January 1987

It all happened in a matter of seconds. Mid-kiss, Andy's eyes widened with realization, remembering what had happened last week, and in a moment of sheer brilliance and luck, she put her arm back, bending it in the elbow, just in time to stop the doorknob from digging into her side.

Last week, she and Eddie were so lost in their own little world, they didn't have it in them to pay attention to inanimate objects, and it ended with a rather uncomfortable bruise on Andy's side - one that Eddie repeatedly apologized for, even if it wasn't his fault.

Frankly, they'd been doing that a lot - whenever they were alone and away from the rest of the world, they would just get completely lost, and a world war could be happening next door for all they cared - they simply wouldn't notice. It would become even more prominent if they were making out because in those situations, they really weren't aware of their surroundings.

"Eddie!" she laughed, breaking the kiss, chasing her breath and the little bit of sanity she had left. "We don't have time, we only have like… ten minutes before we have to leave."

Eddie blinked, thought about it for a moment, and decided with a shrug that he didn't care. "I can work with ten minutes," he decided, opening the door behind Andy, making the two of them stumble over the threshold - his arms around her waist were the only reason she hadn't fallen flat on her ass. In a fit of giggles, and stumbling over their own feet, they had somehow managed to get to his living room, where Eddie dropped onto the sofa and pulled Andy along with him.

Once on top of him, Andy no longer cared that much about them only having ten

minutes before they had to leave. As Eddie had pointed out, they could make 10 minutes work - they usually need quite a bit more time, but they could adapt when needed.

Since the day they finally gave in, since New Year's Eve, they were stealing every single moment they could, running away to his place or hers, wanting to be away from the rest of the world and focus only on one another. Andy was insatiable, and so was Eddie. Being with him, even if their relationship was still very new, made Andy acknowledge just how much she never really knew what it was like to want someone. She thought she was familiar with the feeling, of course she did - but nothing could have prepared her for Eddie and all that he had brought with him.

It was never-ending. She wanted to be with him every second of every day. Whether that would mean them being tangled up in bed or just sitting and chatting, holding hands, and doing nothing of substance, Andy didn't care. All she wanted to do was to be with him.

The only saving grace was that he wanted it just as much as she did - perhaps even more. Eddie turned out to be clingy as all hell and Andy loved it.

Except, maybe not so much when she knew that she had places to be.

Keeping her eye on the clock that hung on the kitchen wall, one that she could see through the doorway, Andy settled herself on Eddie's lap. If she started doing what she truly wanted to do, they wouldn't be capable of leaving his cabin for several hours. She, and Eddie, too, would have to be satisfied with just a good old makeout session.

The week behind them wasn't enough. As far as Andy was concerned, the one week was the very beginning of her getting to know Eddie in a completely new way. His likes and dislikes, his sensitive spots, and the exact buttons one needs to push in order to make him melt. Andy enjoyed discovering all of it, almost just as much as she enjoyed Eddie discovering her. It didn't take her long to realize that what she wanted most was for him to not let her go.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked through kisses, his hands gently moving up her thighs - not even the thick denim could lessen the effect his touch had on her.

"Just the morning shift at the shelter," she answered, not nearly as focused on speaking as she was on leaving a mark on his neck. There was something about the action, about knowing that anyone who paid any attention would be able to tell that he wasn't free for the taking. It went against her insistence on keeping their relationship a secret, at least from most people, if not their inner circle, but Andy couldn't help herself. And he paid her right back - she hadn't decided out of nowhere that turtlenecks were her thing.

"Want me to pick you up after you're done? We can spend the rest of the day here."

"Sounds good," Andy pulled back to smile at him. "We can pick up a pizza and a movie on our way here. Actually, I might have a movie already."

"Yeah, yeah, from the movie night I'm not invited to," Eddie whined, pretending to be sulky about it. He knew right from the start that the mid-week movie night was reserved for Steve, Robin, and Andy, only. No one else was invited, ever. The weekend movie nights were wide open for all of their friends, but not even significant others can crash the mid-week movie nights that Steve organized.

