiar comfort to her ears. Slowly and carefully, she maneuvered the motorcycle towards the waiting van. Eddie glanced up from his task, a smile playing on his lips as he saw her approach. Together, they worked in harmony, coordinating the loading of the motorcycle into the back of the van. Eddie guided her with precise hand signals, ensuring the bike was securely fastened for the journey ahead. With a final click, the van doors were closed, the task completed. As they both stepped back, a sense of accomplishment filled the air. Lyra turned to Eddie, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Keep her safe for me." She whispered, her voice carrying a mix of hope and reliance.

"Scouts honor." He assured, using his fingers and crossing his heart over his leather jacket. The gesture, both earnest and endearing, made a smile make its way onto Lyra's face. "Thanks Rockstar, I owe you one." Even in the moonlight, it was hard to miss the crimson blush that made its way onto Eddie's face. He looked down for a moment, kicking a small pebble with his boot before meeting her gaze again. "Get home safe, alright." Lyra nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. She gave Eddie one last appreciative look before turning to leave, the sound of her boots crunching on the gravel the only noise in the stillness.

As she walked away, she glanced back over her shoulder, catching Eddie's eye one more time. He gave her a small, reassuring wave, and she couldn't help but smile. As she opened the door to the Camaro, the leather seat creaked softly under her weight. Billy jolted awake as Lyra started the engine, his eyes bleary and confused. The soft hum of the engine seemed to pull him fully back to consciousness. Almost as if he remembered that they had driven separately, he voiced Lyra's concern from a few minutes prior. "Y-Your bike." His voice was groggy but filled with genuine worry. "It's safe with a friend." She reassured, her voice calm and steady as she inserted the key into the ignition.

She could feel the familiar vibration of the engine beneath her, a comforting reminder of the freedom and speed that awaited them. With a quick, practiced motion, she shifted gears, and the Camaro roared to life. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard, her eyes widening upon noting the time and realizing that they had to hurry. The thought of Susan and Neil realizing they were out past curfew sent a jolt of adrenaline and through her, stress and anxiety resurfacing. The tires screeched slightly as she pressed the accelerator, the car speeding off into the night.

SEASON FOUR ➩ BROKEN RECORD

Eddie Munson x OC!Fem!Reader

summary: returning back to a "normal" life after a tragic loss, the residents of Hawkins try to find some semblance of peace. However, strange occurrences continue, as a new horrifying threat emerges from the Upside Down. The town is once again plunged into chaos, especially when your biggest enemy is your own mind. The lines between reality and nightmare blur, and the group must confront their deepest fears to protect their world from descending into darkness.

chapters coming soon …

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE AWAKENING

Eddie Munson x OC!Reader || WC: 4.5K

A/N: happy October everyone! 🍂 this chapter is all over the place: tiny amounts of angst, more of Lyra and Eddie, and some familiar faces as we set the scene for the main events of season two!

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The drive home was silent, except for the occasional snore from Billy. Lyra's grip on the steering wheel tightened, determination setting in. She knew she had to help her brother find a way out of this destructive cycle, no matter how hard it would be. Upon arriving home later that night, more like one in the morning, Lyra had to maneuver herself and a staggering Billy inside the house without alerting Susan and especially Neil. The once rowdy Halloween night was now quiet, with only the faint rustling of leaves and distant sounds of traffic breaking the silence. Lyra carefully unlocked the front door, cringing at the slight creak it made.

She glanced back at Billy, who was doing his best to stay upright as he basically clung onto her leather clad shoulder. His weight was heavy, and his breath smelled of alcohol, a stark reminder of the night’s events. The hallway was dimly lit, casting long shadows that seemed to dance with every step they took. Lyra could hear the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room, each tick amplifying her anxiety. She whispered soothing words to Billy, trying to keep him calm and quiet as they made their way to his room. "Holy shit," The voice made her squeeze her eyes shut letting out a shaky exhale.

Only when she managed to turn around and noticed Max standing in the hallway instead of her step mother and father she was able to breathe properly. "Is he okay?" Max whispered her brows furrowing with concern. "Max, quick," Lyra whisper-yelled, completely aware that Neil or Susan could get up at any moment. "Help me get him into his room." Max nodded, rushing over to take some of Billy's weight off Lyra. Together, they carefully navigated the narrow hallway, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet. The house seemed to hold its breath, every creak of the floorboards sounding like a thunderclap in the silence.

As they reached Billy's room, Lyra pushed the door open with her hip, the hinges protesting softly. They guided Billy to his bed, easing him down gently. He mumbled something unintelligible, eyes glazed and unfocused. Lyra pulled off his shoes and leather jacket, covering him with a blanket, her movements tender despite her exhaustion. Just as she was about to get up from the edge of the bed, Billy spoke, "I-I'm sorry." He slurred, reaching for Lyra's hand. His grip was weak, but she could feel the desperation in his touch. "Go to sleep, we'll talk about this in the morning." She assured her voice soft and soothing. She squeezed his hand gently before letting go, watching as his eyes slowly close.

Lyra took a deep breath, feeling the tension slowly leave her body. She glanced at Max, who was standing by the door, her eyes wide with concern. "Will he be okay?" She asked again, her voice barely above a whisper. Lyra nodded, forcing a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine, Max. Just needs to sleep it off." With Billy finally settled, Lyra and Max tiptoed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. "Any chance you'll tuck me into bed too?" By the tone of her voice, Lyra could tell Max was joking yet there was a hint of genuine fatigue in her eyes. Lyra chuckled softly, giving Max a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"Come on Cherry, let's get you into bed." She coaxed throwing her arm over Max's shoulders guiding her towards her room. Without hesitation, Max climbed into bed, pulling her blanket up to her chin, as Lyra tucked the blanket around her snugly. "Goodnight, Lyra," Max yawned, nuzzling into her blanket. Lyra leaned over to give the redhead a kiss on the forehead, her lips brushing softly against Max's warm skin. "Goodnight, Max," She whispered, turning off the light and closing the door gently. As she walked back to her own room, Lyra felt a sense of peace settle over her, knowing that everyone was finally at rest. The quiet of the house enveloped her, and she allowed herself to relax, feeling the weight of the day lift from her shoulders.

The following morning Lyra woke up to a raging headache. Sitting up in her bed, she groaned rubbing her sleep ridden eyes. The following morning, Lyra woke up to a raging headache. Sitting up in her bed, she groaned, rubbing her sleep-ridden eyes. The sunlight streaming through the curtains felt like daggers piercing her skull. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly, trying to steady herself. As she walked towards the bathroom, the events of the previous night flashed through her mind. She splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would help clear her head. The coolness was refreshing, but it did little to alleviate the pounding in her temples.

Luckily it seemed that both Neil and Susan had already left for work, so that was one less thing she had to worry about. After grabbing the first items of clothes she saw in her closet not bothering with her appearance, Lyra made her way to the kitchen, where she found Max already up, nursing a cup of orange juice. "Morning," Max greeted her, looking more alert than Lyra felt. "How are you feeling?" She asked, her eyes filled with concern. "Like I got hit by a truck," Lyra replied, reaching for a glass of water and some painkillers. She swallowed them quickly, hoping for some relief. "How's Billy?" She questioned turning on the coffee machine. "Still asleep," Max said, her voice soft.

"He was out cold when I checked on him earlier." Lyra nodded, grateful for the quiet moment. She took a seat at the kitchen table, resting her head in her hands. "Thanks for helping out last night, Max. I don't know what I would've done without you." Max smiled, her eyes warm with understanding. "Well, I couldn't just let him crush you.” She joked, her laughter light and infectious. "Go get changed, knowing Billy he probably has a raging hangover and you know what that means." Max nodded, standing up and heading back towards her room. "Make sure you put your helmet in your backpack." Lyra muttered making Max turn around with a smile on her face. "We're going out on your motorcycle?" She asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. "You bet we are," Lyra replied with a wink.

"I just have to get it back from a friend, but after that me and you are getting milkshakes and burgers at Benny's after school." Max practically beamed with happiness. “Awesome, thanks Lyra, you’re the best!” Lyra couldn’t contain her smile, hearing Max call her the best was the dopamine she needed, a small but significant affirmation that made her heart swell. The pounding in her head had subsided enough so that she could get up and make herself a much needed cup of coffee, glancing at the clock, noticing that they had just enough time to get everything done before school. A few moments later just as she predicted, a bare chested Billy came out from his room, a scowl present on his face. "Well, good morning to you," Lyra greeted him, her tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.

Billy grumbled something incoherent, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off the pounding headache from last night’s escapades. The scene was almost comical, and despite the tension, Lyra couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She reached for a coffee mug on the shelf, pouring some coffee in it before sliding it over to where he stood. "Thanks, and I'm sorry" He mumbled grabbing the cup of coffee from her hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and the stubble on his face was more pronounced in the harsh morning light. Lyra raised a brow urging him to continue. "Last night, you said we could talk in the morning," He paused motioning that the sun was out through the curtains. "It's morning, so can we talk about it?" He deadpanned, making Lyra hold back her tongue at making a snarky reply.

"I thought I told you that you were forgiven." Billy rolled his eyes, the frustration evident in his furrowed brow. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, the strands sticking up in all directions. "Come on, Lyra, I wasn't that shitfaced to realize you were still upset at me." He abandoned his coffee, the steam rising from the cup in delicate tendrils, stepping toe to toe with his sister who looked unimpressed. "What do I gotta do to get you to stop it with the silent treatment?" Billy's voice was tinged with desperation, his eyes searching hers for any sign of forgiveness. Lyra crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she tapped her finger on her chin. It was a childish gesture, but she was determined to make him grovel. "How about not be an asshole?" Lyra shot back, her voice tinged with exasperation.

Billy turned to the last tactic he knew Lyra couldn't resist. Physical touch. A small grin broke on his face as he pulled her into an embrace. His arms wrapped around her tightly, almost lifting her off the ground. "Forgive me yet?" He questioned, squeezing her to his chest. He could feel her tense up, but he held on, hoping his warmth would break through her icy demeanor. "Are you done being a reckless asshole?" She retorted, her voice muffled against his chest. Billy chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. "I love you too, sunshine." God damn him. He always knew how to get under her skin and melt her defenses at the same time. Lyra's resolve wavered, and she let out a reluctant sigh. "Okay," Lyra huffed, fighting to get out of his muscled embrace. She pushed against his chest, but his grip was firm. "Get off of me, you reek of alcohol," She chastised, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

Billy finally released her, his grin never fading, and Lyra couldn't help but roll her eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips despite herself. "Go get dressed," She instructed, her tone softening just a bit. "I know you have basketball practice today, so you can take a shower at school." She waved her hand dismissively, trying to maintain her stern facade, but the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement. "Yes ma'am," He replied with a playful salute, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He turned on his heel and headed towards his room, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the hallway. Lyra watched him go, shaking her head with a mixture of exasperation and fondness. Despite everything, he was still her brother, and she couldn't stay mad at him for too long.

Lyra anxiously waited for the end of the day, looking forward to her girls' day with Max. Throughout class, she found herself fumbling with anything to make the day go by faster. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the edge of her desk, and she doodled absentmindedly in the margins of her notebook. The clock seemed to move at a snail's pace, each tick echoing in her mind like a taunt. She glanced around the classroom, her eyes flitting from the teacher's monotonous lecture to the window. The anticipation bubbled inside her, making it hard to focus on the lesson. As the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the school day, Lyra practically leaped out of her seat.

She gathered her things in a hurry, her heart racing with excitement. As she opened her locker to retrieve her helmet, she noticed a familiar figure a few lockers from hers. The bustling hallway was filled with students getting ready to go home, their voices blending into a cacophony of chatter and laughter, but she immediately recognized Eddie Munson’s curly hair and leather jacket amongst the crowds. The one person she was hoping to run into. With a few short strides, she made her way towards him, leaning against his locker. Eddie, to preoccupied with finding his Hellfire notebook, was oblivious to the blonde girl who was only a few feet away from him. She could see the intensity in his eyes as he rummaged through his things, muttering under his breath about missing dice and character sheets.

