Eddie Watch// Eddie Munson x Henderson!Reader

8

Y/n could feel herself falling hard and fast.

She had always claimed, even at a young age, that she was never going to fall in love. She had seen just how well it had worked out for her mother, even as young as she was.

She had had a few crashes over the years but often shoved her feelings deep down until they faded. The only time she had ever opened her heart for someone he had looked her in the eyes as he crushed it under their heel.

She had been twelve, maybe thirteen, and Michael White had asked her to the Snowball, she had said yes. She had been hesitant at first to accept the offer, but after persisting for almost three days she finally gave in and agreed. By the time the dance did roll around, she had even been excited for it, going out and finding the perfect dress, pestering her mom to do her hair in one of those updos that were popular at the turn of the decade.

When she had shown up at the ball, Michael had ignored her the whole time. She sat on the bleachers alone, dejected and heartbroken. She had found out a few days later that he had been dared to ask her out and won $5 from succeeding.

Ever since then she had guarded her heart, not allowing anyone but a select few in.

But here she sat, listening as Hawkins resident freak explained one of his favourite campaigns he had run.

She realised right then as the corners of his eyes crinkled, his hands flailed around wildly and the way he spoke so passionately, that she was falling fast.

Three days, three days and two nights and she was feeling like this?

Pathetic.

"Hey, are you hungry?" He asked.

She was pulled from her slightly troubling revelation by his question.

"Uh, yeah a little bit," She admitted.

He sent her one of those smiles that made her heart flutter as he stood up.

"I'll go see what's inside, If Dustin gets back to you tell him we need more food." He instructed, leaving the shed.

Y/n let out a sigh, god how could she let something like this slip?

How had Eddie scaled the walls she had built so easily?

She could already tell that things were not going to end well, but there was just something deep within her that was just telling her to go for it, to open up again and take the leap of faith.

She grappled with herself in silence, quietly spiralling herself onto the brink of a panic attack. Her head was beginning to ache with the combination of her sleep deprivation and loud thoughts.

"There was like one tin of spaghetti-o's in the house, so you can have them if you want, I heated it up and stuff."

He stated, placing the bowl in front of her, she stared at it blankly for a moment, trying to get her thoughts to calm down.

Eddie evidently sensed that something was amiss with her, she had a far away look in her eyes and her expression was blank as she grabbed the spoon and scooped up the food.

"Hey," he said softly, moving closer to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She jumped violently, head snapping to the side quickly. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

There he went again, saying shit that was making her fall even harder for him. If she had been in any other situation in which she wasn't stressed out of her mind and scared half to death about the well-being and safety of her friends and family, she might have given opening her heart up again a try.

But as she sat there, eyes staring into Eddie's she felt something in her break. As she realised she would never get to truly experience something wonderful with him.

Eddie froze as he realised y/n's eyes were rapidly filling with tears.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong?" He asked, voice even softer than before.

Y/n took in a shaker breath, attempting to find a way to articulate herself. When she found none, she simply sniffed, whipped her eyes and shrugged.

"It's not really that important." She said, attempting to get him to not care so much about her feelings.

But that didn't work.

Eddie shook his head, moving to sit in front of her. He put both his hands on her shoulders, willing her to look at him.

"Whatever is making you feel this way is definitely important. Now I'm no expert or anything, but I can listen, and I want to listen to you. Okay?" He said.

Y/n was sure that that sentence was what solidified it for her. If she was having any doubts before, there were definitely none now.

She took in a deep breath, steadying herself before she began talking.

"I don't know, I just feel this immense pressure on me all the time to protect people you know?" She was slightly taken aback by her own honesty here. Of course, she wasn't about to admit her feelings for Eddie right now, but she also wasn't expecting to get so personal so quickly. He simply watched her, nodding a little to get her to continue. "Like when this all started, and Will went missing I felt like I had failed him because I was supposed to be there for the campaign but I cancelled on them. And like, I felt so guilty because all the kids had to grow up too quickly and like, we were all way in over our heads." She paused to take a breath.

Eddie continued to listen intently.

"And it's always bad when more people get involved, you know? Because it's just an even bigger risk. Do you remember Bob Newby? He got involved and died, then Billy and Heather and all the people last year. And now you and Robin, and like I know it's not my fault, everything that happened was completely out of my control. But there's still this part of me that is convinced I could be doing more. And like, now it's hard for me to be close with people because I've convinced myself that somehow they're gonna get involved and die. I mean that's why my personal circle is made up of six fourteen-year-olds, former King of Hawkins high, Nancy wheeler and Robin, because they already know." She finished with a sigh, the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing was damp from all the tears she had patted dry.

Eddie was slightly shocked by her confession. From the outside looking in he had assumed she had a perfect life.

A happy family.

Good grades.

Close friends.

Pretty face.

Almost everything he didn't have, he never in a million years would have guessed she felt this way. To be fair, he never in a million years would have guessed there was an alternate universe under Hawkins but here they were.

He didn't know what to tell her that would make her feel better. So he simply pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.