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Eddie sat at his lunch table, slowly eating his mini pretzels packed in his lunchbox. He was mostly checked out, half listening to the little freshman talking amongst themselves.
“What is this about Castle Byers?” Eddie voiced, all the boys turned to look at him like they forgot he was sitting at the head of the table.
Dustin took a glance at Will and then brought his attention to the front of the table, “You don’t know about Castle Byers? It was this cool fort that Will had outside his house!” Eddie picks up an eyebrow and turns his attention to the youngest Byers.
Will’s head was downcasted to his brown paper bag and the PB&J sitting on top of it. “Well not right outside my house but close by.” Will mumbles as he picks at the crust from one side of his sandwich. Eddie had a soft spot for the small freshman, he recalled the times when Will had opened up to him about the bullying and how different he felt compared to even the Hellfire boys. Eddie could relate, he wanted to open up his arms and shield him from the pricks of Hawkins.
Eddie sat up and leaned in a little closer, “Let me get this straight - You’ve been keeping this super secret.” He gestures wildly with his hands, “This ultra top secret base hidden from all of us?”
Will snapped his head up to meet Eddie’s eyes. “Did you forget who was the one who took in all you lost sheep? This is the thanks I get?” Eddie only had a smirk to show his amusement to the wide-eyed Byers.
Will shook his head, the bangs from his bowl-cut following the movement, “No, it got destroyed last summer, I don’t know why we are even talking about it.”
“We are talking about it because we should re-make it! It’s not fair that some assholes came in and destroyed it!” Mike who sat across the table slapped his right hand down. It sometimes took Eddie by surprise to see him so passionate. He usually walked around with a mask of indifference.
Eddie squints his eyes slightly, it was odd how careless Will was acting about his supposed ‘Castle’ when the other boys were speaking about how much they enjoyed it.
“Sure. If that’s what you guys want to do.” Will tries to act casual as he shrugged his shoulder and took a bite out of his sandwich. “But isn’t forts kind of weird for high schoolers?”
“Nah man.” Eddie let out a snort of laughter, with all the weird shit they did, they were drawing the line at forts?
“I know just the campaign we can do.” Eddie finished. All the boys perked up at that, including Jeff and Gareth. Eddie continued to casually eat his pretzels as the boys asked him questions, trying to get possible hints on this master plan of his. Eddie had more important things to figure out, such as the kick-ass fort they were gonna build that could handle the Hellfire club.
xx
The boys all worked together to make the fort come alive. They had all gathered different supplies that would be used while building the fort. Joyce Byers even had a little table and mismatched chairs that the boys could use. It wasn’t the same as the set up they had in the drama club. It was a little too bright since the sheets they were using didn’t block out the sun all the way. And when Jeff brought over some candles, Joyce almost lost her head at the idea of a possible fire. Even with the challenges the new environment added, it would do just fine for the quest that Eddie had perfectly planned.
“Remember how pissed your sister was when she found out about the destruction of Castle Byers.” Mike said over his shoulder to Will who was helping set up the table with Eddie. “I’m sure she’ll be glad it’s getting rebuilt.”
Eddie’s ears perked up at the mention of you, he looked up from his papers to see Mike putting the finishing touches on the sheets pinned to the wood. Eddie let his mind wander to the last time he saw you, the dark eyeliner you wore that clashed with the bright outfit you were wearing. You were just magnificent. Even in the grungest looking outfit, he viewed you as the embodiment of sunshine.
“She wasn’t pissed, she was really sad.” Will corrected.
It was hard for Eddie to imagine you upset, he liked seeing the joy you carried around. You were so carefree, open to talking to just about anyone. You would wave your hands wildly as you talked to people and laugh with your head thrown back. If you were really worked up, your face would explode with this expression of true joy.
Dustin looked up from the backpack he was digging around in, “Dude! Your sister wanted to find those kids that destroyed it and -” Dustin made a fist with one hand and hit it against the other. His face morphing into something angry, acting as if he was truly beating someone up.
Eddie remembered how protective of your little brother you were, well to all the little munchkins. Acting as if the other three were your own brothers.
