The It Couple of Hawkins High
Despite Jason's best efforts, Chrissy and Eddie's relationship continued to thrive. It quickly became nothing surprising to see them walking down the hallway hand in hand, or to see Chrissy's legs thrown over Eddie's lap at lunch while they talked and ate. Eddie had a habit of twirling a strand of her hair around his finger; Chrissy was often seen absentmindedly tracing the lines of his tattoos. Their PDA was consistent, but in a way that evoked genuine tenderness for her.
"They're sickening," Dustin grumbled a week and a half after the most talked about couple of Hawkins High went public.
"Worse than watching Lucas and Max," Mike agreed, scrunching his face in disgust. Whether his reaction was purely from the way Chrissy had picked up Eddie's hand just to press a kiss to the back of it, or if the putrid cafeteria green beans Mike had taken a bite of helped it along, Dustin didn't know.
"Please, you'd barf if you looked in a mirror and saw the way you are with El," Lucas shot back. "Her moving to California saved us all from blindness."
Neither of them teased Dustin for his own girlfriend, Suzie. Not since they were both proven wrong about the girl's existence and her adoration of her Dusty Buns. That still smarted, a year later.
"Okay, but neither of you are that bad." Lunch table conversation had wandered away from a story Eddie had been telling, leaving him and Chrissy in their own little world again. They watched, duly nauseated, as Eddie gently tucked a piece of hair behind Chrissy's ear and leaned forward to whisper something to her. She blushed at whatever was said, cheeks blooming like roses. "Promise if any of us gets to that point, the others will hit them until some sense is knocked into them?"
"Promise. Remember when Eddie was scary? And now he's over there doing… that." Mike agreed readily, but Lucas was still scrutinizing the couple before them.
"I bet they're already doing it. Look at them, acting like Nancy and Jonathan before they all moved to California."
"Ew! Lucas, that's my sister!"
"Doesn't change what she was doing with Jonathan any time they got the chance."
Some of Mike's green beans smacked wetly onto Lucas' cheek, but the boy couldn't be fazed. He merely shrugged and swiped at his face. "You can't even say anything to me right now because you know I'm right."
Lucas, Mike, and Dustin weren't the only ones speculating. Some—evangelicals, a few of Jason's friends—truly believed Jason's caustic accusations that something dark had drawn Chrissy away from him and into Eddie's arms. Even without the mystical appeal of black magic, plenty of the student body were amazed by the pairing, and with time, the wariness of those around them had diminished. Namely, Chrissy's cheer leading teammates. The older girls had become bold enough to make comments and pose questions.
"You're smiling more," Deb told her. She always had like Deb best of all her teammates.
"I'm sorry my mom made yours freak out," Sarah told her, not really sounding sorry at all. "But I mean, you did start dating Eddie right after Jason. It looked like you broke up with Jason for him!"
"It's not scary?" Becky whispered to Chrissy as they walked into trig class one morning. Eddie had just left her with a sweet, quick kiss. "He's not scary?"
"Don't let the Iron Maiden t-shirt fool you." Even if it does feature a demon crouching with a knife.
Stacey, ever the boldest of the older girls, pointedly asked if 'it' was better with Eddie. Chrissy flat out refused to enlighten Stacey on that particular aspect of her relationships.
Eddie's mish-mashed crew of D&D players and bandmates were more respectful of privacy. The younger boys kept all their speculations quiet and contained to their group of three. Eddie's longtime friends, Gareth, Adam, and Jeff, adapted quickly to Chrissy's addition to the group and included her in the good-natured teasing that was a hallmark of their friendship.
Though Jason still left trinkets evoking the fire-and-brimstone mentality in Chrissy's locker, she simply handed them off to Ms. Kelly. Just as she had decided Jason would have to get over her being with Eddie, she also decided she wasn't going to give him a second thought.
One week to the day before graduation, the Hellfire Club threw a graduation party for Eddie. Staying in theme with their reputation, the party was held at Skull Rock, deep in the woods and not so far from the lake. A roaring bonfire lit up the night, dancing light illuminating the gathered teenagers.
"No offense, Chrissy, we know you're graduating, too," Jeff apologized, walking by Eddie and Chrissy to flick the former's cigarette nearly out of his mouth. Eddie caught it just before the cherry could burn a hole in Chrissy's petal pink pants. "It's just taken our boy a bit, y'know? Gotta celebrate him while we can."
