"You asshole!"

It was band class. Eddie was setting up his guitar when Chrissy came up and hit him against his stomach, a passing blow.

"Ow, geez, lady," He said, though it didn't actually hurt, "Someone's more generous with their sailor's mouth too, huh?" He wanted to make a joke that he'd kissed that into her, but he wasn't sure it was the time.

She seemed mad…for some reason.

She put together her flute.

"Well?" She asked.

"What? I'm an ass a lot. You're going to have to be way more specific." He said with a wink. She looked around, waiting for a group of kids to pass with their instruments, then turned.

"Last night."

"Yeah, your birthday."

"I got no sleep!" She said. Eddie blinked.

"My fault…how?"

"Because you…you made me…" Her face was bright red, "You left me…"

"Horny?" Eddie realized, wishing they were anywhere but school right now (but also sort of glad, because nothing killed a boner like a bunch of pimply kids that couldn't play a tune to save their life), "I left you hot and bothered last night." He said with a grin in a whispered stage voice. Of course, he'd left that way too, but he was enjoying this.

Chrissy snapped her case close, "Yes," She admitted after a long second, "It was torture."

"So it's not a serious-mad, it's more of a fake-mad." He realized. Chrissy rolled her eyes.

"Sort of," She admitted, "But if I'm cranky today, it's all your fault."

Eddie licked his lips and the way her eyes darkened at that sight made him shiver, "I'll gladly take that. This is the best reason I've been called a dirty name. Though I think you could think of a few dirtier ones for me."

The look she shot him was absolutely delicious and adorable. It was surprise mixed with want, perhaps want she didn't even know she had.

He murmured as he passed, not looking at her, but away, to make sure no one knew saw. He'd just play off their interaction that she was actually pissed at him right there if anyone noticed them talking. Luckily, most band kids were so sexually needy on their own that noticing anyone else's shit was not one of their strong suits.

"The forest picnic table. Lunch."

XXX

He thought she wouldn't show.

She was about ten minutes later than she should have been, and in that time, Eddie had gone into a spiral, convincing himself that she had decided she didn't actually want him because he'd been too casual this morning with her, and she needed someone more serious in her life.

Because that's exactly what his luck would be; get the girl of his dreams (that he didn't even know he needed until he met her) and then lose her all within the same 24 hours.

When she came through the branches, waving the foliage away from his face, he could have died with relief right then and there.

"Sorry, Jason was a pain. He wants to be even more glued at the hip ever since…" She made a face and looked down at her hand where the ring was. She took it off, shoving it angrily into her pocket, "My mom made a big deal when I tried to leave the house without it. If people wouldn't judge, she would have delivered us to the church yesterday."

"It's, uhm," Eddie coughed.

"Gaudy? Tacky? Totally not me?" Chrissy asked, "Sorry." She added, wincing.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked, sitting on the picnic table, not the seats, one leg hanging off and nearly brushing the ground.

"Because…" She inhaled, "None of this is fair to you."

"I agreed. It's fine," Eddie assured. If he couldn't publically make out with Chrissy right in front of Jason, heck, he'd take knowing that it was him who held her heart whenever he saw his insufferable face in class. He relished in the idea that he knew a secret and Jason had no idea, "How did you escape?"

"Cheryl. By the way, she knows. About us. But she's dependable."

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie nodded, "We ran in the same circles a bit back. She's alright." He said, pleased that Chrissy was spending time with people who she actually seemed to like.

"So, why did you call me out here…alone…here…?" She asked.

"Do you think I'm going to ax murder you or something?" Eddie frowned, "Because if so, we are on two totally different wavelengths right now and I'm a bit concerned."

"No, no! I meant, did you, were we…" She pressed her sleeved palms to the bottom part of her face, shifting back and forth.

Eddie gulped, "Finish…what we…started?" He asked airly, "No, I, no…that wasn't my plan but…" He looked up at the sky and winced. But now he was thinking of taking her on the picnic table and it was obvious she was thinking similar things, "We should probably talk before we do any of that…gotta be safe, you know?" he said, doing a jaunty thumbs up, which he realized in hindsight made him look mildly mentally unwell.

"Yes, of course, we should," Chrissy facepalmed, "I'm slow at all of this. It's not natural to me. I was taught that sex was a sin, but gosh, I want to but I-" It seemed that Chrissy was on the edge of a panic attack.

"Hey, it's fine, it's fine," Eddie said, reaching for her hand. She willingly stepped into his personal space. He curved her knuckles with his thumb, "We'll figure it out together."

"So, you just wanted to see me then?" She asked, her face pink.

"Yes, of course," Eddie readily said, because that was a given, "And to give you your birthday gift I really, truly swear I've had for a few days now."

"I was serious. You didn't have to get me anything. You already gave me my favorite 18th birthday present anyway."

