Work Text:
You were once again hanging out with Eddie in his bedroom, listening to Ratt's Invasion of Your Privacy album, humming away whilst he was sprawled on his bed, tinkering with a broken guitar string. You were sitting on the floor with your legs crossed, focusing hard, sketching out some logos for Corroded Coffin, unsure of which version your best friend would like most.
Spending precious one-to-one time with Eddie became a daily occurrence, and it had been a long time since Wayne and Eddie told you not to bother knocking at the door and just let yourself in. When you weren't sitting on his floor, you were lying in the bed with him, cuddling or annoying one another with cheap blows until it became a high-energy wrestling match with you always begging to surrender as Eddie erupted into laughter.
Prom was a few weeks away, and you were still waiting for Eddie to ask. You knew how he felt about prom, but after hinting over and over how badly you wanted to go, you were quite disappointed he hadn't bothered biting the bullet and asking you already.
Eddie left everything until the last minute, like calling on you to join him for food after he finished a shift when you were half asleep, but you were there every time without fail.
"Eds," you sighed, dropping your pencil on the thick paper of your sketchbook and slowly climbing onto his bed, proping yourself up on your elbows. "Can I ask you something?"
He stopped fiddling with the string, his dark eyes snapping to yours, and sat up.
"What is it, babe?"
Babe. Eddie always called you babe.
"Well..." you swallowed hard, "Prom is in two weeks and I was..." your palms started to sweat, your cheeks burning "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me, Eddie?"
Your heart kept thumping as you stared at him, desperate for a response.
"I know you think prom is lame and it's just a night for the popular kids to show off and get drunk, but I really want to go, and I want us to be there together-"
He slowly moved away from you and got out of his bed, standing up and pacing the room, looking for his cigarettes. "It's not that," Eddie sighed, pressing the pads of his fingers to his eyes, "I've uh, I've already asked someone."
Your heart dropped into your stomach, and you wanted to hurl.
Ask someone else? But I thought...
You sat up in his bed, your eyebrows pulling together, "What do you mean, you asked someone else? You told me you weren't going."
"Yeah, that was true, but... fuck," Eddie started to panic, "she was really upset and needed a shoulder to cry on and..."
"Who?" You snapped, climbing off the bed, "Who is it?"
"One of the girls I sell to, you know, the cheerleader-"
"Chrissy Cunningham?!" Your heart thumped harder, your brain aching. "You're taking her to the prom instead of me? She has a boyfriend!" You were careful not to raise your voice too loud in case you woke up Wayne.
Chrissy was sweet, too sweet. Always smiling, always shy, and incredibly soft. You were rough around the edges and couldn't be shy even if you tried. You couldn't hate her for this, not a pure-hearted girl who would never harm a fly. No. This was on Eddie.
"Not anymore," he finally found his cigarettes, he pulled one out of the pack and grabbed his lighter "and last time I checked, we weren't dating one another," Eddie lit his cigarette, taking a long drag.
You scoffed and shook your head, "But we aren't just friends either, Eddie, are we?" Your hands bunched into fists, "Why do you think I'm here every night? It's not for a laugh or because I'm bored at home. God, I thought you at least had an inkling! Was it not obvious that I'm in love with you?"
The silence that followed was suffocating, sitting heavy on your chest. Eddie didn't move or try to crack a joke; he just stood there, his rings glinting in the dim light, looking at you with a pity that hurt worse than a punch to the gut, slowly blowing smoke across the room before taking another drag.
In his world, he didn't think you would fall for him. You were too perfect, and not being into him would've been the exact outcome he expected, but it was too late to go back and cancel on Chrissy now; even if it pained him to admit it, he had already begun to fall for her. Her endearing smile and kind eyes, her soft voice and careful strides had Eddie weak at the knees, and he had to give her a chance; he had to make prom night special for her.
You picked up your sketchbook and pencils off his floor and stormed across his bedroom, picking up your bag, shoving your things inside.
