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Chapter Text

“How about Saturday? Are you free then?”.

You would prefer to step on one hundred pieces of lego than go on a date with Andy, one of Hawkins High’s basketball players and faithful minion to Jason Carver. “I’m busy Saturday” you say blankly, not even glancing his way as you open your locker. You hope if you continue to act uninterested then he’ll leave you alone.

“Friday? I have practice but I can pick you up afterwards,” he suggests, winking as he adds “we could go to Lover’s Lake”.

Ew.

This is the third time Andy has tried to ask you out in the past month. No matter how many times you reject him, he comes crawling back and starts the same routine of pestering you until he gets bored or you hurt his ego. Although this time you’ve noticed he’s more persistent than usual. Normally he takes your initial rejection as a sign to fuck off but today he’s not getting the hint, going through each day of the week to see when you’re available.

Sometimes you wish you would just shout at him to leave you alone and to use his brain for once to realise you’re not interested but that’s easier said than done. After your interactions with Andy, you always come up with the best one liners and comebacks but when he appears and starts badgering you to go out with him, all of the witty quips you’ve thought of suddenly vanish and you go blank.

“I have plans on Friday,” you reject before quickly mentioning “And I’m busy Sunday too”. You pay no real attention to Andy, instead you concentrate on cramming another book into your already overflowing locker.

Andy huffs loudly, leaning back against the surrounding lockers. “Can’t you just cancel your other plans?” He rolls his eyes as if the answer’s that simple. Giving you a patronizing smile, Andy jeers “You know, guys like it when you prioritise them so maybe it’s time you start doing that for me”. You clench your jaw, his unsolicited advice making you dislike him even more. “Well I can’t do that so maybe you should go ask out someone else” you shrug, hoping he’ll finally get the hint and leave.

Andy thinks for a moment, trying to figure out some other way but he shakes his head. “Fine, I guess that’s it” he carelessly throws his hands up in the air in defeat, a scowl starting to form on his face as he turns to walk away.

You exhale deeply, grateful he’s finally gotten the message. But you celebrate too soon. “Tonight,” Andy stops, slowly turning back to you with a cunning grin plastered across his face “you have to be free tonight”. Shit.

At the end of the corridor, Eddie comes into view, chatting with Dustin about their upcoming Dungeons and Dragons session. As he approaches, your eyes quickly flick to him. For a brief moment, your gaze meets his. Unfortunately it’s only for a few seconds, Dustin nudging Eddie to get his attention again as he reluctantly breaks your eye contact. Eddie doesn’t know when it started but he usually scans whatever room he enters at school now, wondering if you’re nearby. He likes it when you’re close, mainly because it means he has an opportunity to impress you.

One time, while he was loudly monologuing in the cafeteria, Eddie saw you smile at one of his taunts aimed at the jocks. Seeing your smile made it all worth it but it definitely feels strange to see you speaking to one of these jocks now.

Eddie hasn’t spoken to you yet but he thinks about it. Usually he finds it easy to speak to people. Sure, they might find him weird or call him a freak but interacting with others isn’t something Eddie struggles with. So he doesn’t understand why it’s different with you. The furthest he’s gotten to actually interacting with you is whenever you’d both make eye contact with each other in the hallways or at the end of lunch when everyone is leaving the cafeteria. Sometimes you’ll both give a small smile to one another but other times your glances are so brief that there’s no time to.

Andy huffs again, this time more dramatically to get your attention back on him. “So?” he prods you for an answer.

“I have plans tonight” you lie, refocusing your attention on cramming this damn textbook into your locker.

“Seriously? Come on, just go out with me instead,” he needles “my parents are working late tonight so we’ll have the house to ourselves”. You suppress a shiver in response. It’s like you can practically feel your skin crawl with each word Andy says. “I told you, I have plans tonight” you repeat, weary of this conversation. Nevermind walking on one hundred pieces of lego, at this point you’d walk over hot coals if it meant Andy wouldn’t bother you again.

Andy persists, his tone becoming sharp with annoyance “Well then what are you doing? I can give you a ride and we can go back to mine afterwards”.

Eddie hasn’t heard all of your exchange with Andy but he overhears the last part, zoning out what Dustin’s saying to him as he walks past you. What he’s heard so far paired with the uneasy look on your face tells Eddie everything he needs to know.