“Hey stranger.” She greeted, stifling a laugh as she watched Eddie jump, clutching onto the door of his locker as if it were his lifeline. His eyes widened in shock, and for a split second, he looked like he might actually faint. "Jesus H. Christ!" He exasperated, his voice echoing slightly in the now quieter hallway. “You always sneak up on people like that?” He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, his hand still gripping the locker door. Lyra grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Only the ones I like," She replied, leaning casually against the lockers. Eddie's expression softened, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he shook his head in disbelief. The bustling sounds of students hurrying to their next class filled the air, but for a moment, it felt like it was just the two of them.

Eddie finally let go of the locker door, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "You know, one of these days, you're going to give me a heart attack," He scolded, yet it was anything but malicious. "I see the dramatics are still in order," Lyra just grinned, knowing full well that their playful banter was quickly becoming one of the highlights of her day. His eyes zoned in to the helmet in her hand, his curiosity piqued. "I'm guessing you want your bike back?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you don't mind, I promised my sister I'd take her out after school." Eddie's expression softened, and he reached out to gently take the helmet from her, his fingers brushing against hers briefly. "Alright, come on," He coaxed, motioning for her to follow him. They walked side by side through the now empty school hallways, their footsteps echoing off the linoleum floors.

Outside, the sun was beginning to dip, casting a warm golden glow over the parking lot. Eddie led her to his old, beat-up van parked in the far corner. He fished out his keys and unlocked the back doors with a practiced flick of his wrist. The doors creaked open, revealing a cluttered but organized space now void of all band equipment, Lyra's motorcycle securely attached and in tact. "She's all safe and sound, made sure to actually drive the speed limit last night," Eddie assured with a wink. "Hold this," Eddie continued, handing Lyra the helmet back as he climbed into the van. He moved a few things around, making space to pull out her bike. The van's interior was a chaotic mix of tools, spare parts, and random knick-knacks, yet everything had its place. The scent of motor oil and metal filled the air, a testament to Eddie's love for tinkering.

"You really shouldn't leave this with me. Who knows, maybe one day, I'm going to end up riding off into the sunset with it," He joked, flashing her a grin over his shoulder. His hands worked deftly, unhooking the straps that secured the bike. Lyra laughed, shaking her head. "Like I'd let you get that far," She retorted, watching as he carefully maneuvered the bike out of the van. She couldn't help but admire how effortlessly he handled it, his movements smooth and confident. The bike gleamed in the fading sunlight, a testament to Eddie's careful handling. Once the bike was out, Eddie handed it over to her, making sure it was steady before letting go. "There you go, all set," He said, dusting off his hands. “Thank you,” She breathed out hoping that Eddie could tell how grateful she was.

"I'm no stranger to family drama, glad I could help." He shrugged, melting under her stare, yet still portrayed his tough guy demeanor. He expected Lyra to immediately take off, yet to his surprise she leaned against the side of his van, her cerulean blue eyes locking with his chocolate doe ones. "So what's Hellfire?" Eddie looked at her as if she had grown two heads, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "It's only the most epic Dungeons & Dragons group in town," He explained, his voice tinged with excitement. The passion in his eyes was unmistakable as he continued, "We've got a campaign going that's been running for months now. It's intense, full of twists and turns. You should come by sometime and check it out." Lyra raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the unexpected revelation.

Her curiosity was piqued as she tried to imagine Eddie, the tough guy with a rebellious streak, immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure. The idea seemed almost surreal. "Dungeons & Dragons, huh?" Eddie smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Trust me, it's a blast," He assured, his voice filled with conviction. "We get together every Friday night, roll some dice, and dive into a world of fantasy and adventure. It's not the satanic cult this shit hole makes it out to be, but don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to uphold." Lyra couldn't help but chuckle at his words. The image of Eddie, the so-called bad boy, passionately defending a game that involved imaginary worlds and mythical creatures, was both amusing and endearing.

“Sounds like you take it pretty seriously.” She remarked, her smile widening. "Oh, sweetheart you have no idea." Eddie chuckled, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea," he replied, his tone both playful and earnest. He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's not just a game. It's an escape, a chance to be heroes, to face down dragons and save kingdoms." Taking her silence as judgement instead of admiration for his honesty, Eddie quickly backpedaled, his defense mechanisms on full alert. "Shit, I totally geeked out there, huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. Lyra was quick to shake her head.

"Not at all, if anything it's fascinating to see you so passionate about Hellfire. With all that enthusiasm, I bet you make an excellent Dungeon Master." Sanatic cult leader, Freak, the list went on. Nobody had ever described Hellfire as fascinating. "Wait," He paused taking a second for her previous words to sink in. "How do you know what a Dungeon Master is?" Lyra shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not as naive about D&D as you might think, Rockstar.” He quickly regained his composure, before Lyra could notice how much the damn nickname had affected him. “I’m certainly impressed and flattery works on me.” He grinned saccharinely playfully nudging her with his shoulder. Just as Lyra was about to retort she watched as the sky, which had been painted with hues of orange and pink, now looked like a storm was brewing, with ominous clouds rolling in.

The air grew cooler, and a slight breeze rustled the leaves around them. “You okay?” Eddie questioned, sensing a sense of déjà vu as he caught the worried expression on Lyra’s face. Almost as if it was second nature, Lyra reached out and grasped Eddie's arm gently, her eyes widening upon noticing the time. "Max is never this late, I'm going to go check on her." She thought aloud, anxiety flooding her body. "I'll go with you." Eddie offered, his concern evident in his voice. Lyra shook her head. "No, Eddie it's fine." She assured him, her tone firm yet appreciative. "I'll see you tomorrow." She promised, quickly mounting her motorcycle and trekking the short distance up the hill to Hawkins Middle. The sky grew darker, the ominous clouds hanging low and heavy. As she arrived at the field a few feet away from the school, the eerie silence was almost deafening.

Lyra dismounted her motorcycle and cautiously approached the entrance, her heart pounding in her chest. That's when she noticed a young boy, standing out in the middle of the field. "Hello," She called out, yet he didn't respond standing in the same rigid position. "Any chance you've seen a redhead girl on a skateboard around?" To her surprise he didn't reply, standing in the exact position, not moving a muscle. "Hey, sweetheart, are you okay?" The boy was far from okay. Immediately stepping closer Lyra noticed that his whole body was spasming, his eyes rolled back into his head. She reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing a hand on the boy’s shoulders. “Hey,” She coaxed gently so she wouldn’t spook him.

“Can you hear me?” She gasped, feeling his body shake more violently under her shoulders. "Will!" She heard someone call from behind her. Lyra glanced back at the boy in front of her, realizing this must be Will. His spasms were growing more intense as the seconds ticked by, his skin feeling unnaturally hot under her hand. Not even two seconds after, Lyra turned around to see a group of kids rushing towards her their faces etched with worry. She let out a breath of relief upon seeing Max alongside them. "I think he's having another episode." She overheard a raven haired boy exclaim, his voice tinged with panic. "I got him." Upon seeing the adult woman who looked like she could fall apart any minute, Lyra moved away from Will standing beside Max who immediately embraced her. Both sisters' eyes locked onto him, their hearts heavy with concern.

The group watched as Joyce Byers called out to her son, her voice wavering with a mix of hope and desperation. "Will," She coaxed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him softly. But her touch felt distant, like a fading echo in the back of his mind. "Sweetie, wake up! It's Mom," She tried once more, her voice cracking with emotion. "Will, wake up! Can you hear me?" Joyce's voice cracked with desperation as she tried to reach her son her pleas growing more frantic with each passing second. Will's body continued to convulse, his limbs jerking uncontrollably each movement more violent than the last. "It's Mom. Please wake up! It's me!" Almost as if waking up from a trance, Lyra and the group watched as Will gasped, his eyes fluttering open. The sudden intake of breath seemed to pull him back from the edge of an unseen abyss.

Joyce did not hesitate for even a moment, wrapping her arms around her son in a fierce embrace, holding him so tightly as if he might disappear if she let go. "Thank goodness," Lyra muttered, letting out a breath she had been holding for what felt like an eternity. Her shoulders sagged with relief, the tension finally releasing from her body. The group around them began to relax, their worried expressions softening as they realized Will was safe, at least for now. The tension in the air dissipated slightly, replaced by a tentative sense of relief. Lyra scanned the faces around her, noticing the mix of curiosity and caution in their eyes. "Who are you?" A curly-haired boy asked, his gaze skeptical as he looked her up and down. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to discern her intentions.

“Dustin! That’s rude!” The dark-skinned boy standing next to him seethed through his teeth, his eyes darting between Lyra and the others. Before Lyra could find the words to introduce herself, Max stepped forward, her voice steady and confident. "This is my older sister, Lyra," She declared, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Did you say Lyra?" The entire groups attention turned to Joyce who was now eyeing the blonde girl a sense of familiarity in her eyes. Her eyes softened, as if recalling a distant memory. "Yes ma'am, that's me," Lyra confirmed, her voice respectful yet firm. Joyce's face lit up with recognition. "My son, Jonathan, say's you're very helpful. Always there whenever he seems to find himself in trouble." The warmth in her words was palpable, and it was clear that Lyra had made a lasting impression.

"Happy to help." Lyra assured her, her voice warm and sincere. She offered a gentle smile, hoping to dissolve any remaining tension. "I'm Joyce, it's certainly nice to put a name to a face," Joyce replied, her tone softening as she tugged Will into her side protectively. Her eyes were filled with gratitude and a hint of relief. "Thank you for trying to help my boy." Lyra shook her head. "You don't need to thank me, I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Joyce's eyes lingered on Lyra for a moment longer, as if she wanted to say more but couldn't find the words. She gave a small, appreciative nod instead. "Well, I should get Will home, it's getting late." Will looked up at his mother, then back at Lyra. "Take care, Will," Lyra called out with a kind smile. Joyce squeezed Will's shoulder, guiding him towards where she had parked.

"Ready to go?" Lyra asked Max, who, like the boys, had her eyes locked onto Joyce and Will. She noticed the slight tremor in Max's hands and the way her jaw clenched, subtle signs that she had been shaken up by the events. Hell, she was still trying to grasp what had just occurred herself. Max tore his gaze away from the departing figures and nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here," She replied, her voice steady but quieter than usual. As they walked back to where her motorcycle was parked, Lyra’s gaze locked onto the boys she had just met. They were whispering among themselves, casting furtive glances in her direction. "Those boys giving you trouble?" Lyra asked, motioning over to the group.

They quickly huddled back together, their voices dropping to hushed tones as soon as they were out of hearing range. Max's face tightened, and she averted her eyes, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her helmet. "No," She replied quickly, but her voice lacked conviction. Lyra could tell something was off. Max's usual confident demeanor was replaced by a shadow of uncertainty. She wanted to tell Lyra what was actually happening, yet something seemed to be holding her back. Maybe it was fear, or perhaps she didn't fully understand the situation herself. The tension in the air was palpable, and Lyra's protective instincts kicked in. "Alright," Lyra muttered softly, giving Max a reassuring smile. "Let's get out of here." She revved the engine, the powerful vibrations coursing through her body. As they sped away, the wind whipped through their hair, carrying away the unease of the moment.

The Time Before - Wayne's Time in 'Nam

part 1 here

Photos not mine

997 words

an: hey! I'm so happy that people are enjoying this writing! Originally I was thinking about just making this a drabble/blurb, but with the addition of this, it will hopefully be a series! Thank you so much for your support, it means the world to me!

I had to actually do considerable research for this one, so I hope it's accurate. If there are any war buffs reading this fic (I doubt it, but if you by chance are) please let me know if I got anything wrong!

warnings: mentions of war, mentions of death, PTSD, Vietnam War

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Wayne never planned on fighting in Vietnam. He himself never liked fighting and once he was back in the US he wasn't a fan of the war.

But back when he was freshly 18, starry-eyed, and eager to impress his Pop, he enlisted.

