Into the Fire: An Eddie Munson x Reader Story

Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Marshmallow World

A/N: Hey, everyone! Just popping in to say this chapter will be formatted a little differently. I wanted to capture a few different holiday activities between Eddie and the reader, some 'snapshots', in a way. I still tried to have it flow towards the 'current' time of Christmas Eve, so hopefully it's not confusing to read.
-hippie ❤️

Description: You and Eddie spend the Holiday season together, doing all of your favorite festive activities. There's ice-skating, tree-trimming, and some pretty amazing gifts exchanged. It all culminates in a small family gathering at your mother's house, where a very interesting event takes place...

Warnings: swearing, mentions of smut, light crying, angsty memories, brief mentions of abuse, piles and piles of fluff

Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Marshmallow World

The weeks leading up to Christmas Eve are nothing short of bustling. The holiday season is always quite the whirlwind, between shopping for gifts and trying to fit as many festive activities into one month as possible. Luckily, you've already gotten through first semester finals, on break until the new year. Work, on the other hand, has been unexpectedly demanding. With National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation released on the first of the month, the theater has been packed for every single showing. Add on the annual It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street screenings, and neither you, nor the rest of the Hawk staff have had a moment to breathe.

You've never seen anything like it, not even during summer blockbusters. Because of this, it's all hands on deck almost every single day. The popcorn never goes stale, sodas run out left and right, there's a constant need to restock candy and cups and the like. And the lines. Lines and lines of people with no visible end on sight. You can't help wondering where they're all coming from, Hawkins surely can't have this many people in it. You suppose you could be drawing in the denizens of the surrounding rural towns, or various loved-ones come to visit. Or, the movie is just that good, enough to convince people to come see it over and over. By the time you usher the last showing out the door every night, you and your team are left frazzled, sweaty, and exhausted. And then you clean up and do the it all over again the next day.

Despite the absolute insanity work has been putting you through these last few weeks, you and Eddie have still managed to make time for each other. The holiday season is your favorite time of year. The sparkling snow, the cheery music, the magic that lingers in the air. Eddie, knowing this of course, has done everything in his power to make this year as wonderful as all the rest, if not more.

Early on in the month, Eddie insists that you both go pick out a tree and some pretty ornaments and string lights to make your apartment more festive. You opt for a plastic tree, as they're easier to move around and store later on. Sure, the scent of pine from the real thing is amazing, but actual trees are a lot more work than one would think. They need constant watering, and the needles get everywhere, which you just know Arwen would make quick work of eating and then regurgitating onto the carpet.

"How's that look, baby? Is it full enough?" Eddie asks as he unfolds the last couple of branches on his half of the tree. He hopes his work is to your liking, the flocked green plastic is starting to make his hands itch. You'd just brought it and the accompaniments home a couple hours ago, practically bouncing with excitement in your van seat on the way. The second you both carried the big box through the door, you wanted to set it up. And what kind of man would Eddie be to deny you?

You take a glance at his efforts from your side of the tree, and give him a satisfied nod. "It looks great, darling. Time for the lights!" You clap your hands together, hopping up and down as you go to retrieve the boxes of twinkle lights from the coffee table. You hum along to the festive song on the radio as you move, fully caught up in the spirit of the season.