(May 1986)

"I think we—I think tomorrow, I should go back to school."

The remark catches Eddie off guard, because the two of them had managed to spend the entirety of the day, including their brief interlude with Max, talking about anything and everything aside from school, Sadie's family or Chrissy Cunningham. Eddie hadn't wanted to say anything himself, because for once, Sadie actually seemed to be at ease. Or at least, as close to at ease as possible, given the circumstances.

Apparently she had since decided to take matters into her own hands.

"You don't have to—you don't need to be there, if you don't want to be," She presses, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and perching on the edge of the couch cushions, her teeth digging into her lower lip, "I don't want to make you—"

"Okay, first of all? Nobody is making me do anything."

"Eddie—"

"Let me finish," Eddie insists, scooting over to sit beside Sadie, and suppressing a faint grin as she seems to instinctively lean against his side, "Second, if you think I'm letting you walk into a war zone on your own, you're insane."

"War zone?"

"And here I thought you'd take issue with me calling you insane."

"Oh I already know I'm that," Sadie shrugs, smiling a bit as she bumps her shoulder against Eddie's, her nerves abating momentarily in response to Eddie's answering laugh, "I just never—thought of school as a war zone before but I guess it—I guess it kind of fits, now."

"Because you're spending so much time with—"

"No. Even if—Eddie, even if I never said a word to you, I'd still be public enemy number one because of—because of Chrissy."

"Well can I level with you?"

"Of—of course."

"I'm like—ridiculously glad you decided to say some words to me."

Sadie tries for nudging his arm again in retaliation, and Eddie dodges the act, winding his arm around Sadie's shoulders to pull her close. He rolls onto his side not long after, dragging Sadie with him until she is sprawled over top of him on the couch.

She squirms a bit, to get more comfortable, and Eddie grunts as her elbow accidentally connects with his stomach, the sound of Sadie's soft laugh making him wonder if, even with rogue elbows, he might just die the happiest man on earth.

"Sorry—"

"I think I'll live."

"You think?" Sadie asks, somehow managing to get her elbow between Eddie's side and the back of the couch to take most of her weight, regardless of Eddie's previous reassurances that she is apparently incapable of squishing him.

"Yeah. Pretty damn positive, in fact."

The smile Sadie gives in response to the reassurance is nearly blinding, and Eddie leans forward enough to press his mouth to hers, the fingers of his free hand carding through her hair while the other remains, palm-flat against the small of her back. The happy sigh she makes sets his heart to pounding erratically, a groan escaping as he tentatively brushes the tip of his tongue against the seam of her lips.

But then Sadie is pulling away, a frown marring her features, and Eddie feels the ground opening up, ready to swallow him whole.

"Shit, I—sorry, did I—"

"No! No, it's not that!" Sadie exclaims, a hand coming to rest on Eddie's chest, enough to feel the telltale thudding of his heart beneath her fingertips, "I just—I think I need to—to end things."

"End things."

"With Andy. It's just—if I'm going to keep kissing you, I feel like—like I shouldn't still have a boyfriend."

"Do you—do you want to?"

"Do I want to what?"

"Keep kissing me," Eddie clarifies, aware of the slight flush to Sadie's cheeks, though to her credit she continues to meet his gaze head-on, only hesitating for the briefest of moments before she replies.

"Of course I do."

"You—you do?"

Sadie doesn't say anything, instead choosing to lean forward to kiss Eddie again, every last part of her hating the idea of pulling away. She can feel his arm tightening around her waist, and she focuses on that feeling. On the warmth Eddie seems to be radiating as every inch of her body is pressed against his.

The moment ends all too quickly because she knows she has to exert at least some manner of self-control, her voice more than a little breathy as she pulls back and offers Eddie a tentative smile.

"How's that for proof?"

"I think I might be able to work with that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Eddie nods, the pad of his thumb brushing against Sadie's cheek until she straightens up to sitting, and reaches for his hand to tug him up after her, "You're sure you're okay with this?"

"Okay with—with what? The kissing, or—or school?"

"Both, I guess."

"I'm okay with the kissing," Sadie admits, flushing again, and attempting to duck her head down to her lap, at least until Eddie tucks a finger beneath her chin to keep her gaze on him, instead, "School, though? I'll—I mean, I need to just—to rip off the bandaid."

"Don't feel like you have to do that because of me."

"I don't."

"Sadie—"

"I don't. Really. I'd be doing this even if I didn't—well, you know—even if we weren't—"

"Kissing."

