"Did you get Chrissy something for her birthday?" Dustin sang as soon as Eddie walked downstairs into the Wheeler's basement, nearly hitting his head as he did.

"Nope," He said, turning right back around, "Nope, nope."

"No, you didn't, or no, you're just leaving?" Nancy asked.

"Yes and no, okay?" Eddie muttered, turning around to press his palms against the wooden support beam, "I thought we were playing video games. I didn't think II was invited to be accosted." He sputtered.

"Good. I'd be pissed if it were my birthday and you didn't get me a present." Robin said, waving him back down.

"It's a bit different, though, Ro," Max pointed out, "Between Eddie getting you a present and Eddie getting her something."

"We're just joking with ya, man," Steve assured, patting his back as he warily came downstairs.

"For how long?" He huffed, accepting a Sprite from Mike, "Because I'm getting real tired of it."

"Oh, dunno, until someone else starts dating someone." Steve said, "And then you get to be in on that fun."

"They're not even dating," Mike scoffed, "Which means when you do actually start, we'll just start right back up again."

Eddie punched his shoulder lightly, "Why am I friends with you guys again?" He asked, rolling his eyes to focus on the round Lucas was doing solo right now.

"Trauma," Nancy said with a snort, "Basically trauma."

"Well, look, soon you'll be off the hook. Robin is-," Steve started until Robin began to frantically and angrily make low hissing sounds at him.

"Oh, Robin, you got your eye on a lucky guy?" Eddie asked.

"No," Robin said pointedly, "Well, yes, but also, no."

Eddie frowned and then shook his head. He'd learned long ago to accept Robin's eccentric nature and confusion she added to most conversations.

"What did you get her?" Nancy pressured, "It's her 18! It's a big deal!"

"It is, I know," Eddie gritted his teeth, "I dunno, nothing special."

Dustin narrowed his eyes, "It is special. Look at that grin!" he said, jeering.

"Dustin, I will kill you."

"Awe, Dustin has seemed to have forgotten about much we teased him and Suzie last year. Shall we go back into another wonderful rendition of the Neverending Story?" Max said, rubbing his hair in a sisterly sort of way.

"Why did we stop?" Steve asked, "He was such as easy target," He said, clicking his tongue.

"We stopped because Suzie was indispensable to helping us save the world. Twice. And, she's not nearly as weird as Dustin made her out to be. Her family is cuckoo but that's not her fault." Mike said.

"Uh, thanks, on her behalf, I think?" Dustin frowned.

"He doesn't have to tell us," Steve finally decided, "If it's a really good gift, we'll know. And, if it's an excellent gift, we'll never know." He added with a saucy wink. Eddie groaned. Prior to this, he thought Steve got laid all the time. He thought he was suave. Now, actually knowing the guy, he wasn't even sure he'd ever seen a girl naked.

It's funny how people changed once you got to know them.

"Steve, gross," Mike threw a pillow at him, "You're lucky Erica isn't around."

"What's she doing anyway right now? I mean, she can come over here, of course," Nany offered.

"Yes, hanging out in a basement with a bunch of nerds. That's what I'd want to be doing for my 18th birthday." Lucas snorted from where he was very engaged in his game. At the objections, he huffed, "I was being serious! I chose you over Jason, duh!"

"Big family dinner with Jason," Eddie said, shuddering, "At her mom's favorite fancy-ass restaurant. If I went, not that I was invited, I wouldn't know my salad fork from my main fork." He laughed at the idea.

Chrissy had been complaining about this birthday dinner all week. She was now having nightly conversations with Eddie via walkie-talkie, whether they lasted just a few minutes or hours long. Her mom had wanted to make it a big affair, her baby turning 18 after certain death, but Chrissy lied and said she wasn't feeling 100% yet. Apparently, that was the wrong move, because her mother shortened the guest list to just immediate family and Jason to a restaurant Chrissy hated.

"It's so pretentious!" She had complained last night, "You'd hate it."

"Maybe I like fancy things," Eddie had argued.

"No, really, it's so stupid. $150 for a piece of steak, who are they joking? It's in Hawkins! It's not…New York or something!"

But short of literal death, Chrissy didn't see much way of getting out of it. Her father had come to her rescue, offering to pay for a hotel room for her and some friends at a water park inn a few towns over this weekend, as her actual birthday party.

