Eddie Munson Oneshots and Imagines.

Late Nights

Eddie slips through the backdoor, being as quiet as he can so he doesn't wake his wife and daughter. After placing his jacket on the rack, he takes soft footsteps towards the bathroom, jumping when the living room lamp turns on. He finds you sitting there on the lounge, eyes swollen red and puffy.

"Sweetheart, what are you?" he asks before being cut off.

"Where were you tonight?" You ask, attempting to keep your voice stoic.

"Nowhere. I couldn't sleep, so I went out for a drive," he replies, turning to continue making his way to the bathroom.

"For four hours?" trying to keep yourself calm.

"Needed to clear my head", He replies.

"And the other night?"

"Was probably outside a smoke" He turns back to you. Not liking where this conversation is heading. Praying in his mind that you don't know.

"For three hours, with your van missing?" You stand moving towards him. "or three nights before that - where are you going?"

Eddie shuffles nervously, scratching his neck. When he moves his hand away, you see it. It's small, but it's definitely a mark, a hickey. You touch the spot just to be sure. All you can say is 'oh,' stepping away as tears begin to fill your eyes once again.

"I can't do this." Your voice cracks as tears continue to stain your red face.

"What are you saying" He panics.

"Is it Chrissy?" Closing your body into itself as much as you can.

You noticed a change in Eddie ever since news spread around Chrissy broke off her engagement with Jason because of his infidelity. You thought you didn't have to worry after Eddie chose you over her. Still, you can't help wondering if he's been thinking about 'what if' moments when she returned to Hawkins nearly two months ago. He told you that he ran into her when she brought her car in for a service.

"You think I don't know that you've been sneaking in and out of the house every other night for the past month? That you wait until you think I'm asleep when you crawl out of our bed and leave, only to come back a few hours later and shower before getting back into bed."

"Y/n, please, we can work this out," Eddie pleads as he reaches out for his wife, only for you to take a step away from him.

"Is it Chrissy?" You grit through your teeth.

"No", Eddie is quick to reply. "It's not what you think - it's just, it's nothing, no one important."

"If it's no one important, then why do you keep going back?"

Eddie silently looks to the floor, unsure of how to reply to your question. Tonight, a line was crossed, and he doesn't know how to jump back over it.

"I want you to leave. Pack your shit, get out and go back – we're done," you say, taking a hesitant breath.

Eddie feels his heart in his throat. The one person he thought would always be his is telling him she no longer wants that. How did it come to this?

"No baby, no, I promise you it really isn't what it is, I mean, yes, it's a hickey, but I didn't, I haven't cheated -"

You're not listening anymore, excuses, it's just excuses.

"You didn't cheat, but there's marks on you not given by me. You want to go and fuck around, then you go do that, but I'm not going to be here, not when I've got our daughter and this one" holding her eight-month pregnant belly "to think about first".

Feeling frustrated, Eddie grabs you by the arms, tightening his grip when you move to free yourself.

"Will you just shut up and listen to me. I'm not cheating on you, and I haven't cheated on you. I'm dealing again. Tonight, one of my clients thought if she seduced me, then I would give her a discount, started sucking on my neck. I pushed her off and told her fuck off and find a new dealer, or I charge her double if I saw her again." He angrily whispers.

Eddie realises his grip on your arms, guiding you back to sit on the lounge. Placing your tiny hands in his larger ones. His voice is softer when he begins to speak to you again.

"The garage hasn't been doing well lately, not since that big franchise opened earlier in the year. My pay got cut, and we might have to close down if business doesn't pick up soon."

"Eddie, why didn't you tell me?" you cup his face. "I could have helped, gotten a second job."

"I didn't want to worry you; we both know this has been a tough pregnancy; you've told me you can barely stand or sit for long periods of time, and being a teacher is stressful enough."

You look into his eyes, seeing the exhaustion and desperation there. Realisation dawns, and your anger fades into concern.

"Eddie, we're a team. We face things together, no matter how hard they are," you say softly. "I should have been there for you. We'll figure this out. But you need to be honest with me, always."

Eddie nods, relief and gratitude mixing in his expression. "I'm sorry. I'll do better. I promise."

"No more dealing. There is no way we could handle it if you got sent to prison." You place your hand on the back of his head, pressing your foreheads together. "We need you here. We need you rested and in your best form."

Eddie closes his eyes, letting the weight of your words sink in. "I understand. I'll stop. I'll find another way to make things right."

There's a long silence as you both sit there, the room filled with the quiet hum of the night. The air between you is heavy, with a mix of relief and unresolved tension.

"Can we talk about what to do next?" you ask quietly. "We need a plan."

Eddie nods, but you can see the uncertainty in his eyes. "I don't know where to start. I've been so focused on helping keep the garage afloat that I didn't think about what might come next."

"Let's brainstorm together," you suggest. "We'll make a budget, look for other opportunities, maybe even talk to a financial advisor. But most importantly, we'll support each other through it."

Eddie looks at you with a faint smile, his eyes still weary but hopeful. "That sounds like a good start. Thank you for being here."

You squeeze his hand, feeling a flicker of optimism. "We've been through tough times before. We'll get through this, too. We just need to take it one step at a time."

As you both sit together, the initial storm of emotions begins to settle into a quieter determination. The path ahead is uncertain; you know there will be challenges and tough decisions. But for now, you have each other, and that's where you choose to start.

The open-endedness of the moment is both daunting and hopeful. There's no clear resolution, just the understanding that you'll face whatever comes next as a team. And in that shared resolve, you find a tentative peace, ready to tackle the future one day at a time.