The year was 1958, the war was only three years old, and it seemed so interesting. Fascinating, if you will. A young Wayne packed his things in a gray duffel bag that he then slung over his shoulder. He can still remember what he was wearing when he left home; a red and black plaid button-down that he still wears today, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of cargo boots, and a jacket that was draped over his arm. By the time he returned to the United States, this fashion would be so far out-of-date it made his head spin.

Most of his buddies went with him, wearing practically the same clothes as him, the same combed-back hair, the same hopeful look plastered on all their faces. That look would not be there when they returned (if they returned at all). But none of this was a worry to either Wayne or any of the five guys that went with him; Joey, Billy, Tucker, Jack, and Arthur. Tucker and Wayne had known each other the longest out of any pair in the group: they were next-door neighbors for their entire lives. Growing up in Redmont, Georgia, a town of under 1,000, everyone was practically your neighbor.

Tucker and Wayne were inseparable. Both of their mothers used to say, 'You'd think those boys were sown together at the hip, with all the time they spend together.' It was true; their entire lives were spent with each other. As kids, that meant skipping rocks in the creek and climbing trees. As teenagers, they shotgunned beers that they had stolen from Al, Wayne's older brother (he had a friend who made fake IDs, and good ones at that), jumped fences to irritate the chickens in their coop, stole cigarettes from their fathers' pockets and coats, and generally spent their days causing as much trouble as they could think up.

They all were shipped out to basic training in California first. Some of the guys were split up between different platoons, but they all saw each other often enough. These seemed minor inconveniences to them; they were ready, excited, and filled with energy.

The strictness of the rules and regulations was nothing new to Wayne, either. The high school had the strictest administration, it was said, in the entire state of Georgia and possibly the surrounding states. Their football was compared to basic training, and most of the guys had been on that team in high school, so they were not phased by anything that the Army decided to throw at them.

But once they were shipped out to Vietnam, the excitement quickly subsided. Over time, each man came to learn the price of war. The price that they each had to individually pay.

Wayne spent five years in 'Nam, fighting alongside Tucker. They were rumored to be the most indestructible duo on Vietnamese soil. But five years seemed to be Wayne's unlucky number.

He still has nightmares about the war. He used to say, 'You don't realize the price you have to pay when you're going to war. It's all fine and dandy when you enlist, and even through basic training. You don't think about the fact that in five years' time, you're going to be holding your dead best friend, his head in your lap, eyes wide open and staring right at you, somewhere in the Vietnamese wilderness with shots still coming at you.' Of course, that was when he still talked about the war at all.

After Tucker passed away, Wayne left Vietnam. He was twenty-three by that point and was sick of fighting. The effect of the excitement had worn off long ago, but once Tucker was gone, it felt hopeless. He was homesick, endlessly tired, and was done with combat.

Of the six that shipped out, only four returned; Wayne, Joey, Billy, and Jack. They finally reunited in 1965 after they had all returned to the US, deciding to indulge in the spoils of war. They traveled as a band, a crew, a group, a lineup. You didn't see one without seeing the other three close behind. They were like this for many years afterward until they scattered across the country; Wayne moved to Kansas and soon started to take care of Lisa, Jack married a young girl named Francine and they settled down together in New Hampshire (to have a whopping six children throughout their marriage), Joey stayed single, moved to Kentucky and still visits Wayne often, and Billy moved to Florida and started a family with a nice woman named Becky.

When the infamous 'make love, not war' protests started to pop up around America, Wayne found himself supporting the cause. He had never gone to war because he hated the other side or loved fighting; he had gone because everyone told him to go. Because it was all so new and shiny, and because he wanted to impress Pop. Because all of his friends were going, and because he wanted the glory. But in reality, he always felt bad when he was over there. There was always a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach when he saw the destruction that people suffered at his hands. The main reason he stayed was because of Tucker. Tucker made it nostalgic. Fighting with Tucker reminded him of being a teenager and hopping Mr. Luschogi's fence to tip his cows in the middle of the night. It felt mischievous and a little dangerous, and it gave him a huge adrenaline rush. But without Tucker, he didn't get to keep those blinders on. He saw, plain and simple, that he was hurting people. And that was never what Wayne signed up for.

not so bad - eddie munson

not so bad - eddie munson x fem!byers!reader

summary; will asks his sister how she feels about his new friend eddie munson

warnings; none! Italics = flashbacks, lowercase intended

will came out of the school with a huge smile on his face. only one you normally saw when he was with you, jonathan, and your mom. you and your brothers had begged your mom joyce to stay in hawkins for the kids. especially after the shared trauma, you all endured together as a group. you being their co-babysitter with steve and all. she decided that you could stay hoping there would be no more issues with the upside-down and superficial activity.

will walked up to you and jonathan. he was wearing the infamous hellfire club t-shirt. he was introduced to the club after their leader eddie munson saw him, mike, and dustin, sitting in the cafeteria by themselves on the first day of school that year. needless to say, Jonathan wasn't okay with his baby brother being associated with eddie. after hearing all the bad rumors about him.

on the other hand, will was obsessed with his newest idol. and he loved the fact that he could play dnd with him, after all, that's what the club was about. you loved seeing will have new friends and loved hearing about all the stories from hellfire nights. but there were times when will would talk about them and jonathan no matter how supportive he was would say something about not liking eddie.

tonight was about the same, after watching tv with your mom, you had to go back to the school to pick up jonathan who was working on the school paper with nancy, and will was at hellfire. typically hellfire runs slightly later due to the small celebrations of the win or the slight moping of the losses, which wasn't a big deal to you, you had all the time to spare on waiting for your brothers.

will got in the car and immediately started talking about the newest hellfire campaign. you and jonathan making comments here and there about the campaign. you had only known small bits and pieces about the game but loved hearing about it.

"i think the next campaign will be so much fun, eddie's like a pro at being the dungeon master" will smiled

"i don't really like you hanging out with him bud, it's just the things i've heard i don't like" jonathan but-in

"eddie's not like that jonathan, why don't you try and talk to him he's so cool" will said defending eddie with his life.

"i don't know man i just don't like the stuff i've heard." jonathan said back.

"well he's my friend, you like him don't you y/n?" will looked you dead in the eyes through the rearview mirror. you smiled softly.

you looked around, your anxiety starting to slightly rise. it was one of the first times you had lied to your mom and older brother. you told them you were going to hang out with your best friend robin, with her covering for you even giving your mom a call saying that you were going to have a sleepover until monday and that you would be home monday night after your extracurricular activities. but in reality, you were going to see a special someone for those 2 nights.

"guess who?"

out of nowhere ringed hands covered your eyes slightly startling you. but you knew who it was by the voice that followed the action. knowing who it was you smiled and chuckled. the hands moved to your waist and swiftly spun you around.

"hey sweetheart sorry i was late, had a thing to deal with for the band" he smiled at you.

"eds you were only like 5 minutes late it's okay," you sheepishly mumbled.

"i know but you seemed fidgety and you get fidgety when your anxious, and when your anxious i get anxious, and-"

"eddie, baby it's okay i'm not anxious about you being late i was anxious about lying to my mom and jonathan" you fumbled with your fingers looking at your feet guilt washing over you.

eddie put his hand on your chin moving your face upwards and smirked slyly. he leaned down to give you a small peck on your lips and then your nose. you smiled once again not knowing what to do with yourself.

"i think we'll be just fine princess, robin has you covered."

you shook your head, knowing how robin was when she was anxious. a complete and total blabbering mess. but you knew your mom she trusted you with her life, and with that, she didn't give a second thought to you going to robin's for the weekend. only you weren't, you were going to be staying the weekend with eddie. jonathan was the issue, he had questions about where you were going and why you had been hanging out with robin and steve a lot more often than just work. but eddie was here, and that's all that mattered.

"now, let's go get a pizza and watch a movie, what did you get for us this time?" he smiled grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers together.

"it's a surprise" you chirped.

he gasped dramatically and walked you to his van. this time it was silent. but it was a comfortable silence. you loved hanging out with eddie. he never failed to make you comfortable. no relationship you had ever had felt like this.

you two had been in a secret relationship for about 7 months ever since you had ran into him at the grocery store in the middle of the night when you were home alone. he was there to get some snacks and a new lighter. you were there to get snacks and some feminine products because it just so happened to be that time of the month and neither you nor your mom had any. you had accidentally bumped into eddie and he walked you home. you two then meeting up in the woods after school or during lunch. then it went to hanging out at his place and watching movies or listening to music or sometimes just chatting. you had also helped eddie with his homework a few times. after a few weeks, eddie expressed his feelings and you two began your relationship.

eddie opened the door for you and helped you hop into the passenger seat of his van. he then raced around to his side and got in. turning on the van and leaving the park you were at. he drove all the way to the pizza shop, you two going in to get a pepperoni pizza and some hot wings and then leaving.

eddie grabbed your hand and held it the whole drive to his trailer. when he parked in his usual spot he raced around to your side of the van and helped you out. he then led you to the front door where he let you in first.

when you got in you immediately walked over to the couch. eddie following suit after he locked the front door. you had the pizza and wings in hand along with the movie that you had decided on, or should you say movies. you had begged your manager keith to let you take the star wars series, for you and eddie to watch over the weekend and you would bring them back before you went to school on Monday.

"alright princess what movie did you pick for us tonight? gotta start it now or we'll never get to it," eddie smirked making you blush.

"uhm why don't you take a look at them they're in my backpack." you smiled pointing to your backpack.

eddie dramatically flopped onto your lap grabbing your backpack shortly after making you giggle your guts out. he unzipped the backpack and grabbed three vhs cases. looking at the covers he looked up at you. eddies normal smirk turned into a huge puppy grin. He sat up and kissed you all over. pure excitement radiating through his and your bodies.

"babe you had told me you never wanted to watch star wars, are you kidding me!!" he smiled.

"i decided to give it a chance, you know after hearing you and my little brother talk about it so much" you replied, taking in a few more pecks and kisses from eddie.

"i promise you, you'll love it" he smiled.

after giving you a few more loving kisses he got up and popped in star wars a new hope in the VHS player. He sat back down on the end of the couch. leaning over and grabbing you by your waist and pulling you onto him.

you two had finished your pizza and wings, by this time you were almost asleep on eddies lap. your head in the crook of his shoulder. eddie on the other hand was wide awake and so into the movie. you knew it was one of his favorite series. so you were trying so hard to stay awake. but you hadn't even paid attention to the movie, you were more focused on the boy holding you. his smile when it got to his favorite scenes or when he mouthed certain lines. all the while he was tracing patterns on your thigh or stroking your hair.

"baby are you even watching?" eddie whined when he heard you yawn.

"yeah, yeah I'm watching, luke just watched obi wan die, and now luke's running from darth vader. i promise i'm paying attention"  you mumbled into his neck.

"babe if you're tired we can pause for the night and go to sleep," he looked down at you.

"no, it's okay eds let's just finish it," you tried to stifle a yawn.

eddie chuckled and scoot you over and got up. he walked over to the tv and pushed stop on the VHS player. taking the tap out and setting it back into its case. he walked over and picked you up bridal style moving your backpack to the side, ignoring it. he'd pick it up in the morning and put the extra clothes in his drawer when he woke up. you nuzzled into his chest, his small chuckle making your heart flutter.

after kicking his bedroom door open he sat you down on his bed. as he walked over to his dresser to find you a shirt and sweats he kicked off his pants and t-shirt, leaving him in only his boxers. you were already half asleep but still watching his every move. he grabbed an old motley crue shirt and a pair of his old sweats.

knowing you were so fast to falling asleep he helped you stand up. setting the shirt and pants on the bed. he then helped you pull off your skirt and your sweater. he pulled the shirt over your head and you slipped your arms through. then he helped you slide on his old sweatpants over your thighs.

when you were done he let you lay down on his bed. he grabbed the blanket that you loved, it was big, green, and fluffy. he spread it over your body. you almost immediately fell asleep. but you were missing one thing, eddie. he was getting ready for bed but you were a whining mess. your eyes followed him everywhere he went.

