Hellfire (Eddie Munson x OC Stranger Things Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Cynical Eyes

Thunder booms around us as we walk through the woods towards the Wheelers' residence.

"Remind me, that after we defeat this Vecna asshole and my name is cleared, uh, remind me, to take you on a date," Eddie says, turning to me.

"A date? Isn't it a bit late to ask me out on a date?" I ask.

"Just because we're already dating doesn't mean I can't take you out somewhere nice. Just the two of us."

"I don't know about you, but I can't afford to go somewhere nice for a date."

"It doesn't have to be anywhere expensive. Hell, we could just grab some food, sit in my van, smoke some weed and listen to our tapes. It doesn't matter what we do. I just want to do it with you."

"Sounds good, Eddie. Food, weed and music sounds perfect to me. I'll hold you to that."

I hold out my pinky towards him and he snatches it up in his own, wasting no time in promising me.

"Eddie! Eddie!" I hear Steve say as he comes up behind us. "Hey man. Uh, listen, I just, uh...I just want to say thanks for saving my ass back there."

"Shit. You saved your own ass, man," Eddie replies back. "I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there."

"Ozzy?"

"When you took a bite out of that bat. Ozzy Osbourne? Black Sabbath?"

Steve looks over at me. He recognises Black Sabbath from one of my tapes I used to play in his car, before I was banned from touching his radio. I stick my tongue out at him and move off ahead towards the girls, leaving the men to chat.

"Oh, hey, Melissa. I thought you'd want to stay with Eddie," Robin says, putting her arm over my shoulder.

"Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact," I hear Eddie say.

"I did, but he's having a little heart-to-heart with Harrington," I answer, leaning my head onto Robin's arm.

"Wait, Henderson said that?" Steve asks Eddie.

"Oh, yeah. Shit. Kid worships you, dude. Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying to be honest."

"How's it going between you two? Anything exciting happen yet? I heard from Steve that you're both dating."

"Yeah, when I stayed at the boathouse the first time, he asked me. It's going great so far, despite this shit."

"I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks, but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve," I hear Eddie say, continuing his conversation with Harrington.

"No, fucking way. I knew you had a thing for him. You may have acted like you hated him, but even I could tell, you loved the attention he gave you."

"Shut up!"

"I'm happy for you. But have you, by any chance, since you two have been alone quite a bit over the last few days, done anything other than kissing?"

"I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude, especially after finding out you never slept with Lyssa," Eddie monologues. "Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche? No way, man. No way. That, like, flies in the face of all laws in the universe and my own personal Munson doctrine. Still super jealous as hell, by the way."

"What are you trying to ask Robin?"

"Did you guys have sex? That's what I'm asking."

"Fuck sake, Robin."

"Well, did you?"

"We have indeed done the do."

"I knew it! How was it?"

"Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass. Not under any, uh...normal circumstances," Eddie continues.

"Why are you so interested? You aren't interested in men."

"I have an invested interest in the love life of my friends. You're finally with Eddie and now, I just need to get Steve and Nancy together. They have way too much chemistry to just be friends."

"Nope. Outside of D&D, I am no hero. I see danger and I just turn heel and run. Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week," Eddie says.

"Give yourself a break man," Steve says back.

"See, the only reason I came in here was 'cause those ladies came in straight after you. Now I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind. But Wheeler right there, she didn't waste a second. Not one second. She just dove right in. Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but if I were you, I would get her back. 'Cause that was as unambigious a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen."

"Right? It's, like, go ahead and fuck already."

"Exactly."

Robin and I laugh out loud, throwing our heads back.

"And what are you two laughing about?" I hear Eddie say behind us.

"Oh, nothing lover boy!" Robin shouts back, giving me a wink.

Suddenly, the ground starts shaking again. I cling to Robin as she clings to me, attempting to keep ourselves standing but failing. We crouch in an attempt to keep ourselves stable.

"Goddamn it!" Steve shouts.

"Here we go again," Eddie says.

"Second on my list of least favourite things, earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is," Robin says as we cling onto eachother. We look to Nancy as she stands up, despite the earthquake and quickly walks away. "Nancy! Where are you going? Nancy!"

The earthquake stops and Robin and I dive to our feet, running in the direction that Nancy went. The boys following closely behind.

"Nancy!" Robin shouts as she comes into view. We turn to see what she's looking at, spotting the Wheelers' residence in the distance.

"Come on," Nancy says with resolve, as we make our way towards the house, thunder booming overhead.