Blackpool Railings, 1951. Bert Hardy. Silver Gelatin Fibre Print.

party favours

summary: your best friend robin is in a bit of a pickle, and who else to help her out is there, but you? did she forget to mention eddie munson?

word count: 2.6k

warnings: mentions of drugs, drug use, FLUFFFFFFFF

“seriously, robin. if i wanted to be arrested for drug possession, i could think of a million other ways to do it.”

“really? you?”

you closed the lid on your flute, sitting snug as a bug in a rug within its case. “really. me.”

robin scoffed as she threw her trumpet with little care into its case, shutting its locks with a click. “for some unknown reason,” she eyeballed, looking you up and down, “you make that very hard to believe. besides, you’d really be doing me a favour here. you owe me, remember?”

“remind me?”

“last month when you skipped band practice to go to the mall? i had to tell mrs. blancher you came down with the craziest case of diahorrea?”

your fellow bandmates were slowly filing out of the music room, the blanket of chatter slowly leaving with them. hoping to escape this ploy you were very obviously being dragged into, you threw a handle of your backpack over your shoulder and grabbed your instrument off your chair. “you sure that was a favour?”

hurriedly grabbing her things and following close on your heels into the hallway, robin was growing desperate. “okay, okay, okay. i know it might not have been the best excuse, but i did it out of the goodness of my own heart! doesn’t that count for something?”

“okay, whatever. why can’t you just go get it yourself? i don’t understand why i have to go for you.”

“because i just so happen to have a shift at the video store with steve and won’t have time to do much else before the party.”

you rolled your eyes.

“pretty please? please, please, please do this eensie weensie little thing for me?” robin clutched her hand’s together so tightly that her knuckles were almost white, eyes scrunched closed in prayer.

despite not being friends for a very long time, you had to admit that your soft spot for robin ran pretty deep, as much as you liked to hide it. “alright! okay,” you sighed in admission. “i’ll go see munson.”

lunch was a sort of organised chaos - one that you never really had to think about beyond getting your food and walking to your usual table near the windows. if you really focused and examined your peers’ seating arrangements, you might be able to find some sort of hierarchy, but admittedly you were more interested in the food in front of you.

robin came into your field of consciousness with the grace of a baby deer, slamming her lunch tray onto the clear space of table next to you and making herself comfortable on the bench seat. “ah, how we meet again!” she laughed, nudging your shoulder.

“very funny, rob.” you laughed in response, nudging her back. “study period got you on the ritz again?”

“you know it. but something else has been nagging me even more, believe it or not.” she sighed into her meatloaf before downing a heaped spoonful. oh no, you think, i was hoping she forgot about that.

“i have.. almost this sixth sense.. that you’re avoiding the the task i so graciously handed off to you yesterday.” she raised her spoon at you, eyes reduced to slits. “am i right?”

you shrugged, quietly picking at the mystery meat in front of you. “i haven’t forgotten, don’t worry. just.. waiting for the right time.”

as if thinking the same thing, you both turn your heads to peer at the table a few from your own.

eddie munson was quite the character. ever since you started at hawkins’ high as a freshman and first seen him in the flesh, you had held a sort of fascination with him. you’ve always preferred keeping your head down and keeping to yourself, it’s always been easier to handle the lack of drama when you’d always been sort of… forgettable. the main character in a filler episode type of personality. but this boy never seemed to care what others thought of him - the mischevious smile that never failed to reach his eyes, that playful glint in his eye; it was enough to piss people off, but you found yourself a little jealous of his reckless abandon. your memory of him doesn’t pale in comparison to how he appears in front of you now, it only created a clearer picture.

although you couldn’t exactly tell what he and his friends were talking about, you could still hear the echoes of his voice travel across the cafeteria and see his arms wildly gesticulating something to the boys sitting around him. if you hadn’t known any better, from this angle he looked a bit like an excited kid (albeit, a kid two years older than you).

as if he could feel your gaze on him, he whipped his head around to look in your direction. he caught you staring long enough to throw you a questioning look. you continued to blankly stare at him before being ripped out of your reverie by a painful pinch from your neighbour. “eks-nay on the staring-ay, doofus.”

you quickly realised that you were basically staring all googly-eyed at eddie munson and were caught in the act by none other than the aforementioned party. “fuck. FUCK.” your hand flew to your brow to shield yourself from his view as you began to closely examine your meatloaf.

robin sounded exasperated, joining in on your stealth mission. “you better hope he doesn’t charge extra after that stunt you just pulled.”