"baby, come on just get in bed please" you whined rolling over to lay on his pillow.

"i am, don't you worry my love, i just need to do some things" he smiled at you.

"eddie i can't sleep without you here" you mumbled

"what do you do when I'm not with you then? what about all of those so-called naps that will claims you take?" eddie looked at you.

"what?! nooo, i don't take naps. i only take naps when we cuddle" you said jokingly.

"mhm sure you do" he shook his head.

after a few moments, eddie was finally done doing whatever he was doing. as he finished he walked over and slowly got in his small bed, trying not to disturb you. you immediately noticed his presence and cuddled into him. his smile growing as you nuzzled your face into his barren chest, and your leg snaking over his two. one of his arms wrapped around your waist, the other stroking your hair.

you looked up at eddie, he was just staring down at you. as he always did. you didn't say a word, you just pecked his lips. he then pulled you in for a small yet passionate goodnight kiss.

"goodnight eds i love you" you smiled softly

"goodnight y/n i love you more than you'll ever know" he mumbles into your hair planting a small kiss on your head.

"y/n hey you like eddie right?" will asked once again. snapping you out of your small trance.

your small smile never failed. all you could think of were images of you and eddie in your mind. knowing you couldn't tell will or jonathan about your relationship, without eddie's consent. after all, you weren't the only one in the relationship and you wanted him to be involved in a very important step, which was telling your family.

"he's not so bad"

interruptions- gareth emerson

gareth emerson x fem!munson!reader

summary: eddie walks in on his sister and his best friend having !sex!

warnings: mention of sex, but no genuine smut, cursing

you had to be kidding. eddie looked at you and gareth in complete surprise and disgust. one of his best friends sitting in his little sister's bed. it was a horrendous sight to see for the poor boy. him shutting the door and consistently screaming "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK" at you two as he left.

you were completely embarrassed. eddie had caught you and gareth in the middle of fucking. literally could have been the worst time for your older brother to walk in the house. in his perspective, he just wanted to ask you if you wanted to hang out. but you had.... other plans. and he was traumatized.

gareth was just as embarrassed as you, maybe even more than you. he didn't expect his best friend to walk in on him literally fucking his sister. he was so embarrassed that tears were pricking in his eyes. after eddie shut the door, gareth immediately pulled out and laid down. hiding his face in your neck.

you held his head and tried to stop the tears that were coming out. you weren't sobbing you just had some small tears from being scared and embarrassed. you looked at gareth. he was literally terrified, also not to mention utterly embarrassed.  

you could hear the small sniffles coming from him. you felt horrible. you kissed his head and he slightly pulled away. his eyes were slightly red from the tears. you had never seen him cry. sure you had seen gareth upset or embarrassed but you had never seen him cry. knowing that stroking his hair calmed him down you immediately put your hand on his head. stroking his hair as he wrapped his arms around you.

"hey it's okay, if eddie has a problem with us that's his fault," you whispered.

you shimmied your body helping yourself turn to look at your boyfriend. one hand still in his hair, the other now holding his face. your thumb rubbing away the extra tears that fell from his eyes. he nodded, complete putty in your hands. you motioned for him to sit up. knowing that you two would need to brave up and confront eddie, the hell-raising older brother. gareth sat up but didn't move and neither did you. you looked at your feet, completely nervous and hiding your body with your knees to your chest. gareth didn't take his eyes off of you. the tears had stopped after you pet his hair. he may have been a big baby when it came to you but if he needed to protect your relationship you two had tried so hard to keep a secret he would do anything.

thanks to eddie shutting your door gareth had felt confident enough to put his clothes on. and find you some new ones since the others were nowhere to be found. he grabbed one of his old t-shirts you had stolen, along with a pair of your sweatpants, and some new panties. after putting his clothes on he helped you get up. you put on your clothes and immediately after, gareth snatched you up in a hug. yes, he was scared to talk to eddie about your relationship but he knew you were even more scared than he'd ever be.

you two stood there for a little while longer. this time it was your turn to cry. you didn't believe a single thing you had told gareth. you would have a big problem if eddie had a problem that you and his best friend were in a relationship. the guilt sank in. you were full-on sobbing. your head in gareth's chest as he held you. mumbling small words and phrases. one of his hands started rubbing your back. trying to calm you down. small kisses were placed on the crown of your head.

"hey, hey, y/n it's okay. as you said if eddie has a problem with us being together that's his problem and there's nothing stopping us" he said to you.

"it's just-" you choked a sob out.

"it's just what baby?" he asked

"he's my big brother, your best friend" you sobbed.

"and what about it? there's absolutely nothing and no one in this world that would stop me from loving you," he said.

you couldn't help but try to smile. it was hard though. he had the confidence you just had. if you were to ask him if he was scared he'd put on a tough guy facade and tell you no, and you knew it. but what you didn't know was that he didn't care if he was scared. he loved you. and that's what was helping him stay strong.

"it's just eddie sweetheart, he's gonna be okay," he smiled at you.

you nodded. wiping the stray tears. your sobs dying down to just some occasional sniffles. gareth moved his hands to your face. his big thumbs wiping the tears. you looked into his big green eyes. they were full of love. love for you. he looked right back at you. the smallest but comforting smile on his face. he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours. moving in sync for a few seconds.

as you two pulled away he immediately pecked your face. peppering you with kisses. small giggles erupted from you both. he was trying so hard not to move his lips down to somewhere else. but your childlike giggles were music to his ears.

there was a loud knock on your bedroom door startling you two. you knew who it was. it was eddie. the only other person in the house, though he wasn't supposed to be. the embarrassment sinking back into you. gareth looked right at you. you were cemented to the ground. he let you go, but you grabbed his hand and followed him. gaining some confidence. you knew you had to. you couldn't let gareth do all the talking. he would crumble. and his ego was already broken, due to eddie walking in on you two at your most vulnerable state.

gareth opened the door. eddie looking just as embarrassed and uncomfortable as you. eddie peeked in to look at you. you peered at him around gareth's arm. the comfort of his body shielding you.

"you uh, you wanna talk," eddie asked.

"kinda have to man" gareth spoke up.

you all walked to the living room. you couldn't speak. you hardly even wanted to move. the anxiety making it hard to even breathe. your feet padding across the hardwood in the kitchen. eddie had already planted himself onto the couch. looking at gareth as he sat down beside him. now they were both looking at you as you slowly (but surely) made your way to where they were. you sat on the floor. not knowing where to sit since both boys were on the couch.

"so uhm, why didn't you tell me. i mean I'm now permanently scarred" eddie looked at you and gareth.

"didn't want you to be mad" you mumbled.

if they were being honest they weren't expecting you to speak. but nonetheless, gareth was proud of you. he knew you could do it. face your older brother and tell him the truth. no matter how hard it would be. gareth reached down to grab you and pull you to the couch. you now being sat in between your brother and boyfriend.

"if you two would have told me I wouldn't be mad. just would have had to have a talk with gareth." he stated.

the anxiety still there in all of you but slowly going away as you heard him say that. you nodded squeezing gareth's hand. him smiling. you leaned into his shoulder. eddie looked at the both of you. he seemed happy, still uncomfortable at what happened that made you three have the talk, but still happy to see his little sister find someone. he could tell just by looking at you two now that you loved each other.

"I'm happy for you y/n, you know out of anyone at hawkins you found a good one." eddie smiled.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner man," gareth said.

eddie nodded, knowing what could have gone through your heads. if he was being honest he had hidden some relationships from you, so he knew it wouldn't be fair on him to be mad at you. he was slightly uncomfortable at knowing that you two were having sex, but still nonetheless happy for you. he knew gareth would treat you properly.

"I don't really wanna see yall do that again so next time, leave a note, warn me ahead of time that would be really fucking great," eddie said.

you and gareth laughed at eddie. nodding and telling him that you would most definitely let him know so this didn't happen again. eddie then got up and told you that he was leaving and that you two could carry one with it.

gareth looked at you, making you look at him. a small smirk formed on his lips and you rolled your eyes. he was immediately in the mood again but you were still slightly embarrassed. he leaned in for a kiss, you granting him permission but swiftly pulling away a few second after.

"can we just watch movies for the rest of the night, I'm kinda tired" you muttered earning a sheepish smile from gareth.

he nodded and pecked your cheek. knowing that you were exhausted from the good cry you had and the embarrassment. he didn't want to push anything onto you, especially sex. you got up and he soon followed. you two picked out a movie to watch and put it into the VHS player. gareth grabbed the blanket that he bought for you and you both situated yourselves on the couch. all you two wanted to do was be wrapped up and cuddling the night away.

celeb crush - eddie munson

 celeb crush - eddie x fem!reader

warnings: foul language

nikki sixx.

you had a huge crush on nikki sixx. and your boyfriend knew. and one of his favorite things was to mess with you about it, whether at home, in public, any time anywhere. this little shit would bring up your adoration for the beloved motley crue bassist.

"baby, eddie, oh my fucking god, motley crue is going on tour" you screamed at him.

beyond excited you ran to him and jumped on his couch. earning a few pinches of springs popping. not that you minded to much. eddie shook his head and chuckled. his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"yes bugs, i know they are. you only wanna go to check the sixxter out," he joked.

"you know, i actually appreciate their music and like listening to it," you rolled your eyes back at him.

"are you sure?" he asked.

you scoffed, leaning your body into his. his arm going over your shoulder and grabbing at your hand. your fingers intertwining. the warmth of his calloused hands touching your body sent butterflies to your stomach.

"you think nikki would actually find me attractive?" you asked a glimmer of hope in your pretty little fangirl eyes.

the smirk on eddies lips never faltered. his eyes moving down to meet yours. he fully believed that if you were ever near California you'd fully become a groupie and have all the men in bands wrapped around your finger. he believed this because he had seen it before. with him. not entirely true, you had always been his number one girl, but you had the rest of his band wrapped around your finger. so tightly wrapped.

"i think, he'd fall in love" he stated.

you shook your head. the insecurities sitting in. you could never pull a guy like nikki sixx, at least that's what you told yourself. you hated how you looked, especially when thinking about stuff like that. half the time you wonder how you even got to pull a guy like eddie. you really hated how you felt. your demeanor changed slightly, a small defeated sigh coming out from between your lips.

eddie never took his eyes off of you, he saw how your face scrunched up. he knew what was happening. he knew what you were going to say. you said it each time. every time he teased you about it. him telling you that you'd be the hottest groupie out there and nikki sixx would fall to his knees in a heartbeat.

"what? you afraid the great and powerful sixx won't fuck you right on the spot if given the chance?" he asked.

he was teasing you of course, but he just wanted to make you smile. you weren't smiling, nor blushing. nothing actually. your eyes were shut, you didn't believe him. not one bit. you hated the feeling, you should have been confident in yourself, the way he was confident in you.

you shook your head. eddie not having it. he knew in his heart of hearts, you would get a riot out of the guys in motley crue. maybe even mick mars, who was a bit of a grumpy old man. nonetheless, he was a rocker and knew his way around a woman.

eddie sat there still looking at you. thinking long and hard about how to possibly make you feel confident in yourself. the only thing that came to mind would be you caress your body and tell you how amazing and hot you are. but you didn't want that right now and he could tell. the grip on your hand tightened. he leaned down and pecked a kiss on your lips.

you smiled lightly. you were a lucky girl. you wouldn't give eddie up for the world. he was you,r soul mate. not even nikki sixx could take him away from you. he was your rock. anytime you felt like this he knew how you felt and could help you out of it. he hated seeing his girl feel like she wasn't cool and smoking hot.

eddie wasn't gonna have this. he sat up and with that brought you up with him. he went to the cassette player and grabbed the album too fast for love, by motley crue. the song live wire blasting at the highest the player would let it be.

eddie pulled you close. his head bobbing at the fast tempo of the song. his hands at your waist. you two started dancing. as good as possible, he made you sway your hips to the beat. soon after he started your movements started to pick up by themselves. he knew you were getting back into the groove of your usual self.

no insecurities, just the sound of vince neil's voice, tommy lee's drums, mick mars's guitar, and nikki sixx's bass, filling your ears. eddie's hands left your hips. you making your own rhythm, mocking an air guitar along with eddie. hips still moving like crazy. the song soon changed to 'come on and dance' which was the next track from the album. your smile wide, looking at eddie you walked back over to him.