“She already has a ride,” Eddie intervenes “she’s watching me play with my band tonight so shoo, the lady’s busy”. Dustin shoots Eddie a confused look before deciding it’s best to sit this one out and goes to his own locker a few paces away. Your eyes go wide as Eddie steps beside you. You stop trying to jam your book into the locker, his quick instinct to help you completely surprising you. Holding your book close to your chest, you watch on as Eddie and Andy glare at each other. Eddie tries to keep his expression calm, though that’s hard to do whenever he has to interact with morons like Andy.

“Yeah right, freak,” Andy says sarcastically “as if she wants anything to do with you”.

Eddie grimaces for a moment but not for the reasons Andy thinks. “Wow, it actually amazes me how ignorant you are” Eddie smirks.

“What’re you trying to say?” Andy puffs out his chest, balling his hands into fists “Now me and her are trying to make plans, so stop trying to interfere and fu-”

Speaking over Andy, Eddie simply says “Well how about we ask the lady, hm?”. Andy goes to say more but he stops himself, feeling confident you’ll pick him.

Both men look at you, awaiting your answer.

“Yeah, I have plans with Eddie tonight” you play along, nodding your head as you look to Eddie for reassurance.

Eddie smiles, relieved he read the situation right.

“You know I really tried to give you a chance,” Andy scoffs “but if you want to hang around with the freaks then fine, you’re loss”. Giving Eddie one last look of disgust, Andy leaves, muttering some choice words as he pushes himself off of the wall of lockers.

“Thanks for that” you breathe a sigh of relief as Andy marches down the hallway, feeling as though you can finally relax.

“I’m glad to be of service,” Eddie’s gaze slowly trails downwards and he gestures to the book in your arms “you need help getting that in there?”. He points to the book and then your locker, an amused smile tugging at his lips. “Oh! Yeah if you wouldn’t mind” you reply, moving to one side as you give your book to Eddie.

Repositioning himself in front of your locker, Eddie begins pushing some textbooks to one side until he finds a big enough space for your book. “Usually if you hold the book really tight and slowly ease it in…” Eddie concentrates as he applies more pressure on the books, shoving them against the wall of your locker so he has more space for this textbook. His tongue pokes out of his mouth, brow creasing until finally the book slots into place. “And voila” Eddie takes a step back so you can inspect your locker.

“Thanks… again,” you say, bashfully “you’re like my knight in shining armour today”.

“Well whenever you need rescuing from a goblin, I’ll be there, princess” he promises. God, Eddie hopes he’s not coming across as being cheesy. He never over-analyzes his words but he can’t help wondering how you might react to each thing he says. Why does he even care so much?

The corners of your lips curve as you giggle, finding Eddie completely adorable. A wave of relief washes over him, thankful he didn’t mess up his chances with you so soon. Finally closing your locker, your t-shirt catches Eddie’s eye. The large Metallica logo in the centre of your top makes him raise his eyebrows. Eddie didn’t think you’d be into metal but it’s a pleasant surprise.

“Nice shirt,” he hums approvingly “have you listened to the new album?”.

“Yeah, I have” you glance down at your own t-shirt, your cheeks turning a faint red at the amount of attention Eddie’s giving you.

“My band does covers of some of their songs and I gotta say, I seriously shred on the guitar for Master of Puppets” Eddie replies, debating whether or not he should take this one step further. Although you’ve just rejected Andy, he wonders if he’ll have more luck. Even though this is the first time Eddie has properly spoken to you, it feels as though you’re old friends, a natural chemistry between you both.

“Is that so?” You prod, your smile brightening at his humble brag.

“Oh yeah, the drunks where we usually play really love it,” Eddie boasts, an undertone of playfulness in his voice “One time a drunk thought we were a Kiss tribute band without the make-up…I’m not sure if it was a compliment or an insult but I’ll take it”. Squinting your eyes to get a better look, you jokingly say “Hmm, yeah, I can kinda see the similarities”.

“What? Similar nose? Eyes?” he plays along “because I know it can’t be the hair, right?”. Eddie swiftly flicks out some of his hair, feigning confusion. You laugh again, feeling completely at ease in his company.

As your laughter dies down, Eddie seizes his opportunity. Clearing his throat, Eddie lowers his voice to a more serious tone “I know we were only making that stuff up so that bozo would leave you alone but… I do actually have a gig tonight if you’re interested”. Out of fear of coming across too strong, Eddie stutters, his words starting to fail him as he backtracks “I-I just mean, since you like Metallica too, I thought you’d enjoy it but if it isn’t your kinda thing then that’s totally cool”.

