Gareth Emerson X Reader - Blog Posts

Gareth Emmerson hc’s (sfw, some x gn reader)

I'm ngl, this is my first time writing on this app LMFAO so if it's terrible or the layout isn't good lmk! (please give suggestions I'm screaming and crying)

General Headcannons:

LOVES sour candy.  Honestly, he would probably sell his soul for some sour patch kids.

His father wasn’t there for him much as a child so he basically taught himself most of the ‘Handyman’ things that he knows.

On that note, he has probably once or twice tried to fix something like the bathroom sink and completely failed. So when his mom called the plumber he was so embarrassed about it.

100% cries when he eats something too spicy.

A huge sucker for romance movies. Specifically RomComs but he’d rather die than let anyone (but you) know that.

Master of puppy dog eyes. One peek at him looking up at you with his wide eyes and cute little pout and you’re(or legit anyone for that matter) done for.

He has two younger sisters and one older sister. 

Well educated on periods and childbirth.

Adding on to that, he’s very good with kids.

He collects can tabs considering the fact that he’s mildly (or not so mildly) addicted to Dr. Pepper. 

Used to get bullied as a child for his looks.

Going off of that, he’s insecure about his looks. (REASSURE HIM THAT HE’S PERFECT)

Cringes at the smallest things.(LMAO me too bro)

Got his eyebrow pierced at like 13. He loved it for the first few months then out of the blue decided he hated it and took it out.

Hates blue cheese 

Feminist

He has Adhd, my man can’t sit still. He’s always moving, tapping his fingers on his desk to some unknown beat, bouncing his knee. The list goes on.

 Protective big brother energy.

Likes cats more than dogs, he claims it’s because they’re calmer.

He has really warm hands, they’re so soft and so big and so so warm.

Really sensitive skin, can only use certain soaps.

Drools in his sleep. As well as drooling he has some gnarly bed head. 

Looks up to most of his male teachers like a son would look up to his father.

Dad friend.

Relationship hc’s: 

Admires you from afar, he gets really shy around you so he’ll just watch and swoon from a distance.

He would love everything about you, from every freckle to every strand of hair. He would basically worship your existence.

Hates it when his club members touch his hair. But he loves it when YOU do, only you. Only ever you.

 He falls asleep at night dreaming about a family with you. (It helps him sleep very well LOL)

Very much a simp (It’s giving Ray from Princess and The Frog)

Super romantic and lovey dovey.

Isn’t too fond of pda but he will hold your hand under the table and kiss your cheek when he’s leaving the room.

Considering the fact that he has three sisters,(If you’re AFAB) he’d be so tentative to you when you’re on your period. Pulling out all of the shots, food? heating pads? cuddles? He has them whenever you want them. (especially cuddles!!!)

Writes cute love poems but never shows you. (Lowkey want to make this a whole one-shot like where you find them. Lmk if you want that LOL)

Lets you drink some of his Dr.Pepper at lunch. (oOoo so privileged!)

Sucker for dorky pickup lines.

“Are you angry at me?” “No? Why?” “You haven’t looked at me once in the past 3 minutes” type shit

Nightly ‘goodnight’ phone calls.

Whines about having to sleep without you in his bed, over the phone call.

Forehead kisses!!!

You’d be his first s/o and he loves and admires you so so much.

Kiss all over his face and hear his sweet little giggles. (I’m crying it’s so cute)

If you ever end up going to the beach with this man, give him a shovel. He’ll be busy allllllll day. He’ll dig a huge hole and look up at you with pure excitement in his eyes. He’d be so proud of himself. 

Nicknames like: Sugar, Honey, Darling(darlin’), baby, Doll, prince/princess(If you’re comfortable with those)

Loves when you wear his clothes or sleep in his bed!!! He loves your smell lingering on his stuff.

Definitely believes in love at first sight but he would NEVER admit it.

Drive-in dates, small cheap greasy diner dates.

Would 178% teach you the drums if you asked.

His love languages are psychical touch and gift giving.

Wants kids in the future.

Lowkey thinking about writing Gareth and Eddie hc’s(separate or together). What we thinking??

Masterlist

Hello there! Welcome to my masterlist! Below the cut is a list of my fics or head cannon's I've written for different characters. I consider my page 18+ and each fic has the trigger list in the actual fic. In the future I will try and categorize them for nsfw themes, hurt comfort, etc. but at the moment I don't think I've written enough to even have that matter to much tbh. I have only written for the stranger things characters, but that may change in the future.

If you'd like to see me write for someone or if you have an idea feel free to message me here

Gareth Emerson

Headcanons: includes NSFW ones

Headcanons pt 2: does not include nsfw ones

Prisoner of Your Eyes: Best friend Gareth with a mutual crush

Is this the end or just the beginning: pt 2 of Prisoner of Your Eyes: Being high together forces feelings to be admitted and a fun trip.

Eddie Munson

Headcanons: Best friend Eddie headcanons.

Here Without You: Life with Eddie would be a dream, wouldn't it?

Billy Hargrove

Coming soonish

Harringrove

Ghost: Steve and Billy meet years after the events of that night at Starcourt mall

Gareth Emerson Headcanons pt 2: Electric Boogaloo

These are once again written with the mindset of Gareth being 18+, not that there's any NSFW ones this time. With that being said, please if you are a minor, keep scrolling. I'm also sorry for the title but I couldn't not include that.

TW: Swearing, slight talk about homophobia in the 1980s and talk about political ideologies - nothing to bash them, just what political alignment I think Gareth would have. If you see any others I've missed, let me know and I'll add them.