Eddie frowned and reached out, his hand hovering near your shoulder before dropping back to his side. "I'm sorry, I-I didn't think, I just, I thought we were-"
"Friends?" You snapped, gripping onto your bag, "Yeah. We are." You wiped a stray tear away, refusing to look at him, "I was stupid to believe we were anything more than that."
You bolted for the door, pushing past Eddie and leaving him standing in the middle of his room, Ratt's album finally coming to the end and causing silence to seep into his room. Eddie didn't bother chasing after you; you were hurt, angry, and all he could do was hope that space would help you recover from this betrayal.
The garage was sweltering, and you were perched on an old milk crate with your head in your hands, listening to the aggressive rattle of Gareth’s drum kit as he tightened the lugs on his snare drum. You were still sketching, more logos and album cover designs.
"It’s just… it’s pathetic, Gareth," you vented, nodding toward the door where Eddie had just been, "he’s been planning this for weeks, how could he even think about taking her to prom instead of me?"
Gareth watched you between the gaps in his drum kit. You guys were close, not best friends like you and Eddie, but more like silent partners in crime. Gareth saw everything between you and Eddie, the secret longing glances, the way he whispered in your ear, his lips just a little too close.
Gareth paused, his drum key hovering. "You’re still on this?"
"I just don't get it!" You stood up, pacing the small clearing between the amps. "How could he not know how I felt about him? I told him..." you whispered, the anger draining out and leaving only a hollow ache. "I told him how I felt, and it did nothing; he still chose her."
Gareth took a breath, his shoulders squaring. "So come to prom with me instead."
You stared at him, caught off guard, dropping your pencil. "What, like... a double date? No, I can't, I don't want to see them together."
"No, nothing like that," Gareth shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Just as friends who are trying to have a good time."
You hesitated for a moment and looked at him, searching for any sign of a joke, but Gareth’s expression was steady. He was serious. Turning the page of your sketchbook, you showed Gareth your drawings, your eyes still focused on him.
"You’d really do that? Spend your Friday night in a gym full of people who hate us just so I can have a good time?"
Gareth shrugged, a small, lopsided smirk forming. "We've got to stick together, right? Besides, I want to see Eddie's face when he realises he’s the only one who isn't hanging out with his best friend."
The gymnasium was a blur of dresses and tuxedos, the air heavy with Aqua Net. Gareth looked surprisingly sharp in his charcoal suit that was a tiny bit too big in the shoulders; his usual nervous energy was put behind him, and now he oozed confidence with you clutching on his arm.
"You look beautiful," Gareth said for the tenth time, leaning close to be heard over Wham! "Seriously. Eddie will crumble when he sees you."
"Shall we grab a drink?" you could feel yourself blushing, "Hopefully someone spiked the punch with alcohol," you smirked.
As you rounded the corner towards the table with the huge punch bowl and cake, the world seemed to tilt. Eddie was standing there alone, wearing a vintage ruffled dress shirt, with his hair tamed into a wild mane. He looked agitated and embarrassed; his eyes were searching for you amongst those dancing and drinking away.
"Wait," Gareth said, slowing down, trying to block you from Eddie's view. "Where's Chrissy?"
"Over there," you nudged him.
Across the gym, under the flickering basketball hoop, Chrissy Cunningham was innocently giggling away, wearing a stunning blue dress that brought out her eyes, tucked under the heavy, varsity-jacketed arm of Jason, who was leaning down, whispering something in her ear.
"That is tragic," Gareth laughed.
You felt guilty for Eddie knowing how much this hurt him, but you were hurting too. Gareth moved slightly to the left, and that's when Eddie's eyes shifted onto you, locking immediately. His lips parted, and his jaw dropped, taking in every detail of your outfit, your hair, and finally the way your arm was so closely linked with Gareth’s.
"Gareth?" Eddie’s voice was a raspy growl as he stepped toward you, "What the hell is this?"
Gareth didn't say anything, which caused Eddie to step closer towards you, giving you his full attention. "You’re with him? Since when were you two...?"
