Blinded Me with Science (Eddie x Reader) REQUEST
Warnings: All fluff for this one! I just love a fluffy Eddie sometimes.
Request: theimaginationgotmegood: So, i got this idea where Henderson|Sister helps Eddie study for something cuz Dustin begged her to and she a pretty has tensed neck/shoulders and he massages it for her. After that they become friends and he keeps on easing her pain, like whenever they are together (cuz she‘s the kid‘s ride) and it‘s just become normal for everyone. But she understands a joke from him the wrong way and becomes insecure, keeps pushing him away because of it until he confronts her one day and then just fluff maybe? This would be so so so amazing!
Author’s Note: This took me a little while to write and I hope I did it justice! I did proof read, but if I missed anything, please forgive me. This is quite a long one but I think it turned out well. Let me know. My inbox is open for requests for Eddie x reader and Joseph x reader. I will be working on one for Joseph since I finished this one up. Be on the look out for that! Enjoy.
The final bell rang dismissing you from your final class of the day. You were thankful. It had been a long week and all you wanted to do was go home and relax. Maybe go to the mall with one of your friends. You opened your locker, digging through your books when you heard a familiar voice.
“Hey sis.”, your brother, Dustin smiled.
You eyed him easily. “What’s up? Ready to go home?”
You continued to wade through your locker, organizing your binders with your books.
“I have my club after school remember? Hellfire Club?”
You rolled your eyes as you shut your locker. “The one that plays that silly game Dragons and Dungeons?”
Dustin looked offended. He had played D&D for years with his friends, Mike, Will, and Lucas. He thought you at least knew the proper order of the title.
“Dungeons and Dragons.”, he corrected.
You chuckled easily. “Yeah that. With that Munson guy.”
You nodded, pretending to take in the information he was spewing at you. Your little brother was smart and matter-of-fact. He always had been. You were very protective of your little brother. He may be a dork, but he was your dork and you would put anyone in their place who tried to pick on him. You remembered when Will Byers vanished and the town was so up in arms. Your mom and you were panicked with the possibility the same could happen your little brother.
“Okay. How long is this club gonna meet?”, you asked, brushing you hair behind you ear.
“A couple of hours. Will you wait for me?”, he asked as you both walked down the hallway.
“Well, I’m gonna go grab a bite and I’ll be back around 6. Sound good?”
Your little brother nodded as you all neared the drama room. You noticed a few teenagers piling in, dressed in baseball shirts that read Hellfire Club. Wow, this was really serious to them. Dustin waved to you as he went into the room. Your classmate with long brown hair, doe brown eyes, and a wide smile greeted him. That had to be Munson. You hadn’t really talked to him but you knew a little bit about him. He had repeated the 12th grade twice before now. This was his third senior year. He was twenty years old while the rest of your class was seventeen and eighteen.
After greeting Dustin, his eyes shot up to you and you instantly felt awkward and turned your glance away, quickly beginning to walk down the hallway towards the exit that would lead you to the parking lot. Hurrying down the small flight of stairs, you pushed the double doors open and the wind hit you in the face, refreshing you. You had never met his eyes for that long and it was something about it that shook you to your core.
_____________________________________________________________
A couple hours passed as you parked your car in the front of the school as there was no staff here this time of night other than custodians. You locked the door, preparing to go inside to get your brother. You were ready to go home and finally see some peace in your room, listening to your new Whitney Houston record. You hoped this Hellfire Club was done with their meeting. The hall was quiet as you neared the drama room once again. A few of the members came out, signifying their meeting was complete.
Dustin looked at you, waving enthusiastically. You gave him a small wave, letting him know you were ready for him to leave. Eddie once again caught your glance as he saw what Dustin was putting so much energy into. Dustin waved you inside. You gave him an odd glance. You didn’t have to go in there. What was he thinking? You had only agreed to pick him up after his club was finished. Dustin waved you inside again, this time more emphasis on coming inside. You were confused but you opened the door gently, coming inside. Dustin was the only one left besides their leader.
“Hey sis.”, Dustin smiled.
Eddie had been packing stuff up before Dustin spoke. His eyes immediately shot up to you and he paused what he was doing as if he was frozen in time.
“Hey.”, you smiled gently.
“Sister? Henderson, it’s rude to not introduce us.”, Eddie said coyly.