There’s a good chance he’d have an alternative partner. He’s very intensely into the things he likes, so I can’t see him being interested in people who don’t have similar interests. Which is why I think his partner’s style would be alternative. Specifically, punk, if I can toss my two cents in. Regardless of gender or lack of gender, they’d have that big dyed and teased hair, a safety pin through their ear, maybe some facial piercings, the whole nine yards. They’d both love plaid. You can’t tell me he wouldn’t go feral seeing them in a mosh pit at a concert. He’d think it’s one of the hottest things he’s seen them do. He’d be amazed by your ability to walk in platform boots without breaking or spraining an ankle. And maybe a little turned on by it. I could also see him being with someone who isn’t all-out alternative. I don’t think the look has to be there for him. As long as you have similar morals and interests, he’d be down.

In a similar field, I don’t think he’s straight. He doesn’t have a label for his sexuality. Pretty men, handsome women and adorable non-binaries are all good with him. There’s a good chance that Eddie could have been his sexual awakening for men. Still, there’s also a good chance that it could be someone from Mötley Crüe, Lemmy Kilmister, K.K. Downing, or another band member in a band he likes. He thought he admired them for their music - until he had a wet dream or fantasy about them. He didn’t tell people about it right away; he’d know Hawkins isn’t the safest place to be out. When he feels comfortable telling people, he’d tell hellfire at a DND session. Everybody would accept him, even if they did not understand it. He’d tell his mom and siblings last (in case they don’t accept him), who automatically give him hugs and assure him that this doesn’t change their opinion of him in the slightest.

He’s a Scorpio. I know, I know, we don’t know his birthday. But it just makes sense. He’s got the resting bitch face down, he’s got the aggression that’s kinda really hot, and he has this passion to him that you tend to see in water signs. I am going based on other Gareth fics and head cannons for this, but he does seem very private to everyone except the people he trusts. You would not be able to tell if he likes someone until they’re brought into the friend group. It takes a bit to win him over, even after someone new is brought in. He knows what he wants and will eventually get it, which he is sure of every time. The scene that makes me think this the most is the scene when Jason is stepping on his hand. Gareth was adamant about not giving Eddie up. Mostly because he didn’t know where he was, but he could have told Jason places to look. They’re close friends, if not best friends. He’d have a good idea where Eddie was, not just that Dustin was looking for him and might have found Eddie. He only gave the Dustin part up when it became obvious that Jason wouldn’t stop until he had information and he assaulted him. It just gives me Scorpio vibes.

He and Eddie fucking gossip together. It’s like that stereotype of two teenage girls type of gossip. It is sometimes about music, but more often, it’s about what Eddie overhears when dealing. Eddie learns so much gossip from the different cliques as he deals to people in all of the cliques, and they just don’t care what’s said around him. He always reports back to Gareth and Gareth alone. None of the other Hellfire members are interested in his gossip. Eddie being Eddie lets himself into Gareth’s house as he’s babysitting his sisters to inform him of the latest gossip. “Gareth, you’ll never believe what Amanda was talking about with Stacy.” “What?” “Madison hooked up with Ryan at Tina’s party.” “NO!” “Yes!” “But she’s dating Christian.” “Oh, I’m very aware.” “Lunch is going to be interesting on Monday.” “That it will be Gareth the Great. That it will be.”

Can we talk about the dynamic of the older hellfire boys for a second: specifically their music tastes. They’re all obviously music lovers, music lovers of a ton of genres at that. But they all seem to have a bit of a different genre they fit into. Eddie is obviously our metalhead. It was harder to find in the 80s, but I think he’d also love international metal music. He’d be so excited to see Ramstein; it would give him many ideas for Corroded Coffin. Many of them are about fire, but he’d have a lot of ideas nonetheless. Jeff, I thoroughly believe, is more of a rock guy. I think he gets it from his parents. He’d have those cool, slightly younger, maybe teenage parent’s archetype. But Gareth, I fully believe he’s a punk lover. He loves the music, but he also aligns with the core ideologies of punks - like being very anti-establishment, vocal about the mistreatment of minorities, ACAB, anti-war, fuck Reagan, big on equal rights for all, etc. I don’t think he would be overly vocal about it, but he’d argue about it in class with other students and would make his beliefs known. Their music tastes would combine to make Corroded Coffin a genre-hopping metal band.

He’d throw hands for his partner if needed. Is he good at fighting? Honestly 50/50, but he does his best when it comes to his partner. I’ve mentioned him being overprotective before, and I think it comes from either being an only child to a single mom or the only brother to sisters. I think he has this ideology or mindset that even if you are perfectly able to stand up for yourself, it’s his job. It’s not in a toxic masculinity way, more of an I protect the people I love.

He’s not the best in school. He is smart, but I agree with the fandom that he has ADHD and has a hard time focusing on specific things for a prolonged time. He’d be great in a woodworking or shop class; he’d get to use his hands and brain and doesn’t technically have to follow a specific set of rules - even if he should. He’d make you tons of gifts, though. Like a really nice birdhouse, a floating picture frame, if you wear jewelry - a really nice jewelry box. This also makes me think he may go into carpentry for work or keep it as a hobby after Corroded Coffin takes off. I think he’d branch out and begin making guitars for people. He just loves working with his hands.

He is a short king. Apparently, Gwydion is 5’ 8, so he isn’t super short but isn’t the tallest, either. I love the video a fan posted of them carrying Gwydion at a con (also a huge thank you to said person if they ever see this). Gareth, with a taller partner, is an adorable thing. He’d fully take advantage of having a taller partner, piggyback rides, can you get this for me, how’s the weather up there etc. Totally uses your height to check out your boobs if you’ve got them and are comfortable with that. Puts up a fuss when you rest your arm on his shoulders. He actually does like it, but he also likes to tease and playfully harass you. He is the definition of the shorter you are, the closer you are to hell.

The first holiday season, you’re together Gareth bought you a heated blanket. Hawkins is freezing in the winter, and sometimes a regular heating pad doesn’t do the trick. He’d never used a heating pad before you got together, but he’d soon find out how much you use and love yours. So why wouldn’t he get you a heated blanket? It turns into him also loving the blanket. It’s used a little bit too much if you are being honest, at least when you look at your energy bill. It’s used for cuddling while watching movies while sleeping, and he’s even asked you to bring it when going to friends’ houses for movie nights. It really was the best gift.

