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Eddie's not sure how it happened.
He's not one for cliches, and yet here he is: having fallen in love with his supposed 'friend with benefits'.
You'd been complaining about body aches and migraines from the stress of school - what in between college applications, extracurriculars and trying to graduate with honors - and Eddie had always found you quite attractive whenever you'd come by to pick Dustin up from Hellfire Club session as the Henderson's babysitter.
Then you two had run into each other at a random house party, neither of you really knowing anyone there except for each other. You were buzzed on a few cups of beer, Eddie was tipsy and high, and you'd been wearing a midi dress cinched right at the waist, stopping right above your knees. He was certain, that every boy in the house had been making a pass at you, but you'd been oblivious to it all.
"Don't you have a boyfriend who can... help you out with that kind of pain and stress?" Eddie had teased, taking another sip from his red solo cup. You'd groaned, leaning against the back of the bath tub with a sigh.
"I broke up with Jason two weeks ago, remember? Also-" you raised your hand, pointing an accusatory finger at Eddie. "He was lousy in bad. Real terrible."
Eddie laughed at that piece of gossip as you took another swig from your can of beer, wiping away the excess liquid poorly.
"But you're right. If only I could have someone satisfy me physically without having to get my heart broken again..." you trailed off. Eddie's senses heightened suddenly at your suggestion, his eyes narrowing in on the drop of beer that was still hanging by the edge of your lips. The bathroom you two had locked yourselves into was still quiet, the loud house music muted behin d the four walls. Eddie moved to sit at the edge of the bath tub, placing his ring clad hand onto your knee, testing the waters.
"Well... I'm happy to be of service, if you know what I mean." he suggested slowly, causing you to choke and throw your half-empty can to the side.
"Seriously? Are you offering to be-"
"Friends with benefits?" he finished the sentence for you, leaning closer. You could smell his cologne as well as the cheap beer on his lips, his hooded eyes staring into yours. It was dangerous and tempting. "Absolutely, princess. Just say the word and I'm all-"
He didn't even get to finish his sentence before you fervously pulled him downwards, his legs tangling with yours in the bath tub, his hand reaching down to grab your ass as your dress rode up and bunched around your waist.
If Eddie hadn't been so drunk on your moans and gasps, he probably would've felt bad for the other partygoers who couldn't use the second floor bathroom for an hour straight.
The routine was rather simple. Slip in a note into each other's lockers whenever you two wanted to blow off steam. Exchange calls. Hook up whenever you had to pick up Dustin and you two were in the same place. Sometimes, Eddie even drove to Family Video, knowing that you'd be keeping your best friends Steve and Robin company, before driving you back to his place to fuck.
It was feral and physical, sure. But it was also weirdly... domestic. You were just so sweet, so thoughtful. You slipped him copies of your notes in classes where he'd fallen asleep from exhaustion. You packed him extra snacks for whenever you dropped off Dustin, insisting that you wanted to make sure Eddie was eating right too. You attended his rock shows whenever you could, sticking around long after to compliment his songs and asking when the next gig was.
It was easy to fall when you were so perfect. He made excuses for having you sleep over and stay the night. He cuddled into your shoulder, made a habit of always having his hand somewhere on you - on the small of your back, wrapped around your waist, teasing lacing your fingers with his. He barely even called you by your name anymore, opting for 'princess', 'babe' and one time (when he was high out of his mind) love.
You were one of the few people at that damn horrible school who made him feel appreciated. Like he was worth something, worth being seen, worth being more than the school's resident freak. Maybe that was why he fell for you.
All he knew was that the nail in the coffin was seeing you in the Hellfire Club shirt, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as Eddie finished up cooking breakfast in his kitchen. You'd placed your sleepy head on his chest, mumbling a quiet good morning, and his first instinct had been to reach down and place a soft kiss on your forehead. It dawned on him, then and there.
This was domestic.
This was what couples did.
And damn it, he loved you.
The realization scared him shitless. Especially when he'd been hearing rumors that Jason was making efforts to win you back. After all, why the hell would you choose someone like him - a repeat senior, school dealer, complete loser - when you could have your old boyfriend back: the star basketball player of Hawkins High.