Dustin laughed before speaking. “This is my sister Y/N. Y/N, this is the Dungeon Master himself, Eddie Munson.”
Eddie hopped over a chair, immediately placing himself in front of you. You were a bit taken aback. You were sure your face symbolized that. He reached his hand out, waiting for you to reciprocate. It took you a moment to process his actions, but you soon gained your footing. You reached your hand out to his, both of you making contact with a handshake. It felt like electricity shot through your body and you hated to admit it. How could you feel this way about a man you barely knew? It felt like uncharted territory.
He smiled up at you and did the same. It was as if time had stopped around you and nothing else mattered. You never noticed how normal Eddie actually appeared. I mean, sure he was an outcast but he didn’t appear to be much different than anyone else.
“Nice to meet you. Welcome to Hellfire.”
“Ready Dusty?”, you asked your little brother, turning to him.
You turned to go, making your way to the door and you could hear indistinct talking between Eddie and your little brother. All of a sudden, you heard them loudly exchange goodbyes. Dustin caught up with you, almost immediately. He seemed like he was in a really good mood since his meeting. You all neared the car, settling inside. You both buckled up as you started the car.
Dustin looked down at his lap, before turning to look out the window. Sometimes it was a buzzkill to have to chauffeur your little brother around, but you and your mom agreed it was not safe for Dustin to be riding his bike around town everywhere. At least not to school and away from school. You could tell Dustin had something on his mind.
“Is everything okay?”, you started.
“Yeah.”, Dustin answered, dryly.
You gave him a confused look. “Dustin, did someone say something to you? I swear to God I’ll—”
He interrupted you. “No, no. Nothing like that.”, he laughed nervously.
You narrowed your eyes before looking over to him. “Then what is it?”
He sighed, twiddling his thumbs nervously.
“Spit it out Dusty.”, your voice became serious and flat.
“Well, um, Eddie needs some help.”
Your face crinkled in confusion. “What kind of help?”
Why was your brother telling you Eddie Munson needed your help? Eddie gave no indication he needed anything from you or sought any of your “help”. Maybe that was why Eddie was being so nice to you. Maybe this was all a set up to get your help. You were always paranoid of things like that. Most of the time you came off confident and sure of yourself, but it was little seeds of doubt that knocked the wind out of your sails.
“Well, you know Eddie has had some trouble graduating,”, Dustin began nervously.
“He’s uh really struggling Y/N. He needs help passing his chemistry exam. Can you help him?”, Dustin pleaded.
You thought for a moment. You weighed your options. What was it to you if Eddie Munson didn’t graduate with the class of 1986? That wasn’t your concern. You were trying to get into the college you had been wanting to get into since you could remember. However, the sympathetic side of you was fighting with your logical side. You were great at Chemistry. Making an A average. Eddie had been trying twice to graduate from high school already. This was his third try.
“Dustin,”, you sighed. “I have my own exams.”
Dustin looked defeated but quickly was fired up again, ready to convince you to help his friend.
“Please Y/N. Eddie needs to pass this exam to graduate. It’s his third senior year.”
You closed your eyes quickly, sighing before opening them again. You did offer tutoring before certain tests. Mrs.Stern was always recommending you for help before chemistry tests, calling you one of her brightest students. Your mind was in a flashback. You could remember before a test, Mrs.Stern was up in front of the chalkboard and periodic table of elements. You also remembered Eddie sitting in the corner, eyeing his latest grade. He looked like he had lost his best friend but then quickly changed his face, fearing anyone would see.
He crumpled his test up into a ball, acting as if this class didn’t matter. Your heart instantly felt a ping of sadness. Could you really say no? You had thought about offering tutoring help to Eddie secretly but you didn’t know him all that well and he may take it wrong. Even Mrs.Stern’s words rang through your head that you heard her say to Eddie as you slipped out of the class room in front of him. “Edward, if you want to graduate this year, I highly suggest you talk to Ms.Henderson. She can help tutor you. Your grades are very borderline, most failing. She can give you that push you need to pass.”
You tried to shake it from your mind. You had waited at your locker, seeing if he would take her up on the opportunity but he passed your locker quickly, defeated. Dustin didn’t know any of that.
“Dustin.”, you groaned, your head spinning from remembering that painful day for him.
“Please sis.”, he was practically begging.
