Eddie Munson X Fem - Tumblr Posts

Seeing Stars Part 1

Characters: Eddie Munson x OFC Star

Summary:  A new girl with a mysterious air to her and a questionable past comes to Hawkins. She's armed with a gauntlet of jewelry and the sharpest wit Eddie's ever come across. After a chance encounter at a party, Eddie becomes a bit smitten with her. The problem is, she's an unreadable brick wall when she's sober. Will Eddie's attentive persistence help him break down the walls she's put up to protect herself from not getting hurt? Or will Eddie be the one who ends up with wounds to hide? A story about learning lessons the hard way when it comes to letting people in. Vulnerability and honesty will always be rewarded. Even if it doesn't feel that way at first.

Comment & Reblog to let me know you like it and want more Eddie content!

Parts 2+ here.

Warnings/Triggers: Introductory Chapter. FLIRTING. Undeniable chemistry. Mystery. Eddie turns on his charm and flirts. Self-deprecating humor.

It was a hot summer night, the heat coming off the asphalt as he made his way up the driveway to the front door. This would probably be the last party of the summer before school started back. Since it wasn’t being thrown by a high schooler, Eddie was inclined to go. He hoped there’d be good drinks and weed since things had been slim since Rick had gone to jail. He wasn’t excited for school to start back, only eager to get it the fuck over with this time. The third time’s a charm after all.

The house was full of moving bodies, a good stereo system pumping out music and writhing bodies in the living room gathered and rubbing against one another. Large men ran around screaming, some naked some with lampshades on their heads. One was running and holding a bra like a flag with a girl holding her naked chest and chasing after him.

Not immediately knowing anyone Eddie moves slowly through the house and gets a feel for things. He knew who owned the house but didn’t see them anywhere. They were probably behind a locked door with at least one girl and he was feeling a little lonely truth be told.

He made his way to the kitchen, waved, and nodded hello as he grabbed a beer and downed it quicker than he meant to, but hey, he wasn’t paying for it.

He was never much for dancing. He likes to play music or experience it with giant headphones while laying in bed. But the people on the floor seemed to not be able to relate. Most were vaguely familiar, the town not being huge made it easy to keep track of people. There were some usual suspects and a smattering of new faces. A few girls stood out, most connected at the hip with a guy except for one who was dancing up on another girl.

After a song or two of not terrible but not his taste in songs he figures he’ll call it a bust. He tried and now he could go back home and retreat and nurse his wounded ego.

He stiff-shouldered his way through the dance floor, a direct line to the kitchen with his head down and eyes forward. A body suddenly is shoved into him, a girl. The one that had been working her seductive charms on the dance floor from before. The beers they held got knocked and poured over both of them. Whatever was left in the can the girl threw in a larger man’s face.

“I SAID FUCK OFF!” She shouted, throwing the now empty beer can at his head. Eddie wasn’t a fighter but he also wasn’t going to stand and let someone hit a woman. He put his arm out in front of her and stood between them. The drunken man looked past him and shook his head.

“Not worth it, you fuckin skank.”

“I said no you fuckin missing link looking mother fucker!” She shouted over Eddie's shoulder moving from behind him.

“Hey! Hey!” He grabbed her shoulders to keep her from going forward further. As soon as he switched her attention he could tell she was drunk.

“Oh shit.” She said her face falling from anger to curiosity. She saw the soaked shirt sticking to his skin and looks down at her chest realizing she was in the same situation. “Aw fuck the beer. Some ASSHOLE doesn’t know what no means.” She screamed the insult again at the guy that was now out of sight.

“C’mon let’s go try to soak some of this up, huh?” He suggested, eyes darting from her chest to the direction the guy had went. A soaked white muscle shirt and no bra left little to the imagination. She grumbled and knocked his hands off her shoulders.

“Fine.” She groaned as he held out his hand for her. She sighed then reluctantly takes it as he led her to the kitchen to grab a roll of paper towels and then head outside. He figured she needed a break from the stuffy smokey air of the house. He wrapped a few circles of paper towel and handed it off to her, she grumbled as she squeezed her shirt, wringing out the beer.

“At least your shirts black.” She finally talks to him instead of ignoring him.

“Huh?”

“Your shirt. It’s black. The beer won’t stain it.” She states obviously, looking up to meet his gaze for the first time. She had a set of green, intimidating but pretty eyes. She showed no hesitation of shyness as she looked him over head to toe while wringing her ancient men's muscle tank out with a graphic of a car in it that was so worn you could barely make out what it was. “I like your shirt.” She admits. “Dio. Fuckin metal. I dig it.” She gives an approving nod before returning her eyes to her project of drying herself off.

“Oh?” His voice cracked with surprise, both half bent forward and squeezing at their shirts. “You like Dio?”

“Hell yeah dude.” She nods approvingly. “So you’re like what? A metal head?” She saw the wallet chain and the black jeans with rips and tears. He wore hard silver jewelry and a hardy belt buckle. It all screamed metal head. “Not seen many of your type around here.”

“What gave me away?” He smirked. He saw her eyes focus for a moment on his face. She liked that.

“Only ya know. Everything.” She huffed out a sound that was almost a laugh. “Shirt. Pretty fuckin obvious.” She held out her hand to motion toward it, she tossed the now wad of paper towards an overflowed garbage can. She fanned herself with a tug of her shirt in an attempt to air it out. “The hair. Definitely.” Without any mind to any personal space, she reached out to touch his messy waves and gave them a slight tug. “Matches my hair almost.” She tilted her head in consideration, moving to bend over and shake her hands in her hair and flip it back over. Her dirty blonde hair with its shaggy layers and bangs was cut very similarly to his. “That face doesn’t look metal though.” She shook her head and gave his chin a light grab for a split second. “Don’t see many pretty boys listening to metal.” He openly laughed at her statement which made her brows raise on her face.

“Oh, you’re… serious?” He blinked rapidly at her confused expression.

“Usually am.” She nodded.

“Sorry.” He held up his hands in his defense. “Never thought I’d hear someone call me a pretty boy.” He laughed.

She tilted her head, weight shifting to one leg on a propped-out hip. She studied him again.

“Bad eyesight common around here?” She smirked this time and saw him get flustered. She liked that too. “HEY BLONDIE!?” She shouted to a girl by the kitchen door. “Throw us a few beers?” This blondie must’ve been afraid of her because she scurried and tossed the beers from a distance like this girl might bite. Eddie blushed a little deeper with that thought in his head. “You mean a good lookin' and nice guy like you isn’t swimming in pussy? In a place like this? Where everyone’s an uptight asshole who could be in a fuckin' Sears catalog?”

“Can’t say I am.” He chuckled and cracked open the beer. “You aren’t from around here are you?”

“Nope.” She shook her head and took a big swig. “Just moved here two months ago.” She finished the beer and opened another after crushing the can against her hip. Eddie looked her over, a bit in shock from the experience.

“Where’d you move from?” He asked, genuinely curious. She started patting her hips and ass, looking around at herself, and then let out a defeated sigh.

“You got a cigarette? I don’t know if I smoked all mine or if someone took them.” She grumbled and pulled a lighter with little moons and stars out of the front pocket of her worn bell-bottom jeans. They were decorated with patches over the holes she’d worn in them. There was a giant star on the ass of them, some smiley faces, and flower patches with one that was simply a middle finger. Some she’d sewn over or put scraps of fabric under the holes if it was anywhere that would’ve shown her ass since she wasn’t someone who wore underwear often.