He’d be extremely loyal once he let anybody into his life. His partner would be no different, or anybody he likes. The only difference is he might be a little bit clingy, but not in an annoying way. He still knows how to give you distance and thoroughly enjoys his space and time. Still, he does prefer to be around his partner and touch them when they’re around one another. He would be the one to throw hands for his partner; in fact, he has. He’s very forward without pushing. He enjoys walking you to class regardless of whether you have the class together or are walking with friends. It’s not that he gets in between you and your friends. It’s more that he’d walk on the outside of your group, and your friends would be on the other side of you. If you have a class with him and your friends, he will sit at the inside or the outside desk, let you sit in the middle and your friend on the other side. He will try to distract you. Usually, by drawing on your hand or by attempting to play footsie. If you’re not dating and unsure, he will still be there for you regardless, no matter what, even if you get another partner.

Is this the end or just beginning

This became a lot more than I expected it to be. It's 4.1k words long, and yea, just yeah. This is the bigger story of my Prisoner of Your Eyes fic. If your interested in it you can read either one first.

Paring: Gareth X gender neutral y/n. No physical descriptions 😊

Synopsis: Y/N takes mushrooms for the first time with best friend Gareth. Eddie and his girlfriend (y/n’s other friend) trip sit. Angst central with a cute morning after.

Same thing as last time. If you need to talk about anything, feel free to message me. I have been an addictions/mental health/housing worker in the past. My messages are open to everyone, and if I've fixed them properly, the anon option should be on. Take care of yourself and enjoy some angsty but cute Gareth. Enjoy!

TW: 18+ please! Drug use, y/n is high, but there isn’t any negative side effects to them being high. There are signs of anxiety and some self-loathing/self-hatred thoughts. Angst, a decent amount at that. Eddie has a girlfriend with a name. Ignore the name if you want. Swearing. Lmk if I missed any.

"We could do it together." That phrase has been on your mind for the last three days. Three days of trying to avoid Gareth as much as possible was hard when you have all but one class with him, sit at lunch with him, live on the same street as him, and he's your best friend. It had been three days since Gareth had suggested you could try taking shrooms together. 

You hadn't really thought it through when you brought up trying the shrooms in the first place. It just kinda came out of your mouth before you could stop it. Eddie had been talking about new drugs he'd gotten from reefer Rick. You had no interest in LSD or coke but shrooms. You'd always been interested in them. Your cousin told you about her experiences with them. It seemed like fun; honestly, you just wanted a break from life. Mind-altering drugs seemed like a good way to escape the world. You didn't really think anybody would take it seriously. But Gareth had. 

"We could do it together." But, of course, Gareth meant it in a good way. You knew he wanted to support you. He always supported you. Gareth had been your first real friend after you moved to Hawkins the summer before grade seven. That quickly turned into best friends in grade eight when he told off Tommy Hagan for making fun of your Blue Oyster Cult shirt. Then, in grade nine, you realized that you were falling hard for your best friend. Two and a half years later, the crush had knocked you on your ass. 

"We could do it together." He meant it in an innocent way. But god, you wanted it to be far more than innocent. That simple sentence had been going through your mind for the last three days. Whenever your mind drifted, it went to those five words every day. You could tell Kolby, your other best friend and Eddie's girlfriend, was sick of having the same conversation with you. Every time you had the conversation, she kept telling you to tell Gareth you have a crush on him. But it wasn't that easy. 



You huffed as you shoved the cafeteria doors open, making a bee-line towards the Hellfire and friends' table, the friends being you and Kolby. You took your usual seat between Gareth and Eddie, leaving Kolby across from you and open seats for the rest of the club once they showed up. You could feel Eddie's eyes looking between you and Gareth a few times before moving to Kolby's. You decided to ignore them both and took a bite of an apple you'd taken from your backpack. Your mind started to wander back to those five words before you snapped yourself out of it. 

"Will you trip sit?" The words stumbled out of your mouth quicker than you had hoped and had been directed at Kolby. You felt Gareth stiffen beside you as the words caught his attention. "Ozzy wannabe what do you say? I'm sure as shit not doing it on my own." "Please." You tacked on at the end. 

You loved Eddie; you really did. Your little quad, plus Jeff and some of the younger Hellfire kids, were people you considered family. If Eddie was a stereotypical family member, he'd be that weird, slightly dirty-minded uncle everyone loved because they were family but also knew that something was wrong with them. That's not to say he's creepy; Eddie Munson is anything but creepy, despite what the majority of Hawkins High thinks. It's more because you never knew what would come out of his mouth. And his dirty mind didn't help. Needless to say, your jaw almost dropped when he let out an excited "Fuck it, why not."

"Uhm, so, Friday or Saturday night? I don't want to see anything that isn't there while we're in Mrs. Clarke's English class; it's already scary enough with her teaching." Gareth piped up this time. A grin crossed your face as you knew he wasn't exaggerating. That woman was genuinely terrifying. You nodded at Eddie, who apparently both of you had decided was all knowledgeable in drugs. Although to be fair, out of any of your friends, he was the one who had the knowledge. 

"Your parents are still away, right?" Eddie asked you. "Mhm, back on Wednesday." You confirmed. "Okay, yeah. Friday night, y/n's house, you two are buying movies and food as payment. Gareth, bring comfortable clothes. Kolby, you wear as little as possible." He finished, resulting in a groan from Dustin and Mike, who had just sat down. You tried to keep a laugh to yourself, as you were used to hearing Eddie say far worse. 

"Wanna make a snack list." Gareth's voice was loud enough only for you to hear. You were sitting together in English, Eddie and Kolby in front of you. It had been a hell of an argument with Eddie for him to give up the beloved back row he'd been sitting in the last two years, but totally worth it. It gave you and Gareth more leeway from Mrs. Clarke, which was perfect for times like this. "Please." You answered. 