“So why couldn’t the big bad Dungeon Master ask me himself? He seems very charismatic.”, you spat off, thinking about how you had almost wished he had asked you for help that day.
Dustin sighed. “I don’t know. He asked me to ask you.”
You all pulled into your driveway. You shut the car off, getting out. Your brother appeared to be confused as to why you hadn’t gave him a straight answer. You felt him chase behind you as you grabbed your backpack, hurrying into your all’s house.
“Hey Y/N. Dustin.”, your mom greeted as you threw your backpack down on the couch.
“Please.”, Dustin pleaded again, ignoring your mom’s greeting.
“I don’t know Dustin. I have a lot of stuff to do of my own.”
Your mom looked confused as she was finishing up dinner. “What’s going on?”
You eyed your mom. “Nothing.”
Dustin looked at you before opening his mouth. “Y/N won’t help tutor one of my friends.”
There was your annoying baby brother. He was practically tattling on you for not tutoring Eddie. But I mean Mrs.Stern herself told Eddie how important it was that he sought tutoring. Plus, you all interacted at school and he had a chance to mention it to you if he was so concerned and worried about passing. Why didn’t he?
“Yes mom.”, you answered, glaring at your little brother who was smiling unapologetically.
“What is wrong with this boy?”, she continued as she turned her attention back to dinner.
You went into the kitchen, feeling your little brother’s presence behind you. You leaned up against the dining room table.
“Nothing other than he’s on his third senior year.”, you rolled your eyes, grabbing a cup of water.
“He’s trying.”, Dustin countered.
Your mom was continuing to attempt to finish dinner. She was dishing out helpings to your and your brother’s plates before her own. She had made grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese. She was taking in this information, attempting to process it before she gave her motherly advice. Your mom walked past you all to the dinner table where she set the table.
“Well honey, I think it’s a compliment. You are very smart. This boy needs your help to graduate.”, your mom smiled as she brushed her apron.
Dustin made his way to his usual chair, immediately beginning to scarf dinner down. You sat down in your chair, slowly. You didn’t make eye contact with your mom or Dustin as you began swirling your fork in your food, stewing on what your mom said. You could feel their eyes scanning over you, waiting for you to say something.
“I’ll think about it.”, was all you offered.
Dinner ended and you began your nightly routine of finishing homework, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and preparing to lay down. You had a big day tomorrow and you were so exhausted from waiting on Dustin’s new found club. You were jotting down something in a notebook, listening to your new Whitney Houston record when you heard a knock on your door.
Your eyes shot up to your door as your brother’s head popped in. “Hey sis.”
“Dustin.”, you sighed, putting your notebook down.
“So uh,”, he began as he tapped the frame of your door nervously. “Have you decided?”
You eyed him, raising an eyebrow. “About?”
You knew what this was about but you just wanted to hear Dustin say it.
“Helping Eddie.”, he said quietly.
You sighed, getting up to pause you record player. It appeared as if Dustin was debating whether he should enter your room or not. You had a rule that he was to not enter your room without your permission. You closed your eyes before opening them back up to Dustin. He inched himself in the door way more, his shoulders and head appearing. It was time to make a decision. Your mom’s words echoed in your head. “Well honey, I think it’s a compliment. You are very smart. This boy needs your help to graduate.” You thought back to that fateful day in chemistry class. Eddie looking so defeated. Mrs.Stern encouraging him to seek tutoring. “Edward, if you want to graduate this year, I highly suggest you talk to Ms.Henderson. She can help tutor you. Your grades are very borderline, most failing. She can give you that push you need to pass.”
Then you considered the fact that Dustin was absolutely enamored with Eddie Munson. You even were beginning to think Dustin looked up to him. Sure, you were his big sister but he really loved Dungeons and Dragons. He always had. Eddie had an entire club dedicated to it. Eddie was a male figure in his life and appeared to be a big brother to him. Eddie deserved a diploma as much as anyone else did. The only way you could regret helping him is if he didn’t put any effort in or was a complete jerk.
“Fine.”, you sighed, crossing your arms. “I’ll help Eddie.”
Dustin’s eyes lit up as he shoved your door completely open, practically busting it down. He ran over to you, smiling and laughing. He tackled you.
“Thank you Y/N! Thank you!”,
You rolled your eyes before laughing yourself and ending with a smile. “However, I’m only doing this because you really like Eddie and he did let you in his Hellfire Club.”