"that's it baby!" eddie shouted over the music as he watched you dance your life away.

you had danced as hard as possible. eddie was watching you intently, slightly hiding a bulge that might have started to grow a few times. he knew that you were confident in your own skin and he loved that, and he was proud of himself for helping you out of the small funk you were in.

song after song you danced your way through the album, hardly any stopping. eddie had stopped a long while ago but you kept on going. he just watched on with loving eyes. as the album was coming to an end he grabbed you a glass of water to make sure you drank something after all that heavy exercise.

you plopped down on the couch beside eddie. leaning your head into his shoulder. he grabbed your hand and kissed your head. beyond exhausted. he knew you were close to passing out. after petting your head as you chugged the water had set down for you, you looked up at him. big puppy eyes boring into his soul. he looked right at you. swearing that every time he looks into your big eyes he falls in love with you all over again.

eddie had a small surprise for you, but he didn't know when to tell you. but thinking about it now was as good a time as ever. he got up after leaving your tight grip. you sat up extremely confused as he ran to his room. you heard a bunch of clunking of stuff he was either throwing or dropping while searching intently.

"eddie baby are you okay?" you asked him.

"I'm alright love, but i need you to close your eyes for me!" he yelled.

you did as said. you sat up and put your hands over your eyes, as if you were a kid counting to 100 to go find your friends that were hiding in a game of hide and seek. you heard a small aha and then the door to eddie's bedroom click back open. small thumps of his socked feet walking back to the living room where you sat.

"okay promise me you won't flip out?" eddie said.

"i won't flip out" you nodded.

eddie walked over and sat something soft on your lap. he then took your hands in his and uncovered your eyes. you looked down and saw two small pieces of paper and a new shirt. those two pieces of paper were tickets to see motley crue on the twenty second of september in indianapolis.  the shirt was a new motley crue shirt. though you had many. you looked up at eddie with the biggest smile on your face.

"the tickets are pit and on nikki's side, i made extra sure you would be able to see the precious sixxter" he smiled at you.

"eddie, i can't believe this" you said, shock in your voice.

pure excitement sat on his face. literally seeping through his body. once it sank in you started crying. almost full on sobs. eddie immediately freaked out and ran to you. moving the tickets and shirt to the side and kneeling on the floor in front of you.

"hey, buggie tell me whats wrong, is it something i did?" he asked.

"no, i can't belive this, eddie you didn't have to" you choked out in sobs.

eddie chuckled. finally realizing that the cries weren't a bad thing. you were happy, and surprised, and purely excited to be able to go see your favorite band with your favorite boy. but the other thing was the fact that eddie didn't have a lot of money, and neither did you. you both came from nothing, so eddie must've spent so much time saving up that money. and it made you feel somewhat guilty. if you knew he wanted to go, you would have helped pitch in and save together.

"baby it's you, you're my girl and i wanted to treat you, you deserve it" he smiled.

"it's too much, how much did my ticket and shirt cost? i wanna pay you back," you insisted.

eddie shook his head immediately. he didn't care how much he spent on his tickets, money is money and he'd get more one way or another. besides you were his girl, the love of his life, no one and nothing would stop him from giving you this. and for fucks sake he wasn't going to let you pay him back for anything.

"absolutely not, y/n you do almost everything for me, this is my gift to you. i love you so so much and i will not accept any money, now, then, and forever. i want to take care of you" he said.

your cries had turned into sniffles. a small smile grazing your face, you knew eddie loved you. and hell you loved him more than anything in the world, he was your everything. and knowing that being the stubborn jackass he was sometimes eddie would stand by his word, he would never let you pay him back. but hell you were gonna try.

"thank you, this means so much to me" you sniffed.

right before eddie was gonna say anything you grabbed his face and shoved his lips to yours. the kiss was full of happiness and passion. both of you smiling into each others lips. nothing would ever stop your love for each other, wether it was nikki sixx or anyone else.

as you two pulled away eddie smiled. one of the biggest smiles he'd ever seen. he finally felt like he did something right in life. actually multiple things, he made you smile and he gets to every day, and he gets to make fun of your love for nikki sixx. and he loved every minute of it. actually he loved every minute of being with you.

"I'm hotter than nikki right?" he asked

"eddie my darling you will always be hotter than nikki" you smiled pressing a small peck to his smirking lips.

"good"

I literally love this post and im gonna piggyback off of it because its so good. Literally almost if not EVERY single 80s rock band has a pretty big problematic past, like give mötley crüe for example. They made a memoir about all the shitty stuff they've done in the past and how they've grown and still are growing as people. I'm a fan of them, but does that mean I condone anything they did in their past that was problematic absolutely not. If you expected to see the type of music Eddie and Billy were into, then you should expect that some if not all of the artists aren't the best people on the planet. Eddie and Billy aren't just an aesthetic they're characters, and music is one way you can get to know them and feel closer but you need to accept that ALOT of the people they would have adored or idolized weren't good people. I mean almost everyone in Hollywood can be problematic if you dig deep enough but does that stop them from making mistakes and learning from them. Most artists from the 80s were teenagers when they started aswell, is that an excuse for the bad stuff no it's not. But they were people that could be relatable to others in ways that might not be for other people. You don't have to do research on the band to like the music. I've been listening to 80s heavy metal/rock since I was a literal child. I'm a fan of many artists and bands, do I know a lot of the bad stuff they've dine, yes I do, but I do not condone it nor excuse it. I'm proud of the good people they've become or are trying to be, along with love their music.

Just wait til people find more bands from the patches on eddies vest and listen to them and start trying to cancel them🙄

Anyways thank you for coming to my Ted talk

all the *dd** stans on tik tok cancelling metallica now because of their ‘problematic’ history and i can’t

they’re a rock band from the 80s what did you expect? rock music was dark and it was purposefully pushing the boundaries and it was pissing people off on purpose and it was being the ‘evil’ that the rest of the world thought they were. i’m not saying the shit they did is okay but what did you expect?

just look at the people in st who like metallica. the lonely neglected guy and abused angry teenage boy. you really thought metallica was gonna be sunshine and rainbows when those two fuckers liked them?

but then again these are the st fans who can’t even understand billy was being abused so idk what to tell them.

psa metallica did some shit and i’m not condoning it, i don’t stan them, i’m just saying if you can’t separate a bands past from their music then you gotta stop liking bands cos every rock band from the 80s-00s has done bad shit.

Just because I feel like this one didn't get enough attention and because I love it so much

celeb crush - eddie munson

 celeb crush - eddie x fem!reader

warnings: foul language

nikki sixx.

you had a huge crush on nikki sixx. and your boyfriend knew. and one of his favorite things was to mess with you about it, whether at home, in public, any time anywhere. this little shit would bring up your adoration for the beloved motley crue bassist.

“baby, eddie, oh my fucking god, motley crue is going on tour” you screamed at him.

beyond excited you ran to him and jumped on his couch. earning a few pinches of springs popping. not that you minded to much. eddie shook his head and chuckled. his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“yes bugs, i know they are. you only wanna go to check the sixxter out,” he joked.

“you know, i actually appreciate their music and like listening to it,” you rolled your eyes back at him.

“are you sure?” he asked.

you scoffed, leaning your body into his. his arm going over your shoulder and grabbing at your hand. your fingers intertwining. the warmth of his calloused hands touching your body sent butterflies to your stomach.

“you think nikki would actually find me attractive?” you asked a glimmer of hope in your pretty little fangirl eyes.

the smirk on eddies lips never faltered. his eyes moving down to meet yours. he fully believed that if you were ever near California you’d fully become a groupie and have all the men in bands wrapped around your finger. he believed this because he had seen it before. with him. not entirely true, you had always been his number one girl, but you had the rest of his band wrapped around your finger. so tightly wrapped.

“i think, he’d fall in love” he stated.

you shook your head. the insecurities sitting in. you could never pull a guy like nikki sixx, at least that’s what you told yourself. you hated how you looked, especially when thinking about stuff like that. half the time you wonder how you even got to pull a guy like eddie. you really hated how you felt. your demeanor changed slightly, a small defeated sigh coming out from between your lips.

eddie never took his eyes off of you, he saw how your face scrunched up. he knew what was happening. he knew what you were going to say. you said it each time. every time he teased you about it. him telling you that you’d be the hottest groupie out there and nikki sixx would fall to his knees in a heartbeat.

“what? you afraid the great and powerful sixx won’t fuck you right on the spot if given the chance?” he asked.

he was teasing you of course, but he just wanted to make you smile. you weren’t smiling, nor blushing. nothing actually. your eyes were shut, you didn’t believe him. not one bit. you hated the feeling, you should have been confident in yourself, the way he was confident in you.

you shook your head. eddie not having it. he knew in his heart of hearts, you would get a riot out of the guys in motley crue. maybe even mick mars, who was a bit of a grumpy old man. nonetheless, he was a rocker and knew his way around a woman.

eddie sat there still looking at you. thinking long and hard about how to possibly make you feel confident in yourself. the only thing that came to mind would be you caress your body and tell you how amazing and hot you are. but you didn’t want that right now and he could tell. the grip on your hand tightened. he leaned down and pecked a kiss on your lips.

you smiled lightly. you were a lucky girl. you wouldn’t give eddie up for the world. he was you,r soul mate. not even nikki sixx could take him away from you. he was your rock. anytime you felt like this he knew how you felt and could help you out of it. he hated seeing his girl feel like she wasn’t cool and smoking hot.

eddie wasn’t gonna have this. he sat up and with that brought you up with him. he went to the cassette player and grabbed the album too fast for love, by motley crue. the song live wire blasting at the highest the player would let it be.

eddie pulled you close. his head bobbing at the fast tempo of the song. his hands at your waist. you two started dancing. as good as possible, he made you sway your hips to the beat. soon after he started your movements started to pick up by themselves. he knew you were getting back into the groove of your usual self.

no insecurities, just the sound of vince neil’s voice, tommy lee’s drums, mick mars’s guitar, and nikki sixx’s bass, filling your ears. eddie’s hands left your hips. you making your own rhythm, mocking an air guitar along with eddie. hips still moving like crazy. the song soon changed to ‘come on and dance’ which was the next track from the album. your smile wide, looking at eddie you walked back over to him.

“that’s it baby!” eddie shouted over the music as he watched you dance your life away.

you had danced as hard as possible. eddie was watching you intently, slightly hiding a bulge that might have started to grow a few times. he knew that you were confident in your own skin and he loved that, and he was proud of himself for helping you out of the small funk you were in.

song after song you danced your way through the album, hardly any stopping. eddie had stopped a long while ago but you kept on going. he just watched on with loving eyes. as the album was coming to an end he grabbed you a glass of water to make sure you drank something after all that heavy exercise.

you plopped down on the couch beside eddie. leaning your head into his shoulder. he grabbed your hand and kissed your head. beyond exhausted. he knew you were close to passing out. after petting your head as you chugged the water had set down for you, you looked up at him. big puppy eyes boring into his soul. he looked right at you. swearing that every time he looks into your big eyes he falls in love with you all over again.

eddie had a small surprise for you, but he didn’t know when to tell you. but thinking about it now was as good a time as ever. he got up after leaving your tight grip. you sat up extremely confused as he ran to his room. you heard a bunch of clunking of stuff he was either throwing or dropping while searching intently.

“eddie baby are you okay?” you asked him.

“I’m alright love, but i need you to close your eyes for me!” he yelled.

you did as said. you sat up and put your hands over your eyes, as if you were a kid counting to 100 to go find your friends that were hiding in a game of hide and seek. you heard a small aha and then the door to eddie’s bedroom click back open. small thumps of his socked feet walking back to the living room where you sat.

“okay promise me you won’t flip out?” eddie said.

