Monday's movie night came and went, smoothly despite Eddie's incessant whining when she chose to watch Grease and force him to sing along with her. Tuesday was another boring day, most of which Eddie spent testing his ability in annoying Rory. He had switched seats with a kid in one of their classes that originally sat a few seats behind her in the aisle next to her just so he could throw small wads of paper at her. When that didn't work, he walked up behind her during lunch and took her notebook while she was talking to the guy friends her table was quickly being overrun with and licked her cheek when she reached for it back.
"I told you, I licked it so it's mine. I'm looking at you, Williams." He smirks as she groans playfully at the gesture, wiping her cheek as he makes a point of reaching over her to grab her small bag of pretzels as if maintaining direct eye contact with the poor boy across from her while doing so would assert any sort of dominance over him. She did manage to get him back though, once she was able to get the five supportive drunks at the Hideout to howl and clap in praise with her to their set. He struggled not to blush or laugh through the song, but couldn't wipe the smile from his face the entire night afterward.
The next night, however, was supposed to be their dinner night. Rory had promised to make dinner for them, with the added notion of not having to keep him hidden, but something didn't feel right to Eddie as her mother let him into the home. The faintly concealed shadow under her eyes, the way she forced a smile any time he spoke to her, and the way she seemed to only calm down when her hands were busy were all very alarming, but at first, he assumed it was nothing more than the odd re-accumulation she must've had to be around her daughter after such an act of betrayal. It wasn't until he went up to Rory's room that he remembered how she fidgeted in class and kept quiet in the cafeteria as if her mind was anywhere but present at the moment. He cursed himself for not noticing sooner, assuming once more that it was due to his excitement about being able to stay with her during the weekend, but it made his chest hurt when he opened her door and saw she was swaying in place on the floor. She sat with her textbooks spread out in front of her on the black fur rug in the middle of her room, rocking back and forth while humming to the songs playing in her Walkman. She was hiding something and doing everything she could to distract herself. He closes her door, crouching next to her before tapping her shoulder.
"Hey there, Sunshine. Did you forget?" He chuckles halfheartedly, his big doe eyes consumed with concern as he sits next to her, tilting his head slightly as if it helped assess her better. Her candy apple green eyes were slightly bloodshot, no doubt from straining over her textbooks and notes for so long, and her long espresso-tinted waves were pulled up into a sloppy, loose messy bun that he knew would have normally driven her insane as it hung limp between her shoulder blades.
"Forgot about what?" She asks, taking her Walkman off as if the presence of it prohibited her from further understanding. He wasn't mad that she forgot about their innocent date, this was her coping mechanism for distracting herself. Quietly, he watched her eyes fall onto the walkie-talkie he had gotten her to match his as he tested out the batteries.
"Oh my god, dinner." She huffs, pulling herself up from the floor in a panic. He chuckles softly, taking her hand to calm her down.
"It's okay, Momma Ross is on it." He gently leads her to sit back down, watching as she fights to understand where her mind went.
"Why didn't you call me?" He asks softly, shifting to sit on her bed behind her to gently tug her hair down and redo it for her. He smiles to himself as his fingers glide through her hair, wondering if she ever lost herself just the same when she'd pulled his hair up for him after he decided to take her advice on how to properly care for his hair. It may have made him slightly picky on what was put in it, but he liked knowing that she always kept a black satin scrunchie either on her wrist or in her bag just in case he needed it. She relaxes at his touch, leaning back into him as he tightens the bun by spreading the hair through it.
"I can handle it. I'm okay." She lies, smiling up at him lazily as if for a moment she truly believes she was alright. It hurt him to know she wasn't truly handling anything very well at the moment, but even more so that she wouldn't come to him for help. He didn't know how long he spent zoned out into the lines stitched into the prints of his palms, racking his brain as to what he could do to help her and what it could be that she felt she needed to hide from him of all people, but he pulls himself free of the downward spiral as her hand slides into his.
"Don't do that." She whispers softly, climbing up on the bed next to him. He watches her lie beside him, curling her body around his side as her head rests in his lap and her gentle fingers play with the chain hooked to his belt loops.
"What am I not supposed to do, Sunspot?" He tries to tease her, ignoring the rush her soft breath against his skin gave him as he traces along her hairline with his right hand.
"I know that look. You're blaming yourself, but I didn't mean to scare you. I-I just…" She tries to explain, lacing her fingers in through his before pulling it into her protectively. "I know I need to handle things on my own. It's not right for me to have to lean on you so much. You won't always be there. I can't put that kind of pressure on you." She finishes after what felt like an eternity in silence. He shifts to lie back, pulling her up into his chest as he rests against her headboard.
"I'll always be there for you. You just have to come to me." He hums softly, obviously wounded by her skepticism as he pulls her hand to his lips to kiss it soothingly.
"But you won't always be there." She huffs, pulling away to sit up as if the promise offended her. He straightened against the headboard, confused as he watched her. "Some day you're going to be a rockstar and fall in love with one of your groupies and I don't wanna hear that 'I'll always make time for you' speech because I don't want you to have to. You have to chase your dreams, Eddie, and I'll be damned if I'm what holds you back, okay?" She rambled, the panic in her tone causing him to jump into action. It was almost as if he could see the gears in her brain flying off the tracks as they ignited, trying to bombard her with anything and everything to say before she could say it, and her effort to control it all was making her feel overwhelmed. He cradled her into his chest with a half-cocked smile, hushing her gently until she was able to once again take a deep breath.