Dustin nodded enthusiastically. “Thank you sis. I’ll tell Eddie tomorrow! Goodnight!”
Dustin gave you huge bear hug before running out of your room, the happiest you had seen him in a long time. He and his friends had been through a lot together, including you, Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington, and Jonathan Byers. You all shared a common interest: Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, El, and Max. You all had their best interest at heart and would do anything to keep them safe and secure.
“Night Dusty.”, you laughed as you turned your lamp off, climbing into bed.
What had you just got yourself into?
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The weekend passed more quickly than you had hoped. The beginning of the school week had approached. Dustin had never really confirmed how Eddie felt when you accepted to tutor him. You wondered if Eddie had decided to back out or change his mind.
“Y/N! Telephone!”, your mom yelled from downstairs.
Confusion swept across your face as you laid down your magazine, turning the corner at the top of the staircase. Dustin’s door was closed. Nothing unusual. You took the steps two at a time, feeling anxious of who could be on the other side of the telephone. Your mom held out the cream colored landline in anticipation.
“Who is it?”, you whispered.
Your mom just smiled. “Eddie ring a bell?”
Your face still wore an expression of surprise as you hesitantly reached to grab the phone away from your mother. You sat down on the couch instinctively before your mom rushed back into the kitchen, attempting to give you some privacy. Your hand was slightly shaking as you pulled the phone up to your ear.
“I gathered,” you began laughing. “So what’s up?”
You heard Eddie sigh on the other end of the phone, some static picking up. Static made you nervous as that usually signaled something from the Upside Down. Something of which, your all’s parents were oblivious to.
“Uh Dustin told me you agreed to help me study. Just wondering when we could.”
His voice shook slightly, indicating he was nervous. You were mentally chalking it up to the fact he probably wasn’t used to asking someone for help. Well, technically this time he hadn’t asked either but he at least communicated it to Dustin.
“Let me see,”, you reached for your backpack, pulling your planner out.
Eddie was silent on the other end of line, waiting for you to continue the conversation.
“When do you have Hellfire?”, you asked seriously, grabbing a pen to jot down when his club was meeting.
Organization was something you loved to do. It made you feel in control of your life. It was something you could control versus the other things that went on in the world.
“Uh usually Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”
“Okay. How about we study on Tuesdays and Thursdays from four to eight”, you offered.
You could hear hesitation on the other end of the line. You hoped Eddie would realize he needed this in order to graduate.
“Okay, where should we meet?”, he finally asked.
Relief washed over you as he said this.
“Uh we can come to my house if you want.”, you offered, assuming he wouldn’t want to be seen with a “nerd”.
Eddie agreed to this and you all exchanged goodbyes as you hung up the phone. Dustin bounced down the stairs, looking happier than ever. You smirked at him before sitting yourself up on the couch. He smiled at you and waved as he turned to go in the kitchen. You jumped up and followed him, grabbing his shoulder before he made it to his destination.
“What the hell?”, Dustin asked, scoffing.
“Did you tell Eddie to call me?”, you asked abruptly.
You nodded. “Tuesday is our first study session.”
Dustin smiled before you both went into the kitchen.
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It was Tuesday. The bell rang, signaling the school day was over. Students rushed past you as you grabbed your Chemistry book and binder from your locker. You shut your locker and began waiting for your baby brother to appear. He always met you at your locker. A few minutes passed before he finally showed up. Minimal conversation was exchanged as you prepared mentally for your study session with Eddie.
“So what all are you going to teach Eddie?”, Dustin asked.
“A little bit of everything. He needs to do well on these tests and he needs to understand the information for his final exam.”
Dustin accepted this with a nod.
You all arrived at home. Your mom was not home as she had work and was going to run some errands afterwards. Dustin threw his backpack down.
“Okay, so we should lay down some ground rules.”, you put your hands on your hips.
Dustin stared at you. “Huh?”
“Really Dusty?”, you laughed before continuing.
“I know Eddie is your “Dungeon Master”,” you made air quotations. “However, no interruptions.”
Dustin eyed you, not offering a response.
“No talk of Dungeons and Dragons.”, you narrowed your eyes.
“But Eddie just started a new campaign—”, Dustin protested.
“Absolutely not, Dustin. Tuesdays and Thursdays are MY days to help Eddie study. Do not even think about coming in my room.”
