No-one saw much of Rosie for the rest of the week. She got up first thing in the mornings and came in just to eat dinner and catch some sleep. Dustin's mom remarked that she was going to work herself into a coma, and he was starting to believe it. On Friday she arrived home well after 10pm, giddily waving an envelope. A smaller brown envelope was pushed into his mom's hands.

"No you keep that, Rosie!"

"Come on, Claudia." She laughed. "It's not much. Just something to help pay the bills. And some coupons for the store, too."

"Coupons?" At the sound of potential bargains, Claudia took it. "But best not make a habit of this!"

"I will!"

Dustin barely had time to tell her that he had spoken to Eddie, that he was ready to make amends, and that he spent most of their DND meetings watching the door for her. When he finally explained everything, he was surprised that she didn't run out the door to find him.

"I just thought, you know. You two would want to, um, get back on track?"

Rosie shrugged. "I want to, but what happened still stings, Dust."

He hung his head. "Oh."

"Not that it's anybody's fault. I know it was all one big misunderstanding. But I still need a little time to get my head straight."

So she took time. She worked and she worked until she looked like she might drop. She sat in the garden and read. When she had enough time, she drove him around and picked him up. From time to time she even slipped him a few bucks, under oath of secrecy.

"You need to talk to Rosie." He said to Eddie eventually.

Munson climbed into his van and slammed the door. "Why?"

"Because you two are drifting further and further apart!"

"I know."

Dustin couldn't stand how forlorn he sounded. Just like Rosie. "So do something!"

"It's not that easy, Henderson."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Look, if she comes to me, I'll talk."

He scowled. "You think she needs to -"

"I'm not saying she needs to apologize. I just -" Eddie drummed the steering wheel. "Part of me wonders if maybe she's realized I- this isn't worth it."

"Bullshit." Dustin yelled as the van pulled away: "That's bullshit!"

He waited. He hoped. He prayed. Then the blessed day came, when he walked out of Hellfire Club and spotted Rosie's maroon station wagon parked in the rain. Dustin ran up to the driver's side and banged on the window.

"I swear if you've left any grubby handprints-"

"He's still inside."

"Huh?"

"Eddie!"

Rosie's eyes fixed on the door. "I don't know…"

Dustin took three steps back, standing with fists at his sides in the downpour. "I'm not getting in the car til you go. Just say 'Hi', I don't care. Go!"

"Fine!" Since when had he gotten so bossy.

Club was in a different room this time, a prop room further down the hall. The walls were lined with racks of colorful costumes, and papier-mache projects hung from the walls. Eddie sat in the midst of it alone, flipping through his campaign journal.

"Hi."

The notebook hit the floor, and his hand went to his chest. "Jesus H Christ!"

"Oops."

"Where did you come from?"

"The door."

"Very funny."

She lingered by a hatstand, not sure how to start. "Long time no see?"

"Yeah."

Not the best approach.

"How's the job?"

Better. "Good. It's good."

Eddie took a good long look at her, up and down. It made her nervous, and not like before. This was more cautious. "You know I'm kinda disappointed."

"Wh-what?!"

"I kinda wanted to see you in one of those sexy smocks."

She laughed. He laughed. Some of the tension left the room. "Maybe next time."

"There's a 'next time'?"

"I hope so."

"So you're not, um… here to tell me it's over?"

She had never seen that expression on his face before. Worry. Fear. Helplessness. Rosie never wanted to witness it again. "No!"

"I mean nothing ever really began, did it?" He bit his lip, still pinning her with those puppy-dog eyes. "It's weird. Being so attached to something that never really was."

"I want it to!" She blurted, rushing over. Fuck feeling awkward, or not knowing what to say. She would not let him think she didn't. "I know it took me a while to say it. I-I didn't know how. But everything that happened before was all dumb. A big dumb mess."

"You're sure?"

"Eddie!" The other chairs had been stacked away, so she knelt in front of him, resting her arms on his knees in an effort to force him to see her face, to understand that she meant it. "I'm sure."

A little smile. He could be so damned sweet, this guy. He turned his hands and let her slip her fingers around them. Then his expression shifted, his eyes taking her in once again. His head tilted and his tongue traced the line of his lips. She was still kneeling in front of him, and it was becoming obvious that he liked it.

Rosie felt her ears burning. A few weeks ago she probably would have jumped up and ran away. Today, she held his gaze, twisting the ring on his middle finger.

"Come here."

Eagerly, she obeyed, letting him pull her up and into his lap. Ignoring the ominous creaking the chair made. Holding her facing him, for a long while he just hugged her. Rosie ran her hands up and down his back, stroking his hair. When he turned his face to hers there was no hesitation; only the taste of him. He engulfed her, and Rosie made a little noise, struggling to keep up. It seemed with each kiss he evolved, and this Eddie was much more sure of what he was doing. Every movement more deliberate, right down to the low moans in the back of his throat. Rosie felt rather than heard them when she slid her tongue into his mouth. Felt him rock his hips, too, cupping her ass and squeezing her against him. She let another little whimper out and he broke apart to whisper: "Is this ok?"

"Yes."

"Good?"

"Good."

"Shit." Eddie was nibbling her neck now, encouraged by the hitch in her breath. He pulled her sweater aside and bit her shoulder.

"Ah!"

He sprang upright, an impish little grin now plastered across his face. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"You like that."

Still finding it hard not to hide from him, she nodded. Carefully, he leaned over again and clamped his teeth down on another spot. Rosie's fist bunched in his hair, and he rocked his hips to add to her frustration.

"Eddie…"

"Say it again."

She licked his ear, very much aware of the shudder it sent through him. "Eddie."

A small growl. Emboldened, his fingers found their way past her clothes, under her bra. He cupped both of her tits, letting out an excited little groan, toying with them, lapping and biting at her neck, allowing her to kiss him desperately as she began to grind against him. Oh, but this was nice. He sat back now, hands still greedy, gaze hungry as he watched her get off from nothing but the bulge in his jeans.

"Ride it out, Sweetheart." He mumbled thickly. Was he enjoying this, too? Ringed fingers slid as far as they could beyond the waistband of her pants, pinching. He swept her hair out of her face, rapt in the show she was putting on. When he ran a thumb over her lips she licked and then sucked on it, not shy about her teeth, insides heating at his devious grin. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she quivered to a halt, biting back a moan. His head tilted the other way, questioning. She nodded back. Yes, I'm done. He was there again, kissing so hard she lost her breath again, filling her ears with soft Hmmms of satisfaction.

Part of her wanted to take it further. An animalistic part of Rosie wanted him to just throw her on the table and have his way, but the rational part told her to slow down, pull away, and just stare at him again.

"Too much?" Eddie caressed her cheek now, touching his lips sweetly to hers. His voice was so gentle, but there was a heaviness that betrayed the very natural effect she was having on him.

"No. Not too much." Rosie let her tongue trace the line of his mouth, falling into those dark pits of eyes. "I just, um-"

"Ssshhhh." He nuzzled her. "Only as much as you want. Nothing but what you want."