“surely not? besides, its not like he’ll remember who i am.” you sneak a peek back at his table through your fingers to see if he was still looking your way. huh. “okay, coast is clear. he’s gone.” it seemed a bit strange that he had just disappeared, but you decided not to question it and count your blessings.

“i swear to god, it feels like the universe is throwing obstacle after obstacle at me in the revelation that i might have some fun tonight.” you let out a breathy laugh at robin’s epiphany, resting your head on her shoulder.

“god, you’re telling me. i never knew this would stress me out so much. i haven’t even asked munson to meet yet!” you let out another giggle, too slow to realise that your friend had gone stiff.

“what do you mean you haven’t asked munson to meet yet?” you lifted your head to meet robin’s raised eyebrow.

“well, i mean- i was going to do it later.. like at last period, or something? isn’t that how it works?” something tells you that no matter what you said here was the wrong answer.

“y/n…” robin shook her head. “at least give him some notice! i bet ten dollars we will not be his only customers today and his services will be in high demand. you have to ask him now. like as soon as possible.”

you found yourself at a loss for words. just as you were about retort back at robin for not giving you any sort of direction, an unfamiliar voice answered for you.

“ask me what?”

eddie was standing right behind you and robin. dear god.

robin was the first to turn around with a sheepish grin. “heeey, munson.. we were just talking about you.”

you gulped, hoping that the floor would just swallow you whole and you wouldn’t have to sit through this interaction any longer.

“yeah i figured. saw your friend checking me out all the way from my table,” he smirked, turning his attention toward you.

his indignance seemed to awaken a little fire within you, causing you to sit up straight and look at him dead in the eye. “i… was not.”

eddie let a small chuckle escape his lips. somehow your feigned confidence served as an invitation for him to make himself comfortable on the bench seat next you. turning his body toward you, he rested his chin in his hand and grinned maniacally at you. “so, what did you want to ask me?”

seeing the infamous troublemaker up close was a lot more pleasing to the eye than you originally thought. you didn’t exactly have the luxury of time to inspect his every feature, but you knew that roguish sparkle in his eye belonged to him. besides, his cocky act was enough to piss you off a little bit. “for weed, munson.” you decided to mimic his smile, resting your own chin in your hand. “were you hoping for something else?”

“honestly? yeah,” he moved closer, testing your resolve. your faces were nothing but a breath away from each other; it took everything in you not to shuffle backwards into the safety of robin. “but i can be patient.” his brown eyes flittled between your eyes and your lips so quickly you could have imagined it. he suddenly stood up and stepped away from the table to take a bow. “i shall be seeing you at the park bench in the woods at 4pm, m’lady.”

“oh.. okay.” you both sat there watching eddie, dumbfounded. it was as if what just happened was a hallucination - he shot you a wink over his shoulder as he left the cafeteria and disappeared into the hallway.

you turned to robin to get some look of reprieve, only to be met with a gaze that said i told you so. “could’ve been worse, right?”

there was a notable chill in the air; the leaves were yellow, orange and red and while some of them held on for dear life, most of their fellow leaves created a colourful palette on the forest floor.

counting the leaves one by one was the only thing holding you together right now. all that was running through your head - or rather, that you were trying to distract yourself from thinking about - was how you embarrassed yourself so collosally at lunch. what were you thinking? what was that whole thing? eddie is kinda weird.. isn’t he? well, it explains a lot of what you’ve heard and seen thus far.

oh man, who cares anyway? you think to yourself. it’s not i’m ever going to speak to him again. it’s not like he’ll remember me beyond whatever happened today.

you stretched your jumper sleeves over your hands and scrunched the material up in your palm, obscuring any lingering cold breeze that dared to slip through.

yeah, it’s fine. i’m so fine. i’m just going to do the deal, head to the party and forget any of this ever happened.

