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“That was a totally illegal move.”
“Illegal how? I played by the books and you know it–”
“Nuh-uh, just you wait ‘til hellfire tonight when the council decides your fate.”
“Oh sure, sure.”
Though it was still the tail end of winter, the sun started to break through the clouds and cast a warmth over the students below. The raucous sound of teenagers finally reaching the end of an arduous school day spread over the courtyard, kids pushing past each other to be first onto the school bus, desperate to finally start the weekend. Normally, Dustin and Mike would hop on their bikes at the first opportunity and speed home, but today they were hanging back, waiting on a free ride.
“Hey, you know when she’s gonna get here?” Mike asked, squinting as he watched the student body move like a single organism towards salvation. Dustin flicked up his arm to inspect his watch.
“She should be here soon, just relax.”
Hard to relax when standing around made them sitting ducks for any prep to catch them out, though at least staying put in the parking lot away from the masses made them just a little safer. Mike couldn’t lie, he was feeling nervous - granted, people mostly ignored them nowadays but maybe he still had leftover biases from middle school. Dustin, on the other hand, just seemed impatient, checking his watch and muttering ‘c’mon, c’mon’ under his breath.
“She’s driving us to hellfire too, right?” Mike asked, tapping his foot to try and dispel some of the nervous energy.
“Yeah, yeah, she said she’s got nothing else tonight– christ, where are you? ”
Mike nodded, then relaxed when he spotted a familiar face.
“Speak of the devil.”
Striding through the parking lot was the tall figure of legend, long dark hair bouncing on his shoulders like the mane of a lion; it was no accident that he was avoiding the crowd entirely, too much bother to try pushing through their snooty peers. Cigarette between his fingers and a grin stretching his cheeks, he approached the two boys.
“And what are you fellas doing hanging around out here?” He asked as he slid his cigarette behind his ear, pushing back some of his hair in the process.
“Hey Eddie, can you settle a score for us and agree that this move Mike made at lunch was entirely illegal?”
“ Hey! I-it wasn’t illegal in the slightest–!”
“Bullshit, it was–”
“Boys, boys, boys, ” With a hand on each boy’s shoulder, Eddie inched them apart and slid between them, looking down at them much like a wise sage. “Matters such as this aren’t for playground spats, alright? All will be settled tonight.”
“Fine.” Dustin was reluctant, but he was willing to be the bigger man. Well... for now.
The sound of a car radio caught Dustin’s attention; he knew the tape immediately from the many times he’d been subjected to it - Killing is my Business by Megadeth. From that alone, he knew exactly who was pulling up. Dustin sighed in relief.
“God finally. ”
A black 1967 dodge charger pulled up into view, the driver side window rolled down so any passer-by could hear. Dustin wasted no time running up to it as the car stopped, and Eddie raised an eyebrow. Who would Dustin know that listened to Megadeth?
Well, other than him of course.
“Who’s Henderson talkin’ to?” Eddie nudged Mike who just shrugged.
“His cousin’s giving us a ride home.”
“Cousin?”
The driver door swung open, and out she stepped. The first thing he saw was black platform boots covered in haphazard spikes, clearly superglued by hand. Ripped up fishnets under a maxi length velvet skirt, held up by a studded belt - again, lovingly superglued by hand. Up top, a sisters of mercy shirt, and a leather jacket, topped off with more necklaces than Eddie’s ever seen on a person’s neck at once.
That's Dustin's cousin ?
“C’mon Mike! What you waitin’ for?” She called over to the other boy with a sweet smile, her hair reflecting the winter sun. Before Mike could respond, Dustin seemed to think of something and grabbed her by the wrist, starting to drag her over to join the other boys. She seemed startled, but didn’t protest.
“Wait wait before we go, this is Eddie, the guy we’ve been talking about.” Dustin introduced. He gave a dramatic flourish towards the metalhead. “He runs hellfire.
She leaned towards Eddie with a grin. “Ahh, so you’re Eddie?”
Eddie had never heard his name said so perfectly .
