Stranger Things Imagines and Preferences

Fred Benson ~ A Library Date

"Hm...Robert Downey Jr?"

Fred removed his hands from your eyes and shut your locker before turning to face him.

"Ha ha," he said, crossing his arms, "very funny."

You chuckled and leaned forward to press a little peck on his nose. A slight red tint blossomed on his cheeks, and he dropped his head as he ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"Are you ready?" He asked, still avoiding your eyes.

"For?"

His head snapped back up, and he stopped fidgeting.

"The surprise I told you about."

"Surprise?"

Fred's mouth fell open, and just when he was about to object, a wide grin spread across your face.

"I'm kidding, Fred. I didn't forget. You've been reminding me all week."

You scooped his hand into yours.

"So," you said, giving a little squeeze, "lead the way."

You could actually see the stress leave his body from the way his shoulders relaxed just slightly. Fred nodded before leading you away from your locker. The two of you walked through the school until Fred came to a stop in front of the library doors. The lights were off, and it looked vacant, which wasn't too much out of the ordinary. But you knew the librarian, Ms. Worthington, always left the lights on. Your forehead creased as you looked at Fred.

"The library is the surprise?"

Fred shook his head, releasing your hand.

"Do you know what today is, Y/N?"

"Friday?"

Fred let out a light chuckle.

"Yes, but today also marks a year since you moved here."

Your eyes widened. You didn't know that Fred had been keeping count. But before you could ask him, he continued.

"So, that means it's been a year since I saw you struggling and helped you pull Of Mice and Men off the top shelf."

He stopped and took your hand in his again before bringing it up to his lips, planting a sweet kiss on the back.

"It's been a year since I fell head over heels for you, the new girl."

You let out a little laugh, and Fred smiled, gaining some confidence from the melodic sound.

"Now," he said, releasing your hand again, "I know we've only been dating for a few months now, but I wanted to do something special for you."

You tilted your head to the side.

"Fred, you didn't have to -"

Fred shook his head, stopping you from finishing your statement.

"I asked Ms. Worthington if I could reserve the library today after school."

He began digging around in his pocket as he went on.

"At first, she was a little skeptical. But after I told her it was for you, she gave me this."

Fred held up a tiny silver key before turning around, sticking the key in the lock, and opening the door. When he swung the piece of wood open, your jaw dropped. The lights were off because the windows were opened just enough to let in the perfect amount of sunlight. Each window let in a ray that decorated the room with a bright ambiance. You stepped through the door and took in the old room that looked as if it had been reborn in that light. But before you walked even further into the room, you looked down and saw a trail of rose petals. Your eyes followed the trail until it disappeared behind a bookshelf. You turned to look back at Fred, who just nodded toward the path. When you turned forward, you didn't hesitate to follow the petals.

With each step, they brought you further and further into the library. You snaked through each of your favorite sections until the path stopped in the corner where you and Fred spent most of your time. But it wasn't like it usually was. Instead, there was a blanket spread out with several pillows placed haphazardly in the area. And, sitting in the middle of it all was a picnic basket. It was opened just enough to see a few of your favorite foods peeking out. When you turned to face him, Fred was fiddling with his sweater and running his hand through his hair. You could tell that he was nervous. This was the most romantic thing he had ever done for you.

"Well?" He asked, "what do you think?"

You took a step closer and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Fred, it's beautiful. You really didn't have to do all this."

"No, I did."

Fred's throat bobbed a little as he swallowed and flattened his sweater with both hands.

"It was a year ago today, right here in this very spot, where I first met you and where we sat every day for lunch Junior year."

Fred shuffled his feet, and you could see his breathing was a bit erratic. His eyes were looking at everything but you as he continued.

"It was here where we became really good friends, and I learned about your favorite books and where you see yourself in five years. I discovered what perfume you use and what your favorite restaurants are. I learned everything there was to know about you right here in this corner."

You weren't sure where Fred was going with his speech until he finally stopped fidgeting and looked directly at you.

"It was here," he let out a shaky breath, "where I realized that I love you, Y/N."

Your body lit up at those three words, every nerve ending shooting off that it felt like your brain was going to short circuit. Fred's blue eyes bore into you, but you couldn't create a coherent thought. It had only been a few months, but you knew how you felt, and you had been waiting to hear Fred tell you that he felt the same way. So, instead of saying anything, you just cupped his face and smashed your lips onto his. Fred stumbled back a little before his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to his slender frame. You stayed that way for a while, letting your lips rediscover each other. And when you finally pulled back, both of you were out of breath but smiling.

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting to hear you say that. I love you too, Fred."

He let out a sigh, and you could feel the tension leave his body at your confession. You leaned in and placed another kiss on his lips before he nodded toward the picnic.

"Shall we?"

You chuckled as he took your hand and led you to the cozy corner. It wasn't a five-star restaurant, but you didn't care. That little corner of the library was everything you could have asked for. It was quaint and filled with exactly what you wanted – your favorite foods, your favorite books, and your favorite person.