Welcome To Hawkins

3

"What's my favorite color?"

Eddie makes a face, "Why would anyone ask me what your favorite color is?"

"I don't know! But what if it came up and you didn't know?"

Rolling his eyes, he switches lanes, speeding past a silver Honda. The middle-aged woman driving glares at us as we pass her.

"Fine, I dunno... green?"

"No! How don't you know my favorite color?"

A small smile tugs on his lips, "I don't think you've ever told me your favorite color, (y/n)."

"I know yours!"

"Yeah, sure."

"Blue," I cross my arms over my chest.

He's silent for a moment, "How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I pay attention, dummy."

He makes an exasperated sound, "Do you want to get lunch soon?"

"Sure. There's a diner about half a mile from here."

We drive in comfortable silence until Dawn's Diner's exit sign comes into view.

"This place?" Eddie glances over at me.

"Is there something wrong, Edward?"

The corner of his lips jumps, but he doesn't reply, signaling to turn off the highway.

As usual, Dawn's Diner isn't busy. The locals and a few stragglers off the highway sit in booths and at the counter, eating cheeseburgers and other greasy All-American meals.

"(y/n)!" the hostess, Marcy, yells from behind the counter.

"Hi!" I beam back at her.

"I'll get your shake--" Marcy drifts off, her eyes focused behind me, "Is this guy bothering you?"

I frown, turning slightly. Eddie blinks back at me, "Oh, no. Marcy, this is my... boyfriend, Eddie." May as well treat this as a trial of sorts.

Marcy's expression instantly flips back to her sunny smile, "My apologies. Occasionally, we have characters come in here after girls. I'm Marcy," she steps forward, extending her hand towards Eddie.

"Uh-- Eddie," he replies with an uncomfortable smile.

Marcy leads us to my usual table, setting a menu down in front of Eddie.

"What, do you not eat or something?" Eddie teases when Marcy leaves after taking our drink order.

"She knows my order. I come here every time I drive home," I grin.

He holds the menu up in front of his face, muttering, "Of course you do."

Marcy comes back minutes later, taking Eddie's order. "Ray's already got yours started, sweetheart," she grins at me before heading back into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later, she comes out with our food. I hadn't realized how hungry I was till my favorite, a cheeseburger with extra pickles, was placed in front of me. The first bite, always the best bite, is perfect per usual. Ray was a flippin' god behind the grill.

"So, is there anything else I should know before we get to your parents?" Eddie asks after a moment spent inhaling our food.

I contemplate the question before nodding, "My dad's a 'man's man'."

Eddie groans, "Of course he is."

"Yeah, so he might try to talk to you about last night's baseball game or something like that," I grin, "I'll try to explain that you're a wimp who doesn't know the difference between a home run and a touchdown, but I can't guarantee he won't try to get you involved in a conversation."