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If one wants to clearly instil the message that they are not interested romantically in a suitor, you would think a simple rejection to their proposition of a date would be enough. But in the case of Jason Carver, the message had been delivered successfully on numerous occasions and yet it never quite seemed to get received. Instead, every rejection only appeared to bolster his determination so that now it almost seemed as if he was waiting behind every corner, lurking outside each classroom, hiding in your shadow to pop out at unexpected moments.
It had begun as a simple cornering by your locker; an action that had not seemed all that memorable at the time. In hindsight, you wondered whether that first rejection had not been clear enough. Maybe you had mumbled slightly during your delivery of it, or maybe the ruckus of the school hallway had somehow impeded him from hearing you correctly. But either way, your subsequent reiterations of the sentiment—which you were quite certain couldn’t have been conveyed any clearer—seemed to go right over Jason Carver’s blonde head every time.
In all fairness, the idea had seemed pretty genius in the moment.
After all, what is one expected to do when they find themselves being practically chased down a hallway by an utterly delusion and remarkably persistent boy? You had simply needed to grab a textbook left forgotten in your locker; a simple enough task that was completed somewhat begrudgingly so that your strides were long and your mind was focused as you made your way through the empty halls of Hawkins High. Having just come from track practice, your bag slung lazily across one shoulder, your weary muscles protested slightly the longer you walked, only adding in your unwillingness to complete the menial task set out before you.
You had passed by the school gym purely because it was the quickest route to your locker, but at the sound of Jason Carver calling your name as he emerged from its depths, you wished you had had the foresight to take the long way around. You pretended not to hear him, instead increasing your pace so that when you rounded the corner and were successfully out of Jason’s line of sight, you couldn’t quite help yourself as you broke into a sprint, wholeheartedly unequipped and unwilling to deal with the boy in that moment.
Jason continued to call after you but you did not stop, making your way quickly down one hallway before rounding the corner into the next, glancing swiftly behind you to scope out Jason’s positioning. But then a somewhat strangled cry was leaving your lips as you quite unceremoniously crashed straight into someone who had been coming the other way. The collision was hard, both in the sense that it took you wholeheartedly by surprise and that it completely knocked the wind out of you. And although there was a string of apologies waiting to fall from your tongue, the sound of Jason growing closer seemed to be the only thing you were capable of focusing on.
You didn’t really register the person in front of you before you did it. They were quite tall, undoubtedly male, dressed predominantly in black. On any other day, in any other predicament, you would have paid slightly more attention to them. You would have apologised and made sure they were alright before eventually continuing on your way. But in that moment, as you hastily began to cling to the beginnings of an idea before there was time to even fathom the existence of consequences, there was simply one thought that raced through your head.
He would do.
And so that was how you found yourself standing upon the tips of your toes and connecting your lips to those of someone who was most likely a total stranger after a hurried “Can I kiss you?” fell from your lips, because apparently not all of your sense had seemed to disappear. The statement had been whispered and entirely mumbled so that you really couldn’t blame the person before you for completely freezing under your touch. And then the beginnings of those consequences came trickling into your mind all at once as your lips continued to move and as mystery man’s did not so that what you had once thought to be quite the grand idea was starting to seem like anything but.
But then there was the sound of Jason Carver rounding the corner and you found that you could not quite allow yourself to pull away. There was the sound of his sudden intake of breath, the squeak of his shoe as he came to an abrupt holt. You thought maybe of pulling away for a second, of turning to see the shocked expression that Jason was undoubtedly wearing. Even imagining it brought a smile to your lips.
But then your focus was leaving the figure of Jason Carver standing behind you as the person whose lips were still currently connected to yours suddenly started to kiss back. The change was slow; a slight inclination of his head, his lips more supple as they finally moved against yours. You brought one hand up to wrap in mystery man’s hair, quite positive that that was what you normally did in these kinds of situations. The length of it surprised you, and for just a moment you questioned whether you were kissing a girl. Hopefully Jason would get the message either way, but then your other hand was coming up to rest on their chest and the debate was thoroughly concluded at the feeling of hard muscle beneath your touch.
