In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

Eddie was perched on the high sloping rock that faced Skull Rock, waiting for "the team" to join him. He had drawn an elaborate heart in Sharpie with EM + BC inside of it on the rock he sat on and was now doodling D&D weapons and Beck's demon from their Hellfire shirts around it.

He had started this "art" because he felt like he was full of bees and needed to focus on something else. The drawing had taken up so much of his attention that he didn't notice people approaching until he heard Steve and Dustin bickering basically underneath him.

He dropped to the ground, landing beside them and pulling a stern face as he said, "I agree. You Dustin Henderson are a complete butthead."

Dustin's face went slack with relief and he slammed into Eddie, hugging him hard.

"Jesus! We thought you were a gonner," he said, overly honest as always.

Eddie reluctantly wrapped his arms around Dustin and agreed with his assessment. He didn't know how he had made it this far but somehow he was still going.

And then Beck walked out of the bushes directly in front of him and everything else in the world melted away.

Dustin quickly moved as Eddie rushed to her and caught her in a hug. He knew he was probably hugging her too tightly but he needed to feel her in his arms and smell her skin and her hair. She was also crushing his ribs just as hard which made him feel less bad about it.

He relaxed his arms slightly and she caught his chin and pulled his face to hers. The feeling of her lips on his sent electricity rushing down his entire body and he deepened the kiss wanting to stay this way, in this moment, forever. She met his fervor until he bore down harder and Beck winced in pain.

He pulled back, truly examining her face for the first time. Her lip was turning blue-black and while it wasn't actively bleeding, there was a cut running through her top and bottom lip that was livid and had not even begun to heal. Her eyes were rimmed and red and she had dark swooshes under her eyes that he had only seen on her when she was maxing out her capacity for stress.

Eddie ran his fingertips over her lip and she caught his hand, turning her face in to kiss his palm.

"I should never have left you," he said and Beck heard the break in his voice.

She reached up and pulled his head down so their foreheads pressed together, her fingers idly combing out the tangles in his hair. "I told you to. I wanted you to."

"I shouldn't have listened."

Beck's eyes flashed at him and she tugged on a lock of his hair in reprimand. "They would have killed you."

"But I abandoned you."

He felt so guilty that it was like a physical weight trying to crush him. He closed his eyes and thought that maybe dead would be better than coward if it meant she would be safe.

"I want you here with me and I don't care what we have to do to make that happen," Beck said, catching his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Did you at least fuck him up?" Eddie asked, still fixated on her injured lip.

"Four stitches according to the EMTs," she said. She heard Steve mutter a low swear beside them and couldn't help but smirk at the pleased look Eddie was giving her.

"That's my girl," he said, kissing her more gently. As he took in the rest of her, Eddie finally recognized the black t-shirt she was wearing which made him smile in spite of the circumstances.

"I love how you look in my clothes," he murmured and Beck felt a true grin spread across her face for the first time since D&D.

"Don't want to interrupt..." Nancy said delicately, "but we do have some questions."

Beck turned around in Eddie's arms and he leaned back against a boulder. He refused to let go of her and rested his chin on top of her head as she began to play with his rings.

"What happened after…?" Nancy asked, unsure how to frame the question in a way that didn't involve Eddie leaving Beck or Patrick dying.

"When I made it to shore, my walkie was busted, drenched. I tried calling you guys but no luck. So I did the thing I do now, apparently…"

Beck heard his tone shifting to slightly manic self-deprecation before he even finished the thought.

"I ran. Ow!" Eddie looked down at where she had pinched the back of his hand hard. She glowered at him since she had nothing else to say that she hadn't already said and he kissed her temple in apology.

"Do you know what time the attack was?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah," Eddie said, undoing his watch and tossing it to her without removing his arms from around Beck. "I know exactly what time it was."

The two of them listened as the others began a conversation that made almost no sense to Beck and only slightly more sense to Eddie.

"The hell is wrong with Dustin?" she asked as her gaze landed on him pacing around behind everyone.

