chapter twenty-three — the velvet loveseat

December 15th, 1985

July fourth nineteen-eighty-five. Irene felt paralyzed. Despite the searing burn of torn flesh that throbbed at her thigh, it felt as though she was a ghost – drifting in and out. She doesn't remember much of what happened after her mothers screams of agony faded into the background as she was rushed to the hospital. What she does remember is the blood.

There was so much blood. Her brothers, Billy's, her own, all caked underneath her nails and stuck to her hair. She remembers their faces too; the agony that carved into her brother's brow after he was struck – the sorrow that twisted against Billy's quivering lip as he hovered over her. She couldn't escape them. She can't escape them. They linger in her dreams like fresh dew on a spring morning, stubbornly clinging to her subconscious and drowning her in a tide of terror.

According to Ms. Kelly, while the nightmares weren't exactly healthy and a form of Irene's trauma which were linked to the events of the summer, they were completely normal and she wasn't the only person who struggled with them. In the beginning, when her brother's death was still a fresh concept to grasp, she believed the school counselor. However, if you asked her now she'd say it was bullshit.

The night terrors were growing more haunting and gruesome – lately they'd been causing her to wake up mortified before bursting into a pool of tears. She had spent many recent nights tucked under her mothers arms in bed; she was about to turn nineteen but still believed wholeheartedly that the protection of her mother could ward off anything. Nothing about what she'd endured was normal and neither were the nightmares.

Tonight was no different than any other night, except for once she wasn't trapped within the walls of Starcourt Mall.

There she was looking down at a hole in the ground as the dark navy blue casket was slowly lowered into the space. She felt numb again - like she had nothing left to give, no more tears to cry for a tragedy that was never supposed to happen. A heavy hand clasped onto her shoulder and she looked up to meet the somber eyes of her father. The sky darkened and suddenly there was an evident weight harrowing down on her chest.

"It should've been you," He whispered distastefully, his gaze piercing into her soul – twisting the knife further into her chest. She turned to make a haste escape from the man and bumped into another tall figure. The stranger turned and her breath hitched. Mateo towered over her with blood oozing from the gash at his side. His face was colorless as beads of sweat peppered his forehead – his eyes were cold and menacing. There were tears in them as blood trickled down the side of his mouth.

His glare made a shiver run down her spine as he choked, "It was supposed to be you." His veiny hands reached to grab for her throat and the second they made contact she was shaken awake – a soft whimper left her lips as she latched onto the person's forearms tightly.

She heaved a breath of relief when she met Eddie's gentle gaze. The world settled in around her as reality sank her back into the warm loveseat perched beside the sofa in her living room – it was an antique and she begged her mother to buy it before they moved to Hawkins all those months ago. She was sweaty and her bones felt stiff – as if she was tense the entire time she had been asleep.

Eddie seemed extremely alert for what seemed to be so late in the evening; his curls were slightly disheveled and the wrinkles on the waist of his shirt indicated he'd gotten comfortable against the cushions as well but there was a small part of him that just didn't seem relaxed. Little did she know after he noticed she had fallen asleep while he was reading to her he couldn't help but watch as she stirred lightly, making sure he was there for her if and when she needed him.

It wasn't the first nightmare he had to wake her from.

After she'd got suspended for punching Julie Stone in the face, which threw him completely for a loop, he'd spent the two weeks she was out of school hanging around her house and the record store when her mom wasn't around in order to, as he stated, "get to know her better." Her mom finally caught on to why her daughter seemed so chipper whilst grounded and pestered Irene to properly invite him to dinner so that they could finally meet. Little did either of them know she meant Thanksgiving dinner and that Eddie wasn't the only Munson Sofia was going to be introduced to that day.

Nevertheless, it actually went really well. Despite Sofia's initial nervousness, considering she'd heard stories about the Munson boy from colleagues and Hopper himself, she grew very fond of her daughter's friend. He made her a certain kind of happy she hadn't seen from Irene in a long time. She also enjoyed Waynes presence because he also understood the trials of trying to raise a rambunctious and carefree child amidst a prejudiced society.

As his uncle left early to get some rest before his shift the next morning and her mother slipped away to take a nap, Eddie and Irene sat tucked away in the living room watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on low as they talked about their days. Before he knew it she was passed out, cheek pressed against the side of his arm as she snored softly. Suddenly she was mumbling under her breath and then out of nowhere she let out a small yelp, nails digging into his arm – leaving a small crescent moon indent on it.

