𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎.

𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜.

𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚣𝚎, 𝚌𝚛𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚋𝚊𝚕𝚕,

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠, 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚒𝚊.

𝙰 𝚠𝚎𝚝 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐.

𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚎.

𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎.

𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞.

Lennon and Eddie ended up listening to Dio and Black Sabbath as Eddie found a way to ask her some questions. After all, that was the whole reason she was in his room. Since she didn't want to sit in The Hideout any longer, he brought her home to figure her out.

They discussed sports which Eddie grew bored of rather quickly. He then asked why she moved there; all she managed to explain was that her residence in Vermont wasn't as safe or comfortable as it was in Hawkins and the subject was dropped.

"And this brother I hear so much about..." Eddie smirked. "Who's he?"

Lennon finished her beer and stacked it next to the two empty Red bull cans she was hoarding on Eddie's dresser.

"Brontë Seagrave," Lennon whined. "Hotshot of 82'. Three-time prom king and all-time douchebag," she rolled her eyes turning back towards Eddie only to see him with his mouth hung open and his eyes ready to bulge out.

"Holy shit!" he cursed, burying his face into his hands as he let the information sink in. "Holy-fucking-shit!" he burst out laughing. "Brontë the bitch is your brother!" he cackled, falling over and holding his stomach as he was consumed by pure elation.

Lennon spit out a sputtering laugh at the nickname.

With the single beer and only crackers to counter the effects of the alcohol in her system, she stumbled towards Eddie and took a seat by his side, joining him in his fit of laughter but holding herself upright which was more than he could do for himself.

"Did you just say-" she snickered and covered her mouth with her hand. "Brontë the bitch?!" she asked with a squeaky voice as she laughed.

Eddie's laughter got louder and more chaotic as he laid on his back with a hand to his stomach and a hand to his lips to muffle to sound.

"That dude was such a prick!" Eddie's eyes were shut and his grin was so wide that another pair of dimples formed around his preexisting ones. "Still is... Shit..." he laughed. "You two are related?" Eddie finally turned his head towards Lennon but laid still on his back as he met her gaze.

"We share the same father," she smiled cheekily. "We grew up together in the summers."

"Fuck..." Eddie's hand moved to his forehead, shifting his curly bangs from his forehead and revealing yet another scatter of scars across the top of his eyebrow. "Jesus. No wonder you act like a ditz around those germs at Hawkins Hell..." his fingers ran through his hair before resting at the back of his head leisurely.

"Sorry?" she furrowed her brows with concern.

"What?" Eddie smiled, moving to sit up and take his denim jacket off before removing the leather one he had on underneath. "People worshipped that bastard," Eddie informed her. "It's no wonder you try so hard. You've got a reputation to uphold," he giggled, tossing his jackets to the floor by his entertainment center. "A dickish reputation but a reputation nonetheless, shit."

Lennon yawned but Eddie had her undivided attention. "What are you talking about?"

She played dumb in hopes of making herself seem innocent. But there was a small part of her that appreciated the notice of how hard she tried. That all her hard work didn't go unnoticed. But at the same time, that was kind of the point; to go unrecognized as a try-hard, a fraud, an imposter...

"Oh please," Eddie rolled onto his back and rested his head on his hands, making his chest broader and his shoulders wider. "You're a people pleaser," he shrugged, closing his eyes and finding comfort in the darkness. "Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just makes sense," he said softly.

His lips were playing with her emotions. They were so innocently curled and that soft smile eased her heart in ways she wished didn't.

"So I'm an open book now, am I?" Lennon yawned, leaning back on her elbows and turning to face Eddie's side profile.

From across the expanse of his bed, he looked luminous with the lamp from behind. The right side of his face was illuminated with a warm, orange glow while the left half was shadowed by its glory.

The longer she stared, the longer the word to describe it threatened her better judgment.

"I don't read books without pictures or wizards," he mumbled, keeping his eyes closed as sleep was threatening to take over. "And you're certainly not a graphic novel," he smirked, seeing the image of her smiling from across the room on the backs of his eyelids.

She sat like a 'boy' and she swore like a sailor. She dressed like she had pep in her step but she hid herself in the back of every room. She was more like an intrusive crossword puzzle than a book for reading.

"So tell me," she sighed, leaning back on her backside and folding her hands over her waist as she stared up at the spotty ceiling. "What have you made me up to be then?" she asked in a mellow half-whisper, feeling the energy drinks enhance her state of drowsiness instead of counteract it.

She could hear Eddie hum in satisfaction and she could only imagine the drawn out smirk lingering on his full lips.

"Intelligent," he admitted in a groggy voice, making both the pitch and the volume of it seem more husky and masculine as the music playing off his record player changed to a different song. "A top tier survivalist, if you ask me. You're smart," he nodded his head wearily. "You get people to like you but you keep your head low."

