D20s & Demobats (Eddie Munson x Reader)

Chapter 20

Eddie opened up the various cabinets and drawers of Reefer Rick's kitchen, looking over their contents for any food he could find. As he searched, he passed the boom box the two of you used to listen to your mixtape sitting atop the counter, the image of slow dancing with you surfacing in his memory. With a soft smile he touched his cheek remembering your parting promise before continuing his search opening up another cabinet, his eyes landing on the can of spaghetti-o's you had refused the night you stayed with him.
"Yeah, you'll do." He spoke to himself, coming to terms that he didn't have any other options at all as he warmed it up on the stovetop. Despite its long gone expiration date Eddie thought the canned food wasn't that bad after a small taste test.
With his meal ready, he picked up his walkie, pressing the button.
"Hey Dustin, this is Eddie The Banished, you there? Dustin can you hear me? Dustinnnn. Earth to Dustinnn." He spoke into the receiver, taking a bite of his food.
"Hey, it's Nancy." He heard from the other end.
Eddie picked up the device from where it was perched in the bend of his arm as he ate. "Wheeler! Hey, um I'm gonna need a food delivery like real soon unless you want me going out into the world."
"No, no no don't do that just stay where you are and we'll be there as soon as we can." Nancy spoke, sounding slightly disoriented.
"Yeah yeah yeah. Listen um, can you pick me up a six pack? I know it's stupid as shit, drinking right now, but a cold beer would really calm my jangled nerves right now." Eddie explained as he peeked out of the window.
"Uh hey I'm gonna have to call you back." Nancy quickly cut him off.
"No, don't you dare. Wheeler? Wheeler?" He spoke into the walkie, continuing to try and get her to respond.

~

The night had not been a very restful one for you. You all agreed to keep watch over Max in shifts, but that didn't stop you from waking almost every hour to check on her. After waking up for around the seventh time you looked to the couch that was once occupied by Max, but was now empty. Fear jolted through you like electricity as you moved to glance at Dustin's watch, the time reading 7:06AM. After the initial shock of Max not being in sight, you calmed down enough to hope she was upstairs, if not you would wake everyone up to go search for her. With that, you decided to officially get up, stepping over various limbs from everyone who had fallen asleep around Max to watch over her. Successfully making it past everyone, you exited the basement only to be greeted by the sight of Max sitting at the kitchen table with Nancy's little sister, her parents in the kitchen going about their morning.

"Good morning." Nancy's mother greeted you kindly, setting out a pan.
"Good morning." You returned with a small smile.
"I don't think I've met you before, I'm Karen." She introduced herself continuing to take out different items around the kitchen.
"That's probably because I just moved here a few days ago, I used to babysit Max when she was younger, I'm (Y/N)." You mentioned, looking over at Max who was scribbling on some paper with crayons as you explained your relation inside the group.
"Oh that's great, maybe you could babysit for us sometime, give us adults some time to have a date night, right Ted?" She lightheartedly mentioned, looking at her husband who was sat reading the newspaper.
"Hm, yeah." He answered seeming to not have picked up any of the conversation at all, much to the dissatisfaction of his wife.
"Possibly." You answered, unsure how else to respond. "Is there anything I can help with right now? I can help cook, or put on some coffee" You offered, watching her bustle around the kitchen, the topic of coffee seeming to catch Mr. Wheeler's ear as he glanced up from the paper.
"That would be a great help actually, thank you." Mrs. Wheeler responded with an appreciative grin.