Eddie took a drag off his rescued cigarette, turning his head to blow the smoke at Jeff rather than Chrissy, who was perched in his lap. "See? I knew you losers were gonna miss me."
"Actually, maybe we should kick Chrissy out of the honorary Hellfire Club. She is the reason Eddie gets to graduate."
Chrissy turned to flip Gareth off, Eddie gripping her hip more tightly to keep her righted. Except for Eddie's black skull and crossbones bandana tied in her hair, Chrissy wore all pink. Even outside the glow of the fire, she was a brightness in the dark. The res of the club, little Erica Sinclair included, were wearing their Hellfire shirts. Someone had the forethought to bring a boombox; Dustin and Max, who Lucas brought along with his little sister, were arguing over what tape to play.
The fire was nice, but the breeze off the lake was almost cold, chilling Chrissy's shoulders where they were bared by her tank top. She huddled closer to Eddie, seeking his warmth. "Here," Eddie held the Mason jar of peach moonshine, brought by Adam and shared by all the older teenagers, up to her lips for a drink. It was sweet in her mouth but burned down her throat before settling warmly in her belly. He tasted just the same when she kissed him.
"Hey, none of that!" Dustin shouted from the other side of the fire. "Save it for your private after party!"
"Don't be jealous, Henderson, you'll be a big boy one day, too." Eddie yelled back. As for the 'private after party', Eddie was staying the night at Chrissy's. Her parents and Caleb had gone out of state for the weekend to retrieve Chrissy's grandparents on her dad's side, to spend the week with them and attend Hawkins High graduation next weekend.
"Be nice," Chrissy chastised him, but the excitement was obvious on her face. She all but glowed, the firelight catching on her cheeks and lip gloss. The night before, Chrissy had stayed with Eddie at the trailer. Contrary to Lucas' lunchroom assumptions, though, the night hadn't gone farther than sharing Eddie's bed. Waking with Chrissy snuggled up beside him had been no less wondrous to him.
Eddie buried his face in Chrissy's shoulder, making her giggle. "I'm always nice," Eddie argued, lips against her skin. He smirked at her little shiver. She wove her fingers into his hair.
"You're always something, that's for sure."
"Hey, lovebirds!" The shout came from Max, who rolled her eyes at them even as she was holding Lucas' hand on the other side of the fire. "Are you gonna join us or not?"
Max and Chrissy had been goaded into playing a one-shot session of Dungeon and Dragons with the Hellfire Club. It was Eddie's last game as the club's dungeon master. "We're coming!" Chrissy shouted back, reluctantly sliding off Eddie's lap. They took their seats on the big picnic blanket that had been laid out for the game. Eddie sat cross-legged on the ground just like the others, at the head of the circle with his back to the fire.
"Sinclair, you helped Red over there make a character, right?"
"Mad Max, level five Speedster." Eddie gave his neighbor a bald look across the circle.
"What the fuck is a Speedster?"
"It's the class we made up for her when she plays with us," Mike explained quickly.
"She didn't like the dexterity levels of any of the original classes," Lucas threw in.
"Yeah, she—" Eddie stopped Dustin with a wave of the hand.
"Whatever, I'm feeling gracious tonight. I'll allow a bullshit class. What're the stats?"
Eddie had helped Chrissy form a character from the classic class sheet in his game book. Hers was a sorcerer class, level one because Eddie was a stickler for the Dungeon and Dragons rules and wouldn't let her fudge a higher level with no experience.
"You let her choose sorcerer?" Gareth exclaimed. "She's never played!"
"Stop your whining, I thought you might like some magic in your party for this one. Alright, listen up, nerds. Strange noises have been heard from one of the noble's mansions, and no one has seen them in town for over a month…"
"So, like, is my soul trapped in the dice now, or…?" Chrissy teased, fumbling with her house key under the glow of the porchlight. The game, where the players all banded together to defeat the malevolent spirits of a haunted house, had lasted until nearly one in the morning.
"Yeah, that's why there's so many sides." He was used to the exterior of Chrissy's house, a two-story brownstone that was practically a mansion compared to the trailer he called home. She managed the lock, a soft click granting them access to the Cunningham home. Chrissy flicked a switch just inside the door, the foyer flooding with light as she led him inside.
