METANOIA | Eddie Munson

Papa, Part 3

3rd Person's POV

"Check this out. The War Zone."

Eddie slammed a book down on the table, everyone peeking over his shoulders to take a look.

"I've been there once. It's huge. They got everything you need for, uh... well, killing things, basically."

"And what were you there for, Munson?"

"Back to last name basis, huh?" Eddie cocked his head at Valerie, a smirk threatening to spill on his lips.

They still hadn't talked about their kiss yet, and judging by the way Valerie clenched her jaw, it was as if she was daring him to do something about it in front of everyone.

"You think fake Rambo has enough guns there?" Robin asked, her eyes glued to the picture, unaware of the tension between the pair, "Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?"

Eddie looked away, leaving Valerie with a knowing smile. A smile that somehow made her feel like he held some sort of leverage over her.

She was going to kill the bastard.

"Well lucky for us it is, so..." Eddie shrugged, "This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins. As long as we steer clear of main roads, we oughta be able to avoid cops and uh, angry hicks."

"If we're trying to avoid angry hicks, maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone." Erica deadpanned.

"Normally I'd agree, but we need the weapons." Nancy says.

"Yeah, it's either angry hicks or a hormonal, peeled, wet male version of Eleven." Valerie frowned to herself, "It's worth the risk."

"But is it worth the time?" He looked at his sister, "It'll take all day to bike there and back."

"Who said anything about bikes?" Eddie stood up from the table with a little grin.

"You got some car we don't know about?" Steve scrunched his eyebrows.

"It's not exactly a car." His eyes twinkled, he had a mischievous look on his face, "And It's not exactly mine. But it'll do."

"Grand theft auto." Valerie shrugged, "We've done worse."

Eddie smiled and then looked towards Max, "Hey Red, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?"

"You could give him that one mask you wore for Halloween." Valerie suggested, trying to not crack a smile herself.

______________

Steve felt himself getting more annoyed by the second, as he shushed Valerie and Robin for the third time. Each time they looked at Eddie, they would burst into hushed giggles.

"It's just- it's just the hair. Michael Myers did not have such... lively hair." Valerie snickered.

"It's been sitting in my closet for a long time, okay?" Max tried to defend her old mask, failing to hide her own laugh when she took a glance herself.

"Shh! All of you!" Steve whisper-yelled, turning back to glare at them.

From the front, Eddie motioned with his hand for everyone to follow him. So they did.

The group tip-toed past a couple cars and a few trailers before stopping in front of a van. Eddie popped the window open and climbed in. Steve went after him, Valerie took his hand and jumped in landing with a soft thud on a couch.

She stood up and took a look around, "Not bad."

"Reckon you'd like to live in one of these?" Eddie asked from the front.

"Seems cozy enough, yeah." She took a seat next to him. She watched as he took out a pair of pliers, putting them in between his teeth, yanking out a bunch of wires and cutting them up.

"Noted."

Before she could ask what he meant, Steve appeared behind him, "Where'd you learn how to do this?"

"Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire." Eddie let out a scoff, clenching his jaw, "Now I swore to myself I wouldn't end up like he did but now I'm wanted for murder, and soon, grand theft auto. So I'm really living up to that Munson name."

Valerie could sense it was a touchy subject.

"That's nothing." She playfully rolled her eyes, "Just last year we burned down Starcourt mall."

"Oh, that was you guys." Eddie quirked an eyebrow, suddenly it all made sense.

"Yup."

"Cool." He grins, the parent thing already starting to slip from his mind.

Eddie started the engine and a lady started banging on the window beside Valerie's head, making her jump out of her seat.

"Hey! Open this door!"

"Um..." Valerie turned back to look at Eddie, he on the other hand was beaming.

He jumped out of his seat, giving Steve a quick pat on the back and took a hold of Valerie's hand, pulling her to one of the seats.

"Everbody, hang on to something!"

Steve screamed from the front.

Valerie noticed her hand was still in Eddie's grasp, she tugged it away. Only for the van to start abruptly, jerking her off the seat, and eventually being yanked back by Eddie again.

"You're such a child." Eddie chuckled.

She wasn't a child.

Something as simple as the touch of his hand...would it be overreacting if she were to think that it would inevitably lead her back to where they left off?

If Hawkins wasn't in danger for the millionth time right now, she would be avoiding him like the plague.

She was so sick of saving this town. She was so sick of feeling like Eddie Munson could see through her at any given moment. Because he could, and that was rather problematic considering just how much she was still trying to hate him.

[A/N: I have been sick, okay? It's been a hard couple weeks and I'm aware I haven't updated in like forever😭 But I don't know what got into me last night cause I somehow wrote 3 chapters all in one go. So no more late updates<3 alteast... for the next 3 chapters. Ily and ty for being patient if anyone's still reading 🐥]