"Exactly."

"You're sure?" Eddie persists, watching as Sadie gives an almost immediate nod, her hand latching onto his to thread their fingers together at exactly the same time.

"I'm positive. I need to do this. And the longer I put it off, the more I'll find other excuses to avoid it, so—"

"So we're ripping off the bandaid tomorrow."

"We?" Sadie questions, clearly about to protest against Eddie's involvement, at least until he stops her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"Yes. We. Like I said, I'm not letting you walk into the war zone alone."

Emotion threatens to clog Sadie's throat, guilt over dragging Eddie into her problems at odds with the nearly overwhelming relief she feels at the prospect of not having to face everything alone. And she knows she'll never convince him to abandon her, even if she wants to.

The fact of the matter is, she really doesn't want to.

"Okay. Okay," She finally agrees, reaching on instinct for Eddie's other hand, and smiling when he takes it willingly not long after, "But the second Andy or Jason try to start something with you—"

"I start something back."

"No! You walk away!"

"Never gonna happen," Eddie disagrees, once again hurrying to move forward before Sadie can even attempt to protest, "Sadie, I am going to be the literal worst pain in your ass tomorrow. Stuck to you like—you know, like one of those things on the side of a ship—"

"You mean like a barnacle?"

"Yep. That's it."

"You're going to get yourself punched in the face," Sadie groans, already picturing the literal hell Eddie will be putting himself through if he even tries to get in Jason or Andy's way. But Eddie doesn't seem all that concerned. In fact, he's staring at her with that familiar smile she wishes she didn't need as much as she needs air to breathe…

Even though his next words are far from reassuring, Sadie would be lying if she said they weren't what she had been expecting all along.

"Wouldn't be the first time. And this time, I think it'll come with a far happier ending."

"Oh? How's that?"

"Well, last time, I didn't have a pretty girl that could kiss it all better, did I?"

Sadie laughs before she can stop herself, her attention almost entirely captivated by the way Eddie's eyes seem to shine with their shared amusement. She can't remember ever feeling like this. This—genuinely happy, even with the reality of school looming on the horizon.

And even if her entire world ends up imploding tomorrow, she is more than a little relieved to know she isn't going to be facing it alone.

…

(Present Day)

"If you take the last slice of pepperoni, Dingus, I swear to God I will kill you!"

"Better come stop me, then!"

"Excuse me. I have a murder to commit," Robin says, hopping up from her position sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table, and chasing after Steve as he disappears into the kitchen. Sadie spends a moment watching after them, chewing nervously on her lower lip.

She can practically feel Eddie watching her, and her heart feels like it is about to pound out of her chest, the sensation only easing just a bit as Chrissy takes the silence as an opportunity to shove her unfinished slice of cheese pizza Eddie's way.

"Here you go."

"You don't—you don't want the rest?" Eddie asks, the quiet shake of the head Chrissy gives him prompting a faint smile as he accepts the plate with relative ease, "Thanks, Princess."

Chrissy beams at the nickname, and Sadie feels her heart twisting inside her chest, the full-blown smile Eddie gives the little girl in return causing a lump to form in her throat, nearly choking her on the spot. But she can do this. She can hold herself together for a night. She has to.

Now is hardly the time for any sort of last minute confession, because Sadie knows, somehow, that Eddie would probably want to hear what she had to say when they were alone.

"You okay?"

"Hmm? Me? Yeah. No, I—I'm fine," Sadie stammers, frowning as she realizes that Eddie is obviously not buying her reply for a second, "Really. I'm—I'm good."

"So you're not uh—upset because—"

"Because of what?"

"I mean it's a bit obvious, what they're doing," Eddie shrugs, inclining his head toward the kitchen, where Steve and Robin made an admittedly hasty retreat, "Giving us alone time, and shi—uh—stuff like that."

"Nice catch."

"Thanks."

"And for the record, we aren't technically alone," Sadie corrects, sending an obvious glance Chrissy's way, Eddie's answering laugh bringing a light flush to her cheeks in response, "The walls have ears."

"Seriously?"

"Don't let the cute and innocent act fool you. She's dangerous when she wants to be. And she hears literally everything."

"Kids, right?"

"You have no idea."

Sadie winces almost as soon as the words leave her mouth, because even though she knows Eddie probably won't take it that way, she can't quite see the remark coming across as anything other than a dig against him. And she is partially to blame for that. Actually, no, she is fully to blame for that.