“I–I uh–” Eddie cleared his throat, trying not to clam up there and then.
‘C’mon, remember your people skills.’
“Yeah, I’m the guy.” The brunette chuckled and offered out his hand; to his surprise, she took it without hesitation. When he felt the clink of their hands connecting, he noticed that each of her fingers presented a heavy silver ring, much like his.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Dusty’s cousin, [Y/n]. Good to know someone’s looking out for the boys.” Her grin softened, and Eddie felt his heart stutter.
“You uh…” He cleared his throat, “...yeah, I'm-- yea, you know." Though he beat himself up for the way he stumbled over his words, she just chuckled - not mocking like he was used to, but pleasant.
"Anyway, should probably get ‘em home, but I suppose I’ll see you tonight?”
“You– sorry, what? ”
“Well you run hellfire, right? I said I’d give em a ride.” She clarified, playfully flipping Dustin’s hat off his head. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll stick around to watch.”
“Never had an audience before.” Eddie quirked a goofy grin, sticking his hands in his jacket pockets. “You sure you can handle the excitement? ”
“Oho, I’m sure I’ll survive.” His grin was returned in full, before she sauntered back to her car with a grumbly Dustin in tow. Eddie blinked, the fleeting conversation ending as suddenly as it began, much to his disappointment. He barely noticed Mike’s farewell, all he could hear was the stereo blaring once more, then the sound of tires against concrete as the charger sped away. That left just Eddie, standing and staring with his cigarette forgotten behind his ear. Everything about her was like a mirage - similar tastes in fashion and music, not to mention a cute smile that made his chest a little tighter. He wondered how he'd never seen her around the small town before?
He couldn’t get her voice out of his head, either - the way she said his name had him feeling dizzy, he almost thought he’d have to hold onto something so the butterflies in his stomach didn’t send him to the ground. He was definitely too old to be feeling this way about a girl he’s hardly met, but that wasn’t really what he was thinking about. What he was thinking about was tonight. Eddie couldn’t even begin to figure out what he was going to do, all he knew was he wanted to get to know her.
For the first time, Eddie was nervous for hellfire. And it was obvious. He was pacing around the room, muttering to himself about this and that while he fiddled with his rings. He was in his own little world, a million thoughts running through his mind, all while his friends watched on in confusion.
“...Eddie?” Gareth called, raising an eyebrow when he was met with no real reaction. Just more pacing, more muttering . Another hellfire member spoke up.
“What’s got you so fucked up, huh?”
“Yeah, ‘s just hellfire. I mean, how wild can this campaign be ?”
Eddie shook his head, the only indication he was listening to the others until he started talking a little clearer.
“No, no it’s not that, it’s…” He groaned, raking his fingers through his messy hair and scratching at his head. Suddenly, he tangled both hands in his hair and shook his head around, like he was trying to dislodge his brain. “ The fuck am I doing man, the fuck am I doing?!”
“Woah hey, relax!” Jeff held out his hands defensively, getting Eddie to at least stop rolling his head around. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”
“It’s not bad, you’re right but holy shit I’m gonna fuck this up.”
“You never fuck up dungeon master–”
“You don’t get it! ” Eddie hissed, grabbing Garreth by the cheeks and pushing them together. Eddie hunched over, pursing his lips together before he sighed. “This isn’t about dungeon master, I am the dungeon master, this is about–!”
But it remained unsaid as the door to the storage room swung open, the familiar sounds of two kids chatting following. In walked the usual suspects - Mike and Dustin - but a mysterious figure lingered behind [at least, mysterious to the uninitiated].
“Hey Eddie.”
“Hey Eds.”
Eddie looked like a deer in headlights, still clutching Garreth’s face. Mike and Dustin pulled confused faces, prompting Eddie to straighten up, dropping his arms to his sides.
“Hey… early, ain’t ya?”
“...No…?”
“...Right.” Eddie coughed into his hand. As if instinct had kicked in, his dramatic flare triggered and he leapt into character. “ Welcome to the last night of your lives .”