"Eddie, babe, you know how it is," Andy pouted, knowing all too well that it would make Eddie putty in her hands - he was weak for a pout. "Plus, if I'm going to tell them about us tonight, which is what we agreed on, I'd rather do it alone. I can't talk about you when you're right next to me."

"Why not, though?" Eddie smiled, his eyes focused on one strand of her hair that he kept twirling around his finger, over and over again. "Scared of turning into a blushing mess?"

"Something like that, yeah," Andy confirmed.

In fact, it was very much that. She is more than okay with Eddie knowing that she likes him - fuck, they are dating, of course she likes him! That was never the issue, but it is different to talk to him, one on one, and tell him how much he means to her, and completely different to have him hear it while she tells her closest friends and brother about it. There needs to be a part of it that remains private, the same way she wouldn't want to hear what Eddie had to say about her to Wayne. And she knew he did - he said it himself, that he told Wayne that they were no longer just friends. And Andy would rather lose an arm than listen in to that conversation. Perhaps it was weird, she wasn't sure, but it was the way she needed it to be.

"And when exactly will we be ready to let the world show?" Eddie questioned.

And that was pretty much their only difference. Andy wasn't someone who stayed away from PDA as much as she could. She was alright with hand-holding, a few kisses here and there, and stuff like that. Eddie, on the other hand, was a very touchy person and if there was a way for him to have his hands on Andy, someway, somehow, he would find it. Andy would gladly take one for the team and embraced more PDA, but they were in Hawkins. And between the two of them, Andy was the only one who kept in mind what a public relationship between them could mean, and the attention it could draw. She wouldn't forgive herself if them being out in the open would somehow harm Eddie's alibi. And yes, a bunch of people thought he was guilty regardless, no matter what Andy or Max had said in his defense, but Andy didn't want more eyes on him than he already had. Not if she was the reason for it, and especially not if it was so easily avoidable. No one needed to know. They just didn't.

Eddie didn't see it that way. Or if he did, he simply didn't care. They've managed to find a compromise, to agree with Andy's idea of keeping it inconspicuous, but Andy had a feeling that sooner or later, it would change.

"We'll know when the time is right," Andy gave him a pointed look. They've been through this and as sulky as Eddie could get about it, he knew she had a point, and he had agreed to keep it on the down low. "Our time is almost up, though," Andy reminded him, eyeing the kitchen clock. They had five minutes, max.

"I know," Eddie sighed. "I was hoping I'd get to eat you out or something."

"Eddie!" Andy was legitimately shocked, but also laughing.

"What, you're going all shy on me now?" he joked.

"I always go all shy on you," she admitted, leaning onto him for a hug. He held her close as she nuzzled against his neck, breathing him in. She hoped that no matter what happened, she would be able to remember the scent of him. Whether in 20 years she is alone in a different country, married to a random man, or still building her life with Eddie - it didn't matter, so long as she could remember the mixture of old spice and tobacco mixed with the smell of him. She had to memorize it. It needed to stay clear in her mind, forever.

They stayed like that for a while, until Eddie moved his hand along her back. "We should get going, babe. I don't want you to be late."

She didn't want to move, not then, not ever, but it had to be done. Hand in hand, they walked out of the cabin and back toward his van. They were mostly silent, both preoccupied with their thoughts, but whenever he had a chance to, Eddie would remove his hand from the steering wheel and reach for Andy's.

Andy wished that the drive was longer, but before she knew it, they were in the hospital parking lot. She could see no sign of Max anywhere, suspecting that the girl was likely already waiting for her inside - chances were, Will and Jonathan were there again, too.

"You want me to give you a call once the movie night is over?" Andy asked, turning to face Eddie. "I could come over to your place when it's done. It won't last till the early hours."

"Honestly, I'd say yes, but it might do us good to not spend every single night together," Eddie laughed, and Andy joined in. "We've been dating for like a week, and are already acting as if we live together. I don't wanna get used to it and then suffer whenever you need to spend the night at your actual home."