He rarely pushed her to talk about that night, even though he knew it nestled inside of her like a plague - rapidly eating away at her youth. He knew because he had watched her mindlessly reach for her left leg in homeroom, wincing and whispering to herself that it burned and figured it had something to do with the fourth of July. He also knew because there were times when she told him that she was tired because she just "couldn't sleep" and it was "one of those nights where she missed her brother."

He remembers gently shaking her shoulders and she woke in an instant – at first recoiling at his touch as if she still wasn't entirely there and broke into tears. He eased her into an embrace and swallowed down the lump in his throat as he whispered, "It's okay. You're okay. You're right here. You're not there, I promise you're not there. It's just me and you. It's just us in your house and it's okay." Her mom rushed into the room shortly after and took over before she thanked Eddie and sent him home.

Ever since, if he noticed even the slightest droop of her eyes, he became highly alert whenever she fell asleep around him. That was his job – chase away the bad dreams – be the hero. She was always there for other people and it was time someone showed her that they were there for her. He didn't doubt that the teens she clung to like sweat on a hot day weren't but they were also trying to navigate their own worlds and she wasn't entirely a part of that. But he'd die before he ever let her go a day thinking she wasn't enough – as long as she existed in his world he'd always remind her. 

"Eddie." She exhaled, sitting up.

"In the flesh." He whispered, giving her a smile – a goofy one at that – in hopes it'd brighten the moment.

"What time is it? Is my mom home?"

"Ten-thirty and your mom said she'd be late again." He watched as she leaned back into the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as she shook her head, knuckling her eyes so that she might rub off the grief that nestled into her features. She couldn't bring herself to look at him – her perfectly spackled walls would crumble underneath the weight of his gaze.

She hated being this vulnerable in front of him, mainly because there was no hiding in these moments and there were still a lot of things she wasn't ready to tell him. She appreciated his constant need to show her that he cared but she couldn't help but feel like a gigantic burden. The Hellfire Club had joked that she was turning him soft and maybe they were right – maybe she was just too much for him. They were so different.

He matched her actions and they stared at the ceiling for a while. She tried her best to blink away the tears that accompanied the sinking feeling in her stomach. From her peripheral vision she could see Eddie turning to his side to look at her before the brush of his rings against her skin made her shiver as he held her cheek in his palm with a knowing look. He rubbed her skin with his thumb and if she wasn't already drooping against the velveteen cushions she would've melted straight into the earth. She closed her eyes tightly, "I know, I know, I don't have to apologize. I just–I feel bad. You didn't ask for this mess."

He scrunched his eyebrows together before sitting up, "Time and time again you've endured and taken life's careless blows with nothing but grace, but you need to give yourself the room to be human – to fuck up and be messy. It's okay. I'd rather you allow yourself to feel than keep it all tucked in and explode." His voice was full of conviction and passion as he stared at her.

"And yeah I didn't "ask" for this but rest assured I wouldn't want anything more. I want this. You--you're my best friend." He whispered and Irene never felt more full of warmth and admiration than she did when looking into his eyes. The pull in her stomach was something she'd felt before when Eddie was around – she was naturally a shy and nervous person – but this time it seemed to completely turn her stomach inside out and she felt tingly and her cheeks were definitely hot and crimson.

He was so patient with her, even on days where she retreated into her shell and refused to come out he waited. Even though his fingers were terribly calloused and rough, he always held her with a gentleness not even a mothers tender embrace could emulate. Of course he was brazen and had a colorful personality that she was far from used to, but no matter how hard she tried to pit their differences together they always ended up weaving together beautifully.

He remembered all the tiny details and so did she like how he had a soft spot for black cats and could write an entire paper about how they were "misunderstood," or how he used to mow lawns when money was tight and then got into dealing, or that he enjoyed sitting on the porch with his uncle and talking to him about futile things as they watched the sun rise, and that the only time he saw his father cry was after he lost his mom, and how as a child music was the only thing that brought him comfort, and the list could literally go on and on. She practically knew Eddie like the back of her hand and remembered how rewarding it was to get him to crack open in front of her because despite his flamboyant nature Eddie Munson was not an open book.

They found solace in each other – a luxury Irene had only begun to discover was possible due to hanging around Robin, Steve, and Sam (and of course the gaggle of children she adored). It's why she never put much thought into her feelings because she thought it was normal to feel as deeply as she did about him, and to know him as she knew herself. But as she sat there on the velvet loveseat, looking into his honey eyes, it couldn't have been any louder. She was in love with him.