Lennon listened to the sound of his voice as her eyes fell shut. The feeling of the vent above Eddie's bed kicked on and she started to cling to the warmth of the air, finding comfort in the flushed feeling on her face which made it nearly impossible to fight sleep.

"You conform to the social expectations of society but not unconsciously," Eddie continued. "You're surviving. And I don't blame you..."

Eddie's voice sounded so raspy and deep all of a sudden. They were connecting on an intimate, emotional level that might not have been possible if they were wide awake, sitting up, and staring into each other's eyes. This kind of connection would've only been possible with fatigue.

"I think you'd be happy to hear I've made you to be nothing more than a survivalist, Clever One," he replied lazily, making his head sway as sleep threatened him.

Lennon hummed partially conscious, not fully comprehending anything he was saying now.

"Conforming to stay alive," he whispered. "To protect yerself..." he sighed. "To endure..." he smirked humorously.

Lennon passed out. The last thing she heard was the sound of Eddie's soothing voice in a low whisper. Her head had tilted to the side as the darkness overtook her. Her breathing had steadied and her body was warm. She felt safe and secure. She was pleasantly at ease.

But Eddie chuckled half out his wits. "Lennon..." he sang out with a drowsy smile.

"Lennon the Endurer..."

***

"Mmmhmm..."

Lennon stirred.

"Left the damn lights on... fuckin'... mmhm..."

She furrowed her brows and inhaled deeply, blinking rapidly as her heavy eyes opened to the sudden complaining.

"Ed-! Oops... Shit..."

There was a sound of scrapping. First, rubber against a hard surface, almost shuffling like feet. Second, coarse friction like boots against carpet. Then, glass clinking and doors closing, switches being flicked, and grumbling or groaning in a partial attempt to keep quiet.

Then Lennon awoke. She was curled up on her side with a pillow pulled to her face.

When she stirred and came to her senses, a sharp whistle of air was sucked through her teeth as she gasped and quickly pushed the pillow away.

"Fuck..." she groaned, flinching and quickly pulling herself to the edge of the bed.

When did I fall asleep? What happened?

Her eyes quickly ran down to her clothes and her hands were checking to see if her body was still fastened. She then shuffled away from the dark figure laying beside her with his feet still sturdily on the floor.

Eddie's hand had moved from the back of his head to his chest and stomach but otherwise, he remained in the same position as when he fell asleep.

"Fucking..." she pressed her hands into her eye sockets and briefly relieved the pressure building behind them.

"Oh shit... Eddie," she quickly pushed her palms onto his arm which was slung over his stomach. He hummed out of instinct but he didn't arise. "Eddie!" she yell-whispered, nudging him a little harder and causing him to hiss in surprise.

"Jesus... Christ..." he sighed as his half-lidded eyes met hers. He was held up by his elbows but he hadn't registered what was going on or what he was seeing. The back of his hand went to his eye as he rubbed the sleep away.

"Get up," she instructed, hopping to her feet and approaching his now closed door with hesitation.

She knew for a fact that it was wide open before she fell asleep. The music had stopped, the lights were turned off, the door was slightly close, and all of that had changed since she fell alseep.

"Five more minutes..." he mumbled, throwing himself down into the place she once occupied and buried his head into his pillows. He could feel the heat radiate from where she laid and he could smell the faint smell of sandalwood that rubbed off her clothes and onto his sheets.

"No," she whispered harshly. "Get the fuck up," she instructed, moving to pick up her bag from the chair she deserted and rubbed at her tired eyes.

"Mmhm..." he groaned, refusing to move as he inhaled the smell she left in his sheets and held his breath.

"Eddie..." she drew out, moving back towards the boy and shaking him awake.

He flinched and put his hands up in surrender. "Shit..." he cursed, yawning then blinking past the drowsiness.

"We need to go. I need to go home. We fell asleep!" she hissed quietly. "Get up!"

She took him by the calf and pulled on him gently. He bolted upright and slipped his leg free.

"Get up, Eddie. I'm not kidding," she sighed, turning to check the time and realizing it was a quarter past five in the morning. "I'm gonna see my mom sooner than I planned... Fuck..." she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Let's go, Eddie!" she ridiculed him, moving for his leg again but before she could torment him any longer, he was groaning and on his feet.

"What time is it?" he complained, pouting and without a second thought, he took her by the arm to use her wrist like a watch.

He squinted and read the hands on the small clock on her wrist as she didn't fight him. He cried out dramatically but shuffled for his keys and did as told.

As Lennon was in mid-freakout, she tiptoed through the house, the. practically ran into Eddie's van once she made it outside.

"This is not happening..." she sighed, bringing her hands to her forehead as she mentally prepared herself for the argument she was bound to walk into once she got home. She was preparing for the worst and there were too many worse-case scenarios to count before Eddie even slid into the driver's seat.