"If you think for one second I won't annoy the shit out of you with any and every success Corroded Coffin makes, you don't know me as well as I thought you did." He chuckles playfully. "You're my favorite groupie, okay? You've been to damn near every gig we've had since we met. You're my best friend and any girl who'd hope to be with me would have to go through you first." He pokes the top of her nose gently, like you would a small dog, smiling wide when she scrunches her face at the motion.
"You're damn right they will. If a girl hurts you, I swear to God…I know where Steve keeps his bat." She laughs, blushing once she realizes he may not understand that his bat isn't exactly the typical Louisville slugger that many had thrown in their sheds, choosing to ignore the pang of jealousy that sparked in her at the thought of another girl on his arm. He chuckles and nods, sitting up to grip her hips and pull her into him, tickling her just to make her laugh. The sound was beautiful, ringing with the joy and love he hoped she'd never feel the need to search for again. For a moment, he just holds her close. The world seemed to melt away as his breathing slowly matched hers, drawing circles over her hip once she cuddles into him again. It wasn't until her mother knocked on the door that he realized just how lost in her he had become as they jump apart, forcing himself off the bed.
"Careful you two." Linda laughs softly at Eddie's clumsy attempt at scrambling back to her side as if no one would notice his fall if he could just put himself back in his place next to her. "Dinner's ready. Eddie, please make sure Aurora eats this time. The right one is yours, dear. I know how you like yours a little spicy." She adds, setting the tray that held their bowls and glasses of juice onto her desk, pointing with a warning flare at her daughter before leaving the room once more.
"You're not eating again?" He asks softly as they got up from the bed. Rory sighs to herself and gave him a small apologetic smile.
"I have been a little. Just snacks here and there but I haven't felt like eating lately." She shrugs, her eyes kept lowered to the floor as she cleans up her array of books and notes on her rug. He knew even if she felt hungry for a moment, her anxiety and the need to control the things around her would force her to ignore it. No matter how proud of her he was that she was able to eat the snacks periodically, he worried for her safety as he sat with their tray of food across from her on the rug.
"From now on, call me every morning and night. We'll eat together one way or another." He nods, setting her walkie on her dresser in plain sight so she had no excuse but to include him in this newfound recovery technique of his.
"And you're eating with me at lunch." He adds, expecting her to put up some sort of a fight at joining his oddball table group. She simply nods as she picks up her spoon to play with the vegetables in the soup that sat in front of her. He clears his throat, waiting for her eyes to meet his before taking a bite as if instructing her how to do the same. She laughs softly at the exaggerated movements and follows along, eating as she should.
Once they were finished, Eddie helped her clean up. He carefully takes the dishes from her and neatly puts them back into the tray, catching her just as she stumbles when walking toward the door.
"Rory?" He asks softly, pulling her close as her legs struggle to support her weight. Her eyes glaze over, looking up at him in a stupor. Without a second thought, he bends down and picks her up, carrying her back to bed.
"I'll be right back." He whispers against her skin, smiling at the infantile whine she let out at their separation, watching as she cuddles into the comforter. He quickly picks up the tray and takes it down to the kitchen as her mother had demanded of them any time they ate in her room. From down the hall, he could see her parents fussing over the leftovers before her father finally spoke.
"Will this really help her? I don't think I can handle another night of these terrors, Linda." He huffs, pulling his glasses from the bridge of his nose to wipe a hand down his face. His eyes were just as bruised as Linda's despite her effort in hiding them.
"It should. The valium in her soup should give her the nudge she needs to rest. These nightmares of hers have to end sometime, right? She should have no reason not to sleep through the night tonight." She sighs, exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders as she snaps the lids on the bowls and puts them into the second drawer in the refrigerator.
"You drugged her? You-you used me to make sure she'd take it all." Eddie finally speaks up, dropping the tray just within the kitchen archway. Linda's face went pale white with realization, pushing away from the refrigerator toward him.
"Oh sweetie, she's just her best self with you and I…" She pauses as Richard stands on the opposite side of the counter, raising a hand in a call for silence.
"Now son, I know what you may have heard sounds bad, but I assure you…" He starts, walking toward him. A blinding rage consumed Eddie, taking control of his movements before he could even register what he was doing. He throws his weight behind one good punch to Richard's jaw and watches him drop, hard, onto the tiled floor.
"First you slap her for sleeping with her boyfriend and now you drug her so you can sleep through her night terrors?! Jesus H Christ, who the fuck are you people?" He snaps, looming over her father, daring him to get back up.
"Linda, call the police." He groans, rubbing the quickly swollen, discolored portion of his jaw.
"Do it, Linda, and I'll personally hand them your daughter to have drug tested." He sneers, running back to her room. He quickly packs her a bag, ducking into the strap as he picks up the walkie from her dresser. Luckily, he remembered what channel the kids had been using and spoke into it. "Henderson!" He growls into the static.
"Eddie? You got a walkie?" His young friend asks in excitement.
"Yea yea, listen, I need you guys to meet me at my trailer. I'm kidnapping Rory." He huffs, setting the walkie down long enough to pull on his leather jacket.
"Ew, we don't need to know what you have planned for your girlfriend, Eddie." Max laughs on the other end.
