Work Text:
The hideout was silent; every drunkard was dragged out by Eddie, Chrissy, or Bev. She'd left Chrissy and Eddie to close up, telling them 'It better be spotless' despite every bit of grime being basically permanent. Between trading mops for sponges, Eddie would gulp down different whiskey drinks. He claimed it helped with the horrors of '86, but Chrissy knew the drinking was for something older, when a certain boy walked into the hideout, Bev had told the story loads when Eddie was performing or off.
⬻♠⤖
Of course it wasn't bursting at the seams, Corroded Coffin never attracted any attention. But Eddie would be damned if he stopped performing with only the best losers Hawkins had to offer. Gareth secured his inherited drumset to the stage, Jeff and Dougie checking their tuning. Eddie had time to peruse the audience, getting Jeff to take care of his bass due to the guy being dickish about Eddie's newest campaign. It led to a fight and both shouting harmful remarks. Gareth promptly played peacekeeper and struck a deal in Eddie's favor after the fire slowed its rage. Regardless, Eddie stalked through the crowd, only pausing when an unfortunately familiar face was rested in a rotting booth, beer bottle in hand when his piercing eyes locked on Eddie. Shit shit shit, Eddie's mind swore as none other than Billy Hargrove approached him. After a failed escape, Eddie was locked in conversation with the Prince of Hawkins.
"Doesn't surprise me you're here," Billy states between swigs of his drink. Eddie fights off a grimace and puts his hands up, earning an eyebrow raise.
"No weed, sorry man. Bev's oly rule for me," he flashes a smile, placating the blonde enough for him to put the bottle down. "You, on the other hand, are an oddity in here."
"I heard a rock cover band was in, and anything to get out of the house," Billy explains nonchalantly, looking past Eddie to the stage, squinting. "Wait. Munson, are those your freaks?"
Eddie bites back a shitty remark, not trying to start a fight. This guy was good, took on King Steve and fucked him up good.
"My band, actually. I work here," he snipes, scolding himself for having an attitude before seeing Billy was smiling and offering Eddie a cigarette.
"No shit, really? Took you for a secret pop guy," Billy laughs over the cigarette, lighting his own. Eddie was staring at Billy as he laughed, committing it to memory on accident. He didn't even realize until Billy clears his throat, holding out a lit cigarette. "Ah shit, can't have one before a set can you? My bad. Break a leg, and, find me after."
Billy walks away and leaves Eddie confused and shocked. That guy beat Steve for no reason, and Eddie, Eddie the Freak, was fine because of a cover band? No was, no fucking way. Billy was playing him, and unfortunately, Eddie would let those blue eyes lure him in. Also unfortuately, Eddie found the cigarette he was holding taken and snuffed by Gareth, pissy that Eddie was a few minutes off schedule.
"Chill, chill, I'll smoothe it with Bev," he promises, glancing back at the out-of-place jock.
⬻♠⤖
Since Eddie decided when the night ended once Bev was gone, he decided to treat himself and Chrissy. She didn't drink often, but she enjoyed Shirley Temples and Bev liked to charge double for non-alcoholic drinks.
"Chris," Eddie calls, patting the stool next to him. There was a line of drinks for her and a bottle for him. "Let's hang out, enjoy our work and talk."
"Can we talk about why you've been chugging whiskey?" she chides, grabbing her first glass. Eddie Laughs humorlessly.
"Chrissy, hun, platonic light of my life, I'm not going to wail about a summer fling," Eddie sighs, swirling his glass, glaring like it hit him.
"Then just about after the show? Not even Bev knows," she muses softly, reaching into Eddie's jacked for his lighter, her favorite fidget. Eddie hums.
"Okay, just that."
⬻♠⤖
Billy had siddled up by Eddie's van, lighting another cigarette and looking up, Eddie thinking he's seeing a smile before thinking Oh, he isn't smiling. Not at me.
"Took your damn time," Billy hums, pushing off the van to circle Eddie.
"Look man, I don't want any trouble. Anything your teammates or fucking Tommy H said about me is bull," he pleads, hands in his pockets and shoulders at his ears.
"So you're not a f-," Billy stops himself, rubbing his eyes. He mumbles something to himself before looking at Eddie again. "You don't like guys?"
"Why do you care?" Eddie's defenses flare, balling up his fists. Billy looks him up and down; it sends a chill down Eddie's spine.
"You said flattery works on you, I'm wondering if sex is enough to get it for free," Billy smiles as he talks, blowing smoke aorund Eddie. Eddie can't tell if he's joking or not. "Well?"
"I, eh, Wayne- uh, Wayne's probably home," Eddie stutters out, ever eloquent. Billy shrugs, glancing between the van and his Camaro.
"The van looks big enough, or, my camaro could fit us, in the back seat," Billy suggests between puffs. Billy had stopped circling Eddie, but Eddie felt dizzy. He passed out in the walk-in again. He had to have. Billy snaps in front of his face, startling Eddie. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Munson. Or, wait, do you think this isn't real or I'm playing you?"
Eddie gulps and nods, staring at the asphalt as Billy bellows, preparing to be hit because it had to be an elaborate set-up, no? But everything went blank as Billy tilts Eddie's chin up.
"Oh, darlin'," Billy purrs, turning the charm up to 25 thousand. Eddie stares at Billy, eyes wide with disbelief and mouth agape. "I'm not joking. You're pretty night and I want a good night high off my ass."