Eddie certainly liked the mental image of Chrissy in a bathing suit, so much so he wasn't even upset that he was unable to go to either celebration.

At least Jason also did not get to see her in a suit. Take that, dickwad.

As promised, no one brought up Chrissy the rest of the night, though he could tell Dustin was dying to bother him about it. The only and final question that was asked was; "When are you going to give her a present?"

"Dunno, school, maybe?" Eddie hadn't thought that far. He sorta hoped that Chrissy would ask for another weed session, and then he could do it in private. But he also didn't want Chrissy to think he'd forgotten (he'd had this since she'd mentioned her birthday in passing a week ago) and that he only remembered because they said it over the loudspeakers this morning, so he didn't want to wait too long.

He wasn't sure whether or not his reply was the right answer, because everyone went back to Mario Bros and that was sort of it. Just to even out the playing field, they bothered Mike about El a bit, tried to tease Max and Lucas (but Max gave everyone a death stare), and sort of joked about Dustin and Suzie. Just to make him feel better.

Not that he had any opinions on the whole Steve/Nancy thing going on, but at least if they did get together, the talk could be off of him again. And then he'd get to participate.

He ended up driving home around 9 pm when Nancy and Mike's mom kicked the guests out due to it being a school night. Eddie didn't really pay attention much to what was a school night and what wasn't; it all sort of felt like hell to him, no matter what.

Wayne had made himself pancakes, as 8 pm was his breakfast, and he'd left some out for Eddie. He'd been leaving meals out for Eddie more frequently, and while Eddie was unsure of the exact meaning, he was grateful nonetheless.

He'd just settled in with some new sheet music in front of him to eat his dinner when there was static over the radios.

"Eagle, eagle?"

They'd never figured out who was Eagle One and who was Eagle Two, so they just hailed each other as 'Eagle, Eagle'.

"Hey, you, aren't you supposed to be having a birthday dinner?"

"My mother had a conniption halfway through when the waiter brought out the wrong wine, so we went home early." Chrissy sighed.

"Awe, sorry."

"No, are you joking? If I had known that was the ticket home, I would have asked him a whole lot earlier to screw up," Chrissy laughed.

"I hope some of it was fun…at all.." Eddie said, "It was, you know, your birthday dinner."

Chrissy was silent for a moment, "It was pretty awful. It was basically just a dinner masquerading as my birthday, but it wasn't about me." It sounded like she was burying her head into her pillow, "Until it, embarrassingly, was."

"Like they came out singing happy birthday and the clapping? I always hated that," Eddie said. He disliked being the center of attention unless he chose it, like during a band show.

"Worse. Jason gave me a promise ring that looks a lot like an engagement ring after the appetizers. The whole restaurant applauded." Chrissy muttered, "He professed his 'undying love' for me. So sappy. Dumb Chrissy of a year ago would have probably loved it. Current Chrissy wanted to barf."

"Oh."

Eddie swallowed hard. He was filled with a mixture of anger and disgust, but also worry. Gareth's warnings crawled into the back of his mind and sat there, unwilling to move.

"It was mortifying! My mother cried! My dad told him 'welcome to the family'!" Chrissy complained, "I wanted to disappear right there…or punch him!"

Eddie managed a weak laugh, "Now that would have gotten the night to end earlier too, right?" He pointed out, "What did you say?" He asked in a quieter whisper, terrified of what she might reply.

"Nothing, not really! They all assumed it was overwhelming shock and adoration and just let it go, ugg. I managed to gather myself when Jason told me to put it on. I told him I didn't want the sauce to ruin it. So it's just sitting on my floor right now, in its stupid little velvet box. I don't even want to look at it," She added in a horrified whisper.

"Do you think he…knows?" Eddie asked, "That you don't…"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I think he's trying to tighten his hold, sure, but we're nearly graduated. It makes sense. At least, darn, I hope that's it."

"That sounds like a shitty birthday, really," Eddie said, sprawling out on his bed, "And trust me, I've had a lot of those."

"What are you doing right now?" Chrissy asked.

"Uhh, about to eat pancakes, why?"

"Nevermind. Enjoy it." Chrissy said.