"Shut up and listen," He hisses into the receiver, visibly shaking as the anger resurfaces alongside the panic of being arrested and not being able to get her out of this situation. "Rory's parents did something really stupid, man, and I…totally didn't…uh hit her dad for trying to justify it so I don't know if they're going to call the cops. Just meet me at my trailer." He shoves the walking into her bag and picks her up.
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, we've gotta go." He hums softly, doing his best to tuck her into his chest in hopes of keeping her from jostling as he runs down the stairs.
"Eddie!" Her mother calls behind him as he buckled her in the passenger seat. "Keep her safe." She nods, pushing Richard back into the house as he drives off. Before he could pull out of her neighborhood, the walkie screeched to life again, this time with a surprising voice on the other end.
"Bring her to my house. We'll camp out here." Steve Harrington sighs, his own anger and protective nature surfacing at the thought of how terrified she must be. Eddie knew they had been friends for a while and even thought that she'd probably be with a guy like him after losing Billy, but something about the way he demanded to help her made his stomach knot as he looks over at her sleeping form. On one hand he was glad she had people who cared for her similarly to how he did, the girl deserved the best support system she could find, but looking at her glow in the afternoon sun curled up on the van's plush passenger seat like a lost puppy made him feel territorial. He had no right to claim her or the position of her savior, but he didn't like the idea of Steve Harrington stepping in to take the title from him either. With a heavy sigh, he nods to himself and makes his way toward the Harrington home. If nothing else, he had to do this for her safety. He didn't much understand the feeling burning in his chest, but the sight of 'King Steve' running out to his van with Snow White's seven dwarves in tow to get to her made him almost angry. No one surpassed Steve in high school and the only guy to get close to it took Aurora's heart from him for a year, it only made sense that Steve would be her next option and it hurt that the voice in the back of his head laughed knowing he'd never even be considered as Steve pulls her from the van and walks quickly up to the house. Eddie carries her bags inside behind them, avoiding the wandering eyes of the crowd forming around him successfully until Steve got her laid down in a spare room.
"I'm sorry, what the fuck happened?!" Robin yells, her anxiety peeking as she takes in the situation and throws her hand in her hair as if trying anything she could to ground herself. Steve sighs, tucking her in under the thick comforter before looking back at his friends. Eddie bows his head under the weight of the situation, not only crumbling under the disgust he suddenly held for himself and his lifestyle at the mere structure of this gorgeous house that Steve's parents' owned knowing this is the life she deserved to be given, but knowing this meant he'd have to explain what the hell happened the past few days. He wipes a hand over his face before stripping his leather jacket off again, draping it around the back of the guest room's desk chair before walking across the room to sit against the bed where she lay sleeping just to be near her. He pulls his long mop up into a low bun using one of the black satin scrunchies she kept on her desk that she knew he liked, not bothering to monitor who cared for the style at the moment as he lounged back against the bed frame.
"Rory's been staying with me on and off for the past week or so. I'm the reason she wasn't at school Friday." He explains vaguely, looking up at Robin apologetically knowing not seeing her cousin in class must've made her worry. Slowly, one by one, each person sat on the floor in front of him as if it was a show and tell in kindergarten and he brought the newest action figure. The thought made him sick, but he knew these people would be able to help her where he fell short.
"Thursday, we went back to her house after school so she could get changed out of my clothes. When we got in, she rushed me upstairs when she saw her parents were reading something private aloud in the kitchen. Come to find out it was her diary and they were reading the entry she wrote to remember sleeping with Billy for the first time. Little Dickie Ross, no offense Buckley, didn't like knowing his daughter wasn't a virgin and definitely not by Billy Hargrove so when she confronted him about reading it he slapped her." He explains, grimacing at the sound reverberating once more in his ears. If Billy wasn't approved of, it's only a matter of time until she's barred from seeing me too, he thought to himself as his fingers trace over his bats much as she had in an effort to ease his anxiety. He looked up at Robin across from him, waiting until she nodded for him to continue.
"I made her take Friday off and we spent the weekend together. She even came to our campaign." He chuckles to himself at the thought of her sitting between his legs, shaking his head to force himself back into a serious mindset. "I guess Sunday night didn't go very well after I dropped her off. Our movie night Monday was fine besides that god-awful musical she chose to watch and she even came to Corroded Coffin's gig at the Hideout Tuesday, but…" He pauses for a moment, looking down at his hands as if they physically held every answer he had been looking for. "I can't believe I missed the signs. I know what to look for in her by now. I should've done something to help. I-I guess she was having nightmares again, but they're getting worse. I overheard her parents talking about them as terrors and the dark bags under their eyes could only mean she's been keeping them awake with her screaming right? I mean why else would they drug their own daughter? Jesus, why wouldn't she just come to me as she promised." He finishes, letting his head fall into his hands as the torture within his mind drowned out the chatter that flooded the room. Steve, being the hero he is, jumped to his feet to fetch her some water hoping to flush her system once she woke up enough to drink it while Robin clings to Eddie.
"Thank you for being there for her." She says softly, her hoarse tone cracking in pain as she squeezes the poor boy as if her embrace would make all his worries disappear. He couldn't help but lean into her, hoping for the same.
"Of course." He says simply, tearing up at the thought of just how much he really wanted to say to her, but before he could, Rory shifts in bed.