“i won’t flip out” you nodded.

eddie walked over and sat something soft on your lap. he then took your hands in his and uncovered your eyes. you looked down and saw two small pieces of paper and a new shirt. those two pieces of paper were tickets to see motley crue on the twenty second of september in indianapolis.  the shirt was a new motley crue shirt. though you had many. you looked up at eddie with the biggest smile on your face.

“the tickets are pit and on nikki’s side, i made extra sure you would be able to see the precious sixxter” he smiled at you.

“eddie, i can’t believe this” you said, shock in your voice.

pure excitement sat on his face. literally seeping through his body. once it sank in you started crying. almost full on sobs. eddie immediately freaked out and ran to you. moving the tickets and shirt to the side and kneeling on the floor in front of you.

“hey, buggie tell me whats wrong, is it something i did?” he asked.

“no, i can’t belive this, eddie you didn’t have to” you choked out in sobs.

eddie chuckled. finally realizing that the cries weren’t a bad thing. you were happy, and surprised, and purely excited to be able to go see your favorite band with your favorite boy. but the other thing was the fact that eddie didn’t have a lot of money, and neither did you. you both came from nothing, so eddie must’ve spent so much time saving up that money. and it made you feel somewhat guilty. if you knew he wanted to go, you would have helped pitch in and save together.

“baby it’s you, you’re my girl and i wanted to treat you, you deserve it” he smiled.

“it’s too much, how much did my ticket and shirt cost? i wanna pay you back,” you insisted.

eddie shook his head immediately. he didn’t care how much he spent on his tickets, money is money and he’d get more one way or another. besides you were his girl, the love of his life, no one and nothing would stop him from giving you this. and for fucks sake he wasn’t going to let you pay him back for anything.

“absolutely not, y/n you do almost everything for me, this is my gift to you. i love you so so much and i will not accept any money, now, then, and forever. i want to take care of you” he said.

your cries had turned into sniffles. a small smile grazing your face, you knew eddie loved you. and hell you loved him more than anything in the world, he was your everything. and knowing that being the stubborn jackass he was sometimes eddie would stand by his word, he would never let you pay him back. but hell you were gonna try.

“thank you, this means so much to me” you sniffed.

right before eddie was gonna say anything you grabbed his face and shoved his lips to yours. the kiss was full of happiness and passion. both of you smiling into each others lips. nothing would ever stop your love for each other, wether it was nikki sixx or anyone else.

as you two pulled away eddie smiled. one of the biggest smiles he’d ever seen. he finally felt like he did something right in life. actually multiple things, he made you smile and he gets to every day, and he gets to make fun of your love for nikki sixx. and he loved every minute of it. actually he loved every minute of being with you.

“I’m hotter than nikki right?” he asked

“eddie my darling you will always be hotter than nikki” you smiled pressing a small peck to his smirking lips.

“good”

bittersweet cherries I e.m   INTRO 

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson

word count: 705

summary: brief mention of the past- Aurora returning home shocking her mother and brother, dustin henderson.

a/n: this is my first time writing or posting for tumblr. i hope this turned out as well as i want it to. i do have a good idea as to the whole outline of the story i wanna try to complete so hopefully i can. I've been thinking about this for a while so I'm excited to try :)

________ “Here you go, princess. One cherry cola and packa’ gum.” Eddie said as he handed you the items from the gas station. Throwing the plastic back in the back that probably held a bunch more snacks and a six-pack. 

The two of you were driving to Corroded’s next gig, a couple of towns south of Hawkins. Gareth and the rest of the boys were driving over separately just you could drive with Eddie and all the equipment. 

One last time. 

One last drive with all the windows down, Mötley Crüe blasting through the beat-up speakers in the van, Eddie’s hands drumming along against the stirring wheel, and both of yours’ hair going crazy in the wind. 

“I gotta say, princess. I’ll never get tired of this.” Eddie sweetly caresses your cheek as you look over towards him. You can feel the cool metal of his rings on your cheek. 

A much better sensation than what you’re actually feeling. His words stabbed your heart because only you knew this was the last time. And he wasn’t prepared for you to leave. 

________ 

The air was finally turning as fall approached Hawkins faster. Trees started to shed the leaves they had, and it covered the streets like confetti. Everyone in town has just started to curate their pumpkin collection outside their houses, and denim jackets have become a justified choice for the weather. 

It was your favorite time of the year. But this wasn’t like previous years. 

You were returning after a year of being away from Hawkins. Being away from your bratty little brother whom you loved, your caring mother who somehow puts up with you and your brother's antics, and all your friends who you missed greatly. 

Do you regret leaving? Yes. 

Do you wish you had listened to your mom and stayed home? Yes. 

Do you wish you had told Eddie why you left? Yes.

Are you scared to come back? Yes. 

You took a huge deep breath before opening the door to your house. Nerves fill your body and make you more clumsy than you usually were. The door opened swiftly, but you tripped on the trim, making your presence known throughout the house. 

“Dusty, I told you to stop reading and walking at the same time!” Your mother bellowed from the kitchen. 

“I’M NOT WALKING, MOM! I AM LYING DOWN!” Dustin screamed back from his room. 

“I tripped on the trim of the door, mom. It was just me.” You said, entering the kitchen where your mother stood in front of the sink. “Sorry about that.” You sheepishly continued. 

“Oh my gosh!  Aurora, oh, my darling! You’re back!” She dropped the towel and came rushing towards you, pulling you into a tight hug. 

“Oh, you’re back.” She repeated. Probably trying to convince herself that you’re actually standing here.

“I’m back, mom. I’m back for good.” Rubbing a soft hand against her back, trying to console her. 

You broke apart the hug to set down your bags and backpack, which was straining your back. As you did so, you almost got pushed into the wall. When you turn to see why you see your little brother with a frown on his face. 

“Dustin! Why are you shoving me against a wall?”

“Because! You decided to return without calling or giving any warning! That’s mean!” He argued. 

“Okay, dude, that's fair, but come on. It’s me, your big sister,” You should him a gummy smile similar to his, “The same one who brought back books for you, but I guess I’ll give them to someone else since you seem ungrateful.” Teasing him back. 

“Woah, Woah, let's not make any rash decisions.” Raising his arms up in defense 

“They’re in the blue bag, dingus.” You laughed at his excitement as he shuffled through the stuff in the bag. 

You feel the warmth that’s in the house. Your mom has some type of pie in the oven, causing the house to smell like cinnamon and sugar. Dustin has started to read one of the books you got him aloud, filling the house with noise. A house you’ve missed terribly and are glad you’ve returned to. Although, you know, the next couple of weeks will be tough. 

bittersweet cherries I e.m  CHAPTER 1

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 1.2 k

summary: aurora remembers things about the past, making her nostalgic and a little sad. Dustin coaxed her into driving him and Mike to hellfire. She finally sees one of her old friends since she hasn't left the house yet. Avoids running into eddie

a/n: this ended up being longer than I expected. But its not too bad. I hope you all enjoy it! :)

________

Being back in Hawkins was surreal to you, considering how abruptly you left a year ago. Only two bags and a small backpack traveled with you to New York to live with an aunt of yours.  

But now, you’re back in your old bedroom, which held all the memories you tried so hard to remember while you’d been away. 

All the converse you collected over time was still in a large pile in the corner, looking like it was about to topple over. The top shelves of your bookcase are lined with cherry coke cans, and the middle shelves overflow with books. A single touch to one of them and the whole thing would fall. Posters and notes cluttered the wall, showing an array of movies, bands, and jokes Eddie left for you in your locker. Some of them had little doodles on them you had drawn on them. Plushies stuffed into the bottom of the closet and your old clothes your mother never let you get rid of. 

You sat on the beaten-up wicker chair in the corner next to your shoes facing the window. You often sat here reading or doing schoolwork while in high school. The molding paint was chipped, showing the true wood color that matched the trim against the floorboards. 

Eventually, at night, Eddie would crawl through the window and give you a rundown of his day. Everything he did within the five hours after you saw each other in school. He always came prepared with a bag of cherries you’d share with him or a cherry coke for you. 

He was a constant presence in your house, whether he had snuck in or entered with the guidance of Dustin after a miscommunication between him and your mother. He was scared to be near her without a buffer after that incident. Eddie never liked to talk about it. It was very embarrassing for him. He always told you off when you teased him about it. 

You didn’t realize how loud the sigh you let out was or that Dustin was standing in your doorframe. “How long have you been standing there?” 

“Since the first tear fell down your face.” He explained. You hadn’t realized you started crying, quickly whipping away the wetness on your cheek. “Why are you crying?”

“No reason. I just am, I guess.”

“People cry for a reason, Rory.” He moved to sit across from you on the bed. 

“People cry just to feel something sometimes, Dustin. Maybe that’s what I’m doing. I’m not sure.” 

“Rory.” His voice was sincere and quiet. Using the nickname that almost everyone called you by made you want to cry more. You hadn’t been called that in a while. 

“Coming back was a good thing, I know that. It’s just- there are a lot of emotions with returning. It’s slowly catching up with me. That's all.” Finally, giving in to him. 

“Have you talked with anyone since you got back? You haven’t really left the house.”

“I’m afraid to, Dustin. I left without warning. I-I’m not sure if I’m ready to see certain people.” You sniffled and wiped a rouge tear that had escaped. Dustin knew exactly who you were talking about. Hell, Eddie is one of his best friends and sees him most days. You’re still unsure what you want to do, so you decided not to see anyone yet. 

“I think if you saw someone else other than Mom or me, you would feel better. Even if it was just Mike or Nancy.” He offered with his gummy smile. “Come on, I need someone to drive me to Hellfire anyways. We gotta pick up Mike on the way.” Dustin swiftly left the room after throwing the keys he had in his hand at you. 

“You little shit.” You let out another sigh, grabbed a hoodie from your floor, and made your way to the car in which Dustin was already sitting. 

“Your plan was just to get me to drive you, not to be a nice, concerned brother?” You gave him a dirty look. 

“I gotta say, you know me better than I do.” He started laughing, but it stopped once you flicked him on the forehead. “Ow! Rory, that hurt.”

“Oh, it did not.” The both of you bickered all the way to the Wheeler's house. 

_______

The familiar shape of the Wheeler’s filled your vision as you turned around in the cul-de-sac. All the memories rushed to you of spending Halloween with Nancy as the boys trick-or-treated or sleepovers that included doing each other nails and watching whatever Tome Cruise movie had just released. 

“I’m not going inside. Go get Mike.” Putting the car in park and sitting back. 

“Uh, no way. You’re coming with me. Come on.” He opened the car door and walked around to open yours. “Let’s go, milady!” Showing off is smiling one more time before you exit the car. 

“Fine,” you let out with a huff. “Let’s go.”

Dustin knocked on the door just for his favorite person to open the door, Mr. Wheeler. “Oh, hello. Here to take more of our food, I presume?” He mocked. 

“No, sir. Here with my sister,” motioned towards you, “to pick up Mike for Hellfire.”

“MIKE! Your friend is here for your club of high school dropouts.” He left the door open for you and Dustin to walk in. 

“Aurora, is that you?” Mrs. Wheeler walked into the foyer, wiping her hands with a dish towel. “You’re back, sweetie?” 

“Oh, yes. I got back this week. It’s nice to see you.” The two of you exchanged a small hug when you noticed Nancy and Mike standing on the staircase's landing. 

“Holy shit.” They both said in unison. 

“Hey, what did I tell you about that language?” Mrs. Wheeler walked off back into the kitchen, shooting them both a glare. 

Nancy ran up to you, immediately engulfing you into a hug, squeezing a bit too tight. “Oh, my gosh. I missed you so much. I cannot believe you’re back.” She finally stepped back. 

“Yeah, I know. Neither can I, honestly. It’s a little freaky.” The two of you continued a bit more before Dustin and Mike started bickering about something in D&D. 

“Okay, well, I have to drop them off to be someone else's problem or a while. I’ll see you soon, Nance.” You joked a bit while ushering the boys out the door towards the car. 

“Bye, Rory!”