"We really are sickeningly clingy, aren't we?" Andy asked.

"Yup," he confirmed in a heartbeat. "I like us that way. But… you know."

"I do," she reassured him. She wasn't going to become that person that forgets the rest of the world once she's in a relationship. Even if she has to make a real effort to stop that from happening. "See you tomorrow then?"

"Of course," Eddie casually put a hand behind her neck and gently, giving her plenty of room and time to stop him, pulled her in for a kiss. Despite being aware that they were very much in public, Andy didn't have the heart to stop him, not when there was nothing she wanted more than to kiss him. At that moment, the last thing she cared about was whether or not someone could see him - and it wasn't like the parking lot was crowded with people. Neither of them cared, and Andy even deepened the kiss, grabbing a hold of his leather jacket to pull him closer to herself, as far as his seatbelt would let her.

She was lost, so lost in him, in his kiss, in that little moment, that the knock on the window behind her made her jump, her head knocking into Eddie's. He whined, rubbing at his forehead, while a breathless Andy turned around, only to find Max on the other side of the window, grinning like an idiot.

"Fuck," Andy uttered under her breath. All things considered, Max was just about the best person to catch them - she was among the people that were bound to find out eventually. Andy and Eddie had agreed to be quiet to the rest of the world, not to their little friend circle. Still, Andy would have preferred if she could tell it, say it on her own terms and not just be caught sucking face with Eddie. Too late for that.

"I'd say our cover is blown, huh?" Eddie joked, still rubbing his head at the place of collision. The two of them laughed, and both blushed a bit too; it was impossible not to, when Max was grinning at them, wearing a look that all but screamed 'I told you so' or something along those lines. "See you later, babe. Go, be a good big sis."

"Thanks," she smiled at Eddie, and in a moment of what she would call pure insanity, she leaned over to give him a quick peck. Before he could react, she was jumping out of his van, closing the door behind her, and doing her best to avoid Max's eye.

"Someone's had a good day today, huh?" Max asked, her voice very purposefully chirpy.

"Nothing more special than usual, I'd say," Andy tried to play it off, knowing damn well that it wouldn't work. Eddie drove away, and only when she knew that he was out of his sight that she had the bravery to meet Max's eye. The girl had a grin for days.

"So… Finally together, huh?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Andy had no doubt that Max found immeasurable joy in making her uncomfortable. She should also get used to it, as there is no way that Max would be the only one with such a reaction.

"Okay, yes, but! But!" Andy started, only for her words to just fly past Max's head. To her shock and complete surprise, Max started dancing. Then and there, in the middle of the parking lot, she did a little impromptu victory dance. "Um, why are you celebrating?"

"Because we no longer have to suffer through you two idiots ignoring your feelings," Max answered through laughter. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is to watch two people who are very clearly into one another being so stupidly stubborn and refusing to see it?"

"Actually, I do," Andy deadpanned. "I had a front-row seat to the Max and Lucas show."

"We're younger than you two grown-ass idiots, we have an excuse," Max pointed out, laughing at the grimace on Andy's face, as both of them knew that Max had a point. "Still, I'm happy for you. It took you a long time, but it's nice to see you happy. Both of you."

"We're still trying to keep it somewhat of a secret."

"Making out in the hospital parking lot is an interesting way to do that."

"Shut up," Andy frowned, knowing that she was slowly turning into a blushing mess. "We're getting there. But in all seriousness, we'll just let the gang know for now. You're the first to know, so… congrats? And pretty please keep your mouth shut?"

"I mean, I'm not the one that should be doing that," Max joked; Andy was annoyed, not as much at Max as she was at herself - she literally set up the trap and walked into it herself. "Don't worry, I won't say a word until you're ready to tell it to the world. Now, as much as I would rather discuss your love life, I'm afraid I have severe emotional trauma to deal with, with a paid professional, and I'd rather not be late."

