Hellfire & High Water

Chapter Fifteen: Hidden

November 4, 1985

Eddie trudges towards the cafeteria, he had been trying to calm his nerves all day. He couldn't even look at her in class without smiling, but he was so scared to tell everyone. If things went bad for her, he would never forgive himself. He was the freak, and he wore that with pride. But that didn't mean that she should have to be subjected to the ridicule of being the freak's girl.

He knew she could tell something was wrong. The confused look on her face when he recoiled from her gentle touch, it almost made him breakdown crying seeing the hurt on her features. The gentle curve of her brow lifting and then falling just as fast, the blue in her eyes darkening like an oncoming storm.

He couldn't help but want to distance them. He figured if they distanced maybe no one would find out they were 'together together' and then nothing would happen to her. She wouldn't be the subject of every punchline or shitty gesture. He just didn't want to hurt her but judging by her reaction from when he pulled away like she was a hot stove - he failed.

"Eddie!" Robin yells, brandishing a hall pass at him accusatorially.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? Caly was crying earlier! You made her cry you dipshit!" Robin pushes his chest, making him stumble back.
"She was crying?"
"Yes, but you didn't hear it from me okay? She said you won't even look at her! She thinks she fucked everything up and you don't want her anymore."
"No, no, no."
"Fix it! Now! Go to fucking lunch and fix it!" Robin pushes him towards the cafeteria, making sure he steps inside before she heads back to class, having only made the excuse to use the restroom when she saw Eddie slinking past the door well into his lunch period.

Eddie looks towards the table, Caly is there talking to the boys, but the smile she usually has on no longer reaches her eyes that are now ringed in red. Dustin whispers something to her and she shakes her head, patting his hand before turning back to the rest of the crew. He really had fucked up. He was so worried about other people hurting her that he hurt her instead.

"Man up Munson." He peps himself up, taking a deep breath and walking over to the table.
"Hey man." Gareth smiles going in for a quick handshake. Eddie stops at Caly, pulling her up from her seat without a single word and holding her to him before kissing her harshly. He can feel the tension leave her body and a small smile fall on her lips as she kisses him back just as hungrily, pulling on his hair a bit which makes him moan.
"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't want anyone to make fun of you for being with me." He explains against her lips.
"What changed?"
"Robin yelled at me." He admits.
"Good, remind me to thank her." Caly smiles pulling him back down to her for another kiss.

"I KNEW IT!" Dustin yells excitedly, bobbing up from his seat and hugging them both.
"Honestly, thank god it finally happened! We really thought you two were just going to stare at each other for the rest of eternity and never do anything about the clear feelings you have." Jeff laughs, smiling at the couple.
"You guys are cool with this?" Caly checks.
"Yeah." Is the resounding response.
"Just don't like make out in front of us all the time okay? Or like do anything in front of us."
"Nah that's just for me and him." Caly giggles, looking back at Eddie who smiles down at her kissing her cheek.
"Yeah I want you all to myself." He whispers in her ear, kissing down her neck, nudging the soft skin with his nose.

~

Eddie pushed open the trailer door with a loud smack. Caly had her legs wrapped around his waist with her hands holding his neck as she kissed the skin of his jaw sloppily. He made a beeline to the couch before immediately redirecting her lips to his own, gently parting them as his tongue snakes into her mouth. He can hear her hum in approval, slowly moving her chest closer to his own, which makes her move in his lap, causing him to accidentally bite her lip at the friction.
"Shit sorry." Eddie says quickly, wiping her lip.
"It's fine. I'm clean, so I really don't care." Caly laughs, kissing him again. He can taste the cool metallic taste of her blood on his tongue, what scares him is he really doesn't mind it. He's so head over heels for this girl.
"Wait clean?"
"Yeah, have all my shots, get tested every year back in Canada."
"Oh... oh!" He feels like a moron, duh "clean".