“Yeah.” He declares without hesitation, handing her one and taking one for herself.

“Thanks.” She muttered with her between her lips before taking a drag. “Where you think I moved from?” She challenged. He took the opportunity to look her over without fear of pissing her off. Her jeans came down low on her body, the muscle tank showing off a soft stomach that bowed out to rounded hips. A collection of keychains and keys hooked to one of her belt loops. A daisy, moon, star, and a rabbit's foot clinked against her wide hips. He thought since she came off so bold she wouldn’t mind if he respectfully intruded on her space. He reached for a rectangular keychain and lightly turned it to see what it said on it.

“My guess is Chicago.” He gave her a charming smile that almost earned him one in return. Despite being very drunk, she still wasn’t about to give that away.

“And smart too.” She nods approvingly.

“Art institute huh? Did you go there?”

“It’s a museum.” She corrected. “And no, I’m doomed to repeat my last year due to a series of unfortunate events.” She wiggled her forearm stacked in bangles and beads almost up to her elbow. He hadn’t even noticed, the bracelets doing a good job at camouflaging burn scars that covered her forearm and came down onto her hand.

“I’m repeating my senior year too.” He opts not to pry.

“No shit?” She sounded genuinely surprised. “You don’t seem like you’d be in high school still. Seem too… grown up.” She motioned outwardly with her hand.

“Could say the same for you.”

“If you’re repeating I guess those skills of deduction don’t translate to school. Are you a bad boy? Get suspended and have to repeat?” She spoke with such confidence it astounded him. She wasn’t full of shit like most people he spoke to that tried to get a read on him. It was like they spoke the same language. No small talk. Honest. He was intrigued, to say the least.

“No just stupid.” He states deadpan and he finally got a smile out of her.

“I don’t agree. I think you’re full of shit on that one, man. You’ve got enough sense to not piss me off. Yet. So you can’t be stupid. Dumb maybe.” She shrugged and looked him up and down with a flirtatious bat of her lashes. “But if you’re cute enough dumb works.”

“Is it working?” He asked with an extension of his hands.

“Mmm.” She responds like she has to consider it a moment. She took him by the chin and looked his face over. “I think so.” She took another drag and kept studying his face. “You ever heard of Waterhouse?”

“Is that… a bar or something?”

“Oh yeah, dumb for sure.” She cooed at him with pooched lips. A tiny smack to his cheek before leaning back away from him. He felt a flutter in his chest and one much lower in his balls at the soft assault. “But cute.” She offered in condolence.

“I’ll take it.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“Waterhouse is... was -he's dead as fuck- an English painter. John William Waterhouse. Part of the pre-raphaelite brotherhood style of painting. He painted a lot of women, Greek mythology.” She talked with her hands, a jingling of stone rings and bracelets with the cloud of undulating smoke off the bright red cherry in her quickly shrinking cigarette.

“Never heard of him. Sorry.”

“No art club in Hawkins?”

“Yeah but that’s not really my crowd.”

“Shame.” She purses her lips. “You look like someone he’d paint.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. The strong nose, soft eyes, defined lips. Especially that hair.” She outlines him while she speaks with her finger like she was drawing him. “Turn sideways.” She asks and he happily obliged. “Oh yeah, a romanticism face if there ever was one. Beautiful profile, man.” She spoke of him like he was a statue being studied and it gave him mixed feelings that were jumbling in his stomach.

“Thanks?”

“Not much for compliments, huh? Me either.” She adds, looking down to lick her foot at nothing. “If it helps I draw. Or paint or whatever you wanna call it. I do artsy shit.” She shrugged. “So when I see something interesting I wanna draw it.”

“Dumb but interesting.” He nods, moving his weight back on his heels.

“You’ve really never had anyone tell you anything like this?” She sounded genuinely surprised.

“Fuck no.” He laughed. “Must be a bigger difference in people here and in cities than I thought. I thought everyone was stupid assholes no matter where you went.”

“That’s not not true.” She agreed. “People are more open-minded and mind their own fucking business because you have real problems in a city. So you get weirdos like me that wanna draw strangers.” She amused herself with her response. She was being entirely too nice. “Like people here are all over that devil worshiping shit because they're more concerned with things like where their next meal is coming from.”

“You’re telling me.” He rolled his eyes.

“I wore a crystal necklace the other day and some old blue hair in the grocery store asked if I worshipped the devil.”

“No one says much to my face but plenty behind my back.” He adds.

“I gave her the horns.” She raised her hands into the symbol. “And told her yes I did and she was on my list to give to my master to curse now for not minding her own fucking business.” She smiles proudly and he laughed.

“Probably shit her depends.” Eddie chuckled.

“I hope so.” she shook her head animatedly.

“That’s the same approach I take at school. You scare 'em. They call you a freak. They’re usually too worried to mess with you much.”

“Better to rule with fear than love.” She says dramatically. “Wolves don’t fear the sheep after all.”

To say he was taken aback, was an understatement. He was downright smitten. He was probably about to say something stupid, something about how smart she was. But he was interrupted by a man’s voice calling out to her and her giving a wave of acknowledgment.

“Looks like my rides here.” She kicked a beer can into the same pile as before.

“Oh, your boyfriend?” Eddie turned to see a large older guy looking annoyed and motioning for her to hurry up.

She gave him a subtle smile. “What if he was?” She narrowed her eyes at him as she came closer.

“I-“ he didn’t know how to respond. Honestly? “I’d hope he was good to you?” She stopped mid-step, at his side to look him directly in the eye.

“I bet you’d be good to me wouldn’t you pretty boy?” He stuttered at the sudden intimate attention. “I’ll see you around.” She added reassuringly a slight wink before walking away.

“COME ON!” The guy shouted again.

“Keep your panties on I’m comin!” She yelled back as she flipped him off. She turned back around to look over her shoulder. “He’s my brother by the way!” She shouted across the yard, turning to walk backward as she knew this cute new guy would be watching her walk away. Her ass looked far too good in these jeans and he was no saint even if he did seem like a decent guy. She didn’t want to crush the sweetie's heart too much after all. If she did end up wanting to fuck one of these townies she didn’t want to have to get through him hating her to do it.

He’s relieved immediately.

“Shit.” He mutters with sudden realization. “WHAT'S YOUR NAME?” He shouted as she walked back into the house, but she didn’t hear him over the chatter and music. He jogged after her but he didn’t see her in the crowded house.

He’d met a girl, an oddity in and of itself. And one he was so interested in. Even odder, she found him interesting. And he didn’t even get her name. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was dumb.

—

Eddie’s brain was usually in a tizzy of many different interests all fighting for his attention at once. It’d made him good at a lot of things but daydreaming about the nameless girl wasn’t making him good at anything except maybe jerking off more.

The first day of school comes and he’s wide-eyed and observant. Looking for the shaggy dirty blonde with the great rack and even better banter. The day goes and he doesn’t see her. A week goes by. The same. A month broke him and he lost hope. Maybe she’d been lying. Maybe she was a hallucination and his drink was spiked. He returned his focus to his attempts to graduate and build his D and D club.

-

“Heard there’s a new girl comin'.” Jeff announced as he set down at the lunch table.

