Joseph Quinn and Characters Imagines

High School Reunion - Eddie Munson

it's been 15 years since Hawkins class of 86' graduated. Now they're back, and reader sees someone she recognizes from her past.

CW: older!Eddie, Eddie is about 35, reader is about 33, mentions of drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, divorce, death

...

You took a deep breath before stepping out of the car, it was the day of your high school reunion and nothing terrified you more. After everything you went through in the past year- losing your then husband to drugs after finding out you were pregnant with him, and still figuring out how to navigate your daily life while mourning his death.

The thing you were dreading the most about walking in there was having to explain to everyone that your husband died and you were now about to be a single mother and then everyone would be there to pity you; you just didn't want that. You inhaled one last deep breath before walking towards all of your old classmates. As you came closer, you could make out a few people you remembered.

"Geez, a lot of these people didn't age very well."  You thought to yourself, looking around.

And then someone noticed you. "y/n!" A woman cried out, running over to hug you. You had to think for a moment before remembering her name.

"Chrissy? How are you?" You smiled, hugging her back.

"I'm doing well, Jason and I's anniversary is coming up real soon." She smiled softly. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great, Dean and I are about to have our first baby, so that's good." You were excellent at pretending he was still alive.

"I can see that." She giggled. "I remember you guys, you two were so cute in high school."

"So were you and Jason...until you guys broke up." You laughed, she laughed along as well.

"It's like that break up never even happened, we are so in love, y/n." She smiled. "I'll be right back, I need to get another drink."

You smiled at her but were shortly interrupted when you saw a very familiar face approaching you. A cigarette laid between his two fingers. He looked exactly how he looked in high school, just his facial hair had become more prominent.

"Is that you, y/n?" He smiled with his arms wide out for you to hug him.

"Eddie?!" You widely grinned. You couldn't believe you got to see him again. The man you used to be friends with as children. The man whose home you would go to when things at your own home got too bad. The man whose uncle considered you his own. The man who would only open up to you about his parents. The man who you even had a 'friends with benefits' phase with. You were best friends, inseparable even.

"Fifteen years and yet you didn't age one bit." You hugged him and he gave you a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"I was about to say the same to you." He chuckled. "How's life? You're...are you..."

It was quite adorable and funny at the same time seeing him act so stupid over something so obvious. "Yes, Eddie." You put a hand over your bump and laughed, a real genuine laugh for the first time in a while.

"I thought so." He squinted. "I didn't want to say anything, just incase."

You debated telling him the truth. If he could tell you all of his secrets all those years ago, why couldn't you tell him your secrets? Whatever, fuck it. "Dean, the father...he, um...he passed away."

"Fuck". He whispered under his breath. He could feel your pain.

"It's alright though." You shrugged it off. "What have you been up to?"

"For starters, Chrissy and I got married, yeah, that happened." he chuckled in disbelief. "But, we got divorced not even a year later. Both wanted different things. I was in the middle of a tour, she wanted to settle down, start a family." He took a big sip of his beer and then looked down at the ground. "I finally retired the band. Jeff is getting married, Vince went into finance, Gareth has a kid now, for god sakes. glad to see you're doing well though."

"Yeah, if you can call being seven months pregnant with your dead husbands baby 'doing well'."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry." He ran a hand over his face. "You just seem...I don't know...happier?"

"Maybe it's because we're hanging out again. Like old times. You always knew how to make my day better, I never forgot about you."

"Ahhh, I knew you wouldn't. I didn't forget about you either." He was obviously a bit tipsy, his breath smelled of alcohol. But not enough to be super drunk. His scent of weed, cigarettes, and cheap cologne gave you immense nostalgia. All you wanted to do was wrap your arms around him and start sobbing, telling him everything, but you had to keep your composure.

You talked until almost everyone had left. The few stragglers that were still there were either drunk or hooking up or both. Suddenly, he grabbed your chin and looked into your eyes, "y/n, I've always thought you were so beautiful. I don't know why I never told you, but goddamn, you look so gorgeous."

You smiled, knowing he wasn't going to remember this in the morning. Dean had never called you pretty so this was definitely a change that you didn't mind.

"Eddie, you're drunk."

"I swear I'm not." he grinned, obviously a little drunk. He leaned in, about to kiss you before you stopped it.

"Eddie, please. This isn't right. You know I wanna kiss you back, but not when you're drunk."

"Drunk? Please, I'm only a little drunk."

"Still, it's not completely okay", your face grew confused, "trust me, I want to kiss you so badly...but I can't. This whole situation doesn't make sense to me right now. I work fucking part time, about to have a baby and be a single mother. I don't want to start something I know won't get anywhere."

This seemed to sober him up, "Shit. You're right." He sat there for a moment, "You know what? Fuck it. I'll do it. We can make this work. For the past few years, I've been tattooing on the side and working at Wayne's body shop. I have a bit of money saved up." He grabbed your shoulder with one hand, his free hand still holding your chin. "It sounds crazy, I know. I never wanted to have a family until I met you. With Chrissy, I didn't feel that, but with you, I do. I only want you, and if that means having a baby in two months with you, I'm in. Please, let me take care of you and this baby, like I've always wanted."

You smiled, starting to tear up. Eddie wiped away your tears and hugged you. Feeling like he overwhelmed you enough already, he paused, "We'll talk about this in the morning. Let's get you home."