“hey-“

so enrapped in your own thoughts, you didn’t expect to hear a voice coming from behind you, sending you flying up from your seat with a yell.

“woah, sorry. didn’t mean to scare you.” eddie stepped back with his hands up, one still being occupied holding a small metal box.

you took a second to gather yourself before sitting back down. “it’s fine. sorry about that.” you were trying to push out the thought that you have just embarrassed yourself for the second (or was it third?) time in front of this guy and you weren’t sure if you could handle another stint of this.

the table seemed like an awfully interesting subject of focus instead of the drug dealer who was now circling back to sit across from you. from the corner of your eye, you could see eddie trying to hold back a grin, his lips pursed into a thin line. just my fucking luck. ugh.

“so-“

“well-“

you lifted your head to look up at him to find a familiar pair of brown eyes looking straight back at you. you couldn’t help but mirror the grin eddie projected, and before you knew it, you both burst into laughter.

“god, sorry! i’m a bit of a nervous mess, aren’t i?” you giggle sheepishly, scratching the back of your ear.

“understatement of the year,” eddie chuckled, playing with the latch on the little box. “we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. just say the word.”

the wall you created around yourself softened to clay at his comforting words. maybe he wasn’t so scary after all? or is that just what he wanted you to think?

“thanks, but i’m good.” you nodded to yourself. “how much does thirty dollars get me?”

“maybe enough for a small family of 4?” eddie answered back in disbelief. “didn’t peg you as the type.” he raised his eyebrows at his container, leisurely collecting the goods together.

you almost corrected him, but your curiousity got the best of you. “the type to what?”

“oh i don’t know,” he threw his hands up. “the type to buy a pound of weed out of the blue?”

“thought this was a ‘no questions asked’ kind of transaction?” you raised your brow, causing eddie to bite down his lip bashfully and continue to carefully scoop the leaves into a little bag for you. “but you’re right, munson. it’s not for me - it’s for robin and her other friends.”

“oh yeah?” he pressed the bag shut along the suction closure at the top. “big party tonight?”

“you haven’t heard? it’s at patrick’s house on cornwall.” eddie looked at you blankly. “patrick mckinney? on the basketball team?”

“ah, that explains it.” you and eddie exchange packages; three ten dollar bills for a medium sized ziploc bag filled with little balls of green. “you haven’t heard? those assholes are allergic to freaks. not that i care to get to know the monkey living in their empty skulls.” he looks down at the money in his hands for a beat, before shuffling it back into the box.

“well… i wouldn’t say you’re a freak.” you squeezed your lips together. as best as you tried to keep to yourself, it was definitely hard to ignore the bullying that went on. it wasn’t fair to the hellfire club to keep taking all the ignorant insults thrown their way. over a board game? and music? are you serious? you couldn’t believe people were so dense.

“really?” you had piqued eddie’s interest. maybe that moment in the cafeteria earlier wasn’t a one off occurence. “what would you call me?”

you looked at eddie. really looked at him. from his wild curly hair, brown eyes shimmering with curiousity, mischevious grin, all the way down to the chunky rings he adorned - he looked nothing like a freak. he was cute, you’d admit it to yourself, but never to him. “i would call you… interesting.”

“hm!” he smiled widely, nodding to himself. “well, you might be the only one who thinks so. thanks.”

without even touching them to check, you could tell your ears were burning bright red. “anytime, munson.”

sitting across from each other just smiling had you both fidgeting with nothing after a few minutes. “well, i guess i should be going.”

“oh. yeah. sure,” eddie seemed to be caught up in his own thoughts until you started getting up. following your lead, he awkwardly waited for you to gather your things before he joined you on the walk back down to the parking lot.

“is this not a violation of customer policy or something?” you joked, hiding a grin.

eddie looked over at you, metal box jingling in his arms as he walked beside you. “maybe,” he shrugged. “gotta say, our hr department sucks.”

you giggled, covering your mouth as you did. “i kinda wish you were coming tonight.”