And then suddenly there were his hands—which were larger than you had expected them to be—wrapping firmly around the curve of your waist as he pulled you just slightly more against him. You found yourself grateful at the action, for it made it far easier to reach his face now that he was aiding in holding you up. And of course, Jason Carver just had to chase you down after your track practice when you were adorned in nothing more than your running shorts and singlet so that you could feel the touch of mystery man’s hands as they found the sliver of skin that traversed between the two items of clothing. But his touch was surprisingly gentle, timid almost, his skin wonderfully warm against your own. There was something else as well, a coldness that you couldn’t place the origin of. Rings, perhaps? Either way the experience was wholeheartedly more enjoyable than you had expected it to be so that in the end you completely forgot about Jason’s presence behind you until he quite loudly and completely unsubtly cleared his throat.
Hesitantly, almost begrudgingly, you pulled yourself away from the man before you. And although you had intended to turn around and give Jason Carver the attention that he so wished for, although you had wanted to make sure that this specific delivery of rejection sunk in quite permanently this time, you found yourself unable to tear your gaze away from the dark brown eyes that you were met with.
Because suddenly the height and the hair and the rings all began to come together until a very Eddie Munson-shaped person stood before you; his hands still on your waist and something indecipherable behind his eyes. You had never seen his face this close up, having only ever known him from his outbursts in the cafeteria and his distinct lack of presence in your English class, and the beauty of it took you slightly by surprise. There was the soft curve of his jaw, the lines and ridges of his nose, and—so faint that you would never have seen them lest your face had been inches from his as it was in that moment—the hint of freckles that dotted here and there across his skin. There was the slight furrow in his brows, the bobbing of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed, the slight redness that rimmed his slightly puffy lips that you had undoubtedly caused. The sight of him made you turn your head away as a vibrant blush escaped onto your features.
In that moment you couldn’t quite tell whether it was a good or bad thing that you had just kissed Jason Carver’s enemy.
You couldn’t quite tell whether it was a good or bad thing that you had just kissed Eddie Munson.
But then you had no time to dwell on the situation as Jason cleared his throat once more, the gesture clearly laced with agitation this time. You turned towards him, forcing your lips to upturn slightly in what you hoped was a convincing enough smile. Eddie’s hands fell immediately from your waist, so quickly that it looked almost as if he had been burned.
“Oh, Jason, I didn’t see you there.”
Your acting was horrendous and you were quite sure that everyone in the hallway was perfectly well aware of that fact. You could only hope that the kiss had been more convincing.
“I never knew you and Munson were so…friendly.”
Whilst Eddie had seemed kind enough to upkeep the initial façade of your idea, you weren’t altogether sure whether he would continue to do so, and so opted to change the subject as quickly as possible. You could feel him standing quite still and quite close behind you and were half expecting him to either turn around and simply leave or interject with a very plan-ruining question. Instead, he did neither.
“Yes, well…what can I help you with?” you responded.
The agitation was starting to seep into your voice already although you could not quite bring yourself to care. If Jason was going to continue to persist in his efforts of asking you out, you weren’t going to upkeep the same kindness you had shown to him that first time by your locker.
“I was wondering when we were going to reschedule that date that we had planned.” Jason was quite unsubtly glaring directly up at Eddie as he spoke.
You had to refrain from rolling your eyes.
“Firstly, you can’t reschedule something that was never scheduled. Secondly, as I’ve told you before, I’m not interested in going out on a date with you, Jason.”
Your voice was kind as you said it—kinder than Jason probably deserved—your words abundantly clear in their meaning. And yet as the boy continued to glare up at Eddie you became certain that, like usual, your sentiments had gone completely unheard.
“I was thinking we could get milkshakes at that diner across town,” Jason continued.
You felt like screaming in frustration. You felt like rubbing at your eyes until the image of Jason Carver standing before you disappeared. But mostly, you felt the touch of Eddie’s hand as it connected once more with your waist. You tried not to act surprised as he pulled you slightly closer against him, although in truth you had been standing only inches apart anyway. And there was something about his touch that was just so gentle and so pleasant that you found yourself relaxing into him slightly, the feeling of his firm chest pressed up against your back so oddly comforting.
“Are you deaf?” sounded from behind you, the voice low and slightly intimidating in its delivery.
“What?” Jason practically spat.
“She just said she didn’t want to go out with you. What are you not understanding?”