“This is gonna be one hell of a campaign finale, Ed’s been freaking out for like half an hour.” Jeff mused, taking his seat at the table. The rest of the party followed suit, except for Eddie who loomed by his throne.
“You’ve been freaking out over a campaign?” Mike scoffed, and Dustin raised his eyebrows.
“Better be good.”
“It will, it will.” Eddie reassured, though his mind clearly wasn’t on the campaign. He stared at the door, eyes straining to see the figure in the dark. “You know what, I’m gonna go welcome our stray.”
Eddie’s older friends looked at each other baffled, but the younger two already knew what he was referring to. No matter, they had more pressing matters to attend to.
“Ok listen everyone, we have a score to settle–”
“Oh for fucks sake , Dustin!”
Frankly, Eddie couldn’t care less, he was already walking away from the conversation. His sights were set squarely on the girl stood by the door, distracted by the small device she was holding. It seemed she hadn’t noticed his approach, and of course he couldn’t help his playful urge. He held up his clawed hands, crouching slightly at the knee as he approached, until…
“ [Y/n]!”
The girl squeaked, barely managing the device that nearly tumbled out of her hands. A flash of annoyance crossed her face, but once her gaze met Eddie’s, she lightened up.
“Asshole.” But she didn’t sound at all angry. The metalhead snickered, sliding up next to her.
“What you got there?”
“Ah... just a game ‘n watch. It’s like a mini arcade machine, kinda…” She furrowed her brow, suddenly looking embarrassed. “Kinda dorky, actually…”
Eddie just scoffed. “You do know where you are, right?”
She giggled at his comment, and God did it sound like music to his ears. It was so cute, perfectly matching the sweet crinkle of her nose and her squinty eyes. Man, when did he start waxing poetic about something like that?
“Speaking of… you just gonna stand by the door all night?”
“Oh! W-well, I didn’t wanna intrude –”
“Nah, come on.” He stepped away from her, but beckoned for her to follow. “You can sit by me, you can be the Overseer: observer of all earthly beings!” He wiggled his fingers in a whimsical manner, and honestly it sealed the deal. With only the slightest eye roll, she followed.
“As long as your friends don’t mind.”
“Course not.”
Somehow, the conversation at the table had become heated in the short time Eddie was gone - everyone was yelling over everyone, so it was about time the Dungeon Master cut in.
“ MEN!” He shouted, immediately stopping the inane arguing. Only then did the older boys notice the sudden appearance of a girl in hellfire. “Though I’m sure your cause is just, we have a quest to attend to.”
“[Y/n] back me up.” Dustin interrupted, prompting harsh looks from some other party members. “What?”
“Who’s she?” Garreth asked, pointing at her warily.
“Henderson’s cousin, she’s sitting in on the campaign.” Eddie explained, prompting a few hushed mutters. The brunette raised an unapproving eyebrow, “any objections? ”
After a moment’s deliberation, the party came to a unanimous no . So, with the newcomer perched on a fold out chair pushed next to Eddie’s throne, the game began. Eddie was on top form all night - it seemed an audience really improved his performance. He pulled out all the stops and acted his fucking heart out, the whole time glancing behind him to see if someone was watching. To his delight, she seemed encapsulated by the entire show. Her wide eyes betrayed a childlike wonder for every line and flourish; it was so cute, the way she reacted with the rest of the party at every twist and turn, suggesting courses of action when she had the limited knowledge and even filling in speaking roles Eddie had so kindly offered.
God, he liked her so much.
Never had a final boss felt like it passed so quickly. In no time at all, the boys were all celebrating their success… and she had joined them. Eddie gleefully watched her cheer with them, affectionately ruffling her cousin’s hair [despite his protests]. For a moment, Eddie forgot where he was and opted to just watch her - slowly, his head tilted to the side, grin switching from victorious to gentle. There really was something about this girl that he couldn’t put his finger on. So genuine and fun and... cute . He couldn't stop thinking about that same thing. Eddie didn’t want to admit he was smitten, but what else could he call this?
