Cold Nights / Eddie Munson

cold nights / eddie munson

one shot

cw: uh i don’t think anything it’s tame and cute

oh look, your idiot neighbor locked himself outside of his house during a thunderstorm.

—

you’d lived next door to eddie munson for a couple years now. you didn’t interact much with him since you preferred keeping to yourself as much as possible. high school was brutal, so you felt as though acting as if you were invisible would make it more tolerable.

not many people paid attention to you, but you paid attention to everyone. you’d like to say you only focused on eddie because he was a familiar face who just so happened to be ridiculously outgoing. however, that wasn’t the case. you paid attention to eddie munson because you found him attractive and through your limited interactions you’ve developed quite the crush on him.

it was early november when it happened. there was a raging storm going on outside. ice cold rain was whipped into your windows by the wind and the cracks of thunder were enough to shake your trailer. you were home alone at the time, tucked in your bed reading a book while waiting for it to pass. it was pretty late on that saturday night, but the headlights that shown through your window didn’t surprise you.

eddie got home late a lot, his headlights sometimes waking you up at two in the morning on a school night. that was probably a contribution to him missing so much school. you couldn’t help yourself from getting up to see him. was it slightly creepy that you could see into his living room from your window? yes, definitely. but somehow it comforted you knowing he got home safely.

you watched as he ran from his van, trying to get inside quickly to avoid the rain. the way his hair flew back made you laugh lightly to yourself. but instead of making it inside, he stood messing with the handle and trying to shoulder the door open. it wasn’t working. he was most definitely screaming a string of profanities right now, and you felt kind of bad. when he finally gave up on the door, he started trying the window, but that was no help either. he stomped down the stairs to his trailer, kicking over his empty trash can before going back to his van.

but tragically, he’d managed to lock himself out of that too. you watched as he kicked his tire before resting his head on his van in annoyance. you felt bad, it was freezing outside and he obviously didn’t have shelter and who knew when his uncle would make it back. you pushed yourself up from your window and quickly ran out your room and into your kitchen, grabbing your front door and throwing it open.

you were right, it was freezing outside and the rain felt painful as drops hit you. eddie was still leaning against his van, head in his hands. a huge crack of thunder happened, almost deafening you before lightning lit up the sky. the rain was so loud, but eddie wasn’t too far from your house. “munson!” you yelled out your door as loud as you could. eddie’s head picked up, looking around for where the voice had come from. another strike of lightning light up the sky just as his eyes found you.

a flash of light illuminating his guardian angel in her smurf pajama pants. he watched as you waved to him, motioning for him to come in your house. he debated it a moment, but the slight shiver that ran through him told him he needed to take your offer.

he jogged the few yards to your trailer and up your stairs, entering your trailer as you stepped aside for him. you close the door behind him, flipping on the light. the sight in front of you is one you’ll never forget. eddie is looking at you, with widened eyes and reddened cheeks. his hair was plastered to his face and all of his clothes were dripping. “hey y/n,” he said shyly.

you purse your lips before grabbing his arm and pulling him with you. he follows you, too confused to even ask. you push open the door for the bathroom and gesture for him to go in. “i’m gonna go find you some dry clothes, there’s towels under the sink,” you say and watch him reluctantly step into your bathroom. you disappear and eddie takes a moment to process.

he was standing, soaking wet, in his crushes bathroom right now. oh god he was soaked, he was probably making such a mess everywhere. he began taking off his vest and jacket, hanging it over your shower before peeling his shirt off his chest. “gross,” he mumbles to himself, ringing it out over your bathtub.

“hey, i found you some… woah,” you say, trailing off as you see the broad expanse of his back, tattoos littering the muscular canvas. you never expected eddie munson to be toned. he turned to you, your eyes focused on his pale torso that glistened with the rain water. you scanned up his chest, eyes lingering on his tattoos until they found his face, a small smirk on his lips. you shook your head, blinking hard and taking a step towards him. why didn’t he just close the door before starting to change? “these were my dad’s, i think they might be a bit big but, at least they’re dry,” you say, refusing to meet his eyes again as you hold out the clothes to him.

“thanks,” he starts, taking them from you. “and should i hang my clothes in here or?” he asks, turning to look at what he’d already put up.

you nod, looking at his haphazard way of hanging them up. “yeah, that’s fine, when you’re done come find me in the kitchen,” you say, wanting to not look back in his eyes. you see him nod out of your peripheral, so you back up, shutting the door once you’re out.

“oh my god,” you whisper to yourself in disbelief, holding your hands to your temples as you walk to the kitchen. “pull yourself together, y/n,” you huff under your breath before turning on your stove to make hot chocolate.

eddie eventually gets all his clothes off and dries himself off with one of your towels as he tries to process the situation. what the hell was happening right now? he grabbed the plaid pajama pants you’d brought for him, the cold making him start to shiver, and pulled them up before using the drawstring to tie them to where they wouldn’t fall off. he then grabbed the green long sleeve and pulled it over his still wet hair and down his body. it was probably a size too big on him and wasn’t exactly the warmest thing but it would do. after finally pulling on the socks you’d given him, he slowly opened the door.

he stepped out, looking around to take a moment and absorb your trailer. it was 100x cleaner than his, and honestly seemed quite homey. the only lights on in the house were the bathroom one, which he switched off, the one you had turned on in the kitchen and a small lamp in your bedroom. eddie slowly walked towards the kitchen, peaking around the corner to see you pouring hot chocolate mix into a mug as a kettle sat on the stove in front of you.

you looked up at him as he stepped into view and gave him a small smile. he swears, despite his skin feeling like ice, that his heart fluttered with warmth when he saw your face. “i'm making you some hot chocolate, you still really cold?” you ask, your motherly instinct kicking in.