~

"Dustin, wake up! Aren't you supposed to be on Max watch?" Nancy asked, shoving Dustin awake after leaving Eddie on the walkie when she realized Max was nowhere to be seen.
"Yep yep yep yep yep" Dustin agreed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Okay, then where is she?" Nancy questioned.
"She's right there... a second ago, I swear I just dozed off for... an hour." He said, glancing up from his watch with a worried look.
Nancy and Dustin quickly got up rushing out of the basement only to find Max perfectly safe, sitting at the dining table coloring with Nancy's little sister, Holly. When the shock wore off they also noticed you standing in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee.
"Morning guys, everything okay?" Mrs.Wheeler asked.
"Yeah, yeah. Everything's okay." Nancy sighed looking at Max.
"I think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this." Mrs. Wheeler commented, plating up some fresh pancakes.
"Could try sticking together at a different house for a change." Mr. Wheeler added, looking up from his paper, Mrs. Wheeler shaking her spatula at him in warning.
"You know you're welcome here anytime."She assured Dustin.
"Of course, you're like family. May I?" Dustin asked referring to the pancakes.
"Absolutely." Mrs. Wheeler answered, passing him an empty plate.
"Yeah why not? Take us for all we're worth." Mr.Wheeler sourly commented, earning him another spatula warning with a disapproving look.
"Okay." Dustin smartly replied, taking multiple pancakes as Mr. Wheeler watched.
After watching the whole interaction while finishing your coffee, you rinsed your cup, setting it on the drying rack along with some other dishes you had cleaned earlier.
"I think I'm going to go back down." You announced, turning from the kitchen sink. "Do you need any more coffee Mr.Wheeler?" You asked politely.
Before he could give you and answer, his wife cut him off.
"No hon, you've done enough this morning helping out with breakfast and washing up. You go ahead and head back down, thank you though." She politely declined ushering you out of the kitchen.
"But I did need more coffee."
"Then get it yourself, Ted." You heard from behind as you walked away.
"Suck up." Dustin teasingly commented as you passed him on your way to the basement, turning to give him the finger once you were out of Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler's line of sight.

Heading back down, the room was silent, everyone still passed out from the long day before. That is until static broke the silence, startling you.
"Wheeler? C'mon you can't leave me hanging like that. Anybody?" You heard coming from by the television Lucas was leaned over, snoozing away.
Picking up the device, you pulled out the antenna pressing the button.
"Van Halen?" You asked, waiting for a response.
"(L/N)? You do not know how good it is to hear your voice right now." Eddie admitted on the other end of the line.
"Same here, the outside world isn't really the best place to be right now." You sighed, taking a seat on the couch.
"Yeah, well it isn't all peaches and cream here either."
"I believe that. Are you okay though, I heard you calling for Nancy when I walked in."
"Right, I kinda need a food delivery and pretty soon. I was calling for quite a while, where is everyone?"
"Asleep, which is surprising, guess they're all heavy sleepers." You answered looking at everyone around the basement. "I'll stop by the grocery store and be on my way over there."
"Wait, you're coming back?" He asked, hopeful at the idea of seeing you again.
"A promise is a promise." You assured smiling at the obvious lift in his mood.
"How could I forget?" Eddie responded, his tone reminding you of your actions right before you left him.
"Right, ahem, I'll see you soon." You said, your cheeks warming up.
"I'll be here."
Closing the antenna, you heard someone clear their throat. Scanning the room your eyes landed on Robin, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she raised her brow inquisitively.
"So what's going on with you two?" She pried, grinning smugly.
"Nothing, just tell everyone I've gone to take Eddie some food and I probably won't be back." You instructed, brushing off her question.
"Sure sure, tell your boyfriend I said hi." She teased.
"He's not my boyfriend." You called back, exiting the basement once again.

As you walked over to the kitchen table to let Max, Nancy, and Dustin know where you were going, you saw them all looking at what appeared to be all of Max's drawings folded and taped together, forming a house.
"What's going on?" You questioned, holding onto the strap of your bag slung over your shoulder.
"Max's drawings, of what she saw, they make up Victor Creel's house." Nancy explained glancing up at you.
"We should definitely go check it out." Dustin added, Nancy nodding in approval.
"Are you leaving?" Max asked, eyeing your bag and skates.
"Yeah, Eddie called on the walkie, said he needed supplies so I'm going on a food run. I probably won't come back. You have enough people to keep watch over you here anyways. We know how Vecna targets people, but Eddie was a witness to one of his fully executed kills just like Victor Creel was. I don't think he needs to be left alone for too long right now." You explained, receiving nods of agreement from all of them.
"Yeah uh that makes sense." Max nodded, locking back to the drawing of the house with dread.
"Hey." You gently spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be one call away on the walkie. You'll be just fine with everyone else with you." You reassured her.
"Mhm." She hummed in agreement.
"Now come here." You pulled her in for a hug, rubbing your knuckles affectionately atop her head, "Love you kiddo." You said pulling from the embrace, saying goodbye to the others at the table, then setting off on your way back. Back to Eddie.