“really?”

you have no idea where this sudden rush of confidence came from; it was a total 180 from earlier today. explaining this stir in your chest after such a brief interaction was bound to sound ridiculous once it left your mouth, so you decided against it. “really.”

eddie did little to hide the grin spreading across his face. “maybe i could make a quick stop on the way home.” he looked over at you, brown pools of hope clouding his eyes. “do you need a ride?”

how utterly heartbreaking

rest in peace Lisa Marie Presley 🕊️⛪️🕊️

Sabrina (1954) dir. Billy Wilder

if you tag me in a chain post and i don't do it it's not because i hate you it's because i am very lazy. i love you thank you for tagging me.

remember when you were 10 and you would hang out with your friends in order to Look At The Computer together like you went to their house and experienced the information superhighway together. and then leave

someone: whats your favorite [insert literally anything here]

me: *forgets everything i’ve ever enjoyed* uhhhh

As the World Falls Down

Eddie Munson x Reader (Friends to lovers!)

Synopsis: Reader and Eddie go to see a new movie together. Reader is obsessed with the movie, and one particular song in it. Eddie learns it to impress her, fluff ensues.

A/N: This is not meant to be part of the lil miniseries I've been working on. The idea struck me when As the World Falls Down from The Labyrinth started playing while I was doing homework and I thought this was just too cute not to write. Also, I think the Labyrinth came out in June of '86 so they wouldn't have been in school because summer, but we are going to ignore that plz and thank you. As always, any feedback is welcome! Enjoy :)

*GIF is not mine, but I wish Eddie was*

"Are you busy this Friday?" You bounded up to your best friend's locker, effectively startling him.

Eddie jumped a little at your sudden appearance. "What'd you have in mind?" He shut the door and walked with you to the cafeteria. He had made plans with Henderson, but he wasn't one to turn you down when you wanted to hang out.

"You know that new David Bowie movie that just came out? I thought it looked really good. Wanna go?" You offered him a little smile. One that he soon returned. "It's got goblins and like a shit ton of other cool fantasy creatures!" He couldn't help the lovesick feeling he got in his chest at the way your face lit up when you rambled about the movie.

"Yeah, sounds cool. What time should I pick you up?" You both took your seats at the table. "Well there's a showing at 4. We could go to that and get dinner after?" He nodded at this.

He knew it wasn't a date.

You two hung out together often and considered the other to be your best friend. He knew he didn't have a chance with someone like you, and he sure as hell wasn't going to confess and risk your friendship.

So instead he settled for stolen glances, fleeting touches, and little scenarios that played out over and over again in his head. He wished for more, but he was content being in your life any way you wanted him. Even if that meant being just a friend.

Friday rolled around and it was time for you to get ready. When you got home from school you immediately began looking for an outfit. Something cute, but not trying to hard.

You knew it wasn't a date.

You and Eddie had been friends since you'd moved to Hawkins your freshman year. He was a year older than you. You two had been glued at the hip since your first week when you stood up to Jason for picking on him.

Eddie had always been sweet to you. He would always offer to give you a ride (even though you had your own perfectly good car), hold your backpack when the two of you would walk to class, and even let you sit in his throne during Hellfire meetings. Not that you would actually play; you just sat there, looked cute, and added into the conversation when you could. Occasionally you would actually participate, but your knowledge was limited and Eddie would have to hold your hand through the entire session.

You snapped out of your thoughts as you entered your room. You had about an hour to pick out an outfit and freshen up your hair and makeup before Eddie would arrive.

Even though this was just two friends hanging out you couldn't help your desire to look nice for him.

After getting changed you went to touch up your makeup and hair, slip on your shoes, and add a cute little accessory to enhance your look. You knew you looked adorable. Despite knowing he would never feel the same, you could never shake the hopefulness you'd felt when he'd give you a compliment or use one of his signature pet names. Obviously, he didn't mean anything by it but a girl could dream.

Before you were able to get too engrossed in your wishful thinking, your doorbell brought you back to reality.

As soon as you opened the door Eddie's breath caught in his throat. Of course, you got all dolled up to go out. You always did. And it caught him off guard every. single. time.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart." It was your turn to feel butterflies now as that stupid name left his lips. You had to play it cool. He didn't mean anything by it.

"You don't look too bad, yourself, Munson." You walked down the steps with him to his van, hopping in after he opened the door for you.

After the movie ended you could not stop gushing about two things.

