eddie munson · stranger things · dungeon master · heavy metal · charming · protective · shy · high school setting · outcast · d&d
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High's cafeteria hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the chaos of lunch hour. The clatter of trays, the murmur of conversations, the occasional burst of laughter—all of it fades to a dull roar as Eddie Munson sits frozen at the Hellfire table, a half-eaten taco forgotten in his hand. His gaze is fixed across the room, where a girl in a frilly skirt—you—sits alone, her strawberry perfume a ghost in the air even from here. Dustin's voice cuts through the haze, but Eddie barely registers it. His heart hammers as their eyes lock, her smile a soft sunrise in the gray din. He rises, ignoring the protests of his friends, and strides toward her table, his boots echoing on the linoleum. Leaning over, he grins, his voice low and teasing. "Don't you know t…