“And why do we care?” He adds not looking up from his work. He scribbled in his notebook preoccupied with the campaign he’d been working on.

“I mean, nothing ever happens here, we’ve been looking at the same girls for years.”

“Yeah because I’m sure you have a chance.” Gareth rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be a dick, you don’t know. She could be into this.”

“I heard she’s a senior.” Dustin, one of the newest members of the club adds in.

“Older woman, nice.” Jeff grinned.

“I heard she’s weird.” Mike, the other initiate added.

“You’d know.” Eddie jabs without looking his way and the older guys chuckle.

“I heard that she’s a criminal. Got kicked out of her old school.” This bit of information made Eddie listen to the conversation.

“Yeah, she’s been in town over the summer and been quite the topic of conversation in the church group.“

“Like we need more heat right now.” Jeff sighed.

“I heard she burned her old school down.” Dustin whispered.

“Oh come on.” Eddie looked up and rolled his eyes.

“That’s what I heard!” He holds his hands up defensively.

“She sounds crazy.” Jeff shook his head.

“Yeah, but crazy can be really hot.” Gareth grinned

“Psh! Like you could handle crazy.” Jeff shoved his shoulder.

“That seems more like Eddie’s area of expertise,” Dustin commented, half-joking and half-testing the waters.

“Oh yeah.” Gareth laughed.

“You don’t even know. One time this total smoke show tied him up and-“

Eddie cleared his throat loudly and shot a glare at Jeff.

Jeff shut his mouth and his posture sank.

“Oh come on, you can’t start a story like that and not finish it!” Dustin complained.

“Maybe when you’re older.” Eddie says patronizingly.

“I’m the one who has a girlfriend, none of you losers do!” He defends himself.

“Hey! I do!” Mike interjected.

“How am I supposed to grow as a man if I don’t learn about this shit from you guys?”

“When we aren’t in public…” Eddie whips his finger around to emphasize how they were surrounded by people. “You can learn about the intricacies of BDSM. Kay?” He tilted his head, and the face of a stern father shot at Dustin.

“Maybe start with just… like… how to grab some boobs.” The acronym gave Dustin a little bit of a scare. Sure the themes ran through the media they consumed but not even having had sex before he wasn’t ready to learn about scary black leather kinks.

This made Eddie crack a smile and reach to pat the boy's shoulder.

“Good to know your limits, Henderson. You’re learning already.”

-

In front of the school in a little courtyard, plenty of students were gathered around picnic tables before school started that day. The Hellfire Club was no exception. Eddie sat on the tabletop, feet on the bench, elbows to his knees as he glared and watched people.

His attention was drawn by a growing spot of yellow. The thump of bass slowly drew everyone’s attention as the car swung into the parking lot, a hard brake before sitting for a few seconds, enough time for everyone to stop and stare at the loud music and unfamiliar car. There was guitar but Eddie couldn’t place it being far away and muffled from the steel.

“That an old Road Runner?” Gareth asked, sharing an interest in cars with Eddie.

“Yeah 60 something.” Eddie's attention was piqued at the decades-old car. Most kids had a recent hand-me-down from their parents except for a few muscle car enthusiasts that had built their cars from the ground up at the school.

“I don’t know of any of the guys from shop working on one of those.” He adds, them looking to the car for answers just like everyone else.

The door opened and to everyone’s surprise, a girl stepped out. She stood out in her hippie aesthetic with some dark sunglasses on. She was half bent, not even out of the car when she noticed everyone staring at her. Eddie could see her sigh, a big rise and fall of her shoulders as she exposed the rest of her body, grabbing a knitted cross-body bag and putting it on before standing against the side of her car.

“Holy shit.” Eddie exhales, posture now straight and capturing the attention of his friends. He recognized the same shaggy bangs, a fluff of choppy hair around her face now pulled into a braid. She dug around her purse and lit a cigarette. He saw the gauntlet of bracelets, sun glinting off her layered necklaces and stacked rings. She was more covered up this time, a long paisley skirt, a white top covered with a knitted cardigan hanging loose around her. He knew it was the girl from the party.

“Check out the rack on that one.” One of the older guys says quietly. She had her hand on her hip and the other holding a cigarette showing a bra-less full figure under her tight ribbed shirt. Whether from nerves or cold her nipples pushed through prominently and every girl looked to their gawking boyfriends. A smack to their arms before a noise of disgust. The crowd slowly came back to life, started moving and taking again and Eddie was on his feet.

“Bless the bra-burning feminists” another guy chuckles.

Without a word, Eddie started toward her.

“Eddie? Dude?” They called out, he ignored them.

“What the fuck is he doing?” They whispered. Eddie wasn’t short on charisma when he wanted to be, but he wasn’t the approach a stranger with no plan type.

She was looking at a folded-up piece of paper, he could see her brow low behind the hard rim of the sunglasses.

“Hey!” He says with a friendly tone. One he didn’t use often.

She startles and jumps a little before her lips purse and she looks up to see him now only a few feet away. She says nothing. She’s blinking in confusion as to why he’s approached her, his look so hard but his smile so soft.

“Is everyone here as enthusiastic as you?” Her nose twitched in annoyance at his brightness.

“I uh, No?” he stuttered out, clearly confused.”You don’t remember me?” He offers hesitantly, hand rubbing the back of his neck, the other jammed into his pocket.

She lowers her glasses with her fingers, an up and down look that resembled the one she’d given him before.

“Should I?” She asked. His heart sank into his stomach.

“Uh. We met at a party over the summer?” He talks with his hands and she keeps her eyes on his face.

She let out a long sigh and let the silence hang heavy.

“We talked about Waterhouse?” His nose scrunched showing his disappointment.

“Hmm.” She chewed her lip. “That sounds like me.”

“You said I had uh… face like a painting?”

She puts her paper down and gives her full attention to him.

“You do.” She nodded. “I’m afraid that I spent the majority of my summer here being as not sober as possible.” She took a drag. “To answer your question, no I don’t remember you.” She shrugged. “So, either I’m sorry or you're welcome.” She offered with the hand that held the cigarette.

“Oh we didn’t… you didn’t...” he shook his hands and his head.

“Oh, honey I didn’t think we fucked.” Her shoulders moved with a hint of laughter. “But I am… friendly when I drink.”

“Not so much when you’re sober huh?” He nodded his head her way and she tilted hers in response. Now she was intrigued.

“You got it.” She pointed a finger gun his way.

He nodded, he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible but his disappointment in her was clear. It gave her an odd guilty feeling she wasn’t accustomed to.

“Listen. Do you know where room 305 is?” She held out the paperwork she’d been given for where to report to and when.

“Yeah, that’s the west wing.” He lazily gestures his arm to that side of the building.

“It’s nothing personal you know. If I talked to you about art that tells me you’re not an asshole at the very least.” She offered him the consolation which was more than she usually did. He only nodded in response, clearing his throat. “If you don’t hate me, and if you do - totally fine. Not the first or last time it’ll happen- would you show me where these are?” She handed off the paper to him and it was a bigger gesture than he realized.

He took it from her and stepped closer, annoyed that she smelled so good.

“We have some classes together actually.” His voice sounded deeper as she studied his familiar face as he concentrated, his brow lowering over some impressive big brown eyes.

“Senior too?”

“Yeah. We’re both repeating it.” He handed it back to her.

“I told you that?”