1. Bowie in those tight ass pants.

And 2. The ballroom scene.

The movie overall was amazing, but you couldn't help how much you loved the ballroom. You loved the costumes, specifically Connelly's dress; the atmosphere in the scene; and most importantly, that song.

At the diner you talked Eddie's ear off about how beautiful you thought the song was and how you just had to buy the soundtrack on cassette. He didn't mind thought. He loved watching you talk about something you were passionate about.

Even when you went on and on about that damned song, face full of burger, he thought you were the prettiest little thing he'd ever seen.

After that night at the movie Eddie got an idea. He wasn't good at many things, but definitely knew how to shred his guitar.

His feelings for his best friend had grown every stronger, and he felt like this could be his opportunity to win her over. After all, it was their senior year and he knew she was planning on leaving for college once she graduated. This could be his only chance to confess his feelings before she's out of this shit-hole town and on to bigger and better things.

Two weeks had gone by since they had gone to see that movie. He had two weeks of practice under his belt, and was finally confident enough to execute his plan. He just hoped he wouldn't lose his nerve.

"Hey, sweetheart, wanna come over Saturday?" He hoped she hadn't notice the slight shake in his voice. "Yeah that sounds good." She nodded with that sweet little smile that he loved so much.

She assumed it would be like any other time the two of them would hang out. Watch movies, talk, share a joint, maybe order a pizza. Eddie, however, was finally ready to make his move.

When she arrived at the trailer Eddie was already waiting for her on the couch.

He took her bag for her and put it in his room while she made herself at home. When he came back out a few seconds later, guitar in hand, she didn't think much of it. It wasn't out of the ordinary for him to lazily pick at his guitar while she was there.

Initially, Eddie was going to wait a little bit before he carried out his master plan. But he grew more and more nervous as it got closer to the time was expected to come over. He knew it was now or never. He had to jump into it before he lost his nerve completely.

He took a seat on the couch next to her. He was worried his hands would be too shaky to play at this point, but he pushed on.

"Hey," He grimaced internally at how weak his voice sounded. "I, uh, l know you really liked that one song. So I learned it. For you." He hated how awkward he sounded. He had gone over what he was going to say beforehand, but forgot everything as soon as he opened his mouth.

He felt that dull ache in his heart. It hurt, feeling like he wasn't good enough for you. He was unapologetically himself, but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't started to feel like he really was a freak after hearing it so often.

Your gasp brought him back to the present. "That's so sweet, Ed! Can I hear it?" His heart clenched, seeing those big doe-eyes looking up at him. Thought it made him nervous, he loved being this close to you. He adored these moments when he was able to really take in your features and envelop himself in your scent.

He was a sucker for your signature cotton candy perfume that you wore religiously. He even had a habit of waiting to wash shirts or jackets of his that you'd borrowed, wanting to keep the lovely fragrance around as long as possible.

Eddie only nodded in response. After taking in a shaky breath he began playing the guitar portion that was towards the end of the song.

You watched him with wide eyes. It was always so beautiful to see him doing something he loved. He was so talented with his guitar. You knew that one day he and his band would make it big, and you always told him so.

He looked downright heavenly when he was in his element like this. You couldn't resist staring at the way his fingers so smoothly plucked at the strings of his guitar. You'd bet he learned this song in no time. He always picked new ones up so effortlessly.

After he played the last note he set his guitar down gently, hands shaking. "Oh, Eddie, that was- that was amazing!" Before you could stop yourself you threw your arms around his neck. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around your torso. "I'm glad you liked it sweetheart."

When the two of you pulled back the energy had shifted. You could tell he was nervous about something. "Everything okay?" You put a hand on his forearm, concern growing.

Eddie let out a shaky breath. He knew that what he was about to do would change your dynamic forever, he just hoped that if things went sour you two would at least stay friends.

"Actually, I need to talk to you about something." You looked at him expectantly, letting him know you want him to go on. "(Y/n)... Sweetheart. I- fuck." He laughed dryly at his inability to form a sentence.

"What is it Eddie?" You looked up at him through your lashes, hand still on his forearm.

This had all gone so much more smoothly when he planned it out in his head. He had been confident and knew exactly what he was going to say and how he was going to see it. All of that went out the window when he looked into your eyes.