"Dr. Pepper and Doritos." He began. You quickly wrote them down and hummed at him to continue. "Sour candy and iced tea for Hellfire's reigning queen." He faked gagging at the nickname Eddie used to refer to Kolby. You snickered in response and wrote the others down. "Apple juice and cupcakes for my Kin." 

You could feel your cheeks heat up at your given nickname. Gareth had decided in grade eight to give you that nickname. First, it had been Punkin because, in his words, you were sweet and spicy like pumpkin pie, but you also dressed like a punk. Then he decided halfway through grade nine to shorten it to Kin. 

You turned your head to look at him when you felt him nudging your side. "Y/n, are you paying attention?" "Mhm, always pay attention to you, Gare." "What did I just say then?" "Uhm, we're getting pizza too." You say it more like a question instead of actually replying to him. Gareth was quiet for a few seconds, making your heart beat just a little bit faster than expected. 

"You're lucky we're a predictable group." He finally gave in, letting the tension run from your mind. You chuckled at him, bumping shoulders with him. "Not my fault Munson's idea of dinner comes from a can or is pizza." You whispered back a little bit louder so Eddie could hear. Immediately his middle finger was raised towards you and Gareth, even if he didn't have anything to do with antagonizing Eddie. You leaned into Gareth, putting your face against his shoulder to keep yourself quiet as Kolby quickly snatched Eddie's hand and laced their fingers together. God, you wished that you could hold Gareth's hand too. 

----

"Okay, Zeppelin on, pillows down, blankets, ashtrays, ashtrays. Where the fuck are the ashtrays?" You rattled off your list of what to set out before searching for the ashtrays scattered around your house. You moved your way from your room, grabbing the ashtray on your bedside table and walking into your kitchen and the one on your dining room table. You set them both down on your coffee table just as you feel someone grab your waist from behind. "Son of a bitch!" 

"Hey, Kin." Gareth's smirking face looked down at you, and the urge to smack him was high. Of all cities in Indiana, Hawkins was not the one you snuck up on someone! "Gareth Emerson, I could have hit you with an ashtray!" You exclaim. "Yea, but you didn't." He teased, grin only growing bigger. Gareth wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. Your arms immediately wrapped around him to return the hug. 

"Your friendly neighbourhood drug dealer is here, kiddos!" Eddie burst through your front door, making both of you jump at his sudden entrance. "Everyone with the fucking surprising entrances today." you mumble and give him the best glare that you can manage at the moment. Your eyes follow Eddie's arm as Kolby ducks under it, carrying pizzas for the four of you. Her eyes meet yours before giving you a not-so-subtle eyebrow wiggle. Reluctantly pulling away from Gareth, you make your way with her into the kitchen. 

"Mkay, so we have everyone's favourite snacks and, for some reason, cookies, not that that is a complaint, pizza and drinks. Eddie, my apologies, but Sandra was working today at the beer store, and she knows my real age. No fake ID beer for you. Everyone knows where plates and glasses are, find what you need." Your hands clap together as you look at your three friends, who oblige your mini rant as if you didn't give it a month ago when you all had a smoke sesh/movie night. Or the other countless times you've given similar, if not exactly, the same rant. 

"I got both Nightmare on Elm Street and Fright Night for you two." Gareth chimes in. "Thank you, Gareth, the great. Are we staying in the spare room again?" You nod at Eddie before stepping aside to let the two walk past, leaving you and Gareth alone. You could feel the tension in the air as you looked over at him. You shook your head at him, cutting him off before he could even ask if you wanted to talk about it. 

Instead, you decided to walk closer to your record player that was now playing Over the Hills and Far Away. Your favourite songs off the album and probably your favourite Led Zeppelin song. You hummed along to the instrumental part before singing along with the beautiful voice.

Many times I've lied

Many times I've listened 

Many times I've wondered

How much there is to know 

You began to sway with the music. The irony of that being the song playing right now didn't go over your head. Instead, your eyes drifted to Gareth, who was leaning against the door frame separating the kitchen and living room. His eyes were fixated on you, and his pupils were slightly blown. He looked beautiful. 

The four of you were sitting around your kitchen table. You and Gareth each had a mug of lukewarm tea in front of you. "It's gonna feel weird, but most people like it. It's kinda trippy to see the world in a different way." Eddie explained. He was going over what might happen when you drank the tea. 

Glancing over at Gareth, you offered a small smile. He smiled back and bumped his knee against yours. "Ready?" Your voice came out quieter than expected. He nodded, lifting his cup up to yours, and muttered "cheers" to you. You decided to go for as much as you could drink in one go. It didn't taste bad or good. It just kind of was.

1.5 hours in

You held your fingers out before your face, wiggling them around. They had little fuzzy lines wrapping around one another. Your fingers felt buzzy, like a bee. You giggled as you pulled your fingers back into your palm before pushing them away, making the fuzzy lines move and separate. 

A giggle responded to yours, making you snap your head in that direction. Gareth! His Ozzy shirt had green goo dripping from the ends of it. "Oh my god! Gareth, your clothes are melting!" You attempt to warn him. "What? Where?" his hands brushed over his shirt moving through the goo. "Right there!" Your hands pushed at the goo, but you couldn't feel it. "What the fuck?" you mumbled. You ran your hand over where the goo should be - you could see it, but why couldn't you feel it? "You've got green goo. I can see it! Why won't you show yourself to Gare?" You yell at the goo.

"There's no goo. Leave his shirt alone, y/n." Kolby's voice distracted both of you from the goo. She had a halo around her head, but not like an angel halo. It was a purple halo, engulfing her and Eddie in purple light. "You're purple." You informed her. She opened her mouth to speak before Eddie pulled her into his lap. "Leave it be. They're really seeing the shit they say. It'll cause them to get paranoid if you argue it." 