"Eddie?" She whines softly, struggling to sit up. He climbs up into the bed, brushing his knuckles over her cheek.
"I'm right here, Sweetheart." He hums, pushing the hair from her face.
"Aurora Jade, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Robin yells in a panic, grabbing her cousin's hand. Rory flinches and pulls back, curling into Eddie absentmindedly despite her eyes being kept closed.
"I'm sorry, Momma, just please…please let him stay." She murmurs, her head falling to the side of his lap limply as she struggles to grip his shirt as if it'd help cement his place next to her. "…keeps the monster away…" She hums, causing Robin and the kids to stiffen as she looks over at Steve.
"Rory? Can you drink some water for me? It'll help you feel better." He tries to instruct gently as if speaking to a toddler, shoeing Eddie onto her side so he could sit on the edge of the bed. Together, the boys hold her up and help her hold the glass so she could drink the water. Before long, she shakes her head that she doesn't want anymore and leans back into Eddie. Watching how gentle Steve was with her and the responsiveness to his touch, Eddie's stomach knotted tighter. His brain refused to focus on the fact that she called out for him as if it thrived to torture him with the notion that she trusted Steve to help her.
"Her parents leave for Chicago Friday afternoon. Is it okay if we stay until then? I don't want her going home alone right now." He asks softly, smiling to himself at the way she nuzzles into his hand as his fingers trace down her cheek.
"Yeah. Of course." Steve nods, turning toward Robin. "Don't say anything to your parents. If anything, just tell them she's staying with a friend if they ask."
Alone, unable to fully free herself from the medically induced haze, Rory was forced to relive yet another nightmare from Billy's possession.
"Rory please!" Billy cries, writhing on the floor as she and Max step up to the sauna door.
"Please, please you have to believe me. I-I never wanted to do those horrible things. I-it made me. I'm sorry." He sobs, clasping his hands in a prayer pose as he pulls his knees closer to his chest.
"I'm sorry, baby. I-I had to protect you. Ple-please don't hate me." He hums, turning onto his side as if lying on the tile would soothe his pain.
"What made you do those things, Billy?" Max asks softly, her fear taking all of the strength from her voice as she stands on her toes to look through the small window at her brother.
"I-I don't know. It was some kind of a shadow." Billy describes the beast, his eyes flickering between the two women he called out for. Aurora could hear Mike yelling behind them for her not to listen to it and not open the door, no matter how badly she wanted to hold her beloved and reassure him she didn't hate him. She holds Max's hand as she presses him for information about what made him do these terrible things, everything sounding more and more just like what Will had spoken of earlier. The Mind Flayer. Rory pushes Max behind her as it finally throws Billy forward to break the glass of the window and slash at the girls. He narrowly missed her forearm, but she was more than willing to take the brunt of the attack for Max and her friends.
Behind them, Eleven struggles to hold Billy back once he manages to get through the door. He pushes through her power, throwing the weights she used to pin him to the far wall across the room at her as his blackened veins pulse. She rushes forward, trying to buy Mike time to move El out of his path, watching him stutter in his footsteps as his eyes land on her.
"Baby, I'm here. Please, you don't have to do this. We can free you, you just have to let me." She says softly, touching his jaw. His skin was on fire from being trapped inside the sauna and his hair stuck to his skin soaked in sweat. She worried for a moment that there may have even been damage done to his nerves as the thin veins scattered over his body faded in and out under her touch. He growls under his breath, his blue eyes watching as she steps closer as if he couldn't quite decide if she was in fact a menace or not.
"Rory no! You're the exception! He won't let the monster have you!" El croaks, rubbing the sore ring around her throat. That was all she needed to hear. Without thinking, she closes the space between them.
"I love you." She whispers, standing on her toes to kiss him. For a moment, all her love and passion went into the kiss and his reciprocation was almost palpable as he moaned against her lips, wrapping his arms slowly around her to hold her close but the longer they shared a breath the more the monster had something to show her. The inky smoke Will had talked about when describing his possession slithers from within him and into her, echoing her name in a warped version of Billy's voice. The deepened tone almost resembled his sleepy gravel, but the closer he stepped toward her in what became the empty shower room of the community pool the more she could tell only glimpses of her boyfriend rested in those heartbroken, teary blue eyes.
"Would you like to see what he's done for you, little warrior?" The flayer mockingly chuckles as he manifests in a much more deadly version of her love, throwing open the curtained shower where she had once found Billy. He was screaming under the cold rain, struggling within himself to find stability when another yet version of himself steps close to lean against the thin metallic barrier.
"They're coming for you." He smirks, watching his plan unfold perfectly.
"Bring them to me." He leans down toward Billy, gripping his chin to ensure he had his full attention as the sound of her voice echoes throughout the room.
"Bring her to me." He hums, emphasizing that he wanted her to be his first victim, laughing as the thought torments Billy. He jumps up, gripping the mirror of himself, and throws him up against the tiled wall in the cold rain.
"No. You can't have her." He growls, his bottom lip trembling in the chill of the water. The beast smirks widely as she nears.
"Anyone but her." Billy finally laments, his muscles sagging as he gives in and drops back to his knees just before she could find him to hold him in the shower as she had that day at the pool.
"You see little one, you may have been off limits once, but I'm afraid he's too tired to fight anymore." He chuckles, leaning into her ear as they separate from the kiss.
