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upsidedownwithsteve · 1 year

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Bad For Business: Level Four

Steve Harrington x fem!reader [2.2K] An enemies to lovers au. Arcade coworkers, who love to hate each other, get too competitive about Dig Dug and share a mutal annoyance for the kids that like to pester them. Choose your own adventure by picking an option at the end of the chapter.

There was a boy at the desk asking for you.

He was tall and a little wild looking, unruly dark curls and tattoos peeking out from under the leather and denim he wore, all ripped off sleeves and silver rings. He was smirking at Steve like he knew something he didn’t, like was in on some sort of secret.

Steve didn’t like him.

“She’s on her break,” Steve told him, eyes narrowed like he couldn’t help himself. “Went to the store or something.”

Steve expected that to be the end of it, but the boy with all the rings just grinned, dimples on show before he hoisted himself onto the desk. “I’ll wait,” he said, too cheery. “I’m Eddie, by the way. Munson.”

Steve nodded, keeping his distance as he pretended to tidy away loose rota sheets, used up ticket stubs and a piece of paper Robin and Argyle had been drawing progressively larger dicks on. One had wings and a halo.

“Yeah, I know,” Steve frowned. He was still suspicious. Why was the local drug dealer coming in and asking for you? The arcade was quiet enough that Steve didn’t have an excuse to leave, and honestly, he wanted to stick around and see. “Just didn’t realise you guys… knew each other.”

Eddie looked smug in an awful way, still acting like he was clued into something Steve didn’t have any idea about. Like he was trying not to laugh at him. The longer haired boy tilted his head to the side, all charm and bravado, still smiling. “Oh yeah.” He nodded, enthusiastic. “We know each other real well. Super close.”

You hadn’t mentioned Eddie before. Not in front of Steve. Fuck, you’d never mentioned any sort of boyfriend at all. But then Steve remembered nights that it rained, when he’d jog to his car only to see you run past him, jacket over your head and clambering into an old van, the windows dark enough that you could never see the driver.

Maybe he’d been kidding himself all those times when he assumed it was your dad.

“Oh,” fuck, is that all he could say? “Cool.”

There was a beat of silence between them, smothered in arcade game jingles and alarm bells that announced a new winner, but the air was heavy enough to be felt, thick with a tension Steve wasn’t used to.

Was this what being threatened felt like?

No. No. Steve didn't have anything to feel threatened about. So why was he still talking?

“I guess - I mean - well, I just never knew she had a boyfriend.” Steve cleared his throat, all awkward and he found himself standing a little straighter, chest puffed out, chin held high.

Thank fuck Robin wasn’t on shift, ‘cause Eddie was laughing and suddenly Steve felt about three feet shorter. What the fuck was this guys problem?

“I didn’t know you gossiped about your love lives, Harrington,” Eddie shot back. His smile was wolfish and it looked like a challenge, it felt like a dare. “You interested in who she’s hangin’ out with outside of work?”

“What?” It was jarring, the way Steve’s stomach dropped. A new kind of nervousness twisting around his guts, a heat that crawled from his stomach to his chest. His cheeks felt too warm. “What? No. Jesus, no, I just— we’re not even friends.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it still tasted like one. Bitter and acidic, like swallowing a too big pill without water. It got stuck in his throat, made him wince.

Eddie tutted, leaning back in his hands, taking up the majority of space on the counter top. His legs were swinging, rips across his knees in his black jeans, a chain hanging from his belt looks, glinting in the neon lights. He looked like he was having far too much fun.

“That’s a shame,” Eddie twisted his lips, big eyes looking all sad, acting up like he was on stage or something. “She’s real sweet, isn’t she?”

Steve scoffed, a choked out laugh that made Eddie’s lips twitch up. Steve busied himself with more loose papers, bundling together things that weren’t supposed to be filed with each other, name badges and empty chocolate wrappers stuck between faxes.

“Uh, sure, maybe,” Steve wrinkled his nose, squinting at the other boy. “I don’t know. She’s never, uh, all that sweet to me.”

And then Eddie was laughing, a full, bright cackle of a laugh and Steve was once again left feeling like he didn’t know the full joke. But he didn’t get to ask what he’d missed, what was so funny, ‘cause a kid who could hardly see over the desk approached him, a sticky hand full of equally sticky tickets that he wanted to swap for some knock off Star Wars toy. Disgruntled, Steve fussed with the glass cabinet where they kept all the ‘prizes’, his gaze flickering between Eddie and the door.

Surely you’d be back soon. Right? To see your boyfriend.

When the kid was gone, happily clutching his ‘nightsaber’ (even Steve knew that was wrong), Eddie was watching him again.

“She’s pretty, right?”

Steve froze. “What?” Was this some kind of trick? Who the fuck goes ‘round asking other dudes if they think their girlfriend is pretty? “I don’t— I’ve never—”

Eddie was grinning. Again. That Cheshire Cat smile, white teeth flashing somewhat threateningly. Steve didn’t know what the fuck was going on. Was this about last week? The powercut? Did you go home and tell your boyfriend how close Steve got to you, how he held your hand and for once in his goddamn life, Steve Harrington didn’t wanna argue with you?

“You don’t think she’s cute?”

Nothing had happened. Nothing ever would’ve. It couldn’t. You hated him, and Steve hated you. Right? Right.

“Look, dude, I don’t know what your deal is, but I’m not trying to hit on your girl, alright?” Someone got a new high score on the pinball machine across from the desk and an alarm rang, tickets flying out of the dispenser, lights flashing red and green. It felt like a warning. “She— we— we don’t talk, alright? Not like that, god, we’re not friends, okay?”

Eddie didn’t really seem to believe him, but Steve was more than relieved when the boy shrugged and slid off of the counter, dimples on show, beaming at him. He dusted his hands off like he’d completed whatever task he’d come to do before dropping a set of keys in front of Steve.

“Tell uh, my girl, that it was a radiator leak. No biggie. Car’s out front,” another flash of a smile, too charming now. Steve’s head was spinning. “Catch you later lover boy.”

What the fuck?

Eddie made his way past a crowd of kids, neon signs lighting up his skin in shades of lime green and fuschia. He spun before he got to the door, clapping his hands together and pointing back at the other boy, like he’d just remembered something important.

Is this where Eddie threatened him? Told him to stop looking at his girlfriend and keep his hands to himself? It was a fucking powercut, it was pitch black, what was he supposed to do? Let her hurt herself? The argument was already playing out in Steve’s head, his defence at the ready.

Besides, he could take Eddie Munson, right? Sure he was pretty much the same height but Steve was broader, stronger, surely. But maybe Eddie had that trailer park kid scrappiness, that feral sort of energy Dustin said Max exuded when she got ramped up—

“And, uh, Harrington?”

Steve felt his fist tighten around the countertop.

“You’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar.” Eddie saluted, a massive skull glinting silver and pink in the light, and then with a wink, he was gone.

What the fuck?

He didn’t get a chance to ask what Eddie was on about, because Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson approached the desk, ignoring how he was standing with his mouth agape, brows knitted together in confusion. Everything was almost forgotten about as he argued with the two young boys about how no, he didn’t know when Donkey along was getting fixed, and no, he wasn’t prepared to let them poke about at the machine with Dustin’s backpack screwdriver.

And then you came back from your lunch, a flash of daylight breaking the darkness of the arcade as the door opened and shut behind you. Steve watched you hand a wrapped sandwich to Argyle before making your way around the desk to where he stood.

Maybe he was staring, maybe that’s why you were looking at him weird. Maybe that’s just the kinda gaze you gave him on the daily. You were wearing a skirt today, black and swishy around your thighs, your staff shirt cut off so it hit just above your navel, much to Murray’s despair. There was a warning written up and stuck to your locker, but you hadn’t seemed to care.

“What?”

Shit, Steve was still staring. He blinked, shrugged and turned back to the cash machine, despite no customers to serve. “What? Nothin’, god.”

You didn’t argue with him, just narrowing your eyes at his strange mood before pushing your way into the staff room. It was empty bar someone’s leftover lunch and a walkman that lay on the table and then suddenly Steve was barging his way into the too small room, a familiar set of keys in his hands. Your disco ball keychain sent rainbows over the walls, tiny glimmers of light across Steve’s cheeks, his hands, his arms.

He held them out to you, cheeks tinged pink like something had happened and you’d missed it, ‘cause he couldn’t really look you in the eye either. You stared, taking your keys from the boy slowly, like any sudden movements would scare him.