All day long I think of things

But nothing seems to satisfy

Think I’ll loose my mind

If I don’t find something to pacify

You began to sing the chorus - the only part you know in your mind frame - before Gareth’s hand comes over your mouth. You narrow your eyes at him, annoyed that he’d stop your singing. He shook his head at you, rubbing his thumb against your cheek. “Oh, that’s just rude.” Your words are muffled by his hand.

3 hours in

"Y/n! No. Stay - fucking hell - stay in the goddamn house." Eddie yelled after you. You darted around his left side, going for the door. Kolby managed to slip herself in front of it, backing herself against it so you couldn't push her out of the way. "Move." "Not a chance. "Please" You extended the e for a few seconds. "Never." "But." 

"Led Zeppelin III is better than Houses of the Holy!" Eddie said in an attempt to distract you. They all knew your favourite album. Gareth chimed in with a quiet "oooh." before you could respond to Eddie. "How fucking dare you." You direct at him, taking quick steps away from the door. Your face to face with him, and from your peripheral vision, you see Kolby move back along his side. She still had the purple halo, but now Eddie had a red one.

"You heard me. It's got Celebration Day and Immigrant Song." He tries to justify. "Yeah, and Houses of the Holy has No Quarter and The Song Remains the Same!" You justify "And Over the Hills and Far Away." Gareth adds, reminding you of your favourite song. You look at Eddie and point towards Gareth's general direction. "See, Gare gets it." "Oh, he just agrees with you because he lik." "Oh my god, look at the pretty sunset!" Kolby shouts, distracting all three of you, effectively cutting Eddie off mid-sentence. 

You run over to your front window. You hear Gareth scramble up off the floor to join behind you. He's pressed against your back to get a better look at the pretty pink and orange hues that paint the sky. "Woah." You mumble. Your back feels like it's floating with Gareth against it, and suddenly, the colours of the sky continue their expansion to paint your living room as well.  

6.5 hours in 

You watched as the once bright colours in the room began to dull back to their normal hues. Everything felt the same but so different at the same time. Your fingers played with the ends of Gareth's hair while his head was laid on your shoulder. 

You had both decided to sit on the carpet; it felt fuzzy in a way you couldn't describe. Before Gareth had fallen asleep, he had been running his hands over it for who knows how long. Your body is left with a nice floaty feeling and a feeling of hotness where your skin is touching Gareth's.

You kept waking yourself up just as you were nodding off. Rubbing your hand over your chin, you looked up at Kolby and Eddie, who were watching the movie on your tv. "Can someone help take him to bed?" You bite your lip when you watch both jump at your voice. "Sorry." You add quickly. "Girl time." Kolby tells him as she elbows him. You watch Eddie get up and nudge Gareth gently. Thankfully he wasn't sleeping deeply, which was a miracle since he usually does, so he was able to almost walk himself back to the bedrooms. You chuckle quietly as you hear Eddie mumble about never being invited to girls' night. 

"You need to tell him y/n." Your eyes fixate on the tv screen in an attempt to ignore her. Glen was in bed about to be attacked by Freddy, which you knew because you had seen it in theatres with Gareth. "Y/n, he isn't going to push you away or turn you down." She attempted again.

"You don't know that." You whispered. Your nails dug into your palms as you began to blink back tears. You hadn't voiced it to any of your friends, but you always had intrusive thoughts about not being good enough or deserving them. Your mind loved creating scenarios of finally telling Gare that you liked him, and then him just laughing at you was far too many for you to remember in the moment. So you forced yourself to stop crying and tell her in hopes she'd finally understand. 

"I can't tell him. I'm not good enough for him, and if I say anything that changes our friendship, I don't know how to handle Hawkins without him. He makes my world brighter. He is one of the only people I want to go to when everything is dark and bad. I don't want him to leave or decide that he doesn't want our friendship. If I have to hide a crush to keep him as a best friend, I'm fine with that." You could feel your shoulders drop as they suddenly felt lighter. In a way, finally saying it made things easier. 

"That's a lot, and we're going to talk about it when it isn't 3 in the morning." You shake your head and try to respond to her. "Hold on, I'm not done. Y/n, how can you think that you're not enough for Gareth? You're both exactly what the other needs, and you both make each other ridiculously happy. So again, we'll talk about this when it's not 3 am, and you're not high, but I just need you to know he will not leave. I promise you he won't."  

Honestly, you didn't know how to comprehend this at the moment. Emotionally and mentally, it was overwhelming, and the moving objects in the room weren't helping. You nod at her and force a small smile. Words were too hard at the moment. "Goodnight." She whispered. 

You stumbled a bit as you walked. The mixture of your home looking the same as usual but in different colours was messing with your head. Eddie's brown mullet was one of the only normal things right now. Even it still had a faded red halo around it. You held your hand out for him as he turned to look at you. He helped pull you to him, chuckling to himself. "Shut up, Munson." 

"I wish you luck; he's out like a light." Eddie, gesturing to the boy currently starfished in the middle of your bed, face shoved into a pillow. Your hand rubbed over your face once more. Was it even worth it to weigh your options? You knew you'd just leave him as he was. Gareth was a heavy sleeper, something you'd learned after countless sleepovers. "I'm just gonna sleep in my parent's room. Please keep it PG or at least quiet, so I don't hear you this time." You shudder as you finish your sentence, trying not to remember the Halloween party from last year. "No promises." Eddie pats your shoulder as you walk past him. 

You woke with a startle in the morning. Was someone yelling? Why was someone yelling in your house? "I can't find them. Where are they?" It was Gareth's voice. He seemed panicked. "Dude - parent's room because you starfished in their bed." Eddie sounded tired. "Oh. Thanks." You heard Gareth walking from your guest room to where you were. 

You smiled as he appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Gare." You manage. Your voice was dry and sounded deeper than usual. You moved over from the middle to the side of the bed so he could join you. He climbed in beside you, scooting close so you could rest your head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around you to keep you close. You let your eyes close again, choosing to bask in the comfort of his warmth and soft smell.  