"You're mine now." He hums before pulling her close. She couldn't help it, she reached up to touch his face as she gave in to the premise of death. Maybe if she gave in, she'd save the children. Maybe if she went quietly she'd see Billy again. Tears burn in her eyes as she searches for the speck of him in his eyes, but before she could ask if they'd be reunited upon her passing, El screams and throws him through the brick wall of the gym.
"Billy!" She screams in horror, her pain crashing into her all at once like a wave meant to drown her in her own darkness. She runs to the hole punched into the brick to watch him run into the woods. It took far too much effort for Max to pull her from the spot, pleading with her not to give in.
"No, please. No!" She screams, thrashing under the blankets. Despite the weary, sorrowful sideways glances the kids gave each other as they watched her, Eddie climbs into bed to hold her. He was surprised it took so long for her to scream aloud with how her parents spoke of her night terrors, but by the look of her reddened face, she was struggling to keep it contained. Her beautiful features were twisted in agony as she clawed at the blankets, grasping for anything to anchor herself to the real world. "Please." She cries out, begging whatever it was she was seeing to free her from its torment. It killed him to not be able to save her from herself.
"Shhh…I'm right here." He whispers, kissing her head as he tucks her into his chest tightly, humming.
"What-what are you humming?" Dustin asks, laughing faintly as he watches Eddie's ringed fingers dance over her skin as if his own body heat would help detour the monsters wreaking havoc inside her mind.
"It's one of my songs. She usually responds very well to it." He explains defensively, wrapping the blanket around her tighter in hopes that it would help soothe where his nimble fingers couldn't reach. Soon enough, her thrashing subsides as deep sobs choke off her pleas for help, forcing her to cower into his chest absentmindedly. After calming her down as best he could, he and Steve manage to get her to drink more water before everyone finally goes to bed for the night.
Despite the rough night, the parental figure trapped within Steve ensured everyone still went to school the next morning. The only downside to the entire ordeal, besides the obvious betrayal Aurora must've been internalizing, the four had to switch up their seating arrangement in class. With Robin monitoring her every time she let her head lay on the desk, she sat behind her any chance she got. This meant that Steve sat on the side of her and Eddie sat in front of her, hiding her any time she needed a break and needed to close her eyes. He kept her awake per Robin's instructions by occupying her free hand to the side of their desks. Any time she went limp, pausing their thumb war game, he'd squeeze her hand repeatedly until she squeezed his back twice. In a silly way, he enjoyed the secret language they created in doing this and kissed her hand after the bell rang to release them so she knew she was safe.
"Drop your stuff off at your lockers. I'll meet you in the cafeteria." He sends her off, kissing her head before zigzagging his way through the bustling hall. She laughs to herself, shaking her head as she unlocks her locker to drop off her books and grab the varsity cheerleading sweater she kept hanging inside to use as a pillow if need be.
"Why don't you sit with me today? You shouldn't be alone right now." Robin suggests, nudging her with her hip. Steve runs a hand through his thick, feathered hair and shrugs.
"Or me. I mean, does Eddie even know about what really happened? Maybe it'd help to be around people who were actually there and you definitely shouldn't be alone." He yawns, stretching to hide the involuntary action.
"No, I haven't told him. We can't remember." Rory sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose in aggravation, wondering if that'd even help release some of her stress. "I have to sit with Eddie. He came up with a plan to make sure my anxiety doesn't get in the way of my eating. I'll at least try it until he gets annoyed with having me encroaching on his collection of weirdos." She teases, a smile finally gracing her features as they near the cafeteria.
"Rory!" A voice calls her name in a panic before hands grab her arm and yank her off to the side of the hall. Dustin fights to steady his breathing as he ushers the older kids into the cafeteria.
"Henderson? What's wrong?" Steve huffs, his parental nature taking over once more at the panic in his eyes.
"It's Eddie. Look." He huffs, pointing across the room where a group of kids stood talking. In the center, stood a skinny boy with long frizzy curls with his hands tucked into the pockets of his denim battle vest.
"What about it? He's allowed to have more friends than me, Dustin." She sighs softly, freezing once her eyes catch the mischievous glint in Delaney's steel blue eyes. Her ex-best wasn't known for being the kindest toward boys, being nicknamed a man-eater soon after high school even began, and the rock that settles into her stomach when those dangerous eyes laid on Eddie's image said more than she needed to know.
"They're trying to talk him into going to a party, but Mike and I overheard some of the basketball players telling the cheerleaders that they have the drugs they need to plant on Eddie if they can get him drunk enough." Dustin explains, pulling at her hand. The anger that rose inside her energized her more than any amount of restful sleep ever has, forcing her train of thought to narrow in on her old friend with a wicked smirk.
"They want to get 'The Freak' arrested." She hisses under her breath, handing Dustin her sweater as she waves him off toward his normal seat across from Eddie's bandmates. As she walks off with a purpose toward the group, Robin and Steve hesitantly split off to sit with their own groups of friends but refuse to take their eyes off her.
"Eddie! Hey baby, there you are!" She calls, smiling through the blush that consumes her features once those deep brown eyes find hers. Admittedly, the way she called for him made his heart skip a beat and his body responded without much thought, taking a step back from the girls around him to offer her his hand.