"Wait, no, wait. Why?" Eddie asked, "I will put these in the fridge. Pancakes can wait."

"It's…10:25," Chrissy whispered into the receiver.

"Yeah?"

"You have two hours, give or take, to try to turn this birthday around for me, Munson," Chrissy said, and he just knew she was laughing and grinning widely on the other end.

Eddie dropped the walkiie-talkie. He grabbed his coat, not even bothering to put his pancakes away, and pulled out the box from his bedside table.

"Eddie?" Chrissy asked faintly through the device.

"I'm going to be right over. Just…stay where you are," He said, stuttering out his words.

"I'll be waiting. Eagle Out."

Eddie caught his breath and tried to calm his frantically beating heart as he opened the box. He also was giving Chrissy some jewelry. Nothing as expensive or tacky as a promise ring, in his opinion, but now he was worried she would see it as lesser.

It was his lucky guitar pick. The one that Gareth had in fact found at his house later after walking in on something he didn't want to think too much about, with a tiny hole at the top and a leather band as the necklace string.

It wasn't much, but it meant the world for him to be giving it to her.

He put it on his kitchen counter as he found his shoes and then darted out the door. He basically went through every red light on his way over to Chrissy's house, glad that some bit of luck was on his side and he wasn't pulled over at all.

He parked a few streets away and jogged over to Chrissy's side of her house. The collection of vines that had given him his footholds the first time was still there, and better yet, Chrissy was leaning out of her bedroom window, waiting…for him.

"Rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair," He whispered up to her, and even in the darkness, he could see her eyes alighting with happiness.

"Vines will have to do, my prince," She teased back, making his stomach flip at the term of endearment.

He grasped the vines and scaled the side of the house, feeling every bit the ne'er-do-well that old ladies gasped about. If leveling up to actual an actual teenager rockstar was a thing, this action would probably be the key. Nothing felt so dirty, so adventurous, so right as sneaking into the bedroom of the girl he was so stupidly gone for.

"Okay, we have," He caught her bedside table clock, "Forty-three minutes."

"You being here is a really, really good start," Chrissy assured.

"Well, hopefully," Eddie said, running his fingers through his hair in nervousness, "This will make it bet…" He patted his pockets, "Bett…" He patted his jacket, "Aw, fuck!"

"What is it?" Chrissy asked, eyes worried.

He could see it, plain as day. Setting the box down and then…never fucking picking it back up.

He wanted to scream.

"I left your present at my house. I swear, pinky-swear, I had one for you." He said, holding out his pinky.

"Eddie, you didn't have to get me anything!" Chrissy said, shocked that he would.

"Well, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't get you a birthday gift? A really shitty one, let me tell you," Eddie leaned against the wall next to her window, "Sorry, I guess I'm kind of making the rest of your birthday a bust too."

Chrissy played with the hem of her skirt, inhaling hard. She bit her lip and looked up, "I, uhm, there is something I do want for my birthday that you could help with?" She said, speaking so quietly he could hardly hear. He wasn't sure if she was trying to stay silent for her parents or if it was something else.

He leaned off the wall, "I'm listening."

"I'm going to be honest," She said, forcing out a smile, "I'm sorta nervous right now. But, Eddie, honestly…there's only one thing I want for my birthday."

"Oh." Eddie winced. The guitar pick was a terrible idea, he just knew it. She was probably going to send him to…go fetch something for her. Like chocolates. Or a dress. He did have a car. Well, if this would make her happy, of course, he'd do it.

"You."

Eddie blinked at her, uncomprehending, "Me…what? Me go where?" He asked, sure he'd missed part of it.

Chrissy's whole face was bright red, "No, Eddie, I…I want…you," She whispered breathlessly, "And shut up, please, just for a second."

Eddie, about to say something (though unclear what it was), let out a sigh, "Yeah, okay, shutting up."

"I can't break up with Jason, not until college, not until I'm out of here. And if you don't think I'm not counting down the days…" She winced, shaking her head, "I am. I promise. There's nothing…nothing there. Except for maybe disgust. Probably some hate too. I digress; I don't want him, I don't even think I wanted him before all this. I just want you. Only you." She whispered.

"You have me," Eddie whispered quietly.