If he was being quite honest, he didn’t truly notice you until - well his first senior year. He had assumed you to be this quiet wallflower who floated through the years. It wasn’t until your Junior year that you truly blossomed into someone amazing. The more he saw of you, the deeper he fell. He remembers the odd looks that the other classmates would give you. However, you took it in stride, like their words didn’t affect you.
You both had that in common, however, most of Eddie’s performances were just that - a performance. A grand performance to give off this air of indifference, it made things easier.
He hoped you were doing well as a big college hotshot. He really missed seeing you around the hellhole of high school.
xx
It took a week before all the touches were finished with the new fort. The clever name of ‘Hellfire’ was painted on a wooden piece with the phrase ‘Enter, if you dare.’ on another. He let Dustin take the rains of choosing what was painted onto the signs placed outside. As much as Eddie liked to rag on the kid, he did have a soft spot for him.
Now that everything was ready, Eddie’s new campaign was on its way. Munson watched as his group of misfits concentrated, hanging onto every last word spilling from his lips. He slowly rises to his feet, looking at his fellow peers with a look of intense glee, “Thick vines sprout from the ground, ready to-”
“William!” Eddie pauses, it sounds like the voice is coming right outside.
An arm peaks in from the flap pushing it open quickly and slipping inside. “Oh my - Castle Byers! You remade it and it’s huge!” Eddie’s eyes need a moment to re-adjust but he knew your voice anywhere. It felt like it was carved into the deep parts of his brain. There you stood in front of the table with splashes of paint, pins, and patches littering your entire overalls.
Eddie was a little speechless while all the younger boys shout your name, joyous to see you in their newly built fort. He was so into his dungeon master role, he felt a little stunned to be interrupted by you.
You looked amazing, you with your bright colored shirt and socks that mismatched terribly, but you somehow made it work. His gaze lowers slightly to the big front pocket on your overalls, there sat paint brushes and different colored pens. God he missed you.
Eddie continued to watch you interact with the freshman, “This is amazing Will! How did you even fit a table? I mean it’s just amazing!” You ramble as you head to the boys to give them tight hugs.
“I didn’t know you were coming home! When did you get here?” Will asks as he looks up to you, Eddie melts a little at the look on his face - from the stories your little brother tells he knows you two are close.
“This morning! I was working in my art studio and needed to take a break. Went on a walk and stumbled across this beaut!” Smiling brightly at your brother as you place your hands on your hips, “Wait a second, where’s Lucas?”
You purposely glanced at every member sitting, just in case you might have missed his face. You and Eddie made eye contact for a second before you turned back to your brother. Eddie’s breath caught in his throat, he wasn’t even sure if you truly notice that it was him sitting there. He liked to think that if you saw him you would say hi or at least smile at him. He felt his stomach do a painful flip, guess that was wishful thinking.
“If you are remaking Castle Byers he has to be here!” You continued.
“He was taken by the darkside.” Dustin spoke. Man, Eddie was really rubbing off on the kid. Next thing you knew Henderson was going to be rocking shaggy hair and listening to Metallica. Well, in Eddie’s opinion definitely not the worst things he could do.
You turned to look at Dustin with raised eyebrows, “Dark side? Oh God is he okay?”
“Yeah don’t worry, he’s just off with his basketball buddies trying to become popular.” Dustin shrugged like he was indifferent in the matter, probably trying to not upset you. However, Eddie knew how much it hurt the three boys to be missing their other companion.
Out of nowhere you let out a loud gasp, all the boys brace themselves as you grab Dustin’s face, “Dustin look at your teeth!” You turn his face upwards, “You have more!” It was if you knew to change the touchy subject.
Dustin lightly brushes your hands off his face as Eddie starts to chuckle. Dustin begins to tell you about his freshly grown in pearly whites when it’s his turn to gasp, “Oh god, you’re bleeding!” Dustin grabs your left arm and brings it closer to his face. Eddie sits up straight in his chair like he was hit with a bolt of lightning. Bleeding, oh god how long have you been bleeding?
“Not blood! Just paint!” You quickly ease Henderson as well as Eddie. Looking back at your arm you bring your other hand to follow one of the drips. “I was playing around with some paint and I wanted to see how it would feel dripping down my arm.” You were so peculiar but Eddie would be lying if he said he didn’t do odd things in the name of science.