He felt like if he said the wrong thing he would lose the most important person in his life. He had allowed you to break down his walls and now he was at your mercy. He was, effectively, wrapped around your finger. Reduced to mush any time you came around.

"I'm in love with you." And it was the truth. He was truly, madly, deeply, in love with you. Unable to make eye contact, he looked to the floor. Suddenly, the carpet had become very interesting.

A hand turned his face towards the girl he had been dreaming about for the past four years. "Do you mean that?" Your voice was a whisper. It was all you could muster at this point.

Eddie's hand reached up to hold the hand still on his cheek. He was gentle, as if his touch could break her. "I do. But I won't hold it against you if you don't feel the same."

It was crazy how he had been reduced to a shy little boy in this moment. He had always been softer with you. But seeing loud, boisterous Eddie 'larger than life' Munson in this state was unnerving.

A smile spread across your face at his confirmation. You leaned in slowly, pressing your lips to his. The kiss was slow, tender, but filled with passion. Years worth of pent-up affection finally able to be released.

Your hand slid up his arm to grip his bicep, while he pulled you closer by your waist. After a moment you pulled away, letting out a soft breath. "I'm in love with you too."

At this a dope, lovesick grin spread across Eddie's face. He pulled you in for another kiss, and you obliged without hesitation. You knew you had a lot of lost time to make up for.

From here on out you two would have each other fully. Maybe it would be a challenge after graduation. You were going away for college, but you knew Eddie hated this town. Maybe he wouldn't be opposed to moving with you.

Whatever happens you knew you would always have each other, even if the world fell down.

💌 poems for the month of love 💌

Having a Coke with You by Frank O’Hara

The Quiet World by Jeffrey McDaniel

Wait For Me by Konstantin Simonov (tr. by Mike Munford)

A Kiss on the Forehead by Marina Tsvetaeva

Love by Joseph Brodsky

Your Unripe Love by Paruyr Sevak (from “Anthology of Armenian poetry")

Love poem by Tishani Doshi 

Maybe Under Some Other Sky by Willie Perdomo

Warming Her Pearls by Carol Ann Duffy

Ich finde dich (I find you) by Rainer Maria Rilke

Where does such tenderness come from? by Marina Tsvetaeva

I Loved You by Alexander Pushkin

Like a Small Café, That’s Love by Mahmoud Darwish (translated by Mohammad Shaheen)

Our Story by William Stafford

The Kiss by Sara Teasdale

November 14, 1956:

Elvis was on vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 10 to 18, 1956.

From the Long Beach Press Telegram, November 15, 1956:

“Liberace and Elvis Presley, two of the world´s highest paid entertainers, staged an impromptu act for nothing early today after Liberace’s night club appearance.

Presley was in the audience at the Riviera Hotel as the piano-playing television idol went through his performance, and after the last show ended he went back to Liberace´s dressing room.

With only a slight amount of urging from photographers and publicists, Liberace exchanged his gold sequined jacket for Presley´s striped sports coat, and from there it was only a short step to an exchange of musical instruments.

Elvis sat down at the piano, and Liberace picked up a guitar, and in no time at all a rock´n´roll session was under way. It lasted about 30 minutes with some 200 persons jammed around the pair as they performed.

Said one observer: ‘Elvis played a mean piano, but Liberace said he was an amateur on the guitar - and he sounded like one.’

Said Liberace: ‘Elvis and I may be characters - he with his sideburns and me with my gold jackets - but we can afford to be.’”

one of the most important things, perhaps the most important thing I have learned in my life is that nice people can fuck each other up in monstrous ways. people can be bone deep kind and loving and self reflective and still lash out under pressure. people can be earnestly neighbourly and charitable and hospitable and generous and still find themselves in situations where they become selfish. people can be well meaning and easygoing and gregarious and hold deep seated opinions that turn them into vicious little bullies under the right conditions. nobody is just one thing, and nobody stays one way. every person is a kaleidoscope and they will surprise you. you will surprise yourself. it's not a warning and it's not a judgement and it's not an excuse, and it's certainly not a reason to stop trying or to stop trusting. it is just a fact.