“Yeah. You told me a lot.” His face didn’t look as mad now.

“How about you show me around and catch me up on what I already know about you...?” She held her hand out to him for his name.

“Eddie.” He took her hand to shake. She was impressed he didn’t look at her scars. “I never got your name though.”

“That sounds like me.” She made fun of her closed-off nature. “It’s Star.”

“Star?”

“Like in the sky?“ she acted confused as to how he didn’t understand her.

“Yeah, I got that.” He let out a soft laugh. “Never met anyone with that name.”

“This is where I’d say we’ll you haven’t met me before. But I can’t really say that can I?”

“No, you cannot.” He gave her the same charming smile he has that night that seemed to work on her. It wasn’t as obvious this time around, but he liked to think it worked on her now too.

“Well, Eddie.” She adjusted her bag and crushed her cigarette. “You wanna give me the tour of this shit hole?” This elicited a bigger more genuine grin from him.

“Yeah. I’ll show you where we go to smoke.” His tone was more hopeful now.

“I wanted to see the library actually.” He stopped their short stroll and gave her an odd look.

“I’m joking.” she answered flatly. She lightly shoved his arm. “C‘mon and show me where I can be a delinquent in peace.”

-

She learned a few things fast. That most everyone was as dull as she expected. That the guy that had spoken with her was curiously called a freak and rumored to be the leader of a satanic cult: where was the ring to propose she thought, chuckling to herself. Everyone was nosy as hell and asked the most intrusive questions all fueled by rumors about her that had already made their way around despite her not even being there. The vibe was different from the schools in the city. People didn’t give a shit there. She had to deal with dentist white teethed girls with high ponytails trying to induct her into their causes and clubs and taste the fakery in the air as they did so. By lunch, she was exhausted.

-

“What’s she like?”

“What’s her name?”

“Do you know her?”

He’s bombarded with questions at lunch and he doesn’t care to answer many of them.

“The balls on you, man. Just walked right up to her. My man.” He gets a slap on the arm he answers with a tight-lipped glare.

“Her name is Star.” He answers simply. “We have some classes together and I showed her where they were. The best places to hide and smoke. The essentials.”

“Show her anything under the bleachers?” He’s grinned at wickedly.

“No.” He rolls his eyes. “Why aren’t you asking anyone else that’s spoken to her today that huh? Why are you riding my dick about it?”

“Jesus dude.”

“Touchy.” are grumbled in response.

“If you’re going to keep looking at her maybe just invite her over?” Dustin asked with a superior look on his face, not looking at Eddie when he turned to him.

“You wouldn’t want her to sit with us.”

“Why not? You took us in when we were new and didn’t have anyone.”

“She’s not some freshman.” Eddie dismisses with his hand. “Plus she’s… “ he chuckled lightly. “She’s a little mean.”

“If we can deal with you we can handle some girl.”

“She’s not like me.” Eddie shakes his head knowingly. He’d gotten to talk to her plenty now and saw how she interacted with others. She wasn’t who she had been at the party. She was closed off like a brick wall. “She’ll see right through your bullshit.” She’d made so many people clutch their pearls in class that he was a little jealous of how sharp she was. He liked scaring people but it was cheap thrills. She didn’t scare them she shocked them. And by reading right into their insecurity. He was envious.

“He’s probably right. She gives off a real… don’t mess with me vibe.”

“See? Wheeler gets it.”

“But you did mess with her. This morning.” Gareth shakes his head at Eddie.

“No, I didn’t. I said hello and showed her around. I wasn’t giving her the fake ‘welcome to the best school in the world, you’ll love it here. Let’s be friends’ spiel.” He spoke in a very mocking way.

“So be honest or avoid her?” Dustin clarifies.

“Basically.” Eddie pops another pretzel into his mouth.

“Noted.”

“You’re more full of shit than any of us.” Jeff directs at Eddie.

“The fuck I am.” Eddie scrunches his face.

“You’re always scaring people and shit and you’re not actually like that.”

“They wanna be scared, man. I look different. They like thinking different things are bad and scary. They don’t want to expand their minds to find out people that don’t look like them aren’t actually evil.” He wiggles his fingers like he was telling a ghost story.

“That makes you full of shit.”

“No. I’m doing a service to myself to weed out the conformists. If they agree I’m scary and worship the devil then I know they’re stupid and I get to avoid them. Makes things easier.”

“Like wearing your band t-shirt. If someone likes it you know they’re cool.”

“That’s a bit reversed but yeah same idea.”

“So is she cool?” Dustin asks, he’s motioning to the corner of the lunchroom where Star sat alone.

“Yeah.” Eddie nods, moving his head as little as possible her way but looking with his eyes. “She’s cool.”

Meanwhile, Star is across the cafeteria trying to be left alone and get some ideas out of her head into her journal. She’d had about the day she’d expected but these damn small-town people were a lot more persistent than she thought. Every other white girl had to try to save her and be her friend. She preferred the ones that were a bitch to her. She at least could insult them and move along.

“You know if you sat with someone they’d leave you alone?” She hears the familiar voice of Eddie who moves to sit at the head of the table next to her.

“Then how would I get you to sit with me?” She asked with her signature subtle facial expressions he was learning. She was once again, yanking his chain.

“Your wish is my command” he said with open arms.

“Oh fuck off” she almost laughed, he saw it. He laughed for her, a comfortable reaction to her now. He’d been the only one to pick up on her sense of humor. She looked back down into her journal to finish a thought before another shadow came over her.

“Hi! I’m Cassie!” A very bubbly girl stayed as she approached.

“I’m gonna stop you right there, Skipper.” Star held out a bejeweled hand. “Go on back to Barbie and save us both some time. We aren’t going to be friends. I don’t want to join your club. That about cover it?” She sighed and gave the girl a tight-lipped smile.

There was that face Eddie envied. Total shock. With a disgruntled noise, the girl turned and walked away.

“Damn you’re good.” Eddie said softly.

“I’m just honest.” She sighed. “I keep telling people that and they don’t believe me. It’s a dry sarcasm or the truth. If you can’t figure it out that’s on you.” She wasn’t speaking directly to Eddie but he knew what she meant.

“People been giving you any grief?”

“To be so far north it feels like southern hospitality Without the perk of Moonshine or comfort food.” She explained. “Mostly a lot of that.” She motioned to where the girl had stood. “Which is whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Better than questions.”

“Pretty soon they’ll figure out you aren’t here to assimilate and they’ll leave you be.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” She opened the journal again, angling it away from him. “What was the name of that album you were talking about this morning?” She asked again with a more expressive face. She saw his light up at the fact she remembered it at all. She had set the bar pretty low.

“Oh. This one?” He turned to show the back of his vest.

“Right. The patch.” She hit her forehead. “Last In Line. Got it.”

“You’re gonna try it out?”

“Wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t. I loved the first album I might as well.”

“You listen to a lot of metal?”

“I listen to a lot of music. In general.” She points to the headphones around her neck. “Makes you look less approachable which is a big perk.”

“What other stuff are you into?”

“A lot of 60s and 70s.”

“Ah.” He says with a nod.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Ah?” She mocked his drawn-out tone.

“The clothes. The car. You’re into retro stuff.”

“Yeah. I like it better than what’s going on now. But the car is technically my brothers.”

“He’s got good taste.”

“He does.” She agrees.