She wiped her face and smiled, that damn smile, pulling her eyebrows together and slightly scrunching her face.

"Where did you come from Edward Munson? And how in the world did I get so lucky to meet you?" She marveled quietly.

Jesus fucking christ. Eddie thought as he looked at her. The way his name rolled off her tongue like honey sounding sweet and serene sent a shockwave of goosebumps down his arms. He felt like he'd struck gold – like he was the lucky one (always). He swallowed down the frog in his throat and tried to find the words – the right rebuttal that would keep him under the radar and help him fake a cool demeanor. To his dismay any confidence he once held tightly fizzled from his tongue and for the first time he had no smooth comment to return with.

"You should probably get home. It's past curfew and if my mom finds you here still, she'll kill you." Irene changed the subject, already re-analyzing what she said earlier. It was the pinnacle of embarrassment for her and she just wanted him to be gone so she could lie in bed and listen to music as she re-thought the entire conversation over and picked herself apart.

He held his head high, "Your mom would never. She likes me too much."

"You keep telling yourself that." She quipped, patting his shoulder.

He scoffed before smacking his lips together, "You know now that I think of it...this area might actually have a stronger gravitational pull than the rest of your house." He said and began to droop his body over her. "Yep, it definitely does."

"Eddie." She whined as she tried to push him off.

"Guess I'll just have to stay here forever." He sighed dramatically; all that time spent in the theater room asking the teacher for tips on how to portray characters better was really paying off.

"You're an ass." Irene grumbled.

She could practically hear his lips twisting into a smirk, "You flatter me, sunshine." Even though the nickname made her stomach feel like it was doing somersaults, she tried her best to stand her ground and get him to finally go because even though her mom wouldn't do much to him, she'd be fairly upset with her — and that's putting it lightly.

After a few more pleas, groans, and nudges from Irene, he rolled off of her and onto his feet, reaching his hands out for her to grab. She glared at him, crossing her arms as she stood from the loveseat by herself. She waited by the door as he grabbed his things and put his shoes back on.

"Goodnight, don't drive like a madman, and don't forget to call me when you get home." She recited her nightly mantra to him and just before he stepped out the door he turned back, finally finding his confidence.

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

She looked at him weirdly, "Eddie we hang out almost everyday, I think we've moved past asking if the other wants to do so. You just show up at my house and I don't question it." She shrugged and he couldn't stop the pounding in his chest from easing up as he closed his eyes.

"No, I mean like go somewhere...see a movie or something." He said and saw something flicker in her eyes before it quickly disappeared.

"Oh, um...yeah. Sure, we could–we could do that." She said and her voice had grown quieter than usual and Eddie wondered if she was just accepting the offer out of pity and because they were friends or because she'd picked up on the undertones of his words.

Nevertheless he nodded and smiled, "Goodnight, Rena."

"Goodnight, Ed." She whispered, leaning against the door as she watched him stroll over to his van. Something between them had changed that night and neither really knew how to describe the feeling.

The two of them went to bed that night wondering what the other was thinking and both were so far off in their speculations of how the other felt. They wouldn't be right for a while and not until Eddie officially asked Irene on a date a week later after a lengthy talk with his uncle and then suddenly it seemed to make some sense. Even then, despite knowing where every single lightswitch was, they were still stumbling clumsily around each other in the dark – as if there was still more to uncover. They were obviously, helplessly, hopelessly, enamored with one another and not even that was a big enough hint.

Thankfully a particularly rough nudge from Dustin Henderson and Robin Buckley helped them put two and two together.

AUTHORS NOTE!

look at me go 🙃 updating and getting my writing spark back — I am just so proud of myself.

also...were you guys expecting that? no? me either, but aren't they just so adorable???? I realized rena really needed a coming to terms with her feelings towards eddie considering we know how eddie feels but with rena all of this is kind of new to her and it's a lot and even though she's not used to it she's open to it because it's eddie and she'd do anything for him because he makes her feel comfortable & safe — LET ME STOP, I CAN LITERALLY GO ON AND ON.

literally me whenever I write rena and eddie scenes, it's just so goddamn cute and I love them. they're my clueless, hopeless, adorable little sweehearts. anywho, I just love everything about this chapter, except the scary nightmare part and sad beginning however it is needed so it has to be there...sorry ya'll <3 I hope you're getting an idea for what I'm planning with season four whilst not entirely getting the entire idea because it's going to be wild.

I'd love to know your thoughts! until next time <3