Master of Puppets (Y/NxEddie One Shots)

Unsainted (Part 1)

"Hey guys, um, can I talk to you?"
Your eyes flick up to Eddie as you freeze in your seat and you sense Hannah do the same next to you, all eyes falling on Eddie sat at the head of the lunch table where now no-one is moving and see he's staring down at his lunch tray, still eating and ignoring the voice that had just addressed you all as if nothing had happened.
"Eddie please, I really want to talk to you" Gareth pleads and Eddie huffs and throws his fork down onto the table, sinking back into his seat and crossing his arms in front of his chest defensively as he finally looks up at him.
"What?" he snaps and you see Gareth's throat move as he gulps back nerves.
As awkward as this was you knew it must have taken guts for him to come up to you like this, knowing all of you could react very differently or even all back Eddie up, but he had to try.
"So first of all... I'm sorry" he starts, looking only between you and Eddie "What I did was out of line and what I said afterwards was even worse, I didn't mean to cause the trouble I did and I definitely didn't want it to end up like it is now".
You smile and look at Eddie but his scowl is still in place, clearly the apology is falling on deaf ears.
"Secondly, I have a girlfriend now and I really want you all to meet her, she's awesome. I'm having a party at mine this Saturday while my parents are out of town and I thought maybe this would be the perfect opportunity for that to happen" he finishes and you see him physically deflate with relief when he gets the obviously well rehearsed speech over with as he releases a long breath and waits for the answer, hoping Eddies found it in him to move on but still expecting him to tell him to fuck off.

Eddies hand slides over the table to yours, holding it firmly while his focus leaves Gareth and rests on you instead.
"Sweetheart, what do you think?" He asks softly, his voice the polar opposite to his vexed demeanour and you're taken aback.
"Me? You're leaving this up to me?" You ask and he nods.
"You're the one he manhandled in that closet, it effected you more than any of us so it's up to you. Do you want to go?" He asks again.
You look up at Gareth who returns it, the previous lust you'd noticed in his eyes before is gone and instead you're just met with desperation. He does seem genuinely sorry and all you've wanted since this mess erupted was for everything to be normal again, maybe giving him the benefit of the doubt would be a good thing?

"We'd love to. I can't wait to meet her" you say softly and Gareth can't stop the wide grin that appears on his face when he gets his shot at a second chance.
"Ok then, I guess we're going" Eddie says in a clipped tone directed towards Gareth before returning to his lunch and Gareth takes the hint, smiling at you and mouthing 'thank you' as he walks away, leaving a strange feeling around the table as everyone is too stunned to speak yet all of you have so much to say.

*************

"You're not allowed to leave me alone Hannah. He seemed to mean what he said but he might make it weird" you blurt out as soon as you get into the back of Jeffs car.
She turns around to you from the passenger seat and furrows her perfect eyebrows.
"Of course I'm not going to leave you, are you insane? If he so much as touches you I'll break his arm"
"Get in Line" Eddie mumbles next to you. He's made it very clear throughout the day that he was on edge and as the time drew closer he's gotten quieter and quieter. You've been replaying that day in your own mind since you agreed to go, the moment he pulled you into that closet, the hurt in his eyes when he realised what he'd done, the way Eddie had disintegrated when he'd come to you the night he found out and the awkward glances in the weeks that followed that had split the once close friend group in half so you can only imagine what was flipping through Eddies quick tempered mind now.

You place your hand on his and hold it tightly but he just stares out of the window vacantly, his leg bouncing anxiously underneath your entwined fingers as Jeff drives away from Eddies trailer to Gareth's house.