Not that you cared.

Steve spoke before you could say thanks, leaning against Murray’s abandoned desk with his hands shoved in his pockets as he cleared his throat. The air was heavy with something, more tension than you were used to, a weight to it that was more than summer air and teenage hormones.

“Your uh, your boyfriend dropped them off,” Steve was finally looking at you, brown eyes honeycomb in the too bright lights. “Said it was a broken radiator or somethin’.”

You frowned, confused at the word that was thrown out between you. Boyfriend? But once again, before you could manage to speak, Steve was talking again, all his thoughts tumbling out at once, swimming at your feet.

“Eddie Munson, huh? I didn’t— I didn’t know you were dating him. Or anyone. Not that it matters,” Steve sucked in a breath, like he was trying to catch each sentence, like he could swallow back the words he’d already said. “It doesn’t matter, obviously. Why would it? I mean, fuck, s’not like we share updates on our love lives or shit—”

“Harrington.”

“—like, I don’t care if you’re dating him, I just didn’t, like, except it, you know? Munson? Didn’t think he was your type, not that I know what your type is, s’not like I think about it or anything—”

“Steve.”

The boy stopped talking, jaw snapping shut as he looked at you, a little wide eyed. He was breathing a little heavier, hands leaving his pockets only to take through his hair.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” You played with the keys in your hands, disco ball keychain clinking prettily between the silver. The reflections scattered, rainbow coloured freckles on Steve’s cheeks. “I’m not dating Eddie, we’re just friends.”

You weren't sure why you were explaining this.

“But Munson said—” Steve stopped mid sentence, the abruptness of it hanging in the air between you. Eddie hadn’t said you were dating. Eddie hadn’t called himself your boyfriend, had he? No. That was Steve’s doing. “Uh, he called you his girl… I just assumed…”

You snorted, eyes rolling in a way that held a lot more affection than what he was used to seeing when it was directed at him. You shrugged, dropping yourself into a chair at the table, eyeing Steve with a new sort of curiosity. He really was acting fucking weird.

“We’re close,” you said, copying Eddie’s words from earlier without even knowing. “Best friends, you know? Nothing… nothing more.”

“Oh.” Steve’s lips were a pretty ‘o’ shape, pink and pouting and you practically saw the gears inside his head whirring. “Right.”

“He was probably just trying to be funny,” you explained, unwrapping a chocolate bar you’d taken from your bag. You bit into it, licking caramel from your lips. “He’s not though. Despite what he thinks.”

Steve nodded, looking a little dazed, but he pushed himself off of Murray’s desk and sent you another look you couldn’t really decipher. Before he made it back to the door that led to the arcade, you stopped him, an edge to your voice that wasn’t there before.

“Did he, uh,” you winced when your voice cracked, staring at the table instead of the boy. “Did Eddie say anything else?”

Steve almost kicked the desk leg, swearing as he spun back to you, eyes darting over your face, like he was trying to work something out. He thought about Eddie’s questions.

If Steve thought you were sweet. If Steve thought you were pretty.

“What?”

‘You’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar.’

“Did he say anything? You know, stupid shit.” You licked your lips again, chasing sugar, looking nervous.

Lover boy lover boy lover boy.

“No,” Steve lied, feeling something burn in his chest. Maybe it was the breath he was holding. “No, he didn’t say anything else.”

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington smut #steve harrington x reader smut #steve harrington oneshot #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington blurb

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soweirdondisney · 11 months

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Geek Girl Authority featured So Weird in the Millennial Misremembers series.

#so weird #disney so weird #so weird disney #patrick levis #cara delizia #fi phillips #molly phillips #ned bell #jack phillips #irene bell #clu bell #erik von detten #disney plus #disney channel #zoog disney #mackenzie phillips

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soweird-gifs · 2 years

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#disney channel #so weird #soweirdedit #disneyedit #disneychanneledit #disney #filmtv #TVedit #cineworld #cinematv #mine #1x05 #usergif #usercreate #fi phillips #jack phillips #clu bell #clu x fi x jack #fiona phillips

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kiwiana-writes · 4 months

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WIP Wednesday

If you noticed that the fic tag is new and therefore this is another fucking new WIP, shut up no you didn't.

Back on my bullshit making tumblr posts FirstPrince. Hopefully by making it a 5+1 it won't spin as out of control as the last time I did that. TBD lol.

Henry has, for as long as he can remember, utterly and completely lost his ability to function around obscenely beautiful men. (“You do understand that by any reasonable measure you yourself are one of these ‘obscenely beautiful men’, don’t you, Hazza?” Pez had said when Henry had been despairing this particular trait of his. “I’d like to think the revolving door of eager gentleman callers in and out of our flat would have clued you in, if nothing else.” “That may well be,” Henry had replied firmly, because while his list of neuroses is both long and complex, none of them are related to his own attractiveness, “but as I have no desire to have sex with myself—beyond the obvious—I fail to see how that’s relevant.” “You wouldn’t fuck your clone?” This had, apparently, been a position Pez could not allow to stand, and the conversation had devolved fairly quickly from there.) The point is, Henry knows who and what he is. So when he rushes through from the back room at the chime of the bell over the door just in time to bear witness to the most attractive man he has ever been within twenty feet of pulling his hat off his head and shaking out his curls as though he’s in some sort of Herbal Essences commercial, and promptly drops an entire tray of brownies onto the floor, it’s not exactly surprising. It is, however, deeply inconvenient.

Forever feeling feral for whatever y'all are up to, so tagging @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @blairwaldcrf @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @cultofsappho @daisymae-12 @dumbpeachjuice @firenati0n @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @indomitable-love @inexplicablymine @leaves-of-laurelin @lizzie-bennetdarcy @myheartalivewrites @notspecialbabe @orchidscript @rmd-writes @sherryvalli @ships-to-sail @smc-27 @sparklepocalypse @ssmtskw @stereopticons @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play! (If you take the open tag please tag me so I can see!!)

(Also! If you have one of these cute Christmas trees and you haven't tagged me, please do so so I can drop you a message! ❤️)

#wip wednesday #kiwiana-writes #wip: awkward barista henry 5+1 #hydra-ass wip folder right now i swear to god #oh i published one! that takes my wip count from 38 to... 41??

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1anxiousbeancrying · 4 days

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I'm still on my Disney heroes Tron bullshit so here's some random moments.

Tron bullying Flynn will always be welcome and I think they should do it more.

Quorra not knowing casual user phrases is so cute. I love her.

The return of quorra's love of toasters, I'm so happy this is a recurring joke in Tron media.

Tron uprising reference!, also Tron missing Yori made my heart hurt. But it's also interesting because for every other character in the game massive amounts of people from there world get dragged to the city even if there not playable characters, there's loads of background characters that show up and in some cases half of peoples kingdoms show up. (Princess jasmine says the people of agrabah were struggling to adapt to the city.) But it's only Tron, Flynn and quorra who show up from the grid. Which is probably a good thing tbh no one wants clu or any other general to interact with Disney characters.

Flynn honey your gonna break a hip doing that my guy, also them racing is super cute. Quorra I feel like this can only end in disaster, Belle will just hurt herself.

#tron #quorra #kevin flynn #disney heroes battle mode

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stellaralignment · 3 months

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After reading @kira-serialfaggot 's post about inaccessible menus and @butterfly-sapphire post about non-customizable menus figured I now had sufficient excuse to rant about how I hate how every big restaurant's ""solution"" to these two problems is somehow always the worst fucking app I've ever had to use in my life.

So, to clarify real quick. I agree with both previous posts. Places that serve food should have their menu easily accessible somewhere if they have an online presence, and places that let you customize your order need to have that as a feature of any digital ordering solution they implement. Good? Good.

So, a lot of places I've seen (Wendys, Taco Bell, and McDonald to name a few) Have tried to get around how fucking horrible the DD app itself is by making their own apps with DD integration for the actual ordering/serving of delivery orders. Great, this lets them provide their own menu customization options, serve discounts/coupons, and generally have more control over the user experience. Fantastic. As a bonus, this usually also allows you to just look at the menu whenever you want.

Small issue. All of these apps were written by the worst fucking programmers I have ever witnessed in my life. I havn't gotten angry enough to de-compile or try to reverse engineer one yet, but my user experience has been so consistently bad and I've encountered issues that, as a software engineer, I honestly could not tell you how fucked their system has to be in order to allow that to happen.