'I just need to dial down on the affection. And maybe see her less.' was what Eddie had been telling himself for the past few days post-realization. Then, Eddie had been cornered after math class, with Jason practically shoving him into a spare supplies closet.
"Woah, buy a guy dinner first before you wanna get frisky." Eddie teased, grimacing at the force with which he was thrown into the closet.
"Shut the fuck up, Munson." Jason commanded, seething with anger. "The only reason I even came to talk to your punk ass today was to tell you to break up with my girlfriend."
Eddie raised an eyebrow at that, amused.
"Your girlfriend?"
The blonde rolled his eyes, his fist coming up to pull at Eddie's shirt.
"Yeah, you fucking dumb ass. (Y/n). Apparently, she's somehow settled for a loser like you."
"We're not together, Carver." Eddie spit out, which just caused the jock to chuckle.
"Well whatever the fuck you two are, you'd better break it off."
"And why should I listen to you again?" Eddie mocked, but Jason simply stared at him in silence. The look in the blonde's eyes was disturbingly sinister, his knuckles turning white against the door handle.
"I'm sure you're well aware that her dream school is Columbia. Well, let's just say my dad's best friends with the Dean. And if she rejects my proposal to get back together tomorrow after the game, her chances of getting in will be... absymal, shall we say."
The threat causes Eddie's heart to shatter, a phantom vice grip on his throat. You've worked so hard the past four years at a shot at that ivy league. You were extremely passionate about what you'd study after Hawkins High, and now Jason was threatening to take it all away from you just because of him.
"I'll break it off. I promise." Eddie gruffly managed to say, and a wicked grin appeared on the blonde's face.
"I know. Just do it damn quickly."
The door slammed shut, engulfing Eddie in the dark.
Eddie knew he had to make the 'break up' final. It had to hurt. It had to seem genuine. So he'd slipped you a note in your locker, asking him to meet you by his car in the parking lot immediately after school. Your eyes were still bright with joy as you bounced up towards him, your skirt flying behind you as you smiled at him.
"Hi Eddie!"
Masking his true emotions, Eddie forced a harshly neutral expression on his face, not returning your smile.
"Hi."
The smile on your face faltered for a brief second.
"So... what did you wanna talk about?" you questioned slowly, trying to gauge his headspace. But nothing could have prepared you for what he said next.
"I think we should stop seeing each other."
"W-what?" the flash of hurt on your face was unmistakable, the worst sight Eddie had ever seen, and it took all his might to not begin immediately apologizing and taking his words back. But Jason's threat still rung in his head and he knew he had to do it.
'Break her heart, Munson.'
"You're getting too clingy, (L/n). You're a great lay and all but this was never meant to be a you falling in love type of ordeal." he chuckled, leaning against the side of his car with his arms crossed. Your knees wobbled and your voice shook, your hands anxiously wrapping around your backpack.
"But... you let me sleep over at your trailer. You gave me your shirts. You were even calling me nicknames-" you try to rationalize it, had you been reading it wrong? But then you remember all the teasing remarks from Dustin and the boys, the sly comments made by Steve and Robin, the dusted red cheeks on Eddie's face whenever someone referred to him as your boyfriend.
It didn't matter now though. Especially when Eddie just rolls his eyes at your response.
"So what? I do that with all my hook ups."
Hook ups.
The phrase feels dirty. It feels harsh, too, when he's been calling you nothing but sugar, princess and babe the past few months.
"So that's it? I was just a hook up to you."
A tear escapes your eyes and you quickly brush it aside, but Eddie doesn't seem moved. His expression is stone cold, almost bored, as he begins to pick at his nails.
"Yeah. So I think it's best we break things off. You're still welcome to come pick Dustin up or whatever since that's like, your job."
"O-okay."
There's so much you want to say. You want to grab his shoulders and scream, you want to break down in his arms and cry, you want to forget any of this ever happened. But you only have the strength to walk off to your car, slam the door behind you, and drive home as fast as you can, the road blurred through your tears.