"There's my girl." He finds himself whispering, more so aloud than he wished he had, but the way she bit her lip in response made him hope that even a small part of her thought of him the same way he did for her. It was selfish, but the mischievous gleam in her Granny Smith apple eyes gave him the air he needed to breathe. He never wanted her to lose that confidence, the way she moved as she stepped up next to him and squeezed his hand twice to further continue their hidden language saying that she was okay.
"I've been looking for you everywhere, sweetheart." She smiles up at him lovingly, tucking hair behind his ear.
"And you found me, Princess. Your old cheer squad was just inviting me to a party this weekend." He chuckles and offers her the cup of coffee he held in his free hand, leaning down to her to kiss her forehead. She takes it, laughing softly at the familiar faculty insignia that was stamped into the coffee cups from the teacher's lounge down the hall.
"Aw, but you promised to show me how to play DnD this weekend. I was hoping to be able to join your next campaign." She lies smoothly, sipping her coffee. He smiles wide, bashfully looking down at his dirty sneakers at the thought of her even wanting to join in on one of his campaigns. But it was a lie, what was wrong? Nevertheless, he watched her and went along with whatever she had to say knowing she'd explain what was going on when she could get him away from these people. Something about these people, he knew it had to be about them.
"Jesus, Hargrove let you get into some weird shit huh? Does Eddie know what kind of a freak his sloppy seconds is?" Delaney laughs tauntingly, her petite face scrunching up in disgust. Rory sidesteps slightly to keep Eddie behind her as he flinches forward slightly to say something in her defense, laughing.
"He does, actually. Why do you think he wears so many rings? They make for an even prettier necklace than Billy's." She smirks, mockingly sliding her hand up her throat as her head tilts back to force her lips to part and her eyes roll back erotically. Eddie's heart skips once more at the thought, losing himself in the image of her head tilted back as if it were his hand around her throat. He wondered if his very touch would make her shiver or if it'd be the chill from his rings. He pulls himself from the heated daydream as the group around them laughs in awe and howls about how gross she is. Wrapping his arm around her midsection, he holds her back as the girl snaps that she was nothing but a freak once more under the roar of the crowd. He laughs himself in surprise as Rory turns just enough to set her cup on the side of a table before mimicking Eddie's demon face as she puts her fingers up in a horn formation on either side of her head and sticks her tongue out while making a soft demonic grumble under her breath. Grabbing her cup for her, and her hand once she let her horns fade, he leads them toward his table.
"Nice save." Dustin chuckles as Eddie pulls out his seat for her.
"Save from what?" He questions, sitting as she instructs, chuckling softly as she sits in his lap to continue the facade of their relationship.
"The boys overheard the basketball team planning to get you arrested by planting drugs on you. They want to scare Hawkins' most entertaining man away." She explains, winking as she teases him. He chuckles and shakes his head, leaning his forehead against her shoulder blade as his arm wraps around her waist once more.
"Thanks for the save, sweet girl. And I really will teach you how to play." He smiles.
"Oh, I've been reading your manuals. I really do want to join your next campaign." She smiles, shifting slightly as she opens his bag of pretzels. He watches proudly as she ate, nodding toward Robin and then Steve across the cafeteria as they watched her in his arms as if to silently reassure them that as long as he was around she'd be safe.
As if in a testament to her safety, Eddie stayed close by the next day after school as her parents rushed around the house to pack the car for their week away. It broke his heart to watch how detached she'd become toward her parents, understandably so but nevertheless it wounded him. He never wanted her to share in the torment he once shared with his father. To make up for it, he used her walkie while she was in the kitchen to call the kids. Steve volunteered to help Dustin pick out the movies they'd bring, Nancy promised to help Mike and Lucas pack all of their DND gear and Robin thought she could help Max and El decide what snacks and clothes to pack in case the girls wanted to have an impromptu photo shoot with one of Richard's cameras. Anything to help cheer her up, along with the new information that there was a severe thunderstorm warning out for that night courtesy of her mother as if that information alone would be enough to get her to come with them.
"Mom, I'm fine. Robin said she'd stay with me if I need her to. Otherwise, Eddie is here." She shrugs as he jogs back into the room. Her father obviously didn't like that idea, his eyes narrowing over Eddie from behind his glasses, but neither said much of anything as he steps behind her at the stove.
"Need any help?" He smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist. The baby pink apron she wore was one she had had for years but it was a cute contrast to the black tank top she wore underneath a red flannel that she rolled the sleeves up above her elbows and her favorite acid-washed blue jeans and the white Reebok hi-tops she's become infatuated with since borrowing his clothes. She was his little undercover rock star and he loved it.
"If you want to. Ya know I can always teach you to cook more than stovetop Mac n cheese." She smiles, setting the wooden spoon down as he takes the black satin scrunchie from her wrist and ties her hair up in a ponytail for her. Ignoring her parents' goodbye, she kisses his cheek as a thank you and switches him spots at the stove. She hands him one of her father's grilling aprons with a stupid joke printed on the front, laughing that she wouldn't want the chili to potentially ruin his Hellfire shirt, before disappearing up to her room to grab him a scrunchie and her book of recipes.
"You really like the idea of me cooking, don't you?" He chuckles, posing with the spoon while wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"You should be able to cook for yourself when I'm not there, sweetheart." She laughs, nudging his shoulder as she hands him premeasured amounts of spices to add to the chili.