Dustin allowed his head to fall and he nodded like a pitiful puppy, thinking this would sway your decision. Sometimes his puppy dog eyes worked. Other times, they didn’t. This was one of those occasions. You bit your lip, turning your attention away from your baby brother and to see if Eddie was coming. He just had to. You eyed your watch and then back to the hallway, repeating this several times. Dustin was hardly paying attention.
All of a sudden, when you were the least focused, you felt a presence. You looked up quickly to see Eddie Munson in front of you. He gave you a small smile. Most everyone had filed out of the school by now and you guessed Eddie didn’t want to be seen with a “nerd”.
“Sorry I’m late.”, he brushed through his dark brown hair.
“It’s fine. Ready to follow me and Dustin to our house and we can get started?”, you asked, forgetting he was late.
He nodded and he and Dustin began immediately talking about D&D. There were things mentioned that you hardly could keep up with. You let them have this moment. But when you all crossed the threshold of the Henderson home, D&D would not be mentioned further. And you were sticking to your guns.
The ride home was uneventful, however, you reminded Dustin once again of the rules. You pulled into your driveway and Eddie’s van pulled in behind your car. Dustin grabbed his backpack, waiting to see Eddie. You gave him another glare. He felt it. You grabbed your bag and closed the door of your vehicle. All Eddie had was his Chemistry book and a tattered notebook. You did your best to try to avoid staring.
Dustin welcomed Eddie into your all’s home. Your mom was at work but would be home soon and would probably make dinner.
“Eddie, come see my room.”, Dustin laughed.
“Uh absolutely not, Dusty. Eddie and I are going to study.”, you reminded your little brother.
A frown immediately crossed his face. “But sis-“
“NO.”, you raised your voice.
Dustin knew you meant business and decided dropping the idea would be in his best interest. Eddie couldn’t help but to smirk at you before turning his attention back to Dustin.
“You can show me your room before I head home Henderson.”, he smirked.
You rolled your eyes as Eddie followed behind you upstairs. You sighed as you opened the door to your room. It was a normal girls room. You threw your bag down on your bed and began taking your Chemistry book, binder, notebook, and pencil out. Your desk was at the bottom of your bed. You had a spare decorative chair in your room and offered Eddie his choice of which he preferred.
“So….Dusty?”, he smirked.
“I’ve always called him that.”, you said emotionless, almost like a robot.
You could feel a slight tension in the air. Both of your all’s worlds and social circles were colliding. It was slightly overwhelming for you. But you were doing this because of Dusty. Because Eddie Munson was someone your little brother looked up to and thought a lot of. It was more than a lot of people felt about him. Dustin was the reason you were giving this a chance. If Dustin was kicked out of his Hellfire Club, he would absolutely be crushed and then you’d want to kill Eddie. This was a much better option.
“Dusty.”, he repeated. “Has a nice ring to it.”
You tried your best to refrain from rolling your eyes in front of him. You sat down and opened your book, starting at the very beginning. If Eddie could go back and gain information, this would immensely help him. Eddie noticed you were going to begin this study session so he followed suit and slowly sat down beside of you. You eyed him as you opened your drawer, pulling out another pencil and holding it out for him.
He looked at you with his doe brown eyes and then down at the pencil before he took it from you, his rings touching your skin, sending a slight chill down your spine. You fought against your self, dismissing any further thoughts from your brain. This was for Dustin. You flipped open your binder and started at the beginning. Eddie noticed your binder and how you had everything just so-so.
“Organization could help too.”, you smirked easily.
Eddie nodded. “Yeah, I’ve never been great at this school thing.”, he brushed through his curls nervously.
You pretended not to notice his nervousness as you were sure he didn’t want you to.
“That’s why I’m going to help you. Let’s start from the beginning. An atom is known as the most basic building block of chemistry. It’s the smallest form of matter.”
Eddie nodded, scribbling this down in his hand writing in his tattered notebook.
“There are three types of particles atoms can consist of. There are protons. They have a positive charge. Neutrons which are neutrally charged. And lastly, electrons which are negative.”, you breathed as you scribbled three circles, one with a plus sign, one no sign, and the last with a minus sign.