Wednesdays used to fill you with joy.
You'd fly through your classes, attend student council meetings, hang out with your friends at lunch, before rushing to the Henderson household to pick up Dustin. You and him would exchange jokes and stories in the car, whatever song the boy wanted blasting from your car radio, before you dropped him off for Hellfire Club. You'd wait around afterwards, knowing that Eddie and you would eventually go to his trailer to hang out and have sex.
Now, Wednesdays are like any other. Most of your schedule's in tact. Except you tactfully avoid questions about Eddie and disappear as soon as you drop off Dustin.
You're back with Jason now too. You're not too sure why. He's not particularly different from the last time you two dated. But you're lonely. You're angry. You're hurt. You want some company and he's there to provide it.
You don't ever praise or join in on Jason's insults against Eddie. But a part of you is glad to hear it. Fuck him, you think. Fuck Eddie Munson. The asshole who broke your heart with no remorse.
"Baby, can you pick up my weed for me today?" Jason begs as he slams your locker shut for you, his face peering from behind. You suppress the urge to roll your eyes, biting your tongue.
"I have babysitting duties today, remember? With the Hendersons?"
Jason waves it off.
"Yeah, yeah, and that's cool and all but I promised my teammates we could get high as hell after the game this Friday and I forgot I have detention today so I can't pick it up."
You sigh, wanting to refuse, but you know there's a good two hour gap in between when you drop Dustin off and when you have to pick him up again.
"Fine. Who's your dealer again?"
"Eddie Munson."
The mention of his name makes your skin crawl, ice running through your veins, but you mask it with a brave smile.
"Ah yes, of course. Sure. I'll pick it up for you."
Jason smiles, but it's not a smile you adore like you adore Eddie's. It's just obnoxious and cruel, and you're already tuning out the rest of the conversation.
"Thanks hotstuff, you're a lifesaver. I'll see you after the game on Friday."
"Cool."
Sitting in the front seat of your car looking into the forest, you feel like a fucking idiot. All you need to do is go up to the damn trailer, knock on his door, tell him that you're here to pick up Jason's stash and then leave. But you're pinned to the driver's seat in fear and anxiety.
Letting out a shaky breath, you climb out of the driver's seat, the leaves crunching underneath your boots as you trek closer towards the trailer. What stops you in your tracks is the sound of someone giggling and Eddie's voice following soon after, and you begin to walk towards the noise.
Chrissy Cunningham, blonde bombshell and most popular girl in Hawkins High, is talking to Eddie. She has a bright smile on her face and she seems to be flirting with him, though you can't make out the specifics of their conversation. Eddie seems more than happy to indulge her in her flirting, making exaggerated movements and giving her his signature smirk.
Realization sinks into your stomach when it becomes clear to you that you really were nothing to him. You were just a hook up that got too clingy. And he's upgraded from you, it seems, in the blink of an eye. Chrissy is a good choice, you bitterly think. You can't even be mad because again, Eddie isn't yours. And he never was yours.
And Chrissy is also a really nice girl.
You can barely breath through your tears when you pick up your phone and dial Family Video, knowing that Robin is manning the counter today. Robin picks up after a few rings, her voice monotone and bored until she realizes it's you on the other side.
"This is Family Video, your number one place for VHS rentals and purchases. My name is Robin, how may I help you today-"
"Robin, I-I need a favor." you managed to croak out, your throat dry from all the tears. You can hear Robin shift in the background.
"(Y/n)? Woah, hun, what's going on?"
"I-I need you to pick up some weed from Eddie. Jason's stash. H-he needs it before his Friday game and I can't pick it up today. P-please do this for me. Please..." you can't even finish the sentence through your tears and you vaguely hear Robin yelling at Steve to cover her shift.
"I got you, okay? I'll pick up the stash, no problem. Do you want me to come by tonight and drop it off?"
"Yes please."
You hang up before Robin can ask you any further questions, as you only have one thought on your mind: drop by the gas station, flash your fake ID, get drunk and cry to whatever sad song is playing on the radio today.