"But it tastes so much better when you do it." He whines playfully, jutting his lower lip out as if the action combined with his round puppy dog eyes would get her to do whatever he wanted. He was right, she'd do anything for him. With that thought, she steps behind him to wrap an arm around his waist. He stiffens slightly as her fingers brush against the hair that peppered his lower abdomen in a small stripe just behind his handcuff-plated belt, watching as her other hand follows the curve of his arm to wrap around his hand to lead him through the movements of her normal routine. As silly as he felt under her guidance, he quite liked having her this close. He bites his lip to keep from hyper-fixating on it despite her standing on her toes to balance her chin on his shoulder and gripping his shirt as she presses herself against his back for support, humming songs he knew she liked as they finished cooking.
"How cute. Robin, your cousin has managed to turn our dungeon master into Suzy Homemaker." Mike teases him as he sets a box of his and Lucas' gaming supplies on the counter before exiting the kitchen once more to help bring in everything else.
"Way to ruin the surprise, Wheeler!" Eddie calls after the lanky kid as he pulls the apron from around his neck. Rory smiles widely as she shuts off the stovetop and unties her own apron, pulling down bowls for everyone.
"Afraid to be alone with me anymore, Munson?" She teases, taking a spoonful of the chili and holding it out for him to try since he helped make it. He cradles her hand under the spoon as he steps up to her.
"Of course not, baby. I just heard your mother mention a severe thunderstorm warning and didn't want you to be alone. I figured the more people we have in the house with things to do, the less time your brain would have trying to give you nightmares tonight." He explains, happily trying the bite she gave him. She doubted he even realized what he affectionately called her, blushing even brighter as he moaned at the taste of the chili. He nods in approval, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"See what I mean? You just make everything better." He chuckles before running out to help Steve bring in everyone's sleeping bags and luggage.
"You guys are so cute." Robin smiles, setting her sleeping bag in the chair pulled out by her father at the island counter.
"There is no 'us', Robin. He's just excited to have everybody over." Rory hums as she cleans up her mess. Robin laughs, skipping up next to her to help.
"You can't be serious. You have to see the way he looks at you." She teases, nudging her with her hip. Rory laughs and wipes the counter down before pulling herself up on top of it and biting into an apple her mother had resting in a bowl on the counter.
"He's been worried about me the past few days. He's a good friend. That's it." She shakes her head, hiding the smile that came to her lips behind the apple as she takes another bite. Robin steps up next to her and takes the apple, biting into it herself.
"That boy has been at your side every moment Billy would let you breathe without his hand in your back pocket. He's been falling over himself to take care of you since he passed. You're seriously telling me you don't see it?" She continues to press her, wiggling her eyebrows at her playfully to ease the tension she felt building upon mentioning Billy. Rory leans forward to rest her hands on her knees and nods, her eyes lowered to her white shoes as she kicks her feet.
"He's a lot like Billy. But it's not fair to him." She says softly, looking up at her from under her lashes. Robin moves closer with a sense of urgency, a smile fighting for dominance across her features as she tosses the core of the apple into the sink.
"Wait, you like him too?" She whispers, excitedly jumping in place, eager for confirmation. Rory laughs and takes hold of her arms to try to calm her down, but before she can say anything more, the kids come running in shouting about a movie night. Rory glares at Robin to not say anything as she jumps down from the counter and offers to help Steve set everyone up in the living room.
Soon enough, the rain starts and Eddie is on high alert. Rory squeezes his hand twice any time she has to move, continuing what's become a signal of theirs to tell the other that they're alright. After a while, snuggling into her favorite blanket of Eddie's while sitting up against the couch, she stops taking her hand away and just leaves it laced into his. He kisses the top of her hand gently as thunder rolls in the distance. His thumb rubs over the inside of her wrist in circles over her pulse, trying to monitor her in the dark. He knew if he could see her face she'd either be straining to keep her eyes on the movie or have them tightly shut while she furiously told her brain that everything was alright. Just as he was about to suggest to have her come with him to refill their glasses so she could move around in hopes of further distracting herself, the power goes out. She squeezes his hand twice, but he could feel her struggling to contain the trembling within her movements as she sat up between him and Steve. Slowly but surely everyone sat up and started talking to fill the silence. While humming along to Eddie's gentle humming, Rory traces the designs she had memorized within his rings to busy her mind.
"Hey-uh, you used to love the rain, wanna go outside?" Robin finally suggests, offering her hand.
"I have a better idea." Max laughs softly, standing up from behind them on the couch to grab her hand instead. Together, she and El run with Rory through the kitchen to the back patio. At first, Eddie was worried how she'd react to being pulled out into the rain with the girls, but it warmed his heart to see her smile as El held her face in the rain. For a moment the two stood on the patio while El asked her to remember how much she used to love the rain and thunderstorms. She even somehow knew about what was a tradition during a storm for her grandfather to pull the girls out onto the porch to watch as the storm raged on outside despite her grandmother's warning, though he assumed she had just heard the story from Robin.
"He wouldn't want you to be sad." Max says to her softly, hugging her tight as the rain starts to come down even harder. Rory nods into the hug after a moment and pulls the girls into a goofy dance, jumping around from puddle to puddle as she recites songs to herself.
"Come on." Robin laughs, taking off her jacket and shoes before running out to join the girls. Steve laughs and shrugs as if he has nothing to lose.