"Fine. Just mental," Steve answered before Dustin yelled that he was right and the two of them started bickering about his goddamn compass.

Beck dropped her head back on Eddie's shoulder and he immediately kissed her forehead.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Head hurts," she murmured, noticing the look Max was giving her but hoping Eddie didn't.

When they turned their attention back to the group, Dustin was insisting that they find a gate and Steve correctly pointed out that Eddie was still wanted. Dustin insisted that this could save Eddie and that drew Beck into the conversation.

"I don't see why saving him involves him going to this 'upside down' world," she snapped, digging her fingers into his coat sleeves.

"And you think leaving him under this rock is better?"

Eddie felt Beck start to lunge over at Dustin and he tightened his arms around her hard.

"No I don't," she snapped. "And I have the sense to see those aren't our only options!"

"She's right," Max cut in. They don't know anything about Vecna and we can't just drag them in. He's too strong. There are other places we can hide him."

"What other places?" Steve asked.

"No one bought the Byers's house after they moved..." Lucas said and that drew everyone's attention to him. "It's safe enough for now."

"That's a good idea," Nancy agreed. "Dustin, give us your map!"

Dustin handed it over with obvious annoyance and Nancy began to outline how they could get there through the woods.

"You'll have to skirt the Hawkins Lab," she said, holding Eddie's gaze since Beck had no point of reference for it. "Stay out of there unless you can't avoid it."

"Stay out of abandoned government lab that was shut down after a girl disappeared there. Check!" Eddie echoed and Beck's eyebrows shot up.

"What the hell is wrong with this town?!" she asked looking between all the concerned faces around her.

"Vecna," Max said simply and Beck shivered.

Eddie took the map from Nancy and grabbed his things, including the stolen walkie from under the rock, while Beck caught Max's arm.

"Let us know what happens," she said. "We want to help."

"The Shire is burning," Eddie said, catching her hand in his and looking over at Steve and Dustin. "Let us know when it's time for the Battle of Bywater."


They mostly walked in silence as Eddie led them through the woods, his sense of direction still Boy Scout accurate. Beck followed as closely as she could, occasionally tugging on Eddie's arm to get him to slow his long strides. As they passed along the edge of the long chainlink fence, she noted places where the fence had been cut, just in case. The sun was lowering on the horizon and when she asked how close they were and he said they were halfway, Beck plopped down on a log.

"Eddie, I need a break," she begged when he tried to get her back up. He sat next to her, his leg jogging with impressive speed and he began to run the pick he wore around his neck back and forth along the chain.

"Why is this house empty?" she asked, trying to distract him and get some information.

His face twisted and he didn't look at her as he explained that the youngest kid had gone missing a few years ago and people claimed the house was cursed.

"And again I ask," Beck said, "what the fuck is wrong with this town?"

"I said I didn't like you walking home at night," Eddie said, and Beck did remember that. It felt like a lifetime ago when they weren't even together yet. "I told you people go missing here."

"So the cursed home is our 'safe house' and the abandoned facility is our backup? Maybe we should swing by the burned out husk of the mall just to be safe," Beck said and Eddie huffed out a laugh.

"Not where I would put the Christmas tree," he murmured, looking sidelong at her through his bangs. "I think we can do better if we get through this."

She pulled his face down to hers for a fierce kiss and then stood. "Oh we're getting through this or I'll burn this town down to the ground myself."

By the time they arrived at the house, the light was dying and they were both exhausted. Eddie picked the lock on the back door and they slipped in unnoticed. After they assessed that there was no power and no heat, Beck quickly drew the curtains in the living room that faced the road as Eddie began poking around for any food. The kitchen was empty but as they scanned the rest of the house they took inventory of a sofa that had been left behind, a box frame in one of the bedrooms, and some blankets in the closet.

Eddie got the blankets down and a radio slipped from beneath the pile and dropped to the floor. The impact jarred it on and they both heard a newscaster talking about the town hall that had taken place that afternoon.

They stood frozen in horror as they heard Jason yell, "These murders are ritualistic sacrifices … And Eddie Munson is the leader of one of these cults."