She blinks against the sudden sting of tears, but then Eddie is reaching across the small space between them to grab her hand, her entire body going rigid before she can even attempt to stop it.

"Sorry. Did I—I shouldn't have—"

"No, it—it's fine."

"You sure about that?" Eddie questions, drawing his hand back slowly, as though any sudden movements will cause Sadie to bolt altogether, "You kinda look like a stiff breeze is gonna break you in two."

"It's fine."

"Mama, you don't look so good."

"I'm fine, baby. Promise," Sadie assures, reaching out to draw Chrissy into her side, and pressing a kiss against the top of her head. Eddie's attention seems to be focused on the slice of pizza she had given him, at least for the time-being. And Sadie uses the absence of his observation on her as a moment to collect her thoughts, swallowing past the anxious knot in her throat as best she can while Eddie breaks the sudden uneasiness between them after only another moment or two of silence.

"She's brutally honest. I'll give her that."

"What's that mean?"

Sadie can't help the snort that escapes in response to Chrissy's question, and Eddie's suddenly stricken expression, and she can practically see the gears turning in his head as he tries to come up with some way to explain. He looks to her for assistance, his mouth opening and closing a couple times, and Sadie suddenly cannot stop the full blown laugh that escapes, her shoulders shaking as she lifts a hand to cover her mouth, while risking what will hopefully be an apologetic look his way.

"Laughing at a man when he's down. Real smooth, Carver."

"I'm sorry. It's just—you looked so—"

"Ridiculous? Pathetic? Lost?"

"No. Well maybe lost, but—adorably lost?"

"So you think I'm adorable."

"I didn't—"

"Actually, yeah, you—you kinda did," Eddie teases, pleased to see Sadie's tentative smile, and even more thrilled at the flush that is darkening on her cheeks, "Turns out the kid's not the only good listener around here."

"So it would seem."

"This might not have all that much to do with listening but uh—what would you say to that—catch up thing—tomorrow?"

"What's a catch up thing?"

Now it is Sadie's turn to appear lost over her daughter's inquiry, and Eddie stifles his own laugh, though the act is rather short lived as Steve chimes in on the conversation while both he and Robin rejoin them.

"Eddie's asking your mommy out on a date."

"Steve!"

"Jesus, Harrington," Eddie gripes, running both hands across his face, and sending Steve a glare in response to the rather obvious kick to the shin he receives beneath the table, "Ow."

"What? A guy can't mess around with his friends?"

"I think what you're doing is more like shooting a sitting duck."

"Well—is Sadie going?" Robin inquires, turning to look at her intended target, and grinning broadly as Sadie's mouth opens, closes, and opens again like some sort of fish stranded on dry land, "Are you?"

"I—"

"Oh come on, live a little! Steve and I can keep an eye on this little nugget, and—"

"She doesn't have to say yes if she doesn't want to, Robin," Eddie interrupts, picking apart the crust of the pizza Chrissy had given him because he feels like if he doesn't have some other outlet to focus his attention on, he will fly apart at the seams. A part of him is glad for Steve and Robin's presence, if for no other reason than that he knows Sadie seems far more at ease with them, rather than on her own with him. But the other part still wishes he was with only her, and Chrissy, particularly when she still carefully avoids his eyes while she speaks, like Steve and Robin have somehow subconsciously pressured her to say anything at all.

"I want—I want to."

"Sadie—"

"I want to. Really," Sadie repeats, ignoring Steve and Robin as best she can, and taking a shaky breath before shifting to look Eddie in the eye, "So just um—name the—the time and place?"

"You still hooked on chili cheese fries?"

Sadie smiles—really smiles, then—the idea of Eddie remembering something trivial like that warming her in a way she does not fully understand. And even though she can feel Steve and Robin watching her, she manages a nod, for the moment choosing to believe that everything will work itself out. That she and Eddie can catch up in every sense of the word, and maybe the secret she carries won't cause her entire life to go up in flames.

She isn't entirely sure she will have the courage to tell Eddie everything tomorrow night, but at least she will have a chance to try.

If nothing else, she can try and get a feel for his general mood towards her, and hopefully have enough to go on from there.

…

(May 1986)

Somehow, Sadie manages to force herself to walk into the school the following morning without clinging to Eddie like a lifeline. She even makes it to her locker, withdrawing the books for her first few classes without significant event. At her insistence, Eddie had already peeled off to make it to his own first class, though not without significant and emphatic protests.

A small part of her misses his steady presence at her side, but she knows that a part of going back to normal means doing things that are normal…

And Eddie Munson tailing her to every class is definitely not normal.