"No, no, not like that," She said, eyes filling with tears. She looked up, wiping them away swiftly, her cheeks red and blotchy, "No, like…I want to kiss you. And do…more…" She said, laughing at her own awkwardness, "I want to tell you stupid cutesy things and call you names like 'darling' or 'dear'. I just want all of you." She said, "Do you…know what I mean?"

Eddie felt like his brain had disconnected himself. He couldn't speak, even though his whole body was screaming at him to say yes, he did, and yes, he wanted that too.

"We'd have to be…sneaky, about it. But I'm tired of playing by the stupid rules of society and we're already hiding our friendship now, how hard could a relationship be, and-,"

Belatedly, his mouth caught up, "I want that too."

He had never thought he'd have a proper girlfriend. Sure, a secret one wasn't what most people wanted, but beggars couldn't be choosers. And he'd take Chrissy in any form he could.

"Then prove it, Eddie. Prove it to me." She said, raising her chin in a challenge.

He'd done the proper, gentleman thing. He'd given her an out after she'd kissed him when her emotions were high and she'd just started recovering. He'd kept his hands to himself, despite how badly he wanted to grab her by her waist. He'd slept out on the couch. He'd stopped himself from kissing her every time he was almost sure that's what she was hoping for.

He'd done all of that.

But the second time she asked him to have her? Eddie was unable to step away again. And he'd be a damn fool to do so.

He pulled her in by her waist, hands grasping and fisting at her shirt near the small of her back, and kissed her exactly the way he'd been thinking of for nearly a month.

It was hot, heavy, and breathless.

Chrissy immediately responded, standing on her tiptoes to press herself against him more, her own hands digging into his wild mane and finding purchase just below the nape of his neck, tugging just enough on his roots to drive him mad.

Eddie pulled her back, stepping them backward until he was sitting on her bed. His fingers drifted down to her skirt and pulled her in, bucking her at her knees so that she could sit on his lap.

He felt the bare skin underneath her skirt, his fingers tracing the contours of her underwear, and she shivered on top of him. It was enough, right now, just to tease, just to test the boundaries.

And the responses he was getting…the way her hips bucked and ground against his lap felt like pure Nirvana.

"Eddie," Chrissy muttered.

"Too much?" He asked, tearing his lips away. She gave a firm shake of her head. Pleased, he pulled back the neckline of her shirt, licking at the junction of her collarbone.

"Take it off," She whispered frantically, her fingers floundering at the hem of her tank top. Eddie needed very little convincing and detached his lips just long enough to pull it away. It got tangled in her ponytail and Chrissy, frustrated, yanked her scrunchie out. Eddie looked back, staring.

"What?" She asked, worried.

"I've…never seen you with your hair down," Eddie said, blinking at it, "It's..uh. Nearly as beautiful as mine."

Chrissy's smile could power his heart for a thousand years.

Then, he took a moment to drink in Chrissy, on his legs, in just her bra. It was so her; pale beige, sensible, with just a hint of lace lining it.

His fingers were at the clasps in the back, and it seemed Chrissy had no intention of stopping him (and he wondered how far he could do) when there was the sound of feet coming up the stairs.

"Shit," Chrissy muttered, the first time he'd heard her swear.

"My cue to leave?" He asked with a groan.

Chrissy found a cami and threw it on, wincing, "I think so."

Eddie, who was on cloud nine, was fine to leave this party early because they'd pick it right back up later. He would make damn sure of that.

He did something impulsive, something he wasn't sure they were at yet but pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Sweet dreams of only me, darling. Happy birthday." He whispered before jumping out her window just in time for her father to open the door.

"What's that noise?"

"Oh…just the record player," Chrissy said.

"It's nearly midnight, Chrissy."

He laid low on the roof, heart beating, half at the fear of being caught and a half from the sheer exhilaration he'd just felt. As soon as the coast was clear, he rolled off the roof and ungracefully landed on his side before he took off running.

He cleared the yard just as Chrissy's dad closed her window.

When he got back to his car, his whole body was wired. He collapsed into the seat, his limbs like jello, and wondered if in a million years he could have imagined this day turning out so goddamn good?

Chrissy...was his.

He could almost understand Jason's motives for producing such a terrible birthday gift. When you got someone like Chrissy Cunningham as your partner in life, you never let her go.