God, Max reminded her so much of herself sometimes, it worried Andy to no end.

"Yeah, let's go. We'll have plenty of time to talk about this," Andy patted the girl on the back, and the two of them made their way inside the hospital. A part of Andy hoped that Max would forget all about her and Eddie after her session, but deep down she knew that there was little to no chance of that happening.


More than once, Andy had wondered how many times she will end up on her living room floor, Steve and Robin next to her, as they watch Halloween. Again. They've done it more times than she could count, and despite finding comfort in the same company, as well as the same movie, Andy couldn't help but wonder how much time will pass before she gets sick of one, or even both. Chances were, if she was to get sick of something, it would be the movie, not her brother and their best friend.

They did a stint at Family Video - if anyone had access to a wide variety of movies, it was Steve and Robin. But nope - instead of trying something new, they would recycle the three movies over and over again. Breakfast Club, Nightmare on Elm Street, and the crowd favorite that never failed to make an appearance - Halloween.

Without voicing any complaints, Andy sat on the floor of her living room and watched Laurie Strode fight for her life. Yet again.

"No matter how many times I watch this movie, it never stops to amaze me that Dustin prefers the sequel," Steve told them after a tense silence, during which they watched the iconic scene of Laurie hiding from Michael, not knowing he was behind her all along.

"It never stops to amaze me that you're taking movie recommendations from Dustin," Andy mumbled in response. "He and Eddie have like, the worst taste in movies, ever."

"I concur," Robin chuckled. "But um, speaking of Eddie…" she started, and that one phrase was enough for Andy to be on full alert. "Why isn't he here?"

Andy waited, pretending like she wasn't aware that the question was directed at her. Once it became obvious that she was becoming obvious, she frowned at Robin. "Why would he be here? This is our thing? Sacred movie night rules weren't broken like… ever?"

"Yeah, but," Robin gave her a knowing look. "With you and Eddie being a thing now, Steve and I figured that he'd become a new addition."

Robin sounded pretty certain of Andy and Eddie being together - so much so that Andy would immediately think that Max must have told someone, something. Except, they parted ways two hours ago, and there was no way that Max could have gotten to Robin before Andy did. And if Eddie had told someone, Andy knew that he would have warned her.

It took her too long to respond - both Robin and Steve had started laughing, almost as if both could see the gears turning in Andy's head as she struggled to find an excuse.

"We know," Steve spared her the struggle. Usually, when speaking about her boyfriends and love life, Steve had a deep frown gracing his face - that night, he was smiling. "When you went MIA on New Year's Eve, we drove over to your place."

"We wanted to get wasted with you, but um… we saw the light in your apartment was on, and Eddie's van was parked in front, so we… did the math," Robin explained.

Hiding was the last thing on Andy's mind that night, and knowing how easily they could have gotten caught that night left her feeling uneasy. The notion that if Robin and Steve hadn't spotted Eddie's van, they likely would have barged into her apartment like they did so many times before, and caught them? It made Andy sick to her stomach.

"So… you've known all along?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Steve confirmed. "Fucking finally, if you ask me. But yeah, you can totally bring Eddie to our movie nights from now on."

"I'm very suspicious of your willingness to let him in," Andy commented, and she was talking directly to her brother then, not Robin. "You always made it a point to keep a very, very safe distance between yourself and anyone I was dating."

"Because you were always dating assholes," Steve casually shrugged, as if that one line could explain anything. "Not only is Eddie not an asshole, but he's also like… stupidly in love with you. I don't have to worry about him breaking your heart - hell, if anything, I should be worried about you breaking his," he joked, but Andy didn't laugh. In fact, she smacked him on the back of the head. "What the fuck was that for?!" Steve demanded.

"You know damn well what it was for," Andy glared at her brother. "I'm fine with all the jokes and all, but I legitimately care about Eddie. More than I thought I would. So maybe it's time to retire the jokes about me being an emotionless bitch, huh?"