“He work on cars? You don’t see many of those on the road.”

“He works at the car plant. He’s a mechanic so he’s always doing something.”

“That why you move? He get a job offer or something?”

“No.” Is her flat answer. She didn’t care to elaborate and he saw the wall being built back up brick by brick.

“If you can’t find that album let me know. I’ve got it on cassette and vinyl.” She met his eyes and he knew she was thankful he didn’t pry. He knew what it was like to have things you didn’t want to discuss.

“I’ll let you know.” Her voice was a little less harsh.

“Offer still stands to have lunch with the club ya know.” She looked across the lunchroom to a group of girl-challenged individuals trying to act like they weren’t watching her and Eddie’s conversation.

“I’d say I can’t be a member of your virginity club since I don’t meet the qualifications.” He swears he saw a smile for a moment. “But you being their leader doesn’t make any sense seeing as you wouldn’t qualify either.” He gives her a real laugh in response. He wanted to flirt with her so badly at that moment. It’d been the most flattering thing she’d said while sober yet.

“Funny. You’re funny.” He nodded in approval. “They’re less challenged than they appear.” He says in their defense. “It’s Dungeons and Dragons. And I’m the dungeon master.”

“Kinky.” She smirked.

“It’s not-“

“Shut up Eddie, I’m fucking with you. I know what D and D is.” she shook her head at him. “They had clubs in Chicago.”

“Did you ever-?”

“Play? No. I preferred to go out.” She shook her head dismissively. “But there is fuck all to do here. Especially with summer being over.”

“Yeah, escapism is the best distraction from that. So we play a fantasy game.”

“No, that makes total sense. I’ve just always stuck with art in my free time.”

“You might like the art for the game. There are books of monsters illustrated. Some well know comic illustrators.”

“Oh really?” He’d piqued her interest. “Like the sci-fi guys?”

“Exactly. Think Heavy Metal magazine cover.”

“But without the babes.”

“Not if you’re there.” He said it without thinking, being around her made him wanna flirt. He wanted to get a read on her so badly.

“My fur bikini and spear are being dry cleaned.” She gave an apologetic shrug.

“Damn.” He gave her one of his best Smiles. “That’s a shame.”

“My Minotaur is in the shop too.” He laughed at that one.

“Well, I’ve got a griffin you can ride if you want.”

“Is that what you call it?” He saw the lifted eyebrow and the twinkle in her eyes on that one.

“No, it’s not.” He looked away and kept that dimple-inducing smile on his face that she wasn’t sure if she liked or disliked. She liked it but, she might dislike it for the fact that she liked it. She was stubborn like that. “Guess you’ll have to come to a meeting to find out.”

“You bring me a book and if I like it I’ll consider sitting with you guys.” She answered with a more Genuine tone. “Deal?”

“Deal.” He could work with that.

-

Star made her way into the house her brother had bought. She’s greeted with a loud screech of meowing.

“Hello Moon.” She bent down and cooed at the large cat rubbing against her legs. “Did you miss mama?” She smooches the cat's face as she held it, the part Maine Coone taking up most of her arms. “Where’s your man at?” Star asked looking around. Wherever Moon was, Ozzy was never far behind. “Let’s go check outside”. She spoke to the cat as she stroked her, making her way with one free hand to the kitchen door where upon opening a scraggly black cat half the size of Moon appeared. “There he is!” She let Moon drop down to the ground and scratched the black cat's head. “You want some food babies? I know mamas been gone all day. I’m sorry. I didn’t wanna be.” She spoke to them like they were people and that’s how she liked it.

She unlocked the door to the airstream trailer that she called home. She and her brother had shared it before but now it sat to the side of the carport hooked up to the house's utilities. She’d made it into a den for herself. She had her plants on shelves along the top and tons of knitted blankets and throws and pillows all over any soft surface. She gave the cats a spoonful of wet food each to hold them over and tossed her bag to the small kitchenette. “Where did I put those?” She spoke to herself. As she pulled an old milk crate stacked with journals out from under her bed. “This is what mama was looking for.”

She’d had such an odd deja vu the whole day. She’d thought Eddie had looked familiar but didn’t recall him at the party. She flipped through the most recently filled notebook and found the pages she was looking for. “There you are.” She narrowed her eyes, seeing the drawings of the man she’d dreamed about. And sure enough. There was Eddie's face. “You little fucker.” She whispered, her fingers running over the pencil drawings. She’d had his face stick in her head for weeks over the summer and she had no idea why. This would explain it. But it didn’t fully. If she didn’t remember their conversation, why remember his face? She wasn’t one that left anything up to chance and leave it at that. She reached for a tarot deck and shuffled. “You mind explaining to me what’s going on?” She looked around the trailer.

Three cards. Two of Cups. King of Pentacles. Ace of Cups. Appeared in her spread on her beaten-up kitchen table.

“You’ve gotta be shitting me.” She muttered. “Two lovers, a king, and abundance of it all?” She spoke to the ceiling and groaned. “No. No, we’re not doing this. I came here to get away from that shit.” She, annoyed, swiped at the cards on the table. The King landed on the drawings of Eddie in her notebook. “You’re fucking with me right?” She picked it up and stared at it. It would explain a lot but also she had made it so clear in her rituals that she was done with men. She was done with the casual sex, she was done with falling in love and she was not moving to some middle of fucking nowhere town to escape to have some man planted into her path. She had run away from her problems. And it looked like the universe was bringing them right back to her.

Part 2

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Tag List (Prev. Eddie works)

@kik511999 @banannie255 @paracetamollvrr @honeyshiftss @Vivi-m-b @Agent077knight @simonsblueee @suspirianrian @castiels-lilassss @likeficsinthewndwind

I will scream so loud dude

They’re so cuteeee

Babysitting Mun | Rockstar!Eddie Munson x Reader

Summary: Eddie Munson is the rockstar you have to work for, but most of the time, you feel like you are babysitting a teenager. He's messy, wild, and disobedient, and he never calls you by your name. He's sweet, though, but you are not allowed to think about that. Or in his smart mouth. Or in his hands playing that stupid guitar, shit.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Interview | Part 8 | Part 9|

It had been a beautiful day. You were used to the city, the concrete, the fast food joints, and the fast-paced life. So, a BBQ at a lake house with people who lived a laid-back life was comforting. Especially because the idea of family had become a distant dream or an urban legend—something others had, but you didn’t. You’d spent the whole afternoon on the grass, soaking up the sun, reading a good book, and then making a few calls (whenever you could find decent reception) to ensure everything was ready for Eddie’s arrival in England, the first stop on the tour.

"Fey, I got you a burger. Not sure if you're into them, but... you haven’t eaten, and Wayne was getting worried," Dustin said as he approached with a cardboard plate holding a juicy burger.

You looked up from your notebook, setting it aside as you sat up on the blanket you had spread out on the grass.

"Oh, Dustin, thank you," you murmured, suddenly aware of your empty stomach. "That’s really sweet of you," you said, taking a quick bite of what instantly became the best burger in the world. "I lost track of time."

Dustin smiled at you, grinning from ear to ear, and then sat down beside you. You looked at him, a bit surprised, but welcomed his company with a smile.

"And Suzie? I thought I'd see her today."

Dustin brushed a curl from his forehead, and his face lit up instantly when you mentioned his girlfriend.