“i- uh, yeah kind of,” he says, crossing his arms. you take a step over, leaning across the counter to feel his forehead with the back of your hand. you frown when he’s ice cold to the touch, moving your hand to his cheeks as well. his face flushes, but thankfully it was already red from the cold so you couldn’t tell.

you walk over to your living room quickly, grabbing a blanket from off the couch and back over to him. “here,” you mumble, standing on your tiptoes to drape it over his shoulders. eddie takes it, pulling it tightly around himself and watching you with awe as the kettle goes off. “you can sit,” you say softly, grabbing the kettle and pouring the hot water into the mug.

eddie obliges, taking a seat at your dining room table. he studied you closely as you bring the mug to him and sit across from him. “thank you, for letting me in,” he says quietly, wrapping his hands around the warm mug.

you wave your hand in dismissal. “i wasn’t just going to let you freeze out there,” you say softly, crossing your leg under you. eddie takes a small, careful sip of the hot chocolate and lets out a sigh of content as the warmth spreads down his throat. “so… you locked yourself out?” you ask, tapping your fingers on the top of your table.

eddie nods, taking another drink. “it always seems to happen at the worst times,” he says. you nod, not knowing what to respond with. eddie bites his lip, wanting to get rid of this blanket of awkwardness that was beginning to settle over you two. “i never saw you as a night owl type of person,” he says.

you shrug, looking at your fingernails to avoid looking at him. “i was reading,” you mumble.

“oh? what book?” he asks, his interest piqued. he didn’t know you liked to read. well… as he thought about it he realized he didn’t know anything you liked to do.

you flashed your gaze up to him before looking back down. “the house of spirits,” you respond lowly.

“huh, i don’t think i’ve read that. is it good?” he pushes, not wanting this conversation to die.

you raise your eyebrow slightly at him. “you read?” you question.

eddie gasps, grabbing at his heart in mock offense. “do i read? i’m almost offended at that sweetheart, i play d&d you know? i love me some good fantasy,” he says, causing you to giggle. a smile spreads across his face at the sound, his heart skips a beat.

“guess i never thought to put those together,” you say shyly, your eyes cast down as you replay him calling you sweetheart over and over in your mind.

eddie takes another sip of his hot chocolate before continuing. “no? just assumed i was some freak who hated everything academic?” he quizzed.

“no, i just don’t think i can picture you sitting down and reading a book,” you defend yourself.

eddie smirks. “so what do you picture me doing then, if i’m not a reader?” he asks.

“uh,” you start, biting on your lower lip. you’ve pictured eddie doing a lot of things, but you didn’t necessarily want to tell him you’ve imagined how his hugs feel. “honestly? just playing d&d and smoking…” you say.

eddie shrugs, “i mean yes, i do that too.”

“what do you think i do?” you ask, your gaze lingering on his fingers.

eddie looks you up and down a moment, taking in your relaxed state. “to be completely honest, i don’t know. you’re a very mysterious girl, y/n,” he says truthfully.

“good,” you laugh lightly, propping your head up with your arm as you finally gather the courage to look at his face. shit, he was attractive.

eddie smirked at you before taking a bigger drink of his hot chocolate. “i’ve learned a few things though in these last few minutes, wanna know them?” he asked. you hummed in agreement, slightly nodding your head. “i learned that,” he started, setting down his mug and removing his hands from it. “you’re very sweet, and very very cute,” he said, reaching up to bop you in the nose.

you look down as heat rushes up your neck and face, a smile stretching across your face. “thanks,” you mumble, refusing to look back up.

“see? so cute, i could just eat you up,” eddie teases causing you to laugh quietly. “what? you’re not gonna say it back? damn, y/n,” he jokes, shaking his head side to side.

“no! you’re cute, so cute,” you say with a giggle, watching the way his face lights up.

“thank you, sweetheart, but i don’t know if i believe you,” he says, continuing to tease you.

you shake your head with a smile. “i’m being honest!” you say happily.

“mhm, that’s what all the pretty girls say,” he says with raised eyebrows before grabbing his mug to take another drink.

just then, a particularly bright flash of lightning hits and your power flickers before going out. “shit,” you say, wrapping your arms around yourself. your attitude drops, and eddie picks up on it.

“you okay?” he asks, squinting to see you in the dark.

you nod, “not a big fan of the dark.” eddie smiles at your confession.

“that’s adorable,” he says without thinking.

with a roll of your eyes a small smile comes back to your lips. “shut up,” you say quietly, dragging it out. it’s quiet for a moment before eddie pushes his seat back, standing up. “what’re you doing?” you question.

eddie shuffles towards the side of the table you’re on and stops. “stand up,” he says, and of course you do just that. he opens his arms that still had the blanket in his hands and takes a step towards you. he closes his arms, wrapping the both of you in the blanket and bringing you to his chest. “there, now you don’t have to be scared of the dark, and you can help warm me up,” he says quietly, his nerves kicking in slightly.

you know your face is on fire, so you thank whatever is up there that he can’t see that. but, despite your nervousness you relax into his touch, wrapping your arms around him as well and tucking your face into his chest. the both of you stand there for longer than you’d thought you would, stupid smiles on your faces as you shared your first moment together.

even though you didn’t know it, there would be many more to come.