Gareth didn't pull his arm away, and Eddie's face contorted with hurt, shock, and jealousy as he looked at you, his dark eyes searching yours.
"Gareth asked me, and I accepted," you finally spoke up, "we're here as friends, nothing more."
Eddie looked small in his ruffled shirt, looking at Gareth again, "You didn't think to mention this at practice, man? You should've told me you asked her!"
"She’s not yours," Gareth argued as you placed a hand on his chest to calm him down.
"Anyway, why do you care?" You glanced over at Jason and Chrissy. "I thought you were with her."
"She got back with him," Eddie sighed, bowing his head, "I'm embarrassed as hell, alright?"
The conversation died, and you weren't interested in keeping it going; the upbeat music drowned out the tension. Eddie wanted to pull you away from Gareth and apologise for everything, but all he could do was stand and stare at the two of you, and his prom date dancing with her boyfriend across the gym. He was trapped between two women he deeply cared for.
"Enjoy the punch, Eds," you said softly, leading Gareth away from the table and into the middle of the gym, blending in with everyone else as Eddie's tear-filled eyes burned into you.
Despite Eddie being hurt, you thoroughly enjoyed prom night. Gareth was a gentleman who made sure you didn't drink too much, had a dance, requested some Megadeth (even if everyone else loudly complained about it), and made you feel special without owing him anything back; you were thankful to have the opportunity to enjoy yourself without completely focusing on Eddie.
You were outside, the night air biting at your arms as you leaned against the brick wall of the school, everyone was slowly leaving the school, being picked up or walking to their after parties. Gareth offered to take you home, but you declined. You wanted to walk home on your own, soaking up the memories of the night without interruption.
You pulled a cigarette from your purse, your fingers trembling just enough to make flicking the lighter a struggle. "Fuck!" You hissed, giving up.
"Need a light, Princess?"
Eddie stepped into the dim glow of the parking lot lights. His tie was undone, hanging limply around his neck, and his rings clinked as he reached out, clicking his Zippo into a large amber flame.
You leaned forward, the tip of your cigarette catching, and you sucked on your cigarette lightly. "Thanks," you exhaled.
Eddie leaned against the wall right next to you and lit his own cigarette, his eyes fixed on the distant tree line. "I deserved that," he muttered. "I deserved the humiliation. I deserved the look Gareth gave me... and I sure as hell deserve a lot worse from you."
"Gareth was good to me tonight," you smiled, trying not to giggle "he made me feel like a princess tonight."
Eddie winced as your smoke and his swirled around his face.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, "it took a lot for you to confess your feelings to me, and I should've known long before anyway... I was just too much of a coward to believe my own intuition." He turned his head to look at you.
"Eds, it's fine. If you're into the pretty cheerleader, there's not much I can do about it; you aren't going to catch me waving pom poms."
Eddie stepped in front of you, forcing you to look at him. "Babe, I saw you walk in with him, and I felt like someone had ripped my fucking lungs out. I was embarrassed about Chrissy, not because she blew me off for Jason, but because I realised that I'd ruined my one shot at having you all to myself. You were there all along, sitting on my bed, wearing my shirts and listening to me ramble on all night long, and I.... fuck," He took a long drag of his cigarette, his eyes never leaving yours. "I'm in love with you."
He dropped his cigarette and crushed it under the heel of his boot, his hands reaching out to hold yours. Your eyes widened at his confession, but you didn't pull away; you allowed Eddie to hold your hands and close in on you.
"I want to be more than friends," He swallowed hard, "please tell me you still want that too."
You squeezed Eddie's hands and slowly nodded, blushing deeply. "That's all I've ever wanted, Eds." You purred.
Eddie slowly leaned in, his nose brushing against yours before kissing you, his lips soft, gentle, and warm from the cigarette. You deepened the kiss and broke your hands free from his grip so you could tangle them in his hair.
Finally. You thought to yourself. He's all mine.