Allow me to tell you the worst of these. I'm trying to order delivery from a store. It's late, like 7pm, but I know the place is open till 10. I can confirm this on their website (I do later for reasons that will become apparent) and google maps. So I punch in my address, make my order, and go to checkout. Unfortunately, the app tells me "Your payment method failed. Please select a new method and try again". Which was odd, but not unimaginable. I've had issues with my bank in the past. So I swap cards and try again, thinking nothing of it.

Except, my other card doesn't work either. Nor does using PayPal, or Google Pay, or any of the other payment options I tried. I'm getting desperate. I buy some games on steam just to make sure some of these are working, which they are. I was worried, but now that I've confirmed all my money hasn't been siphoned away somehow, I'm just confused and getting annoyed.

So I start going insane. I buy digital gift cards from several different sites and try using them. No dice, payment failed. I try using the website instead of the app, on my phone and PC. Payment failed. I boot up an android studio instance with a brand new virtual phone, install the app on it, and try to order. Again. Payment failed.

I'm starting to wonder if their servers are just completely down. A friend in a different state can order with no problems. A friend in the same town can order with no fanfare.

But my roommates can't. They have the same issue

Payment failed.

So. I'm going insane. I've now spent almost 3 hours attempting to order food, and I'm starving. It is at this point that my anger finally overcomes my social anxiety, and I do the one thing I never thought I'd do.

I call the store in question.

Now, in all of this there was one crucial mistake I made. See, that friend in the same town? Lived on the other side of town. And there's 2 different stores of this franchise in town. We didn't control for this, because the app doesn't let you pick a store anyways when doing delivery. It's hard locked to whatever one is closest, which isn't a terrible thing to do. You need to get the delivery address anyways, and you know where all your store are, so it cuts out a step for me. But having to choose a store might've clued us in to what was going wrong.

Because the store? Was closed. Not just closed, like mega closed. It was being shut down. It hadn't been open for two weeks, and would never be open again. The order was failing because they'd already taken all the computer systems out, and it couldn't confirm to have received the order.

So there was nothing wrong with the payment. Literally nothing I could have done about this. I am just barred completely from ordering because the app defaults to the nearest location for orders, and my nearest location didn't exist anymore.

And you'd think that there would be some way to communicate this to the user when making the app. But for reasons I can only assume are profit motivated (Though I have no idea how the fuck this is more efficient/profitable), the app just defaults to saying the payment failed.

Now, I wouldn't be this mad if this was just "oops edge case lol" where I suffered the unfortunate consequences of some procrastinator forgetting to do the thing that removes stores from the database. Unfortunate but not really anyone I can blame for it. But no. This is just the most extreme example, and it's not even confined to the one app.

Almost every single app like this I've used defaults to saying the payment failed and to try a new payment method when anything goes wrong. No drivers out on DoorDash to actually move the order? Payment failed. You're trying to order a seasonal item that got dropped today? Payment failed. The companies servers actually are down? Payment failed. You're not connected to wi-fi like an idiot and there's actually something you can do to fix the issue that's not related to payment whatsoever? Payment failed.

What the fuck is up with this lazy ass programming? I seriously doubt there's enough technical debt from these apps to justify not having a robust error catching system that communicates with the user what the issue is. By the fucking stars these people love collecting intrusive data, I'm surprised they havn't used this as an excuse to harvest everyone's fucking location at all times and send "error data" back to central.

But just don't tell me my debit card was declined when I'm trying to order a burger and you closed that store two weeks ago.

#journal #rant #i fucking hate food delivery apps #but i'm a poor bitch with no car #and I lived for 3 months off of a BOGO burger coupon once that just never fucking removed itself from my cart even after I ordered #so I continued to cash in on that one coupon for an entire semester #so like don't fix your apps #but don't tell me my fucking bank is broken when you just can't be bothered to update your fuckin store database

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duranduratulsa · 6 months

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Now showing on my Freddy Krueger movie 🎥 marathon...A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) on glorious vintage Media Home Entertainment VHS 📼! #movie #movies #horror #anightmareonelmstreet #anightmareonelmstreet2 #anightmareonelmstreet2freddysrevenge #wescraven #RIPWesCraven #freddy #freddykrueger #robertenglund #markpatton #KimMyers #RobertRusler #sydneywalsh #CluGulager #ripclugulager #HopeLange #Christieclark #joannwillette #MarshallBell #robertshaye #kerryremsen #jacksholder #davidchaskin #newlinecinema #mediahomeentertainment #vintage #vhs #80s #happybirthdayfreddykrueger #freddyversary #nightmare39

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passivenovember · 1 year

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Through the open window, Billy’s tussled curls drape around a squirming body.

Steve can hear laughter. High and bright like Christmas bells, nailing his sneakers to the road. A child’s giggle dances lightly around the aching baritone of someone who must be Billy.

Laughing.

Steve’s never heard Billy laugh before, but he is. Giggling right alongside a tiny blonde girl, her chubby, soft fingers tangled in his hair.

It’s so sweet.

Steve never thought Billy was capable of something like that. Laughter and honey-crisp cheeks and a gentle hold on Holly Wheeler, of all kids, giggling harder when Billy tickles her fingers and says, “C’mon, brat, loosen that death-grip, yeah?”

“No,” Holly shouts, descending into feverish giggles when Billy tickles the side of her overalls, instead, “Soft, it’s soft!”

“Well, there won’t be any left if you don’t let go. You’re gonna scalp me if you’re not careful.”

At the promise that Billy’s hair might fall out or sink back into his scalp like a slurped up spaghetti noodle, Holly lets go all at once, and topples back onto the couch in a fit of laughter.

Billy rubs the side of his head. “I think I’ve got a bald spot, kid,”

“What’s scalp-thing?” Holly wonders. She’s sitting next to Billy on the couch, now, only the tops of her fountain pigtails showing through the window.

From the street, sweating in his gym clothes, eyes squinted against the piercing sun, Steve sees red on Billy’s cheeks and across his nose, seeping like spilled neon matter.

“Uh,” Billy says intelligently. He runs both hands through his hair, plucking a pink scrunchie from his wrist to pull the curls off his face. He looks younger, like this. Sweet. His ears stick out farther than Steve ever imagined, he’s got.

Dumbo ears.

“This isn’t an appropriate conversation,” Billy admits.

“Why not?”

“Well, it’s kind of violent. And scary. And I don’t think your mom would like it if I told you and gave you scary dreams for the next few months.”

Holly’s mouth sets into a firm, unyielding line. “I’m a big girl,” She says. Harsh.

Scathing.

A little bit of Nancy and Billy, too. Their weird personality child.

Billy shifts uncomfortably on the couch, tucking his feet under himself. “I know, kid. Some other time, okay? We’ll get a book from the library and read it when you’re fifteen.”

Holly laughs again, “You won’t be my babysitter when I’m fifteen,” She says.

And if Steve wasn’t mistaken, jogging through a neighborhood fifteen blocks from his own just for the chance to see Billy Hargrove through an open window on a Saturday and then peering through that open window like a creep, he’d swear Billy looks regretful of that.

Sad, almost.

“You’re right,” Billy says. When Holly’s eyes go big and watery, Steve knows she was hoping to be told the opposite. Clued in on some secret thing only grown ups and Billy’s know about.

“When I’m fifteen,” Holly says brightly, “I’m gonna have a boyfriend.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yeah huh!”

“Nu-uh,” Billy sing-songs. He tugs on the end of Holly’s pigtail, smirking. “I won’t be your babysitter but I’ll be around. So if any dumb boys forget to watch their step I can make ‘em sorry.”

Holly swats his hand away, “If you’re mean to my boyfriend I’ll stomp on your foot.”

Billy’s smirk melts, slowly, into a warm, pleasant smile. “You wouldn’t do the same for me?”

“When you get a boyfriend?” Holly asks, small and curious, and.

Steve’s lurked on this street hundreds of times since Billy moved to town. He’s driven by long after midnight, parked down the block and wrestling with the glimmering dream of sneaking through Billy’s window.

He’s watched the sunlight bronze Billy’s hair in the cafeteria at school. He’s counted the freckles that dust Billy’s cheeks when his head is bent over a notebook. Steve would know the wrinkle of Billy’s lips from a hundred yards away, down the block, on the aluminum surface of another planet. His heart has grown three sizes every time Billy laughs at one of his jokes--

Steve’s never felt like he was spying on Billy, before. Like he was crossing some unspecified boundary.