The sincerity behind the question had you stifling a laugh, yet the smile that came along with it was seemingly unstoppable as it spilled forth onto your lips. Jason’s gaze flicked back to you, a scowl instantly appearing on his features. He continued to look at you and then back towards Eddie as if his brain could not quite compute what exactly it was that he was seeing, his scowl only worsening until he was practically seething through his bared teeth. You were altogether quite sure that if you had not been standing in front of Eddie, still tucked up comfortably against him, a fist or two would be thrown by one party or another. So you allowed yourself to continue to lean into him for both of the boys’ sakes; or that was at least what you told yourself.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us, we were kind of in the middle of something,” Eddie said, and although the proposition behind his words had your heart racing once more, he made no move to kiss you again.
“Whatever,” was all Jason could apparently think to say as he turned around and made his way back down the hallway, his hands clenched firmly into fists by his sides. You watched him go, a feeling of satisfaction causing the smile on your features to grow widely. Yet the more his figure retreated, the more dread you began to feel which was quite an unexpected feeling; the dread being felt at the boy’s departure and not at his approach. Because the more that Jason left the more alone you became with Eddie, until Jason took one last glare back at the both of you before rounding the corner and disappearing.
The silence that lingered in the hallway was deafening.
Eddie’s hand was still firmly grasping your waist, and you weren’t altogether too sure what to do with that information. You knew that at some point you would need to turn around and face him, but for just a second you allowed yourself one last chance to linger in the comfort of his touch. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Eddie’s hand departed from your waist as he stepped away from you, the distinct lack of his touch causing goosebumps to instantly line your skin. He cleared his throat from behind you.
“Sooooo,” Eddie began, and with one last sigh, you begrudgingly turned around.
There Eddie Munson stood in all of his long-haired, ring-clad glory, looking quite sheepish in the light of the hallway. His gaze wouldn’t meet yours, his eyes seemingly fixated upon the floor as he brought one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. The demeanour made him look shorter, and for just a moment you wanted to reach out a hand and lift his head up to meet yours, if only to get the suave and confident Eddie Munson that you had only ever known from a distance back.
But you didn’t.
You instead stood in that hallway, equally as silent now, trying to rack your brain for a reasonable explanation for the events that had just occurred; the kiss, namely, being the most pertinent one.
“Did you just kiss me?”
The question caught you off guard, the sheer doubt in Eddie’s voice nearly causing a laugh to bubble up from your throat. But then he was turning his gaze back up to look at you and you found yourself completely at a loss for words as his intoxicating brown eyes met yours once more.
“Um…no?” You regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth, for surely Eddie Munson was not stupid enough to believe such a blatant lie. But explaining everything to him just seemed like such a laborious ordeal that lying was simply the easiest route to take.
“Hm, okay,” Eddie said, nodding slightly to himself. He turned around, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he slowly took a few tentative steps back down the hallway. And for just a moment you thought that the lie had really worked, that you were going to be able to leave this situation with little to no consequences and with Jason having finally gotten the message.
But then Eddie was turning back, the pick that hung from a string around his neck swinging along with him.
“Are you sure?” There was a smile dancing across his lips now; something devilish and altogether quite cheeky in a such way that made it abundantly clear he was toying with you.
You groaned, bringing your hands up to rub at your face before you deigned him with a response, knowing perfectly well that you were going to have to provide that explanation after all. With a sigh, you turned your gaze back up to Eddie who was continuing to grin as he stood before you.
“I am so sorry-”
“So you did kiss me?”
“Yes, but-”
“Do you often go around kissing random people you bump into in the hallway? Or is that pleasure reserved just for me?” He was leaning over you now, that cocky disposition that he was so well known for having miraculously returned.
“Look,” you sighed. “Jason followed me out of track practice and I really really did not want to get stuck with him in an empty hallway whilst he asked me out again. And then you were there and it seemed like such a good idea at the time since I’d lied to Jason about having a boyfriend before just to make him go away and yet he still didn’t care, so I thought why not give him some visual proof, you know?”
“I gathered that-”
“Maybe that would really get the message through his thick skull and it was really just a split second decision which probably wasn’t the best decision to make but it seems to have worked and I’m actually really grateful that you played along with it all. That was really cool of you.”
