Welcome To Hawkins

2

"What, did you buy the outfit off the first mannequin you saw?" He walks out from his bedroom dressed in some of the clothing I'd picked up earlier at The GAP.

"No, of course not. I asked the salesperson about the newest styles and chose from there." I'd spent an embarrassing amount of time picking clothing I thought would look nice on Eddie. He had to look 'smart.' I already knew my dad would make comments about Eddie's long hair and didn't want to hear about how 'my boyfriend dressed like a hooligan' on top of that.

I walk closer to examine the outfit I'd picked out. I was right; the color looked great on him, "You should wear colors once and awhile, Eds." I grin, tugging the red button-down so it sits straight. "They suit you."

"How nice of you. This leather jacket better be worth it, (y/n)."

Electing to ignore him, I continue, "Do you like the jeans?"

"They're wranglers," his nose wrinkles like I've bought him surf shorts instead of sensible jeans.

"They're nice! All the guys are wearing them."

"Maybe all the dorks," he mutters under his breath.

I sigh, reaching behind him to straighten the shirt collar, "Will you at least try them on?"

Eddie stands perfectly still until I've completely straightened the shirt he's wearing. I look up at him, waiting for his reply to my request.

"Eddie," I say his name, "Did you hear me?"

"What?" He jerks like he's been snapped out of a daze, "Oh yeah-- I can do that."

I flop onto his shitty second-hand couch when he returns to his room. So far, I feel like this will work, and once this charade is up, we can go back to being friends. All I have to do is tell my mom two months from now that Eddie and I 'broke up' and we'd be in the clear! It really was one of the best plans I'd thrown together in desperation.

"I won't lie. I look good despite these jeans being everything I'm against," He's grinning as he walks back into the living room.

He's got another one of the shirts, a deep navy blue, tucked into the wranglers.

I beam, "See! It's not going to be that bad."

"It's not going to become my new style, but yeah, it's fine." He does a little twirl for me.

"You sure about that? You're preening pretty hard, Edward."

He frowns, "Ugh, are you going to call me that around your parents?"

I make a face of disgust back to him, "No, definitely not."

"Good, I don't anyone's called me Edward since I was ten," Eddie flops down next to me on the couch, "So, I've been thinking..."

"You have?" I mock, grinning as he hits me with one of his couch pillows.

"Very funny. Anyways, I've been thinking about what we're going to be doing in... Haskins--?"

"Hawkins."

"That's what I said," he grins.

"God, I'm going to be eighty by the time you get to your point."

Eddie rolls his eyes, "Fine. Isn't it going to be weird when I go in to... to kiss you, and it's pretty clear that we've never kissed before? Like we don't know each other like that, (y/n),"

I hadn't even thought of that... He knows me too well because my face will surely show my nervousness. Drumming my fingers against the couch, I attempt to determine what to do with this realization.

After a moment of silence, I ask, "What are you suggesting?"

"Well--" Eddie's cheeks redden, "What if you let me kiss you for the first time now, so it isn't so weird later? And--" how can't he be finished? "Maybe to get used to-- kissing, we start when couples usually do. Like when you get to my place and when you leave."

I'm mad that this makes so much sense and especially mad he clearly knows I would freak out in the moment if we waited till the moment we had to kiss to make this believable.

"Okay..." I squirm against the couch.

"If you don't want to--" He starts.

"No! You're right; I'll make it weird if we don't... practice now."

"Okay--" he starts to lean closer, but I stop him with a hand against his chest.

"Can you change back into your clothing?" Anything to give myself a moment to breathe.

"No, no. You've got to get used to kissing Eddie, man who mows his own lawn. If I change back into my clothes, it'll ruin the whole effect." He cracks a smile, trying to ease some of my discomfort.

"You're ridiculous, you know?" I try hard to subdue the smile that's threatening to spread across my face.

"Just let me kiss you, (y/ln)." He chuckles, scooching over on the couch, his knee pressing against mine.

"Okay, okay--"

"Close your eyes, (y/n)," his voice deepens with the command, and I listen without a second thought.

The anticipation is going to kill me, and I'm about to tell him to get a move on it just as I feel cold fingers brush against my jaw. The kiss is so soft and tender, and over before I can register that Eddie Munson just kissed me.

My eyes flutter open when our lips separate. Eddie's face is still inches from mine, his brown eyes searching mine.

"See? That wasn't so bad." His voice is breathy, too breathy for a simple kiss. It sends electricity through my body that I don't quite understand.

That's the understatement of the century.