Unsmooth Operator
Pairing: Eddie Munson x Femme!Reader
Summary: Itβs summer in Hawkins and Eddie finds himself caught up on the cute girl working at the record store in the mall
Warnings: Reader uses she/her pronouns, brief mentions of sexual content (nothing sexual actually happens), swearing, potentially lethal levels of adorablenessΒ
A/N: First of all, sorry itβs been so long since I posted my last fic. My poor little ADHD self is a slow writer, Iβm afraid. But anyway, I kind of wrote this as a sort of prequel to my Henderson!Reader fic, but thereβs no direct mention of Reader being related to anyone, so you can either read it as that or not. Also, special thanks to Mr. Joseph Quinn for confirming that Eddie Munson has no game.Β
My Master ListΒ |Β Ao3
-
Itβs June in Hawkins and the summer heat has already grown practically unbearable. The shitty window A/C unit Eddieβs been using has finally crapped out, and in the heat of the day the trailer is approximately the temperature of the sun. Mercifully, heβs found a sweet, air conditioned refuge in the newly built Starcourt mall, a temple to 20th century decadence and consumerism that also happens to be a very pleasant temperature inside.Β
Jeff and Gareth are tagging along today, which is fun except for the quick pit stop they had to make at the homegoods store so Gareth could pick up some new linens for his mom. Theyβve finished that now, though, and Eddieβs already got their next destination in mind.Β
βIβm gonna do itβ, Gareth insists as they go, βIβm gonna get a tattoo.β
βYour mom would kill youβ, Jeff replies.βremember when she caught you smoking? I thought she wasnβt going to let us see you ever again after that.β
βItβs different nowβ, Gareth tells him, βIβm 16. Iβm gonna be a junior. Itβs time I make my own choices, you know?β
βGood luck with thatβ, Jeff laughs.Β
βLetβs hit the record store nextβ, Eddie cuts in, βI want to pick up the new Bob Dylan album for Wayne.β
βMore like you wanna see the cute girl working the registerβ, Jeff teases.
βI donβt know what youβre talking aboutβ, Eddie retorts, desperately hoping his cheeks arenβt actually turning as red as he thinks they are.
In truth, he does have an ulterior motive for wanting to go to the record store, and it is you. Youβve been going to Hawkins High for the past three years, but admittedly Eddie had never really been more than vaguely aware of your existence until this past semester, when you two had PE together. He had this routine heβd do where he would imitate the gym teacher when the man wasnβt looking, and it never failed to elicit a giggle from you. One day Eddie noticed how cute you looked when you laughed and well, heβs been a little bit stuck on you ever since.Β
βWhy donβt you just ask her out?β Gareth comments, as if itβs just that easy.
Sweet, naive Gareth. Maybe for guys like Steve Harrington itβs that easy, but Eddie isnβt Steve Harrington. Gareth wasnβt there for Eddieβs early high school days. He wasnβt there during Eddieβs sophomore year when two hot juniors decided to prank him by convincing him their cheerleader friend was βsuper into himβ or his junior year when he invited that girl from drama club to join Hellfire and she laughed out loud at him. Most girls donβt even want to be seen with Eddie βthe Freakβ Munson, let alone date him.Β
βJeffβs talking out of his assβ, Eddie lies, βcome on, letβs go.β
You are, of course, there at the counter when they walk in, and oh God, is that an Iron Maiden shirt youβre wearing? Fuck, as if he couldnβt be more into you.Β
βUm, Eddie, you good dude?β Gareth asks him and he realizes heβs stopped right there in the entrance of the store, just staring at you. He quickly turns away and walks the rest of the way into the store, thankful that youβre currently checking out a customer and probably didnβt notice him ogling you like a total weirdo.Β
Admittedly, this may not have been a good idea, at least if he wants to convince Jeff and Gareth heβs not into you. He quickly grabs a Bob Dylan tape and starts making for the door, desperate to just get out of there and spare himself anymore humiliation.
