How Rosie did not die in the next week, she did not know. In the run up to Christmas, the mall was a swarm of frantic customers, and the mart was almost never under control. Not for the first time, she was glad she had been banished to the stock room, not doomed to the floor awash with people becoming more and more irate as the 25th drew near.

Thankfully, Dustin finished school the Friday before, so she was no longer needed for drop-off or pickup. He and his friends ran (or cycled) rampant throughout the town, and at more than one stage she caught him shaking boxes under the tree.

"You really think you'd miss a whole bike under there?" She mocked, nearly making him drop the crystal serving bowl she had bought for Claudia and stashed at the very back under Tew's new bed.

"Not the bike." He answered, picking up another. "Everything else."

"And what makes you think you're getting anything else?"

"I'm a good little boy?"

She actually couldn't argue with that, so flipped the cap off his head, instead. "How much are those little models you paint, by the way?"

"Which ones?"

"You know. The monsters and stuff?"

"For DND?"

He gave a knowing smile. "For Eddie?"

"Yeah."

"You'd need to know what kind of campaign he's planning to get the right one."

"Oh."

"He needs a new watch, though."

"A watch?" Rosie had assumed he didn't wear one.

"Yeah, he broke his old one ages ago when…" Dustin seemed to check himself. "When he fell in the lake."

"Got it. Watch."

Rosie ended up working until 8:30pm on Christmas Eve, when the Mart finally closed. Her manager made sure she got her paycheck at the end of the day, which included a small bonus as well as overtime. Reading the figure on the slip, she thought she might cry.

She awoke the next morning at 6am to the sounds of Dustin hollering. Folding the pillow over her head, she turned and tried to go back to sleep, but her nephew burst into her room and shook her.

"THANK YOUUUU!"He yelled through the fabric.

Rosie managed a muffled. "Welcome."

"Come on!" He was tugging at her comforter. She felt a compulsion to kick him. "We got you something, too!"

Grumbling and yawning, Rosie dragged on a robe and shuffled out to the living room. Tews was already stretched out in his fuzzy new bed, batting a ball back and forth. The new bike she and Claudia had bought gleamed under multicolored lights. She knelt past it, heaving up the heavy box to pass to her cousin. Thankfully, it didn't sound like being rattled had done it any harm.

"Awh, thank you dear." She and Claudia hugged and kissed. They hadn't spoken much since Eddie's visit, but it was Christmas, so Rosie plastered a cheesy grin across her face.

"Thanks." She took the envelope offered. Gasped when she opened it. Counted the money four times. $350. "I-I can't !"

"Of course you can, Rosie." Her cousin insisted. "You've been working so hard and such a star, driving Dustin around and taking care of him. It's the least we could do."

"'We'?"

"I raided my secret stash." Dustin whispered.

"What? No! Dustin!"

"Don't worry. There's plenty left over."

Claudia peered at him. "How much?"

"Enough. Look. I wanted you to have it, Rosie."

There really was a tear in her eye now. Though he struggled, Rosie kissed his cheek and crushed him in a hug. "You're a great kid, Dust."

"I can't breathe."

"Good."

After breakfast Claudia dragged poor Dustin to church. Rosie lied and said she would be after them. Church wasn't really her thing. Instead, she sliced up the turkey crown Claudia had roasted the previous evening and reheated two servings of potatoes and vegetables. The gravy was harder to steal; she ended up tucking a mug of it into the corner of the loaded casserole dish and sealing with saran wrap. Aluminum foil went over the lot, and she retrieved a carrot cake she'd secured from the Mart from under her bed.

The drive over was the slowest she had experienced since arriving in Hawkins. Twice, she stopped to steady the gravy, and she was sure she would get pulled over for not keeping both hands on the wheel. Someone had strung a single row of lights up outside the Munsons' trailer. Probably not Eddie. Rosie observed that one or two bulbs were dead as she waited at the door.

Wayne answered, a Santa hat perched on his head and a mug of steaming in one hand. He cheered when he saw her.

"Well Merry Christmas, Lil' Lady."

Rosie awkwardly tried to embrace him back, hands full. "Merry Christmas, Mister Mu-"

"Nah-ah! Wayne."

"Wa-"

"Uncle Wayne."

"Uncle Wayne," She shifted the heavy dish in her hands. "I brought you guys some turkey."

Wayne chortled. "Two guys living in a trailer. You figured it'd be TV dinners, eh?"

"Well…"

"You're right. Thank you. Put it on the counter."

Eddie appeared out of his room. He was still in his pyjama pant, but someone had bought him a sweater with a cute reindeer knitted across the front. Rosie looked to Wayne, who sipped his drink and nodded, then covered her own mouth. Eddie scowled at her giggling, glanced down at what he was wearing, then ran back to his room.

"Fuck_sake!"

"Eddie nooo!" She ran after him, clapping on the door. "You look cute!"

"Adorable!" Wayne added.

"Jesus H Christ."

"Ey! Don't disrespect him on his birthday!" Wayne had returned to the vat of nog. "Want a mug, Rosie?"

"Yes, please. I'll be right back. I left your presents in the car."

He stepped out with her, clearly shocked when she handed him a bottle of scotch, she got another awkward hug and he scooted over to the picnic table.

"You go lure him out. I'll give you two a minute."

Rosie didn't bother knocking she let Eddie's door swing open. He was sitting on the bed, still scarlet, a crumpled package in his lap.