Eddie nodded once again, processing this information. He seemed to really be listening to you. Sure, he was the all-knowing Dungeon Master when it came to D&D but he had much to learn when it came to Chemistry. The evening passed fairly quickly with you all taking a few breaks. Eddie seemed to be catching on as he re-explained the information you had given him. You all reviewed the Periodic Table of Elements, which was last on your list for the day.
You sighed, finally closing your book. “That’s all I had planned for this session.”
Eddie stood up easily, stretching. You rubbed your neck, taking a deep sigh.
“Tense?”, Eddie smirked easily as he came back over to your desk.
You eyed him, confused for a moment. Your brain was trying to process the question that just rolled off his tongue. What did this have to do with Chemistry?
“Uh, we’ve been sitting here for four hours. Kinda.”, you said easily.
Eddie smirked, coming behind your chair and his ring-clad hands instantly going for your shoulders. This took you by surprise and a hot, deep feeling entered the pit of your stomach.
“Mind if I help? I mean you were nice enough to help me after all.”
You nodded, your brain turning to mush almost instantly. His fingers pinched your shoulders up, releasing them and to be honest, it felt amazing. You hadn’t realized exactly how tense and stressed out you had been up until now. Now that Eddie Munson was helping release the tension.
“Wow, you were tense, Henderson.”, he mumbled as he continued working on your shoulders.
“Yeah I guess so.”, you hummed, feeling relief.
You could sense Eddie’s smirk spread across his lips as he kneaded your shoulders for a few more minutes. You held back any sounds of relief as they mimicked other sounds. And you definitely did not want your brother coming through your door right now. Once Eddie felt satisfied that he had removed the tension and kinks from your shoulders, his rings brushed the skin leading to your neck.
Where had he learned to do this? And why was he so good at it? Your brain could wander and run with the possible explanations, but you decided to only focus on him massaging your neck. You closed your eyes, feeling relaxed, even sinking slightly in your chair. Eddie, in fact, noticed this too, causing him to smile even more. You could feel his rough, calloused hands against your skin.
Eddie let out a sigh as he worked to remove the tension and kinks from your neck. It took him a few minutes but he finally had succeeded and was satisfied especially when it took you a minute to stand up and gather yourself.
“Thanks, Munson.”, you smirked as you rubbed your neck, no longer feeling tense.
“Welcome, Henderson.”, he smirked back and before another word could be spoken, Dustin burst through your door.
“Hey are you guys done? It’s like eight twenty.”, he complained.
You both eyed each other before turning your attention to your little brother and nodding. “Yeah, we’re done.”
Eddie kept his promise and went and saw your brother’s room. Your mom made a late dinner and invited Eddie to stay, which he agreed to. You and Eddie kept stealing glances across the dining room table. Dustin seemed oblivious to this. Maybe helping Eddie wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
____________________________________________________________
A few weeks had passed and you and Eddie had kept up your all’s study sessions regularly, working around his Hellfire Club meetings. Eddie’s grades were improving in Chemistry. His latest test was a B minus which he brought to your house and displayed to you proudly. You all were becoming closer than just study partners. In fact, Eddie invited you to the Hideaway to watch his band, Corroded Coffin play. You had to bring Dustin too, but Eddie was happy to see you both in the audience. It was a step up from the four drunks he usually played for.
Today, he requested you sit in on a Hellfire Club meeting to see what it was truly all about. You agreed which your little brother was ecstatic about. You were a bit nervous when everyone’s eyes were on you as you entered the drama room. Lucas gave you a confused look before turning to Dustin and asking him why you were here. Eddie had a lone chair near his “throne” and patted it as he seen you enter the room.
“Come on Y/N we’re just getting started.”
You came in and smiled a shy smile to everyone in the room. You sat down easily. Eddie began to get very theatrical as the Hellfire Club got deeper into their campaign. You smiled as you attempted to understand what was going on. The meeting went by quickly. Eddie reached a spot where he felt comfortable halting the campaign. Everyone was packing up their things as Eddie turned his attention to you.
“Nice work out there.”, you smirked.
He smirked. “Thanks. Did you enjoy it?”
You nodded. “I definitely got a deeper understanding of D&D.”
You both shared a laugh. Dustin and Lucas just watched on. You and Eddie began talking about the next study session. You looked down at the floor, rubbing the back of your neck again. Eddie could sense once again you seemed tense and without hesitation, you allowed him to help ease your tension the way he had been. A massage.
“Dude, do you see this?”, you heard Lucas whisper to your brother.