"It's too fucking early for this..." Eddie grumbled, rubbing at his tear duct again as he injected the key into the ignition.

"What the fuck happened last night?" Lennon questioned Eddie, not remembering much after the conversation they had about D&D. She was high and drunk on lack of sleep. She couldn't even believe she managed to fall asleep in a stranger's bed, let alone not remember it. She was just hoping she didn't do something really stupid.

"I don't even know what's going on now..." Eddie yawned, pulling the car into drive and beginning their journey to her place.

"We didn't..." her mind was moving too fast for coherent thoughts to cumulate. "We fell asleep... We just passed out... Sleep... Right?"

"Fuck. Yeah, no. We didn't ..." Eddie was suddenly more awake and alert than before. His eyes had widened and he turned to look at her incredulously. "We didn't... No," he assured her sternly. "We were talking around two and then the next thing I know, we're asleep. I wouldn't... No," he shook his head, startled by the insinuation.

However, his words didn't come out in the way he wanted them to. It sounded like he would never even consider sleeping with her. He simply meant that he would never try anything with her. The last thing he would ever do was become a member of necrophilia or conscious sexual assault. But that's not how it sounded...

So, instead of being relieved that she didn't just expose herself to several mistakes, she was slightly injured by his words.

Was she undesirable? Was she that repulsive? Was she a terrible chat? Did he decide that she wasn't likable after getting to know her?

"Okay..." she sighed, turning away and picking anxiously at her cuticles. "Right... ugh..." she buried her head in her hands.

"Hey," Eddie furrowed his brows and extended his hand to her shoulder. "You're fine. Right? Hey. Lennon," he called out softly, gently using his thumb to encourage her to unfold from her emotional cacoon. "It's alright," he looked her dead in the eye and nodded his head.

She was staring back like a deer in headlights. She was caught off guard and she felt oddly safe in his hands; Literally.

She looked down at his hand still holding onto her arm as he drove which caused him to reel back in realization. But a small part of her wished he hadn't. And another part of her wondered why her body wasn't startled by his sudden affection. And another part of her wondered why she had let herself get this close to him in the first place. That same part of her preoccupied mind was glad that Eddie had pulled away. Things that brought that much happiness tended to be most destructive; like a drug...

"Nothing happened and you're going home. Alright?" Eddie assured her, glancing out the windshield before turning back to her. "Don't stress. You're okay."

There was something about the way he assured her that made it all real.

He was right.

She was fully dressed, conscious, and on her way home now. Morally, she didn't do a single thing wrong. She was safe and being with Eddie felt like hanging out with a friend. She hadn't felt that comfortable around Nancy or Max yet. She didn't even trust Steve enough to let him drive her to and from school. But it was different with Eddie.

And because it was Eddie, she knew there was something wrong with what she did.

If people found out, they wouldn't believe her when she said that all they did was talk all night. They would accuse her of other things and be ashamed of her for trusting someone so untrustable. They would shame her for believing his 'lies' and tell her she should consider herself lucky she walked out of their alive.

But she knew Eddie.

She knew she was safe with him.

But nobody else would and her ability to see him at all would be terminated in a nanosecond.

"I'm fine..." she mumbled, trying to assure herself that everything would be okay once she was home. That everything would be fine. Brontë would understand, she would be where she needed to be, and nobody would need to know who she was with. It would be fine... It had to be because Eddie made it seem definite. He made it seem true.

"It's dark and freezing... Just let me drive you to the front..." Eddie pleaded once they reached the road he dropped her off at before.

"No," she stated sternly. "I'll be fine. Thank you so much, Eddie..." she took her bag and hopped out of the van. "For everything..." she admitted, turning her face towards him and offering him a sincere expression of appreciation. "It's..." she turned back towards the ground. "I appreciate all you've done is all..." she pulled her jacket closer to her body.

Eddie's lips slowly curled into a smile as his cheeks grew rosy in the shadowed darkness. "It's my pleasure to pester you into doing things you don't want to do," he joked.

"It's not that I don't want to..." she spoke out suddenly. "I mean..." she surprised herself.

What had she meant to say? That she wanted to go with him? That was was willingly following him into the dark?

"You're not the most annoying person to be around," she concealed her true meaning.

"Well jee," Eddie chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment," he felt like she was making fun of him but she wouldn't; he knew that now.

"Good," she nodded her head and giggled. "Well, go get some sleep. I really am thankful for everything," she shook her head in disbelief that someone could be so kind as to wake up at five in the morning and drive someone they hardly knew home.

"It's been a pleasure, Clever One," he tipped his head as his eyes rolled into the back of his head drowsily. "Be careful. I don't want to be a suspect if I find out you were murdered tomorrow."

Lennon tried at a smile and waved him goodbye, feeling her smile fall immediately once her back was turned. If only he knew how well acquainted she was with murder trials...

If only he knew...