“It sounds like fun,” you assure him “Think you could pick me up at seven? I would bike there myself but I have no idea where it is and I’m terrible with directions”.

“Yeah, seven,” he nods “I can do seven”.

Hoping to assess if Eddie could possibly be interested in you romantically or if he’s just being friendly, you casually reply “Perfect, it’s a date”. You hope that by saying it so nonchalantly, it wouldn’t be such a big deal if he doesn’t feel the same way. You’ve had a thing for Eddie for quite some time now, wondering if the lingering looks he often gives you mean anything.

Eddie’s chest tightens as you say ‘date’. He can’t believe this is happening. Trying his best to play this cool, Eddie ignores his racing heartbeat. “Yeah, a date,” he confirms “I’ll see you then”. With a small bow of his head, Eddie walks away. You walk the other way, hoping you're not too late for your history class.

Dustin, still pretending to be busy searching through his locker, wiggles his eyebrows up and down when he sees Eddie approaching. “What was that all about?” he asks, shutting his locker “and how the hell did you get a date with her?”. Dustin couldn’t help but overhear what you were both saying, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Shut it, Henderson” Eddie replies, not wanting to make a big deal out of this.

“Oooh I could help! I can tell you all my tips and tricks that helped me win Suzie over,” Dustin continues, ignoring how Eddie exhaustively throws his head back “she really loves it when I-“.

“Dustin,” Eddie groans “the day I take advice from you and your imaginary girlfriend is the day I truly give up hope”.

“Hey! Just because she lives in Utah doesn’t mean she’s imaginary,” Dustin protests “besides when was the last time you were on a date? You need advice from the love guru”. Dustin makes a purring noise as points to himself with both of his thumbs… though his purring sounds more like a loud gurgling noise.

Eddie groans again but lets Dustin continue with his advice. As much as Eddie hates to admit it, maybe he will learn something from the self proclaimed love guru.

Eddie doesn’t understand the effect you have on him or why he already has an excited yet nervous feeling in his gut about tonight. It’s intoxicating to be around you and now to go on a date with you? Eddie has no idea how he got so lucky.

Chapter Text

Eddie can’t remember the last time he was this nervous. Hell, he wasn’t even this nervous when he performed at the Hawkins Middle School talent show.

His earlier interaction with you now seems like a far off dream and yet he can’t stop thinking about it, replaying the incident over and over again in his head. Eddie thought it would take him at least another 2 months to work up the courage to talk to you, so to be taking you on a date already feels completely surreal.

Glancing down at his watch, Eddie mutters a curse to himself and pushes his foot down on the accelerator, his hands firmly on the steering wheel in the hopes of picking you up on time. Strangely, this all feels new to him. Sure, Eddie’s been on dates before but it’s been a while and he can’t remember the last time he’s felt this way about someone. As much as Eddie won’t admit it, the worry he may fuck up his chance with you gnaws away at him. In fact, it worries him so much, Eddie reluctantly thinks back to the unwarranted advice Dustin gave him in preparation for tonight.

Ever since seeing Eddie talking to you today, Dustin has pestered him with love advice, most of which Eddie rolled his eyes and scoffed at. But nearing your house, he begins to take the self-proclaimed love guru’s advice seriously, hoping it’ll ease his nerves.

“Oooooh so you’re bringing her to your show to impress her,” Eddie recalls Dustin saying, wiggling his eyebrows as he did “damn, that’s pretty smooth… well, it’s probably better than taking her to a Hellfire session, I’d probably save that for date number five”.

“Will you shut up about it for five minutes?” Eddie huffed, feigning annoyance as Dustin continued anyways. “C’mon, we both know you need some guidance… and maybe a hairbrush too” Dustin squinted at Eddie’s hair, examining it for any knots. Batting his hand away, Eddie shot him a quick glare.

“Well, don’t forget to be yourself but don’t be too weird, be a gentleman!” Dustin listed out his advice “maybe call her a pet name! Yeah, Suzie Poo loves pet names”. He beamed proudly to himself, completely contradicting the bewildered look on Eddie’s face. Catching sight of Eddie’s expression, Dustin cleared his throat “Or don’t use pet names… but dear God, Eddie if you’re not going to give her any pet names, don’t use any for your guitar either”.