“Yeah they always seem to be doing this nowadays.”, Dustin rolled his eyes.
“Are you sure there’s not more going on? I mean—.”
Dustin interrupted. “Nope. They’re just becoming good friends so they say.”
Eddie rolled his eyes. “Henderson, Sinclair. I can hear you.”
Lucas got an embarrassed look before waving goodbye to everyone and jetting out of the drama room quickly. You and Eddie shared another laugh as Dustin eyed you both, sitting down, waiting for you all to finish. Everyone else in the Hellfire Club never batted an eye at this as you both had been doing it for a few weeks now. You scratched Eddie’s back, helping him pass Chemistry and well, he massaged yours.
_____________________________________________________________
Another week passed and Eddie was now passing Chemistry. He was on track to graduate with the class of 1986. You work almost seemed to be done. Eddie had asked for another couple of study sessions for the final exam. Which you agreed to. Prom was coming up and you didn’t have a date yet. You debated asking Eddie but wondered if it was even his scene. He probably wouldn’t want to go. One minute, you had yourself talked into it. The next, you had talked yourself out.
Eddie came up to your locker. “One more tests stands between me and that diploma.”
You smirked, organizing your books and binders to your liking before meeting his eyes. “Yeah and I am so proud of you, Eddie.”
He smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Who knew? The freak of Hawkins High could pass thanks to a nerd.”
There was some humor laced in his words but the last word caused a ping in your heart and a lump in your throat. He was smiling but your smile quickly panned into a slight frown.
“Yeah who knew?”, you fake laughed, holding back the tears that threatened to fall from your eyes. “Uh gotta go get Dustin home. He wants to rent a new movie tonight and order in pizza.”
Eddie looked surprised you were leaving so quickly. “Okay. I’ll see ya Tuesday.”
You nodded, rushing off before the lone tear slid out of your eye. You were turned away, walking away from Eddie thankfully so he couldn’t see. Nerd. That word replayed in your head as you hurried to your car, unlocking it and starting it before your brother got there. You held back the sobs that threatened to rack through your chest. Grabbing a Kleenex, you dabbed your eyes and quickly dried up the tears as Dustin waved for you to unlock the door.
_____________________________________________________________
The next week came and it was Tuesday, the day you were supposed to study with Eddie since the “nerd” comment. You had avoided him all day Monday, even waiting in the car for Dustin after Hellfire. You even went as far as to stay home from school Tuesday. You didn’t know if the anxiety made you sick to your stomach or you were actually sick. You gave Dustin a message to tell Eddie you were sick and couldn’t help him study this evening.
Even when Dustin came home, you never asked for Eddie’s reaction. You never even went to see Dustin. You laid on your bed, thinking about how much of a nerd you could be. You turned to view your desk, instantly remembering the countless study sessions you and Eddie had shared, making you feel instantly sad. Why had you let yourself get this close? It seemed as though there was not that much more than a study buddy in this for Eddie.
Night fell upon the Henderson household. Your mom had came and told you goodnight and asked if everything was okay. You lied and said yes. She asked why you had been held up in your room all evening. You just told her you were sick. She accepted this answer. Dustin knew something was wrong with you but he gave you space. You continued to overthink as you drifted off to sleep, dreading tomorrow.
Dustin was waiting downstairs when you grabbed your keys from the coffee table. You all grabbed your lunches from the kitchen and went off to school. There was a feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach as you started the car and backed out of the driveway. Dustin made small talk with you, but nothing more as he could still sense you were on edge. You were going to first period which was English. Third was Chemistry and you absolutely dreaded it. You hoped Eddie would not even look your way.
Third period came and you sat down at a table all by yourself. Today was an actual lab day and you would have a partner. People filed in the class, taking seats beside one another. You opened your book, not looking for Eddie to come in the door. You were silently hoping he wouldn’t. You were the only one not partnered up and suddenly, Eddie came through the door just as the tardy bell rang.
Eddie hurried his way over to your table, taking the stool beside of you. You silently cursed in your head but there was nothing more you could do right now but grin and bear it. You looked down at your book, not meeting his glance. You could feel his eyes on you as if he was praying you would say something—anything.
“So feeling better?”, he spoke up, clearing his throat.
Mrs. Stern was writing on the board, not paying any attention to the small amount of chatter going on in the lab.
