Welcome To Hawkins

9

Dinner rushes through my memory as I stare up at the pitch-black ceiling. Eddie had been so-- jealous. So needy with touches that bordered on insistent, completely contrasting the cool, level-headed guy I'd known for years.

I couldn't understand why he needed to have a hand on me at all times, never letting me have a moment out of his view. It was-- a lot.

If his goal was to play up the protective boyfriend role, I guess he did well. But, there's part of me nagging that this wasn't all pretend tonight. Something was bothering him to elicit this reaction. There was something else going on here.

"Eddie?" I feel silly whispering at him. Feel even sillier when he doesn't respond for a beat.

His voice groggy, he responds with a deep, "What?"

"Oh, you're awake."

"I am now," he yawns, his arm stretching high over the pillows between us. "What's wrong?"

I'm quick to reply, "Nothing is wrong."

"Then why are you waking me up?"

Shrugging, I look up at the ceiling, "I can't sleep."

Eddie mumbles something incoherent, readjusting his pillow. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk."

"Fine, I'll do all the work then, (y/n). You know, since this was my idea," he teases.

"If you want to sleep--"

"No, no. You wanted to talk. Let's talk."

"Okay," I laugh, "Why were you so surprised I thought about you when shopping?"

"I was surprised you thought of my eyes."

"Fine, why were you so surprised I thought about your eyes when I bought you clothing?"

The room goes silent, "I don't know. I guess I was just caught off guard."

Nerves creep into my stomach. It wasn't that weird, was it?

"It's not that big of a deal," I deflect.

"You probably do things like that all the time, don't you?"

I release a harsh huff of breath, feeling oddly cornered by this statement. "I don't-- maybe sometimes, but we're friends. I don't think it's that weird to-- to know you like that..."

That tense silence returns between us. Maybe I was being too defensive, but it was embarrassing to admit I had thought about how the color would accentuate the brown of his eyes, how I had specifically asked the salesperson if they had 'x shirt' in red a ridiculous amount of times. Besides, he didn't like bright colors. It was a compromise, and I wanted him to look nice and--

Eddie interrupts my worried train of thoughts and justifications, "I realize now that I'm actually pretty shit at listening. You know an-- alarming amount of things about me. And I've told people you're my best friend, but I didn't even know your favorite color--"

"What do you want to know?" I ask quietly. I'm not blameless in his cluelessness; I'm not particularly eager to talk about myself if possible and haven't given him a real opportunity to know those small, niche things about myself. Maybe afraid he wouldn't like me as much if he knew some stuff.

The bed moves as Eddie tosses the pillow between our faces to the floor. He's on his side, facing me, his elbow tucked under his head. "Anything."

My eyes flit away from him as I search my brain for something beyond trivial facts about myself.

"My first concert was ABBA when I was seventeen..." Eddie chuckles but doesn't interrupt me further, "I begged my dad to go until he gave in. Uhm, I don't like coming back to Hawkins alone because everyone I knew has moved on to do... something, and I'm afraid I won't catch up to them. I don't like tootsie-rolls. I hate them, actually..." I hesitate for a moment before continuing, "I haven't slept with a man in over a year... and uh-- I broke up with Steve after we graduated high school because he proposed, and I knew I couldn't live here forever and be his-- his perfect wife."

I don't look at him, not because I'm ashamed but because maybe we weren't as close as I thought we were.

"You haven't slept with anyone in a year?" He asks after a beat.

I reach over to smack him on the shoulder, "That's really all you got from that?"

Eddie chuckles, "No, but I'm shocked."

Rolling my eyes, I smile at the ceiling, "I don't know why you're so surprised. I spend most nights at your place."

"I know. It makes it really hard for me to get laid."

I turn to face him, mirroring him, laughing as I say, "You know, you're really obnoxious."

The grin on his face widens with each word, "Then I'm doing something right."

Flipping onto my other side, I sigh, "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he sing-songs, scooching closer. He chucks another one of the pillows off of the bed, reaching out to pull me close, "You fake love me."

His minty breath tickles the back of my neck, hands holding me tight against his chest. I begin to melt against his chest. This doesn't feel so bad.

Neither of us moves for a prolonged amount of time, Eddie's steady heartbeat lulling me to sleep.

"Hey, (y/n)..." He whispers against the shell of my ear.

"Mhm?" I murmur, shifting against his chest.

He's quiet again for a moment, and I think he's gone to sleep when he speaks.

"Don't take this the wrong way," his voice is quiet, no teasing evident in the tone, "But you are a very beautiful woman. And I know for a fact many guys wish you'd give them a chance."

I laugh, rubbing my tired eyes with the back of my hand, "Yeah? How do you know that?"

Eddie is silent for an unusual amount of time before speaking, "I just know."