βUm, you gonna pay for that?β Jeff asks and fuck. Heβs shoplifted before but heβs not interested in getting barred from the record store, so heβs not gonna risk it today.Β
βRightβ, he mutters and then he forces himself to go up to the counter.Β
He feels like his heart is going to explode in his chest when he walks up and you flash him that brilliant smile of yours.
βHi, Eddieβ, you greet and his eyes grow wide because you know his name. Well, obviously you did, you had a class together, but it just sounds so good coming from your mouth that he momentarily ceases to function.Β
βDid you need help with something?β you ask after a moment.
βWhat?β Eddie asks, βoh no. Just um, just this.β
He sets the tape on the counter and you grab it to ring it up.
βDylanβ, you comment as you do, βnot your usual fare.β
βItβs for my uncleβ, Eddie explains, βheβs a big fan.β
βCoolβ, you say, βI like your vest by the way. Dio. Nice.β
Well, thatβs it. Itβs over. Eddieβs done for.Β
βThatβll be $6.30β, you say.
βOh, right moneyβ, Eddie sputters and fishes a ten out of his pocket. He knows Jeff and Gareth are standing nearby, watching this all play out and probably laughing with each other about it. Heβs definitely never living this down.
βYou want a bagβ, you ask as you finish gathering his change.Β
βOh, I um, I guessβ, he replies, not actually processing the question. You hand him his change, then place the tape in a bag and slide it over to him. He goes to grab it, and because heβs not at all paying attention to anything but you, inadvertently sends the display of Beach Boy tapes sitting on the counter tumbling to the floor.
βOh shitβ, he hisses, βoh fuck, Iβm so sorry.β
βItβs okayβ, you reply, coming around the counter, βI keep telling Doug he shouldnβt put that stuff so close to the register.β
You bend down to start picking up the tapes and years worth of Wayneβs lectures on behaving like a gentleman come flooding back to Eddie, so he quickly follows suit.
βLet me help youβ, he says.
βThanksβ, you say and youβre smiling again and Eddie kind of wants to die.Β
With the two of you, it doesnβt take long to get everything cleaned up and back in order.Β
βIβm really sorryβ, Eddie says again as you make your way back behind the counter, and then before he can stop himself, he blurts, βmaybe I could make it up to you somehow?β
βWhat?β you ask, clearly unsure of what he means.
βI mean like, maybe I could buy you a-a coffee or something sometimeβ, he stammers.
You peer at him for a moment, and he braces for the inevitable rejection heβs about to endure.
βI like ice creamβ, you say, βif you meet me here at 3 tomorrow, you can buy me some ice cream and weβll call it even.β
Maybe Eddieβs already dead and this is heaven. That or heβs being punked somehow. Either way, he stands there like an idiot for a second, trying to process that you just suggested the two of you meet for ice cream.Β
βUm okayβ, he says.
βCoolβ, you grin, βsee you then.β
βRightβ, he says, βsee you then.β
And then heβs swiping his bag from the counter and stiffly making his way back to Jeff and Gareth, his body still trapped in a state of shock.
βSoβ, Jeff prompts, βwhat was all that?β
βI um, I think Iβm meeting her for ice cream tomorrowβ, Eddie informs them.Β
The two younger boys exchange glances, mouths stretching into a matching pair of shit eating grins.Β
βTalking out of my ass, huh?β Jeff teases.
βShut upβ, Eddie snaps, βIβm just being polite okay? Itβs not like a date or anything.β
βSure it isnβtβ, Gareth replies smugly.Β
βWhateverβ, Eddie huffs and the others know not to continue the conversation, even if they spend the rest of the afternoon exchanging amused glances at each other.