“That was so fun, I wasn’t even in it!” She chuckled, wrestling Dustin into a headlock before letting him free.
“See? Told you we’re not losers.”
“Nah, this is definitely loser shit.” She snorted, but with no malice. “Maybe I’m a loser, too.”
“Why don’t you make a character then?” Mike suggested, and she hummed to herself as if she was genuinely considering.
“Yeah, be better than acting as Eddie’s assistant.” Jeff had a point.
“I don’t know, it did look pretty fun… dunno the first thing about DnD character creation, though.”
Eddie perked up - he could picture it now, he nonchalantly [and oh so graciously ] offers his assistance, she accepts gleefully and comes over to his trailer, one thing leads to another and before they know it she’s cuddled up to his arm and calling him ‘baby’ - it’s like a fairy tale!
“I suppose I can help.” Dustin rolled his eyes, and you smiled at him.
“Aw, thanks Dusty Trail.”
Dammit.
It was getting late, and [Y/n] couldn’t help but worry about how responsible she was for the boys. They can get up to whatever mischief they please once they’re out of her hands, but until she drops them home, she’s at their parents’ mercy. Really, it was the only reason she was already herding the boys into the back of her car, nervously glancing at the time to make sure she’d make it home for their curfew. Just as she opened the car door, something tapped her shoulder.
“Hey, it was really nice having you tonight.”
She spun on her heel, and was delighted to see the charming Dungeon Master standing in front of her. Her cheeks were starting to hurt with how much she’d been smiling tonight.
“It was actually really fun! You’re a pretty good actor.” She said, nudging Eddie’s arm bashfully. An insignificant action but one that he wouldn’t soon overlook.
“Oh please , you flatter me.”
“No, I’m serious!”
“Well if you insist you can keep complimenting me.”
They both laughed, before it fizzled out into a mostly comfortable silence. Eddie suddenly found himself nervous again, all the bravado of the game gone, leaving regular old him. Even so, he was willing to ask.
“I’m just thinking, me and the guys were gonna fuck around, maybe jam out or get hammered at a cemetery… don’t suppose you wanna tag along?” For some reason he was shitting himself. He wasn’t even asking her on a date, yet here he was, sweating through his jackets in the dead of winter. She looked keen, too, but she was obviously conflicted.
“Shit… I really do need to get the boys home.” She gestured weakly to the vehicle behind her.
“Bummer. Would’ve been cool to have you there.”
“Yeah…” She bit her lip. Then she hummed, like she was figuring something out. Eddie raised his eyebrows hopefully, inching towards her with a boyish smile.
“ Please? ”
“Oh no, not the puppy-dog eyes.” She giggled. “...Ok, how about this. I go drop the boys off and I can meet you?”
“Yeah? You mean it?”
“ Fuck it , I haven’t hung out with people in fuckin’ ages, I’m up for it.” She reached into her car to fish around in the glove box, taking out a pen. Without a word, she grabbed his wrist and held it so she could write on his hand. Meanwhile, Eddie was frozen. He didn’t realise she was actually writing something, because all he could feel was her fingers against his skin. Her hold was so soft and safe, he got lost in the feeling.
Alas, she let him go.
“This is the number for our house, call me in like half an hour and I’ll meet you. That cool with you?”
“Yeah… yeah, really cool.”
“Cool.”
[Y/n] moved to get in the driver side of her car, but stopped. Almost shyly, she looked at Eddie before looking away.
“I, uh... really liked hanging out with you.”
“Yeah, me too. I-I mean like- like I also.. W-with you–”
“I get it, don’t worry.”
Like an ironic siren song, the stereo switched on to play The Lovecats by the Cure, and before Eddie could dwell on the terribly fitting subject matter, the car disappeared into the dark. At first he felt wistful, but when he glanced down at his hand, he remembered he’d be seeing her in no time at all. He huffed affectionately, rubbing his thumb over his palm. He already knew it’d be a hell of a night.