"I could've been changing."

"That's what I was hoping."

"Pervert."

"You really do look cute."

Eddie glared. "Well I was going to give you this. But since you insist on bullying me, I'm not so sure."

"Don't be so dramatic." Rosie held the box out. "Here."

He took it, despite his pouting. She sat next to him, turning his face to kiss him first.

"Thanks." The wrapping fell away. "Oh wow. Thanks! How much did this cost?"

"I don't remember." She lied. "It's the right one?"

"Huh?"

"Dustin said you had a watch like this before."

"Yeah…yeah I lost it." Eddie replied. "This is perfect. It's an upgrade, actually."

"Lost it?"

"Yup."

She let it, slide, and helped him put the watch on. Eddie planted a deliberately-sloppy smooch on her cheek and passed her the larger bundle he had prepared.

"This is the serious one."

"I get two?"

"Don't get your hopes up."

"But I've been a good girl!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Just open the fucking thing."

It was a sweater. A nice shade of wine-red, soft and warm. Rosie was slightly disappointed there was no deer on the front. "Thank you."

Eddie was already considering the next one. He seemed embarassed. "Th-this is…kinda a joke. So. Er. Don't feel like you have to wear it or anything."

"Well now I'm curious." She took it off him and wore the paper, frowning as a stainless steel chain fell out. "What's - ahem!"

There was a lock, too. Both were heavy and very real.

"I said it was stupid."

Rosie's turn to blush now. "What's this for?"

He coughed, legs jostling.

She was only trying to make him wriggle, really. The chain was cold around her neck, and the lock snapped firmly shook. Eddie coyly raised his other wrist, showing her a small key now looped onto his bracelet.

"I-I don't know what I was thinking." He unlocked it with shaking hands and pulled the chain off her.

Rosie knew exactly what he was thinking, and strode over to his desk. There was a sharpie in the penholder.

"Write your name."

"Uh?"

"Go on."

Eddie's lips twitched up. He turned the lock and wrote his name across the keyway. His eyes fixed on her neck when she put the whole thing back on, hiding it under the collar of her shirt. She held his gaze and leaned in to tease his mouth with her tongue, nails raking his unbrushed hair aside. He loomed over her now, one hand travelling along her back, other edging up her thigh. The little box tumbled to the floor when they fell back onto the bed.

"My uncle's outside." Eddie mumbled thickly.

Rosie turned and kicked the door shut. "He's at the picnic table."

"Oh." He didn't seem to care either way, fingers sliding down the buttons of her blouse. His hand went to the chain, using it as leverage to tug her head back as he dipped toward her neck and breasts. Rosie threw one leg over him, rubbing herself up against the tent in his pyjamas. Eddie growled and bit her, sending a nice jolt down Rosie's spine. She moaned. He moaned back, thrusting more eagerly against her. He was already at her skirt, pulling it up and trying to get into her leggings.

"Um -" Rosie broke contact.

He rolled aside, raising his hands respectfully. "No?"

"I'm kind of…bleeding."

Concern. Confusion. Consideration. Understanding. "Oooh! So you don't want…anything?"

"I do. I just… might make a mess."

Eddie shrugged. "That's fine. If you want to…" He gestured for her to come closer. "Why don't you just do what you want to me?"

She gaped. Such a bold invitation. He grinned up at her, quirking his eyebrows. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely."

Rosie stretched across him and captured his mouth again. She liked the feeling of him pressed up against her. Definitely wanted them to get something out of it. Struck by inspiration, she rolled over, kicking her leggings off, and scooted back. She could feel him more surely this way, and by the noises Eddie made, he felt better, too. His arms circled her from behind, creeping under her bra, she snatched one and brought it to her panties.

"You're wet." He breathed into the back of her neck, dutifully massaging her clit.

"Your fault."

Eddie groaned again, pushing his hardness to her ass. His fingers slid past the material. If he felt the string of her tampon, he didn't care. She rewarded him by sliding her hands under his pyjamas, enjoying the way he whimpered into her neck, bucking into her grip. Their position made it difficult for her, and her arm quickly cramped, but Rosie had a much better idea for him.

"Rosie?" His head turned to watch what she was doing.

"Just a little. Ok?"

Eddie gulped. "You sure."

She could just about nibble his ear. "I'm sure."

His breathing stopped as she freed his cock, guiding it to slip past the hem of her underwear. He was rock-hard and warm against her bare ass. They moaned in unison. Eddie's fingers worked her mercilessly, even toying at her entrance as he pleasured himself between her cheeks. It was all too much; Rosie turned her face into the pillow, certain Wayne would hear her otherwise. Eddie was no better, and the sound of him losing his mind sent her hurtling over the edge. She didn't care about any mess, just fucked his hand til she climaxed.

Eddie left a small smear of blood on the sheet when he put his hand down for balance, still grinding and gasping. "I'm gonna cum."

Rosie giggled with satisfaction, angling her hips better for him. "Come on."

"Can I…here?"

That wobble in his voice. She bit her lip. "Yes."

The word was hardly out of her mouth when she felt something hot splash against her ass. He used his hand to finish, slapping his dick against her.

He groaned at first. Sucking and kissing happily at her neck. Then he clambered over and snatched a towel from the laundry. They both giggled as he wiped her off.

"I think I made more of a mess than you."