"Wanna talk about it now?" He definitely wasn't making this easy as he also had morning voice. No, no, you really didn't want to talk about it. It wasn't the fear of change that scared you. You had already changed so much with Gareth. You change daily. You changed comfort levels, you changed nicknames, you changed music tastes. Change wasn't scary to you. Losing the ability to change with him scared you. "Okay." you whispered. 

"I don't know how to start." He sounded nervous. "Me either. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you." You corrected yourself, once again forcing yourself not to look at him. If he's going to leave, it would be easier not to look at him while he goes. 

"You won't, Kin. Nothing will make me leave unless you ask me to. Stuck with me for life, remember?" Chuckling at his words, you look down at your palm, the tiny little scar still there after all those years. It felt like something out of a movie, making a blood pack with your best friend. It hurt, and looking back at it now, it was kind of gross if you were being honest with yourself, but it was proof of your friendship lasting forever. 

Gareth's fingertip traced across the scar on your palm. That little movement gave you enough courage to tell him. "I like you." The words are rushed and louder than you meant to say them. "I like you too." He doesn't even bat an eye as he says the words back. "No, I mean in the I like you, I want to kiss you and hold ha." 

Somehow he manoeuvred the both of you in a way that let his body lean over you as he kissed you. It was sloppy, rough and perfect. His lips were moulded against yours, making them feel like they were made for you and you alone.

You're interrupted by a loud bang coming from your guest room, Eddie shouting that he's okay, and Kolby's laughter. Gareth pulls away, which makes you pout. You really liked kissing him. "20 bucks says he walked into the wall again." "I'm not giving you 20 bucks." You snicker at him. "We should go out and join them before he decides he's not going to knock." You groan softly and reluctantly not, but not before leaning back up to peck his lips. 

Forcing yourself out of bed, you let out a quiet moan as you stretch, feeling your muscles tense for a few seconds before fully relaxing. "Didn't know you could sound so pretty, Kin." You laugh at that, shooting him your best attempt at a flirty look, at least the best you could do after just waking up. "Don't worry, I'll show you how pretty I can sound for you later." You keep the look played up for a good three seconds before letting out a genuine laugh, the ones only your real friends or more than friends get to hear. "Okay, I'm so sorry. That was bad." You could feel the butterflies you were used to from him begin to flutter again once you heard his laugh. "It wasn't that bad, promise." 

You groan quietly and walk into his chest, pushing your face into it. His chuckles vibrate throughout his body as his arms tighten around you. "I swear I really can dirty talk. Just not at ten in the morning." He answers you with a kiss pressed to the top of your head. "C'mon, sugar, I'll get you some breakfast." 

Lacing your fingers with his, you make your way into the kitchen. Eddie and Kolby had beaten you there. You let go of Gareth's hand as he tried maneuvering around Eddie, who was making coffee. "Munson, who told you that coffee was a good thing for you?" You tease. "I tried to tell him no, but he said he'd make me fend for myself for breakfast if I took it away from him." Kolby's hands are up in defence. "Hm, not nice to not treat your girlfriend right, Eddie. And you call her the queen of hellfire. At least I get my partner cold pizza for breakfast."

Your eyes go wide at his words. "Partner?" Kolby and Eddie say at the same time. Gareth brings two plates of cold pizza over before sitting next to you. "Mhm, see, unlike Eddie. I'm nice to mine." Gareth confirms before kissing your cheek. 

Prisoner of Your Eyes

I have Gareth brain rot and this is the cluster fuck it turned into. Okay so full honesty, I didn’t know what to do with this fic. It fits with another Gareth fic I’m finishing / editing but it doesn’t fit at the same time. So I’m just going to post it ahead of time. If you’ve already seen this, shh, no you haven't. The bigger fic will explain the nickname Gareth has given y/n.  Pt 2 can be found here

TW: There is no drug use but its heavily implied that they will be taking drugs. Y/N shows some signs of anxiety. If you are a minor please don’t read. Everyone involved is over 18. If I have missed any, please tell me so I can update.

Please protect yourself / your mental health, I know drug use and mentions can be very triggering - if anyone ever needs to talk please feel free to message me. I have worked as an addictions and mental health worker / housing worker, while I’m not the most expirenced but my messages are always open. 

Your eyes darted around the parking lot of the only grocery store Hawkins had after the other had been burned or destroyed after what happened at Starcourt. You still didn't know exactly what happened, but something told you it wasn't just a fire. It was busy, which made your stomach churn in a bit of paranoia. Someone knows that you'd be higher than a kite later. Of course, they would, your friends with the hellfire club kids. One of your best friends is Eddie Munson, the local drug dealer. They're going to know. How could they not?

"Hey. I can feel your anxiety from here. You're okay, nobody knows." Gareth's voice interrupted your spiral. When he laced his fingers with yours, you could focus on the sparks you swear you could actually feel whenever he touched you or vice versa. "I can go alone if you want. You can wait in the car and listen to music.." He continued, stopping mid-walk in an attempt to make you look at him.

You shook your head at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "We're just grocery shopping for movie night." You repeated back the words he had said while driving here from school. He nodded at you with a smile etched on his face. Gareth was the best at calming you down for whatever reason. Chalk it up to the safety he made you feel, best friend magic or holy shit, I'm in love with my best friend comfort, you weren't sure which one. Whichever one it was, Gareth always made it better.

You two unconsciously matched each other's steps until you got to the karts. You began to get one out of its slot before he used his hip to push you aside. You narrowed your eyes slightly before giving him an annoyed look. "No way, not after you ran into the back of my ankles last time." "You were in my way!" You defended. "Uh huh, pardon me for stopping to look at the fruit snacks you asked for." His fingers plucked yours off the kart's handle as he stepped into the spot you had just been standing so he could manoeuvre the kart. You stared at him for a moment, unsure what to do until he interrupted your thoughts. Again. "Come." he instructed.