"(Y/n)! (Y/n)! HELLOOOOO-" Robin pounds on your front door loudly, anxiously looking into your front windows. Your parents are out of town and all the lights are off, despite it being night time, so Robin can't even tell if you're really home. She pulls back, defeated, before looking at Steve with a raised eyebrow, daring him to do something.
"Stay here."
Steve then climbs onto the nearby tree to scale up to your bedroom window, knocking on the glass precariously, almost falling off the roof with the force with which you leap forward and hug Steve.
"STEEEVEEEEE YOU'RE HERE!!!! MY HERO!!!" you're clearly drunk, your hair is frazzled and you smell like wine. Your room's a semi-mess, a pile of freshly done laundry scattered across your bed, your socks bunched up awkwardly by your feet.
"Hold on. Let me let Robin in first." Steve chuckles, sitting you down and closing the window behind him. Your eyes light up at the mention of your other best friend.
"ROBIN'S HERE? YAY...."
Steve hurries downstairs and unlocks the door, letting Robin in, who is staring at Steve with a confused expression. Steve sighs.
"She's drunk. Very drunk."
As the two of them walk up the stairs, you call out to Robin.
"ROBIN CAN YOU PLACE THE STASH BY THE BATHROOM? HIDE IT UNDER THE SINK PLEASE THANK YOUUUU-"
"You don't have to yell, hun, I can hear you just fine." she chuckles, before walking off to the bathroom. Steve hears you walk around the room, shuffling through some items, which puts him on high alert.
"(Y/n)? What exactly are you doing in there?"
"Oh, I'm... I'm gonna call Eddie. And tell him what an ASSHOLE he is and why I'm actually HAPPY that he's out of my life!" you lament out loud, your body thudding against the door as you accidentally slam against it, your sense of balance completely gone. Steve and Robin look at each other, panicked, before Steve's hand is on the door handle.
"Uh, I don't think thta's a good idea-" he tries to get you to change your mind, but you lock the door.
"NOPE I'M NOT LETTING YOU TWO... CHANGE MY... MIND! I'm calling him right now and you can't stop me."
You're basically slurring your words now and Steve and Robin continue to bang on the door, begging for you to open up. But you don't care, your vision is hazy and you feel fucking amazing (euphoric even), the distant ringing of the telephone keeping you company before Eddie picks up on the other side.
"Hello?" he answers, confused.
"Listen up, asshole. You know, when you first told me I was a 'hook up', I was hurt. I really liked you and I thought maybe you really liked me, so I was VERY sad for a long time." you begin to rant, swaying from side to side. You hear Eddie sigh on the other end.
"Listen-" he tries to interrupt you, but you don't let him.
"And THEN I SAW YOU WITH CHRISSY TODAY. And it totallyyyyy made sense. I'm not good enough for you."
"What?"
"Eddie, I may still hate you, but you're a catch." you hiccup. "You're hot, you're good at guitar, and you're funny. Chrissy's really pretty, she's really nice and she's not as clingy as I am. You two are really-" you have to pause, your head starting to spin with nausea. "Really good for each other. So good for you."
"(Y/n), you're clearly drunk and talking non-"
You interrupt Eddie once more.
"BUT IF YOU BREAK HER HEART LIKE YOU BREAK MINE, I WILL END YOU, MUNSON! I know where you live, don't forget that."
You hang up before throwing your phone onto your bed, setting down your glass of wine before opening up the door for Robin and Steve. Your best friends are staring at you, wide eyed and shocked, which quickly morphs into expressions of horror and worry when you look visibly sick.
"I don't... feel so good."
Robin is holding your hair away from your face as you throw up into the toilet, Steve cringing at the horrible sounds. He knows you're going to have a killer headache and stomachache afterwards, so he disappears into your kitchen, pulling out some painkillers and a warm cup of tea to soothe your stomach.
The sound of a car screeching to a halt outside, followed by hurried footsteps and fervent knocks on the front door, cause Steve to stop in his tracks before opening the door. Eddie's standing there, looking scared out of his mind, trying to look over Steve's shoulder.