________

The one thing you tried to avoid thinking about while driving was where you were going. Which isn’t necessarily the safest thing. But you couldn’t help yourself. You start to panic the closer you get to the school. 

You also pulled your hood up over your head as you pulled in. Attempting to cover up as much as possible. If anyone saw you, you might have a heart attack. 

“Okay, here ya go, boys. What time do you need to be picked up?” 

“We don’t, uh,” Dustin looked over to Mike, “ You don’t have to pick us up.” They both left too fast, almost tripping on the ground and slamming the doors behind them. 

Ignoring what just happened, you also left very fast. The car skidded across the pavement for a moment before leveling out. 

You can see Eddies van pull into the school's entrance in your rearview mirror. “That was close.”

bittersweet cherries I e.m  CHAPTER 2

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 830

summary: eddies pov*, hellfire meeting, driving the boys and erica home, reminiscing about aurora, asking about her, small convo with dustin

a/n: surprisingly got another chapter out today, little short, but that's okay. the weekend is close so I should be able to write a few more then. i hope yall enjoy it! :)

________

The doors busted wide open, revealing Eddie with both hands on the doors. His hair was in its usual disheveled state, but his typical leather jacket was replaced with his work coveralls. “Okay, dungeon children. We have one hour until I have to be back at the shop. Let’s do this.” He smirked as everyone in the room cheered. 

He walked over to the dungeon master throne he crafted years ago when Hellfire started. “Lady Applejack, your late arrival is going to cost you.” Eddie teased in a sing-song voice. 

“We’ll see about that,” Erica responded curtly. 

The whole group began playing and continued until the hour was up. They left everything in the same place since they were coming back the next morning to complete the last leg of Eddie’s campaign. 

Erica led the group down the high school hallway with her brother, Dustin, Mike, and Eddie, following shortly behind. Arms slung across each other as they recap the events of the meeting, still arguing over one of Mike's crit hits. 

“Kiddos, come on. Pack it into the van. I’m taking all of you home or to Mikes?” Eddie would admit that he loves the boys and cares for them deeply. But never publicly announce it. 

“All to our houses,” Lucas answered, sending him a thumbs up as he was the last to pile into the back of Eddies van. Both doors shut with bits of rust coming off the old handles. 

________

“See you guys tomorrow!” Mike, Lucas, and Erica all jumped out of the back of the van and waved Eddie and Dustin off. Dustin also climbed up front to sit next to Eddie, taking a bag of trail mix from his backpack to snack on.

It was just becoming dark, so the sky still had bits of orange and pink mixed together. Street lamps turned on as they continued to drive down the road to Dustin’s house. The radio in the car played a crackly version of a random cassette tape Eddie popped in. 

Over the past year, Eddie and Dustin had grown closer than anyone could imagine. After knowing each other for years, it seemed they were already as close as you could get. Since after you left, it made them grow closer because they both loved and missed you terribly. Eddie had become sort of a brother for Dustin. 

“Hey, uh,” Dustin turned his head to face Eddie, “Kid, you look like a squirrel.” 

“Shoure doh!” His response was barely audible. 

“Anyways, I was gonna ask you… Have y-you heard anything?” Eddies voice had gone quiet and soft. 

Dustin knew you had come home, but after your conversation earlier, he didn’t feel it was his place to tell Eddie you were back. “No. My mom called our aunt the other day but said she was out.”

Dustin felt like shit lying to Eddie. He wanted to make Eddie happy and tell him your back. He could go to your room and see you in person. He could hug you or kiss you. Just seeing you in front of him would make him so happy. 

“Oh, okay.” Eddie sighed and brought his hand up to his mouth, chewing on the nail bed of his thumb. A habit he broke off years ago once Corroed Coffin started getting regular spots at the Hideout. It hurt more when he played, and you helped him break the bad habit. Nevertheless, bad habits creep up fast once there’s an opening. 

“Here, ya go, kid. See ya tomorrow.” Dustin thanked him, grabbed his backpack, and left the van. 

Eddie waited until he got into the house safely, but his hand stopped on the gear shift. He looked through the car's shield to look at your window. The house's siding still has scrapes underneath the window from when he snuck in. Every time he dropped Dustin off after Hellfire, school, or hanging out, he waited and looked at your window. 

Hoping.

Wanting. 

Praying.

That he would see your shadow through the shades dancing to whatever Pat Benatar or Madonna song you had playing on your record player. Or to see you sitting in your wicker chair reading some book he would never understand. 

Nothing was there. No movements, no sounds. You clearly weren’t back, and Eddie had to accept that. 

Eddie switched the gear and backed out of the driveway of your house. 

He was hopeful that you would return. Come back to Hawkins, work at Family Video again, get back together with him, and spend every day together. Just like you guys had planned to do after graduation. Create a life for the two of you like you promised each other. All Eddie could do was wait for you to come back. He was sure that you would; he never gave up on you. Others think he's reaching a bit for the stars, but you never know.

A cigarette soon met his lips as a tear fell from his cheek. 

“S-shit.” 

bittersweet cherries I e.m CHAPTER 3

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 1.5k

summary: small flashback between eddie and aurora, conversation with her mother about eddie, dustin tells aurora to go to eddie to talk to him

a/n: idk how to structure this chapter, but I think it worked out well anyways, I hope yall enjoy it :)

________

“Come, Eddie. You have to try it on once before graduation! We have to check if it needs to be hemmed!” Your argument had been going on for an hour, and Eddie wasn’t letting up.

“Did you just call me short?!” He scoffed, flipped his hair, and walked off. 

“Babe, please. Just put it on so I can check the length.”

“Noooo!”

“I’ll give you a kiss if you’ll put it on.”

“Really?”

“No, Eddie. Just put the gown on, pleaseee.”

“No kiss, No gown, darling.” He teased me. 

“Please, Eddie”

“Nooooo!”

“Why not?”

“Because… It's bad luck.” Eddie finally sat down on the couch. “It’s gonna jinx my chance.” 

Over the last year, you worked with Eddie to ensure he didn’t have to army crawl to graduate. You ensured he understood the subjects well, helped him with some projects, and studied with him tirelessly every night. He was very proud of himself when he got his first B, and Wayne hung it up on the fridge. It later got replaced by his first A- which you, Wayne, and Eddie all celebrated that night with a little dance party.

Although it took him a long time to graduate and people always made fun, he is still very proud. He never thought he could do it, especially not without you. He owed this to you. But he was still his peculiar self, and it had to be done his way. 

“Bad luck? Sweetie, who told you that?” 

“No one did. I guess I’ve just convinced myself that if I put that gown on, my chances of graduating will go away.” You sat next to him on the couch, curled up with your legs providing an armrest for him. He hung his arm against you, lightly tracing circles on your leg. 

“Eddie, I promise you that trying on the gown won't ruin your chances. Nothing can ruin your chances because you worked hard and earned this.” Your hand held his trying to comfort him. “If anyone tries to get in the way, I’ll kill them.” 

He laughed, “Sure, sure you will, Rory.” 

“Please. Just for me? Let me make this day perfect for you. I need to check the length, Eds.” Hoping he would let you if you pleaded some more. 

“Fine,” You cheered, “But I don’t wanna see.”

“Deal.” Dragging his butt off the couch and into his room. You helped him with the sleeves and zipped up the long green gown, tracing your finger against the orange piping. 

Eddie wasn’t looking; however, you were. He was standing in front of you in his high school graduation gown, something he never thought he’d be able to wear. A tear escaped you as you checked him out. 

“Rory, please hurry up. This thing is hot as shit.” 

“Hold on one second. I just need to pin it.” You took a pin and folded it over the fabric's edge that was too long. Readjusting it to make sure it was even on both sides. “There ya go! You can take it off now.” 

________

After only seeing Eddie’s van when dropping Dustin off, you felt worse. You wanted to turn the car around and go back to him. Instead, you were too afraid. Nerves would’ve taken over your body and made you unable to move. So instead, you acted like a coward and drove back home. 

“Mom? Where are you?” You kicked off your shoes and put your hoodie on the hook. 

“My room, sweetie!” 

She was in there folding laundry. You moved to sit on the bed next to her and started folding the towels. Doing things with her was always comforting because she would never make you talk. Dustin, oh, she should drill into him because he's her Dusty-Bun. But she never forced you to talk about anything. She knew if you wanted to, you would speak up, giving you the option to speak on it. 

“Do you think you could do something for me, mom?” placing the folded towel on the pile, “Could you somehow get Eddie to come here tomorrow?”

“Aurora, are you ready to see him? You haven’t even seen the rest of your friends yet.” 

“I know, but I think I have to make things right with him before anything else.” Your mind was a wreck trying to figure out the words you would say to him. “I need to, mom. I miss him too much.”

She scooted closed and pulled you into a hug. Immediately you started to cry on her shoulder. “I’ll call him, okay? I’ll ask him to pick up Dustin or something. Does that work?” All she felt was you nod against her. 

“Aww, sugar, I know you will make things better with him. The two of you are meant for each other.”

________

When Dustin got home from Hellfire later that afternoon, he wasn’t as jacked up as you thought. You have vivid memories of him coming through the front door, cheering and rambling on about whatever troll or monster he slayed in the game. 

Today he went straight to his room and didn’t come out until dinner. 

You worried that because he saw Eddie, he might have been in an uncomfortable position. Last night, when you guys were recapping on what had happened while you were away, Dustin mentioned that Eddie often asked if he had heard anything from you. Dustin's conversation with you probably made him more nervous about speaking with Eddie. You felt awful because of this. Dustin and Eddie were close, and you didn’t want to come in between them. 

“Hey, Dustin,” You leaned against, “how was Hellfire? Did the campaign end?”

No response.

“Dusty? Did you hear me?” You questioned him once more before moving closer, sitting next to him on his bed. The both of you faced his scattered desk, which had piles of work on it, sheets from D&D, or assignments from Physics. The occasional leftover snack bag was hidden under some of the piles. 

He sniffled, which made your heart break. “Talk to him.” His voice cracked as he said it. Dustin wasn’t the most emotional person in the world. Sometimes they just got too overwhelming for him.

“What?”

“He needs you. You need him. Please, I’m begging you. Go talk to him.” 

“Dustin…”

“No, Rory, you have to. I told him we hadn’t heard anything after he asked, and you could see the tears forming in his eyes.” The image of Eddie crying alone made your whole body limp. You felt sorry for making him feel like that. You felt terrible. “I don’t care if it ends up with the two of you grossly making out or in a huge verbal fight. You just need to go to him.”

You laughed at his comment of you making out, but he was too serious to even laugh at it. “Okay, look. I had asked mom earlier if she could somehow get Eddie over here tomorrow. I figured that if he came here, I wouldn’t be able to run away as easily. I know I need to talk to him, but I’m still scared to.”

“Rory, you’re my sister. I want what is best for you. And I honestly think that Eddie is what's best for you. I never saw you as happy as you were when you were with him. I might be an annoying younger brother, but I care about you.” Everything he said warmed your heart. 

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll be there with you when you see him. Is that okay?” Dustin offered. 

All you did was nod in response. You pulled your brother into a tight hug, not caring how hard you squeezed him. 

After you released him from your grasp, you took a moment to think. 

“Let’s go now.” You stated. In a way, shocking you and Dustin at the same time. 

“What? Isn’t mom having him come tomorrow?”

“You’re right, Dustin. I need to go to him and I wanna go now. Grab your jacket, it got colder.” 

You left the room, going into yours to freshen up your look. Did you really care that much? No. But you had been crying earlier, and your conversation with your mom made you tear up some more; as a result, eyeliner was smeared under your eyes, and the mascara you had on stained your cheek. You quickly put on your red converse and met Dustin at the front door. 

“Mom, we're going to grab some snacks and a movie! We’ll be back in a bit!” She waved the two of you off with her monologue on being safe and not getting too much sugar. Her words were cut off by the door slamming. 

The air at gotten colder, as you figured. The two of you piled into your car turning the heat on as soon as you got in. 

“You ready?”