-
Eddie waits until heβs back at the trailer to let everything sink in. When it does, he feels a vague sense of panic washing over him.Β
Embarrassing as it is, Eddieβs never had a real, serious girlfriend before. Hell, aside from a brief flirtation with Tammy Thompson that ended in a very awkward hand job in the school parking lot, heβs never really had any experience with girls (or boys for that matter) at all. And Tammy was the one that initiated that. He wasnβt even really into her, he was just desperate for some sort of female attention.Β
You, though, he is into you. Very, very much into you. And he has no idea what the hell heβs supposed to do or say. He finally, finally has a chance to go out with his dream girl, and heβs almost certainly going to say something wrong and scare you off like pretty much everyone heβs ever been into.Β
He wonders what the weather in Wisconsin is like this time of year, because heβs halfway to hopping in his van and heading there now, never to be seen or heard from in Hawkins, Indiana again.
Then again, maybe heβs over thinking it. Itβs not like the word βdateβ ever came up in your conversation. Maybe this really is just him paying you back for his clumsiness, and afterwards you wonβt even spare him a second thought. In the end, he figures that whatever the case, heβs not just going to leave you high and dry, so he has no choice but to go.Β
-
Eddie shows up outside the record store at 2:45 the next day. He stands there awkwardly, fiddling with his rings and secretly hoping that you donβt show up and he doesnβt have to deal with all of this.
No such luck though, you appear exactly at 3, looking as cute as ever in your jean skirt.Β
βHeyβ, you greet and Eddie momentarily forgets how to speak.
βHeyβ, he repeats, unable to formulate a coherent enough thought to do anything but copy your greeting.
βYou ready to go?β you ask and he nods.Β
The record store is a fair bit away from Scoops Ahoy, and for probably the first time in his life, Eddie finds himself unsure of what exactly to say. Thankfully, you take the lead.
βSo, have you heard Megadethβs album?β you ask, βI got it the first day it came out and I love it.β
βMe tooβ, Eddie says, and he can feel himself being knocked out of his stupor then, βyou know, my friends and I have a metal band.β
βReally?β you ask.
βYeahβ, he tells you, βwe perform Wednesdays at the Hideout, if you ever want to come see us.β
βIβll keep that in mindβ, you smile and Eddie thinks his heart momentarily stops.Β
Walking into Scoops Ahoy with you by his side is an almost unreal experience. You and him go up to the counter and Steve Harrington is there in his little sailor suit that Eddie almost feels sorry that heβs forced to wear.Β
βHey Steveβ, you greet.
βHey Y/Nβ, Steve replies, and then he notices that Eddieβs with you and he gets this super confused look on his face.Β
βSo, uh, get whatever you want I guessβ, Eddie says.
Once you two have ordered and gotten your ice cream, you eat it while idly wandering around the mall, just chatting about anything and everything. Eddie, as always, is frequently cracking jokes, and God is it mesmerizing to see the way you laugh in response.Β
Itβs quite the disappointment when youβre finishing your ice cream and youβre bidding him farewell.Β
He knows he has to at least try to see you again so he tests the waters with a quick βthat was fun, we should do it again sometime.β
βIβd like thatβ, you smile.
βAwesomeβ, he replies.
βHereβ, you say, rooting around in your purse, βgive me your hand.β
He obliges, and you produce a pen, which you use to scribble something onto his outstretched hand.
βWhatβs this?β he asks.
βMy numberβ, you reply, βcall me tonight or tomorrow?β
βSureβ, he tells you.Β
βGreatβ, you say, βIβll see you, Eddie.β
βSee youβ, he says, hoping he doesnβt sound as absolutely lovesick to you as he does to himself.Β
You flash him one final smile before departing, and he just stands there awkwardly for a second, watching as you go. Once youβve disappeared from sight and heβs snapped out of his trance, he peers down at the numbers youβd scrawled onto his hand. He has to remind himself that itβd be weird to get them tattooed onto himself permanently. He canβt believe that it worked. You went on a date with him, in public, and didnβt care if you were seen together. You laughed at his jokes. You gave him his number and asked to see him again. You liked him.Β
The trailer is as unbearably hot as ever when he returns, but for once, he doesnβt care. Heβs too excited to call you later and hopefully set up another date.Β