Your stomach flipped at his demand. You made sure to take hurried steps to get back beside him, quickly falling into a chat about your days, well, mainly about the one class you don't share with one another. Apparently, Jason Carver was mouthing off to him and Eddie in shop class. Which left Eddie to plan how to distract him while switching the size of wood he was using? Honestly, it made no sense to you, but Gareth was trying hard not to disturb others with his laughter, which made your stomach flutter. Again.

"Have you ever had funions?" You questioned, grabbing the yellow bag of snacks both Eddie and his girlfriend, Kolby, love. You turned the bag around to get a look at them before tossing the bag in the kart. "Not willingly. Eddie swears they are the best chips. But, between you and I, it's 100% because his ass is whipped for Kolby, and she is the one who loves them." Nodding your head in agreement, you absentmindedly move back to stand beside him as he looks between some of the chip choices.

"Blue or red Doritos, love?" Your head snapped up at that. Love? He had never called you love before. Sugar and Kin, yes. But love? Love was different, and it seemed to slip out so easily. You could feel your cheeks heating up at the name. "Red." You force out. You made a dash towards the end of the aisle where most of the candy was in an attempt to focus on the candies in front of you.

Was he toying with you? Did he know about your crush? Did he have one back? Surely he's either teasing you. Kolby must have told Eddie about your crush on accident, and Eddie must have told Gareth. It felt like some sick and cruel joke everyone was in on but you. You blinked away tears that started to form in the corner of your eyes. You knew you had to stop thinking like that; you know Gareth isn't mean. If anything, he is the exact opposite. He wasn't like other people in Hawkins. Sure, you both had a morbid and dry sense of humour, but he would never intentionally hurt you. But it didn't explain the love either.

You heard his humming of Judas Priest, Prisoner of Your Eyes, to be exact, which made you really focus on the candy this time. You grabbed two bags of sour patch kids - a new candy that had been released earlier in the year. You were sure one of you would wind up eating them. You tossed them into the kart when it was close enough and looked over at him, getting caught in his eyes. The lighting made them remind you of one of the prettiest rainstorms you'd seen instead of his usual blue tone. "Something on my face, Kin?" "No, your eyes just look really pretty right now." You answered before you could stop yourself.

You bite down on your lip so you don't let any other words spill out without meaning to share them. You begin to wander over to the aisle of drinks. You decide to get a case of dr pepper, knowing that Gareth loved it and you would drink one or two. You were sure that even if they weren't finished this weekend, there would be plenty of other chances they could be finished. Gareth's fingers brushed against your hand as he walked by you.

You were starting to feel overwhelmed. You had hoped that shopping would be peaceful or calm, you were just getting snacks with Gare. There was no reason to be overwhelmed, but with the idea of people knowing what you were about to do and Gareth unintentionally calling you love and touching you, it was too much. You begin to tap every finger against your thumb and count five things you can see. One a bunch of Dr pepper in front of you, two the grocery kart, three Karen Wheeler, four Gareth's red flannel, five the candy in your kart. Your breathing slows down as you move on to four things you could touch. You stood beside Gareth this time, not noticing that you were leaning into him or how he had stiffened beside you.

"You okay, Kin?" His worried tone made you feel even worse. You didn't want to worry him over things so stupid. "Mm, just want to get out of here. What are you looking at?" "Trying to find apple juice for you. They don't have any of the kind you like." You looked at the options before you laid your head on his shoulder. Usually, you weren't so touchy in public, not that Gareth would mind. It was just that neither of you loved being the talk of a small town. "I'll just have Dr. Pepper or water. It's okay, Gare." He held his pinky up to you, and you instinctively wrapped yours around his before you began strolling down the aisle towards the checkout.

The checkout area was small, but thankfully, you could stand next to Gareth as you waited in line. His arm instinctively wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him, something you gladly accepted. As you zoned out, you could feel his thumb running up and down your waist. Gareth was your safe space, and you were thrilled he allowed it to happen. The irony in him singing Prisoner of Your Eyes earlier was spot on. It wasn't the first time you met him, as in the song, but he had definitely caught you over time.

"Are you two a couple?" Allison, a girl from your English class, asks. You look at Gareth, knowing the answer but not knowing what to say. "Excuse me?" Gareth sounded half shocked, half offended, not that anybody but you would know that. "Are you two a couple, you know, when you go on dates, kiss, that stuff?" Your fingers gripped Gareth's flannel; again, you knew the answer, but you really wanted to hear what Gareth had to say.

"So what if we are? Are you going to make fun of the freaks for dating now too?" Gareth's tone was sharp, almost harsh. He had stepped in front of you unconsciously in an attempt to protect you, even though Allison wasn't a threat to either of you.

"No. Just curious. That'll be 18.27, please." You moved to hand her a twenty from your wallet. If you were being honest, she was hard to read. You couldn't tell if she was genuinely curious or planning to use your answers against one another in the future. Gareth took the bag off the counter, more or less leaving you and Allison alone, or at least as much as you could be.

"You're welcome." Her whispered statement made you frown in confusion before it all clicked at once. She had been sitting near a table in the school's library three weeks ago. You had been telling Kolby about Corroded Coffins' gig that week because she had been grounded. Gareth had worn his Mötley Crüe shirt with the cut-off sleeves, and you couldn't keep your eyes off him. "Thank you." you mouthed to her. She nodded her head and tried to hand you back your spare change. You shook your head and smiled at her.

Once you were both back in the car, you could feel Gareth's eyes trying to catch your attention whenever you got to red lights. You forced yourself to not look at him, staring out the window and picking at your fingers to keep yourself distracted.

"When are we going to talk about us?" You had both been sitting in silence for three or four minutes. You could still feel his eyes watching you, so you forced yourself to take a breath and look at him. "Not this weekend. Please. I just want to get through this weekend before everything changes." Your voice feels like it's caught in your throat. The idea of not having Gareth be your Gareth, your best friend, terrified you. If there was even a two percent chance that telling him or talking to him about your crush would change you two, it wouldn't be worth it. He meant too much.