But Holly Wheeler takes Billy’s silence as admission, and she says, “You could kiss Steve if you wanted to,” Like she’s done the math. Crunched the numbers.

Steve feels like the ground has been pulled out from under him.

He shivers, watching Billy’s face for the encroaching panic that’s sure to come with anyone, even a child, seeing him so clearly.

Instead, Billy tils his head back and chuckles. His Adams apple bobs three times, and Steve wants to kiss it. Bite it. Swallow that laugh down inside himself to keep warm.

“Oh yeah?” Billy rights himself, grinning, “How do you know that?”

“He’s standing outside,” Holly says, and.

And she points.

At Steve.

Billy’s head whips toward the window, and a lot of things happen at once. First, they lock eyes and Steve’s pretty sure Angels are singing. Billy’s so beautiful and surprised and Steve loves him.

Aches.

Billy’s flush is back, painting the world raspberry, and for half a second he looks like he’s going to smile.

Steve’s heart cracks open, but then Billy’s furious.

“Harrington?” Billy snaps, and he’s a mad dog. A snapping pit. A bloodhound pausing only when Steve trips over himself, pathetically, to hide behind a tree.

“Steve--”

Steve bangs a kneecap on the bark and feels the first few layers of skin tear away. He presses in close to the tree trunk, holding his breath. Maybe, if Steve suffocates to death, Billy won’t find him.

“Don’t be sad, Billy!” Holly Wheeler’s shouting, “Don’t be sad, Steve won’t hurt you. He’s nice. He’s a prince. He’s Ken and you’re Barbie--”

“Stay here a minute okay, kiddo?”

“You’re not upset, are you?” Holly wonders quietly.

There’s a long, lengthy pause, and Billy’s slamming through the front door.

Steve’s going to die today, and he’ll deserve it.

He considers making a run. He peers down the street, trying to memorize the sunlight on the pavement and the wind in the oaks so when the cops find his body his spirit can lead them to the source--

Billy steps in front of the sun. “Harrington,” He says calmly, “You have three seconds to tell me what the fuck you’re doing here.”

And.

Steve’s brain must be offline, preparing itself for what’s to come. Because all Steve can see are the little curls escaping the scrunchie that holds Billy’s hair back.

“I wanted to see you.”

“Why,” Billy snaps, jaw working, and.

Steve knows that he doesn’t want to fly off the handle. Not in front of Holly. That detail gets blood coursing through him. Makes him brave.

“Because my day is shit if I don’t get to see you. At least once,” Steve says. If he’s going to die he might as well speak the truth. He pushes off the tree-trunk, realizing for the first time that the headphones around his neck are still playing Tears for Fears.

Billy stares at him, shocked, “You can’t be here.”

“I know.”

“Do you have any idea how fucking creepy this is?”

“I wanted to see you,” Steve says, mouth full of cotton, “I had to see you--

“Stop saying that dumb fucker shit. My dad--” Billy grits. He peers around the tree trunk, smiling flatly at the little girl who’s probably trying to see through bark.

“Shit,” Billy scrubs a hand over his face. Five seconds later, his eyes well with tears. Billy’s in threadbare sweatpants and a Winnie the Pooh crop top. He’s got sandals on. Battered old Birkenstocks, and.

“You look really beautiful,” Steve says, feeling like he just ran a hundred miles to get here.

He did, in a way.

“I’m babysitting.”

“I didn’t realize you did that,” Steve says. Sounds hopelessly in love.

And he’s not sure what’s written all over his face. What wrinkles his forehead that gets Billy to deflate anger, like a punctured balloon. He’s such a brilliant, special person. Every layer Steve peels away just springs another.

“She’s right,” Steve says. Transparent under the weight of Billy’s eyes. “Holly. She’s right.”

“Usually is,” Billy mumbles. “Kid’s a Wheeler, y’know?”

Steve shuffles forward, stopping cold with Billy glares at him. Steve splays his hands, wide and innocent.

Billy’s panting, chest heaving as Steve takes another, tentative step.

“I’m only here for a minute,” Steve mutters, eyes caught on the prickle of Billy’s mustache. “Just a minute and I’ll go.”

“Steve--”

Steve kisses him. Everything he’s felt and known and wanted to say for months, fed right into Billy’s clever, strong mouth.

It isn’t until a little girl giggles, grass crinkling under he sneakers, that they realize Holly Wheeler didn’t stay put.

#harringrove #fluff #billy loves working with little kids #and you KNOW he babysits holly wheeler because they get close after he teaches her to swim

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fanficimagery · 1 year

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Forging a New Path

When your best friend ignores you for his girlfriend of the month one too many times, you open yourself up to a new friendship that eventually evolves into something more.

Words: 8.2K Author's Note: Stranger Things AU - no Upside Down. Eddie will also be moving to Hawkins at the beginning of your and Robin's senior year.

High school wasn't as terrible as you had feared, but you are so ready for your senior year to be done and over with after only a week of it.

One would think that you were over your senior year because of the onslaught of work or because of bullies, but nope. You were over it because out of every possible scenario, it was your best friend who made you feel a bit awkward and ready to move on.

Sitting atop the table of a concrete bench just outside of the school, you're talking through your English assignment with Robin when someone knocks into your knees. Your smile falters as you look up and your best friend grins, turning so his back is towards you and wiggling between your knees to rest. Your jaw clenches as you lean back, refusing to wrap your arms around his shoulders like you would have had it been last year. Robin arches an eyebrow at you, but you chuckle softly and shake your head at her, so she knows to drop it.

As more and more of your friend group show up, Robin takes her leave to get ready for her first period band class and you find yourself leaning forward. Your left hand ends up on your best friend's shoulder, fingers tapping rhythmically against his neck.

With less than five minutes to the first bell, a dual-tone colored van screeches into the student parking lot. Everyone watches as the driver and passenger doors open, followed by the side door being slid open. Several familiar looking freshmen scramble out of the van, but it's the driver who draws your attention.

You can hear your friends wondering about the newcomer, but you're not adding much to the conversation other than a hum here and there. Instead, you're solely focused on the shaggy-haired individual who the freshmen are looking up at with adoration in their eyes. The denim vest and leather jacket combo pique your interest and your breath lightly hitches when brown doe eyes meet yours as they approach the entrance doors.

A smile blossoms across the newcomer's face which makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and dimples appear, and you mentally swoon. Oh no. He's cute!

Letting your lips twitch into a faint grin, you nod in greeting, but then pressure around your thigh draws your attention to your best friend who's staring up at you with an unimpressed expression. "Are you done eye-fucking the new dude?"

His tone makes your friends laugh and you grit your teeth, but you paste on a smile. "Nope. Still have all day." The bell finally rings, and you push at your friend until he gets up so you can walk off to your first class of the day.

You seriously couldn't wait for graduation.

. . . .

Lunchtime rolls around and Eddie Munson is surrounded by his people.

Well, mostly.

There's Jeff, Gareth, and Tommy- three juniors who happen to have the same taste in music and style as him, and then a handful of freshmen he'd picked up that morning when one of their bikes had a flat tire and he decided to be a good guy and drive them to school. The one thing they all had in common, however, was that they were all fans of Dungeons and Dragons, and he couldn't wait to start planning their first campaign since he clued them in to the fact that he was a fantastic dungeon master.

As he nibbles on the soggy fries the school has to offer, Eddie's gaze travels over the different cliques at Hawkins High. This school was nothing like the school he attended before where all cliques were set in stone. There were the usual jocks, the stoners, the band geeks, and the art nerds, but the thing that threw him for a loop was the fact that there were two different cliques of metalheads.

He was part of the metalheads that had a knack for playing a fantasy game whereas the other group of metalheads consisted of actual metalheads, a couple of jocks, and a few band geeks who all seemed to have music and style in common.

And then there was you- YN YLN, or so he's heard- a girl who flitted from clique to clique, garnering smiles and greetings instead of rude comments as he would have expected from the jocks. You were part of the second group of metalheads, even if it confused him a bit since you didn't seem like you would belong to that group.

As Eddie continues to watch you, his mood dips when he watches the same boy who'd been sitting between your knees that morning appear, making you scoot your chair back as he takes a seat on your knee even though there are two empty chairs on either side of you. You smile at the boy but slap his hand away and shove him off your knee when he starts picking food from your tray.

"What's up with those two?" He finally asks, determined to get to the bottom of whatever's going on between you and the boy.

