Starting Over (Eddie Munson x FEM!OC)/Nothing Was Ever As It Seemed

11

Word Count: 1,014

"Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper I love you," Dani continued, humming lightly as she chopped away at some onions. Eddie would be there any moment with the his friends. Apparently someone was visiting and wanted to meet her.

"Birds singing in the sycamore tree. Dream a little dream of me." Onions were dumped into the pan. Swaying slightly to the music in her head she pulled out the garlic, separating the cloves she needed. She should make sure there was enough for Wayne, too. He'd appreciate another home cooked meal, she was sure.

Just then the door opened and Eddie came in, followed by three more people. Dani smiled brightly, wiping her hands on the towel she'd tucked into the waistband of her pants. Robin squealed and ran at her, wrapping her up in a hug, forcing a laugh out of Dani.

"Dani, you're going to just love them. Come on!"

"Hold on! Let me turn down the stove!" Dani laughed, turning the burner on low so the food wouldn't burn.

Nervously Dani approached the group, grateful when Eddie took her hand, pulling her in close. He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head, squeezing her tight.

"Montgomery, of course you know Steve and Robin. That dork right there," he pointed to a kid wearing a hat that said 'thinking cap,' "is Henderson. Next to him, that's Wheeler One," another kid wearing a Hellfire shirt. "Next to him is Wheeler Two," a girl with shorter, dark curly hair.

Dani took a breath. Okay, this was easy. Only three more people. Interesting group, Dani thought. But she expected nothing less of Eddie. He seemed to attract people of all kinds. That was just the type of guy he was. Friends with everyone, it seemed.

"It's nice to meet you all." Dani smiled, blushing slightly. "Is spaghetti alright? I-I make my own sauce."

"Spaghetti is great," the boy he'd called Henderson spoke up, the others nodding in agreement.

Dani pulled away, humming to herself as she made her way back to the kitchen. Wherever this song she couldn't get out of her head came from, she didn't know, but it was a beautiful one. Dani completely missed the chatter behind her falling silent.

***Eddie's POV***

"Eddie, that's the song. El said she heard while in Max's head," Mike whispered.

Frozen in place Eddie watched her as she swayed to the music she was humming. This had to be a coincidence. Her parents had probably sung it to her as a kid. That had to be it.

"While I'm alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me."

"He's not back, right? He can't be back," Eddie whispered to the group. This couldn't be happening. Not to Dani. "Her parents probably sang it to her as a kid, right?"

"That's probably it. She's got a beautiful voice, though," Robin whispered back.

"If he's back, he's after her. He can't be back."

Moving quickly Eddie joined Dani in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, swaying with her. The thought of Vecna being back, of being after Dani terrified him. If that was the case, he had to get her out of here. Fast. She couldn't stay in Hawkins.

"Where'd you hear that song?" he asked, watching as she stirred the sauce, lowering it to a simmer once more.

"I'm not sure. Must have heard it in a show or something," she answered, turning her face towards his. "Is something wrong?"

Her eyes were unfocused. Like she was there but she wasn't. He'd seen that look before, but never with her still being responsive. It was enough to send a chill down his spine. Something wasn't right.

"Nothing at all," he smiled, spinning her body around to face him.

Dani's eyes cleared as she laughed, her wide smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. There she was. His girl. A sigh of relief escaped him as he leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. It was probably nothing. He was just overthinking things. That was all.

"After everyone leaves I have a surprise for you," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers.

"And what might that be?" God, he loved the way she would arch just the one brow at him. Almost like she was challenging him.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." He squeezed her tighter before releasing her. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Nope. It's almost done. Go be with your friends."

Eddie stayed where he was, not wanting to leave her side. If Vecna was back, he couldn't risk him taking her while he was gone. He didn't even want to be five feet from her. Rubbing the back of his neck he settled for leaning against the counter while he watched her. At least he was right there if anything happened. Then again, it really could be nothing. Of course they would all be tense after everything they've been through. Most certainly El would be if she were there. She was the one that actually heard that song while Max was being attacked.

Glancing over his shoulder he noticed all of them watching the two of them. He gave them a small nod, signaling everything was okay. He'd tell them what he'd seen with her later. Tonight, tonight was for all of them to just relax together as a group. Tomorrow he'd tell them. Just one more night of normalcy.

"Dinner's done!"

Dani's cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts, stopping the spiral. There she was, pulling him back again without even realizing what she was doing. He'd meant it the other day when he told her he was going to marry her someday. Eddie had zero intention of ever letting her go. No matter what that might mean. All he knew was if Vecna was back, he would do anything to stop him from taking her, too.