"She’s meeting up with her mom in Cincinnati to try on her dress for the first time. I don’t know much about it since, apparently, I’m not allowed to know anything."

You laughed, taking another bite of your burger as he offered you a can of Coke, which you accepted with a grateful nod.

"Make sure Suzie gets in touch with me. Eddie needs to send her the check for that."

Dustin shook his head.

"Nah, I already talked to Eddie about it. He wants to cover the guests’ hotel, the reception, food, even the band. He can’t be paying for Suzie’s dress, too. Plus, her parents want to help, so..."

You raised your eyebrows.

"Dustin, Dustin," you stopped his rambling with a smile, swallowing your bite before you spoke again. "How long have you known Munson?"

Dustin paused, his dreamy eyes gazing into the distance.

"He’s been my brother, my friend, and my mentor since I was 15."

You smiled, touched by the affection Dustin had for Eddie.

"You’ve known him for over a decade, and that’s enough to know he’s not going to let you refuse his wedding gift."

"I’m stubborn too, Fey," Dustin grinned, almost proud of his declaration. "Eddie says it’s more about the tone I use when I talk, but I like to think I’ve got some persuasion power, too."

You laughed, cracking open the Coke and taking a sip.

"I bet Suzie's not thrilled about accepting more gifts from Eddie, huh?" you asked.

Dustin's cheeks turned pink, and he smiled nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"You’re pretty perceptive," Dustin admitted with a nervous grin. "Look, it’s already a huge deal for her parents to accept me, and having someone else pay for everything is offensive to her dad. It makes him feel... useless," he confessed.

You opened your notebook and grabbed your pencil.

"And does Suzie’s dad have a contact number?" you asked.

Dustin chuckled dryly.

"You’re not gonna convince him, trust me."

You smiled back at him, peering over your sunglasses.

"Listen, I work with a temperamental, playful rock star whose idea of fun is filling his pool with punch and buying giant straws for a suction contest that left two bandmates with respiratory issues and forced us to cancel a show at one of L.A.’s biggest arenas," you summarized. "You have no idea what I’ve managed to get Eddie to do—or not do—with conviction and persuasion."

He raised his eyebrows.

"You’re gonna talk to Suzie’s dad?" he asked, incredulous.

You shrugged.

"Corroded Coffin leaves early the day after tomorrow. I’ll invite Suzie and her mom somewhere nice in Cincinnati, convince them, and let them do the work on your future father-in-law."

He shot you a suspicious look.

"I’ll give you Suzie’s contact, but I’m not part of this. I want to marry her, and I’m not doing anything that could jeopardize that."

You laughed and took another bite of your burger.

"Everything’s gonna be fine. Besides, it’s my job, right?"

He frowned.

"Vickie, Nancy, and Robin put on an '80s karaoke DVD, and they’re belting it out in the living room. Gareth opened a bottle of wine," Jane—known as El to everyone—plopped down next to you on the grass, looking at both of you curiously. "What are we talking about?" she asked just as Mike, Max, and Lucas next to you and Dustin, forming a circle.

"Fey wants to convince Suzie’s dad to let Eddie pay for the wedding," Dustin explained.

The others groaned, but Max and El nodded confidently.

"Fey can do it. She got Eddie to sleep at Wayne’s house, didn’t she?" Max pointed out.

El agreed. "And she got him back to Hawkins," she added, making the others nod.

"You guys act like Eddie’s the most stubborn person on earth. You’ve got him wrapped around your fingers. I’m sure if you asked, he’d cross the world to get you something," you laughed, leaning back on the grass.

They collectively rolled their eyes, making you laugh even harder.

"As if you don’t," Lucas chuckled.

You frowned, sipping your Coke before continuing the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

Of course, you had to ask.

"I know you’ve got that persuasion power you’re so proud of," Max said, "but you’re totally clueless if you think that’s the only reason you can convince Eddie not to do the crazy stuff he’d normally do."

You frowned.

"Oh," El nudged Max sharply, but not hard enough to hurt. "She doesn’t know."

Mike snickered while stuffing his face with more microwave popcorn.

"She’s totally clueless," he muttered through a mouthful of popcorn.

"Eddie..." Dustin stole some popcorn from Mike before continuing, "...Eddie’s got a bit of a soft spot for you."

"Tiny," El nodded.

"Kind of big," Max tilted her head from side to side.

"Yeah, what Max said," Lucas and Mike agreed.

You scoffed, letting out a disbelieving laugh before taking another sip of your Coke.

"You guys are delusional," you took another sip. "First off, Eddie Munson DOES NOT have a soft spot for me, and second, why aren’t you singing karaoke with the rest?"

"She’s changing the subject," Mike said, bumping into Lucas, who laughed. His long braided hair shook as he did.

"Stop laughing. You kids are crazy," you commented, amused.

"kids? You’re like, three years older than us," Mike pulled out a cigarette. He tried lighting it, but every time he got a flame, it would fizzle out. The conversation paused as everyone watched Mike struggle with the cigarette. On his fourth attempt, he seemed to snap out of it and looked directly at El, who had covered her face with her long brown hair, avoiding eye contact and wiping a small drop of blood from her nose.

"El!" he called out, annoyed.

"Oh my God, sweetie, are you okay?" you asked, concerned, handing her a napkin, which she took gratefully.

"She’s fine," Mike brushed it off as the guys snickered. "Just because she’s my girlfriend, she thinks she can make me quit smoking. And just because Fey has inmunity with Eddie doesn’t mean you have the same with me."

You started shaking your head.

"Eddie and I aren’t actually…" nobody listened to you anyways. El and Mike were having a talk.

"Yes, I have it," El spoke up as she finished wiping her nose and pulled her hair away from her face, smiling big and bright.

Mike looked at his cigarette, sighed in defeat, and put it away, nodding.

"Yeahyouhaveit" he agreed "Okay, fine, you win," he conceded, standing up to offer his hand to El, inviting her for a walk.

Lucas watched the couple head toward the lake and groaned.

"Damn, they stole my idea!"

Max playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Of course they did, Casanova. But I’ve got a better one; I think there’s a cozy rock nearby we can hang out on."

Dustin made a horrified face, but the others ignored him, said their goodbyes, and ran off.

You smiled and looked at Dustin, who was studying you carefully, like he was analyzing something.

“What?”

“He calls you Fey,” he said, rolling his eyes. “And you don’t like it when we call you Fey.”

OH MY GOD not this.

“I know. I still don’t get what’s up with that,” you huffed.

“Feywild. You know he plays Dungeons & Dragons, right?”

You nodded, finishing the last of your drink.

“Yeah, I’m the one who sends the monthly deposit to fund that school club of his… Lucifer’s Flame?”

“Hawkins High's Hellfire Club,” he corrected, sounding mildly offended.

You laughed.

“God, I know. I write that check every month. You D&D fans are so sensitive.”

“That game brought us together, shaped us in a world full of narrow-minded people.”

You smiled, giving his arm a quick squeeze.

“I know,” you murmured, then sighed, realizing you couldn’t avoid the conversation any longer. “Why does he call me Fey?”

“It’s not a random nickname. It’s got to do with D&D characters.”

You frowned. “Oh God, please tell me it’s not some monstrous thing with horns in places it shouldn’t have them.”

He frowned too. “Where exactly should horns be, Fey?”

You raised your eyebrows innocently. “I don’t know, between the eyes? One on each side of the head?”