"Afraid to get your hair wet, Munson?" He teases, pushing Dustin, Lucas and Mike out onto the patio before joining them while Nancy went to find everyone towels. He bites his lip as he watches her run a hand through her silken waves as if her movements have slowed dramatically. Her features no longer held an inclining of hesitation as she stood with her arms out at her sides letting the rain shower over her as if every drop further washed away every worry that plagued her mind. Max jumps onto her back, laughing when she hooks her arms under her legs and spins around until they fall into the flooding puddle. Max's grip pulls her flannel from her shoulders to display a rather large tattoo across her left shoulder blade and down her bicep of what from that distance was nothing more than muddled colors, but with a peaked interest he ran out to tackle her back down into the standing water. Max took his quick movements as the go-ahead to start a game of tag with Mike, allowing Eddie to see the collage of roses, lilies, sprigs of lavender, and fully bloomed jasmine flowers strategically placed over a black lace design permanently stamped into her skin. Despite the urge to trace the design like braille, he joined in on the game with the others.
After what felt like hours, one by one, as the rain settled into a steady shower and the power flickers back to life within the house, everyone goes back inside laughing about their fun while happily leaving the two outcasts to their fun.
"You're everything to me, you know that." Rory smiles, laughing softly as she pins him to the ground. She straddled his lap, her hands resting on his chest as she leaned over him in hopes of curtaining his eyes from the rain. She shifts slightly to trap him between her arms as her hands move to rest on either side of his head in the waterlogged grass beneath him. How could something so simple be so alluring? He chuckles at the thought, hoping it'd disappear if he ignored the urge to reach up and kiss the rain from her lips, and turns to flip her onto her back, gently wiping a soaked lock of hair from her cheek instead.
"I made something for you." He remembered suddenly, smiling and blushing brightly as he fumbled for the bracelet he had put in his pocket that he had made when he was stuck in Mike's basement waiting for him to get done cleaning up after Holly to continue their dnd game one night when he had been babysitting. He had originally planned on giving it to her during their dinner Wednesday night when shit hit the fan, but seeing her have fun for the first time in what felt like forever seemed to be as perfect of a time as ever. No matter how soaking wet they were. He helps her to her feet, trying his best to ignore the awkward notion that they were being watched from the patio doors as he ties the brightly colored band around her wrist. It was patterned with thin clay beads that showed their favorite colors, black, purple, and red, with a guitar pick hanging from the center so she'd always have something of him.
"Maybe…if you like it that is..uh…maybe this memory can help keep the nightmares away when it rains. Or…uh however that works." He stammers, rubbing his neck. She smiles and pulls him into a tight hug, kissing his cheek.
"I love it. Thank you." She says softly, nuzzling into his neck. He smiles to himself, rubbing her back.
"How is that not some sort of a proposal?" Robin smiles, bouncing giddily between Nancy and Steve.
"You watch too many romance movies." Steve chuckles, shaking his head.
"They haven't even confessed their feelings to each other yet, Robin. It's just a bracelet." Nancy rolls her eyes, turning to try to put the movie back on.
"It is pretty cute though." Steve chuckles before turning to make his way toward his bag to get changed into dry clothes.
Later that night, after checking on everyone one last time, Rory stood in her doorway for a moment taking in the peaceful sounds of the rain outside her window. For the first time since the Starcourt mall incident, she felt normal. She felt like she could truly finally breathe and the fact that that was due to the man currently sleeping in her bed made her smile. The low hum of her fan covered the gentle sounds of his breathing as she tiptoed into the room. After brushing her teeth and pulling her hair up into another messy bun, she lifts up the edge of the blanket and climbs in behind him. He faced the wall on his side and curled into himself slightly as if he was trying to take up as little space as possible. He hums contently as the mattress gives under the pressure of her movements but doesn't stir until she settles in behind him. With his back to her, she wraps her arms around his waist slowly and kisses his shoulder blade repeatedly. He slides his hand up her forearm and laces his fingers through hers on his way back down, pulling the hand up into his chest.
"Thank you for tonight." She whispers, nuzzling into his back lovingly like a kitten. He bites his lip and shifts to face her, refusing to let go of her hand as he adjusts his hold to bring it back into his chest more comfortably once he's able to face her.
"What about it?" He hums, trying to clear his throat from the settled sleep that lowered his tone before it could crack embarrassingly. She smiles, her free hand tucking a stray hair behind his ear slowly. In the moonlight, her eyes were a steel grey that demanded his attention. As if asking him to count every shade of blue, flicker of green, and ribbon of gold within. That was his paradise. He could live forever if it meant those eyes never lost the love and admiration he found in them. His were a haunting onyx that threatened to tell her every secret written on the walls of his mind. She cups his jaw and rubs her thumb over his cheek, watching those dark eyes offer her weary soul the safe haven she needed to rest. If he only knew.
"I feel better." She spoke truthfully as the only words that could sum up the weightless feeling that consumed her in his arms spilled from her lips, nudging his nose gently with hers. He smiles, almost nervous that having her this close would be nothing but a dream and leans forward to kiss her forehead.
"Anything for you. You're worth every moment." He hums in a low breath as he adjusts to get comfortable, lying his head on her chest so her fingers could find their way into his hair soothingly.
"You're my everything." He reiterated her statement from earlier with a gentle kiss to her hand before drifting off to sleep, never the wiser to the way it forced her heart to pick up speed. Maybe Robin was right, maybe she really did love him.