Jeff, Gareth, and Will are the only boys seated on the one side of the table to where they don't have to turn to see where Eddie's staring. Will shrugs, not knowing who he's speaking about, but Jeff and Gareth chuckle.

"She caught your attention, didn't she?" Gareth muses.

Eddie pops another fry into his mouth, dragging his gaze away for a few seconds. "She doesn't really belong to one group."

Jeff shakes his head. "She's a chameleon, man. Her brother was a jock and made a name for himself. He graduated right before she made it to high school, but all the jocks that played on a team with her brother kind of looked out for her after. She's friends with a lot of people, but her main group is wherever that guy James is. Those two have been attached at the hip for years."

"Are you talking about YN YLN?" Dustin asks, smiling as he glances over his shoulder to spot the girl in question. "We've only started high school this year, but even we knew about YN down at the middle school."

"Really? Why?" Eddie asks.

"Her and her best friend are kind of infamous around here."

"Best friend?" Eddie's eyebrow arches, glancing back at you and your friends.

"Yep." Gareth takes a bite out of a chicken strip. "Her and James are close- touchier than normal friends. They've never dated, but with the way James is around her it'd make you think there were some feelings there."

"Everyone figured they'd finally date this year, but I don't know," Tommy singsongs. "I have the two of them in second period and something definitely happened over summer."

"Good or bad?" Gareth perks up at the potential new gossip.

"Definitely bad." Tommy eats some more of his food. "Things were awkward between the both of them at first, but James quickly went back to normal. YN, on the other hand, seems uncomfortable when James is nearby. I swear that I saw him attach himself to her side and tangle their fingers together, but YN let him go and made an excuse to quickly speak with the teacher so she could get out of her seat."

"Huh. Interesting..." Eddie drawls.

"Mhm. Yeah. Sure," Mike says. "Moving on now. When can we play D&D?"

Another couple of weeks pass you by and it's gotten easier, more interesting, and it's all thanks to the new guy Eddie Munson and the freshmen he's apparently taken under his wing. You've yet to talk to Eddie, only smiling at each other when passing each other by in the hallways, but you have two freshmen- Dustin and Mike- in your PE class where you got to speak to them here and there. They're such nerds, but they're also such a breath of fresh air.

And even though James had gotten clingier, you knew it was only a matter of time before he had himself a girlfriend and was ignoring you once more in order to assure the girlfriend that there was absolutely nothing between you and him. You're used to this behavior by now and while you should feel grateful that his attention is elsewhere, you also kind of hate it because James is your best friend.

You just really wish he had never made it all awkward right before the start of your senior year and could go back to the way things were.

. . . .

You're sitting outside for lunch this time, enjoying the crisp breeze while nibbling on a small bag of chips and sipping on a Coke. You're zoned out, not really paying attention to your surroundings, that when someone says something to you, you can't help the words that follow.

"Hey. YN, right?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"..." Eddie Munson slowly grins at you, freezing from where he'd been about to take a seat across from you at the picnic table. "What?"

"What?" You blink at him. When your words register in your brain, you feel the tips of your ears burn in embarrassment.

He takes a seat, chuckling softly. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but now I'm curious. What didn't you do on purpose?"

You gape at him. "I-" His grin slowly widens and you deflate a little. "I thought Henderson and Wheeler snitched on me and you were here to defend their nerdy little honors."

Eddie laughs. "What happened?"

"We played dodgeball in PE yesterday." You shrug. "You would think that one would know how to dodge when a ball was heading their way."

"You beaned the poor freshmen?"

"They were supposed to dodge!" As Eddie chuckles, you pout at him. But the pout doesn't last long because a tray of chicken strips is suddenly set in front of you. You gasp and turn in your seat just in time to see another one of your good friends taking a seat next to you. "Robin! Are you trying to get me to fall in love with you? Because it's working," you tell her as you immediately dig in.

"You'd make a terrible life partner. We'd never work out," she muses. Her gaze then travels across the table, and she arches an eyebrow. "Munson? What brings you out here?"

Fortunately for Eddie, you're so distracted by the food in front of you that you don't see the faint blush heating his cheeks. "Came out for some air and saw YN sitting all alone. Thought she'd want a bit of company."

"Mhm." Robin hums, briefly narrowing her eyes at him. She's grinning a second later and Eddie is left reeling with how fast she perks up. "Speaking of, why are you outside all on your lonesome?"

With a mouthful of chicken and ketchup, you wrinkle your nose at her. She grins and patiently waits, and you take a sip of your drink. "I didn't feel like being sneered at by James' new girl and her friends. Plus, it's chilly out and you know how much I love this weather."

"Ugh. The new girlfriend is giving you trouble?"

You shrug. "I've been asked at least four times already if there is anything going on between James and I or if there was anything going on in the past."

"That sucks." Robin glances at your forgotten bag of chips and you grin while nudging the bag closer to her. As she takes a few of them, she says, "Well if you need a new table, you can always sit at the band table."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

"You can always sit with me and my friends," Eddie then says. When you glance at him, even he looks surprised by the words that just came out of his mouth. Slowly but surely, he grins. "You already know Wheeler and Henderson."

"Yeah? If I sit with you, do I get a matching shirt too?" You ask, gaze falling to the white tee emblazoned with a devil's head, dice, a flaming dagger, and a mace. You'd seen the Hellfire Club shirts for a couple of days now, the owners proudly wearing them altogether today.

Eddie perks up. "Do you play D&D?"

"Unfortunately, no." You frown. "I don't have the mind capacity to immerse myself into roleplaying."

"Or the math skills," Robin mumbles, but both you and Eddie hear her loud and clear.

"Bitch," you grumble.

Both Eddie and Robin chuckle, and you smile before finishing off the rest of your food.

Not knowing how to carry on the conversation, Eddie starts to stand while rapping his knuckles on the tabletop. "Well, ladies, nice chat." He then looks directly at you. "The invitation to sit with Hellfire during lunch still stands."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you around."

As Eddie takes his leave and disappears back into the cafeteria, Robin elbows you. "What was that all about?"

"No idea. He just sat down and started talking."

"Good. You need more friends. Friends who won't ditch you the second his new girlfriend gets insecure," she tells you, earning a soft chuckle from you.

"If you say so." As Robin picks through the chip bag once more, you grin. "So, is Harrington picking you up today? I need a ride. I'm officially walking to and from school for the foreseeable future."

"Yeah. I'll tell Steve to wait, just don't make us wait too long. We have a shift at Family Video."

"Got it. Don't hold you up. I'll be on time."

For a few days, you continue sitting outside during lunch. Robin joins you when she can, but other than her you sit alone uninterrupted.

But on day five, the air gets colder, and you're forced back inside.

James is still with his girlfriend, so your usual table is a no-go. Robin smiles as if inviting you over, but the band table is really jammed packed these days. The Hellfire table, however, has more than enough room. So, after grabbing a tray of food, you head toward the table where your fellow peers look up to Eddie Munson as if he were a god of some sort.

"Room for one more?" You ask, standing near Dustin Henderson towards the middle of the table. He looks up at you, beaming at your appearance which makes you grin down at him.

"Sweetheart," Eddie coos. "There's always room for you." He looks to his left where Tommy- a heavy set student in a leather jacket sits. "Scoot. You're in her seat."

Tommy grins as the entire side of his table shuffles down a seat and you playfully roll your eyes. "So, you're a sweet talker, huh? Keep it up and I just might share my food with you." Then looking at Tommy, you nudge his arm. "Thanks, Tom-Tom."

He chuckles. "You haven't called me that since middle-school."

Across from you, Jeff and Gareth chuckle and you're quick to greet them as well.

"Wait a sec." Eddie glances between all of you. "You know each other?"

"Haven't you learned by now, Eddie? I'm a social butterfly." You bat your eyelashes at him, leaning back in your chair and snuggling further into your hoodie. It really was cold today. "We all grew up with each other, we just kind of drifted in high school as most friends do."

"You drifted, you mean," Gareth says.

He doesn't say it to be mean, but his words still cause a little bit of hurt. Your expression softens. "Sorry about that. I got lost for a while there, huh?"

Gareth's eyes subtly widen as he sits a little straighter in his seat. "Y-Yeah, but I mean.. you're here now so that's all that matters."

You chuckle softly and then look further down the table. "Hey Henderson. Wheeler," you greet. You then nod at the other two freshmen you don't know. "Hi. I'm YN."

"Lucas."

"Will."

Leaning back into your seat once more, you pick up your legs onto the chair and hug your knees while laying your cheek atop of them.