For now, she will have to settle for the knowledge that he is in the building. He's with her, somewhere, even if not directly at her side.

All things considered, that is certainly better than nothing.

Squaring her shoulders, Sadie shuts her locker door, prepared to move on to her first class, only to find herself freezing in place as a familiar form appears, leaning against the wall just two small steps away.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Andy, I—hi."

"That's it? 'Hi'? That's all you have," Andy hisses, stepping a bit closer, and grabbing onto Sadie's upper arm when she instinctively moves to back away, "Your best friend dies, and you—what. Fall off the grid?"

"I just—I just needed time."

"Time."

"Yes. Time," Sadie confirms, hating how her voice has almost immediately lowered, as though she is already starting to shrink in on herself whether she wants to or not, "I'm sorry. I never—I never meant to worry you."

"Worry me? No, Sadie, you didn't worry me. You pissed me the hell off!"

Sadie doesn't have a chance to react or try to placate Andy, the wind knocking out of her lungs as her back collides with the lockers behind where she stands. The sound the impact creates is muffled beneath the milling throng of students, and other locker doors slamming closed along the way. And as she bites back a whimper, knowing it will only egg Andy on, Sadie tries to gently pry her arm from his grasp, while the dial of one of the lockers digs into her lower back.

"Andy—Andy, I'm sorry. Please—"

"Where the hell were you, huh? Because your parents told me something really interesting about you shacking up with the freak."

Sadie's blood runs cold, and she scrambles to think of some other plausible reason for her absence, but fails almost as soon as she begins. And she can tell Andy sees it. She watches, as the truth dawns in his expression, followed quickly by something she can only describe as rage.

His hand tightens on her arm to the point of causing her pain, and this time Sadie is unable to stifle her cry as he yanks her forward, and then shoves her back against the lockers for a second time.

"You lying little slut."

"Andy—"

"You gave it up for him, didn't you?"

"No, I—"

"I've been trying to talk you into sex for months, but trailer trash comes along, and what? You just—give it up for free?"

"That's not what—"

"You've been fucking him, haven't you?" Andy demands, stooping down to growl the words in Sadie's ear, the feel of his breath gusting against her skin causing her to shiver, "Answer me!"

"Andy!"

Sadie wishes she could take some form of relief over hearing the familiar voice of her brother, but instead, the sound just causes her breath to strangle in her throat. Jason's gaze meets her own as Andy's hold loosens just a bit on her arm, and for a moment, she wonders if he will step in on her behalf.

As soon as she sees the disgust in his expression, though, she knows help will be the very last thing Jason gives her.

"C'mon, man. We can't be late to class again or Coach will make us ride the bench."

"Jason—"

"Andy, let's go," Jason cuts over my plea, turning to head off in the direction of his first class, and refusing to spare Sadie a backward glance. She can feel the tears burning at the corners of her eyes, and her teeth dig into her lower lip in an effort to keep them at bay.

Andy practically sneers at her as he tightens his hold on her arm once again, crowding her back against the lockers, and Sadie has to fight back bile at the barely veiled threat hidden beneath his words.

"This isn't over, slut."

"Actually, it—it is."

Sadie isn't sure what gives her the wherewithal to say anything at all, and she spends a moment mentally kicking herself for doing so when her voice is barely loud enough to qualify as a whisper. For a moment, she fears Andy will strike her, the anger radiating through him almost palpable. But all he does is give her another shove into the lockers as he removes his hand from her arm, her back smarting from the contact as she braces herself for whatever he will say or do next.

"You wanna saddle yourself with that freak, fine. But don't come crying to me when he uses you up and spits you out like yesterday's trash."

Watching Andy jog off to catch up with Jason, Sadie tells herself this is what she wanted. A clean break. Andy out of her life. Closure.

But as she reaches up a hand to dash away an errant tear, and forces her leaden limbs to move towards her own class, Sadie cannot seem to shake the feeling that the worst is yet to come.

…

Hello everyone! And welcome to another new chapter in Sadie and Eddie's AU! I apparently can't stop hopping back and forth between angst mountain and fluff mountain, so I do hope none of you mind all that much. I promise, there is a method to my madness, even if it may not seem like it at the time!

Special thanks, as always, go to everyone who has taken the time to read, follow, favorite and review this story thus far! (And a huge shoutout to BlackRoseBooks for leaving a review the last time around! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope you continue to enjoy where things go from here!)

Until next time, darlings…

MOMM