Erica Sinclair's voice cut through but she was silenced and Jason continued, "Let us cast out this evil and save Hawkins together!"

The newscaster returned, saying, "A police curfew has been put into place and citizens are to remain indoors as the police continue the search for Eddie Munson."

Eddie kicked the radio across the room with a yell of anger and buried his hands in his hair. There was really nothing to say so Beck waited, her heart breaking. He finally drew his hands down his face and she could tell he was close to tears.

"You are not who they say you are," she said, moving into his line of vision and staring deep into his dark eyes. "I love you."

Eddie broke her gaze and stared hard over her shoulder at the floor but Beck pulled on his hands until he followed her. She grabbed the blankets and lay across the couch, pulling him down as well. He willingly gave in and lay facedown along her body, Beck's legs wrapped around him.

"This is never going to end," he finally murmured into her shoulder, arms wrapped around her waist. "I'm going to die or end up in prison. Exactly like my parents."

"Not while I'm alive," she murmured. She was clearly half asleep already and the warmth and relative safety also had him fighting off sleep. "I'll join this Vecna if that's what it takes. I'm not a huge fan of Hawkins anyway."

Eddie wanted to protest that this was not a particularly funny joke but his eyelids were so heavy and the sound of her breathing was so soothing that the words never left his head.


Beck jerked awake with a cry and Eddie tried to sit up fast but only succeeded in falling off the couch. It was pitch black outside and without his watch neither of them had any sense of time.

"I'm sorry," Beck croaked. "I dreamed about my …"

She trailed off, remembering the "symptoms" Max had laid out. Eddie still didn't know anything about this so he was looking up at her from the floor with open sympathy and no concern beyond that. Beck intended to keep it that way as long as possible.

She sat up and as the blanket fell off her she was hit with a smell that immediately reminded her they had both been submerged in a lake almost a day ago.

"I'm so hungry," Eddie groaned from the floor, falling back with a thud and watching Beck wander down the hall.

"I literally don't remember the last time I ate," she agreed from somewhere out of sight.

She went quiet and then Eddie heard a yell. He stumbled out of the blanket and ran to the bathroom, brandishing the radio over his head for a weapon. His heart was hammering as he was greeted with his girlfriend grinning back at him as water poured into the bathtub.

"Jesus," he groaned, "I thought the evil got you."

"Sorry," she said. "But I thought I saw a well in the backyard andI haven't had a shower since…"

Beck trailed off and Eddie saw her face twist in pain.

"Since I left you," he said, guilt stabbing him so hard it felt like a blade in the chest.

And she didn't argue with him which hurt twice as much. But what was there to argue with?

Without anything to say, he left her in the bathroom, stripping down as the water blasted through the showerhead, and sat on the abandoned sofa. He listened to her hiss with almost pain as the unheated water hit her and when he heard the water turn off he brought her one of the blankets. She was shivering and her skin was bluish so he cocooned her and rubbed the blanket across her skin aggressively until he heard her laughing.

Guilt aside, he knew he was pretty ripe as well so he said, "My turn," and shed his hellfire club shirt and jeans.

Beck was watching him closely and he felt his skin heat with desire. But whatever passion he felt fled his body the minute the icy water hit him and he launched into a torrent of swears while Beck laughed and examined her lip in the mirror.

"I think it should heal okay," Eddie gasped out as he watched her.

"Oh I'm just studying. I've never had close access to a busted lip and this is incredibly useful. Plus it would be a badass scar," she said and he grinned, snapping off the water.

She handed him another blanket and the two of them curled up on the couch together, snuggling for warmth.

The cold water dripping from their hair was misery and the spring chill through the house seemed to be sucking any warmth they could build up away from them. Eddie's teeth were still chattering so Beck pushed his arms open and snuggled her bare skin against his, wrapping her blanket around him as well. She rested her head on his shoulder and soon his breathing evened out.

"I am afraid," he said in a pompous voice, "that this institution will not be getting a very high review. No food and showers so cold your skin hurts."

"Indeed," Beck said in a similar voice. "I think we can do far better. I for one demand heat and a large bathtub."