"Uh, sweetheart, are you going to eat?" You hear Eddie ask.

"Nope. Have at it, Munson. Just don't drink my Coke."

"You okay?"

"Mhm." You sleepily mumble. "It's the cold. It makes me sleepy."

"That's right." Jeff laughs as if suddenly remembering something. "As soon as it gets really cold, you'll find her asleep anywhere she can get away with it."

"Oh, thank god," you hear Henderson say. "We're playing dodgeball again in PE and if YN is tired, she won't be so brutal."

"Dude!" You hear a slap and pick your head up to glance down the table. Wheeler is glaring at his friend. "Shut up."

"We're playing dodgeball?" You ask, smiling. Then glancing at the other boys, you ask them, "Whose had PE?" Will nervously raises his hand. "Is it mixed teams or girl versus boy?"

"Girl versus boy."

"Yes! You're going down, Henderson and Wheeler."

"Goddammit."

"I told you," Wheeler grumbles.

Eddie smiles as you tease the freshmen. "You're a menace."

"But a cute one, right?" You immediately retort. His smile widens and that's all the answer you need.

Eddie Munson was smitten and you? You were starting to realize how seriously cute this boy was as well.

You're not surprised when James is single again, demanding all your attention and practically gluing himself to your side in the following days. But you deal with it- smiling and partially happy to spend some time with your best friend again. Another part of you, however, is annoyed because now the only time you have to talk to Eddie is in between classes. And most of the time, James is there and trying to tug you along to your next class.

One day, the last bell of the day had rung, but you were still stuck inside the school building ten minutes after. You and Robin had been lucky enough to be dropped off in the mornings by Steve Harrington, but you'd been walking home after. Right now, however, there's a thunderstorm raging outside that even the school buses have yet to depart from the parking lot because of it.

"YN?" You startle at your name being called, turning to see Eddie walking up to you. "You okay?"

"Yeah." You smile tiredly at him and then gesture outside the doors. "Just waiting out the storm so I can walk home."

"If you need a ride, I can give you one."

"No, it's okay," you tell him. "I wouldn't want you driving more than what you have to in this weather."

"Come on." He smiles. "This is nothing." Just as the words leave his mouth, a loud rumble of thunder sounds off in the not so far off distance.

You smirk at him. "You were saying?"

"Yeah, yeah. But seriously, driving you is no problem. The sooner you get home, the sooner you can snuggle down and sleep."

Eddie remembering that little tidbit about you- about being sleepy when it's really cold out- makes you melt for some unknown reason. "Fine," you agree with a faint grin. "But if I slip and bust my ass in the parking lot, I'm slashing your tires when you least expect it."

He laughs. "Deal." Then offering you a hand, his eyes practically twinkle. "Now come on. Let's make a break for it."

You groan, smiling all the while, and take his hand. As soon as they're clasped, Eddie is pushing open the door and the two of you are racing towards his van. Running between cars and buses, you and Eddie laugh as the rainwater pelts you, uncaring for the many gazes on you- especially one gaze in particular that's not too happy with your new friendship.

You yelp as lightning strikes nearby, slipping in a puddle, but are lucky enough that Eddie quickly rights you.

You would've been fine, decently wet from the storm, but Eddie fumbles with his keys when he's trying to unlock his van. You scream at him, he laughs even more, and the two of you are soaked to the bone when you finally manage to make it inside his van. You're lucky you left your bag in your locker.

"I hate you."

"You look like an angry wet kitten." You reach across to punch his arm and he laughs when you land the hit. "Okay, okay." He turns his van on, wincing as music blares from his speakers, and then quickly cranks the heater. "Now give me the directions to your house. You need dry clothes asap."

As Eddie drives, you peel out of your hoodie and drop it at your feet. You scoot closer to the vents, letting the hot air dry you off.

Your house isn't too far, but by the time Eddie is parking in front of your house, the rain is really coming down. It's coming down so hard that even the windshield wipers aren't doing anything to help either you or Eddie peer out the window.

"Well shit," he sighs.

"Shit," you agree. Then grinning softly, you glance over to him. "Do you want to hang out here until the storm passes? I don't feel comfortable letting you drive off when you can't even see."

Leaning over his steering wheel, Eddie squints to try and see through the rain with no such luck. "It won't be a problem?"

"Nah. It's just me. My parents are gone for the weekend."

He turns towards you, eyebrows arches. "And what about your brother I've heard about?"

"Lives in the next town over," you say. Lightning strikes too close for comfort and the thunder is so loud that it shakes the van. Eddie's eyes widen and you flinch. "You'd, uh, you'd also be doing me a favor because I'm kind of scared of storms."

"Well why didn't you just say so in the first place."

"Stop smiling at me." You pout at him.

"You're adorable."

"I change my mind. Have fun driving in this shitty weather."

Eddie laughs and promptly kills the engine to his van. You smile, grateful, and then the two of you are waiting for the perfect moment to make yet another break for it- this time aiming for the porch of your house.

"Screw it." Eddie throws open his door and you yelp at his sudden movement, quickly doing the same for yours. After the doors are slammed shut, you chase after him until you're under the safety of the porch. Soaked yet again, Eddie beams. "Please tell me you have your house key."

"Duh." Teeth chattering, you reach into the pocket of your jeans and struggle to get the key out. You're both shivering by the time you make it inside, both heaving a sigh of relief at the warmth that greets you. "Shoes by the door, leather jacket on the rack," you tell him.

"We're gonna get water everywhere," Eddie muses as he glances around the place.

"That's fine. It'll dry." After kicking off your shoes, you gesture for him to follow. You lead him to your room, still shivering and letting him look around. "I, uh, I think my brother left some clothes behind. We can both take hot showers and then I'll toss our stuff into wash."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Cool."

Stumbling into your brother's old room, you go through the chest of drawers to find some clothes for Eddie. Pulling out a pair of boxers, gray sweatpants and a black long sleeve thermal, you head back to your room and hand them over. "There are some towels in the closet in the bathroom. You can take mine while I go shower in my parents' bathroom."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

You grin at him before grabbing a change of clothes for yourself and then show him to the bathroom before hurrying to your parents' bathroom. You let the water run lukewarm after stripping, letting your body slowly adjust to the warmth before letting the water run really hot. You stand under the spray, your trembling limbs eventually stilling, though you still jerk every now and then with the storm raging outside. Then after washing your hair and body, you get out and dress in pajamas and towel dry your hair as best as you can.

By the time you make it back to your room, you find Eddie studying your wall of polaroids. The sweatpants fit him surprisingly well and even though the long sleeve thermal is a little loose on him, he still looks really good in it. You can tell he attempted to dry his own hair, but his hair and bangs are still very damp.

"You got quite the collection of pictures here," he quietly muses.

"Only the best make it to the wall." Seeing as he's still distracted, you grab your polaroid camera from your vanity and get as close as you can to him without startling him just yet. Then holding your camera up to check his image in the viewfinder, you grin, "Come on, Munson. Give me your best smile."

He turns at your words, smile instantly blossoming when he sees the camera. The devil horns he gives himself and tongue out makes you laugh as you press the button to capture the moment. "That's a keeper," he says. "And it better make the wall."

"It definitely will." Taking the picture out, you set it aside so it can develop on its own.

"Good. Now hand the camera over. If you have a picture of me, it's only fair I get one of you."

Your nose wrinkles as you hand him the camera. "Fair, but we're taking it together. I hate taking solo pics. Sit on the edge of the bed."

Eddie happily does as he's told and you crawl onto the bed behind him. Laughing, you wrap your arms around his neck from behind, positioning them lower so his face is still visible. Your head ends up pressed next to his and the two of you flash the biggest smiles ever as he holds the camera out in front of you to snap the pic.

You blink against the flash, still smiling. "Take another. I need one too."

"As you wish, sweetheart."

Eddie quickly snaps another picture and while those two develop on your vanity, you tape up the picture of Eddie by himself onto your wall. His arm slides across the back of your shoulders, pulling you closer to him and admiring his place on the wall when the outside world comes rushing back in. The power flickers and your eyes widen as you whip around to see the wind picking up right outside your window.

"If the power goes out, I'm going to cry."

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from the big bad storm."

You elbow him, huffing at his light teasing. "Shut up and gather your clothes. We need to throw them into the dryer."

You grab your clothes from the bathroom while Eddie grabs his, the two of you then wringing them out as best as you can before leading the way towards the washroom. Your clothes get tossed in and then you hurry towards the living room, grabbing up a blanket from a small hamper of lap blankets your mother kept on the side of the sofa for times you just wanted to snuggle down on the sofa.