Will scrunches up his face, “Why did you do that - you must already know what something looks like dripping down, right?”
“Well sure but have you’ve ever had paint dripping down your arm William?” Will shakes his head, “No I didn’t think so, it feels nice and cold going down. You know it would do you some goo-”
“Hey, we’re kind of in the middle of something.” Your head snaps over to Gareth, the one that halted your speech. He was incredibly done with your antics, Eddie recognized the face he was making as the same one he would use on the long haired boy.
You look back at the group and blink, “Oh of course! I’m sorry to interrupt.” you bring your arms back down and start to back up until an object on the table catches your eyes. “Ooo, I see you painted the dragons - nice touch.”
“Well Eddie was the one who painted them.” Dustin mentions, proud of their Hellfire leader. You look up and squint your eyes, only having the lanterns around in the low light.
“Eddie Munson?” It took Eddie a second to remember that he wasn’t just a spectator in this situation. He was so used to sitting and watching you, used to keeping his words to himself.
Snapping out of it he speaks a little too loud, “As I live and breathe.” Eddie brings his hands out and gives her a smirking smile. He feels his composer shake a little when you give him a blinding one. Just like he had imagined, maybe you really didn’t see or recognize him earlier, he should have more faith in you.
You give him a once over, his body tingles as your eyes roam down. Not in a cruel or sexual way, but in a curious one. Your gaze goes back up, “your hair is longer!”
Eddie gulps down the lump forming in his throat as he brings down his arms, “Yes, it is.” If he was being honest he wasn’t sure if his hair had truly grown from the last time you saw him. He couldn’t remember the last time Wayne cut it yet he wasn’t going to correct you.
“It fits you, it looks really nice.” Eddie cursed himself as he felt his ears growing hot, mumbling a thank you. Why does he have to freak out when pretty girls compliment him?
He watches as you walk closer to his side of the table, “Oh hey we match!” You point out your pins and patches as you close the distance. Eddie looks down at his own vest in surprise, like he forgot that he was one to sew them in.
“It’s so dark in here.” You trail off as you focus and get closer to him. You smell like acrylic paint and something sweet. As you lean forward, out falls a paint brush from your front pocket.
Eddie automatically bends down to grab the tool, “Oh why thank you, you would think they would stay put better.” You were still leaning in, leaving little space between you too. At this distance he could make out the details of your face even better. He tries to memorize all the little details, all the blemishes and scars, it was like he was creating this mental map.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he affirms, “Oh yeah, sure-can’t have you missing any brushes, what would you even paint with?”
“Hmm well I would use my hands if I had to.” You hold up your arms for him to view, Eddie looks at the dark red that is covering your left arm. He tries to quickly disregard how dirty that kind of sounded. Wait was that an innuendo? Maybe it only sounded dirty to him.
He already lost the fight with his ears, now he is begging for his cheeks to keep their normal color. “Yeah I guess you could.”
You shrug and start to play with one of your pins on your overalls, “I like to use brushes more, lots of details you can get in you know?”
“Yeah so many details.” Eddie knows that he isn’t some cool guy like ‘The Hair’ or Hargrove but he could have sworn that he was way more chill than this.
You nodded your head at him and then all of a sudden the bubble between you two broke, like you remember where you were. He watched with disappointment as you took a step back, “Well I’ll let you boys continue your campaign.”
You started to retreat to the front of the fort, before leaving you patted Will’s head, “Come find me after your game is over okay?” You had leaned over a tad to better meet your brothers eyes. “I need your thoughts before I put my idea on the canvas. Need my ‘Will stamp of approval!’”. Finally you waved at the other boys as you stepped out.
Tearing his eyes away from the opening of the fort, he looked back over his paper to try and remember where they had left off.
“Soooo many details.” Dustin teases, interrupting Eddie as he tries to get back into character. The guys around the fort start to giggle like school children at Dustin’s dig.
Eddie’s eyes narrow, “I would be careful if I were you Henderson.” He didn’t need to say anything more for the threat to be very clear to Dustin. His precious character was already on thin ice, he just needed a little push to be a complete goner.
Eddie took another glance at the opening of the fort, wishing that you would come back. He should have invited you to stay.
“Are we gonna get on with this or not?”
”Patience Michael, Jesus.”
xx