“I think so.” The car backed down the driveway, and you drove towards Forest Hills trail park. You didn’t have a plan as to what you would say to him. His reaction alone was still worrying you. It was a rough year for the both of you being separated from each other. For years, you were always together. Either at school, in the woods, in his trailer, or with your friends hanging out. You had never really experienced not having Eddie in your life until you left. With everything Dustin told you, it seems that Eddie wasn’t his best self without you here. 

bittersweet cherries I e.m CHAPTER 4

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 930

summary: dustin and aurora go to eddies with a small plan on how to talk to him. aurora remembers some memories she shared with eddie

a/n: this was going to be a longer chapter but I think instead the next one might be really long :) sorry lol I hope yall enjoyed this one!

________

The drive to the trailer park wasn’t long, but it started to rain in that short time. The windshield wipers were working hard to keep your field of vision clear enough to drive without concern. Dustin was content in the passenger seat, letting you freak out over the weather. 

The two of you had come up with a plan. Was it an amazing one? Not at all. But it was better to have something than show up on Eddie's doorstep with nothing. The plan was for Dustin to knock on Eddie’s door, get himself invited in, chat for a bit and ask if Eddie could get him something from his room. At that point, he would signal for you to come inside, and, hopefully, when Eddie returns from his room, you would be sitting in the living room alone. 

“I’m scared, Dustin.”

“I know. It’s okay to be scared, but I don’t think anything bad will happen.” He tried to comfort you. “He misses you like crazy. The man chain smokes for hours after he sees a cherry coke can and wants to cry because he misses you. The man is still infatuated with you. Rory, you have nothing to worry about.”

You pulled the car in front of his trailer. Mud covered the car's wheels as the rain continued to beat down. “Okay, I’m going in!” He signed off and ran quickly to the door. The small metal covering barely protected him from the rain. 

“Eddie! Eddie, it’s me! Dustin!” He pounded on the screen door. “Eddie!”

“Jesus, calm down, Henderson.” You heard him scream back at your brother. You saw him open the door a crack and let Dustin in. The car was hidden enough on the side of the trailer that he didn't see you. Probably assuming the kid rode here on his bike. From what you can tell, it looked like he just woke up from sleeping due to his clothing choices. But that was all you could see before the door shut. 

________

Sitting in the car waiting for Dustin to pop his head into the bay window was nerve-wracking. All of a sudden, every emotion hit you like a bus. You tried hard to hold the tears back, not wanting to cry even more. Along with the emotions, memories came back to you as well. 

All the time, you and Eddie had gotten caught in the rain while smoking in the woods during school. You guys ended up skipping the rest of the day a few times or would show up back to class, both completely soaked. Or the times you guys ‘borrowed’ tapes from Family Video, annoying Keith because he knew it would take weeks for you guys to return them. Later, you’d trade him some weed for tapes when he refused to let you borrow them. Eddie didn’t want to waste his stash, but he had promised you that you guys could watch Mommie Dearest.

Eddie convinced you one time to dance in the rain when you guys were younger. That was the moment you thought you fell in love with him. His frizzy curls flattened and his bangs stuck to his forehead as he swayed with you in the rain. Your curls turned straight in the rain, and you can still remember his hand gently running through your hair and leaning in to kiss you.

Trying to push back all the emotions you were feeling, you turned your focus back on the bay window. The back of Dustin's head was visible from sitting on the couch underneath the window, but you needed to see his face to go in. A few minutes passed, and then you saw him. Dustin's head was turned to face you and gave you a silly look. 

You exited the car and ran up the door, trying to beat out the rain. Dustin opened the door, gave you a quick thumbs up, and headed to the car. Walking over the couch, you observed the rest of the trailer. Not much had changed. Wayne had gotten a few more mugs and maybe a hat or two in his collection. Pictures of Eddie as a little kid were still taped to the fridge, much to his dislike. A small vase full of flowers sat on the table. They looked a few days old and were just starting to wilt. 

Out of the whole house, you could see the flowers were the only thing out of place. Wayne and Eddie tried to limit the number of things you needed to take care of in the trailer since they weren’t there or asleep most of the time. 

“Henderson, did you want both the tapes? I have Sabbaths Sabotage and also Vol. 4. Personally, I reco-” He froze. 

He wasn't even fully in the living room. Standing before the threshold between the kitchen and the room. He looked pale and tired. His hair was messy from sleep, and his eyes were heavy with bags under them. His shirt was faded, but you could roughly make out the words ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’ on the front of it. His boxers peeked out from his sweatpants. Even though he was standing far away from you, the smell of cigarettes and the cologne he used were strong. The smell brought you back and made you feel at ease. 

“Hi.” Your voice was quiet and small. Exactly how you felt. “Uh, Dustin, let me in. I hope that was okay?”

bittersweet cherries I e.m CHAPTER 5

previous chapter

couple: eddie munson x aurora henderson (oc)

word count: 1.5k

summary: eddie and aurora talk a little bit for the first time. lots of memories bit on how they met. rushing back home and seeing steve* kinda.

a/n: i rushed the end a bit I'm sorry, but i just really wanted to get this chapter out.

________

Eddie hadn’t reacted for a few minutes, making you worry.

“Eddie….”

“Hold on.” He put his hands up, trying to figure out what was happening. “I-I don’t know what’s happening. How the fuck?” He started mumbling a bunch of different things. “Are you real?”

“Yes, I’m real. I am here, right now.” His arms and shoulders dropped to his sides, losing the tapes in his hands, and ran up to you. Luckily, you were able to stand up in time for his embrace. 

“You're sure you are real?” He questioned. 

“Yes, Eds,” You laughed a bit at him, “I’m real.” You felt his body sigh and relax against you while also grasping onto you tighter. 

The second he hugged you, you were met with every memory you had with him. Unlike Dustin and the rest of his friends, you knew Eddie a lot longer. Since middle school, where you met him in detention. He was in for vandalizing the music room with paint while you had skipped class to read in the library. You argued with the principal that you didn't need detention, but they gave it to you anyways. You made friends with Eddie while in detention, shocking people whenever you told them or when they saw you guys hanging out. From that moment on, you and Eddie became best friends. Sometimes you purposely got yourself in trouble on the days you knew Eddie had detention so that you could hang out with him. He always slipped notes into your locker, letting you know how his day was going, including a really bad joke and if he had detention or not. 

Once the two of you had reached High school, people started caring more about who you were friends with. Your friend group was a weird mixture of band nerds where you met Robin and Vicky, but you also became closer with Nancy and Barb simultaneously. Eddie got lost in between because of the reputation he started earning while in school. “The Freak,” as he was dubbed. But he didn’t care. He was happy doing what he wanted and still knew he had you as his best friend, no matter what school people said about him. Halfway through the sophomore year, you gave up trying to uphold your ‘status’ at school, which seemed like the most important thing ever to some people.

Nancy was starting to get together with Steve, and Barb had started distancing herself from both of you. You returned to where you knew you’d be comfortable, with Eddie. You joined hellfire, balanced it with the band, hung out with Robin a lot more, and felt normal again. Like how you felt back in middle school. Eddie, Robin, and you became a little trio that would often hang out after band practice in the music room. Eddie and his bandmates fooled around with instruments as you and Robin gossiped over snacks you guys got from the vending machines. 

All the memories you had with Eddie over the years made you emotional. You missed his touch, his smell, his hair. Hell, you missed the trailer as a whole, reminding you of some of your favorite memories. You missed sleeping over at the trailer on the weekend, staying up to study. Or crashing here after you helped the band play a gig at the Hideout. Eddie chasing you around the trailer, both of you in pajamas during Christmas time, trying to figure out what you got him, but you would never let up. While you love your home, Eddies’ had become another home for you. 

“You have no idea how much I missed you. God, I miss you so much, Ror.” His own spin on your nickname pulled at your heart and made the tears you had been able to push back before threatening to fall. He let go of you slightly, standing up more, but his arms never left your body. “I cannot believe you're here.”

While you still felt nervous, how Eddie reacted was helping with your anxiety. He wasn’t angry, as far as you could tell. Honestly, it seemed like he was going to get emotional. 

The two of you settled on the couch sitting far away from each other. Now the air was uneasy. The initial shock was over, and now you guys actually had to talk. You didn’t know what to say or if you should say something. 

“Um, Ed- Can I ask you something?” He cut you off. 

“Yes.” Your hands were gettings sweaty. Either from nerves or the fact that you were starting to get hot sitting there.

“I love that your back, and I’m glad that you came back, it's just….” He confessed, “How long have you been back for? When did you come back?”

“I came back two days ago.” 

“So, if you got here two days ago… You dropped off Henderson and Wheeler today. That was you, wasn’t it?” You could see the realization take place in his mind.

“Yeah, it was. Dustin tricked me into driving them. I was trying to avoid school or anywhere you might be.” Honesty was the only thing that was going to work for you. You felt a little shy as you explained yourself. 

“Avoid me? Why?” 

“I was afraid to see you because of how I left. I left abruptly and didn't talk to anyone while I was away. I figured you hated my guts by now, burned a picture of me with the butt of your cigarette or some shit.” 

“Rory, why? I’m not mad at you. I don’t hate your guts, Ror. I could never hate you.” He moved closer to you, closing the giant gap between the two of you. “You know that, right?”

“Yeah, I know, but still. I left.” 

He reached over to put his arm around me and pulled me closer. “Would you tell me why you left?”

You hadn’t explained why you left to anyone. Not even to Dustin or Nancy, or even your mother. When you initially left, no one could change your mind if they tried. Being headstrong was a disadvantage sometimes. But after being with your aunt for a while, you felt better and got your thoughts in order. Your fear of returning was the only thing that got worse over time. Making you put off your return longer. 

“Eds…”

“C’mon, princess, you gotta tell me at some point.”

“At some point, I will. For now, let me just relish in the fact that I am here talking with you before I have a breakdown.” You snuggled further into him, and he fully wrapped his inked arms around you. You felt bad not telling him but were afraid it would start an argument. Overall, you were still a coward.

“I promise I will tell you. Soon.” All Eddie did was hum in response against your head. 

You and Eddie sat there, cuddling up for a while. Just talking about random things as you mindlessly traced his tattoos. Something you missed doing. When Eddie first started getting them, he would let you trace over them while in bed. He used to take a pen and draw some on your arm so you guys would have matching ones. You might have been a bit more rebellious as a teenager, but your mother would kill you if you ever got a tattoo. 

Knocking on the door startled the both of you. “RORY! EDDIE! Please let me in it's freezing in the car!”

“You didn’t leave him the keys? It's freezing when it rains!” 

“I was freaking out internally, okay?!” 

________

Eddie let Dustin inside, and we came over to sit with us on the couches. The three of you guys just watched some tv and chatted for a while. Just like when you used to babysit him with Eddie when he was younger. Eddie started teaching Dustin D&D whenever he made you write campaigns with him after school. You knew you had to go home at some point because Dustin had to be home, but you wanted to stay with Eddie forever. 

“Rory, we should leave, right? Mom’s probably calling everyone, trying to find us.” He joked, but we both knew she would call everyone. 

“Yeah, I guess we should.” You turned towards Eddie,” I’ll call you later, okay? Talk some more.” You gave him a smile, and he squeezed your hand tighter. 

“Alright, I’ll talk to you then.” 

“And I’ll be beating your ass tomorrow!” Dustin teased. 

“Henderson, you better watch out!” The boys erupted into an argument which was moments away from a physical fight, but you pulled Dustin out of the trailer just in time. The two of you packed into the car, rushed to the corner store, grabbed some snacks, and prayed that Family Video was still open. 

The rain started letting up as you drove, but it was still pretty heavy. As you pulled into the spot in front of Family Video, the car splashed into the pothole-turned-puddle. Dustin ran in, grabbed a random tape, and left quickly as you heard Steve yelling at him. 

“I’ll bring it back along with the others I still have, Steve.” You said, startling Steve.

“Rory?!”

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ll bring them tomorrow, you working?”

“Every damn day.” 

“I’ll see you then.” You signed off and sped back home. Hoping to make it back before your mother started a search party.