"Insomnia? That's a weird favorite gift."

"Eddie," Chrissy gently laughed.

"Chrissy, 'course I had to get you something. Especially now that I'm your boyfriend, I'd be beheaded by my friends if I didn't." As soon as the 'b-word left his mouth and he saw how Chrissy clammed up, he knew it was stupid of him.

"Or…not a boyfriend!" He rushed, "We don't have to call it that. We can say whatever you want to call it. Secret lover. Partner…in bed. Partner…in crime. Fuck buddy. Not Jason. That One Weirdo You're Doing. It can be super casual. Just tell me and I'll be that." He said, worried he'd screwed something up that couldn't be taken back.

"No, I just…" Chrissy looked up at him. Even sitting, he was still taller than her by quite a good amount, "You know when you've thought of something so much that when it happens, it just feels unreal?" She whispered.

Eddie leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, "Yeah, I know exactly that. So that's the holdup?"

"It's just…instinctually flinching. Jason always calls himself my boyfriend specifically when he's trying to win an argument with me. Like 'you'd leave your boyfriend to celebrate his win all by himself?' and the such." Chrissy wrapped her arms around his neck, "But you are. More than he is."

"Really, I can be…whatever title you want. We both know what we are to each other; I don't think we need to write it down in some old-fashioned way. It doesn't matter. We want to…date each other. I like being with you, which you should know is the very highest compliment I could give anyone. I don't even like Gareth most of the time and he's like my brother. I'd choose a taco over Gareth most days."

"You have such a way with words, Eddie Munson. So romantic," She said, voice heavy with teasing sarcasm.

"I can be a romantic. Just look." He detached her to pull back and take out the box, "Ta-da! It's my lucky guitar pick. For you."

"Oh, Eddie! I couldn't possibly," Chrissy said, looking up, her eyes filled with joy, "If it's your lucky one."

"No, really, you make my shows 100% better, so it seems useless now. But this pick got me through the rough shows where barely anyone showed."

"Seriously, I can't take this! What if I can't make a show?" She whispers, "Or what if you're wrong?"

"Look, let's make an agreement. You keep this safe for me in between shows. You'd be doing me a favor; I lose it everywhere. And you give it back before I play and then I put it safely back in your tiny palms whenever I finish," He curled her fingers around it, "Seem fair?"

"Put it on me?" She whispered breathlessly.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"My uniform will hide it. If I have to wear this," She patted the pocket with the ring, "I'll be wearing this one where it matters; near my heart."

"I think between the two of us, you may be the romantic one. Damn," Eddie said, overcome with emotion as he clipped the necklace for her.

Distantly, the warning bell for lunch rang. Chrissy pouted; the most adorable face he'd ever seen.

"I need to get back. Or Jason will seriously shut down the school and send out a search party."

As she was leaving, Eddie grasped her wrist and spun her back to press against him. He cradled her jaw and kissed her until she was gasping and wanting.

"I want you to think of me doing that when he's trying to play husband with you," Eddie murmured.

"Yes, sir," Chrissy whispered, eyes dark. She knew exactly what she was doing.

She was smart; she didn't forget things.

Eddie did not make it to his class directly after lunch. It took all of the period to drag back up that horrid memory of Gareth and Midge to make it acceptable to return to class.

He was pretty sure that was Chrissy enacting payback for last night.

XXX

"Eagle, eagle?"

Eddie was half-asleep when she radioed. He had taken to returning to his bedroom earlier than usual of late; he knew that Chrissy usually called before she drifted off to sleep.

"Yep, yeah, I'm here." He said, and a shiver ran up his spine. It was the first time that he was talking with his (secret) girlfriend over their (secret) channel.

If he were a person that got upset about the underhandedness of it, well, this would be terrible.

He chose to imagine he was a spy.

Spies were cool.

Spies led secret lives.

Eddie Munson by day, Eddie Munson with a girlfriend by night.

Damn, that sounded more like a superhero.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Chrissy giggled.

"How'd you tell?"

"I asked you about the rest of your day three times," Chrissy said.

"Well…it takes a long time for my thoughts to get to their summit. Give a man a break. My little brain works half the speed of yours," Eddie teased, "What are you up to?" He didn't want to talk about school. Sure, it was something to talk about, but there were so many other, better, topics.

"Just about to change for bed, finishing some homework."

"Yuck," Eddie shuddered, "Homework? At this hour? Give me something more exciting to think about."

There was a pause, a heavy one, where it became clear Chrissy was mulling over whether to say something or not. Finally, she said, "I'm wearing your jacket."

"Yeah, you know that I said you could have it? I actually like it, so you can return that at any time," Eddie said.

"Just…your jacket."

Eddie nearly dropped the walkie-talkie. He also made sure to quickly confirm they were on their channel and not the Party channel. No one, but him, needed to hear this.