"Help yourself to anything," you tell Eddie. "The kitchen should be stocked and the remote is there on the coffee table if you want to watch anything."

He takes your words to heart, raiding the kitchen for snacks and a drink before joining you. You're already curled up in the corner of the sofa, legs curled so Eddie can take a seat on the opposite end. You watch as he makes himself comfortable, reaching for the remote to find something to have as background noise beside the storm still raging outside.

"So why storms?" He eventually asks.

"Hmm?"

"Out of every phobia out there, why thunderstorms?"

You twist your upper body a little so you can face Eddie without uncurling your body. "I used to love them when I was little," you tell him. "But then as I got older, I realized how destructive they could be." Yawning a bit, you pause in your answer. "We had a really bad storm pass through one day and a tornado spun up not far from here. It didn't cause any damage here, but it was close enough to hear as it passed by. Then later that night, we saw how it destroyed the next town over. Been scared of 'em ever since."

Eddie takes a moment to think about it. "Okay, that's fair. The destruction of a tornado does seem terrifying."

Grinning, you reach out with one leg and tap his thigh with your foot. "I didn't say it earlier, but thanks. For staying with me," you then clarify.

"You're welcome." He finishes off the last of his drink, setting the empty can and empty snack bag on the coffee table in front of him. "But if I'm being completely honest here, I also stayed because I live in a trailer and I didn't like the idea of riding this storm out there."

You chuckle. "Oh, I see how it is. You totally stayed for yourself and not because you were being a good friend. Some hero you are, Munson."

Eddie laughs with you, but then a too loud rumble of thunder makes you flinch and curl tighter in on yourself. He places a hand on your foot, rubbing his thumb over your ankle. "So, what's the deal with you and James?"

You tense, his question catching you off guard. "W-What?"

"You and James, sweetheart. I noticed that there's an awful lot of pictures of him on your wall. I was just wondering what the deal was there."

You slowly grin, noticing that Eddie's refusing to make eye contact with you. His gaze is set on your ankle and focused on the rhythm he's tapping against your skin. "He's my friend. And only my friend."

"Are you sure about that?" This time you do turn so you're lying on your back, legs hesitantly stretching out and settling in Eddie's lap. "Because when I first got here, he was all over you and then like a week later he was ignoring you. When I asked about you, I was basically told you were off limits because you and the best friend were something of an unspoken item."

Unable to help it, you bark out a laugh. "First of all, James and I are only friends and will only ever be friends."

"Really? I hear best friends make the best couples." His hands settle on your shin.

Your nose wrinkles. "Eds, I'm going to tell you something that only me, James, and one other friend know about. Okay?"

"Uh, okay."

Taking a breath, you tell Eddie about one of the most embarrassing nights in your life. At least to you it was. "When we first started high school, I had a bit of a crush on James. I thought I kept it under wraps, but apparently another mutual friend of ours found out. So, when we planned a sleepover at my house, she tried to get any information out of James about how he felt about me. He figured the sleepover was a setup and kindly let me down by stating that I wasn't his type."

"Shit."

"Yeah. I liked the kid, but I didn't want to date him," you admit. "Him finding out, however, and letting me down was a bit embarrassing and I had to clear the air that I hadn't planned for him to find out or anything. I think that's what made us close because we both got upset with that friend of ours afterwards."

"So, how'd you go from friends to whatever you guys have going on now?"

"I honestly have no idea. I dated, he dated, and slowly but surely, he started to get all touchy-feely with me. And if I'm being honest, part of me liked the attention."

"As you should. You're a very pretty girl, YN. You should have all the attention on you."

"Shut up." You lightly kick out at him, and he chuckles, grabbing you by the ankle to keep you from kicking him anymore. "Anyway, any feelings I had for him became strictly platonic. And then before we came back to school this year, James had the bright idea to kiss me. When I pushed him away, he then had the bright idea to tell me he was in love with me."

"Fuck," Eddie mumbles.

"Yep. Now it was my turn to politely let him down. Our friendship is a bit strained now, especially since he's trying to pretend like summer didn't happen and continue to try and press his luck with me during the times he's single."

"So, is that why he's been giving me the evil eye?"

"What?" You huff a laugh. When Eddie grins but doesn't refute his question, your smile slowly falls. "I am so sorry."

"It's fine. As long as I'm not stepping on any toes, I'll gladly ignore every jealous glare. I like.. your company," he says, slowly dragging it out as if afraid to admit it.

"Aww." You coo and smirk when Eddie starts to blush, hiding behind his mane of hair. "I like your company as well, Munson."

"Yeah?"

"Yep." When he finally meets your gaze, your heart beats faster as his boyish smile. The moment is ruined, however, when thunder booms and the power flickers, causing you to yelp. He laughs. "But, uh, I'll like it even more if you cuddle me and keep me safe."

"Alright, alright." He pushes your feet off his lap, leaning over and scooting up so that when he lays between your legs and the back of the sofa, his head rests against your abdomen while his arm hugs your legs. "This good?"

"Mhm. Perfect." One hand falls to the back of Eddie's head, fingers delving into his hair and scratching at his scalp. His quiet moan makes you smirk. "Don't fall asleep though. I'm ordering in pizza when this stupid storm passes."

"Sounds good, sweetheart."

Over the weekend, you and Eddie continue to hang out. He had stayed until after midnight Friday night and then called your house phone just after one in the afternoon on Saturday to see what your plans for the day were.

Saturday consisted of hanging out in your room, talking about likes and dislikes. While your taste in music was only somewhat similar, your taste in movies was the same. You ate lunch at your house, but then Eddie decided that the two of you should go out for an adventure (the adventure was surviving his terrible driving) before buying dinner for the both of you and then watching yet another movie at your house.

Sunday found the two of you at Eddie's so he could introduce you to some of his other favorite bands. You had taken your polaroid with you, snapping pictures whenever the mood struck. You got to meet his uncle Wayne when the man was getting up for work, and then you and Eddie pulled some cash together for dinner yet again.

Eddie had a lot more energy than you were used to, but the weekend consisted of laughing and smiles that rarely faded.

All in all, it was a very good weekend that led you and Eddie to realize the mounting tension between the two of you was of the good variety.

Then Monday morning, you're riding in the middle of the backseat of Steve's car as he drives you and Robin to school. Robin's trying to apply some eyeliner in the visor mirror and you're grinning at Steve ranting about his lack of a love life.

"Mhm. Okay. Bummer," Robin drawls which causes Steve to huff. She then turns in her seat, staring at you. "But what I'm more interested in is where you were all weekend?"

"What?"

"You heard me. I called Saturday and Sunday to see if you wanted to hang out, but you never answered."

"Yeah. She even got me to drive her over and you weren't home," Steve says. "So where were you? You weren't with me and you weren't with Robin."

"And we all know you don't hang out with anyone else outside of school, so spill."

"Oh, um.." You trail off, cheeks heating up.

"Are you- are you blushing?" Steve asks incredulously.

"No!"

"You are!" Robin laughs. "Spill it right now, LN! Where were you and who were you with?"

"God you two are so nosy." You huff a short laugh, lightly groaning when Robin continues to stare and Steve keeps stealing glances at you in the rearview mirror. "Fine. I was with Eddie."

Steve frowns, unfamiliar with the name, but Robin's eyes widen. "Munson? You were with Eddie Munson?!"

"Yeah." Your cheeks burn brighter, but you're smiling nonetheless. "He, uh, he drove me home Friday after school and then stayed with me to ride out the storm. Then we just hung out Saturday and Sunday as well."

"Oh my god, you like him!"

"Maybe?" You sink in your seat, hands covering the bottom half of your face as you smile. "He's fun and we have a bit in common."

"Wait a second." Steve quickly glances at you through the mirror again. "I thought you were with James? Aren't you guys like high school sweethearts or something?"

"What?" You scoff. "No."

"Yeah, dingus, get with the program," Robin says while flicking Steve's shoulder. "Something happened and those two are awkward as shit now. No offense," she then tells you with a quick glance.

You laugh. "None taken. It is awkward."

"What happened?" Steve frowns. "You two seemed good together."

"We were good together," you tell him, "but then he had to go and ruin it by kissing me."

Robin whips around in her seat, eyes wide. "He didn't?!"

"He did. And then proceeded to tell me he was in love with me." You chuckle softly.