“I-”
“And I think he finally got the message because of course he doesn’t listen to women which is just another reason why I’m so repulsed by him, because, like, of course he listens when you tell him, it’s not like I’ve been telling him the same damn thing for weeks, and because you’re a man and you having a dick apparently means that you have authority to make decisions over who I can date and—wait, not that I’m blaming you or anything, I’m actually super grateful that you reiterated my point because maybe at least he’ll leave me alone now.”
You sucked in a lungful of air, slightly embarrassed at the realisation that you had just rambled for the better part of a minute as Eddie continued to stare dumbfounded at you. And as you panted and as Eddie continued to say nothing, that feeling of dread returned, this time with quite the vengeance.
“Okay,” Eddie eventually breathed into the air between you. And then, seemingly as if he couldn’t quite stand the silence that sat between you, he spoke again. “But expect a letter in the mail in the next few days,” he continued with a grin.
“What for?”
“For my therapy bills. Getting sexually assaulted in the hallway wreaks havoc on your mental health.”
It was so clearly meant as a joke, paired with that devilish grin of his as he leered over you. And yet his words seemed to hit you all at once, the severity of what you had just done finally dawning. Your breathing began to quicken along with the beating of your heart, what small smile that had been upturning your lips now disappearing completely. It was clear that Eddie noticed your change in demeanour, his features slowly morphing into something close to concern.
“Oh my god,” you whispered, bringing a hand up to wipe at your mouth. “Oh my god,” you said again.
Eddie looked down upon you now, his brows slightly furrowed. He shot his hands out, clearly intending to connect them with your shoulders before he hesitated and eventually returned them to his side.
“I was only jo-”
“I sexually assaulted you,” you whispered more to yourself than anyone else. “I am so sorry.”
“It really doesn’t-”
“Oh my god, no, you’re right. I’m honestly so sorry. I am so sorry. You should report me to Ms Kelley o-or Principle Higgins…or the police if you want. If someone had just come up to me and kissed me randomly in the hallway, I would have knocked their lights out. Y-you should report me, you should do whatever you want really, because what I did was completely unacceptable and a super crazy thing to do and…I’m just so sorry.”
Eddie’s hands shot out once more although this time he did not hesitate as they connected with your shoulders. The touch was gentle and yet firm as he held you steady, the feeling oddly calming in your panicked state.
“It’s okay,” Eddie said.
“No it’s not! I really think you should report me and it doesn’t matter about Jason anymore, I’ll deal with him if-”
But then you found yourself incapable of speaking because in one fluid motion Eddie Munson had bent back down and was connecting his lips to yours for what would be the second time that day. Now it was your turn to stand there dumbfounded and motionless as Eddie moved his lips against yours, quite unable to comprehend how exactly it was that this was occurring after an already bizarre series of events. It was probably only done as a means to shut you up, you thought, and it had been admittedly effective in that regard. But he was just as gentle and just as delicious as he had been during that first kiss so that even though it lasted only a matter of seconds, just before Eddie pulled away you found yourself responding quite eagerly to his ministrations.
“There,” Eddie said. “Now we’re even.”
Both of you panted into the silence of the hallway as you continued to look up at Eddie and as he continued to look down at you. His hand, which at some point during the kiss had departed from your shoulder to cup your cheek, lingered there for a second as you stared at each other before he hastily pulled it away.
“I’m…” you hesitated, trying to collate your thoughts into anything just slightly intellectual. Because now, standing in that hallway with Eddie Munson after having just kissed him twice and after surprisingly enjoying it both times, you found the situation bordering a little too far on insanity for your liking. The hallway seemed too big now, the thrumming in your ears slightly too loud as your heart continued to pump so widely in your chest that you briefly thought that maybe you should be concerned by it. “I’m going to go. You can…um…still report me if you want.”
And then you were turning on your heels and practically running down the hallway without so much as a backwards glance. Your gym bag swung quite haphazardly as you sped away so that in the end you pulled it upwards and clutched it to your chest, partly because it made your escape much easier and partly because it brought some semblance of comfort to you.
“Y/N!” Eddie called from behind you. “Y/N wait!”
But you were already pushing open the school doors.
Later, when you were lying in your bed still in utter shock and complete disbelief at the series of events that your day had become, not altogether certain that you had not just simply hallucinated it all, you slowly came to realise that you had forgotten to grab your textbook from your locker. You groaned, still completely failing to register that Eddie Munson had called your name in that hallway even though you had never once given it to him.