"Not to be one to defend Steve, because like, yuck," Robin joked before turning serious again. "But he never said that. No one sees you that way, Andy, especially not people who actually know you."

"Exactly! In fact, I wish you were an emotionless bitch, 'cause that would mean that no one could hurt you like Jared the asshole did," Steve frowned at the thought of Andy's ex, reminding her just how much he hated the guy. Andy was sure, even back when the breakup was fresh, that Steve would have celebrated it, had the relationship not ended the way it did. He was too pissed off in Andy's stead to get a chance and be happy about her no longer being connected with Jared. In fact, the only reason why Steve hadn't kicked Jared's ass was that Andy told him not to.

Well, she threatened him, but semantics.

"Oh god Steve, please don't tell me that you're going to talk to Eddie," Andy whined, realizing that despite being somewhat of a friend to Steve, Eddie likely wouldn't be spared from "the talk". There were plenty of reasons why Andy didn't bother with long-term relationships after Jared, and one of them was because whoever wanted to be with her had to go through Steve, first. She had hoped he'd have dropped the act, given their age.

"Of course I will," Steve looked at her like she was completely insane. "You're my sister. As annoying as you are, it's my duty to protect you."

"Steve, I didn't need your protection since kindergarten," Andy reminded him, but it was too late - her brother was in his own world.

"Actually," he continued as he stood up, nearly dropping a bowl of popcorn that he held in his lap for the duration of the movie. "I'll see if Eddie can come over now. It's not too late for him to join us, and we can totally have the talk."

"Steve-" Andy started again, yelling after him, but it was too late - Steve was talking to himself as he had reached the phone and began dialing Eddie's number. Exchanging looks with Robin, Andy could only sigh and hope that Eddie would come up with an excuse.

Deep down, Andy knew that he wouldn't. And as much as she wanted to avoid the whole situation with Steve, a part of her hoped that Eddie would show up. Because at the end of the day, what she wanted more than anything was to spend more time with him. If that meant spending time with her brother at the same time, while watching movies they all already knew by heart, she was willing to make that sacrifice.

Robin was watching her, and the smile that appeared on her face made Andy wonder if her friend knew, or guessed, where her thoughts were going. "You do know it's going to take a lot more than Steve to chase Eddie away from you, right?" she asked.

Andy wanted to make a joke, something to shake Robin off her trail; she wanted to make fun of Steve and his whole protective, yet very useless, brother act. She wanted to pretend like what she now had with Eddie didn't mean as much as Robin obviously thought it did. Andy would have said just about anything to make Robin less suspicious, but it was too late for that. Robin could tell, and Andy knew it, too, that Andy's emotions were written all over her face. Denial was useless.

"I really fucking like him," Andy admitted in a low voice, doing her best to make sure that Steve doesn't hear a single word - judging from the silence, Eddie still hasn't picked up the phone. "And I… I wasn't ready to be this happy, this soon."

"That's good, though," insisted Robin. "All things considered, you have so little to worry about when it comes to Eddie. You don't have to go through the whole phase of getting to know one another, when you already know how the other one breathes. If anything, you are in a perfect setting. I say, let go of it all and just enjoy the ride. I haven't ever seen you smile as much as you did since New Year's Eve and in my book, that's more than enough. Enjoy it, have fun and love hard. You deserve it."

"I do, don't I?" Andy hesitated before asking. It was strange, as she'd never really given it much thought before. She enjoyed everything about Eddie, but not once did it cross her mind that everything he was giving her, she deserved. And in a strange way, she did. She deserved to be with a nice guy that could make her laugh, a guy that would look for her in any room he steps foot in, a guy that would pout when she pulled away from their kisses and who would let her pick the music they listened to. She deserved it. She deserved him.

"Well!" Steve's booming voice snapped Andy out of her brief daydream. "Eddie's on his way here. It's a win-win for everyone!"

It wasn't a win-win for everyone, not as far as Andy was concerned, but at least she will get to see Eddie sooner than she thought she would. It was all about the small victories.