"And you didn't want that?" Steve asks.

You shrug. "Had this happened two years ago, I'd have been ecstatic," you admit. "But feelings change when his girlfriends get a little too comfortable with the best friend and talk about just how good he is with his tongue."

"Ew." Robin grimaces.

"Yep. And it's also not a good look when his girlfriend is telling you all about his oral skills and then he shows up to school with a cold sore on his lip two days later." Steve laughs as Robin continues to exclaim her disgust and you chuckle in the backseat. "I haven't liked him for a while, but he continues to do shit in hopes of changing my mind or something."

"And now Eddie is in the picture," Robin says.

"He is."

Glancing down at the binder in your lap, you smile at the pictures there behind the plastic cover. You had made a mini collage of your favorite pics of all your friends, but the one dead center is one of you sitting behind Eddie in his bed as he holds his guitar in hand. The both of you are cheesing hard.

You reach forward, holding the binder out so Robin sees. She does and she coos at the picture before zeroing in on the one you had wanted her to see. "Aw. Cute," she says. She shows Steve and you can't help but relax when you see your older friend smile.

You get to school in no time, assuring Steve that you don't need a ride after school since Eddie had already agreed to drive you when he was able to. Your two friends tease you, but then you're sliding out of the backseat and leaving your friends to laugh at their own antics.

And almost as soon as you step through the front doors, James is on you and tucking you under an arm to keep you close. You force a smile, hugging your binder and keeping your hands to yourself as he goes on and on about something he and another mutual friend of yours was talking about before you had showed up. You add input here and there, slowly feeling at unease the more James touches you.

But when you catch Eddie's gaze in the hall and he winks at you, your shoulders slump just a little and you take a deep breath.

You can't wait until the lunch hour rolls around and you can just sit there without being so guarded.

. . . .

With your lunch tray in hand, your gaze darts between two tables- the table you've sat at for years with your usual group of friends and the newly dubbed Hellfire Club table. You know that none of your friends would make a big deal about you sitting elsewhere, with the exception of one person, and before you can make your decision that same person is tugging you by the arm towards your usual table.

"Come on," James says. "What are you waiting for?"

Once upon a time, James was all you could think about- the dark clothing, hair shorn close to his head and lip piercings that made you yearn. But now- now Eddie Munson has taken root in your mind and you're more than a little let down when your feet carry you alongside James without a complaint.

You pick at your food, mind going numb the second James starts going on and on about something while completely ignoring you. Lately this has been pretty typical of him- dragging you away from someone so your attention was solely on him, but then ignoring you in favor of other people so long as he knew you were by his side. But the moment you hear Eddie's name being tossed around, you perk right back up.

"I don't know what you're talking about, man," someone says. "He seems pretty decent. Even has nearly the same interests as us." You smile, grateful that someone else doesn't deem him a freak.

"He doesn't even look like he bathes. Or fuckin' combs his hair," James grumbles.

"Are you serious right now?" You frown, turning to stare at your best friend. "What the hell did Eddie do to you to garner this dick-ish attitude?"

"Oh it's Eddie, is it?" His eyes roll and you tense up at his tone, the rest of the table's occupants falling silent. "What? Is he your new best friend now? He gives you one ride and you're ready to fall to your knees?"

A beat passes and then.. "Fuck. You." The words are spoken quietly, but the table hears you loud and clear. James startles and looks at you with slightly widened eyes. He opens his mouth to retort, but you shake your head and push back quickly from the table. Your chair screeches and the people around you glance up to see what the disruption is all about. "You know I am allowed to have more friends, right? You're not my fucking keeper."

"I didn't-"

"You did," you say, cutting him off. You've dealt with his possessive behavior long enough and you're done. You're so done. "All these years, my attention has been solely focused on you because you are my best friend, but you're only my best friend," you remind him. "So whatever this is," you gesture wildly between the two of you, "stops now. You do not get to dictate who I spend my time with and you sure as hell don't get to speak down on Eddie because you saw him give me a ride home."

James' jaw clenches and his gaze suddenly hardens. "But it's more than that, isn't it? Don't think I didn't hear about you and your new friend being out and about all around town this weekend."

"So what!" You practically shout. "If Eddie was even remotely attracted to me and wanted to date me, he's allowed to! And I'm allowed to say yes or no to him because you are only a friend. I do not have to cater to your feelings."

"Hey, freaks, keep it down! Some of us are trying to eat in peace," you hear someone shout.

Glancing around and still very much heated, your gaze lands on Jason Carver who's laughing and high fiving his basketball friends. "Oh shut up, bible humper!"

One of your friends snorts. "It's bible thumper."

"Oh I said exactly what I meant," you say. Then smirking cruelly, you glance back at a slowly reddening Jason. "Cum on any more bibles lately, Carver?"

As the lunch room explodes with laughter and shocked gasps, hands grab onto your shoulders. "And that's enough for today." You're amped up to tell whoever it is to fuck off, but Robin's amused expression instantly makes you calm. She marches you out of the cafeteria and into the student parking lot before releasing you. When you turn around, she finally explodes with laughter of her own. "What the hell was that back there?"

"I don't know." You groan, finally letting yourself relax some. "James was talking shit about Eddie and I just lost it. He's jealous and I'm just- I'm over it. He needs to be too."

Robin continues to giggle and eventually you join her. Then as the giggles taper off, she asks, "So what was that about Jason you said back there?"

Immediately, you snort. "Uh, I might have busted him jerking off in the confessional." Her nose scrunches in disgust. "He had a bible in hand and well.. he came. All over the good Lord's sermon."

"Oh my god. I didn't- I shouldn't have asked!"

"Asked what?" The question makes you jerk in surprise and you turn around to see a sheepish Eddie walking up. "Hey, sweetheart, you good?"

"Perfect." You lazily smile at him.

"And that's my cue to go," Robin says. As she passes you by, she squeezes your arm while winking at you.

Sighing, you wait until she's out of earshot to say, "That girl does not have a subtle bone in her body."

"She really doesn't," Eddie muses. The two of you share a laugh and then he's slowly opening his arms as an invite when he sees just how done you are with the day. You sigh and readily step closer, wrapping your arms around his waist and hiding your face against his chest. His arms wrap around your shoulders, cocooning you in his embrace. "Now answer me honestly. Are you really good?"

"Now I am," you mumble. "I don't think I can go back inside after that."

"Of course you can. Hardly anyone was talking about you and James. Everyone was still laughing about the bible humper comment on my way out."

"Ugh." You groan, laughing. "That was bitchy of me to say in front of everyone. And to rip into James like that."

"Hey. Nope. None of that," Eddie says. He pulls back, hands cupping either side of your neck as his thumbs rub against your jawline. "You stood up for yourself. Never apologize for that."

"Yeah, but-"

"Nope. I don't wanna hear it." Your lips twitch at his adamancy and he slowly grins. "But what we can talk about is the fact that you don't think I'm even remotely attracted to you. FYI, sweetheart, I am. And you should know that after we spent the entire weekend together."

Cheeks blushing, you shrug. "I didn't want to assume and embarrass myself further."

"Assume away." Eddie's smirk makes you giggle and then your heart pound when his gaze drops to your lips. His grip on you slightly tightens as he lowers his face towards you, but he stops mere inches from your lips. "Can I kiss you?"

Your cheeks burn hotter and you groan, eyes falling shut. "No."

"I- what?"

"It's just-" Your eyes open and you laugh at his confusion, grabbing his wrists to make sure he doesn't go far. "I'm stoked that you paused to ask for consent, but also very annoyed."

"Why?"

"Because if I know the kiss is coming, I get awkward and shy," you whine. Eddie blinks and then starts to laugh, letting his forehead rest against yours. "So just let it be known that from here on out you can kiss me whenever you want. Just not right now because I know it's coming and I just- it's weird."

"You're weird," Eddie reiterates. And then before you can say anything, he closes what little distance there is between your lips for a quick peck. "But that's what I like about you. We can be weirdos together." As he puts a little distance between you, he smirks and holds a hand out to you. "Now come on. I think after the spectacle you made in the cafeteria, we deserve the rest of the day off. We'll pick up a pizza and crash in your room."

"Food and snuggles," you muse while slipping your hand into his. "You really know how to turn a girl on."

Eddie trips over his own foot on the way towards his van and you cackle at him. "Jesus Christ woman. You can't say stuff like that to me."

You grin at him. "Get used to it, babe. You haven't heard anything yet."

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