“Yeah.”, was all you offered.
Eddie looked at you, stunned. Your response was cold and dry, no emotion evident. You didn’t look at him, hoping this would deter him from talking to you further.
“Y/N, what’s wrong? What have I done?”
You eyed him before turning your attention back to the board. “Eddie, look, I don’t want to talk about this right now.”
Eddie scooted closer, whispering. “So when can we? I obviously have done something.”
“No, just please drop it.”, you hushed.
Mrs. Stern eyed you both as if in a silent way to tell you all to cease your conversation before having to call you down in front of the entire class. You could still feel Eddie’s eyes on you but they eventually turned to the board as Mrs. Stern explained the experiment and gave directions. She instructed Eddie to throw his hair up in a loose ponytail to prevent it from being a fire hazard. Part of you wanted to look, but you were still upset and hurt.
You and Eddie were successful with the experiment, being the first group to finish. There was ten minutes left in third period so you all began washing beakers, pipettes, test tubes, and an Erlenmeyer flask with proper PPE of course. Eddie still had his goggles on as did you with his hair pulled back.
“Y/N can we please talk about this?”, Eddie asked as glass clanked together.
“Eddie, there’s nothing to talk about.”, you persisted.
“Henderson.”, his voice became sharp causing you to stop what you were doing and eye him.
“What?”, you bit back, matching his tone.
“I don’t know, freak.”, you said with venom evident in the last word of your sentence.
Eddie didn’t speak and instantly stopped in his tracks, realizing his mistake.
“Doesn’t feel so good does it? Sorry the nerd is a total buzzkill to be seen with. All I’m good for is helping you pass your senior year.”, you snapped as you went back to washing the lab equipment.
Eddie eyed you, narrowing his eyes, becoming exasperated. “This is because I called you a nerd?”
You nodded. “All I am to you, isn’t it Munson?”
You didn’t meet his eyes once again, not straying from your task at hand. He took a deep sigh before becoming much less frustrated.
“No, never. I didn’t mean it like that. It was just a joke. You mean a lot to me Y/N.”, Eddie looked at you so serious, causing you to stop in your tracks.
“Funny way of showing it.”, you sighed, feeling sadness instead of anger.
Eddie sighed again. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Honest to God. I just thought it would make you laugh. Is this why you’ve been canceling on me? You didn’t even come to Hellfire to get Dustin.”
You looked down, feeling that lump in your throat again and just nodded in response, afraid your voice would crack.
Eddie put his hand over yours and you allowed it. “Can you look at me?”, he pleaded.
You finally turned to look at him, his doe brown eyes filled with concern. Yours filled with tears. You sniffled easily, feeling like such a loser for letting your emotions show.
“Y/N, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I know I’m a freak, a loser. You’re the only one who’s really taken a chance on me.”
A tear slipped out of your eye and you laughed a little before growing serious again. “You’re not a loser or a freak, Eddie. You’re really smart when you apply yourself. I mean I was amazed by you in more ways than one. I just was worried you were embarrassed of me because I know we come from different social circles.”
Eddie smirked before wiping your tear. “Y/N I’d never be embarrassed of you. I’m out of your league clearly.”
You let out a small smile before running your thumb over his hand. “No I was actually gonna ask you to prom. How stupid right?”
You sounded nervous and your voice shook as another tear fell from your eyes. Eddie looked surprised as a small strand of his hair had fallen out of his ponytail.
“You mean Dustin wouldn’t kill me?”, he laughed, breaking the tension.
You shoved Eddie playfully, causing him to laugh in turn. You met his eyes and bit your lip.
“I was gonna ask you after our study session yesterday.”, he smirked.
Your expression was one of surprise. Now, you felt a ping of regret that you didn’t keep your study session yesterday. The bell rang, dismissing third period. You and Eddie were smiling as you both grabbed your stuff off the table and went out into the hallway. You stopped with him at his locker.
“I don’t have to wear a suit, do I?”, he asked as he put the items in his locker.
You both stared into each other’s eyes, his hair still up.
“Shit.”, he muttered, still noticing his hair was up.
You grabbed his hand pulling it back down before you smiled at him, leaning and planting a kiss on his cheek.
“Let’s do one better, Henderson.”, he smirked as he held your hands, you both leaning in for a kiss in front of everyone, defying the social circles of high school.