"Do you now, my lady? I'm afraid I was unaware of this."

"Why yes, good sir. I do like a long soak in the tub."

Eddie began to run his fingertips over her naked back, scanning the living room.

"This place could be improved upon to be sure. For one, I would demand a long table in here," he said and she looked at him quizzically. "If this was our house."

"And why would you make such a demand?"

"For the horde of mannequin heads and extensive supplies of your trade, my lady. It would have the great benefit of both practice and scaring the hell out of the neighborhood."

"Wouldn't be nearly as scary as your guitar blasting out of the second bedroom at all hours," she teased and he tickled her ribs. She squirmed against him and the feeling sent shocks of pleasure through him, quickly heating his skin.

"Well my requisite demand would be at least six amps. Nay, a whole wall of them," she continued. "And our lady NJ Warlock would of course require a shrine."

"As she deserves," he agreed, grinning and dropping the pretense as he became caught up in the vision. "And we could set up a fire pit in the back yard and lay out on the roof when we wanted to look at the stars."

"Maybe a garden," Beck thought out loud. Eddie grinned wickedly and she rolled her eyes at him. "Not a weed garden, you dork! Like tomatoes and shit!"

"I do like tomatoes and shit," he agreed and she poked him in the ribs and it was his turn to squirm against her.

"And everything in it would be ours and no one else's. And it would be just us," Beck said, noticing now how Eddie's cock was growing hard against her thigh.

She completely understood. Everything was unstable and all she wanted was some domesticity with this boy curled up against her. Listening to him dream about their life together was unendingly hot.

Eddie saw her expression shift to longing so he sat up more against the arm of the couch and pulled her lips to his, now electric with the sensation of her skin against his. She moaned softly and buried one hand in his wet curls while the other rested on his zombie tattoo.

Their tongues tangled together and Eddie palmed her breasts roughly. Beck traced her fingers along the hollows of his hips and he gasped breathily in her ear before tracing her earlobe with his tongue. She straddled his narrow hips and they both hissed in tense desire as Eddie pulled her hips down so her core ground down against his length.

She let out a low sound as he continued to pull her hips against him and moved to trace her nipples now with his tongue. In response she pushed him back against the couch arm and sucked hard at the base of his neck.

"You feel so good," Eddie moaned and in a swift motion he picked her up and placed her on her back on the floor, blankets still around them. His skin was burning now and he wanted her desperately.

He disappeared under the blankets and Beck let out an unguarded cry as she felt his tongue along the inside of her hips, her thighs, and then her clit. She gripped at his wet hair even harder and felt him growl low in his throat.

"Guys? You there?"

Beck screamed involuntarily as the walkie squawked to life, convinced for a second that the children were suddenly there with the two of them.

Cursing a blue streak, Eddie stumbled out of the entanglement of Beck's legs and the blankets and grabbed the walkie talkie off the counter as Dustin continued to shout into it.

"Jesus Henderson!" Eddie snapped back. "What?!"

"So we found out where Watergate goes because the others went through it," Dustin said with no context but both of them knew better than to ask. "But they need help getting back. They're going to Eddie's trailer and we're going to try to meet them there but if we get caught we need backup."

"Of course you do," Beck griped as she came over to join Eddie, wrapping a blanket round her like a toga.

"You should be able to get to the trailer park through the woods to meet us there."

Beck snatched the walkie talkie from Eddie and asked Dustin if he had thought about just how bad of an idea this was.

"It's the Battle of Bywater. We want Eddie to be exonerated so we need to get them back."

"We'll be there," she said with a heavy sigh before switching the walkie off in annoyance.

"I'm going to kill him," Eddie growled as he stomped off to find his clothes. "That kid's timing is almost spiteful."

"Well let me have a turn killing him," Beck said as she slipped back into her jeans and Eddie's band shirt. "For sending us out here and then bringing us back to the worst place possible."

"Agreed," he said and then the two of them headed back out into the night.


We're back! Things got incredibly busy and I was stuck for a part of that but here we go!