Eddie shivers in his seat, regretting his decision to reminisce on the recent memory. Turning down his blaring radio, Eddie pulls on to your street and takes a deep breath, hoping he doesn’t fuck this up.

Every few minutes you peer through your curtains, eagerly watching the road below and waiting for Eddie’s truck to pull up. Seeing no sign of him yet, you walk across your bedroom to your mirror, running your fingers anxiously through your hair as you make sure your outfit looks okay. Questions swirl around your head; Are you seriously about to go on a date with Eddie Munson? Is he fretting this much too? Does he even care? What if he doesn’t show up? Shaking your head, you try to shove your daunting questions deep down and focus on fixing your hair one last time.

A sudden honk of a car horn makes you jump. Without a second thought, you hurriedly leave your room and dash down the stairs, calling out that your ride’s here as you go. You try to leave as quickly as you can, hoping to avoid any intrusive questions from your parents.

You practically run out the front door, shutting it behind you as your gaze meets Eddie’s. Getting out of his truck, Eddie makes his way to the passengers side, a pep in his step as he opens the car door for you. He gives you an endearing smile that you mirror, tentatively approaching him. Eddie doesn’t break eye contact, his smile growing wider the closer you get. “Thanks” you mumble, feeling hot under his gaze as you try to gracefully clamber into his truck. “Why of course, m’lady” he replies, closing the door behind you and briskly getting back into the driver's seat.

Settling behind the wheel, Eddie lowers his voice dramatically as he asks “Are you ready for the night of your life?”.

You look at him skeptically, a curious grin playing at your lips. “That’s a big statement,” you challenge “you sure tonight’s going to meet those high expectations?”. Eddie doesn't know what it is about you but you immediately put him at ease, your playful tone giving him all the assurance he could’ve ever asked for.

Eddie scoffs, pulling the truck out onto the road. “Tonight’s going to be unforgettable,” he answers confidently “seriously, I kinda feel bad for anyone who takes you out on a date after this cause it’ll never live up to tonight”. You relax into your seat, laughing softly as you do. Although Eddie’s promise is big, you surprisingly have faith in him and believe that tonight will be one to remember.

“So where do you usually play?” you question, only realising now that you have no idea where Eddie’s taking you. He hesitates for a moment, debating how to word his answer. To put it blunt, the bar his band plays at isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing place in Hawkins.

“It’s a bar on the outskirts of town, I don’t think it’s a place you’d usually hang out at but it’s endearing in its own unique way” Eddie chooses his words carefully, hoping the condition of the bar won’t scare you off.

“And what kind of places do you think I usually hang out at?” you pry, curiosity peaking your interest.

“I don’t know, lounging around by the community pool? Or Starcourt mall… well, when there was a mall…” he mutters the last part, internally damning himself for bringing up a subject that’s sensitive for the entire town.

You sigh, thinking back to the days you spent in Starcourt mall, eating heaps of ice cream at Scoops Ahoy and browsing the shops for an abundance of new clothes. “I really liked the mall but I never went to the swimming pool” you reveal. Of course you wanted to go to Hawkins Community Pool but it was always overcrowded which was enough to put you off visiting.

“You never went?” Eddie furrows his brow, astonished by this revelation. He remembers when it felt like all anyone did was go to that goddamn pool. Well, everyone except Eddie. It wasn’t his kind of thing but to hear you didn’t go either isn’t what he was expecting. You two have much more in common than he could have ever anticipated.

“Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to go, especially when I was a kid but the idea of being crammed into a pool full of screaming toddlers and snobby adults always made me hesitate” you explain.

“Yeah, I get that,” he agrees “well, don’t worry, the bar is anything but crowded. The biggest crowd we ever played to was about 10 people and that’s because it was happy hour”.

“Sounds like a fun place” you flash him a quick smile, excited to see what the night will bring.

***

The bar is exactly what you imagined; dishevelled, gloomy and with only a handful of drunks for an audience. Eddie studies your face for a moment. He knows it isn’t an ideal place for a first date but he has some tricks up his sleeve for later. “I know this isn’t Live Aid but it’s better than playing in Gareth’s garage all day” Eddie gives a small laugh, leading you over to the bar. “Oh- no, it’s nice!” you reply, not wanting him to think you’re uptight “it’s very… you”.

Eddie hums at your answer, leaning against the bar as he thinks “Very me… hmmm… so it’s extremely handsome and charismatic?”. Warmth floods your cheeks and you look away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing you blush.