Dustin stared at you. “Okay. God, that’s why you and Steve get along so well,” he clapped his hands together, getting back on track. “Dungeons & Dragons, Fey.”

You laughed.

“Yeah, well; he never calls me by my real name, never, not once.”

“There’s a reason for that, and believe me, you won’t hate it once you hear it.”

You sighed heavily, shaking your empty can even though you knew it was already finished.

“Feywild is a chaotic realm of fairies and magic. It’s totally unpredictable, sure, but captivating,” he shrugged. “The fairies in the game aren’t just about pulling tricks; they’re usually the ones who help the hero grow, you know, on a quest. I think you’re kind of like that for Eddie. You keep him grounded, even if you don’t realize it.”

You widened your eyes, incredulous. “Really? I should probably be a troll or something bigger; it’s tough keeping him grounded,” you laughed, trying to keep it light. If you took this seriously, you’d overthink it. “So I’m a fairy… basically the mythical equivalent of an assistant, Dustin,” you clarified.

“I get that; yeah, he pays you to be in his business,” he agreed. “But it’s more than that; he involves you. Hell, it’s like he doesn’t let just anyone in, and this goes beyond being a rock star. The last time he let someone in and showed them who he really was, it ended in tragedy.”

Chrissy. The cheerleader. The queen of high school. The beautiful blonde with her whole life ahead of her that Eddie let in—and it ended in a deal with death.

You looked down, feeling uncomfortable, especially with the sadness that washed over you when you remembered Eddie’s almost defeated, guilt-ridden face the night before.

“That really messed him up… didn’t it?” you asked softly, feeling guilty for talking about it without Eddie being there.

“Big time. See why this is important? With you, it’s different, Fey. Maybe you don’t realize it because you’re a bit clueless, like the girls said—though I think you just want to be,” he concluded but didn’t give you time to defend yourself as he continued, “but you have a place in his life that no one else does. And that nickname… it’s like he’s bringing you into his world, making you part of it.”

His words hit hard. They echoed in your ears, drowning out everything else as a sharp ringing sound filled your head and your thoughts swirled in a wave of intrusive emotions. You looked away from Dustin, not wanting him to see the battle raging inside you.

“Dustin, he and I… he’s my boss, you know that? I’m here to assist him, and when he doesn’t need me anymore…”

He shook his head immediately, almost upset by your comment. You knew it was a low blow, that you couldn’t limit your relationship with Eddie to just professional terms anymore. The line had been crossed, and it wasn’t because of the kiss, no. You had crossed it long before, that night at the record label party when your heart broke at what you thought was a betrayal from Eddie. He wasn’t just your boss, and you weren’t just his employee.

Realizing that didn’t make things any easier.

“You know that’s not true. I get how it sounds, you are close and that’s okay. Eddie’s not into formalities anyway,” he clarified.

You opened your mouth, realizing when the air entered your lungs that you had been holding your breath while he spoke.

You started shaking your head, a bit scared. The idea of someone caring about you, of someone wanting you in their life, was a huge responsibility, and you weren’t sure if you were ready to handle it yet. You hadn’t felt that way since your grandparents. They were the last people, after your parents, whose lives had impacted yours and whom you had impacted.

“Guys!” Mike and El called from the lake house porch. Mike had his arm around El’s shoulders, and she was leaning on him with a huge smile. “You’ve got to see this! Big Rock is about to sing Rick Astley!”

Dustin laughed and started to get up, offering you his hand.

“Come on, Fey, I didn’t mean to stress you out. How about you forget this conversation for the next few hours and have some fun with us?”

You smiled at him.

“Thanks, Dustin.” You took his hand for a moment until you were on your feet, still holding your notebook and book. You tried, as Dustin suggested, to leave the anxiety from that conversation behind.

The lake at night was stunning. You could appreciate it up close on the small dock of Steve’s house. He had told you he bought it after receiving a generous government settlement. You admired all of them a bit more for that; with the money they had, they could easily live peacefully without doing anything, just letting their traumas take over, but they didn’t. They were all valuable and talented, making their way through life’s jungle with grace and bravery.

You spotted car headlights here and there around the lake; you’d been told it was famous among lovers, so you watched the moon's reflection on the water and enjoyed the sound of crickets and frogs croaking in solitude.

“There you are,” Eddie’s voice startled you. He was a little bit tipsy —not too much—but you could see the childish look in his eyes, that lazy gleam like a haze over his irises. He handed you an open beer. “I told Dustin that giving you a Coke earlier to talk was an amateur move. You do like beer, right?”

You looked at the glass bottle and smiled, a bit puzzled as you took it. “What are you doing here? I thought you and the guys were putting on a little concert for the group,” you asked before taking a sip of the dark, cold beer.

“Yeah, until Cynthia called Gareth, and they’ve been on the phone for half an hour now. It’s gonna cost him a fortune.”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise and smiled, excited. “Cynthia called Gareth?” you asked, letting out an impressed giggle as you took another sip.

“I’m not gonna gossip about a friend’s possible romantic situation,” he replied with a sarcastic tone.

You laughed, took a sip, and kept looking at him. “Why are you out here alone, Fey?”

You glanced around and shrugged. “Look at this, Mun… we don’t have this in L.A.,” you murmured, then sat down on the dock’s wooden planks, getting much closer to the water. “Why don’t you buy a house here?” you asked when he sat next to you with his own beer. You steadied him by the shoulder when you saw him sway slightly, but he just chuckled in response.

“You want me to buy a house here, Fey? We’ve got Steve’s!”

“It’d be easier to convince me to come help you if you had a lake house; it doesn’t have to be big, maybe a shack,” you joked. “But this is nice.”

Both of you fell silent for a moment, drinking your beers and enjoying the quiet.

“I used to make deals with the owner of this place,” he suddenly broke the silence, “drug deals.”

“Yeah…” you cut him off, closing your eyes and praying for patience. “I got what you meant.” You looked at him. “Does it bring back good memories?”

“Not at all,” he shook his head. “That’s actually the point and the reason Steve bought it.”

You frowned. “You know, I didn’t think you were that drunk. You’re not making sense.”

He let out a chuckle. “I hid out here when everyone thought I was killing people. Dustin, Steve, Max, and Robin worked hard to find me and prove my innocence,” he downed the rest of his beer and set the bottle beside him, right between you and him, smiling. “Years later, Steve bought it and decided to turn this place into something good, thinking that if we made enough good memories, eventually the bad ones would fade.” He laughed, almost embarrassed. “Yeah, it’s cheesy, I know.”

“No, well, yeah, it is cheesy,” you laughed, “but it’s sweet. It’s sweet that you have that kind of friends,” you murmured.

“Well, they’re kind of your friends now, too, so…”

“Oh no,” you immediately shook your head. “We’re not doing this.”

He laughed, “Doing what?”

“This,” you whined. “You can’t keep telling me stories that make you more human.”

He let out a huff, almost offended. “What are you talking about, Fey?”

“At some point, you just started opening your heart like crazy, and suddenly, you’re not the grumpy rockstar I had to get out of trouble. You’re human.”

“I’ve always been human,” he let out a dry laugh.

“No, you were a vampire right before you started telling me your life story,” you defended yourself. “This is just another level of getting involved.”

You thought he might get upset, maybe even seem annoyed. The last thing you expected was for him to smile like a Cheshire cat.