The house opened basically to the staircase. Eddie caught a glimpse of a shadowy dining room down a short hallway. A small sitting room to the right; to the left, the dark, vaguely reflective screen of a TV gave away the position of the living room. Chrissy slipped off her shoes and left them on a mat by the door. Eddie copied her, the hardwood floors slick beneath his socked feet. She flicked the lock back into place and took her hand. "My room's upstairs."
Chrissy led him up the staircase and Eddie tried not to gawk at the formal painted portrait of the Cunningham family that they passed on their way. The upstairs hallway featured five doors; Chrissy led him to the third door on the lefthand side. She drew him inside and flicked another light switch, revealing to him a bedroom that was so Chrissy he nearly laughed.
Her bedroom had hardwood, though the hallway had been carpeted. A massive, pale pink rug sat beneath her cherry wood sleigh bed. Both her pillows and her comforter were trimmed in ruffles, all in shades of soft, sage green and pastel pink. Her desk held stacks of books and cassette tapes; the chair occupied by her school backpack. The large window the desk sat beside had lace curtains. A massive closet took up nearly one wall, double-breasted folding doors concealing its contents.
It was so different from his crowded, chaotic, shoebox of a bedroom. And yet… he didn't feel out of place here, though he thought maybe he should. Eddie simply let his duffel bag slip from his shoulder to rest on the little tufted bench at the end of her bed. He looked around, taking in the muted floral wallpaper, the faint scent of a lemon candle he spotted on the desk.
"I'll show you the rest of the house in the morning," she promised. Unlike his trailer, which was long and straight and mostly open concept with few walls until you reached the hallway, the Cunningham house would require a tour. It was one of those old, twisty-turny houses.
"Saved the best for first, huh?" He shrugged out of his jacket, tossing the leather piece familiarly onto the back of her desk chair.
"The bathroom is that door down the hall to the right." Chrissy was digging through her dresser, on the search for pajamas. She pulled out a worn Hawking High Tigers t-shirt and a pair of sleep shorts. "I didn't know if you wanted to shower or anything. We both smell like a campfire."
He nearly made a joke about her joining him but pressed his lips against it. Just as he had resolved to follow her lead when it came to their relationship shifting from platonic to romantic, he had likewise decided to leave the progression of it up to Chrissy. Eddie did stop to kiss her before following Chrissy's instructions on where to find the bathroom and the linen closet within.
Once both were showered and dressed for bed, Chrissy drew Eddie beneath the covers with her. She snuggled up to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and throwing a leg over his.
"We graduate next weekend," Chrissy said softly. Her hand gripped his t-shirt tightly. "It's kind of scary."
"I prefer the word 'liberating'." Eddie ran his nails across her back, scratching lightly. Her contented sigh washed over his neck.
"Said like a true super senior," she giggled. Chrissy fell quiet for a long while, and Eddie luxuriated in the warm weight of her beside him. "I think you should meet my parents before graduation."
That shocked him into stillness, hand pausing on her back. He hoped she couldn't feel the way his heart began to speed at the thought. He'd had girlfriends before, sure, but had never met their family. Eddie didn't figure he was really take-home material. Still, he couldn't help the flutter of hope he felt. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Chrissy said, sounding a little breathless herself. "Maybe… we might need to lie a little about how we met."
They both laughed at that. "What, you don't think we should tell them I sold you street drugs?"
"Probably not," Chrissy agreed amidst her giggles. "But I only paid for the Special K. All that weed was 'on the house'."
"They don't need all the technicalities." Eddie waved his hand as if shooing away the thought. He took a deep, deep breath, so that Chrissy bobbed with the rising of his chest. "Meeting your parents, huh? You sure know how to make a guy nervous, Chris."
"Don't be." She tipped her head back, kissing first his jaw and then him. Yet he drifted into sleep with the odd mixture of fizzy happiness in his chest and a pit of dread in his stomach.
A/N: Reven Eid, I hope you had a great time at Comic Con even if you didn't get to see the Stranger Things crew!
This chapter was heavily inspired by fanart done by the amazing salihace on Instagram. Give her page a follow if you want to see THE cutest Hellcheer fanart of all time!