"Is she here?" Eddie tries to come forward but Steve puts forth his hand, stopping the metalhead in his tracks.
"Back up, Munson. Why should I let you in to (Y/n)'s house?"
"Come on, Steve. I know she's here and I need to talk to her-" Eddie begs, trying to shove past him again, but Steve doesn't budge.
"No. You HAD all the time to talk to her. But she told us everything. You're one sick asshole, playing with her heart like that. If she was just a hook up, you shouldn't have strung her along just to dump her for someone so soon afterwards."
Steve's words pierce his heart and Eddie feels even more desperate to make things right.
"It's all a misunderstanding, I-" Eddie pauses, his hand coming up to tug at the root of his hair in frustration. "Jason. Jason threatened me and I couldn't let her chances of getting into Columbia be ruined because I love her."
The confession makes Steve blink in confusion, his words settling in slowly.
"Jason... threatened to block her chances from getting into university if you didn't break things off with her?" Steve slowly repeats, only frustrating Eddie further.
"YES! And I can't have her drinking herself to death thinking that I never loved her, please, I know I screwed up but I have to talk to her-"
"Fine."
Eddie's brushing past Steve already, practically sprinting up the steps and bursting into your bedroom. Robin opens her mouth to argue but sees Steve nodding from the background, motioning that it was okay. Glaring at Eddie, she whispers into your ear that her and Steve will be waiting outside, before she joins Steve out in the hallway to give you two some space.
"Hi, princess."
You slowly turn your head at the sight of Eddie kneeling beside you, worry etched into his beautiful face. God, even when you hate his guts, he still knows how to make your heart flutter with anticipation. You groan, the stinging headache starting to set in, before you avert your gaze forward.
"What are you doing here?" you mumble.
"You called me, remember?" he laughs quietly. You glare at him.
"Doesn't mean I wanted to see you, asshole."
It's clear that you're upset at him. Scratch that, you're furious. You're heartbroken. And he knows it's all for a good fucking reason. Sighing, Eddie sits down next to you, taking off a towel by the side to wipe your mouth.
"I know that you hate me. And you have every reason to. But I have to let you know: you aren't just a hook up for me. You were never just a hook up for me."
"W-what?"
"Jason, he... he threatened me. Said his dad was best friends with the Dean of Columbia and that if I didn't break things off with you, he'd make sure you wouldn't get in. I loved you, I still do, but... I couldn't be the reason you didn't get into your dream school." he slowly confesses, and you feel the cool touch of his metal rings against the side of your face as he strokes your cheeks lightly.
"Also, Chrissy was just there for a poorly attempted drug sale. She's a nice girl, but I don't think of her in any romantic way. Not when I have someone like you in my mind 24/7." he chuckles, throwing your towel into the laundry bin behind you. You look up at him with wonder and surprise this time, slowly taking in his words.
"So... you love me?" the question comes out hesitant and muted, as if you can't believe it. It breaks his heart again and Eddie's pulling you onto his lap, holding your face in his hands and speaking slowly, emphasizing every single word.
"I love you. I love you so fucking much. You'd never be just a hook up for me. And you never were. Please forgive me, princess."
His eyes are searching for any indication of forgiveness. Then you break into a watery smile, nodding quickly before wrapping your arms around his neck, crushing him in a hug. The force with which you embrace him causes him to fall backwards, his back hitting the bath tub.
"You know, angel, this is kind of like our first date." Eddie mentions, motioning to the bath tub. You roll your eyes.
"The first time we had sex was NOT our first date." you counter, pouting. Eddie smiles.
"You're right. We haven't had a proper first date. I'll have to take you out some time soon."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
He tries to lean in for a kiss, but you scrunch up your face and push him away with a scowl.
"Eddie, I look like a mess. Not to mention I've been drinking and I just threw up."
"You look perfect." he insists, brushing a strand of hair away from your eyes. "Though, you're right. We should hold off on making out until you've brushed your teeth."
"Then we can make out?" you eagerly ask, causing Eddie to laugh. God, he's missed you.
"Yes, princess. Then I'll kiss you until your lips fall off."