“Fey, I told you at Steve’s party, I want to know about you. You literally know my underwear size.”

You raised your eyebrows at him and gave him a knowing look. “Well, you’ve literally had me buying your underwear in the middle of a tour because you thought giving the pair you were wearing to your fans was a fantastic idea.”

He chuckled. “It was fun, admit it,” he replied.

Then you heard a ringing noise. Loud and deafening. One that made your neck feel so heavy you thought your head might fall off. Suddenly, all of Hawkins' cold seemed to invade your body.

“Do you remember what you said at Steve’s party?” you asked, trying not to stutter or sound too affected, though judging by Eddie’s expression, it probably showed on your face. “I thought you were drunk as a skunk.”

He cleared his throat and stopped looking at you for a few seconds.

Bad sign.

No-oh.

Look at me again, you thought with a queasy feeling in your stomach. If you’re not looking at me, it’s because you’re hiding something.

Like that time, in your first week on the job, when he tried to sneak a llama into his hotel room where no animals were allowed.

“I know why I started drinking like an idiot that night, Fey.”

That eased your mind a bit. Maybe he really didn’t remember the rest; the whole fairy thing and how he seemed to crumble at the thought of you leaving. You didn’t want to have to break down that conversation with him.

“Why did you start drinking?” you sighed, playing dumb. It’d be good to hear his reasons while he was sober. You glanced at the empty bottle beside him—well, somewhat sober.

But was Eddie Munson ever fully sober?

“I didn’t get it, Fey. I know sometimes I act difficult"

“No, no, no,” you interrupted. “You are difficult.”

“What’s difficult is having this conversation with you, Feywild.” he replied between his teeth.

Uh-oh, full name. You were in trouble.

You nodded in agreement and pretended to zip your lips.

“I know I complicate your life sometimes, and I’ve asked you many times just to be my assistant and stick to that, but deep down, I know that’s not how it is. I know you’re my friend, even if you’re not proud of it—the only girl in the world who feels that way, by the way,” he added the last part with that charismatic smile: the one he throws at his fans and the girls he takes home after a party or a good show. “And you know what sucks? It sucks when your friend knows more about you, and you realize your life is in the hands of a stranger. I didn’t know anything about you. I didn’t know about your parents, your unused degree, or that Robert was dumping his work on you without paying you while taking all the credit.”

“It’s the justice-seeker in you,” you pointed out, “and a bit of the control freak; you can’t stand not knowing everything.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You said your parents died. What about your grandparents?”

You exhaled, making a brief sound with your upper lip. I mean, you had kind of promised to open up, right? And he was asking nicely.

“My grandmother passed away when I turned 18, just after I graduated from school; lung cancer. And my grandfather was diagnosed with heart problems over time and started to weaken. I think he also wanted to go. Anyway, he passed away after I graduated from university, in his hospital bed,” you recounted briefly.

But Eddie was perceptive; he gave you a sharp yet gentle look.

“Your debts…” he guessed.

You nodded, watching your feet swing in the air and the dark reflection of yourself in the water.

“I needed a good salary, and this job was literally a lifeline,” you admitted.

“Why music?” he asked, frowning.

You shook your head with a smile. “No,” you said firmly, “you have to answer something first.”

“Damn it, Fey, you already know so much about me,” he complained.

You leaned back, supporting yourself on the wood with both palms, leaving the beer bottle next to Eddie’s empty one.

“I know you’re not allergic to anything at all, but you pretend that wheat makes you sick so that girls feel sorry for you and see you from a more exotic angle.”

He rolled his eyes. “I bloat with bread.”

This time you rolled your eyes and laughed. “Yeah, if you eat ten bagels at once, of course, you’ll bloat; it’s called bread bump, pretty normal”

He stuck his tongue out at you and smiled. “What the hell do you want to know?”

He pulled out a cigarette from his back pocket and lit it, placing the thin roll between his teeth.

“Why do you call me Fey?”

He looked at you, but his gaze seemed miles away, and you wondered if you could reach him sitting next to him.

“It’s actually about D&D.”

You laughed. “Yeah, like everything in your life.”

That didn’t seem to offend him.

“It was the first thing that came to mind when I met you,” he half-smiled, still deep inside himself, unable to look you in the eyes. “I didn’t want an assistant, and I wasn’t going to accept it, especially if Robert suggested it, who thinks he knows what I need.” He rolled his eyes. “I did everything to avoid meeting you that day. But you figured out where I’d be and showed up at our recording studio in your green dress with your notebook.” He laughed softly, letting out a sigh. “God, I treated you horribly. You just did your job efficiently, shaking your hair around, making friends with the band, and your eyes…" he paused "You read me, Fey; you anticipated my moves from the very first moment. Those eyes were knowing. As if you saw everything for the first time but at the same time knew every corner of my world perfectly.”

Eddie shifted on the now chilling wood, and his words began to flow freely. Even if he’d let you speak, you wouldn’t have been able to. You didn’t even remember wearing a dress that day, let alone the color.

“You know, fairies aren’t the protagonists in D&D campaigns, but they’re always there with a purpose; they help advance the plot, they’re like, small and powerful agents who get involved just enough.” Now he looked at you, his brown eyes piercing, tearing down and rebuilding your breath. “You’re like the whole damn world embodied; you’re the shield when I need protection, the fire when I’m freezing, if I get lost so much in this damn new wild life that I don’t know how to find my way back. The storm if what I need is to fight someone to finally come to my senses. You have this way of being everything at once; the voice of reason, the avenger, and chaos. Always, always, always, you know exactly what I need.” He smiled as if saying all this had relieved him. “You came into my life that day straight out of the stories I used to escape to when my mom was sick and the only lesson my dad had to give me was about his belt and how to steal cigarettes from a convenience store. Only you’re real, Fey; you’re here. Honestly, I’m grateful for that.”

You could have sworn a black hole appeared and sucked away all the cold of the place. His words wrapped around you, making you feel seen and appreciated in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Your heart raced, but you tried to ignore it, attempting to stay grounded in the role you assigned yourself; his assistant, his friend, nothing more. Still, he was talking about you as if you were a myth, (how did you deserve that honor?) a force of nature. It was too much, and at the same time, you felt under your burden that you could listen to him talk about you this way forever, and it still wouldn’t be enough. You wanted to hold onto his words, let them hang in the air, but also let the wind carry them away, bury them at the bottom of the lake with heavy anchors to keep yourself safe.

As Eddie spoke, your mind was racing. You were amazed—how could you not be? His voice, the way he looked at you, made you feel like something more than you had ever seen yourself as. But with that amazement came confusion, a deep and unsettling feeling of being lost in a place you hadn’t planned to enter.

You tried to find something to say, something to ground you, but words wouldn’t come. Instead, you just stayed there, caught between the magic of his words and the reality of what you meant to each other. It was a dizzying, disorienting feeling, like standing on the edge of something vast and unknown, unsure whether to step forward or retreat.

“That… Mun…” you murmured after swallowing the lump in your throat, not really knowing what to say. “Thank you… I, damn,” you murmured, trying to find the right words.

Then he hurried to speak. It was few words. A sentence said quickly as if saying it slowly and deliberately would be worse.

Eddie just opened his mouth and said,

“Fey, please don’t freak out. But I remember everything. I remember the kiss.”

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