Eddie smacks himself mentally for forgetting Billy asked because he wanted free goods. Eddie pushes Billy's hand off, regaining his composure and staring into the fiery gaze of Billy Hargrove.
"Sorry man, I pay top dollar for this shit, can't pay gas with sex," Eddie says, patting Billy's shoulder as he opens the van door. Billy grabs Eddie, pulling him back and Eddie steels himself for a hit, one that never comes. Instead he cracks one eye open to see stone cold desperation. "This is the part where-"
"How much for a blunt with you?" Billy croaks out, tugging on Eddie's jacket. Eddie caves and sighs, putting a hand on Billy's, debating between pushing him away and squeezing him.
"How much you got, Hargrove?" Eddie asks, Billy visibly relaxing. He lets go of Eddie and begins to dig through his wallet, pulling free one bill.
"20?" Billy offers. Eddie nods and hops in his van. Eddie turned back to see the desperation in Billy's eyes again. "C'mon man, it's all I got."
"I'm saying yes, dude. You just gotta drive yourself, I'm not driving you back here in the morning," Eddie says, watching Billy calm down. "Follow my van, don't lose me."
Billy nods and heads to his camaro, the hair on Eddie's neck slightly relaxing.
⬻♠⤖
Chrissy gapes at Eddie over her drink, glancing at the bottle he'd been pulling frmo. Eddie sees the concern and pours another drink anyway.
"He wanted to sleep with you?" she ponders quietly, Eddie shaking his head with a smile.
"I know how it sounds. Prince Billy with Eddie 'The Freak' Munson?" Chrissy makes a face and Eddie offers a silent apology before continuing. "But I know he wouldn't have offered if two things weren't true. 1, he wasn't straight, 2, he at least kind of liked this metal, loser, d&d nerd get-up."
"It makes sense to me," Chrissy laughs. Eddie quirks his head to the side, begging for explanation. She smiles and pulls the half-empty bottle from Eddie, reaching for the soda-gun and pours herself another shirley temple. "He'd come to practice and flirt with the older girls, but he always seemed practiced, like an actor who hadn't gotten down the intonation."
"Chrissy motherfucking Cunningham, are you a-" Eddie gasps dramatically, hand on his chest, "-theater kid?!"
They both laugh, taking a few minutes to come back. Chrissy looks to Eddie, who's staring into the glass like it could answer for however Billy left Eddie.
"I thought it'd be just the one night, but he'd started asking to smoke with me often, and I'd stopped charging him for my company, just the weed." Eddie's face pulls tight, like he was trying to crack his mask. "It became every Saturday night. I'd play him original songs, he'd get handsy, we'd....mm. But, uh, three weeks before that Starcourt disaster, he cut me loose."
⬻♠⤖
Eddie had been browsing Sam Goody for a new piece, requested by Gareth and backed by Jeff. They'd all wanted a change of pace, but nothing felt quite right. While spinning through the crates of sheet music, Eddie spots Billy out and about. He gets a bad idea, smiling to himself as he hurries off to meet him. Eddie finds Billy in a smoking lounge and decides to sneak up on him, since it's empty.
"Boo!" Eddie yells as he shakes Billy, smiling widely. Billy lets out a strangled yell and doubles over, Eddie chuckling to himself. He puts his arms behind his head. "Sorry man, couldn't hel-"
All Eddie registers is a fist and him hitting the floor hard, unable to catch himself. He hisses and sits up a bit, seeing a furious Billy.
"I'm in public, which means, I don't know you fag!" Billy spits, kicking Eddie's side and sending him rolling onto his stomach. Eddie tries to get something out but Billy grabs him by the jaw. "If I see you again, Munson, I will kill you."
Eddie is left to writhe in pain until a girl in a sailor costume is attempting to settle him into a chair. She goes to Hawkins, she's in band. Gareth mentioned her name, Eddie thinks as he hisses from her checking him out.
"Motherfucker- ugh....Buckley, is it?" Eddie asks, hissing as she manuevers his face.
"Robin, actually. You're not doing so hot...Byers! Have Steve get the first aid!" she calls to a kid with a rough haircut. Looks like Hellfire's next newbie. Wait, Zombie Boy?, he thinks before seeing Steve 'King Steve' Harrington, clad in the same stupid ass sailor costume, charging him with a med kit and a concerned look.
"No fucking way," Eddie mutters as Steve and Robin take take turns taking care of Eddie.
"Surprised to see me fall so far?" Steve grimaces, grinding his teeth. Eddie's mouth moves faster than his brain.
"No, you just, look kinda hot in that," Eddie giggles on his swollen lip. Both Robin and the kid freeze, looking at each other while Harrington just has a confused face.
"Uh, thanks man," Steve says, shaking off potential subtext and making the other kids relax.
"No problemo, Stevie."
⬻♠⤖
"You flirted with Steve, your biggest crush, Harrington?" Chrissy gapes, smiling and giddy. Eddie covers his red face with his hair, the same way he had when they first met.
"I was delirious with pain!" he moans, laying his head on the counter. Chrissy giggles and starts cleaning up the glasses. Eddie gives her a grateful look.
"I'm driving, and I'm calling Steve to tell him you were flirting with him back then," Chrissy hums, cleaning the bar one last time.
"You think he doesn't know?" Eddie rubs his eyes and sighs.
"If Robin didn't tell him, and I know she hasn't, cause she's told me her side of the story," she chimes, shutting off the lights.
"I love how we're best friends and our partners are best friends," Eddie yawns. Chrissy smiles and helps him up.
"Me too, Eddie."