"Okay, Kin. I'll be back in half an hour. I have to pick up the twins from school, drop them off, and get the movies for tonight. Eddie said he'd get pizza on his way if we pay him back." "Okay, see you soon." You confirm, getting out of his car, forcing yourself to give him a smile as he backs out of your driveway.

It will be a good weekend. You will have a good time. You will relax with your best friends. You keep repeating that in your head. And you would. After setting down the grocery bag on your kitchen counter, you make your way over to your record player. Your very loved and used copy of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy is already waiting to be played. Your body relaxes as you start to dance and sing along to the music. If you had any say in it, it would be a weekend to capture in time, just in case, things did change.

Gareth Emerson Headcanons

I have written these with the intent that Gareth is 18+, and as much as I doubt it would be followed, please don't interact if you're a minor.

General TW's: Some of them are NSWF and involve a pre-established BDSW-esq relationship. One of them involves drugs. I believe that is all, but if you see anything else, please let me know, and I'll add it.

SFW:

One of his favourite things to do with you is listening to music together. Even if you don't have the same music taste, he will take time to learn what music you love so he can talk about it with you. You can spend hours with together listening to album after album after album and sit in comfortable silence. He will make you mix tapes for everything, your birthday, Christmas, a Tuesday. Don't get me started on the sex mix tape.

He is very touchy. His love language is physical touch. He will always be resting a hand on some part of your body or leaning against you, whether he knows it or not. If he's ever anxious, your go-to is holding his hand to help him relax. He isn't an anxious person, but it is Hawkins, after all. Weird occurrences always happen. He's always tracing shapes or lines on your skin. This man melts into you when you hug one another. It's adorable.

If you're comfortable with it, you will do drugs together. He prefers when you do them together as he doesn't like the idea of you doing them alone or without him there to protect you. Of course, Eddie will supply it for you both. You've done shrooms and weed together. Tripping on shrooms with him is an experience. Everything felt so different and elevated. Gareth's hair felt like silk. If you left to go to the washroom or were just out of his sight, he'd freak out a little bit. But it leads to bear hugs when you're back. Y'all are a giggly mess; you've created a language based around giggling.

He will keep almost anything you give him. Self insert here - if you're a witch or interested in the occult, he will keep any crystal, trinket, ward, etc. you give him. He will also take it very seriously, even if he doesn't share the same beliefs. Nobody will make fun of you for it without getting a glare from him. He won't admit it to anyone but you that he likes the crystals you give him. His favourites are red agate and garnet. He loves seeing how excited you get talking about it with him. He makes an effort to understand it.

In the future, I can see him being a prop maker for horror films. He'd make it a personal goal to work with Ve Neil and or Glenn Hetrick. He'd love the super gross and gory props. I can genuinely see him and Eddie living in a shit hole little apartment when they first move out of Hawkins and just thriving in their respective career paths. This also might be self-satisfaction, but he would do an interview with James and Chelsea from Dead Meat one day. Possibly for Scream 5. If I'm making it absolute self-satisfaction - he worked on all of the Scream movies and the Chucky movies.

Car rides consist of listening to a mix tape of both your favourite songs and his hand on your thigh mimicking every drum beat. He doesn't notice when he's doing it either; it's just an impulse. You love driving with him because it's an escape from everything, school stress, family stress, any and everything. You feel free in cars with Gareth. He said I love you first in your car. You said it back immediately. Most of your meaningful conversations happen in cars because it gives this sense of safety - if it makes any sense, you both get the feeling that you can both leave if you need to but are forced to stay and have the conversation because you can't leave a moving car.

You have game nights with Gareth, Eddie, his s/o and any hellfire club members who want to join, but it's mostly Eddie, his s/o, Gareth and you. You've stopped doing couples vs couples because you two bicker like an old married couple, and everyone was getting sick of it. He mentally cheats! He will do everything in his power to distract you. He hasn't convinced you to play DND with Hellfire yet, but Gareth, Jeff and Eddie are trying very hard to get you to try playing.

NSFW:

He loves when you play with his hair. Seriously, he can fall asleep with you playing with it; he has done it many times. His heart flutters whenever you move a curl away from his eyes. He also loves when you pull it during sex. He will tell anybody who will listen about your impressive scalp scratches. One of the reasons he loves your long nails is because of scalp massages. You can use your imagination for other reasons.

I've seen mixed opinions on this, but I believe dom!Gareth is a thing. I can also see him being a brat tamer. Before you even started dating, he noticed your brat side. He loves it, but he's also got you trained without realizing it until it was too late. This doesn't mean you don't mouth off to him, but it does mean that when he coughs or sends you that look, you stop a good 80% of the time. He gives me filthy mouth vibes too. He either dirty-talks / degrades you or praises you. Maybe both. I can see him praising you as part of his aftercare.

He has a habit of holding your jaw. As soon as he discovered you liked it, it became his go-to. Kissing or making out, he's holding your jaw. He wants your attention; he'll grab your jaw and turn your head to face him. You're being a brat or acting up; he's holding your jaw and putting the tiniest amount of pressure on it. Is it really because you like it or because he's possessive?

Remember when I said he’a a touchy person? Yea this man lays between your legs so often, and he's fucking good at it too. He will go out of his way to ensure nothing will ever be as good as he is. He will over stimulate you as well, he doesn’t know the meaning of single orgasm.

Speaking of possessive/overprotective - he is. There are obviously boundaries, but at the end of the day, you're his partner. His. Expect all of the "my y/n", "my partner," etc. He loves that everyone knows your his / that you are together. He will give you his flannels to help prove it. If someone threatens you or speaks bad about you, expect that he'll start shit. He will throw a punch for you, even if you don't need or want him to. He does decently well in fights too.