"Oh?" He asked, trying to sound mysterious or something, but he was pretty sure his voice came off as a boy in a candy store, "Nothing else?"

"Well…I mean…underwear," Chrissy confirmed.

"But just that?" Eddie closed his eyes, flopping back on his bed.

"What are you wearing?" Chrissy asked.

Eddie glanced down, "Jeans. Shirt. Nothing special. Not one of your cardigans or something."

"I think you seem overdressed for this conversation," Chrissy said.

"Okay," Eddie swallowed, fingers trembling as he took his shirt off and kicked his jeans to the end of the bed. He had no idea where this was going and he was cautious; he didn't want to push her to anything, but he also wasn't sure he wanted this to stop. The anticipation of what might happen next seemed to zip between them; their heavy breaths through the line indicated a mutual desire, "But only if you lose everything. I will if you do."

He felt like he was playing a game of chicken with her. She dares him, he crosses the line, and she responds. Back and forth; to what end, he wasn't sure, but god…he hoped.

"Deal," Chrissy said, "Now what?"

"Have you ever…" Eddie inhaled, waiting to be smited on the thought of even thinking what he wanted to say next, "Gotten yourself off?"

"Not so much," Chrissy admitted, "But with your voice, I just…I want to…" She struggled, "I just want to." She admitted in a whisper.

Eddie had never been as hard as he was in his life right now.

"Think of me," He whispered.

"I am."

"What did you hope would happen today, at the table?" He asked.

"I'm not sure," She said. Eddie tutted.

"Oh, Chrissy. We both know that's not true," He said with a laugh, a gentle and kind one, "You can't say anything that would make me see you differently. Everything you do drives me mad."

"It does?" She asked, as though she had no idea the effect she had on him, "Are you…right now?" She paused, the indication between her words clear.

Eddie did feel like he was corrupting her, but if this would send him to hell, he'd pay that price.

"Getting off while we're talking? Yeah," He said, hoping to embolden her, "Your voice drives me crazy." He said.

"I wanted to kiss you on the table. Like, kiss you in the way that would give my mother a heart attack," She said.

"Uh-huh, good start," Eddie said.

"And I wanted to feel you. To feel how much you wanted me again. Last night in my bedroom was so…incredible, I've never felt like I wanted someone so badly," She said.

"Awe, babe, you're going to ruin my ego," He said, but was touched beyond belief, and feeling a haughtiness he wished he could rub in Jason's face.

"I wanted to continue," She said, groaning into the receiver, "I wanted you to pin me down and do whatever you wanted to me." She finally added.

"Do you like that idea?" Eddie asked, "Me taking control?"

There was a quiet pant from Chrissy, a telltale whine he knew all too well, "Yes," She managed, and covered her lips with her free hand to muffle her sounds.

"I wanted to as well," Eddie said.

"What?" She asked between breaths, "What would you have done?"

He licked his lips, rending himself that she asked, "I would have put down my flannel on the wood. Splinters are no fun."

"Okay, after that," Chrissy huffed, "Please."

"I'd…" Eddie recalled the electricity running, pulling them together when he gave her the necklace, "Put you on the table. Push your cheer skirt up. Kiss you in a way that would make you feel like you'd need a shower, it was so dirty."

"And then?" Chrissy begged.

"And then I'd fuck you, Chrissy Cunningham," Eddie said, fingers fumbling and shaking with the walkie-talkie, the image too much, "I'd make you scream my name so loud everyone at the high school would hear it."

Chrissy gasped, and he heard the muffled sounds of the walkie-talkie falling off her bed probably. It was fine; he was delirious with the afterglow of an orgasm, and could hardly function right now to push the buttons to reply.

"Oh my gosh," Chrissy finally murmured, "I've never-,"

"Came so hard?" Eddie asked, grinning widely. Her reply would knock his socks off if he had socks.

"Came…at all."

Eddie groaned, "Chrissy, you're going to start a whole other thing." He warned.

"Did you…come?" The words felt foreign as she said it and Eddie recognized this. But she was trying, and it was adorable, but also very, very sexy.

"Hell yeah I did," Eddie said, "I'm a teenage boy, you know. It doesn't take much. You could have spent the whole time describing the color of your underwear and that would have done it."

Chrissy laughed, "I'll remember that for next time. Crap. It's midnight."

"Time for bed?" Eddie guessed.

"Yeah." There was another pause, and he thought she'd signed off, "I really, really like having you as my boyfriend so far."

"Day One has been pretty great," Eddie agreed, "And it'll only get better."

"Is that a promise?" Chrissy asked, but her voice pitched low, seductively. Eddie bit his lip, grinning so widely he was sure his jaw would hurt tomorrow.

"You have no idea the world I'm going to introduce you to."