“Eddie!” someone calls, making you both turn to look. Gareth pops his head out one of the staff only doors, his eyebrows quirking upwards at the sight of you. Clearing his throat, he says “C’mon man, we’re on in t-minus 4 minutes”. With his eyes flicking to you one more time, Gareth disappears again.

“Alright, this is where I must bid you farewell,” Eddie sighs “but don’t worry, I’ll just be over there, rocking out and getting swooned over by a couple of drunks so try not to get too jealous”. You laugh, resting against the bar. “I’ll try my best to stay composed” you promise.

He rolls his eyes fondly before assuring you “But seriously, I’ll be able to keep an eye on you all night so if anything happens or if anyone tries to bother you, don’t worry, I’ll be there in a flash”.

“Eddie, I’ll be fine,” you try to convince him “don’t worry about me”. Eddie opens his mouth to say more but he stops himself, not wanting to seem overbearing. He nods, knowing you’re fully capable of handling yourself.

“Enjoy the show,” he goes to walk away but stops “and don’t get into too much trouble”. With that, he leaves, giving you a sly wink as he makes his way to the others.

You’re unable to stay still as you wait for the band to play, butterflies swirling around your stomach as you hear the first few chords, signalling the start of the show.

Although Eddie and his band only play for half an hour, it’s the most exhilarating 30 minutes you’ve had in a long time. The thunderous beat of the music brings the once dead bar back to life, drunks swaying to the music as the glasses on top of the bar vibrate along to the beat.

The music rattles your bones, booming through the speakers. After each song, you excitedly clap and holler, encouraging some of the drunks to do the same. It’s captivating to watch Eddie, to see how much care he puts into knowing each song flawlessly and how determined he is with each guitar solo, his tongue poking out of his mouth as he concentrates.

Master of Puppets is where Eddie truly shines, nailing the guitar solo effortlessly and looking to you afterwards, a proud smile plastered across his face. You cheer him on, adrenaline pumping through you as his gaze meets yours.

After the show, your ears buzz loudly but it doesn’t dampen your high spirits. When you see Eddie again, your face lights up as you rush over to him. "Oh my god, you were amazing!” You praise “I knew you’d be good but that was absolutely incredible!”.

“I- thanks” Eddie shifts his weight from foot to foot, completely flustered by your compliments. The other members of his band emerge too, all of which you recognise from Eddie’s infamous Hellfire Club. They each give you a nod of acknowledgement, unsure what to say or why you’re here with Eddie. Of course they have their suspicions, knowing Eddie’s had a crush on you for a while but none of them expected this.

You go through the generic introductions of everyone before chatting about the gig. As you gush about how great they were, Eddie gives you small glances, a mixture of relief and pride simmering within him.

It doesn’t take long for Eddie to cut the conversation short, casually putting his arm around your shoulders as he tells the others you two best get going. Bidding goodbye to the others, Gareth gives Eddie an approving nod, impressed that he actually managed to bag himself a date with you.

As you both head out to his truck, you continue to ramble on about each song and how impressive his guitar skills are. Eddie listens intently to each compliment you give him, not used to hearing someone speak so highly of him. He doesn’t know what he did to deserve this much good luck, I mean not only did he get the opportunity to be your knight in shining armour in school today but to take you out on a date that you’ve enjoyed?! As Eddie starts his truck, he wonders if this is all a dream and that he’ll wake up just before the best part.

The conversation eventually dies down, leaving a comfortable silence between you both. Normally you find gaps in conversation awkward, scrambling to think of something else to say but it feels different with Eddie. You can relax and enjoy each other’s presence without unnecessary babbling on. As Eddie focuses on driving, you watch the dim street lights attempt to illuminate the night sky, feeling a sense of peace… that is until you realise Eddie missed the turn off to your house.

“Oh, that was the turn for my place” you tell him, gesturing back to it.

“I know,” he replies casually, keeping his eyes on the road.

You tilt your head in confusion “Huh?”.

“What?” he smirks “I promised you the best night of your life”. Eddie gives you a wink, making sure to keep his answer vague as to not spoil his surprise for you. You try to get more out of him, prodding him with questions but Eddie remains ambiguous. You’re not worried, in fact you feel the opposite, excitement engulfing you as you try to figure out what the hell is going on.