"What?" She questions him, rubbing her thumb over his cheek in a comforting gesture.
"Nothing. I just... I've never been uh tested."
"We can go together if you like?"
"Isn't it a blood test?"
"Yeah, I have to take Xanax before I go. My mom or friends used to drive me."
"Ah... I mean yeah we can... we can go together. I don't know if they'll even do one on me though." Eddie admits softly.
"Why? You don't have to have sex to be tested. I just do it to be safe." She shrugs, watching him smile.

"That's actually kinda hot."
Caly laughs, "Responsibility is hot to you?"
"Yeah actually. Never had anyone care so much about themselves, or me, that they would go through one of their worst nightmares just to make sure we're both safe." Caly smiles shyly, playing with his hands again, something she does to help occupy herself or calm down.
"Well then I guess you just haven't met the right one till now."
"Yeah, guess so." He smiles, leaning down to kiss her lovingly, softly, almost sparingly, a stark contrast to the needy kisses of before.

"Woah ho ho." Wayne laughs putting his hand over his eyes and turning around. Caly hops off Eddie's lap and fixes her hair and shirt quickly.
"We're decent!" She announces.
"Glad you finally made a move kid. Just don't make moves where I can walk in and see them." Wayne laughs, clapping Eddie on the shoulder.
"R-right sorry." Caly can see his face redden as he sits even further into the couch like he wants it to swallow him whole.
"And wear a condom, okay? You two would make cute kids but just try to graduate first yeah?"
"Wayne!" Eddie yells, watching his uncle double over laughing.
"Don't worry we'll be safe Wayne, promise." Caly smiles. Eddie is completely confused by how not embarrassed she is of the whole ordeal.

Eddie pulls her up and takes her back to his room so they can be alone and away from his intrusive embarrassing uncle.
"Why aren't you embarrassed?"
"Because I think it's really sweet that he cares enough to make sure we're safe and sex doesn't make me uncomfortable to talk about."
"H-How?"
"Because it's something many people engage in and enjoy. As long as there's consent and safety I don't see the harm."
"Do you like... this is going to sound so crass... do you have a lot of sex?" Caly laughs before realizing he's serious and borderline scared.
"Hey, hey. Would it matter if I did?"
"No, I just... I don't have a lot of sex so I don't want to disappoint you. Like I don't even... I barely even talk to girls! You're the first one I've spoken to that wasn't for a drug deal in well... in forever... and I'm really bad at talking so how the fuck could I be good at doing and what if I fuck it up? What if I'm really bad?" Caly takes his hand, pulling him to sit on his bed.

"Take a deep breath." She says calmly, holding him close, laying his head on her chest.
"What if I hurt you?" He whispers.
"Its okay Eddie. To answer your question, no I don't have a lot of sex. I've never had penetrative sex because I never trusted anyone enough to do so. You won't disappoint me mon amour, I know as much. It will be weird at first, and that's okay, that's expected. I'm not expecting you to blow my back out or anything." Eddie chuckles at this, making her smile, happy that he's not completely in his own head.

"Hey, look at me," Eddie tilts his head up to look at her, "There's my beautiful boyfriend." Eddie can feel his cheeks heat up at her words, the prettiest girl in the world thinks he's beautiful.
"Just talk to me my love. I'm here and I want you to talk to me. We will work at our own pace. There aren't deadlines for anything, and no matter what happens the only thing that's important is that we are both safe and happy with the choices made." Caly tries to assure him.
"I just don't want you to be bored of me." He admits softly, almost like he didn't mean to say it out loud.
"I won't be. I get to kiss you, and hold you, and snuggle with you, and sleep beside you, and feel your heartbeat, and listen to you sing. I couldn't become bored of you if you tried to do so."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah love." Caly kisses him softly, angling her head down to meet his awaiting lips.

"Will you teach me?" He asks.
"We'll learn together. It's new to me too." Eddie nods, sitting up from her lap and holding out his hand for her.
"Can I kiss you more?"
"You can always kiss me ma chérie."