Turning into an empty parking lot, the large sign for Hawkins Community Pool comes into view. This is not what you were expecting. “Eddie?” you scrunch up your face in confusion “What’re we doing here?”.

The building is dark, sinking into the shadows of the night with the pool out of sight, guarded by a large wired fence. The truck crawls along the parking lot as Eddie shifts in his seat, peering out the windshield to get a better scope on the place. “Well, you did say you’ve always wanted to come here” he shrugs, his eyes flicking to you for a moment. “But at night? Besides, how are we supposed to get in?” a thousand questions flood your mind “And even if we do, isn’t that breaking and entering?”.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Eddie calms you, stopping the truck near the wired fence “you’re not breaking into anything… we’ll just enter through a convenient hole in the fence”. Lifting yourself up off your seat, your eyes search the fence, scanning for the supposed hole.

“But there isn’t any hole” you point out.

Giving you a mischievous look, he corrects you “There isn’t a hole… yet”. Not quite believing what he’s insinuating, you sit there in a stunned silence, watching in pure bafflement as Eddie hops out of the car and goes to the trunk.

You follow him, though by the time you get out of the truck, Eddie already has the trunk open and some bolt cutters in his hands. He surveys the fence carefully, looking for the best place to cut. “Eddie, I’m not sure this is a good idea,” you fret “What if someone sees us? Or if this place has some kind of security?”.

Eddie chuckles fondly “We won’t get caught, besides I’ll leave the truck right here, ready and waiting in case of any emergencies”. You’re still not sure, a twist of excitement and anxiety making you shiver.

Before you can say anymore, Eddie expertly places his bolt cutters between some of the wires and begins snipping away, creating a gap just big enough for the both of you. “Oh my God, we’re actually going to do this?!” you blurt out, the initial shock still setting in. “It’s fine, we’ll be in and out in a flash” he assures you, tossing the bolt cutters near his truck. With a cheeky smile, he pulls back some of the fence and slips through the gap. You stay where you are, a small part of you hesitant. This isn’t something you ever pictured yourself doing but going on a date with Eddie Munson is also something you didn’t think would ever happen.

Holding his hand out to you, Eddie’s smile softens “C’mon, I promise I’ll protect you from any security or any evil inflatable swans some kid probably left behind”. Goddamn his charming personality. You take his hand, feeling a surge of excitement as Eddie’s fingers close around yours, his grasp strong yet comforting. Taking a deep breath, you shimmy through the fence.

Everything inside the perimeter of the fence is still. You know this is technically wrong but it’s not like you both broke into the actual building where the dressing rooms, gym and sauna is. Surely that doesn't make it as bad.

Gazing around at the motionless space, you have to admit this isn’t how you imagined the greatly admired Hawkins Community Pool. A large blue tarp covers the pool, protecting the water from any debris. There are no sun loungers out, all pieces of furniture packed away indoors and patiently awaiting the Summer months. The only thing left outside is the tall chair for lifeguards. It’s weird to see everything so motionless, especially since everything you heard about the pool was surrounded by how popular it was during Summer.

“So? What do you think?” Eddie squeezes your hand, acting as a reminder that you’re yet to let go of his grasp. “Well, it’s uh… it’s definitely something” you reply, trying not to get too flustered by his touch. Giving your hand another quick squeeze, he lets you go and walks closer to the pool. Crouching down, Eddie begins to undo the ties holding down the tarp and says “No point in keeping this on, I mean what’s the point of going to the pool and not seeing the actual pool”.

You creep closer as Eddie tears back the tarp, revealing the shimmering blue water underneath. “Ta-dah” he beams, throwing the tarp on to the ground and opening his arms out as if he’s just performed a magic trick. Planting your feet firmly at the edge of the pool, you peer into the water, the bright reflection of the moon bringing the pool to life.

As you both begin to walk along the perimeter of the pool, Eddie asks “Can you swim?”. “I guess so” you shrug, somewhat surprised by the sudden question. He nods for a moment, lowering his head to hide the smirk on his lips. Squinting suspiciously, you nudge him as you press “Why?”. Instead of giving you a straightforward answer, Eddie rolls his shoulders in reply, taking off his jacket and throwing it near the lifeguard’s chair. “What’re you do-” before you can finish, Eddie turns and playfully pushes you. For a second you balance on the edge of the pool, arms flailing as you try to regain some stability. But it’s a lost cause, only prolonging the inevitable as you ultimately fall into the pool with a big splash.

Water rushes around you, seeping into your clothes as you scramble to get your bearings. Breaking the surface of the water, you grit your teeth from the abrupt change in body temperature. “Eddie! What the Hell?!” you chastise.

Eddie laughs in response. He knew you’d react like that but he also has a feeling you’ll forgive him… eventually. “What’s the point in coming to the pool if you’re not going to get in” he takes a few steps back, his tongue poking out of his mouth as he tries to calculate the perfect distance. Taking a deep breath, Eddie runs, shouting “Cannonball!”.

You open your mouth to protest but before you can say anything, Eddie dives into the pool, a wave of water splashing against your face in response. Well, if your hair wasn’t ruined before, it certainly is now. A few seconds later, Eddie pops up from the water and shakes his hair like a wet dog.

Never in a million years did you ever expect to find yourself in a situation like this; just you and Eddie floating around Hawkins Community Pool in the dead of the night. It’s a surreal feeling that you can’t help but grin at. “Who would’ve thought Eddie Munson would be the one to make my childhood dream come true” you think out loud, your heart growing fonder for him by the minute.

“You know me,” he replies, flicking his wet hair away from his face “making dreams come true since… uh, well, since five minutes ago”. A giggle escapes your lips, though your laughter is cut short as you shiver, cold drops of water running down the back of your neck. Eddie raises an eyebrow, his voice a smooth purr as he asks “You cold? Cause, I might know a way to warm you up”.

Holy shit, is he flirting with you? Oh my god, he’s flirting with you.

A fresh pang of excitement hits your chest, your gaze fixed solely on Eddie as he makes his way closer to you. If you weren’t in the middle of a pool, you’re sure your hands would be clammy by now, the sudden eagerness to have him even closer swelling inside of you.

Fuck, he asked if you were cold and you haven’t even replied yet. Forcing yourself to speak, you stumble over your words “I, uh, w-we are in a pool and y’know the water is pretty cold so um, yeah, yeah I’m kinda cold”. Your cheeks flush red though it’s hard to tell if that’s because of Eddie or if it’s the embarrassment from how badly you fumbled your answer.

Eddie likes it when you get flustered around him, it gives him some hope that you like him just as much as he likes you. Standing directly in front of you, his eyes slowly trail down to your lips. Your breathing hitches. Oh my god, it’s going to happen. You stand still in the water, frozen in place and waiting for Eddie to finally kiss you. You’re just about to inch closer to him when he moves again… but it isn’t to kiss you. With the swish of his arm, Eddie splashes you with some of the water. You scrunch your face involuntarily, the surprise attack truly catching you off guard.

Eddie laughs heartily, hoping you won’t be too annoyed at him. You’re drenched, the water dripping from your hair and running down your face.

“Munson… you’re such an ass” you mutter, closing your eyes and wiping away as much water as you can. “I know, I know” he admits, his voice sounding nearer than before. Curious, you open your eyes again and that’s when he kisses you. Although Eddie is hasty to press his lips to yours, he manages to keep the kiss soft. He gently leans into you, the desire to be closer to you taking a hold of him.

His hands make their way to your back, tenderly pressing you flush against him. You reach up and cup his jaw, deepening the kiss as you both begin to fully relax, any nervousness Eddie felt melting away the more you reciprocate.

As you wrap your arms around his neck, Eddie sighs blissfully, only breaking the kiss momentarily before hungrily capturing your lips in another fiery embrace. The urgency in his kisses makes you yearn for more, completely enthralled in his touch. You wouldn’t change anything; what happened in school earlier, the lead up of the night, the dishevelled bar. Everything feels perfect. Hell, you wouldn’t even change being in the chilly water that’s giving you goosebumps or the bright light by the main gates

…wait, what?

Breaking away from the kiss, your eyes go wide with realisation. The gates creak open as the silhouettes of two security guards become more defined with each step they take. “Shit” you blurt out, your stomach suddenly clenching in fear. Eddie gives you a worried look, wondering if he’s messed everything up by being too forward. But then the glare from the security’s flashlights catches his attention. His throat tightens as Eddie gulps. “Shit” he repeats.

Spotting you both, one of the guards yells “Hey, you two! Stay where you are”.

You instinctively clutch onto Eddie’s arm, the panic of getting into trouble with the law surging through you “W-what do we do?”.

Giving you an uneasy look, he places his hand on top of yours “The one thing we can do… Run!”.